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[CALL TO ORDER]
AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER AT 2:39 PM DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? OKAY, WONDERFUL.[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
OF MINUTES.UH, SO WE ARE MOVING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING HELD ON FEBRUARY 4TH.
DO WE HAVE, AND JUST FOR ALL OF MY COMMISSIONERS ONLINE, IF YOU ARE JOINING US, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CAMERA IS ON SO THAT WE CAN COUNT YOUR VOTE.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOVE, SOMEONE TO MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? I MOVE
ANY QUESTIONS TO THIS MOTION TO MOVE AND APPROVE THESE MINUTES? LOVE IT.
ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 4TH, 2026 MEETING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE ARE RUNNING RIGHT INTO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS THIS MONTH.
[2. Presentation by the Refugee Collective. Presentation by Meg Erskine, Co-Founder and CEO. ]
PRESENTATION BY THE REFUGEE CLINIC, UM, PRESENTED BY MEG ER ORKE.PLEASE CORRECT ME ONCE YOU COME UP.
UH, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO WELCOME, MEG.
UM, MIKE IS OUR CO-FOUNDER AND CEO KIDDING.
UH, AND SO MATT AND SARAH, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND IF YOU NEED THE CLICKER RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING, JUST MAKE SURE YOUR GREEN LIGHT IS ON SO WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING US TODAY.
UM, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE REFUGEE COLLECTIVES, UM, FOOD ACCESS INITIATIVES AND HOW THAT CONTRIBUTES TO REFUGEE HEALTH.
UM, TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE ORGANIZATION, UH, REFUGEE COLLECTIVE IS A NONPROFIT THAT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE 2009 AND WE'VE, UH, BEEN PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON PROVIDING LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFUGEES AND THEN HAVE HAD SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INTO REFUGEE FOOD ACCESS THAT I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IN A BIT.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, I'M ALSO GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE EFFORTS.
UM, SO AS I SAID, I'M MATT SIMON.
I'VE BEEN AT THE REFUGEE COLLECTIVE SINCE 2020, AND I'VE BEEN HEADING UP OUR FARMING EFFORTS THERE SINCE THEN.
AND I'M SARAH SIMS. I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE COMMUNITY FARMER PROGRAM.
I'VE STARTED IN DECEMBER, SO RELATIVELY NEW TO THE, TO THE, UH, ORGANIZATION, BUT I'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH IT.
UM, HAD WORKED WITH REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES, AND ESPECIALLY FOCUSING ON, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH, HOLISTIC AS, UM, ACCESS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS OR SO.
UH, AND WITH THIS RECENT TRANSITION TO KIND OF FOCUSING A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE HEALTH SIDE OF PUBLIC OR THE, THE FOOD SIDE OF, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A CONSIDERATION AS WELL.
UH, SO, UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND ON THE ORGANIZATION, UM, OUR TAGLINE IS PRODUCING POSSIBILITIES THROUGH FOOD AND FIBER.
AND THE WAY THAT WE, UH, CREATE LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFUGEES IS THAT OUR CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARM, IT'S AN ELGIN ACTUALLY KIND OF CLOSER TO THE, THE TOWN OF MAINOR.
UM, BUT WE EMPLOY EIGHT YEAR ROUND REFUGEE TEAM MEMBERS AND FOUR SEASONAL TEAM MEMBERS IN GROWING, UH, PRODUCE THAT WE SELL TO THE AUSTIN, UM, AUSTIN MARKET THROUGH A CSA, LIKE WEEKLY VEGGIE AND EGG DELIVERIES.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO SELL, HAVE SOME RESTAURANT AND WHOLESALE PARTNERS, UM, AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR, UH, OUR TEXTILE STUDIO, WHICH IS LOCATED AT CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HERE IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
AND WE EMPLOY FOUR YEAR ROUND SEAMSTRESSES IN THAT EFFORT.
AND WE ALSO GROW NATURAL DYES AT THE FARM.
UM, SO KIND OF BLENDING THE TWO ENTERPRISES TOGETHER AS WELL.
AND WE ALSO PROVIDE WRAPAROUND SUPPORT FOR OUR REFUGEE TEAM MEMBERS DOING THINGS LIKE, UH, PAID ENGLISH CLASSES.
WE ALSO PROVIDE RIDES TO AND FROM THE FARM.
'CAUSE A LOT OF OUR REFUGEE TEAM MEMBERS DON'T HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, AND IT'S NOT ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND I'LL, I'LL JUST TAKE A MOMENT THERE TO, TO, UH, TALK ABOUT REFUGEE, THE TERM REFUGEE.
I WANNA, UH, ALSO NOTE THAT THAT IS KIND OF A CATCHALL TERM.
UM, IT'S NOT, UH, IT ALSO INCLUDES MULTIPLE GROUPS.
WHEN WE SAY REFUGEE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS THAT THE US GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED TO COME, UH, TO COME HERE AS, UH, UM, DUE TO HUMANITARIAN NEEDS, FLEEING WAR, UH, OR, OR BEING BELONGING TO A GROUP THAT'S DIRECTLY PRO PERSECUTED, UH, THAT THERE'S NOT SAFETY THERE.
SO THE, THE TERM REFUGEE, WHEN WE SAY
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THAT WE'RE REFERRING TO ANYONE WHO FALLS IN THAT CATEGORY.SO THAT MAY ALSO JUST BE, MIGHT BE ASYLEES, HUMANITARIAN PAROLEES, UM, UH, SIS, WHICH ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT SUPPORTED, UH, THE US MILITARY OVERSEAS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
UM, AND SO THAT'S JUST THAT WHO ARE NOW AT RISK, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT INVOLVEMENT.
AND WHEN WE SAY RECENT REFUGEES, WE ALSO ARE KIND OF FOLLOWING THE FEDERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, WHICH IS INDIVIDUALS THAT FIT IN THOSE CATEGORIES, UM, THAT HAVE ARRIVED LESS THAN FIVE.
THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR LESS THAN FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S THE SAME POPULATION THAT ANY OF THE LOCAL RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES, REFUGEES SERVING AGENCIES SERVE AS WELL.
SO, UH, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT OUR, OUR FOOD ACCESS INITIATIVES, I KIND OF WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA ABOUT WHAT KIND OF FARM WE ARE.
UM, WE'RE A LEADER IN THE REGION IN WHAT'S CALLED REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE.
UH, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT TERM KINDA GETS THROWN AROUND A LOT THESE DAYS, BUT MAYBE IS NOT AS DEFINED AS ORGANIC AGRICULTURE THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE FAMILIAR WITH.
SO ORGANIC AGRICULTURE, YOU KNOW, I THINK TO MOST PEOPLE MEANS ESSENTIALLY THAT YOU'RE NOT USING CHEMICALS FOR ANY WEED OR PEST CONTROL.
THERE'S ALSO KIND OF LIKE A SUITE OF FARMING PRACTICES LIKE COVER CROPPING AND COMPOSTING.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, JUST REALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF USING OTHER METHODS TO DEAL WITH ISSUES LIKE PESTS AND WEEDS.
AND THEN, UH, WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, THERE'S KIND OF A, ANOTHER SUITE OF PRACTICES KINDA LAYERED ON TOP OF THOSE ORGANIC PRACTICES THAT REALLY FOCUS ON SOIL HEALTH.
SO THESE ARE THINGS LIKE NO-TILL PLANTING METHODS, UM, ROTATING LIVESTOCK THROUGH THE FIELD.
I MENTIONED THAT WE DO EGGS AT OUR FARM AS WELL.
SO THE CHICKENS ARE ACTUALLY KIND OF HELPING WITH SOME OF THAT WEED CONTROL AND THINGS THAT A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WOULD BE USING, UM, MECHANICAL TILLAGE FOR, LIKE PULLING A TRACTOR THROUGH AND PLOWING UP THE GROUND.
UH, AND ALL OF THESE PRACTICES THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT ARE CODIFIED IN WHAT'S CALLED A RESILIENT FARM PLAN.
AND WE'RE HOME TO TEXAS FIRST RESILIENT FARM PLAN.
UM, IT'S BASED ON THE CARBON FARM PLANNING FRAMEWORK, UH, THAT WAS INITIALLY, UM, CREATED IN CALIFORNIA.
AND THERE'S ABOUT 200 OF THESE PLANTS IN CALIFORNIA AND TWO IN TEXAS.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT'S A WAY TO LOOK AT WHOLE FARM PLANNING THROUGH THE LENS OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND REALLY LOOK AT WAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE GROWING FOOD, HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR FERTILITY AND THE NUTRIENT DENSITY OF THE FOOD.
BUT THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, IN LITTLE NICHES OUTSIDE OF THE ACTUAL CROPPING AREA, LIKE HOW CAN YOU DRAW DOWN MORE CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND ALSO CREATE, UM, A MORE BIODIVERSE LANDSCAPE, WHICH ULTIMATELY LEADS TO JUST A HEALTHIER ECOSYSTEM OVERALL.
SO NOW KIND OF GETTING INTO SOME OF OUR PROGRAMMING.
UM, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE ARPA FUNDING THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING THROUGH TRAVIS COUNTY BACK IN 2022.
UM, AND THAT HELPED US TO GET INTO REFUGEE FOOD ACCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ALREADY CONNECTED WITH A LOT OF RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES AND, UH, SO WE PARTNERED WITH, BACK THEN IT WAS REFUGEE SERVICES AT TEXAS AND AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUNDATION COMMUNITY CENTER FOR SURVIVORS OF TORTURE, UM, AND BUILT UP THE CAPACITY TO DELIVER, UM, CULTURALLY DESIRED CSA SHARES.
SO A CSA SHARE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, IS BASICALLY A BOX OF LIKE SEVEN TO NINE THINGS THAT WE WOULD DELIVER EACH WEEK.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEEN GREAT HAVING THAT INFUSION OF RESOURCES BECAUSE WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE THIS PROGRAM BUILT OUT NOW, AND WE'RE GROWING FOOD AT THE FARM ALL THE TIME FOR OUR PUBLIC FACING OFFERINGS.
AND WHENEVER FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, WE'RE ABLE TO VERY NIMBLY KIND OF SWITCH GEARS AND START DIVERTING THAT FOOD TOWARD REFUGEE HOUSEHOLDS.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A RECENT EXAMPLE OF THAT, THERE WAS THE SNAP CRISIS BACK THIS PAST FALL, WINTER TIME.
UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES AND SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO RAISE THESE FUNDS, WOULD Y'ALL HELP US GET THIS FOOD OUT TO THE REFUGEE COMMUNITY WHO ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING THEIR SNAP BENEFITS? AND, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THREE WEEKS WE HAD RAISED THE FUNDS AND WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER 300 SHARES OUT TO THE REFUGEE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WITH THE ARPA FUNDING, UH, FROM 2022, OUR ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHERS, HAVE BUILT OUT THESE FOOD ACCESS APPARATUSES, UM, THAT, THAT ARE PRETTY ROBUST.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE RIGHT FUNDING ARE ABLE TO KIND OF LIKE TURN BACK ON ESSENTIALLY AND SERVE THESE, UH, VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A COMMUNITY FARMER PROGRAM, WHICH IS WHAT SARAH HEADS UP, AND THAT'S, UH, A PROGRAM WHERE, UH, OUR REFUGEE FARMERS RECENTLY ARRIVED.
REFUGEE FARMERS GO THROUGH A, UH, SIX MODULE EDUCATION COURSE LEARNING THESE REGENERATIVE
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AGRICULTURE METHODS THAT I WAS MENTIONING.AND THEY GROW FOOD FOR THEIR OWN COMMUNITY, AND THEY ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SELL THROUGH OUR WHOLESALE PARTNERS.
SO WE KIND OF BROKER THAT EXCHANGE, UM, BETWEEN OUR BUYERS AND, AND THE REFUGE COMMUNITY FARMERS.
AND, UM, SO IT'S, IT'S BOTH A FOOD ACCESS OPPORTUNITY AS WELL AS A ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM.
AND DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ABOUT THE PROGRAM? UH, I WILL, I MEAN, I, I KNOW WE WANNA KEEP IT BRIEF AND, UH, I JUST WANNA ALSO HIGHLIGHT HOW MUCH, UM, COMING FROM REALLY THE HYPER, UH, SPECIALIZED WORLD WITH, UM, REFUGEE SERVICE PROVIDERS AND DOING THAT WORK AT THE LOCAL STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
UH, I CAN SPEAK, COMING TO COMING TO THIS ORGANIZATION, IT SHOW IT'S REALLY VERY MUCH NEEDED.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, FOOD SERVICE PROVIDERS AND, AND FOOD ACCESS, UH, SAFETY NETS THAT I HAVE SEEN IN TIMES OF EMERGENCIES BE SENT TO REFUGEES, BE SENT TO THEIR, TO THE FOOD PANTRIES OR HAVE THESE DELIVERIES DURING COVID, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL BE RECEIVING SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA COOK WITH IT.
IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA GO EXPIRED.
IT'LL BE, YOU'LL GET A BAG OF MULTI SEVERAL POUNDS OF FOOD AND YOU SAY, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THESE CANNED GREEN BEANS? I DON'T WANT TO USE THAT? WE PICK OUT OF ALL THAT, PICK OUT ONE, YOU KNOW, BAG OF RICE.
AND THAT'S LIKE, OKAY, THAT'S SOMETHING I ACTUALLY WILL USE AND RECOGNIZE AND WE'LL WORK WITH.
SO, UH, IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL TO HAVE THIS ALSO BE LED SOME OF THAT BE LED BY, BY REFUGEES AND, AND, AND FORMED BY REFUGEES AND WHAT THEY MAY BE MISSING FROM THE STORES THAT THEY CAN'T GET HERE AS MUCH THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GROW.
UM, AS WELL AS, UH, THE, THE CONNECTION TO THE LAND, IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF HAVING, OF, OF HOW SOCCER IS LIKE A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE FOR, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT AROUND THE WORLD, BEING ABLE TO FIND, LIKE, HAVE THAT CONNECTION.
EVEN WHEN WE'RE LEARNING ENGLISH, WE CAN ALL LEARN ABOUT, WE ALL KNOW SOCCER AND, AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, UH, FARMING IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT, WHERE LIKE EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING THAT THAT, THAT YOU CAN FEEL A LOT OF, LIKE A SENSE OF FEELING LIKE THEY'RE KIND OF GETTING COMING HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME WHEN YOU SEE THEM STEP ON THE FARM AND RECOGNIZE A LOT OF THESE, THESE FOODS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THE NAME FOR YET, BUT THEY KNOW 'CAUSE THEY'VE WORKED WITHIN HARVESTED BEFORE.
UM, AND SO THROUGH THOSE TWO INITIATIVES, THE CULTURALLY DESIRED CSA AND THE COMMUNITY FARMER PROGRAM, WE'VE MANAGED TO DELIVER 78,000 POUNDS OF FOOD SINCE 2022.
SO A PRETTY, PRETTY LARGE AMOUNT.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GRADUATES OF THE PROGRAM TO ENTER OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN PROGRAM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY PERENNIAL SPACE THAT THEY CAN HAVE AS LONG AS WE ARE THERE AT OUR LEASE.
UH, THEY CAN HAVE SOME SPACE OUT THERE TO GROW FOR THEIR FAMILIES AFTER THEY GRADUATE FROM THE ONE YEAR PROGRAM.
AND IF THEY'RE ENTREPRENEURIALLY MINDED, THEY CAN ALSO GO INTO OUR FARM INCUBATOR PROGRAM WHERE THEY CAN, UM, ACTUALLY START THEIR OWN FARMING BUSINESSES AND WE CAN SUPPORT THEM WITH THAT.
UM, SO JUST TO FOCUS ON THE CULTURALLY DESIRED PIECE FOR A MINUTE, UM, SO BASICALLY THE WAY THAT WE APPROACH THAT, 'CAUSE AS SARAH SAID, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THERE'S UNFAMILIAR INGREDIENTS, THEY CAN END UP GOING TO WASTE OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT WHAT, UH, REFUGEE POPULATIONS NEED TO BEST NOURISH THEIR COMMUNITIES.
UH, SO BASICALLY FOR OUR CSAS, WE DISTRIBUTED SURVEYS TO FOLKS AFTER THE FIRST SEASON AND IT WAS BASICALLY A PICTURE AND THEN THE NAME OF THE VEGETABLE IN THEIR LANGUAGE, AND THEY HAD A ONE TO FIVE SCALE AND THEN ALSO LET US KNOW THEIR NATIONALITY.
AND SO FROM THAT WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF DETERMINE WHAT IS IT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AN AFGHAN FAMILY REALLY WOULD HAVE EVERY WEEK IF THEY COULD, AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS THEY'RE TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR WITH AND END UP THROWING AWAY MOST WEEKS.
UM, AND SO, UH, AT THE TIME IT WAS A LOT OF, UH, NEW AFGHAN ARRIVALS AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO TAILOR A CSA SHARE THAT HAD A LOT OF SALAD INGREDIENTS IN IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF LETTUCE AND RADISHES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THEY WERE REALLY UNFAMILIAR WITH AND DIDN'T REALLY, UM, CARE FOR THINGS LIKE COOKED GREENS, SO LIKE KALE OR COLLARDS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY WERE KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS? UM, AS WELL AS BUTTERNUT SQUASH AS ONE THAT THEY WERE JUST KIND OF LIKE NOT, UH, NOT INTO EVEN AFTER WE KIND OF SHOWED THEM WHAT YOU COULD DO WITH IT.
UH, SO, SO ANYWAY, I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT REALLY SETS OUR PROGRAM APART FROM OTHER ONES IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT CULTURALLY DESIRED PIECE, BEFRIEND CENTER, ESPECIALLY WITH REFUGEES GROWING THE FOOD FOR THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, IT'S A MUCH MORE EMPOWERING SITUATION.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES FOOD ACCESS PROGRAMMING IS SORT OF LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE LEFTOVERS OF THE INDUSTRIAL FOOD SUPPLY.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THIS SORT OF PROGRAM WE CAN DO A LOT BETTER AND ALSO PRESERVE PEOPLE'S CULINARY TRADITIONS AND THEIR NEW HOMES AS WELL IS A REALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF IT.
UM, SO, UH, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT A LITTLE BIT OF THE DATA COLLECTION WE'VE DONE, WE WORKED WITH UT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH ON THE EVALUATION AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM ON THE EVALUATION FOR THE COMMUNITY FARMER PROGRAM.
AND THEY'VE PUBLISHED TWO REPORTS NOW, UM,
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BASED ON, UH, THE EDUCATION MODULES THAT WE'VE DONE AND KIND OF TRACKING THE LEARNING THROUGH THOSE WITH PRE AND POST TESTS, AS WELL AS SOME SURVEYS THAT, UH, THAT FOCUS ON THE DIFFERENT INDICATORS IN OUR, OUR GRANT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY THROUGH THE OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT.THAT'S WHAT'S FUNDING IT CURRENTLY.
ARPA KIND OF FUNDED IT BACK THEN, AND NOW IT'S SOLELY THROUGH THIS, UH, WRAP GRANT, WHICH IS REFUGEE AGRICULTURAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.
IT'S A FEDERAL GRANT THROUGH OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT.
AND SO AS PART OF THAT, WE HAVE A SET OF INDICATORS WE'RE WORKING TOWARD, AND UT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH HAS DESIGNED SURVEYS AND INDICATOR QUESTIONS TO HELP US TRACK THAT.
UM, AND SO THIS IS VERY TINY WRITING ON THE SCREEN, BUT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND ACTUALLY I SENT ALONG THE, UH, THE, THE, THIS REPORT, SO IT'S CAN BE SENT ALONG WITH THE SLIDES AS AN ATTACHMENT AFTER THE PRESENTATION IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED IN LOOKING IT OVER.
BUT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE FOUND THAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY SALIENT IS THAT IN AMONG OUR COMMUNITY FARMER POPULATION, THE FOOD INSECURITY RATE WAS AROUND 21%.
UM, AND I THINK THE CURRENT OVERALL AUSTIN FOOD INSECURITY RATE IS 16%.
AND SO IT REALLY JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS THE, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PARTICULAR POPULATION, UM, STRUGGLES WITH, WITH FOOD INSECURITY ON AN, ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS IN WAYS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER, OTHER FOLKS MIGHT NOT.
SO I THINK THAT HAVING BOTH THE CSA DELIVERIES AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY FARMER PROGRAM IS A REALLY DIRECT AND EMPOWERING WAY TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, AND AGAIN, SOME MORE TINY WRITING, BUT THIS IS, UH, THIS IS SOME OF THE QUANTITATIVE DATA THAT WE WERE ABLE, OR QUALITATIVE DATA THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, TO GATHER AS WELL.
AND, UM, I THINK IT REALLY SPOKE TO A LOT OF WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO, TO DESIGN THE PROGRAM FOR, WHICH IS TO HAVE NOT ONLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFITS OF EATING HEALTHY ORGANIC PRODUCE, BUT ALSO MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF GETTING OUT IN GREEN SPACE WITH YOUR FAMILY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, QUOTES IN THIS DOCUMENT FROM AFGHAN FAMILIES, FOR INSTANCE, WHERE A GRANDFATHER WAS REALLY EXCITED TO KIND OF SHARE HIS FARMING KNOWLEDGE WITH HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN OUT ON THE FARM.
SO REALLY KIND OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, UM, IN A BEAUTIFUL SETTING TO GROW FOOD TOGETHER, UM, THAT HELPS NOURISH THEIR HOUSEHOLD.
SO JUST REALLY TRYING TO MAKE EVERY ASPECT OF IT SOMETHING THAT ENRICHES FOLKS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE GOT FOR THE TODAY.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD OR, UH, NO, THANK YOU, MATT.
I MEAN, I JUST, UH, DEFINITELY WANNA REINFORCE THIS IS, UH, VERY, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO BE INVITED HERE, UH, TALKING ABOUT FOOD SECURITY AND ALSO THE HOLISTIC ACTS.
I WILL JUST, UH, LEAVE IT AT THAT
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION FOR TELLING US WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DOING AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WHAT WE'LL DO NEXT IS JUST RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS.
UM, I AM VERY CURIOUS, UH, HAVE YOU ALL SEEN ANY OF THE BUDGET CUTS STARTING TO AFFECT WHAT WORK YOU ARE DOING AND CAN DO ALREADY? UM, INTERESTINGLY, I THINK OUR PROGRAM ITSELF, UM, WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO END AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER OF 2025.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY GOT AN EXTENSION ON IT.
I THINK IT WAS FUNDS THAT WERE ALLOCATED DURING THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD RECEIVED THOSE FUNDS JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO SPEND THEM DOWN.
UM, SO EVEN THOUGH IT IS A PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS REFUGEES AND A LOT OF REFUGEE SUPPORT HAS BEEN CUT, UM, THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM HAS NOT BEEN AFFECTED BY THAT.
BUT I THINK SARAH PROBABLY KNOWS MORE ABOUT, ABOUT THAT LANDSCAPE THAN I DO.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? WELL, YEAH, JUST TO ADD, I MEAN THAT, THAT, UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF THERE THIS PROGRAM WRAP FUNDING, UH, AS WELL AS OTHERS, UH, THAT WERE, THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY, UH, FUNDED THROUGH ORR AND IN FACT, UH, YEAH, IT'S BEEN SOMETHING YOU CAN COUNT ON.
I WOULD SAY THIS IS THE LAST, THIS IS THE LAST YEAR WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE EXPECT ANY OF THE, THAT KIND OF FUNDING OR SUPPORT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, I'M NOT EXPECTING, UH, A NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TO COME FOR, UH, AT THE TIMES THAT WE WOULD USUALLY EXPECT THOSE ANNUALLY WITHOUT, WITHOUT FAIL, EVEN IF SOMETIMES THE AMOUNTS MIGHT BE DIFFERENT.
UH, SO WE'RE PROBABLY NOT EXPECTING THAT NEXT TIME.
I WOULD, I WOULD ADD TOO THAT ONE, ONE WAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED IS THAT, YOU KNOW, RECRUITMENT FOR THESE PROGRAMS. 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT A RESETTLEMENT AGENCY.
LIKE, WE'RE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH PEOPLE AS THEY'RE ARRIVING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MORE ON THE KIND OF SECOND, SECOND, UH, TIER OF, OF CONNECTION, I GUESS.
UM, SO WE DO RELY A LOT ON WORKING WITH RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES IN
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ORDER TO RECRUIT FOR OUR PROGRAM.UM, AND THAT IS ONE AREA THAT I THINK WE HAVE NOTICED THE FUNDING CUTS REALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME EFFECT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CAPACITY OF MANY DIFFERENT REFUGEE, UM, SERVING ORGANIZATIONS AND LIKE OFFICIAL FEDERALLY FUNDED RESETTLEMENT ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN CUT TO WHERE THEY HAVE MUCH FEWER CASE MANAGERS.
YOU KNOW, THEY JUST BASICALLY HAVE OUR OFFERING LIKE LEGAL SERVICES AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF IT, THEY HAVE LESS DISCRETIONARY FUNDING TO REALLY TRY TO GET PEOPLE INTO PROGRAMS LIKE OURS.
SO THAT'S WHERE I WOULD SAY THE FUNDING CUTS HAVE BEEN MOST FELT IS JUST THE PEOPLE WE RECRUIT THROUGH ARE NOT AS, UH, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIVE AND THEY JUST DON'T HAVE AS MUCH CAPACITY.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK, ALSO ADD THAT IT IS, UM, I I THINK IT WAS, IT, IT, THE 80% NUMBER IS THE NUMBER THAT I KNEW IS 80% OF, OF, UH, RE RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES LAYOFFS, UM, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AT SOME POINT.
THAT WAS, UM, WHERE I CAME FROM
UM, SO IT IS LIKE A HUGE, THAT DOES HAVE AN IMPACT EVEN IF, UH, WE KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONCERN FOR FUTURE FUNDING SUPPORT, UH, BUT REALLY ALSO IN TERMS OF THE, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE SERVING, UH, THAT THEY HAVE A WHOLE LOT LESS, UH, PEOPLE SUPPORT AND PEOPLE TO CALL ON.
THERE'S A LOT LESS OF THE CASE MANAGERS TO CALL ON WHEN YOU SAY MY SNAP WAS CUT OFF OR I, I MY SNAP, I RAN OUT OF MY SNAP.
AND YOU KNOW, IF SOME MY BENEFITS, I DON'T HAVE THAT ACCESS TO A LOT LESS SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, ABILITY TO ACCESS SUPPORT BECAUSE OF THAT DECREASE IN CAPACITY AND RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES TOO.
SO THAT EXACERBATES THE CHALLENGES FOR THE REFUGEE POPULATION.
UM, THIS IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION, BUT YOU'VE BROUGHT UP A REALLY INTERESTING POINT ABOUT THE ABILITY FOR MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES TO ENGAGE IN THE WORK.
I LOVE DIGGING IN THE DIRT, SO I GET THAT PART.
IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE OR HAVE YOU HAD ANY EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT MAYBE FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE THAT DECREASES OR ELIMINATES A CALCULATION, DECREASES OR ELIMINATES, WHAT WAS THAT LAST ONE? THE, THE TENDENCY FOR PREVIOUSLY, UM, HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD THAT TRAJECTORY OF, UM, BETTER HEALTH IN THEIR RESIDENT COUNTRIES, BUT WHEN THEY COME HERE, THEY, THAT TENDS TO FALL OFF OVER TIME DUE TO THE STRESS OF THE DIFFERENT CULTURE SITUATION? YEAH, I'VE DEFINITELY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FOLKS WHO ARE ON OUR PRIMARY FARM PRODUCTION TEAM, WE EMPLOY EIGHT PEOPLE YEAR ROUND WHO GROW FOR THE CSA AND THINGS.
UM, I MEAN, I'VE HEARD FIRSTHAND FROM THEM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHENEVER THEY'VE ALL BEEN HERE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT WHEN THEY FIRST ARRIVED, JUST SAYING LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, I'M GLAD THAT I HAVE ACCESS TO THE FOOD HERE AT THE FARM BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE WAY THAT THE SORT OF LIKE THE, THE GROCERY STORE SYSTEM WORKED AND I WAS EATING A LOT OF FAST FOOD AND, AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK I'VE HEARD FIRSTHAND THAT THAT'S DEFINITELY A CONCERN, WHICH AGAIN, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO OFFER IS JUST THAT ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO CARRY ON THOSE FARMING TRADITIONS THAT THEY HAD AT HOME AND AND ACTUALLY MAINTAIN ACCESS.
'CAUSE A LOT OF THESE INGREDIENTS, LIKE ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS, UM, ALL OF OUR FOLKS FROM MYANMAR, A LOT OF THE BURMESE FOLKS, THEY, UH, THEY HAVE, UH, A, A CERTAIN GREEN THAT THEY EAT, WHICH IS ROSEL HIBISCUS GREENS.
SO IT'S LIKE THE HIBISCUS TEA, BUT THEY ACTUALLY EAT THE LEAVES OF THE PLANT, NOT NECESSARILY THE FLOUR THAT'S MADE FOR THE TEA.
UM, AND A COUPLE OF OUR, OUR FOLKS ON OUR, ON OUR PRIMARY FARM TEAM, THEY'LL BRING A DISH OF THIS ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN IT'S IN SEASON.
SO IT'S REALLY JUST A STAPLE OF THE CUISINE.
UM, SO, SO YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IN A LOT OF THESE, UM, CULTURES, LIKE PEOPLE REALLY DO UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF A LOT OF THESE PLANTS, MAYBE ON A, ON A SORT OF MORE INTUITIVE LEVEL THAN, THAN WE DO, THAN MOST PEOPLE IN AMERICA DO.
UM, AND SO PROVIDING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF CARRY ON THAT TRADITION IS SOMETHING THAT THAT IS REALLY POWERFUL, YOU KNOW, FROM A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.
I AM ALSO CURIOUS, 78,000 POUNDS OF FOOD IN TWO, FOUR YEARS.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD ROUGHLY EQUATE TO IF WE HAD TO PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT TO IT? YEAH, I MEAN, WHOLESALE PRICE WISE, LIKE WHENEVER WE SELL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FEW WHOLESALE BUYERS, AND I WOULD SAY THAT MOST WHOLESALE CROPS ARE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN $2 AND $2 50 CENTS A POUND.
SO AROUND $150,000, I WOULD SAY.
[00:25:01]
AND YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT WE, THE WAY THAT WE APPROACH THAT WHEN WE'RE SEEKING FUNDING, UM, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S, IT'S EASIER TO CALCULATE FROM THE CULTURALLY DESIRED CSA SIDE BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY SELL A SIMILAR PRODUCT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND SO THAT'S $35 FOR THIS SEVEN TO NINE ITEM SHARE.UM, AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE, THAT WE KIND OF FRAME IT TO PEOPLE IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THESE, LIKE $35 WILL ESSENTIALLY FEED, YOU KNOW, A FAMILY OF, OF FOUR WITH VEGETABLES FOR ABOUT A WEEK.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE WAY THAT WE KIND OF FRAME IT FOR FOLKS.
BUT AGAIN, A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN MULTI-GENE GENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS THAT MIGHT HAVE, YOU KNOW, EIGHT OR NINE PEOPLE, LIKE FOUR ADULTS AND, AND SEVERAL KIDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT AS WELL.
SO YEAH, KINDA HAVE TO FACTOR THAT IN AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, IS I'M JUST CURIOUS, HAVE YOU ALL EVER CONSIDERED LOOKING INTO, UM, EXPANDING HOW, WHAT YOU ALL DO INTO GREEN ROOF SPACES OR IN MORE OF THE, UH, I'M INTENTIONALLY ASKING THIS QUESTION, SO IT IS A LITTLE LEADING, BUT YOU HA HAPPY TO SAY NO.
UM, WE HAVE SO MUCH CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING.
WE HAVE SO MANY ROOFS AVAILABLE.
UH, WE DON'T DO IT TOO OFTEN, BUT HAVE YOU ALL THOUGHT ABOUT DOING GREEN ROOF INFRASTRUCTURES FOR FARMING? IT HASN'T REALLY BEEN ON OUR RADAR, HONESTLY, BUT I'M, I'M HAPPY TO CHAT ABOUT IT
IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN INCREASED AMOUNT OF LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION, IT'S, YOU KNOW, PRETTY ESSENTIAL.
I WILL, I WILL ASK FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, BUT I WILL ALSO SAY, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE OF A WAY THAT WE COULD CREATE THIS AS AN INCENTIVE, IF THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS FOR OTHER, UH, POLICIES AND I THINK I'M LOOKING TO COMMISSIONER DOSEN WHO IS, WHO IS ALSO WORKING ON SOMETHING SIMILAR.
UM, BUT I THINK IF WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING CONSTANTLY, THERE COULD BE A WAY TO MAYBE PITCH PRESENT THAT THIS IS, IS SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK INTO AND WE'VE SEEN WHAT 150 K CAN DO.
AND SO WHAT IF WE COULD DOUBLE THAT? OR WHAT IF WE COULD TRIPLE THAT AND WHAT IMPACT WOULD THAT MAKE ON OUR TOTAL COMMUNITY? UM, YEAH.
I WILL HAVE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS VIA EMAIL THROUGH DANNY, BUT OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UM, EX OFFICIOS QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTERS FROM THE REFUGEE COMMISSIONER ALI, PLEASE.
YEAH, THANKS SO MUCH, MATT, SARAH, FOR COMING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE THE PRIVILEGE OF, YEAH, I MEAN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ACTUALLY RECEIVED SOME AMOUNT OF FUNDING FROM OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE, UM, FORMERLY OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
FORMERLY OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, AND THEY'VE SUPPORTED OUR REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE EFFORTS, UM, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE, THE CARBON FARM PLANNING THAT I WAS MENTIONING.
UH, AND, UH, WE ALSO DID A COMPOSTING PILOT PROJECT WITH THEM, UM, FOOD WASTE INNOVATION GRANT THIS PAST YEAR WHERE WE SET UP AN ON ON FARM FARM SCALE COMPOSTING FACILITY AS WELL.
UM, SO, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT MODEL OF WORKING WITH THAT OFFICE IN PARTICULAR HAS, HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN GREAT.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THEY RECOGNIZE NOT ONLY THE CLIMATE BENEFITS OF, UM, REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, BUT ALSO THE, THE KNOCK ON HEALTH BENEFITS, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH A
[00:30:01]
LOT OF OUR FOOD GOING TOWARD THE REFUGEE POPULATION.UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE, THE KIND OF, UH, THE SORT OF TIME WHEN WE WERE REALLY ROCKING AND ROLLING AND DELIVERING LIKE 80 OF THESE CSA SHARES EVERY WEEK, AND WE HAD AS MANY AS LIKE 33 PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY FARMER PROGRAM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME IT WAS REALLY JUST THAT THAT ARPA FUNDING WAS KIND OF ALLOWING US TO REALLY EXPLORE WHAT OUR CAPACITY COULD BE.
UM, AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I KNOW RIGHT NOW WITH BUDGET CONCERNS THAT THE CITY LIKE NEW PROPOSALS ARE NOT, UM, THAT EASY TO PROPOSE, UH, AND THEN SEE THROUGH.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WERE SOME MECHANISM IN THE CITY, ESPECIALLY FOR ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE GATHERING GOOD HEALTH DATA, TO HAVE SORT OF LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, NUTRIENT DENSE FOOD HEALTH INITIATIVES WHERE FARMS THAT WERE SUPPORTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING SUPPORTED THROUGH THE CITY AS ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH, UM, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE OTHER SORT OF HEALTHCARE INITIATIVES.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A, A BEAUTIFUL THING.
UM, SO YEAH, LIKE KIND OF A FOOD AS MEDICINE APPROACH.
THANKS FOR, FOR BRINGING THAT TERM IN AS WELL.
UM, YEAH, WE'VE ATTENDED THE FOOD AS MEDICINE SUMMIT THAT THE UT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH PEOPLE, UM, PUT ON, I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER ONE COMING UP, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S A REAL SCENE AROUND THAT AND SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS KIND OF COMING TOGETHER TO SEEK GRANTS FOR IT, PRODUCE PRESCRIPTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO, TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER SORT OF PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING, UM, APPARATUSES THERE ARE TO, TO REALLY APPROACH THOSE FROM THAT FOOD AS MEDICINE ANGLE AND SEE HOW TO TAP INTO THAT.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY, NOT JUST FROM OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT FROM A LOT OF THE, UM, A LOT OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN, WHETHER THEY'RE DOING FOOD DISTRIBUTION, FOOD PREPARATION, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY LIKE CLINICAL, UM, LIKE CLINICAL WORK.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS KIND OF CAN COALESCE IN A WAY THAT CAN KIND OF MOVE THE WHOLE PROJECT FORWARD IF THERE'S RESOURCES FOR IT.
DON'T THINK YOU, I KNOW THE LAST MEGAN, PLEASE.
NO, IT'S AL ALWAYS GRATEFUL FOR CENTRAL HEALTH AND HAVING THAT AS A, UM, SAFETY NET, UH, FOR A LOT OF THE POPULATION THAT AREN'T ELIGIBLE FOR, FOR OTHER, UM, TYPES OF INSURANCE COVERAGE.
UM, MAP IS ABSOLUTE A LOT, A LOT OF OUR INDIVIDUALS, IF THEY'RE NOT ON OTHER, UM, ALREADY ABLE TO GET ONTO, YOU KNOW, MEDICAID OR ANYTHING, THEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA BE ON MAP
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT BRIDGE WAS BUILT.
SARAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME FOR COMMUNICATING WITH US AND SHARING WHAT YOU DO.
UH, I CHALLENGE IF Y'ALL WANNA COME OUT TO THE FARM SOMETIMES CHALLENGE, I'LL CHALLENGE YOU NOT TO SEE YOUR CORTISOL LEVELS LOWERED
YEAH, WE GOT VOLUNTEER DAYS ON FRIDAY SPRING ARE COMING UP TOO.
YEAH, WE'RE HAVING A BRU BRUNCH AROUND THE WORLD IN APRIL, SO YOU CAN FIND OUT ABOUT ALL THOSE SORTS OF THINGS ON THE WEBSITE.
YEAH, I WILL SAVE OTHER DISCUSSIONS, UH, AROUND THAT PRESENTATION FOR, UM, ACTUALLY OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH I THINK WILL BE PERFECT TO JUST SEGUE INTO, UM, OTHER IDEAS OR WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION, UM, ESPECIALLY AROUND FOOD ACCESS AND THE HEALTH CONNECTIONS AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH NEED.
[Items 3 & 4]
ITEM IS[00:35:01]
ITEM THREE, WHICH IS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS GOALS SET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, WHICH IF YOU, UH, REMEMBER FROM OUR LAST MEETING, WE WENT OVER FIVE DIFFERENT GOALS, UM, THAT WE CAN ACTIVATE FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OF OUR 2026 FISCAL YEAR.UH, JUST TO LIKE HIGH LEVEL GO OVER THOSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, GOAL ONE IS OF COURSE LOOKING AT THE FOOD PLAN AND SUPPORT, UH, VIA THE FOOD BOARD AND BOARD COMMITTEE, BOARD ADVISORY FOOD PLAN, BO FOOD PLAN ADVISORY BOARD.
AND IF THERE'S CORRECTIONS, WE'LL MAKE THAT LATER.
UH, SO THIS IS PART OF OUR FIRST STEP OF THAT CONVERSATION OF WHAT IS IT THAT WE WANT TO DO WITHIN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SCOPE, UH, WITHIN OUR REALM OF DUTIES AND, UH, CAPABILITIES.
OUR GOAL, TOO WAS TO LOOK AT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS SUCH AS UT EXPLORING OTHER DATA ASSET ASPECTS, UH, HOW WE CAN USE THE DATA THAT THEY ARE GATHERING, UM, TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING.
UH, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING IN, AND THIS IS A, A TWO PART FOR THE REFUGEE COLLECTIVE TO COME VISIT US TODAY.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE REFUGEE, UH, EQUITY AND HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE HAD, UH, GOAL FOUR, WHICH WAS GENERAL PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION AND AWARENESS, UH, NOT ONLY FOR OURSELVES, UH, BUT ALSO HOW CAN WE SUPPORT AND DISSEMINATING INFORMATION NOT ONLY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE CONNECTED TO, BUT UM, SUPPORTING OUR EX OFFICIOS AND WHAT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, UM, AND AMPLIFYING THAT WORK AS WELL.
AND THEN THE FINAL GOAL, WHICH IS OUR FIFTH GOAL, UH, IS LOOKING AT ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PUBLIC HEALTH IS NOT AT THE FOREFRONT OF CONVERSATIONS, UM, AND HOW WE CAN POTENTIALLY DO SOME PREVENTATIVE WORK, ALTHOUGH I KNOW WE ARE IN MULTIPLE CRISIS MODES OF ROLLERCOASTERS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO, UM, ANYBODY HAVE UPDATES, NOTES? UM, I KNOW MY ASK WAS TO THINK ON THESE GOALS, UM, AND SEE WHERE CAN WE COME IN.
UM, I THINK THAT IF THERE WERE QUESTIONS DANNY WAS GIVE WAS, WAS GIVEN THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE JUST A BRIEF GENERAL CONVERSATION OF HOW WE CAN ACTIVATE THESE GOALS, ESPECIALLY HEARING WHAT WE HEARD TODAY.
UM, I WILL THROW OUT, AND, UH, ANNA IS HERE, SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN DEFINITELY BRING ME BACK, UM, IN THE LANE, BUT JUST THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO A RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT IS AN INCENTIVE FOR THE BUILDERS.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE GREEN ROOFS ON YOUR BUILDINGS? UM, IF YOU'RE VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THIS, MALAYSIA HAS FIGURED IT OUT, UH, AND DROVES.
UM, AND SO AS PART OF THE UK, BUT BASICALLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS PUTTING GREEN WALL STRUCTURES NOT ONLY TO SUPPORT WITH THE HEAT AND INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING, BUT THEY'RE ALSO ACTUALLY PUTTING SMALL FARMS ON ROOFTOPS.
UM, SOME OF THEM ARE HYDROPONIC, SOME OF THEM ARE IN FACT, UH, PLANTED.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S A WAY TO EXPLORE HOW WE CAN SPEAK UP AND SAY, THIS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE INCENTIVE SIDE IS MORE OF THE COUNTY'S WORK THAN IT IS FOR THE CITY, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WILL THROW OUT TO INITIATE THE CONVERSATION, RECEIVE FEEDBACK, PUSHBACK, AND ALIGNMENT FROM EVERYBODY.
DIRECTOR, I FEEL LIKE YOU ARE GETTING READY TO PUSH THAT MICROPHONE.
STIR, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH APOLOGIES CHAIR.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONERS FOR MY TARDINESS.
I WAS ACROSS THE HALL PRESENT PRESENTING AT THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, I, I WOULD, I WOULD WONDER, I'M WONDERING WHAT A CONVERSATION WITH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION WOULD YIELD, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE, WE, WE HAVE LEVERAGE AS, AS A CITY TO FIX THINGS THAT WE DON'T OFTEN EXPLORE.
OUR FIRST REACTION IS TO THROW MONEY AT SOMETHING.
BUT IF WE ARE ATTRACTING DEVELOPMENT AND WE'RE GIVING INCENTIVES TO, TO DEVELOPERS AND PEOPLE BUILDING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, LIKE, YEAH, THAT SHOULD BE ADDED IN THERE.
LIKE, YOU NEED TO MEET A CERTAIN STANDARD.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT IT INTELLIGENTLY, WHICH IS WHY I SAID
[00:40:01]
MAYBE IT'S A CONVERSATION WE CAN HAVE WITH YOUR COUNTERPART COMMISSION.UM, YEAH, I'LL TAKE THAT FEEDBACK COMMENTS ONLINE, PLEASE.
ANNA? UH, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU YET.
AND YOU SAID THAT WAS TRANSPORTATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES, RIGHT? AND CALL IT T AND R.
AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT DANNY PUT THIS OUT TO EVERYBODY, AND IF NOT, HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T REMEMBER.
UH, BUT I VOLUNTEERED SOME FOLKS FOR OUR GOALS.
UM, SO I WILL BE SURE TO ACTUALLY LOOP IN FOUR COMMISSIONERS ON THIS, THIS CONVERSATION, UM, THAT CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
SO WE AREN'T HAVING A WALKING QUORUM.
UH, JUST SO YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER LUHAN, UH, COMMISSIONER ALI, COMMISSIONER WITTY, AND COMMISSIONER DOLHA.
I'M GONNA SEND EMAILS AND PUT YOUR NAMES ON THEM.
YOU'LL KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.
DANNY'S REALLY DOING IT, BUT I'LL BE, THERES TRIBUTE.
OTHER IDEAS, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PERCOLATING SINCE THE LAST MONTH.
UM, I'LL DO A QUICK WHILE YOU ALL ARE THINKING OF THAT.
I'LL DO ONE QUICK UPDATE ON, UH, MY ACTION ITEM.
THAT WAS THE KISMET ENERGY BETWEEN MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER RICE.
UH, I'VE REACHED OUT TO THE EX OFFICIOS.
THEY DO BELIEVE THAT DOING A NEWSLETTER SHOULD BE PRETTY EASY.
UH, IT'S A COMPILATION OF INFORMATION.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP WORKING ON FINALIZING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND GETTING THAT OUT TO EVERYBODY.
AND I THINK THAT WAS MY DELIVERABLE AS FAR AS GOALS AND COMMUNICATION FOR THE COMMISSION.
UM, UPDATES, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
ON A SEXUAL HEALTH FUNDING RECOMMENDATION.
I'VE RECEIVED THE DATA THAT I REQUESTED FROM A PH, WHICH IS SUPER APPRECIATED.
SO BY NEXT MEETING, I'LL HAVE A DRAFT OF THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I WANTED TO LEAVE THE SPACE, UH, AWKWARDLY SILENT TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING.
UM, THIS IS, I'M KIND OF COMBINING, UH, ITEM THREE AND FOUR, JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW.
UH, WHICH IS AN ITEM FOUR IS TO RECEIVE UPDATES FROM COMMISSIONERS ON ASSIGNED ACTION ITEMS. UM, SO WE ARE KIND OF MESHING ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER, UH, BEFORE WE LEAVE EITHER ONE OF THOSE, THOSE DISCUSSION ITEMS, UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR THEORIES, UH, ON THE FIVE GOALS, UM, AND THINGS WHERE THERE WAS STILL NEEDING FOR SOME CLARITY, THERE WAS STILL MAYBE SOME, UM, COLLABORATE, COLLABORATION NEEDS.
UH, I KNOW MY BIG VISION FOR THESE GOALS IS TO HAVE THINGS WE CAN TRACK TANGIBLY AND SAY, WE'VE DONE X, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE OUR MEETING WITH UT.
THEY HAVE SAID, WE, WE LOVE THIS COLLABORATIVE IDEA.
WE'RE READY TO BRING 35 STUDENTS TO SUPPORT YOU.
UM, THAT WAS WISHFUL THINKING, BUT JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE, UH,
SO ANYTHING OF THAT SORT, WHEN
[00:45:01]
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION AND AWARENESS, ECONOMIC IMPACTS, UM, THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T MAYBE DELVED TOO FAR INTO, BUT ALSO, UM, HAVE, HAVE THINGS TO SAY ON IT.I GUESS JUST FOR GOAL NUMBER FOUR, AS THE REPRESENTATIVE ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, I CAN CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, SHARE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT.
AND IT'S THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, SO THEY MAY BE REALLY GOOD AT CONNECTING SOME DOTS FOR US.
AND I'M WONDERING TOO, WOULD THIS, WOULD THEY BE ANOTHER GREAT GROUP TO TALK ABOUT THE GREEN ROOF SLASH I KNOW THEY, MY BRIEF TIME WITH THEM, THEY, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING WITH, UM, CONCRETE MM-HMM
THERE WAS SOME SORT OF CONCRETE THING HAPPENING,
UH, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS ABOUT PARAMETERS OF WHAT CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES COULD USE MM-HMM
AND WHY CERTAIN MATERIALS WOULD POTENTIALLY LIKE EMIT HAD, LIKE, AFTER SUCH SOME, YOU KNOW, CER CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, THEY WOULD THEN BREAK DOWN AND POLLUTE THE GROUND.
SO THEY HAD TO USE VERY SPECIFIC THINGS BECAUSE TEXAS IS HOT.
WOULD THIS BE ANOTHER TIME TO POTENTIALLY THROW OUT TO THEM? I THINK SO.
I THINK THAT'D BE A, AN IDEAL GROUP TO TALK TO ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU FOR THROWING THAT OUT TO US.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE COMMISSION IS, UM, FILLED WITH ALL DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVES, SO EVEN JUST SHARING WITH THEM WHAT WE'RE THINKING COULD SPARK SOME REALLY AMAZING CONVERSATIONS.
I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THE, UH, GOAL ONE.
GENUINELY WHAT WE CAN DO IS HAVE DANNY CONNECT YOU TO, UM, AND I ALWAYS FORGET HIS NAME.
UM, THE LOVELY GENTLEMAN WHO CAME AND GAVE US OUR PRESENTATION ON THE FOOD PLAN.
UM, WE CAN CONNECT YOU TO HIM, AND THEN FROM THERE YOU KIND OF CURATE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, UH, WHAT THAT RELATIONSHIP LOOKS LIKE.
IS IT, UM, AND I'M JUST THROWING THINGS OUT THERE, BUT IS IT, UM, YOU'LL MEET WITH THEM ONCE A MONTH TO DISCUSS, ELABORATE, UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE FOOD PLAN, UM, UM, SEE WHERE THERE'S OVERLAP THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT PUBLIC HEALTH SIDE OF THINGS VERSUS THE FOOD ADVISORY BOARD.
UM, AND THEN YOU, YOU CAN DETERMINE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
WE'LL WAIT FOR HIM TO COME BACK TO MAKE SURE THAT'S GOOD TO GO.
WE LOST YOUR VIDEO, BUT I HEAR YOU.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD FOR YOU? SOUNDS GREAT.
I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THE BACK CONNECTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I WILL BE SURE TO FOLLOW UP WITH DANNY TO MAKE SURE THAT, WHO I THINK WOULD BE PHENOMENAL FOR THESE GOALS, UH, IS, IS GET IS OUT.
DID WE ALREADY, WE DIDN'T SEND THAT OUT, DID WE? THAT'S FINE.
UH, WE'LL GET THAT OUT TOMORROW AT THE LATEST, SO YOU ALL WILL KNOW.
AND THEN IF THERE IS, UH, MUSICAL CHAIRS, TOTALLY FINE TO SWITCH OUT GOALS, JUMP TO DIFFERENT GOALS.
COMMISSIONER LUHAN, PLEASE TO BE CONNECTED TO SOME OF THE CO-OPS.
[00:50:01]
IF YOU COULD SEE, GAVA HAS DONE A LOT OF DATA AND YOU SPOKE ABOUT HAVING DATA.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE CARMEN YEZ.
I THINK I HAD SENT IN, UH, THE EMAIL THIS MORNING ABOUT OUR CONVERSATION.
I ONLY ASKED HER FOR A SUBMARINE OF THE HEB CONVERSATIONS THAT THEY'VE HAD.
UM, AS WE KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S FOCUSED ON DELL VALLEY, A LOT OF THE RURAL AREAS AND A LOT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAD 'EM DIRECTLY WITH THEM.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, UM, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD ACCESS.
AND RIGHT NOW BEING KIND OF, EVEN MYSELF, BEING EDUCATED ON CO-OPS AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY BRING.
YOU HAVE SOME, UH, BAKERIES THAT ARE USING FARMS. UH, YOU GOT FARMS THAT ARE CO-OPS AROUND HERE.
YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S A CO-OP THAT'S COMING TO DELL VALLEY.
A LOT OF CHALLENGES HAVE COME WITH THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY A GOOD, UH, PLACE TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT CO-OPS OWNERSHIP, UM, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO BUILD OFF THAT TO BE ABLE TO LIKE PROVIDE EDUCATION CLASSES.
UM, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A SPACE FOR CO-OPS IN THE FOOD PLANNING.
WELL, COMMISSIONER LUHAN, I THINK THERE IS, AND SINCE I WAS VOLUNTEERING YOU FOR THAT GOAL,
AND WHEN YOU COME UP WITH A, A WAY TO INTEGRATE THAT, UM, SHARE IT BACK TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND THEN WE CAN BREAK THAT DOWN INTO DISCUSSION WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, HOW THAT WORKS.
UM, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY WOULD, I DON'T THINK I WOULD SAY THAT MATTERS IF THERE ARE FOR-PROFIT OR NOT.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY 36 CENTS ON IT.
UH, IF PEOPLE ARE AT THE TABLE HAVING A CONVERSATION, THEN WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE.
UM, SO YEAH, MY, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO PUT THOSE THOUGHTS ONTO PAPER.
UM, SHARE THEM WITH COMMISSIONER ALI, WHO IS WORKING ON THE REFUGEE EQUITY AND HEALTH, UH, GOAL THAT WE HAVE.
UH, PUT SOME HOPEFUL IN RESULTS AND OUTCOMES TO THAT GOAL AND BRING IT BACK TO THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS IS, IS REALLY, OR AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPEFUL WITH THESE, UM, GOALS THAT WE'RE SETTING.
WE ARE PUTTING SOME OUTCOMES TOGETHER SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS.
AND THAT GIVES EVERYBODY ELSE TIME TO GET ACTIVATED, TO GET INTEGRATED IF THEY WANNA GET INTEGRATED OR IF THEY HAVE SOME SUPPORT THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING THAT IS JUST FOR EVERYONE THAT'S HERE IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR AGENCIES THAT THEY'RE WORKING FOR.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FOOD ACCESS RIGHT NOW, THE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST, GREATEST NEEDS THAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED HAS BEEN DELIVERING FOOD TO SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS DIRECTLY DUE TO THE FEAR OF GOING TO HEB.
UM, THE NEED HA IS, HAS EXPANDED.
SOME OF OUR CLIENTS HAVE CURBSIDE PICKUP, WHICH RIGHT NOW I FEEL THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE ORGANIZATION, AND I'M NOT THROWING IT OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S MY ORGANIZATION THAT IS ACTUALLY DOING THIS PICKUPS TO CURBSIDE TO THE CLIENTS.
BUT THE EXTENSION HAS BECOME THAT SOMETIMES NOW THE FAMILY'S NOT GETTING THEIR FUNDING FINANCIALLY, LIKE THE HUSBAND'S NOT GOING TO WORK, THEY'RE NOT BEING ABLE TO GO TO WORK.
SO NOT ONLY HAS IT CHANGED FROM FOOD ACCESS TO BEING ABLE TO, THE FEAR OF GOING TO THE STORE STORE, BUT NOW THE FINANCES IS, IS REALLY, UM, HURTING THE FAMILIES ABOUT BEING ABLE TO EVEN PURCHASE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF ADDING, WHEN WE TALK TO THE BUDGET, I'M, I'M PUTTING IT OUT THERE 'CAUSE I, YOU WOULD KNOW WHERE TO KIND OF PUT IT.
BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUDGET, REALLY SUPPORTING THE FOOD ACCESS BUDGET IN, IN THAT ASPECT, WHICH I KNOW CENTRAL HEALTH IS GREAT WHEN IT COMES TO A LOT OF LIKE, ROUNDUP SERVICES WITH THE CASE MANAGERS, WHERE WE CAN PUT SOME KIND OF FUNDING, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR FOOD ACCESS, WHERE IF THE FAMILY DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PURCHASE, THERE'S ADDITIONAL, UM, FUNDING FOR, I GUESS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SAY THE CENTRAL FOOD BANK, BUT ANYBODY ELSE OR ANY OTHER OF THESE AGENCIES THAT CAN SUPPORT IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
A LOT OF FOOD PANTRIES ARE CLOSED WHEN A LOT OF FAMILIES ARE NEEDING THE FOOD, UH, WEAKENED.
[00:55:01]
OF PUTTING IT OUT THERE.THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS COME OUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH FOOD ACCESS IS SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE POPPING UP RIGHT NOW IN OUR COMMUNITIES IS NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO GO BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID TO STEP OUT OF THEIR HOMES.
YOU BROUGHT UP A GREAT POINT, UM, JUST FOR CLARITY AND EVERYONE, I THINK WE SAW THE EMAIL FROM, UM, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THAT IF WE DO HAVE BUDGET SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS, THOSE ARE DUE BY DECEMBER, BY MARCH 31ST.
UH, SO IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE WANTING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR COMMISSIONER LUHAN, YOU WILL, UH, I THINK, OH, DANNY JUST LEFT.
UH, DIRECTOR, DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUDGETS? YEAH.
SO, UM, WE MIGHT, IT, I WILL SAY IT LIKE THIS, UH, COMMISSIONER LUHAN, IF THERE IS A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, UH, THAT WILL NEED TO BE CR CREATED, UH, CIRCULATED TO DAN OR SENT TO DANNY AND THEN CIRCULATED TO THE COMMISSIONERS, AND THEN WITH EDITS MADE, AND THEN POTENTIALLY AN EMERGENCY MEETING TO VOTE ON THAT RECOMMENDATION ALL BY MARCH 31ST.
IF THAT IS WHAT YOUR SPIRIT IS WANTING TO DO, UM, I SAY RUN FOR IT AND DO IT.
UM, I WILL ALSO SAY, IF THAT IS NOT SOUNDING LIKE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO, LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN BREAK DOWN EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE SAID AND INTEGRATE THAT INTO THE GOALS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON.
I KNOW WE ARE NOT A EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMISSION.
UM, WE, THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY NOT WHAT OUR CAPABILITIES ARE, BUT WE ARE A PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE ARE A LONG-TERM COMMISSION.
SO BEING ABLE TO SET SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT IS SAYING, UM, IF YOU CANNOT GO TO THE GROCERY STORE BECAUSE OF X AND YOU ARE GETTING SUPPORTED THROUGH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS Y WE BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY IN THIS WAY.
I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT SOUNDS LIKE, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I THINK THAT IS ONE WAY THAT WE CAN STILL BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE EXPERIENCING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WITHOUT SAYING IT'S TOO BIG OF A, A TASK TO HANDLE AND SOMETHING WE CAN'T DO, UH, IT JUST WON'T BE A RIGHT NOW THING WE COULD DO.
I HEARD, I SEE HEAD NODS, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR, SO YEAH.
IS THAT A, IS THAT CO-CHAIR? YES.
UH, AND THAT I WAS GONNA BRING THAT UP TO JUST LET EVERYONE KNOW IF WE ARE LOOKING AT BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, THAT IS WHAT WE WILL NEED TO GET DONE.
UM, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, MORE CONVERSATION ON GOALS, UH, ACTION ITEMS. COMMISSIONER RICE, PLEASE, FIRST OF ALL, UH, IT'S A GREAT MEETING TODAY.
THANK YOU CHAIR, ALWAYS FOR LEADING US.
UM, I'VE BEEN LISTENING AND REFLECTIVE, WHICH IS EASIER TO DO WHEN YOU'RE OFFSITE MAYBE THAN WHEN YOU'RE ON SITE.
SO, UM, I'LL HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS WITH THAT DISCLAIMER PERHAPS, WHICH IS TO SAY, UM, UM, I HAD TWO THINGS.
AND AGAIN, UM, THIS IS VERY ESOTERIC, PROBABLY.
I LOVE THE FOOD PRESENTATION TODAY.
AND I WONDERED HOW THAT COULD BE SCALED AND HOW WE WOULD THINK ABOUT THAT.
BUT HERE WOULD BE ONE QUESTION.
I'M HAVING AN AI MOMENT, 'CAUSE I DO, I'M HAVING AN AI MOMENT IN MY DAY JOB.
AND THE AI MOMENT IS IN TWO THINGS TO WONDER ABOUT, WONDERED.
ONE IS, HOW ARE PUBLIC HEALTH TEAMS AT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY LEVEL RIGHT NOW, UM, USE AI IF THEY HAVE PERMISSION TO USE AI, AND IF THEY'RE WORKING IN SOLVING PROBLEMS AND PUTTING DATA SETS IN, WHICH WOULD IN ONE SCOPE, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO BE ANALYZED THE OLD FASHIONED WAY WITH EXCEL AND TRYING TO GET A SOME GRAPH OR SOMETHING.
IN, IN THE, IN OUR WORLD, IN MY WORLD, OUR COMPANY HAS SOMEHOW GOT A LICENSED SO THAT I CAN DROP ANY KIND OF DATA I WANT TO, INTO CHAT GPT AND, AND ASK YOU FOR ALL KINDS OF COMPLICATED QUESTIONS.
AND, AND IT, IT GIVES YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, ANSWERS, WHICH IN RECENT WEEKS AND MONTHS, PEOPLE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OLD VERSION OF THESE, UM, AI PRODUCTS CHAT, GPT, CLOT, ET CETERA, OLD MEANING LIKE
[01:00:01]
THREE MONTHS AGO ARE FAR DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY ARE NOW.AND SO, ANYWAY, SO ONE PLACE I WONDERED IS THAT I WONDERED, UM, NOT TO BE ANSWERED TODAY, BUT JUST WONDERED IF, IF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COLLEAGUES IN THE, IN THE, UM, CITY AND COUNTY ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT AND IF THEY HAVE PERMISSIONS TO USE THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, KIND OF IDEAS.
I HAVE A SECOND THING, BUT I'LL PAUSE A SECOND AND, UM, SEE IF, UM, ANYBODY HAS A REACTION BEYOND NAUSEA.
UM, NO, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UM, THE WORLD'S HAVING AN AI MOMENT, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING IT UP HERE ALSO.
UM, THE THOUGHT THAT CAME UP WAS, UM, AROUND THE DISCUSSIONS WITH UT AND MAYBE THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, COLLABORATE WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, AROUND THAT'S NEXT.
JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, A PH WAS ONE OF THE BETA DEPARTMENTS TO USE AI FOR CERTAIN, UM, TASKS.
AND SO WE'RE NOT USING IT FOR POPULATION HEALTH DATA, UM, JUST YET.
UH, THE CITY MADE A DECISION TO SWITCH TO COPILOT AND THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH SECURITY AND USING, UM, THOSE DATA SETS IN THAT PLATFORM.
BUT, UM, WHAT WE DID PILOT WITH CHAT, GPT WAS KIND OF ANALYZING OTHER DATA AND REPORTS.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE ON THE, I'M HOPING THAT THE CITY IS ON THE VERGE FOR FIGURING IT OUT FOR A WAY FOR US TO USE IT, UM, WITH THE TYPE OF INFORMATION AND DATA THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TO ANALYZE BILLS, WE, WE USED IT, UM, YEAH, IN DIFFERENT, LIKE, OTHER LENGTHY DOCUMENTS AND KIND OF MATCHING IT UP AGAINST SOME DATA SETS THAT ARE NOT HIPAA PROTECTED.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, BLAZE A TRAIL HERE.
I DON'T LIKE THAT IT WASTES A LOT OF WATER, BUT IT SAVES A LOT OF TIME.
SO JUST, UH, THANK YOU, UH, DR. RICE AND, UM, JUST TO COMMENT THAT OR MAYBE ENSURE THAT THE RECORD IS CORRECT, BUT THE ONLY LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE COUNTY, UH, CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE HAVE AN, UH, HEALTH HUMAN SERVICES AND INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES TO RESIDENTS IN ALL OF CHARLES COUNTY.
SO WE, BUT, UM, MUCH AS THE, AS ADRIAN DESCRIBED, WE'RE ALSO ON A LEARNING CURVE ON AI AND, AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME GUIDELINES FOR EMPLOYEES, UH, USING IT.
OBVIOUSLY HIPAA PROTECTED INFORMATION CAN'T BE ENTERED.
AND, UM, IT'S AN EXCITING NEW WORLD AND I THINK, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH A SPECIFIC SUBSET AND PERHAPS THE, UH, NEW GENERATION COMING ON, IT'S, IT'S, UH, YOU CAN'T SHUT THAT DOOR.
WELL MAYBE IT, YOU, YOU REMINDED ME AS YOU TALKED AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
BUT I WAS JUST THINKING THAT MAYBE A BUDGET PROPOSAL, WHICH WOULD SEEM FAIRLY UNORIGINAL AT THIS POINT, BUT A BUDGET PROPOSAL COULD SAY TO, TO, UM, INVITE THE CITY TO INVEST IN, LET'S JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, 150 LICENSES WITH CHET GPT OR WHATEVER VENDOR.
BUT THAT'S THE ONE WE, WE KNOW ABOUT.
AND, AND WHAT THOSE LICENSES WOULD BE, WOULD BE TO HAVE A, A CITY OF AUSTIN INSTANTIATION SO THAT IT WOULD BE AS SECURE AS YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND, AND TRUSTWORTHY AND HIPAA SO THAT ANYTHING COULD GO IN FOR ANY REASON.
AND THEN THE GAME IS ON AND, YOU KNOW, UM, I SAY 150, MAYBE IT SHOULD BE 300.
I'LL TELL YOU, IN OUR ORGANIZATION, I'M A LARGE HOSPITAL ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE 10,000 LICENSES SO THAT EVERYBODY THAT'S A SENIOR LEADER CAN USE IT FOR ANYTHING.
IT'S ALL IN A, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE A, IN A, IT'S IN A SECURE BOX, IF YOU WILL, CONCEPTUALLY.
SO I WOULD, UM, WONDER OUT LOUD IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD RECOMMEND THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PURPOSE OF, OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR COMMUNITY, THAT, UM, SOME NUMBER OF HUNDRED OF LICENSES SHOULD BE AVAILABLE WITH A SEQUESTERED CHECK GPT INSTANTIATION, SO THAT THERE IS NO LIMIT ON WHAT IS PUT IN THERE.
AND THEN THAT HELPS US LEARN IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY.
SO THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS ONE THING.
THE SECOND THING WAS JUST THE EXTENSION OF THAT, WHICH IS TO SAY WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, LYNN SHALL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ORGANIZING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST STEP AT UT IS IN PLACE.
I THINK THAT MEETING MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN DELAYED OR SOMETHING I SAW A MINUTE AGO.
BUT, UM, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, STARTING THAT CONVERSATION AND HOPING THAT THE NEXT LEVEL OF THIS MIGHT BE SOME KIND OF ADVANCED MODELING OR THINGS THAT UT CAN HELP US DO TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, LIKE WE'VE
[01:05:01]
SAID, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT, THE POLICIES, THE IMPACT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, THE IMPACT OF NEEDS, THE IMPACT OF ALL THE WHOLE STACK OF THINGS IN A MUCH MORE OBJECTIVE WAY THAT HELPS EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND MORE DEEPLY THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEN LEAD US TO BETTER DECISIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY.YOU KNOW, UH, JUST TO COMMISSIONER RICE, UH, THE MEETING HASN'T BEEN, UH, CANCELED.
THERE WERE JUST TWO, UH, CALENDAR INVITES AT THE SAME TIME, SO, OH, THANK YOU, SIR.
I WOULD, I WOULD'VE MISSED IT.
UH, JUST A QUICK COMMENT, JUST WONDERING IF OTHER, UH, COMMITTEES OR AGENCIES HAVE, UM, POLICIES OR GOVERNANCE OR DATA SHARING AGREEMENTS THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE.
I'M WONDERING IF THAT COULD BE A QUESTION THAT, UM, DANNY CAN HELP FACILITATE WITH DIRECTOR STIRRUP TO GUIDE US TO THE RIGHT PERS PEOPLE, PERSONS, UH, TO KNOW WHAT WE CAN USE.
UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE BEST WAY TO SAY THIS.
EXPERTS THAT HAVE ALREADY DONE IT, AND THEN WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT LANGUAGE THEY USE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? COMMISSIONER ALI? ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST DON'T WANNA REINVENT THE WHEEL.
IF THERE'S ONLY SOMETHING EXISTING DONE AND DONE, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE, UH, SUPPORTED IN THAT AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT LANGUAGE.
NO, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS CLARIFYING, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT CERTAINLY DOING DATA SHARING PER SE.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS GETTING A LICENSE.
WE WANNA CHAT GPT LICENSE FOR A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE AND HAVE ALL OF THAT IN A, IN A, UM, IN ESSENTIALLY A CONTAINER THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ONLY KIND OF, UM, WHATEVER RECONFIGURATION SUCH THAT IT'S A SECURE ENCLOSED SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT REALLY FOR ANYBODY ELSE TO EVER SEE.
SO ANYWAY, SO IT MAY BE THAT IT IF, UM, DIRECTOR STIR HAS ALREADY HAD THAT OR SOME OF THAT, THAT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT, IF WE WERE IN AUSTIN, IF WE HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, COVERAGE FOR JUST, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL OR RATHER, UH, LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU COULD, YOU MAY, THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN PAYING FOR LICENSES, BUT WITHOUT AN, AN INSTANTIATION OF THE, UM, OF IT AS A CLOSED CONTAIN CONTAINER.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BUY A LICENSE FOR $20 A MONTH OR YOU CAN USE THE PRE PRE VERSION, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, A CONTAINER VERSION SO THAT EVERYTHING IS INSIDE A LOCKBOX, ESSENTIALLY.
BUT THEN ANYBODY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, HAS ACCESS TO THOSE ACCOUNTS CAN PUT ANYTHING THEY WANT IN THERE AND EVERYTHING'S SECURE ANYWAY.
SO THAT, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE COME TO JUST SORT OF, UM, CITY COUNCIL, CITY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, CITY LAWYERS, I MEAN NOT, NOT NOT CITY COUNCIL WITH AN IL, WHETHER WITH A COU AND SEL, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW HOW THEY WOULD, UH, INTERACT AND, AND CONSIDER SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHAT THE COST WOULD BE.
ANYWAY, THERE WERE HEAD NODS AND CHITCHATS HAPPENING.
SO, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS, THINK THIS IS A GREAT CONVERSATION.
UH, WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, EXPLORE EXPLORATION.
I ALSO THINK THAT GOES BEAUTIFULLY HAND IN HAND WITH OUR ECONOMIC IMPACTS AND, AND WAYS THAT THAT CAN GET IMPROVED, RIGHT? YOU SEE MM-HMM
WE'RE DOING THAT INTERTWINED THERE.
UM, WHICH JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE THE GOAL THAT I THANK YOU AND, UH, VICE CHAIR LYNN CHAO WOULD BE PHENOMENAL AT LEADING AND, AND CONVENING AND, UH, ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO SUPPORT YOU AND SHARE WITH YOU AND GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION SO THAT YOU ALL CAN MAKE, UM, NECESSARY RECOMMENDATIONS, SUGGESTIONS, UH, AND KEEP THE COMMISSION ASKING QUESTIONS AND BEING CURIOUS WHILE ALSO PUTTING TOGETHER SOME AMAZING OUTCOMES FOR US.
UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL DISCUSSION ITEM, ANY OTHER CONVERSATIONS, QUESTIONS, COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING DISCUSSION ITEMS THREE AND FOUR? ALL RIGHT, WELL, LET'S MOVE ON TO
[5. Discussion of draft recommendation “Bridging Public Health Funding” created by Commissioner Chris Crookham. ]
OUR FINAL DISCUSSION ITEM FOR THE DAY, WHICH IS TO DISCUSS, UH, THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION BRIDGING PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING CREATED BY COMMISSIONER CHRIS COOKHAM.CHRIS COMMISSIONER COOK FLOOR IS YOURS.
UM, LAST MONTH I PRESENTED THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION.
GOT A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF YOU.
I RE-WATCHED THE MEETING AND, UH, MADE SURE I GOT ALL THAT FEEDBACK.
SO I AM INCORPORATING THAT NOW.
I WAS GOING TO HAVE A UPDATED DRAFT AVAILABLE TODAY, HOWEVER, AS, UH, COMMISSIONER HAW MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW WITH THE UT PROFESSOR.
UH, SO I'D LIKE TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION AND DATA FIRST, AND
[01:10:01]
THEN I'LL INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION AND THEN HOPEFULLY PRESENT IT TO Y'ALL NEXT MONTH.SO, UH, UPDATES ARE BEING MADE.
IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, I'M STILL, UM, YOU KNOW, OPEN TO ANY OTHER FEEDBACK.
SO IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY THOUGHTS SINCE LAST MONTH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
OTHERWISE, I DO PLAN ON PROVIDING AN UPDATE NEXT MONTH, UH, WITH SOME UPDATED LANGUAGE THAT WOULD HOPEFULLY INCLUDE TOMORROW'S MEETING, UH, RESULT AS WELL.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CUCU, ANY LAST QUESTIONS? CLARITY, UM, OR, UH, COMMENTS FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING AND OUR REVIEW OF THAT RECOMMENDATION? WONDERFUL.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER CROOK.
I THINK THIS CAN BE A LONG-TERM OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH TO DO SOME GOOD IN THE CITY, UM, AND NOT HAVE ANY WORRIES ABOUT GETTING FUNDING CUTS, RIGHT.
UH, IF ANYTHING ELSE COMES UP Y'ALL'S MINDS, PLEASE BE SURE TO REACH OUT TO DANNY AND COMMISSIONER CROOKHAM, UH, WITH YOUR INPUT ON THAT RECOMMENDATION.
UH, OUTSIDE OF THAT, ANY FUTURE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
AGENDA ITEMS? I KNOW WE ARE, WE HAVE A FEW FOLKS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO GET PRESENTATIONS FROM NEXT MONTH.UM, WE ALSO WILL HAVE THE DISCUSSION OF OUR COMMISSIONER TRANSITIONS AND IT'S APRIL, SO THERE WILL BE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR VOTING HAPPENING, RIGHT? MAY, APRIL NEXT MONTH.
SO EVERYBODY, BUT COMMISSIONER ALI, THIS IS ALL FOR YOU.
UH,
UH, WE WILL HAVE APRIL VOTING FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS THAT WE THINK ARE RELEVANT.
ANYBODY HAVE ITEMS THAT NEED TO COME UP FOR OUR APRIL MEETING? COMMISSIONER DOSEN, PLEASE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AN ITEM, BUT I'M THROWING IT OUT THERE.
I KIND OF WANNA REDRAFT THE HEAT RELATED ILLNESS PREVENTION RECOMMENDATION THAT I DISCUSSED LAST YEAR.
I THINK WITH THE HARM REDUCTION RECOMMENDATION, I WANTED TO FOCUS ON ONE THING AT A TIME.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO REDRAFT THAT, HAVE SOMETHING SENT OUT AND POSSIBLY DISCUSS IT IN APRIL.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS APPROPRIATE, SO IF IT IS, I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
UH, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT PUBLIC HEALTH COULD COME MAKE A PRESENTATION? I FEEL THAT THERE IS A LOT THAT HAS HAPPENED AROUND OUR WORK FROM A, A FEDERAL LEVEL AND OTHER THAN FUNDING, I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AN UPDATE AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU.
IT MIGHT NOT BE MARCH, THOUGH, MAYBE.
YOU, WE WILL ACT ACCORDINGLY TO YOUR GUIDANCE AND EXPERTISE.
THERE IS ALWAYS A SPOT FOR YOU ON OUR AGENDA.
SPEAKING OF ANNA, IF YOU WOULD ALSO LIKE TO JOIN US IN THAT PRESENTATION AND UPDATES OF EXPERIENCE, PLEASE KNOW AS WELL AS MEGAN, ALL OF OUR OFFICIOS EX OFFICIOS ARE WELCOME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INVITATION.
WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S AN UPDATE AND UH, PROBABLY SHOULD UPDATE YOU ON THE BUDGET PROJECTIONS FOR THE COUNTY AT SOME POINT, BUT PERHAPS NOT AT THE SAME TIME AS A PH PROVIDES THEIR UPDATES.
UM, ANY FINAL AGENDA ITEMS? WONDERFUL.
OH, COMMISSIONER RICE, ANYTIME.
I WAS GONNA SAY THANK YOU CHAIR FOR ANOTHER GREAT MEETING.
OH, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY WELCOME.
SERIOUSLY, WE ARE DOING, UM, YOU SHOWING UP MEANS MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE.
UM, BEING HERE AND SUPPORTING MEANS EVERYTHING.
SO, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, EFFORT, AND ENERGY ON THIS COMMISSION, AND I WILL GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED AT 3:54 PM THANK YOU SO MUCH Y'ALL.