[00:00:03]
UM,[ Call to Order]
AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO FIRST APOLOGIZE FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, UH, THAT I'M APPARENTLY HAVING THAT, UH, SEEM TO HAVE CAUSED, OR THAT I'VE SEEM TO BE HAVING, THAT HAVE CAUSED MY TARDINESS.UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ALONGSIDE THAT APOLOGY, UM, UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UH, THANK YOU BOTH FOR, UH, SELECTING, UH, KAREN PAPA AS OUR HIGH CHAIR AND, UH, MYSELF, UH, AS THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF WHICH, UH, OF THE, OF THIS BOARD, UH, IS WHICH YOU ADVISE THE COUNCIL IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT CALL TO ORDER, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT, UH, AGAIN, TO RECOGNIZE, UH, CHAIR DECIBEL INTO SERVICE, UH, TO THIS CON, UH, COMMISSION.
UH, AND WHAT I FEEL LIKE IS IN MY TIME AT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN BRILLIANT STEWARDSHIP, I THINK A TIME OF VERY, VERY, UH, I THINK AT FIRST
SO, SO THANK YOU, UH, SHARED, UM, WITH, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, THE FIRST ITEM IS CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
IN MY UNDERSTANDING, LISA, THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, IS THAT CORRECT? AND YOU MAY BE MUTED.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS WOULD BE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.EVERYBODY COULD PLEASE REFERENCE THE MINUTES, UH, IN, IN THE MEETING PACKET, UH, TAKE A MINUTE TO LOOK THEM OVER IF YOU DIDN'T USE THE MINUTES THAT, UH, I WAS LATE TO GETTING INTO THE MEETING TO LOOK THOSE MINUTES OVER, UH, LET'S JUST TAKE A, ANOTHER QUICK MINUTE OR TWO TO GLANCE, AND I WOULD LOVE TO ENTERTAIN AT THAT POINT, A MOTION TO APPROVE MOVE APPROVAL.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM VICE CHAIR PUFF.
AND, UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? UH, AND, UH, UH, THAT WAS FROM COMMISSIONER WOODS.
AND SO ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES, UH, FROM, UH, THE OCTOBER 13TH MEETING, PLEASE SAY, HI, HI COMMISSIONER FROM ABS EYES ALL AROUND, UH, ANY NAMES.
AND ANY ABSTENTIONS, PLEASE COMMISSIONER THAT ALL ABSTAINS IN ABSENCE.
UH, AND SO IT WILL BE NOTED THAT WE HAVE EYES FROM EVERY COMMISSIONER AND ATTENDANCE, UH, BARRING COMMISSIONER ROSATO WHO ABSTAINED.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM,
[2. COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG)]
WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, THE CSBG ROUTINE, UH, AND, UH, OUR DEAR FRIEND ON HIS SUMMIT ON IT WAS GOING TO JOIN US, UH, WHO WAS THE MANAGER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, UH, TO OFFER UP A MONTHLY BRIEFING ON HIM.ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE, AS YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, THE CBC COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT FUNDS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE POOR INELIGIBLE SERVICES, YOU PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, PREVENTIVE, HEALTH MANAGEMENT, AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT.
SINCE COVID BEGAN, BE PRETTY MUCH FOCUSED ON THE, UM, RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND THE EMERGENCY FOOD, UM, SERVICES TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED OF THOSE TWO THINGS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE BEEN THIS PAST, UH, ONE ON SOME THANKSGIVING AND, UM, UM, NOVEMBER EVENTS, WHICH I'LL, AND YOU GUYS KNOW MORE ABOUT IT.
THE DECEMBER MEETING WE'RE EXCITED
[00:05:01]
ABOUT THAT BRINGS A SENSE OF NORMALCY, UM, A LITTLE BIT.UM, WE GET TO ACTUALLY INTERACT A LITTLE MORE WITH OUR COMMUNITY, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEND OUR, UH, THROUGH DRIVE-THROUGH.
UH, WE ARE ON TRACK TO EXPEND OUR FUNDS WITH THIS.
UH, HERE YOU CAN MOVE TO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS IT'S KIND OF SHRUNK, UH, FROM THE PREVIOUS REPORTS BEFORE COVID, UH, MOST OF OUR, UH, WORK HAS BEEN IN HELPING PEOPLE AVOID EVICTION.
I REMIND YOU, OUR TARGET FOR THE YEAR WAS 500, UH, THAT CHANGED DRAMATICALLY WHEN COVID HIT.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOME EXTRA FUNDS, WHICH I WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
UH, WE HAVE TO REVISE OUR TARGET WITH THE STATE, UH, TO 1200.
AND WE CURRENTLY ARE ABOUT 915.
SO YOU HAVE A WAY TO EVICTION DUE TO OUR, UH, RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, WE ALSO DO A LOT OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION, SO WE PIVOTED EARLY ON TO DOING EMERGENCY FOR DELIVERY.
UH, WE DEMOBILIZED THAT OPERATION TO FOCUS ON THE RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
UH, BUT NOW I HAVE STOOD UP FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, CURBSIDE FOOD PANTRY, AND ALSO HELP WITH THE COLLABORATION OF CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AT A COUPLE OF THEIR MOBILE FOOD PANTRY EVENTS THAT I'D PAID REALLY MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, DOVE SPRINGS IN A CORNER ROBERTS.
UH, NUMBER TWO, WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE CDC DOMINATION SELECTION FOR THE ST JOHN'S SEAT THAT I BECAME VACANT ABOUT A MONTH AGO? UH, WE HAVE, UM, KENDRA GARRETT WILL BE THE NEW CDC COMMISSIONER REPRESENTING THE ST JOHN GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
SO WE WILL BE EXCITED TO HAVE HER JOIN YOUR GROUP.
UM, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON, UH, THE ROSE SIDE.
I GOSA BLACK CLAN NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, NOMINATION SELECTION, UH, ELECTION.
AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN THE NEXT, HOPEFULLY BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, WE'RE RUNNING INTO SOME BARRIERS WITH THE VIRTUAL SIDE OF THINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO REALLY SUPPORT THEM IN THAT EFFORT.
UH, NUMBER THREE, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER WERE BASICALLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.
ALL OUR SERVICES ARE VIRTUAL AND ON THE PHONE.
UM, WE DO PROVIDE THE PANTRY CURBSIDE BY APPOINTMENT AND PROCESSING EMERGENCY RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'LL REPORT A LITTLE BIT ON NEXT MONTH IS THAT WE HAVE HAD SOME OF OUR NURSES TO DO, UM, SOME FLU CLINICS, A DRIVE-THROUGH AND A COUPLE OF OUR CENTERS.
AND WE HOPE TO DO A COUPLE MORE.
I KNOW THE BIGGER PICTURE APH IS ALSO VERY ACTIVE IN DOING EVENTS AROUND TOWN.
ON NUMBER FOUR, THE CARES ACT CSBG FUNDING, MORE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.
UH, WE WILL LAUNCH THIS PROGRAM NEXT MONDAY, UM, WITH COLLABORATION WITH THE AUSTIN AREA, URBAN LEAGUE, WHO WILL BE ASSISTING US WITH PAYMENTS TO LANDLORDS.
UH, WE'VE GOT ALMOST $1.5 MILLION, UH, FOR THAT ENDEAVOR AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HELPING EVEN MORE FOLKS, UM, WITH RENT ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING EIGHT MONTHS, RIGHT? NUMBER FIVE, THE DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.
WE RECEIVED A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA FUNDING FROM THE STATE, UM, THIS SUMMER.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO EXPEND THAT, UM, COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST IF YOU NEED INDIVIDUAL SUBWAY EVICTION WITH THOSE FUNDS.
AND OUR PARTNER IN THE COMMUNITY WAS EASTER SEALS CENTRAL, AND NUMBER SIX, AUSTIN ENERGY PLUS ONE PROGRAM CONTINUED TO USE THE FUNDING THAT THEY AWARD US, UH, TO HELP PEOPLE PAY THEIR UTILITY BILLS AT OUR SIX NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALL DONE VIRTUALLY ON THE PHONE AND WE JUST RECEIVED, I THINK, ANOTHER $37,000 FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO START EXPANDING THAT AS WELL.
AND NEXT WEEK I THINK THAT IS THE LAST SLIDE.
UH, UH, UH, IS THAT, THAT'S THE FINAL PART OF THE PRESENTATION? UH, YES.
[00:10:01]
SORRY ABOUT THAT.WE USED TO GIVE UPDATES ON TOP OF US AT THE END OF THAT PRESENTATION, BUT NOW THEY'RE OFFICIALLY DONE.
I THINK THE VIDEO WENT OUT TODAY TO THE COMMUNITY.
I WILL CHECK IT OUT IF YOU GUYS CAN.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL VIDEO ON THE NEW FACILITY WITH A LOT OF GOOD PICTURES AND VIDEO OF THE MAYOR AND STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CELEBRATING SORT OF A QUOTE UNQUOTE VIRTUAL GRAND OPENING.
AND WE ARE FULLY STAFFED AT MONTOPOLIS.
UH, WE HAVE SEVEN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER STAFF, UM, AND IN CRANE TO BE ABLE TO HELP FOLKS WITH THE CURBSIDE FOOD PANTRY AND ALSO THE RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR, AND IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL TO FOLLOW, UH, YOU ALL PROGRESS, UH, ON THE
I'M SURE THAT, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTARY AROUND THE PRESENTATION I, FOR ONE WITH, UH, WITH USE, ACTUALLY ENDING WITH THE SUCCESS STORY.
UH, AND, UH, MAYBE WE CAN ASK YOU ABOUT THAT AS WE GO.
I DO WANT TO INTERJECT FOR A MOMENT BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS, UH, AND MAKE SURE WE GET TO THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE BEFORE I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER TALER MIGHT HAVE TO LEAVE.
UM, AND LISA, I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SCHEDULING, UH, CONCERN THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS.
AND IT'S ABOUT THE DECEMBER MEETING.
THERE IS THE NEED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD PRIOR TO COUNCIL'S, UH, DECEMBER 10TH MEETING, WE GOT ONE FROM DECEMBER 8TH, WHICH WAS OUR ORIGINAL DATE.
AND SO I THOUGHT THE MOST CONVENIENT ONE WOULD BE THE 17TH, THE NEXT BEST DATE.
AND EVERYBODY HAS SENT ME EX ACCEPTANCE, YOU KNOW, PINGS FOR THAT.
AND THEN I LEARNED THAT, NO, WE NEED TO DO IT EARLIER.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DECEMBER 4TH, WHICH IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE, AND IT'S THE MORNING SLOT, WHICH WOULD BE 8:00 AM TO NOON.
HOWEVER, YOU DON'T HAVE TO START AT 8:00 AM.
YOU COULD START AT NINE, NINE 30, 10 WITH A HARD STOP AT NOON, AND THAT'S FRIDAY THE FOURTH.
SO I WAS HOPING TO TAKE A POLL AND SEE IF FOLKS COULD ACTUALLY DO THAT.
AND I'M GUESSING THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT ARE LOWER ON THE TOTEM POLE THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUMP FOR THE OTHER DAY.
I DIDN'T, I ACTUALLY POSED THAT QUESTION.
YEAH, WELL, I, IF WE COULD BYPASS MY FAILED ATTEMPT AT HUMOR, UM, COMMITTED FISSURES AND THE VICE CHAIR WOULD PLEASE, UH, TAKE A MOMENT TO SINK OUR SWATCHES OR TAKE A LOOK AT OUR CALENDAR, UH, TO SEE IF DECEMBER 4TH, SOMETIME IN THE AM WOULD BE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A MEETING.
WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING? WHAT'S IT ON? I WAS JUST TRYING TO NAVIGATE TO, UM, SORRY FOR THE DELAY.
I THINK THAT, UM, GIVEN THE TECHNICAL ISSUES, I DON'T HAVE MY FINGERS ON THE AGENDA ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD, ERICA OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.
UM, THIS IS ERICA LEEK, HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY HAS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR COVID RELATED ACTIVITIES, UM, FOR CDBG CORONA VIRUS OR LEAVE.
UM, AND SO THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE ON, ON THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS.
GREAT, MR. CHAIR, I'M AVAILABLE THAT MORNING AT ANY TIME.
UH, CAN WE GET A ROLL CALL? I'LL JUST CALL YOU ALL AS I SEE YOU, UH, ON MY SCREEN HERE, EXCUSE ME, COMMISSIONER DECIBEL.
I'M AVAILABLE, UH, COMMISSIONER WOODS.
CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT TIME? ON DECEMBER THE FOURTH? IT WOULD BE SOMETIME FROM EIGHT TO NOON.
UH, AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE OPEN AVAILABILITY FROM THE PREVIOUS THREE, UH, PREVIOUS TWO COMMISSIONERS AND VICE CHAIR.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SPECIFY IT OR WE'D BE HAPPY TO GO WITH IT.
I AM AVAILABLE BEFORE 10 45 IF NEEDED.
[00:15:02]
OKAY.SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, I'VE GOT TO GO AHEAD AND FLOAT NINE TO 10, UNLESS SOMEBODY SUGGESTS SOMETHING FINER, UH, COMMISSIONER YOUNG IS AVAILABLE.
AND COMMISSIONER TOLLIVER, UH, YOU'VE CALLED IN, UH, ARE YOU AVAILABLE ON DECEMBER 4TH, FRIDAY MORNING AT 9:00 AM.
UH, I'M NOT ABLE TO HEAR YOU COMMISSIONER OLIVER, AND I DON'T KNOW.
UM, IF OVER, UH, IF MAYBE TEXAS CITY HALL ARE ABLE TO HEAR A COMMISSIONER TELLER, I DO HEAR YOUR VOICE, BUT IF IT'S COMING THROUGH, THERE YOU GO.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? I PUT YOU ON THE SPEAKER.
DECEMBER THE FOURTH IS ALL RIGHT WITH ME.
UH, LET'S SEE, UH, COMMISSIONER SLOAN.
UH, HOW WOULD THAT WORK FOR YOU? UH, DECEMBER 4TH AT 9:00 AM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER LOUIE UNAVAILABLE.
IS THERE ANY TIME ON DECEMBER 4TH IN THAT WINDOW THAT YOU WOULD BE AVAILABLE? YEAH, I WORK IN PERSON MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY EIGHT TO FIVE O'CLOCK.
SO I'M ONLY AVAILABLE AFTER FIVE DURING THE WEEK.
I'M REALLY, REALLY SORRY ABOUT THAT.
UH, UH, LET'S, UH, DEFINITELY TRY TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE THAT OUR MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING AT TYPICALLY OCCURRING TIME.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESILIENCE, AND I'M REALLY SORRY THAT, THAT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT MEETING AND COMMISSIONER FIDELIS.
UH, I, WELL, I WOULD SAY MAYBE, UH, NOT DEFINITELY.
I HAVE TO ARRANGE WITH WORK AS WELL FOR THAT.
UM, SO IT LOOKED LIKE, UH, AT 9:00 AM ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4TH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER SLOW AND AVAILABLE COMMISSIONER, UH, UH, YOUNG AVAILABLE, UH, COMMISSIONER OBERTO AVAILABLE, VICE CHAIR, POP IS AVAILABLE.
COMMISSIONER WOODS IS AVAILABLE, COMMISSIONER DESOLTEL IS AVAILABLE.
AND, UH, I ALSO, UH, UH, CHAIRMAN 20 I'M AVAILABLE, UM, WITH THAT.
AND AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER TOLERANT, FORGIVE ME.
I DON'T SEE YOU ON THE, ON THE LITTLE SQUARES, UH, UH, THAT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR QUORUM.
AND WE'LL HOPE TO SEE COMMISSIONER FIDELITY THERE AND WILL INFORM THE OTHER AS WELL.
UM, I, I COULDN'T BE AVAILABLE.
I KNOW THIS MAY BE UNPOPULAR, BUT, YOU KNOW, VARYING INTO 10:00 AM.
IT'D BE, IT'D BE IF WE'RE GOING TO AT EIGHT AND EIGHT 30 START, BUT I CAN, I CAN, UH, TRY TO ACCOMMODATE A 9:00 AM START.
HEY, WELL, I APPRECIATE THE MAGIC TRICK THAT YOU JUST PULLED IN SHOWING UP ON MY SCREEN BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT IN MY RECTANGLES.
UH, AND I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE YOU.
UM, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO CONGRATULATE YOU IN PERSON, BUT, UH, EIGHT 30, IF WE'RE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE VICE CHAIR SAID WE'D BE AVAILABLE, UH, AT EIGHT AT NINE, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE IN, UH, AN EIGHT 30? UH, IF ANYBODY'S A NO THERE, SPEAK UP, I'M GOING TO ASSUME OTHERWISE, UH, UNLESS SOMEONE SAYS SOMETHING OUT LOUD.
THEN WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, LISA, WE WILL ALL MEET AT 8:30 AM FRIDAY BEFORE.
AND, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID WOULD LOVE, UH, TO GET BACK TO UNHIDDEN, UH, AND, UH, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS THAT ANYONE MIGHT HAVE AROUND, UH, UH, THE PRESENTATION ON THE CDBG FOR CSBG FORGIVE ME.
I JUST HAVE ONE BRIEF QUESTION.
UM, LOOKING AT THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF FUNDING AND, UH, THE CARES ACT CSBG FUNDING, PARTICULARLY IN THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN AREA, URBAN LEAGUE, DOES THAT FEEL LIKE SUFFICIENT STAFFING TO BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THAT AMOUNT OF FUNDING BEFORE ITS EXPIRATION DATE? DO YOU FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT, UM, THAT WILL GET SENT OUT IN TIME? UM, UH, YES, WE ARE CONFIDENT WE WILL GO YOUR TIME.
[00:20:01]
IF I MAY ASK PARTICULARLY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT MIGHT BE SOME OF THE CONCERNS, UH, AROUND THAT.AND, UH, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE SHORT AND DIRECT ANSWER, UH, FROM
JUST WANT TO KEEP A FINGER ON THE PULSE OF THAT SINCE WE HAVE, AS A COMMISSION REALLY LOOKS TOWARDS, UM, UTILIZING FUNDING AND IN THE HIGHEST CAPACITY POSSIBLE, UM, WANT TO IN TOUCH IN COMMUNICATION ABOUT THAT.
UH, WOULD YOU, DO YOU THINK, UH, UNHEALED, DO YOU THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE UPDATED ON, UH, WITH, AT A MONTHLY CADENCE, UH, THROUGH JULY, 2021? UH, YES, YOU WILL.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SULLEN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? GREAT.
AND, UH, ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, AROUND, UH, UH, THESE DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING TOWARDS SAY RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR, UH, UTILITIES ASSIST THOSE SEPARATE BUCKETS OF FUNDS, THEN THE FUNDS THAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING LATER ON IN THE AGENDA ON HIM, UH, THEY WILL BE IN SEPARATE BUCKETS FOR SURE.
SO I WILL BE DISCUSSING THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UM, I'M KIND OF GOING OVER THE FOUR BUCKETS THAT WE HAVE THIS TIME AROUND.
AND THEN I THINK LAURA
UH, IF WE HAVE, UH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE SIDE AND THEN, UH, LET US, UH, MOVE ON, UH, TO THE NEW BUSINESS, WHICH I THINK IS A FANTASTIC SEGUE GIVEN THE LAST, UH, QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER SLOAN, WHICH IS A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION
[3A.Briefing and discussion on City of Austin’s COVID response initiatives]
ON, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S COVID RESPONSE INITIATIVES.UM, AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE IN THE AGENDA, THE FOUR PROGRAMS THAT ARE COVERED, UH, AND, UH, LISA, IF YOU COULD, UH, PLEASE, UH, UH, EITHER TURN IT OVER TO A STAFF MEMBER TO INTRODUCE, UH, WHO WILL BE WITH US, OR IF YOU COULD PLEASE QUEUE UP, UH, WHOM WE HAVE TO SPEAK.
SO, UM, ON HOW YOU'LL BE THE FIRST SLIDE OR SLIDES IN THE DECK, AND, UH, WHILE THAT DECK IS BEING QUEUED UP, I GUESS I JUST WANT TO PREFACE THIS A BIT.
AND, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, THIS COMMISSION WANTED A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF THE COVID RELIEF EFFORT, UH, ESPECIALLY THE ECONOMIC RELIEF EFFORTS, UH, THAT ARE ASSISTED, UH, RATHER THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH COVID HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, AND SO WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO, UH, UH, GO THROUGH OUR FOUR KEY SORT OF PILLARS, IF YOU WILL, UH, WITHIN PARTICULARLY, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS DIFFERENT TYPES OF COVID RESPONSE INITIATIVES.
UH, AND SO WHEN YOU HEAR ME ALLUDE TO BUCKETS, IT'S JUST AN EASIER WAY FOR ME TO CONCEPTUALIZE, UH, HOW, UH, THESE FUNDS ARE SOURCED, UH, AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO TARGET A POPULATION THAT THEY'RE GOING TO, AND I HOPE WE'LL ALL SORT OF CONSIDER, UH, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER THAT, UH, IN OUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTARY.
THANKS AND UNKEMPT BACK TO YOU.
NO, NO, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
UM, I WILL START WITH, UH, ARTHUR'S A SMALLER BUCKET THAN THE RISE IN THE RENT PROGRAM, BUT VERY SIGNIFICANT NONETHELESS, SINCE WE HAVE A VERY STRONG AND LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CLIENTS, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO CENTER US ACROSS AUSTIN.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN MONIES.
THIS PROGRAM STARTED APRIL 1ST OF 2020.
IT STARTS APRIL 1ST, EVERY YEAR.
UH, THAT WAS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME WHEN COVID HIT AND THINGS WERE LOOKING, UH, OR GOING TO GET WORSE.
WE'RE TARGETED RECIPIENT POPULATION, TRAVIS COUNTY, AND OUR CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS, OUR SCHOOL
[00:25:01]
INCOMES UNDER 200 FEDERAL POVERTY INCOME GUIDELINES, UM, WHICH COMES TO ABOUT $25,000 A YEAR FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL, FOR A ONE PERSON HOUSEHOLD.IF YOU THINK ABOUT THREE PEOPLE IN A HOUSEHOLD, THAT'S ABOUT $43,440, UM, A YEAR.
AND WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THIS MONEY THROUGH MARCH 31ST, 2021, OBVIOUSLY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
WE WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY RAMP UP AND HELP FOLKS WITH THIS $200,000 AND, UM, BASICALLY EXPENDED IT ALL BY SUMMER.
AND WITH THESE FUNDS, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST 193 HOUSEHOLDS IN AUSTIN, WHICH COMES OUT TO 542 INDIVIDUALS, UH, AVOIDING EVICTION AS PATO.
UH, THIS SLIDE AGAIN, THE PROGRAM STARTED ON APRIL 1ST AS WELL.
UH, THIS MONEY WAS GENERALLY C GENEROUSLY.
UH, YOU HAVE TO TAKE TWO OF US ARE ENTRUSTED TO US BY NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, OUR GAY POPULATION WAS CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS, AND AGAIN, HOUSEHOLD INCOME UNDER 200% AND GOT $250,000.
UM, AGAIN, THE PLAN WAS TO HAVE THIS MONEY THROUGH MARCH 31ST OF NEXT YEAR, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO EXPEND ALL OF THESE FUNDS AS WELL, ASSIST 151 HOUSEHOLDS IN THE CITY AND HELP 405 INDIVIDUALS AVOID EVICTION.
AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAD ASKED US PERMISSION, OR MY WANEE GENERAL LONNIE HAD ASKED US TO KIND OF SELF-ASSESS ON OUR PERFORMANCE AND TRULY NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT, BUT I COULD GIVE US, GIVE US AN, A, UH, STAFF REALLY STEPPED UP.
UM, ELIGIBILITY CAN BE TEDIOUS, CAN TAKE TIME CROSSED AND JUST NOT EASY.
AND OUR STAFF REALLY STEPPED UP TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE VOLUME OF, UM, OF REQUESTS VERY BEAUTIFULLY.
THOSE WERE THE RESULTS FOR 105 INDIVIDUALS AVOIDING EVICTION WITH THIS POT OF MONEY.
LIKE I MENTIONED, IN OUR EARLIER REPORT, WE GOT SOME EXTRA FUNDS CSBG CALL SOME DISCRETIONARY FUNDS, UH, $53,905.
WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM JULY 13TH OF 2020.
THE FUNDS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE EXPENDED BY AUGUST 31ST.
AND WE WERE VERY EASILY ABLE TO DO THAT, UH, AND VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE EXTRA TWO, $3,000.
AND WITH THE HELP OF, UH, EASTER SEALS OF CENTRAL TEXAS, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THESE PAYMENTS ON TIME TO LANDLORDS.
AND WITH THESE FUNDS, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSESS 27 HOUSEHOLDS AND THEY MEET INDIVIDUALLY TO AVOID EVICTION.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UM, THIS IS THE CARES ACT FUNDING.
THE PROGRAM START DATE IS TARGETED FOR NOVEMBER 15, 2020, UM, TARGET POPULATIONS, TRAVIS COUNTY, PANDORA CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS SAYING CAN COME, UH, 200%.
UM, IT WAS 125%, UH, THROUGH TDA CA LIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UP THAT TO 200%, UH, EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC.
THIS IS FEDERAL MONIES ABOUT $1.2 MILLION.
AND WE HAVE NOT EXPANDED ANY YET BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T STARTED.
WE HAVE THESE FUNDS THROUGH JULY 31ST OF 2021.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE WORKING WITH AUSTIN AREA, URBAN LEAGUE.
WE MET WITH THEM THIS MORNING, UH, ONE FINAL TIME BEFORE WE LAUNCHED THIS.
AND I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONSISTENTLY, AND YOU'RE SEEING OURSELVES AND HELPING OUR COMMUNITY GET SPARKED INTO THEIR, NOT THEIR HANDS, BUT AT THE HANDS OF THE LANDLORDS SO THAT THEY CAN AVOID EVICTION.
SO, UH, HAPPY TO REPORT MONTHLY ON OUR PROGRESS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IS MY LAST SLIDE.
THOSE WERE THE FOUR POTS THAT WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR OF FOLKS AFFECTED BY COVID 19.
UH, AND, UH, WELL, I JUST WANT TO, UH, UH, ASK A QUICK QUESTION BEFORE I, UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
ARE THERE ANY LESSONS LEARNED? IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ABLE TO EXPAND THE DOLLARS, PRETTY EXPEDIENTLY, UH, AND SORT OF IDENTIFY NEED AS WELL AS IDENTIFY AVENUES TO BE MEAN TO, YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF ENSURE,
[00:30:01]
UH, THE DOLLARS ARE GETTING INTO THE HANDS THAT THEY NEED TO GET, UH, AGAINST TOO.UM, ARE THERE ANY LESSONS LEARNED OR, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WORKING WITH EASTER SEALS, I MEAN, DID YOU JUST HAVE LIKE, SORT OF A, A GROUP OF, UH, TENANTS AND LANDLORDS WHOM YOU HAD EASY ACCESS TO, OR SORT OF WHEN I SAY EASY, LIKE SORT OF DIRECT ACCESS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH LANDLORDS AND THAT, THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A, IT'S JUST, JUST A HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE.
I MEAN, ARE THERE ANY LESSONS LEARNED THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHARE, UH, IN THE SELF-ASSESSMENT PAYDAY? UM, I THINK ONE OF THE LESSONS LEARNED IS THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO START STRONG WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER, UH, SO THAT WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE IN TERMS OF, UH, THE, THE PROCESS, UH, NOTICE OF PAYMENT PROCESSING.
UH, SOMETIMES THERE COULD BE, UM, A LAG IN RESPONSE.
UM, I MEAN, IF THEY GET INTO THE WEEDS THAT WOULD BE HAVING MULTIPLE POINTS OF CONTACT AT THE AGENCIES IN CASE SOMEBODY IS ON VACATION AND SOMEBODY GETS SICK, WHETHER IT'S COVID RELATED OR NOT, UH, WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHO IS COVERING FOR THAT PERSON.
UM, THOSE WERE VERY MINOR, BUT IT DID HAPPEN THAT WE WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD TAKE A LITTLE LONGER FOR US TO GET THOSE PAYMENTS OR FOR EASTER SEALS TO GET THE DEMONS OUT.
AND I THINK THE COMMUNICATION, A CLEAR EXPECTATIONS, LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE UP TO TODAY, UH, I DON'T SEE, UM, ANY HUGE BARRIERS.
THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT WE'RE HERE.
UM, WE HAVE OUR WEBSITE WITH ALL THE INFORMATION.
WE HAVE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO KNOW THIS, UH, AND LIKE I SAID, MOSTLY IT'S FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN COMING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WHO KNOW WHAT WE DO, UH, WHERE A FAMILY MEMBER OR A NEIGHBOR.
UM, SO I, WE WILL, I DON'T THINK WE WILL HAVE ANY, UM, ANY ISSUE WITH HAVING, UM, PEOPLE CALL US FOR ASSISTANCE THAT, YEAH.
AND, UH, WELL THERE, WE HAVE IT COMMISSIONERS THAT'S BUCKET, NUMBER ONE, UH, IF YOU WILL.
AND IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS ABOUT 500 K IN THE FIRST, UH, SORT OF TRAUNCH OF THE THREE DIVISIONS THAT ONHEALTH SHARED WITH US, UH, THAT WERE ALL ALREADY EXPENDED.
AND 1.2 MILLION, UH, THAT, UH, APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN RECENTLY, UH, CONTRACTED OR IMMINENTLY CONTRACTED AND, UH, AND TO BE EXPENDED BY JULY 31.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
UM, THANK YOU THEN VERY MUCH TO THOSE REFERRING THIS FOR THING, HELEN, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE RISE PROGRAM, UH, WHERE I BELIEVE CHAIRMAN WANTING, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT, UH, WE HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE THAT IT'S A UTILITY ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS I JUST FINISHED A RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, SO IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT NOTE, THERE IT IS.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A SMALLER UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, I STARTED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, THIS IS THROUGH, UM, YOU LOST AN ENERGY OR IT'S, UH, AVAILABLE TO AUSTIN ENERGY ACCOUNT HOLDER.
THEY MUST HAVE AN OUTSTANDING BALANCE HOUSEHOLD INCOME, AGAIN, UNDER 200% FUNDING SOURCE.
LIKE I MENTIONED, AUSTIN ENERGY'S PLUS ONE PROGRAM, A TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT OF 60,000, ALMOST $61,000.
WE'VE EXPENDED ABOUT 40,000 TO DATE.
UM, WE HAVE THIS FUNDING THROUGH NEXT SEPTEMBER AND, UM, WE SO FAR HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST A HUNDRED HOUSEHOLDS TO LET A 95 INDIVIDUALS, UH, BASICALLY KIND OF CATCH UP WITH THE UTILITIES.
AND I KNOW THEY'RE NOT DOING SHUTOFFS RIGHT NOW, SO THAT'S GOOD.
WE ARE JUST CONTINUING TO WORK WITH FOLKS WITH THE SMALL POT OF MONEY TO HELP THEM CATCH UP WITH THEIR UTILITY BILLS DUE TO A COVID RELATED LOSS OF JOB REDUCTION IN HOURS, ET CETERA.
THAT'S THE LAST LITTLE POT THAT WE HAVE AT THE NSU.
AND THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
I CAN, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, THAT ONE AND HAPPY TO ALSO OPEN THE FLOOR TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR A QUESTION THERE.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE FROM JANUARY ONE TO SEPTEMBER 30, WE WERE ABLE TO EXPEND 40, AROUND 41 K OUT OF A TOTAL OF AROUND 61.
UM, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BARRIER TO EXPANDING THOSE DOLLARS MORE QUICKLY? YOU KNOW, CLEARLY WE WERE ABLE TO EXPEND 500 K IN A MUCH AT A MUCH MORE RAPID PIG.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, HERE WE HAVE
[00:35:01]
20 K LEFTOVER AND CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE, SORT OF THE SELF-ASSESSMENT? AND SO MAYBE WHAT THE BARRIERS ARE, WHETHER THEY'RE, OR IF THERE ARE REALLY NO BARRIERS, BUT JUST MAYBE RATHER A PRACTICAL REASON FOR, FOR SPENDING BEING A LITTLE BIT OVER PAID.YEAH, IT'S A SMALLER PROGRAM AND THERE'S A LOT MORE AGENCIES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE PART OF THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM.
SO PEOPLE CAN RECEIVE UP TO, I BELIEVE NOW, $2,000 IN PLEDGES.
I SAW SOMETIMES PEOPLE COME INTO US.
UM, WE GO THROUGH THE ELIGIBILITY, WE FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN HELP WITH UP TO $5, AND THEN THEY MAY GO SOMEWHERE ELSE TO GET ANOTHER PLEDGE TO COVER THE REST OF THE BILL.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE PRACTICAL ANSWER.
THERE'S A LOT MORE AGENCIES THAT HAVE THIS PROGRAM, SO WE'RE NOT THE ONLY AGENCY IN TOWN AND THEREFORE WE DON'T EXPAND IT AS QUICKLY AS WE WOULD, IF WE WERE THE ONLY AGENCY OR ONE OF THE NEW CHURCHES, OTHER NONPROFITS THAT RECEIVE PLUS ONE PROGRAMMING MEAN, THANK YOU.
DO ANY, UH, ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS I'M INTERESTED IN HOW ALL THESE PROGRAMS COMPARE WITH EACH OTHER AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO AN APPLICANT, WHETHER THEY, WHETHER THEY PICK SOMEBODY TO GO ASK FOR HELP, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT HELP IS THE MOST TAILORED TO THEM, OR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF PROGRAMS AND MAYBE PEOPLE JUST GO TO THE FIRST ONE THEY HEAR ABOUT, CAN YOU COMMENT ON THAT? I THINK, UM, YES, I CAN, UH, VICE CHAIR, UM, IN MY EXPERIENCE WHEN IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO AT LEAST WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS IS RELATIONSHIP.
I MEAN, WE CAN PUT OUT, WE CAN PUT IT ON CONNECT.
ATX WHO A ONE WEBSITE YOU CAN PUT FLYERS OUT THERE, BUT IN THE END, THE COMMUNITY IS VERY STRONG AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER COMMUNITY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR GENERATIONS.
AND I ALWAYS SAY, I WISH, UM, I DIDN'T HAVE MY JOB BECAUSE IF I DIDN'T HAVE MY JOB, WOULDN'T BE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DISPARITIES AND EQUITY PEOPLE WOULD BE DOING OKAY WITHOUT A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
SO I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE RELATIONSHIP AND THE TRUST THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR COMMUNITY IS WHAT KEEPS US, UH, BEING ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE EFFICIENTLY AND, UM, UM, WITH INTEGRITY AND RESPECT.
SO I, I THINK WE GET PEOPLE WHO ALREADY KNOW US, UM, FROM THEIR NEIGHBORS, THEIR FAMILY.
AND THEN WE ALSO DO GET PEOPLE THAT CALL TWO, ONE, ONE, AND TWO, ONE ONE KNOWS ABOUT US AND GIVES THEM OUR INFORMATION, WHETHER THEY GO TO CONNECT ATX AND WE ARE THERE AS WELL.
BUT I THINK THE MAJORITY, AT LEAST OF OUR, THE PEOPLE THAT WE ASSESSED AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS ARE I WOULD CALL NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER CLIENTS.
UM, THEY ALREADY HAVE A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP WITH US.
I KNOW THAT THEY WILL, WE'LL BE THERE FOR THEM.
AND THEY KNOW THAT IF WE CAN'T HELP, THEY ALWAYS ARE WILLING TO DO A WARM HAND TO AN AGENCY THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT PEOPLE, UM, GET SOME OF THE MONEY THEY NEED FOR A UTILITY BILL WITH YOU, BUT THEN THEY GO OTHER PLACES.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THEY MIGHT GO TO ONE PLACE, MIGHT LEAVE IN TIME TO DO OTHER THINGS THEY NEED TO DO.
I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT COMPLAINT BEFORE, BUT I COULD FOLLOW UP AND SEE IF I DO GET SOME INFORMATION ON THAT.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE COME TO US SAYING WE WERE ABLE TO GET A $500 PLEDGE AT ST STEPHEN'S CHURCH.
AND MY BILL IS I STILL NEED ANOTHER $350 TO COVER THE REST OF MY BILL.
CAN YOU GUYS HELP AND GO THROUGH THE, UH, WHAT'D YOU MEAN WHEN HE PROCESSED AND WE HELPED THEM WITH THE REST OF THE BALANCE? SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF, WHAT YOU SAY IS ACCURATE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE.
IF THEY'RE SPENDING ALL DAY GOING TO DIFFERENT AGENCIES, TRYING TO FIND, I DON'T COVER THE WHOLE BILL, AND IF IT WOULD BE BETTER, IF WE COULD COVER IT ALL, AND OUR CENTER FELL, WE ADMINISTRATIVELY DECIDED TO CAP IT AT 500, UM, OR THE NEIGHBOR'S SERVICES UNIT.
SOMETIMES WE DO GO UP OFF, THEY CALL IT A STAFFING, OR THERE IS A SITUATION.
UM, WE DO STAFF THERE WITH THE MANAGERS AND WE CAN PLEDGE MORE THAN THAT.
AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO TURN PEOPLE AWAY AT CREATING MORE BARRIERS FOR THEM.
WE WILL MORE LIKELY THAN NOT WE'LL ASSIST WITH MORE THAN THE 500, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION,
[00:40:03]
CHILDREN IN THE HOUSEHOLD, SOMEBODY WITH A MEDICAL CONDITION, UM, ET CETERA.I JUST WANT TO ASK IT IS THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION WORKING I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO, AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S REGISTERING, I DON'T SEE IT.
SO I GUESS IF I MAY ON HERE, UH, I WANTED TO SAY, WELL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS HARD WORK.
IT'S NOT EASY, HONESTLY, HAVING, UH, NOW I CAN SPEAK FREELY HAVING LEFT THE CITY ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO STAND UP.
THESE CARES PROGRAMS AND WORK WITH THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATORS AND FIGURE OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOK TRANSLATION AND, AND HOW TO RELEASE THE PRESS RELEASE THAT IS, AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING PASSES MUSTARD.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS ON HERE, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT SORT OF NUMBER ONE INFLUENCING FACTORS, AS FAR AS PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, ARE ABLE TO FIND OUT AND THEN, UH, APPLY AND SUCCESSFULLY APPLY FOR THESE PROGRAMS IS PAST RELATIONSHIPS TO THE CENTERS.
BUT GIVEN THAT WE'RE IN, COVID, I'M CURIOUS, IS THERE A WAY THAT MAYBE WE COULD SEE THE DATA AS FAR AS WHO, WHO, UH, SUCCESSFUL SORT OF RECIPIENTS OF THESE DOLLARS BROKEN OUT BY DISTRICT? UH, BECAUSE I THINK RIGHT.
DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, SOME DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERY DISTRICT HAS A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER OR AN OPERATIONAL ONE.
UM, SO I WOULD JUST BE INTRIGUED AND I GUESS THE SORT OF FOLLOW-UP TO THAT IS WHEN PEOPLE SCREEN FOR THIS APPLICATION, I'M ASSUMING IT'S A PHONE, PHONE PROCESS.
DO THEY ASK, DO YOU ASK, UM, WHERE, LIKE HOW THEY, HOW, HOW THEY WERE REFERRED OR HOW THEY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PROGRAM SO THAT YOU KNOW, THAT HOW THEY'RE, HOW THEY'RE COMING TO, TO APPLY THAT'S A LOT.
I THINK I CAN GO BACKWARD AND UNPACK THAT IT JUST, UH, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE DO, BUT WE'RE NOT, HONESTLY, WE'RE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE, WITH THE REFERRAL SOURCE DATA.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
CAUSE I THINK WE CAN BE MORE CONSISTENT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CARE SAC MONIES AND BE ABLE TO KIND OF COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS HOW IT BREAKS OUT BY ZIP CODE OR AREA.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT YOU BACK.
RIGHT? I WOULD, I WOULD JUST HATE, YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY, HOPEFULLY THE DOLLARS ARE GETTING SPREAD AROUND WELL AND THE DISTRICTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, UH, A S A COUNCIL MEMBER OR STAFF COME LOOKING IN THAT DAVE IS NOT AVAILABLE, I COULD IMAGINE HOW THAT COULD BECOME A COMPLICATED THING, BUT EVEN MYSELF, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW, HOW WELL MY, MY COMMUNITY IS DOING AT KNOWING ABOUT THOSE DOLLARS AND, AND GETTING THOSE RELIEF PROGRAMS. SO, UM, I THINK REFERRAL, AND THEN I KNOW YOU, DO YOU HAVE TO TRACK BY DISTRICT CAUSE YOU GET THEIR ADDRESS INFORMATION.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT LATER? OKAY, COOL.
AND THEN MAYBE, MAYBE WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE SUPPORTIVE AND STRATEGIZING WHEN, IF WE GET THE CONSENSUS IN OUR POLICYMAKERS TO GET SOME MORE RELIEF OUT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
AND FOR US TO, UM, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL UM, TRY TO GET BACK IN AND SPEAK WITH DANIELLE ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT POTENTIALLY GET THAT FRAMED.
IT'S NOT MY DISTRICT AT THE OUTSET, AT LEAST BY ZIP CODE.
AND I THINK THE WAY YOU'RE FRAMING IT, COMMISSIONER MAHEA AROUND, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS LOOKING AT WHERE THE RELIEF IS SUCCESSFULLY GETTING TO, WITH RESPECT TO THE LOCATIONS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS WOULD ALSO BE REALLY INTERESTING.
AND PERHAPS AGAIN, ON THE SAME NOTION OF LOOKING AT HOW WE MIGHT GO AS POLICY MAKERS, UH, UH, TO SPREAD AROUND RELEASE, UH, WE COULD ALSO LOOK AT PERHAPS WHERE THERE MAY BE A CASE FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, CREATING MORE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, UH, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST SCALING OUT WHATEVER THE INTERVENTION IS.
THE CORE INTERVENTIONS ARE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS ARE SUCCESSFULLY DOING.
AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
DID WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR UPHILL? I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE ON AND KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE A PERIOD AFTER ALL FOUR FOLKS SPEAK, UH, TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS OF EVERYONE, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THESE MIGHT BE UNIVERSALLY APPLICABLE AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO SORT OF LEARN FROM THE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND THE DIFFERENT FUND SETS.
BUT IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE FIND THAT MIGHT BE EXTREMELY SPECIFIC RIGHT NOW, I'D LOVE TO HEAR THEM BRILLIANT.
WE APPRECIATE YOU ON HILL AND, UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE, UH, THE NEXT, UH, UH, DISCUSSION POINT, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
I DON'T KNOW THE STAFF MEMBER FOR THEM.
[00:45:01]
MATE.SO I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT BRIAN'S 1.0 AND RISE TWO POINT NOW, JUST AS A REMINDER, UM, RISE, 1.0, COUNCIL PASSED THE RESOLUTION DOC ON APRIL 9TH.
UH, WE DID THIS AS A SOLICITATION PROCESS FOR THE $15 MILLION.
THIS WAS TO PROVIDE DIRECT RELIEF ASSISTANCE, WHICH COULD BE FOOD ACCESS CASE MANAGEMENT, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ASSISTANCE WITH UTILITY BILLS ASSISTANCE WITH MEDICAL EXPENSES, A WIDE VARIETY OF SUPPORT SERVICES, AND ALSO ACTUAL DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CLIENTS.
UH, WE DID THAT IN THE FORM OF GIFT CARDS.
UM, THE TARGET POPULATION, AS YOU CAN SEE, TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE RESOLUTION, WE WERE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR, LGBTQ, SENIORS, IMMIGRANTS, UM, INDIVIDUALS OUT MENTAL DISABILITIES, SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE RECENTLY INCARCERATED SIMILARLY, UM, LOW INCOME UNDER 200% OF FEDERAL POVERTY RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN INELIGIBLE FOR THE CARES PROGRAM, WHICH WAS AT STIMULUS FUNDING.
UM, THIS WAS A $15 MILLION, 12.5 OF IT.
UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THE SOLICITATION, GETTING THE FUNDING COMMUNITY AND THE EQUITY OFFICE AND DID ANOTHER 2.5 MILLION FOR THE TOTAL 15 MILLION.
UM, THROUGH THAT, WE ENDED UP FUNDING 20 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE A WIDE VARIETY OF SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ALL OF THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN AWARDED, UM, AT THIS TIME WE'RE STILL COLLECTING A LOT OF THE DATA, BUT OVER 10,000 PEOPLE RECEIVE SOME FORM OF A SERVICE IF WE'RE INCLUDING THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK, WHICH WAS ABOUT 2 MILLION OF THAT, THAT'S OVER 89,000 HOUSEHOLDS THAT RECEIVED SERVICES.
UM, SOME OF THAT IN FOOD, SOME OF THAT IN ACTUAL SUPPORT OR PAYMENTS ON BEHALF OF THEM TO PAY RENT OR PAY FOR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY KIND OF NEEDED AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME.
UM, ALL OF THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN AWARDED.
ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN EXPENDED.
WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AGENCIES TO REPORT INFORMATION TO US.
UM, I'D SAY I'D GIVE US A B, UM, PARTLY BECAUSE, I MEAN, ONE, WE DID IT VERY QUICKLY.
UH, WE TRIED TO MAKE THE APPLICATION PROCESS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WORKED WITH ALL OF THE TARGET POPULATIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED WIDE VARIETY OF SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE HAD OVER 70 APPLICATIONS, SO IT WAS KIND OF A LOT JUST TO PUT THE INFORMATION OUT THERE AND TO GET ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE.
AND I THINK WHAT WE LEARNED, WE LEARNED A LOT, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT WAS IN A TIME OF COVID, UM, WHERE THE TYPICAL CLIENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND GETTING INFORMATION FROM CLIENTS WAS DIFFICULT.
SO OUR ORGANIZATIONS WERE STRATEGIZING HOW THEY COULD KEEP THEMSELVES AND THEIR STAFF SAFE AND HOW THEY COULD KEEP THE PUBLIC SAFE AND ALSO CONTINUE TO DELIVER SERVICES.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT RISE? 1.0 YEAH.
UNDER 200% OF FEDERAL POVERTY IS WHAT WE WERE LOOKING.
WERE THEY FLAT AWARD AMOUNTS? I'M SORRY, I MISSED IT.
THEY WERE NOT FLOOD AWARD AMOUNTS.
UM, SO IT REALLY DEPENDED ON WHAT SERVICE SOMEONE WAS LOOKING FOR.
AND IT ALSO DEPENDED ON THE ORGANIZATION AND KIND OF WHAT, HOW THEY DECIDED TO AWARD THE FUNDS.
UM, SO THERE WAS KIND OF A CAP OF, UM, 1,200 PER PERSON THAT COULD GET, UM, KIND OF ASSISTANCE UP TO $5,000 FOR FAMILIES.
SO THAT COULD BE EITHER IN THE FORM OF HELPING PAY SOMEONE'S BRENT SOMEONE'S UTILITY.
THERE WAS ALSO AN OPTION FOR THEM TO GET $500 IN LIKE A GIFT CARD TO THE GROCERY STORE OR A THOUSAND DOLLARS OF A VISA GIFT CARD.
SO DEPENDING ON THE AGENCY, HOW THEY PROPOSE TO DO THEIR PROGRAM, THEY WERE ABLE TO DESIGN IT TO MEET THOSE NEEDS, BUT WE STEPPED KIND OF THE HIGHEST LIMIT POSSIBLE WITH THAT.
IF I COULD ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
SO WORKING WITH SO MANY, UM, NONPROFITS AND PARTNERS, I'M CURIOUS IF YOU, MAYBE YOU COULD ANONYMIZE THEM IF YOU HAVE TO, BUT DO YOU HAVE CASE STUDIES OF WHAT THEY SUCCEEDED IN IN, OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT SORT OF WAS THE GOLD STANDARD IN TERMS OF HOW IT WENT WITH THE CRIMINALIZATION AND THEN MAYBE CHALLENGING ASPECTS? UH, AND THEN I GUESS, OR YOU COULD JUST KIND OF GET UP TO LESSONS LEARNED THAT HOW YOU, HOW YOU MIGHT DEPLOY IT DIFFERENTLY OR PARTNER DIFFERENTLY FOR THE EFFECTS AROUND FINDING IF IT, IF IT DOES MANIFEST.
SO I THINK DEFINITELY YOU'LL SEE RISE 2.0, LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN RISE.
1.0, I THINK IT WAS CHALLENGING, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WE WANTED THE FUNDING TO BE SPENT QUICKLY.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF REQUIREMENTS FOR CLIENT ELIGIBILITY, THE DATA THAT YOU NEED THAT KIND OF DELAYED THE PROCESS, I THINK STAFFING, UH, FOR SOME OF OUR NONPROFITS WAS A BIT CHALLENGING
[00:50:01]
TO GET MORE PEOPLE QUICKLY, TO BE ABLE TO HELP.I THINK FOR THE COMMUNITY, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHO DO I GO TO TO ASK QUESTIONS? UM, AND WE HEARD A LOT OF STORIES OF PEOPLE CALLING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THROUGH BECAUSE THERE WAS SUCH A DEMAND IN SUCH A GREAT NEED, YOU KNOW, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ENDED UP AT THE BACK OF A LINE, NOT KNOWING WHEN THEY WENT OR IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GET CALLED.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK EVERYBODY LEARNED A LOT DURING THAT PROCESS, UM, AND HOW WE CAN BEST SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, IN THE NIGHT I PERSONALLY ALLOWED, I WOULD SAY TO AN IDEAL SITUATION, IF WE HAD KIND OF A CENTRALIZED WAY TO TRACK ALL THIS INFORMATION, BUT WE DIDN'T BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN SOMEONE WAS GOING TO HAVE FUNDING AVAILABLE OR WHAT THEIR PARTICULAR NEED WAS.
UM, SO A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED IN THAT.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I SAY I'D GIVE US A B, BECAUSE I'M LIKE, WE GOT MONEY OUT.
WE GOT ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED QUICKLY, BUT I THINK WE, THERE WERE POTENTIALLY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAD TO CALL FIVE DIFFERENT NONPROFITS TO SEE WHO COULD HELP ME, UM, BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL OFFERING SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A PERFECT SEGUE TO START TALKING ABOUT RISE 2.0.
UM, IF YOU CAN JUST SWITCH OVER TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO RISE 2.0, THIS WAS ANOTHER COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
UH, THIS WAS BROKEN UP INTO TWO PARTS.
WE MADE THE DECISION TO BREAK IT UP INTO TWO PARTS.
2 MILLION WAS DIRECTOR WAR TO THREE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO JUST PROVIDE DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
THIS WASN'T GOING TO BE TIERED.
THIS WASN'T GOING TO, WE SAY, IT'S GOING TO BE A FLAT $2,000 PER FAMILY IN THE FORM OF A GIFT CARD SO THAT THE FAMILIES CAN MAKE DECISIONS ON HOW TO BEST USE THE MONEY FOR WHAT THEY NEEDED AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
THEN FOR THE ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION, WE ACTUALLY HAD A SOLICITATION PROCESS, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING FOR AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS AND ALSO PHONE BANK.
SO WE WANTED TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT THIS SHOULDN'T BE A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED.
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT MAYBE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.
SO WE NEEDED KIND OF A PHONE OPTION TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.
UM, SO THAT ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS WAS OPEN FOR A WEEK, STARTING ON SEPTEMBER 14TH.
UM, IT CLOSED ON SEPTEMBER 21ST, UM, FOR THAT WHOLE TIME.
AND WE TRIED TO MAKE THE PROCESS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO DO A LOT OF SELF CERTIFICATIONS OF THEIR INCOME, TO SUBMIT PICTURES OF THEIR ID AND A SELFIE, AND TO CERTIFY THAT THEY HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID-19.
SO THERE WERE OVER 50,000 APPLICATIONS THAT WERE SUBMITTED, UM, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
SOME OF THEM WERE FILTERED OUT OF THAT PROCESS.
WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF DISTRIBUTING ALL OF THOSE FUNDS.
UM, AND FOR THIS PROCESS THAT WOULD GIVE US THE B PLUS THIS WAS ALL CASH CASH ASSISTANCE IN ONE FORM OF ANOTHER, THIS WAS EITHER DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO A BANK ACCOUNT, A VIRTUAL CARD, OR WE'D HAVE TO GO PICK UP A CARD WITH ONE OF OUR NON-PROFITS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GET ACCESS TO YOUR $2,000.
UM, SO THIS, AGAIN, THIS WAS NOT FIRST COMING TO, THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED PROCESS.
SO EVERYONE HAD AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, UM, WHO MADE IT THROUGH THE PROCESS TO ACTUALLY BE SELECTED TO RECEIVE IT.
SO HERE'S OUR LESSONS LEARNED OF LIKE, HOW DO YOU TRY TO MAKE IT EASY? HOW DO YOU TRY TO ACCOMMODATE? I THINK WE ALSO, FROM AN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT WE KNEW THAT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WEREN'T SIGNING UP TO GO GET TESTED, WEREN'T SIGNING UP TO DO THESE THINGS.
AND WE HAD AN ONLINE PLATFORM, SO WE KNEW, AND IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS A PHONE BANK THAT WAS AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES THAT WAS OPEN DURING 12 HOURS AND WEEKEND, SO THAT IF PEOPLE WANTED TO CALL, UM, AND AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME DURING THAT TIME THAT IT WAS OPEN, THAT THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO.
SO I'M CURIOUS, THIS IS COMMISSIONER HERE.
SO DID I, I DIDN'T, I'M NOT SURE IF I MISSED IT, BUT DID YOU USE LESS OR TO GIVE YOU STREAMLINE, STREAMLINE WITH THE, UH, NONPROFIT PROVIDERS OR WERE THEY NOT USED, THEN YOU WENT TO A PHONE PROCESS, A PLATFORM I MISSED WHAT CHANGED IN TERMS OF NONPROFIT PARTNER.
SO WE DID END UP DOING SOLICITATION.
WE HAD TWO NONPROFIT PARTNERS, ONE THAT WAS, UH, WAS DOING THE PHONE BANK PROCESS, ONE THAT WAS DOING THE ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS AND WE WORK WITH THEM AND THEY WORKED TOGETHER TO HAVE KIND OF A COHESIVE PROCESS OR THE COMMUNITY ONGOING COMMUNICATION, UH, BETWEEN THEM, BETWEEN ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE, UM, THE COMMUNITY AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
SO THAT DEFINITELY WAS A LEARNING PROCESS TO DATE, UM, OVER, UH, WITH BOTH THE RISE BRIDGE AND THE RISE 2.0 PROCESS 5,328 HOUSEHOLDS HAVE RECEIVED ASSISTANCE.
UM, THIS WAS STRICTLY CASH ASSISTANCE AND OUT OF THE 12 MILLION, WE HAD TO TAKE OUT KIND OF THE ADMIN COST
[00:55:01]
OF A PHONE BANK OR STAFF TIME WHERE ALL OF THOSE OTHER PIECES.SO IT DIDN'T ALL GO OUT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
ARE YOU ABLE TO COMMENT ON HOW THIS PROGRAM HELPED PEOPLE VERSUS HOW OTHER PROGRAMS HELP? IT'S ONE HAS A MUCH DIFFERENT WAY OF ORGANIZING ITSELF WHEN YOU MEAN HOW HELP PEOPLE WE DO HAVE, UM, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE DATA YET, BUT WE HAVE OFFERED INDIVIDUALS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US HOW THIS HELPED THEM.
IT'S NOT IT'S ONCE THEY RECEIVE IT, HOW THEY ANTICIPATED USING THE AWARDS OR HOW THEY RECEIVED THE AWARDS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND CAN SHARE IT AT A LATER DATE.
DO WE HAVE, UH, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? WELL THEN WITH THAT, UH, NOW THAT WE THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, ITS THOROUGHNESS, UH, AND THE SELF-ASSESSMENT OF, OF BEING, UH, I ALWAYS AM HESITANT TO EVER GRADE, UH, AS A, AS WELL.
AND HERE WE HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE, UH, EVEN EXPENDED, UH, CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, GARGANTUAN SOME, UH, AND ASSESSING YOURSELF AS A BD AND A B FLUFF, UH, WITH LESSONS LEARNED IS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT RESONATES VERY MUCH.
AND IF WE COULD, UH, THEN MOVE ON LISA TO THE THIRD SPEAKER, UH, ON AUSTIN ENERGY, AND PLEASE FORGIVE ME THAT I'M NOT FAMILIAR, OR I DON'T KNOW WHO, UH, WHOM THE STAFF MEMBERS ARE, WHO ARE GOING TO BE SPEAKING.
SO I CAN ANNOUNCE YOU BY NAME.
I BELIEVE THAT ERICA IS GOING TO WORK THROUGH THE SLIDE ON THAT ONE, ACTUALLY IT'S NEFERTITI.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO THE RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THEN SWITCH OVER TO THE AUSTIN ENERGY SLIDE.
UM, SO, UH, MY NAME IS NEFERTITI JACKMAN I'M WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND I'LL BE GIVING SOME UPDATES REGARDING THE RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, THE PROGRAM IS, UH, OFFICIALLY TITLED THE RELIEF OF EMERGENCY NEEDS FOR TENANTS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND WE BEGAN ON AUGUST 19TH OF THIS YEAR, THE TARGET RECIPIENTS FOR THE PROGRAM.
IT WAS, UH, SPECIFICALLY TO, UH, ASSIST THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP DUE TO COVID 19 AND FINANCIAL LOSS, UH, DUE TO COVID 19, WE HAVE HAD FOCUS OUTREACH SPECIFICALLY TO NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE LIST THE VARIOUS ZIP CODES WHERE WE DID TARGETED OUTREACH WITH, UH, FLYERS PARTNERING WITH ORGANIZATIONS TO GET INFORMATION, UM, OUT TO VULNERABLE RESIDENTS, INCLUDING, UH, POPULATIONS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH, PROFICIENCY VETERANS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND LARGE HOUSEHOLDS, UH, WITH FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND, UM, ARE BLACK AND LATIN X FAMILIES.
UH, THE RENT FUNDING SOURCES OF, UH, THERE WERE THREE PRIMARY SOURCES OF FUNDINGS, UH, FUNDING, WHICH INCLUDED THE CARES ACT FUNDING, UH, CDBG CV DOLLARS, AS WELL AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.
AND THE TOTAL FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, UH, IS $12.9 MILLION.
UH, WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF DEPLOYING THE FUNDS TO DATE, AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, UH, THE, THE NUMBER THAT YOU HAVE THERE, THE 6.3 MILLION IS THE TOTAL THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED TODAY WITH TOTAL THAT HAS GONE OUT SO FAR AS $6.1 MILLION.
AND SO, UH, WE ANTICIPATE WE'RE, WE'RE SENDING MONEY OUT EACH WEEK.
SO THE NUMBERS ARE CHANGING ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UH, WE DO EXPECT THAT THE, UH, FUNDING AS SPECIFICALLY THE CARES FUNDING, THAT'S THE ONLY FUNDING THAT DOES HAVE A DEADLINE OF DECEMBER 30TH.
AND IT IS DECEMBER 30TH, NOT DECEMBER 31ST AS PRESENTED HERE.
UM, BUT WE EXPECT, I EXPECT TO SPEND ALL OF THE FUNDS, UM, BY THAT DEADLINE.
AND, UH, THE SELF-ASSESSMENT, WE DID GIVE OURSELVES
[01:00:01]
AN A, BUT WE DID GIVE AN A MINUS, UH, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHALLENGES AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED, UH, DISTRIBUTING THE FUNDING, UM, INCLUDES SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS.UH, ONE IN PARTICULAR HAS BEEN THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN, UM, A COVID ENVIRONMENT WHERE ORGANIZATIONS AND PLACES WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT NORMALLY GO TO GET ASSISTANCE, HAVE BEEN CLOSED.
UH, SOME OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES, UM, HAS BEEN, UM, THE FACT THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS THAT, UH, WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING WITH REPORTING FEDERAL DOLLARS AND A LARGE SUM.
SO WE'RE SEEKING TO BE PREPARED.
AND SO AS A RESULT, THE APPLICATION PROCESS, UM, IS NOT AS STREAMLINED AS, UM, AND MANY PEOPLE ARE COMPARING IT TO THE RISE PROGRAM, BUT, UM, SO THAT HAS BEEN ONE CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED AND REALLY, UH, HAVING COMMUNITY PARTNERS ON THE GROUND READY TO GO FROM THE BEGINNING OF PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO MAKE US, UH, UH, THIS PROGRAM, A GREATER SUCCESS, ESPECIALLY HAVING TRUSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KNOW, AND ARE ON THE GROUND, UH, AND HAVE RELATIONSHIP, UH, WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO I WILL SAY THAT, UH, SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE TRACKED, UH, WE DID BEGIN TRACKING, UH, WITH THE SECOND, UM, THIS IS THE SECOND ITERATION WE INFORMALLY CALLED THE FIRST RENT PROGRAM, WHICH WE LAUNCHED IN MAY, WHERE WE DEPLOYED APPROXIMATELY $1.2 MILLION, UH, ONE, 1.0, AND THEN THIS ONE RENT 2.0, UM, WE DID TRACK WHERE PEOPLE WERE RECEIVING INFORMATION.
UM, AND SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASK OF, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU SEEING IT THROUGH, UH, THE S UH, THE CITY OF ALSO WEBSITE DOOR HANDLES, UH, HANGERS OR SO FORTH? SO WE, WE ARE COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION AND OVER 31 OF, UH, HOUSEHOLDS OR APPLICANTS WHO APPLIED FOR FUNDING SAID THAT THEY HEARD ABOUT THE PROGRAM THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S WEBSITE OR SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH IS THE LARGEST, UM, PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS.
SO, AND THEN THE SECOND NUMBER, THE SECOND LEADING NUMBER IS THROUGH A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER AT JUST OVER 18%.
SO, UH, WE, WE DID THAT AS A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, UM, FOCUS OUR LIMITED, UM, DOLLARS AND RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY REACHING PEOPLE WHO NEED THE ASSISTANCE.
UH, AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE SLASH HEAR YOU AGAIN AS WELL.
UH, AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO, UH, THE VICE CHAIR AND ANY COMMISSIONERS FOR, UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
IS IT THIS PROGRAM? I THINK IT'S THIS PROGRAM THAT I'VE HEARD INCREASED ITS INCOME CEILING.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THAT? UM, YES, WE DID NOT INCREASE THE INCOME CEILING, BUT WE DID CHANGE.
UH, UH, INITIALLY WE WERE PROVIDING ONE MONTH OF ASSISTANCE FOR HOUSEHOLDS THAT WERE AT 30% MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME AND BELOW.
UM, BUT WHAT WE DID IS WE CHANGED THE, UH, PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS TO ALLOW ALL FAMILIES, ALL ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS AT AS LONG AS THEY'RE UNDER 80% MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE UP TO A TOTAL OF SIX MONTHS.
SO THE INCOME REQUIREMENTS HAVEN'T CHANGED, BUT WE WERE ONLY GIVING, UH, THE WA UH, THREE, MULTIPLE MONTHS TO THOSE AT 30% MFI, BUT WE'VE EXPANDED THAT TO ALL ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS.
WELL, I SEE YOU LOOK CONFUSED.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO GAME FACE.
YES, BUT THAT, TO ME SOUNDS EFFECTIVELY LIKE RAISING IT.
SO THE PROGRAM, UM, THE PROGRAM HAS ALWAYS INCLUDED FAMILIES AT 80%, MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME AND BELOW.
SO WE'VE ALWAYS, UH, THE PROGRAM HAS ALWAYS SERVED ANY HOUSEHOLDS THAT DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY HAD BEEN FINANCIALLY IMPACTED BY COVID AS LONG AS THEY WERE AT 80%
[01:05:01]
MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME AND BELOW THE CHANGE WAS THE BENEFIT, WHICH THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE ALLOWED ELIGIBILITY WAS FOR THREE MONTHS.AND WE REALLY WANTED TO GET SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES.
AND SO WE WERE REALLY TRYING TO HELP THOSE FAMILIES AT 30% AND BELOW.
BUT WHAT WE SEE, WE SAW THAT THERE WAS A GREATER NEED, EVEN FOR PEOPLE AT 80%.
AND THEN ALSO THERE WAS CONCERN AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DEPLOY ALL OF THE DOLLARS.
SO ANYBODY WHO WAS ELIGIBLE AND IT WAS ALWAYS FROM THE BEGINNING 80% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, AND BELOW, WE EXPANDED IT TO SIX MONTHS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE PROGRAM.
KAREN, UH, DOES THAT HELL YES.
THAT'S A NOISE THAT JUST STARTED IN THE BACKGROUND.
I WAS TRYING TO WAIT FOR IT TO GO AWAY.
UM, SO ARE WE NOT, ARE WE SEEING APPLICANTS BELOW 30%? YOU SAY THAT THE NEED WAS GREATER THAN OTHER INCOME CATEGORIES, BUT WOULD SEEM LIKE PEOPLE BELOW 30% WOULD HAVE THE HARDEST TIME NOW? UH, WE ARE SEEING AN OVER TWO THIRDS TO THE, UH, PEOPLE, UH, GETTING ASSISTANCE ARE AT THAT, UM, INCOME LEVEL LEVEL AT 30%, A MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME AND BELOW, AND WE ARE BEING ABLE TO SERVE THEM.
UM, BUT WE ALSO SAW THAT THE NEED OF WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST AS GREAT FOR THOSE FAMILIES AT 80% AS WELL, RIGHT.
THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS LOWER IN TERMS OF, UM, THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AMOUNT, LIKE THE MONTHLY RENT FOR SOMEONE AT 30% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME IS MUCH LOWER THAN THOSE AT A HIGHER INCOME LEVEL, BUT THE NEED STILL EXISTED FOR MULTIPLE MONTHS OF RENT.
HOW DO YOU TELL THAT THE NEED WAS GREATER? IS IT MORE APPLICATIONS OR PUBLIC COMMENT, OR HOW DO YOU TELL THE, HOW DO WE, UH, BASICALLY WE'RE, WE'RE S WE'RE SEEING, UH, I'M AND I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD SAY THE NEED WAS GREATER IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE COMING IN, WHAT WE'RE BASING IN, ON THE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE COMING IN AND AS WELL AS THEIR REQUESTS.
AND, UH, SO, UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, APPROXIMATELY APPROXIMATELY OVER 76% OF APPLICANTS TO THE PROGRAM ARE AT 30% MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN SERVING THOSE, BUT THEN WE SAW ALL BED.
I, AND I I'LL BE VERY CLEAR, KAREN, I CAN'T SHARE THAT WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GIVE YOU INFORMATION THAT I KNOW WE, BUT WE'VE BEEN SERVING AT 30% MFI.
UM, AND I'M JUST, I'M LOOKING TO SEE IF I CAN TELL SPECIFICALLY WHY, BUT WE, WE WANTED TO GET THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR.
AND, UH, WE HAVE BEEN SERVING ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE PEOPLE GETTING ASSISTANCE AT 30% IMMEDIATE FAMILY INCOME AND BELOW.
I JUST, YEAH, I THINK THAT KIND OF ALMOST SIMILAR IN THESE REPORTS WOULD BE GOOD IF WE CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, OUR CHARGE, OUR CHARGE IS TO, UH, ADVOCATE FOR LOW-INCOME PEOPLE.
SO TO THAT EFFECT, WHEN WE CAN GET THE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED, BROKEN OUT BY INCOME LEVELS OR, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN SEE THAT.
I THINK THAT PUTS THE, I WON'T SAY IT PUTS OUR MINDS AT EASE, BUT IT DEFINITELY HELPS US IN SORT OF SEEING HOW IMPACTFUL THE PROGRAMS ARE BEING.
SO I HEAR YOU THOUGH, NET FOR TD SAYING THAT TWO THIRDS, AT LEAST OF THE MONEY HAS GONE TO THAT INDEX AND I GUESS A SEGUE.
SO JUST GOING FORWARD THAT HAVING THAT KIND OF BREAKDOWN VISUALLY, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND THEN THE FOLLOWUP TO THAT IS $6 MILLION LEFT BEFORE DECEMBER.
IT, HOW WHAT'S THE GAME PLAN OTHER THAN MAKING OTHER THAN OPENING UP THE FLOOD GATES.
LIKE WHAT'S THE GAME PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT STAYS EQUITABLE AND YOU'RE ON TRACK TO GET THOSE DOLLARS OUT THE DOOR BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT MIGHT BE NOT BEING SPENT AS BAD NEWS FOR EVERYBODY, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, UH, TODAY, UH, WELL, I'LL ANSWER, I WANT TO ANSWER BOTH QUESTIONS SO TO DATE, UM, AND THE DASHBOARD IS SLIGHTLY BEHIND.
[01:10:01]
MORE HOUSEHOLDS THAT OUR DASHBOARD REFLECTS, OR RIGHT NOW WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY, UH, 1200 HOUSEHOLDS, UM, AT 30% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME AND BELOW A GEEK IN, AND THIS DASHBOARD DOES NOT REFLECT THE TOTAL OF $6 MILLION THAT I HAVE SHARED IN THE REPORT THAT HAS BEEN SPENT TODAY, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE MONEY IS STILL GOING OUT THE DOOR.SO, AND THE DASHBOARD IS LAGGING BEHIND.
BUT SO, AND FOR THOSE AT 30 AND 60%, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A SMALLER NUMBER.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SERVING, WE ARE SERVING A LARGER NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS AT 30% MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME AND BELOW WE ARE ON TARGET.
AND WE, UH, WE DO THE PROJECTIONS EACH WEEK TO SEE HOW MANY FAMILIES WE CAN SERVE.
UH, WE DO IT BASED UP ON A NUMBER OF DATA POINTS, WHICH INCLUDES HOW MANY APPLICATIONS ARE COMING THROUGH THE PORTAL.
UH, WHAT'S THE PROCESSING TIME TO, UM, VERIFY INCOME, VERIFY ALL OF THE APPLICANTS BASED ON HOW MANY WE CAN TURN AROUND EACH WEEK.
AND, AND THEN WHAT HAS HELPED IS THE PROGRAM CHANGE WHERE WE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF MONTHS OF RENT, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE WERE ONLY DOING ONE MONTH OF RENT, WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE MANY MORE FAMILIES COMING THROUGH THE PORTAL IN ORDER TO GET THOSE FAMILIES SERVED.
UH, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN AND WE PIVOTED AND CHANGED THE PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THAT CONCERN AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE'D BE ABLE TO GET THE FUNDING OUT THE DOOR BY THE DECEMBER 30TH DEADLINE.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, UH, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN SPEND THE MONEY BEFORE THE DECEMBER 30TH DEADLINE AND WE'RE ON, UM, BASED UPON OUR PROJECTIONS, UM, THE PROCESSING TIME, ET CETERA, WE'RE ON TARGET TO SPEND ALL THE FUNDS.
UM, SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE COMMISSIONERS IN UNIQUELY, UH, COMMISSIONER
AND I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON PERCENTAGE OF MFI AS A, AS A BLACK STANDARD OF INCOME LEVEL, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER MAHEA.
DOES THAT STILL SOUND IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? I THINK THAT WOULD HELP.
AND WE DO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION, UM, UM, ON OUR DASHBOARD IT SHOWS, UH, WHO IS SERVED OF WHO IS SERVED IN EACH ZIP CODE.
UM, AND IT, IT PROVIDES ALL OF THOSE DATA POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED, SO FANTASTIC.
SO, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO GET AN EMAIL SENT OUT TO, UH, ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS WITH THE LINK TO THE DASHBOARD, UH, AS WELL.
THANKS IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, MORE QUESTIONS FOR, UH, NET FOR TT, LET'S MOVE ON, UH, TO THE FINAL SPEAKER.
UH, AND I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE ERIC.
I WAS GOING TO SPEAK ON THE AUSTIN ENERGY PLUS ONE PROGRAM.
UH, AND, UH, IF I MIGHT MAKE A SPECIAL REQUEST OF ERICA, IF, IF YOU'RE ABLE, UH, UH, TO KIND OF HELP DELINEATE, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW, UH, THE PRESENTATION THAT ONCO GAVE WHEN HE WAS, UH, REFERENCING THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM, UH, IS EITHER DISTINCT OR A SUBSET OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, AND I ALSO WANTED TO PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AND THANK ALL THE COMMISSIONERS FOR BEING HERE AND PARTICIPATING IN WHAT I BELIEVE IS SOME OF THE MOST SALIENT WORK THAT WE COULD BE DOING, WHICH IS REALLY LOOKING AT, UH, HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT SEEMS TO ME, YOU KNOW, JUST OFF THE CUFF ADDITION, UH, TO BE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 50, HOW NEARLY $50 MILLION ARE BEING SPENT, UH, TO, UH, ALLEVIATE, UH, THE DIFFICULTIES, UH, AND THE SUFFERING AND THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE RESULTED FROM COVID FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, JUST PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THESE PRESENTATIONS AND, AND, AND REALLY, REALLY OWNING, UH, OUR ROLE AS, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST STEWARDS OF THESE DOLLARS IN THESE EFFORTS, BUT ALSO CONDUIT
[01:15:01]
SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ALWAYS AWARE, UH, OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.UH, AND WITH THAT SAID, I'D LIKE TO PASS IT OVER TO ERIC.
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO HAVE ANYONE FROM AUSTIN ENERGY JOIN US THIS EVENING.
UM, BUT THEY DID PROVIDE, UM, THIS INFINI, MAYBE SOMEONE COULD MUTE, UM, BUT THEY, THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS SLIDE.
UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE INFORMATION THAT UNHEALED PROVIDED ABOUT, UM, THE AUSTIN ENERGY PLUS ONE FUNDS THAT THEY DEPLOY, I BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD BE ONE OF THE 56 PARTNER AGENCIES THAT DISPERSES THE PLUS ONE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, UM, ON HOW MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT, UH, PERHAPS THAT'S CORRECT.
WE, WE AT LEAST KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION.
UM, SO IN GENERAL, THIS IS AN ONGOING PROGRAM, UH, THROUGH AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, AND DUE TO COVID CITY COUNCIL ADDED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILLION TO THE FUNDING, UM, FOR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS IN NEED.
UM, AND THAT WAS ON TOP OF THE 2.3 MILLION THAT IS REGULARLY ALLOCATED THAT'S FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UM, SO THEY HAD A TOTAL OF 12.3 MILLION, UH, FOR THE PROGRAM.
AND AS OF, UH, SEPTEMBER 30TH, AUSTIN ENERGY HAD PROVIDED A TOTAL OF 7.4 MILLION IN RELIEF.
AND ON THE SLIDE ITSELF, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, BETWEEN MAY OF 20 AND MAY OF 2020, UH, THERE WAS A 347% INCREASE IN, UM, IN, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY BASING THAT ON THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING OR THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS ASSISTANCE ASSISTED, BUT, UM, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, THAT IS ABOUT THE EXTENT OF WHAT I KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT IF COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY TOLD US TO, TO PASS ON THE QUESTIONS TO THEM, AND THEN WE WOULD GET BACK TO YOU.
UH, I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE VICE CHAIR AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, TO SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF.
UH, I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF IN SAYING THAT IT'S A BIT DISAPPOINTING, UH, TO NOT BE ABLE TO GET, I GUESS, JUST THE INFORMATION THAT WAS REQUESTED ON US AS SINKED, UH, SLIDE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT THE VICE CHAIR AND I THOUGHT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A CONVENIENT, UH, FORMAT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT EVEN IF THE PRESENCE WEREN'T MADE AVAILABLE, BUT, UH, PRESIDENT OF A STAFF MEMBER WEREN'T TO BE AVAILABLE.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT WHAT WE HAVE HERE APPEARS TO BE A GRAPH THAT SHOWS UP TO MAY, 2020 WHEN 10 MILLION WAS ADDED IN APRIL, 2020, AND WE ARE IN NOVEMBER, 2020.
UH, I JUST THINK THAT'S SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTING.
I GUESS OUR HOPE WOULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS, UH, WERE KIND OF, I GUESS, THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ON THE SLIDE, UH, OR IN THE SLIDE FORMAT.
UM, SO THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE HELPFUL.
AND THEN SECONDLY, IF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WITH, UH, AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION OF A MONTH OF TIME, UH, OR A BIT LESS, WE MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH A STAFF MEMBER AT THE NEXT MEETING, UH, GIVEN THE ON-RAMP FOR SCHEDULING, UH, AND FORGIVING THAT SORT OF RAMBLING SURPRISE DISAPPOINTMENT ON MY PART, I WOULD ALSO, UH, OR RATHER ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS FOR THAT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO THE VICE CHAIR, UH, AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENT EXCEPT TO REITERATE
[01:20:01]
WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT IT BEING DISAPPOINTING THAT WE'RE ABOUT HALF A YEAR AWAY FROM THE LAST THAT'S REPORTED.WELL, THEY DID THAT, THEY, THEY PROVIDED THE INFORMATION THAT, UH, THEY HAD, UH, PROVIDED 7.4 MILLION THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH.
SO IT'S NOT ON THE SLIDE, BUT THEY DID PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
SO WHICH 11 PLUS SEVEN? UM, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE 11 PLUS SEVEN.
I THINK IT WOULD, NO, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE 7.4 MILLION IN FISCAL IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO THAT WOULD HAVE STARTED IN OCTOBER IN OCTOBER.
SO THAT WOULD BE BASICALLY OCTOBER THROUGH THE END OF SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
YOU LOST ME, WE JUST STARTED A NEW YEAR AND WE'RE IN NOVEMBER THE SECOND MONTH OF THE NEW YEAR.
SO, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION FOR OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
UM, I ONLY HAVE INFORMATION THAT THEY SPENT 7.4 MILLION IN, I GUESS, LAST, LAST FIT ON SEPTEMBER 3RD AGAIN.
AND SO, UH, I'M SORRY, JUST TO REITERATE, UH, AN ADDITIONAL 10 MILLION WAS ADDED ON APRIL 9TH, WHAT WAS THE, UH, THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OR THE ORIGINAL FORGIVE ME THE ORIGINAL, UH, 2.3 IS THE NORMAL AMOUNT, AN ADDITIONAL 10 MILLION WAS ADDED IN APRIL.
AND THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEPLOY 7.4 MILLION.
END OF SEPTEMBER, SOME GUY THAT LEAVES US WHAT, LIKE 4.9 OR FIVE, I WOULD SAY.
UM, UH, AND SO, UH, I GUESS THE MAGIC QUESTION WOULD BE WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT BALANCE OF FIVE-ISH MILLION, UH, IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS HERE OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, YEAH, I GUESS, YEAH, IF, UH, I GUESS AS FAR AS QUESTIONS ARE CONCERNED, UH, UH, UNLESS THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I THINK THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE WOULD BE JUSTICE, THAT THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE ON THE FORMAT THAT WE REQUESTED, UH, WITH THE ADDITION OF ZIP CODE AND PERCENTAGE OF MFI, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BASICALLY, UH, BREAKDOWNS OF, UH, OR CATEGORIES AND CATEGORIZATIONS OF PERCENTAGES OR NUMBER OF POPULATION SERVED AS BROKEN DOWN BY ZIP CODE AND PERCENTAGE OF MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME IN AUSTIN, CHARLES COUNTY.
UH, WELL, COMMISSIONER, DOES THAT SOUND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO KEEP CHECKING WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE I'M HONORING, UH, WHAT YOUR REQUEST IS, AND, AND YOU DO SEEM PRETTY INTERESTED IN THIS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THESE DOLLARS ARE BEING EXPENDED, THAT WE GET THEM IN.
I THINK IT'S JUST, UH, I MEAN, I'M SURE WE COULD COME UP WITH BETTER OR, YOU KNOW, MORE COMMON DENOMINATORS, BUT I THINK THAT'S AT LEAST FROM MY EXPERIENCE SO FAR IN THE COMMISSION, A GOOD BASELINE COMMON DENOMINATOR AND HOW, AND ONE OF THE FILTERS THAT WE WANT TO RUN PROGRAM EFFICACY THROUGH SO THAT WE CAN GIVE GOOD FEEDBACK TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE INTERACT WITH.
AND DO ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, UH, THAT WE'D LIKE TO ASK AROUND THE, UH, THE COA UTILITIES, UH, ASSISTANCE FUND THEN WITH, UH, WITH THAT NOTION I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT LARGE OR ANYTHING WE HAVE, AGAIN, WE'VE LOOKED AT FOUR DIFFERENT SORT OF FUND BUCKETS, IF YOU WILL.
UM, SOME OF WHICH ARE ADDRESSING OVERLAPPING AREAS OF SUMMER, WHICH ARE ADDRESSING DISTINCT AREAS, ALL OF WHICH YOU'RE ADDRESSING THE AREA OF, UH, OF EXTREME NEED, UH, AND, UH, IN THE FACE OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS, UH, FOR A POPULATION THAT WOULD LIKELY, UH, EXPERIENCING NEED BEFORE THE COVID-19 CRISIS, THAT'S JUST EXACERBATING, UH, SORT OF EXACERBATED NOW.
UH, AND SO ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE GROUP AT LARGE, UH, I THINK WOULD BE WELCOMED HERE OR ANY DANGLING, UH, CHAD TYPE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE BEEN HOLDING OUT, UH, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
THAT IS, IS THE MOMENT TO ASK THOSE,
[01:25:02]
THEN I WILL, UH, UM, IF ANYTHING, I'LL EITHER LEAD OR CLOSE WITH A QUESTION HERE.ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS DISCUSSION I'VE OFTEN HEARD, UH, UH, SORT OF THE, UH, THE CONTENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, Y UH, GO THROUGH.
AND OF COURSE, EVEN AS A COMMISSION, I THINK WE, WE WENT THROUGH THE MOTIONS JUST AS A DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE BENEFIT, UM, UM, IF, IF WE COULD GIVE SOMEBODY, UM, DIRECT CASH AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE RISE PROGRAM, THOSE DOLLARS ARE EXPENDED SORT OF IMMEDIATELY, UM, AS WELL AS I THINK, HOWEVER, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, UH, UH, UH, CENTERS, UH, SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT ON-CAMERA WAS SHARING, THEY WERE ALSO ABLE TO EXPAND ALL OF THEIR FUNDS, PRETTY EXPEDIENTLY, UM, INCLUDING THE PLUS ONE FUNDS.
UM, THOUGH THEY'RE NOT FULLY EXPENDED, W YOU KNOW, IS THERE AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT IT'S BETTER JUST TO GIVE FOLKS DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE OR, OR NOT? AND, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS DISCUSSION HAS A LOT OF INTRIGUING POINTS AROUND IT, PARTICULARLY THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S NOT BETTER BECAUSE IN SOME WAYS WE, WE MAKE SURE THAT THE ASSISTANCE GOES DIRECTLY, UH, TO WHAT WE KNOW THE MOST SALIENT NEEDS ARE, WHICH ARE BILLS IN WHICH OUR HOUSING COSTS, AND THAT HELPS, YOU KNOW, US, UH, AS, UH, OF COURSE COMMISSIONERS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, IN TURN, AS THE GOVERNMENT AND STEWARDS OF PUBLIC DOLLARS, THAT HELPS US ENSURE THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE EFFICACIOUSLY BEING SPENT, OR IT'S NOT EVEN EFFICACIOUSLY, BUT JUST RATHER PRUDENTLY BEING SPENT.
UH, AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHEN WE CAN SEE SORT OF CHALLENGES AND EXTENDING THOSE DOLLARS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT QUESTION POPS UP.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS A CLEAR ANSWER TO THAT THAT IT'S YES OR NO, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR, UH, FROM THE STAFF MEMBERS IN THE CITY, SORT OF THE PROS AND CONS, UH, TO THAT, OR JUST REALLY TO SPEAK AROUND THAT, NOT NECESSARILY TO TAKE A POSITION, BUT JUST KIND OF SHARE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, OF COURSE IN THE COMMUNITY, WE, WE, WE SUPPORT ALL OF THESE EFFORTS, UH, BUT I'M, I'M REALLY, REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE, UH, WHAT YOU ALL THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH RESPECT TO HOW, UH, WE CAN CONTINUALLY LEARN, UH, HOW TO DO THIS BETTER AND, UH, BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AND YEAH, OKAY.
UM, MY THOUGHTS ON IT IS THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE TYPICALLY STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY KNOW WHERE THEY NEED TO SPEND THEIR MONEY.
AND I UNDERSTAND LIKE BEING, HAVING SPECIFIC, LIKE RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UH, OUR BILL ASSISTANCE, BUT MAYBE YOUR RENT IS GOOD AND YOUR UTILITIES ARE GOOD, BUT YOU CAN'T AFFORD MEDICATION.
AND IF YOU CAN'T PICK UP A PRESCRIPTION OR MAYBE ALL THAT'S GOOD, BUT YOUR EBT WAS CUT.
SO YOU GUYS WERE LITTLE MONEY, OR YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO GIVE, WATCH MONEY TO YOUR KIDS ARE MONEY FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
I'M NOT A HARD YES OR NO EITHER WAY.
I JUST, AND IT GOES BACK TO LIKE CHARITY, LIKE, ARE WE PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK? LIKE WE HELP THAT PERSON STAY IN THEIR HOUSE OR ARE WE DOING IT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES THE WAY THEY KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES? YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT GOES BACK TO TRUST, LIKE JUST TRUSTING THAT OUR NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE AWARE WHERE THEY SHOULD SPEND THEIR MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE AWARE, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER LOUIE, UH, FOR, FOR SHARING YOUR FEEDBACK THERE, I SEE A COMMISSIONER YOUNG HAS THIS HANDOUT, I BELIEVE, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, PLEASE.
I THINK IF THEY HAVE, UM, BILL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THAT MONEY GOING STRAIGHT TO THE BILLS, CAUSE SOME PEOPLE STILL CAN'T GRASP MANAGING MONEY.
SO I WOULD HATE FOR US TO GIVE THEM MONEY THAT THEY SHOULD USE FOR THE RENT OR, OR UTILITIES, BUT THEY SPEND IT ON SOMETHING ELSE AND THEN THEY COME BACK NEEDING MORE MONEY.
SO I, I WOULD RATHER THEM TO HAVE THEIR BILLS AND RENT PAID VERSUS, UH,
[01:30:01]
GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITY TO BLOW THEIR MONEY.AND I THINK THAT THAT SENTIMENT IS CERTAINLY UNDENIABLE, UH, THAT WE, WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT ANYONE BLOWING THEIR MONEY.
AND WE KNOW THAT, UH, IF DOLLARS GO DIRECTLY TO RENT AND BILLS, THEY'VE GONE TO SOMEPLACE, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S CERTAINLY HAD AN IMPACT.
UH, AND AS COMMISSIONER LOUIE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT ALSO MAY HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, A MATTER OF TRUST AND TRUSTEE AND FAMILIES, UM, MIGHT KNOW BEST, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW TO EXPEND, UH, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES, UH, ANY, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS OF THE VICE CHAIR HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS DISCUSSED? AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS A DISCUSSION THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD STARTED A WHILE BACK.
UH, I THINK AS YOU KNOW, DURING THE INCEPTION OF THESE FUNDS, UH, AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE, THIS IS A COMMISSIONER MIHIR.
I THINK FOR ME, ALL IT'S KIND OF COMES DOWN TO, UM, I DON'T, I THINK ARGUING OVER THE MERITS OF, YOU KNOW, PERSONAL SORT OF ECONOMIC DECISION MAKING IS KIND OF LIKE, UH, IT'S THE SECONDARY TO THE, TO THE FACT FOR ME, IT'S A PRAGMATIC MATTER MEANING, UM, IN AUSTIN AND IN TEXAS, I GO, THE GOVERNMENT GETS LEANED ON AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS ECONOMIC CRISIS TO SORT OF BE THE, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MITIGATE THE ECONOMIC LOSSES.
AND I OFTEN WONDER WHERE PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY IS AT WHERE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS AT.
AND, AND HONESTLY, I WISH I, NOW, NOW THAT I NO LONGER A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE, YOU KNOW, REALLY IMPLORING OUR ELECTIVES TO INITIATE THE COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THE PHILANTHROPIC ENVIRONMENT THAT EXISTS IN THE POSTS, IT ISN'T, IT'S NOT HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PLAYERS IN TERMS OF FAMILY FOUNDATIONS, WE HAVE PLAYERS IN TERMS OF THE NONPROFIT SECTOR, THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR, NO ONE THAT I REALLY FEEL LIKE IS GETTING EVERYONE TO COME TOGETHER AND PLAY BALL.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THIS SORT OF HYPER, I THINK A LOT OF I, AND I THINK MORALLY, YES, OF COURSE I WISH THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD, THAT GOVERNMENT COULD FREE UP FUNDS TO LET PEOPLE USE THEM AS THEY SEE FIT.
BUT THE REALITY IS FROM DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT, THERE'S UNIQUE CULTURES, THERE'S DIFFERENT FINANCIAL TOOLS THAT THEY HAVE TO USE.
SO IT'S JUST FOR ME, NOT A PRAGMATIC SORT OF PATHWAY TO THINK ABOUT, UH, SORT OF, UM, ALLOWING FOLKS TO SORT OF HAVE FREE USE OF MONEY BECAUSE BEHIND THE SCENES, I THINK STAFF, IF WE, WITH THE TIME ALLOWING WOULD TELL YOU HOW MUCH RED TAPE THERE IS INVOLVED IN LIABILITY, BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF DO, IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE DAMNED, IF YOU DO DAMNED IF YOU DON'T SITUATION, BECAUSE IF WE FREE UP THE DOLLARS AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEND AS THEY WANT, YES.
WHO GETS ROASTED ON TELEVISION WHEN SOMEONE SPENDS THE MONEY IN A MORAL WAY OR IN A FOOLISH WAY, IT'S OUR CITY GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, SO I GUESS, I GUESS WHAT I WANT TO, WHAT I'M SAYING IS FOR ME, THE VALUE IS HOW CAN WE PUSH, PUSH AND INVITE OUR, OUR SYSTEMS TO COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH EACH OTHER.
LET'S JUST START THERE, RIGHT? LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT, A MORE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO GETTING THESE CRISIS, GETTING THESE DOLLARS OUT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, IT, IT, IT HAVING A MORE, AN ATTITUDE OF INNOVATION AND UPLIFTING THOSE, THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE TRYING TO DO THAT FROM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE ANYWAYS, I DON'T WANT TO PICK UP TOO MUCH AIRTIME.
I JUST THINK THAT IT MIGHT BE A YEAH.
GOING DOWN THAT TRAIN IS JUST ONE WAY, BUT I JUST THINK LEANING ON GOVERNMENT ONLY TO BE THE SOR THE SOLE, UH, UH, ARBITER OF THE CRISIS IS PART OF WHAT MAKES, UH, THEY'RE LIKE MAKE THIS SO DIFFICULT.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF I WERE ON CAMERA, UH, IF I WERE TO ABLE TO SOLVE THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AND WE'RE ON CAMERA, YOU'D SEE ME MAYBE STANDING UP AND SLOW CLAPPING, UH, FOR COMMISSIONER MAY HE HAS A RESPONSE, WHICH I THINK REALLY WET A LOT OF THE PRACTICAL CONCERNS, COMMISSIONER, UH, AND COMMISSIONER LOUIE, UM, WHILE REALLY BRINGING IN THE PRAGMATIC APPROACH OF REALIZING THAT GOING ALL IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WAY, SIMPLY RESULTS IN IMBALANCE THAT MIGHT JEOPARDIZE SUSTAINABILITY.
AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT OPERATIONALIZING, UH, IN MY OPINION.
UH, AND I, I BELIEVE I SHARED THE SAME OPINION AS COMMISSIONER MAY.
HE HAD IT'S IT'S AROUND OPERA, HOW WE OPERATIONALIZE, UM, THESE RELIEF FUNDS.
AND WHEN COMMISSIONER MARIA MENTIONED INNOVATION, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THESE PROGRAMS AND I'M SEEING A VERSION ONE AND VERSION TWO, UH, AND WHAT I'M SEEING AS A GREAT OURSELVES WITH MINUSES OR BS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I'M SEEING ITERATIVE WORK, I'M SEEING INNOVATION AND, YOU KNOW, I'M DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME, I'M ALSO DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, UH, SHARING THEIR TIME AND THEIR ENERGY TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO KEEP AN EYE ON
[01:35:01]
HOW THESE FUNDS ARE BE, ARE BEING EXPENDED AND OPERATIONALIZED, UH, AND HOW WE MAY BE ABLE TO, UH, UH, HELP WITH THAT PROCESS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, D RESTRICTING OR SUGGESTING THE DEED RESTRICTION OF SOMETHING ONE WAY, OR ADDING MORE RESTRICTIONS THAN OTHER WAY.AND I THINK A GREAT EXAMPLE, UM, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL DOLLARS HAVE CERTAIN STRINGS ATTACHED TO THEM.
UH, OTHER DOLLARS MAY NOT HAVE CERTAIN STRINGS ATTACHED TO THEM.
AND I BELIEVE THAT CITY STAFF AND THE D AND THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, HAVE TO OFTEN DO.
AND WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THEY, YOU ALL HAVE TO OFTEN DO QUITE A TIGHT ROPE WALK TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE BEST BALANCE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER, I THINK, THE HIGHEST, UH, GOOD, UM, WITH THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, GIVEN THE STRINGS ATTACHED.
AND SO I THINK I KNOW THAT I'M CERTAINLY SENSITIVE TO THAT, AND I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF US, UH, INCLUDING THE VICE CHAIR AND THE COMMISSIONERS ARE, AND, UH, I'M JUST REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF ANY DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT CONTINUES TO INFORM AND EVOLVE HOW WE APPROACH THIS.
UH, VICE-CHAIR, I'D LOVE TO HEAR IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS AROUND THIS, AS WELL AS THE STAFF WHO PRESENTED WELL, IT WAS REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION FOR US TO HAVE, THIS IS WHERE YOU SORT OF THING, KIND OF OUR CHARGE.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT FOR THE WEEK WE SET OUR HAND UP AND I DON'T REALLY SEE THAT SHE'S GOT HER HAND UP.
SO WHEN, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, FORGIVE ME.
THEN I, I WOULD, I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE, AND I DIDN'T HEAR WHOM YOU SAID ERICA LEE.
UM, SO I I'D CERTAINLY REITERATE MUCH OF WHAT, WHAT FOLKS HAVE SHARED.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT THE RESTRICTIONS ON VARIOUS FUNDING SOURCES IS, IS A VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW HUD SOURCES BETTER THAN THAT, BETTER THAN OTHER SOURCES.
UM, BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CARES ACT FUNDING HAD SOME SPECIFIC REGULATIONS.
SO, UH, THERE, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION AT COUNCIL AND, UM, WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH FUNDING COULD BE IDENTIFIED POTENTIALLY AS KIND OF UNRESTRICTED FUNDS, UM, THAT COULD BE USED FOR THINGS LIKE THE RISE PROGRAM, UM, THAT DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS ON, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY CAN BE USED ON.
SO I ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, AND, AND TO KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE HAVING THE DISCUSSION STAFF HAS HAVING THE DISCUSSION.
UM, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU TRY TO, TO THINK ABOUT AND PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW THE CITY CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, UM, HOW IT WORKS AND WHAT IT DOES.
AND, UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, WHERE YOU, UH, ABOUT TO COMPOSE A THOUGHT, UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SHARE IT, THAT ERICA HAD HER HAND UP OR WERE YOU JUST HAPPY THAT WE WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION AND THAT'S TOTALLY FINE, TOO.
UM, NO, I JUST, THIS IS A GOOD, GOOD, GOOD.
THIS IS A GREAT DISCUSSION FOR US TO HAVE.
UM, WELL, IF, UH, NONE OF THE OTHER, UH, CITY STAFF WHO PRESENTED AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS, UH,
SO I'M GOING TO PAUSE FOR A SECOND AND JUST MAKE SURE I'M NOT SPEAKING OVER ANYONE.
IF I CAN, FOR A SECOND, SARAH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER SLOAN, JUST TO SORT OF WEIGH IN ON THE POTENTIAL FOR THE FURTHERING OF THIS COMPENSATION, ACKNOWLEDGING COMPLETELY LET ERIC HAS SHARED, UM, FROM THE RESTRICTIONS OF CERTAIN KINDS OF FUNDING AND KEEPING THAT IN MIND THAT THERE ARE MANY AREAS WHERE OUR DESIRES, OUR HOPES, UM, DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE MUCH OF AN EFFECT.
UH, I THINK THAT THERE IS, UM, THE POTENTIAL FOR A CASE TO BE MADE THAT
[01:40:01]
OTHER FUNDING THAT IS LESS RESTRICTED, UM, COULD BE ALLOCATED MORE FREELY, AND THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO CITY STAFF IN THIS, IN THIS CONVERSATION WHO MIGHT BE SOME OF THE BEST, UM, RESOURCES TO GENERATE THAT INFORMATION, AS FAR AS WHEN PEOPLE ARE REQUESTING RENT ASSISTANCE.I IMAGINE THAT MANY CONVERSATIONS GO, CAN YOU ALSO HELP ME WITH GROCERIES? CAN YOU ALSO, AND THEN THE ANSWER THERE BEING YES, IN THIS WAY AND THIS WAY, CAN YOU ALSO HELP ME WITH MY CELL PHONE BILL, WITH MY MEDICATION, WITH A LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT MIGHT BE WEIGHING ON PEOPLE'S ECONOMIC RESOURCES AT THIS TIME, AND THAT IF WE EMPOWERED OUR CITY STAFFERS TO AT LEAST DOCUMENT THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO MAKE A CASE FOR, UM, FOR, UH, AN OTHERS FUND FOR A MORE GENERAL FUNDS, UM, UH, THAT IS LESS RESTRICTED AND MAYBE MAYBE COMES FROM MORE LOCALIZED SOURCES OR FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES THAN THESE, OTHER THAN THE B BEEN LIKE THE HUD FUNDING THAT WE KNOW WE CAN'T REALLY MOVE AS WELL.
I JUST ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT, I THINK IT'S REALLY INTERESTING HOW, UM, TO HOW INTIMIDATING THIS CONVERSATION CAN BE AROUND AS, AS TANDRA, AS COMMISSIONER LOUIE SAID, TRUSTING PEOPLE WITH, UM, THE RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE CITY WITH PUBLIC RESOURCES, AND ALSO AT THE SAME TIME HOLDING THAT AND TANDEM THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE FEDERAL STIMULUS PACKAGE PAYING INDIVIDUALS $1,200 TO SPEND AS THEY WOULD WAS ONE OF THE MOST POLITICALLY, UH, FAVORABLE, UM, HAPPENINGS IN, IN RECENT MEMORY IS THAT THE NOW POST POLLING, UM, AND NOT EVEN RESTRICTED TO PARTY IS LIKE INCREDIBLY POSITIVE.
UH, AND SO I THINK THAT WE BOTH CAN FACILITATE THE BUILDING OF A CASE TOWARDS LESS RESTRICTIONS WITH SOME DOLLARS, AND ALSO, UM, CAN TRUST THE POLITICS THAT, UH, MANY OF US DO IN FACT, TRUST OURSELVES IN OUR NEIGHBORS MORE THAN, UM, MORE THAN SOMETIMES THAT THE SYSTEM, UM, WAY OF THINKING, UH, ALLOWS US TO, UM, TO VOCALIZE.
SO THAT'S JUST, UH, A COUPLE OF SWAYING INTO THE CONVERSATIONS, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR INITIATING THE CONVERSATION.
THANKS SO MUCH COMMISSIONER SLOW.
AND I, AGAIN, I'M REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATING THE RICHNESS OF THIS DISCUSSION AND HOW I THINK WE'RE ALL SENSITIVE TO THE VERY SPIRITUAL NATURE OF THIS AND THAT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A BINARY, UH, OR JUST A SINGLE AXIS SORT OF ISSUE.
I SEE COMMISSIONER YOUNG, UH, WITH YOUR HAND UP, YOU MAY BE MUTED COMMISSION.
UH, I DO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER OF SLOAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THAT MONEY WAS USED FOR, UM, WHAT IS IT THAT A STIMULUS CHECK THEY WANTED THAT TO BE USED FOR, FOR RENT TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM GETTING EVICTED AND THEN HOW THEY USE IT, THERE'S HOW THEY USE IT.
UM, BUT I DO AGREE WE SHOULD HAVE A GENERAL FUND WHERE PEOPLE CAN ASK FOR ASSISTANCE OUTSIDE OF RENT, OUTSIDE OF UTILITIES.
SO I KNOW WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT BACK ABOUT, UH, MONEY NOT BEING SPENT IN, UH, WITHIN THE ALLOCATED PERIOD.
AND THEY WERE DISCUSSING REALLOCATING.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SOMEHOW REALLOCATE THAT FUNDING TO GENERAL FUND OR ANY NEW MONEY THAT HAPPENS TO COME UP? CAN WE CREATE A GENERAL FUND FOR THAT? THANK YOU.
AND, UH, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.
AND I THINK THAT HELPS US ALSO APPRECIATE THE TIGHT ROPE ACT THAT AGAIN, UH, THE CITY STAFF, UH, AND OF COURSE OUR COUNSELORS, UH, ARE, ARE, ARE WALKING AND, UH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO DEFER, UH, IN JUST A MOMENT TO ANY CITY STAFF WHO COULD SPEAK FURTHER ON THE ITEMS. BUT I THINK, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER YOUNG, YOU KNOW, IN AS MUCH AS WHAT I KNOW CERTAIN FUNDS MAY BE RESTRICTED, FEDERALLY, UH, MEANING THAT THEY HAVE A CERTAIN EXPIRATION DATE ON WHEN WE HAVE TO EXPEND THEM.
AND THEN CERTAIN OTHER FUNDS MAY NOT BE IN SOME FUNDS, UH, THAT MAY NOT BE EXPENDED.
WE MAY HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN HOW WE MOVE THEM AROUND AND OTHER FUNDS, WE MAY HAVE ZERO FLEXIBILITY IN HOW WE MOVE THEM AROUND, AND
[01:45:01]
THEN THERE MAY BE A WHOLE SPECTRUM IN BETWEEN, UH, AND BE HAPPY TO, UH, FLIP IT OVER TO ANY CITY STAFF WE WANT TO SHARE.AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP FOR A FOLLOW-UP.
WELL, I THINK LIKE HAD, UM, THE EMERGENCY FUND, THE, UH, HOME REPAIR FUND, THAT KIND OF MONEY, I DUNNO HOW, HOW THAT'S TAPPED INTO IT, BUT ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT WE NEED TO USE MONEY.
COULDN'T, I MEAN, IN A SENSE IT'S AN EMERGENCY IF THEY'RE ASKING FOR IT.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD COMMENT AND THAT'S DEFINITELY A SORE SPOT I BELIEVE FOR THIS COMMISSION, UH, IS, UM, AND IT WAS, IT WAS A SPOT WHERE I FELT THAT WE SAW OURSELVES DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE ALL SHARE ESSENTIALLY VERY, VERY COMMON GOALS.
I FELT LIKE WE SAW OURSELVES DIVIDED, UH, IN A WAY THAT WE DON'T OFTEN SEE, UH, DESPITE AGAIN, SHARED INTENT.
UM, AND SO, UH, ERICA, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO, UH, PERHAPS SPEAK, UH, OR, UH, OR, OR TELL ME IF, IF, IF, UH, IF YOU'RE NOT THE RIGHT PERSON, UH, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THE HOME REPAIR POND AND SORT OF THE EXPEDIENCE, UH, AROUND WHICH, UH, UH, WE, AS THE COMMISSION HAD TO SORT OF VOTE FOR THE STATUS OF MAYBE THE REMAINING DOLLARS THERE? SURE.
ERIC LAKE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO SOME OF THE CITY'S HOMELESS CARE DOLLARS ARE, UM, ARE PAID WITH, UH, HUD FUNDING AND IN GENERAL, UM, FOR HUD FUNDING TO BE REALLOCATED, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ACTION PLAN AMENDMENT PROCESS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF A STEP THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE, UM, FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND THEN ACTUALLY, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH IT CHANGES, IT, IT MAY HAVE TO GO THROUGH BUDGET CHANGES.
WHAT ELSE? SO IT'S KIND OF A MULTI-STEP PROCESS.
UM, OTHER FUNDING FOR THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM IS, UH, BOND FUNDING.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S LESS OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE HURDLE THERE, UM, THOUGH I'M, I'M GUESSING.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT MY PROGRAM.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS A GUESS.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THE HOME REPAIR, UM, PROVIDERS ARE PROBABLY HOPING THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, SPEND, UH, THE BOND AND DOLLARS FOR HOME REPAIR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO CATCH UP BASICALLY.
SO, SO MAYBE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE AS MANY REPAIRS THIS YEAR AS THEY HAD HOPED, BUT SINCE, SINCE THE BOND PROGRAM IS APPROXIMATELY A FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM, I IMAGINE THEY'RE HOPING TO TRY AND CATCH UP IN FUTURE YEARS.
I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING CHAIRS, BUT COMMISSIONER TERROS HAD HER HAND UP FOR SOME TIME.
I JUST HEARD, UH, I HAVE THIS INFORMED AND, UH, I WOULD, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, LOVE TO HEAR FROM COMMISSIONER DETTO AND ALSO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT HAVING SEEN YOU WELL, GOOD.
COMMISSIONER MAHIA, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER WITH THAT ALL, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT IF WE'RE MAKING A CASE FOR THIS CONVERSATION TO ENCOURAGE US TO SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE MODELS THAT ARE HAPPENING, LIKE THE, UM, FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE HAS A GOOD MODEL AND, UM, THERE'S A NEW, UH, OR CALLED BLACK DIRECT INVESTMENT FUND.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY CO-CREATED BY OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONER GARRETT, WHO WILL BE COMING ON SOON.
AND THEY WORK WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO, UM, TRUST OUR NEIGHBORS AS COMMISSIONER LEWIS SAID THAT PLACES, THOSE FUNDS DIRECTLY INTO THE HANDS OF THESE FAMILIES, KNOWING, TRUSTING THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO SPEND AND MANAGE THEIR, THEIR MONEY.
AND IT'S OFTEN A QUICKER PROCESS AND DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THESE RESTRICTIONS THAT KIND OF BIND US IN IT, IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO I AGREE WITH, UM, WHAT I THINK IT WAS COMMISSIONING MY HEROES SAID EARLIER ABOUT TAPPING THAT PHILANTHROPIC, UM, RESOURCE AND PAIRING, PAIRING SOME OF THESE MODELS WITH, UM, PHILANTHROPY AND, AND HOW CAN WE WORK WITH THAT WITHIN THE COMMISSION TO ENCOURAGE THAT SORT OF, UH, FUNDING AND THESE OTHER MODELS? YEAH, CERTAINLY I APPRECIATE SENTIMENT.
AND I THINK, UH, THE ENTIRE COMMISSION, UH, UH, DOES AS WELL.
AND I THINK ALSO ALONG THE LINES OF BOTH WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER YOUNG SHARED, AND, UH,
[01:50:01]
UH, ALSO, UH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY WITH, WITH WHAT COMMISSIONER YOUNG SHARED AND, AND, AND THE CONTEXT THAT ERICA, UH, GAVE TO IT, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WONDER IF, AND LISA, I WOULD LOOK TO YOU FOR GUIDANCE HERE AND, UH, PERHAPS ERICA AS WELL, FORGIVE ME MY NEW HAND, UH, UH, AT THIS, UH, VICE CHAIR POP, OBVIOUSLY YOUR GUIDANCE IS GOING TO BE PARAMOUNT AS WELL.IF, AS A BODY, WE MAY BE ABLE TO, UH, RESOLVE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT WE AS A BODY ARE COMMITTED, UH, TO ALLOCATING IN SOME WAY FORM OR FASHION TO ANY FUNDS THAT APPEAR THAT THEY WON'T BE EXPENDED IN THE FINAL QUARTER OF A FISCAL YEAR, UH, FOR ANY OF THE PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE WITHIN SORT OF OUR PURVIEW THAT WE RECOMMEND, UH, THAT THOSE DOLLARS, UH, B PERHAPS WE RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL THAT THOSE DOLLARS BE DIVERTED, UH, TO A, AN AGAIN, PROVIDED THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE WITHIN THE JURISDICTION, UH, OF OUR CITY, UH, IE FROM THE GENERAL FUND OR IN SOME WAY THAT OTHER STRINGS ARE NOT OTHERWISE ATTACHED, UH, THAT, THAT THOSE FUNDS BE DIVERTED, UH, TO A FUND, UH, OR TO A BUCKET.
UH, SINCE THAT SEEMS TO BE THE BEST WORD FOR ME, UH, THAT, UH, WOULD GO TOWARD WHETHER IT WERE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE OR RELIEF, OR HOWEVER, BROADLY WE MIGHT FRAME IT.
I'M WONDERING IF THIS BODY OR THIS COMMISSION MIGHT HAVE AN APPETITE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND IF THAT'S PLAUSIBLE.
SO, UM, MY CHAIR WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT, AS WELL AS, UH, CITY STAFF AROUND THE PLAUSIBILITY OF ACHIEVING AND COMMISSIONERS, OF COURSE, JUST RUN YOUR APPETITE.
DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO, OH, GO AHEAD.
WELL, I THINK ONE POTENTIAL CHALLENGE, UM, I MEAN, IT CERTAINLY YOU CAN PASS A RESOLUTION THAT, THAT IS ON SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE POSTED TO ACT ON THAT ACTUALLY, I TALKED TO LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND SEE IF YOU'RE POSTED TO ACT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
UM, BUT IF YOU WERE POSTED YOU, YOU COULD TAKE ACTION ON IT AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THE CHALLENGE THAT I SEE FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE KIND OF HOW THAT FUNDING IS, IS ALLOCATED AND, UM, AND, AND THEN KIND OF THE ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE OF BUDGETING OF, UM, THE CITY'S ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS.
SO, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, OFTEN MONEY IS INCLUDED IN A CONTRACT WITH SOME ENTITY.
UM, AND SO TO BE ABLE TO SPEND, I MEAN, I GUESS, I GUESS THEORETICALLY THE CITY COULD JUST, YOU KNOW, NOT COULD, COULD NOT PROVIDE ALL THE FUNDING WITH THE CONTRACT IF THE ENTITY IS NOT ABLE TO SPEND IT.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT COULD HAPPEN SOMETIMES THERE'S A TIME EXTENSION.
UM, BUT THAT A THREE MONTH TIMEFRAME TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT MONEY TO, TO SOMEWHERE ELSE, I WILL SAY IN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES IS, WOULD BE VERY CHALLENGING.
UM, THAT, THAT, THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY KIND OF IMMEDIATE THOUGHT, BUT, UM, MAYBE THERE ARE INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT, THAT WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT YET.
SO, YEAH, I, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT.
I WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
I KNEW MR. DELGADO WAS WAITING TO SPEAK.
AND THEN I, I SEE COMMISSIONER MCGEE HAS HIS HAND UP, AND IF ANYONE ELSE HAS THEIR HAND UP, I HOPE THEY WILL JUST CHIME IN, UH, DIRECTLY, UH, AFTER THAT.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, UH, ERICA, AND ALSO TO THE VICE CHAIR, I, I, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, THREE MONTHS I WAS HOPING WOULD BE SOMETHING BETTER THAN MAYBE IN THE LAST MONTH REALIZING THAT, OH, THESE DOLLARS AREN'T GOING TO BE EXTENDED.
SO PERHAPS AT THE SIX MONTH POINT, IF WE SEE THAT DOLLARS ARE NOT ON PACE IN THE FISCAL YEAR, UH, TO BE EXTENDED AS PLANNED, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST IS THERE ANY RED FLAG MOMENTS, UH, FOR US AS A COMMISSION, ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, BRIGHT LINE FOR US AS A COMMISSION THAT WE MAY AGREE ON, IF ANYTHING, ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN SUCH THAT THESE FUNDS ARE NOT LAST MINUTE DIVERTED, UH, IN A WAY THAT LEAVES US AS A COMMISSION FEELING LIKE
[01:55:01]
WE DIDN'T GET EMAIL A SAY IN, UH, A RECOMMENDATION TO HOW THIS MIGHT BEST SERVE OUR, UH, OUR, OUR COMMUNITIES TO COUNSEL.AND WITH THAT, THE, UH, COMMISSIONER, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY, GREAT.
I DID TUNE IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES AGO.
SO I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THE FUND.
UM, WHEN ARE THEY GOING? WHEN IS THE POINT OF COUNCIL TO BE DISCUSSED? UM, THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IS WHEN IS, WHEN IS THIS GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION IN, UH, SO TO BE CLEAR, A COMMISSIONER THAT I'VE GOT, THIS IS LARGELY CONCEPTUAL CONVERSATION AROUND, UH, JUST IN GENERAL, HOW WE CAN BE AHEAD OF THE GAME, UH, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, FUNDS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL YET, OR THAT, YOU KNOW, OR THAT HAVE ALREADY, OR NOT, THAT HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED YET, BUT HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN CONCEPTUALIZED YET PER SE, OR FUNDS THAT ARE ALREADY APPROVED AND, YOU KNOW, DEMARCATED AND BUDGETED FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO THAT ONCE WE'RE SIX MONTHS IN OR EIGHT MONTHS IN, OR ALMOST 10 MONTHS INTO THE FISCAL YEAR, AND WE FIND OUT THAT, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THESE DOLLARS AREN'T BEING SPENT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FEEL WE LEFT IT ALL OUT ON THE COURT, UH, WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR HOW THOSE FUNDS SHOULD BE SPENT? UH, I FEEL LIKE, UH, WE'RE JUST TALKING PARTICULAR IN GENERAL.
WE'RE NOT SPEAKING ON A SPECIFIC ITEM FOR LIKE THE FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UM, FOR THE ENDING OF DECEMBER, 2020 ABOUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
WE DIVERTED AWAY FROM THAT CONVERSATION AT THE TANGENT A BIT.
SO WE ARE STRAYING A BIT FROM THE ITEM.
IT WAS A CONCEPTUAL NOTION THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING AROUND THOSE FUNDS THAT, THAT, THAT FUNDS DISCUSSION AROUND WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, RECOMMEND THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND THEN WE TANGENT JUST INTO HOW TO MAKE SURE AS A COMMISSION WE'LL BE THE BEST STEWARDS OF THIS.
AND, AND ON THAT NOTE, UH, TO THE COMMISSION AND ALL INVOLVED, I, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO WRAP UP, UH, OUR MEETING BY EIGHT O'CLOCK.
I THINK TWO HOURS IS GENERALLY A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME FOR A MEETING, UH, MAXIMUM WHERE WE'RE OVER THAT.
AND I HAVE BEEN ENABLING THIS TAN TO IN SOME WAY, FORM AND FASHION.
SO, UH, I W I WANT TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THAT AS WELL.
UH, BUT, UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO, I KNOW YOU WERE PARTICULARLY DISAPPOINTED IN, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF, UH, CLOSED DOWN OF HOW, UH, THE, THE HOME REPAIR, UH, PROGRAM FUNDS WOULD BE, UH, WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF, UH, DIVERTED OR USED OR NOT USED IF YOU WILL.
UH, AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO BE AHEAD OF THAT.
SO THE NEXT TIME AROUND, I JUST WANT TO CHECK THE, THE COMMISSION'S APPETITE ON SORT OF, IF NOT NOW, AT LEAST IN THE FUTURE, BAKING OUT AND COOKING OUT WHAT OUR POSITION WILL BE ON THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND WE HAVE A PLAN FOR IT, IF IT, IF WE SEE AT SIX MONTHS OR SO, THAT FUNDS AREN'T BEING SPENT THE WAY THEY ARE, DID THAT, DID YOU, YOU KIND OF FEEL THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO GO.
I JUST WANT TO, I'LL JUST WRAP IT UP BY JUST SAYING THAT.
UM, BUT YEAH, BECAUSE OF THAT ACTION, THAT WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING AND I'VE LOST A LOT OF HOMES THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO GET ANY OF THAT EXTRA FUNDING, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY MORE FUNDING AND THOSE PROGRAMS. SO I DON'T EVER WANT TO SEE THAT AGAIN, HAPPEN ON OUR PART, WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT THAT AND PUT THE MONEY BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY THEN GOING TO WHEREVER THE MONEY GOES BACK TO.
SO I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH WHOEVER, UM, I DIDN'T CATCH HOW MANY OF YOU ARE WERE SAYING THAT SAME, THAT SAME SALE, THAT, THAT THE MONEY NEEDS TO BE BACK IN OUR COMMUNITY AND NOT GO BACK TO WHEREVER THEY SEND IT.
AND SO FAR, IT SEEMS LIKE ALL OF US ARE ON THE SAME PAGE THAT, UH, VICE CHAIR, IF YOU WOULD, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE SPEAK, AND THEN OF COURSE, COMMISSIONER MAHIA, IF YOU WOULD, UH, PLEASE FOLLOW HER UP THE MONEY NOT GETTING SPENT MAY NOT BE AN INDICATION OF NEED.
IT COULD BE, BUT IT MAY NOT BE IN, SO WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF FUNDS THAT WE CAN, WE HAVE HEADPHONES, WE HAVE BOND FUNDS.
IN SOME WAYS WE HAVE MORE LIBERTY WITH BOND FUNDS, BUT WE HAVE CERTAIN COVENANTS WITH THE PUBLIC ON THOSE.
SO THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.
UM, I REALLY LIKED SOMETHING COMMISSIONER MAHIR SAID, BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE NEW MONEY.
IT BRING IN THE BUSINESS SECTOR, BRING IN THE PHILANTHROPIC SECTOR AND GET THEM TO CONTRIBUTE MORE AND WORK MORE WITH US ON THESE ISSUES.
AND YEAH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, AGAIN, THE DEMARCATION FUND AND WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS ARE, UH, WHERE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS REALLY COULD EVEN HOLD WEIGHT, UH, UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHICH ONES MAY BE ACTIONABLE AND WHICH ONES MAY JUST BE SORT OF A POLITICAL
[02:00:01]
REPRESENTATION OF THE WILL, UH, OF, OF THE, UH, DISTRICTS, UH, AND THE, UH, INSTITUTIONS THAT WE'RE REPRESENTING.UH, SO YEAH, I DO WANT TO ADD ON OUR JANUARY AGENDA, WE HAVE OUR QUARTERLY REVIEW OF THE PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A POINT WHERE WE SHOULD USE THAT MORE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE PROGRAMS. IF, IF ONE OF THEM IS LAGGING BEHIND, IT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY TO ASK WHY AGREED.
UH, AND I'LL CERTAINLY LOOK TO YOUR CONTINUED GUIDANCE, UH, ON THAT, UH, AS WE, AS WE CONTINUE TO SET THE MEETING AGENDAS MOVING FORWARD.
COMMISSIONER POP AND COMMISSIONER, UH, SORRY, VICE CHAIR, POP, UH, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER MANIA.
I, YEAH, I JUST WANT TO SAY, I HOPE I DIDN'T SOUND SMUG OR ANYTHING IN MY RESPONSE.
I, THAT DEFINITELY WASN'T MY INTENT, BUT IT'S BEEN A GOOD CONVERSATION.
AND ACTUALLY, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF KINDS OF THREADS THAT ARE KIND OF RUNNING, BUT COULD BE MAYBE WEAVE TOGETHER.
SO FIRST I THINK IT MIGHT BE VERY INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF, UM, COMMON DENOMINATORS, UH, OF, OF HOW WE CAN LOOK AT INFORMATION AND MAYBE ANOTHER SORT OF ANOTHER SORT OF LENS WE CAN APPLY AND ASK THE STAFF TO DO.
IT'D BE REALLY GREAT WHEN WE DO OUR JANUARY REVIEW.
IF WE KIND OF GOT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, STAFF, UH, ACCORDING TO STAFF, THE LEAST TO MOST LIKE RESTRICTIVE FUNDING, LIKE A GRADIENT KIND OF FROM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS FROM RED TO GREEN OF WHICH PROGRAMS HAVE THE MOST STRINGS ATTACHED, WHICH MEANS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MORE OR LESS WE HAVE LESS SAY OR AUTHORITY, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING BECAUSE WE CAN KIND OF THINK DIFFERENTLY.
UM, THE TH THE SECOND THING I'LL SAY IS, UH, THERE WAS A CONVERSATION WHERE I THINK ONE, ONE ROUTE WE WERE GOING WAS A SLUSH FUND WHERE UNSPENT FUNDS FROM VARIOUS PROGRAMS COULD SOMEHOW BE STEWARDED BY, I DUNNO, MAYBE A PARTNER.
I DON'T THINK ANY DEPARTMENT WOULD WANT TO TAKE THAT ON IN THE CITY, BUT I THINK WHEN COMMISSIONER TERRELL BROUGHT UP THE FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE, THAT IS A VERY PROMISING MODEL.
UM, AND ALSO TWO COMMISSIONERS, UH, LOUIE, AND, AND, UM, SLOAN'S POINT THE POPULARITY, SORT OF THE POLITICAL BIPARTISAN POPULARITY OF THE RELIEF FUND, EVEN THOUGH WE SAW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WEALTHIER PEOPLE TOOK GREAT ADVANTAGE OF THAT PROGRAM.
UM, BUT WHAT IF IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH MEANING, COULD WE SEE SORT OF A FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE TYPE PROGRAM, LIKE JUST SEED SOME MONEY AS A, AS A PROTOTYPE SO THAT WE'RE NOT RELYING ON SORT OF UNSPENT FUNDS, BUT PUT SOME MONEY AND REALLOCATE THAT MONEY, EVEN IF IT'S VERY LITTLE TO START A PROTOTYPE PROGRAM WHERE WE COULD REALLY STUDY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT, THAT NOTION THAT OUR, THAT OUR FAMILIES DO KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM AND, AND, AND SORT OF HAVE THAT STEWARDED BY AN ENTITY SUCH AS FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE, AND MAYBE THE YES, AND TO THAT IS ON TOP OF THAT, EXPLORING HOW, UH, UNSPENT FUNDS IN THE PROGRAMS THAT WE STEWARD COULD BE ADDED TO THAT PROGRAM.
SO I GUESS IT'S MAYBE I THINK THE NOTE THAT THE THING THAT I'M HEARING IS, AND MAYBE WE CAN PUT FORTH IS EXPLORING THE SEATING OF A SORT OF, UM, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT.
LIKE I JUST KNOW FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE TYPE PROGRAM AND, AND WHAT THE MECHANICS OF, UM, UH, REALLOCATING UNSPENT FUNDS TO THAT PROGRAM WOULD BE.
BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK EVERYONE, I THINK IT'S INTERESTING AND, AND THAT WAY I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY IN GOVERNMENT, LIKE WE HAVE TO PROTOTYPE THEM, AND THAT CAN BE SORT OF A LEARNING LAB, HOW THAT PROGRAM FOR THE LONGER ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS, UH, UH, UNDER HOUSING, UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH, WE COULD LEARN, WE COULD LEARN A LOT FROM A PROGRAM THAT, UH, OF THAT NATURE.
HI, THIS IS LAURA FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY SO, UM, THROUGH THE RISE 1.0 FUND, UM, I WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE.
THEY WORK WITH SMALLER NONPROFITS TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO NEEDED FUNDS.
SO THAT WAS ONE WAY THAT FUNDS WERE DEPLOYED, UM, THROUGH THE RISE 2.0 PROCESS, UM, FII IS A PARTNER THAT HAS THE ONLINE PORTAL THAT IS DISTRIBUTING THE FUNDS.
I THINK PART OF THE CONVERSATION MAY ALSO NEED TO BE ABOUT IN ADDITION TO ONE TIME RIGHT NOW, YES.
IN A PANDEMIC IT'S ONE TIME FUNDS LIKE PEOPLE NEED MONEY AND THEY NEED MONEY.
NOW, I THINK THERE ALSO POTENTIALLY COULD BE A CONVERSATION OF, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF TEACHING PEOPLE, HOW TO FISH.
SO HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE BETTER JOBS IF THAT'S WHAT THEY NEED, AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, HOW DO WE GET SO THAT THERE ISN'T, AND I DON'T WANT TO USE THE WORD DEPENDENCY, BUT I ALMOST FEEL LIKE, SO THERE'S NOT A CONSTANT NEED TO CONSTANTLY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PEOPLE.
SO HOW DO YOU CREATE THOSE PIECES? BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A WORLD WHERE
[02:05:01]
AN FII MODEL COMPLETELY WORKS WHEN PEOPLE JUST NEED FUNDING RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A JOB.THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO DO IT, BUT THEN HOW YOU COUPLE THAT WITH OTHER FACTORS, UM, TO HELP PEOPLE ALSO, YOU KNOW, EITHER START OUR OWN BUSINESS OR GET AN EDUCATION, OR DO THOSE OTHER PIECES SO THAT IT ISN'T A ONE SIZE FITS ALL MODEL.
I CAN SPEAK FROM AN AUSTIN HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.
WE DO IN ADDITION TO THE RISE MONEY THAT WE'VE HAD AND PUBLIC HEALTH WORK, THERE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL $40 MILLION THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY PROVIDING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE PAYING THE RENT, AND WE ARE PAYING FOR JOBS TRAINING, AND WE ARE PAYING FOR ALL THOSE OTHER PIECES.
AND THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS, UH, CLIENT ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS, BECAUSE SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER'S RECEIVING CITY OF AUSTIN FUNDING IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENT.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT MONEY IS CONTINUING TO STAY HERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO ALSO HAVE A CITY AUDITOR.
WE ALSO HAVE A COMPLIANCE TEAM.
WE ALSO HAVE ALL THESE OTHER PIECES TO ENSURE THAT DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT THE WAY THAT THEY WERE INTENDED.
SO THERE IS A TUG AND PULL THERE OF FIGURING OUT WHAT'S THE RIGHT LINE AND HOW TO BEST PUT THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR, AND ALSO WORKING WITH NONPROFITS BECAUSE THERE IS ALSO THE PUSH TO GROW SMALL NONPROFITS THAT ARE MORE REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT DO THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO MANAGE A 29 PAGE CONTRACT THAT HAS A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS ON ENSURING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A VIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE? SO, UM, SO YES, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED WORKING WITH BOTH.
AND I THINK THERE IS ROOM TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROGRAMS. IF OUR GOAL IS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, IN POVERTY AND HELP THEM GET OUT OF POVERTY.
UH, THIS IS A REALLY RICH CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TIMING IN FLORIDA.
UM, AND I, I FEEL LIKE, UH, THIS IS JUST GETTING STARTED FOR US AS A BODY AND, UH, I'M, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, NEW HAND AT THIS AND, UH, WOULD LOOK TO THE VICE CHAIR FOR GUIDANCE, AS WELL AS, UH, TO LISA HERE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PERHAPS, UH, CONTINUING TO SET ASIDE TIME FOR DISCUSSION, UH, ABOUT THIS, UM, WHETHER IT'S IN, UH, OUR FOLLOWING MEETING, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY, UH, WITH THE UPCOMING QUARTERLY REVIEW, UM, OR WHETHER, UH, YOU KNOW, WE SET UP A COMMITTEE TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE COMMITTEE.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE ABOUT WHAT THE TERMINOLOGY WOULD BE, FORGIVE ME, UH, AND PERHAPS, UH, WHOM THE BEST EXPERTS, UH, WOULD BE, OR, OR, OR SMES ANYWAY, UM, FROM CITY, UH, TO HELP, I THINK, ORIENT OUR CONVERSATION AROUND HOW AS COMMISSIONER MANIA WAS STATING, WE MIGHT SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S PLAUSIBLE WITHIN, UH, PERHAPS, UH, AGAIN, OUR PURVIEW AS A COMMISSION AND THEN THE CITY'S PURVIEW, UH, UM, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAY BE PLAUSIBLE OUTSIDE OF THE SAME IN THE PRIVATE, UH, UH, SOCIAL SERVICE SECTOR, UH, AND, UH, HUMAN SERVICE SECTOR.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT SAID, UM, VICE-CHAIR OR ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, ON HOW YOU THINK, UH, WE MAYBE SHOULD PROCEED SO THAT WE CAN WRAP THIS CONVERSATION UP HERE TODAY AND CARRY IT ON, UH, INTO MORE OF SORT OF INTENTIONAL AND GUIDANCE? IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO POST IT AS AN AGENDA ITEM, AND THAT WOULD LET US COME BACK AND DECIDE WHETHER WE WANT TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP OR ARE THERE ARE DISCUSSION SUFFICIENT? UH, WELL, OKAY.
AND, UH, AND SO, UH, LISA, WOULD WE, AND FORGIVE ME FOR NOT BEING AS FAMILIAR AS I SHOULD BE FAMILIAR AT ALL, REALLY WITH WHAT THE FOLLOWING MONTHS AGENDA, UH, LOOKS LIKE.
UH, WOULD WE BE ABLE, UH, TO DO THAT AS IS THE QUESTION TO WHETHER YOU CAN FORM A WORKING GROUP OR TO PLAY W W W WHETHER WE WOULD HAVE TIME TO POST THIS AS AN AGENDA ITEM TO EXPLORE THE FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP, UH, TO LOOK FURTHER INTO IT, I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN FORM THE WORKING GROUP HERE AND NOW BASED ON THE DISCUSSION THAT'S, YOU CAN TOTALLY DO THAT.
AND THEN THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT AN ITEM ON THE DECEMBER AGENDA, IF YOU LIKE TO ACTUALLY DISCUSS OR BRIEF THE BOARD ON WHAT THE WORKING GROUP SAID.
AND DAD, MY THOUGHTS ARE THE, THE WORKING GROUP MIGHT, UH, MIGHT BENEFIT FROM GUIDANCE, UH, FROM SMES AT THE CITY AROUND WHAT WE CAN, OR CAN'T DENSELY DO WITH CITY DOLLARS.
AND I WOULD LOOK TO OUR COMMISSIONERS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN BEING ON SUCH A WORKING GROUP, UH, TO SEE, UH, WHAT Y'ALL THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN BEING ON THE WORKING GROUP, AND THEN SECONDLY, DO YOU THINK, UH,
[02:10:01]
WE SHOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, WAIT UNTIL WE, WE CAN, UH, MAYBE GET SOME GUIDANCE AROUND HAVING A CITY STAFF MEMBERS TO, TO ASSIST, OR WOULD WE LIKE TO JUST LAUNCH THE WORKING GROUP AND START TO EXPLORE, UH, HOW WE MIGHT SEE THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN, EVEN, UH, THROUGH THE PRIVATES AND FORGIVE ME IF YOUR HAND IS UP, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEAK OUT.UH, I WOULD SAY, LET'S SEE WHAT THE CITY STAFF CAN COME UP WITH TO GIVE US A LITTLE MORE DIRECTION BEFORE GO INTO ANY KIND OF, YEAH.
COMMISSIONER YOUNG, UH, COMMISSIONER MANIA.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANS YOU HAVE A COMMENT IN THERE AND I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT AS, NO.
IT'S SUCH A LONG, IT'S A, IT'S A LONG-TERM THING, I GUESS.
UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN QUICKLY.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THAT THE STAFF FEEL LIKE THEY CAN TAKE THIS IDEA AND, AND PROVIDE US WITH GUIDANCE, OR IS IT JUST SO OUT OF THE BOX THAT WE MIGHT AS WELL START WORKING GROUPS? SO I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD WAY TO FRAME IT.
AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE ON STAFF WHO FEEL THE BEST EQUIPPED TO MAYBE RESPOND, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THAT YOU DO SO.
AND IF THE RESPONSE IS, YOU KNOW, EVEN, WOW, I GOT NO CLUE AND THAT'S FINE.
UH, W WE'LL TAKE THAT AS A BASELINE.
UH, UM, I GUESS IT MIGHT BE, I MEAN, THESE TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, ARE THE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS THAT COME UP AS PART OF THE HUD ACTION PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, THEY ALSO COME UP AS PART OF THE CITY'S OVERALL BUDGET PROCESS.
AND SO BOTH OF THOSE MIGHT POTENTIALLY BE GOOD AVENUES FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I'M NOT ENTIRELY CERTAIN.
UM, SO, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION OTHER THAN THOSE ARE TWO WAYS THAT, UM, COMMISSIONERS OR, YOU KNOW, OR THE COMMISSIONER AS A WHOLE COULD GET INVOLVED IN THESE GENERAL TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
WELL, IT SOUNDS TO ME THEN, LIKE IT'S WORTHY OF US FORMING A WORKING GROUP TO SEE IF ANYTHING THROUGH WHICHEVER VEHICLE WE MAY DO.
SO, UH, AS A BODY OR AS INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS, OR SIMPLY AS, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND LEADERS, WE MIGHT LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW CITY DOLLARS ARE SPENT OR HUD DOLLARS, OR, YOU KNOW, ANY SORT OF BUDGET DOLLARS THAT ARE TANGENTIAL, UH, UH, TO THE, TO THE, THE CITY BUDGET.
UH, AT LEAST IF WE WERE TO URGE, UH, ANY SORT OF REDIRECTION BASED ON ANY CRITERIA, UH, NAMELY IN THIS CASE, PERHAPS A SIX MONTH REVIEW OR JUST OUR QUARTERLY REVIEWS, UH, OF WHETHER OR NOT DOLLARS BEING EXTENDED AS PERHAPS THEY WERE INTENDED, UM, THAT AT LEAST THE WORKING GROUP EXPLORE WHAT'S OUT THERE IN AS MUCH AS POTENTIAL TARGETS ARE FOR WHAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE, AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO WORK.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE, I THINK IDENTIFIED TARGETS, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN INVITE THEM TO COME SHARE WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, SEEK THEIR GUIDANCE ON PERHAPS, UH, WHAT THE BEST AVENUES WOULD BE TO ADVOCATE FOR MAKING SURE DOLLARS ARE MOVED THERE.
SO THAT THEY'RE, UH, AGAIN, UH, SUPPORTING THE MISSION OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, TAKE IT MONTH AT A TIME AND, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL HAVE OUR THINKING CAPS ON AT THE JANUARY QUARTERLY REVIEW.
UH, AND SO WITH THAT SAID, UH, WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN JOINING THAT WORKING GROUP OR STARTING THAT WORKING GROUP? IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MANIA RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE.
AND, UH, ANYBODY ELSE LET'S SEE, YOU MIGHT SPEAK UP BECAUSE I'M SCROLLING RECTANGLES HERE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? I, I WOULD LIKE TO BE PLACED ON THAT COMMITTEE PLEASE.
SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER
[02:15:01]
COMMUNITY NEEDS AS PER THE MISSION OF OUR COMMISSION.OKAY, WELL, WE'LL START WITH, TO, UH, AND, UH, UH, I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU ALL TO, UH, SCHEDULE A MEETING, UH, OR CALL, UH, AND MAYBE, UH, JUST REPORT BACK.
AND IF WE COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, POST THAT INTO AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE NEXT MEETING, UH, UH, YOUR REPORT OUT, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING, UH, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHAT YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS ARE.
AND I THINK THAT WE WILL HAVE MORE TRACTION, UH, GOING INTO THE DECEMBER MEETING.
UM, SO SPEAKING OF TRACTION, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR, UH, FOR HAVING BEEN HERE FROM THE CITY, UH, STAFF, UH, TO HAVE SHARED, UH, YOUR PRESENTATIONS, YOUR THOUGHTS, AND EVEN YOUR INSIGHTS ON OUR LITTLE BIT OF A RAMBLING DISCUSSION THAT I THINK WAS HEALTHY FOR THIS GROUP.
UH, UH, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR EVENING, UH, TIME.
I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, THE VICE-CHAIR OR EVEN, UH, THE STAFF THAT ARE PRESENT AROUND, UH, THREE.
SO, UH, IT, UH, THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
SO LATE INTO THE EVENING AND YOUR EXTREMELY HARD WORK, UH, TO STEWARD THESE FUNDS AND MAKE SURE THEY GET INTO THE HANDS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE.
WE ARE ALL OBVIOUSLY VERY SENSITIVE TO THE DIFFERENT, UH, RESTRICTIONS, UH, AND THE BALANCES THAT, UH, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL FACE AND THANKFUL FOR THE SAME.
[3B.Discussion and possible action on Reimagining Public Safety and Policing Working Group draft recommendation (Commissioners Deshotel, Sloan and Woods)]
SO MOVING ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA, ITEM THREE B, UH, WHICH WAS THE, UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND POLICING WORKING GROUP, UH, DRAFT RECOMMENDATION, UH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS, UH, DECIBELUH, YEAH, SO, UH, I DID NOT COMPLETE THE DRAFT, SO LET'S, UM, MY APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
UM, BUT LET'S TABLE THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO CONVENE THE GROUP A BIT BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, UM, AND, AND WITH A COMPLETED DRAFT, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER DESSA TILL, AND I REALLY MISS SAYING CHAIRMAN JOE, UH, UH, IT WAS, IT REALLY JUST ROLLED OFF THE TONGUE, SO FUN.
UH, UH, AND, UH, SO IF WE COULD ALSO PUT THAT AS AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE NEXT MONTH.
AND, UH, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE FINAL ITEM, UM, WHICH IS OLD BUSINESS,
[4. OLD BUSINESS]
NUMBER FOUR, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE ELECTION OF THE CHAIR TO THE CDC HOUSING COMMITTEE AND THE APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS.NOW, THIS COMMITTEE HAS NOT BEEN MEETING, UH, OBVIOUSLY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, UH, AND THE SITTING CHAIR IS OUR VICE CHAIR, UH, UH, PAUL, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO NOT MEET UNTIL TIMES.
UH, UH, I, I THINK CAN ACCOMMODATE, UH, THE SAME, HOWEVER, UH, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD, UH, OR WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, UNLESS, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY HAS ANY CONCERNS WITH THAT, UH, WITH ELECTING A CHAIR, AS WELL AS, UH, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING WHO MIGHT LIKE TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO FIRST ASK THE VICE CHAIR IF SHE'S INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO SERVE, UH, AS THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE, SO THAT I MAY NOMINATE YES.
THEN I WOULD LIKE, UH, TO, UH, NOMINATE, UH, VICE CHAIR POP, UH, AS THE, UH, VENUE AS CHAIR OF THE CDC HOUSING COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, AND SO, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF VOTING FOR, UH, VICE CHAIR POP, UH, TO CONTINUE AS THE CHAIR OF THE CDC HOUSING COMMITTEE.
UH, CAN WE HEAR THE EYES PLEASE? AYE.
AND, UH, CAN WE HEAR THE NAMES PLEASE? AND IF WE HAVE ANY ABSTENTIONS NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO PUT THAT ON THE THANK YOU.
SO UNANIMOUSLY IT PASSES THAT COMMISSIONER POP WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AT THE CDC.
FORGIVE ME, VICE CHAIR, POP WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE, UH, AS THE CHAIR OF THE, UH, CDC HOUSING COMMITTEE.
IS ANYBODY INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THAT COMMITTEE? UH, DESPITE ITS SOMEWHAT DORMANT STATUS? UH, I WAS THE SERVING MEMBERS ON IT.
I WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE, UH, COMMISSIONER MAHEA WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
COMMISSIONER YOUNG WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON THAT
[02:20:01]
COMMITTEE.UH, AND PLEASE FORGIVE ME THAT I WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE ANY HANDS THAT ARE UP IF YOUR CAMERA'S NOT THERE AND OR IF YOU HAVE CALLED IN.
SO, UH, IF YOU COULD VOICE THAT, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
AND SO LISA, TO BE CLEAR, I DON'T BELIEVE WE NEED BOATS.
UH, WE JUST, UH, NEED TO POINT THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE MYSELF, COMMISSIONER MAHIA AND COMMISSIONER YOUNG ARE ALL INTERESTED IN SERVING, UH, UNDER THE, THE CHAIRPERSONSHIP OF COMMISSION VICE-CHAIR PUMP ON THE CDC HOUSING COMMITTEE.
IS THAT ALL WE NEED TO SAY, THIS IS ALL REALLY.
AND WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF, UH, ALL OF THOSE IN THE ROOM, IF YOU WILL, UH, FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.
UH, AND, UH, I VERY, VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD, UH, TO CONTINUING THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE BEGUN TODAY, UH, AND SEEING HOW THE TRAJECTORY OF IT GOES, UH, UH, AS WE SHARE A SERVICE IN TIME OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
AND WITH THAT SAID, UH, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTIONS, UH, FROM ANYONE I'D LOVE TO CLOSE, UH, THE MEETING, UH, AT 7:59 PM.
[5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY IF ANYONE WANTS TO RAISE A FUTURE.UH, WELL, LET'S NOT CLOSE THE MEETING JUST YET.
UM, UH, CAN WE COMMIT TO THE COMMISSIONER MINIVAN? CAN WE, COULD WE INVITE THE FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE TO PRESENT ON THEIR EXPERIENCE AS A, AS A PARTNER, BUT ALSO TO GET A GREATER SENSE OF THE FULL BREADTH OF THEIR, THEIR MISSION AND PROGRAMS? I THINK WE CAN, UH, AND, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY TOPICAL GIVEN THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE THAT NEED AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY.
CAN WE TURN INTO A GUTTER HERE? YES.
UM, I DID SPEAK TO LISA RODRIGUEZ, UH, LAST WEEK.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF LISA, UH, EMAILED A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN PUTTING ON AS, AS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ELISA, WERE YOU ABLE TO SEND AN EMAIL WITH THAT WITH THAT OR, NO? UM, I NEED YOU TO REFRESH MY MEMORY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SLIPPED OFF MY RADAR OR IF I ACTUALLY DID IT IT'S OKAY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO PUT ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
IF WE CAN BRING BACK A COUPLE OF THESE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY HAPPENING HERE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I KNOW THAT THEY'VE CAME AND THEY'VE SPOKEN BEFORE, SO, UM, I JUST, I NEED SOME UPDATES.
AND SO ONE OF THEM IS THE REBECCA BANK AT SENIOR LIVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT CENTER OR TOWERS, WHATEVER THEY CALL IT NOW.
UM, I JUST WAS INFORMED THAT AT NEW PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TOOK OVER IN AUGUST.
AND SO THE TRANS AT THE TRANSFER OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP OR MANAGEMENT HAS HAPPENED AND THE COMMUNITY, FIRST OF ALL, WAS UNAWARE OF THIS CHANGE.
AND THEN SECOND, UM, I DID A SITE WALKTHROUGH, UM, AT THE PROPERTY AND THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US, THE COMMISSION AND THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, I WAS TRYING TO ASK LISA IF SHE COULD FIND THAT DATE ON THERE.
UM, CAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF THEY PRESENTED IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR OR IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY CAME TO CITY HALL AND THE, UH, PRESIDENT OR THE CHAIR OF THAT BOARD IS PAUL SAW TANYA.
THEY CAME AND PRESENTED, UM, A HUGE PRESENTATION.
UM, A LOT OF THAT PRESENTATION THAT WAS PRESENTED IS NOT WHAT I SEE WHEN I GIVE THEM A SITE WALKTHROUGH, UM, BECAUSE THIS DEVELOPMENT IS THREE BLOCKS FROM MY HOME.
UM, IT HAS NOT JUST, UM, UM, REALLY, UH, BROUGHT A BIG CONCERN TO ME OF WHAT THIS DEVELOPMENT LOOKS LIKE, BUT MY ELDERS ARE STILL NOT IN THEIR HOME, BUT YET MARKET RATE CONDOS ARE UP AND, AND BEING ADVERTISED FOR MARKETING AT WHAT MY ELDERS STILL DON'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING HEATING.
UM, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND A LOT OF CONCERNS AND I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, AND DO MY OWN INVESTIGATION AS A NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT AND AS A, AS A RESIDENT AND A NEIGHBOR ON THE STREET, UM, I'VE HAD SEVERAL ACCIDENTS, UM, AND THE, THE INTERSECTION THAT'S BEEN CREATED ON HALF FULL AND NAVASOTA, SO I WANT TO BRING THIS, THIS BOARD AND THESE PEOPLE BACK TO, UM, OUR BOARD.
AND I NEED TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS AS WAS, SEE, UH, WHEN
[02:25:01]
MY SENIORS AND WHEN THESE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, UM, ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE UP AND RUNNING FOR THEM.SO THAT WAS ONE AGENDA ITEM THAT I HAD ASKED, UM, UH, STAFF TO SEE WHEN THEY CAN COME BRING THEM BACK.
UM, ANOTHER ONE IS, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THE CHALMERS COURTS, UM, AND THE SANTA RITA COURT.
AND SO THOSE ARE TWO ITEMS THAT I REALLY NEED TO GET, UM, AN UPDATE AS WELL.
MIKE DID ATTEND, UH, ONE OF OUR MEETINGS AND DID SHOW A PRESENTATION.
I WANT TO SAY THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT WE ARE STILL, UM, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
A LOT OF, UH, NEIGHBORS, A LOT OF RESIDENTS ARE CALLING.
UH, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MY MAIN TWO THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SET ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DELGADO.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WANT TO, UH, GET AN UPDATE ON THE RVDA TOWERS DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, AN IRREGULAR REDEVELOPMENT, IF YOU WILL.
UH, AS WELL AS THE, UH, UH, SANTA RITA AND SUMMER SPORTS, UH, DEVELOPMENTS, UH, THAT ARE HAPPENING, UM, AND, UH, UH, LISA, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, UM, AND PLAUSIBLE, UM, GIVEN THE TIME I THINK, UH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SO I'M ADDING THOSE TO THE, UM, ALL OF THAT, TO THE PLANNING, UH, SPREADSHEET AND WE WILL MAKE AS MUCH OF IT HAPPEN AS POSSIBLE.
AND I DID JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT I, I DID HAVE THAT IN MY NOTES, COMMISSIONER DELGADO.
I REMEMBER HE'S NOT SO GREAT BECAUSE MY NOTES WERE THOROUGH.
IF WE CAN TOLERATE THE CUTENESS OF THAT'S COMING THROUGH FROM COMMISSIONER MCGEE, HIS CAMERA.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE, UH, AGENDA ITEM, UH, THE REPORT OUT FROM THE WORKING GROUP, UH, UM, ON, UH, POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, OUTSIDE, UH, PRIVATE, UH, HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE TAKING MORE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO GETTING FUNDING TO PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM.
UM, AND, UH, THE OTHER, UH, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, A POTENTIAL REQUEST THAT TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, IF ANYTHING, PROVIDE ANSWERS BY ENDS OF THE SLIDE, UH, FORMAT THAT WE REQUESTED FROM THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, OR HAVE A MEMBER OF STAFF POTENTIALLY COME SPEAK TO US.
UH, AND I THINK THOSE WERE THE ONES THAT I RECALL FROM THIS MEETING.
AND IF ANYONE ELSE RECALLS ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE, PLEASE SPEAK.
NOW, I MAY NOT SEE YOU TO RECOGNIZE YOU.
SO I DO REQUEST THAT YOU SPEAK NOW.
I JUST, I JUST WANT TO SAY THE WORKING GROUP IS JUST THE WORKING GROUP WITH THE CHARGES FEELS FAIRLY AMORPHOUS, BUT I THINK WE'RE EXPLORING, UM, WHAT CAN BE DONE, UH, WITH CITY DOLLARS OR OTHERWISE THAT ENCOURAGES, UM, ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND SORT OF, UM, THAT, THAT INCREASES THE AGENCY OF, OF, UH, FOLKS TO DO WHAT THEY WILL WITH, UH, FUNDING THEY RECEIVE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S THAT I WANT TO, THAT'S WHAT I WAS HOPING TO EXPLORE ALONG WITH COMMISSIONER DELGADO.
UH, YEAH, I DEFINITELY DIG THAT LANGUAGE, UH, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO WAS COOL WITH THAT.
UH, AND THE, UH, THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THEN I THINK WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT LANGUAGE.
WERE YOU ABLE TO CATCH THAT BY 10TH? LISA, FORGIVE ME THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A PEN HANDY.
UM, WELL THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
UM, AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, PLEASE INSERT MY PREVIOUS GOODBYE NOW.
AND, UH, UNLESS THERE'S ANY FURTHER OBJECTION WOULD LOVE TO BRING THIS MEETING TO A CLOSE AT 8:07 PM.