[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
HELLO.WE WILL CALL THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, I'D LIKE TO CALL, UH, TO ORDER HERE AT 2:36 PM UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS? PUBLIC SPEAKERS? NO.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ON TO APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES, UM, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON FEBRUARY 5TH.DO WE HAVE, UH, AN APPROVAL MOTION TO APPROVE? THERE WE GO.
LEMME GET THE WORDS RIGHT FOR, AND DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I GOT A SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THAT MOTION? UH, DR.
UH, RICE, ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS TO THAT? OKAY.
WE ARE APPROVED AND GOOD TO GO.
WITH THE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 5TH, 2025 ONTO
[2. Presentation from Austin Public Health on new projects in the 2026 Bond Proposal.]
OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ON NEW PROJECTS IN THE 2026 BOND PROPOSAL.I'M A, A FACILITY PLANNING MANAGER WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, MY DIRECTOR ASKED ME TO GIVE A SHORT INTRO INTO THE PROCESS.
UH, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THE CITY GOES THROUGH THESE LARGE BOND, UH, PROJECTS OR BOND PROPOSALS EVERY SIX TO EIGHT YEARS.
AND, UH, THIS IS A LARGE ONE COMING IN 2026.
UH, WE WENT THROUGH A EXTENSIVE PROCESS, UH, IN DEVELOPING CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES.
HOW ARE WE GONNA CHOOSE, UH, OUR PROJECTS? AND, UH, CITY ASKED US TO PRESENT TO ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE USUALLY WORK WITH, UH, TO EXPLAIN THE, THE PROCESS AND SORT OF HAVE, UH, INPUTS FROM YOU ALL.
UM, AND, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE GUIDELINES, UH, MOST OF THE, ALL OF THE MAIN GUIDELINES ARE GIVEN BY THE CITY TO THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS, BUT THEN INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS, UH, DEVELOP THEIR OWN SPECIFIC SAFE FLAVORS.
SO WE, UH, BASED ON WHAT WE DO, UH, WE DEVELOP A VERY COMPREHENSIVE LIST, UH, UH, BY WHICH WE CHOOSE THE PROJECTS THAT WE WILL BE PROPOSING.
THERE'S ONE, UH, SMALL CAVEAT TO THAT.
UH, WE WERE ASKED NOT TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS AND, UH, FUNDING REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE CITY SYSTEM TO SORT OF TELL US WHEN, BUT THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION WILL GIVE A, GIVE YOU A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF, OF WHAT WE HAVE AND HOW WE PLAN TO PROCEED.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, I APOLOGIZE.
I DID NOT PRINT OUT MY SCRIPT, AND SO I NEEDED TO FIND IT AND BRING IT BACK UP.
I, IF NOT, WE'RE GONNA WING IT.
IF YOU LOOK AT MY EMAIL YEAH, WHICH, SORRY FOR THE SHORT DELAY.
AND, UM, I WILL TRY TO RUSH THROUGH
[00:05:01]
THIS PRESENTATION.UM, BUT IF YOU NEED ME TO SLOW DOWN AT ANY POINT, UM, I CAN.
SO, AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS AT THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND TODAY WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT AN URGENT OPPORTUNITY TO CLOSE EQUITY GAPS AND BRING ES ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED AREAS.
WE'LL TALK YOU THROUGH OUR MISSION, THE CHALLENGES FACED BY OUR COMMUNITY AND THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE PROPOSE TO CREATE A HEALTHIER, MORE EQUITABLE AUSTIN.
BUT FIRST, UM, I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS A QUICK OVERVIEW VIDEO FROM PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK THAT WE CELEBRATE EVERY YEAR IN APRIL, LOOKING FOR A CLINIC YOU'RE IN LUCK ARE SHOTS FOR TOTS AND BIG SHOTS.
CLINICS WILL GET YOUR KIDS THE VACCINES THEY NEED FOR SCHOOL.
WE ALSO OFFER VACCINES FOR ADULTS, INCLUDING HEPATITIS A AND BHPV, TDAP AND MORE.
OUR TEAM OF DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS.
MAKE SURE THAT EVERY RESTAURANT, FOOD, TRUCK, EVENT, AND FOOD VENUE WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN OPERATES IN A WAY THAT SAFEGUARDS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC.
HEY, IT'S AARON WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ENVIRONMENTAL VECTOR CONTROL UNIT.
ARE YOU HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MOSQUITOES IN YOUR AREA? IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE FOUR D'S DRAIN.
WEAR A PRODUCT THAT HAS D, STAY INSIDE DURING DAWN AND DUSK AND DRESS APPROPRIATELY FOR THE OCCASION.
THESE DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS AND TRUSTED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HELP BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THEIR COMMUNITY AND AVAILABLE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SOCIAL SERVICES.
MATERNAL INFANT OUTREACH PROGRAM, ALSO KNOWN AS MAYA LOOKS TO SUPPORT AUSTIN'S BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN.
WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY FOR DISEASE OUTBREAKS AND PREPARING THE PUBLIC FOR EMERGENCIES.
THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS DIVISION IS ON THE JOB.
AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE LOOK TO OFFER A HELPING HAND IN MAKING SURE OUR COMMUNITY HAS ALL OF ITS BASIC NEEDS THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
THE TEAM WITH AUSTIN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT EMPOWERS YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL BY PROVIDING SKILL-BASED TRAINING AND EDUCATION THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
AT OUR SEXUAL HEALTH CLINIC, WE OFFER EXAMINATION TESTING AND TREATMENT FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS.
WE ALSO TEST FOR HIV AND REFER PATIENTS WHO TEST POSITIVE FOR HIV TO COMMUNITY, HIV CARE PROVIDERS.
THE TB CLINIC OFFERS SCREENINGS AND EVALUATIONS AS WELL AS TREATMENT AND COMPLETE CASE MANAGEMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH TB DISEASE.
OUR SOCIAL WORKERS PROVIDE A VARIETY OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO OUR PATIENTS, SUCH AS REFERRALS FOR FOLLOW-UP CARE, FIND INFORMATION ON THESE SERVICES, AND MORE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH HEALTH.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, WE ARE THE HEART OF ANY COMMUNITY.
UM, WE PROVIDE SERVICES THAT PREVENT DISEASE, PROMOTE HEALTH AND PROTECT OUR WELLBEING.
EVERYTHING FROM VACCINATIONS, FOOD SAFETY, AND RENT ASSISTANCE.
WE HAVE 14 WIC CLINICS, AND WIC IS WOMEN INFANTS AND CHILDREN.
SIX NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, TWO IMMUNIZATION CLINICS, A MOBILE CLINIC, A A DEDICATED CLINIC FOCUSED ON PROMOTING SEXUAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING, AN OFFICE OF VITAL RECORDS AND SPECIALIZED SERVICES LIKE REFUGEE HEALTH AND LACTATION SUPPORT.
WE WORK TO ENSURE ACCESS TO CARE IS AS WIDESPREAD AND INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE.
THIS SLIDE IS JUST A LITTLE, UH, OVERVIEW OF HOW WE'RE ORGANIZED.
WE'RE CONSIDERED A LARGE CITY DEPARTMENT WITH OVER 700 EMPLOYEES, SPLIT INTO SEVEN DIVISIONS OF SUPPORT AND SERVICE.
ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR BOND HISTORY.
SO, ADVANCING EQUITY REQUIRES RESOURCES.
YOU, YOU KNOW, NO MONEY, NO MISSION.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO, BUT HOW WE'RE EFFICIENTLY FUNDING IT.
A P H'S, CIP PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE IS 100% GENERAL BOND OBLIGATIONS.
UNLIKE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, WE DON'T HAVE RESOURCES OF FUNDING OR OTHER RESOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION HAS TO COME FROM THIS SOURCE.
IN 26 YEARS, A PH HAS RECEIVED 1% OF CITY BOND APPROPRIATIONS.
AND BECAUSE WE, WE ARE VISUAL LEARNERS AT PUBLIC HEALTH, WE WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT,
[00:10:01]
UM, IN COMPARISON.SO WHERE THAT LITTLE RED ARROW IS POINTED, THAT, UH, A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE THROUGH BOND DOLLARS FOR A PH IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
SO, IN THE INFAMOUS WORDS OF JANET JACKSON, WHAT HAVE WE DONE FOR YOU LATELY? SO, WITH THAT 1%, WE'VE MADE A BIG IMPACT IN COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THE, I'M GONNA WORK BACKWARDS FROM OUR MOST RECENT, UH, PROJECT TO, I THINK ALL THE WAY MIGHT BE 20 SOMETHING, 2016.
SO IN 2024, WE OPENED DEAF SPRINGS, UM, WHICH IS A 23,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY THAT WAS COMPLETED WITHIN A BUDGET OF 20 MILLION, SERVING A HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AREA WITH A FULL SERVICE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
SO THAT MEANS FOOD PANTRY, THAT MEANS PUBLIC HEALTH, NURSING FOR CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION AND SCREENING SERVICES.
THAT MEANS EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT, THAT MEANS SOCIAL WORK SERVICES.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A WIC CLINIC THERE.
AGAIN, THAT'S WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN.
AND IT'S ALL THAT GOOD STUFF ABOUT MOMS AND BABIES AND NUTRITION AND LACTATION SUPPORT.
WE HAVE AN IMMUNIZATIONS CLINIC, A HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE CENTER, YOUTH SERVICES AND, UM, MULTIPURPOSE SPACES WITH A DEMONSTRATION KITCHEN FOR NUTRITION CLASSES.
UM, WE'RE ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARKS AND REC FOR SOCCER FIELDS AND PARK TRAILS RIGHT ON FACILITY.
SO WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT IT, WE'RE BEING ABOUT IT.
THAT IS A FACILITY THAT TRIES TO SUPPORT, UM, HEALTHY BEHAVIORS AND PRACTICES.
AND I THINK THERE'S A, A VIDEO ON THIS ONE, OR IS IT THE NEXT ONE? HERE WE GO.
HERE'S A, AN OVERVIEW OF, UH, THAT FACILITY CREATED BY OUR ARCHITECT.
WELL, THERE'S SOME VERY JAZZY MUSIC AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH THE FACILITY, AND YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE SPACES THAT I JUST OUTLINED, AND THERE'S LIKE, IT'S REALLY NICE.
UM, IF WE CAN'T GET IT TO WORK LIKE IN TWO SECONDS, I WILL SEND YOU THE LINK IF NEED BE.
HOLD THAT DRONE VIDEO FROM THAT
UM, IN 2020, WE HAD THE MONIS PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER, AND THAT IS A JOINT USE FACILITY, AGAIN, WITH PARD THAT SERVES AS A HUB FOR HEALTH AND RECREATION.
AND AGAIN, WE STAYED WITHIN OUR BUDGET OF 15.5 MILLION.
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS LOCATION WAS KEY DURING OUR MASS IMPACTS VACCINATION EFFORTS.
AND DURING THE, UM, WINTER STORM, THAT'S WHERE WE HELD, OR AFTER THE WINTER STORM, THAT'S WHERE WE HELD OUR MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTER OR MARK, WHERE PEOPLE COULD COME AND GET RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO HELP THEM GET BACK ON TRACK IF THEY WERE IMPACTED BY THE ADVERSE WEATHER.
UM, AND JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE THAT A DOLLAR CAN MAKE, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, RIGHT AFTER THAT CENTER OPENED, WE SERVED, UH, 5,000 PEOPLE.
AND IN FISCAL YEAR 24, WE'VE NEARLY TRIPLED THAT NUMBER TO 14,996 PEOPLE SERVED BY THAT CENTER.
AND SO AGAIN, IT'S THE FULL SERVICE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER THERE.
THERE'S TRAINING ROOMS AND MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY ROOMS, AS WELL AS THE RECREATION CENTER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARD IN 2018.
UM, WE DID A PROJECT AT THE WOMEN AND, UH, CHILDREN'S SHELTER RUN BY THE SALVATION ARMY ON 10 HILL LANE.
AND THE SCOPE OF THAT WAS REALLY TO DO SOME MUCH NEEDED MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS.
WE USED TO HAVE SHOWERS THAT FLOODED EVERY TIME FAMILIES TRIED TO USE THEM, SO THAT WASN'T A GOOD THING.
WE DOUBLED OUR CAPACITY BY ADDING 36 BEDS.
UM, THERE'S A NEW DAYCARE CENTER THERE.
WE MADE A LOT OF A DA UPGRADES AND SOME HUGE SITE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND SO FOR THE BUDGET FOR THAT WAS 6.7.
AND 2.9 WAS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WAS ADDED BY CITY COUNCIL.
[00:15:01]
AND THE IMPACT THERE WAS IMPROVED SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR FAMILIES IN CRISIS GOING ON, UM, IN 2017 AND 2016, YOU KNOW, UH, INVESTING IN THE BETTY DUNKERLEY CAMPUS WHERE A PH FACIL OR OFFICES ARE HOUSED, AS WELL AS THE ANIMAL SHELTER.SO JUST SOME REALLY MINOR THINGS THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE, NOT ONLY TO STAFF WORKING AT THAT LOCATION, BUT, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERS COMING TO GET SERVICES FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
SO FIXING DRAINAGE, IMPROVING THE ROADS, UM, IMPROVING SIDEWALKS AND TRAILS, ADDING PARKING SPACES, UM, INCREASING OUR KENNEL CAPACITY.
AND SO THAT WAS A BUDGET OF $1.7 MILLION.
AND AGAIN, THE ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, SUPPORTED OR BENEFITED BOTH CLIENTS AND STAFF THAT WORK OUT OF THAT LOCATION.
AND THEN IN 2016, UM, WE EXPANDED PARKING AT TWO A PH SITES THAT ALSO HAD, UM, DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND NEEDED, UH, LANDSCAPING, AGAIN, A VERY SMALL BUDGET, UM, $906,000.
AND WE, UH, DID THAT ALL IN HOUSE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THAT IMPACTED OUR LOCATIONS AT FAR SOUTH.
SO I KNOW THIS IS, THIS COMMISSION'S FIRST TIME GOING THROUGH A BOND PROCESS, SO JUST GONNA GO OVER SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF, OF WHAT THAT ENTAILS.
AND SO WE, UM, WE FOLLOWED THE CITY INSTRUCTED PROCESS TO DEVELOP A PH GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND TECHNICAL CRITERIA, ENSURING THAT THEY ALIGN WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN GUIDING PRINCIPLE AND MAS PRINCIPLES AND MASTER PLANS.
THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND TECHNICAL CRITERIA CRITERIA WERE THEN USED TO CREATE THE A PH GRADING MATRIX, WHICH HELPS US IN EVALUATING AND PRIORITIZING OUR BOND PROJECTS.
AND SO I'M GONNA SPEND A LITTLE TIME TALKING REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AT A PH.
UM, SO EQUITY, AFFORDABILITY AND INNOVATION ARE KEY TO EVERY DECISION WE MAKE.
ENSURING THAT OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES OF SYSTEMIC DE DISPARITIES WHILE FOSTERING TRUST AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO FOR US, EQUITY HAS NEVER BEEN A BUZZ WORD.
UM, WE ARE PROUD TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST DEPARTMENTS STRAIGHT OUT THE GATE IN 2016.
UM, WHEN THAT BECAME ALL THE RAGE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE WERE RIGHT THERE LEADING THE CHARGE.
IT WAS THE WORK THAT A PH DID TO ASSESS HEALTH DISPARITIES IN COMMUNITY THAT, UM, NOT ONLY PROMPTED COUNCIL TO DO ITS FIRST DEDICATED INVESTMENT OF $1.5 MILLION IN, UM, HEALTH DISPARITY WORK, BUT ALSO TO CREATE THE CITY OF AUSTIN EQUITY OFFICE PROMOTING AFFORDABILITY.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT HEALTH HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, A LOT OF IT.
AND IF YOU CAN'T PAY FOR YOUR BASIC NEEDS, THEN I CAN'T GET YOU TO PAY FOR THINGS THAT ARE RELATED TO YOUR HEALTH.
AND SO, UM, WE KNOW THAT'S KEY, UH, TO DRIVING GOOD POPULATION HEALTH OUTCOMES.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY HAS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR BUDGET.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE A COMMON THEME IN THIS PRESENTATION.
WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO, UH, STRETCH EVERY DOLLAR.
AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO PARTNER WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE USING BOND FUNDS WISELY SO THAT OUR SERVICES CAN REMAIN ACCESSIBLE WITHOUT INCREASING COSTS TO COMMUNITY FOSTERING INNOVATION.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO SOLVE EMERGING PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES, LIKE THE USE OF MOBILE CLINICS TO REACH COMMUNITIES WITH LIMITED A ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION.
WE ARE ALWAYS USING DATA-DRIVEN TOOLS TO GUIDE OUR DECISION MAKINGS WHEN P PILOTING NEW PROGRAMS. AND WE'RE EVEN EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP US MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGING IN THE BEST WAY TO MEET EVER EVOLVING NEEDS.
SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCE, PROACTIVE PREVENTION, COMMUNITY TRUST, AND RELATIONSHIPS.
SO THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF WORDS ON THIS SLIDE, BUT, UM, BASICALLY WE'RE NOT JUST THINKING ABOUT TODAY'S NEEDS, BUT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
AND THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE DESIGNING FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE AND READY TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE AND COMMUNITY CHANGES FROM ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS TO ECO-FRIENDLY PRACTICES IN OUR CLINICS.
[00:20:01]
PRO WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROTECTING BOTH THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR PLANET FOR PROACTIVE PREVENTION.WE'RE ALWAYS FOCUSING ON PREVENTING HEALTH ISSUES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH EDUCATION PROGRAMS, VACCINATIONS, OR ROUTINE HEALTH SCREENINGS.
WE FIRMLY BELIEVE BY TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO MANAGE CONDITIONS LIKE DIABETES OR HOW TO PREVENT ILLNESSES.
UM, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THEM AND GIVING THEM PERMISSION, LIKE THE BOLDNESS TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR HEALTH AND TO AVOID COSTLY MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS LATER.
COMMUNITY TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE DO ANYTHING TO COMMUNITY OR FOR COMMUNITY.
UM, THAT IS, WE GOT THAT REMINDER DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AND IT WAS AWESOME TO, TO SEE COMMUNITY COME CHECK US WHEN WE GOT IT WRONG AND HAVE PATIENCE WITH US TILL WE GOT IT RIGHT.
UM, WE SAW THAT WITH EMPAC, LIKE WE WERE ALL TIRED.
OH MY GOD, WHAT'S HAPPENING? WE JUST GOT PAST COVID.
BUT AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY STANDING TOGETHER TO WORK TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE TACKLE THIS PROBLEM TOGETHER.
ALL EGOS WERE CHECKED AT THE DOOR.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HOLD TO OUR CORE AS WE DO THIS BOND PROJECT AND ANY OTHER SERVICE OR PROGRAM THAT COMES OUT OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
ALRIGHT, THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA.
AND SO WE ARE COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING MODERN, INCLUSIVE AND COST-EFFECTIVE PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES.
THIS PART OF THE PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTS KEY PRINCIPLES GUIDING OUR FACILITY PLANNING, INCLUDING ACCESSIBILITY, SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE SPACES THAT SUPPORT HEALTH, WELLNESS AND RESILIENCE FOR ALL RESIDENTS.
AND SO THE FIRST PART OF THAT IS INCLUSIVE FACILITY DESIGN.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ACCESSIBILITY AND WELCOMING ARE NOT BUZZWORDS.
WE'RE USING DEMOGRAPHIC DATA TO, UM, IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.
UM, WE'RE USING UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES SUCH AS BARRIER, FREE ACCESS AND ADAPTABLE SPACES TO ACCOMMODATE DIVERSE POPULATIONS.
AND AT EVERY STEP WE ARE IN INTENSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES.
EVEN DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON DOVE, WE MOVED TO VIRTUAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH COMMUNITY EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
COST EFFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS.
UM, STRATEGIC SITE SELECTION, COST EFFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION AND ENERGY SAVING TECHNOLOGIES TO MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY AND REDUCE LONG-TERM COST.
UM, WE REALLY KNOW HOW TO LEVERAGE RESOURCES IN TO ENSURE AFFORDABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY AND WHAT, WHAT WAS THAT TERM WE USED DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN STUFF WAS SLOW, WE COULDN'T GET MATERIALS AND COSTS WERE BEING DRIVEN UP.
VALUE, VALUE ENGINEERING, RIGHT?
AND SO WHAT WERE THE THINGS THAT WE KNEW WE HAD TO HAVE, UM, AND WHAT WERE THE THINGS WE COULD KIND OF TWEAK? AND IN THAT PROCESS, WE KNEW THAT THE CHILDCARE CENTER WAS A, LIKE A MUST.
AND I'M VAGUELY REMEMBERING THERE WERE SOME ISSUES.
WE WEREN'T SURE THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE, THE PROJECT WITHIN BUDGET AND STILL HAVE THE CHILDCARE SPACE.
BUT AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY'S LIKE, I WISH YOU WOULD NOT GIVE US THAT CHILDCARE CENTER.
AND SO WE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND REALLY BE CREATIVE ABOUT HOW WE USE THE DOLLARS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE MEETING COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATIONS WITHOUT OVERRUNNING ON COSTS.
AND THIS GUY RIGHT HERE, PHILIPPE GICK, HE MAKES IT HAPPEN.
UM, INNOVATIVE FACILITY SOLUTIONS.
SO AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY ES ESPECIALLY IN PLACES THAT WE ARE CALLING HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED AND UNDERSERVED.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE 21ST CENTURY READY AND, AND ADAPTABLE AGAIN TO SUPPORT NEEDS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESILIENCY CENTERS.
SO HOW DO WE BUILD CELLS OF FACILITIES ONCE WE GET, UM, INVESTMENTS FROM CITY AND OTHER PLACES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE SPOTS THAT FOLKS CAN COME TO, UH, WHEN WE'RE EXPERIENCING CLIMATE OR EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS.
AND THEN SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AGAIN, THAT KIND OF SPEAKS TO WHAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT.
SO ENERGY EFFICIENCY, EFFICIENCY, WATER CONSERVATION, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MINIMIZING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UM, AND THAT WE'RE READY FOR CLIMATE RISKS AND READY TO INCORPORATE RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
[00:25:01]
TO LOWER OPERATIONAL COSTS.ALL RIGHT? PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CENTRIC FACILITY PLANNING.
SO THESE SPACES WILL BE DESIGNED TO ALWAYS BE, UH, MULTI-USE FOR ANY OF OUR PREVENTION PROGRAMS, UM, AND ALWAYS INCLUDE OUTDOOR SPACES AND WALKING PAST TO PRO PROMOTE WELLNESS, NOT ONLY FOR STAFF, BUT FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND THEN THE COMMUNITY CENTERED DESIGN, LIKE THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, I SAID IS KEY.
TRANSPARENCY WITH US IS ALWAYS KEY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO USE THOSE TWO PRINCIPLES OF ENGAGEMENT AND TRANSPARENCY.
TRANSPARENCY TO GUIDE OUR PLANNING AND OUR IMPLEMENTATION PHASES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY CULTURALLY RELEVANT, BUT WE'RE CULTURALLY CONGRUENT IN HOW WE'RE BUILDING AND DESIGNING SPACES AND PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY
AND SO, UM, OF COURSE WE NEED TO BE IN LINE WITH, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN MASTER PLANS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THEM.
AND THEY'RE ALL UP THERE FOR YOU TO PERUSE AT YOUR LEISURE.
AND THIS IS A SAMPLE OF OUR GRADING MATRIX, AND IT SHOWS YOU SOME OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE WILL USE AND THE POINTS THAT WE WILL ALLOT.
AND YOU, YOU CAN TELL FROM THIS MATRIX HERE THAT WE HAVE A PLACEHOLDER FOR TWO PROJECTS THAT I WILL GO OVER AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL.
SO IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, UH, WE ARE ON TIME AND WE'RE ALWAYS ON BUDGET.
UM, AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK WITH THE 1% THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TO DATE.
UH, BUT SIGNIFICANT GAPS STILL REMAIN IN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS LIKE COLONY PARK AND NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
AND SO WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE A REALLY QUICK LOOK AT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THESE COMMUNITIES STILL FACE TOO FAST.
AND SO THIS ENCOMPASSES TWO FOUR AND TWO FIVE OR ZIP CODE 7 8 7 2 4 AND ZIP CODE 7 8 7 2 5.
UM, HISTORICALLY IN EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES.
UM, THIS MAP DEMONSTRATES, UH, THIS THROUGH THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL'S SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX, OR S-V-I-S-V-I REFERS TO DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS LIKE POVERTY, LACK OF ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, CROWDED HOUSING THAT ADVERSELY AFFECT COMMUNITIES THAT ENCOUNTER HAZARDS IN OTHER COMMUNITY LEVEL STRESSORS.
AND SO THE DARKER THE COLOR DEMONSTRATED BY THE NAVY COLOR ON THE MAP, THE HIGHER THE VULNERABILITY OF THAT POPULATION, THE LARGER AMOUNTS OF POVERTY.
POVERTY, THE MORE WE SEE LACK OF ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, THE MORE WE SEE CROWDED HOUSING.
AND SO WE CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE THAT 7 8, 7 2 4 IS AN AREA OF HIGH VULNERABILITY BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THAT DARK BLUE AREA.
AND IT ALSO SHOWS THAT THERE'S A LACK OF ACCESS TO PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES.
SO THE LITTLE, UM, AND I APOLOGIZE, THE LITTLE TRIANGLES ARE WHERE WE HAVE AN A PH SITE, UM, YOU CAN EASILY INTERCHANGE WHAT CDC CALLS A VULNERABLE COMMUNITY WITH A HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S THE LANGUAGE THAT WE USE AT A PH BECAUSE VULNERABILITY INDICATES THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WHEN WE ACTUALLY KNOW THAT IT'S AN ISSUE WITH SYSTEMS POLICIES AND RESOURCE DECISIONS THAT MAKE THAT COMMUNITY AT RISK.
AND SO, AGAIN, BUT JUST LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, I 35 IS, IS THE GREAT DEFINER OF THE HAVES AND THE HAVES NOT IN TERMS OF COMMUNITIES.
AND ALL THE DARKER COLORS ARE OVER ON I 35 OR ON TO THE EAST OF I 35.
AND IF YOU NOTICE, WE DON'T HAVE, WELL, THERE'S ONE HOSPITAL FACILITY THAT'S EAST OF THAT DIVIDING LINE.
AND SO MORE ABOUT, UM, COLONY PARK.
ANOTHER TOOL THAT WE LOOKED AT WAS THE CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE SCREENING TOOL.
AND IT DOESN'T TELL A STORY THAT'S ANY DIFFERENT FROM, UM, THE SVI MAPS.
AND SO DIVERSE PEOPLE AND HIGHLIGHTED CENSUS TRACKS, UH, REFLECT THOSE IN GRAY.
AND THIS INFORMATION, THIS IS ONLY, UM, THE HIGHLIGHTED CENSUS TRACK, BUT EACH OF THE GRAY AREAS DEMONSTRATES SIMILAR SOCIAL DETERMINANTS THAT END IN NEGATIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES.
AND SO YOU SEE ON THERE, WE HAVE LOW INCOME, WE HAVE LINGUISTIC ISOLATION, WE HAVE HOUSING COSTS, AND WE HAVE HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION.
[00:30:02]
SO WE WANTED TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF WE'RE ASKING THE, THE CITY TO SPEND MONEY, WE, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL AVENUES.AND SO THE TEAM WANTED TO LOOK AT DRIVE TIMES FROM COLONY PARK TO A PH FACILITIES.
UM, SO WHETHER YOU'RE ON A BUS OR IN A CAR, HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE FOR YOU TO GET TO SHOTS FOR TOTS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE GIVE OUT VACCINATIONS FOR KIDS.
AND I'M SURE, I'M HOPING IF YOU'RE LISTENING TO ME OUT HERE IN TV LAND, YOU'RE GETTING ON THE BUS RIDING 40 MINUTES OR IN A CAR 10 TO 15 MINUTES IF YOUR KIDDO DOES NOT HAVE AN MMR VACCINE TO GO GET YOU ONE.
BUT THAT'S HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE THEM, RIGHT? AND SO JUST RECOGNIZING THAT IF WE, WE WANNA TALK ABOUT ACCESS, UM, TRANSPORTATION TIMES AND TRAVEL TIMES HAVE TO BE FACTORED IN.
WE HAVE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO GET THERE.
AND SO NOW WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UH, NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
SO JUST AS IN COLONY PARK, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS ANOTHER HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AREA WHERE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO HEALTH PERSIST.
UM, SO BEYOND INEQUITABLE ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, NORTHEAST AUSTIN ZIP CODES, AND THEY'RE LISTED THERE FOR YOUR REFERENCE, ALSO EXPERIENCE EXTREME HEAT CONDITIONS DURING THE SUMMER, SUMMER MONTHS AS MAPPED BY THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
THESE AREAS ARE, ARE IDENTIFIED AS HAVING LOWER TREE COVER AND RESIDENTS HAVE TO WALK LONGER DISTANCES TO BUS STOPS OR OTHER LOCATIONS, OFTEN SPENDING EXTENDED TIME IN THE HEAT MAKING, UM, HEALTH CHALLENGES WORSE.
UM, AND THIS IS THE SAME SVI MAP THAT I SHOWED YOU BEFORE.
UM, BUT THIS TIME FOR NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
SO AGAIN, THE MAP HIGHLIGHTS NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE SVI, THE DARKER BLUE ILLUSTRATING OVERLAPPING FACTORS LIKE POVERTY, HOUSING CHALLENGES, AND LIMITED TRANSPORTATION ACCESS.
AND AGAIN, YOU SEE THE DIVIDING LINE, WHICH IS 35.
THE TRIANGLES REPRESENT WHERE A PH IS.
AND OF COURSE THE AGES ARE WHERE THE HOSPITALS ARE.
UM, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE SCREENING TOOL, THE STORY IS STILL THE SAME.
UM, SO THE OVERLAPPING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THAT CONTRIBUTE TO NEGATIVE HEALTH CO OUTCOMES, SIMILAR TO THOSE FACED IN COLONY PARK, THE LOW INCOME, THE LINGUISTIC ISOLATION, THE HOUSING COST, AND LOWER LEVELS OF HIGH SCHOOL, UM, EDUCATION OR ATTAINMENT.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE DRIVE TIMES AND WE SEE THAT IT IS SIMILAR HERE.
AND SO THAT IS IT, UM, YOU KNOW, BY, THIS IS A CLOSURE THAT THEY WROTE FOR ME, SO I'M GONNA READ IT VERBATIM.
BY SUPPORTING THESE COMMUNITIES YOU INVEST IN EQUITY, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND AUSTIN'S FUTURE TOGETHER, WE CAN CLOSE THESE GAPS AND ENSURE EVERY RESIDENT HAS ACCESS TO THE CARE THEY NEED.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, DIRECTOR STEWART.
WE APPRECIATE YOU AND THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION THAT HAS A FEW SECTIONS TO IT, AND YOU CAN ALSO LET ME KNOW IF WE CAN MOVE THIS TO A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT SPACE FOR QUESTIONS AS WELL.
MA'AM, IT'S YOUR MEETING, HOWEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IT.
I KNOW THE, THE PRESENTATION WAS LONG AND WE HAVE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS. ALL GOOD, ALL GOOD.
SO, UH, JUST THINKING ABOUT THE 1%, UH, BUDGET THAT HAS NOT CHANGED IN 26 YEARS IS A, UM, INTERESTING EXPERIENCE TO HEAR OUT LOUD.
UM, JUST TRYING TO GET MY WORDS THERE TO TOGETHER WITHOUT, WITHOUT MY SCRIPT.
UM, I'M CURIOUS IF THERE ARE ANY CONVERSATIONS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT A SIMPLE 2% BUDGET WOULD BE, OR EVEN A 3% BUDGET WOULD BE TO NOT ONLY MOVE THE NEEDLE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT ALSO MAYBE BRING SOME EQUITY TO, UM, HOW GROWTH HAS HAPPENED FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND THAT, THAT THAT'S MORE OF A, IS THIS ALREADY SOMETHING THAT'S IN CONVERSATION? AND IF NOT UNDERSTOOD, BUT IF SO, OR IF, IF NOT, I GUESS I COULD CONTINUE TO SAY IS HOW ARE, HOW ARE WE COMPARING LOOKING AT CITIES LIKE
[00:35:01]
HOUSTON, DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO WITH THEIR BUDGET ALLOCATIONS? DO WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION? CAN WE FIND OUT THAT INFORMATION TO SEE, UM, THE AMAZING WORK THAT CAN BE DONE WITH 1%? BUT IF THERE ARE CITIES THAT ARE DOING SOMETHING WITH TWO TO 3%, FOUR, 4%, UM, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES IN PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS AND SERVICES? UM, AND THEN MY, MY LAST QUESTION MIGHT BE A, A BIT OF A, A LARGE QUESTION, BUT KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A DEADLINE FOR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AS OF MARCH 31ST, UM, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE AS A COMMISSION COULD PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER TO PRESENT IN SUPPORTING UNDERSTANDING FEDERAL FUNDING IS A TUMULTUOUS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW, UM, THAT COULD SUPPORT SOME OF THESE, THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING AND OR PROJECTS THAT ARE LACKING FUNDING AS WELL.SO MY VERY FIRST QUESTION IS, OKAY, THANK YOU.
WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WENT BACK TO UHHUH.
SO I'M GONNA ANSWER YOUR SECOND QUESTION FIRST.
WE DO NOT HAVE DATA ON COMPARATIVE CITIES, BUT I CAN TRY TO GET THAT FOR YOU.
I'M GONNA LET FELIPE ANSWER YOUR THIRD QUESTION AFTER I ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION.
I THINK, LET ME, 'CAUSE I'LL FORGET, I THINK THE 1% MARKER IS NOT IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE WANT MORE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH SUCH A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE BOND ALLOCATION, THE COMMUNITY-WIDE IMPACTS THAT WE'VE MANAGED WITH 1%, AND THAT WE ARE WORKING SO THAT WE CAN STOP SAYING HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
LIKE, LET'S, LET'S MAKE INVESTMENTS SO THAT THOSE DON'T EXIST IN BOSTON.
UM, AND SO IF THERE WERE A, IF THERE'S ADVOCACY TO HAPPEN AND PHILIPPE IS MORE VERSED ON THAT PROJECT, THAT PART OF WHAT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION, WHAT ROLE THEY PLAY, I WOULD SAY THAT I WOULD LOVE FOR THE TWO VERY SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS THAT A PH PUT FORWARD BE APPROVED.
YEAH, I, I DON'T, WE DON'T NEED ANY, WELL, WE DO NEED MORE THAN THE TWO, BUT I'LL TAKE
CAN YOU LET THEM KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS, ABOUT HOW THEY CAN GIVE INPUT? YES, MA'AM.
SO, UH, IT'S VERY HARD TO ADD TO THAT DIRECTOR.
BUT, UM, AS, AS JUST A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, THIS IS MY THIRD BOND CYCLE, 2012, 18, AND NOW 26, UM, UH, ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS SUBMIT THEIR REQUESTS AND THEY COME IN BILLIONS.
I THINK NOW WE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'M ALLOWED TO SAY, BUT A LOT, UH, UH, UH, THESE TWO PROJECTS THAT WE ARE STILL NOT LIBERTY TO TALK ABOUT, JUST TO BE FAIR TO ALL OUR OTHER CITY PARTNERS, UH, WE'VE BEEN PROPOSING IN THE LAST TWO BOND CYCLES.
SO, YOU KNOW, OUT OF FOUR THAT WE HAD IN 2012, WE GOT ONE.
THEN IN 2018 WE GOT ANOTHER ONE, AND NOW WE HAVE TWO LEFT.
UH, THAT'S THE BARE MINIMUM TO JUST COVER THE, THE BIGGEST SORT OF POCKETS IN THE CITY OF INEQUITY AND, AND, AND HEALTH DISPARITY AND, AND, AND ALL OF IT.
SO, UM, THE WAY THE PROCESS WORKS, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO LOBBY BEFORE IT.
SO, UH, UM, UH, THE COUNCIL APPOINTS TWO, UH, CITIZENS TO BE THEIR REPRESENTATIVES.
THEY ARE PART OF THE CITIZEN REVIEW COMMITTEE.
THERE'S AN OFFICIAL NAME, UM, PLUS THE MAYOR.
SO THERE'S 22 CITIZENS SITTING IN THIS BOARD THAT ARE REVIEWING ALL THE PROPOSALS, AND WE ARE NOT THERE YET ESTABLISHING THEIR PROCESS.
BUT THAT IS THE PLACE WHERE BOTH CITIZENS AND I'M ASSUMING COMMISSIONERS CAN GO AND, UM, UH, URGE THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER SOME OF THE PROJECTS IN LAST BOND CYCLE.
WE WERE REALLY FORTUNATE THAT THE EQUITY OFFICE WAS REALLY IN OUR CORNER AND OUT OF 50 PLUS, UH, PROJECTS THAT WERE PROPOSED, THEY ENDORSED THREE.
AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT ON THE BALLOT FOR DOVE SPRINGS PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER.
SO, UM, I GUESS THAT'S ENOUGH TO NOT GET ME IN TROUBLE, BUT I THINK SOME OTHER GOOD QUESTIONS.
UM, WE'RE NOT AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE STAFF ARE ADVOCATING, BUT I WOULD ASK HISTORICALLY, WHAT DEPARTMENTS HAVE FINISHED ON TIME AND IN BUDGET.
I I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OUTSIDE OF OURS.
[00:40:02]
I WASN'T GONNA SAY THAT PART.I MEAN, BUT BUT TRUE TO, TO BE WITHIN THE CYCLE OF A BOND TO SPEND EVERYTHING AND TO GIVE EVERYTHING ON BUDGET AND ON TIME, THAT'S, UH, VERY RARE.
AND JUST ONE FOLLOW UP WITH THE PROCESS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED SO THAT, UH, WE CAN COLLECTIVELY SUPPORT BUT NOT SUPPORT WITH TOO MANY PEOPLE TO HAVE A WALKING QUORUM IN THAT YES, THEY HAVE OPEN, OPEN MEETINGS SO ANYBODY CAN ATTEND.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER COOK, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THE FOUR SITES THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED WERE THOSE FOUR IDENTIFIED FOR THE 2012 BOND.
WE SAW THOSE TWO SITES WE'D LIKE, DO WE HAVE DATA ON THOSE SITES IN TERMS OF WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE 20 ISH YEARS AGO AND NOW, AND MAYBE USE THAT AS, YOU KNOW, JUSTIFICATION FOR NEEDING THESE, BECAUSE PERHAPS IF TRENDS GOT WORSE, PERHAPS THE RATES ARE WORSE OVER THAT TIME COMPARED TO MAYBE THAT FIRST ONE WE DID GET LOOK AT THOSE RATES AND NOW AND SEE IF IT'S IMPROVED AT ALL.
AND, AND IT'S MAYBE IN PARTS OF PRESENTATION, BUT EVERY SITE THAT WE BUILD, LIKE MONTOPOLIS AND DOVE SPRINGS, THEY SHOW THOUSANDS OF OF CLIENTS INCREASE EACH YEAR, THEY'RE OPEN.
UH, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE IF WE HAD THE CHANCE TO OPEN THESE LIKE 10 YEARS AGO, RIGHT? HOW MANY PEOPLE WE COULD HAVE SERVED, UH, THE SITUATION DID NOT GET BETTER.
I REMEMBER THESE DEMOGRAPHIC MAPS SINCE MID TWO THOUSANDS, LIKE 2005, 2006, THEY LOOK LIKE THIS.
SO IT DIDN'T, I'D BE CURIOUS TO LOOK AT, JUST THINKING OUT LOUD, YOU KNOW, OF ALL THE EMERGENCIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE PAST HOWEVER LONG, WHAT AM I SAYING? 13 YEARS, YOU KNOW, WHAT EMERGENCIES OCCURRED IN THOSE AREAS WHERE THOSE FACILITIES WOULD'VE BEEN SUPER USEFUL FOR THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, AND COULD HAVE BEEN POINTS FOR THE PUBLIC TO GO TO AND BE SUPPORTED, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT OBVIOUSLY ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THOSE MIGHT BE SOME STORIES, SOME GOOD STORIES TO TELL THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN ARGUMENTS FOR DOVE SPRINGS PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER BECAUSE WHEN WE HAD THOSE BIG FLOODS IN 2013 AND 15, WE HAD NO FACILITIES THERE.
SO WE'RE PROVIDING SERVICES FROM TENTS AND LIKE FROM THE REC CENTER PLAYGROUND MM-HMM
AND THAT WAS ONE OF OUR ARGUMENT WHY WE WOULD NEED A CENTER THAT AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, WE CAN OPEN SOMETHING TO TAKE CARE OF FOLKS.
AND JUST LAST COMMENT REALLY IN TERMS OF, IN THE, IN THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION, UM, AND I'M SURE THIS HAS BEEN THOUGHT OF AND EVERYTHING, BUT YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO CO-LOCATE WITH EXISTING FACILITIES LIKE TURNER ROBERTS? RIGHT.
IT'S ALREADY IN THE AREA AND I'M SURE THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE PROBABLY BEEN HAD AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF OBSTACLES AND BARRIERS AND REASONS NOT TO, BUT IF WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, STRETCH OUR DOLLAR OR MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT, PERHAPS WE COULD TAKE SOME SPACE OUTTA THERE, YOU KNOW, OR WHEREVER ACROSS THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S LOTS OF CITY FACILITIES I KNOW WHERE THE CITY IN GENERAL IS TRYING TO CUT BACK A LITTLE BIT ON SOME SPACE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT OPENS UP OFFICE BUILDINGS THAT WE COULD TURN INTO CLINICS OR WHATEVER.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS LOTS OF RESOURCES, IT'S JUST HOW DO WE GET ACCESS TO THEM? YEAH, I THINK THE CONVERSATION IN COLONY PARK, IT'S A NEW BUILDING.
UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THAT COMMUNITY FOR SOME TIME.
I, AND THEY NEED ANOTHER FACILITY.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN THE POTENTIAL WITH CO-LOCATING WITH EXISTING FACILITIES.
SO DEPENDING ON HOW THIS PROCESS SHAKES OUT, LIKE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAGGLE, LIKE WHAT IF WE DON'T GIVE YOU MONEY FOR A NEW BUILDING, BUT WE ADD ON TO, I DON'T KNOW, GU HOW WOULD THAT WORK? SO YEAH, I MAY ADD.
SO, SO AS, AS, AS DIRECTOR SAID IN THE BEGINNING, THE CHALLENGE FOR US, WE DO NOT HAVE DISPOSABLE CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS.
LIKE WE, WE DON'T HAVE LIKE LARGE DEPARTMENTS, MILLIONS LAYING IN SOME FUND THAT WE CAN JUST BUILD A CORRECT CENTER OR A LIBRARY OR THIS OR THAT.
THIS IS OUR ONLY WAY PROVIDING NEW RESOURCE AND NEW ASSETS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, MORE THAN HALF OF OUR FUNDING IS FROM GRANTS.
SO IMAGINE THERE'S, THERE'S JUST NO ENOUGH FUNDING.
SO BONDS ARE, IF WE MISS THIS ONE, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO WAIT SIX TO EIGHT MORE YEARS TO EVEN BEGIN CONVERSATION.
AND BY THAT TIME, SO MUCH TIME HAS PASSED.
SO JUST THINKING NUMBER OF THOUSANDS OF CLIENTS WE COULD SERVE.
I JUST HAD TWO QUESTIONS AND ONE'S PRETTY MUCH PROBABLY GONNA BE A FOLLOW ON TO, TO YOURS.
UH, IT WAS, UM, IS THERE A EAST AUSTIN FACIL FACILITIES GROWTH PLAN, UM, HAS ONE KIND OF ALREADY BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT PLANNED FORECASTED, EVEN IF IT'S OVER THE NEXT 15, 30 YEARS? AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION WAS, UH, UNDERSTAND THE HIGHLIGHTING OF WIC, THE WOMEN'S INFANT CHILDREN.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S PROMINENTLY LABELED AND PROMOTED FOR FATHERHOOD AND VETERANS?
[00:45:03]
SO WHEN YOU SAY AN EAST AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT PLAN, TELL, TELL ME WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT.I THINK GOING BACK TO THE REMARK WHERE YOU'RE HIGHLIGHTING WHERE MOST OF THE LOCATIONS AND FACILITIES ON BASED OFF OF THE 35 CORRIDOR MM-HMM
MOST ON THE WEST SIDE VERSUS THE EAST.
SO WHAT IS, IS THERE A PLAN TO START TO HAVE MORE ROBUST, WHETHER IT'S INDEPENDENTLY OWNED OR CO-LOCATED SO THAT THERE'S MORE LOCATIONS FOR THE EAST SIDE OF THE 35.
UM, SO IT'S MORE BALANCED IN, IN THAT ASPECT.
I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE IDENTIFIED.
AGAIN, USING, UM, DATA AND SVI, I'M PAUSING BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS.
UM, IF WE THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE MORE THAN TWO PROJECTS, WE PROBABLY WOULD EXTEND FURTHER EAST BECAUSE AS WE CAN SEE FROM THE MAPS, EVERY TIME WE TALK ABOUT ANYTHING GOING ON FROM EXTREME WEATHER TO COVID, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT.
THE MORE YOU GO INTO DE VALLEY, THE MORE YOU GO OUT TOWARDS MAINOR, IT WAS ON THERE IN THE MAP.
SO YES, AS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HAVE OUR EYE ON THAT.
UM, IT'LL BE SIX MORE YEARS UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES IN TERMS OF HOW THOSE PROJECTS ARE FUNDED BECAUSE AS HE SAID, THE ONLY WAY THAT WE PUBLIC HEALTH GETS NEW FACILITIES IS WHEN THERE IS A BOND PROJECT THAT GOES TO THE VOTERS.
AND SO OUR WORK IN THE INTERIM IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS THAT INFORMATION, UM, THAT THEY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE BOND PROCESS WORKS AND THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO DO TO GO AND BE GOOD CITIZENS WHEN IT'S TIME TO, TO SHARE THEIR VOICE ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE FATHERHOOD AND THE, UH, VETERAN SERVICES IN PARTICULAR.
I KNOW WE'VE PARTNERED WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR FATHER, UM, FATHERING AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THAT BECAUSE WIC IS VERY SPECIFIC TO CHRONIC DISEASE AND, AND HEALTH.
LIKE THAT'S, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MOMS ARE THE ONES CARRYING THE BABIES AND THEN WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE BREASTFEEDING BECAUSE WE KNOW BEST BREAST IS BEST FOR, YOU KNOW, UP TO A YEAR.
UM, BUT YOU, YOU DO MAKE SOME POINTS.
AND SO I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE TEAM AND SEE WHERE THERE COULD BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT, THAT FIT INTO THOSE NON-MEDICAL FACTORS OF HEALTH FOR THOSE SPECIFIC POPULATIONS.
AND, AND CHAIR, IF YOU DON'T MIND, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE REASON I ASKED ABOUT THE FATHERHOOD PIECE, UM, UH, I KNOW AN ORGANIZATION HEALING HANDS, I KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED THAT THEY ARE DOING A LOT WITH PREGNANT LADIES AND SO FORTH AND THEY SHARED AN INCIDENT WHERE, UM, ONE OF THE LADIES, HER HEART STOPPED AND SO THE MALE WAS GOING EVEN THROUGH THEIR OWN STRESSORS AND SITUATIONS.
AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES FOR THE LADIES AND THE INFANTS AND THE KIDS.
AND SOMETIMES THOSE SPACES DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S A PLACE OF INFORMATION FOR THE MALE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
'CAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THAT THEY PERSONALLY CAN DO.
I AM GONNA STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF MY COMMISSIONERS AND ASK DERIVATIVE QUESTIONS, STIMULATED BY THOUGHT.
UM, I JUST LOOKED UP TULSA, WHICH IS A, HAS A METRO POPULATION, UM, CHAD, CTP, UM, THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY SAYS THERE'S A POSSIBLY 1 MILLION.
SO THAT'D BE ABOUT HALF OF AUSTIN IF THIS IS TRUE.
THEY SAID THAT IN THEIR BOND PACKAGE IN 20 23, 800 14 MILLION, UM, THE, UM, THE, THE PUBLIC, WHAT'S THAT WENT TO PUBLIC HEALTH? NO, 1814 WAS THEIR BOND PACKAGE OF THAT 68 MILLION WENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES.
SO I'M JUST BACK OF THE ENVELOPE THINKING THAT, UM, COMMENT ONE OF TWO MAYBE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING IN AUSTIN HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY LOW FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND MAYBE IT'S ONE FOURTH WHAT IT SHOULD BE OR SOMETHING.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S FOR A CITY THAT'S PROBABLY ONE HALF THE SIZE OF THE IRISH, SO MAYBE IT'S ONE EIGHTH.
ISN'T THAT CRAZY? SO, UM, AND I WAS ALSO TRYING TO THINK ABOUT JUST THE IDEA.
I THINK AS COMMISSIONER WALLACE SAID, YOU KNOW, A PLAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COMMISSION CAN DO AND I'M ALWAYS ASKING FOR THINGS THAT NOBODY CAN FIGURE OUT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT NO ONE WOULD ASK OR DO, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE IS A LONGER TERM PLAN THAT SAYS, WHAT IS THE NUMBER THAT WOULD BE OUT THERE THAT WOULD SERVE THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED SERVING AND COULD YOU GET THERE IN 10 YEARS? AND WHAT DOES IT COST PER PERSON PER CAPITA? I MEAN, THE FACILITY THAT COSTS 15 MILLION DOVE SPRINGS,
[00:50:01]
I THINK YOU SAID SERVES 15,000 PEOPLE A YEAR NOW, WHICH IS FABULOUS.IF YOU, IF YOU LOOKED AT THAT AS A 30 YEAR, MAYBE YOU'D SAY THE, THE, THE VALUE OF IT OR THE COST OF IT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, IS A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER PERSON PER YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES SENSE, BUT IS THERE, IS THERE A MODEL THAT SAYS, HERE'S WHERE WE NEED COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE, HERE'S WHAT IT COSTS PER PERSON, HERE'S A 10 OR 20 YEAR PLAN ON BOND BUILDING.
AND MAYBE IT AGAIN NEEDS TO BE FOUR TIMES, AND I DUNNO HOW TO PUT THAT STORY TOGETHER, BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE THE STORY THAT'S NOT TOLD.
AND WE'RE KIND OF ANECDOTALLY WALKING ALONG, SO TO SPEAK.
WE GIVE A, YOU KNOW, UM, 15 MILLION EVERY FOUR YEARS OR SOMETHING, WHICH, UM, OR EIGHT YEARS, WHATEVER IT'S BEEN, WHICH IS GOOD, BUT MAYBE IT NEEDS TO BE 70 MILLION AND WE'RE JUST GROSSLY MISSING THE PLAY HERE.
DR. RICE, ONE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE THAT SINCE THE 2018 WHEN MONTOPOLIS WAS BUILT AND LAST YEAR DOVE SPRINGS, THE CITY BUILT ALL THEIR COMMUNITY W CENTER IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES.
SO THERE'S A GAP OF FOUR DECADES THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY ADDED ANY ASSETS TO, TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO THE PROCESS IS, IS DIFFICULT.
IT'S VERY CHALLENGING FOR THE CITY.
I BELIEVE SO TOO BECAUSE EVERY DEPARTMENT COMES WITH A PLETHORA OF NEEDS.
UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, FOR $10 REQUESTED, MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE 50 CENTS IN AVAILABLE FUNDING.
SO WHERE DOES 50 CENTS GO? UH, PROBABLY EVEN WORSE THIS TIME AROUND.
'CAUSE THE REQUESTS ARE IN BILLIONS.
UM, WE, WE, WE TRY TO PRESENT OUR CASE THROUGH DATA, THROUGH PEOPLE.
LIKE IF, IF WE GO, UM, BY THE ROUTE OF VALUE PER DOLLAR, IT, WE SORT OF LOST THE, IT'S VERY EASY TO ARGUE AGAINST THAT KIND OF PROPOSAL.
UM, THE BUSINESS SENSE, LIKE A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE, BUT, UH, VERY HARD BECAUSE THEN SOMEBODY WILL SAY, WELL, THIS OTHER DEPARTMENT WITH THIS OTHER FACILITY GETS WAY MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK.
WE TRY TO PRESENT THE HUMAN SIDE AND SAY, WELL, AND IT'S NOT JUST 15,000 CLIENTS, IT'S, IT'S TIMES FOUR.
THEIR FAMILIES ARE SIX AND THEN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEN, SO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SPREADS INFLUENCE QUITE A BIT.
UM, PROBABLY BEST BANG FOR THE BUG THE CITY CAN SPEND.
BUT AGAIN, THERE'S STURDY DEPARTMENTS, MANY NEEDS.
I DO THINK YOU'RE ONTO SOMETHING THOUGH, BECAUSE THERE IS, AND I NEVER REMEMBER WHAT THE RATIO IS, CDC SITES, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR PREVENTION VERSUS HEALTHCARE.
AND IT'S, IT'S MUCH BETTER FOR PREVENTION.
AND SO IF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, SERVICES ARE GEARED TOWARDS PREVENTATIVE SERVICES, THAT'S, UH, A DATA POINT THAT WE CAN INCLUDE.
SO I, I WILL DO SOME, I WILL DO SOME CHAT, GP TING
MAKE ONE LAST COMMENT, BUT JUST TO SAY THAT MAYBE THIS IS DEEP DOWN INTO THE WEEDS.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF BOND PACKAGING ACROSS CITIES AND IN THE US GOES TO PUBLIC HEALTH BUILDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE? AND MAYBE THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, A REALLY KIND OF DEEP AND INVISIBLE VER VERSION OF EQUITY THAT WE WOULD NEVER TALK ABOUT IN A NORMAL CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUITY.
BUT YOU'D SAY, WELL, THAT'S IN THERE AND MAYBE THAT'S REALLY A VERY, VERY FOUNDATIONAL IDEA ABOUT EQUITY THAT WE JUST KIND OF THAT'S BRILLIANT.
YOU KNOW, HAVE NEVER SPELLED OUT PER SE.
AND MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY IT HAS TO BE PHRASED BECAUSE THE NON-INVESTMENT OVER FOUR DECADES IS A STUNNING, UM, EMBARRASSMENT IN A WAY.
I, I HAVE TWO YEARS TO RETIREMENT, I CAN'T MAKE ANY COMMENTS.
IT'S GONNA MAKE THAT SHORTER
I HAVE ONE QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
UM, LET'S JUST FOR FUNSIES, THE WHAT IFS, THE WHAT IFS, THE PROJECTS DO NOT COME THROUGH AND WE NOW HAVE OUR RESIDENT EXPERT RETIRING IN TWO YEARS.
UM, AND WE HAVE THIS SIX TO EIGHT YEAR GAP THAT WE NOW HAVE.
LACK OF EQUITY, LACK OF RESOURCES, LACK OF ACCESS, LACK OF INNOVATION, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT OUR, THE ZIP CODES AND THE, THE SPACES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
DO WE, DO WE HAVE ANY VERBIAGE OF THE, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE PAST 13 YEARS WHERE WE DID NOT GET THE BOND APPROVED? LET'S DOUBLE THAT DOWN AND SAY THIS IS ALSO WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE PAST 26 YEARS FROM WHEN WE INITIALLY REQUESTED THIS, THESE, ALL OF, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS.
HERE'S WHAT THE PROGRESS OF ANOTHER SIX TO EIGHT YEARS OF PRESENTING
[00:55:01]
THIS AGAIN, WOULD BE TO THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLING AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HOME IN THESE ZIP CODES.I FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN, UM, INFORMATION SHARING, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COMMISSION, AND I'M SPEAKING OF THIS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO NOT ONLY, UH, HAVE WITHIN OUR OUR OWN BRAINS, BUT ALSO WHEN WE ARE ADVOCATING, UM, FOR WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS DOING, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT, THAT COULD BE GIVEN TO US TO IDENTIFY WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THE, WHAT IF? MM-HMM
CAN YOU LIKE SUMMARIZE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? PLEASE? COULD WE, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU ALL THE DETAILS AND I, I MM-HMM
SO, UM, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING THAT HISTORICALLY SHOWS 26 YEARS AGO, THIS WAS THE PROBLEM IN THESE ZIP CODES 13 YEARS AGO, THESE WERE STILL OR NOT THE PROBLEMS IN THESE ZIP CODES.
AND IF THIS BOND DOES NOT PASS IN FOR, FOR 2026, THIS, THIS IS WHAT WE PROJECT COULD CONTINUE TO BE THE PROBLEMS IN THESE COMMUN THESE ZIP CODES.
SO I THINK WE HAVE THAT, BUT NOT ALL IN ONE PLACE.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IF I ASK A, A TEAM TO LOOK AT THE CRITICAL HEALTH INDICATOR REPORTS FROM NOW BACK TO THAT TIME PERIOD AND THE ZIP CODES AND PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WILL SHOW THAT IT'S PERSISTED.
WE COULD PROBABLY LAY ON TOP OF THAT THE, UM, ADVERSE IMPACTS THAT BOTH OF THOSE AREAS SAW DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
WE CAN LAY ON TOP OF THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE NOW MORE FREQUENT OCCURRENCE OF EXTREME WEATHER, HEAT, AND COLD, AND HOW THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE, ARE SUFFERING WORSE, WORSE OUTCOMES ON TOP OF THAT.
AND WE COULD PROBABLY DO SOME WORK TO SHOW YEARS OF LIFE LOST IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHERS WHERE THERE IS GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT WOULD JUST TAKE US PUTTING IT TOGETHER IN THAT SUCCINCT STATEMENT.
BUT I MEAN, WERE, WE JUST THINK ABOUT IT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT COVID EVERY DAY FOR TWO YEARS, WAS ANYBODY SURPRISED AT THE PLACES WHERE WE WERE HAVING HIGH DEATH? LIKE NO, BECAUSE BECAUSE WE KNOW, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN WORK ON PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
ANY, UH, REMARKS FROM OUR, UH, ONLINE FOLKS? OKAY.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS, REMARKS, DIRECTOR STIRRUP.
NO, NOW THAT WE HAVE A WONDERFUL OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE, UM, LET'S MOVE TOWARDS
[3. Discussion on opioid abatement responses from Austin Public Health Travis County Health and Human Services and Central Health.]
OUR DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS DISCUSSION ON THE OPIOID ABATEMENT RESPONSES FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND CENTRAL HEALTH.UH, DANNY WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SEND OUT THE, UH, FULL RESPONSE AND PRESENTATIONS.
UM, I HOPE THAT EVERYONE, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THESE.
THIS IS NOT THE REASON I WANTED THIS DISCUSSION ITEM BE ON HERE.
IT WAS NOT TO GO BACK TO, UM, THE ENTITIES AND SAY, I WANT CLARITY, I WANT MORE INFORMATION, I WANT A DIFFERENT ANSWER.
IT WAS SO THAT WE COULD READ THEIR REVIEW, READ AND REVIEW THEIR RESPONSES, AND THEN COME TOGETHER AND START ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS OF WHAT WE CAN AS A COMMISSION TO CONTINUE SUPPORT, DO BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
DANNY SENT OUT ANOTHER REMINDER THAT MARCH 31ST, WE ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ANY BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS BY MARCH 31ST.
UM, SO THAT IS LIKE THE FIRST PRESSING CONVERSATION OF DO WE NEED TO GO BACK AND SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THAT THE PEER SUPPORT, UH, FUNDING IS SEEMINGLY LOW.
DO WE NEED TO ASK AND DO A RECOMMENDATION TO BRING ON FIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS? BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE THAT NAME OR TITLE.
WE HAD PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS AND WE HAVE, UM, UH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE PEERS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BUT THERE WEREN'T ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
SO DO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE AND PUSH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER CONVERSATION AND SAY, WE HAVE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION FROM THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION OF THIS SPECIFICALLY TO SUPPORT THE OPIOID RESPONSE.
[01:00:01]
UM, AND THEN TO DEEP DIVE INTO, UH, ADDITIONAL ASPECTS OF WHAT WE AS A COMMISSION CAN GET PASSIONATE BEHIND ABOUT AND BEHIND, AND START FARTHER ASKING ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND HOW WE CAN TAP IN AND TAG FOR, YOU KNOW, A WHAT CAN WE SUPPORT INDIVIDUALLY.UM, SO I HOPE EVERYONE HAD THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW.
UH, AGAIN, MY FIRST I GUESS, TOPIC OR ITEM TO DISCUSS WOULD BE LOOKING AT ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SENT.
I KNOW THERE, THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE REPORTS.
ONE FROM, UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, AND ONE FROM A PH SPECIFICALLY OUTLINING BUDGET, UH, ITEMS AND UPDATES.
ANY CONVERSATION AROUND BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS AND EXPLORATION FOR US TO SUBMIT.
UM, WHEN I WAS READING THROUGH, AND THIS IS MORE OF LIKE A STRUCTURAL THING, IS IT A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY OR THE COUNTY? 'CAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE MONEY GOES TO THE COUNTY AND THAT WOULD BE A COUNTY RECOMMENDATION.
OR WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE WHEN MAKING A BUDGET WRECK FOR OPIOID ABATEMENT FUNDS? BECAUSE I'M CONFUSED ON THAT, IF ANYONE CAN PROVIDE CLARITY ON THAT.
UM, SO THERE'S TWO BUDGET CYCLES.
THERE'S ONE FOR CITY OF BOSTON, THERE'S ONE FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
WHEN I'M READING THROUGH THIS, THIS IS ALL IN THE SCOPE OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
IS THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY OR FOR THE COUNTY, OR BOTH? WHERE DOES, WHERE DOES THAT GO? WHERE SHOULD IT GO? WELL, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS BECAUSE, UM, THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
THE, THE COUNTY DOESN'T REALLY PROVIDE A LOT OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
WE PROVIDE OUR SERVICES THROUGH PARTNERS.
UH, WE CONTRACT WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH YEAH.
TO PROVIDE, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FOR THE COUNTY, BUT IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPECIFIC FOR THE COUNTY, YOU WOULD HAVE TO COME TO THEM OR SUBMIT MAYBE SOMETHING IN WRITING TO ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, OR YOU CAN HAVE ONE RECOMMENDATION AND, AND AND, UH, SEE, SEE WHAT THE COUNTY CAN DO WITH THAT.
I'M GONNA TOSS OUT WHAT I'M KIND OF THINKING.
SO I WAS GOING THROUGH THIS GIANT LIST OF ALL THE THINGS THAT COMMUNITY LISTED THAT THEY WANT.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS A PLAN TO ADDRESS THEM IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
SO IT'S NOT THAT IT'S NECESSARILY A NEW IDEA IN MY MIND, IT'S MORE THAT THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS SHOULD BE REPRIORITIZED TO OUTREACH AND TO IN, UM, ENTITIES THAT HAVE PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S HARD BECAUSE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY LIKE A DOLLAR AMOUNT, IT'S MORE OF LIKE A REPRIORITIZATION OF THE LISTED ITEMS. BECAUSE IF YOU SAW THE ORIGINAL LIST, THERE'S A LOT OF THEM.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THE ACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN HAVE BEEN NARCAN GIVING PEOPLE NARCAN, BUT NOT AS MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE TO DO OUTREACH IN SOME OF THESE AREAS THAT YOU POINTED OUT, UM, FOR A PH THAT ARE COMPLETELY UNDERSERVED.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE WHERE MY MIND IS GOING.
I THINK I'M JUST HAVING TROUBLE LIKE FLESHING IT OUT INTO A RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S MORE OF LIKE, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE REPRIORITIZED.
AND SO I THINK IN THAT CASE THAT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION.
IF I'M, IF I'M SAYING SOMETHING WRONG THAT MAYBE COULD GO TO BOTH OF US, TO BOTH ENTITIES BECAUSE WE'RE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SUD CONSORTIUM AND WE'VE MADE A COMMITMENT TO, UM, WORK IN A COLLABORATIVE SPACE, NOT ONLY AS INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, BUT ALSO WITH PARTNERS ON THE GROUND WHEN MAKING RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS SPECIFIC TO OPIOID DOLLARS AND OTHER THINGS THAT COME INTO PLAY.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD MAKE TO US AND THAT WE COULD TAKE BACK TO THE CONSORTIUM FOR, FOR CONSIDERATION OR FURTHER DIRECTION.
SO IT'S MORE OF LIKE A RECOMMENDATION, NOT NECESSARILY BUDGET.
I THINK MAYBE I CAN'T DISTINGUISH THE TWO, BUT SO IT'S MORE LIKE A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION, CORRECT.
AND IS THERE A DEADLINE IN THAT CYCLE OR IS, 'CAUSE I KNOW MARCH 31ST FOR CITY BUDGET COUNTY HAS A DIFFERENT ONE, BUT IS THERE ANY SORT OF TIME CONSTRAINT ON ENTERING A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT BODY? I, I ALMOST JUST FOR THE CITY SIDE, I WOULD SAY INCLUDE IT IN THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND EVEN IF THERE ISN'T A DOLLAR AMOUNT, YOU COULD WORD IT FOR INCREASED FUNDING OR REALLOCATION OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER FUNDING TO SUPPORT, UH, WHAT DID YOU SAY, COMMUNITY PEER EDUCATION, THOSE, THOSE SERVICES.
[01:05:01]
GET FLAGGED AS A PRIORITY FROM COMMUNITY.SO ONE, IF THERE IS DOLLAR, IF THERE ARE DOLLARS AVAILABLE, YOU COULD GET LIKE LANAP OR IF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIRECTION TO STAFF TO, TO LOOK AT THAT.
SO I, I WOULD STILL USE THE BUDGET PROCESS AS A RECOMMENDATION ON THE CITY SIDE IF OKAY.
YEAH, BECAUSE THE DISBURSEMENTS ARE KIND OF LIKE MM-HMM
WHENEVER THEY COME, SO IT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE TO PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT ON THAT SEEMS KIND OF DIFFICULT.
AND I DON'T WANNA PULL A NUMBER OUT OF THIN AIR, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT I HAVE IN MIND.
AND LIKE, IF I'M BEING QUITE HONEST, LIKE I KIND OF DRAFTED IT ALREADY, UM, UH, I WAS JUST NOT SURE WHERE TO PUT IT IN WHAT AVENUE OR KIND OF WHERE TO START.
GIVE ME SOME GUIDANCE ON THAT.
YEAH, NOT, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, IF YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT PROCESS, YOUR, YOUR COMMISSION NEEDS TO VOTE ON IT IF IT'S GONNA BE A COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, WHETHER TO MOVE IT FORWARD OR NOT, OR YOU WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE IT AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
UM, AND THEN, UH, FOR US, I THINK WE'RE, UM, WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS ON NOBE ABATEMENT OUTSIDE OF THE BUDGET CYCLE.
UH, BUT IT WOULDN'T HURT TO DO THE SAME THING THAT ADRIAN RECOMMENDED FOR THE CITY TO PUT IT IN THE BUDGET CYCLE.
SHOULD, UM, OUR COMMISSIONERS WANNA ADD TO THAT BUCKET.
SO JUST KIND OF GO ON ALL SIDES FOR THIS.
YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH US YOU'VE MET LAURA
UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS WORKING ON WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO WITH THE NEXT FUNDING THAT COMES IN.
AND, AND LIKE DIRECTOR STRIP SAID, WE ARE WORKING WITH CENTRAL HEALTH AND THE CITY, THE THREE OF US TOGETHER ARE TALKING ABOUT WHO'S GONNA ALLOCATE MONEY FOR WHAT AND HOW DO WE COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER AND NOT OVERLAP.
WE'LL RUN WITH, RUN WITH WHAT COMMISSIONER DOLE HASEN HAS THERE AND SUPPORT HOWEVER WE CAN, COULD, COULD I JUST SAY ONE THING PLEASE? AND CAN WE MAKE IT AN ADDITION TO, AS OPPOSED TO TAKING AWAY FROM ANYTHING THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT NOT DUPLICATING SERVICES SO THAT WE HAVE GREATER IMPACT.
AND YOU MAKE A GREAT POINT ABOUT PEER, UM, RECOVERY SUPPORT, NEEDING THAT EXTRA.
UM, I'M GONNA GO KIND OF LIKE DOWN THE LIST OF THE QUESTIONS.
UH, WE, WE LOOKED AT, UM, THE NARCAN TRAINING AND DISTRIBUTION.
UM, THE RESPONSES IN THAT SPACE WERE, THIS IS HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE TRAINED, THIS IS HOW MUCH MONEY WAS ALLOCATED.
AND I CURIOUS, JUST THINKING OUT LOUD WITH THE COMMISSION OF TWO PARTS.
ONE IS UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WERE, UH, 424 COMMUNITY INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN NARCAN, UH, PROVIDING, UH, PROVIDING NARCAN TO INDIVIDUALS.
UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT IS, IT'S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT THIS IS IN FACT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE WILLING TO STEP UP AND SERVE.
AND ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE CAN CREATE RECOMMENDATIONS IN GENERAL FOR DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND OUR EX OFFICIOS TO CONTINUE TO ACTIVATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS? MEANING YOU WENT THROUGH THE TRAINING, YOU MAY HAVE ADMINISTERED A DOSE IN THIS TIME, UM, BUT COULD YOU IN FACT BE A PART OF A CAMPAIGN THAT WE NEED TO PUSH AND HAVE EDUCATION? BECAUSE LOOKING AT ALSO SOME OF THESE RESOURCES, UM, THEY'RE ALL ONLINE.
SO HOW ARE WE GETTING INFORMATION TO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HOMELESS OR WITH ARE IN HOUSED? UM, HOW ARE WE GETTING INFORMATION TO INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS? COULD WE IN FACT, CREATE A RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO SUPPORT THE 400 AND EMPOWER, AND EMPOWER THE 424 COMMUNITY INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE TRAINED? AND IS THERE, I WON'T SAY A, A FINAL THOUGHT IN THAT PROCESS, BUT THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN ACTIVATED.
HOW DO WE KEEP THEM ENGAGED TO MOVE THE NEEDLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY? UM, AND THEN THE, THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS I AM ALWAYS CURIOUS, UH, ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE RECEIVED THIS FUNDING.
AND THIS IS A SECOND QUESTION, MORE OR LESS FOR OUR EX OFFICIOS OF WHAT ARE THEY DOING AS ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE OF YOUR FUNDING TO CONTINUE TO
[01:10:01]
MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THEIR OPIOID RESPONSE? AND IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO GET SOME SORT OF HOLISTIC DRAFT OF HOW THEY'VE BEEN DOING AFTER ADMINISTERING FUNDING? SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS.MY SECOND QUESTION IS FOR THE EX OFFICIOS, CAN I PLEASE, UM, FOR THE FIRST QUESTION, ARE YOU SUGGESTING LIKE A TRAIN THE TRAINER MODEL? IS THAT KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CAPACITY BUILDING, THE TRAIN, THE TRAINER'S, THE BEST WAY TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE TRAINING AMONGST OTHER FOLKS.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CURRENT TRAINING PROGRAM IS, BUT I THINK THAT'S USUALLY THE BEST BET WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT POLICY SYSTEMS, ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES.
LIKE THAT'S A CHANGE THAT CONTINUOUSLY GROWS IN MY MIND.
BUT I THINK I'M JUST ASKING IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE KIND OF GETTING AT.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BETTER MODELS AS OPPOSED TO TRAIN ONE PERSON, CHECK, TRAIN ONE.
WHEN YOU CAN DO A TRAIN THE TRAINER MODEL, YOU'LL HAVE MUCH MORE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT CAN, HONESTLY, IT'S, IT'S MORE OR LESS A, THIS IS A CONVERSATION TO ACTIVATE THE COMMISSION, NOT TO DIRECT IT.
UM, IF IT IS A TRAIN THE TRAINER, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW CAN WE STEP AWAY AND DO OUR OWN RESEARCH AND TINKERING AND SEE, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S A VARIETY PACK OF, OF EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT ON BY BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
UM,
THIS WAS MORE OR LESS LIKE, DO WE FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT ACTIVATING NEARLY 500 PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO BE EMPOWERED TO BE A PART OF OUR OPIOID RESPONSE? AND HOW COULD WE DO THAT? THE QUESTION THAT KIND OF COMES TO MY MIND FROM WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND PROBABLY THE NOTES THAT I HAVE WOULD BE, IS OUT OF THE 424 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TRAINED, ARE THEY THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALS FOR THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REACH? UM, AND AGAIN, A LOT OF INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, BUT I THINK THE DISCONNECT THAT I DIDN'T SEE WAS HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE TAKEN CARE OF OR SUPPORTED TO KNOW THAT IF ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES AND THE RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING PUT OUT THERE ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND IN THE RIGHT POCKETS.
SO I'D HATE TO START A TRAIN A TRAINER AND IT'S THE WRONG POPULATION THAT NEEDS TO BE TRAINED, THAT HAS THE EAR OR THE RECEPTIVENESS OF THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE ULTIMATELY TRYING TO BRING THE RESOURCE TO.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT, UM, I, WE COULD MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
I THINK THAT, AGAIN, WHOEVER'S OFFERING THESE TRAININGS, UH, AGAIN, WAS, WHICH IS, WHICH IS WHERE I CAME WITH MY SECOND QUESTION OF THE COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
THE, THE NON EX OFFICIOS THAT RECEIVED THIS FUNDING, THAT DID THIS TRAINING.
UM, WE KNOW WHAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE KNOW WHAT TRAVIS COUNTY, WE KNOW WHAT CENTRAL HEALTH IS DOING INTIMATELY.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT CBOS IN OUR COMMUNITIES ARE DOING.
AND SO IF THERE IS ONE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION THAT RECEIVED THIS FUNDING AND TRAINED 280 PEOPLE, THAT'S ONLY ONE PLACE.
SO MAYBE THERE ISN'T ENOUGH, UH, ENERGY AROUND THOSE BEING TRAINED.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, IF THEY ARE WILLING TO GO THROUGH A TRAINING AND SPEND THEIR FREE TIME, I WOULD ARGUE THEY MIGHT BE THE RIGHT PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH THE TRAINING.
ARE THEY IN THE RIGHT AREAS? AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE MY, MY QUESTION OF ALL OF THIS IS, IS, IS HOW CAN WE INDIVID, YOU KNOW, GO OUT, BRING A COUPLE OF US TOGETHER, REPOSITION OUR WORKING GROUP EFFORTS TO SAY, HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE WITH THESE 424 PEOPLE MM-HMM
HOW DO WE GET THEM ACTIVATED CONTINUOUSLY? 'CAUSE AGAIN, RIGHT, IF YOU'VE PREVIOUS EMS WORKER, I'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ADMINISTERED NARCAN OR HAVE GONE THROUGH THE, THE NARCAN TRAINING AND HAVE NEVER ADMINISTERED NARCAN.
THEY JUST CARRY IT IN THEIR GLOVE BOX, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL.
BUT IF THAT IS ALL THAT HAPPENED, WE SHOULD CONTINUE
[01:15:01]
TO PUSH OUT THE CONVERSATION OF TRAINING.WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PUSH OUT THE CONVERSATION OF, OF COMMUNITY ACTIVATION.
AND I DON'T THINK EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT OUT AS A RECOMMENDATION HAS TO BE A MAJOR BUDGET REQUEST.
IT CAN ABSOLUTELY BE A COMMUNITY ACTIVATION REQUEST.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU 100%.
UM, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT, WAS IT EARLIER THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR ABOUT MORE SOME COMMUNITY FACING TYPE OF MEETINGS.
UM, AND, AND MAYBE IT CAN BE AN EASIER LIFT, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR EX OFFICIALS AND ORGANIZATIONS, MAYBE SOMETHING THAT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION MEETING WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND SO FORTH.
AND IT'S GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THEM ON WHAT'S BEEN WORKING AND WHAT HASN'T BEEN WORKING, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS THEY MAY HAVE.
AND IT CAN BE A CONVERSATION WITH THE PHC THAT MAY HIT WHAT YOU'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, CREATE THE BUY-IN THAT YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT, UM, BECAUSE THEN IT PUTS THE BALL BACK IN OUR COURT.
DO WE DO ANYTHING WITH THAT? YEAH.
I ALSO LIKE THE IDEA OF THE TRAIN.
THESE INDIVIDUALS MAY BE, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE, WHAT RESOURCES DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE? SO THEY GO TO THOSE PLACES AND TRAIN PEOPLE THERE.
WE ALREADY HAVE 424 INDIVIDUALS, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THERE ARE.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THEY WANTED TO GO THROUGH THIS TRAINING.
SO WHAT RESOURCES DO THEY NEED TO KIND OF KEEP GOING, UM, AND EXPANDING INTO OTHER AREAS.
I THINK IT'D BE A PHENOMENALLY INTERESTING IDEA TO HAVE.
I'M NOT SURE WE COULD DEVOTE A MEETING TO IT, BUT INVITE THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE DONE THIS TRAINING TO COME AND TELL US SOME STORIES SO WE HAVE SOME REALLY, UM, FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE.
YEAH, IT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IN THERE.
AND I, I, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A REQUEST BETTER HEARD FROM THE FOLKS WHO GAVE THEM MONEY OF COULD WE GET AN IMPACT REPORT FROM OUR COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS ON, AND I THINK THAT ALSO IS ONE OF COMMISSIONER WALLACE'S QUESTIONS AS WELL OF, UH, WHAT WAS THE IMPACT, RIGHT? AND SO I'M NOT, I KNOW THAT THE FUNDING WAS ALLOCATED, THE BOXES WERE TICKED.
THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH WAS WHAT YOU GAVE THEM THE MONEY TO DO.
BUT AGAIN, JUST CURIOUS IF WE COULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE ON WHAT THEY'RE CONTINUING TO DO, WHAT THEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DID, WHAT THEY'RE CONTINUING TO DO.
AND THEN WE ARE ABLE TO NOW SEE, HERE'S THE GAPS.
UM, IF FUNDING IS NOT COMING BACK TO THEM, WHAT NOW, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS NOW WITH THAT, UH, WITH THEIR EFFORTS THAT ARE NO LONGER FUNDED FROM THE CITY COUNTY? IS THAT A REASONABLE REQUEST ON THE PART OF THE CITY? YES.
WE REQUIRE, UM, SUBMISSION OF QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE, AND SO WE CAN GET THOSE, UH, REPORTS FOR PRIOR FISCAL YEARS AND, AND BRING THEM TO YOU.
I, I'M NOT SURE HOW THE OUTCOMES ARE WRITTEN THOUGH.
UM, AND IT MIGHT NOT BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT THEY'RE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SOLICITATION.
BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS, YES, WE CAN GET YOU PERFORMANCE FOR ANY CITY INVESTMENT CONTRACT.
NOW THOSE WOULD BE SPECIFIC TO WHAT THEY ARE DOING WITH CITY DOLLARS.
UM, IF YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR FULL PORTFOLIO AND WHAT WE DO, THAT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TO BE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION THAT WE WOULD'VE TO HAVE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT THERE ARE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NARCAN TRAINING AND WE WOULD NOT KNOW WHO THEY ARE BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING A PRESCRIPTION FROM THEIR PROVIDER, UM, GOING ONLINE AND GETTING TRAINING AND THEN, UM, HAVING SOME SHIPPED TO THEM.
WE'VE HAD, UM, ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN AT SOME OF OUR LARGER FESTIVALS.
I KNOW ONE GROUP THAT, UM, DURING ONE OF OUR LARGER FESTIVALS IN THE FALL GAVE 6,000 DOSES A YEAR OR SO AGO, UH, OVER, UM, JUST ONE WEEKEND AND DID TRAINING AS THEY WERE GIVING OUT THE, THE, THE NALOXONE.
SO, UM, WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO, UM, THE NUMBER AND THE IMPACT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, JUST TO GIVE YOU THAT KIND OF CONTEXT.
UH, NO, UH, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND.
UM, RAN EMS FOR FESTIVALS FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, THOSE ARE UNIQUE ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
[01:20:01]
UM, AND ALSO UNDERSTAND, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WORKING AT UMES, IF YOU HAVE A BOOTH THERE SAYING, SIGN THIS, PUT YOUR ADDRESS DOWN, WE'LL GIVE YOU SOME NARCAN, HELP US OUT WHILE YOU'RE HERE.WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA CAPTURE ALL OF THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, AND COULD ENCOURAGE, UM, WOULD BE THE ONES THAT HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING.
UM, BECAUSE MAN, I MEAN THERE'S, YEAH, THERE'S NO WAY TO, TO CAPTURE ALL OF THAT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE VENDING MACHINES THAT ARE CONSTANTLY BEING REFILLED.
AND SO WE KNOW THERE, THERE'S A LOT OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, WHAT I'M GOING TO RECOMMEND, I THINK IS A GOOD BLEND OF BOTH SIDES.
I KNOW I'M USUALLY HEAVY FOOTED ON MY PERSPECTIVE, ESPECIALLY IN AN ACCOUNTABILITY ASPECTS.
I THINK COULD THERE POTENTIALLY BE A CONVENING REQUEST, FINDING A DATE THAT'S AVAILABLE IN MAYBE NOT THE FULL COMMISSION, BUT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMISSION SO THERE'S NOT A QUORUM TO CREATE AN OFFICIAL MEETING AND SO FORTH.
AND IT BASICALLY BE A TIME THAT'S KIND OF PULLED FROM THE AGENCIES OF WHO THEY'RE FUNDING TO HAVE A MEETING OF DISCUSSION.
UM, 'CAUSE I, I BELIEVE THE SAME WAY JUST IN THE REPORTING ASPECT, IT'S JUST YOUR OUTPUTS AND SO FORTH.
SO YOU MAY NOT GET THAT FULL DIALOGUE THAT THAT HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED THERE.
UM, JUST, JUST A THOUGHT OR A RECOMMENDATION THERE.
SO YOU CAN STILL HAVE IT CONVENING.
YOU STILL CAN SEE, BUT IT STILL IS LEANING OFF OF THE AGENCIES AND WHO THEY'RE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA CONVENE A MEETING OF DISCUSSION.
IT'S GONNA BE WHAT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, WHAT DAY WORKS FOR YOU, WHAT TIME WORKS FOR YOU.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW AT LEAST AS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHO THEIR FUNDING IS GONNA BE IN THE ROOM.
AND THEN YOU CAN BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'D BE A, A GREAT, LIKE, ONCE WE GET THE INFORMATION.
'CAUSE I DO THINK THAT SOMETIMES WE DON'T HAVE, UH, WE LIKE OUR INFORMATION ON THIS COMMISSION.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO BE EDUCATED AND THEN BRING IN THOSE ENTITIES TO BE ABLE TO SAY, THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE, VERSUS LET'S MEET WITH THESE ENTITIES.
THEN WE GET INFORMATION FROM THEM, THEN WE GET INFORMATION FROM OUR EX OFFICIOS, THEN WE COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION, THEN WE COME BACK TO EACH OTHER INDIVIDUALLY AND, AND RIGHT.
AND IT'S, IT'S THIS LENGTHEN PROCESS.
UM, BUT IN THE PROJE, IN THE FORECASTING OF IT, RIGHT, IT REALLY IS TO GO BACK TO THOSE COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND SAY, HEY, WE LEARNED, WE SAW GREAT, THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION TO, UH, CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS AND OR TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL.
ARE YOU ABLE TO CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS? OR, OR, AND OR, HI, MEGAN.
UH, TWO THOUGHTS FOR CENTRAL HEALTH.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE ARE VERY SENSITIVE OF WHEN WE'RE CONTRACTING WITH SMALL CBOS IN THE COMMUNITY IS THAT NOT TO OVERBURDEN THE STAFF WITH DATA REQUESTS.
AND SO IF WE WERE TO GO BACK AND ASK FOR AN IMPACT REPORT, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I WOULD WANT IT TO BE WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF WHAT WE ASKED FOR UPFRONT WHEN WE WERE SETTING UP THE CONTRACT.
UM, NUMBER TWO, WHAT I CAN OFFER IS TO GO BACK TO OUR BRIDGE STREET TEAM AND OUR CASE MANAGERS AND OUR SOCIAL WORKERS AND OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO SEE WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION, AND EVEN IF IT'S IN TERMS OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, MORE QUALITATIVE, MORE OF THIS KIND OF STORYTELLING TO HELP INFORM THE EFFORTS.
AND ALSO, YES, THIS WAS NOT LIKE OUR TRADITIONAL IMPACT REPORTS OF WE WANT YOU TO GO BACK AND COLLECT DATA THAT YOU NEVER KNEW YOU HAD TO COLLECT.
THIS WAS LIKE A, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU, YOU'VE, YOU'VE SPENT THE MONEY ON THE THINGS YOU SAID YOU WERE GONNA SPEND THE MONEY ON.
WHAT HAS THAT DONE FROM THAT QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVE OF AT LEAST THAT'S WHERE MY BRAIN, I LOVE QUALITATIVE EVERYTHING.
UM, UNDERSTAND THAT QUANTITATIVE IS MUCH EASIER TO CAPTURE
OF BEING ABLE TO, UM, CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION.
IT WAS, WAS MY BIG, MY BIG REQUEST.
AND I WONDER IF WE ARE BEING MAYBE TOO OPEN-ENDED AND MAYBE IT MAKES SENSE TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE, OUT THE 4 424 INDIVIDUALS, UH, CAN YOU PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY ARE IN THIS SPECIFIC REGION?
[01:25:01]
HOW MANY ARE IN THIS PART? UH, 'CAUSE WE KNOW WHICH REGIONS WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE IN.UM, SO WHY NOT ASK THOSE QUESTIONS MORE DIRECTLY? UH, OTHERWISE THEY'RE GONNA, YOU CAN TALK A LOT ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS WITHOUT GETTING TO WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW BEFORE WE CAN DO OUR RECOMMENDATION.
I'M LIKE SEVERAL LIKE SENTENCES BEHIND EVERYONE STILL CHEWING ON SOMETHING.
I'M STILL CHEWING ON TRAIN THE TRAINER.
AND I THINK IT, LIKE, IT'S DIFFICULT, LIKE DR.
W SAID, LIKE WHEN I USED TO WORK BOOTS ON THE GROUND, ONE MAN WOULD DO ALL THE NARCAN SUPPLIES, ALL THE NEW EXCHANGE FOR LIKE AN ENCAMPMENT OF LIKE 30 PEOPLE.
REALLY DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN LIKE THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU'RE SERVING, BUT THE IMPACT IS DIFFERENT.
WHEN YOU TRAIN ONE PERSON, YOU CAN PROBABLY GET AN ESTIMATE.
EMS IS GONNA BE DIFFERENT FROM SOMEONE WHO IS ACTUALLY USING OPIOIDS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
YOU CAN DO SOME REALLY ROUGH DIRTY MATH WITH IT.
LIKE, IT'S NOT REALLY LIKE CRYSTAL CLEAR THERE, BUT YOU CAN, AND I'M THINKING LIKE, I'M STILL KIND OF CAUGHT IN USE OF FUNDS 'CAUSE I WANNA BE ACTIONABLE.
I DON'T WANNA KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD IS THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE FUNDS TO DO TRAINING, BUT YOU COULD PROBABLY INCENTIVIZE ONES WHO CHOOSE TO OPT IN FOR A TRAIN THE TRAINER MODEL.
BECAUSE REGARDLESS, YOU'RE, YOU'LL KNOW THAT THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THE LARGER IMPACT, THE EXACT NUMBER, IT'LL BE ROUGH, BUT LIKE IT'LL BE A LARGER IMPACT.
NONETHELESS, YOU DON'T WANNA BURDEN NONPROFITS WITH HAVING TO GIVE EXACT NUMBERS AND GETTING INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE USING SUBSTANCE SUBSTANCES.
THEY DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU THIS INFORMATION, WHICH IS TOTALLY REASONABLE, SUPER DIFFICULT.
BUT THOSE NONPROFITS CAN GENERALLY GIVE YOU A SENSE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT PERSON THEY TRAINED IS SERVING.
SO THAT INFORMATION COULD COME BACK.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE THIS IMPACTFUL, IT MIGHT JUST BE A MATTER OF MAKING THAT A CONDITION THAT THEY CAN OPT IN FOR THAT WOULD BE MORE MONEY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, THAT WAS, AGAIN, THAT WAS LIKE FIVE SENTENCES BEHIND
BUT I THINK IMPACT IS REALLY HARD, ESPECIALLY SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW.
I CAN'T PULL IT OUT OF MY HEAD, BUT WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT LIKE HOW TO STRETCH THOSE DOLLARS, UM, TRAIN THE TRAINER'S ALWAYS GONNA TAKE MAYBE LIKE AN ADDITIONAL HOUR BECAUSE IT'S JUST MORE IN DEPTH.
UM, SO YOU'RE PAYING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR A LARGER IMPACT.
BUT YEAH, THAT WAS WHERE MY MIND WAS IN ALL OF THAT.
SO IT'S AN INTRIGUING THOUGHT AND THINKING ABOUT, UM, WHAT COMMISSIONER CHOW LICIA SAID, IF WE ASK THE 424 WHERE THEY ARE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, BUT ALSO ASK HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY SHARED THE KNOWLEDGE WITH.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE KIND OF THINKING? YEAH, I THINK IT'S THAT BECAUSE WHEN YOU TRAIN, IT'S ALSO KIND OF HARD BECAUSE IF YOU TRAIN SOMEONE WHO'S USING, THEY WILL NATURALLY TYPICALLY TRAIN PEOPLE AROUND THEM.
SO I THINK THAT'S HARD, BUT CAN YOU REPHRASE YOUR QUESTION A LITTLE BIT MORE? NO, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
LIKE, JUST TO GET A GAUGE ON IF WE TRAIN ONE PERSON, HOW LIKELY ARE THEY TO SHARE THAT KNOWLEDGE WITH SOMEBODY ELSE? YEAH, AND I WILL SAY LIKE, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS, IT'S PRETTY LARGE BECAUSE SAFETY IS SUCH AN ISSUE THAT KNOWLEDGE PASSES TYPICALLY LIKE FROM ONE PERSON THROUGHOUT OTHERS, AND THEY'RE NOT COMING INTO CONTACT WITH MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AS MUCH AS OTHER FOLKS WOULD BE.
SO IF WE'RE TRYING, YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THE DATA TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING THE TRAINING EFFORTS TO A SPECIFIC POPULATION OR TO A SPECIFIC ZIP CODE.
AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? UH, PLEASE.
I I DO THINK THAT'S PART OF THE QUESTION WHERE I THINK WHAT THE, WHAT THE COMMISSION IS SAYING IS THERE'S 424 INDIVIDUALS.
ARE THEY ALL IN AREAS THAT HAVE THE MOST UNMET NEED? UM, AND IF NOT, CAN WE ASK THAT QUESTION? HOW MANY OF THOSE 424 ARE IN THIS SPECIFIC AREAS? AND THEN FROM THAT QUESTION, I THINK THEN YOU CAN KIND OF BUILD ON THE TRAINING ASPECT, UH, WITHIN THOSE AREAS.
ARE THERE FIVE PEOPLE? CAN THEY TRAIN ANOTHER 20 PEOPLE AND KIND OF GROW WITHIN THOSE AREAS? OKAY.
BUT IT'S HARD TO KNOW WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE THOSE 424 INDIVIDUALS ARE.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO KNOW WHERE ALL OF EACH OF THEM ARE.
WE JUST WANNA KNOW ARE THERE INDIVIDUALS IN THE AREAS THAT MOST NEED THEM? OKAY.
THE REASON I ASK IS WE HAVE REALLY SUCCESSFUL TRAIN THE TRAINER MODELS TO GLEAN FROM, RIGHT? LIKE SUICIDE PREVENTION, MENTAL HEALTH, FIRST AID CRISIS TRAINING, AND ALL OF THAT USUALLY
[01:30:01]
GOES BACK TO MORTALITY DATA.SO FINDING OUT WHO'S MOST AT RISK AND THEN SURROUNDING THE PEOPLE WHO SURROUND THEM WITH THESE TRAIN THE TRAINER MODELS.
SO IS THAT, ARE WE IN THE SAME, ARE WE THINKING THE SAME THINGS WITHOUT PUTTING MY COMPLETE BIAS ON THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION? YES,
I, I REALLY WANTED TRUE CONVERSATION AND BUY-IN TO HAPPEN.
AND SO USING A VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF THOSE 424 INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THE IN NARCAN, UH, UH, AND, AND A PART OF THE DISTRIBUTION EFFORTS, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE, THOSE TRAINER, THOSE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE ARE TRAINED, ARE IN THE COLONY PARK OR NORTHEAST AREAS? IF WE CAN TAKE THAT DATA AND NOW SEE THAT WE HAD FOUR IN THOSE AREAS, WE CAN COMPARE THEM TO THE AMAZING ARC GIS MAP THAT HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE DASHBOARD AND SAY, HEY, WE SAW A MASSIVE SPIKE IN EMS RUNS, CALLS, AND, UH, VISITS TO THE ED.
AND THEN SO HA SO HAPPENS THAT WE ALSO SAW AN INCREASE IN MORTALITY RATES.
WHAT IF WE PUT OUT A RECOMMENDATION TO SAY, WE ALSO, WE NEED TO PUSH THE NEEDLE ON GETTING 15 PEOPLE TRAINED IN TWO FOUR, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ZIP CODE THAT WE SAW A CONSISTENT PROBLEM FROM NOBODY TRAINED IN THE AREA TO MORTALITY RATES.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE MY GIANT BINDER THIS IS, BUT THERE ARE
I JUST CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE THEY ARE, BUT THEY'RE PROBABLY IN SIMILAR ESQUE AREAS.
BUT I KNOW THAT THAT IS SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT EFFORTS HAVE BEEN PUSHED, LIKE CURRENTLY IN ACTION THERE, BUT I DO KNOW, LIKE IT IS AT LEAST ON THE BOOKS SOMEWHERE MM-HMM
UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT IS CONCENTRATED IN A CERTAIN AREA.
BUT YEAH, THAT END OF THOUGHT, HELP CLARIFY.
UM, HOPEFULLY I CAN BRING THIS ALL BACK TO DANNY AND PUT MY VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IN THERE, AND THEN WE CAN PUT OUR VERY SPECIFIC REQUESTS AND THEN THOSE CAN BE DISTRIBUTED TO OUR EX OFFICIOS TO THEN BE DISTRIBUTED.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WE CAN ALSO GO THROUGH OUR MASSIVE BINDERS AND CONTENT TO SEE IF WE CAN DO SOME RESEARCH ON OUR OWN.
UM, JUST IN THE, THE, UM, RESPECTIVE TIME, UM, THERE IS A, A NEW PIECE THAT WAS ADDED INTO, UM, THE RESPONSE, WHICH I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYONE HAD THE CHANCE TO ALSO REVIEW THE NEW DECLARATION THAT CAME OUT EXTENDING, UH, THE OPIOID CRISIS THAT, THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN AN OPIOID CRISIS.
UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE PIECES THAT I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO PUT TOGETHER ON A WORKING GROUP OR, UM, ACTIVATE WITHIN OUR COMMISSION IS, UM, UNDERSTANDING, AGAIN, WE KNOW WHICH ZIP CODES HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY FOR FUTURE PROJECTS WITH THE CITY, BUT ALSO TAKING A STEP BACK AND SEEING, UM, THERE WAS AN INCREASED AMOUNT OF EMS AND ED EMS RUNS, UH, CALLS AND DISPATCHES, UH, AND THEN ED VISITS.
AND I'M VERY CURIOUS AS TO WERE THERE ANY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT WERE ACTIVATED POST THIS? AND I WILL SAY WHY I'M ASKING THIS.
UM, IN COLUMBUS, WE HAD A VERY, VERY INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR, OUR EMS DEPARTMENT, UM, WHEN IT CAME TO OVERDOSES AND OUR OVERDOSE RESPONSE, THE QUESTION NOW BECOMES WHAT'S THE, THE LONG-TERM SUPPORT THAT'S BEING PROVIDED, ESPECIALLY TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SEEN MULTIPLE TIMES.
UM, AGAIN, TAKING THIS BACK TO WHAT COMMISSIONER RICE MENTIONED, RIGHT, WHICH IS THE PREVENTATIVE CARE VERSUS THE HOSPITAL CARE.
UM, IF WE ARE SEEING INDIVIDUALS IN THE ED OR USING EMS MULTIPLE TIMES IN A WEEK A MONTH, THAT IS NOW A MAJOR STRAIN ON OUR, ON OUR PUBLIC SERVICES AND OUR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
UM, IS THERE A WAY THAT THIS, THIS IS MY, AGAIN, VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND ALSO UNDERSTANDING AND NOTICING THAT THERE IS A TWO TIMES, UH, RATE FOR BLACKS AND NEARLY THREE TIMES OF A RATE FOR HISPANICS.
UH, IN THAT DATA OF EMS CALLS, DISPATCHES AND VISITS.
[01:35:02]
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ADDRESS THAT CONVERSATION? WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMISSION TO BEGIN TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION INTENTIONALLY FOR THOSE TARGETED COMMUNITIES? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE DATA IS SHOWING WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS.UM, THERE WAS A 600% INCREASE IN FATAL DRUG OVERDOSES.
UM, WE, I MEAN, THESE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT ARE, ARE ADDITIONALLY PROVIDED IN, UH, A REPORT THAT WAS ADDED.
UH, AS OF FEBRUARY, I THINK, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SPEND SOME TIME AWAY FROM THE COMMISSION WITHIN OUR WORKING GROUPS OR WITHIN A WORKING GROUP, UM, TO START CONNECTING SOME DOTS AND SEE HOW CAN WE PUT TOGETHER A, A RECOMMENDATION STILL UNDERSTANDING THAT FENTANYL TEST STRIPS ARE NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF, OF SUPPORT THAT WE KNOW WE NEED.
WHAT CAN WE DO OUTSIDE OF THAT? WHILE THE IGR IS WORKING ON POLICY, UT IS WORKING ON POLICY, UM, TO ADDRESS THESE VERY, VERY REAL ASPECTS IN THIS DATA THAT WE ARE PROVIDED.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S THE, MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE INDIVIDUALS, I KNOW COMMISSIONER DO HAS AN, HAS A VERY, UH, INTIMATE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS INFORMATION THAT COULD SAY, YES, I AM WILLING TO SPEND SOME TIME LOOKING AT THIS DATA, LOOKING AT THESE DASHBOARDS TO SEE WHAT COULD WE DEVELOP AS A RECOMMENDATION, UM, FOR BOTH EDUCATION AND AWARENESS IN PRIORITY ZIP CODES SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO REDUCE THIS VERY SADDENING DATA.
SO WE DO HAVE THE MAT TEAMS THAT FOLLOW UP POST OF OVERDOSE, UM, EVENTS, POISONING EVENTS, UM, FOR THOSE THAT SURVIVE.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE ASPECT, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO LET THE COMMISSION KNOW THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING AN OVERDOSE, UM, MORTALITY REVIEW BOARD.
AND IT WON'T JUST BE LOOKING THE CON WE'RE CONCEIVING AND, UM, THIS BEING AN, AN AVENUE TO LOOK AT NOT ONLY CASES ON, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL CASES, BUT ALSO TO LOOK AT JUST WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THE GAPS.
AND THEN, BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE IT YET.
SO IT'S IN, AND THAT WILL BE ABLE TO, THAT INFORMATION WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THE COMMISSION AS WE TAKE A DEEPER DIVE BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT.
UM, WHY IS THAT HAPPENING? SINCE YOU'RE CREATING THAT? IS THERE, UM, NOT TO DOUBLE DUTY, RIGHT? UH, NOT TO CREATE WORK THAT IS ALREADY BEING DONE, BUT DO YOU HAVE GUIDANCE ON SUPPORT THAT CAN BE PROVIDED FROM THE COMMISSION TO DRIVE THE EFFORTS OF, OF THAT THAT CONCERN? I I, I DON'T WANNA SAY ANYTHING WITHOUT CHECKING BACK WITH THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPENT A YEAR PLANNING THIS, UM, TO GET THEIR GUIDANCE ON WHAT WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL.
SO IF I COULD COME GET BACK TO THE COMMISSION ON THAT, I ABSOLUTELY.
UH, AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IF WE ALREADY HAVE AN ANSWER TO THIS, BUT THE RESOURCE HUB, IT'S WONDERFUL, THERE'S TONS OF INFORMATION IN THERE, BUT IT IS ONLY ONLINE, CITY, COUNTY CENTRAL HEALTH.
UM, ARE THERE PLACES AND SPACES FOR INDIVIDUALS TO ACCESS THIS SAME INFORMATION THAT ARE NOT DIGITAL? I THINK THAT OUR HARM REDUCTION COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A LOT OF THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT SERVICES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE COME IN MAYBE FOR FOOD, MIGHT COME IN FOR SOME MINOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, MIGHT COME IN FOR COUNSELING WHERE THEY DISTRIBUTE NARCAN, TRAIN THEM, AND THEN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO SAFELY USE AND, UM, WHEN THEY'RE READY.
UM, THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR RECOVERY.
UM, SO I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY THINGS HAPPENING
[01:40:01]
OUTSIDE OF ELECTRONICALLY.I WOULD ECHO THAT FOR THE CITY.
I THINK WE ALSO UNDERESTIMATE, UM, THE LACK OF ACCESS THAT, THAT PEOPLE TRULY HAVE, BECAUSE YOU CAN DO A LOT FROM YOUR PHONE.
UM, BUT YES, I, I ECHO WHAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAID ABOUT, IT'S A MULTIFACETED APPROACH WHERE THERE'S STUFF ONLINE, THERE'S A LOT OF BOOTS ON THE GROUNDWORK THAT WE'RE FUNDING.
AND A LOT OF TIMES, AND I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THIS, THE ONLINE RESOURCES ARE REALLY FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONNECTING FOLKS TO SERVICES WHO ARE DOING THE BOOTS ON THE GROUNDWORK.
SO IT'S AN ADDITIONAL RESOURCE FOR THOSE RECOVERY COUNSELORS AND CHWS WHO ARE CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE IN THE FIELD AND ARE REGULARLY USING ONLINE TOOLS TO DO THEIR WORK.
COMMISSIONER RICE, I KNOW YOU HAD, UM, ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT WERE ADDRESSED WITHIN THERE, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER WALLACE AND I HAD VERY SIMILAR QUESTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO, UM, OUR EX OFFICIOS JUST TAGGING YOU TWO INTO, UM, THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE INTERNALLY ON THE COMMISSION CAN BE ACTIVATED BASED OFF OF THE INFORMATION WE RECEIVED.
AND ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS TOWARDS RECOMMENDATION OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, US TO DO MORE RESEARCH NOW THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION COMING TOWARDS US? I WAS FIRST OF ALL VERY APPRECIATIVE OF, UM, THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO PUT TOGETHER ESSENTIALLY A RESPONSE.
SO I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT AND, UM, WANNA SAY THAT FIRST I LIKE, I LOVE THE WORK, THE DISCUSSION WE'RE HAVING AND MAYBE THE FOCUS WE HAVE, OBVIOUSLY SOME, I MEAN, I HAD AN ARRAY OF QUESTIONS, OTHER OF US HAD AN ARRAY OF QUESTIONS AND IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE VALUES IN ADDITION TO HAVING LEARNED MORE AND GOTTEN MORE INFORMATION IS TO NOW SORT OF NARROW IT DOWN.
AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF NARROWING IT DOWN TO THE QUESTION OF, IS THE NARCAN GETTING IN THE RIGHT SPOT AND HOW DOES THAT GO? AND THE WHOLE CONVERSATION WE'VE BEEN HAVING TODAY.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD OR TO THINK ABOUT, EXCEPT THAT I THINK IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT FOCUS AND THAT'S A VERY HIGH VALUE FOCUS.
AND SO THAT LOOKS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SO I, I'M JUST SUPPORTING EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING.
NOTHING TOO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT.
I'D PROBABLY JUST SAY ESPECIALLY TO HELP WITH PROBABLY IN THIS ASPECT MORE ON A PERSONAL STANDPOINT HERE.
YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER RICE, YOU ASKED A LOT OF GREAT QUESTIONS AND I THINK JUST ASKING WHEN IT COMES FOR THE FEEDBACK FROM THE EX OFFICIALS, YOU KNOW, YES OR NO, AND THEN THE INFORMATION, SO THEN I KNOW WHAT STUFF TO JUST LEAVE ALONE BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY SAYING DON'T EVEN WORRY ABOUT IT.
AND THEN HERE'S THE JUSTIFICATIONS BEHIND IT, OR YES, WE DO BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING THE COMMISSION SHOULD LOOK INTO IT, AND THEN THE DATA OF THIS IS WHAT'S KIND OF GOING ON.
I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY PIECE THAT WAS MISSING FROM A LOT OF YOUR QUESTIONS WAS IT WAS ME, IT WAS INFORMATION, BUT I STILL WALKED AWAY WITH.
SO IS THIS EIGHT QUESTIONS WE SHOULD BE STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH, OR A QUESTIONS WE JUST NEED TO LEAVE ALONE JUST TO MAKE SURE I HEAR, I HEAR YOU WHEN WE REQUEST ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, YOUR ASKING OF THE CONTENT THAT WE RECEIVE BACK, A VERY DIRECT RESPONSE AND THEN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
SO IF I'M JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT SOME OF COMMISSIONER RICE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'LL SAY SOMETHING WHERE DO THE COMMISSIONERS ALREADY HA KNOW THIS INFORMATION MM-HMM
OR SHOULD THE COMMISSION LOOK INTO THIS? SO IT'S PROVIDED THE INFORMATION, BUT IT'S PROVIDED IN A WAY THAT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, YES, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO IT OR YES, WE SHOULD KIND OF ALREADY KNOW THIS, OR NO, WE SHOULDN'T BE LOOKING INTO IT AND NO, THE COMMISSION DOESN'T KNOW THIS, SO THEN WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO GET ACTIVATED ON.
I I WILL SAY, IF I MAY, MADAM CHAIR, THE WAY AT LEAST CITY STAFF ARE, ARE BOUGHT UP IN THE ORGANIZATION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU'RE ASKING US FOR A SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION, WE ARE JUST GONNA PROVIDE DATA.
UH, USUALLY IT IS NOT THE PLACE OR THE POSITION OF THE STAFF TO DIRECT POLICY IN THAT WAY.
BUT IF THERE IS A DIRECT QUESTION THAT YOU WANT, AND I'M, I WAS LOOKING OVER THESE REALLY QUICKLY BEFORE I RESPONDED, AND IT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PHRASED AS THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED IN MAKING A RECOMMENDATION
[01:45:01]
FOR BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, DOES A PH SUPPORT THIS LIKE INITIATIVE? AND THEN WE WOULD GIVE YOU OUR PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION.I WILL WORK WITH DANNY TO, UM, TAKE OUR INITIAL CONVERSATIONS, UNDERSTANDING THAT DR.
WA HAS GIVEN US SOME GUIDANCE ON, UM, OTHER ASPECTS OF, UH, THE FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED, AND WE CAN THEN GET THAT OUT TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, AGAIN, NOT TO PUT COMMISSIONER DOL HASEN ON THE SPOT, BUT WOULD LOVE FOR THE RECOMMENDATION TO SHARE OUT WITH US OF HOW WE CAN ACTIVATE THAT, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME LEFT.
I WOULD LOVE TO MOVE TO DISCUSSION
[4. Discussion of recommendations and action items using the Heat Resilience Playbook for Summer 2025 preparation.]
ITEM FOUR.UM, THIS SHOULD BE A QUICK CONVERSATION.
TRULY, WE ARE GETTING READY TO GO INTO OUR WARM SEASON.
IT IS ALREADY SOMEWHAT UPON US EVERY NOW AND THEN OUR DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS TO DISCUSS, UH, DISCUSSION OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION ITEMS USING THE HEAT RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK FOR 2025 PREPARATION.
UM, HOPEFULLY THERE CAN BE JUST SOME QUICK RAPID FIRE.
I LOOKED AT IT, WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, LET'S BRAINSTORM ON A, B, C, OR A, IF THERE ARE COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE HAD THIS REVELATION.
UM, I THINK LAST TIME I WAS JUST KIND OF THINKING OUT LOUD ABOUT STUFF, UM, AND COMMISSIONER CURRICULUM WAS LIKE, THINK ABOUT INCENTIVIZING THINGS.
SO I THINK MY ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS LIKE, OKAY, WATER BREAK EVERY THREE OR FOUR HOURS, LIKE A REQUIRED ONE, WHICH WAS SHOT DOWN BY THE STATE.
I WAS LIKE, OKAY, SO WHAT CAN I DO? YOUR THOUGHT WAS INCENTIVIZE AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT OUT OF THIS? AND SO IN MY MIND, AND I'M WORKING OUT THIS IN MY HEAD, SO JUST BEAR WITH ME ON THIS IS SOMETHING THAT INCENTIVIZES EMPLOYERS WHO DO ADOPT THAT RULE.
THEN WHAT'S THE INCENTIVE? AND I'M TRYING TO THINK AGAIN, LIKE LOW HANGING FRUIT.
SOMETHING THAT IS RELATIVELY CHEAP IN MY MIND, UM, IS LIKE DISCOUNTED CITY SERVICES, LIKE PEOPLE USE UTILITIES, WASTE MANAGEMENT, STUFF LIKE THAT.
THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT I CHEWED ON A LITTLE BIT AFTER OUR LAST MEETING, UM, BASED ON YOUR IDEA.
AND SO THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT SINCE THEN.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYONE FEELS ABOUT THAT OR IF THAT'S EVEN LIKE REASONABLE THING TO PUT OUT THERE.
I HAVE A, JUST A THOUGHT THAT AGAIN, JUST CAME TO ME AS YOU WERE TALKING, WHICH IS TO SAY, I WONDER IF IT'D BE INTERESTING TO ASK THE EMS SYSTEM TO GIVE US SOME KIND OF REPORT TO MAYBE AGAIN, LEARN 'EM A LITTLE MORE OF THE DETAILS BEYOND WHAT GENERAL DEMOGRAPHICS WOULD HAVE TO US LEARN ABOUT TO SAY HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, HEAT, HEAT INJURY OR DEHYDRATION IN THE SUMMERTIME HAPPENED AT A JOB SITE.
I'M, I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, AT A HOME, AT A SOMETHING PLACE ELSE AT AN OUTDOOR PARK SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE A VERY, UM, A BETTER SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE LOCALLY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IF IT TURNS OUT THAT 45% OF 'EM IN THE WORKSPACE, WE'D SAY, WELL, GEEZ, THAT'S IT.
IF IT, IF WE FIND OUT THAT IT'S TWO POINT A HALF PERCENT, I'M JUST MAKING IT UP BE RIDICULOUS.
YOU'D SAY, WELL, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOW BAR, THAT'S A LOW, UM, LOW VALUE THING COMPARED TO DOING THIS.
I, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, MAYBE WE NEED MORE WATER FOUNTAINS AT THE PARK.
I'M JUST MAKING IT UP, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE AND WHAT THE DATA WOULD SHOW.
YEAH, I THINK WHEN I WAS THINKING OF THAT, I WAS THINKING HIGHEST RISK POPULATION, WHICH ARE PEOPLE OUTDOORS EITHER BY TRADE OR BY MM-HMM
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WHERE I CAME FROM AS OPPOSED TO THE PROPORTION OR THE DISTRIBUTION OF LIKE, HEAT RELATED ILLNESS ACROSS THE POPULATION.
SO IT WAS MOSTLY JUST LOOKING AT HIGH RISK AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE THAT THOUGHT PROCESS CAME.
THAT INCENTIVE IS EXACTLY KIND OF WHAT I WAS THINKING.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE WHOLE PROCESS WORKS IN TERMS OF PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTION STUFF, BUT YOU KNOW, PERHAPS IF THE PERSON WHO'S REQUIRED THE COMPANY THAT'S REQUIRED TO GET THE PERMIT GETS A REDUCTION ON THE COST, IF THEY HIRE SUBCONTRACTORS WHO PROVIDE WATER BREAKS EVERY THREE TO FOUR HOURS OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, LIKE THOSE KINDS OF INCENTIVES I THINK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AND, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY INCENTIVIZE THE EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE THOSE, THOSE BENEFITS.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I HEARD DR.
WALKS GIVE AN AMAZING PRESENTATION ON THIS, THIS JUST LAST WEEK, AND I THINK SHE HAS SOME REAL POLICY, LIKE VERY FEASIBLE, UM, POLICY IDEAS THAT SHE'S WORKING ON, UM, OR COULD KIND OF HELP STEER THE COMMISSION.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL CAN
[01:50:02]
WHAT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THIS IS, BUT IF THE COMMISSIONERS CAN KIND OF TEE UP DR.WA TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AT THE NEXT MEETING, I THINK THAT WOULD BE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME LIKE YOU DISAGREE,
DANNY, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF DR.
WA COULD SEND US THIS PRESENTATION IF SHE HAS IT, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE THAT TO EDUCATE OURSELVES AND THEN WE CAN USE THAT INFORMATION AND EDUCATION TO THEN ACTIVATE A TRUE RECOMMENDATION BASED OFF OF WONDERFUL WORK THAT WE KNOW SHE'S DOING.
UH, I THINK WHAT COMES TO MIND FOR ME, AND I THINK THIS LEADS INTO A QUESTION OF IS THERE ALREADY COLLATERAL MATERIAL OUT THERE AND DOES IT JUST NEED TO BE REDISTRIBUTED IN A DIFFERENT WAY OR PUSHED OUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY? SO FOR EXAMPLE, KIND OF GIVE A CONNECTION POINT HERE, WHEN I WAS THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, UM, ADVOCATE FOR AUSTIN URBAN LEAGUE, UM, REALIZING THAT WITH A PREGNANT LADIES AND SO FORTH MM-HMM
AND THE HEAT AND THE ADDITIONAL STRESSORS AND RIGHT.
LIKE THAT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING YOU JUST THINK ABOUT ON A REGULAR BASIS, RIGHT? UM, OR CHILDREN AND SO FORTH.
SO I KNOW THERE'S NOW THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY PILOT PROGRAM THAT THE COUNTY'S LAUNCHING WITH, UH, A COUPLE AREAS TO, TO INCLUDE THE, THE, THE CITY OF MAYNARD, THE AUSTIN RESILIENCY NETWORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND THE TRUSTED COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER, UH, PROGRAM WITH A PH.
SO I'D BE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HEAT AND THEN THOSE UNIQUENESSES WHERE IT'S NOT THE MAJORITY, BUT WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT CERTAIN PARTICULAR POPULATIONS THAT WHEN IT'S HOT OR IT'S COLD, THEY'RE MORE PRONE.
HOW ARE WE PUSHING THAT INFORMATION OUT? OR HOW IS IT GETTING DISSEMINATED SO PEOPLE ARE BEING MORE FORETHOUGHT FOR THOSE PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS.
A GOOD REASON I SAY THAT IS, BUT JUST GO WITH ELECTIONS.
LAST YEAR HAD AN ELDERLY INDIVIDUAL PASS OUT BLEEDING.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW AS THE MAYOR AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS A NUMBER TO CALL TO BE ABLE TO GET 'EM EXPEDITED TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE, RIGHT? SO I KNOW THERE'S RESOURCES, BUT ARE THEY BEING PUSHED OUT IN THE RIGHT AVENUES SO IT'S MORE WIDELY KNOWN? AND IF SO, THAT'S KIND OF THE QUESTION I HAVE THERE THAT KIND OF TIES INTO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN GENERAL, LIKE, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS STUFF, IS THERE STUFF, 'CAUSE I WOULD HATE TO SAY WE NEED TO DO IT, AND YOU'RE LIKE, WE, WE ALREADY HAVE IT.
SO THEN ALL WE NEED TO DO IS REALLY LOOK AT HOW'S IT CURRENTLY BEING PUSHED OUT AND ARE THERE OTHER WAYS IT COULD BE PUSHED OUT? ESPECIALLY WITH THESE NEW THREE EFFORTS THAT ARE GOING ON, THEY ARE IN THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY, THE TRUSTED PARTNER IN ADDITION TO OTHER AVENUES, RIGHT? VERSUS AS WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT, IT'S ON A WEBSITE, EVERYBODY AIN'T GOING TO NO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE.
THIS, LET'S JUST BE HONEST ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD QUESTION AND I WOULD LEAN ON, UM, MY PARTNERS IN CLIMATE RESILIENCY TO ANSWER MORE SPECIFICALLY, UM, FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE ALL ABOUT THE, THE CAMPAIGNS.
UM, WE DO TRY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE FOLKS THAT WORK OUTDOORS.
UM, PRIMARILY WE DO TRY TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF PROTECTING YOUR WORKFORCE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET TO OFFER ANY OTHER INCENTIVE, BUT I KNOW YOU WON'T GET PAID, SO YOUR PROJECT IS FINISHED, SO WHY DON'T YOU KEEP PEOPLE HAPPY AND HEALTHY AT WORK? AND SO WE TRY TO ALWAYS PUT FORTH THE WFAM PRINCIPLE WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO, UM, DIFFERENT EMPLOYERS.
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S, BUT THERE'S MORE THAT CAN BE DONE.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT.
I I, WE HAVE THE USUAL SUSPECTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON THE UNHOUSED POPULATION.
UM, BUT, BUT THERE IS MORE WORK TO BE DONE FOR MORE COMMUNITY-WIDE DISSEMINATION OF WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND IT'S KIND OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS
LIKE, OH, SNAP S MEASLE IS THE BACK, I'LL GET A VACCINATION.
LIKE, YEAH, YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT IT TILL IT'S HOT.
UH, JUST THINKING ABOUT INTERNALLY, UM, IF THERE ARE COMMISSIONER WALLACE FEELING STRONGLY ABOUT THIS, UM, WITH WAYS THAT WE CAN ACTIVATE WITHIN OUR COMMISSION, UM, AND CONTINUING AGAIN WITH COMMISSIONER
[01:55:01]
K*M AND COMMISSIONER DOHA, RIGHT? WITH, UH, LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN GO MACRO OF CONSTRUCTION AND THEN HOW DOES THAT TRICKLE DOWN TO MAYBE THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION AND SUPPORT FROM THE PERMIT OFFICE THAT WOULD JUST LOVE TO JOIN IN AND ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH SUPPORT, UM, TO KEEP THIS CONVERSATION GOING, TO THEN PUSH FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION FOR, UH, EITHER, UM, EXPECTING IN EXPECTING PAR, YOU KNOW, EXPECTING MOMS AND ALSO, UM, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED BY HEAT RELATED, UM, ILLNESSES OR HEAT RELATED INCREASE.UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THOSE TWO SPECIFIC THINGS AND DRAWING UP SOME SORT OF BIG ASK AND THEN DRAWING UP A SMALL INFORMATION CAMPAIGN ASK OR, UH, ACTIVATION.
UM, THAT WAS MY, AND I, I DON'T MEAN TO FORGET OUR FRIENDS ONLINE, UH, AS WELL, BUT THOSE ARE JUST TWO THINGS THAT I THINK WE COULD ACTIVATE INTERNALLY AS COMMISSIONERS ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH ON TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASPECTS FOR OUR HEAT RESILIENCE, UM, PREPARATION FOR THIS SUMMER OF HERE'S THE MACRO RECOMMENDATION THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO PUT TOGETHER.
THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TAG TEAMING THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, HERE'S A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ARE DOING FOR OUR MORE VULNERABLE POPULATION, SPECIFICALLY WITH HEAT RELATED, UM, ACTION, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES, UM, AND, AND JUST GENERAL HEALTH.
UM, AND WE WOULD THEN, YOU KNOW, BRING THAT BACK TO THE COMMISSION NEXT MONTH TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION IN BETWEEN.
WE GET SOME INFORMATION FROM DR.
WALKS AND WE CAN THEN COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, THESE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS DON'T, SHE'S NOT HIGHLIGHTING THEM.
WE STILL FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THEM.
LET'S KEEP PUSHING THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT ALSO NOW WE HAVE SOME CLEAR DIRECTION TO GO AND WE CAN ACTIVATE THE REST OF OUR COMMISSIONERS TO, UM, SUPPORT A RECOMMENDATION FOR ADVOCATING ON HEAT RESILIENCE.
UH, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO, HOW TO SPREAD THE WORD, UH, DIFFERENTLY THAN WHEN IT'S, HOW IT'S BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
I KNOW THAT WHEN, UH, THE, THE REALLY SEVERE COLD WEATHER AND SEVERE HOT WEATHER ARE COMING, THERE ARE, UM, INTERGOVERNMENTAL, UH, MEETINGS THAT ARE HELD TO GO OVER, YOU KNOW, WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE AND HOW DO WE PUSH OUT THE INFORMATION PIOS FROM EACH ORGANIZATION ARE PRESENT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF TELEVISION AND RADIO, UM, INFORMATION THAT'S PUSHED OUT.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ONLINE, BUT A LOT OF TELEVISION AND RADIO, UM, ANNOUNCEMENTS ON HOW TO, HOW TO PREPARE AND HOW TO CARE FOR YOURSELF.
UM, SO WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW ELSE WE CAN, WE CAN PUSH THE INFORMATION OUT FROM, FROM YOU ALL.
UM, UNDERSTANDING WE'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER WITH OUR TIME.
I, I'LL WORK WITH DANNY TO GET THESE VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND, UM, HIGHLIGHT INDIVIDUALS THAT SEEM TO BE PASSIONATELY MOVING THE NEEDLE WITHIN OUR COMMISSION ON HOW WE CAN PUT TO START TO PUT TOGETHER RECOMMENDATIONS NOT ONLY FOR OUR HEAT RESILIENCE FOR COMMUNICATION, BUT ALSO FOR THE INCENTIVES.
UM, AND THEN AS WELL AS THE SAME THING FOR OUR, OUR OPIOID ABATEMENT, UM, RESPONSES, WORKING WITH DR.
WALKS TO GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SO THAT WE'RE HAVING THE MOST APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONVERSATION.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING THAT DISCUSSION WITH ME.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR BRINGING YOUR IDEAS AND CONVERSATION TO THE TABLE FOR FUTURE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS. I KNOW THAT DANNY HAS, UH, ALREADY A FEW THINGS PLANNED AND PROJECTED.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT OUR BACK END OF THE YEAR PLANNING.
I THINK WE WENT THROUGH MAY, UM, FOR OUR PROJECTED PRESENTATIONS AND CONVERSATIONS.
UM, SO ADDING IN OUR JUNE THROUGH DECEMBER CONVERSATIONS, I KNOW WE STILL NEED TO DECIDE IF WE'RE GONNA REMOVE DECEMBER'S MEETING BECAUSE WE MIGHT NOT HAVE A PLACE TO MEET OR IF WE NEED TO FIND A NEW PLACE TO MEET FOR OUR END OF THE YEAR RETREAT.
UM, SO ADDING THAT TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE, THE CONVERSATION.
AND THEN, UM, IF WE COULD ALSO SEE ABOUT GETTING OUR COLD WEATHER REPORT.
[02:00:02]
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S BEEN ENOUGH TIME.UH, I DUNNO THAT IT'S BEEN DONE YET.
UM, BUT YEAH, I'LL KEEP AN EYE OUT ON COURT.
UM, ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE, UH, AGAIN, I WILL CONTINUE TO SAY THIS.
IF WE ARE GOING TO FOLLOW THE BUDGET CALENDAR, WE HAVE A SOLID 26 DAYS TO ACTIVATE AND GET THAT SUBMITTED.
SO YES, ACTUALLY I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
WE GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT IT, ABOUT THE PROCESS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ADRIAN, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME LIGHT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE REALLY WHATEVER RECOMMENDATIONS WE WANT TO MAKE WON'T BE CONSIDERED FOR NEXT YEAR.
IT'LL BE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 27.
WILL WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 STILL, OR WILL WE BE LOOKING AT 28 BY THEN? SO ARE WE LOOKING AT ONE YEAR IN ADVANCE OR ARE WE LOOKING TWO YEARS? BECAUSE YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT'S, THIS IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH HIS TWO YEAR BUDGET CYCLE.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE TO ADOPT A BUDGET ANNUALLY, FROM WHAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE ON THE, ON THE OFF YEAR, SO 26, NO NEW ITEMS CAN BE PRESENTED BY STAFF.
THERE CAN BE ENHANCEMENTS REQUESTED IF IT'S IN ALIGNMENT WITH SOMETHING FROM COUNCIL OR COMMISSION.
SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR, YOUR WIGGLE ROOM.
BUT, SO YES, SO THE, THE NEXT TIME WE CAN LIKE GO ALL OUT AND SUGGEST STUFF WOULD BE 27.
AND I KNOW THAT, UH, VICE CHAIR HAW YOU HAD, YOU HAD ALSO MENTIONED, UM, ABOUT, UH, FUNDING THAT FROM THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE DID FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UM, I THINK THERE'S JUST, AGAIN, THERE'S GONNA BE, NEED TO BE A LOT OF INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS WITHIN THE COMMISSION OF WHAT WE WANT TO SPEND TWO WEEKS MAYBE GETTING TOGETHER, UM, OR SEEING WHAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE AGAIN THAT WE CAN ADVOCATE AND SUPPORT.
YEAH, I THINK, UM, JUST TO SHARE WITH THE BROADER COMMISSION, THE QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS OF THE THINGS THAT WE RECOMMENDED LAST YEAR OR THAT WE JOINED IN RECOMMENDATION, WHICH ONES ACTUALLY GOT APPROVED? IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MOST OF THEM GOT APPROVED, UNFORTUNATELY.
WE CAN, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
I KNOW THAT THE BUDGET OFFICE, LIKE RIGHT AFTER, HAD A SESSION FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND SO ONE, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE INCLUDED IN THAT FOR THE FUTURE, BUT WE CAN BRING THAT BACK.
UM, ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT ARE PERCOLATING WITHIN THE COMMISSION THAT WE COULD OR FOR, UM, APRIL, WHICH IS WILD TO SAY OUT LOUD.
I JUST EMAILED, UH, YOU AS WELL AS, UM, THE VICE CHAIR, THE HIV STIGMA INDEX WOULD LIKE TO COME AND DO A PRESENTATION, UM, IN APRIL.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO FUTURE ITEMS OR OH, YES, YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT A POTENTIAL FUTURE ITEM, UM, THE IMPACTS OF FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS ON LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH, WE COULD COME BACK OR I CAN SHARE THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE WE'RE GIVING AND THEN YOU GUYS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE CAN DO THAT.
DIRECTOR STIR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT TO THE FOREFRONT OF OUR CONVERSATION.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL PROPOSED ITEMS, YES.
I JUST WANNA ENTER INTO THE RECORD, UH, THAT I WAS INVITED TO ATTEND A MEETING LAST WEEK, THE VACCINE EQUITY COALITION TO PRESENT ON THE COMMISSION AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DO.
COINCIDENTALLY, COMMISSIONER WALTZ WAS THERE AS, AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, UH, BUT WE BOTH GAVE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMISSION AND YOU KNOW, HOW THEY COULD CONTACT US OR WHATEVER.
SO JUST WANTED TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR CONCERNS, I WILL CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED AT FOUR 40.