[00:00:01]
ON THE LAST COMMISSIONER JUST TO, SO I WAS GONNA JUST WALK THROUGH.UM, SO WE'LL, UH, WE'LL DO THE CALL TO ORDER, WE'LL DO, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
SO, UH, FORMER CHAIR, UH, PITTS IS, IS SIGNED UP TO, UH, DO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UM, I'M GONNA SKIP AROUND IN THE AGENDA.
SO, UH, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND DO THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL, UH, GO BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS ON THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION, UM, IMPACT STATEMENTS.
SO, I JUST WANNA GIVE EVERYONE A HEADS UP ON THAT TIMING, EXCUSE ME, CHAIR, BUT COULD JUST TO INTERJECT AND CONFIRM I PASSED ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY.
I'M, I'M PLANNING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SPOKE TO, OR, OR DO WE HAVE A MISUNDERSTANDING? OKAY.
UH, THAT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING ON MY PART.
SO WE WILL, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
SO WE'LL SKIP THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND THEN WE'LL SLOT YOU INTO, UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.
SO JUST BE AWARE THAT THERE'LL BE AN, AN AGENDA ITEM THAT COMES UP BEFORE THAT.
WE HAVE, UH, ASSEMBLED SIX COMMISSIONERS, SO IF THOSE COMMISSIONERS CAN GO AHEAD AND COME ON CAMERA, I CAN CALL US TO ORDER.
[CALL TO ORDER]
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.MY NAME IS STEVEN, AKA I AM CALLING TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION.
TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13TH, 2025.
UM, SOME MEMBERS OF THE BOARD COMMISSION MIGHT BE PARTICIPATING VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, CAN WATCH, UH, VIA A TXN LIVE.
UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UM, DO OUR, UH, OUR ROLL CALL.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS STEVEN AKA, AND I AM REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, START WITH THE COMMISSIONERS IN MY ROOM.
UH, COMMISSIONER PREVI REPRESENTING DISTRICT 10.
COMMISSIONER COMBY REPRESENTING DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE ON THE COMMISSIONERS ONLINE.
UH, VICE CHAIR, I'LL TAKE YOU FIRST.
VICE CHAIR, CARINA ALTA, REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE.
COMMISSIONER ANGA, DISTRICT NINE, COMMISSIONER FROCK, COMMISSIONER FROCK, DISTRICT SIX.
UM, SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO OUR AGENDA.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION SIGNED UP, ALTHOUGH WE WILL HAVE
UH, BUT JUST TO WALK THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THROUGH OUR AGENDA, UH, TODAY, UH, WE WILL DO, UM, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA SKIP AROUND JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP ITEM THREE, OUR LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FIRST, AND WE'RE GONNA SKIP BACK TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO AS THE PUBLIC HEARING TO SOLICIT COMMUNITY, UH, INPUT FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL GO STRAIGHT INTO OUR, UH, DISCUSSION ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SKIP BACK AND DO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[3. Legislative update on House Bill 149 and other technology hardware and software focused bills. (Rick Ramirez, Intergovernmental Relations Office, City of Austin) ]
SO WITH THAT, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR FIRST, UH, GUEST SPEAKER ON THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.WE HAVE RICK RAMIREZ FROM THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICE TO BRIEF US ON, UM, HOUSE BILL 1 45 THAT PASSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UM, RICK, FEEL FREE TO TAKE IT AWAY.
AND, UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M THE DEPUTY INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICER FOR THE CITY.
UM, I'M GONNA BE GIVING YOU A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UH, I'LL TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE SPECIAL SESSION THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN AND LIKELY GOING TO BE IN, UM, UH, THIS COMING FRIDAY.
UM, AND I'LL BE HERE TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND IF WE CAN'T ANSWER 'EM TONIGHT, WE DEFINITELY WILL GET BACK TO THE COMMISSION LATER.
UM, SO KIND OF FIRST THINGS FIRST, UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, THE FIRST CALL SPECIAL SESSION, UH, THAT BEGAN ON JULY 21ST.
AND SPECIAL SESSIONS CAN'T LAST MORE THAN 30 DAYS, UH, AND THEY CAN ADJOURN EARLY.
UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT HERE IN A LITTLE WHILE.
UH, THE ONLY TOPICS, UH, THAT CAN BE ACTED ON ARE THOSE THAT ARE ON THE GOVERNOR'S CALL.
UM, HOWEVER, THE GOVERNOR CAN ADD ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO THAT CALL AT ANY TIME, AND LEGISLATORS CAN STILL FILE ANY BILL ON ANY TOPIC, AND IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ON THE, ON THE CALL TO BE FILED.
THEY JUST CAN'T, UH, HAVE ACTION ON THEM.
UH, THE GOVERNOR CAN CALL FOR ADDITIONAL SPECIAL
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SESSIONS.AND SO I'LL KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE NEWS WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT, UH, THE, THE TEXAS DEMOCRATS, UH, HAVE BROKEN QUORUM.
AND, UM, SO THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET ANY BILLS THROUGH THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE, WHAT WE'VE HEARD AND, AND, UH, WHAT'S BEEN COMMUNICATED IS THAT THE HOUSE WILL CALL ROLL ON FRIDAY ONE MORE TIME.
UH, AND IF THEY CANNOT MEET QUORUM ON FRIDAY, UM, THEY WILL ADJOURN SIGNEE DYE, UM, UH, THIS, THIS, UH, FRIDAY.
UH, THE GOVERNOR HAS ALREADY, UM, UH, TWEETED THAT, UH, AND, AND MADE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT HE WILL, UH, CALL US BACK INTO A SPECIAL SESSION THAT SAME EXACT DAY.
UH, SO WE'RE EXPECTING TO JOIN, UH, GO RIGHT BACK INTO A SPECIAL SESSION STARTING THIS FRIDAY.
I COULD KEEP ON MOVING THOUGH, UM, WITHOUT IT.
UM, SO THE, UH, FIRST CALL SPECIAL SESSION HAD, UH, QUITE A BIT, UH, OF, UH, ITEMS ON THE CALL.
UM, WE WERE FIRST, UH, GONNA BE CALLED TO COME IN TO TALK ABOUT THE THC BILLS.
UM, BUT THAT WHEN, WHEN THE GOVERNOR FINALLY ANNOUNCED HIS, UH, SPECIAL SESSION CALL, THERE WERE, UH, QUITE A BIT OF BILLS THAT WERE ON THERE.
UM, THERE WERE ABOUT FOUR BILLS HAVING TO DO WITH, UH, FLOODING AND, AND NATURAL DISASTERS, BUT THEY ALSO TOOK UP, UH, ITEMS SUCH AS, UM, UH, PROPERTY TAXES, EXPENDITURE CAPS, UH, TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING, AND MANY OTHER THINGS, UM, AS I'LL MOVE INTO NOW THE REGULAR SESSION.
UM, SO THERE WERE MANY OF THE SAME RECURRING ISSUES THAT WE TYPICALLY WOULD SEE IN A, UH, UH, REGULAR SESSION.
UM, THERE WERE, UH, TALKS ABOUT GUNS.
UH, DEI PROGRAMS WERE, UH, WERE BIG, BUT WE HAD BEEN TELLING EVERYBODY SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION THAT, UM, THE SESSION WAS GONNA BE MOSTLY ABOUT, UH, LAND USE AND, UH, WATER, AND THAT THAT DIDN'T DISAPPOINT.
WE WERE DEFINITELY, WE SAW A LOT OF BILLS ON LAND USE, AND WE SAW A LOT OF BILLS ON WATER.
UM, AND SO MUCH OF OUR WORK REVOLVED AROUND STOPPING OR AMENDING LEGISLATION THAT WAS, UH, EITHER HARMFUL TO THE CITY, UH, OR HAD AN IMPACT, HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON US.
AND I WILL GET OUR PRESENTATION UP TO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
SO THIS SLIDE, ACTUALLY, THAT WAS PRETTY BENEFICIAL.
'CAUSE THAT WAS THE, THE ONE TIME I NEED YOU TO LOOK AT A SLIDE.
UM, SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS JUST KIND OF THE SHEER NUMBER OF BILLS THAT WERE FILED DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WE HAD A RECORD NUMBER OVER 9,000 BILLS, UH, AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS WERE FILED THIS YEAR, UH, ABOUT 1200 BILLS, UH, WERE FINALLY SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU, IN MY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE DOING THIS WORK, UM, THAT 1200 NUMBER IS USUALLY WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY BILLS ARE FILED.
THE, THE LEGISLATURE KIND OF HAS THE CAPACITY TO FILE, UH, TO PASS 1200 BILLS.
UM, ANOTHER THING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS, UM, SLIDE IS THAT, UM, THERE ARE SO MANY BILLS THAT ARE IM, THAT IMPACT CITIES IN SOME SORT OF A WAY.
AND, UM, THERE'S NO OTHER ENTITY OUT THERE OTHER THAN CITIES THAT ARE IMPACTED BY MORE LEGISLATION AT, UH, THE CAPITOL THAN CITIES.
WE DO FIRE, WE DO EMS, POLICE, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, WE HAVE AN HR DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UH, TOUCH US IN SOME SORT OF WAY.
AND SO WE, UM, DEFINITELY, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE BUSY THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO I'LL GO INTO THE KEY TECHNOLOGY BILLS THAT Y'ALL, UH, WOULD BE INTERESTED IN.
UM, WE HAD HB 1 49 BY P LEONE AND, UH, SCH SHORTENER.
THAT WAS THE AI SYSTEMS REGULATION BILL.
SO OVERALL, UH, THIS BILL REGULATES THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BY, UH, TEXAS GOVERNMENT ENTITIES THAT INCLUDE CITIES BY REQUIRING AGENCIES TO DISCLOSE WHEN CONSUMERS ARE INTERACTING WITH AN AI SYSTEM PROHIBITING AI USE FOR SOCIAL SCORING, AND, UH, CERTAIN BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION THAT INFRINGES ON LEGAL RIGHTS, UH, LIMITING THESE PROHIBITIONS TO GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS AFFECTING CIVIL
[00:10:01]
LIBERTIES AND PREEMPTING LOCAL AI REGULATION.UH, THE BILL ALSO ESTABLISHES THE TEXAS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COUNSEL TO ADVISE ON AI MATTERS AND PROVIDE TRAINING FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
THAT BILL IS GONNA BE EFFECTIVE.
UH, THERE IS A DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT AND REQUIRES US, UH, UH, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO PROVIDE, UM, AI SYSTEMS INTENDED TO INTERACT WITH CONSUMERS TO DISCLOSE BEFORE OR AT THE TIME OF INTERACTION THAT THE CONSUMER IS ENGAGING WITH AN AI SYSTEM.
SO THEY HAVE TO KNOW WHEN THEY'RE, UH, INTERACTING WITH AN AI SYSTEM.
ALSO, WE'RE PROHIBITED FROM USING AI SYSTEMS FOR ANY SOCIAL SCORING, UH, PURPOSES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND WE'RE PROHIBITED FROM DEVELOPING OR DEPLOYING AI SYSTEMS WITH BIOMETRIC IDENTIFIERS FOR UNIQUE IDENT IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS, UH, IF WE'RE DOING SO, IF DOING SO WOULD INFRINGE ON THEIR RIGHTS.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, UH, I MENTIONED THE TEXAS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COUNCIL, UM, THE, UH, LEGISLATION, IT DEFINES THE MEMBERSHIP, UH, THE POWERS AND THE DUTIES OF THAT, UH, COUNCIL.
AND SO WE'LL BE SEEING A LITTLE BIT MORE AS THAT GETS, UH, STOOD UP.
AND, UH, THERE'LL BE, UH, UH, RULES AND ALL THAT THAT COMES THROUGH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT.
THERE WERE ALSO TWO OTHER AI BILLS, UM, THAT, UH, WERE OUT THERE AS WELL.
HP 35 12, UH, HAS TO DO WITH TRAINING, AND IT REQUIRES THAT, UH, CERTAIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UH, EMPLOYEES AND OFFICIALS, THEY NEED TO COMPLETE A CERTIFIED AI, UH, TRAINING PROGRAM.
IT'S SIMILAR TO THE TRAINING PROGRAM OR THE, THE TRAINING PROGRAM THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO DO FOR CYBERSECURITY.
I'M, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE ANNUALLY YET.
UH, ALL OF THAT IS GONNA BETER DETERMINED BY THE DIR.
UH, AND SO THEY WILL, UH, THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCES, KIND OF THE IT DEPARTMENT FOR THE STATE.
UM, THEY WILL DEVELOP THAT, UH, TRAINING PROGRAM, UM, AND THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BE IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CYBERSECURITY COUNCIL AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
AND, UH, THEY WILL ANNUALLY CERTIFY THAT AT LEAST FIVE, UH, AI TRAINING PROGRAMS, UH, ARE, UH, MEET THE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UM, THAT IS, UH, THAT'S TO COME, UM, WHEN DIR FINALLY, UH, RELEASES HOW THEY'RE GONNA BE MAKING THAT PROGRAM.
UM, WE WILL BE INVOLVED IN, IN TRYING TO HELP THEM, UH, ANALYZE AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR US.
THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER BILL, SB 1964, THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE REGULATION OF HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY, AI, UH, SYSTEMS. UH, AND, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULDN'T DIRECTLY IMPACT US.
UH, UH, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO TOO, TOO, TOO MUCH DETAIL.
UM, BUT OVERALL, THESE THREE BILLS KIND OF, THEY ALL KIND OF WORK TOGETHER.
HP 1 49 SETS BROAD RULES AND STRUCTURES FOR GOVERNMENT AI USE IN TEXAS, UH, HP 35 12 ENSURES THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL ARE TRAINED ON HOW TO USE AI.
AND THEN, UH, SB 1964 ADDS THE ETHICS RISK MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY AND COMPLAINT HANDLING FOR HIGH RISK AI SYSTEMS. UM, I ALSO MENTIONED HP ONE 50 THERE, UH, THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, UH, CYBER TRAINING, AND IT ESTABLISHES THE TEXAS CYBER COMMAND, THE TCC AS A STATE AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING CYBERSECURITY BEST PRACTICES AND MINIMUM STANDARDS.
UH, THEY WOULD PROVIDE TRAINING AND OFFER RESOURCES TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
UM, AND SO WE'LL BE WATCHING THAT AS WELL AS THEY, UH, STAND UP THIS NEW AGENCY.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE BILLS BEFORE I MOVE ON TO, UH, SOME OTHER TECH BILLS? YES.
UM, TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL SCORING, WHAT IS THAT DEFINED AS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, DEFINED WHEN WE GET INTO THE RULES.
UM, BUT I, I BELIEVE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ANY OF THOSE KIND OF, I THINK THIS HAS TO DO WITH LIKE DEI AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO I, I THINK IF YOU USE AI IN THAT WAY, UH, BUT WE'LL SEE WHENEVER THE RULES START GETTING PUBLISHED, WHAT IN EXACTLY THAT MIGHT IN ENTAIL.
AND THEN THE OTHER FOLLOW UP, WHEN TALKING ABOUT CONSUMER DISCLOSURE ABOUT AI USAGE, IS THAT JUST IF A CONSUMER IS DIRECTLY COMMUNICATING WITH THE AI SYSTEM, OR IF IT WAS BEING USED BY PEOPLE TO PREPARE RESPONSES FOR THEM? THAT'S OUR INTERPRETATION, IS THAT, UM,
[00:15:01]
WE, UH, WOULD DISCLOSE WHEN SOMEBODY IS GONNA BE INTERACTING WITH AN AI AS OPPOSED TO A HUMAN PERSON.AND THEN I HAD A QUESTION ON HB 1 49.
SO WERE THERE, UH, I KNOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS PASSED A NUMBER OF RESOLUTIONS AND HAS A NUMBER OF POLICIES AROUND AI.
HAVE, DID ANY OF THE CONTENT IN 1 49 PREEMPT OUR CITIES? UM, RULES? YY PROBABLY MM-HMM
WE'LL, WE'LL NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT FURTHER.
UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT THE, UH, LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, IS IN, UH, COORDINATING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS RIGHT NOW TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIT THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY, UH, FIRST 2026.
UM, AND SO THEY ARE CURRENTLY ADVISING, UH, THE DEPARTMENTS ON HOW TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.
UM, BUT OVERALL, THIS REGULATION WAS MADE TO PREEMPT, UH, CITIES AND ON REGULATION.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD HAVE SOME IMPACT ON US, BUT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENTS ARE, ARE ANALYZING RIGHT NOW WHAT THAT IMPACT MIGHT BE.
A QUESTION FOR ME, IS THE AI COUNCIL BEING SET UP IN HB 1 49? IS THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? IS IT, UM, EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY? UM, LET'S SEE.
HERE ARE, SO I WOULD NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S GONNA BE MEMBERS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL CITY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UH, SO IT'S PROBABLY GONNA HAVE PRACTITIONERS, UH, EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, AGAIN, ALSO WHEN THEY CREATE RULES AND ALL THAT, UH, IT, THEY MAY DETERMINE WHO WOULD QUALIFY, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ON THAT COUNCIL.
ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE? UH, IT LOOKS LIKE COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS HAS A QUESTION.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE TRAINING.
UM, AI IS CHANGING AT A VERY RAPID RATE.
UM, THE TRAINING INCLUDED FROM THESE BILLS.
IS IT DESCRIP IN SUCH A WAY AS TO WHERE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE CONTENT OF THAT TRAINING WILL BE? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS TO BE DEVELOPED, WHICH COULD INCORPORATE THE LATEST, UH, INNOVATIONS? YEAH, THAT'S GONNA BE ESTABLISHED BY THE TEXAS CYBER COMMAND.
UM, AND, UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH DIR IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT TRAINING WOULD BE.
UM, SO THERE, I, I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, UH, UH, TIME TO BE ABLE TO, TO DISCUSS WHAT WOULD BE IN THAT TRAINING.
BUT IT'S, IF, IF YOU RECALL BACK TO WHEN WE DID CYBERSECURITY TRAINING, IT WOULD BE THE SAME KIND OF SIMILAR PROCESS.
UM, SECOND IS UNRELATED FOLLOW UP ABOUT THE, UH, EARLIER YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE IS A, UH, AREA OF THE CITY THAT IS GOING THROUGH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO UNDERSTAND IF WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE OF THE NEW STATE, UH, LAWS.
UM, WILL THE, THE FINDINGS OF THAT INVESTIGATION, I DON'T WANNA CALL IT INVESTIGATION, BUT I GUESS THE FINDINGS OF THAT, THAT EFFORT, CAN THAT BE MADE AVAILABLE, UH, TO THIS COMMISSION? IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD FIND OR POTENTIALLY READ? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS CLOSED? UM, I'M NOT SURE, UM, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE TALKING TO A AI, UH, TALKING ABOUT AI AND CYBERSECURITY, UM, AND HOMELAND SECURITY TYPE STUFF, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT IS SHAREABLE.
UM, THE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT I WAS TALKING ABOUT IS THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHICH IS OUR ATTORNEY.
UM, SO MANY OF THE, UH, OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE LEGISLATION.
BUT HOWEVER, I WILL SAY, UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL COMPLY WITH THE LAW EXACTLY AS IT'S WRITTEN.
IT'S JUST, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INTERPRETING WHAT THE LAW SAYS CORRECTLY.
UM, SO EVERYTHING THAT'S, THAT'S WRITTEN IN THE LAW, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING.
IT'S JUST WE HAVE, SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME NUANCE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO LEGISLATION THAT THE DEPARTMENTS WILL BE ASKING THE LAW DEPARTMENT, UH, ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHAT DOES THIS LEGAL JARGON MEAN? AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT WOULD BE CONTRARY TO WHAT IS STATED IN, IN STATE LAW.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE OVER TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THERE'S SOME, SOME MORE TECH BILLS THAT I JUST WANTED TO PUT ON YOUR RADAR, MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY THINGS THAT WOULD BE, UH, UH, OF, OF COMPLETE INTEREST TO THIS COMMISSION, BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE.
[00:20:01]
SB 28 0 7, UH, HAD TO DO WITH THE, UH, REGULATION OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.UH, IT SETS STATEWIDE STANDARDS FOR, UM, HOW YOU REGULATE AUTONOMOUS, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND, UM, CITIES, UM, CAN NO LONGER HAVE, UH, REGULATION, UM, THAT PREEMPTS, UH, STATE, UH, PREEMPTION, UH, OR STATE LEGISLATION.
SO, UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE RULEMAKING PROCESS FOR THIS PARTICULAR BILL.
UH, COMMENTS ARE DUE, UM, UH, SOON AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND INCLUDING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, PEOPLE ARE, UH, PUBLIC, UH, TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND ALSO ALL, ALL OF OUR, UH, UH, DEPARTMENTS HAVING TO DO WITH TECH.
UM, AND THEN SB 9 24 IS A, UH, HAVING TO DO WITH CABLE AND VIDEO SERVICES.
IT CHANGES AND, UH, CLARIFIES THE DEFINITIONS OF CABLE SERVICE AND VIDEO SERVICE AND THE TEXAS UTILITY CODE, UH, CODE.
AND IT EXPLICITLY, UH, EXCLUDES INTERNET BASED STREAMING SERVICES FROM THOSE DEFINITIONS.
SO NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE HULU AND, UH, DISNEY PLUS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED, UH, CABLE SERVICE OR A VIDEO SERVICE IN STATUTE, UM, THAT DOES HAVE SOME RAMIFICATIONS FOR THE CITY IN THE WAY THAT WE CHARGE FOR FRANCHISE FEES AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THERE IS A COST THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
UM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, NOT NECESSARILY A TECH ISSUE, MORE OF A FINANCIAL ISSUE, BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE AWARE OF THAT.
DID WANNA TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF OTHER BILLS THAT DID NOT PASS.
UH, HB 6 36, UH, IS A BILL BY, UM, UM, REPRESENTATIVE WALE.
UH, THIS WOULD'VE ESTABLISHED A STATEWIDE HOMELESS DATA SHARING NETWORK.
UH, AND THIS WOULD'VE ALLOWED, UH, CITIES TO BE ABLE TO ENTER IN INFORMATION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, UH, UH, UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS THAT COULD BE SHARED THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
SO IF SOMEBODY'S MOVING FROM ONE, UH, LOCATION TO ANOTHER, YOU CAN, UH, GET THAT INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF MEDICATION THEY WERE ON AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THAT UNFORTUNATELY, DID NOT PASS.
THE CITY DID SUPPORT THAT BILL.
AND THEN, UH, THERE WAS A, UH, UH, HB 41, WHICH WAS A BAN ON DRONES FROM FOREIGN ADVERSARIES.
UH, THE ONE THING I WILL SAY ABOUT THIS BILL, UH, IT WAS PARTICULARLY AIMED AT, UH, CHINA.
UH, AND SO IT BANNED, UH, THE USE OF DRONES, UH, WITH COMPONENTS THAT WERE MADE FROM CHINA.
UH, THIS BILL WOULD'VE HAD SOME BIG RAMIFICATIONS FOR US, BECAUSE MANY OF THE, UH, COMMERCIAL, UM, DRONES THAT ARE USED, USE, UH, PARTS, UM, THAT ARE MADE IN CHINA.
UH, SO THIS COULD HAVE GROUNDED OUR ENTIRE DRONE FLEET.
UM, AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE DRONES RIGHT NOW, UM, THAT ARE COMPLETELY MADE, YOU KNOW, HERE IN AMERICA, UH, NOT, DON'T HAVE ANY COMPONENTS FROM CHINA.
SO THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A BILL THAT COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN, UH, HARMFUL TO OUR, UM, UH, NOT JUST OUR, UH, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALSO, UM, MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS USE DRONES.
UM, TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS, USES IT.
YOU HAVE, UH, OF COURSE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY AREA, UM, AND, AND MANY DIFFERENT OTHER APPLICATIONS, UM, ARE USED FOR IT.
SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND BREEZE THROUGH.
IF Y'ALL DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE, I'LL BREEZE THROUGH THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION, UH, ON SOME OF THE BILLS THAT WERE, UM, UM, A MAJOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE CITY.
SO THERE WERE, UH, QUITE A FEW, UH, QUITE A FEW PREEMPTION BILLS THAT WERE, UH, FILED.
UH, ONE OF THE BIG PREEMPTION BILLS, UH, THAT ACTUALLY ENDED UP PASSING WAS THAT WE CAN NO LONGER REGULATE AT THE LOCAL, UH, LEVEL, UM, FOOD TRUCKS.
SO, UM, BUT THERE WERE QUITE A BILLS THAT DID NOT MAKE IT.
THERE WAS A BILL HAVING TO DO WITH, UM, PREEMPTING CITIES FROM BANNING GUNS, UH, IN PUBLIC, UH, PLACES, OR NOT REALLY CITIES, BUT, UH, EVENT ORGANIZERS FROM, UH, BANNING GUNS IN PUBLIC SPACES.
THERE WERE, AGAIN, THE SUPER PREEMPTION BILLS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT KNOW AS THE DEATH STAR BILL.
THERE WAS A DEATH STAR BILL 2.0 THAT WAS, UM, FILED, UH, AND DID NOT PASS.
THERE WAS ALSO THE PROJECT CONNECT BILLS THAT WOULD'VE, UH, ELIMINATED, UM, OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO FUND THAT PROJECT.
THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF WATER BILLS.
I DID SAY THIS WAS A WATER SESSION, SB SEVEN AND HJ R SEVEN ARE SOME OF THOSE MAJOR STATEWIDE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING BILLS.
UM, YOU WILL SEE, UH, HJ R SEVEN ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO FUND THE, UH, TEXAS
[00:25:01]
WATER FUND.UH, AND THEN ON THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR, UH, THERE WAS HB 1523.
UH, THIS WAS A BILL THAT WOULD'VE PREEMPTED THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SPECIFICALLY FROM BEING ABLE TO, UH, DO AN AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT.
THERE WERE QUITE A FEW ELECTRIC BILLS.
UM, OF NOTE ON THOSE, UM, THERE WAS A BILL HEM TO DO WITH THIRD PARTY REVIEW OF RESIDENTIAL BACKUP GENERATION.
UM, SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING A CITY, UH, INSPECTOR COME OUT TO YOUR PROPERTY TO INSPECT YOUR GENERATOR, YOU JUST INSTALLED, UM, IT NOW ALLOWS FOR A THIRD PARTY TO BE ABLE TO, UH, REVIEW THAT.
UM, BUT WE, WE DID, UH, CARVE OUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UM, UH, ON THAT ONE HAVING TO DO WITH, IF YOU ARE IN A CITY THAT HAS ITS OWN ELECTRIC UTILITY, YOU CAN STILL HAVE THEM, UH, BE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND INSPECT.
THERE'S QUITE A FEW LAND USE BILLS.
UH, THIS WAS PROBABLY WHERE I SPENT MOST OF MY TIME.
UM, THERE WAS A BILL HAVING TO DO WITH HOU HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATIONS.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO MUCH DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THOSE ARE, BUT, UM, THAT WAS A, A, A BIG WIN FOR CITIES TO BE ABLE TO, UH, ELIMINATE TRAVELING HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATIONS, UH, SB EIGHT 40, UH, AND SENATE BILL OF 24 77 HAVE TO DO WITH CONVERTING COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, UH, INTO NON RESIDENTIAL, UM, BY OR INTO RESIDENTIAL BY, RIGHT.
SO PEOPLE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO TAKE A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AND CHANGE IT INTO A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
AND THEY HAVE THE, UH, NOW BY, RIGHT, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SO.
UH, THERE WERE ALSO SOME, UH, I ALREADY HAD MENTIONED THE THIRD PARTY REVIEW AND INSPECTION OF ELECTRIC GENERATORS.
UM, I'LL MOVE OVER TO MENTAL HEALTH.
MENTAL HEALTH WAS ALSO ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WAS BIG DURING THE SESSION.
UM, I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE BILLS THAT DIDN'T PASS.
UH, I ALREADY TOLD YOU ABOUT, UH, HP 6 36, WHICH WAS THE STATEWIDE HOMELESSNESS DATA SHARING NETWORK.
BUT ALSO THERE WAS A BIG, UH, SB 24 87.
IT WAS A BIG, UH, OMNIBUS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES CRISIS CENTER BILL, UH, THAT UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT PASS.
BUT WE DID WORK QUITE A BIT WITH THE, UH, SENATOR, SENATOR CHAN PARKER ON THAT BILL, AND THEN SOME OTHER ODDS AND ENDS, UH, FOR Y'ALL.
UH, HP 1393 SAYS, NO MORE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS, UH, OR, I'M SORRY, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS YEAR ROUND.
UM, UH, BUT THAT ONE IS UPON FEDERAL LEGISLATION.
SO IF THE, IF CONGRESS PASSES A, UH, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS YEAR ROUND BILL, THEN TEXAS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY GO TO THAT.
UM, THERE WAS THE SB NINE, OH, WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT 1964.
UM, THE, THE BUDGET, UH, OBVIOUSLY PASSED.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THERE WAS THAT, UH, LIBRARY MATERIALS, AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE, UH, BILL THAT, UH, SAYS THAT, UH, YOU CAN NO LONGER USE AS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE THAT YOU'RE, UM, SHOWING MATERIAL THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE SHOWING TO, TO MINORS.
SO WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL I, THAT'S ALL I HAVE AS AN UPDATE.
UM, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, UH, TIME AND ATTENTION.
UM, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK.
UH, IF WE CAN'T ANSWER TODAY, WE'LL DEFINITELY GET BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
ANY FINAL QUESTIONS FROM THE REST OF THE COMMISSION? IF WE DO HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS, EITHER AS INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS OR AT THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL? DO WE REACH OUT? ARE YOU THE, YOU CAN REACH, CONTACT CAN REACH OUT TO ANN, I THINK, UH, AND EATON, AND, UH, SHE'LL GET THOSE QUESTIONS ASKED.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DID AT THE LEDGE THIS SESSION AND, AND PROBABLY MORE TO COME, UM, AND APPRECIATE THE, THE UPDATE AS WELL.
SO, WITH THAT, UM, I WILL GO AHEAD AND
[2. Hold a public hearing to solicit feedback from the public and community stakeholders regarding the usefulness and relevance of the Technology Commission stated purposes and duties and its success in fulfilling those purpose and duties]
MOVE US, UH, TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.UM, SO A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON, UH, ON THIS, JUST TO SET THE CONTEXT, UH, I SPOKE WITH EACH OF THE, THE COMMISSIONERS INDIVIDUALLY AS WELL AS OUR SPEAKERS, BUT ESSENTIALLY WE'VE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT WE'RE PART OF THE COMMISSION SUN SETTING PILOT.
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PIECES OF DOCUMENTATION THAT WE'LL NEED TO COMPLETE AS A COMMISSION.
SO WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THAT A LITTLE LATER.
UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO FORTUNATELY WE, THE TIME WORKED OUT.
SO WE WILL HAVE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, DURING OUR AUGUST SESSION TONIGHT, AS WELL AS OUR SEPTEMBER SESSION
[00:30:01]
AS WELL, UM, ON, UM, PROVIDING INPUT ON THE COMMUNITY'S PURPOSE IMPACT, UH, THE GREAT WORK THAT, UH, THAT I FEEL OUR COMMISSION HAS, HAS DONE, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERS.UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, WANNA TURN IT OVER TO OUR FIRST, UH, GUEST SPEAKER, UH, GABRIELA FROM LANITA, WHO HAPPENS TO BE IN THE ROOM WITH US.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, GABBY.
THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TO SPEAK.
MY NAME'S GABRIELA KING GUARDIA.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LATINAS.
UM, WE ARE AN AUSTIN BASED NONPROFIT THAT'S BEEN SERVING GIRLS AND FAMILIES IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY THROUGH CULTURALLY RELEVANT STEM EDUCATION AND DIGITAL EQUITY INITIATIVES FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
TO MY KNOWLEDGE, LATINAS HAS ENGAGED WITH THE GT OS FUNDING INITIATIVES FOR, UM, THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST 15 YEARS.
AND OVER THAT TIME, WE'VE BENEFITED FROM MULTIPLE TYPES OF GT OS OPPORTUNITIES, THE MINI, THE CAPACITY, AND THE CORE FUNDING TRACKS.
ALL OF THE GT OS INITIATIVES, UM, YOU KNOW, GUIDED AND IMPROVED BY YOUR LEADERSHIP HAVE ENABLED US TO DELIVER TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION TO THOUSANDS OF AUSTINITES FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
IN THE MOST RECENT CYCLE, WE RECEIVED BOTH THE CAPACITY AND THE MINI GRANT FOR OUR ADULT DIGITAL LITERACY PROGRAMS, WHICH HAVE BEEN, UM, GROWING SINCE POST COVID TIMES, EXPANDING OUR REACH TO ADULTS WHO ARE SEEKING VITAL TECHNOLOGY SKILLS FOR WORK EDUCATION, AND SUPPORTING THEIR OWN FAMILIES AND STUDENTS AT HOME.
THESE OPPORTUNITIES HAVE BEEN, UM, ESSENTIAL TO ADVANCING OUR MISSION.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE LATINO COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, IT'S CLEAR BOTH IN THE GUIDELINES AND THE PANEL PROCESS FOR THESE FUNDING INITIATIVES, UM, THAT THIS COMMISSION STRIVES TO ENSURE OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO TRULY EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN.
THE REVIEW PROCESS IS WELL STRUCTURED, IT'S INCLUSIVE.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND THE PANELISTS DO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY AND BRING VALUABLE PERSPECTIVES TO THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, UM, THAT INTENTIONALITY MATTERS, AND IT ENSURES THAT THE FUNDING DECISIONS ARE ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION.
UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE ROLE OF THIS COMMISSION GOES BEYOND JUST, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATING THOSE RESOURCES.
IT DOES SET THE TONE FOR EQUITY INCLUSION IN AUSTIN'S TECHNOLOGY FUTURE.
YOUR WORK ON DIGITAL EQUITY ENSURES THAT COMMUNITIES WHO ARE OFTEN LEFT BEHIND, INCLUDING LOW INCOME, ELDERLY, HISPANIC AND BLACK RESIDENTS, HAVE ACCESS TO BROADBAND DEVICES AND TRAINING THROUGH GTOP S YOU MAKE THAT COMMITMENT TANGIBLE WITH A PROCESS THAT IS TRANSPARENT, EASY TO NAVIGATE, AND SUPPORTED BY REVIEW PANELS THAT REFLECT AUSTIN'S COMMUNITIES.
UM, I WANNA ELEVATE THAT THE TRANSPARENT FEEDBACK AND THE SCORING PROCESS, UM, REALLY DOES HELP BUILD TRUST BETWEEN US AND, UM, WORKING WITH THE CITY.
THE COMMISSION ALSO ENSURES THAT THE GUIDELINES ARE ACCESSIBLE AND THAT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE INFORMATION NEEDED TO PARTICIPATE.
THE APPLICATION GUIDELINES ARE CLEAR, THE PROCESS IS EASY TO NAVIGATE.
UM, THE COMMUNICATION WITH CITY STAFF IS RESPONSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE.
UM, THIS ACCESSIBILITY MEANS THAT ORGANIZATIONS OF ALL SIZES, FROM GRASSROOTS GROUPS TO MORE ESTABLISHED NONPROFITS CAN SUCCESSFULLY APPLY FOR AND IMPLEMENT THESE IMPORTANT DIGITAL EQUITY INITIATIVES.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO THIS COMMISSION BEFORE SHARING ABOUT OUR PROGRAMMING AND THE IMPACT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE WITH G OS FUNDING.
AND I REALLY, UM, I REALLY DID VALUE THE THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS AND GENUINE AND GENUINE INTEREST FROM THE COMMISSIONERS IN OUR WORK.
UM, I THINK THAT DEMONSTRATED THE COMMISSION NOT ONLY ALLOCATES THE RESOURCES, BUT TRULY CARES ABOUT THE OUTCOMES AND THE IMPACT THAT THESE PROGRAMS HAVE FOR THE AUSTIN RESIDENTS.
IN MANY WAYS, THE COMMISSIONS CREATED AND SUSTAINED, UM, WHAT I LIKE TO CALL A, A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL ECOSYSTEM, CONNECTING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS WITH CITY STAFF, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE EXPERTISE OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
SO YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR ADVOCACY AND INCLUSION, UM, HAS REALLY BEEN ABLE TO STRENGTHEN OUR ABILITY TO SERVE RESIDENTS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY.
UH, THE YOUNG WOMEN AND FAMILIES THAT LATINAS SERVES ARE BETTER PREPARED TO PARTICIPATE IN AUSTIN'S ECONOMY, NAVIGATE ONLINE SAFELY, AND USE TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL FOR EMPOWERMENT RATHER THAN EX EXCLUSION.
SO ON, ON BEHALF OF LATINAS AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT, UM, TO DIGITAL EQUITY AND FOR ENSURING THAT TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES REACH THOSE WHO NEED THEM THE MOST.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE KIND OF WORDS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT NITAS IS DOING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, NITAS IS, IS REALLY SPECIAL.
I'VE BEEN TO, TO SOME OF YOUR EVENTS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO, TO COME TOGETHER AND, AND ALL THE PROGRAMMING THAT'S NOT JUST FOR, UH, FOR YOUNG WOMEN, BUT THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
[00:35:01]
SO THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.UH, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION FOR GABBY? GREAT WORK, GABBY.
SO, WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO, UH, ANOTHER SPEAKER THAT WE HAVE SIGNED UP, UH, UH, ANOTHER FRIEND OF THE, UH, OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, WE DO HAVE FORMER, UH, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER, UH, NEHEMIAH PITTS, UH, WHO'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS, UM, ABOUT THE COMMISSION.
NEHEMIAH, GREAT TO, GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
AND, UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO BE HERE, ESPECIALLY PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.
UH, IT'S DELIGHTED WE HAVE THIS INNOVATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE ABILITY TO, TO OFFER FEEDBACK IN A PUBLIC HEARING SETTING, UH, AS WELL AS OF COURSE, FOR YOU COMMISSIONERS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE DOING YOUR GREAT WORK.
WHETHER YOU CAN BE THERE AT CITY HALL OR AT THE PLANNING OFFICE, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UH, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T BEGIN BY OFFERING A LITTLE CONTEXT FOR ME AND MY BACKGROUND.
UH, I ACTUALLY AM THE FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL OF SHINING LIGHT CONSULTING, A CONSULTING FIRM THAT I STARTED RESTARTED ACTUALLY AFTER I FINISHED MY TERM AS A COMMISSIONER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, I'M A FORMER CHAIRMAN FOR THE COMMISSION DATING FROM MAY, 2019 TO APRIL OF 2024.
AND THE FORMER DISTRICT ONE COMMISSIONER DATING FROM APRIL, 2016, OF COURSE, UNTIL APRIL, 2024.
AND THAT'S ONLY THANKS TO THE INITIAL APPOINTMENT BY ORA HOUSTON.
AND THEN AN APPOINTMENT BY NATASHA HARPER MADISON, UH, AND REAPPOINTMENT.
UH, AND I'D BE REMISS IF I CAN GIVE THANKS TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SERVED AS WELL AS TO, UH, MAYOR KIRK WATSON AND FORMER MAYOR STEVE ADLER.
UH, NOT TO MENTION THE CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, WHICH OF COURSE WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE, UH, ALONG WITH CITY STAFF, UH, IN THIS DECISION MAKING, UH, AROUND SUNSET COMMISSIONS.
AND WITH THAT, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE TO GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO RONDELLA HAWKINS AND ALL OF THE FSD TARIFF STAFF, INCLUDING, UH, THOSE WHO I SEE IN THE ROOM.
UH, I BELIEVE, UH, DAN MARTINEZ IS IN THERE, AND I, I THINK JESSE'S IN THERE.
I'M NOT SURE, 'CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT SCREEN RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT THANKS TO ALL, UH, FSD TERRA STAFF, PAST AND PRESENT.
AND WITH THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO SHARE MY SCREEN IF I CAN BRIEFLY, UH, FOR THE REST OF, OF MY CONTENT.
UH, PLEASE, LEMME KNOW ONCE YOU CAN SEE MY SCREEN, WE CAN SEE IT.
UH, SO, UH, TO BEGIN WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, AGAIN, I'M, I'M JUST HONORED TO HAVE BEEN A COMMISSIONER, SERVING AS YOUR, AS YOU'RE, UH, CHAIRMAN AND, AND PEER FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
OF COURSE, THE, THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION, AS, AS IT'S NAMED, UH, WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.
UH, AND IT'S BEEN RENAMED TO CLARIFY ITS FOCUS, HOWEVER, UH, ITS MISSION OF SERVING THE PUBLIC THROUGH STRONG COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MUST REMAIN UNCHANGED.
AND I THINK AS THIS PUBLIC HEARING REFLECTS, THERE'S A DEDICATION TOWARDS THAT INTENT, WHICH I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE.
THE FUTURE OF THE COMMISSION MIGHT REMAIN UNCERTAIN, ALTHOUGH BASED UPON, UH, THE TESTIMONY YOU'LL HEAR TONIGHT, I THINK IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE FOR THAT FUTURE TO BE UNCERTAIN BASED UPON THE GREAT WORK OF THAT G OS AND THE COMMISSIONERS ARE ABLE TO DO WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE TERRA OFFICE AND CITY STAFF STILL, UH, WITH EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP AND CLEAR VISION, UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMISSION BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S FISCAL YEAR, UH, 20 25, 20 26, BUDGET PRIORITIES, UH, WHICH OF COURSE INCLUDE HOMELESSNESS, PREVENTION, HOUSING, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH, CULTURAL ASSETS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND EQUITY.
NOW, MY REMARKS, OF COURSE, ARE, ARE BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A COMMISSIONER AND A CHAIRMAN, UH, MEANT TO PROVIDE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, HISTORICAL PROGRESS, ADDRESS CONCERNS, AND OFFER ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMISSION CONTINUES TO SERVE AS A CRUCIAL LINK BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY POLICY, AND THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF ALL AUSTINITES, UH, PARTICULARLY THOSE, UH, WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY, UH, MARGINALIZED.
UH, SO BEFORE I CONTINUE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY AUDIO IS GOOD AND EVERYONE'S HEARING ME WELL.
THE VOLUME IS A LITTLE LOW, UM, BUT IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE, MAYBE WE CAN ADJUST THAT IN THE ROOM.
I'LL, I'LL DO WHAT I CAN RIGHT QUICK YEAH.
TO ADJUST IT AS WELL, UH, AS I ADJUST THAT, OR ADVANCE RATHER THAN THAT.
AND I CAN HEAR YOU WELL VIRTUALLY,
[00:40:01]
JUST SO THAT HELPS.THEN IF YOU COULD THEN BE YOUR, YOUR YOUR BEST TO HELP THOSE IN THE ROOM.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT LOUDER THOUGH, JUST TO HELP, UH, DO MY PART AS WELL.
UM, UH, W WITH THAT SAID, UH, GO TO, OKAY.
SO, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL SEEING THE SAME THINGS, UH, AS WELL.
UH, ARE YOU ALL SEEING FULL PUBLIC HEARING REMARKS? UM, WE SEE A WORD DOCUMENT WITH IN THE INTRODUCTION HEADER.
GREAT'S, WHAT I WANTED YOU TO SEE THERE, UH, JUST ONE SECOND HERE.
IT BE POSSIBLE TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE TEXT.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
I'M SO GLAD YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT AS WELL.
THIS IS A GOOD CHANCE FOR US TO DIAL THAT IN BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS.
IS THAT BETTER? NO, IT JUST BECAME MORE NARROW
UH, IT SHOULD BE GETTING BETTER NOW.
HOPEFULLY SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THE KEY THING REALLY HERE AT THE KIND OF ADVANCE, SORRY, EVA, THIS, IT JUST WENT AWAY ON, ON OUR END, ALL WE SEE IS A WHITE PAGE.
IT SAYS I'M SHARING, UH, AND I CAN SEE MY SHARE.
SO CAN Y'ALL SEE MY SHARE AS WELL? WE CAN SEE IT NOW.
SOMETHING TELLS ME IT PROBABLY JUST WENT AWAY AGAIN.
I'M GONNA MAKE ONE LAST ATTEMPT HERE, AND THEN WHAT I'LL DO IS JUST, UH, SPEAK TO IT AND I'LL SHARE THIS DOCUMENT AS A COMPANION.
EITHER WAY, I'M GONNA SHARE THIS DOCUMENT AS A COMPANION FOR YOU ALL.
UM, IT'S SMALL, BUT PLEASE, UH, GO AHEAD AND, AND PLEASE PROCEED.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, UH, MY APOLOGIES.
AND I WANNA JUMP INTO, UH, REALLY, UH, UH, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, OUTSIDE OF BEING ABLE TO DO, UH, HAVING TO DO DESKTOP SUPPORT, UH, ON THE FLY, AS WE OFTEN HAVE HAD TO DO IN THE PAST AT COMMISSION MEETINGS, WHICH I'M PROUD OF.
UH, WE'VE DONE A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN THAT, UH, AS A COMMISSIONER AND AS THE CHAIRMAN, I'M PROUD TO SAY WE, UH, BUT I REALLY SPEAK TO THE, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE CURRENTLY KNOWN, UH, TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION.
UH, IT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION.
AND, UH, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION, UH, OF COURSE, BECAUSE, UH, THAT CHANGE IN NAME WAS DESIGNED TO CLARIFY SCOPE, UH, BUT REALLY TO HEIGHTEN THE, THE FOCUS OF THE COMMISSION.
SO THIS COMMISSION HAS DONE A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT I, I THINK THEY CAN REALLY HANG THEIR HATS ON AT, AT LEAST IN MY TENURE.
UH, AND BEFORE, UH, THAT I'LL MENTION HERE, DATING BACK TO 2016, UH, MAJOR POLICY AND FUNDING IMPACTS INCLUDE DOUBLING GTOP S FUNDING TO, TO 400,000, UH, AND ENSURING EQUITABLE AWARDS, UH, THAT SUPPORT THE NONPROFITS, LIKE THE ONES IN THE ROOM THAT YOU'RE HERE FROM TONIGHT, INCLUDING LATA, UH, WHO CAME BEFORE ME.
UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, ACCESSIBILITY FOCUSED WEBSITE UPDATES AND REFRESH, UH, AS WELL AS MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT.
UH, THAT INCLUDES, UH, OTHER VERY IMPORTANT COMMUNITY FACING PROGRAMS, UH, LIKE AUSTIN PUBLIC, UH, WITH OUR LOCAL PUBLIC BROADCASTING EFFORT, UH, WHICH IS, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THE LONGEST, UH, STANDING PUBLIC BROADCASTING, UH, UH, UH, CHANNEL, UH, IN, IN THE STATE, UH, OR MAYBE EVEN, UH, THE COUNTRY.
UH, I THINK PROBABLY JUST THE STATE CONSIDERING THE, THE, THE BIRTHPLACE OF, OF, OF SOME OF THESE THINGS.
BUT THE KEY IS IT'S TIED TO PUBLIC BROADCASTING,
[00:45:01]
UH, SORTED COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS, UH, DATING BACK TO THE 2016 DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN.UH, AND, UH, NEW INITIATIVES, UH, THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY INITIATED AND OR THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY UNDER THE CURRENT LIVING PLAN.
UH, EXAMPLES INCLUDE, UH, TOWN HALLS AND OTHER THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, THAT THE COMMISSION, UH, ADVANCES OR, OR MORE SPECIFICALLY, UH, IT INCLUDES, UH, THE CITY'S COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS, UH, SUPPORTED BY AUSTIN FREENET, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WITHIN OUR COMPUTER LABS AND AT THE DE WITTY CENTER.
THAT'S ANOTHER MAJOR THING, WHICH, OF COURSE, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUPPORT FROM THE COMMISSION DRIVES.
UH, HERE, ANOTHER BIG THING, WHICH I'M VERY PROUD THAT THIS COMMISSION WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN, IS THE TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY OF AUSTIN 2023 BROADBAND AND DIGITAL EQUITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UH, WHICH INCLUDED ADVISORY WORKSHOPS, UH, CO-DESIGN ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH 19 NONPROFITS, UH, TO HOST THE CIRCLES AND TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE IN DIRECT, UH, LIVED EXPERIENCE GATHERING AND, UH, AND AGGREGATION TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE INSIGHTS, UH, BOTH FROM A DATA STANDPOINT ANECDOTALLY, AND ALSO, UH, QUALITATIVELY ACTIVATING THE REGION TO THE DIGITAL INCLUSION, UH, OPPORTUNITIES BEHIND THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT FOR FUNDING, INCLUDING THE BROADBAND EQUITY AND ACCESS DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM, WHICH HAS CURRENT STREAMS THAT I BELIEVE ARE FUNDED UP TO 25 MILLION, UH, FOCUSED ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND OUR CITY.
UH, AND OUR STATE RATHER, UH, CAN BENEFIT FROM.
UH, WE PROVIDED CRITICAL INSIGHTS ON LIVED EXPERIENCES, OF COURSE, OF MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS TO THE BDO, UH, AND TO LOCAL ISPS, UH, AND OTHER, UH, NATIONWIDE PROVIDERS TO ADDRESS COVERAGE GAPS AND DISPARITIES.
IMPORTANTLY, THIS INCLUDES HISTORICAL DYNAMICS, UH, SURFACING UP THE SPECIFICS ABOUT THE 1928 STRATEGIC PLAN AND HOW THAT PLAN CREATED THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN AUSTIN THROUGH INDUSTRIAL ZONING, THROUGH, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE DIVESTMENT AS TECHNOLOGIES WERE, TECHNOLOGIES WERE FOCUSED IN PARTS OF TOWN THAT HAD, UH, FRANKLY NOT BEEN, UH, INDUSTRIALLY ZONED.
AND, AND, AND FRANKLY HAD ALSO BEEN POPULATED, UH, BY CERTAIN ETHNICITIES, UH, THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE PROHIBITIONS OF SEGREGATION, STRATEGIC PROGRAMMING, UH, AND ENGAGEMENT LEADERSHIP.
UH, I KNOW THIS BODY HAS ORGANIZED INNOVATIVE EVENTS AND LET STAKEHOLDER CON, UH, CONVENINGS, INCLUDING THE INAUGURAL DIGITAL DIGITAL INCLUSION STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT AND OUR TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSIONS, UH, UH, THAT WE HOSTED DURING MY TENURE AND, AND DURING, UH, CHAIR AB AKA'S TENURE, AS WELL AS, UH, UH, VICE CHAIR RETO, UH, ADVANCED OPEN DATA AND REMOTE PARTICIPATION AND WORKFORCE POLICIES, INCLUDING THE ONES THAT ENABLED THIS PARTICIPATION TODAY BY ME AND BY THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, THAT DIAL IN TO CITY HALL IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS PUBLIC COMMENT THERE.
UH, SO FOR OUR CRITICAL BUDGET CONVENING AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, THIS BODY HAS BEEN THE SOURCE AND THE INSPIRATION FOR A VARIETY OF AWARDS, INCLUDING NATIONAL AND INDUSTRY RECOGNITION BY THE NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE, RECOGNIZING, UH, WITH THE DIGITAL INCLUSION TRAILBLAZER AWARD, UH, BETWEEN 2016 AND 2022, AS WELL AS THE VISIONARY TRAILBLAZER AWARD.
I WANNA BE CLEAR, THESE AWARDS WERE COLLECTIVE AWARDS GIVEN TO THE COMMUNITY FOR THE ROLE THAT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE PLAYED TO SUPPORT DIGITAL INCLUSION, THAT COMMUNITY CONSISTING OF THE COMMISSION AS PART OF DECA, BUT DECA, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ALL THE NONPROFIT PARTNERS THAT ECOSYSTEM.
THE SAME IS TO BE SAID FOR, UH, THE NATIONAL, UH, ASSOCIATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS AND ADVISORS, UH, NATOA, UH, AND THEIR 2023 DIGITAL EQUITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD.
AND THE COMMUNITY BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL EQUITY INITIATIVE THAT WAS ACTUALLY PART OF, UH, THAT DIGITAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
UH, AND REALLY THE FOUNDATION FOR THAT AWARD, UH, BEING THAT ASSESSMENT.
UH, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE EXAMPLES.
UH, REALLY, AND I CAN'T LIST 'EM ALL 'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK DONE, UH, FOR MY TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, LEADING TO THE CREATION OF A DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, THERE IS TWO PAGES OF THANK YOUS, UH, THAT INCLUDE CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, AND, AND, UH, ENTITIES, UH, ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS, UH, NONPROFITS, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THAT EFFORT, ALL WHICH FRANKLY, STAND BEHIND THE ROLE OF THIS COMMISSION AND WHAT IT DOES, AND, UH, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT IT'S ACHIEVED.
[00:50:01]
SAID, UH, THE WHOLE POINT OF EVALUATION, UH, EVALUATING A SUNSET OPPORTUNITY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS BECAUSE OF A CONCERN ABOUT REDUNDANCIES, UH, OR UNNECESSARY CROSSOVER, UH, WHICH I CAN APPRECIATE FROM AN EFFICIENCY STANDPOINT AS THAT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS CAN CREATE ADDITIONAL WORK.UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, LOOKING AT THE WORK THIS COMMISSION HAS DONE, I HAVE NO PROBLEM STATING THAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN OF UNIQUE VALUE ON ITS OWN, SERVING IN ITS OWN UNIQUE CAPACITY FOCUSED ON C TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
UH, THOSE THINGS THAT WE SPOKE TO AS PART OF THAT CORE NAME THAT WE USED TO HAVE, OR THAT Y'ALL USED TO HAVE, THEY'RE NOW ALL COVERED UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF TECHNOLOGY.
WELL, AS I MENTIONED IN, IN, IN THE INTRODUCTION, UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT ALTHOUGH THE, THE NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED, UH, THAT COMMUNITY REMAINED THE FOCUS OF THIS COMMISSION IN ORDER FOR ITS UNIQUE VALUE TO ALSO BE SUSTAINED.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT THIS BODY CAN MEET THAT, THAT CHALLENGE.
UH, IT, IT DOES SPEAK TO SOME CONCERNS THAT I HAVE NOW, UH, THAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE.
AND I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE TAKEN TO THE SPIRIT OF, OF POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK.
ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THE DECLINE WE HAVE IN DIRECT COMMUNITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH MARGINALIZED AND GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED RESIDENTS.
UH, THIS WILL GIVE THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE COMMISSION A CHANCE, CERTAINLY TO SPEAK TO THEIR PLANS, UH, AND ONGOING EFFORTS.
UH, BUT IT IS A DIRECT CONCERN, UH, THAT I HAVE, UH, PRIMARILY, UH, BECAUSE BEING IN THE COMMUNITY AS I REMAIN ACTIVELY SHINING LIGHT CONSULTING, I'M NOT SEEING AS MUCH ENGAGEMENT.
UH, AND SO I SEE THAT AS A DIRECT OPPORTUNITY.
AND ONE, UH, BASED ON, UH, THE HISTORY DATING BACK 2016, UH, THAT I THINK THE COMMISSION HAD MORE SUCCESS AT, UH, THERE'S GAPS CURRENTLY IN CRITICAL SERVICE AREAS THAT THE COMMISSION IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR AND REMAINS ONE OF MY CONCERNS THAT THIS BODY REMAIN ACTIVE AND STANDALONE TO HELP ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
UH, THOSE CONCERNS INCLUDE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND ACCESS.
THEY INCLUDE WORKFORCE PIPELINES AND, UH, ALIGNMENT TO THE TECH SECTOR FOR WORKFORCE DEMAND AND REGIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING.
UH, THEY INCLUDE DIGITAL LITERACY AND AI READINESS AND EDUCATION.
UH, THEY INCLUDE TELEHEALTH INTEGRATION AND DIGITAL EQUITY STRATEGIES.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IN THE SPIRIT OF THE THINGS HAPPENING AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, THEY INCLUDE LOW CIVIC PARTICIPATION VIA ONLINE TOOLS.
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE THESE GREAT TOOLS, UH, IT'S CONCERN THAT WE DON'T SEE MORE ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH, FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHICH PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UH, AS HAS ALREADY BEEN STATED, UH, WITH SUN SETTING AS, UH, KIND OF A FOCUS, STRATEGIC DRIFT AND POTENTIAL OVERLAP WITH OTHER BOARDS, UH, CAN LEAD TO MISSED OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICY LEADERSHIP.
UH, WHERE AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE THIS MISSION IS RIGHT TO MEET THE CHALLENGE, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE CAN MAKE THE MOST OF THAT.
AND THIS LEADS TO MY RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THAT WE DEEPEN, UH, ENGAGEMENT BY FINDING A WAY TO, UH, OPERATIONALIZE BIANNUAL OR QUARTERLY LISTENING SESSIONS, UH, THAT WE, UH, AND WE MAKE SURE ATTRACT THE OUTCOMES, UH, THAT WE PROMOTE CROSS SECTOR, UH, COLLABORATION, UH, PERHAPS, UH, WITH LIAISONS AND HEALTH, UH, WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION BOARDS, UH, AS WELL AS OF COURSE, ISPS AND EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIPS.
UH, DECA, I THINK IS A NATURAL FIT FOR THAT.
AND I'M PLEASED TO SEE, UH, THE WAYS THAT THE TERRA FSD OFFICE HAS BEEN FINDING ENTRY POINTS FOR, UH, THESE DIFFERENT LANES, UH, ON THOSE CALLS.
UH, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMISSION TO DO SO AS WELL.
CONTINUED POL, UH, POLICY LEADERSHIP, UH, INCLUDING, UH, AN ANNUAL TECH EQUITY AGENDA.
UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE CURRENT ANNUAL PLAN, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THERE IS A, A FOCUS ON THIS, UH, BY THE COMMISSION, AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED, UH, AS WELL AS RAPID POLICY RESPONSE.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, INVITING IN BRIEFINGS AS WAS DONE TODAY, UH, ON, UH, STATE POLICIES THAT IMPACT THINGS.
UH, I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL AND, AND COULD IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNITY BE AIDED IN THEIR EFFORT TO LEARN AND, AND APPRECIATE, UH, UNFETTERED INFORMATION WITHOUT MISINFORMATION EMERGENCY READINESS, SO ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVE OUR READINESS AS A COMMUNITY.
AND THIS INCLUDES DOING THINGS LIKE PROMOTING POP-UP ACTIVATIONS, UH, BY OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESPONSE TEAM.
UH, THEY DO THIS AT THE LIBRARIES AND PARKING LOTS AROUND TOWN.
UH, THESE ARE THE KIND OF ACTIVITIES THAT WE DISCUSSED, UH, BEFORE AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL THAT I THINK SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED.
UH, I'VE SEEN THEM DO THEM AND SCHEDULE THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UH, THE MORE THE MERRIER, UH, AND CERTAINLY, UH, PRESERVING GTOP S AND OR
[00:55:01]
EXPANDING GTOP S TO MAINTAIN THE OVERSIGHT ON EQUITY FOCUSED FUNDING, AS WELL AS TO DIVERSIFY PROGRAMMING IN A WAY THAT IT'S IMPACTFUL AND FEEDS OFF OF INSIGHTS, UH, BASED ON THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.AND THAT THEN BRINGS US TO THE DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, REFRESH, UH, REFRESH, UH, WHICH IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK, TO CENTER, UH, INTERDEPARTMENTAL COOPERATION, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WRAPAROUND SERVICES CAN, CAN REALLY ACTUALLY TOUCH OUR HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS, UH, AND THEN ALIGN WITH THE PRIORITIES FOR HELPING TO MITIGATE HOMELESSNESS, TO AID WITH AFFORDABILITY AND HOUSING, UH, TO TRULY SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, AND EQUITABLE PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, THE USE, EQUITABLE USE AND APPRECIATION FOR OUR PARKS AND CULTURAL ASSETS.
AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, UH, THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS BEEN BUILT UPON A FOUNDATION, AGAIN, UH, BUILT UPON A PLAN THAT WE ADOPTED AT THE CITY LEVEL, UH, TO OPERATIONALIZE SOME OF THESE, UH, DIVIDES, IS TAKEN DIRECTLY HEAD ON.
UH, AND I'M ENCOURAGED BY WHAT I'VE SEEN, UH, IN, UH, THE CONTINUING WORK OF COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, NATASHA HARPER MADISON, IN EVALUATING THE NEEDS OF THE HISTORICALLY AFFECTED EASTERN CRESCENT AS REALLY A TALE OF TWO AREAS, ONE OF WESTERN GENTRIFICATION IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WITH A UNIQUE NEED AND DYNAMIC, ESPECIALLY TO MAINTAIN CULTURE.
AND ONE FOR THOSE IMPACTED WITH DISPLACEMENT IN THE OUTLYING AREAS LIKE COLONY PARK, AND EXPANDED AREAS WHERE YOU EFFECTIVELY HAVE A DIASPORA OF THE ORIGINAL EAST AUSTIN.
UH, THAT, WHICH OF COURSE INCLUDES PFLUGERVILLE AND, AND ROUND BLOCK.
UH, SO WITH THAT, UH, JUST A CLOSING THOUGHT HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMISSION STRUCTURE AND THIS COMMISSION, UH, IT IS REALLY BEEN VE TO MY HEART.
UH, IT'S BEEN A BLESSING TO SERVE THIS AS I TRULY, TRULY FEEL LIKE THIS IS A LABOR OF LOVE AND MY FAITH.
UH, AND, UH, KNOWING THAT, AND KNOWING THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS AND THAT NO ONE'S PROMISED.
UH, MY THOUGHT IS REALLY JUST THAT WHETHER IT OPERATES AS A STANDALONE BODY OR COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS, THAT IT MUST EMPOWER AUSTIN TO EFFECTIVELY HEAR AND UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS OF ALL RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED, UH, AND IN PARTICULAR, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED BECAUSE OF OUR POLICIES AT THE CITY AND STATE LEVEL, RIGHT? ITS MISSION TO ENSURE THAT THE AUSTIN'S INNOVATIONS AND INVESTMENTS BENEFIT EVERYONE.
AND AGAIN, BUILDING OFF OF OUR BOOM AND GROWTH HERE, THAT THE INFLUX IN POPULATION DOESN'T JUST BENEFIT THE NEW PEOPLE THAT MOVE IN, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND THAT ARE BEING DISPLACED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, THAT BY ALIGNING TO THE CITY'S CORE BUDGET PRIORITIES, THAT THE COMMISSION CAN HELP TRANSFORM TECHNOLOGY POLICY INTO CONCRETE BENEFITS THAT ENHANCE THE LIVES OF RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
UH, NEHEMIAH, I, I CAN, I, I CAN TELL ALL OF THE, THE AMAZING WORK AND, AND THOUGHT, UH, THAT YOU PUT INTO, UM, YOUR TESTIMONY TODAY AS WELL AS THE DOCUMENT.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS INCLUDED, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY TAKE YOUR, UM, UH, YOU OFFER A, AN AMAZING HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE SERVING ON THE COMMISSIONER MUCH LONGER THAN THAN MYSELF.
UM, SO WE APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THAT PIECE.
AND THEN AS A FEEDBACK, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING AS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COMMISSION CAN ALWAYS STRIVE TO DO MORE AND DO BETTER.
UM, BUT I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, TAKING THEIR EVENING AND, UM, THEIR EXPERTISE AND DEVOTING THEM TO THE COMMISSION AND, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT YES, THIS IS A GOOD REMINDER TO, TO REGROUND OURSELVES.
AND, UM, YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR THE TIME.
SO WITH THAT, UM, WE DO HAVE MICHAEL WARD FROM AUTUMN HQ IN THE ROOM, AND, UH, I WILL GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO HIM NEXT.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BACK HERE.
I THINK IT'S MY FIRST TIME BEING HERE THIS YEAR.
UH, BUT I KNOW I WAS HERE LAST YEAR, SO IT WAS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO RECONNECT.
UH, BUT I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AUSTIN URBAN TECHNOLOGY MOVEMENT THAT ACTUALLY JUST REBRANDED TO UNIVERSAL TECH MOVEMENT.
UM, SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, BUT ALSO GIVE CREDIT TO G OS AND THE
[01:00:01]
OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOR SUPPORTING OUR WORK SINCE 2021, UM, UNTIL NOW, 2025.SO DEFINITELY LOVE THE WORK, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH THE SUPPORT OF YOU ALL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DONE.
UM, SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH OUR ANNUAL REPORT JUST TO SHOW YOU ALL SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WORK THAT WE DO ALL AROUND GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE TECH SPACE.
UM, SO OUR MAIN FOCUS AT UNIVERSAL TECH MOVEMENT IS TO REMOVE ANY BARRIER THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO ENTER THE TECH SPACE, THRIVE ACROSS THE INDUSTRY, AND BECOME ENGAGED TECHIES.
SO WHETHER THAT'S INTERNSHIPS, CERTIFICATES, APPRENTICESHIPS ON THE JOB, TRAINING, PROJECT-BASED LEARNING, UM, CREDENTIALS, YOU NAME IT, WE LEAN INTO THAT SO THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN GET INTO THE TECH SPACE AND THEN MOVE UP ANYWHERE INSIDE THE SPACE.
AND FOR US, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TECH INDUSTRY, WE MEAN EITHER WORK IN TECH, USE TECH, OR BUILD TECH.
IF YOU DO ANY ONE OF THOSE, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE IN A TECH SPACE.
HEY, I'M SO SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE, IT KEEPS GOING IN AND OUT FOR ME.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S THE SAME FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE VIRTUAL.
YEAH, I HEAR IT GO IN AND OUT VIRTUALLY AS WELL.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? MM, STILL THE SAME, KIND OF IN AND OUT LIKE CHAIR
YEAH, GIVE US ONE MOMENT TO TROUBLESHOOT.
HOW'S MY VOICE COMING THROUGH? YOU'RE FINE, YOU'RE FINE.
IS THIS BETTER? IS TESTING, TESTING ONE, TWO.
ARE WE GOOD? I'M, I'M GONNA SAY, I'M GONNA ASSUME SO.
OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE.
CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? ALL RIGHT, PERFECT.
SO THIS IS OUR 2024 ANNUAL REPORT.
UM, THIS HIGHLIGHTS, THE, THE FIRST NUMBER THERE IS 7 34 THAT SHOWS HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS JUST REACHED OUT TO US FOR OUR SERVICES.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE CANNOT SERVE EVERY SINGLE PERSON REACH OUT TO US.
UH, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN GROWING YEAR OVER YEAR.
WE STARTED ABOUT A HUNDRED, THEN 200, THEN ABOUT THREE 50, THEN BY 500 NOW.
AND WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO, TO A THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
THEY REALLY BREAK DOWN ACROSS THREE DIFFERENT BUCKETS.
UH, ONE IS AROUND TRAINING, RIGHT? INDIVIDUALS COMING TO US FOR TRAINING, SOME INDIVIDUALS COME FOR, FOR JOB PLACEMENT, BUT THEN A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS ARE COMING US FOR DIGITAL EQUITY.
SO DIGITAL EQUITY, THAT MEANS DEVICES, INTERNET ASSISTANCE, FOUNDATION, COMPUTER SKILLS, UH, MORE DIGITAL LITERACY TRAINING, WHICH IS OUR FULL ON OR EIGHT TO 10 WEEK PROGRAM.
SO HERE GOES SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE'VE HAD ON OUR SIDE.
UM, SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE SEE IS THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE COMING TO US AND GETTING CREDENTIALS.
UH, THE MORE CREDENTIALS THAT YOU GET INSIDE THE TECH SPACE, THE MORE LIKELIHOOD, UH, YOU ARE TO GET JOBS, MOVE UP, MOVE UP ACROSS THE SPACE, AND SEE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S HERE IN AUSTIN, HERE IN TEXAS, OR EVEN OUTSIDE.
UM, SO WE LOVE THE FACT THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE INCREASING THEIR NUMBER OF HOURS, THEIR CERTIFICATES, AND NOT JUST GOING INTO THE TYPICAL, LET'S SAY, SOFTWARE DEVELOPING TRACK.
UH, BUT INDIVIDUALS COME TO US FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, DATA ANALYTICS, CYBERSECURITY.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OVER 25 DIFFERENT PATHWAYS INSIDE THE TECH SPACE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE INCREASE IN INSERTS WITH, WITH THE INCREASE IN CREDENTIALS, UH, WE SEE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS GETTING JOBS AS WELL.
AND ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS I LOVE ON OUR SIDE IS THAT WE'VE HAD AN INCREASE OF THE AVERAGE SALARY OF OUR CLIENTS, OF MORE THAN $40,000.
UM, I, I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE THAT I'M GONNA INVITE TO COME AND SIT NEXT TO ME.
SO WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
UH, AND I'LL JUST HAND IT OFF TO ANOTHER MICHAEL TO QUICKLY INTRODUCE HIMSELF BEFORE WE CONTINUE.
I AM THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSAL TECH MOVEMENT.
UH, I'VE GOT A BACKGROUND IN TRAINING.
I OWNED A TRAINING SCHOOL FOR 20 YEARS HERE IN AUSTIN.
I SOLD TO GOODWILL AND I CONSIDER MYSELF A RESIDENT EXPERT AT TRAINING AND HELPING PEOPLE GET JOBS.
AND I'VE SEEN, UH, AND I'VE ACTUALLY DONE THE DIGITAL LITERACY TRAINING.
I'VE TRAINED PROBABLY ABOUT 75, 80 PEOPLE, AND WE'VE JUST SEEN AN INCREASE IN THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, INCREASE IN THEIR BELIEF IN THEMSELVES.
UH, THEY CONTINUE TO EMAIL US THREE OR FOUR MONTHS, SIX MONTHS AFTER CLASS IS OVER WITH.
THEY LEARN HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR FAMILY AND THE GENERATIONS, UH, BECAUSE NOW THEY CAN CONNECT WITH THEM AND JUST THEIR SELF-ESTEEM.
I I TELL YOU ONE THING WAS REALLY PRETTY POWERFUL.
WE DID A TRAINING FOR HAKA AND THERE WAS A LADY IN A WHEELCHAIR AND HER DAUGHTER CAME TO GRADUATION AND WE WERE GRADUATING THEM.
AND SHE GOT UP OUT OF HER WHEELCHAIR AND WALKED UP TO RECEIVE HER GRADUATION CERTIFICATE.
AND THAT'S WHAT KIND OF LIFT THAT WE GET FROM PEOPLE.
THIS IS CHANGING PEOPLE'S LIVES IN A TREMENDOUS WAY.
I WISH I WOULD'VE KNOWN ABOUT IT SOONER, BUT IT'S A FANTASTIC PROGRAM
[01:05:01]
THAT I THINK NEEDS TO BE AROUND FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.AND THAT IS DEFINITELY A TESTAMENT TO GT OS, BUT ALSO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITH, WITH THE ED DEPARTMENT AND WE LOVE IT.
AND IT ALLOWS US TO REALLY JUST OPEN UP MORE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE COMING FROM DIGITAL EQUITY, THEY'RE DEFINITELY SEEPING INTO TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT, RIGHT? ONCE WE ADDRESS ANY BARRIER ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE, THEN YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, EXCITEMENT APP HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE START TO THINK ABOUT OTHER THINGS THEY COULD DO INSIDE THE TECH SPACE TO REALLY GET TO THAT INCREASE IN SALARY.
UH, BUT ALSO TO HELP THEM GET OUT, YOU KNOW, LIVING IN POVERTY, HELP THEM INCREASE, UM, THEIR OPPORTUNITIES THEY HAVE, AND ALSO GET ALL FOR GOVERNMENT BENEFITS SO THAT THEY CAN BE SELF-SUSTAINING ON THEIR SIDE.
SO HERE'S ONE THING TO HIGHLIGHT.
UH, WE, YOU KNOW, USED TO BE AUSTIN URBAN TECHNOLOGY MOVEMENT, AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS WE WOULD GET IS, HEY, ARE YOU ONLY IN AUSTIN? UM, AND NO, WE'RE NOT JUST IN AUSTIN.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN 20 STATES AND SEVEN COUNTRIES, UH, WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL TO JUST SHOW THE IMPACT THAT WE'VE DONE.
UH, BUT OF COURSE, OUR HEADQUARTERS IN HERE IN AUSTIN, RIGHT? SO THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE THE STRONGEST ECOSYSTEM.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR EVENTS HERE, A LOT OF OUR PROGRAMMING HERE, A LOT OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS HERE.
UH, ONE OF THE MAIN FOCUSES THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS YEAR IS TO EXPAND, UH, TO OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN ABOUT 106 ZIP CODES, UM, ACROSS TEXAS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
I I LOVE THAT GROWTH, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE AREAS THAT WE CAN'T ENGAGE WITH HERE IN AUSTIN FOR SURE, BUT EVEN OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, UM, TO REALLY LEAN INTO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ACROSS TEXAS TO REALLY HAVE A MOVEMENT FORWARD.
AND THEN THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE OTHER AREAS OF THE OTHER COUNTRIES.
UH, WE KNOW THAT AUSTIN HAS SISTER COUNTRIES.
AUSTIN HAS SISTER CITIES, RIGHT? UH, SO WE'RE DEFINITELY THINKING ABOUT THAT AS YOU LOOK AT SIMILARITIES BETWEEN DIFFERENT REGIONS SO THAT WE CAN LEAN INTO THAT.
UM, AND THIS YEAR, I WANNA SAY WE'VE DONE THE MOST WORK IN THE RURAL AREA AS WELL, GIVEN THE WORK WE'VE DONE WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS WITH GOODWIN UNITED WAY AND, AND THE RURAL AREA BEING RIGHT UP THE BLOCK AND A COUPLE OF COUNTIES OVER, WE'VE BEEN LEADING MORE INTO THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT RIGHT, CONNECTED TO TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, SO THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR DEMOGRAPHICS, WE ARE 80% BLACK AND HISPANIC, UH, WHICH HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN OUTSIDE OF THE TECH SPACE, OR HAS SIGNIFICANTLY BEEN UNDER JUST THE POPULATION SIZE ACROSS THE US.
UH, SO ON OUR END, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR DEMOGRAPHICS, LOOK AT OUR PARTNERSHIPS, LOOK AT THOSE WHO ARE GRAVITATING TOWARDS US, IS DEFINITELY THOSE THAT ARE BLACK AND HISPANIC, BUT WE DON'T DISCRIMINATE.
UH, WE HAVE A GOOD NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE RIGHT, THAT ARE MULTIRACIAL, THAT ARE ASIAN, THAT ARE PACIFIC ISLANDER, THAT ARE COMING AND LEVERAGING OUR SERVICES SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES INSIDE THE TECH SPACE AND FIND OPPORTUNITIES INSIDE THAT MIX.
UM, HERE GOES MORE DEMOGRAPHICS AS FAR AS OUR AGE, OUR GENDER AND ORIENTATION.
UH, SO ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT UNIVERSAL TECH MOVEMENT IS THAT WE REALLY DO MAKE UP THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, ABOUT 30% OF OUR AUDIENCE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 26, ABOUT 30% BETWEEN 27 AND 36, AND ANOTHER 30% BETWEEN 37 UP TO 60.
AND NOW BECAUSE OF OUR INCREASE IN DIGITAL LITERACY TRAINING AND DIGITAL EQUITY SERVICES AND ALSO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
SO MORE RELATIONS WITH SCHOOLS, WITH INSTITUTIONS, EVEN LIKE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO SEEING MORE RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE OVER THE AGE OF 60, AS MICHAEL BROWN SPOKE ABOUT HAWKER PROGRAMS, RIGHT? WE HAVE A PROGRAM RIGHT NOW CALLED COMMUNITY CATALYST, WHERE THAT TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC IS PREDOMINANTLY, YOU KNOW, ELDERLY, PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC, PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME, PREDOMINANTLY NOT ENGAGE IN TECHNOLOGY, UH, BUT WE HAVE THEIR PROGRAM SO THEY CAN LEVERAGE MORE, MORE TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR DAY TO DAY.
ALL RIGHT? SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST FOCUSES WITH OUR COMMUNITY CATALYST PROGRAM AT HAKA IS ALLOW THEM TO BE COMFORTABLE LEVERAGING DEVICES IN THEIR HEALTHCARE, IN THEIR FINANCES, IN THEIR ENGAGING WITH CITY SERVICES THAT A LOT OF THOSE ARE ONLINE, BUT IF YOU'RE NOW PLUGGED TO ONLINE, YOU'RE MISSING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, RIGHT? SO I LOVE THE DIVERSITY IN OUR AGE GROUP THAT JUST SHOWS THAT ANYONE CAN COME TO UNIVERSAL TECH MOVEMENT AND WE COULD GIVE YOU THE PATHWAY TO BE INSIDE THE TECH SPACE.
UM, OUR AGENDA NUMBERS HAVE DEFINITELY SHIFTED OVER THE YEARS.
UH, WANT TO SAY WE'VE, WE STARTED ABOUT 50, 60% OF FEMALE, UM, SINCE THEN.
WE'VE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SAY EVENED OUT A LITTLE BIT BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE, AND EVEN SOME THAT ARE NON-BINARY OR PREFER NOT, NOT TO, UM, GENDER CONFORM.
AND THEN WE HAVE ORIENTATION AS WELL THERE TO SHOW THAT ONCE AGAIN, WE DON'T DISCRIMINATE, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SERVICES, LOOKING FOR SUPPORT, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR BACKGROUND IS, WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT YOUR INCOME LEVEL IS, WE CAN SUPPORT YOUR OVERALL JOURNEY INSIDE THE TECH SPACE, WHETHER IT'S ENTRY LEVEL, MID-LEVEL, OR SENIOR LEVEL.
UH, RIGHT? SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THAT, WHERE YOU FALL ON THE SPECTRUM, WE HAVE A PATHWAY FOR INSIDE THE SPACE.
OUR STARTING INCOME FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS.
SO IN ONE OF OUR HIGHLIGHT SLIDES, YOU SAW EARLIER IT SHOWED THAT THE AVERAGE INCOME INCREASE IS 40,000.
AND WHAT THAT HIGHLIGHTS IS THAT MAJORITY OF
[01:10:01]
THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE SERVING MAKE LESS THAN $13,000 A YEAR.MORE THAN 50% OF OUR AUDIENCE MAKE LESS THAN 50,000 A YEAR, AND MORE THAN 80% OF OUR AUDIENCE, UH, MAKE LESS THAN 75,000 A YEAR.
UM, SO WE ARE TARGETING THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED.
WE'RE TARGETING THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY ON SOME TYPE OF BENEFITS, SOME TYPE OF, SOME TYPE OF SERVICE SUPPORT, RIGHT? WHERE THEY NEED THAT SUPPORT SO THAT WE CAN MOVE THEM AND CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE AVERAGE WAGE INSIDE THE TECH SPACE, WHICH IS 145,000, RIGHT? THAT'S JUST ACROSS THE BOARD.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S TECHNICAL OR NON-TECHNICAL.
IF YOU'RE WORKING IN TECH, THE AVERAGE SIZE IS 145.
IT HAS WENT UP SINCE INFLATION, BUT 1 45 IS A NICE ROUND NUMBER.
AND PEOPLE LOOK TOWARDS, AS YOU THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CAREER JOURNEYS INSIDE THE SPACE.
AND THEN HERE GOES SOME ADDITIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS.
UM, SO WE PRE WE PREDOMINANTLY WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT LOOKING TO THE ENTER THE TECH SPACE OR MOVE UP, RIGHT? BUT THEN WHEN WE START LOOKING DEEPER INTO THE INDIVIDUALS, WE REALIZE THAT SOME ARE, UM, SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE VETERANS, SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE DISABILITIES, MAJORITY OF OUR AUDIENCE DON'T HAVE COLLEGE DEGREES.
UM, SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS, RIGHT? SO WE ARE REALLY TARGETING THE NON-TRADITIONAL PATHWAY, I WOULD SAY MORE SO THAN THE TRADITIONAL PATHWAY, BUT OF COURSE ALL OF THAT IS WITHIN OUR OVERALL COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND AN OVERALL ECOSYSTEM THAT WE'RE BUILDING TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THAT INDIVIDUAL PERSON AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THEM PLUG IN TO THE MOVEMENT.
AND THEN, YEAH, I, I CAN, YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS.
SO THIS JUST HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THAT WE ARE A TEXT COMPANY, RIGHT? SO WE DO A LOT OF THINGS ONLINE.
UM, SO ALL OF OUR EVENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN, WE STREAM THOSE ACROSS, ACROSS THE, UM, INTERNET.
SO REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE, WE COULD GET PLUGGED INTO THAT.
WE HAVE OUR WEBSITE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE FILTER THROUGH TO GET PLUGGED INTO US, BUT OUR IN-PERSON EVENTS ALSO ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET CONNECTED WITH US, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT ONLINE, IF YOU'RE NOT CONNECTED, A TEXT MESSAGE, SO YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, RIGHT? AND OUR STARTING POINT IS ONE OF OUR IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES COMING TO OUR OFFICE, YOU KNOW, PICKING UP THE PHONE AND CALLING US OR ENGAGING WITH US IN THAT WAY SO THAT YOU CAN BE MORE COMFORTABLE AND MORE PREPARED AND SUPPORTED TO THEN ENGAGE WITH ANYTHING ELSE ONLINE, WHETHER IT'S AROUND EVENT, WHETHER IT'S ON A TRAINING PROGRAM, WHETHER IT'S NO JOB CLIPS AND ASSISTANCE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
AND THEN, UH, I'LL STOP HERE, IS THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR OVERALL ONLINE AND IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT, UM, IT'S MORE THAN 12,000 IN 2024, UH, THAT NUMBER CONTINUES TO INCREASE, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT, WITH OUR REACH OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, EXPANDING ACROSS TEXAS AND ALSO SPANNING TO, TO ACROSS THE GLOBE.
UM, SO VERY EXCITED FOR THE SUPPORT OF G TOPS.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON GT TOPS MINI.
WE'VE BEEN ON GT TOPS CORE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, GT TOPS MINI ON AND OFF THE PAST TWO, THREE YEARS AS WELL.
AND EXCITES US CONTINUE BUILDING ON THIS WORK, AND WE'LL BE EXPANDING, GIVING THE NEED RIGHT NOW IN AUSTIN, RIGHT? MORE AND MORE COMPANIES ARE MOVING HERE.
HOWEVER, THERE, THERE'S A LACK OF TRAINING PATHWAYS THAT CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO ALL OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, RIGHT? HENCE THE INFRASTRUCTURE ACADEMY THAT WAS JUST CREATED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, HENCE THE NEW PROGRAMS THAT A C IS LAUNCHING.
LIKE, LIKE THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE OF THESE SERVICES TO CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO JOBS THAT ARE BEING CREATED.
AND I DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT AI, RIGHT? AI JUST AMPLIFIED ALL OF THAT BECAUSE EVERY JOB THAT'S BEEN CREATED NOW, JUST BEING CREATED AGAIN WITH AI ON TOP OF IT,
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MICHAEL.
IT'S SO, UH, YOU'VE, YOU'VE BEEN TO, TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY TO THIS COMMISSION A NUMBER OF TIMES SINCE I'VE BEEN ON IT.
SO IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE HOW, UH, THE ALL OF YOUR PROGRAMS HAVE CONTINUED TO EVOLVE AND SORT OF, NOT ONLY AUSTINITES, BUT MORE BROADLY ACROSS THE, THE COUNTRY, AND PARTICULARLY EVEN THE WORLD FOR SURE AS WELL.
UM, I'M CURIOUS, SO JUST TO TIE IT, TIE IT BACK TO THE AGENDA ITEM, AND YOU REFERENCED IT A NUMBER OF TIMES.
I AM CURIOUS JUST TO, UH, IF YOU DO HAVE ANY QUANTITATIVE METRICS AROUND G TOPS SPECIFICALLY, MAYBE YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SPECIFIC, UH, PROJECTS OR PROGRAMS THAT GTOP S HAS HELPED TO FUND OR PROVIDE IMPACT, UH, ON WITHIN, UH, WITHIN AUTUMN HQ.
SO NOW IS UNIVERSAL TECH MOVEMENT, UTM, UH, BUT I'LL HAND IT OFF TO MICHAEL TO SHARE 'CAUSE IT'LL DEFINITELY GIVE SOME, SOME LIVING TESTIMONIES, RIGHT? IN CASES.
UH, BUT YEAH, BUT GTOP S DEFINITELY DIRECTLY CONNECTS TO ALL OF OUR DIGITAL LITERACY CLASSES.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE MENTIONED COMMUNITY CATALYST, WHICH IS ONE, AND THAT WAS KIND OF OUR, UH, I WANT TO SAY OUR REAL START IN DOING DIGITAL C CLASSES.
UH, BUT SINCE THEN WE'VE CONNECTED WITH PCC AND WE'VE DONE CLASS WITH PCC, DONE A CLASS WITH GOODWILL, AND THEN A CLASS WITH UNITED WAY.
UM, SO SINCE WE STARTED GTOP S IN 2021, I WANNA BELIEVE, UM, THAT WE'VE TOPPED OVER 50 INDIVIDUALS SPECIFICALLY WITH DIGITAL LITERACY TRAINING.
AND THEN SINCE THEN WE'VE BEAT, WE EXPANDED BEYOND THAT TO PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS GOING THROUGH TECHNICAL TRAINING, RIGHT? SO WE'VE LOVED INDIVIDUALS STARTING FROM DIGITAL LITERACY
[01:15:01]
AND THEN MOVING INTO THAT TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAM SO THEY CAN GET THE JOB SUPPORT AND GET THE JOB AS ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED AS WELL.UH, SO GT TOPS HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN, UM, MONUMENTAL IN GIVING THAT SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BLOWN UP TO, YOU KNOW, SERVING MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE A YEAR, RIGHT? AND, AND THAT'S THE GROWTH THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE.
AND GT TOPS HAVE ALLOWED US TO DO THAT.
UH, BUT MICHAEL, YEAH, UM, JUST REALLY, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE LAST YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH UNIVERSAL TECH MOVEMENT THAT I'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE AVAILABLE, BUT TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMEBODY FROM THE START TO THE FINISH, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM COMPUTER THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM INTERNET CAPABILITY THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE, AND THEN TRAIN 'EM IN DIGITAL LITERACY ENOUGH SO THEN YOU CAN TAKE 'EM TO OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING.
AND SO NOW THEY, THEY NOT ONLY GET THE COMPUTER, THEY GET THE INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, THEY GET DIGITAL LITERACY TRAINING, AND THEN THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES.
AND NOW YOU CAN GO THROUGH A PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, A PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION LIKE IT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OR AI DEVELOPER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THEY DO THAT, THEY GET THAT PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION, AND WITH OUR PROCESSES AND JOB PLACEMENT, WE HAVE SOME CONNECTIONS, ET CETERA.
WE HELP THEM WITH THEIR RESUME.
WE HELP THEM WITH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE BEEN IN TECH, HELP THEM PRIME 'EM.
WE EVEN HAVE A, A, A TECH DEPARTMENT WHERE WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT WE WORK ON.
SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY LIVE PROJECTS, WE'LL PUT 'EM ON, THEY CAN WORK ON THE SKILL SETS, ET CETERA, GET THE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION, GO TO A JOB PLACEMENT DEPARTMENT, AND THEN HELP 'EM WITH THE INTERVIEWS.
AND THEN THEY START GETTING JOBS.
AND IT'S JUST REALLY EXCITING TO SEE SOMEBODY COMING IN MAYBE HAS, DOESN'T BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES, DON'T EVER BELIEVE THAT THEY COULD BE A, A PRIMARY BREADWINNER OR, OR, OR AN INCOME EARNER.
GO FROM THAT TO GET UP TO, TO WALK UP TO GET THEIR GRADUATION CERTIFICATE.
THEN BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, UH, GIVE THEM SOME, UH, OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING.
THEY BE, DO THAT ON THEIR OWN.
GET A PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU SEE 'EM A COUPLE WEEKS LATER, THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN A PROFESSIONAL JOB.
SO IT'S JUST THE WHOLE PATHWAY, THE WHOLE PROCESS IS INCREDIBLE TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU INVEST IN PEOPLE.
AND WHAT I DO BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN TRAINING FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, SINCE, UH, 1999 AND IN AUSTIN 1999.
AND, AND I THINK SOMETIMES WE HAVE THE OPINION THAT WE NEED TO GO OVERSEAS TO GET OUR TALENT, WHEN OUR TALENT IS RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF US.
AND WE JUST NEED TO BELIEVE IN OURSELVES AND OUR PEOPLE AND INVEST IN THEM.
AND MINE THE TALENT FROM THIS AREA, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE, HAVE THE DESIRE, HAVE THE HOPE, AND HAVE THE CAPACITY.
WE JUST HAVEN'T CHECKED THEIR CAPACITY TO DO THIS IF SOMEBODY BELIEVES IN THEM.
SO I REALLY BELIEVE IN THIS PROGRAM BIG TIME.
AND, AND I'LL JUST ADD TO ONE THING TO THAT IS, UH, WE ARE PARTICIPANTS OF THE TWO GEN COALITION.
SO I'M ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE WITH UNITED WAY.
AND UNITED WAY, HAVE REALLY REBRANDED AND SHAPED THEIR MOTTO ALL AROUND ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT.
AND WHAT THAT HAS OPENED UP IS A LOT MORE WORK WITH FAMILIES AROUND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL LITERACY, OF COURSE, CHILDCARE SERVICES, CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE.
'CAUSE THAT HAS BEEN A BARRIER TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT IT REALLY HAS ALLOWED US TO ENGAGE IN MORE FAMILIES, RIGHT? SO I LOVE NOW THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAINING A PARENT, WE'RE ALSO TRAINING THE THE CHILD, RIGHT? AND NOW, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT AGE THEY'RE AT, BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER IN TANDEM TO GO THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE A DEVICE TO A STUDENT WHO'S IN SCHOOL AND A DEVICE TO A PARENT WHO IS STUDYING FOR AN EXAM OR TRYING TO GET, TRYING TO GET A JOB, WE SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES OPEN UP WITH THEM.
AND WHEN PEOPLE START TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT BENEFITS, NOW WE CAN HELP THEM, YOU KNOW, REGISTER FOR THOSE BENEFITS OR THEY COULD DO IT THEMSELVES BECAUSE NOW THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SO.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU JUST GIVE SOMEONE THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES, WE SEE WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO, AND WE THEN OF COURSE, THEY START TALKING, YOU KNOW, TO THEIR FRIENDS, TALKING TO THEIR NEIGHBORS.
AND NOW MORE AND MORE REFERRALS THAT ARE COMING ALL AROUND, DIGITAL LITERACY BEING THE GATEWAY INTO MORE TECHNICAL TRAINING, INTO MORE JOB PLACEMENT INTO THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE DIGITAL EQUITY COMPONENT, IF YOU'RE NOT FOCUSING ON THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS AND DIGITAL LITERACY, WELL THEN PEOPLE ARE AREN'T GOING TO BE MORE INTERESTED INSIDE OF THE TECH SPACE, RIGHT? LIKE, WE HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF JOBS, BUT NOT EVERYBODY'S INTERESTED OR HAVE THE SKILLS FOR THOSE JOBS.
SO LET'S GET PEOPLE INTERESTED, LET'S GET THEM THE SKILLS, GIVE 'EM THE EXPERIENCE, AND THEN WE'LL REALLY START TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE JOBS THAT ARE UNFILLED TO GET FILLED BECAUSE NOW PEOPLE ARE ALREADY LOCALLY TO GET THOSE JOBS.
WELL, UTM, IT'S GONNA TAKE A, IT IS GONNA TAKE A WHILE TO MAKE THE SHIFT OH YEAH.
TO HAVE, HAVE THE SHIFT IN, IN MY BRAIN.
BUT, UM, I LOVE THE REBRANDING.
AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT, THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE REST OF THE COMMISSION?
I'M A NEWER COMMISSIONER, SO IT'S NICE TO SEE HOW THAT MONEY IS, YOU KNOW, THAT FUNDING IS COMING THROUGH AND THERE'S REAL HUMAN STORIES AT THE END OF IT, SO THAT'S REALLY GREAT TO SAY.
COMMISSIONER COMBY, UH, YEAH, I'M, I'M ALSO FAIRLY NEW TO THE COMMISSION HERE.
I, YOU MENTIONED WORKING WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS GROUPS
[01:20:01]
WITHIN THE CITY, AND I'M CURIOUS HOW OUR FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY AND EQUITY ISSUES HAS MADE IT KIND OF EASIER TO WORK WITH US OR JUST, YOU KNOW, MADE THE KIND OF PROJECTS WE DO MORE EFFECTIVE.SO I WOULD GIVE A SHOUT TO DECA.
SO WE'RE PART, WE'RE MEMBERS OF THE DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT COMMUNITY OF BOSTON.
AND DECA REALLY DOES, UH, PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONNECT WITH OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE LEANING INTO THIS SPACE, RIGHT? SO WITH DECA, IT ALLOWED US TO CONNECT DEEPER INTO G OS AND LEVERAGE THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY PC PROGRAM THAT YOU ALL HAVE, GET CONNECTED WITH AUSTIN FREENET.
WE HAVE A LOT OF COLLABORATIONS WITH AUSTIN FREENET.
WE LOVE THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
UM, SHOUT OUT TO LANITA, WHERE EARLIER WE DO A GREAT WORK WITH THEM AS WELL.
SO DECA AND J OS ALLOWED EVERYONE ELSE INSIDE THE ECOSYSTEM TO BE MORE STRATEGIC, RIGHT? AND SAY, OKAY, WELL, HOW CAN WE SHARE RESOURCES? HOW CAN WE HAVE A DEEPER IMPACT? RIGHT? IF YOU'RE DOING AN EVENT OR YOU'RE DOING A CLASS, HOW CAN WE PARTNER ON THAT SO WE CAN HAVE A DI A BIGGER IMPACT AND LEVERAGE RESOURCES FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WOULD SHARE.
THE SECOND THING IS, YOU MENTIONED LIKE THE OTHER COMMISSIONS, RIGHT? SO I'VE CONNECTED TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMISSIONS, I CONNECTED THE EQUITY COMMISSIONS, I CONNECT TO HISPANIC COMMISSIONS, RIGHT? AND SHARED WITH THEM, HEY, LIKE THIS IS THE WORK THAT THE CITY IS ALREADY SUPPORTING, RIGHT? IN SOME CAPACITY.
LIKE, YOU CAN ALSO BE A PART OF THAT FOR YOUR SPECIFIC AREA, YOUR SPECIFIC REGION, YOUR SPECIFIC FOCUS.
AND WE DO THE SAME THING FOR CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? HEY, CITY COUNCIL, YOU ARE THESE AREAS, YOU ARE IN THE ZIP CODES.
WELL, THIS IS A, AN ALIGNMENT, RIGHT? WITH THE CITY, EITHER ON A GTOP S LEVEL OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEVEL, OR JUST AN OVERALL PRIORITY.
'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LOCAL PEOPLE HERE, RIGHT? UM, SO BECAUSE OF THAT, IT GETS MORE BUY-IN, RIGHT? 'CAUSE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, OKAY, WELL I, I COULD SEE HOW THAT PLUGS INTO MY AREA, MY ZIP CODE, MY, MY PEOPLE NOW LIKE, LET'S AMPLIFY, RIGHT? SO HOW CAN WE GIVE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY OF BOSTON? HOW CAN WE GIVE FEEDBACK BACK TO THE TELE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION, RIGHT? HOW CAN WE REALLY BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW WE'VE REACHED OUR MILESTONES, RIGHT? AND LESS PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN POVERTY AND MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING JOBS INSTEAD OF TECH SPACE, RIGHT? SO, AND I THINK THAT'S HOW, LIKE EVEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT ACADEMY KIND OF CAME AROUND TALKING ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY BASED OFF OF THE GAP IN TECHNOLOGY.
VICE CHAIR, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I THOUGHT I SAW YOU RAISE YOUR HAND.
JUST AGAIN, THANKS FOR THIS, THIS IS GREAT, UH, TO SEE ALL OF THIS.
REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT.
THANKS FOR SPENDING YOUR EVENING WITH US AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING EVEN MORE ON GT OS AND, AND OTHERWISE FOR SURE.
AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO.
UH, 'CAUSE WITHOUT YOU, ALL RIGHT, A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS WOULDN'T HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, RIGHT? TO CONTINUE DOING PROGRAMMING.
WITH THAT, UM, I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING LONG, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, GO TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER, LEONI FROM OPEN AUSTIN LEONI, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
AND YOU ARE STILL ON THE SHAKY MIC, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO SWITCH SPOTS, BUT, OOH, I GOTTA ALLOW VIDEO AND I'M SHOWING UP.
HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS LEONI LAI.
AND I LIKE STEVEN COMMISSIONER APODACA SAID, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OPEN AUSTIN.
SO I'LL BRIEFLY SHARE WHAT OPEN AUSTIN IS ABOUT, AND THEN ALSO HOW THE TECH COMMISSION HAS SUPPORTED OPEN AUSTIN, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR MANY YEARS AND ALSO SINGLE YEAR OF EXISTENCE.
SO, OPEN AUSTIN IS A CIVIC TECH GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION THAT EQUIPS ADVOCATES.
THE FIRST IS, IS EQUIP ADVOCATES WITH HARD TO FIND DATA OR BUILD DIGITAL SERVICES FOR THEM.
BUT THROUGH THAT, THROUGH DOING THAT WORK, AND TO PICK A PHRASE THAT MICHAEL BROWN USED OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING, THROUGH DOING THAT CONSULTING WORK, OUR MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS UPSKILL THEMSELVES.
THEY'RE UNDERREPRESENTED TECHNOLOGISTS THAT UPSKILL THEMSELVES SO THAT THEY CAN DEVELOP THE HARD AND SOFT SKILLS IN ORDER TO GET THOSE HIGH WAGE JOBS.
AND THIS HAS, THESE ARE TWO LAYERS OF IMPACT.
AND THE THIRD LONG TERM, WHICH IS ALSO WHAT THE TECH COMMISSION IS DRIVING TOWARDS, WHICH IS WE KNOW THAT TECH SOCIETY AND DIGITAL SOCIETY IS SOCIETY.
AND SO IN ORDER TO COMBAT UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AND MISREPRESENTATION, THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE TECH, ESPECIALLY SINCE AUSTIN IS A TECH HUB, BE COMPRISED OF UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES.
AND SO I WILL RATTLE OFF A FEW STATS REALLY QUICKLY.
THE AUSTIN AREA IS MADE OF 50% WOMEN AND 52% PEOPLE OF COLOR.
HOWEVER, AUSTIN TECH CONSISTS OF 20% WOMEN AND 37% PEOPLE OF COLOR ON THE FLIP SIDE.
AND TO THAT END, OPEN AUSTIN'S VOLUNTEER BASE, WHICH CONSISTS OF 25 TO 30 PRODUCT TEAM MEMBERS,
[01:25:01]
SERVING SIX DIFFERENT PRODUCT TEAMS AND SIX DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.OUR MEMBERSHIP CONSISTS OF 40% WOMEN AND 60%, 68% PEOPLE OF COLOR.
AND WHAT THAT ALL MEANS IS THAT WE SUPPORTED BY THE TECH COMMISSION IN VARIOUS WAYS THAT ALL OUTLINED HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING SO THAT FOLKS CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE IN AN INCREASINGLY EXPENSIVE CITY.
SO HOW THE TECH COMMISSION IS SUPPORTED US OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, LET ME GET A, GIVE A BIT OF BACKGROUND OPEN.
AUSTIN STARTED IN 2009 AS A MEETUP AND WAS A BIG PROPONENT BEHIND CTM COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, I BELIEVE, TO ADOPT THE OPEN DATA PORTAL.
IT WAS WITH THAT ADVOCACY OPEN AUSTIN'S ADVOCACY THAT THE OPEN DATA PORTAL NOW EXISTS.
NOW OPEN AUSTIN IN 2025 FOCUSES ON THAT OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING.
AND THIS IS MY 19TH MONTH AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY STAFF BEFORE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY OPEN AUSTIN IS VERY OLD AND VERY YOUNG AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THROUGH THAT TIME, THE TECH COMMISSION HAS REALLY STOOD BEHIND US AS WE FOUND OUR FOOTING, UH, AS A NONPROFIT LEARNING HOW TO DO ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENTS.
ONE IS THROUGH CERTAINLY DECA, WHICH DEMIC HAS BOTH MENTIONED, DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT, COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN, CHAIR APODACA, AS WELL AS THE, UM, TARA STAFFERS OR WHATEVER THE NAME IS.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S COMMUNITY TECH DIVISION STAFFERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAY, HEY, YOU'RE DOING THIS WORK.
YOU SHOULD COME TO THE DECA MEETING IN THREE WEEKS.
WE ACTUALLY PRESENTED AT THAT MEETING, SLICING AND DICING HOW MANY, WHICH ZIP CODES HAD WHAT PERCENT OF BROADBAND ADOPTION.
AND THROUGH THAT MEETING, WHICH BOTH COMMUNITY TECH STAFFERS AND THE TECH COMMISSION HAVE POINTED US TO, I WAS ABLE TO GET CONNECTED TO MICHAEL BROWN.
I WAS ABLE TO MEET OTHER, UH, NONPROFITS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE DIGITAL INCLUSION SPACE.
AND THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE AS A OLD BUT YOUNG NONPROFIT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
JUST COLD EMAIL PEOPLE, UH, INSTEAD HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY LAID OUT IN FRONT OF ME.
IN ADDITION TO THAT WORK TO THE DECA WORK OPEN, AUSTIN HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE G OS CYCLE.
AND GRANTED, UH, AS A ONE WOMAN SHOW, IT IS VERY HARD TO WRITE GRANTS.
I'M LEARNING HOW TO WRITE GRANTS.
SO WE'VE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN OUR ENDEAVOR TO GET G OS FUNDING, BUT STILL BEING ABLE TO GO THROUGH THOSE CYCLES THINK IT'S OUR SECOND YEAR NOW.
AND MOREOVER, BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REVIEW PANEL HAS BEEN ME A MUCH STRONGER GRANT WRITER.
AND ALSO LEADER OF MY COMMUNITY AND LEADER OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS POSITION THEMSELVES AND FOCUS ON NON DUPLICATION OF SERVICES.
FINALLY, THE TECH COMMISSION, AND I WILL SIP MY WATER 'CAUSE I'M ACTUALLY HAVING A MINOR ALLERGIC REACTION RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE TECH COMMISSION, MEMBERS OF THE TECH COMMISSION COME TO OUR EVENTS RECENTLY.
WE HAD A SUMMER SOCIAL, A FUNDRAISER AT JENNY'S TRIANGLE, AN ICE CREAM SHOP AND CHAIR APODACA CAME TO OUR ICE CREAM SOCIAL TO SAY, HEY, WELL, HE DIDN'T REALLY SAY ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY, BUT EVEN JUST BEING THERE WAS SUPPORTING OPEN AUSTIN, JUST KNOW THAT WE HAD A FRIENDLY FACE WITHIN THE CITY THAT STOOD BEHIND OUR WORK.
THAT'S THE THREE POINTS THAT I HAVE.
I WANTED TO KEEP IT SHORT BECAUSE I DO REALLY NEED TO APPLY TOPICAL CREAM, BUT I HOPE THAT THAT IS SUFFICIENT, AND I'M WILLING, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION ABOUT OPEN AUSTIN AND HOW Y'ALL HAVE SUPPORTED THIS.
I, I HOPE YOUR ALLERGIC REACTION ISN'T TO THE COMMISSION.
IT STARTED BEFORE
UH, WELL, WE WON'T KEEP YOU, UH, TOO LONG.
UH, AND, AND DO ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR LEONI? DOES IT LOOK LIKE LEONI? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING THE EVENING WITH US.
I KNOW, UH, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE GOT THROUGH SEVERAL AGENDA ITEMS, SO APPRECIATE YOU STAYING ON AND APPRECIATE THE KIND WORDS.
OKAY, WITH THAT, UH, LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, UH, WE HAVE, UH, JASMINE FROM AUSTIN FREENET, UH, TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THE AMAZING WORK THAT SHE'S DONE, UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR COMMISSION.
[01:30:01]
IT OVER TO YOU.UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UH, MY NAME IS JASMINE VARGAS.
I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR, OR SORRY, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BOSTON FREENET.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE INVITATION TO SHARE HOW THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION OR WHY THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION MATTERS, NOT JUST TO OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT AS A CITY AS A WHOLE.
UM, AUSTIN GREENNET HAS SERVED, UH, THIS COMMUNITY FOR 30 YEARS, PROVIDING, UH, FREE DIGITAL LITERACY, TRAINING, PUBLIC, UM, COMPUTER ACCESS AND TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES TO PEOPLE WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE BE LEFT BEHIND.
UH, WE WORK WITH A WIDE SPECTRUM OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SENIORS, JOB SEEKERS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, VETERANS ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPEAKERS, IMMIGRANTS, UM, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UM, RESIDENTS WITH LIMITED INCOME OR INTERNET ACCESS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TEXAS OR THE TRAVIS COUNTY JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT, UM, AND TEACH SOME OF THEIR NEEDS THERE.
SO EVERY DAY WE SEE THE REAL IMPACT OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND THE DIFFERENCE THAT ACCESS MAKES.
WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IN AUSTIN HAS ACCESS AND THE SKILLS TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S DIGITAL WORLD.
SO THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION HAS BEEN REALLY VALUABLE, HAS BEEN A REALLY VALUABLE PARTNER IN THIS WORK.
UM, OUR ROLE IN THE, AS AN ESTABLISHED MUNICIPAL TECHNOLOGY, UPPER SITE BODY MEANS THAT YOU PROVIDE THE BRIDGE, UM, BETWEEN COMMUNITY NEEDS AND COMMUNITY COUNCIL DECISION MAKING.
SO DO YOU PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN MAKING SURE THAT THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AREN'T HAPPENING IN ISOLATION FROM THE PEOPLE THEY AFFECT THE MOST? UH, WE'VE BENEFITED DIRECTLY FROM YOUR WORK.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE RECEIVED, UH, MULTIPLE GG TOPS, UH, CAPACITY GRANTS OR A CAPACITY GRANT, AND MOST RECENTLY THIS YEAR.
AND WE DO APPRECIATE HOW STRAIGHTFORWARD AND EASY THE PROCESS IS TO COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN LUCKY TO RECEIVE THE G TOPS COMMITTEE AWARDS IN 2022, AND THAT ACTUALLY HELPED FUND OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK FESTIVAL.
AND WE NOW PREPARING FOR OUR FOURTH FESTIVAL THIS OCTOBER, UH, LAST YEAR, WE HAD OVER 300 PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS THE COMMUNITY COME JOIN US, UM, LEARN ABOUT COMMUNITY RESOURCES, UM, AND THEN CONNECT US WITH A LOT OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT PRESENTED EARLIER TODAY.
UM, WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE, UM, PECA MEETINGS, AND THAT'S REALLY BEEN HELPFUL TO BRING TOGETHER ORGANIZATIONS, CITY STAFF, AND UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SHARE RESOURCES AND, UM, STRATEGIES TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
UM, ALSO A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE, UM, SPOKE ABOUT WITH YOU, UH, ABOUT AUSTIN FREENET AND HOW WE HELP, UM, DISTRIBUTE OUR, UH, DEVICES AND ALL OUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING.
UM, SO INVITING US AND INVITING ALL THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE PERFECT EXAMPLES OF HOW, UM, IT'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THERE'S A SPACE FOR US TO LIKE, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND, UM, FOR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, OH, THROUGH YOUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, BROADBAND INITIATIVES, AND, UM, EVEN, UH, PROPOSED STATE AND FEDERAL BILLS.
UM, THAT REALLY HELPS US STAY INFORMED WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
UM, SO WE REALLY VALUE EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT RIGHT NOW IN A TIME WHERE AI IS EVOLVING RAPIDLY, UM, YOU GUYS ARE THERE TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES THAT, UM, WE NEED.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE KIND WORDS, JASMINE.
AND, UM, YEAH, THE COMMISSION LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO, TO HAVING OUR LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN FREENET AND, UM, A NUMBER OF WAYS INCLUDING G TOPS TO, UM, CITY EN ENGAGEMENT AND, UH, EVEN, UM, DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK.
UH, SO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, THAT, THAT TIME IN OCTOBER.
UM, DO ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR JASMINE? I LOOKING LUCK AT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JASMINE.
I KNOW
[01:35:03]
OKAY.WELL, WE MADE IT THROUGH, UH, THE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, THESE WERE THE ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE ABLE TO, UH, SOLICIT, UH, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FROM, UH, WITHIN, UH, ABOUT A WEEK'S NOTICE.
UM, SO I GUESS THE, THE ASK IS FOR, UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
UH, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THIS, UH, AGENDA ITEM AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER.
SO IF OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE, UM, UH, FOLKS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GIVE SIMILAR, UH, TESTIMONY, UM, PLEASE, UH, WORK WITH MYSELF AND DAN TO, TO ARRANGE THAT.
DAN, JESSE, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER CALLOUTS ON THAT ITEM? NOPE.
[4. Discussion and approval of a Community Listening Session working group]
TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR, AND THAT'S THE DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF THE COMMUNITY LISTING SESSION WORKING GROUP.UM, SO, UH, WE HAD DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE ABOUT, UH, EXECUTING, UH, SOME COMMUNITY LISTING SESSIONS.
THIS WAS PART OF OUR, UM, OUR PLAN FOR, UH, FOR THE NEW YEAR.
UM, SO BOTH, UH, VICE CHAIR, ATA AND I ARE, UM, UH, THEY HAD ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO US DISTRICTS, UH, THE DISTRICT TWO AND THREE OFFICES ABOUT EXECUTING A DIGITAL INCLUSION TOWN HALL.
UM, SO WE DID HAVE AN INITIAL CONVERSATION WITH, UH, THE POLICY LEADS FOR THOSE TWO OFFICES.
UH, WE DISCUSSED, UH, POTENTIAL SESSION AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, UM, SO COVERING TO PERHAPS HAVE A FACILITATED CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COVER TOPICS LIKE AFFORDABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, UM, EDUCATION.
UM, ANOTHER, UH, ITEM THAT WE HAD COVERED IS PERHAPS HAVE TABLING FOR SOME OF OUR, UH, PARTNERS.
SO EVERYONE THAT WE SAW, UH, REPRESENTED HERE, WE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE TABLES FOR, UH, UTM, UH, I ALMOST SAID ON M HQ.
AGAIN, UTM, AUSTIN FREENET, UH, AND MANY OTHERS, UH, TO PROVIDE, UM, DIRECT ACCESS AND, UH, VISIBILITY FOR ANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, ANOTHER KEY TAKEAWAY IS I JUST WANNA SHARE THE DATE THAT WE'RE TARGETING FOR THAT.
AGAIN, THIS IS, THIS WAS, WAS VERY, VERY INITIAL CONVERSATIONS, SO EVERYONE SHOULD PROBABLY PULL UP THEIR CALENDARS, UH, BUT WE'RE TARGETING FEBRUARY 7TH, LIKELY IN THE MORNING, UH, TO HAVE THAT LISTENING SESSION.
UM, AND THEN, UH, LOCATION IS STILL TBD.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE ACTION ITEMS THAT, UH, THE D THREE POLICY LEAD WAS GOING TO CHECK ON FOR US.
UM, BUT IT'LL, IT'LL PROBABLY BE, UM, UH, FOCUSED IN EITHER DISTRICT TWO OR THREE.
UM, BUT THE OVERALL STRATEGY IS TO CONTINUE TO, TO REPLICATE THESE SESSIONS, UM, AFTER THAT, UH, AND PERHAPS, UH, TARGET OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS OF THE CITY.
UM, WANNA GIVE, UH, THE VICE CHAIR AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHIME IN ON ANYTHING I MAY HAVE MISSED? YEAH, I THINK YOU COVERED IT ALL.
UM, YEP, YOU, THAT WAS, THAT WAS A PERFECT, UH, ENCOMPASSMENT OF IT.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT? SO WE DON'T HAVE A FORMAL WORKING GROUP STARTED, SO I DID WANT TO VOTE ON THAT TONIGHT.
SO ESSENTIALLY, IF, I MEAN, HAPPY TO HAVE ANYONE ELSE ON THE WORKING GROUP WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE AND PROVIDE STRATEGIC DIRECTION.
RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST MYSELF AND THE VICE CHAIR, AND IT'LL PROBABLY BE TAKEN UP, UH, INFORMALLY, BUT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE D 2D THREE OFFICES.
AND THEN WE'LL PULL IN, UH, THE, UH, EDD TEAM AS WELL.
UH, YEAH, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION ON THE WORKING GROUP, UM, YOU MENTIONED KIND OF, SO I MEAN, THE TITLE OF THE WORKING GROUP ALONE IS A COMMUNITY LISTENING, UM, SESSION, BUT THEN IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S MAINLY FOCUSED ON PLANNING A SPECIFIC EVENT AROUND DIGITAL EQUITY.
IS, DID I HEAR THAT CORRECTLY? UM, YEAH.
SO THE WAY IT WAS FRAMED UP INITIALLY FROM THE D TWO AND D THREE OFFICES WAS A DIGITAL EQUITY.
KARINA DIGITAL EQUITY TOWN HALL.
IS THAT HOW THEY FRAMED IT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN THE FOCUS OF THAT WORKING GROUP WOULD BE PLANNING FOR THAT TOWN HALL, CORRECT.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, SORRY, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE TIME FOR THAT, BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED WHENEVER THE TIME COMES, UM, TO, UM, PARTICIPATE IN THAT WORKING GROUP.
BUT I KNOW WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE WORKING GROUP BEFORE THEN.
[01:40:01]
YEAH, AB ABSOLUTELY.UM, SO IS YOUR SUGGESTION TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE WORKING GROUP? I DO THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, I FEEL IT'S, I I FELT A, IT'S A LITTLE MISLEADING.
UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT IT'S FOCUSED ON.
SO DIGITAL EQUITY TOWN HALL WORKING GROUP.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
IN'S PRETTY DIRECT OF WHAT IT, WHAT IT'S COVERING.
OPEN TO OTHER SUGGESTIONS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS TOO.
WELL, I
AND IT IS MORE DIRECT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THIS WORKING GROUP WOULD THEN BE DOING FURTHER, LIKE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS THAT WERE MAYBE LESS FOCUSED ON DIGITAL EQUITY, WHICH IS MAYBE THE ONLY REASON TO NOT CHANGE IT IF IT IS BROADER, BUT IF IT'S REALLY JUST IN SERVICE OF THIS FEBRUARY EVENT, THEN THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
COMMISSIONER FROG? YEAH, SO RIGHT NOW IT WOULD JUST BE IN SERVICE OF THE FEBRUARY EVENT.
AND, UM, SO FOR THE WORKING GROUP, UM, THE SORT OF THE, THE HIGH LEVEL PROCESS, AND I'LL ASK DANNY OR DAN TO, TO CHIME IN.
SO WE WOULD STAND AT THE WORKING GROUP, UH, THAT WOULD BECOME A STANDING AGENDA ITEM FOR FUTURE COMMISSION MEETINGS.
AND THEN AT THE END, UM, WHENEVER WE EXECUTED THAT, UM, THAT, UH, EVENT, UH, WE WOULD HAVE A, A FORMAL REPORT OUT TO THE COMMISSION.
SO, UM, WE WOULD PROBABLY SUMMARIZE LIKE THE NOTES, UH, HOW IT ALL WENT, UM, AND, UH, HAVE ACTION ITEMS OR NEXT STEPS AND, UH, POTENTIALLY, UM, HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO, UM, THE COMMISSION THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THAT.
SORRY, JUST HAD SOME MISCOMMUNICATION HERE WITH JESSE, BUT, UH, CORRECT.
UH, A WORKING GROUP IS NOT A STANDING ITEM.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A, A FINAL DELIVERABLE DATE, OR NOT A DATE, BUT AN INTENDED DELIVERABLE AT THE END OF IT.
IT CAN BE A RECOMMENDATION, IT COULD BE THE TOWN HALL COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION.
UM, BUT AS IT, UH, A CURRENTLY WE'VE BEEN ADVISED THAT, UH, FOR EACH TIME THAT THE WORKING GROUP DELIVERS AN UPDATE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UH, A FRESH ITEM ON THE AGENDA, OR AT LEAST REFRESHED LANGUAGE THAT COVERS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE SPEAKING ABOUT.
UM, AND I'M SORRY, COULD YOU, WHAT WAS THE OTHER QUESTION? WAS THERE JUST THAT CLARIFICATION? I THINK THAT, YEAH, I THINK THAT WAS IT.
AND THEN THE FINAL DELIVERABLE, WHICH I, I THINK I COVERED, CORRECT.
AND THERE'S NO DUE DATE ON THAT AS LONG AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT PERPETUALLY STALLING OUT AND YOU GUYS ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARDS SOMETHING.
AND I THINK, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS BEING CO-LED BY THE D TWO AND THREE THREE OFFICES, LIKE WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY, UM, PROBABLY AFTER BUDGET SEASON, REALISTICALLY.
UM, WE'RE NOT SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH THE D TWO AND D THREE OFFICES UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
THAT POINT, I THINK SEPTEMBER 8TH HERE.
SO, UM, I WILL ACCEPT A MOTION TO ADOPT THE WORKING GROUP TITLED DIGITAL EQUITY LISTENING SESSION.
IS THAT RIGHT? I THINK I COVERED IT RIGHT.
I'LL SECOND IT FROM YOUR FIRST
UH, VICE CHAIR HAS MADE A MOTION TO STAND UP, UH, A NEW WORKING GROUP TITLED DIGITAL EQUITY WORKING GROUP.
AND THAT WAS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FROCK.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION AMENDMENTS ON THAT? NOT SEEING ANY.
AND I JUST REALIZED WE DON'T HAVE COMMISSIONER ANGA ON SCREEN.
COMMISSIONER ANGA WILL, WE'LL WAIT FOR YOU TO COME ON SCREEN.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE WORKING GROUP AS MENTIONED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY.
I THINK WE ARE GOOD TO STAND UP THAT WORKING GROUP.
SO, UH, MOVING FORWARD, UH, KARINA AND AYE WILL, UM, AND COMMISSIONER FROCK, UH, WILL GIVE THOSE, UH, THOSE UPDATES AND, UH, AGAIN, WE'LL BE TARGETING FEBRUARY AS, UH, THE DATE FOR THAT.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO UPDATING THE COMMISSION AND EXECUTING THAT.
[5. Conduct an evaluation of the recommendations made and other actions taken by the Technology Commission throughout the year and how these reflected or achieved the commission’s directives, identify any overlaps in the role and work of the commission with other boards or commissions, identify policies or City needs that no current board or commission appears to address, evaluate the level of members’ and the community’s engagement, and identify potential bylaw amendments to improve or address any of the foregoing.]
TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE.SO, UH, WE HAD DISCUSSED THIS PREVIOUSLY, BUT, UH, JUST TO SUMMARIZE, UM, THE CLERK'S OFFICE
[01:45:01]
HAD REQUESTED THAT WE ADD AN ITEM TO, UH, THE AGENDA TO CONDUCTING AN EVALUATION, UH, OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE AND OTHER ACTIONS BY THE, UH, TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND HOW THESE HAVE REFLECTED OR ACHIEVED THE COMMISSION'S DIRECTIVES, UM, AND IDENTIFY ANY OVERLAPS IN THE ROLE OR WORK THE COMMISSION WITH OTHER BOARDS OF COMMISSIONS.UH, ALSO IDENTIFYING ANY POLICIES, CITY NEEDS AND NO CURRENT BORDER COMMISSION APPEARS TO ADDRESS, UH, EVALUATE THE LEVEL OF MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY'S ENGAGEMENT, AND IDENTIFY ANY POTENTIAL BYLAW AMENDMENTS TO IMPROVE OR ADDRESS ANY OF THE FOREGOING.
SO WITH THAT, UM, THE, UH, CLERK'S OFFICE DID SEND OVER A QUESTIONNAIRE.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SHARE IT VIRTUALLY IF AV COULD UPGRADE ME TO A PRESENTER, BECAUSE I WANT TO GET INPUT FROM THE REST OF THE COMMISSION BEFORE WE ADOPT THIS.
CAN YOU UPGRADE ME TO BE A PRESENTER? CAN YOU UPGRADE ME TO BE A PRESENTER? ONE MOMENT.
LL CAN YOU MAKE ME A PRESENTER? OKAY.
WE ALL SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE MY SCREEN HERE.
SO, UM, PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, QUESTIONNAIRE AT THE OUTSET.
WE ARE THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION.
UH, HAVE THE BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND ACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR COMPLIED WITH CITY COUNCIL'S DIRECTIVES AND BYLAWS? UM, I WOULD SAY YES, BUT I WANT TO GIVE THE REST OF THE COMMISSION AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISAGREE WITH THAT.
UH, THIS WAS ALSO A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED IN OUR ANNUAL REVIEW DOCUMENT, AND WE PREVIOUSLY ALL VOTED TO APPROVE THAT, NOT HEARING ANYONE DISAGREE.
UM, THE THIRD QUESTION IS, HOW MANY RECOMMENDATIONS DID YOUR BOARD OR COMMISSION APPROVE? UM, I ONLY COVER THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN 7 1 24 AND 6 3 25, WHICH, UH, INCLUDES THE, OUR YEARLY REVIEW.
UM, SO WERE THE, THERE WERE SIX COMMISSION, UH, SIX RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, COMPLETED DURING THAT PERIOD.
UM, ALSO LISTED, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR NUMBERS, UM, ALONG WITH THE TITLES THERE.
AND THEN WE MOVE ON TO QUESTION NUMBER FIVE, WHICH RECOMMENDATIONS ARE CLOSELY ALIGNED TO THE COMMISSION'S CORE MISSION AND WHY? SO I THINK THAT ALL OF THESE ARE CLOSELY ALIGNED TO THE CORE MISSION.
I WOULD SAY THEY MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT WHYS, LIKE WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM NOW, BUT, UM, I, I THINK THAT IS A BENEFIT OF WORKING IN KIND OF A LARGER SPACE.
UM, UNDER THIS TECHNOLOGY UMBRELLA, UH, WE CAN DIG DEEPER INTO, UM, BE OUR BYLAWS AND THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN OUT AS IMPORTANT IN LOOKING AT THE WHY FOR EACH OF THESE PIECES.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY THAT EACH OF THE ITEMS ALL ARE COVERED IN CONTENT OUTLINED IN OUR BYLAWS.
THE ONE THAT MAY, UM, BE AN OUTLIER, I GUESS WOULD FALL IN THE ADJACENT CATEGORY.
AND IT'S MAYBE, MAYBE THAT, I JUST DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF THE FIRST ONE LISTED FOR IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS FOR COMMISSIONS.
UM, MAYBE THERE ARE MORE DETAILS ON THAT ONE WHERE IT DOES ACTUALLY FALL INTO THE CLOSELY ALIGNED.
[01:50:01]
UM, YEAH.SO THAT ONE, UH, WE WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION ON THAT ONE, AND IT WAS, UH, CENTERED AROUND STANDING UP A, UM, A PLATFORM, UH, WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL USES, UM, TO SEND MESSAGES BACK AND FORTH.
ESSENTIALLY, THE ASK WAS TO, UH, STAND UP SOMETHING SIMILAR SO THAT WE WON'T HAVE TO PASS MESSAGES THROUGH DAN, UM, AND WE COULD DO IT ON A PUBLIC PLATFORM.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THAT RECOMMENDATION WAS NOT ADOPTED.
UM, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, THAT PERTAIN TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND LIKE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN THE PAST.
AND I'LL JUST GIVE A COUPLE OF, WELL, I'LL GIVE ONE EXAMPLE.
ONE IS OUR RECOMMENDATION POST COVID TO, UH, CONTINUE, UM, THE HYBRID MEETING MODEL.
SO TECHNICALLY I'M AS CHAIR, I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS TO BE ON SITE AND EVERYONE ELSE CAN POTENTIALLY ATTEND VIRTUALLY.
UM, SO, UM, THIS KIND OF FALLS IN INTO THAT.
BUT, UM, HAPPY TO, HAPPY TO REFOCUS.
WHAT, I GUESS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT COMMISSIONER FROCK? YEAH, NO, THAT'S HELPFUL.
SO I, I THINK IN THAT CASE, THAT PROBABLY DOES STILL FALL IN THE, UM, FOR NUMBER FIVE, KIND OF KEEPING IT THERE WITH OUR, ALL OF THESE OR CLOSELY ALIGNED.
CAN I ASK ONE QUICK QUESTION? WHEN IS THIS, UM, DOCUMENT DUE
AND IS THERE A TIMELINE OR IS IT JUST YES, THE TIMELINE IS OCTOBER.
OCTOBER, SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO DO IT DURING THIS, SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH THAT.
THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO DO IT DURING THIS MEETING AND DO THE COMMUNITY LISTENING, UH, OR THE COMMUNITY IMPACT STATEMENTS DURING THIS MEETING, BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS THE CHANCE THAT IN SEPTEMBER WE DON'T MAKE QUORUM, AND THEN IF WE DON'T SUBMIT THESE ITEMS, THEN UM, PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE A GOOD LOOK FOR US.
UM, IS EVERYONE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT I HAVE OUTLINED ON ITEM FIVE HERE? YES.
IT, ONE THING TO MAYBE GO BACK IN AND DO IS JUST IN PARENTHESES, SAY LIKE SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE POINTS ARE, JUST LIKE SPANNING AREAS, LIKE BLANK, BLANK, BLANK, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF, UM, BEING ENGAGED INTO IT.
HEY, JESSE, DAN, DO, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY PERSPECTIVE ON WHETHER WE NEED TO VOTE ON THIS DOCUMENT OR WORK ON IT COLLABORATIVELY, AND THEN I CAN SUBMIT IT TO THE CLARK'S OFFICE? WHAT ARE Y'ALL'S THOUGHTS? UM, JESSE RODRIGUEZ, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, I, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE COMMISSION DOES VOTE ON THIS.
UH, SINCE IT'S NOT THE REPRESENTATIVE OF A SINGLE MEMBER'S COMMENTS, IT SHOULD BE REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL OF Y'ALL'S.
UM, I, AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER, THE CLERK'S OFFICE WAS VAGUE ON, ON THAT POINT, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S A HARD RULE, BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT, UH, JUST SO THAT IT SHOWS THAT IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
SO HOW ABOUT THIS? I, I'D REALLY LIKE IT IF WE CAN VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT.
SO LET'S WORK THROUGH THE REST OF THE QUESTIONS.
UM, I'LL RE WE CAN RECESS FOR FIVE TO 10 MINUTES WHILE I PULL THAT LANGUAGE, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND REVISIT IT.
HOW DOES THAT SOUND TO EVERYONE? SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
SO LET'S, UH, SO GIVEN THAT ALL OF 'EM ARE GONNA BE ALIGNED TO FIVE, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANYTHING FOR SIX.
I, UH, PLEASE SHARE ANY FURTHER CONTEXT THAT COULD SUPPORT OR EXPLAIN YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, I, ALL ITEMS ARE COVERED WITHIN OUR BYLAWS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE,
[01:55:05]
FUNDING CAPACITY, UH, ACCESS AND EQUITY.UM, WHAT WAS IT, WHAT WOULD AI FALL UNDER ALSO? UM, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
AND THAT'S TAKING LANGUAGE STRAIGHT FROM THE, UM, OUR BYLAWS.
I WAS THINKING IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO CALL OUT IN HERE THAT FROM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, OF ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THEY WERE MADE IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS MM-HMM
UM, AND MAYBE THAT'S A GIVEN, UM, WHEN WE WERE KIND OF REFERENCING OUR BYLAWS.
UM, BUT THAT MAY BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE.
SO I'M JUST GONNA READ INTO THE RECORD.
ALL ITEMS ARE COVERED WITHIN OUR BYLAWS AND COMPLETED IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WERE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, FUNDING CAPACITY ACTS, ACCESS EQUITY, AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, ESPECIALLY THE BUDGETARY ONES WERE, UH, LINKED TO THE 2023 TRAVIS COUNTY, CITY OF AUSTIN STUDY AS WELL.
UH, SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO JUST NOTE THAT FOR SURE.
IT WAS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT REPORT ALIGNED TO 23.
WHAT WAS THE NAME OF IT? UH, THE 2023.
I CAN, I CAN GET IT TO YOU IN THE BREAK THOUGH.
UM, SO IF THIS ISN'T, THIS IS DUE IN OCTOBER, UM, IF WE CAN GET ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION AND A RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE A RECOMMENDATION ON APRS, IF WE COULD GET THAT THROUGH IN THE NEXT MEETING, COULD WE ADD IT TO THIS DOCUMENT? I THINK SO.
WE CAN, WE COULD, WE COULD ADD AN AMENDED.
BUT WE COULD DO AN AMENDED VERSION SO WE COULD VOTE ON IT TONIGHT AND THEN ADD THE AMENDED VERSION WITH THE ONE FROM NEXT.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE US TO QUESTION EIGHT.
UM, IS THERE ANOTHER BODY THAT OVERLAPS WITH THE ROLE AND WORK OF THE BORDER COMMISSION YOU SERVE? I AM GONNA SAY, NO, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
UM, OPEN QUESTION TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, DO THE BYLAWS NEED TO BE UPDATED? UM, WE DID JUST RECENTLY UPDATE, YEAH.
AND MAYBE SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT HOW THEY WERE RECENTLY UPDATED.
ACTUALLY, GOING BACK TO THE OVERLAP QUESTION, I'M JUST, I MEAN, I COULD SEE A SMALL AMOUNT OF OVERLAP WITH THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT FOCUS AND DIFFERENT POLICY AREAS.
AND, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY A DIFFERENT APPROACH, AND I THINK THE MORE I HEAR FOLKS COMING IN TO TALK, THE MORE IMPORTANT I THINK THAT IT IS THAT THIS IS ITS OWN GROUP.
BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME, SOME OVERLAP LIKE YOU, LIKE YOU SAID, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE ALSO THOSE CONVERSATIONS AROUND EQUITY AND THE WAY THAT WE'VE ENGAGED THUS FAR.
AGAIN, I'M, I'M A NEWBIE, BUT THE WAY THAT WE'VE ENGAGED THUS FAR WITH THE COMMUNITY, I THINK THIS COMMISSION IS REALLY AT A GOOD SPACE BECAUSE THE UMBRELLA OF TECHNOLOGY IS, IS SO BROAD AND IT CAN TALK TO THIS SORT OF SOCIOTECHNICAL SYSTEM THAT IT'S NICE TO HAVE IT ITS OWN THING.
AND OUR FOCUS ISN'T SOLELY ON, YOU KNOW, UM, DIGITAL EQUITY.
IT'S ALSO ON CITY POLICY AROUND TECHNOLOGY AS WELL.
AND, AND ALSO NOT, NOT SOLELY OR, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP, THEIR, THEIR FOCUS IS REALLY ON THAT.
AND I, I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD ALMOST BE A NEGATIVE TO, TO ALIGN TO CLOSELY WITH THAT GROUP.
THAT I THINK THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE ARE, UM, ABLE TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND SOMETHING THAT'S MORE EXPLORATORY AND
[02:00:01]
THAT, THAT COMMISSION GROUP CAN ALSO USE.I THINK IT MIGHT JUST BE HELPFUL FOR THE LANGUAGE TO LIKE NOTE THAT AT FIRST GLANCE THERE MIGHT BE OVERLAP, BUT WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES.
I ALSO THINK THAT COULD BE GOOD.
MAYBE I, I DON'T HAVE THE WORDS RIGHT NOW.
I THINK, BUT TO TRY AND, UM, MAYBE IN THE AMENDED VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT REALLY SPELL OUT NICELY AS LIKE A, A BENEFIT OF THIS COMMISSION ACTUALLY OPERATING IN ITS OWN ZONE.
FOR ME, PROSPERITY, UM, WHAT IS IT? IS THAT THE NAME OF THAT GROUP? ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION.
UM, UH, OFF OPERATES, UH, SEPARATELY FROM, YEAH, I JUST AM, I'M TRYING TO SEE THE SCREEN SO I CAN WORKSHOP IT.
SO THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT OVERLAP WITH HOURS SINCE THIS COMMISSION,
AND MAYBE THIS ALLOWS US TO HAVE, UM, UH, MORE EXPLORATORY CONVERSATIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AROUND BROADER, I DON'T KNOW, BROADER ISSUES IN TECHNOLOGY.
IN OTHER EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
I, OKAY, SO I'M JUST GONNA READ IT.
SO, UH, NO, THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT OVERLAP WITH OURS.
ONE OF THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THIS COMMISSION IS THAT OPERATE SEPARATELY FROM OTHERS WITH A FOCUS ON ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
OTHERS, UH, FROM OTHERS SUCH AS, YEAH.
SUCH AS THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER, THE SEPARATION IS IMPORTANT.
CAN YOU READ THAT ONE MORE TIME? YEAH.
THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT OVERLAP WITH OURS.
ONE OF THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THE COMMISSION IS THAT OPERATE SEPARATELY FROM OTHERS, SUCH AS THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION.
ALTHOUGH WE MAY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
THE SEPARATION IS IMPORTANT SINCE WE HAVE A FOCUS ON CITY TECHNOLOGY POLICY ACCESS, FUNDING, AFFORDABILITY, AND OTHER EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
MAYBE SINCE WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL FOCUS ON, 'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE DIFFERENT FROM THIS ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, SO MAYBE WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL FOCUS ON CITY TECHNOLOGY POLICY.
ALRIGHT, LET'S COME BACK TO IT AND THEN WE'LL MM-HMM
UM, SO I'M GONNA SAY NO, THE BYLAWS WERE UPDATED.
UM, WHAT WAS THE DATE THAT THEY WERE, WAS THAT FEBRUARY? YEAH.
CAN Y'ALL CHECK FOR ME? I PRETTY SURE IT WAS FEBRUARY.
SO THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I WANTED DIRECT INPUT FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
UM, THE ASK WAS TO PROVIDE ON THIS LIKERT SCALE OF ONE TO 10, HOW ENGAGED ARE THE BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS? PRETTY VAGUE QUESTION, BUT MAYBE WE JUST KIND OF GO AROUND.
I'D LOVE TO GET EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS.
UM, DID YOU WANT, YOU WERE ABOUT GO AHEAD AND COMMISSION.
[02:05:01]
FEEL, FEEL I'M GOING FIRST ALL THE TIME, SO I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP TOO MUCH SPACE, BUT, UM, I THINK THIS ONE WE COULD, SINCE, SINCE THERE MIGHT NOT BE HARD AND FAST RULES ON THIS, I THINK WE COULD ALSO SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT THERE MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, THE SCALE CHANGES BASED ON WHERE EACH COMMISSIONER'S INTEREST LEVEL IS.SO FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE AI ETHICS, I'LL BE MORE ENGAGED IN THOSE WORK GROUPS, ALTHOUGH I'LL STILL CONTRIBUTE TO OTHER CONVERSATIONS.
SO MAYBE SOMETHING AROUND, UM, THAT WE FIND THAT THERE'S A FLUCTUATION, UH, BASED ON SPECIFIC AREAS, BUT SINCE THIS IS A BROAD UMBRELLA THAT THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH COMMISSIONER TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR OWN INTEREST OR THEIR OWN SPACE.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
UM, I
AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M NEW HERE, SO THAT'S JUST HOW, HOW I FEEL
WELL, I, THE COMMENT I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I'M ALSO NEW, BUT I, WHAT I'VE SEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN JOINING IS, YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE MADE QUORUM MOST OF THE TIME, WHICH, YOU KNOW, NOT ALL, EVERY COMMISSION'S BEEN ABLE TO DO.
AND I THINK I SEE DURING OUR MEETINGS, WE HAVE ENGAGEMENT IN THE ROOM, WE HAVE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING ONLINE AND YEAH, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE WORKING WELL.
I, UM, HAVE, UM, COLLEAGUES AND, UM, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN OTHER COMMISSION MEETINGS, AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT'S NEARLY AS HIGH OR AS INVOLVED, UM, YOU KNOW, FAILED TO MEET QUORUM AND, UM, CHAIR, I THINK WE HAVE ALL OF OUR POSITIONS FILLED, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
UM, WHICH I THINK THAT IN AND OF ITSELF SPEAKS HIGHLY ABOUT THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE AT.
COMMISSIONER FRY, I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE, YEAH.
A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT EVERYONE HAS CALLED OUT I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS QUESTION.
SO LIKE ALL OF THE SEATS ARE FILLED.
WE, EVERY TIME I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO JOIN, I THINK I ONLY MISSED, I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE MISSED A MEETING OR NOT, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS, ALWAYS MET QUORUM.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR TRACK RECORD IS IN TERMS OF LIKE, METRICS TO SAY LIKE, HAVE WE ALWAYS MET QUORUM IN? AND IF SO, IN WHAT AMOUNT OF TIME? UM, AND THEN I REALLY LIKE THE CALL OUT OF, WE DO ALL HAVE DIFFERENT INTERESTS, AND SO LIKE MAYBE IF WE'RE LIKE SAYING A, A SCALE FOR A SPECIFIC TOPIC, THAT SCALE WILL LOOK DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE INTEREST.
BUT I DO THINK WHAT'S REALLY NEAT ABOUT THE COMMISSION IS WE HAVE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT, UM, PERSPECTIVES.
AND WITH THAT IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF REALLY GREAT CONVERSATION, UM, FOR THE DIFFERENT TOPICS AND THE VARIED TOPICS THAT WE COVER AS A MISSION AS A WHOLE.
COMMISSIONER ANGA, LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU AS WELL.
YEAH, I AGREE WITH, UH, WHAT EVERYONE HAS SAID.
I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION FOR, I THINK IT'S BEEN A YEAR NOW.
AND SO IT'S BEEN REALLY JUST WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL OF THE WORK THAT HAS COME THROUGH THIS COMMISSION AND SEEING ORGANIZATIONS, UH, PRESENT DURING THESE MEETINGS AS WELL.
AND I THINK TODAY SPECIFICALLY HEARING FROM, UH, THE FORMER COMMISSIONER NEHEMIAH, I THINK THAT'S HOW IT'S PRONOUNCED.
UM, IT'S JUST REALLY NICE TO SEE THAT EVEN PAST COMMISSIONERS ARE STILL COMING BACK AND TALKING ABOUT JUST HOW MUCH OF A LABOR OF LOVE DOING THIS WORK IS, I MEAN, OUR PRESENCE REALLY IS A GIFT.
YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO SHOW UP.
UM, YEAH, BASED ON EVERYONE, I MEAN, I'M INCLINED TO DO LIKE A 8, 9, 10.
I WOULD DO A VERY SOLID EIGHT.
UH, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE OTHER EXPERIENCE.
LIKE, YOU, YOU AS TO THIS POINT, IF, IF THIS IS LIKE, IF THIS IS MORE ENGAGEMENT THAN MAYBE NINE, I DON'T KNOW.
AND YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON ANOTHER COMMISSION, SO I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A REFERENCE POINT.
I MEAN, CORINO PROBABLY HAS THE CL I I KNOW YOUR PARTNERS ON ANOTHER COMMISSION.
I MEAN, HONESTLY, YOU WOULD PROBABLY HAVE LIKE THE, THE MOST REFERENCE.
I THINK, UM, HONESTLY, UH, I THINK SLIDE SLIDE, UH, 10, UH, SORRY FOR QUESTION NUMBER 10, UM, I WOULD GIVE US A NINE.
THE, THE ONE THAT I'M NOT, NOT AS, UH, BULLISH ON IS THE NEXT ONE.
LIKE HOW ENGAGED IS THE COMMUNITY? BECAUSE ON OTHER COMMISSIONS I DO SEE LIKE HIGHER LEVELS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, GRANTED, LIKE THEY, UH, THEY'RE DURING THE DAY, OURS IS AT NIGHT, UM, AND WHATNOT.
[02:10:01]
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE, I THINK THERE'S JUST DISPARITIES THERE.BUT GETTING BACK TO THE FIRST QUESTION, SORRY, QUESTION NUMBER.
I WOULD GIVE US THIS SOLID AT NINE.
AND I WILL SAY, SO NOW ON, ON QUESTION 11 ON HOW ENGAGED IS THE COMMUNITY, I'M, UM, MAYBE COMMISSIONER
BUT I DO FEEL LIKE WHATEVER THE ENGAGEMENT LEVEL IS, THAT IT'S GOING TO GET HIGHER NOW THAT WE'VE HAD ALL THESE AI SPECIFIC BILLS PASS NOW THAT WE MIGHT HAVE FOLKS LIKE, UM, FROM, I THINK IT WAS EFF THAT PRESENTED TO US LAST TIME, UM, THAT FEELS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS A BIT JUST BECAUSE THOSE TECHNOLOGIES, THOSE SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGIES, ALTHOUGH THAT'S NOT ALL WE DO, THEY MIGHT BRING EXTRA ATTENTION TO THE WIDER WORK OF THE COMMISSION IN THE FUTURE FOR SURE.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING DEFINITELY THAT WE'LL WANNA NOTE, UM, THAT DUE TO THAT SORT OF UPCOMING, UM, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY OR THE WAY THAT IT'S BEING PUSHED, UM, THAT THAT NUMBER WILL GO UP.
SO I READ THIS AS LIKE, WHEN WE'RE THINKING COMMUNITY, I WAS THINKING LIKE COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND FOR LIKE, THE NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOWED UP TODAY ON LIKE A WEEK'S NOTICE.
LIKE I FELT THAT IS LIKE SHOWING JUST HOW ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY REALLY IS.
UM, AND THEN THINKING ALSO LIKE A LOT OF THE PIECES OF THE COMMISSION, LIKE DECA AND G OS, THESE ARE ALL SO COMMUNITY DRIVEN.
UM, I KIND OF FELT THE OPPOSITE.
LIKE AT FIRST I WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LIKE SCORE HOW INVOLVED WE ARE IN TERMS OF LIKE THE BOARD AND COMMISSIONS, BUT, OR YEAH, THE BOARD, LIKE AS US AS MEMBERS.
BUT WHEN I THOUGHT OF THE COMMUNITY, I'M LIKE, I ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE THIS WOULD, THIS SCORE WOULD BE HIGH.
I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A BASELINE, BUT JUST THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FEELS REALLY HIGH FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK THAT'S A FAIR POINT BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, UM, AND MAYBE THE WAY WE'RE DEFINING COMMUNITY, I'M, I WAS THINKING IT INITIALLY AS THE PEOPLE, THE PUBLIC, THAT SHOWS UP TO THE OTHER, UH, COMMISSION MEETINGS, WHICH IS HIGH.
AGAIN, IT'S A PUBLIC EVENT AND UH, IT'S DURING THE DAY.
SO LIKE YOU'LL GET ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP.
I DO AGREE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER FROCK, THAT WE DO HAVE HIGHER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP TO THE MEETINGS.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE, THE S WITH WHOMEVER THAT, THAT MIGHT BE, UM, I, I, WE ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE INTERESTED AND ENGAGED WITH US ON THAT ASPECT.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TO CLARIFY OR TO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO ADD SOME CLARITY AROUND THIS, LIKE HOW ENGAGED IS THE COMMUNITY? LIKE, UH, THAT'S NOT IN A, IN A PUBLIC FASHION, LIKE WHO SHOWS UP TO OUR MEETINGS? 'CAUSE WE, I, I HAVEN'T SEEN PUBLIC, UH, PERSON SHOW UP TO OUR MEETINGS EVER.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE IT'S, UM, UH, WE ARE HIGHLY INVOLVED FROM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS, THIS COMMISSION.
IF COMMUNITY COUNTS C COMMUNITY PARTNER ACCOUNTS, THEN I THINK THEN WE'RE REALLY GREAT THERE.
RIGHT? UM, AND THAT NOT ONLY DID THEY SHOW UP, BUT THEY SOLD, THEY THEY TOLD REALLY PERSONAL, LIKE GREAT HUMAN STORIES.
SO I, YEAH, IF THAT IS THE SAME AS SOMEONE SHOWING UP TO THE MEETING, WHICH SOMEONE DID, ACTUALLY DID, UM, OUR LAST MEETING WE DID HAVE A PUBLIC SPEAKER, WHICH WAS COOL.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE CAN JUST DEFINE IT THAT WAY.
AND THEN I THINK WE WOULD RANK QUITE HIGH.
I MEAN, THE COMMUNITY PARTNER IS STILL COMMUNITY
YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S KIND OF BOTH.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE MORE WITH INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT OUR ORGANIZATION, I THINK WE HAVE A PRETTY SOLID RELATIONSHIP.
UM, SO YEAH, IT'S KIND OF BOTH.
UM, COMMISSIONER ANGLE, I THINK WE SHOULD SCORE OURSELF ON BOTH.
I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK WE SHOULD, YEAH, COMMISSIONER FRA, GO AHEAD.
UM, I, I THINK WE COULD IN THIS RESPONSE SCORE OURSELF ON BOTH OR SAY LIKE, WE SKEWED TOWARDS THIS NUMBER BECAUSE OF OUR PARTNER PARTICIPATION, BUT KNOW THAT THERE'S AN AREA OF GROWTH FOR US IN TERMS OF, UM, LIKE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S A FAIR CALL OUT.
HOW ABOUT, I MEAN, THERE'S NO, THEY DIDN'T GIVE US, SO WHAT IF WE JUST DO BOTH OR SHOULD WE COMBINE IT? I'M OPEN TO FEEDBACK EITHER WAY OR WE CAN JUST DO COMMUNITY MEMBER RANKING
[02:15:01]
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET THE DEFINITION MM-HMMAND I REALLY THINK IT'S TOTALLY FAIR TO CONSIDER A COMMUNITY MEMBER, UM, THIS WAY.
SO I WOULD GIVE US A NINE OR AN EIGHT ON THAT.
AND ALSO WE CAN STILL ACKNOWLEDGE IN TEXT THAT UM, ALTHOUGH THE INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER'S, UM, NUMBER MIGHT, MIGHT BE LOW, WE ANTICIPATE THAT INCREASING THE MORE WE SEE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES BEING USED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR SOMETHING.
AND THEN LAST QUESTION, DO YOU SEE ANY GAPS IN IMPORTANT POLICIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT COVERED BY A BOARD OR COMMISSION? KIND OF AN UNFAIR QUESTION TO GIVE TO THE
'CAUSE WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE VIEW OF EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN THE CITY.
UM, YEAH, SO I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, IN OUR LAST REVISION OF THE BYLAWS, LIKE WE PURPOSELY ADDED SOME CONTENT, AT LEAST FROM A TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT TO MAKE IT MORE BROAD IN NATURE.
LIKE, WE DIDN'T JUST MENTION AI, WE TALKED ABOUT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, WE TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE.
WE ADDED DIGITAL EQUITY, UM, WHICH PREVIOUSLY WASN'T PART OF IT.
UM, SO WE COULD POINT TO THE FACT THAT WE ACTUALLY DID DO SOME GAP ANALYSIS IN THE REWRITING OF THE BYLAWS.
SO NO, WE DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE MISSING ANYTHING, AT LEAST FOR OUR SPACE.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S FAIR BECAUSE THIS IS A, THIS IS A TRICKY QUESTION.
YOU COULD INTERPRET IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT I THINK WHAT YOU MENTIONED, UH, COMMISSIONER, I THINK IT'S ANSWERS IT MM-HMM
SO I WAS READING IT AS LIKE AT A, AT A HOLISTIC LIKE 30,000 FOOT LENS.
LIKE ARE THERE THINGS THAT AREN'T BEING COVERED? BUT UH, UH, TO THE OTHER POINT, WE DON'T KNOW.
UH, BUT I THINK FOR NOW THAT THE SENSOR SUFFICES UNLESS THEY CLARIFY DIFFERENTLY.
SO I'M GONNA GO BACK TO QUESTION FIVE AND I NEED TO PULL UP THE BYLAWS.
UM, SO WHILE I'M DOING THAT, I'M JUST GONNA STOP SCREEN SHARING AND WE CAN RECESS FOR IT'S 8 54 RIGHT NOW.
LET'S TRY TO COME BACK AT NINE AND THEN I'LL HA WE CAN GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT.
OH, WAIT FOR TWO OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO COME BACK.
UH, YOU ALL SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE MY SCREEN, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND READ EVERYTHING INTO THE RECORD
UH, THE BOARD AND EVALUATION QUESTIONS.
SO NAME OF THE BOARD OR COMMISSION IS THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION, HAS THE BOARD OR COMMISSION'S ACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR COMPLIED WITH CITY COUNCIL DIRECTORS AND BYLAWS.
UH, THIS SHOULD ADDRESS ALL ELEMENTS OF THE BOARD'S COMMISSION STATEMENT AS PROVIDED IN THE RELEVANT CITY SECTIONS OF THE CODE.
HOW MANY RECOMMENDATIONS DID YOUR BOARD OR COMMISSION APPROVE, UH, DURING THE PERIOD ONLY COVERING 7 1 24 THROUGH 6 30 25? WE APPROVED SIX.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OUTLINED BELOW.
I'M NOT GONNA READ THROUGH ALL OF THESE, BUT, UM, THEY'RE EASILY FOUND ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE AS WELL AS OUR, UH, ANNUAL REVIEW.
MOVING TO QUESTION FIVE, UH, WHICH RECOMMENDATIONS ARE CLOSELY ALIGNED TO THE ORGANIZATION'S CORE MISSION AND WHY THEY'RE ALL CLOSELY ALIGNED TO THE COMMISSION'S CORE MISSION? ALL ARE COVERED IN THE CONTENT OUTLINED IN OUR BYLAWS.
SO, UH, FOR THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION HERE, IMPROVED COMMISSIONS FOR, UH, FOR COMMISSIONS.
[02:20:02]
UH, THIS IS QUOTED IN ARTICLE TWO, ITEM 11, UH, PERTAINING TO INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECH TECHNOLOGY, FACILITIES AND SERVICES THAT ARE OPERATED BY CITY FOR PUBLIC USE, INCLUDING THE CITY WEBSITE, INTERNET SERVICES, AND OPEN TECHNOLOGY.FOR THE RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, AROUND MAINTAINING FUNDING FOR GTOP S UH, I QUOTED, UH, OUR BYLAWS.
UH, SO THE, THE SECTION, UH, OUTLINING GT OS THAT WE ADVISE CITY STAFF, APPOINT COMMISSION MEMBERS, UH, APPOINT, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS TO SERVE AS REVIEW PANELISTS AND ADVISE STAFF ON FINAL ALLOCATION OF GT OS AWARDS.
THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION WAS PERTAINING TO THE FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE DEVICE DISTRIBUTION REPAIR PROGRAM.
UM, SO QUOTED OUR BYLAWS HERE ON IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY NEEDS AND PROBLEMS IN THE CITY AND DEFINING INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING AND APPROACHES TO THOSE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS. AND THEN THE FINAL THREE RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND EXPANDING PUBLIC INTERNET ACCESS, INCREASED FUNDING FOR DIGITAL SKILLS AND CONTINUED TO USE, UH, CONTINUED FUNDING FOR AI UPSKILLING.
I QUOTED OUR BYLAWS, UM, AND THAT IS OUR, UH, PURPOSE IS TO ADVISE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING ISSUES THAT INCLUDE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY, TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES, NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING, NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS, ALLOCATION OF ANNUAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT, DIGITAL EQUITY ISSUES, BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT AND ACCESS, DIGITAL SKILLS, AND INTERNET AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY.
UM, LET ME PAUSE THERE, UH, TO SEE IF ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE REVISIONS, EDITS.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE AGREES GETTING A THUMBS UP.
UM, AND THEN QUESTION ITEM SIX, WHICH RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ADJACENT? WE SAID NA FOR THAT ONE.
LEMME JUST FIX THE FORMATTING HERE.
ALL ITEMS ARE COVERED WITHIN OUR BYLAWS AND COMPLETED IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ALIGNED TO THE 2023 DIGITAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT, THEY WERE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, FUNDING, CAPACITY ACCESS, EQUITY, AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
IS THERE ANOTHER BODY THAT OVERLAPS WITH THE ROLE AND WORK OF THE BOARD COMMISSION YOU SERVE? WE SAID NO.
THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT OVERLAP WITH OURS.
ONE OF THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THIS COMMISSION IS THAT OPERATES SEPARATELY FROM OTHERS SUCH AS THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION.
ALTHOUGH WE MAY BE, WE MAY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
THE SEPARATION IS IMPORTANT SINCE WE FOCUS ON CITY TECHNOLOGY POLICY ACCESS, FUNDING, AFFORDABILITY, AND OTHER, OTHER EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
ACKNOW, DO THE BYLAWS NEED TO BE UPDATED? WE SAID NO.
THE COMMISSION BYLAWS WERE UPDATED IN FEBRUARY OF 2025.
ITEM 10 ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, HOW ENGAGED OUR BOARD COMMISSION MEMBERS.
WE SET, WE PUT US OURSELVES AT A NINE AND WE ALSO INDICATED THAT ALL SEATS ARE FILLED.
WE'VE ONLY FAILED TO MEET QUORUM ONCE HIS CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, AND WE CALLED A SPECIAL CALLED, WE SCHEDULED A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
I BELIEVE IT WAS TWO WEEKS LATER.
I THINK THERE WAS A MAY MEETING, RIGHT? YEAH, THAT WAS OUR MAY MEETING.
CAN YOU JUST DOUBLE CHECK THAT, DAN? I, I THINK WE TRIED TO MEET AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET QUORUM AND THEN LATER WE, TWO WEEKS LATER, WE HAD THE, WE DID A SPECIAL CALL MEETING FOR TWO WEEKS SO THAT WE COULD MEET CITY DEADLINES.
YEAH, IT WAS OUR APRIL MEETING, SO WE COUNSELED IT DUE TO QUORUM AND THEN WE DID A SPECIAL CALL ON THE 30TH.
IS THAT ACCURATE? SO THE NINTH THROUGH THE 30TH, IS THAT TWO WEEKS LATER OR IS THAT THREE WEEKS LATER.
UM, AND THEN ALL COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE UNIQUE INTERESTS AND PERSPECTIVES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED DURING THE MEETINGS.
UH, ITEM 11, ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, HOW ENGAGED IS COMMUNITY? WE PUT OUR, WE PUT IT AS AN EIGHT AND WE ALSO GAVE THE CONTEXT OF AI SPECIFIC BILLS OF PASSED AND TEXANS AND COMMUNITIES LOOKING FOR US TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP.
FIVE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATED IN COMMUNITY IMPACT HEARING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IMPACT HEARING, I'M JUST GONNA PUT OUR AUGUST COMMUNITY
[02:25:01]
IMPACT HEARING AND WITH LESS THAN ONE WEEK'S NOTICE.AND COMMUNITY INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS ARE CURRENTLY LOW, BUT WE ANTICIPATE AN INCREASE AS POLICY ISSUES RELATED TO EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.
AND THEN FINAL QUESTION ON 12.
DO YOU SEE ANY GAPS IN IMPORTANT POLICIES THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY COVERED BY THE BOARD COMMISSION? WE SAID NO.
UM, IN OUR BYLAW REVISIONS, WE COMPLETED A GAP ANALYSIS AND ADDED ADDITIONAL SCOPE TO OUR COMMISSION IN ORDER TO CLOSE THAT EXISTING GAP.
ANY AMENDMENTS ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? I WOULD JUST ADD ONE BULLET IN THE NUMBER 11.
UM, YEAH, WE'RE BASED, BASICALLY, I THINK ONE THING THAT WE CALLED OUT IS LIKE HOW OUR COMMUNITY OR, OR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ARE, UM, ACTIVELY INVOLVED.
AND SOME OF THAT IS THROUGH DECA, THROUGH G OS AND THAT'S NOT CALLED OUT HERE.
SO I WOULD JUST ADD ONE BULLET THAT I HIGHLIGHTS THAT.
UM, IF THIS IS GOOD WITH EVERYONE, I WILL, I'M GOOD WITH SOMEONE MAKING A MOTION TO ADOPT THIS.
MOTION TO ADOPT PUSH FORWARD BY, UH, COMMISSIONER PVI AND, UH, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COMBI.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR AMENDMENTS ON THIS ITEM? NOT HEARING ANY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE, UM, RESPONSE TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE AS PRESENTED? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY A AYE AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? ANYONE AGAINST? OKAY.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR BEARING WITH US ON, UM, ON THAT.
I WILL, UH, WORK WITH DAN AND JESSE TO GET THAT SUBMITTED OVER TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND IF WE DO HAPPEN TO PASS AN ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION, WE CAN ALWAYS AMEND THIS OR SEND A FOLLOW UP EMAIL.
YEAH, AND I KNOW, UM, FORMER CHAIR, UH, PITTS SENT THROUGH A DOCUMENT AS WELL, SO WE'LL INCLUDE THAT IN OUR RESPONSE AS WELL.
UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE TIME, UM, LET'S JUST GO AHEAD
[7. Artificial Intelligence Working Group updates on new and preexisting artificial intelligence legislation or guidelines and how they will impact the group’s draft recommendation (Brian AM Williams, District 1 Appointee, Technology Commission) ]
AND, UM, WELL, WE HAVE, UM, OUR ITEM TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE AI WORKING GROUP COMMISSIONER PRIVILEGE.DO YOU WANNA GIVE A VERY QUICK YEAH, I'LL GIVE A QUICK, UM, UPDATE.
WE MET, UH, LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE, UH, BRIEFLY MYSELF, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS AND OUR PRESENTER FROM THE OTHER WEEK ACTUALLY JOINED, UM, I'M FORGETTING HIS NAME NOW.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE APRS WORK.
WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, UPCOMING AI LEGISLATION, WHICH WE GOT A GOOD OVERVIEW OF THIS, THIS MEETING.
SO OUR NEXT STEPS ARE GOING TO BE LIKELY CREATING SOME SORT OF RECOMMENDATION AROUND THE L APRS TO SURFACE WITH THIS WIDER GROUP.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE ARE WORKING OR GOING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH COMMISSIONER EASTWOOD TO SEE IF WE CAN ALSO GET SOME SORT OF LABOR UNION REPRESENTATIVES PERSPECTIVES ON SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND AUTOMATION.
UM, CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP IN COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS, AND I'M SURE THERE'S GONNA BE MORE OUT OF THESE, THESE NEW KIND OF BILLS THAT WERE RECENTLY PASSED THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON AND CREATE RECOMMENDATIONS ON.
ONE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, UM, WE HAVE THE AI WORKING GROUP AND IT'S QUITE BROAD, RIGHT? SO MAYBE THIS IS ALSO A GOOD, UM, POINT TO, TO THINK ABOUT, UH, EITHER THE SCOPE OF THAT WORKING GROUP TO KNOW IF WE'RE DOING LIKE A FULL BROAD SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH I'M FINE WITH, BUT MAYBE IT MIGHT BE MORE MANAGEABLE TO DO MORE OF A SPECIFIC WORKING GROUP FOR SOMETHING LIKE, UM, I MEAN IN THIS CASE WE HAVE APRS, BUT WE COULD DO SOMETHING ELSE FOR LIKE, YOU KNOW, OTHER ASPECTS.
SO YEAH, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD TRY TO, WOULD BE TO KEEP AS NARROW AS POSSIBLE AS FAR AS THE RECOMMENDATIONS GO.
AND I CAN, UM, TALK ABOUT THAT WITH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT WITH COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. WE HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 26TH TO HAVE A SEPARATE FOLLOW UP SO WE CAN BRING THAT UP AT THAT MEETING AND THINK ABOUT HOW TO SCOPE THE WORKING GROUP TO SOMETHING THAT'S, UM, FEELS MORE MANAGEABLE OR MAYBE WE, WE SPLIT UP IN SOME WAY AND, UM, HAVE DIFFERENT DELIVERABLES
[02:30:01]
WITH MORE NARROWLY SCOPED WORKING GROUPS.SO, UM, YEAH, WE'LL SEE OR WE DECIDE TO DO A BROADER SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND JUST SHIFT OUR DEADLINE FOR THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER TIVI? OKAY.
[6. Public Surveillance working group updates on stakeholder conversations and how they will shape the planned recommendation (Keith Pena-Villa, Mayor’s Appointee, Technology Commission)]
UM, FOR AGENDA ITEM SIX, JUST TO GO BACK ONE WE DON'T HAVE, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER PENA VIA, UM, I'M GONNA TALK TO COMMISSION TO COMMISSIONER PENA VIA ABOUT, UH, MODIFYING THIS WORKING GROUP.UM, AND THE SCOPE SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF BEING SWALLOWED UP BY THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WORKING GROUP.
UM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET HIS BUY-IN BEFORE WE MAKE MODIFICATIONS.
AND IF THE, FOR EXAMPLE, APRS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT JUST ORGANICALLY CAME OUT OF THE CONVERSATION, IF THAT FITS MORE INTO THE PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE WORKING GROUP, WE CAN TOTALLY DO THAT TYPE OF RECOMMENDATION IN THERE.
THAT WASN'T SOMETHING WE SPECIFICALLY BROUGHT UP IN THE AI WORKING GROUP, IT WAS JUST SOMETHING WE HAD BEEN PRESENTED ON RECENTLY AND IS, I THINK, BEING LUMPED IN A BIT WITH SOME OF THAT WIDER WORK.
SO TOTALLY COOL WITH PUSHING THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THAT WORKING GROUP OR WORKING ON IT MORE CLOSELY WITH THAT WORKING GROUP.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
US BACK VERY QUICKLY TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE AND THAT'S THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM JULY 9TH.UM, IF EVERYONE COULD JUST GLANCE AT THAT VERY QUICKLY, UM, AND UM, I'LL HAVE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
I MOVE, WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
SECONDED, UH, MOTION PUT FORWARD BY COMMISSIONER COMBY, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR RE, UH, ANY FURTHER AMENDMENTS OR DISCUSSIONS ON THE MINUTES? NOT SEEING ANYONE.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? ANYONE AGAINST? OKAY, WE ARE UNANIMOUS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
SO, UH, AS MENTIONED, UH, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF COMMUNITY LISTING SESSION, UH, ANOTHER COMMUNITY LISTING SESSION, UH, AGENDA ITEM FOR UH, SEPTEMBER.SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANY INDIVIDUALS OR ANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, UH, PLEASE COORDINATE THAT WITH DAN AND MYSELF.
UM, DO WE HAVE SOMETHING RELATED TO GT OS NEXT TIME? UH, YES.
ME AND JESSE PLAN ON PRESENTING THE NEXT YEAR'S ACTION PLAN FOR THE GT OS PROGRAM FOR THE 2026 FINANCIAL YEAR.
AND THEN, UH, WILL WE RECEIVE, UM, A HEADS UP ON THE CONTENT JUST SO THAT WE HAVE TIME TO REVIEW IT BEFOREHAND? FOR SURE.
UH, WE'LL TRY TO GET THAT TO Y'ALL INBOX AT LEAST A WEEK BEFORE THE MEETING.
UH, AND THAT'LL BE LIKE OUR MINIMUM WINDOW.
SO MAYBE A COUPLE WEEKS CORRECT.
JUST REITERATING WHAT JESSE SAID FOR THE RECORD.
BUT, UH, WE MAY HAVE TO DELAY IT BY ABOUT, UH, A MONTH, UH, WHILE WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOME THINGS ON OUR END.
UH, BUT WE'LL STILL GIVE IT TO Y'ALL AHEAD OF WHENEVER THAT ITEM IS SET TO APPEAR ON THE AGENDA.
DO ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO ADD TO A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? NOT HEARING ANYTHING? OKAY.
WELL, UM, IN THE MEANTIME, UH, THE WORKING GROUPS WILL MEET AND, UH, IF THERE'S ANY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS, UM, LOOK OUT FOR EMAILS FROM DAN.
UM, WITH THAT I WILL CALL US ADJOURNED.
HAVE A GOOD EVENING AND THANK Y'ALL FOR STAYING ON WITH ME.