Jun 02, 2025 Music

BRUNO FROM PROPER XO $3 SHOWS.

SO ON THE, UH, THE NUMBER ONE, THE FIRST PERSON ON THIS LIST OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS IS LAUREN

[00:05:01]

FUNDING, ARTISTS FIRST DATA STANDARDS.

JUST A REMINDER, EVERYBODY HAS THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.

HELLO.

HI.

THANK YOU FOR ALL BEING HERE.

UM, HELLO EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS LAUREN BRUNO.

I AM AN ARTIST, A MOTHER, THE DIRECTOR OF $3 SHOWS AND ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF PROSPER XO, A PLATFORM AND MOVEMENT ROOTED IN JUSTICE, EQUITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND A SUSTAINABLE PATH TOWARD A LIVING WAGE AND SURVIVAL FOR ARTISTS.

BUT I'M HERE TONIGHT, NOT JUST AS SOMEONE BUILDING SOLUTIONS, BUT AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN SHOWING UP TO FOCUS GROUPS, TAKING SURVEYS AND ATTENDING MANY COMMISSION MEETINGS SINCE 2012.

AND WHAT I NEED TO SAY TONIGHT IS THIS.

THE DATA IS ALREADY HERE.

THE PROBLEM PROBLEMS ARE WELL KNOWN.

WHAT WE'RE LACKING NOW IS ACTION.

AUSTIN CALLS ITSELF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

BUT IF THAT'S TRUE, THEN WE SHOULD BE LEADING NOT LAGGING WHEN IT COMES TO ARTIST PROTECTIONS, REVENUE, EQUITY, CULTURAL POLICY, AND SUPPORT FOR THE CREATIVE AND TECH PROFESSIONALS WHO DRIVE INNOVATION ACROSS THE CITY.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE BEHIND, LET ME ZOOM OUT FOR A MOMENT.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE GLOBE, THERE'S A GROWING DEMAND FOR ARTISTS' RIGHTS, FOR DATA OWNERSHIP, AND FOR BASIC PROTECTIONS LIKE HEALTHCARE, HOUSING, ACCESS, AND FAIR PAY.

BECAUSE THE REALITY IS THIS, THE MUSIC AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ARE PART OF A GLOBAL ECONOMY.

ARTISTS ARE WORKERS.

WE BUILD CULTURE, WE GENERATE TOURISM, WE DRIVE TECH INNOVATION, CULTURAL MOVEMENTS, AND GLOBAL ATTENTION, AND YET WE ARE SOME OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN THAT SYSTEM.

THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE HERE IN AUSTIN WHERE ARTISTS ARE BEING PRICED OUT OF THE VERY CITY.

THEIR WORK HELPS DEFINE.

LET ME PAINT A CLEARER PICTURE.

IN 2023, 75% OF AUSTIN MUSICIANS EARNED BELOW THE CITY'S AVERAGE WAGE AND 20% LIVED BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE.

I AM ONE OF THOSE MUSICIANS.

38%, 38% OF MUSICIANS REPORT STRUGGLING TO AFFORD HOUSING IN AUSTIN.

33% PLAN TO LEAVE THE CITY WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS DUE TO RISING COSTS.

OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A 10% DECLINE IN MUSICIANS LIVING IN CENTRAL ZIP CODES BEING PUSHED FURTHER OUT OF THE MARGINS, NEARLY HALF REPORTED MAKING LITTLE OR NO MONEY FOR LIVE PERFORMANCES.

AND YET, IN 2024, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST GENERATED $377.3 MILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST COLLECTED APPROXIMATELY $385,495 IN APPLICATION FEES FROM MUSICIANS, BUT PAID OUT ONLY ABOUT $57,820 IN TOTAL ARTIST COMPENSATION.

THE DISPARITY HAS LED TO CRITICISM THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST EARNS MORE FROM ARTISTS THAN IT COMPENSATES THEM.

THE UNION OF MUSICIANS HAS LED EFFORTS TO IMPROVE FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST PERFORMERS PROPOSING A MINIMUM OF $750 PER SEAT.

DESPITE THIS, MOST SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ARTISTS ARE STILL OFFERED ONLY 250 FOR BANDS AND 100 FOR SOLO ACTS.

ARTISTS CONTINUE TO COVER TRAVEL, LODGING, AND PERFORMANCE COSTS, OFTEN, OFTEN FOR FREE EXPOSURE, WHILE THE CITY ACTIVELY PARTNERS WITH AND PROMOTES THE FESTIVAL.

DESPITE ONGOING CALLS FROM ADVOCATES, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS TAKEN NO FORMAL ACTION TO ENFORCE FAIR PAY STANDARDS FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST PERFORMERS.

THE GLARING GAP BETWEEN FESTIVAL PROFIT AND ARTIST PAY IS A MICROCOSM OF THE BIGGER ISSUE.

AUST AUSTIN'S CULTURAL ECONOMY IS THRIVING, BUT THE ARTISTS SUSTAINING IT ARE NOT.

AUSTIN'S CREATIVE SCENE SURVIVES BECAUSE OF THE DEEP ONGOING WORK ALREADY BEING DONE BY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZERS, CULTURAL LEADERS, AND ARTIST LED INITIATIVES.

ACME HAS A POWERFUL OPPORTUNITY NOT TO IN REINVENT THE REAL WHEEL, BUT TO AMPLIFY RESOURCE AND CONNECT THE EFFORTS THAT ALREADY EXIST.

WHAT WE NEED NOW IS NOT ANOTHER FOCUS GROUP.

WE NEED REAL SUPPORT, REAL TRANSPARENCY AND REDISTRIBUTION OF POWER OF FUNDING, WHAT WE'RE CALLING FOR, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, PUBLIC REPORTING ON ALL CITY FUNDED CULTURAL PROGRAMS. SHOW ME HOW MUCH FUNDING IS DISTRIBUTED.

SHOW ME HOW MUCH GOES DIRECTLY TO ARTISTS.

SHOW ME WHAT COMMUNITIES ARE BEING SERVED.

DATA OWNERSHIP AND EQUITY AUDITS, INDEPENDENT AUDITS OF CULTURAL

[00:10:01]

SO WE'RE NOT JUST THE PRODUCT, WE'RE THE PARTNER.

REVENUE REFORM AND REAL BENEFITS.

FAIR MINIMUM ARTISTS PAY AT ALL, CITY SUPPORTED EVENTS, TRANSPARENT ACCOUNTING OF CITY INVESTMENTS AND RETURNS.

CITY BACKED HEALTHCARE ACCESS AND CREATIVE WORKER SUBSIDIES, ARTISTS INCLUSION FOR POLICY MAKING.

ARTISTS MUST HOLD VOTING SEATS ON BOARDS, PANELS AND FESTIVAL PARTNERSHIPS.

AND WE MUST BE COMPENSATED FOR OUR TIME AND EXPERTISE.

THIS IS BIGGER THAN ONE CITY.

WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME WHEN AI AUTOMATION AND PLATFORM CAPITALISM ARE, ARE ERODING CREATIVE CONTROL AND VALUE.

IF AUSTIN DOESN'T STEP UP NOW, WE RISK LOSING NOT JUST CAREERS, BUT ENTIRE ECOSYSTEMS OF CULTURE, BUT WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE.

PUBLIC FUNDING DEMANDS, PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, CULTURAL EQUITY DEMAND, STRUCTURAL CHANGE, AND ARTISTS DESERVE TO THRIVE, NOT JUST SURVIVE.

SO LET'S STOP TALKING AROUND THE PROBLEM.

LET'S ACT NOW.

I AND MANY OTHERS ARE READY TO CO-CREATE A MORE JUST TRANSPARENT AND ARTIST CENTERED FUTURE FOR AUSTIN.

THE ONLY QUESTION IS ARGUE.

THAT'S REALLY POIGNANT, REALLY POWERFUL, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THOSE WORDS.

THEY'RE, THEY MEAN A LOT AND WE NEED A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT, THAT CARE ARE ADVOCATES FOR THE MUSIC ECOSYSTEM THAT WE ALL LIVE IN.

AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL AS A CITY GET TOGETHER AND GET BEHIND A LOT OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID.

SO THANK YOU.

UM, UM, SHOULD I CALL THE NEXT PERSON? SHELBY, JUST A REMINDER OF THE THREE MINUTE MOMENT AT THE PODIUM.

I I JUST DIDN'T WANNA CUT YOU OFF.

THAT WAS SICK.

UH, BILL BUNCH WITH SAVE OUR SAVE.

WHAT IS IT? SAY SAVE OUR SPRINGS.

AND THE REST OF THAT PACKAGE THAT THEY'RE NOT ALSO NOT BEING HONEST ABOUT.

OH, HEY, HOWDY.

HOW ARE GOOD EVENING.

I'M BILL BUNCH WITH SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE, UH, HERE TO ASK Y'ALL TO DO A FEW THINGS TONIGHT.

ONE IS SUPPORT THE SAVE THE SOUL OF AUSTIN PETITION DRIVE THAT'S GOING AROUND THAT WOULD GIVE US A VOTE ON THE CONVENTION CENTER.

AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON THAT.

FIRST, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

I VOLUNTEERED AND SERVED ON THE TOURISM COMMISSION FOR FOUR YEARS AND DID INCREDIBLY DEEP DIVE ON ON THIS INFORMATION.

I'M ALSO A LAWYER, SO I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU'RE NOT BEING TOLD THE TRUTH BY MANY FOLKS WHO ARE PUSHING THE CONVENTION CENTER ON THE LIMITATIONS AROUND WHAT THE MONEY CAN BE USED FOR THE HOT TAX.

UH, AND JUST TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, A FEW KEY FACTS.

LAST YEAR WE COLLECTED $170 MILLION OF HOT TAX.

UM, THAT WAS BEFORE THEY JUST ADDED TWO ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAMS THAT WILL PUSH IT OVER COLLECTING, UH, OVER 200 MILLION.

AND THAT'S EVEN WITHOUT ANY FUTURE GROWTH.

UM, AS Y'ALL WELL KNOW, LIVE MUSIC IS JUST GETTING A FEW MILLION OUT OF THAT.

UM, IF THIS CONVENTION CENTER GOES FORWARD, CITY STAFF HAS TOLD US IN WRITING THEY HAVE TO SET ASIDE $5.6 BILLION OF REVENUE OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS TO MAKE THE INTEREST PAYMENTS, PAY THE UPFRONT CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND PAY 70 TO 90 MILLION A YEAR IN ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS, WHICH ARE REALLY OPERATING LOSSES.

THE WHOLE CONVENTION BUSINESS IS DEAD.

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY CORRUPT MOVE BY OUR COUNCIL.

UH, AND THEY'RE RUSHING FORWARD WITHOUT GIVING US A VOTE.

IN 1998, WE GOT TO VOTE FOR THE 110 MILLION, YOU KNOW, A ORDER OF MAGNITUDE LESS TO EXPAND THAT GAVE US THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT WE HAVE TODAY.

NOW, THEY ARE GOING FORWARD, AS Y'ALL KNOW, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING, OH, IT'S TOO LATE.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE.

UH, THE DEMOLISHING WHAT WE HAVE NOW IF THEY GO FORWARD WITH THAT, IS A TINY, TINY FRACTION OF THAT 5.6 BILLION.

WE'RE STARING AT A 30 YEAR COMMITMENT.

ONCE THEY ISSUE THAT DEBT FOR A DEAD MODEL, 1% OF VISITORS COME TO AUSTIN FOR CONVENTIONS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER OR OTHER EVENTS INCLUDING SOUTH BY LESS THAN 1%.

PEOPLE COME HERE FOR LIVE MUSIC, FOR BARTON SPRINGS, FOR UNIQUE LOCAL RESTAURANTS, CULTURE AND THE ARTS.

AND WE'RE ABOUT TO STARVE OURSELVES OF THAT MONEY OR LET THE COUNCIL STARVE US OF THE MONEY THAT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO A REAL AUSTIN, TO THE PEOPLE AND THE PLACES THAT MAKE AUSTIN WHAT IT IS FOR WHAT A CONVENTION CENTER THAT'S GONNA BE EMPTY

[00:15:01]

IF YOU'VE SEEN THE DESIGNS, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE THESE SHELLS SHOWN ABOVE GROUND WITH THE MAIN CONVENTION CENTER UNDERGROUND.

THOSE ARE GONNA BE SUBSIDIZED, HIGH-END DOWNTOWN EVENTS, LIVE NATION CONTROLLED.

SO ALL OF THE MONEY'S GOING DOWNTOWN.

AND EVERYBODY WHO CARES ABOUT ARTS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, CARES ABOUT LIVE MUSIC.

VENUES OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN IS GONNA GET VIRTUALLY NOTHING FOR 30 YEARS.

IT'S TIME FOR ALL OF US TO STAND UP FOR OURSELVES, FOR LIVE MUSIC, FOR NATURE IN THE CITY, FOR ARTS AND THEATER AND CULTURE AND PEOPLE RATHER THAN GIANT, UH, CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES AND THE LUXURY HOTELS THAT, UH, WOULD GET A LITTLE BIT OF THIS BENEFIT.

THANK AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE IN ALLOWING ME TO GO OVER JUST A BIT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

BILL, CAN YOU TELL US HOW WE CAN, UM, GET AHOLD OF YOUR OF SAVE SPRINGS? YES.

UH, THANK YOU FOR ASKING.

SO AUSTIN UNITED PAC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE, SO PA AUSTIN UNITED PPAC.COM.

IF YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE, YOU CAN READ THE PETITION, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD AND PRINT ONE AND, AND GATHER SIGNATURES YOURSELF, BUT ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE SHORT DOCUMENTARY, UH, IT SHOULD BE PART OF YOUR WORK AS A COMMISSIONER.

UH, AUSTIN FREE PRESS PRODUCED A 19 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY FEATURING THE NATIONAL EXPERT ON THE CONVENTION CENTER BUSINESS, WHO'S A PROFESSOR AT UT SAN ANTONIO HAYWOOD SANDERS.

AND IT LAYS OUT WHAT A PHENOMENAL WASTE OF MONEY THIS, THIS PROJECT IS, AND IT'S REALLY THEFT FROM WHAT ACTUALLY DOES BRING VISITORS HERE.

AND THOSE OF US LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE HERE, GET TO ENJOY, BUT, BUT WHICH WE'RE LOSING AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY TOLD THERE'S NO MONEY FOR, YOU KNOW, A A FEW MILLION HERE AND THERE.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.

ON A CONVENTION CENTER MODEL THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY BENEFITS A FEW AND TIES UP MARKETING FUNDS FOR 30 OR MORE YEARS? WHY NOT DOUBLE DOWN WITH MARKETING THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE MADE THIS CITY WORLD FAMOUS? LITERALLY, IT'S MUSIC, IT'S FOOD, IT'S STORIES, ITS HISTORY, ITS CREATIVE SOUL.

UM, WE HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS, UH, FROM MARY JANE NALLY.

HOPE I SAID THAT RIGHT.

HI, GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS MARY JANE NALLY AND I AM AN AUSTIN RESIDENT AND A REGISTERED VOTER IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT.

FOR 48 YEARS, I WAS CO-OWNER OF A COMPANY THAT PRESERVED, REVITALIZED, AND MARKETED A COLLECTION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND CREATED ONE OF TEXAS' MOST BELOVED CULTURAL DESTINATIONS.

THE GREEN HISTORIC DISTRICT AT THE HEART OF IT STANDS GREEN HALL, WHICH WAS THE VENUE THAT ACTUALLY STARTED IT ALL FOR US.

THAT'S HOW WE CAME THERE.

THAT'S WHY WE CAME THERE.

THE MUSIC BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER AND IT CREATED, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SYNERGY.

IT BUILT COMMUNITY AND IT LITERALLY POWERED AN ENTIRE LOCAL COM ECONOMY.

I SERVED FOR 25 YEARS ON THE NEW BRAUNFELS CHAMBERS STRATEGY AND STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH DEVELOPED AN EXECUTED VISITOR MARKETING AND FUNDED BY THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX MONIES.

I COMPLETED TWO TERMS ON THE TEXAS TRAVEL INDUSTRY BOARD, AND I WORKED WITH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR ON SPECIAL MARKETING PROMO PROMOTIONS AT THEIR REQUEST.

I UNDERSTAND WHAT DRAWS PEOPLE TO A PLACE AGAIN AND AGAIN.

IT IS NOT GENERIC VENUES OR MASSIVE FACILITIES.

IT'S AUTHENTIC CULTURE, DEEP-ROOTED HISTORY, ORIGINAL MUSIC AND FOOD AND DISTINCTIVE LOCAL FLAVOR.

AND AUSTIN REALLY DOES HAVE ALL OF THAT RIGHT NOW.

SO WHY NOT LEAD WITH THAT? ANY CITY CAN BOOK A MAJOR TOURING MUSIC ACT OR BUILD A CONVENTION CENTER.

AND OF COURSE, MANY HAVE DONE SO AS YOU KNOW.

BUT FEW CITIES OFFER WHAT AUSTIN DOES, WHICH IS A RARE CONCENTRATION OF ICONIC VENUES, EXCEPTIONAL WORKING MUSICIANS AND CHEFS, AND AN UNMISTAKABLE CULTURAL IDENTITY THAT'S NOT JUST AUSTIN'S BRAND, IT IS AUSTIN'S COMPETITIVE EDGE.

THE PROPOSED CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION WOULD TIE UP AUSTIN'S HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDS FOR 30 PLUS YEARS.

AND THAT'S AN ENTIRE GENERATION.

IN DOING SO, WE RISK STARVING THE VERY ASSETS THAT MAKE AUSTIN WORTH VISITING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THIS IS NOT REALLY A BUDGET DECISION, IT'S REALLY A VALUES DECISION.

WILL WE PRIORITIZE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT BENEFITS A NARROW SEGMENT OF THE MARKET? OR WILL WE INVEST IN THE LIVING, BREATHING CULTURAL ECO ECOSYSTEM THAT MAKES AUSTIN, AUSTIN, WHY NOT CONSIDER A STRONGER, SMARTER INVESTMENT INSTEAD OF DOUBLING DOWN

[00:20:01]

I'VE PERSONALLY WITNESSED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU INVEST IN ARTISTS, PROTECT HISTORIC VENUES AND CELEBRATE LOCAL FOOD CULTURE.

YOU DON'T JUST GROW TOURISM, YOU BUILD PRIDE, YOU DEEPEN IDENTITY, AND YOU CREATE LONG-TERM ECONOMIC RESILIENCE.

AUSTIN DOESN'T NEED TO BE LIKE EVERY OTHER CITY.

AUSTIN NEEDS TO BE MORE OF WHAT IT ALREADY IS AN EXTRAORDINARY HUB FOR MUSIC, FOOD, CULTURE, AND HISTORY.

I RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU NOT TO SUPPORT THE CONVENTION PROJECT INSTEAD INVEST IN WHAT MAKES THIS CITY ICONIC ALREADY.

IT'S BEAUTIFULLY SAID.

THESE AREN'T NOSTALGIC RELICS.

UM, WE HAVE ONE MORE FROM PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS FROM BEN LIVINGSTON.

HELLO COMMISSIONERS.

THAT'S ME, BEN.

I'M ALSO AN AUSTINITE AND REGISTERED VOTER.

I'VE SPENT MOST OF MY LIFE IN AUSTIN AS A NEON ARTIST AND SONGWRITER, AND I'VE HAD THE HONOR OF HELP HELPING SHAPE OUR TOWN'S IDENTITY FOR OVER FOUR DECADES.

MY NEON SIGNS HAVE LIT UP AND STILL LIGHT UP LEGENDARY PLACES LIKE AUSTIN, CITY LIMITS, THE CONTINENTAL CLUB, THE BROKEN SPOKE, EVEN GOOD OLD THREAD GILLS, GOD BLESS 'EM.

AND I DIDN'T JUST DO SIGNS.

I ACTUALLY PERFORMED AT MANY OF THESE VENUES AS WELL.

AND AS YOU KNOW, THESE PLACES, THEY CULTURALLY DEFINE WHERE CROWDS COME TO LISTEN AND WHERE THE STORIES MATTER.

THANKS TO, UH, I'M ALSO THE ARTIST WHO CREATED THE NEON SCULPTURE INSIDE THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, THANKS TO ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, BUT JUST WEEKS AGO, THE CITY PAID ME TO TAKE IT DOWN BEFORE THEY START TO DEMOLISH THIS PERFECTLY GOOD BUILDING AND IT AND TAKE IT TO LANDFILL.

LIKE WHY WOULD THIS HAPPEN? I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND.

AS I'M WALKING DOWN THE HALLS OF THIS GREAT CONVENTION CENTER, I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS PERFECTLY GOOD BUILDING WOULD JUST GO UP IN SMOKE.

EVEN THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE SAID IT WAS FINE, AS IS FOR SOUTH BY WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT AUSTIN HAS EVER HOSTED.

SO WHY ARE WE THROWING $1.6 BILLION AT REPLACING IT WITH ITS DUMB DOWN DISNEY VERSION OF ITSELF? IT'S BUILT BY, IT'LL BE BUILT BY REAL ESTATE INVESTORS AND USED BY CORPORATE CHAINS FROM OUT OF TOWN.

MEANWHILE, AUSTIN IS SITTING ON $5 BILLION OPPORTUNITY.

THIS IS REAL MONEY FOR OVER 30 YEARS THAT COULD SUPPORT WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES THIS CITY GREAT.

LIKE WORKING ARTISTS, SMALL VENUES AND OUR PRECIOUS PARK, UH, PUBLIC PARKLAND.

THEY'RE LIVING INFRASTRUCTURE.

THEY ARE HOW AUSTIN, THIS IS HOW WE TELL OUR STORY, THIS MAGIC HOLE THAT BILL WAS TALKING ABOUT.

IT'S A FACT DRIVEN DOCUMENTARY AND IT'S PRODUCED BY THE AUSTIN FREE PRESS LAYING OUT HOW IT WOULD SIPHON OFF OVER $130 MILLION A YEAR OF OUR HOT TAX.

THIS IS MONEY THAT OUR PARKS, OUR ARTS AND MUSIC COMMUNITY DESPERATELY NEED TO THRIVE.

WE DON'T NEED A CONVENTION CENTER PRETENDING TO BE AUSTIN.

WHAT WE NEED IS TO FIND WHAT IS AUSTIN.

THAT'S WHAT TOURISTS WANT TO SEE.

ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, REAL VENUES, AND OUR BEAUTIFUL NATURAL PARKS, HANDMADE ALIVE, NOT SOME LED LIT MADISON AVENUE KNOCKOFF.

SO I URGE YOU, LET'S NOT WASTE THIS ONCE IN ADJUST A GENERATION CHANCE.

LET'S INVEST WHERE THE HEART'S STILL BEATING.

I'M ASKING YOU TO HELP SAVE THE SOUL OF AUSTIN AND SUPPORT OUR PETITION TO STOP THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.

A THRIVING COMMUNITY AND WITH A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT CARE AS MUCH AS YOU DO.

THESE ARE ALL REALLY POWERFUL AND BEAUTIFULLY SAID WORDS BY, YOU KNOW, OUR, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS TOWN AND CARE A LOT.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS ABOUT THE CITY IS THAT WE HAVE THINGS LIKE THE MUSIC MISSION, AND IT'S NOT JUST YOU SPEAKING TO THE HANDFUL OF US, IS THAT THIS IS PUBLIC ACCESS AND, AND YOU'RE SPEAKING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, AND IDEALLY A LOT OF THEM GET BEHIND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

AND WE CAN HAVE

[00:25:01]

SO THANK YOU.

AND NOW, UH, NOW WE HAVE THE LIVE

[2. Live Music Fund collections briefing by Kim McCarson, Program Manager, Music & Entertainment Division, Office of Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment. ]

MUSIC COLLECTIONS BRIEFING BY KIM MACARON, PROGRAM MANAGER IN MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION, OFFICE OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.

HELLO, I'M KIM MACARON, PROGRAM MANAGER OF MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.

AND, UM, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GIVE ME THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND IT'S THE ONLY SLIDE.

SO I'M REPORTING THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS THROUGH APRIL, 2025.

AND SO OUR NUMBER HERE IS, UH, FOR APRIL IS 816,197, WHICH GIVES US A TOTAL ACCUMULATION OF 2,863,904.

UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN IMPROVEMENT OVER THIS TIME LAST YEAR AND, UM, A LITTLE BIT LESS FROM TWO YEARS AGO, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN LAST YEAR.

SO IT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS BLUE BLOCK ON THE THIRD COLUMN, UH, FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 25.

AND, UH, THAT IS THE APRIL.

AND YOU CAN COMPARE THAT TO THE BLUE BLOCK ON THE OTHER TWO YEARS BEFORE THAT.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

AND NOW THERE'S NO QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS.

THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM AIRPORT LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCES BRIEFING BY ERICA CHALEY.

SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO

[3. Austin-Bergstrom Airport (AUS) Live Music Performances briefing by Erica Shamaly, Division Manager, Music & Entertainment Division. ]

HELLO EVERYONE.

ERICA SHAMLEY, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.

UH, TWO CALL OUTS.

I JUST WANNA CALL OUT NAGA VALLEY.

CHARLA, OUR CHAIR, WHO'S IN LONDON RIGHT NOW.

IT'S PROBABLY TWO 30 IN THE MORNING NOW THAT'S A ROCKSTAR.

AND I WANNA, YOU KNOW, ALSO CALL OUT BILL BUNCH AND SAVE OUR SPRINGS.

I FEEL LIKE THE MUSIC COMMISSION HAS MADE IT.

YOU'RE HERE.

EFFORTS ON OUR CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM BECAUSE WHAT WOULD AUSTIN BE WITHOUT EVENTS, WITHOUT EXPERIENCES, MUSIC, MUSICIANS, VENUES.

LIKE, IT'S AMAZING.

SO I AMAZING ADVOCACY MY WHOLE LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN.

SO ANYWAY, UH, SO I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU JUST A HIGH LEVEL UPDATE ON THE MUSIC AT THE AIRPORT.

AS YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN AT THE ACME OFFICE, THE OFFICE OF ARTS CULTURE MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT WAS FORMED IN FEBRUARY, AND WE'RE STILL TRANSITIONING TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE CITY, INCLUDING MUSIC AND ARTS FROM, UH, AUSTIN BERGSTROM AIRPORT.

WE WILL PROVIDE YOU A MEMO OF THOSE UPDATES, UH, VERY SHORTLY THAT WE WILL GO TO STAFF THAT WE WILL ALSO SHARE WITH YOU.

AND, UH, SO MORE TO COME ON WHAT THIS TRANSITION LOOKS LIKE WITH MUSIC AND ARTS AT THE AIRPORT COMING TO ACME.

ANY QUESTIONS? NA CHAIR.

MADDI CHAIR.

HI, UH, I, HI.

UH, YEAH, UH, IT'S ONE O'CLOCK HERE.

THANK YOU, ERICA.

I JUST, UH, , I JUST, UM, I I JUST SAW A NOTE FROM COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND AND I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME CLARIFICATION THERE.

UM, I ACTUALLY DIDN'T UPDATE THE ITEM FROM, UM, DISCUSSION TO STAFF BRIEFING.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS PRESENTED BACK TO ME BY STAFF, BUT, UH, MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT, UH, OUR UNDERSTANDING, UH, IN APPROVING IS THAT, UH, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THE SAME DISCUSSION UNDER THIS AS WELL.

IT'S JUST THAT THE INITIAL UPDATE, UH, IS COMING FROM, UH, THE INITIAL UPDATE IS COMING FROM STAFF.

AND THE SAME DISCUSSION CAN BE HAD, CAN THIS TOPICS, YOU CAN ACTUALLY NO DISCUSSION AMONG COMMISSIONERS, BUT YOU CAN ASK STAFF, WHOEVER IS HERE TO ASK DIRECT QUESTIONS FOR ANSWERS ON THE RECORD.

UH, HOW, HOW'S IT ALL GOING? ? UH, WELL, TO, TO COME THERE, THERE'S A, MY MOTHER'S WEEK.

IT'S JUST A LOT OF TRANSITION.

THIS IS A LOT OF WORK, OBVIOUSLY, BRINGING ACME TOGETHER.

THIS HAS BEEN DECADE AND MORE IN THE MAKING OF CONSOLIDATING ALL OF THE ARTS, MUSIC, AND CULTURE UNDER ONE UMBRELLA IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

OBVIOUSLY, IT'S A HUGE IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR SO MANY DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THE YEARS, AND WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE THIS FOCUS IN ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND THE NEED FOR THE FOCUS.

AND SO BY FINALLY HAVING THIS UMBRELLA ORGAN, YOU KNOW, UH, DEPARTMENT OFFICE NOW AND DEPARTMENT STARTING IN OCTOBER, IT SHOWS THE HOW MUCH THE CITY CARES ABOUT OUR CREATIVE ECONOMY AND OUR CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM HERE IN AUSTIN.

UH, ALL, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT, I MEAN, OF COURSE THIS IS TRUE AND THIS IS WHY THE CITY HAS FORMED, UM, ACME IN ORDER TO REALLY FOCUS AND, UH, OUR

[00:30:01]

UH, SO I'M VERY PROUD THAT WE'RE HERE NOW, UH, TALKING TO YOU AND THAT WE WILL BE ALSO, YOU KNOW, FOLDING IN WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE AIRPORT.

UM, THE MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION HAS WORKED FOR YEARS WITH THE AIRPORT ALREADY, AND SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE.

UM, IF, IF IT'S OKAY, CHAIR, UH, VALDO, IF, IF YOU WOULD, UM, UH, ALLOW FOR, UM, MS. WHITE TO SPEAK, I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, APPRECIATE THAT IF I HAVE THAT POWER.

ABSOLUTELY.

UM, PLEASE, YOU CAN RECOGNIZE, DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS SHE SPEC? YOU CAN ASK US ANY QUESTIONS DIRECTLY.

YOU, IT'S ASK ME IF, IF YOU COULD JUST, IF YOU COULD ASK, UH, ANYTHING MS, TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE AIRPORT.

MAY I HAVE MS. WHITE COME UP AND GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE AIRPORT? UH, YES.

ON THE CURRENT ACTIVITIES HAPPENING NOW.

SURE, PLEASE.

UM, FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.

NO, YOU'RE GOOD.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

UH, MY NAME IS CONSTANCE WHITE AND I, UM, LET'S SEE.

I'M TRYING TO LIKE STAY WITHIN THE RULES HERE.

UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME OR DON'T KNOW ME, I AM A SEASONED, UM, VETERAN, UM, ARTS ADMINISTRATOR.

AND, UM, FOR OVER 30 YEARS I'VE WORKED ON ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMS AND FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS, I'VE BEEN THE ARTS OR THE GUEST SERVICES DIVISION MANAGER, UM, AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

UH, MY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE ELEVATING THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE WITH THE JOURNEY THROUGH A US AS WELL AS OVERSEEING ARTS AND, UH, MUSIC AT THE AIRPORT THAT INCLUDES EXHIBITIONS, UH, LIVE PERFORMANCES AND ART IN PUBLIC PLACES.

I'VE DONE THIS WORK IN OTHER PLACES, UH, LOVE FIELD, DFW, SAN DIEGO, AND SOME OTHER AIRPORTS, UH, SINCE 2002.

UM, CURRENTLY THE STATUS OF THE AIRPORT IS, UM, AS OF MARCH 21ST, WE HAD SOME, IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS, IT'D BE BEST TO ASK NOW TO LEAD THE DI UH, LEAVE THE CONVERSATION.

BUT WE CAN ALWAYS BRING MS. WHITE BACK TO ELABORATE OR GO AND YEAH, IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT, BUT FEEL FREE TO ASK HER ANY QUESTIONS.

AND AS LONG AS YOU'RE COMFORTABLE TO ANSWER, YOU CAN DO THAT.

YEAH, I THOUGHT THE QUESTION WAS PROVIDE, CAN YOU PROVIDE AN UPDATE THAT IS WAY TOO VAGUE.

IS THAT TOO VAGUE? YES.

ALRIGHT, ASK.

PARSE OUT HOW YOU, WHAT UPDATES YOU WOULD LIKE HER THAT MIGHT BE, IF THAT WORKS BETTER FOR YOU.

I CAN'T ASK THE QUESTIONS.

THE CHAIR HAS TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, THEN TELL HIM THE QUESTION IF, I MEAN, I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN DONE THIS WAY.

ANYBODY, COMMISSIONER ADA HAS ALWAYS ASKED PUBLIC COMMS OR ANYBODY THAT HAD A QUESTION, FEEL FREE TO ASK A QUESTION.

ANYBODY ON THE DAIS, JUST MAKE SURE IT'S SPECIFIC SO YOU CAN HELP MS. WHITE ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS WITHIN TOMA GUIDELINES.

MS. WHITE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

CAN YOU UPDATE US ON THE MUSIC AT THE AIRPORT AND HOW THAT IS GOING? I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT QUESTION IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS QUESTION.

YOU'RE FINE.

GO FOR IT.

UM, CURRENTLY, UM, I'M WORKING WITH A TEMPORARY STAFF AS OF MARCH 21ST.

I HAD A DRASTIC CHANGE IN STAFF.

THE MUSIC COORDINATOR THAT ALL OF YOU I'M SURE ARE VERY, UH, FAMILIAR WITH, UM, HAD, IS TAKING SOME LEAVE AND, UH, WILL NOT BE BACK, UM, TO BE DETERMINED.

SO AS OF MARCH 21ST, I HAD TO PIVOT AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAINTAIN THE PROGRAMS. UH, MICHAEL HAD WORKED REALLY HARD TO SUPPORT THE MUSICIANS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

WE WERE, WE HAD 27 TO 30 PROGRAM OR PERFORMANCES HAPPENING WEEKLY, WHICH YOU ARE AWARE FOR ABOUT A MONTH WE SCRAMBLED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CANCEL SHOWS, RESCHEDULE SHOWS, REBOOK MUSICIANS, AND, UM, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE NOW STABILIZED IN THE PROGRAM AND PRESENTING STILL ABOUT 20 SHOWS A WEEK BEFORE MICHAEL LEFT, UM, HE HAD DETERMINED, WE HAD DETERMINED THAT 30 SHOWS, 27 TO 30 SHOWS A WEEK WITH ONE MUSIC COORDINATOR, ONE FULL-TIME SOUND ENGINEER, AND A PART-TIME SOUND ENGINEER WAS JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE EVEN WITH THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE THAT HE HAD.

AND SO WE HAD STARTED PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE AND, UM, AND THE

[00:35:01]

AIRPORT IS EXPANDING.

AND SO, UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE ARE, IS STILL THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE.

WE HAD THREE GOALS, UM, EXPAND ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH TO THE LOCAL MUSICIAN COMMUNITY TO RAISE AWARENESS.

SOME OF YOU ATTENDED OUR FOCUS GROUP, WE STARTED THAT PROCESS.

UM, USE BEST PRACTICES TO IMPROVE TALENT ACQUISITION AND SCHEDULING FOR EFFICIENCY AND EFFICACY.

WE'VE STARTED THAT PROCESS AS WELL.

UM, HOW DID WE DO THAT? WE DID, WE, UH, DID A BENCHMARK WITH BEST PRACTICES OF OTHER AIRPORTS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO UNDERSTAND A LEVEL OF STANDARDS AND A BAR THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO, UH, MAINTAIN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ACME AND BUILD A STRONGER, MORE SUSTAINABLE PROGRAM THAT BRINGS US INTO CITY COMPLIANCE WHILE ALLOWING STAFF TO SCALE FOR THE FUTURE.

AND THAT INCLUDES PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF YOU AND YOUR RESOURCES IN ADDITION TO PARTNERSHIP WITH ACME.

SO AS MY COLLEAGUE ERICA STATED, THIS IS A FLUID PROCESS.

WE ARE IN TRANSITION AND JUST WAITING TO, UH, RECEIVE MORE IN COMMUNI MORE COMMUNICATION ON, UM, STEPS FORWARD.

BUT FOR THE TIME BEING, UM, UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO ESTABLISH, UM, WHAT THE TRANSITION LOOKS LIKE, I'M STILL WORKING WITH MY TEMPORARY STAFF TO, UM, MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SHOWS AT 20 RIGHT NOW, AND THAT MEETS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE MUSICIANS, UM, OUR EXECUTIVES AS WELL AS THE CONCESSIONAIRES WHO FOOT THE BILL FOR THE MUSICIANS.

HI, MY NAME'S CLAYTON ENGLAND CLAYTON.

UM, I CURRENTLY RUN THE HOLE IN THE WALL.

UH, I'M HERE IN AUSTIN.

UM, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IN YOUR TRANSITION, WHICH SEEMS TO BE AN OVERARCHING THEME, UH, I UNDERSTAND AND VERY MUCH SO APPRECIATE, UH, WHAT ACNE IS DOING AND, AND HOW THEY'RE, UH, GATHERING THIS INFORMATION AND CREATING THESE GUIDELINES.

UM, BUT I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, SINCE YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON IN FRONT OF ME, 'CAUSE I'M RATHER NEW HERE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THIS TRANSITION.

WHAT SPECIFIC, UH, SPECIFICALLY ARE YOUR LARGEST OBSTACLES? IS IT THE TEMPORARY STAFF? IS IT THE AMOUNT OF WORK TO MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE FOR THE AMOUNT OF PROGRAMMING THAT YOU'RE DOING? IS IT THE MONEY? UH, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHERE YOUR PAIN POINTS ARE IN TRYING TO ESTABLISH WHAT YOUR FUTURE GOALS ARE.

OUR BIGGEST OBSTACLE IS, UM, THE PROGRAM WENT FROM THREE STAGES TO EIGHT STAGES IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

AND THERE WAS ONE STAFF PERSON DEDICATED TO MANAGING THE EXPANSION AND THE EXPECTATIONS OF, UH, OUR CONCESSIONAIRES AND THE, THE TRAVELING PUBLIC.

AND SO THE WAY THAT, UM, STAFF WORKED WITH THE CONCESSIONAIRES TO ATTRACT TALENT WAS VERY RELATIONSHIP ONE-TO-ONE, WHICH IS NOT SUSTAINABLE WHEN THAT PERSON IS NO LONGER HERE OR GOES AWAY OR GOES ON VACATION OR TAKES TIME OFF.

SO CREATING, UM, A FOUNDATION OF SUSTAINABILITY THAT IS MORE COMPLIANT WITH HOW THE CITY DOES BUSINESS IS HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO ESTABLISH THE PROGRAM, OF COURSE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ACME SO THAT IT ISN'T RELIANT ON MY RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU, BUT IT'S RELIANT ON A SYSTEM AND A PROCESS.

THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

OF COURSE.

DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? SCOTT? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT IF POSSIBLE.

CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YEAH.

YES.

SO, UM, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS.

I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT.

UM, BACK ON APRIL 3RD, UH, MY PROJECT WAS, UH, DID AN AIRPORT GIG.

DURING THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, THIS TIME OF TRANSITION, I, AND I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SELENA ASSIST AND, UH, AUDIO ENGINEER IAN, WHO, UH, GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN STAGES, THEY WERE, IT, IT WAS TOUGH, IT WAS TOUGH FOR THEM, BUT THEY DEFINITELY WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL WHERE WE TAKE CARE OF, WE WOULD START ON TIME AND HAVE A GOOD SOUND.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO CONVEY THEM, UH, AT LEAST MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH FROM THIS TRANSITION.

UH, THEY MADE IT WORK.

THEIR GIGS SECURED AT THE AIRPORT WHEN THEY ARRIVE? WE'RE WORKING ON IT.

IT WASN'T EASY, BUT THEY DO.

I MEAN, I REMEMBER THEM HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, BEING STRESSED OUT ABOUT HAVING TO GO TELL YOU THE STAGES AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF YOU AS THE ARTIST.

I MEAN, AND IT WASN'T THE SMOOTHEST, BUT I'M GONNA SAY, UH, JUST KUDOS TO THOSE PEOPLE FOR STEPPING IN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT IS, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM EMPLOYING MORE SOUND ENGINEERS TO MAKE SURE THAT MUSICIANS HAVE

[00:40:01]

I'M WORKING WITH TALENT ACQUISITION TO, TO DO SO.

UM, THE SOUND ENGINEERS NOT ONLY PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE MUSICIANS, BUT THE AIRPORT HAS CLIENTS, CLIENT EVENTS, UM, WITH THE AIRLINES AND UM, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AT THE AIRPORT THAT REQUIRES A FULL-TIME SOUND ENGINEER.

AND SO THAT IS A PRIORITY AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

AND, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK AS WELL, CONSTANCE.

UM, THE, IIII, I JUST, I WANT TO MAKE, AND I'M KIND OF GOING OFF HERE, I'M, I'M A LITTLE BIT NUANCED RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF MUSICIANS THAT HAVE HAD A LOT OF SHOWS CANCELED, AND THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF MUSICIANS THAT HAVE HAD THOSE SHOWS, REBOOKED AND THEY'VE BEEN PAID.

UH, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT PART OF THE VISION PER, UM, I, I REMEMBER THERE WAS A AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, UM, MEETING AND ALL THAT STUFF.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL THING.

I WAS IN THAT MEETING TOO.

KEVIN RUSSELL WAS IN THAT MEETING.

UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SPOKE ABOUT WAS DIVERSITY.

THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY HAD NEVER HAD GIGS AT THE AIRPORT.

UM, AND SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO, AND THAT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO ENSURE HAPPENS.

UM, AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE LEGACY PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN PLAYING AT THE AIRPORT FOR A VERY LONG TIME, UM, MONTH OVER MONTH.

AND THAT DEPEND ON THAT INCOME.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A VERY FINE LINE TO WALK.

UM, AND THIS GIG IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY.

I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THE WEEDS ON CHECKING THROUGH TSA AND HAVING TO GET BADGED IN AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.

BUT, UM, IT, IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

I THINK THAT DURING THE HEIGHT OF SUMMER WHEN WORK FOR MUSICIANS IS AT ITS LOWEST SUMMER AND WINTER ARE THE DROUGHT MONTHS, UM, FOR MUSICIANS IN THIS CITY THAT WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UH, CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE MUSICIANS SCHEDULED, THAT THE BUDGET STAYS ALLOCATED, WHERE IT IS THAT THE PROGRAM CONTINUES ON, UM, AND THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER POSSIBLY, OR HOWEVER THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW ALL THE INFORMATION.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT I'M HERE TALKING ON BEHALF OF THE MUSICIANS AND GETTING MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS, AND I'M DON'T CARE ABOUT THE POLITICS OF THIS.

SO THAT'S MY, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SAY, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

UH, BUT THE KEEPING UP WITH THE AMBITIONS OF STAFF AND HAVE NOT BEING ABLE TO LIKE, TAKE A PAUSE, TAKE A BREAK AND UNDERSTAND LIKE, AM I DOING THIS THE BEST WAY? SUFFERING FROM EXHAUSTION, TRYING TO FILL IN FOR OTHER STAFF IF SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE OFF, IF THERE'S AN URGENCY OR AN EMERGENCY, NOT HAVING ANY REDUNDANCY IN STAFF, JUST, IT WAS NOT A SUSTAINABLE PROCESS.

YEAH, SCOTT, IN RESPONSE TO THAT, I'D LIKE TO SAY BUSINESS CONTINUITY IS IMPORTANT TO US AS WELL BECAUSE THERE IS AN EXPECTATION FROM OUR TRAVELING PUBLIC, UM, TO SEE AND HEAR LOCAL AUSTIN TALENT.

UM, SO WE GET COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, EVEN FROM THE CONCESSIONAIRES, IF THERE IS A BREAK IN THE ROBUST SCHEDULE THAT WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED.

SO THE INTENTION IS TO NOT GO LESS THAN WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS 20 SHOWS A WEEK.

AND THAT'S JUST WITH THE PART-TIME STAFF THAT WE HAVE.

SO COMMISSIONER ADA, HOW YOU FEELING? Y YES.

I FEEL I'M, UM, AT A LEARNING CURVE FOR THIS, UM, ISSUE.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S, UM, JUST A, A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT'S KIND OF SIMMERING THAT I'M NOT QUITE ABLE TO TUNE INTO, BUT FOR MY OWN UNDERSTANDING, THE STAGES WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AIRPORT GREW TO EIGHT STAGES, CORRECT? YES.

SO THAT'S, SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A POSITIVE THING FOR AUSTIN BECAUSE WE'RE HAVE MORE STAGES FOR ARTISTS TO PERFORM.

HOWEVER, THERE ARE HICCUPS IN THE SYSTEM WHERE PERSONNEL AND PERHAPS BUDGET, I ASSUME ARE HAVEN'T GROWN TO BE ABLE TO ADMINISTRATE THE MORE, THE, THE NEW STAGES.

UM, SO AS THE, THE AIRPORT IN, LET'S SEE, 2018 EXPANDED, UM, I THINK ADDED SOME NEW GATES ON THE EAST SIDE AND WITH THE EXPANSION NEW, UM, STAGES WERE BUILT INSIDE THE REVENUE GENERATING SPACES, THE RESTAURANTS.

UM, AND SO IT'S LIKE GREAT, THOSE ARE SOLO DUO STAGES.

IT'S EASY ENOUGH TO BOOK SOLO DUO STAGES, UM, AND STAFF, UH, DEEPLY CONNECTED WITH THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, UM, AND VERY AMBITIOUS, JUST RAISED THE BAR AND JUST KEPT RAISING THE BAR AND ADDING MORE SHOWS AND ADDING MORE SHOWS.

THE FUNDING ISN'T AN ISSUE.

THE CONCESSIONAIRES ENJOY HAVING THE MUSICIANS IN THEIR SPACES BECAUSE THEY HAVE DATA THAT SHOWS THE LONGER PEOPLE DWELL IN THE SPACES THE MUSIC DRAWS THEM IN, THEY SPEND MORE TIME, THEY SPEND MORE MONEY.

[00:45:01]

AND SO THERE WAS A VERY ABRUPT, UM, UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCE THAT CREATED AN INTERRUPTION WITH STAFF IN ONE DAY THAT REALLY SHOWED A SPOTLIGHT ON, WE HAVE TO EVOLVE THE PROCESS SO IT ISN'T SO RELIANT ON ONE TEAM MEMBER.

COPY THAT.

THAT SOUNDS , THAT ANSWERS IT.

THAT SOUNDS, ANSWERS IT.

I FEEL LIKE, UM, I MIGHT HAVE TO DO SOME MORE EXPLORING AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, OF COURSE.

AND, UM, THE, UM, ALL THE, THE DATA THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED US, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE FROM STAFF AND THE COMMISSIONERS AND OTHERS PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS AND WHAT DOES THAT TIMEFRAME LOOK LIKE? THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING SO MUCH MORE CLARITY INTO THIS THING.

THAT'S PRETTY NEW TO ME.

ALSO, I'M KIND OF LEARNING REAL TIME HERE AND APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND BRINGING SO MUCH LIGHT INTO IT AND, YOU KNOW, UM, EXPOSING THESE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN, IN OUR CITY REAL TIME.

SO THANK YOU.

CHAIRMAN OF THE CHARLIE HAS HER HAND UP.

OH, SORRY.

I'M USED TO YOU LEADING ME.

, THANK YOU.

WELL, THANKS, THANKS FOR THE UPDATE AND, UH, YES.

UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC TO HAVE ON THE COMMISSION AGENDA.

UM, SO, SO WITH WITH, I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT MICHAEL'S OUT, I MEAN, ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, PLEASE KEEP US POSTED AS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS THINGS ARE IN MOTION WITH, UH, ACME, UH, IF THERE ARE ANY STAFFING UPDATES.

AND ALSO MY QUESTION WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MUSIC MUSICIANS, MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, SOUND ENGINEERS WORK ON CONTRACTS, AND CAN SOME OF THE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, CAN SOME OF THE, UH, STAFFING ISSUE, IF THERE IS A DEFICIT THERE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH WORK THERE NEEDS TO BE DONE, CAN THAT BE MITIGATED, UH, THROUGH TEMPORARY STAFF? UH, UH, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING BEFORE, UH, MORE CONCRETE DECISIONS ARE MADE.

THAT'S HOW WE'VE ADDRESSED THE, THE ISSUE SO FAR.

UH, AND IT'S JUST THE, UM, THE, THE AIRPORT HAS, LIKE I SAID, EIGHT STAGES, UM, ONE MAIN STAGE, AND EACH STAGE IS ITS OWN PERSON, IF YOU WILL.

THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CHARACTER, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITY.

THERE'S BACK LINE, THERE'S THE COMPLICATIONS OF BEING A SOUND ENGINEER, LEARNING NEW VENUES, EIGHT MICRO VENUES IF YOU WILL.

UH, BUT THEN THERE'S THE AIRPORT.

UM, SO THERE IS AN ON RAMP OF LEARNING THE AIRPORT ITSELF BECAUSE THERE'S SECURITY, THERE'S MANDATORY TRAINING THERE.

UM, JUST THE NUANCES.

IT ISN'T AS EASY AS JUST HIRING A CONTRACTOR AND THEY CAN JUST COME IN AND HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.

UH, THERE'S GETTING TO KNOW THE SITE, UM, AND THEN THERE'S GETTING TO KNOW THE AIRPORT AND THAT PROCESS TAKES, YOU KNOW, A MONTH TO SIX WEEKS.

UH, BUT STILL WITH SOME LEARNING AS WELL.

I'VE BEEN THERE, LIKE I SAID, FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS, AND, UM, I'VE GONE 30 DAYS WITHOUT SETTING OFF AN ALARM.

SO I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

YES.

UM, SO IT, IT, UH, WE ARE, UM, WE ARE RUNNING, UH, AS FAST AS WE CAN, UH, BUT ALSO NOT MAKING TOO MANY ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT HOW WE WILL PROCEED UNTIL WE, UH, ARE ARE BETTER ABLE TO ESTABLISH THE RELATIONSHIP WITH ACME, UM, YOU KNOW, MANAGING THE PROGRAMS AND, YOU KNOW, COMING IN WITH THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, IDEAS OR VISIONS OR WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE WE'RE STILL TRANSITIONING.

AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS KIND OF MAINTAINING AN EXPECTATION FOR NOW UNTIL THE CONVERSATIONS GROW TO BEING MORE ROBUST WITH ACME, SO THAT WE ARE TRULY, YOU KNOW, IN PARTNERSHIP AND HAVE A, A COLLABORATIVE VISION AS THE, YOU KNOW, THE VENUE, THE SITE, THE SPONSOR DEPARTMENT WITH THE, UM, THE MANAGING DEPARTMENT.

I, I THINK WE'RE STILL WORKING ON HOW THAT RELATIONSHIP IS GOING TO WORK.

SO WHAT IS THE, OKAY, SO JUST SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THIS BETTER, UH, THE FUNCTION OF BOOKING MUSIC AT THE AIRPORT IS MOVING TO ACME, IS THAT CORRECT?

[00:50:02]

SO THAT'S NOT BEEN COMPLETELY DEFINED AS YET NO.

AS TO WHO OWNS WHAT FUNCTION? NO, 90 DAY, 90 DAYS OLD, MORE OR LESS.

AND, UM, STILL ROLLING OUT LIKE THE CREATIVE RESET AND STILL HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS STAFF, UM, JUST REALLY WORKING ON ORGANIZING HOW OPERATIONS WILL WORK.

GOT IT.

YEAH, I MEAN, UH, I, I'M COMING FROM THE PLACE WHERE FIRST, WHEN THIS WAS SHARED, UH, BY THE CITY MANAGER, UH, AT LEAST MY GENERAL UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT, UM, ANYTHING RELATED TO MUSIC ARTS, UH, IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS WERE ESSENTIALLY MOVING UNDER ACME.

AND THAT'S WHERE MY QUESTION'S COMING FROM.

UM, OKAY.

SO THE, THE R AND R IS STILL GETTING DEFINED, UM, AS TO HOW THIS WILL WORK AROUND BOOKING MUSIC AT THE AIRPORT? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, YES.

NOW, SO I WOULD THANK YOU.

I WOULD, I WOULD REQUEST AN UPDATE, UH, DEFINITELY, UH, FROM THE CITY AT THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING ON, UH, ON WHERE THIS LANDS.

UH, AND IF WE COULD PLEASE ADD THAT BACK TO THE AGENDA.

OF COURSE.

OF COURSE, JIM AND I, UH, JUST ONE MORE THING.

DO I HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? SO HERE'S ONE, I, UH, AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LEARNING CURVE.

AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT WE QUICKLY GREW TO EIGHT STAGES, UH, THAT WAS NOT, THAT WAS KIND OF IMPLEMENTED ON STAFF, THE GROWTH OF EIGHT STAGES, SO, AND WE'RE, UM, AND, AND THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE EIGHT STAGES NEEDS TO GROW QUICKLY AS WELL.

IS THAT WHAT WE'RE GETTING AT HERE? I THINK WHAT WE'RE GETTING AT IS THERE IS A, UM, A CHICKEN EGG OR QUID PRO QUO SITUATION IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE 20 TO 30,000 PASSENGERS ON A DAILY BASIS.

AND SO WE EXPANDED AND THE CONCESSIONAIRE LIKE OWN REAL ESTATE, AND THEY, THEIR DATA SAYS IF THERE'S A MUSIC, IF MUSIC IS PLAYING IN THE SPACE, LIVE MUSIC, PEOPLE STAY LONGER AND THEY SPEND MORE MONEY.

AND SO OUR REAL ESTATE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, UM, NEGOTIATES WITH OUR CONCESSIONAIRES, AND THEY BUILT STAGES IN THE, THE VENUES.

UM, AND ADD, IT WENT FROM THREE STAGES TO EIGHT STAGES, UM, AS OF I THINK 2019.

AND WE COULD HAVE ONE SHOW ON EACH STAGE A DAY, UM, BUT SOME, AND THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF HAVE TRENDED, RIGHT? UH, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, AND TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF LIKE, WE JUST WANT TO BOOK AS MANY MUSICIANS AS WE CAN TO FEATURE AS MUCH TALENT AS WE CAN.

THAT TIMING HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY.

AND SO STAFF IS DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB OF BOOKING MUSICIANS.

STAFF DIDN'T REALLY STOP TO ASSESS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, IS THERE, HOW CAN I DO THIS MORE EFFICIENTLY OR MORE EFFECTIVELY? OR WHAT NEEDS DO I HAVE AND HOW CAN I KIND OF STOP AND RESET TO GET THE NEEDS FULFILLED TO SUSTAIN MYSELF AS AN INDIVIDUAL, RIGHT? LIKE, THIS IS NOT ME.

THIS IS ME SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OUR TEAM MEMBER.

AND SO IT WASN'T UNTIL I CAME ALONG ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO, AND HOW I OPERATE AS A TEAM MEMBER IS TO JUST KIND OF ASSESS.

AND I'M LIKE, DUDE, YOU, LIKE, YOU'RE BOOKING A HUNDRED SHOWS A WEEK BY YOURSELF.

AND, UH, HE'S LIKE, I KNOW I'M TIRED, , AND, UH, LIKE, BE A THOUGHT PARTNER WITH ME.

HOW CAN I DO THIS DIFFERENT? 'CAUSE HE'S BEEN DOING THIS LIKE RENT CYCLE REPEAT FOR 10, 12 YEARS, BUT THE PROGRAM STARTED IN 99 WITH THE MAIN STAGE, AND THEN THEY GREW THREE STAGES AND THEN EIGHT STAGES.

AND GUESS WHAT? WE'RE BUILDING A NEW CONCOURSE AND A NEW ARRIVALS IN DEPARTURES HALL, AND THE DEMAND IS STILL COMING.

AND SO I THINK WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF ACME, AND IN THIS ASES ANOTHER ASSESSMENT PHASE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE TALENT NEEDED, UM, TO CONTINUE TO FULFILL THE DEMAND, NOT ONLY FROM OUR STAKEHOLDER, THE CONCESSIONAIRES, BUT THE LOCAL MUSICIANS, UM, AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, UM, AS WELL.

THAT WAS A BIG LONG ANSWER, BUT YES AND YES, AND IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE, IT'S KIND OF NUANCED ALSO,

[00:55:01]

UH, AND I, I WANT TO THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, AS ACME GETS ROUNDED AND FIGURES OUT LIKE HOW THIS COALESCES, UM, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

CONSTANCE, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

I ALSO WANT TO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MICHAEL SPENT A LOT OF TIME, UM, AND HARDLY EVER TOOK A DAY OFF AND BUILT THIS PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE NOW, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE SWEAT ON HIS BACK.

LIKE, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A THING, BUT HE DID AN AMAZING JOB, UM, DOING THIS.

AND THIS AIRPORT IS THE, UM, THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER OF MUSICIANS IN THE CITY, IF NOT MORE THAN THAT.

SO, UH, IT'S JUST MISSION CRITICAL THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO REITERATE THE SUPPORT, WHATEVER IT IS THAT IS NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT CONTINUE TO BE, UM, THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER OF MUSICIANS IN THE CITY.

YOU KNOW, THAT WE RECOGNIZE AT AUSTIN THAT THIS, OUR AIRPORT IS THE BENCHMARK, AND MICHAEL HELPED GET US THERE, AND WE HAVE YOU TO HELP FACILITATE THAT AS WELL.

THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.

SO WE ARE THE BENCHMARK.

EVERYONE'S CALLING US FOR THE ANSWERS.

ALL THE VENDORS LOVE US, LIKE WE MAKE THEM MONEY AND ALL THAT STUFF.

AND, UM, THAT'S WHERE THAT'S AT.

SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT CONTINUES.

I HAVE A COMMENT, UM, COULD IT ALSO BE THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER OF TALENT BUYERS IN THE CITY IF IT'S GETTING THIS MANY MUSICIANS? I, I THINK THAT COULD BE PROBABLY HELPFUL.

YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU'RE CYCLING THROUGH THAT MUCH MUSIC AND ONE PERSON IS BOOKING A HUNDRED SHOWS A WEEK, I THINK THAT SOUNDS LIKE NO, NO, NO.

THERE'S A TALENT BUYER NOT A HUNDRED SHOWS A WEEK.

IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT WAS HYPERACTIVE.

UM, HOWEVER MANY OF YOU'RE BOOKING, RIGHT? IT'S MORE THAN REASONABLE FOR ONE PERSON, AS YOU'RE SAYING.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE TIRED AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A LONG TIME.

AND, UM, SO AGAIN, I THINK I SHOULD PROBABLY LEARN WHAT'S HAPPENING A LITTLE BIT CLOSER BEFORE I MAKE ANY REAL COMMENTS, BUT MOSTLY I DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT HERE, MORE TALENT BUYERS.

IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE TO MEET THE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S, IF SOMEBODY'S BOOKING TOO MUCH AND THEY'RE TIRED, I THINK THE ANSWER WOULD BE TO HIRE ONE MORE PERSON TO HELP THEM OUT.

MAYBE AS I THINK THE, THE ANSWER THAT WE'VE SURMISED IS THAT WE NEED A SYSTEM AND A PROCESS THAT'S COMPLIANT WITH HOW THE CITY DOES SERVICES WITH VENDORS AND WITH TALENT.

AND WE CAN'T HAVE A ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIP FOR THE AMOUNT OF TRANSACTIONS THAT HAPPEN FOR MUSICIANS HAPPENING AT THE AIRPORT.

WE NEED A, A BETTER PROCESS THAT ISN'T RELIANT ON ONE PERSON.

UM, AND IF THAT IS A, A SYSTEM OF TALENT BUYERS, LIKE WE JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET MM-HMM .

BUT WE NEED TO ESTABLISH A DIFFERENT PROCESS AND A DIFFERENT SYSTEM FOR DOING THAT.

THERE'S A GUY RIGHT BACK THERE.

YOU'RE FIVE O'CLOCK AND HE'S GOT THE BIGGEST DATABASE OF MUSICIANS.

I KNOW.

I, I WORKED WITH HIM.

HE CAME TO OUR, OUR SESSION.

DATA IS CONFIRMED, AND, AND I DON'T THINK THERE IS A DESIRE FROM ANYONE IN THE CITY TO, UH, HAVE A LESS, HAVE THE REPUTATION, UM, RECEDE FROM THERE.

SO, YOU KNOW, JUST A REMINDER, CHAIR, CHARLA AND ALSO COMMISSIONER AGUILAR ARE PRESENT WITH QUESTIONS.

CHAIR.

GO AHEAD AND THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER.

YES.

UH, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT AND, AND ALSO CONCUR WITH WHAT WAS SAID EARLIER BY COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND IS, I MEAN, I, I I'M A BIG FAN OF BENCHMARKING AND, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT EFFORT IN BENCHMARKING, UH, WITH HOW OTHER AIRPORTS ARE, UH, OPERATING, UM, ET CETERA.

I DO THINK AS, UH, A MUSIC TOWN, WE REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS AND ACTUALLY SET AN EXAMPLE MM-HMM .

RIGHT? UH, AND CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

SO I THINK WHATEVER WE COME UP WITH, UM, UH, SHOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, AN IMPROVEMENT ON WHATEVER'S BEING DONE SO FAR.

UH, AND, AND IT, IT, IT HAS TO BE A, A STEP FORWARD, UH, AND NOTHING GOING, TAKING US BACKWARD.

RIGHT? AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS WITH, UH, OPERATIONS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS OPERATION NEEDS AND EVERYTHING, BUT I REALLY HOPE THAT WHEREVER THIS IS BUILT, UH, IT'S BUILT IN A FUTURE FORWARD WAY, IT IS AN UPWARD TREND FROM WHERE WE ALREADY ARE, WHICH, UH, HAS BEEN GREAT SO FAR.

AND, AND WE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO SET AN EXAMPLE AS A MUSIC TOWN ON HOW, HOW MUSIC IS DONE, UH, AT THE AIRPORTS.

UH, THANK YOU.

OF COURSE THIS IS CORRECT.

THERE'S OVER 13,000 COMMERCIAL AVIATION, UM, AIRPORTS IN THIS COUNTRY, UH, A HUNDRED OR LESS HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, ART PROGRAMS PERIOD, AND THEN EVEN LESS HAVE MUSIC PROGRAMS. UM, AND THOSE, YOU KNOW, STAFF DOES, UH, CALL AUSTIN TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT OPERATIONS.

AND SO THIS, THIS

[01:00:01]

OF COURSE, COMMISSIONER AGUILAR, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.

AND, UH, YEAH, I'M HOPING, UH, THAT IN THE FUTURE WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION AND, AND, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS AS WELL AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY STAFF IT PROPERLY AND, AND, AND NOT HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS STRESS AND, AND, AND ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I KNOW IT'S AFFECTING, UH, BOOKINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND, AND SHOWS AT, AT THE AIRPORT AGAIN.

UH, SO THANK YOU STRICK, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION JUST NOW THAT THE STAFF THAT SELENA AND IAN THAT YOU WORKED WITH JUST STARTED , SO YEAH.

AND THEY, THEY WERE FANTASTIC.

I APPRECIATE LIKE YOUR, WERE FANTASTIC OBSERVATION THAT THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB EVEN WITH THE STRESS, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING? AM I BREAKING ANY RULES? AM I, SO THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

NO, THEY, THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB, BUT, UH, I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, COME TO A SOLUTION LIKE AS, AS COMMISSIONER STRIP HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT, SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE MORE PEOPLE, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, LESS, LESS, UH, SHOWS GET CANCELED AND, AND ANY OF THOSE THINGS SO WE CAN KEEP, UH, EMPLOYING MUSICIANS THERE AT THE AIRPORT.

IT'S A GREAT GIG.

IT REALLY DOES.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERN? UH, COMMISSIONER BELVIN, PLEASE.

UH, YES.

I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW MUCH OF THE EXCUSE MEMO OF MY VOICE OF THE HOT FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED TOWARDS THIS PROGRAM AND PAYING MUSICIANS ANYTHING? NONE, BUT TOURISM STARTS AT THE AIRPORT.

NONE.

INTERESTING.

THE, UM, THE PROGRAM AT THE AIRPORT IS, OR THE MUSICIANS ARE PAID THROUGH OUR CONCESSIONAIRE, SO IT'S REV AIRPORT REVENUE.

SO ALL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE, CAN YOU HEAR, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? YES.

ALL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE THE AIRPORT, UM, IS AN ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY.

AND SO THEY, THE AIRPORT GENERATES ITS OWN REVENUE AND IT SPENDS ITS OWN REVENUE ON ALL OF ITS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND, UH, PROGRAMS. SO THE, THE, THERE IS A COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR CONCESSIONAIRES, AND WITHIN THEIR AGREEMENT, THEY HAVE A CLAUSE ABOUT HOW WE WORK WITH OUR MUSICIANS, AND THAT'S HOW THE MU THE CONCESSIONAIRES DISPENSE PAYMENTS FOR THE MUSICIANS BECAUSE THE MUSICIANS ARE PERFORMING IN THEIR REVENUE SPACES IN THEIR RESTAURANTS.

I'M JUST THINKING IN MY HEAD, THEY'RE HOT TECH FUNDS, IT'S ABOUT TOURISM TO AUSTIN.

A LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN THROUGH THE AIRPORT.

SO I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT, WAS IT, COULD IT BE A, A SUPPLEMENTAL WAY TO PAY MUSICIANS MORE THAN WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY GETTING? UM, JUST THINKING OUT LOUD HERE, JUST INTERESTING TO ME THAT THERE'S NOTHING GOING TOWARDS THEM.

APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU GUYS ARE DOING OUT THERE.

OF COURSE.

ANYONE ELSE HAVING COMMISSIONER SILVA? I THINK WE'RE GOOD FOR NOW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR, HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

TO CULTURAL FUNDING, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BRIEFING BY CANDACE COOPER, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW WE MOVE ON

[4. Cultural Funding Community Engagement briefing by Morgan Messick, Assistant Director, Office of Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment (ACME).]

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES.

UM, I'M MORGAN MESSICK.

I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.

IS THIS MY CLICKER? YES.

UM, AND I WILL BE UPDATING YOU TODAY ON, UM, THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE CALLING THE CREATIVE RESET AND THE WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATES, DATES, WHICH DIRECTION DO I PUT IT IN? .

GOT IT.

COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE IS WHAT IT'S CALLED, CONVENED BY COUNCIL.

UM, SO I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU, UM, A QUICK UPDATE.

UM, SINCE THE LAST MUSIC COMMISSION WHERE I PRESENTED, WE HAVE, UM, WE KICKED OFF OUR ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS AT THE END OF MAY.

AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE LAST TIME THAT WE WERE HERE TOGETHER ARE OUR FOCUS GROUPS.

WE HAVE BEEN HOSTING ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH

[01:05:01]

FOLKS.

UM, WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED MEETINGS IN A BOX, WHICH IS A TOOLKIT FOR ORGANIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS TO HOST THEIR OWN SORT OF SMALLER FOCUS GROUP IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TO ONE OF THESE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.

WE HAVE PUBLISHED OUR SURVEY ONLINE AND DISTRIBUTED THAT THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION CHANNELS AVAILABLE TO THE CITY.

AND WE HAVE COLLECTED AND BEGAN ANALYZING AND SYNTHESIZING ALL THE FEEDBACK FROM THE ACTIVE WORKING GROUP, UM, COMMISSIONS, BOTH MUSIC AND ARTS.

AND SO THAT HAS TAKEN THE FORM OF ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT WAS RECEIVED IN WORKING GROUPS HAS BEEN USED TO REDLINE THE LAST EXISTING VERSIONS OF OUR GUIDELINE DOCUMENTS.

SO WE HAVE REDLINED WITH ALL THE FEEDBACK YOU GAVE PREVIOUSLY, THAT GIVES US A NEW FRAMEWORK TO WORK FROM.

AS WE WORK TO SYNTHESIZE ALL THE OTHER FEEDBACK THAT IS COMING THROUGH THESE MANY DIFFERENT CHANNELS.

UM, STAFF WORK GROUP HAS BEEN CONVENED, WHICH INCLUDES ALL MEMBERS OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM, THOSE ARE DIVISION MANAGERS AND MYSELF TO, UM, START INCORPORATING THAT FEEDBACK.

SO WE'VE BEEN MEETING FOR THE LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS WHAT THAT PLAN IS, WHAT THE FRAMEWORK FOR THAT IS, BUILDING ON THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, PREVIOUSLY.

AND THE ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS, UM, ARE SCHEDULED TO MOSTLY CONCLUDE BY JUNE 5TH.

SO STARTING NEXT WEEK WE'LL ACTUALLY START DIVING IN ON WHAT ACTUALLY INCORPORATING THAT FEEDBACK LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON THE PLAN FOR THAT.

SO SOME OTHER DATA THAT WE ARE USING TO INFORM THIS PROCESS IS, UM, A HISTORICAL COMMUNITY FEEDBACK REPORT THAT HAS BEEN GENERATED INCORPORATING ALL THE INFORMATION WE RECEIVED FROM THE YEAR 2020 THROUGH 2025.

AHEAD OF THIS PARTICULAR EFFORT, WE HAVE HAD OUR STAFF DOING BENCHMARKING, LOOKING AT PEER CITIES, AND THAT LOOKS LIKE GOING THROUGH A LIST OF PEER CITIES THAT AUSTIN IS OFTEN COMPARED TO, UM, TO PULL OUT ALL OF THEIR PROGRAMS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR FUNDING PROGRAMS. AND THAT INCLUDES, UM, BOTH PROGRAMS THAT ARE USING HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND OTHER WAYS THAT THEY ARE PAYING FOR IT.

MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE A DIFFERENT AVENUE HOW THEY PAY FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

AND SO WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT THOSE MODELS AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANSION, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT THEIR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAMMING, UM, THAT IS A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION AS WELL, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO THIS COMMISSION, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON AN ORDINANCE UPDATE.

THAT ORDINANCE WAS LAST UPDATED IN 1985.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO BRING FORWARD, UM, KIND OF THE ECOSYSTEM OF CREATIVE FUNDING AND BRING IT INTO THE YEAR 2025.

WE ARE ALSO INCORPORATING INFORMATION FROM OUR PARTNERS AT THE LONG CENTER ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND WORKING WITH OUR LAW DEPARTMENT ON USES OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, AS WE ALWAYS DO EVERY YEAR WHEN WE'RE WORKING ON GUIDELINES.

JUST TO GIVE YOU A, UH, SNAPSHOT OF HOW THAT WORK HAS BEEN GOING.

WE HAVE PUBLISHED A COMMUNITY FACING DASHBOARD WHERE YOU CAN GO AND SEE ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON, AS WELL AS GET KIND OF WEEKLY UPDATES ON HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THOSE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AND KIND OF A HUB FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT.

APOLOGIES FOR NOT HAVING A BETTER VANITY URL TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY.

YOU CAN SEE THIS FULL INFORMATION@PUBLICINPUT.COM SLASH LOWERCASE A 8 8 7 7 0.

OR YOU CAN GO TO AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/ACME AND YOU CAN ACCESS IT FROM THERE.

THAT'S MUCH EASIER.

BUT HERE'S A LITTLE SCREENSHOT I SNACKED FOR YOU.

SO THIS WEEKLY REPORT WAS GENERATED ON MAY 27TH, AND THAT WAS LAST THURSDAY, I BELIEVE.

SO AT THAT TIME, WE HAD ALREADY HOSTED FOUR FOCUS GROUPS.

WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED 570 SURVEY RESPONSES, AND WE HAD ALREADY CONCLUDED 45 PLUS ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS.

SO SINCE THAT TIME, UM, THIS NUMBER HAS BEEN GROWING, OUR PLAN IS TO CREATE A REPORT THAT GETS PUBLISHED BY EVERY FRIDAY OF THE WEEK.

SO AT THE END OF THIS WEEK, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE THAT WE PUBLISH, AND THEN NEXT WEEK, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD DO OUR, UH, FINAL UPDATE ON ALL THOSE INPUT STRATEGIES.

BUT WE'LL KEEP UPDATING ALL THE INFORMATION ON THAT PUBLIC INPUT PAGE, WHICH WE'RE USING AS OUR DASHBOARD TO KIND OF SHOW YOU OUR PROGRESS ALONG THE WAY.

WE, OF COURSE, WE'LL COME BACK AT THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING, UM, TO REPORT OUT, BUT WE ARE AVAILABLE BY EMAIL IF YOU WANNA CHECK IN ALONG THE WAY AS WELL.

THIS IS THE TIMELINE, UH, THAT I SHARED AT THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING, I BELIEVE.

AND WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE JUNE PHASE OF THE TIMELINE, WHICH IS ANALYZING AND REVISING.

SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE GATHERING ALL THAT DATA AND OUR INTERNAL STAFF IS WORKING ON, UM, THE, THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'LL USE TO ANALYZE THE DATA TO CREATE THESE UPDATED GUIDELINES WITH A GOAL TO HAVE DRAFT FINAL GUIDELINES AVAILABLE IN JULY.

OUR PLAN IS TO TAKE OUR FINAL GUIDELINES TO COMMISSION MEETINGS TO DO A FORMAL PRESENTATION WITH OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM.

UM, THAT WILL BE THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT THAT WILL BE THIS COMMISSION, THAT WILL BE THE ARTS COMMISSION.

AND THEN THERE IS AN ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

[01:10:01]

AND WE'LL ALSO BE, UH, REPORTING THERE IN JULY.

SO WE PLAN TO HAVE, UM, THAT FORMAL UPDATE FOR YOU TO GET YOUR FINAL FEEDBACK.

AND THEN OUR GOAL IS TO TAKE THOSE GUIDELINES TO COUNCIL ON JULY 24TH AND BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OPENING PROGRAMS THIS FALL AND DISTRIBUTING MONEY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

ON THE HEELS OF THAT, WE HAVE MARKED EARMARKED THAT AS FEBRUARY ON HERE.

UM, IF IT CAN HAPPEN FASTER, GREAT, BUT WE'RE ALSO JUST BEING AWARE OF THE TIMELINE AND HOW MUCH EFFORT IT GOES INTO ACTUALLY DOING THAT.

SO THAT'S OUR ESTIMATE AT THIS TIME.

SO HOW CAN YOU STAY INVOLVED? SO WE APPRECIATE YOU, UH, SUPPORTING OUR FEEDBACK LOOP.

UM, I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE JOINED FOCUS GROUPS MAYBE EVEN THIS WEEK OR EVEN TODAY.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, THERE'S STILL A CHANCE TO JOIN SOME OF THOSE LINKED ON OUR WEBSITE.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP, OUR SURVEY IS STILL ACTIVE.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE THAT AND SHARE THAT WITH, UM, PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR PUSH THAT OUT TO FOLKS THAT YOU HAVE AROUND YOU THAT, THAT YOU CAN GET TO HELP TAKE THAT.

UM, IF NEITHER OF THOSE WORK FOR YOU OR YOU'D RATHER LIKE A DIRECT TOUCH, PLEASE REQUEST A ONE-ON-ONE WITH STAFF OR A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AND JUST KEEP HELPING US SPREAD THE WORD.

UM, LIKE I SAID, ACME LEADERSHIP PLANS TO BE BACK AT THE JULY MEETING SO THAT WE CAN PRESENT THOSE GUIDELINE UPDATES TO YOU.

AND YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OF THE CREATIVE RESET AT AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/ACME/CREATIVE-RESETS.

AND HERE IS OUR HOMEPAGE WHERE ALL THE INFORMATION LIVES.

AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME ABOUT THAT PROCESS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

AND UM, COMMISSIONER JUST HAD NOTE, PLEASE.

UM, MY GOODNESS, YOU'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON.

THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT EVERYBODY WANTS THIS TO SUCCEED WITH FLYING COLORS, AND IT'S A REALLY EXCITING TIME, I'M SURE.

UM, HOW ARE THE, ARE YOU WITH THE TIMELINE? I SEE THE TIMELINE.

ARE YOU GUYS ON TRACK? ARE THE, ARE THE GOALS BEING MET OR IS IT JUST, I'M CURIOUS.

YES, OF COURSE.

SO OUR INTERNAL GOALS ARE CURRENTLY BEING MET, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE CONCLUDING THE, THE FEEDBACK LOOP, LIKE THE FOCUS GROUPS WILL CONCLUDE THE ONE-ON-ONES.

AND THE SURVEY, THE SURVEY DOESN'T CLOSE, BUT THE, WE'RE WE'RE CLOSING THE PORTION THAT WE'RE USING TO INFORM THIS CURRENT GUIDELINE UPDATE THAT WE'RE DOING ON JUNE 5TH.

SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY WAITING FOR THAT TO SYNTHESIZE ALL THE DATA.

BUT AS FAR AS INTERNAL WORK GOES, WE ARE MEETING OUR MILESTONES.

WE'RE MEETING DAILY AS A PROJECT TEAM, WE'RE MEETING WEEKLY WITH OUR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM TO GIVE THEM UPDATES AND THEY ARE IN TURN UPDATING THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

BUT EVERYTHING IS MOVING FORWARD, UM, AS EXPECTED.

IT'S BEEN A REALLY AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE, WHICH IS WHY I'M SURE YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT THIS.

SO, YEAH, SO FAR EVERYTHING IS HITTING OUR MARKS.

UM, IT'S JUST BEEN A LOT OF WORK AND I THINK TIME WILL TELL AS WE GET INTO INCORPORATING THAT FEEDBACK AND COMING BACK TO PRESENT THE GUIDELINES, HOW MUCH MORE WORK DO WE HAVE TO DO BEFORE IT'S READY TO GO TO COUNCIL? COMMISSIONER , GO AHEAD.

OH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, AT SOME POINT IN THE AGENDA, I WAS STARTING TO THINK ABOUT OTHER, HOW INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE WE ARE IN AUSTIN, UM, TO HAVE SUCH A ROBUST, UM, CULTURAL ARTS SCENE AND, UH, A PRETTY SUPPORTIVE GOVERNMENT WITH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND, AND ALL THE WORK THAT EVERYONE HERE HAS, HAS DONE.

UM, HOW MANY PEER, PEER CITIES ARE THERE THAT YOU ALL REFER TO? LIKE HOW, HOW, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS? UM, THAT, WHO ARE OUR COLLEAGUES IN, IN TERMS OF AUSTIN AND OTHER PLACES? SO ON OUR PUBLIC INPUT DASHBOARD THAT I SHARED THE LINK FOR EARLIER, YOU CAN SEE THE FULL LIST THERE.

UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMPARISONS, WHETHER IT'S STAFF LOOKING OR LIKE EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS LOOKING, THERE ARE TYPICAL CITIES THAT WE ALWAYS LOOK AT.

UM, IT WON'T SURPRISE YOU TO HEAR SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS, HOUSTON, BECAUSE THEY'RE IN OUR ECOSYSTEM HERE.

BUT WE ALSO LOOK AT PLACES LIKE EL PASO.

UM, WE LOOK AT PLACES LIKE NASHVILLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A SIMILAR MUSIC SCENE AND BECAUSE THEY, THEY ACTUALLY MIRROR SOME OF THEIR PROGRAMMING AFTER OURS.

WE LOOK AT SEATTLE, CHICAGO, UM, WHICH ARE TWO CITIES WITH DIFFERENT REVENUE SOURCES THAN WHAT WE HAVE AS INSPIRATION.

UM, I BELIEVE WE LOOKED AT EIGHT DIFFERENT CITIES, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THAT LIST THERE.

AND IT SHOULD INCLUDE ALL THE ONES THAT I JUST MENTIONED.

I, I BELIEVE NEW ORLEANS IS ALSO ON THE LIST.

SHAMLEY, WHO YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH.

WELL, HOW BIG IS YOUR TEAM INTERNALLY? YOU SPEAK ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP AND TEAM? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

SO, UM, THE FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING INTERNALLY ON THIS PARTICULAR GUIDELINE WRITING PROJECT IS ALL OF OUR DIVISION MANAGERS, UM, WHICH IS ERICA

[01:15:01]

MATTHEW SCHMIDT FOR, UM, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION, UM, MELISSA ALVARADO WITH HERITAGE TOURISM.

AND THEN WE AND MYSELF, UM, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A MEMBER FROM THE EDD COMMUNICATIONS TEAM WHO HAS BEEN SUPPORTING US IN THIS TRANSITION.

HER NAME IS BRITTANY PLATT.

SO SHE'S SUPPORTING US.

UM, SHE'S THE PERSON WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLISHING ALL THE WORK WE'RE DOING ON THAT PUBLIC INPUT PAGE.

AND SHE'S ALSO HELPING US PROJECT MANAGE OUR WORK AS WE GO THROUGH THE MEETINGS, BUT WE'RE ALSO ENGAGING WITH OTHER STAFF.

WE'RE NOT DOING IT IN A SILO.

WE ARE BUILDING THE FRAMEWORK SO THAT WE CAN GET STAFF INPUT AND LIKE, HAVE A PLACE TO FUNNEL ALL THE INFORMATION.

UM, YOU CAN'T MAKE A DECISION WITH LIKE A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.

SO WE HAVE CREATED A WORK GROUP TO FUNNEL THE INFORMATION TO.

WE WILL BUILD IN ALL OF THE FEEDBACK, WE'LL PRESENT IT WITH STAFF, WE'LL PRESENT IT WITH THE INTERNAL LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND THEN WE WILL BRING IT FORWARD TO BRING TO THE COMMISSIONS.

SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR LEVELS OF REVIEW AND APPROVAL, STARTING WITH THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING TO SYNTHESIZE IT.

SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT JUST LIKE TYPING IN A ROOM BY OURSELVES, MR. SO, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO GET ON THE, UH, DASHBOARD TO SEE WHAT KIND OF RESULTS YOU GET FROM THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS.

DO YOU, I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THE SURVEY ENDS FRIDAY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, JUNE 5TH.

SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE SURVEY OPEN, BUT THE DATA COLLECTION FOR THIS PROCESS ENDS ON FRIDAY.

SO THE WORDS YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE IS LIKE SURVEY CLOSES FRIDAY, BUT LIKE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT OPEN 'CAUSE IT ALSO HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, WHICH IS A NEXT PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT GOING INTO THIS FALL.

WE'RE TAKING CONSIDERATIONS FOR PERSONAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION SURE.

MY QUESTION IS, WILL ALL THE DATA FROM ALL THOSE, UH, INPUT PROCESSES SHOW UP ON THE DASHBOARD? SO OUR INTENT IS TO MAKE ALL OF OUR FEEDBACK PUBLIC.

AND WORKING WITH TEAMS AND THE DATA, UM, ANALYSTS THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO.

ACME HAS NO DIRECT SUPPORT SERVICES, SO WE'RE KIND OF BORROWING STAFF FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

UM, BUT YES, OUR INTENT IS TO MAKE IT ALL PUBLIC WITH SOME EDITING FOR, FOR PRIVACY REASONS.

ALRIGHT, THANKS MS. MEEK, HOW ARE YOU? HEY, I'M GOOD.

HOW ARE YOU? I'M GOOD, THANK YOU.

UM, THE, SO WITH WITH THE DATA THAT YOU ALL WILL COLLECT, AND I THINK I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS BEEN ANSWERED YET, BUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, LIKE WHAT WILL YOU ALL DO? I KNOW YOU'LL MAKE IT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AND ALL THAT STUFF.

THE PLAN IS THAT WE WOULD DO AN EXTERNAL WORKING GROUP TO KIND OF EMPOWER MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SUPPORT THE ACTUAL WRITING OF THE GUIDELINES.

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU ALL ON THE BACK END? YEAH.

WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THAT DATA? GREAT QUESTION.

WE'VE BEEN ASKING OURSELVES THAT TOO.

COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.

UM, WE HAVE BEEN TAKING AN APPROACH, UM, WE HAVE AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT, UM, THAT ON THE BACKEND IS A SPREADSHEET AND WILL PRESENT ITSELF KIND OF AS A PDF REPORT THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A SPREADSHEET.

IT'LL BE LIKE A WORD DOCUMENT VERSION OF THAT TURNED INTO A PDF SO THAT IT IS DIGESTIBLE INFORMATION FOR YOU.

BUT WE CALL IT OUR WIN-WIN DOCUMENT.

AND WE ARE TRACKING IN OUR SPREADSHEET EVERY PIECE OF FEEDBACK.

UM, THAT IS, WE, WE'VE CREATED OUR SPREADSHEET IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU CAN TOGGLE BETWEEN PROGRAMS. SO SPECIFIC FEEDBACK JUST FOR LIVE MUSIC FUND OR SPECIFIC FEEDBACK JUST FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION OR SPECIFIC FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS PART OF THE PROCESS OR PANELISTS OR REVIEWING.

SO WE'VE CREATED A DYNAMIC, UM, INPUT WHERE WE ARE PHYSICALLY GOING THROUGH AND INPUTTING ALL THE INFORMATION AS IT COMES IN.

AND THEN WE ARE GOING THROUGH LINE BY LINE AND INCORPORATING THAT THOSE, UM, FEEDBACKS INTO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

AND SO A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK WILL BE THE SAME THING.

SO PERHAPS SOME OF THE GREAT FEEDBACK Y'ALL HAVE GIVEN US FROM YOUR WORKING GROUP MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE HEARD 40 OR 50 TIMES IN THE SURVEY.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO DRAW THAT TOGETHER SO THAT WHEN WE ACTUALLY MAKE THE UPDATE IN THE GUIDELINES, THAT WE CAN DRAW A CONNECTION AND SAY, HERE'S THE UPDATE AND HERE'S WHERE WE GOT ALL THAT INFORMATION FROM.

IT WAS INFORMED BY MUSIC COMMISSION WORKING GROUP, IT WAS INFORMED BY A MAJORITY OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS, ET CETERA.

SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL BUILDING THAT FRAMEWORK, BUT THE SPREADSHEET IS COMPLETE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN INPUTTING THE INFORMATION INTO TO INFORM THE GUIDELINE UPDATES.

UH, I DO JUST WANNA GIVE SOME CONTEXT HERE.

ACME AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS, UM, HAD A WORKING GROUP THAT WAS ESTABLISHED FOR PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE COMMUNITY TO, UM, GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT BEFORE ALL OF THIS ROLLED OUT, THERE WAS THIS WORKING GROUP THAT WAS CREATED, UM, AROUND GIVING PUBLIC FEEDBACK.

I THINK YOU, YOU COULD APPLY FOR IT, BUT YOU HAD TO BE MAYBE INVITED.

I WAS INVITED TO DO THAT WORK.

UM, AND IF THE CAVEAT TO THAT WAS THAT YOU COULDN'T APPLY FOR ANY CULTURAL FUNDING IF THAT WERE TO GO THROUGH.

SO I'M JUST BEING COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT, THAT I WAS INVITED TO BE IN THAT WORKING GROUP.

HOWEVER, THAT WORKING GROUP WENT ON PAUSE.

IS IT ON PAUSE OR IS IT DONE? SO, UM, WE, YES, YOU'RE RIGHT.

AND, SORRY I DIDN'T MENTION THAT EARLIER.

NO, IT'S OKAY.

THAT WAS ORIGINALLY

[01:20:01]

UM, QUESTIONS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST CAME UP WITHIN OUR LEADERSHIP AND OUR LAW DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO COMPLICATIONS AROUND ELIGIBILITY THAT REALLY MADE IT HARD FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.

AND SO WE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT LAST MONTH AS WE WERE GEARING UP TO LAUNCH IT.

AND SO WE MADE A HARD PIVOT AND WE SAID, THAT'S FINE, WE'LL SUNSET THAT PIECE OF IT, AND WE'LL ALLOW STAFF TO BE, UM, THE FOLKS WHO ARE CONSOLIDATING THAT FEEDBACK.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT IN THE MOST TRANSPARENT WAY POSSIBLE BY POSTING IT ONLINE, ET CETERA.

BUT YES, WE DID PIVOT AWAY FROM THAT.

SO I THINK ACTUALLY PROBABLY AT MY LAST COMMISSION PRESENTATION, I SAID WE WERE DOING THAT.

SO THE NEW VERSION OF THE EXTERNAL WORKING GROUP AS THE INTERNAL ONE WITH THOSE STAFF MEMBERS I LISTED EARLIER, INCLUDING MYSELF.

UH, SO ONE FOLLOW UP TO THAT.

THE ONE THING THAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT AND THAT IT BRINGS TO WHAT, UM, UH, THE LADY SAID ON CITIZENS COMMUNICATION EARLIER IS THE FACT THAT LIKE, THERE'S BASICALLY MORE OF THE SAME THINGS WILL CONTINUE IF MORE OF THE SAME THINGS ARE DONE, RIGHT? IN ORDER TO GET SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE NEVER GOTTEN, YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO DO THINGS THAT YOU'VE NEVER DONE.

I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A REASON WHY ACME EXISTS IN THE FIRST PLACE, RIGHT? AND PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF TRANSPARENCY.

PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF, UH, SELF-DEALING AND WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

AND JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE SIDESTEPPING SHORT CUTTING THROUGH, GETTING THINGS DONE, RATHER THAN ACTUALLY, UM, GOING THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS HAPPEN AND OR DOING IT THE HARD WAY GOING THROUGH COUNCIL, YADA, YADA, YADA.

I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO DETAILS ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE.

MY QUESTION TO YOU, AND WHAT, WHAT I FEAR IS THAT IN THESE CONVERSATIONS AND IN THIS FEEDBACK THAT YOU'RE GATHERING, THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT YOU ALL ARE TALKING TO THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, THAT WE'LL BE INFLUENCED INFLUENCING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE CREATING AND THE GUIDELINES THAT YOU ARE OUTPUTTING.

SO MY QUESTION TO YOU, AND I AM ASKING FOR YOU TO COMMIT TO THIS, WILL YOU COMMIT TO SHARING WITH THIS COMMISSION MONTH OVER MONTH THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE MEETING WITH AND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING TO YOU BEHIND CLOSED DOORS? SO, LIKE I SAID, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE AS FAR AS LIKE ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS, PEOPLE REACHING OUT TO LIKE, THAT'S FINE.

LIKE, I MEAN, ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS.

I MEAN THAT, THAT STUFF, I MEAN, COFFEE TACOS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

BUT IF SOMEONE IS COMING TO YOUR OFFICE AND THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, WE'VE GOT ALL THESE REALLY GREAT THINGS TO DO.

WE'VE GOT THESE, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE CITY, WE'VE DONE THIS STUFF HERE, WE'VE DONE ALL THIS STUFF HERE.

THIS IS WHAT WE COULD DO FOR YOU.

WILL YOU BRING THAT STUFF BACK TO US AND TELL US ABOUT THAT? IS THAT POSSIBLE? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.

I WANNA ANSWER, I WANNA ANSWER THE QUESTION, BUT I I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND A HUNDRED PERCENT.

ARE YOU SAYING IF THERE'S LIKE A CONTRACTOR THAT IS LIKE REQUESTING LIKE A, A WORKAROUND? BECAUSE I WILL, I WILL TELL YOU, OUR GOAL IS TO LIKE BUILD OUR PROGRAMS IN AN ACCESSIBLE WAY SO THAT THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY.

THAT, THAT'S WHAT DIRECTOR MEANS HAS BEEN SAYING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

LIKE A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK IS LIKE, I'VE BEEN EXCLUDED FOR THIS REASON, OR I DON'T SEE MYSELF IN THESE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE A POT OF MONEY AND WE HAVE A COMPETITIVE PROCESS.

AND OUR GOAL IS TO LIKE, CREATE AS MUCH SPACE WITHIN THAT FOR EVERYBODY.

RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE SECRET EXTRA MONEY TO GIVE PEOPLE NO, YOU ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN THING, THIS IS THE MONEY.

RIGHT? RIGHT.

SO OUR GOAL IS TO SAY, AND, AND THIS JUST HAPPENED RECENTLY.

SOMEBODY CALLED ME ABOUT AN EVENT.

THEY WERE LIKE, I'M NEW HERE, I WOULD LIKE TO GET FUNDING FOR MY EVENT.

AND I WAS LIKE, GREAT, I GOT A SURVEY I'D LIKE YOU TO TAKE SO YOU CAN BE A PART OF THE PROCESS AND FORMING HOW WE GIVE THAT MONEY OUT.

AND THAT MONEY AND APPLICATION SHOULD START BEING AVAILABLE THIS FAULT.

LIKE OUR GOAL IS TO FUNNEL PEOPLE INTO THE PROCESS THAT EXISTS.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE STARTING.

LIKE THERE ARE HOPEFULLY GONNA BE OTHER CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY AS WE EXPLORE WAYS TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE TO SUPPORT THE CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE GOT THIS RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THIS AS EXPANSIVE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN USE THAT.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO USE THE SYSTEM AND WE KNOW THE SYSTEM'S NOT PERFECT.

THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN NOT PERFECT FOR A WHILE.

AND IT'S NOT GONNA WORK FOR EVERYBODY IN THE NEW VERSION EITHER.

BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK FOR AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

BUT YOUR QUESTION IS, IF SOMEBODY ELSE COMES AND ASKS FOR SOMETHING AND WE GIVE IT TO THEM, NOT GIVE IT TO THEM, HOW WE THINK ABOUT GIVING IT TO THEM, NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

I, WHAT I THINK WHAT I'M, WHAT I WHAT I'M ASKING IS IF, IF, IF I HAVE A BUSINESS WHERE YOUR LIFE COULD BE EASIER, IF WE ENGAGE IN A PARTNERSHIP AND I CAN INFLUENCE THAT, RIGHT? WILL YOU COMMIT TO E EVEN IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST OR NOT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO ENGAGE WITH US ABOUT THOSE PARTNERS THAT YOU'RE MEETING WITH AND CONSIDERING THINGS ARE DONE, SOME OF THESE NONPROFITS, SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE REALLY GREAT IDEAS MM-HMM .

RIGHT? I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO KNOW WHAT THOSE IDEAS

[01:25:01]

ARE, WHO SURE.

YOU'VE BEEN TALKING TO.

IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S THE CASE, I WILL TAKE IT BACK TO MY, MY BOSS AND MY TEAM TO JUST MAKE SURE WE GET YOU THE BEST LINE FROM OUR DEPARTMENT ON WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO DO.

BUT WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS, OFTENTIMES WHEN PEOPLE REACH OUT TO US AND THEY HAVE IDEAS THEY WANNA SHARE, WE TELL THEM TO COME HERE AND DO PUBLIC COMMENT.

WE TELL THEM TO GET ON THE AGENDA.

WE TELL THEM TO COME PRESENT HERE.

'CAUSE THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIKE PUBLICLY DOCUMENT WHAT THOSE IDEAS ARE AND WAYS THAT THEY THINK IT COULD BE SUPPORTED.

AND ALSO WAYS FOR YOU ALL TO ENGAGE AND TELL THEM HERE ARE WAYS IN THE CITY TO SUPPORT IT.

RIGHT? THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE.

AND THE SECOND THING IS, UM, ANY CONTRACTS THAT DEPARTMENTS ENTER INTO WITH VENDORS, NONPROFIT OR FOR-PROFIT, WHATEVER, UM, I THINK THERE'S A THRESHOLD WHERE IT HAS TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? AND I THINK IT'S RIGHT AROUND 75,000.

IT'S 50,000.

50,000.

SO ANYTHING ABOVE THAT, IT'S GONNA BE TALKED ABOUT PUBLICLY.

IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE COUNCIL, UM, CORRECT.

REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION PROCESS.

BUT ANYTHING BELOW THAT, I UNDERSTAND.

UM, THERE HASN'T BEEN OVERSIGHT ON THOSE SORT OF THINGS, AND IT HAS NOT.

AND I, AND, AND CANDIDLY, I THINK THERE'S REASONS FOR THAT.

THERE'S A REASONS THERE'S A THRESHOLD, SO THAT IF YOU NEED TO DO LOWER LEVEL BUSINESS, YOU CAN GET IT DONE QUICKER.

UM, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE ASKED FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY, SO I'M GONNA TAKE THAT BACK TO MY TEAM.

UM, DID YOU, GO AHEAD.

WELL, JUST QUICKLY, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE FILLED OUT THE SURVEY? UM, I HAD IT ON THE SLIDE TODAY.

800 PEOPLE TODAY, SHELBY HAS INFORMING MORE THAN 800 PEOPLE.

UM, BUT THE REPORT I SHARED WAS FROM LAST THURSDAY, AND I THINK IT SAID LIKE FIVE 40, BUT OVER 800 IS WHAT MY TEAM IS TELLING ME NOW.

CHAIR NAGA VALLEY ALSO HAD HER HAND UP.

NO, THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORTS.

UM, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S QUITE AMAZING TO HEAR THAT RESPONSE TO THE SURVEYS.

UH, TO THE SURVEY.

UM, WOW.

UH, SO THAT'S FANTASTIC.

UM, I ALSO, UH, WANT TO JUST SHARE MY UNDERSTANDING WITH THE COMMISSION THAT, UH, THE COMMISSION HAS WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, PARTICIPATION AND UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT THE COMMISSION HAS SPENT CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME ON PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FEBRUARY MEETING AND VOTED ON THAT WITH THE MAJORITY.

AND, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSION ARE ALSO GOING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKEN, TAKEN UP ON A PRIORITY BASIS FOR, UH, CONSIDERING, UH, ON HOW THESE GRANTS MOVE FORWARD.

SO, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, AND I JUST IN THAT WAY WANT TO ALSO REASSURE THE COMMISSION THAT, THAT ALL THAT EFFORT IS NOT JUST FUTILE.

THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE, UH, WEIGHT AND SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT AND WHAT, WHAT COMES OUT, UH, OF, OF THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.

TO OUR NEXT ITEM AND IT'S THE 2025 TEXAS WOMEN'S SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL FOLLOWING PRESENTATION BY MANDY ROWAN, WELCOME BACK.

ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ANSWERING ALL THESE QUESTIONS.

THANK JOHN.

THANK YOU MS. MESSI.

ALL RIGHT, NOW WE MOVE ON

[5. 2025 Texas Women’s Songwriters Festival following presentation by Mandy Rowen. ]

I FORGET HOW SHORT THIS THING IS.

SEE HOW LITTLE OF THIS IS ACTUALLY BEING COVERED IN ANY OFFICIAL CAPACITY.

SORRY.

YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE MY POWERPOINT PHONE? OH, THERE, IT'S OKAY.

OH, COOL.

ALRIGHT.

GOOD EVENING.

IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE.

MY NAME IS MANDY ROWDEN.

I SAW YOU GUYS LAST MONTH.

SO I'M HERE TO KIND OF EXPAND ON WHAT I TALKED ABOUT WITH THE TEXAS WOMEN'S SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL.

AND IN SHORT, IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

THE TEXAS WOMEN'S SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL IS A GATHERING OF SONGWRITERS AND ARTISTS THAT SERVES TO SHOWCASE AND ELEVATE THIS CRUCIAL AND UNIQUE PORTION OF OUR GREAT STATE'S CULTURE SET IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN LOCKHART, THE BARBECUE CAPITAL OF TEXAS.

THE FOCAL POINT OF THE FESTIVAL WILL INCLUDE THREE DAYS OF ORIGINAL MUSIC BY SOME OF TEXAS BEST AND BRIGHTEST SINGERS, SONGWRITERS.

WHAT BEGAN AS TWO STAGES AND ABOUT 20 ARTISTS IS NOW UP TO 10 STAGES AND OVER 50 ARTISTS, INCLUDING HEADLINERS, ROSIE FLORES, TISHA NIOSA, SARAH HICKMAN, KIMMY RHOS, AND PAULINE REESE, WHICH ARE SOME TRUE HEAVY HITTERS IN THE WORLD OF TEXAS SONGWRITING.

WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THEM.

AND, UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

OUR VISION IS TO UPLIFT AND SPOTLIGHT CREATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN IN SONGWRITING, BOTH EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED ACROSS TEXAS.

THIS VISION COMES FROM MY WORK IN A MASTER'S PROGRAM AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, WHERE I, UM, ABOUT A YEAR AGO FINISHED A, A MASTER'S IN MUSIC HISTORY.

AND I WROTE MY THESIS ON TEXAS WOMEN SONGWRITERS AND WAS JUST BLOWN AWAY TO

[01:30:01]

MOST, UM, MOST WOMEN ARE MENTIONED IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE SENTENCES OF AN ARTICLE ABOUT TOWNS VAN ZANT, WHICH I HAVE NOTHING BUT RESPECT FOR, BUT I FIND IT KIND OF SILLY THAT WE'RE ACTING LIKE THAT'S STILL THE MOST RELEVANT THING IN TEXAS SONGWRITING.

SO I INTEND TO TRY TO UPDATE THAT A LITTLE BIT.

UM, OUR MISSION IS TO PRODUCE AN ANNUAL MUSIC FESTIVAL IN DOWNTOWN LOCKHART THAT CELEBRATES THE VOICES OF TEXAS.

WOMEN'S SONGWRITERS FOSTERS CROSS GENRE AND CROSS GENERATIONAL COLLABORATION, BUILDS EQUITY IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND ENHANCES TEXAS CULTURAL IDENTITY.

CROSS GENERATIONAL IS A, A KEY COMPONENT TO THIS.

UM, ORIGINALLY WE TALKED ABOUT BEING EXCITED FOR LITTLE GIRLS TO SEE WOMEN ON STAGE, AND THEN AS IT EVOLVED, WE GOT EXCITED ABOUT WOMEN MY AGE SEEING OLD LADIES ON STAGE AND TRYING TO, UM, KIND OF CALL OUT THE IDEA THAT, UH, WOMEN ARE SUPPOSED TO AGE OUT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.

AND SO WE ARE, UM, INCLUDING I THINK RIGHT NOW, OUR, OUR LINEUP HAS WOMEN FROM 16 THROUGH 77.

BASICALLY EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, WHY NOW? UH, LIKE I SAID, IT, IT HINGES A LOT ON MY WORK AND MY MASTER'S PROGRAM, BUT STILL WOMEN REMAIN UNDERREPRESENTED ACROSS MAJOR FESTIVALS, PUBLISHING DEALS AND HEADLINING TOURS.

I MENTIONED LAST TIME I WAS HERE THAT THERE'S A JOKE IN THE INDUSTRY AMONGST WOMEN ABOUT BEING ANN MOORED, MEANING FESTIVAL LINEUPS OFTEN MENTION QUITE A FEW DUDES AND MORE, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY MIGHT MENTION THE COUPLE OF WOMEN THAT THEY HAD TO PUT ON THE LIST.

AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO, TRYING TO CHANGE THAT.

CENTRAL TEXAS LIVE MUSIC SCENE IS GLOBALLY RESPECTED, BUT STILL REFLECTS DISPARITIES IN GENDER REPRESENTATION, MORE OF THE SAME THAT I JUST MENTIONED.

UM, AND THIS FESTIVAL ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S GOALS FOR EQUITY, INNOVATION AND CREATIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

UM, I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU GUYS THAT LOCKHART IS PRETTY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY COOL UP AND COMING STUFF, ESPECIALLY IN THE ART SCENE.

UH, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THAT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, THIS JUST GIVES YOU SOME OF THE BASICS, OBVIOUSLY THE TEXAS WOMEN'S SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL, DOWNTOWN LOCKHART, UM, IT WILL BE ON EXISTING STAGES OF VENUES THAT ALREADY EXIST.

UM, AND THIS WILL HAPPEN SEPTEMBER 19TH THROUGH 21ST.

AND MOST OF THE FORMAT WILL BE FREE SHOWS, SPONSOR DRIVEN SONGWRITERS IN THE ROUND SHOWS.

JUST ON REPEAT THROUGHOUT THE DAY, ANY GIVEN TIME, LIKE ON ANYWHERE BETWEEN EIGHT TO 10 DIFFERENT STAGES, THERE WILL BE THREE WOMEN ON EACH STAGE PLAYING JUST GOING CRAZY.

AND THEN PEOPLE HAVE A BREAK TO GRAB FOOD AND GRAB ANOTHER BEER AND HEAD TO THE NEXT ONE.

AND, UM, JUST A BIG, VERY, VERY INTERESTING, UM, FORMAT.

I'VE, I'VE PLAYED MANY OF THESE MYSELF, AND IT'S A LOT OF FUN.

I CAN VOUCH FOR THAT.

UM, SO THESE WILL BE CURATED SHOWCASE PERFORMANCES AND IN THE EVENINGS WE WILL HAVE INTIMATE HEADLINER SHOWCASES.

THE BIGGEST CAPACITY IS 150.

SO, UM, THAT'S AS BIG AS ANYTHING GETS FOR THE HEADLINER SHOWS.

AND WE ARE ALSO PUTTING TOGETHER INDUSTRY NETWORKING EVENTS THAT WILL BE PURELY ARTIST FACING TO, UM, REALLY WORK ON KIND OF LIKE CURATING A, A COLLABORATION BETWEEN WRITERS WHO MAYBE WOULD NEVER BE IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER.

UM, VERY, VERY EXCITED FOR THAT.

UM, LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UH, SOME OF THIS IS STARTING TO REPEAT ITSELF JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT OUR OBJECTIVES AND GOALS ARE AGAIN TO HIGHLIGHT THE TEXAS WOMEN ARTISTS.

LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GOT OVER 50 OF THEM.

AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE OUR, OUR HEADLINERS THERE.

AND WE ARE LOOKING TO DRIVE TOURISM AND VENUE REVENUE, REV REVENUE, EXCUSE ME, DURING THE NON-PEAK SEASON.

UM, WE'RE FEATURING ARTISTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, GENRES, AND GENERATIONS, AS I MENTIONED.

AND WE ARE LOOKING TO BEGIN AN, AN ANNUAL EVENT.

SO THIS WILL BE, UM, EVERY YEAR, EVERY SEPTEMBER IN DOWNTOWN LOCKHART.

AND WE ARE ALREADY, UM, GAINING NATIONAL AND LOCAL BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP AND A LOT OF THE CITY SUPPORT.

SO VERY MUCH TO BE PROUD OF THERE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL IMPACT, THIS WILL AMPLIFY UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES IN TEXAS MUSIC ECOSYSTEM.

UM, OBVIOUSLY AS MENTIONED, WOMEN ARE UNDERREPRESENTED, BUT, UM, WE'RE ALSO INCLUDING HIP HOP IN THIS, WHICH IS UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE WORLD OF SONGWRITING.

UM, AND WE'RE ALSO ACTIVELY BOOKING SPANISH LANGUAGE ARTISTS TO REALLY CALL OUT OR CALL ATTENTION TO, I SHOULD SAY, THE, UM, REALLY RICH MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE.

OBVIOUSLY OUR TWO BIGGEST HEADLINERS ARE MEXICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, WHICH I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.

UM, WE'RE BUILDING INTERGENERATIONAL BRIDGES BETWEEN LEGACY AND UP AND COMING ARTISTS.

LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GOT THE HEAVY HITTERS AND WE'VE GOT TEENAGERS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, SO IT'S REALLY COOL TO CONNECT THEM.

AND THEN FINALLY SERVING AGAIN AS

[01:35:01]

A TOURISM AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL FOR LOCKHART.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

WHO IS PUTTING THIS ON IS LARGELY MYSELF.

UM, I'VE BEEN A SINGER-SONGWRITER SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER.

I'VE FOR 18 YEARS NOW, OWNED A WOMEN'S GUITAR SCHOOL IN AUSTIN CALLED GIRL GUITAR.

SO I'VE BEEN PRODUCING AND PROMOTING WOMEN IN MUSIC FOR A VERY, VERY, VERY LONG TIME.

ACTIVELY, UM, AS OF LAST YEAR, LIKE I SAID, I HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN MUSIC HISTORY, WHICH LED TO A POSITION AS A PROFESSOR IN BUSINESS AND MUSIC AT THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY.

SO I'VE GOT FINGERS IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT PIES THERE.

UM, I'M CURRENTLY ON THE HELEN DOG ARTIST LABEL AND I'M JUST NECK DEEP IN SINGER SONGWRITER STUFF ALL DAY LONG.

SO I AM A, UH, A, A LIKELY CANDIDATE FOR RUNNING THIS.

BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I HAVE AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TAMMY LYNN GILMORE, WHO, UM, AMONG MANY, MANY OTHER BRAG WORTHY THINGS WORKED FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FOR 13 YEARS.

SO SHE HAS A LOT OF HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH THIS KIND OF STUFF.

I HAVE MY HEAD IN THE CLOUDS A LOT AS THE DREAMER PART OF THIS TEAM, AND SHE'S VERY MUCH THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UM, REMEMBERING THE DETAILS PART OF THE TEAM.

SO THE TWO OF US TOGETHER, UM, I'VE GOTTEN MORE DONE THAN I COULD POSSIBLY HAVE IMAGINED WHEN THIS BEGAN.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

WHY I AM TALKING TO THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMISSION ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE WE ARE SEEKING FORMAL ENDORSEMENT.

WE WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR CITYWIDE VENUE PARTNERS AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH I UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS KNOW WAY MORE ABOUT THAN I DO.

AND, UM, LOOKING FOR VISIBILITY AND SUPPORT VIA CITY CHANNEL CHANNELS, EXCUSE ME, AND CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS. AND QUITE HONESTLY, ANYTHING ELSE YOU GUYS WOULD WANT TO THROW AT US, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEKING.

SO, UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS JUST KIND OF WRAPS EVERYTHING UP.

I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS IN WHATEVER CAPACITY MAKES THE MOST SENSE.

THERE'S MY CONTACT INFORMATION, I'M PRETTY EASY TO FIND AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE END OF MY VERY FORMAL PRESENTATION, SO I'M HAPPY TO, I'M HAPPY TO BLAB FURTHER THERE.

AWESOME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

AND IT MEANS A LOT 'CAUSE WOMEN'S HISTORY IS TEXAS HISTORY AND, UM, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT ANY OF IT, SO IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.

UM, I, I'LL JUST OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.

YEAH, MAYBE I'LL TRY TO, IF YOU CAN REMEMBER THE QUESTIONS IN ORDER, I'M JUST GONNA ASK JUST A BUNCH SO I DON'T HAVE TO JUST GO BACK AND FORTH.

BUT, UM, SO THE 50 ARTISTS, SO THEY'RE ALREADY ESTABLISHED NOW, YOU ALREADY SELECTED 'EM.

AND WHAT'S THAT SELECTION PROCESS LIKE? I KNOW YOU ARE LARGELY RUNNING THIS YOURSELF, YOU MENTIONED.

UM, SO ARE YOU BOOKING OR DO YOU HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE TO BOOK THOSE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I DID, UH, A GOOD DEAL OF THE CURATING, BUT, UM, AS A SONGWRITER MYSELF BEING A PEER IN THIS MIX, I WAS SMART ENOUGH TO NOT BE ACTUALLY IN CHARGE OF THE WHOLE THING.

SO TAMMY LYNN, MY, UM, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER PUT TOGETHER A SELECTION COMMITTEE OF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND PRETTY MUCH RAN IT IN A MUCH SMALLER BUT SIMILAR WAY TO HOW THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST SELECTIONS HAVE WORKED IN THE PAST.

AND SO THEY WERE VERY ON THE UP AND UP.

WE TOOK SUBMISSIONS THROUGH THE MONTH OF JANUARY AND THEN THEY WENT THROUGH JUST THIS EXTENSIVE SCORING SYSTEM.

AND THEN BY ABOUT MID-MARCH WE HAD THEM ALL, UM, CHOSEN AND ALERTED AND CONFIRMED.

SO YES, THEY ARE SET IN STONE KNOWING THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE HUMAN BEINGS.

AND THERE MIGHT BE A FEW CHANGES BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, BUT FOR SURE.

WELL, WITH THIS IT IS FANTASTIC BY THE WAY, SO CONGRATULATIONS.

JUST THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING, UM, WHO'S DOCUMENTING THIS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING REALLY AWESOME TO SEE, OBVIOUSLY, AND I'M GLAD YOU ASKED.

NO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND UM, NOW THAT YOU ASK, I'M A LITTLE EMBARRASSED THAT WASN'T IN THE, THE PRESENTATION ITSELF, BUT WE HAVE PILOT MOON FILMS ON BOARD TO WORK WITH US.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THEM, BUT THEY ARE BIG IN THE WORLD OF, OF MUSIC FESTIVALS.

UM, THEY DO SONGWRITER FESTIVALS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

THEY DO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORK.

IT'S TRULY AMAZING.

AND, UH, THEY'LL BE COMING STRAIGHT FROM THE AMERICANA FEST IN NASHVILLE, WHICH IS A PRETTY, PRETTY LEGIT, UM, FESTIVAL FOR THEM TO BE WORKING.

BUT THEY'RE LOCAL GUYS BASED OUT OF DRIPPING SPRINGS AREA.

UM, AND THEY JUST DO AMAZING WORK.

SO THEY'LL BE HELPING DOCUMENT IT, UM, FOR THE SAKE OF PROMOTIONS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG DEAL.

THEY'LL ALSO BE DOING, UM, BEAUTIFULLY EDITED VIDEOS FOR THE ARTISTS TO HAVE ON THEIR OWN, WHICH I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SHARE WITH THEM.

AND THEN, UM, NOTHING IS REALLY SET IN STONE BECAUSE A LOT OF STUFF DEPENDS ON THE FUNDING THAT COMES THROUGH FOR US, BUT WE ARE REALLY PUSHING TO TRY TO WORK THIS INTO A DOCUMENTARY.

SO I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT.

UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.

THAT'S LOVELY.

THANK YOU .

AND, UM, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN DO ASIDE FROM, I'LL BE THERE WITH MY DAUGHTER.

OH, THAT'S SO GREAT.

SO, UH, ROSIE FLORES,

[01:40:01]

WHAT DOES A FORMAL ENDORSEMENT FROM THE AUSTIN MUSIC MISSION LOOK LIKE? HOW DO WE DO THAT? I DON'T REALLY, THIS, THIS IS A START.

I THINK IT MEANS GOING TO THE EVENTS AND SHARING IT.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, I CAN FORWARD IT TO THEM AND YOU CAN SHARE IT ON YOUR SOCIALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

JUST ADVOCATE FOR THE PROGRAMMING OUTSIDE OF MUSIC COMMISSION.

I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT'S A DISCUSSION, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS JUST PROMOTING AND HELPING OUT IN THAT WAY IS THAT, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.

UNLESS ANYBODY KNOWS ANYTHING ELSE.

I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE A FEW YEARS TOO, SO IT, IT, IT COULD BE LIKE A, LIKE A, YOU KNOW, IT, IT COULD BE A RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, TO COUNSEL TO, OR I MEAN, MAYBE IT'S NOT EVEN A RECOMMENDATION.

WE COULD JUST RECOGNIZE, LIKE VOTE, UM, AS A, UM, TO, TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND YOUR WORK.

AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FORMALLY.

MAYBE IT'S A STATEMENT THAT YOU RELEASE, LIKE ON BEHALF OF YOU ALL.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT TECHNICAL, BUT IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION, UM, GETTING THE WORD OUT, WE CAN START THERE AND I CAN SHARE THAT WITH THEM DIRECTLY.

I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.

ABSOLUTELY.

I LOVE THE QUESTION, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE, UM, WHAT SHELBY'S MENTIONING IS FANTASTIC.

ANY SUPPORT IN THAT REGARD IS FANTASTIC.

BUT I'M ALSO A LITTLE GREEN IN THAT.

I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT ALL YOU GUYS ARE CAPABLE OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SORT OF A NEW WORLD TO ME.

SO, UM, I DON'T MIND SOUNDING A LITTLE BIT IGNORANT IN THE PROCESS OF SAYING, UM, LET'S CUSTOMIZE SOMETHING.

LET MAYBE YOU TELL ME I AM ALL EARS AND JUST SO EAGER TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS.

UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF FUNDING AVAILABLE THROUGH DIFFERENT GRANTS AND THINGS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A THUMB ON THE PULSE OF MUCH MORE THAN I DO.

SO, UM, THAT'S NOT ESPECIALLY FORMAL, BUT I AM ALL EARS TO LEARN WHATEVER I CAN FROM CHAIRMAN CHARLIE HAS A, UM, MAYOR CHARLOTTE.

SO, UM, AND, AND I WOULD, UH, REQUEST AFTER, CORRECT ME IF I'M STATING THIS INCORRECTLY IN ANY WAY, BUT, UM, BEING IN LOCKHART, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH, UH, THROUGH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AS WELL AS THE GRANTS.

POTENTIALLY LOOK AT THE GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CULTURAL ARTS SIDE FOR THE PROGRAMMING THAT YOU'RE DOING.

SO THE KEY WOULD BE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE, UH, CULTURAL ARTS GRANTS AS WELL AS THE, UH, LIVE MUSIC FUND GRANTS, UH, AS TO WHEN, UH, THIS NEXT PHASE WILL ROLL OUT, UH, POTENTIALLY IN, UM, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME.

UH, AND, UH, AND YEAH, OR, OR CHECK IN WITH, UH, ANY ONE OF US OR COMMISSIONER CASADA AND, UH, AND JUST, JUST BE READY TO APPLY FOR THOSE GRANTS BECAUSE I THINK, UH, WITH THE PROGRAMMING THAT YOU'RE DOING, IT MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE TO VERY MUCH ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THOSE GRANTS.

AND, UH, THEY'RE NOT ONLY LIMITED WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT, UH, UH, THERE IS, UH, TWO SURROUNDING MSAS, AND I BELIEVE YOUR AREA IS INCLUDED IN THAT.

IT DOES COME WITH SOME CONSTRAINTS, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, AS I UNDERSTAND WITH I, I BELIEVE ALSO ON THE OUTSIDE THAT WITH SOME REQUIREMENT OF, UH, 50 OR 51% OF THE PROGRAMMING TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.

SO JUST, YOU COULD, YOU COULD STUDY IF THOSE DETAILS OR, OR INQUIRE ABOUT THOSE DETAILS, BUT YOU SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THE GRANTS JUST LIKE, UH, ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION WITHIN, UH, WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES, UH, THAT IS DOING SUCH PROGRAMMING.

EXCELLENT.

UM, I ALSO THINK IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE FOR OUTREACH FOR, UM, PRIVATE MONEY AND UNION ENDORSEMENT FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL COMMISSIONERS, BUT I WOULD HAPPILY SIGN SOMETHING OR A DOCUMENT OF, YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT I PERSONALLY ENDORSED IT AS A MUSIC COMMISSIONER, AND I FEEL LIKE THE REST OF US PROBABLY WOULD, IF, IF THAT WAS A THING.

THAT'S FANTASTIC.

HOW'S THE BEST WAY TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT WITH YOU? UH, SHELBY? JUST SHELBY, YEAH, WE WE'RE EXPLORING LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN GET AN ACTUAL FORMAL ENDORSEMENT SO THAT MAYBE IT CAN COINCIDE WITH ANY OF YOUR PROMOTIONS TO SAY THAT YOU GOT THE MUSIC COMMISSION ON YOUR SIDE.

SO LET ME FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ALL.

WE CAN START WITH THE SOCIAL, UH, COLLATERAL THAT YOU HAVE FIRST, AND THEN FROM THERE, PICK UP A CONVERSATION ON WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO FORMALLY SUPPORT TEXAS WOMEN SONGWRITERS.

THAT'S ALL FANTASTIC.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WERE TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR WOULD BE GREAT, BUT I AM ESPECIALLY EXCITED JUST TO, TO KNOW YOU GUYS AND, AND TRY TO COLLABORATE.

I'M LOOKING AT THIS VERY LONG TERM.

SEPTEMBER IS JUST STEP ONE.

SO OVER THE YEARS I WOULD LOVE TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH Y'ALL AND, AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME REALLY COOL MAGIC HAPPEN.

BUT THANK YOU SHELBY.

SURE THING.

I I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, THERE IS A, WE HAVE A PRECEDENT BASICALLY OF, OF SUPPORTING BUSINESSES, UM, AND ORGANIZATIONS, UM, MOST NOTABLY SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS, IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE'VE, YOU KNOW, DONE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEM.

WE, WE, YOU KNOW, LIKE APPROVED ALL KINDS OF STUFF FOR

[01:45:01]

THEM.

SO THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO, AS A BODY, AS A COMMISSION, HELP YOU DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.

AND IF, IF THERE IS THAT, LIKE PEDRO SAID, WE WILL, WE'RE GLAD TO.

I MEAN, YOU HAVE MY ENDORSEMENT AS WELL.

EXCELLENT.

WELL, I CAN'T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH.

THAT MEANS A LOT.

COMMISSIONER , I'M SO THANKFUL THAT YOU'RE HERE, UH, DOING THE WORK THAT YOU, THAT YOU'RE DOING.

I DO THINK THAT, UM, UM, THIS COMMISSION LOVES THE CROSS POLLINIZATION OF IDEAS AND WE KNOW THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW.

AND SO I LOVE THE IDEA OF, UM, COLLABORATION AND SUPPORTING, THIS IS YOUR INAUGURAL EVENT.

OUR NEXT POINT, UH, RECENT INCREASE IN NUMBERS OF PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR LICENSING, REVENUE DISTRIBUTION PRACTICES FOLLOWING PRESENTATION BY SECRETARY STRICKLAND.

SO THERE'S, YOU'RE SETTING THE BAR REALLY HIGH, AND I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

I THINK THAT AUSTIN, UM, HAS, UH, A BIT OF A HISTORY AND TRACK RECORD OF DOING EVENTS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, FOR INSTANCE, AFTER FUN, FUN, FUN.

THERE WAS SOUND ON SOUND THAT WAS AT THE RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL WAY BACK IN THE DAY BECAUSE OF ISSUES THAT WERE TAKING PLACE IN AUSTIN.

UM, SO I THINK THAT THE MORE, UH, AUSTIN CAN COLLABORATE WITH OTHER, UM, CITIES, MUNICIPALITIES, THAT IT'S A WIN FOR MUSICIANS, WHICH IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, AND FAN BASE OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE MUSIC WORLD.

SO I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO REALLY GOOD.

I THINK THAT, UM, SOME FESTIVALS HAVE ALSO TRANSITIONED TO HAVING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT VENUES INSTEAD OF SITE SPECIFIC LIKE LEVITATION OR PSYCH FEST.

AND SO THERE MAY, THIS MAY JUST SPAWN SO MANY IDEAS OF HOW WE TACKLE THE CHALLENGES THAT THIS INDUSTRY HAS AND HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

AND I THINK, FRANKLY, WE'RE EXPLORING THAT IN SO MANY WAYS IN THIS GREAT COUNTRY OF OURS.

SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING.

UM, IT'S A REAL HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO HAVE YOU HERE, AND THANK YOU SPEAKING GREATLY.

ALL RIGHT, YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

[6. Recent increase in number of performance rights organizations and their licensing revenue distribution practices following presentation by Secretary Strickland.]

UM, BMI AND ASCAP ARE TWO OF THE BIGGEST PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTRY, AND THEY OPERATE UNDER WHAT'S CALLED A CONSENT DECREE.

UH, COMMISSIONER CHAIR, DOING A GREAT JOB.

UM, SO I DON'T , BRO.

UM, I DON'T HAVE A A, A PRESENTATION BECAUSE HONESTLY THIS IS, IF I WERE TO DO A PRESENTATION, IT WOULD JUST BE A BUNCH OF SALAD.

UM, SO I, I JUST WANT TO, UH, KIND OF PREFACE IT THAT WAY.

SO I'M JUST GONNA EXPLAIN HOW THIS WORKS AND SHOW YOU MY MISERY FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THREE WEEKS ON THIS.

UM, IT'S NOT REALLY A MISERY, IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN KIND OF FUN, BUT THE, SO THERE WAS A MEETING THAT I TOOK WITH, UM, MICHAEL COLLIN AND, AND MITCH BALLARD.

THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO GO BASICALLY ON THE RECORD AND SAY ANYTHING OFFICIALLY, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, THAT SORT OF NEED TO BE CLEARED UP.

UM, ONE OF THEM IS, UH, THAT BMI DOESN'T LIKE SET ROYALTY RATES OR, OR, OR BASICALLY THEY DON'T CONTROL ANY KIND OF MONEY OR ANY OF THE STUFF THAT, THAT, THAT HAPPENS OTHER THAN LIKE BASICALLY ASKING FOR PAYMENT FROM LICENSING, FROM, FROM LIKE VENUES AND WHATNOT.

THAT'S REALLY, HONESTLY, THAT'S IT.

THAT'S ALL THEY HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER AT ALL.

UM, SO ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, IF YOU CAN REMEMBER WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, IT'S JUST, IT, IT'S, UM, THEY USE THE WORD MISINFORMATION AND I KIND OF LED THE CHARGE ON THAT.

SO I JUST WANNA APOLOGIZE, UM, PUBLICLY ON THE RECORD FOR ANY MISINFORMATION THAT I MAY HAVE PUT OUT THERE.

BUT BMI DOES NOT SET ANY RATES.

THEY DON'T DO ANY OF THAT STUFF.

UM, AND, AND, AND, UH, ALL THEY DO IS COLLECT MONEY AND GIVE IT TO ARTISTS.

THAT'S IT.

NOW THAT BEING SAID, THAT'S PART OF ALSO THE PROBLEM HERE.

SO THE WAY THAT THIS AGENDA ITEM READS IS THAT IT'S A RECENT, IN RECENT, A RECENT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF PERFORMANCE RATES, ORGANIZATIONS AND LICENSING, LICENSING, REVENUE DISTRIBUTION PRACTICES, LIKE YES, IT'S, IT'S A, AND THEN WE HAD LIKE THIS THING WHERE WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO IN TERMS OF SENDING A LETTER OUT TO THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE.

THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT IT, IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT WE SEND TO THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THIS ISSUE GOES WAY BEYOND, UM, ANYTHING RELATED TO THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE AT ALL.

SO HERE'S HOW WE CAN BREAK THIS DOWN REALLY SIMPLY.

[01:50:01]

YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THIS, MAYBE YOU HAVEN'T.

SO LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT THAT MEANS.

UM, THEY BASICALLY, THEY CAN'T SAY NO.

IF SOMEONE LIKE WANTS, IF, IF, IF THERE'S SOMEBODY OR A LICENSING COMPANY OR WHATEVER, WHOEVER WANTS TO USE ANY SONG THAT IS PART OF BMI OR ASCAPS CATALOG, THEY HAVE TO GIVE IT TO 'EM.

THEY CAN'T SAY NO TO IT.

THERE'S NO BARGAINING AT ALL.

AND BASICALLY THEIR HANDS ARE COMPLETELY TIED WHEN IT COMES TO ACTUALLY ADVOCATING FOR ANYTHING RELATED TO ARTISTS GETTING PAID MORE MONEY.

AND THIS IS BECAUSE THE CONSENT DECREE, WHICH WAS MADE 80 YEARS AGO, BASICALLY THERE WERE TWO ORGANIZATIONS, ASCAP, A BMI, THEY WENT UNDER CONSENT DECREE BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT AT THE TIME WAS WORRIED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO RAISE THE RATES AND TRY AND COMPETE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

AND SO BASICALLY WHAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT DID WAS COMPLETELY LEVEL THE PLATFORM, THE PLAYING FIELD, AND SAY THE, YOU HAVE TO PLAY BY THE GOVERNMENT'S RULES.

YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT.

IS THAT, IS THAT YOU GUYS WITH ME ON THAT? EVERYONE GOOD? SO THEY CAN'T, LIKE, THERE'S, THE CONSENT DECREE BASICALLY MEANS THAT ALL THEY CAN DO IS JUST GIVE PEOPLE SONGS WITHOUT ASKING FOR LICENSING OR ANYTHING AT ALL.

THAT'S WHAT THE AGREEMENT MEANS.

THAT'S ALL THAT MEANS.

THERE ARE TWO OTHER PLAYERS THAT HAVE ENTERED THE CHAT.

ONE OF THEM IS BGMR, THE OTHER IS, UM, UM, CSAC, GMR IS GLOBAL MEDIA RIGHTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND THEN CSAC IS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ACRONYM ACRONYM IS FOR THAT.

THE PROBLEM WITH GMR IS THAT GMR IS THIS NEW FOR FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HAS POPPED UP AND THEY DO NOT OPERATE UNDER CONSENT DECREE.

WHAT THEY'RE LEVERAGING IS CATALOGS FROM ARTISTS THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BIG.

AND THEY'RE USING THOSE CATALOGS TO SAY, HEY, BASICALLY THEY'RE TRYING TO GET OTHER ARTISTS TO COME OVER TO THEIR PLATFORMS, BUT THEN ALSO THEY CAN NEGOTIATE HIGHER PAYING STREAMS, THEY CAN NEGOTIATE HIGHER RATES, THEY CAN DO ALL THIS STUFF 'CAUSE THEY DON'T OPERATE UNDER A CONSENT DECREE.

THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS, AND I'M, IF I'M BORING, YOU LET ME KNOW.

BUT THE PERFECT EXAMPLE IS, IS IF, IF I WERE A, UM, A FARMER AND I HAVE PRODUCT AND THERE'S A SUPERMARKET THAT WANTS TO BUY MY PRODUCT UNDER THE CONSENT DECREE, I HAVE TO JUST GIVE THAT PRODUCT TO A SUPERMARKET.

WHEREAS IF THE BY COMPETITOR OPERATES NOT UNDER A CONSENT DECREE, THEY CAN CHARGE WHATEVER THEY WANT FOR THE PRODUCT AND GO BACK AND FORTH.

THAT MAKE SENSE? IS THAT GOOD? OKAY.

SO THE PROBLEM IS, YEAH, IN THAT FARMER SCENARIO, WHAT IS THE MARKET VALUE PAY? I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GIVE IT, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE TRADE OFF? LIKE WHO IS, WHO'S DETERMINING WHAT THEY HAVE TO AGREE TO? UH, SO IF THE, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD DETERMINE, IF I WERE UNDER CONSENT DECREE, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD DETERMINE THAT, UH, I HAVE TO GIVE HOWEVER MUCH PRODUCT THAT THE SUPERMARKET'S ASKING FOR.

I HAVE TO GIVE THAT PRODUCT TO THEM AT WHATEVER THEY'RE GONNA CHARGE.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

I CAN'T SAY NO, IT'S BASICALLY ROBBERY.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE MUSIC SCENE TODAY.

IT'S JUST HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

THERE'S ANOTHER PART OF THIS TOO, AND THAT OTHER PART OF IT IS CALLED THE, UM, UH, HOLD ON, I'VE GOT IT.

UH, THERE'S THE, HOLD ON.

NOT THE MLC.

UP THE FLOODGATES FOR ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS POLITICALLY.

THE CRB, THE COPYRIGHT ROYALTY BOARD.

SO THE COPYRIGHT ROYALTY BOARD, BASICALLY THAT 0 CENTS THAT WE GET PAID PER STREAM AS ARTISTS.

THEY BASICALLY, FROM THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, THEY SET THAT RATE, BUT THEY ARE HEAVILY LOBBIED BY GOOGLE AND APPLE AND SPOTIFY AND ALL THESE PEOPLE TO KEEP THAT RATE SUPER, SUPER, SUPER LOW.

THEY'RE REGULAT, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY LITERALLY, THESE COMPANIES ARE LOBBYING THE, THE CRB THROUGH THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO KEEP THOSE RATES SUPER, SUPER, SUPER LOW.

ONCE THOSE RATES HAVE ACCUMULATED, THEY GO INTO WHAT'S CALLED THE MLC OR THE MECHANICAL LICENSE COLLECTIVE.

FROM THERE, THOSE RATES GO TO ASCAP AND BMI AND THOSE RATES PAY THE ARTISTS.

SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS A TWO IS A, IS A TWO STEP PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES TWO DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE.

THE FIRST PART OF THE SOLUTION IS THAT I BELIEVE IF WE'RE BEING BOLD, THAT WE SHOULD SEND AS A COMMISSION A LETTER TO CONGRESS ASKING FOR BMI AND ASCAP AND RECOMMENDING THAT THEY COME OUT OF CONSENT DECREE.

UM, THIS WAS DONE, THIS WAS TRIED BACK IN 2014, I BELIEVE IS WHAT IT WAS.

AND, UM, IT WAS NOT, IT, IT, IT WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT THEN THERE WAS A BUNCH OF STUFF THAT HAPPENED.

'CAUSE BASICALLY IF THEY COME OUTTA CONSENT DECREE, IT OPENS

[01:55:01]

IT, IT COULD, IT COULD COMPLETELY DESTABILIZE THE ENTIRE MARKET.

BUT THE ARGUMENT IS THAT IT CAN'T BE ANY BETTER.

IT COULD BE ANY WORSE THAN WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.

UM, MAYBE IT COULD, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT I THINK THAT WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS SEND A LETTER AS A COMMISSION TO CONGRESS ADVOCATING FOR US TO, OR ADVOCATING FOR BMI AND, AND, AND ASK CAP TO COME OUT OF CONSENT DECREE.

THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO.

THAT'S THE FIRST PART OF IT.

THE SECOND PART OF IT IS THAT WE JUST SEND ANOTHER LETTER TO CONGRESS AND ADVOCATE THAT, UM, UH, SORRY, THE COPYRIGHT ROYALTY BOARD INCREASED THEIR FEES SO THAT ARTISTS GET PAID MORE MONEY.

SO LIKE, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT SEEMS REALLY SIMPLE AND I'M, AND I'M, I'M, I'M PROBABLY MISSING A FEW POINTS HERE, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A TWO-PRONG APPROACH.

IT'S TWO LETTERS TO TWO DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF CONGRESS.

I MEAN, TO TWO DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF OUR GOVERNMENT THAT HAVE TO GO TO CONGRESS.

AND THEN FROM THERE, WHAT HAPPENS, WE DON'T KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE, BUT THE DIFF IF IF WE DO NOTHING, EVERYTHING STAYS AS IT IS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, FINE.

AND WE CAN DO THAT, OR, UM, WE CAN DO THIS NOW I CAN ALSO, I WILL ALSO TELL YOU THAT BMI AND AS WELL JUST FROM BMI STANDPOINT, THEY DON'T HAVE THE APPETITE FOR THIS.

THEY ALREADY FOUGHT IT ONCE.

UM, THEY SUED THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

THEY WON THIS CASE, UM, FOR RIGHTS.

BUT, UM, DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, IT WAS STILL PUT UNDER, EVEN THOUGH THEY WON THE RIGHTS TO BE OUTTA THEIR CONSENT DECREE, CONGRESS STILL KEPT THEM IN THEIR CONSENT DECREE, UM, BY A VOTE.

SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THAT'S POSSIBLE.

BUT THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT.

THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.

SO, UM, I HAVE A DRAFT LETTER.

I CAN SEND THAT DRAFT LETTER TO US AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT LATER.

I CAN READ THAT DRAFT LETTER NOW, OR WE COULD JUST TELL THIS THING, THE WHOLE THING TO KICK ROCKS.

IT'S UP TO, IT'S UP TO US AS A BODY.

THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.

QUESTIONS.

THANKS FOR PUTTING SO MUCH THOUGHT INTO IT.

UM, IS THAT A THING? CAN YOU, CAN SHE DO THAT? SHELBY? CAN SHE DO THAT, CAN'T SHE? YEAH, YOU COULD.

WELL, SHE'S NOT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.

TECHNICALLY, I WOULDN'T SAY.

I'M SORRY.

WE CAN'T .

I'M SO SORRY.

YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP.

I, I DID SIGN UP.

NOT FOR PUBLIC, NOT THIS.

YEAH, YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP ON HER AN AGENDA ITEM.

SO YOU CAN'T, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WE HAVE TO, WE'LL TALK, TALKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I THINK THAT IF WE GIVE COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE, IF WE GIVE COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE TO ALSO READ WHAT YOU WROTE, I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT PREPARATION.

THAT WAY WE CAN GET MS. BRUNO ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH AS WELL.

'CAUSE I THINK THEY'RE GONNA NEED, COMMISSIONER'S GONNA NEED SOME TIME TO READ IT.

IT'S, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE.

COOL.

UM, YOU DID PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE Y'ALL HAVE WHAT Y'ALL NEED SO Y'ALL CAN JUMP INTO THE CONVERSATION.

IF WE WANT TO TAKE THIS TO CONGRESS, LET'S TAKE TO CONGRESS.

AND I'M ALSO, I'M ALSO SAYING LIKE, I MEAN, IT, IT LOOKS FINE FOR ME AS A CITY COMMISSIONER, BUT I, THE PROBLEM IS THAT ACCORDING TO ROBERT SCHWAR OF ORDER AND MY, AND OUR OWN BYLAWS, I CANNOT SEND ANYTHING ON BE, I CANNOT SEND SOMETHING ANYWHERE ON BEHALF OF ME AS A COMMISSIONER UNLESS WE ALL VOTE TO DO IT.

THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.

UM, THE OTHER, SO IT HAS TO BE US, BUT IT WORKS BETTER IF I'M, IF WE'RE DOING IT.

SO IT HAS TO BE US TOGETHER REPRESENTING THE COMMISSION OR NOTHING AT ALL.

UM, THAT'S THE THING.

THE OTHER THING IS I CAN SAY THAT TO MYSELF AS A MUSICIAN, BUT THEN I'M JUST BACK IN MY DAY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THING.

AND I'M NOT TRYING TO DO THAT.

SO.

WELL, THAT'S THE THING.

COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU'RE SUPER BRILLIANT AND WELL SPOKEN, MAN.

SO IF YOU JUST PREPARE IT AND DON'T MAKE IT SALAD AND JUST LET US BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT, MAN.

WE GOT YOU.

THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.

YES, SIR.

UH, I HAVE, I HAVE A FEW, UM, QUESTIONS THAT, UM, COME TO MIND.

WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE CONSENT DECREE? G-M-R-G-M-R-G-M-R.

AND WHY, HOW, HOW DID THAT WORK? HOW ARE, WHY ARE THEY NOT PART OF THE CONSENT DECREE? THEY, THEY'RE A COMPANY THAT STARTED BMI IS ALSO A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY, BY THE WAY.

THEY, THEY SWITCHED FROM NON-PROFIT TO FOR-PROFIT TO KIND OF GET MORE LEVERAGE.

I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR TOO.

UH, BUT GMR, THEY BASICALLY, UM, I DON'T KNOW.

THEY, THEY TALK TO ARTISTS.

THEY TALK TO SOME PUBLISHERS.

I MEAN, IT'S ALL ABOUT PUBLISHING.

SO IF, AND PUBLISHING IS BASICALLY YOU'RE CAT LIKE TAYLOR SWIFT FOR INSTANCE, JUST LIKE SHE, SHE OWNS ALL OF HER MASTERS NOW, RIGHT? SO LIKE, YOU'VE GOT YOUR MASTERS, YOU'VE GOT YOUR PUBLISHING.

AND SO YOU BASICALLY HAVE ON, IN TERMS OF MONOPOLY, YOU HAVE BOARDWALK AND PARKWAY, YOU HAVE LIKE ALL, EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO LIKE, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.

AND YOU COULD SELL THAT, YOU COULD SELL YOUR CATALOG, LIKE THE BLACK PUES COULD SELL THEIR CATALOG TO ANOTHER COMPANY LIKE GMR OR SOMETHING.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU SHOULD DO THAT.

I'M JUST SAYING THAT

[02:00:01]

AND THEN THAT PUBLISHING COMPANY WOULD PAY YOU MONEY TO LICENSE THAT FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS.

THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT WITH ASCAP AND BMI, THEY CAN'T BUY IT.

THEY, THEY, THEY, I DON'T THINK THEY CAN BUY IT FROM YOU.

THEY CAN, THEY AND THEY CAN'T.

LIKE SOME, OKAY, SOMEONE THAT WANTS LIKE ANOTHER COMPANY.

IF, IF, IF, IF, UM, IF, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO LICENSE MY CATALOG, FOR INSTANCE, 'CAUSE I'M PART OF B-M-I-B-M, I JUST HAS TO GIVE IT TO 'EM.

THERE'S, THEY JUST HAVE TO GIVE IT TO 'EM, WHATEVER, WHOEVER THAT COMPANY IS, YETI, WHATEVER, LIKE YOU JUST HAVE TO GIVE IT TO 'EM.

IT, THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN SINKS AND ALL THAT STUFF.

THIS IS LIKE, IF YOU WANT TO RETAIN OWNERSHIP OF MY MASTERS AND MY PRODUCT FOR A SET NUMBER OF TIME, THEN YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.

SO GMR SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA PLAY THAT GAME.

THEY BASICALLY STARTED SOMEHOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID IT, BUT THEY GOT CATALOGS FROM THE, SOME OF THE BIGGEST ARTISTS OUT THERE, LADY GAGA, BRUNO MARS, I THINK, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE.

UM, BUT THEY'RE LEVERAGING THE FACT THAT THESE CATALOGS HAVE BILLIONS OF STREAMS ON THEM AND THAT THEY'RE GETTING OTHER ARTISTS TO GO INTO THESE AGREEMENTS.

AND THEY'RE ALSO NEGOTIATING WITH PEOPLE LIKE SPOTIFY AND APPLE AND YOUTUBE AS, AS FAR AS THE MECHANICALS GO TO SAY, WE HAVE ALL OF THESE ARTISTS AND YOU SPOTIFY ARE STREAMING, LIKE 60% OF YOUR STREAMING IS COMING FROM OUR CATALOG THAT WE OWN.

SO YOU NEED TO PAY US MORE MONEY FOR THAT CATALOG.

SO IT'S A WAY FOR SPOTIFY BASICALLY TO PONY UP MORE MONEY TO PAY THOSE ARTISTS MORE MONEY, WHICH THEN ATTRACTS OTHER ARTISTS THAT WANT TO GO OVER TO THIS COMPANY BECAUSE THIS COMPANY IS PAYING OUT MORE STREAM MORE MONEY PER STREAM THAN BMI OR ASCAP.

BUT BMI AND ASCAP CAN'T EVEN ASK FOR THAT.

THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

AND SO, UM, IT CREATES A SITUATION WHERE IT'S, IT'S A COMPLETELY UPSIDE DOWN THING AND IT'S VERY, VERY UNFAIR.

AND ONCE IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME, THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME, I WAS LIKE, WOW, THAT'S KIND OF CRAZY THAT THAT'S EVEN ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

LIKE THE GAME IS RIGGED FROM LIKE FROM FROM THE GO BASICALLY.

AND SO WHAT THIS WOULD DO IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM IS PUT US IN A SITUATION WHERE, UM, THERE'S AT LEAST SOMEONE THAT'S GOT THE APPETITE OR SOME ORGANIZATION THAT'S GOT THE APPETITE TO SAY, THIS IS CRAP.

AND WE NEED TO CHANGE IT AND, UM, ALLOW FOR ASCAP AND BMI TO THEN COMPETE WITH THESE OTHER GUYS, UM, THAT ARE BASICALLY HAND OVER FIST LEVERAGING OTHER PEOPLE'S CATALOGS IN A WAY THAT, AGAIN, BMI SCAP CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO COMPETE WITH.

AM I MAKING SENSE? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THIS, I FEEL LIKE IT, IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, WEIGHT UNDERNEATH THIS.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

SYSTEM THAT I, UM, I THINK YOU'RE MAKING SENSE TO ME, BUT I, I ALSO FEEL LIKE, WOO, THIS IS A, A BIG, UM, MOUNTAIN OF INFORMATION.

I GUESS THE OTHER THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS, WOULD YOUR END GOAL BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IF IT WAS COMING FROM A LARGER ORGANIZATION, LIKE PERHAPS TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE OR ABSOLUTELY.

UH, YOU KNOW, CONGLOMERATE OF NATIONAL, A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION MM-HMM .

OR OTHER MUSIC COMMISSIONS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

I FEEL LIKE IT MAY BE SOMETHING I, MY GUT REACTION IS TO JUST FORMULATE A STRATEGY THAT WE FEEL LIKE WOULD, WOULD ACTUALLY REACH THE INTENDED GOAL.

UM, THAT'S WHAT KIND WHERE I KIND OF WANNA SIT WITH THIS FOR A MINUTE AND THEN, UM, ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ASCAP AND BMI AND BECAUSE BMI IS BASED IN AUSTIN, OR, YOU KNOW, A BIG OFFICE IS BASED IN AUSTIN, THAT WE FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT CHALLENGES THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.

I THINK YOU'VE HAD MEETINGS.

I, I, I THINK THAT TO YOUR POINT, YES, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, BIGGER ORGANIZATIONS ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BE INVOLVED.

YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, I MEAN, THEY, THEY OPERATE FINE AND THEY DO GREAT WORK.

UM, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY SIGN OF THEM GOING AWAY OR ANYTHING, OR ANY OF THAT STUFF, BUT I, I JUST, IT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUTTING A FIRE OUT WITH A WATER PISTOL RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S A VERY GOOD WATER.

IT'S A VERY EFFECTIVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THEY PAY ARTISTS, THEY HAVE STAGES, THEY, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT.

THEY, THEY DO REALLY GOOD WORK.

BUT, UH,

[02:05:03]

AND I, THAT'S WHY I BCCD YOU ON THE EMAIL.

'CAUSE I WAS WONDERING IF, LIKE, JUST TO KIND OF GET YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR BRAIN WORKING, BUT, UM, THE PROBLEM IS, AND MAYBE YOU KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, BUT NO ONE'S GONNA DO SOMETHING UNLESS SOMEBODY DOES SOMETHING.

I THINK, AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, WE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, GIVEN, I COULD SEND OUT LIKE A RECOMMENDED LETTER AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AND THEN DECIDE WHERE TO LEAVE IT OR, OR TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT.

BUT I, I DO THINK THAT, UH, I DON'T KNOW, I, I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW ONE THING THAT I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON WITH GREAT WORK, GIANT MOUNTAIN OF STUFF TO DEAL WITH.

UM, YEAH, I CAN TELL IN A GOOD WAY.

SEND ME THE INFO THOUGH, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

ONE THING I HAVEN'T HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT, AND FRANKLY I FEEL LIKE WE CAN HAVE A SEPARATE D FOR THIS, BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS NEEDS TO BE SAID ON PUBLIC RECORD.

UH, YOU HAVEN'T MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT, UM, HOW MUCH, UH, THE LIVE NATIONS AG C THREES OF THE WORLD, UH, WHO UTILIZE THOSE LICENSING COMPANIES, HOW MUCH THEY PAY, AND HOW MUCH INDEPENDENT MUSIC VENUES END UP GETTING HIT BY BMI, ASCAP, OR ANY OF THE OTHER NEW ONES.

BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT JUST RECENTLY POPPED UP THAT I'VE RECEIVED A BILL FROM, UM, FOR OPERATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE WAY THAT WORKS, UH, BY OPENING SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I'D BE INTERESTED TO WHAT IT WOULD DO TO CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND INDEPENDENT MUSIC VENUES THAT SEEM TO CARRY THE BURDEN WITH MARGINS THAT ARE MUCH TIGHTER, TIGHTER THAN NATIONAL CONGLOMERATES FOR MUSIC.

DEFINITELY.

UH, SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, UH, TO INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE REST OF US AND SHELBY, WHEN WE WE GET THAT.

YEAH, FOR SURE.

UH, THE ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY IS, UH, AND LIKE THE, THE FEES, I DON'T WANNA SAY FEES 'CAUSE THAT'S A PRETTY, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN THE, IN THE SPLIT DEALS, RIGHT? LIKE WHEN AN ARTIST LIKE BOOKS A ROOM OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, ISN'T LIKE PART OF THAT 20% OR THAT 30% GOING TO LIKE, PAY FOR SOME OF THOSE FEES? OR IS THAT NOT GOING TO PAY FROM A VENUE PERSPECTIVE? AND I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE I ALL, ALL I KNOW IS I TRY AND GET 80%, 85% IF I CAN, IF I CAN GET A VERSE THAT SAY EVEN BETTER, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT MONEY GOES, LIKE ON THE BACK END.

SO I GUESS I'M ASKING FROM A VENUE STANDPOINT WHAT HAPPENS TO .

I I, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP EVERYBODY ELSE HERE BECAUSE I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS TOO.

AND I MEAN THAT, UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK SEPARATELY, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO BREAK DOWN AN INITIAL, UM, SORT OF, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT MODELS TO THAT.

UH, I COULD BREAK DOWN WHAT SOME OF THEM ARE FOR YOU.

UM, AND THEN, UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK MORE INTO THE LIVE NATION AG AND C3 AND CONGLOMERATES ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY ACTUALLY PAY INTO IT PERCENTAGE WISE VERSUS INDEPENDENT MUSIC VENUES.

DEFINITELY.

BUT I CAN, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU ALL DAY ABOUT THAT 20% .

UM, WHAT I CAN DO ALSO, SCOTT, I CAN SEND YOU ALL OF THE, UM, CONTRACTS THAT THEY SEND TO US.

SO THERE'S A CONTRACT PER COMPANY, AND IT'S BASED ON, UM, OCCUPANCY AND LEVEL OF ATTENDANCE.

AND IT'S NOT REALLY BASED ON PER SHOW AT ALL, BUT IF THAT HELPS LIKE, GIVE ANY CLARITY ONTO WHAT THE VENUE SIDE OF THIS DOES, IT'S BASICALLY A FORMULA THAT THEY CALCULATE ON HOW MANY SEATS YOU HAVE AND WHAT YOUR, YOUR CAPACITY IS HIGHLIGHT.

IT'S NOT GREAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S GREAT WORK.

FIRST OF ALL, I, I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO DO THERE.

I JUST HAVE SUCH LITTLE EXPERTISE ON IT THAT I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE AND MAYBE YOU CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, SHINE SOME LIGHT ON, ON ALL OF THIS AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALREADY DOING IT AND I'D LOVE TO JUST KEEP LEARNING MORE.

COOL.

IS WHERE I'M AT TO ME, CONTINUE.

SPEAK, TO REALLY GET IT DONE.

WELL, ANOTHER ONE OTHER THING THAT, UM, OH MY GOSH, NAGA GO TO BED.

WHAT IS SHE ? UM, THE, UH, OTHER THING THAT I KIND OF WONDER WITH, UM, LIFE SOMETIMES IS WHO ELSE IS ALSO WORKING ON THIS RIGHT NOW? YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES WE'RE NOT IN A, IN A SILO.

LIKE THERE'S OTHER KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FORCES THAT BE, THAT ARE TACKLING THESE ISSUES, THAT ARE THINKING THESE SAME THOUGHTS.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T EVEN WANNA SAY COMMUNITY.

IT'S A COMMUNITY EFFORT BE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT, IT'S GOTTA BE A LARGER WAVE OF, OF THOUGHT THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE, LIKE WHO ELSE OUT THERE IS THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS, BUT TO KIND OF SPREAD THE WORD AND SEE, 'CAUSE IT WILL TAKE A GROUNDSWELL, SO TO

[02:10:01]

AND I MEAN, HECK, I'M A WOMAN LIVING IN TEXAS.

I FEEL A LOT OF THINGS , YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, UM, TAKE ONE'S TIME AND, AND BUILD SLOWLY IN ORDER TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL, BUT NOT FORGET THE PASSION AT ALL, WHICH I THINK WE'RE ALL AGREEING TO BE CONTINUED.

TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THE MUSIC PERFORMANCE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, UH, STAFF UPDATE ON HOT COLLECTION, UPDATE ON GRANT'S PROCESS AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FROM STAFF, AND AN UPDATE ON AIRPORT MUSIC BOOKING BY STAFF.

COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.

AND WE HAVE NO ACTION ITEMS, IS THAT CORRECT, SHELBY? SO WE CAN MOVE ON

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

AND IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE NEXT MEETING, THIS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.

JUST WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND, UM, PEOPLE OF OUR PUBLIC COMMUNITY COMM COM PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC COMMUTE, SORRY, PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS ON THE CONVENTION CENTER.

DID Y'ALL, DID THAT MAKE SENSE? OKAY.

I'M TIRED, Y'ALL.

NO, I HEAR IT.

GOOD.

UM, CONVENTION CENTER, WE HAD THREE PEOPLE COMMENT ON THAT.

AND THEN ALSO, UM, THERE WAS MENTION OF PUTTING AIRPORT AS A DISCUSSION ITEM, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS FOLLOW, UM, FOLLOW UP ON AGENDAS AND EMAILS.

SO DON'T FEEL PRESSURED.

I'M SO SORRY.

I'M SO TIRED.

I, I HAVE JUST ONE PER THE CONVENTION CENTER.

I FEEL LIKE THERE'S ALREADY A TIMELINE OUT THERE THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF OR SOMETHING LIKE WHAT, WHAT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE NOT LIKE HAVE, WHEN, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE OF DECISIONS BEING MADE OR WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW IN ORDER TO REACT OR UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO THE CONVENTION CENTER? YOU KNOW, WE LOST OUR VERY BELOVED PERSON THAT WAS UPDATING US ON THOSE UPDATES.

OH, AND CHARLOTTE? YEAH.

, WE DID, I DON'T KNOW.

UM, THAT IS A CONVENTION CENTER THING, AS PER MORGAN, UM, HAS LET US KNOW.

THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER PROBLEM.

I CAN FOLLOW UP AND SEE IF THAT'S VALUABLE INFORMATION, BUT I WAS JUST REMINDING Y'ALL THAT THREE PEOPLE CAME TO SHARE THEIR SENTIMENT.

BUT I CAN FOLLOW UP ON AN UPDATE FOR A TIMELINE TO BE INVOLVED OR TO OFFER INPUT OR JUST IN GENERAL.

UH, LET'S ADD IT TO THE AGENDA.

LET'S JUST, LET'S JUST, UH, WELL LET ME ASK, DOES ANY, DOES ANYONE HAVE AN APPETITE TO, UH, TALK TO BILL, UM, FROM SAVE OUR SPRINGS.

SPRINGS, WAS IT? YEAH.

SAVE OUR SPRINGS.

NOT ALL AT ONCE.

UH, ALSO THE PROBLEM THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IS THAT THE, THE HOT MONEY THAT WE USE FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IS ACTUALLY TIED IF IT'S HELD HOSTAGE BY THE CONVENTION CENTER.

SO YEAH.

SO IT'S, YEAH.

BUT SOMEONE, OH BOY.

UM, THINK ON THAT AGENDA ITEM OR, SO WE CAN FOLLOW THAT UP ON AN EMAIL PROBABLY IN LEADING UP TO THE NEXT MEETING.

WE CAN PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AND WE CAN TAKE IT OFF LATER.

SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE, LET'S ME TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT, FOLLOW UP ON THAT CONVERSATION.

SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE EVERYTHING MENTIONED BEFORE, CONVENTION CENTER TIMELINE CONVERSATION OR JUST INPUT CONVERSATION, WHAT SHELBY FOLLOWS UP WITH YOU ALL.

UM, SAVE OUR SPRINGS, MAYBE A CONVERSATION AROUND THAT.

AND THEN AIRPORT.

UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD, UM, MS. MANU RODENTS, UM, ITEM FOR NEXT TIME SO THAT WE CAN CLEARLY UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN BE OF SUPPORT TO THE YES.

AND I'LL ALSO FOLLOW UP ON FORMAL ENDORSEMENTS.

AND HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY DO THAT.

'CAUSE I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES OF IT, OR, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'VE SPOKEN AS A COMMISSION AND EVEN THOUGH WE'D LIKE TO SUPPORT IT, WE JUST DUNNO HOW YET.

UH, ERICA, IS IT, UH, COULD WE, UH, IF WE JUST DID A STAFF BRIEFING FOR THE AIRPORT, WOULD THAT BE OKAY? OKAY.

NOT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING YOU DID TODAY.

I, WE GOT, WE GOT WHAT WE NEED.

I GOT WHAT I NEEDED.

I DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING.

THAT'S ALL I GOT THAT HAPPENED TODAY.

NO, TRUST ME.

Y'ALL NEED TO TRUST ME.

DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL, WE, YEAH, WE SHOULD JUST ADD A STAFF UPDATE FROM ON THE AIRPORT.

WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT ADDING THAT EARLIER, SO, UM, LET'S, YEAH, WE SHOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND ADD THAT.

[02:15:02]

I THINK SHE MEANT STAFF.

DID YOU MEAN CHAIR? YEAH, I'M MEANT STAFF.

I'M IN STAFF UPDATE, YES.

UH, WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW, UH, HOW THAT FUNCTION IS GOING TO GET POSITIONED WITHIN A CME AS WELL AS IF THERE IS ANY FURTHER UPDATE ON, UH, THE BOOKING POLICIES.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ALL OF THE ABOVE? I GOT ONE MORE.

ONE MORE.

UM, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES.

UM, VIDEO LICENSING AT THE AIRPORT OF LOCAL MUSICIANS.

PRESENTATION BY STEVE CARLOS KIRK.

SWEET.

DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING? DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ABOVE? DISCUSS DISCUSSED AGENDA ITEMS? MOTION TO APPROVE.

MOTION TO APPROVE.

I SECOND STRICKLAND AND A SECOND FROM NAVAL COMMISSIONER NABA.