[00:00:05]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:02 PM I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THE ROLE I AM CHAIR HOUSTON, UH, VICE CHAIR GRAY.COMMISSIONER MALDONADO IS NOT A COMMISSIONER ANYMORE, RIGHT? THEY, THEY THINK WERE REINSTATED.
HAD YOU HEARD WHETHER THEY WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE THE MEETING? THEY DID NOT CONFIRM.
UH, COMMISSIONER GARZA PRESENT, COMMISSIONER SMALL B PRESENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER HUSSEINI HAD A MESSAGE THAT SHE WAS GONNA BE LATE.
UH, COMMISSIONER ZIMAN PRESENT.
AND COMMISSIONER CHENEY IS GONNA BE ABSENT.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON IS GONNA BE ABSENT.
HAVE YOU HEARD FROM COMMISSIONER? NOT, UH, SHARLA? UH, THEY TOLD ME THEY CAME, THEY WERE GONNA BE PRESENT, BUT THEY DIDN'T SAY, LIKE ORIGINALLY THEY OKAY.
BUT WE HAVE QUORUM, SO WE'RE GONNA AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I BELIEVE THE ONLY PERSON WE HAD ON PUBLIC COMMENT WAS, UH, DR. ROSA, AND SHE'S ACTUALLY ON THE AGENDA.
WAS ANYBODY ELSE? UH, LET ME SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE IS DONE.
AND BILL, ANYBODY ELSE WANT SIGN FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
GONNA MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 18TH MEETING.HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO GO OVER THOSE IN BACKUP? I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER GRAVE FOR APPROVE.
SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER ZIMAN.
ALL IN FAVOR? I SEE ALL, ALL A NO OPPOSED.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR DISCUSSION
[2. Presentation on future funding by Dr. Lilia Rosas of Red Salmon Press ]
ITEM FIRST.UH, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON FUTURE FUNDING BY DR.
LILIA ROSAS OF RED SALMON PRESS.
SHE'S A GUEST OF COMMISSIONER GARZA.
AND JUST, THERE'S A MICROPHONE RIGHT HERE AT THIS CHAIR.
YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE 10 MINUTES IF YOU DON'T NEED TO.
I WAS TRYING TO, HOW EXCITING
WELL, GOOD, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ED SEMINAR ARTS.
AND I HAVE A, A BIT OF A PREAMBLE, UM, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S NECESSARY.
I WANNA THANK A COMMISSIONER, UM, FELIPE GARLA ME TO SHARE SOME, A FEW THOUGHTS TODAY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU AS WELL AS CITY STAFF, UH, UM, HERE TODAY, WHO ARE DOING THE DILIGENT WORK OF DOCUMENTING THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING HERE.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK EVERYONE WHO'S GONNA CLEAN UP AFTERWARDS AS A CHILD OF A DOMESTICA AND A COOK WHO DID NOT RETIRE UNTIL WAY, WAY PAST THAT AGE.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT RED SEMINAR ARTS AS A CASE STUDY.
SO IF YOU ALL DON'T KNOW, UM, IT'S OUR INSTAGRAM.
UM, WE ARE A CHICANO CHICANA CHICANEX LATINO, LATINO, LATINX, INDIGENOUS CENTERED ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE BEEN IN, IN AND AROUND AUSTIN, NOT ME PERSONALLY, UM, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU TALK TO, SINCE 1981 OR 1983.
AND WE ARE, UM, HOUSED IN CIA BOOKS, UM, WHERE WE EXIST, UM, AS A HYBRID, SO TO SPEAK, THE BOOKSTORES OF REMNANT, OF WHAT PEOPLE RECOGNIZE US TO BE.
AND I STARTED THERE, WELL, LET ME FOLLOW MY NOTES.
PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS THE ADMINISTRATOR.
PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS A VOLUNTEER.
AND PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS A GRADUATE STUDENT INTERN WHO WORKED DIRECTLY WITH RAUL SALINAS.
UM, SO TONIGHT I'M ABIDING BY AN INDIGENOUS PEDAGOGY THAT TELLS US WE CAN LEARN AS MUCH ABOUT STAYING IN ONE PLACE AS WE DO BY SIMPLY MOVING AROUND.
AND, UM, I'M CELEBRATING 30 YEARS HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO WHETHER I WANNA ACCEPT IT OR NOT, ONE, I'M AGING.
I'VE HAD ALL KINDS OF ACCIDENTS AND SURGERIES THAT HAVE HAPPENED RECENTLY, BUT TWO, I'VE SEEN A LOT SHIFT IN AUSTIN THAT CONCERNS ME.
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THAT PERHAPS THESE REMARKS MIGHT HAVE ECHOES OF THE LAST, UH, MEETING I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND, WHICH WAS IN MAY, UM, WHERE, UM, MANY OF MY FELLOW CULTURAL WORKERS, CULTURAL KEEPERS AND, AND ARTISTS EXPRESS THEIR DISMAY WITH THE ACME RESET.BUT I THINK IT'S JUST WORTH REVISITING.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT US AS A CASE STUDY.
UM, WHAT I WANNA SAY IS THAT OVER THE TIME THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY FUNDS WE'VE RECEIVED, WE'VE BEEN SEVERELY UNDERFUNDED, UM, FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS.
SOME OF THEM WERE OUTSIDE OF MY CONTROL WHEN THEY WERE PART OF MY CONTROL.
IN 2013, I STARTED TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW FUNDING GETS EARMARKED.
HOW DOES IT GET DECIDED? WHERE DOES IT ALL GO? AND WITH ONE EXCEPTION, WE WERE PART OF THE THRIVE INAUGURAL CLASS.
UM, SO WE RECEIVED THAT FIRST SET OF FUNDING, UM, I GUESS WE WOULD SAY FROM 2023, UM, TO 2024.
UM, WE ARE NOW STILL SERIOUSLY UNDERFUNDED.
UM, WE WERE DEMOTED ACTUALLY FROM BEING A THRIVE RECIPIENT TO AN ELEVATE RECIPIENT BECAUSE, UM, GRANT PANEL RECORDS ARE PART OF A PUBLIC RECORD.
NO ONE WRITES ANYTHING ANYMORE.
'CAUSE NO ONE ACTUALLY WANTS TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY THINK.
SO YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND FIND THE VIDEOS.
WHAT I FOUND UPON REVIEWING IT IS THAT, AND THIS IS ALL CURSORY, AND IT'S BEEN A MINUTE, SO I I APPRECIATE ANY CORRECTIONS, BUT I, I, MOST OF THE PANELISTS I SAW WERE NOT FOLKS NECESSARILY ATTUNED TO THE CULTURAL CLIMATE OF AUSTIN.
AND THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT OUTSIDE PEOPLE CAN'T REVIEW.
I'VE REVIEWED PLENTY OF TIMES, BUT WHAT I AT LEAST ABIDE BY IS THAT I FIRST SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT EXACTLY IS THE MANDATE THAT I AM GIVEN.
AND WHAT I FOUND WAS THAT, AND PERHAPS FOLKS COULD SAY THAT WHAT WE TURNED IN WASN'T AS GOOD.
UM, BUT WHAT I FOUND DISTRESSING WAS A TENDENCY NOW TO MONETIZE AND REWARD ORGANIZATIONS THAT SEEM TO BE SERVING AUSTIN.
NOT IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT IS BEST FOR US, BUT WHAT MAKES THE CITY MOST MONEY.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING SO BLUNT, BUT I GUESS IT'S BEEN A MINUTE.
I AM WORRIED THAT WE ARE NOW WITH THE NEXT RESET CREATING CONDITIONS, WE, WHERE WE CONTINUE TO ASK ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM FROM THE WELL-FUNDED TO THE LEAST FUNDED TO COMMODIFY OURSELVES.
IT'S ALARMING, ESPECIALLY FOR US AT RED SEMINAR ARTS, WHERE WE ABIDE BY THIS IDEA, URA, THE CULTURE IS NOT FOR SALE, AND THE WORK THAT WE DO AT RED SALMON AND WHAT FELLOW RECIPIENTS DO, THE ONES WHO ARE WELL FUNDED AND CONTINUE TO BE, AND THERE WERE SOME WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO WERE, UM, FUNDED WELL IN THE NEXT INAUGURAL CLASS.
SO THIS ISN'T ABOUT SAYING THIS, WE DESERVE THIS OVER THEM.
THIS IS ABOUT SAYING, WHERE CAN THE SHIFT HAPPEN WHERE WE CONTINUE TO BE PUT IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE ARE CRABS IN A BARREL, WHERE WHEN ONLY ONE LATINA ORGANIZATION OR ONE BLACK ORGANIZATION IS FUNDED, OR ONE NATIVE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION IS FUNDED, WE SAY THIS IS ENOUGH.
AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT WE HERE IN THE CITY, THE CITY THAT I LOVE, THE CITY, WHICH AN ARTIST TOLD ME THIS IS NOW YOUR HOMETOWN.
AND OAKLAND NOW IS YOUR BORN TOWN BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN HERE AND YOU'VE BEEN IN THE FRONT LINES, CREATE CONDITIONS FOR US CONDITIONER WHERE YOU CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE AND LET US DO THE WORK THAT WE LOVE AND LET US DO IT IN A WAY THAT EMBRACES EQUITY AND DIVERSITY.
WORDS THAT ARE NOW FORBIDDEN, BUT STILL ABSOLUTELY MATTER.
AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT EVEN FOR THOSE OF US, LIKE RED SALMON, THOSE OF US WHO WE ARE CONSTANTLY BEING TOLD WE ARE NOT CATEGORY, WE CANNOT BE PUT IN A CATEGORY.
WHY NOT CELEBRATE OUR INTERSECTIONALITY? WHAT WE DO IS, WELL, WE ARE A CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATION THAT BRINGS LITERATURE AND LITERACY TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
WE STRIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WE DO IS FREE.
AND THAT EVERYONE WHO SERVES BY GIVING THEIR ART IS IN FACT PAID.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SADDENED ME WITH THE DEFUNDING THAT WE WERE PROUD OF WAS IN
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OUR SMALL STAFF, AT THAT MOMENT OF ONLY THREE OF US PART-TIME, ALL OF US WERE RECEIVING EXACTLY THE SAME PAY.IT DIDN'T MATTER THAT I WAS A DIRECTOR, THAT THE ADMINISTRATOR WAS DOING SOMETHING ELSE, AND THAT OUR LAND STEWARD WAS DOING SOMETHING ELSE.
WE DECIDED FOR OURSELVES WITH THE INITIAL INAUGURAL, UM, CE BEING RECIPIENTS OF THRIVE, THAT WE DESERVE TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER AND IMPLEMENT THE MODELS OF EQUITY AND DIVERSITY THAT WE FIGHT FOR, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO BRING TO OUR PLACE.
AND SO, I DON'T HAVE MORE TO SAY BECAUSE I HONESTLY THOUGHT I HAD VERY FEW MINUTES.
SO I'LL LEAVE IT TO ANY QUESTIONS.
BUT I, I SEE YOU ALL IN UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO JUST FIGHT FOR US.
I HAVE, BELIEVE ME, TALKED TO, UM, I'VE TALKED TO JOSE VELASQUEZ, I'VE TALKED TO MY, HIS, MY REPRESENTATIVE.
I'VE TALKED TO STAFF, I'VE SENT EMAILS TO THEM.
I HAVE FILLED EVERY QUESTIONNAIRE IMAGINABLE.
I, I AM STILL HERE TO VOCALIZE ONCE AGAIN THAT LET AUSTIN AND LET ITS ARTISTS FROM THE SMALLEST ORG TO THE LARGEST OLD ORG LEAD THE CHANGE THAT WE DESERVE IN A MOMENT WHERE ALL FUNDING IS UNCERTAIN IN THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
BUT HERE IN AUSTIN, WE CAN SEE THAT THE GROWTH IS STILL AROUND US.
AND SO WE DESERVE TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT MAKES THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL.
ROSES, REALLY QUICKLY, CAN YOU VERBALIZE WHAT, WHAT CON WHAT CONCERNS YOU HAVE ABOUT ACNE? UH, I I CAN ONLY BASE IT, UM, ON THE MAIN MEETING BECAUSE, UH, UM, AFTER THAT MEETING, I FELL DOWN AND THEN I FELL DOWN AGAIN, AND THEN I HAD TO HAVE SURGERY.
SO I, I AM, UM, WOEFULLY OUT OF TOUCH.
AND, UH, AND READING, UM, WHAT I WITNESSED THERE AND WHAT I HAVE READ WITH SOME OF THE NOTES I'VE SEEN THAT THERE IS A CONCERN CONTINUOUSLY OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST KEEPS COMING UP.
AND I FIND IT IRONIC THAT WHEN THRIVE WAS, UM, REIMAGINED AND ELEVATE AND NEXUS, UM, I, ALONG WITH OTHER ARTISTS WERE INVITED TO SERVE AND REEVALUATE HOW CITY OF AUSTIN FUNDING IN CULTURAL ARTS HAD BEEN WOEFULLY NEGLIGENT WHEN ONE CONSIDERED BIPOC, WHEN ONE CONSIDERED WOMEN, WHEN ONE CONSIDERED QUEER ORGANIZATIONS.
AND WE WERE TASKED WITH DOING AN INTERNAL AUDIT AND GIVING FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW TO RECTIFY THAT.
AND WITH ACNE, WHAT CONCERNS ME IS IT SEEMS, AND GRANTED MY INFORMATION MIGHT BE DATED, THAT THERE IS A RUSH.
AND ANYTIME THERE IS A RUSH, THERE ARE FOLKS WHO FALL, BY THE WAY, WAYSIDE.
AND SO, ALTHOUGH PERHAPS ACME IS ALSO GONNA MAKE SURE TO SAFEGUARD, UM, THESE ASPECTS THAT I THINK WE NEED, WHICH IS WE NEED TO HAVE A DIVERSE SPECTRUM OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS FUNDED.
I WORRY THAT IN THE RUSH TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ACNE IS NOW HERE, THAT FUNDING WILL NOW BE POSSIBLE.
I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW WHEN WE GET TO APPLY FOR ANY KIND OF FUNDING UNDER ACNE.
SO THE ELIGIBILITY FORMS ARE SUPPOSED TO OPEN UP ON THE 29TH.
AND THEN THE APPLICATION OPENS ON THE 21ST OF OCTOBER.
AND THE DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 1ST.
AND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR CURRENTLY IS ELEVATE LIVE MUSIC FUND, CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND HERITAGE PRESERVATION.
BUT I, I DO WORRY THAT IN THAT RUSH, THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE NOT TRAINED WELL IN NEW SYSTEMS, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THE NEW SYSTEMS AREN'T GONNA FLOURISH.
THAT THERE ARE ARE FOLKS WHO WERE, UM, ARE JUST FORGOTTEN.
AND, AND I THOUGHT, I'VE SEEN THIS ENOUGH TIMES WITH CITY FUNDING, WHERE, UH, I DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BE HERE EVERY WEEK.
UH, AND OTHER ORGS MIGHT AND HAVE FOLKS ADVOCATE FOR THEM.
BUT I'M STARTING TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TO LOBBY
THIS IS WHY EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT CONSIDERED ESTABLISHED BY THE METRIC THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS, WE ARE IN FACT ESTABLISHED.
UH, AND SO, AND MOSTLY I JUST HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT I CAN'T SPECIFICALLY TELL YOU ANYTHING 'CAUSE I AM, I'M ACTUALLY WOEFULLY AT A DATE.
HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT THE, THE LATEST GUIDELINES ON THE CREATIVE RESET? I HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THE, THE CREATIVE.
LEMME GIVE YOU A WEBSITE TO GO TO.
[00:15:01]
HYPHEN RESET.AND IT'S GONNA GIVE YOU A LIVE DASHBOARD THAT YOU CAN GO LOOK AT WHERE THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS, UH, THE GUIDE, WHAT THE GUIDELINES CURRENTLY LOOK LIKE, UM, A A HISTORY OF, OF THE OUTREACH THAT THEY'VE DONE IN THIS SHORT TIMEFRAME, THE AMOUNT OF OUTREACH THEY'VE DONE TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY THAT'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT BETTER FEELING ABOUT IT.
UH, WE ALL ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT WAS RUSHED.
UM, I DO THINK THAT THEY WERE DOING THEIR BEST TO MAKE SURE THERE WASN'T A FUNDING GAP, SO THEY WANTED TO GET IT OUT.
THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS SET IN STONE.
NEVER CHANGING BE ALL, END ALL.
THIS IS US WORKING THROUGH HOW TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY.
I, AND ONCE AGAIN, WHAT I WOULD'VE, AND MANY OF MY FELLOW CULTURAL KEEPERS, CULTURAL ARTISTS AND ARTISTS WOULD'VE PREFERRED WAS WHY COULDN'T WE JUST KEEP IT AS IT WAS? RATHER THAN INTRODUCE A WHOLE NEW WAY TO DO THIS.
AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN IN EDUCATION SINCE I'VE BEEN TEACHING THE ON AND OFF SINCE I WAS 22, I I, SO I HAVE A TEACHER SPIDEY SENSE, I CAN TELL WHEN PEOPLE AREN'T DOING THEIR HOMEWORK.
AND I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT WHOEVER'S TASKED TO EVALUATE US, WILL THEY BE DOING THEIR HOMEWORK SO THAT THE FUNDING IS REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT MOST.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A PANELIST TRAINING.
AND SO I KNOW AS YOU AS COMMISSIONERS, UM, I'M JUST ASKING Y ALL TO, TO DO WHAT Y'ALL DO BEST HEAR US AND ADVOCATE FOR US.
AND I WILL CONTINUE, I WILL DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER GARZA? NOT MORE.
THANK YOU DR. ROSA, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, ONE COMMENT, UH, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW FUNDING WAS, SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME MORE OF A CONDITION OF TOURISM AND MONEY THAT WE CAN BRING IN FOR TOURISM.
I KNOW THAT BASICALLY THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE SAY BECAUSE WE USE THE HOT FUNDS, WHICH ARE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AS YOU WERE SAYING, UH, THERE SEEMS TO BE A ONE-SIDED DEFINITION OF WHAT TOURISM MEANS AND HOW THE IMPACT OF THAT TOURISM HAS ON OUR GENERAL COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, EVERY BROTHER HERE PRETTY MUCH SAYS THAT ALL ARTISTS IS BUSINESS.
WE'RE BUS, WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS, WHETHER NON-PROFIT OR FOR-PROFIT.
WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF ARTS.
SO WHEN SOMEONE DOES A SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FESTIVAL VERSUS SOMEONE DOES A POETRY FESTIVAL OR A LITERATURE FESTIVAL, WHATEVER YOU WOULD EX, THE, THE RESOURCES OF THE MONEY YOU'RE BRINGING IN FOR TOURISM DON'T EVEN MATCH.
BUT WHAT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING IS THAT THEY WANT IT TO MATCH ON PAPER.
SO IF YOU DON'T BRING IN, UH, THE MONEY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING IN, UH, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU'RE NOT FUNDED THE NEXT YEAR OR WHATEVER, UH, ANOTHER THING YOU'RE, YOU'RE CALLING YOURSELF AN ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONAL.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY? I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS ANYMORE BY THE, ANY NEW GUIDELINES, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU OUR DEFINITION, WHICH IS OUR LONGEVITY.
OUR SUSTAINABILITY, OUR ONGOING OUTREACH, OUR PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY TO ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WE DO IS ACCESSIBLE.
SO IT'S ABOUT YOUR LEGACY IN THE COMMUNITY.
OUR, OUR OUR, NOT ONLY OUR LEGACY, BUT OF THE, OF THE WAY WE THINK OF THE FUTURE, WHICH AT THIS MOMENT WHEN, UH, EDUCATION IS ALSO A QUESTION MARK.
I THINK CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PROGRAMING WE DO IS A GIFT THAT ALSO CAN SERVE TO EDUCATE.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S BOTH THINKING OF THE PAST, BUT REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE.
AND SO IN THE LAST MOVE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE, UM, FINALLY INCORPORATED THE GARDENS.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WANTING SO DESPERATELY, UM, NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE WE KNEW WE WERE GONNA FEED ANYONE, RIGHT? BUT AS PART OF OUR EDUCATIONAL TOOLS, AND AS PART OF THE WAYS WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE LAND IS SACRED, AND WE ARE, AND WE'RE IN MONTOPOLIS, WHICH IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW IS STILL PROBABLY ONE OF THE LAST POOREST NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS LATELY.
SO THERE IS AN ONGOING NEED THERE MM-HMM
AND IN THE EQUITY AND DIVERSITY TRAINING THAT I'VE DONE, AND I'VE RECEIVED, WHAT I, I WORRY, AND MAYBE ONCE AGAIN, I'M NOT WELL INFORMED, BUT WHAT IS WOEFULLY MISSED IS THAT YOU REALLY JUST NEED TO FLIP THE SCRIPT.
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SEE WHO IS MOST FUNDED, WHO HAS THE MOST LAND, WHAT DOES THEIR CEO MAKE? FLIP IT, INVERT IT.AND THEN I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT US, LIKE RED SEMINAR ARTS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, WE'RE NOT JUST AT PROMISE, BUT WE ARE READY TO CONTINUE TO DO THE GOOD WORKS THAT WE DO IN THE WAYS WE DO THEM.
AND WELL, ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO, I HOPE THAT WE CAN CHANGE THE TERMINOLOGY FROM AN ESTABLISHED DUAL LEGACY.
AND TO USE THE LEGACY TERM AS IT'S DEFINED BY THE GREAT AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THEIR SISTER ORGANIZATIONS, THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE ASIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE LBGT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THEY ALL USE THE EXACT SAME DEFINITION OF PRESERVATION.
SO IF YOU'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 20 YEARS, YOU'VE GOT SOME PRETTY SERIOUS ROOTS.
AND, UH, IT SEEMS TO BE A SHAME SOMETIMES THAT WE FORGET THAT.
I REMEMBER, UH, WHEN THERE USED TO BE A CHADRO, UH, STADIUM RIGHT THERE OFF OF GOING TOWARDS LOCKHART, AND WE LOST THAT.
WE'VE LOST THE, THE HANO MUSIC FESTIVAL FUNDING.
AND SO, UH, THOSE ARE PART OF OUR LEGACY, PART OF OUR CULTURE, PART OF THE, THE CULTURE THAT WE WANT TO SHARE AND PASS ON TO OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRANDCHILDREN.
UH, I WAS NOT BORN HERE IN AUSTIN.
I GREW UP ON THE WEST SIDE IN THE EDGEWOOD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS WE'RE THE ONES WHO SUED THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR ROBINHOOD TO EQUALIZE FUNDING.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST DISCRIMINATION ON PROPERTY WHERE, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS HERE IN, IN AUSTIN, IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE IT WAS RED LINED 1929, AND IF YOU LOOK AT AUSTIN ISD PERFORMANCE RECORDS, THAT LINE STILL EXISTS TODAY.
AND SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT OUR DECISIONS LONG TERM, NOT JUST TODAY, AND NOT JUST WHATEVER.
AND I, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER.
I, I, I GET WORRIED BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK, OH, WELL YOU'RE ONLY BASED ON YOUR HISTORY.
AND I'M LIKE, NO, WE ARE, WE'RE THINKING OF OUR FUTURE.
SO, SO I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION.
AND FOR US, WE'VE BEEN 7, 8, 7 0 4 MM-HMM
BEFORE IT WAS TRENDY, TRUST ME.
WHEN I GOT TO AUSTIN, IT WAS A MEXICAN AMERICAN AND BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE MOVED BACK TO 7 8, 7 0 2, ONCE AGAIN WAS NOT TRENDY.
AND NOW WE ARE IN 7, 8, 7, 4 1.
YOU'D BE GO DOWN SOUTH FIRST AND TURN ON ANNIE, AND THERE'S A HOUSE THERE THAT HAD GOATS RAINING AROUND THE YARD.
SO WE'VE COME A LONG WAY FROM THAT.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR DR.
ROSES? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING DOWN TONIGHT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT COMMISSIONER CHARLA IS ON THE DAAS COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.
ARE YOU GONNA COME ON, ON VIDEO
WHAT DO WE DO IF WE CAN'T? UM, HELLO? OH, OKAY.
IT'S ON, UH, COMMISSIONER MALVA.
YOU MAY WANT TO TRY RESETTING, UH, YOUR COMPUTER, UM, WITHOUT YOUR VIDEO ON.
UM, 'CAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT ON CAMERA, THEN, UH, IT, YOU'RE NOT COUNTED AS BEING ON THE DAIS.
SHE'S GONNA TRY TO, UH, RESET.
UM, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER
[ 3. Presentation on a nomination to the Rally Austin Board of Directors by Theresa Alvarez, President and CEO of Rally Austin. ]
THREE, PRESENTATION ON A NOMINATION TO THE RALLY AUSTIN BOARD OF DIRECTORS BY THERESA ALVAREZ, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF RALLY AUSTIN.OH, I DIDN'T HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT YOU GUYS HAVEN'T DISCUSSION EITHER.
YOU WE'RE JUST GONNA DISCUSS IT.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, UH, MS. ALVAR SENT US AN EMAIL, UM, GIVING US THE GUIDELINES FOR WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR FOR RALLY AUSTIN.
AND THEY ALSO SENT A NOMINATION THAT, UH, CARL SETTLES AND MS. ALVAREZ, UH, SUBMITTED.
DID WE HAVE ANY OTHER SUBMISSIONS FOR NOMINATIONS? COMMISSIONER ESMAN? I SENT AN EMAIL THAT WAS CIRCULATED, UH, TO, UH, THE COMMISSION BY OUR WONDERFUL
[00:25:01]
STAFF LIAISON.UH, SARAH VANDERBEEK IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF DWARF GALLERY.
UM, I INCLUDED A BIO AND LINKS IN THAT NOMINATION.
THIS WAS, UH, SECONDED, ESSENTIALLY, OR SUPPORTED BY COMMISSIONER SCH MABA.
UM, A HIGHLIGHT INCLUDES HER EXPERIENCE IN WORKING WITH DEVELOPERS DIRECTLY AND SPECIFICALLY IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HER NONPROFIT GALLERY SPACE THAT OCCUPIES, UH, ZILKER POINT, WHICH WAS A RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN A PUD.
PLEASE DON'T ASK ME WHAT PUD STANDS FOR.
I CAN NEVER PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND SHE WAS ABLE TO SECURE A $1 A YEAR LEASE, I THINK, FOR FIVE, FOR 10 YEARS.
UM, WHICH PROVIDES LIKE A REALLY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE, UM, IN GOING INTO THINKING CREATIVELY AND ABSTRACTLY ON HOW TO ACHIEVE MORE SPACE FOR THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT WAS OUR NOMINEE AGAIN, I SENT THAT LATE LAST WEEK.
AND THEN THE NOMINEE FROM MS. ALVAREZ AND MR. SETTLES IS, I CAN'T FIND IT, BUT SHE ALSO SENT THE LIST OF WHAT'S ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE 25TH, UM, FOR THE FULL LIST THAT YOU CAN SEE EVERYONE THAT THEY'RE, UM, RECOMMENDING.
ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, VOTE.
WE CAN'T VOTE BECAUSE IT'S NOT A, IT IS NOT A, IT'S NOT AN ACTION ITEM.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THAT IS CORRECT.
SO, MOTION, I THINK YOU ALL CAN, I CAN GIVE, LET ME GIVE A LITTLE IT IS.
CHAIR, IF I JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THIS PROCESS.
SO, BACK IN MAY, WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM TERESA AND CARL ANNOUNCING THAT HE, HIS TERM WAS ENDING AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, AND THAT WE WERE TO BE PUTTING FORTH NOMINATIONS FOR OUR RALLY CULTURAL TRUST BOARD.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT WE WERE INUNDATED WITH THE DEMANDS OF ASSESSING THE GUIDELINES, AND IT COMPLETELY FELL OFF THE RADAR.
UH, CARL AND ESA WERE PROACTIVE AND CAME UP WITH A NOMINEE THAT THEY THOUGHT, UH, WOULD BE A GOOD FIT.
AND I AGREE THAT THEY'RE A GOOD FIT.
I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO DIVERSIFY THE REPRESENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, MS. CASADA IS A WONDERFUL ADVOCATE AND VERY PRESENT.
SHE ALSO SITS ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALLOW OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO STEWARD OPPORTUNITY AND BRING DIVERSITY OF PERSPECTIVE, UM, TO THESE CONVERSATIONS.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO EXAMINING, LIKE, YOU, AGAIN, LIKE I THINK SARAH'S DONE SOME PRETTY PHENOMENAL JOBS WORKING ALONGSIDE COUNCIL DEVELOPERS TO CREATE, AFFORD DEEPLY, SIGNIFICANTLY AFFORDABLE SPACES.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE CIRCLING BACK TO THIS.
UM, MS. CAZADA WAS GONNA BE SET FORWARD.
WE FELT STRONGLY THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE AN OPINION IN THAT AND DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA JUST SIGN OFF.
UM, AND SO IT SHOULD BE A DIALOGUE.
THAT EMAIL FROM DESA WENT OUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, TWO WEEKS AGO.
I SENT MY NOMINATION IN LAST WEEK.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DISCUSS AS A GROUP, UM, OR BRAINSTORM OTHER PEOPLE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, THIS DOESN'T NEED TO GO ON FOREVER, BUT ULTIMATELY BY THE OCTOBER MEETING, WE NEED TO BE SETTING FORTH A NOMINATION.
SO IF YOU HAVE GOOD CANDIDATES IN MIND, UM, AGAIN, THERE'S, IT'S A RIGOROUS, UM, COMMITMENT.
THERE ARE MEETINGS DURING THE DAY.
UM, MS. ALVAREZ DID A GREAT JOB OF SORT OF LAYING OUT WHAT THOSE COMMITMENTS ARE.
SO ANYBODY THAT YOU INTEND TO NOMINATE AS A CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION NEEDS TO REVIEW AND CONSENT TO THOSE DEMANDS AND RESPONSIBILITIES SO THAT WE'RE NOT SETTING THEM UP FOR FAILURE.
BUT, UM, THEIR FIRST MEETING WILL BE IN NOVEMBER.
SO IT'S, IT'S LATE, BUT STILL ON TIME.
UM, IT WON'T GO IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL FOR THEIR OCTOBER MEETING, BUT I THINK AS LONG AS WE'RE PUTTING IT FORTH IN TI BY THE OC BY, SORRY, BY THE SEPTEMBER MEETING, BUT PUTTING IT FORTH AND VOTE, GETTING A VOTE ON IT FOR OUR OCTOBER MEETING WILL STILL SET THEM UP.
WELL, I THINK IT'LL DEPEND ON WHEN WE CAN GET ON ANOTHER STATE COUNCIL AGENDA.
SO IF YOU VOTE IN OCTOBER, I DUNNO WHEN WE'LL BE, I'M, I'M WORKING ON THAT TODAY.
I DON'T HAVE A DATE, SO, BUT WE LIKELY THERE WON'T, IT WON'T BE BY NOVEMBER 12TH.
WELL, WE ARE AWARE WHERE WE ARE AND THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR INACTION, AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST NOW.
SO AGAIN, FOR THOSE THAT CAN HEAR MY VOICE,
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS WAS ALL IN WRITING IN OUR BC EMAILS.
UM, SO, UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME TO A CONSENSUS.
UM, I THINK IF IT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSED, WE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
THE OCTOBER MEETING DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANYBODY'S COMING READY WITH OTHER IDEAS AT THIS MOMENT,
[00:30:01]
BUT THE THOUGHT WAS TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP IF NEED BE.AND IT WOULD BE TERM BASED, I GUESS FOR ME.
I JUST, UH, ME TURN ON YOUR MIC.
JUST MAKE SURE THEY CAN HEAR YOU.
IS IT ON ONE MORE TIME? SHOULD JUST BE ON ALL THE AUTOMATICALLY.
UM, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
IT'S, I, LIKE, I GET US DOING THE NOMINATIONS AND I GET HER HER PAST WORK, BUT I'M LIKE, IS THAT GONNA TRANSLATE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH RALLY? BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH LACK OF CREATIVE SPACES.
IF YOU ADVOCATED, LIKE, IS THIS INITIATIVE THAT SHE PLANS ON BRINGING, UM, IN HOW SHE'S IMPLEMENTING IF SHE IS NOMINATED AND AT RALLY? I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
YEAH, SHE'S, 'CAUSE IT DIDN'T TALK, IT DIDN'T TALK ABOUT, IT WAS JUST LIKE, YEAH, THAT'S HER.
UM, BUT WE, COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK AND I, WHEN WE WERE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, WE'RE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH HER AND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REPLICATE THIS MODEL.
BECAUSE IT IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL ONE.
AND WE TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER DEVELOPERS TO DO THE RIGHT THING, UM, AND WORK ALONGSIDE ARTISTS AND NOT ONLY CREATE AFFORDABLE WORKSPACE, BUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I THINK, UM, AGAIN, GIVEN THAT SHE IS A, A PUBLIC ARTS CONSULTANT WITH DEVELOPERS IN GENERAL, SO SHE'S KIND OF COMING AND AN ARTIST HERSELF.
UM, AND HAS BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
SHE WORKS WITH A LOT OF OTHER NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO SORT OF PROFESSIONAL, BEST PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES.
SO THAT'S, SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON I THOUGHT OF IN SPEC, LIKE, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT REAL ESTATE AND THE ARTS COMMUNITY SORT OF INTERSECTING.
SO OF COURSE WE'RE PUTTING HER FORTH AS A CHAMPION OF THIS AND TO REALLY REPRESENT THE VISUAL ARTS COMMUNITY, UM, FROM THE ARTIST PERSPECTIVE AND NOT JUST SORT OF A, UM, A PARTICIPANT.
UM, I JUST WANNA ADD, JUST IN WORKING WITH HER IN THE URBAN CORE ISSUES WORKING GROUP, SHE'S AMAZING.
I MEAN, SHE'S REALLY SEEMS TO REALLY KNOW WHAT'S UP, WHAT WE NEED.
I WAS IMPRESSED BEFORE EVEN KNOWING, YOU KNOW, THE NOMINATION JUST AND HOW MUCH NEEDS TO BE DONE IN AUSTIN MM-HMM
AND PERHAPS SOME, SOME SUCCESSFUL IDEAS OF HOW TO GET THERE.
AND, UM, I DID, 'CAUSE I, WHEN I READ THE, THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, I WAS LIKE, WELL, THIS IS A BIG LIFT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHE CAN COMMIT TO, BUT SHE WAS RESOUNDINGLY EXCITED AND SEES THIS AS A PRIVILEGE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE HER COMMUNITY.
SO, BUT I'M EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT OTHER IDEAS FOR PEOPLE THAT COULD SERVE ON THE BOARD.
SO I WANT THIS TO BE A FLUID DISCUSSION.
IT'S NOT SET IN STONE BY ANY MEANS, BUT, UM, IT'S, UH, A SENSE OF URGENCY NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT ALONG WITH IT BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY A LITTLE BEHIND.
AND, AND PART OF IT IS I ASKED TO NOT VOTE UNTIL OCTOBER BECAUSE I HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO LOOK AT ANYTHING.
BUT, UM, WE WILL BE ON THE AGENDA FOR OCTOBER.
IF YOU'LL PUT ACTION ITEM VOTE ON NOMINATIONS FOR RALLY AUSTIN.
ANYTHING ELSE ON RALLY AUSTIN? SO, MOVING ON TO AGENDA
[4. Presentation on the 2026 Bond Measure by Eric Bailey, Deputy Director, Capital Delivery Services.]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PRESENTATION ON THE 2026 BOND MEASURE BY ERIC BAILEY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.AND YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES? YEAH.
SWITCH THOSE BACK IF THEY'RE NOT WORKING.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THOSE WON'T COME ON.
DO YOU HAVE A CLICK FOR TESTING? TESTING? OH, IT'S, CAN YOU JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE IN'S? PERFECT.
I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE 2026, UH, BOND PROGRAM.
SO, QUICK AGENDA, UM, WHAT I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH, UM, SO WHAT IS A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND? UH, THE IMPROVED BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR THIS TIME AROUND STAFF WORK THAT WE'VE COMPLETED TO DATE, OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, TECHNICAL CRITERIA, AND SCORING MATRICES, AND THEN SOME UPCOMING MILESTONES AND THAT KIND OF THING.
OUR, SO I'LL START OFF WITH, UH, WHO IS CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
UH, WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2023 WITH THE CITY.
WE SPLIT OUT FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE A DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, PROJECT MANAGERS, AND INSPECTORS.
UH, IT WAS CREATED FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF REDUCING PROJECT DELIVERY TIME FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WE PARTNER WITH CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO DELIVER ASSETS FOR THE CITY.
AND OUR ROLE IN THE 2026 BOND IS TO CONVENE THE CITY'S DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP AN OVERALL DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT, GUIDE THE PROCESS, ENSURE THAT PROJECTS ARE VETTED FOR SCOPE,
[00:35:01]
SCHEDULE, AND BUDGET AND BOND ELIGIBILITY, AS WELL AS COORDINATING PROJECTS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO ACHIEVE MUTUAL BENEFITS.THE PROCESS HAS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR OVER A YEAR, UM, GETTING VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER AND DEVELOPING THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
SO WHAT IS, WHAT IS A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND? UH, TYPICAL GEO BOND PROJECTS INCLUDE, UH, FLOOD AND EROSION CONTROL CITY FACILITIES, INCLUDING NEW REPLACEMENT AND REHABILITATION HOUSING, STREETS, PARKS, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND LAND PURCHASES.
THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT ARE NOT, UH, GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND ELIGIBLE, INCLUDING ROUTINE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE WORK IMPROVEMENTS TO LEASE SPACE CODE ENFORCEMENT AND EMPLOYEE SALARIES.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER ARE FUNDED THROUGH ENTERPRISE REVENUE BONDS FOR EACH OF THOSE ENTITIES.
AND THEREFORE, A W AND AE PROJECTS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM.
AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, SO WHAT'S DIFFERENT FOR THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM FROM PREVIOUS PROGRAMS IN THE PAST, WE'VE PACKAGED PROJECT CONCEPTS INTO A BOND PROPOSITION, AND THEN AFTER THE BOND PASSES, WE'VE UNDERTAKEN THE PRELIMINARY WORK TO DEVELOP THE SCOPE, SCHEDULE, AND BUDGET FOR A PROJECT.
UM, THAT'S LED TO SITUATIONS WHERE THE BOND PROPOSALS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR A $5 MILLION NEW LIBRARY, BUT THAT $5 MILLION COST DIDN'T INCLUDE LAND ACQUISITION.
AND HOW THAT $5 MILLION LIBRARY IS REALLY $8 MILLION BECAUSE A SECTION OF SCOPE WAS MISSED.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE MOVING THAT BROWN BOX, UM, IN THE YELLOW LINE THERE.
THIS IS PROJECT PLANNING TO DEVELOP SCOPE, SCHEDULE, AND BUDGET, UM, TO, DOWN INTO HOW WE'RE DOING IT NOW, UH, BEFORE THE, UM, BOND ELECTION ACTUALLY TAKES PLACE.
UM, THAT WAY WE'LL HAVE THOSE ACCURATE, UH, SCOPES AND SCHEDULES AS WELL AS VETTED PROJECTS, WHICH WILL ENSURE MORE EFFICIENT PROJECT DELIVERY AND BUILD THE TRUST WITH THE PUBLIC THAT WE'RE DELIVERING THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD IN THE BOND ELECTION.
AS I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, CDS HAS CONVENED CITY DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP, UH, THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION CRITERIA TO PREPARE STAFF COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC FOR BOND ELECTION IN 2026.
THOSE MEETINGS INCLUDE, UM, NINE DIRECTORS ROUND TABLES, 13 SPECIAL ACTION COMMITTEE MEETINGS, 11 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT TEAM MEETINGS, AND 12 INTEGRATED BOND DEVELOPMENT TEAM MEETINGS.
SO SINCE MAY OF 2024, UH, STAFF HAS PARTICIPATED IN 40 PLUS MEETINGS WITH, WITH, UH, CITY STAFF RELATED TO BOND DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS DOESN'T COUNT THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE MEETINGS THAT HAVE ALSO BEEN TAKING PLACE SINCE OCTOBER OF 2024.
UM, AS A PART OF THE CONVENING, THE DEPARTMENTS WE'VE WORKED WITH, WITH THEM TO DEVELOP, UH, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, TECHNICAL CRITERIA, AND SCORING MATRICES, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE CDS ISN'T SELECTING PROJECTS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THEIR NEEDS ASSESSMENTS ARE FULLY VETTED IN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, THE NECESSARY SCOPE, SCHEDULE, AND BUDGET.
UM, THESE PROJECTS, UH, BROUGHT FORTH BY THE DEPARTMENTS ARE, UM, RUN THROUGH A SCORING MATRIX BASED ON THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN, AS WELL AS THEIR RELEVANT DEPARTMENTAL SPECIFIC PLANNING DOCUMENTS, UH, FROM EACH, FROM THEIR, EACH ASSET OWNER DEPARTMENT HAS DEVELOPED THEIR OWN TECHNICAL SCORING AND CRITERIA MATRIX BASED ON DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS AND THEIR EXPERTISE.
UH, PROJECT CHARTERS WILL THEN BE USED TO FURTHER DEVELOP AND PRIORITIZE THOSE PROJECTS.
THESE ARE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM.
ALL OF THEM, UH, TAKEN FROM THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, INCLUDING EQUITY, AFFORDABILITY, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE, PROACTIVE PREVENTION AND CUSTOMER TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS.
SO, PROGRESS TO DATE, UM, INCLUDING, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME UPCOMING MILESTONES DEPARTMENTS HAVE PRESENTED, UH, GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND SCORING MATRICES TO THEIR RESPECTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
WE'VE OUTLINED THE SCHEDULE HERE SHOWING MAJOR MILESTONES, INCLUDING THE, UH, BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE UPDATE TO COUNCIL IN JUNE OF 2025.
PRESENTATION OF THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN JULY.
UH, DEPARTMENTAL UPDATES TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UH, THIS SUMMER, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS GONNA BE TAKING PLACE THROUGH THE FALL AND WINTER OF 2025.
IN INCORPORATION OF THOSE COMMENTS, UM, WITH ADDITIONAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN EARLY 2026, UH, RETURNING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WITH A FINAL STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND BTF RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL IN THE SPRING OF 2026.
AND COUNCIL CALLING FOR THE BOND ELECTION IN THE SUMMER.
UH, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE, THIS IS A PRETTY MONUMENTAL TASK.
WHAT'S COME OUT FROM THE INITIAL, UM, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS ABOUT $4 BILLION IN NEED.
UM, RIGHT NOW, THE CITY FINANCE, UH, OFFICE IS
[00:40:01]
TELLING US THAT THE BOND VALUATION WILL BE ABOUT, UM, $700 MILLION IN ORDER TO NOT AFFECT THE CITY'S CREDIT RATING.SO THAT'S ABOUT 17% OF THE OVERALL NEEDS.
SO, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE SET UP THIS FRAMEWORK SO THAT DEPARTMENTS CAN RANK THOSE PROJECTS.
AND WE COME FORWARD WITH, UH, NOT ONLY JUST THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, IDENTIFYING THE TOTAL NEED, BUT ALSO WHAT A PRIORITIZED LIST WOULD LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF, UH, HIGHER PRIORITIES.
UM, THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE BOND ELECTION TASK FORCE MEETING SCHEDULE.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING TODAY.
UM, THE INITIAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT WAS SENT TO COUNCIL IN JULY, UH, VIA MEMO.
SO THAT'S AVAILABLE TO SEE THAT FULL FOUR POINT OR $3.9 BILLION IN NEED.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC OUTREACH IN THE FALL OF 2025 AND EARLY 2026.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE BOND ELECTION TASK FORCE, UH, WILL MEET TWICE A MONTH, UM, IN THE WINTER AND SPRING OF 2026.
AS THAT $4 BILLION NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS REDUCED DOWN TO THE APPROXIMATELY $700 MILLION BOND PACKAGE.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE PUT FORWARD AS PART OF THE 2026 BOND WILL MEET ALL, UH, COUNCIL DIRECTIVES, PARTICULARLY THOSE RELATED TO SUSTAINABILITY IN THE, THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THE 26 BOND DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE HERE.
SO THE SCHEDULE'S THERE, AND THEN ANY KIND OF LINKS OR QUESTIONS AS WELL AS THE PROJECT LIST AND BOND DEVELOPMENT AND UPCOMING MEETINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE THERE.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT COMMISSIONER MALDONADO IS ON THE DAIS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOND? COMMISSIONER MALACH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ONE IS THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE ULTIMATELY FUNDED THROUGH THE BOND MM-HMM
WILL BE SUBJECT TO A IPP, UH, ART IN PUBLIC PLACES 2% FOR ART.
AT THE REGULAR, LIKE, THERE'S NOTHING SPECIAL, THERE'S NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THAT, THAT NO, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOTHING THAT, THERE'S NO CARVE OUTS FOR A IPP FOR THE BOND PROGRAM.
AND THEN I GUESS WHAT'S NICE, OH, DID THERE STILL LEAVE RALLY WAS FUND, LIKE THE CULTURAL TRUST WAS INITIALLY FUNDED BY BOND, BUT MAYBE IT WAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOND? OR WAS IT GENERAL OBLIGATION? UM, THERE'S SOME GO BOND FUNDING IN THE PAST, UM, AND THEN RALLY.
SO BECAUSE RALLY HAS SORT OF PIVOTED TO AS A QUASI CITY, UM, ENTITY, NOW THERE'S A SEPARATE, UH, EVALUATION THAT'S GOING ON WITH RALLY, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM IN TERMS OF THEIR, UH, PROPOSED PROJECTS AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THOSE ARE, UH, AVAILABLE FOR EVALUATION AS WELL.
SO, SO THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THERE COULD BE, WE MIGHT BE VOTING ON SOME REINVIGORATION OF RALLIES CULTURAL TRUST.
I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR OUR AUDIENCE TO KNOW MM-HMM
AND THEN HOW, HOW CAN THE COMMUNITY, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR, I, I SUPPOSE, LIKE, IS IT IN THE PRIORITIZATION PROCESS? I KNOW THAT'S COMING FROM DEPARTMENTS, BUT LIKE, AT WHAT POINT SHOULD WE BE RALLYING THE ARTS COMMUNITY TO SAY LIKE, THESE ARE PRIORITIES BECAUSE WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, 4 BILLION AND 700 MILLION.
IS THERE A BIG DIFFERENCE? YEAH, I, I THINK PARTICIPATING IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS IS, IS ALWAYS KEY.
UM, THE NEXT, IT'S A LONG STORY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE TAX RATE ELECTION, WE'VE HAD TO SHIFT EVERYTHING A LITTLE BIT LATER SO THAT WAY VOTERS AREN'T CONFUSED BETWEEN THE BOND AND THE TAX RATE ELECTION.
SO IN MID-NOVEMBER, THE BOND ELECTION TASK FORCE IS GONNA BE HOLDING A SERIES OF, UM, PUBLIC TOWN HALLS.
WE'LL BE CREATING, UH, WE'LL BE COLLECTING ADDITIONAL INPUT ON THAT $4 BILLION LIST.
UM, AND THEN IN THE JANUARY TIMEFRAME OR SO, THE CITY, CITY STAFF IS GONNA RELEASE, UM, THE RANKED LIST BASED ON OUR INITIAL PASS, UM, TO GET FROM THAT 4 BILLION DOWN TO 700 MILLION.
AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA HOLD PUBLIC, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC MEETINGS THEN OKAY.
BASICALLY, HEY, DID WE HIT THE TARGET? DID WE MISS THE TARGET? OKAY.
HAVING THOSE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS.
COMING OUT FOR ALL THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS GREAT.
COMING TO THE BOND ELECTION TASK FORCE MEETINGS IS GREAT.
UM, ANYTIME YOU CAN PARTICIPATE, UM, IN THAT FORMAT IS, IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO ON THE WEBSITE, ON THE LINK THERE, THERE IS A PLACE WHERE FOLKS CAN SUBMIT PROJECTS OF THEIR OWN FOR EVALUATION.
SO, UM, IF YOU'VE GOT A PROJECT IN MIND THAT'S NOT ON OUR LIST, OKAY.
ANYONE ELSE? I, I THINK YOU'RE GOOD.
THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
[5. Update on actions taken at the September 17" Art in Public Places Panel by Commissioner Schmalbach ]
NUMBER FIVE, UPDATE ON ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE SEPTEMBER 17TH ART[00:45:01]
AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL BY COMMISSIONER SCHACH.WE ACTUALLY HAVE HAD TWO MEETINGS SINCE THE REGULAR A IPP PANEL MEETING WAS SEPTEMBER 8TH, WHERE WE APPROVED THE, WHAT Y'ALL HAVE SEEN IN THE BACKUP, THE THREE, UM, FINAL DESIGNS THAT WE'LL BE VOTING TO APPROVE, APPROVE TONIGHT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD A SPECIAL CALL MEETING THAT WAS THE ONE ON THE 17TH, WHICH WAS TO GO OVER THE, UM, DRAFT REVISIONS TO THE A IPP ORDINANCE, UM, THAT WAS DIRECTED BY COUNSEL, WHAT THE NUMBER'S ON HERE ON, UH, ITEM NUMBER 12.
AND, UH, JAIME IS GONNA GIVE US A DETAILED UPDATE ON THAT.
AND YEAH, WE'RE GONNA BE INTERVIEWING THE, THE SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, THAT IS INTERVIEWING, UM, NEW, POTENTIAL NEW TWO PANEL MEMBERS, UM, IS THE END OF NEXT WEEK, I BELIEVE.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS ON NEW PANEL MEMBERS SOON.
WE'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF INFO FROM JAMAN A LITTLE BIT.
ARE YOU STILL ACCEPTING PANELISTS OR POTENTIAL? MM-HMM.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE PROCESS IS SORT OF ALL, DO WE ALWAYS HAVE LIKE A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN SUBMIT THEIR MATERIALS FOR THE NEXT TIME THAT WE NEED TO ADD FOLKS? WELCOME.
JAIME CASTILLO, JAIME CASTILLO MANAGER FOR, IS IT ON? HELLO? YES IT IS.
UH, YEAH, THE APPLICATION, THE PANELISTS FORM IS ALWAYS OPEN.
UM, BUT WE, WE BASICALLY JUST KEEP THEM ON FILE WHEN WE HAVE A VACANCY.
[6. Update on actions taken at the September 17th Downtown Commission meeting by Commissioner Houston ]
SIX, UPDATE ON ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE SEPTEMBER 17TH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING BY COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.AND I DID NOT GET MY OATH OF OFFICE DONE, SO I COULD ONLY ATTEND AS, UM, AN OBSERVER.
UM, THEY AMAZINGLY ONLY HAD FOUR ITEMS ON THEIR AGENDA.
BUT, UM, LISTEN TO MOST OF IT, UM, IN MY DOWNTIME.
AND THE MAIN THINGS IS THERE WAS A PRESENTATION BY DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER FORTUNE ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC OFFICE, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CONVENER OF GROUPS TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT DOWNTOWN IS THE BEST VIBRANT PLACE IT CAN BE.
THERE'S A FOCUS ON SIXTH STREET SAFETY AND EFFICIENT MOVEMENT.
THEY'RE TRYING TO SET UP RIDESHARE, PICK UP AND DROP DROP OFF PLACES, UM, AND GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF.
THERE'S, UM, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS STARTED A NEIGHBORHOOD ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM THAT IS ACROSS DEPARTMENTAL BODY THAT INCLUDES EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO IMPLEMENT PLACE-BASED FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS THAT DISMANTLE THE ENVIRONMENT, REGULATORY AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS THAT ALLOW CRIME TO EXIST, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS VERY COOL.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO EXPAND, THEY'RE SENDING A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF DOWNTOWN, UM, TO INCLUDE THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT DISTRICT, WHICH IS AS FAR SOUTH AS FAR SOUTH AS EAST RIVERSIDE IN BOLDEN CREEK, WEST TO SOUTH FIRST EAST TO BLUM CREEK AND NORTH TO THE LAKE.
SO IT WOULD JUST BUMP DOWNTOWN A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH AND A LITTLE FURTHER EAST ON THAT POCKET SOUTH.
AND THEN THEY ALSO WANNA PICK UP WEST CAMPUS, WHICH WOULD BE MLK TO THE SOUTH 29TH STREET TO THE NORTH GUADALUPE TO THE EAST AND NORTH LAMAR TO THE WEST.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT I MISSED THE VERY FIRST PART OF THAT? DOES THAT MEAN THAT, DOES THE EXPANDING BOUNDARIES, DOES THAT LIKE EXPAND THE COVERAGE OF THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE? OR LIKE WHAT DOES THE PRACTICAL, LIKE WHAT DOES IT DO TO EXPAND THAT? THE BOUNDARY OF DOWNTOWN? WHAT BY LIKE YEAH, WHAT DOES IT OPEN UP? IT JUST INCLUDES THOSE SEGMENTS IN THE PURVIEW OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AND THE DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN THE DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC OFFICE, WHICH IS BEING STOOD UP FROM THE CITY MANAGER.
THAT IS GOING TO BE THE CONVENER TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
ANYWAY, HAVING HIM SERVED ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, I REMEMBER SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BOUNDARIES AND THE POSSIBLE EXTENSION OF THOSE BOUNDARIES EVEN ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.
[00:50:01]
PROBLEM WITH THE WAY IT'S SET UP NOW, OR AT LEAST THEY FELT IS IT DID NOT QUITE REFLECT WHAT HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN BECAUSE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A MUCH SMALLER AREA.AND OF COURSE, IF YOU JUST DRIVE DOWN EDGE 35, YOU SEE BUILDINGS ON BOTH EAST AND WEST SIDE, UH, YOU GO DOWN RIVERSIDE, YOU SEE HUGE BUILDINGS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO NOW IT'S BASICALLY ALL THEY'RE DOING IS JUST CATCHING UP WITH A DEFINITION OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
AND SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, SOME OF THE DOWNTOWN INITIATIVES THAT, UH, HAD BEEN LEFT OUT, AND I KNOW SOME OF, SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT WERE COMING IN FROM RESIDENTS WAS SOUND, UH, LATE NIGHT SOUNDS IN THE, IN CLUBS WHERE, ESPECIALLY AROUND MLK AREA AS, UH, THERE WAS ALSO RESIDENTIAL.
SO YOU'VE GOT A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES.
AND, UH, SO THEN THE SOUND ORDINANCE, UH, REGULATIONS THAT WERE FOR DOWNTOWN DID NOT ALWAYS APPLY OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN A NINE STORY BUILDING, YOU KNOW.
AND SO THAT WAS, UH, ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE EXPANSION OF THAT BOUNDARIES IS TO HAVE IT REFLECT WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN THE CITY ALREADY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GARZA.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
[7. Discussion on Arts Commission Roles including Bylaws ]
TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSSION ON ARTS COMMISSION ROLES, INCLUDING BYLAWS.AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE A WORKING GROUP ON BYLAWS BECAUSE
SO WE GOTTA UPDATE THE BYLAWS THOUGH.
SO WE HAVE TO SEND THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO CHANGE THE, THE WORDING IN THE BYLAWS.
CAN YOU DO, DO YOU HAVE A, LIKE A, WHAT'S THE BACKGROUND ON THAT? SO DID THEY, DID ANGELA AND CANDACE EMAIL YOU TO SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO UPDATE THE BYLAWS, OR WHAT'S PROMPTING US OTHER THAN THEM BEING OUTDATED? LIKE, I'M JUST CURIOUS, LIKE TIMELINE WISE, IT WAS BROUGHT UP SPECIFICALLY BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON THAT THE BYLAWS WERE OUTDATED AND THAT SHE WANTED TO HAVE LOOK AT UPDATING 'EM.
SO THEN WE GOT THE INFORMATION ON HOW TO UPDATE AND NOW WE JUST NEED TO SET UP A GROUP THAT, THAT WILL DO THAT PROCESS AND BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL.
DOES IT NEED TO, MY ONLY QUESTION IS DOES IT NEED TO BE UNDER AN ACTION ITEM FOR US TO SET UP A WORKING GROUP? DOES IT HAVE TO BE AN ACTION ITEM TO SET UP A WORKING GROUP? BECAUSE WE'VE SET UP
SO I DON'T, WELL, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IF WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED A WORKING GROUP, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE PUT IT ON THE ACTION ITEM FIRST.
YEAH, I, WELL, LIKE A DISCUSSION IN ACTION ITEM.
I KNOW IN THE PAST WHEN WE'VE HAD WORKING GROUPS, WE'VE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO BE SAFE.
I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE.
I, I WOULD SAY TO BE SAFE, YES.
IT NEEDS TO BE AN ACTION ITEM.
I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, CLEAR ON THAT THOUGH.
THIS IS WHY WHEN I FIRST STARTED, WE WOULD JUST PUT EVERYTHING UNDER DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION AND SO THAT IT WOULD COVER US IF WE DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO TAKE ACTION.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
'CAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO ARTICULATE WHAT THE ACTION WILL BE.
UM, I SUPPORT CREATING A WORKING GROUP.
IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT GONNA BE EFFECTIVE FOR US TO DISCUSS IN REAL TIME.
IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT COMMISSIONER ANDERSON MAY WANT TO CHAMPION MM-HMM
SO, UM, PERHAPS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL GO HOME, DO OUR HOMEWORK, READ THE CURRENT BYLAWS, AND THEN BE PREPARED TO ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP BY NEXT MEETING.
IF THERE'S NO LIKE, HARD DEADLINE THAT YOU'RE BEING GIVEN BY ACME STAFF, I'M NOT, THIS IS JUST A, A, A RESULT OF CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD ON THE DAIS.
IS THE LAST BYLAWS, EXCUSE ME.
THE LAST BYLAWS I BELIEVE ARE FROM 2021.
DO WE KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE BYLAWS OTHER THAN UPDATING IT TO REFLECT THE NEW, UH, STRUCTURE OF ACME THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED? I BELIEVE ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS IS THE, THE ROLE OF THE COMMISSION AND, UM, CONFLICT OF INTEREST NEEDS TO BE DELINEATED SOMEHOW SO THAT THERE'S NO MORE CONFUSION.
BUT WE HAVE, WEREN'T WE PROVIDED WITH THOSE MM-HMM
THOSE ARE FROM LEGAL, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO WE, THERE'S NO, YEAH, THERE'S NOTHING TO BE JUST CONFUS.
IS IT LIKE TO SPELL IT OUT EXPLICIT? MORE, MORE THAN THAT? I THINK SO DON'T, I MEAN, WE CAN TAKE, LET THE WORKING GROUP DECIDE, BUT I THINK THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS DIVINE DEFINED BY LEGAL FROM THE CITY.
SO US CREATING, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TIGHTER GUIDELINES AROUND THAT OR OUR OWN DEFINITIONS IS
[00:55:01]
REALLY GONNA HOLD UP IF WHAT LEGAL'S PUTTING FORTH.BUT ONCE AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A DISCUSSION I HAVE IN THE WORKING GROUP.
I DON'T WANNA BE ON THIS WORKING GROUP, BUT I DID MENTION THE, UM, CHALLENGE THAT WE HAD LAST MEETING AROUND LIKE GOING BACK AND FORTH ON WHO, WHO, WHAT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
AND I BROUGHT IT UP IN A MEETING WITH MY COUNCIL STAFF AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF OTHER COUNCIL STAFF, ME MEMBERS, AND THEY FOUND THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD EXCLUDE ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE, LIKE, LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, LIKE THE PRIMARY LIVED EXPERIENCE IN THESE PROGRAMS, UM, FROM DISCUSSING AND TAKING ACTION LIKE WE DID LAST MONTH ON THE GUIDELINES, WHICH FEEL FELT LIKE A REAL, LIKE JUST KIND OF WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE MOMENT.
THEY DID NOT, THEY'RE LIKE, WE APPOINTED THE PEOPLE WE APPOINTED KNOWING WHAT THEY DO AND WHAT THE ROLE OF THE ARTS COMMISSION IS.
SO IT FEELS SORT OF STRANGE THAT THERE, AND, AND KNOWING FULL WELL THAT WHEN THERE IS A REAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST, ONE WOULD RECUSE EXCUSE THEM, RECUSE THEMSELVES.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP IN THIS DISCUSSION IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TALKED TO THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT IT OR THEIR COUNCIL STAFF ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S LIKE, THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, WE KNOW WHO WE APPOINTED AND WE KNOW WHAT THE ROLE IS AND WE EXPECT THAT THEY WILL RECUSE THEMSELVES IF THERE ARE A TRUE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
UM, JUST REAL QUICK, UM, THE BYLAWS THAT ARE ON THE ARTS COMMISSION WEBSITE, IT SAYS, THE BYLAWS WERE APPROVED BY THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THEIR MEETING HELD ON FEBRUARY 11TH, 2016.
THE BYLAWS WERE REVISED IN ACCORDANCE WITH RESOLUTION 22, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, ON JUNE 9TH, 2022.
UH, JUST REAL QUICK, SAME THING THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SCH SMALL BOX SAID.
AND THE THING THAT CAME UP WAS THAT, UH, WHEN THAT THE THOUGHT WAS AND WHY WE WERE EMPLOYED, AND IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE PART OF THE COMMUNITY, WHOEVER MAY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AT ANY GIVEN TIME, BUT THE, THE ELEMENT OF MONETARY ALLOCATION WAS A BIG ONE.
AND ECONOMIC MONETARY ALLOCATION, IF THAT WERE EVER COME UP, THAT WOULD BE AN OBVIOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING ACTUALLY ARTS COMMISSION HAS NOT DEALT WITH IN, IN A LONG TIME.
I WANNA, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT COMMISSIONER HUSSEI IS ON THE DAAS, UH, COMMISSIONER CHARLA AND THEN COMMISSIONER GARZA.
UH, UM, WOULD ANYBODY BE ABLE TO, UH, JUST SPELL OUT WHAT THE 2022 UPDATE WAS? UM, AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO ALSO INFORM THAT THIS DID COME UP, UH, BACK AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION AS WELL LAST TIME.
AND, UH, THERE WAS NO CLEAR DEFINITION AS FAR AS APPLYING FOR GRANTS.
IT ENDED UP STILL COMING DOWN TO, UH, INDIVIDUAL JUDGMENT.
AND, UH, AND I THINK THAT'S HOW THE BYLAWS ARE SPELLED OUT THE WAY THEY ARE AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THE GOAL HERE IS TO GO AND DRAW A HARDLINE WITHIN THE BYLAWS THEMSELVES, UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I I I'VE NOT QUITE MADE UP MY MIND AROUND IT, BUT, UH, THERE IS DEFINITELY ALWAYS THE CHALLENGE THAT YOU WOULD LOSE INDUSTRY EXPERTISE IF YOU DRAW A HARD LINE AROUND THIS, UH, ON THE COMMISSIONS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M KIND OF STILL OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, HEARING OTHER, YOU KNOW, BROAD PERSPECTIVES AROUND IT.
BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY INCONCLUSIVE IN THE WAY IT CAME UP AND WAS DISCUSSED AT THE, AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION AS FAR AS APPLYING FOR GRANTS COMMISSIONERS, APPLYING FOR GRANTS GOES.
UM, JUST A, IF, IF ANYBODY COULD JUST SPELL OUT WHAT WAS THE 2022 REVISION.
AND, AND I DON'T MEAN TO, UH, BUT I DID HAVE A QUICK QUESTION AROUND THESE INVITATIONS THAT WE GET FROM ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, UH, INVITING, UH, COMMISSIONERS AND WITH THE PLUS ONE AVAILABILITY TO ATTEND, UH, EVENTS.
UM, I HAD ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION AROUND IT AND MY PAST UNDERSTANDING AND UNDERSTANDING SO FAR HAS BEEN THAT, UH, IT WAS A FAIR GAME FOR COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND WITH THE PLUS ONE.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO SEE, WHILE WE ARE DISCUSSING THESE BYLAWS AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, IS WITH THAT IS STILL THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, DOES THAT, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CHANGE TO THAT? ANYBODY? UH, IF, UH, WHO CAN SPEAK TO THIS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.
I REALIZE I HAVE NOT BEEN INTRODUCING MYSELF AS I COME HERE UP HERE TO GIVE CLARIFICATION.
UM, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE IS A CITY, UM, ORDINANCE OR A CITY RULE REQUIRE, UH, REGARDING, UH, TICKETS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE POLICY FOR, UM, UH, CITY STAFF MEMBERS, INCLUDING BOARDS AND COMMISSIONERS TO, UM, ATTEND ARTS EVENTS.
[01:00:01]
I KNOW, THAT HAS NOT CHANGED.I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UM, I KNOW INTERNALLY OUR POLICY FOR THE TICKETS HAS NOT CHANGED.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE THOUGH I AM NOT 100% CERTAIN THAT IT STILL REMAINS THE SAME FOR THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS AS WELL.
WOULD YOU STATE, WOULD YOU STATE THE STATE THE POLICY? I DO NOT KNOW THE POLICY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I'LL SEE IF I CAN FIND IT, BUT, UM, UM, THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS, AT LEAST FOR CITY STAFF SIDE, IT HAS NOT CHANGED.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE IT HAS NOT CHANGED FOR THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS EITHER.
BUT WHAT, WHAT IS, SO WHEN I HAD ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION IN THE PAST, IT WAS, I, I WAS BASICALLY TOLD THAT, UH, IT WAS OKAY.
SO THAT'S WHY I JUST WANNA BE SURE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I'VE AVAIL TO ONE OR TWO OF THOSE SO FAR OVER, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT I STILL, UH, JUST WANNA BE SURE BECAUSE FOR ME, THE QUESTION CAME UP ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION SIDE.
AND, UH, SO I'M DOUBLE CHECKING HERE.
AND, UH, JUST LIKE THE, THE APPLYING FOR THE ARTS, UH, GRANT SITUATION, UH, THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME AMBIGUITY AROUND THE UNDERSTANDING, UH, FOR THIS ONE AS WELL.
SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE WITH EVERYONE HERE.
SO JUST TO, JUST TO CLARIFY THAT.
UM, UM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, UH, ASKING FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
COMMISSIONER CHARLA, UM, IT IS OKAY FOR AN ARTS COMMISSIONER, UH, TO ATTEND, UM, AN ARTS EVENT IF THE, UM, UH, APPLICANT OR THE RECIPIENT, UH, REACHES OUT TO YOU AND OFFERS YOU A TICKET FOR YOU AND A PLUS ONE, UH, TO ATTEND.
IS THAT ALL? OKAY, COMMISSIONER GARZA? YEAH.
REGARDING CONFLICT OF INTEREST, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS FORTUNATE IS WHEN I WAS ORIGINALLY APPOINTED BY PO UH, IAN, AND THEN LATER BY JOSE VELAZQUEZ, WAS THAT EXACT SAME DISCUSSION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
UH, WHAT BO ASKED ME AND JOSE REITERATE LATER, WAS THAT, UH, DON'T PUT ANY MONEY IN YOUR POCKET, UH, FROM ANY OF THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS OR ANY OF THE ARTISTS AND GROUPS LIKE THAT.
SO I'VE HAD, UH, PEOPLE ASK ME TO SERVE ON BOARDS, AND I'VE REFUSED TO SERVE ON BOARDS 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO CREATE ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE ASK ME TO HELP THEM WRITE, UH, PROPOSALS AND WHATNOT, AND I'VE TOLD 'EM, LOOK, I'LL HELP YOU GET THROUGH IT, BUT I CAN'T ACCEPT ANY MONEY FOR IT.
UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
IF I MAKE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU, I'M NOT GONNA BE BOTHERED.
I'M NOT GONNA GONNA HOLD IT AGAINST YOU OR ANYTHING, OR, OR FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT, UH, WHAT HE ASKED ME TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE WE, WE COMPLY BY BYLAWS, COMPLIED BY OUR RECUSAL AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST, AND MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN.
AND, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG, TO BRING IT UP.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN NOT BEING FOLLOWED IS THE ROBERT'S RULE OF ORDERS, WHICH IS INNER BYLAWS, WHICH SPECIFICALLY, AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT SPECIFICALLY TELLS YOU WHY AND HOW THIS THING SHOULD BE USED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW, BECAUSE I SERVED AS, UH, WHEN MY SON WAS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS ON THE PRESIDENT OF THE ATHLETICS ORGANIZATION, WHATEVER IT IS.
AND WHEN I FIRST JOINED, I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION BECAUSE CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ON THAT, ON THAT, UH, PANEL WOULD, UH, DOMINATE THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION.
AND IT WAS, IT FELT MORE LIKE YOU WERE BEING BADGERED INTO AGREEING OR DISAGREEING AS OPPOSED TO BEING ALLOWED AND RESPECTED TO HAVE YOUR OWN DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.
AND SO, UH, IF WE FOLLOW ROBERT'S RULE AWARDS, WE GO AROUND IN A CIRCLE AND MAKE SURE EVERY SINGLE COMMISSIONER HAS A CHANCE TO, TO SPEAK THEIR MIND.
UH, THEN THAT WOULD BE PROVIDING AND HELPING OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDING EQUITY AND GIVING EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY AND NOT JUST A, A HANDFUL OF FOLKS TO DOMINATE AN ENTIRE CONVERSATION.
WE SPENT TWO HOURS AT OUR LAST MEETING ON A NON-VOTING ITEM, AND A LOT OF THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CUT.
THERE WAS A SIMPLE, CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, UH, BY THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN AND ALSO BY THE WAY, IT'S BEEN INTERPRETED.
AND SO AS LONG AS THERE IS NO CONSISTENT, UH, RELIABLE, PREDICTABLE WAY TO, TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, SOME, WE GET STUCK HERE FOR HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS JUST GOING BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH.
AND IT JUST, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST LIKE OVERWHELMING.
AND SOMETIMES I'M JUST SITTING BACK AND, AND, AND WATCH THE SHOW BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHATEVER I SAY IS REALLY NOT GONNA MATTER.
WHICHEVER WAY I VOTE IS NOT GONNA MATTER.
UH, AND I'VE BEEN SERVING ON THIS COMMISSION ALMOST NINE YEARS, AND IN TWO INSTANCES, I HAVE VOTED AGAINST AN A IPP, UH, PROJECT, BUT THEN I GET ACCUSED OF NOT BEING PRO I-A-I-P-P, EXCUSE ME.
UH, AFTER NINE YEARS, I THINK I PROBABLY DESCENDED MAYBE HALF OR 1% ON ALL THOSE VOTES.
SO 99% OF THE TIME I'M IN AGREEMENT.
AND SOMETIMES IT JUST FEELS LIKE PEOPLE USE, UH, OPINIONS AS OPPOSED TO FACTS.
[01:05:01]
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STATEMENTS ARE FACTUAL DRIVEN.UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RESPECT EACH OTHER AND GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN WHATEVER VARIOUS LEADERSHIP POSITIONS THERE ARE.
UH, I REMEMBER WHEN, UH, COMMISSIONERS WOULD SERVE ON EIP PANELS FOR EIGHT YEARS ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION FOR 12 YEARS.
AND IF YOU LOOKED AT THAT NUMBER AND YOU FIGURED OUT HOW MANY COMMISSIONS WERE ON THAT PANEL DURING THOSE 12 YEARS AND ANOTHER FOUR YEARS, 'CAUSE THAT COMM, THE EIPP, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 16 YEARS.
AND, UH, YOU HAVE, YOU COULD HAVE OVER 80 COMMISSIONERS IF YOU ROTATED THOSE POSITIONS.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER, UH, BE MORE INFORMED ON HOW DIFFERENT MEETINGS ARE RUN AND NOT RUN AND BE BETTER COMMISSIONERS.
ONE THING I ALSO, I WISH WE COULD DO.
MS. UH, COMMISSIONER GAR, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ABOUT CREATING A WORKING GROUP FOR THE BYLAWS? I, I HOPE THERE IS A, A WORKING GROUP THAT WORKS ON THIS.
AND, UH, I, I JUST SHORT ON IT.
I'M NOT SURE WHEN, WHEN THE NOMINATION'S GONNA BE MICROPHONE UP THE ALL RIGHTY.
I'M NOT MUCH OF A SINGER EXCEPT IN THE SHOWER, BUT ANYWAY, YEAH.
I MEAN, LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYBODY TO SERVE EVERYBODY TO DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP, AND TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING OUR BYLAWS AND WE, WE STICK TO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CALENDARS ARE.
I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, ANYBODY WHO HASN'T SEEN IT, OUR WONDERFUL STAFF MEMBER MORGAN MESSICK, UM, SENT OUT THE BYLAWS FOR WHAT THEY ARE.
UM, AND WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT SUBSTANTIAL, WHICH IS THEIR LANGUAGE, SUBSTANTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST, EVERYTHING IS RELATED TO ECONOMIC, UM, LIKE KICKBACK.
SO INTEREST OF OF OWNERSHIP, 5% OR MORE VOTING, STOCK, $5,000.
LIKE THIS IS ALL LIKE IF YOU WERE RECEIVING FINANCIAL IN, UH, MOTIVATION OR INCENTIVE THAT THERE ARE FINANCIAL MOTIVATIONS FOR PUTTING FORTH AN OPINION IN FAVOR OR AGAINST SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, PRETTY EXPLICIT.
IT DOES GO INTO DETAIL AROUND NONPROFITS.
UM, AND I EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO LOOK UP THE CITY CODE THAT'S CITED WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT NONPROFITS, COMMISSIONER JUSTMAN.
I REALLY DON'T WANNA GET INTO IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, IT'S A SENTENCE AND I THINK IT'S, SINCE WE'D SPENT TWO HOURS ON IT YESTERDAY, I JUST WANNA READ IT.
ACTING AS AN ADVOCATE FOR HIMSELF OR HERSELF OR ANY OTHER PERSON, GROUP OR ENTITY.
LIKE, UH, SORRY, HANG ON ONE SECOND.
THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO JUST FINISH WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY WITHOUT BEING INTERRUPTED, ONE MOMENT.
UM, CITY OFFICIAL OR EMPLOYEE WHO SERVES ON A CORPORATE OFFICER OR A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS NONPROFIT MAY NOT PARTICIPATE IN A VOTE OR DECISION REGARDING FUNDING BY OR THROUGH THE CITY FOR THE ENTITY.
SO THIS DISCUSSION AROUND THE PROCESS AS A WHOLE ISN'T A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
IT'S IF THEY WERE SERVING ON A PANEL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR IN THIS MOMENT.
'CAUSE I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ EVERYTHING THAT COMES FROM STAFF AND THAT WAS PROVIDED.
WE CAN LET COMMISSIONER ANDERSON TAKE THE REINS AND RUN WITH IT.
BUT I DON'T WANT TIME TO BE LOST ON CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN A DISTRACTION, FRANKLY.
AND I SENT, I SENT OUT ALL THE ETHICS SPECIFIC INFORMATION MM-HMM
ON AUGUST THE 20TH ABOUT WHAT THE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WERE AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT ACTUALLY APPROVING ANYONE'S MONEY.
WE ARE SAYING WE AGREE WITH WHAT ACME HAS DONE, THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
AND WE BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE PUTTING FORWARD TO COUNSEL IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO AGAIN, JUST REITERATING ON THE DIOCESE ON THE PUBLIC FORUM.
SO WE'LL LET COMMISSIONER ANDERSON SET UP A WORKING GROUP, I GUESS.
I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THAT? BE, I MEAN TIP FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
MOTION TO SET A NEW AGENDA ITEM FOR SECOND.
SECONDED BY, MOVED BY COMMISSIONER GRAY, SECONDED BY MS. COMMISSIONER GARZA.
UM, SO THAT'LL MOVE TO OCTOBER.
[8. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Jesus Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor. ]
BRIEFINGS.ITEM NUMBER A STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING UPDATE ON HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BY JESUS VANEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SPECIALIST SUPERVISOR.
UM, WE ARE BRINGING THE, UM, PRESENTATION UP WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT.
UM, I AM HISSES PANTEL CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.
MY PRONOUNS ARE HE HIS, I AM A LATINO WITH LONG GRAY HAIR AND A SALT AND PEPPER BEARD, WEARING A GREEN FLANNEL SHIRT.
UM, AND IN MY FIRST PRESENTATION TONIGHT, I WILL BE SHARING OUR LATEST HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS THROUGH AUGUST, 2025.
UH, THE TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION
[01:10:01]
IN AUGUST WAS $41,137,300.THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR AUGUST WERE $3,934,592.
UH, WITH THESE AUGUST NUMBERS, WE ARE APPROXIMATELY 94% TOWARDS OUR FY 25 APPROVED BUDGETS.
UM, AS A REMINDER, THERE IS A DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING HAPPENS.
UH, THIS PRESENTATION SHOWS FUNDS COLLECTED IN AUGUST FOR HOTEL STAYS IN JULY.
PLEASE, UM, GET MY NOTES HERE.
AS PART OF OUR ONGOING EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN ANALYSIS OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY COLLECTIONS, STAFF HAS BEGUN COMPILING DATA ON SIGNIFICANT EVENTS THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO INCREASED TOURISM AND LODGING ACTIVITY.
UH, SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN JULY, 2025 ARE LISTED ON THIS SLIDE.
WHILE THIS LIST DOES NOT CAPTURE THE FULL SPECTRUM OF TOURISM DRIVING EVENTS, IT SERVES AS A FOUNDATIONAL STEP IN ENHANCING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOT REVENUE TRENDS.
UH, SOME NOTES, ACCORDING TO AUSTIN STROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REPORTS, UH, TOTAL PASSENGER TRAFFIC IN JULY, 2025 WAS 2 MILLION, UH, 36,077, REPRESENTING A 0.17% DECREASE COMPARED TO JULY, 2024.
SO BASICALLY FLAT, A SLIGHT DECREASE.
UH, FURTHER EVENTS, SPECIFIC ANALYSIS AND OCCUPANCY TRENDS WILL BE PROVIDED AS ADDITIONAL DATA BECOMES AVAILABLE.
UM, OF NOTE STAFF ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER STAFF AND THEIR AVAILABILITY TO COME TO PRESENT TO THE COMMISSION ON CONVENTION CENTER UPDATES AND HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IMPACTS.
UM, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I HAVE THIS IN MY NOTES OR NOT.
SO THIS, UM, THESE NUMBERS DO INCLUDE THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, UH, NUMBERS.
SO, UM, THESE ARE INCLUDED, UM, IN OUR PROJECTION OR NOT PROJECTIONS.
THESE ARE ACTUALS, UM, IN THESE REPORTED NUMBERS HERE.
UM, SO THIS GRAPH, THANK YOU, IT IS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS GRAPH HERE CONTINUES TO SHOW OUR MONTHLY PROGRESS, UH, TOWARDS THE APPROVED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 25.
OUR HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUNDS, UH, FOR FY 25 SO FAR ARE $15,332,220.
UM, AND AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 WILL BE USED TO FUND PROGRAMS, UM, IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, 2026.
UM, ALSO INCLUDING OUR CULTURAL ARTS FUND, HOT COLLECTIONS BY QUARTER FOR THE PAST FEW FISCAL YEARS.
UH, PLEASE NOTE THAT FY 25 ONLY GOES THROUGH JUNE, AS THAT IS THE LAST COMPLETED QUARTER THAT WE HAVE DATA FOR.
UH, BUT WE'RE PRETTY MUCH ON TRACK WITH WHAT WAS COLLECTED LAST YEAR.
THE $11,321,678, UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, UM, IN GOLD IS $66,068 BELOW WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME IN FISCAL YEAR 24 IN GRAY.
AND IN COMPARISON AS A TREND, HOT COLLECTIONS ARE $358,005 BELOW THIS TIME IN FISCAL YEAR 23 IN ORANGE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I AM ABLE, IF YOU HAVE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR JESUS ABOUT HOT COMMISSIONER GARZA? NOT SO MUCH THE QUESTION, JUST A SLIGHT RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THEY JUST GO, I FORGET WHAT IT'S CALLED, BUT YEAH, IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT IS THE ANGLE.
UH, COULD WE GET A BREAKDOWN, MORE OF A BAR GRAPH SO WE CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN, IN HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING ADDED? 'CAUSE ALL WE'RE SEEING IS JUST THE TOTALS, RIGHT? UH, SO HERE ON, OH, I'M NOT SHOWING IF YOU CAN BRING THE PRESENTATION BACK UP, JESUS.
IT'S JUST, JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE SLOPE BASICALLY? 'CAUSE IT SHOWS, IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A SLOPE.
AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE A SLOPE, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TELL EXACTLY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON MONTH BY MONTH.
THIS IS THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
YOU'RE GETTING A SNEAK PEEK
SO THE GRAPH SHOWS YOU A GOOD SLOPE, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE IT SHOWS YOU YOUR PREDICTION.
'CAUSE THEN YOU CAN GO KEEP GOING FORTH, UH, AND YOU KNOW, PROJECT WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
BUT IT ALSO DOESN'T GIVE US KIND OF A, UH, IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO TELL WHAT IS THE CHANGE IN MONTH BY MONTH, UH, WHEN ARE THE LOW MONTHS AND WHEN ARE THE HIGH MONTHS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
'CAUSE IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, ONE NUMBER.
SO, UM, ACTUALLY IF WE'LL GO BACK ONE SLIDE.
SO WE GO, THIS IS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25.
SO, UM, THE FIRST, UM, YOU KNOW, QUARTER ONE KIND OF SHOWS BY QUARTER, JUST SPECIFICALLY FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 TO SHOW HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN COLLECTED BY QUARTER.
UM, WE ONLY HAVE THAT FOR THAT YEAR.
AND THEN KIND OF IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER, YOU CAN SEE HOW CLOSE WE ARE.
JUST A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THAT 94%.
[01:15:01]
OKAY.AND THEN IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, JESUS.
UM, THIS IS, UM, SO THE QUARTER ONE IS KIND OF LIKE ON THE FAR RIGHT HAND SIDE.
SO THAT'S THE THREE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT COLORS.
SO IT'S CUMULATIVE THOUGH, SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, WHAT, WHAT THE AMOUNTS WERE.
UM, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO YOU WANT SOMETHING MORE LIKE THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, JESUS, FOR THE, FOR ALL OF THE YEARS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? WELL, AT LEAST JUST, JUST FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, THAT WAY WE CAN SEE IT'S WHERE IT'S GOING.
AND DOES THIS START ON, ON OUR CALENDAR YEAR OR IS IT THE, I MEAN, OUR BUDGET YEAR OR THE CALENDAR YEAR? THIS IS, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR, THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR.
SO OCTOBER 1ST, SO QUARTER ONE IS, UH, UM, IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEE, BUT IT SAYS OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER.
SO IT DOES HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF EACH OF THOSE MONTHS AS WELL.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT COMPRISED THOSE SPECIFIC QUARTERS.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S COATED TOWARDS THE, THE MONTH.
SO THE DARK BLUE IS ALL OCTOBER, THE PURPLE IS ALL NOVEMBER, AND THE GREEN IS DECEMBER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER, SMALL BOX.
UM, SO YOU CONFIRM THAT THESE NUMBERS, INCLUDING Q3, DO INCLUDE HOTEL COSTS, SHORT TERM RENTALS.
ARE THEY SHOWING YOU, OR IS THE CITY KEEPING TRACK OF DIFFERENT BUCKETS? LIKE ARE WE ABLE TO SEE WHAT HOTEL TAX CAME FROM TRADITIONAL HOTELS VERSUS FOR TERM RENTALS? YES.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD SEE THAT IN AN UPCOMING, BECAUSE IT JUST FEELS LIKE VERY CRITICAL DATA TO HAVE IN THESE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CHANGES THAT WERE MADE.
AND LIKE ACCORDING TO THIS, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF SHORT TERM RENTALS.
WE ALL KNOW THAT NOW THE TAX IS BEING UNIFORMLY COLLECTED AND IT'S MAKING NO DIFFERENCE FROM LAST YEAR WHEN IT WASN'T BEING COLLECTED.
THAT JUST FEELS LIKE THE RESEARCHER IN ME FEELS LIKE SOMETHING'S OFF THERE.
SO WHEN I GOT THE NUMBERS TOO, I ASKED, UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
AND SO, UM, SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVE BEEN COLLECTED ALL THIS TIME.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABOVE BOARD IN ACTUALLY PAYING THEIR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
SO THE, THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE PRESENT HAVE BEEN PRESENTING HAVE ALWAYS INCLUDED THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
IT'S JUST THAT NOW THAT IT'S MORE, YOU KNOW, OFFICIAL AND UNIFORM, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT DATA TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE BROKEN DOWN.
THE DATA THAT WAS GIVEN TO US HAS, LIKE, I'M GOING OFF MEMORY, BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE HOTEL RENTALS AND THERE'S LIKE TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHORT TERM RENTALS AND, YOU KNOW, BROKEN DOWN BY THAT.
SO, BECAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE IT SEEM LIKE EVERYBODY'S BEEN COLLECTING THEIR TAXES AND REMITTING THEM JUST FINE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE IF, IF THERE'S NO, BUT, BUT THEN THERE MIGHT BE OTHER DIPS IN TOURISM.
LIKE WE KNOW, AND WE'RE NOT, AND SCR COLLECTION'S ACTUALLY MAKING UP FOR THAT, BUT WE CAN'T SEE THAT IN THIS, IN THESE DATA.
SO LIKE FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, RIGHT.
I MEAN THAT'LL, IT'S GONNA GET MORE IMPORTANT TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE I THINK WHEN AS WE GET DEEPER INTO THIS CONVENTION CENTER CLOSURE.
ANYONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER NER.
UM, AND WE ARE ALREADY SEEING, 'CAUSE THE CONVENTION CENTER'S BEEN CLOSED FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW, RIGHT? SO IT'S, I KNOW WE AGAIN HAVE THIS LAG MM-HMM
BUT WHAT WE SHOULD START TO SEE THAT DIP IN THEORY, SO IT SHOULD BE WHAT STR IS MAKING UP WILL BE MORE SIGNIFICANT.
SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE TRAJECTORY FROM LAST YEAR, COMPARATIVELY LIKE THAT IS A WIN BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE'RE AT A MAJOR LOSS GIVEN THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER IS NOT HOSTING THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT IT WOULD BE MONTHLY.
AND WE HAVE, I MEAN, ACCORDING TO THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET THAT WAS JUST APPROVED, LIKE THEY'RE NOT ANTICIPATING SITTING, NOT ANTICIPATING LIKE A HUGE DROP OFF IN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TECH.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A CLIFF FOR, FOR OUR ARTS GRANTS IF THAT'S CORRECTLY PROJECTED, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE REALLY NEED TO BE LIKE EAGLE EYE TRACKING HOW THIS GOES BECAUSE IF IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S STARTING TO YEAH.
LIKE WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN.
AND PART OF THE PLAN, YOU KNOW, AS A REMINDER, UM, WITH THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, SO BEFORE THE CREATIVE RESET, UM, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS USED TO BE BASED ON PROJECTIONS.
AND SO WE WOULD MAKE AWARDS BASED ON WHAT WE WERE PROJECTING TO RECEIVE.
AND I THINK I MENTIONED THIS LAST MEETING OR A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO THAT BECAME THIS CLOSE A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE 20 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO
[01:20:01]
HONOR THOSE FINAL 10% PAYMENTS.AND SO WHAT WE DID IS IN, UM, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER GRAY KIND OF BROUGHT THIS UP, WHICH IS, UH, WHY I HAD, UH, STARTED TALKING ABOUT THAT BEFORE, UM, IN, UH, 2022, WE MOVED FROM PROJECTIONS TO ACTUAL.
SO WHILE WE DIDN'T, UH, AWARD ANY FUNDS OUT THAT YEAR, WE JUST COLLECTED WHAT WE HAD.
SO THAT WAY WE DO, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THERE IS A DOWNTURN, WE KNOW IN ADVANCE HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE TO GIVE OUT.
SO WE DO HAVE A SOLID PLAN GOING IN KNOWING THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UM, WE'RE SOLID ON THE AMOUNT, WE WE'RE CONFIDENT ON THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE OUT BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALREADY IN THE BANK AND HAVE BEEN COLLECTED.
AND THAT WAS AN AWESOME CHANGE TO MAKE ON CULTURAL ARTS STAFF PART.
THAT NUMBER COULD STILL, WE WOULD KNOW.
SO WE WOULDN'T BE LIKE, OH, WE GAVE YOU A GRANT, BUT WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FULFILL THAT GRANT BECAUSE OF SWITCHING TO ACTUALS.
BUT IT'S STILL GONNA BE, IF WE GO FROM BEING ABLE TO GRANT WHATEVER WE'VE WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR AND, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET OF 16 MILLION AND IT DROPS DOWN TO 12 MILLION MM-HMM
OR GOD FORBID, LOWER THAN THAT, LIKE IT DID DURING COVID, LIKE THAT'S STILL GONNA BE A HUGE PROBLEM
BUT YOU KNOW, WITH THIS, TO YOUR POINT, YES, WE, IF WE HAVE THE NUMBERS COMING IN, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ANTICIPATE THAT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE ACTUALS IN HAND AND WE CAN CREATE A PLAN FOR HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT, UM, DOWNTURN IF IT SHOULD HAPPEN.
COMMISSIONER GRAY, JUST A LITTLE QUESTION.
I'M JUST KIND OF GOING BACK IN MEMORY.
THERE'S ALSO A STILL, AM I CRAZY THAT THERE'S NOT A RESERVE AS WELL? UM, I KNOW WE HAVE MONEY SET ASIDE FOR THE APPEALS PROCESS.
I AM GOING TO DEFER TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MOR, UH, MEGAN MOR.
UM, I AM NOT AS FAMILIAR ON THE RESERVES.
I THINK THAT, YEAH, I THINK THAT MEGAN MORGAN, I'M LAUGHING.
UM,
THIS QUESTION CAME UP, I THINK AT THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING MM-HMM
ON WHETHER OR NOT WE COULD SEE THE RESERVES AND, UM, JUST HAVE SOME MORE VISIBILITY ON THAT.
AND I DID REACH OUT TO THE BUDGET OFFICE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
WE AS A DEPARTMENT STILL LACK A FINANCIAL STAFF.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE ZERO FINANCIAL PEOPLE ON STAFF, BUT STARTING OCTOBER ONE, WE HAVE FOUR POSITIONS THAT WERE CREATED FOR US.
AND SO WE WILL BE ONBOARDING THEM.
SO APOLOGIES, UH, TO NOT HAVE MORE CLEAR INFORMATION TODAY.
BUT LIKE PHYSICALLY, WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT TODAY.
BUT STARTING NEXT MONTH, WE'LL BE RECRUITING FOR OUR FOUR FINANCIAL STAFF.
AND, UM, IF THERE'S AN APPETITE TO SEE THAT AS PART OF OUR UPDATES, WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK THAT IN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE RESERVES ARE, OR I WOULD GIVE YOU KIND OF LIKE AN ESTIMATE.
BUT I KNOW WHEN WE SWITCH TO THE ACTUALS, THAT ALLOWED US TO BUILD SOME UP.
AND I THINK WE'RE KIND OF SLOWLY BUILDING THAT EVERY MONTH, WHICH IS ALSO HOW THE CITY BUILDS UP THEIR RESERVE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT LIKE WE DON'T START WITH 12 MILLION, WE START WITH A SMALLER AMOUNT AND WE'RE LIKE WORKING TOWARDS OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
ANYTHING ELSE? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? OH, YOU HAVE ANOTHER, OH, YOU HAVE TWO NEXT FOR PRESENTATIONS.
[9. Staff briefing regarding update on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesus Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor. ]
THE, UH, ITEM NUMBER NINE, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE UPDATE ON CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAM BY JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.AND I AM BACK COMMISSIONERS ONCE THE PRESENTATION COMES ON.
AND I WILL BE GIVING, UM, AN UPDATE.
UM, THIS IS A CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAM UPDATE.
SO, UM, WE WILL, I WILL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS ON CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING UPDATES, AS WELL AS ON GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES.
OH, AND WE ARE GETTING, UH, JUICE, SO WE CAN DO THE PRESENTATION, UH, CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS, UH, CONTINUING.
UH, WE ARE CHIPPING AWAY AS WE CONTINUE, UH, TO DO SO AT, UM, OUTSTANDING, UH, PAYMENTS AND, UH, CONTRACTS.
AGAIN, OUR, UH, PRIORITY RIGHT NOW IS, UH, GETTING READY FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW FUNDING PROGRAM.
SO WHILE WE ARE CHIPPING AWAY AT THIS SLOWLY, UM, THIS IS NOT, UM, OUR MAIN FOCUS RIGHT NOW, BUT STILL WANT TO PROVIDE THESE NUMBERS, UM, FOR TRANSPARENCY.
SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, WHERE WE ARE IN THE CONTRACTING AND PAYMENT PROCESS, UH, FOR ALL OF THESE, UH, VARIOUS, UH, GRANT PROGRAMS, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAM.
SO ELEVATE, THRIVE, AND NEXUS.
SO, UM, THERE'S BEEN, UM, A COUPLE OF SLIGHT, UH, CHANGES, UH, FROM THE LAST MEETING ON, UH, THE LAUNCH UPDATE.
UM, SO OCTOBER 21ST IS, UH, WHEN ALL OF THE ACME GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES WILL LAUNCH.
UM, AND DECEMBER 4TH WILL BE THE FINAL DEADLINE, UH, TO SUBMIT AN ELIGIBILITY FORM,
[01:25:01]
UH, FOR, UH, THAT, THAT APPLICANTS NEED TO SUBMIT IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR ANY OF THE GRANTS.UM, SO THAT IS OUR UPDATE ON THE LAUNCH.
UM, GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES IS NEXT.
UM, AND SO IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, UM, I WILL JUST READ THE NAMES OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE ACTIVITIES, UH, COMING UP.
AGAIN, THESE, UH, WE GET THESE FROM, UH, VISIT AUSTIN, WHERE ALL OF OUR, UM, CULTURAL FUNDING RECIPIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO POST THEIR EVENTS.
UM, AND SO THESE ARE BETWEEN, UH, THIS ARTS COMMISSION MEETING AND THE NEXT ONE WE HAVE INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC CIRCLE OF AUSTIN DEAF FILM FESTIVAL.
AND ANGELA THORNTON HAVE, UM, ACTIVITIES COMING UP.
UH, WE HAVE TIVO IN TU, EAST SIDE KINGS FOUNDATION AND GROUNDWORK MUSIC PROJECT.
AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND THEN COMMISSIONER GRAY, THE, YOU GUYS HAVE THE LAUNCH OF THE PROGRAMS. UM, WHEN DID IT GO TO COUNCIL OR HOW, WHEN DID YOU GUYS PRESENT TO COUNCIL? HAS THAT HAPPENED ALREADY? YES.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, MORGAN WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT SINCE SHE PRESENTED THERE.
UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MORGAN MESSICK AGAIN, UM, JUST THIS LAST FRIDAY WE PRESENTED TO THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF CITY COUNCIL, UM, THAT HERE'S A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
WE WERE INVITED TO COME THERE AND PRESENT, AND OUR LEADERSHIP ADVISED THAT THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR US INSTEAD OF GETTING ACTUALLY ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS A NUMBER OF THEIR QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAD HEARD FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, AND IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE IN A GOOD PLACE AND THEY HAD A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS VIA EMAIL.
BUT THE NEXT STEP FOR US IS WE HAVE DRAFTED A MEMO THAT'S GONNA GO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL LATER THIS WEEK.
UM, JUST FORMALIZING THE END OF THE CREATIVE RESET PHASE ONE, WHICH IS THE CLOSEOUT OF THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, RESULTING IN THE GUIDELINES.
AND THEN WE WILL GET THOSE PUBLISHED FORMALLY ONLINE.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO UPDATE ALL OF OUR WEB PAGES.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THEY'VE TRANSFERRED FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OVER TO OUR SITE.
AND IT'S NOT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WEBSITE, BUT IT WILL BE VERY ACCURATE, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF THIS WEEK WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO GET ALL OF THAT PUBLISHED.
BUT SHE IS CONTENT RICH, RIGHT? THERE'S PLENTY OF WORDS, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
AND SO WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE THE LATEST ROUND? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UH, WE HAD DISCUSSED AS A TEAM THAT AS SOON AS THAT MEMO GETS OUT AND GETS PUBLISHED, THAT WE ARE DRAFTING AN EMAIL TO GO TO ARTS COMMISSION AND MUSIC COMMISSION RESPECTIVELY, UM, LINKING TO THE MEMO, SO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO IT, IT'S IN THE PUBLIC RECORD, AS WELL AS, UM, THE GUIDELINES AND THE WEBSITE CONTENT THAT WILL ALL BE AVAILABLE AND OUR WEBSITE, UM, JUST LIKE IT HAS BEEN IN PAST YEARS.
WE'LL SHARE ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND WE'RE GONNA KIND OF BEGIN THAT BIG COMMUNICATION PUSH AS SOON AS WE GET THIS MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THAT'S KIND OF OUR FINAL STEP TO FORMALIZE, UM, ALL OF THESE THINGS.
COMMISSIONER GRAY, AND THEN COMMISSIONER SMBA.
I MAYBE ASKING FOR SOMETHING YOU'VE ALREADY SAID, BUT NOT DIRECTLY.
AND I THINK MAYBE, UM, CHAIR HOUSTON HAS THE SAME QUESTION.
CAN YOU BACK UP TWO PAGES? JESUS, ON THE, TO THE REPORT OF, UH, CONTRACTS PAID ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S LIKE THIRD FROM THE END WHEN IT'S THE, THE CONTRACT OUTLINE, HOW MANY ARE PENDING, HOW MANY ARE PAID, UM, ON THE 1 94 RELATIVE TO THE 1 99, THIS HAS COME UP ABOUT, THIS IS LIKE THE THIRD OR FOURTH MEETING THAT THIS HAS COME UP ON.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHEN DOES THAT STUFF GET FINALIZED AND FINISHED? 'CAUSE THAT'S 2000, THAT'S FISCAL YEAR 23.
SO THE NORMAL, UM, PLAN OF ACTION IS, UM, REMEMBER THAT THERE'S STAGES.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE STAGES.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU IN A FINAL STAGE PRETTY SOON RELATIVE TO FISCAL YEAR 23? YEAH.
SO WHAT WE DO IS THE FINAL REPORTS ARE DUE, AND I'M GONNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL.
EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT, UM, IS, UM, FINAL REPORTS ARE DUE 30 DAYS AFTER THE FINAL ACTIVITY.
UM, AND THEN ROUND TO THE END OF THE MONTH.
SO IF IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, DECEMBER 15TH, THEN JANUARY 30TH WILL BE MM-HMM
THE FINAL REPORT DUE DATE, 'CAUSE IT'S 30 DAYS IS JANUARY 15TH.
WE JUST ROUNDED THE END OF THE MONTH.
UM, WHAT WE DO THEN IS WE HAVE A THREE STEP PROCESS IF PEOPLE ARE NOT COMPLIANT.
SO IT'S AN ESCALATORY PHASE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST LETTER IS, YOU KNOW, AN EMAIL AND JUST LIKE, HEY, WE'VE BEEN, AND, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR ALSO, THESE LETTERS, THESE THREE PHASES DON'T HAPPEN
[01:30:01]
UNTIL WE'VE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST LIKE, OKAY, IT'S BEEN 30 DAYS, WE'RE SENDING YOU LETTER ONE RIGHT AWAY.IT'S JUST LIKE WE'RE SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE, WE'RE JUST LIKE, HEY, YOU HAVEN'T TURNED IN YOUR FINAL REPORT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE CALLING THEM, WE'RE, UM, MEETING WITH THEM VIA EMAIL.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT HAPPENS.
THEY HAVEN'T TURNED IN THEIR STUFF.
WE HAVE A THREE, UH, PHASE PROCESS, RIGHT.
UM, SO PHASE ONE, THEY GET LIKE, YOU KNOW, A WEEK TO TURN THEIR MATERIALS IN.
UM, THEN THEY DON'T GET IT IN.
THEY'VE GOT, UH, 10 BUSINESS DAYS, UH, TO GET THEIR, UH, INFORMATION IN MM-HMM
UM, AND THEN IF THEY STILL DON'T GET IT IN, UM, THEN WE MOVE TO STAGE THREE WHERE IT'S AN IMMEDIATE, UH, CANCELLATION OF THEIR CONTRACT.
THEY ARE INELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR FUNDING.
SO, UM, WE ARE IN, UM, WE'VE SENT OUT I THINK ONE, LETTER THREE, UM, FOR, AND I THINK I MENTIONED THAT LAST TIME.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN BETWEEN LIKE LETTERS, UH, TWO AND THREE.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE ON THE PROCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, MOVING TOWARDS, SO THE, I GIVE ALL OF THAT.
THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, UH, CLOSING THESE OUT.
OUR GOAL IS TO, SINCE WE'RE LAUNCHING OCTOBER 21ST, UM, UH, APPLICATIONS CLOSE IN DECEMBER, UM, UM, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE EVERYBODY HAVE RECEIVED THEIR THIRD LETTER OR BE SUCCESSFULLY, YOU KNOW, CLOSED OUT, UM, UH, BY THAT TIME.
SO THAT WAY, UM, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS, YOU ARE INELIGIBLE, UM, TO, I GUESS YOU COULD STILL APPLY FOR FUNDING.
YOU'RE JUST INELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE FUNDING.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE, UM, EVEN IF YOU SCORED HIGH ENOUGH TO RECEIVE FUNDING, UM, YOU, YOU ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE.
AND SO YOU NEED TO REMEDY THAT BEFORE WE CAN ENTER INTO YOUR CONTRACT.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE ALL OF THAT, UM, READY, SO THAT WAY WE CAN ENTER INTO THE NEW, UM, THE NEW PROGRAMS, UM, WITH A CLEAN SLATE.
WE KNOW EVERYBODY THAT IS APPLYING IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY AND TO RECEIVE FUNDING.
YOU, I'M GLAD YOU DID IT AGAIN, BUT I REMEMBERED ALL THAT, BUT MAYBE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE DIDN'T I STILL LOOK AT FISCAL YEAR 23 WHEN WE JUST STARTED FISCAL YEAR 25 TO ME.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE, WHAT WAS THE LAST DATE THAT YOU COULD PUT SOMETHING UP FOR FISCAL YEAR 23? IT WAS DECEMBER 24, RIGHT? IT WAS DECEMBER OF I AM HAVING, WE CHANGED OUR FISCAL YEARS AND NOW, AND I'VE BEEN FEELING A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER THE PAST WEEK.
SO YOU'RE PUTTING ME ON THE SPOT AND I HAVE TO THINK
IT'S LIKE, IT'S WHEN THE MONEY IS ALLOCATED.
SO THE FISCAL YEAR 23 WAS ACTUALLY, I THINK COMMISSIONER HOUSTON IS OUR CHAIR.
UM, I THINK IT WAS LIKE THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2024.
AND SO WE ARE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND.
WE STARTED SENDING SOME OF THOSE LETTERS, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WE BECAME PART OF ACME IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
SO IF THEY WERE DUE DECEMBER, 2024, THAT MEANS THE FINAL REPORTS WERE DUE JANUARY, 2025.
WE BECAME PART OF ACME IN FEBRUARY AND THEN BEEN BUSY, THE CREATIVE RESET.
SO THIS IS, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE YES, IT IS FURTHER BEHIND THAN WE NORMALLY ARE AT THIS TIME.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR.
IT'S LIKE THAT'S, I BELIEVE IT'S GO, IT GOES TOO LONG.
I THINK IF THE DEADLINE IS IN DECEMBER AND IT'S A 30 DAY, 60 DAY, IT NEEDS TO BE, IT NEEDS TO STOP.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN TOO NICE AND IN EQUITY.
AND PEOPLE HAVE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE.
BUT YOU HAVE, WE HAVE TO SET SOME GUIDELINES.
WE BOUNDARIES, WE JUST HAVE TO SET SOME GUIDELINES.
IT'S GOING, IT'S GOING ON TOO LONG.
SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR GOING THROUGH THAT AGAIN.
UM, WHEN WILL, SO THE PRO, THE PANEL PROCESS WILL TAKE PLACE, UM, IN JANUARY.
AND WE STILL THINK IN MONEY AND HANDS AROUND WHEN, UM, LATE FEBRUARY, EARLY MARCH, UM, I WILL DEFER TO MORGAN AGAIN.
I KNOW IT KEEPS GETTING PUSHED IN LITTLE BY LITTLE.
SO, UH, THE THING IS, IS SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS DON'T DO THE PANEL PROCESS.
SO WE ARE ANTICIPATING A DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND MARCH.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, CSAP, UM, FOLLOWS A DIFFERENT REVIEW PROCESS THAN SOMETHING LIKE ELEVATE.
SO, UM, FEBRUARY AND MARCH ARE OUR GOAL FOR DISTRIBUTING FUNDS.
AND IF WE WRAP UP ALL THE PANEL PROCESS IN JANUARY, WE FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT THAT.
ANYONE ELSE? I DID HAVE A QUESTION.
THERE WAS, UM, THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT A PROFILE INTAKE FORM BEING OPEN.
IS THAT AVAILABLE?
SO THAT IS, SO FROM MY, MY, UM, SLIDE DECK LAST MONTH, I SHARED IT'S A THREE STEP PROCESS FOR THE APPLICATION.
THIS YEAR, THE TOOL HASN'T CHANGED.
WE'RE STILL USING SUBMITTABLE.
[01:35:01]
SO IT'S A FAMILIAR TOOL FROM WHAT WE WERE USING LAST YEAR.AND THIS YEAR WE'RE JUST TAKING A DIFFERENT INTAKE APPROACH.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE PREVIOUSLY WE HAD MULTIPLE PROFILES IN TAKING THROUGHOUT, UM, ALL THE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF STACK THOSE, THE WAY WE REFER TO IT INTERNALLY IS LIKE, WE'RE DOING A STACKED APPLICATION.
SO INSTEAD OF, IF YOU WANNA APPLY FOR CSAP AND ELEVATE, INSTEAD OF LIKE ENTERING IN TWO PLACES, YOU'RE ENTERING IN ONE.
AND SO THAT FIRST STEP IS THAT INTAKE FORM.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING THAT WITH THE LONG CENTER.
UM, THEY'VE COMPLETED ENGLISH TESTING RIGHT NOW THEY ARE DOING SPANISH LANGUAGE TESTING.
AND SO THAT IS BEING FINALIZED.
UM, THE ONLY HOLDUP TO GET THAT RELEASED HAS BEEN MOVING THROUGH, UH, THE COUNCIL PROCESS.
SO AS SOON AS WE GET THROUGH THIS MEMO AND WE GET OUR THINGS POSTED, THERE SHOULD BE A PUBLIC LAUNCH FOR THAT, WHICH YOU ALL WILL, UM, GET DIRECTLY, WHICH WILL BE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA NEWSLETTERS.
AND WE'LL BE PUSHING OUT, WE'LL HAVE OUR TOOLKIT.
WE'RE WORKING ON ALL THE MARKETING MATERIALS TO ACCOMPANY THAT.
AND THE INTAKE FORM, UM, IT SHOULD BE, IT'S A GENERAL INTAKE.
LIKE WHO ARE YOU, WHAT KIND OF CREATIVE BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE? DO YOU HAVE A SPACE, NO SPACE? ARE YOU A 5 0 1 C3? UPLOAD YOUR, UH, DOCUMENTATION TO VERIFY THAT, THAT SORT OF STUFF.
AND SO IT WON'T BE THAT KIND OF ELIGIBILITY PERIOD.
AND IT WON'T BE THE APPLICATION QUESTIONS.
ALL OF THOSE WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE AS SOON AS WE PUBLISH THE GUIDELINES QUESTIONS.
AND RUBRICS WILL COME ALONG WITH THAT AS WELL.
BUT THE INTAKE FORM IS JUST LIKE, WHO ARE YOU? MAKE SURE YOU SET YOUR ACCOUNT UP.
DID YOU FORGET YOUR PASSWORD? CLICK RESET, THAT SORT OF STUFF.
SO THAT IS COMING SOON, AS SOON AS WE CAN GET THIS STUFF POSTED ONLINE.
AND ARE, DO YOU THINK YOU'LL MAKE THE SEPTEMBER 29TH? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
CHAIR HOUSTON
IS THAT FRIDAY? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TODAY IS.
TUESDAY, NEXT TUESDAY I'M GONNA GO WITH NO, BUT I DO THINK WE CAN MAKE NEXT FRIDAY.
THAT'S NOT, UM, WE, THAT'S TWO FRIDAY.
WE PLEDGE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED AS WE MOVE THROUGH THAT THIS WEEK.
UM, AND I PROMISE WE WILL SEND IT ALL TO YOUR BC EMAILS AND GET YOU EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO HELP US.
SPREAD THE GOOD WORD ABOUT GETTING THAT SET UP.
UM, BUT WE'RE STILL, WE'RE, WE'RE FIRM ON THE 21ST.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY SOUND FROM YOU.
ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME NOW? YES, NOW WE CAN HEAR YOU.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA ASK COMMISSIONER CHARLA AND, AND THE OTHER PERSON ON VIDEO, CAN Y'ALL ACTUALLY SEE THE ROOM BECAUSE MY AUDIO IS, IS SORT OF GONE, OR SORRY, MY VIDEO.
SO I'M GONNA LOG OUT AND COME BACK 'CAUSE MY, MY SETUP IS MESSED UP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUNDING PROCESS? OKEY DOKE.
[10. Staff briefing on the Artist in Residence Program for Our Future 35 by Jesus Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor. ]
TO NUMBER THREE.AND FOR, UH, PRESENTATION NUMBER THREE, ANNMARIE WILL ACTUALLY BE GIVING THIS PRESENTATION.
SHE IS JOINING US FROM WEBEX, AND SO SHE IS BEING MOVED OVER.
UM, AND SO, ANNMARIE, WE, LET'S SEE.
SO IF YOU'RE SPEAKING, WE CANNOT HEAR YOU.
I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES, SO I CAN'T SEE IF YOU'RE MUTED.
ANNE MARIE, YOU HAVE A FAN CLUB HERE IN THE ROOM, JUST FOR THE RECORD.
WE'RE ALL SQUEALING AND EXCITED TO SEE YOU.
WELL, I'M GLAD TO BE JOINING YOU ALL.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU FINE.
UM, SO MY NAME IS ANNEMARIE MCCASKILL DAVIS.
I'M A CULTURAL FUNDING SPECIALIST SENIOR, UM, WITH ACME'S CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION.
I AM WEARING A GREEN SHIRT WITH A GOLD ZIPPER, UH, WITH BLUE GLASSES, BLUE REMED GLASSES.
AND I AM GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT OUR ARTISAN RESIDENCE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN RUNNING WITH, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO I'M JUST GONNA DO A REALLY QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM.
GO OVER THE TIMELINE ABOUT WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE GOING, AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE SELECTED ARTISTS AND, UM, TALK ABOUT THEIR PROPOSED PROJECTS.
[01:40:01]
NEXT SLIDE.SO, UH, THIS STARTED WAY BACK, UH, WAY BACK WHEN, UM, WE PARTNERED WITH, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR AN NEA GRANT FOR THIS ARTISAN RESIDENCE PROGRAM, UM, BACK IN 2023, I BELIEVE.
AND WE WERE AWARDED THE GRANT.
UM, AND SO WE LAUNCHED, UM, THIS PROGRAM LAST SUMMER.
UM, AND WITH THAT, WE HAD, WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOME IDEAL ARTISTS WHO, UM, WERE EITHER FROM OR HAD IT LOTS OF EXPERIENCE WITHIN EAST AUSTIN THAT THEY HAD WORKED WITH AND AMONG COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY WERE AWARE OF I 30 FIVE'S, HISTORY AND CULTURAL CONTEXT, UM, THAT THEY COULD DEMONSTRATE A SOCIAL PRACTICE IN THEIR ART, UM, THAT THEY COULD PRODUCE ART THAT SHARES STORIES, PREFERABLY FROM, IN MULTIPLE MEDIUMS. AND SO THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE, OUR FUTURE 35 AUSTIN'S CABIN STITCH PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
UM, IT'S KIND OF GEARING UP AND GOING FORWARD.
AND SO PART OF OUR RESIDENCY GOALS ARE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, TO HIGHLIGHT THE STORIES OF EAST AUSTIN AND HOW I 35 HAS, YOU KNOW, HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON THAT COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THE RESIDENCY SCHOOLS WERE TO USE ART AS A METHOD TO FOSTER CONNECTION AMONG COMMUNITY, UH, TO INTEGRATE THE RICH CULTURAL HISTORY OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, SURROUNDING I 35, UM, INTO THE, OUR FUTURE 35 PLANNING PROCESS AND TO BENEFIT AUSTIN'S LOCAL ARTS COMMUNITY.
SO HERE'S A LITTLE SNAPSHOT OF THE TIMELINE.
SO BACK IN 2024, IN JULY, WE OPENED THE CALL, UM, FOR ARTISTS TO APPLY.
UM, THE DEADLINE WAS FOR THE APPLICATION FOR THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM CLOSED IN AUGUST OF 2024.
WE HAD AROUND LIKE 25, UM, APPLICANTS SUBMIT.
UM, WE SELECTED SEVEN, UM, ARTISTS WHO HAD THE TOP SCORES.
UM, AND WE HAD A PANEL OF, UM, LOCAL, UM, ARTISTS AND, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS PARTICIPATE ON THIS PANEL.
WE ALSO INCLUDED, UM, SOME, UM, A IPP STAFF HELPED US IN, IN, UM, DOING THOSE PANELS.
AND SO FROM THAT WE SELECTED THE TOP SEVEN ARTISTS.
UM, AND THEN THOSE WERE ALL INTERVIEWED BY THE PANEL.
AND FROM THAT, THERE WERE TWO ARTISTS WHO WERE SELECTED.
UM, LAST OCTOBER, UM, IN NOVEMBER, WE STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE TWO ARTISTS.
AND I, I PROMISE YOU I'LL REVEAL WHO THEY ARE, JUST MOMENTARILY.
BUT WE, UM, DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH THEM BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL WAS STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY WERE GONNA FUND THE CAP AND STITCH PROJECTS AT THAT TIME.
AND SO WE DIDN'T WANNA START THEIR ARTIS IN RESIDENCY PROJECTS UNTIL WE KIND OF HAD A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT DIRECTION, UM, THOSE CAPS WERE GONNA GO.
SO WE PAUSED ON ENTERING INTO THOSE CONTRACTS UNTIL ABOUT MAY, LATE APRIL, EARLY MAY-ISH, WHICH WAS ALSO WHEN THE NEA RESCINDED OUR AWARD.
SO THEN WE HAD TO CONTINUE TO PAUSE UNTIL WE COULD FIND SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO COVER THE NEEA'S PORTION.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO FIND SOME FUNDS, UM, FROM, UH, TDOT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO USE TO COVER SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS, AS WELL AS A LITTLE BIT ADDITIONAL HOT FUNDS, UM, FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND SO NOW AS OF AUGUST OF 2025, WE'VE ENTERED INTO CONTRACT WITH THESE TWO ARTISTS, UM, AND THEY HAVE BEGUN STARTED, UH, STARTING TO WORK ON THEIR PROJECTS.
AND ULTIMATELY WE'LL WRAP UP PROBABLY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.
SO, UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SELECTED ARTISTS.
UH, KAT CARTER IS A MULTI MULTIDISCIPLINARY CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ARTIST AND FOUNDER OF SUPERWOMAN RECORDS, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT RECORD LABEL THAT EMPOWERS WOMEN THROUGH MUSIC AND STORYTELLING AND COMMUNITY DRIVEN INITIATIVES.
HER WORK BRIDGES ART CULTURE AND EQUITY USING MUSIC EVENTS AND PUBLISHING TO CREATE PLATFORMS THAT AMPLIFY MARGINALIZED VOICES AND INSPIRE NEW POSSIBILITIES.
UM, SHE'S THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF SUPERWOMAN RECORDS, THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN LED NONPROFIT RECORD LABEL AND FESTIVAL IN AUSTIN.
UH, SHE'S A RECIPIENT OF THE CANNES LIONS FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY'S ERA PROGRAM, UM, ATTENDING THE WORLD'S LEADING CREATIVE FESTIVAL TO REPRESENT WOMEN-LED INNOVATION AND MUSIC AND CULTURE.
[01:45:01]
PRODUCER AND VISIONARY BEHIND, BEHIND, UH, SHE BY SOUTHWEST AND THE SUPERWOMAN RECORDS FESTIVAL, WHICH EMERGES MUSIC, FASHION, AND COMMUNITY TO CREATE GROUNDBREAKING CULTURAL EXPERIENCES.UM, AND THEN SHE LAUNCHED SUPERWOMAN RECORDS PUBLISHING AND PUBLISHED ITS FIRST BOOK, THE HOUSE OF THE NINETIES, BUILT AND EXPANDING INTO LITERATURE AND CULTURAL STORYTELLING.
UM, SO KAT IS PROPOSING A PROJECT, UM, OVER SEVERAL MONTHS CALLED CANDY COATED 35.
THE 35 PROJECT IS A CULTURAL STORYTELLING CAMPAIGN ROOTED IN RHYTHM, MEMORY, RECLAIMING SPACE.
UM, IT WILL INCLUDE MUSIC, ORAL HISTORIES, LIFE PERFORMANCE, AND VISUAL ART.
SO NOW THESE ARE ALL, THESE ARE THEIR TENTATIVE PROPOSALS.
SO THEY'VE BEEN APPROVED BY, UM, UH, THE, UH, TPW TEAM.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE PROJECTS.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA SAY THAT SOME OF THE DATES ARE TENTATIVE, SO I'LL BE SURE TO LET YOU ALL KNOW, UM, AS DATES BECOME MORE FORMALIZED WHEN THEIR EVENTS ARE HAPPENING.
BUT RIGHT NOW, PROPOSED, UM, STARTING IN NOVEMBER WILL BE THE SLOWED THROAT AND CANDY COATED, UM, LIVE DJ SET WITH KZ, KAZI.
UM, IN DECEMBER WILL BE THE CHROME MIRROR, WHICH WILL, UM, FEATURE THE ARTIST, UH, KAYA MONET AT RICHIE'S ART GALLERY IN JANUARY.
THE, UH, DIVIDE CIPHER WILL BE A ROOFTOP OR, UM, PARKING LOT OVERLOOKING I 35 EVENT.
UM, FEBRUARY WILL BE BLACK GIRL, FUTURE A FILM NIGHT AT AUSTIN, UH, AT A F CINEMA.
AND THEN IN MARCH, LIKE THE FINAL BIG TO-DO WILL BE CANDY COATED 35 SHOWCASE, WHICH WILL BE, UM, POTENTIALLY ON A ROOFTOP OF A PARKING GARAGE WITH SLAB CARS, VENDORS, UM, RECORDING BOOTH PROJECTIONS AND CIPHER.
SO A LOT OF ACTIVITIES COMING UP, UM, HERE IN THE WINTER AND SPRING.
AND THEN OUR SECOND ARTIST IN RESIDENCE IS CLAUDIA ZAPATA, PHD.
UH, CLAUDIA, UM, IS AN ART HISTORIAN, CURATOR AND ARTIST.
UH, THEY'RE ONE OF THE LEADING SPECIALISTS IN LATINO AND CHICANO ART HISTORY.
THEIR, UM, ARTISTIC PRACTICE ENCOMPASSES ILLUSTRATIONS, ZINES, SCULPTURE, AND MULTIMEDIA, ALL GROUNDED IN LATINO AND CHICANO HISTORY AND ACTIVISM.
UM, THEY RECEIVED THEIR PHD IN ART HISTORY FROM SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITIES, UM, RA, UH, R-A-S-C-A, UH, RHETORICS OF ART SPACE AND CULTURE PROGRAM, A BA IN MA IN ART HISTORY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, SPECIALIZING IN MAYA ART FROM THE CLASSIC PERIOD 250 TO 900 CE.
THEY ARE A CURRENT ASSOCIATE CURATOR OF LATINO ART AT THE FLINT MUSEUM OF ARTS, AND A FORMER POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW AT UCLA'S CURATORIAL INSTITUTE AT THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM.
AND THE CURATOR AT THE ME ARTHY MUSEUM IS ALL, UH, WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
AND CLAUDIA'S PROPOSED EVENT WILL BE TO CREATE AN IMMERSIVE, AN IMMERSIVE ARCHIVAL RECITAL AND INSTALLATION.
UM, IN ADDITION, THERE WILL BE AN INTERACTIVE AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION CONCERT VIEWING.
SO, UH, THEY ARE CURRENTLY WRITING, UM, SOME OPERATIC PIECES, UM, FEATURING CELLO.
THERE WILL BE ALSO A, UM, INTERACTIVE, UM, PERFORMANCE, UM, COMPONENT, AS WELL AS SOME REALLY NICE, UM, VISUALS THAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE EVENT, UM, THAT COINCIDE WITH THE STORIES THAT THE SONGS WE'LL BE TELLING.
UM, THE SONGS ARE GOING TO BE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF, UM, EAST AUSTIN, UH, FROM THE, UM, MEXICAN AMERICAN LATINX PERSPECTIVE, UM, FROM, UH, THE VERY LONG HISTORY THAT EXISTS THERE.
UM, IS THEIR DRAFT OR THEIR PROPOSED ACTIVITY NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO HERE'S SORT OF A QUICK, UH, TENTATIVE TIMELINE OF WHEN ALL THESE THINGS WILL OCCUR.
SO WE'LL GO FROM NOVEMBER INTO MARCH WITH KAT, UM, ACTIVITIES, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING SOMEWHERE AROUND JUNE-ISH, UH, FOR, UH, CLAUDIA'S EVENTS, UH, AND NEXT SLIDE.
THAT'S THE LATEST AND GREATEST INFORMATION I HAVE FOR YOU.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND GIVE YOU MORE INFO AND UPDATES AND INVITE YOU TO THEIR EVENTS AS THEY GET THOSE FINALIZED.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? I, I
[01:50:01]
HAVE A QUESTION.UM, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ONE ARTIST THAT'S DOING FIVE PROJECTS AND AN ARTIST IS DOING ONE PROJECT.
YES, THAT'S, IT'S, IT WAS UP TO THEM TO PROPOSE WHAT IT IS THEY WANTED TO DO.
AND SO THEY'VE BOTH TAKEN VERY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
UM, ONE HOSTING MORE ACTIVATIONS, UM, FOR THEIR PROJECT.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS CREATING, YOU KNOW, WRITING ALL OF THE MUSIC, WRITING ALL OF THE, NOT JUST, AND ALL OF THE LYRICS FOR THE SONGS, GETTING THE MUSICIANS TOGETHER, DOING ALL OF THE, UM, GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR THE LIVE EVENT, PUTTING THAT ALL TOGETHER.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE VERY, THEY'RE ALL BOTH VERY DIFFERENT.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE, THEY WERE BOTH SELECTED, IS THAT THEY WERE TAKING SORT OF TWO VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND TWO VERY DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO, UM, THE WORK.
UM, TELLING THE STORIES OF, UM, EAST AUSTIN ALONG THE I 35 CORRIDOR.
IS THE, IS THE ZAPATA PRESENTATION MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE INTERACTIONS OR IS IT A ONE NIGHT EVENT? WHAT, UM, SHE'S STILL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THEIR, UM, FINAL DESIGN RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON CREATING THE MUSIC.
THE IDEA IS TO HOPEFULLY PARTNER, UM, WITH ME CARTE, OR NOT ME CARTE WITH THE MAC, UM, TO HOST AN EVENT THERE.
UM, AND TO ALSO DO POTENTIALLY SOMETHING AT DATA LABS.
BUT, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS, IT'S STILL EARLY DAYS.
UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE AN EXACT DATE OR LOCATIONS YET, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND, AND DESIGNING THEIR ACTIVITY.
UH, WILL THESE EVENTS BE FREE TO THE PUBLIC? I DUNNO.
THEY'LL BE FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN I, ASSUMING THAT THE I 35 AND THE STORY OF EAST AUSTIN WILL ALL BE EMBEDDED AND WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE CURATING EXACTLY.
THEY'LL ALSO BE DOING SOME, UM, FOR, FOR KAT FOR SURE, SHE IS LOOKING TO DO SOME STORYTELLING COL OR STORY COLLECTION AT THE EVENTS AND HAVING THOSE, UM, RECORDING BOOTHS, UM, THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE DOING THAT AT SOME OF THEIR OTHER EVENTS, UM, AND GETTING PEOPLE TO COME IN AND RECORD THEIR OWN STORIES, UM, AND EXPERIENCES AT THOSE EVENTS AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANNEMARIE.
[Items 11 & 12 ]
ITEM NUMBER 11, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING AN UPDATE ON ART AND PUBLIC PLACES BY JAIME CASTILLO, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, PROJECT MANAGER, GOOD EVENING ARTS COMMISSION.JAIME CASTILLO, MANAGER FOR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN SINCE THE LAST, WHAT WAS IT, 20 MINUTES AGO?
AGENDA ITEM 11 AND AGENDA ITEM 12 ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.
UH, SO AS A REMINDER, COUNSEL, UH, I'M FORGETTING THE WORD NOW.
APPROVED, UH, PASSED PA THEY PASSED THE RESOLUTION BACK IN MARCH, DIRECTING, UH, THE A IPB PROGRAM TO CONDUCT A PROGRAM ASSESSMENT.
UH, THEY IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT THEY WANTED US TO ACCOMPLISH IN, IN THAT PROGRAM ASSESSMENT AND COMING BACK WITH RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE AND, UH, PROGRAM POLICIES.
UH, TOP THINGS THAT, THAT THEY ASKED US TO LOOK AT WAS THE INCLUSION OF, UH, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS.
UH, IN THE A IPP ORDINANCE, THEY ASKED US TO LOOK AT, UM, FLEXIBILITY OF FUNDING REGARDING MAINTENANCE, UH, RELOCATION AND DEES, UM, OF ARTWORKS LOOKED AT.
THEY ASKED US TO LOOK AT THE FLEXIBILITY, LOOKING AT THE FLEXIBILITY OF, UH, ARTWORK SITING SO THAT WHEN, UH, WHEN POSSIBLE AND AS LONG AS IT'S WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF, OF ALL EQUAL REQUIREMENTS, IF, IF WE CAN IMPROVE VISIBILITY AND ENGAGEMENT OF AN ARTWORK, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE IT, UH, IN, IN RELATION TO A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
UM, THE OTHER BIG THING THAT THEY ASKED US TO DO WAS, UH, LOOK AT O ANY OTHER OBSTACLES THAT LOCAL ARTISTS AND FABRICATORS FACE WHEN ENGAGING WITH OUR PROGRAM.
[01:55:02]
AND THEN THEY ASKED US TO LOOK AT, UH, WAYS OF SUPPORTING PUBLIC ARTISTS WHEN THEY'RE CREATING PUBLIC ART ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.AND THEY ASKED US TO CONDUCT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WITH ARTISTS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED REMOVAL, REMOVAL OF THEIR ART, WHETHER IT BE FROM OUR COLLECTION OR IF THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THAT REMOVAL ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
AND SO, UH, AS AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, PHASE ONE FROM MARCH TO MAY, UH, A IPP STAFF, UM, REVIEWED, UH, OUR HISTORICAL DATA, REVIEWED OUR POLICIES, AND WORKED WITH THE A IPB PANEL, UM, WHO CONVENED A WORKING GROUP AS THEY HAD, UH, ASKED QUESTIONS LAST YEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS, UH, WITHIN OUR ORDINANCE AND GUIDELINES.
AND SO WE GOT TOGETHER WITH THE A IP PANEL TO REVIEW THOSE DOCUMENTS.
AND, UH, AS WE ENTERED INTO PHASE TWO, WHICH WAS MORE OF OUR FOCUS GROUP PHASE, WE MET WITH, UM, ARTISTS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED REMOVAL OF THEIR ARTWORK.
WE MET WITH THE UT LANDMARKS PUBLIC ART PROGRAM, AND WE CONVENED AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP WITH OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY, UH, AND, AND SHOWED THEM THE RED LINE DOCUMENTS THAT WE DEVELOPED WITH THE A IPB PANEL WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN, THIS PAST SUMMER, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THAT INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP, MAKING SURE THAT THE LANGUAGE THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, BE UPDATED IN THE ORDINANCE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE, WHAT THE, WHAT THAT IS AND HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT DEPARTMENTS AND HOW THEY INTERACT WITH THE A IPP PROGRAM.
UH, WE GOT TO A POINT RECENTLY WHERE WE'RE REALLY GETTING DOWN INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF SOME OF THOSE LANGUAGE, SOME OF THAT LANGUAGE UPDATES.
AND SO WE'VE DECIDED TO POSTPONE OUR PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL.
WE WERE GOING TO PRESENT TO THEM THIS WEEK AT THEIR MEETING.
WE'RE POSTPONING TO OCTOBER 23RD AS WE ARE HAVING THOSE, THOSE, UH, DETAILED CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS REGARDING THE LANGUAGE WITHIN THE, THE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND I'LL POINT OUT THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER MACH MENTIONED THAT WE HAD A SPECIAL CALL MEETING WITH THE A IPB PANEL ON THE 17TH, AND WHAT WE PRESENTED TO THEM WERE THE RED LINE DOCUMENTS AS THEY WERE ON SEPTEMBER 17TH.
SO THEY WEREN'T FINAL VERSIONS, UM, BUT THE EDITS THAT WE HAD OR THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING UP TO THAT POINT, AND THE PANEL DID, UH, VOTE TO APPROVE THE SUPPORT OF THE EDITS AS LONG AS WITH FLEXIBILITY OF THE LANGUAGE OF SOME LANGUAGE CHANGES.
AS LONG AS THE INTENT OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM ON THE 17TH, UH, DOES NOT CHANGE.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER GARZA? JUST REAL BRIEF, JAIME.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT I'M REFLECTING BACK A LITTLE BIT ON THE, UH, CONVENTION CENTER ARTWORK AND HOW, UH, IT APPEARS THAT THE ARTISTS WEREN'T GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY BEFORE THEY WERE TOLD WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN TO REIMAGINE THE ARTWORK, UH, AND MOVE IT TO ANOTHER SPACE LIKE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU SELECT THE ARTIST AND THEN YOU SELECT THEIR SPACE THAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT THE ARTWORK IN, RIGHT? OH, IT BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BIT THAT, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT HASN'T BEEN CHANGED.
AND WHEN I'M LOOKING AT, UH, THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES ORDINANCES AND SECTION SIX, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED DEVELOPMENT OF A IPP PROJECTS, AND THEN SECTION F WILL SAYS THAT AN ARTIST MAY BE ASKED TO DEVELOP AN ARTWORK PROPOSAL FOR A SPECIFIC A IPP PROJECT.
I WOULD THINK THAT THAT WOULD COVER EXISTING ARTISTS WHOSE ARTWORKS WERE AT RISK OF REMOVAL OR DESTRUCTION, UH, LIKE THE ARTIST WE HAD WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER, ARE WE RESTRICTED AND ONLY ALLOWED TO CONSIDER NEW ARTWORK, OR CAN WE EXPAND IT SO THAT WE DON'T JUST BECOME A DISPOSABLE ORGANIZATION REGARDING PUBLIC ART? YES.
SO, UH, OUR PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY SET UP THAT WE RECEIVE MONIES, UH, AS A ALLOCATED FROM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
YEAH, 2% FOR NEW PROJECTS, FOR NEW ARTWORKS.
BUT IF IT'S REIMAGINED BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT IN THE EXISTING SPACE AND THEY ADD OR, OR REMOVED ELEMENTS OF THAT, WOULDN'T THAT BE CONSIDERED A NEW PROJECT AS WELL? IT'S A, IT'S A FINE LINE.
SO IT IS, UH, ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS THAT WE LOOK AT THAT, AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, UM, BUT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WEREN'T FORWARDED TO THOSE, UH, PEOPLE THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER ORIGINALLY, WERE THEY, UH, SO SHOW MYPHONE UP? I WILL.
THE TIMING OF IT, UH, WAS BEFORE I JOINED THE,
[02:00:01]
THE TEAM, THE PROGRAM.SO WHAT I DO UNDERSTAND WAS THAT, UM, THE CITY HAD IDENTIFIED THAT WE, UH, DIDN'T HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO EITHER STORE OR MOVE THE, THE ARTWORK MM-HMM
AND SO, UH, IT, IT DID TRIGGER OUR DEACCESSION POLICY AND WE WENT THROUGH AND IDENTIFIED, UH, IF IT WAS ELIGIBLE FOR A DEACCESSION AND THE, THE, IT, IT WAS ELIGIBLE AS WE IDENTIFIED THAT BY THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING, WE NO LONGER HAD A SITE FOR IT.
AND SO THIS IS ACTUALLY WHY COUNCIL PASSED THE RESOLUTION WAS SO THAT WE WOULD, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE STRENGTHEN OUR POLICIES TO AVOID THAT SORT OF SITUATION.
AND, UM, WHAT WE IDENTIFIED THAT'S, THAT, THAT WAS THE, THE REQUEST OF LOOKING AT THE FLEXIBILITY OF FUNDING OF WHEN WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE, WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO REIMAGINE ARTWORKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT DESTROYING THEM.
UM, SO AND SO IS THERE A RUBRIC TO MAKE THAT DECISION OR IS IT THAT WE CAN FOLLOW AND SEE EXACTLY HOW THAT DECISION IS MADE OR IS IT JUST AN OPINIONS? NO, WE, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE A RUBRIC THAT'S, IT'S DETAILED IN OUR DSES POLICY THAT WE, IT THE CONVERSATION ABOUT BRINGING FORWARD THE QUESTION OF DSES, IT HAS TO MEET ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEES POLICY.
UM, SO IN THAT RESPECT, THE CONVENTION CENTER DID MEET THAT POLICY.
UH, WHAT WAS LACKING WAS THE RESOURCES TO IMAGINE CAN WE MOVE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE? CAN WE SAVE THE ARTWORK IN SOME WAY? AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, LAST YEAR, WAS TO BE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THE RESOURCE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO SORT OF BY DEFAULT, WE, WE HAD TO SAY, WE'RE LOSING THIS BUILDING.
WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MOVE, SO WE HAVE TO INITIATE THE DEES POLICY.
SIR, ARE WE CHANGING THAT TO ALLOW THAT? SO WHAT WAS ASKED OF US TO LOOK AT THE FLEXIBILITY OF FUNDING WAS TO SEE CAN WE DO THAT? AND IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE SOURCE OF FUNDING.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BOND FUNDED PROJECT, THE RESTRICTIONS ON THOSE FUNDS, UM, ARE PRETTY TIGHT.
SO WE KNOW WE, IN THAT CASE, WE CANNOT USE THAT MONEY TO RELOCATE ART.
UM, BUT WE'RE EXPLORING OTHER OPTIONS OF, OF FINDING FUNDS FOR THE A IPP PROGRAM.
AND IF THAT GETS, IF THOSE CHANGES IN OUR PROGRAM GET APPROVED BY COUNCIL AND ARE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT, WE WILL, WE WILL THEN MOVING FORWARD HAVE A SOURCE THAT WE COULD, UH, POTENTIALLY USE AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU, JAIME.
WE APPRECIATE YOU WORKING SO HARD ON THIS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, HELLO.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE ON CONSENT ITEMS 13, 14, AND 15.
I SECOND JUST BRIEF DISCUSSION.
I WOULD PUSH AGAINST CONSENT IF THE ARTIST WAS HERE.
IF THE ARTIST ISN'T HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT THEIR WORK, THEN I'M ALL FOR VOTING ON CONSENT, SO.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, JAIME, I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT STANDARD PRACTICE TO INVITE ARTISTS.
SO, BUT COMMISSIONER MOCK MENTIONED IT, THAT THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE START DOING BECAUSE THIS IS, WHILE THE PRESENTATIONS ARE LOVELY, A LOT OF THEM ARE IS ARCHITECTURAL STUFF, BUT YOU REALLY CAN'T TELL EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING.
SO BEING ABLE TO TALK WITH THE ARTIST WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M, ALL I'M SAYING IS I'M FINE WITH CONSENT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ARTISTS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR WORK COMMISSIONER, SMALL BOT IS THE A IPP RECORDING AVAILABLE BEFORE IT? LIKE YEAH, LIKE COULD WE WATCH IT? THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY, UH, IT'S NOT STANDARD PROCESS TO POST IT, UM, BEFORE.
AND, UH, AND AS PART OF THIS, UH, PROGRAM ASSESSMENT, I AM TRYING TO STANDARDIZE THAT PRACTICE ALIGNING, EVEN THOUGH THE IPP PANEL IS NOT SUBJECT TO TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACTS MM-HMM
UH, I AM TRYING TO ALIGN OUR PRACTICES WITH ARTS COMMISSION PRACTICES AND THEREFORE MM-HMM
WE, WE ALREADY PROVIDE THE AGENDA ON THE SAME TIMELINE, UM, BUT BACKUP DOCUMENTS AND POSTING A LINK TO THE RECORDING ON THE ARTS COMMISSION PAGE IS MOVING FORWARD AT LOOKING TO STANDARDIZE THAT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
'CAUSE THEN FOLKS WHO WANT TO,
[02:05:01]
WE HAVE THIS DEEPER DISCUSSION AT A A PP AND ASKING THEM TO COME AND DO IT AGAIN, FEELS LIKE A LOT OF ASK MM-HMMUNLESS SOMEONE ASKS US, I WANT TO COME AND PRESENT IT TO FULL COMMISSION.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY A PP KIND OF PROCESS IS FOR.
UM, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE IF LIKE IT WAS AVAILABLE BEFORE A MEETING AND, AND I'M NOT, AND I'M SAYING, I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY, I'M JUST SAYING THAT I DON'T WANNA SPEND TIME GOING THROUGH BACKUP THAT I'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT IF I'M NOT GETTING SOMETHING FROM THE ARTIST THAT'S GIVING ME, ADDING SOMETHING TO THE BACKUP.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ON CONSENT ITEMS. 13, 14, 15 AND 16.
OR DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT IT? I THINK IT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT FOR THE CHANGE.
SO ITEMS 13, 14, AND 15 ON CONSENT.
ANYONE OPPOSED? I DON'T SEE, ARE YOU UPSTANDING COMMISSIONER CHARLA, YOUR KIND OF, YOUR VIDEO'S CROPPED SO WE CAN'T SEE YOUR HANDS.
I THINK, I THINK SHE SAID YEAH.
SHE'S SAYING WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING THAT AS A YES.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING RELATIVE TO, UH, THE LAST COMMENT AS WELL? IS IT STILL OPEN FOR COMMISSIONERS TO COME? AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO, IF YOU HAVEN'T YET TO GO TO A IPP UM, PANEL WHEN THE ARTISTS ARE, ARE THERE.
I ALSO HAVE A, I MEAN THIS MAY BE TOTALLY OFF, BUT IT, IT, UM, I I, HAVING BEEN IN AND AROUND AND ON THAT, UH, UH, UH, LIAISON, UH, ARTS COMMISSION LIAISON FOR A IPP AND SEEING THE DETAIL THAT EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH IN THOSE DECISIONS IN MANY WAYS FOR ME, AND I MAY BE CRAZY, SO PLEASE CORRECT ME IF YOU FEEL STRONGLY THE OTHER WAY.
IT'S, IT'S THE SAME THING AS IF ALL THE HUNDREDS OF ARTISTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH PANELS AND ALL THE GUIDELINES AND ALL THAT, IF WE WERE ASKING TO DO SOME KIND OF APPROVAL ON ARTISTS IN THAT RESPECT.
AND THAT'S JUST, BUT I SEE YOUR POINT TOO, BECAUSE I'M ACTUALLY SEEING, UM, MAYBE I LOOK AT THEM DIFFERENTLY 'CAUSE I CAN SEE THE ARTISTS AND HAVE BEEN IN THAT BEFORE, BUT MOST OF THEM DO HAVE ARTIST THINGS IN IT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT TO EVERYBODY THAT, UM, YEAH.
THAT THOSE MEETINGS ARE OPEN AND, UH, THEY'RE GREAT.
WHERE AM I THINKING WE POST OUR AGENDA THREE TO FOUR DAYS, JUST LIKE ARTS COMMISSION.
SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL, YOU CAN FIND THE LINK.
BUT THAT, AND IT'S ANOTHER MEETING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
I TOTALLY RESPECT THE TIME OF THE ARTISTS AND THEM PUTTING TOGETHER THE PRESENTATIONS FOR Y'ALL.
I THINK THAT'S, IF WE CAN GET THOSE RECORDINGS AVAILABLE, THAT'S A PERFECT SOLUTION.
US AUDITING IS A PERFECT SOLUTION, BUT THEY WOULD GET EXTRA CREDIT IF THEY WANTED TO COME.
SO I JUST LIKE, I DON'T, THERE'S NO NEED TO PRESSURE THEM TO BE HERE.
BUT I THINK MAKE SURE THAT IT'S KNOWN THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THEM DIRECTLY.
SO IF THERE'S AN OVERACHIEVER WHO HAS THE TIME TO COME, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A 20 SLIDE PRESENTATION.
BUT I THINK ESPECIALLY HEARING ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES THAT WE MANDATE HEARING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR DISCOVERIES AND HOW THEY ADAPT AND SORT OF END UP.
BUT IT IS INTERESTING MM-HMM
AND I THINK, AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER ARTISTS TO WITNESS THAT THOUGHT PROCESS.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THE, THAT ON RAMP MATERIAL AVAILABLE.
SO I DO THINK IT WOULD BE A WORTHWHILE PRESENTATION TO HAVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET OUT OF THIS LIKE THREE, FOUR HOUR MEETING TERRITORY.
SO JUST TO, JUST TO EXTEND THE INVITATION, BUT THERE'S NO PRESSURE.
OBVIOUSLY I WILL LET THE A IPP TEAM KNOW ABOUT THIS OPEN INVITATION, BUT I'M REMINDING THE ARTS COMMISSION THAT I WILL HAVE TO REMIND YOU AT EVERY PRESENTATION, THE ROLE THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION.
SO YOU ARE APPROVING ABSOLUTELY.
YOU'RE NOT APPROVING AESTHETICS, YOU'RE NOT MAKING DESIGN SUGGESTIONS.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT AT ALL.
IT'S JUST THAT IT ADDS THE, THE, THE CREATIVE ARTISTIC ELEMENT DOESN'T NECESSARILY COME THROUGH IN THE BACKUP.
AND SOMETIMES IF WE CAN TALK TO SOMEBODY FACE TO FACE AND HEAR FROM THEIR MOUTH WHAT'S GOING ON, IT JUST MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE WHEN WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR ART IN PUBLIC PLACES IN DIFFERENT TERRITORIES.
AND JUST TO ADD ON IS, IT'S REALLY AWESOME TO HEAR ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES AND HOW, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE SIMILAR AND SOME OF THEM ARE REALLY DIFFERENT.
AND I FEEL LIKE, UM, EVEN IF THERE'S A PERMISSION PROCESS WHERE Y'ALL, LIKE A IPP STAFF COULD COLLATE SOME OF THAT
[02:10:01]
AND SHARE IT WITH US TO SEE LIKE, OH, THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW ARTISTS HAVE RUN THEIR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES FOR THEIR PROJECTS.'CAUSE THEY'RE REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO, IT KIND OF LIKE GETS TO THAT THING THAT WE'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR, WHICH WOULD BE ON MY LIST OF TOP THREE THINGS FOR ACME, WHICH IS LIKE COMMUNICATING TO THE CITY CAPITAL C LIKE DEPARTMENTS MORE BROADLY.
LIKE, THIS IS WHY WORKING WITH ARTISTS IS SPECIAL.
AND YOU COULD THINK ABOUT DOING THIS EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE AN A IPP PROJECT.
YOU COULD HIRE ARTISTS AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALISTS BECAUSE THEY DO THINGS IN A REALLY CREATIVE, BEAUTIFUL, AND JOYFUL WAY THAT GETS TO THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT GET TO OTHERWISE.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REALLY NEAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHOWCASE MORE BROADLY WHY WORKING WITH ARTISTS IN ANY PLANNING OR KIND OF DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS, IS SPECIAL.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANYONE? ME.
I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM OFF THAT EASY.
I JUST THINK ALSO IN, IN THE, THE BELIEF THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE INTEGRATED, RIGHT? LIKE, IT'D BE NICE IF WE COULD SEE THESE PEOPLE AND BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THEM OUT AT EVENTS AND JUST LIKE REALLY CONTINUE TO WEAVE TOGETHER ALL OF THESE REALLY SEEMINGLY SILOED FACETS OF OUR ARTS COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE SOMEBODY ON THE STREET.
UM, I HAVE A, A SEPARATE BUT RELATED THING TO REQUEST RIBBON CUTTINGS FOR ART IN PUBLIC PLACES.
OPENINGS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TO IF YOU HAVE A JOB.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR PRIORITIZED FOR CITY OFFICIALS TO BE THERE, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA SHOW UP, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF COMMUNITY THAT CAN'T CELEBRATE THEIR PEOPLE.
THERE WERE TWO ARTISTS THAT RECENTLY HAD RIBBON CUTTINGS AND THERE WAS JUST NO WAY.
AND THEY LAMENT THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEIR PEOPLE AROUND THEM TO CELEBRATE WHAT'S A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THEIR CAREER.
UM, AND SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS OR THE MAYOR ARE ONLY AVAILABLE AT 1130 ON A WEDNESDAY, NOBODY ELSE IS GONNA BE ABLE TO BE THERE.
COMMISSIONERS AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO BE THERE TO BE IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEM.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S SUCH A LOSS FOR OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEN THERE'S, LIKE, WE HAVE PUBLIC ART WHERE, WHEREAS THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO SPREAD AWARENESS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OF PUBLIC ART, WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, THE COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT NEEDED THESE, THAT NEED THESE PATRONS.
UM, SO I WOULD JUST REALLY ENCOURAGE THE A IPP PANEL AND STAFF TO THINK ABOUT CONSIDERATIONS FOR ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE REALLY BIG, LIKE, SIGNIFICANT EVENTS THAT, THAT WE COULD ALL REALLY GET TOGETHER.
SO WHAT I HEARD WAS A FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE PARTY AT OUR NEXT
YOU GOT DJS OF PLENTY, WE GOT PEOPLE IN, IN THE COMMUNITY ALREADY.
SO YEAH, I THINK IT'S, I I I DO THINK IT'S, IT'S JUST HEARTBREAKING, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE TO, I'VE MANY TIMES I WOULD LOVE TO BE THERE, BUT I HAVE A JOB, YOU KNOW, AND SO FOR THEM, THEY'RE LIKE, I KNOW I HAVE SO MANY FRIENDS THAT WOULD COME IN FROM OUT OF TOWN IF IT WAS EVEN ACCESSIBLE TO THEM AT A GOOD TIME RANGE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW ON THE WEEKENDS IN THE MIDDAY AND THAT'S, THAT'S TOTALLY DOABLE.
BUT LIKE MIDWEEK MIDDAY, THERE'S JUST NO WAY TO GET OUT THERE AND SUPPORT, UM, EACH OTHER.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS.
I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ENCOURAGE OUR FOLK, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO INVITE PRESENTERS TO.
UH, I'VE HAD PRESENTERS WHO RECEIVED A A P PANEL, UH, PROJECTS.
AND THEY CAME IN AND SPOKE ABOUT THEIR PROJECT AND HOW THE WHOLE PROCESS WENT FOR THEM.
UH, WE NEED TO BE HERE TO, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, ASK OUR COMMUNITIES MEMBERS TO SHOW UP.
WE NEED TO HEAR THE POSITIVE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THE PRAISE AND WHATNOT, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO HEAR THE NEGATIVES AND WHATNOT.
UH, LET'S NOT SHY AWAY FROM THAT.
LET'S GIVE OUR COMMUNITY A VOICE.
LET THEM GIVE THEIR VOICE TO US.
LET THEM SHARE THEIR OPINIONS OF THE, WITH THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT WILL HELP US BE BETTER.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT INVITE SOMEONE, YOU MIGHT INVITE SOMEONE AND THEY'RE PRESENTING THINGS THAT I HAD NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE.
AND SO I HIGHLY, HIGHLY ENCOURAGE EVERY SINGLE COMMISSIONER TO AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR INVITE TWO PRESENTERS.
WE USED TO, THAT USED TO BE LIKE AN UNWRITTEN POLICY, RIGHT? JAIME? SOMEBODY USED TO MAKE US DO THAT.
WE JUST SORT OF DID IT, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE MORE COMMUNICATION.
BUT, UH, WAS JAIME, JAIME REMEMBERS THAT.
EVEN MICHELLE HAD SHE HAD IT TOO.
WE JUST HAD SHORTER MEETINGS BACK THEN.
[16. Approve the update to the Art in Public Places Panel’s process to select two new panel members. ]
[02:15:01]
ITEM NUMBER 16, APPROVE THE UPDATE ON THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PANELS PROCESS TO SELECT TWO NEW PANEL MEMBERS.SO, UH, TIME FORGETTING, TWO, TWO MONTHS AGO, THREE MONTHS AGO, WE PUT IT TO Y'ALL TO FORM THE INTERVIEW PANEL FOR SELECT FOR INTERVIEWING, UH, TWO NEW A IPP PANEL MEMBERS.
UH, AND YOU FORM THAT PANEL CONSISTING OF THE A IPB PANEL CHAIR, THE A IPP PANEL LIAISON AND AN ARTS COMMISSIONER.
UM, I, UH, RE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE A IPP PANEL CHAIR TO ALSO INCLUDE THE VICE CHAIR IN THOSE INTERVIEW, UM, MEETINGS.
AND SO I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA, BUT BECAUSE YOU AS A BODY FORMED THAT PANEL, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE AWARE AND THAT YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCLUDE THE VICE CHAIR IF YOU SO DEEMED THAT THAT WAS APPROPRIATE.
ANY ANY QUESTIONS? I'LL TAKE A MOTION.
COMMISSIONER ALBA, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE THE UPDATE TO A A PP PROCESS FOR A NEW PANEL SELECTION.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ZISMAN.
I GOT, I GOT EVERYONE'S, EVERYONE'S.
DO YOU ANYTHING ELSE FROM US? I THANK YOU.
[17. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Schmalbach, and Gray(chair). ]
17, UPDATE FROM THE JOINT ARTS MUSIC COMMISSION WORKING GROUP ON URBAN COURT ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONER SCHACH AND GRAY CHAIR.UH, CHAIR HOUSTON AND, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK WOULD JUST ADD ANYTHING AT THE END OF THIS.
I'M KIND OF PUTTING TOGETHER TWO, UH, MEETINGS.
WE HAD ONE ON AUGUST 21ST AND LAST, UH, THIS PAST SEPTEMBER 18TH.
MUCH OF THE LAST MEETING COVERED A LOT OF WHAT WE DID THE FIRST TIME.
IT JUST GOT MORE DETAIL, MORE, UH, UM, UH, DISCUSSIONS.
UM, THE, UH, THE AUGUST 21ST MEETING, THERE WERE OBSERVATIONS AND INFORMATION GATHERING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT STR THE RELATIVE PERCENTAGES AND HOW THEY RELATED TO HOT FUNDING REPORTING.
SOME OF THAT INFORMATION CAME OUT TODAY AND TALKING ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION EARLIER ON IN THIS MEETING, UH, TONIGHT, UH, ABOUT GETTING MORE DETAILS ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS WHEN THEY DO COME OUT.
THERE WAS A, A, UH, INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, UH, NUMBER THAT CAME OUT FOR 2024.
1.5 MILLION WAS STATED, UH, IN AN INFORMATION SOURCE FOR 2024 AND 5 MILLION FOR APRIL, MAY AND JUNE OF 2025.
SO THAT NUMBER DID STICK HERE.
AND AGAIN, IF COMMISSIONER SCHACH HAS, UH, FURTHER TO GO ON THIS INFORMATION, IT WOULD BE GREAT.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE $1.5 MILLION DEFICIT AND THE FACT THAT IT DOES GET 80, 80% OF H FUNDS.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE DISCUSSIONS, NOT SOLUTIONS AND, AND, UH, COMPLAINTS AT ALL.
IT WAS JUST BROAD DISCUSSIONS THAT THERE IS DEBT ON THE CURRENT BOOKS FOR THE PAST, UH, UH, UH, CONVENTION CENTER THAT WAS EXPANDED IN 20 2002.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THERE WAS NOT HOT FUND DEFICIT SHOWING FOR 2026.
UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE MEANT BY THAT.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THAT WOULD'VE MEANT? HOT FUND DEFICIT NOT SHOWING UP FOR 2026 OR WHETHER WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THEM.
THERE BE, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THAT WAS JUST DISCUSSION OF THE CITY'S BUDGET AND NOT REALLY SHOWING ANY MAJOR ISSUE.
AND THAT CAME UP, UH, THIS EVENING AS WELL.
UM, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ON THE VALUE FOR HOT FUNDS RELATIVE TO INCOME AND EXPENSE REVENUE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ON POSSIBLE PERCENTAGE INCREASE TO CULTURAL FUNDS, UH, RELATIVE TO REVENUE AND TOURIST GENERATING.
WE TALKED ABOUT ARTIST DISPLACEMENT AND, UH, I, I ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS UP A LITTLE BIT IN THE, IN THAT MEETING AND THEN IT CAME UP IN THE LAST MEETING AS WELL.
UM, I, UH, CAME UPON A SITUATION WITH THE LONG CENTER AND IF YOU'VE BEEN AROUND OR YOU REALIZE THAT THE ROLLINS THEATER AT THE LONG CENTER WAS BUILT FOR LOCAL ARTISTS AND THEY CAN'T GET IN AND THEY CAN'T GET IN ANYMORE.
IT'S ALL, FOR THE MOST PART COMMERCIAL, UH, ACTIVITY, WHICH I THINK IS AN ARTS COMMISSION THING THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP.
I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY BIG DEAL AND AND IT STARTED.
AND THE FEES THAT THEY CHARGE AND THE FEE.
[02:20:01]
THE FEES, RIGHT? THE FEES ARE PRETTY CRAZY AND THINGS DO HAVE TO BE PAID FOR.BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MANY OF US WERE INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY DAY AND EVEN THE PRODUCTION MANAGERS AND THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT, THEY WERE THERE AND ALWAYS LOVED SUPPORTING ARTISTS AND THEY'RE NOT HAPPY ANYMORE.
AND I THINK IT REALLY, WE HAVE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT, IT'S A CITY BUILDING.
UM, AND THAT THEATER WAS MEANT TO BE A CITY SPACE FOR CITY ARTISTS.
AND I THINK THE ARTS COMMISSION IS THE BODY THAT NEEDS TO BRING THAT UP.
AND THAT'S JUST A PERSONAL ADDENDUM FOR THIS REPORT.
UM, COALITION BUILDING ABOUT PARTS AND RESCUE.
WE JUST BRINGING TOGETHER PARKS AND REC, HOTEL AND HOS, HOSPITALITY HOT COMPARISON TO OTHER TEXAS CITIES.
UM, ETR, UH, THE LA OF AUSTIN.
AND INFORMATION SHARE AND TEMPLATE FOR OTHERS.
JUST COMING TOGETHER WITH ALL INFORMATION SOURCING.
UM, AGAIN, HOT FUNDS, THE ECONOMIC NUMBERS.
WE HAD AN ACTION ITEM OF AN INFORMATION ONE SHEET, WHICH DID NOT COME IN AT THAT LAST MEETING.
AND THIS LAST MEETING, UH, INVOLVED, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE 2%, UM, ARTS, UH, UH, ARTIST BUDGET IN CITY PROPERTY OWNED BUILDINGS.
AND IT CAME UP WHETHER THAT 2% IS PART OF THE, THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING ITSELF INVOLVING ARTISTS AND THE ARTIST'S WORK.
UH, 'CAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE CONFUSION OR THOUGHT ABOUT IN RETROSPECT AFTER THE, UH, BUDGET IS PUT IN THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ARTISTS.
SO, AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT? A LITTLE BIT.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? OKAY.
UPDATE FROM THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON MOST RECENT RELEASE OF CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS, WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONER SMALL BOG HOUSTON KEYS AND ANDERSON CHAIR.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON IS NOT PRESENT TODAY, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE CAN PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH TO SUNSET THIS WORKING GROUP UNTIL THE NEXT BUMP IN THE ROAD.
COMMISSIONER SCH SMALL BOX SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? I'M JUST PUTTING THAT A META CHARLA HAND.
ALL IN FAVOR? I'LL, I'LL APPROVE.
SO WE'LL PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT, FOR OCTOBER TO SUNSET.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT, NEXT MONTH.THE RALLY NOMINATION, THE BYLAWS WORKING GROUP WITH CONFLICT OF INTEREST, INTEREST DISCUSSION, AND THE SUNSET OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING WORKING GROUP
SO WHILE WE ARE HERE, I WANNA MAKE SURE I DO IT CORRECTLY.
THE FIRST THING THAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS WAS WHAT I ADDRESSED IN THE PAST, WHICH SEEMS LIKE WE'RE COMING, IT'S COMING UP AGAIN.
I ASKED FOR A UTILIZATION REPORT ON THE CITY, PUBLIC AND PUBLIC SPACES, CREATIVE SPACES AND FACILITIES, AND THE COST OF THEM TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE THE AFFORDABILITY.
AND THE EXAMPLE I MENTIONED WAS THE MILLENNIUM AND THE DOHERTY ARTS CENTER AS WELL AS DOVE SPRINGS AND I THINK EVEN LIKE TURNER ROBERTS.
SO BASICALLY, I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT CSAP AND TALKING ABOUT SPACE AND AFFORDABILITY, WE HAVE WAY TOO MUCH SPACE THAT'S UNDERUTILIZED.
AND THEN A SPACE THAT IS AVAILABLE IS WAY OVERPRICED.
AND I HAVE ONLY KNOWN OF GETTING CALLS FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE TO GET IT APPROVED OR, UM, ON THE AGENDA BEFORE.
BUT I WANT, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO, TO PUSH THAT.
I NEED A, I NEED A A SO SUBJECT.
SO BASICALLY JUST AN EVALUATION OF A CITY, A UTILIZATION REPORT OF CITY PUBLIC CREATIVE SPACES.
DO WE HAVE THAT REPORT? UM, I DON'T THINK WE DO, BUT WHEN I ASKED ABOUT IT LAST TIME, I, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THERE, THEY WERE GOING TO START EVALUATING IT OR THAT THEY HAD REPORT OR NUMBERS.
I THINK IT WAS MORGAN WHO SAID THAT THEY WOULD, UM, THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT THAT IF I, SORRY, BECAUSE I LITERALLY ASKED IT AND SOMEONE CAME UP TO THE MIC AND SAID, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA START LOOKING AT THAT.
SO I HAVE A MOTION TO REVIEW THE EVALUATION OF CITY SPACE USAGE AND, AND COST AND COST AND COST USAGE AND COST.
SO WE JUST PUT IT ON AS AN AGENDA ITEM WITH A SECOND.
JESUS HAS BEEN ASKING ME TO VOTE FOR ALL OCTOBER
[02:25:01]
AGENDA ITEMS. OH, FOR, OH REALLY? TO VOTE.THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING ALL NIGHT NIGHT TO ACTING TO THE AGENDA.
SO I'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER GRAY.
AND SECONDLY, UM, THERE WAS THE, UH, ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT TO US ABOUT THE CARVER SITUATION AND I REALLY WANT TO ADDRESS THAT ON THE DAIS.
I DIDN'T, I WANTED TO READ THE COMMENTS ONE FROM THE ARTIST, THE CURATOR AND HIS, UM, AS WELL AS THE CITY'S RESPONSE JUST BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO BE PARAPHRASED OR BE ANY COMMISSIONER'S WORD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE SPACE AND AVAILABLE SPACE AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME ISSUES HAPPENING AT A SPACE THAT A LOT OF, UM, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE UTILIZE, UH, I THINK IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
UM, UH, JUST ONE FROM HOW THEY WERE TREATED, BUT ALSO IN LOOKING AT WAYS TO EXPEDITE ARTISTS THAT ARE, UM, THE MOST FINANCIALLY INSECURE.
UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW BEING A CITY EMPLOYEE, I ALSO WORKED AT EDD ALSO HAD TO MANAGE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE FACILITY, UM, DURING COVID.
AND IN THAT TIME WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE PAYMENT PROCESSES THAT WERE GETTING PAYMENTS OUT WITHIN A WEEK, BUSINESS DAYS.
SO TO HEAR THAT PEOPLE WERE WAITING UP TO EIGHT AND NINE MONTHS NOT BEING PAID.
SO I THINK THAT SHOULD JUST BE ADDRESSED.
SO, SHOULD, SHOULD, IS THAT THE SAME, IS THAT THE SAME ISSUE OR YOU WANT THAT AS A SEPARATE AGENDA? THAT'S, THAT'S SECOND THAT CAME FROM THE CARVER SITUATION AND WITH, WITH ARTISTS.
SO REVIEW OF THE CARVER CARVER ISSUES AND EMAILS.
WELL, IT'S ACME RIGHT? ONE BIG FAMILY.
AND I WOULD SAY, I THINK WE SHOULD INVITE MARJORIE FLANAGAN TO PRESENT 'CAUSE IT'S STILL KIND OF EVOLVING AND I KNOW, UH, MARJORIE IS NEW TO THE SITUATION TOO.
SO WHILE IT WAS ALMOST ON THIS AGENDA, IT'S ALMOST, I THINK FOR THE BETTER THAT THEY HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO, TO AGREE, FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION.
UM, BUT YEAH, SO THE, THE ITEM, AND I'LL SECOND IT OFFICIALLY, IS TO INVITE MARJORIE FLANIGAN TO SPEAK TO RECENT, UH, ISSUES.
WE CAN COME UP WITH A FANCY PHRASE.
IF, IF WE INVITED MARJORIE, THEN WE SHOULD ALSO INVITE EVERYBODY.
UM, LET'S, LET'S PENCIL IT IN AS CARVER PRESENTATION AND THEN WE CAN DRAFT AN OFFICIAL AGENDA TITLE FOR IT, LIKE PRESENTATION BY WHATEVER.
AND I CAN SEND AN EMAIL TO MARJORIE JESUS OR I'M NOT THERE.
SO YEAH, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
NOBODY, WE'LL DO IT
WHAT IS IT POSED? PO POISED BY COMMISSIONER KEYS.
SECONDED BY ZEMAN THAT THERE WILL BE A PRESENTER PRESENTATION ON SITUATION.
BUT ABSOLUTELY WE'LL INVITE THE CURATOR, UM, MISREAD AND ANY ARTIST THAT HAPPEN TO BE IN TOWN.
BUT, 'CAUSE I THINK FROM WHERE MARJORIE IS, SHE'S WALKING INTO IT SORT OF AND LIKE LEARNING ABOUT IT IN REAL TIME.
SO IT'S BE, SHE'S ALMOST LIKE AN OMNIPOTENT AND THEN ALSO NEEDING TO FIND THE SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE.
HAS EVERYBODY RECEIVED THE, THIS THREAD OF EMAILS RIGHT ABOUT THE CARVER? NO.
WE CAN MAYBE CIRCULATE IT OR, UM, PUT IT BACK IN SO IT'S FRESH AT TOP OF INBOX, BUT YEAH, LET YOU GUYS GO THROUGH THE PAPERWORK.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR FUTURE AGENDA? UM, I DO HAVE ONE THING I JUST WANNA BRING TO OUR COMMISSIONER'S ATTENTION IN THE MONITOR, I READ THAT THERE IS A COMMISSIONER MEET AND GREET BEING HOSTED WITH ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT.
UM, RICHARD BONDY FROM THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMISSION IS COORDINATING.
UM, SO I WANTED TO
IS THERE A DATE ON THAT? THERE'S A COUPLE DATES.
ONE OF THEM WAS TODAY, ONE OF THE VIRTUAL EDITION WAS TODAY.
UH, MORGAN MESSICK, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FRACK ME.
UM, JAIME CASTILLO, UH, MENTIONED, UH, IT'S, IT'S IN PRINT.
UH, THEY THINK IT COULD POSSIBLY JUST BE FOR THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE GROUPS.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S A, THERE'S A SUBSET OF COMMITTEES THAT ARE A PART OF THAT.
UH, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST I'M HEARING OF IT.
SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA FOR US TO LOOK INTO IT.
'CAUSE IF WE ARE WELCOME THERE, WE WOULD ALL LOVE TO BE THERE.
IT LITERALLY SAID, UH, IT'S SHOWCASING THE WORK OF THE JOINT INCLUSION BUT AN OPPORTUNITY.
SO PERHAPS THE INFERENCE IS THAT IT'S
[02:30:01]
JUST THE JOINT INCLUSION, BUT IT, WHEN I READ IT AND WHEN COMMISSIONER SCH LOOKED AT IT, IT WAS FELT LIKE IT, IT WAS ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.UM, ALL THE DATES I HAVE HERE.
FIVE 30 TO SEVEN ON ZOOM IN PERSON SESSIONS, TAKING PLACE OCTOBER 15TH AT THE GEORGE MORALES RECREATION CENTER.
UH, WEDNESDAY THE 29TH OF OCTOBER AT LITTLE WALNUT CREEK LIBRARY AND NOVEMBER 12TH AT THE GU GUS GARCIA RECREATION CENTER.
I'LL FORWARD THIS, I'LL FORWARD THIS TO, YEAH, I'LL FORWARD IT.
'CAUSE I READ IT LITERALLY IN THE MONITOR NEWSLETTER.
I WAS LIKE, BUT I'M A COMMISSIONER SO PERHAPS IT IS JUST THE JOINT INCLUSION STILL GOOD FOR US TO KNOW WE CAN MEET OUR JOINT INCLUSION COMMISSIONERS AND BE PRESENT.
UM, AND I'LL SPREAD OUR ATTENDANCE THEN SO WE DON'T CREATE A QUORUM.
WILL YOU SPEARHEAD THAT AND REACH THEM AND FIGURE OUT YES, YES, YES, YES.
I'LL, I'LL REACH OUT AND JUST MAKE SURE, I'LL POINT OF CLARIFICATION AND THEN I'LL SEND THE SCREENSHOT OUT TO Y'ALL SO THAT, AND THEN IF THERE'S MULTIPLE DATES, THEN WE CAN PROBABLY FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER.
ANYTHING ELSE TONIGHT? I DID, I DID.
BEFORE WE CLOSE, WANT TO JUST MENTION THAT COMMISSIONER CHENEY IS GOING THROUGH A HEALTH ISSUE.
SHE WAS PLANNING TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO ADDRESS EV THE ENTIRE COMMISSION AND TELL EVERYONE WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT SHE IS GOING THROUGH A HEALTH ISSUE AND WON'T BE AS PRESENT AS SHE HAS BEEN.
SHE'S GONNA TRY TO BE VIRTUAL.
SHE IS NOT RESIGNING HER POSITION.
UM, BUT SHE PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO BE IN PERSON AS MUCH AS SHE WOULD LIKE TO BE.
UM, HOPEFULLY SHE'LL BE ON NEXT MEETING AND CAN TALK TO US ALL ABOUT IT.
I WOULD ASK FOR HER FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND GOOD THOUGHTS AND GOOD VIBRATIONS.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF ART? AND AUSTIN
WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 8 34 TIME.