Mar 12, 2025 Tourism Commission

AND I'M MELISSA MCKNIGHT.

THANK YOU, MS. PIER.

NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, JOHN REY WITH A COMMUNICATION.

HEY Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T MEAN TO IRISH GOODBYE YOU GUYS LAST MONTH.

I INTENDED TO SHOW UP AND SAY GOODBYE, UM, .

SO I WANTED TO DO IT IN PERSON BECAUSE I REALLY APPRECIATE IT WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU, MEETING ALL OF YOU.

UM, I WANT TO SHOUT OUT IN PARTICULAR, ED BAILEY, COMMISSIONER BAILEY, MY FELLOW OG.

WE WERE INAUGURAL MEMBERS OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION, AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE SERVING WITH YOU FOR SIX YEARS.

ED, I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO DANIEL RONAN, COMMISSIONER RONAN, YOU COMING IN HAVE REALLY TRANSFORMED THIS COMMISSION.

I THINK WE ALL AGREE WITH THAT.

UM, IT HAS BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE, MORE MEANINGFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.

YOU DID SUBSTANTIVE WORK ON THE STR THING.

IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ENDEAVORS THIS COMMISSION TOOK ON.

YOU AND YOUR TEAM DID A GREAT JOB, AND IT IT SHOWS IN WHAT THE CITY JUST DID.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AND GREG AND ANNA ALSO GREAT TO SEE YOU, STEPHANIE.

HI.

UM, I'M GONNA MISS SERVING WITH YOU GUYS, BUT MY JOB HAS JUST BECOME TOO OVERWHELMING TO DEVOTE ENOUGH TIME FOR THIS.

UM, I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT, AS SOMEBODY WHO FOR MY DAY JOB PAYS ATTENTION TO A LOT OF COMMISSIONS, YOU HAVE ONE OF THE BEST COMMISSION LIAISONS I'VE EVER SEEN.

FELICIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

LIKE SHE'S SO CONSCIENTIOUS.

TRUST ME, I GO TO A LOT OF COMMISSION MEETINGS ACROSS DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS AND FELICIA IS PROBABLY THE BEST I'VE SEEN IN TERMS OF CONSTANT COMMUNICATION.

SO I HOPE Y'ALL UNDERSTAND HOW GREAT SHE IS.

AND THEN FINALLY, UM, Y'ALL ARE GONNA TAKE UP A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE NEW OFFICE OF ARTS CULTURE, UH, MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW, MY DAY JOB IS WITH AUSTIN CREATIVE ALLIANCE.

WE ADVOCATED FOR THAT OFFICE, UH, FOR YEARS IN COMMUNITY AND COALITION WITH A LOT OF FOLKS IN TOWN.

BUT, UM, I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW HOW CONSEQUENTIAL THE CREATION OF THAT OFFICE IS.

EVERY BIG CITY IN THE COUNTRY HAS A SUCH A STANDALONE OFFICE TO COORDINATE ITS CULTURAL WORK, AND THIS IS LONG OVERDUE.

SO I JUST WANNA SAY, I HOPE Y'ALL WILL SUPPORT THIS OFFICE AND DO WHAT YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE IT'S SUCCESSFUL.

AND YEAH, THANK YOU GUYS.

IT'S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE GETTING TO KNOW Y'ALL AND WORKING WITH Y'ALL OVER THESE LAST FEW YEARS.

THANK YOU, JOHN.

THANK YOU MUCH.

JOHN.

NEXT UP WE HAVE MELISSA MCKNIGHT AND BONNIE CULLUM, UH, HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

I'M THE PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT THE VORTEX OVER ON MAYNARD ROAD.

I'M THE MANAGING DIRECTOR AT THE VORTEX.

AND WE JUST WANTED TO COME TODAY AND, UH, SHOW OUR SUPPORT AND APPRECIATION AND EXCITEMENT FOR THE NEW ACNE DEPARTMENT.

UM, WE'RE REALLY SO THRILLED THAT, UH, THAT Y'ALL HAVE LISTENED TO THE COMMUNITY AROUND, UH, GETTING THIS GOING, AND ESPECIALLY THE CITY MANAGER.

UH, WE'RE JUST VERY GRATEFUL AND WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE NEXT STEPS AND TO BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, MS MEANS, UH, AROUND, UH, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WANTS TO BUILD AND DREAM GOING FORWARD WITH A NEW DEPARTMENT.

YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEEDED FOR A LONG TIME.

UM, I'VE BEEN A CULTURAL CONTRACTOR FOR 35 YEARS, SO I'VE GOT A LOT OF CUMULATIVE

[00:15:01]

EXPERIENCE WITH THE WAY THAT THIS CULTURAL ARTS HAS BEEN FUNDED IN THE CITY.

UM, I DO WANT TO INVITE YOU ALL OVER TO, UM, MOTHER TREE, WHICH IS OPENING ON THE 27TH OF MARCH.

I'VE GOT FREE TICKET VOUCHERS UP HERE, SO, UM, PLEASE COME AND SEE THE VENUE AND SEE THE SHOW.

THIS IS AN ORIGINAL PIECE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED IN AUSTIN, AND IT IS IN ADDITION TO BEING SUPPORTED BY THE CITY, IT'S BEING SUPPORTED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS DISTRICT FUNDING, WHICH MEANS THAT OUR TARGET IS TO BRING IN PEOPLE FROM 50 MILES OR MORE AWAY TO SIX SQUARE AUSTIN'S BLACK CULTURAL DISTRICT.

SO PART OF OUR GRANT IS REALLY IN OUTREACH, AND YOU'LL BE SEEING BILLBOARDS POPPING UP AROUND THE EDGES OF AUSTIN AND HIGHWAYS FOR MOTHER TREE AGAIN, TRYING TO BRING TOURISTS INTO OUR DISTRICT AND EXPERIENCING THIS AMAZING ORIGINAL MUSICAL DANCE THEATER CREATED FROM SCRATCH, REALLY HONORING OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH TREES.

SO I HOPE YOU'LL ALL COME AND CHECK OUT THE VORTEX AND SEE THE SHOW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, MS. MCKNIGHT AND MS. CULLUM.

AND WITH THAT COMMENT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR, EXCUSE ME, OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FOR TODAY.

UH, NEXT UP WE FIRST I'D LIKE TO TAKE A, A BRIEF PAUSE TO NOTE THAT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS GOING TO BE RESCHEDULED FOR MOST LIKELY NEXT MONTH, UM, REGARDING THE EIS FOR PROJECT CONNECT.

UH, SO APOLOGIES THERE.

UM, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

WITH AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 12TH, 2025 FOR THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE.

SO I MOVED BY COMMISSIONER CHA, DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER IAN.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RATHER DISCUSSION? NO DISCUSSION.

HEARING NONE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.

PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

UH, UH, STAFF LIAISON, UH, BRIEFING FROM MS. FELICIA BURLESON, IF YOU COULD PLEASE APPROACH THE DAIS.

UH, MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO,

[2. Staff briefing from Staff Liaison, Felicia Burleson, regarding guidelines and updates for commission board.]

YES.

UM, I, IN YOUR PACKET, I ADDED THE NOTES, UM, THAT I'M GONNA GO OVER.

UM, IT IS TO BRIEFLY GO OVER IT.

THE FIRST MESSAGE TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTENDANCE AND MAKING QUORUM, ESPECIALLY NOW WHEN WE ARE SHORT THREE IN, IN THE VACANCIES.

UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ATTENDING, UM, AT ALL TIMES.

IF YOU CANNOT, PLEASE GET WITH ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO I CAN SHARE THAT WITH DANIEL.

UM, ALSO, IF YOU ARE ATTENDING ONLINE VIRTUALLY, DON'T FORGET TO SIGN THE ATTENDANCE SHEET AND SEND THAT TO ME.

UM, AS SOON AS YOU CAN BY THE END OF THE WEEK WOULD BE GREAT, SO YOU CAN BE COUNTED IN AS PRESENT.

AND THE NEXT ONE TALKS ABOUT THE, UM, ROLLOVER FOR YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WHO EITHER, UM, GOT, WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, OR THEY FINISHED THEIR TERMS, THEIR MAX TERMS. SO YOU DO HAVE A 60 DAY, UH, ROLLOVER TIME, UM, UNTIL CITY CLERK'S OFFICE LETS YOU KNOW, THEN YOU ARE STILL OKAY TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS.

UM, IF THEY LET ME KNOW, I WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS, UM, I HEAR ANYTHING.

AND IN THE LAST REMINDER IN APRIL'S CALENDAR, WE NEED TO ADD THAT WE NEED TO DO THE VOTING OF ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND, AND VICE CHAIR.

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.

THANK YOU, MS. BURLESON.

UM, AND WITH THAT, I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, ONE, UH, APPOINTMENT FROM D 10 IN THE WORK.

SO I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE WILL NOT BE THIS CLOSE IN TRYING TO MAKE QUORUM, UH, EVERY WEEK.

AND SO WE'LL ANNOUNCE THAT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, UH, EVERY MONTH RATHER.

UH, COMMISSIONER, CHAIRMAN, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT? UM, FELICIA, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL WHEN I GOT REAPPOINTED THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME TYPE OF ABBREVIATED TRAINING THAT WAS GONNA BE AVAILABLE.

HAS, IS THAT NOW AVAILABLE? BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK I'VE, I THOUGHT THE EMAIL SAID WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WHEN IT WAS.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

UH, AND I GUESS AS A FOLLOW UP, UM, MS. BURLESON, DO WE, WE ALL HAVE TO TAKE THE TRAINING OR IS IT JUST THOSE FACING REAPPOINTMENT? OKAY, GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WITH REGARDS TO HOUSEKEEPING FOR THE COMMISSION? HEARING NONE, WE NOW MOVE ON TO, UH,

[3. Presentation by Katy Zamesnik, Assistant Director of the Austin Convention Center Department, regarding the future plans of the Austin Convention Center.]

WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, MS. KATIE NIK, UH, REGARDING THE FUTURE PLANS OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.

UH, FEEL FREE TO COME TO THE

[00:20:01]

PODIUM AND HAVE AT IT.

I'M KATIE MESNICK, GUEST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, AND I'M JOINED WITH LARRY SPEC.

HE IS A SENIOR PRINCIPAL WITH PAGE ARCHITECTS HERE IN AUSTIN.

UH, HE IS PART OF THE JOINT VENTURE TEAM, UM, BETWEEN LMN AND PAIGE, WHO IS HELPING TO DESIGN, UM, THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, PART OF THE GIANT TEAM OF ARCHITECTS WE HAVE WORKING ON THIS MAGNIFICENT BUILDING THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SHOW YOU.

SO, UM, AS YOU ARE AWARE, WE ARE THE 11TH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, BUT WE ARE, UM, ONLY THE 61ST LARGEST CONVENTION CENTER.

UM, WE TURN AWAY APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE BUSINESS LEADS THAT WE RECEIVE EACH YEAR.

UM, SO THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ECONOMIC IMPACT LOSS THAT WE HAVE, UM, IN THE CITY.

ONCE WE ARE COMPLETE, UH, WE DO EXPECT TO JUMP TO ABOUT THE 35TH LARGEST.

UM, SO THIS REDEVELOPMENT IS REALLY A REINVESTMENT IN OUR TOURISM, UM, INDUSTRY HERE IN AUSTIN.

WHEN WE ARE REDEVELOPED, WE WILL BE LARGER THAN THE CITIES YOU SEE ON SCREEN, UM, INCLUDING NASHVILLE, FORT WORTH AND PITTSBURGH.

AND I CAN TELL YOU ALL THESE CITIES ARE VERY SCARED TO KNOW THAT WE ARE DOING THIS REDEVELOPMENT.

WE WILL ALSO BE COMPETING WITH NEW, A NEW SET OF CITIES, INCLUDING SAN ANTONIO HERE IN TEXAS, UH, PHILADELPHIA, DENVER, AND SEATTLE, BOTH OF WHOM JUST COMPLETED, UM, THEIR OWN EXPANSIONS.

AND SO THERE ARE SOME BIG CHANGES COMING.

UM, SO WE HAVE BEEN CONTINUING DESIGN AND WILL CONTINUE DESIGN THROUGH 2025.

UH, WE WILL CLOSE OUR DOORS ON APRIL ONE OF THIS YEAR.

UH, WE HAVE SOUTH BY AND ONE MORE EVENT.

AND THEN THAT'S IT.

UH, WE WILL BEGIN OUR DEMOLITION, UM, AND EXCAVATION ACTIVITY SHORTLY THEREAFTER.

UM, AND THEN CONSTRUCTION.

AND THEN WE WILL REOPEN IN TIME FOR SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON IN 2029.

DID WANNA TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO UNCONVENTIONAL A TX.

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE NAMING THIS PROJECT.

UM, AND SO WE JUST THINK, AS YOU'LL SEE KIND OF THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, WE FEEL THAT THIS KIND OF ENCAPSULATES WHAT THIS PROJECT REALLY MEANS AND, AND REALLY KIND OF THE UNCONVENTIONAL WAY THAT THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO LOOK AND FEEL AND HOW IT REPRESENTS KIND OF THE UNCONVENTIONAL WAY THAT AUSTIN IS AS A CITY.

LOOKING AT THE PROJECT SCOPE.

EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE SLIDE.

UH, SO WE HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD.

UM, THERE HAS BEEN A LARGE TEAM THAT'S WORKED ON THIS CONSTRUCTION COST DOES REMAIN AROUND THAT $1.26 BILLION NUMBER.

UH, WE WILL BE INCREASING FROM OUR EXISTING RENTABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF 365,000 SQUARE FEET TO 555,000 SQUARE FEET, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 70,000 SQUARE FEET OF OUTDOOR RENTABLE EVENT SPACE.

UM, AND NOT AS SHOWN ON THIS SCREEN, BUT INCLUDED, AND YOU'LL SEE IN A FUTURE SLIDE, IS ACTUALLY THE ABILITY FOR AN ADDITIONAL EXPANSION IN LATER YEARS AS WELL.

UH, SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FUTURE PROOF THE EXPANSION AND PLAN FOR FUTURE GROWTH, UH, SO THAT WE NEVER HAVE TO TEAR THIS THING DOWN AGAIN AND GO THROUGH WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO GO THROUGH.

AND I THINK WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO LARRY, WHO CAN TALK WAY MORE ELOQUENTLY ABOUT THIS PROJECT THAN I CAN.

I DON'T THINK SO.

UM, SO THIS IS THE COUNCIL'S CHARGE TO US.

UH, WHEN THEY APPROVED THE PROJECT, UH, THEY SAID THEY WANTED THE MOST INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN BOTH PROGRAMMING AND PLACE MAKING.

UH, THEY WANTED TO HAVE A CIVIC BUILDING THAT DRAWS AND SERVES AUSTINITES AS WELL AS VISITORS.

UH, AND THEY WANTED A LANDMARK OF GREAT DISTINCTION, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A REAL GATHERING PLACE AND SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A PRIDE OF THE COMMUNITY.

UH, WE BEGAN THIS PROJECT BY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE SOMETHING UNIQUELY AUSTIN, WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT AUSTIN? UH, AND WE, WE SPENT WEEKS SORT OF CREATING THIS THAT WE CALL THE AUSTIN MATRIX, WHICH IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE.

UH, I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF IT, BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DO HAVE A PUBLIC LIFE IN AUSTIN THAT'S REMARKABLE AND VERY, VERY UNUSUAL.

IT'S ON OUR TRAILS AND IN OUR PARKS AND ON OUR SIDEWALKS AND STREETS AND PEDESTRIAN LIFE.

WE ARE A UNIQUE CITY IN TERMS OF THAT KIND OF PUBLIC LIFE.

WE ALSO HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE DOWNTOWN THAT IS MASSIVE AND DENSE AND URBAN RIGHT NEXT TO BEAUTIFUL GREEN NATURE TURTLES, BUNNY, RABBITS, BIRDS.

UH, THIS IS UNIQUE.

NOT MANY PLACES HAVE THAT.

BOTH OF THESE ARE THINGS WE THINK CAN INSPIRE THE BUILDING AND REALLY MAKE A BUILDING THAT WILL REFLECT THAT UNIQUENESS OF AUSTIN.

ANOTHER THING AUSTIN'S ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT IS SUSTAINABILITY.

UH, WE'LL BE GOING FOR A GB THREE STAR ON THIS, UH, LEAD GOLD, BUT IT'LL BE HIGHLY GOLD, MAYBE EVEN PLATINUM.

UH, AND THEN REALLY THE SORT OF STRONG THING IN SUSTAINABILITY THESE DAYS IS LOOKING AT CARBON REDUCTION.

AND WE'LL BE LOOKING BOTH AT THE EMBODIED CARBON BEING REDUCED AS WELL AS THE OPERATIONAL CARBON FOR THE LIFE OF THE BUILDING.

[00:25:01]

UH, WE'RE BEING, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH ILFI, THAT'S THE INTERNATIONAL, UH, SOMETHING FUTURES INSTITUTE, LIVING FUTURES INSTITUTE, UH, THAT IS THE, THE, THE GOLD STANDARD FOR CARBON CERTIFICATION.

SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE VERY BEST AND GREATEST THINGS WE CAN TO REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THIS BUILDING.

AND WE WOULD BE THE FIRST ZERO CARBON CERTIFIED CONVENTION CENTER IN THE WORLD.

THAT'S OUR GOAL, AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO DO THAT.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, INTERNATIONAL, UH, UH, LIVING FUTURES INSTITUTE TO DO THAT.

UM, SO ONE OF THE OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT GOALS OF THIS IS RECONNECTING AUSTIN.

YOU PROBABLY NOTICE THAT THE EAST HALF OF DOWNTOWN IS MASSIVELY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

UH, AND IT'S CHANGING.

AND WE WANT THIS CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH YOU SEE IN THAT LITTLE, UH, DASH LINE AREA, UH, WHICH IS RIGHT AT THE NEXUS OF ALL OF THESE THINGS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WILL KNIT ALL OF THESE NEW PROJECTS TOGETHER IN AUSTIN.

SO THERE'S ALL OF WHAT'S HAPPENING ON SIXTH STREET STREAM, REALTIES DEVELOPMENT AT SIXTH AND, AND, UH, UH, RED RIVER, UH, ALL THE SECOND STREET, UH, DISTRICT MOVING EAST AND INTO OUR SITE, UH, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT COMING DOWN FROM THE SOUTH DUBS AND ALL OF THOSE PLACES, REALS KIND OF MUSIC, HEART OF AUSTIN, UH, RAINY STREET, WHICH IS BOOM BOOMING AT THE MOMENT.

AND WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF NEW RESTAURANTS AND CLUBS AND VENUES THAT OUR VISITORS WILL WANT TO GO TO.

WE WANNA REALLY RECONNECT THAT INTO DOWNTOWN AND TRY TO MAKE THAT ALONG WITH THE WATERLOO GREENWAY, ALONG WITH, UH, PROJECT CONNECT, ALONG WITH CAP AND STITCH, ALONG WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF PALM PARK.

ALL OF THOSE THINGS KIND OF CONVERGED TOGETHER, UH, IN A WAY THAT HASN'T HAPPENED BEFORE IN DOWNTOWN.

UH, SO WE'RE REESTABLISHING THE WALLER GRID, WHERE THAT GREEN STREET IS THIRD STREET, WHICH WILL BE A VEHICULAR STREET THAT WILL RECONNECT ACROSS THE SITE.

UH, THE BLUE THERE IS, UH, SECOND STREET, WHICH WILL BE AN INDOOR OUTDOOR PEDESTRIAN STREET THAT WILL CONNECT AGAIN ALL THE WAY THROUGH FROM SECOND STREET RETAIL DISTRICT ALL THE WAY TO PALM PARK AND WATERLOO GREENWAY.

AND THEN EVEN NATURE'S THE RED LINE THERE, WHICH HASN'T BEEN CONNECTED IN AGES, UH, WILL ACTUALLY BE A INDOOR OUTDOOR PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION THROUGH THE SITE AS WELL.

AND IT'LL HAVE THE SCALE OF DOWNTOWN.

UH, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER FROM DOWNTOWN, FROM THE MASONRY BUILDINGS ON SIXTH STREET, FROM THE OPEN AIR FLEXIBLE OUTDOOR SPACES ON RAINY STREET.

ALL OF THOSE ARE INCORPORATED IN THE NEW BUILDING.

ONE OF THE REALLY COOL THINGS WE'RE DOING HERE IS BECAUSE THE SITE IS VERY URBAN ON ONE SIDE TO THE NORTH AND WEST, AND IT HAS WALLER CREEK PALM PARK, VERY GREEN TO THE SOUTH AND EAST, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THIS BUILDING KIND OF MARRY THE DENSE URBAN QUALITY OF DOWNTOWN WITH THE LANDSCAPE QUALITY OF DOWNTOWN.

THE LOCATION ALSO GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THREE MAJOR CIVIC BUILDINGS ON CAESAR CHAVEZ, WHICH IS OUR MAJOR EAST WEST CONNECTOR ACROSS DOWNTOWN.

SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ON SHOAL CREEK, THE CITY HALL, AND ITS OPEN SPACE AT THE CENTER OF DOWNTOWN.

AND THEN WE ARE MAKING A SPECIAL LITTLE PAVILION, VERY MUCH THE SCALE OF THOSE OTHER TWO PROJECTS THAT'LL BE THERE AS A CIVIC LANDMARK ON CESAR CHAVEZ RIGHT NEXT TO WALLER CREEK.

SO, UH, LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE TOUR HERE.

UH, MOST OF THE BUILDING IS FREAKING UNDERGROUND.

SO ALL THE EXHIBIT SPACE, ALL THE TRUCK DOCKS AND LOADING AND UNLOADING, AND ALL OF THE SERVICE KIND OF THINGS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL IN A CONVENTION CENTER, BUT NOT EASILY INTEGRATED INTO URBAN FABRIC.

THEY'RE ALL UNDERGROUND.

AND THERE'LL JUST BE ONE DOOR ON RED RIVER THAT TAKES THE TRUCKS DOWN A HELICAL RAMP AND TAKES 'EM TO THIS MASSIVE TRUCK DOCK, AND THEN 350,000 SQUARE FEET OF EXHIBIT SPACE UNDERGROUND.

THEN WHAT'S ABOVE THE GROUND IS PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY.

IT'LL BE THE BALLROOM, THE MEETING ROOMS, UH, AND A FLEX HALL, WHICH IS A KIND OF GATHERING SPACE AS WELL AS WELL AS REGISTRATION.

WE ALSO, AS KATIE MENTIONED, UH, WE'RE PROVIDING FOR FUTURE EXPANSION.

UH, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS A LOT BIGGER IN THE FUTURE IF, UH, THE DEMAND AND THE FUNDS ARE THERE TO DO THAT.

SO LET ME JUST TAKE YOU ON A TOUR.

THE TOP TWO BLOCKS BETWEEN THIRD STREET AND FOURTH STREET, UH, ARE GONNA BE MOSTLY OPEN SPACE, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE BACKYARD, A BIG FLEXIBLE

[00:30:01]

OUTDOOR EVENT SPACE THAT CAN HAVE FOOD TRUCKS AND, UH, POSSIBLY PERMANENT FOOD, UH, FACILITIES THERE AS WELL.

AS WELL AS THE WAREHOUSE, WHICH IS THAT PLACE WHERE THE TRUCK GOES DOWN THE RAMP AND INTO THE BUILDING.

THERE.

YOU CAN SEE IT, THOSE NORTHERNMOST TWO BLOCKS, A BIG PROMENADE UP TO THE FRONT DOOR ON THIRD STREET THERE.

THAT YELLOW AREA IS A BIG FLEXIBLE EVENT SPACE.

THEY CAN BE MUSIC EVENTS, BIG ONES, LITTLE ONES.

IT CAN BE TINTED AND SERVE, UH, UH, HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FOR MEALS.

UH, IT CAN HAVE EXHIBITS.

UH, IT'S VERY, VERY FLEXIBLE OUTDOOR EVENT SPACE, AND GIVES THAT LIFE OF AUSTIN OUTDOORS AS WELL AS INDOORS.

UH, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT'LL LOOK LIKE.

WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, CONVENTIONS LIKE TO HAVE THEIR BANNERS AND THEIR, UH, MESSAGES.

SO WE'VE MADE A SPECIAL SCREEN WALL AT THE END OF THAT OUTDOOR SPACE THAT'S THERE FOR MESSAGING AND, AND IT'LL CHANGE ALL THE TIME AND, AND TELL US WHO'S IN TOWN AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, THROUGH PROJECTION AS WELL AS THROUGH BANNERS.

UH, THEN THE MIDDLE TWO BLOCKS BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD STREET ARE THE REAL SORT OF WORKHORSE PART OF THE CONVENTION CENTER MEETING ROOMS AND THIS FLEX ALL WHICH KIND OF HALF BALLROOM, HALF, UH, EXHIBIT SPACE.

UH, AND THEY'RE VERY PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, AND THEY'LL OPEN ONTO THIRD STREET AND, UH, ONTO, UH, RED RIVER AND ONTO TRINITY.

UH, AND THE SOUTHERN MOST PART OF THAT WILL BE WHAT WE CALL THE POEO.

AND THAT'S THE SECOND STREET INDOOR OUTDOOR PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION.

THIS IS LOOKING DOWN SECOND STREET.

YOU'LL BE WELCOMED RIGHT INTO THE BUILDING AND CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH ALL THE WAY TO RED RIVER.

UH, THAT WILL BE A MAJOR ENTRY POINT TO THE BUILDING.

AND THIS PART OF THE BUILDING HAS THAT KIND OF BRICK URBAN SIXTH STREET SCALE AND CHARACTER TO IT.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PASSE WAY, IF IT HITS RED RIVER, IT TURNS MUCH MORE GREEN AND SOFT AND LANDSCAPE ORIENTED, BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE AT WALLER CREEK AND WATERLOO GREENWAY AND PALM PARK.

UH, THEN THE BOTTOM TWO, UH, BLOCKS THE SOUTHERN MOST PART OF THE SITE WILL BE OUR BALLROOM, WHICH WE'RE CALLING THE HALL A, A MAJOR KIND OF PAVILION AND GATHERING SPACE.

UH, THAT ONE WILL BE ALMOST A STANDALONE KIND OF A BUILDING THERE, UH, THAT WILL SPILL, SPILL OUT INTO A PRE-FUNCTION SPACE FROM THE PRE-FUNCTION SPACE ONTO A PORCH, FROM THE PORCH ONTO A OUTDOOR TERRACE, AND THEN FINALLY DOWN TO GREEN SPACE IN WALLER CREEK.

SO THE WHOLE BUILDING KIND OF CASCADES DOWN, SCALES DOWN AS IT GOES TO THE LANDSCAPE AREA THERE.

ANOTHER, UH, IMPORTANT PART OF THIS IS OUR ARCHITECTURALLY INTEGRATED ART.

THIS ART, THE ARTIST CAME ON IN SCHEMATIC DESIGN AND WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS.

UH, 10 ARTISTS WERE SELECTED AT SCHEMATIC DESIGN.

ALL OF THEM ARE FROM AUSTIN.

AND IT'S EVERYTHING FROM DEBORAH ROBERTS, WHO IS AN ICON IN THE ART WORLD, VERY, VERY, UH, WELL KNOWN NATIONALLY, INTERNATIONALLY.

UH, BUT SHE HAS NO PUBLIC ARTWORK IN AUSTIN.

THIS WILL BE HER FIRST ALL THE WAY TO SOME REAL EMERGING ARTISTS LIKE DIEGO RO RIVERA AND GENARO GOOD, UH, WHO ARE JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL HAVE THAT SPIRIT OF, OF YOUTH AND, AND, UH, BEGINNING IN THEIR WORK.

SO THESE ARE A FEW JUST IMAGES OF, OF THE, THE PROJECT.

UH, THIS ONE, AS I MENTIONED, UH, ON THE NORTHERNMOST PART OF THE SITE, VERY FLEXIBLE, UH, MEANT TO HAVE THAT KIND OF VIBE OF RAINY STREET.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'LL CHANGE DAY TO DAY TO DAY, UH, BOTH GRAPHICALLY AND IN TERMS OF THE FUNCTIONS THAT ARE THERE.

UH, THIS MAJOR ENTRY FROM SECOND STREET, HAVING A MUCH MORE URBAN KIND OF QUALITY, UH, THE PORTION OVER NEAR, UH, RED RIVER AND WATERLOO GREENWAY, A SIGN OF SOFT LANDSCAPE QUALITY TO IT.

UH, BUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS KIND OF EASY, INDOOR, OUTDOOR, FLEXIBLE, THE KIND OF THING THAT MAKES AUSTIN, AUSTIN, UH, PLACES TO SIT OUT, HANG OUT, FOOD TRUCKS, UH, THOSE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES REALLY PERMEATE THE ENTIRE SITE.

UH, AND IT HAS THE SCALE AND CHARACTER OF DOWNTOWN.

UH, IT IS NOT THAT BIG SIX BLOCK BEHEMOTH THAT, UH, WOULD BE A BARRIER BETWEEN VARIOUS THINGS IN DOWNTOWN.

INSTEAD, IT'S BROKEN DOWN AND CONNECTED AND STITCHING TOGETHER ALL OF THESE VARIOUS PARTS OF DOWNTOWN.

THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU, MS. Z AND MR. SPEC.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE PRESENTATION? VICE CHAIR BAILEY? UM,

[00:35:01]

I, IT'S, I KNOW THAT WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN HEARING AS ABOUT THE PROJECT FOR A WHILE AND I KNOW IT'S GONE THROUGH ITERATION.

SO I'M WONDERING, AT ONE POINT THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT PUBLIC PRIVATE, OR AT LEAST SOME POTENTIAL FOR RETAIL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN SOME PARTS OF THE PROJECT.

UM, I'M ASSUMING GROUND LEVEL, IS THAT STILL A PIECE OF THE, OF THIS VISION PLAN, OR IS THAT KIND OF BEEN DOWNGRADED INTO FOR, FOR VARIOUS REASONS? SO THERE IS, I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THERE IS RETAIL IN THE BUILDING.

FOR INSTANCE, THAT VIEW, LOOKING DOWN SECOND STREET, IT'S GOT TWO RESTAURANTS ON EITHER SIDE, AND THEY'LL HAVE OUTDOOR SEATING AND IT'LL HAVE THE VIBE OF SECOND STREET, JUST RIGHT STRAIGHT INTO THE BUILDING.

UH, THERE ALSO IS RETAIL ON TRINITY AT THIRD STREET.

UH, AND THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITY ROOMS ALSO THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE BUILDING.

SO SOME OF THAT IS IN THERE.

UH, MAYBE LIKE KATIE TALKED TO, WE, WE DON'T HAVE CO-DEVELOPMENT IN THE SITE.

WE INVESTIGATED THAT SUPER THOROUGHLY, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A GOOD TIME IN THE MARKET UNDER.

SO THAT, THAT WAS HELPFUL 'CAUSE THAT CLARIFIED THAT PIECE.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.

BUT IT'S ALSO CLARIFYING THAT THERE'S SPACE THAT CAN BE REVENUE ORIENTED FOR AND TO BRING RESOURCES AND EXPERIENCE TO THE, TO THE PROPERTY.

THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

YEP.

UH, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

THE BUILDING LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.

UM, I CAN'T WAIT TO, UH, TO BE AROUND IT AND BE ON THAT FACILITY.

UM, ALSO LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD USE FOR, UH, THIRD SPACE TOO AS WELL, UM, FOR THE CITY, WHICH, UH, MUCH NEEDED.

I DON'T WANT TO JUMP TOO FAR AHEAD, BUT HOW ARE YOU PROTECTING THE CURRENT ARTISTS, THOSE 10 ARTISTS, THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE IN THE SAME SITUATION THAT THESE ARTISTS ARE IN 30 YEARS FROM NOW? YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE REMOVAL? UH, WELL, ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT, UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THESE ARTISTS WITHOUT A CONTRACT BECAUSE LEGAL IS REALLY LOOKING INTO THAT, SO THAT THEIR CONTRACT WILL BE VERY, VERY CLEAR ABOUT, UH, HOW THE LONGEVITY OF THEIR ART AND SO ON.

SO, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT A IPP IS PURSUING, UH, VERY VIGOROUSLY.

BUT, UM, SO THESE ARTISTS, UH, FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THEM, DON KORA, WHO'S GONNA BE DOING A MURAL PIECE AT THE CORNER OF RED RIVER AND FOURTH STREET, SHE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M A MURALIST.

YOU KNOW, I'M ACCUSTOMED TO MY ART BEING THERE FOR A WHILE AND THEN NOT BEING THERE FOR A WHILE.

UH, AND SHE SEES THAT AS A, A MEANS OF VITALITY, NOT NECESSARILY A NEGATIVE THING IN HER CASE, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE IT SO IT IS DEMOUNTABLE IF THE DECISION IS MADE TO BE DEMOUNTABLE.

BUT I THINK THAT'S, UH, THAT'S DEFINITELY BEING STUDIED FOR SURE.

NO, THANK YOU.

NO, YEAH, I JUST WANNA KIND OF REINFORCE THAT, THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE REALLY BEEN STUDYING IS HOW ALL OF THE PIECES CAN BE DEMOUNTABLE, UM, AND, AND AS THE BUILDING GOES FORWARD, UM, AND, AND BEING REALLY SELECTIVE ABOUT WHERE THE ARTWORK IS BEING INSTALLED.

UM, SO CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT FUTURE EXPANSION SITE AND ENSURING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT REALLY FOCUSING A LOT OF THE ART UP IN THAT, IN THAT SECTION BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT WILL BE DEVELOPED AT A LATER DATE.

NO, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF R IN THIS BUILDING, BUT IT'S NOT ACCESSIBLE, LIKE IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET TO.

AND SO I THINK ANYWHERE THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS PUBLIC R AVAILABLE, EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

UM, SO, UH, EIGHT OF THE 10 ARTISTS ARE WORKING ON EXTERIOR PIECES.

SO THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC ALL THE TIME.

THERE WILL BE TWO OF THE PIECES THAT'LL BE IN MAJOR PUBLIC SPACES, BUT INSIDE OH, THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR.

WELL, YEAH, I'M TROUBLED TO HEAR ABOUT, UM, THE INSTALLATION, SO I'M SURE WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE.

THANKS FOR THE THOUGHT INTO IT.

QUESTIONS I HAVE, UM, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE, THE PROJECT.

THANK YOU FOR THE SLIDES.

IT'S ALL VERY, VERY BE BEAUTIFUL.

UM, AT ONE POINT, I BELIEVE THE CONVENTION CENTER HAD PLANS FOR A CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL OR HIGH, UM, HIGH INCOME HOUSING.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE PLANS AND IF THE BUILDING IS ABLE TO BE EXPANDED OR BUILT UPON TO MEET DEMAND IN THE FUTURE SHOULD ARISE? SO THAT WAS THE CO-DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.

SO UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.

UM, THE ALIGNMENT WITH THE PROJECT, UM, THE TIMELINE AND THEN ALSO THE, UM, THE, THE COST TO BUILD THE UN I BELIEVE IT'S THE UNDERGROUND SUPERSTRUCTURE, UM, FAR EXCEEDED OUR ABILITY TO CARRY IT WITH NO KIND OF CLEAR PATH

[00:40:01]

FORWARD ON WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO CARRY THROUGH.

UM, WE DO HAVE A REPORT THAT I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT KIND OF DETAILED.

WE HAD A P THREE ADVISOR ON BOARD THAT KIND OF LAID OUT ALL OF OUR OPTIONS.

UM, AND SO I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMISSION THAT KIND OF WALKED THROUGH WHAT THE OPTIONS WERE.

AND, AND WE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL, I BELIEVE IN FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR, UM, WHEN WE HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION TO WALK AWAY.

AND, UM, TO THAT END, UH, CAN YOU ALSO SPEAK TO THE COST OF THE CONVENTION CENTER IN LIGHT OF, UM, THE TRADE WAR THAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING AND THE COST OF STEEL AND HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT THE PROJECT? YEAH, SO, UH, WE HAVE, I BELIEVE OUR CONSTRUCTION TEAM TOLD US, UH, THERE'S ABOUT 400 OF THEIR TRADE WORKING, UM, ON IT TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RIGHT SIZING THE COST.

UM, WHAT THE GENIUS OF, UH, WHAT WE DID IN THE BEGINNING, AND IT WAS NOT ME, I, I, THOSE THAT KIND OF SHEPHERD US THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

UH, WE BROUGHT OUR DESIGN TEAMS AND OUR CONSTRUCTION TEAMS ON AT THE SAME TIME.

UM, AND THAT WAS, UH, A REALLY GREAT MOVE BECAUSE IT ALLOWED OUR DESIGN TEAMS TO START DESIGNING AND OUR CONSTRUCTION TEAM TO START SAYING, THIS IS WHAT THIS IMPACT IS GOING TO BE.

SO WE WERE RIGHT SIZING AND MAKING SURE THAT THE COSTS WERE IN ALIGNMENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE KEEPING, UH, REALLY GOOD TRACK ON THAT.

UM, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE MATERIALS ARE GOING TO BE SOURCED DOMESTICALLY, SO THAT IS ALSO GOING TO BE A REALLY, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT'LL BE A MINIMAL IMPACT, UM, WITH THE TARIFFS.

AND, UM, CAN YOU ALSO SPEAK IT, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, BUT IT ALSO, UM, STRIKES ME THAT IT'S GOING FAR UNDERGROUND NEXT TO A WATERSHED.

SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING THAT'S HAPPENED WITH THIS PROJECT? THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST TWO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS THAT I KNOW OF, UM, AND WE ARE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THOSE REPORTS.

UM, OUR JE DUNN AND TURNER IS THE JOINT VENTURE, THE CONSTRUCTION FIRM THAT WE HAVE ON BOARD, AND THEY ARE WELL VERSED IN WORKING IN THE DOWNTOWN URBAN CORE.

UM, AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALREADY PLANNING FOR WORKING THAT CLOSE TO KIND OF THE WATER TABLE AND ARE PLANNING FOR WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE AND HOW THEY CAN KIND OF STAGE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, EITHER GOING TO BE FLOODED OR HOW WE'RE, AND HOW WE'RE GONNA DO ALL THAT MITIGATION.

UM, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY GET SOME MORE DETAIL FOR YOU IF, IF YOU'D LIKE.

YES, I'D LOVE THAT.

UM, I THINK ALSO WE'D LIKE TO POST ALL THESE REPORTS TO THE WEBSITE AS WELL, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, UM, ALLOW FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT TO BE, UH, AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

UM, HAVE YOU WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WATERLOO GREENWAY AS THEY'VE BEEN FINISHING UP THEIR NEWEST PHASE OF THE PROJECT? YEAH.

CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT? YES.

WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING WITH WATERLOO FOR YEARS, UM, EVEN BEFORE WE HAD ANY OF OUR, OUR TEAMS ON BOARD.

UM, SO KNOWING THAT THEY, WHERE THEY WERE COMING IN AND WHERE WE, THAT WE HAVE BORDERED THEM.

AND SO, UH, OUR DESIGN TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THAT, MAYBE? YEAH, I, UH, WE'VE HAD MANY, MANY, UH, SESSIONS WITH THEM, UH, INCLUDING, UH, PHASING OF WHEN THEY PUT THEIR PLANT MATERIAL IN KNOWING THAT WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION ABOUT TO BEGIN.

UH, BUT, UH, YEAH, AND I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE A HUGE ENHANCEMENT TO WATERLOO GREENWAY.

YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE DOWN INTO IT AT THIS POINT, WHICH YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO DO FOR A LOT OF THE, THE DISTANCE THERE.

UH, BUT IT'S GONNA BE VERY VISIBLE AND, UH, AND IT'S ALL GONNA BE SOFT GREEN SPACE AROUND THE INTERSECTION WITH WATERLOO GREENWAY.

POSSIBILITY THAT THERE COULD BE FUNDS TAKEN FROM THE, UH, CONTINGENCY BUDGET OF THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR THE RESTORATION OR RATHER, UM, STABILIZATION AND REMOVAL OF THESE WORKS? THAT IS A QUESTION BEST SUITED FOR A IPP.

AND, UM, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CURRENT CONVENTION CENTER IS GOING TO BE ENTIRELY DEMOLISHED, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE PHOTO DOCUMENTATION OF THE BUILDING BEFORE DECONSTRUCTION? THAT'S REALLY FUNNY.

UH, SO YES, WE, OUR MARKETING TEAM, UH, IS GOING TO BE THOROUGHLY DOCUMENTING KIND OF THE FACILITY AS IT IS.

WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN CALLING THROUGH ALL OF THE YEARS OF AND DECADES OF PHOTOS THAT WE HAVE.

UM, THEY'LL BE TAKING VIDEO FOOTAGE AND SO THAT WE CAN ARCHIVE ALL OF IT ONLINE.

UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE SOME INTEREST IN SOME, SOME PRIVATE PHOTOS BEING TAKEN OF IT AS WELL.

SO THERE WILL BE THOROUGH, UH, FOOTAGE.

I UNDERSTAND A IPP IS GOING THROUGH AND DOING A THOROUGH DOCUMENTATION OF ALL THE ARTWORK IN THE BUILDING AS WELL.

UM, AND THEY MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK MORE TO THAT.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

AND, UM, LASTLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IN LIGHT OF SOME OF OUR VISITORS TODAY DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, HAS THE CONVENTION CENTER WORKED WITH ART IN PUBLIC PLACES TO TRY AND IMPROVE THE POLICIES AROUND DESES OF CITY ART AND ADOPTING THOSE POLICIES, OR RATHER IMPROVING OR ENHANCING THE POLICIES AS TO WHEN TO A SESSION OR DE SESSION? YEP.

SO WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH A IPP AND FOLLOWED THEIR PROCESSES KIND OF THROUGHOUT, UM, ALL, SO THREE OF THOSE FOUR ARTWORKS ARE BEING TAKEN OUT OF THE FACILITY.

UM, THE ONLY ONE THAT IS NOT IS ROLANDO ENOS.

UM, AND HE HAS NEVER RESPONDED TO THE INVITATION TO COME AND, AND DESS AND, AND GET HIS ARTWORK REMOVED.

UM, SO RIFTS AND RHYTHM IS, IS ACTUALLY ALSO BEING DE OR IS BEING REMOVED FROM THE BUILDING AS WELL.

AND IS THERE A

[00:45:01]

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, VICE CHAIR BAILEY, SORRY, THIS IS, IT'S A LITTLE OUTTA YOUR SCOPE, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HERE, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESHAPING HOW DOWNTOWN RECONNECTS AND SO I'M CURIOUS, IT WASN'T ADDRESSED HERE, BUT WHAT YOU MIGHT KNOW ABOUT PLANS FOR THE STREETS.

HOW DOES CESAR S CHAV SURVIVED THE RAINY DISTRICT AND THE CONVENTION CENTER IN ITS CURRENT FORM? MAYBE I COULD TALK TO YEP.

SO THIS WAS SOMETHING WE, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

UH, THERE'S THAT TERRIBLE BOTTLENECK AT RED RIVER AND CAESAR VE I DRIVE THROUGH EVERY NIGHT.

YOU JUST CAN'T MOVE BETWEEN RAINY STREET AND DOWNTOWN.

UH, BUT WE HAVE, I THINK GOT NOW APPROVAL, UH, TO PUT A PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY HALFWAY BETWEEN RED RIVER AND TRINITY IN THE OLD NATURES, UH, WHERE NATURES WOULD'VE GONE THROUGH.

UH, THE WATERLINE DEVELOPMENT HAS A MAJOR SALLY PORT THAT GOES UNDER THAT BUILDING FROM RED RIVER TOWARD WATERLOO GREENWAY, AND THEY'RE BUILDING A BRIDGE OVER TO A LITTLE TINY PORTION OF LAND ON THE WEST SIDE OF WALL CREEK THAT IS OWNED BY WATERLINE, BUT IT'S TOO SMALL TO BE DEVELOPED.

THEY CALL IT THE PORK CHOP, UH, THAT WILL BE LANDSCAPED.

AND FROM THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO WALK ACROSS A NICE WIDE PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY, UH, INTO THE REST OF DOWNTOWN.

SO THAT HAS BEEN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH WATERLINE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THE CITY TO SEE IF WE CAN GET A REALLY GOOD PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION.

IT'S VERY MUCH IN THE INTEREST OF THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR THOSE HOTEL, UH, GUESTS TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE CONVENTION CENTER EASILY.

AND RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST IMPOSSIBLE.

WELL, I, I DID WALK, I WALKED, I WALKED FROM BEHIND THE CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE I WAS THERE CROSSED BY THE FAIRMONT CROSSED OVER TO GO TO THE PARAMOUNT PLUS ACTIVATION ON RAINY STREET.

AND IT WAS SOMETHING CROSSING OVER THERE LAST FRIDAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK.

FIVE, FIVE O'CLOCK.

BUT I WAS REALLY EVEN TALKING MORE ABOUT THE AUTO, THE STREETS, THE PEDESTRIAN PLAN SOUNDS AWESOME, BUT WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THE CARS THAT ARE GONNA BE LOADING OUT OF THOSE BUILDINGS THAT ARE IN THE RAINY STREET DISTRICT NOW.

AND I'M JUST VERY CURIOUS IF THERE'S A PLAN THAT CESAR CHAVEZ IS GONNA GET SOME KIND OF A SHIFT OR THERE'S SOMETHING GONNA HAPPEN DOWN THERE.

NOT THAT I KNOW.

WE, IT'S NOT THE CONVENTION, IT'S NOT THE CONVENTION CENTER'S PIECE TO FIX THAT.

I GET THAT.

WE'VE HAD, I GET A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE ABOUT EVERY ONE OF OUR STREETS AND FOR EXAMPLE, OUR DROP UP, DROP OFF AND PICKUP, BOY, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.

WE'RE THAT THIRD STREET THAT WE'RE PUTTING THROUGH, THAT'S WHERE OUR BUSES, TOUR BUSES AND SO ON, WE LOAD AND UNLOAD.

SO WE'RE TAKING ALL THAT OFF OF THE PERIMETER STREETS.

SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET THE UBER DROP OFF AND THE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING NOT INTERFERING WITH THE LARGER TRAFFIC PATTERNS OF THE CITY.

UH, I LIVE RIGHT DOWN THERE AND I GO ON Z CHAVEZ ALL THE TIME.

UH, IT AIN'T BEAUTIFUL NOW, .

SO, BUT I WILL SAY THE ONE THING THAT I THINK IS ENCOURAGING IS THAT, UH, SO MUCH MORE OF THE MOVEMENT DOWNTOWN IS PEDESTRIAN, UH, THAN USED TO BE THE CASE.

AND I KNOW MYSELF AND MY NEIGHBORS, UH, JUST WALK BECAUSE IT'S JUST CRAZY TO DRIVE A CAR.

UH, A PRESENTATION BY DIRECTOR OF THE NEW OFFICE OF ARTS, MUSIC CULTURE AND, UH, ENTERTAINMENT.

WITH THIRD, THIRD STREET, I THINK WITH THIRD STREET REOPENING TO MULTIMODAL TRAFFIC THAT MIGHT HAVE THAT ANOTHER OPTION FOR FOLKS TO KIND OF CIRCUMNAVIGATE AT LEAST IN THAT TINY PART, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT IS THAT BOTTLENECK.

SO WE'LL SEE.

UM, BUT WE ARE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE DO TALK WITH, UM, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS PRETTY REGULARLY.

UM, SO WE CAN SEE, WE CAN, WE CAN FLOAT THAT TO THEM FOR YOU.

GREAT HEARING.

NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU SPEAKERS FOR YOUR TIME THIS AFTERNOON.

UH, WE NOW MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE,

[5. Presentation by Angela Means, Director of the Office of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, regarding the future ACME Department and its impact on Austin Tourism.]

UH, DIRECTOR ANGELA MEANS, UH, TO SPEAK TO THIS NEW DEPARTMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON AUSTIN TOURISM.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.

I'M ANGELA MEANS I'M THE NEW DIRECTOR OF THE, THE OFFICE OF ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.

I AM EXCITED

[00:50:01]

TO BE HERE.

WE CREATED THIS OFFICE AROUND TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO, SO IT FEELS LIKE A LONG PERIOD OF TIME BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH EXCITEMENT HERE IN AUSTIN.

BUT IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE IN FEBRUARY.

AS I SAID, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ESTABLISHED THIS OFFICE.

THIS MARKS A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN AUSTIN'S COMMITMENT TO BUILDING A MORE VIBRANT AND DYNAMIC DESTINATION FOR ARTS, CULTURE AND MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT HERE IN AUSTIN.

THIS NEW OFFICE REPRESENTS THE REALIZATION OF A KEY RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CREATE AUSTIN CULTURAL MASTER PLAN, SPECIFICALLY THE PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATION NUMBER THREE, WHICH CALLED FOR THE CREATION OF A DEDICATED CITY, DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE.

THE WORK WE DO HERE WILL SHAPE AUSTIN'S FUTURE ENHANCING ITS IDENTITY AND REINFORCING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CREATIVE IN INDUSTRIES AS BOTH ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DRIVERS.

IT WILL PROVIDE CENTRALIZED SUPPORT FOR CREATIVES AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, ENHANCE ECONOMIC GROWTH, TOURISM AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, FOSTER COLLABORATION BETWEEN ARTISTS, CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES, CREATE INCLUSIVE ACCESSIBLE SPACES FOR RESIDENTS TO EXPERIENCE ARTS AND CULTURE AND STRENGTHEN AUSTIN'S IDENTITY AS A GLOBAL DESTINATION FOR CREATIVITY.

THE FORMATION OF THE OFFICE BRINGS TOGETHER CITY EMPLOYEES FROM FIVE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY SUPPORTED ARTS AND CULTURE.

UH, WITHIN THOSE SPACES, THIS IS GOING TO CREATE A UNIFIED, MORE EFFECTIVE ENTITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

THESE AREAS INCLUDE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THAT'S THE CULTURAL ARTS, ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES, AND THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISIONS FOR PARKS AND RECREATION.

THAT'S THE MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS, OUR CULTURAL FACILITIES, AND, UH, OUR THEATERS AS WELL.

THE HISTORIC TOURISM AND THE, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS TEAMS FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

THAT'S OUR AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS, OUR ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC SERVICES FOR, UH, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

THAT'S THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE AND CULTURAL FACILITY.

AND FOR AVIATION, MUSIC AND ART, OUR PRIMARY GOAL FOR 2025 IS TO FULLY INTEGRATE THE MULTIPLE DIVISIONS AND STREAMLINE OUR OPERATIONS, CREATING A CENTRALIZED HUB FOR AUSTIN'S CREATIVE AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY.

WE WILL IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION IN THE ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES.

A MAJOR FOCUS WILL BE DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLAN TO GUIDE THE GROWTH AND EVOLUTION OF AUSTIN'S ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT SECTORS.

ENSURING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK SHAPES ITS EVOLUTION.

WE WILL REEVALUATE THE CULTURAL ARTS AND LIVE MUSIC GRANT PROGRAM GUIDELINES TO ENSURE THEY ARE ACCESSIBLE, TRANSPARENT, AND IMPACTFUL.

OUR OFFICE WILL WORK TO INCREASE ACCESS TO PROGRAMMING BY REDUCING FINANCIAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, AND INFORMATIONAL BARRIERS.

AND WE WILL ESTABLISH A NEW COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH VARIOUS SECTORS, INCLUDING PRIVATE ENTITIES, NONPROFITS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY.

WE PLAN TO EXPLORE, EXPLORE DIVERSE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, AND THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SLIDES, SUCH AS GRANT SPARK, SPONSORSHIPS, PRIVATE SECTOR CONTRIBUTIONS, AND OTHER INITIATIVES.

MORE TO COME.

WE ARE ATTACKING OUR WORK IN A PHASED APPROACH.

AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS PHASE ONE THROUGH PHASE THREE.

PHASE ONE IS WHERE WE ARE NOW.

WE'RE IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PHASE.

WE ARE ACTUALLY IN PHASE TWO AS WELL BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY RUNNING, WE'RE HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING BECAUSE OF THE EXCITEMENT HERE.

BUT PHASE TWO IS TO LAUNCH OUR PROGRAMS AND ESTABLISH COMMUNITY PRESENCE.

PHASE THREE AS WELL WILL BE A GROWTH AND EXPANSION OF OUR OFFICE.

I AM VERY EXCITED TO SAY THAT ACME IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING A COLLABORATIVE, VIBRANT CITY.

OUR WORK SYMBOLIZES THE VIBRANT AND COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT OF OUR COMMUNITY.

BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE AND SHOWCASE THE TALENTS AND TRADITIONS THAT MAKE AUSTIN A UNIQUE AND EXCITING PLACE TO LIVE AND VISIT.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT ARTS AND CULTURE CONTINUE TO THRIVE FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS BUILDING ON AUSTIN'S CULTURAL LANDSCAPE.

SO WITH THAT, I HAVE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE, I'M AVAILABLE.

AND THANK YOU.

BAILEY? OH, SAY ANYTHING.

DIRECTOR MEANS, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE DIOCESE REGARDING ACME COMMISSIONER

[00:55:01]

UH, EXCUSE ME.

COMMISSIONER BISHOP, TWO BS .

OH, THIS MEANS I'M EXCITED FOR YOU.

CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING THIS UP AND RUNNING.

I KNOW THAT THIS GUY STEALS A LOT WITH ARTISTS AND, UH, MUSIC AND OUR, OUR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS, AND IT'S ALWAYS, UM, HOW CAN WE SHOWCASE THEM MORE? HOW CAN WE LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT? AND AS WE LIVE IN THIS TIME WHERE, RIGHT, THIS, IT'S, WE'RE ALSO MISSING IT, UM, FROM KIND OF OUR, OUR CITY AS, AS WE GROW.

AND SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE THIS BACK IN THE ECOSYSTEM AND TO BE, UM, THAT UNDERCURRENT, UH, TO MAKE IT SO I THINK VISIBLE FOR A LOT OF US TO SEE HOW VIBRANT AND DIVERSE OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY IS HERE, UH, IN AUSTIN.

SO I'M EXCITED FOR YOU.

CONGRATULATIONS.

UM, WHAT'S UP NEXT IN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS? WHAT DO YOU GOT GOING ON? ? ? WELL, I WILL TELL YOU, WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING ON THOSE SLIDES, UH, BECAUSE OF THE ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT FROM OUR CITY.

UH, OUR, SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN REQUESTING THIS FOR, I ALWAYS SAY, OVER A DECADE, OF COURSE.

AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING VERY THOUGHTFUL, BUT ALSO TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ESTABLISH AUSTIN'S, UH, DEPARTMENT.

UH, SO OVER THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, THOSE PHASES THAT I TALKED ABOUT ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE ARE ENGAGING IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SPENDING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO ALL OF AUSTIN, BECAUSE ALL OF AUSTIN PARTICIPATES IN THIS PROCESS.

AND SO THAT INCLUDES OUR CREATIVE, UH, SECTORS, OUR STAFFING, OUR OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, SOME OF OUR, UH, LONG-TERM STAKEHOLDERS, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

WE ARE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME GETTING TO, UH, GET AN IDEA OF WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

YOU WILL SEE SHORTLY A COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNICATIONS ENGAGEMENT PLAN FOR OUR OFFICE.

AND WE WILL LOOK AT VARIOUS WAYS TO ENGAGE OUR, OUR PUBLIC, UH, AND WE WILL MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE, UH, GETTING ALL OF AUSTIN.

YOU WILL ALSO, UH, SEE US LAUNCH A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THIS.

YOU KNOW, AUSTIN'S YOU KNOW, SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AROUND 15 YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S BEEN SOME TIME.

UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT'S, THAT'S TAKEN A LOOK AT THE CULTURAL ARTS OR THEY MAY HAVE TAKEN A LOOK AT THE SPECIAL EVENTS.

BUT AS A CITY, WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO, UH, TAKE ALL OF THAT EXCITEMENT AND ENERGY AND CREATIVITY AND PUT TOGETHER A STRATEGIC PLAN ON HOW WE ALL WILL MOVE, UH, ON THE SAME PAGE, TAKING A LOOK AT OUR VISION, OUR MISSION, AND OUR OBJECTIVES.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE WILL, UH, BE WORKING ON, I WOULD SAY, WITHIN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.

UH, SO THAT'S OUR FOCUS AND WITH BRINGING FIVE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER, DIFFERENT GROUPS, WE NEED TO SPEND TIME ON, YOU KNOW, WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE.

AND SO WE WILL DO A LOT OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION, WORKSHOPS, RETREATS, SO THAT WE CAN BE VERY CLEAR ON WHAT OUR, UH, OBJECTIVES AND, AND HOW, WHAT OUR NEW CULTURE, CULTURE IS HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, IN ONE DEPARTMENT.

AND YOU'LL BE HOUSED IN LIKE, IN THE SAME, UH, LIKE GROUP THEN, IS THAT RIGHT? NOT, NOT DISPARATE THROUGHOUT.

YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR, UH, FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, IDENTIFYING A LOCATION.

UH, WE BELIEVE IT WILL BE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WHERE ALL OF OUR, UH, AREAS WILL COME TOGETHER, EXCEPT FOR THE STAFF AND THE CULTURAL FACILITIES AND MUSEUMS. THEY WILL STAY ON SITE, BUT FOR ALL OTHERS IT WILL, UH, WE WILL CO-LOCATE.

NO, WELL, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR EFFORT AND, UH, SERVING THE COMMUNITY.

ABOUT THE GRANT PROCESS MM-HMM .

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER IAN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

UH, I JUST, UH, PRIOR TO OUR MEETING, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH IS GOING ON IN AUSTIN AS FAR AS THE ARTS AND MUSIC AND FESTIVALS AND EVENTS.

UM, AND I WAS TOLD THAT ACME WOULD, UM, HAVE A KIND OF ON YOUR WEBSITE, MAYBE AN AREA WHERE VISITORS OR EVEN LOCAL RESIDENTS COULD GO ON AND, UM, SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN AUSTIN AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

IS THIS CORRECT? IT WILL DEFINITELY, UH, LOOK AT, THAT'S HOW OUR WEBSITE WILL BE DEVELOPED.

UH, WE WANT IT TO BE VERY FRIENDLY FOR OUR VISITORS AND OUR GUESTS AND JUST OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND AUSTIN, TEXAS.

WELL, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE FORMING OF YOUR NEW DEPARTMENT.

UM, THE TOURISM COMMISSION IN THE PAST HAS RECEIVED VARIOUS CONCERNS, COMPLAINTS

[01:00:01]

MUSIC, MUSIC AND CULTURAL ARTS.

UM, IS THAT PROCESS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR, UM, CHANGING AND WHAT IS THE GOAL FOR A TIMELINE FOR WHEN THAT MIGHT BE IN PLACE? YES, THAT IS, UH, WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT THE PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE HAD IN PLACE, UH, BECAUSE WE WILL BE REEVALUATING THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES.

AND SO THEY'RE, WE'RE BEING VERY THOUGHTFUL SO THAT WE DO NOT DISRUPT, DISRUPT, UH, BECAUSE SOME OF OUR ARTISTS ARE REALLY DEPENDING ON, UH, THOSE FUNDS.

AND SO OVER THE NEXT, I WOULD SAY FOUR MONTHS IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TRANSPARENT, MORE IMPACTFUL, AND THAT WE CAN SERVE, UH, OUR COMMUNITY IN A BETTER WAY.

SO IF I MIGHT JUST FOLLOW UP, ONE OF THE KEY COMPLAINTS THAT WE GOT WAS THE DISRUPTION WITH THE EXISTING ARTIST BEFORE ON THE GRANT PROCESSES, GRANTS WERE BASICALLY TAKEN AWAY.

I JUST THINK THAT THAT OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERED AS WELL IS, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW THEY WERE AFFECTED IN EVALUATING THE GRANT PROCESS PRESENTLY.

ABSOLUTELY.

WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR LEGACY, UH, ORGANIZATIONS NOT RECEIVE FUNDING THIS YEAR.

AND SO UNFORTUNATELY THAT DID DISRUPT, YOU KNOW, THEIR OPERATIONS.

A FEW OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS DID HAVE TO SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS.

AND SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO BE PARTNERS WITH ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY AND LOOK FOR WAYS, UH, TO SUSTAIN THEIR, THEIR OPERATIONS.

BUT THERE'S OTHER ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS THAT OF COURSE, NEED TO BE HAD WITH HOW DO THEY BECOME SELF-SUSTAINING, AS WELL AS PARTNERING WITH, WITH THE CITY.

UH, VICE CHAIR BAILEY, I NOTICED IN THE, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT WHEN YOU LINED THEM OUT, I SAW AVIATION.

I JUST WANTED A LITTLE MORE CLARITY ON DOES THAT MEAN THAT THIS DIVISION WILL OVERSEE THE PROGRAMMING, UH, AT THE AIRPORT? IS THAT, IS THAT, THAT'S WHAT I TOOK AWAY, BUT I JUST WANNA KNOW, AM I, AM I RIGHT ABOUT THE MUSIC PROGRAMMING AND THE STAGE AND THE, WHAT YOU HEAR IS THAT, IS THAT, WHERE'S THE BOUNDARY ON THAT IN YOUR OFFICE? AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE TO BEFORE? LIKE, WHAT WAS HAPPENING PRIOR TO? SO I WILL SAY WE ARE STILL IN CONVERSATION WITH AVIATION, UH, IN FULL TRANSPARENCY BECAUSE THEIR OPERATIONS AND SUCH THAT IT'S UNIQUE AND IT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO WE DO DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT TO DISRUPT, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH AVIATION, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO, UH, COLLABORATE BETTER WITH ONE ANOTHER SO THAT WE ARE ALL MARCHING TO THE SAME TUNES.

AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, AND WE ANTICIPATE PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE WILL HAVE THAT FINAL AS TO WHAT THAT, UH, STRUCTURE WILL ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE.

BUT WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS IN AVIATION.

VICE CHAIR BAILEY.

COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.

THANK YOU, CHAIR RONAN.

UM, QUICK QUESTION.

ARE YOU DISCUSSING OR HAVE PLANS TO DISCUSS ADDITIONAL REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS DEPARTMENT? ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE FOCUSED OUR CURRENT, WE JUST, YEAH.

I THINK IT'S JUST SILLY TO BE LIKE, 'CAUSE WE'RE, EVERYONE GETS CUT WITH THEIR GRANTS OR THEIR BUDGETS AND THEN THEY COME HERE.

AND SO I'M JUST THINK IF YOU CAN CREATE AN ECOSYSTEM.

I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT IT BRIEFLY.

YES.

UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK IT'S TIME.

I THINK IT, IT'S TIME FOR AUSTIN.

UH, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY HEAVILY RELIANT ON OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES AND THE GENERAL FUND, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND OUR COUNTRY AND WHO'S DO, HOW ARE THEY FUNDING, UH, THEIR SAME SPACES.

THERE'S SEVERAL CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE, THAT WE WILL EXPLORE.

SO WE WILL NEED TIME TO DO THAT.

BUT THIS IS THE PART THAT I BELIEVE AUSTIN CAN REALLY TAKE OUR TIME AND IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THIS SPACE, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS AND LIMITED RESOURCES.

AND SO IN ORDER TO HAVE GREATER IMPACT IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCES AS WELL.

THERE ARE, ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR THESE ARTISTS.

COMMISSIONER PRONOUNCING, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? OKAY, GREAT.

WELL, UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND, AND PERHAPS SOME COMMENTS.

UM, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU, UM, MS. DIRECTOR FOR COMING THIS AFTERNOON.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, UM, ACCEPTING OUR INVITATION AND, AND, UM, GIVING US ALL AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR MORE ABOUT ACME AND HOW IT'S REALLY COORDINATING AND UPLIFTING ALL OF THE GREAT ARTS, UH, MUSIC CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT THAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN AUSTIN EVERY DAY.

SO, THANK YOU.

UM, ONE THING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, VICE CHAIR, BAILEY AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WITH REGARD

[01:05:01]

TO THIS NEW DEPARTMENT.

AND, UM, SOMETHING THAT STRUCK ME WAS, UH, JUST HOW YOU ARTICULATED HOW WORKING TOGETHER AND COLLABORATING AND BRINGING TOGETHER ALL THESE SEEMINGLY DISPARATE ART ARTS MEDIA, UM, THAT WE CAN REALLY, UH, WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE, UH, MANAGEMENT OF ALL THESE DIFFERENT, UH, ACME INTERESTS ACROSS THE CITY AND HOW YOU INTEND TO, UH, REALLY ENSURE THAT ONE, WE'RE LEVERAGING OUR, OUR RESOURCES ACCORDINGLY, WE'RE SEARCHING FOR MORE, UH, REVENUES AS POSSIBLE, AND ALSO, UM, ENSURING THAT, UM, THAT ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT, ALL OF THAT IS, UM, OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER POSSIBLE? ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW, MY PHILOSOPHY IS, YOU KNOW, I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS.

AND SO WHEN I, UH, REFERENCED COLLABORATION, IT REALLY IS EVERYONE PULL UP A SEAT TO THE SAME TABLE, AND WE WILL PARTNER AS WE DREAM ENVISION ABOUT WHERE AUSTIN IS GOING IN THIS SPACE.

SO, OF COURSE, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING IS PART OF THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN TO LAY OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

WHO SHOULD BE AT THE TABLE? DO WE HAVE EVERY AREA REPRESENTED? UH, THAT IS WHY THAT IS SO CRITICAL, BECAUSE I DO SEE US ALL AS A PARTNER, PRIVATE ENTITIES, NONPROFITS, EDUCATIONAL, UH, INSTITUTIONS, CREATIVE COMMUNITY, JUST, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND LIVED IN, GREW UP IN AUSTIN, WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

I WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER AS WE DEVELOP AND VISION OUT, UH, WHERE WE GO IN THIS SPACE.

AND SO HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT? IT'S A PARTNERSHIP AND YOU REALLY JUST RESPECT EVERYONE'S OPINION AND WORK AS A TEAM.

SO IT'S NOT REALLY NECESSARILY, UH, HARD TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT, THAT THAT SET ITS EXPECTATION AND RESPECT.

AND SO THAT'S HOW WE WILL MOVE, BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING WITH EVERYONE WHO'S EXCITED FOR AUSTIN, EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN AUSTIN.

AND SO WE WANNA PUT ALL OF OUR, UM, OUR, ALL OF OUR ENERGIES AND CREATIVITY TOGETHER TO, TO REALLY WORK THIS THROUGH.

WONDERFUL.

AND I IMAGINE IT'S NOT EASY TO START A NEW DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? AND BRING ALL THESE DISPARATE, UM, UH, PROGRAMS UNDER THE CITY UNDER ONE ROOF.

UM, JUST CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN FROM OUR PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY REGARDING PUBLIC ART AND UNDERSTANDING THAT ART IN PUBLIC PLACES NOW HAS A NEW HOME YES.

WITHIN ACME, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW, UM, ONE, I THINK THERE'S THE IMMEDIATE NEED AND RECTIFICATION OF THE DEES OF THE ART THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED AND ENSURING THAT THIS ART, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, IT'S, WE ALL PAID FOR IT , SO IT SHOULD NOT BE GOING TO WASTE.

UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS VALUABLE, UM, ART, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR ART, ART FOR ART'S SAKE.

UM, BUT ON A SECONDARY MEASURE, THIS IS TAXPAYER FUNDED INVESTMENT THAT WE, UM, STAND TO LOSE IF THE CITY DOES NOT LOOK AT THIS AS A VERY SERIOUS, UM, ISSUE WITHIN HOW WE STEWARD OUR ARTS RESOURCES ACROSS THE CITY.

SO ONE, I I GUESS JUST GENERALLY, HOW CAN WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY, AS YOU SAY, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, RECTIFY THIS ISSUE AS, AS GOOD AS WE CAN, SAVE THE ART, MAYBE FIND A NEW HOME FOR, WITHIN THE CITY, UH, FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.

ALSO, TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN FOR, FOR FUTURE ARTISTS, UM, THAT GO THROUGH THE, UM, ARTS AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S A FAIR PROCESS FOR ARTIST SELECTION, FOR ANY AND ALL, UH, FUTURE, UH, PUBLIC INVESTMENTS.

BE THAT THE, THE, UH, CONVENTION CENTER, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, A PARK, UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE ALONG THAT LEVEL.

OH, ABSOLUTELY.

I CAN TELL YOU, WE ARE DEFINITELY TAKING A LOOK AT OUR PROCESSES SO THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A REPEAT OF WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW.

UM, THE WAY THE ACME OFFICE, UH, BELIEVES WITH OUR ARTISTS, HOW WE BELIEVE IN OUR ARTISTS AND OUR ART, THEIR ART , OUR ART, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

THEY'RE JUST NOT PIECES OF ART.

THEY'RE PIECES OF HISTORY.

AND FOR SOME OF THOSE PIECES, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME, AND THEY'RE PART OF OUR FABRIC.

AND SO MOVING FORWARD, HOW WE ENSURE THAT WE FIND OTHER LOCATIONS FOR THOSE ARTS WILL BE OF HIGH PRIORITY.

UM, THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN AUSTIN FOR THAT, FOR THE IMMEDIATE NEED.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, UH, IN THE, UH, CONVENTION CENTER TO SEE IF

[01:10:01]

BUT I AM HOPEFUL THAT MOVING FORWARD, WE WILL NOT HAVE, UH, THIS UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE.

AND TO THAT END, I GUESS JUST ONE COMMENT.

UM, I, I KNOW THERE'S, AS WE'VE BEEN SAYING, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE IN AUSTIN, AND I THINK THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF FACILITIES IN PLACES THAT CAN TAKE, UM, THESE ARTS MM-HMM .

UH, WORKS OF ART THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE PLACED IN THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER.

UM, SO ONE OF THOSE THAT I, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT'S EXACTLY CALLED, BUT IT'S THE YMCA PROPERTY.

UH, WELL, THE PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT'S USED TO BE PEACE SCHOOL, THE YMCA IS TAKING OVER AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLABORATION THERE TO MOVE SOME OF THE ART.

UM, NOT SURE, BUT JUST WANTED TO, TO STATE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY.

AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT THE SHEER SIZE OF THIS CAPITAL PROJECT, I THINK IT STANDS TO REASON THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO BELIEVE IN ART AS PUBLIC INVESTMENT, ART AS, UH, UH, PIECE OF OUR HISTORY, THAT WE FIND THE MONEY , THERE'S PLENTY OF IT IN THIS TOWN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HOT TAX THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT THESE, UH, WORKS ON DISPLAY THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, ALSO ATTRACT TOURISTS.

SIX, UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.

'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, .

SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I, I JUST WANTED TO, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS AFTERNOON AND COMING, UH, TO THE COMMISSION AND, AND TALKING ABOUT ALL OF YOUR PLANS.

WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK ABSOLUTELY.

TO HEAR MORE ABOUT YOUR PROGRESS AND, UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED HELP WITH IN TERMS OF, UH, COLLABORATION OR IDEAS, WAYS THAT WE CAN UPLIFT YOUR WORK AND BE HELPFUL IN ANY WAY WE CAN.

UM, MOVING ON TO VISIT.

AUSTIN IS A GREAT RESOURCE.

YES, VERY MUCH SO.

UH, TWO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER

[6. Discussion and possible action to set road map for 2025 Tourism Commission Meeting.]

UM, TO SET OUR ROADMAP FOR 2025, IN YOUR PACKETS, YOU WILL FIND, UH, THESE HAS BIG LETTERS ON IT CALLED PROPOSED, UM, UH, AS WE LOOK TO, UM, STRENGTHEN OUR, UH, WE'LL CALL IT, UH, INTERSECTIONALITY OF, UH, TOURISM TOPICS AS THEY RELATE TO INCREASING AND ENHANCING TOURISM EXPERIENCES FOR AUSTINITES AND VISITORS ALIKE, UM, HERE IN, UH, OUR FAIR CITY.

SO TODAY WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE TAKING ON SOME OF THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS.

THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE DID WANT TO SPEAK TO, UH, OR RATHER HEAR A PRESENTATION FROM PROJECT CONNECT TODAY.

UNFORTUNATELY, THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE IT, UM, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO EXTEND THAT INVITATION FOR NEXT MONTH'S MEETING HERE IN APRIL.

UM, ALSO, UM, TO THE END OF PROMOTING, UH, FACILITIES FOR ADDITIONAL TOURISM HERE IN AUSTIN.

UH, I DID HAVE, UM, MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT REACH OUT TO ME, STAFF REACH OUT TO ME WITH REGARD TO USING, UM, A ISD FACILITIES.

FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IN MUELLER.

UM, HOW CAN WE ENGAGE THOSE FACILITIES? UM, ONE TO ASSIST IN, UM, HELPING, UH, EXPAND TOURISM IN AUSTIN, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SOME REVENUE .

THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

UM, AND, UH, SO THOSE ARE OUR TWO SPEAKERS THAT I THINK WE'LL HAVE AT THE NEXT MEETING.

UM, IN ADDITION TO A FOCUS, UM, ON THE AUSTIN FILM INDUSTRY, I'M HOPING TO CONNECT WITH, UM, OUR FRIENDS AT VISIT AUSTIN WHO WORK IN FILM, UM, AND, UH, SEE WHAT THEY'RE UP TO.

UM, MAY, UH, AS WE CELEBRATE EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE THE, UM, NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK, UH, TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK WHERE WE CELEBRATE, UM, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TOURISM.

UH, THERE MIGHT BE CUPCAKES INVOLVED, WHO KNOWS? UH, BUT, UH, I WOULD LOVE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THAT WEEK IN PARTICULAR TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WANNA HIGHLIGHT.

COULD IT BE MUSIC SINCE WE'RE IN AUSTIN? UH, OR COULD IT BE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC ART? I DON'T KNOW.

UM, ANOTHER, UH, TOPIC, UH, ATHLETICS AND TOURISM.

I MEAN, WE HAVE SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, BE IT THE, UM, UH, CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS OR, UM, DIFFERENT, UM, SPORTS EVENTS, FOR INSTANCE.

WE HAVE LIKE THE RODEO THAT HAPPENS HERE EVERY MARCH.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT THAT WE HAVEN'T, UM, TOO IN DEPTH IN THE PAST THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, BRING A, A LARGE SPOTLIGHT TO, UM, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF, OF SPORTS AND ATHLETICS HERE IN TOWN.

AND I'M, I'M EVEN TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, FOR INSTANCE OF, OF HAVING STATEWIDE, UM, COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS HERE IN AUSTIN.

RIGHT? I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE BEYOND FOOTBALL, BUT OF COURSE, FOOTBALL IS A BIG IMPACT.

UM, MOVING INTO JULY, AND OF COURSE THIS

[01:15:01]

IS ALL PROPOSED, SO WE CAN, UM, PLAY WITH THIS ALL WE WANT.

UM, JULY FESTIVALS, FOOD FUND, VERY MUCH A, UM, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT? A, UH, REPEAT OF LAST YEAR, UH, WITH REGARDS TO THE NUMBER OF FESTIVALS THAT WE HAVE IN TOWN.

I'D LIKE TO FEATURE SOME NEW ONES IF WE CAN, AND GET A SENSE OF WHO THEY ARE AND BRING THEM INTO THE CONVERSATION.

UH, ALSO, UM, BECAUSE IT'S HOT AUGUST, WE'RE PROPOSING NO MEETING.

UM, SO THAT, UH, STAYS ON OUR CALENDAR THAT WAY.

UM, MUSEUMS IN TOURISM IN SEPTEMBER, UH, OCTOBER, HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN TOURISM NOVEMBER, UH, A BROADER SNAPSHOT OF, UH, AUSTIN TOURISM, HOW WE'RE SHAPING UP AND FINISHING 2025, UH, WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.

UM, AND AGAIN, DECEMBER 25, UH, ANOTHER IN-DEPTH WORK SESSION THAT CAN HELP US, UH, CREATE OUR FUTURE TOURISM COMMISSION ROADMAP FOR 2026 AND BEYOND.

UM, SO WITH THAT, DO I HAVE ANY INITIAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? VICE CHAIR BAILEY? NO.

OH, THANKS PATRICK.

ALL .

I KNOW IT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN.

UM, AND, UM, I, I WELCOME FOLKS, IF YOU WANT TO, UM, PROPOSE A SPEAKER OR TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SPEAK TO, UH, PARTICULAR OR HAVE AN AGENDA, SPEAK TO A PARTICULAR ISSUE, UM, THAT'S GOING ON WITHIN TOURISM OR AS IT IMPACTS THE HOT TAX, WHICH IS OF COURSE OUR MANDATE.

I THINK IT'S, UM, VERY MUCH WELCOME.

AND, UM, I'M HAPPY TO, IF YOU ALL WANT TO EMAIL ME OR GIVE ME A CALL, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOUR SUGGESTION OR OR QUESTION IS REFLECTED IN UPCOMING MEETING AGENDAS.

DON'T BE SHY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, RAISE YOUR VOICE IN, UH, OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, OF COURSE, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, WITH MS. BURLESON.

AND JUST TO CLARIFY, IT'S MS. BURLESON.

NOW, , I KNOW THAT YOUR EMAIL SAYS, OH, HAVE THAT STILL, BUT IT IS NOW OFFICIALLY BURLESON.

UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO TRANSITION, UM, IN, IN HOW WE RECOGNIZE OUR ESTEEMED AND VERY GOOD STAFF LIAISON .

UH, SO ANY THOUGHTS? COMMISSIONER PENOC? I'LL PROBABLY CONNECT WITH YOU LIKE OFFLINE, BUT I WAS A, A COUPLE OF NAMES THAT COME TO MIND AS LIKE MAYBE THE PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDING OH, COOL.

THAT WE HAVE.

I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE FAIRLY NEW TO AUSTIN AND THEY BROUGHT HOME A TROPHY.

OH, AWESOME.

AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE KIND OF NEAT TO HEAR FROM THEM.

UM, ALSO, IT'D BE INTERESTING TO HEAR FROM MAYBE THE SPURS IN AUSTIN.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S SECOND OR THIRD YEAR THAT THEY HAD SOME AUSTIN GAMES AT THE MOODY, UH, MOODY CENTER.

AND I THINK IT'D BE KIND OF INTERESTING TO HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HOW THEY WANNA HAVE A PRESENCE IN AUSTIN AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

UM, SO THOSE ARE JUST KIND OF TOP OF MIND RIGHT NOW.

BUT I'LL, I'LL GIVE SOME MORE THOUGHT AND, UH, WE CAN CIRCLE BACK.

WONDERFUL.

VICE CHAIR BAILEY.

SHE JUST BASICALLY SAID WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.

OH, REALLY? ? YEAH.

THE ONLY THING YOU DIDN'T SAY WAS AUSTIN FC, WHICH, YEAH.

YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT WAS, I MEAN, IT'S DEFINITELY HAD AN IMPACT ON THE MARKET AND I, I'D LOVE TO.

SO I, I, I WAS GONNA, I WAS BASICALLY THINKING ABOUT THE WNBA CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COMING TO TOWN.

I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE BULL RIDERS TEAM BEING HERE AND YEAH.

AND, AND YEAH.

SO I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD SCOPE INTO THESE BIGGER, I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW IT'S BEEN TOLD FOREVER THE IMPACT OF THE UT HOME GAMES, SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DELVE INTO THAT.

SURE.

THAT'S, IT'S A KNOWN QUOTIENT.

I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE OTHERS.

WE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL RECORD.

COMMISSIONER CHAPEL, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT TO ADD? I WAS GONNA SAY, WE ALSO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL RUGBY, UM, TEAM THAT'S JUST GOT IT STARTED, I THINK LAST YEAR, AS WELL AS, UH, LIKE, I THINK AN EMERGING PICKLEBALL FACT.

PICKLEBALL WOULD BE A GOOD ONE FOR LIKE, TOURNAMENTS AND THINGS AND GETTING PEOPLE TO COME VISIT.

BUT THAT COULD BE AN AREA.

UM, AND I GUESS LIKE FOOD, UM, I WOULD ADD LIKE, SOME MORE FOOD ON HERE.

, NOT FOR US TO EAT, BUT JUST BECAUSE ALRIGHT.

FOOD AND IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN AUSTIN, AND NOW WE HAVE MICHELIN STARS TO TOUT AROUND, SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO DO SOMETHING AROUND FOOD IMPACTS.

[01:20:01]

WERE YOU GONNA SAY SOMETHING ELSE, COMMISSIONER IAN? NO, I'M, I'M OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FEW WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE, SO.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

YEAH, WE CAN REVISIT THAT.

I, I SECOND SOME FESTIVALS, RIGHT? YEAH.

THE FESTIVALS.

I SECOND THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, I THINK WE REALLY HAVEN'T TALKED ALL THAT MUCH ABOUT ATHLETICS, UM, AND SPORTS.

SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT, A GREAT MEETING TO SORT OF TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THESE ISSUES AND MAYBE DO A FOCUS ON THAT.

UM, 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WITHIN THE CITY, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S BEEN A CONCERTED, UM, CONVERSATION ABOUT PARTICULARLY MAJOR SPORTS TEAMS, UM, COMING AND THEIR PLACEMENT.

I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A, A SPORTS COMMISSION, DO WE? MM-HMM .

SO VISIT AUSTIN HAS A SPORTS COMMISSION VISIT.

AUSTIN DOES.

THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE AND VERY SUCCESSFUL.

BUT DO WE, WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT IS ITSELF, THAT'S THE, THAT'S, IT IS THE SAME.

IT'S THE SAME ENTITY.

HOW IT WOULD IMPACT MUNICIPALITIES BEING ABLE TO, UM, REGULATE, THANK YOU, UH, , THESE SORTS OF ENTITIES.

AWESOME.

YEAH, SO MAYBE WE INVITE THEM AS WELL TO, TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.

'CAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO NOT REPLICATE, UM, AND SEE WHAT THEY, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT UP IN WHICH, UM, SORT OF WAY SO WE CAN BE MORE ATTUNED TO THAT CONVERSATION.

UM, AND THEN ALSO IF SOME OF THESE FALL OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE CAN ADD ON, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, THE BULL, THE BULL RIDING FOLKS AND THE RUGBY FOLKS.

UM, SO YEAH, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.

AND MAYBE, UH, I THINK ANNA, I MIGHT LEAN ON YOU FOR SOME OF THAT, UM, GUIDANCE.

PERFECT.

I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD FORGET THAT THERE ARE OTHER ACTIVITIES BESIDES F1 GOING AT CODA.

I MEAN, YEAH, THEY HAD A NAS, HUGE NASCAR H THEY HAVE MOTO GP, ALL OF THOSE TEAMS THAT COME IN.

I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT THE IMPACT OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BRING ALL OF THESE TEAMS IN FOR THESE MAJOR MULTI-DAY EVENTS.

AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD FORGET WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS.

HOPEFULLY WHOEVER COMES WILL REPRESENT WHEN THERE'S TELEVISION BROADCASTING INVOLVED, WHICH I WOULD EXPECT FROM THE BULL RIDERS TO REPORT ON.

I WOULD EXPECT FOR CODE TO REPORT.

YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN OUR SIGHT LINES.

IT'S NOT JUST THE ON THE GROUND SPEND, BUT IT'S THE PROJECTION OF THE IMAGE OF THE CITY THAT COMES THROUGH THESE EVENTS.

SO LIKE THE NEW YEAR'S EVE.

YEP.

PERFECT.

WELL, IT'S AN ONGOING CONVERSATION.

IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA IN THE MEANTIME, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T WRITTEN IN STONE, BUT IT, I FIND THAT IT REALLY HELPS US, SORT OF KEEPS US, KEEPS US GROUNDED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVES US A TO-DO LIST OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT.

SO THANKS SO MUCH AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR INPUT AND, UM, MY EARS ARE ALWAYS OPEN.

UM, AND WITH THAT, WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA NEXT AND LAST ITEM OF THE

[7. Update from the Short-Term Rental Working Group on any new reports regarding the STR’s new focus and efforts for recommendations.]

AGENDA.

UH, AN UPDATE FROM THE SHORT TERM RENTAL WORKING GROUP AS TO THE STATUS OF STR RENTALS HERE IN AUSTIN AND THEIR REFORM COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.

THANK YOU CHAIR RONAN.

UH, JUST SAY A QUICK THANK YOU TO, UM, THE STR WORKING GROUP WHO, UH, WORKED TIRELESS TIRELESSLY, UH, OVER THE PAST YEAR HAVING A LOT OF MEETINGS, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS TO WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND WHAT DOES THE STR ENVIRONMENT LOOK LIKE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND HOW CAN WE ENHANCE IT, UH, AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS UPON IT.

AND SO IT WAS GOOD TO SEE, UH, COUNCIL VOTED, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO.

AND SO I JUST WANNA GIVE A QUICK UPDATE, UH, ON KIND OF THE REGULATORY CHANGES AND WHAT WE SHOULD SEE, UH, GOING FORWARD.

AND A LOT OF THIS CAN STEM FROM, UM, OUR WORK THAT WE GAVE TO THEM.

UM, AND THIS IS STEP ONE AND THINGS WILL CONTINUE TO CHANGE AND EVOLVE, UM, IN TERMS OF REGULATORY CHANGES.

SO STR WILL NOW BE REGULATED UNDER TITLE FOUR OF THE AUSTIN CITY CODE, WHICH IS BUSINESS REGULATIONS INSTEAD OF LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

UH, KIND OF SWITCHING IT FROM THE LAND USE TO BUSINESS REGULATIONS.

STR REMAINED ALLOWED IN ALL RESIDENTIAL AREAS PROVIDED THE OWNER HAS A VALID LICENSE.

HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX ARE HOT.

STR PLATFORMS LIKE VRBO ARE NOW REQUIRED TO COLLECT REMIT THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX ON BEHALF OF THEIR USERS.

THIS CHANGE WILL TAKE EFFECT ON APRIL 1ST, 2025.

UM, MOST OF THE NEW REGULATIONS WILL OFFICIALLY GO INTO EFFECT ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2025.

UH, ENFORCEMENT GOALS.

THIS CHANGES AIMS TO CRACK DOWN ON UNLICENSED STR OPERATIONS AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH TAX AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS.

AS WE WERE AWARE, UH, PREVIOUSLY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN NEGLECTING TO COLLECT ITS HOT TAX.

AND SO NOW THE PLATFORMS WILL COLLECT THAT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.

UH, CITY ESTIMATES THERE ARE THOUSANDS UNLICENSED S STR IN THE AREA, AND THESE UPDATES ARE EXPECTED TO HELP ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO SCR REGULATIONS MAY CONSIDERED LATER THIS YEAR FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF THE 89TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE SESSION.

SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF PUSHBACK IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE,

[01:25:01]

UM, BUT NOW I THINK IT'S A GREAT START.

WE'VE ECHOED OUR CONCERNS TO THE CITY MANAGER AND, UM, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AROUND THE INTAKE PROCESS AS WELL AS KIND OF A ROBUST, UM, DATABASE SURROUNDING THE LICENSING ITSELF.

BUT, UH, GOOD JOB EVERYONE.

CONGRATULATIONS.

ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I HAVE ONE WITH REGARD TO, UH, THE NEXT STEPS FOR, UH, REGULATION AFTER WE MOVE PAST THE TEXAS, UH, STATE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU FORESEE AS THE TIMING THAT YOU'VE BEEN SORT OF CLUED INTO AT THE CITY AND, AND WHEN YOU THINK WOULD BE OPTIMAL.

I THINK SO WHAT WE WERE TALKED, WHAT WE, EXCUSE ME, WHAT WE WERE TOLD, UM, IN TERMS OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, IT DEALT WITH GLOBAL MARKETS AND REPORTING CONCERNS FOR THE PLATFORMS BACK TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND, UM, PUSH AND PULL BETWEEN THE PLATFORMS AND THE CITY IN TERMS OF TIMING.

I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT COMES OUT OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AND WHAT THE CITY CAN OR CANNOT DO.

IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S A BIG APPETITE TO DO MORE RIGHT NOW.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO, TAKING TEMPERATURE OF THE PULSES AND, AND SAYING WHAT'S GOING FORWARD.

I DIDN'T MENTION THAT THERE'S ALSO A NEW REQUIREMENT FOR, UM, OWNERS TO BE A THOUSAND FEET.

UH, YOU CANNOT HAVE A SECOND UNIT WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF EACH OTHER.

WE RAISE CONCERNS AROUND THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE BASICALLY PUTTING, UM, LICENSING MEASUREMENTS ON, UH, ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND NOT ON, UM, KIND OF MANAGEMENT OF THE, THE LICENSING SYSTEM ITSELF.

AND SO THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT, THAT WE RAISED.

BUT NO, NO SPECIFIC TIMELINES ON, ON NEXT STEPS.

THE BIG THING WAS GETTING IT FROM THE LAND USE CONVERSATION AND GETTING THAT WRAPPED UP IN TERMS OF SHORT TERM RENTALS.

AND THERE IS NO EFFORT TO, RATHER, I SHOULD REPHRASE THAT.

I MEAN, A LOT OF THE REFORMS THAT WE HAD REQUESTED THROUGH THE WORK GROUP, UH, AND HAD PROPOSED TO COUNCIL WERE VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE EXISTING REGULATIONS ALREADY ADOPTED BY OTHER CITIES, INCLUDING SAN ANTONIO, UM, JAICE AS, AS WELL AS FREDERICKSBURG, I BELIEVE.

INTAKE SIDE AND MANAGING OF THE LICENSES, BUT IF YOU WANT A LICENSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET ONE.

SO, UM, HAVE ANY OF THOSE, NOT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE RECOMMENDED NOT BEEN ADOPTED? SO I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WEREN'T ADOPTED HAVE TO DEAL WITH INTAKE.

UM, AND KIND OF THAT, THE DATABASE PORTION, WHICH I THINK YOU'RE ALLUDING TO.

AND SO LIKE THE CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATION OF ALL OF THOSE SDRS.

WE DIDN'T RECOMMEND A PUBLIC FACING VIEW OF THE SDRS, BUT WE DID RECOMMEND KNOWING WHERE ALL OF THEM ARE AND HAVING, UH, MAPPING COORDINATES OF THEM SO THAT YOU COULD FURTHER ENHANCE THE PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE, UM, WITH CAPS ON THE LICENSES THEMSELVES.

UM, THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

I, UM, I'VE KIND OF JUST SAID FOR FUTURE STATE, RIGHT? SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO TRACK IS THAT WORK GROUPS DO HAVE A SHELF LIFE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG WE COULD KEEP THEM.

AND I BELIEVE IT'S NINE MONTHS.

IS THAT CORRECT OR IS IT JUST A YEAR? MS. BURLESON, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ABOUT THAT, BUT DO YOU THINK THAT, UM, ONE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ELSE IS ON THE DOCKET FOR THE WORK GROUP MOVING FORWARD? AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE WORK GROUP DO IN TERMS OF CONTINUING TO TRACK THIS ISSUE AND ENHANCING, UM, THE CITY'S APPROACH TO FINDING SOLUTIONS? SURE.

FOR STR, GOOD QUESTION.

SO THE WORKING GROUP HAD TALKED WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND ALSO OFFERED, UM, OUR ASSISTANCE TO KIND OF STAY ON AS THEY OPERATIONALIZE, UH, THIS POLICY.

UM, JUST BECAUSE OF THE PARALLEL START STOPS, UH, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT USE OF THIS, OF THIS GROUP'S KNOWLEDGE BASE TO ASSIST WITH THAT.

UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT WHEN IT COMES TO REPORTING, WE DID HAVE A REQUEST OUT FOR THE PLATFORMS. UM, NOTHING TO DO WITH, UH, FINANCIALS OR OPERATIONAL IMPACTS OF THEIR BUSINESSES, BUT MORE TO ALLOW US FROM THE TOURISM SIDE TO GET A BETTER COUNT OF HEADS IN BEDS.

AND SO I STILL WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THOSE CONVERSATIONS GOING IN TERMS OF HOW WE COULD GET SEMI-ANNUAL OR, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY, UM, MONTHLY REPORTING DATA, UM, FROM THE PLATFORMS THEMSELVES.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN STILL HAS A CHALLENGE ON THE

[01:30:01]

UM, I JUST SEE LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST.

UM, IF WE DON'T PUT SOME REGULATIONS AROUND WHO CAN HAVE A LICENSE, WHERE THEY CAN BE, UM, I THINK WE'LL BE BACK IN THE SAME SITUATION, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, I GUESS GIVE PEOPLE TICKETS EASIER.

COMMISSIONER BISHOP? UH, SORRY.

WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH.

COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.

IT'S CHAPEL.

IT'S CHAPEL'S CHAPEL.

SORRY, I I WASN'T BEEN SAYING BISHOP THE ENTIRE MEETING.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

HAVE I HAVE, I SAID COMMISSIONER BISHOP, COMMISSIONER CHOP.

I THINK WE ALL KIND OF FLOAT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE FORMALITY.

WELL, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED WORK ON THE, UM, WORK GROUP AND THE IMPORTANT REFORMS FOR SDRS HERE IN AUSTIN.

I'M PLEASED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REALLY, UM, HELP ADVOCATE FOR NEED REFORMS FOR THE, UH, SHORT TERM RENTAL ISSUE HERE IN AUSTIN AND HELPING, UH, IMPROVE REVENUES FOR, UM, A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS THAT REQUIRE HOT FUNDING SUPPORT, HEARING OR NOT SEEING ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.

I SO MOTION TO ADJOURN.

IS THERE A MOTION? I OH, YOU

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UM, THIS IS A HOUSEKEEPING ITEM I WANT TO ASK FELICIA, YOU MENTIONED, UH, THAT IS IT IN THE APRIL MEETING? WE NEED TO VOTE FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.

AND THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, UH, THE CHAIR SERVES TWO YEARS MAX, FOUR YEARS.

AND THEN, UM, SAME WITH THE VICE CHAIR.

UM, SO YOU COULD ESSENTIALLY VOTE FOR A NEW CHAIR AND NOT A NEW VICE CHAIR OR VOTE FOR THE WHATEVER.

SO YOU COULD DO IT EITHER WAY.

THERE'S NO RESTRICTION.

AND WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT NEXT MONTH.

THAT YOU'RE BOTH ELIGIBLE.

UM, YES.

'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR TWO YEARS, CORRECT? I THINK SO, YEAH.

ALSO WE NEED, WE NEED A QUORUM, .

SO PLEASE COME NEXT MONTH .

SO WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A CHAIR AND A VICE CHAIR, UH, REGARDLESS OF, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, UM, ED AND I, I, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST NEED LEADERSHIP.

SO, UM, THAT'S A GOOD, UM, CUE, UH, COMMISSIONER IAN, UM, PLEASE BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, WHETHER OR NOT YOU MAY LIKE TO RUN FOR, UH, CHAIR OF VICE CHAIR, UM, AND LET ME KNOW AND WE CAN PUT TOGETHER THE BALLOT FOR NEXT, UH, MEETING HERE IN APRIL.

COMMISSIONER IAN.

I WAS, I WAS JUST DATA FINDING .

I DON'T HAVE AN INTEREST OR THE BANDWIDTH FOR THIS TIME, BUT I MEAN, UH, MY VIEW IS IF IT'S NOT BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL GREAT.

WELL, UM, I KNOW I'M AN ANNA .

UH, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND UH, I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER BAAN IS OUT, UH, WITH A FAMILY EMERGENCY, SO SHE WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY, BUT SHE STILL VERY MUCH IS ON THE COMMISSION.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONER SHAPEY WHO SENSES REGRETS AS HE, UH, JUST JOINED THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION AND HAD TO, UH, MISS TODAY'S MEETING FOR, UH, MANDATORY TRAINING.

SO THEY ARE STILL INTERESTED, ENGAGED IN SERVICE ON THE TOURISM COMMISSION.

THEY JUST COULD NOT MAKE TODAY'S MEETING SO GREAT.

WELL, WITH THAT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? AUR SO MOVED BY I COMMISSIONER POSI SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.

WE NOW ADJOURN THE TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING FOR MARCH 12TH, 2025.