[CALL TO ORDER ]
[00:00:05]
JUNE, WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE, UM, MARCH 11TH MEETING, UH, UH, MONTHLY MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, QUICKLY, UH, LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE HAVE HAVE TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS JOINING US, STARTING TODAY.
AND SOPHIA GONZALEZ DOWN HERE REPRESENTING DISTRICT FOUR, AND I BELIEVE ONLINE WE HAVE MAX PIERCE REPRESENTING DISTRICT SEVEN.
WE'RE GOING TO GET TO KNOW THEM A LITTLE LATER IN THE MEETING.
WE, WE'VE SAVED SOME TIME TO, UH, UH, AS WE LIKE TO DO WHENEVER A NEW COMMISSIONER JOINS US, GET TO KNOW 'EM.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THAT, PARK THAT TO THE BACK OF THE MEETING.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, A SPEAKER TODAY THAT WE'RE BEEN VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM, THAT IS DEEPLY INVESTED IN SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET THIS MEETING STARTED RIGHT NOW SO THAT WE CAN ALLOW HIM TO GET BACK OUT AND HELP US SHOW OFF THIS CITY.
UM, FIRST THING I WANNA DO IS BRING THIS MEETING TO ORDER, AND, UH, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR US, FELICIA? NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS THAT KEEPS US MOVING.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
NUMBER ONE.UH, WOULD LIKE TO PROVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETING ON FEBRUARY 9TH.
HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THOSE OVER? THERE'S NOT MUCH TO THEM.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF ACTION ON THAT MEETING, SO IT'S BASICALLY JUST A REFLECTION OF WHO CAME TO SPEAK TO US.
I MOVE TO, UH, APPROVE THE MINUTES.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ WITH THAT, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING, PLEASE.
[2. Presentation by The Paramount Theatre regarding the Renovation & Heritage Grant Update on the facility closure, key improvements to the historic venue, and a review of how Heritage Preservation Grant funds were utilized. Presentation by Jim Ritts, CEO.]
MOVING ON, WE ARE GONNA MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER TWO RIGHT NOW.AND, UH, I'M VERY PLEASED TO INTRODUCE, UH, MR. JIM RITZ, UH, WHO'S THE CEO OF THE PARAMOUNT.
MICAH, DO YOU, WOULD YOU, ARE YOU DOING THE PRESENTATION AS WELL? JUST WITH BOTH OF YOU? OKAY.
WE ARE PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO HOST THE TEAM FROM THE, UH, PARAMOUNT THAT IS GOING TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEW PARAMOUNT THEATER RENOVATION IS GONNA GIVE TO THE CITY.
AND WE'RE THRILLED TO HAVE HIM HERE.
WE'RE ALSO HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S IN THE NOTES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW HERITAGE, HOW HOT TAX IS INVESTED THROUGH OUR HERITAGE PRESERVATION FUNDS.
AND WE DO KNOW, UM, FROM THAT, MR. RITZ AND THE PARAMOUNT PROJECT HAS BEEN RECIPIENTS IN THE PAST OF THOSE GRANTS.
AND, BUT WE'RE ALSO EXCITED TO, TO HEAR A FULL ON RENOVATION PLAN THAT'S BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING THAT HE'S GONNA SHARE WITH US NOW.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR INVITING US.
AND THIS IS MICAH JORDAN, WHO IS NOT MY ASSISTANT.
HE'S OUR CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER AND HELPING US RAISE $65 MILLION.
SO I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING END.
UH, THE OVERARCHING PROJECT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT IS THE SHINE ON CAPITAL CAMPAIGN PROJECT.
I PUT THAT UP THERE ONLY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF, SO I WILL REFER TO SHINE ON AND YOU'LL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I WANNA START VERY QUICKLY SO THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT THE AUSTIN THEATER ALLIANCE IS THE 5 0 1 C3 THAT'S COMPRISED OF THREE ASSETS, THE 90-YEAR-OLD STATE THEATER, THE 110 YEAR OLD PARAMOUNT THEATER, AND THE MOON TOWER COMEDY FESTIVAL.
WE WHOLLY OWN, UH, WE OWN OUR LAND, WE OWN OUR BUILDINGS, AND, AND THOSE I JUST BRIEFLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT RIGHT UP FRONT THE HISTORY OF HERITAGE GRANTS AND HOW IT HAS HELPED US SPECIFICALLY ON THE PARAMOUNT THEATER.
AS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW, THIS IS OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, THE, AND WE WILL SHOW YOU A COUPLE PICTURES OF THIS, THE PARAMOUNT SOUTH, WE COMPLETELY UPDATED AND RESTORED THE ENTIRETY OF THE PARAMOUNT THEATER ON ALL FOUR SIDES.
DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, PARDON ME, DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WE HAD THE, UH, SOUTH EXTERIOR WALL WEST RESTORATION.
WE RECEIVED A LITTLE OVER 233,000 INHERITANCE GRANTS, THE EAST EX EXTERIOR WALL, 250,000, THE BALT RESTORATION.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FRONT OF THE PARAMOUNT THEATER, WHAT YOU DON'T REALIZE IS IN EACH FRONT OF EACH OF THOSE THREE OPERA WINDOWS, THERE ACTUALLY ARE BALTS THAT WERE DESIGNED INTO THEM IN 1915.
AND THEN THE, UH, THE THIRD FLOOR, A PROJECT THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, THE THIRD FLOOR CONGRESS DOOR, THE AVENUE DOORS, AND THE THIRD FLOOR WINDOW RESTORATION THERE, WE'VE CURRENTLY, I THINK, HAVE, HAVE BEEN REMUNERATED OR THE, OR THE, IT'S, THE, THE TOTAL GIFT WAS 2 212 7 5 7.
LET'S SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT QUICKLY HERE ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE PARAPET EAST WALL.
YOU GET A SENSE OF THE, OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE DETERIORATION, NOT ONLY IN THE LOOK, BUT ALSO THE, UM, STABILITY OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE AREAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
[00:05:01]
MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY.THE PARA OUT EAST WALL, ALSO ON THE LEFT, YOU'RE SEEING, UM, MORTAR THAT WAS BREAKING BRICKS AND CAUSING PARTS OF IT TO BECOME UNSTABLE.
AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THIS IS IN THE ALLEY, THAT'S THE EAST SIDE OF THE, THE POST UM, RESTORATION.
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, LITERALLY WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT IS THE THREE OPERA WINDOWS AND DOORS.
UM, YOU'RE SEEING IT FROM BOTH SIDES.
THEY'RE BOTH INSIDE WHERE THEY'RE WORKING ON.
THEN LET'S GO TO THE NEXT TWO.
UM, ALL THE WINDOWS ARE BEING TAKEN OUT AND BEING EITHER RESTORED OR REPLACED.
YOU'LL SEE THAT IT HAS FROM, UH, FROM ACME THE, UH, THE FUNDS THAT ARE DOING.
RED RIVER IS DOING ALL OF THE RESTORATION.
AND WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTOOD.
THIS IS ACTUALLY SOME OF THE VERY FIRST WORK OF THE FULL RESTORATION.
SO LET'S GO IN AND TALK ABOUT THE FULL RESTORATION.
WE CAN GO TO THE, UH, THE PARAMOUNT, UM, SLIDES HERE.
UH, JUST GET A SENSE OF WE WILL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT RESTORATION, EVERYTHING, BUT WE WANNA MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WE DID OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
WE PRODUCED, MANAGED OVER 570 EVENTS, AND WE WELCOMED OVER 300,000 PEOPLE THROUGH OUR DOORS.
WE GENERATE BETWEEN 22 AND $25 MILLION IN DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
UH, BUT PROBABLY EQUALLY IMPORTANT AS THE FOOT TRAFFIC THAT WE BRING NORTH OF SEVENTH ON CONGRESS AVENUE.
UH, THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED, BECAUSE WE HIRE A PD, UH, TO WORK FOR ALL OF OUR SHOWS, WE HAVE THE PRESENCE OF A PD, OUR PRIVATE SECURITY AND THE LIGHTING AND THE CROWDS AND THE MARQUEES PROVIDE A SENSE OF ADDITIONAL DOWNTOWN SAFETY.
WE ALSO, UM, OUR MISSION IS TO INSPIRE NEXT GENERATIONS, AND I'M NOT GONNA GO DEEPLY INTO THIS, BUT WE ENGAGE OVER 30,000 AUSTIN AREA STUDENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, EVERY YEAR, BOTH IN THE PROGRAMS, BRINGING 16 TO 20,000, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE IN BY THE YELLOW BUSES TO GET TO SEE THEATER FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UH, 85% OF THOSE KIDS ARE COMING FROM TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE EIGHT FULL-TIME PEOPLE IN OUR EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, AND WE, AND WE, UM, WE HAVE 25 TO 30 OTHER, UM, BOTH ACTORS, WRITERS AND, UH, AND, AND MUSICIANS WHO PARTICIPATE WITH US HERE.
UM, WE'LL KEEP GOING VERY QUICKLY, 2014, JUST TO GET A SENSE OF WHERE THE WORLD WAS.
YOU SEE THE STATE THEATER, YOU SEE THE PARAMOUNT THEATER.
THE PARAMOUNT THEATER HA DOES NOT HAVE THE, UH, THE PARAMOUNT BLADE ON THE FRONT.
UM, WHAT WAS SITTING ON THE CORNER OF EIGHTH AND CONGRESS, WHERE THE RIGHT BEHIND WHERE THAT, UH, WHERE THAT TRUCK IS, IS A BUILDING AT 7 21 CONGRESS THAT SAT EMPTY FOR OVER 20 YEARS, UM, WHICH WAS A BLIGHT ON THE STATE THEATER AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
UH, WE'LL GO QUICKLY TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND WE HAD A CONCOMITANT CLOSING WHERE WITH A DEVELOPER PARTNER, UM, TO BUILD WHAT ORIGINALLY WAS GOING TO BE A CONDO PROJECT, BUT HAS ENDED UP BEING A HOTEL PROJECT.
UH, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF, OF THE DEAL WHEN WE SOLD IT IS WE WOULD CONTINUE TO CON CONTROL THE BASEMENT OF 7 21 CONGRESS.
AND, UH, PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANTLY WAS WE WANTED A, A CONGRESS AVENUE FACING RESTAURANT AND BAR, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU CREATE THE VIBRANCY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, IN IT, UH, WE HAVE BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS, WE HAD INVESTED PROBABLY SEVEN TO $10 MILLION IN OUR TWO THEATERS, JUST FROM A MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION STANDPOINT, NOT INCLUDING HERITAGE GRANTS AND TO OTHERS.
UH, LET'S KEEP MOVING FORWARD HERE.
THIS IS WHAT ULTIMATELY HAS HAPPENED.
I'LL SKIP SEVEN YEARS OF SUFFERING, UM, IN THIS, THIS IS THE HYATT CENTRIC HOTEL.
UH, AND IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE FRONT OF THE BLACK GLASS, THE VERY FIRST, UM, UH, FLOOR, PARDON ME, THE FLOOR THAT JUTS OUT, THAT'S THE FOURTH FLOOR.
AND IN THE DEAL THAT WE DID, UH, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE RESTORATION OF THE PARAMOUNT THEATER AND THE STATE THEATER, WE HAD TO GET OUR, WE HAVE 64 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
WE HAD TO GET THEM OUT OF LITTLE OFFICES AT THE TOP OF BOTH THEATERS.
AND SO OUR DEAL ON THE, UH, HYATT CENTRIC HOTEL PROJECT WAS, WE HAVE A 99 YEAR LEASE AT A DOLLAR A YEAR, AND WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE 44 OF OUR, OF OUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OVER THERE SO WE COULD BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT RESTORATION.
SO LET'S, LET'S MOVE A LITTLE BIT FORWARD HERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE VERY STRONGLY TIED TO IS THE GENERATIONAL ASPECT OF OUR BUSINESS.
AND WHEN GARY CLARK CAME OUT AT OUR, OUR PLAYED OUR GALA THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, HE WALKED OUT ON THE STAGE AND HE SAID, FIRST TIME TO
[00:10:01]
COME TO THE PARAMOUNT THEATER WAS WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.I IMMEDIATELY WENT, OH, PLEASE GOD, ARE WE RECORDING THIS? UM, BUT, BUT IT'S HELPFUL.
THIS IS WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
WE WILL HAVE, UM, FIVE OR SIX TIMES A YEAR ON A MONDAY AND A TUESDAY, WE HAVE A 10 O'CLOCK SHOW AND A 12 O'CLOCK SHOW.
IT TAKES ABOUT 27 BUSES TO BRING A THOUSAND KIDS IN.
AND THAT'S HOW WE END UP HAVING 16 TO 20,000 KIDS IN THERE.
LOOK, THE ULTIMATE, PARDON ME, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS GENERATIONALLY IS, IS PARENTS BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS.
THEN PARENTS, THEN THOSE KIDS GROW UP, THEY BECOME PARENTS, AND WE GET GENERATIONAL INVOLVEMENT IN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND BRINGS CORPORATE LEADERS BRING THEIR CLIENTS TO OUR THEATER.
WE'RE AND TOURISTS COMING ARE COMING FOR MANY THINGS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS THEY'LL BE COMING.
'CAUSE EVERY WORLD PREMIER IN THE, IN THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FILM FESTIVAL HAPPENING AT THE PARAMOUNT STATE THEATER, WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND PRESERVATION BECAUSE OUR ENTIRE, EVERYTHING WE DO IS HOW DO WE PROTECT THESE CEDARS FOR THE NEXT A HUNDRED YEARS.
SO LET'S TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN THOSE THINGS.
WE ARE NOT DOING STRUCTURAL CHANGE.
THERE WE ARE ON THE NATIONAL, UH, HISTORIC REGISTRY.
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS FIRST IS FOCUSING ON, UH, PATRON COMFORT.
UH, EVERYBODY HAS, IT'S THE FIRST THING THEY ASK.
YES, WE ARE REPLACING ALL 1,273 SEATS.
IT'S THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT AND UP, UH, AND, AND VERY MUCH WAY, YEAH, THANK YOU.
I, NOT THE FIRST TIME, BUT I, I APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, AND IN FACT, IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE ON ONLINE FOR THE SHINE ON CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, I THINK THE FIRST THING IT SAYS IS, YES, WE'RE REPLACING ALL OUR SEATS.
UM, BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE, THE WAY WE RUN THE BUSINESS IS OF SIMPLE PHILOSOPHY.
TAKE REALLY GOOD CARE OF THE PATRONS, REALLY GOOD CARE OF THE ARTIST, TAKE REALLY GOOD CARE OF ONE ANOTHER, AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.
WELL, RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OF THOSE SEATS, BECAUSE OF THE AGED RESTROOMS, UM, LIMITED CONCESSIONS, WE CAN'T LIVE UP TO THAT CREDO.
WE CANNOT BE FULLY IN SERVICE TO OUR PATRONS.
THE SECOND THING IS, WE ARE A UNION HOUSE.
UM, OUR UNION CONTRACT GOES BACK TO 1917 AND MAYBE THE FIRST I OS E CONTRACT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE THESE EXTRAORDINARY TECHNICIANS WHO ARE, WHO ARE VISUAL ARTISTS AND SOUND ARTISTS, AND WE ARE NOW GIVING THEM THE, THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE THEIR CAPABILITIES.
THE OTHER THINGS WE ARE DOING IS HVAC SYSTEMS NOT REALLY SEXY.
AND YES, IT'S ABOUT, UH, PROTECTING THE PATRONS AND MAKING LIFE BETTER FOR THE ARTISTS.
BUT WHAT IT'S REALLY ABOUT IS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE SOME THINGS.
WE ARE COMPLETELY UPDATING ALL OF THE DECORATIVE ART THAT IS IN THE PARAMOUNT THEATER.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE ON THE LEFT, THAT IS WHERE YOU'RE SEEING, WHERE YOU'RE SEEING THE, THE BARREL ROOF.
UH, IT REFLECTS DECADES OF NICOTINE STAINS AND LACQUER AND OTHERS.
ON THE RIGHT IS AN EXAMPLE OF JUST HOW MUCH IT WILL BE REVIVED SIMPLY BY CLEANING AND THEN REPAIRING ALL THE THINGS.
EVERGREEN, WHO IS, OR, OR THE WORLD'S LEADERS IN ARCHITECTURAL OR ORNAMENTATION CAME IN OVER FIVE DAY PERIOD.
THEY TOOK THIS, BASICALLY IT'S SIX FEET BY SIX FEET SQUARE, CLEANED IT, REPAIRED IT, AND IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF YOU'RE SEEING IT IN ITS ENVIRONMENT WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE.
ALSO, THOSE MATERIALS WILL ALL BE PROTECTED BY THE NEW HVAC SYSTEM BECAUSE THE ENEMY, THESE KINDS OF, THIS IS NOT PAINT, IT'S ALL COMPOUND MATERIALS, IS FLUCTUATING, UM, UH, UH, MOISTURE IN THE BUILDING.
SO, UH, AND THIS JUST GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHEN YOU BRIGHTEN IT UP, THE ONE ON THE RIGHT, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AND MOVING ALL THE TEMPORARY LIGHTS AND SOUND AND EVERYTHING.
GET THEM OFF THE RAILING AND MOVE THEM OUT.
AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE ON THE LEFT IS IT'S LOVELY, UM, BUT IT'S NOT IN THE SCHEME THAT WHEN IT BECAME THE PARAMOUNT THEATER, 1931, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE IN THE COLOR PALETTE THAT'S THERE ON THE RIGHT.
JPS PEACE, LOVE, AND HAPPINESS LOUNGE.
IN THE ORIGINAL 1950 PLANS, 1915 PLANS OF THE MAJESTIC THEATER, UH, WHEN IT STARTED, UH, BEHIND THOSE THREE OPERA WINDOWS IN THOSE PLANS, THERE WAS TO BE A 1500, 1800 SQUARE FOOT ENTERTAINMENT CENTER.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY PUT IN A FLOOR, THEY PUT IN CROWN MOLDING, AND THEY NEVER BUILT IT OUT.
IT BECAME A STORAGE AREA, A HOLDING AREA.
WE ULTIMATELY PUT IN, PUT IN WALLS AND EVERYTHING.
THIS IS NOW GONNA BE JPS, UM, PEACE, LOVE, AND HAPPINESS LOUNGE.
I CAN TELL YOU, BECAUSE WE'RE NOW PUBLIC WITH IT.
IT IS CALLED THAT BECAUSE, UH, JOHN PAUL AND ELOISE DEJORIA GAVE US $7.25 MILLION TO FINISH THIS OUT.
THIS BECOMES A NEW PUBLIC SPACE AND A LOUNGE SPACE FOR US, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL RESTROOMS. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, ABOUT THIS SIDE OF THINGS.
THE STATE THEATER, WE WILL BE PROTECTING THE FRONT, THE
[00:15:01]
HISTORIC FRONT OF THE STATE THEATER, THE REST OF IT, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, UM, THERE IS SO MUCH DIY IMPROVEMENT THERE THAT THERE'S NOTHING HISTORIC LEFT.SO LET'S TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE STATE THEATER.
UM, FIRST IS, UM, THE STATE BEING 310 SEATS IS A PERFECT ENTRY INTO COMING TO KNOW OUR THEATERS.
UM, ALSO BLUNTLY, UH, WE CAN DO MORE EXPERI EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMMING THERE WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE BLUNTLY FAILURE AT THE STATE THEATER IS FAR LESS EXPENSIVE THAN FAILURE AT THE PARAMOUNT THEATER.
SO WE CAN TRY TO BRING THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW.
THE THINGS WE'RE SHORT IN THE STATE THEATER IS, UM, IT'S 300 SEATS FIXED.
UH, WE'RE GONNA EX INCREASE THE CAPACITY BY 50%.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE BRINGING IN FLEXIBLE SEATING.
I'LL SHOW YOU A PHOTO THAT WE'RE TRIPLING THE AMOUNT OF RESTROOMS AND CONCESSIONS AREA.
AND WE ARE ALREADY WORKING WITH FOLKS LIKE, UH, BALLET FREE AND, AND CHINA SMITH TO BRING AND CREATE RESIDENCIES IN THE STATE THEATER IN A DIFFERENT WAY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS THE BEAUTIFUL GRGE STATE THEATER AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I, I DON'T NEED TO GO INTO IT.
LET'S TELL YOU, SHOW YOU WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
THIS IS WHAT'RE GONNA WALK INTO.
NOW THIS IS A MONUMENTAL STAIRCASE THAT GOES FROM THE FOURTH FLOOR DOWN TO WHAT WE THINK OF AS THE BASEMENT, BUT WILL NOW BE A SPEAKEASY BAR AND RESTROOMS. WE'RE BRINGING A MEZZANINE BACK AND THIS IS A BAR AND RESTROOMS THAT ARE OFF THE, UH, MEZZANINE.
AND WE'RE BRINGING BACK A BALCONY AND THERE WILL BE A, A RESTROOMS AND A BAR.
AND WHEN THE WEATHER'S NICE, YOU CAN NOW BE UP ON THE, ON, ON THE ROOFTOP OF, OF THE THEATER.
IT SHOWS YOU WITH THE FULLY EXTENDED, UM, SEATING.
IF WE PULL IT ALL THE WAY BACK, OUR CAPACITY GETS UP OVER 500.
BUT YOU CAN STILL HAVE SEATING CAPACITY ALWAYS.
I ALWAYS JOKE, I MAY BE PAST THE DAYS TO BE IN THE MOSH PIT, BUT I STILL WANNA SEE THE BANDS.
SO I CAN SIT IN A SIT SEAT IN THE, IN, IN, IN THE MEZZANINE AND I CAN SIT IN IT UPSTAIRS.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT IS, IS THAT THE, THAT HOTEL THAT WE SHOWED YOU NEXT DOOR IS 31 STORIES, HAS 240 ROOMS, BUT IT IS AS THIN A BUILDING AS THE STATE THEATER.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SELL IT OUT FOR CONFERENCES 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO HOLD CONFERENCES.
NOW THEY WILL, THIS BECOMES, WHICH BECOMES, UM, IN SERVICE, BETTER SERVICE TO THE, THE, THE SIDE OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO CREATES NEW REVENUE FOR US.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'LL CALL, UH, OUR CLUB FORMAT WHERE WE'VE PULLED THE SEATING BACK ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY, BROUGHT IN HIGH TOPS AND BANQUETTES AND OTHER THINGS.
WE CAN DO COMEDY, WE CAN DO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO COMEDY, WE CAN DO SMALL SINGER SONGWRITERS IN HERE.
WE CAN HAVE IN ROOM CONCESSIONS.
AND IT ALSO JUST GIVES US GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR THE KINDS OF THINGS, INCLUDING IMMERS IMMERSION, UM, IMMERSION PROGRAMMING.
UM, WE WILL BEGIN THE PARAMOUNT CONSTRUCTION.
WE'LL BE TURNING IT OVER TO JE DUNN.
THEY'RE OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WILL BE CLOSED APPROXIMATELY NINE MONTHS, ABOUT A HUNDRED DAYS AFTER THAT WILL BEGIN ON THE STATE THEATER.
AND WE SHOULD BE FINISHED, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS THE END OF 2028.
BASICALLY THINK WE'RE GONNA BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
AT NO TIME WILL BOTH THEATERS BE CLOSED.
UM, HERE'S THE SAME TIME, OH, DID I SAY? OH YEAH, SIMULTANEOUSLY.
THEY'LL, THEY'LL NEVER BE AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, JUST VERY QUICKLY, UH, UH, TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS ABOUT 66 MILLION.
THE FIRST 2.6 WE'VE ALREADY PAID FOR AND FINISHED ALL OF THAT OUT.
PARAMOUNT RESTORATION WILL BE IN THE AREA OF 31 MILLION STATE BECAUSE ITS STRUCTURAL CHANGE WILL BE PROBABLY CLOSER TO 33 MILLION.
AND ULTIMATELY WE WANT A $10 MILLION ENDOWMENT, UH, ON THIS.
SO THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE.
WE'VE RAISED, WE JUST CAME OUT OF THE SILENT PHASE RIGHT BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS.
OUR GOAL IS TO BE AT 34 MILLION.
AND WE ARE HOPING WHEN THERE IS A BOND, YOU HEAR ME SAYING THAT IN SUCH POSITIVE TERMS, THAT THERE WILL BE A BOND IN NOVEMBER.
WE ARE HOPING TO GET 25 MILLION AND WE'D LOVE THE SUPPORT OF THIS COMMISSION.
UM, I THINK THAT IS PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING WE WERE GONNA TRY TO COVER.
YOU WANNA PLAY THAT VERY QUICKLY? YOU HAD TO LISTEN TO ME TALK.
LET'S LET YOU LISTEN TO SOME MU MUCH BRIGHTER AND MORE TALENTED PEOPLE.
ARE YOU IN THE PDF OR, OKAY, THANK YOU.
OH, I, ED, YOU WANT ME TO AN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS WHILE WE'RE FINDING OUT IF WE CAN GET THIS? YEAH, I'M HAPPY.
I'M HAPPY TO HAVE YOU DO THAT.
[00:20:01]
WORK TO DATE AND CERTAINLY ON THE FUNDRAISING EFFORT.THANK, I MEAN, THIS TOWN IS REALLY, SHOWS ITS APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK.
WELL, I WAS GONNA ADD YOUR, I THAT'S VERY KIND OF YOU TO SAY THAT I GUESS I SHOULD SAY MR. CHAIR, UH, ON, ON THIS.
BUT IT'S REALLY IS A TESTAMENT AT THE END OF THE DAY.
I MEAN, THE SIXTH GENERATION OF AUSTINITES ARE COMING THROUGH OUR DOORS NOW.
UM, AND IT'S WHAT'S SO FASCINATING TO SAY, OUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT THESE THEATERS FOR THE NEXT A HUNDRED YEARS.
AND PEOPLE GO REALLY GO, WE'RE 110 AND THERE'S NO REASON WHY EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE DOING SHOULDN'T LAST A HUNDRED YEARS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THEN WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE NEXT REGIME.
WE DID SOME ANALYSIS ON OUR DATABASE AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PUT IT INTO OUR PRESENTATION, BUT, UH, OUT OF ABOUT THE 600 PLUS THOUSAND RECORDS IN OUR DATABASE, ABOUT 300,000 OR SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THAT, WERE FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY OF AUSTIN AREA.
SO WE DO HAVE A HEAVY CONTINGENCY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE TRAVELING AND COMING TO AUSTIN AND STAYING IN HOTELS AND EATING OUT AND PARKING IN GARAGES AND CREATING ALL THIS SECONDARY REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE THE DATA TO BACK THAT UP.
I'M GLAD, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
SO YOU'VE ALREADY ANSWERED ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD'VE EVENTUALLY GOTTEN TO.
SO I THINK IT PROBABLY SPEAKS WELL TO HOW YOU CREATED SUCH A NOVEL, UH, CO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH A HOTEL TO, WITH INFORMATION LIKE THAT, WHICH IS EXACTLY MUSIC TO OUR EARS.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, UH, ANYONE HAVE A QUESTION? YOU HAD THE VIDEO NOW.
WE, WE'LL PLAY THE VIDEO AND THEN GET YOUR QUESTIONS READY.
THANKS FOR THE LAST 110 YEARS, THE PARAMOUNT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF US, BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
THE PEOPLE WHO PLAY HERE HAS BEEN TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO COME IN TO SEE SHOWS.
AND NOW IT'S UP TO US TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE PARAMOUNT STORES, YOU JUST FEEL THIS LIKE POSITIVE LIKE ENERGY, THIS CREATIVE ENERGY, THIS LIKE SURGE, MAJESTIC, MAJESTIC, MAJESTIC, EVERYTHING.
I MEAN, YOU FEEL, YOU KNOW THAT HOUDINI HAS BEEN IN THIS PLACE.
IT IS A PLACE OF TOGETHERNESS.
IT'S A PLACE THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER.
WHEN YOU'RE IN THOSE SEATS, IT'S A FANTASY WORLD.
SOMEONE, MY KIDS ARE HERE WITH ME, THEY KNOW WHERE TO MEET ME, THEY MEET ME UP, UP BY THE STAR.
THEY JUST LIKE STANDING THERE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATE THEATER AND THE PARAMOUNT THEATER, THEY ARE A WORK OF ART.
THOSE TWO PLACES ARE A WORK OF ART.
THAT SHOULD ALWAYS REMAIN THE SAME AS A MUSEUM THAT'S ALWAYS KEPT UP.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GATHERING AT THE PARAMOUNT FOR 110 YEARS.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HISTORY IN THIS BUILDING.
THE STATE IS NOT SO YOUNG EITHER.
I MEAN, IT'S 90 YEARS OLD, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, LIKE ANYTHING, YOU GOTTA FIX IT
YOU GOTTA YOU GOTTA MAINTAIN IT.
YOU GOTTA LIKE, MAKE IT BETTER.
THIS EXTRAORDINARY 110 YEAR THEATER IS GOING TO LOOK MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN SHE HAS LOOKED IN A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
YOU'RE ALSO GONNA BE MORE COMFORTABLE BECAUSE THERE'RE GONNA BE NEW SEATS.
THE SOUND IS GOING TO BE PERFECT.
THE LIGHTING TOOLS WILL ALLOW FOR THERE TO BE GREATER EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT WITH WHAT'S GOING ON THE STAGES TO SEE AN ESTABLISHMENT LIKE THIS THAT HAS GIVEN SO MUCH JOY AND BEEN SUCH A PLACE FOR COMMUNITY, FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, FOR SO LONG, IT GETS MORE AND MORE EXCITING AS YOU SEE THE YEARS TICK OFF, YOU'RE JUST LIKE, WOW.
THE HISTORICAL VALUE BECOMES YOUR HISTORY.
LOOK, THE PARAMOUNT THEATER HAS BEEN THE PLACE WHERE SIX GENERATIONS HAVE HAD THEIR FIRST DATE.
THEY'VE HAD THEIR FIRST KISS, THEY'VE PROPOSED HERE, THEY'VE BEEN MARRIED HERE, THEY'VE BEEN MEMORIALIZED HERE.
AND THIS IS THE CROSSROADS OF COMMUNICATION AND EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND THOUGHTS AND JOY AND BELIEF AND LAUGHTER.
AND WITHOUT IT, AUSTIN, TEXAS WOULD BE A MUCH LESS RICH ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL OF US TO LIVE IN.
WE NEED TO PROTECT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE PARAMOUNT IN THE STATE THEATER.
I INVITE EACH AND EVERYONE WHO SEES THIS TO GET INVOLVED.
FIVE GENERATIONS ALREADY HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS.
WE'RE GOING INTO THE SIXTH, COME BE A PART OF IT.
COME FIND OUT WHAT IT'S ABOUT AND CONTRIBUTE AT ANY LEVEL THAT YOU CAN.
WE WANT TO GET EVERYONE IN THE CITY TO SUPPORT THIS WONDERFUL, AMAZING BEACON OF LIGHT AND COMMUNITY, WHICH IS THE PARAMOUNT AND OF THE STATE THEATER POWERFUL BIG STATEMENT.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, UM, PLEASE, FOR THE LAST HUNDRED 10 YEARS, THE, WE'RE GONNA DO IT AGAIN.
IT WAS THE OVATION THAT DID IT.
[00:25:01]
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA BACK OFF HERE.I KNOW THAT SOMEONE HERE HAS A QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER, YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN.
HEY GUYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CITY, UH, MEANINGFUL IN, IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO, UH, SUPPORT ON THAT FRONT I THINK IS PROBABLY VERY CLEAR FROM MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THIS BOARD.
BUT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THESE PLACES AND KEEPING THESE PLACES SOMEWHAT.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANNA SAY LIKE SACRED, BUT DISTRACTION FREE, RIGHT? HAVE YOU TALKED ABOUT HAVING ANY POLICIES AROUND LIKE DIGITAL USE OR NO PHONES TO KEEP WITH THAT SANCTUARY AND JUST, I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHAT WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT CONCERTS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND TODAY, AND IT'S THE CONNECTIVENESS.
AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES WITH BEST IN CLASS, UM, TECHNOLOGY AND SPEAKERS AND FOR THE SOUND, THEN I HAD JUST HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT SOMEONE HOLDING THEIR PHONE OUT IS GONNA RUIN THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND SO I WOULD PRESSURE YOU TO, TO KEEP THIS SANCTUARY FREE OF THOSE DISTRACTIONS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THIS HISTORIC CITY AND BUILDING FOR THE NEXT HUNDRED.
NOW, I, WE COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
UM, THE VAST MAJORITY OF ARTISTS DON'T WANT THERE TO BE PHOTOGRAPHY.
IF THERE IS PHOTOGRAPHY, THEY WANT NO FLASH, THEY WANT NO RECORDING, PARDON ME.
AND SO LITERALLY, I JUST DID IT LAST NIGHT BEFORE THE PETE SUSIE SHOW.
UM, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I I, OUR AUDIENCE CAN NOW GIVE MY CELL PHONE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS IF YOU, IF IF YOU TAKE A PHOTO WITH YOUR CELL PHONE, TURN YOUR PHONE OFF AFTERWARDS AND PUT IT AWAY, BE KIND TO THE PERSON SITTING NEXT TO YOU IN THE DARK.
BE RESPECTFUL OF THE PERSON ON THE STAGE.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR THE NEXT TWO AND A HALF HOURS, THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON OUT THERE THAT'S HALF AS INTERESTING AS WHAT'S GOING ON THE STAGE.
IT ALWAYS GETS APPLAUSE AND IT PUTS PEER PRESSURE ON THOSE TO NOT HAVE THEM UP.
UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME OF, SOME OF THE PODCAST SHOWS AND OTHERS, THEY WANT PARTICIPATION BECAUSE AS FREQUENTLY THERE'S A SCREEN AND THEY'RE TAKING TEXT MESSAGES AND ANSWERING AND DOING THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT WE ARE RIGHT, BUT WE ARE RIGHT.
YOU'RE PREACHING TO THE CHOIR.
WE REALLY WANT THE ENVIRONMENT TO BE DISTRACTION FREE AND FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE TALK ABOUT THAT WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF REMINDING HUMANS OF HOW IT, UH, REMINDING PEOPLE OF HOW EXTRAORDINARY HUMANS CAN BE.
AND WHEN YOU'RE NOT DISTRACTED AND YOU WATCH WHAT WE AS A SPECIES CAN DO, WE'RE A LOT BETTER THAN WE OFTEN ACT.
BUT WHEN WE GET TO SEE THE POTENTIAL, I THINK THAT HAS AN EMOTIONAL IMPACT THAT MAYBE ISN'T UNDERSTOOD, BUT IS CERTAINLY FELT BY THOSE WHO COME INTO OUR THEATERS.
NO, THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TO TODAY.
NO, BUT BEING ABLE TO GO RIGHT, AND IT'S GONNA, TO YOUR POINT, RIGHT, PODCAST, YOU WANT THAT ENGAGEMENT, YOU WANT THAT SOCIAL MEDIA, RIGHT? IT WORKS FOR THOSE VENUES.
UM, SOME OF THE OTHER ONES NOT SO MUCH.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING A LOOK AT THAT.
I I SEE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER MASTERS HAS A QUESTION.
THE PARAMOUNT AND STATE THEATERS ARE SO SPECIAL TO ME.
I'VE HAD SOME OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE MEMORIES IN THOSE THEATERS, SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND, UM, AS THE CHAIRMAN SAID, YOU KNOW, PART OF WHY WE'RE HERE IS TO LEARN MORE AND WE'LL HEAR FROM ACME LATER, UM, ABOUT THE HERITAGE GRANT.
AND SO PART OF OUR WORK, UM, IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FUTURE TO COUNCIL, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO ANY KIND OF RECOMMENDED CHANGES OR APPROACHES TO THE WORK THAT, UH, KIND OF FALLS UNDER OUR JURISDICTION.
AND ALTHOUGH I KNOW THAT THE PROCESS IS BEING, UH, REVAMPED, I'M CURIOUS AS TO HOW YOUR EXPERIENCE APPLYING, UH, FOR THE GRANT WENT AND ALSO, UM, IN THE CONTEXT OF THINKING OF SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORS WHO I KNOW, UM, THE HIDEOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, IS HAVING TO, UM, LEAVE THEIR CONGRESS LOCATION, UM, WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN SOME POTENTIAL CRACKS OR, OR, UH, ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
WELL, UH, LET ME SPEAK TO THE HIDEOUT JUST FOR ONE MOMENT.
BEING A PROPONENT, UM, WE, WE USED THEM DURING OUR MOON TOWER COMEDY FESTIVAL.
AND AS AN EXAMPLE, SIX YEARS AGO YOU COULD HAVE SEEN, UM, MICHAEL CHA AT THE HIDEOUT WITH THE, YOU KNOW, 35 OTHER PEOPLE.
WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND WE'RE SORRY THAT THEY LOST THEIR LEASE AND THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVING FROM WHERE THEY ARE SPEAKING TO THE PROCESS.
WE HAVE, UM, VERY, VERY EXPERIENCED
[00:30:01]
GRANT WRITER AND WHATEVER MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE.UM, SHE HAS DEVELOPED THE KIND OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOLKS THAT SHE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND THEY BEGIN TO EXPEDITE.
SO I WOULD SAY, IS IT A, IS IT A, UH, HAS IT BEEN A PERFECT SYSTEM? NO.
UM, HAS IT GOTTEN BETTER? YES.
CAN WE NAVIGATE THROUGH IT? YES.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHETHER SOME OF THE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THAT IN THE WAY THAT WE CAN AS A, AS AN ORGANIZATION OF OUR SIZE.
BUT WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR HOW IT HAS WORKED, PARTICULARLY WITH THE HERITAGE GRANTS BECAUSE OF IT'S BEEN, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPLEMENT AND MOVE MORE QUICKLY TO PRESERVE THE BUILDING, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THE HERITAGE GRANTS.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY COMPARATIVELY TO A LOT OF OTHER GRANTS, IT'S, UH, VERY KIND TO THE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS AND TO THE GRANTEE, WHICH WE REALLY APPRECIATE AND THE REPORTING IS THOROUGH AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S, WE'VE HAD A LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS FUNDING, SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE.
UM, ANYONE ELSE? I'M LOOKING ON THE SCREEN.
IS THAT, OH, HI, COMMISSIONER PRUITT, I WAS HOPING YOU'D JUMP IN.
UM, I'M SORRY, FIRST OF ALL THAT I COULDN'T BE THERE IN PERSON.
UM, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR ATTENDING.
UM, WILL, WILL REITERATE WITH EVERYONE ELSE THAT, UM, I JUST ADORE THE PARAMOUNT.
I SPENT THE FIRST HALF OF MY CAREER 15 YEARS MANAGING EVENTS AND HAVE A BACKGROUND IN THEATER, AND I JUST, UGH, I'M SO EXCITED.
UM, AND THEN I JUST, AND I KNOW FROM MY EXPERIENCE HOW DIFFICULT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING IS FROM THE RESTORATION TO THE FUNDRAISING, TO THE PLANNING, TO THE MARKETING, TO THE MAINTAINING THE RELATIONSHIPS, TO KEEPING BOTH OPEN AND STILL HAVING GREAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PERFORMANCES AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
SO I JUST, THAT IS ALL A TESTAMENT TO Y'ALL'S WORK ALL THE WAY FROM THE PERFORMERS AND THE TECHNICIANS TO THE USHERS.
I JUST, THE PARAMOUNT IS JUST HUGE AND SUCCESSFUL IN A WONDERFUL SPACE AND JUST, UM, I, I JUST CAN'T SPEAK OF IT HIGHLY ENOUGH.
UM, SO THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
UM, AND THEN I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE STATE RENOVATIONS.
AND I THINK I MISSED, WERE YOU, THE SEAT CAPACITY WAS 300, DID YOU SAY YOU WERE DOUBLING IT 50%? NO, WE WERE INCREASING IT BY 50% AND 60% WHEN WE HAVE THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, SEATING PULLED ALL THE WAY BACK FLEX AND WE HAVE GA OKAY.
AND THEN IS THAT, AND THEN DID I SEE YOU GUYS ARE BUILDING OUT THEN A MEZZANINE SEATING AREA AT THE STATE? IS THAT DORE? WE'RE CREATING, WE'RE CREATING BOTH A MEZZANINE AND A BALCONY.
UM, AND I'M ALSO SUPER EXCITED ABOUT, UM, THE LOCAL RESIDENCIES THAT YOU PLAN TO HOLD FOR THIS STATE.
UM, ARE YOU GUYS, UM, I GUESS MY, MY CONCERN IS THE COMPETITION BETWEEN MAYBE THE LOCAL RESIDENCY VERSUS WHAT YOU MIGHT BE OFFERING TO THE HOTEL.
UM, AND WHAT KIND OF, UM, KIND OF PERCENTAGES OF, UM, RENTALS OR ENGAGEMENTS DO YOU SEE KIND OF IN THE STATE WITH THIS NEW CAPACITY AND THE NEW FLEX SEATING OF ALL LOCAL VERSUS NOT KIND OF, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE, THE KIND COMMENTS.
I, I, THIS IS ALMOST LIKE, THIS IS SO MUCH LESS THAN THERAPY AND I, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR IT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME, DON'T LAUGH AT ME, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE WITH ME ON IT.
WE, UH, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WITH LAWYERS AND ENGINEERS AND I LOVE THEM ALL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, Y WE, IT'S, IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE, THIS REFLECTION.
LET ME CLARIFY ONE THING ABOUT, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT MAKING IT AVAILABLE FOR THE, THE STATE THEATER WITH THE FLEXIBLE SEATING BEING PULLED ALL THE WAY BACK, MAKING THAT AVAILABLE TO THE HOTEL.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE FLEXIBLE SEATING, THAT WHICH IS COMPLETELY RUN COMPUTER RUN AND IT'S ON RACKS.
WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE THAT BE A BUSINESS CONFERENCE MEETING USING OUR TECHNOLOGY AND EVERYTHING ELSE BEGINNING AT EIGHT O'CLOCK AND FINISH AT FOUR AND WE CAN TURN THE THEATER AROUND AND THEN HAVE A SHOW AT SEVEN O'CLOCK THAT NIGHT.
SO THAT IS COMPLETELY ADDING A DAY PART TO OUR WORK.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, LET ME DESCRIBE WHAT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH BALLET OF FREAK IS LOOKING LIKE.
AND, AND I HOPE IT KIND OF ANSWERS YOU AT LEAST IN PART, WE'VE COME TO KNOW CHYNA SMITH, THE FOUNDER FOR 17 YEARS, WHO'S, WHO'S DONE AN UNBELIEVABLE JOB OF BUILDING THIS, THIS DANCE
[00:35:01]
COMPANY, STARTING WITH FOUR YEAR OLDS AND FIVE YEAR OLDS UP THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DANCERS.UM, AND YET SHE HAS NEVER HAD A VENUE OF HER OWN.
WE'VE HAD, UM, HER DUKE ELLINGTON'S NUTCRACKER, UM, TWO OF THE LAST THREE YEARS AND SOLD OUT THE PARAMOUNT THEATER, BUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE A VENUE.
AND SO WHAT WE MET AND WHAT WE'VE CREATED IS, UM, UNDER HANDSHAKE AGREEMENT RIGHT NOW, IS THAT FOUR TIMES A YEAR, THE FOURTH QUARTER WILL BE FOR THE NUTCRACKER AT THE PARAMOUNT, BUT THE OTHER THREE QUARTERS, THEY WILL HAVE A THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND A SATURDAY NIGHT THAT WHERE THEY CAN DO OTHER WORKS WITH THEIR OTHER DANCERS.
AND THEY CAN DO THAT, YOU KNOW, THREE QUARTERS OF THE YEAR AND THEN HAVE THE NUTCRACKER SO THAT WHAT THEY CAN DO IS CREATE AN ACTUAL SEASON AND THEY HAVE A VENUE.
AND WE THINK THIS KIND OF RELATIONSHIP, OH, AND, AND WHAT WE HAVE PROMISED IS WE'VE COMMITTED FOR THREE YEARS AND WHAT WE'VE PROMISED IS WE HAVE 297,000 PEOPLE IN OUR DATA BANKS.
WE HAVE DATA ANALYTIC CAPABILITY, WE HAVE SOCIAL AND TRADITIONAL MARKETING CAPABILITIES, AND WE'LL THROW ALL OF OUR ABILITY IN THAT AREA BEHIND THEIR WORK.
AND AFTER THREE YEARS, WHAT YOU'LL KNOW AT THAT POINT IN TIME, IS THERE A MARKET HERE IN AUSTIN FOR THE WORK THEY'RE DOING.
AND RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T HAVE ANY WAY THEY LIVE HAND TO MOUTH OFF THE, OFF THE, THE BIG SHOWS OF, UH, DUKE ELLINGTON'S, UM, UH, UH, NUTCRACKER.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE DO.
UH, WE WILL DO, OUR HOPE IS, AND I, AND I, AND I DON'T HAVE A PERCENTAGE, LIKE WE'RE GONNA TAKE 20% OF OUR DATES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA BE TERRIBLY FAR OFF.
IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME IF IT ENDS UP BEING 10 OR 15% OF OUR DATES AND WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, BUT IT'S ALSO GOOD BUSINESS.
THE REALITY IS WE NEED TO BE INVITING, PAYING ATTENTION AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CREATIVES IN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA.
AND WE CAN NOW DO THIS BECAUSE OF THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO IT.
SO THAT'S AS DIRECT AN ANSWER AS I CAN GIVE YOU ON THAT.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THE KIND COMMENTS.
AND, AND THAT'S, UM, UM, A MORE THOROUGH AND THOUGHTFUL ANSWER TO OUR LOCAL ARTS COMMUNITY THAN I'VE HEARD FROM ANYONE IN A REALLY LONG TIME,
UM, SO CERTAINLY I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD WORKED AT BASS CONCERT HALL FOR A WHILE.
I HAD WORKED AT THE LONG CENTER FOR A WHILE, AND I KNOW WHEN THE LONG CENTER WAS STARTED, IT WAS ALL, IT WAS MEANT TO BE ALL ABOUT THE RESIDENCIES AND BEING A PLACE FOR THE, YOU KNOW, CITY COMPANIES TO BE.
AND WHILE THAT HAS HELD TRUE FOR A COUPLE, IT DIDN'T REALLY GROW.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE STILL COMPANIES LIKE BALLET AQ AND YOU KNOW, I WON'T GO AND LIST ALL
AND LIKE YOU SAID, THEY DON'T HAVE THE DATA AND IT'S THE SAME, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED AUDIENCE MEMBERS THAT ARE SUPPORTING THEM, BUT THEY COULD VERY EASILY, UM, GET MORE PEOPLE.
THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES.
SO THIS IS JUST SUCH AN INCREDIBLE, UM, PLAN AND AN INCREDIBLE WAY TO NOT ONLY USE, UM, Y'ALL'S RESOURCES, BUT KIND OF JUST CREATE A NEW ECOSYSTEM, UM, TO SHARE, TO SHARE RESOURCES AND EXPAND.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THANK YOU FOR Y'ALL'S TIME AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, AGAIN, ALL THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PRUITT.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY THAT WE OFFERED OUR GUEST AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET BACK TO HIS ESTABLISHMENT FOR A MEETING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THE AFFAIRS THIS WEEK.
WE HA I KNOW I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER IAN AND UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT FOR ANYBODY ELSE, IF WE, IF YOU CAN STAY, WE'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER QUESTION.
BUT WE WANNA GET YOU OUTTA HERE AS WELL.
NO, WE'LL, WE'LL WE'LL BE ABLE TO STAY HERE FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES.
UM, FIRST OFF, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, PRESENTING TODAY.
UM, SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FANS HERE AND WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT ON, UH, THE, UH, THE COMMISSION AS A COMMISSION AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
UM, BUT I THOUGHT TO WRAP IT UP, 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE TO GET BACK THAT I WOULD ASK HOW AS THE PUBLIC AND THIS PLATFORM HERE, MAYBE YOU COULD TELL US HOW FUNDRAISING IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE ARTS, HOW WE CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS AT ANY LEVEL.
IS IT A WEBSITE? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT? I'M GONNA TURN YOU OVER TO THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
WE TAKE DONATIONS, UH, AS SMALL AS ANYBODY WANTS TO MAKE, AND THERE IS NO UPWARD LIMIT.
AND IT IS AUSTIN THEATER.ORG/SHINE ON.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL WITH QUICK LINKS AND ALSO THE DECK THAT WE SHOWN HERE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A CASE STUDY THAT WE HAVE A DIGITAL VERSION OF.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE ALL OF THAT WITH THE COMMISSION AS SOON AS WE GET BACK.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS THE FLEXIBILITY IS IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE
[00:40:01]
A PLEDGE AND PAY IT OUT OVER FIVE YEARS, WE ARE THRILLED BY THAT.UM, PLEA QUARTERLY WE'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
I MEAN WE, WE, WE, WE TALK ABOUT THESE KINDS OF THINGS, BUT IF YOU HAD 15% OF OUR 297,000 PEOPLE PLEDGE $10 A MONTH FOR FIVE YEARS LOCALLY FOR FIVE MONTHS, THAT WOULD COME TO ALMOST $9 MILLION.
AND THAT'S WHERE, WHERE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE THE SORT OF THE BLUE COLLAR THEATER.
UM, EVERYTHING WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE DO IN THERE, UM, IT HITS EVERY ECONOMIC STRATA.
AND, AND WE FOUND OUT WHEN WE REBUILT THE ORIGINAL PARAMOUNT BLADE, UM, WHICH HAD BEEN TAKEN DOWN AND DESTROYED IN 1963 AND WE DID IT FOR OUR HUNDREDTH YEAR, WE REALLY LEARNED HOW MUCH THE COMMUNITY WANTED TO HAVE A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP.
AND YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU GIVE US $10, IT'S GOING TO BE PUT TO USE AND THEN YOU'RE ABLE TO SAY TO YOUR CHILD OR YOUR GRANDCHILD, I HELPED MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S A VERY POWERFUL, IT'S ECONOMICALLY HELPFUL TO US, BUT IT'S ALSO COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF WHO WE ARE.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL.
AND ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE? I'M LOOKING ON THE SCREEN.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU YOU FOR THAT.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT CLOSING.
I MEAN, I THOUGHT WE WERE RIGHT THERE.
IF YOU WERE GONNA CLOSE OFF WHERE YOU, WHERE WE LANDED WAS A GOOD WAY TO END.
THANK HOPE THE REST OF THANKS FOR MAKING TIME.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE BEING HERE.
[3. Presentation by Austin’s Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (ACME) Department, regarding an Overview and Updates. Presentation by Angela Means, Director.]
TO, UH, OUR DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER THREE AND OUR NEXT GUEST, UH, WE ARE GONNA RECEIVE AN UPDATE PRESENTATION FROM THE ACME DEPARTMENT WHO DO OVERSEE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANTS, ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHER IMPORTANT, UH, GRANTS AND UTILIZATION OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD FOR AN UPDATE AND CHAMPIONING YOUR SUCCESS.
I SEE WE HAVE JUST A, A QUICK SWITCH.
WE, WE HAD IN OUR AGENDA THAT THE DIRECTORY ANGELA MEANS WOULD BE MAKING THE PRESENTATION, BUT WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY THAT THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MORGAN MESSICK IS WITH US IN PERSON AND IS GONNA DRIVE THIS SHOW.
SO, UH, THANKS AND, AND WELCOME TO THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.
I'M MORGAN MESSICK, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT ACME.
UM, DIRECTOR MEANS UNFORTUNATELY COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
I'M JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE, UH, DIVISION MANAGER, MELISSA ALVARADO, WHO OVERSEES CULTURAL AND HERITAGE TOURISM, UM, FOR ACME.
AND SO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION TODAY THAT'S REALLY JUST AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE AT.
UM, WE ARE ONE YEAR INTO THE FORMATION OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
IT BEGAN IN FEBRUARY, 2025 AND WE ARE JUST DOWN MARCH, 2026.
AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TELL YOU, UM, WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE PLANNING TO GO FOR THE FUTURE SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF GET A FOUNDATION FOR WHERE WE'RE AT.
READY FOR THAT SLIDE DECK IF POSSIBLE.
SO AS I MENTIONED, ACME WAS CREATED IN FEBRUARY, 2025 TO UNIFY AND STRENGTHEN AUSTIN'S ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT ECOSYSTEM.
SO WE WERE ABLE WITH THIS MERGER TO ALIGN FUNDING FACILITIES, PROGRAMMING AND ECONOMIC IMPACT INTO ONE CENTRALIZED LOCATION, KIND OF BEING A ONE-STOP SHOP, SHOP FOR ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, SOME OF OUR CALLS WERE TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL THE PROGRAMMING AND WORK THAT WE DO, AS WELL AS POSITION AUSTIN AS A GLOBAL CULTURAL AND ARTS CAPITAL.
WE TALK A LOT ABOUT BEING THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF WORLD.
UM, AND WE ALSO TALK A LOT ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO SUSTAIN THAT ECOSYSTEM AND GROW IT AND SUPPORT LOCAL MUSICIANS.
WE'LL SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF HOW WE CAME TOGETHER.
SO UP AT THE TOP WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR, ANGELA MEANS, OF COURSE SHE OVERSEES THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT OF WORK.
WE HAVE, UM, A WONDERFUL ADMIN, UM, SUPPORT WITH MONICA CASPER.
AND THEN WE HAVE TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, MYSELF AND CANDACE COOPER IS OUR INTERIM CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.
WE HAVE, UM, NO DIRECT SUPPORT SERVICES FROM THE FOUNDING OF OUR DEPARTMENT, SO WE'VE HAD TO KIND OF FRANKENSTEIN SOME THINGS TOGETHER.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE SPLIT UP THAT WORK.
I OVERSEE THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE DO FOR ARTS, FUNDING, MUSIC AND EVENTS.
AND THAT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DIVISIONS.
AND I ALSO OVERSEE THE HUMAN RESOURCES WORK THAT WE DO.
AND OUR FINANCE TEAM, CANDACE, HAS THE PLEASURE OF OVERSEEING ALL OF OUR PUBLIC FACING FACILITIES, UM, WHICH IS THE MUSEUMS, THE CULTURAL CENTERS, UM, THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER NEW FACILITIES THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN ON OVER THE LAST YEAR IN ADDITION TO OVERSEEING PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR
[00:45:01]
THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE.I'M CLICKING WHICH THING SHOULD I POINT AT WHEN I'M CLICKING THAT WAY THIS WAY.
UM, SO WE'LL JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST YEAR.
SO THE PURPOSE OF THE FIRST YEAR WAS REALLY FOUNDATION BUILDING AND THE THEME OF LAST YEAR WAS TO STABILIZE, LISTEN AND THEN BUILD.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE DID, WE BROUGHT THE DEPARTMENT TOGETHER AND BEGAN THE ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT PROCESS.
UM, THE GROUPS THAT WE PULLED TOGETHER CONSISTED OF FIVE LEGACY DIVISIONS FROM ACROSS THE CITY.
WE LAUNCHED A MAJOR INITIATIVE WHICH WE CALL THE CREATIVE RESET, WHICH IS THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
WE HAVE STRENGTHENED CROSS DEPARTMENT PARTNERSHIPS, WE HAVE INITIATED NEW FUNDING FRAMEWORKS AND WORK TO REALIGN ALL OF OUR WORK BASED ON THE CONTINUAL FEEDBACK LOOP THAT WE'VE CREATED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I DON'T THINK I HAVE THIS ON THE SLIDE, BUT IN CASE ANYONE'S WONDERING WHICH DEPARTMENTS WE MERGED FROM, WE CAME FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION, UM, THE AIRPORT, THE LIBRARY, AND I THINK THAT'S IT.
DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, FIVE DEPARTMENTS.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE GOALS THAT WE HAD GOING IN, UH, TO 2025.
SO WE LAUNCHED OUR PROJECT, THE CREATIVE RESET LAST APRIL, AND IT'S A MULTI-PHASE COMMUNITY-DRIVEN STRATEGIC AND TRANSFORMATION PROCESS.
AND THE GOAL OF THE WHOLE THING IS TO OPERATIONALIZE EXCELLENCE AND PUBLIC TRUST.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT THROUGH PHASE ONE, WHICH WE ARE NEARING THE END OF WHICH FOCUSED ON AN OVERHAUL OF OUR FUNDING PROGRAMS AND OUR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM.
THAT PROGRAM WAS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL.
UM, WE HAD A RESOLUTION MARCH, 2025, DIRECTING US TO UPDATE THE ORDINANCE THAT GUIDES IT.
SO THAT PROCESS RAN IN PARALLEL AS WELL AS THE FUNDING PROGRAM WORK THAT WE DID THROUGH CREATIVE RESET PHASE ONE.
AND SO THE DIFFERENT FUNDING STREAMS THAT WE HAVE IN ACME INCLUDE THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT, WHICH YOU ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
WE ALSO HAVE NEXUS ELEVATE THRIVE, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND A CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE MANY DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT WE RUN AND THEY ARE NOW CENTRALIZED UNDER ONE DIVISION MANAGER AND ONE PLACE IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
PHASE TWO OF THE CREATIVE RESET KICKED OFF LAST YEAR AS WELL.
AND THAT THIS PART OF THE WORK IS FOCUSING ON OUR CULTURAL FACILITIES AND MUSEUMS. WE HAVE ACTIVATION PLANS FOR ALL OF OUR FACILITIES.
WE HAVE, UM, A LOT OF WORK THAT WE ARE DOING THERE AS WELL AS ENGAGEMENT FOR THAT DIFFERENT SECTION OF STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO THAT WORK IS CURRENTLY ONGOING.
WE ARE GETTING READY TO LAUNCH PHASE THREE OF THE CREATIVE RESET, WHICH WILL FOCUS ON SPECIAL EVENTS AND ALTERNATIVE FUNDING FRAMEWORKS TO DO BETTER NEW AND DIFFERENT RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT THE CREATIVE ECONOMY.
AND PHASE FOUR HAS BEEN KIND OF RUNNING THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE PREVIOUS PHASES.
THIS WILL BE THE COMPLETION OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO ALL OF THE ENGAGEMENT WE'VE HAD WITH THE COMMUNITY ARE INFORMING THE GOALS AND THE WORK THAT WE WILL DO OVER THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
AND WE'VE BEEN DOING STAFF ENGAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP RETREATS TO HELP INFORM THIS WORK AS WELL.
OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN PUBLISHED BY SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR, AHEAD OF THE START OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
ALL RIGHT, SO A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE ON PHASE ONE, LOOKING AT FUNDING PROGRAMS. SO KICKING OFF LAST APRIL, THAT'S WHEN WE BEGAN THE OUTREACH AND THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
WE BEGAN DOING INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS, ANALYZING THAT FEEDBACK.
WE BEGAN DRAFTING BRAND NEW GUIDELINES CENTRALIZED UNDER ONE BANNER FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.
AND WITH THOSE GUIDELINES, WE CONDUCTED A ROAD SHOW TO SUPPORT, UM, TO GAIN SUPPORT AND FEEDBACK FROM STR STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDERS, COMMISSIONS, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AS WELL AS, UH, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
MOVING FORWARD, WE TOOK FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM THOSE ENGAGEMENTS AND WE INCORPORATED IT, CREATING THE FINALIZED GUIDELINES IN SEPTEMBER, 2025.
AND WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO LAUNCH A FIRST EVER, UM, SINGULAR APPLICATION LAUNCH FOR THOSE PROGRAMS AT THE TIME, OCTOBER, 2025.
AND THE APPLICATIONS WERE OPEN THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, DECEMBER, 2025.
AND JUST RECENTLY WE WRAPPED UP THE REVIEW, UM, AND SCORING PROCESS FOR ALL OF OUR APPLICATIONS.
WE RECEIVED, UM, WELL OVER A THOUSAND APPLICATIONS AND ARE WORKING TOWARDS MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS ACTUALLY NEXT MONDAY, UH, ROLLING OUT FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT WERE OPEN.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEW APPLICATION THAT'S ALREADY OPEN FOR OUR NEXUS PROGRAM.
SO IF ANYONE IS LISTENING OR WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT NEXUS, IT'S FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
IT'S AT FIVE AND $10,000 LEVELS
[00:50:01]
AND IT'S OPEN CURRENTLY, UM, THROUGH MID-APRIL CREATIVE RESET PHASE TWO LAUNCH KIND OF SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE WE WERE WORKING ON PHASE ONE.SO AROUND OCTOBER WE WERE ABLE TO KICK OFF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT IS IMPACTING THIS WORK AND WE BEGAN COLLECTING THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH THAT CONTINUUM AND RIGHT WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IN MARCH, WE ARE GETTING STAFF FEEDBACK, WORKING WITH CITY LEADERSHIP, INTEGRATING THAT FEEDBACK INTO THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AND KIND OF MOVING FORWARD.
WE HOPE TO HAVE A FINAL REPORT ON THIS WORK AT THE END OF AUGUST, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, KIND OF IN TANDEM WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, PHASE THREE, WHICH IS GONNA FOCUS ON SPECIAL EVENTS AND ALTERNATIVE FUNDING FRAMEWORK IS JUST AT THE INITIATION PHASE RIGHT NOW.
AS WE'RE, UM, KIND OF WINDING DOWN PHASE ONE, WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE MORE BANDWIDTH TO START THIS ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
AND SO WE ARE BUILDING OUT THE VISION FOR THIS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BEFORE WE KICK IT OFF.
PHASE FOUR IS FINALIZING THAT STRATEGIC PLAN BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO SOME OF THE WORK THAT YOU'LL SEE IN OUR PUBLISHED PLAN INCLUDES THE CREATION OF OUR DEPARTMENT'S MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES ALIGNMENT STATEMENTS.
YOU'LL SEE MORE ABOUT OUR PERFORMANCE METRICS AND KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
YOU'LL SEE OUR FORECAST REVENUE MODELING FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 AND BEYOND TO FORECAST HOW MUCH MONEY WE INTEND TO TAKE.
AND, UM, AND THE WAYS THAT WE PLAN TO GET THERE.
YOU'LL SEE MORE ABOUT OUR FACILITIES AND ASSET STRATEGIES.
YOU'LL SEE INDUSTRY ECOSYSTEM ALIGNMENT ACROSS OUR PROGRAMS. AND SOME OF THE FOCUSES THAT WE HAVE, OF COURSE ARE THE CULTURAL FUNDING FACILITIES AND MUSEUMS, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT ECOSYSTEM, ECONOMIC IMPACT AND TOURISM ALIGNMENT, AND OUR ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET CYCLE FOR THE NEXT, UM, ROUND OF BUDGETING AT THE CITY, AS YOU KNOW.
AND SO WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE SUPPORTS THAT WE NEED IN BUILDING OUT MORE OF A STRONG FOUNDATION SO THE DEPARTMENT CAN BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE.
WE'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE AND SEE HOW WE CAN WORK BETTER TOGETHER.
SO WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP US AS CONTINUE FOLLOWING THE CREATIVE RESET AS WE MOVE THROUGH PHASES THREE AND FOUR THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THIS YEAR.
YOU CAN PROVIDE ANY STRUCTURED FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF AVENUES CURRENTLY OPEN, UM, JOINING FOCUS GROUPS, SIGNING UP FOR SURVEYS.
AND WE REALLY HOPE TO CONNECT WITH YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY AND FOR YOU TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT SINCE WE ARE NEW.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT US OR DON'T QUITE KNOW WHERE THE ALIGNMENT FALLS OR WHAT THE GOALS ARE.
SO WE'RE STILL WORKING ON SPREADING THE WORD.
AND WE'LL HAVE FUTURE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WILL INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN.
UM, SOME OF THE WAYS YOU GUYS CAN STAY ENGAGED.
WE'LL BE LAUNCHING OUR EXTERNAL NEWSLETTER ON MONDAY, UM, AS WE ROLL OUT OUR FUNDING AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING ON MONDAY.
SO FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIAS.
UM, CHECK OUT THAT NEWSLETTER LINK WHEN IT GOES LIVE.
MAYBE WE CAN GET, UH, FELICIA TO SEND IT AROUND WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE.
AND WE JUST WANT TO BE A PART OF THE WORK YOU'RE DOING IN THE TOURISM, UH, INDUSTRY.
WE ARE HOPING TO STABILIZE, STRENGTHEN, STRATEGIZE, AND SUSTAIN THE CREATIVE ECONOMY.
AND OF COURSE TOURISM IS A REALLY BIG PART OF THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
I KNOW IT WAS A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
WE'RE HAPPY TO TACKLE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND UM, WE LET FELICIA KNOW, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET OVER THIS HUMP OF WORK THAT WE HAVE AND DEADLINES, WE'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AT A FUTURE MEETING AND DO MORE SPECIFIC TOPICS.
APPRECIATE, UM, THAT YOU DID, WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT.
UM, I REALIZE THAT WE WERE JUST SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE CURVE OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE ASKING OF YOU.
AND SO THIS GIVES US A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE AS YOU'RE IN THE PROCESS AND IT'LL HELP US SHARPEN OUR NEXT GET TOGETHER.
BUT, UM, BEFORE I ASK ANYTHING MYSELF, I ALWAYS LIKE TO KICK IT TO THE REST OF OUR COMMISSIONERS TO GET QUESTIONS ANSWERED FIRST.
UM, WHAT IS, YOU'D MENTIONED SCORING.
I I'M TAKING IT FOR THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC.
UM, WHAT'S THE CRITERIA THAT, THAT Y'ALL USE IN SCORING THOSE GRANTS? YEAH, EVERY GRANT HAS ITS OWN SPECIFIC RUBRIC.
THEY ARE ALL PUBLICLY PUBLISHED AND THE GUIDELINES AVAILABLE ONLINE.
UM, SO THEY ALL HAVE A DI A DIFFERENT, A RUBRIC THAT THEY'RE SCORED AGAINST.
SO HAS THAT CHANGED OVER? IT HAS CHANGED.
SO THROUGH OUR ENGAGEMENT PROCESS LAST YEAR, UM, THE CREATIVE RESET PHASE ONE, WE UPDATED ALL OF OUR GRANT PROGRAMS BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
SO THERE WILL BE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE GRANTS, BUT THERE WILL BE, UM, NEW, NEW ELIGIBILITIES ADDED, UM, CHANGING AWARD AMOUNTS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WERE RESPONSIVE TO COMMUNITY.
[00:55:01]
I BELIEVE THERE'S BEEN SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT ADMINISTRATION OF FUNDING OF THE GRANTS.HAVE THOSE BEEN ADDRESSED? I THINK THEY WERE BEING DONE WHAT THROUGH, UM, THE TOLER CENTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WE HAVE A THIRD PARTY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LONG CENTER, LONG CENTER, EXCUSE ME, TO DO GRANT ADMINISTRATION OVERSIGHT AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY.
SO THEY, UM, HELP US LAUNCH OUR APPLICATIONS.
THEY HELP US RUN, UM, OUR SCORING AND REVIEWS.
THEY HELP US PROCURE THE SYSTEMS THAT WE RUN OUR PROGRAMS THROUGH.
SO WE HAVE LIKE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
SO IN THE PAST WE, WE'VE RECEIVED PRESENTATIONS TO THE COMMISSION THAT THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT DELAY FROM THE TIME THE GRANTS ARE GRANTED TO WHEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE ENTITIES ACTUALLY GET THE MONEY AT.
HAVE THOSE BEEN RECTIFIED THOSE DELAYS? SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY, THAT'S BEEN, UH, DRASTICALLY IMPROVED.
UM, SINCE WE HAVE SWITCHED SYSTEMS AND SINCE WE'VE HAD OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LONG CENTER, UM, I THINK WE'VE RUN THREE YEARS OF GRANT CYCLES WITH THEM.
AND WE'VE TAKEN OUR, UM, THE TIME FROM WHEN WE USED TO ANNOUNCE AWARDS TO WHEN FUNDING WOULD HAPPEN, I THINK WOULD BE AROUND 90 DAYS THROUGH THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
AND WE'VE GOTTEN IT DOWN TO, I THINK, 10 TO 15 BUSINESS DAYS WITH THE LONG CENTER.
SO I THINK IT'S BEEN DRASTICALLY IMPROVED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
SO DOES HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, DOES IT PROVIDE PART OF YOUR FUNDING? MOST OF THE GRANTS ARE THROUGH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND.
AND HOW IS TOURISM AS A CRITERIA ADDRESSED IN, YOU KNOW, THE GRANT PROCESS? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, QUESTIONS ADDRESSING, UM, THE AUDIENCE, THE TARGETS, AS WELL AS OTHER TOURISM FACTORS IN EACH INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. AND ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS ARE BUILT WITH REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SOME HAVE INTERIM REPORTS, UM, AND SOME ONLY HAVE AN END REPORT.
IT DEPENDS ON THE TERM OF THE GRANT CYCLE.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE GRANTS THAT RANGE FROM ONE TO TWO YEARS, AND SOME PEOPLE CAN GRANT EXTENSIONS BEYOND THAT IF THEY NEED TIME TO WRAP UP THEIR GRANTS.
SO DEPENDING ON THE LENGTH OF THE PROGRAM, WE GET INTERIM REPORTS.
OUR STAFF WORK WITH THEM TO REVIEW.
THEY REVIEW ALL OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALLOWABLE EXPENSES WITHIN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
AND THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS IN INCLUDE THINGS LIKE, UM, DATA ON THE ATTENDEES YOU RECEIVE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND IF YOU WERE ACTUALLY CATERING TO TOURISTS AND WHERE THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN TRAVELING FROM, AND OTHER, UM, INDICATORS THAT THEY INCLUDE TO SHOW US.
SO MY FINAL QUESTION IS, WHAT'S THE ESTIMATE OF TOTAL AMOUNT OF GRANTS THAT Y'ALL WILL BE HANDING OUT THIS YEAR? THIS YEAR? I WAS JUST LOOKING AT IT.
IT'S, UM, I THINK IT'S AROUND 700 GRAND.
I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER ON TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, OVER $24 MILLION, THAT'S ALL.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHANNON, BIG QUESTIONS.
DID I, WOULD YOU LIKE? THANK YOU.
UM, SO WE'VE HAD, UH, WE HAD A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER HERE NOT LONG AGO, UM, WHO WAS, UM, HAVING SOME FINANCIAL STRUGGLES.
AND THE QUESTION WAS ASKED OF HIM IF HE ENGAGED WITH THE CITY AT ALL, AND HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THAT, THAT THERE WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT, THAT THESE GRANTS EXISTED.
SO, UM, MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO KIND OF THESE HISTORIC AREAS DOWNTOWN.
IT SURPRISED ME TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE WHO WAS LOCATED DOWNTOWN HAD NO IDEA THAT GRANTS EXISTED.
AND I'M, UH, WONDERING WHAT YOUR STRATEGY IS, UH, FOR REACHING OUT TO THESE BUSINESS OWNERS.
UM, VERY CANDIDLY, WE HAVE ZERO MARKETING STAFF AND ZERO BUDGET FOR THAT.
SO IT HAS ABSOLUTELY BEEN A CHALLENGE, BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE DON'T HAVE STAFF WITH INCREDIBLE SKILLS.
UM, AND THEY'RE REALLY SCRAPPY WITH THE VERY LITTLE MONEY THAT WE DO HAVE.
SO OF COURSE, WE HAVE ACCESS TO FOLKS ALREADY IN OUR ECOSYSTEM.
SO THAT'S AN EASY, UM, WIN FOR US TO GO BACK OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE.
WE DO HAVE A GOAL TO DO MORE ENGAGEMENT, MORE OUTREACH, AND SO WE ARE WORKING ON THAT OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
PART OF THE ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR BUDGET REQUESTS WILL INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING, AS WELL AS FUNDING TO SUPPORT THAT OUTREACH.
UM, BUT WE DO A LOT OF KIND OF WHO, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN REACH OUT FOR YOU, LIKE PARTNER MARKETING.
WE SEND OUT PARTNER TOOLKITS TO, TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY ESTABLISH PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AND WE ASK THEM TO AMPLIFY ON BEHALF OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UM, I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF NEW APPLICANTS THIS YEAR, SO I THINK SOME OF THAT DID PROVE SUCCESSFUL, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
AND WE'LL HAVE SOME, UM, DATA DASHBOARDS PUBLISHED OVER THE NEXT MONTH THAT KIND OF SHOW
[01:00:01]
THEM THE DATA OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME INTO OUR APPLICATION ECOSYSTEM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE FIRST TIME APPLICANTS, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.SO THE DATA WILL HELP TELL THE STORY, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO IMPROVE ON THAT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD, UM, COMMISSIONERS, UM, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA SPECIFICALLY.
WE'VE ALSO DONE SOME WALKABOUTS, IF YOU WILL, TO JUST TRY AND INTRODUCE OURSELVES, LEAVE SOME MATERIAL, LEAVE A BUSINESS CARD, UM, AND JUST CONNECTING WITH THE OWNERS AND FINDING THAT RIGHT TIME BETWEEN RUSH HOURS, AS ALWAYS, UM, THE KEY INGREDIENT TO, TO ALIGNING WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER VERSUS WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
BUT, UH, IF WE CAN FIND OUT WHO THAT IS, WE'LL GET 'EM ON OUR MAILING LIST.
OH, YOU'RE POINTING DOWN HERE.
UM, I GUESS SOME COMMENTS AND A QUESTION.
UH, OUTSIDE OF MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE, I'M AN ARTIST WHO'VE WORKED.
I'VE WORKED IN PUBLIC ART AND DIFFERENT MUSEUMS, SO ALL OF THIS IS VERY FASCINATING TO ME.
UM, FOR, I GUESS, ACTUALLY, UH, I GUESS LETTING US KNOW ABOUT THE MERGER OF THE DEPARTMENTS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NEW FOR ME.
UM, JUST FROM THE ARTIST'S PERSPECTIVE, LOOKING FOR CALLS FOR OPPORTUNITIES, LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT GRANTS AND THINGS THAT ARE OFFERED, UH, FOR, FROM THE CITY.
I ACTUALLY HAVE SEEN Y'ALL'S OPPORTUNITIES PASSED ALONG TO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
FUTURE FRONT DOES A FANTASTIC JOB.
UH, THEIR ORGANIZATION OVER IN EAST AUSTIN, UM, THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB ON ACTUALLY AMPLIFYING Y'ALL'S OPPORTUNITIES.
SO EVERYTHING THAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL OFFER IS ACTUALLY THROUGH FUTURE FRONT
SO GIVING YOU THAT POINT THERE.
UM, BUT A QUESTION THAT I HAVE, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL KIND OF NEW AND LEARNING ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT, AND I SAY THIS AS AN AUSTINITE, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THE NAIVETY, BUT, UH, WHERE IS THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS? OH, IT'S A, IT'S A MISNOMER.
UM, IT'S JUST THE NAME OF A TEAM.
SO WE HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE, THEY ARE KNOWN AS THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS, AND THAT'S KIND OF JUST LIKE A LEGACY NAMING CONVENTION.
UM, THEY ARE HOUSED AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, WHICH IS UP BY THE A CC HIGHLAND CAMPUS UP NORTH, BUT IT'S LITERALLY JUST A TEAM OF LIKE FIVE PEOPLE
UM, BUT I LOVE THAT YOU ASKED THAT.
I HAD NOT SEEN THAT BEFORE, SO THANKS.
THANKS, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
UM, I'M LOOKING ON THE SCREEN.
IS THERE ANYONE OUT ON VIRTUAL WHO A, YOU KNOW, IT'S ME, COMMISSIONER PRUITT.
UM, AND ALSO THANK YOU BOTH FOR, FOR COMING.
UM, I'VE BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT ACME SINCE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED, SO I HOPE THAT Y'ALL CAN JUST KIND OF COME BACK YEARLY, UM, AND GIVE US UPDATES.
UM, BECAUSE I, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE MAKING A LOT OF MOVES, UM, AS YOU DO YOUR STRATEGIC PLANS AND KIND OF ESTABLISH YOUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT MY QUICK QUESTION WAS, UM, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE AMOUNT OF THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT OF GRANTS THAT YOU'RE GIVING AWAY IN THAT, IN THAT $24 MILLION RANGE, ARE YOU KIND OF LIKE AT YOUR CAPACITY AND HAVING TO TURN PEOPLE AWAY, OR ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH APPLICATIONS? LIKE WHERE, KIND OF WHERE IS THE, UM, NEED VERSUS THE, THE RESOURCE MATCHING? YEAH.
UM, MY, MY DIVISION MANAGER WHO OVERSEES ALL THE FUNDING PROGRAMS WAS JUST, UH, SHARING SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY DATA WITH US.
AND I THINK THAT THE REQUESTS WERE AROUND 65 MILLION TOTAL DOLLARS, AND WE HAVE 24 TO GIVE OUT.
THAT IS, UM, A GOOD REFERENCE TO HAVE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PRUITT.
THIS IS MOSTLY FOR THE MARKETING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH YOUR SMALL TEAM.
AND, BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY FOR ANYBODY WATCHING THIS, OR ANYBODY WHO MIGHT FIND THIS ON A SEARCH ENGINE LATER, WHERE CAN THEY GO? WHAT'S THE WEBSITE WHERE THEY CAN GO TO FIND MORE INFORMATION AND MAYBE APPLY FOR SOME OF THESE GRANTS? GREAT QUESTION.
UM, FUN FACT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S WEBSITE IS MIGRATING NEXT WEEK.
UM, SO I THINK THE SAFEST THING TO DO FOR NOW IS, IS TO GO TO YOUR PREFERRED SEARCH ENGINE, PULL UP A GOOGLE, UM, TYPE IN CITY OF AUSTIN, ACME, A CME.
AND IT SHOULD TAKE US, TAKE YOU TO OUR HOMEPAGE, UM, WHERE YOU CAN FIND ALL OF OUR INFO RIGHT SMACK DAB ON OUR HOMEPAGE.
YOU CAN SEE OUR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON BUILDING OUT OUR WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND RESOURCES FOR ALL CREATIVES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'LL HAVE YEAR ROUND PROGRAMMING FOR SUPPORTS.
UM, AND AS WE ROLL OUT THE FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS, WE KIND OF HAVE TWO TRACKS FOR, UH, PEOPLE.
YOU HEARD ME SAY, THERE'S QUITE A DEFICIT ON THE FUNDING NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
[01:05:01]
SO WE'RE TAKING AN APPROACH OF, I GOT THE MONEY NOW, WHAT'S NEXT? WHAT DO I DO? AND I DIDN'T GET THE MONEY, WHAT'S NEXT? BECAUSE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY FUNDER, UM, IN CENTRAL TEXAS OR IN THE COUNTRY.SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE TO, TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER OF RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
THE CITY HAS OTHERS EVEN OUTSIDE OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO CREATE A HUB FOR THAT, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
THANK YOU MORGAN, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON, SO YOUR, YOUR GROUP KIND OF OVERSEES THE, THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE GRANTS AND WHAT THEY'RE NEEDED, RIGHT? AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE SEPARATE MANAGING, I GUESS THEY MANAGE THE GRANTS HAVE THE TIED IN MANAGEMENT.
COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT, IT SEEMS VERY ADMINISTRATIVELY BURDENSOME, PARTICULARLY FOR SOME ORGANIZATIONS.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF THE ADMIN AND PAPER TRAIL AND MATCHING FOR THE GRANTS? UM, FOR A MINUTE AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, AND MELISSA, MIKE CAN HELP TAG TO ME ON THIS.
SHE'S VERY USED TO THE BURDENSOME PAPERWORK.
UM, SO WE, I I'LL SAY WE USED TO HAVE A DIFFERENT MODEL FOR HOW ALL THE PROGRAMS WERE RUN, EACH SORT OF GRANT PORTFOLIO, EACH FUNDING SOURCE.
SO THAT'S LIKE THE CULTURAL ARTS FUND, HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
THEY ALL HAD DIFFERENT MANAGERS.
WE HAVE STREAMLINED THE GRANT PROGRAMS TO BE UNDER ONE MANAGER AND HAD OUR OTHER MANAGERS STEP UP TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL WORK IN THE CREATIVE ECONOMY, UM, YOU KNOW, TO JUST REDISTRIBUTE THE WORKLOAD.
BUT AS FAR AS WHAT A PAPER TRAIL LOOKS LIKE AND KIND OF THE MAKEUP OF THAT TEAM THAT'S DOING GRANTS, WE HAVE ONE DIVISION MANAGER WHO OVERSEES ALL THE DIFFERENT GRANT PROGRAMS. AND THEN WE HAVE KIND OF LEADS OVER EACH OF THOSE FUNDING SOURCES.
SO WE HAVE PROGRAM MANAGERS, UH, ONE WHO OVERSEES THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, ONE WHO'S WORKING ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT, AND ONE WHO'S FOCUSED ON THE CULTURAL ART FUNDS.
THE CULTURAL ART FUNDS ARE THREE SEPARATE PROGRAMS. THAT'S NEXUS, ELEVATE, AND THRIVE.
SO THEY HAVE A KIND OF A SUBTEAM UNDER THEM.
ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE MANAGING HUNDREDS OF CONTRACTS.
SO EVERY TIME WE ISSUE A GRANT, THERE'S A CONTRACT ATTACHED WITH IT THAT COMES WITH REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, THAT COMES WITH CHECKUPS, THAT COMES WITH SITE VISITS.
AND SO THEY'RE THAT WE'LL CALL THEM THE LIAISON BETWEEN THOSE TWO GROUPS AND HOLDING THEM.
THE ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE GRANT AND THE OUTPUT.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT SOME OF YOUR MAJOR GRANTS THAT YOU FIND THAT ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL? OH, SOME LIKE GRANT PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, RIGHT? I MEAN, HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE PARAMOUNT
THE WORKUP FOR THE THING, RIGHT? THE GROUP'S BEEN AROUND FOR A YEAR, SO I WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WORKING.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU SPEED THIS PROCESS UP? I'M A FORMER MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT.
SO WHEN I SEE ANOTHER YEAR TO CREATE A STRATEGY, MISSION AND VISION, I THINK WE CAN SPEED THINGS UP A LOT QUICKER.
AND SO HOW CAN THIS GROUP HELP THAT? YEAH, I HEAR YOU GET THIS GOING.
WE'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR 24 MONTHS.
I WANNA DAYLIGHT, WE'RE ACTUALLY LAUNCHING THE NEXT, SO WE HAVE A GRANT OPEN RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE LAUNCHING THE NEXT GRANTS IN JULY.
THEN WE HAVE ONE IN SEPTEMBER, ANOTHER ONE AGAIN IN JANUARY.
WE'RE IN A CONTINUOUS CYCLE, SO THERE WILL BE NO DELAY IN THE NEXT LAUNCH.
MOST OF OUR GRANT PROGRAM, UH, CONTRACTS ARE FOR ONE YEAR.
SO THEY RUN FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER.
SO WE'RE LIKE CONSTANTLY CHURNING AND BURNING.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE A FEW THAT ARE A TWO YEAR CYCLE.
I THINK WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT LAST YEAR ABOUT TRYING TO EXTEND SOME OF THOSE BECAUSE IT'S SUCH THE CHURN, RIGHT? RIGHT.
UM, BUT HOW CAN YOU HELP US? IS SUCH A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN, THERE'S LITERALLY NOTHING YOU CAN DO.
I WISH THERE WAS, I WOULD DELEGATE THAT IMMEDIATELY.
BUT WHAT YOU COULD DO AS A COMMISSION, UM, YOU HAVE A DIRECT LINE TO THE COUNCIL, UM, AND TO THE MAYOR DEPENDING ON WHO APPOINTED YOU AND ANY SUPPORT FOR THE WORK ACME'S DOING FROM A BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE, YOU HEARD ABOUT OUR DEFICIT AND FUNDING NEEDS, THAT'S A PRETTY SEVERE DEFICIT.
AND SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF EXCITED PEOPLE ON MONDAY WHO ARE RECEIVING FUNDS, AND THERE'S GONNA BE MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY UNHAPPY PEOPLE WHO DID NOT RECEIVE THE FUNDS.
IT'S A VERY COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
SO ANY FINANCIAL SUPPORT WE CAN GARNER FROM COUNCIL, UM, IS VERY HELPFUL.
LIKE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY APPROVE THE BUDGET, THEY ALSO APPROVE THE SUPPORT RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO.
I MENTIONED THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE FINANCE, HR, OR COMMS PERMANENTLY IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S A REAL CHALLENGE FOR US.
UM, WE'VE MADE IT WORK THE LAST YEAR, BUT ANY SUPPORTS WE CAN GET.
WHY IS, WHY IS THAT A CHALLENGE? OH, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS PROBLEMS, THERE IS HIRING, THERE IS ALL KINDS OF INTERNAL TO YOUR DEPARTMENT OR FOR THE GRANT RECIPIENTS.
I NEED YOU TO BE REALLY SPECIFIC IN YOUR ANSWERS, PLEASE.
I THINK I NEED A REFRAMING OF THE QUESTION SO I CAN BETTER GET YOU WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
I DON'T NEED INFORMATION ABOUT THE GRANT PROCESSING.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE RECIPIENTS, THE
[01:10:01]
BURDEN AND ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN THAT THEY'LL HAVE.AS WELL AS I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOUR DEPARTMENT NEEDS MORE DEPARTMENTS.
I I WANNA KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP YOU FACILITATE YOUR MISSION AND VISION IN A, A REASONABLE TIMELINE.
IF THE DEPARTMENT WAS STARTED IN APRIL OF 2025 MM-HMM
WE'RE ALMOST APRIL, 2026, WE'RE STILL IN OVERVIEWS.
SO IF YOU'RE PUTTING OUT THE GRANTS AND YOU'RE MANAGING THE PROGRAMS, LIKE, LET'S GET INTO THAT.
LET'S GET INTO THE REPORTING OF THOSE PROGRAMS. LET'S STOP PLANNING 'CAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE PLANNING AND DOING.
AND SO IT'S LIKE THAT, THAT'S MY STATEMENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER 'CAUSE I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW TO GET SUPPORT FROM COMMISSION TO RELIEVE ADMIN BURDEN.
UM, UNLESS YOU WANNA VOLUNTEER FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T HAVE NO, THAT'S OKAY.
YOU, YOU, YOU FULLY SUFFICIENTLY ANSWER MY QUESTION.
UM, I JUST WENT TO THE WEBSITE AND I NOTICED THAT YOU HAVE, UH, EVENT PERMITS.
SO I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF VERIFY THAT YOU ALL DO THE EVENT.
SO THIS IS ALL TEMPORARY PERMITTING FOR EVENTS? YES, CORRECT.
WE HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE THIS MORNING FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
WE'VE ISSUED OVER 120, UM, EVENT PERMITS FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
AND, UM, I'M, I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT THE PROCESS IS, UM, MORE SPED UP NOW THAT YOU HAVE THIS DEPARTMENT THAT'S HANDLING EVENT SPECIFIC PERMITS.
UH, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN YES.
A LITTLE MORE, UH, CHALLENGING TIME-WISE TO GET THESE PERMITS ISSUED.
I THINK THE TIMELINE IS ABOUT THE SAME.
WE ALLOW, UM, REQUESTS FOR EVENT PERMITS UP TO 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE EVENT.
SO OUR TEAM IS ALWAYS KIND OF WORKING ON A CRUNCH.
IF YOU'RE HOSTING AN EVENT NEXT MONTH AND YOU JUST SUBMIT TODAY, UM, YOU'LL GET IT BY THE END BY, YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME THERE.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY QUICK TURNAROUND AS FAR AS STANDARDS ACROSS OTHER MUNICIPALITIES GO.
BUT TIME TIMING HASN'T SPED UP AT ALL.
UM, OUR CREATIVE RESET PHASE THREE IS GONNA FOCUS ON EVENTS, AND SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT EFFICIENCIES WHEN WE MOVE INTO THAT SECTOR.
WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON THE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THE LAST YEAR.
AND THEN I WAS GONNA SAY, SO THIS IS ONE AREA THAT YOU'RE COLLECTING FUNDS, NOT DISTRIBUTING FUNDS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S TRUE, YES.
THIS IS ONE OF OUR REVENUE GENERATING ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN THE REVENUE THAT YOU'RE GENERATING, ARE YOU THEN ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE OUT, IS THAT PART OF, ARE THESE FUNDS PART OF YOUR OPERATING EXPENSE OR ARE THEY PART OF THE GRANTS AND ISSUING? YES.
UM, THEY DO NOT GO BACK INTO OTHER PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UNFORTUNATELY, MOST REVENUE GENERATION ACROSS THE CITY GETS DUMPED INTO ONE BIG BUCKET THAT THE CITY KIND OF DISTRIBUTES EVERY BUDGET CYCLE.
SO THIS WILL BE THE SAME WAY THIS WILL GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND IN GENERAL, YES.
AND ARE THERE ANY OTHER AREAS THAT'S A REVENUE GENERATION FOR ACME? YES, WE HAVE A FEW AREAS.
SO I MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF CULTURAL FACILITIES AS WELL AS THE, UH, MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX, WHICH IS, UM, AN ENTERTAINMENT CENTER ON THE EAST SIDE OF AUSTIN.
SO ALL OF THOSE HAVE REVENUE GENERATING, UM, CAPACITY.
SO THEY HAVE ROOMS, LARGE ROOMS THAT THEY RENT OUT FOR EVENTS AND MEETING SPACES.
AND THE MILLENNIUM, UM, HOSTS BOWLING, SKATING AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT PEOPLE CAN COME AND ENJOY.
COMMISSIONER GOMAN GONZALEZ, PLEASE.
UM, SURROUNDING AUSTIN'S CREATIVE ECONOMY, IS THERE ANY REPORT OR DOCUMENTATION OR REFERENCE MATERIAL THAT AT LEAST I CAN, UH, RESEARCH THAT CAN BRING ME UP TO SPEED ON WHAT HAS BEEN PRODUCED DATA WISE? I KNOW OTHER CITIES PRODUCE IT EVERY TWO YEARS.
I WORKED AT HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE A LONG TIME AGO, ET CETERA.
THAT WAS KIND OF WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
SO WE HAVE A PERSONALLY PRODUCED A, A SINGLE ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT LOOKING AT CREATIVE ECONOMY, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF WORKING ON THAT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS THROUGH ONE OF THE CITY'S, UM, IN OUR LOCAL AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
SO THAT SHOULD BE COMING IN THE FUTURE, WHICH WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT.
ANY OTHERS? ANYONE ELSE? I'M LOOKING.
OKAY, I GUESS I'LL TAKE CHAIR PRIVILEGE.
UM, I GUESS I JUST WANNA KIND OF GLOBALLY SAY THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
WE, WE HAD, UH, MS MEANS IN RIGHT AFTER THE OFFICE WAS FORMED BECAUSE OF THE STAKE THAT THIS COMMISSION'S PURPOSE AND MISSION IS TO OVERSEE HOW THE HOTEL AUCTION TAX IS BEING INVESTED IN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW IT'S SERVING THE CAUSE OF TOURISM.
AND SO WE KNOW IT'S, UH, OUR MANDATE AND PURPOSE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORK THAT THIS NEW DEPARTMENT IS DOING.
AND I THINK YOU SEE THE, THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT INTROSPECTION IN HOW IT'S WORKING BECAUSE WE'VE, SINCE WE WERE FORMED, WE UH, HAVE BEEN VERY KEEN ON KEEPING AN EYE ON HOW THAT
[01:15:01]
HOT TAX IS, IS BEING INVESTED TO, TO GROW THE, OUR ECONOMY.SO, UM, I THINK I JUST WANNA SAY IN GENERAL, YOU CAN COUNT ON US TO BE YOUR PARTNER WHERE, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU, I THINK WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE MODELS THAT YOU'RE BUILDING AND THEN DIG IN A LITTLE DEEPER SO THAT WE CAN ASK PROBABLY MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
UH, SO WE REALLY CAN STAND BEHIND, YOU KNOW, YOUR WORK AND SEND MESSAGES TO, UH, THE REST OF COUNCIL AND HELPING SUPPORT SO THAT THE MONIES DO HAVE THE HIGHEST ROI FOR ALL OF US.
AND I KNOW THAT GETTING BOGGED DOWN ADMINISTRATION CAN MAKE THAT DIFFICULT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE THE CANDOR OF THE UP, WHAT YOU'RE UP AGAINST AND THE SPEED OF HOW YOU'RE TRYING TO INTEGRATE ALL THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS INTO ONE KIND OF SOLID WAY OF THINKING.
SO WE ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE, I WANNA GIVE YOU THAT FEEDBACK.
AND YOU KNOW, I NOTICED A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE PRESENTATION, UM, EARLY ON, YOU'VE, YOU DOUBLED DOWN ON PUBLIC TRUST AND THE WORDS TRANSPARENCY.
UM, AND YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN COME MONDAY.
AND WE, WE CAN APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE SEEN MANY PRESENTATIONS, UM, IN OUR WORK HERE FROM DIFFERENT RECIPIENTS OR PEOPLE WHO USED TO GET AND DIDN'T GET SUPPORT FUNDS AND THERE WAS CHAOS AND CONFUSION AND, AND SOME LEVEL OF, YOU KNOW, LACK OF TRUST.
SO I, I CAN SEE WHY IT'S IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE DEPARTMENT IS TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS TRANSPARENT.
NOBODY'S GONNA BE ALL HAPPY WITH WHEN YOU HAVE $65 MILLION OF REQUEST AND 24 MILLION TO GIVE.
THERE'S GONNA BE DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT WE, WE DO HAVE YOUR BACK.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE YOUR BACK, YOUR THE EXTENSION WE'RE, WE'RE EXTENSIONS OF EACH OTHER.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT FOR THIS COMMISSION.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR YOU TODAY OTHER THAN TO SAY THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU BACK AND WE WISH YOU ALL THE SUCCESS AS YOU'RE NAVIGATING, UH, WHAT YOU LAID OUT IS GONNA BE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND ESPECIALLY NEXT WEEK.
SO, WE'RE HERE IF YOU NEED, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH YOU EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE CHAMBERS.
SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO KNOW US AND VICE VERSA.
WE'D LIKE TO BE THERE TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS OR TO SEE WHERE WE CAN IMMEDIATELY LEND A HAND.
APPRECIATE Y'ALL HAVING US TODAY.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS BRINGS US TO THE POINT IN OUR AGENDA, UH, FOR A STAFF BRIEFING FROM MS. BURLESON.
UH, YOU, YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, YEAH, LET'S TALK.
SO I JUST WANT TO COME FROM A POINT OF VIEW, RIGHT? I THINK THE CITY AND SOMETIMES THESE BOARDS TRY TO RESCUE BUSINESSES AND WE'VE BECOME IN THE BUSINESS OF RESCUING AUSTIN CULTURAL BUSINESSES AND OTHER BUSINESSES THAT WE, THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY LIKE OR ENJOY.
AND SO I'M PUSHING ON THE FRAMEWORK ABOUT HOW WE'RE MANAGING THAT BECAUSE WE'RE SLOWLY BEEN PICKING AND CHOOSING THE WINNERS IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
AND I WANT THIS BODY TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
SO WHEN I'M PRESSING FOR HOW WE'RE DOING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE WHICH GRANTS ARE, WHICH ONES ARE WINNING, WHAT ARE THEY DOING, WHAT ARE THE METRICS BEYOND THAT? WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF TRANSITION TALKING AND STRATEGY AND FOCUS AND GETTING MESSAGING OUT FOR TWO YEARS.
BUT IF WE'RE, WE'RE, IF WE'RE ALREADY IN THESE CYCLES, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESS THESE DEPARTMENTS TO, TO REPORT ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING SO THAT WE HAVE AN IDEA AND WE CAN MAKE REACTIONARY JUDGMENTS AND IMPACT RATHER THAN LISTENING TO MORE STRATEGIC HOPEFULNESS.
THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M COMING FROM.
'CAUSE WE STARTED TO RESCUE A LOT OF BUSINESSES AROUND HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER CHAP AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT WE INITIALLY, WE WERE HOPING FOR MORE DATA TODAY, MOST SPECIFICALLY DATA RELATED TO THE HERITAGE GRANT DISTRIBUTIONS.
AND, UM, WE ASKED FOR IT AND WE HAD SOME BACK AND FORTH.
AND BECAUSE OF THE TIME, BECAUSE WE TIMED THIS TOPIC WHERE WE DID, IT DROPPED RIGHT AT THE TAIL END OF THEIR PROCESS AND THEY PUSHED BACK THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION.
I WAS LIKE, LET'S TALK ABOUT, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
PREVIOUS YEARS AND LET'S TALK.
WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE WHERE WE'RE GOING, BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHERE YOU'VE BEEN IN THE LAST ROUND.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE GOT MR. RITZ HERE BECAUSE I, FELICIA AND I SAT DOWN AND WENT THROUGH AND I WAS LIKE, LET'S LOOK AT, WE WANT TO, AND I'VE TALKED WITH VICE CHAIR MASTERS, WE SHOULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE.
I THINK WINNERS AND LOSERS, IF YOU WILL COME TO BEFORE US.
IT'S A, IT'S NOT AN OBJECTIVE TO JUST HAVE THE WINNERS COME IN AND TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT IT IS TO GET THE MONEY.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AND YOU'RE RAISING THE FLAG.
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND THAT WE'RE DIGESTING ALL THE, ALL THE EXPERIENCES
[01:20:01]
AND NOT JUST WHAT THE TOP ONE.WHAT WAS THE GRANT? HOW DID IT HELP? WHAT WERE YOU ABLE TO DO WITH THAT? RIGHT? WHAT WAS YOUR GOAL? WHAT DID YOU, WHAT DID YOU ACHIEVE? RIGHT ON, ON THOSE THINGS.
AND I KNOW THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE THEIR DIFFICULTIES AND WHEN YOU'RE INTEGRATING ANY DEPARTMENTS RIGHT, IN, IN A, IN A BIG, UH, MULTI FOOTPRINT ORGANIZATION LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THERE ARE THOSE CHALLENGES.
THE COORDINATION OF THOSE EFFORTS ARE IMPORTANT.
IT'S JUST, I THINK THE WORK IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BUILDING THE DEPARTMENTS SINCE, LIKE, LOOK AT THE DATA THAT WE'VE SEEN ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE LAND AND RIGHT.
THERE'S, WE'VE HAD A FEW REPORTS ABOUT WHERE THINGS GO.
SO WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT WANTS TO GO GET THEIR OWN DATA.
WELL, LET'S USE THE DATA THAT WE HAVE.
SO I JUST THINK IF WE CAN HELP GUIDE THEM FROM A LITTLE BIT MORE STRATEGIC APPROACH, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M COMING FROM.
AND I, I, I TOTALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT ACTION ITEMS FROM THIS.
AND WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO USE THIS WHOLE THING.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT MAYBE ON THE SIDE.
I, I APPRECIATE THE WAY YOU ARE OPERATING AND THE WAY YOU'RE THINKING.
AND I KNOW THAT CHRISTINA AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS ABOUT, AND I I'VE TALKED ABOUT FELICIA AS WELL.
WE NEED TO BE DIGGING TO GET TO ACTION.
AND YOUR PROCESS THINKING IS VERY HELPFUL IN HELPING US.
AND WE'RE GETTING DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL TWO YEARS AGO.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS, LET'S BE SO TRANSPARENT AND LET'S GET EVERYBODY'S INPUT ABOUT EVERYTHING.
WE'RE GONNA SPEND SO MUCH TIME THINKING ABOUT IT THAT WE DON'T DO ANYTHING.
COMMISSIONER HAN, YOU WANNA JOIN THIS? YEAH, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I CONCUR WITH YOUR COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER CHAP.
UM, I WOULD'VE LIKED TO, I, I REALIZE THEY'RE JUST NOW GIVING OUT GRANTS, BUT IT SEEMED TO ME LIKE MOST OF THE ANSWERS WE GOT HERE, OR DISCUSSION WE GOT HERE WAS VERY KIND OF SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONARY RATHER THAN SPECIFICS.
AND THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT'S COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION SEVERAL TIMES, AND I'M NOT COMFORTABLE YET THAT THEY'RE BEING ADDRESSED PROPERLY, THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN.
UH, COMMISSIONER PENOC JOINED TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION.
UM, WELL, I DID, I DID HEAR THAT SHE SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ANNOUNCE THE RECIPIENTS ON RECIPIENTS ON MONDAY.
UM, SO MAYBE THAT'S KIND OF THE, A FIRST START OF WE CAN IDENTIFY WHO THESE RECIPIENTS ARE AND, AND KIND OF TRACK THAT, SO TO SPEAK.
I MEAN, NOT THAT WE WANT TO TRACK THEM, BUT, UM, WE CAN JUST HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW THEY'RE HANDLING IT.
AND I THINK THEY ARE A NEW KIND OF GROUP AND THAT WE, WE SHOULD PROBABLY MEET WITH THEM, I THINK AT LEAST A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR.
HAVE THEM COME IN AND JUST GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE, HOW THEY'RE PROGRESSING.
YEAH, I I, I AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS AN OCCURRENCE WHERE WE COULD BE PLANNING, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF THIS BODY COULD BE PLANNING MEETINGS AND GO TO THEIR DEPARTMENT AND SCHEDULE MEETINGS FOR UPDATES THAT WILL HELP PREPARE WHEN IT'S TIME TO BRING THEM FORWARD.
AND IF THEY'RE STONEWALLING OR NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, THAT'S GONNA BE A SIGNAL AS WELL.
BUT I, I TOOK THEM AT THEIR, I TOOK THEM AT THEIR, THAT THIS TIMING WAS JUST OFF FOR THEM.
AND I LET THEM OFF THE HOOK FOR THIS JUST BECAUSE I THOUGHT THERE WERE, WE HAVE NEW COMMISSIONERS AND I THINK INTRODUC INTRODUCING WHAT THE OFFICE DOES WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET A FOUNDATION.
ANYWAY, UH, COMMISSIONER PRUIT PRUITT, I, I WAS JUST, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PRUITT.
UM, COMMISSIONER BAILEY, AS YOU WERE SAYING, I, I'M CURIOUS IF THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A SHORT TERM WORKING GROUP OR A SMALLER GROUP FOR, UM, US TO JUST KIND OF LIKE, DIG INTO THIS BECAUSE THIS ISN'T GONNA BE A PROBLEM THAT ACME CAN SOLVE BY THEMSELVES.
AND I SAY THAT AS A, AS A PERSON THAT HAS WRITTEN A GRANT
AND, UM, I THINK THAT THEY'RE DIGGING THEMSELVES, UM, OUT OF YEARS OF, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE CHAOS.
UM, WHICH IS WHY, PROBABLY WHY THE, THE, UM, DEPARTMENT WAS FOUNDED.
AND THEN I ALSO ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH, UM, WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER CHAPEL'S, UM, KIND OF PERSPECTIVE IN SAYING LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER? HOW CAN WE DO THIS FASTER? UM, BUT COMING FROM LIKE A CORPORATE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE VERSUS A CITY AND A PERFORMING ARTS PERSPECTIVE, THOSE THINGS TEND TO CLASH AND NOT WORK THE SAME WAY.
UM, SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UM, HAVING FURTHER CONVERSATIONS, UM, KIND OF MAYBE OUTSIDE OF THESE MEETINGS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PAIN POINTS ARE, UM, AND WHAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR EXPERTISE, UM, OR WITHIN OUR NETWORK TO KIND OF GUIDE, UM, OR KIND OF SHOW IN A WAY WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS THE NEXT TIME THEY
[01:25:01]
COME TO A MEETING.UM, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, FOR CLARITY FROM FELICIA, DO WE NEED TO MAKE THIS AN ACTION ITEM FOR THE NEXT AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS AND APPROVE AND VOTE ON A WORKING GROUP FOR THIS TOPIC? WE CAN'T DO IT NOW.
WE GOTTA PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AND THEN VOTE ON.
SO IF YOU WANNA DO THAT, GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO IT, YOU CAN, UM, PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR APRIL.
UM, THEN LET'S MAKE THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I THINK THIS IS, WE, WE NEED TO, WE RIDE THIS MOMENTUM FROM THIS CONVERSATION.
SO WE WILL WORK AND MAKE SURE THAT IN THE NEXT MEETING THAT WE HAVE AN ITEM.
AND THEN Y'ALL THINK ABOUT WHO FEELS THE MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT DIGGING INTO THIS PROCESS AND BEING SUPPORTING THIS.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL PUT TOGETHER, UM, A WORKING GROUP ON IT.
THANKS FOR, FOR ALL YOUR ENGAGEMENT AND PASSION AROUND THIS TOPIC.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS ISSUE? NONE.
[4. Staff briefing from Staff Liaison, Felicia Burleson, regarding commission board recent vacancy filled, deadlines, resources, and updates. ]
YES, THANK YOU.YOU PLEASE GIVE US THE GOOD WORD.
I GET TO END IT ON GOOD WORDS.
UM, SO TODAY'S PACKET, IT INCLUDES THE NEW ROSTER.
WE NOW HAVE TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS, ONE ON THE, UM, DAIS WITH US HERE IN PERSON AND ONE ONLINE.
UM, SO THAT LEAVES ONE VACANCY LEFT FOR DISTRICT NINE, SO GOOD JOB THERE.
WE, I ALSO SHARED THE REMAINING CALENDAR FOR 2026 JUST TO SHARE WITH THE NEW COMMISSIONERS.
UM, ALSO INCLUDED FOR NEXT MONTH IN APRIL, WE NEED TO HAVE AN ELECTION, UM, FOR THE OFFICERS.
AGAIN, THIS IS ACROSS THE BOARD ON ALL COMMISSIONER BOARDING COMMISSIONS, SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES.
UM, I DO WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT IS ONLINE, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, I'VE SHARED IT EARLIER TODAY DURING THE MEETING, BUT TO SIGN THE ATTENDANCE SHEET, I NEED THAT BACK AND TO PUT IT IN FOR THE RECORDS, UM, TO GO BACK ON THE WORKING GROUP.
YES, IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU'RE THINKING OF WHAT YOU WANNA CALL IT, JUST LET ME KNOW SO WE CAN MAKE, MAKE SURE TO PUT THE ACCURACY ON THE AGENDA IF YOU NEED IT, OR JUST IF YOU WANNA KEEP IT SIMPLE FOR THE MOMENT, LET ME KNOW WHAT THAT'S GONNA BE.
AND THEN, SPEAKING OF WORKING GROUPS, UM, I KNOW WE STILL KIND OF HAVE THE SHORT TERM RENTAL WORKING GROUP, BUT RIGHT NOW I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S ANY RECOMMENDATIONS YOU'RE WORKING ON.
SO WE MAY JUST NEED TO, UM, SUNSET IT UNTIL THE NEXT IDEA COMES BACK, UM, TO WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS YOU WANNA ADD TO COUNCIL.
UM, WE CAN KEEP THE REPORTS COMING THOUGH, UM, AND ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA ONCE YOU HAVE, I THINK IT COME QUARTERLY FOR YOU OR, OR HALF A YEAR.
SO, UM, YEAH, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
UM, COULD WE HAVE THE TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS, UM, INTRODUCE THEMSELVES? GIVE US A LITTLE BIT.
I KNOW, I, I SAID I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE PUSHED, WE PUSHED THAT TO THE BACK OF THE MEETING BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO GET, UM, MR. RITZ NO PROBLEM THROUGH THE PLACE.
BUT I, I WAS JUST GOING TO PIVOT TO THAT WHEN WE GET DONE.
I JUST WANNA SAY ONE MORE THING BEFORE WE DO GO TO THOSE INTRODUCTIONS, UM, FOR EVERYBODY, I, I, EVERYBODY HAD AN OPINION AND, AND WAS PASSIONATELY INVOLVED IN THIS LAST PRESENTATION, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU SEND JUST A FEW BULLET POINTS OF YOUR, WHAT YOU THINK OUR OBJECTIVES OR WHAT OUR, WHERE OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE TO FELICIA, YOU KNOW, TRY TO DO IT WITHIN A WEEK.
'CAUSE WE'RE FINDING WE'RE GETTING BEHIND THE CURVE AND THERE'S A LOT OF LAST MINUTE, SO I KNOW SOUTH BYS HERE, SO THAT MIGHT BE ASKING A LOT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW EVERYBODY'S ENGAGED, BUT IF WE COULD HAVE SOME COMMENTS OR BULLET POINTS SENT IN SO WE CAN FRAME OUR OBJECTIVES FOR THIS NEXT WORKING GROUP, UM, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT TO PLAY WITH.
SO IF YOU JUST SEND THEM TO FELICIA AND I, I I, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT SO THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING UP THE WILL OF THIS BODY.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE PASSIONATE OPINIONS ABOUT THIS, SO LET'S, LET'S COLLECT ALL THE OPINIONS AND THE INFORMATION.
ALRIGHT, SO WE DO HAVE, SHE'S STILL OPEN.
CAN I ASK HER A QUESTION? OH, YEAH, I'M SORRY.
UM,
UM, SO MY UNDERSTANDING BASED ON THE EMAIL THAT WAS SENT OUT, OR THAT YOU FORWARDED TO US A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, IS WE ARE, UH, AS A COMMISSION TOO LATE TO INPUT ON THE BUDGET PROCESS IF WE WANNA MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IS THAT CORRECT? I THOUGHT THEY WERE MAYBE DUE APRIL ONE, WHICH WOULD'VE MADE IT TOO LATE TO PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING.
UM, I THINK YES, BUT I THINK IF YOU STILL WANNA ADD IT TO THE AGENDA FOR APRIL, IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, I CAN GO AHEAD AND LET THE
[01:30:01]
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE KNOW.IT WOULDN'T MATTER THAT WE WERE PAST THE DEADLINE.
I WANTED TO SEE IF THAT, IF, IF IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE, IF THAT WAS A CONVERSATION ANYBODY WANTED TO HAVE TO MAKE ANY, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, WITH ACME SAYING, HEY, IF YOU WANNA, UH, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR ANY OF THE, THE GROUPS THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, IT'S GIVING US A REALLY SHORT TIMELINE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, AND TO SUBMIT THAT INFORMATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF MS. BURSON WOULD BE ABLE TO KIND OF FIND OUT FOR SURE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA, SORRY, THIS IS TECHNICALLY A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM NOW, BUT, UM, RIGHT WHEN WE HIT THAT POINT TO, TO, TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I THAT IT IS A FUTURE, BUT I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S ON THE AGENDA.
IF WE'RE GONNA TAKE ACTION ON SOME THINGS, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THIS FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
AND, AND MOST OF THE EMAILS THAT COME FROM CITY CLERKS TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS ARE VETTED TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ON BOARDS.
SO DO MAKE IT A HABIT TO CHECK YOUR BCA ACCOUNTS.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GONNA COME FROM.
UM, ESPECIALLY IN PUT FROM MYSELF WHEN IT COMES TO MEETINGS, MAKE, UM, MAKE IT A, A HABIT TO CHECK AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.
AND DEFINITELY THE WEEK BEFORE AND WEEK OF OUR ME OUR MEETINGS.
OH, IN THE, IN THE THE MEMO IT SAYS THAT WE WOULD, AS A GROUP NEEDED TO VOTE ON IT BEFORE MARCH 31ST.
I GUESS WE CAN ONLY FIND OUT IF WE CAN FIND OUT.
I MEAN, ARE WE, WE'RE NOT IN AN A BILL, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO VOTE ON ANY, ANYTHING THAT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
THE QUESTION, I GUESS IS IF THERE'S SOME LEEWAY IN TERMS OF THESE DEADLINES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FELICIA CAN REPORT BACK AGAIN, REASON TO READ ONCE YOU GET THAT INFORMATION.
I, I, I WAS, WHEN I READ THIS, I WAS VERY CURIOUS AND THINKING ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER, WE, AS THIS COMMISSION THAT I'M AWARE OF, HAVE EVER MADE A, A COMMENT ON BUDGET FROM THIS, FROM THIS COMMISSION TO THE CITY THAT WHICH DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULDN'T OR COULDN'T.
AND THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MIND, AND WHAT I WAS READING, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAD FEW YEARS BACK AND HOW, UM, I GUESS SMALL THE MARKETING BUDGET WAS FOR VISIT AUSTIN VIS-A-VIS OTHER MARKETS WHERE THEY SHOWED WHAT THEIR MARKETING CAMPAIGN BUDGET DOLLARS WERE VERSUS OURS.
AND IT, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A TIME FOR US TO MAKE A STATEMENT THAT WE FEEL THE NEED TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE AND TO MAKE A SUGGESTION ABOUT HOW THAT OFFICE IS FUNDED.
HOWEVER, WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT IT THIS YEAR, I THOUGHT BECAUSE OF THE WORK WE DID IN SUPPORTING THE TID AND THE, THE FACT THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE INCREASED THEIR BUDGET, I MEAN, BECAUSE WE WERE SUPPORTING THE TPI AND THOSE DOLLARS HAVE, AND WHEN THEY MADE THEIR PRESENTATION, THEY FELT VERY STRONG.
LIKE THEY HAD NEW ASSETS TO WORK WITH AND THEY COULD DO YEAR-ROUND MARKETING, ALL THE THINGS.
SO THAT, I KIND OF NULLIFIED MY OWN THOUGHT PROCESS ON THAT WHEN I WAS THINKING IT THROUGH.
BUT IT, BUT WE'RE RAISING A GREAT POINT ABOUT ACME AND, AND WE'RE CLEARLY SEEING THAT THEY NEED SUPPORT.
AND THAT MIGHT BE THE WINDOW FOR THE WORKING GROUP, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE'RE LOOKING FOR INFLUENCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR RESEARCH BODY.
AND SO RATHER THAN JUST, RIGHT, SO WE DIDN'T MAKE THE PROCESS, BUT I THINK WE COULD STILL HAVE THE INFLUENCE THAT WE'RE SEEKING.
UM, SO I KIND OF RAN INTO THE SAME ISSUE WHEN, UH, I WAS PART OF A DIFFERENT COMMISSION THAT WE WOULD GET, LIKE THE NOTICE WOULD BE LIKE A LITTLE BIT TOO LATE.
LIKE, AND IT WAS SOMETHING WE KIND OF NEEDED TO PLAN A YEAR IN ADVANCE TO THINK ABOUT.
AND I HOPE I'M NOT, CORRECT ME IF I'M GETTING THE TERM IN, UH, INCORRECT.
SO WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, LIKE ESSENTIALLY THE CITY MANAGER WILL COME FORWARD AND, AND KIND OF PRESENT A BUDGET, BUT THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, I WANNA SAY SPECIAL ITEMS, SPECIAL, UH, WHERE, WHERE ESSENTIALLY IF, IF, IF THEIR SPECIAL REQUESTS, IF THEIR REQUESTS ARE NOT COMPLETELY INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THEY CAN ESSENTIALLY GO TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, MEMBERS KIND OF INDIVIDUALLY AND SAY, HERE'S SOME SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE INCLUDED THAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING REFLECTED IN THE MAIN BUDGET.
SO POTENTIALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THIS, GOSH, I HATE DUPLICATING WORK AT ALL, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER THAT SOMETIMES IF YOU JUST ASK DEPARTMENTS, HEY, ARE Y'ALL HA GONNA BE ASKING FOR SPECIAL ITEMS? WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING AS A COMMISSION IS INDIVIDUALLY EMAILING BECAUSE WE WERE TOO LATE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE SPECIAL REQUESTS.
BUT PERHAPS IF WE GET A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF IT AND WE MAKE THOSE ASK OF THE DEPARTMENTS, ARE Y'ALL GONNA BE ASKING FOR ANYTHING OUT WITH A PRESENTED BUDGET? WE MIGHT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS A GROUP TO BE ABLE TO COMMENT IN THAT WAY AT THAT TIME.
THOSE ARE HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS, COMMISSIONER? UM, IT, IT ALSO COMES TO MIND THAT I'VE HEARD,
[01:35:01]
WE'VE HEARD, WE HEARD TODAY AND, UM, I THINK IT'S STARTING TO BECOME PART OF THE CONVERSATION.THIS BOND PACKAGE THAT IS BEING DISCUSSED IS CUTTING THROUGH A LOT OF THE SECTORS THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING WITH HOT TAX.
AND IT'S, AND I THINK THAT, UM, IT'S PROBABLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET A GRIP ON WHAT THIS BOND PACKAGE IS BECAUSE IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE NOW STARTING TO LEAN TOWARD THAT BEING THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE THE BAR.
SO IF, I KNOW HOT TAXES ARE RESPONSIBILITY, BUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE COMMENT, I MEAN THEY, I WANTED TO DIG IN WITH THE ACME TEAM.
THEY USED THE FRAMEWORK, NEW FUNDING FRAMEWORKS, ALTERNATIVE FUNDING FRAMEWORKS.
I CLICKED BOTH OF THOSE WERE IN THEIR PRESENTATION.
THEY, THEY WERE VAGUE BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY'RE DEVELOPING THEM.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THOSE FRAMEWORKS ARE.
AND DOES SOMETHING LIKE THE BOND PACKAGE THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED ACTIVELY RIGHT NOW DOES, IS THAT A PART OF ALTERNATIVE FUNDING STRATEGIES? I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVE NO CLARITY ON THAT, BUT, UM, FELICIA, DID I HEAR YOU MENTION THAT YOU, YOU HAVE SOME INSIGHTS TO THE BOND PROCESS? YES, I WAS PART OF THE OPEN HOUSE, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS EVENTS THAT WE HAD AROUND THE CITY.
UM, I DO HAVE SOME SLIDES ON THAT AND I CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
UM, THERE IS ALSO THE BTIF, THE BOND, UH, ELECTIVE ADVISORY TASK FORCE THAT HA THAT MEETS ON MONDAYS.
UM, SO THEY'RE ALSO ANOTHER PERSON OR GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN CONTACT AND GET MORE INFORMATION BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT'S GONNA BE SENDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL.
SO IT, THIS GIVES US A CHANCE TO LOOK AT OUR ROADMAP AND TO DETERMINE WITHIN THE THEMATIC ROADMAP THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING, I'VE JUST MENTIONING, I MEAN OUR, OUR TOPIC FOR NEXT MONTH, I BELIEVE IS REINVENTING, DEVELOPING SIXTH STREET.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK WHETHER OR NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BOND IS, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN ELECT TO DETERMINE IF WE WANT TO ADD THE BOND, A BOND PRESENTATION TO ANY OF THESE MEETINGS AND WHEN MIGHT BE THE BEST TIME WHEN THEY MIGHT BE.
I DON'T WANNA END UP IN THE SAME SPOT THAT WE JUST DID WITH ACME, WHERE WE'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT'S PREMATURE FOR THEIR ABILITY TO SHARE WITH US.
BUT I WANT TO BE TIMELY AT THE SAME TIME AT TRYING TO GET US THE INFORMATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN THINK ABOUT THAT.
DO DO YOU HAVE A FEEDBACK ON THAT, FELICIA? I DO.
I AM ON NEXT MONDAY, OR THE MONDAY AFTER I SHOULD SAY IS WHEN ONE OF OUR, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONSULTANTS WILL BE PRESENTING TO THE BTF, THE TASK FORCE, UM, REGARDING THE BOND, UM, ON THE OUTCOMES FROM OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT.
AND THEN, UM, COME APRIL, MAY IS WHEN THEY'RE GONNA START HAVING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS PUT TOGETHER SO THEY CAN PRESENT TO COUNCIL.
SO IF I WOULD SAY MAYBE APRIL, IT WOULD BE THE BETTER TIME TO, IF YOU WANTED TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN THAT, TO CONTACTING THEM AND, AND SEE WHAT YOU WANNA DO TO HELP THEM OUT.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT MEETING THEN.
EVERYBODY'S COOL WITH THAT, EVERYBODY? I, I SEE EVERYBODY NODDING ALONG.
WELL, WE'LL TAKE THAT INTO, UH, OUR PLANNING CYCLE FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF, OH, SHOOT.
I GOT MO PULLED RIGHT OFF THE BALL.
YEAH, SINCE MAX, YOU'RE OUT THERE AND WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT YOU AND WE WANNA HEAR MORE FROM YOU.
DO YOU MIND, UH, JUMPING IN AND, UH, JUST GIVING US A LITTLE INTRODUCTION TO YOURSELF AND WHY, UH, YOU'RE ON THIS COMMISSION? YEAH, THANKS.
SORRY I COULDN'T BE THERE IN PERSON.
UM, I'M HOPING GOING FORWARD I COULD BE THERE MORE OFTEN, UH, BUT I AM, I'M JOINING THE COMMISSION, UM, FOR D SEVEN MIKE SAL'S DISTRICT.
UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE JOINING.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, MIKE AND, AND I SHARE A LOT OF THE SAME VALUES AND VISION FOR WHAT WE THINK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, MY BACKGROUND, I AM A, A LABOR ORGANIZER WITH UNITE HERE, LOCAL 23.
WE'RE A HOSPITALITY WORKERS UNION.
AND SO I REPRESENT WORKERS AT THE AIRPORT, UM, AT TECH KITCHENS, CAFETERIA KITCHENS, UM, BUT NOTABLY HOTELS INCLUDING THE, THE AUSTIN, UM, THE HILTON CONFERENCE CENTER DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND SO I THINK A LOT OF MY, UM, MY, MY, MY THOUGHTS WITH THIS COME FROM, UH, A POSITION OF WHAT ARE WE DOING TO NOT ONLY INCREASE TOURISM, BUT MAKING SURE WE'RE CREATING GOOD JOBS FOR OUR WORKERS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
[01:40:02]
THAT'S GREAT.WE, UM, I THINK THIS BODY HAS ALWAYS BEEN STRONGER WHEN WE HAVE, UH, A MEMBER REPRESENTING, UM, THE SKILLED TRADE IN UNIONS IN OUR CITY.
AND I, I'VE SEEN IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
SO IT, IT, IT REALLY IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF OUR, OF OUR CONTRIBUTION.
SO I'M, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE ON BOARD AND I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT'S YOUR, ONE OF YOUR, UH, PASSION POINTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO BE WITH US AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE FROM, UM, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, SOPHIA GONZALEZ.
I'M REPRESENTING DISTRICT FOUR, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, I'M AN ARTIST, BUT I ALSO WORK AT REAL ESTATE AND HOSPITALITY, UH, FOCUSED LARGELY ON TRANSFORMING EXISTING PROPERTIES INTO BOUTIQUE EXPERIENCES AND THAT HIGHLIGHT THE CITY'S CULTURAL, UH, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS MOSTLY.
UH, MY BIGGEST PROJECT RIGHT NOW IS THAT I'M WORKING ON A HOTEL DEVELOPMENT IN EAST AUSTIN.
UH, WE'LL BE OPENING A NEW BOUTIQUE HOTEL, 20 ROOMS, UH, FOURTH AND KOMAL, UH, AT 400 KAMAL.
UM, SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT AUSTIN'S TOURISM ECONOMY AND THAT CELEBRATE WHAT MAKE OUR CITY, UH, WHAT MAKES OUR CITY UNIQUE.
AND I'M JUST, UH, EXCITED TO JOIN AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE DECISIONS AND DISCUSSIONS, UH, SURROUNDING GROWTH, UM, VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND SHOWCASING AUSTIN IN WAYS THAT BENEFIT BOTH VISITORS, BUT ALSO, UH, THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE, I MEAN, YOU, THIS EVERYBODY'S HERE HAS, HAS IT SOME POINT MADE THE SAME CLAIM, SO WE'RE, WE CAN SEE, I MEAN, THAT YOU'RE, UM, YOU'RE HERE FOR A REASON AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS BECAUSE IT REALLY TAKES A GOOD, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENTIATION BY JUST YOUR FIRST MEETING, HOPEFULLY, THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF STRONG SUITS ON THIS, ON THIS COMMISSION AND, UM, I, IT IS JUST IMPORTANT TO HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES TO REALLY HAVE A WHOLE SO WELCOME BOARD.
LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
AND SOON WE'LL HAVE DISTRICT NINE FILLED.
I HOPE THAT WAS, UH, OUR PREVIOUS CHAIR, DANIEL RONAN'S, UM, POSITION.
I THINK IT'S TIME, UH, TO, TO, WHAT'S THAT POINTING? YOU'RE POINTING, DO WE HAVE, AM I MISSING SOMETHING? OH, ALL OF US.
DO YOU, DO WE WANNA DO THAT ON LIVE OR DO WE WANT TO YES, YES.
SO WE'RE GONNA, ALL OF US ARE GONNA REAL QUICK SAY WHAT WE DO.
LET'S START WITH THE, THE, THE GROUP ON VIRTUAL FIRST.
AND WE CAN START WITH DANNY, WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM MATT.
WELL, DANNY AND THEN STEPHANIE, YOU CAN JUMP IN AFTER DANNY.
UH, I CURRENTLY WORK, UM, FOR A SOFTWARE TECH COMPANY, UM, SPECIFICALLY WITH MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS.
I'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW.
PRIOR TO THAT, UM, THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, 15 ISH YEARS THAT I WAS IN AUSTIN, HAVE BEEN IN AUSTIN, UM, DID A LOT OF, UM, EVENT STAGE PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT, UM, FOR LIVE PERFORMING ARTS, THEATER AND DANCE.
UM, SO WORKED AT THE, THE LONG CENTER FOR A FEW YEARS IN THEIR BOX OFFICE.
UM, WORKED AT THE BASS CONCERT HALL AS AN EVENT MANAGER, UM, FOR OVER A DECADE.
AND THEN, UM, FREELANCE WITH A LOT OF, UM, EVENT, UH, EVENT COMPANIES AND GROUPS AROUND TOWN, UM, LIKE THE RU MAX AND SALVAGE VANGUARD THEATER AND THE BLUE THEATER, WHICH FUSEBOX FESTIVAL, WHICH ARE ALL KIND OF HANGING ON BY, HANGING ON BY A THREAD.
UM, SO I WAS INTERESTED IN BRINGING THAT PERSPECTIVE, UM, AND THAT KNOWLEDGE TO THE TOURISM COMMISSION.
STEPHANIE, YOU WANNA JUMP IN NEXT? HI, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES.
UH, I'M STEPHANIE MATHIS AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF SALES AT THE HAMPTON AND AUSTIN DOWNTOWN.
I'M JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.
I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE THERE, UM, TODAY.
OKAY, WELL KICK IT DOWN TO COMMISSIONER SHANNON AND LET'S GO DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, I'M A BOARDMAN MEMBER AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER OF VISIT AUSTIN, PAST CHAIR VISIT AUSTIN.
UM, AND MY EVERYDAY LIFE, I'M AN ATTORNEY THAT DOES A LOT OF, UM, HOTEL DEVELOPMENT WORK, UM, REPRESENTING CLIENTS BOTH HERE IN AUSTIN AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
[01:45:01]
APPOINTED TO, UH, TO THE COMMISSIONS.UM, I'M REPRESENTING CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS.
I ALSO MANAGE A LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE THAT ACTS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, UM, FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE STATE ON THE EVENT TRUST FUNDS.
UM, AND, UH, JUST I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM.
I AM APPOINTED BY, UH, RYAN ALTER DISTRICT FIVE, AND I HAVE THE DISTINCTION, HAVEN'T BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION SINCE IT WAS FORMED AND LAUNCHED, SO, UM, PROBABLY AT SOME POINT TIME OUT.
SO I'VE GONE FROM, I'VE WORKED MY WAY UP TO CHAIR BY, BY PROXY, I GUESS JUST BY LAST BAND STANDING.
UM, MY, MY DAYTIME GIG IS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS BRANDS FOR THE CITY FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO THE FESTIVAL, THE VENUE DOWNTOWN, THE TELEVISION SERIES, AND BEEN INVOLVED IN MANY, MANY ON NONPROFITS, UH, MUSIC NONPROFITS IN TOWN, AND BEEN BEEN INVOLVED.
SO I'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN THE PROCESS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SMALL EMERGING MUSICIAN BY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO TAKE THE BIG STAGE AND EVEN BIGGER STAGES WHEN YOU GET TO THE FESTIVAL HEADLINES.
SO I VERY MUCH CARE ABOUT OUR CREATIVE ECONOMIES AND I CARE, I THINK THAT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IS A, IS A, A GREAT ECONOMIC INDUSTRY AND ONE THAT GIVES BACK.
SO I'M PROUD AND I'M GRATEFUL TO BE SERVING.
UM, I, UH, REPRESENT DISTRICT 10 APPOINTED BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN.
UM, I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR, UH, ABOUT A YEAR NOW.
UM, I, UH, WORK FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE FOR MY SINS.
AND, UM, SO I, I ALSO, UH, WORK IN SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY, UM, AND, UH, BUREAUCRACY.
WELCOME, UH, COMMISSIONER PIERCE AND WELCOME COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
UM, MY NAME IS FRANCISCO GOMEZ.
UH, I, WHEN I'M NOT HERE, I DO MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA, CONTENT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I'M WORKING FOR A COMPANY RIGHT NOW THAT DOES LODGING, LOGISTICS AND LIFE SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE ENERGY INDUSTRY FOR CORPORATIONS AND FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
BISHOP CHAPEL, SUPER FAN OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THE, UH, I REPRESENT DISTRICT SIX, UH, FORMER MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT.
I WORKED IN THE HEALTHCARE SPACE, UH, FOR A WHILE, WORK IN REAL ESTATE NOW AND DO DEVELOPMENT WORK AS WELL.
UM, DAYS LIKE TODAY ARE WHY I'M ON THIS COMMISSION.
I LOVE HEARING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, HOW OUR CITY'S IMPROVING, HOW WE'RE MAKING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BETTER, AND HOW WE CAN KEEP PLACES LIKE THE PARAMOUNT AND STATE HOTEL UNIQUE AND DISTINCT AND SPECIAL AND WHY PEOPLE CONTINUE TO COME HERE.
SO GLAD YOU GUYS FOR BEING A PART OF THAT.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DO HAVE A VERY DIVERSE AND PASSIONATE GROUP HERE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD YOU JOINED US AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER AND, AND MAKING THINGS BETTER.
UM, NOW WHAT'S THAT FUTURE YOU TALKING ABOUT? OH, THEY'RE SHORT TERM OR DO WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP
[5. Update from the Short-Term Rental Working Group on any new reports regarding the STR’s new focus and efforts for recommendations. ]
UPDATE ITEM NUMBER FIVE.DO YOU HAVE, UH, A REPORT FOR US TODAY? I KNOW I WASN'T QUITE SURE WHEN FELICIA WAS SAYING THAT MAYBE WE'RE SUNING, SO I, I JUST, I GUESS COMMENT YEAH, IN TERMS OF LIKE THE WORKING GROUP IN TERMS, I WOULD SAY RIGHT TO REFRAME IN TERMS OF LIKE, ARE THIS GROUP'S AN INFLUENCE OVER ANY POLICY CHANGES? I THINK THAT EFFORT HAS PASSED AND SO WE CAN EITHER KEEP RECEIVING, UM, CADENCE REPORTS AND FROM WHAT THE HOT TEXT IS FROM THE STR SLIDES FROM THE PLATFORMS, UM, AND THEN THE PERMIT COUNT.
SO THERE'S NOW A PERMIT COUNT TOOL, UM, AVAILABLE.
AND SO I JUST LOOKED AT IT TODAY.
SO THERE'S 2,747 PERMITS OFF THE BAT.
WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, A POSSIBLE ILLEGAL 20 TO 25,000 PERMITS.
SO WE'RE NOT GETTING THE PERMIT COUNT THAT WE WANT.
WE LIKELY ARE GETTING THE HOT TAX THAT WE WANT AND REQUIRE AS PART OF THE MANDATE.
SO THOSE WOULD BE THE THINGS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO COME ON.
BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY POLICY THAT'S ME COMING OUTTA CITY COUNCIL IN TERMS TO REMEDY THOSE INDIFFERENCES.
SO A CADENCE REPORT COULD BE A GREAT IDEA AND SUNSET THIS GROUP, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT.
I MEAN, IT MAKES ROOM FOR OUR NEW INITIATIVES AND, UM, I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO STAY ACTIVELY MONITORING WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAN AND YOU BOTH ARE KEEPING A KEEN EYE ON OH, YOU ARE TOO.
OR YOU'RE WATCHING IT? I'M ON THE, OH YEAH, I JUST HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T.
[01:50:01]
HEARD YOU SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT WHILE I'M THE ONE THAT SENT THE EMAIL AND ASKED FOR THE REPORTS THAT THE FINANCE TEAM WAS GONNA GENERATE A REPORT.THEY JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE SPECIFICALLY WE WERE ASKING FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS RECEIVED VIA THE PLATFORMS, AND THAT REQUEST WAS FROM AUGUST THROUGH WHATEVER THEY HAVE AS THE MOST CURRENT POINT BEING IS.
I THINK THAT THE THREE OF YOU FOR SURE HAVE ALREADY, I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THE MONITORING AND YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BODY IS PAYING ATTENTION TO OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
AND WE DON'T, WE CAN AGREE THAT WE DON'T NEED THE, THE, THE HAVE A WORKING GROUP AT THIS TIME.
IF SOMETHING KICKS BACK IN GEAR, WE'LL KNOW IT'S TIME TO REIN, RE INSTIGATE THIS.
I I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I THINK THAT WORKING GROUP WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN A SENSE THAT WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT, UM, SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND THE, AND HAVING LEFT MONEY ON THE TABLE BECAUSE IT WASN'T BEING MONITORED.
AND I THINK BECAUSE WE STARTED MEETING WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND VARIOUS COUNCIL MEMBER OFFICES, IT, IT THEN BECAME IN THEIR FOREFRONT TO ADDRESS AND SOLVE SOMETHING.
AND I THINK THEY SOLVED PART OF IT.
NOT ALL OF IT, BUT I JUST, I THINK FOR, UM, NEW, UH, COMMISSIONERS THAT SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF WHERE I THINK OUR VOICES DO MATTER AND IF THERE ARE THINGS WE WANNA TALK ABOUT AND TAKE TO OUR, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR THAT IT'S, I THINK IT IS HELPFUL FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN'T CATCH EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHY THIS BODY EXISTS IS TO, IS TO HELP THEM.
SO I THINK, I THINK IT WAS SUCCESSFUL IN THAT SENSE THAT IT BROUGHT, UH, THIS ISSUE TO THE FOREFRONT AND STILL IS, COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ANOTHER CLOSING STATEMENT.
I MEAN, IT'S, AND, AND IT'S, IT'S SHINING A LIGHT ON WHERE, WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING NEXT.
AND I THINK WE GOT A BIG INSPIRATION TODAY OF WHAT, WHERE WE NEED TO BE PUTTING SOME MORE EFFORT IN.
SO, UM, THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HAPPENED AND, AND I THINK WE ALL SHARED IN THE OUTCOME AND WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED A ROLE.
I MEAN, I THINK MAKING, KNOCKING ON DOORS DID SOMETHING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, SO THANKS SECOND WORKING GROUP.
ALRIGHT, WELL NOW WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO ON THE NEXT ONE.
ANYBODY HERE OPEN TO A MOTION TO CONCLUDE THE MEETING? COMMISSIONER CHAN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TODAY.