Jul 09, 2025 Technology Commission

AND COMMISSIONER FROCK, COMMISSIONER FROCK, REPRESENTING DISTRICT SIX.

AND THEN I'LL JUST CALL ON THE COMMISSIONERS VIRTUALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER HERITAGE.

HI, THIS IS COMMISSIONER HERITAGE, REPRESENTING DISTRICT FOUR, COMMISSIONER PINA VIA COMMISSIONER PINILLA, REPRESENTING THE MAYOR OF AUSTIN.

ITEM, UH, SO WE DO HAVE A, UH, CITIZEN SPEAKER, UH, A MR. MICHAEL MOSS, WHO HAS JOINED US VIRTUALLY.

SO, UH, APPEARS WE HAVE QUORUM.

WE MAY HAVE AN ANOTHER COUPLE COMMISSIONERS JOINING US LATE, BUT WE HAVE ENOUGH TO, UH, GET MOVING IN OUR AGENDA.

UM, FIRST

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

UM, I'LL INVITE, UH, MR. MOSS TO, UH, UNMUTE HIMSELF AND, UM, AND ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.

UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP, YOU'LL HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES TO, UM, UH, TO, TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY TO THE COMMISSION.

UH, EXCUSE ME.

GOOD EVENING.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

UM, I'M HERE TO RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT A GROWING PATTERN OF BEHAVIORAL EXPLOITATION AND GAMING, PARTICULARLY THROUGH SYSTEMS KNOWN AS SKILL-BASED MATCHMAKING AND ENGAGEMENT OPTIMIZED MATCHMAKING.

ON THE SURFACE, THESE SYSTEMS CLAIM TO OFFER FAIR AND PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCES, BUT UNDER THE HOOD, MANY STUDIOS ARE DEPLOYING BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE AS A FORM OF DISGUISED MANIPULATION, OFTEN CALLED OPTIMIZED MATCHMAKING MODELS.

THESE MODELS LEVERAGE DOZENS OF METRICS, STRESS RESPONSE, FRUSTRATION, THRESHOLDS, SPENDING HISTORY SESSION LENGTH, AND THEY DO SO WITHOUT MEANINGFUL USER AWARENESS OR CONSENT.

PLAYERS AREN'T JUST MATCHED TO OPPONENTS.

THEY'RE MATCHED TO PREDICTED EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES, DESIGNED TO ENGINEER RETENTION, ENCOURAGE PURCHASES, OR KEEP THEM TETHERED TO ENGAGEMENT CYCLES THAT BENEFIT CORPORATE PROFIT.

EXCUSE ME.

THIS IS NO LONGER JUST POOR DESIGN.

IT'S ALGORITHMIC CONDITIONING, AND IT STRIPS AWAY SOMETHING VITAL PLAYER EXPRESSION.

INSTEAD OF COMPETING, UH, EXCUSE ME, INSTEAD OF COMPETING BASED ON SKILL OR CHOICE USED, FIND THEMSELVES NUDGED, DELAYED, PUNISHED, OR REWARDED IN WAYS TO DIS IN WAYS DESIGNED TO SHAPE BEHAVIOR NOT REFLECTED.

UM, I URGE THE COMMISSION TO FORMALLY INVESTIGATE WHETHER THESE PRACTICES VIOLATE DIGITAL OR PRINCIPLES OF DIGITAL ETHICS, CONSUMER FAIRNESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY, ESPECIALLY FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS LIKE YOUTH AND COMPULSIVE USERS.

I ALSO ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER ESTABLISHING OVERSIGHT PROTOCOLS THAT AUDIT MATCH MAKING ALGORITHMS FOR BEHAVIORAL TARGETING DISGUISED AS PERSONALIZATION AND ELEVATE PUBLIC AWARENESS AROUND CONSENT AGENCY AND ALGORITHM ALGORITHMIC TRANSPARENCY AND ENTERTAINMENT TECH.

UH, SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM, AND THAT IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM OUR JUNE 11TH MEETING.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MR. MOSS, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ADDRESS IN THE COMMISSION ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES.

UM, CERTAINLY ANYTHING, UM, UH, RELATED TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY OR THE, THE PUBLIC GOOD.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY HAVE OVERSIGHT AND INFLUENCE AND, UM, THAT IS CERTAINLY OUR ROLE TO, UM, TO, TO PROVIDE, UM, UH, FEEDBACK AND INSIGHT AND INPUT, UM, TO, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL.

SO, UH, WE CERTAINLY, UH, HAVE YOUR TESTIMONY.

IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS YOU'D LIKE TO SEND, UM, TO US OVER EMAIL, UM, YOU ALREADY CORRESPONDED WITH OUR LIAISON, DAN, UM, BUT WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.

BUT ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.

ABSOLUTELY.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

UH, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED, UH, THE DRAFT MINUTES, UH, FROM DAN.

UH, SO I'LL GIVE, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL

[00:05:01]

COMMISSIONERS JUST A COUPLE MINUTES TO DO A FINAL LOOK.

AND THEN, UM, I'LL, UM, ACCEPT A MOTION TO, UH, EITHER, UH, APPROVE OR AMEND THOSE MINUTES.

ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY, UM, EDITS THEY'D LIKE TO MAKE TO THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.

NOT HEARING ANY, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.

IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND THAT.

MOTION PUT FORWARD BY COMMISSIONER COMBI, SECONDED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER PENA VIA, UM, ANY FINAL DISCUSSION ON THIS? NOT SEEING ANY.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED, PLEASE, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.

AYE.

ANY ABSTENTIONS, ANYONE AGAINST? THINK WE ARE UNANIMOUS IN ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES.

THANKS AGAIN TO DAN FOR, UM, DRAFTING THOSE.

SO WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE TO OUR SECOND AGENDA ITEM, AND THAT IS A PRESENTATION ON, UH, THE AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS BY, UH, KEVIN WELCH, UH, THE BOARD PRESIDENT OF EFF AUSTIN.

[2. Presentation on how Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) operate and their potential risks as a law enforcement tool (Kevin Welch, Board President, EFF-Austin)]

SO, UH, KEVIN IS IN THE ROOM WITH US, SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, KEVIN.

AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE, UM, SOME PRESENTATION MATERIALS, SO WE MAY JUST NEED, UH, A MOMENT TO GET THOSE SET UP BEFORE I FORMALLY TURN IT OVER TO KEVIN.

YEAH, THERE'S SOME SLIDES AND ALL GOOD.

UM, LOOKS LIKE, ARE WE GOOD TO GO? OKAY.

A MASS SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY.

GOT IT.

UM, YEAH, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR, UH, HEARING FROM ME.

UM, I REACHED OUT, I GUESS, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, UH, TO CHAIRMAN APODACA, UM, BECAUSE, UM, UH, AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, 'CAUSE IT'S CERTAINLY BEEN REPORTED IN THE LOCAL NEWS A LOT, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN ADJACENT TO DISCUSSIONS ALREADY AT CITY COUNCIL.

UM, THERE WAS A, UM, LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL RENEWAL SLASH EXTENSION OF THE CITY'S ONE YEAR AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER OR A LPR PILOT PROGRAM.

UM, AND AS YOU PROBABLY HEARD, UM, AFTER A LOT OF PUBLIC OUTCRY FROM ABOUT 30 DIFFERENT CITIZENS ADVOCACY GROUPS, THE, UH, PROGRAM WAS NOT RENEWED.

UM, THERE IS NOW, MY UNDERSTANDING THOUGH, IS THAT, UM, THERE IS INTEREST BOTH FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND FROM AT LEAST A FEW MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO POTENTIALLY REVISIT THIS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR AND SEE IF THEY CAN ADDRESS IT AS A CONCERN.

SO THIS IS NOT GOING AWAY.

UM, THERE WILL PROBABLY BE ANOTHER BIG DEBATE ABOUT THIS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, OBVIOUSLY, UH, COUNCIL RESPECTS THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION'S OPINION ON ISSUES OF TECHNOLOGY VERY HIGHLY.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE, UH, FOLLOW, UH, THIS TECHNOLOGY VERY CLOSELY, AND EVEN OTHER PEOPLE WHO KNOW A LOT ABOUT TECH MAY NOT HAVE HEARD OF THEM, MAY NOT KNOW A LOT ABOUT THEM.

AND SO I WANTED TO GIVE THIS, UH, PRESENTATION TO, UH, EDUCATE THE COMMISSION AND ALSO KIND OF GIVE A WINDOW INTO WHERE SOME CITIZEN GROUPS LIKE OURS STAND, UM, AS I THINK WILL BECOME APPARENT.

UH, I, I LAY MY BIAS ON THE TABLES.

I'M NOT A FAN OF THE TECHNOLOGY.

UM, AND BASICALLY, UM, I'M GONNA TRY TO, WITH THIS PRESENTATION, EDUCATION, WHAT THEY ARE, WHY I THINK THEY'RE PROBLEMATIC, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, POTENTIALLY, UH, GET ENOUGH OF YOU TO AGREE WITH ME THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNSEL FROM YOURSELVES ABOUT, UM, WHAT I SEE AS THE CONCERNS OF THIS TECHNOLOGY.

SO, YEAH.

UM, AS YOU CAN TELL FROM MY OPENING SLIDE, UM, BASICALLY DEFENDERS OF, OF THIS TECHNOLOGY, UM, SAY IT'S VITAL TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

UM, WE DON'T SEE IT THAT WAY.

I THINK THE SAFETY BENEFITS ARE MINIMAL, AND, UM, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEARLY

[00:10:01]

AND I'LL TALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE REASONS WHY.

SO, LET'S, OKAY.

SO FIRST I'M JUST GONNA START WITH A LITTLE PREAMBLE TO KINDA SET THE STAGE THAT ONE PLACE, COMPARED TO CERTAIN ACT, EVERY ACTIVIST GROUP HAS THEIR FRAMING.

BUT, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S MANY PRACTICAL REASONS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS TECHNOLOGY, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GROUND THE DISCUSSION IN OUR VALUES AND, UM, WHAT I THINK, UM, ARE FAIRLY AGREED UPON FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS.

AND, UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AWARE, UH, SHORTLY AFTER WORLD WAR II, THE UN ACTUALLY PASSED WHAT'S CALLED THE 1948 DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

IT WAS DONE IN RESPONSE TO THE HORRORS OF WORLD WAR II AND TRIED TO ESTABLISH AN INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK OF WHAT OUR BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS EVERY HUMAN BEING ON EARTH IS ENTITLED TO.

WHILE THIS LIST DOESN'T HAVE ANY FORMAL FORCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW, IT IS NONETHELESS, USUALLY USED BY INTERNATIONAL POLICYMAKERS AND GUIDELINES AS A STRONG ETHICAL FRAMEWORK TO GUIDE LEGAL DECISION MAKING.

AND SO, ARTICLE 12 ENUMERATES THAT ONE OF THOSE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT UNIVERSAL RIGHTS IS PRIVACY.

AND ACTUALLY ANOTHER ONE OF THEM IS FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IS ALSO A UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHT.

AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT AUTOMATED LICENSE PAPERS ARE APRS, UM, IMPINGE ON BOTH OF THESE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS.

SO NOW LET'S, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE I SLOW DOWN A BIT.

FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE NEW TO THIS AND MAY NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS IS, MAYBE LIKE A LPR.

WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT? WELL, A LPR, AS I'VE ALREADY SORT OF SAID, STANDS FOR AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS USE THEM TO SCAN AND LOOK UP THE CRIMINAL STATUS OF A PARTICULAR CAR'S LICENSE PLATE.

UM, THEY DO THIS WITH DATABASES THAT ARE KNOWN AS HOT LISTS.

UM, AND, UM, NOW WRITING DOWN LICENSE PLATES HAS BEEN SOMETHING COPS HAVE DONE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, BASICALLY, AS LONG AS THERE HAVE BEEN CARS.

BUT FOR, UNTIL FAIRLY RECENTLY, THIS WAS A VERY MANUAL PROCESS, A TEDIOUS MANUAL PROCESS SUCH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE GONNA DO IT, THERE WAS PROBABLY A GOOD REASON.

UM, BUT NOW THANKS TO COMPUTER AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, UM, THIS PROCESS IS NOW AUTOMATED AND VERY FAST.

UM, THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT KINDS OF APRS.

UM, THEY CAN BE FIXED OR MOBILE.

UM, BUT IN EITHER CASE, SO I GUESS THERE'S ABOUT 40 OF THEM MOUNTED ON POLES AROUND AUSTIN IN VARIOUS PLACES.

UM, THOSE WERE PROVIDED BY THE VENDOR FLOCK, WHICH WAS WHAT THE MAIN DEBATE IN GINA WAS ABOUT.

THERE'S ACTUALLY A BUNCH MORE OF THEM THAT ARE MOBILE THAT ARE IN SQUAD CARS, AND THAT'S PROVIDED BY A DIFFERENT VENDOR, AXON TECHNOLOGIES.

UM, SO BASICALLY, BUT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ARE FIXED OR MOBILE, UM, ALL VEHICLES IN A PARTICULAR LOCATION WILL ESSENTIALLY BE SCANNED BY THIS TECHNOLOGY, AND IT WILL LOG THAT THAT LICENSE PLATE WAS AT THAT LOCATION AT THAT TIME.

NOW, IT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY PROVE THAT A PARTICULAR PERSON WAS THERE, JUST THAT CAR.

ALTHOUGH I SHOULD FLAG THAT THERE ARE SUCCESSOR TECHNOLOGIES TO ALPS, UH, THAT ACTUALLY CAN IDENTIFY OCCUPANTS OF VEHICLES, THOUGH I WILL PROBABLY NOT DIGRESS INTO THAT UNLESS THERE'S INTEREST.

UM, BUT THE KEY PROBLEM IS THE SCANNING IS INDISCRIMINATE, NO WARRANT OR FORMAL ACCUSATION OF A CRIME IS NEEDED.

UH, NOW ESSENTIALLY, DEFENDERS OF THIS WILL SAY THAT CARS ARE PUBLIC, YOU DO NOT HAVE EXPECTATIONS OF PRIVACY WITH THEM.

AND SO WE'VE ENTERED THIS KIND OF QUASI-LEGAL QUASI-PUBLIC STATUS SPACE WHERE IT'S LIKE A CAR IS PUBLIC, BUT IT'S ALSO SEEN AS A PRIVATE SPACE BY THE OCCUPANTS.

UM, COMBINED WITH THE AUTOMATION AND SCALE OF THE TECHNOLOGY, WE BASICALLY END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE EVERYBODY'S LICENSE PLATES REVEALING THEIR MOVEMENTS ARE BEING SCANNED.

AND TO ME, THIS IS JUST A PRETTY CUT AND DRY VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.

I CAN'T TECHNICALLY SAY IT IS BECAUSE THIS ISSUE HAS NOT YET MADE IT TO THE SUPREME COURT, THOUGH I DON'T REALLY SEE HOW YOU DON'T RULE IT AS A VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.

UM, YEAH, LET'S KEEP GOING AND SEE WHAT I'M GONNA TELL YOU ABOUT NEXT.

SO THIS IS NOT, THERE ARE PROBLEMS HERE BEYOND JUST GOVERNMENT MASTER SURVEILLANCE.

UM, AS MANY, AS I'M SURE EVERYBODY ON THE TECHNOLOGY MISSION KNOWS, THE TECH INDUSTRY'S MAIN BUSINESS MODEL IS DATA.

WELL, RENTING SERVERS AND SELLING DATA ARE THE TWO USUAL BUSINESS MODELS.

UM, AND IT SHOULD BE CLEAR THAT MOST CITIES, AND THIS INCLUDES AUSTIN, DO NOT HAVE THE IN-HOUSE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE OR THE FUNDING AND THEIR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO BUILD THESE SYSTEMS THEMSELVES.

SO IT'S ALREADY PROBLEMATIC GOVERNMENT POTENTIALLY HAVING DATABASES OF EVERYBODY'S MOVEMENTS, BUT IT, THE ACTUAL REALITY IN SOME WAYS IS EVEN MORE PROBLEMATIC THAN IF IT WAS JUST THE GOVERNMENT DOING THIS.

UM, A LPR VENDORS AGGRESSIVELY COURT, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENTS HERE IN AUSTIN AND ACROSS THE NATION.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE

[00:15:01]

WHO, UH, CARE ABOUT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, IT SHOULD BE CLEAR THAT WHILE IT'S CHEAPER THAN BUILDING AN IN-HOUSE SYSTEM, MILLIONS NONETHELESS ARE SPENT ON LICENSING FEES WITH THESE VENDORS.

THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY TO BE MADE HERE.

UM, THESE VENDORS DO NOT HAVE THE BEST ETHICAL TRACK RECORDS TO PUT IT LIGHTLY.

UM, OF MAJOR VENDORS LIKE FLOCK HAVE MADE DUBIOUS CLAIMS OF THE TECHNOLOGY'S USEFULNESS THAT BORDER ON ALMOST MARKETING PARODY, AS OPPOSED TO ANY VALID STATEMENT OF CRIME FIGHTING EFFICACY FLOCK.

AND ONE PR RELEASE WENT AS FAR AS TO CLAIM THAT 10% OF ALL CRIMES IN THE US ARE SOLVED BY THEIR TECHNOLOGY.

WHILE I CAN'T DEFINITIVELY PROVE THAT'S WRONG, THAT, UH, THAT'S A RATHER EXTRAORDINARY CLAIM THAT WOULD REQUIRE SOME EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

UM, AND BASICALLY THIS WHOLE SCENARIO IS A DATA PRIVACY DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.

UM, A NOT HYPOTHETICAL ONE, BY THE WAY.

UM, THESE LOCATION DATA SETS ARE CONTROLLED BY THE THIRD PARTY VENDORS.

THE, THE LATLONG COORDINATES OF MATCHING A LICENSE PLATE TO A LOCATION ARE KEPT IN, YOU KNOW, EITHER ON PREMISE OR CLOUD DATABASE SYSTEMS MANAGED BY THESE COMPANIES LIKE FLOCK.

UM, MEANING THAT MOST CITIES, DESPITE WHATEVER REGULATIONS OR DATA SAFETY, SECURITY PROCESSES THE CITY MAY HAVE, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THESE PROCESSES ARE BEING RESPECTED BY THESE VENDORS.

AND IN FACT, UM, IN 2020, THE UK'S ENTIRE NATIONAL A LR DATABASE WAS LEAKED ONTO THE DARK WEB, THE LOCATION OF EVERY DRIVER IN THE UK BASICALLY.

UM, SO IT'S NOT ME JUST SPECULATING ABOUT A BAD THING THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.

IT, IT ALREADY HAS HAPPENED ON A NATIONAL SCALE.

IF YOU GOOGLE FOR NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT IT, YOU MAY, UH, THEY, THEY'RE CALLED A DIFFERENT ACRONYM, APRS IN THE UK.

SO YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DO A LITTLE GOOGLING TO FIND IT, BUT, UH, IT WAS A FAIRLY BIG STORY ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.

UM, NOW HERE'S WHERE I GET INTO THE FUN STUFF.

UM, THERE'S IMMENSE HUMAN RIGHTS RISK WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, FIXED APRS, THE KIND MOUNTED AND POLLS, UM, THERE CAN BE BIAS IN WHERE THEY ARE PUT SPECIFICALLY, THEY CAN BE PLACED IN WAYS THAT OVER POLICE, POOR COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, OR BY HOAS, TO WHICH IT HAPPENS A LOT IN AUSTIN, BY THE WAY, THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN PRIVATE USES OF A LPRS TO ESSENTIALLY, HOAS OFTEN USED THEM TO ATTEMPT TO ESSENTIALLY PRIVATIZE WHAT ARE PUBLIC STREETS PAID FOR BY THE TAXPAYER AND KEEP PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OUT OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, MOBILE APRS, UM, CAN BASICALLY, YOU CAN POLITICIZE THEIR PLACEMENT AND, UM, CERTAIN CURRENT HOT BUTTON POLITICAL ISSUES CAN, UM, THERE'S A RISK OF A BIAS IN TARGETING SPECIFICALLY, YOU COULD CHOOSE TO POSITION THEM OUTSIDE OF ABORTION PROVIDERS, GENDER AFFIRMING CARE CLINICS, IMMIGRATION SERVICE FACILITIES.

AND JUST TO, YOU KNOW, MY SIDE DOESN'T SAY IT, BUT JUST TO SHOW THAT, UM, THIS IS A CROSS PARTISAN ISSUE, YOU CAN ALSO POSITION THEM OUTSIDE OF CHURCHES, GUN STORES.

YOU CAN PUT 'EM IN A LOT OF PLACES.

UM, AND, UM, THERE ARE JUST BROADER RISKS TO DEMOCRACY WITH A TECHNOLOGY THAT LETS US KNOW EVERYONE'S MOVEMENTS.

UM, THE MOVEMENTS OF POLITICIANS AND PROMINENT PUBLIC FIGURES CAN BE TRACKED.

IT INCREASES THE POSSIBILITY OF BLACKMAIL, UNDERMINING THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE PROCESS.

ALSO, THE TECHNOLOGY CAN BE A LITTLE TOO INACCURATE FOR MY LIKING.

UM, THERE'S DIFFERENT STUDIES ABOUT ACCURACY RATES, BUT I THINK I'M MAKING A FAIRLY NON-CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENT TO SAY THAT AT LEAST 10% OF THE TIME, THE REEDS CAN STRAIGHT UP BE WRONG.

UM, THERE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN STORIES OF, UM, PEOPLE BEING HELD AT GUNPOINT WHO WERE INNOCENT BECAUSE OF MS. REEDS.

UM, ALSO THE DATABASES THAT, UH, TRACK THE HOT LISTS ARE NOT ALWAYS KEPT UP TO DATE.

THERE WAS A PROMINENT STORY, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN CALIFORNIA.

SOMEBODY WAS IN A RENTAL CAR THAT HAD BEEN FLAGGED ONTO A HOT LIST.

UH, THE CAR HAD BEEN RECOVERED, BUT IT WAS NEVER REMOVED FROM THE HOT LIST.

AND THIS PERSON IN A RENTAL CAR WAS HELD AT GUNPOINT FOR HAVING STOLEN THE CAR.

LET'S SEE.

UM, AND THEN I'M GONNA GET A LITTLE MORE PHILOSOPHICAL, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THERE'S, THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S HARMS TO HUMAN FLOURISHING HERE THAT REALLY DO SOMETIMES GET TO THE HEART OF WHY I DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE TECHNICAL OR REMEDIES FOR USING THESE TECHNOLOGIES.

THERE ARE HARMS THAT NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU GOT THE SYSTEM, THESE WOULD STILL BE HARMS THE SYSTEM WOULD MAKE.

UM, MASS SURVEILLANCE HERE IS A VERY REAL HUMAN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TOLL.

UH, YOU LOSE ACCESS TO YOUR UNFILTERED THOUGHTS AND IDEAS.

YOU LOSE THE FREEDOM TO BE EMBARRASSING, INCONSISTENT OR EXPERIMENTAL WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE.

UH, IT ERODES INTIMACY WITH OTHER PEOPLE, AND THERE'S A NEVER ENDING PERFORMANCE ANXIETY.

UM, I THINK IT WAS, UH, THE PHILOSOPHER SARTRE, UH, TERM.

THIS IS THE GAZE, ESSENTIALLY BEING AWARE OF HOW OTHER PEOPLE SEE YOU.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT MASS SURVEILLANCE IS IN A LOT OF WAYS AT ITS CORE.

[00:20:01]

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGICAL PANOPTICON, IT'S, IT'S A SOCIAL TRAGEDY.

UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN TELL, WE'RE PRETTY BIG ON PRIVACY AS A VALUE AT EFF AUSTIN, AND WE BELIEVE THAT PRIVACY ALLOWS US THE ABILITY TO FLOURISH AS COMPLEX EVER-CHANGING BEINGS.

AND SURVEILLANCE DEPRIVES US OF THAT, UH, SURVEILLANCE CHILLS FREE EXPRESSION, EVEN THE KINDEST OF HANDS, PEOPLE MODIFY THEIR BEHAVIOR WHEN THEY KNOW THEY ARE BEING WATCHED.

UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY A WELL KNOWN PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENON THAT'S BEEN STUDIED EXTENSIVELY.

UM, AND WITHIN THE TECHNOLOGICAL PANOPTICON, PEOPLE BEGIN TO INTERNALIZE THE NOTION THAT THEY'RE BEING WATCHED, AND THEN THEY SELF-CENSOR ACCORDINGLY.

EVEN IF THERE IS NO ONE ACTUALLY WATCHING, SIMILAR TO, UH, A RAT IN A CAGE, IF IT LEARNS, THERE'S A SHOCK ON ONE SIDE.

EVEN IF YOU TAKE THE SHOCK AWAY, THE RAT WILL STILL NOT GO OVER THERE.

UM, AND SO IT JUST, IT LIMITS THE BREADTH OF HUMAN, UH, POSSIBILITY.

AND IT CALCIFY US INTO A STATE WHERE IF WE AS A SOCIETY HAVE GOTTEN SOME SOME THINGS WRONG, WE DON'T HAVE AN EASY MECHANISM BY WHICH WE CAN TRY TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES.

AND I WOULD ARGUE LEGAL OVERSIGHT DOES NOT REALLY ADDRESS THE RISKS.

UH, ANY SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM BUILT FOR ALLEGEDLY LEGITIMATE PURPOSES CAN BE REPURPOSED AS QUICKLY AS BAD ACTORS GAIN ACCESS TO IT.

ONCE AGAIN, UH, NOT TO GET TOO POLITICAL ABOUT IT, BUT I WOULD JUST REFER YOU TO SOME OF THE MANY NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT THE ACTIONS OF DOGE.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE ABOUT THE RISKS OF FORMERLY BENEVOLENT SYSTEMS AND DATA SETS GETTING IN THE HANDS OF BAD ACTORS, UM, THE MORE SOPHISTICATED A SYSTEM, THE HARDER IT IS TO AUDIT, UNDERSTAND, AND EFFECTIVELY REGULATE IT.

THIS CREATES A FUNDAMENTAL TENSION BETWEEN CAPABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

TECH SURVEILLANCE DEVELOPS AT SUCH A RAPID PACE THAT NO CURRENT LEGISLATIVE BODY CAN EFFECTIVELY CAPTURE IT WITHOUT INTENTIONALLY DECELERATING ITS DEPLOYMENT.

TO ALLOW FOR MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION AND LEGISLATION, IT WILL ALWAYS EVADE DEMOCRATIC OVERSIGHT.

AND EVEN WITH SAFEGUARDS, THE SURVEILLED HAS LIMITED ABILITY, UH, OR ACCESS TO VERIFY THAT PROTECTIONS ARE BEING RESPECTED OR TO SEEK RECOURSE IF THEY'RE VIOLATED.

ONE REPEATED THEME THAT CAME UP THROUGH THE A LPR AUDIT AND DISCUSSIONS WAS HOW MUCH EVERYTHING JUST DEPENDED ON TRUSTING WHAT FLOCK SAID.

UM, AND AS I'VE SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, I TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT, BUT I CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO A LITTLE GOOGLING ON FLOCK.

THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF SCANDALS.

THAT MAKES ME THINK THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT A TRUSTWORTHY ACTOR, THAT WE SHOULD JUST TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT.

UM, LET'S SEE.

UM, AND NOW I'M ACTUALLY GONNA GET TO SOME OF WHAT CAME OUT OF THE PILOT PROGRAM DISCUSSIONS THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO CITY COUNCIL NOT RENEWING THE PROGRAM.

UM, SO, UM, I'VE HIGHLIGHTED WHAT I THINK ARE SOME OF FOUR OF THE MOST SHOCKING THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE AUDIT, WHICH, UM, ONE OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE ONE YEAR PILOT WAS THAT THIS AUDIT WOULD HAPPEN, ALTHOUGH I WILL POINT OUT THAT THE AUDIT HAPPENED, UH, THREE MONTHS LATER THAN WAS INITIALLY REQUESTED.

SO THERE WAS EVEN A DELAY IN US GETTING THIS INFORMATION.

UM, BUT BASICALLY THE, THE FIRST THING, UM, THIS WAS NOT A DIRECT FINDING IN THE CITY'S AUDIT REPORT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING I HIGHLIGHTED TO COUNCIL AND LOCAL NEWS, AND THAT I THINK REALLY, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO, WE WANNA HAVE A DEBATE ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF THIS.

'CAUSE MAYBE DESPITE EVERYTHING I'VE SAID, YOU'VE SAID, WELL, IF WE CAN FIND STOLEN CARS, IF WE CAN STOP KIDNAPPINGS, MAY, MAY, MAYBE IT'S WORTH IT DESPITE ALL THESE RISKS.

BUT I WOULD STRAIGHT UP ARGUE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF EVIDENCE.

THIS TECH IS ACTUALLY TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE AT DOING WHAT ITS PROPONENT CLAIMANT DOES.

WE, OVER A YEAR PERIOD, WE SCANNED 75 MILLION LICENSE PLATES.

NOW, MANY OF THOSE ARE DUPLICATES, OBVIOUSLY, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY NORMALIZATION ISSUES BETWEEN HOW FLOCK AND AXON STORE DATA FLOCK.

LIKE WILL COLLAPSE ALL THE PICTURES FROM A SINGLE INSTANCE INTO ONE RECORD WHILE LIKE, UH, I BELIEVE AXON WILL JUST HAVE A SERIES OF PICTURES THAT MIGHT ALL BE FROM ONE CAR AT ONE LOCATION.

UM, BUT OH, I HIT THE BUTTON.

OF COURSE I DID.

UM, BUT BASICALLY, UM, THE FACT REMAINS, UM, 75 MILLION, EVEN IF YOU ACCOUNT FOR NORMALIZATION ISSUES, IT'S A REALLY STAGGERING NUMBER OF SCANS IN ONE YEAR.

UM, I WILL POINT OUT TO YOU ONLY ABOUT, UH, 2 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN THE AUSTIN METRO AREA, 1 MILLION IN THE CITY PROPER.

SO, UM, I CAN BASICALLY TELL YOU, YOU'VE DEFINITELY BEEN SCANNED.

UM, AND DESPITE THIS MANY SCANS, THE SUCCESS RATE OF LOCATING PERSONS OF INTEREST WAS LESS THAN 0.02%.

NOW, I'M SURE ANYBODY WHO, YOU KNOW, DID HAVE THEIR CAR RECOVERED FROM THIS WOULD WOULD SAY THAT THAT DOESN'T CAPTURE THEIR PERSONAL REALITY.

AND, AND I HEAR THAT, BUT WHEN WE'RE GOVERNING AS A CITY, WE DO HAVE TO THINK IN TERMS A LITTLE UTILITARIAN SOMETIMES OF HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE LIMITED FUNDING, LIMITED RESOURCES AND BALANCE ALL THE RIGHTS OF ALL CITIZENS.

I WOULD ARGUE IT'S NOT A VERY GOOD USE OF MONEY OR A VERY GOOD GAMBLE ON OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES WHEN WE HAVE AN EFFICACY RATE THAT LOW.

UM, ALSO, UM, THE PRIVATE PROGRAM WAS PREDICATED ON THIS IDEA THAT WE WOULD HAVE STRICT SAFEGUARDS

[00:25:01]

AND RULES AROUND DATA SHARING BECAUSE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, DID HEAR THE CONCERNS AROUND HOW SOME OF THIS DATA COULD BE USED FOR TARGETING AND POLITICIZATION.

SO AS PART OF EARLIER NEGOTIATIONS THAT EFFF WAS PART OF AROUND THAT PILOT PROGRAM, THERE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE STRONG RULES AROUND WHEN DATA CAN BE SHARED AND HOW IT CAN BE SHARED.

BUT WHAT THE AUDIT REVEALED IS, DESPITE THE RESOLUTION PROHIBITING DATA SHARING IN MOST SITUATIONS, THE ACTUAL CONTRACT WITH FLOCK THAT WAS SIGNED, AND I'M HIGHLIGHTING A DISCOVERY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SIEGEL MADE, AND, AND I REFER YOU ALL TO THE PRESENTATION HE MADE.

IT'S REALLY QUITE A PHENOMENAL, I REALLY ENJOYED IT .

UM, BUT BASICALLY, UM, HE DISCOVERED THE ACTUAL CONTRACT WE SIGNED WITH FLOCK, REGARDLESS OF WHAT OUR RESOLUTION SAYS, GAVE FLOCK A NON-EXCLUSIVE, PERPETUAL, IRREVOCABLE WORLDWIDE ROYALTY, FREE, FULLY PAID LICENSE TO USE, REPRODUCE, MODIFY, AND DISTRIBUTE THE AGENCY DATA.

IN OTHER WORDS, THERE WAS ACTUALLY NO LEGAL LIMIT ON WHAT FLOCK COULD DO WITH THE DATA WHATSOEVER.

I CAN ONLY SPECULATE ABOUT HOW, UM, LAWYERS WITH THE CITY OR, UH, DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS WITH A PDI CAN ONLY SPECULATE HOW THIS WAS MISSED, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S MAYBE APPROPRIATE INTO THAT SPECULATION RIGHT NOW, BUT I STILL FIND IT QUITE STAGGERING THAT A CONTRACT WITH NO LIMITATIONS IS WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SIGNED.

UM, WHETHER IT'S HUMAN ERROR OR INTENTIONAL, I CAN'T SAY, BUT IT, IT'S STUNNING TO ME THAT IT DIDN'T EVEN, UM, HAVE HALF OF WHAT WE WERE TOLD IT SHOULD HAVE IN IT AND LEGALLY HAD TO BY COUNSEL'S RESOLUTION.

ALSO, WE LEARNED THAT ONCE AGAIN, PROVING IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ALL MALICE OR SOMETHING.

UM, A PD APPARENTLY THERE WERE INITIALLY, WHEN THEY FIRST TALKED TO COUNCIL IN MARCH, THEY CLAIMED THAT NO ONE HAD ASKED FOR ANY DATA SHARING.

NOT, NOT FOR ANY REASON BY ANY OTHER, EVEN LIKE LOCAL ENTITIES LIKE THE TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF.

AND THEN WE SUDDENLY HEAR, OH, WAIT, THERE WAS A REQUEST, AND SUDDENLY IT KEPT TRICKLING OUT.

NEXT THING WE KNEW, THERE HAD BEEN LIKE 10 PLUS REQUESTS FROM OTHER ENTITIES.

AND THE LEADERSHIP AT A PD THEMSELVES SEEMED UNAWARE THAT THESE REQUESTS HAD EVEN BEEN MADE, THAT IT WAS GENUINELY NEWS TO THEM THAT THESE REQUESTS AND DATA SHARING INCIDENTS HAD HAPPENED.

AND THEN, UM, WHAT CAME OUT, UH, RIGHT BEFORE THE VOTES, AND I THINK ANOTHER THING THAT REALLY JUST WAS KIND OF A SLAM DUNK FOR THE PROBLEMS, WAS THAT IT WAS DISCOVERED A FEW DAYS BEFORE, UH, THE COUNCIL VOTE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.

IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT IN VIOLATION OF THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION, UM, THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION REQUIRED THAT ANYTIME APRS WERE TO BE USED, A REASON HAD TO BE GIVEN SO THAT IT COULD BE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS FOR AN ALLOWED REASON.

UM, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT, UH, THE, THE FORM, THE WEB FORM TO, UH, ENTER, UH, THE REASON FOR A SEARCH, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THAT FIELD WAS OPTIONAL.

IT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO DO A SEARCH WITHOUT FILLING OUT THAT FIELD.

AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A FULL 25% OF SEARCHES WERE DONE WITHOUT A LEGITIMATE DOCUMENTED PURPOSE.

NOW, UM, A PD HAS SAID A LOT OF THESE THINGS JUST REPRESENT PROCESS FAILURES.

AND, YOU KNOW, I HEAR THAT I, I WRITE CODE FOR A LIVING, AND I, I'D BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU, ANYBODY WHO TELLS YOU THERE'S SUCH A THING AS BUG FREE CODE IS, UH, TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING.

I, I'M WELL AWARE OF THAT.

SO I ACTUALLY, UNLIKE MAYBE SOME PEOPLE IN THIS DEBATE, I ACCEPT PROCESS FAILURES AND LEARNING FROM THEM AS A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WOULD RETORT.

BUT WHEN A PROCESS FAILURE LEADS TO SOMEBODY BEING SHOT OR A FAMILY RIPPED APART, UM, I WOULD ARGUE YOU, IF YOU CAN'T GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, UM, YOU SHOULD WONDER IF YOU'RE GONNA EVER GET IT RIGHT AT A LEVEL THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.

AND THE PILOT WAS THE CHANCE TO DEMONSTRATE YOU COULD GET IT RIGHT.

AND, UM, I I WOULD ARGUE, UH, WOULDN'T EVEN GET A, WOULDN'T EVEN GET A C MINUS FROM ME .

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO GET A LITTLE MORE INTO, LIKE, YOU COULD SAY, WELL, FINE, BUT A LOT OF THESE BIG RISKS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO PEOPLE STILL SOUND MAYBE HYPOTHETICAL.

LIKE I COULD SEE THE DANGER, I COULD SEE THE RISK, BUT EXCEPT IT IS NOT HYPOTHETICAL, ACTUALLY, MANY OF THESE SCENARIOS I'VE TOLD YOU ABOUT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED.

UM, THERE WAS A BIG 4 0 4 MEDIA REPORT, WHICH, UH, TO ANY COMMISSIONER WHO IS NOT YET FAMILIAR WITH 4 0 4 MEDIA, IF YOU'RE ON THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION, I STRONGLY ADVISE GETTING A SUBSCRIPTION AT SOME OF THE FINEST INVESTIGATIVE TECH REPORTING OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

UM, BUT 4 0 4 MEDIA HAD A BOMBSHELL EXPOSE WHERE THEY REVEALED THAT, UH, AUTHORITIES IN TEXAS HAD PERFORMED A NATIONWIDE SEARCH ON MORE THAN 83,000 APRS LOOKING FOR A WOMAN WHO HAD AN ABORTION.

AND I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ACTUALLY PAUSE FOR A SECOND, THINK ABOUT, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOR A LONG TIME, ONE WAY THE US HAS DIFFERENTIATED ITSELF FROM AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES IS THAT YOU'RE NOT BEING SPIED ON AT ALL TIMES.

I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THE STAGGERING IMPLICATIONS OF 83,000 CAMERAS ALL ACROSS THE NATION, ALL KIND OF CONNECTED, AND YOU CAN LITERALLY TRACK SOMEBODY'S LOCATION IN REAL TIME, ZERO IN

[00:30:01]

ON ONE PERSON, FOLLOW THEIR MOVEMENTS.

I, I MEAN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY, BUT I JUST, ME SPEAKING AS A CITIZEN AND A HUMAN BEING, I FIND THAT POSSIBILITY TERRIFYING.

UM, AND I CAN'T THINK HOW THAT WOMAN FELT.

UM, ALSO, THIS BROKE JUST A FEW DAYS AGO ACTUALLY.

UM, IN DALLAS, TWO BOUNTY HUNTERS USED APRS TO LOCATE A TARGET, AND THIS RESULTED IN A FATAL SHOOTOUT.

UM, I SUGGEST GO THAT TO GET MORE DETAILS, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DATA BROKERS, UH, WILL LET ENTITIES LIKE A BOUNTY HUNTER OR A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR HAVE ACCESS TO DATA LIKE THIS VERY SENSITIVE DATA THAT YOU MIGHT THINK, OH, WELL, ONLY POLICE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

NO, UM, THESE BOUNTY HUNTERS GOT ACCESS TO THIS DATA LAWFULLY.

UM, AND, BUT OF COURSE, THEY TRACKED DOWN SOMEBODY USING IT THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE, AND IT ESCALATED TO A FATAL TRAGEDY.

UM, AND THEN I WOULD ALSO, THIS IS ANOTHER FAIRLY RECENT ONE, NOT IN TEXAS, BUT I DO THINK IT HIGHLIGHTS SOME MORE OF THE HYPOTHETICAL RISKS I'VE TALKED ABOUT BEING REALITY IN VIRGINIA, DESPITE LOCAL RULES AND PROHIBITIONS AGAINST USING A LPR DATA FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, FOX DATA SHARING NETWORK WAS USED IN NUMEROUS ICE ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS.

AND NOW HERE'S KIND OF, UH, WHERE I, IN MY WRAP THINGS UP AND KIND OF GIVE YOU MY ASS BASICALLY, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE COALITION, WE WERE VERY HAPPY THAT THE, ALL THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS CAME TOGETHER IN COMMON.

CAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US MAY NOT AGREE ON MUCH ELSE, BUT WE ALL AGREED THIS WAS A PROBLEM, AND WE ALL CAME TOGETHER AND WERE VERY HAPPY THAT CITY COUNCIL LISTENED TO OUR CONCERNS AND PUT OFF RENEWING THIS PROGRAM.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AS, AS I SAID, THERE SEEMS TO BE BELIEF FROM A FEW MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER, THAT THESE WERE PROCESS PROBLEMS AND THAT WE CAN COME BACK IN A YEAR AND WE CAN GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME.

AND WHAT, WHAT WE, OUR, OUR ASK AS A COALITION AMONG US AS EFF AUSTIN IN PARTICULAR IS TO SAY, NO APRS FOR AUSTIN.

NOT NOW, NOT EVER, UM, AUSTIN KNIGHT'S RESOUNDINGLY REJECTED IT.

UM, AND THE TRUTH IS, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM.

WE'RE A DIFFERENT VENDOR.

EVEN STRONGER REGULATIONS AND SAFEGUARDS OR TECHNICAL REMEDIATION COULD SOLVE IT.

ALPR IS WITH THEIR RISK TO PRIVACY, SAFETY IN HUMAN RIGHTS ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SAYING IN THE TECH COMMUNITY, UH, THE, THE ETHICAL TECH COMMUNITY, BUT IT, IT REALLY IS TRUE, AS I'M SURE ANY OF THE PROGRAMS IN THIS ROOM KNOW, THE ONLY DATA THAT CAN'T GET LEAKED IS THE DATA YOU DON'T COLLECT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

UM, IT'S A FUNDAMENTAL CONSEQUENCE OF MATHEMATICS AND JUST HOW COMPUTERS WORK.

THERE IS NO LOCK THAT WILL ONLY OPEN FOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND NOT THE WRONG PEOPLE.

UM, SO YEAH, THE ONLY SAFETY IS TO NOT HAVE THE DATA IN THE FIRST PLACE.

UM, AND BASICALLY IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION WILL JOIN US AND CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT WHY LPRS ARE A BAD CHOICE FOR AUSTIN.

AND, UH, IF IT TURNS OUT THAT I HAVE NOT UNANIMOUSLY PERSUADED ALL OF YOU THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION, I'D BE HAPPY TO CONTINUE THIS DIALOGUE WITH YOU AND ADDRESS REASONS WHY MAYBE YOU THINK I HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT RIGHT.

UM, BUT YEAH, I, UH, I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, KEVIN.

UM, OH, I FORGOT.

I DID ACTUALLY HAVE A FINAL SLIDE.

UH OH, GO FOR IT.

YEAH, A LITTLE BIT OF EGO AGGRANDIZEMENT, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO IT.

UM, WHERE IS IT? OH, THERE WE GO.

OH, , DID I CLICK IT OFF? UH, UM, JUST SUMMING UP KIND OF MY THOUGHTS AS THE BOARD PRESIDENT, SO I'LL JUST, I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS.

UM, SPEAKING FOR EFF AUSTIN, WE BELIEVE APRS ARE A MASS SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE THEY CANVAS AN ENTIRE AREA INDISCRIMINATELY BY GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE WERE AT CERTAIN TIMES WITHOUT A WARRANT, PROBABLE CAUSE OR EVIDENCE OF CRIMINAL WRONGDOING.

THEY'RE AN OBVIOUS VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.

NOW I'M DONE, .

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, KEVIN, UH, THAT, THOSE WONDERFUL INFORMATION, UM, UH, I, I, I THINK CONTINUING TO HAVE THE DIALOGUE WITH, WITH YOU AND OTHERS AND THE COALITION THAT, THAT YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH.

UM, SO WE STAY ON TOP OF THE ISSUE AND WE'RE ABLE TO, TO COACH AND ADVISE OUR INDIVIDUAL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, AND PERHAPS EVEN, EVEN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS IS, IS IMPORTANT.

UM, I DID HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND I'LL, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.

UM, YEAH, HAPPY TO TRY AND ANYTHING I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I'M HAPPY TO GET THAT TO YOU.

YEAH, YEAH.

FOR, FOR SURE.

WHAT ARE THE GENERAL LIKE AGREEMENTS THAT, THAT THEY'VE, THAT THEY ENTERED INTO, UH, THAT PERHAPS WERE DIFFERENT OR SIMILAR TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN? YEAH, HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT.

AND YOU MAY, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THESE, BUT I, I WAS CURIOUS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT DO USE APRS, AND I SUSPECT THEY PERHAPS HAVE LONG TERM CONTRACTS BEYOND THE PI, BEYOND WHAT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN AUSTIN BEYOND THE PILOT PHASE.

SO I'M CURIOUS, DO YOU KNOW OFFHAND, UM, PERHAPS WHAT SOME OF THOSE MUNICIPALITIES ARE? WERE THEY AGREEMENTS WITH FLOCK? WERE THEY AGREEMENTS WITH, WITH OTHER, UH, SIMILAR COMPANIES AND, UH, WHAT WERE, WHAT,

[00:35:01]

WHAT I CAN, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, SO I CAN ACTUALLY TELL YOU THAT.

UM, I CAN TELL YOU, UH, SAN MARCOS DEFINITELY HAS APRS.

UM, AND ACTUALLY THEY WERE ALSO IN A DISCUSSION TO EXPAND THEIR A LPR PROGRAM.

AND ACTUALLY JUST LIKE AUSTIN, THEIR CITIZENS ROSE UP AND THE PROGRAM WAS NOT EXPANDED.

IT WAS, THEY DIDN'T CANCEL WHAT WAS ALREADY IN PLACE, SO THEY DIDN'T LIKE ROLL BACK WHAT THEY ALREADY HAD, BUT THERE WAS PLANS TO MASSIVELY EXPAND IT AND ROLL IT OUT MORE.

AND, UM, SAN MARCOS STOPPED THOSE PLANS AFTER CITIZEN OUTCRY.

I DON'T, I CAN TELL YOU MOST OF THE SMALL TOWNS AND SUBURBS AROUND AUSTIN DO USE THEM.

I DON'T WANT TO DEFINITIVELY GIVE YOU A, UH, A FULL LIST BECAUSE I JUST DON'T WANNA GET ONE WRONG.

I 99.99% SURE PFLUGERVILLE HAS THEM.

SO I DON'T THINK I'M MISSPEAKING TO TELL YOU THAT.

MM-HMM .

UM, IT'S MOST OF THE SMALL TOWNS AROUND US SUCH THAT, YES, ONE THING THAT DID COME UP WITH SOME CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IS THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, IT'S NOT JUST AN AUSTIN PROBLEM AND THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL, DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY DRIVE AND THE SURROUNDING AREA WILL POTENTIALLY STILL BE SUBJECT TO, UH, THIS FORM OF SURVEILLANCE AND HAS ALSO BEEN DISCUSSED.

THIS IS, UM, I'M AWARE THAT THIS IS PART OF A MUCH LARGER NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT SURVEILLANCE IN GENERAL, NOT JUST ONE PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGY.

AND IT'S ALSO ABOUT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE APPROPRIATE ROLES OF PUBLIC VERSUS PRIVATE ENTITIES AND HOW DATA SHARING CAN WORK IN THOSE SCENARIOS.

BECAUSE, UM, AS I SORT OF ALLUDED TO WITH HOAS, UM, PLENTY OF PRIVATE ENTITIES OWN APRS, UM, I CAN TELL YOU FOR INSTANCE, UM, IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY AWARE OF IT, THERE IS A OPEN STREET MAPS, UH, CROWDSOURCE PROJECT CALLED D FLOCK THAT IS A, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT MAY BE INACCURATE 'CAUSE IT'S CITIZEN SOURCE DATA, BUT IT PURPORTS TO TRY TO SHOW YOU WHERE KNOWN APRS ARE IN THE COUNTRY.

AND, UM, IF YOU GO LOOK AT AUSTIN, UM, IT, IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE AS MANY OF THEM ON THERE AS I'D LIKE, BUT IT, UM, IT DOES SHOW YOU WHERE A FEW KNOWN PRIVATE ACTORS WHO USE THEM HAVE THEM.

UM, I CAN TELL YOU FOR INSTANCE, THAT, UH, BOTH THE LOWE'S AND HOME DEPOT AND SUNSET VALLEY USE THEM.

BARTON CREEK MALL HAS THEM.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTEN SOME QUESTIONS THAT SOMETIMES ASK, WELL, WHY ARE YOU BEING SO LASER FOCUSED ON THIS? AND WITH ALL THE PRIVATE ACTORS WHO ALSO, THERE ARE NO RULES.

IF AN HOA WANTS TO SHOW A POLICE DEPARTMENT THEIR DATA, THERE'S NO RULES SAYING THEY CAN'T VOLUNTARILY SHARE THAT.

UM, I'M AWARE THERE'S A LARGER DISCUSSION TO BE HAD, AND I, YOU KNOW, I AGREE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AROUND PRIVATE ACTORS SHOULD BE DIFFERENT.

I ALSO AGREE THERE ARE LIMITS TO WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN DO TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

IT'S REALLY A NATIONAL CONVERSATION.

WHAT I WOULD RETORT BACK TO THOSE WHO HAVE RAISED THESE VALID POINTS IS JUST, WELL, WE GOTTA START SOMEWHERE.

YOU KNOW, I, WHO SAYS I'M NOT GOING TO THEN IF WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS HERE, FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS.

BUT I FEEL THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY CLEAR, TANGIBLE THING TO START WITH AND A PRETTY CLEAR ASK.

AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, SOMETHING ISN'T ONLY A GOOD THING TO DO IF, UH, OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING THE WRONG THING.

YOU KNOW, AUSTIN CAN DO THE RIGHT THING EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE SAY, OVER WHAT SAY PFLUGERVILLE WANTS TO DO.

UM, TO ANSWER THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THEIR AGREEMENTS WOULD SAY, I MEAN, I KNOW FLOCK PURPORTS TO MAKE CUSTOMIZED DASHBOARDS AND AGREEMENTS FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.

UM, AS YOU SAW FROM THEIR LICENSE LANGUAGE, THOUGH, I DON'T ACTUALLY THINK THAT THIS CARRIES MUCH WEIGHT, I THINK FLOCK AND THERE'S A LOT OF NEWS STORIES THAT YOU CAN GO BACK FOR SEVERAL YEARS ON, ON OTHER GOOD ONLINE TECH PUBLICATIONS LIKE TECH DIRT THAT HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTING FOR YEARS POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH FLOCK AS A COMPANY.

I THINK THERE'S A VERY GOOD, UH, FORBES ARTICLE FROM VAR FROM A FEW YEARS AGO THAT HIGHLIGHTS JUST FLOCK AS A COMPANY REGARDLESS OF WHAT CONTRACT THEIR CONTRACTS SAY.

UM, THEY SEEM TO KIND OF PLAY BY THEIR OWN RULES.

UM, THAT BEING SAID, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT WITH OUR PILOT PROGRAM, AUSTIN, FOR A CITY OF ITS SIZE, IN THEORY, IF OUR RESOLUTION HAD BEEN FOLLOWED, HAD SOME OF THE STRONGEST SAFEGUARDS AND REGULATIONS AND ALPS ANYWHERE IN THE NATION, UM, I'M QUITE CONFIDENT NONE OF THE SMALL TOWNS AROUND US, WHATEVER THEIR TERMS WERE, WERE QUITE AS STRONG AS OURS.

UM, I CAN TELL YOU THOUGH, THAT THERE ARE PLACES IN AMERICA THAT USE ALPS THAT, UH, HAVE EVEN STRONGER REGULATIONS.

UM, ONE THING I DO, YOU KNOW, AS I SAY, YOU CAN CLEARLY TELL I'M NOT A FAN OF THE USING THE TECHNOLOGY AT ALL, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WILL TAKE MORE SAFEGUARDS OVER LESS.

ONE THING I FREQUENTLY HIGHLIGHTED TO COUNCIL WAS THAT ACTUALLY IT'S STATE LAW IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THAT YOU CAN ONLY RETAIN DATA FROM AN A LPR FOR THREE MINUTES, LITERALLY JUST ENOUGH TIME TO LOOK UP ON THE HOT LIST, AND THEN THE DATA'S GONE.

WHICH TECHNICALLY YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU TECHNICALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU DO AN API LOOK UP LIKE THAT.

[00:40:01]

SO LIKE, TECHNICALLY EVEN THREE MINUTES IS LONGER THAN TECHNICALLY NEEDED TO PERFORM THE FUNCTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, AS, AS I SAID, I'D RATHER WE AREN'T USE 'EM AT ALL, BUT, UM, SHORTER DATA RETENTION IS GOOD.

UM, AUSTIN ALREADY HAD PRETTY STRONG DATA RETENTION RULES WHEN INITIALLY IT WAS SET AT 30 DAYS.

MANY CITIES KEEP IT FOR SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR.

UM, WE HAD THEN THROUGH PREVIOUS A LPR DEBATES HAD GOTTEN THAT 30 DAYS DOWN TO SEVEN, WHICH IS WHAT THE, UH, PILOT PROGRAM WAS.

AND ACTUALLY, UH, , WE WERE LOST BY ONE VOTE, ACTUALLY GETTING IT DOWN TO THREE MINUTES.

UH, THAT WAS A DEMORALIZING WHEN THAT HAPPENED, , BUT I WAS PROBABLY GOT THAT CLOSE.

UM, YEAH, SO I THINK TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, YEAH, UM, MANY CITIES AROUND US ARE DOING IT WITH PROBABLY LITTLE TO NO OVERSIGHT OF ANY KIND.

AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION, AND UM, MAYBE I HAD KNOWN AT, AT SOME POINT, AND I JUST, I MISSED IT.

HOW MUCH DID THE CITY OF AUSTIN SPEND ON THE PILOT PHASE CONTRACT? OH, I DO NOT HAVE THE NUMBER AT THE TIP OF MY TONGUE.

UM, I CAN TELL YOU IT WAS DEFINITELY OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.

UM, I WANNA SAY IT WAS UNDER 10 MILLION.

UM, SO I'D SAY SOMEWHERE IN THAT FIGURE RANGE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE, BUT I DO NOT HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER ON THE TIP OF MY TONGUE.

ONES, I STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE BECAUSE, UM, THEY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T WANT US TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE BECAUSE THEN PEOPLE CAN EASILY CHOOSE ROUTES TO AVOID THEM, BASICALLY.

UM, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS IF ANYONE ELSE HAS QUESTIONS.

YES.

UH, COMMISSIONER PVI, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, I HAVE A GENERAL QUESTION MORE SO TO JUST HELP THE WAY THAT I FRAME THIS TOO.

UH, SURE.

WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT LIKE A TOLL BOOTH CAMERA THAT'S CAPTURING A LICENSE PLATE, HOW DOES YOUR GROUP DIFFERENTIATE THAT IN RELATION TO THE APRS? LIKE THE WAY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW? IS IT LIKE A SPECTRUM OR IS IT IN YOUR OPINION, SOMETHING DIFFERENT BASED ON HOW IT'S USED? THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION.

I APPRECIATE WHEN I ACTUALLY HAVE TO THINK 'CAUSE YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON TO SPECIFICALLY RAISE THE ISSUE OF CAMERAS WITH, WITH TOLL BOOTHS.

UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT ACTUALLY IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF, UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY A SCENARIO WHERE AT LEAST SOME OF THE ACCURACY CONCERNS ARE LESSENED BECAUSE A LOT OF A LPR MISREADS COME FROM, UH, BAD LIGHTING OR THE CARS AT A WEIRD ANGLE ON THE SOFTWARE HAS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT SAID.

OFTEN CARS, UH, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY SLOW DOWN AND STOP AT A TOLL BOOTH, UM, THAT CAN, UM, MAKE FOR A MORE ACCURATE READ.

SO I WOULD ARGUE IT'S A MORE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT WHERE SOME OF THE ACCURACY ISSUES ARE REMOVED.

I MEAN, I GUESS TO YOUR BROADER QUESTION, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I I'D BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU THE, THERE'S COMPLEXITY AND NUANCE IN, IN ALL ISSUES, INCLUDING SURVEILLANCE.

LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU, YOU SEE THIS WITH DATA, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN WEBSITES COLLECT DATA, IT CAN OFTEN BE A VERY THIN LINE BETWEEN DATA THE WEBSITE HAS TO COLLECT OR IT LITERALLY CAN'T FUNCTION VERSUS INAPPROPRIATE DATA THAT CAN ENDANGER PEOPLE.

UM, I MEAN TOLL BOOTH, UM, I MEAN FOR ONE THING IT'S IN, I WOULD ARGUE THOUGH, COMPARED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT USE OF IT, UM, MUCH LIKE WITH PRIVATE ACTORS USE, IT'S INHERENTLY LESS PROBLEMATIC.

UH, I DIDN'T QUITE GET INTO THIS, BUT, AND YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T AN ARGUMENT THAT DEPENDING ON PEOPLE'S PHILOSOPHIES AND HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A SOCIAL FUNCTION, IT DOESN'T PLAY WELL WITH EVERYONE.

BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT, WHICH IS, UM, IN POLITICAL THEORY, WE WHAT WE, WE SAY THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS WHAT'S CALLED THE MONOPOLY ON VIOLENCE, WHICH IS THEY'RE THE ONLY MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY WHO ARE LEGITIMATELY, LEGALLY ALLOWED TO USE VIOLENCE IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.

THIS INHERENTLY MAKES ANY MISTAKES IN THAT ARENA FAR MORE DANGEROUS.

NOW THAT BEING SAID, YOU, YOU ARE CORRECT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, A DATA SET IS A DATA SET LOCATION, DATA IS LOCATION DATA.

UM, SO CERTAINLY IF HYPOTHETICALLY CERTAIN BAD ACTORS WERE VERY INTERESTED IN GRABBING EVERY DATA SET IN AMERICA AND PUTTING IT INTO A BIG BLACK BOX FOR I'M SURE COMPLETELY INNOCENT REASONS.

UM, SURE.

UH, THAT DATA'S THERE.

AS I SAID, ALL DATA CAN BE ABUSED AND MISUSED.

UM, I WOULD ARGUE THAT MANY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES I RAISED ARE MUCH LESS HERE.

IF ONLY BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST ON THE TOLL ROAD, YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY PROVE WHERE YOU LEFT FROM AND WHERE YOU WENT TO OR WHO YOU MET WITH.

SO IT'S PROBABLY JUST THAT THE SCOPE IS A LOT MORE CONFINED IS THE MAIN REASON I WOULD ARGUE IT DOESN'T REALLY IMPLICATE A LOT OF THE STUFF WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, INCLUDING THE CAMERAS ARE FIXED SO THEY CAN'T BE POLITICIZED WITH PLACEMENT.

AND, UM, THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF CONSENT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CAMERA IF YOU GET ON THE TOLL ROAD, UM, AND YOU CAN EVEN SEE IT.

THEY DON'T, UNLIKE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT APRS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I TOLD YOU WE HAVE 50 FIXED

[00:45:01]

UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ON A TOLL ROAD.

THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF, UH, CITIZEN CONSENT THERE THAT IS NOT PRESENT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT USE OF THESE.

GO AHEAD.

UH, YEAH, I HAD A QUEST TWO QUESTIONS.

ONE WAS ABOUT THE NUMBER YOU'D SAID ABOUT THE 0.02% S SUCCESS RATE AND SO ON.

YES.

IS THAT OF LIKE, OF ALL THE IMPRESSIONS THAT WAS A NUMBER THAT RESULTED IN SOME SORT OF MATCH, OR IS THAT HOW MANY SEARCHES RESULTED IN SOME SORT OF MATCH? LET ME SEE IF I GET IT RIGHT AND I'LL TRY TO CLARIFY.

SO BASICALLY THERE WERE 75 MILLION ESSENTIALLY DATABASE RECORDS MM-HMM .

ESSENTIALLY.

UM, AND AS I TOLD YOU, THERE'S NORMALIZATION ISSUES WITH THAT, WHICH I ALREADY GOT INTO A BIT.

BUT, UM, 70, UH, ESSENTIALLY 75 MILLION DATABASE ROSES, I THINK, I THINK I'M MAKING A CORRECT STATEMENT.

UM, AND, AND SO THAT'S, AND THEN EACH OF THOSE ROWS, UH, WAS SENT IN AN API CALL TO THE HOT LIST BASICALLY.

AND THE 0.02% MEANS OF THOSE 75 MILLION ROWS ONLY 0.02 OF THEM RETURNED AS THIS LICENSE PLATE IS ON THE HOT LIST.

OH, OKAY.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE, OKAY, GO AHEAD.

OH, SORRY.

I WAS JUST SAYING THAT MEANS IT'S NOT LIKE ONLY 0.02% OF THE THINGS THEY PUT ON THE HOT LIST HAD ANY MATCHES.

UH, NO, NO.

YES, IT IS MORE, I AM EMPHASIZING THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NOT ACCUSED OF A CRIME OKAY.

WHO HAD TO BE SCANNED TO FIND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ACTUALLY ON THE HOT LIST WAS POINT.

HAS AUTOMATED LICENSE RESERVES.

MAKING FOR THE CLARIFICATION ALSO, DO YOU KNOW, UH, IF THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS ANY, UH, ACTIVITY AROUND THIS? UM, LIKE WITH DPS? UH, DPS YES.

IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT, UM, I, I, I WOULD THINK IT WOULD ACTUALLY PROBABLY BE A FAIRLY FAIR STATEMENT THOUGH.

I'D HAVE TO GO CHECK THAT.

AND THERE ARE ACTIVISTS WHO, LIKE WE AT EF HAVE AUSTIN FOCUSED ON MANY DIGITAL LIBERTIES ISSUES.

UM, THERE ARE SOME ACTIVISTS IN THIS COUNTRY WHO APRS IS LITERALLY ALL THEY DO.

SO THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THEIR FIGURES AT HAND BETTER THAN ME.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S PROBABLY FAIR TO SAY THAT ALMOST EVERY STATE GOVERNMENT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT AT THIS POINT HAS THEM.

MAYBE THERE'S ONE OR TWO STATES THAT DON'T, BUT I THINK THAT'D BE PRETTY FAIR.

UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT ABOUT 75 TO 90% OF MID-SIZE AND LARGER AMERICAN CITIES NOW USE ALPS AS WELL AS MANY SMALLER TOWNS.

BUT YES, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY DPS ABSOLUTELY HAS THEM.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER COMBI, UM, I SEE COMMISSIONER HERITAGE, UM, HAS A QUESTION.

GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER.

HERITAGE.

THANK YOU, KEVIN, I HAD A QUESTION.

YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THEMES, UH, THAT I THINK WILL BE REALLY INTERESTING TO BRING UP LATER IN OUR, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME, UH, CONVERSATIONS, I THINK TO ADD THIS TO OUR PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE WORK GROUP AS WELL, WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE YOU COME BACK TO THAT AND POTENTIALLY MEET SEPARATELY WITH THAT SMALLER WORK GROUP.

BUT, UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, TWO THINGS.

ONE AROUND, UH, RECORD RETAINAGE OR DATA RETAINAGE, AND THEN ONE, I THINK WE TALKED SORT OF ANCILLARY AROUND, BUT AROUND DATA OWNERSHIP AS WELL.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT AS FAR AS TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, WHAT FLOCK'S RELATIONSHIP LOOKS LIKE WITH THE RE I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY DIFFERENT, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE LAW AND SO I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS WITH THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT OR IS THAT SORT OF JURISDICTION TO JURISDICTION TO SET THOSE PARAMETERS UP? AND THEN WHAT YOU CAN MAYBE UNPACK A LITTLE BIT MORE AROUND DATA OWNERSHIP AS WELL.

'CAUSE I THINK, UM, I, I HEARD YOU ON SOME OF THE RISKS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COME UP ONCE YOU SORT OF PUT PUBLIC ESSENTIALLY ENGROSSED PUBLIC DATA INTO A PRIVATE DATA SET, LIKE WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT ONCE IT'S OUTSIDE OF SORT OF CITY JURISDICTION.

BUT I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS IF YOU CAN UNPACK THOSE TWO THINGS FOR ME.

SURE.

I'D BE HAPPY TO DIVE INTO BOTH OF THOSE AT A LITTLE MORE DEPTH.

UM, LET'S SEE.

UM, SO YEAH, I THINK, UM, SORRY.

ASK ME, UM, UH, IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY.

WHAT, WHAT WAS THE FIRST QUESTION? SORRY, .

UM, NO, YOU'RE FINE.

I THINK THAT JUST ANY, IF YOU HAVE ANY DETAIL AS FAR AS THIS OH, OH YES.

ABOUT INDIVIDUAL AGREEMENTS.

UM, YEAH, I, I'M NOT AN EXPERT ONCE AGAIN COMPARED TO SOME OF THE ASSETS IN THE SPACE, BUT WHAT I BELIEVE IS A CORRECT STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT FLOCK DOES IS, AS I SAID, I FROM SOME SCANDALS, FLOCK'S BEEN INVOLVED IN AND UM, AND ALSO THEIR ACTUAL CONTRACT LANGUAGE.

ONCE AGAIN, ALL THIS STUFF I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU MAY BE MOOT BECAUSE FLOCK

[00:50:01]

MAY JUST DO WHAT THEY WANT.

UM, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS FLOCK ESSENTIALLY WITH EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY THEY PARTNER WITH, THEY OFFER ESSENTIALLY A SUBDOMAIN FOR THAT PARTNER.

AND PART OF THAT THAT THEY OFFER IS, UH, IS A TRANSPARENCY ROUTE OR PAGE.

AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO LET CITIZENS SEE WHAT THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT'S TERMS WITH FLOCK ARE AS FAR AS HOW DATA IS SHARED WHEN IT CAN BE SHARED.

I ALSO GET THE IMPRESSION THAT FOR THE ACTUAL USERS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, I THINK FLOCK ESSENTIALLY PROVIDES LIKE SOME IN-HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE NOT SEEN IT, BUT ALSO I'VE SEEN ENOUGH OF THESE THINGS IN THE INDUSTRY PROVIDES SOME LITTLE, LIKE, PROBABLY REALLY CLUNKY LITTLE GOOEY WIZARD WHERE LIKE THE POLICE CAN PUT IN FORM FIELDS THAT MATCH THEIR FORMS AND WHAT DATA THEY COLLECT AND SHARE.

UM, SO I, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE RAW MECHANICS OF IT.

UM, AND I GUESS KIND OF TO, I THINK YOU WERE SORT OF ASKING LIKE IS IT FLOCK SPECIFICALLY INVOLVED WITH, UH, APRS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THAT I WOULD NOT KNOW.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHILE FLOCK MAYBE IS GETTING THE MOST HEAT, THERE ARE MULTIPLE VENDORS IN THIS SPACE, UM, WHO MAYBE YOU'RE ONLY GETTING A LITTLE LESS HEAT BECAUSE FLOCK IS SO EGREGIOUS IN NOT SEEMING TO CARE ABOUT THE LAW.

BUT NONE OF THEM EXACTLY HAVE GREAT TRACK RECORDS AND MOST OF THE RISKS I'VE TALKED ABOUT BASICALLY EXIST WITH ANY OF THE VENDORS.

AXONS ANOTHER PROMINENT ONE, UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, MOTOROLA IS NOW BECAUSE THEY BOUGHT VIGILANT SOLUTIONS WHO I BELIEVE WAS THE CITY'S FORMER AL OR PROVIDER BEFORE THEY WERE TAKEN AWAY FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS.

UM, YEAH.

UM, SO I THINK THAT ANSWERS THAT.

AND THEN, AND THEN YOU, YEAH, YOU TALKED WANTED TO, I THINK THE SECOND THING WAS WANTING TO TALK ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE DATA SECURITY STUFF.

UM, YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UM, I GUESS I'LL JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, SECURING DATA IS EXTREMELY HARD, UM, EVEN BY PEOPLE WHO ARE WORLD CLASS EXPERTS AT THIS STUFF.

AS SOMEBODY WHO, YOU KNOW, DOES SOFTWARE FOR A LIVING, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, IT IS IMMENSELY TIME CONSUMING, UH, EVEN IF YOU'RE A BANG BEST PRACTICES TO MAKE SURE YOU'VE BUTTONED DOWN DATA.

UM, AND, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST TEAMS DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES OF A GOOGLE AND THE, THE ACTUAL REALITY FOR MOST SMALLER AND MID-SIZED SOFTWARE COMPANIES AND IT TEAMS IS THEY, THEY DO AS MANY BEST PRACTICES AS THEY CAN, BUT THE TRUTH IS, COMPUTERS QUICKLY GET TO A POINT WHERE THE NUMBER OF SETTINGS AND, AND PASSWORDS AND CONNECTIONS AND IAPI KEYS THAT YOU ARE JUGGLING AND HAVING TO KEEP SAFE GROWS EXPONENTIALLY WITH THE SIZE OF YOUR SYSTEM TO THE POINT WHERE IF YOU'RE NOT A A GOOGLE, THE REALITY IS MOST OF US KNOW THAT OUR SYSTEMS HAVE VULNERABILITIES.

AND IT'S SORT OF, WELL, I WILL GET AROUND TO FIXING THAT WHEN I CAN LITERALLY FIND THE TIME TO DO SO AND HOPE NOTHING BAD HAPPENS IN THE MEANTIME.

WHICH IS WHY WE HEAR ABOUT ALL THESE HACKS CONSTANTLY.

IT'S NOT EVEN NECESSARILY THAT WE CAN'T BUILD SECURE SYSTEMS OR THAT ALL PROGRAMMERS ARE BAD AT THEIR JOBS.

IT'S JUST, IT IS TIME CONSUMING AND LABOR INTENSIVE AND EDUCATION INTENSIVE TO BUILD SYSTEMS IN TRULY, TRULY SECURE WAYS.

UM, THE REALITY IS EVEN, EVEN THE GOOGLES OF THE WORLD, UH, GET HACKED.

UM, AND THE ONLY REASON YOU HEAR ABOUT THEM GETTING HACKED A LOT LESS THAN SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE LATEST HOSPITAL GETTING HACKED OR THE LATEST CITY GOVERNMENT GETTING HACKED.

THE ONLY REASON YOU HEAR ABOUT GOOGLE GETTING HACKED A LOT LESS IS BECAUSE THEY LITERALLY HAVE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND CAN HIRE THOUSANDS OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE ON THE PLANET.

AND EVEN THEY GET HACKED SOMETIMES.

SO I, I THINK I JUST SAY THAT LIKE YOU, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO ASK, IS THIS DATA WORTH THE RISKS OF CAPTURING IT? BECAUSE IN MOST SITUATIONS IT WILL NOT BE PROPERLY SECURED IN A WAY THAT A DEDICATED ACTOR, UH, CAN'T GET.

AND IT MAY NOT ACTUALLY REQUIRE YOU BEING THAT CLEVER, LIKE THE NUMBER OF LEAKS THAT HAVE LITERALLY HAPPENED JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY FORGOT TO ENCRYPT AND SECURE WITH AN API KEY.

THERE ARE AMAZON S3 BUCKET.

I COULD LITERALLY PROBABLY FIND YOU A HUNDRED NEWS STORIES WHERE THE HACK HAPPENED, JUST 'CAUSE SOMEBODY FORGOT TO FLIP A SWITCH.

WE'RE HUMAN AND YOU KNOW, COMPUTERS FOR BETTER OR WORSE, THEY, THEY LITERALLY DO WHAT YOU TELL THEM.

EXACTLY.

SO IF YOU FORGOT TO TURN SECURITY ON THE COMPUTER'S NOT GONNA WARN YOU.

I THINK MY QUESTION IS LESS AROUND SECURITY, WHICH IS LIKE KEY AND TANGENTIAL.

I THINK IT'S MORE AROUND DATA OWNERSHIP.

SO LIKE, OH, OKAY.

IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, LET'S SAY, AND HYPOTHETICALLY, LET'S CALL IT FLOCK AS I STILL LEARN HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS, ADMITTEDLY.

RIGHT.

I, UH, SO FORGIVE ME AS I'M STILL CATCHING UP, AND SOME OF THIS AS WELL HEARD, YOU KNOW, WAS FOLLOWING A LITTLE BIT, BUT IN TERMS OF THE MECHANICS, IN TERMS OF HOW THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR WORKS AND STILL LEARNING, BUT AS FAR AS OWNER DATA OWNERSHIP GOES, YOU HAD, YOU HAD MIGHT HAVE, AND MAYBE IT WAS IN REFERENCE TO THE PROVISION THAT YOU, UH, SHARED ON THE SCREEN EARLIER, THE EXTRACT, THE CONTRACT PROVISION.

[00:55:01]

COULD YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT, UM, HOW THAT WORKS IN THE CONTEXT OF THESE APRS MM-HMM .

OR FLOCK SPECIFIC MM-HMM .

I, I THINK I GET MORE.

WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, I CAN ANSWER THAT FOR YOU.

UM, YEAH, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT AS I ALREADY SORT OF SAID, UM, THAT, UM, THE DATA IS NOT ACTUALLY STORED, UH, IN ANY CITY OWNED OR MANAGED IT SYSTEMS. NOW, I, COMPARED TO SOME OF THE ITEMS IN THE SPACE, I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE NECESSARILY HOW FLOCK STORES THE DATA THEMSELVES.

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE THEIR OWN IN-HOUSE SERVER FARM.

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY RENT A SERVER FARM.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY USE STANDARD BIG THREE CLOUD PROVIDERS LIKE A-W-S-G-C-P OR AZURE OR IF THEY USE, UM, A MORE DEDICATED, UM, LESS KNOWN SMALLER BUT MORE SECURE OR PRIVATE CLOUD.

LIKE THERE'S A COMPANY IN AUSTIN CALLED DATA FOUNDRY THAT PROVIDES SUCH SERVICES.

UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT FLOCK ACTUALLY DOES , BUT, UM, I, I DO KNOW THOUGH THAT THE DATA IS IN THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ESSENTIALLY OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS USING A GOOEY TO ACCESS DATABASES IN, IN THEIR SYSTEM.

SO ONE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE CONTRACT DOES OR DOESN'T SAY, OR HOW ETHICAL OR NOT AN ACTOR IS, ULTIMATELY, UH, THE CITY HAS NO DIRECT CONTROL OVER ENSURING THE DATA IS SAFEGUARDED TO OUR RULES, REGULATIONS, AND STANDARDS.

IT IS ULTIMATELY UP TO THE VENDOR.

AND I, AND AS I SORT OF SAID, I THINK THERE'S ONLY A FEW VENDORS IN THIS SPACE AND MOST OF THEM HAVE PROBLEMATIC TRACK RECORDS.

THERE'S NOT A VERY LONG LIST OF COMPANIES YOU GO THROUGH BEFORE YOU'VE, UH, RUN OUT OF VENDORS.

UM, I KNOW LIKE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS KEPT WANTING TO SAY LIKE, CAN YOU POINT US AT A VENDOR WHO'S NOT SO BAD? AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, THERE'S ONLY FIVE OF THEM AND NONE OF THEM SEEM EXACTLY TO OFFER RULES THAT WOULD BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH CITY COUNCIL'S RESOLUTION.

UM, I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THOUGH THAT, UM, DATA SHARING IS EXPLICITLY AT THE HEART OF FLOCK'S BUSINESS MODEL AND MARKETING.

ONE PITCH THEY MAKE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT IS PRECISELY THAT YOU CAN EASILY LOOK AT A LPR DATA FROM ANY CITY IN AMERICA.

LIKE THAT'S SOME OF THE VALUE YOU ARE PAYING FOR.

LIKE, 'CAUSE THEY'RE WELL AWARE THAT FOR, YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, WITHOUT NECESSARILY NEEDING TO GET INTO POLITICS OR WHAT YOU THINK OF THE POLICE OR WHAT YOU THINK OF OUR CURRENT POLITICAL MOMENT.

UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN GRANT, I CAN SEE THE LEGITIMATE REASONS WHY YES, BEING ABLE TO SEARCH NATIONAL A LPR DATA WOULD BE A VERY ATTRACTIVE OFFER TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

IT CERTAINLY WOULD MAKE CERTAIN THINGS MUCH EASIER.

BUT, SO AS FAR AS DATA OWNERSHIP, THE, THE EXPLICIT BUSINESS MODEL AND PITCH FOX MAKES IS ONCE THEY HAVE OUR DATA, IT'S FOR ALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS.

IT DOES NOT JUST BELONG TO AUSTIN.

THAT'S HELPFUL CONTEXT, AND I APPRECIATE YOU UNPACKING THAT FURTHER.

THANK YOU, KEVIN.

HAPPY TO HELP.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE VIRTUAL COMMISSION MEMBERS? YES.

UH, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. WELL, SO I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

IT'S ABOUT THE FUNCTION OF THE DATA.

SO FOR INSTANCE, SORRY, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE HEARING YOU.

AS TO THE LAWYERS ON MY BOARD.

THIS IS HELPFUL.

I'M TRYING TO DISCERN THE FUNCTION OF THE DATA TO FIND IF THERE IS, FOR INSTANCE, IF IT'S MEANT TO FIND ACTORS ON A HOT LIST.

IS THAT ALL IT'S USED FOR? SO, IS THERE A, A LIMIT ON WHAT CAN BE DONE? INSTANCE, WITH PRIVATE CONTRACTS BETWEEN DATA, YOU CAN ONLY DO ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY, OTHERWISE THEY'LL SUIT PANTS OFF.

DOES THIS HAVE A SIMILAR SET OF BOUNDARIES? BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC DATA AMONGST CITIZENS.

CAN IT ONLY BE USED FOR ONE FUNCTION AS DEFINED, OR CAN IT BE USED FOR WHATEVER THAT COMPANY? LADIES, GENTLEMEN, WE SHOULD BE DEPARTING SHORTLY AT THIS TIME, BUT PLEASE PREPARE.

UM, I THINK I, I GOT YOUR QUESTION.

UM, SO THAT GETS INTO THE ACTUAL CONTRACT WE SIGNED, UM, WHICH DID NOT MATCH OUR RESOLUTION.

IF YOU'LL REFER BACK TO THE, UH, QUOTE IN THEIR CONTRACT, THE COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL FLAGGED, IN WHICH I HIGHLIGHTED, UM, UH, BASICALLY THE WAY, UM, SIEGEL'S TEAM AND, AND LAWYERS, UH, INTERPRETED THAT LANGUAGE.

AND I CONCUR

[01:00:01]

UM, THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANY LIMITS ON WHAT FLOCK CAN USE THIS DATA FOR.

LIKE, UM, YES, IN THEORY IT'S FOR LOOKING UP ON HOT LISTS, BUT FLOCK IN THAT LANGUAGE LITERALLY SAYS WE, THEY COULD LITERALLY TAKE ALL THAT DATA AND THEY COULD GO OFF AND THEY COULD START A RIVAL TO POKEMON GO.

LIKE, THERE, THERE'S NO LIMIT THEY'VE SET FOR THEMSELVES ON WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH THE DATA, UH, IN, IN THAT CONTRACT.

UH, AT LEAST FROM WHAT I CAN TELL FROM THE LANGUAGE.

AND THAT, UH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF KICKED OFF THIS DEBATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS DATA'S SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THIS ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY, AND THERE'S NO ACTUAL, YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT, WELL, LIKE, YEAH.

'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T A SAFEGUARD BE THEY USE THE DATA FOR SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO.

WE THE CITY CAN SUE THEM.

NO, ACTUALLY WE CAN'T.

THE CONTRACT WE SIGNED, WE HAVE NO MECHANISM TO SUE THEM.

THEY CAN DO ANYTHING THEY WANT WITH THE DATA.

MM-HMM .

THANKS FOR THE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. UM, ANY OTHER FINAL THOUGHTS? SO I'LL JUST WRAP US UP.

SO WE DO HAVE A, UH, THE PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE WORKING GROUP.

UM, I KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER PENA VIA IS LOOKING INTO GETTING THAT, UH, STARTED UP AGAIN.

SO WE CERTAINLY, AS, AS COMMISSIONER HERITAGE ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU AND MAYBE, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER PARTNERS WHO, UH, ARE DOING WORK AROUND THIS EFFORT, UH, TO PARTNER WITH US TO MAKE FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS, RESOLUTIONS TO, UH, TO CITY COUNCIL.

UM, SO CERTAINLY LET'S, LET'S CHAT OFFLINE AND CREATE A STRATEGY FOR, UM, HOW TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP EVERYONE SAFE IN ALL THE RIGHT WAYS.

UH, I WOULD BE, UH, DELIGHTED TO TAKE PART IN THAT WITH ALL OF YOU.

UM, AND ALSO WE CAN DISCUSS THIS MORE OFFLINE.

AND I ACTUALLY HAVE TO, UH, LEAVE IN A MINUTE.

UM, MY WIFE HAS A DOCTOR'S THING SHE HAS TO GET TO, BUT, UM, BUT I JUST ALSO WANNA SAY I SAW LATER ON THE AGENDA, YOU GUYS ARE DISCUSSING THE STATUS OF THE, UH, AI WORKING GROUP AS WELL.

I WOULD CERTAINLY BE, UH, INTERESTED IN HEARING WHAT THAT STATUS IS AND CONTINUING THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE ALREADY BEEN INVOLVED IN WITH THAT WORKING GROUP AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY.

WE'LL, UH, REACH OUT SEPARATELY.

AWESOME.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.

UM, THEY WERE FUN.

A FEW OF THEM WERE NEW.

I HAD TO ACTUALLY THINK OF MY ANSWER.

WELL, YEAH, LET'S INVITE YOU BACK, UH, WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT.

BUT, UM, YEAH, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UH, SPENDING A COUPLE HOURS HOURS WITH US THIS EVENING.

WELL, I, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL LISTENING TO ME AND, UH, GIVING THIS, UH, SERIOUS ISSUE, THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES.

UM, YEP.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, WORKING WITH YOU ALL FURTHER TO, UH, CONTINUE TO EDUCATE, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL ON THIS ISSUE.

SO, WITH THAT, UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, LET'S TAKE A QUICK RE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.

UM, IF THAT'S OKAY.

UM, I JUST NEED TO STEP AWAY FOR A MOMENT.

SO WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.

[3. Presentation on the selected applications for the Grant for Technology OpportunitiesMini and Capacity Pathways (Dan Martinez, Business Process Specialist, Economic Development Department)]

AND THAT IS, UH, FOCUSED ON, UH, G OS MINI IN CAPACITY.

AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DAN.

HOWDY COMMISSIONERS.

DAN MARTINEZ, YOUR LIAISON HERE.

UH, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA, THIS IS GONNA BE A PRETTY QUICK PRESENTATION AND JUST WANNA REVIEW, UH, THE SELECTED AWARDEES FOR BOTH G TOPS MINI AND G CAPACITY.

UM, I BELIEVE I GAVE A PRESENTATION SHOWING OFF THE RECEIVED APPLICATIONS, UH, LAST MONTH.

I BELIEVE THAT'S CORRECT.

UH, AND SO JUST A LITTLE FOLLOW UP NOW THAT IT'S BEEN DECIDED.

SORRY, THERE'S A LITTLE DELAY HERE ON THE PRESENTATIONS BETWEEN ME AND Y'ALL.

UH, BUT JUST AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE THESE THREE GRANT PATHWAYS.

UM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE SEEN THIS SLIDE BEFORE, BUT, UH, I JUST REALLY WANT IT TO SINK IN.

UM, OUR THREE, UH, GTOP S PATHWAYS ARE GTOP S CORE GTOP S CAPACITY, AND GTOP S MINI CORE IS THE LARGEST OF THESE PATHWAYS WITH, UH, 35,000, UH, TO $10,000 AWARD RANGE.

UH, AND THEN THE TWO THAT WE, UH, JUST WRAPPED UP WERE G OS CAPACITY AND G OS MINI GTOP S CAPACITY IS OUR MICRO GRANT, UH, WITH A MAX AWARD OF $2,500, UH, AND 60,000 IN FUNDING.

AND THEN G TOPS MINI IS ALSO A SMALLER GRANT, BUT NOT AS SMALL, UH, WITH AWARDS IN THE RANGE OF 5,000 TO 10,000.

UH, WITH, UH, FUNDING OF THAT ONE SHOULD SAY 60,000.

THE OTHER ONE SHOULD SAY 25,000.

SORRY.

UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED.

UM, BUT YES, JUST TO GO A LITTLE DEEPER INTO Q OS CAPACITY.

UM, SO THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT IS NOT BUILT AROUND DIRECT CLIENT SERVICE.

UH, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO FUND

[01:05:01]

WITH Q OS CAPACITY ARE RELATED TO BUILDING OUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL AS, UH, THE CAPACITY, UH, OF THE ORGANIZATION.

UM, BUT IT WILL NOT GO DIRECTLY TO CLIENT ASSISTANCE.

UM, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE USUALLY FUND ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR STAFF, UH, SOFTWARE, HARDWARE, UM, AS WELL AS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT AS YOU SEE HERE AT CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, CLASSES, UM, ALL OF THIS SORT.

AND THIS NEXT SLIDE I ACTUALLY SHOWED, UH, AT MY LAST PRESENTATION, UH, JUST SHOWING THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN, UH, THE NEW APPLICANTS TO THIS PROGRAM AS WELL AS RETURNING APPLICANTS.

UH, THE BLACK IS THE, UH, NEW APPLICANT.

SO IT WAS A VERY HEALTHY MIX THIS YEAR ROUND.

UH, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF OUR MARKETING TEAM.

UH, AND HERE ARE, IS THE FINAL LAYOUT ALONG WITH THE AWARDS THAT WERE, UH, UH, GIVEN, ALLOCATED TO EACH ORGANIZATION.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S ALSO A PRETTY HEALTHY MIX ABOUT, UH, HALF AND HALF-ISH OF PAST AWARDEES AND THE NEW, UH, NEW APPLICANTS TO THIS PROGRAM.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, ECONOMIC GROWTH BUSINESSES INCUBATOR WAS THE HIGHEST SCORING ORGANIZATION.

THESE ARE AN ORDER OF THE SCORES, BUT I DID NOT ACTUALLY PUT THE SCORES IN.

UM, BUT EGBI, THEY'RE AT THE TOP, UM, HC FOUR A, WHICH IS A NEW ORGANIZATION TO ME.

UM, WE HAVE LIMITED, UH, COLLABORATION WITH THEM.

UM, BUT THEY WERE ACTUALLY AWARDED THIS GRANT, UH, AUSTIN FREENET, WHO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, THE MUSEUM OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT, UH, DAWA, WHO'S ALSO NEW TO GTAS PROGRAMMING ARTS SPARK, TEXAS, UH, SAVA CINA, LAS AMERICA'S, LATINAS INC.

WALKING BY FAITH PRISON MINISTRY, WHO I, I THINK IS WITHIN THEIR FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS OF, UH, ESTABLISHMENT.

AND THEN, UH, TEXAS FOLK LIFE RESOURCES.

I DO WANNA NOTE THAT TEXAS FOLK LIFE RESOURCES RECEIVED AN AWARD OF $1,451 AND 66 CENTS.

UM, YEAH.

UH, BUT THEIR A REQUEST WAS $2,000.

UH, NORMALLY WE ONLY AWARD 10 APPLICATIONS FOR GTOP CAPACITY.

UH, BUT IF YOU ADD UP, UH, EXCUSE ME, THERE'S, UH, SOME, UH, AMBER ALERTS GOING OFF IN THE ROOM.

BUT, UH, IF YOU ADD UP THE TOTAL AWARDS BETWEEN THE TOP 10 AWARDEES, UH, IT WAS 1,461 EXTRA DOLLARS LEFT IN OUR BUDGET.

UH, SO WE WENT DOWN TO THE 11TH SCORING APPLICATION AND, UH, JUST GAVE THEM THOSE EXCESS FUNDS, UH, AS THEIR AWARD.

AND THEN WE HAVE GTOP S MINI, AGAIN, THIS IS A DIRECT CLIENT SERVICE, UH, PROGRAM WITH, UH, $60,000 IN FUNDING AVAILABLE.

UH, THIS IS A PROJECT BASED PROGRAM, BUT USUALLY IT GOES TOWARDS PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT, UH, ARE IN THAT DIGITAL EQUITY, DIGITAL INCLUSION SPHERE FOR SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, IT, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO GTOP S CORE AND ITS PURPOSE, BUT JUST A SMALLER WORD AMOUNT, UH, NO INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, UH, AND, UH, A SMALLER APPLICATION TO KIND OF LIMIT THOSE BARRIERS OF ENTRIES FOR SOME OF THESE GRASSROOTS, SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS.

UH, I, I ALSO FORGOT TO MENTION THAT BOTH GTOP S MINI AND GTOP S CAPACITY IS MADE FOR THOSE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS.

CAPACITY HAS A FOCUS, UH, FOR, UH, AGENCIES BETWEEN, UH, THAT HAVE LESS THAN $1.5 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUES, AND MANY IS FOR THOSE WITH LESS THAN $2 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUES.

AND, UM, PULLING UP THE AWARDEES, OH, THIS IS THE RECEIVED APPLICATIONS, UM, SIMILAR TO CAPACITY OF VERY HEALTHY MIX OF THOSE WHO HAVE APPLIED IN THE PAST, AND THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING IN THE PAST, AS WELL AS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NEW TO GT OS PROGRAMMING ENTIRELY.

UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS VERY WELL SPLIT 50 50 BETWEEN THESE, UH, APPLICATIONS WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR.

UM, AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SPREAD AT THE AWARDED APPLICATIONS, UH, WE CAN SEE THAT THE RESULTS ARE ALSO VERY SIMILAR, UH, WITH THREE, OR OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS BEING COMPLETELY NEW TO GT OS, NEVER HAVING APPLIED IN THE PAST BEFORE.

AND THEN THREE, HAVING BEEN RETURNING, UH, AWARDEES.

UM, THIS IS ALSO LAID OUT IN ORDER OF HIGH SCORING, LOWEST SCORING, BUT, UH, UH, THE SIX SELECTED AWARDEES WERE AUSTIN URBAN TECHNOLOGY MOVEMENT, BRAVE COMMUNITIES, ART CURATORIAL INC.

HC FOUR A LATINAS INC.

AND DIVERSITY AWARENESS AND WELLNESS IN ACTION, ALSO KNOWN AS DAWA.

UM, AND EVERYBODY REQUESTED $10,000, AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, FUND THAT FULL 10,000 FOR EACH ORGANIZATION.

UM, SO, BUT SINCE G OS MANY IS A DIRECT SERVICE CLIENT GRANT, UH, THESE, UH, AWARDS ARE DIRECTLY CORRELATED WITH, UH, WITH PROGRAMS THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS EITHER DO OR WILL ESTABLISH, UH, WITHIN THE INCOMING, UH, MONTHS, UH, FOR AUTO HQ.

THEY'RE FUNDING THEIR DIGITAL EQUITY PROGRAM, BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE THROUGH EQUITABLE ACCESS.

UM, I GIVE A LITTLE SUMMARY BULLET POINT FOR EACH ONE, AND I'LL JUST READ IT DIRECTLY OFF THE SLIDES.

UH, BUT THIS PROGRAM IS LOOKING, UH, TO, UH, PROVIDE DIGITAL EQUITY TRAINING

[01:10:01]

AND DEVICE DISTRIBUTION TO THOSE MOST IN NEED, UH, WITHIN, UH, THE, UH, AUTUMN COMMUNITY OR AUSTIN URBAN TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY.

UM, I, I DO BELIEVE THEY'RE CHANGING THEIR NAME NOW.

UM, BUT, UH, I, I, THE UNIVERSAL UNIVERSAL TECHNOLOGY MOVEMENT, YES.

SO THEY'RE BRANCHING OUT OF, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN, BUT, UH, I THINK THIS WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT THEIR AUSTIN CLIENTS.

UM, AND THEN WE HAVE BRAVES I AM BRAVE PROGRAM, WHICH IS A HANDS-ON DIGITAL MEDIA AND STEM WORKSHOPS WITH A SOCIAL JUSTICE ANGLE.

UM, IT'S REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING AND I THINK HAS A FOCUS ON, UH, YOUTH TO YOUNG ADULTS.

AND THEN THIS IS A NEW PRO OR A NEW ORGANIZATION TO, UH, G OS, ART CURATORIAL INC.

UM, THEY ARE FUNDING THEIR CREATIVE TECH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.

I KNOW THEY'RE RELATIVELY NEWLY ESTABLISHED.

UM, BUT THIS PROGRAM IS LOOKING TO, UH, GET, UH, DIGITAL MEDIA TRAINING AND A MENTORSHIP, MENTORSHIP PROGRAM TO, UH, I THINK, UH, BIPOC CREATIVES WITHIN THE AUSTIN AREA.

THEN WE HAVE HC FOUR A, ALSO NEW TO GT OS, UM, WHO ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THEIR GOOGLE CAREER CERTIFICATE PROGRAM.

UM, THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

AND THEN, UH, LATINAS IS FUNDING FURTHER FUNDING THEIR ADULT DIGITAL LITERACY PROGRAMMING FOR 2025.

UM, AND THIS PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY REALLY COOL.

THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE.

UM, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED .

UM, BUT IT IS A BILINGUAL DIGITAL UPSKILLING PRO, UH, PROGRAM THAT HAPPENS.

UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THESE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY ACCESS THESE PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, AFTER SCHOOL OR AFTER WORK HOURS.

UM, AND I THINK THERE IS CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE ON PREMISES.

SO, SUPER COOL.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY WE HAVE DAWA.

THEY HAVE THEIR STUDIO ACCESS EXPANSION, UH, SIMILAR TO ART CURATORIAL.

UM, THEY HAVE, UH, HANDS-ON DIGITAL MEDIA PROGRAMMING AND TRAINING, UH, TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO PRODUCE PODCASTS, VIDEOS, HOW TO EDIT, UM, HOW TO USE DIFFERENT, UH, ADOBE SOFTWARE.

UM, SO SUPER COOL, VERY INTERESTING THAT I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE PRETTY WELL SPLIT BETWEEN TRADITIONAL UPSKILLING AND DIGITAL SKILLS TRAINING, AS WELL AS STEM FOCUS AND CREATIVE MEDIA FOCUSES.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR GTOP S MINI AND GTOP S CAPACITY.

UM, I WILL MENTION THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF SCHEDULING THE PROCLAMATION.

UM, I WANT TO SAY IT WILL BE TENTATIVELY SET FOR SEPTEMBER 11TH.

UM, THAT IS AN EVENT IN WHICH, UH, WE LIKE TO PUT, UH, BRING TOGETHER, UH, OF THE GTOP S UH, AWARDEES BETWEEN ALL THREE PATHWAYS, THE REVIEW PANELISTS, THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS WELL AS, UM, THE REVIEW PANELISTS TO SORT OF CELEBRATE, UM, THIS, UH, THE 2025 SET OF GTOP S AWARDEES.

UM, IT'S A GOOD NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY.

UH, YOU GET TO MEET A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, UH, STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THIS DIGITAL INCLUSION, DIGITAL EQUITY SPACE.

UM, AND IT'S JUST A GOOD TIME.

IT'S A, IT'S A NICE PHOTO OP.

UM, AND YOU MIGHT GET TO MEET THE MAYOR.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, UM, THE COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND.

UH, I WILL HAVE MORE DETAILS ON THAT SOON.

UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND IT, SPONSOR LIMITED, UH, TO COMMISSIONERS DUE TO WALKIN QUORUM LIMITATIONS, UM, IT'LL JUST BE THE FIRST FIVE THAT, UM, MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE.

UH, BUT MORE INFORMATION ON THAT WITHIN THE INCOMING WEEKS.

BUT YEAH.

ANY QUESTIONS? DO YOU HAVE A SPONSOR FOR THAT YET, DAN? UH, I BELIEVE I, I REACHED OUT PERSONALLY TO, UH, A COMMISSIONER FUENTES OFFICE, OR I BELIEVE OUR, OUR MARKETING TEAM IS GONNA BE PURSUING THAT.

UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE, UH, ANOTHER RECOMMENDED COUNCIL MEMBER THAT YOU'D RATHER GO TO, UM, PLEASE JUST LET US KNOW AND WE CAN SCHEDULE THAT OR MAKE THOSE ARRANGEMENTS.

NO, UH, I'M JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD A PLAN IN PLACE.

THE G OS CORE REVIEW PROCESS WON'T START UNTIL, UH, END OF, UH, JANUARY, EARLY FEBRUARY.

UH, ANOTHER QUESTION ARE, IS THERE ANY NEED COMING UP TO, FOR THE COMMISSION OR, UH, OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN OUR NETWORK TO ACT AS REVIEWERS? UH, UH, IT WOULD BE NICE.

UM, WE HAVE A SMALLER PROGRAM COMING UP.

IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE MOST INTERESTING AND QUICKEST TURNAROUND IN TERMS OF REVIEWS, UH, BUT IS THE ARC CONNECT, UH, PANEL.

UM, THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WE HOST FOR STUDENTS WITHIN AUSTIN, AGES 10 TO 18.

UH, AND IT IS A COMPETITION THAT IS MEANT TO BRIDGE THE SPIRIT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WITH THE CREATIVE ARTS, AND BUILD THOSE CONNECTIONS IN THE YOUTH'S MIND.

UM, IT, IT'S REALLY FUN.

UM, LAST YEAR WAS PROBABLY LIKE THE BIGGEST, WE'VE DONE IT.

UM, WE HAD AN EVENT AT, UH, AT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, UH, COMMEMORATING THE AWARDEES, AND WE PUT THEIR ART UP, AND IT WAS FUN TO SEE THESE KIDS SPEAK AND, AND BE PROUD, UM, THERE.

UM, BUT, UH, WE LIKE TO INVITE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, AS WELL AS COMMISSIONERS TO SERVE ON THAT REVIEW PANEL.

IT TAKES LIKE AN HOUR OR TWO, UM, YOUR REVIEWING CHILDREN'S ART.

UM, BUT IT'S A LOT OF FUN.

AND I'LL REACH OUT TO ALL OF Y'ALL AND, AND GAUGE INTEREST.

UM, THAT WON'T BE UNTIL EARLY OCTOBER, THOUGH, UM, OR LATE SEPTEMBER.

SO IT'S ACTUALLY COMING UP.

SO I'LL REACH OUT SOON.

UM, BUT ON TOP OF THAT, UM,

[01:15:01]

THAT'S USUALLY WHEN WE HAVE THE ORIENTATION.

UM, SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ON G TOPS CORE, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE LARGER, UH, PATHWAYS, IT, IT'S A LOT OF FUN.

I, I PERSONALLY THINK SO.

UM, IT'S, IT'S MORE READING, UM, THAN G TOPS MINI CAPACITY, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO A LOT, UH, VERY, VERY MEANINGFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY.

NOT THAT IT'S ANY MORE MEANINGFUL THAN EITHER OTHER PATHWAY, BUT, UM, IT IS IMPORTANT.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN TIMES OF, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE NEED FOR DIGITAL UPSKILLING AND WHATNOT, UM, IT, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STRONG INSIGHTS AND GOOD EXPERTISE ON THESE FIELDS TO HELP US REALLY MAKE A GOOD FINAL DECISION.

UM, SO I'LL REACH OUT WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, UM, EARLY JANUARY MOST LIKELY.

UH, AND I ALSO WANNA SHOUT OUT COMMISSIONER CUBY AND RA, OR RACHEL, UH, COMMISSIONER FROCK, UH, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION ON THE, UH, GTOP S MINI AND GTOP TOPS CAPACITY PANELS.

UM, YOU GUYS ARE GREAT.

VERY INSIGHTFUL, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL.

YES, THANK YOU BOTH COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR SERVICE, UM, ON THAT PATHWAY, UH, FOR THE ART CONNECT PROGRAM, PLEASE SEND ALL OF US THE DETAILS ON THAT, THAT WAY, UH, WE CAN AMPLIFY IT IN OUR, UH, IN OUR PERSONAL NETWORKS, AS WELL AS REACH OUT TO OUR, UH, OUR COUNCIL OFFICE, UM, OUR COUNCIL OFFICES.

I KNOW MOST OF OUR COUNCIL OFFICES HAVE, UH, NEWSLETTERS THAT THEY PUT OUT.

SO I CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AND EVERYONE ELSE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP AMPLIFY THAT, UH, THROUGH THEIR COUNCIL OFFICES.

UM, AND THEN, UH, I KNOW ANN IS ON AS WELL.

IS, IS THERE A, UH, A PLAN TO AMPLIFY THAT THROUGH, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN'S SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, AT ALL? UH, YES.

UH, RIGHT NOW I'M WORKING WITH THE, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER.

UM, WE'RE, WE'RE MORE FOCUSED ON THE PROCLAMATION RIGHT NOW, BUT I BELIEVE I HAVE PUT IN A REQUEST FOR THE ART CONNECT PROGRAM.

UM, BUT, UH, WE'LL PROBABLY, UH, REALLY START, UH, TO MOVE ON THAT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, SINCE WE'RE IN THAT TWO MONTH PERIOD.

AND IT'S LIKE BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON, SO A GOOD CHANCE TO, YOU KNOW, MARK IT TO CHILDREN.

THAT'S PERFECT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, HI, CHAIR.

YES.

I JUST, THIS IS ANN EATON, I JUST WANTED TO SAY WE'LL BE HAPPY TO, AS WE WORK ON DETAILS, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO MAKE SURE TO COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMISSION IN ADVANCE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON DETAIL? YES, COMMISSIONER COMBY.

UM, JUST, I WAS CURIOUS, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S PROGRAM.

DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE PROGRAMS BE BUDGETED FOR 2026 YET? UM, JUST GOING HISTORICALLY, UH, IT'LL MOST LIKELY STAY THE SAME, BUT, UH, JESSE DOES HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS.

YEAH, SO THE OVERALL GTS FUNDING ISN'T GONNA BE CHANGING.

WE'LL STILL HAVE $400,000, UH, IN OUR GTOP S BUDGET.

UM, BUT IT'S ALWAYS POSSIBLE THAT WE RE REALLOCATE MONEY BETWEEN THE, UM, DIFFERENT GTOP S BRANCHES OR EXPERIMENT WITH NEW BRANCHES, OR COMBINE CONSOLIDATE INTO FEWER BRANCHES.

SO ALL OF THOSE ARE POSSIBILITIES.

I WOULD CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN US FEEDBACK YET.

UH, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE FOR US TO IMPLEMENT.

SO, UM, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVEN'T, UH, SEEN THE G TOPS FEEDBACK FORM, I CAN MAKE SURE THAT, UH, DAN SENDS THAT, UH, OUT TO YOU ALL.

BUT WE HAVE A FORM TO FACILITATE THAT FEEDBACK PROCESS OR LET US KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY THOUGHTS.

AND WHEN WILL THE TIMING BE FOR LIKE, THE G OS PLAN FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S ON THE ROADMAP AS WELL.

YEAH, WE, WE USUALLY OVER THE SUMMER, UH, START COLLECTING AND ANALYZING ALL OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED OVER THE YEAR, UM, RIGHT AFTER OUR CONTRACTING PROCESS CONCLUDES, WHICH USUALLY HAPPENS TOWARDS THE END OF JULY.

UH, THE NEXT BIG SPRINT FOR US IS TO DO THAT NEXT YEAR PLANNING.

GOT IT.

UM, UH, AND WE USUALLY COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, A PROPOSAL OF WHAT THE BIG CHANGES ARE THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON, UH, FOR THE NEXT CYCLE.

AND THAT WOULD USUALLY OCCUR IN THE, UH, IN THE SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME.

ALSO COME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF MAYBE OF HOW TO, AS JESSE MENTIONED, REALLOCATE, UM, THE FUNDING WITHIN THE CATEGORIES.

THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP ON THAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON THIS TOPIC? IF I MAY? I THINK WE PROPOSED MAYBE A WORK SESSION WITH THE COMMISSION IN OCTOBER TO KIND OF TALK THROUGH, UM, THE FEEDBACK AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR THE NEWER COMMISSIONERS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK IF THERE'S, IF YOU KNOW, WE CAN

[01:20:01]

AND I ALSO JUST WANNA SHARE, THE CITY MANAGER IS SCHEDULED TO PRESENT THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO CITY COUNCIL ON MONDAY.

AND, UM, WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY IMPACTS, BUT WE ARE FACING A $33 MILLION DEFICIT.

SO THE CITY MANAGER IS PROPOSING A BUDGET, AND THEN COUNSEL WILL BEGIN THE WORK SESSIONS TO MOVE THROUGH.

SO WE, UM, CAN CERTAINLY KEEP THE COMMISSION APPRISED, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW WITH, UM, MOVING INTO THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET.

WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.

THANK YOU FOR THAT INSIGHT AND, OKAY, GREAT.

WELL,

[4. Approval of a Community Listening Sessions planning work group]

AND THAT IS, UM, APPROVAL OF THE COMMUNITY LISTING SESSION PLANNING WORK GROUP.

UM, I THINK IT'S, WE DISCUSSED IT IN OUR LAST IN MEETING AS WELL AS THE MEETING BEFORE, HOW, UH, THE COMMISSION HAS HISTORICALLY, UH, POOLED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TOGETHER IN ORDER TO SOLICIT INPUT FEEDBACK ON, UH, A VARIETY OF TOPICS RELATED TO DIGITAL EQUITY, UM, ACCESS TO DIGITAL, UH, UH, ASSETS, UH, CONNECTIVITY, AFFORDABILITY, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

AND ALSO, HISTORICALLY, WE'VE, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE DURING THESE LISTEN LISTENING SESSIONS, IS FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC, UH, GROUPS.

SO I REMEMBER AT, AT ONE POINT IT WAS A DUAL, UH, ENGLISH SPANISH SPEAKING GROUP AND LISTENING TO THEIR EXPERIENCES, UM, DURING ONE, UH, LISTENING SESSION, IT WAS, UH, THE, THE FOCUS WAS ON THE UNHOUSED POPULATION.

UH, ANOTHER WAS ON, UH, JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS AS WELL.

UM, NOT NECESSARILY SAYING THAT WE HAVE TO BE THAT, UM, SPECIFIC, THAT'S A LOT OF, UH, DIFFERENT SUBGROUPS TO HAVE TO MANAGE THROUGHOUT, UH, THE YEAR.

BUT, UM, CERTAINLY WANTED TO PROPOSE TO, UH, THE COMMISSION HAVING ONE TO TWO LISTENING SESSIONS AT SOME POINT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO REALLY GAUGE WHAT THE PUBLIC IS HEARING AND FEELING IN THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES AROUND THESE BROAD TOPICS.

UM, SO WANTED TO SEE AND WANTED TO OPEN THE FLOOR UP TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION ON, UH, JUST GENERALLY HOW THEY'LL FEEL ABOUT IT, UH, IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE.

UM, JUST ANY THOUGHTS AT ALL.

SO I'LL PAUSE THERE, .

SO MAYBE JUST TO KICK OFF THE PRESENTATION, I KNOW ANNE AND I HAD HAD A CONVERSATION OVER EMAIL, UM, UH, RELATED TO THIS.

AND DID YOU WANT TO SHARE, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, GUIDANCE THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE, UH, THE CLERK'S OFFICE ON, UM, UH, POTENTIALLY, UH, ON DIRECTION FOR EXECUTING THESE SESSIONS IN, IN THE FUTURE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

I'D BE HAPPY TO.

UM, SO YEAH, I CONSULTED THE CLERK'S OFFICE JUST TO MAKE SURE.

WE WERE CERTAINLY, UH, COMPLYING WITH THE, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR HOSTING OF AN AGENDA.

SO THE DIRECTION THAT IS PROVIDED TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS HAVE IMPLEMENTED SIMILAR PRACTICES.

UM, IN THE EVENT THAT, UM, THE COMMISSION SHOULD CHOOSE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION IN PLACE OF ONE OF THE MEETINGS, UH, WE CAN POST THAT AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, SUPPORT WITH THE LOCATION.

ALL WE HAVE TO ENSURE IS THAT IT CAN BE THE AGENDA'S POSTED AND THAT WE CAN, UM, AS STAFF SUPPORT THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORDING IS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC RECORD.

NOW, THE COMMISSION CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE INDIVIDUAL WORKING GROUPS AND STAFF ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SUPPORT THOSE.

IF WE HAVE CAPACITY, WE CERTAINLY WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT, BUT IF THE COMMISSION HAS WORKING GROUPS AGAIN, AS LONG AS THERE'S NOT A QUORUM, UM, AND THEN THAT WORKING GROUP CAN REPORT OUT TO THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE.

SO YOU CAN REALLY KIND OF DECIDE WHICH AVENUE YOU WOULD CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.

BUT IF IT'S A LARGER FORUM, UM, MEETING, THEN WE WOULD CERTAINLY MAKE SURE TO HELP POSTING THE AGENDA, UH, ENSURING THAT IT CAN BE RECORDED AND CONTINUE TO FACILITATE, LIKE WE DO ALL REGULAR MEETINGS.

YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT DIRECTION.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, FULLY COMPLIANT WITH, UM,

[01:25:01]

THE POLICIES, UM, PUT FORWARD AND, UM, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THE RIGHT WAY.

UM, SO WHAT I WAS WANTING TO PROPOSE IS JUST HAVING A SMALLER WORKING GROUP TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THIS ITEM IN FURTHER DETAIL AND THEN, UM, SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO THE FULL COMMISSION.

UM, HOW DO COMMISSIONERS FEEL ABOUT THAT, AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE PART OF THIS PLANNING WORKING GROUP? STEVEN, THIS IS SUZANNE.

I'M HAPPY TO BE PART OF THE PLANNING WORKING GROUP.

I CAN'T COMMIT AT THIS TIME TO ACTUALLY LEAD ANY OF THE LISTENING SESSIONS JUST YET, BUT HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE ON THE, ON THE WORKING GROUP FOR IT, IF IT'S ABOUT CALENDARING OUT, YOU KNOW, FIRST COMING UP WITH A TOPIC, COMING UP WITH A SPACE, AND THEN CALENDAR NOT WIN.

UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO HELP WITH SOME OF THAT IF OTHERS WANNA PARTICIPATE.

THANK YOU, SUZANNE.

IS ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED IN ASSISTING WITH THE INITIAL PLANNING? OKAY.

UM, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, SINCE IT'S JUST THE TWO OF US, SUZANNE, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO FORM A FORMAL WORKING GROUP.

LET'S JUST CHAT OFFLINE AND, UM, YOU, AND I'LL COME BACK WITH SOMETHING AND MAYBE WE, WE CAN, UH, COME BACK TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION, ADD THIS TO THE AGENDA, AND THEN SEE HOW EVERYONE FEELS ONCE, UH, WE HAVE A, A MORE SOLID PLAN IN PLACE.

HOW DOES THAT SOUND? EVERYONE? THAT SENSE? OKAY.

[5. Public Surveillance working group updates regarding further interviews with stakeholders and subsequent action items]

ALRIGHT.

SO WITH THAT, UH, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TABLE, UM, ITEM FOUR AND THEN MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE.

UM, COMMISSIONER PENA VIA, UH, NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, UM, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN OUT FOR A NUMBER OF WEEKS, UM, BUT UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, WORKING GROUP UPDATES ON THE AGENDA.

UM, SO WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THE FULL COMMISSION.

YEAH, DEFINITELY.

DE DEFINITELY.

AND YEAH, LIKE I MENTIONED, UH, YEAH, I WAS, I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS SINCE, UH, I HAD TO RENEW MY, UM, UH, TRAINING AS PART OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, CITY BYLAWS.

UH, BUT YEAH, I THINK, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S, UH, A TOPIC THAT IT'S, UH, QUITE RELEVANT, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PRESENTATION BY, UM, UH, I THINK IT WAS KEVIN WELSH FOR APRS ON PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE.

WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH, UH, SEVERAL LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, UM, ON, ON THE SAME TOPIC.

AND I THINK, UH, OUR LAST CONVERSATION WAS WITH, UH, DR.

LER AND I BELIEVE YOU, YOU WERE, YOU WERE ABLE TO JOIN THAT MEETING AND LIKE WE HAD A REALLY, REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION.

LIKE HE SHARED SOME, UM, A FEW EXAMPLES, UM, LIKE VARIOUS SPECIFIC EXAMPLES ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

HE ALSO PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES ON, ON OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED LIKE SEVERAL, UH, DIGITAL INITIATIVES THAT, THAT HAVE, UH, PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE, UH, AT ITS CORE, YOU KNOW, CITIES LIKE LAS VEGAS AND DIEGO, TORONTO, TORONTO, DENVER.

AND I, I, I, I THINK, UH, GOING BACK TO THE PRESENTATION, I, I REMEMBER HE MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT I THINK WAS QUITE, QUITE INTERESTING.

HE SAID SOMETHING AROUND THAT ANY PROPOSED DIGITAL INITIATIVE LIKE SHOULD DELIVER TANGIBLE RESULTS WITHIN, UH, A FIXED PERIOD OF TIME.

AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE RESONATED WITH ME DURING THE, DURING THE, UH, PRESENTATION BY, BY, BY KEVIN EARLIER TODAY.

UM, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF NEXT STEPS.

UH, BUT I GUESS, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, I'VE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE TRAVELING OUT OF THE COUNTRY THESE PAST FEW MONTHS.

BUT YEAH, NO, I, I'M FULLY, I'M FULLY, I'M FULLY BACK AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO RE-ENGAGING WITH THE, THE LIST OF, UH, LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE HAVE SO WE CAN CONTINUE COMPILING MORE FEEDBACK FROM, FROM LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS AND, UH, HOPEFULLY COME UP WITH A MORE ROBUST AND COMPLETE, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR, FOR AS PART OF THIS WORKING GROUP.

THANKS FOR THAT.

UM, ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER PINA? VIA, I AM JUST CURIOUS, I THINK ALSO YOU HAD A BIG LIFE CHANGE THIS PAST FEW MONTHS, IS THAT RIGHT, COMMISSIONER? YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S RIGHT.

I GOT, I GOT MARRIED, UH, IN MEXICO AND THEN, UH, YEAH, I WAS ON MY HONEYMOON FOR, FOR A

[01:30:01]

FEW WEEKS.

SO THAT, THAT CERTAINLY KEPT ME BUSY AND, UH, DISCONNECTED FROM EMAILS AND EVERYTHING.

I SAW A DIFFERENT ACCESSORY GOING ON, SO I JUST BLINDING ME.

I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, SO.

YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY THE, THE REASON WHY.

WELL, CONGRATULATIONS.

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU WE'RE, THANK YOU.

HAPPY AND, AND EXCITED FOR YOU.

UM, THANK YOU.

SO MAYBE AS A NEXT STEP, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE YOUR CALENDAR OPEN RIGHT NOW, COMMISSIONER OPINION VIA, BUT DID WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SET A, RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST YU ME AND COMMISSIONER HERITAGE ON THAT WORK GROUP.

UM, IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED IN, IN HELPING THAT, ESPECIALLY FOLLOWING THE CONVERSATION TODAY ABOUT APRS.

I MEAN, WE HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM ON THE WORKING GROUP.

DID WE WANT TO LIKE, LOOK AT CALENDARS NOW AND MAYBE GET A TENTATIVE DATE, UM, IDENTIFIED AND THEN GO AHEAD AND HAVE YOU SEND OUT THE CALENDAR INVITE? YEAH, I MEAN, UM, I'M, MY CALENDAR IS SORT OF MORE FLEXIBLE.

UH, I'LL SAY NEXT WEEK, UH, PERHAPS THIS, HOW ABOUT THURSDAY AT FOUR? WOULD THAT WORK? I MAY BE TRAVELING FOR WORK, SO I MAY BE, UM, VIRTUAL AND NOT SCHEDULE, BUT WOULD THURSDAY WORK FOR YOU? YEAH, I THINK THURSDAY WILL, WILL WORK, UH, BETTER FOR ME.

THURSDAY WILL NOT WORK FOR ME, BUT I COULD DO WEDNESDAY.

CAN'T DO WEDNESDAY, TUESDAY.

TUESDAY WORKS AT FOUR TUESDAY THE 15TH.

MM.

NO, I'M AFRAID I CAN, I'M NOT AVAILABLE ON, ON TUESDAY.

I COULD DO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY I COULD DO WEDNESDAY AT FOUR.

I JUST HAVE TO DROP IT, UM, A FEW MINUTES EARLY, WHICH IS, IF Y'ALL ARE FINE WITH THAT, CAN WE GET NO, I, I, I, I CAN EITHER AT, AT AT FOUR, ACTUALLY HAVE A, A DAILY MEETING AT THAT TIME, SO I CAN EITHER, YEAH, THURSDAY OR FRIDAY? THURSDAY.

FRIDAY.

HOW ABOUT THURSDAY THE 24TH? THE 24TH? UH, YEAH, I'M ON THE 24TH.

DOES ANYONE ELSE WANNA JOIN THAT WORKING GROUP? TRYING TO FIGURE THIS MIC OUT.

YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO JOIN, UM, THAT MEETING.

I'M, I'M GONNA BE PART OF THE AI WORKING GROUP, SO I'M GONNA SEE HOW THAT WORKS WITH TIME, BUT I THINK THAT'LL BE GOOD.

OKAY, PERFECT.

SO, UH, YEAH, IF YOU COULD SEND THAT INVITE TO MYSELF, SUZANNE, AND, UH, UM, COMMISSIONER VIC, UM, THEN I THINK, UM, WE CAN START GETTING, UH, A PLAN IN PLACE.

SOUNDS GOOD.

UM, SO UNFORTUNATELY COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, UH, HAD TO DROP EARLY.

IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ON A FLIGHT WITH HIS, HIS LITTLE ONE, UM, WHICH I KNOW IS A STRUGGLE.

UM, SO GOOD LUCK TO HIM.

UM, SO HE'S UNABLE TO GIVE THE WORKING GROUP UPDATE, BUT I KNOW HE RECEIVED YOUR MESSAGE, COMMISSIONER PVI ABOUT, UM, UH, INVITING YOU TO THE NEXT AI WORKING GROUP MEETING.

SO, UM, I WILL MAKE SURE TO, UM, TO NUDGE HIM ON GETTING THAT SCHEDULED HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

UM, SO THAT IS EVERYTHING ON OUR AGENDA AND BRINGS US TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, SO I KNOW FOR NEXT MONTH, UM, WE HAD, UH, I HAD TALKED WITH DAN AND ANN ABOUT, UH, BRINGING IN SOMEONE FROM, UH, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, UH, TO GIVE A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UH, DAN AND OR ANN DID, DID Y'ALL WANNA GIVE ADDITIONAL DETAIL ON THE PLAN FOR THAT? SURE, I'D BE HAPPY TO.

UM, YES, WE HAVE, I'VE SPOKEN TO THE DEPUTY.

I DO, UM, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICER, AND THEY'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COME AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THE COMMISSION.

THEY HAVE ASKED THAT THEY ARE FIRST ALLOWED TO BRIEF COUNSEL, WHICH I BELIEVE THEY'RE DOING SOMETIME THIS MONTH IN JULY.

AND THEN WE CAN INVITE THEM TO COME TO THE AUGUST MEETING.

SO I WILL, UH, WORK, DAN AND I WILL BEGIN THAT OUTREACH TO SCHEDULE TIME FOR, FOR AUGUST.

UM, BUT THERE MIGHT BE OTHER, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OTHER OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE, UH, THOUGHTS ON OTHER BILLS THAT WERE PASSED THAT WOULD, UM, MAKE SENSE TO COVER AS PART OF THAT AS WELL.

UM, AND I THINK, YEAH, THE, THE PRIMARY UPDATE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS, UH, OR ANY, UH, INSIGHTS ON, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS HOUSE BILL 1 49, UM, THE AI BILL.

[01:35:01]

I FEEL LIKE COMMISSIONER EASTWOOD WOULD PROBABLY BE ALSO A GOOD RESOURCE FOR THAT SO WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH HIM POSSIBLY.

YEP, FOR SURE.

YEAH, I'LL REACH OUT TO HIM, UH, SPECIFICALLY.

UM, BUT I GUESS JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF DIRECTION, ANNA, THAT WOULD BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS, UM, OR THE REQUEST FROM OUR COMMISSION.

I HAVE THAT NOTED CHAIR.

UM, ANY OTHER FUTURE ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO BRING UP? I SEE JESSE HAS ONE ITEM.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO PUT SOMETHING ON Y'ALL'S RADAR.

I DON'T KNOW AT WHAT GONNA BE THE MOST RELEVANT.

UM, BUT, UH, WE ARE IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF, UH, LOOKING AT THE 2014 DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN FOR A REFRESH.

UM, AT SOME POINT, UH, AT THE APPROPRIATE MOMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE THE COMMISSION ON THAT DISCUSSION, UH, PERHAPS INVOLVE Y'ALL IN A A IN A LARGER MEETING WITH OTHER POLICYMAKERS, UM, AROUND THAT REFRESH.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL WILL DECIDE TO, UH, FORM A WORKING GROUP AROUND THAT REFRESH OR IF IT'S JUST A NOTE AND FILE, UM, BUT TO GIVE US THE FLEXIBILITY TO PUT IT ON THE APPROPRIATE AGENDA, WHETHER THAT'S NEXT MONTH OR A FEW MONTHS FROM NOW, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THROW THAT OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL WOULD, UM, GIVE US APPROVAL TO PUT ON THE AGENDA AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

AND WOULD IT BE MORE ALONG THE LINES OF STARTING TO TEE IT UP OR WOULD AUTHORSHIP OF THAT DOCUMENT, WILL IT HAVE STARTED IN THAT TWO MONTH, LIKE TWO MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD? UH, SO YEAH, I, I DON'T THINK THAT, UH, WE WOULD ENGAGE ALL BEFORE THE AUTHORSHIP STARTS MM-HMM .

BUT WE ARE, UH, STARTING TO GET INTO A DATA COLLECTION FOOTING FOR THAT REFRESH.

UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT FOR THE COMMISSION WOULD PROBABLY OR LIKELY LOOK SOMETHING LIKE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, A MEETING WITH OTHER FOLKS, UH, TO DISCUSS, UH, THE FORMER STRATEGIC PLAN PROGRESS ON IT.

UH, WHAT WOULD WE LIKE TO ADD, WHAT WOULD WE LIKE TO CHANGE NEW ITEMS FOR US TO CONSIDER? SO THAT'S SORT OF A CONVERSATION.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AS MANY COMMISSIONERS AS WE COULD HAVE PARTICIPATE IN THAT CONVERSATION WHEN IT'S RIPE.

UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE UP TO FIVE OF Y'ALL COULD PARTICIPATE SURE.

UM, IN THAT CONVERSATION.

BUT JUST WANTED TO GET ON THAT ON YOUR RADAR.

WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN.

UH, YET WE DID HAVE A, UH, AN INITIAL CONVERSATION WITH OUR, OUR, UH, DECA COMMUNITY PARTNERS MM-HMM .

UH, LAST WEEK WHERE WE KIND OF PILOTED THAT TYPE OF A CONVERSATION.

UM, BUT WE DO PLAN ON MORE OF THAT SAME CONVERSATION.

UNDERSTOOD.

SO, OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

YEAH, THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP ON THAT, JESSE.

WE'LL MAKE SURE WE LEAVE ROOM ON THE AGENDA FOR, UH, IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS TO START HAVING THAT CONVERSATION.

ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT COMMISSIONERS, UH, WANTED TO PUT ON THE DOCKET FOR NEXT MONTH OR, UM, ANY OF THE FOLLOWING MONTHS? UH, I'M JUST CONFIRMING A COUPLE OF OUTREACHES.

THIS IS PROBABLY FOLLOWING OUR APRIL OR MAY SESSION, UM, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT SPEAKERS POTENTIALLY AND THEN TRYING TO CALENDAR OUT AND THEME OUT PER MONTH.

SO I'M, I'M REACHING OUT TO A HANDFUL OF FOLKS FOR UPCOMING ONES AND I'LL, I'LL REACH OUT AND WORK THROUGH YOU AND DAN FOR THAT.

BUT IT WOULD BE, UM, IT MAY BE THE EHEALTH ALLIANCE, IT MAY BE SHELBY, WHICH MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING, WHO'S A NATIONAL POLICY ADVOCACY GROUP THAT FOLLOWS A LOT OF THINGS RELATED TO SOME OF THE RECENT, UM, SUPREME COURT, UH, RULINGS AROUND UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND.

SO THERE MIGHT BE SOME INTERESTING GROUPS LIKE THAT TO COME AND PRESENT OR ADD IN SOME, SOME COLOR TO OUR LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM THE CITY AS WELL.

SO I'LL TRY TO COORDINATE THAT AND GET MORE DETAIL, UM, AND THEN WE CAN TRY AND FIND THE RIGHT MONTH TO DOCK THEM IN ON.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, BUT IN SPEAKING TO ANNE, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THAT UP.

AND UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD CALL OUT COMMISSIONER HERITAGE.

SO DURING, UM, THE, THE LAST MEETING WE HAD, UH, CALENDARED OUT BROAD TOPICS TO COVER FROM ESSENTIALLY THIS MONTH THROUGH JANUARY.

SO THIS MONTH WAS MORE FOCUSED ON, UH, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, BUT LEANING HEAVILY INTO SURVEILLANCE, WHICH IS WHY WE BROUGHT, UH, KEVIN IN.

AND THEN, UH, ORIGINALLY WE HAD HAD SEPTEMBER AS A

[01:40:01]

SO, UM, WHAT I DID IS I JUST FLIP FLOPPED THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE TO AUGUST, UM, AND THEN PUSHED OUT, UH, THE NEXT TOPIC, WHICH WAS THE DIGITAL WORKFORCE AND UPSKILLING.

UM, SO MOVING FORWARD IN OCTOBER, IT WOULD BE, UH, THE UPDATES TO THE G OS, UH, WHICH WE HAD SLATED AS WELL.

NOVEMBER WOULD BE, UH, BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE, EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY.

UH, AND THEN WE'RE OFF IN DECEMBER AND THEN, UH, IN JANUARY IT WOULD BE, UH, CITY PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND EMERGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGY UPDATES.

SO THINKING ABOUT LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE REDESIGN OR ANY OTHER INTERNAL, UM, EFFICIEN EFFICIENCIES THAT WE CAN LOCATE.

SO I'M MORE THAN OPEN, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE GET A SPEAKER SOONER OR, OR IF THEY'RE UNAVAILABLE, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MOVE THESE AROUND.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AT THE VERY LEAST WE HAVE A BROAD PLAN IN PLACE BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT SIX OR SO MONTHS.

LOVE IT.

I THINK THAT SOUNDS GREAT.

OKAY, GREAT.

WELL, UM, WITH THAT, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE DAN HAS ONE MORE ITEM.

UH, JUST A QUICK REMINDER THAT IF YOU'RE ATTENDING IN PERSON NEXT MONTH, THE MEETING WILL BE IN THIS ROOM AGAIN AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

SO JUST THROUGH JULY AND AUGUST, WE WON'T BE AT CITY HALL.

THANKS FOR THAT REMINDER.