[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ATTENDING THE OCTOBER 8TH, 2025 REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD.UM, WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH THE FULL AGENDA, UM, AND, UH, WE'RE SO HAPPY THAT FOLKS HAVE COMMITTED THEIR AFTERNOON.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER MOVING FORWARD, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY? HEARING NONE, WE
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
NOW MOVE FORWARD WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
FOR GENERAL ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY CHAIR, BUSINESS
[2. Staff briefing from Staff Liaison, Felicia Burleson, regarding commission board recent vacancy, deadlines, resources, and updates. ]
ITEM NUMBER TWO, STAFF BRIEFINGS, UM, A BRIEFING FROM OUR STAFF LIAISON, FELICIA BURLESON, REGARDING COMMISSION BOARD, UH, RECENT VACANCIES, DEADLINES, RESOURCES, AS WELL AS UPDATES ON THE GENERAL COMMISSION BUSINESS.I LOVE THAT WE'RE ON OUR MOVE ON TODAY, BUT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AND GET A SECOND.
I MOTION WE APPROVE THE MINUTES.
SO SECONDED BY WHOM? SO SECONDED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
UM, WE SHALL NOW CALL CLAIM
SO CLAIMED I IYE PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
NOW MOVING BACK TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, FELICIA BROON.
TODAY WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THE SCHEDULE, UM, VOTING OF THE SCHEDULE FOR 2026 IN YOUR PACKET.
I DID PUT IN, IF WE KEEP THE SCHEDULE AS IS, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR YOU, SO THAT I KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE? HEARING
[3. Presentation by David Colligan, Chief Operating Officer at Rally Austin regarding the work of the city-sponsored non-profit organization to maintain cultural spaces across Austin to the benefit of Austin tourism. ]
NONE, I'D LIKE TO CALL DAVID COLLIGAN, UH, THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT RAILWAY AUSTIN.UH, HE WILL SPEAK TODAY, UH, THROUGH HIS PRESENTATION REGARDING, UH, THE WORK THE ORGANIZATION IS DOING AS A CITY SPONSORED NONPROFIT TO MAINTAIN CULTURAL SPACES ACROSS AUSTIN, UH, TO THE BENEFIT OF OUR AUSTIN TOURISM ECOSYSTEM, AS WELL AS OUR ARTS CULTURE, UM, AND BROADER AREAS OF, UH, SUPPORT FOR AUSTIN TOURISM.
MR. COLGAN, GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE ABILITY TO BE HERE TODAY AND SPEAK, UH, ABOUT OUR PROPOSAL, BUT ALSO THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR CONTRIBUTION IN VOLUNTEERING HERE AT THE CITY.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE THINGS YOU DO.
UH, I AM HERE TODAY TO PRESENT TO YOU, UM, OUR 2026, OUR PROPOSAL FOR THE 2026 CITY OF AUSTIN BOND ELECTION.
UH, SO AS A PART OF THE CONVERSATION, WE'LL BE REINTRODUCING OURSELVES TO YOU ALL, UH, AND JUST TAKING YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, AS WELL AS WHAT IS THE WORK WE WOULD LIKE TO BE DOING ON BEHALF OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BEFORE COMING HERE TODAY, I SENT OVER AN EMAIL TO YOU ALL WITH SOME INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION.
UH, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A NEW WEBSITE THAT'S GONNA PROVIDE QUITE A BIT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, NOT ONLY ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE WORKED AS WHAT IT IS WE ASPIRE TO BE AS AN ORGANIZATION AND A PARTNER TO THE CITY.
UH, BUT I ALSO PROVIDED A PREVIOUS PRESENTATION THAT I MADE, UH, AS WELL AS SOME PRE PRESENTATIONS FROM CITY STAFF ON SIMILAR INFORMATION.
SO, JUST SO YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THOSE RESOURCES THERE.
AND I'LL POINT BACK TO THEM THROUGH THE COURSE OF THIS PRESENTATION.
RALLY AUSTIN, INITIALLY KNOWN AS THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WAS CREATED IN OCTOBER OF 2020.
IT WAS A CALL TO ACTION FROM THE COMMUNITY ASKING FOR A THIRD PARTY TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS, MOSTLY FOCUSED ON REAL ESTATE OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND HOW IT IS WE WOULD SUPPORT INCLUSIVE OUTCOMES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
THROUGH THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ASSEMBLE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS THROUGH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT DOLLARS, AND I TRY TO ILLUSTRATE THAT IN THE PRESENTATION THAT I PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED, BUT KNOW THAT THIS IS A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ENTITY.
IT WAS ONE IN WHICH THE COMMUNITY RALLY FORWARD, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HONORED THAT REQUEST FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE WORK THAT WE DO.
AND THE REBRANDING OF THE AGENCY FROM AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AGAIN, WE ARE FOCUSED ON ASSET OWNERSHIP INVESTMENTS,
[00:05:01]
REAL ESTATE AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.OUR VISION AND MISSION VERY FOCUSED ON EQUITY, HOW IT IS WE CREATE MORE OF THESE INCLUSIVE SPACES AROUND THE CITY WHILE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THE PLACE THAT IS AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UH, THE FOCUS HERE, UH, IS, IS TO BE ABLE TO THINK REGIONALLY MORE BROADLY, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THROUGH THE STRUCTURE OF OUR BOARD.
BUT WE TRY TO SHOW OR HIGHLIGHT OUR WORK IN SEVERAL CATEGORIES, ARTS, MUSIC AND CULTURE, A RALLY FOR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, AND THEN CATALYTIC DEVELOPMENT.
OUR BOARD MADE UP OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS HERE WITHIN CENTRAL TEXAS THAT ARE SIMILAR ASSET HOLDERS OR OWNERS AND HAVE BIG IMPACT IN THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE IN AUSTIN, BUT ALSO WITHIN CENTRAL TEXAS.
YOU'VE GOT A NUMBER OF SEATS THAT REPRESENT THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT ARE FROM STAFF, BUT ALSO FROM VARIOUS COMMISSIONS.
AND YOU'LL SEE A, A, A BIT OF DIVERSITY ACROSS THIS BOARD.
WE DO REGULARLY SWITCH OUT OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
I THINK YOU'VE GOT A THREE YEAR TERM.
UH, SO WE'VE GOT A REALLY GREAT REPRESENTATION FROM THE COMMUNITY IN, IN THE WORK THAT WE DO AROUND REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT.
THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TO DATE, I WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU JUST A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF WHAT IT IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF STEWARDING A $160 MILLION PORTFOLIO OF ASSETS THAT WILL LOOK TO SECURE 293,000 SQUARE FEET OF AFFORDABLE SPACE.
AND WE BREAK OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF CULTURAL SPACE OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
ON THIS SLIDE, AGAIN, WE WANTED TO SHOW THOSE OUTCOMES WITHIN THE THREE DIFFERENT RALLIES THAT WE PUT ALL OF OUR WORK, OUR FRAME, ALL OF OUR WORK INTO FOR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, ARTS, MUSIC AND CULTURE, AND CATALYTIC DEVELOPMENT.
FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATION, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE 2026 BOND ELECTION.
THIS IS NOT A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE 2025 ELECTION AND THE TAX RATE THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION AND TO BE VOTED UPON IN NOVEMBER IN THE COMING MONTHS.
THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT NOVEMBER OF 2026 'CAUSE THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF WORK CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
TO GET TO THAT POINT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND INPUT ON THE PROPOSAL THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING ON AUSTIN'S BEHALF.
WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH A PROBLEM STATEMENT, OUR PROPOSED SOLUTION, AND THEN HOW IT IS OUR APPROACH FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE CITY CAN BE MOST COMPETITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE TO THE ORGANIZATION AND THE CITY OVERALL.
YOU WOULD'VE RECEIVED A LINK TO THIS PRESENTATION FROM CITY STAFF THAT BRINGS YOU UP TO SPEED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROCESS.
I'M GONNA QUICKLY GO THROUGH SOME OF THOSE STEPS JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY TODAY IS SO CRITICAL.
IN TALKING ABOUT NOVEMBER, 2026, FIRST STAFF HAS BEEN INVENTORYING NEEDS FROM ACROSS ALL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY.
THEY'VE BEEN MEETING WITH, UH, BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE, WHICH WAS CREATED BY MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I THINK EACH PERSON PUT UP TWO MEMBERS TO BE A PART OF THAT TASK FORCE.
WITH THAT REPRESEN, THAT REPRESENTATION IN PLACE, YOU'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PRESENTATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BOTH FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS AND THE COMMUNITY.
I PROVIDED YOU A COPY OF OUR PRESENTATION, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE BOND CAPACITY THAT WE WERE PROVIDED IN 2018.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW WE DELIVERED WITH THOSE FUNDS.
AN INITIAL LIST OF PROJECTS WENT OUT TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL A MATTER OF WEEKS AGO, AND THEN A SECOND LIST CAME OUT THAT FOCUSES ON COMMUNITY PACKAGES.
AND RALLY IS A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY PROJECT IDEA SUBMISSION, WHICH ONLY CAME OUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
SO THE TASK FORCE IS LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
THE WORKING GROUPS ARE CALLING DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OR COMMUNITY GROUPS IN FOR MORE CONVERSATION.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE GET CALLED INTO ONE OF THOSE WORKING GROUPS FOR ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL YOU'LL SEE TODAY, BUT ULTIMATELY CITY STAFF IS GONNA PUT FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION.
BTIF WILL PUT FORWARD THEIR OWN RECOMMENDATION.
STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION, AND THEN MAYOR AND COUNCIL WILL TAKE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION INTO ACCOUNT AS THEY START TO DECIDE WHAT WILL AND WILL NOT APPEAR ON THE 2026 BOND ELECTION.
WE START OUR CONVERSATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS HERE.
WE ASK THOSE STAKEHOLDERS, WHAT DOES THIS EVOKE? I'M NOT GONNA ASK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSES, BUT I WILL SAY IN HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, IT'S A VERY INTERESTING RESPONSE.
SOME ARE EXCITED, SOME STILL ENJOY THIS, THIS LOGO.
UH, SOME GET ANGRY, SOME FEEL NO CONNECTION AT ALL.
AND SOME ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE THIS IS NO REPRESENTATION OF THEM HERE IN AUSTIN EITHER ANY LONGER OR OR
[00:10:01]
EVER AT ALL.WE BRING THIS HERE TO START THE CONVERSATION.
AS WE KNOW, KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD, WHICH JUST, UH, A PITCH SOMETHING SAID WHENEVER RED WASSAN EDGE CALLED IN AT A RADIO STATION SAYING WE NEEDED TO KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD, HE AND HIS WIFE THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY INTERESTING CONCEPT.
THEY CREATED A WEBSITE AND SOME MERCHANDISE KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD.
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE CITY LOOKED TO INCENTIVIZE A MAJOR RETAILER, A BIG BOX HERE WITH A CHAPTER THREE 80 AGREEMENT THAT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES BANDED TOGETHER.
THEY TOOK THAT KIPA IN WEIRD, UH, MONIKER AND THEN ADDED SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS.
'CAUSE IT'S A POINT THAT WE CAN DRAW ON WHERE OUR IDENTITY IS.
A CITY WAS SO REFLECTIVE OF OUR VALUES, RIGHT? WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES US UNIQUE ARE SMALL, LOCAL, ICONIC LEGACY BUSINESSES HERE IN AUSTIN.
NOW, RILEY RIGGS CAME FORWARD AND SAID, BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WEIRD AND COOL, WE'RE NO LONGER WEIRD THAT HAS DIED.
WE'VE SEEN THE COMMUNITY SHOW THIS ON A VARIETY OF WAYS, BUT YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY YOU CAN FLY THROUGH OUR OWN AIRPORT AND PICK UP A T-SHIRT THAT SAYS REST IN PEACE, OLD AUSTIN.
AND ON THAT T-SHIRT, YOU'RE GONNA FIND SOME OF OUR LONGSTANDING INSTITUTIONS THAT WE WERE PROUD OF AS AUSTINITE, IT'S THREAD GILLS, LOCAL RESTAURANTS OR BUSINESSES THAT WE VISITED WITH OUR FAMILY, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING TO TO, TO BE CELEBRATED.
IN FACT, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN ENGINE.
WE KNOW THAT OUR CREATIVITY, OUR CULTURE IS WHAT HAS RETAINED SO MANY INDIVIDUALS HERE, PROVIDED SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.
AND IT'S STUDIED FROM EVERYONE AT UT UNDER GEORGE KOZMETSKY, THROUGH MAJOR GROUPS AND ASSOCIATIONS LIKE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
WE SHOW YOU HERE THOUGH THE IMPACT OF HOW IT IS.
THE MARKET IS DISPLACING A NUMBER OF OUR CREATIVES AND MAKING IT INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY STAY IN MARKET, BUT EARN A LIVING, TO THEN BE ABLE TO STAY WITHIN THE MARKET, AS YOU CAN SEE REFLECTED FOR OUR LIVE MUSIC VENUES AND ESPECIALLY OUR ARTISTS.
WHAT'S AT RISK HERE BECAUSE OF COMMERCIAL AFFORDAB, COMMERCIAL AFFORDABILITY IMPACTS IS THE LEGACY OF OUR CITY, IS THE ABILITY TO RETAIN OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AS A CITY.
AND BY MAINTAINING WEIRD INSTEAD OF COOL, WE WOULD, WE, WE RISK THE, THE ABILITY TO KEEP OUR TOURISM, OUR EXPERIENCE ECONOMY, AND JUST THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE REFLECTIVE OF THIS PLACE FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
SO WITH THAT SAID, AUSTIN RALLY AUSTIN HAS COME FORWARD WITH THE KEEP AUSTIN HOURS PROPOSAL THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO THREAD INTO CONSIDERATION FOR THE 2026 BOND.
THIS OFFERS US THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO SEED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SPACES THAT WE THINK WILL HELP TO ELEVATE OUTCOMES, TO BE ABLE TO RETAIN OUR IDENTITY, UH, AND OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AS A CITY.
I'M GONNA BREAK DOWN EACH OF, UH, THESE THREE VERTICALS REALLY QUICKLY JUST TO SHOW YOU WHAT THE OUTCOMES ARE LIKE AND TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PURCHASE TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS DONE IF APPROVED BY VOTERS.
NOW, THESE THREE VERTICALS, UM, ARE REALLY GREAT WAYS OF SHOWING THE COMMUNITY THE IMPACT OF THE WORK COLLECTIVELY, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT MEANS THAT RALLY AUSTIN WILL BE DOING THE SAME THREE THINGS.
ONE, IT MEANS WE'LL BE LOOKING AT PROPERTY ACQUISITION, HOW WE CAN BE IN CONTROL OF SITES THAT WE OWN AS A PARTNER, UH, AND, UH, A QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY THAT SUPPORTS THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE NEXT IS TO WORK THROUGH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, EITHER ON THOSE SITES THAT WE CONTROL OR TO BE ABLE TO, UH, NEGOTIATE AGREEMENTS.
SOME LIKE WHAT YOU'LL SEE TODAY, TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN SPACE FOR OUR LOCAL CREATIVE CULTURAL LEGACY BUSINESSES WITHIN THOSE LOCATIONS.
AND THE NEXT IS TO CONTINUE TURNING TO OUR PARTNERS HERE AT THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S JUST WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS OR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE SUPPORT SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN A PIPELINE OF THESE AGENCIES WHILE WE GET RALLY AUSTIN'S ASSETS UP AND RUNNING TO KEEP THEM HERE LONG TERM.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THROUGH BEST PRACTICES.
THE FIRST, IF YOU WOULD'VE SEEN THE FIRST PRESENTATION FOCUSED ON THE 2018 BOND, UH, WE FOCUS ON THE AUSTIN CULTURAL TRUST.
YOU'LL SEE THE SMALL NUMBER OF FUNDS THAT WE WERE PROVIDED TO BE ABLE TO SEED THIS CULTURAL TRUST THAT STARTED BACK IN 2018 AS REQUESTED BY THE COMMUNITY.
WE ISSUED A SOLICITATION AFTER FIRMING UP WHAT THE CULTURAL TRUST WOULD DO SPECIFICALLY FOR AUSTIN.
AND WITH THE RESPONSE WE MEASURED $350 MILLION WORTH OF NEED WITH AROUND OR LESS THAN $30 MILLION TO BE ABLE TO, TO DO THAT WORK.
WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF OUR CREATIVES HERE, ESPECIALLY THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMY, SOMETHING AROUND $1.8 BILLION
[00:15:02]
AND LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES.I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT WE'RE LEAVING IT WITH YOU AND PEOPLE ACTUALLY REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE DATA.
UM, THE CATALYTIC, UH, AND REALLY THE PREMIER AGENCY DOING CULTURAL TRUST WORK, NOT ONLY HERE IN AMERICA BUT ACROSS THE WORLD AS STUDIED BY UNESCO OR WORLD CULTURAL CITIES FORUM, IS CAST OUT OF SAN FRANCISCO.
AND THESE ARE TWO OF THE PROJECTS THAT THEY'VE RECENTLY SECURED.
BUT CAS HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR ABOUT 11 YEARS.
AND OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WE CAN SEE THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, SECURE ABOUT 83,000 PLUS SQUARE FEET OF AFFORDABLE CREATIVE SPACE IN THE CITY.
THEY'VE DONE THAT BY SECURING SOMETHING LIKE 4 47 MENA, WHICH IS A MULTI-STORY SPACE WHERE CREATIVES CAN COME IN, USE IT FOR REHEARSAL SPACE, OFFICE SPACE, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT NEEDS, BUT IT'S AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, AND AVAILABLE TO THEM AT ALL TIMES.
WHAT'S REALLY GREAT IS LOOKING AT THE SECOND PROJECT JUST BELOW IT, UH, WHICH IS WHERE CAS WAS ABLE TO BRING FORWARD A PROPERTY FORMALLY OWNED BY THE CITY, ESTABLISHING PARTNERS AND DRAWING TOGETHER A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES, SECURING A TOTAL OF 28,000 PLUS SQUARE FEET FOR CREATIVE SPACE.
OBVIOUSLY BECOMING A HUB FOR THEM, WHICH IS GREAT.
CHICAGO HAS A TOURS IN PLACE IN WHICH THEY'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GRANTS OR EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS.
PITTSBURGH HAS A CULTURAL TRUST THAT FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON A DISTRICT, SO NOT, YOU KNOW, AS FOCUSED AS WE ARE IN, IN WORKING AROUND THE CITY.
UM, BUT, BUT, BUT AGAIN, USING THAT SAME TYPE OF STRUCTURE.
NEW ORLEANS, I KEEP HERE BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW FROM THAT FIRST PRESENTATION, WE DO RECEIVE A PORTION OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, HOWEVER THEY WORK WITH THEIRS INDIRECTLY.
WHILE, WHILE WE ARE LOOKING TO CHAMPION DIRECT EXCHANGE AND ENGAGEMENT, HERE ARE SEVEN OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT ON THE BOARDS TO DATE, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO ADD NEW PROJECTS, UM, IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS TO THIS LIST.
BUT TO TELL YOU, OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE 53,000 PLUS SQUARE FEET OF AFFORDABLE CREATIVE SPACE.
IT'S DONE THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS.
WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO CONTROL OF A PROPERTY YET.
WE ARE LOOKING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH REVENUES THAT ARE COMING IN AND SUSTAINED FUNDS FOR THE CULTURAL TRUST.
AND THAT IS FOCUSED FOR OUR BOARD AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WHAT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THOUGH, IS THAT IT'S BEEN THREE TO FOUR YEARS SINCE WE'VE CREATED THIS CULTURAL TRUST AND HAVE STARTED WORKING WITH FUNDS TO EXECUTE THIS WORK.
AND IN THOSE THREE TO FOUR YEARS, WE'VE GOTTEN 53,000 PLUS SQUARE FEET.
IF WE ADDED IN THE ADDITIONAL 30,000 SQUARE FEET THAT WE'RE NEGOTIATING THROUGH OUR WORK ON BLOCKS, UH, 16 AND 18 ON EAST 11TH, THEN WE'RE JUST AROUND 85,000 SQUARE FEET LIKE CAST WAS.
SO I SAY THAT NOT BECAUSE IT'S A COMPETITION BETWEEN US AND THE PREMIER AGENCY IN THE WORLD, BUT WE ARE AND WE HAVE CREATED SOMETHING GREAT AND THAT IS ATTRIBUTED TO THIS COMMUNITY'S RALLY FOR TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR CREATIVES IN MARKET.
WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING THROUGH OUR KIPA SCENARIOS PROPOSAL IS $80 MILLION TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT PROPERTY ACQUISITION CONSERVATIVELY.
WE THINK THAT CAN GET US EIGHT TO 10 DIFFERENT SITES HERE IN AUSTIN, SECURING AN ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED THOUSAND PLUS SQUARE FEET.
IN EACH OF THESE SLIDES, WE BREAK OUT THE POTENTIAL PARTNERS THAT WE ARE GONNA PULL TO THE TABLE AND THE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT ONLY AN AGENCY LIKE RALLY CAN BRING TO THE TABLE WHEN PARTNERING WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS AS WELL AS OUR NON-PROFITS.
AND THEN WE SHOW YOU JUST SOME MEASURE OF WHAT IT IS WE SEE FOR PROJECTED LEVERAGE OF THOSE PROJECTS BY BRINGING IN THOSE PRIVATE DOLLARS AND THEN WHAT IT IS IT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC BENEFIT.
BECAUSE WITHIN THESE EXCHANGES AND WITHIN THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE SEEDING INSTEAD OF JUST PROJECTS, THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE CITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY UNIQUE ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SEED PROGRAMS THROUGH RALLY INSTEAD OF SOME OF THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE HERE WITHIN THE CITY'S BOND PROPOSAL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT 50 MILLION, UH, PROPOSAL FOR A CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION.
AGAIN, NOT JUST FOR THOSE EIGHT TO 10 SITES WE'RE ACQUIRING, BUT IN BEING ABLE TO MAKE OTHER NEGOTIATIONS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY LOAN AND GRANT SUPPORT.
WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS HERE, ESPECIALLY AS ACME IS BEING PULLED TOGETHER, LOOKING AT RESOURCES SO WE CAN LOOK AT HOW IT IS WE TRIAGE OR CREATE THAT PIPELINE OF GROUPS THAT ARE GOING TO BE GOING INTO THOSE SPACES THAT WE HAVE SECURED FOR LONG-TERM PERIODS OF TIME.
NEXT IS TAKING THOSE LESSONS LEARNED OR DOING THESE REALLY SMALL TYPES OF ARRANGEMENTS AND LOOKING AT MORE OF OUR COMMERCIAL, UH, AGENCIES HERE WITHIN AUSTIN, HOW IT IS WE CAN PROTECT OUR LEGACY BUSINESSES HERE.
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BY WORKING WITH A GREAT GROUP LIKE PRESERVATION AUSTIN, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DIAL INTO MORE INFORMATION REFLECTIVE OF WHAT IT IS WE'VE LEARNED THROUGH THE COMMERCIAL OR THE CULTURAL TRUST TO SUGGEST THE CREATION OF A COMMERCIAL TRUST, WHICH IS NOTHING NEW, AGAIN, BEING CREATED THROUGHOUT THE NATION.UH, YOU'VE GOT SOME REALLY GREAT, UH, COMMERCIAL TRUSTS THAT ARE OPERATING IN LARGER CITIES AND SMALLER CITIES AS WELL, BUT THEY'RE SECURING THOSE MOM AND POP SHOPS.
THEY'RE SECURING THOSE RESTAURANTS THAT YOU ENJOY WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ON THE WEEKEND, RIGHT? THIS IS SEPARATE AND DIFFERENT FROM OUR CULTURAL AND CREATIVE SPACE BECAUSE WE'RE FOCUSING IN ON MORE OF THOSE SMALL LEGACY BUSINESSES.
WE WOULD KEEP OUR SAME DEFINITION FOR LEGACY BUSINESS AT 20 YEARS.
UH, THOSE WHO'VE BEEN IN OPERATION AND SOLELY OWNED AS WELL AS THOSE WHO'VE BEEN IN THE SAME LOCATION FOR 20 YEARS.
I HOPE THAT WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS OR LANDLORDS TO BE ABLE TO STRUCTURE THOSE AGREEMENTS.
SAN FRANCISCO HAS ANOTHER PREMIER, UH, PROGRAM WITHIN THIS SPACE, BUT THEY'RE WORKING IN MORE OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY BY BEING ABLE TO FOCUS ON AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BUSINESS WHILE ALSO BEING ABLE TO FOCUS ON AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER OR LANDLORD CHICAGO COMING IN WITH THAT TOURS AGAIN, WHERE THEY'RE PROVIDING $250,000 GRANTS.
AND WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE NATION A NUMBER OF AGENCIES OR, OR CITIES OF OF OUR SIZE THAT ARE CATALOGING THEIR BUSINESSES.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ANY SPECIFIED, UH, FUNDING SOURCES TO TURN TO THEM QUITE YET.
WE WOULD BE A LEADER WITHIN THAT SPACE.
WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING HERE IS $20 MILLION TO WORK THROUGH PROPERTY ACQUISITION.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES PARTNERS AND LEVERAGE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION OF $20 MILLION TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT UPGRADES, UH, NEW FEATURES TO SUPPORT REVENUE GENERATION WHILE MAINTAINING THOSE SPACES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WORKING WITH A GREAT DEPARTMENT LIKE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HERE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT TRIAGING OF OUR LOCAL, UH, LEGACY BUSINESSES TO MAINTAIN THEM HERE AS WE BRING MORE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES ONLINE.
FINALLY, WE'RE PROPOSING, UH, AN AFFORDABLE WORKSPACE, AN AFFORDABLE LIVING SPACE THAT IS FOCUSED ON OUR CREATIVES.
AGAIN, THOSE WHO ARE BEING PRESSED OUT OR DISPLACED FROM MARKET BECAUSE OF THESE COMMERCIAL AFFORDABILITY ISSUES, UH, ARE MOST IMPACTED WHEN IT IS.
THEY HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME MAKING MONEY HERE, ESPECIALLY HAVING TO PAY SO MUCH TO BE ABLE TO LIVE HERE.
SO WE'RE SEEING A NUMBER WHO ARE RELOCATING.
THESE PROJECTS LOOK VERY SIMPLE WHEN YOU THINK OF WORKFORCE HOUSING AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE BUILDINGS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, A FEW IDEAS MIGHT, MIGHT SPARK FROM SOME OF THE SPACES THAT YOU'VE SEEN EVEN WITHIN OUR OWN CITY.
BUT YOU'VE GOT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COMPLEXES LIKE THIS, THAT ACRO THAT EXIST ACROSS THE NATION THAT PROVIDE LIVING AND WORKING SPACES IN ONE SINGLE UNIT.
OR THEY PROVIDE SHARED ACCOMMODATIONS FOR WORKING SPACE WHILE PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IN SOME CASES, LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN NEW ORLEANS.
SPACES LIKE THESE ON, ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SLIDE GO FOR $160 PER MONTH.
IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO OFFER OUR CREATIVES THAT TYPE OF LIVING ARRANGEMENT HERE IN AUSTIN.
NOT SAYING IT'S GONNA BE AT $160 A MONTH, BUT THAT'S AN INCRE, THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF AFFORDABILITY.
VERY LOW, RIGHT? IN TERMS OF WHAT IT IS THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE.
A GROUP LIKE ARTSPACE, WHICH IS WELL KNOWN, UH, AS A NONPROFIT DEVELOPER OR MANAGER OF THESE SPACES, HAS DONE 60 OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS.
WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH THEM AND ATTRACT THEM HERE BACK INTO AUSTIN AS THEY'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT DALLAS AS A MARKET FOR NEW PROJECTS.
OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE NATION ARE AGAIN, PUTTING IN STIPENDS, PUTTING IN GRANTS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UH, AND OFFER MORE OF WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THEIR CREATIVES TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN MARKET WHILE ADDRESSING AFFORDABILITY AND HOUSING SEPARATELY FROM, UM, THE, THE WORKING SPACE AND WORKING CONDITIONS, BECAUSE NOT ALL ARTISTS CAN LIVE AND WORK IN THE SAME PLACE.
PROPERTY ACQUISITION, WE'RE LOOKING AT $46.5 MILLION FOR OUR REQUESTS AND HOW IT IS THAT CAN POTENTIALLY GET US THREE TO FIVE SITES.
THESE ARE LARGER SITES, UM, AND A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX OF AN ARRANGEMENT, BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE A MUCH LARGER ECONOMIC IMPACT.
CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS BEING USED PRIMARILY FOR GAP FINANCING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THESE PROJECTS.
WE BELIEVE WE CAN GET 50 TO A HUNDRED AFFORDABLE UNITS FOR CREATIVES TO DO THEIR WORK AND LIVE HERE IN AUSTIN.
BUT CONTINUING TO WORK WITH GREAT DEPARTMENTS HERE WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND PARTNER AROUND SOME OF THOSE STIPENDS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ARTISTS LIVING AND MAINTAINING THEIR SPACE HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, WHILE IT IS, WE BRING ONLINE THESE ARRANGEMENTS 'CAUSE IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME.
THE FINAL FULL PACKAGE FOR KEEPING AUSTIN HOURS.
WE WANT TO DRAW EVERYTHING HERE TO TOGETHER IN ONE SLIDE FOR OUR REQUEST OF NEARLY $260 MILLION
[00:25:02]
AND SHOW VOTERS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS WE LOOK TO ACHIEVE WITH THOSE DOLLARS OR WITH THOSE INVESTMENTS OVER THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE'D BE LOOKING TO DRAW DOWN THESE FUNDS AND REPORTING BACK TO THE CITY ON THE DEVELOPMENT.NOW, I KNOW 260 TO MILLION DOLLARS SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY BIG REQUEST, SO I WANTED TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT.
OTHER MAJOR CITIES LIKE CHICAGO WERE PASSING VERY LARGE BOND PACKAGES.
SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, UH, AROUND ONE AND A QUARTER BILLION DOLLARS FOCUSED ON VERY SIMILAR ARRANGEMENTS FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND, AND A PART OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE BEING, UH, ELEMENTS OF THAT PACKAGE.
I KEEP CHICAGO HERE WITH THE GOLD STAR BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS I SPOKE ABOUT.
THROUGH THE COURSE OF THIS PRESENTATION, THEY WERE ABLE TO TURN INTERNALLY AND EVALUATE THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENTS AND, AND INVENTORYING OR CLEANING OUT SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS. THEY WERE THEN ABLE TO TURN $1.75 BILLION OF PROGRAMMING TOWARD THE PACKAGE THAT WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS.
SO WHEN VOTERS DID APPROVE THIS PACKAGE IN 2024, THEY NOT ONLY APPROVED 1.25 BILLION IN TO IN TERMS OF DEBT ISSUANCE, BUT $3 BILLION ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON THESE SPECIFIC NEEDS.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU HEARD ME SPEAK ABOUT TURS AND TIFFS AND WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH THOSE DOLLARS.
UH, IN TERMS OF NEGOTIATIONS OR AGREEMENTS.
THOSE TURS ARE GOING TO BE SUNSETTING INCREMENTALLY AND THEY WILL THEN ADJUST THEIR BONDING CAPACITY INCREMENTALLY SO THE VOTERS WILL SEE NO CHANGE IN WHAT IT IS THEY'VE, UH, BEEN PAYING ON THEIR PROPERTY BILLS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
I KEEP DALLAS HERE AS A BENCHMARK 'CAUSE WE'RE VERY FOCUSED, UH, ON A LOT OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN COMING OUT OF DALLAS.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE A VERY SIMILAR PACKAGE TO WHAT WE PROVIDED, BUT PHILADELPHIA IS ULTIMATELY WHERE WE WANT TO GO.
PHILADELPHIA HAS, UM, THE PHILADELPHIA INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHICH THEY SEEDED OVER 50 YEARS AGO, VERY WELL KNOWN AND ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATION WHEN COVID OCCURRED AND THE CITY NEEDED TO MOBILIZE QUICKLY AROUND THEIR NEEDS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, THEY TURNED TO THEIR AGENCY LIKE RALLY AUSTIN, AND THEY IMMEDIATELY ISSUED $400 MILLION OF DEBT TO BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR A BOND.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO ASK VOTERS TO PUT ON MASS AND COME OUT AND VOTE TO APPROVE SOMETHING.
THEY TURNED TO A FINANCING PARTNER THAT THEY HAD ESTABLISHED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, AND THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY ABLE TO GET TO WORK ON AND BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF PHILADELPHIA AT THAT TIME.
SO, AGAIN, LONG TERM, THAT IS WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AN AGENCY LIKE RALLY AND, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN PROVIDE.
I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE SOME INFORMATION ON ESTABLISHED PROCESSES THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THESE PROGRAMS AND EQUITABLE OUTCOMES AND ALSO TO POINT TO WHAT IT IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER SUCCESSFULLY, UH, FOR TWO OF OUR SUBSTANTIAL PROJECTS TO DATE.
UM, WITH THAT, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER.
GREAT, THANK YOU MR. COLLIGAN FOR ALL.
ALL OF THIS REALLY IN-DEPTH INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO THE FORTHCOMING BOND PACKAGE, UH, BOND PROPOSAL RATHER, UH, ON BEHALF OF RALLY AUSTIN.
AND, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALL HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK TO PREPARE, UM, THESE PARTICULAR PROJECTS AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE WORKING TO MATURE, UH, RALLY AUSTIN, UH, EVEN FURTHER, UH, A FIELD OF THE GREAT WORK RE ALREADY DONE.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS TODAY.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, WELL FIRST OFF, I WANTED TO SAY BRIEFLY, THE THEME OF THIS MEETING WAS HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, BUT I DECIDED THAT, UH, TALKING ABOUT LEGACY BUSINESSES AND, UH, THIS CONCEPT OF KEEPING AUSTIN WEIRD, KEEPING AUSTIN SOMETHING, UH, I THINK IS, UH, REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY OF LATE AS WE'VE BEEN LOSING A LOT OF, OF OUR, UH, TREASURY CULTURAL SPACES, UH, ART SPACES, MUSIC SPACES ACROSS THE CITY.
SO TODAY, UM, THE INTENT OF BRINGING RALLY AUSTIN HERE IS TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THIS CONVERSATION IN THE CONTEXT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, I I KIND OF THINK OF IT AS SORT OF THE NEXT STEP IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS CULTURAL PRESERVATION.
AND, UM, AUSTIN HAS CERTAINLY REACHED THAT STAGE IN ITS CULTURAL EVOLUTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, ANOTHER SPEAKER HERE, UH, WHO WILL SPEAK TO SPECIFICALLY THE, UM, THE BUSINESS IMPACT AND, UM, UH, SORT OF THE CASE, A CASE FOR, UM, FURTHER INVESTMENT IN, UM, OUR CULTURAL SPACES.
BUT WITH THAT, UM, I WANTED TO OPEN UP THE FLOOR, UH, FOR ANY IMMEDIATE QUESTIONS, UH,
[00:30:01]
OR COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO MR. COLGAN'S, UH, PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON.QUESTION, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
UH, HEY DAVID, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT.
I APPRECIATE THE EMAIL AND BACKUP MATERIAL EARLIER NEXT WEEK.
SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IS THE IDEA FOR A RALLY TO OWN THE ASSETS AND THEN YOU'LL WORK WITH OPERATIONS AND MANAGERS FOR THAT.
SECONDLY, THE BOND WOULD PUT THE INVESTMENT ON HOMEOWNERS IN AUSTIN.
THAT WOULD BE WHERE THE REVENUE WOULD COME FROM.
FIRST, UH, ADDRESSING OWNERSHIP.
UM, YES, WE, WE WOULD BE OWNERS OF THE SITES THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO ACQUIRE.
NOT IN ALL CASES THOUGH, ARE WE ABLE TO ACQUIRE SITES.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE, AND EVEN THROUGH THE HISTORY OF THE AGENCY, ESPECIALLY THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE CULTURAL TRUST, WE WORK THROUGH A SERIES OF NEGOTIATIONS SO WE CAN MAINTAIN LONG-TERM SPACE, UH, OUR AGREEMENT WITH HOLE IN THE WALL, RIGHT? WE COULDN'T BUY THE DIRT UNDER THE FACILITY, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A THREE PARTY AGREEMENT WHERE WE ARE MAINTAINING THAT BUSINESS IN THAT SPACE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
OUR AGREEMENTS GO FROM 20 TO 40 YEARS, RIGHT? UH, IN THE CASE OF EMPIRE, WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A LOAN SO THAT MUSIC VENUE WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY, UH, THAT COULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF EXPANDING THE BUSINESS AND, AND CONTINUING TO DO THE GREAT WORK AND BRINGING MUSICIANS AND SHOWS AND EVERYTHING HERE ON, ON, ON RED RIVER.
SO WE WOULD PREFER TO CONTROL THE ASSET, RIGHT? LONG TERM, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT THE FLEXIBILITY OF NEGOTIATING WITH LANDLORDS, UH, AND MAINTAINING THAT SPACE FOR BUSINESSES.
WE'D LIKE TO DO THE SAME FOR OUR LEGACY BUSINESSES, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT WORK WITH OUR ARTS AND MUSIC LOCATIONS IN TERMS OF THE, THE BOND AND THE DOLLARS, THE, THE DEBT BEING ISSUED BY THE CITY AND HOW THAT IS REPAID.
UM, I'D HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR CITY FINANCE TO BE HERE TO, TO SPEAK TO YOU KNOW, THAT IN MORE PROFESSIONAL TERMS. CERTAINLY I, I KNOW ENOUGH TO BE DANGEROUS, UH, BUT THEY WOULD BE THE, THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN THAT SPACE.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS THESE ARE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, AND WE'VE SHOWN YOU THROUGH THE COURSE OF OUR WORK, THERE'S NO MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE, THE, THE ITEMS THAT WE BRING FORWARD, THE PROJECTS THAT WE DELIVER, MEANING SOME OF THESE OTHER PROJECTS INCUR MORE EXPENSE FOR THE CITY, WHILE IT THEN COSTS FOR THE CITY TO PAY FOR THOSE COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND FOR THAT CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT YOU'RE INVESTING IN THROUGH THIS PROPOSAL IS SOMETHING THAT WORKS AUTONOMOUSLY, INVESTS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN BRINGS ECONOMIC IMPACT.
SO NOT ONLY WILL WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT THE CITY AND, AND MAYBE OTHER INSTITUTIONS BECAUSE OF OUR ABILITY TO FINANCE PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE INDEPENDENTLY, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE DRIVING ECONOMIC INCOME, RIGHT? FOR OUR REVENUES FOR THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD MORE OF THE THINGS THAT IT PROVIDES.
SO IT, IT'S A BIT OF A DIFFERENCE IN, IN HOW IT IS WE APPROACH, UH, THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, UM, AND HOW OUR PROGRAM DRIVES MORE REVENUE FOR THE CITY RATHER THAN MORE COSTS BEING INCURRED.
AND I THINK I'D HAVE TO HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING CONVERSATION TO HAVE LIKE A TRUE OPINION ON THIS.
I'M A NO ON PROP QUEUE, BUT THIS IS GREAT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER PRUITT? YES.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE, A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DEEP DIVING, DEEPER INTO THAT.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO MORE OF RALLY AUSTIN'S DEFINITION OF WHAT THEY'RE USING TO GUIDE THEM FOR AFFORDABILITY, BOTH FOR THE, UM, CREATIVE SPACES FOR REHEARSAL AND PRODUCTION AND EVENTS AS WELL AS HOUSING.
UM, I KNOW IN THE PAST, A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S BEEN STARTED WITH GOOD INTENTION, BUT THERE'S STILL A BIG GAP IN WHAT WE DEEM AS AFFORDABLE ON PAPER VERSUS WHAT THE ARTIST CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, AFFORDABILITY IN TERMS OF A DEFINITION RANGES RIGHT FROM GENRE WITHIN THE CREATIVE SPACES ALL THE WAY TO WHERE IT IS YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT TYPE OF CREATIVE WORK HERE WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, BECAUSE SOME LOCATIONS THAT ARE MORE EXPENSIVE BRING MORE REVENUE TO SOME OF THE CREATIVES INSTEAD OF OTHER LOCATIONS THAT, UM, ARE LESS EXPENSIVE.
SO, UH, IT, IT, IT DOES RANGE.
WE'RE WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WE HAVE JUST SURVEYED THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AFFORDABILITY AND HOW IT APPEARS NOW.
UH, WE DID THAT WORK INITIALLY WITH THE MUSIC AND ARTS COMMISSION, UM, WHENEVER WE WERE LOOKING AT THE UTILIZATION OF THE 2018
[00:35:01]
BOND FUNDS.SO I CAN'T NECESSARILY QUOTE ONE SPECIFIC FIGURE, BUT WHAT I CAN CITE AS PROCESS THAT'S IN PLACE, WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY, UNDERSTANDING THEIR NEEDS, UH, AND HOW WE CAN FIND A LEVEL, PLACE FOR AFFORDABLE COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR THEM.
OF COURSE, WHEN YOU OWN A SPACE, IT'S, IT'S MUCH DIFFERENT.
AND, AND WHAT IT IS YOU'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR AFFORDABILITY AND HOW THAT CAN GENERATE REVENUE TO SUPPORT CONTINUED WORK THROUGH A CULTURAL TRUST.
SO KNOW THAT THERE IS A BALANCE THERE, BUT WE STRIKE THAT BALANCE BY WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH CREATIVES AND THE COMMUNITY DIRECTLY.
WE ALSO HAVE AN ADVISORY TASK FORCE THAT HELPS OVERSEE THE WORK, UH, AS WELL AS OUR REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD AND THE BOARD ITSELF OF RALLY THAT SAID, UM, WORKFORCE, SORRY, WORKFORCE HOUSING IS, IS WHAT IT IS.
WE'VE TYPICALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON FOR AFFORDABILITY AND LIVING AND WORKING SPACES.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE CITY'S GOT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UM, AFFORDABILITY MEASURES, AND RIGHT NOW I BELIEVE THE FOCUS IS VERY DEEP AFFORDABILITY.
THAT MIGHT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE ON CERTAIN SITES, UM, BUT WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO WORK WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THAT LEVEL THAT WE CAN STRIKE, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOTTA BRING THE BALANCE OF THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, UH, NOT ONLY THROUGH PUBLIC AGENCIES, RIGHT, LIKE THE CITY OR AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AS A PARTNER, UM, BUT ALSO NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS, LITECH AND OTHER TYPES OF DOLLARS THAT WE CAN LOOK TO BRING IN.
SO IT, IT AGAIN, IS A, A MOVING FIGURE AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING IN AND WITH THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IMPACTFUL TO AND FOR THEM.
I KNOW THAT'S, UM, A COMPLICATED FORMULA, UM, TO EXECUTE, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON IT.
COMMISSIONER PRUITT, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MASTERS, I WANNA ECHO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
THIS HAS BEEN KIND OF AN ONGOING CONVERSATION THAT KEEPS COMING UP, AND SO I APPRECIATE CHAIR RONAN, UM, FOR ORGANIZING, UH, TODAY'S SPEAKERS.
UM, I THINK ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THE TALK THAT I'VE SEEN AROUND, UM, SOME OF THE CURRENT BOND PROPOSALS, UM, AND HEARING WHAT YOU SAID WITH THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE, YOU KNOW, TIE-DYED WEIRD SIGN, UM, WHICH I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T ASK OPINIONS, BUT I LIKE, AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE IS THIS KIND OF BALANCE OF A DIFFERENT, UM, CROWD OF AUSTIN WHO ARE SAYING ALL THOSE RIP BUSINESSES, LIKE THAT'S CAPITALISM, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE WANTED THEM HERE, THEY WOULD GO AND VISIT THEM AND SPEND MONEY.
UM, SO WHEN YOU ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS WHO MAYBE THINK THAT WAY, HOW DO YOU STRIKE THAT BALANCE BETWEEN LIKE WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE THESE INSTITUTIONS, WHAT IT MEANS TO SAY THAT THIS IS A LEGACY PROJECT VERSUS FOLKS SAYING, WELL, IF THEY WERE WORTH IT, THEN THEY WOULD STILL BE IN BUSINESS.
UM, SO, SO FIRST I HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS PROPERTY OWNERS HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, BUT CERTAINLY NOT ALL PROPERTY OWNERS ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING AND AWARE OF, UH, BECAUSE THEY ARE, ARE FEELING MARKET PRESSURES AND CHANGES AND OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL, RIGHT? UM, BUT OFTENTIMES, UH, OR A, A MAJORITY OF THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE OUR LEGACY BUSINESSES.
WE NEED TO WORK MORE WITH PRESERVATION AUSTIN TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHO DOES AND DOES NOT OWN THEIR SITE.
UH, BUT THE POTENTIAL THERE, WE'RE REACHING FOR THAT SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS PROPERTY OWNER WHO HAS, YOU KNOW, UH, I'LL USE HOLE IN THE WALL AS AN EXAMPLE, FOR MANY YEARS, JUST WANTED TO KEEP A LIVE MUSIC VENUE ON THEIR SITE.
THEY DO TAKE SOME OF THE LOSSES TOO.
UM, THEY DO SUPPORT AND THEY TRY TO HELP THE BUSINESS TO BE FLEXIBLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO WHEN THIS KIND OF PROGRAM COMES AVAILABLE, THAT SMALL BUSINESS IS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THEIR LANDLORD, THE PROPERTY OWNER, AND SAY, HEY, IS IT AN OPTION FOR US TO OWN OUR SITE? OR IS IT AN OPTION TO WORK THROUGH SOMETHING SO THAT WE CAN STAY HERE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME? AND IN THE CASE OF, YOU KNOW, EMPIRE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO NEGOTIATE CERTAIN ARRANGEMENTS WITHIN THAT AGREEMENT THAT EVEN IF IT IS NOT EMPIRE THAT'S ON THE SITE, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A LIVE MUSIC VENUE.
SO THAT'S A REALLY BIG WIN FOR, FOR, FOR AUSTIN.
UM, WE SEEK TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER.
WE RELY ON THE, THE, THE BUSINESS.
WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THEIR PLACE HERE IN THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IN AUSTIN, HOW THAT BUSINESS PRACTICE RESULTS IN THEIR ABILITY TO STAY HERE IN AUSTIN.
[00:40:01]
OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH HOLE IN THE WALL WAS ALSO INVESTING IN HOLE IN THE WALL SO THAT THE FACILITY BEHIND THE LOCATION COULD BE USED TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE.SO NOW THE BUSINESS HAS BEEN ABLE TO MODERNIZE WHAT IT IS THEY'RE PROVIDING, AND THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE THREE STAGES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MUSICIANS PLAYING THERE, AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER LINE OF REVENUE OR ANOTHER, ANOTHER SOURCE OF DOING BUSINESS.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS HERE AT THE CITY TO LOOK AT EACH GROUP AS A SMALL BUSINESS.
THE CREATIVE'S THE SAME, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE.
SO IN TERMS OF EXPRESSING, YOU KNOW, HOW IT IS, THEY, THEY GET MORE FOLKS INTO THE DOOR.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX DOLLARS.
YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE REQUIREMENTS FOR BRINGING IN MORE AUDIENCES INTO THOSE SPACES, UH, AND PROMOTING AUSTIN, UH, THE, THE THINGS THAT THEY DO, THEY DO THE BUSINESSES, THE DISTRICTS THAT THEY'RE IN.
UH, SO WE TRY TO ADDRESS IT FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS, NOT JUST FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, THE SUCCESS OF THE PARTICULAR BUSINESS.
UM, AND, AND COMMERCIALISM IS, IS THAT HELPFUL? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER, MASTERS, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
JUST ONE MORE CLARIFICATION, BUT ISN'T THE GOAL TO PROVIDE MORE CREATIVE SPACE AND ULTIMATELY HAVE A LARGER FOOTPRINT AND THEN RALLY AS THE ASSET HOLDER, YOU WOULD WORK WITH PARTNERS AS OPERATORS, AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE IN YOUR AGREEMENTS, LIKE CERTAIN STANDARDS OF THAT RIGHT? TO CREATE THAT ROI WITHIN THAT, AND ISN'T THAT THE MAJORITY OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RATHER THAN THE ONE OFF HOLE IN THE WALL, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, OR NO.
OR ARE YOU JUST ASKING FOR A HANDFUL OF MONEY TO USE IT IN CERTAIN WAYS? AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY COULD BE USED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ADDRESS PROJECTS IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS, RIGHT? BECAUSE I'M STILL TRYING TO TIE IT BACK TO TOURISM.
UH, SO WE CAN ADDRESS THESE, THESE PROJECTS IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS, WHETHER WE HAVE CONTROL OF THE PROPERTY ITSELF, WHETHER IT'S AN EXISTING FACILITY OR A COMPLETELY NEW FACILITY.
UM, AND I BELIEVE ALL OF THIS WORK IMPACTS TOURISM, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE CULTURAL TRUST AND, AND THE BRAND OF THE CITY AND PEOPLE VISITING US AS A CITY FOR A PARTICULAR REASON.
UM, BUT WE CAN ADDRESS ANY OF THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UH, AGREEMENTS TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE OPERATOR OF THE SPACE.
BUT IF WE ARE CREATING A NEW SPACE WITH THE FACILITY, THEN WE WOULD WORK THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS TO IDENTIFY WHAT OF THE EXISTING OPERATORS THAT ALREADY EXIST THAT MAY BE HAVING TROUBLES LOCALLY, UH, TO BE WITHIN THAT SPACE.
OR, YOU KNOW, IF IF IT'S THAT WE'RE CREATING NEW SPACE PERIOD, THEN WHAT, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT SPACE THAT LIKELY NEEDS TO BE FIGURED OUT ON THE FRONT END BEFORE CREATING A FACILITY AND SAYING IT'LL BE CREATIVE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT NEEDS DEPENDING ON WHAT GENRE OF CREATIVE YOU'RE LOOKING TO INCORPORATE WITHIN THAT SPACE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE ARRANGEMENT, BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO SECURE SPACE THROUGH OUR AGREEMENTS AND THROUGH OUR CONTROL OF THOSE SPACES SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BE CREATIVE, UH, AND THAT THOSE CREATIVE INSTITUTIONS OR ENTITIES THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY AREN'T DISPLACED.
AND ABSOLUTELY, AND I THINK ON THORNTON ROAD AND 7 8, 7 0 4 IS THE ONLY MUSIC THAT'S LEFT.
AND, AND SOME OF OUR ARTISTS AND ARTISANS WORK OUT OF THOSE.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDIOS.
UM, IT'S JUST, I THINK I'M COMING FROM, AS A LOCAL TAXPAYER HERE, IT SEEMS LIKE KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD OR KEEP AUSTIN, OURS SEEMS TO BE A BURDEN ON THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE.
AND SO I'M A LITTLE LOST ON THAT.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN I MOVED HERE IN 2013, THERE WAS A SIGN AT THE AIRPORT THAT SAID, ENJOY AUSTIN, MAKE SURE YOU GO HOME.
SO WHEN I HEAR KEEP AUSTIN OURS, IT FEELS REALLY TRIBAL TO ME AND SAYS LIKE, WE'RE KIND OF KEEPING EYE ON.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, UH, VICE CHAIR BAILEY.
I, I HEARD YOU MENTION JUST IN YOUR LAST RESPONSE THAT YOU UTILIZE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX DOLLARS, I THINK YOU SAID, IN HELPING DO MARKETING FOR IN AROUND THE HOLE IN WALL.
DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT? NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
A IF THAT, WELL, I, WHAT I WANTED TO DIG INTO WAS SURE.
WHAT'S YOUR SOURCE OF RECEIPT ON HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES? HOW DOES IT, HOW DO HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FIND ITS WAY TO YOUR ORGANIZATION? SURE.
UM, SO IN THE PRESENTATION, UH, THAT I PROVIDED TO BTFI SHOW A SLIDE, WHICH I APOLOGIZE, IT'S NOT IN HERE.
THAT BREAKS OUT THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT MAYOR IN COUNCIL PUT IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS THAT WERE NOT SOLELY ON THE BOND.
UM, PREVIOUS MAYOR AND COUNCIL, ONCE THE BOND WAS APPROVED IN 2018, SAID, WE WANNA MAKE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS.
[00:45:01]
YEAR THE CITY HAS PUT IN AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF FUNDS, BUT THE, THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDS HAS CHANGED OVER THAT PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS.INITIALLY IT WAS GENERAL FUNDING, THEN IT WAS HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MORE OF THE, THE TOURISM COMPONENT AND THE PROMOTION OF THESE PLACES.
UH, SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING THAT SOURCE OF FUNDING INTO SOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
AGAIN, IT HAS TO MEET THE NEED OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX DOLLARS AND, AND EXPENDITURES OF THOSE DOLLARS HERE.
UH, SO FOCUSING ON, UH, TOURISM ELEMENTS OR OUTCOMES AND DELIVERABLES OF THOSE SPECIFIC BUSINESSES, WHETHER IT'S MARKETING AND PROMOTION, UH, AND COLLECTING THAT DATA BACK FROM THE BUSINESS OR, OR ACTUALLY HAVING SOME TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT TOURISM WITHIN THOSE FACILITIES.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO COLLECT THOSE OUTCOMES FROM THE BUSINESSES AND REPORTING BACK TO THE CITY, UH, WHAT IT IS THAT THEY NEED TO SEE FOR, FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF TOURISM DOLLARS.
SO I WAS BEING, TRYING TO LOOK MORE GRANULARLY.
WE, WE, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX GETS FUNDED, THE HERITAGE FUND GETS TAX, GETS A 15%.
THE, THE MUSIC MUSIC FUND IS FUNDED FROM HOTEL OCCUPANCY, AND THEN THE LION'S SHARE OF HOTEL ACTIVITY TAX GOES BACK INTO, UM, THE VISIT AUSTIN AND CONVENTION CENTER SERVICES AND ALL THAT.
SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO SEE WHAT THE DOTTED LINE WAS THAT SURE.
ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS HAD TO AGREE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE PUTTING THAT MONEY HOTEL
AND I WAS JUST TRYING FOR THE, FOR ALL OF US TO KNOW, WE'RE WE, WE ARE ALWAYS AUDITING WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE FLOWING.
ONCE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S PART OF OUR CHARGE TO SURE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THOSE FUNDS, UH, WERE REQUESTED BY THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
IT'S A PART OF THE MUSIC FUNDING FOR THE ICONIC VENUE FUNDS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
VICE CHAIR BAILEY, OR DO WE HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE DIOCESE? COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
IT HAS BEEN, UM, QUITE A JOURNEY IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, COUPLE OF DECADES WATCHING SOME OF OUR, OUR BEST INSTITUTIONS CLOSE.
UM, DO YOU REMEMBER THE BACKYARD GUYS? Y'ALL REMEMBER LAS ROSA? AND SOMETIMES SOME OF THESE PLACES THAT CLOSE, YOU THINK IT'S GONNA BE OKAY BECAUSE YOU HEAR ABOUT INVESTMENT AND IT, EVERYTHING IN THE NEWS SAYS IT'S GONNA BE BACK AND IT'S GONNA BE BETTER.
AND THEN NO, IT DIDN'T TURN OUT THAT WAY.
SO I LOVE HEARING THAT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT KEEPING SOME OF THESE, UM, VENUES THAT WE LOVE SO MUCH.
I WONDER THOUGH, JUST BECAUSE SO RECENTLY IN THE NEWS, DID ANYONE READ ABOUT HOW LIVE NATION CEO SAID THAT MUSIC IS UNDERPRICED COMPARED TO LIKE, SAY, SPORTING EVENTS? ANYONE ON TO SAY LIKE, PEOPLE WILL PAY TO, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT PRICE TO GO TO A, YOU KNOW, NFL GAME OR AN NBA GAME AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'LL PAY WHAT THEY SHOULD, LIKE, BEYONCE, $800 TO GO SEE HER BECAUSE SHE, YOU KNOW, IS PUTTING A SUPER BOWL ON EVERY NIGHT, IS WHAT HE SAID.
BUT IT MADE ME CONSIDER LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT MUSIC CAN BE QUITE EXPENSIVE, BUT I HAVE A, A SON IN COLLEGE WHO'S IN THE MUSIC SCHOOL WHO WANTS TO SEE EVERYTHING, LIKE EVERY THEATER THING.
SO I'M CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND I WONDER, SO IF YOU ARE IN LOOKING TO INVEST IN MUSIC VISIONS, IS THERE ANY SORT OF AGREEMENTS AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, IT'S STILL ATTAINABLE TO, UM, TO, TO FAMILIES IN AUSTIN OR JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T IMAGINE, AND PEOPLE WOULD LOVE TO, UM, PASS A BOND AND THEN NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO SEE MUSIC SOMEWHERE, BUT YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, THAT'S THOSE GREAT OBSERVATIONS.
UM, SO THESE ARE PUBLIC DOLLARS MM-HMM
RIGHT? AND, AND WITH THAT, YOU, YOU HAVE SOME VERY SPECIFIC PUBLIC DOLLARS, LIKE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX MM-HMM
I HAVE VERY SPECIFIC STATE REQUIREMENTS AND THEN CITY REQUIREMENTS, UM, FROM THE, THE SOURCE OF WHICH THEY'VE DERIVED.
BUT ESSENTIALLY THESE ARE PUBLIC DOLLARS, AND SO THEY DO HAVE TO CREATE ACCESSIBLE SPACES.
SOME OF THE INITIAL, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS THAT WERE FACED FROM BUSINESSES WE'RE JUST AROUND THAT.
HOW DO WE BECOME MORE OF A PUBLIC SPACE? AND YOU COULD DO IT BY, BY MAINTAINING A CERTAIN LEVEL OF PRICING, RIGHT.
OR, OR MAKING MORE DIVERSE SELECTIONS WHEN IT IS YOU'RE, YOU'RE BRINGING ON NEW ACTS OR HAVING NEW FOLKS COME INTO THE FACILITIES WHERE IT IS YOU'RE DOING YOUR MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS.
SO WE'VE HAD TO STUDY THIS A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH, UH, YOU KNOW, IN CERTAIN PROJECTS LIKE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO LOCATE WITHIN THE CITY'S PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER AREA, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROJECT.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY HAD TO STUDY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS ACCESSIBILITY FOR THIS TYPE OF SPACE FOR THE TICKET COSTS, UH, BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE PARKING WITHIN THAT FACILITY AND
[00:50:01]
HAVING TO PAY A GOOD AMOUNT FOR PARKING.RIGHT? SO HOW DO YOU FIND BALANCE, UH, AND HOW DO WE MAINTAIN THE OPERATOR, UM, WITHIN THAT SPACE? IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO STUDY AND, AND SPEND MORE TIME WORKING WITH OUR CREATIVES AS SMALL BUSINESSES, RIGHT.
AND PROVIDING THAT GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY.
AS FAR AS BUSINESSES THAT YOU SEE ARE IN DANGER, YOU SEE, YOU HAVE A LIST OF THOSE THINGS.
LIKE DO WE HAVE A LIST OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE, ARE ENDANGERED? WE DON'T.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, I, I, I THINK SHOULD WE PROCEED WITHIN THIS PROCESS WITH THE CITY EXPLORING THESE AS OPPORTUNITIES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DIG IN MORE, RIGHT? UH, SO NOT ONLY SHOW VOTERS WHAT IT IS THEY'RE GETTING, BUT REALLY START TO BUILD OUT LIKE METHODOLOGY.
I EXPLAINED EARLIER HOW OUR PROCESSES INCORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES.
UM, BUT IN THAT CASE, I'M, I'M WORKING MORE WITH A GROUP LIKE PRESERVATION AUSTIN, WHO HAS A VERY STRONG LIST OF, OF BUSINESSES HERE, UM, THAT MEET THE CRITERIA FOR LEGACY BUSINESS, RIGHT? AND STARTING TO BE ABLE TO, TO PREPARE LIKE A TARGETED LIST OF GROUPS THAT WE CAN CONNECT WITH AND SAY, HEY, IS THERE OPPORTUNITY HERE? HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH YOUR LANDLORD ABOUT THIS? CAN WE, LET'S, YOU KNOW, CAN WE JUST HAVE SOME TIME TO CONNECT WITH THEM, UH, AND START TO DO THAT PROSPECTING? UM, I, I, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY, YEAH.
AND THEN JUST ONE LAST QUESTION.
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED RED GILLS EARLIER MM-HMM
AND, UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY MANY RESTAURANTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GONE NOW AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE IES AND PLENTY OF 'EM.
I WONDER, UM, ARE RESTAURANTS A PART OF, UH, ORGANIZATIONS YOU KEEP YOUR, YOUR EYE OUT ON TOO? UH, SO RESTAURANTS, I WOULD IMAGINE WOULD BE A PART OF THE RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN THAT COMMERCIAL TRUST THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING, AND, AND THOSE THAT MEET LEGACY BUSINESS DEFINITIONS, HAVE YOU WORKED WITH THEM BEFORE? ARE THERE ANY RESTAURANTS? WE'VE NOT, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, FUNDING CURRENTLY THAT'S OPEN ENOUGH.
THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE HAS BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON THE CULTURAL TRUST AND THEN WORKING OTHER TYPES OF PROJECTS.
UM, NOW I WILL SAY IN OUR WORK ON EAST 11TH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A MIX OF RETAIL WITHIN THAT LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY DEDICATED FUNDS FOR WORKING WITH RETAIL AGENCIES RIGHT NOW.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE DAIS? HEARING NONE, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, MYSELF.
UM, FIRST OFF, IS IT POSSIBLE TO GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WITH THE FULL PACKAGE? UM, THAT CAN, THAT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL IN TERMS OF PHRASING QUESTIONS AND, UH, UNDERSTANDING, UM, THE BROADER, UH, KEEP AUSTIN R'S PACKAGE, UH, UP FOR PROPOSAL.
UM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE THAT'S BEING LOADED, UM, MR. COLLIGAN, COULD YOU SPEAK TO MORE OF THE, THE GENERAL FACTS ABOUT THE BOND? I, I, I UNDERSTAND IT'S, UH, AROUND 3.9 BILLION IS WHAT, UH, VARIOUS WORKING GROUPS ARE SETTLING ON ACROSS, UM, UH, DIFFERENT AGENCIES WITHIN THE CITY, AS WELL AS, UM, THE TERM OF THE BOND, UM, AND HOW, FOR INSTANCE, UH, WITH ACME, THE NEW NEWLY ESTABLISHED ARTS AND CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT, UM, UH, AGENCY, HOW THEIR ONGOING LIST, THE CITIES RATHER ONGOING LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS WILL BE, UH, REFLECTED IN THIS BOND PACKAGE.
AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE WILL, UH, BE OVERLAP WITH RALLY AUSTIN.
AND, UM, I IMAGINE THAT WOULD BE FORTUITOUS BECAUSE OF ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT FUNDING, UH, MECHANISMS THAT, THAT RALLY AUSTIN BRINGS TO BEAR FOR THESE IMPORTANT PROJECTS, UM, THAT SIMPLY THE CITY CANNOT DO, GIVEN ITS, UH, GOVERNMENT STATUS.
BUT, UH, NONPROFIT, UH, CITY, CITY OWNED AND MANAGED NONPROFIT, UH, CAN.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, IF YOU COULD MAYBE TAKE A STEP BACK AND EXPLAIN THAT BROADER, UH, BACKGROUND INFORMATION, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE CITY HAS COLLECTED, AND, AND IN THAT FIRST SLIDE, I, I, I SPOKE ABOUT THEIR INVENTORY OF NEEDS ACROSS THE AGENCY TO PRESENT, UM, TO MARION COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT LIST, WHICH YOU'LL CO, THERE'S A, A MEMO WITH A LISTING, UH, BEHIND IT AS AN ATTACHMENT.
I BELIEVE THAT, UH, TOTALS AROUND 4.44 MILLION, SORRY, $4 BILLION.
UH, SO THE CITY DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH A PROCESS OF REEVALUATING, SCORING, RIGHT? UH, TO BE ABLE TO NARROW DOWN THE SELECTIONS, BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.
SOME ARE VERY SPECIFIC, UH, A SPECIFIC PROJECT IN A SPECIFIC LOCATION.
[00:55:01]
THESE ARE PROGRAMS. UH, AND YOU SAW, UH, THAT FUNDING PROGRAMS THROUGH THE BOND WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS MORE ATTRACTIVE, UM, WHENEVER WE CAME FORWARD WITH OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND, RIGHT? AND IN THE LAST ELECTION.AND IT ALLOWS GROUPS LIKE A HFC OR THE, THE CITY'S HOUSING, THAT FLEXIBILITY IN FINDING THE PROJECT, INSTEAD OF IT BEING STATED, YOU HAVE TO SPEND THESE DOLLARS AT THIS LOCATION ON THIS PROJECT.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOME DIFFICULTY THERE, RIGHT? ESPECIALLY IN, UH, CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS.
SO WE PROPOSE THESE AS PROGRAMS INSTEAD OF PROJECT SPECIFIC.
YOU'LL FIND THAT FULL LIST BROKEN DOWN, ACME HAVING BEEN CREATED, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY ASSEMBLING, YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES FROM ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION AS THEY POOL TOGETHER AS A NEW TEAM.
WE'VE MET WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP, INCREDIBLY AMAZING GROUP, UH, FOLKS THAT YOU'VE GOT LEADING THAT NEW DEPARTMENT AND UNDERTAKING THE TASK.
WE UNDERSTAND THEY'VE GOT 13 DIFFERENT CITY FACILITIES THAT WILL NOW BE UNDER THEIR MANAGEMENT.
AND PHASE TWO OF THE CREATIVE RESET IS GONNA BE EVALUATING THOSE FACILITIES AND, AND THE UTILITY OF THEM FOR CREATIVE PURPOSES.
THEY'VE GOT STRONG INVESTMENT IN THE CULTURAL TRUST.
WE ARE NOT COMPETING WITH THEM, RIGHT, FOR DOLLARS, BUT THERE ARE REQUESTS, UH, FOR PROJECTS ON THAT LIST OF, OF CITY FACILITIES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THROUGH THE BOND.
UM, SO WE WILL BE, AND WE, WE HOPE TO SPEAK WITH THEM MORE, UH, ABOUT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THEIR FACILITY NEEDS OVER A LONG TERM PERIOD OF TIME AS WELL.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
MR. COLLIGAN, IF YOU COULD ALSO SPEAK TO, UM, I SEE THERE'S, YOU ESSENTIALLY GOT THESE THREE BUCKETS THAT, UH, OUTLINE WHAT THE, UM, KEY AUSTIN RS PACKAGE IS REALLY FOCUSING ON, UH, COMPLETING, UH, FOR TAXPAYERS, UH, WITHIN ITS TIMEFRAME.
AND I, I RESPECT AND APPRECIATE, UM, THE SPECIFICITY YET SORT OF VAGUENESS OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, JUST, UH, HIGHLIGHTING YOUR COMMENT ABOUT JUST HOW DIFFICULT MARKET CONDITIONS CAN BE, AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, CHANGING, UH, PRIORITIES WITHIN THE CITY, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND A, A PARCEL OF LAND COMES UP AND THE CITY IS ABLE TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE, PARTICULARLY WITH, UM, UH, RALLY AUSTIN, UH, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE REAL ESTATE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, WHERE I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE IS, UM, IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPACE.
UM, WOULD THE, UH, INVESTMENTS MADE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WOULD THAT, UH, ASSIST ARTISTS, UH, IN, UM, IN SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENTS FOR ARTISTS, UM, TO LIVE IN THOSE UNITS AND ALSO TO HAVE, UM, CO-WORK, CO-LIVING SPACES? YES.
SO, UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THESE MODELS DIFFER BASED ON, UH, THE, THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
IF YOU'RE REDEVELOPING A SPACE, CERTAINLY THERE'S CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, UH, VERSUS CREATING A NEW SPACE WITH A DEVELOPER.
UM, THE, THE PROGRAMMING FOR THOSE SPACES CAN BE DIFFERENT, UH, WHEN LOOKING AT HOW IT IS THE CREATIVE OR THE ARTISTS WOULD LIVE WITHIN THAT SPACE, HAVING THE ABILITY TO WORK WITHIN THAT TYPE OF UNIT.
I SHOWED YOU SOME EXAMPLES OF THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LOFTS, BUT AGAIN, NOT ALL CREATIVES CAN LIVE AND WORK IN THE SAME SPACE, RIGHT? OR IT'S PROBABLY INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING.
UM, OR IT MAY NOT SUPPORT THE CREATIVE PROCESS FOR THEM.
THERE ARE TYPICALLY SHARED, UH, RESOURCES OR AMENITIES THAT MIGHT NOT BE SPECIFIC TO THE INDIVIDUAL'S LIVING, BUT ADJACENT TO THEIR LIVING SPACE.
UH, SO YOU SEE THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS IN A LOT OF HISTORICAL LOCATIONS, UM, WHERE THEY CAN MAYBE PULL OFF SOME OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AND HAVE SHARED SPACES OR FLOORS FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF USES.
UM, OLD, UH, SCHOOL FACILITIES MAYBE THAT HAD GYMS, RIGHT, THAT OFFER PERFORMANCE SPACE.
SO IT, IT, IT DEPENDS ON HOW IT IS THE, THE SPACE OR WHAT TYPE OF SPACE YOU'RE LOOKING TO UTILIZE FOR THOSE TYPES OF WORK.
AND I, I BRING THAT UP MAINLY BECAUSE, UH, IT, IT, HOUSING IN PARKS ARE VERY POPULAR AND I THINK FOR AS MANY WAYS THAT, UH, THAT RALLY AUSTIN CAN PARTNER WITH, UM, AS IT ALREADY HAS WITH SEVERAL NONPROFITS IN THESE DOMAINS, I THINK IS ADVANTAGEOUS, PARTICULARLY AS, AS FOLKS ARE REALLY STRESSING THAT HOUSING AND PARKS ARE THEIR PRIORITIES IN THIS BOND.
BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO EMPHASIZE AS WELL THAT, UM, THE EXPANSION OF THE AUSTIN CULTURAL TRUST AND THIS INTRODUCTION OF THE LEGACY BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL TRUST IS, IS REALLY CRITICAL TO, UH, KEEPING AUSTIN, UH, A DIVERSE ECOSYSTEM THAT THAT BENEFITS TOURISM AND ULTIMATELY
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THE HOT TAX.'CAUSE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THESE REALLY COOL VENUES, PEOPLE TO COME TO, UH, THERE'S REALLY NO HOT TAX TO BE HAD HERE.
UM, SO I, I THINK, UM, TRYING TO ALIGN THE INVESTMENTS, UM, THAT ARE PROPOSED IN THIS BOND, UM, ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK VERY, VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH, WITH THE DIRECTION THAT AUSTIN IS ALREADY GOING.
HOWEVER, I, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SPEAK TO, UM, PARTICULARLY THE CAPACITY ISSUES OF, UM, RALLY AUSTIN AND WHAT THIS BOND WILL ALLOW YOU TO OVERCOME IN TERMS OF ALLOWING YOU TO MEET THESE, UM, THESE GOALS THAT YOU'VE LAID OUT IN THE PACKAGE.
UM, FIRST THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
WE'RE, I'VE, I'VE REQUESTED YOUR FEEDBACK AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS WE CONTINUE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY.
UH, LET ME START BY SAYING, THIS DOESN'T ALL HAVE TO BE NEW DOLLARS.
THERE'S EXISTING CAPACITY HERE AT, AT THE CITY, UH, AND THERE MAY BE CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE IN THE PAST THAT WE CAN AGREE UPON HOW IT IS, WE CAN TRANSFER OR USE CAPACITY IN SOME OF THESE DIFFERENT WAYS TO ACHIEVE SIMILAR OUTCOMES IF IT IS THAT THE VOTERS APPROVE DOLLARS IN THAT, IN THAT WAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN, IN DEBT.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT CAPACITY.
IS THIS A GENRE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WE WANT TO TRANSFER SOME OF THAT CAPACITY INTO, OR TO FOCUS ON, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY NOW.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BRING DOWN OUR FIGURES BECAUSE WE'VE GOT EXISTING CAPACITY.
IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO GET TO WORK NOW, RIGHT.
WHICH WE NEED THE HOUSING NOW, UM, WHICH WOULD BE GREAT, INSTEAD OF SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW.
SO, SO WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATIONS AND PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT AS THIS ALL HAS TO BE NEW, NEW, NEW FUNDING.
UM, THE, THE OUTCOMES COLLECTIVELY IS, IS THAT WHAT I'M, I'M KIND OF UNDERSTANDING FROM YOUR QUESTION.
UM, SO THE, IN TERMS OF HOW THE ORGANIZATION CAN MOBILIZE AROUND THIS, AGAIN, WE, WE ARE ABLE TO FLEXIBLY STAFF UP AND BRING ON PROFESSIONALS OR EXPERTISE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE AGENCY AS A MULTI GOVER OR, OR MULTI-PURPOSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
WE HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY, UH, AND IT, IT'S, IT'S PART OF WHAT MAKES US MORE UNIQUE IN SERVING THE CITY BECAUSE WE CAN MOBILIZE MORE QUICKLY.
SO THE, THE, THE ORGANIZATION IN TERMS OF GROWING CAN DO SO TO ADDRESS ITS PROGRAM OF WORK.
THAT SAID, HAVING THE ABILITY TO ACQUIRE ASSETS AND HAVE THEM UNDER OUR OWNERSHIP, HAVING, UM, REVENUES THAT ARE CONTINUING TO COME INTO THE AGENCY FROM PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE AS OUTCOMES, THEN ALLOWS US TO TRULY TAP INTO OUR POTENTIAL, WHICH IS, UH, ISSUING OUR OWN DEBT AS AN AGENCY.
AND THAT'S WHERE THINGS GET REALLY IMPACTFUL IN OUR RELATIONSHIP.
AND I TRIED TO DRAW THAT COMPARISON BY SHOWING YOU PHILADELPHIA.
UH, SO THEN WE CAN BE MORE RESPONSIVE IN A VERY QUICK AMOUNT OF TIME.
YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP SOME OF THE LEGACY BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CURRENTLY GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THOSE, THE NEWS J CHARLIE'S AND OTHERS.
WE START GETTING PHONE CALLS IMMEDIATELY, HEY, CAN RALLY AUSTIN DO THIS? I'M SORRY.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT POTENTIAL AT THIS TIME.
SO BY BEING, BY, BY, BY SEEDING INVESTMENT IN THESE SPACES, IT ALLOWS MORE FLEXIBILITY IN AN AGENCY TO SUPPORT MORE QUICK AND RESPONSIVE OUTCOMES IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU, UM, FOR THAT ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THIS IS A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FOR 20 OR 30 YEARS.
UH, I BELIEVE WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT A FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.
I, WE HAVEN'T HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY FOR HOW IT IS THEY WOULD FRAME IT.
WE HAVEN'T DUG DEEPER INTO ANY DRAW DOWN OR, OR TYPE OF BOND OR ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS TIME.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS BACKGROUND.
'CAUSE I, I WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, RALLY AUSTIN IS JUST GIVEN ITS, ITS IDENTITY AS THIS, UM, UH, LOCAL, UH, WHAT IS THE TERM THAT YOU USE? I'M SORRY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION, EXCUSE ME.
UH, IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH ABLE TO ADDRESS, UM, ISSUES ACROSS, UM, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD FURTHER PUSH YOU TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT LIBRARIES AS WELL ARE GOING UP FOR, UH, BOND FUNDS AS WELL.
AND IN ANY WAY THAT, UH, RALLY AUSTIN COULD PARTNER WITH THEM IN CREATING, UM, ARTS AND CULTURAL SPACES WITHIN THEIR, THEIR LIBRARY BRANCH UPGRADES, I THINK THAT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO JUST LOOKING AT THE ORIGINAL,
[01:05:01]
UH, MEMO TO THE, UH, RATHER RESOLUTION TO THE, UM, CITY MANAGER.THERE'S, THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER, UM, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT IS THE TOURISM COMMISSION HERE THAT I, I KNOW THAT, UM, THE CITY MANAGER WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT IN PARTNERSHIP, UM, FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE IT IF, UM, YOU'RE SEEING ALL OF THOSE COMMISSIONS BECAUSE I THINK THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IS, UM, POTENTIALLY ABLE TO CREATE, UH, MUTUAL WINS ACROSS THESE DIFFERENT INTEREST AREAS AND MAKE OUR MONEY GO THAT MUCH FURTHER.
SO, UM, AND UH, LASTLY, I JUST, I WANTED TO POINT OUT ONE THAT, THAT RESOLUTION I'M REFERRING TO IS, UH, 2 24 0 8 2 9 DASH 1 3 8.
UM, FOR THOSE, THOSE LISTENING INTENTLY, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY, I, I, I WANNA STRESS THAT, UM, TAX CREDITS ARE REALLY UNDERUTILIZED HERE IN AUSTIN, AND WE'RE IN MANY CASES, 20 TO 30 YEARS TOO LATE IN TERMS OF THE BASIS OF THESE BUILDINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PROPERTY, UH, VALUE INCREASING SO MUCH THAT TAX CREDITS, UH, BEING USED TO LEVERAGE THEIR REDEVELOPMENT IS BECOME INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING FROM A FINANCIAL SITUATION, UH, FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, RATHER.
UM, SO I, I REALLY WANT TO APPLAUD RALLY AUSTIN, UH, IN LOOKING AT THESE DIFFERENT FINANCIAL TOOLS SUCH AS NEW MARKETS, TAX CREDITS, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT, AS WELL AS, UM, HISTORIC TAX CREDITS.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE REALLY GONNA HELP ADDITIONALLY LEVERAGE THESE PROJECTS THAT, UH, MANY AUSTINS, UH, MANY AUSTINS WANT.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION OR COMMENT FROM COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
IN TERMS OF WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS AND, AND WORKFORCE HOUSING, ARE YOU WORKING WITH ANY, LIKE, BIG EMPLOYERS LIKE SETON, RIGHT? THE PARENT COMPANY OF SETON IS ASCENSION.
UM, MY, I GUESS I'M THINKING LIKE, IS THERE ANY WAY TO LIKE EXPAND YOUR SCOPE BEYOND, IT FEELS MORE LIKE CRITICAL NEEDS AND COMMUNITY AND ARTISTS.
AND I THINK WE ALSO NEED THIS LIVING WAGES, I THINK, RIGHT? MUSICIANS NEED TO BE PAID LIVING WAGES.
PART OF OUR PROBLEM IS THEY GET PAID $5 AN HOUR OR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM, THAT'S NOT PAYMENT.
SO SOME OF THESE, THEY'D LIKE TO BE FLIPPED A LITTLE BIT AND JUST LOOK AT THROUGH, THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A, A WORKFORCE HOUSING SOLUTION THAT COULD COME TO MARKET QUICKLY, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BIG WIN FOR EVERYONE.
AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO JUST STAY IN THE NONPROFIT SPACE.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THAT POINT.
I DID NOT BRING UP THE POINT EARLIER.
WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO FUNDRAISE.
IF YOU SEE THE, THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION THAT I MADE FOR, FOR B TIFF FOR THE 2018 FOCUS, YOU'LL SEE A BREAKOUT OF THOSE FUNDS AND AN ADDITIONAL $1 MILLION THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING IN TO COMPLETELY SUPPLANT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND MORE FOR BEING ABLE TO KEEP THE CULTURAL TRUST RUNNING.
THAT'S THROUGH THE INVESTMENT OF FUNDS WHILE WE CONTINUE TO LOOK TO TRANSACTIONS.
IT'S REVENUES THAT ARE COMING IN, IT'S FUNDRAISING DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING IN TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM.
AND, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THAT, THOSE SPACES WITHIN AUSTIN THAT WE CAN COMPETE FOR FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES, UNDERSTANDING IT'S A VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET.
OUR FOCUS IS REALLY BRINGING IN OR ENGAGING MORE OF THOSE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OR PHILANTHROPIC, UM, ENTITIES LIKE BLOOMBERG AND OTHERS, WHICH ARE RELATIVELY UNTAPPED FOR MARKETS LIKE AUSTIN.
SO WE DO HAVE TO SHOW A LOCAL BASE OF PHILANTHROPIC CONTRIBUTION BEFORE WE CAN GET TO A LOT OF THOSE LARGER FUNDS.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WORKING IN DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO IS AN EXPERT WITHIN THIS SPACE.
AND, AND, UH, WE ARE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON HOW IT IS WE BRIDGE THAT CONNECTION AND, AND REALLY LEVERAGE PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
BUT WHERE'S THE INVESTMENT FROM LIVE NATION? WHERE'S THE INVESTMENT FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS? LIKE, THESE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT YOU'RE DISMISSING FROM MY OPINION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
UM, IF I MIGHT DOVETAIL OFF OF, UH, THAT LAST COMMENT.
I THINK IT'S, UM, REALLY CRITICAL AND INCUMBENT UPON COUNCIL AND REALLY THE BULLY PULPIT OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO, TO REALLY, I THINK, CHANNEL, UH, PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY TOWARDS THESE BROADER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AIMS. UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS AN UNTAPPED OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY.
AND, UM, CERTAINLY WITH ALL OF THE FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES, UH, ALREADY HERE AND MOVING TO AUSTIN, THERE ARE SEVERAL RESOURCES THAT CAN BENEFIT, UH, NOT ONLY THE TOURISM ECONOMY, BUT THE BROADER ECONOMY AS A WHOLE.
UM, COULD YOU, UH, PUT THE LIST BACK ON THE SCREEN SO I CAN SEE IT? I JUST WANNA CALL ATTENTION TO THE, WHICH
[01:10:01]
LIST? THE ONE THAT WE JUST HAD THAT IT WAS, I JUST CAN'T SEE IT HERE.UM, I, I WANT TO STRESS HERE THAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO THINKING ABOUT TOURISM, NOT AS AN END, BUT AS A MEANS TO BROADER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, SO THIS LAST COLUMN THAT'S PROVIDED IN THE PACKAGE, IT REALLY HITS HOME, UM, THE LEVERAGING IT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH, UH, RALLY AUSTIN'S TECHNICAL SKILL SETS AND, AND, UH, TOOLS AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.
UM, AND ALSO CAN HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, BUILD HOUSING FOR ARTISTS, BUILD HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, WORKING WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THESE DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE TOURISM ECONOMY.
UM, ADDITIONALLY KEEPING THESE BUSINESSES AND CULTURAL SPACES HERE IN AUSTIN TO CONTINUE, UM, AND EXPAND, UH, UH, RESOURCES, UH, NOT JUST FOR ARTISTS, BUT IN ORGANIZATIONS RELATED TO TOURISM, BUT ALSO, UM, THE BROADER HOT TAX, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON AS THE TOURISM COMMISSION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, MR. COLLIGAN HAS BROUGHT A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION, UM, TO THE TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, I THINK THE POTENTIAL FOR LEVERAGING INVESTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND, UH, RALLY AUSTIN'S ABILITY TO DO THIS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE, UM, THAT WE DISCUSS, UH, PUTTING FORTH, UH, AS OTHER COMMISSIONS HAVE, INCLUDING THE MUSIC AND ARTS COMMISSION, UH, A SUPPORTIVE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, UH, FOR THESE INVESTMENTS THAT WILL STAND TO BENEFIT THE HIGH TAX AS WELL AS, UH, THE BROADER TOURISM ECONOMY HERE IN AUSTIN.
DOES ANYONE SUPPORT THAT PROPOSAL? I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA AS AN ACTION ITEM.
SO WE CAN'T, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE VOTING ON ANYTHING HERE.
BUT AS FAR AS THIS TOPIC, I'M, I THINK IT'S BEEN ILLUMINATING FOR SURE.
UM, IT'S NOT AN OFFICIAL MOTION, BUT I, I AM BRINGING IT TO THE TABLE TO DISCUSS IT, SO WE'RE ABLE TO THEN, UH, TAKE FORMAL ACTION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THIS IS NOT A, UH, PROPOSAL THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE PASSING TODAY IN ANY WAY.
UH, I, I MERELY PUT IT ON THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION.
VICE CHAIR BAILEY AND, UH, MS. MS.
SO HEARING THAT FOLKS ARE, ARE MAYBE A LITTLE
COMMISSIONER CHANIN, HOW ARE YOU? GO AHEAD.
I, IT SEEMS TO BE A, A LOT IN THIS PACKAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED OUT, UM, AND MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I, I WOULD HAVE SOME HESITANCY, UM, MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATION WITH RESPECT TO IT UNTIL THERE ARE MORE DETAILS ABOUT IT.
UM, JUST SEEMS TO ME LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCEPTS, BUT, UH, THERE'S A LONG WAYS TO GO BEFORE WE KNOW WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN.
UH, COMMISSIONER CHAN, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS REGARDING THIS MATTER? ONE, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
SO, I THINK IT'S HARD TO LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, RALLY AUSTIN, AND THEN NOW THAT WE'VE THROWN OUT A $6 BILLION BOND TO SEPARATE THE TWO FROM EACH OTHER.
AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING IS EVERYONE IS GOING TO COUNCIL AND SAYING, THIS IS ALL THAT WE NEED BASED OFF OF WHATEVER THE NEEDS ARE.
AND EVERYONE'S GOING TO OVER ASK FOR WHAT THEY NEED, KNOWING THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET ENOUGH.
AND SO, FOR ME TO FULLY ENDORSE THIS BASED OFF THE LIMITED INFORMATION, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY FOR THIS BODY TO DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A REASON THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO COUNSEL.
UM, SO, UH, I THINK MORE BROADLY, THIS IS AN ONGOING CONVERSATION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I THINK AS, UH, RALLY AUSTIN HAS DONE, HAS GONE TO OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE EN ENDORSED ELEMENTS OF THIS PACKAGE.
UM, SO I'M, I'M WILLING TO FORMALIZE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, A BROADER, UM, OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE COULD POSSIBLY SUPPORT AS A COMMISSION.
'CAUSE I DO THINK THAT, UM, GIVEN THE ONE, THE PACKAGES, UH, ULTIMATE PROPOSAL, UH, COMING TO A HEAD IN EARLY 2026, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AT THE VERY LEAST THIS COMMISSION HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM, WHAT INVESTMENTS COULD BENEFIT TOURISM, UH, AS WELL AS WHAT STRATEGIES OF INVESTMENT
[01:15:01]
AND LEVERAGING OUR CURRENT RESOURCES AND ONGOING BONDING CAPACITY AT THE CITY, UH, WILL DO IN TERMS OF, UH, ITS ECONOMIC IMPACT.THERE ARE FEW, UH, INVESTMENTS THAT I THINK ARE AS EFFECTIVE AND FRANKLY TRACKED, UM, THAN, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE, TOURISM, MUSIC, ET CETERA.
UM, THAT IS THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMISSION.
SO THAT IS, THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M, UH, PROPOSING, IS THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY,
DID I SEE A QUESTION? UH, COMMISSIONER PIAN.
I THINK IF, IF, UM, WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAPPEN WITH THE DISCUSSION ABOUT RALLY AUSTIN, I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY BE BENEFICIAL FOR A RALLY AUSTIN AND OUR COMMISSIONS IF, UH, SOMEONE FROM THIS, UH, COMMISSIONS HAD A VOICE ON YOUR BOARD AND MAYBE AN INSIDE INFORMATION SO THAT WE'RE NOT WAITING UNTIL YOU COME AND PRESENT TO THIS BOARD THAT WE HAVE ALL, OR TO THIS COMMISSION, SO THAT WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE WOULD'VE ALREADY KIND OF KNOWN ABOUT THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, VALIDATED SOME DATA AND BEEN MORE COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
I THINK MAYBE WE COULD HAVE HAD MORE OF A DISCUSSION WHEN, UH, CHAIR RONAN BROUGHT THIS UP.
SO MY, JUST SOMETHING FOR, UM, Y'ALL TO THINK ABOUT IS MAYBE LOOPING IN THIS COMMISSIONS, IF WE'RE SAYING THAT RALLY AUSTIN'S GONNA HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON TOURISM AND ECONOMIC IMPACT AND SUCH.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER POSI.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE CERTAINLY CAN WORK TO DEVELOP A MORE STANDARD OR RATHER STANDING, UH, RELATIONSHIP WITH RALLY AUSTIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS YOU KNOW, AND AS YOU'VE SEEN IN THEIR PRESENTATION, THEY, THEY ALREADY HAVE LOTS OF, UM, REPUTABLE, UH, REPRESENTATION ON THEIR BOARD, UH, REPRESENTING A GOOD SWATH OF A CITY OF BOSTON.
AND ITS, UH, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, UH, AND PRIVATE PARTNERS.
SO, UH, WE, I THINK AS ALWAYS, WOULD LIKE TO BE A SOUNDING BOARD AND A SUPPORTER OF THE GREAT WORK THAT RALLY AUSTIN IS DOING.
AND MAYBE CONSIDERED SOMETHING, UM, MORE, MORE FORMAL, UM, IN THE FUTURE, COULD BE IN THE CARDS.
UH, BUT, UH, WHAT I THINK I'LL DO IS, UM, ESSENTIALLY PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING MORE FORMAL THAT WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT I'VE HEARD HERE TODAY FROM COMMISSIONERS TO, TO SEE IF THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT, UM, COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR POTENTIAL ACTION AT OUR FUTURE MEETING IN NOVEMBER.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO FOLKS? PERFECT.
UH, MR. COLLIGAN, DID YOU HAVE ANY, UM, CLOSING STATEMENTS OR ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU WISH TO SHARE? UM, YEAH, I THINK JUST IN, IN WHAT I'VE WITNESSED OVER THE PAST FEW MINUTES, I, I WILL SAY, UM, I, WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND COMMISSIONS WHO SEE THIS WORK AND, AND SUPPORTING, UH, FIRST JUST YOU AS A COMMISSIONER AND YOUR CONNECTION BACK TO COUNCIL AND ARTICULATING IF YOU SEE VALUE IN, IN THIS TYPE OF PACKAGE, UH, IS WONDERFUL AND HELPFUL.
YOUR FEEDBACK IS WONDERFUL AND HELPFUL AS WE CONNECT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK THAT OTHER COMMISSIONS SEE A RESOLUTION AS A WAY OF FLAGGING TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
HEY, THERE'S VALUE IN LOOKING AND CONSIDERING THIS AS A PROPOSAL FOR THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF CAPACITY YOU HAVE FOR THE 2026 BOND.
IS IT PERFECT? IS IT READY TO GO? ARE WE READY TO VOTE TOMORROW? NO, BUT, BUT THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER PROPOSALS, RIGHT, THAT ARE GONNA CONTINUE ON THIS PATH OF CONSIDERATION.
UH, AND IT IT ALSO HELPS US JUST TO MAYBE GAIN SOME RECOGNITION FROM THE BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE SO THAT THEY CAN CONSIDER THIS PROPOSAL AS WELL.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM OTHER COMMISSIONS, IT'S JUST TO, TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THAT AWARENESS FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN THESE SPACES IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS OTHER PIECES OF CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, IT'S HOW THAT INITIAL SERIES OF FUNDING WAS CREATED, UH, BY A CALL FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO AS STEWARDS OF THAT, WE'RE DOING OUR PART BY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CONNECTING WITH YOU ALL, UH, BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES, UH, AS THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO SEE HOW IT IS COUNCIL CAN BE SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THEIR EFFORTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT.
AND, AND JUST TO CAP OFF THAT POINT, THIS, UH, THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION NOW, RALLY AUSTIN WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED IN 2014, AND IT TOOK COUNCIL IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN SIX MORE YEARS TO FINALIZE IT AND RECOGNIZE IT AS AN AGENCY.
[01:20:01]
MR. COLLIGAN IS ALSO REFERRING TO IS THAT RESOLUTIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY THE FEW TEETH THAT COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS HAVE TO ACTUALLY SAY WHAT THEY VALUE AND, UM, SAY WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR, UM, WHATEVER THE TOPIC IS AT HAND.AND FOR OURS, IT'S, IT'S TOURISM AND, UM, AND THE HOT TAX.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK AT, UH, GROWING EVER FASTER HERE IN AUSTIN, I THINK WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, TOURISM IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT, UM, CITY COUNCIL'S THINKING ABOUT, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, INVESTING IN, AS IT LOOK TOWARDS, LOOKS, TOWARDS ITS FUTURE BOND CAPACITY.
SO, UM, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN, MR. COLLIGAN.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
[4. Presentation by Lisa and Freddie Fletcher, and in Austin and the importance and impact of legacy businesses and cultural institutions on Austin tourism. ]
I'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, UH, WHICH WILL INCLUDE, UM, A PRESENTATION BY MR. FLETCHER, FREDDY FLETCHER FROM, UM, UH, EXCUSE ME, I AM READING THE WRONG THING.MR. FLETCHER, IF YOU COULD COME TO THE MIC.
UH, FEEL FREE TO, UH, YOU CAN SIT.
UH, THE INVITE, UH, MY NAME'S FREDDY FLETCHER.
I'M A, UH, LIFELONG AUSTINITE.
MY FAMILY IS, UH, ALL FROM AUSTIN, WILLIE NELSON'S MY UNCLES.
WE'VE CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO THE MUSIC COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN, I FEEL LIKE, AND A LOT TO, UH, DEVELOPING, UH, THE MUSIC COMMUNITY HERE AND, AND HELPING, UH, TO PUT AUSTIN ON THE MAP MUSICALLY.
NOW, WITH THAT SAID, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES.
I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF MY HISTORY.
UM, I BUILT ARLAND STUDIOS IN 1984.
I'VE BEEN THERE 41 YEARS, SO THAT'S QUITE A LONG TIME.
UH, AT THAT TIME, WILLIE NELSON, UH, OWNED THE AUSTIN OPRY HOUSE, WHICH HE ASKED ME TO BUILD THE STUDIO THERE, WHICH I DID.
UH, IT'S A WORLD RENOWNED FACILITY.
IT'S, UH, AT THE ARTIST, RAY CHARLES, STEVIE RAY VAUGHN, UH, PAUL SIMON, SUBLIME, WILLIE NELSON, MERLE HAGGARD, DRAKE, SNOOP DOGG, GARY CLARK, JR.
SO, UH, LIST GOES ON EVEN, UH, PRESIDENT OBAMA.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S QUITE AN INSTITUTION HERE IN AUSTIN, AND, UH, WE'RE PROUD OF IT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DO, UH, TV AND FILM STUFF.
WE'RE WORKING WITH MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY AND WITH WOODY HARRELSON ON SOME THINGS NOW IN THEIR PODCAST AND BOOK AND, UH, BRENE BROWN.
SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE DO.
UM, WE ALSO DO SOME VERY SPECIAL EVENTS TO HELP SUPPLEMENT INCOME.
NOW, WITH THAT SAID, WE ALL KNOW THAT THE ECONOMICS OF STAYING IN BUSINESS AND THE ENTERTAINMENT AND THE CLUB BUSINESS, AND EVEN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS, AS YOU MENTIONED, IS VERY CHALLENGING, BECAUSE MOST OF US THAT ARE MOM AND POP SHOPS, UH, IT'S A STRUGGLE.
WE DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY GIVING US MONEY.
I MEAN, IT IS WHAT YOU BRING THROUGH THE DOOR, YOU LIVE OR DIE.
AND, AND A LOT OF US ARE IN THAT SAME POSITION, FOR EXAMPLE, NEXT MONTH, I MEAN, NEXT YEAR I'VE GOT ABOUT 11 MONTHS.
NOW I'VE BEEN THERE FOR 41 YEARS, AND, AND THE LANDLORD IS, UH, I'VE HAD A VERY FAVORABLE LEASE.
BUT I'M LOOKING AT HOW ARE YOU GONNA, HOW ARE YOU GONNA MAKE UP THAT KIND OF MONEY? AND I MEAN, WE'RE TRYING TO BE EXTREMELY CREATIVE, BUT THAT'S A BIG JUMP, AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND I SYMPATHIZE WITH A LOT OF MY FRIENDS THAT, UH, STEVE HEIMER AT THE CONTINENTAL CLUB, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CLUBS THAT HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS THAT AUSTIN, THE MUSIC
[01:25:01]
IS THE SOUL OF AUSTIN.IT'S A LOT OF REASON THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND A LOT OF THESE BIG BUSINESSES MOVED HERE, IS BECAUSE OF WHAT AUSTIN WAS.
AND MY OPINION, IF WE LOSE THAT, WE'VE LOST THE SOUL OF AUSTIN AND OUR IDENTITY.
AND, AND THAT'S A MAJOR CONCERN THAT THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS A LONG TIME, I GREW UP IN IT.
SO I WATCHED IT, AND, AND I'M, UH, NOT SOMEBODY THAT JUST STARTED AT THIS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I COULD CLOSE MY DOORS AND GO, OKAY, I HAD A GREAT RUN, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT TO DO.
I WANNA, MY DAUGHTER GREW UP DOING HER HOMEWORK IN THERE.
SHE ALSO DOES A FESTIVAL CALLED LUCK REUNION OUT ON WILLIE NELSON'S RATCHETS.
AND I WANT TO CONTINUE THOSE THINGS FOR THIS CITY.
AND IT BRING, BUT IT MORE THAN MONEY IS THE IDENTITY OF THIS CITY THAT I, THAT I, I WORRY ABOUT US LOSING.
I I DO BUSINESS ALL OVER THE WORLD, TALK TO CITY'S ENTERTAINMENT, AND THEY'RE GOING, MAN, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO AUSTIN? YOU KNOW, Y'ALL SAID YOU'RE THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
WELL, I GO DOWN THERE AND IT'S NOTHING BUT TECH.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE THE VENUES.
WHAT'S COOL TO GO TO THESE DAYS? AND I, I STRUGGLE WITH IT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
UH, AND I'M NOT HERE TO SAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN, THAN TO ME AND MY BUSINESS.
AND, AND IT'S SOMETHING I KNOW WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT.
AND IT'S THE SAME ISSUE WITH POLICEMEN, FIREMEN, UH, UH, ANYBODY IN THE SERVICE BUSINESS CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE IN AUSTIN, MUCH LESS RUN A BUSINESS HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M FACING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, SHUTTING MY DOORS BECAUSE THERE'S, I'M GOING, THERE'S NO WAY TO, TO DO THIS ANYMORE.
AND SO I, THAT I'M NOT HERE ASKING FOR ANYTHING IO OTHER THAN STATING WHAT I SEE AS A REAL ISSUE IN, IN OUR TOWN.
BUT, UH, THAT WAS REALLY THE MESSAGE THAT TO ME, THAT I WANTED TO CONVEY TO YOU GUYS, OR, UH, THAT, THAT TO ME, IT'S A PROBLEM AND IT'S AN ISSUE.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN ALL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO SOLVE IT.
UH, WITH THAT, ARE THERE, UH, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR OUR SPEAKER THIS AFTERNOON? NO COMMENT, EXCEPT THAT COMMISSIONER, NO QUESTIONS.
EXCEPT THANK YOU FOR, FOR WAITING TO, TO ADDRESS, UM, US.
AND, UM, I MEAN, IT'S JUST OBVIOUS THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW LONG SOME OF THESE INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN AROUND, YOU KNOW, NO ONE IS SAFE WITH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT, AT YOUR, YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU.
'CAUSE I APOLOGIZE, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOUR STUDIO UNTIL TODAY.
AND I'M THINKING, MY GOSH, THIS WAS, SHOULD BE ONE OF THE ONES THAT'S NOT STRUGGLING.
AT, AT THIS, AND YOU HAVE EVERY CONNECTION IN THE WORLD.
SO, UM, A, A PROBLEM INDEED FOR US TO, TO REALLY DEEPLY CONSIDER.
NO, MR. FLETCHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
I THINK MY COUSIN INTERNED AT YOUR STUDIO, AND I REMEMBER YOU TELLING ME THAT HE WAS SURPRISED THAT, UH, SNOOP DOGG CAME IN AND RECORDED.
SO WHEN YOU SAID THAT IT WOULD JOGGED MY MEMORY, UM, I WANT TO TAKE WHAT YOU SAID AND CAPTURE IT AND PLAY IT ON A LOUDSPEAKER ALL DAY LONG, BECAUSE I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH YOU.
AND YOU'VE HIT ON KIND OF THE UNDERCURRENT OF THE PROBLEM.
OUR, OUR NECESSITIES, OUR NEEDS, WHERE WE'RE THINKING.
AND NOW IT SEEMS TO BE THAT IT'S NOT THE GOVERNMENT'S JOB TO BANDAID THIS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HEADS IN BEDS THAT, UM, HOLE IN THE WALL BRINGS.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF MY STRUGGLES ON THIS.
AND SO FOR YOUR LANDLORDS TO BE RAISING THOSE RATES, IT, YOU KNOW, IS ONE, IS ENOUGH ENOUGH.
THE CONTINENTAL CLUB ON SOUTH CONGRESS DRAWS IN A LOT OF TOURISM, AND IT'S THERE FOR A REASON, RIGHT? I THINK WE CAN MAKE THESE STORIES AROUND WHY THINGS NEED TO SAY.
UM, BUT BALANCING THE BUSINESS WITH THE PEOPLE AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN, TEXAS IS GRAVELY MEETING.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
AND FEEL FREE IF, IF MR. FLETCH, YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AFTER OUR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SPEAK, PLEASE, PLEASE ADD THEM.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR OUR SPEAKER?
[01:30:01]
COMMISSIONER PRUITT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.UM, I'M CURIOUS, LEADING UP TO THIS POINT, 'CAUSE YOU, YOU'VE SEEN THIS CRITICAL POINT COMING, I'M SURE, UM, UP UNTIL THIS POINT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, BENEFICIAL TO YOU THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY? THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL? UM, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE, UM, ALLOWED YOU TO CONTINUE YOUR BUSINESS THAT WE COULD EITHER ADD ON OR GROW UPON, OR CONTINUE TO SAY LIKE, YES, THIS WORKS.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE AFFORDABILITY AND HOUSING, UM, FOR ARTISTS AND WAGES.
I WORKED IN EVENTS FOR, UM, 15 YEARS AND I DON'T ANYMORE BECAUSE I COULDN'T, I COULDN'T ANYMORE.
AND I SEE A LOT OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED, ESPECIALLY AFTER, UM, THE PANDEMIC AND AFTER COVID LOSING LOTS OF CREW MEMBERS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT, THAT GAP AND KNOWLEDGE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO, UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU HAVE SEEN BE SUCCESSFUL FOR YOU THAT MAYBE WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS OR PUSH FORWARD OR, OR MOVE ON? WHAT WE'VE HAD TO DO IN, IN THE PAST? UH, I, WE'VE NEVER ASKED THE CITY, OR, I MEAN, WE'RE, WE EITHER MAKE IT OR WE DON'T MAKE IT.
WE DON'T, WE'VE NEVER ASKED THE CITY FOR ANY MONEY OR ANYTHING, WHAT WE'VE HAD TO DO, UH, WHICH I DID KICKING AND SCREAMING.
BUT, UH, WE'VE ALLOWED SPECIAL EVENTS IN THERE, WHICH PAY US A MUCH BIGGER RATE THAN WE WOULD NORMALLY CHARGE FOR A DAY OF THE STUDIO, WHICH HAS HELPED TO KEEP US ALIVE.
UH, BUT WHEN WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PAYING FOUR TIMES THE RENT THAT, THAT I'M PAYING NOW, THEN, THEN ARE YOU GONNA BE IN EVENT SPACE? ARE YOU GONNA BE A SACRED PLACE FOR MUSICIANS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO COME RECORD? AND PLUS THEY PLAY IN THIS TOWN WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE STROKES RIGHT NOW, AND THEY JUST PLAYED ACL.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S, IT, WE ALL FEED OFF EACH OTHER.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT IT, BUT IT, IT'S, UH, UH, WE'RE STILL, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING THROUGH TRYING TO FIND AN ANSWER TO, TO, UH, MAKE EXTRA REVENUE WITHOUT SACRIFICING WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT, BECAUSE I, I KNOW IT'S SO, UM, AT SOME POINT YOU'RE JUST LIKE, I CAN'T BE ANY MORE CREATIVE.
LIKE, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME? UM, YOU DID MENTION THAT YOU HAVEN'T ASKED THE CITY FOR ANYTHING.
UM, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO LIKE, WHY YOU HAVEN'T ASKED THE CITY? WELL, I'M HONESTLY, UH, THE TRUTHFUL ANSWER IS THAT, IS, I GUESS I WAS RAISED WHERE YOU MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN OR YOU DON'T MAKE IT.
AND IT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT I'VE NEVER, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE ASKED THE CITY FOR, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST MY PROBLEM.
IT'S A PROBLEM THAT, UH, A LOT OF US ARE SUFFERING.
BUT I, THE, THE, THE ANSWER IS I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'D ASK THEM FOR.
SO THAT'S MAYBE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK ON IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND OUR SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS IN TOWN TO SAY, TO BE MORE OPEN ABOUT WHAT RESOURCES WE DO HAVE, DO, HAVE TO SHARE.
THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE MUCHLY APPRECIATED.
YOU, COMMISSIONER PERT ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, VICE CHAIR BAILEY.
UM, THANKS FOR BRINGING YOUR STORY TO US TODAY, FREDDY.
THE, UM, JUST TO PUT PERSPECTIVE AROUND IT, I, I'M GUESSING PRETTY WELL THAT YOU COULD, THIS STUFF WILL BE TOP OF MIND BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN IN PLACE FOR 40 YEARS.
COULD YOU PUT SOME PERSPECTIVE AROUND WHAT YOU'VE SEEN HAPPEN TO THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND JUST FLAT OUT COST TAXES? WHAT, SO, SO WE CAN ALL GO, WHEN YOU SAY FOUR TIMES THE RENT, SO THEY CAN MARK IT OUT FOUR TIMES.
BUT WHAT IS, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN HAPPEN IN YOUR SURROUNDING AREA? THAT IS, THAT'S ONE OF THE HUGE CHALLENGES.
IT'S NOT JUST YOU'VE GOT A LANDLORD THAT WANTS TO GET FOUR TIMES MORE RENT.
IT, THAT'S BEING DRIVEN BY WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THAT QUADRANT OF THE CITY.
AND I THOUGHT MAYBE IT'D BE GOOD IF YOU JUST DID A FEW TOP LINE BULLETS OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN TERMS OF VALUATION, WHO'S COME AND GONE.
AND I'M EVEN SHOCKED STILL THAT THAT PARCEL STILL HAS BEEN ABLE TO EXIST.
'CAUSE IT'S A HUGE CHUNK THAT PARKING LOT COULD, COULD HANDLE A LOT.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE PRESSURE, SO I THINK IT'S FAIR TO TAKE A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
WELL, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I THINK EVERY, ALL, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOUTH CONGRESS WHERE
[01:35:01]
WE ARE, WE'RE RIGHT BEHIND THE SAINT CECILIA.SO THAT'S A VERY HOT PART OF TOWN.
AND AND TO BE FAIR, MY LANDLORD HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT GRACIOUS WHEN I HAD, UH, I HAD A LONG TERM LEASE WHEN I STARTED, AND WE'RE TRYING TO RENEGOTIATE.
AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, HE NEEDS TO GET MORE MONEY AND HE WANTS ME TO STAY THERE.
AND WE ACTUALLY ARE TRYING TO REOPEN THE AUSTIN OPERA HOUSE AT SOME POINT AS A HISTORICAL THING, WHICH COMES WITH A LOT OF PROBLEMS. BUT THE, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE BEST THAT I THINK I, I KNOW HOW TO ED IS THAT THE REAL ESTATE IS SO VALUABLE, AND THERE'S LIKE, WHAT, FIVE ACRES WHERE, WHERE OUR PLOT IS, THERE IS, AND IT IS RIGHT IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, OFF SOUTH CONGRESS.
AND I APPLAUD HIM FOR NOT HAVING A HIGH RISE THERE RIGHT NOW AND, AND, AND FOR WANTING ME TO STAY THERE.
AND, AND, UH, BUT IT'S JUST AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU ARE A BIG COMPANY LIKE HER, ME, OR EVERYTHING THAT'S ON MUSIC LANE, YOU KNOW, MOM AND POP'S NOT GONNA MAKE IT, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM
STEVE HEIMER, THANK GOD, HAD ENOUGH SENSE TO BUY HIS PROPERTY WHEN, WHEN, UH, HE TOOK THE CONTINENTAL CLUB.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BLAME ANYBODY, SAYS, HEY, YOU ARE PAYING ME THIS MUCH AND THIS GUY'S GONNA PAY ME 10 TIMES MORE, AND WE LIKE YOU, BUT BUY, YOU KNOW, SO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THE TAXES.
I MEAN, I, IT'S PHENOMENAL TO ME.
I MEAN, CLEARLY YOUR RENT STRUCTURE IS CAN'T FRACTIONALLY COVER FIVE ACRES OF TAXES IN RIGHT THERE IN TOWN.
SO I'M THINKING THE TAX BURDEN THAT'S HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF VALUATION IS DRIVING ALL OF IT.
THE WHOLE THING, THE WHOLE CONVERSATION.
I MEAN, UH, AND I MEAN, HE, HE, HE COULD HAVE HONESTLY, UH, WHEN MY LEASE IS UP, JUST GO, HEY, I'M GONNA PUT A HIGH RISE UP AND, AND HE WANTS TO PRESERVE AUSTIN AND, AND WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO DO IT.
I MEAN, THAT'S A LOT OF REAL ESTATE RIGHT THERE.
AND, AND IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE SITUATION OF THE CITY AS FAR AS OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN ECONOMICS, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.
VICE CHAIR BAILEY AND MR. FLETCHER, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR OUR SPEAKER? I WANTED TO ALSO ADD THAT, I MEAN, I, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, COMMISSIONER PRUITT'S COMMENT ABOUT US NEEDING TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR BUSINESSES.
UM, FRANKLY, THOUGH, I, I THINK THERE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN
AND WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IN TERMS OF, UM, BRINGING ARLEN STUDIOS TODAY TO COME TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AS AN ARTS AND CULTURAL SPACE HERE IN AUSTIN WAS, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, TO BRING THIS CONVERSATION AT THE SAME TIME, UM, UH, OF ANOTHER SPEAKER, THE RALLY AUSTIN, WHO'S TRYING TO BRING RESOURCES TO HELP WITH THIS EXACT PROBLEM.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMISSION THAT WE, UH, STAND BY SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE ARLAND STUDIOS AS WELL AS, UM, OTHERS, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER AUSTIN, NOT JUST SOUTH CONGRESS, RIGHT? UH, THAT IT'S JUST BECOME SO PROHIBITIVE TO DO BUSINESS THAT THE, THE ECONOMY'S OUT OF WHACK.
THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF SUPPORT OR, UM, AFFIRMATIVE INTERVENTION BY THE GOVERNMENT THAT'S GOING TO ENSURE THAT THESE, THESE RARE PLACES THAT ARE LEFT, UH, IN OUR ARTS CULTURE AND TOURISM, UH, ECONOMY, UM, CONTINUE TO SURVIVE.
SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU, UH, MR. FLETCHER, FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, NARRATIVE TO US TODAY.
A VERY IMPORTANT STORY THAT UNFORTUNATELY IS NOT UNCOMMON, UH, WITH OTHER ARTS AND CULTURE VENUES ACROSS THE CITY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'D, UH, DEEPLY ENCOURAGE MY, UM, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE, THE DIOCESE NOW TO, UH, UH, CONSIDER WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, TO TALK ABOUT US AND TO ACTUALLY TAKING ACTION TO SUPPORT THESE VENUES, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
[6. Discussion and possible action to approve the 2026 calendar for the Tourism Commission Board. ]
MOVE ON TO, UH, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UH, WE WILL BE, UM, DISCUSSING AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX TO TALK ABOUT THE CALENDAR FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.WHAT YOU HAVE HERE BEFORE YOU, SO
[01:40:01]
STATED BY, UH, MS. BURLESON ARE, UH, STAFF LIAISON, UM, IS THE EXTENT SCHEDULE, UM, UH, FOR OUR MEETINGS AT THE SAME TIME, UM, SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH FROM TWO 30 TO FOUR 30.UM, WHAT DO FOLKS THINK OF THAT? DO WE WANT TO KEEP THAT SCHEDULE IN MOTION? UH, OR DO WE WANNA PROPOSE A DIFFERENT, UM, SET OF MEETING TIMES VICE CHAIR BAILEY? I'M JUST DRAWING DISTINCTION THAT IT, I DON'T THINK WE CAN GET THE ANSWER YET, AND I THINK WE'VE LEARNED THIS EACH YEAR, BUT IT, IT DEPENDS WHERE WE'RE MEETING THAT THE TIME IS INFLUENCED BY THE LOCATION.
SO I THINK, I THINK THIS HAS WORKED FOR ME WELL, THIS TIME IN LOCATION, CENTRAL CITY, SOME OF THE OTHER LOCATIONS WE'VE MET OVER THE YEARS, LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY AND DIFFERENT THINGS CHANGES THE RUBRIC.
SO, UM, I'M JUST THROWING THAT AS A COMMENT, NOT SO MUCH AS ANYTHING MORE.
UH, AS IN YEARS PAST, I KNOW THAT MS. BURLESON HAS BEEN VERY, UM, UH, UM, FOCUSED IN, IN GETTING US CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
SO THIS TIME IS REFLECTIVE OF THE AVAILABILITY OF THIS SPACE FOR US TO MEET IT.
COMMISSIONER PRITZ, IT'S, YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, BEING RELATIVELY NEW TO THE COMMISSION, AS YOU CHAIR RONAN ARE TRYING TO FIND OTHER FOLKS TO FILL THE VACANCY, UM, HAS TIME, THE PARTICULAR AFTERNOON TIME BEEN A CONFLICT FOR MANY OR IF THAT'S BEEN OKAY? OKAY.
USUALLY PEOPLE MAKE IT WORK IF THEY'RE GONNA JOIN THE COMMISSION.
THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP THOUGH.
UH, COMMISSIONER PENOC, I WAS JUST GONNA RECOMMEND THAT WE STICK WITH THIS SCHEDULE.
COMMISSIONER CHAPEL, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? COULD WE HOST IT AT CODA? JUST, NO, I THINK THIS, I, THIS TIME IS GREAT.
I THINK IF WE COULD APPROVE THIS, THEN WE HAVE THE BEST SHOT OF GETTING THIS SPACE.
IT IS CERTAINLY VERY CONVENIENT.
COMMISSIONER PINOCCIO, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A NOTE FOR NEW COMMISSIONER.
I THINK THE ONLY TIME WE'VE HAD AN ISSUE IS WHEN WE PIVOTED IS WHEN DURING, LIKE A SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WHEN IT'S JUST REALLY INCONVENIENT TO BE IN THE CITY PROPER.
WE'VE EITHER LIKE, CHANGED THE DATE OF THE MEETING OR I THINK WE CANCELED, OR I'M NOT SURE, BUT I KNOW WE'VE ADJUSTED FOR LIKE, BIG EVENTS THAT ARE GONNA IMPACT TRAFFIC.
ANOTHER POINT THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP IS THAT THIS YEAR WE DID NOT HAVE A MEETING IN AUGUST, UH, DUE TO JUST SUMMER TRAVEL SCHEDULES.
DOES THIS COMMISSION WANT TO KEEP THE AUGUST MEETING? I ENJOYED THE AUGUST RECESS.
I WAS JUST GOING TO MAKE COMMISSIONER PEN MAKE A COMMENT THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A DECISION NEXT YEAR AS WE GET CLOSER.
I ALSO ENJOYED THE, UM, HOLIDAY IN AUGUST, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN DECIDE AS WE GET CLOSER.
I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF NOT MEETING IN AUGUST.
SO IT SEEMS WE HAVE A PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I WILL SECOND.
SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CHAPEL DISCUSSION.
HEARING NONE, UH, UH, LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK.
IS THERE A MOTION, UH, TO ACCEPT THE WEDNESDAY DATES AND TIMES? YES.
SO MOVED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER PIAN.
IS THERE A SECOND? SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER.
UH, ALL THOSE WHO'D LIKE TO, UH, HAVE THE DATES AND TIMES APPROVED, UH, FOR SECOND WEDNESDAYS OF THE MONTH FROM TWO 30 TO FOUR 30 NEXT YEAR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ISA MOVED THE 2026 CALENDAR IS APPROVED NOW ONTO THE EXTENT AYE, ONTO THE EXTENT,
[01:45:01]
UH, MOTION ON THE TABLE, UH, PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER CHAPEL AND SECONDED BY, BY, OH, EXCUSE ME, AS PROPOSED BY, UM, COMMISSIONER CHA AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CHAPEL, UH, TO CANCEL THE AUGUST MEETING IN 2026.I BELIEVE THAT WAS AN AUGUST RECESS
UH, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHT IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GET CLOSER TO THAT DATE AND WE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, FOR SOME REASON WE NEED THE MEETING AUGUST, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CHANGE IT.
UM, BUT YEAH, I, I THOUGHT IT, I THOUGHT IT WORKED WELL THIS YEAR, NOT NOT TO MEET IN AUGUST.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, PERHAPS WE LEAVE IT ON THE SCHEDULE AND JUST IN CASE, SO WE GET THIS SITUATION, WHETHER IT'S JULY OR AUGUST, WHERE THERE'S ENOUGH OF A PEOPLE ON VACATION, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE IN QUORUM.
I KNOW WE DO HAVE A LOT OF US, BUT I MEAN, I REALLY, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE AN OPINION ON AUGUST.
I'D RATHER BE OFF ON DECEMBER BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY HOLIDAY LUNCHEONS AND CLIENT EVENTS AND THINGS.
IS THAT A MOTION FOR RECESS IN DECEMBER?
UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, YOUR COMMENT, JUST, UH, BECAUSE YOU WERE UN MICED THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT, IS, UH, TO KEEP THE AUGUST MEETING, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER BY COMMISSIONER OCION AS A SUGGESTION AND TO, UH, MODIFY WHETHER OR NOT THE COMMISSION MEETS ON THAT DATE IN AUGUST, UH, SUBJECT TO, UH, A NEED FOR A MEETING.
AND I THINK THE SAME GOES TO SAY FOR, UM, PERHAPS DEMOTING IS NOT THE RIGHT WORD, BUT CHANGING THE DECEMBER MEETING FROM A, A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING TO A WORK SESSION TO SPEAK TO FUTURE TOPICS FOR TOURISM IN AUSTIN IN 2027.
UH, MS. BURLESON, I DO KNOW THAT IF YOU CHANGE IT TO A WORK SESSION AND DON'T PLAN TO HAVE ANY SPEAKERS, THEN WE WON'T HAVE THE, THE, UM, COMMODITIES OF A TXN OR OUR TECH PEOPLE HERE.
IF THERE ARE NO COMMISSIONERS, I MEAN NO SPEAKERS.
SO IF WE'RE JUST HAVING A WORK SESSION, IT IS JUST A WORK SESSION AND WE DON'T HAVE THIS LIVE.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A WORK SCHEDULE, EXCUSE ME, WORK SESSION SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
UM, AND MAYBE THAT SHOULD BE A PUBLIC MEETING.
I MEAN, IT WOULD, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THAT ON THE RECORD AND TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE, UH, AGENDA TOPICS FOR THE COMMISSION, UM, AND HAVE THAT AGREED UPON AND A RECORD OF THAT HAPPENING.
UM, SO PERHAPS IN LIEU OF MAKING DECEMBER A WORK SESSION, EVEN FOR THIS YEAR, WE CAN MAKE THAT A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING.
UH, THAT'S NOW COULD WE SUPPLY NOTES? UH, LET'S DO COMMISSIONER OCION.
UM, YOU HAD A FOLLOW UP QUESTION? UH, YES.
I WAS GONNA SAY MS. BURLESON, BUT THAT CHANGED, RIGHT? NO, IT'S MS. BURLESON.
MS. HERRERA, THE, MY QUESTION IS, IF IT'S A WORKING, IS IT THAT THERE'S NO RECORDING OR AV BECAUSE IT'S A WORKING SESSION AND NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? WELL, CAN WE HAVE THE WORKING SESSION? IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
AND IF WE'VE MAY, IF WE'RE COME TO ANY KIND OF DECISION MAKING, WHICH WE CAN'T TAKE ACTION ON, WE COULD TAKE ACTION ON IN JANUARY.
OR DO WE HAVE TO THEN REPEAT EVERYTHING WE DID IN DECEMBER THAT WE WANNA TAKE ACTION ON AND THEN PUT IT ON THE FEBRUARY AGENDA TO TAKE ACTION ON IT? DID THAT CONFUSE EVERYBODY IN
I THINK WE DID THAT IN THE PAST TO MAKE IT EASIER ON STAFF, BUT HONESTLY, UM, ME, UH, MEMORIES ARE FOGGY AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A RECORDING, IT SOMETIMES CAN BE REALLY DIFFICULT TO REMEMBER WHAT WAS SAID AND TO SORT OF KEEP SOME INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY, ESPECIALLY OVER THE HOLIDAYS.
UM, SO I, I WOULD ADVISE AND I CAN, UH, ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA AS AN ACTION ITEM FOR NEXT MEETING TO MAKE
[01:50:01]
DECEMBER'S MEETING, UH, A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING FOR, UM, THIS, THIS COMING DECEMBER IN TWO MEETINGS.AND THEN WITH THAT, WE CAN JUST KEEP THE DECEMBER MEETING IN 2026 AS A REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING AS IT IS SCHEDULED ON THIS, UH, PAPER IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, UH, TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
JUST ONE MORE LAST QUESTION IS, IF WE DO MAKE IT A, UM, A REGULAR MEETING FOR DECEMBER AND NOT A WORKING SESSION, DO WE HAVE TO HAVE SPEAKERS OR IT'S JUST WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE SPEAKERS, BECAUSE I THINK THE WHOLE POINT OF DOING THE DECEMBER KIND OF WORKING SESSION IS SO WE CAN HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO DISCUSS WHAT OUR, UH, PRIORITIES AND AGENDA, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS WE'D LIKE AND THAT KIND OF DISCUSSION.
SO THAT, MY QUESTION IS, NO, I THINK THAT'S A VALID POINT.
UM, IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE SPEAKERS AT MEETINGS.
UM, YOU CAN JUST GENERALLY TALK ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF TOURISM, THE BUSINESS OF, OF, UH, THE HOT TAX AS IS OUR MANDATE, RIGHT? SO THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT YOU HAVE AN EXTERNAL PRESENTER.
HOWEVER, UM, WHAT I THINK MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL FOR THIS GROUP IS TO HAVE, UM, A FACILITATOR THAT COULD REALLY HELP, UH, THE, THE COMMISSION REALLY THINK ABOUT, UM, HOW IT STRUCTURES ITS FUTURE, UH, TOPICS THAT IT WISHES TO ADDRESS IN 2026.
UM, UH, THAT SAID THAT WHETHER THAT'S A, AN OFFICIAL SPEAKER OR NOT, YOU PROBABLY WOULD WANNA PUT THEM ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, UH, NEXT MEETING WHERE WE CAN PROPOSE THAT FOR, UM, FOR INCLUSION IN THE DECEMBER MEETING.
AND JUST TO ADD, UM, DECEMBER IS SCHEDULED AS A REGULAR MEETING, SO IT'S NOT SCHEDULED AS A WORK SESSION.
I THINK WE JUST TALK ABOUT IT THAT WAY.
I'LL, I'M JUST GONNA MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT WE DO A, WE DO HAVE A GUEST.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO DETERMINE TODAY WHAT THE GUEST IS WHO OR THE TOPIC, BUT I, I WOULD GO OUT ON A LIMB AND SAY, IF WE WERE LOOKING FOR JUST A SINGULAR TOPIC, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO, BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO RESERVE A QUALITY AMOUNT OF TIME TO DO FUTURE PLANNING AT THAT MEETING, THAT MAYBE WE, WE ASK FOR A REPORT ON THE TPIT.
I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER CHANIN IS INFORMED ON THAT, AND MAYBE WE CAN ASK FOR A BRIEFING.
HOW IS THE T TPIS COMING INTO? IT'S ABOUT TO BE MORE ROBUST.
THERE'S ABOUT TO BE DOLLARS RELEASED, THERE'S ABOUT TO BE A, A SERIES OF INVESTMENTS THAT THOSE DOLLARS AND MAYBE WE CAN GET A REPORT ON, BECAUSE WE WERE VERY STAKED IN AND, AND DID MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE TPI.
SO AS A YEAR END, WRAP UP, GET A REPORT, AND THEN DEDICATE, YOU KNOW, A, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF OUR DECEMBER MEETING FOR FUTURE PLANNING.
AND, UH, I, AND I WANNA SAY AS FAR AS AUGUST GOES, MY OPINION IS, SINCE WE HAVEN'T DONE THE FULL ROADMAP FOR 2026 YET, WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE HAPPENING IN OUR CITY THAT IS IMPORTANT, AND THAT THE TIMING OF IT MIGHT LEAD US TO WANT TO HAVE A MEETING IN AUGUST TO LOOK AT A TOPIC THAT WE'VE DISCOVERED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OR SECOND QUARTER OF THE YEAR IS TRENDING.
LIKE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE TACKLED THIS YEAR, AND TI IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
SO SOMETHING COULD BE HAPPENING AND WE WANT TO MEET AND TALK.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY WE RESERVE ANY DECISION ABOUT TAKING RECESSES OR AMENDING THE CALENDAR UNTIL LATER.
I, I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP AS A CLARIFICATION.
UH, NEXT MEETING PER THE EXISTING ROADMAP THAT'S IN YOUR MEETING MATERIALS, WE DO HAVE PROPOSED TOURISM SNAPSHOT, WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
THAT MIGHT BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO INVITE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM VISIT AUSTIN.
UM, AND ALSO GREG CAN CONTRIBUTE, UM, YOU KNOW, HIS PERSPECTIVE AS WELL AS TO HOW THAT PROCESS IS UNDERGOING, UM, IS ONGOING, RATHER.
AND, UH, UH, IT, IT COULD BE, UM, PERHAPS MORE APPROPRIATE.
I, I WOULD MAYBE CAUTION ABOUT HAVING A, AN INVITED GUEST IN DECEMBER BECAUSE IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT THAT THE, THE COMMISSION DOES SPEAK OPENLY ABOUT WHAT IT WANTS TO DO, WHERE, WHERE IT SEES ITSELF, WHERE IT WOULD LIKE TO GO.
UM, I, I, I STRUGGLE WHERE TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA, BUT I, UH, HAVE TO DECIDED TO STEP DOWN AFTER, UM, FROM THE TOURISM COMMISSION AFTER NEXT MEETING.
SO, UH, LEAVING DECEMBER MEETING, UH, FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HERE TO COME TOGETHER AND REALLY, UH, SEE TO IT WHERE THEY'D LIKE TO TAKE THE COMMISSION IN 2026.
SO I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE THAT TIME TOGETHER TO REALLY, UM, TO REALLY PLAN AND, YOU
[01:55:01]
KNOW, SEE HOW YOU'RE GONNA WORK AS A TEAM.BECAUSE 2026 IS YET ANOTHER YEAR THE CENTER'S CLOSED.
UH, YOU KNOW, THESE PROBLEMS THAT WE HEARD TODAY WITH, UH, ARLIN STUDIOS ARE NOT GETTING ANY
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A, A REALLY RICH CONVERSATION FOR Y'ALL TO HAVE, UH, AS A COMMISSION.
COMMISSIONER, PIAN, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO LET YOU RESIGN FROM THE COMMISSION.
MS. ELLISON, WHAT WE CAN PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH IS, UH, ANOTHER ELECTION FOR A CHAIR.
SO THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO ADD.
UM, I, I'LL BE SURE TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
HAVE I BEEN NEGLECTING YOU? I'M SORRY.
COMMISSIONER BAILEY AND THEN COMMISSIONER PENOC.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL HEARD SOME SH NEWS THAT SHOOK HIM.
AND I WILL SUPPORT ANYONE THAT WANTS TO STEP UP HIS CHAIR.
UM, SINCE WE'RE JUST LEARNING ABOUT THIS, THIS SESSION OR THIS MEETING, AND IF WE PUT AN AGENDA ITEM NEXT MEETING FOR A VOTE, I FEEL LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PROCESS.
ARE WE ABLE TO VOTE ON IT IN DECEMBER AND HAVE IT AS A DISCUSSION FOR PEOPLE WHO MAYBE ARE INTERESTED IN STEPPING UP OR, OR BEING NOMINATED? AND WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND IT, MS.
SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS IN DECEMBER, UM, ED AS VICE CHAIR WILL RUN THAT MEETING, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE ELECTIONS AND WHEREVER IT GOES FROM THERE, THAT'S WHERE WE'LL START.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
UH, COMMISSIONER IAN, AND ALSO,
[8. Discussion about Tourism Commission Board vacancies. ]
WE STILL HAVE TWO VACANCIES, UM, WHICH NOW WE'RE, UM, THE JUMPING AHEAD TO, UH, TOPIC NUMBER EIGHT, VACANCIES ON THE COMMISSION.YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE ALMOST DONE.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE, UH, A NOMINEE FROM DISTRICT ONE THAT'S GOING TO MOST LIKELY JOIN US NEXT MEETING, UH, AFTER THEY'RE DONE WITH THEIR TRAININGS.
AND THEN COMMISSION, EXCUSE ME, DISTRICT FOUR.
UH, WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE TO FILL THAT SEAT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THAT YOU COULD PUT FORTH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
LIKE WE ARE ALL HERE TODAY, WHICH IS NOT, NOT A COMMON THING.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP, UH, FOR TOURISM.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED THE CALENDAR.
UH, WE'VE NOW DISCUSSED THE BOARD VACANCIES AND I GUESS MY TRANSITION, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION, UH, NUMBER SEVEN, BRIEFLY,
[7. Discussion and possible action to modify the road map for 2025 Tourism Commission Meetings. ]
JUST IN REFERENCE, IT'S THERE BEFORE YOU, IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE ADD TO IT.UM, IN A DISCUSSION NEXT MEETING, WE CAN, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH MORE IDEAS, PARTICULARLY AS THE COMMISSION APPROACHES THIS DECEMBER REGULAR MEETING, UH, TO DISCUSS WAYS, UM, DISCUSS TOPICS IT WISHES TO, UH, COVER NEXT YEAR WITH REGARD TO TOURISM QUICKLY.
[9. Update from the AISD Facilities Working Group on new agenda reports regarding the focus of the working group and efforts for recommendations. ]
NUMBER NINE, WORKING GROUP AND COMMITTEE UPDATES.I AM GOING TO, EXCUSE ME, SEAT THE FLOOR TO COMMISSIONER MASTERS TO SPEAK TO THE A ISD FACILITIES WORKING GROUP.
UM, THE VERY BRIEF UPDATE THERE IS, UM, AS KIND OF DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST MEETING, THAT THERE IS AN EXISTING, UM, KIND OF TRIAG AGENCY WORK GROUP, UH, BETWEEN A ISD, UM, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
AND I WAS KIND OF HOPING THAT A LITTLE BIT OF ACTION MIGHT BE KIND OF MOVING THEIR DIRECTION.
UM, BUT IT SEEMS THAT AFTER SOME DISCUSSION WITH INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, IT'S KIND OF KICKED BACK TO US AGAIN, UM, TO BE PROACTIVE WITH AUSTIN, ISD TO TALK ABOUT THEIR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
IT'S GETTING A LITTLE CONVOLUTED AT THIS POINT 'CAUSE THIS, UH, WORKING GROUP WAS HAVING TO DO WITH A ISD FACILITIES.
WE'VE GOTTEN IT CONFIRMED, UM, BY SOME ATTORNEYS AND THEN REAFFIRMED, UM, BY, UM, THE, UH, ALCOHOL BEVERAGE, I'M FORGETTING THE ACRONYM, UH, STATE AGENCY, THAT THIS IS NOT A THING THAT WE CAN DO.
UM, AND SO KIND OF SHORT OF THAT, I THINK WE'VE KIND OF WE'RE HITTING THE POINT OF OVEREXTENDING, UM, WHAT THE WORKING GROUP WAS KIND OF CREATED TO DO.
UM, AND SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE KIND OF STARTED THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE CAN START, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, PUT SOME IDEAS IN SOME PEOPLE'S HEADS, AND I THINK THAT IS KIND OF THE MOST THAT THIS
[02:00:01]
WORKING GROUP CAN DO.UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED TO MAKE A MOTION HERE, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UH, WE DISSOLVE THE WORKING GROUP.
THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER MASTERS FOR ALL YOUR WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, REALLY TRYING TO FLESH OUT THIS ISSUE AND TO UNDERSTAND IT.
AND WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO, TO KNOW THAT WE'VE COMMUNICATED WITH THE PROPER, UH, FOLKS AT THE CITY TO ALLOW US TO SEE TO IT.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND, UH, PERHAPS WE CAN, UM, NOW CHANNEL THOSE ENERGIES TO OTHER PLACES WHERE WE CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND IMPACTFUL FOR TOURISM IN AUSTIN.
UH, WITH THAT, THE, THE, WE'RE GONNA THEN, UM, END THE WORKING GROUP AND IT'S GOING TO DROP OFF OF THE AGENDA FOR FUTURE, UH, MEETING AGENDAS.
[10. Update from the Short-Term Rental Working Group on any new reports regarding the STR’s new focus and efforts for recommendations. ]
YOU LIKE TO GIVE A BRIEF, UH, COMMENT AS TO THE STATUS OF THE STR SHORT-TERM RENTAL WORKING GROUP? I THINK ABSOLUTELY.I THINK LAST MONTH, UH, WE REPORTED THAT 5.7 MILLION HAD BEEN BROUGHT IN FOR THE PLATFORMS, AND SO THAT WAS A GOOD SIGN.
OCTOBER STARTED THE NEW LICENSING ADOPTION, AND SO WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT AND, AND, UH, REPORT BACK NEXT MONTH IN TERMS OF UPTICK IN ADOPTIONS.
THE NUMBERS, IT WAS 2200 LAST MONTH, SO LET'S GIVE SOME TIME TO, TO ROLL IN.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO OUR WORKING GROUPS OR COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PIAN.
THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED FOR OCTOBER 8TH, 2025.