* 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. [00:00:08] SEPTEMBER 18TH [CALL TO ORDER] AND WE ARE MEETING REMOTELY. UH, [Additional Item] WE'LL START TODAY WITH A COUPLE OF PEOPLE, SIGN UP FOR SYSTEMS COMMUNICATION. WE'LL START WITH NIKIA REYNOSO. UM, THE COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS NIKITA REYNOSA, AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, NONPROFIT. UM, AND I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THAT NONPROFIT AS WELL AS OUR 416 AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, PRO MEMBERS AND OUR MUSICIANS ADVISORY PANELS. IF I PUT THEM ON THE WORKING GROUP, UH, I JUST WANTED TO COME HERE AND THANK THE COMMISSION, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER HOME FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REALLY TAKE UP THE SYSTEMIC RACISM ISSUE AND, UH, MAKE AN IMPACT ON THIS PROCESS. AND, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH EQUITY IN MIND. UM, AND I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THE PRESENTATION FROM STAFF TODAY. UH, AND AS A WORKING GROUP MEMBER, I'M EXCITED TO GET BACK TO WORK. SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR HARD WORK IN THIS AND, UM, RESTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THIS LIVE MUSIC FUND RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S FAIR AND EQUITABLE FOR EVERYBODY ACROSS THE BOARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT WE HAVE BETTY SUE. HELLO, THANKS FOR THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UM, I THINK TODAY AS A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMUNITY AND AN ASIAN AMERICAN WHO BELIEVES WITH THOUGHTFUL AND INTENTIONAL ACTION, A MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE FUTURE, UH, FOR AUSTIN MUSIC, COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY CAN BE ACHIEVED. WHAT I OFFER THIS COMMISSION IS THE PERSPECTIVE THAT SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN A DIFFERENT FAMILY, COMMUNITY HISTORY OR SKIN COLOR FRONT LINE CAN NOT INTO IT. AND THAT IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GROW UP AS AN ASIAN AMERICAN IN THE U S IT IS IMPORTANT WORK FOR MINORITY STORIES TO BE TOLD AND RETOLD BECAUSE WHEN THOSE PRIVILEGED ASSUME OTHERS ARE SIMILAR OR DISSIMILAR TO THEMSELVES, MISUNDERSTANDING AND UNHELPFUL POLICIES, FOLLOW ASIAN AMERICANS, LACK REPRESENTATION IN MANY ARENAS AND CULTURE AND GOVERNMENT, AND MANY NONWHITE GROUPS FACE SYSTEMIC AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO INCLUSION IN THE HALLS OF PRIVILEGE, BUT NO GROUP IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY FACES BRUTALIZATION ON THE LEVEL THAT BLACK AMERICA DOES. IT IS CLEAR. WE WILL NOT SEE THE INJUSTICES PLAYING OUT ON THE STREETS ABOLISHED WITHOUT MAJOR REFORM, NOT ONLY OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, BUT ALSO EDUCATIONAL FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ARTS AND MUSIC SPENDING BY LOCAL CITIES AND COMMUNITIES. AND IMPORTANT CONTEXT IS HISTORICAL RACIAL TENSION BETWEEN ASIAN AMERICAN AND BLACK COMMUNITIES IN THE U S MAINSTREAM VOICES PITTED THEM AGAINST ONE ANOTHER TO DEFLECT THE SENATE CONTROLS, OPPRESSING ALL MINORITY GROUPS IN THE BROADER CULTURE. DESPITE BEING IN THIS COUNTRY FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, ASIAN AMERICANS ARE STILL PERCEIVED AND TREATED AS LATECOMERS TO THE U S AND BRANDED AS A THREAT TO UPWARD ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL MOBILITY. AS MEMBERS OF OTHER RACIAL GROUPS, ASIANS WERE ONCE PERCEIVED TO BE UNSUITABLE FOR LABOR, BUT AFTER HELPING BUILD RAILROADS, THIS PERCEPTION FLIPPED AND YELLOW PERIL IDEOLOGY TOOK HOLD YEARS LATER, THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH REPLACED THESE PREVIOUS MYTHS, THE PERVASIVE MYTHS, THOSE ATTACHED TO THE MODEL MINORITY LABEL APPLIED TO ASIAN IMMIGRANTS WAS ONE THAT NEITHER CHOSE NOR ONE THAT COULD BE LOOKED UP TO. AND IT WAS BANDAID TO DECLAIM ACCUSATIONS OF INHERENT AND PERVASIVE RACISM IN OUR ECONOMIC EDUCATIONAL HOUSING AND JUSTICE SYSTEM. WHILE TRYING TO ATTACK THE TRUTH THAT RACISM PERVADES OUR CULTURE. THIS MYTH IS RACIST AT ITS CORE AND IGNORES VAST DIFFERENCES AMONG ASIAN AMERICAN GROUPS UNDER VARYING DEGREES OF ECONOMIC SUCCESS. I GREW UP AGAINST THE BACKDROP BACKDROP OF THE LA RIOT, EVEN AS A GROWTH FROM SPRING, TEXAS, I FELT THE SHAME OF BEING IDENTIFIED WITH A SHOP OWNER WHO WRONGLY KILLED A STRANGER OUT OF WHAT I CAN ONLY ASSUME WITH ENORMOUS IRRATIONAL AND WRONGHEADED FEAR. ONE EFFECT OF HARMFULNESS PLACED UPON MINORITY GROUPS IS THAT THOSE WHO HOLD POSITIONS OF POWER BEST KEEP THAT POWER. WHEN MINORITY GROUPS, FEAR, REVILE AND DISTRUST ONE ANOTHER. AND SO THEY ACCOMPLISH THE WORK OF OPPRESSION ON THE LYMPH CELLS. THE TRUTH IS A PEOPLE WHO'VE LABOR LITERALLY BUILT THE WEALTH OF THIS COUNTRY ARE TODAY BEING DENIGRATED BY THEIR PRESIDENT TO YOUR GUESTS, SHOT AT AND DENIED ACCESS TO WEALTH, EDUCATION, QUALITY, FOOD, SAFETY, AND BASIC JUSTICE. AND THIS SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION HAS PERSISTED FOR 400 YEARS. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE DEFENSIVE. IT IS TIME FOR INTROSPECTION AND HONEST SELF ASSESSMENT TO ACT TO SPEAK, WRITE LETTERS, MAKE, CALL, HIRE ADVOCATE, AND WORK TO CREATE A BETTER SOCIETY AND EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE. ONE THING WE CAN DO, AND I SAY THIS AS A PERSON WHO BENEFITS FROM LIGHT SKIN PRIVILEGE IS TO SHARE THE RESOURCES HISTORICALLY DENIED TO BLACK AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR. WE MUST ALSO LIFT UP AND GIVE SPACE TO BLACK WHO HAVE BEEN DENIED THEIR DESERVED AUDIENCE. AND THIS INCLUDES VOICES RAISED IN MUSIC AND IN PROTEST. THE FACT IS WE MUST ALL STAND UP FOR BLACK LIVES AND CLAIM THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER. [00:05:01] IF WE BELIEVE ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, IT IS MY FIRM OPINION THAT WE CANNOT ACHIEVE TRUE EQUITY IN THIS COUNTRY OR OUR CITY WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE SPECIFIC AND TARGETED WRONGS THAT OPPRESSED BLACK LIVES WITHOUT THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, 400 YEARS OF WRONGS COMMITTED. THERE CAN BE NO UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE CAME TO BE WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT THE PATH FORWARD LOOKS LIKE. ASIAN AMERICANS AND OTHER MINORITY GROUPS. GLINT GAINED MANY RIGHTS AS A DIRECT RESULT OF BLACK CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS. AND OUR COMMUNITY WILL FOREVER OWE A DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO BLACK ACTIVISTS WHO FOUGHT FOR FULLER INCLUSION AND EQUITY IN OUR COUNTRY AS AN ASIAN AMERICAN. I SPEAK TODAY TO SAY THAT ANY GROUP WHO ASKS FOR FUNDING FROM THIS COMMISSION ON THE GROUND OF EQUITY, WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUFFERING OF OTHER MINORITY GROUPS AND SPECIFICALLY THE SUFFERING OF BLACK AMERICA, ANY GROUP WHO BENEFITS FROM THE WORK OF BROCCOLI ACTIVISM, AND YET DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DEBT WITH HUMILITY HAS NO FIRM FOUNDATION UPON WHICH TO MAKE THE REQUEST. THANK YOU. CONCLUDE SYSTEM COMMUNICATION, REBEL TO [1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS APPROVAL OF MINUTES. WE HAVE MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 2ND MEETING, AS WELL AS OUR JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. SO I'LL GIVE EVERYONE A SECOND JUST TO LOOK OVER THOSE AND A MOTION TO APPROVE BOTH MOTION JOKED REBEL, TO HAVE A SECOND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER OPINION ON ALL OF ALL OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES AND THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. WE CAN MOVE [2. STAFF UPDATE a. Update by Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, Deputy Director, Economic Development Department, regarding Inter-Divisional process for aligning Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funded programs within EDD to prioritize Equity] TO OUR SECOND ITEM OF BUSINESS STAFF UPDATE. WE HAVE AN UPDATE BY SOME OLIVIA HOLT, ROB DEPUTY DIRECTOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT REGARDING INTERDIVISIONAL PROCESS FOR ALIGNING HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDED PROGRAMS WITHIN EDD TO PRIORITIZE EQUITY. THANK YOU, CHAIR CARNEY, KIM, IF YOU COULD BRING UP MY PRESENTATION. GREAT, THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR ALLOWING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE REALIGNMENT OR ALIGNMENT OF OUR HOT FUNDED PROGRAMS UNDER ONE VOICE AND ONE VISION. NEXT SLIDE, KIM FALL OF 2019 EDD BEGAN THE PROCESS OF REIMAGINING THE USE OF HOT TAX WORK FUNDED PROGRAMS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH M J OUR PARTNERS, WHICH YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH. EDD DETERMINED THAT ALL HOT FUNDED PROGRAMS SHOULD SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE AND HAVE A COM ALMOND FOUNDATION AROUND EQUITY ACCESS AND INVESTMENT. EVEN THOUGH EACH PROGRAM WILL HAVE ITS OWN UNIQUE FOCUSING AUDIENCE. YOU HAVE COME UP WITH TWO UNIVERSAL GOALS, ONE TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN AUSTIN'S MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING, AS WELL AS PROVIDE THE ACTIVITIES NECESSARY TO PROMOTE ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR INCREASING VENUE OWNERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP. NEXT SLIDE, KIM, AND JOIN WITH ME TODAY. I HAVE KELLY COLEMAN WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE CITY'S EQUITY STATEMENT. HI, EVERYBODY, AS SYNOVIA SAID, I'M KELLY COLEMAN WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, AND I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION, UM, AROUND REALLY OUR DEFINITION OF EQUITY AS A CITY, UH, HOW WE CAME TO THAT AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS STATEMENT. AND SO, UM, IN 2016, WHEN WE STARTED THE OFFICE AND HAD, UM, BROUGHT TOGETHER FOLKS AND HAD A VISIONING SESSION, UM, WE WORKED OVER A YEAR TO COME UP WITH A STATEMENT WITH, UM, WE'VE COMMUNITY. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOLKS WHO ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY RACIAL INEQUITIES, RIGHT? UM, AND THOSE FOLKS HELPED US TO CRAFT OUT THIS STATEMENT ALSO, UH, HELPED US DEVELOP OUR EQUITY ASSESSMENT THAT WE USE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND SO OUR DEFINITION OF RACIAL EQUITY IS THE CONDITION WHEN RACE NO LONGER PREDICTS A PERSON'S QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY. RIGHT. AND SO, UM, WE CONSIDER OURSELVES AN INTERSECTIONAL OFFICE AND THAT WE DO INTERSECTIONAL WORK, BUT WE DO THAT WORK THE WAY THAT KIMBERLE CRENSHAW, WHO COINED THE TERM INTERSECTIONALITY. WE DO THAT ROOTED AROUND, UM, AN ANTI-RACISM LENS, RIGHT? AND SO WE USE RACE AS, AS THE PRIMARY ACCESS [00:10:01] AND ALL OF OUR OTHER SOCIAL IDENTITIES AND LAYERED ON TOP OF THAT. I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE. UM, AND THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO CONTEXTUALIZE THIS CONVERSATION, UM, AS WE DO OUR WORK, UM, WITH THE HISTORY AND, UM, ALL THE STRUCTURAL DISPARITIES, UM, AND BY WORKING TOGETHER WITH, UH, WITH SYNOVIA AND OTHERS IN EDD SPECIFICALLY, UM, TO TRY AND TRANSFORM THE WAY THAT WE DO OUR WORK SO THAT WE CAN IMPACT OUTCOMES, WE'RE GOING TO BE, UM, CONTINUING TO, TO SUPPORT THE WORK IN EDD, AROUND MUSIC ARTS, UM, ET CETERA, WITH M J OUR PARTNERS, UM, THAT Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH, AND REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CLEAR RIGHT. ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW IT WORKS. UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE, PEOPLE WANT TO TALK ABOUT EQUITY AS IF IT'S NOT AS IF IT CAN BE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF EQUITY, RIGHT? LIKE WE'RE REALLY SPECIFIC ABOUT RACE BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST RELIABLE INDICATOR FOR SOMEONE'S QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES, PERIOD, ACROSS SYSTEMS. SO I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, KELLY. AND I JUST WANT THE COMMISSION TO KNOW THAT THE FIRST DEPARTMENTS THAT WANTED TO EVEN PARTICIPATE WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE. SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH AN INTERNAL ANALYSIS OF OUR PROGRAMS AND KNOW THAT WE HAVE WORK TO DO, BUT REALIZE THAT WE DON'T DO THIS WORK IN THE BACKEND, THE EQUITY IN HAND WITH US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. CAN'T GO AHEAD. BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, SOME OF YOU AND Y'ALL HAVE DONE SOME REALLY GREAT WORK, THE WORK AROUND THE CHAMBERS, THE WORK WITH SEVERAL OF THE DIFFERENT ARTS PROGRAMS THAT I HOPE THAT, UM, THIS SHOCK OF YOURS WORK SORT OF FOLLOW SUIT AND THAT, SO Y'ALL ARE NEW TO IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SLIDE, KIM. SO AS PART OF, SO AS PART OF OUR EVALUATION PROCESS, I MENTIONED, WE WILL DEFINITELY BE WORKING WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE ON TRAINING FOR NOT ONLY THE MUSIC COMMISSION, BUT THE ARTS COMMISSION, HOPING TO DO THAT TOGETHER. WE ARE ALSO IN REVIEW OF OUR INTERNAL SYSTEMS. WHAT BARRIERS DO WE HAVE IN PLACE THAT PREVENT INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACCESS? WE WANT TO REDUCE THOSE BARRIERS. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR CONTRACTING PROCESS, OUR PAYMENT PROCESS INSURANCE, AND HOW DO WE ACTUALLY MONITOR OUR CONTRACTS? WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE REMOVE AS MANY ALL BARRIERS SO THAT EVERYONE IN ACCESS OUR PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, IN ADDITION, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 2023. AND AS PART OF THIS DIRECTION, EQUITY IS INGRAINED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN. AGAIN, AS KELLY MENTIONED, IT TALKS ABOUT RACE SHOULD NOT BE THE PRIMARY PREDICTOR OF OUTCOMES FOR ANYONE. AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS OF SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE EQUITY ACCESS AND INVESTMENT, THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, WHICH IS WHY TRAINING IS CRITICAL. NEXT SLIDE, KIM. SO WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP? SO YOU'VE ASKED WHAT ARE OUR DELIVERABLES, AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU TO HELP US INFORM AND OPERATIONALIZE YOUR CONCEPT OR IDEAS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US TOUGH WORK, BUT TOGETHER I KNOW WE CAN DO IT. SO AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING, COME BACK TOGETHER AND FOCUS ON WHERE ITEMS PARTICIPATION IN RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING, IDENTIFY THE TOP RACIAL EQUITY, PRIORITIES AND GOALS SPECIFIC TO THE AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY, IDENTIFY THE TOP NEEDS OF AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY TO ACHIEVE A RACIAL EQUITY, PRIORITIES AND GOALS, AND FINALLY PROVIDE HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATION ON THE USE OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND OTHER RESOURCES OF THE CITY AND POSSIBLY NON-CITY FUNDING TO PRESERVE AND SUSTAIN VENUES AND THE FEATURE. WHAT DO WE, [00:15:09] OKAY, WHERE DID I STOP? I'M SORRY, GRAHAM. SO I'LL START OVER ON THIS SLIDE. WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR FROM THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP IN Q4, WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING, IDENTIFY TOP RACIAL EQUITY, PRIORITIES AND GOALS SPECIFIC TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, IDENTIFY THE TOP NEEDS OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY, PRIORITIES AND GOALS, AND TO PROVIDE HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE USE OF THE LIVE MUSIC BAND AND OTHER SOURCES OF THE CITY. WHAT DO WE NEED OR LOOK FOR FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION? WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL IN THE FALL, UM, OR THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP ON THE LAB, MUSIC WORKING GROUP DELIVERABLES. AND ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WATCHED COUNCIL LAST NIGHT, BUT ITEM 62 COUNCIL HAS DIRECTED US TO COME UP WITH FUNDING AND IDEAS AROUND A SUSTAINABLE SPECIFIC THAN YOU FUND. SO WE NEED FOR YOU TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL ON LONGTERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. AND YES, CAME FOR YES, WE'RE UNDER THE GUN. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT DEBT. YOU ARE ALREADY DEDICATED, BUT WE WANT TO DEFINITELY HAVE MOVED QUICK, BUT MOVE STRATEGIC. AND EVEN IF THAT MEANS, SO NOW WE MAY NOT MAKE MORE BECAUSE WE NEED SOME MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSIONS THAT IS OKAY, BUT WANT TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM YOU BECAUSE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU GIVE NOW, OR THE IMMEDIATE RECOMMENDATION, WE WANT TO FEED THOSE INTO LONGTERM, UM, PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES. NEXT SLIDE, KIM. SO YOU HAVE YOUR TIMELINE. WHAT ARE WE DOING INTERNALLY, INTERNALLY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY, BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT FEEDBACK WITH YOU. WE'RE GOING TO, ONCE WE HEAR FROM YOU HAVE SOME DRAFT GUIDELINES TO BRING BACK TO NOT ONLY THE MUSIC AND ART, BUT THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION. AGAIN, THOSE FOUNDATIONAL GUIDELINES. AGAIN, EACH ONE WILL BE EXECUTED DIFFERENTLY JUST BECAUSE THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS. AND FINALLY, I Q ONE OF 2021, HOPEFULLY TO LAUNCH NEW PROGRAMS, NEW CURRENT ONES AROUND MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT, CULTURE ARTS, AND THE HISTORIC GRANT. AGAIN, WE HAVE ONE VOICE EXECUTION MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT NEXT LIKE HIM. SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. UH, IN TERMS OF DELIVERABLES FROM THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP, AS WELL AS THE MUSIC COMMISSION. I WANT IT TO WRAP UP MY PRESENTATION JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION RELATED TO THE HERE'S ACT OR COVERT FUNDED PROGRAMS THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS LAUNCHED. THIS INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE CITY COUNCIL'S WEBSITE UNDER QA, BUT HERE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT ACROSS ALL PROGRAMS, WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS TO MUSIC OR MUSIC, BUSINESSES, AND VENUES. NEXT SLIDE, KIM, WE HAVE A LIST OF THE MUSIC VENUES THAT RECEIVE SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS. I KNOW THERE WAS INFORMATION THAT MAYBE, UM, MUSIC THINGS DID NOT PARTICIPATE, BUT WANT IT TO PROVIDE YOU A SPECIFIC LIST. AND AGAIN, THIS INFORMATION IS LOCATED ON THE COUNCIL WEBSITE, BUT WE WILL ALSO UPLOAD THIS POWERPOINT TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S WEBSITE. NEXT SLIDE CAN NOT ONLY DID A MUSIC VENUES PARTICIPATE IN OUR SMALL BUSINESS GRANT, BUT EVEN THROUGH OUR ECONOMIC BRIDGE LOAN PROGRAM, THE VERY FIRST PROGRAM THAT WE LAUNCHED NEXT SLIDE, KIM CREATIVE SPACE, DISASTER RELIEF FUND. WHEN IT TO SHARE WITH YOU THE LIST OF THOSE WHO HAVE, WHO RECEIVED A GRANT THROUGH THAT PROGRAM. AND AGAIN, WE WILL SEND THIS OUT TO YOU, MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT GETTING IT OUT IN ADVANCE, UM, BUT WANTED TO, UH, UNDERSTAND WHAT TOOK PLACE LAST NIGHT BEFORE WE FINALIZED OUR POWERPOINT. NEXT SLIDE, KIM, AND THE [00:20:01] CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF REP. WE HAD OVER 5,000 APPLICATIONS, BUT WANTED TO JUST PROVIDE, UM, SOME HIGH LEVEL INFORMATION THAT OF THE APPLICANTS THAT WERE AWARDED, UH, OVER 1800, 389 OF THESE AWARDEES ALSO RECEIVE THE MUSIC DISASTER GRANT. IF YOU COULD SCROLL UP JUST A LITTLE BIT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ME REVIEW. OKAY. UM, WANT IT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE INDUSTRY AWARDS, AS YOU CAN SEE, WHERE 82% OF THOSE AWARDED THROUGH THE CREATIVE WORKER RELIEF GRANT WERE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, EITHER MUSICIANS OR SUPPORT STAFF, ET CETERA. AND THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, KIM, IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE SLIDE OF THE DELIVERABLES, I'M SURE THEY'RE GOING TO BE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. CHEER CARNEY FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU. SO WE CAN OPEN THIS UP TO QUESTIONS. SO AT THIS POINT, BEFORE WE GO INTO QUESTIONS, I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY SAY SO NOVIA, I'M JUST COMMEND YOU ON ALL THIS HARD WORK. UM, BASED ON WHAT YOU PRESENTED, UM, BEING A, BEING A BLACK WOMAN IN YOUR POSITION. I KNOW IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY. I KNOW FROM MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, UM, CHALLENGING, UM, THIS STATUS QUO AND THESE IN THESE SITUATIONS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE. SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE MY HAT OFF AND SEND A MUCH PROPS TO YOU FOR TAKING US ON AND BEING A LEADER, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, I KNOW IT HASN'T BEEN EASY. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT TO YOU FIRST OFF, THANK YOU. THE TRAINING, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY SET UP OR SOMETHING YOU SIGN UP FOR? WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS I WOULD LOVE TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF ASAP SO WE CAN PUT THIS CUE FOR A GOAL. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. GRAHAM. WE ARE ACTUALLY MEETING WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE THIS TUESDAY TO FINALIZE THE, UM, THE TRAINING DATES AND WE'LL GET THOSE BACK OUT AGAIN. MY GOAL IS TO HAVE BOTH COMMISSIONS TRAINED AT THE SAME TIME, BUT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY BY NEXT WEEK, WE'LL HAVE A SCHEDULE FOR YOU SO WE CAN GET THOSE ON THE BOOKS. BUT YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE A FOUNDATION FOR YOU THEN TO COME BACK WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PLEASE KNOW THAT ANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I LISTED, WE INSERTED EQUITY COMPONENTS WITHIN THE PROGRAM. SO IF YOU WANT AN UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT WAS INSERTED, WE DEFINITELY CAN COME BACK. IT WAS VETTED BY THE EQUITY OFFICE. SO, UM, WE HAVE BEGUN THE WORK AND A WILLINGNESS TO SHARE. THANK YOU, GRAHAM. OKAY. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE WORKING GROUP WOULD BE DOING THE TRAINING AT THE SAME TIME, IDEALLY, IDEALLY, YES. OKAY. AND I KNOW IT'S AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE, BUT THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PRESSURES AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF VENUES. UH, THIS INDUSTRY, WE KNOW WE'RE IN A, UM, A UNIT WE'VE NEVER LIVED THROUGH THIS. SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW, UM, WITH THE OPERATIONALIZATION OF, UH, THE FUND COULD LOOK. DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE GO AHEAD AND HAVE QUIRKY GROUPS GO AHEAD AND START TO MEET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY CAN GET THE TRAINING FIRST, OR IS THE TRAINING DESIGNED TO HAPPEN BEFORE THEY CAN MEET? IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE IT BEFORE, BUT BECAUSE OF OUR TIME CONSTRAINT, UM, IT MAY EVEN TAKE US AWHILE TO GET ON A DATE WITH ALL THE WORKING GROUP ITSELF. IF THEY COULD AT LEAST GET STARTED TO HAVE HIGH LEVEL CONVERSATIONS, THEN WE CAN CIRCLE BACK WITH SOME TRAINING. THAT'S WHY KELLY IS ON THE PHONE. SHE KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS. AND I KNOW THE EQUITY OFFICE IS STRETCHED IN, BUT WE ARE MEETING THIS TUESDAY AND WE'LL HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME DATES, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK. CORRECT. CAUSE I, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE WORKING GROUP TO START TO WORK AS SOON AS I POSSIBLY CAN TO MEET THIS AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE. SO THAT'S VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT WE CAN PROCEED. UM, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ARE, UM, RACIAL, UH, SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP TO SUPPLEMENT THE EXISTING EQUITY TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE CITY WITH, UM, [00:25:01] UH, WITH RESEARCH THAT IS SPECIFIC TO MUSIC. I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY OF, UH, PROFESSOR UIL AND HIS WORK ON WHITE SUPREMACY IN, UM, IN MUSIC THEORY AND MUSIC EDUCATION, UH, DOES THIS DO, DO WE FELLOW COMMISSIONERS THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO EDUCATE OURSELVES ON THAT IN ADDITION TO THE EQUITY ISSUES THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT UP BY THE CITY? I WOULD THINK THAT THAT, THAT SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP WOULD ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE SAME TRAINING, OBVIOUSLY. UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THE COMMISSION ITSELF NEEDS TO DO THE DEEP DIVE AS MUCH AS THE WORKING GROUP DOES. SO THE WORKING GROUP CAN THEN REPORT TO THE COMMISSION. WOULD YOU AGREE VICE CHAIR? MMM. I DON'T THINK, I THINK WHATEVER TRAINING WE CAN GET OFF, WE NEED TO GET OFF, GET IN, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP, UM, HAS SOME PLANS, SOME TENTATIVE PLANS TO BRING IN PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THE RACE AND THE HISTORY IN AUSTIN IN PARTICULAR, BUT ALSO, UM, MUSIC, MUSIC, HISTORY, BLACK HISTORY. UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO IN CONVERSATION WITH SYNOVIA AND, AND THE EQUITY OFFICE ABOUT DOING A TRAINING AS WELL. THERE'S A TRAINING CALLED UNDOING RACISM. THAT'S A POSSIBILITY. UM, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY AS MUCH TRAINING AS WE CAN, UM, IS GREAT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY THAT CAN PROVIDE A LOT OF BACKGROUND, UM, THAT ARE TRAINED. SO I THINK WHATEVER COMES FIRST, WE'LL ROLL WITH, UM, AS SL, NOBODY HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE, WHICH I AM 100%, UM, READY TO TAKE ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE CHANGES OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S 2020, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE IMPORTANT. LET'S DO IT, UM, REAL QUICK ABOUT THE TRAINING. THIS IS KELLY. UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A, YOU KNOW, A ONE AND DONE AND YOU'RE GOOD TO GO. EVERYTHING'S EQUITABLE, RIGHT? LIKE THE CHECK BOX. AND SO, UM, LIKE THE COMMISSIONER SAID IT WOULD PROBABLY BE WHO WAS TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AROUND THIS ISSUE AS WE CAN. AND, UM, BEFORE STARTING TO MAKE THE DECISION AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE HER TO SORT OF MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT YOU DO AS THE MUSIC COMMISSION FROM HERE ON OUT RIGHT FROM YOUR FOLKS. AGREED. SOUNDS GOOD. I'VE GOT ANOTHER QUESTION. EITHER PERSON, KELLY, IS THERE A HIGH LEVEL GOAL AND PLAN ON THAT, BUT WE OBVIOUSLY NEED SHORT TERM IMPACT AS WELL, BUT TAKING RACIAL EQUITY AS A LONGTERM GOAL. AND I'M CURIOUS IF THERE IS AN ACTUAL, LIKE IN 30 YEARS IN 10 YEARS, WHAT IS THE PARAMETERS WITHIN THE LONGER TERM RACIAL EQUITY PLAN IS WORKING UNDER I'LL LET KELLY ANSWER. I WANT TO SAY RACE IS NO LONGER A DETERMINANT PREDICTOR OF OUTCOMES. THAT IS YEAH, FOR SURE. SEE THAT, AS I'M CURIOUS, WHEN THE HOPE IS TO REACH THAT GOAL. IN OTHER WORDS, LIKE, ARE WE SEEING, IS THERE IS A 30 YEAR PLAN? IS IT THE 10 YEAR PLAN IS A HOWEVER LONG, HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES, IT MAKES ME WORRY THAT IT WON'T HAVE CONCRETE ENOUGH GOALS, AS OPPOSED TO EVERY FIVE YEARS. WE WANT TO SEE THIS BENCHMARK, THIS BENCHMARK UNTIL THE OWNERSHIP OF THE VENUES, THE PEOPLE ON THE STAGE, ALL OF THESE ACROSS THE BOARD. AND SO I WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, LOOK FOR THE COMMISSION TO KIND OF DETERMINE WHAT THREE TO FIVE YEAR STRATEGY WITHIN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE GOALS THAT WE WANT TO SEE. WE WANT TO SEE OWNERSHIP OF BUSINESSES, AT LEAST INCREASING EVERY YEAR, BASED ON THE TRAINING WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, ARE WE PROVIDING INFORMATION, ACCESS TO CAPITAL THAT, UH, BUSINESSES NEED, HOW ARE WE SERVICING OUR CREATIVE? AND SO WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING. WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT IT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GOAL. HOW DO WE PIVOT? HOW DO WE INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN ACCESS? AND HAVE WE QUANTIFIED THAT, LIKE IN YEAR ONE, WE WANT TO DO 10, 10% YEAR TO VISIT 20. WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT WHAT THAT PIVOT WOULD BE, UM, [00:30:01] IS THAT HAVE GRAM? YEAH, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY THINKS THAT IN THREE TO FIVE YEARS THAT AUSTIN, TEXAS IS GOING TO BE RACIALLY EQUITABLE AND I WOULD LOVE TO PUT A HIGH LEVEL SORT OF DEADLINES. SO WE MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THE GOAL IS 20 YEARS, BUT IN 10 YEARS, WE'RE HALFWAY, AT LEAST TOWARDS THE GOAL OF RACIAL EQUITY. UM, SO I THINK THAT WAS A, UM, A GREAT QUESTION. AND I THINK LIKE SYNOVIA SAID FOR, UM, SOUTHERN MUSIC COMMISSION LAW HAVE, UM, FREE REIGN TO DEVELOP THOSE METRICS RIGHT AROUND WHAT YOU GUYS FEEL LIKE, UM, CAN BE MET AND HOW AGGRESSIVE WE WANT TO, YOU WANT STAFF TO SUPPORT Y'ALLS WORK AROUND MEETING THOSE GOALS, RIGHT? SO Y'ALL ARE, WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW Y'ALLS LEADERSHIP AROUND THOSE PIECES AS THE EQUITY OFFICE THOUGH, WE HAVE, UM, PUSHED REALLY HARD TO TRY AND GET SOME, UM, SOME TIMELINES, RIGHT? AND I THINK THE PIECES ARE GONNA START TO COME TOGETHER BETTER. WE HAVE OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 20, 23 WITH SOME HARD METRICS, EQUITY AS AN ANCHOR IN THAT CLEAN. AND SO IF YOU EVER HAVE LIKE AN EXTRA HOUR, AND THAT MEANS NOT THAT YOU WOULD, UM, SO PULL THAT UP AND LOOK AT OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION, UM, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE LIFELONG LEARNING AND CULTURE OUTCOMES. AND, UM, AND I THINK THAT IF YOU PUT A MEASURE OF EQUITY IN THERE AND WE CAN STILL, UM, IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, IF RACE IS STILL THE MOST RELIABLE INDICATOR, THEN, THEN, UM, WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM. I THINK IT'S HARD TO PUT, UM, A TIME LIMIT ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT'S TAKEN HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO CREATE THE SITUATION. RIGHT. AND THINGS HAVE SORT OF CONCRETE WISED IN THAT TIME. AND SO WE, WE WORK IN THIS THING CALLED, UM, UH, COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS, RIGHT. AND IT'S THESE SYSTEMS THAT WILL EAT SOLUTIONS, UM, RIGHT. IT'LL EAT THE LANGUAGE WE USE TO TALK ABOUT IT. IT'LL, IT'LL START TO LOOK LIKE IT'S SOLVING THE PROBLEM WHEN, WHEN REALLY SORT OF PIVOTED TO CREATE THE SAME STATUS QUO OUTCOME. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO BE. UM, WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL AND WE, WE CAN'T JUST CREATE PROGRAMS, RIGHT. WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THE OVERALL SYSTEM. AND SO, UM, IT'S REALLY HARD, BUT I'M ALWAYS DOWN IF YOU WANT TO CONTACT US DIRECTLY TO THINK TOGETHER AROUND, UM, TRYING TO NAIL DOWN SOME SOMETIMES. BUT RIGHT NOW WE REALLY LOOK TO SD 20, 23, AND WE'RE GONNA START WORKING ON THE NEXT STRATEGIC DIRECTION. GREAT QUESTION. WE SHOUT OUT TO YOU KELLY, UH, FOR YOUR WORK AS WELL. UM, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SAID IS RIGHT ON POINT AND JUST LIKE A, YOU KNOW, SOME OVER THE SUMMER, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY EAT, EAT THE SOLUTIONS. I THINK THAT'S VERY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN IN TIME. YOU KNOW, YOU DESEGREGATE THE SCHOOLS AND PEOPLE JUST MOVE THEIR KIDS TO OTHER SCHOOLS OR MOVE OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHATEVER. SO WE KNOW THAT, UM, THIS IS A CHALLENGE, UM, THAT THE, THE, THE INSTITUTIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS COUNTRY WAS FORMULATED ON RACISM. UM, SO WE'RE STARTING AT THE VERY BEGINNING WITH THIS AS THE FOUNDATION AND THE ROOM THAT WE PLAYED BY. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW CHAIN TRYING TO CHANGE THAT. SO, UM, THANK YOU, KELLY, FOR CLARIFYING THAT AND ALSO FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK, UM, WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON. SO TO, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UM, I THINK AS A MUSIC COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE CHALLENGED WITH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GETTING PAID. THIS IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEER OUR TIME. SO WE JUST HAVE TO DO THE BEST WE CAN GRAM, UM, AND, UM, LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN CHANGE IN THE IMMEDIATE TIME. THERE ARE DEFINITELY CONCRETE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND SUGGEST AND RECOMMEND START THERE. SHE TO WORK ABSOLUTELY IN NO WAY TRYING TO PUT A TIME LIMIT. CAUSE I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK IN FIVE YEARS, IN 10 YEARS, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO GET TO RACIAL EQUITY. IT'S MORE TO PUT THE PRESSURE ON JUST LIKE WHEN THEY DO CAR EMISSIONS AND WE'RE GOING TO GET TO WHATEVER EMISSIONS BY 2035 OR 50, THAT'S ALL US, THAT'S ALL THAT. SO WE CAN JUST, WE CAN JUST COME UP WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER THE COMING MONTHS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL ON US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT, BUT WE WANT TO PUT DOWN IN TERMS OF THAT TIMELINE AND I'M DOWN TO DO THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S UP TO US. THAT IS DEFINITELY ON US. SO I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU CAN'T MEASURE IT, YOU CAN'T MANAGE IT. AND THERE ARE CERTAIN KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT INDICATE [00:35:01] EQUITY IN OUR MUSIC ECOSYSTEM. SO GRAHAM, YOU MENTIONED ONE OF THEM IS WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR VENUES ARE OWNED BY MINORITIES. ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE WHO IN THE AUDIENCE OF OUR CLUBS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO, UH, NOT, NOT JUST CLOTHES, BUT ALL, ALL KINDS, ALL KINDS OF VENUES. AND BY HAVING SOME TYPE OF CENSUS THAT WE COULD MEASURE ANNUALLY, WE'D BE ABLE TO, TO ANSWER SOME REALLY BIG QUESTIONS, LIKE DID THE COVID EPIDEMIC ONCE WE GET OUT OF IT, HOW DID THAT CHANGE? THE, UH, THE EQUITY OF MINORITIES IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS? WE DON'T KNOW. WE HAVE A S WE HAVE ONE CENSUS THAT WAS DONE SEVERAL YEARS AGO. IT WAS VERY BIG AND HEAVYWEIGHT, I THINK IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING LIGHTWEIGHT AND ANNUALLY, AND WE COULD PROBABLY GET THAT DONE ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION, I, WE CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU ON. AND EVERYBODY OUT THERE, THE WAY MINORITIES IS IT REFLECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR ALL THE MINORITY. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT TEXAS, WE HAVE NOT THE MINORITY ANYMORE IN AUSTIN AS WELL. UM, IF YOU COLLECT THE MEXICAN COMMUNITY TO COME IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, WE ARE NOT THE MINORITY. SO, UM, JUST EVEN THAT REPEATING BACK, BUT WITH A MINORITY IN TERMS OF WHO HOLDS THE POWER AND WHO HOLDS THE, UH, THE, UH, THE POSITIONS OF POWER, UH, BUT WE ARE NOT THE MINORITY IN TERMS OF NUMBERS. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T USE THAT WORD. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO NOT USE THAT WORD BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS, IT'S A FALSE, IT'S A FALSE TERM. WE ARE NOT THE MONEY. YEAH. IN THIS SITUATION. FAIR ENOUGH, PLEASE. BEAR WITH ME. I'VE GOT A LOT OF UNLEARNING TO DO. AND I THINK ALSO TO YOUR QUESTION, GRAHAM, OR SO A TIMELINE LIKE THAT COULD BE A DELIVERABLE OF THE, THE SYSTEMATIC RACISM WORKING GROUP. THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT GROUP CAN, CAN THINK ABOUT AND THEN PRESENT TO THE COMMISSION FOR SOME SORT OF DISCUSSION. UM, BUT I AGREE HAVING SOME SORT OF STANDARD TO HOLD IT OURSELVES TO, EVEN IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, 10 YEAR, 15 YEAR, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, UM, WILL PROBABLY HELP KEEP PRESSURE. CAUSE I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AFTER LISTENING TO LIKE MR. MACMILLAN, SPEAK ABOUT THIS ONGOING STRUGGLE ON HOW THE CITY HAS NOT COME THROUGH HISTORICALLY, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN FIVE OR 10 YEARS IS IN THAT SAME POSITION WHERE WE DISCUSSED DO STUDIES DISCUSS, DO STUDIES AND THEN THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE ALIGNED IN THAT MATTER. AND I'M CURIOUS IF WE, IF WE DO SET A 10, 10, 15, 20, 30 YEAR GOAL BEFORE WE'RE TIME OUT AND A LONG JOURNEY BACK, WE'LL BE PLAYING, I KNOW, OR LEADING. AND I THINK IT'S RIGHT TO LEAD WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER. AND THEN RAY PRICE IN GENERAL AND THE CURATORS, UH, IT'S AT SOME POINT WE WOULD PUT, ESPECIALLY IN MUSIC, GENDER, INTO THE EQUITY PLAN AND WHEN IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO START READING THAT. AND I THINK GENDER IS A, AN INDICATOR OR PREDICTOR OVERALL IN MUSIC, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN MEN AND SENIORS. UH, WE KNOW THAT GENDER IS A HEAVY PREDICTOR, UM, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO IN ANY WAY, NOT LEAD WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER AND NOT WITH RACE. I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO LEAD WITH THAT, BUT IF WE ARE MAKING A LONGTERM PLAN FOR EQUITY, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO START TO LOOK AT THAT AT SOME POINT. CAN I, UM, I'M NOT USED TO THE COMMISSION MEETINGS ONLINE QUITE YOU ALSO LET ME KNOW IF I'M OUT OF DECOR, BUT, UM, THIS IS KELLY. UH, SO, UM, I THINK THE RESPONSE FROM OUR OFFICE AROUND THAT, AND WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS ACTUALLY A LOT WITH LIKE THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION OR THE LGBTQ COMMISSION AND, UM, AROUND, UH, AROUND THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS. AND WE JUST ASK QUESTIONS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT GENDER, RIGHT, THERE'S, THERE'S WOMEN OF COLOR, RIGHT? THERE'S UM, BLACK WOMEN AND EVEN LIKE AN ISSUE, LIKE PAY EQUITY, RIGHT. WE LOOK ACROSS THE CITY, THE CITY SPECIFICALLY, UM, WE HAVE WHITE WOMEN THAT MAKE LESS THAN WHITE MEN ON THE DOLLAR. RIGHT. BUT IF WE LOOK, IF WE INTRODUCE, UM, RACE, WE SEE THAT BLACK MEN AND LATINO MEN MAKE LESS THAN WHITE WOMEN. RIGHT. AND SO WE'RE NOT JUST ONE THING. AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT IN TIMES OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, AND IF YOU LOOK AT ANY, ANY SORT OF, UM, PROGRAMMING, LIKE SMALLER MINORITY BUSINESS SUPPORT, OR HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED [00:40:01] BUSINESSES, UM, YOU WILL SEE THAT THE FOLKS THAT BENEFIT THE MOST FROM THOSE PROGRAMS ARE USUALLY WHITE WOMEN. RIGHT? SO WE DON'T, IF WE'RE NOT VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT, UM, BLACK AND INDIGENOUS FOLKS IN THE, IN THE, IN THE FRONT AND WE DON'T CENTER THEM, UM, WE COULD, WE COULD STAND A CHANCE OF SORT OF ISOLATING OR, OR, OR MAKING IT WORSE. RIGHT. AND SO IN CENTRAL, EVEN THOUGH IT'S LIKE THIS SUPERIOR GROWTH MODEL, RIGHT. AND YOU SIT HERE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY SOMETHING THAT HELPS EVERYONE ELSE, RIGHT. IT SUPPORTS EVERYONE ELSE TO SORT OF GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. EVERYONE ELSE SORT OF WINS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT HAVING THE WORST OUTCOMES. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? Y'ALL FOLLOW ME. YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S SHARE THAT. CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE IT. DOESN'T HAVE TO JUST BE ONE, RIGHT. IF YOU HAVE BLACK FOLKS AND BROWN FOLKS, THERE'S WOMEN, TRANS PEOPLE, QUEER FOLKS, YOU KNOW, POOR PEOPLE, UM, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ALL IN THAT GROUP AS WELL. RIGHT. YEAH. AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE COVERED IN THE UNDER RACISM TRAINING TOO. SO THANK YOU, KELLY. SO, UH, YEAH, MAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU. I'M SO GLAD THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE TO HELP CLARIFY SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE REALLY CLEAR IN SO MANY DIFFERENT, UM, BUT THIS CONVERSATION IS ONGOING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO HAVE IT AMONGST OURSELVES, BUT ALSO PUBLICLY. SO PEOPLE CAN BEGIN TO WRAP THEIR MIND AROUND THE DEEP ENTRENCHMENT OF THIS ISSUE. UM, AND, AND JUST GET MORE OF A, OF A COMPREHENSION OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. UM, YOU KNOW, SHOUT OUT TO NATASHA, TO MADISON AND CITY COUNCIL HEARD FOLKS SAYING THAT RACISM WAS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, THESE ARE, THESE ARE DEEP, DEEPLY ENTRENCHED THINGS THAT WE, WE NEED TO, UH, ADDRESS HERE IN THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND IN ALL SECTORS OF THE CITY. SO, UH, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US, UM, IN TERMS OF MUSIC COMMISSION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TIME TO STEP INTO THE NEXT PARTY AGENDA. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR SYNOVIA ABOUT WHAT SHE PRESENTED? YEAH, I DO. SO SOME OF YOU, GOSH, I APPRECIATE THOSE PRESENTATIONS SO MUCH. THEY REALLY CLARIFIES A LOT. UM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION, A QUESTION ABOUT, RIGHT. YOU'RE THINKING IN TERMS OF THAT, LIKE THE HIGH LEVEL OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE LIVE MUSIC, UM, LIKE HOW SPECIFIC THAT SHOULD BE, CAN IT, CAN IT BE THINGS AS IT WAS AS BROAD AS, UM, WE WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO EXPLORE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS OR DO WE NEED TO DRILL DOWN MORE AND GET REALLY SPECIFIC ABOUT HOW THAT WOULD WORK OR GO AHEAD. I LIKE THAT HIGH LEVEL, BECAUSE WHAT WE WILL THEN COME BACK IS WE'RE GOING TO OPERATIONALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE ARTICULATED TO US. SO YOU, THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SAY, UM, EXPLORE, UH, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, ENSURING THAT THERE'S AN EQUITY LENS. SO, UM, YOU MAY WANT US TO SEARCH OUT VARIOUS, UH, UM, PARTNERS THAT RECOGNIZE, UM, THE NEEDS OF VARIOUS SECTORS OR INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. UH, BUT AGAIN, HIGH LEVEL, NOT WANT PERCENTAGE HERE, PERCENTAGE OF NO, YOU JUST NEED HIGH LEVEL AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND GET FEEDBACK. CAUSE THAT'S THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. IT WILL NOT BE DONE IN A VACUUM BECAUSE WE NEED TO HEAR WHAT ARE THE NEEDS. SO IS THERE A NEED FOR TRAINING? YOU MAY HAVE A HIGH LEVEL GOAL TO SAY, WE WANT TO ENSURE MUSIC INDUSTRY TRAINING ACROSS THE WHOLE CONTINUUM, WHETHER THAT'S A PRODUCER, WHETHER THAT'S A WRITER, UM, WHETHER IT'S A SINGER, MAKE SURE THAT THE TRAINING COMPONENT REACHES DEEP IN COMMUNITY. THAT COULD BE A HIGH LEVEL. OKAY, ERICA, AND I'M ON BOTH THE PHONE AND ON VIDEO. SO I APOLOGIZE, BUT FOR THOSE PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AND OTHER FUNDING AROUND VENUE PRESERVATION, THAT ISN'T, THAT TIMELINE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE ESSENCE WHILE YOU'RE DOING THIS OTHER WORK AROUND PERMANENT GUIDELINES FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED TO COME BACK WITH SOME IDEAS FOR TARGETING IN A WE'LL START LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN START TARGETING THESE THESE FUNDS, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE ON THAT. UM, BECAUSE AFTER THAT WE'LL START FIGURING OUT, WELL, HOW DO YOU SPEND IT? WHAT ARE WE SPENDING IT ON THAT WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED TO COME BACK BY OCTOBER 1ST WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, FINDING THESE OTHER BUCKETS OF MONEY BESIDES [00:45:01] POTENTIALLY HOT FUNDS FOR, UH, VENUE PRESERVATION. SO THE COMMISSION IS GOING TO HAVE TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH LIVE MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP, UM, TO TRY TO COME UP WITH THESE, UM, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ESSENCE IS, YOU KNOW, ITEM 62 FROM LAST NIGHT THAT WAS PASSED IS REALLY HELPING US TO IDENTIFY AND LOOK AT THESE OTHER OPTIONS, UH, ACROSS THE CITY, OUTSIDE THE CITY, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BUILD THAT INTO OUR PLAN FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER, AND THEN HOW MONEY IS SPENT THEN THAT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, OF THE ESSENCE AS WELL, BUT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR THAT. AND SO NOVIA CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON ANY OF THAT. YEAH. SO IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE CITY STAFF TO DEFINITELY FIND THE FUNDS, BUT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU THOUGHTS AROUND SPENDING, WHAT SHOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? SHOULD IT BE, UM, AND I'M JUST HYPOTHETICALLY SAYING, MOVING THESE ALL VENUES, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, HOW SHOULD WE THINK HIGH LEVEL ABOUT THAT? WHAT DOES PRESERVATION LOOK LIKE? SHOULD IT BE MATCHED, UH, UH, WITH OUR FUNDS? SHOULD WE SEEK OUT TO ALL A VERY HIGH LEVEL? I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO MANY READY, CAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO OPERATIONALIZE THAT, COME BACK TO YOU OR FEEDBACK, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT THAT FEEDBACK HERE IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS OR SO ON THE HIGH LEVEL SIDE OF IT. SO THAT THAT FEEDBACK CAN BE REFLECTED AND WHAT WE REPORT BACK TO COUNCIL AS DIRECTED. OKAY. YEAH. WE MAY HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'LL DEFINITELY BE KEEPING IN CONTACT WITH THE CHAIR AS THINGS EVOLVE BECAUSE IT'S A FAST MOVING TRAIN. UM, UH, BUT WE WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS. IT WILL NOT BE DONE IN A BATHROOM. I REALLY WANT TO SAY THAT WE, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM UNITY. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU WELL WITH THAT. IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR SYNOVIA ON THE PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO, TO THE [3. OLD BUSINESS a. Discussion and possible action regarding Live Music Fund Working Group: Determine and direct updated deliverables related to the Live Music Fund, considering inter-divisional process led by EDD in coordination with the Equity Office.] IF EVERYBODY'S OKAY. SO THAT WOULD BE ALL BUSINESS SUSPICION OF POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP, DETERMINING DIRECT, UPDATED DELIVERABLES RELATED TO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, CONSIDERING INTER DIVISIONAL PROCESS LED BY EDD IN COORDINATION WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE. SO WE'RE ALREADY KIND OF IN THIS CONVERSATION. UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, TO HAVE A FIRM PLAN FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP. SO I OPEN THAT CONVERSATION UP TO ANYONE STARTS, UM, WELL, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT WE USE THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE PRESENTATION AS A ROADMAP, UM, AND REALLY PRIORITIZE THOSE THINGS. UM, WITHIN THAT WORKING GROUP, WE'VE DONE, UH, THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, DEFINE WHAT'S AN ARTIST, WHAT'S A VENUE, WHAT IS A MUSIC BUSINESS? UM, SO I THINK WE'VE GOT THAT STUFF ON LOCKDOWN NOW THAT, UM, NOW LOOKING AT THESE OTHER PRIORITIES THROUGH THE LENS OF EQUITY, I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE HIGHER UP ON THE AGENDA. SO I WOULD SAY THAT GROUP SHOULD TAKE UP, YOU KNOW, AS ERIC HAS ASKED, UH, TAKE THE VENUE PRESERVATION AS IT WAS OUR TOP PRIORITY AND LOOKING AT THAT IN A WAY THAT, I MEAN, WE HAD A CHANCE, I MEAN, THE KIND OF ENDEMIC HAS SORT OF PRESENTED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REIMAGINE HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS THROUGH EQUITY. YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE TO BUILD THESE VENUES BACK UP, EVERYBODY'S HURTING. UM, BUT WE CAN LOOK AT IT IN THIS NEW WAY WHERE WE'RE SEEING, HOW DO WE CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR VENUE OWNERS OF COLOR AND MUSICIANS OF COLOR AND EVERYONE WORKING IN THAT, IN THAT MUSIC INDUSTRY, PEOPLE DOING MUSIC MARKETING, UM, SO THAT EVERYTHING IS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIFTING PEOPLE UP, AS KELLY SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, LIFTING ALL BOATS, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO HELP ALL OF US IF WE ARE HELPING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING THE MOST. SO I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS A BIG, THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR THE WORKING GROUP IS TO TALK ABOUT VENUE PRESERVATION. UM, UM, I'M NOT SURE I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. UM, I THINK, UM, WE'RE NOT SURE ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU PRESERVATION MAY NOT BE THE BEST. I THINK WHERE WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT IS INNOVATIVE IDEAS, UM, THAT ARE GOING TO, UM, HELP JUST THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN GENERAL AND AUSTIN. AND I'M NOT SURE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING IF ANY PRESERVATION SHOULDN'T BE ON THE LIST, BUT I'M NOT SAYING I'M ALSO NOT SAYING THAT, UM, UH, UH, INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS, UH, NEED TO BE, YOU NEED TO BE ON THE TABLE. AND I WOULD SAY LIKE PRIORITIZING, [00:50:01] UM, FOLKS OF COLOR THAT HAVE INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR, UM, HOW TO, UH, CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS OF COLOR WITHIN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN GENERAL, CAUSE VENUE OWNERSHIP MAY NOT. FIRST OF ALL, VENUE OWNERSHIP IS LIKE ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT ASPECTS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ITSELF. WE ALREADY KNOW THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS IT'S JUST A TOUGH BUSINESS PERIOD. WHAT ARE YOUR ARTISTS, WHATEVER PART YOU'RE IN THE VENUE OWNERSHIP SPECIFICALLY IS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING IT'S LIKE OPENING A RESTAURANT OR ANYTHING. IT'S A VERY TOUGH BUSINESS. WE'RE VERY SMALL MARGINS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING, UH, PUTTING OUR EMPHASIS ON THAT OLD MODEL, WHICH ISN'T QUITE HOW DATED, BUT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED. UM, I'M NOT SURE IS, IS THE WAY TO GO. I REALLY FELT LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, TARGETING THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND, AND FIGURING OUT PEOPLE WITH INNOVATIVE MODELS TO CREATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, CREATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, TO CREATE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES, UM, WHAT WE SHOULD REALLY BE LOOKING AT BECAUSE THERE ARE ANSWERS OUT THERE. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO DO WITH PHYSICAL SPACE, BUT THERE ARE ALL THAT ARE ACTUALLY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE DIVERSE ENGAGEMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO, UM, WHAT I'M MOST INTERESTED IN WITH THESE FUNDS IS FINDING WAYS TO GET RESOURCES TO THOSE THAT, THAT HAVE IDEAS THAT ARE WORKING THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING RIGHT NOW THAT COULD USE MORE FUNDS AND ALSO, UM, PROVIDING FUNDS TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE STARTUP OR, OR, OR HAVE INCUBATOR IDEAS, UM, FOR WAYS THAT, UM, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR CAN BENEFIT FROM THE, UH, THE AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY AND FIND ENTREE INTO THE AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY. UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TALKING ABOUT OPPORTUNITY AND OUR BEST OPPORTUNITIES MAY NOT BE IN, UH, OPENING A VENUE OR CREATING A VENUE THAT IS BLACK, BUT IT MAY BE IN OTHER SPACES. SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT. DOES ANYBODY ELSE FROM THAT WORKING GROUP WANT TO CHIME IN? CAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, FROM THE OUTSIDE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST HISTORICALLY THE BEGINNING OF THAT CONVERSATION, THERE WERE TWO, TWO CAMPS, ONE CAMPUS SAYING LET'S USE THESE HOT FUNDS FOR PRESERVATION AND THEN ANOTHER CAMP SAYING, NO, THAT'S NOT HOW IT WAS DESIGNED. IT WAS DESIGNED TO TRY TO SUSTAIN THE INDUSTRY. SO I THINK THE WORKING GROUP IS STILL GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE THAT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. UM, AND I KNOW THAT THE SITUATION HAS GOTTEN INCREASINGLY WORSE AS TIME HAS GONE ON, OBVIOUSLY. SO NOW THERE'S MORE OF A CALL FOR THAT HOT FUND TO BE USED FOR VENDING PRESERVATION. BUT I AGREE THAT WAS NEVER PROBABLY THE INTENT OF THAT, BUT IT'S, I'M, I'M OPEN TO WHEREVER THAT WORKING GROUP COMES UP WITH AND PRESENTS TO THE COMMISSION. YOU KNOW, I'M UP TO THERESA THAT WITH AN OPEN MIND, I DON'T HAVE A PRECONCEIVED WAY. I THINK IT HAS TO HAPPEN. AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THE WORKING GROUP. UM, BUT THE POINT IS AT THIS POINT, IF THERE IS ANY PRESERVATION TO BE, TO BE DONE WITH THAT FUND, AND IF CITY STAFF HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING BY OCTOBER 1ST, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT, THAT WORKING GROUP MEET AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. ERICA, WELL, NIVEA. YEAH. YEAH. SO IF I COULD JUST INTERJECT, SO YOU HAVE THE LIVE MUSIC FUN, AND THIS IS JUST A, I'M JUST GOING TO THROW IT OUT THERE. THE LIVE MUSIC FRONT COULD POSSIBLY WORK ON THAT FUN LOOKING LONGTERM. THEN THE MUSIC COMMISSION COULD KIND OF LOOK AT A PRESERVATION FUND BECAUSE IT COULD, THE PRESERVATION FIRM MAY NOT USE HOT AND MAY USE OTHER IDEAS OR OTHER PARTNERSHIPS AND PRIVATE FUNDING. SO YOU COULD LOOK AT IT AND TO LET THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP WORK ON THAT LIVE MUSIC, FUN, THE SCORING, AND THEN LOOK AT PRESERVATION THEN SEPARATELY. JUST A THOUGHT. YEAH, MY, MY POINT WAS THAT IF, IF THAT FUN, IF THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP, THE SIZE OF THAT FUND SHOULD BE USED FOR PRESERVATION, WE NEED TO GET THAT INTO THE MIX IMMEDIATELY. AND IF NOT, THAT'S A SEPARATE CONVERSATION. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. UM, AND WE'VE, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN COUNCIL WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU AND FROM THE COMMUNITY TO DETERMINE THAT, YOU KNOW, TO HELP INFORM STAFF, BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER BUCKETS, IT'S NOT ALL DEPENDENT ON HOT FENCE. AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, KEEP IN MIND THAT THE HOT PLANS WILL BE CONTINUING LIKE 10 YEARS FROM NOW. WE NEED GUIDELINES FOR THOSE HOT FUNDS, YOU KNOW, FOR [00:55:01] FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, YOU KNOW, AND SO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP REALLY NEEDS TO THINK OF A LONGTERM STRATEGY FOR THOSE CONTINUING DOLLARS THAT ONCE WE DO RECOVER, ONCE TOURISM DOES RECOVER, THOSE COPPERS WILL START FEELING UP AGAIN. AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF VISION AND PERMANENT IN IT WAS THOUGHT AROUND SOME GUIDELINES AND, UH, AND RACIAL EQUITY TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT, UM, GOING FORWARD. AND SO IT IS KIND OF BOTH, BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF SEPARATE AND IT MAKES IT COMPLICATED. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THE WORKING GROUP IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY TO SUSS OUT THOSE IDEAS, RIGHT, OCTOBER ONE IS TOO FAST. THEN WE KNOW, GIVE US, GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHEN YOU COULD COME BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, SORRY, KEVIN DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF. UH, SO ERICA, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN, A TWO RECOMMENDATIONS TO COME FROM THE WORKING GROUPS, ONE CENTERED ON THE VENUES PRESERVATION, AND THEN THE LONGER TERM ONES. WELL, IT'S UP TO YOU GUYS TO DECIDE MAYBE YOU WANT ANOTHER WORKING GROUP THAT FOCUSES JUST ON THE VENUE PRESERVATION COMPONENT, OR I'M GOING TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT THIS DISCUSSION IS GOING TO HELP WITH TODAY. DECIDE WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THIS? BECAUSE, UM, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TWO WORKING GROUPS, GOT TWO WORKING GROUPS. NOW THERE'S A CURRENT OF THEME THROUGHOUT ALL OF THESE WORKING GROUPS IN TERMS OF RACIAL EQUITY, BUT THIS IS A SLIGHTLY SEPARATE ISSUE THAT WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED BY COUNCIL ON. SO I LEAVE. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? YEAH. IT'S NOT NEEDING TO HEAR FROM YOU. I PERSONALLY THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT. UM, UM, DEVELOPMENT MEANS, YOU KNOW, UH, ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AND IT ALSO MEANS EDUCATION. SO ME PERSONALLY, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, VENUE OWNERS DURING EVENT VENUE OWNERSHIP IS DEFINITELY ON THE TABLE FOR SURE. UM, UH, AND PRESERVATION SHOULD BE ON THE TABLE, BUT I FELT LIKE THE BIGGEST ISSUE FACED BY, UH, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IS ACCESS, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS ABOUT RESOURCES AND THAT'S ABOUT THAT'S ABOUT EDUCATION. AND I FELT LIKE, UM, AS LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP, WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE THOSE THINGS. THOSE ARE MY PERSONAL THAT'S. MY PERSONAL FEELING IS FOCUSING ON DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE COMMUNITIES. UM, UH, AND, AND, AND EDUCATION IS A BIG PART OF THAT, BUT ALSO, UM, RESOURCES, UM, EITHER GRANT FUNDING OR, UM, YOU KNOW, LOANS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATE AN INCUBATE, THEIR IDEAS. CAUSE LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE ALREADY DOING INNOVATIVE THINGS, DOING THINGS THAT ARE BENEFITING, UM, MUSICIANS AT CARLA, UM, INCLUDING MYSELF, BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS THAT ARE DOING THINGS THAT ARE HAVING AN IMPACT, UM, THAT STILL ARE NOT GETTING THE RECOGNITION AND RESOURCES AND, UM, UM, COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT IS NEEDED FOR THOSE THINGS TO GROW. UM, AND THIS, UH, I FEEL LIKE FUN SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE IDEAS, UM, THAT, UM, ARE ACTUALLY HAVING IMPACT AND HELPING THOSE PEOPLE GROW THOSE THINGS. AND ALSO LOOKING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING TO HAVE AN IMPACT THAT HAVE BEGINNINGS OF IDEAS FOR THINGS THAT, UM, CAN BENEFIT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND MUSIC AND SHOULD BE SUPPORTING THEM AS WELL THROUGH EITHER EDUCATION OR AGAINST SMALL GRANTS OR JUST JUST GENERAL FUND ALLOCATION. SO ARE WE TALKING THEN RICK, UH, CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS VINNIE PRESERVATION? WHAT I'M TAKING IS, YOU KNOW, THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP HAS THIS MISSION, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD THEIR, THEIR MARCHING ORDERS AT THIS POINT. THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR SPOKE IS. THAT'S ONE BUCKET, RIGHT. THAT MAY OR MAY NOT INCLUDE VENUE PRESERVATION IF IT DOES GREAT, IF IT DOESN'T THAT'S OKAY TOO, BUT WE HAVE A VERY, VERY, VERY, I CAN'T SAY VERY ENOUGH PRESSING ISSUE WITH ANY PRESERVATION. THAT IS OUR CHALLENGE AS COMMISSION OUTSIDE THAT WORKING GROUP. SO IF WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION TO HELP STAFF BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST, UM, I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO THEN IS SCHEDULE AS OPPOSED TO STARTING ANOTHER WORKING GROUP, SCHEDULE OUR NEXT MEETING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND MAKE THAT THE ONLY AGENDA THAT WOULD BE WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST WELL CAN CAN'T DO THAT IN TWO HOURS RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE MUSIC VENUE ALLIANCE WORKING ON THIS 24 HOURS A DAY ALL YEAR. WE HAD THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT WORKING ON THIS EVERY DAY, ALL YEAR. SO I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING FROM CITY IS THAT THE PRIVATE AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR HAVEN'T [01:00:01] MERGED LANES ON A RECOMMENDATION NECESSARILY, AND CITY COUNCIL'S ASKING FOR IT IN HOURS FROM NOW. SO HOW DO WE CONVENE WHAT CODY CALLAN AND REBECCA REYNOLDS ARE WORKING ON WITH OUR INTENTIONS? CAUSE I, I, I SUPPORT WITH SHAKA SAYING IS THAT HOLISTIC LOOK AT, AT ADI WITH VENUES. IT'S REALLY NOT THE ISSUE RIGHT NOW WHEN THERE ARE VERY BARELY A FRACTION OF LATIN OWNED OR BLACK OWNED OR ASIAN OWNED VENUES. SO NOT PRESERVED IN EDI AND PRESERVING VENUES. SO I THINK AGAIN, FROM WHAT WE HEARD FROM COUNCIL IS THE INDUSTRY ITSELF, PRIVATE PUBLIC SECTOR NEEDS TO PUT A RECOMMENDATION FORWARD AND THE LIVE MUSIC COULD BE ENGAGED IN THAT TOO. IS THAT RIGHT? SO NAVY IT, MY, YEAH, YOU COULD LOOK AT IT THAT WAY. UM, UM, YEAH, YOU COULD LOOK AT IT. UM, LET THE LIVE MUSIC FUN WORK ON LONGTERM, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND NOW WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR VENUE PRESERVATION? HOW SHOULD THAT LOOK? BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE ON THE CITY SIDE, LOOKING FOR OUTSIDE HELP. DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THAT? WHO COULD COME TO THE TABLE? WHO COULD WE PARTNER WITH, ET CETERA, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS AROUND THAT, I KNOW IT'S A LOT. AND AS SOON AS WE GET A CLEANED UP COPY OF 62, WE WILL SEND IT TO YOU BECAUSE IT IS TWO ITEMS. IF YOU HAVE THAT LIVE MUSIC, ONE WORKING GROUP ALREADY WORKING, AND NOW WE'VE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THIS COVERT WORLD. UM, SO YOU COULD CHARGE THEM, ASK THEM, OR YOU COULD ALMOST UP LOOK AROUND WITHIN THE MUSIC COMMISSION. ALSO LOOK AT IT. I DEFINITELY AGREE THAT THE LIVE MUSIC OR CONSIGN SHOULD WE SHOULD FUND INNOVATION. IT DOES SOUND LIKE, UM, WE DO NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT VENEERS AND, AND THAT FUNDING. AND THAT MIGHT BE A REALLY SHORT CONVERSATION WHERE WE JUST SAY, HEY, HAVE A SITTING IN SELECT FOR THIS MONEY SOMEWHERE. IT'S NOT COMING FROM HERE. WE KNOW THERE'S OTHER POCKETS. WE KNOW THAT'S BEING WORKED ON. AND WE, WE RECOMMEND, UM, YOU KNOW, AS THE MAYOR HAS DONE THAT, THAT THE CITY, BUT THE FACT, YOU KNOW, DO THIS WORK BY LOOKING ELSEWHERE, BUT WE HAVE OTHER PLANS FOR THIS TIME. SO, I MEAN, I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, LIKE LET'S GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY WHEN THE NEXT TIME TO WORK IN GROUP MEETS AND WE CAN PASS THAT RECOMMENDATION ON HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME IN THE FUND. CURRENTLY, I BELIEVE IT'S ABOUT THE PROJECTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR. WE WOULD BE UP TO ALMOST THREE TO 4 MILLION ISH. IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE, I'LL LOOK IT UP. YEAH. AND KEEP IN MIND THAT AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG COMMISSIONER YOU'RE THAT THOSE VENUE, LOCAL VENUE GROUPS ARE ASKING FOR AT LEAST 20 MILLION TO TRY TO SUPPORT THE VENUES AND THAT'S EVEN KIND OF A STOP GAP. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE NUMBER IS, BUT IT'S 10 MILLION AND UP. YEAH. SO EVEN, EVEN IF THE WORKING GROUP WERE TO SAY, WE WANT TO USE THIS FOR VENUE PRESERVATION, IT'S NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH TO COMPLETE THAT GOAL. SO WE NEED ANOTHER, ANOTHER PLAN OF ATTACK, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT TAKES IN, YOU KNOW, FROM THESE STAKEHOLDERS, WHAT THEY NEED AND WHAT THE PRICE TAG ON THAT. AND THEN PUSH THAT FORWARD TO COUNCIL ON THE SAME. WE NEED THIS MUCH MONEY FOR THIS PURPOSE. AND I THINK IF WE CAN GET THOSE, THOSE STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO GIVE US A PRELIMINARY PLAN, WE CAN LOOK AT IT, JUST SPELLS IT, TWEAK IT POSSIBLE OR NEEDED, AND THEN PASS THAT ON TO STAFF TO PASS THAT ON TO COUNCIL. THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE. THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT THIS, THE MORE I AM THINKING WE NEED TO SEPARATE THE VENUE PRESERVATION. NOW THREE TO 4 MILLION IS NOT GOING TO MAKE AN EQUITABLE CITY OR SAY VENUES AND SPLITTING IT UP AND SPLITTING IT UP AND SPLITTING IT UP IS GOING, IT'S JUST SCROLL, SCROLL DEPTH FOR ALL OF THAT. IF IT DOESN'T WORK IN MY MIND TOWARDS EITHER GOAL. AND SO GIVEN OUR SHORT TERM TURNAROUND, UH, AND GAMBLING, THIS IS A 24 HOUR CONVERSATION FOR THE VENUES. IT'S A 24 HOUR CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUITY. AND, BUT THEY'RE BOTH LONG TERM PLANS, [01:05:01] BUT THE COVID HAS MADE THE VENUE THING VERY, VERY IMMEDIATE CRISIS. AND THE RACIAL EQUITY THING IS BOTH IMMEDIATE AND SUPER LONG TERM. IT'S LIKE THE REST OF OUR LIVES CAN WORK IN THE MORE WE DO WANT TO NOW THE, UM, BUT SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT EQUITY OR WITHOUT MENUS. AND ANYWAY, I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE DO MAKE A WORKING GROUP TO TRY IT, TO TAKE THAT WEIGHT OFF THE, THE WORKING GROUP A LITTLE BIT BACKWARD GROUP WORK ON SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE, FUN, UH, MUSIC COMMUNITY AND THE INDUSTRY OVERALL. WELL, ANOTHER GROUP WORKS ON SHORT VENUE PRESERVATION THING, WHICH HAS GOTTEN POINTS OUT RECANTED IN THE SHORT TERM. REALLY IT'D BE A CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUITY IN A DIRECT WAY. YEAH, WELL, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE STARTING TO ALIGN HERE THEN I THINK WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP, BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE IMMEDIATE, RIGHT. IT WOULD HAVE TO BE LIKE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. AND I WOULD WANT THOSE VENUE STAKEHOLDERS TO BE A VERY BIG PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP, AS OPPOSED TO JUST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THEY HAVE TO BE SOMEBODY THAT'S IN THE VENUE BUSINESS AND SOMETHING VERY, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S NEEDED AND WE CAN MEET QUICKLY PUT TOGETHER SOME SORT OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND PRESENT THAT THAT WOULD BE, I GUESS MY, MY ULTIMATE GOAL THERE, I'M HAPPY TO BE ON A WORKING GROUP SO WE CAN TAKE THAT OFF, ARRIVED MUSIC, UH, FUND AND MOVE THIS FORWARD QUICKLY. THINK, UM, WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS SHORT TERM ABOUT VENUES AND THEIR, UM, THEIR HIRING PRACTICES, THEIR BOOKING PRACTICES. WE CAN SET UP SOME TYPE OF WAY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE, THE FIRE CODE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO CERTAIN THINGS FOR THE FIRE CODE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY SO MANY PEOPLE THAT CAN BE IN HERE AND DOES IT, I THINK WE CAN ALSO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I RECOMMEND THE VENUES THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN EQUITABLE VENUE. UM, THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN EQUITABLE VENUE. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS PERCENTAGE OF, OF GENRES OR THIS PERCENTAGE OF, UH, COMMUNITY COLOR ARTISTS ARE FEATURED AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEM IN A SENSE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, REPORT ON THAT, UH, MAKE IT, UH, MAKE IT A, UM, ANNUAL THING OR A MONTHLY THING OR A QUARTERLY THING WHERE THEY HAVE TO REPORT ON, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, UH, BANDS OF COLOR DID YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF YOUR STAFF OR PEOPLE OF COLOR, HOW MANY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DIFFERENT JOBS AS TO WHAT DIFFERENT JOBS ARE BEING REPRESENTED SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO LOOK AT, UH, HOW THESE PLAYING OUT AT EACH VENUE AND REALLY ENCOURAGE THEM, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, TOW THIS LINE. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN RECOMMEND, UM, AS, AS YOU'RE ALIVE, HE'S A GREAT, OR HAS A MUSIC COMMISSION, UM, TO HOLD THESE VENUES ACCOUNTABLE. UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S GAPS IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I THINK THAT WE CAN DO AS A MUSIC COMMISSION OR AS A SUB GROUP OR WHATEVER. BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN COME UP. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK, UH, IN EXCHANGE FOR CITIES SAVING THE VENUES, THE THERE CAN BE, UH, AN ASK FOR A LONGTERM EQUITY PLAN FOR THOSE VENUES AS WELL. CERTAINLY IT'S WOVEN INTO EVERY PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO IMPLY THAT IF WE TALK ABOUT RENT, THEN YOUR PRESERVATION AND EQUITY, ISN'T PART OF THE CONVERSATION. BUT JUST RECOGNIZING THAT IF WE SAVE THE CURRENT VENUES, THE CURRENT OWNERSHIP DOESN'T REFLECT EQUITY, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T, UH, WORK TOWARDS THAT PRESERVATION. YEAH. ONE OF MY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE PRESENTATION TODAY THAT IS THE CITY IS TRYING TO MOVE TOWARDS A CONSISTENT OVERLAY FOR ALL PROGRAMS. AND THIS CAN BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. UM, CAUSE I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HAVING, HAVING IT BE UNIFORM I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, SO THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. AND SO THAT ONE INDUSTRY IS NOT GETTING A DIFFERENT DEAL THAN ANOTHER INDUSTRY. I THINK THEY ALL SHOULD BE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARD OF GOOD. MY REMAINING QUESTIONS ARE MAINLY FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE LINE, MUSIC WORKING GROUP. WHAT ELSE? BEATS SIDE. SO NOVIA IS TIMELINE AND DELIVERABLES. DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ON YOUR SIDE, ESPECIALLY IF WE TAKE A VENUE PRESERVATION [01:10:01] OFF YOUR PLATE, NOT THAT YOU CAN'T ALSO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT AS A PRIMARY FOCUS. AND SO THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION. SECOND IS ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO BE ON A WORKING GROUP, UH, FOR VENUE PRESERVATIONS AND WE CAN TRY THEM IN A MEETING IN THE NEXT MONDAY OR SOMETHING WITH THE BENEFITS, NOT IT I'LL JOIN IT. ROSENTHAL DOUGLAS, GRAHAM REYNOLDS, AND GAVIN GARCIA. COOL. DO YOU WANT TO PUT THAT FORWARD FOR OUR MOTION? BENNY PRESERVATION WORK. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A SECOND, SECOND? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR. ALL OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES. WE NOW HAVE ANOTHER WORKING GROUP AT THE LIVE MUSIC A LOT. I ACTUALLY TAKE LIVE MUSIC THAT WE HAD THE VENUE PRESERVATION WORKING GROUP. UM, AND WE CAN START THINKING ABOUT THOSE MEMBERS THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED, CAN START THINKING ABOUT WHO YOU WANT TO INVITE TO THAT, GET THAT LIST TOGETHER VERY QUICKLY. AND HOPEFULLY LIKE, LIKE GRAHAM SAID, MOBILIZED MONDAY OR TUESDAY AND ANOTHER MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING ON THE BOOKS AS SOON AS WE CAN AS WELL AND HAVE THAT BASICALLY BE THE MAIN AGENDA ITEM OF THAT NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE CAN GET INFORMATION TO STAFF BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST. I, I WILL, UH, I WILL SEND OUT AN EMAIL THIS AFTERNOON TO ARRANGE THAT. SO I STILL HAVE A QUESTION FOR SHOTGUN AND CHARLOTTE AND GAVIN. WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM US SO THAT YOU'RE WORKING CONTINUE ON WHY I THINK WE'RE READY. I THINK WANTS TO CHAIR A CONTACTS, CALENDAR, WEDDINGTON SET A DATE WITH KIM, THEN WE'LL BE BACK IN BUSINESSES WITH THE CDI OVERLAY, UH, AS, AS STATED THE GOALS ARE SUCCINCT AND DESCRIBE EXACTLY THE PRIORITY AND GOAL THAT STAFF IS LOOKING FOR. YEAH, I AGREE. I THINK THIS IS ABOUT HAVING A CONVERSATION. I THINK OCTOBER 1ST IS DEFINITELY AMBITIOUS, BUT I ALSO HEARD YOU GUYS SAY THAT IT CAN COME AFTER THAT. I THINK A GOAL WOULD BE LIKE EARLY NOVEMBER, UH, AT THE LATEST FOR US TO COME UP WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, DOABLE, UH, MAYBE PERHAPS HE MAY, BUT, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE THE MARCHING ORDERS AND I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT RICK, WHEN YOU REACH OUT TO, UM, CATLIN AND, UH, THAT THEY WATCHED THIS SUGGESTED THEY WATCHED THIS DISCUSSION, UM, I KNOW IT'S BEING RECORDED. YOU CAN GIVE THEM THE SPECIFIC TIME THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP THAT THEY BLACKNESS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, COMING TO THE MEETING, UM, AND LOOK AT THE, UM, WHAT WAS, WHAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED BY SYNOVIA AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOR THAT WE CAN HIT THAT GROUND RUNNING WHEN WE DO MEET SOUNDS GREAT. AND I WILL DEFINITELY CONTACT CHEER RINGTONE AS SOON AS THIS MEETING CONCLUDES. JUST TO TRY TO GET THAT IN MOTION. UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM AT YOUR NEXT MEETING? DO YOU WANT, I COMMITTED TO HAVING AN RFI SO I CAN MAKE IT A HABIT, MAKE IT A FIVE OR 10 MINUTE UPDATE. I JUST WANT US COMMITMENT. YEAH, WE'LL DEFINITELY GET, WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE TIME FOR SOME STAFF DATE WITHIN THAT. UM, BUT I THINK LIKE TODAY HAVING A VERY LIMITED AGENDA HAS BEEN VERY PRODUCTIVE FOR US, SEEMS TO BE A GOOD, A GOOD WAY RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE BIG ASK WITH SHORT AMOUNTS OF TIME TO TRY TO NARROW DOWN AND DRILL DOWN AS FAST AS WE CAN. UH, I THINK TODAY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY PRODUCTIVE AT LEAST AS FOR ME. UM, SO THAT'S FANTASTIC. SO WITH THAT, WE CAN [3. NEW BUSINESS a. Discussion and possible action on nominating a Music Commissioner to the Downtown Commission.] GO TO OUR ONE ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS AND THAT WOULD BE THREE, A DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ON NOMINATING AND MUSIC COMMISSIONER TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. UH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION HAS BEEN ASKING US NOW FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS TO TRY TO FILL THIS POSITION AND WE'VE TRIED AND TRIED AND TRIED. UM, AND I TALKED TO COMMISSIONER ROBINSON. HE HAS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO VOLUNTEER HIMSELF. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOUG. THIS IS VERY, VERY BIG. UH, I THINK EVEN NOW WITH IT, I THINK THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, WE'LL BE TALKING A LOT ABOUT VENUE PRESERVATION. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S A MAIN POINT OF THEIRS ALONGSIDE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PARALLEL TO WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO HAVING [01:15:01] A VOICE FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND ESPECIALLY SOME ORPHAN IS INVALUABLE IN THAT. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. UH, WE JUST NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE FORMALLY NOMINATED BEFORE, BEFORE WE DO THAT. UM, I, I WANT TO ASK AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT GONNA BLOCK THE NOMINATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THE DOWNTOWN COMMITTEE COMMISSION, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER, ISN'T IT? NO, NO, IT'S NOT. GO AHEAD, SYLVIA. NO, THEY TALK ABOUT, UM, A VARIETY OF CONCERNS, WHETHER IT'S SIXTH STREET, CONGRESS, UH, UH, KEY, ALL KINDS OF SAFETY. SO IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SEEING A LOT OF, I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS BUILD THE CONVENTION CENTER. THEN I ALSO HEAR DON'T BUILD THE CONVENTION CENTER AND IT'S A REALLY POLITICAL ISSUE. AND I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, I BROKE THE UP BEFORE COMMISSIONER LEVISTON TAKES THAT ON. I WANT TO HEAR IT. YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE THERE'S BIG POLITICS AROUND THAT. YEAH. I WOULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE AGENDAS, UM, FROM THE LAST SIX MONTHS, JUST TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT. YEAH. IT'S MY, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. WE HAVEN'T MET IN A WHILE EITHER BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT THEY'VE NOT MET IN SOME TIME OR DID THEY MEET? OF COURSE. SO FOR ME, BUT THERE WERE, THEY HAD BEEN ASKING US AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER TO GET, UM, SOME SORT OF REPRESENTATION FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION. SO DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONER, DO WE HAVE A SECOND, SECOND? AWESOME. ALL IN FAVOR, ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. UH, THAT GETS US TO FEATURE, SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ANYTHING, ANYTHING DOUG? WELL, I DON'T GET A MICROPHONE. I'M A DRUMMER. SO, UH, REMAIN QUIET USUALLY BEFORE COVID LIFE. UM, NO, I, I APPRECIATE THE NOMINATION FROM RICK. UM, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOWNTOWN AS A MUSICIAN AND AS A TALENT BUYER. UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT THE WORK THAT WE COULD BE DOING IS GOING TO AFFECT, UM, THE COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS. UH, THIS IS NOW A TIME TO REALLY, UH, PUT IN A LOT OF THOUGHT AND ENERGY INTO WHAT THE DOWNTOWN IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, UM, TO JUST QUICKLY, UH, REFERENCE WHAT WARREN WAS SAYING. UM, I DO BELIEVE THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER VOTED TO CONTINUE FORTH WITH REBUILDING THE CONVENTION CENTER OR THE RENOVATIONS. UM, AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHY WE WERE GIVEN A LIVE MUSIC WORK OR LIVE MUSIC FUND. SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THAT. WHATEVER IS GOING TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO MUSICIAN'S HANDS AND THAT COMMUNITY I'M IN FAVOR OF, UM, YEAH, I'M, I'M HERE FOR SUGGESTIONS. I WANT US, UH, I'M OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY. IF ANYONE WANTS TO TALK TO ME, MY NUMBER AND EMAIL IS ON THE CITY WEBSITE, UM, UNDER THE COMMISSION MUSIC COMMISSION. SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH WHATEVER CONCERNS OR HOPES THAT YOU HAVE. UM, I'M A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU. CAN I, CAN I SUGGEST THAT YOU, UH, USE YOUR POWER THERE TO STOP THE HARASSMENT OF CLUBS ON RAINY STREET? WHAT'S ONCE PERFORMANCE HAS HAPPENED AGAIN, THE OH, THE POLICE HARASSMENT. YEAH. I WAS WORKING ON THAT PRIOR TO COVID AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY NONE OF THOSE VENUES ARE OPEN, SO IT, UH, TEMPORARILY RESOLVED THE ISSUE, BUT, UM, ONCE WE GET SOME CLUBS OPENED BACK UP, BUT THAT WILL BE A PRIORITY OF MINE. IT'S S YEAH. WE'RE LOOKING, LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT REPORTS FROM YOUR DAD. CAUSE THERE'S DEFINITELY, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF INTERSECTION BETWEEN WHAT GOES ON DOWNTOWN AND LIKE I WAS ON WITH FIVE MUSIC AND, UM, I MEAN IT'S AROUND SAD CONVENTION CENTER OR HOT SIGNS. THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S COME TO THE FOREFRONT AGAIN. SO WE'LL BE EXCITED TO GET REPORTS FROM YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. AWESOME. THANK YOU AGAIN, DOUG. UM, [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] WITH THAT, I CAN, NOW WE'LL GO TO FEATURE GENDA ITEMS AND WE HAD DISCUSSED VENUE PRESERVATION. OKAY. YEAH. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? [01:20:02] DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE IT PULL BACK ON ANY STEPS THAT ARE IT LIKE MUSIC OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE? UM, WE COULD, WE COULD HAVE THAT AS A, AS ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM. I MEAN, WHEN I SAY ONE AGENDA ITEM, LIKE ONE FEATURE, OR YOU COULD SAY ONE FEATURE ITEM AND IN THE, IT WOULD BE MORE OF AN UPDATE TYPE THING FOR THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING FUN. THAT'D BE OKAY. WE COULD HAVE THAT AS A I'M FOR THAT, BUT YEAH, JUST NOT THE ONLY THING I NEED THEN MAYBE THE ONLY ACTUAL ITEM IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT IT THAT WAY. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION SERVE, ANY PRESERVATION, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SO I GOT TO ON FAVOR I'LL POSE. AND THEN, UM, DO YOU WANT TO PUT THAT FORWARD SHOCK AS A UPDATE? ABSOLUTELY. AND, UM, PROBABLY, UH, THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP THAT DATE AS WELL. OKAY. ACTIONABLE, JUST IN CASE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE READY TO PASS ON HIS COUNSEL AS I HAVE JUST IN CASE IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AT THE NEXT MONTH WE JUST, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. OKAY. DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO PUT THAT FORWARD AS A FORMAL AGENDA ITEM, WITNESS THE WORKING GROUP ON THE, ON THE AGENDA OR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS? UH, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PHRASE IT. YEAH. I MOVED TO, UH, WITH THE, UH, AN UPDATE FROM THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP AND ALSO THE SYSTEMIC RACISM GROUP ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING. AND I'M OKAY WITH SAYING DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION JUST TO KEEP THAT DOOR OPEN JUST IN CASE. ALL RIGHT. WE CAN THROW THAT IN THERE AND DISCUSS POSSIBLE ACTION. OKAY. THE SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER ROADS ON FAVOR, ALL OPPOSED ANY OTHER ITEMS WE WANT TO ADD IN OR ANY OTHER UPDATES? I MEAN, WE'LL HAVE STAFF UPDATES, ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO, TO GET IN THERE? WE'RE AWESOME WITH THAT. HAVING NO MORE FURTHER BUSINESS AND ACTUALLY BEING UNDER 90 MINUTES, WE HAVE MOST OF THE JOURNEY. WE HAVE A SECOND, SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER PATTERSON ON FAVOR. ALL OPPOSED. I JUST WANT TO, BEFORE WE END THE MEETING, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY AND ALL THEIR HARD WORK. I THINK IT'S ON DISPLAY HERE FOR THIS PRESENTATION. PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THIS ARENA MAY BE LOOKING FROM THE OUTSIDE AND NOT SEEING, BUT I ENCOURAGE FOLKS THAT ARE LISTENING HERE, UM, TO, TO LOOK AT THAT PRESENTATION AND SEE THE VENUES THAT HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE ACTION FROM THE CITY, THE ARTISTS THAT HAVE BENEFITED THE MUSICIANS THAT HAVE BENEFITED. AND I REALLY TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION, UM, KNOW THAT THERE ARE, UM, PUBLIC SERVANTS OUT THERE THAT ARE WORKING, UH, TO MAKE THINGS MORE EQUITABLE. YOU SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED BY THAT AS I AM, THAT SOMEBODY THAT'S OUT HERE THAT HAS BEEN FIGHTING FOR THIS, UH, SITUATION TO IMPROVE FOR 10 YEARS, OVER 10 YEARS IN THE CITY. SO, UM, UM, I'M PROUD TO SERVE ON THIS COMMISSION AND THEIR CAPACITY AND ALSO WORK WITH PEOPLE LIKE SYNOVIA AND KELLY AND ERICA AND ALL OF THOSE THAT I DON'T KNOW, UM, THAT ARE MOVING THINGS FORWARD, MOVING THIS MOVING FORWARD. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK ON THIS. AND WITH THAT, WE ADJOURN THE MEETING. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. . * 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.