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[CALL TO ORDER]
WE HAVE A LIGHT ATTENDANCE TODAY, BUT WE CAN STILL GET SOME STUFF DONE.UM, SO WE'RE GONNA CALL TO ORDER THE FRIDAY, JANUARY 9TH, 2026, REGULAR MEETING AT THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND WE'LL START WITH, UH, CALL TO ORDER.
AND THEN, UM, THE ROLL CALL CHAIR.
PRESIDENT COMMISSIONER CHAIN ARE MUTED.
COULD YOU SPEAK ONE MORE TIME? IT WAS MUTED, I THINK.
UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
IS THAT RIGHT? I DON'T THINK SO.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities regular meeting on December 12, 2025.]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER ONE.APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING ON DECEMBER 12TH, 2025.
I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES.
[2. Discussion regarding budget priorities from past budget cycles and new budget priorities.]
TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, DISCUSSION RE REGARD DISCUSSION REGARDING BUDGET PRIORITIES FROM PAST BUDGET CYCLES AND NEW BUDGET PRIORITIES.UH, I SET THIS ONE AND THIS WAS JUST SO WE CAN, IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEAS FOR ADDITIONAL BUDGET IDEAS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SUBMIT THOSE SOON AND I THINK, UM, WE'LL PROBABLY TRY AND GET A BUDGET, UH, WORKING GROUP MEETING BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT, UH, OUR NEXT SESSION.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW WHAT WE HAVE IS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE, THE FUNDING FOR THE ABILITY FESTIVAL, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR FUNDING FOR THE ACCESSIBLE RESTROOM AT THE ELIZABETH NAVY EXAM, AND THEN THE RECOMMENDATION FOR FUNDING, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE THERAPEUTIC RECREATION PROGRAM.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY BUDGET IDEAS OR PRIORITIES THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT LIST? NOT AT THIS TIME.
UH, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND THE BUDGET WORKING GROUP WILL DRAFT UP RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE CAN MAYBE APPROVE THOSE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
MOVING ON TO AGENDA
WELL, THE BUDGET IS THE BUDGET.
AND YES, IS THE BUDGET WORKING GROUP GOING TO, UM, GOING TO MAKE A BUDGET FOR THE ABILITY AND GROUP? WHAT'S THE BUDGET WORKING ACTUALLY GOING TO DO? SO IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT QUITE THE SAME AS WHAT YOU THINK OF AS A TYPICAL BUDGET.
WE BASICALLY JUST DRAFT UP RECOMMENDATIONS WITHOUT A SP SPEC, EXCUSE ME, SPECIFIC NUMBER AND RECOMMEND THAT THE C THE CITY COUNCIL FUND IT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE, FOR THE A ABILITY FESTIVAL, WE WOULDN'T LIKE LIST OUT LINE ITEMS OR THE ACTUAL TOTAL AMOUNT.
WHAT WE WOULD SAY IS, PLEASE ALLOT FUNDING FOR THE ABIL FESTIVAL.
AND THEN THEY WOULD EITHER DO THAT OR NOT DO THAT.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY FURTHER INPUT ON LIKE WHAT THEY SHOULD FUND, HOW MUCH IT SHOULD BE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
NOW, OKAY, NOW IS THAT GOING TO BE FUNDING FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR FOR THIS PAST YEAR? THE ABILITY THEY WOULD BE FUNDING FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR? SO IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE NEXT YEAR, YEAH.
PLANNING TO HAVE THE, UH, FESTIVAL AGAIN IN OCTOBER, SO IT WOULD BE FUNDING FOR THAT.
UM, OKAY, WELL IF YOU, IN THE INTERIM, IF YOU HAVE ANY BUDGET IDEAS, I THINK YOU CAN PROBABLY JUST SHOOT NAVA AN EMAIL AND WE CAN WORK ON GETTING THOSE IN.
SO JUST, UH, JUST THINK ABOUT IT.
UM, WE CAN MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION
[3. Approve a list of legislative priorities for the federal and state government.]
ITEM NUMBER THREE.SO THE, UH, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN ASKED US IF WE HAVE ANY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT WE WOULD LOOK TO LIKE TO PUT FORTH FOR THE NEXT SESSIONS FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL CONGRESS, UH, THAT WOULD BE FOR, I BELIEVE, 2027.
SO, BUT THEY, THEY NEED TO START WORKING ON THEM IN ADVANCE.
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AND SO I HAVE A COUPLE ON, ON THE LIST IF WE, IF WE WANT TO USE THOSE.AND THEN IF ANYBODY HAS ANY ADDITIONAL IDEAS, UM, BE HAPPY TO HEAR THOSE OR ADD THOSE TO THE LIST SO WE CAN PASS THOSE ON AND HOPEFULLY THEY WORK ON THEM.
UM, SO I, I CAN START, I, I GUESS SINCE I, SINCE I SET THE ITEM, I HAVE, UH, FOR NUMBER ONE, PROTECT AND EXPAND MEDICAID, INCLUDING HOME SERVICES, UH, NUMBER TWO, UH, VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE, THAT ARE ALTERNATIVES TO THE SUB-MINIMUM WAGE PROGRAM.
UM, PRIORITIZING, POLLING PLACE, ACCESSIBILITY AND PRIORITIZING INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAMS. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY IDEAS ABOUT OTHER LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT WE'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? AND THIS IS KIND OF TIME SENSITIVE.
UH, WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO THEM BY THE END OF THE MONTH, SO YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO CHIME IN TODAY, BUT IF YOU WANT TO GET IT ON THE LIST, WE NEED IT BY THE END OF THE MONTH.
BUT SHOULD WE EMAIL YOU? I THINK PROBABLY EMAIL ME.
IS THAT OKAY IF THEY EMAIL ME? OKAY, YEAH, YEAH, YOU CAN EMAIL ME AND I'LL, I'LL PASS IT ON.
SO IF YOU THINK OF ANYTHING, YEAH, JUST FEEL FREE TO SEND ME AN EMAIL.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT IF WE PASS ON THESE SPECIFIC ITEMS, IF THEY'LL ACTUALLY TAKE THEM UP, BUT I THINK IT'S GOOD TO GET THEM IN FRONT OF THEM SO THEY, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT US TOO.
[4. Update membership for Budget Working Group. (Current members: Chair Kelly, Commissioners Chang and Vassallo)]
ACTUALLY DON'T THINK WE, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO UPDATE THE BUDGET WORKING MEMBERSHIP FOR THE BUDGET WORKING GROUP GROUP.DO WE, DID, DID ANYONE WANNA LEAVE OR BE ADDED TO IT? THAT MIGHT BE, CAN YOU REMIND US WHO'S ON IT? YES, IT IS.
YOU
SO I THINK I'M GONNA TRY AND SET LIKE A ZOOM MEETING FOR US, UH, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WHENEVER IT'S CONVENIENT FOR EVERYONE SO WE CAN START WORKING ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND, OKAY.
SO THAT TAKES US PAST, UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UH, WE WILL GO TO FUTURE AGENDA
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS. UM, I'D LIKE TO SET A SHORT DISCUSSION ITEM ABOUT BOB KAFKA TO DISCUSS SOME, UH, WORK THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS DOING TO, UM, COMMEMORATE HIM.HE WAS THE CO-FOUNDER OF ADAPT AND HE RECENTLY PASSED AWAY.
AND SO THERE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS TRYING TO THINK OF SOME STUFF TO DO TO, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMEMORATE HIS LEADERSHIP AND WORK.
I, UM, THEN I THINK WE WE'LL NEED, WELL THE FIRST THING IS, UM, THEY CAN ALL ATTEND THE, THE CELEBRATION LIFE ON OCTOBER, ON JANUARY 31ST AND ADAPT.
THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WE NEED AN ITEM FOR APPROVING BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THOSE FINALIZED.
AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UM, AGENDA ITEMS FOR OUR NEXT MEETING? WE'LL TRY AND GET SOME PRESENTATIONS OR SOMETHING FROM SOME OF THE CITY OFFICES TOO, SINCE WE'VE BEEN KIND OF LIGHT ON THE AGENDA.
NO AGENDA ITEMS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT, UM, I, THE COMMISSION ON AGING WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH OUR BUDGET WORKING GROUP AND, UM, THERE'S SIGNIFICANT OVERLAP IN MANY OF OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES AND, UM, JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE USUALLY BELIEVES THAT IT, WE MAKE A STRONGER CASE WHEN, UH, OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES THAT DO OVERLAP SEVERAL, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS SUBMIT THEM TOGETHER.
SO, UM, WE ALREADY HAVE A, A JOINT, A A WORKING GROUP BETWEEN COMMISSION ON AGING AND, UM, OUR OWN COMMISSION.
SO, UM, JUST TRYING TO PRIORITIZE THAT BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO SHOULD WE, UH, WOULD THAT BE OUTSIDE THE NORMAL MEETING CADENCE OR IS THAT SOMETHING, WHAT, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO FOR THAT? THAT'S A SPECIAL WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO I BELONG ON THAT AS WELL AS, UM, CHAIR BONDY FROM COMMISSION ON AGING.
SO, SO MAYBE WE CAN, IS DO WE NEED APPROVAL TO SET A MEETING FOR THE WORKING GROUPS TO, UH, LIKE MEETING WITH THE COMMITTEE ON AGING WORKING GROUP? UM, IT'S, SO IF YOU'RE, IF IT'S ABOUT LIKE CROSS, UM, COMMISSION WORKING, LIKE, BECAUSE COMMISSIONER CHANG IS ALREADY IN THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE, SHE CAN JUST JOIN THE WORKING GROUP, UM, MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER, AND THEN, UM,
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SHE CAN GIVE, PROVIDE US AN UPDATE FROM THOSE MEETINGS AND AT THIS MEETING.SO IS, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? LIKE YOU WANNA PROVIDE A, AN, AN UPDATE FROM THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE MEETING? COMMISSIONER CHANG? I THINK WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND WAS US, THE TWO WORKING GROUPS ACTUALLY MEETING, RIGHT? UH, YES.
MY, MY HOPE WAS WHETHER, UH, SINCE I BELONG TO BOTH JUST THIS BUDGET WORKING GROUP AND THAT, UM, WORKING GROUP BETWEEN OUR QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION AND UH, COMMISSION ON AGING, UH, I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD MEET INDIVIDUALLY AS A GROUP AND THEN I CAN MEET WITH, UM, THAT JOINT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT, THAT SOUNDS LIKE THAT, YEAH, THAT WOULD COMPLY WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN I COULD COME BACK DURING OUR MEETING AND DISCUSS SOME THAT OVERLAP POTENTIALLY.
SO CAN WE SET THAT AS A SEPARATE DISCUSSION ITEM? YES.
I THINK WE COULD BE LIKE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE ON AGING, AND THEN THEY WILL WANT US TO SUBMIT OUR OWN, UM, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE JOINT INCLUSION ONE AND THEN THEY'LL, UM, BUT I BELIEVE CHAIR KELLY YOU ALREADY BELONG TO, UM, YOU, YOU'RE AN ALTERNATE MEMBER OF THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE, SO I, I BELIEVE YOU'LL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT SPREADSHEET.
ANY, ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS BEFORE WE CLOSE FOR TONIGHT?
WE WANTED TO BRING THE LAST, UH, LAST NOVEMBER WE HAD A DA COME IN AND MEET WITH US AS WELL AND THEY TALKED TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND WE WANNA DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT.
DO YOU WANNA SET THAT AS A PRESENTATION ITEM FOR THE NEXT MEETING? YES, I THINK SO.
THE A DA AND THE A DA COORDINATOR SHOULD COME.
IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO, UM, PRESENT ON? WE CAN CONTACT THE THEM AND SEE WHAT INFORMATION THEY HAVE TO OFFER.
IF NO ONE ELSE HAS ANY OTHER ITEMS, THEN I THINK, UH, UH, WE WILL MOVE TO ADUR THE MEETING.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT.