[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:06]
UM, OFFICIALLY BEGIN OUR, UH, BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING FOR THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AT 2 32.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? THANK YOU.UM, JUST FOR AWARENESS, WE DO ASK THAT YOU DO KEEP IT TO A THREE MINUTE, UH, STATEMENT, AND THEN YOU WILL HEAR SOME TONES TO POLITELY CLAP YOU OFF STAGE ONCE IT'S DONE.
AND THEN, UH, WHEN YOU'RE READY TO SPEAK, YOU CAN JUST HIT THE MICROPHONE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.
I WANT TO COMMENT ON LAST, UH, MONTH'S VACCINE DISCUSSION.
LET ME START MY COMMENTS BY PROVIDING SOME FACTUAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT IS NOT IN ANY WAY IN DISPUTE.
IN THE 1980S, VACCINE MANUFACTURERS WERE FACING A DIFFICULT BUSINESS CHALLENGE DUE TO THE COSTS AND LIABILITIES FROM VACCINE INJURY LAWSUITS.
CONGRESS FELT IT WAS A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE TO KEEP VACCINE MANUFACTURERS IN BUSINESS.
SO THEY PASSED A LAW CALLED THE NATIONAL CHILDHOOD VACCINE INJURY ACT OF 1986, WHICH GAVE LIABILITY PROTECTION TO THE VACCINE INDUSTRY.
NOTE THE WORDS VACCINE INJURY RIGHT IN THE NAME OF THE LAW.
THE LAW MENTIONS INJURY 143 TIMES AND DEATH 93 TIMES.
THE LAW CLEARLY SETS THE FOUNDATIONAL FACT THAT VACCINES CAN CAUSE INJURY AND DEATH, WHICH WAS ECHOED BY THE SUPREME COURT.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TOOK OVER VACCINE INJURY LIABILITY AND CREATED A NEW COURT SYSTEM TO HEAR INJURY CASES AND PAY CLAIMS. THIS VACCINE COURT HAS PAID OUT OVER 5 BILLION IN CLAIMS WHILE DENYING TWO THIRDS OF CLAIMS MADE.
THE LAW HAS ALSO A PROVISION DESIGNED TO REDUCE VACCINE INJURIES BY REQUIRING HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO DO SAFETY TESTING, AND REGULARLY REPORT TO CONGRESS ON THE PROGRESS OF REDUCING VACCINE INJURY.
COMPARED TO THE RATE PRIOR TO THE 1986 LAW, HHS HAS NEVER REPORTED TO CONGRESS AS REQUIRED BY LAW AND HAS INTENTIONALLY VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW FOR 37 YEARS.
THEY WERE SUED WHEN THEY REFUSED TO MEET A FOER REQUEST TO TURN OVER THEIR SAFETY STUDIES.
I HAVE A COPY OF THE STIPULATION ORDER WHERE HHS ADMITS IN COURT THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A SINGLE SAFETY REPORT IN THEIR POSSESSION.
IF YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS, IT SHOULD BE A SHOCKING REVELATION TO YOU.
CHILDHOOD VACCINES ARE ONE OF THE ONLY MEDICATIONS THAT ARE APPROVED WITHOUT A PLACEBO CONTROL SAFETY TRIAL.
THE VACCINE MANUFACTURER DOES THE TESTING THEMSELVES USING A PREVIOUSLY APPROVED VACCINE AS THE CONTROL.
PREVNAR 13 WAS TESTED AGAINST PREVNAR SEVEN.
PREVNAR SEVEN HAD A 7% RATE OF SERIOUS ADVERSE INJURIES, AND PREVNAR 13 HAD AN 8% RATE OF SERIOUS ADVERSE INJURIES.
DESPITE THAT, THE FDA APPROVED PREVNAR 13 DEEMING IT EQUALLY SAFE IS EQUALLY SAFE, THE SAME AS SAFE.
DO YOU FEEL 8% SERIOUS ADVERSE INJURIES IS SAFE? ALSO NOT MENTIONED LAST MONTH IS THAT TEXAS LAW HAS THREE CONDITIONS FOR REQUESTING A VACCINE EXEMPTION, INCLUDING FOR REASONS OF CONSCIENCE.
SHOULDN'T PARENTS BE INFORMED OF THEIR RIGHT, UH, TO GET AN EXEMPTION FOR THEIR CHILDREN? SHOULDN'T IT BE DISCLOSED THE LACK OF SAFETY TESTING FOR CHILDHOOD VACCINES BY HHS IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW WITH A RATE OF 54% CHRONIC ILLNESS IN CHILDREN AND THE AUTISM RATE AT 1 35? ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME TO START INCLUDING VACCINE SAFETY IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS? THANK YOU.
AND I, I'VE GOT THE, UH, COPY FOR YOU GUYS OF THE, UH, OF THE STIPULATION ORDER.
OKAY, I THINK WE ONLY HAD ONE INDIVIDUAL FOR OUR PUBLIC SPEAKING, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON NOVEMBER 6TH, 2024.DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES? SO MOVED.
ANY QUESTIONS TO THE MOTION? OKAY.
WE ARE MOVING ON TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. UM, WE HAVE DISCUSSION ITEM
[2. Discussion on commissioner questions following individual research on Travis County efforts to address opioid crisis.]
NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS DISCUSSION ON COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH ON TRAVIS COUNTY EFFORTS TO ADDRESS OPIOID, THE OPIOID CRISIS.UH, YOU CAN FIND THOSE EITHER ATTACHED TO THE EMAIL THAT DANNY SENT OUT OR, UM, ON THE SECOND, SECOND PAGE IN HERE.
THE CONVERSATION THAT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN HAVE AS THIS IS OUR WORKING RETREAT IS TO NOT ONLY HOPEFULLY YOU'VE REVIEWED THESE QUESTIONS PRIOR TO THIS,
[00:05:01]
BUT TO REVIEW THESE QUESTIONS AND DETERMINE WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS WILL ACTUALLY BE AS A COMMISSION.IS IT SOMETHING SUCH AS SENDING THIS TO THE COUNTY FOR FOLLOW UP INFORMATION, SENDING THIS TO A PH FOR FOLLOW UP INFORMATION, SENDING THIS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, EVENT PARTNERS AND WHATNOT, OR ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES AND WAYS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE AN IMPACT.
THE ONE THING I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING TO THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS IS WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMISSION AND THEN WHAT DO WE PLAN TO DO AS THE COMMISSION? NOT JUST WHAT COULD WE DO AND WHAT, WHAT COULD WE HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT? BUT WHAT DO WE WANT TO, TO SEE IN LIKE A TIMELINE FORMAT HAPPEN BASED ON THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED? WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF TIME, BUT JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS FROM A TIME STANDPOINT, I'M HOPING WE CAN KIND OF MOVE THROUGH THESE A LITTLE QUICKLY, UM, AND HAVE A TRUE CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN GET DONE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE QUITE A FEW OTHER DISCUSSION TOPICS TO GET THROUGH AS WELL.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN WE ARE GOING OVER THESE QUESTIONS.
UM, I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER WALLACE AND I BOTH HAD VERY SIMILAR QUESTIONS ON SPECIFIC ITEMS, UH, RELATING BACK TO THE REPORT THAT WE RECEIVED.
AND I WILL PAUSE THERE, UM, FOR ANY QUICK COMMENTS OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE ARE HOPEFUL TO, TO DO WITH, WITH LOOKING AT THESE QUESTIONS.
UH, THINKING BACK TO WHAT THE, THE REPORT STATED, UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD WAS THE PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE INVESTMENT.
AND I KNOW THAT WHEN HHS WAS HERE, UH, AS WELL AS THE COUNTY SHARED, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE LOOKING TO INTEGRATE SOME OF THOSE FUTURE TOPICS INTO PLACE.
UM, MY REQUEST WOULD BE THAT WE SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, THERE WERE ABOUT 18 DIFFERENT ITEMS ON THAT LIST.
THAT IS A LOT TO UNDERTAKE AS ONE ORGANIZATION AND ONE ENTITY.
UM, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD EASILY SEND OUT AND ASK WHERE THEY'RE AT ON THAT AND DO AND ASK FOR A, A A ONE PAGER OR AN UPDATE OF SOME SORT FOR US TO REVIEW ANY QUESTIONS, FEEDBACK.
I GUESS I WOULD JUST ADD IF WE COULD ASK HOW, HOW THEY'RE ALLOCATING THEIR FUNDING WITH REGARD TO THOSE PRIORITIES AS WELL.
UM, LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE WITH THE IMPACT, UM, AS THIS IS QUESTION TWO FOR TRAINING AND DISTRIBUTION.
UM, THIS IS MORE OF THE, THE RESEARCHER IN ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACT LOOKS LIKE FROM THIS.
UH, WERE FOR INSTANCE, UM, 2,600 DOSES.
WERE THEY ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTED? WERE THEY SUCCESSFULLY DISTRIBUTED? UM, WERE THEY USED, ARE THEY STILL THERE? UM, THINKING ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THE NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION AND AND OVERDOSE AWARENESS, UM, THAT WAS MORE OF MY CURIOSITY OF WHAT IMPACT HAS THEIR CURRENT EFFORTS ACTUALLY MADE.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART IS WHAT HAVE THEIR PARTNERS BEEN DOING? WE KNOW THAT SOME FUNDING IS RUNNING OUT.
WE KNOW THAT SOME FUNDING IS BEING MOVED AROUND.
UM, AND HOW ARE THEIR PARTNERS SUPPORTING THIS IMPACT? UH, I THINK THAT CAN ALSO GO AGAIN IN A, A SHORT REPORT.
AND I GUESS I'M CURIOUS HERE IF THEY COULD ALSO PUT IT IN A MAP IN TERMS OF WHERE THOSE DOSES HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED AND USED.
I WILL JUST PROBABLY NOTE THAT USAGE IS GONNA BE A VERY DIFFICULT DATA POINT TO GET.
UM, I THINK I MENTIONED IT BEFORE, JUST BECAUSE A LOT OF PRIVACY REASONS AND ALSO JUST THE WAY IN WHICH IT'S USED CAN BE DIFFICULT, BUT DISTRIBUTION SHOULD BE FINE.
I KNOW A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS WILL DO WHAT'S CALLED CAPACITY BUILDING, WHERE THEY TRAIN ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE THAT, AND SOMETIMES THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WILL THEN GIVE NALOXONE OUT TO OTHER FOLKS.
SO THAT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT TRICKY, BUT I THINK AT THE VERY MOST, YOU CAN GET WHAT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE RECEIVED IT.
AND, AND I'M CURIOUS JUST FROM YOUR, UH, I WORKED THIS IN A DIFFERENT STATE, SO WE ACTUALLY TRACKED EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WAS GIVEN IT.
EVEN IF THEY WERE A PERSON WHO WALKED UP ON THE STREET, WE GOT A PHONE NUMBER, A NAME, UM, AND MAYBE A ZIP CODE OF WHERE THEY WERE LO WHERE THEY WERE AT.
[00:10:01]
FAR OF A REACH OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S NOT PREVALENT DOWN HERE? LIKE EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO EVER RECEIVED NALOXONE? NOT WHO, NOT WHO WAS GIVEN AND NOT WHO'S ADMINISTERED IT? NOT YEAH.LIKE IF YOU, YOU COULD WALK UP AND SAY, HEY, I AM A CONCERNED CITIZEN.
I WANT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT ANYBODY THAT'S IC THAT NEEDS THIS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET A DOSE.
SO I'M GONNA, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THRA IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
WHEN I USED TO DO HARM REDUCTION, LIKE BOOTS ON THE GROUND YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF LIKE PRIVACY REASONS AND BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE USING NALOXONE THAT DON'T HAVE PHONE NUMBERS, DON'T HAVE ADDRESSES, THOSE IDENTIFIERS DIDN'T EXIST SLASH WE DIDN'T WANT TO LIKE ENCROACH ON THEIR PRIVACY.
SO THAT MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A STANDARD IN TEXAS, ESPECIALLY SINCE HARM REDUCTION IS GRASSROOTS BECAUSE TEXAS IS THE STATE THAT IT IS.
UM, I WOULD LOVE THOSE EFFORTS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN GET THAT GOOD DATA, THEN YOU CAN SHOW WHEN SOMETHING'S WORKING.
BUT THE STANDARD RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK IS THAT, THAT'S HELPFUL.
TWO QUICK POINTS, UM, JUST ON THAT POINT, IT SEEMS LIKE SOMEBODY IN OUR SYSTEM THAT'S DISTRIBUTING THIS TO ORGANIZATION WOULD HAVE A QUALITY SYSTEM, WHICH WOULD SAY, OKAY, FOR THAT ORGANIZATION, HOW MANY DOSAGE DID WE SEND? WE SENT IT SIX MONTHS AGO, IT'S THE SIX MONTH CHECK TIME.
HOW MANY DOSAGES YOU GOT LEFT? SO THAT KIND OF A, A MAP WOULD BE, I THINK, SOMETHING WE WOULD EXPECT TO BE OUT THERE.
AND IF IT WASN'T, WE'D SAY THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY LOW EXPECTATION.
THAT'S ONE THING I HAVE A SECOND, BUT, UM, UM, BUT I WANNA SAY THAT THE SECOND THING IS THAT AGAIN, UM, I DON'T, I I HAVE, YOU KNOW, ENDEAVORED TO STUDY THIS A BIT, AND THE QUESTION IS NOT HOW MANY DOSES WE'VE SENT OUT.
IT'S HOW MANY DOSES HAVE WE SENT OUT PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION OR PER SOMETHING? 'CAUSE BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE DON'T HAVE, WE HAVE NO IDEA TO, TO GAUGE IT.
REMEMBER, AND I'VE TRIED TO SHOW THAT SOME, UM, PLACES, SOME PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE A LOWER MORTALITY RATE IN OPIOID, UM, UM, OVERDOSE DEATHS, SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER OPIOID DEATH, MORTALITY RATES, UM, DISTRIBUTE UP TO FIVE TIMES WHAT WE DO PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO THE QUESTION IS NOT HOW HAVE WE GOT WHAT'S THE STORY, BUT IS ARE WE EVEN PLAYING ON THE RIGHT PLAYING FIELD? AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE ASKING THAT MOST FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION YET.
AND THAT'S IS I THINK THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION.
I GUESS TO MAKE IT INTO A MORE CONCRETE QUESTION, IT COULD BE WHAT IS YOUR DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY? UM, HOW ARE YOU ALLOCATING TO SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS OR MEDICAL CENTERS, BUT I'M, AND HOW MUCH AND WHY? BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT RIGHT, BUT THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD WE BE DISTRIBUTING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOSES AND WE'RE NOW TALKING ABOUT 25 AND YOU'VE GOT 17, YOU'VE GOT FIVE, WHATEVER.
WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE RIGHT THING.
I DON'T THINK, IF WE'RE NOT ASKING HOW MUCH SHOULD OUR POPULATION HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS HAVE DISTRIBUTED, AND IF IT'S, IF IT'S FIVE TIMES WHAT IT IS, THEN AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT EVEN FOCUSED YET ON THE RIGHT QUESTION, ARE WE? YEAH, NO, I THINK IT'S A VALID QUESTION OF THE, THE DISTRIBUTION AND ALSO THE EFFICACY OF THEIR DISTRIBUTION, UM, AND THE OVERALL DISTRIBUTION AS IT RELATES TO THE POPULATION AND NEED.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A STUDY BY SOMEBODY ELSE THAT WOULD BE, YOU COULD MAYBE A QUESTION FOR A PUBLIC HEALTH, YOU KNOW, OFFICIAL IN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO SAY, WHO DECIDED THAT 23,000 IS THE RIGHT DOSING IS, OR IS THAT, IS THAT THE RIGHT DOSE? OR, OR IS THAT, DO WE NEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOSES? I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF DISTRIBUTED X AMOUNT.
HOW MANY WERE USED A REALLY BASIC FOLLOW UP? 'CAUSE LIKE THAT'S A REALLY EASY NUMBER TO GET.
I THINK THAT IS WITHIN REASON TO LIKE ASK FOR IF YOU'RE PROVIDING NALOXONE TO AN ORGANIZATION.
UM, NO, I DEFINITELY GET THE QUESTION AND THE SENTIMENTS, UM, FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER RICE, I, I GUESS THE QUESTION KIND OF THAT I WOULD HAVE IS, WHICH ONE, THEY'RE BOTH IMPORTANT, BUT WHICH ONE FROM WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE AN IMPACT RIGHT NOW IS, IS A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, EXPEDIENT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE THE RIGHT VOLUME OR WE NEED A HIGHER VOLUME, BUT IF IT'S GOING INTO THE WRONG LOCATIONS, THEN WE HAVE THE VOLUME FUNDING GOING FOR THE VOLUME, BUT IT'S BEING, IT'S BEING DISPERSED IN THE WRONG LOCATIONS FOR THE IMPACT.
SO THAT'D PROBABLY BE THE QUESTION
[00:15:01]
I WOULD ASK THEIR CHAIR IS, DO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IN ADDITION TO, ARE WE HAVING THE RIGHT VOLUME, IS IT EVEN GOING TO THE RIGHT PLACES IF WE HAVE A LOWER VOLUME RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S AT LEAST BEING MAXIMIZED.SO THEN WHEN WE DO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WE DO SEEK TO GET TO THE RIGHT VOLUME.
WE KNOW WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE MOST IMPACT.
CAN I RAISE A SORT OF A DERIVATIVE KIND OF QUESTION? AND, AND THAT IS, UM, AGAIN, I'VE BEEN DRIVEN ON THIS TOPIC BECAUSE OF A REPORT THAT I HAVE FOUND, I BELIEVE IN THE TEXAS TRIBUNE, SOME REPUTABLE SOURCE THAT SAYS THE MORTALITY OF OPIOID OVERDOSE IN CENTRAL, IN, IN, IN TRAVIS COUNTY IS ABOUT 50% HIGHER THAN THAT IN HARRIS COUNTY, DALLAS COUNTY, FORT WORTH COUNTY, EL PASO COUNTY, AND SAN ANTONIO COUNTY, OR TRA BEAR COUNTY.
SO THE, SO I ALSO AM INTERESTED, AGAIN, I, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT THE COMMISSIONER SAID, BUT I'M STILL STUCK ON THE IDEA THAT YOU'RE SHOOTING IN THE DARK.
I MEAN, THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT I HAVE IS, IS THAT TRUE? AND IF THAT'S TRUE, WHY, AND IF IT'S TRUE, AND THE WHY IS WE DON'T GIVE NEARLY ENOUGH OUT COMPARED TO OTHERS, THEN AGAIN, I I STILL BACK TO, THAT MAY NOT BE AN EASY QUESTION, BUT THAT WOULD BE I THINK, A STATEMENT WE WOULD WANNA MAKE TO, TO, UH, THE SYSTEM TO SAY, WE'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH.
NOW, IF IT TURNS OUT THAT SOMEBODY CAN GET BETTER DATA AND SAYS, NO, OUR MORTALITY RATE'S THE SAME, THEN THEN THAT, THEN I, I WOULD PULL BACK THAT.
BUT I HAVE A CONCERN THAT WE HAVE OUR MORTALITY RATE 50% HIGHER.
AND THE QUESTION IS WHY? AND IF WE'RE NOT ASKING THAT QUESTION, I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE NOT JUST WASTING TIME.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT IS THE FIRST QUESTION.
I THINK THIS KIND OF GOES INTO THE TWO PARTS WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NALOXONE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DISTRIBUTION.
AND IN THE INITIAL REPORT THAT WE GOT, IT'S GIVEN EVERYONE NALOXONE, YOU CAN HAVE IT, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE OUTREACH TO PUT IT OUT THERE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO DISTRIBUTE PROPERLY, THAT IS PROBABLY WHERE IT GETS KIND OF MURKY.
AND I THINK THAT COULD BE THE SECOND PART, POSSIBLY YOUR WHY TO THAT QUESTION.
HAVING A LOT OF RESOURCES CAN BE ANOTHER DRAW FOR PEOPLE TO BE HERE.
BUT, UM, I THINK IN MY MIND, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS AS A WHOLE, IT'S TWO PARTS.
IT'S HAVING THE NALOXONE AND IT'S HAVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE OUTREACH TO DO IT.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE COUPLED TOGETHER CORRECTLY, YOU JUST HAVE NARCAN SITTING AROUND NOT BEING USED OR NOT GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE CORRECTLY.
AND ALSO TRAINING, BECAUSE THERE IS NASAL NALOXONE, THERE'S ALSO, UM, INJECTABLE NALOXONE NOT AS COMMON, BUT STILL RELATIVELY CHEAP.
YOU CAN DO THAT REQUIRES A LITTLE BIT MORE TRAINING, BUT YOU CAN DO IT ALL THE SAME.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HAVING THE OUTREACH AND DOING THAT WORK.
AND THAT'S JUST LIKE THE PART TWO OF THIS.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE ARE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANT TO DO MORE OUTREACH, AND IT'S ALSO MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE SOME OF THE POPULATIONS IN NEED, KINDA LIKE WHEN WE TALKED TO CENTRAL HEALTH, HAVE MOVED TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND SO THEY HAVE TO NOW GO FURTHER AND FURTHER OUT THAT OUTREACH HAS EXTENDED, IT'S NOT DOWNTOWN EVERY MO EVERYWHERE.
IT'S NORTH AUSTIN, IT'S SOUTH AUSTIN EASTER THAN EVER.
SO I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A BIG PLAYER IN THIS AS A WHOLE.
UH, LA LAST COMMENT ON, ON THIS ONE, UH, FROM MY END, I, I KIND OF THINK OF THIS SIMILAR TO THE WHOLE DISTRIBUTION OF COVID SHOTS, RIGHT? IF WE DON'T HA, IF WE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING INTO THE RIGHT PLACE, REGARDLESS OF HOW, WHAT THE VOLUME IS AND THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE GIVING IT, THEN ALL WE'RE DOING IS SATURATING AND, AND, AND COMPLICATING THE WHOLE PROCESS WHEN WE HAVE A HIGHER VOLUME THAT WE THEN HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT'S GETTING PUSHED OUT AND BEING UTILIZED.
SO THAT'S WHY I, I'M, I DON'T TAKE AWAY FROM THE QUESTION, I JUST SAY, WE ALREADY HAVE STUFF THAT'S OUT NOW, RIGHT? IS THAT IN THE RIGHT LOCATIONS? IS IT BEING USED THE PROPER WAY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH IS GONNA TAKE MORE TIME, IS WHAT IS THE PROPER VOLUME THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE, RIGHT? SO I THINK IT WORKS IN TANDEM, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD JUST HATE TO FOCUS ON THE SECOND PIECE.
IS IT THE RIGHT VOLUME WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE STUFF BEING ALLOCATED AND FUNDS ALREADY WENT TO IT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THE WRONG PLACES LIKE WE DID EARLY ON WITH COVID SHOTS, THEY WERE NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACES.
[00:20:01]
RIGHT? SO, AND MAYBE A QUESTION THAT WE CAN POSE THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE TANGIBLE IS WHAT IS THE CAP OF NARCAN THAT YOU HAVE AND HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THIS INITIAL VOLUME? AND IT MIGHT JUST BE THAT THAT'S THE FUNDING THEY HAD, AND THAT'S THE ANSWER.UH, WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TOO DEEP AND STILL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THIS DISTRIBUTION PART, WHICH I THINK WE'RE ALL REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT.
THIS MIGHT BE A JUST A, I'M GONNA DO, I HAVE A COMPILATION OF WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING.
SO MY, MY FIRST PART IS TO REQUEST SOME SORT OF HEAT MAP.
THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT LANGUAGE, BUT, UH, WE'LL USE HEAT MAP DASHBOARD, OR I DON'T ARC, GIS YOU CAN DO WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT IS, BUT SOMETHING VISUAL THAT SHOWS NOT ONLY, IT'S A, IT'S A LAYERING, RIGHT? WE'RE LOOKING AT OVERDOSES, WE'RE LOOKING AT DISTRIBUTION TO WHERE THOSE OVERDOSES ARE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POPULATION NEED, BOTH OF, OF LACK AND RESOURCES.
UH, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT WAS THE OUTREACH TO THOSE LOCATIONS.
I DON'T THINK, I THINK THAT AS A WHOLE OF SAYING WHERE OVERDOSE IS HAPPENING, HOW MUCH NARCAN DID YOU GET OUT THERE? DID YOU GET NARCAN OUT THERE? THAT'S A, THAT'S A FIR BIG PART.
DID YOU GET NARCAN OUT THERE? YEAH.
HOW DID THEY GET IT? ARE YOU, DID YOU HAVE A CAMPAIGN? DID YOU JUST PUT A SIGN UP ON A FLAGPOLE AND HOPE THAT PEOPLE SAW IT? UM, AND THEN WHAT WAS THE NEED, RIGHT? LOOKING BACK AT WHAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE STATED THEY ACTUALLY NEED, UH, FOR FUTURE INVESTMENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WERE, WHAT, WHAT WERE THEY SAYING THEY NEEDED IN THOSE SPACES AS WELL.
THE SECOND PIECE WOULD BE A REPORT AND SEEING IF WE CAN AT LEAST MAYBE GET A ZIP CODE FROM WHERE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THAT.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S GOTTA BE A, A VERY LOW HANGING FRUIT.
IT'S SOMETIMES JUST A MATTER OF LIKE, WHERE DO YOU TYPICALLY RESIDE OR USE YES, YES.
AND GETTING SOME SORT OF QUALITY CONTROL IMPROVEMENT CONVERSATION STARTED IN, IN THAT SECTION OF A REPORT ALONGSIDE OF THE SAME THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING, HOW'S THE MONEY BEING SPENT? IS IT ACTUALLY BEING SPENT, HOW YOU SAID IT WAS GONNA BE SPENT, OR HAVE YOU STARTED TO SWITCH THINGS UP SINCE THEN? AND THEN THE THIRD PIECE, WHICH I DO THINK WOULD BE A, A BIGGER NEED, AND WE COULD GIVE THEM SOME TIME, IS THE COMPILATION OF WHAT COMMISSIONER RICE AND COMMISSIONER WALLACE HAVE STATED, WHICH IS, YES, WE'RE DOING DISTRIBUTION, BUT THEN WHAT'S THE EFFICACY OF OUR DISTRIBUTION IF WE'RE, IF OUR MORTALITY RATE IS IN FACT 50% HIGHER? YEAH, WHAT DID YOU ALL KNOW THAT, LIKE, THOSE THAT ARE DISTRIBUTING THIS INFORMATION LIKE THIS, THIS NARCAN TO FOLKS DID, YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW, NOW, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT'S THE PLAN? AND THAT GOES INTO THE FINAL PIECE, WHICH IS, I'D LOVE TO SEE A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR NOT ONLY THEIR COMMUNICATION, BUT FOR THEIR OUTREACH FOR THE, THE NEXT CYCLE OF THIS FUNDING.
DO WE, DID WE MISS, LIKE, AT LEAST TO GIVE THEM, HERE'S YOUR FIRST HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT,
MY, MY QUESTION WAS, WHOSE HOMEWORK IS THAT FOR? UM, THAT'S BECAUSE AS I LOOK AT YOUR, YOUR GUIDANCE AND, AND THE CONVERSATION IS VERY ROBUST AND VERY INTRIGUING, UM, THAT IS EXPLORING THE BEST PRACTICES.
SO YOU'VE GOT DATA THAT YOU PULLED IN THAT SAYS THERE'S COUNTIES THAT ARE CLEARLY DOING SOMETHING WITH THEIR DISTRIBUTION USE AND ACCESS TO NARCAN.
SO IN EXPLORING THAT THE EVIDENCE BASE THAT YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED OR, OR DISCOVERED IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AT ALL THE AVENUES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE.
HOW, WHOSE, WHOSE ASSIGNMENT IS THAT TO DO SO, AS THE WORKING GROUPS ARE, ARE FORMED, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, I'LL LOOK AT THE ZIP CODE PORTION OF THE DATA AND LOOK AT WHAT AGENCIES, THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT INDEPENDENTLY MEMBERS CAN TAKE ON TO PULL TOGETHER YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON HOW WE COULD BEST IMPROVE THE HEALTH OUTCOMES IN AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, SO I THINK THE CONVERSATION IS VERY GERMANE, IS JUST NOW LIKE, WHO'S GONNA DO THIS WORK AND WHO'S THE, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S THE EXPECTATION,
[00:25:01]
UM, ON THE WORKING GROUPS TO PROVIDE THE, THE FULL SCOPE OF ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE ASKING.SO I'M JUST TRYING TO KEEP A VERY CLEAR PICTURE THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A WORKING GROUP COMPONENT HERE THAT CAN TRULY HELP GET YOU THE RECOMMENDATION TO ADVISE YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ON HOW YOU MIGHT WANNA SEE POLICY IMPLEMENTED, CHANGED, OR RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'LL SAY ON, ON THE, THIS PARTICULAR COMPONENT AS YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, SO I'M GONNA ANSWER YOU REAL QUICK.
UH, THIS IS FOR ANYONE WHO'S RECEIVED THE OPIOID ABATEMENT FUNDS.
THIS IS OUR REQUEST FROM THEM.
SO OUR, AS THE COMMISSION, THEY GAVE US THIS REPORT FROM AUGUST, 2024 SAYING THEIR TRAVIS COUNTY EFFORTS TO ADDRESS OPIOID CRISIS.
THEY'VE STATED THAT, UH, THEY BEING TRAVIS COUNTY, HHS, UH, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS.
SO I'M CURIOUS, AND THESE ARE ALSO COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, SO THESE ARE OTHER, WHOEVER THESE, THESE FOLKS ARE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHO WORKING GROUP 5 1 2 IS, I DON'T THINK WE NEED A A, I DON'T THINK WE NEED A PRESENTATION FROM WORKING GROUP 5 1 2.
WHAT WE DO NEED TO KNOW IS HOW DID WORKING GROUP 5 1 2 DO IN CONSIDERATION TO URBAN ACADEMY OR ALCHEMY, RIGHT? DID THEY, WHERE ARE THEY, WHAT ZIP CODES ARE THEY, HOW MUCH DID THEY RECEIVE? SO THIS IS OUR, THIS, AT LEAST THE QUESTION I WAS COMING TO WAS, WHAT HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO'VE GOTTEN THIS MONEY DONE SUCCESSFULLY, NOT SUCCESSFULLY? AND THEN CAN THEY, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE'S A DASHBOARD OR A HEAT MAP THAT ALREADY EXISTS AND WE DON'T KNOW IT, WE COULD GO IN THERE AND EASILY CHECK OUR OWN DATA AND SEE WHERE THESE ZIP CODES ARE OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
BUT IF IT DOESN'T EXIST, ALL WE'RE ASKING IS, CAN YOU ALL, WHO RECEIVED THESE OPIOID ABATEMENT FUNDS ANSWER THIS, THIS REQUEST OF OURS? YEAH.
YEAH, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU CHAIR.
UH, I WAS GONNA SAY, I, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS A WORKING GROUP ASKER HERE.
IT'S A, TO THE AGENCIES THAT GOT FUNDED, AND IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ASK THESE SAME QUESTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE AGENCIES THAT ARE PART OF THE COMMISSION, UM, THEN, THEN, SO BE IT.
BUT IF TRAVIS COUNTY AND A PH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DISTRIBUTING, UH, THE OPIOID, UH, STUFF.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A QUESTION TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO PILE TOGETHER THAT INFORMATION AND PROVIDE IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
SO THEN THE COMMISSION CAN THEN GO TO THE WORK GROUPS TO THEN REVIEW, ANALYZE, AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I THINK THAT, UM, WHOEVER, AS YOU SAID, THE MONEY OR WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS TOPIC AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR TRAVIS COUNTY, THAT'S WHO I THINK WE'RE ASKING THE QUESTION OF TO BRING THEIR EXPERTISE BACK.
AND IT'S NOT, TO YOUR POINT, MORE WORK FOR US TO DO.
WE'RE TRYING TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS OF WHOEVER'S RESPONSIBLE, AND WE'RE ASSUMING SOMEONE IS RESPONSIBLE.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT, THEY, THEY NOW HAVE HOMEWORK TO FIND SOMEBODY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE.
AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR BUDGET, OR WE'D LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR ACCESS, OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
UH, SO I'M GONNA GET TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
WE, WE DO HAVE STAFF THAT ARE MEETING TOMORROW, CENTRAL HEALTH, UH, A PH AND TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH HUMAN SERVICES FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS, THAT HAVE DONE THE NARCAN DISTRIBUTION.
AND WE'LL SHARE THESE QUESTIONS WITH THEM.
THEY'RE ALSO WORKING WITH EMS TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THE OUTREACH WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
I AGREE WITH THE LOGIC MODEL THAT YOU'RE FOLLOWING, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE DATA, WE'LL SHARE THE DATA AND THEN YOU CAN OPINE ON WHAT ELSE, UH, WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND I HAVE, UM, ALSO A COMMENT, UM, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
UM, SO CENTRAL HEALTH RECENTLY RECEIVED 4 MILLION IN OPIOID SETTLEMENT DOLLARS.
ALTHOUGH WE'VE BEEN ADVISED AS PART OF THE HOSPITAL DISTRICTS, UM, I KNOW THE COUNTY AND THE CITY ALSO RECEIVED FUNDS AND HAVE ALREADY SPENT SOME OF THOSE FUNDS, BUT WE'VE BEEN ADVISED TO HOLD, UM, ON SPENDING THE MONEY UNTIL THE STATE COMPTROLLER HAS DEVELOPED REPORTING STRUCTURES.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE'RE ON HOLD.
I MEAN, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE AREN'T WORKING ON, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, EXPAND ACCESS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL ASSISTED THERAPIES.
WE DO THAT AS PART OF OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL WORK ANYWAYS.
[00:30:01]
BE INTERESTING, UM, AND COULD MAKE THIS SIMPLER FOR EVERYBODY IS IF WE LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE REPORTING STRUCTURES THAT THE STATE, UM, HAS DIRECTED THESE ENTITIES, UM, TO DO, LIKE, WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS? WHAT DATA ARE THEY COLLECTING? AND HOW FREQUENTLY, UM, IS THAT DATA BEING, YOU KNOW, COLLECTED AND MAYBE, UM, THAT CAN BE, YOU KNOW, PRESENTED TO THIS COMMITTEE.UM, BECAUSE THE, THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE MAY ALREADY BE, UM, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED BY THE STATE.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THAT, THAT NEGATIVE INFORMATION.
I THINK THAT IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
AND IF THERE ARE, I MEAN, I THINK THAT RAISES OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, IF THERE ARE OTHER, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA JUST HAVE QUESTIONS ON TOP OF, UNTIL, UNTIL WE GET SOME OTHER FEEDBACK TOO.
SO JUST, UH, THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR TIME, IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL ASPECTS TO, UH, THIS QUESTION THAT INDIVIDUALS WANT TO, UM, PROVIDE, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO, UM, FOLLOW BACK UP AFTERWARDS WITH STAFF WITH THOSE ADDITIONAL, THOSE ADDITIONAL ITEMS. UM, QUESTION THREE I THINK DOES JUMP TO PERA'S STATEMENT OF, UM, WHAT'S BEING ASKED AND WHERE THOSE UPDATES ARE GOING.
AND I, I AM VERY CURIOUS, UH, ABOUT THE MONTHLY MEETINGS THAT ARE BEING HELD.
AND I DON'T KNOW WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES HERE, ARE THERE PLACES THAT NOTES ARE GOING, OR LIKE HOW WE HAVE, RIGHT, WE HAVE WHAT THE AGENDA ITEMS WERE, AND THEN THERE'S A, YOU CAN GO AND SEE THOSE ON THE WEBSITE.
DID THAT, DOES THAT EXIST FOR THE CROSS AGENCY COLLABORATIONS? I MEAN, I'M JUST GONNA SAY IF THE COMPTROLLER IS COLLECTING DATA, IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION AND IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE ON A WEBSITE SOMEWHERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S STATEWIDE DATA.
BUT AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, I DON'T KNOW.
YEAH, SO A PH IS CONVENING MONTHLY MEETINGS, AND DR.
I'M NOT SURE IF THERE IS A FORMAL AGENDA.
I KNOW THAT WHAT IT IS IS A CHECK IN, THERE IS A FORMAL AGENDA, MEETING MINUTES ARE TAKEN, UM, AND THOSE, UM, ENTITIES PRESENT THEN TAKE THAT INFORMATION BACK.
WE MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR, UH, SUBSTANCE USE, UM, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT DUPLICATING SERVICES, SHARE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES WITH ONE ANOTHER AND PLAN TOGETHER ON NEXT STEPS.
DID WE TALK ABOUT THE DECREASE IN NUMBER OF DEATHS THAT WAS REPORTED OUT AT OUR, UM, RECENT, UM, PRESS CONFERENCE AS A RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS? UM, YEAH.
I HAVE TO PULL UP THE, UM, JUDGE ANDY BROWN AND, UM, THE MEDICAL EXAMINER AND OTHERS MET, UM, TO CONVENE.
AND THE REPORT THAT CAME OUT SHOWED THAT, UM, THERE'S BEEN A 26% DROP IN FENTANYL POISONINGS PLUS A 19% DROP IN ALL ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE DEATHS.
UM, THAT WAS REPORTED OUT BY THE, UM, MEDICAL EXAMINER.
UM, IS THAT, SORRY, IS THAT IN TRAVIS COUNTY IN THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF 2024? YES.
AND, UM, THERE'S ALSO OTHER INFORMATION.
MY, MY PHONE JUST WENT HAYWIRE.
WALKS, YOU SAID THAT WAS, UH, AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT, OR IT WAS A PRESS RELEASE, PRESS RELEASE THAT WAS MADE TODAY.
AND, UM, THE, THERE WAS ALSO, UM, AN, AN ANNOUNCEMENT AT THAT POINT IN TIME ABOUT A $1.6 MILLION GRANT THAT WAS ISSUED FOR DIVERSION, UM, FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, WHO ARE LEAVING THE, UM, INCARCERATION.
UM, SO OUR EFFORTS TO WORK TOGETHER AND THE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE USE OF FUNDS, UM, AND, AND COLLABORATIVES REALLY PAID OFF.
AND THEN FOR THE, FOR THE MEETINGS ARE, IS THERE ANYWHERE THAT
[00:35:01]
WE CAN GO AND SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW THINGS ARE PROGRESSING? UM, THERE'S A, UM, WE ARE, WE'VE RELEASED, UM, OPIOID HUB THAT HAS RESOURCES.UM, IT ALSO SHOWS THE, UM, POINTS WHERE YOU CAN, UM, OBTAIN NALOXONE, UM, AND PLACES WHERE TRAINING IS AVAILABLE.
IT IDENTIFIES HARM REDUCTION PARTNER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS AND RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES.
UM, AND IT ALSO IDENTIFIES, UM, TRAINING THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR PROVIDERS IN THE AREA TO, UM, ADDRESS SUBSTANCE USE NEEDS OF THEIR PATIENTS.
WOULD YOU MIND, OR AT LEAST, UM, AT SOME, SOME WAY TO SHARE THAT WITH DANNY SO THAT SHE CAN SHARE THAT WITH US SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR OWN, AT LEAST HAVE THAT FOR OUR, OUR OWN KNOWLEDGE TO, TO USE.
YEAH, THERE'S A PRESS RELEASE GOING OUT IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO ABOUT IT TOO.
UM, MOVING ON TO THE DIRECTIVES, WHICH WERE, WERE QUITE LENGTHY, BUT I, UH, THIS IS THE SAME QUESTION THAT, UH, OR PARTIAL PARTIALLY PART OF THE SAME THAT COMMISSIONER WALLACE AND I BOTH HAD, WHICH WAS LOOKING AT, UM, THE EFFORTS TO DATE ON THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. AND AGAIN, JUST THINKING ABOUT TIME, MY FIRST REQUEST WOULD BE THAT WE SUBMIT THESE AGAIN TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RECEIVED THIS FUNDING OR WILL BE, UM, PARTICIPATING IN SPENDING THESE DOLLARS, RIGHT? THOSE COULD BE THE, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERS OR WHOEVER IT MIGHT BE, UM, THAT WE CAN SUBMIT THESE TO A PH COUNTY CENTRAL HEALTH WHOMEVER, AND GET OUR OWN JUST BRIEF UPDATE.
UM, THIS IS LOOKING AT, UH, EIGHT QUESTIONS AND THEN LOOKING AT A AGAIN, UM,
HOW HAS THAT GONE? YOU'VE, YOU'VE TAKEN THE COMMUNITY'S FEEDBACK, THE COMMUNITY SAID THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED, YOU WENT AND DID IT.
HOW'S THAT GOING? UM, WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT THEY'VE STATED, YOU'VE STATED WE NEEDED INCREASE IN TREATMENT BEDS, IS THAT STILL A PRIORITY? UM, IS THAT, AND I KNOW THEY MENTIONED AS WELL THAT THIS WAS FROM AUGUST.
THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD SOME CHANGES SINCE THEN.
SO JUST GETTING AN UPDATE ON ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD REMAINING FOR THE DIRECTIVES AND AS WELL AS WHAT COMMISSIONER OT WALLACE ASKED, WHICH WAS MORE SPECIFICALLY AROUND THOSE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.
COMMISSIONER WALLACE, I KNOW THESE ARE YOUR QUESTIONS, SO I DON'T WANNA OVERSTEP IN SAYING WE CAN SUBMIT THESE TO, UH, THE ENTITIES AND ASK FOR, FOR A SHORT REPORT VERSUS A, A LONG, LENGTHY THING.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE ADD ADVOCATE FOR? NO, I THINK YOU SAID IT WELL.
UH, UM, THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK JUST TO GET CLARITY ON WHERE MY QUESTIONS ARE COMING FROM, WE, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT THIS DURING OUR WORK GROUP DISCUSSION, WHICH WAS, UM, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE CLARITY THE SAME WAY AS THE AGENCIES ARE PROVIDING FUNDING TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND REPORTS HAVE TO BE MADE AS FAR AS WHAT THE IMPACT HAS BEEN.
AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE BEEN GETTING THAT AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL AS FAR AS WHAT THE ACTUAL IMPACT HAS BEEN.
UM, MORE SO OF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE AN ASSESSMENT, THIS IS WHERE WE THINK IT SHOULD GO, THAT'S GREAT, BUT WHAT HAS THE ACTUAL IMPACT BEEN? SO JUST KIND OF REVERSING THAT SAME TYPE OF A QUESTIONING THAT WOULD GO TO AN ORGANIZATION RECEIVING FUNDS AND EXECUTING, UH, UH, UH, DISTRIBUTION AND SO FORTH, THE SAME WAY THEY WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT TANGIBLE REPORT OF ACTUAL IMPACT.
THAT'S THE SAME THING I'M LOOKING FOR AS A COMMISSIONER.
AND THEN FOR YOUR, UM, THE FIRST QUE, SO JUST
[00:40:01]
TO MAKE SURE I KNOW THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED THE, UH, COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES.UM, DOES THAT ALSO FIT WITH GETTING AN UPDATE FROM THEM OF ARE THEY STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE PRIORITIES AND WHERE THEY ARE AT WITH FUNDING THEM? YES.
IT WOULD ALL BE RIGHT AROUND, BACK BASED OFF OF THIS IS WHAT THEY, THE, THIS IS WHAT WAS LAID OUT AS A STRATEGY, THE PLAN.
SO IF IT'S SWITCHED, WHY HASN'T IT, IF IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL, WHAT MADE IT SUCCESSFUL? RIGHT? BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT ADDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN QUALITY CHECKED.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS TO THAT? OKAY, AWESOME.
JUST FOR PILAR SAN, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, UM, THE, THERE MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH TIME AND DATA TO PROVIDE YOU, UH, OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS.
UM, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AND HOW WE'VE MADE DECISIONS, UM, AND YOU ALL CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY, BUT WE, UM, I DON'T SEE THE ROLE OF THIS COMMISSION TO BE, UM, UH, REQUIRING THINGS OF HOW WE DO AND WHAT WE COLLECT.
UM, SO IT'S JUST THE LAST STATEMENT THAT, THAT DR. WALLACE SAID JUST CONCERNS ME ON HOW HE SAID IT, THAT HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT INVESTING THINGS THAT DIDN'T WORK.
UM, I THINK WE NEED YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER WITH RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE GET FROM ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN THE COUNTY WOULD MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR THE COUNTY MONEY, UH, BUT THIS COMMISSION WOULDN'T MAKE THE DECISIONS ON HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY.
COMMISSIONER, UH, CHAIR, DO YOU MIND PLEASE? I HAVE A VERY STRONG OPINION ON THIS ONE.
WE CANNOT, I CAN'T MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING HOW THE DECISIONS WERE MADE AND WHY THEY WEREN'T MADE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE A ACTUAL TANGIBLE RECOMMENDATION TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO THEREFORE, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SPLIT HAIRS AND I WOULD DEFER TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT PUT US IN POSITION TO REALLY DELINEATE HOW FAR DOWN INTO THE WEEDS WE NEED TO GO TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE TANGIBLE RECOMMENDATION FOR THEM TO THEN VOTE AND MAKE GUIDANCE ON HOW THEY WANT THE, UH, THE, THE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS THE CITY DEPARTMENTS TO EXECUTE.
AND LET ME ALSO SHARE, PART OF THE PIECE THAT I THINK WOULD HELP GIVE SOME STRUCTURE TO THIS IS, UH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE AT A SPACE WHERE WE'RE SAYING WE WANT TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN SO MUCH INFORMATION.
SO WE ARE AT A SPACE THOUGH, WHERE WE'RE SAYING WE'VE GOTTEN SO MUCH INFORMATION, UM, ARE THERE ANY VISUALS OR PIECES THAT CAN HELP US GUIDE THIS CONVERSATION TO SAY THIS SHOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION ON POLICY, RIGHT? IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, SO ONE OF THE PIECES WE WE'RE GONNA REQUEST TO THE COUNTY AND ANYBODY ELSE IS COULD WE HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF OVERDOSES COMPARED TO DISTRIBUTION, COMPARED TO POPULATION NEED, COMPARED TO OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS? AND IF YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, THIS IS WHERE THE COUNTY PUT EVERYTHING, WE PUT ALL OF OUR DISTRIBUTION AND ZIP CODES, SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT, UM, WE SAW A DECREASE IN THE OVERDOSE RATES, WELL THEN THAT MEANS YOU GUYS HAVE DONE SOMETHING GREAT.
I MEAN, THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL, BUT IF YOU'RE LIKE, ACTUALLY WE, WE SAW THAT THERE WASN'T A DECREASE IN THOSE OVERDOSE RATES.
AND FUNNY THING IS WE DIDN'T HAVE AN OUTREACH CAMPAIGN OUT THERE, OR THINKING ABOUT, UM, WHAT KARA MENTIONED EARLIER, WHICH WAS PEOPLE ARE GETTING MOVED OUT FURTHER.
SO IF WE ARE LOOKING AND SEEING, OKAY, IF WE'RE WE'RE IN THE TWO FIVE AREA AND PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ANY RESOURCES OUT THERE, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SEE? SO THEN WE CAN SAY, HEY, UM, HERE'S OUR RECOMMENDATION.
AND OUR RECOMMENDATION IS LET'S GET THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS OUT THERE TO BE THE HUB RESOURCE BECAUSE WE SAW THAT THE COUNTY CAN'T DO IT, THE CITY CAN'T DO IT, CENTRAL HEALTH CAN'T DO IT, BUT EMS IS THERE.
AND SO THAT'S, UH, I I WOULD SAY AT LEAST A GOOD FIRST START TO SAY, CAN WE, HOW CAN WE MAKE THE BEST RECOMMENDATIONS WITHOUT OVERSTEPPING AND ALSO NOT GOING AT IT WITH ENOUGH INFORMATION.
YEAH, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
THAT, YEAH, I LOVE THAT APPROACH.
WE GOT, OKAY, GOOD, GOOD, GOOD.
SO I KNOW THAT WE AT LEAST GOT AN UPDATE ON YOUR FIRST QUESTION, WHICH WAS KISMET, IMPERFECT THAT THIS IS ALL HAPPENING.
UM, WE HAVE 14 QUESTIONS, AND I DID ALSO, I WILL SAY ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS, I FEEL LIKE
[00:45:01]
DR.WA IS GONNA HAVE SOME STRONG FEELINGS ON NO, I WONDER IF I COULD HELP YOU BY SAYING, PLEASE.
I JUST HAD THREE SMALL POINTS AND I THINK I'M, I'M, I'M FINE.
OH, AND THAT WOULD BE SURPRISING.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, SO, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CONVERSATION TODAY.
I THINK THIS IS WONDERFUL AND ALL.
UM, I JUST HAD THREE THOUGHTS THAT ARE JUST MY OWN THOUGHTS.
THE EXPERTS WHO ARE DOING THESE PROGRAMS PROBABLY KNOW ALL THESE THINGS, BUT I SAY IT OUT LOUD IN CASE THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT AND SOMETHING THAT IS PROGRAM PROGRAMMATICALLY INTERESTING.
AND IT COULD SOMEHOW BE AMPLIFIED IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S THERE.
SO I'LL EX MAYBE I'LL UNDERSTAND BETTER IF I SAY IT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS IN MY RESEARCH ON THIS I SEE IS THAT I THINK ONE PAPER CERTAINLY SAID 30% OF O OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATHS OCCURRED SOMEBODY WHO HAD A PREVIOUS OVERDOSE IN THE PRIOR 12 MONTHS.
SO WE ALREADY HAVE A HIGH RISK POPULATION OUT THERE, IF THAT'S TRUE, AND I'LL GET THE PAPER AND WE CAN ALL REVIEW IT.
BUT THE POINT IS, IS THAT IT, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO ASK HOW WE COULD BETTER FOCUS ON THOSE THAT HAVE AN OVERDOSE AND SURVIVED THIS YEAR, KNOWING THAT OF THOSE THAT DO DIE, 30% WILL HAVE VISITED SOMEPLACE OR AT LEAST HAD SOME EVENT, WHICH WAS, UM, IN THEORY EITHER INVOLVING A NALOXONE, MAYBE, OR MAYBE NOT.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE ONE THING.
THE SECOND THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE, IF WE, IF THIS IS A POLITICAL STATEMENT, IT MAY BE OR MAY NOT BE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE THAT THAT, UM, FENTANYL STRIPS, TEST STRIPS ARE WIDELY USED IN MANY GEOGRAPHIC, UH, LOCATIONS, BUT NOT IN TEXAS, I DON'T THINK.
AND THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE WOULD, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA SPEAK ON SOMETHING THAT OR ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OR IF IT'S TRUE, BUT, BUT THAT'S OUT THERE.
IT'S TECHNICALLY, I UNDERSTAND.
I WAS GONNA SAY UNDERSTAND, BUT IT'S BEEN BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE AND, AND, AND NEARLY PASSED I THINK LAST TIME.
SO THERE MAY BE SOME, SOME, UM, SOME WILLING EARS THERE.
AND I, I DON'T WANNA IGNORE THAT IF THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WAS NEARLY PASSED LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD.
AND THE OTHER THING WAS A MESSAGE THAT JUST SAYS, ESSENTIALLY, DON'T USE A LOAN.
THEY CAN'T HAVE SOMEBODY HELP WITH NALOXONE.
SO, UM, I, I THINK THOSE ARE KINDS OF MESSAGES AND THE EXPERTS MIGHT SAY, WELL, WE ALREADY DO ALL THAT, OR WE KNOW ABOUT THIS AND THAT.
BUT THOSE ARE JUST THE THINGS, THE REST OF THIS IS JUST KIND OF THE RESULT OF MY OWN RESEARCH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ADDRESSING THIS IN LARGE PART, AND I'M NOT GONNA TRY TO RUN US THROUGH AN HOUR'S WORTH OF DISCUSSION ON THINGS THAT ARE REPETITIVE, YOU KNOW? AND SO YOUR LAST QUESTION WAS, UH, REGARDING THE DON'T USE ALONE, WHICH I THINK WAS, UM, I, I FEEL LIKE I'VE HEARD THERE'S A CAMPAIGN OR SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THIS.
UM, THERE'S DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF IT, BUT I THINK MAYBE DON'T USE ALONE AS A VERY SPECIFIC CAMPAIGN, BUT I LIKE THE CONCEPT OF A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE AS OPPOSED TO REACTIVE ONE.
I THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT RECOMMENDATION FOR THERE TO BE A CAMPAIGN THAT SAYS, DON'T USE ALONE.
THERE IS A CAMPAIGN DON'T USE ALONE.
THE TEST STRIP
UM, WE DID NOT GET TO THE FRESH NEEDLE FOR PURSUIT YET.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW, I LEFT, BUT, UH, I SAY THAT TO SAY IT WORKED WONDERFULLY.
AND, UH, IT ALSO ADDED TO DEST STIGMA, DE-STIGMATIZATION OF, OF, UM, USE AND KNOWING THAT THEY COULD AT LEAST SAFELY USE, UH, BY CHOICE, UM, WITH THOSE STRIPS, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT IS, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WASN'T LEGAL HERE.
SO I WAS VERY CONFUSED WHY THAT WASN'T HAPPENING.
WALKS POLITELY INFORMED ME LIKE, IT'S JUST NOT A THING WE DO,
UM, BUT, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO AGAIN, PUSH THE, PUSH THE BOUNDARIES TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT WHAT COULD WE DO, UM, FOR THAT PREVENTATIVE? AND I DON'T KNOW IF, I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING TO GO BACK INTO OUR WORKING GROUPS AND SAY, FROM A BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE, WHAT CAN WE DO THAT'S PREVENTATIVE, UM, FROM AN ACCESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PERSPECTIVE, WHAT CAN WE DO THAT'S PREVENTATIVE? AND THEN WHAT CAN OUR PARTNERS DO TO SUPPORT US IN THIS? IS IT, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE COULD DO.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A GREAT PLACE TO START FOR OUR WORKING GROUP HOMEWORK OF US OWNING SOMETHING TO SEE HOW COULD WE TAKE THIS TO THE NEXT, TO THE NEXT PHASE.
PLEASE COULD, I MEAN, I WAS JUST THINKING OUT LOUD ON THE FENTANYL TEST STRIP.
AGAIN, I THINK IT WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE AND IT WAS LARGELY
[00:50:01]
SUPPORTED, BUT NOT PASSED.AND I JUST WONDERED IF A, IF A SMALL WORKING GROUP TASK WOULD BE TO MAYBE GATHER A FEW PAPERS WHICH SUPPORT THE, THE SUCCESSES AS YOU'VE MENTIONED IN OHIO, FOR INSTANCE, FROM YOUR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE.
AND, UM, AND THEN HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD PUT FORTH AS A POSITION THAT WE SUPPORT THAT BASED ON THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE, THAT IT'S EFFECTIVE AND, UM, AND, AND, AND HELPS COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, UM, WITH THIS PROBLEM.
AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD JUST TAKE AS A STATEMENT.
ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO THAT KIND OF A THING? DO WE WANNA DO THAT KIND OF A THING? I'M, YOU'VE GOT AT LEAST TWO.
SO YOU GOT A FIRST AND A SECOND
I KNOW IT WASN'T, THAT WASN'T WHAT WE WERE DOING, BUT NO, NO, THAT WAS GOOD.
I THINK, UH, QUESTION EIGHT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING AROUND WHETHER WE RESTOCK WHEN THEY RUN OUT OR IF THERE'S, THEY'RE TRACKING UNUSED MATERIAL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT'S KIND OF COVERED IN THE QUESTIONS WE HAD INITIALLY.
SO YEAH, LIKE MAYBE WE COULD GET THAT ON THE DISTRIBUTION QUESTION OF I THINK SO, YEAH.
HOW DOES THAT PROCESS, WHAT HAPPENS? UM, IS ANYTHING UNUSED IN SOME OF THIS, UH, COUNT IS, OR IS EVERYTHING USED AND THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH? MM-HMM.
AND SO IT'D BE GREAT IF IT WAS A JOINT PRESENTATION, JOINT RESPONSE, JOINT REPORT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, IF IT WANTS, IF YOU ALL WANT IT TO BE, I THINK THAT'LL BE, UH, A COLLECTIVE DECISION FOR YOU.
UM, IT COULD BE A REPORT, IT COULD BE A PRESENTATION, IT COULD BE, UM, CHECK THE PRESS RELEASE THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE, BECAUSE WE ALREADY DID IT, UM, OR OH, BY THE WAY, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT THAT.
WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW YOU WANTED TO SEE IT.
SO IF IT'S, I WOULD SAY WE'D LEAVE THAT TO THE INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RESPOND OR COLLECTIVELY PRESENT.
UH, WE HAVE SOME HOMEWORK FOR OUR, OUR, UH, OUR WORKING GROUP, UM, IN, I JUST CAME UP WITH THIS, BUT IN JANUARY, UH, WHEN WE MEET AGAIN, UM, I'D LIKE TO, TO GIVE US AT LEAST A FEW MONTHS TO GET INTO THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE INUNDATE OUR, OUR, UH, PARTNERS AND OUR INSTITUTIONS WITH MORE QUESTIONS AND NEEDS.
UM, AND THEN GIVE US SOME TIME TO DO WITH OUR WORKING GROUP.
SO IF WE WANT TO SPEND AT LEAST A MONTH TO TWO MONTHS WITH THIS, WITH THIS, UH, WITH THESE QUESTIONS, THAT GIVES EVERYBODY ENOUGH TIME TO COME BACK IN MAYBE FEBRUARY.
THIS WAS FOR MY EX OFFICIOS, LIKE FEBRUARY.
I DO WANNA BE CONSCIOUS OF THE BUDGET CALENDAR.
AND SO JUST REMEMBERING THAT THAT WOULD MEAN MARCH.
YOU'D HAVE TO COME BACK AND GET ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, LIKE THE RECOMMENDATION READY BY MARCH UHHUH
SO THEN WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO MOVE THIS TO JANUARY FOR US TO GET A FOLLOW UP FROM THE EX OFFICIOS, UH, AND THEN FOR OUR WORKING GROUPS TO GET INTO IT, UH, SO THAT WE CAN REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION, UH, IN JANUARY.
AND THEN BY, WE CAN DO, WE CAN SPEND FEBRUARY MAKING THOSE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
DANNY, CAN WE ADD THAT TO THE, UH, TIMELINE OF JUST A NOTE, UM, FOR AN AGENDA TOPIC ITEM IN JANUARY? UM, SINCE WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE TIMELINE, UM, IN A OH MM-HMM.
MAYBE WE CAN TOUCH BACK ON THAT SO WE CAN VOTE ON IT.
UM, THANK YOU DIRECTOR STIR FOR REMINDING US OF THAT.
[3. Discussion on productivity of workgroups. ]
DISCUSSION ITEM THREE, WHICH IS, UH, DISCUSSION ON PRODUCTIVITY OF WORK GROUPS.AND THIS IS OUR COMMISSION WORK GROUPS.
[00:55:01]
HOW WE MADE THESE A YEAR AGO.THIS WAS OUR, THESE WERE THE, THE GROUPS THAT WE DECIDED A YEAR AGO, TECHNICALLY, UH, LITTLE LESS THAN, UM, BASED ON OUR PREVIOUS WORKING RETREAT.
WE HAD THE CONVERSATION AROUND SILOING OR, UH, CATEGORIZING THEM INTO BUDGET INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS AND PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, HOW IS THAT GOING? ARE WE, ARE WE WANTING TO KEEP THOSE SAME TYPES OF, OF STRUCTURE AND FOCUS? UM, SHOULD WE TAKE ONE AWAY AND MERGE EVERYBODY INTO TWO? SHOULD WE, UM, ARE THERE ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW WORKING GROUPS HAVE BEEN GOING AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO FOR THE NEXT YEAR WITH OUR WORKING GROUPS? YEAH, I CAN TALK TO THE ADVOCACY PARTNERSHIP, UH, WORKING GROUP.
WE'VE HAD TROUBLE KIND OF SCHEDULING MEETINGS, UH, SO WE HAVEN'T REALLY MET AS OFTEN AS WE INITIALLY HAD PLANNED.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WE
UM, MARAM, MAYBE YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? I DON'T SEE OTHERS.
OH, COMMISSIONER LUHAN, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ABOUT, UM, BEING A PART OF THE ADVOCACY AND PARTNERSHIP WORKING GROUP? EITHER OR? NO.
I THINK IT WAS JUST THE FOCAL, NOW THAT WE HAVE MORE STANDARDIZED FOCUS ON WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
AND THEN ALSO, YEAH, IT'S THE TIMING OF A LOT OF US.
WE WERE, WE HAVEN'T MET THAT MUCH, BUT YEAH, I AGREE WITH HIM.
AND I THINK WITH WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE, I WOULDN'T BE OPPOSED TO MAYBE MERGING A LITTLE BIT THE WORKING GROUPS.
UM, I GUESS THE TROUBLE WITH MERGING, MERGING WORKING GROUPS MIGHT BE QUORUM, SO I WOULD JUST THROW THAT OUT.
THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, AS A, THAT THING, BUT I WAS HAVING THIS MOMENT FOR, FOR A MOMENT, AND THIS, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHERE YOU WONDER IF YOU JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT I PRESS ON, UM,
SO WE'RE ALREADY HEADING THIS DIRECTION, WE'RE ALREADY PUTTING OUR HATS ON, WE'RE THINKING PRETTY DEEPLY ABOUT THE TOPICS.
AND THEN IF WE HAD SOMEPLACE TO GO FROM 5, 4 30 TO FIVE 30 OR SOMETHING MM-HMM.
I MEAN, SINCE WE'RE HERE, AND I MEAN TO SAY WE COULD SAY THAT, UM, I KNOW I HAVE A STANDING ONE THE FOLLOWING WEEK OF EACH ONE OF OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS, SO THAT IT'S STILL, AT LEAST IN OUR BRAINS, UM, IF WE WANNA PUT SOME PARAMETERS ON THAT, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL, WE CAN ALL SCHEDULE AND THINK ABOUT THAT AS WELL OF WITHIN THE WEEK AFTER EACH MEETING.
UM, WE, OUR WORKING GROUPS NEED TO MEET AND SEE IF THAT'S, MAYBE WE COULD DO A QUARTERLY CHECK-IN RIGHT.
QUARTERLY CHECK-IN REAL QUICK.
HOW IS THAT GOING FOR SCHEDULING, GETTING PEOPLE THERE? UH, NOW THAT WE HAVE SOME DIRECTION WE CAN, WE CAN NAVIGATE THAT.
UM, SO THEN MY, MY STATEMENT WOULD BE, UH, WE KEEP THE WORKING GROUPS AS IS FOR NOW.
UH, AGAIN, THINKING OF, OF QUORUM, UM, COMMISSIONER RICE, AND THEN ALSO SAYING, UM, IT'S A STANDING MEETING AND I, I'VE STARTED TO DO IT SO I CAN RECORD THEM AND SEND THEM BACK OUT.
SO I'VE USED MY OWN ZOOM, UM, SO THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE MISSED THEM CAN STILL PARTICIPATE AND, AND BE ADVISED ON WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, NOT SAYING THAT EVERYONE HAS TO GO OUT AND GET THEIR OWN ZOOM ACCOUNT.
BUT MY STATEMENT IS WE WILL, UM, WORK FOR THE NEXT QUARTER, UH, LOOKING AT OUR WORKING GROUPS AS THEY, THEY STAND IN THE, THE NAMES THAT WE HAVE THEM AND MEET WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF EACH ONE OF OUR, OUR MEETINGS AND THEN FOLLOW BACK UP IN MARCH, SEE HOW THINGS ARE GOING.
[4. Discuss and take possible action on discontinuing use of commissioner binders. ]
AND ACTION ITEMS. UH, FIRST ONE,UM, THIS IS TO DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON
[01:00:01]
DISCONTINUING USE OF COMMISSIONER BINDERS.UM, I HAVE SOME REALLY STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS.
UM, UH, AS A PART OF THE, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AS WELL, UH, WE HAVE, WE DO NOT HAVE BINDERS.
AND I WILL SAY, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS POTENTIALLY HINDERING OUR WORKING GROUP CONVERSATIONS IS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HAVE WRITTEN NOTES IN THESE, AND THEN WE TURN THEM INTO DANNY.
AND MY CURIOSITY COMES FROM IF WE HAD SOMETHING REALLY POWERFUL CAPTURED AND OUR BINDER, BUT IT'S ONLY SEEN ONCE A MONTH, WE ARE MISSING A LOT.
WE'RE NOT BRINGING ENOUGH BACK TO OUR WORKING GROUPS.
UH, WE'RE NOT MAYBE CAPTURING OUR OWN HOMEWORK.
AND SO, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION, WE ARE KILLING A LOT OF TREES.
LOTS, LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF TREES.
UM, DANNY SPENDS A LOT OF TIME PUTTING TOGETHER ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THEM AHEAD OF TIME, ESPECIALLY IF WE ARE GONNA MEET VIRTUALLY HAPPY AND OPEN TO FEEDBACK BEFORE WE JUST BANG THE GAVEL.
BUT, UM, I, I KNOW IT HELPS ME A LOT WHEN I CAN TAKE AN ITEM BACK HOME WITH ME AND I CAN SAY, OH, I REMEMBER DURING THIS PRESENTATION AND WE HAD THIS THING, CAN WE DO IT? WHAT ARE WE DOING? DID ANYBODY ELSE HEAR THAT? AM I CRAZY? SO, UM, HAPPY TO HEAR, TO HEAR FEEDBACK ON, ON THIS ACTION ITEM.
CAN I JUST ASK WHAT THE ALTERNATIVE IS? ARE YOU JUST SAYING WE CAN TAKE IT HOME OR ARE YOU JUST SAYING NOT AT ALL? I'M SAYING WE, WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE LOOK LIKE? UH, ALTERNATIVE IS WE USE OUR LAPTOPS OR WE PRINT THEM OUT OURSELVES IF WE ARE SO MOVED TO HAVE THEM IN OUR HANDS.
UM, BUT WE ARE IN A, A DIGITAL SPACE PRINTER.
I KNOW, LIKE, I WAS LIKE, I DON'T ACTUALLY OWN A PRINTER, SO, UM, I WON'T BE DOING THAT.
BUT YEAH, BRING YOUR LAPTOP, UM, AND, AND OPEN UP THE LAPTOP.
LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION, RIGHT? UH, I'M GONNA TAKE NOTES DIRECTLY ON THERE BECAUSE I, I WANT TO, CAN WE HAVE A CHOICE AS SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE A NON-WORK LAPTOP? UH, YEAH.
LIKE HAVE THE OPTION, LIKE, I DON'T NEED THIS MUCH PAPER, BUT LIKE, MAYBE ONE LIKE PIECE, I GUESS.
LIKE IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE IN BETWEEN WHICH YOU'RE LIKE, I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE, BUT I MEAN, IF WE DON'T WANNA, SO THE PURPOSE OF THE LAPTOP IS TO HAVE EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND HOW SHE SAID, I DO HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK WITH ME SO I CAN CONTINUE TO UPDATE THEM.
IF, I GUESS THE IN BETWEEN WILL MAYBE BE THAT I PROVIDE, LIKE IF FOR EXAMPLE, YOU TELL ME LIKE, HEY, LIKE I AHEAD OF TIME WANNA DO QUORUM CHECK.
MAYBE I CAN JUST BRING A PHYSICAL COPY FOR YOU.
UM, BE, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS.
OR, I MEAN, I CAN JUST BRING LIKE YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF PRINTING OUT 16 OF EACH.
I THINK MY ONLY CONCERN IS I DON'T HAVE A NON-WORK LAPTOP.
AND FOR ME, I'M LIKE, OOH, THAT'S THE ONLY CONCERN THERE.
BUT I, I UNDERSTAND NOT WANTING ALL OF THIS PAPER AND NOT NEEDING IT.
I MEAN, ALSO I DON'T BELIEVE IT NEEDS TO BE WORK LAPTOP.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE JUST TAKING NOTES ON IT.
THAT'S THE THING IS I DON'T HAVE A PERSONAL ONE.
I DON'T HAVE A NON-WORK LAPTOP.
I FEEL LIKE ANY DEVICE, IPAD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I MEAN, I CAN PRINT OUT, LIKE I SAID, FIVE, A COUPLE OF THEM.
UM, OR YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE PEOPLE THAT ANSWER THE QUORUM CHECK AND THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, I'M GONNA BE HERE IN PERSON.
I CAN KIND OF GO BASED OFF OF HOW MANY TO HAVE ON HAND.
COMMISSIONER LUHAN, DID YOU HAVE NO.
I SAW, I THOUGHT I SAW THE, THE CHURCH FINGER QUESTION.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU WOULD PRINT LIKE TODAY'S PACKET FOR US AND THEN WE COULD TAKE NOTES AND TAKE IT HOME AND YOU WOULDN'T MAINTAIN A BINDER FOR US? WE COULD TAKE, I GUESS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION THERE IS WE CAN TAKE IT HOME.
OR, I MEAN, I DO SEND EVERYTHING OUT DURING THE RUM CHECK.
IT DOES, THAT DOES HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTS THAT YOU WILL HAVE ACCESS TO.
SO IF YOU HAVE ACCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO A PRINTER, YOU CAN PRINT THEM AHEAD OF TIME AND KEEP THEM TO YOURSELF.
UM, BUT YEAH, THE PURPOSE OF THE BINDER IS JUST TO HAVE EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE SO YOU GUYS CAN GO BACK IN.
BUT, UM, WE CAN FIND A MEDIUM TO THAT.
[01:05:03]
JUST WHAT DO WE DO?MAY I BE RECOGNIZED PLEASE, DIRECTOR? I THINK IF WE, WE COULD DISPEL OF THE, THE BINDERS AND JUST PRINT THE PACKETS AND HAVE THEM AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY TECHNICALLY SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IF SOMEONE COMES TO THE MEETING ALSO AND IS IN THE, THE STANDS, SO TO SPEAK.
AND THEN PEOPLE COULD JUST TAKE THEIR PACKET HOME AND MAINTAIN THEIR, THEIR OWN BINDER OR HOWEVER THEY KEEP PAPER.
MAYBE THEY SCAN 'EM INTO A COMPUTER.
BUT IF MAYBE THAT'S THE GO BETWEEN.
'CAUSE THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YOU MAINTAINING THE BINDER BECAUSE IF SOMEONE TAKES IT AND THEN THEY DON'T BRING IT BACK FOR NEXT WEEK, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR MATERIALS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD MAYBE EVERYBODY TAKES THEIR BINDER HOME TODAY AND THEN UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'LL BE A PAPER COPY AVAILABLE FOR THEM AT THE MEETING.
OR THEY CAN PRINT ON THEIR OWN.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN GET AWAY FROM HAVING THE MATERIALS AVAILABLE AT THE MEETING.
AND ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT GO WITH THAT.
Y'ALL CAN KEEP THE BINDERS AS OF TODAY.
UM, I'LL MAKE, YEAH, THE MOTION NEEDS TO BE NO, NO.
THE MOTION NEEDS TO BE BY JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE GET ALL TOGETHER AND THEN I WILL STILL PROVIDE THE PACKETS HERE IN PERSON.
UM, BUT THE KEEPING OF THE BINDERS UP TO YOU GUYS DONE.
SO THE MOTION IS, UM, WE WILL DISCONTINUE THE, THE FULL EXPERIENCE OF THE BINDERS.
WE WILL MOVE TO HAVING, UH, PRINTED COPIES AVAILABLE HERE FOR US TO UTILIZE WHILE WE'RE AT MEETINGS, AS WELL AS HAVE A SECONDARY OPTION, WHICH IS BRING A LAPTOP IF YOU SO CHOOSE TO USE.
DO I HAVE A PER, I HOPE I SAID THAT RIGHT.
ANY, UH, QUESTIONS TO YES, I, I THINK THAT DUNNY HAD A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION, WHICH WAS WHEN SHE CHECKS QUORUM, PLEASE LET HER KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE A PRINTOUT OR NOT.
SO, AND ENSURING THAT WHEN WE DO, WE ARE COMMITTED TO, SO ADDING TO THAT IS WE ARE COMMITTED TO RESPONDING TO OUR QUORUM CHECKS TO STATE IF WE NEED A PRINTED COMPILATION.
AND, UH, EVERYONE IN FAVOR? THERE IT IS.
IF THIS IS A LABOR, THEN I WILL TAKE IT BACK.
BUT I WONDERED, YOU KNOW, EACH TIME YOU SENT US THE EMAIL, YOU HAVE US THE ATTACHMENTS, WHICH ARE ALL THE THESIS.
AND I'VE THOUGHT IT'D BE NICE IF THERE WAS A, A VIRTUAL WAY TO DO THIS SIMPLY.
BUT GIVE US A LINK SOMEPLACE WHERE YOU COULD HAVE ALL THE PRESENTATIONS THAT I COULD THEN HAVE SO I DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH, BACK, THROUGH EMAIL TO LOOK FOR MY PRESENTATION ON FOOD INSECURITY.
YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN APRIL OF 2024 OR SOMETHING.
IS THERE A PLACE WHERE WE COULD, A DRIVE OR SOMETHING WHERE YOU COULD HAVE IT? OUR WEBSITE HAS IT THOUGH.
ON, ON YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION BOARD AND BOARD AND COMMISSION'S WEBSITE.
IS THAT WHERE THEY ALL ARE ALL OF YOUR DOCUMENTS FOR EACH MEETING? THEY ARE.
YOU THINK I WOULD KNOW THAT BY NOW.
SO IF YOU NEED US TO SEND THAT LINK TO, NEVERMIND.
WE ALL LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY.
THANK YOU JUANITA, FOR KEEPING US TOGETHER.
[5. Discuss and take possible action on setting and approving goals for the 2025 fiscal year.]
DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS, UH, DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON SETTING AND APPROVING GOALS FOR FISCAL, FOR THE, FOR THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR.UM, IF WE SKIP AHEAD TO DANNY ARE, SO I, IS THIS OUR FIRST PART HERE, WHICH IS THE RUNNING LIST OF TOPICS IN OUR, SO I INCLUDED THE RUNNING LIST OF TOPICS JUST SO YOU GUYS CAN HAVE SOMETHING TO REFER TO.
UM, BUT I DID CREATE TWO SEPARATE TIMELINE DRAFTS.
ONE OF THEM JUST THE ACTUAL FISCAL YEAR TIMELINE WITHOUT OUR
[01:10:01]
MEETINGS, AND THEN ONE OF THEM TOGETHER.SO YEAH, THE OTHER ONE IS JUST FOR YOU GUYS TO REFER TO.
SO THINKING ABOUT OUR GOALS FOR 2025, UM, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED COMPILING, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR AGENDAS LOOK LIKE, UM, FOR, FOR CONVERSATION, UM, WHEN WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM COME BACK, UH, OR WHEN WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO COME.
IN GENERAL, MY HOPE WITH, WITH THE GOAL SETTING IS AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT THIS FROM OUR VERY FIRST ITEM ON HERE, WHICH IS, UM, DISCUSSION ON OPIOID ABATEMENT FUNDS FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH.
UM, WE NOW AT LEAST HAVE OUR NEXT STEPS.
WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME HOMEWORK FOR OUR WORKING GROUPS.
WE, WHICH WILL THEN POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A RECOMMENDATION.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO TO OUR EX OFFICIOS TO ASK FOR, UH, MORE INTRICATE, INTRICATE, UM, INFORMATION.
AND SO THINKING ABOUT THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT AGAIN, UM, OUR NEXT PIECE, WHICH IS, IS SCHEDULED, WHICH FOR JANUARY.
UM, I'M GONNA JUMP TO ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM MARK CADET ON THE HEALTH RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, OUR GOAL, MY GOAL AT LEAST, 'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONE I PRESENTED ON, I I RECOMMENDED, IS WHAT ARE WE DOING THIS SUMMER FOR INDIVIDUALS? I'VE HEARD THIS, I'VE HEARD THIS PRESENTATION.
MY GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO TURN ON THEIR AIR CONDITIONINGS.
SPECIFICALLY, WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A MULTITUDE OF COMORBIDITIES? AND THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE EXACERBATED BY HEAT, RIGHT? SO NOW MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT? WHAT'S OUR GOAL? WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I WANNA KNOW.
WHAT COULD WE DO ABOUT IT? WHAT CAN WE SAY TO MAYBE AUSTIN ENERGY? MAYBE AUSTIN ENERGY HAS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, WE COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO.
BUT MY THING IS THIS GOAL, THIS, THE REASON THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS AGENDA ITEM IS BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE IS A CRISIS EVERY SINGLE SUMMER IN OUR CITY AND COUNTY.
WE ARE NOW, I BELIEVE, ADVOCATING FOR THOSE WHO ARE ONE, UNABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES, BUT THEN TWO, NEEDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY TO SAY, HERE'S HOW WE CAN HELP YOU.
HERE'S HOW WE CAN, UM, SUPPORT YOU IN IN YOUR JOURNEY OF LIFE.
UM, SO THINKING ABOUT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, UH, I WOULD SAY PUTTING A GOAL TO ANYTHING, AND THIS IS WHAT I'M PROPOSING, IS ANYTIME WE, WE RECOMMEND AN AGENDA TOPIC FOR 2025, UM, WE HAVE NOT ONLY, UM, OUR AN OUTCOME THAT WE WOULD LOVE, RIGHT? OUR, OUR, IF IT'S PERFECT AND THEN WE HAVE A GOAL FOR OUR COMMISSION.
UM, THAT WOULD BE THE, THE VERY FIRST PART.
AND I WANTED TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT INTO WHY THAT IS THERE.
BUT THIS IS SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY AGAIN, LOOK FOR LOOKING FORWARD AT OUR TIMELINE, THINKING ABOUT WHAT DIRECTOR STEWART BROUGHT UP.
IF WE PUSH THIS TO THIS ITEM TILL FEBRUARY, WE NOW CAN'T MAKE ANY BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE THAT'S IN MARCH.
ANY ADMIT IMMEDIATE GUTTURAL REACTIONS TO ANY TIME WE MAKE AN AGENDA, TOPIC REQUEST, OR, UM, RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ALSO AS COMMISSIONERS TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ADD A OUTPUT AND GOAL, UM, A TANGIBLE GOAL FOR OUR COMMISSION.
SO THEN, UM, LEMME MAKE SURE I SAY THIS RIGHT, I AM THE MOTION IS, UH, FOR ANY, ANY FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS THAT WE, UH, AS COMMISSIONERS PRESENT, WE WILL HAVE A GOAL AND OUTCOME FOR OUR COMMISSION, UM, EITHER WORKING GROUP OR AS A COMPLETE COMMISSION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2025.
DO UH, WHAT'S MY, YOU WANT A MOTION FOR THIS IS MY MOTION.
MY MY MOTION IS A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
UM, DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? PLEASE? PLEASE.
OH NO, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DISCUSS.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO THINK ABOUT IS THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WILL THERE BE A TIME WE WILL WANNA TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY FITTING IN THAT THING? AND MAYBE THE ANSWER'S NO, BUT WOULD, THERE COULD BE A CRISIS OR SOMETHING THAT WE'D SAY WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT OR WE WANNA BRING SOMEBODY IN TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TOOTH DECAY OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT
[01:15:01]
EXAMPLE.ANYWAY, AND, AND MAYBE THE ANSWER IS JUST NO, BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO PUT THE OTHER HAT ON THE OTHER WAY.
BUT I DO THINK WE, WE SHOULD HAVE A STIPULATION IN THERE THAT IF THERE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS THAT IS CLEARLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS AND SAY OUR GOAL IS TO ADDRESS THAT CRISIS.
SO I WITHDRAW WHATEVER I WAS GONNA THINK ABOUT.
WE'RE NOT, WE JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS A PART OF YOUR SOP FOR YOUR GROUPS TO USE AS A GUIDE GOING FORWARD.
WOULD YOU ADD THAT TO OUR SOP DOCUMENT? YES.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS, WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF THE LIKE GOAL AND OUTCOME MENTIONED WHEN IT'S PRESENTED IN LIKE THIS OUTLINE AS WELL? OR IT CAN BE IN THAT OUTLINE.
I WAS GONNA SAY I'D LOVE IT TO BE IN A LOGIC MODEL, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
MEANING ME? I CAN KEEP IT SIMPLE.
WE CAN ADD, UH, MAYBE, UM, MAYBE THE WAY IT'S IT'S LAID OUT IS ONCE IT'S, UM, PROPOSED MM-HMM.
AND THEN LIKE A SHORT BRIEF STATEMENT OF WHY GOAL AND OUTCOME.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I KEEP TRACK OF IT, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED.
YEAH, NO, THAT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL.
MADAM CHAIR, YOU HAD A QUESTION? UM, FROM COMMISSIONER LUJAN.
COMMISSIONER LUJAN? YES, MA'AM.
UM, I WOULD LIKE ALSO BASED, UH, I LOVE THE TOPIC THAT WE'RE COMING BACK TO THAT, UM, A LITTLE BIT.
UH, AND THEN ALSO WOULD LIKE TO, I GUESS I'LL DO MY AGENDA.
I JUST WROTE NOTES AND I'M TO THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE FROM CAPITAL METRO THAT I DON'T THINK THAT WE EVER RE UM, WE DIDN'T TOUCH BACK ON THAT.
ON WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME, WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE AT THE RESPONSE FOR RURAL AREAS, MAYNARD DELL VALLEY BARNSBY THAT ARE STILL PART OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH BACK WITH THAT.
UM, BUT YOU PRETTY MUCH JUST PUT HOW WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THE OUTCOME, THE GOAL, AND THE OUTCOME.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, INVITE CAPITAL METRO AND I WILL DO MY, UM, MY, UM, MY GOD, MY TOPIC.
UM, MY GOD FOR THE BUS IS TO, UM, TO GIVE US WHAT IS THEIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN RURAL AREAS.
AND I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU SAY IT AGAIN WHEN WE HAVE OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND WE WILL ADD THAT TO THE LIST.
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER.
[6. Discuss and take possible action on setting and approving a commission timeline for the 2025 fiscal year.]
TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM SIX, WHICH IS DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON SETTING AND APPROVING A COMMISSION TIMELINE FOR THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR.AND AS DANNY HAS WONDERFULLY DONE FOR US, UM, SHE'S GIVEN US TWO TIMELINES.
ONE IS OUR TIMELINE, UM, THAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE.
UH, AND THEN THE OTHER ARE TIMELINES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, OR WITHIN THAT ARE TIMELINES WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, UM, WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT BUDGET, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
UM, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS AS WELL AS REVIEW OUR COMMISSION TIMELINE, UH, FOR 2025.
ANY QUESTIONS, UH, REGARDING THE CURRENT TIMELINE AS IT STANDS? UM, AND THEN ANYTHING THAT MAYBE WE WE MISSED OR WANT TO ADD IN FOR US TO KNOW WHEN WE'RE MAKING OUR OUR OWN PLAN? YEAH.
UH, I'M LOOKING HERE AT THE PROPOSED AGENDA DATES.
AND I SEE THREE TOPICS FOR JANUARY.
UH, I'M TRYING TO THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE WANNA PRIORITIZE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE WERE KIND OF VERY TANGIBLE THINGS THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE TEST STRIPS, MAYBE THE COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
UH, IF WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, THE HEAT ISSUES IN THE SUMMER, SHOULD WE RECONSIDER SOME OF THIS JANUARY PROPOSED AGENDA DATES IN FAVOR OF BEING ABLE TO MOVE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD BEFORE THE BUDGET?
[01:20:07]
HAPPY TO, UH, START WITH, WITH ITEM SIX.UM, I THINK IT'S, WE HAVE CONFIRMED HIM TO DO HIS PRESENTATION, UM, BUT IF WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE HIM MAYBE BACK A MONTH, I DO ALSO WANNA THINK ABOUT THIS FROM A TIME PERSPECTIVE OF IF WE DO WANNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO WHOMEVER, UM, BEFORE THE SUMMER HITS.
WE HAVE LIKE TWO MONTHS MAYBE.
BUT I, I'M ALSO, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST AGAIN, MY OWN STRONG FEELINGS ON IT.
UH,
UM, BUT COMMISSIONER WALLACE, I DO WANNA COME BACK TO YOU.
UM, FOR THE AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS, UH, BASED OFF OF VICE CHAIR LYNCH, HOW'S, UH, QUESTIONS? THINKING ABOUT WHAT ELSE WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT MOVING AROUND TOPICS? YEAH, NO ISSUE.
UH, I THINK THEY'RE JUST APPRECIATIVE TO BE ABLE TO COME AND SPEAK AND KIND OF HIGHLIGHT, UM, THE, THE LAUNCH OF THEIR PROGRAMS TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW.
SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES AND SO FORTH THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER HIGHLIGHTED HOW THEY TRIED TO, UH, IRON SOME OF THOSE THINGS OUT AND SEE HOW THEY CAN JUST, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, GETTING INDIVIDUALS, UM, INTO THAT POTENTIALITY OF, OF A CAREER, UH, HOW THEY CAN PROBABLY BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
SO I, THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED HAS BEEN MARK, UM, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WE WERE COMING UP ON THIS, SO WE MIGHT BE MOVING STUFF AROUND.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I HAD TO DO FOLLOW UP IF THE DATES NEEDED TO CHANGE.
UM, NOT, I DON'T WANNA DEPRIORITIZE EITHER ONE OF THESE TOPICS, BUT SEEING AS HOW THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK TO YOU, MAYBE WE COULD GIVE THEM THE OPTION OF LIKE A FEBRUARY MARCH PRESENTATION AND NOW WE CAN MOVE UP.
SO THEN, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE FOR, UM, AGENDA TOPIC ITEM NUMBER THREE.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE THAT FROM JANUARY TO POSSIBLY FEBRUARY OR MARCH.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? YES, JUST LOOKING GENERALLY AT THE TIMELINE, IT'S GREAT.
I THINK WE DO NEED TO, UM, ADD THE REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL AND, AND COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE SO THAT YOU HAVE A DEADLINE AND A TIMEFRAME IN WHICH WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT.
IT'S BOTH TIED TO THE BUDGET, BUT IT'S ALSO THE WORK OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AND THE BYLAWS.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN ON A YEARLY BASIS.
AND DO WE KNOW WHEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THAT DONE? DO WE? IS THAT, I THINK THE BYLAWS MADE BY APRIL.
BUT I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I LEFT WITH THEM.
AND WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO INCORPORATE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUDGETARY DISCUSSIONS? WOULD MARCH BE TOO LATE OR NO? OKAY.
YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED A MONTH OR TWO TO THINK ABOUT IT, DRAW IT OUT AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT.
I JUST THINK THIS IS KIND OF THE, THE S
SO THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF YOUR WORK AND THOUGHT PROCESSING.
AND SO LATE MARCH IS WHEN BOARDS AND COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS ARE DUE TO BUDGET AND PERFORMANCE DIVISION.
AND IS THAT, IS THIS IS FOR, I'M LOOKING AT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR TIMELINE AS THE VERY FIRST BULLET.
UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE FISCAL YEAR TIMELINE.
UH, SO THEN I GUESS FOR OUR JANUARY, UH, IF WE'RE GONNA MOVE OUR ITEM THREE,
[01:25:01]
UH, TO FEBRUARY AND OR MARCH, ADDING IN, WHICH I'LL BRING THIS BACK UP, I GUESS DURING OUR AGENDA, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO IT NOW.UM, THEN ADDING IN, UH, FOR OUR OWN AGENDA, UM, IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE BOTH OF THAT ON, ON OUR, UH, OUR SCHEDULE, UM, TO DEVELOP OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOTH TO SUBMISSION AND FOR THE BUDGET.
SO ARE YOU ALSO SAYING MADAM CHAIR, THAT, UM, ALONG WITH HAVING THOSE MEETINGS WITHIN A WEEK AFTER THE MEETING, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DRAFT READY TO ACT ON AT THE NEXT MEETING IF POSSIBLE? YES.
YOU ALSO ALWAYS HAVE THE OPTION OF DOING A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT MONTH'S MEETING TO PASS SOMETHING, UM, JUST TO STAY, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THE TIMELINE IN MIND, LIKE, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THAT IN MIND, YOU CAN ALWAYS JUST DO THAT.
UM, THAT, AND I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT THIS IS JUST A, THIS TIMELINE THAT I PROVIDED IS JUST A ROUGH DRAFT.
AS INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE TO ME AND I GET SPECIFIC DATES, I WILL BE UP UPDATING THIS AND PASSING IT ON TO EVERYONE.
SO WE ARE, UM, THE MO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA FIGURE THIS OUT, Y'ALL.
THE MOTION IS, UM, THAT WE WILL, WE HAVE APPROVED OUR CURRENT TIMELINE AND WE ARE ADDING IN, UH, TWO ADDITIONS.
ONE IS MOVING THE, UH, AGENDA, TOPIC THREE TO EITHER FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND THEN THE SECOND IS THAT WE WILL ADD IN, UH, FOR OUR OWN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION AGENDA TOPICS AND BUDGET AGENDA TOPICS INTO BOTH JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
DO WHAT ABOUT AMERIC? UH, THE AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS, DO YOU STILL WANT THAT IN JANUARY OR DO YOU, DO YOU WANNA ALSO MOVE THAT TO POSSIBLY FEBRUARY, MARCH? YEAH, I WOULD GIVE THEM AN OPEN OPTION, OPEN OPTION OF, OF FEBRUARY, MARCH.
UM, IF THEY SAY, HEY, JANUARY IS ACTUALLY PERFECT FOR US.
I THINK HAVING TWO PRESENTATIONS, UM, AND KEEPING THOSE, THOSE CONCISE, UM, WOULD STILL GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO STILL DISCUSS ANY BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE AND THEN ANY GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT, PLEASE.
UH, THE OUTSTANDING ITEMS RIGHT NOW ON THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PUT INTO THE TIMELINE YET, ALSO INCLUDE AGENDA TOPICS NUMBER TWO.
MM-HMM,
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAP THAT OUT? AH, THANK YOU.
UM, I THINK FROM THE, THE EX OFFICIOS, THIS WAS THE JANUARY, WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT AND IT CAN BE A REPORT.
AND YEAH, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A PRESENTATION.
IT CAN, IT CAN ABSOLUTELY BE A REPORT, UM, FOR FARM SHARE.
I, I KNOW WE WANT TO COME BACK TO THE FOOD PLAN AGAIN.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO MOVE THAT TO A LATER DATE FOR FARM SHARE TO PRESENT, UH, MARCH, APRIL.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OPIOID ABATEMENT FUNDS TOPICS, SO THAT INCLUDES THRA, UM, NUMBER TWO, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE.
NUMBER ONE, IF WE COULD GROUP THOSE ALL IN ONE, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S KIND OF A HOT TOPIC OVERALL, EVEN OUTSIDE OF US, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE ONE TO GET KNOCKED OUT, IDEALLY IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, POSSIBLY WITHIN THE SAME MEETING, BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION AT ONCE.
YOU CAN FEEL INCREDIBLY INFORMED BY ALL THREE OF THOSE AND THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BASED OFF OF THAT.
UM, AUSTIN ISD VACCINATION EFFORTS.
I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT I MAYBE AFTER MARCH.
UM, JUST 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE ON A CURRENT WAVE OF CERTAIN TOPICS AND I DON'T WANNA LOSE THAT MOMENTUM.
COMMISSIONER WALLACE? I WAS GONNA SAY, UH, HAVING TIME MAXIMIZED FOR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, UH,
[01:30:01]
SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE PRIORITY.UM, SO I WOULD RECOMMEND MOVING AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS, UH, TO, TO THE RIGHT.
UH, COMMISSIONER WALLACE, WOULD YOU LIKE THANKING MARCH, APRIL? YEAH, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, IF WE HAVE TO HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS AND STUFF TOGETHER BY MARCH, THEN MY RECOMMENDATION WILL MOST LIKELY BE APRIL.
UH, SO THAT WAY WE KEEP AS MUCH SPACE AVAILABLE.
'CAUSE FOR AMERICAN YOUTH WORK IS GONNA BE NO MORE THAN UPDATE.
AND THEN HOW THEY MAY BE A A, AN ADDITIONAL RESER RESOURCE IN THE, IN THE HEALTH DISCUSSION, UH, ESPECIALLY AROUND, YOU KNOW, GETTING PEOPLE POTENTIALLY CHW CERTIFIED.
SO I, I DON'T SEE THAT, UH, HAVING IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON WHAT WOULD BE FOCUSING AND TRYING TO RECOMMEND WITH WHAT'S ALREADY BEING ALLOCATED FUNDING WISE.
AND THEN, UM, I WOULD SAY, DANNY, IF WE COULD SEE IF THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE CAN COME TO SEE US IN JANUARY.
UH, THAT WAY WE HAVE THEIR PRESENTATION, WE HAVE FOLLOW UP AND FEEDBACK FROM THE EX OFFICIOS.
WE CAN GO AND WE'VE ALREADY DONE OUR DISCUSSION, UM, BASED OFF OF OUR, OUR RESEARCH, OUR OWN RESEARCH, AND WE CAN KIND OF KEEP THIS SAME CONVERSATION GOING.
DO YOU SEE ANY, UM, PROBLEM WITH ALSO ADDING TOPIC NUMBER THREE? UH, SO THE, THE IDEA WAS TO MOVE THEM TO FEBRUARY OR MARCH, BUT I, I WASN'T SURE, ARE WE LOOKING AT IT FROM AN OPIOID? UH, DO WE WANT THEM TO TALK ABOUT THEIR FULL SYSTEM BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM.
SO I THINK THIS WOULD BE OUR VERY FIRST TIME HEARING FROM THEM AND KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT THEY DO.
THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS, I THINK, WHAT WE WERE LEADING WITH, WITH THAT, UNLESS I'M WRONG.
MY ONLY FEAR, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S MORE FROM A MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.
MY FEAR IS THAT IF WE OPEN THAT UP, IT'S GONNA BE A WHOLE NEW THING THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY AND FOCUS ON.
SO I THINK THAT SHOULD BE MOVED BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT'S OPIOID RELATED.
I THINK WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED, IT WAS AROUND FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH, I THINK WITH THE TOPIC.
UM, FOR THE REASONS OF BEING FOCUSED, I WOULD PREFER TO MOVE THAT TO LATER.
UH, 'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS WHERE WE ARE MOVING TO TANGIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN I DO WANNA PROTECT TIME.
SO WE ACTUALLY PUT THOSE TOGETHER.
UH, AND JUST JUST FOR CLARITY, WHICH ONES ARE YOU WANTING TO PUT TOGETHER? I WAS THINKING THE TEST STRIPS FOR OPIOID, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS, UH, HEAT.
UM, AND THEN I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 0.7.
I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO THAT ORGANIZATION AND SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING TANGIBLE THERE.
JUST THINKING ABOUT VACCINATION EFFORTS AND WHAT WE HEARD TODAY AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM INCOMING ADMINISTRATION AND WHETHER THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION HERE TO BE DONE.
SO WE'RE THINKING WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP TWO IN JANUARY, ITEM TWO IN JANUARY? YES.
ITEM EIGHT IN JANUARY AND SIX AND SIX IN JANUARY.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO, FOR ITEM THREE, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO FEBRUARY OR MARCH AND LIKELY MARCH OR APRIL.
WE'RE SAYING ITEM FOUR, MARCH OR APRIL? APRIL.
THAT'S, THAT'S MUCH LESS STACKED ON TOP OF THERE.
UM, AND THEN AS YOU WERE SAYING THAT IT COULD BE MR. LUHAN.
I'M ALSO CURIOUS OF THE CONTENT THAT WE RECEIVED ABOUT THE VACCINATIONS AND HOW THEY FINISH OUT THEIR SCHOOL YEAR.
AND SO MAYBE WE CAN SAY WE'D LIKE, AND THIS WILL GIVE THEM SOME TIME FOR JUNE.
WE KNOW NO ONE WILL BE BUSY IN JUNE.
AND THEN AS WE HAVE, UM, THINKING AGAIN OF COMMISSIONER LUHAN, UH, AT THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, WE WILL KEEP ADDING THESE IN AND DANNY WILL, WILL GIVE US UPDATED AGENDA ITEMS.
[01:35:01]
COULD I JUST SAY PLEASE, JUNE FOR THE VACCINATION EFFORTS DOESN'T GIVE THEM MUCH TIME TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT ANY OF OUR, OR FOR US TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR.THE, AND THE ONLY REASON I'M, I'M KIND OF LOOKING AT THIS FROM TWO, WE'VE HAD IT WHERE WE'VE HAD THREE PRESENTATIONS AT ONCE, AND IT IS, IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION FOR US TO TAKE IN.
AND SO IF WE CAN KEEP TWO FARM SHARE WILL BE HOPEFULLY LIGHT.
UM, SO MAYBE WE MOVE AD'S PRESENTATION TO MAY SO THAT WE CAN THEN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION BEFORE THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR STARTS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING TO, UH, DR.
WA IS, I I'M NOT WILL THAT GIVE THEM ENOUGH TIME? IF WE DO IT IN MAY? IF I MAY, YES.
I THINK, I THINK MAY IS NOT OPTIMAL, BUT IT WILL BE OKAY.
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE, UH, STATE LEGISLATURE.
THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF BILLS PUT FORWARD CHANGING THOSE VACCINE REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOLS.
AND SO THE CONVERSATION MIGHT TAKE ON A, A DIFFERENT TENURE TENURE, LIKE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO STEP IN AND FILL THE GAP BECAUSE IF THOSE REQUIREMENTS GOES GO AWAY, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN IMPACT TO LOCAL FUNDING FOR PROVIDERS WHO DO THAT.
AND THEN AS A CITY, WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE, OR AS A COMMISSION, YOU'LL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHAT YOUR, YOU BELIEVE THE CITY'S STANCE SHOULD BE ON PROTECTING CHILDHOOD HEALTH AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE IMMUNIZATIONS.
AND PERHAPS MAKING A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY TO DO SOMETHING WHERE THE STATE IS NOT.
WE MIGHT HAVE A, A FULLER CONVERSATION IF WE JUST WAIT A LITTLE BIT FOR THE VACCINES.
AND I GUESS ANY RECOMMENDATION WE WOULD HAVE THOUGH, WOULD ONLY TAKE INTO EFFECT IN 2026.
SINCE MOST RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD HAVE TO GO BEFORE APRIL, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENS IN MAY, JUNE, JULY, WILL LIKELY NOT LEAD TO, WELL, WELL, THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED.
UH, I THINK IF I MAY, ADRIAN, SO THE CITY AND COUNTY, THE COUNTY MIGHT ALSO BE ABLE TO STEP IN AND, AND REIMBURSE THE CITY FOR SOME OF THESE EXPENSES, BUT WE FINALIZED OUR BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER, AND THE CITY FINALIZES THEIRS IN AUGUST, I BELIEVE.
BUT, BUT THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED KIND OF AN EMERGENCY ASK RIGHT.
WHEN WE HAVE TO SUPPLEMENT SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S
UM, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE A REALLY UNPOPULAR OPINION, BUT I'M GONNA SAY IT.
UM, WE HAVE SO MANY TOPICS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT, AND WHEN WE FIT PRESENTATIONS, SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS INTO ONE MEETING, I THINK PRE-WORK AND PRE-READS, LIKE BEING ABLE TO READ AUSTIN ISDS VACCINATION POLICIES BEFOREHAND, THEN IF WE HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE ALREADY, THEN THE QUESTIONS BECOME LESS WHEN THEY PRESENT AND LESS TIME HAS TAKEN UP BECAUSE WE ONLY GET TOGETHER FOR A FEW HOURS ONCE A MONTH.
SO JUST SOMETHING TO KIND OF POSSIBLY THINK ABOUT, BECAUSE YEAH, THIS IS A LOT OF TOPICS AND I WANNA GET TO ALL OF THEM, BUT WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH TIME.
I THINK THAT WAS A GREAT SEGUE INTO WE COULD PUT SOME OF THIS INTO OUR WORKING GROUPS AS WELL.
UH, COMMISSIONER WALLACE, THE ONLY THING I WAS GONNA SAY IS I, I, I'M HEARING A-I-S-D-A-I-S-D-I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALSO BEING INCLUSIVE OF THE OTHER ISDS IN THE COUNTY.
SO THE REASON WE ARE SPECIFICALLY PUTTING A ISD ON HERE IS BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING SO POORLY, UH, BASED ON THE PRESENTATION THAT WE RECEIVED LAST MONTH, THE OTHER ISDS ARE ACTUALLY DOING MUCH BETTER.
UM, AND THE REASON THAT THIS WAS, UH, PROBABLY SO IMPORTANT IS THERE IS A HUGE DEFICIT IN STUDENTS ACTUALLY GOING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT MEETING, UH, THE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS OF VACCINATIONS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I-S-D-A-I-S-D IS BEING, UM, ASKED TO PROVIDE THIS TO US BECAUSE I THINK THERE WAS ALMOST LIKE A 45% DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW THEY'RE DOING AND HOW, UH, MAYER, UM, DELL VALLEY AND MAYBE TWO OTHER SCHOOL PFLUGERVILLE PFLUGERVILLE WERE DOING.
[01:40:01]
IS IN LIKE 50 SOMETHING PERCENT.YEAH, IF WE CAN JUST MAKE SURE WHATEVER WE DO COME UP WITH FOR A SD, SOMEHOW IT IS PASSED ALONG TO THE OTHER ISDS TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO IMPLEMENT AND SO FORTH.
SO AT LEAST, UH, WE'RE NOT JUST DOING A SINGULAR FOCUS THAT ONLY HAS A SINGULAR IMPACT.
AND I, AND I WILL SAY, UM, DEFINITELY CHECK OUT, UH, THE DATA FROM OUR CITY OF AUSTIN PRESENTATION.
UM, THERE'S A VERY SPECIFIC SLIDE THAT SAYS, UM, VACCINATION COMPLIANCE TRENDS AND A ISD IS AT A, UH, 57%.
PFLUGERVILLE IS AT 99, MANOR IS AT 97, AND DELL VALLEY IS AT 96.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING WONDERFUL.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE, AT LEAST, AT LEAST FOR OUR SEVENTH GRADERS, THEY ARE DRASTICALLY UNDER SERVING THEIR, THEIR COMMUNITY AND POPULATION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU, IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY COME IN, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, IT STILL COMES BACK TO THE OPIOID.
LIKE, I FEEL THAT IF WE CAN RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION AND IF WE RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION, AND WHEN WE ARE MAKING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BUDGET THAT'S GONNA GO TO SOME OF THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR OPIOIDS, I FEEL THAT THAT WOULD HELP US MAKE THAT DECISION OR EVEN ADD TO WHAT WE ABLE TO, UM, WORK FOR, TO ADD TO SOME OF THEIR PROGRAMS. I FEEL THAT IT'S NOT FOR US TO PUT IT ASIDE.
I THINK THIS WOULD ACTUALLY HELP US MORE ALSO ON BEING ABLE TO MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
BECAUSE LIKE I'VE SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANNA PUT MENTAL HEALTH WITH, UM, DRUG USE IN THE SAME CATEGORY.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES, BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO GO TO THE CORNER AND GRAB METH OR GRAB SOMETHING ELSE THAN GO TO HAVE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH, THAT PLAYS A BIG PART OF IT, RIGHT? THAT WHEN PEOPLE, THERE'S NO ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH.
IT'S SO DIFFICULT FOR ANY OF OUR CLIENTS, THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE, TO GO AND GET ANY KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION ASSESSMENT SUPPORT.
AND GUESS WHAT, IT'S EASIER FOR ME TO JUST TURN AROUND AND BE LIKE, HEY, LET ME GO AHEAD AND COPE WITH THIS.
SO I REALLY FEEL, AND OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED, YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN MEDICATED.
AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S A STUDY, AND I, AND I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP, BUT BECAUSE I WAS READING AT THE AGENDA, IS THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE RATHER GO BACK TO PRISON BECAUSE THEY GET TO HAVE THEIR MEDS.
THEY, LIKE, THEY'D RATHER GO BACK TO BE INCARCERATED BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR MEDICATION FOR THEIR MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, RIGHT? SO THEN NOW THEY COME IN AND THEN WE HAVE A BROKEN SYSTEM, WHICH WE'RE NOT GONNA JUST LOOK THE OTHER WAY, BUT WE KNOW IT.
WE'RE GONNA CALL IT OUT AND COME OUT.
AND IT'S SO HARD FOR THEM TO HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE, UH, BE ABLE TO SEE A DOCTOR, AND THEN START, YOU KNOW, BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH A DOCTOR WHERE THEY CAN START GETTING THEIR MEDS.
SO THEN NOW YOU HAVE THE OPTION WHICH IS, HEY, HOW CAN I COPE? AGAIN, THIS COMES VERY PERSONAL.
UM, I'VE SHARED MANY STORIES ABOUT MY LIFE, AND I FEEL THAT I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN, NOT ONLY WITH MY OWN FAMILY, BUT WITH CLIENTS THAT I HAVE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTED AND HELP THROUGH SOME THINGS AND NAVIGATE THROUGH SOME THINGS.
SO I WOULDN'T LIKE TO PUSH THIS AGENDA ANYWHERE ELSE.
I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD JUST PUT IT THERE, LEAVE IT THERE, LISTEN TO IT, TAKE IT IN, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD HELP US ALSO ADD SOMETHING, ADD BUDGET, ADD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOME OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING RIGHT NOW, LIKE ON OPIOIDS.
AND THAT'S JUST MY RECOMMENDATION.
UM, CAN I SUGGEST A COMPROMISE ON THAT? UM, IF YOU DO TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE, THERE'S RE, THERE'S, THEY HAVE A REENTRY PROGRAM.
SO YOU WILL ALSO BE COVERING THE INCARCERATION, THE PRISON SYSTEM AS IT RELATES TO OPIOID ADDICTION.
UM, SO, BUT IF YOU WANT IT TO BE BEFORE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FEBRUARY, BUT YOU WILL ALSO GET THAT CONVERSATION WITH WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED IN JANUARY.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT BECAUSE NUMBER THREE, THE SCOPE OF NUMBER THREE IS KIND OF UNCLEAR.
I THINK WE WANT IT TO BE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE OPIOID CRISIS, BUT I DON'T KNOW, THAT WAS ITS ORIGINAL INTENT.
AND MAYBE I JUST NEED MORE CLARITY ON WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.
'CAUSE I THINK IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MENTAL HEALTH FORENSIC, FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH.
UH, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I THINK THIS CAME OUT OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS, UM, SURROUNDING,
[01:45:02]
UM, SUPPORT THE SYSTEM PROCESS, UH, PEOPLE, HOW, HOW THE SYSTEM IS TREATING PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED.UM, BUT I KNOW THIS WAS A COMMISSION CONSENSUS, SO I, I WOULD, I'LL SAY THIS, UM, IF WE HAVE THEM COME IN FEBRUARY, BECAUSE WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ANY PRESENTATIONS DONE BEING DONE IN FEBRUARY, MY HAVING A THIRD PRESENTATION IN JANUARY, I THINK IS GOING TO BE A FOURTH.
A FOURTH PRESENTATION IN JANUARY IS GOING TO BE REALLY OVERWHELMING.
IF WE MOVE ITEM THREE TO FEBRUARY, MY, MY QUESTION IS, DOES THAT GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO DIGEST THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE GIVING US AND MAKE AN INFORMED, I THINK IN GENERAL, RIGHT? I THINK IN GENERAL WITH THIS PRESENTATION, BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA PRESENT TO US.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA PULL FROM THIS.
THIS IS A FRESH, FRESH CONVERSATION.
HEARING IT THAT WAY, IF WE HAVE IT IN FEBRUARY, BRAND NEW INFORMATION, IS THAT GOING TO POTENTIALLY SHIFT HOW WE GET OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOTH BUDGET AND TO, UH, THE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL? IS THAT GOING TO PUSH, POTENTIALLY PUT US IN A, UM, IN A, IN A HOLE THAT WE BECOME STAGNANT IN? IF I MAY PLEASE CHAIR DIRECTOR, PERHAPS WE CAN ASK THE PRESENTERS TO COME WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
SO LIKE, THEY'LL, THEY'LL TEE IT UP, THEY'LL, THEY'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT'S NEEDED, AND THEN YOU GUYS COULD DEBATE.
IT JUST MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
UH, WE, YOU HAVE HEAD NODS OVER HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE US, BUT THERE ARE HEAD NODS.
UM, COMMISSIONER D HASEN, I MOSTLY JUST HAVE A QUESTION FROM WHO, 'CAUSE IT SAYS COUNTY JAIL SYSTEM SLASH APD.
THAT'S A REALLY, I I GUESS WHO, LIKE, SOMEONE INFORMED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IS THERE.
SO I ACTUALLY WENT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ONE.
UM, AND IT'S COPIED, IT'S VERBATIM WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
BECAUSE IN MY HEAD, IN MY HEAD, A PD TO ME, I'M LIKE, MENTAL HEALTH, I DON'T KNOW, IT DOESN'T REALLY IN MY BRAIN.
AND SO I THINK IF IT'S LIKE, I HAD A POINT OF LIKE, WHO, WHY A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE SCOPE, IT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER.
BUT I THINK INITIALLY A PART OF ME IS LIKE, I DON'T WANNA OPEN THIS BOX WHEN I HAVE ALL THESE OTHER THINGS WE GOTTA TAKE CARE OF.
BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S A GROUP CHOICE.
I WAS JUST GONNA COMMENT THAT I BET THE A PD PART MAY RELATE TO 9 1 1 CALLS AND RESPONSES AND ARRESTING OFFICER KIND OF THAT WHOLE DEAL WITH EMERGENCY, YOU KNOW, UM, MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS, ALL THE WAY TO THE JAIL SIDE, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT TOPIC ALTOGETHER.
SO I'M JUST, I GUESS I'M MAKING THE POINT TO SUPPORT, KARA, THAT THERE'S A BROAD PIECE OF WORK HERE AND A BROAD SET OF TOPICS.
IT MAY, MAY I SEE YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER AND, UH, COMMISSIONERS, AND I THINK IT PROBABLY WAS LOOKING TO SPEAK TO SUPPORT OF THE DIVERSION WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, JAIL DIVERSION WORK FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE, WHICH AS YOU POINTED OUT, WILL LIKELY BE COVERED IN OUR WORK, IN OUR REPORT THAT WE PRESENT.
UM, WHICH IS NOT GONNA BE A JANUARY PRESENTATION.
UM, AND, AND BE COVERED, UM, WHEN TEXAS HARM REDUCTION PRESENTS AS WELL.
UM, I JUST WANNA BRING BACK, UM, THERE WAS A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, UM, WHERE, UM, A A LADY CAME AND SPOKE VERY PASSIONATELY ABOUT THE HEALTHCARE IN THE, UM, JAIL SYSTEMS. AND SHE WAS LOOKING FOR ADVOCACY FOR A FAMILY MEMBER.
UM, AND SO THAT'S HOW THIS TOPIC BECAME, UH, IN A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION FOR THIS BODY, BECAUSE SHE FELT IT WAS MORE OF A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, THAT IT WAS AN OVERLOOKED, UM, ISSUE.
SO THAT, AND THAT WAS BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
SO IF YOU WANT THAT A PARTICULAR, I DON'T KNOW IF THE, UM, IF THE COMMENT PERIOD WAS RECORDED, BUT IF IT WAS, YOU COULD HEAR HER SPEAK ABOUT HER ISSUE, AND THAT WAS WHEN THAT TOPIC BECAME A PART OF YOUR AGENDA.
[01:50:01]
AND THAT'S BEEN A LONG STANDING PROBLEM IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THOUGH.I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE ONLY CAUTION I WOULD PUT OUT THERE OF ADDING THESE TO START WORKING ON IS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR CHW AND FOR OPIOID, WE'RE ALMOST GOING ON A YEAR NOW WITHOUT TANGIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS YET.
AND I WOULD HATE FOR US TO ADD SOMETHING ELSE IN.
AND WE HAVEN'T COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION, UM, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK, THE INFORMATION, AND THE TIME ALREADY AND INVESTED ON THESE TWO, UH, CRITICAL TOPICS, I THINK DEFINITELY IDENTIFYING, OR, OR SHOULD I SAY, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE WILL WANT TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION IN DIVERSION AND MENTAL HEALTH AND SO FORTH, BUT THAT WE WOULD BE DOING A DISSERVICE, UH, BY NOT CLOSING THESE TWO HEAVY ONES OUT THAT WE'VE ALREADY GONE DOWN.
AND YES, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ONE LADY DID COME UP AND SPEAK IN SEPTEMBER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE WITHIN WHAT OUR CAPACITY IS AND CAPABILITY IS, AND THE, THE RESOURCES WE DO HAVE AND THE LACK OF RESOURCES WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE, RIGHT.
UH, TO NOT TAKE ON TOO MANY THINGS.
AND THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOUR OR FIVE BIG THINGS WORKING, AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS COMING OUT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST ONE YEAR, IT'S TWO, THREE YEARS NOW.
PLEASE, UH, I WAS GONNA ECHO YOUR COMMENT CHAIR.
I MEAN, COMMISSIONER, AND, AND ALSO JUST MAKE THE POINT THAT I, I LOVE WHAT DIRECTOR STIR SAID, WHICH IS TO SAY IN GENERAL, AGAIN, I'M JUST MAKING A, A GENERIC COMMENT.
WHEN WE HAVE FOLKS COME AND PRESENT TO US, IT'S GREAT FOR THEM TO TELL US ABOUT THE SUBJECT, TELL US ABOUT WHAT THE KEY PROBLEMS ARE, AND GIVE US THEIR SUGGESTIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, UM, SOLUTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO THAT'S A NICE CONSTRUCT THAT MAYBE WE CAN MORE FORMALLY ASK FOR ALL THE TIME FOR EVERYBODY.
DIRECTOR STIR FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, WONDERFUL THOUGHT.
OH, DIRECTOR STIR, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? NO, I WAS JUST THANKING DR. RICE FOR HIS, HIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF MY WONDERFUL JOB.
UM, THAT IS DEFINITELY GOING INTO ALL REMINDERS FOR EVERYONE PRESENTING TO US.
UM, AND SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, UH, FIRSTLY, DANNY, WHEN WE'RE REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE, IF WE COULD ALSO ASK THEM OUR, OUR ASK FROM THEM AS THE COMMISSION IS, WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO, UH, CONSIDER OR REVIEW OR, OR WHAT THAT MIGHT BE, UM, SO THAT THEY KNOW OUR EXPECTATIONS.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS, I'M CURIOUS, I'M CURIOUS THINKING, LIKE, JUST LISTENING TO WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING IS YES, WE, I KNOW WE WANNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON OUR, OUR, OUR SYSTEM, OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HERE.
I THINK KNOCKING, PUTTING A COUPLE NOTCHES IN OUR BELT WITH THE CHW RECOMMENDATION WITH, UH, THE OPIOID AND RES OPIOID RESPONSE AND FUNDS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, WE WRAP THOSE UP IN MARCH THAT WILL AT LEAST GIVE US A MOMENT TO BREATHE, UM, AND THEN COME BACK IN APRIL AND, AND UNLEASH A NEW CAN OF WORMS. BECAUSE I, I'M VERY CURIOUS AS TO WHAT, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING TO US.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE THAT'S COME TO US TO SAY THAT THEY CAN PRESENT ON THIS.
UM, SO WE HAVE TO NOW FIND A, A REPRESENTATIVE TO COME PRESENT TO US INITIALLY, THEN WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE DO, WHICH IS DIGEST THAT INFORMATION TO THEN COME BACK AND SAY, DO WE ACTUALLY NEED ANOTHER REPRESENTATIVE TO COME AND SPEAK TO US BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT A FRUITFUL CONVERSATION, OR IT WAS WONDERFUL AND WE NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
I THINK THAT IS GOING TO PUT US ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT TRACK ON A VERY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION FOR OUR JAIL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
HEARING THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER LUHAN, I KNOW YOU HAD REQUESTED THAT WE KEEP THIS WITH THE OPIOIDS, THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS TOPIC INITIALLY WAS PRESENTED TO US, AND I DON'T WANT TO MISS YOUR VOICE IN THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, DOES THAT SEEM FEASIBLE AS WELL? I I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT EVERYBODY'S SAYING.
[01:55:01]
FOCUSED, YOU, YOU GUYS ARE FOCUSING ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PART, AND EVEN THOUGH IT DOES PLAY A BIG PART OF IT, UM, UM, DISCUSSING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IS, IS ESSENTIAL.AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALSO VANESSA FUENTES CAME AND TALKED TO US ABOUT FOCUSING.
AND, UM, I, I MEAN, WHATEVER Y'ALL DECIDE, UH, AND WE DECIDE I WILL BE FINE WITH, UM, I JUST DO FEEL THAT LISTENING BECAUSE, I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE ALREADY HEARD SOMEBODY FROM THE COMMUNITY COME AND SPEAK, RIGHT? SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE FOR, RIGHT? SECOND, WE KNOW THAT THE SYSTEM'S BROKEN.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
SO ACTUALLY LISTEN, AND I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD SOMEBODY PRESENTING.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO GO LOOK FOR SOMEBODY OR WHO WAS WILLING TO LOOK, TALK ABOUT IT, WHICH OF COURSE, THAT ALSO CHANGES THE WAY THAT I'M LIKE, OKAY, WELL LET'S KEEP IT, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF SOMEBODY DIDN'T STEP UP AND SAY LIKE, HEY, WE'RE COMING TO PRESENT TO Y'ALL ABOUT THESE TOPICS, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND.
SO I'M OKAY WITH MOVING IT NOW, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, BROUGHT BY THE COMMUNITY AND IT'S, IT'S ON HERE.
UM, I JUST FEEL THAT WE SHOULD DEFINITELY LOOK FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO, I I, AND I DO APOLOGIZE.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE STILL WERE SEARCHING FOR SOMEBODY, BUT, UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, I AM FINE WITH YOU GUYS MOVING IT TO ANOTHER, TO ANOTHER DATE.
AND I WOULD BE, UM, I WOULD SAY THIS IS A GREAT WORKING GROUP CONVERSATION AS WELL, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS INFORMATION AND THAT'S IT.
UM, WE, WE HAVEN'T GET, BEEN GIVEN ANYTHING TANGIBLE TO WORK WITH, UM, THAT WE CAN, WE CAN ADD THIS TO OUR HOMEWORK OF, UM, IS THERE SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT WE'VE MISSED? YES.
AND I THINK JUST IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO AT LEAST RECOGNIZE AS WE ARE DEVELOPING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE OPIOID, UM, RESPONSE TO CRISIS, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMORBIDITIES ARE LARGE PART OF THIS, AND THAT WE INTEND IN FUTURE TO GIVE OUR FULL ATTENTION SO THAT THERE IS NO MISTAKING THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT A THOUSAND PERCENT.
I THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING WE HAD, UM, PRESENTED TO US QUITE A WHILE BACK, WHICH WAS LIKE THE FOURTH HIGHEST COMORBIDITY OF AUSTINITES AND INDIVIDUALS IN TRAVIS COUNTY WAS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
UH, IT WAS HEART RELATED CONDITION, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, SO IN OUR, I THINK WE HAVE, I THINK WE HAVE A WAY THAT WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY, BUT I ALSO WOULD SAY TAKING WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE, THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM, THE PROCESSES, WE DON'T KNOW THAT.
AND COMMISSIONER LUHAN, I WOULD LOVE IF YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY, UM, IN YOUR WORKING GROUPS TO GIVE US A ONE PAGER OR JUST SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, AT LEAST WITH YOUR EXPERTISE OF THE SYSTEM, OF THE PROCESS OF, UM, THE, THE DISPARITIES THAT EXIST, UH, FOR US TO, TO USE IN HELPING US GUIDE THIS CONVERSATION.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, A REPRESENTATIVE WHO WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO HEAR FROM, UM, YOU DO THIS EVERY DAY, WE DON'T.
AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE WHERE, WHERE YOU CAN SAY, HEY, THIS IS A TRUSTED BODY THAT CAN COME IN AND IS HANDS-ON.
UM, THAT WOULD BE MY, MY REQUEST.
AND THEN ALSO, AGAIN, WITHIN OUR WORKING GROUPS, BOTH FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS POINT, A BUDGET POINT, AND A ADVOCACY AND PARTNERSHIPS, UM, AT LEAST START THE CONVERSATION.
AND THAT WAY BY THE TIME WE GET TO OUR PRESENTATION AND OPENING THIS UP, UM, WE CAN SPEND LESS TIME ON IT AND MOVE MORE INFORMED BEYOND, UM, BEYOND WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO EVERYBODY? BEAUTIFUL.
I WONDERED IF, UM, IF MR. LUHAN HAD ANY SUGGESTIONS OR OTHERS ON ANY READING MATERIAL THAT WE MIGHT ALL AS A COMMISSION BE THINKING ABOUT? KNOW THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, UM, AS, AS CORNY AS IT SOUNDS, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A BOOK CLUB, BUT, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS A BOOK ON THE TOPIC OF DIVERSION OR SOME PAPERS THAT WOULD BE OUT THERE THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, AND HAVE A KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT WE WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO START FROM AND CONSUME.
[02:00:01]
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WOULD BE A, YOU KNOW, A BOOK ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND POLICE AND DIVERSION PROGRAMS OR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.BUT, BUT THAT WOULD BE, ANYWAY, I, I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW IF THERE'S BACKGROUND MATERIAL THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY, YOU KNOW, BOOK OR KNOWLEDGE OF, OF THINGS THAT WE MIGHT LOOK AT AND READ TO.
MAYBE YOU COULD SHARE IT WITH DANNY AND DANNY WOULD PASS ALONG BECAUSE, AND EVEN MORE OF OUR TOPICS, I'M TALKING PROBABLY TO MYSELF AS MUCH AS ANYBODY, BUT IT'D BE INTERESTING TO HAVE PEOPLE HELPING US KNOW WHAT WE MIGHT READ AND STUDY SO THAT OUR WHOLE COMMISSION HAS THIS COMMON, YOU KNOW, KNOWLEDGE THAT WE SHARE AND, AND, UM, AND, AND STUDY, YOU KNOW.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANY SPECIFIC, UM, MOTIONS TO REVIEW FOR THIS, FOR THE TIMELINE SPECIFICALLY.
AND I KNOW WE GOT STARTED LATE, SO I AM, I AM GOING TO SPEND THIS TIME ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT WE DO HAVE.
UH, SO JUST CLOSING OUT, WE HAVE OUR, UH, NEXT ITEM, NEXT AGENDA ITEMS FOR BOTH JANUARY.
WE KNOW THAT WE WILL IN INTEGRATE OUR OWN, WE JUST HAD ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
FOR THE, UM, CONVERSATION ON NUMBER THREE.
DID YOU HAVE A DATE OR MONTH THAT YOU SAID, YOU SAID LATER, BUT DID YOU FINALIZE WHEN? UM, I, I PUT THIS DOWN AS, AS APRIL.
UH, AND THAT GIVES ALSO US ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND FOR COMMISSIONER LUHAN TO GUIDE US IN THE BEST FORM AND FASHION TO ADDRESS THIS.
SO WE HAVE OUR, OUR DATES AT LEAST THROUGH MAY, UH, FOR NEXT ITEMS, UM, FOR THE INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH, I, I THINK THOSE WERE, WERE PUT THERE FOR OUR OWN, UM, OUR OWN, UH, TIME TO LOOK THROUGH.
AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT COMES OUT OF EITHER ONE OF THO OR EITHER ANY OF THOSE, UH, THAT WE THEN PRESENT THAT BACK AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
[7. Report of recommendations by Infrastructure & Access Working Group presented by Chair Natalie Poindexter.]
UH, WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS.SO, UH, WE, IN THE, THE REPORT, THE ITEM NUMBER IS, IS SEVEN REPORT OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS WORKING GROUP PRESENTED BY MYSELF.
UM, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A, A RECOMMENDATION, UM, DRAFT THAT IS IN YOUR BINDERS.
UM, THE, THE WHOLE PREMISE OF THIS IS, AND HOPEFULLY WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS, UH, THAT WE STARTED AN INITIAL SPACE TO SUPPORT OUR CHWS.
THIS IS NOT SAYING, THIS IS THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE MAKING.
THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MAKE FOR OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
THE FOCUS OF THIS IS UNDERSTANDING FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, A HIRING CAPACITY AND A SPEND AND A BUDGET, AND THE HOURLY RATES.
THOSE ARE NOT THINGS THAT WE COULD PARTICULARLY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON, BUT WHAT WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON IS HOW WE ARE SUPPORTING THE CHWS.
WA MENTIONED A WONDERFUL REMINDER TO US ALL THAT DURING COVID, UM, COMPANIES SUCH AS T-MOBILE OR AT AND T WE'RE PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL AND FIRST RESPONDERS.
WHAT THIS INITIAL RECOMMENDATION IS STATING IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT OUR CHWS ARE NOT MAKING ENOUGH MONEY FOR A SUITABLE QUALITY OF LIFE IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, OFTENTIMES OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT WORK IN OUR CITY COUNTY AREA CANNOT LIVE IN OUR CITY COUNTY AREA.
UM, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE EXPERTS IN THAT SPACE, IN THAT COMMUNITY, AND THEY SHOULD BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE, UM, TO SUPPORT THEIR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT INTEGRATING DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS AND OTHER LOCATIONS SUCH AS, UH, UNIFORM SUPPORT.
UM, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH UT AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY EVEN MENTIONED WAS, HOW ARE WE PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WHEN THEY GO AND KNOCK ON PEOPLE'S DOORS? WELL, WE HAD TO BUY THEM T-SHIRTS.
IF YOU, IF THAT'S THE MINIMUM THAT YOU CAN DO, LIKE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO MORE ACTUALLY, NOT JUST BUY T-SHIRTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS STATING.
THIS IS STATING THAT, UM, WHETHER IT IS SOME FORM OF TRANSPORTATION REIMBURSEMENT, UH, THINKING ABOUT WHAT LYFT HAS DONE IN MANY OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS GETTING TO THEIR HEALTHCARE APPOINTMENTS.
UH, SO THIS IS AGAIN, THE INITIAL DRAFT, BUT I WANTED TO GET THIS IN FRONT OF EVERYONE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE OUR EDITS AND WE CAN MAKE OUR, OUR CHANGES, UM, AS A COMMISSION,
[02:05:01]
UM, BEFORE WE NEED TO SUBMIT THIS.AND IF THERE ARE BUDGET REQUESTS, WE CAN DO THAT BEFORE OUR MARCH DEADLINE.
IF WE CAN MAYBE KEEP THIS TO A 15 MINUTE CONVERSATION.
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT TRACKING QUALITY OF LIFE.
WHO'S TRACKING AND WHERE IS IT GOING? TECH, LIKE WHO'S OH, THAT I AM SO SORRY.
IT'S, YOU'RE LIKE, WOW,
DO WE HAVE THE CLOCK PERSON? HOT
COMMISSIONER DOL HAS IN YOUR, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT NUMBER THREE, TRACK QUALITY OF LIFE.
WHO'S TRACKING? WHERE'S IT GOING? I GUESS, LIKE WHAT, WHAT DO YOU IMAGINE THAT LOOKS LIKE? JUST OUT OF A CURIOSITY? 'CAUSE I THINK, YEAH, I THINK I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS ON THE INTENTION OF THAT.
SO THERE, UH, THERE WAS A, UM, STUDY THAT HAD BEEN DONE AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, MED CENTER.
UM, IT WAS A QUALITATIVE STUDY.
IT HAD, OR IT HAS YET TO BE DONE AGAIN.
UM, AND WE, WE HEARD ABOUT THIS FROM, UH, RICARDO WHO SHARED WITH US ABOUT THIS INFORMATION.
HE ALSO SHARED WITH US THAT THERE WAS A TEXAS STATE POLICY.
IT COULD STILL ALSO BE IN PLACE FOR, UM, TO SUPPORT MATERNITY CHILD HEALTH, COMMUNITY HEALTH OR, UH, UH, YEAH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, IF THAT'S WHAT THIS IS SAYING, IF YOU COULD TRACK IT FOR ONE GROUP, YOU CAN TRACK IT FOR ALL OF THEM.
AND SO THIS IS JUST SAYING WE ARE REQUESTING THAT EVERYONE TRACK THIS FROM A QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVE SO THAT IT IS NOT ON ONE ENTITY WHO IS ALSO NOT HERE, UM, TO TELL US HOW OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE DOING.
I GUESS IS IT FOR OUR USE OR THEIR USE AS EMPLOYERS OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORK? I, I GUESS I THINK THAT'S MY QUESTION.
IT, IT'S LOOKING, IT'S FOR US TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE, IF WE'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY PUT SOME FUNDING TOWARDS SUPPORTING THIS, UM, IS THAT GOING TO CHANGE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE? OKAY.
SO WHATEVER WE ARE DOING, THIS IS AGAIN, UH, COMMISSIONER WALLACE SAYS THIS ALL THE TIME, WHAT IS THE IMPACT? MM-HMM,
AND IF WE AREN'T, IF WE AREN'T SAYING WE WANNA CAPTURE AN IMPACT ON WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING, THEN WE'RE FALLING INTO THE SAME TREND.
I THINK I WAS THINKING ABOUT LIKE ACCOUNTABILITY WHERE IT'S LIKE, KIND OF LIKE HOMEWORK, LIKE WHO'S DOING THE HOMEWORK AND WHO'S RECEIVING IT? THAT'S WHERE I WAS KIND OF LIKE, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE.
WOULD IT BE HELPFUL, UH, TO HAVE LANGUAGE STATING THAT, UM, WE WOULD WANT ANYONE? WELL, IT'S HARD 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA PUT TOO MANY, I KNOW, I KNOW EXCESS REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THEN KIND OF BECOMES A LITTLE BIT MORE UNLIKABLE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE LANGUAGE IS FINE, AS SAYS.
I THINK THAT WAS JUST A QUESTION I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE OF.
BUT I AM ALSO AFRAID OF ADDING MORE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE LIKE THAT TO IT.
I WONDER, I WONDERED IF, UM, AS WE THINK ABOUT THIS, IF, UM, MAYBE A CONVERSATION WITH THE MEDICAL SCHOOL WOULD SAY, WE'D LIKE TO DO THIS RECOMMENDATION, AND WOULD THE MEDICAL SCHOOL BE INTERESTED HAVING A, A GRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENT OR SOMEBODY DO A, A STUDY IN WHICH THEY MIGHT SAY, THAT'D BE FANTASTIC, AND THEN THAT WOULD BE THE WHO OF WHAT WOULD BE THE, UM, THE THING, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
I HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU ON THAT.
I WAS EXCITED FOR YOU TO SAY IT.
THANK YOU FOR OPENING THE FLOOR.
UH, I ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION.
UH, THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER WALLACE FOR, FOR CREATING THIS CONNECTION, UM, WITH THE, UH, TEP, WHICH IS THE TEXAS, UM, UH, HELP ME OUT HERE.
YEAH, I KNOW, RIGHT? I'M THE SAME THING.
TEXAS CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE AND PROMOTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
COLLEGE EMERGENCY POSITION CENTER FOR EQUITY PROMOTION WITH, WITH THE UT COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.
WE WERE GONNA MAKE IT TOGETHER.
UH, AND I'VE HAD A OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH, UM, DR.
ALEXANDRA GARCIA, WHO IS, UM, THEIR, UH, PART OF THEIR SCHOOL OF NURSING.
AND SHE HAS INFORMED ME THAT, UM,
[02:10:01]
UH, GOD REST, UH, DR. YOUNG KIM HAS DONE SOME PHENOMENAL, PHENOMENAL WORK AND RESEARCH FOR UT IN THEIR COLLEGE OF NURSING, THEIR SCHOOL OF NURSING ON CHWS FOR YEARS.SO, UM, THIS CAME IN A DAY AGO THAT WE WILL GET TOGETHER AND MEET WITH FIVE OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT WORKED ALONGSIDE AND UNDER DR. KIM.
UM, AND THEY'VE ALREADY CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CHWS IDENTIFIED NEEDS.
UM, SO THAT IS, THIS IS, AGAIN, THINK OF THIS AS YOUR, I ALREADY SEE COMMISSIONER LUHAN, I ALREADY, I THINK SHE ALREADY KNOWS THAT WE'RE GOING WITH THIS, BUT, UM, WE'RE, THAT IS A, THAT IS A SECOND PART OF THIS.
SO THEY ARE INFORMED OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, WE'LL BE MEETING PROBABLY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN, UH, BRING TO THE CONVERSATION, UH, AS WELL.
SO THERE MIGHT BE, AGAIN, SOME EDITS.
THERE MIGHT BE ALREADY THE, THE STUDY THAT THEY'VE CONDUCTED TO CAPTURE THIS CONTENT.
UM, IT MAY ALTER HOW WE SAY THIS.
UM, BUT YES, THEY ARE, THEY ARE INVOLVED.
NOW YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE THIS MEETING, CAN WE ALL GO AHEAD AND FOCUS ON NUMBER THREE? UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SALARIES, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE HARD WORK, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT UT SCHOOL OF NURSING BEING DEVELOPED BY HAVING A CHW HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DEVELOP A WHOLE PROGRAM OF SOCIAL RESOURCE CENTER AND HOW THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF MAYBE, UM, SALARY WISE, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A STUDY THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS IN EFFECT.
UM, I KNEW THAT UT HAD SOME, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, A SMALL, LIKE A TEAM THAT THEY WERE WORKING WITH.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY REALLY, FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS THAT I WAS THERE, THEY NEVER CAME AROUND.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY INTAKE, MY TAKE ON THAT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION? I'M HAPPY TO EXTEND THE MEETING INVITE.
UH, AS LONG AS WE DON'T HAVE OVER, CAN HAVE MORE THAN FOUR.
SENDING, SENDING YOU WHEN WE GET THAT FIGURED OUT.
NO, I JUST WANT, I THINK JUST BEING ABLE TO ADD SOME, UH, CLARITY AROUND TSEP FOR ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
SO I THINK FOR THAT MEETING AND EITHER, UH, OTHER ENGAGEMENTS, UM, I, I THINK THE, THE PIECE AND THE ROLE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, RIGHT? UH, TSEP, UH, I'M ONE OF, UH, FOUR COMMUNITY INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE INVITED TO HELP LAUNCH THIS EFFORT.
SO IT WAS A BRAND NEW PILOT EFFORT.
AND THE, THE INTENTION BEHIND THIS IS THE UNDERSTANDING AND THE REALIZATION THAT A LOT OF RESEARCH IS BEING DONE, UH, ACADEMIC WISE.
AND EVEN WITH UT HAS BEEN MORE ACADEMIC FOCUSED, IT'S BEEN MORE AROUND, UH, MEETING THE CREDENTIALS TO BE ABLE TO GO TENURE PROGRESS AND SO FORTH WITH NO IMMEDIATE IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS MORE OF AN INTENTIONAL COLLABORATIVE OF MAKING SURE RESEARCH THAT BOTH THE PROFESSOR AS WELL AS THE ENTITY THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH IS MORE FOCUSED FOR INTENTFUL IMMEDIATE IMPACT BY THE ORGANIZATION THAT THAT PROFESSOR IS WORKING WITH.
SO, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE SAME SENTIMENTS BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN MESSAGING AND PREACHING THAT WHEN IT COMES TO INSTITUTIONS WANTING TO WORK WITH NONPROFITS OR WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, THAT IT SEEMS LIKE A ONE-HANDED SITUATION.
UH, THAT IS NOT THE INTENT OF THIS TSEP, UH, PROCESS.
SO ALL THE FEEDBACK AND SO FORTH, UH, IS, IS INTENDED TO MAKE THIS ACTUALLY THE ADVERSE OF WHAT WE USUALLY SEE WHEN WE HAVE, UH, ACADEMIA ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND NONPROFITS.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, BUT THEN WE WANT THIS TO BE CORPORATE SPONSORED.
UM, SO TRYING TO, LIKE, WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE RECOMMENDING? IS IT FOR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO PUT MONEY TOWARDS THIS PROGRAM OR FOR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO SOMEHOW BRING CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP FOR THESE PROGRAMS? I THINK IT'S BOTH.
UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A
[02:15:01]
MULTIFACETED APPROACH.UM, THERE IS A TRADES PROGRAM.
IT HELPS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EITHER INCARCERATED AND NOW REENTERING INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEY, THEY BEGIN WORKING WITH THEM WHILE INCARCERATED, UH, TO EITHER, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE, UM, A RECORD AND THEY NEED THIS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
AND WHAT THEY DO, AND I, AND I, I USE THIS VERY GENERALLY, BUT WHAT THEY OFFER, UM, IS FULL SUPPORT DURING THEIR ENTIRE TRAINING.
AND THAT'S EVERYTHING FROM TRANSPORTATION.
IF YOUR CAR BREAKS DOWN, THEY PAY FOR IT.
AND IT'S NOT THE, THE, YOUR FRIEND DOWN THE STREET TAKES CARE OF YOUR KID.
THIS IS AN ACTUAL INST PLACE THAT YOU CAN GO, THAT IS A DAYCARE, A CHILDCARE INSTITUTION THAT IS CERTIFIED ACCOUNT ACCREDITED, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
THEY COVER YOUR CHILDCARE SO THAT YOU DO NOT MISS WORK.
UM, THEY ALSO, IF YOU ARE, UM, IN THE, THEY, THEY, AND THEY PARTNER THIS WITH THE UNIONS.
SO THIS IS A LONG TERM COMMITMENT THAT THE COUNTY HAS MADE FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS WHERE THEY ARE GOING FROM, UM, INITIAL INTRODUCTION TO GRADUATION, TO APPRENTICESHIP, TO UNION CERTIFIED, UH, UNION.
UNION, UM, A PART OF THE UNION.
AND THE ONLY, THEY HAVE STIPULATIONS, OF COURSE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN STAY IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND THIS NOW GIVES A, IN THE GRANT WORLD, WE CALL THIS THE PATHWAY PROGRAM.
THEY'VE GONE FROM BABY STEP TO FUTURE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO STACK WITH THIS CHW RECOMMENDATIONS FROM, THIS IS OUR BABY STEP.
I, I APPRECIATE WHAT CENTRAL HEALTH SAID.
AND THEY'RE PAYING THEM DURING THEIR, THEIR TRAINING, BUT IT IS NOT A LIVABLE WAGE.
SO HOW DO WE OFFSET THEIR LIVING? DOES THAT HELP? I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
SO IF THAT, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT WENT INTO THIS, THAT HELPS, I THINK THAT HELPS.
UH, YEAH, IT DEFINITELY HELPS.
JUST TRYING TO THINK ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY HERE, BUT IT DOES, IT MAKES A LOT MORE CLEAR, ESPECIALLY IF WE HAVE THAT EXAMPLE.
AND DO WE T WOULD WE TYPICALLY INCLUDE EXAMPLES IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS AS WELL? OR IS THAT HELPFUL FOR I HAVE NO IDEA.
I THINK A FOOTNOTE WITH THE SOURCE, UH, IT AL ALWAYS HELPS.
AND IT'S, IT'S SIMILAR TO THE APPROACH THAT'S BEING TAKEN AT AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS, WHERE THEY ARE FULLY SUPPORTING THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO BE SUCCESSFUL THROUGH THE, AS THEY MATRICULATE THROUGH AND CAPITAL IDEA ALSO.
I WAS GONNA, SO ONE OTHER THOUGHT THERE, SORT OF REFLECTING OFF WHAT YOU SAID EXACTLY IN OUR CONTEXT HERE.
WHAT I KNOW ABOUT ANYWAY IS THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, USING THIS, AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT WOULD COME INTO THE VERBIAGE, BUT JUST AS WITH TEP, YOU'RE HAVING A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION OR THE INITIAL CONVERSATION, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED THE AUSTIN HEALTHCARE COUNCIL, WHICH IS LOTS OF, UM, THE COMMUNITY OF HEALTHCARE, UM, BUSINESSES AND WHATNOT, SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF HEALTHCARE IN THE, IN THE, UM, IN THE AREA.
AND, UM, THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS BECAUSE MANY OF THEIR MEMBERS ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE WALKING INTO PEOPLE WHO WOULD MAYBE HAVE ALL KINDS OF BUSINESSES THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THIS, THAT MIGHT HAVE A, FIRST OF ALL, ALL OF THE, THE PHONE, UM, COMPANIES THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED AND WHATNOT, AT TT MOBILE, THOSE WOULD BE MEMBERS.
BUT ALSO YOU MIGHT HAVE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT WOULD SAY, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO PUT A SIGN IN MY WINDOW THAT I SUPPORT THE XXX, WHATEVER THIS IS CALLED.
AND WE HAVE DISCOUNTS AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS THAT WOULD GO ACROSS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW.
AND YOU SAID THAT WAS THE AUSTIN HEALTHCARE COUNCIL.
AND I CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH, UM, I'M THE VICE CHAIR OF THAT, SO I, I KNOW WHO TO TALK TO.
AND I GUESS ON THAT VEIN TOO, I KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, UT PROFESSORS GET, UM, I THINK FREE TRANSPORTATION, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, THEY GET DISCOUNTS AROUND USING THE BIKES AROUND THE CITY.
SO MAYBE, I MEAN, THOSE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT THE MOST.
IF WE COULD USE SIMILAR APPROACHES FOR COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS, THAT WOULD BE, YEAH.
WE COULD TAP INTO SIMILAR PROGRAMS.
[02:20:01]
COULD YOU, UH, YOU SAID THAT WAS JUST UT UT AS A WHOLE, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE AT UT, BUT I, I HAVE HEARD FROM UT PROFESSORS WHERE THEY DEFINITELY GET DISCOUNTS, UH, FOR USING THE BIKES AROUND THE CITY.THEY GET DISCOUNTS FOR TRANSPORTATION, USING BUSES, UH, USING THE COMMUTER RAIL.
AND, AND, UH, COUNTY EMPLOYEES ALSO TOO, AS PART OF OUR COMMUTER PACKAGE, WE GET ACCESS TO A FREE CAT METRO.
I DUNNO WHERE TO WRITE THAT COMMUTER PACKAGE.
SO UT GIVES A STAFF A HUNDRED DOLLARS STIPEND ON A LIFT.
UM, THAT, SO THEY GIVE YOU A HUNDRED DOLLARS CREDIT ON LYFT.
UM, THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT ONE IS THAT EVEN THOUGH YOUR STAFF, UM, IT HAS DESIGNATED AREAS WHERE YOU CAN, THAT I GUESS ARE CONSIDERED PART OF UT.
SO BEING IN DEL VALLEY WHEN I HAD IT, IT WAS UNACCESSIBLE.
SO IT WAS JUST KIND OF LIKE SOME AREAS ONLY WHERE IT'S COVERED MOSTLY DOWNTOWN AREA FOR UT.
UH, BUT IF YOU DIDN'T USE IT, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL JUST ANOTHER A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
I MEAN, IT DIDN'T ACCUMULATE, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
BUT THAT WAS, IT'S, I THINK THAT IF YOU'RE WITHIN THE CITY, I THINK THAT IS VERY, UM, VERY GRACEFUL TO LIKE, PROVIDE STAFF.
UM, AND, AND, AND I WANNA CIRCLE BACK TO YOUR INITIAL QUESTION AS WELL OF, OF WHO IS THIS FOR? MY HOPE IS THAT IT'S FOR EVERYONE.
AND AS THE COMMISSION WE'RE SAYING, GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED.
UH, WHETHER IT'S, UM, CITY COUNCIL SAYING WE ARE GOING TO MOVE SOME DOLLARS TO SUPPORT, AGAIN, I'M GONNA FULL CIRCLE THIS, LOOP IT BACK INTO CAP METRO.
AND OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER IS NOW BEING PUSHED OUT FURTHER AND FARTHER, BUT THEY'RE STILL SUPPORTING TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO MAYBE THERE'S EVEN CONTENT, OUR CONTENT THAT WE CAN PUT IN THERE THAT IF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, AND I SAY OUR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, ALL OF THOSE BEYOND, UH, ARE EMPLOYED, AS LONG AS YOU'RE EMPLOYED, WE WILL SUPPORT YOUR TRANSPORTATION.
AND WHETHER THAT'S, SO THERE AREN'T ANY LIMITATIONS OF DELL VALLEY BECAUSE CAT METRO DOESN'T GO OUT THERE.
SO NOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE LIMITED TO EVEN GETTING TO WORK.
AND NOW THAT IS A CYCLICAL EFFECT.
YOU MIGHT LOSE YOUR JOB, HOW YOU'RE GONNA SUPPORT YOUR RIGHT.
AND NOW WE'VE, WE'VE GONE INTO THIS WHOLE THING.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M, I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT'S NOT JUST OUR, OUR, OUR SUPPORTIVE GOVERNING ENTITIES.
IT'S ALSO THE COUNTY SAYING, WE BELIEVE IN THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO PUSH THE NEEDLE.
UM, SO MAY IT, COMING FROM THEM, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN YOU SAY AT AND T COME AND DO THIS THING COMING FROM THE HEALTHCARE COUNCIL, THE AUSTIN HEALTHCARE COUNCIL, IT'S, IT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION BECAUSE NOW WE'RE ALL ASKING FOR THE SAME THING.
DOES THAT HELP CLARIFY AS WELL? ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH ME.
I, I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO STOP IT, BUT, UM, NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT TIME IT ACTUALLY IS,
I'LL GO TO THE, UH, I HAD A COMMENT ON FOUR AND FIVE, IF IT'S TIME FOR THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT INCREASED ITS CHW TO POPULATION RATIO.
AND I WAS JUST, I WAS STRUCK BY THE FOLLOWING, KIND OF BY FOCUSING ON HEALTH SYSTEMS WITH HIGH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT READMISSIONS AND CHRONIC ILLNESSES, AND, AND THE SAME KIND OF, FOR FIVE, EXPAND THE WORKFORCE ENCOURAGING HEALTH SYSTEM TO DO THIS AND WHATNOT.
AND I, I WANTED TO SORT OF GO BACK TO THE IDEA THAT, UM, TO ME, UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT LEVERAGE POINT IS CENTRAL HEALTH IN THIS CONVERSATION.
AND CENTRAL HEALTH HAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR SO OF THE, THE, THE HIGHEST NEED PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, THERE ARE PRETTY GOOD PAPERS OUT THERE THAT TALK ABOUT THE ROI FOR COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
I, I'M, I'VE GOT ONE THAT I'M GONNA SHARE THAT, UM, CHER ASKED ME TO SHARE THAT WAS, UM, IN HEALTH AFFAIRS A FEW YEARS AGO, A A, AN ACADEMIC PAPER, WHICH LOOKED AT THE ROI.
AND SO LONG STORY SHORT, IF YOU SAID, LET'S TRY TO DRIVE, UM, CHANGE AMONGST THE POPULATION THAT NEEDS THE MOST HELP, AND THE, THOSE THAT WOULD USE THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, IN THEORY, WHATEVER THAT IS, YOU WOULD SAY THAT'S A POPULATION THAT, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH IS, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND CURRENTLY, UM, YOU COULD ARGUE THAT THEY SHOULD HIRE 200 COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND THAT THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THAT.
SO I WAS TRYING TO MOLD THAT CONVERSATION INTO SOMETHING WHICH
[02:25:01]
IS MUCH MORE GENERIC.THE, THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS DON'T RECEIVE TAX MONEY FOR THIS NECESSARILY.
AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO SOME, SOME MINUTIAE, BUT CERTAINLY ESSENTIAL HEALTH DOES.
AND THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING WE THINK IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST LEVERAGE POINTS TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENT IN THE HEALTH OF THAT, OF A COMMUNITY, OF A COMMUNITY IN NEED.
AND SO, RATHER THAN GENERICALLY CALLING OUT HEALTH SYSTEMS OR EVEN HEALTH SYSTEM PAYERS THAT, UM, WE HAVE THIS THING ALREADY IN, IN OUR SYSTEM CALLED CENTRAL HEALTH, WHICH IS FUNDED.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, THE PAPER I THINK WOULD SUGGEST ONE IN 500 A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PER 500 PATIENTS, WHICH ADDS UP TO WHATEVER I JUST SAID, UM, 200 COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WOULD MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR A HUNDRED THOUSAND MOST, UM, IN NEED, UM, PEOPLE.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD WONDER IF WE COULD SUBSTITUTE FOCUSING ON, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, INVITING CENTRAL HEALTH TO CONSIDER EXPANDING, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING ITS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE CAN'T PRESCRIBE ANYTHING, BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE THE HIGHEST IMPACT PLACE TO GO.
AND I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT PAPER THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I WONDER, I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT START.
I WONDER IF WE COULD MAKE IT STRONGER BY SAYING, INCREASING BY HOW MUCH, AND I THINK THAT GOES TO WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER RICE WAS SAYING, WHERE WE CAN SAY INCREASING FROM ONE IN EVERY 2000 TO ONE IN 500.
UM, JUST SO THERE'S SOMETHING MORE.
'CAUSE INCREASE IS, IT COULD BE ONE MORE PERSON.
SO, AND BEFORE WE JUST REMOVE THE, THE LAST ITEM FROM THE, UM, DOCUMENT, MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO READ ABOUT WHAT THAT EXPERIENCE WAS, BECAUSE IT DID HELP FOSTER NOT ONLY A PATHWAY, BUT SUSTAINABILITY IN A POPULATION.
AND, UM, IT, IT SPARKED COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION, UH, WITHOUT DISPLACEMENT, WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING WE'RE ALL STRIVING FOR.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD ASK US TO PAUSE BEFORE WE JUST STRIKE IT.
AND THAT WAS REFERRING TO ITEM FIVE? YES, MA'AM.
UM, AND HAPPY TO AGAIN, EXPAND UPON THIS IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS ALSO TRICKLE OVER FROM THE JSC.
UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ACTUALLY PURCHASED A LARGE PLOT OF LAND.
UM, AND MY FIRST QUESTION WAS, HOUSING, RIGHT? WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING WITH THAT LAND? AND THEY HAVE NOT DECIDED YET.
SO THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO BE LIKE, WELL, FUNNY THING, UH, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THAT LAND THAT YOU HAVE JUST PURCHASED, UH, IN LARGE QUANTITIES, UM, THAT COULD SUPPORT A VERY SPECIFIC POPULATION THAT IS ALREADY WORKING FOR YOU.
UM, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT WHAT NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL DID, UH, WITH THEIR HOUSING PROGRAM, UM, I KNOW ANNA AND DR.
WAGS HEARD THIS, SO I WILL, UH, SHARE IT JUST BRIEFLY.
UM, THERE IS A PROGRAM THAT IF YOU HAVE WORKED AT THIS HOSPITAL SYSTEM FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS, FULLTIME, YOU ARE NOW ELIGIBLE TO BE IN A NEW HOMEOWNER PROGRAM.
WHAT THIS HOSPITAL SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY DID WAS MOVE INTO AN AREA THAT WAS UNDERSERVED, UH, HIGH CRIME, UM, DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, OHIO.
AGAIN, I'M GONNA BRING A LOT OF REFERENCES FROM THERE.
UH, WHAT THEY ENDED UP DOING, INSTEAD OF MOVING OUT THE COMMUNITY, THEY BOUGHT THE LAND, THE, THE HOMES THAT WERE AROUND THEIR HOSPITAL SYSTEM AND KEPT THEM, RENOVATED THEM, REHABBED THEM.
AND NOW THEY PUT THEIR, THEIR EMPLOYEES THROUGH, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S LIKE A YEAR LONG PROCESS.
SO YOU'VE GOTTA WORK FOR TWO YEARS, AND NOW YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A YEAR LONG PROCESS OF HOME OWNERSHIP.
THEY'RE SUPPORTING YOU THROUGH ALL OF IT.
THEY ARE HELPING YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO BE A HOMEOWNER, ALL OF THESE THINGS.
AND THEN THEY ARE MOVING YOU INTO A BRAND NEW HOME.
BRAND NEW HOME STEPS AWAY FROM WHERE YOU WORK.
SO JUST IN CASE YOU WANNA KEEP SOME RETENTION, YOU CAN WALK TO WORK
UM, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE AN INVESTED HEALTH SYSTEM IN THAT ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT PROBABLY STARTED ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.
THIS, THIS FINAL ONE IS NOT A TOMORROW SOLUTION, IT IS A LONG TERM SOLUTION.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY IT WENT FROM ONE OF THE HIGHEST CRIME RATES IN THE CITY TO, THEY NOW HAVE A PANERA BREAD ON THE CORNER.
AND I USE THAT IN, IN JUST A CONTEXT.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS MY TRUE BIG DESIRE THAT COULD HAPPEN HERE BECAUSE IT'S WORKED.
BUT I KNOW THAT IT, IT'S NOT THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE
[02:30:01]
A ST.DAVID'S OR ESSENTIAL HEALTH OR A ASCENSION, IT IS LIKE ABODY A HUGE MULTI-PROCESS.
IT'S THE CITY SAYING, YES, ACTUALLY CENTRAL HEALTH, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU GOT SOME EXTRA CHANGE, DROP IT OVER HERE TO THESE HOUSES THAT ARE GONNA BE BUILT.
DAVID'S, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU GUYS ARE DOWN THE STREET, NO BIG DEAL.
YOU'RE RIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU COME AND SUPPORT WITH X, Y, AND Z AND ASCENSION.
RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S A LAYERED, LAYERED, LAYERED PROCESS.
UM, THIS IS JUST TO GET PEOPLE BEING LIKE, OH, SO WE COULD DO THIS.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A RECOMMENDATION IN ITSELF.
LIKE IT'S ONLY ONE OF FIVE HERE, BUT I'M LIKE, AS YOU'RE EXPLAINING, I'M LIKE, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A WHOLE RECOMMENDATION IN ITSELF.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT OR WOULD CONSIDER ACTUALLY, UH, THINKING ABOUT WHAT BOTH OF WHAT EVERYONE, COMMISSIONER RICE, UH, VICE CHAIR LUHAN AND, AND COMMISSIONER DOAN YOU'VE MENTIONED.
I'M CURIOUS, WOULD IT BE, UM, BEST TO MAKE ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE, THEIR OWN RECOMMENDATIONS? AND I SAY THIS FOR ITEM FOUR, AND AGAIN, I'M ALWAYS GOING TO PICK ON VERY SPECIFIC THINGS WITH EMS, BUT THINKING ABOUT THAT HIGH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT READMISSIONS RATE, THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IF WE HAVE SCENARIO MADE UP HYPOTHETICAL, UH, WE SEE THAT TWO DOORS DOWN FROM ST.
DAVID'S MAIN, THAT THERE ARE 45% EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT READMISSIONS ON THESE INDIVIDUALS WITH MULTIPLE COMORBIDITIES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND YOU HAVE TWO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN SUPPORTING THAT COMMUNITY.
SO NOW WE CAN COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, IF YOUR RATE IS OVER PUTTING THAT PERCENT TO IT, IF YOUR RATE IS OVER 30% FOR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT READMISSIONS, AND YOU HAVE LESS THAN THREE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS NOW TO SAY, YOU NEED TO HIRE FOUR MORE.
OR OUR RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, YOU NEED TO HAVE THEM FULL-TIME STAFFED, OR I, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT LIKE, I THINK THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH POPULATION RATIO TO OUR HIGHEST CRITICAL NEED AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY BY RELATION TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ALSO, I MEAN, AND AGAIN, THIS IS GONNA BE OVERKILL FOR ALL OF MY CLINICAL FOLKS, BUT IF YOU'RE USING THE ED FOR YOUR PRIMARY CARE, THAT'S EXHAUSTING TO ALL OF OUR, OUR PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THERE, RIGHT? SO NOW, AND THEN WE'RE, SO, IT JUST, IT'S JUST THAT'S WHERE THE ITEM FOUR CAME FROM WITH THAT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR, LIKE, DO YOU ALL THINK WE COULD PULL FOUR AND FIVE OUT AND STILL HAVE A QUALITY RECOMMENDATION? YES.
WA I GUESS I, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO BY DOING THAT, BECAUSE DO WE THEN MAKE IT ITS OWN THING TO BE VOTED ON, UP OR DOWN, OR DO WE SEND ALL OF THEM AND THEY TAKE SOME OF THEM AND THEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEND IT AS ITS OWN STANDALONE LATER AFTER WE GET MORE INFORMATION? WHAT'S BETTER FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE? BECAUSE THEN WE HAVE TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO SAY THE SAME THING.
THIS IS OUR VERY FIRST RECOMMENDATION AS A COMMISSION.
UM, SO THAT GUIDANCE OF BEST NEXT STEPS OF GETTING THIS IN FRONT OF THOSE WHO NEED TO SEE IT FIRST.
AND THEN IS IT, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO DO TWO RECOMMENDATIONS IF THIS, IF THAT IS THE, THE BEST WAY TO DO IT? IS IT WE SUBMIT WHAT WE HAVE, WE SEE HOW IT GOES, AND THEN WE EDIT? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THIS, I'M LOOKING TO YOU ALL FOR ADVICE ON THIS TOO.
I, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT WE LET THIS GO THE WAY IT IS BECAUSE IT'S CLOSE TO BEING READY.
AND THEN AS A GROUP LOOK AT WHAT THE DISCUSSION WAS, WHAT THE CONCERNS WERE, AND DECIDE WHETHER WE WANT TO MOVE IT THROUGH AGAIN.
[02:35:02]
BUT, UM, I, I WOULD DEFER TO THOSE WHO ARE MORE ADEPT OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS.I JUST FEEL THAT BRINGING THIS INTO THE PUBLIC FOR, IN DISCUSSING IT, NOT ONLY HERE, BUT IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND IN THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT CHAMBER GIVES THE PUBLIC, UM, THE INFORMATION AND GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE VISION IN INNOVATION OF THIS COMMISSION.
DIRECTOR STIR, WOULD YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR FEEDBACK ON, ON THIS IF YOU'RE AT A GOOD PLACE TO, TO CHAT WITH US? I, UM, I'M PONDERING, UM, I, I, I DON'T THINK IT HURTS IF IT'S TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WE SEE THAT A LOT WHEN, AS A TEAM, A STAFF TEAM, WE HAVE TO REVIEW THEM TO GIVE LIKE, UH, OPERATIONAL INPUT.
WATTS'S IDEA ABOUT GETTING IN FRONT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE WORKED OUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.
SO PERHAPS GOING TO, TO THAT LIKE THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR GOING TO PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GETTING SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL THAT WAY.
'CAUSE THEN THEY CAN BRING IT TO FULL COUNCIL.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS ON THE COUNTY SIDE.
I THINK IT'S WORKING THROUGH PILAR, BUT, UM, MM-HMM.
I, UM, AM NOT EXPERIENCED AS DIRECTOR STIR IS, AND CERTAINLY DR.
WALKS, BUT WOULD SAY THAT IN SOME WAYS IT DOES SEEM LIKE THIS IS THREE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE IS LIKE AROUND THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF, OF, OF THE WORKING CHW.
NO ONE WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT.
THE SECOND ONE ABOUT WORKING ON THE RATIO, DIFFERENT SUBJECT.
AND THE THIRD ONE, OBVIOUSLY WITH HOUSING IS A REAL STRETCH, LONG SHOT KIND OF THING.
AND I WOULD, MY SENSE IS THAT I WOULDN'T WANT SOMEBODY TO LOOK AT THIS AND KIND OF LOOK AT THE NUMBER FIVE AND THINK, GEEZ, THAT'S A LONG TERM.
WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET THAT DONE.
WHAT'S NEXT ON THE AGENDA? AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S THE WAY IT WOULD WORK, BUT, BUT IF WE SPLIT 'EM UP, IT SEEMS TO ME YOU'VE GOT SORT OF THREE DIFFERENT STORIES.
AND, AND THAT'S A SAFE WAY TO, UM, LET THESE THINGS FLOAT OUT.
UM, AS I LISTEN, I GUESS I, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO BRING THIS AND PRESENT IT LIKE NEXT MONTH OR SOON, OR YEAH, THAT'S BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
THEN IF IT IS US GOING TO PRESENT THIS IN FRONT OF SOMEONE IN THE NEXT MONTH, I THINK WE CAN PROVIDE CONTEXT, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A LOT HERE.
SO THEN INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GO BACK AND FORTH, TRYING TO MAKE THIS PERFECT, I DO LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD ALREADY START THE CONVERSATION.
IT MIGHT BE A LOT THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN HERE, BUT AT LEAST WE'RE SPARKING THAT CONVERSATION BEFORE WE THEN COME BACK WITH MAYBE MORE CONCRETE ONES.
BUT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING.
UM, AND FOR, YOU CAN GO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
I MEAN, YOU BRINGING IT AS EARLY AS NEXT MONTH WOULD BE GREAT FOR US AT TRAVIS COUNTY BECAUSE WE'LL BE PREPARING OUR BUDGETS IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, THE WAY THAT IT MIGHT WORK EFFICIENTLY FOR YOU IS, UM, NOT THE BEST WAY, BUT EFFICIENTLY FOR YOU, IS THAT YOU CAN, I CAN MAKE SPACE FOR YOU TO RECOMMEND TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
AND THAT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM A SUBCOMMITTEE AT THE CITY.
THE SUBCOMMITTEE IN TRAVIS COUNTY IS JUST TWO COURT MEMBERS.
IT'S THE JUDGE AND COMMISSIONER GOMEZ.
YOU CAN ALSO DO WHAT ANNA SAID, IS PREPARE A PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO GIVE THEM AN UPDATE ON HOW THE COMMISSION IS DOING AND PRESENT YOUR RECOMMENDATION AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT ALL OF THE COURT MEMBERS.
YOU CAN DO BOTH, UH, TALK TO THE, TO THOSE TWO COURT MEMBERS FIRST AT MY SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING AND THEN PRESENT TO THE COURT AS A WHOLE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY IT MIGHT WORK IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND THEN, JUST A QUESTION ON THAT SUBCOMMITTEE, IS THAT CONVERSATION ONE THAT WE CAN JUST HAVE WITH THEM AT ANY MOMENT? OR IT HAS TO HAPPEN SOMEWHERE SPECIAL.
[02:40:01]
IT'S A VIRTUAL MEETING.AND WE WOULD GIVE YOU THE FLOOR, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD COME UP WITH A TIME AND SAY, YOU'VE GOT 30 MINUTES.
AND, UM, I WOULD LET THEM KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT YOU'RE COMING TO TO SPEAK AND IT'S VIRTUAL.
WE WOULD LET YOU PRESENT VIRTUALLY AND LET 'EM KNOW.
WE'LL BE COMING TO THE ENTIRE COURT.
YOU MIGHT EVEN ASK THEM, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE WOULD CHANGE OUR PRESENTATION? ASK 'EM, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT THAT SORT OF GAINS THEIR INTEREST AND THEIR SUPPORT OF YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
BEFORE YOU GO TO THE FULL COURT, I, I WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING TO WHAT PILAR SAID AND, AND THE DISCUSSION OF DILUTING IT.
SO THAT'S ALREADY, YOU CAN SEE MY BIAS.
IF YOU SEPARATE IT INTO DIFFERENT POINTS, YOU'RE NOT MAKING THE POINT THAT YOU HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
AND IT CAN BE SHORT TERM, MIDTERM, AND LONG TERM, UH, WAYS OF ADDRESSING IT.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING, I'VE BEEN PART OF A WORKING GROUP WORKING ON SAFER TRAVIS COUNTY, THAT IS SO MANY POINTS IN SO MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND, AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS JUST UPDATE ON EACH OF THE POINTS SEPARATELY.
BUT THAT COHESION OF MAKING, THIS IS OUR, OUR PRESENTATION, THIS IS THE NEED THAT WE SEE IT.
AND, AND THEN PROVIDING A TIMELINE, A SENSE OF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S DOABLE RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS HOW, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE MOVING TO.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE ANOTHER POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE YOU PITCHING THIS TO? WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS, PUBLIC HEALTH HAS NO ONE THAT CAN PUT THEMSELVES AWAY FROM THE TABLE AND SAY NOTHING TO DO WITH ME.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS, SHOULD HAVE INTEREST IN THIS EDUCATION.
SO ALL THE BUSINESSES, EVERYONE DEPENDS ON GOOD, UH, WORKFORCE.
AND SO THEREFORE, I THINK IT'S EVERYONE'S, UH, BENEFIT.
AND SO JUST TO, JUST TO MAKE SURE I AM, UH, I'M HEARING ALL OF THIS IS THAT WE COULD, A TANGIBLE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO, UM, OF COURSE ADD IN THINGS LIKE FOOTNOTES WITH SPECIFIC EXAMPLES TO OUR LOCALE, UH, AS WELL AS WHERE IT CAME FROM.
WE CAN ADD IN, UH, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM MIDTERM OVERVIEW OF ONCE THIS IS PASSED.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA SAY THAT IT IS, UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA LOVE IT, THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON QUALITY OF LIFE FIRST, OR WHICHEVER ONE WE DECIDE.
AND THEN WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WE EXPECT TO DO THIS THING, OR WE WOULD LOVE TO MOVE THIS THING.
AND WHAT WE CAN SAY THAT WE CAN PRESENT THIS AS A, A VICE CHAIR CIA.
AND I CAN PRESENT THIS TO OUR INITIAL GROUP, WHICH WOULD BE THE SUBCOMMITTEE WITH THE COUNTY TO GET RECOMMENDATIONS AND FEEDBACK ON WHAT WE PRESENT AS IS.
AND THEN WE COULD ALSO POTENTIALLY GET SOME SUPPORT AND CONVERSATION BEHIND THAT.
TAKE IT TO THE NEXT GROUP, WHICH WOULD BE THE COURT PRESENT IT WITH THE EDITS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M FOLLOWING ALL OF THIS.
OR DO WE GO FROM THE, FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO THE COMMITTEE AND THEN TO THE COURT? OR LIKE, IS IT, IS IT, IS IT SEPARATE? SO LIKE, OKAY, SO YOU HAVE THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE IS TOTALLY SEPARATE.
CITY IS PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.
SO HOW YOU MANAGE THEM WOULD BE THEIR PROCESS.
AND WHEN YOU'RE READY TO BRING IT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, LET ME KNOW.
AND THEN WE'LL COORDINATE YOUR TIME TO PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE.
AND WOULD IT BE A PRESENTATION? YES.
LIKE HOW WE'RE LIKE, SO YOU, YOU HAVE 20, 30 MINUTES.
WE, HERE'S, WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT THAT PROCESS, THAT TIMELINE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND IF YOU, I MEAN, UM, A, A PRESENTATION, UM, AGAIN, AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR TIME, WHERE YOU ALL ARE FOCUSING YOUR, YOUR ENERGIES ON NOW WOULD JUST REALLY BE A CONVERSATION, BUT A PRESENTATION CONVERSATION THEM TO CONSIDER AND THEN WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.
BUT YOU COULD ALSO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS THEY WOULD HAVE AS WELL.
IT ALSO MAKES SENSE TO DO PARALLEL PROCESS.
COUNTY, CITY, COUNTY, CITY OR CITY COUNTY.
SO, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE NEIGHBORS AND LIVE IN DIFFERENT HOUSES, THEN YOU'RE TALKING TO EACH OF THEM, BUT YOU'RE NOT, THEY DO TALK TO EACH OTHER.
SO IT'S BETTER TO HIT THE SAME PEOPLE AROUND THE SAME TIME.
AND I'LL JUST ADD, FOR CENTRAL HEALTH, UM, WE'RE
[02:45:01]
WORKING ON OUR BUDGET CALENDAR AND WE, UM, ARE PROBABLY GOING TO GET STARTED IN EARNEST, UM, IN MAY.SO YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME IF YOU WANNA RUN THIS BY THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS THE APPROPRIATE, YOU KNOW, AVENUE TO PRESENT THIS TO OUR BOARD OF MANAGERS.
AND IT COULD BE A COMMITTEE, ONE OF OUR COMMITTEES AS WELL.
I JUST WANNA POINT, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, THEIR NEXT MEETING WILL NOT BE UNTIL FEBRUARY.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU'RE READY.
AND THEN FOR, UH, ON MONDAYS AT 11 O'CLOCK, TWICE A MONTH.
UM, SO FAR IT'S ON THE SIXTH AND THE 12TH.
AND THAT'S FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE, RIGHT? THAT'S THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
SO, AND THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN BEFORE THEY PRESENT TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO THE SIXTH AND JANUARY THE 20TH ARE WHEN I MEET WITH THEM AT 11 O'CLOCK.
AND THEN I GUESS IN TERMS OF PROCESS, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME EDITS HERE.
WE HAVE OUR MEETING ON THE EIGHTH.
WE WOULD APPROVE THIS INTERNALLY AND THEN BRING IT TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN ON THE 20TH, BECAUSE WE'LL MISSED THE SIXTH.
THAT'S THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING.
WHEN IS THE COMMITTEE MEETING? AND YOU CAN DO IT IN FEBRUARY AS WELL.
SO THEN WE'LL GO THERE AND THEN WE CAN GO IN PUBLIC HEALTH, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND THEN DOES THAT GIVE TIME TO GET THE BUDGET DONE THEN FOR COMING? OH YEAH.
IF, IF YOU COULD BRING IT JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.
I GUESS I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT, OH, UH, COMMISSIONER HAN, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, I KEEP ON READING ON THESE AND, AND, UM, I SEE FOR EXAMPLE, A NUMBER FIVE WITH NUMBER THREE.
WOULD IT BE LIKE, SO THEY DON'T SEE IT AS LIKE SO MANY RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT MAYBE SO IT CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
'CAUSE I, I SEE THIS HAPPENING.
IT IS, IT'S, IT'S VERY DOABLE.
UM, WHEN, UH, THE RIGHT EARS HEAR IT.
UM, BUT EX FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE, UH, THE TRACK OF QUALITY OF LIFE, MAYBE MY TRACK OF QUALITY OF LIFE IS DIFFERENT THAN SOMEBODY ELSE'S, RIGHT? BUT FOR ME, IF I AM, I'VE KEPT THE JOB, RIGHT? WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPACT OF THESE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, RETENTION, JOB SATISFAC SATISFACTION, AND COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTCOMES, FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO GET A LIVING WAGE, RIGHT? AND THEN BE ABLE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, ON NUMBER FIVE, BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BUY A HOME AND SUSTAIN IT.
FOR ME, THAT'S THE QUALITY THAT, THAT FOR ME, LIKE, THAT'S MY GOAL.
LIKE THE DAY THAT I'M ABLE TO BUY MY HOUSE AT THIS POINT AT 50, I AM LIKE, I'M DONE.
LIKE AT THAT POINT I'M LIKE, TAKE ME AWAY, KIND OF STUFF, YOU KNOW? BUT THAT'S LIKE MY LIFE GOAL, RIGHT? AND THAT'S MY, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT COMES FROM WHATEVER HAS CULTURALLY HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, PUT IN MY HEAD, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IT BELONG TO YOU? RIGHT? IT GIVES YOU THAT OWNERSHIP.
YOU FEEL LIKE MAYBE YOU'VE MADE IT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THAT THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMEOWNERS THAT MIGHT STILL BE STRUGGLING, RIGHT? I THINK, I THINK THAT'S PART OF STILL THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE TO, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, TRACKING, UM, I KNOW THAT THAT'S, I'M MORE DIRECT SERVICES, SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND MY, MY SIMPLE MINDEDNESS.
BUT I THINK AS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, IF I WOULD GET TO THE POINT OF YOU COMING TO ME AND BE LIKE, HEY, BEING A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, HOW'S THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN? AND I COULD SAY, I ACTUALLY BOUGHT A HOUSE A YEAR AGO.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PAY MY BILLS.
UH, NOTHING HAS BEEN SHUT OFF FOR MORE THAN TWO DAYS OR THREE DAYS BECAUSE BELIEVE ME, I'VE BEEN THERE.
UM, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD, COULD BE KIND OF LIKE A PART OF THAT TRACK, EVEN THOUGH OF COURSE I KNOW YOU'RE ASKING AND REQUESTING MORE DATA, BUT I FEEL THAT IT COULDN'T BE PART OF NUMBER FIVE, JUST SO WHEN YOU PRESENT IT, THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE, OH, IT'S SO MUCH STUFF.
LET'S JUST PUT IT LIKE ON THE LIST.
LIKE YOU MENTIONED THAT IT CAN TAKE UP TO 15 YEARS.
AND THEN ALSO ON THE, UM, NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO, ENGAGE THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
[02:50:01]
AT AND T, WE TALK ABOUT T-MOBILE, I THINK IS PRETTY MUCH, AND THEN LET'S SAY FOR CHILDCARE SUPPORT SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE ONE DESIGNATED, UM, CHILDCARE PROVIDER LIKE LA PETITE, OR I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE.I HAVEN'T HAD A SMALL KIT FOR 24 YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT JUST, HEY, IT'S A DISCOUNT KIND OF THING.
UM, JUST SO IT JUST KIND OF LIKE COMPACTS ITSELF.
AND THEY COULD JUST BE LIKE, OKAY, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE THOSE 15 YEARS.
EVEN THOUGH AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UM, I APOLOGIZE FOR MY SIMPLE MINDEDNESS.
I THINK THERE, THERE'S MONEY HERE, IT'S TEXAS.
BUT LIKE IF YOU, IF WE JUST KIND OF LIKE PAIRED THEM TOGETHER, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE OR ARE YOU ASKING LIKE, I MEAN, I KNOW ON THE TRACK, YOU KNOW, NUMBER THREE, YOU'RE GONNA ASK FOR MORE DATA.
UM, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT ON MY PERSPECTIVE OF WHEN WE TALK ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND THEN I LOVE NUMBER FIVE BECAUSE THAT SUPPORTS THE WHOLE, UM, IT SUPPORTS SO MUCH BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT LIVES.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S RECOVERY, IF IT'S, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, IF IT'S ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, AND YOU PUT 'EM IN THESE COMMUNITIES, THEY WOULD PLAY A, A BIG PART, YOU KNOW, IN WHAT THEY DID.
UM, BUT THAT WAS JUST MY QUESTION.
I WAS JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE, JUST HOW I WAS SEEING IT.
AND I'M SORRY FOR CLARITY, CAN YOU ASK, CAN YOU, CAN YOU RE-ASK YOUR QUESTION? LIKE, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO LIKE, LIKE PUT FOR EXAMPLE, THREE AND FIVE AS ONE BASED ON LIKE MY, MY LITTLE SPIEL OF MY, MY STORY
UM, CHILDCARE SERVICES, UH, TRANSPORTATION, WHERE WE KNOW EVEN CAPITAL METRO USES.
UH, BUT THEY, THEY DON'T CALL 'EM COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, BUT THEY DO HAVE, UM, SUPPORT SUPPORTIVE NAVIGATORS, I THINK THEY CALL 'EM.
AND THEY ACTUALLY WORK WITH THE UNHOUSED, UH, COMMUNITY, UM, UNIFORM STIPENDS, YOU KNOW, LIKE HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GO ONE AND TWO GO TOGETHER.
LIKE IF YOU COULD SAME JUST ONE.
YEAH, THREE AND FIVE TOGETHER, JUST BECAUSE AS A MEASUREMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND THE OTHER ONE, AS BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, SELLING, PRETTY MUCH INVESTING IN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FOR ALL COMMUNITIES, LIKE BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHERE SOME OF THESE PLACES, YOU KNOW, SOME, UM, FIRST, UM, OH GOD, THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, WHAT AM I WORK LOOKING FOR? HOLD ON THE, UM, OH MY GOD, I HAVE GLASSES FOR NO REASON.
UM, LET SEE, FOR FIRST TIME FOR RESPONDERS, RIGHT? LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, WHEN YOU BUY A HOUSE, YOU GET A DISCOUNT WHEN YOU GO AND BUY A VEHICLE AND YOU TELL 'EM THAT YOU'RE A, A RESPONDER, THEY HAVE A, A STIPEND OF LIKE 500 TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, WHEN YOU BOUGHT A HOUSE, UM, WHEN I'VE, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, BUT WHENEVER I'M TALKING TO, TO THE PERSON THAT'S HELPING ME, IT'S LIKE, HEY, ARE YOU LIKE, ARE YOU A POLICEMAN? ARE YOU EMS? ARE YOU A NURSE? THEY, THERE'S A PARTICULAR, UM, STIP, UM, LIKE A DISCOUNT THERE, RIGHT? SO I THINK, UM, OBVIOUSLY EMS, SO ANYWAYS, SO WE, WE WOULD PUT THAT WITH THAT, WITH, WITH THAT CATEGORY THAT WOULD KIND OF LIKE, HELP THE LOCAL BUSINESSES KIND OF KNOW.
'CAUSE I MEAN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUY A CAR AND THEY'RE ASKING YOU THIS, IT'S BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT YOU'RE A FIRST TIME, A FIRST RESPONDER AND YOU PLAY, UH, UM, YOU PLAY A, UM, YEAH, YEAH.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO WHAT, I'M HERE.
AND WHAT I'M CURIOUS IS IF WE ADD, WE ACTUALLY ADD ONE, WHICH IS GONNA BE AT THE TOP OF, FIRST OF IT, IT WILL ACTUALLY GO ABOVE ONE, WHICH WOULD BE TO, UM, STATE THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE IN FACT FIRST RESPONDERS.
THAT WOULD TRICKLE INTO EVERYTHING.
[02:55:01]
WOULD TRICKLE INTO THE CORPORATE.AND THE REASON THAT ONE AND TWO ARE SEPARATE IS BECAUSE THIS IS SAYING, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, CITY, COUNTY, UH, CENTRAL HEALTH, WHOMEVER YOU ALREADY ARE PARTNERED WITH, GET THEM TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
THAT'S, THAT WAS THAT, THAT'S THE IDEA FOR ONE, IT'S LIKE, OH, IF YOU ARE CENTRAL HEALTH AND YOU HAVE A SCRUB COMPANY THAT YOU ALREADY WORK WITH, LET'S GET A UNIFORM FROM THAT SAME COMPANY FOR YOUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ON YOUR OWN.
BUT THEN THE SECOND PIECE IS SAYING, HEY, CITY COUNCIL, IF IT'S WHATEVER THEY COME UP WITH AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE FOR OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES TO BRING IN OR TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
UM, BUT WHAT I'M ALSO HEARING YOU SAY IS WE SHOULD RECOMMEND, FIRSTLY THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE IN FACT, FIRST RESPONDERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL ALMOST JUST LIKE TRICKLE IN TO WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED WITH HOME BUYING WITH, UM, ENGAGEMENT CARS, WITH EVERYTHING.
IF WE SAY DEEM THEM FIRST RESPONDERS, PERIOD, END OF STATEMENT.
AND THEN THEY, THEY HAVE NOW ACCESS TO EVERYTHING.
LISTEN, I'M GONNA SAY THAT THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A WIN JUST NOW.
HOW DID, DOES THAT NOW, UH, GET EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE ALSO SAYING? COMMISSIONER LUHAN OF UHHUH.
SO THEN I WILL TASK MYSELF WITH WRITING A NEW, I I DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY ANY OF THESE SELFISHLY, UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE DO NEED TO PICK BACK UP THE SURVEY.
WHY HAS IT BEEN SEVEN YEARS SINCE WE'VE DONE A SURVEY AND WHY DO YOU WORK AT UT AND NOT KNOW WHAT DR. KIM IS WORKING ON? LIKE, WE SHOULD SEE THIS, WE SHOULD KNOW THIS.
UH, YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS, RIGHT? AS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WORKING AT UT SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS EXISTS.
SO THAT'S THE, THE TRACKING OF THAT QUALITY OF LIFE.
LIKE LET'S, LET'S BRING THAT BACK TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE CONVERSATION.
UM, AND THEN YEAH, ADDING IN THAT, THAT FIRST RESPONDERS, UM, ANY, ANY OTHER STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT MAKING THAT THE VERY FIRST PRIORITY OF THIS RECOMMENDATION? NO, THAT WAS AWESOME.
UH, I THINK MAYBE TO, WE CAN ALSO ADD TO TRACKING THE QUALITY OF LIFE HOME OWNERSHIP SINCE, UH, COMMISSIONER LUHAN MENTIONED THAT, AND THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER MEASURE OF QUALITY OF LIFE TOO.
BUT YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF THAT THEN WOULD TRICKLE DOWN TO EVERYTHING ELSE.
JUST, WE WERE HAVING A SIDEBAR CONVERSATION, SORRY, CHAIR.
BUT, UM, JUST TO PROTECT THE IDEA, DO WE WANT TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT WE MAKE THAT NEW CLASSIFICATION DESIGNATION? BECAUSE IF IT REQUIRES SOME CERTAIN LICENSING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, DO WE WANNA JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT IT IN A CATEGORY THAT'S ACHIEVABLE SO THAT WE DON'T WALK IN WITH THE FIRST THING BEING SHOT DOWN, LIKE HEALTHCARE WORKER OR WHATEVER.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT DESIGNATION, A DESIGNATION THAT FITS THE CATEGORIES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN RECEIVING THESE PARTICULAR DISCOUNTS.
IN OTHER WORDS, IS THAT, IS A FIRST RESPONDER A COLLOQUIAL TERM? IS IT A COLLOQUIAL TERM WHICH WE, YOU CAN LOSE FLIPPANTLY? OR IS THAT DEFINED IN REGULATION SOMEWHERE THAT A FIRST RESPONDER IS AN EMT AND AS 17 HOURS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION EVERY YEAR, DOT, DOT DOT, YOU KNOW, WHICH WOULD BE DIFFERENT, BUT IT COULD BE A CLINICAL JOURNAL.
THINK HEALTH WORKERS DO, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS DO 20 HOURS EVERY, EVERY TWO YEARS.
WE GET CREDENTIALED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, WE, UH, DO OUR CLASSES AND THEN WE STILL NEED TO DO OURS.
AND THEN EVERY TWO YEARS FOR US TO GET RE-CERTIFIED, WE HAVE TO DO CONTINUING EDUCATION, UH, 20 OF THEM.
[03:00:06]
COULD WE ASK SOMEBODY IF THAT'S TO MAKE IT MORE OFFICIAL SO WE CAN LOOK, OR I CAN, I'M HAPPY TO, UH, OWN THAT OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF BEING DEEMED A FIRST RESPONDER? IS THAT WHAT WE NEED TO UNDER, LIKE, WHAT IS THE, SO WE'RE SAYING WE KNOW EMS, WE KNOW POLICE, WE KNOW NURSES.SO SINCE, SO WE, WE JUST NEED TO BE UHHUH
LET ME JUST SAY THERE'S THE REGULATORY QUESTION IS, IS THAT A DEFINED TERM OF LAW? DON'T KNOW THAT.
I KIND OF DOUBT IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, KNOW I'M READING THE, JUST WHAT COMES ON A SEARCH AND IT SAYS, AN, A FIRST RESPONDER IS A PERSON WHO'S TRAINED TO BE, BE AMONG THE FIRST TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE OF AN EMERGENCY ACCIDENT OR ACCIDENT TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.
SO NOW AGAIN, IF IT'S COLLOQUIAL AND ANYBODY COULD USE ANY TERM, THEN THAT WOULD BE ONE THING, BUT THAT'S, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ACCIDENTS OR EMERGENCIES, YOU KNOW? BUT ANYWAY, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING YOU'D SAY.
LET'S HAVE A LAWYER OR CITY ATTORNEY OR SOMEBODY LOOK AT, YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY DEFINE EMERGENCY, BUT YOU CAN PUT IT IN THE, WHEREAS YOU CAN ADD THAT IN TO KIND OF BUILD YOUR CASE FOR IT A LOT BETTER.
BUT POSSIBLY I DO, I DO SEE A LEGAL STATUTE, UM, THAT DEFINES IT ITSELF TO YOU.
UM, WILL YOU SHARE IT JUST TO, SO WE CAN ALL LOOK AT IT JUST, OR THROUGH, BUT I MEAN, SOME OF THOSE DISCOUNTS WERE ALSO EXTENDED TO TEACHERS, RIGHT? SO WHATEVER IT WAS THAT PROMPTED THEM TO USE THOSE DEFINED CATEGORIES, WHATEVER THAT OVERARCHING THING IS, IS WHAT WE NEED TO GET CHWS UNDER.
AND MAYBE THAT'S THE POINT OF ONE IS TO SAY WE THINK THAT CH HS IS LIKE A FIRST RESPONDER, OR LIKE A TEACHER OR LIKE A DOT, DOT DOT.
THAT, THAT IT'S ENTITLED TO SPECIAL RECOGNITION AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, AS SOMEONE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY, DOT, DOT, DOT, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, SO THEN YOU WOULD, AND, AND I, UH, UM, BEFORE WE GO DOWN THIS RABBIT HOLE TOO FAR, UM, WE ARE AT OUR EXTENDED TIME FOR OUR SPACE.
UM, SO JUST TO CLOSE THIS OUT, THIS, THIS RECOMMENDATION PIECE OUT, WE WILL, UH, I, THOSE AMONG STUFF IS IF YOU FIND ANYTHING THAT TALKS ABOUT THE STATUTE OR HOW THEY GOT TEACHERS TO BE LISTED, SHARE IT WITH DANNY.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING THIS TIME TO GO THROUGH THIS RECOMMENDATION.
I AM REALLY EXCITED, UH, ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THIS.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO THE IMPACT THAT WE CAN MAKE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FROM COMMISSIONER LUHAN, UH, REGARDING CAT METRO COMING BACK TO SEE US.UH, SO WE WILL ADD THAT FOR OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, WE ALSO FOR WHEN, UH, CAN WE SEE IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE? FEBRUARY, FEBRUARY, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PLANNED, AND THAT CAN BE THEIR GREAT TIME.
SO WE CAN ADD IN IF WE NEED TO FOR ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UM, AND ON THAT NOTE, COMMISSIONER LUHAN, IF YOU HAVE ANY CONTACT INFORMATION ON WHO I CAN REACH OUT TO, IF YOU CAN PLEASE PROVIDE THAT.
UM, AND THEN I KNOW WE HAD, UH, ONE, UM, UH, AGENDA TOPIC AROUND, UM, THE, THE, THE FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC FOR THE PRESENTATION FOR, FOR A PD, UH, SLASH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM SLASH SLASH UM, AND THAT WAS HOMEWORK FOR THE, THE WORKING GROUPS AS WELL TO DO SOME OUR OWN OF OUR OWN RESEARCH.
UM, SO MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS ONE OF OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, JUST I, I WOULD SAY LIKE MAYBE A WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION UPDATE, A WORKING WORKING GROUP UPDATE FOR, UM, JANUARY, DANNY.
ONE LAST THING IS IF WE DO WANT TO HIT THIS, UM, TIMELINE THAT WE MENTIONED, WE DO NEED TO EDIT THIS BEFORE THE 8TH OF JANUARY SO WE CAN VOTE ON IT.
I WILL COMMIT TO GETTING THIS OUT.
UH, AND THEN WE NEED TO ADD THE VOTING TO THE AGENDA.
SO VOTING ON, UH, VOTING ON THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE AGENDA FOR JANUARY.
MM-HMM,
IT'S A HOLIDAY
I WILL HAVE THIS BACK OUT TO, UH, DANNY TO GET IN FRONT OF THE, THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.
[03:05:01]
WE WILL ADD THE VOTING OF THIS RECOMMENDATION FOR JANUARY.AND IS THAT IT? THERE WAS ALSO THE MENTION OF THE DISCUSSION TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATION FOR BUDGET SUBMISSION.
IS THAT, DOES THAT ALSO ENCOMPASS THE VOTING RECOMMENDATION OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT THING? I SAID THAT, DID I SAY THAT? YEAH,
THAT WAS FOR US GENERAL, YES, THAT WAS, OKAY.
SO THAT'S AS A COMMISSION OF A COL, THE COLLECTIVE, SORRY, YEAH.
THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT WHILE WE'RE THERE.
I'M CALLING THIS CONCLUDED AT, UH, 5 37 7 7.
AND I'M TAKING MY BINDER HOME.