Mar 24, 2025 Arts Commission

SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAY.

ALL SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

UH, WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4.

WE, IF WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, CAN WE, SHOULD WE WAIT TO APPROVE? OH, CAN'T MEET IF WE HAVE TO, WE CAN.

NO, WE HAVE A QUORUM, BUT WE HAVE ABS ABSTENTIONS.

OH, ABSTENTION.

SORRY.

SO WE CAN CIRCLE, WE CAN CIRCLE BACK UNTIL WE HAVE, THERE WE GO.

THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT.

WITH THAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON.

SO WE'LL, WE'LL COME ON BACK TO THE MINUTES.

UM, WITH THAT, WE'RE MOVING ON.

I DON'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL CHAIR'S REPORT TODAY, BUT THE CLERK'S OFFICE SAYS I CAN TAKE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE AND SAY A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR BRAND NEW D 10 ARTS COMMISSIONER SHARON BAUER ANDERSON.

THEY ARE AN INCREDIBLE PILLAR IN THIS COMMUNITY AND ARE THE ED OF A TX THEATER, WHICH IS A WONDERFUL NETWORK AND HUB FOR ALL OPPORTUNITIES AND SHOWS AND THINGS THEATER.

UM, SO WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE THEM ON THE COMMISSION WITH US.

UM, THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS ALSO MY FINAL MEETING AS CHAIR.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ROUND OF LEADERSHIP, UH, TO COME FORWARD ON THIS COMMISSION AND FOR A NICE CHANGING OF THE GUARD.

UM,

[2. Report of the Art in Public Places Liaison concerning actions taking during the March 3rd meeting of the Art in Public Places Panel by Commissioner Maldonado ]

WE ARE GOING TO ITEM TWO, UH, THE REPORT OF THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, UH, WITH OUR LIAISON FROM THE MARCH 3RD MEETING.

UH, COMMISSIONER MALTO.

HI, EVERYONE.

SO I HAVE A FEW UPDATES.

SO FROM THE MARCH 3RD, ART AND PUBLIC PA, UH, PLACES MEETING, WE HAD A FEW ACTION ITEMS. THOSE INCLUDED.

UH, WE DID APPROVE THE FINAL DESIGN FOR THE BRUSH, FOR THE BRUSH SQUARE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROJECT.

AND, UM, THE ARTIST FOR THAT IS GEORGE SBRA.

UH, THE OTHER ACTION ITEM IS WE DID A ARTIST SELECTION RECOMMENDATION, UH, AND WE APPROVED IT FOR THE RED BULL.

I EASEL ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROJECT.

AND EMILY EISENHOWER WAS A RECOMMENDED ARTIST.

UH, PHILIP FILTER, UH, WAS A RECOMMENDED ALTERNATE ARTIST.

UH, WE ALSO, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, APPROVED THE ARTIST SELECTION FOR THE ARMADILLO WATER TANK.

UM, AND THAT IS BILL VIS.

SO BILL VIS IS A RECOMMENDED ARTIST, CANDY COUP RECOMMENDED ALTERNATE ARTIST AND A FRIEND BUKO, RECOMMENDED THIRD ALTERNATE ARTIST.

SO THOSE WERE THE THREE ACTION ITEMS WE HAD AT THE LAST A IPP MEETING.

AND THAT'S WHAT I GOT FOR THAT.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? AND THEN I APOLOGIZE TO OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

I JUST GOT SO EXCITED TO INTRODUCE SHARON THAT I JUST SKIPPED RIGHT OVER THAT.

UM, BUT WHILE WE'RE HERE, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER MULO? WE WILL BE RECEIVING PRESENTATIONS FROM A IPP COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK, OR DID YOU? NO, I'M JUST YOU IN AGREEANCE.

OKAY, WONDERFUL.

UM, ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER MULO? THINK SO.

THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE.

AND NOW WE'RE GONNA REWIND.

UM, I ALSO WANNA NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER CHARLA IS WITH US, AND WE WILL STILL NEED ONE MORE IN ORDER TO APPROVE MINUTES.

UM, SO OH, SORRY.

PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

FIRST WE HAVE NATALIE EARHART.

ALMOST REAL THANKS.

AND WE HAVE A MICROPHONE RIGHT UP HERE FOR YOU.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.

IT'S ON IT.

IT'S LIVE.

SO, UH, ALL IN FOR EQUALITY AND, UH, EQUALITY TEXAS.

UM, HI, I'M NATALIE FROM ALMOST REAL THINGS.

UM, COMING TO SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN.

UH, I HAVE JUST TWO THINGS I WANNA TALK ABOUT TODAY.

ONE, I WAS AT THE CAPITAL ALL DAY FOR THE ALL IN FOR EQUALITY ADVOCACY DAY FOR L-G-B-T-Q.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF LEGISLATION, AS YOU GUYS PROBABLY KNOW RIGHT NOW, A LOT THAT AFFECTS, UM, THE L-G-B-T-Q ARTIST COMMUNITY.

UH, SPECIFICALLY I WANTED TO NOTE SB 84, WHICH IS NARROWLY DEFINING GENDER.

UH, FOR THE PURPOSES ID, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE FOR BIRTH CERTIFICATES, UM, AND HB TWO, TWO FIVE EIGHT, WHICH IS, UH, POLICING YOUTH GENDER EXPRESSION, UM, WHICH IS SUCH A VAGUE TERM.

[00:05:01]

THEY DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AT BREAKING DOWN THE COMPLICATED LANGUAGE INTO MORE SIMPLE, EASY TO UNDERSTAND SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ADVOCATE.

SO I JUST RECOMMEND LOOKING INTO THOSE OR SHARING THOSE WITH YOUR COMMUNITIES.

UM, THE NEXT IS TOUCH THE ART, WHICH I'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.

THAT'S AN EXPERIENCE AND A PROGRAM I PUT ON WITH ALMOST REAL THINGS, UM, WHERE WE PARTNER WITH, UH, VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND BLIND INDIVIDUALS TO CREATE ART PIECES AND TO CREATE A SHOW THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO THEM AND TO ALL PEOPLE WHERE YOU CAN TOUCH EVERYTHING.

SO THAT IS OPEN ON APRIL 12TH AND WILL BE OPEN UNTIL MAY 27TH.

SO YOU CAN FIND OUT INFORMATION THAT TOUCH THE ART.ORG.

I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN COME.

I HOPE YOU CAN INVITE PEOPLE.

UM, AND I WANTED TO GIVE A QUICK ANECDOTE JUST FROM ONE OF THE CONSULTANTS WE HAVE, WE ALWAYS DO ORIENTATION AT THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND IN VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

THERE'S, THEY'RE OUR PARTNER IN THIS AND, UM, THEIR DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM, SHE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO BE AT ORIENTATION AND THEN MEET WITH ME PRIVATELY.

AND WE, SHE HAS A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS ON JUST MAKING VISUAL ART IN AUSTIN AND PUBLIC ART MORE ACCESSIBLE.

UM, SHE'S AN ARTIST HERSELF, VERY SKILLED, BUT SHE WENT BLIND AT THE AGE OF 12.

UM, BUT SHE STILL PURSUED ART.

SHE WENT TO UT TO GET A DEGREE IN STUDIO ART.

UM, BUT SHE HAD A PROFESSOR, A DRAWING PROFESSOR, WHO BASICALLY FAILED HER AND TOLD HER THAT SHE COULD NOT BE AN ARTIST BECAUSE SHE WAS BLIND.

UM, AND LIKE HER INTERPRET, SHE COULDN'T INTERPRET ANYTHING WITH HER EYES, AND THEREFORE SHE WASN'T AN ARTIST.

UM, SADLY SHE SWITCHED OVER TO LIKE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ART DEGREE IN HUMANITIES, WHICH LED HER TO THE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND EVERYTHING.

SO IT WORKED OUT.

BUT SHE DID JUST SAY LIKE, ONE PERSON, ONE NEGATIVE KIND OF PERSON CAN REALLY AFFECT YOUR LIFE, UM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE MARGINALIZED OR HAVE DIFFERENT ABILITIES.

SO THAT'S WHY I THINK PROGRAMS LIKE THIS AND SHOWS LIKE THIS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, JUST SO WE CAN MAKE SPACE AND EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE AND WHERE EVERYONE FEELS WELCOME.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HEAR STORIES LIKE THAT.

WORDS HAVE POWER.

NEXT WE HAVE DANIEL GIANNIS, PERFORMANCE ARTIST.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, STAFF, UM, FOR YOUR SERVICE.

UH, I AM DAN GIANNIS AND I'VE, UH, STARTED PERFORMING, UH, IN AUSTIN IN THE LATE SEVENTIES AND CONTINUE TO PERFORM.

I WAS A DANCER FOR 30, ABOUT 30 YEARS, UH, AT THE PEAK WHEN AUSTIN WAS NUMBER THREE IN, IN THE WORLD IN MODERN DANCE.

AND, UH, YOU HAVE COMMISSIONER WHO HAS BEEN PART OF THAT.

UH, AND SO I SAY THAT BECAUSE ALL, ALL THIS TIME I HAVE INPUTTED INTO HOW THE CITY DEALS WITH THE ARTS AND, UM, UH, RECENTLY, UH, THE, THE, UH, UM, UH, CULTURAL CONTRACTS FOLKS AND, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, UH, DID A GREAT JOB IN BRINGING EQUITY AND TURNING AUSTIN AWAY FROM SYSTEMIC RACISM IN THE ARTS.

THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB, BUT IN CREATING THOSE THREE BUBBLES, THEY WENT BACK 10 YEARS WHERE THE SYSTEM IS NOW DEHUMANIZED.

UH, I FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS, UH, AS AN ARTIST, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A LONG, LONG, UH, REPUTATION AND LEGACY HERE IN, IN TOWN.

SO I'M HERE TO, UH, TO SAY THAT I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND THE COUNCIL CREATED THE, IS IT, UH, WHAT'S IT CALLED? ACME? ACME.

ACME.

UH, UH, TO PARTICIPATING IN, IN, IN, UM, IN THE COYOTE AND THE .

ACME MAKES ME THINK OF, UH, THE COYOTE AND .

SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT BECAUSE I SEE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BRING BACK AND BRING HUMANITY BACK TO ARTS FUNDING AND, AND THE ARTS APPLICATION.

I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

UH, AND SO IN SAYING THAT, I'M HOPING THAT THE CITY WILL CREATE A TASK FORCE THAT WILL INCLUDE STAFF AND, AND RELATED FOLKS, AND ALSO LEGACY ARTISTS.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET PEOPLE AT THE POLICY TABLE TO CREATE POLICY THAT, UH, IS HUMAN AND ALSO PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN.

THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS.

THERE'S SO MANY, UH, WHAT I CALL LEGACY ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS WHO WERE JUST DROPPED.

UH, AND, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'VE, I'VE, I'VE, UH, I HELPED CREATE THE ORIGINAL PEER PANELS THAT WERE ACTUALLY PEER PANELS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.

AND THEY KIND OF GOT, YOU KNOW, WATERED DOWN PRETTY SOON.

THEY WEREN'T EVEN THERE.

THIS LAST PANEL SEQUESTERED NEVER EVEN SAW THEM WHO THEY WERE.

UH, THEY DIDN'T HAVE A HISTORY OF WHAT IS AUSTIN.

SO I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING, UM,

[00:10:01]

AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.

AND, UH, DON'T FORGET ME.

DANIELLE, I WANNA NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER KEYS AND COMMISSIONER GARZA WAS HERE.

WE'LL BE BACK.

HOPEFULLY THEY'RE IN THE ROOM.

UM, I WANNA CHECK IN WITH YOU, MARCO.

WE HAVE YOU ON THE AGENDA FORMALLY, BUT YOU'VE ALSO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMUNICATION OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESERVE YOUR WORDS FOR ITEM EIGHT? OKAY, GREAT.

JUST CHECKING.

UM, WITH THAT WE MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE PRESENTATION BY BOARD MEMBERS OF AUSTIN CREATIVE ALLIANCE ON THE MOST RECENT PETITION TO COUNCIL.

[3. Presentation by Board Members of Austin Creative Alliance on the most recent petition to Council ]

UH, I DID SPEAK WITH DEWEY BROOKS TODAY, AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO MAKE TODAY'S MEETING, BUT HAVE SAID THAT THEY WILL LOOK AT THE FUTURE MEETING DATES AND PICK A TIME TO JOIN US.

UM, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY JUST TO CHECK IN WITH THE COMMISSION.

IS EVERYBODY UP TO DATE ON WHAT THIS ITEM IS ABOUT? EVERYBODY SAW THE PO PETITION CIRCULATED BY AUSTIN CREATIVE ALLIANCE, MOST RECENTLY CALLING FOR AN EMPOWERMENT OF THE ARTS COMMISSION.

I'M CHECKING IN WITH MY COMMISSIONERS ON SCREEN.

COMMISSIONER KEYS, COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.

ARE YOU BOTH FAMILIAR WITH THE PETITION? OKAY, WONDERFUL.

I DID SEND AN EMAIL OUT IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING WITH OUR RESPONSE, UM, SORT OF LINE BY LINE, UH, WITH SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE AS A COMMISSION TAKE WITH THE INFORMATION, OR RATHER THE MISINFORMATION THAT'S PRESENTED IN THE PRESENT IN THE PETITION.

UM, THIS HAS BEEN A REOCCURRING ISSUE AND IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE OF THE PETITION, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT EXISTS TODAY ON THEIR WEBSITE AS THERE HAVE BEEN EDITS.

UM, BUT IT CALLED OUT THE COMMISSION FOR NOT BEING AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNICATION.

AND THE REALITY IS THE LAST TIME THE, UH, BOARD OF AUSTIN CREATIVE OF ALLIANCE WAS IN FRONT OF THE ARTS COMMISSION WAS IN 2021 AT THE REQUEST OF THE ARTS COMMISSION.

SO MAKING OURSELVES ABUNDANTLY AVAILABLE, UM, THEY WILL GET BACK TO US WHEN THEY WOULD LIKE TO COME SPEAK TO US ABOUT THEIR ISSUES.

UM, COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK, WOULD YOU HAVE LIKED ANYTHING TO ADD TO THIS? UM, NO.

I, I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO TALK ON THE RECORD WITH A CA ABOUT, I THINK THERE'S A TENDENCY TO CIRCULATE PETITIONS THAT SOUND REALLY GOOD ON THE SURFACE, BUT THEY'RE KIND OF FULL OF HALF-TRUTHS AND MISINFORMATION THAT ARE ACTUALLY DAMAGING TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND STAFF IS TRYING TO DO AND CALLS FOR LOTS OF TIME TO BE WASTED AND ENERGY TO BE SPENT IN WAYS THAT THEY DON'T NEED TO BE SPENT.

WHEN WE HAVE ASKED OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO WORK TOGETHER.

AND THAT IS WHAT WE CONTINUE TO ASK TO DO, IS IF WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER, WE WILL GET A LOT FURTHER.

THAT'S IT.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER? I JUST HAD A COMMENT BRIEFLY.

UM, I READ THE RESPONSE TO THE PETITION AND I WAS CURIOUS THAT THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, WHICH TO ME IS SORT OF THE POINT OF THE PETITION, WAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE FIRST PARAGRAPH THAT INCLUDED THE, THE SENTENCE THAT SORT OF CHANGED THE DIRECTION OF THE ARTS COMMISSION AS DIRECTED BY STAFF.

SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT A RESPONSE TO THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

THAT'S WHAT THE 190 PEOPLE WHO SIGNED IT WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THAT SHIFT WAS MADE.

AND THAT HAS NOT RESPONDED TO IN THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED THE, UH, BOARD OF THE AUSTIN CREATIVE ALLIANCE HERE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE I THINK WHAT IS AT ISSUE IS IF COMMUNITY TRUST HAS BEEN ERODED AT ALL, IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO FIGURE OUT WHY MM-HMM .

AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A MAJOR REASON WHY IF THE ARTS COMMISSION IS A MOUTHPIECE FOR THE CITY TO THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S A ALMOST A PR JOB AND VERY DIFFERENT THAN IT USED TO BE.

ON THE COMMISSION MM-HMM .

WHEN THE ARTS COMMISSION WAS A MOUTHPIECE FROM THE COMMUNITY TO THE CITY.

SO I THINK THAT IS WHAT THE PEOPLE, THE 190 WHO SIGNED IT ARE SAYING.

SO THAT WAS NOT RESPONDED TO.

AND I FEEL LIKE THAT WARRANTS SOME CONVERSATION.

YEAH, I AGREE COMPLETELY.

UM, AND WHEN YOU DO THAT NOW, DO, DO YOU WANNA DO IT NOW? YEAH.

UM, LET ME PULL UP, DO YOU WANNA READ OUT THE PARAGRAPH OR JUST GENERALLY THE, THE SHIFT IN POWER? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A, A CHANGEOVER BEFORE MY TIME HERE

[00:15:01]

UM, IN TERMS OF THE, HOW THINGS WERE APPROVED, OR MAYBE WE CAN GET CITY STAFF TO ELABORATE SO WE HAVE MORE OF A CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT AND NOT JUST MY FADING MEMORY.

TWO MONTHS BEFORE YOU STARTED MM-HMM .

UH, THE, THE FIRST PARAGRAPH IS, UH, STATES, THE AUSTIN ARTS COMMISSION NEEDS CITY COUNCIL TO RESTORE ITS MISSION.

AUSTIN CITY CODE TWO DASH ONE DASH 1 0 3 GRANTS.

THIS COMMISSION A BROAD STATUTORY OVERSIGHT ROLE.

THIS ROLE WAS DIMINISHED THROUGH THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.

SPECIFICALLY AN INTERIM REPORT, WHICH IS ATTACHMENT NUMBER TWO IN THE PETITION INCLUDES A STAFF ACTION STEP TO RECALIBRATE THE ROLE OF THE ARTS COMMISSION FROM A DIRECTIVE ROLE TO A SUPPORTIVE ONE.

AND FUNDAMENTALLY, THAT IS THE SHIFT IN TONE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T SITTING HERE HAVE FELT IN THE LAST FIVE, SIX YEARS.

IT'S A SHIFT IN TONE.

IT'S A, WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU AND THAT'S HOW IT'S GONNA BE.

SORRY, WHATEVER'S HAPPENING IS WHAT'S HAPPENING.

BUT WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN TO YOU INSTEAD OF YEAH.

YOU KNOW WHAT? WE HEAR YOUR CONCERNS AND WE'RE TAKING 'EM IN AND LET'S, WE ARE A TRUE BRIDGE.

THERE'S TRUE COMMUNICATION HAPPENING THAT ISN'T HOW IT'S FELT.

SO THAT'S WHERE THIS CAME FROM.

ALL THE PERSONAL STUFF OR THE MUDDY BLAH BLAH, IT'S BEEN LIKE THIS FOR YEARS.

PEOPLE ARE TERRIBLE PEOPLE THAT IS NOT OF INTEREST.

SECONDARILY, AUDIENCE FIRST ARTISTS SECOND.

TO ME, THE JOB OF THIS BODY IS TO TALK ABOUT POLICY MM-HMM .

AND HOW ARE WE SERVING THE GREATER AUSTIN COMMUNITY BY HELPING TO SUPPORT ART THAT MATTERS HERE AND ALSO THE COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS.

SECOND.

CAN I SPEAK TO THAT PLEASE? UM, I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER WHEN ALL THIS HAPPENED AND I WAS PRETTY UPSET THAT IT, THAT, UH, THE, UH, MJS REPORT CHANGED THE, THE FOUNDATION OF THE ARTS COMMISSION.

BUT I WANNA ADD, AS TO YOUR POINT IN BEING INVOLVED REALLY ACTIVELY AROUND THE ARTS COMMISSION BEFORE I WAS EVEN APPOINTED AND THEN BEING HERE, I'VE REALLY FELT THE COMMISSIONERS AND REALLY, REALLY, REALLY TRIED TO GET THAT COMMUNITY CONVERSATION GOING.

THERE WERE TIMES WHERE WE, WE HAD SO MANY TIMES WHERE WE TRIED TO SET MEETINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULDN'T COME TO.

WE WERE TRYING EVERYTHING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FOR AND UP UNTIL A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.

IT'S LIKE, WE'RE HERE.

WE WANNA HEAR YOU TALK TO US, LET US KNOW AND WE DON'T HEAR.

WE DON'T HEAR.

I CAN'T THINK OF A MEETING SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT THAT WASN'T SAID.

WE WANT TO HEAR YOU.

WE'RE HERE FOR YOU.

WE HAVE A FACE.

WE HAVE, WE WERE DOING A NEWSLETTER FOR A LOT OF TIMES.

NOW, WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DOING IT THE BEST WAY, BUT I FELT WE WERE DOING IT THE ONLY WAY WE COULD KNOWING WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT SETTING POLICY.

AND WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE IT WAS OFFICIALLY CHANGED AS FAR AS WE KNEW THAT WAS OF OFFICIALLY CHANGED.

AND THAT'S THE POINT OF THE DOCUMENT.

AND OUR BYLAWS CURIOUSLY, HAVE NOT CHANGED.

SO, LET'S GO BACK TO OUR BYLAWS.

LET'S REINSTATE THE INTEGRITY OF THIS BODY MM-HMM .

SO THAT PEOPLE DO WANNA COME TALK TO US.

LET'S BUCKLE DOWN AND MAKE THIS A MORE MM-HMM .

A MORE TIGHT PROFESSIONAL MM-HMM .

NOT THREE AND A HALF HOUR MM-HMM .

EVENT.

SO PEOPLE WANNA BE HERE.

SURE CAN.

SO THAT'S, CAN I ADD ONE MORE THOUGHT? 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN AROUND THIS BODY AS WELL, AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN AROUND IT FOR A LONG TIME TOO, BUT I'VE BEEN AROUND THIS BODY FOR DECADES.

THE COMMUNITY ONLY HAS SHOWN UP WHEN THEY DIDN'T GET MONEY.

IT IS, IT IS THE WAY IT IS.

I DIDN'T GET FUNDING, SO I'M GONNA GO COMPLAIN OR SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THE COMMISSION OR WE DIDN'T GET WHAT WE KNOW.

WE DIDN'T GET WHAT WE DESERVE IS THE ONLY TIME.

NOW RECENTLY WE HAVE ARTISTS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING, UH, CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, BUT NOT AS MANY AS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

WE ARE HERE FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND I DON'T SEE THE INTERACTION FROM THE COMMUNITY TO THE ARTS COMMISSION EVEN BEFORE THAT CHANGED.

SO THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST ME.

BUT IT WAS VERY, VERY OBVIOUS EVEN BACK THEN.

SO, AGREE, AGREE.

AGREE THOUGH.

BYLAWS DOES A MEMBER OF STAFF, OH, COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK.

I'M GONNA, UM, I STILL HAVE A QUESTION THAT I HAVE SINCE I STARTED IS LIKE, WHAT WAS THE STATUTORY OVERSIGHT THAT WAS LOST? BECAUSE AS SOMEONE WHO START, I THINK MOST PEOPLE HERE STARTED AROUND THAT TIME.

LOST THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO SEE RESTORED? UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND SO WE'RE, THE REFERENCE POINT IS WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

AND I'VE ASKED SEVERAL TIMES LIKE WHAT, SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS THE THING THAT WAS

[00:20:01]

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

IT'S, AND I THINK, AND I THINK WHAT HAPPENED, AND WE WENT, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT AND STARTED TO DO IT AND DEFINITELY WENT IN THAT DIRECTION IN OUR LAST MEETING, WAS BEING ABLE TO BE ACTIVE AND ENGAGED IN THE APPLICATIONS, THE CULTURAL, THE, THE PROCESS OF THE COMMUNITY ASKING FOR MONEY.

WE WERE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THAT COMMUNICATION WITH STAFF IN MEETINGS, TALKING ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS.

AND WE SAW THINGS BEFORE THEY WERE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.

WHICH WE'VE ASKED CORRECT.

NUMEROUS TIMES.

AND FOR PROBABLY THREE YEARS.

SO JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON, I THINK THAT ANSWERS PART OF YOUR QUESTION.

NOT ALL OF IT, BUT A LOT OF WHAT'S, WITHOUT MORE SPECIFICS, I THINK, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS ALREADY IN PROCESS.

WHAT IS IN, WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IF, IF THAT'S INDEED WHAT WE'RE REFERENCING IS SHOW US THINGS BEFORE THEY GO PUBLIC MM-HMM .

CAN WE HAVE MORE OF A ROLE IN THAT THAT'S BEEN ASKED? I MEAN, WE CAN GO BACK IN MULTIPLE MEETINGS AND, AND SEEN THAT CONVERSATION HAPPEN, IF THAT IS NOT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING MORE LIKE, WE WANT TO HAVE THE COMMISSION APPROVE THE GRANTS.

IS THAT THE QUESTION? I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

IS LIKE, WHAT IS THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY THAT ONCE THAT THIS BODY ONCE HAVE ONCE HAD, THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYMORE HAVE? RIGHT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT, I TRULY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE OUR LIMITS ARE EITHER.

LIKE I, FOR EXAMPLE, I REALLY WANNA GET MY HANDS ON ALL THE FINAL REVIEWS.

I MEAN THE FINAL, UH, REPORTS.

I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE, OF THE, THE, UH, GIVING PROGRAM IS GOING.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ALLOWED TO ASK THAT.

SO 'CAUSE I'M NEW, I'M JUST LEARNING.

BUT, UM, IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING THING TO MAYBE TALK TO A COMMISSIONER FROM 15 YEARS AGO MM-HMM .

AND, AND, UH, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

BUT I THINK THE, THE POINT OF STATING IT IS THERE IS A SENSE THAT WHEN WE THEN, WHEN THE ART MAKER MASSES COME TO A COMMISSION MEETING, THEY SAY SOMETHING AND THE COMMISSIONERS GO, OKAY.

AND THEN THERE'S NO, THERE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THERE'S A FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT OR THAT THINGS ARE ALREADY DECIDED IN THEIR PASSED DOWN MM-HMM .

RATHER THAN IT BE A CONVERSATION.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT, MAYBE WHEN WE'RE IN THIS ROOM LIKE THIS AND WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE WITH US MM-HMM .

THAT WILL ALSO HELP THE TONE AS OPPOSED TO BEING UP ON THE DI US IN THE, YOU KNOW.

AND WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS TOO, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING WELCOMING.

UM, SURE.

AND I VOTE FOR SPEAKER TIMER SO THAT MEETINGS CAN BE SHORTER.

, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT SPEAKER TIMING THAT TAKES IT OVER.

BUT I WILL SAY, LIKE, I, I APPRECIATE THE CHOICE OF LANGUAGE BECAUSE IT IS THE APPEARANCE OF THE, THE ACTION STOPS WHEN THE MEETING'S OVER.

BUT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT MANY OF THESE COMMISSIONERS SPEND HOURS OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING COMMUNICATING WITH CITY COUNCIL, COMMUNICATING WITH STAFF, AND TAKING THOSE ISSUES ALONG THE WAY.

I THINK WE DO NEED A PERSPECTIVE SH OR PERSPECTIVE, UH, RECAP TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS THE DOWNGRADE, SO TO SPEAK, IN AUTHORITY.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT ACCURATELY REPRESENTS THE EFFORT BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THAT MAY HAVE CHANGED IN WRITING.

YEP.

WE HAVE CONTINUED TO BE ADVOCATES FOR THE THINGS THAT WE FEEL ARE AS APPROPRIATE AND THE CHANGES THAT WE WANNA SEE AND FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE COMMUNITY.

I THINK MOST RECENTLY WE CAN SEE THE WORKING GROUP FOR ELEVATE AND NEXUS AND THRIVE AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY PUSHING, UM, NOT LAST MEETING, BUT THE MEETING BEFORE WAS PRETTY HEATED, UM, WITH US REALLY MAKING DEMANDS AROUND BEING LISTENED TO AND BEING SEEN AS A COLLABORATOR IN THIS, AND NOT JUST AN ADVISORY BODY IN A SUPERFICIAL WAY.

WHICH WE'VE HEARD FROM MULTIPLE COMMISSIONERS IS HOW IT CAN FEEL.

SO NOT TAKING ISSUE WITH THE FACTS THAT ARE LISTED, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF FLUFF IN THAT DOCUMENT, AND THAT IS PROBLEMATIC.

I SUGGEST, AND THAT IS WHY FDA'S BOARD WAS INVITED.

AND I JUST WANT THAT TO BE THE UNDERLYING, THAT WAS THE OBJECTIVE OF PUTTING IT ON THE CALEND ON THE AGENDA.

I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT BEFORE AND AFTER SCENARIOS, BUT OVERALL, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HEALTHY, CONSTRUCTIVE COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATION, THAT IS NOT HELPFUL.

I, I, I THINK THAT WE ALL NEED TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND REALIZE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM HERE.

WE ALL OF US INCLUDING A CA SURE.

ONCE A VIBRANT ART SCENE IN AUSTIN MM-HMM .

SO IF WE CAN FIND THINGS THAT WE AGREE ON AND PUSH THOSE FORWARD, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THOSE THINGS.

AND THE BEST WAY WE CAN DISPEL THAT AND, AND MAKE IT NOT NECESSARY IS TO BE ABSOLUTELY TRANSPARENT ABOUT ALL THE REASONS FOR OUR RECUSALS, FOR ALL THE, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING WE DO IN THIS BODY NEEDS TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT CELLOPHANE.

UM, UH, I ALSO WANNA SAY, I THINK PART OF IT IS ALSO ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND THE LACK OF TRUST THAT IS REFERRED TO IS REAL.

I CAN TELL YOU, HAVING HOST, I HOST MEETINGS ALMOST MONTHLY FOR LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE, AND THERE IS A LACK OF TRUST.

[00:25:01]

SO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.

LOVE IT.

AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN ALL AGREE UPON.

LET'S MAKE A NOTE IF WE CAN GET A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF NEXT MONTH WITH A BEFORE AND AFTER TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW THE SCOPE HAS CHANGED.

SOUND GOOD? THAT'S GREAT.

FABULOUS.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER KEYS? I SEE YOU'RE, YEAH, GO FOR IT.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO THAT.

I THINK THOSE WERE RE REALLY GOOD POINTS, AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE US BACK THERE, BUT I WAS WAITING TO SPEAK AND TRYING TO SEE WHEN, WHEN THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE.

BUT EVEN BEING JUST, UH, FAIRLY RECENT, UM, APPOINTED COMMISSIONER, I'M STILL TRYING TO NAVIGATE WHAT THE POWERS THAT BE ARE AND WHAT THE PROCESS IS AND HOW TO, YOU KNOW, JUST NAVIGATE THE PROCESS AND PROTOCOL.

UM, BUT I DO THINK IF THESE ARE SENTIMENTS THAT ARE MADE FROM A MAJORITY, OR BASED ON THE MAJORITY OF ARTISTS, I JUST THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING EVEN MORE SO HOW THIS IS A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT TO MARGINALIZED ARTISTS, TO BLACK AND BROWN ARTISTS.

IF MAJORITY ARTISTS ARE FEELING LIKE THEY'RE NOT EVEN GETTING ENOUGH INFORMATION OR THEY'RE NOT A PART OF THE PROCESS, THAT THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS A LOT OF THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE, THEN TO THINK OF THE MISTRUST THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES SEEMS LIKE, LIKE, IT, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST LIKE DOUBLE THAT.

AND SO I JUST REALLY WANT US TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN THINKING ABOUT THAT.

'CAUSE EVEN, UM, I, I REMEMBER ONE OF THE FIRST LIKE DECISIONS WE WERE MAKING WHEN I WAS APPOINTED WAS, UM, IN RELATION TO THE AIRPORT.

AND IT WAS THE PUBLIC ARTIST CALL PROCESS.

AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW I NAVIGATE SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS WITH ARTISTS.

AND I HAD, HAD MISSED THAT ARTIST BEFORE I WAS APPOINTED.

AND I WAS LIKE, HOW IS THIS, LIKE, THIS SEEMS LIKE A QUASI PUB ARTIST CALL.

LIKE HOW THE INTERNATIONAL CALL AND IT'S, I DON'T EVEN SEE ANY OTHER TRANSLATIONS THAT IT'S TRANSLATED IN.

HOW IS IT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE CRITERIA OF SOMETHING BEING, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERED A PUBLIC ART CALL? AND THEN EVEN WITH THAT, WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY GA ENGAGEMENT DONE ON THE COMMISSIONER SIDE ON THE CITY SIDE TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT INFILTRATE, BUT TO CONNECT WITH ALL DIFFERENT TYPES AND DIVERSE GROUPS OF ARTISTS TO GIVE THEM EVEN THE CHANCE OR THE, THE INFORMATION AND TIME TO BE ABLE TO APPLY.

AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE THAT IT'S, IT'S ALMOST MULTI-PRONGED AND ONE WHERE CAN WE MEET THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING THIS INFORMATION TO THEM AND WHAT IS OUR JOB? WHAT IS THE CITY'S JOB? BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S ALSO IN LOOKING AT THEIR CRITERIA AND THE PROCESSES AND HEARING THEM OUT AND NOT NECESSARILY DECIDING, MAKING DECISIONS FOR THEM AND THEN DISPERSING OR DISSEMINATING THE INFORMATION.

SO AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE WE CAN BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS ON THE FRONT END.

AND SO IT, IT DOESN'T SEEM AS REACTIONARY.

UM, WITH THAT WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BY JESUS PENTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.

DO WE HAVE ENOUGH FOR MINUTES? OH, LET'S SEE.

BY COMMISSIONER HOUSTON AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GRAY.

I THINK WITH COMMISSIONER GARZA HERE, UH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS AND COMMISSIONERS WHO WEREN'T HERE, SO WE COULDN'T APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR LAST MONTH.

UM, WE HAD A MOTION

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

HAVE YOU HAD A MOMENT TO REVIEW THE MINUTES MOVE? OKAY.

SO, ALL IN FAVOR FOR THOSE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS VOTE OF APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR LAST MONTH.

1, 2, 3.

ALL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COMMISSIONER BOWER ANDERSON AND COMMISSIONER SCHWABA.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT,

[4. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor ]

WITH THAT, UH, HOT TAX UPDATE WITH MATT SCHMIDT AND NOT PENTEL.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

I'M MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.

MY PRONOUNS ARE HE HIM.

UH, WITH THIS PRESENTATION I'LL BE SHARING OUR LATEST HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS THROUGH JANUARY, 2025.

UM, NEXT.

OH, I'M SO SORRY.

I JUST STARTED RUNNING THROUGH.

MY EYES ARE SO BAD.

IF YOU PUT IN FRONT OF ME,

[00:30:47]

GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

ALRIGHTY.

WE'LL CONTINUE OUR PRESENTATION.

YEAH, STILL VACANT.

ALL RIGHTY.

SO THE, UH, TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION IN JANUARY WAS $11,419,305.

UH, THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR JANUARY WERE 1,108,760, UH, $4.

UH, WITH THESE FEBRUARY NUMBERS, WE ARE 44% TOWARDS OUR FY 25 APPROVED BUDGET.

UH, AND AS A REMINDER, THERE IS A DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING HAPPENS.

SO THIS PRESENTATION IN MARCH SHOWS FUNDS COLLECTED IN FEBRUARY FOR HOTEL STAYS IN JANUARY.

UH, AGAIN, THIS GRAPH JUST CONTINUES TO SHOW OUR MONTHLY PROGRESS TOWARDS THE APPROVED, UH, BUDGET FOR FY 25.

OUR HOT CULTURAL FUNDS, UH, ACTUALS FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR 2025 SO FAR IS $7,001,619.

AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED IN FY 25 WILL BE USED TO FUND PROGRAMS IN FISCAL YEAR 2026.

WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

AND THIS IS ALSO IS A JUST CHART OF SHOWING OUR HOT COLLECTIONS BY QUARTER FOR THE PAST FEW FISCAL YEARS.

UH, AS YOU NOTE, WE ARE STILL CURRENTLY 274,000 BELOW WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

WE HAVE CAUGHT UP A HUNDRED THOUSAND FROM OUR LAST, UH, REPORT.

SO MAKING A LITTLE BIT OF GROUND, UH, BUT STILL BEHIND BY 2 74.

AND WE'LL OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION.

CAN BREAK.

I THINK WE BROUGHT UP, UH, WHEN THE DEFICIT STARTED SHOWING UP FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, WHETHER THERE WAS ANY IN INFORMATION THAT MAY BE FOUND THAT'S CAUSING THAT.

AND I THINK WE WERE GOING TO HEAR PERHAPS SOMETHING.

I THINK WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY DISCOVERY YET.

BUT IF WE, UM, I THINK WE COULD TRY AND, UH, SCROUNGE UP SOME FUNDS TO DO SOME RESEARCH IF WE THAT'D BE GREAT.

IF POTENTIALLY HAVE SOME AND TRY AND DO SOME MORE FOR BACK.

COOL.

ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, UH, RESOLUTION.

UH, YEAH, WE CAN SEE IF WE CAN PRIORITIZE THAT.

AWESOME.

COMMISSIONER MELLO, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF WE, WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AS A POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEM, BUT HAVE WE GOTTEN ANY MORE INFORMATION FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER ON THE PROBABLE LOSS OF REVENUE DURING THE CONVENTION CENTER CLOSURE? AND JUST REALLY WANNA KEEP BRINGING THIS UP THAT WE HAVE SOME PLAN TO STAY IN FRONT OF THAT.

NO SPECIFIC REPORTING FROM THEM ON WHAT THEIR EXACT FORECASTING ARE.

IT, HAS THERE BEEN ANY MORE DISCUSSION OF IT AT ALL? LIKE IS IT, ARE THEY AT A POINT WHERE WE CAN ASK THEM TO COME AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? , I'M SURE WE OKAY.

WOULD BE HAPPY TO INQUIRE IF THEY WOULD COME AND TALK ABOUT THAT.

I THINK TO GET AHEAD OF THAT WOULD BE REALLY SMART.

'CAUSE IT'S GONNA AFFECT NEXT ABSOLUTELY.

TIME IN ANOTHER WAY.

COMMISSIONER MALDONADO, I THINK YOU'RE MUTED HERE.

WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.

WE HEARD YOU EARLIER.

THOUGHS NOT WORKING.

OH, NO.

IF YOU WANNA SEND ME YOUR QUESTION, UM, I WILL MAKE A NOTE.

A COUPLE NOTES FOR JESUS.

UH, ELLA, UM, LET'S MAKE A POINT TO INVITE CONVENTION CENTER STAFF FOR THEIR, AT THEIR CONVENIENCE.

COMMUNITY SPACES AND OPPORTUNITIES FROM MUSIC AND ART IN PARTICULAR.

FUTURE MEETING.

LET THEM KNOW.

WE'D LOVE FOR THEM TO PRESENT TO US.

UM, AS A FOLLOW UP.

THEY WERE HERE TWO YEARS AGO, UM, WITH BIG CONCEPTS AROUND HOW THEY WERE GONNA INTEGRATE, UH,

[00:35:01]

UM, AND WE'VE NOT REALLY HEARD AN UPDATE SINCE THOSE EARLY CON CONCEPTS.

UM, AND THEN JUST A NOTE, WHILE I'M NOTICING IT, WE NEED TO ADD COMMISSIONER BAUER ANDERSON TO OUR CURRENT COMMISSIONER LIST FOR THE AGENDA AND AS PRESENT SO THAT SHE'S REFLECTED IN THE MINUTES NEXT MONTH.

OKAY, PERFECT.

UM, LET ME SEE IF I HAVE A QUESTION.

COMMISSIONER MALDONADO ASKS, UH, AT MINIMUM AN OVERVIEW OF THE VOLUME OF EVENTS THAT IT HOSTS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, I IMAGINE.

SO WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE HOSTING ANNUALLY AND THEN THE DEFICIT THAT WE'LL PRESENT.

YEP.

IS THAT ACCURATE? COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.

CAN DEFINITELY COVER THAT WITH THEM.

BRIEFING ON THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS BY JESUS PINEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MATT WHILE HE'S HERE? OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK Y'ALL.

NEXT WE HAVE STAFF

[5. Staff briefing on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor ]

THANK YOU, JESUS.

YES, YOU'RE WELCOME.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

JESUS PINEL CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.

I AM A LATINO WITH LONG GRAY HAIR AND A BLACK AND WHITE BEARD.

UH, MY PRONOUNS ARE HE, HIS AND I WILL BE SPEAKING ON THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING UPDATES, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.

ALRIGHT, SO, UH, TONIGHT I WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT OUR CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS.

UM, BE GIVING SOME UPDATES ON THE FY 25 CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS AND THEN GO OVER OUR GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO, CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS.

UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, WHAT WE'VE BEEN SHOWING YOU THE PAST, UH, FEW MONTHS TO SHOW, UM, HOW THE PAYMENTS ARE GOING.

WE HAVE, UH, MADE SOME PROGRESS IN CLOSING OUT OUR FY 23 ELEVATE.

WE HAVE ALL OF OUR, UM, UM, LETTERS OUT TO GET PEOPLE TO TURN THOSE IN.

UM, WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS ON OUR NEXUS PROGRAMS AS WELL.

AND THEN THRIVE IS, UM, ALL BUT, UH, IS, IS ALL CLOSED OUT.

UM, AND SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UM, NEXT I'LL GIVE FY 25 CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATES.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, SO NEXUS CLOSED, UH, LAST WEEK WE RECEIVED 551 APPLICATIONS.

SO FOUR OF THE APPLICATIONS WERE IN SPANISH, 547 WERE IN ENGLISH.

A REMINDER THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING FOR 100, UH, GRANT AWARDS.

UM, SO, UM, AS IT STANDS NOW, THAT'S AN 18% ACCEPTANCE RATE.

AS A REMINDER, A FEW YEARS BACK, WE HAD CLOSE TO, UH, 95 TO 99%, UM, ACCEPTANCE RATES, UM, IN COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, WHICH WAS VERY SIMILAR TO NEXUS.

UM, WE WOULD, UM, UH, THAT USED TO BE A QUARTERLY PROGRAM AND WE WOULD CONSISTENTLY RUN OUT OF, UH, FUNDING, UM, IN THAT PROGRAM.

SO THIS IS PRETTY NORMAL COMPARED TO LIKE HOW COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, EVEN WHEN WE HAD THE, UM, UM, UH, MORE, MORE FUNDING AVAILABLE, UH, BACK THEN.

UM, BECAUSE THAT WAS SUCH A QUARTERLY PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD DO THE CORE PROGRAMS AT THE BEGINNING.

WE KNEW HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAD TO SET ASIDE FOR THOSE.

SO, UM, WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH, UM, THE, UM, ELIGIBILITY REVIEW.

UH, WE'VE GOT MOST OF THOSE DONE.

UH, THE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE, UM, DEEMED ELIGIBLE HAVE BEEN SENT OVER TO THE LONG CENTER, UH, TO BEGIN REVIEWING ALREADY.

UH, SO THAT WAY WE WILL HOPEFULLY BE ON TIME TO MAKE OUR AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS IN MID-APRIL.

UM, BECAUSE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THE TIMELINE SHOWS, UM, ON, ON THE, IN THERE OR IN THE MIDDLE, MAY 1ST, 2025 IS WHEN THE NEXUS ACTIVITIES BEGIN.

SO, UH, WE'RE HOPEFULLY ON TRACK TO, UM, MAKE AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS, UM, IN MID-APRIL.

UH, SO THE MAY 1ST NEXUS ACTIVITIES CAN BEGIN.

UM, IT'S A YEAR LONG, UM, UH, CONTRACT.

SO IT WILL BE FOR ACTIVITIES OCCURRING ANYTIME BETWEEN MAY 1ST, 2025 THROUGH APRIL 30TH, 2026, WITH, UH, THE LAST NEXUS FINAL REPORT DUE BY MAY 30TH, 2026.

AND A REMINDER THAT FINAL REPORTS ARE DUE 30 DAYS AFTER THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED, UM, UH, ROUNDED TO THE END OF THE MONTH, UM, AFTER THAT.

SO IF THEY HAD, UH, MAY 15TH, 2025 EVENT, THEN THEIR FINAL REPORT WOULD BE DUE IN BY JUNE 30TH, 2025.

UM, BUT THEY HAVE UNTIL APRIL 30TH, 2026 IF THEY WANTED TO DO MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES BESIDES JUST A, UH, A MAY ACTIVITY, FOR INSTANCE.

ARE, UM, LOOKING TO, UH, LAUNCH, ELEVATE, UH, GOAL IS FOR EARLY FALL.

UM, SO THIS IS, UH, BASICALLY THE SAME INFORMATION AS, UM, LAND LAST MONTH ON, UM, ELEVATE.

SO, UM, WITH THE NEW OFFICE OF ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT, UM, WITH ACME, UM, ALONG WITH, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, LEGISLATION AT THE, UH, STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, WE

[00:40:01]

WE WANT TO LIMIT POTENTIAL FUNDING DISRUPTIONS.

UH, THE CURRENT ELEVATE CONTRACTS RUN THROUGH THE END OF, UH, DECEMBER, SO THROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR.

UH, SO WE'RE ON TRACK TO NOT HAVE ANY, UM, UH, LAPSE IN FUNDING.

UM, WE WANNA MAINTAIN THE GOALS ESTABLISHED DURING THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.

UM, AND THIS IS PILOT YEAR THREE, SO THAT WAY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE GOOD DATA TO LOOK AT WHAT CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE TO THE PILOT PROGRAMS. AGAIN, WE'RE ADDRESSING LEGISLATIVE IMPACTS AND WE WANNA MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND THE ARTS COMMISSION IN, UH, WHAT THE CHANGES, UH, FOR ELEVATE, UH, MAY LOOK LIKE.

UM, IN ORDER FOR US, AGAIN, TO LAUNCH, UM, IN THE, UM, EARLY FALL.

UH, SO AGAIN, WE CAN, UH, HAVE ACTIVITIES STARTING BY JANUARY 1ST FOR ELEVATE.

OUR OFFICE WHERE I'VE BEEN, I'M HERE TONIGHT, I'M LISTENING.

UM, SO SOME OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WE DO HAVE, UM, SOME STUFF UP ON OR SOME PAGES UP ON SPEAK UP AUSTIN.

UM, AND SO FOR ALL OF THE VARIOUS, UH, PROGRAMS FOR ELEVATE, WE'VE RECEIVED, UH, SIX, UM, WE'VE HAD SIX PEOPLE RESPOND.

SOME OF IT IS, UM, THEY LEAVE RESPONSES, SOMETIMES THEY JUST ARE, ARE KIND OF LOOKING IN THERE AND GIVE US, UH, SOME GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THEMSELVES, LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, IF THEY'VE RECEIVED FUNDING BEFORE.

UH, SO WE HAD SIX PARTICIPANTS IN ELEVATE, UH, WITH FIVE RESPONSES.

NEXUS.

UH, WE HAD 16 PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT ONE WITH 10 GIVING RESPONSES.

AND THEN IN THRIVE, WE HAD 12 PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT ONE, BUT ONLY THREE, UH, RESPONSES FROM THRIVE.

UM, AND THEN I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE CANDACE COOPER.

SHE IS THE NEW CHIEF OF STAFF FOR ACME, THE OFFICE OF ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.

UH, SHE WILL BE TAKING THE LEAD ON OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS EFFORTS.

UM, SO SHE'LL HAVE A MORE, UH, ROBUST REPORT OR WE'LL HAVE A MORE ROBUST REPORT NEXT MONTH.

BUT FOR NOW, I JUST WANTED TO INVITE CANDACE UP IF SHE WANTED TO SAY ANY WORDS.

HELLO THERE.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

CANDACE COOPER.

I'M ACTUALLY INTERIM IN THE ROLE OF CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR THE OFFICE OF ARTS, CULTURAL MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.

YOU'LL HEAR A LOT OF THE ACME, UM, PRO, UH, ACRONYM BEING USED.

DIRECTOR MEANS ANGELA MEANS HOPE TO HAVE BEEN HERE THIS EVENING, BUT WE ARE DIVIDING AND CONQUERING.

SHE'S OVER AT THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD.

THAT IS THE REASON SHE WAS NOT UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS EVENING.

UM, AS THANK YOU JESUS, FOR THE INTRODUCTION, AS HE MENTIONED, I AM 11 DAYS INTO THIS ROLE.

THIS IS A TEMPORARY POSITION THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'LL SEE IT IN OUR, UH, NEW FISCAL BUDGET YEAR BUDGET WHEN IT'S, UM, WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER.

BUT I WAS BROUGHT IN TO ASSIST WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

UM, DIRECTOR MEANS, AND I WORKED IN THE PAST.

I AM NOT NEW TO AUSTIN.

I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE IN AUSTIN.

I HAVE SPENT MOST OF MY LIFE ON THE EAST SIDE OF 35.

AND, UM, AND, AND AGAIN, NOT NEW TO BOSTON.

I LEFT THE CITY ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO.

BUT PRIOR TO THAT, UM, I WAS WITH THE CITY FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS IN MULTIPLE ROLES.

AND AGAIN, I STARTED WORKING IN THE SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, UM, WHEN I WAS 14 YEARS OLD.

AND SO, WHEN I TELL MOST PEOPLE THAT, THEY SAY, OH GOODNESS, SO YOU'RE A REAL BUREAUCRAT.

WELL, NOT REALLY.

UM, I AM A COMMUNITY PERSON AND, UM, AND I GET EMOTIONAL WHEN I TELL THE STORY, BUT I WORKED VERY CLOSELY AND VERY FONDLY WITH BOYD VANCE, WITH POOR ARTS COLLECTIVE.

SO HE WAS MY PASSION.

UM, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THIS GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN TO A SPACE THAT I HAVE LOVED AND I'VE HAD PASSION FOR, FOR A VERY, FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

AND I'M LOOKING OVER AT YOU.

I THINK WE WERE IN PLAYS TOGETHER, .

UM, YEAH, I'M LOOKING, OH MY GOSH, I WANNA GO OVER AND HUG YOU .

YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, BUT YOU GUYS, I, I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN AN ARTIST AND , YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF IN THE PERFORMING SPACE AND, AND, UM, NOT ONLY DID I PERFORM IN THE ROLE, BUT I MADE SURE THAT VOICES IN EAST AUSTIN AND YOUTH HAD AN OPPORTUNITY IN EAST AUSTIN TO BE INTRODUCED TO THE, TO THE ARTS EVEN WAY BACK THEN.

SO JUST WANTED TO KIND OF BE HERE TONIGHT TO SAY HELLO.

WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU WOULD INVITE US BACK TO, UM, DIRECTOR MEANS HAS KIND OF A PRESENTATION THAT SHE'S BEEN SHARING WITH MULTIPLE COMMISSION GROUPS.

SO WE WOULD LOVE TO BRING YOU BACK, HOPEFULLY COME BACK.

ACME IS 20, IS ONE MONTH OLD TODAY.

WE WERE BORN ON FEBRUARY 24TH, 2025.

SO WE'RE ONE MONTH OLD BABY.

BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE A PLAN.

WE HAVE A PLAN ON HOW WE ARE GOING TO INCORPORATE THE FIVE DIVISIONS.

UM, WE DO HAVE A PLAN ON HOW WE ARE GOING TO NOT JUST LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT TO ENSURE THAT WE INCORPORATE THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR OUR MISSION AND VISION GOALS FOR

[00:45:01]

UM, I WAS A PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE TASK FORCE THAT ACTUALLY CREATED, IMAGINE AUSTIN, THAT WAS SOME 20 SOME YEARS AGO, 20 SOME YEARS AGO.

WE SAT IN ROOMS HAVING THESE VERY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WANTED THE VIBE.

WE WEREN'T USING THAT TERM BACK THEN, BUT WHAT THE VIBE WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR AUSTIN.

AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE BY THE CREATION OF THIS OFFICE.

SO I'M EXCITED.

IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY AND WE WANNA, WE WANNA HEAR ALL OF THE VOICES AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCORPORATING THAT FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF OUR OFFICE.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT I AM HERE TO SAY.

I KNOW WE WERE ONLY HERE TO, TO DO ALL OF THIS, BUT, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH, WITH THESE FINE LADIES OVER HERE.

UM, WE CAME IN DURING THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND, UM, FROM THEN ON DIRECTOR MEANS, I KNOW MET WITH, UM, WITH, WITH THE ARTIST AS IT RELATES TO THE CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT AND ALSO WITH THE AVIATION PROJECT.

AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN PRESERVE SOME OF OUR ART.

AND I THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP AND WHAT'S TO COME FOR ACME TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR ARTISTS IN AUSTIN.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO TAKE THAT MUCH TIME.

OH, WE'RE GLAD YOU DID.

IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL TO MEET YOU.

AND IT, I THINK IT'S A, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT CONTEXT IN TERMS OF YOUR, YOUR ROLE HERE.

WHY ARE YOU INTERN? YOU DON'T WANNA HANG OUT WITH US LONG TERM.

I KNOW.

I TOLD 'EM Y'ALL ARE GONNA NEED A SKYSCRAPER TO COME AND JUST PULL ME OUT OF THAT, THAT PLAY OF SOME SORT OF, WHAT DO, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE CALLED, BUT TO PULL ME OUT, UM, YOU GUYS, I HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.

I'M 11 DAYS IN, BUT WE HIT THE GROUND.

DIRECTOR MEANS SAID, CANICE, DO WHAT YOU DO.

AND, AND WHAT I DO IS, IS TO ADVOCATE AND BE A VOICE.

AND, AND THAT IS WHAT WE PLAN TO DO.

NED, WILL WE ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT? NO, BUT HERE'S THE DEAL.

WE WILL BE THERE TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH YOU.

I WILL BE, I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU.

THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, WE WILL GET IT DONE.

THE THINGS THAT WE CANNOT, WE WILL WORK TO SEE HOW WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.

AND THOSE THAT WE CANNOT DO, I WILL BE VERY HONEST AND OPEN IN SAYING, Y'ALL, WE JUST CAN'T GET THAT DONE RIGHT NOW.

YOU KNOW? AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE HOPE TO BRING IS THAT TRANSPARENCY, TO BE ABLE TO BUILD AND BRING THE TRUST BACK, UM, THAT WE HAVE LOST.

THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU, YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

THANK YOU, CANDACE.

ALL RIGHT, THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

NOW WE'LL, UH, TALK ABOUT GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, SO IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M NOT GONNA READ EVERYTHING OFF HERE, BUT, UM, I WILL READ THE, THE VARIOUS GROUPS THAT HAVE EVENTS COMING UP.

UH, RED LIGHT LIT, AUSTIN, UH, A TX CHAMBER MUSIC AND JAZZ HAS AN EVENT COMING UP.

HONK TEXAS HAS AN EVENT, UM, AS DOES SLO MC.

UM, AUSTIN CLASSICAL GUITAR SOCIETY, AUSTIN CREATIVE REUSE, AUSTIN DANCE INDIA.

AND CONNECT HER NEXT SLIDE.

AND THEN FINALLY, UH, CLEAR THE AIR, A TX INDIE MEME AND LIFELONG LEARNING WITH FRIENDS ALL HAVE EVENTS COMING UP.

THE NEW CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER.

AND THAT IS THE PRESENTATION.

SO I'LL OPEN UP, UH, TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.

COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONERS ANY QUESTIONS FOR JESUS? JUST WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME ON THE, THOSE FINAL REPORTS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING? UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

UH, THE, UM, RECIPIENTS KNOW THAT, UH, THEY DO NOT RECEIVE THEIR FINAL 10%, UM, UNTIL THEY CLOSE OUT THE SUCCESSFUL FINAL REPORT.

UM, THE LETTER, UM, GAVE THEM, UH, FIVE BUSINESS DAYS.

SO WE'VE GOT A THREE TRANCHE, UM, UH, LETTER.

UH, THE SECOND ONE I BELIEVE IS 10 BUSINESS DAYS.

SO THAT WILL BE COMING OUT, UH, LATER THIS WEEK, UH, IF THEY HAVEN'T, UH, TURNED, UH, THEIR ITEMS IN.

AND THEN THE THIRD LETTER, UM, I THINK JUST SAYS LIKE, OKAY, WE'VE GIVEN YOU TWO TIMES AND YOU, UM, UM, WE'RE NOW CANCELING THIS CONTRACT BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T DONE THAT.

UM, AND IF SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, JUST RESPONDS BACK IMMEDIATELY AND GETS THE STUFF TO US, THEN YOU KNOW, WE, WE SELDOM HAVE TO GO TO THE THIRD LETTER.

BUT WE HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE, UM, IN THE PAST, AND THEN WE, THAT USUALLY GETS AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.

UM, SO THERE'S SOME TIME BUILT IN TO GIVE THEM, UH, TIME TO, UM, UM, TO BRING THEMSELVES INTO COMPLIANCE.

COMMISSIONER, CHAIR, AND THEN COMMISSIONER MACH.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, MS. COOPER, THANK YOU.

UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S THRILLING TO HEAR FROM

[00:50:01]

I, UH, HOPE YOU CAN COME TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND SPEAK WITH US THERE AS WELL.

UM, I JUST, JUST WANTED TO CALL OUT.

I'M NOT, UM, SEEKING ANY ANSWERS RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, UM, WE KEEP SEEING A PILOT HERE AT THREE.

UM, AND I'M VERY WELL AWARE THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE A CONCERN BECAUSE THAT IN SOME WAYS INDICATES THAT NOT A LOT IS GONNA BE CHANGED.

AND IF WE ARE GOING TO REPEAT THE SAME THING THAT WE ROLLED OUT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BEING MADE, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ALREADY IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND THAT.

SO HOW WE MESSAGE THAT, AND EVEN MYSELF, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND AT SOME POINT THE PARAMETERS AROUND WHAT THAT MEANS BECAUSE WE JUST BROUGHT OUT SIGNIFICANT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A WORKING GROUP THAT IS ALSO GOING TO CONTINUE WITH SOME NEW MEMBERS, NEW COMMISSIONERS, AND NEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE MIX.

AND SOMEWHERE WE, AND ALONG WITH THE OTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO DO SOMEWHERE, WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THE UNDERSTANDING.

AND, AND I, AND I COULD BE WRONG MAYBE BECAUSE THAT IS NOT THE UNDERSTANDING.

THE IDEA IS TO ROLL THIS OUT AND THEN MAKE CHANGES.

THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING RIGHT NOW.

AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE VERY CONCERNING FOR THE COMMUNITY IF WE DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT FEEDBACK AROUND HOW THE GROUNDS ARE DESIGNED TODAY.

THERE IS A DESIRE FOR CHANGE, AND THAT I THINK JUST NEEDS TO BE CONVEYED, UH, AT SOME POINT BECAUSE, UM, EVEN AFTER THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE PASSED LAST TIME AND OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, AND WHEN I SEE IT MYSELF, IT ALARMS ME TOO.

THAT, THAT, THAT WE WOULD RULE OUT A PILOT YEAR THREE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY? IS IT GOING TO INCORPORATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK? I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS TIME BOUND, UH, BUT SOMEWHERE I THINK WE NEED SOME ASSURANCE THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

I MEAN, YEAH, I, YES, WE, AS CANDICE STATED EARLIER, WE WILL, UM, INCORPORATE THE CHANGES THAT, UH, THAT WE CAN, IF THERE ARE CHANGES THAT WE CANNOT INCORPORATE, AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, WITH, WITH THE TIME BOUND.

SO, UM, THE INITIAL, UM, ROLLOUT IF, UH, YOU'LL REMEMBER, WE WERE ORIGINALLY GOING TO, UH, LAUNCH ELEVATE IN MAY.

UM, AND THEN BECAUSE OF THE, UM, UM, POTENTIAL LAWS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE LEGISLATURE, WE WANTED TO, UM, WE WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH ON WHETHER WE WERE GONNA LAUNCH, YOU KNOW, AT MAY ANYWAY, MAYBE TRY AND LAUNCH A LITTLE BIT EARLIER OR MAYBE, UH, DO A SLIGHT DELAY AS LONG AS WE DON'T, UM, EXTEND INTO, YOU KNOW, CUT OFF ANY FUNDING, UH, FOR THE CURRENT ELEVATE PROJECT.

SO THE PLAN IS TO, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATE, UH, CHANGES THAT ARE EASY TO MAKE.

UH, JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW, STAFF HAS ALREADY LOOKED INTERNALLY AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION MADE AT THE LAST MEETING.

AND SO WE'VE MARKED UP, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE COULD DO.

THESE ARE ONES THAT ARE MAYBE NOT SPECIFIC FOR ELEVATE, BUT ARE GOOD FOR.

SO THE WAY I KIND OF SEE, AND I WAS TALKING WITH CANDACE, UM, A LITTLE BIT EARLIER BEFORE THE MEETING.

UM, SO THERE'S AN ELEVATE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT JUST FOR ELEVATE IN ENOUGH TIME, AND THEN A MORE ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS AS A WHOLE.

AND SO ANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION MADE THAT DO NOT APPLY SPECIFICALLY TO ELEVATE, OR EVEN IF THEY DO APPLY, BUT MAYBE CANNOT BE ROLLED OUT, UM, THIS YEAR WILL DEFINITELY BE CONSIDERED, UH, FOR, FOR THE FUTURE.

SO, UM, YES, WE DO, UM, WE, WE ARE TAKING, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE THINGS THAT WE CAN, WE CAN CHANGE.

UM, THERE'S THINGS THAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE CHANGED, AND THEN THERE'S THINGS THAT, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE NOT THE SCOPE, BUT I KNOW ALSO, UM, THE, THERE WAS GONNA BE MORE PEOPLE ON THE WORKING GROUP WITH ADDITIONAL, AND I REMEMBER Y'ALL STATED THAT LAST TIME THAT THIS WAS JUST ONE SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS OR ONE SET OF, UH, FEEDBACK.

UM, AND WE WOULD BE, UM, HEARING OTHERS, UH, FROM YOU.

SO YES, WE, WE DEFINITELY INTEND TO TAKE THAT, UH, FEEDBACK INTO CONSIDERATION AND, UM, INCORPORATE, UH, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE CAN.

NO, THANK YOU.

THAT, THAT THEY ARE BEING HEARD AND THAT THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE BEING INCORPORATED.

UH, I THINK, UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD IMAGINE THE NEXT GROUP, UH, WOULD COME IN WITH WOULD BE BUILDING ON WHAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY WERE PRETTY SIMPLISTIC, UH, IN TERMS OF THE NATURE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THEMSELVES.

UM, AND AT SOME LEVEL I WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, HOPE THAT, UM, THE NEXT WORKING GROUP AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT HAPPENS, HAPPENS IN PARALLEL AT THIS TIME.

IF THERE IS A TIME LIMIT, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK THAT MAYBE MAY OR JUNE YOU WOULD WANT TO ALREADY START FINALIZING THE RUBRIC.

UM, SO I'M HOPING THAT THESE, THESE THINGS AT THIS POINT START RUNNING IN PARALLEL AND, UH, AND THE BEST OF RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

SO THERE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME CLEAR COMMUNICATION TO COMMUNITY

[00:55:01]

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THEN COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SCHMO.

THAT WAS PART OF MY QUESTION.

SO A LOT OF IT WAS ALREADY ANSWERED, BUT IN TERMS OF THE PILOT PROGRAMS IS AT WHAT POINT DO WE KNOW YET, AND I KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT AT WHAT POINT DO WE STOP HAVING PILOT PROGRAMS AND HAVE PROGRAMS ? UM, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS PART OF THAT.

I MEAN, WHAT NALI ASKED WAS, WAS GETTING AT THAT ALSO.

UM, SO THAT'S JUST WHEN, THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE ANSWERED RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT, BUT LIKE IT DOES NEED TO BE ANSWERED SOON.

UM, AND THEN I HAD THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT THE TIMELINE ON THE INCORPORATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE WORKING GROUP AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE THOSE CHANGES.

RED LINE BASICALLY IS LIKE, WE HEARD THIS, THIS IS A CHANGE AND THIS CHANGE WAS MADE IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD IN THIS FORMAT THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP.

WHATEVER IT IS.

I THINK IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP HEARING IT'S SO ESSENTIAL TO SHOW AND PROVE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST NODDING AND SAYING, YES, WE HEAR YOU, BUT THAT THOSE CHANGES ARE BEING MADE.

SO JUST AN ASK FOR AS SOON AS WE CAN GET THE TIMELINE ON WHEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT IN ADVANCE OF THE NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER LAUNCH.

IS THAT RIGHT? UH, WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE YET, SO, UM, BUT EARLY FALL, SOMETIME.

EARLY FALL.

SO OVER THE SUMMER, CAN WE SEE THAT ? YES.

AND CAN WE SOME LIKE GET A CLEARER DATE ON THAT SOMETIME SOON, PLEASE.

AND WE'LL BE WORKING, UM, WITH THAT WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE DO HAVE A PLAN THAT WE, WE WANT, UM, CANDACE, UH, TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL THAT.

SO WE'RE DEFINITELY DOING THE GROUNDWORK, WE'RE DOING THE LEGWORK, UM, WHICH YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MARKING UP THE, THE THING, SO LIKE I SAID, STAFF HAS MARKED UP THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD ON, YOU KNOW, THE ONES WE CAN CHA UH, ACCEPT OR THE ONES WE CAN CHANGE NOW, THE ONES THAT MAYBE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE INTO THE FUTURE.

SO WE'RE DEFINITELY KEEPING TRACK OF ALL OF THAT STUFF SO THAT WAY WE CAN GIVE A ROBUST, UH, REPORT BACK, UH, WHEN WE'RE READY TO DO THAT.

AND ONE LAST MM-HMM .

SUGGESTION OR ASK IS THAT WHEN, IF THERE ARE THINGS FROM THE WORKING GROUP, ESPECIALLY SINCE THOSE WERE LIKE DELIMITED PRETTY CLEARLY, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN'T HAPPEN, IF WE CAN GET AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY CAN'T HAP LIKE WE LOOKED AT THIS AND IT CAN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE X, Y, Z YES.

THAT'S ALSO GONNA NOTES OURSELVES ON THIS, IS THIS REASON WHY IT CAN OR CANNOT, THIS IS, SO YES, WE ARE DEFINITELY ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH WITH YOU.

COOL.

THAT'LL GO ALONG.

'CAUSE THEN WE'LL HAVE IT ON RECORD TOO, AND SO MM-HMM .

WHEN IT WILL COME UP AGAIN AS WE KNOW, WE CAN POINT BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WELL THIS WAS WHY, AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE.

COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S SOME CONCERN THAT NEW TEXAS LAWS COULD AFFECT THE FUNDING.

I'M ASSUMING THAT WOULD BE IN A RESTRICTIVE WAY MM-HMM .

AND WOULD MAKE PERHAPS THE ENTIRE GOAL OF THE PILOT PROGRAM ILLEGAL OR SOMETHING.

THAT WE'RE GETTING TO WHERE WE CAN CLOSE IT.

SO WHAT'S THE PLAN IF, IF THE PROGRAM IS SUDDENLY NOT VIABLE ACCORDING TO TEXAS LAW? WELL, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WE WERE LOOKING FOR, UM, WAITING TO LAUNCH IS TO SEE WHAT DOES GET PASSED SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE WHATEVER LANGUAGE THAT WE USE IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHATEVER STATE LAW IS.

UM, YOU MENTIONED THE NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL FINAL REPORTS VERSUS THOSE THAT ARE NOT YET TURNED IN, AND I'M WONDERING ARE THERE ANY UNSUCCESSFUL FINAL REPORTS? HAS ANYONE HAD TO PAY THEIR GRANT BACK BECAUSE THEIR FINAL REPORT WAS NOT SATISFACTORY? THREE.

SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO.

UH, THE MORE NUANCED ANSWER IS PEOPLE SOMETIMES DO HAVE TO RETURN FUNDS, BUT, UM, THAT IS FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

AND WE WORK WITH THE CONTRACTOR VERY CLOSELY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UM, ARE CONSIDERING ALL ELIGIBLE EXPENSES TO MAKE SURE, OKAY, YOU DID SOME PLANNING FOR THIS EVENT, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU CONSIDERING ALL THE EXPENSES? WHAT PART OF THE ACTIVITIES DID HAPPEN? UM, SO WORST CASE SCENARIO, UM, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY WHO'S LIKE IN DEFAULT OR, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO WORST CASE SCENARIO IS SOMEONE IS UNABLE TO DO, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE GOT SICK, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, SOMETHING HAPPENED, THEY RETURN THE MONEY BACK TO US AND THEY'RE IN, IN GOOD STANDING.

SO, UM, SO THE PART WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY MONEY TO US BACK, YES, IT HAPPENS, BUT THAT'S VERY, VERY FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

THE, THE MORE THE UNSUCCESSFUL FINAL REPORT IS PROBABLY GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, IT'S MORE AN INITIAL REVIEW AND THEN WE'VE GOT QUESTIONS.

IT'S LIKE, HEY, ON YOUR EXPENSE DOCUMENTATION FORM, THIS IS NOT AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE.

OR YOU SAID YOU WERE GONNA DO THREE EVENTS, BUT YOU ONLY DID ONE, DID THESE OTHER TWO.

YOU KNOW, SO WE'LL GO BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE

[01:00:01]

UM, AND THEN AGAIN, WORST CASE SCENARIO, THEY HAVE TO PAY SOME OR ALL OF THE MONEY BACK TO US.

WHICH IS VERY RARE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

QUICK FOLLOW UP ON THE FINAL REPORT ISSUE.

THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED EARLIER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK TO SEE THE FINAL REPORTS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS AVAILABLE TO EITHER THE COMMISSION OR ANYONE WHO ASKS? SO FINAL REPORTS YES.

THROUGH A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, I'LL, I'LL SAY THAT.

SO, UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS FOR FINAL REPORTS, IF YOU ARE THE CONTRACTOR, THEN YOU KNOW, NO PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST IS NEEDED.

YOU CAN GET YOUR FINAL REPORT, JUST, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR IT.

UH, IF YOU WANT SOMEONE ELSE'S FINAL REPORT, YOU HAVE TO DO A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.

I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WORKS WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSION, SO I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT.

I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

IS THERE GONNA BE, OH, GO FOR IT.

I HAVE A LITTLE FOLLOW UP ON THAT TOO, JUST FOR, UM, BECAUSE WE HAD THE SAME QUESTION.

WHEN, WHEN THE WORKING GROUP WAS LOOKING AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING WAS LIKE, IT'S, AT LEAST TO ME, IT FELT HARD TO ASSESS CERTAIN THINGS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE APPLICA LIKE THE ANSWERS AND COMPARE THOSE TO WHAT THE JURY WAS SAYING, ET CETERA.

SO IS THERE, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO, UH, AVOID IN THE FUTURE HAVING TO GO THROUGH A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST TO HAVE LIKE MY INFORMATION AS SHAREABLE OPTION SO THAT WE, 'CAUSE TECHNICALLY YOU COULD ASK, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WE ARE DOING SOME ASSESSMENT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES, WHATEVER.

I WANNA SEE YOUR FINAL REPORT.

THAT PERSON COULD SEND YOU AN EMAIL AND SAY, JESUS, YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO RELEASE THEIR FINAL REPORT.

COULD WE JUST DO THAT PREEMPTIVELY SO THAT PEOPLE WHO FEEL OKAY ABOUT HAVING THEIR STUFF SHARED CAN BE SHARED IF SOMEONE ASKS FOR IT? UM, I'M NOT, SO, UH, PART OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST IS PART OF A TEXAS STATE LAW, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT HANDLE, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER IS THE SHORT ANSWER.

LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.

I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT.

BUT THAT'S FOR INFORMATION THAT'S NOT READILY SHARED.

BUT I, SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS LIKE, COULD WE JUST GIVE PEOPLE AN OPTION TO MAKE IT READILY SHAREABLE? WE CAN LOOK INTO IT.

I DO NOT KNOW IF WE, IF THAT IS A VIABLE OPTION OR NOT.

IT SEEMS LIKE UPON RECEIPT, AN ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR GRANT THAT IS A SHORT, YOU KNOW, SURVEY QUESTION.

ARE YOU WILLING TO SHARE YOUR FINAL REPORTS WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION SPECIFICALLY ALONG WITH LIKE, ARE YOU WILLING TO FILL OUT A FOLLOW-UP SURVEY? OH, YEAH.

IT AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT HEIDI'S ASKING.

IF IT'S ALREADY A AVAIL, IF IT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE THROUGH PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST ANYWAY, IT JUST, YEAH, WE CAN SEND OUT IT JUST A EMAIL OR WE CAN ADD THAT AS A FINAL REPORT QUESTION.

MAYBE NOT FOR THE CURRENT FINAL REPORTS, IF IT IS VIABLE.

I'M JUST SAYING, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S VIABLE, BUT YEAH, ONCE I, WE RESEARCH IT AND FIND OUT THAT IT IS OKAY, THEN YES, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO THAT, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT TO COMMIT AND SAY, YES, WE'LL DO THAT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LAWS ARE, IF THAT'S, THAT'S LEGAL OR VIABLE OR NOT.

WILL YOU GUYS BE SURMISING ALL OF THE FINAL REPORTS? MM-HMM .

YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY A, A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT LIKE PRESENTING TO US THE FINAL REPORT OF FINAL REPORTS MM-HMM .

FOR EACH ROUND.

'CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY HAVEN'T RECEIVED YET.

SO WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN? THE NUMBER OR JUST LIKE WHAT THEY DID.

JUST BECAUSE I CLOSED AND ACTUAL, BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN CONTINUE TO HYPOTHESIZE FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT RECIPIENTS OF THESE GRANTS, WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, WHAT WILL MAKE IT BETTER.

BUT UNTIL WE ACTUALLY HAVE DATA TO DEAL WITH, I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN REALLY HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THOSE CHANGES.

THEY'RE SPECULATIVE.

THAT'S, I WAS JUST GONNA AGREE THAT YES, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WHAT WE ARE GONNA BE WORKING ON IS A FINAL, LIKE MEASURING OUT THOSE FINAL REPORT METRICS SO THAT WE CAN REPORT TO Y'ALL BACK ON THE PERFORMANCE OF A YEAR BY YEAR CASE OF THE PROGRAMS. PHENOMENAL.

UM, AND THEN I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION AND OH, PLEASE.

I WAS JUST GONNA ALSO FINISH UP.

I THINK THAT'S ALSO, TO YOUR POINT, THE, A REQUEST FOR COMMISSIONERS TO BE ABLE TO REQUEST THOSE FINAL REPORTS IS THROUGH KIND OF LIKE A PRESENTATION TYPE OF REPORT.

I THINK YOU'LL STILL HAVE TO REQUEST THOSE INDIVIDUAL REPORTS THROUGH PIR REQUESTS.

AND TO YOUR POINT, WE'LL ALSO REQUEST THROUGH LEGAL IF YOU CAN'T DO THE SHAREABLE TYPE CHECK BOX.

I HAVE ONE SHORT QUESTION AND THEN I'M GONNA KICK IT TO COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.

UM, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE ADJUSTING THE TIMELINE FOR THIS THAT HA AS WHAT IMPACT ON OUR WORKING GROUP.

SO WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE A NEW ITERATION OF THIS WORKING GROUP.

UM, WHAT IS OUR NEW DEADLINE IN TERMS OF SUBMITTING FEEDBACK? BECAUSE WE WERE WORKING WITHIN, UH, ONE IN, YOU KNOW, HAVE IT BY THE MARCH MEETING.

I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE TIMELINE AND IT WAS A DRAFT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN THAT WE CREATED, BUT I WANNA SAY IT WAS LIKE PROBABLY AT THE MAY OR JUNE MEETING, UM, GETTING FEEDBACK, UM, EITHER FROM Y'ALL OR LIKE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO, SO I WOULD JUST SAY THE SOONER THAT YOU CAN GET THE WORKING GROUP STARTED, THE BETTER .

SO JUST UNDERSTANDING, LIKE,

[01:05:01]

UM, SO THAT WAY YOU CAN GET INFORMATION TO US.

WE'RE IN MARCH, SO BY, YOU KNOW, IF NOT THE APRIL MEETING, THEN I THINK BY THE MAY MEETING, THE MAY MEETING.

THEN THAT'S WHERE IT WAS BEFORE.

I JUST WANT TO ENSURE LIKE IF THERE'S, IF IT'S BEING PUSHED BACK, IT, DOES THAT MEAN WE HAVE MORE BREATHING ROOM OR THAT'S WE NEED TO STILL KIND OF BE HIGH AND TIGHT? .

NO, I MEAN, YEAH, BECAUSE Y'ALL GAVE, UM, UH, UM, FEEDBACK LAST MONTH, AND SO WOULD WOULD'VE BEEN IN TIME FOR, I MEAN, UH, BUT I WOULD, YEAH, I WOULD NOT PUSH IT BACK.

I MEAN, I DON'T FORESEE US, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, EARLY FALL.

AND SO THEN WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WRITE UP THE GUIDELINES.

WE HAVE TO SEND THEM OUT FOR TRANSLATION FOR THE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHY I ASK.

I DON'T WANNA MAKE ASSUMPTIONS THAT, OH, WE'VE GOT TIME.

IF WE REALLY DON'T HAVE TIME.

I WOULD, I WOULD TRY AND DO IT BY, BY MAY.

MAYBE.

AND IF I TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE, AT THE GUIDELINE OR AT THE, UH, TIMELINE AND IT NEEDS TO BE SOONER, I'LL, I'LL LET Y'ALL KNOW.

BUT, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S SHOOT FOR MAY.

FABULOUS.

COMMISSIONER HOUSTON ON THE ELEVATE UPDATE SLIDE.

THE THIRD, UM, KIND OF BULLET WAS MAINTAIN GOALS ESTABLISHED DURING CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.

I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYWHERE A LIST OF WHAT THOSE GOALS ARE.

EVEN I'VE READ THE MM-HMM .

THE REVIEW DOCUMENT OVER AND OVER, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A LIST.

THESE ARE THE GOALS.

IS THAT SOMEWHERE? YES.

UM, I'LL LOOK AND SEE.

I KNOW I WAS KIND OF LIKE LOOKING AT THE OLD, UH, UM, CFRP, UM, CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, UH, DOCUMENTS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, PRESENTATIONS.

AND I SAW THAT IN THERE SOMEWHERE.

UM, SO I WILL SEE IF I CAN FIND THAT.

AND I WILL SEND THAT TO THE FULL COMMISSION WITH THE GOALS ARE OUT OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS.

UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE JUNE, 2022 MEETING.

UM, IF I'M, I'M GOING OFF THE TOP OF MY MEMORY, SO, BUT I'LL LOOK AND SEE IF I CAN FIND SOMETHING.

UM, THAT, THAT'S WHEN THE ARTS COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, VOTED AND APPROVED ON, UM, THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, UM, THAT WE UTILIZED TO.

SO THAT WOULD BE OFF THE TOP OF MY MEMORY WHERE I WOULD LOOK IS AT THE ARTS COMMISSION MEETING FROM JUNE, 2022.

UM, AND I'LL LOOK AND SEE IF I CAN FIND, UM, UH, FIND IT ELSEWHERE.

'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, I DID TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, THE VARIOUS DOCUMENTATION THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED, UM, OVER THE YEARS WITH THE CULTURAL WINNING REVIEW PROCESS.

AND THERE'S QUITE A BIT, UM, OUT THERE.

UM, AND TO SEE WHAT CAN, I WANTED TO SEE, WHAT CAN WE DISTILL FROM ALL THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT'S, UM, THAT'S PERTINENT.

SO I'LL SEE IF I CAN FIND THAT AND SEND THAT TO YOU.

BUT, UM, AGAIN, JUNE, 2022, UH, ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, SEE WHAT YOU CAN FIND THERE AS A, AT A, STARTING AS A STARTING POINT.

AND MA'AM MAKE THE SUGGESTION THAT IF WE HAVE GOALS, THAT THEY BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE SO THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS.

AND THAT WAY EVERYBODY KNOWS , THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS.

YEAH, SURE.

COMMISSIONER GRANT, COMMISSIONER CHARLA, UH, JESUS, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, THE LEGISLATIVE THINGS THAT MAY COME DOWN THE PIPE, IF THERE, IF THERE'S A WAY TO SEE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU GUYS MAY SEE, UM, NOT POSSIBLE OR, YOU KNOW, THIS CAN'T HAPPEN FOR CERTAIN REASONS, OR IS THERE A WAY TO GET THAT MORE ASAP THAN LATER AHEAD OF THIS WORKING GROUP STARTING? BECAUSE OTHERWISE THEY'LL BE PSYCH, THEY'LL BE CIRCLING STUFF THAT MAY NOT EVEN BE APPLICABLE OR POSSIBLE.

YEAH, I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY DO THAT.

YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT.

SO, UM, YEAH, ONCE WE KNOW WHO THE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP ARE, AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE ANY DIRECTION OR FEE, SO THAT'S WHY I SAY I THINK IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE.

JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S HURRY UP AND WAIT.

IT'S JUST LIKE, WHEN ARE WE GONNA, RIGHT.

WELL, I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION IS IF IF IT'S, IF IT'S ALL WAITING ON LEGISLATIVE DECISIONS, THAT'S ONE THING.

IF YOU'RE SEEING SOMETHING ELSE THAT THE, THAT THE WORKING GROUP PUT FORTH THAT YOU'RE SEEING FOR OTHER REASONS.

OH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WOULD WORK.

I THINK IT MAY BE SMART TO HAVE THAT SOONER THAN LATER.

SO THAT IF SOME NEW IDEAS ARE COMING UP OR IF SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE SUSSED OUT, EVEN FROM THE RECOMMENDATION, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS PARTIC THIS GROUP MEMBERS IN THIS GROUP, ESPECIALLY SAY THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE A DIFFERENT IDEA ON A CERTAIN TOPIC, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ACTIVELY DISCUSSED IN THIS FORUM AT THE COMMISSION.

YEAH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

HEY, UM, ABOUT THE WORKING GROUP, I THINK, UM, I THINK LAST TIME WE RAN A SOLID, LIKE A ONE AND A HALF MONTH, UH, WITH ALL PARTICIPANTS, UH, WEEKLY MEETINGS, UH, WORKING GROUP, AND THAT WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL.

MY REQUEST WOULD BE, UM, TO, TO USE THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION AS A BASELINE AND KIND OF MOVE FROM THERE, UH, SO THAT WE ARE NOT STARTING WITH SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OR A DIFFERENT BASELINE, UH, SINCE WE, SINCE THE, NOT JUST BECAUSE THE WORKING GROUP WORKED ON IT, BUT BECAUSE THIS COMMISSION VOTED ON IT.

UM, THE OTHER REQUEST WOULD BE TO MAYBE GIVE AN INTERIM UPDATE IN APRIL

[01:10:01]

UH, SO I WOULD REQUEST THAT IF POSSIBLE WE DO A, AN INTERIM UPDATE ON KIND OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF, OF THE CONTINUING WORKING GROUP.

I AGREE.

IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO KNOW WHERE, YOU KNOW, THIS RED LINE DOCUMENT IS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO PUSH HARDER FOR, ESSENTIALLY, IF WE FEEL STRONGLY, JUST ONE QUICK POINT.

UH, WE, UM, THE WAY, THE WAY WE KIND OF GAVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS, IF YOU, IF YOU NOTICE IN, IN FROM THE LAST WORKING GROUP AND WHAT WE VOTED ON HERE, THEY ARE VERY BROADLY APPLICABLE.

RIGHT? WE THEN, YES, WE TALKED ABOUT INSTITUTION STATUS, UH, WITHIN THRIVE, BUT BEYOND THAT, THEY JUST BROADLY APPLY TO EVERY APPLICANT.

UH, I MEAN TO THE, WHOEVER IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY, THE RECOMMENDATIONS APPLY TO EVERYBODY WITHIN THAT DIRECTLY ADDRESS EQUITY, ALSO INVADING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE REGULATIONS WILL TAKE US.

MM-HMM.

AND ALSO WITH, UH, SOME EXPECTATION THAT THAT EQUITY AND HOW WE DEAL WITH THAT ASPECT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN ALSO COME FROM AS A, AS A POLICY FROM THE CITY OR FROM A CME AS OPPOSED TO US DOING ONE THING FOR MUSIC, ONE THING FOR US, SOMETHING ELSE FOR A, A THIRD ENTITY OR DOMAIN.

UM, IT FELT BETTER TO KIND OF GET AN OVERALL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE CITY IS PLANNING TO APPROACH IT OR A CME IS PLANNING TO APPROACH IT.

AND THEN PERHAPS WE CAN REACT TO IT IN THAT THIS PARTICULAR SCENARIO PERHAPS DOESN'T APPLY TO COMMERCIAL MUSIC OR TO ARTS, OR THIS WORKS OR NOT.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE ONE WAY TO APPROACH IT.

SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE PROVIDED FROM THE LAST WORKING GROUP WERE VERY BROAD BASED.

WE STILL TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INSTITUTIONAL STATUS, ET CETERA.

THAT IS BUILDING EQUITY.

ALSO A LOT OF, I THINK WITHIN THE RUBRIC, HOW THE QUESTIONS ARE ASKED WILL ALSO DETERMINE HOW BROADLY ACCESSIBLE THESE GRANTS ARE TO THE DIVERSE DIASPORA THAT, THAT LIVE AND WORK IN AUSTIN.

SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO MAKE THE GROUNDS EQUITABLE.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.

THANK YOU, JESUS.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH.

UM, I HAVE A NEW

[8. Presentation by Artists Margo Sawyer, Paula Priour, and Dr. John Yancey on their efforts to save their pieces that are slated to be destroyed (rather than deaccessed/sold) when the Convention Center is rebuilt.]

VERSION OF THE AGENDA AS MY PREVIOUS ONE WAS JUMBLED.

AND WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, SEE THE PRESENTATION BY ARTIS, MARGO SAWYER, PAULA PRYOR, AND DR.

JOHN YANCY ON THEIR EFFORTS TO SAVE THEIR PEACE THAT ARE SLATED TO BE DESTROYED RATHER THAN DE ASSESSED SOLD WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER IS REBUILT.

AND WE DO HAVE A STATEMENT FROM JOHN, UH, ARTIS, MR. YANCY.

OH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ IT OR SHALL NO, YOU CAN.

THE 10 YEAR, THE 20 YEAR, THE 30 YEAR WHERE IT'S NO LONGER OVERSEEN BY ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, IT'S NO LONGER SEEN BY THE CITY.

UM, WE'LL LET YOU GO AHEAD AND THEN OKAY.

JUMP IN THERE.

UM, DEAR ASK COMMISSION, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING, UH, PAULA AND I AND JOHN TO SPEAK.

UM, I'M SORRY WE DIDN'T ABLE TO COME TO THIS TABLE BEFORE THIS SITUATION.

UM, I, I, I AM DELIGHTED THAT ACME IS NOW, UH, A IN THE ROOM, , AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN ADULT, UM, SORT OF REALLY KIND OF CHAMPIONING THE ARTS IN AUSTIN IN A WAY THAT, UM, REALLY NEEDS TO, UH, UH, BE A REAL ADVOCATE.

AND, UM, THERE'S REAL MONEY ON THE TABLE THAN EVER.

AND I THINK THE, UH, APPARENT WAY THAT THE CITY HAS DEALT WITH THE DEACCESSION OF OUR FOUR WORKS IS, UM, A LEGACY THAT WILL TAINT THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, AND I MIGHT KIND OF GO ON, BUT, UM, UM, MY SITUATION IS NOT COMPLETE.

UH, I'M HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW WITH ACME AND, UM, MY LAWYER'S TALKING TO ACME AND, YOU KNOW, I'M TAKING DOWN MY WORK ON FRIDAY.

SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, $25,000 WORTH OF TIME AND EFFORT.

DID SCISSOR LIFT TRAINING TODAY? UM, AND IT'S MY TEAM, SO I'M THE ONE DOING IT.

UH, BUT THERE'S MANY PRONGS TO THIS THAT BROUGHT US HERE.

UM, ONE OF WHICH IS ARTIST

[01:15:01]

CONTRACTS.

ULTIMATELY, ARTIST CONTRACTS ARE ONLY GOOD FOR THE CITY MUNICIPALITY.

I'M IN A SITUATION CURRENTLY WHERE THE CITY A IPP AND THE COMMISSION CENTER ARE, UM, IN BREACH OF CONTRACT, AND THEY HAVE NEVER COME FORWARD TO RECTIFY DAMAGE TO MY ARTWORK.

SO I'M TAKING AWAY 31 ELEMENTS THAT ARE DAMAGED.

IT'S GONNA COST ME $46,000 TO RESTORE NOBODY, BASICALLY, I THINK THE CONVENTION CENTER WANTED DEMOLISH MY ART AND HIDE AND CONCEAL THAT, THEIR RECKLESS WAY OF DEALING WITH THE COLLECTION THAT THEY HAVE, THEY DO NOT RESPECT THE ART COLLECTION THEY HAVE.

SO IN 2003 IN NOVEMBER, I GOT A EMAIL FROM CARLA NICHOLSON WHO WORKS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND I HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HER BECAUSE I TAKE STUDENTS THROUGH AND I BROUGHT FAMILY MEMBERS THROUGH.

AND I'M THE GREAT NIECE OF ERIN DOUGLAS, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF, OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.

AND I GOT TO BRING MY FAMILY, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT ME AND LOOKING AT MY PIECE.

AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S SAYING, NOW, HOW COME YOU ARE ? YOU DON'T QUITE FIT.

BUT, UM, ANYWAY, UH, CARLA, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, A RELATIONSHIP AND I KEPT SAYING, WHAT IS GONNA BE HAPPENING? UH, AND AT THIS MOMENT, I DID NOT KNOW THAT MY WORK WAS SLATED TO BE, UH, UM, ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK.

BUT SHE SENT ME FROM HER BOSS, UH, AN EMAIL WITH A LINK THAT SAID, WELL, IN THESE SITUATIONS, WE OFTEN, UM, DO STATE AUCTIONS LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OR CITY OF AUSTIN, WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE TRUCKS AND COMPUTERS AND TABLES AND CHAIRS.

THIS IS WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA BE DOING WITH THE ART.

SO A FRIEND OF MINE IS, UM, UH, USED TO WORK FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.

SHE WAS TRYING TO BE ON THE THINK TANK FOR, UH, THE BUILDING OF THIS CONVENTION CENTER, OR THE NEW, UH, THIS WAS TWO YEARS AGO.

I JUST FOUND THIS OUT LAST WEEK.

THEY WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER, WITH THE CITY OFFICIALS, WITH THE ARCHITECTS.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU NEEDED TO DEACCESSION THE ART.

THIS IS TWO YEARS AGO.

THEY WERE HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS WHEN I BROUGHT IT UP TO CONSTANCE WHITE IN, UH, THE AUTUMN OF 2003.

SHE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CLEAR PLAN.

AND THEN SHE LEFT.

SHE WAS THE MANAGER OF A IPP, AND SHE LEFT TO WORK FOR THE AIRPORT.

SO NOW A IPP IS, UM, YOU KNOW, LEADERLESS, AND IT'S LEADERLESS UNTIL JULY WHEN JAMIE CASTILLO BECOMES THE MANAGER.

AND AT THIS MOMENT, THE MOST RUSHED, UM, DECISION WAS MADE TO DEACCESSION THE FOUR WORKS THAT ARE MONUMENTAL, THAT ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE ARCHITECTURE.

AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING NOW? THEY'RE COMMISSIONING 10 NEW PROJECTS FOR MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE ALL GONNA BE INTEGRATED INTO THE ARCHITECTURE.

SO THE, THE, THE, UM, IT'S A REAL STAB IN THE HEART.

UM, MY WORK IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST.

IT'S, UM, 40 FEET HIGH, 400 FEET LONG, 233 ELEMENTS.

PARTS OF IT ARE, UM, INTEGRATED ACTUALLY INTO THE ARCHITECTURE.

MOST OF IT'S WALL MOUNTED.

SO I TOOK MY RIGHT TO CLAIM THE WORK BACK.

UM, WHAT I, THE, THE BIG QUESTION I HAVE, I THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY.

AND THE CONVENTION CENTER NEVER CONSULTED WITH THE ARTISTS ABOUT THEIR INTENTIONS.

I DON'T BELIEVE THEY EVER CONSULTED WITH ART AND PUBLIC PLACES.

AND THE, UM, THERE WERE THREE BITS THAT WERE PRESENTED.

UH, THE ARTISTS WERE NOT INVITED UNTIL IT WAS, UH, I MEAN, IT WAS A FADE ACCOMPLI.

THERE WAS NO, LIKE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THESE FOUR PIECES ARE PROBLEMATIC.

WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT TO HAVE 10 NEW PROJECTS.

SO I THINK FOR THE, FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND $35,000 TO TAKE DOWN MY PIECE.

THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PUT $35,000 TO PUT IT BACK UP.

THEY WANTED THE $2 MILLION THAT ARE SITTING ON THE TABLE.

THEY DID NOT WANT TO.

SO I DON'T KNOW REALLY WHO OWNS THE WORK.

SO IS THERE A POINT AT

[01:20:01]

IT BECOMES LIKE THE, UM, THE OWNERSHIP OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.

AND I BELIEVE THE CONVENTION CENTER DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE COLLECTION THAT THEY HAVE.

THEY HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT STEWARDSHIP OF THEIR ARTWORK.

AND MEANWHILE, I MEAN, THEY'RE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ARTWORKS.

IT'S A, YOU KNOW, A LIVING MUSEUM.

IT'S, IT'S A SLICE OF HISTORY OF AUSTIN.

AND I'M, YOU KNOW, MY FIRST MONUMENTAL WORK THAT I EVER DID.

AND, UM, IF I DIDN'T, I, I CHOSE TO RETIRE.

AND PART OF MY CHO CHOOSING TO RETIRE WAS I WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE MONEY THAT I COULD HAVE ACCESS TO, AND I WOULD HAVE TIME TO BE ABLE TO DO THE BEHEMOTH TASK OF TAKING DOWN MY WORK.

SO I'M NOW CURRENTLY LOOKING AT $25,000 TO TAKE DOWN THE WORK, PLUS $45,000 OF DAMAGE, WHICH PROBABLY LEGALLY, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A LAWYER, I PROBABLY CAN'T REALLY SUE THE CITY BECAUSE THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS, YOU KNOW, EVERY CITY MUNICIPALITY, YOU CAN'T.

UM, SO MY HOPE IS THAT WHAT IS ON THE TABLE WITH ACME REALLY DOES COME THROUGH.

BUT I, I, I, UM, I DON'T WANT MY WORK HIJACKED, YOU KNOW, UM, EVERYTHING'S BEEN SO RUSHED AND EVERYTHING'S BEEN OPAQUE.

THERE'S BEEN, BEEN NO TRANSPARENCY.

THERE'S BEEN NO INCLUSION.

UM, AND I THINK THE, LET ME GET MY LITTLE, MY CHEAT SHEETS HERE.

UM, YEAH, I JUST THINK IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT WAS RUSHED TO JUDGMENT AT A POINT WHEN, UM, A IPP DID NOT HAVE THE LEADERSHIP, UM, THERE TO BE THE PROPER ADVOCATE AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH IS ABOUT TO INHERIT, YOU KNOW, WAS IT 10, $15 MILLION WORTH OF ART? UM, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE.

AND THAT MIGHT BE TRUE OF THE AIRPORT.

IT MIGHT BE TRUE OF EVERY BUILDING.

SO, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW, YOU KNOW, IF ALL THIS MONEY IS COMING INTO THE, INTO, UM, NEW, UM, COMMISSIONS, HOW DO YOU REALLY EDUCATE WHERE THE PIECE IS GOING? IT'S NOT ABOUT EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY.

IT'S ABOUT EDUCATING THE, THE SAYS THE CLIENT.

AND, UM, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER THEY WANTED TO DO TO BURY THEIR IRRESPONSIBLE, UM, ACTIONS OF NOT INFORMING ME, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, TWICE, THEY DID IT ONCE IN 2007, I SAW SOME DAMAGE.

I WROTE TO THEM, THEY DIDN'T COME TO ME.

I SENT THEM A PROPOSAL AND THAT PROPOSAL FOR SEVEN AND A HALF THOUSAND DOLLARS, THEY CAME ACTUALLY, A IPP CAME BACK AND SAID, WELL, WE'LL LET YOU DO IT FOR FIVE AND A HALF THOUSAND DOLLARS.

WELL, I DIDN'T DO IT BECAUSE I'M THE ONE AT RISK.

AND, YOU KNOW, SCISSOR LIFTS TWO TIMES, NO, I DIDN'T DO IT 'CAUSE IT WASN'T, I, I WOULD LOSE MONEY HELPING THE CITY.

SO I'M SITTING HERE, YOU KNOW, BLEEDING MONEY AND TIME, AND I HOPE THAT ACME, UM, CAN, YOU KNOW, COME THROUGH.

UM, IT'S RUSHED TO JUDGMENT.

WE HAVE THREE DAYS.

SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S FOR SUCH BIG ACTIONS.

THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED.

THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLANNED.

IT WAS IN DISCUSSIONS TWO YEARS AGO.

AND I THINK YOU'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, FOUR MAJOR ARTISTS HAVE, HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FOR JOHN YANCY, HE WAS THE CHAIR OF THE, OF THE A IPP PANEL FOR LIKE FIVE OR SEVEN YEARS.

I MEAN, IT'S REALLY A STAB IN HIS HEART.

'CAUSE HE CHAMPIONED.

SO ALL OF TEXAS IS WATCHING, ALL OF AMERICA IS WATCHING.

I'M INVOLVED WITH A GROUP CALLED, UM, CODA WORKS.

AND I REACHED OUT TO THE PET OF IT.

AND I MEAN, ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER NEW YORK, LA I MEAN, GOOD LUCK GETTING REALLY PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR CONTRACTS BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT IT, IT'S, IT'S A, A SINKING SHIP.

UM, AND IT WAS THE RUSH TO JUDGMENT OF, YOU KNOW, THE DEACCESSION OF SUCH.

UM, AND I, AND I, AND I, I'M SORT OF LATE TO THE GAME IN CHAMPION IN, YOU KNOW, UH, BECAUSE I, I THINK I, UM, I WAS KIND OF DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING.

AND I, I WAS USING MY OWN RESOURCE, WHEREAS JOHN YANCY WAS NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.

AND HE, UM,

[01:25:01]

FOUGHT A REALLY GREAT FIGHT, AND YOU'LL PROBABLY READ IN HIS, UH, THING.

UM, AND, AND, UH, ACME HAS COME THROUGH FOR HIM.

AND HE IS, I WAS AT THE CORE, WE WERE BOTH TOGETHER.

UM, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY GLASS TIRES LIKE, OH, WE HEAR IT'S ALL GREAT.

WELL, NO, IT ISN'T ALL GREAT YET.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPING THAT IT'S ALL GREAT, BUT IT'S GREAT FOR JOHN YANCY.

THAT'S FANTASTIC.

UM, BUT I THINK NOT ONE THING FITS ALL.

AND, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS CREATIVE PEOPLE, WE NEED TO BE CREATIVE.

AND, UM, SADLY MUNICIPALITIES ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, LETTERED BY THE LAW.

BUT ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE, I FELT LIKE YOU NEEDED SOME HISTORY, SOME BACKGROUND, BUT ALSO BIG QUESTIONS OF OWNERSHIP.

'CAUSE I DON'T, I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S AT A CERTAIN POINT WHERE I THINK, I THINK THE CONVENTION CENTER WASN'T GETTING MONEY TO MAINTAIN AND LOOK AFTER THEY WOULD, THEY WERE.

AND THEY WANTED TO GET IT AWAY.

OH, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA HAVE A QUESTION, BUT NO, I'M JUST, I WANNA CRY 'CAUSE I WAS PART OF THAT.

I, YEAH, IT'S BEEN HARD.

REALLY HARD.

COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, DO YOU WANNA READ JOHN'S STATEMENT? DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO IT? I CAN'T.

AS SOON AS MY PHONE TURNS BACK ON.

WALK BACK A COUNCIL ACTION? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

ONE MOMENT.

DO YOU WANNA MOVE ON TO PAULA? YEAH, BEFORE, YEAH.

I WANNA SECOND EVERYTHING THAT MARGO SAID BECAUSE IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN SAID MORE ELOQUENTLY.

AND THIS HAS BEEN, I WOULD SAY THIS HAS BEEN A LONG ROAD AND A LONG PROCESS, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN, YES, IT HAS ONLY BEEN THE TIME THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING IS LIKE A BLINK.

AND I'M COMING EVEN LATER TO THIS THAN MARGO IS MY SON.

AND PART OF THIS IS THE PRO.

THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IS THAT DAMIEN PRAYER IS NOT WITH US ANYMORE.

SO HE'S NOT HERE TO FIGHT FOR HIS ARTWORK.

UM, I AM NOT AN ARTIST.

I'M NOT A CITY ADMINISTRATOR.

I'M A HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER.

AND MY SON TOOK OVER THE STUDIO WHEN MY HUSBAND DIED.

SO HE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH, UM, FINDING ART MOVERS AND PEOPLE TO HANDLE THE ART.

BUT HE ALSO IS NOT A CITY ADMINISTRATOR.

AND THE THREE MINUTES THAT HE WAS GIVEN TO SAY HIS PEACE AT THE SESSION COMMITTEE, UM, THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN SAY IN THOSE THREE MINUTES WHEN THE DECISIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE.

SO MY DE MY CONDITION HERE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM MARROW'S, I THINK, BECAUSE MY DAMIEN'S PIECES, IT'S ONE PIECE AND IT'S IN THE ROTUNDA, AND THERE ARE ABOUT 60 DIFFERENT PIECES TO IT.

SO IT'S NOT ONE PIECE OF ART.

I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN.

THEY'RE, THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE FINE.

SO I HAVE NO CLAIM FOR DAMAGE, BUT THE TAKING DOWN OF THE PIECES, THE CREATING AND THE STORAGE IS WHAT I WILL BE ABSORBING OUT OF MY RETIREMENT.

AND THIS THE, THE NEW MOVEMENT HERE.

AND I LOVE THE NEW OFFICE AND I LOVE THE TALK AND I LOVE WHAT IT, WHAT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING.

BUT I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND THEY HAVE TO DO WITH THE OWNERSHIP.

SO IS MS MEANS ABLE TO SAY, I WANNA USE YOUR ART.

I THINK THE CITY SHOULD SAVE IT, BUT THAT FLIES IN THE FACE OF A COUNCIL THAT HAS ALREADY RULED.

OH, DEES.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHO OWNS THIS PIECE NOW AT ALL.

I MEAN, SHE CAN, SHE, SHE CAN SINCERELY WANT TO USE IT.

AND I'M, I'M SO ENCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT SHE SEEMS TO SEE THE VALUE IN THESE PIECES.

UM, BUT CAN SHE

[01:30:01]

SECOND OF ALL, SHE SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN FIND A PLACE FOR THIS, AND I CAN THINK MYSELF OF A NUMBER OF PLACES THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.

BUT THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX SET OF PIECES.

AND IF MY OPTION IS, OKAY, WELL WE FOUND A BATHROOM IN THE BASEMENT OF THIS CITY BUILDING AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA PUT IT.

NO, THAT'S, UM, THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.

AND IT IS THE INTEGRITY OF THE ARTIST'S VISION IS BEING WOULD, WOULD BE VIOLATED IF IT WERE NOT PUT INTO A SUITABLE SPOT.

AND SO MY QUESTION FOR MS MEANS OFFICE IS, DO I, IF YOU ARE TAKING THE PIECE BACK, IF IT BELONGS TO YOU NOW, UM, THAT'S FINE AND YOU HAVE THE LAST CHOICE.

BUT DO I HAVE ANY SAY OR DOES MY SON, WHO IS THE STUDIO, DOES HE HAVE ANY SAY OVER WHAT'S THE BEST PLACE TO PUT THIS? WILL THE WALLS HOLD THIS INSTALLATION? WILL THERE BE LIGHT COMING THROUGH? THE PIECE ITSELF INCLUDES, UM, EVEN, EVEN BEFORE IT BECAME A THING TO REUSE AND RECYCLE.

YOU KNOW, IN 1995, DAMIEN IS REUSING PIECES.

WE, WE HIRED HOMELESS PEOPLE TO WALK UP AND DOWN WALLER CREEK AND PICK THINGS UP.

AND IN THESE LARGE GLASS VESSELS ARE, ARE ARTIFACTS FROM WALLER CREEK.

AND THE PEOPLE WHO USED TO LIVE ON WALLER CREEK, THE HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO COLLECTED THESE PIECES, WE, WE PAID THEM TO DO THIS.

UM, THEY WERE BEING DISPLACED BY THIS NEW CONVENTION CENTER.

SO THEY CLEANED THE PLACE UP AND HANDED THE PIECES OVER, AND NOW THEY ARE PART OF THE LEGACY OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.

SO EVEN BEFORE REUSING AND RECLAIMING, DAMIEN WAS ALREADY REUSING AND RECLAIMING, AND THAT IS PART OF THIS PIECE.

WELL, OKAY.

SO IF THIS PIECE IS PUT IN SOME OTHER SPOT, THE SUGGESTION THAT THIS IS THE WALLER CREEK SHELVES, DOES THAT REALLY HAVE ANY IMPORT ANYMORE? I'M NOT SURE.

I DON'T KNOW.

UM, SO THERE, I'M, I'M ALSO DISTRESSED AS MARGO IS THAT EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN WATCHING THIS SITUATION IS SAYING, OH, WE HEARD THINGS.

WERE GONNA BE FINE NOW.

WELL, I WISH I COULD.

I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC, I THINK, ISN'T THAT THE POLITICAL TERM THAT PEOPLE USE THESE DAYS? I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE HAVE THE BEST INTENTIONS OF MOVING FORWARD.

UM, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID STILL AND A LOT TO BE HASHED OUT.

AND, AND, AND FINALLY, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I, I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR 50 YEARS AND I HAVE LOVED ABOUT AUSTIN THAT IT HAS INVESTED IN ITS ARTISTS AND THAT ITS ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS AND DANCERS AND ENTERTAINERS ARE, AND WRITERS ARE SUCH A PART OF THE FABRIC OF AUSTIN.

AND I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THAT ABOUT AUSTIN.

AND JUST LATELY, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INCIDENTS LIKE THIS THAT HAVE SAID TO ME, YOU'RE REALLY NOT THAT IMPORTANT.

YOU ARE REALLY NOT PART OF AUSTIN, AND YOU ARE EXPENDABLE .

AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS ARE, ARE THE FINANCIAL PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE, THE, THE BEAN COUNTERS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO ARE MAKING MONEY.

AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT ART HAS NEVER MADE MONEY UNLESS YOU'RE, UNLESS YOU'VE BEEN DEAD FOR 400 YEARS AND YOU'RE MICHELANGELO.

UM, ART DOESN'T MAKE MONEY, BUT IT MAKES A CITY THAT PULLS PEOPLE IN AND THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM.

[01:35:01]

BUT IF YOU CAN'T DRAW A DIRECT LINE PLUS AND MINUS, AND HAVE A TALLY AND HAVE A BOTTOM LINE THAT SAYS, ART PAID THIS, WE HAVE NO INFLUENCE.

WE HAVE NO VALUE.

AND I DON'T WANNA SEE AUSTIN GO THERE.

I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO.

WE CAN'T GIVE UP OUR DECISIONS.

WE ARE GIVING OVER OUR DECISIONS AND, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE.

WE SHOULD BE FIGHTING FOR THEM.

AND I, I APPLAUD YOU ALL AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO BECAUSE YOU'RE OUT THERE ON THE LINE FIGHTING AND I THANK YOU AND I THANK YOUR NEW OFFICE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, LET'S HAVE JOHN'S STATEMENT READ.

FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE TO THE COMMISSION FOR BEING UNABLE TO ATTEND IN PERSON, FOR SOMEONE WHO CONSIDERS HIMSELF HEALTHY.

THIS HAS BEEN A STRANGE STRETCH OF HEALTH ISSUES FOR ME, AND I'M CURRENTLY STILL RECOVERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF COVID.

SECONDLY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME AND THE OTHER ARTISTS CAUGHT IN THIS DIA SESSION DEBACLE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.

IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF RIFFS AND RHYTHMS. SINCE AN ANONYMOUS DONOR IS INVOLVED, THERE IS MUCH FRANKLY, THAT EVEN, I DON'T KNOW, HOWEVER, THIS IS WHERE THINGS STAND, WHILE THE ADVOCACY PRESS ATTENTION ALLY BUILDING, ET CETERA HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS.

INDIVIDUALS FROM THE PLEASANT HILL COLLECTIVE WHO HAVE BEEN SUPPORTERS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS CAMPAIGN, WERE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO UTILIZE THEIR NETWORKS TO FIND A SOLUTION.

A POSITIVE TURN OCCURRED WHEN ANGELA MEANS ASSUMED LEADERSHIP OF THE NEWLY FOUNDED ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT.

ACME I AND THE OTHER ARTISTS MET HER AFTER WE ALL SPOKE AT A RECENT TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING.

AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH HER WERE VERY PRODUCTIVE.

QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE STONEWALLING WE HAD BEEN RECEIVING FROM A IPP AND THE CONVENTION CENTER EXECUTIVE TEAM.

THE SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE CITY AND INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING AN ANONYMOUS DONOR RESULTED IN AN AGREEMENT BEING FORMED THAT INVOLVED FUNDING FROM THIS ANONYMOUS DONOR BEING MANAGED BY A-U-S-B-O-S HOUSING OBOS, UH, A NONPROFIT TO ENGAGE SHIHI FINE ART TO DE-INSTALL RIFFS AND RHYTHMS. THE WORK WILL BE STORED AFTER DEST INSTALLATION AND REINSTALLED IN THE BLOCK 16 TO 18 PROJECT ON EAST 11TH STREET.

ONCE THAT CONSTRUCTION BEGINS, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT FROM SO MANY PEOPLE, AND I'M HOPEFUL FOR A SUCCESSFUL DE-INSTALL AND POSITIVE RESULT WITH RIFFS AND RHYTHMS. HAVING A NEW HOME IN THIS IMPORTANT CULTURAL DISTRICT BEING BUILT BY THE PLEASANT HILL COLLABORATIVE, THERE ARE STILL MANY DETAILS TO BE WORKED OUT AND FINALIZED.

SO WE'RE NOT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE WOODS YET.

HOWEVER, THE FINISH LINE IS IN SIGHT AND ALL SIGNS ARE LOOKING POSITIVE.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT, JOHN A YANCY, THAT'S GREAT NEWS.

COMMISSIONERS.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTERS? COMMISSIONER SCH, UM, THAT IS GREAT NEWS ABOUT, UH, JOHN'S PIECE.

IS THERE ANY NEWS ON THE OTHER PIECES? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING? CAN ACME PULL THEIR MAGIC FOR THESE PIECES AS WELL? ONE MORE POINT THAT I THINK, COME ON UP TO THE MIC SO OUR PEOPLE ON SCREEN CAN HEAR YOU AS WELL.

I HAVE ONE MORE POINT THAT I THINK NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED.

AND THAT IS THAT IF THE CITY RE ASSUMES OWNERSHIP OF THE PIECE, UM, BETWEEN THE POINT AT WHICH IT'S DEINSTALLED AND REINSTALLED SOMEWHERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE ADEQUATE STORAGE AND PART OF THE DALL PROCESS INCLUDES CREATING.

BUT WHERE WILL THESE BE STORED? AND MS MEANS SAYS, WE ARE WORKING ON THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT THAT NUMBER ONE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CLIMATE CONTROLLED.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR PIECE.

YOURS DOES.

DOING BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE, THAT, LIKE DE SESSIONING A PIECE IS SO SHORTSIGHTED, THOSE THINGS ARE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED.

MINE DOESN'T NEED TO BE CLIMATE CONTROLLED, BUT IT DOES NEED TO BE PROTECTED AND IT NEEDS TO BE INSURED.

SO WE CAN'T JUST GO TO THE STORAGE FACILITY ON THE CORNER BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CAP ON, ON THEIR, YOU KNOW, $2,000 WORTH OF STUFF IN THIS STORAGE UNIT.

AND IT WILL TAKE UP QUITE A BIT OF SPACE.

SO STORAGE IS ANOTHER CONSIDERATION THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE.

AND THAT KIND OF, THAT KIND OF THINKING AHEAD AND PRESCIENT THINKING IS SOMETHING THAT A IPP HAS NOT BEEN

[01:40:01]

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO MENTION IN MY, IN WHAT I SAID BEFORE.

SO I'VE ASKED PROBABLY FOR ABOUT, WELL, SINCE, UM, JULY, UH, ABOUT, UM, TRANSFER OF DEED OF THE ARTWORK AS I'M, YOU KNOW, SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY.

AND, UH, I SENT A SAMPLE, UH, AND ALL I GOT WAS, OH, WELL, WELL THERE'S THIS FORM AND THIS IS WHAT IT SHOULD BE LIKE.

UM, THEY'VE HAD TWO YEARS TO THINK ABOUT DEACCESSIONING.

THEY HAD SIX MONTHS TO THINK ABOUT THE ACT OF DEACCESSIONING.

AND THERE STILL IS NOT AN EXAMPLE.

I'VE NOT SEEN A SAMPLE OF WHAT THE CITY IS GONNA DO.

MEANWHILE, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO TAKE DOWN OUR WORK, WE HAVE LIKE A 10 PAGE LEGAL PAPER THAT MAKES US SIGN THAT WE'VE GOT ALL THE INSURANCES AND LIABILITIES AND YOU KNOW, THAT WE SIGN.

SO FROM THE CITY'S POINT, IT'S ALL ABOUT LEGALITIES.

AND THEN WHEN WE PUSH BACK AND ASK FOR OUR RIGHTS, WE GET NOTHING.

WHETHER IT'S RIGHTS FOR, UM, RESTORATION AND PROPER, UM, MAINTENANCE AND CARE OR IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE RELEASE OF TITLE.

UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THREE DAYS AND COUNTING.

I MEAN, UH, AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA BE TOLD THAT, UH, BAD OF YOUR STEALING, YOU KNOW, CITY PROPERTY WHEN IT'S NOT REALLY CITY PROPERTY.

'CAUSE IT'S BEEN DEACCESSIONED, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SO IT'S A VERY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE A LAWYER.

BUT IT, BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S A, UM, IT'S A VERY ILL UNDERSTOOD PLAN THAT WAS ON THE BOOKS TWO YEARS AGO.

MAYBE NOT US, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT AND THERE WAS NO, UM, EVEN WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WITHIN THE CONVENTION CENTER WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE ARCHITECTS AND THE PLANNERS.

I MEAN, NO, UM, LINE ITEM OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, AND WE'RE THE GUINEA PIGS AND IT, AND IT HURTS.

SO, BUT I APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, VISIT WITH YOU.

AND I THINK WE'RE BOTH OVERJOYED WITH JOHN'S, UM, OUTCOME.

AND I THINK, I THINK ACME IS REALLY GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S .

IT'S A LOT TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE IN AND I THINK, AGAIN, CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.

UM, BUT, UM, AND, AND MAYBE HAVING MORE OF THIS CONVERSATION, I FEEL GUILTY.

I'VE NEVER COME TO YOU BEFORE.

I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 36 YEARS, SO, UM, MAYBE WE'RE ONLY COMING WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM.

UH, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, UM, IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THE RESOLUTIONS AND DREAMS OF ALL OF YOU, SO THANK YOU.

OF THE DAMIAN P DEAR LA PRAYER.

MARGO, ARE WE ABLE TO GET SOME CLARITY FROM STAFF? THANK YOU.

CANDACE PUTTING YOU TO WORK YOUR VERY FIRST MEETING.

DAY 11.

DAY 11, RIGHT.

UM, .

SO, SO FIRST I JUST WANNA SAY, WHENEVER I HEAR THE, THE STORY AND KIND OF THE HISTORY OF THE ARTWORK, I JUST, IT IT IS AN EMOTIONAL STORY.

I MEAN, TO KIND OF HEAR IT, AND I KNOW THAT'S HOW WE FELT AT THE TOURISM COMMISSION WHEN WE HEARD FROM YOU ALL THE FIRST TIME.

AND WHAT I CAN SAY IS IN, IN THAT THE D SESSION IN TERMS OF WHAT WENT BEFORE COUNSEL WAS A RECOMMENDATION, AND THAT WAS AN APPROVAL FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.

HOWEVER, ACME LOOKS AT THAT AS A ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT.

AND SO WHAT WE HAVE WORKED ON IS WE, WE WERE KIND OF WHAT THE LIAISON BETWEEN ENSURING THAT THE YANCY PIECE WOULD HAVE A PLACE.

AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, DIRECTOR MEANS IS THERE AT THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD TONIGHT, UM, TO MEET IN REGARDS OF BLOCK 16 AND 18.

AND I'M SURE THAT WILL BE SOME DISCUSSION.

AND SO WHERE WE ARE ON THE YANCY PIECE NOW IS DRAFTING OUT THAT FIRST CONTRACT IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE.

SO WE, WE, WE LOOK AT THAT AS A SUCCESS.

WE HAVE AS OF THIS MORNING, SOME OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS, AND MY APOLOGIES THAT YOU'LL BE HEARING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME, BUT, UM, WORKING THIS MORNING, WE, WE CAME IN AND ACTUALLY IT WAS JAIME WHO FOUND A PLACE TO BE ABLE TO, TO STORE, UM, THE WORK.

AND SO WE ARE HOPING THAT TOMORROW WHEN WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY, WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT THAT STORAGE WOULD LOOK LIKE.

AND SO WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT IN TERMS OF THE, AND THE PRONUNCIATION.

I HAVE HEARD IT SO MANY TIMES

[01:45:01]

, I CAN REMEMBER THAT.

SO WE HAVE FOUND A, UM, LOCATION, UH, A CITY LOCATION FOR THAT PIECE.

AND SO FOR THE ACTUAL PIECE, AND SO WHAT WE WILL BE DOING IS THAT IN THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE GOING OUT JUST TO SEE IT.

AND SO THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND IF IT IS POSSIBLE, THEN WE'LL BE LOOKING AT A PLACE TO ACTUALLY STORE IT.

AND SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW FAR WE'VE GOTTEN THERE.

NOW THE REASON WE HAVEN'T MENTIONED THE LOCATION IS BECAUSE WE WANNA JUST MAKE SURE THAT IT CAN EVEN HAPPEN FIRST.

UM, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT PIECE, AND I CAN TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT OFFLINE ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.

AND TOMORROW WE PLAN ON IN THE, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE WE HAVE THE DAMAGE AND SO FORTH.

AND SO TOMORROW WE'RE MEETING, UM, WITH PROFESSOR SAWYER TO, TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF GO OVER WHAT THE POTENTIAL STORAGE COULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE PIECE AND WHAT SOME PLANS COULD BE FOR US TO POSSIBLY HAVE IT REINSTALLED.

SO THAT IS WHERE WE ARE AS OF NOW.

I WASN'T PREPARED TO REALLY KINDA DIVULGE THAT WITHOUT HAVING MEETING WITH YOU ALL FIRST, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UM, , WITHOUT GETTING TOO EMOTIONAL HERE, BUT I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO FLY THE PLANE WHILE BUILDING IT MM-HMM .

AND THE FIRST THING THAT THAT DIRECTOR MEANS WANTED TO DO WHEN COMING, WHEN COMING ON BOARD WAS WHEN SHE HEARD OF THIS, IS TO STOP THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACME AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN SOLVE THIS.

SO WE HAVE REALLY SPENT, I DON'T, WHEN WAS THAT TOURISM COMMISSION? IT FEELS LIKE IT WAS YEARS AGO.

I THINK IT WAS, WAS IT, WAS IT A WEEK AGO? OH MY GOSH, IT WAS A WEEK AGO.

AND SINCE THEN, WHAT SHE SAID TO ME IS, STOP , LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN SAVE IT.

AND SO SHE'S BEEN ON THE PHONE LOOKING FOR LOCATIONS.

UM, WE'VE BEEN ON THE PHONE, HAMMI, AND I SAY, WE'VE BEEN BEST FRIENDS BECAUSE I'M SPEAKING TO HIM, YOU KNOW, TWO, THREE TIMES A DAY ALMOST.

AND WE'RE, WE'RE CHATTING, TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.

AND, AND, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU PUBLICLY BECAUSE HE WERE WAS ABLE THIS MORNING TO COME TO ME AND SAID, I FOUND A PLACE, I FOUND A LOCATION TO STORE THE WORK.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE RE JUST ABSOLUTELY REJOICING.

SO I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE, THIS IS NOW, THIS IS, THIS IS, HOPEFULLY WE'RE GETTING CLOSER, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE WANT THE, THIS DEPARTMENT TO LOOK LIKE.

THIS IS WHAT'S BEEN MISSING AND THIS, THIS, THE ACME DEPARTMENT, AS WE DEVELOP IT, WE ARE HOPING THAT THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS, AND BASED OFF OF YOU ALL AND THE LESSONS LEARNED HERE, WE CAN HOPE TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR, THE A IPP PROGRAM AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE SENT A MEMO TO COUNCIL LAST WEEK.

I HOPE THAT YOU ALL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT, BUT WE ARE GOING THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE A IPP PROGRAM.

UH, WE WILL ALSO BE LOOKING AT THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAM AS A, AS A RES AS WELL, AND LOOK AT THE FEEDBACK AND, AND ALL OF THE INPUT.

A MATTER OF FACT, I'M MEETING WITH PIO JUST ON TOMORROW TO LOOK AT WHAT FEEDBACK HAVE WE ALREADY RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ASK THE SAME QUESTIONS, BUT TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE, OKAY, WHAT ARE SOME LESSONS LEARNED THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE PAST MM-HMM .

AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE.

AND I, I HATE TO USE THEY ALL THE LAST COUPLE, SEVERAL YEARS I'VE BEEN WORKING IN, IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, OH MY GOODNESS.

AND I TELL YOU, THEY USE THIS, THIS TERM BUILDING THE PLANE WHILE WE'RE FLYING IT, BUT NOW IT KINDA RESONATES HERE.

AND SO, SO, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT IN TOMORROW'S MEETING WE WILL BE ABLE TO MEET AND DE DECIDE, UM, HOPEFULLY SOME CLOSER TO A SOLUTION FOR THE PIECES.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? ANY QUESTIONS? I DO HAVE SOMETHING TO JUST IN GENERAL, BUT, UM, THANK YOU.

UM, I WAS ON THE DSES PANEL.

IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST PAINFUL PANELS I'VE EVER BEEN ON.

AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT WAS THREE AND A HALF, FOUR HOURS WAS LONG.

WE WERE THERE A LONG TIME.

TEARS IN OUR EYES.

AND I REMEMBER THE THING THAT KEPT COMING UP BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS NO CHOICE THE WAY THAT THE CONTRACTS WERE WRITTEN.

AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT STUFF IS GET THE WORD OUT, GET IT IN THE MEDIA, GET PEOPLE KNOWING ABOUT THIS, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT DID THIS.

YEP.

AND I'M GLAD IT'S HAPPENED.

CITY OF AUSTIN IS THE PLACE THAT IT LANDED WITH ACME.

AND I'M GLAD AUSTIN

[01:50:01]

SO, THANK YOU.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

IT WAS A, IT WAS CERTAINLY A PART.

I KNOW WE'RE COMING IN, IT LOOKS LIKE, OH, ACME SAVED THE DAY.

NOT YET.

THE WORK WAS DONE THOUGH.

YOU GUYS DID AN AWESOME JOB WITH PUTTING IT IN THE MEDIA.

I THINK THAT SOME OF THOSE SEVERAL PIECES THAT WERE IN THE MEDIA HELPED TO ALERT THE COMMUNITY OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

AND SO AS MR. YANCY, UH, PUT IN HIS STATEMENT, I MEAN, THAT WORK WAS HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S AUSTIN FOR SURE.

THAT'S THE AUSTIN THAT I GREW UP IN AND LOVE, YOU KNOW, IS COMING TOGETHER AND MAKING THINGS HAPPEN.

SO, YEAH.

AND, UM, JUST ON A IPP PREME MM-HMM .

A LOT OF THE, OF MORE OF THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL WAS THE CITY CAN'T OR A IPP, THE CITY CAN'T LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN.

IT WAS IN THAT CONVERSATION.

MM.

WE WERE ALREADY IN IT.

AND THANK YOU FOR COMING AND TALKING ABOUT THIS.

AND I'M SORRY THAT YOU ARE THE GUINEA PIGS FOR, YOU KNOW, REVEALING CHALLENGES THAT NOW NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.

I GUESS I, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN THE DEES DEACCESSIONING PROCESS SINCE OUR UNDERSTANDING AND I WE'RE GONNA GET IN THE WEEDS.

I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A LONG ITEM, BUT THIS FEELS REALLY IMPORTANT.

'CAUSE THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE, IT REMAINS TO BE, WE'RE CORRECTING IT, BUT DESTROYING ARTWORK THAT'S IN THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS AN ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE THING THAT COULD EVEN BE ON THE TABLE.

LIKE, IT'S JUST CRAZY.

UM, OUR UNDERSTANDING, AT LEAST MY UNDERSTANDING, MAYBE I WAS JUST WRONG, WAS THAT THE PROCESS OF DE SESSIONING WAS NECESSARY SO THAT THERE WERE OPTIONS OPENED UP THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE THE WORK BEING IN THE BUILDING WHEN THE BUILDING GETS KNOCKED DOWN.

UM, I DON'T, IS THAT CORRECT? BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHY THAT APPROVAL WAS MADE AT MULTIPLE LEVELS, THAT A, IS THAT CORRECT? AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION, I CAN WAIT ON THE SECOND QUESTION IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT ONE FIRST.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

HI, ME CASTILLO, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES.

SO YEAH, THE DEES PROCESS, WE HAVE COMPLETED IT WITH, RIGHT, WITH CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, UM, WHICH MEANS REMOVING THE PIECES FROM THE COLLECTION, WHICH MEANS REMOVING THE PERIOD PIECES FROM THE COLLECTION.

AND THAT TRANSACTION WOULD BE COMPLETED WHEN THE CITY PROVIDES THE, THE TITLE OF THE ARTWORK BACK TO THE ARTIST.

SO THE ARTIST WOULD NEED TO REMOVE IT FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND THEN A IPP WOULD PROVIDE THAT TITLE BACK TO THE ARTIST TO SAY, WE ARE NO LONGER THE OWNERS.

YOU ARE THE OWNER.

UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THE CITY PROCESS THAT WAS COMPLETED WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL SAID, APPROVE THE DES SESSIONS AND THAT, AND, AND YES, THAT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF LIKE, IF WE DON'T GET THEM DE ASSESSED AND GET THEM OUT OF THE BUILDING, THEN THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THE BUILDING WHEN THE BUILDING GETS KNOCKED DOWN.

EXACTLY.

SO WE NEEDED THAT OPTION TO BE ABLE TO SAY, ARTIS, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME GET YOUR ARTWORK.

UM, SINCE, SINCE THE CREATION OF ACME AND DIRECTOR MEANS TAKING, TAKING THE LEAD, UH, WE HAVE CONFERRED WITH LAW AND, AND I ASKED THEM THAT QUESTION, IT'S LIKE, NOW THAT WE HAVE OPTIONS, OTHER OPTIONS, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE D SESSION? AND LEGAL SAID THAT WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF, OF GETTING THE APPROVAL TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THE TITLE BACK TO THE ARTISTS, BUT AS LONG AS WE DON'T GIVE THE TITLE BACK TO THE ARTISTS, IT STILL REMAINS IN OUR COLLECTION.

AND SO I'M, I'M HOPING THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAPPEN TOMORROW WILL GET US, WILL CONCLUDE THAT WE ARE GONNA SAVE THE ARTWORK, AND IT IS THE, ALL FOUR OF THEM WILL STAY IN OUR COLLECTION.

BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE CLEARANCE THAT I RECEIVED FROM LEGAL WAS THAT WE HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT FROM COUNSEL TO TRANSFER THE OWNERSHIP, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON IT.

WE DON'T HAVE TO REMOVE THE ARTWORK FROM OUR COLLECTION.

AND SO THEN WHEN WE GET INTO CONVERSATIONS TOMORROW ABOUT THE, THE NEW SIGHTING, THE NEW LOCATIONS, THEN WE THEN BASICALLY THOSE D SESSIONS IS MY UNDERSTANDING.

DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS PART , BUT LIKE THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH A NEW D SESSION IF THAT EVER CAME INTO BEING, UH, OF HAVING TO REMOVE THE ARTWORK FROM HER COLLECTION SO THAT THAT DECISION IN JANUARY WOULD BE DEFUNCT.

WE WOULD NO LONGER APPLY THAT.

COMING UP WITH THE MONEY.

AWESOME.

AND I, SO THANK YOU.

AND MY SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS MAYBE A QUESTION AND A HALF, IS WHEN ARTS COMMISSION APPROVED THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DESES JURY, WE ALSO COUPLED IT WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL THAT THEY NEEDED TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO PRESERVE THE WORKS SO THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING INTO YOUR RETIREMENT AND MARGO'S NOT CROWDFUNDING TO TAKE DOWN HER OWN WORK BECAUSE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE.

WHERE DOES, UH, WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT OTHER THAN NOBODY'S

[01:55:01]

PLEASE TELL ME THAT THERE IS MONEY SOMEWHERE SO THAT THESE ARTISTS AND ARE NOT PAYING FOR IT.

IT'S JUST, PLEASE.

AND CAN WE PIGGYBACK, DO WE NOW HAVE A PROCESS OR ARE WE THINKING ABOUT A PROCESS OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE GOING FORWARD SO THAT THIS IS JUST A ONE OFF LESSON LEARNED MM-HMM .

AND NOT NECESSARILY ONE OFF AT, AT THIS POINT, IT'S LIKE A THREE OR FOUR OFF LESSON LEARNED GOING FORWARD.

DO WE, ARE WE LOOKING FOR A FUNDING POOL FOR D SSESSMENT, UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, ARCHIVED WORKS, ARE WE LOOKING FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC PART PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WHERE THINGS LIKE THIS CAN HAPPEN EVEN CONSIDERING THE HOTEL TAX, OCCUPANCY TAX? ARE WE CONSIDERING MAYBE EVEN WORKING WITH HOTELS TO POSSIBLY TAKE IN SOME OF THE, THE BIGGER WORKS THAT MAYBE WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE FOR SOME OF OUR SMALLER FACILITIES OR IN SMALLER SPACES? FOR INSTANCE? UH, I'LL START WITH THE TOP, TOP OF YOUR QUESTION IS ARE DID LESSONS LEARNED? UH, YES.

SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN THE, IT'S IN THE AIR NATIONALLY.

LIKE WE'RE LIVING THROUGH UNPRECEDENTED TIMES.

I CAME INTO THIS ROLE AND YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU HEARD TONIGHT? LIKE, THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN FEELING THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS IS DEALING WITH THIS, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN I SAY WE NEED TO DESS THESE ARTWORKS, UH, OTHERWISE THEY GET DESTROYED.

AS AN ARTIST, AS AN ART ADVOCATE, IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT.

UM, UP TO THIS POINT.

OUR, OUR PROGRAM HAS ONLY FACED DECE WHEN THE ARTWORKS HAD DETERIORATED TO THE POINT WHERE IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AND IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD.

SO UNPRECEDENTED TIMES.

WE HAVE FOUR ARTWORKS THAT ARE IN A GREAT CONDITION, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE SESSIONS, LIKE DEFINITELY WE'RE, WE'RE IN, IN OUR REEVALUATION OR NOT REASSESSMENT OF, OF THE A IP PROGRAM.

LIKE THAT IS ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT BECAUSE UP TO THIS POINT, WE'VE BEEN LIMITED BY, BY THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDING FOR, FOR CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS.

WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA INVESTIGATE.

TYPICALLY THEY'RE BOND FUNDED AND THE BOND MONEY SAYS YOU CAN'T USE THIS MONEY FOR MAINTENANCE.

SO THAT WAS A THING THAT I KNEW I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO TACKLE TO START ADDRESSING.

I WAS EXPECTING TO DO THAT IN TWO TO FIVE YEARS.

UH, I'VE GOT A DEADLINE OF JULY .

UM, SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE PROGRAM IS GONNA WORK ON.

WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING, TURN EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN.

UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT AN ENERGETIC TEAM THAT, THAT IS READY TO DO THIS WORK, HAS BEEN DOING THIS WORK.

UM, YES, I'M HERE FOR THE WORK.

I'M GONNA DO IT.

WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO IT AND WE'RE GONNA LEARN AND COME UP WITH NEW POLICIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE HONOR THE ARTISTS THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN.

SO, YES.

WHERE IT'S GIVEN AN ARTIST ANOTHER CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE THE WORK, TO GET A, A, A COLLECTOR OR A PURCHASER, I THINK WE SHOULD START THINKING ABOUT WAYS OF HOW DO THE, THE CITY CAN ONLY HOLD SO MUCH ARTWORK.

UM, JAIME, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION.

I KNOW I KIND OF THREW A BOMBARD AT YOU.

UM, I KNOW WE'VE ALSO WORKED TOGETHER ON A FD AND EMS AND I HONESTLY WAS THINKING OF THE INSTALLATION OF THE HEARTBEAT SPACE THAT, UM, THAT WAS PUT IN ONE OF THE FIRE STATIONS.

AND I REMEMBER HOW IT WAS LIKE AN ENGINE OR SOMETHING THAT WAS KIND OF REDESIGNED AS A HEARTBEAT, UM, TO KIND OF SPEAK TO A FD AND EMS AND THE WORK THEY DO IN THE COMMUNITIES.

AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT SPACE.

WHAT ARE WE DOING? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND BY REGULAR, UH, FACILITIES THAT'S JUST BEEN BUILT OR RENOVATED.

THAT'S NOT ANOTHER TWO OR THREE DECADES OR SO.

BUT I'M JUST THINKING IN, ARE WE THINKING OF LIKE, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE? OF COURSE THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED, BUT HOW DO WE AGAIN, AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE? ARE WE THINKING OF FUNDING POOLS? ARE WE SETTING ASIDE MONEY? ARE WE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS? BECAUSE I THINK THIS WAS JUST A TESTAMENT TO HOW MUCH THE COMMUNITY LOVES THE ART, LOVES THE ARTISTS AND SUPPORT THE ARTISTS.

WHEN IT GOT OUT TO THE PUBLIC, THE COMMUNITY CAME BEHIND IT AND IT HELPED AND STEPPED IN TO SUPPORT THE CITY TO, YOU KNOW, BE BE BEHIND THEM TO FIND A PLACE FOR IT.

AND SO, UM, IT'S SO ODD THAT THIS IS COMING UP BECAUSE I MANAGED A, A PUBLIC ART PROJECT, THE 12TH AND CHICON MURAL, AND RECENTLY IT'S GOTTEN SOME DAMAGE AND EVERYONE REACHED OUT TO ME AND I WAS JUST LIKE, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THIS? AND WHEN I WAS AT SIX SQUARE, THE CITY HELPED TO FUND THAT.

AND SO NOW IT'S LIKE, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE NOW THAT THIS IS NO LONGER MANAGED IN THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP? AND WE ARE CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONING NEW ARTISTS AND NEW ARTWORK.

ARE WE THINKING ABOUT MAYBE HOW WE CAN REINVEST THAT DOLLAR AGAIN AND MAYBE LOOKING TO WORK WITH HOTELS TO MAYBE TAKE ON LARGE SCALE PIECES WHERE THEY'RE PAYING THE INSURANCE FOR A YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT EVEN TO DEACCESSION IT, IT'S COSTING SOMEONE MONEY TO TAKE IT OUT OF ONE SPACE TO ANOTHER SPACE TO PUT IT IN STORAGE FOR NO ONE TO EVEN SEE IT.

IT'S STILL COSTING MONEY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO MAYBE IF IT'S A DEACCESSION AND IT'S RECOMMISSIONED TO A PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, OR JUST USING THE SPACE AS A GALLERY WALL SPACE

[02:00:01]

WHAT DO WE DO AFTERWARDS? HOW DO WE MAYBE LIKE REPOSITION THIS IN PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS? HOW DO WE REUSE THIS DOLLAR? HOW DO WE RECIRCULATE IT IN THE ECONOMY? HOW DO WE GIVE A PERCENTAGE BACK TO AN ARTIST AFTER THE CITY NO LONGER NEEDS IT AND IT GOES SOMEWHERE ELSE? I REALLY THINK, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD START THINKING ABOUT AS A COMMISSION AND AS AND AS THE CITY.

IF I MAY, COMMISSIONER KEYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT IN THE, UM, ONE OF THE CHARGES, ONE OF THE GOALS THAT DIRECTOR MEANS HAS BEEN WORKING ON IS THE PRI PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

UM, WE DO REALIZE AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE CANNOT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN CANNOT DO IT ALL WE NEED PARTNERS.

I MEAN, WE, WE JUST SPOKE OF THE SUCCESS OF THE, THE YANCY PIECE, AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF PARTNERS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT MADE THAT HAPPEN.

AND AS WELL AS ENGAGING WITH MEDIA TO KIND OF BRING THE WORD OUT.

SO TO YOUR POINT, YES, WE WILL, WE DO KNOW AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED PUBLIC PRI, THEY CALL IT P THREE.

I LEFT THE CITY.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT.

CAME BACK AND SAID, OH, OKAY.

PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IS NOW P THREE, BUT THAT IS ON THE, THE PRESENTATION THAT SHE'S GOING AROUND NOW SHARING TO THE PUBLIC.

IT DOES INCLUDE ONE OF THE CHARGES, WHICH IS TO BUILD OUR, UM, EXPERT, OUR BUILD THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SPACE.

THANK YOU, CANDACE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU.

I'M SORRY THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE ARE MEETING, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU IN THE FUTURE.

NO WORRIES.

SAME, SAME HERE.

ANDY, ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE FUNDING.

UM, IF THE, UH, COLLECTIONS, IF WE ARE ABLE TO AGREE THAT THE COLLECTION STAY WITH THE CITY, UH, DR.

DIRECTOR MEANS HAS IDENTIFIED FUNDING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE ARTWORK.

AND SO WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS FUNDING HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, LET ME BREAK IT DOWN.

FUNDING HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THE PIECES TO BE REMOVED AND STORED WITH THE CITY.

AND THE, THE PIECE THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IS WHERE IT WILL BE REINSTALLED, BUT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FUNDING FOR THE PIECES TO BE REMOVED.

NOW, IN TERMS OF THE ZENIO PIECE, WE, THE, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO MAKE CONNECTION, UM, WITH THAT ARTIST DIRECTOR MEANS, HAS REACHED OUT.

UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT POSSIBLY COULD BE A DIGITAL SPACE.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CONNECT WITH HIM TO SEE, UM, WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.

UM, AND SO WE, WE STILL HAVE NOT MADE THAT CONNECTION YET.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE OTHER PIECES HERE.

BUT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FUNDING AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED, UM, AS OF THIS MORNING, UH, A, A PLACE TO BE ABLE TO STORE THAT IS CLIMATE CONTROL AND MEETS THE, ALL THE SPECIFICATIONS TO BE ABLE TO PROPERLY STORE THE, UM, PRAYER PIECE AND ALSO PROFESSOR SOYA PIECE.

ALL RIGHTY.

I'M GONNA THANK BEER NOW, EVERY TIME I SAY THAT.

YES, YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.

UM, THIS IS A REALLY GREAT WAY TO COME IN AS AC IS LIKE FIXING THIS DISASTER.

'CAUSE IT REALLY WAS TEETERING ON BEING A MAJOR, MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT.

AND A SHAME IF WE LET THESE WORKS BE DESTROYED.

SO YES, PLEASE.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF PHONE CALLS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING.

I'M JUST GONNA SAY THANK YOU ABOUT, UH, .

I, I'M ON THE BOARD OF ARTPACE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I'VE, OH, I'M ON THE BOARD OF ARTPACE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I'VE REACHED OUT TO THEM.

UM, I TRY TO CALL HIM, UM, AND HE'S, I THINK THE PHONE'S CHANGED.

I DON'T KNOW.

ANYWAY, SO I'VE BEEN TRYING, 'CAUSE I, BECAUSE I, IT'S KIND OF AN EASY WIN.

UM, AND, AND, AND JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, I'M SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE REACHING OUT TO HIM.

SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HELP IN ANY WAY WITH THAT.

SO, YEAH.

I, I, I THINK IT, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR MEANS IT'S BEEN TRYING TO REACH OUT.

AND IF AS LONG AS WE CAN HOPEFULLY RECREATE THE PIECE, THEN, THEN ONCE IT'S RECREATED, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT WHERE, WHERE WE COULD PUT IT POTENTIALLY.

SURE THAT WE COME TO SEE, YOU CAN HEAR THE FULL PRESENTATION OF KIND OF WHERE WE'RE WANTING TO GO WITH ACME.

BIG SIGH OF RELIEF FROM THE COMMISSION.

UM, COULD YOU KEEP US POSTED LIKE UPDATES ONCE YOU HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS? ABSOLUTELY.

AND AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE TALKING TO OUR TEAM HERE AND MAKING

[02:05:01]

BUT, UM, YES, I'LL TALK TO THE TEAM TO SEE WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP POSTED.

I KNOW THAT WE SENT THE EMAIL OUT ON, WHAT WAS THAT LAST WEEK, LETTING THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL KNOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO PRESERVE IT.

AND THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A MEMO I'M SURE GOING OUT ONCE WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THESE SPACES.

AND SO, YES, , YOU'RE SO WELCOME.

FANTASTIC.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY FINAL THOUGHTS? QUESTIONS? OKAY.

INCREDIBLE.

YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE.

YOU HAVE TO KIND OF STAY HERE NOW, , I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S GONNA TAKE A BULLDOZER.

I TELL YOU.

NO, I, YOU GUYS, AND TO KNOW DIRECTOR MEANS, AND TO WORK WITH HER, UM, HAS JUST BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.

AND FOR ME, YOU KNOW, BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN, I, I LEFT THE CITY IN 21 TO COME BACK INTO THIS SPACE.

IT WAS, IT WAS THE RIGHT TIMING AND THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP.

AND, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE, UM, SHE'S JUST THE PERSON WHO TRULY HEARS AND LISTENS TO THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO I KNOW THAT YOU ALL WILL BE VERY PLEASED.

UM, I, WE ARE EXCITED, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE, THE SPACE, BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STRATEGIC AND THAT WE ARE, WE'RE NOT MOVING TOO FAST.

AND SO WE ALSO APPRECIATE, UM, CITY MANAGER TC MM-HMM .

FOR, FOR LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, FOR BUILDING THIS.

I MEAN, WE, YOU KNOW, HE, IT WAS HIS, IT WAS THE COMMUNITY'S VISION, IF YOU WILL.

I REMEMBER 20 SOME ODD YEARS AGO.

BUT FOR HIM TO COME IN AND, AND THEN TO DO IT SO QUICKLY, HE COULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL OCTOBER.

BUT TO COME IN AND DO IT SO QUICKLY AND TO HAVE CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PUSH FOR THIS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE ONTO IN, WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

AND I'M, I'M OVERJOYED.

I'M OVERJOYED.

JUST LIKE I SAID, AS A TO, TO, IT IS JUST GREAT SEEING YOU.

BUT , YOU KNOW, JUST TO , YOU KNOW, I CAN'T GO INTO THE BOY VANS THEATER WITHOUT CRYING , YOU KNOW, AND THEN WHEN MY DAUGHTER, IT TOOK ME A FEW YEARS.

IT, IT, AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER WAS BORN A MONTH AFTER BOY DIED, AND THEN WHEN SHE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD, FOR HER TO, WELL, SIX YEARS OLD, TO ENTER BACK IN THAT FACILITY AND BE ON THAT STAGE BEFORE ME, YOU KNOW, AFTER I PERFORMED FOR HIM.

AND NOW YOU GUYS, I'M TELLING LIKE, I GUESS GOOPS BUMPS TO NOW KNOW THAT, UM, PERSONALLY, I, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND LIKE, THE PERSONAL CONNECTION THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO THE ARTS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, AND AND DIRECTOR MEANS, TELLS HER STORY OF DANCE AND HOW IT WAS UNAFFORDABLE.

YOU KNOW? AND I, AND, AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION LAST WEEK WHERE WHEN WE BRING IN THESE DIVISIONS, AND WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING AT REIMAGINING, I DON'T LIKE THE WORD, BUT UNTIL WE COME UP WITH A BETTER WORD, REIMAGINING WHAT THE, THE SPACE WILL LOOK LIKE.

WE ARE, IT IS JUST AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY.

AND IT'S, AND IT'S PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT JUST BUSINESS, BUT IT'S PERSONAL BECAUSE ART BRINGS OUT THAT THE PASSION IN PEOPLE.

AND SO, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY, AGAIN, I JUST CAME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, , AND DIRECTOR.

ME, PROBABLY LIKE CANDACE, WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW? BUT, BUT I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS A GREAT START.

AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THIS.

WE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO FIX, BUT I'M, I'M JUST HAPPY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO AT LEAST START THIS OFFICE, HOPEFULLY ON THE RIGHT FOOT.

IF WE'RE ABLE TO SAVE THESE PIECES, I'M READY TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT IT.

'CAUSE WE DO WANT OTHER, WE WANT AUSTIN TO BE THE GLOBAL DESTINATION.

OH, LOOK AT HER NOW.

SHE COMES IN ON CUE, ON CUE DIRECTOR MEANS LOOK AT YOU, , WE SAID YOUR NAME THREE TIMES.

WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD APPEAR.

LOOK, I, I KNEW I WAS FILIBUSTERING FOR A REASON.

, UH, DIRECTOR MEANS THEY, THEY HAD MISS CHATTY OVER HERE.

SO I'VE BEEN JUST KIND OF TALKING, GIVING AN UPDATE, UM, ON, ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE MEMO THAT WILL SIT IN COUNCIL AND KIND OF OUR DIRECTION WITH PRESERVING THE ARTWORK.

AND SO, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, BRAGGING ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP.

SO , SO THERE SHE IS.

AND THANK YOU JAIME CASTILLO.

YOU ARE A TIRELESS ADVOCATE AND CHAMPION.

YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS SEAT.

YOU ARE ON THE A IPP PANEL BEFORE YOU JOIN THE ARTS COMMISSION.

AND I DON'T WANNA UNDERSTATE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE SOMEONE WITH YOUR DEDICATION AND COMPASSION AND DEEP UNDERSTANDING FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ITS NEEDS IN THIS ROLE.

YOU ARE UN LIKE AN UNPRECEDENTED, UNPRECEDENTED

[02:10:01]

UM, AND, UM, YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TASKED WITH AN EASY JOB.

AND WE TRUST YOU VERY, VERY DEEPLY.

AND I WILL STOP TRYING TO MAKE YOU CRY.

I LOVE YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

IT IS AN INVESTMENT TO SAY THE LEAST, EVEN JUST TO COME TO US.

AND SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION, AND TO TRUST US WITH THIS WORK AND TO TRUST US TO CONTINUE THIS WORK.

AND IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN COLLABORATION.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND IT'S BETTER THAN A DISNEY FAIRY TALE TO KIND OF HEAR WHERE THINGS ARE LANDING, UM, AND WHERE THEY STARTED AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE THIS ONE WAS GONNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK.

WE ALL WERE, UM, BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME VERY REALISTIC OPTIONS FOR US THAT FELT LIKE WE WEREN'T BEING CONSIDERED.

SO WE'RE SO GLAD TO SEE WHERE THINGS HAVE LANDED AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THESE PIECES REINSTALLED IN OUR CITY.

AND THEY GET TO CONTINUE TO REPRESENT WHAT THEY WERE CREATED TO DO.

WHEW.

STAFF BREATHING BRIEFING, UH, TO THE ARTS COMMISSION ABOUT RALLY AUSTIN BOND BY ANNE GATLING HAYNES, CHIEF TRANSACTION OFFICER ANNE, WELCOME BACK.

LET'S JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH, .

OH, OKAY.

SHALL NUMBER SEVEN.

WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO MORE, MORE GOOD NEWS, UM,

[9. Staff briefing to Arts and Music Commissions about Rally Austin Bond etc.by Anne Gatling Haynes, Chief Transactions Officer]

WOOHOO.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

WE'RE, SO, I THINK THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU, YOU WERE IN A BOOT.

SO, I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU'RE HEALTHY.

WELCOME.

I'M TES ALVAREZ, MY CEO.

AND CARL, WELCOME BACK, TESA, WHO IS THE ART COMMISSION'S REPRESENTATIVE ON OUR BOARD.

CARL, WHY ARE YOU SUCH A STRANGER? COME SEE US MYSELF, .

GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING, UM, RALLY AUSTIN.

I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THERE'S FIVE OF US IN THE ROOM.

ANNE MENTIONED, UM, THE THREE OF US HERE, BUT ALSO MIRIAM CONNOR DOES SOME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORK FOR RALLY AUSTIN.

AND MEGAN WELLS HAS BEEN A LIAISON FROM FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND WE ALSO HAVE A TEAM AT THE URBAN RENEWAL MEETING TODAY.

SO JUST RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE TEAM ACROSS, UM, THE CITY.

UM, I DO WANNA START BY RECOGNIZING, UM, CARL SETTLES HAS BEEN OUR, OUR BOARD CHAIR.

HE'S SERVING NOW AS OUR PAST CHAIR.

UM, AND AS THE ARTS COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE HAS DONE YOU PROUD, I WOULD SAY, UM, AS SHOWED UP AT ALL OF OUR, UM, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, OUR CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UM, EAST 11TH WORKING GROUP.

SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO SHARE, UM, THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS BEEN REPRESENTED AT RALLY AUSTIN.

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH, WE'RE ALL FIVE NOT GONNA SPEAK.

IT'S THE GOOD NEWS.

UM, WE'RE GONNA WALK THROUGH OUR ANNUAL REPORT, UM, THAT WE HAVE JUST FINISHED PRESENTING TO, UM, CITY MANAGER, UH, COUNCIL MUSIC COMMISSION.

WE SAW YOU MARCH 3RD.

UM, AND SO THIS IS, WE'RE JUST GONNA DO A BRIEF VERSION OF THIS, UM, OF OUR, OF OUR ANNUAL UPDATE.

SO IF WE COULD GO TO THE FIRST SLIDE, UM, REMINDING YOU, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW US, UM, THIS IS THE MISSION OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND VISION.

VERY HAPPY TO HAVE ARTS, MUSIC AND CULTURE, UM, AT THE TOP HERE, UM, EAST 11TH, YOU GUYS HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TONIGHT AS PART OF THE COMPLETE, UM, COMMUNITIES WORK THAT WE DO.

AND THEN, UM, WE'RE STRIVING FOR SOME CATALYTIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

OH, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHARE, UM, I ALWAYS FORGET WHEN I INTRODUCE MYSELF AS, UM, CEO OF RALLY AUSTIN.

I'M ALSO AN ARTIST, FORMER MUSICAL THEATER AND DANCER.

AND CANDACE, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP BOYD BAND'S NAME TONIGHT.

I ACTUALLY DANCED WITH HIM AT THE VICTORY GRILL AND, AND ALSO CRY WHEN I WALK INTO THE CARVER, UM, THEATER WHERE MY DAUGHTER HAS PERFORMED AS WELL.

UM, THIS IS OUR BOARD.

I'VE ALREADY YOU GUYS KNOW CARL SETTLES, BUT JUST A REMINDER OF WHO SERVES ON THE RALLY AUSTIN BOARD.

WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, UM, ALL OF OUR CHAMBERS, UM, DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, UH, REAL ESTATE COUNCIL, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.

SO EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY YOU SEE THERE.

IN ADDITION TO, UM, THE SEVEN REPRESENTATIVES FOR CITY OF AUSTIN, YOU SEE OVER ON THE LEFT THAT MENTIONED THE, UM, MUSIC COMMISSION, ARTS MUSIC, HISTORIC LANDMARK, AND PLUS, UM, FOUR CITY DIRECTORS.

WE PUT THIS SLIDE TOGETHER FOR NEW, UM, ARTS COMMISSIONERS, NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND OUR NEW CITY MANAGER.

UM, JUST TO REMIND, UM, PEOPLE THAT THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CREATING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION STARTED A LONG TIME AGO, A LONG TIME AGO.

AND THE CITY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF LOOKING AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THERE'S A MODEL FOR THIS THAT'S BEEN DONE, AND WE ARE JUST NOW TRYING TO DO IT IN AUSTIN.

SO THAT, THAT IS, UM, JUST A REMINDER THAT THERE'S OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS FOCUS ON REAL ESTATE THE WAY THAT RALLY AUSTIN IS.

AND WE WERE, UM, ESTABLISHED WITH A COUNCIL VOTE AT THE END OF 2020.

OUR, UM, 21 PERSON BOARD WAS CREATED IN 2021.

I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL THE, UM, YOU GUYS CAN, UM,

[02:15:01]

HAVE A COPY OF THIS.

BUT EVERYWHERE YOU SEE A BLUE ICON STARTING IN 2022, THESE ARE WHERE ARTS PROJECTS FROM THE CULTURAL TRUST WENT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.

SO THOSE ARE THE BLUE ICONS YOU SEE.

AND THEN JULY OF 2024, THE, UM, EAST 11TH BLOCK 16 AND 18, THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, UM, IN JULY, WHICH IS A PRETTY HISTORIC, UM, VOTE AS WELL.

UM, SO THAT'S JUST A, A TIMELINE JUST TO REMIND YOU THAT WE DIDN'T JUST SHOW UP HERE TODAY.

UM, THESE ARE, AGAIN, THE THREE AREAS I ALREADY MENTIONED.

WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, EAST 11TH.

UM, I'M NOT GONNA TALK A LOT ABOUT TONIGHT, BUT THERE IS A CULTURAL ARTS, UM, COMPONENT.

UM, AGAIN, RALLY AUSTIN WAS CREATED FOR AFFORDABILITY.

I DON'T HAVE TO TALK TO THIS GROUP ABOUT THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE ARTS AND KEEPING, UM, AFFORDABLE SPACES FOR ARTISTS TO PERFORM IN AUSTIN.

UM, BUT WE HAVE A HIGH, UM, AMBITIOUS GOALS FOR EAST 11TH FOR LOTS OF AFFORDABILITY AND LOTS OF, UM, COMMUNITY BENEFITS INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, SPACE FOR ARTISTS, LIVE WORKSPACE AS WELL.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RALLY AUSTIN IS DOING IS ALSO LEVERAGING PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERSHIPS.

UM, YOU GUYS HEARD ABOUT, UH, PRIVATE, UM, PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS.

AND SO WE ARE BRINGING SOME PUB, UH, PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY TO THE TABLE, UM, FOR OUR PROJECTS AS WELL.

SO FOR EAST 11TH, WE'VE RECOGNIZED WELLS FARGO, C3, UH, PRESENTS AND SIX SQUARE WHO'VE GIVEN US DONATIONS.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

AND THEN THE AUSTIN CULTURAL TRUST, I THINK HERE.

I'M GONNA TURN OVER TO, UM, ANNE FOR THE REST OF OUR SLIDES, BUT WE'VE COME TO THE ARTS COMMISSION SEVERAL TIMES AND GIVEN YOU UPDATES, AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO PRESENT TO A MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

UM, THE FIVE PROJECTS YOU SEE HERE, TOTALING 11 MILLION.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE A SIX ONE THAT WE ANNOUNCED AFTER THIS FISCAL YEAR.

BUT WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ANNE, WHO'S WORKED TIRE TIRELESSLY, UM, FOR OUR CULTURAL ARTS PROJECTS THAT WE, ANN, TURN IT TO YOU.

ANNE HAYNES, CHIEF TRANSACTIONS OFFICER.

UM, I'M GONNA TALK IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL THAN THIS SLIDE.

THIS WAS IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT, AND THIS ONE WAS REALLY MEANT TO ALSO ELEVATE THE FACT THAT ARTS AND CULTURE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ARTISTS AND THE COMMUNITY, THE DNA OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.

IT'S ALSO CRITICAL TO AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE CITY.

AND IN FACT, THAT'S HOW THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY UNDERSTANDS ITS VALUE.

UM, BUT THAT CONNECTION BACK UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE INVESTMENTS IN REAL ESTATE, I MEAN, THEY ARE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS IN REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS, REALLY HAVE A BENEFIT OVER THE LONG TERM FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND SO, AGAIN, WE'LL SHOW YOU THE FULL PORTFOLIO IN A SECOND.

THIS WAS JUST UP THROUGH OCTOBER OF 2024.

NEXT ONE.

UM, AND REALLY MOST OF THESE PROJECTS ARE KIND OF CENTRAL AND EAST AUSTIN.

UM, WE HAVE WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS IN OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY, BUT THESE ARE WHERE THE MAJOR INVESTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY ENCOMPASS, ESPECIALLY WITH BLOCK 16 AND 18, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AFFORDABLE CULTURAL SPACE, AFFORDABLE COMMERCIAL SPACE, WHICH WILL BE PART OF BLOCK 16 AND 18, WHERE WE'RE HOPING FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE, UH, RETAIL AND WORKING SPACES SPECIFICALLY FOR BIPOC COMPANIES.

UM, AND THEN AS WELL OUTDOOR AND SHARED SPACES.

SO REALLY A MIXED VARIETY OF THINGS THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE.

NEXT ONE.

OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO SOME MORE DETAILS.

I KNOW WE HAVE A FEW NEW COMMISSIONERS, AND SO I'M GONNA GO FAST THROUGH THE HISTORY SLIDES JUST BECAUSE WE WANNA BRING EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.

BUT NEXT, AND I WOULD SAY I REALLY APPRECIATED HEARING, UM, CANDACE'S, UM, DESCRIPTION OF, OF FLYING THE PLANE, ASSEMBLING THE PLANE WHILE FLYING IT.

WE ARE STILL IN THAT PROCESS, WHICH I WISH WE WERE IN A BEAUTIFUL NEW COMMERCIAL JET, BUT WE ARE STILL IN THAT PROCESS, UH, TRYING TO MAKE HEADWAY.

BUT IT'S, THE CULTURAL TRUST HAS BEEN A LONG HISTORY, INCLUDING FROM ADVOCACY FROM YOU ALL AT THE ARTS COMMISSION, PRIOR MEMBERS OF THE ARTS COMMISSION.

UM, LOTS OF WORK FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, THROUGH THE CREATION OF OUR ORGANIZATION IS REALLY, UM, ALL ASSEMBLING TO WHAT CAN WE DO WITH SOME LIMITED DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE GIVEN THE GLACIER OF ISSUES THAT WE HAVE AROUND AFFORDABILITY IN THE CITY.

SO NEXT, WE ARE BUILDING, WE ARE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF MUCH WORK.

UM, THE PRIORITIES OF THE PROGRAM, UH, WHEN WE ISSUED THE RFP WAS ABOUT FACILITATING ACQUISITION AND PRESERVATION OF EXISTING AND ALSO BUILDING OUT NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE'D HOPED TO HAVE AN INITIAL SET OF INVESTMENTS THAT DID A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.

WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, BOTH IN THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WERE INITIALLY SUPPORTING, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN THE CULTURAL SPACES THAT WE ARE RETAINING, UH, MAKING SURE THERE'S LOTS OF AFFORDABLE SPACE FOR A BROAD VARIETY OF ARTISTS.

UM, PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY IS THE GOAL.

UM, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.

AND SUSTAINING PIPELINE OF CULTURAL TRUST INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO LONG TERM TENANCY, UM, TO TRY AND PREVENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THESE SORT OF

[02:20:01]

YEAR BY YEAR LOSING OF INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE CITY.

NEXT ONE, UM, WE DO HAVE THE CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

WE ACTUALLY WANNA MENTION, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, ANDERSON, UH, SHARON HERE AND JAIME ARE BOTH AS PART OF OUR CULTURAL TRUST ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

UM, WE ACTUALLY, UH, I BELIEVE, UM, A NUMBER OF, I KNOW ANN CHARLOTTE IS ON THIS, AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE REPRESENTATION WITH CARL, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE, UM, THE ARTS COMMISSION.

THIS IS A GROUP THAT WORKED MORE TIRELESSLY THROUGH OUR INITIAL STAGES.

WE HAVE NOT, AS WE'VE BEEN IN THE WEEDS ON SOME OF THE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS, WE HAVE NOT BEEN MEETING AS MUCH WE'RE HOPING TO REGROUP.

UH, WE DID A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO TO TALK ABOUT THE AFFORDABILITY SURVEY.

BUT CERTAINLY AS WE START TO LOOK AT FUTURE PROJECTS AND FUTURE GUIDELINES AND FUTURE WAYS THAT WE CAN REALLY SUPPORT THROUGH THE CULTURAL TRUST, UM, WE'LL INCLUDE THIS, THIS GROUP CONTINUOUSLY.

UM, NEXT ONE.

SO THIS IS A VERY DETAILED SLIDE, BUT IN THE INITIAL TRANCHE OF MONEY, WHICH IS ABOUT 19.4 MILLION, THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOLLARS THAT CAME FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

EACH ONE OF THEM HAD DIFFERENT STRINGS ATTACHED.

AND SO WE, WE DID AN RFP THAT LOOKED AT WHAT ARE THE NEEDS, AND THEN WE TRIED TO FIT THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAD TO THOSE NEEDS.

UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY, THAT'S WHAT'S TAKEN THE MAJORITY OF TIME BECAUSE EACH OF THESE DOLLARS, THERE WASN'T A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY COULD BE USED.

AND SOMETIMES WE WERE TRYING TO USE IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN EITHER CITY LEGAL OR OTHER ENTITIES FELT WE COULD USE THOSE DOLLARS.

SO THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT 12 MILLION WAS FROM THE 20 EIGHTEENS CREATIVE SPACES BOND AND A 7.4 FROM THE CITY'S ICONIC VENUE FUND.

NEXT ONE.

THIS IS THE SAME TIME TIMESCALE THAT YOU SAW BEFORE, BUT I WANTED TO ADD, UH, WE ARE ABOUT THREE YEARS OUT FROM HAVING RECEIVED AN RFP WITH 45 SUBMISSIONS TO THAT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR EITHER PRESERVING AN EXISTING SPACE OR FOR ACT ASKING FOR NEW SPACE.

UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FROM THAT POINT ON DUE DILIGENCE THEN TO A LONG LIST OF FOLKS AND THEN TRYING TO REALLY ASSEMBLE THE INITIAL, UM, INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE.

UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG THREE YEARS.

UH, SOMEHOW WE'VE STILL MANAGED TO DO WHAT WE SAID, WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED TWO TO SIX PROJECTS.

AND I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

I THINK IT'S OUR, NO, THIS IS, I SPOKE OVER THIS, BUT THIS HAS BEEN OUR PROCESS TO DATE WHERE WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE ORIGINAL, UM, APPLICATIONS, TRYING TO REALLY WORK WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, TRYING TO SEE HOW TO MAKE THEM FIT.

WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT ONE.

AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE A PORTFOLIO OF SIX PROJECTS, SEVEN LEAD ORGANIZATIONS.

BUT THE CULTURAL TRUST SPACES, UH, SPECIFICALLY THE ARTS SPACES WILL BE OPEN TO ALL.

THEY'RE NOT JUST FOR THE LEAD ORGANIZATION THAT APPLIED FOR, UH, FOR FUNDING.

SO THE, THE FIRST PROJECT ANNOUNCED WAS THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

IT WILL NOT BE CALLED THE PDC IN THE FUTURE.

THE BUILDING IS PDC.

THIS WILL BE A NEW CREATIVE CENTER AND WE'LL GET TO A BETTER NAME, UH, SOON.

BUT THAT WAS THE 2018 BOND, UH, THAT WAS ABLE TO, UM, RESPOND TO A REQUEST FOR SPACE FROM THE RUDE MAX AND AUSTIN BATCAVE.

UM, THAT HAS BEEN IN THE DESIGN PROCESS.

UM, AND I'LL, I'LL PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN UPDATE IN A SECOND.

UM, BUT MILLENNIUM WAS ALSO PART OF THAT.

AND MILLENNIUM IS ACTUALLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

AND IN FACT, I THINK ABSENT JUST THE SEATS, THE NEW SEATS IN THE THEATER SPACE, UH, THAT SPACE IS, IS BASICALLY, UM, ALMOST UPDATED.

UM, THAT IS TO USE THE CINEMA SPACE TO BE A MORE MULTIPURPOSE SPACE FOR THEATER ARTISTS.

UM, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

UM, SO THE FIRST ICONIC VENUE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS THE HOLE IN THE WALL.

THAT WAS, UH, JUNE OF 2023 OR JULY OF 2023.

UM, AND THAT WAS A REALLY UNIQUE WAY OF SECURING A 20 YEAR LEASE.

UM, ALL OF THESE AGREEMENTS ARE 20 TO 40 YEARS, SO ANYONE THAT IS GETTING AND RECEIVING FUNDING FOR THIS, IT'S A 20 TO 40 YEAR RELATIONSHIP OF A SET OF LIKE AGREEMENTS THAT THIS SPACE WILL STAY AFFORDABLE.

AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE, THIS IS OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC HOLE IN THE WALL IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT 'CAUSE IT'S AN ICONIC VENUE FUND.

BUT THEIR 365 NIGHTS, OH, A YEAR ACTUALLY THEY TOOK ONE DAY OFF FOR OUT AFTER SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ON TUESDAY IF YOU SAW THEM .

BUT, BUT THEY'RE 365 DAYS, UM, FOR MUSIC.

AND THAT WAS REALLY ABOUT HELPING THEM BUILD ADDITIONAL REVENUE.

IT'S BEEN REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT FOR VENUES TO KEEP UP WITH PROPERTY TAXES AND THE FACT THAT FEWER PEOPLE DRINK THESE DAYS.

SO LIQUOR BILLS DO NOT MAKE UP FOR THE KIND OF REVENUE THAT THEY NEED.

UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY TO STABILIZE THEM THROUGH AN ABILITY TO SIGN A 20 YEAR LEASE.

THE AUSTIN PLAYHOUSE AND MUSEUM OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT ARE ALSO FROM THE 2018 BOND.

THOSE ARE CAPITAL PROJECTS.

SO THROUGH, UH, SECURING A LONG-TERM GROUND LEASE ON THE PROPERTY THAT THEY OWN, WE ARE HELPING SUPPORT A CAPITAL PROJECT.

WE ARE ONE PART OF THE DOLLARS THAT WILL BE NECESSARY.

THEY WILL, WE ARE LEVERAGING THE CITY DOLLARS WITH THEM, RAISING DOLLARS FOR THE COMPLETE PROJECT.

[02:25:01]

AND THEN EMPIRE, UH, WE USED THE ICONIC VENUE FUND TO HELP THEM BY PROVIDING OUR FIRST LOAN.

WE DO NOT HAVE A LOAN PROGRAM.

THIS IS A PILOT LOAN, UH, TO HELP THEM ACQUIRE A PARCEL.

AND THE REASON TO DO THE LOAN IN THIS CASE WAS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE MONIES THEN COULD COME BACK TO US AT, AT SOME POINT IN TERMS OF INTEREST AND PRINCIPLE, BUT THEN ULTIMATELY BE RETURNED TO THE POT SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO USE THAT MONEY.

UM, SO EMPIRE IS ALSO PART OF THE ICONIC VENUE FUND.

WE HAVE STILL, UH, TWO MORE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.

AND, UH, THE PDC IN PARTICULAR, THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAS BEEN WORKING ON RECONCILING SOME COST ESTIMATES THAT WE HAVE AFTER DESIGN DEVELOPMENT, THE LEASE AND THE LEASE CONDITIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH THE CITY AND LOOKING AT THE BUSINESS MODEL AND HOW TO ASSURE AND SUSTAIN AFFORDABILITY.

THAT OF COURSE IS NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE DIFFICULT FOR THAT SET OF THINGS TO BE BALANCED.

BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON MOST RECENTLY.

UH, 'CAUSE WE KNOW WE NEEDED THE INFRASTRUCTURE YESTERDAY.

SO THAT'S A ABOUT 120 SEAT, UH, MULTIPURPOSE BLACK BOX THEATER AND A, AND A REHEARSAL ROOM AND WORKSHOP.

SO NEXT ONE.

I THINK WE'RE ALMOST THERE.

OH, THAT'S OKAY.

SO I AM NOT GONNA SPEND TOO MUCH TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS 'CAUSE IT'S SO LATE.

UH, WE ONLY HAVE TWO SLIDES HERE.

IN ORDER FOR US TO REALLY HELP WRITE THE GUIDELINES FOR THE CULTURAL TRUST SPACES, AND THIS IS ABOUT ASSURING THE AFFORDABILITY AND THE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE SPACES THAT THE FUNDS ARE CREATING, WE REALLY NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND MARKET PRACTICES AND NORMS AND SPECIFICALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND A LOT MORE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE FEEL IS AFFORDABLE.

NOT THE MAGIC NUMBER 'CAUSE THE NUMBERS ALWAYS CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE IN THE CITY, WHAT KIND OF SPACE YOU'RE RENTING OUT.

BUT ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MIGHT BE THE MISSES OF PERCEPTION BETWEEN WHAT'S INCLUDED IN A RENTAL SPACE AND WHAT IS POSTED ON A WEBSITE, HOW MUCH IS NEGOTIATED VERSUS WHAT IS APPARENT.

UM, AND SO WE SENT OUT A SURVEY TO OVER 800 FOLKS, A COUPLE OF REMINDERS, UM, THROUGH THE EDD NEWSLETTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO DO THIS REALLY MAIDEN VOYAGE OF TRYING TO SEE IF WE COULD GET AT AN ISSUE OF HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND HOW TO BETTER PREPARE OURSELVES TO PRESENT THESE SPACES IN A MORE, UM, TRANSPARENT MANNER.

UH, WE DID RECEIVE 26 VENUES HAVE RESPONDED AND 79 RENTERS.

THE SURVEY IS STILL OPEN.

IT'S TWO SEPARATE SURVEYS.

WE'RE STILL COLLAPSING THE DATA.

UM, AND I JUST REALLY WANNA THANK, UH, MIRIAM CONNOR BACK HERE AND SHARON, UM, WHO'VE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL FOR THIS PROCESS.

AND MEGAN WELLS AND DAVE SULLIVAN.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW DAVE SULLIVAN.

DAVE SULLIVAN IS OUR OFFICIAL DATA SCIENTIST ON THIS PROJECT.

BUT THE POINT IS, IS THAT, UM, NEXT WEEK WE'LL DO AN INITIAL PASS OF THE DATA WITH THE FOLKS THAT RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY FIRST AND REALLY GROUND TRUTH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM THE DATA.

AND THEN WE HOPE TO HAVE A CONVENING, UM, IN, IN APRIL MAY THAT WILL ALLOW US TO PULL PEOPLE TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAYBE LOW HANGING FRUIT THINGS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY DECIDING THAT EVERY SPACE IS $10 OR LESS AN HOUR TO RENT.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT MIGHT SOME THINGS THAT, UM, THE COMMUNITY, THE ARTS COMMISSION COULD ADVOCATE FOR POSSIBLY ACME BE ABLE TO TAKE ON IN TERMS OF A ROLE.

UM, BUT KNOWING THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT COULD MAKE THINGS A LOT EASIER TO OPTIMIZE THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE DO HAVE.

SO, UM, THIS, WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT DATA.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

UM, WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON WHO RESPONDED.

AND AGAIN, THIS, THESE ARE STILL OPEN, NOT INDEFINITELY BUT OPEN RIGHT NOW.

WE DID FEEL THAT WE GOT A GOOD SPREAD OF NON-PROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, MORE THEATER ARTS-BASED PERFORMING ARTS SPACES THAN WE RECEIVED FROM MUSIC SPACES.

UM, BUT 80% OF THE VENUES THAT RESPONDED RENT THEIR SPACE THEY DO NOT OWN.

AND A THIRD OF THOSE ACTUALLY HAVE LEASES THAT ARE EITHER ENDING OR HAVE TO BE RENEGOTIATED IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF.

SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TO THE VULNERABILITIES.

RENTERS WE HEARD FROM ABOUT 50% INDIVIDUALS, 50% ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, THAT WAS, IT WAS MORE, MORE OF A SPREAD BETWEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOLKS WHO, WHO ANSWERED THE RENTERS.

UM, AND SO WE'RE REALLY NOW WITH DA DAVE SULLIVAN TRYING TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW THAT SPLIT WORKS WITH THE OTHER DATA THAT WE RECEIVE.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL ARTIST AND AN ORGANIZATION AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF, UM, LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SPENDING A LOT OF THEIR MONEY TOWARDS, UH, RENT AND SPACE RENTALS.

MOSTLY PEOPLE ARE DOING THINGS AS NEEDED AS OPPOSED TO KIND OF A REGULAR SET OF RENTALS.

BUT ON TOP, UM, MAJORITY SAID THAT COST WAS THE MAJOR DETERMINING FACTOR BEFORE SUIT, EVEN BEFORE SUITABILITY OF SPACE AND LOCATION.

SO IT'S REALLY, PEOPLE ARE VERY PRICE SENSITIVE, NO SURPRISES.

I'M SURE YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THAT.

BUT I THINK THE DATA IS HELPFUL FOR US 'CAUSE IT BACKS UP AND VALIDATES OUR ABILITY TO SET GUIDELINES

[02:30:01]

FOR ANY ORGANIZATION TO PUT IN PLACE.

UM, SO MORE SOON, HOPEFULLY WITH THIS NEXT, AND ACTUALLY, UH, MEGAN AND I WERE JUST ON A CALL AND IT LOOKS LIKE SYDNEY AUSTRALIA WILL BE DOING A, A SURVEY IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS BASED ON SOME OF THE WORK WE'RE DOING HERE.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY COACH THEM ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS TO ASK AND NOT TO ASK THAT WE MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN.

THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE.

UM, AND I THINK THIS WAS, UM, PART OF WHAT WE WANTED TO DO TODAY IS TALK ABOUT THE THREE THEMES THAT WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR TOWARDS THE 2026 BOND ELECTION.

WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT BASED ON THE 2018 CREATIVE SPACES BOND.

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE THAT LITTLE NUGGET OF DOLLARS TO HAVE SPENT THE TIME TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE THEM.

BUT MOST INTENT, WE WANNA BE REALLY INTENTIONAL FOR THIS NEXT ROUND.

SO WE ARE WRITING INTO THE ANY BOND PROCESS, THE NEEDS THAT ARE WE HEARD FROM FOLKS AND MAKING SURE THAT THE LANGUAGE ALLOWS US TO USE THESE DOLLARS MORE FLEXIBLY, UM, MORE LATER.

BUT WE BELIEVE THIS IS MORE OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE ON THE BALLOT MEASURE.

AND WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST HURDLES WE HAD WITH THE 2018 BONDS IS THAT THE TAX EXEMPT BONDS DO NOT ALLOW FOR US TO RENT SPACE OR SUPPORT SPACE THAT IS MANAGED BY NONPROFITS.

THEY MIGHT AS WELL BE A FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS.

SO WE HAD TO REALLY LOOK AT HOW THOSE BONDS ARE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TAXABLE BOND BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE SUBLEASES TO NON-PROFITS AND TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE IT AS PRIVATIZED SPACE.

AND THIS WAS A BIG SURPRISE TO US.

SO I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WAY THE BOND LANGUAGE IS WRITTEN, IT ALLOWS US THE FLEXIBILITY TO WORK WITH THE KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, WE WANTED TO SUPPORT, I'M JUST GONNA USE AN EXAMPLE, THORNTON ROAD STUDIOS.

THOSE ARE ALL PRIVATE BUSINESSES, NON-PROFIT FOR-PROFIT INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.

WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE THE BONDS WITH THAT TYPE OF PROJECT DIRECTLY.

SO GOING TO THE NEXT THREE THEMES, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GONNA ACTUALLY JUST 'CAUSE I MENTIONED THORNTON NERD STUDIOS, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS A THEME FOR AFFORDABLE WORKSPACE AND WORK WORKFORCE INITIATIVE.

AND THAT IS REALLY ABOUT A POT OF MONEY THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO EITHER ACQUIRE OR PRESERVE OR CAPITAL PROJECTS TO WORKING SPACES, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE WORKING SPACES THAT MIGHT BE AN ASSEMBLY OF MULTIPLE BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPERATING IN A PARTICULAR PLACE BUT ARE HARDER AND HARDER FOR THE, THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS TO MANAGE BECAUSE OF THE PROPERTY TAXES.

BECAUSE IF, IF RALLY AUSTIN OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN ACQUIRE THOSE PARCELS, WHICH WE NEED TO BE READY FOR WHEN THEY GO UP FOR SALE, UM, THAT ALLOWS US TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASES THAT WOULD HAPPEN.

SO THERE'S SOME BENEFITS TO HOW DO WE FIGURE OUT THE SANDWICH, NOT NECESSARILY TO TAKE OVER SPACES, BUT TO ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, PRESERVING AFFORDABLE WORKSPACE.

AND THAT COULD BE FROM THEATER TO CRAFT TO TO VISUAL ART.

UM, THE EXPANSION OF THE CULTURAL TRUST IS MORE IN THE VEIN OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AT THIS POINT, WHICH IS REALLY PARTICULAR ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE LAND AND PROPERTY ISSUES.

THEY EITHER OWN THEIR PROPERTY AND NEED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OR WE NEED TO ACQUIRE A PROPERTY AND HAVE DOLLARS ON HAND TO BE ABLE TO HELP PRESERVE IT INTO THE CULTURAL TRUST.

WE STILL HAVE THE LIST OF THE 45 APPLICANTS PLUS 16 ADDITIONAL FOLKS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED INFORMATION.

MANY OF THEIR CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED IN THREE YEARS, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE AT LEAST A BETTER SENSE OF LIKE THE BREADTH OF NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND THEN THE FINAL ONE, LEGACY BUSINESS PRESERVATION AND COMMERCIAL TRUST.

THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ALIGNED TO WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT WORKING ON THE ICONIC VENUE FUND.

ICONIC VENUES ARE LEGACY BUSINESSES.

YOU KNOW, THE, EVERYTHING FROM 20 TO 50 YEARS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS A LEGACY BUSINESS PROGRAM AND SO DOES PRESERVATION AUSTIN.

BUT INEVITABLY SOMETHING'S ABOUT TO DISAPPEAR AND THERE'S NO DOLLARS TO HELP SAVE IT.

SO MORE THAN JUST ARTS, MUSIC AND CULTURE, BUT OUR REALLY OUR COMMUNITY DNA THROUGH LEGACY BUSINESSES, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME, SOME DOLLARS THAT WE CAN HELP DEVOTE TO THAT.

SO THESE ARE THREE THEMES.

WE DON'T, UM, WE KNOW THAT WITH THE PROCESS, WITH THE BOND, WE ARE INCLUDED IN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AS THEY START TO ASSEMBLE THE DIFFERENT, UM, TYPES OF NEEDS ACROSS THE CITY AND ACROSS ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.

AND AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO THE BOND COMMITTEE, UM, AND WE'LL START TO ASSOCIATE DOLLARS WITH THESE THEMES.

BUT WE WANTED TO FLOAT THE THEMES SO YOU GUYS CAN BE THINKING ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU KNOW OF THAT COULD EITHER ALIGN TO THIS.

AND CERTAINLY WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS LIST TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S OVERLAP AT ALL, SO WE CAN REALLY COORDINATE.

BUT THIS IS OUR LAST SLIDE AND I WAS GONNA SAY THAT I WAS GONNA BE QUICK, BUT I WASN'T .

THAT'S GOOD.

AND UM, THANK YOU ANNE.

AND I JUST WANNA ALSO, I WANNA THANK THE COMMISSION, UM, FOR NOMINATING, UH, CARL SETTLES AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE.

ONE THING I FORGOT TO MENTION

[02:35:01]

IS HIS, UH, BOARD TERM IN SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025.

UM, SO I WILL BE REACHING OUT, UM, TO THE CHAIR TO DISCUSS, UM, HIS NEW NOMINEE OR REP OR REPLACEMENT.

HE'S IRREPLACEABLE, I WOULD SAY, BUT IRREPLACEABLE.

BUT CARL WITH THAT, WE DID, WE DID INVITE YOU TODAY TO THANK YOU PUBLICLY.

AND SO I'M JUST GONNA HAND THE MIC OVER TO YOU.

UH, THANK YOU.

IS THAT WORKING? UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ON BEHALF OF THE ARTS COMMISSION, UM, SPECIAL THANKS TO JAIME FOR MAKING MAKING THAT HAPPEN.

UM, AND I WANNA WORK WITH YOU ALL TO ACTIVELY TRY AND IDENTIFY WHO'S GOING TO BE THE NEXT PERSON, UM, THAT'S GONNA FULFILL THAT ROLE.

UM, SO THAT THERE'S CONTINUITY.

UM, AND I'M WILLING TO DO WHATEVER I NEED TO IN TERMS OF JUST READING THEM IN AND HELPING YOU ALL, UH, SOURCE, UH, CANDIDATES, UH, FOR THAT.

AND THAT'S REALLY ALL I GOT, SO FANTASTIC.

COMMISSIONER MULAH, I KNOW THIS IS SUCH A LONG MEETING, BUT, UM, QUESTION ON THE THREE CATEGORIES AND THE LEGACY BUSINESS FOR THE BOND MM-HMM .

UM, 'CAUSE I GOT A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THE NON-PROFIT STICKING POINT.

UM, WOULD THAT CATEGORY A INCLUDE LEGACY NON-PROFITS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UM, IT COULD, I MEAN, YEAH, BECAUSE OKAY.

THERE'S NOTHING BARRING THAT FROM BEING POSSIBLE.

NO, NO, NO, NO.

NO, WE JUST HADN'T REALLY GOTTEN TO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.

BUT YEAH, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF FOR-PROFITS THAT ARE WORKING AT A NOT-FOR-PROFIT LEVEL AND NON-PROFITS THAT ARE DOING WELL, I MEAN, IT'S ALL ONE BIG SPECTRUM, RIGHT? SO RIGHT.

LIKE ITS A TAX.

, THAT'S WHY I WONDERED BECAUSE IF WE'RE, IT'S REALLY GOOD POINT.

IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LEGACY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE NEEDS THAT ARE NOT BEING MET YEP.

THROUGH OTHER PUBLIC MM-HMM .

UM, PROGRAMS, WOULD THOSE POTENTIALLY BE CANDIDATES THROUGH THE BOND THROUGH RALLY? YEAH.

WELL, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE WRITTEN NO GUIDELINES.

WE'RE GONNA START TO PUT SKIN ON THE BONES OF THOSE THREE THEMES.

AND SO NOW IS THE TIME FOR, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THE NEEDS THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE THERE.

I THINK TOWARDS THE FALL WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING MUCH MORE.

UM, I DON'T KNOW FORMAL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOT A LIST THAT INCLUDES THINGS.

AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPING TO KEEP THESE LIKE PROGRAMS SO IT'S NOT A LIST OF PROJECTS.

LIST OF PROJECTS HELPS US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEED IS.

SO LIKE THE HOUSING BOND IS A SERIES OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED, SO THAT ALLOWS FOR THE FLEXIBILITY THAT SPECIFICALLY HAPPENS IN REAL ESTATE.

UM, BUT YES, IF YOU HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON THAT, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

ONE, JUST A FOLLOW UP IS THAT THAT'S THE TOPIC OF OUR NEXT AND PROBABLY SEVERAL FUTURE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC CORE LAND UI CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THE COMMITTEE'S CALLED.

IT'S ON HERE SOMEWHERE.

IS THE BOND UHHUH THE 2026 BOND AND HOW DO WE GET ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE MIX? SO MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S COMING TO THAT WORKING GROUP MEETING IF SOMEBODY FROM RALLY COULD COME, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE QUESTIONS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANSWERS FOR.

UM, I CAN SEND YOU THAT AND IF IT'S NOT THIS COMING ONE IN APRIL, I THINK IT'S APRIL FOUR, THE FIRST THURSDAY, UM, THEN MAYBE THE FOLLOWING ONE.

COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR RALLY WHILE THEY'RE HERE? LOTS OF AMAZING WORK YOU GUYS.

THANK YOU FOR THE VERY ROBUST UPDATE.

AND IT WAS PRETTY FAST CONSIDERING HOW MUCH CONTENT YOU GOT THROUGH.

WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I MEAN, WE WISH IT WAS ALL, YOU KNOW, I THINK THREE YEARS ACTUALLY IS A PRETTY GOOD STRETCH FOR THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO, BUT WE ALL KNOW HOW NECESSARY THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE, SO.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE.

I'M JUST GONNA NOTE THE TIME.

IT IS 8 41 AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PRETTY PROMINENT THINGS.

UM, SPECIFICALLY THE BUDGET CONVERSATION THAT I CON, I THINK WOULD BE WISE TO END WITH.

'CAUSE THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS AFTER THAT I THINK WE COULD CRUISE TO.

COMMISSIONER SCHOCK.

UH, I CAN I MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE UP 11 AND 12? I THINK THAT'S AGREED ABOVE 10.

AND THEN I'LL MAKE ANOTHER MOTION.

OR UNLESS IT CAN I DO IT NOW? I'LL MAKE GO.

GO DO IT.

UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE ITEMS 13 THROUGH 16 ON CONSENT.

LET'S START WITH THE FIRST MOTION TO MOVE ITEMS 11 AND 12 ABOVE ITEM 10.

ALL IN FAVOR? OR DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

UH, INITIATED MOTION BY SCH SMALL BLOCK, SECONDED BY GRAY.

ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, 10 BELOW 11 AND 12.

THERE WE GO.

UNANIMOUS.

SORRY, THERE'S A DELAY ON THE CAMERA YOU GOT, OR THE SCREEN.

SO I WAS JUST WAITING FOR EVERYBODY.

[02:40:01]

UM, OKAY, SO OUR CHAMPION OF THE DELLO, AMY MOCK IS NO LONGER WITH US, BUT THAT MEANS THAT WE NEED A, UM, APPOINTEE FOR OUR DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.

DO WE HAVE ANY TAKERS, ANYBODY INTERESTED IN THAT ROLE? PARTICULARLY WITH ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA? I WOULD CONSIDER IT IF SOMEBODY ELSE IS NOT WANTING TO DO IT.

THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S SOME ADJUSTMENT.

IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE ARE ANY TAKERS.

, ARE YOU SURE? GOING ON .

AND I

[11. Appoint new representative to the Downtown Commission]

COMMISSIONER GARZA WAS THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.

THERE'S SOME ADJUSTMENTS HAPPENING TO THAT COMMISSION.

SO WE MAY NEED TO LOOK INTO HOW EXACTLY THE ARTS COMMISSION ROLE IS EITHER THE SAME OR SHIFTED.

UM, I KNOW WE WERE ALREADY A NON-VOTING PART OF THAT COMMISSION, SO JUST, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONSOLIDATION SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, SO I THINK WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT MEANS.

YOU STILL GIVE INPUT, JUST YOU CAN'T VOTE, RIGHT? YEAH.

AND THAT'S HOW IT'S BEEN.

I KNOW THIS IS NOT THAT THAT, BUT DID WE, LAST MONTH, DID WE REAPPOINT OR APPOINT NEW MEMBERS FOR THE, UH, FUNDING WORKING GROUP? NO.

MM-HMM.

SO THAT HAS HAPPENED NEXT.

MONTH.

CAN THAT HAPPEN NEXT? ISN'T THAT TOO LONG TO WEEK? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? LIKE THE, AT THE, I JUST HEARD THAT WE WERE REARRANGE THAT THERE WERE GONNA BE DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE, MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD.

OF THE FUNDING WORKING GROUP.

TENTATIVELY PENCIL AND COMMISSIONER SCHMACK.

WE'LL GET THAT.

I THINK WE'LL GET THROUGH THAT IN WORKING GROUP UPDATES FOR THE UPDATE FOR THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ITEM ITEM.

I THINK I, I WAS JUST SAYING IT BECAUSE I WOULD ALSO CONSIDER BEING ON THAT ONE EITHER.

BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS HAPPENING YET.

ANYWAY.

IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.

SO LET'S JUST, I'LL GO WHERE I'M NEEDED.

WELL, WE CAN ALSO LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE AND SEE WHERE THINGS GO FROM THERE.

UM, GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TYLER SERVICE.

UM, NEXT IS

[12. Presentations by Commissioners who are interested in serving as Officers of the Arts Commission]

ITEM 12, PRESENTATIONS BY COMMERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING AS OFFICERS OF THE ARTS COMMISSION.

DO WE HAVE ANY, THIS IS OUR FINAL MEETING AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.

WE'VE MADE IT PRETTY CLEAR THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT ROUND AFTER TWO YEARS, AFTER TWO YEARS OF DOING IT.

UM, ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS INTEREST OR MAKE A, A SHORT PRESENTATION? SO DO WE VOTE ON WE WE, YEAH, WE VOTE.

AND THAT VOTE WOULD HAPPEN AT THIS MEETING? YES.

IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.

YOU CAN PRESENT AND NOT MAKE A MOTION OR YOU PRESENT.

BECAUSE WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLIC MONEY, I WOULD LIKE OUR ARTS ECOSYSTEM TO MOVE AWAY FROM PATRONAGE AND TOWARDS PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ARTISTS AND CREATORS, THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY.

IT'S NOT ON, I WAS UNDER THE, I THINK I THOUGHT APRIL WOULD BE THE FIRST MEETING WITH THE NEW CHAIR, BUT IS THAT NOT THE CASE? I THOUGHT IT WAS.

CAN ONE MORE? MAY I PLEASE.

I THINK THE ELECTION, THE ELECTIONS ARE IN APRIL.

I THINK THE DISCUSSION LAST TIME WAS JUST COMMISSIONER HAD ASKED FOR WHO'S INTERESTED THAT WE'RE INTERESTED TO SPEAK ABOUT IT.

SO WE'LL VOTE NEXT.

SO NEXT.

JUST KIDDING.

SO WE VOTING SO WE HAVE NEXT MONTH AS WELL, BUT IS THERE ANYBODY? YEAH, IT'S FINE.

UM, ANYBODY WANNA SPEAK TO ASSUMING THANK YOU COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.

I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE A SHORT ABOUT FIVE MINUTE TALK HERE I AM GINA HOUSTON, BORN AND RAISED IN OLD EAST AUSTIN IN THE LATE SIXTIES AND LIVED THERE THROUGH THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.

I WAS APPOINTED, UM, TO THE ARTS COMMISSION BY DISTRICT FOUR, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IN 2023.

AND I'M A RESIDENT IN DISTRICT TWO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.

I SPENT MY SUMMERS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW JERSEY, AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

I ATTENDED A PRIVATE, HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE IN NORTH CAROLINA, THEN TEXAS A AND M, AND THEN EARNED MY BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN THEATER PERFORMANCE FROM ST.

EDWARDS UNIVERSITY HERE IN AUSTIN.

I WAS BLESSED TO BE EXPOSED TO ART OF ALL FORMS FROM INFANCY AND REGULARLY ATTENDED ART SHOWS AND PERFORMANCES SINCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

I WORKED WITH BOYD V AND PRO ARTS COLLECTIVE IN THE NINETIES AND EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, ASSISTING WITH WRITING NARRATIVES FOR SPONSORED PROJECTS AS THEY APPLIED FOR FUNDING.

BECAME FAMILIAR WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF A PRODUCTION COMPANY AND HELPED TO SOLICIT VOLUNTEERS, DONATIONS AND ARTISTS FOR PERFORMANCE.

I'VE BEEN WORKING AS A PROFESSIONAL ACTOR SINCE 2005 WITH THE SHORT HIATUS RIGHT BEFORE THE PLAGUE.

I BELIEVE ART IS A REFLECTION OF HUMANITY AND AT ITS BEST IS A CATALYST FOR THE EMPATHY THAT WILL ULTIMATELY SAVE HUMANITY FROM OUR SELF-DESTRUCTIVE NATURE.

I BELIEVE THE ROLE OF THE ARTS COMMISSION IS TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL AND STAFF REGARDING HOW AUSTIN'S ARTS ECOSYSTEM IS OPERATING AND WHAT IS NEEDED FOR ART THAT REFLECTS ALL OF HUMANITY TO FLOURISH IN OUR CITY.

[02:45:01]

THE CITY PROVIDES FUNDS FOR MAKING ART ARTISTS AND CREATORS MAKE THE ART.

AND THEN THE ARTISTS, CREATORS, AND THE CITY ALL REACH OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN ART, WHICH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN LEADS TO BETTER PROBLEM SOLVING, MORE COLLABORATION, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, EMPATHY FOR OTHERS.

ARTS COMMISSIONERS SHOULD BE THE COUNCIL'S EARS IN THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THE ISSUES OF CITIZENS ARE ADDRESSED AND TO REPORT WHETHER THE CITY'S EFFORTS ARE IN FACT SUCCESSFUL.

I BELIEVE WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHILE ART CAN IGNITE BIG EMOTIONS, WE AS ADULT HUMANS MUST HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO REGULATE OUR EMOTIONS SO THAT OUR WORDS AND TONE ARE ALWAYS RESPECTFUL.

I WOULD LIKE TO SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN ARTS COMMISSION BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE CAN BE THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE AND THE EARS OF COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT ART EXISTS AND IS SUPPORTED IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY.

SHE HAS MY VOTE.

ANY ANYBODY EDIT CAN MOVE ON NOW.

ANYBODY ELSE WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK? UM, THERE ARE TWO POSITIONS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE.

CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.

WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON BECAUSE TIME IS LIMITED.

I I'LL VERY QUICKLY.

PLEASE.

HEY, I HAVE BEEN ASKED IF I WOULD SERVE AS VICE CHAIR AND MY RESPONSE WAS IF IT WERE GINA HOUSTON .

SO I AM THERE, I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT WE DO.

AND DITTO FOR EVERYTHING THAT WOMAN JUST SAID RIGHT THERE.

LOVE IT SO MUCH.

THANK YOU GUYS.

GREAT COLLABORATION.

I'M TELLING YOU WE'RE READY TO, OH, WELL, I GUESS WE GOTTA DO IT.

I THINK YOU COULD DO A DRY RUN AND LEAVE THE MEETING NEXT TIME.

THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH.

UM, IS THERE ANOTHER MOTION? POTENTIALLY? THERE'S ALREADY BEEN ANOTHER MOTION.

OH, IS IT? OH YEAH.

YOU MADE THE MOTION.

THE MOTION TO WHAT? OH, TO, UM, APPROVE MM-HMM .

ON CONSENT.

TO ITEMS 13 THROUGH 16.

ON CONSENT, WE NEED TO DO, UH, 1513 THROUGH 15.

OH, NO, DON'T DO THAT IN PUBLIC PLACES.

PREQUALIFIED.

'CAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE WONDERFUL.

UH, WE HAVE A MOTION QUALIFIED.

OKAY, GOTCHA.

TO APPROVE A IPP ITEMS 13 THROUGH 15 ON CONSENT.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECONDED BY SMALL BUCK.

I DO HOPE TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THESE PRESENTATIONS.

I THINK THEY'RE VERY INTERESTING.

IT IS OUR JOB TO LOOK AT THE BACKUP AND BE FAMILIAR WITH THESE.

AND WE'RE NOT JUST BLINDLY PASSING THINGS, BUT TIME JUST IS NOT A FRIEND OF MINE THESE DAYS.

SO I ALSO HOPE THAT PEOPLE ARE TAKING THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE PRESENTATIONS.

IT'S VERY EXCITING.

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STUFF COMING UP.

UM, OKAY WITH THAT, LET'S

[16. Approve the 2025-2027 Art In Public Places Pre-Qualified Texas Public Artist Pool. ]

GO AHEAD AND DO 16.

UH, DO WE NEED A MOTION TO DO 16 IN FRONT OF 10? 'CAUSE I WANNA FINISH WITH BUDGET.

MOTION TO DO 16 BEFORE 10 .

SECOND.

UM, APPROVE 20 25, 20 27.

SCHAL BY AND GRAY.

ARMED IN PUBLIC PLACE, PREQUALIFIED TEXAS POOL.

IS THERE A PRESENTATION WITH THAT? THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING.

AGAIN, COMMISSIONERS.

JAIME CASTILLO, MANAGER FOR ART IN PUBLIC PLACES.

UH, APPRECIATE, UH, GETTING THOSE OTHER ITEMS ON CONSENT.

BUT THIS ONE I THOUGHT, UH, WOULD BENEFIT FROM SOME CONVERSATION, UH, AS WE WERE BEING PULLED UP.

UH, LEARNING FROM PAST EXPERIENCE.

TO, UH, AT, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IT'S A TWO YEAR POOL THAT WE WOULD USE WITH THE OPTION TO EXTEND, UH, IF WE NEEDED TO.

THE LESSONS LEARNED IN, IN MY, IN MY SHORT LONG EIGHT MONTHS HERE, UM, BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY ARTISTS FOR LIMITED ENTRY COMPETITIONS TO HELP EXPEDITE THE SELECTION PROCESS.

UM, OUR PRE-QUALIFIED LIST WAS NOT IN PLACE.

AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BROUGHT BACK.

UM, SO THAT WE HAD A POOL OF ARTISTS THAT WE CAN USE IN TERMS OF EXPEDITED, UM, PROCESSES, SELECTION PROCESSES.

SO IT'S REALLY A TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX.

SO THIS IS NOT FOR ALL CALLS, BUT IS A TOOL WITHIN OUR TOOLBOX.

AND SO, UH, WE DRAFTED THE RFQ FOR YOU

[02:50:01]

UM, WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT PROJECT BUDGETS RANGING, YOU KNOW, FROM 10 TO, TO OVER 250,000 JUST SO THAT WE, WE CAN USE IT FOR ANY OPPORTUNITY AS, AS WE SEE, UH, BEST FITS.

AND OF COURSE, WE WOULD BRING BACK THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO THE PANEL AND TO YOU, THE COMMISSION.

UM, SOME, SOME DETAILS ABOUT, OH, SORRY, NEXT SLIDE.

I'M NOT, I'M NOT CONTROLLING FROM MY LAPTOP.

UH, SO WE'RE THINKING THAT ELIGIBILITY WOULD BE FOR, IT WOULD BE A STATEWIDE CALL.

SO WE'D BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY ARTISTS BOTH IN, UH, IN, IN THE LOCAL AUSTIN AREA, BUT ALSO ACROSS THE STATE.

AND WE WANNA TAKE A, A, A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT APPROACH FROM PREVIOUS POOLS.

AND WE WANNA, I LET THE ARTISTS SELF-IDENTIFY IF THEY'RE EMERGING MID-CAREER OR ESTABLISH TO HELP US, UH, BETTER FILTER FOR OPPORTUNITIES.

UM, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S A TWO YEAR TERM WITH THE OPTION TO EXTEND.

AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER NEW THING THAT I WANTED TO TRY OUT WAS TO REOPEN AS NEEDED.

AND, UH, DID I, DID WE SAY THIS LATER ON? IT'S IN THE NEXT SLIDE.

I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE.

WHY, WHY THAT I WANTED TO INTRODUCE THIS NEW ELEMENT.

UM, AND AGAIN, I ALREADY SAID THE BUDGETS MM-HMM .

UH, AND THAT'S WHY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO WE, IN THE PAST, UH, FEW MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN, UH, APPROACHED BY TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, UH, DIFFERENT PROGRAMS ASKING FOR SUPPORT AND, AND, AND ADVICE ON HOW THEY COULD RUN THEIR SELECTION PROCESSES FOR THE ARTISTS ART PROGRAMS THAT THEY RUN.

SO, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM OFTEN GETS COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WANT TO DO A MURAL, BUT THEY DON'T ALREADY HAVE AN ARTIST.

AND SO, UH, NPP NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM THEN HAS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE FIND ARTISTS TO CONNECT THEM WITH THIS COMMUNITY GROUP THAT THEN APPLIES FOR THIS PROGRAM.

ARTWORKS WRAPPED AROUND THEM.

UH, THEY HAD BEEN OUTSOURCING THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THEY DECIDED TO BRING IT BACK IN AGAIN, QUITE ASKED US FOR SUPPORT AND LIKE, HOW DO WE RUN THIS? AND I WAS ALREADY LIKE, WELL, WE NEED TO BRING BACK THE PRE-QUALIFIED POOL.

IT'S LIKE, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD JUST LET YOU USE THIS POOL.

THAT WAY WE CAN IDENTIFY.

AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WE WANT ARTISTS TO SELF-IDENTIFY AS EMERGING OR MID-CAREER SO THAT THE BUDGET SIZE IS MORE APPROPRIATE TO, TO THEIR EXPERIENCE LEVEL.

AND THIS IS A GREAT ENTRY POINT FOR THEM TO, TO START GETTING THEIR TOES DIPPED INTO PUBLIC ART.

UM, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO KEEP IT, UH, A USEFUL TOOL.

AS WE GO THROUGH OUR ASSESSMENT OF THE A IPP PROGRAM.

UH, WE WERE ALREADY STARTING TO THINK ABOUT, UH, P THREES IN PARTICULAR, UH, THE PUBLIC PART, PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, WANTING TO MOVE IN AN EXPEDITED CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT OUR SELECTION PROCESS WOULD ALSO NEED TO MOVE AT AN EXPEDITED SCHEDULE.

AND IF WE COULD USE THE PRE-QUALIFIED POOL FOR THAT, THEN THAT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

SO YEAH, SO THAT'S THE OVERVIEW.

THAT'S GREAT.

UM, IT'S A TOOL THAT WE'VE USED BEFORE.

WANNA BRING IT BACK? UM, OH, I DID.

I FORGOT TO MENTION THE REOPENING.

THAT'S, YEAH.

I'M IMAGINING THAT THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS, THEY WOULD MOVE IN A, IN A, THEY WOULD ATTRACT DIFFERENT TYPES OF ARTISTS.

SO IF THEY, THEY'RE NOT ALREADY RECEIVING EDD OR, OR ACME'S, UM, EMAILS THAT THEY MIGHT ATTRACT OTHER ARTISTS.

AND SO TO BE ABLE TO SAY IF THEY WERE ATTRACTING NEW ARTISTS AND WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE POOL, THEN IF WE, IF WE GET ENOUGH OF, OF, OF ATTENTION FROM NEWER ARTISTS THAT WE HAVE THE OPTION TO OPEN IT BACK UP AND SAY, LET'S ADD MORE ARTISTS TO THE POOL.

AND THEN THERE THAT, SO THAT THEY WOULD THEN QUALIFY FOR THE, THE SELECTION OF THOSE, UH, OTHER PROGRAMS. CAN I ASK A QUESTION? MM-HMM .

WHAT IS THE CRITERIA TO BE IN THE POOL? THE RFQ? YEAH.

THE RFQ, UH, IT'S IT NOW.

IT HAS A SECTION ON ELIGIBILITY AND, AND ELIGIBILITY.

IT'S, UM, EACH TIER, THE EMERGING MID-CAREER AND ESTABLISHED HAS, UH, A COUPLE OF CRITERIA, UM, UH, EXPERIENCE WITH A CERTAIN BUDGET SIZE.

UM, EXPERIENCE WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

SO, UH, ER, THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS NOT ONE OF THE CRITERIA FOR EMERGING, BUT IT IS FOR MID-CAREER.

AND THEN FOR ESTABLISHED ARTISTS, LIKE, OR I FORGET EXACTLY THE WORDING ON IT, BUT THE MID-CAREER IS LIKE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THEN THE ESTABLISHED ARTS, LIKE YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE OF

[02:55:01]

CONDUCTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS PART OF A PUBLIC ART PROJECT.

SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT MOSTLY IT'S BUDGET AND THEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EXPERIENCE.

FOLLOW UP QUESTION.

IS IT A SEARCHABLE DATABASE OR IS IT A PHONE CALL TO JAIME AND JAIME LOOKS AT THE LIST AND KNOWS ALL THE PEOPLE.

I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE IN THE PERFORMING WORLD, WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING A SIMILAR THING STRICTLY LOCALLY, A SEARCHABLE DATABASE.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT A SIMILAR SITUATION FOR CREATIVE SPACES.

WE NEED A SEARCHABLE DATABASE THAT'S HOPEFULLY CITY FUNDED IN ORDER FOR EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO FIND WHAT THEY NEED.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A SIMILAR ANIMAL AND MY YEAH.

I'M, I'M TRYING TO THINK THROUGH, UM, 'CAUSE WE'LL USE PUBLIC ARTIST AND IT, IT WILL, I KNOW FOR, FOR STAFF WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE LIST OF ARTISTS THAT ARE IN THE POOL.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD WANT OR HAVE OPENED IT UP TO BE SEARCHABLE BY, UH, EXTERNAL ENTITIES.

SHARON, DO YOU KNOW PUBLIC ARTISTS.ORG THE WEBSITE HE'S REFERRING TO? NO.

STUCK IT OUT.

IT'S, THANK YOU.

IT'S, OUR APPLICATION PORTAL BASICALLY ALLOWS ARTISTS TO UPLOAD THEIR PORTFOLIOS.

OH YEAH.

I DID LOOK AT THAT LAST WEEK AFTER, YEAH.

SO THE, THE LIST OF THE ARTISTS IN THE POOL WOULD EXIST.

AND I, I'M JUST, I'M NOT REMEMBERING IF THE SETTINGS ARE PUBLIC.

I'VE SEEN IT OF COURSE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF OKAY.

THE SETTING IS PUBLIC AND WE WOULD RUN IT.

SO LET'S SAY WE GET THE PRE-QUALIFIED POOL APPROVED TONIGHT AND WE LAUNCH IT IN MAY.

WE GET ARTISTS TO APPLY, BUT THEN WE HAVE A, AN ARTWORK THAT, OR, UH, ART OPPORTUNITY, A IPP ART OPPORTUNITY IN JANUARY.

THAT'S, UH, KIND OF A SMALL, IT'S WE, WE, WE KNOW WE WANNA ATTRACT EMERGING ARTISTS.

AND SO WE'LL USE THE PRE-QUALIFIED POOL, FILTER IT FOR EMERGING ARTISTS, AND WE'LL HAVE TO FORM A SELECTION PANEL, WHICH WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT IT WOULD BE THE A IPV PANEL, UM, THREE MEMBERS FROM THE A IPV PANELS.

AND THEN THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE APPLICATION.

WELL, WE INVITE THE ARTISTS.

THEY APPLY, BUT THEY'RE FROM THE POOL AND THEY WOULD REVIEW THOSE APPLICATIONS.

SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SEARCHABLE IN THE WAY THAT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S NOT A PUBLIC TOOL.

IT'S A TOOL FOR YOU GUYS.

IT'S NOT YET.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M LIKE THINKING THROUGH LIKE, WHAT ARE THE CAPABILITIES? CAN WE MAKE IT SEARCHABLE? YEAH.

BUT AT, AT THE MOMENT, NO, IT'S INTERNAL FOR US.

WELL, I'M INTERESTED IN HAVING THOSE STRUCTURAL CONVERSATIONS IF YOU GET THERE THINKING.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

, GREAT QUESTION.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I REALLY LOVE THE IDEA OF BEING FLEXIBLE WITH THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE SUBMISSION.

SHORT OF DOING A ROLLING SUBMISSION WHERE IT'S OPEN PERPETUALLY.

I THINK WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, HAVING MISSED A WINDOW THAT THEY THEN HAVE TO CALENDAR TO COME BACK AROUND NEXT YEAR, LIKE IT REALLY LIMITS ENTHUSIASM AND MOMENTUM.

SO I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF, OF KEEPING AN OPEN MIND WITH THAT.

AND TO BE CLEAR, THE CLOSE STAYS, I MEAN, WE'LL, WE'LL DETERMINE IF WE WANT TO EXTEND IT A YEAR, BUT THE, THE CLOSE DATE OR THE, THE CLOSE OF THE POOL IS STABLE.

BUT WE DO WANT TO OPEN IT UP IF WE GET ENOUGH ATTENTION AND IT WARRANTS HUMORING THE IDEA, I THINK IS STILL EXCITING.

ANYBODY ELSE? QUESTIONS FOR JAIME? AND WE NEED TO VOTE TO APPROVE.

I MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER SCHOCK.

SECOND.

I'LL SECOND.

WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT TO HOUSTON.

COMMISSIONER HOUSTON IS A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE ARMED PUBLIC POLICE RE QUALIFIED TEXAS PUBLIC ART SCHOOL.

I STILL THINK WE SHOULD FINISH WITH BUDGET.

CAN WE KNOCK OUT WORKING GROUP UPDATES? EXACTLY.

THAT'S HOW I FEEL.

UM, WE JUST NEED A MOTION TO MOVE WORKING GROUP UPDATES BEFORE ITEM 10.

THEY'RE ALREADY BEFORE ITEM 10.

THERE'S SIX AND SEVENTH.

THIS THE, YEAH, THE AGENDA.

ALL MOTION TO MOVE BEFORE 10.

DONE.

WACKY.

THIS IS LIKE A LITTLE CONFUSING.

UM, OKAY, LET'S GO ON TO

[6. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, and Schmalbach (chair). ]

WORKING GROUP UPDATES.

SO, UM, UPDATE FROM JOINT ARTS, MUSIC COMMISSION, WORKING GROUP URBAN CORE ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONERS, GRAY AND .

I SENT, UH, AN EMAIL EARLIER.

HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY GOT IT.

WHICH IS EXCITING THAT THE CITY IS ROLLING OUT THE PLACE-BASED ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM.

AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT WAS WITH A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT APRIL.

UM, WE'VE GOTTEN PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT AS A REMINDER, IT'S AN INCENTIVE PER, IT'S TWO INCENTIVIZED DEVELOPERS, INCLUDING AMONG OTHER THINGS, AFFORDABLE, CREATIVE SPACE.

IT'S AN EXCITING PROGRAM.

GO LOOK AT THE WEBSITE.

UM, I THINK THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW TO LOOK ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE TO GET THE, THERE'S A EVENT, RIGHT? IT'S A LONG, UM, LINK, BUT THE PLACE-BASED ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM WORKSHOPS ATTEND, UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM.

AND IT'S WONDERFUL THAT THAT'S GETTING OFF THE GROUND.

SO, GOOD NEWS.

DID YOU SAY YOU SENT AN EMAIL TODAY? YEAH, I DIDN'T GET IT.

I DIDN'T GET IT.

I MEAN, I DID IT GO THROUGH JESUS.

[03:00:01]

IT CAME FROM JESUS.

EVERYTHING WILL COME FROM JESUS.

OH.

IF WE'RE EMAILING JESUS, I SENT IT TO JESUS WHO SENT IT TO 1 48.

Y'ALL.

THERE WE GO.

SO THAT YEAR I WAS JUST, DON'T WORRY YOU DID IT.

I JUST DIDN'T READ IT.

, THAT'S CAN, YOU'RE JUST IGNORING YOUR EMAILS.

THAT'S ALL.

PLEASE CARE FORWARD FROM HIS, IT'S THROUGHOUT APRIL AND I CONFIRMED WITH DON JACKSON THAT THAT'S, UM, IT'S THE SAME INFORMATION REPEATED FIVE TIMES, SO THERE'S LOTS OF TO GO.

FROM COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON MOST RECENT RELEASE OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONERS, CNI, MALDONADO, GRAY HOUSTON, AND CHARLA CHAIR.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR HEIDI BEYOND WHAT WE'VE ALREADY ASKED HER? GREAT.

UH, UPDATE

[7. Update from the Community Feedback on most recent release of the Cultural Funding Programs Working Group with Commissioner’s Kracheni, Maldonado, Gray, Houston, Medicharla (chair)]

WE, UM, THE ARTS COMMISSION YIELDED THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, IN THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING.

AND SO THE FIRST PART OF, UH, WORK THAT THIS WORKING GROUP WAS GOING TO DO IS DONE.

UH, AND, UH, SO NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA WOULD BE TO POTENTIALLY CONTINUE FORWARD WITH, UH, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH THE WORKING GROUP, MAYBE ENGAGING SOME NEW, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE MIX AND, UH, EITHER BUILDING ON OR PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN, YOU KNOW, UH, UNANIMOUSLY VOTED ON BY THE COMMISSION HERE.

UM, I WOULD, WAS VERY HONORED TO CHAIR THIS WORKING GROUP AND, UH, BRING IN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL AS WORK WITH MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HERE IN GETTING THE RECOMMENDATION.

I REALLY APPRECIATED THE SUPPORT THAT THE COMMISSION HERE SHOWED IN VOTING IN FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.

UNANIMOUSLY, I THINK IN CONTINUING THE, UH, THE WORKING GROUP, I WOULD LIKE TO STEP OUT, UM, AND HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE CHAIR THE, UH, A WORKING GROUP.

UM, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS FROM, UH, THE CURRENT WORKING GROUP STAY ON AND MAYBE SOME FOLKS CAN ROTATE OUT OR MAYBE JUST I CAN ROTATE OUT AND MAKE SPACE FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.

AND, UH, AND THEN THEY CAN COLLECTIVELY DECIDE WHICH ARE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BRING IN.

THE WAY WE DID IT, WE HAD, WE HAD A PRETTY LONG LIST OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, THE LIST ONE BY ONE AND, UH, FIGURED OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST, YOU KNOW, OUR BEST JUDGMENT ON WHAT WOULD WORK WELL FOR THAT PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP.

SO THE SAME CAN BE DONE.

UM, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BROADLY ALSO JUST BE OPEN TO OTHER ACTS, COMMISSIONERS SUGGESTING ANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WANNA BE, BUT KEEP IT MANAGEABLE TO, YOU KNOW, FIVE, SEVEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS PLUS FIVE COMMISSIONERS TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, YOUR TIME IS ALSO OPTIMALLY SPENT.

UM, SO WITH THAT, YEAH.

I WOULD SUGGEST, UH, THAT SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS STAY ON.

I WOULD PARTLY SUGGEST THAT THE FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING TO TAKE ON OFFICER ROLES ALSO STAY ON .

SO, AND, AND, OKAY.

SO YEAH.

SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL YIELD TO THE YIELD TO CHAIR TO, UH, SEE HOW SHE WANTS TO TAKE THIS FORWARD.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, DEEPLY INTERESTED, UH, LOOKING ALSO TO MY PEOPLE ON SCREEN WHO CANNOT SEE THAT I'M LOOKING AT THEM.

UH, COMMISSIONER KEYS.

COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.

I'M INTERESTED.

I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE, YOU'RE SO GOOD AT HOSTING GROUPS AND I HAVE A LIST OF 17 OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO INTERESTED.

I BET.

IF YOU NEED MORE PEOPLE.

DO YOU WANT, DO YOU WANNA TAKE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER, CHARLA'S SPACE AND CHAIR IT? DON'T PRETEND LIKE YOU'RE NEW.

YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS SPACE FOR A LONG TIME, BUT ROBERT'S RULES, I DON'T KNOW.

ROBERT'S RULES.

OH, ROBERT.

RULES DON'T APPLY AT THE OH, COOL.

ROBERT'S OUT THE WINDOW IN, IN PRIVATE SPACES.

UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO JOIN AND I ARE, IF I MAY PLEASE.

ROBERT'S ENERGY.

I SINCERELY WANNA THANK ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WHO PARTICIPATED , THAT WAS JUST AN ANGLE I WAS SUGGESTING ABOUT THE OFFICERS BEING IN THE GROUP, SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT IN.

THAT I, I TRULY, TRULY THANK EVERY COMMISSIONER THAT PARTICIPATED AND GAVE TIME TO THIS GROUP.

THE FINAL REPORT WAS, YEAH, I DON'T WANNA MISS OUT ON THAT YET.

COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, AND COMMISSIONER SMALL BUCK FOR NOW.

YEAH, IT WAS, I'M VERY GRATEFUL AS WELL.

UM, AND I SENT A MESSAGE TO COMMISSIONER CHENEY.

THEY ARE, UNFORTUNATELY UNDER THE WEATHER AND NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY IN PERSON, BUT JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, IF THEY'RE WILLING TO STAY ON, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE CONTINUITY FROM THE PAST GROUPS TO THIS GROUP.

SO, UM, I, AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO PUT MY NAME IN THAT HAT AND PARTICIPATE AS A SUPPORTING MEMBER.

I DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CHAIR IT, BUT WE HAVE AN AMAZING FACILITATOR AND HOST WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO CHAIR IT.

YEAH, LOOK, THIS IS THE ENTHUSIASM I'M LOOKING FOR.

UM, FANTASTIC.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE A NOTE THAT WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONER ZIMAN,

[03:05:01]

BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT YOU ARE WELL POSITIONED ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.

I THINK THAT YOU'LL BE A GOOD, I'M NOT VICE SURE YOU COULD, CAREFUL, CAREFUL NOW.

OKAY, SO WE'VE GOT THE THREE OF US.

WE'LL WAIT TO HEAR BACK, BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE RECONFIGURATION.

HOPEFULLY COMMISSIONER NEY WILL WANNA STAY ON AND THEY CAN ACT AS THAT ANCHOR POINT FOR US.

AND JUST REMIND US OF CONVERSATIONS.

OH, I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE ASKING WHO WANTED TO, OH, DO YOU WANNA STAY ON IT? TWO.

PERFECT.

SO 1, 2, 3, 4.

AND THEN KNI WOULD BE FIVE.

BUT AGAIN, I, I, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HAVE COMMISSIONER SCHMO BLACK ROLL OFF AND JUST DO THE DOWNTOWN IF, IF WE HAVE IT AMPLE.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

IF WE HAVE AM.

'CAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE A QUORUM.

THINK YOU MAY HAVE, IF YOU'RE GONNA SIGN NEW CHAIR WORKING GROUP WHO MAY HAVE TO HAVE AN AGENDA, NOMINATE THEM AND HAVE A SECOND.

OH, YEAH.

CAN WE DO THAT IN THIS POINT? OR IF YOU'RE, IF THEY'RE BECOMING THE NEW CHAIR OF THE WORK GROUP NOW, THEN I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO, BUT I CAN DO IT RIGHT NOW.

I DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL NEXT MONTH.

NO, NO, YOU CAN DO IT NOW.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS YEAH.

WE, WE, OH, WE'LL WE'RE GONNA VOTE.

DOES THAT NEED A VOTE? REALLY? AND THEN FOR, FOR LIKE A WORKING GROUP, I MEAN, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY COULD, THEY COULD LITERALLY MEET IN A WORKING GROUP AND THEN DECIDE WHO'S GONNA CHAIR IT AND COME BACK AND ANNOUNCE IT.

I DIDN'T THINK IT NEEDED A VOTE.

I MEAN, BUT I'M NOT SURE YOU ALL KNOW BETTER.

YOU ALL KNOW BETTER.

WE DON'T GET TO A POINT WHERE WE DID IT TO IT AND IT NEEDED, BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO NOT SUSPENDERS.

UM, WE ALSO, THERE'S NO ISSUE IN NOT CLOSING THE WORKING GROUP, BUT CONTINUING THE WORKING GROUP WITH SOME NEW MEMBERS.

RIGHT? I BELIEVE SO.

THAT SHOULD BE FINE.

THERE'S STILL AN END DATE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SUBMIT FINAL, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS BY MAY.

SO WE'LL CLOSE IT AND OPEN IT FOR THE NEXT ROUND IF WE, HOPEFULLY WE WON'T, HOPEFULLY WE'RE JUST GONNA GET IT RIGHT AND IT'S JUST GONNA BE AMAZING AND EVERYTHING.

NO, I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S PROBABLY A, AN ONGOING WORKING.

WELL, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE AN AN ONGOING WE'RE ALLOWED.

IT HAS, HAS, THERE HAS TO BE A CLOSE SO WE CAN, WE CAN TITLE IT THIS YEAR.

OH, OKAY.

WE DIDN'T SUNSET IT TO START ANOTHER ONE.

WE DID.

OH, OKAY.

YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING.

THE ORIGINAL, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE ITERATIONS OF A COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP GOT, SO THIS, IT JUST HAS TO BE, IT CANNOT BE AN ONGOING WORKING GROUP.

WE HAVE TO, IT HAS TO HAVE AN OBJECTIVE.

IT HAS TO BE TERM BASED.

PLEASE.

IF I'M, SO WE ARE NOT CENSORING THIS ONE, RIGHT? WE ARE CONTINUING THIS WORKING GROUP, CORRECT.

WE'RE JUST REASSIGN WE'RE CREATING NEW, YES.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR OUR NEW I DO.

SORRY.

WELL, IT'S NOT INTERACTION ITEMS IS IT, BUT THAT, BUT WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT WE CAN, IT'S PART OF THE WORKING GROUP.

SO JUST PART OF THE WORKING GROUP.

YEAH, WE'RE JUST BEING A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE.

WE'RE NOT SURE IF YOU NEED TO DO THIS AS MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP AS YOU'RE STAYING, BUT WE'D RATHER BE SAFE THAN SORRY.

AND JUST HAVE YOU TAKE THE VOTE SO THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO, OH, YOU CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE IT WAS, IT, IT WAS LEGALLY FORMED OR WHATEVER.

SO WE'RE JUST DOING EXTRA, EXTRA CAUTIOUS.

SO MOTION FOR A NEW CHAIR PERHAPS.

SO, I, I WAS TRYING TO SPEAK, I WAS WAITING ON EVERYONE.

OH, I'M SORRY.

YOU'VE GOT LIKE, OH, HANG ON.

LET'S GET HER VOLUME TURNED UP TOO, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.

SORRY, YOU'RE REALLY LOW.

YOU GOTTA LIKE WAVE THIS DOWN.

THERE YOU GO.

YEAH, I WAS, I WAS WAVING TOO.

BUT YEAH, SO I WANTED TO KNOW, I KNOW WE CAN'T HAVE A QUORUM, SO I WAS EXPRESSING INTEREST.

I ALSO UNDERSTAND SOMEONE BEING OVER JUST KIND OF HAVING, AGAIN, FOR THAT CONTINUITY.

UM, BUT I DEFINITELY AM INTERESTED AS WELL.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS.

UM, IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A QUORUM OR SO, BUT YEAH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I EXPRESSED INTEREST BEFORE THERE WAS ANY VOTING.

I HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY.

I HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY.

SO, KIRA AND I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAVING WORKED WITHIN LOTS OF DIFFERENT FACETS OF THE CITY.

I THINK IT, YOU'D BE A HUGE ASSET IN THAT SPACE.

SO WE'RE SAYING COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, CHAIR, CHAIR.

WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, COMMISSIONER KEYS, AND THEN POTENTIALLY COMMISSIONER CHENEY.

WE JUST NEED TO WAIT TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM.

WE DON'T NEED A FIFTH.

REALLY.

THERE.

IT OR COMMISSIONER SCH SMALL BLOCK IS, IS EXPRESSING INTEREST.

SO WE HAVE FIVE.

DID YOU GET THAT? YEAH.

KEYS, ANDERSON, SCHACH, HOUSTON AND CHENEY.

AND CHENEY'S A TENTATIVE 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT HERE.

UM, BUT WE SHOULD STILL DO THE FORMAL VOTE THING JUST FOR THE CHAIR.

SO MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MACH.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND OR FIRST AND SECOND? YEP.

COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER AL CHARLA MOTIONED TO APPOINT COMMISSIONER ANDERSON AS THE CHAIR OF THE WORKING GROUP.

SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SMOCK.

ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR.

I HAVE TO RECUSE MYSELF.

I'M ME, RIGHT? YEAH.

WE HAVE MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS.

YOU CAN VOTE FOR YOURSELF.

YOU CAN VOTE FOR YOURSELF AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR HUMORING US AS WE GET THROUGH BUDGET.

[10. Discussion and approval on the 2026 Budget Recommendations ]

I THINK WE CAN MAKE

[03:10:01]

THIS PRETTY EFFECTIVE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF AMAZING CHANGE.

LET ME READ THIS DISCUSSION.

APPROVAL OF THE 2026 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE HAVE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM 2024.

WE KNOW THAT WE'VE HEARD ALSO FOR THOSE THAT HAVE, UH, READ THE BACKUP THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR CULTURAL CENTERS.

THAT THEY ARE NEEDING MARKETING SUPPORT AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO, UH, RESERVE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES FOR THEM.

UM, SPECIFICALLY AND NOT TO BE FLATTENED ACROSS, UM, INTERDEPARTMENTAL USE.

UM, I THINK THE DEFORMATION OF ACME HAS ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND IDEALLY WILL SOLVE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN SHOPPING AROUND COUNCIL FOR THE LAST YEAR.

UM, WITH THAT, AND NOT GONNA NAVAL, YOU'RE A PRO AT KNOWING WHAT WE CAN GET AWAY WITH.

CAN WE LIST OFF WHAT WE WILL INCLUDE VERBALLY? YEAH.

AGREE TO IT AND THEN I CAN DRAFT IT AND SEND IT OVER.

THEN TAKE A VOTE ON THAT, AND THEN TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.

I THINK IT'S BETTER TO READ EVERYTHING OUT AS, AS YOU'RE GONNA SUBMIT IT.

YES, ABSOLUTELY.

SO I STILL, IF I'M, I'M JUST GONNA LOOK AT, AND PEOPLE JUMP IN IF YOU WANNA HAVE A CONVERSATION HERE, BUT I'M JUST GONNA READ WHAT THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WE HAD.

SORRY.

WAS THIS EMAILED? IT'S IN THE BACKUP.

IT'S IN THE BACKUP.

THAT'S OKAY.

YOU'RE ALRIGHT.

WHAT'S, EXCUSE ME? WHAT'S THE TITLE ON IT? 'CAUSE I HAVE THE MUSIC BUDGET, BREX, AND THEN I HAVE MARKETING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

DO WE NOT HAVE THE 2024 IN THE BACKUP? 2024 TO 2025? THE BUDGET REC FA YEAH.

OH, I DIDN'T THAT OH, IT DIDN'T GET ADDED TO THE BACKUP.

CAN YOU, CAN YOU SEND IT JUST DIRECTLY? SO, AND I'LL READ IT OUT NOW JUST SO THAT THERE'S LETTER INFORMATION.

SORRY GUYS.

I THOUGHT IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE BACKUP.

UM, HE'S EMAILING IT NOW.

IT'S, I THINK, BEEN IN PAST BACKUPS.

BUT, UM, WE'VE, WE HAVE ASKED FOR, AND THIS IS, THIS IS, I THINK THE ONE OVERLAP WE HAVE WITH MUSIC IS THAT WE ARE ASKING THAT THE, UH, SALARIES FOR CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STAFF, ACME STAFF NOT COME FROM HOT.

THERE'S A LOOKING BACKWARDS.

THAT WAS IN OUR LAST YEAR BUDGET.

THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT IS $548,000.

THAT CAME FROM HOT TO PAY STAFF SALARIES.

UM, JUST FOR CULTURAL ARTS.

JUST FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE MUSIC.

SO WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS ACME ACROSS THE BOARD, THE CITY OF AUSTIN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING ITS STAFF SALARIES, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WE ARE LIMITED TO HOT FUNDS FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. UM, THE NEXT ONE WAS FISCAL SUPPORT FOR CULTURAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.

I THINK WE LEARNED THROUGH THE RESULTS OF THRIVE THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO RECEIVE.

THEY WERE COMPETITIVE.

WE SAW SIMS, WE SAW A COUPLE OTHER SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS BE ABLE TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE FUNDING PROGRAMS. SO I DON'T PERSONALLY SEE THE NEED TO CONTINUE TO TRY AND PULL THEM OUT IN THIS MOMENT.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT'S SORT OF UP IN THE AIR.

UM, BUT WE DID, WE DID SEE THEM ACTUALLY RECEIVE CULTURAL, UM, ACME FUNDING.

CA YEAH.

CAT FUNDING.

WHAT, WHAT DATE IS IT? UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THE, YEAH, I, YEAH.

AS SOMEONE WHO RUNS A ART SERVICES ORGANIZATION MM-HMM.

I, I WOULD SAY THAT IT, IT'S STILL A NEED.

STILL A NEED.

IT'S STILL A NEED AND, AND IT'S A, IT'S A VERY AWKWARD FIT TO TRY TO PLEASE TOURISTS WHEN YOU ARE IN FACT SERVING LOCAL ARTISTS.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WAS IN OUR LAST YEAR.

AND I FEEL LIKE, I MEAN, I HAD TO DO BACK FLIPS.

I APPLIED FOR CITY FUNDING ONCE AND IT WILL NEVER, EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

WHICH IS WHY I FELT COMFORTABLE GETTING ON THE COMMISSION , BECAUSE I'M NEVER GONNA BE EVER APPLYING FOR CITY FUNDING AGAIN.

UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.

SO, I MEAN, I'M, WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION.

YOU KNOW, WE SAW SOME CULTURAL, UM, SOME SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE FUNDING AND, AND WE JUST ASKED OURSELVES IS, IS THIS REALLY A NEED? AND SO IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT THAT WASN'T AN, A NATURAL ORGANIC THING TO TRY AND I THINK SQUEEZE IT.

THAT'S REALLY SMART.

AND I THINK THAT THE, THE CAPACITY OF ART SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS CAN INCREASE MM-HMM .

IF THE FUNDING FITS THEM BETTER.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE 15 PROJECTS AT TX THEATER WOULD HAVE DONE HAD THERE BEEN FUNDING THAT FIT IT.

BUT IN FACT, I HAD TO INVITE TOURISTS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

SO WE'LL KEEP THAT AND I'LL, I'M, I'M PACING THESE IN SO THAT WE CAN READ THROUGH THEM AGAIN AT THE END.

UM, LAST YEAR WE ASKED FOR FISCAL SUPPORT TO CONTINUE THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAM.

I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.

I DON'T THINK THAT IT GOT MORE MONEY.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S AT AT THIS POINT.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WANNA PRIORITIZE OUR LIMITED TIME IN FRONT OF COUNCIL TO PUSH FORWARD SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY UPDATES ON.

UM, IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THOUGH, SINCE IT'S, IF IT'S, I MEAN, NOT IN THE BUDGET.

YEAH, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE NICE.

FORMERLY THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO CONTINUE IMPLEMENTING THE CULTURAL TRUST PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COMMON AREA MAINTENANCE.

UM, FUNDING TO SUPPORT RALLY,

[03:15:01]

UM, AND OTHER ASSOCIATED COSTS BORN BY OPERATIONS WHO WOULD BE MANAGING SPACES FOR COMMUNITY USE.

LAST TIME WE ASKED FOR A MILLION DOLLARS.

UM, ARE YOU, IS I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING FOR RALLY IN MUSIC'S ASKS.

NO.

IS THAT IT? IS THAT, OOPS.

UM, I SHOULD PUT IT IN.

SQUEEZE IT IN.

WE SHOULD PUT IT IN YOU GUYS.

YOU'RE ON THIS COMMISSION TOO.

I, YOU WERE THE UNOFFICIAL MUSIC LIAISON VOLLEY.

UM, OKAY.

UH, THOUGHTS ON THAT? MY THOUGHTS ON THAT ARE THAT YES, WE WOULD LOVE FOR RALLY.

I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO, I HOPE THAT THE BOND, THAT MONEY COMING THROUGH THE 2026 BOND WILL SUPPORT THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, AND WITH A BRAND NEW DEPARTMENT, I, MY PERSONAL THOUGHT IS THAT WE SHOULD, WE NEED TO PICK AND WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA, BASED ON LAST YEAR, WE DIDN'T GET ANYTHING FROM OUR REQUEST.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO LIKE, PRIORITIZE.

AND I FEEL THAT THE SUPPORT NEEDED TO APPROPRIATELY STAFF THE DEPARTMENT TAKES PRECEDENT.

IS ANYONE ELSE, ANY OTHER COMMISSION WOULD BE ADVOCATING FOR RALLY OR NO? UH, NOT MUSIC, NO OFFENSE.

NO, I'M NOT.

I'M JUST TRYING TO SAY WE ARE, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE, THESE ARE OUR LAST YEAR.

SO THESE WERE AS A RESULT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE WERE HAVING LEADING INTO THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

I MEAN, WE CAN PUT IT BOTH IN.

IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M AFRAID, I JUST DON'T KNOW ENOUGH TO, TO KNOW IF THAT'S, UM, THE WORK THEY'RE DOING IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.

OF COURSE.

AND THIS WOULD BE MORE OPERATIONAL FUNDS FOR STAFF, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT THEY'RE, OKAY.

LET'S, I, YOU WANNA KEEP IT IN AS LONG AS THAT, THAT CULTURAL ARTS STAFF GETS PRIORITY AND IT'S VERY CLEAR IN THE BUDGET.

WAS THERE A DISCUSSION AT MUSIC ABOUT IT AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IF I MAY YEAH, THAT'S WHAT MY QUESTION WAS.

HAS, HAS RALLY APPROACHED US TO HAVE THIS IN THE MIX THIS YEAR? NO, NOT THIS YEAR.

LAST YEAR.

I THINK LAST YEAR WE WENT TO THEM.

AND IT WAS, I THINK THE NEED WAS MORE APPARENT.

I THINK THE TEAM HAS SINCE GROWN.

SO, SO THAT IS A CONSIDERATION, RIGHT? YEAH.

TRUE DEPARTMENT'S PRIORITIES ARE.

AND I'M, I'M PERSONALLY FOR THE, THE PRIORITIZATION AND, AND HAVING MORE WEIGHTED REQUEST REQUESTS INSTEAD OF MANY YEAH.

THOUGHTS MY FOLKS ON SCREEN? ANY THOUGHTS? NO.

SO ARE WE THINKING LESS IS MORE? IS THAT THE CONSENSUS? YEAH.

FOR A A DC OR RALLY.

LET'S M AROUND IT.

UM, NEXT WAS FISCAL SUPPORT FOR THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO MATCH THE FY 23 FY 24 FUNDING LEVER CSAP AWARDS BETWEEN 5,000 TO 50,000 TO COMMERCIAL CREATIVE SPACES, FACING DISPLACEMENT OR NEW LEASES AT HIGHER AND UNAFFORDABLE RATES.

GRANT FUNDS MAY BE USED FOR REVENUE GENERATING SPACES IMPROVEMENTS, PARTIAL LEASE PAYMENTS, AND GAP FINANCING FOR CREATIVE SPACE PURCHASES.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

SO CSAP? YEAH.

THE CONTINUATION OF CSAP.

FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN.

YOU GUYS.

I'M, MY EYES ARE NOT UP.

I I'M JUST GONNA GO SAY IT'S TOO LATE RIGHT NOW.

BUT THE, UM, I STILL FIND THIS PROCESS REALLY CONFUSING WHEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STEP, WHAT THE LIKE YEAH.

AND I WISH THAT THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS WERE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT SO THAT WE COULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT THE CITY SEES AS PRIORITIES.

UM, AND THEN WE COULD FILL IN AND BE LIKE, OH, BUT WE REALLY WANNA ADVOCATE FOR THIS.

BUT IT FEELS VERY CONFUSING TO BE LIKE, WELL MAYBE IT'S THIS THAT YOU, THAT THEY NEED THE MOST.

SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT, BUT IT'S, IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE WE'RE JUST LIKE, WELL WE, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF NEEDS AND WE'RE JUST SORT OF CHOOSING THEM AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE FOR ACME.

AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF THEM.

THERE.

THERE ARE, THERE ARE IT.

I'M LISTENING AND I DO PLAN ON TAKING THIS INFORMATION BACK TO DIRECTOR MEANS TOMORROW TO SEE HOW WE CAN DO THAT.

PHENOMENAL.

AND UM, DIRECTOR MEANS DOES HAVE A COPY OF OUR BUDGET ASKS.

SO AT LEAST THERE'S THAT YES.

PAPER TRAIL.

IT'S JUST THE TIMELINES.

THE TIMELINES.

AND WE, WE DID BRING THIS UP IN OUR MEETING WITH DIRECTOR MEANS.

UM, AND THERE WASN'T REALLY A GREAT RESOLUTION.

JUST THAT THIN YEARS MERIT.

NOT A LOT OF ASK FLEX.

NOT A LOT OF ASKS BEING MET.

UM,

[03:20:01]

BEYOND THAT.

UM, SO ARE WE DECIDED RALLY AUSTIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET? BEFORE I MOVE ON FROM OUR DOCUMENT TO MUSIC? I THINK AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S A BIG, YEAH.

I DON'T, THANK YOU.

WE NEED HELP.

MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.

I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION WHEN Y'ALL DO SUBMIT THESE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PROCESS, I KNOW THAT IT IS CONFUSING, BUT JUST TO PROVIDE CLARITY, WHEN Y'ALL SUBMIT THOSE BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONS, IT DOES GO TO THE DEPARTMENTS FOR REVIEW.

SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT BACKWARDS.

Y'ALL MAY NOT KNOW WHAT THE DEPARTMENT'S PRIORITIES ARE, BUT THEN WE REVIEW WHAT Y'ALL'S PRIORITIES ARE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNSEL BASED OFF OF THOSE.

SO IT IS GREAT FOR Y'ALL TO MAKE AS MUCH DETAIL INTO THOSE JUSTIFIC OR THOSE BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONS AS POSSIBLE.

AND JUST FROM EXPERIENCE LAST YEAR, LOOKING AT BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONS FROM PRIOR COMMISSIONS, THERE WAS VAGUE LANGUAGE.

SO IT FELT LIKE IT WAS A DUPLICATIVE JUSTIFICATION OR BUDGET REQUEST FROM A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONS THAT FELT LIKE IT WAS A, AN ACTIVITY OR INITIATIVE THAT WE WERE LEADING.

AND THEY WERE ASKING FOR FUNDS ON THAT AS WELL.

SO WE REJECTED THAT CLAIM AND THEN THE COMMISSION CAME BACK WONDERING WHY WE REJECTED THAT AND WE HAD MORE CLARITY AFTER DISCUSSION.

AND OF COURSE IF THERE WAS A MORE PERFECT WORLD WHERE WE COULD DISCUSS FURTHER THOSE PRIORITIES WITH COMMISSIONS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT'S PRIORITIES, WHAT'S COMMISSION'S PRIORITIES, AND MAKE THOSE MARRY A LITTLE BIT BETTER, WE WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT I WAS JUST, I WANTED TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.

WHEN Y'ALL SUBMIT THOSE JUSTIFICATIONS, MAKE SURE THEY'RE VERY DETAILED OR AS OR AS, AS BEST AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN SO THAT THE STAFF THAT ARE REVIEWING THOSE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THOSE THOSE ASKS ARE.

SO THAT WHEN THEY ARE EVALUATING THEM TO GO UP TO EXEC OR COUNSEL FOR CONSIDERATION, THAT THEY CAN MAKE THOSE, UM, DETERMINATIONS OF WHETHER TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

UH, THEY'RE MAKING IT BASED ON TRULY WHAT Y'ALL'S UH, NEEDS ARE BASED ON COMMISSIONER.

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU ACTUALLY, IT'S, IT'S ROUTED TO THE DEPARTMENTS WHERE IT BELONGS, RIGHT? THERE IS RECOMMENDATIONS AND YOU ACTUALLY, UM, GIVE JUSTIFICATION ON WHY SOMETHING IS VIABLE OR NOT AS WELL LINE BY LINE.

SO MOST OF THE, FROM WHAT, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER THE PROCESS BEING LAST YEAR WE WERE, WE WOULD RECEIVE A JUST BUDGET JUSTIFICATION REQUEST THAT THE COMMISSIONS HAD MADE AND RECEIVED TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT WERE APPROPRIATE POINT OF CONTACT.

AND THEN WE WERE EVALUATING AND MADE THE RECOMMENDATION WHETHER TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THAT SPECIFIC, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATION INTO YOUR OWN BUDGET.

INTO OUR OH YEAH.

AND THEN IT'S ALL, IT WAS OVERALL UP TO COUNCIL WHETHER TO ACCEPT ANY BUDGET REQUEST OVERALL, BUT IT'S JUST OUR SPECIFIC DETERMINATION WHETHER TO APPLY THAT TO OUR, TO OUR PACKAGE.

AND I'LL JUST SHARE THAT LIKE, BECAUSE SELENA AND I WENT LIKE BASICALLY DOOR TO DOOR ALL OF LAST YEAR ABOUT OUR BUDGET REQUEST TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE QUESTION WOULD COME UP LIKE, IS THIS REQUEST REFLECTED IN EDDS BUDGET REQUEST? AND WE'D BE LIKE, OH, WE HAVEN'T SEEN EDDS BUDGET REQUEST.

SO IT FELT REALLY AWKWARD AS ADVOCATES TO BE LIKE, WELL HERE ARE ALL THE THINGS WE ASK FOR.

WE HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY MADE IT INTO THE DEPARTMENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO IT JUST FEELS LIKE WE'D BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS IF WE HAD SOME WAY TO MATCH THESE UP.

AND I KNOW YOU ARE SAYING THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT JUST REITERATING COLLABORATION, RIGHT? UM, CANDACE? YES.

UM, , I JUST NEED A POINT OF CLARIFICATION SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RALLY RIGHT NOW.

I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME THE PRESENTATION, RIGHT? THAT WAS MADE TO THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE WITH THE STRUCTURES.

AND I'M SURE THIS IS A WORKING DOCUMENT AND I GET IT THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS PROBABLY WHERE YOU WANT IT, BUT I DON'T SEE RALLY ON HERE AND I DON'T KNOW 'CAUSE I'M STILL TRYING TO CATCH UP.

IS RALLY GOING TO STAY IN EDD? I MEAN IT'S KIND OF SEPARATE.

I KNOW, BUT I'M CONCERNED THAT NO ONE'S GONNA BE ADVOCATING FOR THEIR FUNDING.

THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT QUESTION.

AREN'T THEY IN THE BOND OF YEAH, THE BOND, THE MONEY THAT THEY WORK WITH COMES THROUGH THE BOND.

I DON'T KNOW HOW STAFF SALARIES ARE.

WELL I IT'S NOT ON ANY OF THESE.

THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT A CITY ENTITY.

I KNOW THEY'RE THEIR OWN THING.

THEY'RE THEIR OWN THING.

AND MONEY DOESN'T GROW ON TREES.

WELL THEY'RE SERVING THE COMMU, IT'S QUASI-GOVERNMENT.

RELIES ON THEIR SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT.

SO THE GENERAL, THEY DO GET MONEY FROM, I BELIEVE IT'S THE GENERAL, THEY CURRENTLY ARE SUBSIDIZED BY FUNDING THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, AND CURRENTLY THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, PORTION OF FUNDING.

BUT THEY EVENTUALLY WILL HOPEFULLY BE FUNDED BY THEIR OWN REVENUE STREAMS. OKAY.

UM, WHERE THEIR STRONGEST RELATIONSHIPS WILL CURRENTLY, THEIR RELATIONSHIP

[03:25:01]

MEGAN WELLS IS WITHIN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT BECAUSE A LOT OF THEIR, UH, ASSETS RELY ON REAL ESTATE ASSETS.

UM, BUT IT REALLY, THEIR PARTNERSHIP WILL RELY ON SEVERAL CITY DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY TIE WITH JUST ACME WITH JUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR WITH JUST FINANCIAL SERVICES.

IT WILL BE MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS DEPENDING ON WHAT SPECIFIC ASSET THEY'RE WORKING WITH.

THEY JUST CLEARLY COME TO ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION BECAUSE A LOT OF THEIR SPECIFIC INITIATIVES ARE VERY ARTS AND BECAUSE MUSIC FOCUSED, BECAUSE OF THEIR CREATIVE AND CULTURAL TRUST ACTIVITIES, THE LIVE MUSIC, THE ICONIC MUSIC VENUE YOU FIND OKAY.

AND SO FORTH.

I JUST WANNA BE SURE WE'RE NOT LEAVING THEM OUT IN THE COLD BY ABSOLUTELY.

TAKING THAT OFF.

THEY'RE GOING WITHOUT COMMISSIONER.

I FEEL LIKE WELL THEY DIDN'T GET IT LAST YEAR.

THEY DIDN'T GET, THEY ALREADY OUT IN THE COLD.

A LOT OF HELP MARK A LOT OF HELP.

WE ARE.

I MEAN IF IT'S, IF IT'S A CONCERN, I MEAN, WHY DON'T WE MAKE A GENERAL STATEMENT AROUND THEM BEING APPROPRIATELY FUNDED FOR STAFFING TO MEET 20, 25, 26 GOALS AND LEAVE IT THERE SO THAT WE ARE NOT COMPLETELY TAKING IT OUT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AMOUNT IS.

SO IT'S, IT'S JUST MAKE IT A GENERAL STATEMENT AROUND INCLUDING THEM AND, AND, AND FUNDING THEM FOR APPROPRIATE STUFF LEVELS.

I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.

BUT WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD IS LIKE THE EFFICACY OF THE ASK COMES FROM DETAIL AND LIKE JUSTIFICATION.

SO IF IT'S NOT, IF IT'S NOT GONNA DO THE THING TO CROSS IT OVER THE THRESHOLD MM-HMM .

AND BE SEEN AND RECOGNIZED AND UH, AND BELIEVED AS VALUED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE NEXT ROUND, THEN SHOULD WE ANCHOR OUR ASKS IN THINGS THAT ARE MORE IMPORTANT FAIR ENOUGH, AND MORE PRECARIOUS.

JUST A THOUGHT.

YOU KNOW, THE, OH, I WILL BE A HAPPY PERSON IF WE CAN GET STAFF SALARIES.

NOT COMING FROM OUR LIMITED HOT FUNDS LIKE THAT.

IF THAT IS THE ONE THING ON THE BUDGET ASK, I WILL BE HAPPY WITH THAT.

SO, UH, YEAH.

I DON'T WANNA WASTE WORDS OR TIME, YOU KNOW, CREATING SAFEGUARDS FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE COMING TO US ASKING FOR HELP.

UM, AND, AND IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T NEED IT AND NO THAT THERE'S NOT EXTRA MONEY NEEDED FOR EVERYTHING.

BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND THE THING THAT WILL MAKE AN IMPACT, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS WILL MAKE A HELL OF AN IMPACT.

THAT'S MY 2 CENTS ON THAT.

FAIR ENOUGH.

UM, AND THAT'S ECHOED IN MUSIC, SO I FEEL LIKE IF IT'S COMING FROM BOTH SIDES, UM, NOT SO EASILY IGNORED.

UM, ANYBODY HAVE COUNTER THOUGHTS TO THAT? COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, I ASSUME YOU I DON'T HAVE COUNTER THOUGHTS OR, OR THOUGHTS DON'T HAVE TO BE IN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE IN CONTRADICTION.

, I HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S NOT BEING SUPPORTED.

WE HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT DOHERTY.

OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

WE SENT IT, WE DID SEND IN A RECOMMENDATION, BUT BUT IS THAT FOR PARKS TOO? 'CAUSE I GUESS IT'S ALL ACME, RIGHT? IT'S ALL ACME NOW.

IT'S ALL ACME NOW.

SO I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO INCLUDE FROM OUR RECOMMENDATION, SOMETHING POINTED SPECIFICALLY AT THE DOUGHERTY.

AND ON THAT POINT, BECAUSE THE DOUGHERTY AND THE ASIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER ARE THE, THE TWO CULTURAL CENTERS THAT DRAFTED THE MARKETING REQUEST.

OH.

THOUGHT THAT THE CARVER AND THE DAD WAS IN THAT TOO.

IT'S, IT'S LAURA ESPARZA AS A REPRESENTATION OF THE DARTY.

I THOUGHT IT WAS THE CARVER AND THE ASIAN AMERICAN.

YEAH, I THINK CARVER AND ASIAN.

IT IS THE CARVER.

UM, OKAY.

BUT WE WANT TO SUPPORT THAT.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

JUST WHEN I OPEN THAT DOCUMENTATION IN THE BACKUP, THERE IS LIKE A VOTING SECTION AT THE BOTTOM.

ARE THEY COLLECTING SIGNATURES OR ARE THEY WANTING, DO WE KNOW IF THEY'RE WANTING TO ACTUALLY HAVE US INCLUDE THAT IN OUR BUDGET? WHICH I'M HAPPY TO DO.

I THINK DOUGHERTY IS, IS VERY WISE AND THEN SUPPORTING OR IS IT IN THOSE BUDGETS AND THEN THEY'RE JUST LOOKING FOR SIGN? LIKE THAT'S MY QUESTION.

CO-SIGNING.

DO THEY WANT US TO CO-SIGN? 'CAUSE WE CAN DO BOTH, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SATISFYING THEIR ASK THE NEEDS.

ANY IDEAS? LOS ANY IDEAS? NO.

THAT ONE SEEMS FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD TO INCLUDE IF BASED ON WHAT MATT SAID IS LIKE THAT'S GONNA GO TO THE DEPARTMENT, IT'S JUST UNDERSCORING THAT'S WHERE THOSE POSITIONS WOULD LIE.

AND THE ASK IS NOT TO FLATTEN IT INTO HAVING ONE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVE, ALL OF IT.

SO LIKE THAT WILL OR WON'T MAKE IT INTO THE WORK CHART.

I THINK THEIR ASK IS GONNA BE MORE THAN THAT.

IT'S GONNA BE TO HAVE A PERSON FOR EACH PLACE.

OR TO RETAIN, BUT THEY'RE ASKING ACME THAT.

SO.

WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP PEPPERING YOU.

YOU HAVE SO MANY COFFEE.

DON'T, DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS.

[03:30:01]

YOU CAN HIDE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE STILL HERE IS SAYS A LOT.

YOU'RE AMAZING.

WE'VE OFFICIALLY BROKEN A RECORD .

NO, WE'RE RIGHT AT IT.

WE'VE FOUND THREE AND A HALF BEFORE.

UM, WELL, AND IT'S, WE'RE A THREE AND A HALF PLUS TWO PLUS TWO.

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

SO LET'S KEEP GOING.

UM, MUSIC ASKS, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN OR WHAT REVIEWED OF THE MUSIC BUDGET ASK, I THINK THAT FIRST ONE ALONG WITH US IS REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT OVERLAPS.

AND A NIGHT OFFICE.

WE DON'T HAVE JUSTIFICATION TO ASK FOR THOSE THINGS OTHER THAN JUST GIVING YOU OUR, OUR SIGN OF SUPPORT.

SO THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE FIVE ITEMS HERE.

WE HAVE $548,000, UM, TO COVER THE COST OF STAFF, UH, BY THE CITY.

FOR ACME STAFF.

WE HAVE, UH, SUPPORT FOR SERVICE, ORGANIZATION, SERVICE SUPPORT, UH, FISCAL SUPPORT FOR SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.

WE HAVE THE DOWARD SUPPORT OF THE DOUGHERTY SUPPORT OF THE MARKETING ASK FROM THE CARVER AND THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER.

AND THEN THE FISCAL SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE SPACES.

ALTHOUGH THAT IS A PROGRAM THAT'S ALREADY, IT'S BEEN BROUGHT BACK.

IT, IT WILL BE RUN AGAIN NEXT YEAR.

SO DOES IT NEED THAT HELP? BECAUSE THIS WAS BEFORE IT WAS PUT BACK INTO PLACE.

, I I THINK WITH BUDGETS GETTING SLASHED CONCERNS, I WOULD ALWAYS SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON GENERAL FUNDS ALLOCATIONS.

THAT'S ALL FIVE OF THEM.

SALARIES FOR ACME STAFF.

FISCAL SUPPORT FOR SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, SUPPORT FOR THE DOHERTY MARKETING.

ASK FROM THE CARVER AND THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER AND FISCAL SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

ARE WE ALL IN AGREEANCE? THOSE ARE OUR BUDGETS.

AND WHEN WE DO THE SPECIFIC, WE CAN INCLUDE, UH, HEIDI, IS THAT HER NAME? NO.

OH MAN.

THE EMAIL FROM THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER.

AND THAT WE CAN INCLUDE THAT.

THESE ARE DUE ON THE 31ST.

SO PLEASE KEEP EYES ON YOUR INBOX.

UM, IF EDITS NEED TO HAPPEN, THEY NEED TO BE PROMPTED.

COOL.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE FIVE ITEMS THAT I'VE LISTED MULTIPLE TIMES BEING OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 25 26.

UH, YOU WANNA MOTION IT? JUST MOTION IT.

I, I'M MOVED.

I MOVED TO APPROVE THE BUDGET PROOF.

SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER GRAY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CHARLA.

ALL IN FAVOR? I'M SO TIRED.

UNANIMOUS.