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ALL TO[CALL TO ORDER]
THE, UH, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH MEETING OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION OF AUSTIN.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONERS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS OUR INVITED GUEST SPEAKERS.
UH, FIRST OFF, I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
AND, UH, RIGHT NOW I'D LOVE TO MOVE DIRECTLY TO OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.UH, WE HAVE SIMON, UH, MADERA, WHO IS COMMENTING ON AGENDA ITEMS NUMBER FIVE AND SIX.
I OWN TACO FLATS, UH, WHICH IS A GROUP OF FOUR LOCATIONS IN A BAR IN EAST AUSTIN CALLED LA HOLLY.
UM, SOME PLACES IN QUEENSLAND, UH, WITH JUNCTION PRIME AND HOOPERS, UM, HOOPER'S KIND OF DINER.
AND I'VE GOT A NEW PROJECT ON CEDAR PARK.
UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF THE REASON I'M SPEAKING IS WE'VE JUST ALWAYS BEEN, UM, UH, WE'RE TALKING ON AGENDA ITEMS FIVE AND SIX, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S TAKING E-CIGARETTE ITEMS. WE, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN, UH, WE'VE ALWAYS, UH, DISALLOWED THIS, THE, THE ACTIVITY INSIDE OUR BARS.
UH, AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF IT'S VERY PERSONAL TO ME.
AND I JUST, I THINK THAT, I THINK PEOPLE ARE, FOR THE MOST PART, ARE RESPECTFUL AND DON'T CARE TO SMOKE INSIDE.
THE ONES THAT DO WE TELL 'EM THEY CAN'T WHEN THEY MOVE OUTSIDE.
UM, EVEN OUTSIDE, WHEN PEOPLE ARE SMOKING AND THERE'S FAMILIES AROUND, WE ASK PEOPLE TO KEEP IT, KEEP IT TO A LIMIT.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE'VE CONCLUDED OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED, UH, COMMISSION MEETING FROM OCTOBER 9TH, 2024.DO HAVE I MOTION TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 9TH? MOTION? SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER PENOC.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SHANNON.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[2. Staff briefing from Staff Liaison, Felicia Ojeda, regarding the vacancy and newly appointed members on the board and updates on city policy for commissions.]
WE NOW HAVE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, STAFF BRIEFING WITH, UH, FELICIA OJEDA.UM, AND ACTUALLY, IF, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY YOUR FULL NAME,
I ADDED MY NEW LAST NAME TO IT, SO, SO FELICIA BURLESON.
UM, SO YES, I AM JUST GOING TO COMMENT ON, AGAIN, ON, UM, ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE JOINING US ONLINE, UM, TO SEND US THE, SEND ME THE FORM TODAY IF YOU CAN, UM, FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE IN THE MEETING.
UM, AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE, UM, DISTRICT FOUR AND 10 VACANT.
JUST A REMINDER AND THAT IT IS IT.
UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE THE, UM, THE COMMISSION THAT I, YESTERDAY I RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT I HAVE SENT FORWARDED ONTO, UH, MS. OJEDA BURLESON, AS WELL AS THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT, UM, THE PREVIOUS, UH, NOMINEE OR APPLICANT FOR THE DISTRICT FOUR SEAT.
UH, ALLISON MIA IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE TAKING THAT, UH, POSITION, UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO COMMITMENTS AT HER, UM, CURRENT POSITION.
SO WE NOW STILL CONTINUE TO HAVE TWO VACANCIES ON, UH, THE COMMISSION THAT IS DISTRICT FOUR AS WELL AS DISTRICT 10.
SO JUST SO YOU ALL ARE UP TO DATE AND INFORMED.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, WE ARE GOING, I'M SORRY, I'M LOOKING AT
[3. Presentation by Katie Edwards, Executive Director of the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum regarding the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, and its tourism impact & future.]
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, INVITE, UM, KATIE EDWARDS AS WELL AS, UH, AMANDA VAL TO THE STAGE, UM, RATHER TO THE DAAS TO SPEAK ABOUT THE, UM, LAB, SCULPTURE, GARDEN AND MUSEUM REGARDING THE, UM, THE RECENT, UM, EFFORTS, UH, TO PASS THE RESOLUTION FOR COUNCIL REGARDING THE HISTORIC SITE.UM, AND, UH, ANY INSIGHTS FOR TOURISM THAT THEY CAN SHARE REGARDING, UH, THEIR WORK.
UM, WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
[00:05:01]
I AM KATIE ROBINSON EDWARDS, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CURATOR AT THE U MOF SCULPTURE GARDEN AND MUSEUM.AND MY COLLEAGUE HERE, AMANDA ALBRECHT, IS OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIONS AT THE MOF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, AND THANK YOU TO DANIEL RONAN FOR SUGGESTING WE PRESENT TO YOU.
WE ARE HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY PRESENTING THE MOFS HISTORIC PRESERVATION EXPANSION AND UNIFICATION PLAN THAT WAS CREATED BY PAGE ARCHITECTURE FIRM AND THE UMLA WITH GUIDANCE FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
THE PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL JUST LAST MONTH, AND WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO SHARE IT WITH THE TOURISM COMMISSION TODAY.
THE FULL PLAN IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT WE WILL PRESENT A BRIEF OVERVIEW TODAY.
AND I'LL, SHOULD I JUST, GREAT.
SO, UM, NOT SURE HOW MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE UMOFF, BUT WE ARE NESTLED WITHIN AUSTIN CENTRAL GREEN NETWORK ALONGSIDE BARTON SPRINGS, ZILKER PARK, AND LADY BIRD LAKE.
OUR MISSION IS, UM, TO CULTIVATE COMMUNITY CURIOSITY AND CONNECTION THROUGH NATURE CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS AND THE WORK OF CHARLES MOFT.
WE ARE A BELOVED 33-YEAR-OLD GARDEN AND MUSEUM, AND WE WELCOME OVER 35,000 VISITORS EACH YEAR AND HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES.
38% OF OUR VISITORS LAST YEAR TRAVELED FROM OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
CHARLES MOF MADE HIS CAREER IN CHICAGO, AND WHERE HE MARRIED FELLOW ARTIST ANGIE, UM, ALLEN, ANGIE ALLEN UMOFF.
FOR 40 YEARS, HE WAS A LIFE DRAWING AND SCULPTURE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
THE COLOR PHOTO AT THE CENTER SHOWS UMOFF WITH HIS MOST FAMOUS STUDENT, FARRAH FAUCET IN CHARLES MOFS STUDIO ON BARTON BOULEVARD.
WE'RE DOING A MAJOR FARRAH FAUCET EXHIBITION OPENING IN FEBRUARY.
UH, THE UMOFF CHARLES MOF HAS MORE SCULPTURE ON PUBLIC VIEW IN TEXAS THAN ANY OTHER ARTIST, AND IS IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTIONS IN CHICAGO, THE MET SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON, AND VIRTUALLY EVERY OTHER MAJOR MUSEUM IN TEXAS, WE BELIEVE HE IS ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST PROLIFIC ARTISTS EVER.
IN 1985, CHARLES AND ANGIE MADE A MAJOR GIFT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT INCLUDED THEIR HOME, HIS STUDIO, THEIR PROPERTY, AND HUNDREDS OF SCULPTURES.
THE YELLOW SECTION ON THE MAP, UH, IN THE CENTER IS WHERE THE MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDENS SIT.
TODAY, THE CITY OWNED LAND AND BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED BY THE UMLA FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS THROUGH A COUNCIL SUPPORTED AGREEMENT.
HOWEVER, THE ORIGINAL GIFT OF THE HISTORIC HOME AND STUDIO SEEN HERE IN THE BROWN SECTION IS NOT YET OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO INACCESSIBILITY CODE COMPLIANCE AND THE NECESSARY RESTORATION.
THE HISTORIC SITE SITS 50 FEET ABOVE THE GARDEN, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET TO FROM THE CURRENT GROUNDS, UH, TO THE HOMESTEAD.
THE GREEN SECTION SHOWS THE TWO ACRES OF GREEN SPACE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF PROPERTY THAT IS NOT AT ALL ACCESSIBLE.
BEFORE DESIGNING A PLAN, THE UMLA AND PAGE COMPLETED A ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES THAT GUIDED THE STRATEGIES OUTLINED IN THE HPEU PLAN.
WE DO REFER TO OUR VISION PLAN AS A HISTORIC PRESERVATION, EXPANSION, AND UNIFICATION PLAN, OR HPEU.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS IN REFERENCE TO PRESERVING THE HISTORIC MOF STUDIO AND HOME AND OPENING THE PROPERTY TO THE PUBLIC.
THIS YEAR, THESE TWO ACRES RECEIVED A NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES DESIGNATION.
PRESERVATION OF THE STUDIO AND HOME WILL ALLOW US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT VISITORS BACK IN THESE ROOMS THAT REMAIN JUST AS CHARLES AND ANGIE USED THEM.
IT IS INCREDIBLY RARE TO HAVE AN ARTIST STUDIO, HOME AND MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THEIR WORK ON A SINGLE SITE, BUT WE ARE COMPETING WITH OURSELVES FOR SPACE.
THE MOF HOSTS NUMEROUS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITIONS.
IN ADDITION TO EXHIBITING THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF CHARLES MOF ON SITE AND BEYOND MUSEUM PROGRAMS, THE YU MOF SERVES A COMMUNITY AS AN EVENT VENUE, OFFERING THE GROUNDS AS RENTAL SPACE FOR WEDDINGS, CORPORATE AND NONPROFIT EVENTS, MEETINGS, AND MUCH MORE.
LAST YEAR, THE YU MOF HOSTED NEARLY 140 PRIVATE EVENTS, 49% OF WHICH WERE WEDDINGS, AND 23% OF WHICH WERE CORPORATE EVENTS AND MEETINGS.
HOWEVER, THE VENUE CAPABILITIES ARE LIMITED DUE TO OUR LACK OF INDOOR SPACE.
MANY OF OUR EVENT VISITORS DO COME FROM OUT OF TOWN.
WE HAVE MENTIONED HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND EXPANSION, BUT THE OTHER MAJOR ENDEAVOR IS UNIFICATION.
THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES WHAT A FULLY UNIFIED AND EXPANDED UMOFF COULD LOOK LIKE.
THE HPEU PLAN CONNECTS THE CURRENTLY UNREACHABLE AREAS
[00:10:01]
FOR A SEAMLESS, ACCESSIBLE SITE-WIDE USER EXPERIENCE.AND THE PLAN DIVIDES THE UMOFF INTO FOUR ZONES.
THE FIRST ZONE IS THE NATURAL ZONE, COMPRISED OF TWO ACRES ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE SITE.
THE LAND IS OVERGROWN AND NOT ACCESSIBLE.
THE PLAN RECOMMENDS OPENING THESE TWO ACRES TO PROVIDE NATURAL SPACE, A TRAIL AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS AREA WOULD BE FREE FOR THE PUBLIC TO ACCESS AND GIVE TWO ACRES OF PARKLAND BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS WHAT THE NATURAL ZONE LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
AND JUST NORTH OF THE NATURAL ZONE IS THE WELCOME ZONE WHERE VISITORS ENTER THE PROPERTY.
IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS AREA WOULD INCLUDE UPDATES TO PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AND SAFETY.
THE ADDITION OF A NEW BUILDING CALLED THE GATEWAY SEEN HERE IN THE FAR UPPER RIGHT.
AND THE NEXT TWO SLIDES WILL SHOW CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS OF HOW THE GATEWAY COULD LOOK.
THE GATEWAY WOULD PROVIDE A FUNCTIONAL AND SAFE TICKET KIOSK AND A WELCOME LOBBY HERE, VISITORS COULD PURCHASE ADMISSION, HAVE CONVERSATION WITH STAFF, AND PERUSE THE GIFT SHOP.
THE UMOFF CURRENTLY HAS ONLY 411 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE AVAILABLE FOR INDOOR PROGRAMS, MEETINGS, AND RENTALS FACING THE INTERIOR OF THE GARDEN.
THE GATEWAY WOULD PROVIDE INDOOR OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS THAT WOULD ALLOW THE MUSEUM TO OFFER MORE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN.
AND THESE SPACES COULD ALSO BE RENTED.
A VERY IMPORTANT REVENUE GENERATOR SUPPORTING THE ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MUSEUM.
SO TODAY THE PUBLIC ONLY HAS ACCESS TO THE CENTRAL AREA, WHICH IS THE GARDEN AND MUSEUM, WHICH YOU CAN SEE HERE.
THE PLAN RECOMMENDS IMPROVEMENTS TO ACCESSIBILITY, WATER MANAGEMENT, AND EXTENSIVE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES THROUGHOUT THE GROUNDS.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T VISITED THE UMLA BEFORE, HERE'S A VIEW OF WHAT THE SCULPTURE GARDEN LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE EXISTING GARDEN, YOU WILL COME ACROSS AN ENTRYWAY NESTLED IN THE TREES, WHICH WOULD LEAD TO THE FOURTH AND FINAL ZONE, INCLUDED IN THE PLAN.
THIS NEW BUILDING NICKNAMED THE TREE HOUSE, WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF GETTING UP THE STEEP HILL TO THE HISTORIC HOMESTEAD, AND IS KEY TO UNIFYING THE ENTIRE SITE.
THE NEXT FEW SLIDES SHOW CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS OF WHAT THE TREE HOUSE COULD BE.
THE ENTRYWAY WOULD BE MODEST AND FEATURE ADDITIONAL EXHIBITION SPACE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR MORE OF THE MOF COLLECTION TO BE TAKEN OUT OF STORAGE AND MADE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AS IT WAS INTENDED TO BE.
THE MID-LEVEL SEEN HERE WOULD INCLUDE INDOOR EVENT SPACE TO BE USED FOR COMMUNITY GATHERING, AS WELL AS A REVENUE GENERATOR TO SUPPORT THE MUSEUM'S OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND PROGRAMMING BUDGET.
THIS EDITION OF 2,500 SQUARE FEET OF INDOOR EVENT SPACE WOULD ALLOW THE UMLA TO INVITE MORE CORPORATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER TOURISTS TO HOST THEIR EVENTS AT THE GARDEN THROUGHOUT EVERY SEASON.
AND THEN THE THIRD LEVEL WOULD BE FLUSH WITH THE HILLTOP DRIVEWAY OF THE HOME AND STUDIO.
THIS TOP LEVEL COULD CONTAIN AN INTERPRETIVE HISTORICAL EXHIBIT OF THE, UM, MOFS LIFE AND LEGACY, AND SERVE AS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORIC HOMESTEAD.
THE HOME WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE LATE 1920S.
CHARLES AND ANGELINE UMOFF PURCHASED THE HOME IN 1944.
AND IN 1950, UMOFF BUILT HIS FIRST EVER FREESTANDING ART STUDIO, WHICH YOU CAN SEE IN THE UPPER RIGHT OF THIS SLIDE, LESS THAN A HUNDRED FEET FROM THE HOME IN 1956.
IN ADDITION TO THE HOME WAS BUILT UPON THE ORIGINAL STONE STRUCTURE.
THE RENOVATION PRODUCED A MINIMALIST AESTHETIC, TYPICAL OF MID-CENTURY MODERN DESIGN, WHICH IS HOW THE HOME LOOKS TODAY.
CHARLES AND ANGIE UMOFF SPENT 50 YEARS TOGETHER HERE.
THEY RAISED THEIR FAMILY, RAN THEIR ART BUSINESS, HOSTED VISITORS AND CELEBRITIES, AND LIVED ON THE SITE UNTIL THEIR PASSING.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHOWING OFF THIS NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES SITE TO VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AND JUST A FEW MORE PHOTOS TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE INSIDE OF THE HOME AND STUDIO.
ON THE LEFT, YOU CAN SEE THE FOYER WITH THE ORIGINAL 1920S EXTERIOR STONE WALL THAT BECAME ENCLOSED DURING THE 1956 RENOVATION.
AND ON THE RIGHT IS THE KITCHEN WITH THE ORIGINAL 1956 CABINETRY AND APPLIANCES.
AND THEN HERE WE ARE WALKING INTO THE STUDIO, JUST AS CHARLES UMOFF WOULD HAVE APPROACHED IT.
THE INTERIOR OF THE STUDIO IS DIVIDED INTO AREAS OF EACH TYPE OF WORK THAT HE WAS DOING, DRAWING, CARVING WOOD OR PLASTER AND MOLDING AND HYDROSTONE.
THE STUDIO IS FILLED WITH, UM, OFF'S, ART TOOLS, HANDMADE WORK, BENCHES, AND SHIPPING CRATES.
IT FEELS AS IF CHARLES UMOFF JUST STEPPED OUT OF HIS STUDIO AT THE END OF A LONG DAY.
[00:15:03]
SO, AS WE MENTIONED, IT IS EXTREMELY RARE TO HAVE AN ARTIST'S HOME STUDIO AND MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THEIR WORK ALL IN ONE LOCATION.THIS IS A HUGE ASSET FOR AUSTIN, AND HAVING THE FULL SITE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC WILL SOLIDIFY AUSTIN ON THE MAP AS AN INTERNATIONAL SITE FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND NATURE, ALL OF WHICH CAN BE FOUND AT THE UMOFF.
ON BEHALF OF, UM, STAFF AND BOARD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
YOU BOTH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO BOTH COME TO THE PODIUM, UM, COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THE PRESENTATION.
UH, AS A REMINDER, THIS IS A SORT OF A OVERFLOW CONTINUATION OF LAST, UH, MONTH'S TOPIC REGARDING HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, ARE THERE, UM, ANY PLANS TO USE HISTORIC TAX CREDITS WITH THE CURRENT WORK BEING PROPOSED? YES,
WE ARE NOT EXPERTS IN THIS YET BY ANY STRETCH, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY WILL AND WANT TO KEEP THEM IN MIND FROM THE GET GO.
UM, THIS OF COURSE, IS A CONCEPTUAL PLAN SO FAR, SO WE'VE GOT A BIT OF WORK TO DO YET, BUT YES.
AND THE, UM, JUST TO FINISH THE THOUGHT, THE, UH, THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION IS CRITICAL FOR THOSE, UH, TAX CREDITS, SO I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE UMOFF WAS ABLE TO LIST THE HOME AND STUDIO.
I, I LOVE THE COULD YOU TURN YOUR MIC ON, PLEASE? IT'S ON ANYWAY.
I CAN USE ANOTHER MIC FOR YOU, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR YOU RIGHT NOW.
APOLOGIES FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
UM, MAYBE I'LL, I'LL GO TO, TO COMMISSIONER CHAPEL WHILE THIS IS FIXED.
NO, IT'S A VERY EASY MEETING TO RUN WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO ANYONE.
WASN'T THAT A GOOD IDEA?
HEY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT A FEW YEARS AGO I WENT TO TOUR THE HOUSE IN THE STUDIO WITH PRESERVATION AUSTIN.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE A MAJOR EXHIBIT AND, AND DRAW IN TOURISM IN AUSTIN.
I THINK I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO THIS POINT, BUT, UH, IT'S ASTONISHING THE HOUSE IS IN IS SO GORGEOUS.
WE APPRECIATE THAT AND WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT YOU GOT A CHANCE TO GO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
OH, UH, COMMISSIONER MATHIS, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? COMMISSIONER MATHIS, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS RENOVATION.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT ALL YOU HAD FOR INDOOR SPACE.
THAT'S NOTHING WHAT 15 PEOPLE CAN SIT IN THERE.
UM, WHAT AN EXCITING RENOVATION.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER MATHIS, I BELIEVE WE HAVE OUR MICS BACK ON HERE IN THE ROOM.
UH, LET'S START WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER PENOC AND THEN WE'LL HEAD OVER TO COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I THINK THE RENDERINGS ARE SO COOL LOOKING.
UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE REALLY NICE WHEN IT'S COMPLETE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF MY QUESTION IS PREMATURE, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF THERE'S KIND OF A PLAN FOR THE MARKETING OF THIS BEAUTIFUL FACILITY ONCE IT'S COMPLETE, TO
[00:20:01]
MAKE SURE WE LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT IT'S THERE SO WE COULD GET TOURISM.'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S LOTS OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT STATES THAT TRAVEL TO THESE HISTORIC SITES, AND I THINK ONCE THIS IS COMPLETE, IT WOULD BE AMAZING.
SO I WOULD SAY WE DON'T HAVE A CONCRETE PLAN IN PLACE, BUT DEFINITELY TOP OF MIND BEFORE THE BUILDING IS BUILT, WE WILL GET THERE.
UM, I WILL SAY WE, WE DO ALREADY HAVE, UM, AS KATIE MENTIONED, A WHOLE BUNCH OF EVENTS AND WEDDINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO TO EXPAND UPON THAT SORT OF MARKETING THAT WE ALREADY DO WOULD DEFINITELY BE SOMETHING WE WOULD DO.
BUT AS THIS WILL OPEN UP SO MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UMOFF, UM, AS WE MENTIONED, IT'S JUST SO RARE TO HAVE AN ARTIST'S HOME STUDIO AND THE MUSEUM ALL IN ONE PLACE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET ON A BUS TO GO SEE IT.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT EVERY CITY HAS.
SO IT'S A REALLY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO MARKET THE UMOFF AND JUST AUSTIN IN GENERAL.
AND WE ARE VERY SMALL STAFF AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE BOARD AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WE TALKED ABOUT IS WE WILL NEED TO GROW A LOT.
AND, AND WE'RE ALSO ACTUALLY GETTING A NEW MARKETING COORDINATOR, UH, IN JANUARY TO START, YOU KNOW, ROLLING IT OUT.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, UH, KATIE AND AMANDA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT THIS AFTERNOON.
I'VE GONE, I LIVE IN THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD SOAKER BEHIND, SO I VISIT THIS AREA FREQUENTLY.
UM, ENJOY BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO KIND OF GO IN AND LET YOUR KIDS WANDER AROUND.
AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS, IT'S BEEN SURPRISING EACH TIME I'VE VISITED, BE ABLE TO FIND SOMETHING.
AND SO KUDOS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLAN AND EXTEND UPON THE FOOTPRINT.
MY QUESTION IS ON THE WELCOME ZONE.
UH, IT'S NOT VERY SAFE IN THAT AREA.
SO CAN YOU TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR PLANS TO MAYBE ADDRESS SPECIFICALLY LIKE PEDESTRIAN WALKING ON THE EAST SIDE? YES, GREAT QUESTION.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO WE DID THROUGHOUT THE MAKING OF THE PLAN HAVE A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP WITH CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS.
UM, THE NEED FOR THERE TO BE A SIDEWALK ON OUR SIDE OF AZ MORTON IS EVIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY.
THERE'S NOT A, A WHOLE BUNCH OF SPACE THERE, BUT ONE THING THAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE INCLUDED IN THE PLAN IS THE, UM, RELOCATION OF THE CROSSWALK TO JUST NORTH OF THE EXIT GATE.
SO WE HAVE AN ENTRANCE AND AN EXIT.
THOSE WOULD STAY THE SAME FOR CARS.
UM, THE CROSSWALK WOULD BECOME ITS OWN PEDESTRIAN ENTRANCE JUST NORTH OF THE EXIT GATE.
UM, AS WELL AS REDESIGNING OF THE PARKING LOT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEDESTRIANS AREN'T WALKING THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT AND ENTERING THE SAME GATE AS, BECAUSE WE DO GET A LOT OF PEOPLE WALKING FROM ACROSS THE STREET OVER TO THE UMLA.
UM, SO THERE WOULD BE TWO SEPARATE ENTRIES THEN FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CARS.
BUT, UH, IT IS DEFINITELY OUR DREAM, ESPECIALLY THE CORNER OF AZ MORTON AND BARTON SPRINGS TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO MAKE THAT MORE SAFE AND GET A, A SIDEWALK ON OUR SIDE OF THE STREET.
AND ALSO, I THINK VISUALLY GOING BACK SOME OF THEIR COMMENTS ON MARKETING, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THE UN LOVE GARDENS ARE BEHIND YOU YEAH.
IF YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY TO THE PARK.
AND SO TO SPEAK TO THAT, ONE THING WE DIDN'T MENTION, 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HIT TOO MUCH ON THE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE GARDEN AND MUSEUM, BUT THERE IS, WE DID AN EDGE STUDY FOR THE ENTIRE PROPERTY.
UM, AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS THE PLAN IN THE PLAN IS TO REDO THE EDGE TREATMENT.
SO WHERE THAT METAL FENCE IS THAT EXTENDS AROUND THE ENTIRE SITE, UM, WOULD ALLOW AN OPPORTUNITY OF AREAS YOU CAN LOOK INTO THE GARDEN, BUT ALSO SOME AREAS WE COULD PUT SIGNAGE ALONG THE, UH, LIKE A STONE AREA.
SO IT MAKES IT MORE EVIDENT THAT WE EXIST.
WELL, THANK YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS.
UM, I THINK I'VE BEEN TO, IS IT ESON WISCONSIN OR FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT THAT SEEMED TO BE, HAVE THE SAME KIND OF STUDIO GROUNDS, LIVING HISTORY, ALL OF THAT.
BUT, AND IT LED ME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER A SELLOUT RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF CAPACITY FOR A REGULAR, NOT, NOT A PRIVATE EVENT, BUT WHEN TOURISTS THAT COME? AND DO YOU HAVE A SENSE FOR WHAT THE PROJECTION LOOKS LIKE WHEN ALL THESE EXTENSIONS HAPPEN? ALSO, THE, THE TIME.
LIKE WHAT A, WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE AN AVERAGE VISITOR EXPERIENCE ON
[00:25:01]
SITE? AND WHAT WOULD THE AVERAGE VISITOR TIME EXPERIENCE LOOK LIKE AFTER IMPROVEMENTS? JUST TRYING TO GET A FEEL FOR IT'S CLEARLY GONNA ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE.YOU WANT ME TO TRY THAT? SURE.
WE, THIS IS, THIS IS UNPREPARED.
I WASN'T SURE WHAT YOU MEANT, COMMISSIONER BY, BY SELLOUT.
WELL, I MEAN, LIKE, SOME PLACES CAN ONLY ACCOMMODATE SO MANY PEOPLE AND THEN THEY HAVE TO, AND THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE ONE EXAMPLE OF YOU CAN ONLY GET SO MANY PEOPLE CAPACITY OCCUPANCY WISE.
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF GROUND, SO IT'S PROBABLY NOT A HUGE ISSUE THERE, BUT ONCE YOU HAVE IT ENCLOSED SPACES, YOU'RE GONNA ONLY HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE INSIDE.
IT WOULD BE A GOOD PROBLEM FOR US TO HAVE GREATLY
I THINK PART OF THE PROCESS WILL BE GETTING THE ACCURATE FIRE CODES FOR EVERYTHING, BUT CERTAINLY JUST IN MY HEAD, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU AMANDA, BUT I'VE BEEN THINKING IT WILL AT LEAST DOUBLE OUR CAPACITY.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE GET ABOUT 35,000 VISITORS A YEAR FOR A WHILE.
SO TO ME, I'D LIKE TO GET A HUNDRED THOUSAND A YEAR.
UM, BUT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE INCREDIBLE.
RIGHT NOW YOU CAN ONLY GO TO THE LOWER PORTION.
PEOPLE TEND TO SPEND ANYWHERE FROM, YOU KNOW, 20 MINUTES TO AN HOUR AND A HALF THERE.
YOU CAN COME AND HANG OUT THERE, BUT WE ARE THINKING THE, UM, UPPER LEVEL, THE HISTORIC AREA WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL TICKET OR AN ADDITION TO YOUR TICKET.
AND THAT WOULD OF COURSE, INCREASE YOUR TIME THERE AND COULD BE SEPARATE OR COULD BE DONE SEPARATELY.
UM, SO, AND ALSO IF WE WERE ALL A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED BY THOSE TWO SOUTHERN BEING PROPOSED BY PAGE ARCHITECTS AS A NATURAL ZONE, WE LOVE THE IDEA, BUT OF COURSE THAT WILL BRING A LOT MORE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.
WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK THAT AS WELL.
YEAH, AND I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THAT BEING A MOSTLY OUTDOOR SPACE RIGHT NOW, OUR ADMISSION, OUR EVENTS, EVERYTHING IS DEPENDENT ON THE WEATHER.
SO IF IT'S A RAINY DAY OR IF IT'S A LITTLE TOO COLD OR A LITTLE TOO HOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT BUSY.
SO HAVING INDOOR EXHIBITIONS OR EXPANDED INDOOR EXHIBITIONS AND THE HOME IN THE STUDIO, EVEN IF IT'S RAINING OUTSIDE, YOU CAN STILL GO TO THE UMOFF AND HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE AND THE HOME ALONE, LIKE YOU COULD SPEND AN HOUR OR MORE JUST WALKING THROUGH THAT SPACE IN THE STUDIO.
I WOULD THINK IT WOULD DOUBLE.
AND THEN THE CAPACITY, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THE EVENT SPACE.
WE SPECIFICALLY WANTED IT TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE OUR AVERAGE SIZE RENTAL EVENT, WHICH OUR SWEET SPOT IS AROUND 150 RIGHT NOW.
UM, HOWEVER, WE DO LARGE EVENTS, OUR OWN GARDEN PARTY FUNDRAISER, WE HAVE EIGHT TO 900 PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE FOUR ACRES OF THE GARDEN.
ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION ALSO ABOUT, UM, HOW, WHERE, WHAT DO YOU RELY MOSTLY ON NOW AS YOUR MARKETING OUTREACH? WHAT STRATEGY? I MEAN, IS IT VISIT AUSTIN? IS IT, IT'S ALL MOSTLY SOCIAL MEDIA.
IS YOUR DRIVER, DO YOU LOOK AT OUTER? DO YOU, HAVE YOU INVESTED IN LOOKING AT OUTER MARKETS LIKE HOUSTON TO, DO YOU EVER MARKET OUT OF MARKET TO, SPECIFICALLY IN ART CIRCLES TO GET PEOPLE THAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE LIKE-MINDED TO COME HERE? I'M THINKING HOUSTON, BUT I'M JUST NOT STUCK ON HOUSTON.
JUST WONDERING WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE DONE OUTTA MARKET TO PROMOTE INBOUND VISITS, ANYTHING? OR IS THAT THE NEW MARKETING PERSON'S JOB? WELL, DO YOU WANNA TRY THAT ONE? SURE.
UM, SO BEYOND, YOU KNOW, WE DO PRESS RELEASES, THINGS LIKE THAT EVERY TIME.
WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR EXHIBITIONS A YEAR, UH, THAT ROTATE IN OUR INDOOR GALLERY.
UM, SO THOSE WILL GET PICKED UP BY, BY NEWS ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
UM, BUT YES, THIS IDEA OF HAVING THE NEW MARKETING PERSON THAT IS DESPERATELY NEEDED AT THE UMOFF AS WE'RE GROWING, UM, AND THAT IS GONNA BE A FOCUS FOR SURE OF THEIR, THEIR POSITION AND WHAT DO YOU WANNA ADD? AND, UM, YEAH, AND WE HAVE BEEN, WE ARE DEPENDENT ON THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS SOMETIMES AND FREE ADVERTISING.
BUT WE ARE, LIKE ON SOUTHWEST, YOU CAN FIND US WHEN YOU GO TO PLACES TO GO IN AUSTIN AND WE PERIODICALLY SHOW UP IN THE FLIGHT MAGAZINES, WHICH IS GREAT.
WE HAVE REACHED THE HOUSTON MARKET WHEN WE'VE HAD, WHEN WE'VE HAD ORGANIC ARTICLES IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE.
AND THAT HAS BROUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND I WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, STRESS.
ALL WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS A PART-TIME SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR.
SO WHO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO TRY TO, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE POSTING EVERYWHERE ON VISIT AUSTIN.
IT SOMETIMES IT GETS MISSED, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE ALSO REAL
[00:30:01]
EXCITED ABOUT HAVING A FULL-TIME MARKETING COORDINATOR TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP US GROW.WE ALSO HAVE GOTTEN CONSIDERABLE HELP WITH GARDEN PARTY FROM GIANT NOISE.
THEY GIVE US PRO BONO SERVICES AND THAT I, I AM CONVINCED THE GARDEN PARTY OUTREACH HAS BROUGHT IN A LOT MORE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF GIANT NOISES REACH, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY GENEROUS WITH US.
UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO TALK ABOUT YOUR, THE WONDERFUL OPPORT INSTITUTION.
[Items 4 & 7]
DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FOUR AND, UH, CHAIRS PREROGATIVE.I'M ALSO GONNA BRING UP DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, BECAUSE THESE TWO GO TOGETHER.
UM, THIS IS IN RELATION TO THE, UH, EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
IN YOUR BOARD PACKET, YOU WILL FIND A COPY OF THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION, UM, WHICH WAS SENT TO YOU LAST MEETING AND WAS DISCUSSED.
UH, WE ALSO SENT, UH, AROUND THE RECOMMENDATION BEFORE THE MEETING, A COPY OF THE EQUITY PLAN, AS WELL AS COMMENTS FROM, UM, KARA BERTRAN, THE PROGRAM MANAGER OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, TO PROVIDE MORE, UH, FINE DETAIL AS TO THE PARTICULARS OF THE, UH, EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.
AND, UH, TODAY WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK UP FOR, UH, A VOTE.
UM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION JUST DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, BUT IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ANSWER, UM, UH, WE HAVE, UH, KARA BERTRAN ON THE LINE HERE, UM, WHO MAY ANSWER THOSE.
IS THERE, UH, A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THIS RECOMMENDATION FOR CONSIDERATION? SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
IS THERE A SECOND? SO SECONDED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER SHAPEY DISCUSSION.
SO I WANT TO, UM, ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST PRESERVATION.
UM, I JUST THOUGHT THAT THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS MADE TO US LAST TIME HAD NO MENTION OF TOURISM IN IT.
THE BULLET POINTS IN THE MATERIALS WERE RECEIVED, HAD NO MENTION OF TOURISM IN IT.
UM, JUST IMPROVING HERITAGE, UM, PRESERVATION GENERALLY FOR IMPROVING OUR CITY IS AN AMBIGUOUS GOAL TO, UM, INCREASING TOURISM, I DON'T THINK IS ENOUGH.
I THINK THAT ANYTHING THAT WE SHOULD SUPPORT, THERE ARE SUPPORT BEHIND ON, UM, IN THE TOURISM COMMISSION SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING SUBSTANTIVE RELATED TO TOURISM WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE PROGRAM.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE PLAN IN PARTICULAR? AND, SORRY, UH, THANK YOU.
JUST TO MENTION CHAIR, I, I KNOW THE COMMISSIONER JUST MENTIONED THIS, BUT IF YOU, IF THERE ARE, SORRY, COMMISSIONER RE, UM, I DID, I DID INCLUDE SOME VERY SPECIFIC FIGURES ABOUT HERITAGE TOURISM AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND MADE AND MADE THAT CONNECTION IN THE EMAIL THAT WAS FORWARDED TO YOU IN LATE OCTOBER AND I THINK INCLUDED IN YOUR BACKUP.
SO IF Y'ALL HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.
AND FOR OUR MEMBERS, UM, UH, OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE LISTENING REMOTELY, UM, WE HAVE THOSE HERE, I CAN READ THEM BRIEFLY.
UM, HERITAGE TOURISTS IN TEXAS SPEND $2.3 BILLION ANNUALLY, 12.5% OF DIRECT TRAVEL SPENDING.
UM, IN TEXAS, THEY SPEND $30 MORE PER DAY PER PERSON THAN NON-HERITAGE TRAVELERS.
THIS SPENDING GENERATES JOBS AND BOOST TAX REVENUE.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, THE, UH, EMAIL ADDRESSED THE QUESTION OF HOW, UH, DOES THE, UH, EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN RELATE TO TOURISM? UM, COMMENTING AT HERITAGE TOURISM ARE MOTIVATED TO TRAVEL TO SEE HISTORIC PLACES AND SPEND MORE THAN OTHER TRAVELERS GENERATING JOBS, INCOME AND TAX REVENUE WITH AN OUTSIZED IMPACT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UM, A VERY, UH, PARTICULAR NON-CHAIN BUSINESS IDENTITY THAT IS MORE LIKELY TO THRIVE IN AREAS WITH OLDER BUILDINGS, UH, OF DIVERSE RANGES AND SIZES.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, CONTRIBUTING TO BROADER, UM, A BROADER ECOSYSTEM OF ICONIC BUSINESSES HERE WITHIN AUSTIN THAT HAVE HISTORIC, UM, TENURE AS WELL AS CULTURE WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, OLDER BUILDINGS ARE A BETTER FIT FOR ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS AND OFTEN, UM, ARE MORE AFFORDABLE.
UM, AS THIS EMAIL STATES, UH, ABOUT 4% OF AUSTIN'S LAND AREA HAS A MAJORITY OF BUILDINGS BUILT BEFORE 1945 AND CONTAINS 20% OF OUR ARTS AND CULTURE FACILITIES.
[00:35:01]
UM, AREA IS IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN EAST AUSTIN MAKE UP LESS THAN 1% OF THE CITY'S LAND AREA, BUT CONTAIN MORE THAN 7% OF, UH, CULTURAL ASSETS.SO WE SEE, UM, THROUGH THESE ADDITIONAL PIECES OF INFORMATION, UM, THAT THERE IS MORE OF A LINKAGE TO TOURISM THAN MAYBE THAT WAS MADE, UH, UH, CLEAR, UH, AT THE OUTSET GIVEN THE PRESENTATION LAST MONTH.
BUT THANK YOU, UM, MS. BERTRAN FOR FOLLOWING UP WITH THOSE ADDITIONAL, UH, PIECES OF INFORMATION.
I KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAD COMMISSIONER REY HAD A COMMENT OR QUESTION, AND THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
UM, TO RESPOND TO COMMISSIONER CHANIN, I IN A, I WANTED TO VOUCH FOR THE INHERENT VALUE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN TOURISM I OFFICE IN A HISTORIC BUILDING IN A NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT IS FILLED WITH, UH, ARCHITECTURALLY, UH, UH, IMPORTANT BUILDINGS.
AND WE SEE TOURISTS WALKING THROUGH ALL THE TIME.
UM, IT'S ALSO CLOSE TO THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THERE'S A LOT OF ART GALLERIES THERE, BUT PEOPLE DO DIVERT THEMSELVES TO LOOK AT THE VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE SURROUNDING MY OFFICE SPACE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TO POINT OUT, IN ADDITION TO THE INHERENT TOURISM VALUE OF PRESERVATION, THAT, UM, WE'RE THE ONLY COMMISSION ASKED BY COUNCIL TO ADVISE ON HOTEL TAX USAGE.
AND SINCE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY COMMITTED 15% OF HOTEL TAXES TO PRESERVATION, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE WEIGH IN ON HOW THAT PRESERVATION MONEY IS SPENT.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, THANK CHAIR RONAN.
I ALSO, UH, HAD SOME DIFFICULTY KIND OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE PLAN WAS, UM, OFF THE, THE, JUST THE PRESENTATION.
BUT EVERYTHING, UM, AS, AS A WHOLE AND AS I'VE RE-LOOKED AT IT AND REVISITED, WHAT SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE TO ME IS BASICALLY THE PLAN IS A STRATEGY WHICH ENABLES THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO CAST A WIDER NET OF ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS, PROPERTIES, LOCATIONS, WHAT HAVE YOU, UM, THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS FUNDING.
SO IN SOME DEGREE, WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A SELF-SERVING, UH, MISSION IN THIS CATEGORY, BACKED TO BUY THE DATA THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS SPEND MORE TIME AND MORE DOLLARS WITHIN OUR CITY.
AND SO IT'S ALSO A REVENUE OPPORTUNITY.
SO HAVING MORE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PRESERVE, UH, CULTURAL HERITAGE PLACES IN AND AROUND AUSTIN, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE EASILY IS HOW I TAKE IT.
UM, AS WELL AS GENERATING, UH, THE NECESSITY HOT TAXES TO COME THROUGH TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THOSE COSTS.
DO I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY OR I NEED TO BE CORRECTED? UH, MS. BERTRAN, UH, DOES THAT SOUND GENERALLY
LOOKING AT A, A, A MORE DIVERSE RANGE OF POTENTIAL HISTORIC RESOURCES.
YOU KNOW, HEARING MORE FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO, TO THINK ABOUT STORIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO TELL AND TO PRESERVE, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE, UM, TOOLS, THE EFFECTIVE TOOLS AND POLICIES THAT SUPPORT PROPERTY OWNERS AND REINVESTING IN THEIR BUILDINGS THAT CAN DRAW TOWARDS, AND, YOU KNOW, AND HOW SMALL BUSINESSES AND HOW IS ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO ATTRACT TOWARDS FOR SURE.
AND THEN I THINK ALSO WHAT WE'RE LEARNING WITH THE UMLA, UH, SCULPTURE GUIDANCE IS HOW POWERFUL THOSE DESIGNATIONS ARE FOR APPLICATIONS.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S KIND OF MY LENS AND HOW I VIEW IT.
UH, DO WE HAVE A COMMENT FROM, UM, COMMISSIONER PAAN OR NO, NO.
VICE CHAIR ED BAILEY? UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I DO, I AGREE WITH WHAT COMMISSIONER CHANIN BROUGHT TO THE LAST MEETING, HIS COMMENTS AND, AND THE COMMENTS HE'S, HE'S BROUGHT TO US TODAY.
I WANT TO SAY THAT I FOUND THAT THE FOLLOW UP INFORMATION SENT WAS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, AND IT WAS INSTRUCTIVE AND HELPED ME GET A BETTER CLARITY ON WHY, HOW THIS PROPOSAL INTEGRATES INTO THE OVERALL PROGRAM.
AND I WILL JUST SAY SPECIFICALLY, I CONTINUE TO BE VERY INTERESTED IN HOW THE, THE 15% OF DOLLARS IN HERITAGE IS BEING SPENT, AND ANYTHING THAT BRINGS MORE LIGHT AND CLARITY TO THE PROCESS THAT'S GOING DOWN TO DETERMINE WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE SPENT.
I FEEL LIKE THAT AREA IS A LITTLE MORE OPAQUE THAN SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS THAT WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK OVER WHERE THE HOT TAX GOES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THIS TO THE CONVERSATION.
UH, EXCUSE ME, VICE CHAIR BAILEY, UH, ANY OTHER LAST QUESTIONS, COMMENTS BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? I HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER PEN.
UM, I, I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A SIDEBAR WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER REY YESTERDAY, AND I THOUGHT HE DID A GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING
[00:40:01]
TO ME, UM, WHAT WE'RE BASICALLY VOTING ON.AND I WONDERED IF YOU COULD HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT THE FUNDS ARE ALREADY THERE AND BUT THAT PROGRAM THAT YOU SAID, COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? COMMISSIONER, READING COMMISSIONER? WELL, I WAS, I WAS CITING AN EXAMPLE AS THE BLACK BICYCLE TOUR IS A, UM, A BICYCLE TOUR THAT A COUPLE OF YOUNG FOLKS STARTED, UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC ACTUALLY THAT TRAVELS AROUND THE CITY TO HISTORIC BLACK SITES AND HISTORIC FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN.
AND SEVERAL OF THOSE SITES WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR, UH, PRESERVATION FUNDING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
AND I THINK MANY OF THEM ACTUALLY ARE CITED IN MS. TRAN'S, UH, REPORT.
BUT THAT'S THE SORT OF THING, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS IS ABOUT PRIORITIZING SITES THAT ARE, UH, ROOTED IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND THERE IS TOURISM ACTIVITY AROUND THOSE COMMUNITIES AND THEIR HISTORY ALREADY.
SO, UM, TO BE EVEN MORE CLEAR, COUNCIL HAS DETERMINED TO SPEND THIS MONEY ON PRESERVING HISTORIC SITES.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT DO WE PRIORITIZE WITH THAT? AND I SUPPORT MS. BERT'S, UH, EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN BECAUSE IT DOES PRIORITIZE THOSE SITES THAT ARE MOST AT RISK THAT, UH, ILLUSTRATE THE HISTORY OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
AND WHAT I SAID TO COMMISSIONER POSI AND YESTERDAY WAS THAT THERE'S ALREADY TOURISM ACTIVITY IN PLACE AROUND THOSE.
IT CAN ONLY BE INCREASED AND ENHANCED, I THINK, IF WE TAKE CARE OF THOSE SITES, UH, USING THOSE FUNDING.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT SUM IT UP FOR YOU, ANA? YES.
COMMISSIONER RE AND PENOC, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? UH, COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER CHA.
SO, AGAIN, I, I DON'T DISPUTE THAT HERITAGE PRESERVATION PROMOTES TOURISM IN IN THE CITY.
WHAT I DISPUTE IS THAT THIS PLAN HAS ANY MATERIAL EMPHASIS ON INCREASING TOURISM OTHER THAN JUST INCREASING GENERAL HERITAGE SITES.
YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR IMPROVE, YOU KNOW, STEEP STREET IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE CITY, BUT THAT IS NOT A TOURISM PROJECT.
YES, IT PROBABLY HELP, YOU KNOW, TOURIST WOULD PROBABLY APPRECIATE BE BEING ABLE TO DRIVE ON BETTER STREETS.
UM, MY PROBLEM WITH THIS PLAN IS IT DOESN'T STRESS ENOUGH TO ME, AT LEAST ITS RELATIONSHIP TO TOURISM.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHANIN.
UM, ANY LAST QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UM, MOVING FORWARD? COMMISSIONER CHAP.
COMMISSIONER CHAPAR, THANK YOU.
SO I THINK ONE THING THAT WE ALSO HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IS THAT, UM, CRITICAL BUDGET DEFICITS HAVE MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO FUND ANY OF THESE AREAS.
AND TO A DEGREE WE WOULD BE ADDING MORE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS REQUESTING, UH, LIMITED FUNDS.
SO TO A DEGREE, WE'RE ALSO CREATING SCARCITY, UM, IN THIS SPACE WITH FINITE DOLLARS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED.
SO TODAY WAS JUST TO, TO CLARIFY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE ON THE PLAN BEFORE US.
UM, WE HAVE TO MOVE ON TO OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, BUT BEFORE THAT, I, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE VOTE, UM, ON THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN, UM, TO, TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED, ALL THOSE ABSTAINING.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, DID YOU HAVE A VOTE? I OPPOSED.
THE, THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL PASSES, UH, AND WE WILL MODIFY IT FOR, UM, SENDING TO COUNCIL.
UM, AND THANK YOU MS. BERTRAN FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION TODAY.
[5. Presentation by Stephanie Helfman, Manager, Chronic Disease & Injury Prevention Program, Austin Public Health Department regarding the impacts of vaping and e-cigarettes in public spaces impacting tourism]
TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WE HAVE, UM, GETTING ONTO OUR ACTUAL THEME OF TODAY'S, UH, MEETING, WHICH IS, UH, TOURISM AND PUBLIC HEALTH.FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING ON ONLINE, UH, AS WELL AS ON A TXN.
UM, EACH MEETING, UH, WE HAVE SET A THEME FOR THE TOURISM COMMISSION TO EXPLORE, UH, AN ISSUE AREA AS IT RELATES TO TOURISM IN WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE, UM, CONNECTIONS, UH, COLLABORATIONS, AS WELL AS INFORMATION AND RESOURCE SHARING TO HELP IMPROVE THE TOURISM ECOSYSTEM HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND, UH, THIS MONTH'S THEME IS TOURISM AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND TODAY WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, UH, FROM THE CHRONIC DISEASE AND INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAM, UH, MANAGER STEPHANIE HUFFMAN, WHO IS HERE TO SPEAK FROM THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE IMPACTS OF VAPING AND E-CIGARETTES IN PUBLIC SPACES THAT IN PARTICULAR, UH, IMPACT, UM, OUR
[00:45:01]
TOURISM ECONOMY.SO BARS, RESTAURANTS, UH, MUSIC VENUES, AND THE LIKE.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING, UH, MS. HUFFMAN AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INVITATION TO BE HERE TODAY.
UM, TOBACCO IS A REALLY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
UH, TOBACCO IS ACTUALLY THE LEADING PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE DEATHS FROM 2021, TOBACCO LED TO MORE DEATHS AND HOMICIDE, FIREARMS, ALCOHOL AND MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES COMBINED.
SO IT'S NOT A TOPIC THAT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS A BIG HEALTH IMPACT HERE IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
AND I WAS ASKED SPECIFICALLY TO TALK ABOUT E-CIGARETTES IN INDOOR SPACES, BUT I'M ALSO HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT REGULAR COMBUSTIBLE CIGARETTES AND ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
ALSO, HAPPY TO COME BACK WITH ANY ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS THAT I'M NOT ABLE TO ANSWER TODAY ABOUT ANY OF THOSE PRODUCTS.
SO FIRST, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT E-CIGARETTES? E-CIGARETTES GO BY A LOT OF DIFFERENT NAMES.
IT COULD BE VAPES, MO MODS, TANKS, E HOOKERS.
THEY'RE ALL REALLY THE SAME PRODUCT.
BASICALLY, THEY CONSIST OF A BATTERY, A HEATING ELEMENT, AND A SPACE TO HOLD A LIQUID THAT IS HEATED UP AND TURNS INTO AN AEROSOL.
SO THE PERSON USING THE E-CIGARETTE, UH, INHALES THAT AEROSOL INTO THEIR LUNGS, AND THEN THEY BREATHE OUT THAT AEROSOL INTO THE AIR AND THE AEROSOL CAN CONTAIN NICOTINE, OFTENTIMES CONTAINS NICOTINE FLAVORS AND OTHER CHEMICALS THAT WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT.
SOLVENTS AND CHEMICALS CAN ALSO CONTAIN T-H-C-C-B-D AND OTHER, UH, DIFFERENT, UM, SUBSTANCES.
SO IN THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF, ACTUALLY, CAN I CONTROL THIS OR, OKAY.
IN THIS SLIDE YOU'LL SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT E-CIGARETTES CAN LOOK LIKE.
UH, THEY'VE REALLY EVOLVED OVER TIME.
THE DEVICES ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE ARE SOME OF THE EARLIER DEVICES.
THEY LOOK MORE LIKE CIGARETTES, THEY'RE DISPOSABLE.
THE ONES IN THE MIDDLE ARE MORE OF THE TANKS OR MODS THEY'RE CALLED.
AND THE ONES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ARE MORE OF THE RECENT DEVICES THAT LOOK MORE LIKE FLASH DRIVES.
UM, SOME LOOK LIKE HIGHLIGHTERS, SOME LOOK LIKE WATCHES.
THE ONE ON THE FAR RIGHT LOOKS LIKE A WATCH, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A VAPE.
UM, AND I'VE EVEN SEEN ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE A TUBE OF LIPSTICK AND IT'S A VAPE.
SO ALL THAT TO SAY, IT'S REALLY HARD TO KNOW IF SOMEBODY IS USING AN E-CIGARETTE SOMETIMES BECAUSE THE DEVICES LOOK SO DIFFERENT AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND EVOLVING WITH TIME.
SO THIS SLIDE ALSO SHOWS SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT SOME E-CIGARETTES LOOK LIKE.
AGAIN, ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN ARE THE DISPOSABLE DEVICES, THINGS LIKE PUFF BARS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY HAVE ABOUT 200 PUFFS IN THOSE DEVICES, ELF BARS.
UM, ON THE TOP YOU'VE GOT YOUR CLOSED POD SYSTEM.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT LIKE A JUUL OR A DEVICE LIKE THAT, THOSE DEVICES RECHARGE AND THEN YOU REPLACE THEM WITH NEW PODS.
AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE REFILLABLE DEVICES.
SO THOSE DEVICES TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFORT TO USE.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO PUT THE JUICE IN THERE AND TAKE MORE, THEY TAKE MORE UPKEEP TO, UH, MAINTAIN THOSE DEVICES WITH THE E-CIGARETTE JUICE.
SO ACCORDING TO SOME OF OUR DATA FROM 2023, WHEN WE LOOK AT YOUTH, UM, YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT USE OF OF E-CIGARETTES, SOME OF THEM ARE POPULAR DEVICES INCLUDE THE ELF BAR, WHICH HAD OVER 50% OF MARKET SHARE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE.
ESCOBAR VIEWS JUUL, WHICH HAD ABOUT 16%.
AND THEN MR. FROG, WHICH WAS ABOUT 13% OF THE YOUNG ADULT, UH, POPULATION, WAS USING THAT DEVICE.
SO SOME OF THE FACTS ABOUT E-CIGARETTES, WELL, ONE MOST CONTAIN NICOTINE AND NICOTINE IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.
ONE JUUL POD CAN CONTAIN ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF NICOTINE AS TWO, UH, 20 CIGARETTES.
AND SOME E-CIGARETTES NOW ARE USING NICOTINE SALTS, WHICH ALLOW PEOPLE TO USE MORE HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF NICOTINE WITHOUT EXPERIENCING THE HARSHNESS OF NICOTINE.
UM, A LOT OF MORE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS ARE ON THE MARKET NOW, AND WE'RE GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, UM, SOME OF THE NEWER DEVICES THAT ARE, THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, BUT BASICALLY IT'S REALLY HARD TO KNOW WHAT'S IN E-CIGARETTE AEROSOL.
SOMETIMES E-CIGARETTES ARE MARKETED AS NOT HAVING NICOTINE AND THEY'VE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE NICOTINE.
SO IT'S, IT'S JUST HARD TO TELL.
THERE'S OVER 6,000 PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET.
AND ALSO E-CIGARETTES HAVE EVEN CAUSED SOME INJURIES.
LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A BATTERY THAT'S ATTACHED.
AND SO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DE, UH, DEFECTIVE BATTERIES THAT HAVE CAUSED FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT RESULTING IN INJURIES.
AND MOST OF THE TIME THAT'S HAPPENED DURING THE TIME THAT THE BATTERIES ARE BEING CHARGED.
ONE THING WE DO KNOW IS THAT THE AEROSOL IS NOT HARMLESS WATER VAPOR.
AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE SUBSTANCES THAT ARE IN THE, IN THE WATER VAPOR, OR SORRY, IN THE AEROSOL.
AND THAT E-CIGARETTE AEROSOL DOES DEGRADE THE INDOOR AIR QUALITY
[00:50:01]
WHO IS USING E-CIGARETTES, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE SEE VERY COMMONLY USED AMONG BOTH YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.SO JUST LOOKING AT OUR DATA, UM, WE SEE FROM THE TEXAS YOUTH TOBACCO SURVEY, UH, THAT ABOUT 12% OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ARE USING E-CIGARETTES ON THE REGULAR AND ABOUT ONE IN FIVE HAVE USED THEM AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES.
SO THAT NUMBER IS LOWER FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, BUT THAT IS OFTENTIMES WHEN PEOPLE FIRST ENCOUNTER THEM, AND AGAIN, BY GRADE 12, THEY'RE MUCH MORE COMMON.
UM, WE DO SEE THAT MORE YOUNG ADULTS USE E-CIGARETTES THAN ADULTS.
SO, UH, NATIONALLY IT'S ABOUT 6% OF ADULTS THAT ARE USING E-CIGARETTES.
ADULTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO USE COMBUSTIBLE CIGARETTES THAN E-CIGARETTES.
SO THIS IS OUR DATA FOR ADULTS HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY FROM THE BEHAVIORAL, UH, RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM, UM, FROM 2018 TO 22.
AND IN THIS DATA, YOU'LL SEE THAT AGAIN, E-CIGARETTES ARE MORE COMMONLY USED BY YOUNGER POPULATIONS.
YOUNG ADULTS AGES 18 TO 29 HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF E-CIGARETTE USE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY IS ABOUT 11%, AND THAT'S ALMOST TWICE AS HIGH AS THE NEXT AGE CATEGORY OF FOLKS AGE 30 TO 44.
SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE SEE A LOT IN YOUNG ADULT POPULATIONS.
UM, WE ALSO SEE E-CIGARETTE USE MORE COMMON AMONG MALES THAN FEMALES.
SO ABOUT TWICE AS MANY MALES ARE USING E-CIGARETTES THAN FEMALES.
SO WHAT'S IN E-CIGARETTE AEROSOL? WELL, LIKE I SAID, THE ONE THING WE KNOW IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST HARMLESS WATER VAPOR.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES THAT ARE IN E-CIGARETTES.
SOME OF THE SUBSTANCES ARE THINGS LIKE VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS LIKE BENZENE, WHICH IS FOUND IN CAR EXHAUST, FORMALDEHYDE AND KERLIN, WHICH ARE ALSO, UM, AGENTS THAT CAN CAUSE DNA DAMAGE AND LEAD TO CANCER.
UH, WE KNOW THAT SMOKING E-CIGARETTES CAN LEAD TO POPCORN LUNG, AND OF COURSE THE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE NICOTINE THAT IS IN E-CIGARETTES.
SO DISPOSABLE VAPING DEVICES ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE THEY ARE MOST POPULAR AMONG YOUNG ADULT USERS.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE THE SALE, UH, THE SALE OF OF DISPOSABLE E-CIGARETTES SKYROCKETED AFTER FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS, UM, WERE PASSED REGARDING FLAVORING IN E-CIGARETTES.
AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE PREFER FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
SO ACTUALLY 80, 89 0.4% OF YOUTH WHO USE E-CIGARETTES USE FLAVORED PRODUCTS.
AND THE FLAVORS ARE THINGS LIKE FRUIT FLAVOR, CANDY FLAVOR, MENTHOL, OR MINT.
UH, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF FLAVORS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED IN THE PRODUCT.
SO, UM, DISPOSABLE VAPING DEVICES WERE, WERE EXEMPT FROM THAT RESTRICTION ON FLAVORS.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY SURGED IN POPULARITY.
UM, AND NOT ONLY THAT, THEY'VE ALSO TRIPLED IN NICOTINE STRENGTH QUINTUPLED IN E-LIQUID CAPACITY AND DROPPED IN PRICE BY 70% BETWEEN 2017 AND 2022.
AND THE FLAVORS ARE WHAT ARE REALLY ATTRACTING YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, AND YOUNG ADULTS TO VAPING
ANOTHER CONCERN THAT WE HEAR IS AROUND VAPING AND MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY HAS REALLY PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO MARKETING, UH, TOBACCO NICOTINE AS STRESS REDUCING, BUT ACTUALLY THE DATA SPEAK OTHERWISE.
WHAT WE SEE IS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO SMOKE HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF PERCEIVED STRESS.
WHEN PEOPLE QUIT SMOKING, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO SEE A REDUCTION IN THAT STRESS AND THAT IT'S REALLY A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD BECAUSE NICOTINE IS A SHORT ACTING, UH, CHEMICAL THAT HELPS USERS FEEL GOOD THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY FEEL GOOD IN THE MOMENT, BUT NICOTINE DOES NOT ALLEVIATE THE STRESS, UM, IN THE LONG TERM AND INSTEAD CAN TRAP A USER IN THE CYCLE OF NICOTINE ADDICTION.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO REALLY SPREAD THE WORD THAT USING NICOTINE OR VAPING IS NOT A, UM, STRESS REDUCTION TECHNIQUE.
IT'S NOT, UM, SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY HELP LONG TERM WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.
SO, AND THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF NEW PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET.
THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY.
WE SAW IT WITH E-CIGARETTES AND NOW WE'RE SEEING IT WITH ORAL NICOTINE POUCHES.
THESE ARE THE NEWEST DEVICES THAT ARE ON THE MARKET.
THESE ARE THINGS LIKE X ON AND VELO.
UM, OFTENTIMES IT'S SYNTHETIC, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT SYNTHETIC NICOTINE IS VERY, VERY SIMILAR TO TOBACCO DERIVED NICOTINE.
THERE'S VERY LITTLE CHEMICAL DIFFERENCE.
SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE THE SAME IMPACT, UM, ON THE BRAIN AND THE BODY.
UM, AND BASICALLY YOU PUT THE POUCH IN YOUR MOUTH AND IT DISSOLVES IN THE MOUTH AND NICOTINE IS ABSORBED THROUGH THE GUMS AND THROUGH THE LINING OF THE MOUTH.
SO WE DO NEED MORE RESEARCH TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE SHORT AND LONG TERM HEALTH IMPACTS OF THESE TYPES OF PRODUCTS.
BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THEY ARE GAINING POPULARITY.
[00:55:01]
AT THIS TIME, THEY ARE STILL NOT AS POPULAR AS E-CIGARETTES AMONG OUR YOUNG ADULT AND YOUTH, UM, TOBACCO USERS OR, OR NICOTINE PRODUCT USERS.HOWEVER, THEY ARE INCREASING IN POPULARITY.
SO LAWS AND REGULATIONS AROUND E-CIGARETTES, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE REALLY IMPORTANT LAWS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN ENACTED.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DECLINE IN SMOKING AND USE OF, UM, TOBACCO OVERALL, THE MOST POSITIVE CHANGES HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED.
SO IN 2016, THE FDA BEGAN, UH, REGULATING TOBACCO PRODUCTS INCLUDING E-CIGARETTES.
UM, AND THEN ANOTHER IMPORTANT CHANGE WAS IN THE 2019 WITH THE PASSAGE OF TOBACCO 21, WHICH RAISED THE AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO PRODUCTS, INCLUDING E-CIGARETTES TO 21.
AND THAT, UM, IMPACTED OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY.
UH, AND THEN THE FLAVOR RESTRICTIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN 2020, THAT DID LIMIT SOME FLAVORS, BUT THEY DID NOT LIMIT ALL THE FLAVORS.
MENTHOL WAS AN IMPORTANT EXEMPTION AS WELL AS THE DISPOSABLE AND THE REFILLABLE CARTRIDGES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RESTRICTIONS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PRODUCTS ON THE LEFT ARE NOT ALLOWED WITH THE, A PASSAGE OF THE RESTRICTION ON FLAVORS, BUT THE PRODUCTS ON THE RIGHT ARE, SO THOSE ARE GONNA CONTAIN ALL OF THE REFILLABLE DEVICES AND ALL OF THOSE REALLY POPULAR DISPOSABLE E-CIGARETTES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT HAVE ALL OF THOSE FLAVORS.
AND WHAT FLAVORS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? FLAVORS LIKE KOOL-AID, HAWAIIAN PUNCH SKITTLES, GUMMY BEAR CANDY FLAVORS, FRUIT FLAVORS, AND MINT AND MENTHOL ARE SOME OF THE FLAVORS.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THESE PRODUCTS, YOU CAN SEE WHY THEY WOULD APPEAL TO YOUTH AND YOUNG PEOPLE.
SO FORTUNATELY, WE DO HAVE SOME IMPORTANT ORDINANCES HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY THAT ARE, UM, PROTECTING OUR RESIDENTS AS WELL AS OUR VISITORS, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN BARS AND RESTAURANTS.
AND THOSE INCLUDE THE SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES ORDINANCE.
SO IN 2017, CIPO WAS UPDATED TO INCLUDE E-CIGARETTES.
THAT WAS A REALLY POSITIVE CHANGE THAT INCLUDED E-CIGARETTES AS WELL AS COMBUSTIBLE CIGARETTES IN, UM, IN OUR SIP O POLICY.
THEY'RE PROHIBITED IN INDOOR SPACES, INCLUDING WORKPLACES, UM, ALSO BARS AND RESTAURANTS AS WELL AS PARKS.
AND THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT CHANGE, UH, RELATED TO E-CIGARETTES.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE US EPA, THERE'S REALLY NO OTHER WAY TO, UH, ELIMINATE THOSE HEALTH EFFECTS.
VENTILATION, FILTRATION, AIR CLEANING, IT MAY HAVE SOME EFFECT, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO REMOVE THE, THAT AEROSOL FROM THE AIR.
SO THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY ELIMINATE THE RISK IS TO ELIMINATE, UM, THE SUBSTANCE FROM BEING IN THE AIR BY NOT ALLOWING E-CIGARETTE USE IN INDOOR SPACES.
SO HOW DO INDIVIDUALS REPORT SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES? VIOLATIONS, THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.
THAT'S ONE WAY THAT, UH, FOLKS CAN REPORT A SIP OF VIOLATION.
ANOTHER WAY IS THROUGH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, ONLINE FORM.
WE HAVE A FORM WHERE PEOPLE CAN REPORT A SMOKING VIOLATION.
AND ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, WHETHER FROM 3 1 1 OR FOR THE FORM, FORM, WILL GO TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
AND WITHIN THREE DAYS, AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, UM, OFFICER THREE WILL INVESTIGATE THE CLAIM, UM, AND THEN PERFORM AN INVESTIGATION AND REPORT ANY FINDINGS BACK TO THE CLAIMANT WITHIN, WITHIN THE, THOSE THREE DAYS.
THE OTHER THING THAT ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DOES IS THEY ENFORCE CIPO JUST IN THEIR REGULAR RESTAURANT INSPECTION.
SO WHEN THEY'RE OUT IN A RESTAURANT, UM, DOING AN INSPECTION, THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR THINGS LIKE THE SMOKING, THE NO SMOKING OR NO VAPING SIGN THAT SHOULD BE IN THE WINDOW.
THAT'S PART OF THE CIPO POLICY, THAT'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE OF SMOKING INDOORS.
SO IF THEY HAPPEN TO SEE ANY PATRONS THAT ARE USING, UH, CIGARETTES OR E-CIGARETTES, THEY WOULD, UM, ADDRESS THAT DURING THE INSPECTION.
AND ALSO THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ASHTRAY LOCATIONS.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD SIGNAL THAT SMOKING OR, YOU KNOW, USE OF TOBACCO IS HAPPENING WITHIN THAT SPACE THAT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING.
THEY ADDRESS IT DURING THE, UM, RESTAURANT INSPECTION.
ANOTHER CHANGE THAT'S HAPPENED IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS IMPLEMENTED A COMPREHENSIVE TOBACCO-FREE WORKPLACE POLICY.
THIS POLICY JUST HAPPENED IN JULY, ALTHOUGH MANY, MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS ALREADY HAD THESE TYPES OF POLICIES.
UH, THE COUNTY ALREADY HAD A COMPREHENSIVE TOBACCO-FREE WORKPLACE POLICY, AND A LOT OF THE LARGE UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER EMPLOYERS IN THE CITY ALREADY HAD THIS POLICY.
BUT IN JULY IT WAS IMPLEMENTED CITYWIDE.
AND BASICALLY IT'S THE STRONGEST TYPE
[01:00:01]
OF TOBACCO FREE POLICY THAT THERE IS FOR A WORKPLACE.UM, IT INCLUDES BOTH E-CIGARETTES, COMBUSTIBLE CIGARETTES, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES SMOKELESS TOBACCO.
SO, UM, ANY FORM OF TOBACCO IS NOT ALLOWED ON CITY OF AUSTIN WORKPLACE PROPERTY.
AND THAT INCLUDES BOTH THE GROUNDS AND THE BUILDINGS.
SO IT ALSO INCLUDES THE PARKING GARAGES, UM, ANY PARKING FACILITIES, THE GROUNDS IN BETWEEN, UM, BUILDINGS AS WELL AS THE BUILDING ITSELF.
AND IT ALSO, UM, IMPACTS EMPLOYEES, BUT ALSO VISITORS, CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS.
SO ANYBODY WHO'S ON SITE EITHER RECEIVING A SERVICE OR WORKING ON SITE IS IMPACTED BY THIS POLICY.
SO THAT, UM, LIKE I SAID RECENTLY WENT INTO EFFECT AND IS A, A POSITIVE CHANGE FOR OUR WORKPLACE.
AND REALLY, CULTURE SHIFT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR WHEN IT COMES TO TOBACCO USE.
AND YOU THINK BACK TO 1990, I REMEMBER SMOKING ON AIRPLANES.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM REMEMBERS SMOKING ON AIRPLANES, BUT IN 1990, UH, THAT WAS PROHIBITED.
AND WE THOUGHT, THIS ISN'T GONNA WORK.
PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO, TO DEAL WITH THIS.
BUT WE ADAPTED, WE ADJUSTED, AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE.
IN 1995 WHEN AUSTIN PROHIBITED SMOKING IN RESTAURANTS, AGAIN, THE SAME THING, UH, RESTAURANT OWNERS WERE, YOU KNOW, CONCERNED, BUT IT DIDN'T REALLY IMPACT THE RESTAURANTS.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, IT PROTECTED THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK IN THE RESTAURANTS FROM THE IMPACT OF SECONDHAND SMOKE.
UH, IN 2005, THE SAME, THE SAME LAW WAS PASSED, BUT AGAIN, UH, PROHIBITING SMOKING IN BARS AND MUSIC VENUES, AGAIN, WE HEARD CONCERN.
UM, BUT IT, AGAIN, IT DID NOT REALLY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S BEEN A VERY WELL RECEIVED POLICY.
UM, AND IN 2017, E-CIGARETTES WERE INCLUDED IN THE SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES ORDINANCE.
SO AGAIN, ANOTHER POSITIVE CHANGE, AND IT JUST SHOWS THE CULTURE SHIFT THAT HAS OCCURRED AROUND SMOKING, UM, AND AROUND TOBACCO USE AND HOW IT JUST BECOMES THE NEW NORM.
AND WE, WE FIND THAT FOLKS REALLY APPRECIATE THESE TYPES OF POLICIES THAT DO PROVIDE THE CLEAN AIR, UM, THAT BOTH VISITORS AS WELL AS FOLKS WHO WORK IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS REALLY WANT AND NEED.
SO WE ALSO LIKE TO JUST SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT FREE SMOKING CESSATION RESOURCES BECAUSE AGAIN, SMOKING AND USE OF NICOTINE, IT'S AN ADDICTION.
VAPING, AGAIN, NICOTINE, IT'S AN ADDICTION.
SO, UM, IT'S REALLY HELPFUL FOR FOLKS TO HAVE FREE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO QUIT.
UM, VAPING IS NOT A APPROVED CESSATION DEVICE.
SO THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO RESEARCH SHOWING THAT, OR NO FDA CLAIM THAT, YOU KNOW, VAPING WILL LEAD TO FOLKS QUITTING SMOKING.
UM, INSTEAD WE RECOMMEND THE TOBACCO QUIT LINE, WHICH IS FREE AND ALSO PROVIDES UP TO EIGHT WEEKS OF FREE NICOTINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY.
SO THAT'S LIKE THE PATCH OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER DEVICES, UM, AS WELL AS SMOKE-FREE TEXT.
AND THERE'S A PLETHORA OF OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR SMOKING CESSATION SUPPORT, UM, FOR QUITTING VAPING.
AND THERE'S ALSO NUMEROUS RESOURCES FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, VAPING IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE SEE WITH YOUNGER, UH, COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THERE ARE CESSATION DEVICES CALLED, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS QUITTING, UM, SMOKE FREE TEEN.
YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE OUT THERE TO HELP YOUTH AND YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, WITH ENDING THEIR, UM, VAPING AND NICOTINE ADDICTIONS.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I WILL TURN IT OVER FOR QUESTIONS.
I ALSO JUST WANNA SHARE OUR WEBSITE, LIVE TOBACCO FREE AUSTIN.ORG.
THAT INCLUDES A LOT OF INFORMATION JUST ON IN GENERAL ABOUT TOBACCO USE AND QUITTING SMOKING AND VAPING.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR INTEREST IN THIS TOPIC, AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, ARE THERE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE JUST REVIEWED? COMMISSIONER SHAY, I WAS WONDERING IF THE 2005 ORDINANCE INCLUDES OUTDOOR SPACES, UH, OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES, OUTDOOR BARS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE OUTDOOR SPACES.
AND WITHIN 15 FEET OF A WINDOW.
UM, I DIDN'T SEE ANY STATS HERE ON, BUT CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY KIND OF DATA ON HOW THE REPORTING IN 3 1 1 OF HOW MANY CALLS OR HOW MANY TYPES OF SITUATIONS MIGHT OCCUR IN OUR COMMUNITY? ANNUALLY? ANNUALLY, WE GET ABOUT 20 TO 25 COMPLAINTS THROUGH TWO.
ONE, ONE OR 3 1 1 OR DIRECTLY TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
DO YOU, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE AGE WAS SET FROM 19 TO 21, UM, BECAUSE IT STILL SEEMS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS THAT NEEDS TO BE ON THE YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHIC.
[01:05:01]
SO HAVE YOU SEEN POSITIVE CHANGES FROM ADDRESSING PURCHASE WITH THE AGE BEING OLDER? AND TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT, UM, ARE THERE PLANS OR DISCUSSIONS AROUND HOW TO GO AFTER THE PURCHASING SIDE RIGHT.TO KIND OF MORE COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT ON THAT SIDE? BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE A LARGE PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT'S COMING FROM FOLKS THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE IT TO BEGIN WITH? YES, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT DATA ASKING WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GETTING THESE PRODUCTS FROM, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL SAY FROM FRIENDS, UH, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL SAY THEY PURCHASE IT DIRECTLY FROM A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT, WHICH THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO.
UH, SINCE IT'S REALLY ONLY AVAILABLE FOR FOLKS WHO ARE 21 AND UP.
SO I THINK THAT THAT IS AN IMPORTANT CONCERN.
UM, THE ENFORCEMENT OF, UM, ON THE PURCHASE SIDE, UM, THAT'S USUALLY DONE THROUGH DIFFERENT, UH, I WOULD CALL THEM A STING OPERATIONS WHERE THEY HAVE, UM, AN UNDERAGE PERSON GO INTO AN ESTABLISHMENT AND ATTEMPT TO BUY THE PRODUCT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND SEE IF THEY'RE CARDED OR NOT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HANDLES.
IT'S HANDLED THROUGH A DIFFERENT ENTITY AND I THINK, UH, RELATES SOMEWHAT TO, UM, FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THAT TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT.
BUT I THINK THAT IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT POINT THAT YOU BRING UP BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO FOCUS ON THE YOUNG PERSON OR THE YOUTH OR WHOEVER'S PURCHASING IT.
WE REALLY WANT TO ENFORCE IT AT THE, AT THE BUSINESS WHERE IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO IS THIS, UM, LIKE TOBACCO ONLY FOCUSED, DOES THIS INCLUDE LIKE HEMP GROWN, UH, PRODUCTS, THCA VARIETIES AND THESE SORTS OF THINGS? ARE THEY ALSO COVERED UNDER THIS OR ARE THEY OUTSIDE OF IT AS WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THE OTHER PRODUCTS? RIGHT.
AND THE DELTA EIGHT, DELTA NINES, FOR EXAMPLE.
I MEAN, I WOULD SAY I'D HAVE TO LOOK CLOSER INTO HOW THE POLICY'S ACTUALLY WRITTEN, UM, TO SEE THE LANGUAGE THERE.
BUT I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THESE PRODUCTS.
I MEAN, IT LOOKS, THE VAPE IS GONNA LOOK JUST LIKE ANY OTHER VAPE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA KNOW WHETHER IT'S NICOTINE IN THERE, THC OR WHATNOT.
SO, AND ALL OF THOSE ARE PRODUCING AEROSOL? YEAH.
AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL, UH, CONVENIENCE STORE MARKET.
UH, LES, THE, UH, WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR? WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR?
THANKS FOR HELPING KEEP THE AIR.
UH, I GO TO THE CAMPUS AREA A LOT AND I NOTICED, UH, UH, AN ALARMING TREND OF SHOPS APPEARING IN WEST CAMPUS THAT, UH, CONTAIN, UH, ESSENTIALLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE BECOMING SMOKE SHOPS E EVEN THOUGH THEY STARTED AS A CONVENIENCE STORE, AND, UH, PROBABLY THE COMMUNITY LOOKED AT THEM FAVORABLY AT THAT TIME.
UH, NOW THEY'RE SHIFTING MORE AND MORE TOWARDS, UH, SMOKING E-CIGARETTES, DELTA PRODUCTS, ET CETERA.
UH, AND THEN ALSO ON THE DRAG, I'M STARTING TO SEE A COUPLE POP UP AS WELL.
SO I'M, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT LIKE THE COLLEGE AGE GROUP, AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, IN THAT DEMOGRAPHIC? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND WE ACTUALLY DID A TOBACCO RETAIL DENSITY ANALYSIS TO SEE WHAT, UH, PARTS OF AUSTIN HAVE THE GREATEST DENSITY OF TOBACCO RE RETAILERS, AND YOU REALLY IDENTIFIED IT.
AND WE SEE THAT AROUND UT CAMPUS.
WE ALSO SEE IT IN OTHER PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY OF LOWER INCOMES, BUT WE DEFINITELY SEE IT AROUND UT CAMPUS.
UM, I THINK IT IS THE HIGHEST, IF NOT THE SECOND HIGHEST RETAIL DENSITY.
SO, AND THAT IS OF CONCERN BECAUSE THE MORE DENSITY YOU HAVE, THE MORE OUTLETS YOU HAVE, THE MORE LIKELY THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE USING THE PRODUCTS, THE MORE LIKELY THAT UNDERAGE PEOPLE WILL ALSO BE USING THE PRODUCTS.
SO THAT IS AN IMPORTANT CONCERN, AND THAT IS, I'D BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, SHARE THAT, THAT MAP, UM, WITH THE COMMISSION IF THAT'S OF INTEREST, BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE ALSO INTERESTED IN AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER CHAPO, VICE CHAIR BAILEY, FOLLOW UP TO MY PREVIOUS QUESTION.
I, I NOTICED, UM, THAT THERE, IT'S, IT'S A MISDEMEANOR AND FINDABLE OF UP TO $2,000.
IF YOU, YOU ARE PRO CAUGHT BREAKING.
DO WE HAVE STATISTICS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN CHARGED AND FINED FOR DOING THIS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN? I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THE, HOW MANY OCCURRENCES OF WRITING TICKETS AND FINDING SOMEBODY AND MAKING THEM PAY 5,000.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS NOT NECESSARILY CATCHING, UH, ONE OF THESE RETAIL OUTLETS SELLING TO UNDERAGE OR MINORS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
REALLY JUST SOMEBODY WALKING THE STREETS AND SOMEONE WALKS UP AND SAYS, YOU'RE DOING THIS AND I'M WRITING YOU A TICKET.
DOES THAT HAPPEN? I DON'T HAVE DATA ON THAT.
I WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE DATA ON THE RETAILERS BEING FINED, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO, UM, LOOK FOR THAT INFORMATION AND PROVIDE IT TO THIS COMMISSION
[01:10:01]
IF YOU CAN, IF IT'S EASY.BUT YEAH, I'M JUST, JUST TRYING TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW THAT SIDE OF THE EQUATION IS WORKING, HOW IT AFFECTS LAW ENFORCEMENT, HOW IT AFFECTS THAT PART OF THE CITY, ALL OF THOSE PIECES.
'CAUSE THEY'RE, THESE ARE TIED TOGETHER.
ENFORCEMENT IS PART OF WHAT IS THE DRIVER OF INHIBITING THE BEHAVIOR, I THINK SOME, RIGHT.
AND SO YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT UNDERAGE FOLKS, NOT NECESSARILY.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S SOME THAT, SOME CASES, IF YOU'RE, IF IF I WAS STANDING IN A PARK SOMEWHERE OR SOMEWHERE NEXT CITY PROPERTY AND CITY HALL AND WAS ON WASN'T 15 FEET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, DO PEOPLE JUST GET WARNED AS THEY MOVE ALONG? OR DO THEY, ARE WE AGGRESSIVE AT WRITING UP TICKETS TO SOMEBODY FOR DOING THAT? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU I WAS A PART OF THE ROLLOUT OF THE POLICY HERE AT CITY HALL.
I MEAN, THERE ARE REMINDER CARDS THAT ARE HANDED OUT TO FOLKS THAT JUST REMIND PEOPLE OF THE POLICY.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT REALLY LEADS TO ANY SORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, INVOLVEMENT.
IT'S MORE JUST A POLITE COURTESY OF SMOKING AND TOBACCO USE IS NOT ALLOWED HERE.
IT'S NOT ALLOWED ON PROPERTY, PERIOD.
AND THEN FOLKS FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY CAN SMOKE OR USE THAT PRODUCT, RIGHT? SO IF YOU CAN'T USE IT HERE ON THIS PROPERTY, THERE IS A PROPERTY LINE AND YOU CROSS THAT PROPERTY LINE, EVEN IF YOU GET ON THE SIDEWALK, YOU CAN USE THAT PRODUCT.
YOU CAN'T USE IT HERE ON THE PROPERTY, BUT YOU CAN USE IT IN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND YOU CAN USE IT OFF THE PROPERTY.
SO IT'S USUALLY A REMINDER, JUST A COURTESY REMINDER OF IT'S NOT ALLOWED HERE.
BAILEY, ANY MORE COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? UH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION IN THE BACKGROUND ON, UH, VAPING AND E-CIGARETTES IN PARTICULAR.
UH, JUST ANECDOTALLY, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, I'VE SEEN THIS COUNTLESS BARS ACROSS AUSTIN AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE, THE BARTENDERS THEMSELVES VAPING.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT A VISITOR OR, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN LIKE US, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE ENTITLED TO CLEAN AIR, SHOULD WE WANT IT, AND IT IS ACTUALLY THE LAW.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COVERING, UH, THE GENERAL, UH, PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT PUT TOGETHER THIS BROADER PUZZLE OF, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND HOW IT, UH, IMPACTS, UM, BOTH VISITORS AND RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN ALIKE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, I ALSO WANT
[6. Presentation by Alec Puente, Government Relations Director, Texas, American Heart Association, regarding the impacts of vaping and e-cigarettes in public spaces impacting Tourism.]
TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOUR COMMENTS DOVETAILED WITH OUR, UM, ADDITIONAL GUEST HERE.UM, ALI PUENTE IS THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR, UH, FOR, FROM THE TEXAS CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION.
HE'S ALSO GOING TO SPEAK TO, UM, SOME OF THE EFFORTS OF THE GROUP TO TALK ABOUT, UM, AND, UM, DISCUSS THE IMPACTS OF VAPING AND E-CIGARETTES IN PUBLIC SPACES, UH, WHICH IMPACTS TOURISM.
AND THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TODAY.
UM, I BELIEVE I HAD A PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE GONNA PULL UP.
LET'S JUST WAIT FOR THAT TO GET READY.
UH, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
I AM THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR FOR THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION.
AND I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU A BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, SMOKE-FREE AIR POLICIES AND, UH, ESPECIALLY HOW THEY, UH, WORK WITH THE RISE OF VAPING AND ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES.
UH, SO JUST TO QUICKLY REVIEW SOME OF THE RESEARCH AROUND SMOKE-FREE AIR, THE LAST PRESENTATION DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF TELLING US KIND OF THE SCIENCE AND WHAT THESE DIFFERENT DEVICES LOOK LIKE AND HOW THEY WORK.
BUT I THINK A LOT OF US HAVE BECOME SO USED TO LIVING AND WORKING IN SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS THAT WE CAN USE A REMINDER OF SORT OF WHY THE, UH, WHY THESE, WHY THESE, UH, SORTS OF ORDINANCES ARE IMPORTANT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO THE US SURGEON GENERAL POINTS OUT THAT CHILDREN ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR ISSUES LIKE SIDS, ACUTE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS, EAR INFECTIONS, ASTHMA ATTACKS, AND SLOWED LUNG GROWTH.
WHEN THEY MOVE TO ADULTHOOD, THEY MIGHT SUFFER CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS, CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND LUNG CANCER.
AND AS WE HEARD, THERE IS NO RISK-FREE LEVEL OF EXPOSURE.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO MAY BE LIVING SORT OF, UM, ON THE MARGINS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOMETHING LIKE A SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST, OFTENTIMES ALL IT MIGHT TAKE IS INHALING SOMEBODY ELSE'S, UH, EMISSIONS, WHETHER IT'S SMOKE OR VAPOR AEROSOLS TO PUT THEM OVER THAT LINE TO HAVE, UH, INFLAMMATION THAT MIGHT CAUSE SOMETHING LIKE A SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST.
WE HAVE, UH, THAT SAME REPORT THAT I MENTIONED FROM THE US SURGEON GENERAL HAS FOUND NO ADVERSE IMPACT FROM SMOKE-FREE AIR LAWS ON THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
AND I ALSO HAVE INFORMATION HERE FROM THE CENTERS FROM DISEASE CONTROL THAT POINTS OUT THAT THE RISK OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND HEART DISEASE INCREASES RAPIDLY AT DOSES SMALL ENOUGH TO BE SIMILAR TO THOSE FROM SECONDHAND SMOKE.
SO IT REALLY IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, NOT ONLY FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO USE THESE
[01:15:01]
PRODUCTS EVERY DAY, BUT ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO FIND THEMSELVES AROUND THEM, AND ESPECIALLY THE WORKERS WHO OFTENTIMES DON'T HAVE A CHOICE FOR WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE, UM, INHALING, UH, UNCLEAN AIR.SO TO JUMP RIGHT INTO BUSINESS IMPACTS, THE, THE OVERALL STORY IS THAT THERE REALLY ARE NO ADVERSE IMPACTS ON BUSINESS, WHETHER YOU LOOK AT RESTAURANTS, BARS, HOSPITALITY, HOTELS, UH, WHEN I WAS INVITED HERE, YOU KNOW, I LOOKED INTO WHAT RESEARCH THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION AND OTHER GROUPS WE'VE WORKED WITH HAVE AVAILABLE, AND WE HAVE REALLY PAGES AND PAGES OF DIFFERENT, UH, STUDIES FROM WHAT SOMETIMES COMPARING STATES, SOMETIMES COMPARING LOCALITIES OR DIFFERENT BUSINESSES THAT HAVE GONE SMOKE FREE.
AND THEY ALL REALLY ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT THESE SORTS OF POLICIES HAVE NO ADVERSE IMPACT ON BUSINESS, AND IN MANY CASES HAVE SMALL POSITIVE IMPACTS.
SO, JUST TO PICK OUT A FEW EXAMPLES, THE NORTH AMERICA HOTEL GUEST SATISFACTION INDEX STUDY BY JD POWER AND ASSOCIATES FOUND THAT NINE IN 10 GUESTS ROUGHLY SAY THEY PREFER A SMOKE-FREE HOTEL ENVIRONMENT.
AND THIS WAS IN 2008 WHEN THESE LAWS WERE, UH, MORE ON THE CUTTING EDGE BEING PASSED IN CITIES ACROSS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HAS FOUND THAT THEY OFTEN HAVE A POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT EMPLOYMENT, WE'VE SEEN NO EFFECT ON BAR OR RESTAURANT EMPLOYMENT, UH, IN, IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WHICH HAD A VOTER REFERENDUM TO ENACT SMOKE-FREE POLICY ACROSS THE STATE.
AGAIN, NO NEGATIVE IMPACT ON HOTEL, RESTAURANT, OR TOURISM REVENUE OR EMPLOYMENT.
AND THEY ACTUALLY FOUND A SMALL, NOT NECESSARILY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, BUT STILL THERE POSITIVE EFFECT ON RESTAURANT REVENUE.
AND SO FINALLY, YOU CAN SEE SUMMED UP HERE AT THE BOTTOM, THEY TEND TO HAVE POSITIVE IMPACTS ON PROFITABILITY, BUT ALSO PRODUCTIVITY.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE TIME THAT, UH, WORKERS SOMETIMES WILL SPEND ON SMOKE BREAKS, UM, THAT THAT'S ALSO A, A COST THAT BUSINESSES HAVE TO BEAR.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MAINTENANCE COSTS IF THEY WANT TO INSTALL SOMETHING LIKE A VENTILATION SYSTEM OR JUST MORE FREQUENT CHANGEOVER OF, UH, FILTERS AND INSURANCE RATES WHEN THERE'S A LOWER RISK OF FIRE.
TO MOVE ON TO THE MORE, UH, MODERN ISSUE OF ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES AND SECONDHAND, SECONDHAND AEROSOLS, WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT, UH, HOW THEY WORK, WHAT THESE DIFFERENT DEVICES LOOK LIKE.
AND THE MAIN THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THEY'RE NOT EMISSIONS FREE.
UH, THOSE AEROSOLS CONTAIN VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, ULTRA FINE PARTICLES, HEAVY METALS AND FLAVORINGS, ALL OF WHICH ARE LINKED TO LUG DISEASE AND CANCER.
THEY EXACERBATE RESPIRATORY AILMENTS LIKE ASTHMA AND CONSTRICT ARTERIES, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A HEART ATTACK.
AND, UH, ANOTHER THING THAT I FOUND INTERESTING THAT I DID NOT KNOW IS THAT NON-SMOKERS WHO ARE EXPOSED TO CIGARETTE SMOKE AND E-CIGARETTE AEROSOLS ACTUALLY ABSORB REALLY, REALLY SIMILAR LEVELS OF TOXINS AND NICOTINE.
AND ONE BIG REASON THAT THESE DEVICES HAVE GAINED COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES IN THE MARKET ARE BECAUSE OF LOOPHOLES, BECAUSE OF DIFFERING ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT TAX TREATMENT IN SOME CASES THAT HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO, UH, KIND OF FLOURISH IN SPACES THAT CULTURALLY WE WERE MOVING TOWARDS BECOMING SMOKE-FREE.
SO EVEN THOUGH OVERALL EXPOSURE IS DECLINING BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS WE'VE HAD, UH, WORKING ON SMOKE-FREE POLICIES IN PLACES LIKE AUSTIN, AROUND TEXAS, NATIONWIDE, MORE THAN 20% OF NON-SMOKING ADULTS IN THE US ARE STILL EXPOSED TO SECONDHAND SMOKE OR AEROSOLS.
SO TALKING A BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THE POLICY SOLUTIONS LOOK LIKE, IF YOU LOOK ON THE RIGHT, UH, THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION IS PART OF A GROUP CALLED SMOKE-FREE TEXAS.
THAT'S THE LETTERHEAD WE RECENTLY USED IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH PASSED A COMPREHENSIVE SMOKE-FREE AND ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICE, AEROSOL FREE ORDINANCE.
UH, AND SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT WE WORK WITH ARE THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION, THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, UH, CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO-FREE KIDS, THE AMERICAN FOR NON-SMOKERS RIGHTS FOUNDATION.
AND ALL OF THESE GROUPS, UH, AGREE THAT BEST PRACTICE SHOULD BE THAT AN ORDINANCE THAT APPLIES TO SMOKING AND E-CIGARETTE USE IN ALL WORKPLACES, BARS, AND RESTAURANTS, THAT PROVIDES THE BEST LEVEL OF PROTECTION, NOT ONLY FOR PATRONS AND THE PUBLIC, BUT AGAIN FOR THOSE WORKERS WHO HAVE TO WORK THERE EVERY DAY AND SEE MUCH, MUCH HIGHER LEVELS OF EXPOSURE TO, TO SMOKE AND AEROSOL.
UH, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MORE THAN A HUNDRED CITIES IN TEXAS WITH COMPREHENSIVE ORDINANCES ON THE BOOKS, THOSE DO TEND TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT CITY TO CITY, AND HAVE LISTED SOME OF THE COMMON LOOPHOLES AND EXEMPTIONS YOU MIGHT SEE THERE.
OFTEN THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS FOR CIGAR BARS AND TOBACCO RETAILERS, UH, FOR DESIGNATED HOTEL AND MOTEL ROOMS. I BELIEVE WE HAVE THAT EXCEPTION HERE IN AUSTIN, OR FOR SOMETHING LIKE A PRIVATE CLUB, MAYBE A VFW HALL OR SOME OTHER SORT OF PRIVATE CLUB WHERE THOSE MEMBERS CAN, CAN DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING THEY WANT TO BE EXPOSED TO.
BUT ALL THESE ORDINANCES, IDEALLY WOULD TREAT ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES THE SAME WAY AS CONVENTIONAL CIGARETTES.
UH, WE KNOW AUSTIN'S ORDINANCE WAS PASSED IN 2005, SO A LOT OF THESE WERE PASSED BEFORE.
THAT WAS AN ISSUE, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MOVEMENT AND ENERGY OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AS CITIES LOOK TO PATCH THOSE UP.
UH, WE ARE TALKING A BIT ABOUT AUSTIN.
SO AS WE HEARD, AUSTIN WAS ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE STATE TO PASS REALLY STRONG.
ORDINANCE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST TO, UH, CLOSE THAT LOOPHOLE AROUND E-CIGARETTES AND MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS RESPONSIVE TO CHANGING HABITS AND CHANGING TECHNOLOGY.
[01:20:01]
DATE, OVER A HUNDRED CITIES HAVE PASSED COMPREHENSIVE ORDINANCES WITH MORE THAN 90 OF THOSE APPLYING TO BOTH CIGARETTE SMOKE AND ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICE AEROSOLS.YOU SEE, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, HOUSTON, EL PASO, FORT WORTH, WACO, UH, SO SOME OF THE LARGER, UH, MID-SIZE CITIES HERE IN TEXAS, UM, AND THE ONES THAT HAVE NOT ARE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO NEXT MONTH, THE CITY OF DALLAS WILL BE VOTING ON A, ON A COMPREHENSIVE ORDINANCE, AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI TO, UH, PATCH UP THEIR ORDINANCES BECAUSE TO THE DEGREE WE CAN SEE REGULATORY CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE STATE, IT CAN HELP ADVANCE THAT CULTURE CHANGE AND GIVE PEOPLE AN EXPECTATION THAT NO MATTER WHERE THEY MIGHT BE TRAVELING, WHERE THEY MIGHT BE WORKING, THEY CAN RELY ON THOSE CLEAN AIR SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS.
UH, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO OPERATE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY TO, UH, BE MAKING GOOD POLICY IN THIS ARENA.
AND SO IN RECENT YEARS, THE STATE HAS PASSED NEW REQUIREMENTS TO CREATE A PERMITTING STRUCTURE FOR E-CIGARETTE RETAILERS.
ALSO, UH, STRENGTHENING PENALTIES FOR THOSE THAT ARE FOUND TO REPEATEDLY SELL TO MINERS.
UH, BUT AS WE DISCUSSED IN THE LAST PRESENTATION, THE, THE, UH, DIFFICULT PART'S ALWAYS ENFORCEMENT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING ASKING THE STATE TO FUND, UH, BETTER AND MORE FREQUENT ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE RETAILERS, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THOSE LAWS ON THE BOOKS, THEY ARE, THEY'RE NOT WORTH A WHOLE LOT IF THEY'RE NOT BEING STRONGLY ENFORCED.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANNA LOOK INTO.
ANOTHER THING JUST TO MENTION FOR YOU, ALL'S INFORMATION IS THAT E-CIGARETTES ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE TOBACCO EXCISE TAX.
SO YOU DO PAY SALES TAX ON AN E-CIGARETTE, BUT IF YOU BUY A PAPER CIGARETTE, YOU'RE PAYING THE TOBACCO EXCISE TAX THAT COMES OUT TO ABOUT A DOLLAR 21 PER PACK, ROUGHLY 20 TO 25% OF THE FINAL PRICE.
UH, E-CIGARETTES STILL ARE NOT PAYING THAT.
SO IF YOU GO BUY AN E-CIGARETTE, THE ONLY THING YOU WILL PAY IS SALES TAX.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWS THESE, UH, DEVICES TO FIND A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE INDUSTRY.
IT'S SOMETHING WE HOPE THE LEGISLATURE WILL, UH, PATCH UP IN THIS CYCLE.
AND FINALLY HERE, I JUST WANT TO SHOW SOME EXAMPLES FROM, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN OF BUSINESS OWNERS AND, UH, PERFORMERS SAYING POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE, THE SMOKE-FREE ORDINANCE.
WHEN IT WAS PASSED, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THESE, UM, FROM THE AMERICAN FOR NON-SMOKERS RIGHTS FOUNDATION'S RECOGNITION OF THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF AUSTIN, PASSING THAT ORDINANCE.
UH, YOU SEE, JOE ABELS, THE OWNER OF SAXON PUB, MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE MORE PEOPLE COMING OUT TO SEE THEM.
SMOKERS GOT USED TO GOING OUTSIDE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ASKING PEOPLE NOT TO USE A LEGAL PRODUCT.
WE'RE SIMPLY ASKING 'EM TO USE IT OUTSIDE MORE THAN 15 AWAY, FEET AWAY FROM THE DOOR.
IDEALLY, UH, THEY PUT A NICE PATIO OUT, MAINTENANCE CONSOLE WILL LOWER AC WORKS BETTER, AND OF COURSE, A HEALTHIER STAFF.
AND THAT REALLY REFLECTS WHAT WE TEND TO HEAR FROM BUSINESS OWNERS, EVEN THOSE THAT ARE INITIALLY OPPOSED TO IT, THAT, UH, PATRONS EITHER DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT OR THEY MIGHT VISIT WHERE THEY WOULDN'T BEFORE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANNA BE EXPOSED TO THOSE SMOKE SMOKING ENVIRONMENTS.
AND THEN FINALLY HERE, YOU'LL SEE A QUOTE FROM BETTY SUE, A LOCAL ARTIST SAYING THAT EVERYONE BENEFITED FROM A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAD AVOIDED SMOKING VENUES FEEL COMFORTABLE ATTENDING SHOWS THERE.
FOR THOSE OF THEM PLAYING ON STAGE AND SINGING, NOT HAVING TO TAKE BIG BREATHS FULL OF SMOKE MEANT THEY COULD SING LONGER, SING BETTER, AND PUT ON A BETTER SHOW FOR EVERYONE.
SO THESE ARE ORDINANCES THAT WE KNOW ARE, UH, GOOD FOR BUSINESS, DO NOT IMPACT PEOPLE'S WILLINGNESS TO, UH, PATRONIZE LOCAL BUSINESSES, VENUES, RESTAURANTS, BARS ARE GREAT FOR PERFORMERS, VISITORS, EMPLOYEES, AND WE, UH, WOULD REALLY LIKE TO CONTINUE SEEING CITIES, UH, LIKE AUSTIN PASSING SMOKE-FREE ORDINANCES AND ADVANCING THAT CULTURE CHANGE BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE DO NOT WANT, GOING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, THE BURDEN TO BE ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE BURDEN TO BE ON THE CITY TO ENFORCE THIS, BUT REALLY TO MOVE THE NEEDLE SO PEOPLE, UH, JUST HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT WHERE THEY GO THAT, THAT THEY'LL, THEY'LL ENCOUNTER A SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENT.
AND IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? REVELATIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER PENOC.
I WAS CURIOUS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, YOU HAVE THIS DATA POINT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, THERE WEREN'T E-CIGARETTES, AND I REMEMBER SMOKING WAS, WAS RAMPANT, RIGHT? AND EVERYBODY DIDN'T WANT CHILDREN TO SMOKE.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, IN THE LAST 40 YEARS, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE WERE LESS SMOKERS, LIKE WITH THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION AND ALL THAT, THEY KIND OF LIKE, KNOW BETTER, YOU'D HOPE THAT THEY'RE NOT SMOKING AS MUCH.
SO WHAT'S THE STATISTIC ON THAT? ARE THERE LESS PEOPLE SMOKING NOW OR THERE'S LESS PEOPLE SMOKING, BUT BECAUSE OF VAPING NOW VAPING NUMBERS ARE UP.
SO WHERE DO WE STAND, LIKE IN THIS YEAR'S RANGE? YEAH, I, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH SPECIFICS, BUT THE GENERAL STORY IS, IS REALLY THE, THE SECOND THING YOU SAID.
WELL, WE DO HAVE FEWER SMOKERS.
UH, THE OVERALL RATES OF TOBACCO USE HAVE REALLY SHOT UP IN, IN THE LAST FEW DECADES OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRESS ON THAT FRONT HAS ALMOST BEEN ERASED BY,
[01:25:01]
BY THE RISE OF VAPORIZERS AND E-CIGARETTES.THERE'S ALSO GROWING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, UH, WHO DO WHAT WE CALL DUAL USE.
SO THEY'RE USING BOTH, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE BEEN MARKETED IN MANY CASES AS CESSATION DEVICES.
AND I THINK THAT REALLY GOES, UH, TO A FEW THINGS.
ONE OF WHICH BEING MARKETING AND, AND PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING THAT WAS NOT QUITE ACCURATE IN TERMS OF THEIR RISKS, UM, AND HOW EASY THEY WOULD BE TO GET OFF OF.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS STARTING TO SHIFT, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS, UH, TO, TO TALK TO POLICY MAKERS AND OTHER INTERESTED CITIZENS AND JUST WIDER UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF, EVEN IF THIS DEVICE IS NOT AS SERIOUSLY HARMFUL AS A CIGAR OR CIGARETTE, IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT IS ADDICTIVE, STILL SOMETHING THAT HAS SERIOUS HEALTH EFFECTS, AND THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE, UH, SIMILAR AND STRONGER PUBLIC POLICY FOR BOTH.
AND IS IT, UH, JUST A FOLLOW UP, IS IT CORRECT TO SAY THAT THERE, UM, THAT THEY'RE SAYING IT'S NOT TOBACCO, THE VAPING, THAT IT'S BASICALLY, I'VE HEARD THAT THERE ISN'T ENOUGH DATA OR RESEARCH ON THE VAPING TO KNOW HOW IT'S IMPACTING LIKE FATALITIES, OR DO WE HAVE THAT DATA, OR IS IT STILL BEING RESEARCHED? SO WE HAVE SOME OF THAT DATA.
WHAT MAKES IT TRICKY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT CIGARETTES, WE HAD DECADES OF RESEARCH AND EXPOSURE TO WORK OFF OF AND REALLY DRAW REALLY STRONG CONCLUSIONS.
WHAT WE HAVE MORE NOW FOR ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES IS INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR ACUTE EFFECTS.
SO, UH, IF YOU'RE EXPOSED TO EITHER INHALING IT DIRECTLY OR SECONDHAND AEROSOL, WE KNOW IT CONSTRICTS BLOOD VESSELS IN A SIMILAR WAY, AND THAT CAN PUT PEOPLE INTO A SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST SITUATION RIGHT THEN AND THERE.
WHAT WE'RE STILL GETTING MORE INFORMATION ON IS WHAT THOSE LONG-TERM EFFECTS MIGHT BE.
BUT AGAIN, WE DO KNOW A LOT ABOUT WHAT THOSE CONSTITUENT CHEMICALS INSIDE OF THOSE VAPORIZERS DO.
UH, AND THEY'RE LINKED TO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ALL SORTS OF DISEASES, PRIMARILY, UM, CARDIOVASCULAR AND LUNG DISEASE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PENOC.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER SHAY? YEAH, I WAS WONDERING WHAT, UH, REGULATORY, UM, ENVIRONMENTS, WHAT MUNICIPALITIES HAVE KIND OF LIKE THE STRONGEST, UH, PROTECTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC AND HOW DOES AUSTIN COMPARE TO THOSE? YEAH, SO AUSTIN IS A CITY THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER HAVING A COMPREHENSIVE ORDINANCE THAT COVERS ALL THE PLACES IT SHOULD, RIGHT? SO, BARS, RESTAURANTS, WORKPLACES, UM, IT DOES HAVE A FEW EXCEPTIONS, AS I MENTIONED, FOR THINGS LIKE CIGAR BARS FOR DESIGNATED HOTEL AND MOTEL ROOMS. UM, WE DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSARILY A SERIOUS DEFICIENCY IN THE ORDINANCE.
IT'S STILL ONE THAT WE RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, ON OUR MAP OF, OF COMPREHENSIVE SMOKE-FREE ORDINANCES.
OUR IDEAL WOULD BE NO, UM, NO WORK, BASICALLY NO WORKPLACE, NOBODY WHERE SOMEBODY HAS TO GO SHOW UP TO GET A PAYCHECK, UH, SHOULD ALLOW SMOKING.
BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME CITIES MIGHT MAKE DIFFERENT DETERMINATIONS FOR WHAT MIGHT BE RIGHT, THAT MIGHT BE RIGHT FOR THEM.
DID I ANSWER YOUR FULL QUESTION? I FEEL LIKE THERE WERE TWO PARTS.
I MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN THE FIRST PART.
YEAH, I, I GUESS THE OTHER PART WAS, UH, WHAT MUNICIPALITIES HAVE YOU SEEN HAVE A VERY STRICT, UH, POLICY.
AND I, I GUESS IF YOU COULD GO MORE INTO, UH, HOW THAT MIGHT DIFFER FROM OUR LOCAL POLICY.
SO, UM, I WOULDN'T SAY THERE ARE MANY IN TEXAS WITH MUCH STRONGER ORDINANCES THAN AUSTIN, I WOULD SAY.
THEY REALLY JUST, THEY ADDRESS DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN CORPUS CHRISTI, THEY HAVEN'T DONE THIS QUITE YET, BUT THERE ARE PEOP THERE ARE, UH, PEOPLE WE'RE WORKING WITH COALITIONS ON THE GROUND THAT HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE CITY ABOUT SMOKE-FREE PARKS.
I BELIEVE AUSTIN DOES HAVE SMOKE-FREE PARKS.
SO THAT'S ONE KIND OF DIFFERENTIATOR BETWEEN, UM, CITIES HERE IN TEXAS.
SOME OF THEM MIGHT ALLOW, UH, SMOKING IN THINGS LIKE BINGO HALLS OR, UM, WHILE WE DON'T ALLOW CASINOS YET, THEY MIGHT LEAVE THAT LOOPHOLE OPEN, WHEREAS THERE ARE OTHERS THAT HAVE KIND OF PROACTIVELY CLOSED IT.
UM, BUT REALLY, AUSTIN, I WOULD SAY IS PROBABLY IN THE VERY TOP TIER OF, OF CITIES HERE IN TEXAS WITH STRONG SMOKE-FREE AIR ORDINANCES.
COMMISSIONER CHAPO, UH, THANK YOU.
UM, ALEC POINTED, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND TALKING TO US TODAY AND HELP KEEPING OUR AIR CLEAN.
I, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT IN TERMS OF WE CAN'T CHASE RIGHT THE COMPLIANCE MEASURES, BUT KIND OF HAVING THIS AWARENESS OUT THERE AND CULTURALLY KIND OF CHANGING THOSE BEHAVIORS IS WHERE I THINK WE'RE REALLY WINNING.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON THAT.
UM, YOUR LAST ANSWER PIQUED ME.
YOU MENTIONED THAT SOME PLACES CASINOS MIGHT BE OUTSIDE THESE ORDINANCES.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION OF SPECIFICALLY OF WHY A CASINO WOULD OPT OUT OR WOULD PUSH BACK? YEAH, SO IF WE LOOK NATIONWIDE, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T ALLOW CASINOS TO LOCATE HERE IN TEXAS YET, THAT MIGHT CHANGE IN IN THE COMING YEARS.
UH, BUT CASINOS TEND TO BE THE, UH, NUMBER
[01:30:01]
ONE KIND OF OUTLIER IN TERMS OF WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING TO WORK AND, AND PLAY THAT, THAT ALLOW SMOKING.AND, UH, I, I THINK THE ANSWER REALLY COMES DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, THEY TEND TO BE BIG EMPLOYERS IN THE CITY.
THEY TEND TO HAVE A LOT OF CLOUT WEIGHT THEY CAN THROW AROUND WITH POLICY MAKERS.
AND, UH, CHANGE IS ALWAYS SCARY.
BUT SIMILAR TO WE, THE INFORMATION WE HAVE FOR BARS, RESTAURANTS, OTHER, OTHER WORKPLACES, WE DO HAVE PLENTY OF DATA ON, UH, SMOKE-FREE CASINOS.
AND THE FACT THAT WHEN THEY MAKE THESE POLICIES, THEY SEE SAVINGS THEMSELVES, THEY, UM, SEE NO DOWNTURN IN ATTENDANCE OR VISITATION.
UM, AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO, IN THOSE CITIES THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE EXPLICIT, UH, RULES YET ABOUT CASINOS, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT IN TEXAS, THAT THOSE ARE KIND OF PROACTIVELY PREEMPTED RATHER THAN HAVING TO COME BACK AND CLOSE THAT LOOPHOLE LATER AND CONVINCE, UH, CONVINCE POLICY MAKERS TO MAKE A CHANGE THEY MIGHT NOT BE COMFORTABLE WITH.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, I WANNA THANK BOTH OF OUR SPEAKERS TODAY.
I, UM, IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE THEME OF THIS MONTH'S MEETING, UH, AROUND PUBLIC HEALTH AND, UH, SMOKING AND VAPING AND ITS IMPACTS, UH, AND HOW IT CORRELATES OR DOESN'T WITH TOURISM, I THOUGHT IT WAS, UH, A GOOD EXERCISE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, THE BROADER PUBLIC TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THIS ISSUE OF E-CIGARETTES AS WELL AS VAPING.
AS WE'VE HEARD TODAY, THE, UH, INDUSTRY IS QUICKLY CHANGING AND THE REGULATORY REGIMES, UM, ARE NOT KEEPING UP, UH, IN MANY WAYS.
AND AS, UM, LEADERS IN THE THE TOURISM FIELD, I, I THINK IT BEHOOVES US TO ONE, OFFER AN OPEN AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT TO EVERYONE, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY SMOKE.
AND, UM, I THINK, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD NOT TO MAKE THIS PERSONAL.
UM, I HAVE, UH, MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY WHO, UM, HAVE MY GRANDPA DIED OF A HEART ATTACK DUE TO SMOKING.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY IT'S, IT'S IMPACTED SO MANY MORE, UH, AMERICANS AND, YOU KNOW, TOURISTS, TOURISTS FROM ALL PLACES.
UM, I'M, I STRUGGLE A LITTLE BIT, UM, WITH, UH, WITH THIS QUESTION OF ENFORCEMENT, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY TO ENFORCE, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT IT COSTS, UM, PERHAPS A LOT OF POLITICAL CAPITAL, UM, TO POLICE BARS AND, UH, OTHER PLACES WHERE TOURISMS, UH, TOURISTS AND, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD GO.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF THERE COULD BE MORE STRATEGIC ENFORCEMENT THAT ACTUALLY CARRIES, UH, A PUNCH, FOR LACK OF A BETTER PHRASING.
UH, MAINLY BECAUSE I, I THINK WITHOUT STIFF PENALTIES AND FINES, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THE COMPLIANCE THAT, UM, THAT, UH, WE WOULD ALL WANT IN A SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENT.
SO I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR, UM, SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON, UM, COMPLIANCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE THIS EVERY WEEKEND.
THERE'S SOMEONE VAPING WITH IMPUNITY IN A BAR OR RESTAURANT, USUALLY BARS, BUT, UM, AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S THE ACTUAL BARTENDER, LIKE, SO WHAT DO YOU DO IN THAT INSTANCE? RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE BETTER TO GO TO THE O OWNER AND SEND THEM AN EMAIL ON THE SIDE AND JUST SAY, BEFORE I REPORT THIS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD A PARTICULAR RUN IN WITH A MANAGER OF A BAR THAT WOULD REFUSE TO TELL CLIENTS AT THE BAR TO STOP VAPING, AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CHANGE? I JUST DON'T TRUST THE CULTURE RIGHT NOW, I GUESS I'LL PUT IT THAT WAY.
SO, SO, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, I, FOR, YOU KNOW, REALLY FOR EQUITY REASONS, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT THESE SORTS OF POLICIES TO BE PRIMARILY ENFORCED BY THE POLICE, UH, GIVING OUT FINES, BRINGING PEOPLE TO MUNICIPAL COURT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, BUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE VAPING, THE GOAL OVERALL IS TO ENACT THAT CULTURE CHANGE, AS YOU SAID.
UM, WHAT'S A LOT OF CITIES DO WHEN THEY PASS THESE ORDINANCES IN THE FIRST PLACE IS PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, PROACTIVELY PROVIDE INFORMATION TO BUSINESS OWNERS THAT LAY OUT, YOU KNOW, HERE WHAT THE HEALTH EFFECTS ARE, HERE'S HOW IT MIGHT BE AFFECTING YOUR WORKERS, MAYBE YOUR BOTTOM LINE, AND HERE'S WHAT THE RULES ARE.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THOSE UNDERSTANDINGS CAN CHANGE OVER TIME, MAYBE BECOME WEAKER.
AUSTIN WAS, UH, IT'S BEEN, I GUESS ALMOST EIGHT YEARS NOW SINCE, SINCE THAT E-CIGARETTE ADDITION WAS MADE TO AUSTIN'S ORDINANCE.
SO I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE SURPRISED.
MAYBE THERE'S, UH, LOWER LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UM,
[01:35:01]
OR EVEN WITH WORKERS ABOUT WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE TO WORK IN SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS.AND SO IN TERMS OF SPECIFICS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD PROBABLY DEFER TO, UH, CITY STAFF ON WHAT COULD BE DONE.
BUT I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, MAKING THAT INFORMATION, UM, FRONT AND CENTER FOR, FOR BUSINESS OWNERS, FOR, FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONTROL OF THESE ENVIRONMENTS, REMINDING THEM WHAT THE RULES ARE, UH, WOULD REALLY GO A LONG WAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE SEE WORK BEST WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE FIRST PASSED.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE WE BREAK COMMENTS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR COVERING THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC.
AND, AND THANK YOU TO, UH, MS. HEALTHMAN AS WELL, UH, FOR BRINGING IN THIS, UM, THIS CONTENT TO DISCUSS PUBLIC HEALTH AND TOURISM HERE IN AUSTIN.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I, I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE THE FLOOR OPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I, I THINK IS, SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR, UM, THE TOURISM COMMISSION REALLY TO HELP PROMOTE HEALTHY AND CLEAN AIR FOR TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE.
UM, I THINK IN PARTICULAR, UH, IN BARS WHERE LOTS OF TOURISTS COME, I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE, UH, A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL.
SO, UM, I, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TO PUT TOGETHER A RECOMMENDATION AND IF OTHERS WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ME IN, UM, SUPPORTING SUCH A RECOMMENDATION AT OUR JANUARY MEETING, I WOULD, UM, WELCOME, UH, YOU TO JOIN ME AND WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND PUT THAT FORWARD, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE FULL COMMISSION IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ME OR CONNECT WITH ME OFFLINE.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD A PACKED AGENDA, UM, TWO
[8. Approve the 2025 calendar for the Tourism Commission Board.]
DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER SEVEN RATHER.NUMBER EIGHT, REGARDING, UH, THE APPROVAL OF THE 2025 CALENDAR FOR THE TOURISM COMMISSION MEETINGS.
UH, AT OUR PAST MEETING, WE HAD TWO MEETINGS AGO, UH, DISCUSSED KEEPING OUR CURRENT TIME OF TWO 30 TO FOUR 30, AS WELL AS THE LOCATION, UH, HERE AT CITY HALL ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS.
DOES THAT STILL WORK WITH, WITH EVERYONE'S CALENDARS FOR 2025? I'M HEARING NODS OF APPROVAL, YES.
UM, CAN SOMEONE ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO AGREE THAT WE PROPOSE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS EVERY SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH FROM TWO 30 TO 4:30 PM FOR FUTURE 2025 TOURISM COMMISSION MEETINGS? I WOULD MAKE THAT MOTION.
SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER POSI AND IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND.
AND FELICIA, THANK YOU FOR SETTING UP THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR OUR MEETINGS.
SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CHA.
THANK YOU, UH, FELICIA AS WELL FOR YOUR DILIGENCE IN SEEING TO IT THAT WE HOPEFULLY GET THE SAME SETUP AGAIN.
IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE BETTER COMMISSION SETUPS, I WOULD SAY.
ALL THOSE, CAN I MAKE ONE DISCUSSION? EXCUSE ME.
UM, YEAH, THE CALENDAR IS GREAT AND I MOTIONED, I JUST, UH, WONDERED IF WE NEEDED TO REMOVE THE AUGUST, UM, OH YES.
ONE ON THIS ONE AND THEN APPROVE IT.
AND THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S LED TO SOME CONFUSION IN THE PAST BECAUSE IT SHOWS UP AS BEING CANCELED, BUT IT STILL SHOWS UP, WHICH I THINK IS CONFUSING.
UM, SO ARE WE IN AGREEMENT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO CANCEL OUR AUGUST, 2025 MEETING? REMIND ME WHY? JUST LIKE A SUMMER HIATUS.
MOST, MOST PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING DURING THAT.
AUSTIN FOR, OR AUGUST IS FOR VACATION HEAT AND COLORADO.
UH, IT'S 110 DEGREES IN AUSTIN.
SO EVERY OTHER MONTH WE'RE GOING TO MEET AUSTIN.
UH, AUGUST WILL BE THE ONLY MONTH THAT WE CANCEL.
UH, IS, IS THAT A MOTION TO AMEND THE CURRENT MOTION ON THE TABLE, MS. PIAN? YES, IT IS.
IS IT A SECOND SECONDED MOTION? SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CHA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO CANCEL THE AUGUST, 2025 AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING, PLEASE SAY AYE.
VOTE IN THE UNANIMOUS, UH, MOVING TO THE MAIN MOTION.
[01:40:01]
THOSE IN FAVOR RATHER.ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN MOTION? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING, UH, THE PROPOSED CALENDAR OF 2025 AUSTIN TOURISM DATES, UH, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
WE LOOK HOPEFULLY TO MEET HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBER'S.
[9. Update from the Short-Term Rental Working Group on any new reports regarding the STR’s new focus and efforts for recommendations.]
UH, WE HAVE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE UNDER WORKING GROUP, UM, UPDATES, UH, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE SHORT TERM RENTAL WORKING GROUP BY COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.THE STR GROUP, WE ARE GOING TO TO BE MEETING WITH, UH, CITY MANAGER THOREAU'S OFFICE ON DECEMBER 11TH.
UM, WE ALSO, STEPHANIE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GET TOGETHER WITH THE HOTEL ASSOCIATION BEFOREHAND, UM, TO DO LUNCH.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO ON TOPIC CONVERSATIONS FOR SST R.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER REED? DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION.
SO WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE, IS THERE LIKE A GENERAL TOPIC OR THEME THAT YOU'D LIKE TO BRING UP AT THIS MEETINGS REGARDING THE, UH, UM, THE SHORT TERM RENTALS AND THEIR ENFORCEMENT? I THINK THE TOPIC OF THESE MEETINGS WILL BE TO PREP THE CITY COUNCIL MANAGER IN THEIR OFFICE ON OUR FINDINGS, OUR DISCUSSIONS, UM, KIND OF GO OVER THE RECOMMENDATIONS ALONG WITH THE GUIDANCE DOCUMENT AND JUST BASICALLY HELP THEM HAVE A HEAD START SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO RESTART THE PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN AS IT COMES FROM A HOW WOULD THE CITY OPERATIONALIZE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO KIND OF THAT WOULD BE THE, THE TOPICS WE'D BE COVERING.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD TOPIC AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING BACK AS TO WHAT FOLKS SAY ABOUT THAT.
UH, PARTICULARLY AS WE LOOK TO FINDING NEW STREAMS OF REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
I'M, I'M GONNA SAY IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT IS THERE AN OPEN FLOOR FOR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO BRING UP A TOPIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF ANY KIND? COMMISSIONER IAN? UM, I WAS WONDERING IF WE WOULD, UH, IF WE CAN ADD AN AGENDA ITEM FOR DECEMBER'S MEETING THAT WOULD BE DISCUSSING THE ROADMAP OR IS THAT ALREADY ON THERE? UH, THE DECEMBER TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING IS A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING, BUT IT IS, UH, MORE OF A WORK SESSION.SO WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE ROADMAP ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY.
SO THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY INVITED GUESTS OR SPEAKERS.
WE'RE JUST GONNA KIND OF USE THAT AS A WORKDAY TO, LIKE, FOR US, TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA DO NEXT YEAR, SET OUR PRIORITIES, UM, AND HOPEFULLY HAVE WORD BACK ABOUT WHEN OUR, UH, 2025 MEETING DATES WILL HAPPEN AND, UH, GET US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE FOR THE NEW YEAR.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, THOUGHTS? WONDERFUL.
WITH THAT, UH, I ADJOURN THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.