* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:04]
          ALL RIGHT. 
          [CALL TO ORDER]
GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. 
          I CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. 
          THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE. 
          THE TIME IS 10 O'CLOCK ON THE DOT. 
          I'M USING THE, THE WORLD'S SMALLEST GAVEL TO GAVEL US IN HERE AT, UH, THIS IS WEDNESDAY, MAY THE SIXTH, 2026. 
          AND WE'RE IN THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS. 
          THIS IS OUR MAY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING. 
          I'LL BE CONDUCTING TODAY'S MEETING IN THE ABSENCE OF OUR USUAL CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER, VANESSA FUENTES, WHO IS OUT ON MATERNITY LEAVE. 
          SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UH, CELEBRATE HER NEW EDITION FOR OUR AGENDA DAY. 
          WE'RE GONNA START WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. 
          THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM OUR APRIL 1ST MEETING. 
          AND, UH, NEXT WE'LL BE TAKING UP COMMITTEE BRIEFING, STARTING WITH A BRIEFING ON LONG COVID AND ITS COMMUNAL IMPACT. 
          AND FROM THERE WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON THE FISCAL YEAR 25 26 ANIMAL SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          UH, AND LAST, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE STATUS AND TIMELINE OF, UH, SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACT RESTRUCTURING, RUBRIC, AND PLANS. 
          ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE AGENDA BEFORE WE GET ROLLING? ALRIGHT, 
          [Public Communication: General]
WELL THEN WE'RE GONNA GO WELCOME SPEAKERS FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          MAY THE CLERK'S OFFICE, PLEASE START OFF WITH OUR FIRST SPEAKER. 
          WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ONE VIRTUAL SPEAKER, AN ALI POPUP. 
          HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? HI. 
          UM, BEFORE I BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR MAINTAINING ACCESS TO VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENTS. 
          AS WITHOUT THAT, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TODAY AS SOMEONE WITH AN ENERGY LIMITING CONDITION. 
          I ALSO WANNA NOTE THAT I SUPPORT CLEAR THE AIR HTS PRESENTATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE TODAY. 
          MY NAME IS ALI. 
          I AM 28 YEARS OLD, AND I'VE BEEN LIVING WITH LONG COVID SINCE 2022. 
          BEFORE I DEVELOPED LONG COVID, I WAS AT THE TOP OF MY GAME AT UNIVERSITY, STUDYING AND PERFORMING MUSIC. 
          I WAS TAKING FULL-TIME CLASSES, WORKING IN ARTS INTERNSHIP, PERFORMING IN LOCAL IMPROV THEATER, AND WRITING MY OWN SOLO PERFORMANCE SHOW. 
          AT THE END OF 2022, I ACTUALLY WON THE BUTLER SCHOOL OF MUSIC GRAND WATER INNOVATION GRANT WORTH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FUND MY SOLO SHOW. 
          BUT BY THEN I HAD TO WALK AWAY FROM SCHOOL AND THE GRANT, BECAUSE MY BODY HAD REACHED A BREAKING POINT. 
          I HAD REALLY DEBILITATING FATIGUE, CHRONIC PAIN, EXERCISE INTOLERANCE, JOINT DISLOCATIONS, HEART PALPITATIONS, DIZZINESS, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, NON-RESTORATIVE SLEEP, AND MORE. 
          NOW, I CAN'T EVEN PRACTICE FOR A FEW HOURS ON MY INSTRUMENT WITHOUT SEVERE PAIN AND INFLAMMATION IN MY HANDS THAT LASTS FOR DAYS. 
          IT FEELS LIKE YOUR MUSCLES ARE BURNING, YOUR BODY'S FULL OF BLOOD, YOU FEEL SLUGGISH AND HEAVY, AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU SLEEP, YOU NEVER WAKE UP FEELING TRULY RESTED. 
          I'VE BEEN REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEST HEALTHCARE AND THE BEST DOCTORS AVAILABLE IN AUSTIN WHO ARE COMPETENT IN TREATING LONG COVID. 
          I'VE BEEN SEEING THEM FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. 
          I'VE BEEN PUT ON THE BEST MEDICATIONS AVAILABLE, AND IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH TO CURE ME OR MAKE ME BETTER ENOUGH TO RETURN TO WORK OR SCHOOL. 
          EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE DOCTORS WHO BELIEVE YOU, AND MOST OF THEM DON'T, IT DOESN'T GUARANTEE THAT YOU'LL GET BETTER ENOUGH TO CARRY ON LIKE YOUR LIFE WAS BEFORE. 
          THE SCIENCE AND THE TREATMENTS JUST AREN'T THERE YET. 
          I'VE HAD TO COMPLETELY CHANGE MY ENTIRE WAY OF BEING SO THAT I DON'T OVERDO THINGS AND MAKE MY CHRONIC ILLNESS WORSE. 
          THE LIFE THAT I THOUGHT I WAS BUILDING WHEN I WAS ONLY 24 YEARS OLD IS OVER, AND I NEVER EVEN GOT A CHANCE TO REALLY BREAK INTO MY CAREER BEFORE COVID TOOK IT ALL AWAY FROM ME. 
          ONE THING I REALLY WISH PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD IS THAT LONG COVID IS NOT JUST BEING A LITTLE TIRED. 
          IT'S A CONDITION AFFECTING THE WHOLE BODY CONSISTING OF OVER 200 POTENTIAL SYMPTOMS. AND MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE IT ALSO DEVELOP OTHER RELATED CONDITIONS ALONGSIDE OF IT. 
          I'VE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH POSTURAL ORTHOSTATIC TACHYCARDIA SYNDROME OR POTS POST EXERTIONAL MALAISE, CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, GASTROINTESTINAL REFLUX DISORDER, IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, AND I'M JUST NOW STARTING TO GET EVALUATED FOR TYPE TWO NARCOLEPSY. 
          ALL OF THESE THINGS CAME AFTER JUST ONE COVID INFECTION AND ARE A PART OF MY LONG COVID EXPERIENCE. 
          THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH NEED TO WORK WITH DOCTORS AND RESEARCHERS WHO KNOW ABOUT LONG COVID TO DELIVER BETTER RESOURCES AND BRING MORE AWARENESS. 
          PUBLIC HEALTH HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO EDUCATE PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT KNOW THAT THEIR FATIGUE, CHRONIC PAIN, BRAIN FOG, AND OTHER SYMPTOMS THAT THEY HAVE ARE ACTUALLY ALONG COVID. 
          AND THAT TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH THOSE SYMPTOMS WILL ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE. 
          AUSTIN ALSO NEEDS TO TAKE POINT FROM OTHER CITIES, PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICES, WHO ARE GETTING THE MESSAGING RIGHT BY ADVOCATING FOR CLEAN INDOOR AIR AND MASKING LIKE THE NEW YORK CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE DURHAM COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. 
          PEOPLE LIKE ME ARE MORE THAN JUST A STATISTIC, BUT RIGHT NOW, PUBLIC HEALTH DOES LITTLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW MASSIVE OF AN ISSUE LONG COVID IS, LET ALONE THAT IT CAN AFFECT YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE ME AND EVEN CHILDREN AS WELL. 
          THE ONLY SUREFIRE WAY TO PREVENT LONG COVID IS TO PREVENT COVID. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? ANY IN PERSON SPEAKERS? YES. 
          UM, SARAH MILLER FELLOWS. 
          SARAH MILLER FELLOWS. 
          DOESN'T SEEM LIKE 
          [00:05:01]
THAT SPEAKER'S HERE IS THERE. 
          IS IT THE ONLY SPEAKER THAT WE'VE GOT IN PERSON? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          ALRIGHT, WELL, UM, UH, I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO MOVE ON IF THAT'S OUR ONLY SPEAKER AND SHE'S NOT. 
          SHE OR HE IS NOT HERE. 
          UM, THE NEXT ITEM 
          [Approval of Minutes]
THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO IS THE APPROVAL OF THE PRIOR MINUTES. 
          CAN I GET A MOTION OR A SECOND FROM THE APRIL 1ST, 2026 MINUTES. 
          MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER. 
          SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ. 
          ANY DISCUSSION OR CORRECTIONS? SEEING NONE, TAKE A VOTE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. 
          OR RAISE YOUR HANDS. 
          NOBODY OPPOSED. 
          MOTIONS APPROVED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MINUTES ARE APPROVED. 
          SO FOR CLARITY, WE'RE GONNA 
          [4. Update on the Fiscal Year 2025 - 2026 Austin Animal Services Strategic Plan [Jason Garza, Assistant Director; Melissa Pool, Chief Administrative Officer - Austin Animal Services].]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS THE UPDATE TO FISCAL YEAR 25 26 AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          I'D LIKE TO WELCOME STAFF FROM ANIMAL SERVICES, I BELIEVE THAT'S MR. GARZA, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. 
          AND MELISSA POOLE, THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR AN UPDATE ON THEIR 25 26 STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. 
          SO YES, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, GIVE A, UH, BRIEF UPDATE ON THE, UM, ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY FOR OUR FIVE YEAR, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          SO I'M GONNA START THIS OFF WITH, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, MELISSA, WE'LL START OFF WITH GOING OVER A BIT OF AN AGENDA, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO EACH OF OUR, UH, PRIORITY AREAS AND GIVE YOU UPDATES ON EACH. 
          GOOD. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          MELISSA POOLE, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO, UH, IN OUR PRESENTATION, JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT THE PLAN, UM, A SUMMARY OF HOW IT WORKS, WALK YOU THROUGH, UH, THE PRIORITY AREAS AND, AND GIVE YOU SOME PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS, UM, AND KIND OF SUMMARIZE THE INFORMATION, GIVE YOU OUR NEXT STEPS, AND THEN ALLOW SOME SPACE FOR QUESTIONS. 
          SO, UM, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, WAS DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON FUTURE INITIATIVES AND DECISIONS FOR ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          UH, IT WILL INFORM WHERE RESOURCES ARE MOST NEEDED, WHAT MEASURES TO TARGET, AND HOW WE COLLABORATE WITH PARTNERS ON ANIMAL WELFARE ISSUES. 
          UM, THE PLAN WAS TO DEVELOP OVER AN EIGHT MONTH PERIOD THAT INCLUDED FEEDBACK FROM STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, UM, AREA PARTNERS, AND THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS. 
          THE FEEDBACK DIRECTLY INFORMED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOCUMENT AND EXTERNAL CONSULTANT HELP GUIDE THE COMPLETION OF THE FINAL PLAN. 
          THE PLAN WAS, UH, BROUGHT TO COUNCIL AND ULTIMATELY ADOPTED ON MARCH 27TH OF LAST YEAR. 
          SO IN THE PAST YEAR, ANIMAL SERVICES HAS BEGUN WORK HAS BEGUN THE WORK OUTLINED IN THE PLANT AND MEET THE PRIORITIES AND GOALS IT CONTAINED. 
          SO THE PLAN ESTABLISHED, UH, ESTABLISHED SIX PRIORITY AREAS, AND THOSE INCLUDE HUMANE CARE, OPEN INTAKE, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, SPAY AND NEUTER, LIVE RELEASE, AND THEN STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. 
          EACH GOAL HAS STRATEGIES TO HELP ACHIEVE THE PRIORITY. 
          IN TOTAL, THERE ARE 18 GOALS AND OVER AND 64 STRATEGIES, UH, THAT WERE DEVELOPED TO HELP US TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. 
          SO, UM, AS, AS THAT WAS MENTIONED, THE SIX PRIORITY AREAS HAD VARIOUS GOALS ON EACH. 
          UM, SO I'M GONNA GO OVER EACH AND GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW WITH SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT HAVE OCCURRED. 
          SO FIRST, WITH HUMANE CARE, ANIMAL SERVICES IS TASKED WITH MEETING ANIMALS, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS, AND ENSURE HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ANIMALS IN SHELTER AND FOSTER CARE. 
          BY PROVIDING ENRICHMENT, BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT AND WELL-MAINTAINED FACILITIES. 
          THIS PRIORITY HAD FOUR TOTAL GOALS TO, TO SUPPORT THE OVERALL PRIORITY, UH, TO INCREASE ENRICH ENRICHMENT, SOCIALIZATION, BEHAVIORAL SERVICES, ANIMAL SERVICES IS DONE THE FOLLOWING. 
          WE'VE EXPANDED OUR PLAYGROUP SESSIONS AND ACTIVITIES BY RUNNING MULTIPLE CARE GROUPS EACH DAY, AND INCLUDING DOGS WITH HIGHER LEVEL BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES. 
          TO THESE SESSIONS. 
          WE'VE IMPLEMENTED MORE MEDICAL HEALTH CHECKS IN VARIOUS ANIMAL POPULATIONS IN THE SHELTER TO IDENTIFY SICK ANIMALS SOONER FOR TREATMENT. 
          AND WE'VE REASSIGNED A CURRENT EMPLOYEE TO AN INTERIM'S OUTCOMES CONSULTANT ROLE. 
          UM, THIS STAFF MEMBER FOLLOWS EVERY ANIMAL, ENTER THE SHELTER, AND IDENTIFIES POTENTIAL ISSUES THAT MIGHT PREVENT OR DELAY A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO LEADERSHIP ON WAYS TO BEST SUPPORT, UM, THE ANIMAL TO ADDRESS TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR. 
          ANIMAL SERVICES IMPLEMENTED AN ANIMAL, AN ANNUAL ANIMAL HANDLING TRAINING FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. 
          UM, UH, CONTINUING WITH THAT TO ENHANCE OUR SHELTER, CLEANLINESS AND SANITATION. 
          UM, WE'VE REVISED OUR CLEAN AND DISINFECTING SOP AND IMPLEMENTED WEEKLY INSPECTIONS WITH THE GOAL OF GETTING THOSE INSPECTIONS DONE DAILY. 
          UM, AND TO HELP IMPROVE OUR FACILITY AND SPACE. 
          ANIMAL SERVICES HAS SECURED A THIRD PARTY ARCHITECT TO DEVELOP CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR A SMALL DOG KENNEL RUN WITH DEDICATED OUTDOOR SPACE. 
          FOR THOSE THAT HAVE VISITED, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THAT CURRENTLY WE HAVE 'EM IN INDOOR AREAS, MAINLY THAT WAS DESIGNED FOR CATS, BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR SMALLER 
          [00:10:01]
DOGS, WE'RE ABLE TO, AND WE HAVE DEDICATED STAFF THAT WORK WITH THEM, BUT THIS WILL GIVE THEM THEIR OWN SORT OF DEDICATED OUTDOOR. 
          WE ALSO, UM, INCLUDED SOME PROPOSED FACILITY ENHANCEMENTS IN THE UPCOMING BOND, UH, PROPOSED BOND PACKAGE. 
          WITH REGARDS, UH, UH, THE SECOND PRIORITY, WHICH HAS TWO GOALS, IS SPAY AND NEUTER. 
          UM, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST POINT OUT THERE, UH, WITH THE, UH, PRESENTATION WAS PRESENTED AS BACKUP. 
          THERE HAS TO BE A SLIGHT CORRECTION, WHICH I'LL NOTE. 
          UM, BUT WITH SPAY NEUTER, WE'RE TASKED WITH REDUCING THE NUMBER OF STRAYS, UNKNOWN AND UNWANTED ANIMALS BY APPRO AND INCREASING SPAY NEUTERED SERVICES. 
          SO, UM, OUR GOAL WAS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FREE AND SUBSIDIZED SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES FOR OWNED ANIMALS. 
          UM, THIS PAST YEAR ANIMAL SERVICES INCREASED FREE AND SPAY NEUTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY OWNED ANIMALS BY 34.9%. 
          AND, UM, AND THEN IN FISCAL YEAR 25, 11,000, 1,102 ANIMALS WERE, UM, SURGERIES WERE PERFORMED. 
          THESE WERE DONE THROUGH OUR CONTRACTS WITH GREATER GOOD CHARITIES AND OUR MANS PETT. 
          UM, THE OTHER GOAL WAS TO INCREASE OUR SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES FOR STRAY AND UNOWNED ANIMALS. 
          UM, WE HAD OVER 2 2300 SURGERIES PERFORMED ON UNKNOWN COMMUNITY CATS THROUGH OUR CITY CONTRACT WITH AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY. 
          UM, ALTHOUGH WE DID SEE A SLIGHT DECREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO WORK ON REACHING THE PLANT'S GOAL OF INCREASING STERILIZATION SURVEYS FOR STRAIGHT UNKNOWN ANIMALS THAT HAD BECOME THE DISEASE PROPERLY BY SCHEDULING SURGERIES DURING THE WEEKENDS AND HIRING ADDITIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH TECHNICIANS. 
          WE ALSO CONTINUE, UM, TO, UH, USE OUR, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH A HS TO, UM, ADDRESS, UH, AND ALTER COMMUNITY CATS. 
          UM, OATS OPEN INTAKE IS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, ANIMAL SERVICES TASKED TO ENSURE IT HAS THE CAPACITY TO ACCEPT ANIMALS, FACILITATE CARE BY PARTNERS AND THE PUBLIC, AND ASSIST PEOPLE IN KEEPING THOSE PETS, UH, KEEPING THEIR PETS IN A TIMELY MANNER. 
          UM, THIS PRIORITY HAS THREE DEDICATED GOALS, AND TO TRY TO, TO INCREASE THE, THE TIMELINESS OF INTAKE SUPPORT, UM, ANIMAL SERVICES AT A GREETER ROLE TO THE SHELTER'S LOBBY AREA TO ASSESS PET OWNERS WITH RESOURCES AND CUSTOMERS WITH, UH, PET MATCHMAKING SERVICES. 
          WE'VE ALSO EXPANDED OUR WALKUP INTAKE HOURS. 
          UM, NORMALLY PREVIOUSLY THEY HAD BEEN 11 TO ONE. 
          NOW WE'RE, WE'VE EXPANDED TO 11 TO 4:00 PM AND, UM, WE'VE, UH, CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION OF THE INTAKE TO OUTCOME PROCESS, TO OUR OUTCOME PROCESSES AND IDENTIFIED AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, UM, TO EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF THE SHELTER. 
          UM, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE HAVE ANNUAL ANIMAL HANDLING TRAINING, UM, FOR ALL OUR STAFF. 
          THIS ALLOWS MORE STAFF AND THE VOLUNTEERS TO WORK WITH POTENTIAL ADOPTERS AND MATCHMAKING. 
          UM, WE'VE ALSO, UH, WORKED TO STRENGTHEN OUR ADOPTION PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE AUSTIN ANIMAL WELFARE, UH, COALITION, WHICH INCLUDES ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS THE CENTRAL TEXAS REGION AND WORK TO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS WITH THIS, UH, WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS ANIMAL WELFARE COALITION. 
          BY MEETING QUARTERLY TO DISCUSS AND IMPROVE ON COLLABORATION AND MAXIMIZE RESOURCES FOR PET OWNERS. 
          UM, WE'VE ALSO INCREASED THE NUMBER OF PET DEDUCTIVE TO, UM, TO HOPEFULLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOST PETS RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS. 
          AND FINALLY, WE'VE ALSO IMPLEMENTED A MARKETING PLAN TO AID IN GETTING ANIMALS OUT OF THE SHELTER AND INTO ADOPTIVE AND FOSTER HOMES. 
          UM, AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE DID HIRE A THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR, UM, TO DEVELOP CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR SMALL DOG KENNEL. 
          AND THE DEPARTMENT'S ATHLETE PARTICIPATE IN THE BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, UM, TO TRY TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO PET OWNERSHIP. 
          UM, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION HAS CREATED A WORKING GROUP CONSISTENT OF ANIMAL WELFARE FLOW PARTNERS WITH THE GOAL OF ADDRESSING POLICIES THAT AFFECT PET OWNERSHIP. 
          THIS CAN BUT INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO PET DEPOSITS, MONTHLY PET RENTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT IS, IS, UM, AFFECTING THEIR PET OWNERSHIP. 
          SO A FOURTH PRIORITY IDENTIFIED WAS LIVE RELEASE, UM, WITH REGARD TO THAT, ANIMAL SERVICES TASKED WITH MAXIMIZING THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT ARE ADOPTED, RESCUE TRANSFER, OR ATERNITY THEIR OWNERS THROUGH ENHANCED SERVICES, PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
          UM, THIS PRIORITY HAS THREE GOALS, AND THE WORK THAT HAS CURRENTLY BEEN DONE IS, UM, WE'VE WORKED TO, UH, UM, HELD MULTIPLE ADOPTION EVENTS, INCLUDING OUR CLEAR, THE SHELTER CITY, UH, WIDE ADOPTION EVENT THAT WE JUST HAD THIS PAST AUGUST. 
          OUR AREA WIDE NAME, YOUR PRICE ADOPTION EVENT THAT WE HAD IN MARCH. 
          AND WE PARTNERED WITH THE ANIMAL AUSTIN WELFARE COALITION TO HOLD AN ADOPTION EVENT, UM, IN APRIL. 
          THAT RESULTED IN SEVERAL DOGS LEAVING THE SHELTER THROUGH ADOPTION FOSTER TRANSFERS TO OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. 
          UM, ANIMAL SERVICES IS CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE , THE SHELTERS ADOPTION EVENT IN, UM, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BISSELL PEL BISSELL PET FOUNDATION. 
          SO PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD OUT TO YOUR, UH, CONSTITUENTS. 
          WE'D LOVE TO HAVE THEM COME BY AND ADOPT THE PET UP. 
          UM, ANIMAL SERVICES ALSO IMPLEMENTED, UH, AND, UM, THE ENDEARING SERVICE JAIL FOSTER PROGRAM. 
          UH, THIS WAS, UH, WHERE WE PARTNERED WITH THE TRAVIS STATE JAIL IN TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE. 
          WE HAD A 12 WEEK FOSTER AND TRAINING PROGRAM THAT HELPED SHELTER DOGS BECOME MORE ADOPTABLE WHILE INCARCERATED VETERANS BUILD PRACTICAL 
          [00:15:01]
SKILLS, STRUCTURE AND CONFIDENCE FOR LIFE. 
          AFTER RELEASED THROUGH THE TDCG, UH, J VETERAN SERVICES, UH, RE-ENTRY PROGRAM, UM, THE INITIATING CLASS GRADUATED 11 DOGS, UM, IN APRIL. 
          AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IDENTIFYING THE NEXT 12 DOGS THAT WILL GO INTO THE PROGRAM. 
          UM, ALL DOGS HAVE ALSO BEEN PLACED, EITHER ADOPTED OR IN FOSTER HOMES. 
          UH, THIS PAST SPRING, WE IMPLEMENTED A DOGGY DAY OUT IN OVERNIGHTS PROGRAM BY GIVING FUTURE PET OWNERS IN SHELTER ANIMALS MORE QUALITY TIME TO SPEND TOGETHER TO FIND THEIR PERFECT MATCH AND TO IMPROVE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE. 
          WE WERE, UH, THIS PAST YEAR, WE LAUNCHED A NEW SHELTER MANAGEMENT DATABASE, AND WE ALSO INITIATED 30 DAY TRIAL ADOPTIONS AND BEGAN, UM, VOLUNTEER, UM, ADOPTION APPLICATION PROGRAM. 
          UM, FINALLY TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND BUILD COMMUNITY TRUSTS. 
          WE'VE LAUNCHED A THREE-YEAR MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN, AND WE'RE WORKING TO EXPAND THE CITY'S DEPARTMENT MICROCHIP SCANNING PROGRAM, UM, AND WORKING WITH DEVELOPING, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRANSPORT WITH OUR LOCAL ANIMAL WELFARE PARTNERS. 
          SO, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY WAS ANOTHER IDENTIFIED PRIORITY LISTED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          UM, THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD WORK TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND ANIMALS BY PROVIDING RESOURCES AND INFORMATION AND WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN RESPONDING QUICKLY TO ANIMAL RELATED CONCERNS. 
          THIS PRIORITY ALSO HAS THREE GOALS, UM, TO INCREASE THE PUBLIC AWARENESS ON HOW TO INTERACT SAFELY WITH ANIMALS. 
          UM, PART OF THE PUBLIC RELATION PLAN INCLUDES PIECES OF FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND PET RETENTION. 
          UM, WE WORK TO INCLUDE CAT TRAPPERS AS OFFICIALLY PART OF OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM TO DOCUMENT THE WORK IN THE FIELD AND PROVIDE ANY RESOURCES THAT THEY MAY NEED WHILE THEY'RE DOING THAT SERVICE. 
          AND FINALLY, TO ASSIST WITH A PET, BE WITH A PET THAT MAY HAVE ANY SORT OF BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES, AND, AND TO, UM, PROMOTE THE, THE PET'S RETENTION. 
          UM, WE'VE PROVIDE TRAINING VOUCHERS AND ONLINE SUPPORT TO HELP PET OWNERS NAVIGATE WHAT THE PET IS GOING THROUGH, UM, TO ENSURE A TIMELY RESPONSE TO ANIMAL WELFARE CALLS THAT MAY COME IN. 
          UH, ANIMAL SERVICES WORK WITH 3 1 1 TO ENHANCE THE TRIAGE SYSTEM BY REVISING SCRIPTS TO ENABLE THREE OH ONE CALL TAKERS TO BETTER ASSIST WITH CALLERS. 
          UM, WE FREQUENTLY, WE MEET MONTHLY WITH 3 1 1 AND OUR LIAISON JUST TO SEE WHAT CALLS ARE COMING IN, HOW WE CAN BETTER ASSIST TRIAGE THINGS SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UM, GET, UH, PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE. 
          UM, WITH SUPPORT FROM COUNSEL, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO DESIGNATE ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS AS EMERGENCY RESPONDERS. 
          AND FINALLY, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE A NEW INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO CARE FOR ANIMAL SEIZED THROUGH THEIR CRUELTY CASES. 
          UM, EXCUSE ME. 
          LASTLY, IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING AGGRESSIVE, UNHEALTHY ANIMALS, UM, ANIMAL SERVICES COORDINATED WITH OUR PARTNER AUSTIN WILDLIFE RESCUE AND THE TEXAS GAME WARDENS TO PROVIDE REGULAR TRAINING TO ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS ON THE PROPER HANDLING OF ANIMALS THAT ARE RABIES VECTORS. 
          UM, AND AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, OUR MARKING PLAN DOES INCLUDE PUBLIC SAFETY INFORMATION FOR THE COMMUNITY REGARDING AGGRESSIVE ANIMALS. 
          AND I'M NOW GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MELISSA IN ORDER TO COVER OUR LAST PRIORITY. 
          SO THE SIXTH PRIORITY IS STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. 
          UM, AND THAT FOCUS AREA IS TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN, UH, RETAIN, WELL-TRAINED AND DEDICATED STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS BY PROVIDING THE TOOLS, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO CREATE A CULTURE OF INCLUSION AND RESPONSIBILITY. 
          SO THERE ARE THREE GOALS IN THIS AREA. 
          THE FIRST IS TO ENHANCE WORKING CONDITIONS AND BUILD SKILLED AND SUPPORTED STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS IN THIS SPACE. 
          THE FIRST BULLET YOU'LL SEE THERE IS SOMETHING WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF, WAS A, A MAJOR, UM, UH, MILESTONE WAS TO IMPLEMENT, UH, TRAINING DAYS AT ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          SO WE NOW CLOSE THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, AND THIS ALLOWS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE REGULAR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR STAFF. 
          UM, IT ALSO GIVES US SOME, SOME SPACE TO DO SOME DEEPER CLEANING THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE ANIMALS. 
          SO TODAY WE'VE DONE TRAINING ON COMPASSION FATIGUE, UH, CPR FIRST AID, A ED, UH, STOP THE BLEED TRAINING AND ALSO DOG HANDLING TRAINING. 
          UM, NEXT WE, UH, AND JUST DO NOTE WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE EMERGENCY SERVICES EVEN ON THOSE CLOSURE DAYS. 
          WE ALSO ROLLED OUT A COMMUNICATIONS TOOL TO OUR VOLUNTEERS CALLED DISCORD, WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THIS, THIS TOOL. 
          AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A WEBSITE, UH, FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS WHERE WE CAN MORE EASILY SHARE INFORMATION THAT'S SPECIFIC TO THEM. 
          AND THEN THE LAST BULLET THERE, UH, WE PARTNERED WITH THE LEAD OFFICE, ACTUALLY, WE HAD THEM COME IN AND OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, INCLUDING SUPERVISORS, MANAGERS, AND EXECUTIVES, WENT THROUGH AN 
          [00:20:01]
ASSESSMENT EXERCISE USING TALENT INSIGHTS, UM, TO LEARN ABOUT OUR DIFFERENT WORKING STYLES, UM, AND IMPROVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS. 
          THE SECOND GOAL TO INCREASE MORALE AND SATISFACTION OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. 
          UM, WE IMPLEMENTED A NEW AWARD AND RECOGNITION PROGRAM. 
          UH, THIS PROGRAM, WE IMPLEMENTED A COMMITTEE THAT'S MADE UP OF MEMBERS FROM EVERY DIVISION IN ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          AND WE HAVE ONGOING PEER-TO-PEER RECOGNITION. 
          WE HAVE A QUARTERLY EMPLOYEE, UH, EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER AWARD AND AN ANNUAL AWARD. 
          UM, SO, AND THAT'S BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED SO FAR. 
          WE ALSO CONDUCTED A WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT SURVEY WHERE WE, UM, SURVEYED OUR ENTIRE WORKFORCE TO GET A BASELINE UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WERE STRONG, AND WHERE WE NEEDED, YOU KNOW, TO DO SOME MORE WORK AND IDENTIFIED AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT. 
          AND DEVELOPED AN AN ACTION PLAN IN RESPONSE TO THAT SURVEY. 
          AND THEN, UH, THE THIRD, UH, THIRD GOAL IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY. 
          IN OCTOBER OF 20, UH, WELL, ACTUALLY THE BEGINNING OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, WE, UM, IMPLEMENTED A REORGANIZATION TO BETTER ALIGN RESOURCES. 
          WE HAD SOME WORK GROUPS THAT HAD SUPERVISORS WITH, YOU KNOW, UH, 15 TO 18 DIRECT REPORTS, AND THAT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO MANAGE AND HAVE THE ONE-ON-ONE TIME AND ATTENTION THAT EMPLOYEES DESERVE. 
          SO WE ADDED SOME SUPERVISORY POSITIONS. 
          WE CENTRALIZED SUPPORT SERVICES AND AUGMENTED IT WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, BETTER OVERSIGHT AND, UM, JUST ALIGNED RESOURCES IN A WAY THAT THAT CREATED EFFICIENCIES FOR THE DISCOVERY PROJECT. 
          WE PARTNERED WITH THE, UH, BUDGET AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE TEAM AND HAD THEM COME IN AND WORK WITH EVERY WORK GROUP, UH, IN ANIMAL SERVICES TO MAP OUT THE ENTIRE, UH, FLOW FROM INTAKE AND ALL THE VARIOUS WAYS ANIMALS COME IN, UH, TO AN OUTCOME. 
          AND THEN TO IDENTIFY PAIN POINTS AND AREAS FOR POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENT. 
          AND WE JUST RECEIVED THE RESULTS BACK FROM THAT. 
          AND WE HAVE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE CONSIDERING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PROCESS IMPROVEMENT EFFORT. 
          SO WE'VE DONE A LOT IN THE PAST YEAR, UM, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR, OUR KEY PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES. 
          UM, OUR NEW DIRECTOR, MONICA, IMPLEMENTED DOGGY DAY OUT AND OVERNIGHTS FOR DOGS. 
          IT GIVES THEM A MUCH NEEDED RESPITE, REST FROM THE SHELTER. 
          UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE TUGS AT THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE ANIMALS AND, YOU KNOW, MAY END UP, UH, DECIDING TO ADOPT OR, OR FOSTER, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING MORE LONG TERM. 
          AND THEN OUR ENDURING SERVICE PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF, YOU KNOW, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, SPECIFICALLY THE TRAVIS, UH, THE, THE TRAVIS STATE JAIL. 
          AND WE JUST RECENTLY GRADUATED, UM, OUR FIRST ROUND OF DOGS AND ADOPTED OUT A NUMBER OF THEM, INCLUDING, UH, THE STATESMAN REPORTER WHO WAS THERE TO COVER THIS STORY, ENDED UP ADOPTING A DOG. 
          SO THAT'S BEEN A REALLY, UM, EXCITING PROGRAM. 
          AND THEN, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND THREE YEAR PUBLIC RE RELATIONS PLAN. 
          UH, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OUR SPAY AND NEUTER AGAIN, UH, WE WERE, OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES MEASURE, THE SPAY AND NEUTER WE DO, UM, IN SHELTER VERSUS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO THAT 25% REALLY REPRESENTS AN INCREASE IN THE COMMUNITY SPAY AND NEUTER THAT WE DID FOR BOTH OWNED ANIMALS AND, UM, FOR COMMUNITY CATS. 
          BUT IF WE TAKE THE COMMUNITY CATS PIECE OUT AND WE FOCUS ONLY ON OWNED ANIMALS, WHICH IS REALLY THE WAY THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS WRITTEN, THAT NUMBER'S ACTUALLY HIGHER. 
          IT'S, IT'S 34.9% INCREASE. 
          SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD AND HAPPY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR PARTNERS WITH EMANCIPET GREATER GOOD AND AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY. 
          WE ALSO DEVELOPED PLANS FOR FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE'RE PART OF THE BOND PACKAGE, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S COMING UP. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS AT OUR FACILITY. 
          AND THEN, UH, THE FINAL BULLET POINT IS, UH, THE TRAINING DAYS. 
          THOSE HAVE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL, WELL RECEIVED BY STAFF AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REALLY DIG IN AND PROVIDED SOME MUCH, UH, NEEDED TRAINING, SOME ADDITIONAL UPDATES. 
          WE HIRED SOMEONE TO MANAGE THE, THE PLAN FULL TIME. 
          STEPHANIE FRANCIS IS OUR NEW BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT, UH, AND SHE BEGAN HER POSITION IN APRIL. 
          AND WE ARE, HAVE DEVELOPED A STRATEGIC PLAN DASHBOARD THAT WE ARE EXPECTING 
          [00:25:01]
TO BE ABLE TO RELEASE LATER THIS MONTH. 
          WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO JASON. 
          SO, UH, MOVING FORWARD, UM, AS MELISSA MENTIONED, WE ARE LOOKING TO LAUNCH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN DASHBOARD, WHICH WE WILL PROVIDE REGULAR UPDATES. 
          UM, WE'RE ALSO, UH, COLLABORATING WITH THE, UM, ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP, UM, PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT ARE, THAT CAN BE TIED BACK TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST THE OVERALL WORK TO CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS TOWARD FULL IMPLEMENTATION. 
          SO WITH THAT COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. 
          COLLEAGUES, WHO'S GOT SOME QUESTIONS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ? YES. 
          UH, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR THE, FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          I DID HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THE TDCJ, UM, PROGRAM. 
          WHEN Y'ALL LAUNCH YOUR NEXT COHORT, IS THERE, UH, AN AVAILABILITY FOR, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, SOMEBODY TO COME AND CHECK OUT THE PROGRAM OUT THERE AT TDCJ? I KNOW THERE ARE A TON OF CLEARANCES THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN BEFORE YOU'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY ENTER, BUT, UH, HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THAT AND I'D LOVE TO VISIT THAT PROGRAM. 
          UH, A ABSOLUTELY, WE'LL, WE'LL TOUCH BASE WITH, WITH THEIR STAFF. 
          I MEAN, UM, YES. 
          WE'LL, WE CAN, UH, MAKE IT MEN'S AND GIVE YOU A TOUR AND CHECK OUT THE, THE, THE, UH, LAYOUT OF THE PROGRAM AND MEET WITH OUR STAFF WHO ACTUALLY WORK WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE ANIMAL HANDLERS TO PROVIDE THE, WELL, WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH TRAINING, BUT THEN SORT OF JUST THE OVERALL SUPPORT THAT THEY MAY NEED IN ORDER TO GET THE, THE PUPS READY, GIVE 'EM THAT RESPITE, AND THEN GET 'EM READY FOR THEIR FOREVER HOME. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND, AND, AND JUST SO WHENEVER, WHENEVER Y'ALL START THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT COHORT, IF Y'ALL CAN TOUCH BASE WITH OUR OFFICE AND LET ME KNOW HOW WE CAN, HOW I CAN GET INVOLVED IN THAT. 
          I'D LOVE TO AND, AND I LOVE THAT PROGRAM. 
          IT IS, UH, UH, UM, THEY WERE EXPLAINING, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT IT LAST TIME I VISITED THE SHELTER, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT HEARING ABOUT IT. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FROM YOU, COUNCILMAN WALTER. 
          ALRIGHT, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD WANNA JUST GET SOME CLARITY ON. 
          IT SHOULDN'T TAKE LONG. 
          ONE IS, UH, STARTING THE BEGINNING, THE SUCCESS WITH THE SPAY NEUTER. 
          WHAT DO YOU CREDIT THAT'S A BIG JUMP? WHAT DO YOU CREDIT THAT, THAT, UH, LARGE JUMP TO? UH, I THINK IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE WE GET THE, THE WORD OUT FOR, FOR, UM, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE OFFERING THIS SERVICE. 
          UM, TRYING TO HIT DIFFERENT AREAS OF, OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. 
          UM, IDENTIFYING LOCATIONS DID, DID HAVE, UM, SOME CHALLENGES HERE AND THERE, BUT GETTING THE WORD OUT AND, AND ENSURING THAT WE WERE, UM, HAD, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR GOOD FIX EVENTS, UM, THERE WERE DAYS THAT WE WERE HITTING, UM, PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD NUMBERS, A COUPLE HUNDRED PET OWNERS AND, AND OR PETS, UM, TO, TO GET THEM ALTERED. 
          UM, ALSO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR, OUR, UH, EMAN PET FOR, TO TRY TO WORK WITH THEM ON THEIR MOBILE DAYS AND WHERE THEY CAN, THEY CAN PROVIDE SERVICES AS WELL. 
          UM, SO IT IT'S REALLY JUST, JUST GETTING THAT WORD OUT AND ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          GOT IT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S AN ENCOURAGING DATA POINT. 
          I ALSO WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE SHELTER MANAGEMENT DATABASE. 
          MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WAS KIND OF A PAIN POINT LAST YEAR. 
          IS THE, IS THIS A NEW DATABASE THAT'S REPLACING THE ONE THAT PEOPLE WERE FRUSTRATED WITH? NO, THIS IS THE SAME. 
          WE IMPLEMENTED, UM, IN MAY OF 2025. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, THE SHELTER BUDDY SYSTEM. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS HAVE, YOU KNOW, OR THERE'S A PHASE WHERE IT'S A LITTLE ROCKY AND YES, THIS ONE WAS A LITTLE ROCKIER THAN WE ANTICIPATED, UM, BUT WE'VE WORKED THROUGH MANY OF THOSE KINKS WITH THE VENDOR. 
          UM, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED, UH, FULLY TO STAFF AND ALSO TO VOLUNTEERS. 
          UM, AND WE MEET REGULARLY ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS WITH THE VENDOR AND WE'VE MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT ADVANCEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW. 
          'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS SOME DEEP FRUSTRATION WITH THAT DEPLOYMENT LAST YEAR AND IT SEEMED LIKE SOME BASIC STUFF COULDN'T BE REPORTED TO HELP TRY AND MOVE ANIMALS THROUGH THE SYSTEM. 
          SO IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL OF THAT'S BEEN ADDRESSED SINCE THEN. 
          YES. 
          WE, WE ALWAYS WANNA BE BETTER AND, AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, BUT WE HAVE THE, THERE'S BEEN A, A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WITH THE SYSTEM. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          LAST QUESTION IS JUST HELPING ME UNDERSTAND, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF, LOT OF ELEMENTS TO THIS PLAN THAT LEND THEMSELVES TO KPIS OR DATA, AND I UNDERSTAND THE DASHBOARD IS COMING. 
          WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ON THAT? SO THE DASHBOARD, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A DRAFT AND I HAVE OUR NEW BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT GOING THROUGH IT AND JUST UPDATING SOME LANGUAGE AND THEN MAKING IT CONSISTENT, CAPTURING ALL THE UP MOST RECENT UPDATES. 
          AND THEN WE'LL, UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TIE IT INTO OUR WEBSITE AND, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT BY THE END, END OF MAY WE'LL HAVE IT OUT THERE. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          SO THAT'S AROUND THE CORNER? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT WHEN THAT'S READY. 
          AND IF NO MORE QUESTIONS THEN I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S PRESENTATION AND, AND COMING HERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, 
          [3. Briefing on Long COVID and its communal impact [Dr. Michael Brode, M.D., Medical Directior - Long Covid The Answers; Katie Drackert, Founder- Clear the Air ATX].]
COLLEAGUES. 
          UH, 
          [00:30:01]
THE NEXT ITEM IS GONNA BE THE BRIEFING ON LONG COVID AND ITS COMMUNAL IMPACTS. 
          I'D LIKE TO WELCOME DR. MICHAEL BROAD MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR THE LONG COVID. 
          UH, THE ANSWERS IN KATIE TRACKER, FOUNDER OF CLEAN THE AIR, A TX FOR THIS BRIEFING. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          UH, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? YEAH, WELCOME. 
          AND WE CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE. 
          AWESOME. 
          I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE FROM, UH, MY SCREEN, IF THAT'S OKAY, IF THAT'S NOT WORKING. 
          COMPUTER DOESN'T LOVE CISCO. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, LET'S SEE. 
          SORRY FOR THE DELAY HERE. 
          IT'S NOT ALLOWING ME TO SHARE FROM THIS SCREEN. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, I WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYBODY'S TIME. 
          UM, DO WE HAVE A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION HERE? 'CAUSE YOU CAN ALWAYS JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE AND SKIP THROUGH IT. 
          IT LOOKS LIKE WE, WE MIGHT, YEAH, IF YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE SCREEN, I CAN WALK THROUGH IT. 
          UM, I KNOW A LOT OF ANIMATIONS, BUT YEAH, I, I REALLY THINK, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE THE SLIDES DON'T LOOK CORRECT, BUT, UH, I'M STILL VERY HAPPY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. 
          UM, I APOLOGIZE I CANNOT BE THERE IN PERSON TODAY. 
          IT WAS MY INTENTION, UH, BUT I HAD TO TRAVEL OUT OF TOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. 
          BUT I AM, UH, MIKE BROAD. 
          I'M A PHYSICIAN AT DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL, UM, HERE IN AUSTIN AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE POST COVID PROGRAM, UH, AT UT MEDICINE. 
          AND IT'S REALLY AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT. 
          AND I REALLY WANNA TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT WHAT LONG COVID IS, UM, AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE PEOPLE I TAKE CARE OF IN OUR COMMUNITY AND REALLY HERE TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT KATIE AND OTHER PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THIS DISABLING ILLNESS, UH, THAT SUPPORT THEIR ADVOCACY EFFORTS. 
          ALTHOUGH, UM, REALLY HERE IN MY EXPERT ROLE, UH, THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY AS A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST STARTING WITH THE, THE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS, UH, LONG COVID IS THE, THE NAME OF THE ILLNESS. 
          UH, IT GOES BY MANY OTHER NAMES, LONG HAULERS POST COVID CONDITION. 
          UM, AND THOUGH A LOT OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE TO UNDERSTAND THE DISEASE OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, UH, WE STILL DON'T HAVE A TEST THAT A DOCTOR CAN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE IT. 
          UH, OR, AND EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS FOR THE ILLNESS ARE STILL LACKING. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO PUT IT IN THE PAST. 
          I GET IT. 
          UM, WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE ACTIVE COVID-19 INFECTION. 
          UH, ACUTE COVID IS STILL GOING AROUND WITH THE OMICRON VARIANTS. 
          UM, IT IS AN AIRBORNE DISEASE, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES ARE A BEST WAY TO PREVENT AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION, UH, DROPLETS. 
          UM, BUT REALLY TODAY I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE FROM THE ACTIVE INFECTION NEXT SLIDE TURNS INTO A CHRONIC INFECTION, UM, THROUGH THE POST COVID TO 19 COURSE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, WHAT I THINK IS OVERWHELMING, AND I WANT THIS SLIDE TO BE OVERWHELMING, IS THERE'S THIS IDEA OUT THERE THAT LONG COVID IS EVERYTHING, AND THEREFORE IT'S NOTHING, UH, 50 SYMPTOMS, A HUNDRED SYMPTOMS 203 IN ONE STUDY. 
          BUT I'D REALLY CHALLENGE THAT IN MY EXPERIENCE, UM, THAT LONG COVID IS A, IS ITS OWN ILLNESS AND CAN BE DISABLING. 
          UM, BUT IT HAS A, A FEW PATTERNS, WHICH I WANT TO GO THROUGH. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, THE FIRST NEXT SLIDE IS THAT, UH, THE, UH, VIRUS ITSELF CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE BODY. 
          THAT'S USUALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE HOSPITALIZED, 
          [00:35:01]
UM, OR ARE SICK ENOUGH TO NEED OXYGEN. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          YOU KNOW, IT CAN CAUSE, UH, SCARRING TO THE LUNGS, PTSD FROM BEING IN AN ICU OR DAMAGE TO THE KIDNEYS. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK ENOUGH TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          THE NEXT IS A, A CATEGORY OF PROBLEMS FROM THE COVID-19 INFECTION. 
          IT'S A LITTLE BIT TRICKY, BUT IT'S VERY CLEAR IN THE RESEARCH THAT IT CAN CAUSE NEW DISEASES LIKE BLOOD CLOTS TYPE TWO DIABETES INCREASE YOUR RISK OF HEART ATTACK OR STROKE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, OR FOR PEOPLE WITH THOSE PREEXISTING CONDITIONS LIKE TYPE TWO DIABETES OR AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS, THAT INFLAMMATION ALMOST ACCELERATES THE UNDERLYING ILLNESS MAKING IT WORSE. 
          UM, NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND SO FOR THOSE FIRST TWO CATEGORIES, WHAT WE CALL END ORGAN DAMAGE OR NEW CHRONIC CONDITIONS, WE CAN DETECT THOSE WITH OUR TRADITIONAL TESTS AND PROVIDE THOSE EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS. 
          BUT THAT THIRD CATEGORY IS WHAT I WOULD REALLY CALL LONG COVID ITSELF, WHICH WE STILL DON'T HAVE A TEST FOR. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR MOST PEOPLE, IT'S KIND OF LINGERING POSTVIRAL SYMPTOMS LIKE COUGH, HEADACHES, MUSCLE PAINS, UM, NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, BUT REALLY WHAT WE SEE A LOT OF IN A SPECIALTY CLINIC IS MORE OF THE NEUROLOGIC SYMPTOMS. PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS LIKE AUTOIMMUNITY, PROBLEMS OF THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM, OR PROBLEMS OF THEIR AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN, UH, REAL LIFE IS PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS, THE AUTONOMIC OR AUTOMATIC PART OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, TEMPERATURE REGULATION. 
          SO ALL THESE WEIRD NEUROLOGIC SYMPTOMS LIKE DIZZINESS, UM, UH, EAR RINGING IN THE EARS, UH, ARE REALLY THE, THE NEUROLOGIC INFLAMMATION FROM THE VIRUS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS REALLY FUNDAMENTAL ACROSS LONG COVID IS ALMOST ALL OF MY PATIENTS WILL HAVE SOME COMBINATION OF FATIGUE, BRAIN FOG, AND POST EXERTIONAL MALAISE. 
          AND THOSE REALLY SEEM INTERRELATED. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          THE POST EXERTIONAL MALAISE IS A MEDICAL TERM FOR YOU DOING ACTIVITY THAT SHOULD NOT BE TIRING GOING GROCERY SHOPPING, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WRITING EMAILS, DOING COGNITIVE TASKS, AND IT JUST WIPES PEOPLE OUT. 
          AND I REALLY WANNA STOP HERE AND SAY THAT THIS IS REALLY THE CRUX OF THE ILLNESS. 
          LONG COVID IS A CHRONIC FATIGUING ILLNESS. 
          AND THAT POST EXERTIONAL MALAISE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TRY HARDER, THEY WANNA FIGHT IT, THEY WANT TO GET UP, THEY WANT TO GO TO WORK, UH, AND IT JUST MAKES THEM WORSE. 
          THEY CRASH, THEY HIT THIS WALL, THEY FEEL TERRIBLE. 
          AND THAT'S THE HARDEST PART. 
          I I THINK, UH, FOR A DISEASE THAT IS FATIGUE. 
          EVERYBODY'S BEEN TIRED, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT BEING TIRED IS LIKE, AND YOU JUST KIND OF PUSH THROUGH. 
          WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE. 
          UM, BUT FOR LONG COVID, THAT'S THE DISEASE. 
          AND IF YOU TRY TO PUSH THROUGH IT MAKES YOU WORSE. 
          UH, AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS THE MOST DISABLING FEATURE AND THE HARDEST FOR PEOPLE TO EMPATHIZE WELL WITH, BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT FATIGUE IS. 
          BUT TO TRY TO DESCRIBE THAT AS A, A FUNDAMENTAL DISEASE THAT IS DISABLING, UM, IS SOMETIMES HARD TO UNDERSTAND. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, AND SO I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE CATEGORIES OF ALL OF THESE THINGS, UH, BUT WHAT I'M REALLY TAKING CARE OF IN MY CLINIC IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT, THAT THIRD LONG COVID NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN REAL LIFE IS A POST-VIRAL CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME WITH OR WITHOUT THESE OTHER NEUROINFLAMMATORY SYMPTOMS USUALLY AFFECTING THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, I WILL SAY THIS IS NOT UNIQUE JUST TO COVID. 
          WE KNOW OTHER VIRUSES LIKE EBOLA, DENGUE, UH, THE ORIGINAL SARS VIRUS CAN ALL CAUSE SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. AND SO IT IS INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED AS A INFECTION ASSOCIATED CHRONIC CONDITION LIKE CHRONIC LYME, UH, THAT THIS IS COMMON IN COVID, BUT NOT UNIQUE TO IT. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, UNFORTUNATELY, I WISH I HAD BETTER NEWS ABOUT THE SCALE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE BEST RESEARCH SHOWS THAT, UM, GETTING AN INFECTION HAS ABOUT A FIVE TO 10% RISK. 
          BUT EVERY TIME YOU GET INFECTED, UH, THAT ACCUMULATES. 
          SO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN, UH, INFECTED MULTIPLE TIMES, TWO OR THREE TIMES. 
          THAT RISK CAN INCREASE TO 20, 30%. 
          VACCINES REDUCE THE RISK OF DEVELOPING LONG COVID BY ABOUT HALF. 
          UM, BUT IT DOES NOT PREVENT IT COMPLETELY. 
          AND SO EVEN AS THESE WEAKER VARIANTS ARE CIRCULATING AND PEOPLE HAVE IMMUNITY, IT DOES NOT PREVENT LONG COVID. 
          UM, AND WE ARE STILL GETTING LOTS OF NEW REFERRALS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVELOPING IT ON THEIR FOURTH OR FIFTH REINFECTION. 
          [00:40:01]
NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, PUTTING THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, WE THINK ABOUT 18% OF ALL US ADULTS, ALL US ADULTS HAVE A EXPERIENCE LINGERING SYMPTOMS FROM A COVID INFECTION MORE THAN THREE MONTHS. 
          AND ABOUT 5% OF THE US ADULT POPULATION CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE THOSE SYMPTOMS. THAT'S 14 MILLION AMERICANS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          DRILLING DOWN IN TEXAS, 5% OF THE TEXAS POPULATION IS ABOUT 1.2 MILLION TEXANS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND THEN FOR AUSTINITES IN PARTICULAR, WE THINK ABOUT 40,000 PEOPLE, UH, IN TRAVIS COUNTY ARE GOING THROUGH THIS ILLNESS. 
          SO, HUGE BURDEN TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, OF ALL US ADULTS, THERE'S ABOUT ONE TO 2 MILLION NEW CANCER CASES PER YEAR. 
          SO THIS IS A VERY COMMON CONDITION. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, FOR MOST PEOPLE HAVING SEVERE SYMPTOMS, UH, SOME WILL RECOVER, BUT MOST ARE EXPERIENCING THIS AS A CHRONIC DISABLING ILLNESS AND NOT GETTING BETTER, UM, WHICH IS TERRIBLE. 
          AND, UH, A LOT OF OUR EFFORT IS GOING TO SUPPORT THOSE FOLKS AND FIND TREATMENTS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, AND, UH, THIS IS HAVING A HUGE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BURDEN. 
          UH, WE KNOW, UM, THAT THERE ARE HIGHER RATES, UH, UH, ALONG COVID IN WOMEN, UH, UH, BLACK AND HISPANIC PERSONS. 
          UH, THIS IS NOT AFFECTING ALL SOCIETY EQUALLY. 
          AND OF COURSE, LIKE MOST THINGS, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAVE DECREASED ACCESS TO CARE, UH, LIVING IN RURAL COMMUNITIES HAVE A LOT MORE TROUBLE, UH, GETTING APPROPRIATE TREATMENT AND TEND TO HAVE WORSE, UH, COURSES BECAUSE OF IT. 
          AND WE THINK, UH, UH, DISABILITY PEOPLE ARE LOSING, UH, WORK HOURS INCREASED, UH, HEALTHCARE EXPENSES. 
          AND WE THINK IT'S COSTING THE ECONOMY UP TO $1 TRILLION, UH, ANNUALLY. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND AT OUR CLINIC HERE AT, AT, AT UT MEDICINE, UH, WE'VE SEEN PROBABLY NOW CLOSER TO 1400 PATIENTS. 
          UH, LIKE I SAID, WITH THE REINFECTION RISK, WE ARE STILL GETTING 35 TO 45 REFERRALS PER MONTH. 
          AND THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT DOING WELL. 
          UH, USUALLY 18 NEW SYMPTOMS FROM THEIR COVID INFECTION BY THE TIME THEY SEE US. 
          AND THEY'VE USUALLY SEEN FIVE OR SIX DOCTORS BEFORE THEY, UH, COME AND SEE US. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, ON THE DISABILITY ASPECT, UH, HOW AFFECTED THESE PEOPLE ARE, ALMOST THREE QUARTERS ARE SAYING THEIR HEALTH IS POOR, UM, THAT THEY'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO WORK IN THE SAME CAPACITY. 
          AND A LOT OF THAT'S THE FATIGUE, BRAIN FOG, AND THAT POST EXERTION OF MALAISE, THEY, THEY TRY TO GO TO WORK AND IT JUST MAKES THEM WORSE. 
          UH, AND AS THEY GET IN THE CYCLE OF DISABILITY, THEY START TO HAVE UNMET HEALTH RELATED SOCIAL NEEDS, LIKE PROBLEM GETTING MEDICAL CARE, TRANSPORTATION, OR EVEN, UH, RISK OF LOSING THEIR JOB OR HOUSING. 
          UH, AND ABOUT 10%, UH, OR MORE OF OUR PATIENTS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, AND SO, YEAH, I WANTED TO GIVE A A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF, OF LONG COVID, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, AND, AND REALLY THANK THE, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, UH, FOR MAKING THE PROCLAMATION LAST MONTH, UH, TO RAISE AWARENESS. 
          WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE SUFFERING, PROBABLY NOT GETTING THE MEDICAL CARE. 
          OUR JOB IS TO FIND CURES AND TREATMENTS AND HELP, UH, ALLEVIATE THEM. 
          BUT I DO THINK IT'S, UH, IMPORTANT, UH, TO BE ON PEOPLE'S RADAR AS THE PANDEMIC IS NOT COMPLETELY BEHIND US AND REALLY WANNA GIVE, UH, ALL THE RESOURCES WE CAN, UM, AS PEOPLE NAVIGATE THE DISABILITY PROCESS, UM, AND, UH, GET THE TREATMENT THEY NEED. 
          UM, OUR CLINIC AT UT REALLY WANTS TO SUPPORT THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          AND SO THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE COMMISSION AND WANNA HAND OFF TO KATIE, WHO'S BEEN A AMAZING ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH THIS ILLNESS. 
          HELLO. 
          HOWDY. 
          HOWDY. 
          THANK YOU DR. 
          BROAD. 
          I APPRECIATE, UM, YOU SHARING THAT INFORMATION. 
          I'VE GOT A LITTLE PRESENTATION FOR Y'ALL. 
          WHERE DO I POINT THIS? WHICH WAY DOES SHE GO? THIS WAY? THIS WAY? HMM. 
          OR DO I JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE. 
          I CLICK. 
          OKAY. 
          FABULOUS. 
          SO YEAH, JUST WANTED TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON, UM, LONG COVID AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN AUSTIN. 
          A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME BEFORE I GOT LONG C-O-V-I-D-I WAS REALLY HEAVILY INVOLVED IN, UM, AUSTIN'S VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT SCENE. 
          I WAS A PERFORMER FOR ABOUT NEARLY A DECADE AND WAS ALMOST A FULL-TIME ARTIST. 
          [00:45:01]
AND THEN AFTER ONE COVID INFECTION IN 2021, I'VE LOST JOBS, NEARLY LOST HOUSING. 
          UM, IT'S BEEN A REAL STRUGGLE. 
          AND SO I DECIDED TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND START ADVOCATING FOR THIS SO THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO OTHER PEOPLE. 
          AND SO THAT PATIENTS CAN RECEIVE BETTER CARE, UM, FROM THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. 
          I DID RECEIVE THE, UH, 2026 PAUL G HEARN EMERGING LEADER AWARD FOR MY WORK WITH LONG COVID, WHICH IS ONLY AWARDED TO TWO PEOPLE PER YEAR SINCE THE YEAR 2000. 
          I'M ALSO THE FOUNDER OF CLEAR THE AIR A TX, AND WE PROVIDE FREE HEPA GRADE AIR PURIFIERS THROUGH OUR LIBRARY COMPLETELY FOR FREE TO PEOPLE IN AUSTIN. 
          AND I'M ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS REALLY QUICK. 
          WE KNOW THAT ABOUT 29% OF PEOPLE IN TEXAS ARE DISABLED AND THAT TEXAS HAS THE LOWEST HEALTH INSURANCE RATE IN THE COUNTRY. 
          AND AUSTIN IS SITTING ABOUT 12.4%, WHICH IS GONNA MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO RECEIVE CARE. 
          AND JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THE POPULATION IMPACT, A GLOBAL ESTIMATE IS AROUND 400 MILLION PEOPLE. 
          AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, LONG COVID DOES GREATLY IMPACT CHILDREN WITH 10 TO 20% OF KIDS THAT HAVE GOTTEN LONG COVID EXPERIENCING, OR THAT HAVE GOTTEN COVID EXPERIENCING LONG COVID. 
          AND LAST YEAR A STUDY CAME OUT SAYING THAT THIS MAY HAVE SURPASSED ASTHMA AS THE MOST CHRONIC CONDITION IN CHILDREN WITH AROUND 6 MILLION KIDS IMPACTED. 
          THEY'RE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO MISS A LOT OF SCHOOL. 
          OUR VETERANS ARE ALSO IMPACTED WITH 20% OF THEM DEVELOPING LONG COVID. 
          AND WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV ARE ALSO AT A 29% HIGHER RISK TO DEVELOP LONG COVID. 
          WHEN IT COMES TO THE LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY, WE ARE SEEING THAT TRANSGENDER ADULTS AND BISEXUAL ADULTS ARE AT THE HIGHEST RATE OF LONG COVID. 
          AND THEN, UM, 18 TO 39 YEAR OLDS, YOU KNOW, PRIME WORKING AGES, WE'RE SEEING A DOUBLE IN COGNITIVE DISABILITIES, WHICH I MYSELF HAVE EXPERIENCED. 
          IT'S NOT FUN. 
          AND, UH, DR. 
          BROD ALSO TOUCHED ON THE BURDEN I ECONOMICALLY. 
          SO THIS CHART, UM, IS THE CIVILIAN LABOR WORKFORCE OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES. 
          AND IT IS SPECULATION THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY COVID. 
          UM, NOT, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PERCENT CONFIRMED. 
          I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT ELSE COULD CAUSE THAT SINCE 2020. 
          AND THEN TO DISCUSS A BIT FURTHER ON THE, AS DR. 
          BOTO WAS SAYING, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN THE SEVERITY TO WHICH THIS ILLNESS CAN IMPACT YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE. 
          SO I WANTED TO USE FUN CAP, WHICH IS A PATIENT INFORMED TOOL PUBLISHED IN 2024, UM, DEVELOPED TO ASSESS FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY IN ME CCF S PATIENTS WITH WHICH 50% OF PEOPLE WITH LONG COVID HAVE ME CCF S. 
          AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO DEMONSTRATE, AGAIN, THE LEVEL OF DEVASTATION. 
          SO ZERO BEING I CAN'T DO THIS, SIX BEING UNPROBLEMATIC. 
          AND THESE ARE THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE, USING THE TOILET, SITTING IN BED FOR AN HALF AN HOUR, UM, SOCIALIZING WITH FRIENDS, SPEAKING A FEW WORDS. 
          I KNOW PEOPLE WITH LONG COVID THAT LITERALLY CANNOT SPEAK WITHOUT CAUSING WORSENED FATIGUE, UM, GETS PRETTY, PRETTY BRUTAL. 
          AND AMONGST ALL THAT DATA, OF COURSE, ARE INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND SO IT FEELS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME TO AT LEAST SHARE ANOTHER STORY OUTSIDE OF MY OWN. 
          SO THIS IS PHILIP CHUIN, WHO SURVIVED THE BEGINNING OF THE HIV CRISIS AND ALSO IS NOW LIVING WITH LONG COVID. 
          HE SAID, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW I SEE THE TWO PANDEMICS INTERSECTING IN MY LIFE. 
          I WAS INFECTED WITH HIV IN 1983 AND WENT ON TO DEVELOP FULL BLOWN AIDS. 
          10 YEARS LATER, I HAD ALREADY LOST MY RIGHT LUNG TO PULMONARY KAPOSI SARCOMA. 
          AND NOW DUE TO COVID, MY LEFT LUNG WAS INFLAMED AND I WAS GASPING FOR AIR AT THE ER. 
          I ONCE AGAIN WAS TREATED LIKE I HAD LEPROSY. 
          I DON'T WANNA DIE, BUT I CAN'T CALL THIS LIVING. 
          TWO YEARS AGO I WAS DOING LAPS AROUND CENTRAL PARK. 
          TODAY I CAN'T WALK UP A FLIGHT OF STEPS WITHOUT FEELING FAINT. 
          DURING THE AIDS PANDEMIC I TOOK TO THE STREETS WITH ACT UP TO DEMAND FUNDING FOR AIDS RESEARCH, I LEARNED THAT A VOICE IS A POWERFUL TOOL. 
          IT CAN CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE THINK AND ACT. 
          TODAY I FIND MYSELF IN A SIMILAR POSITION WITH LONG COVID AND ME CFS. 
          I'M COMPELLED TO FIGHT FOR RESPECT RESEARCH AND FUNDING. 
          SO WITH THAT DE LEVEL OF DEVASTATION IN MIND, LOOKING AT LOCAL HEALTHCARE RESOURCES AND PUBLIC HEALTH AWARENESS, THAT'S BEING DONE IN AUSTIN. 
          AND WE KNOW THAT AUSTIN BENEFITS FROM HAVING UT AUSTIN DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL WITH THE POST COVID CLINIC. 
          AND WE KNOW THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DOES PROVIDE LONG COVID INFORMATION THROUGH THIS, UH, RESOURCES ON THE CITY WEBSITE. 
          HOWEVER, THE MATERIALS ARE VERY, VERY LIMITED, DIFFICULT TO FIND AND HAVE NOT BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY UPDATED SINCE 2023. 
          BASED ON WHAT I COULD FIND. 
          THIS IS THE SINGULAR LONG COVID RESOURCE PROVIDED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          AND IT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2023. 
          AND IT LACKS A LOT OF CRITICAL INFORMATION. 
          UM, OF COURSE THERE ARE MORE THAN EIGHT SYMPTOMS LISTED AND OF WE CAN'T DO 200 SYMPTOMS ON ONE ONE PAGER, BUT WE COULD ALLUDE TO PROVIDING MORE RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT OTHER COMMON SYMPTOMS ARE. 
          'CAUSE IT CERTAINLY IS MORE THAN THESE EIGHT. 
          AND THERE'S NO MENTION 
          [00:50:01]
OF THE CUMULATIVE RISK OF DEVELOPING LONG COVID WITH EACH COVID INFECTION. 
          AND IT DOESN'T STATE THAT ANYONE CAN DEVELOP LONG COVID REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS. 
          UM, THIS IS OFTEN PITCHED AS AN ILLNESS THAT AFFECTS IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PEOPLE, BUT PEOPLE BECOME IMMUNOCOMPROMISED FROM THIS ILLNESS IS WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING. 
          AND THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL RESOURCES LISTED AS WELL FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK MEDICAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT, WHICH I WOULD SAY ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT. 
          THE SOCIAL ASPECT CAN'T BE UNDERSTATED. 
          AND AS OF 20 25, 1 THIRD OF PEOPLE IN THE US I FIND THIS WILD. 
          DO NOT KNOW WHAT LONG COVID IS. 
          DESPITE THE SEVERE IMPACT, THE LACK OF AWARENESS ABOUT LONG COVID IS AFFECTING RACIAL AND ETHNIC MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THE MOST. 
          AND THEY HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF LONG COVID. 
          SO WE REALLY NEED PUBLIC HEALTH AWARENESS, EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS AND DATA TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE AND CREATE SOME CARE. 
          SO THESE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          WE'VE GOT DURHAM HEALTH, NORTH CAROLINA, KING COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, WHO HAVE, UH, TAKEN TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND MADE SOME INCREDIBLE CONTENT. 
          I REALLY LOVE WHAT DURHAM, UH, HEALTH NORTH CAROLINA'S DOING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT AIRBORNE AWARENESS. 
          AND ALSO, UM, KING COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH HERE MADE A VIDEO ABOUT PEOPLE IN KING COUNTY LIVING WITH LONG COVID, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY INCREDIBLE. 
          NEW YORK CITY, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH HAS A LONG COVID SECTOR OF THEIR WEBSITE, WHICH IS REALLY AWESOME. 
          AND THE CITY OF CHICAGO, THIS IS JUST ONE SCREENSHOT FROM A LONG PDF FILE. 
          UH, THE CITY OF CHICAGO MADE A AWESOME SURVEY FOR PEOPLE WITH LONG COVID IN CHICAGO TO GET DATA ON THE PEOPLE IN THEIR CITY. 
          ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT ASPECT TO LONG COVID IS THE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION ASPECT. 
          SINCE THERE'S NO TREATMENTS, NO APPROVED TREATMENTS, NO CURES. 
          AND THE ONLY WAY RIGHT NOW TO PREVENT LONG COVID IS TO PREVENT COVID. 
          AND SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WE KNOW WE HAVE AMAZING VACCINES. 
          AND DR. 
          AL ALI, WHO IS A REALLY AWESOME EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE WITH LONG COVID PERFORMED A STUDY SHOWING THAT LONG COVID DOES IN FACT REDUCE, UM, OR THE VACCINES DO CAN REDUCE LONG COVID. 
          HOWEVER, HE ALSO SAID THAT EVEN WITH THE OVERALL DECLINE, THE RISK REMAINS SUBSTANTIAL. 
          THERE'S THREE TO FOUR VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS OUT OF A HUNDRED GETTING LONG COVID. 
          AND WHEN YOU MULTIPLY THAT BY THE LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO GET REINFECTED, THE REMAINING RISK IS NOT TRIVIAL IN HIS WORDS. 
          THERE'S ALSO MASKING. 
          WE KNOW THAT THE EFFICACY OF MASKS LIKE K 90 FIVES OR N 90 FIVES, SUCH AS I'M WEARING TODAY, CAN PREVENT COVID INFECTIONS, THUS PREVENTING LONG COVID. 
          THEY'RE INEXPENSIVE AND EASY TO DISTRIBUTE. 
          CLEAR. 
          THE AIR HAS ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF MASKS SINCE OUR INCEPTION AND, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING THESE IN, UH, ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SPACES LIKE DOCTOR'S OFFICES AND PUBLIC TRANSIT. 
          AND THE FINAL PIECE IS INDOOR AIR QUALITY, WHICH GOT A GLOBAL STAGE LAST YEAR, WHICH IS SUPER COOL. 
          THE UN HOSTED A HEALTHY INDOOR AIR, UH, PANEL. 
          AND WITHIN THIS PANEL, UM, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECLARED THAT CLEAN INDOOR AIR IS IN FACT A HUMAN RIGHT, INCLUDING A LABOR ORGANIZATION THAT SAID, WORKERS ARE ESSENTIALLY, UH, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CLEAN INDOOR AIR. 
          UM, AND BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT COVID IS AIRBORNE, WE CAN HELP PREVENT COVID THROUGH IMPROVING OUR INDOOR AIR QUALITY. 
          UM, AND USING THINGS LIKE FILTRATION AS WELL, UH, NO, EXCUSE ME, VENTILATION AS WELL. 
          AND, UM, OOH, I HAD SOMETHING I WAS GONNA SAY. 
          THERE'S THAT BRAIN FOG LIVE IN REAL TIME LONG COVID . 
          IF THE ACT OF BREATHING IN A SPACE MAKES SOMEONE SICK, ACCESS ISN'T EQUITABLE. 
          AND THIS WAS SAID BY ANOTHER LONG COVID PATIENT, UM, WHO WAS AT THE UN CLEAN INDOOR AIR PANEL. 
          AND I, I HAVE TO AGREE BASED ON MY LIVED EXPERIENCE, AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT CLEAN INDOOR AIR CAN IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION, IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEART HEALTH. 
          UM, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WERE FOUND, UH, BENEFICIAL FROM CLEAN INDOOR AIR THAT PREDATE COVID. 
          AND SO WHERE DOES AUSTIN COME IN? OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE CITY HAS, UM, TO BE A LEADER IN THIS ARENA. 
          SO, IMPROVING PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS AND ACCE ACCESS TO RELIABLE INFORMATION FOR RESIDENTS, STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS WITH HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS, AND ADDING LONG COVID TO PREEXISTING AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DATA. 
          AND THIS, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, CAN BE PURSUED WITHIN EXISTING CITY RESOURCES AND STAFFING. 
          SO I HAVE SOME, UM, ACTION ITEMS FOR THE COMMITTEE THAT I AM KINDLY ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER. 
          ONE IS THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH CLINICIANS SPECIALIZING IN POST COVID CARE AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND PATIENT ADVOCATES. 
          AND I WANNA NOTE I PUT ON ALL OF THESE SLIDES 'CAUSE IT'S SO, SO IMPORTANT THAT THIS WORK IS DONE IN COLLABORATION AND WITH APPROVAL BY PEOPLE FROM THE LONG COVID COMMUNITY. 
          THERE'S A TON OF MISUNDERSTANDING AND DISINFORMATION OUT THERE, AND NOBODY FIGHTS FOR LONG COVID LIKE PEOPLE WITH LONG COVID. 
          UM, AND ALSO OUR ALLIES, AND AGAIN, ENGAGE CLINICIANS. 
          ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO IS EXPAND PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          UH, MASS COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING LONG COVID. 
          SO INCREASE INCREASING AWARENESS, UPDATING THE ONE PAGER ONCE A YEAR. 
          UM, PUBLIC 
          [00:55:01]
AWARENESS EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS, PERHAPS FOR INTERNATIONAL LONG COVID AWARENESS DAY, HIGHLIGHTING PEOPLE IN AUSTIN THAT HAVE LONG COVID. 
          AND THEN USING EXISTING CITY COMMUNICATION CHANNELS LIKE THE HEALTH EQUITY UNIT, CHRONIC DISEASE AND INJURY PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY HEALTH PLANNING, AND USING THESE TO PROMOTE ADDITIONAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES THAT I DISCUSSED. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO INCORPORATE LONG COVID INDICATORS INTO EXISTING PUBLIC HEALTH DATA PARTNERSHIPS. 
          SO POTENTIALLY PARTNERING WITH UT AUSTIN, NIH RECOVER, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. 
          AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS REVIEWING CRITICAL HEALTH INDICATORS REPORT AND THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT REPORT, THERE'S SPACE IN THERE, I BELIEVE, FOR LONG COVID. 
          AND IN ONE OF THESE REPORTS, WHILE I CAN'T RECALL WHICH ONE THEY DID, UH, NAME THAT ONE OF THESE YEARS, COVI WAS IN THE TOP FIVE MOST DEADLY DISEASES IN AUSTIN. 
          AND SO THAT BEGS THE QUESTION, HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T PASS AWAY HAVE HAD THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE SEVERELY IMPACTED BY LONG COVID THAT ARE NOT BEING COUNTED IN THE DATA? SO I KNOW I THREW A TON OF INFORMATION AT YOU. 
          UM, SO I JUST HAVE A LITTLE CONCLUSION. 
          WE KNOW THAT LONG COVID IMPACTS ALL DEMOGRAPHICS, THE ECONOMY AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 
          THERE'S NO APPROVED TREATMENTS OR CURES PR UH, PREVENTING LONG COVID MEANS PREVENTING COVID AND THE SEVERE LACK OF PUBLIC AWARENESS DEPRIVES THE PUBLIC OF CRUCIAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND ACCESS. 
          UM, LONG COVID IMPACTS PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY AND DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES. 
          BUT THROUGH PRACTICAL STEPS FOCUSED ON INFORMATION PARTNERSHIPS AND ACCESSIBILITY, AUSTIN CAN STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING LONG COVID WHILE REMAINING MINDFUL OF FISCAL CONSTRAINTS. 
          AND THAT IS MY PRESENTATION FOR YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU BOTH FOR THAT, UH, VERY ILLUMINATING PRESENTATION OR BOTH OF THEM, UH, COLLEAGUES. 
          ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE SPEAKERS? NO QUESTIONS. 
          UM, WELL, WHAT I'LL SAY VERY QUICKLY IS FIRST TO THANK Y'ALL FOR HELPING US BE BETTER INFORMED AND FOR SORT OF DOING SOME HOMEWORK ON OUR BEHALF. 
          MM-HMM . 
          WHICH IS THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO TRY AND MEET SOME OF THOSE GOALS THAT YOU'VE, AND OBJECTIVES YOU'VE LAID OUT. 
          UH, SO REALLY APPRECIATE NOT JUST THE QUALITY OF INFORMATION SHARED TODAY ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE ILLNESS. 
          I MEAN, I COULD TELL YOU FROM HAVING COVID A COUPLE OF TIMES, I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE BRAIN FOG UNTIL I HAD A, THE MOST RECENT TIME AND I MET THE PHARMACY TRYING TO ACTUALLY GET STUFF FOR BEING ILL AND I COULDN'T EVEN REMEMBER MY PHONE NUMBER YEAH. 
          WHICH I'VE HAD FOR 20 YEARS, AND MY COLLEAGUES WILL PROBABLY SAY I'M JUST GETTING ON IN YEARS. 
          BUT I REALLY DO THINK THAT THAT WAS LIKE MY FIRST TASTE OF BRAIN FOG. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, SO I CAN REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, THAT COMPLETELY DISRUPTING SOMEBODY'S DAY-TO-DAY LIFE, IF THAT'S SOMETHING, IF THAT'S A CONSISTENT, UH, CHARACTERISTIC OF THAT ILLNESS. 
          SO ALL TO SAY, UM, GRATEFUL THAT Y'ALL COULD MAKE IT DOWN HERE AND, UH, THE, AND THE WORK YOU'VE DONE IN THE COMMUNITY ON THIS. 
          AND THEN I THINK THERE'S SOME WORK FOR US TO GO DO. 
          AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND THE COMMITTEE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP, AS YOU SAY, LAID OUT SOME OF THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE DOING AND THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PURSUE AS WELL. 
          AWESOME. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU DOCTOR. 
          MOVING ALONG, 
          [2. Discussion and possible action on the status and timeline of the social service contract restructuring rubric and plan [Kerri Lang, Director; Daniel Culotta, Assistant Director - Austin Budget and Organizational Excellence].]
COLLEAGUES. 
          UH, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS GOING BACK TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. 
          I'D LIKE TO WELCOME STAFF FROM THE AUSTIN BUDGET AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE. 
          CARRIE LANG, UH, IS THE DIRECTOR AND DANIEL KALODA, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE STATUS AND TIMELINE OF THE SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACT RESTRUCTURING RUBRIC AND PLAN. 
          AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE HAVE A SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM STILL, OR NO? YEAH, THAT WAS, UH, SARAH MILLER FELLOWS. 
          OKAY. 
          WHO, UH, WHO WAS NOT HERE, RIGHT? YES. 
          GOT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL THEN WELCOME DIRECTOR LANG IF READY TO GO WHEN YOU ARE POOR DANIEL . 
          THANK YOU CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE TO, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, UM, ON THE PROGRESS OF THE SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACT EVALUATION AS PART OF THE FY 27, UM, BUDGET CYCLE. 
          UH, THIS IS AN UPDATE ON OUR ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND BUILDING THE ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK MODEL, UH, THAT WILL GIVE US A BASELINE FOR HAVING DISCUSSIONS AS THE BUDGET PROCESS MOVES FORWARD. 
          SO FOR SOME CONTEXTS AND SCOPE, UM, IF YOU ARE A MEMBER IN THE FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACT FOR THE FY 27 PLANNED YEAR. 
          THERE WAS ALSO A CONTRACT, UH, REALLOCATION IN FY 26, THE TOTAL 5.3 MILLION, UM, OFF THE EXISTING CONTRACTS. 
          [01:00:01]
UH, IN FEBRUARY, 2026, UH, BEGINNING WITH THIS COMMITTEE AND THEN UP TO THE FULL COUNCIL, THERE WAS A RESOLUTION REQUESTING A RUBRIC, ASSESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT AND FISCAL STEWARDSHIP AND EQUITY IMPACT OF, UM, ANY POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS. 
          UM, AND, AND SO THAT KIND OF BRINGS US TO TODAY THE SCOPE OF THE SCOPE OF THE PORTFOLIO OF CONTRACTS WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          WE INVENTORIED OVER 280 SOCIAL SERVICE RELATED CONTRACTS, UM, ACROSS THE CITY, AND THAT TOTALED 207 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS. 
          UM, THE FUNDING SOURCES IN SCOPE FOR WHEN WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS ARE THE GENERAL FUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND, SUPPORT SERVICES, FUND, HOUSING, TRUST FUND VARIANCE, AND THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. 
          UH, THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT IF WE MADE ADJUSTMENTS, WOULD ACTUALLY AFFECT THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE BUDGET. 
          THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF SCOPE, UH, WHICH WAS 114, UH, 0.7 MILLION OF THAT, UM, PORTFOLIO ARE THING LIKE ARBA PASS THROUGH ENTERPRISE FUNDS GRANTS THAT WOULDN'T AFFECT THAT. 
          UM, BOTTOM LINE. 
          UH, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE EX, THE EXPANDED INVENTORY, IT HAS 202 ELIGIBLE CONTRACTS WITHIN THOSE, UM, ELIGIBLE FUNDING SOURCES, THE TOTAL $93.1 MILLION, AND WE'VE CREATED A BASELINE MODEL HERE THAT GIVES US AN ABILITY TO, TO APPLY A CONSISTENT FRAMEWORK ACROSS ALL THE ELIGIBLE CONTRACTS, UM, TO IDENTIFY THE 16.8 MILLION IN TARGET REDUCTIONS OR WHATEVER WE SET THAT TARGET AT. 
          UM, IN THE FUTURE. 
          I WANT TO TOUCH ON, UH, THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE DONE WITHIN THIS, UH, THIS INITIATIVE. 
          SO THERE'S BEEN FOUR MAIN CHANNELS, ONE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THE, UH, JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE PRESENTATION, UM, IN FEBRUARY. 
          AND THEY PROVIDED A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION, UM, FOR PRIORITIZING SOME FOCUS AREAS, UM, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL, UM, COMMITTEE PRESENTATIONS. 
          AND THOSE HAVE ALL BEEN INTEGRATED INTO THE PRIORITY FRAMEWORK SCORING THAT YOU'LL SEE IN JUST A MINUTE. 
          UH, THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE HERE, OF COURSE, WE BEGIN IN FEBRUARY, UM, AND ARE GIVING THE UPDATE TODAY, UH, FROM THE BROADER COMMUNITY. 
          WE HAVE SOCIAL SERVICES RELATED QUESTIONS, UH, IN THE CITY MANAGER COMMUNITY BUDGET LISTING SESSIONS, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY BUDGET SURVEY. 
          UH, AND WE'VE ALSO, UM, BEEN ENGAGING WITH VENDORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS. 
          THAT INCLUDES MEETING WITH ONE VOICE CENTRAL TEXAS, UM, TWICE, UH, MEETING WITH OUR GOVERNMENT PARTNERS, UM, AND AS WELL AS HAVING TWO VENDOR LISTENING SESSIONS IN APRIL, 2026 WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND KNOW THE CITY OF LEADERSHIP, UM, TO HEAR ABOUT POTENTIAL IMPACT CONSTRAINTS AND OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
          AND OF COURSE, WE'RE HAVING ONGOING DEPARTMENTAL CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR POTENTIAL POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE PROVIDERS. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN, UM, FROM THE VENDOR LISTENING SESSIONS AND THE, AND THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE SEE SOME, SOME, UH, MAIN THEMES AROUND, UH, YOU KNOW, REDUCTIONS FROM THE VENDORS THAT REDUCTIONS IN COSTS, OR SORRY REDUCTIONS, COULD SHIFT COSTS TO OTHER SYSTEMS. UM, AND THESE CUTS WILL LIKELY BE REALIZED IN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, TYPE ELEMENTS SUCH AS STAFFING, FACILITIES, IT, AND COMPLIANCE, AS WELL AS SERVICE LEVELS. 
          UH, THEY DID NOTE THAT TIMELINES AROUND ANY REDUCTIONS, UH, ARE ALMOST AS IMPACTFUL AS THE AMOUNTS THEMSELVES. 
          SO HAVING NOTICED TO BE ABLE TO, TO PLAN FOR AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IS VERY IMPORTANT, UM, AND THAT THEY WOULD LOVE ANY, UH, FACILITATION TO FOCUS ON CONVENING PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION AND HELP TO SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVE FUNDING. 
          UH, THEY ALSO NOTED THAT IN MANY CASES, MEANINGFUL IMPACT MAY NOT BE CAPTURED BY OUR CURRENT METRICS. 
          UM, BUT THAT ALSO ADDITIONAL METRICS CAN CREATE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS, UM, AND COMPLIANCE COSTS THAT CAN BE HARDER FOR SMALLER ORGS TO, UH, TO ABSORB. 
          SO OUR KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE VENDOR ENGAGEMENT WAS THAT THEY RECOMMENDED TRYING TO SCORE ON MORE OF A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS RATHER THAN A PURE CUT ANALYSIS, UM, TO GIVE AS EARLY AS NOTICE AS POSSIBLE, UH, POTENTIALLY BUILD A MORE TAILORED PATHWAY FOR SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY, UH, ABSORB ANY, UH, ADJUSTMENTS DIFFERENTLY THAN LARGE ONES. 
          UM, AND TO SHRINK ANY CONTRACTUAL EXPECTATIONS, UM, IN PROPORTION TO ANY CUTS THAT COME FROM THE COMMUNITY SIDE. 
          FROM THE BUDGET SURVEY AND COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS, UH, WE FOUND, WE'VE HEARD THAT THE COMMUNITY'S FOCUSED ON FISCAL GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, HOUSING HOMELESSNESS AND BASIC NEEDS AS FAR AS PRIORITY AREAS GO, UM, LOTS OF RESPONSES ON TAXES AND LONG-TERM FINANCE. 
          UM, THEY WANT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ELEVATED BOTH INDIVIDUAL SERVICES, BUT ALSO THE SYSTEMS, UM, THAT, THAT SURROUND AND CONTEXTUALIZE THEM. 
          AND THEN AFFORDABILITY IS, WAS A CROSS-CUTTING ISSUE THAT WE SEE, OF COURSE, EXERTS PRESSURE ON HOUSING, UTILITIES, FOOD, CHILDCARE, AND, AND MANY OTHER AREAS. 
          OUR KEY TAKEAWAYS, UM, FROM, FROM THOSE ENGAGEMENTS OR THE COMMUNITIES LOOKING FOR, UM, BALANCE, UM, NOT JUST 
          [01:05:01]
HOW WE WHAT WE FUND, BUT ALSO HOW WE FUND, UM, AND WHY, UH, AS WELL. 
          AND THERE WERE SOME, SOME VARIANCE IN COMMUNITY INPUT FROM THE VENDORS AS TO BE EXPECTED, UM, IN, IN SOME CASES, BUT ALSO A LOT OF ALIGNMENT. 
          AND KEY TO ALL THIS WAS THAT TRUST IS KEY. 
          COMMUNICATING TREND, UM, DECISIONS WITH TRANS, UH, TRANSPARENCY, UM, WAS A VERY PROMINENT THEME THAT THE COMMITTEE'S LOOKING FOR. 
          SO I WANNA GO NOW INTO, UM, THE, THE MODEL AND FRAMEWORK, UH, THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER BASED ON ALL OF THE INPUTS WE'VE RECEIVED, UM, FROM THIS BODY, UH, AND OTHERS. 
          IT'S A TWO PART FRAMEWORK. 
          UM, THE FIRST LOOKS AT PRIORITIZING THE FOCUS AREAS AND THE SECOND, UH, LOOKS AT THE CONTRACTS WITHIN THOSE FOCUS AREAS. 
          I WOULD EMPHASIZE NOW, AND I'LL SAY IT SEVERAL OTHER TIMES, THAT THIS, THIS IS THE FRAMEWORK, UM, THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANY, CALL IT, YOU KNOW, STAFF OR, OR, OR VENDOR FEEDBACK OR CONTACTS PUT IN IT. 
          THIS IS JUST THE BASELINE, KIND OF CALL IT THE, THE MATH, UM, ON THE, ON THE SPREADSHEET. 
          SO THIS BASELINE, UM, WILL DEFINITELY, UH, CHANGE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CONTRACTS AS WE GO THROUGH THE, THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          BUT WE DID JUST WANNA SHOW YOU THAT THE, THE CONTAINER THAT WE'VE BUILT AND THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM. 
          SO WHEN WE START WITH THE FOCUS AREA OF PRIORITIZATION, UM, THERE'S FIVE, UH, DIMENSIONS THAT WE USED, UH, COMMUNITY NEED NEED TRAJECTORY, UH, THE CITY'S STRATEGIC ROLE, INVESTMENT EFFICIENCY, UM, AND CITY COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY DIRECTION, UH, TO GIVE, UH, A SCORE OUT OF A TOTAL OF 75 POINTS. 
          AGAIN, THESE ARE TO THE FOCUS AREAS. 
          I'LL SHOW YOU THIS, BUT, UM, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS THEMSELVES. 
          UM, AND THEN THE FOCUS AREA SCORE THEN DETERMINES THE, THE CUT RATE THAT, AGAIN, THAT ANALYTICAL BASELINE WOULD APPLY TO THE CONTRACTS WITHIN THAT FOCUS AREA. 
          UM, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, UH, THE FOCUS AREA FRAMEWORK APPLIED, UM, THIS IS THE, THE RESULTS OF THAT. 
          UM, WE MADE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A AND B AT 55, UM, JUST AS, AS KIND OF A NATURAL NATIONAL BREAK OR NATURAL BREAKPOINT. 
          AGAIN, REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE SCORED OUT OF 75. 
          SO THIS, UM, SPREAD IS A, A LITTLE TIGHTER THAN IT MAY APPEAR. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, THIS GIVES US SOME, SOME, UM, RELATIVE WEIGHT TO HOW WE MIGHT PRIORITIZE THESE FOCUS AREAS, UM, AS WELL AS GIVING US WHAT A REDUCTION RATE WOULD BE, SHOULD WE USE THIS PRIORITIZATION, UM, PURELY TO MAKE THOSE CUTS. 
          UM, THE NEXT PART OF THIS MODEL THEN GOES INTO CONTRACTS. 
          UM, IT, YOU KNOW, PHASE ONE WE DID DUPLICATE ELIMINATION. 
          UM, THAT'S WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE SERVICE TYPE, THE TARGET POPULATION, AND GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE ALTOGETHER OF DIFFERENT CONTRACTS. 
          UM, IF THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT OVERLAP, UM, WE DID, UH, RECOMMEND THE HIGHER SCORING OF THE DUPLICATES WERE KEPT, UM, AND ANY NEAR TIES WERE FLAGGED. 
          WE ALSO DID DEPARTMENTAL VALIDATION. 
          UM, WITH THIS, WE DIDN'T JUST JUST ASSESS THIS PURELY ON, ON, UM, THE DATA WE HAD. 
          UH, I WILL NOTE THAT THERE WERE NOT MANY DUPLICATES. 
          UM, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, HEARD IN THE PAST THAT WE NEED TO DO A LOT OF THE DUPLICATION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. 
          UM, WE FOUND THAT IT'S NOT THE CASE THAT THERE, THERE WERE A LOT OF OVERLAPS. 
          UM, ONCE WE DID THAT, WE MOVED INTO PHASE TWO, WHICH, UH, IS WHERE THOSE PERCENTAGES THAT YOU SAW, UM, APPLY TO CONTRACTS. 
          UH, SO THEY'RE JUST PROPORTIONAL BASE CUTS. 
          YEAH, EACH CUT RETIRE, UM, APPLIES ITS TARGET RATE ACROSS THE CONTRACTS. 
          UM, INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS, WE DO NOTE THAT WE SET AN ASSUMPTION THAT NO CONTRACT CAN BE CUT, UH, BY MORE THAN A THIRD. 
          IF IT WAS PUSHED INTO THAT MORE THAN A THIRD TERRITORY, IT WAS RECOMMENDED FOR, AGAIN, IN THIS BASELINE SCENARIO FOR ELIMINATION, BECAUSE WE'RE ASSUMING THAT MORE THAN A THIRD OF A CUT IS UNLIKELY TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT, THAT CONTRACT. 
          UH, THEN WE MOVE TO PHASE THREE, WHICH WE'RE CALLING THE GAP FILL. 
          THAT'S BASICALLY SAYING THAT THE DUPLICATE AND THE SCORE BASE CUTS DIDN'T QUITE GET US TO THE TARGET IN THIS CASE. 
          UM, SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS DOES IS IT CLOSES THE GAP TO THE, TO THE TARGET. 
          IN THIS CASE, 6.2 0.8 MILLION STARTS ON THE BOTTOM. 
          SO TIER TWO, TIER B CONTRACTS BEING REDUCED, UM, BEFORE TIER A CONTRACTS THAT, UM, SCORED LOW, UH, BASED ON THEIR FISCAL PERFORMANCE WERE CUT FIRST. 
          THE 33% GAP STILL APPLIES. 
          UM, IF THE TARGET WERE SHIFTED OR, OR LOWER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO MOVE INTO THAT GAP FILL DEPENDING ON HOW YOU, YOU USE THE MODEL. 
          SO THE NEXT SLIDE I'M GONNA SHOW, UM, THE RESULTS OF THIS MODEL. 
          AGAIN, I, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, 
          [01:10:01]
UM, TO THE COMMITTEE AND EVERYONE WATCHING THAT THIS IS NOT A FINAL RECOMMENDATION. 
          THIS IS PURELY THE ANALYTICAL OUTPUT OF THE MODEL AND THE ACTUAL RESULTS, UM, WILL BE VERY DIFFERENT. 
          WE'RE ALREADY IN DISCUSSION WITH THE, WITH DEPARTMENTS USING THIS AS A STARTING POINT FOR DISCUSSIONS. 
          DEPARTMENTS, UM, VENDORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, CITY LEADERSHIP, UH, YOU ALL WILL ALL GIVE FEEDBACK ON THIS, AGAIN, AS THE STARTED DISCUSSION POINT TO ACTUALLY GET TO WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE WITHIN THE, THE BUDGET. 
          SO THIS IS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE WHEN THOSE, UH, WHEN THOSE, UH, CUT RATE TARGETS ARE APPLIED. 
          YOU SEE THAT ON THE RIGHT. 
          UM, THE, THE LEFT HAND SIDE, OBVIOUSLY AS A FOCUS AREA, WE'VE ADDED THE PRIORITY TIER, THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTS WITHIN EACH OF THOSE, WHAT THEIR FY 26 BUDGET WAS, AND THEN YOU GO THROUGH THE PHASES. 
          UM, WE DID HAVE A FEW DUPLICATES AND BASIC NEEDS, BUT THE REST COME, UM, WITH THOSE PROPORTIONAL CUTS IN PHASE TWO. 
          UH, AND THEN THERE IS A BIT OF PHASE THREE GAP FILL AGAIN TO GET TO THAT 16.8. 
          UM, THE ORIGINAL EXPANDED SHOWS THE CUT RATES, UM, FOR THE, UH, ORIGINAL SET OF 74.1, UM, MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH WAS THE, UH, CON, UH, CONTRACTS, SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS, AND THE FY 26 BUDGET. 
          AND THEN THEY EXPANDED AS THOSE ADDITIONAL CONTRACTS THAT WE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE INVENTORY. 
          UM, AND SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT, THAT DISTINCTION THERE. 
          I AM SURE WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT FOR QUESTIONS. 
          BUT, UH, JUST AS A, A, UM, SUMMARY IN THE, UH, AGAIN, THE, JUST THE BASELINE MODEL RESULTS, IF WE PLUGGED IN THAT TARGET, IT WOULD, UM, CREATE, UH, ABOUT A 15.6 MILLION, UM, REDUCTION IN THE PROPORTIONAL CUTS BASED ON THE, THE PRIORITY SCORES. 
          UM, THE DUPLICATE ELIMINATION IS ABOUT HALF A MILLION. 
          UM, AND THEN THE GAP FILL IS, IS ABOUT 600, UH, 50,000 TO GET US TO THE TARGET. 
          I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THIS MODEL HAS, UM, VARIOUS OR THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLAGS THAT WE PUT ON CONTRACTS. 
          SO ONE IS A PRIOR REDUCTION FLAG. 
          UH, THOSE WERE THE 96 CONTRACTS THAT RE RECEIVED A, UH, REDUCTION IN THE PRIOR YEAR IN FY 26. 
          UM, THOSE GOT, UH, A BIT OF A BOOST ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL SCORING SO THAT THEY WERE LESS LIKELY TO RECEIVE, UM, SCORE BASED CUTS, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THAT, IN THAT GAP FILL, SHOULD WE NEED TO MOVE TO THAT. 
          UM, WE ALSO PUT A SUSTAINABILITY VULNERABILITY FLAG. 
          UM, 55 CONTRACTS GOT THAT, THAT'S WHERE THE UTILIZATION, UM, WAS BELOW 85% OF THE, UM, ALLOCATED AMOUNT. 
          UM, OR IT WAS A, A CONTRACT BELOW $50,000. 
          WE IDENTIFIED THOSE CONDITIONS OF, IF THERE WAS LOW UTILIZATION, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHY. 
          UH, IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A RESERVE IN A CONTRACT, FOR INSTANCE, FOR LIKE A CRISIS SURGE, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T IMPACTING THE FUNCTION OF THAT CONTRACT. 
          UM, AS WELL AS VERY SMALL CONTRACT OR SMALLER CONTRACTS. 
          WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, A CUT WOULDN'T BE, YOU KNOW, ANY CUT WOULDN'T BE CATASTROPHIC THERE BECAUSE THEY ARE SMALLER, AGAIN, DOING DEPARTMENTAL VALIDATION ON ALL OF THOSE. 
          UH, AND THEN WE ALSO MADE A FEDERAL DEPENDENCY FLAG. 
          UH, THESE ARE 75 CONTRACTS, AND THOSE FOCUS AREAS ON THE SCREEN THERE THAT HAVE A, UM, HIGH AMOUNT OF INVOLVEMENT WITH, UH, FEDERAL PROGRAMS, FEDERAL GRANTS, UM, AND MAY HAVE MORE VULNERABILITY TO CHANGES THERE. 
          WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING ALL OF THESE THINGS IN MIND AS WE ACTUALLY GO FORWARD THROUGH THE, THIS BUDGET PROCESS, UM, AND START TO, TO MAKE, UM, DECISIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS ON THESE, UM, CONTRACTS. 
          WE WANTED TO SHOW HERE THAT, UH, THE ALIGNMENT WITH, UM, THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION WITHIN THIS MODEL. 
          UM, SO WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS SEVEN OF THE 10 CRITERIA LISTED IN THE RUBRIC IN SOME WAY, UM, ESSENTIAL TO, TO HUMAN LIFE ALTERNATIVE LOCAL FUNDING, UM, THE CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE, ALTERNATIVE PROVIDER CAPACITY, COMMUNITY PRIORITIES, WORKFORCE, UM, PRIOR STABILITY AND GEOGRAPHIC REACH. 
          UM, I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT, UH, AND THEN I'LL TALK ABOUT THE NEXT COLUMN HERE. 
          A LOT OF THESE WERE APPLIED TO THE FOCUS AREA IN THIS CASE. 
          SO THE, THE BROADER, UM, YOU KNOW, SER SERVICE AREA AND NOT THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS WE WOULD LIKE AND INTEND TO GET THIS TO THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT LEVEL. 
          HOWEVER, THE, UH, DATA WAS EITHER ABSENT OR NOT CONSISTENT ENOUGH TO APPLY IT ACROSS THE WHOLE BODY. 
          SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS THAT WE'RE SAYING CARRYING INTO FY 27, 28 STRATEGY REDESIGN, THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE, UM, CROSS SYSTEM COST AVOIDANCE, UM, RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND FEDERAL, FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING CUTS. 
          WE WILL ALSO WANT TO BRING SOME OF THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE GREEN COLUMN, UM, ACROSS INTO THE CONTRACT LEVEL SO THAT WE CAN START TO ASSESS THIS, UM, 
          [01:15:01]
EVEN MORE GRANULARLY. 
          UH, BUT WE NEED TO DO SOME ADJUSTMENTS ON HOW, HOW WE, UM, CONTRACT, HOW WE MONITOR PERFORMANCE, WHAT TYPE OF DATA THAT WE ASK FOR. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT WORK WILL EXTEND INTO, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD OUT THE BROADER STRATEGY AROUND THE SYSTEM, UM, YOU'LL START TO SEE THAT, UM, IMPLEMENTED ON, ON A, ON A MORE CONTRACT LEVEL RATHER THAN THE FOCUS AREA LEVEL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO HERE. 
          SO I WANT TO REITERATE THAT WHAT THIS MODEL DOES IS IT GIVES US A CONSISTENT BASELINE AND, AND A CONSISTENT CONTAINER TO WORK WITHIN. 
          UM, IT DOES NOT MAKE FINAL DECISIONS OR REPLACE DEPARTMENTAL OR LEADERSHIP OR COUNCIL JUDGMENT, UM, ON OPERATIONAL RISKS AND PROVIDER CAPACITY, UM, OR PRIORITIZATION. 
          UM, AND I ALSO, YOU KNOW, WANT TO REITERATE THAT IT DOESN'T ASSUME THAT ANY OF THESE SCORES ARE FIXED FOREVER. 
          THIS GIVES US A BASELINE TO WORK FROM, BUT WE COULD REASSESS THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY BUDGET CYCLE OR, OR ON SOME OTHER, UM, CYCLE THAT WE MAY CHOOSE AS WE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THIS STRATEGY REDESIGN SO THAT ANY, UH, ADJUSTMENTS, UM, FROM PRIORITIES OR ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT ARE NECESSARY, WE CAN MAKE SURE TO DO, UH, THE TIMELINE HERE. 
          UM, WE'RE, UH, WORKING ON FINALIZING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT'LL BE TAKEN FORWARD INTO THE REST OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE TO COMMUNICATE TO VENDORS BOTH HERE AND BEYOND OF, OF WHERE WE ARE, UM, AND, AND WHAT THE POTENTIALS ARE, AND AS THOSE START TO FIRM UP, UM, WHERE THOSE MIGHT BE SO THAT WE HAVE AS MUCH TIMELINE TO WORK TOGETHER AS POSSIBLE TO MITIGATE THE, ANY NEGATIVE OUTCOMES THAT COME FROM POTENTIALLY COME FROM THESE CUTS. 
          UM, IN JUNE, UH, YOU KNOW, AS STATED IN THE RESOLUTION AS AND AS PLANNED WITH US, UM, INTERNALLY, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE SOCIAL, BROADER SOCIAL SERVICES STRATEGY REDESIGN. 
          A LOT OF THOSE ELEMENTS I TALKED ABOUT, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD INTO FUTURE BUDGET CYCLES, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS ON A, YOU KNOW, EVEN MORE, UM, GRANULAR LEVEL AND, AND MORE SYSTEMATIC WAY. 
          UH, AND THEN IN JULY, YOU'LL SEE THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE MUCH MORE FINAL VERSION OF, OF ANYTHING RELATED TO THIS ALONG WITH THE, UH, ANY OTHER ADJUSTMENTS. 
          UM, AND THEN IN AUGUST, WE'LL HAVE THE ADOPTED BUDGET. 
          THAT'S WHEN ANY, YOU KNOW, FINAL, UM, ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO, TO VENDORS AND PROVIDERS. 
          SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE, UM, FOR YOU TODAY. 
          HAPPY TO BACK UP TO ANY SLIDES OR TAKE GENERAL QUESTIONS, UM, FROM THE COMMITTEE NOW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, FIRST, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK AND THE PRESENTATION COLLEAGUES QUESTIONS, COUNCILMAN ALTER. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND, AND THANKS FOR YOUR, YOUR WORK ON THIS. 
          AS I'M SURE YOU ANTICIPATED HAVE SOME QUESTIONS RELATED TO SLIDE SEVEN. 
          YEP. 
          CAN'T, UH, CAN'T PUT A CHART OUT WITHOUT, UH, TALKING ABOUT IT, RIGHT? SO, NO, I, I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF I AM, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY A VIOLENCE PREVENTION CONTRACT HOLDER, IF I READ THIS CHART IN, IN YOUR OTHER SUBSEQUENT EXPLANATION, I SHOULD EXPECT A 26% REDUCTION, LIKE THIS IS APPLIED ACROSS THE BOARD TO ALL EIGHT, NOT, YOU KNOW, ONE CONTRACT MAY BE AT 10, BUT ANOTHER CONTRACT AT 50 USING THIS JUST AS A BASELINE. 
          YES, THAT'S HOW THE MODEL WORKS. 
          I WILL SAY THAT WE'RE WOR WE ARE IN CONVERSATION WITH DEPARTMENTS RIGHT NOW GOING LINE BY LINE THROUGH EVERY CONTRACT, AGAIN, USING THIS AS A STARTING POINT. 
          BUT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE'RE NOT SAYING, HEY, DEPARTMENTS, THIS, THIS IS YOUR TARGET. 
          TELL ME HOW YOU'RE GONNA GET THERE. 
          WE'RE SAYING THIS IS A STARTING POINT FOR US TO DISCUSS. 
          TELL ME HOW ALL THESE INTERACT, WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE. 
          SO THE CUT RATES, UM, W DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO AND, AND LIKELY WON'T HOLD THAT CONSISTENT LINE WITHIN THE FOCUS AREAS. 
          IT'S JUST A WAY FOR US TO REFLECT THE PRIORITIZATION OF THE FOCUS AREAS, UM, AND, AND START THE CONVERSATION. 
          SO TO AN, TO HOPEFULLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, THAT'S WHAT THIS SAYS NOW, BUT IN PRACTICE, UM, THAT'S LIKELY NOT HOW IT'LL, IT'LL ACTUALLY PLAY OUT. 
          SO BUILDING ON THAT, YOU, FROM HERE, AND WE'LL JUST TAKE THE SAME LINE, YOU'LL GO TO WHATEVER DEPARTMENT, I ASSUME VIOLENCE PREVENTION WOULD BE PUBLIC HEALTH MM-HMM . 
          AND SAY, OKAY, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THIS CATEGORY IS A $1.2 MILLION REDUCTION, LOOK AT YOUR EIGHT CONTRACTS, AND WOULD YOU APPLY IT UNIFORMLY OR WOULD YOU MODIFY WITHIN THOSE EIGHT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ASKING HOW, HOW WOULD YOU DISTRIBUTE 
          [01:20:01]
THAT LEVEL OF CUT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. 
          AND WE'RE EVEN STARTING THE CONVERSATIONS NOT NECESSARILY SAYING YOU HAVE TO REACH 1.8, TELL ME HOW YOU, YOU FLIP NUMBERS AROUND, WE'RE SAYING THIS IS WHAT THE PRIORITY IS, BUT TELL US HOW THIS ALL INTERACTS, UM, AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, REDUCTION LEVELS MAY BE ABSORBABLE OR NOT. 
          UM, SO WHILE WE WANT DEPARTMENTS TO KEEP IN MIND WHAT THOSE LEVELS ARE, UH, AT THIS POINT WE'RE NOT REQUIRING AND SAYING, WE'VE SET THIS, NOW, GET TO IT. 
          WE WANT TO HAVE A, A, A DIRECT AND HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THESE THINGS WORK AND EFFECTS AND WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE, THE, THE LEAST IMPACTFUL, UM, AND MOST SYSTEMATIC ADJUSTMENTS MIGHT BE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, JUST SO I CAN UNDERSTAND, IN ONE OF YOUR EARLIER SLIDES, IT MENTIONS THAT YOU HAVE 202 ELIGIBLE CONTRACTS, BUT ON THIS SLIDE YOU HAVE 185 CONTRACTS. 
          WHERE ARE THOSE? SOME OF, UH, SOME OF THEM ARE COLLAPSED THAT THEY WERE LIKE, AND, AND THIS IS JUST, UH, UM, THE WAY I ADDED UP THIS SLIDE, SOME WERE COLLAPSED IN, LIKE, YOU KNOW, A, A MULTI-VENDOR CONTRACT AND JUST PUT THOSE DOWN INTO ONE. 
          UH, WE CAN SHARE OUT WHERE THAT, THAT BLEW OUT, BUT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHERE THAT CAME FROM. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, AND JUST AS AN ASIDE, IF, IF, IF YOU HAVE THIS, I I I, I KNOW YOU HAVE THIS LIST, OBVIOUSLY , CAN YOU SHARE WITH US THIS LIST? AND I'D BE VERY CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT ARE THE SEVEN HOUSING CONTRACTS, OR WHAT ARE THE 20 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONTRACTS? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN SHARE? YEAH, WE CAN SHARE THE LIST OF HOW WE CATEGORIZED THOSE, UM, THE FOCUS AREA CONTRACTS. 
          YEAH, THAT'D BE VERY HELPFUL. 
          UM, I'M ALSO TRYING TO RECONCILE, YOU TALKED ABOUT IF YOU'RE GONNA REDUCE A CONTRACT BY MORE THAN A THIRD CONCERN AROUND EVEN BEING ABLE TO FULFILL THAT CONTRACT. 
          AND SO ZEROING IT OUT, HOW DOES THAT WORK WITH THEN SOME OF THESE TIER B MM-HMM . 
          WHERE IF I'M APPLYING A 40% ACROSS THE BOARD, LET'S SAY IN TRANSPORTATION, WOULDN'T THAT JUST LEAD TO A ZEROING OUT OF BOTH OF THOSE CONTRACTS? UM, IT'S A 50%. 
          SO THE, THE CUT RATE IS FOR THE TOTAL WITHIN THE, UM, WITHIN THE FOCUS AREA. 
          SO, UM, SOME OF THEM, UM, AND I, I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE ACTUAL, UM, LINE ITEMS, BUT, UM, SOME OF THEM WOULD RECEIVE LESS CUTS AND THEN ESPECIALLY IN THAT GAP FILL WOULD COME UP, UM, IN SOME OF THE, THE LOWER PERFORMING CONTRACTS IN THE WAY WE DETERMINE LOW PERFORMANCE. 
          IN THIS CASE, AGAIN, THE, UM, THE DATA WASN'T ALWAYS CONSISTENT, BUT WE LOOKED AT SPENDING, UM, AND, AND SPENDING OVER TIME, UH, THOSE LOWER PERFORMANCE ONES WOULD RECEIVE THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL, UM, TO GET THE GAP, THE GAP FILL ESSENTIALLY UP TO THAT LEVEL. 
          UM, YOU SEE THE GAP FILLS COME, UM, IN ANYTHING THAT'S KIND OF MORE THAN THAN 33%. 
          UM, AND THOSE WOULD BE FULLY ELIMINATED. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S NOT THE ENTIRE, UM, BODY, UH, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          I DON'T THINK IT DOES, BUT I'M SURE WE'RE GONNA LIKE, SO TRANSPORTATION, YOU HAVE TWO CONTRACTS, RIGHT? MM-HMM . 
          AND EACH OF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE DISTRIBUTE THE DISTRIBUTION AMONGST THAT $446,000, BUT YOU ARE PROPOSING A 40% CUT TO THOSE TWO CONTRACTS, WHICH WOULD MAKE ME BELIEVE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S ANY KIND OF UNIFORMITY THAT CROSSES OUR ONE THIRD THRESHOLD. 
          AND WE WOULD SAY THAT REALLY, IN FACT, THOSE TWO CONTRACTS SHOULD BE ZERO, AND THE CUT RATE WOULD BE A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          I THINK THIS IS CARRIE LANG, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          I BELIEVE WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO SHOW IS JUST THE BASELINE OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT AS WE DIG IN DEEPER, WE WOULD TAKE THAT ONE THIRD INTO ACCOUNT. 
          AND SO IT MAY END UP WITH THOSE TWO CONTRACTS. 
          ONE MAY BE ELIMINATED, AND THE OTHER MAY BE KEPT WHOLE OR HAVE A SMALLER AMOUNT OF ELIMINATION TO GET TO THAT 40%. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND I KNOW Y'ALL ARE STILL ITERATING THROUGH THIS, BUT I DO THINK TWO, UM, POINTS OF CONSIDERATION ARE NUMBER ONE IN TIER A, NOT PRESUMING A MINIMUM OF AN 8% CUT, THAT IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ZERO, RIGHT? RECOGNIZING THAT IN MAYBE SOME OF THESE CATEGORIES, THE PRIORITIES OF COUNCIL ARE TO KEEP CERTAIN AREAS COMPLETELY WHOLE. 
          UM, I JUST, I DON'T WANNA PRESUME THAT WE'RE GONNA CUT ANY CATEGORY. 
          I KNOW THAT THAT IS PART OF YOUR ROLE, BUT I THINK THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE A ZERO MIGHT BE THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER. 
          AND I WANNA SAY I AGREE, AND I THINK WHAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE SHOW TODAY IS 
          [01:25:01]
JUST WHAT THE BASELINE, UM, DOCUMENT WOULD SHOW NOT ANY OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AS WE TALK TO DEPARTMENTS, AS WE HEAR FROM COUNSEL. 
          AND SO THIS, WE JUST WANT TO SHOW A BASELINE TODAY KNOWING THAT ALL OF THESE NUMBERS COULD CHANGE FOR WHATEVER REASON. 
          YEAH, NO, I, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          UM, CAN YOU ALSO JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND, AND I KNOW YOU GAVE SOME EXPLANATIONS IN THE BACK, BUT, UM, LIKE A, A HOUSING VOUCHER, IS THAT HOUSING OR IS THAT HOMELESS SERVICES OR, AND I KNOW THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD EVEN FALL INTO THE REALM OF, UM, OF A SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACT, BUT HOW DO WE, WHERE DO WE DISTINGUISH HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS GIVEN THAT THE SERVICE FOR HOMELESSNESS IS SO OFTEN HOUSING AND MM-HMM . 
          SO WE'VE BEEN HAVING SOME CONVERSATION WITH HOUSING AND HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS TO REALLY GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO CATEGORIZE THOSE. 
          SO THERE WILL BE SOME THINGS THAT I THINK HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY LOOKED AT AS HOUSING THAT WILL BE MOVING OVER TO HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS. 
          AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK THROUGH. 
          I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER RIGHT NOW TODAY, BUT WE'LL HAVE IT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT I, I PRESUME RIGHT NOW IT'S KIND OF MORE OF JUST WHO'S THE FUNDING DEPARTMENT? LIKE IF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS FUNDING IT, THEN IT'S MORE IN THE HOUSING, BUT LIKE, LET'S SAY RAPID REHOUSING, WHICH IS HOUSING, BUT THROUGH HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS IS HOMELESS SERVICES. 
          UH, THAT'S USUALLY THE CASE. 
          THERE MAY BE SO MANY SESSIONS, BUT YEAH, THAT'S HOW WE CATEGORIZE THEM. 
          OKAY. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          JUST WANNA BETTER UNDERSTAND, AND LIKE I SAID, YOU DID GIVE SOME, SOME EXPLANATION, BUT CAN YOU GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON CHILD AND YOUTH? WHAT ARE, UM, WHAT WILL BE AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING IN, IN THAT? SO YOU'VE GOT, YEAH, SO THESE ARE OUR, UM, AND THIS WAS BEHIND THE, THE THANK YOU SLIDE, BUT WE PUT THE DEFINITIONS OF EACH OF THE FOCUS AREAS. 
          SO, UM, THESE ARE, UH, PROGRAMS RELATED TO SCHOOL, DAY, AFTER SCHOOL, SCHOOL BREAKS, UM, UH, ACADEMIC SUPPORTS, UM, HEALTH BEHAVIORS, UH, YOUTH ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, UM, GOT IT, EVERYTH, EVERYTHING IN THAT, THAT ZONE. 
          SO NOT LIKE A, ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THESE, HOW THESE CATEGORIES, I KNOW YOU ARE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT, BUT LIKE, UH, YOUTH HOMELESS SERVICES WOULD BE IN HOMELESS SERVICES, NOT IN YOUTH, CHILD AND YOUTH, CORRECT? CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I ALSO WANT TO ASK ABOUT YOUR TIMELINE. 
          AND YOU TALKED ABOUT MAY HAVING PLANNED COMMUNICATION TO VENDORS, IS THAT, IS THIS THE PLANNED COMMUNICATION TO VENDORS OR HELP? UH, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? OUR GOAL IS TO SEND OUT AN ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATION, UM, TO TALK THROUGH, WE DID THIS PRESENTATION, THIS IS THE BASELINE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          IF YOU'RE GONNA START CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THOSE REDUCTIONS COULD POTENTIALLY BE, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BASELINE TO SEE THE TIERS THAT YOUR, YOUR CONTRACTS MAY FALL IN. 
          UM, AND DEPARTMENTS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. 
          JUST, WE WANNA JUST MAKE SURE THAT AS WE MOVE ALONG IN THIS PROCESS, WE CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE WHERE WE ARE SO THAT, UM, THE VENDORS AREN'T SURPRISED AS WE FINALLY FIG OR AS WE FIGURE OUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION IS, IS GOING TO BE. 
          THE GOAL IS TO JUST STAY TRANSPARENT, STAY COMMUNICATIVE, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT, THAT COME ALONG AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, I KNOW THE CHAIRMAN FUENTES, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE OF OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS ASKED ABOUT GETTING WHATEVER LEVEL OF CERTAINTY TO THEM, YOU KNOW, KNOW IN MAY, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT AND THE SCHEDULE OR THE PLAN IS TO TELL 'EM IN JULY AND GIVEN YOUR FEEDBACK OF, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR SIX MONTHS, THAT WOULD BE KIND OF MORE MAY THAN JULY. 
          BUT IF YOU CAN GET, EVEN IF IT'S A DRAFT AMOUNT AND SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, THAT PLANNING IS GONNA BE TOUGH. 
          AND, AND SO JUST AS MUCH ADVANCE NOTICE AS POSSIBLE, THAT'S OUR GOAL. 
          OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT, UM, UM, SURPRISING ANYONE. 
          SO WE ARE, WE ARE TRYING TO STAY AS COMMUNICATIVE AND OPEN AS POSSIBLE AS, AS WE MOVE ALONG IN THIS PROCESS. 
          I, I KNOW YOU, YOU WELL, UM, MY LAST QUESTION AROUND, OR KIND OF MORE COMMENT AROUND THAT, SLIDE SEVEN IS, AND I'M NOT GONNA SIGNAL OUT ANY PARTICULAR LINE HERE, BUT I DO THINK KIND OF GOING BACK TO WHERE I STARTED ELIMINATING MORE 
          [01:30:01]
OF THESE TIER B IN FAVOR OF PRESERVING MORE IN THE TIER A IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY TRIED TO HIGHLIGHT IN THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU DISCUSSED AROUND, YOU KNOW, LIKE, AND I'M, I'M SHOCKED BASIC NEEDS ENDED UP IN TIER B, NOT TIER A, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO DRAW A LINE SOMEWHERE. 
          UM, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN SERVICES THAT JUST ARE MORE CRITICAL AND MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS. 
          WE CAN, I'M SURE EVERY SINGLE 185 HERE ARE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ALL MAKE A GOOD ARGUMENT FOR WHY THEY'RE IMPORTANT, BUT SOME TRULY ARE A HIGHER PRIORITY THAN OTHERS. 
          AND RECOGNIZING THAT AND SAYING, OKAY, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO SACRIFICE HERE TO REALLY MEET THE NEED HERE, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT AS Y'ALL WORK THROUGH THIS TO JUST KEEP CONSIDERING. 
          SO, UM, LAST, I'LL, I'LL BE A BROKEN RECORD ON THIS, AND I'M SURE THIS IS NOT THE LAST TIME YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ME SAY IT, BUT I, I STILL DO NOT AND CANNOT ACCEPT $16.8 MILLION IN SOCIAL SERVICE CUTS AS A THETA COMPLETE. 
          LIKE, I GET THAT THAT'S HOW Y'ALL ARE PUTTING THE PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER, AND THERE ARE LIMITED AREAS WHERE YOU CAN BALANCE THE GRAND BUDGET. 
          UM, BUT IT'S THE REASON WHY I ASKED AT THE FINANCIAL FORECAST TO COME UP WITH A LIST OF CUTS OUTSIDE OF SOCIAL SERVICES, I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE ONCE AGAIN IN THAT PRIORITIZATION, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES A CUT LOOK LIKE IN X DEPARTMENT INSTEAD OF TO SOCIAL SERVICES THAT PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE IMPACTED, BUT WHAT IS A HIGHER PRIORITY AND, AND WHAT REALLY MEETS THE MOST BASIC NEEDS OF OUR PEOPLE. 
          AND, AND THESE CONTRACTS REALLY ARE THOSE BASIC NEEDS. 
          SO I'M GONNA SAY IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN FROM HERE UNTIL THE END OF, UH, THIS BUDGET PROCESS. 
          BUT I, I THINK WE CANNOT JUST ACCEPT THAT THIS IS, THESE CUTS ARE BEING MADE AND THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED. 
          SO, AND, AND WE FULLY UNDERSTAND, AND I'LL SAY THAT, UM, PRIORITIZATIONS OR POTENTIAL REDUCTION OF REALLOCATION IS A PART OF OUR PROCESS, AND WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH DEPARTMENTS AS WE SPEAK TO TALK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE THINGS. 
          AND SO IT, IT WILL BE A, A CONTINUED CONVERSATION UNTIL WE CAN HONE IN AND FINALIZE THE PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          I THINK, UM, AND I HOPE I, I THINK I'M SAYING THIS ACCURATELY, UM, I THINK IT'S THE INTENT OF THE CITY MANAGER TO LOOK HOLISTICALLY. 
          AND WHILE WE UNDERSTAND THAT 16.8 MILLION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS WHAT ANY OF US WANT TO HAVE AS A REDUCTION, I FULLY EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE SOME LEVEL, UM, AS WE LOOK ACROSS THIS, ACROSS THE GENERAL FUND AS A WHOLE, AND BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AREAS IN THE GENERAL FUND, WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO THE SIZES OF THE DEPARTMENTS. 
          SO AGREE. 
          NOT 16.8, BUT SOMETHING, I HEAR YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THE PUBLIC IS LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS AND THEY SEE, YOU KNOW, THIS DEPARTMENT BUDGET GROWING, THIS DEPARTMENT BUDGET GROWING AND DOWN THE LINE, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, BUT SOCIAL SERVICES ARE TAKING A ALMOST 20% HAIRCUT, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT HOW WE'RE MAKING THE DECISIONS ABOUT WHO'S THE MOST IMPORTANT AND THE PRIORITIES? AND SO I JUST, I WANNA BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF, OF WHERE WE MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          I KNOW YOU'RE, IT'S DIFFICULT. 
          I DO WANNA ALSO SAY, UM, YOU ALL RECEIVED, THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE RECEIVED A MEMO THIS MORNING, UM, ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL PIECES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THESE CONTRACT DOLLARS. 
          I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I CALLED THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION. 
          WE TRACKED OUR GOAL WAS TO GET IT OUT BEFORE THE MEETING TODAY. 
          UM, I WAS HOPING FOR A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT WE DID GET IT OUT THIS MORNING. 
          . 
          ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ALSO, IF, UH, COUNCILOR VELASQUEZ DOESN'T HAVE ANY, WHICH IS STARTING WITH, HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THE GAP FILL PROCESS WORKS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO THAT'S SAYING THE NUMBER THAT WE PLUG INTO THE, THE TARGET, SAY, YOU KNOW, 16.8 IN THIS CASE, PHASE ONE, I GET BACK TO IT. 
          SO PHASE ONE AND TWO, YOU KNOW, WE APPLY THE, THE PRIORITIZATION CUTS DON'T GET US THERE. 
          SO IT STARTS ESSENTIALLY AT THE BOTTOM, UM, OF THE, THE RATED CONTRACTS AND THE FOCUS AREAS AND STARTS MAKING CUTS TO THE LOWEST SCORE CONTRACTS IN ADDITION. 
          SO IT'S SORT OF AN AUTOMATIC, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU. 
          IT'S, IT'S SORT OF AN AUTOMATIC, UM, INSTRUMENT THAT AFTER YOU'VE EXHAUSTED THE FIRST 
          [01:35:01]
TWO PHASES TAKES EFFECT BASED ON THE CRITERIA YOU'VE LAID OUT ON THE METHODOLOGY PAGE. 
          EXACTLY. 
          SO IF, IF THE NU IF THE TARGET NUMBER PLUGGED INTO THIS WAS 600,000, YOU KNOW, 51,292 OR LESS, THAT GAP FILL WOULD BE ZERO. 
          GOT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THE 93.1 THAT YOU IDENTIFIED, THAT'S JUST BASICALLY THE SUM OF ALL OF THE CONTRACTS AND THE BUDGET PLUS WHAT YOU IDENTIFIED AS DUPLICATION PLUS WHAT YOU DID AS GAP FILL. 
          IS THAT RIGHT? UH, THE, ARE, ARE YOU LOOKING AT, ARE YOU LOOKING AT FY 26 BUDGET TOTAL? YEAH. 
          LOOKING AT THAT, IF I SUM THOSE, I GET TO ABOUT THE 93.1 MILLION YOU IDENTIFIED IN THE TWO HUNDRED AND TWO, TWO HUNDRED EIGHT, YEAH. 
          THAT'S CONTRACTS, THOSE ARE, THAT'S THE ELIGIBLE POOL FOR REDUCTIONS. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S, THAT'S COLLECTIVELY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, THAT THE BUDGET, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, THE BUDGET INCLUDES DUPLICATION IN GAT FILL, BUT YOU'VE BROKEN DOWN INTO THIS START. 
          YEAH. 
          GOT IT. 
          UM, I KNOW ONE THING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND I HAVE BEEN EXPLORING IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS IS HOW WE'RE MEASURING PERFORMANCE. 
          AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS HERE FOR HOW THOSE CONTRACTS WORK. 
          YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW YOUR GOAL IS TO MOVE FROM FOCUS AREA TO CONTRACT AREA. 
          UH, CAN YOU JUST EXPAND WHEN, HOW THAT KIND OF PERFORMANCE, 'CAUSE I GO BACK TO THE Q AND A FROM THE BUDGET PROCESS LAST YEAR WHERE WE, I FIRST SORT OF GOT A TASTE OF HOW SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS WERE REPORTING OUT KPIS AND PROGRESS. 
          AND I'D LOVE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW, IF YOU GUYS HAVE A MORE SOPHISTICATED WAY, UH, OR YOU'RE DEVELOPING A MORE SOPHISTICATED WAY OF ANALYZING THEM TO MAKE THESE KIND OF DECISIONS. 
          YEAH. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL AGAIN, BE CONTINUING TO WORK ON OVER THE, YOU KNOW, CALL IT THE NEXT YEAR. 
          UM, BUT, BUT YOU MEAN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS,  AND THAT, UM, CONSISTENCY. 
          I WOULD SAY CONSISTENCY THERE. 
          THERE'S TWO AREAS I LOOK AT THIS. 
          UH, ONE IS CONSISTENCY AND THE OTHER IS, IS WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY MEASURING. 
          SO BECAUSE THIS PORTFOLIO IS SO BROAD HELD ACROSS DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTRACTS AND DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, MOST OF THEM HAVE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT, BUT IT'S NOT CONSISTENT ENOUGH TO APPLY AT A CONTRACT LEVEL. 
          SO APPLYING MORE CONS, A MORE CONSISTENT, UM, SET OF PERFORMANCE METRICS, CONTRACTING STANDARDS, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO THINK OF IT, UM, IS, IS STEP ONE. 
          AND THEN STEP TWO IS YES, MOVING TO SOME OF THESE MORE, UH, I WOULD SAY, UM, ADVANCED TYPE, UH, OR OUTCOME BASED, UM, PERFORMANCE METRICS. 
          SO, UH, THINGS THAT WE CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, AROUND COST AVOIDANCE, UM, AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TYPES OF, OF LEVERAGE, UH, ACROSS FUNDING SOURCES ACROSS ACTUAL OUTCOMES THAT WE CAN DRAW A MORE CLEAR LINE BACK TO THESE FOCUS AREAS AND OUR GOALS THERE ON, UM, THOSE, THOSE ELEMENTS WHICH WILL TAKE, YOU KNOW, MORE SPECIFIC FORMS AND CONTRACTING AND PERFORMANCE, UM, REPORTING, UM, AND, AND STRATEGIC STRUCTURE WILL BE THINGS THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON AND PUT IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A, I WOULD SAY LIKE A MORE STABLE MODEL, UM, OR, OR A MORE GRANULAR MODEL AND WAY TO LOOK AT THIS FRAMEWORK GOING FORWARD. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WELL I'LL LOOK FOR UPDATES THEN, AS YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO FLESH THAT PROCESS OUT AND SHARE WITH US WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS. 
          , UH, LAST QUESTION IS JUST TRYING TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND, UM, AS YOU'VE SPENT A LOT OF ENERGY AND THOUGHT PUTTING TOGETHER THIS FRAMEWORK, , YOU KNOW, GOD WILLING, THIS IS THE ONLY TIME WE HAVE GOTTA DO THIS AND THAT THE FUTURE LOOKS REALLY BRIGHT, BUT IF IT DOESN'T, IS THIS A, IS THERE A SENSE THAT THERE'S LIKE AN INHERENT VALUE IN INVESTING IN THIS KIND OF FRAMEWORK THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO TURN TO FOR, IF NOT PERHAPS THIS DEPARTMENT OR THIS BUDGET, SOME OTHER DEPARTMENT OR BUDGET AS WE GO THROUGH A SIMILAR A AS WE MIGHT STRUGGLE IN THE FUTURE TO IDENTIFY PLACES WHERE WE'VE GOT TO, UH, CREATE FUNDING OR, OR, OR, OR THE OPPOSITE. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          I THINK THESE TYPES OF FRAMEWORKS DO GIVE US THE ABILITY TO HAVE, UM, AT LEAST A MORE SYSTEMATIC VIEW OF MANY OF THESE AREAS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, LESS ON DEPARTMENTS AND MORE ON THE, THE BROADER SCOPE, UM, OF, OF THE SERVICES AND THEIR OUTCOMES. 
          SO IN, IN THOSE WAYS, IF WE ARE LOOKING AT BUDGET DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE, UM, TAKING THAT PERSPECTIVE, I THINK FRAMERS LIKE, LIKE THIS CAN BE USEFUL FOR THEM. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, AND ACTUALLY ONE MORE QUESTION, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT 
          [01:40:01]
AS I'M LOOKING AT THE SLIDE SEVEN THAT COUNCILMAN ALTA WAS LOOKING AT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CONTRACTS, AND I'LL JUST PICK SOMETHING LIKE LEGAL SERVICES. 
          YOU'VE GOT 10 CONTRACTS AT $2.2 MILLION. 
          UH, IS THE INTENT THERE TO USE WHATEVER THE PROJECTED CUT RATE IS, UH, CROSS THE 10 CONTRACTS? OR ARE WE SELECTING CERTAIN CONTRACTS BASED ON CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT ARE PRIORITIZED IN THIS, IN THIS FRAMEWORK? IT'S A BIT OF BOTH. 
          IT APPLIES THE CUT RATE AND THEN THE, THE GAP FILL GOES INTO THE, THE PERFORMANCE CRITERIA OF THE CONTRACT. 
          IN PRACTICE WHERE WE'RE SEEING THESE DISCUSSIONS, IT IS LINE BY LINE, CONTRACT BY CONTRACT, UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER, WHAT THEY DO, WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, CONSEQUENCES OF REDUCTIONS WOULD BE, UM, AND, AND HOW THE REST OF THE SYSTEM WOULD BE AFFECTED TO MAKE ANY OF THOSE FINAL DECISIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, WELL I GUESS THE LAST THING WOULD BE TO, TO I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ALTA REQUESTED, SO MAKE SIMILAR WISHES IS AT SOME POINT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF THESE CONTRACTS SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CUTS ENTAIL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          GOING FORWARD. 
          ALRIGHT, WELL THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT COLLEAGUES. 
          UH, I THINK THAT CAN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT BRIEFING AND YOUR WORK ON THIS, UM, DIFFICULT PROCESS, BUT, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT 
          [5. Identify items to be discussed at future meetings.]
ITEM IS FUTURE ITEMS, COLLEAGUES. 
          ANY FUTURE ITEMS THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS OR REQUEST A BRIEFING ON THAT Y'ALL COULD THINK OF? WE'VE GOT A WHOLE ALMOST FOUR MONTHS TO THINK ABOUT THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT, WELL THAT, UH, THAT'S ALL OF OUR BRIEFINGS, EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATIONS. 
          AS A REMINDER, OUR NEXT MEETING IS SEPTEMBER THE SECOND OF THIS YEAR IN ALMOST FOUR MONTHS. 
          SO IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN AT 11:42 AM WITH MY WORLD'S TINIEST GAMBLE.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.