[00:00:05]
UH, MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
WHAT, UH, THE, THE PROCESS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST WE FOLLOW THIS MORNING IS, AS YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE AN AUSTIN ENERGY UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, IS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
WE DO HAVE SOMEONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AT THE WORK SESSION.
SO, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL HAVE, AND IT'S ONLY ONE PERSON, SO WE'LL HAVE THE ONE PERSON SPEAK AS PART OF THE WORK SESSION, AT WHICH POINT I WILL RECESS THE WORK SESSION, AND WE WILL, I'LL TURN IT OVER THE GAVEL OVER TO, UH, CHAIRMAN, UH, VELA, WHO'S CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO, UH, RUN THAT MEETING.
WHEN THAT MEETING IS COMPLETE AND IS ADJOURNED, UH, WE WILL RE I'LL, I'LL, I'LL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE, UH, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AND MEMBERS AT THAT TIME.
WHAT I ANTICIPATE THE ORDER WE WILL GO IN IS ITEM 1 0 5, WHICH IS A POOLED ITEM FOR DISCUSSION, FOLLOWED BY AN IGRO, UH, INTERGOVERNMENTAL, UH, RELATIONS OFFICE MEETING, UH, BRIEFING.
AND THEN, UH, THE BRIEFING ON ACME WILL BE THE ORDER WE GO IN.
SO, WITH THAT, UNLESS THERE'S QUESTIONS, I'LL JUST TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND SEE IF WE'RE READY TO, UH, CALL ON THE FIRST SPEAKER.
[Additional Item]
ITEM B ONE.UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE YOU'RE, YOU'RE OUR FIRST SPEAKER TO EVER USE OUR NEW SETUP, SO, UM, YOU GOT A LOT ON YOUR SHOULDERS.
I'M CALLING TO SPEAK ON THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AS A SOUTH AUSTIN RESIDENT WHO OFTEN VISITS DOWNTOWN, I SEE THE DEEP IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS EVERY DAY.
THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE DOES TOO.
PUBLIC SPACES FEEL UNSAFE DUE TO UNSTABLE INDIVIDUALS, SHELTERS FAIL TO MEET REAL NEEDS.
THIS CRISIS HURTS OUR ECONOMY AND COLLECTIVE WELLBEING.
AUSTIN MUST TACKLE HOMELESSNESS WITH COMPASSIONATE SOLUTIONS ROOTED IN TEXAS LAW, SENATE BILLS SIX 17, SENATE BILL 1164, AND THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE ADDRESS, HOUSING INSTABILITY, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE, OPTIMIZING RESOURCES AND RESTORING DIGNITY.
SB SIX 17 SUPPORTS INTEGRATING HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH COMMUNITY GUIDED RAPID REHOUSING.
CITIES USING RAPID REHOUSING EFFECTIVELY REDUCE HOMELESSNESS.
WHILE THOSE RELYING ON HOSPITALS AND SHELTERS FACE ONGOING ISSUES AND POOR OUTCOMES.
RAPID REHOUSING PROVIDES STABLE HOMES, LOWERS EMERGENCY SERVICE USE, AND SUPPORTS INDIVIDUALS REBUILDING THEIR LIVES.
WE MUST ALSO ADDRESS THE CITY'S MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE CRISIS.
THESE ISSUES HARM OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND RAVAGE OUR GREEN SPACES.
SB 1164 ENABLES PEACE OFFICERS TO DETAIN INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, WHILE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE ENABLES COURT ORDERED TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSERS.
THESE LAWS EMPOWER AUSTIN TO STABILIZE LIVES AND REDUCE STREET PRESENCE BY STRATEGICALLY APPLYING TEXAS LAWS.
AUSTIN COMPARE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR THOSE READY TO REBUILD WITH INTERVENTION SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS UNABLE TO MAKE SOUND DECISIONS.
THIS APPROACH MEETS THE COMPLEX NEEDS OF OUR CITY, BOOSTS COMMUNITY WELLBEING, AND ENSURES FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN EXISTING BUDGETS.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE.
[00:05:01]
WHO'S THAT WITH YOU? THIS IS MY DAUGHTER.ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, THOSE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE.
I'LL, I'LL VERIFY THOSE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE WORK SESSION.
SO, WITHOUT OBJECTION, UH, WE WILL RECESS THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AT 9 0 5.
SO THAT, UH, CHAIRMAN VELA MAY CALL TO ORDER THE AUSTIN ENERGY UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
AND SO, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE ARE RECESSED AT 9 0 5 AND, UH, CHAIRMAN VELA, THE GAVEL IS YOURS AT TEN FORTY TWO.
I WILL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE WORK SESSION OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FOR JULY 22ND, 2025.
[A105. Approve an ordinance repealing Ordinance No. 20240926-112 and adopting rules and procedures for City Council meetings to establish rules of order, processes for posting agendas, procedures for speaker registration, and other rules for the general operation of Council meetings, including public hearings, work sessions, and special called and budget related meetings. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.]
UP, AS I INDICATED, IS ITEM 1 0 5.THAT IS AN ITEM THAT WAS PULLED, UH, BY COUNCIL, BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM.
AND SO, UH, I'LL ASK MS. GINO TO COME FORWARD AND THEN I'LL, UH, RECOGNIZE THE PRO.
I PULLED ITEM 1 0 5 BECAUSE I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I WAS SEEKING MORE CLARITY ON.
I WANNA SEND MY THANK YOU TO STAFF BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOW SHARED A VERSION TWO OF ITEM 1 0 5 THAT ADDRESSES MOST OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAD OR SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE CHANGES IN STATE LAW THAT REQUIRE FOR OUR WORK SESSION AGENDA TO BE RE BE RELEASED ON WEDNESDAYS INSTEAD OF FRIDAYS.
AND I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR, UH, MS. GINO TO GO OVER THOSE CHANGES AND HOW THAT WILL IMPACT OUR WORK AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING WITH PULLING ITEMS BY THE FRIDAY BEFORE OUR WORK SESSION.
AND THAT IN, IN OF ITSELF IS TOUGH, UM, FOR US, OR FOR ME, SHOULD SPEAK FOR ME PERSONALLY,
AND NOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PULL ITEMS EVEN EARLIER, I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL THEREBY CREATE A PROCESS IN WHICH MORE ITEMS ARE GONNA GET POSTPONED BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING TO PULL ITEMS FOR, UH, PUBLIC, FOR OUR DAAS CONSIDERATION MUCH EARLIER ON.
BUT THAT IS A STATE LAW REQUIREMENT.
I'M ASKING STAFF TO SPEAK TO THAT CHANGE.
MAYOR PRO TEM FUENTES, GENESIS CINO, CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE CITY MANAGER.
I'M GONNA ASK, UM, CTM TO PLEASE PULL UP THE CALENDAR AND WE CAN WALK THROUGH THE CHANGES AND HOW THAT WILL IMPACT YOUR ABILITY TO PULL ITEMS, AND WE CAN POST IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE PROPOSED, UM, AGENDA CYCLE.
WHAT IS CHANGING AS MAYOR PRO TEM INDICATED IS THAT PULLED ITEMS ARE DUE ON A WEDNESDAY NOW, AS OPPOSED TO A FRIDAY.
BUT WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS THAT YOU WILL GET THE DRAFT AGENDA THE WEEK BEFORE ON A FRIDAY.
AND SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT ITEMS ARE GONNA BE POSTED IN THE FINAL AGENDA, AND YOU WILL STILL BE ABLE TO PULL ITEMS AND WORK WITH STAFF ON ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND ANSWER, UH, PROVIDING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR THE Q AND A THAT GETS POSTED ALONGSIDE A AGENDA ITEM OR, UM, OUR FINAL AGENDAS.
AND SO WE CAN STILL ANSWER Q AND A UP UNTIL FRIDAY.
I'M, I DON'T WANNA MISSPEAK, I'M GONNA THE DAY BEFORE THE MEETING, AND SO THAT WILL STILL HAPPEN.
YOU STILL CAN HAVE YOUR Q AND A, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, THE POSTPONEMENT AND PULLING ITEMS WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN ESSENTIALLY A, UH, TWO DAYS AHEAD OF WHAT YOU ARE USED TO TODAY.
UM, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK QUESTIONS UP UNTIL ALMOST THE LAST MINUTE, SO APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, AND THE LAST SECTION I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FOR, FOR PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY HERE IS THE REQUIREMENT OF ASKING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GONNA PROVIDE A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL TO HAVE THAT SUBMITTED, UH, BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEETINGS, IF WE CAN GO OVER THAT PART.
SO, UM, AS WE INDICATED IN OUR MEMORANDUM DISTRIBUTED LAST WEEK DUE TO CYBERSECURITY, JUST AWARENESS, UM, OUR PRACTICE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE, WE HAND CT OR THE PUBLIC HANDS, CTMA THUMB DRIVE, UH, WITH THEIR PRESENTATION ON IT, WITH NO PRIOR SCREENING OR CYBERSECURITY REVIEW OF WHAT'S ON THE THUMB DRIVE AND PLUGGING IT INTO A CITY OWNED COMPUTER THAT IS CONNECTED TO OUR SYSTEM.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, THE REQUESTING THAT IT IS PROVIDED TO US BY 5:00 PM THE DAY BEFORE THE MEETING, ALLOWS US TO DO THAT SECURITY SCREENING AT A VERY BASIC LEVEL, AND THEN ALSO ALLOWING US TO PREPARE IT, UM, FOR THE QUEUE AHEAD OF TIME, AS OPPOSED TO WAITING FOR, UM, THE ITEM TO BE PROVIDED TO CTM AND THEN STANDING HERE AND WAITING FOR, YOU KNOW, THE ITEM TO BE PULLED UP.
I THINK IT ALLOWS FOR AN EFFICIENT FLOW OF THE MEETING, UH, TO HAVE THE ITEMS AHEAD OF TIME AND ALSO SECURITY CONCERNS.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS ON MY END.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIMM, ONE THING, ONE THING I MIGHT DO TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT THE MAYOR PRO TIMM JUST SAID WHEN SHE INDICATES THAT THERE'S STATE LEGISLATION, WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WHAT THE STATE, THE STATE LEGISLATION RELATES TO POSTING OF ITEMS? AND IN THE OLD DAYS, IT WAS THREE DAYS, AND
[00:10:01]
NOW IT'S, UH, THREE BUSINESS DAYS.WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT SO THAT THE PUBLIC WILL KNOW WHAT WHAT THE SHORTHAND WE'RE USING IS? SURE.
MAYOR, UH, NEIL ALGO WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT, UH, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT HAD STATED THAT THE AGENDA NEEDS TO BE POSTED 72 HOURS BEFORE THE TIME OF THE MEETING, UM, THAT HAS BEEN REVISED TO STATE THAT THE AGENDA MUST BE POSTED THREE FULL BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE DATE OF THE MEETING.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, FOR A WORK SESSION THAT OCCURS ON A TUESDAY, ASSUMING THERE ARE NO HOLIDAYS, THE AGENDA MUST BE POSTED FOR THE FULL DAY ON THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND MONDAY.
SO THE MAYOR PRO TIMM ACCURATELY SAYS THAT THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE LAW.
THAT'S THE REASON THIS IS ALL BEING DONE.
AND, AND I WANT PEOPLE TO HEAR THAT SO THAT THEY, THEY SEE THAT IT'S A SPECIFIC CHANGE IN LAW.
AND THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIMM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
I APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION, AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA ABIDE BY THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND, AND, AND STATE LAW.
UH, I, I WILL SAY THAT BETWEEN WHEN I, I GOT ON THE DAIS AND, AND NOW WITH THIS NEW PRACTICE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE PULLING ITEMS THE MORNING OF, UH, WORK SESSION
UH, TYPICALLY AFTER A THURSDAY MEETING, UH, IT, IT'S TOUGH TO HAVE EVERYTHING REVIEWED, READY, AND DECIDE WHAT YOU KIND OF WANNA MESS WITH AND WHAT YOU DON'T WANNA MESS WITH BY THE WEDNESDAY.
AND THAT'S, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY EIGHT DAYS BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEETING, UH, ITSELF.
UH, I, I, AND HONESTLY, I'M, I'M JUST KIND OF TRYING TO THINK THROUGH THIS AS, AS WE CONFRONT THIS, I, I, I, I DON'T WANNA POSTPONE ITEMS. I, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO JUST ASK TO POSTPONE IT.
AND WE CAN DO THAT, AND THAT'S FINE.
UH, BUT I, I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF A, OF A WAY TO SQUARE THAT, THAT CIRCLE.
UH, ANY, I KNOW OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SUGGESTION, BUT IT'S JUST ANY KIND OF THOUGHTS ON, ON WHERE WE ARE WITH TRYING TO KIND OF GIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OUR STAFF, UH, AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO, TO LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND ALSO GET COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUBLIC.
A LOT OF TIMES MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE THE ONES WHO ARE SAYING, HEY, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THIS ITEM? YOU KNOW, GIVE IT A SECOND LOOK.
AND, AND SOMETIMES THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN UNTIL, YOU KNOW, A, A, A FEW DAYS.
UH, ANY THOUGHTS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER? UM, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE IN THE DEADLINE, UH, THE, THE WORK SESSION AGENDA HAS TO BE POSTED FOR THE FULL DAY ON THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND MONDAY.
AND SO IN ORDER FOR US TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, WE NEED TO HAVE THE AGENDA PREPARED ON THAT WEDNESDAY, UM, SO THAT WE CAN POST IT BEFORE THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON WEDNESDAY.
WHEN WAS, IS, WILL THAT STATE LAW BE EFFECTIVE? THAT'LL GO INTO EFFECT SEPTEMBER 1ST, AND SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE MADE THIS CHANGE A LITTLE EARLY SO THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT FOR THE FINAL MEETING IN JULY, JUST TO GIVE IT, UH, I'M SORRY, AUGUST.
UM, JUST SO THAT WE CAN GIVE IT A TEST RUN TO MAKE SURE WE GET ALL THE KINKS, ANY KINKS WORKED OUT.
I WANNA ADD TOO, COUNCIL MEMBER IS THAT YOU CAN ALSO PULL AN ITEM FOR A THURSDAY MEETING AND HAVE THE DISCUSSION AS OUR RULES CURRENTLY STAND.
YOU CAN STILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THURSDAY.
UM, I THINK YOU JUST WOULD HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME TO HAVE THAT DEDICATED DISCUSSION CONSIDERING ALL THE ITEMS WE HAVE TO, UH, GO OVER AT A THURSDAY MEETING.
AND THE WEDNESDAY DEADLINE WOULD ACCOMMODATE A MONDAY FEDERAL HOLIDAY.
IS THAT THE, THE THINKING AS WELL, OR THAT WOULD NOT ACCOMMODATE ANY HOLIDAYS IF THERE WERE A MONDAY HOLIDAY.
SAY FOR INSTANCE, WE HAD A MEETING THE WEEK OF LABOR DAY, THEN WE WOULD NEED TO GO ONE DAY EARLIER TO GET AN EXTRA BUSINESS DAY IN THERE.
AS OUR CALENDAR CURRENTLY STANDS, THERE ARE NO UPCOMING MONDAY HOLIDAYS THAT WOULD NECESSITATE A POSTING ON A TUESDAY.
UM, WE WOULD PLAN FOR THAT IN THE FUTURE CALENDAR IN 26.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY WITH THE, THE ADDENDUM BEING CROSSED THROUGH THE I, THE IDEA IS THAT ESSENTIALLY THE ADDENDUM IS THE FINAL AGENDA, IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT.
UH, AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO WHY Y'ALL CHANGED THE BRIEFING MAXIMUM FROM THREE TO TWO.
I DON'T THINK IN VERSION TWO, THAT'S NO LONGER, BUT THAT'S NOT IN THERE ANYMORE.
[00:15:01]
LOOKING AT THE OLD ONE WAS, YEAH, THAT WAS CHANGED BACK IN, UH, VERSION TWO.I THINK MOST OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED AT THIS POINT, BUT I DEFINITELY, UH, APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S NEW ITEMS ON THAT FINAL AGENDA.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE LIKE TO TRY TO KEEP OUR MEETINGS MOVING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO I THINK IT'LL BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT TAKES A LONGER DISCUSSION, WHAT IS A SHORT DISCUSSION, AND WHAT MAY HAVE TO BE POSTPONED.
SO I THINK THERE'S JUST GONNA BE A LEARNING CURVE THERE.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT WHEN FOLKS SUBMIT THEIR PRESENTATIONS AHEAD OF TIME, DOES THAT MEAN THERE'S GONNA BE MORE AVAILABILITY TO SEE THE PRESENTATIONS ON A TXN? I HEAR FROM A LOT OF FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SEE 'EM UP ON THE BIG TVS HERE IN THE ROOM, BUT FOLKS TRYING TO FOLLOW ALONG AT HOME AREN'T NECESSARILY SEEING THEM ON A TXN.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT PRACTICE OF BROADCASTING WHAT IS PRESENTED IN CHAMBERS WAS DUE TO SENSITIVE IMAGES.
AND SO I THINK WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THAT, UM, WITH LEGAL OR THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO FOR THE TIME BEING, WE COULD JUST A, A ASK THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE TOGGLING BETWEEN THE PRESENTATION AND, AND A TXN.
I THINK JUST SEEING SPEAKERS SPEAK AND, AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR PRESENTATION IS REALLY ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THOSE FOLLOWING ALONG AT HOME.
UM, AND THAT'S ALSO A GREAT REMINDER THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE DISCUSSIONS GET HEATED HERE IN CHAMBERS, BUT WHEN PEOPLE DO THINGS LIKE SHARING EXPLICIT IMAGES OR USING FOUL LANGUAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CHILDREN WATCHING AT HOME WITH THEIR PARENTS, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CENSORING ANYBODY'S INFORMATION, BUT JUST TO BE MINDFUL OF HOW PEOPLE SPEAK TO EACH OTHER AND, AND WHAT KIND OF, UH, GRAPHIC INFORMATION MAY BE SHARED, UM, IS JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL.
UM, I'LL JUST KIND OF ADD A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THIS MIGHT BE A LITTLE SENSITIVE, BUT HAS THERE BEEN ANY THOUGHT TO GETTING US THE AGENDA EARLIER, UH, SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE MORE TIME, UM, AS ONE RESPONSE TO THIS LEGISLATIVE CHANGE EARLIER THAN TWO WEEKS? WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, GIVEN THAT, LIKE, THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME INSTANCES WHERE BASICALLY WE GET THE AGENDA ON A LATE FRIDAY AND ONLY HAVE ONE BUSINESS DAY OR TWO BUSINESS DAYS TO DECIDE WHAT SHOULD BE PULLED FOR WORK SESSION.
I MEAN, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS GAMED OUT? WE CAN GO AHEAD.
SO, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, SO YOU'LL STILL BE GETTING THE AGENDA NO LATER THAN 13 DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING.
UM, IT'LL BE A DRAFT AGENDA, AND SO YOU WILL STILL BE GETTING THAT IN THE RULES.
IT SAYS 13, 13 DAYS THAT THAT'S NOT CHANGING FROM OUR CURRENT PRACTICE.
THE ONLY THING THAT IS HAPPENING ON THAT SECOND FRIDAY THE 19TH ON THIS CALENDAR HERE, IS ADDITIONAL ITEMS OR CHANGED ITEMS FROM THE DRAFT AGENDA.
SO I THINK OUR HOPE IS TO GET YOU A REALLY GOOD DRAFT AGENDA BY THAT 12TH, THE FIRST FRIDAY BEFORE THE MEETING, WHICH WOULD STILL BE THE 13 DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING ACTUALLY OCCURS.
I'M, I'M MORE GETTING AT, UM, THE ISSUE BROUGHT UP BY COUNCIL MEMBER VALA OF THE TIME CRUNCH ON COUNCIL OFFICES.
SAY THERE'S 175 ITEM AGENDA THAT POSTS ON A LATE FRIDAY.
UM, AND YEAH, US HAVING TO IDENTIFY WHAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED IN A WORK SESSION AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, IN MOST INSTANCES HAVING TWO BUSINESS DAYS.
SO THEORETICALLY, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BE GOOD REPRESENTATIVES.
IF WE HAVE TO CRUNCH, WE WILL.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WILL, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE WAS ANY THOUGHT PUT INTO, FOR EXAMPLE, Y'ALL POSTING THE AGENDA 14 DAY DAYS AHEAD, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO TYPICALLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS ON THE 11TH, AS IT SHOWS HERE ON THE CALENDAR, THERE'S A COUNCIL MEETING ON THAT DAY.
AND TO REDUCE CONFUSION WITH THE PUBLIC TOO, AND EVEN WITH YOUR STAFF, OF WHICH AGENDA ARE WE FOLLOWING? WE TRY NOT TO POST TOO MANY AGENDAS AND MAKE TOO MANY ITEMS OF, YOU KNOW, COMPARING WHICH ONE WE'RE COVERING.
I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE THAT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
SO WE TRY TO WAIT UNTIL A MEETING HAS ALREADY HAPPENED AND THEN PROVIDING THE UPCOMING AGENDA, UM, FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
AND HAVE Y'ALL CONSIDERED THAT, UM, THE COUNCIL MEETINGS WILL NOW LIKELY GO LONGER IF THERE'S LESS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE WORK SESSIONS TO TALK THROUGH? OUR HOPE IS THAT IT WOULDN'T
WE'LL ANSWER AS MANY QUESTIONS AS YOU PROVIDE US THROUGH Q AND A OR DEDICATED CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT ABOUT A SPECIFIC ITEM.
ANYTHING ELSE? MEMBERS FROM THIS ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
[00:20:01]
SIEGEL, YOU INSPIRED, INSPIRED ME,UM, I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUILDING TILL AFTER 4:00 AM BEFORE, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU IT ONLY HAPPENED BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALK TOO MUCH.
NO, THIS IS THE REAL, I'VE ADDED UP THE TIME.
AND FRANKLY, WHEN I'M DONE BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M GONNA ADD UP HOW MUCH CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS COST OUR CONSTITUENTS, BECAUSE THAT'S REAL MONEY TO HAVE A TX IN HERE ALL NIGHT, TO HAVE STAFF GOING HOME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
IT'S DANGEROUS TO HAVE SECURITY HERE ALL NIGHT, TO HAVE, AND HAVE, AND HAVE.
I PROMISE YOU, MOST OF THOSE MEETINGS THAT WENT PAST 10 COULD HAVE GONE 3, 4, 5 HOURS SHORTER IF PEOPLE WERE MORE SUCCINCT WITH THEIR QUESTIONS AND DELIBERATIONS AND TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE THE TOOLS STAFF PROVIDES US.
I PROMISE YOU, OUR CONSTITUENTS FEEL NO MORE REPRESENTED.
'CAUSE YOU TALKED FOR FIVE HOURS LONGER TODAY.
MY ALLERGIES HAVE DECIDED TO TRY TO SNEEZE INTO THIS MICROPHONE.
TO YOUR POINT, WE HAVE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO US THAT WE COULD, SHOULD, AND OUGHT TO UTILIZE.
SO WE'RE NOT IN HERE WASTING EVERYBODY'S TIME AND MONEY.
OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE TO PAY FOR US TO BE IN HERE ALL DAY AND NIGHT.
THEY HAVE TO BE IN HERE ALL DAY AND NIGHT.
ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, THAT'LL TAKE US TO THE NEXT
[B1. Briefing on the 89th Texas Legislature]
AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS ITEM B ONE.AND THAT IS A, UH, BRIEFING ON THE 89TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE THAT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A BRIEFING ITEM NUMBER B TWO, WHICH WAS, UH, ADDED AS AN ADDENDUM, UM, WHICH ALSO ADDS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I MIGHT HAVE ABOUT HOW THAT ALL PLAYED OUT.
UH, THAT WAS ADDED AS AN ADDENDUM AFTER THE POSTING, UM, WHICH I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT GETS DONE, BUT, BUT IT GOT DONE THIS TIME.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, B TWO WILL BE A BRIEFING ON ACME.
GOOD, GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND MR. BROAD ACTS FOR THE RECORD, I AM CARRIE ROGERS, AND I'M PLEASED TO SERVE AS YOUR LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, UH, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH TODAY, UM, A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF, UH, ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES RELATED TO THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE 89 TEXAS LEGISLATURE.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, A SPECIAL SESSION, THE FIRST CALLED SPECIAL SESSION, UM, STARTED YESTERDAY.
SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT HIGH LEVEL TODAY AND THEN, UH, CONCLUDE WITH, UH, QUESTIONS.
UM, THIS IS OUR, UH, LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED BACK IN DECEMBER.
UM, THIS IS, UH, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN FRONT OF YOU ARE COMMON, UH, THEMES THAT WE HAVE AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT OF COURSE, IS PRESERVING OUR LOCAL AUTHORITY, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND A RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO ONTO OUR OUTCOMES, UM, WE SEE, UM, AS LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SEVERAL OVERARCHING ISSUES THAT HAVE OCCURRED AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN DOING THIS, WHICH IS TOO LONG.
UM, PREEMPTION ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
THIS LAST SESSION, UH, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME FOCUSING ON PREEMPTION OF ELECTIONS, UH, UH, WORK RELATED TO, UH, GUNS, HISTORICAL MARKERS AND INCLUSION PROGRAMMING.
UM, WE ALSO SPENT A LOT OF TIME THIS SESSION TALKING ABOUT LAND USE AND HOUSING, UM, AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, UH, ADDITIONAL ELEMENT ON TOP OF HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAS A PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, HERE IN A FEW SLIDES.
UH, A LOT OF FOCUS ON, UM, REDUCING, UH, CITY DEBT INSTRUMENTS.
AND WE'LL SEE THAT AGAIN IN THIS SPECIAL SESSION.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, UH, WHEN WE GET TO THAT PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION.
THIS WAS THE ONE BILL THAT THE CITY WENT AND SOUGHT A BILL AUTHOR AND WORKED, UH, COLLABORATIVELY ACROSS BOTH OUR DELEGATION AND THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATURE TO GET, UM, OUR, UH, PENSION REFORM FOR OUR AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS IN PLACE.
WATER WAS A, A COMMON THEME AS WELL AS HOMELESSNESS COMMUNICATION.
WHAT I WILL TELL YOU, JUST AS A LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR AND COMING INTO THIS WORK, COMMUNICATION IS SO IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY TO YOU ALL AS OUR, UM, ELECTED BODY, BUT ALSO TO OUR DELEGATION SO THEY CAN MOST EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT OUR RESIDENTS HERE.
SO WE, UM, REALLY PRESSED HARD ON COMMUNICATION TO OUR LEADERS HERE, BUT ALSO TO OUR DELEGATION TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
WE'VE NOTED HERE, WE HAD A VERY REGIMENTED PROCESS.
WHENEVER WE WERE IN THE POSITION OF PERHAPS OPPOSING OR HAVING
[00:25:01]
CONCERNS ABOUT A BILL.UM, WE WOULD ALWAYS REACH OUT TO THE BILL AUTHOR IN ADVANCE OF A HEARING TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT OUR CONCERNS WERE AND TO MAKE EFFORTS AT TRYING TO IMPROVE THAT BILL.
UM, HERE ARE SOME NUMBERS, UH, UH, BY THE NUMBERS.
THERE WERE AROUND 9,000 BILLS FILED.
UM, OUR OFFICE WAS TRACKING ABOUT 1500 OF THOSE BILLS.
UH, WE'VE GOTTEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, REACHED SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION HERE AT THE END.
THERE WERE ABOUT 26 BILLS THAT, UH, ALSO THAT WERE VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR.
UM, BEYOND THOSE NUMBERS, WE REALLY WORKED DELIBERATELY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LEGISLATURE.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT WAS SORT OF OUR UNSPOKEN LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY.
THIS SESSION WAS REALLY TO, UM, DEMONSTRATE THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A LEADER ON THESE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES TO POUR INTO THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, SEVERAL DOZEN BILLS THAT I WOULD SAY AS FILED WERE LESS FAVORABLE TO THE CITY.
UM, BUT WE REALLY, I THINK, RECEIVED A POSITIVE RECEPTION FROM SEVERAL MEMBERS WHO OPENED THEIR DOOR TO US AND WERE WILLING TO HEAR WHAT OUR CONCERNS WERE AND, UM, RECEIVED THAT IMPACT AND, AND MAKE CHANGES WHERE NEEDED.
UM, EVERYBODY WALKED AWAY A LITTLE BIT UNHAPPY.
AND THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SIGN OF A, A DECENT SESSION.
UM, SO HERE ARE MAJOR BILL OUTCOMES.
AGAIN, I MENTIONED EARLIER THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS, WHO, OF COURSE, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, GREAT GREATLY SUPPORTS OUR AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS AND WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS STRONG FISCAL STABILITY FOR THEIR RETIREMENT FUTURE.
UH, REPRESENTATIVE BUSEY WAS THE AUTHOR OF THIS PARTICULAR BILL WITH REPRESENTATIVE DONNA HOWARD AS A JOINT AUTHOR.
UM, ON THE SENATE SIDE, WE HAD SENATOR FLORES AND SENATOR SCHWART WHO CARRIED THAT BILL.
UM, WE STARTED OUT WITH DIFFERENT, UH, PIECES OF LEGISLATION, BUT ULTIMATELY THROUGH, UH, CONSIDERABLE COLLABORATION AND DISCUSSIONS.
UM, THE MAYOR, OF COURSE, WAS, UM, INVOLVED IN MANY OF THESE DISCUSSIONS.
WE GOT TO AN AGREED UPON BILL AND, UM, AND THE, UH, GOVERNOR ULTIMATELY SIGNED THAT BILL JUST BEFORE THE VETO DEADLINE IN JUNE.
UM, SENATE BILL SEVEN SEVEN IS RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
THIS WAS A BILL THAT ACTUALLY WAS NOT JUST APPLICABLE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT AFFECTED A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES AS WELL.
UM, THIS WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A BILL THAT WAS FILED.
WE, UM, UM, ULTIMATELY ENDED UP WORKING WITH, UM, UH, THE FIRE ASSOCIATION AND LEADERSHIP THERE TO, UM, TO GET TO AN AGREED UPON PLACE.
UM, AND OF COURSE, WE HAD CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT FROM OUR LAW DEPARTMENT, UM, MS. THOMAS'S TEAM, CHRIS COPPOLA, UM, AND, AND ROXY STEVENS AS WELL.
SO YOU'LL SEE HERE, UM, ONE OF THESE BILLS, UM, THAT HAS PARTICULAR IMPACT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS A PREEMPTION OF OUR LOCAL FOOD SERVICE REGULATIONS.
AND I'LL TAKE A MOMENT HERE TO MENTION, AND I SHOULD HAVE SAID AT THE START, I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW, AND WE'LL SAY THIS AGAIN AT THE END, THE LAW DEPARTMENT IN OUR OFFICE IS ALREADY WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS TO BEGIN OPERATIONALIZING AND LOOKING AT WHATEVER CODE, UM, UH, AND ORDINANCE NECESSARY, UH, CHANGES ARE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THESE BILLS.
AND THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THEM.
UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT, UH, WE SAY MAKE THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR, INCLUDING THOSE WHO WERE, UM, SOME BILLS THAT WERE INSPIRED BY AUSTIN.
UM, UH, THAT INCLUDES HOUSE BILL 1 46, UM, SENATE BILL 10 65.
I'LL HIGHLIGHT HERE THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED GUNS IN PUBLIC SPACES, INCLUDING SPORTS ARENAS.
UM, THIS WAS INSPIRED BY A CITY ELSEWHERE HERE IN OUR STATE, BUT WOULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE HAD A STATEWIDE IMPLICATION, UM, WATER.
UM, WE HAD BEEN HEARING, UH, WELL BACK INTO THE INTERIM THAT THIS WAS GONNA BE A WATER SESSION.
UH, SENATOR PERRY OUT OF LUBBOCK HAD TAKEN UP THIS MANTLE THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE, UM, WORKING TOWARDS ESTABLISHING, UM, A STATEWIDE INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUNDING FOR, UH, PLANNING OUR WATER FUTURE.
UM, THAT BILL WAS SENATE BILL SEVEN WITH THE CORRESPONDING FUND FUNDING IN, UH, THE HOUSE, JOINT RESOLUTION SEVEN.
UM, THOSE BILLS ULTIMATELY PASSED, AND, UM, SLIGHTLY MODIFIED VERSIONS.
UM, BUT THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF FOCUS ON, UH, UM, STRENGTHENING OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, CONSIDERING THAT WE WERE AT THE TIME, UM, AND CONTINUE TO SEE PEAKS AND VALLEYS IN TERMS OF A DROUGHT HERE IN THIS STATE.
UM, HOUSE BILL 29, I WILL MENTION, UH, THE WATER LOSS AUDIT REQUIRES, UM, WATER UTILITIES TO REPORT ON, UH, TO REPORT OUT WHAT THEIR WATER LOSS NUMBERS ARE.
UM, I'LL MENTION HERE, UH, HOUSE BILL 1523 BY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE GERDES OUT OF BASTROP HAD FILED, UM, THIS PARTICULAR
[00:30:01]
BILL THAT WOULD'VE PROHIBITED TCEQ FROM ISSUING A, UH, A WATER PERMIT FOR US TO BUILD AN AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT.ULTIMATELY, THE BILL DID NOT REACH A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.
BUT WHAT WE DID GET OUT OF THAT DISCUSSION WAS, I THINK, IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS, UM, BOTH WITH THAT COMMUNITY AND, UH, WITH THE LEGISLATORS REPRESENTING THAT AREA.
AND THOSE DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE EVEN THROUGH THIS MORNING AS WE'RE SITTING HERE TODAY.
UM, OUR ELECTRIC UTILITIES, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, WAS VERY ACTIVE DURING THIS SESSION.
I WILL TELL YOU, UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, THE THEME AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR BRIEFING, WHICH WAS REALLY TRYING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND HELP OUR MEMBERS UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
SO THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT DID PASS, AND THEY WERE REALLY, UH, LARGELY FOCUSED ON REPORTING OUT WHAT AUSTIN ENERGY'S DOING, ONE OF THOSE BEING THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN, UM, LEGISLATION.
SO WHAT IS AUSTIN ENERGY'S WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN? UM, HAS TO BE, UH, REPORTED OUT, UH, TO THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS.
UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BILLS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS TOO, IN THE LAND USE, UH, PORTION, BUT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT WERE FOCUSED ON, UH, UTILIZING THIRD PARTY, UH, DEVELOPERS, THIRD PARTY DELIVERY, UM, AND THIRD PARTY INSPECTIONS FOR, UM, INSTALLATION OF, ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, INSTALLATION OF BACKUP GENERATORS.
UM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, WHEN WE WENT AND VISITED WITH MEMBERS AND WE EXPLAINED THE CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE OF ALLOWING A SITE TO BE ELECTRIFIED WITHOUT PROPER INSPECTION AND REVIEW, UM, IT WAS AN EASY SELL.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THE MEMBERS UNDERSTOOD THAT, AGAIN, AS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, UM, END UP WITH THINGS PERFECT OR JUST AS WE WANT.
UM, BUT I THINK EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD THE SAFETY CONCERN AND MAKING SURE PROPER FOLKS WERE, UM, REVIEWING A SITE BEFORE, UH, IT WAS TURNED ON.
UM, LAND USE, UH, AND DIS ANNEXATION, AND I'LL PUT HOUSING IN THIS CATEGORY AS WELL.
UH, THERE WERE, THERE WAS A SUITE OF MATERIALS FILED, UM, THIS SESSION.
A LOT OF THOSE BEING CARRIED BY SENATOR HUGHES, UM, OUT OF THE TEXARKANA AREA, UM, THAT WERE, UM, FOCUSED ON GROWING THE HOUSING STOCK IS, UM, WHAT I BELIEVE THEIR MESSAGING WAS.
AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE, A NUMBER OF THOSE BILLS DID PASS.
THE FIRST ONE, WHICH THE CITY SUPPORTED HOUSE BILL 21, UH, WHICH WAS CARRIED BY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE GARY GATES.
THIS BILL WAS AIMED AT ELIMINATING TRAVELING HFCS, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM.
UM, WHICH IS REALLY A HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, UM, UM, GIVING TAX INCENTIVES AND TAX BREAKS TO, UH, DEVELOPERS WITHOUT WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY.
SO THAT BILL DID PASS, UM, AND THOSE TRAVELING HFCS, UM, ARE NO MORE, AND WE'RE, THAT BILL IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, I BELIEVE.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH HOUSING, UH, TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
THIS BILL, UM, IS RELATED TO THE NOTICE PROCESS FOR REZONING OF PROPERTY.
I KNOW WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MS. THOMAS'S TEAM, UH, MS. LINK AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PARTICULAR BILL AND SOME OF THESE OTHERS.
UM, SENATE BILL EIGHT 40, WHICH WAS A BILL THAT WAS, UM, ALLOWS THE CONVERSION OF OFFICE TO RESIDENTIAL BY RIGHT, WITH THE INTENTION FOR THAT TO OCCUR IN COMMERCIAL ZONING AREAS ONLY.
UM, SENATE BILL 1202, WE TALKED ABOUT ON THE ELECTRIC SIDE, ALLOWING THIRD PARTY REVIEW AND INSPECTION OF ELECTRIC GENERATORS.
BUT AUSTIN ENERGY RETAINS ITS POSITION AS FINAL INSPECTION.
UM, HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH.
WE, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS, UH, FORTUNATE TO BE A PART OF A DISCUSSION THAT BEGAN OVER A YEAR AGO WITH SENATOR PARKER TO, UH, WORK ON A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE SOLUTION FOR, UM, THE HOMELESSNESS POPULATION AND MENTAL HEALTH THAT BILL ULTIMATELY DIDN'T PASS.
YOU'LL SEE IT HERE, UH, THE FIRST ONE UNDER THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR, SENATE BILL 24 87.
UH, THE BILL ULTIMATELY INVOLVED IN, INTO WHAT SENATOR PARKER WAS CALLING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS SERVICE CENTERS.
AND THEY WERE PLACED REALLY AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
UM, UH, THERE WAS INTENDED TO BE SOME FUNDING RELATED TO THIS PARTICULAR EFFORT, BUT ONCE THAT FUNDING, UM, WENT AWAY, AS SOMETIMES HAPPENS THROUGH, UM, THE COMPLEX LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, UM, THIS EFFORT ALSO, UM, SORT OF FADED AWAY TOWARDS THE END OF THE SESSION.
BUT IN CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THE SENATOR SINCE THAT TIME, AND OTHERS, INCLUDING OUR OWN LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, UM, THERE IS A COMMITMENT TO, UH, BRING THIS ISSUE BACK UP AND TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY ACROSS THE STATE TO TRY AND BRING SOME SOLUTIONS AND FUNDING AND RESOURCES, UM, TO THIS PARTICULAR CAUSE.
[00:35:01]
UM, HERE WE LIST SOME ODDS AND ENDS, UH, THAT WILL, WE SEE A COUPLE OF THESE HAVE, UH, WILL BE IF HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN FILED, UH, FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION, UM, PARTICULARLY THE THC ITEM.AND I'LL MENTION HERE IN SPECIAL.
WE JUST GOT, UM, THE LIST OF THOSE PRIORITY BILLS AS WE'VE BEEN SITTING HERE.
UM, BUT WHAT I'LL TELL YOU BEFORE WE, WE MOVE ON TO THE SPECIAL SESSION, WE HAD, UM, CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT, NOT ONLY FROM YOU ALL, AND WE WANNA THANK OUR ELECTED LEADERSHIP, BUT ALSO OUR DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND ANALYSTS WHO WERE ASSIGNED WITH THE DE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS, WHO RESPONDED 24 HOURS A DAY WHENEVER THERE WAS A PARTI PARTICULAR NEED.
WHO I ALSO WANNA THANK, OF COURSE, IS OUR DELEGATION, WHO REALLY STEPPED FORWARD FOR US.
UM, WE INUNDATED THEM WITH COMMUNICATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE PROPERLY PREPARED TO REPRESENT US, AND THEY REALLY DID AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB AND SEVERAL MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATURE WHO OPENED THEIR DOORS TO US AND WERE WILLING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO, UM, I, WHAT I EXPERIENCED THIS SESSION IS THAT AUSTIN IS HIGHLY FAVORED.
AND, UM, AND SO WE, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING ON THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AS WE START HERE.
OUR SPECIAL SESSION, UM, WHICH CONVENED, UH, YESTERDAY, JULY 21ST, SPECIAL SESSIONS CANNOT LAST MORE THAN 30 DAYS.
THEY CAN CERTAINLY END EARLIER.
ONLY THE TOPICS THAT THE GOVERNOR INCLUDES IN HIS PROCLAMATION, WHICH WE SHARED WITH YOU ALL LAST WEEK, MAY BE CONSIDERED, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN OTHER BILLS WON'T GET FILED.
UM, AND SO OUR POSITION IS THAT WE'RE WATCHING ALL OF THOSE BILLS, UM, AND WE'LL MONITOR THOSE FOR IMPACT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, THESE ARE ALL THE ITEMS THAT WERE INCLUDED ON THE CALL.
UH, WE WILL, OF COURSE, NOTE, AS EVERYONE IS WATCHING ACROSS THE STATE AND EVEN THE NATION, UM, WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE WITH OUR FLOOD WARNING SYSTEMS AND FLOOD EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE, UM, THROUGH A COMMUNICATION WITH MAYOR WATSON TO OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS AND TO THE LEGISLATURE, WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS DONE HERE IN TERMS OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
AS WE, UH, WE REST IN, UH, FLASH FLOOD ALLEY AS WELL HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, PROPERTY TAXES AND EXPENDITURE CAPS, UM, WITH THE, UM, THE BILLS THAT WERE JUST RELEASED ABOUT 10 MINUTES AGO, UM, SENATE BILL NINE BY SENATOR BETTEN COURT IS EXPECTED TO BE THE, THE PRIMARY BILL FOR THOSE, UM, TAX RELATED, UM, REFORMS AND EXPENDITURE, UH, EXPENDITURE CAP BILLS, LOCAL AND REGIONAL.
UH, WE JUST WANTED TO, UH, MAKE SURE AND MENTION THAT WHILE WE'RE CONTINUING THIS WORK AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL, AND CERTAINLY IN WASHINGTON AS WELL, UM, ALL THE WORK THAT WE DO IS LOCAL.
AND SO WE ARE POURING INTO THOSE RELATIONSHIPS HERE, INCLUDING WITH OUR CHAMBERS, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, CAP METRO COUNCIL MEMBER YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, AND VISITING WITH THOSE FOLKS SO THAT WE ARE ALIGNED IN WHAT WE ARE DOING, UM, IN THE LEGISLATURE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, THAT IS THE, UH, END OF MY PRESENTATION.
I WANNA THANK AGAIN EVERYONE HERE AND, AND MOST ESPECIALLY, UM, OUR LAW DEPARTMENT, UM, AND OUR, UH, PARTNER DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
AND THEN LET ME SAY BEFORE I OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS THAT THIS IS MS. ROGERS FIRST TIME TO BE, UH, IN THIS POSITION, UH, GOING INTO THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND TO CONTINUE WITH OUR THEME ABOUT COMMUNICATION, UH, AND HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES AND BEING THERE, COMMUNICATING AND BEING THERE.
UH, I WANNA SAY A, A A THANKS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US FOR, UH, THE ROLE SHE PLAYED IN COMMUNICATING, UH, COVERING, UH, FOLKS WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEEDED.
UH, WORKING WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AS SHE'S POINTED OUT, TO GET THE INFORMATION IN PEOPLE'S HANDS, UH, AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE AWARE AND SOME OF US THAT NEED TO BE PULLED UP THERE TO, TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS, ARE AWARE WHENEVER WE NEED TO BE.
IT WAS REALLY A GOOD JOB IN THAT REGARD.
AND SO WE DESERVE TO SAY THANK YOU.
UM, WE OUGHT TO SAY THANK YOU AND YOU DESERVE THAT.
MEMBERS, UH, OTHER COMMENTS? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, YOU SORT OF BEAT ME TO IT.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
AND FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, YOU KNOW, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT HOW REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT.
SO FOR SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, ACCESS TO THE LEGISLATURE AND THOSE PROCESSES IS FAMILIAR, AND FOR ME, NOT SO MUCH.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE REALLY WANT REPRESENTATION TO MATTER AND FOR, YOU KNOW, DIVERSE LIVED EXPERIENCES TO BE REPRESENTED ON THE DAYS, YOU ARE GONNA GET FOLKS WHO AREN'T AS FAMILIAR WITH LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES AND EXACTLY WHAT LANGUAGE MEANS.
AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO, NO MATTER HOW, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE WORD WHEN YOU HAVE TO REMEDIAL THE QUESTION MAY HAVE BEEN, YOU ALWAYS MADE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THE PROCESS AND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS WERE ABOUT THE CERTAIN BILLS.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH, AND THE LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION
[00:40:01]
WAS TOP NOTCH.AND, YOU KNOW, I, I'D SAY MOVING FORWARD, UM, I APPRECIATED THAT FIRST MEETING WHERE WE HAD IN PERSON AND WE WERE ABLE TO JUST KIND OF REALLY GIVE, UM, THE, A OVERVIEW OF WHAT IT IS THAT WERE OUR PRIORITIES IN THE OFFICE.
AND THEN YOU GUYS TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO, OH, YOU KNOW, SO-AND-SO'S GOT A THING ON.
I, I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT ALSO.
COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN ELLIS AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THE SLIDE THAT TALKED ABOUT THE SPECIAL SESSION COVERING FLOOD RESPONSE OR RESILIENCE.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO, YOU KNOW, ARE THESE GONNA BE THINGS THAT ARE VERY SPECIFIC TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KE COUNTY AND SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT EXPERIENCED MASSIVE FLOODING OVER THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAYS? OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HELP ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN ALL CITIES IN TEXAS? CAN YOU TELL ME IF THAT'S A NARROW SCOPE OR A BROAD SCOPE? THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, I THINK IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, THEY WILL, UM, HOLD OUT, UM, WHAT HAPPENED IN KE COUNTY AS AN EXAMPLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT COULD BE BEST PRACTICES, UM, AND DEPLOYED ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, I THINK SOME OF THE FUNDING SUPPORT WILL BE TARGETED AT KERR COUNTY, BUT IT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TOO, WHERE OTHER COMMUNITIES WHO ARE LARGELY IMPACTED BY FLOODING, UM, COULD PERHAPS ACCESS THAT, THAT FUNDING.
UM, BUT I THINK REALLY IT IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, PUTTING FORWARD KERR COUNTY IN THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY AS AN EXAMPLE FOR BEST PRACTICES THAT COULD BE DEPLOYED ACROSS THE STATE.
SO, UM, WE, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A HEARING SCHEDULED TOMORROW OF THE JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS FOUR MEMBERS ON THE SENATE SIDE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THEN THEIR SECOND COMMITTEE MEETINGS IS EXPECTED TO BE ON JULY 30TH IN KERRVILLE.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, FLOODING IS OBVIOUSLY AT THE TOP OF EVERYONE'S MIND, GIVEN THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS A LOT OF ISSUES THAT THAT MAY BE COMING FROM NATURAL DISASTERS LIKE WILDFIRE RISK AND, AND OTHER SORTS OF ISSUES, THE FREEZES THAT WE KEEP EXPERIENCING EVERY FEW YEARS.
SO I I, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THAT'S ON A SPECIALIST SET, UH, THE SPECIAL SESSION AGENDA.
UM, BUT HOPE THAT THERE'S MORE NATURAL DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY JUST STATEWIDE, UM, THAT HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE UP IN THE FUTURE.
COUNCIL ELLIS, MAYOR PRO, TIM, THANK YOU.
ALSO, JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY KUDOS AND CONGRATULATIONS TO DIRECTOR ROGERS AND HER TEAM.
I KNOW I CERTAINLY FELT THAT WE WERE IN VERY GOOD HANDS THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BOTH WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WITH MAYOR WATSON'S LEADERSHIP AT THE CAPITOL.
UM, OVERALL IT FELT LIKE A REALLY GOOD SESSION FOR OUR CITY.
UM, ALL, WELL, THERE WAS ONE ITEM HERE THAT DID WANNA FLAG THAT OUR REPRODUCTIVE LOGISTICAL FUND WAS ALSO PREEMPTED BY THE LEGISLATURES, AND THAT WAS A DIRECT AUSTIN POLICY, UM, THAT WAS PREEMPTED.
BUT OVERALL, I FELT THAT WE HAD A REALLY GOOD STRATEGY AND PRESENCE AND, AND COMMUNICATION AND CULTIVATION EFFORT THIS YEAR AT, AT THE CAPITOL.
AND SO I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US.
COUNCIL MEMBER LANE? YES, I'LL REITERATE THOSE TO THOSE SAME, THANKS.
UM, AND I JUST, I WAS HOPING THAT MAYBE YOU COULD TELL A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOUSE BILL 25 12, THE ETG RELEASE, PARTIAL FIX.
IF TRISH LINK IS AROUND, I MAY HAVE HER COME FORWARD AS WELL.
SOME OF THE ISSUES ARISE, DOVETAIL WELL WITH SOME OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TYPE CONVERSATIONS GOING ON TOO.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION? I, I'M JUST HOPING TO KNOW WHAT PASSED.
THAT WOULD BE A PARTIAL FIX TO THE ETJ RELEASE SITUATION, WHICH IS PREVALENT AROUND THE OUTSKIRTS OF AUSTIN AND MULTIPLE DISTRICTS.
SO THIS BILL, I THINK WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY FILED, HAD SOME DIFFERENT COMPONENTS WHERE IT ENDED AT THE END OF THE DAY IS IT CHANGED WHO COULD, UH, RELEASE FROM THE ETJ.
AND ORIGINALLY IT WAS A MUCH MORE BROADER SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
IT WAS IF YOU HAD CERTAIN TYPES OF AGREEMENTS, UM, CERTAIN SIZES OF DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT NEAR THE END OF THE SESSION, THEY ACTUALLY BRACKETED THE BILL SO THAT IT REALLY ONLY APPLIES IN THE METROPLEX 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE COUNTY SIZE THAT MEET, UM, WHAT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE BILL ULTIMATELY.
AND WHAT, I CAN WRITE SOMETHING UP A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL FOR YOU THOUGH, THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT IT'S UNCHANGED
[00:45:01]
AS IT RELATES TO THE AUSTIN AREA, UM, AND WHERE IT THAT'S GOOD.COUNCIL MEMBER, ANYTHING ELSE? MEMBERS, AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[B2. Briefing on an overview, including key findings, changes, and next steps of Phase I of The Creative Reset, which focuses on reimagining the structure and accessibility of the Office of Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment’s (ACME) funding programs (Thrive, Elevate, Nexus, Live Music Fund, Creative Space Assistance Program, and Heritage Preservation).]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM B TWO.I'LL RECOGNIZE THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, AND COUNCIL, UH, NEXT YOU'LL HEAR AN IMPORTANT UPDATE, UH, FROM AUSTIN ENERGY.
I'M, I'M SORRY, FROM AUSTIN, ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT, OR BETTER KNOWN AS ACME FOR THE PAST FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS.
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DIRECTOR ANGELA MEANS, ACME HAS UNDERTAKEN A CITYWIDE EFFORT CALLED THE CREATIVE RESET, UH, A MULTI-PHASE PLANNING PROCESS DESIGNED TO REIMAGINE HOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARTNERS WITH AND SUPPORTS THE CREATIVE SECTOR.
ANGELA WILL REPRESEN PRESENT THE OUTCOMES OF PHASE ONE OF THE CREATIVE RESET, INCLUDING THE ENHANCEMENTS MADE TO KEY FUNDING PROGRAMS LIKE THRIVE, ELEVATE NEXUS, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND HERITAGE PRESERVATION.
ANGELA, YOU CAN PROCEED WITH THE PRESENTATION.
MY NAME IS ANGELA, MEANS I'M THE NEW DIRECTOR FOR THE ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT OFFICE.
IT IS TRULY A PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS MORNING.
I AM JOINED WITH, UH, MY TEAM HERE, MS. MORGAN MESSICK.
SHE'S OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, AND I HAVE MS. CANDACE COOPER, WHO IS OUR INTERIM CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.
AS I STATED HERE, I, IT'S REALLY, TRULY A PLEASURE.
THE THIS OFFICE HAS BEEN, UH, UP AND RUNNING FOR THE LAST FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS.
IT FEELS LIKE IT'S BEEN A LOT LONGER, BUT WE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE.
AS I'D LIKE TO START, MY PRESENTATIONS IN STATE ARTS AND CULTURE ARE NOT OPTIONAL.
I KNOW THIS BODY UNDERSTANDS THAT, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE AUSTIN, TEXAS AREA.
WE BELIEVE WE ARE THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR CITY, THE RHYTHM THAT MOVES US, THE STORIES THAT SHAPE US, AND THE SOUL THAT MAKES AUSTIN UNMISTAKABLY AUSTIN HERE.
I START OFF BY SAYING NATIONALLY, AUSTIN IS RECOGNIZED AS A CULTURAL POWERHOUSE.
AND I'LL SHARE WITH YOU, I JUST VISITED THE CINCINNATI AREA, UH, FOR THE, UH, AMERICA'S FOR THE ARTS CON, UH, CONFERENCE.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, EVERYONE IS EXCITED ABOUT AUSTIN.
THEY ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW OFFICE, EXCITED, EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES, AND LOOKING TO SEE HOW THEY CAN PARTNER WITH US SO THAT WE'RE ALL SUCCESSFUL.
WE ARE THE TOP 10 WITHIN THE TOP 10 MOST CREATIVE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES FOR CULTURAL VIBRANCY AND CREATIVE OUTPUT PER CAPITA.
WE SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN THIS, THESE NUMBERS TELL A POWERFUL STORY.
OVER $7 BILLION IS WHAT THAT SHOWS THAT ARTS AND CULTURE INDUSTRY GENERATES FOR THE TEXAS ECONOMY.
AND WE KNOW IT'S NOT JUST AN ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT THE ARTS PLAY IN TEXAS.
WE BOOST MENTAL HEALTH, INCREASE GRADUATION RATES, IMPROVE WELLNESS, FOSTER INCLUSION, AND CREATE DEEP CONNECTIONS, ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.
WE FIND THAT OUR COMMUNITY ENJOYS BEING IN PUBLIC SPACES, CONNECTING WITH THEIR CO, WITH THEIR PEERS, ENJOYING ONE ANOTHER, AND WE PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM.
WE BELIEVE WHEN YOU SUPPORT THE ARTS, YOU ARE SUPPORTING THE WELLBEING OF OUR ENTIRE CITY.
ACME IS THE RESULT OF DECADES OF ADVOCACY.
OUR COMMUNITY ASKED FOR AUSTIN TO CREATE A DEPARTMENT FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, AND, AND WE ANSWERED THAT CALL.
AND FEBRUARY, ACME ACME WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED AND WE WERE LAUNCHED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A TOUGH FUNDING CLIMATE.
OUR MISSION IS CLEAR TO PROTECT, INVEST IN, AND ELEVATE THE SOUL OF AUSTIN.
ART, MUSIC, AND CULTURE REPRESENTS THE HEART OF AUSTIN AND THE UNIQUE VIBE THAT RETAINS LOCALS AND ATTRACTS VISITORS IN JUST FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS.
OUR CHARGE WAS TO LISTEN FIRST, ACT SECOND, AND BUILD TRUST THROUGHOUT.
WE'VE ESTABLISHED A COMMUNITY CENTERED APPROACH, PRIORITIZING TRANSPARENCY, ACCESS, AND ACTIVE LISTENING.
WE FOUND AS WE STARTED TALKING TO OUR MEMBERS WITH WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT THEY REALLY WANTED US TO LISTEN AND HEAR THEIR STORIES SO THAT WE SET OUR FOUNDATION ON THE NEEDS OF AUSTIN.
WE KNOW OUR CHARGE IS TO BE ADVOCATES FOR THE ARTS AND FOR THE CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
WE DUG INTO RESEARCH, ANALYZING, DATA BENCHMARKING, LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HOW THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT.
[00:50:01]
INFORMATION ALONG WITH NATIONAL INDUSTRY STANDARDS TO GUIDE US ALONG THE WAY.AND WE LAUNCHED THE CREATIVE RESET, WHICH IS A YEAR LONG STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORT TO REBUILD OUR ARTS ECOSYSTEM WITH INTENTION AND IMPACT.
THE CREATIVE RESET IS WHAT YOU'LL HEAR ME SPEAK OF, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS NEXT YEAR BECAUSE IT REALLY IS OUR SIGNATURE INITIATIVE.
THIS IS A FULL STRATEGIC REBOOT TO RETHINK HOW OUR PROGRAMS WORK, HOW FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED, AND HOW WE SUPPORT THE ECOSYSTEM IN AN EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE WAY.
THE FIRST STEP WAS THE RESET FOR THE FUNDING PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THIS WAS A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR OUR COMMUNITY HERE.
AND I WILL SAY THIS WHEN I MENTION COMMUNITY, I WILL TELL YOU OUR COMMUNITY, THE WAY ACME SEES IT, IS FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT, EVERY AGE, EVERY INCOME LEVEL, EVERY EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, EVERY CULTURE, AND EVERY HERITAGE.
THAT'S WHO WE, UH, WORKED WITH OVER THE LAST FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS.
THIS IS ONE OF MY BEST SLIDES.
WITHIN THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF OUR SURVEY, WE HAD A TREMENDOUS RESPONSE.
OVER 1200 INDIVIDUALS PUT IN THEIR COMMENTS TO US.
AND OUR SURVEY WAS NOT A QUICK SURVEY, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IT WAS A 30 QUESTION SURVEY, BUT THERE'S THAT MUCH INTEREST.
AND WE KNEW WE COULD NOT MOVE FORWARD, FORWARD WITHOUT FIRST LISTENING DEEPLY TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.
SO 1200 UH, SURVEYS CAME IN WITHIN THE FIRST THREE WEEKS.
WE ALSO CONDUCTED 10 DIFFERENT FOCUS GROUPS WHEREBY WE HAD ALMOST 70 INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME THROUGH AND KIND OF SPOKE TO US IN SMALL SETTINGS.
WE ALSO CONDUCTED TWO CITYWIDE LISTENING SESSIONS WHERE WE HAD NEARLY 200 ATTENDEES, UM, PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
AND WE ALSO OFFERED, UH, ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS, WHICH WERE VERY POPULAR, BUT WE WANTED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO COME IN AND SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR ACME TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE ESTABLISHED THE DEPARTMENT.
SO THE COMMUNITY WAS VERY CLEAR.
I'M THANKFUL THEY WERE HONEST WITH US AND THEY TOLD US WHAT WAS WORKING AND WHAT WAS NOT.
THEY ASKED FOR US TO TACKLE AFFORDABILITY, ACCESS TO SPACE, THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE PROCESSES, AND WE KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WE AS ACME NEEDED TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON.
AND SO WHAT THIS SLIDE IS SHARING IS THE, THE TOP AREAS THAT WE HEARD FROM ALL OF OUR, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THE PRIORITIES YOU SEE IS REMOVING COST BARRIERS, UM, LOOKING AT OUR PROCESSES, BEING TRANSPARENT, LOOKING AT FUNDING BEING MORE SUSTAINABLE.
UH, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR MORE COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH AWARENESS.
UH, VENUE ACCESS, TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING WAS A BIG, UH, TOPIC.
UH, THEY WANT ACME TO LEAD THAT CHARGE AND LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THAT EASIER FOR OUR CREATIVES AS WELL AS THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMING TO VISIT.
UH, THE THE AREAS DIVERSITY, EQUITY INCLUSION ALSO CAME UP IN OUR, UH, SURVEY.
AND SO MOVING FORWARD, WE KNOW AS ACME, WE WE WILL HONOR CULTURAL LEGACY.
WE WILL SIMPLIFY OUR APPLICATIONS, ENSURE FAIRNESS, INVEST IN EMERGING CREATIVES, AND BUILD TRANSPARENCY IN OUR PROCESSES.
I WANNA JUST SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF OUR PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS FROM ALL OF THAT WORK.
UH, WE LOOKED AT OUR THRIVE, ELEVATE AND NEXUS, AND THESE ARE THE GRANTS THAT YOU TYPICALLY HEAR, UH, FROM WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT WE DID IS WE REDESIGNED OUR KEY PROGRAMS TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE.
WE LOOKED AT OUR THRIVE TO FOCUS ON MORE OF A LONG-TERM GROWTH AND EXPANDED THE COHORT MODEL.
WE LOOKED AT ELEVATE, WHICH SHOULD BE A COMMUNITY CENTERED PROJECT AND IMPROVE THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND WE LOOKED AT OUR NEXUS TO BE MORE FOR SOME OF OUR ENTRY LEVEL OR INDIVIDUALS THAT JUST DO NOT WANT TO GROW INTO THOSE OTHER LEVELS.
WE EXPANDED NEXUS TO INSTEAD OF JUST A $5,000 GRANT, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THIS.
WE NOW HAVE 2,500 TO UP TO $20,000 FOR THAT ENTRY LEVEL.
HERE ARE THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE ALSO TOOK A LOOK AT, WHICH WAS OUR HERITAGE PRESERVATION AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND AND OUR CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEM HOLISTICALLY BECAUSE
[00:55:01]
THAT'S HOW OUR COMMUNITY LOOKS AT THE, UH, OPTIONS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.SO WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN ACTION.
THE FIRST THING WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE MADE SURE OUR APPLICATIONS WILL BE MORE SIMPLER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE.
WE'VE ADDED THE MICROGRANTS, WE'VE CREATED FUNDING TIERS.
WE ARE CREATING CLEAR EVALUATION CRITERIA AND FEEDBACK MECHANISMS. WE'VE MADE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, NONPROFITS FOR-PROFITS, COLLECTIVES, AND PROMOTERS.
WE ARE PROVIDING MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS FOR OUR FIRST TIME, UH, APPLICANTS AND A UNIVERSAL APPEALS PROCESS WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED.
WE HERE IN AND FOR ACME BELIEVE IN ACCESS FOR ALL AND WHO CAN APPLY, PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE.
THAT INCLUDES INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, COLLECTIVES, MUSICIANS AND PROMOTERS, NON-PROFITS AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES, BOTH LEGACY AND EMERGING ORGANIZATIONS.
OUR PROGRAMS PRIORITIZE INCLUSIVITY, ENSURING ALL COMMUNITIES HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARTS.
I JUST QUICKLY WILL SHARE WITH YOU OUR FUNDING SOURCES FOR OUR GRANT PROGRAMS. THEIR PRIMARILY, UH, FROM OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAXES GENERAL FUND, AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR THE A IPP PROGRAM.
AS MUCH AS WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE FIRST FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS, WE KNOW WE STILL HAVE A ROAD OF AHEAD IN HERE.
UH, WE ARE PUTTING OUT A FOUR PHASE STRATEGY TO APPROACH, UH, WHAT WE WILL BE FOCUSED ON OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 18 MONTHS.
STRATEGIC PLANNING WHERE, WHICH WILL INCLUDE WHAT OUR FIVE YEAR ROADMAP WILL LOOK LIKE, PROGRAM EVALUATION, ACME RECEIVED ALL OF OUR CULTURAL FACILITIES, OUR MUSEUMS, AND SOME OF OUR OTHER FACILITIES.
AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO TAKING A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN ENHANCE, UH, THOSE FACILITIES AS WELL.
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, SEEKING NEW FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIPS IS A MUST FOR THIS OFFICE.
UH, WE KNOW AS MUCH AS AUSTIN IS A LEADER IN PROVIDING FUNDING TO OUR CREATIVES, THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH FUNDS.
AND SO WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT EXPLORING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDING OUR CREATIVES HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND OF COURSE, IMPLEMENTATION.
A CITY WHERE EVERY PERSON IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS, HAS ACCESS TO CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES AND CULTURAL EXPRESSION.
WE'VE HEARD THE COMMUNITY, WE'VE ACTED, BUT THE WORK IS NOT DONE.
LET'S CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD THE MOST VIBRANT, EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE CREATIVE CAPITAL IN THE WORLD.
AND TOGETHER WE BELIEVE WE CAN DO THAT.
SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA SAY BEFORE COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE? UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
UH, I APPRECIATE SEEING Y'ALL AGAIN.
UM, IT WAS JUST A FEW DAYS AGO WHEN Y'ALL PRESENTED TO THE, UH, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE AND REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I JUST HAVE QUESTIONS, UM, OUTSIDE OF JUST THE PRAISE THAT REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL.
BUT, UH, COULD WE GET A TIMELINE FOR WHEN REVISIONS OF THE GRANT PROCESS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, REVISIONS OF THE, OF THE GRANT PROCESS AND THEN WHAT CRITERIA YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT FOR THAT, FOR THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE REVISIONS.
AND THEN WHEN WOULD I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A DATE QUITE YET, BUT IF THERE IS A DATE ON WHEN, UH, THAT WOULD RETURN TO COUNCIL FOR, FOR, FOR APPROVAL.
OUR, WE STOPPED RECEIVING FEEDBACK ON THIS SUNDAY, AND SO WE'VE GIVEN OURSELVES UP UNTIL AUGUST 1ST TO COMPILE ALL OF THE FEEDBACK AND FINALIZE WHAT THOSE GUIDELINES WILL LOOK LIKE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT THAT OUT FOR, UH, FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.
AS FAR AS WHEN WE'RE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL, UH, WE ARE STILL DEVELOPING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST PART OF EARLY 2026.
WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A STRONG NEED FOR THE FUNDING, UM, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE TOOK CARE INTO ROLLING SOMETHING OUT THAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY NEEDS AT THIS TIME THAT'S MORE THOUGHTFUL AND INCLUDES ALL AREAS OF, OF OUR CITY.
AND YOU MENTIONED THE FEEDBACK STOPPED ON SUNDAY.
HOW LONG WAS IT OPEN FOR? WOW, WHEN WAS THAT? GOOD AFTERNOON.
UH, MAYOR COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER BROUGHT NEXT CANDACE COOPER HERE.
WE OPENED THE, UM, SESSION AROUND MAY.
IT WAS THE MID-MAY AND WE CLOSED IT ON JULY 20TH.
AND THEN WHAT WAS THE STRUCTURE OF THE FEEDBACK? AS IN, HOW ARE Y'ALL TAKING THAT FEEDBACK? AND I KNOW IT, IT JUST CLOSED ON SUNDAY, BUT HOW DO Y'ALL PLAN ON KIND OF INCORPORATING THAT FEEDBACK MOVING FORWARD? ALL RIGHTY, I'LL TAKE THAT QUESTION AGAIN.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE CREATED WHAT'S CALLED A WIN-WIN DOCUMENT.
AND I'M REALLY TRULY EXCITED ABOUT ALSO THE TRANSPARENCY THAT WE'VE HAD THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS, WE USE PUBLIC INPUT FOR A LIVE DASHBOARD.
[01:00:01]
WE SAW IS AS WE WERE GOING OUT AND COMMUNICATING, GETTING THE FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC, WE WERE IMMEDIATELY POSTING WHAT WE HEARD THROUGH WHAT WAS CALLED A WIN-WIN DOCUMENT.OUR TEAM STAFF, UM, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MORGAN, THEY TOOK THE INFORMATION BACK AND BEGAN TO INCORPORATE AND REVISE THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY IMMEDIATELY RECEIVED.
BUT WE ALSO STARTED WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION, MAKING SURE THAT WE REDLINED THE DOCUMENTS.
AND SO THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, I CALLED IT, WE WERE FLYING THE PLANE AND BUILDING IT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS THAT WAS TRULY TRANSPARENT AND IN, IN TAKING THAT DIRECT FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVE, BEING ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE DOCUMENTS.
UM, AND I'M TERRIFIED OF FLYING PLANES, BUT I, I TRUST Y'ALL KNOW HOW TO FLY IT AND BUILD IT AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, AND LIKE I SAID, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE Y'ALL, I KNOW THERE'S MANY OF FOLKS ON THE DICE, PROBABLY EVERYONE ON THE DICE WHO DEEPLY CARES ABOUT ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE HERE.
SO MY, MY LAST QUESTION'S MORE I'M GONNA ASK IS THAT IF WE COULD KEEP GETTING, UH, BRIEFINGS AS THE PROCESS KEEPS GOING.
SO WE, WE, WE CAN STAY ENGAGED AND, AND BE OF HELP WHERE WE CAN.
AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR MEANS, AND YOUR TEAM FOR THIS GREAT REPORT AND ALSO AT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY LAST WEEK.
UM, I JUST WANNA BUILD ON WHAT, UM, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS OF COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY ABOUT THIS SURVEY.
UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, AS SOMEONE WHO'S DONE SURVEYS, UH, IT'S AMAZING HOW MUCH ENGAGEMENT Y'ALL GOT.
I MEAN, 1200 RESPONSES, ALL THESE ONE-ON-ONES, UM, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED THAT LEVEL OF GROUNDWORK ORGANIZING YOU'RE DOING.
UM, I UNDERSTAND FROM MY ARTS COMMISSIONER THAT, UM, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF DISCUSSION AT THE ARTS COMMISSION AND MAYBE SOME HARD FEELINGS ABOUT THE SCORING CRITERIA, UH, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UH, A PROVISION THAT GIVES POINTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND LONGER THAT MAY HAVE, UH, LOST NDA FUNDING.
AND SO IF YOU COULD JUST COMMENT A LITTLE BIT ON, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW, FIRST OF ALL, IN YOUR SURVEY, LIKE WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS YOU ASKED ABOUT THE SCORING CRITERIA, UH, HOW THAT INFORMED, YOU KNOW, THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND ALSO HOW YOU'RE GONNA COMMUNICATE MOVING FORWARD TO KIND OF COMMU, UH, KEEP THE COMMUNITY INFORMED OF, OF HOW THEY CAN BEST QUALIFY FOR THESE FUNDS.
I'LL TAKE PART OF THE QUESTION QUESTION, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
I WILL SAY, WE DID HEAR LAST NIGHT FROM OUR ARTS COMMISSION, UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I THANK THEM LAST NIGHT BECAUSE THEY DID CREATE A WORKING GROUP, EVEN PRIOR TO ACME'S FORMATION, UH, TO ENHANCE WHAT WAS THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE FUNDING.
AND SO WE REALLY TOOK THEIR FEEDBACK AS OUR STARTING POINT TO ENHANCE WHERE WE WOULD GO AFTER.
YOU KNOW, AS WE LISTEN TO OUR PUBLIC FOR THE QUESTIONS, I'LL ALLOW CANDACE TO GET INTO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, BUT HOW WE ARE TAKING THE FEEDBACK IS BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF FEEDBACK SESSIONS THAT ARE COMING BACK.
AND IF THERE'S A PRIORITY OF CHANGES SUCH AS THERE, THERE HAS BEEN, UH, FROM LAST NIGHT, THAT'S HOW WE MAKE THOSE MODIFICATIONS.
AND SO WE HEARD PRETTY MUCH FROM EVERY ARTS COMMISSIONER THAT DID NOT BELIEVE, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THE NEA LOSS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, THEY DID NOT WANT US TO GIVE NEW ADDITIONAL SCORING FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND SO WE WILL MOST LIKELY REMOVE THE, THAT PART OF WHAT WE WERE GOING TO ROLL OUT BECAUSE WE HEARD FROM OUR, OUR MEMBERS THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO.
BECAUSE THE, IT'S JUST SO TIGHT.
THE SCORING IS VERY TIGHT AS IT IS.
UH, OFTENTIMES THERE'S MORE APPLICANTS THAN OF COURSE, THERE IS FUNDING.
AND SO EVEN IF YOU'RE LIKE A 10 POINT SCORE DIFFERENCE, IT WILL REFLECT, UH, IN YOUR, THE TOTAL SCORES AND THEN AFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO ACTUALLY RECEIVE THE GRANTS.
AND SO WE, WE WILL HONOR THAT AND REMOVE THOSE, UM, COMPONENTS.
AND THAT'S CONSISTENT HOW WE HAVE MOVED THROUGHOUT THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AS WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR COMMUNITY OR OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FOR THINGS THAT THEY REALLY DID NEED TO SEE MODIFIED.
WE DEFINITELY TOOK THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE SURVEY.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW THE REASON, THE SUCCESS, I WILL SAY THIS, THE SECRET TO THE SAUCE BEHIND THE SURVEY WAS, QUITE FRANKLY, US ASKING QUESTIONS THAT WERE MORE AROUND LIVED EXPERIENCES.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER FILLED OUT A SURVEY AND YOU'RE JUST LIKE, THIS IS BORING.
WE HAD 30 QUESTIONS ON OUR SURVEY, AND IN THREE WEEKS WE RECEIVED MORE THAN 1200 RESPONSES.
AND IT IS BECAUSE THE WAY WE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS AND WHAT WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON IS AUSTIN'S LIVED EXPERIENCE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ACME BEING THE SOLE, WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHAT CULTURAL LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT TYPES OF OUTCOMES THEY EXPECT FROM US.
NOW, IN TERMS OF THE ONE-ON-ONES THAT WE DID, WHICH WERE PLENTY, AND THE FOCUS
[01:05:01]
GROUPS, WE DID MORE OF A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE ACTUAL SPECIFICS OF EVERY PROGRAM.SO WE LOOKED AT EACH AND EVERY, UH, FUNDING PROGRAM THAT WE HAD, AND FOR THOSE WERE TARGETED, THAT WAS MORE OF A TARGETED OUTREACH.
AND SO WE WENT INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND WE, UM, DIRECTLY MET WITH AND SPOKE WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO INDIVIDUALS THAT PARTICIPATE AND JUST ATTEND THE ARTS.
AND SO WE WANTED TO HAVE A MORE TARGETED APPROACH AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE, UH, CONDUCTED OUR ONE-ON-ONES.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE DID A MORE SPECIFIC DEEP DIVE.
AND SOME OF THE ONE-ON-ONES, YOU GUYS, IT TOOK AN HOUR, OVER AN HOUR, AND WE LITERALLY WENT THROUGH PAGE BY PAGE WITH THE, UM, WITH THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, SPECIFICALLY ASKING.
AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OUR, AND WHAT WE DID IS WE COUPLED, UM, FROM THE THEMES THAT WE HEARD FROM THE SURVEY, COUPLED WITH THOSE FOCUS GROUPS AND SOME OF THE ONE-ON-ONES.
AND THAT'S HOW WE ARRIVED AT OUR REVISIONS.
UH, VERY, A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND OF COURSE A LOT OF FOLKS YOU HAVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERNS AND FIGURE OUT HOW YOU CAN MEET THEM.
SO I THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS WORK AND LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL, COUNCIL MEMBER LANE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
I VERY MUCH WANNA THANK YOU FOR WHAT HAS BEEN BOTH A CHALLENGING AND IMPORTANT PROCESS THAT YOU'VE BEGUN.
UM, I THINK IT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE COMMITTED PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY IN TIMES LIKE NOW WHEN IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT ART CAN BE A SOURCE OF MOST JOY AND COMFORT.
UM, BUT ALSO IMPORTANT TO SEE ALL PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AS MANY AS WE CAN MANAGE, REPRESENTED, UM, AND SHARING THAT VISION.
SO I REALLY, UH, AND THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, I, I WAS WONDERING, AS I WAS LISTENING TO YOU, UM, DISCUSSING THE, UM, SCORING CRITERIA PROCESS AND REALITIES, AND I'M WONDERING HOW OFTEN THEY'LL BE REFRESHED BECAUSE I KNOW ON THE ONE HAND IT'S BEEN A BIG UNDERTAKING, SO NO ONE WOULD REALLY PROBABLY BE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING IT AGAIN.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN IT, WHO KNOWS WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, IT BECOMES MUCH HIGHER STAKES.
AND SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT CAME UP LIKE THE NEA FUNDING ARE THE, THE DI THE LANDSCAPE SHIFTS, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME.
SO MAYBE THAT COULD LOWER THE TEMPERATURE, UM, WITH A REGULAR REFRESH SCHEDULE.
AS WE LOOKED ACROSS, UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND LOOKING AT THEIR PROGRAMS MM-HMM
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WAS ONE THAT KIND OF, THAT WE FOCUSED ON MM-HMM
AND WE LIKED HOW THEY LOOKED AT THEIR GRANTS ON A THREE YEAR CYCLE.
SO THAT GIVES EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SEE WHAT MODIFICATIONS NEED TO BE MADE.
NOW, OF COURSE, AS THE LANDSCAPE SHIFTS THERE, OF COURSE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SMALL MODIFICATIONS, BUT OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR GUIDELINES EVERY THREE YEARS.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT PAGE 14, THE ROAD AHEAD.
UM, DO YOU HAVE, UM, KIND OF GENERAL TIMING FOR EACH OF THESE STAGES AT THIS TIME? WE'RE SAYING 12 TO 18 MONTHS FOR ALL FOUR STAGES.
I CAN TELL YOU THE PROGRAM EVALUATION CRITERIA, THAT'S GOING TO START IN SEPTEMBER, OFFICIALLY LAUNCH IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE WILL BRING IN OUR CULTURAL FACILITIES, OUR MUSEUMS, AND ALL OF OUR OTHER NEW FACILITIES, UH, TO LOOK AT, UM, WHERE WE, WHERE WE GO FROM FROM HERE.
UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS, ESPECIALLY COMING FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO REALLY TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT HOW WE, JUST, HOW WE WORK WITH THOSE FACILITIES.
THEY'RE JEWELS OF OUR CITY AND SERVING IN ACME, I SEE THERE'S MORE CONNECTION THAN THERE PROBABLY HAS EVER BEEN NOW THAT WE'RE ALL WITHIN ONE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR, OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE DO OVER THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
BUT THAT WORK WILL START IN SEPTEMBER PHASE THREE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT.
WE ALSO WILL BE LOOKING AT THAT IN SEPTEMBER AS WELL, BECAUSE OF, AGAIN, THE NEED.
IT'S JUST, IT'S WHERE WE ARE IN AUSTIN.
ONE THING IS TRUE, WHEN WE'VE TALKED TO ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT REALLY CAME OUT, THEY LET US KNOW HOW, HOW CRITICAL THE STATE WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDING.
UH, I TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE EARLIER.
FUNDING HAS, HAS, HAS ALMOST DRIED UP FOR THEM WHEN IT COMES TO DONORS, SPONSORS, JUST BANKING INSTITUTIONS, ALL OF THAT.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE SPEAKING TO AN INDIVIDUAL ARTIST OR A LARGE LEGACY ORGANIZATION, IT IS GETTING VERY CHALLENGING FOR THEM.
AND SO BECAUSE WE HEARD THAT EARLY ON, WE KNEW THAT THAT WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE A PRIORITY FOR OUR,
[01:10:01]
FOR THIS OFFICE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO, TO ENHANCE OUR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTIN.UH, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION ON PAGE SEVEN.
UM, COULD YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT EITHER NOW? ACTUALLY, NO.
I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP WITH YOU OFFLINE ABOUT THAT LAST QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS JUST ABOUT PRIORITIES WITHIN, UM, THESE PROPOSALS.
UM, IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE, THE GRANTS ARE POTENTIALLY TIED TO BUDGET SIZE OF THE ORGANIZATION VERSUS JUST PROJECT BASED.
CAN YOU TELL ME IF THAT'S FOR ALL CATEGORIES OR JUST SPECIFIC CATEGORIES? I CAN TAKE THAT ONE.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, SO IN THE CURRENT VERSION OF OUR DRAFT, WE DID ADOPT A SORT OF, UH, MODEL THAT WEIGHS THE AWARD SIZE AGAINST THE BUDGET, THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR ORGANIZATIONS FOR OUR LARGER GRANTS, WHICH WOULD BE ELEVATE AND THRIVE RESPECTIVELY.
NEXUS REMAINS, UM, OUR LOWEST AVAILABLE FUNDING AND IT IS MORE PROJECT BASED FOR INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL ARTS GROUPS.
UM, WE GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM OUR ARTS COMMISSION THAT THEY THOUGHT THAT THE THRESHOLD WAS A BIT HIGH.
UM, IT SEEMS THE AVERAGE ACROSS, UH, THE NATION FOR THAT KIND OF MODEL IS 30 TO 50% OF YOUR OPERATING BUDGET.
SO WE HEARD FROM THEM THAT THE 50% WE HAD OUTLINED WAS PERHAPS A LITTLE TOO STEEP FOR US TO INTRODUCE THAT.
WE GOT SOME RECOMMENDATIONS LAST NIGHT AT OUR ARTS COMMISSION PERHAPS TO SCALE THAT DOWN TO 30 OR TO CONSIDER SOME FLAT AVAILABLE FUNDING, UM, OFFERING JUST SIMPLY 30,000, 40,000 WITH NO STRINGS TIED AND THEN HIGHER AMOUNTS BEING BASED ON AN OPERATING BUDGET.
SO AFTER THE WORK SESSION TODAY, OUR TEAM IS RECONVENING TO DISCUSS THOSE POTENTIAL OPTIONS.
UM, BUT WE DO INTEND TO BE SCALING THAT BACK.
'CAUSE I KNOW THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN PLAYING OUT WITH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE AND THE ARTS COMMISSION JUST, YOU KNOW, HOURS APART, DAYS APART AT THIS POINT.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME NOW WHAT THE SUBSTANTIVE DIFFERENCES ARE BETWEEN ELEVATE AND THRIVE? I THINK SOME OF THE CRITERIA MAY HAVE CHANGED AND HOW ARE THEY SIMILAR OR DIFFERENT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR IN NATURE AS FAR AS THE INTENT TO BE FOR ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE MID-CAREER OR HIGHER IN THEIR CAREER AS FAR AS, UM, PROJECTS THEY'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, NOT NECESSARILY BEING AN ENTRY LEVEL ORGANIZATION.
SOMEBODY MORE, UM, INGRAINED ALREADY WHO JUST WANTS TO GROW.
AND SO THE NAMES SORT OF GIVE THE PURPOSE.
SO THE ELEVATE GRANT IS TO KIND OF HELP ORGANIZATIONS UPSCALE FROM BEING MID-CAREER WHO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, DESIGNS OR, OR WISHES TO GROW BIGGER AND, AND REACH A HIGHER SUSTAINABILITY.
BUT RIGHT NOW WHAT THEY REALLY NEED IS, IS FUNDING FOR THEIR PROJECT OPERATIONS.
THEY ARE TRYING TO FOCUS ON A FESTIVAL THAT THEY ARE DOING THAT WILL REALLY HELP UPSKILL OR UPSKILL THEIR BUSINESS AND HELP THEM GROW THEIR AUDIENCE BASE TO KIND OF REACH MORE SUSTAINABILITY.
THRIVE IS MORE FOCUSED ON OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AND WE HAVE A COHORT MODEL TO SUPPORT THAT.
THAT ONE ONLY HAPPENS EVERY TWO YEARS.
UM, CURRENTLY IT'S FOR FUNDING UP TO $250,000.
AND THE COHORT MODEL REALLY SUPPORTS BRINGING THOSE PEOPLE TO, TO WALK HAND IN HAND OVER TWO YEARS WITH OUR STAFF AND WITH RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR MARKETING SUPPORT AND TO, UM, LEARN MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNTING PRACTICES AND THINGS TO HELP YOU GROW AND SUSTAIN YOUR BUSINESS OVER TIME TO HELP YOU THRIVE.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT TIMELINE WAS GOING TO BE, HOPEFULLY OVER AUGUST YOU WERE GOING TO BE PROVIDING SOME FEEDBACK, BUT THE ACTUAL GRANTS WOULDN'T, WOULD THE APPLICATION PERIOD NOT OPEN UNTIL EARLY NEXT YEAR? OR WOULD THAT BE WHEN GRANT DOLLARS ARE DISTRIBUTED? SO THE CURRENT PLAN RIGHT NOW IS TO HAVE FINALIZED DRAFT GUIDELINES BY AUGUST 1ST, WHICH IS NEXT FRIDAY.
SO SPEND THE REST OF THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK, UM, SYNTHESIZING THE FEEDBACK.
OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO OPEN THE APPLICATION IN THE FALL, LATER IN THE FALL.
UM, WE WOULD POST GUIDELINES AND QUESTIONS, WELL IN ADVANCE OF THAT OPEN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS, UM, AND BEGIN OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND ENGAGEMENT TO ENSURE THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THE FORTHCOMING OPENING IN THE FALL.
OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE FUNDING DISTRIBUTED BY EARLY NEXT YEAR.
SO WE WOULD GO THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS THIS FALL, CLOSE THAT DOWN, UM, ENTER THE REVIEW PROCESS WITH OURSELVES, OUR PANELS, AND OUR THIRD PARTY MEMBERS, AND THEN MAKE AWARD DECISIONS EARLY NEXT YEAR AND DISTRIBUTE MONEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE PART OF THAT APPLICATION PROCESS, ARE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEING VETTED? WE'LL COUNSEL WEIGH IN ON THEM.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO WORK THROUGH THAT? GREAT QUESTION.
WE, UH, ARE GONNA CONTINUE WORKING WITH DIRECTOR MEANS AND OUR, UM, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO DETERMINE HOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE THESE FORWARD.
UM, SINCE WE'RE A NEW DEPARTMENT, THIS IS A BIT OF A NEW PROCESS FOR US AND WE, WE DO WANNA ENGAGE WITH ALL
[01:15:01]
LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE AS A CITY WOULD PREFER TO DO MOVING FORWARD.AND WE WILL BRING BACK, UM, WHAT WE CAN, QUESTIONS ARE CURRENTLY IN DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT, LIKE IN TANDEM WITH THE GUIDELINES.
SO WE DO HAVE THOSE WRAPPING UP HOPEFULLY EARLY NEXT WEEK AS WELL.
SO WE'LL HAVE EVERYTHING AVAILABLE, UM, WITH THE GOAL TO BRING IT FORWARD IN, IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
AND I'D LOVE TO BE KEPT IN THE LOOP.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS OVER THE PAST CYCLE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF THE OWNER DOES OR DOESN'T LIVE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY LIVE JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, BUT EVERYONE THEY EMPLOY IS IN THE CITY AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT HERE AS A STRUGGLING ARTIST.
AND SO I REALLY WANNA BE MINDFUL OF HOW, HOW WE ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS, HOW WE REALLY TARGET THE AUDIENCES THAT WERE MOST MEANING TO IMPACT.
UM, I KNOW THERE WAS MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE LOSS OF, OF FEDERAL GRANTS AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THAT ACROSS MANY, MANY DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT IS STOP GAP FUNDING OR FILLING IN GAPS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, NEW AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND BEING ABLE TO PROTECT THOSE AND MOVE THOSE FORWARD AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HELP WHERE THERE IS A LACK OF FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AT THIS POINT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD AND HELPING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, 'CAUSE WE COULD SPEND A LOT OF DOLLARS TRYING TO FILL IN THE GAPS HERE.
UM, BUT AS SOON AS THINGS CHANGE, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PRODUCE THAT COMMITMENT YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING STABILITY FOR PEOPLE.
UM, AND I THINK I HAD HEARD COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, HI, UM,
UM, I, I THINK YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT WANTING THIS TO COME BACK TO FULL COUNSEL JUST SO WE CAN MAKE SURE IT'S THOROUGHLY VETTED BEFORE IT GOES OUT THE DOOR.
AND I WANNA, I WANNA SECOND THAT REQUEST FROM HIM 'CAUSE I JUST, I KNOW OUR ARTS COMMUNITY ARE FANTASTIC HARDWORKING HUMAN BEINGS AND THEY'RE GONNA COME TO YOU AND THEY'RE GONNA COME TO US.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALL TRYING TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE I THINK CREATIVE ARTS, YOU KNOW, IS WHAT MAKES AUSTIN SO SPECIAL AND BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING RIGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MEDICINE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND EFFORT.
UH, LIKE WE SAID AT WORK SESSION, THE, THE WORK ON THE FRONT END WILL PAY IN DIVIDENDS.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY IS BETTER SERVED BY AN ORGANIZATION THAT STARTS OFF WITH REALLY GREAT, UM, FOUNDATION.
THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS FOR CONSIDERATION FOR ME, BUT I'M GONNA SORT OF TRY TO CONDENSE AND JUST MAKE IT SPECIFIC TO ONE FACILITY AND THEN I CAN TAKE WHAT'S APPLICABLE TO ALL, ALL THE OTHERS.
AND SO SPECIFICALLY I'M GONNA MAKE REFERENCE TO THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX AND THE VARIOUS CHALLENGES THAT THAT FACILITY PRESENTS, UM, AS A CITY HELD ASSET.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THAT IS A SOURCE OF, UH, CONCERN, UH, IS THE THIRD PARTY MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS AGREEMENT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY OPERATORS FOR CITY ASSETS.
AND IF SO, I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHICH ONES THOSE ARE.
WE'VE, SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX, ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE HAD THAT, UH, THE THIRD PARTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONS ARE A CHALLENGE.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS OPERATIONS ARE A CHALLENGE THERE IS, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE, THE CITY PART HAS ANY SPECIFIC METRICS, UM, THAT THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS TEAMS NEED TO GO OVER THERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE ARE ANY BENCHMARKS OR MILESTONES OR PROGRESS CHARTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX IS ONE OF OUR, UH, LIKE VENUE SPACES.
THEY CAN ACTUALLY, I'M SORRY, YOU CAN'T DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE.
NO,
BUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS CONSISTENTLY IS THERE'S NO CONSISTENCY WITH WHAT THE RENTAL RATE IS.
THERE'S NO CONSISTENCY WITH WHETHER OR NOT THE ASSET WILL BE AT FULL OPERATIONS.
MOST SPECIFICALLY THE AIR CONDITIONER GOING OUT IN A SPACE THAT'S OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT IN TEXAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER AFTER YOU'VE ALREADY PAID THE RENTAL RATE.
THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE MILLENNIUM HAS THE KIND OF BOARD, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANOTHER SPACE, YOU'LL SEE THE THEME HERE.
I KEEP COMING BACK TO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANOTHER PART ASSET THAT HAS THESE KINDS OF SIMILARITIES, IN WHICH CASE MAYBE WE NEED TO RECONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS IN FACT A PARD ASSET.
[01:20:01]
OF THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE MILLENNIUM SPECIFICALLY IS THAT THEIR BOARD IS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.SO THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO RAISE MONEY ALSO.
UM, AND JUST HAVE BEEN PHENOMENAL THIS WHOLE SIX YEARS.
EVERY ITERATION OF THAT BOARD HAS BEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, LAY DOWN IN THE DIRT AND FIGHT UNTIL WE GET SOMEWHERE.
BUT I CAN SEE THAT THEIR FRUSTRATIONS ARE MOUNTING WITH SIX AND A HALF YEARS IN MY, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS, SIX AND A HALF YEARS AND NOT MUCH.
UM, IT'S STILL PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR SINCE THE BEGINNING.
AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THE DOLLARS AREN'T, AREN'T EXPANDING.
AND SO, UH, WE REALLY ARE GONNA HAVE TO LEAN INTO SOME JUST HOLDING EVERYBODY HARD AND FAST TO THE OPERATIONS OF THE FACILITY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MAXIMIZING THE POTENTIAL FOR IT.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY WANTED TO, UM, IT JUST COMPLETELY SLIPPED MY MIND, OH, ONE OF THE THINGS I REALLY WANT US TO THINK ABOUT AND CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD IS, I MEAN, WE'VE GOTTEN SO MANY PROPOSALS AROUND REDEVELOPMENT OF THE MILLENNIUM, SO KEEP IT FOR THE PURPOSES IT WAS INTENDED TO SERVE, BUT IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THE ZONING BY RIGHT OFFERS SOME EXPANSION AND REVITALIZATION OPPORTUNITIES, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN SOME REALLY INTERESTING PROPOSALS.
I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY WELL PAST TIME FOR US TO MAKE SOME ASSESSMENTS MAYBE ADJACENT TO MY 7 8 7 0 2 POLICY STUFF, MAKE SOME ASSESSMENTS AND DO SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING AROUND THE MILLENNIUM SPACE.
UH, MOST ESPECIALLY WITH IT BEING DIRECTLY NEIGHBORED WITH THE FLEET SERVICES SITE, WHICH AS AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY AND OUR FLEET SERVICES GO TO CO-LOCATE FURTHER EAST THAT, YOU KNOW, ALMOST 10 ACRES OF UNENCUMBERED AFTER REMEDIATION UNENCUMBERED, CENTRAL, DOWNTOWN EAST, YOU KNOW, SPACE IS GONNA BE OPEN.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSIDER THOSE ASSETS TOGETHER, UM, AS WE'RE CONSIDERING THE FUTURE OF THEM.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS A PROCESS OR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AN ACME TO DO THIS, BUT I AM CURIOUS WHO IS THE DOER? SO LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE, THE MILLENNIUM'S THIRD PARTY MANAGEMENT CONTRACT EXPIRES IN OCTOBER.
IN WHICH CASE IF WE SAID WE ARE GONNA OPT OUT OF EXTENDING THIS CONTRACT, THEN WHO'S IT? AND THAT'S A REAL QUESTION THAT MAYBE WE PROBABLY SHOULD DISCUSS OFFLINE, BUT I MEAN, IT IT'S JULY, SO IF IF WE'RE LOOKING AT US RUNNING IT, WHO'S IT? AND I DON'T KNOW, DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS A DESIGNATED IT.
UM, AND THEN VERY LASTLY, IN TALKING TO, UM, OUR FINANCIAL OFFICES FOLKS, UM, I MADE SOME INTERESTING DISCOVERIES IN THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, JUST BY WAY OF A FEW TWEAKS THAT WE CAN MAKE ON OUR END HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY IN ON BONDS.
WE CAN MAKE THE BUY-IN MORE APPROACHABLE ACCESSIBLE AND HAVE OUR GENERAL PUBLIC BE ABLE TO BUY IN ON BONDS.
BUT ALSO I THINK WE MADE THE DISCOVERY THAT THE CITY AS A WHOLE AND POTENTIALLY THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BASICALLY CROWDFUND.
SO FOLKS WHO SAY, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ARTS, I DON'T WANNA CONTRIBUTE TO A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN, I DON'T WANNA PAY MORE IN TAXES, I DON'T, I WANNA PAY DIRECTLY TO THE ARTS.
UM, AND SO THEM HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BY WAY OF SOME PERPETUAL CROWDFUNDING SOURCE BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND THE INITIATIVES THAT WE WORK ON IN THE CITY THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS WE'RE, I MEAN NOT WE'RE GONNA HAVE GIVEN THE POSITION THAT WE ARE IN, WE'RE OPERATING AT A DEFICIT AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS BUDGET.
THIS YEAR WE'RE OPERATING AT A DEFICIT.
AND SO GIVEN THAT CONSIDERATION, WE HAVE TO NOW, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN EVER BE REALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT ALTERNATIVE FINANCING CONSIDERATIONS.
AND SO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW, YOU KNOW, THAT DEVELOPS MOVING FORWARD AND HOW WE CAN ENCOURAGE OUR CONSTITUENTS TO MAKE THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS TO WHATEVER THAT, UM, VEHICLE IS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED.
ONE, OF COURSE, LOOKING AT DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES INCLUDING CROWDFUNDING BECAUSE THAT'S ONE THAT WE ARE, WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED INTERNALLY.
SO WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN AUSTIN TO START LOOKING AT DIFFERENT, UH, FUNDING SOURCES.
ALSO ACME WE WILL NOT LOOK AT EACH OF OUR CULTURAL FACILITIES IN A SILO.
WE WILL LOOK AT IT MORE HOLISTICALLY.
SO AS YOU MENTIONED, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN ENTIRE BLOCK OF PROPERTY THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE FORTHCOMING, WE WANNA SEE THAT AS A, THE WHOLE MM-HMM
LOOKING THI AT THINGS MORE AS DISTRICTS SO THAT THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COULD BE MORE THAN JUST GOING TO ONE FACILITY TO ENJOY WHATEVER THAT FACILITY HAS, BUT THE ENTIRE SPACING OR ACTIVATION OF THE ENTIRE SPACE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT WORK.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ANSWERED THE QUESTION ABOUT WHO'S IT, UM,
[01:25:01]
BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT MEANT THAT THAT WAS A PUNTCOUNCILOR HARPER MADISON, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, THE MAYOR, PRO TEM.
I WAS CURIOUS LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, BOND DEVELOPMENT FOR 2026, UM, ONE ELEMENT OF CONVERSATION WE HAD AS THE BODY IN MY OFFICE WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES WAS RECOGNIZING THAT THERE ARE GROUPS OUT THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY LIKE ZACH SCOTT OR ME CARTE OR OTHERS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE THESE ARTS OR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT WE KNOW, UH, ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME INTEREST IN THAT FUNDING.
AND SO MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE DIDN'T RUN THE PROCESS WITH THEM KIND OF AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT, BUT DID OUTREACH AND SAY, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU ARE INTERESTED IN? AND, AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY LEVERAGING CITY DOLLARS INSTEAD OF US COMING FORWARD WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FUNDS SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOME OUTSIDE CAPITAL, UH, FUNDRAISING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK, HAS THAT HAPPENED TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE OR HOW ARE WE INVOLVING THOSE, UH, CULTURAL GROUPS IN THE BOND DEVELOPMENT? I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN IN ACME I HAVE NOT, UM, I DIDN'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'VE DONE AS A CITY, JUST QUITE FRANKLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR CULTURAL FACILITIES, BUT I, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THEY'RE ALL COMING TO ACME NOW, UH, AND LETTING US KNOW WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
SOME OF THEM ARE FURTHER ALONG THAN OTHERS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST WE AS A COMMUNITY NEED TO DO MORE WORK IN LOOKING AT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THOSE AREAS SO THAT WE CAN CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHAT THE NEED IS.
UH, SO I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE AT ALL SPECTRUMS, I'LL JUST BE HONEST, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY'RE ALL EXCITED FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF BOND CONVERSATIONS.
SOME WERE INCLUDED, OTHERS WERE NOT.
AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHERE THEY FELL THERE AS FAR AS WERE THEY READY FOR, UH, THOSE BOND CONVERSATIONS FOR THE 2026 BONDS.
THEY MAY BE MORE READY THE NEXT TIME, BUT WE ACME WILL HELP THEM.
WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE READY FOR ALL OF OUR CULTURAL FACILITIES.
WELL, I, I JUST, I DON'T WANT THEM TO COME AT THE 11TH HOUR AND SAY NOBODY ASKED US.
AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE YOUR DOLLARS GO FURTHER, BUT WE JUST NEED THAT LITTLE BIT.
SO, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE REALLY GOOD AT PUBLIC OUTREACH, SO I DON'T, UH, I DON'T HAVE CONCERN THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THOSE GROUPS.
SO I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING Y'ALL HAVE TAKEN A LOOK AT? WE, YES, THAT'S PART OF OUR PHASE THREE.
ALRIGHT, WELL, APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN YOU COME BACK.
COUNCILMAN UCHIN, MAYOR PRO, TIM.
ONE, UH, I'LL PREFACE WITH REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK Y'ALL HAVE DONE WITH THOROUGHNESS YOU'VE DONE IN REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS OTHERS HAVE SAID, UM, AND LISTENING IN THE SURVEY PROCESS.
UH, SO KIND OF AS AN EXTENSION OF THAT, IF YOU ALL CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, THE GRANT REDO PROCESS THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, WOULD THERE BE A FUTURE OPPORTUNITY TO REFINE THIS PROCESS BASED ON ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY FEEDBACK? AND, AND IF SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE DOWN THE LINE? SO, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY AND AS A DIRECTOR MEANS MENTIONED, OUR ENTIRE PHASE OF THIS IS LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE DID HEAR A LOT AT THE ARTS COMMISSION ON LAST NIGHT, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO CLOSE OUT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FEEDBACK, IF YOU WILL, IN JUNE, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A 30 DAY PROCESS, BUT BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY WANTED MORE, THEY, THE, WE WROTE CONTINUED TO RIDE THE MOMENTUM.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, WE HAVE PIVOTED BASED ON WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND IF THERE IS AN APPETITE AND WE CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT THERE'S MORE TIME NEEDED, THEN WE WILL CERTAINLY MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AND, AND PIVOT AS NEEDED.
UM, AS MENTIONED, WE HAD THE ARTS COMMISSION ON LAST NIGHT, WE HEARD A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK, AND SO WE PLAN ON THIS WEEK
[01:30:01]
GOING IN AND TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION ALSO AFTER TODAY'S WORK SESSION AND, AND LOOKING AT WHAT, WHAT THE NEXT, WHAT THE NEXT MONTH OR SO LOOKS LIKE.UM, BUT ALSO WITH THE INTENTION OF HOPE OF GETTING THE FUNDS OUT IN 2026.
AND SO THAT IS CERTAINLY OUR GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT WE LISTEN, BUT ALSO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE FUNDS OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, SECOND QUESTION I'VE GOT IS, AND APPRECIATE THAT PART OF THIS BRIEFING REALLY EMPHASIZED THE TRANSPARENCY GOALS THAT YOU'VE OUTLINED.
UM, BUT TO BUILD ON THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, UH, WE GOT A, A MEMO RECENTLY THAT UPDATED US ON SOME PRIOR, UM, I DUNNO WHAT YOU WANT TO CALL THEM, UH, PRIOR ISSUES THAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR PREDECESSORS, UH, OR A PRIOR ORGANIZATION THAT WAS MANAGING THE GRANT PROCESS.
AND, UH, WHERE THERE WAS, I THINK SOMETHING I DON'T, MY, I'M GONNA CHARACTERIZE THIS WOULD'VE A DOUBLE DIPPING OF GRANT BETWEEN MUSIC AND, AND, UH, AND ARTS.
AND SO BETWEEN THIS AND THE OTHER ISSUES, UH, MAYBE YOU CAN EXPAND OR HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THE OPERATIONAL APPROACH YOU'LL BE IMPLEMENTING TO ADDRESS WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL 'EM, CONFLICT OF INTEREST ISSUES OR OTHER SIMILAR ISSUES AS AGAIN OUTLINED IN THAT MEMO, UM, TO BUILD ON OR ADD, MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THE TRANSPARENCY, MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THE GUARDRAILS ON THE GRANT PROCESS.
AND THEN BASED ON THAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE AS A COUNCIL CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE IN TERMS OF UPDATES OR INFORMATION REGARDING THAT PROCESS? I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION, AND I'LL TELL YOU
SO WE WERE FOCUSING ON OUR ENHANCEMENTS OF THE GRANTS, BUT WE NEEDED TO ALSO ENHANCE OUR CO OUR INTERNAL PROCESSES, UH, PROCEDURES, UH, CHECKS AND BALANCES, INTERNAL AUDITS, UM, TRANSPARENCY WITH CRITERIA.
ALL OF THAT IS ALSO WHAT OUR TEAM HAS BEEN LOOKING AT TO ENSURE MOVING FORWARD THAT WE DO NOT FIND OURSELVES IN ANY, UM, IN ANY SCENARIO, JUST SAY IT LIKE THAT FOR, FOR A CITY DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WE'RE STILL REVISING THOSE.
UH, WE'VE HAD SOME HEALTHY CONVERSATIONS INTERNALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT GOES, UH, UNTOUCHED WHEN, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SHORE UP OUR PROCESSES.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TIMELINE IS ON SHORING THAT UP WILL BE? IT'S BEFORE ROLLOUT OF THE GRANTS.
SO WE WILL NOT ROLL OUT ANY, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE ALL OF THAT IN PLACE STAFF TRAINED PRIOR TO ROLLING OUT THE GRANTS.
ANYTHING YOU CAN ADD FOR THE LAST PART OF THAT QUESTION I ASK, WHICH IS WHAT SORT OF WE CAN EXPECT AS A COUNCIL OR PUBLIC GOING FORWARD REGARDING THAT, THOSE EFFORTS? I WILL TELL YOU, WE ARE, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, WE'RE CREATING SOMETHING SO WE CAN PUT EVERYTHING ONLINE, UM, BECAUSE WE STILL, WE BELIEVE IN TRANSPARENCY.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN SEE WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR POLICIES ARE WHEN IT PERTAINS TO ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UH, REGULAR, UH, UPDATES TO COUNCIL.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALSO INCLUDE, UH, IN THE WAY OF A REPORT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE ARE DOING FOR WHEN IT COMES TO THE MONITORING OF THE GRANTS.
I WOULD VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER DUCHEN, MAYOR PRO TIM.
I THINK I MAKE THE EIGHTH MEMBER WHO'S NOW SPOKEN ON THIS TOPIC.
SO JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL VERY COMMITTED AND EQUALLY INVESTED IN THE SUCCESS OF THIS NEW DEPARTMENT.
IN FACT, IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVES FROM OUR CITY MANAGER THAT HE'S DONE SO FAR SINCE JOINING THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS CREATING ITS OWN DEPARTMENT FOR ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.
IT JUST REALLY SPEAKS TO WHERE WE'RE AT AS A CITY, AND IT COULD COME AT NO BETTER TIME.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE, AS AUSTIN NIGHTS, WE'VE BEEN REALLY FILLING THE LOSSES OF, IN OUR CREATIVE SECTOR THAT OUR CITY HAS EXPERIENCED.
UM, FROM THE CLOSURE OF THE AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR TO THE MOVING OF THE PECAN STREET FESTIVAL OUT OF DOWNTOWN.
UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR CREATIVE ARTS COMMUNITY, UM, THAT WE'VE LOST IN RECENT YEARS.
AND SO REALLY UPLIFTING IT AT THE CITY LEVEL TO ITS OWN DEPARTMENT, MAKING SURE IT'S WELL RESOURCED, THAT IT GETS THE ATTENTION THAT IT DESERVES, I THINK WILL GO A LONG WAY WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND AS I SAID EARLIER, THIS IS AT A CRITICAL TIME.
[01:35:01]
A COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME FROM OUR ARTS COMMISSION THAT ACKNOWLEDGED IT HAD A SPREADSHEET ACTUALLY ATTACHED TO IT THAT HAD, UH, ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN THAT HAVE LOST FEDERAL FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF THE ARTS.AND I COUNTED NEARLY $500,000 WORTH OF FEDERAL FUNDING LOSS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S SIGNIFICANT FOR AUSTIN.
AND SO I'M REALLY PLEASED TO SEE IN THE TAX RATE ELECTION SCENARIOS THAT THE MANAGER HAS SHARED WITH US THAT THERE IS AN INCLUSION FOR AN NAE GRANT PROCESS RESTORATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT FOR OUR COLLEAGUES.
SO AS WE DISCUSS THE TIER E PROPOSALS, THAT, THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO HELP WITH THIS COMMUNITY IMPACT.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ELEVATE OUR CREATIVE SECTOR AND AS FAR AS CONVERSATION, AND KNOW THAT WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THE RESET, WE'RE THRILLED WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THAT WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.
UH, UH, BRIEFLY, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE, UH, ARTWORK AT THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT, THAT WAS, UH, POSSIBLY GOING TO BE LOST.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, SAVED.
UH, IT COULD YOU, UH, UPDATE US ON THE SITUATION WITH THAT? YES, YES.
UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE HAD SEVERAL PIECES AT THE CONVENTION CENTER SCHEDULED FOR DEACCESSION, WHICH IS A PART OF, UM, THE, THE MAINTENANCE AND OWNERSHIP PROCESS OF ART AND OUR PUBLIC COLLECTION.
UH, WE HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT THAT WAS NOT THE WISH.
UM, THE ISSUE THAT WE HAD, UM, IN ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, WHICH WAS FORMERLY WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, IS THAT THEIR BUDGET IS ENTIRELY MADE UP OF A PERCENT FOR ART FROM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
SO THEY DID NOT HAVE A BUDGET SET ASIDE, UM, FOR ANY SORT OF SPECIAL REQUESTS OR SPECIAL PROJECTS, BUT LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE AT THE FORMATION OF ACME TO WORK WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES TO FIND SOME EXTRA MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO SAVE THOSE ARTWORKS.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING, UM, WITH ALL OF THEM, ALL OF THE PIECES WERE REMOVED FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
MANY OF THEM, UM, HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO THE ARTISTS ALREADY.
ONE OF THEM, UM, FOR THE ARTIST, ROLANDO PERIO IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING SCANNED INTO A DIGITAL PIECE.
UM, AND THE CONTENT OF THOSE ARTWORKS WILL BE DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO THEM IN SAN ANTONIO TO CLOSE THAT OUT.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, ONE ARTIST THAT WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH, UM, VIA OUR LAW DEPARTMENT TO JUST FINALIZE THE AGREEMENT WITH THEM.
BUT ALL OF THE ARTWORK HAS BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR.
WELL, I REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE THAT AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY A POSITIVE NOTE FOR THE, THE DEPARTMENT TO, UH, TO BEGIN ON.
UH, AND I MEAN, ALL THE ART I THINK IS, IS, IS, IS GOOD ART, BUT THE, THE YANCY PIECE IN, IN PARTICULAR, I KNOW IT'S HUGE AND I'M SURE THAT WAS BY FAR THE MOST EXPENSIVE PIECE TO PRESERVE, BUT HE HAS ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL PIECE, UH, IN EAST AUSTIN.
AND, AND, UH, IT WAS, UH, IT, IT, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT PRESERVED AND I JUST WANTED TO, TO, TO GIVE YOU ALL PROPS FOR THAT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT.
UM, ALSO BRIEFLY JUST TO FOLLOW UP TO THAT ONE, AND I, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS A COMBINATION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DOLLARS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE DIDN'T, UM, MISS IT BECAUSE WE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE FOUND SOME, SOME CITY DOLLARS, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO HIGHLIGHT AND AMPLIFY THAT THERE WERE PRIVATE DOLLARS ABSOLUTELY.
THAT WERE COLLECTED VERY QUICKLY WITH THE COMMITMENT FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
JUST ANOTHER TESTAMENT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDING ABSOLUTELY.
OUR ART, ARTS AND CULTURAL ASSETS.
AND I WILL SAY THAT'S ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WHEN WE FIRST STARTED IS TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY ON THAT THEY JUST, LIKE, WE DO SEE ART AS MORE OF THE HISTORY AND LEGACY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT THAT ART WAS, UH, NICELY REMOVED AND SOME OF THE ART WILL BE CHERISHED FOR YEARS TO COME THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
UM, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THIS PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK YOU'RE DOING, BUT ALSO THIS, UH, EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS WORK SESSION FOR JULY 22ND, 2025.
SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 12:16 PM WE ARE ADJOURNED.