[CALL TO ORDER]
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MY NAME IS ALISON ALTER, MAY PRO TEM AND CHAIR OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER ON THE ACTUAL DIET'S WITH ME IS COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AND COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO ON THE VIRTUAL DYESS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER
UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO TAKE UP THE ITEMS IN ORDER THIS MORNING, UM, AS OF 9:20 AM WE HAD NOBODY SIGNED UP.
IS THAT STILL TRUE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? GREAT.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Audit and Finance Committee meeting of May 25, 2022.]
OF BUSINESS IS APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THAT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING OF MAY 25TH, 2022.DO YOU HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE COUNCIL MEMBER? TOVA MAKES THAT MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
THAT'S UNANIMOUS ON THE DIOCESE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PHONED US OFF.
[2. Status of the recommendations from the November 2021 Disaster Preparedness Audit.]
NEXT ITEM ITEM TWO IS, UM, A STATUS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE NOVEMBER, 2021 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AUDIT THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY OUR AUDITOR'S OFFICE.AND I THINK WE WILL ALSO HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, AFTER ACTION REPORTS IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO I'D LIKE TO, UM, INVITE UP, UH, MR. ARIANO AND MR. ORTIZ.
AND PLEASE GO FORWARD WITH YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, RAY ARIANO, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE WITH REGARD TO THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE AUDIT REPORT THAT WAS PRODUCED BACK IN, UH, NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
UH, WITH ME THIS MORNING IS A WINE ORTIZ, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, OR HUSSAM, UH, AS WELL AS, UM, SARAH HENRY, WHO IS A NEWLY HIRED, UH, PIO MANAGER WITHIN HAYSOM LINDA LB ADAMS, WHO IS BEEN TEMPORARILY ASSIGNED TO HAYSOM IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS THERE, AS WELL AS OUR NEWLY APPOINTED, UH, LAURA
WE ALSO WILL HAVE IN THEM THERE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS AS THEY MAY COME UP AFTER OUR PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, WE ARE VERY PROUD ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
VERY PROUD TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE SINCE THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE JUST FIVE MONTHS AGO, UH, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE CERTAINLY AT POINTED TO BY THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE.
AND AGAIN, WE WELCOME THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVE UPON, UH, AND EXTEND UPON OUR CAPABILITIES TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, AND CERTAINLY PREPARE OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO DISASTERS.
UH, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE TODAY, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS PROCEED AT A TEMPO THAT WILL GIVE THE COMMITTEE TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS AT THE END.
UH, AND SO WITH THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE WILL BEGIN.
UH, SO THE, EACH OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THIS, UH, SIMILAR FORMAT.
AND SO THIS FIRST ONE IS TO PREPARE FOR A SIGNIFICANT CATH CATASTROPHIC EVENTS.
IT'S REALLY POINTS TO THE ABILITY TO TRAIN AND DO EXERCISES FOR INTERNAL STAFF, UH, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
HE SIM DOES CONDUCT A EOC TRAINING AND OTHER TABLETOP TRAININGS IN ORDER TO ANTICIPATE CERTAINLY BEING ABLE TO OPERATE IN THE EOC EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, AS WELL AS TO ANTICIPATE SEASONAL EVENTS.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THAT WE'RE ENCOUNTERING OR BEING ABLE TO ANTICIPATE WILDFIRE, PERHAPS INCIDENTS OR DISASTERS HERE LOCALLY, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT, UM, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
I'D LIKE TO POINT TO A COUPLE OF TRAININGS THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO INSERT INTO THE PROCESS, GIVEN THE INTEREST AND THE NEED TO INCREASE OUR, UH, CAPABILITY.
AND THAT'S THE, UH, THE ONE THAT'S SENIOR OFFICIALS WORKSHOP FOR ALL HAZARDS PREPAREDNESS.
AGAIN, THIS WAS CONDUCTED LAST MONTH, UH, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH AN EMPHASIS FOR OUR, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, THE REST OF OUR, UM, LEADERSHIP TEAM IN ORDER TO HAVE A COMMON UNDERSTANDING AND GOAL AND FOCUS ON HOW WE MIGHT BETTER BE PREPARED TO, UH, APPROACH DISASTERS.
THE OTHER ONE THAT, UH, IS, UH, UP THERE AS A NATIONAL RADIOLOGICAL EXERCISE.
THIS ONE HAS BEEN IN THE PLANNING FOR A WHILE NOW, AND, UH, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE IT OCCURRED THIS PAST MONTH.
AGAIN, I THINK IT IS NOW THAT REALLY FOCUSED ON A DIFFERENT KIND OF INCIDENT, A RADIOLOGICAL INCIDENT.
AND SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE AGAIN, UH, EOC TRAINING, WE'VE CONDUCTED SIX TRAINING SINCE THE FALL.
AND, UH, AGAIN, BASED ON THE INTEREST OF, UH, THE DEPARTMENTS, NOT ONLY TO, UH, PROVIDE TRAINING FOR PEOPLE THAT EMPLOYEES THAT ARE SLIDING INTO NEW POSITIONS THAT MIGHT BE IN THE EOC, BUT ALSO, UH, SOME DEPARTMENTS HAVE INDICATED A INTEREST AND INTEREST IN REFRESHER TRAINING FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN THE EOC.
SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF, UH, TRAINING SESSIONS THAT, UH, HE'S, UH, HAS PUT
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FORTH FOR THAT PURPOSE.NEXT SLIDE, LIKE TO HAND IT OVER NOW TO, UH, DIRECTOR HEARTIES.
UH, NUMBER TWO IS THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD PRIORITIZE COOP PLANNING.
UH, THIS, UH, THIS EFFORT ACTUALLY GOT STARTED, UH, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.
UM, FORTUNATELY THE P THE PANDEMIC GROUP HARDEST TO REALLOCATE RESOURCES IN SUPPORT OF THE PANDEMIC.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, RE-ENGAGE IN THIS AREA IN THE FALL OF 21, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENT PARTNERS, UH, TO MOVE, UH, MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THIS, IN THIS REGARD, WE WANT TO THANK COUNCIL FOR APPROVING THE SPENDING AUTHORITY.
THIS WILL ALLOW US TO BETTER PLAN AND SCHEDULE AND, UH, AND WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AND NEED TO BE TRANSITIONED INTO THE NEW SYSTEM.
UM, I, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT NOT EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY KNOWS WHAT COOP STANDS FOR.
SO IT'S CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLANNING, BUT I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THAT IS AN EXCELLENT POINT.
AND I APOLOGIZE, UH, COU, LIKE YOU SAID, IS CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLANNING, AS SO, AS WE MOVE WITH THESE CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLANS DEVELOPMENT, WHERE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THAT, UM, THEY'RE ALL, UH, DONE AS FAST AS, AS, AS BEST AS WE CAN.
AND GIVEN WITH GIVEN THE, THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE FROM THE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, NOW, NOW THAT THE, UH, SPENDING AUTHORITY WAS AUTHORIZED.
NOW WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO LOOK AT THEIR, UM, AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND WE WORK WITH THEM TO SCHEDULE WHEN IS THE BEST TIME FOR THEM TO COMPLETE IT, DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING.
UH, WE THINK THAT THIS IS A TASK THAT CAN BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS, NEXT SITE UM, AGAIN, UM, THIS IS A FACE APPROACH.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO ALSO, I'M WORKING WITH THE, UM, OTTERS OFFICE TO REVISE THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE.
AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THIS, UH, THIS, THIS FIRST APPROACH FOR, FOR THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT WILL BE, UM, WE SEE IT COMING FORWARD IN, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT FISCAL YEARS.
UH, WHAT I WANTED TO COVER IN THIS SLIDE HERE IS THE, THIS IS, UH, A TWO PHASE APPROACH, UH, FOR, UH, COUP PLANNING AND, UH, AS WELL AS, SO WE HAVE CONDUCTED SEVERAL TABLETOP EXERCISES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO VALIDATE THE INFORMATION THAT IS GOING INTO THE NEW SYSTEM.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING, UH, MOVING FORWARD, UM, IN AS WELL AS WE HAVE, UH, ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WAS DONE IN THE IT DISASTER RECOVERY PLANS, UH, TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THE CRITICAL APPLICATIONS WERE, UM, INCLUDED IN THAT PROCESS.
UH, THIS IS THE CITY MANAGERS SHOULD PRIORITIZE AND IMPLEMENT INITIATIVES TO INCREASE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCY.
WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL MAJOR EFFORTS THAT ARE UNDER ON THE WAY AT THIS POINT IN THIS AREA.
I'M GOING TO ASK US SARAH HENRY TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND GIVE US AN UPDATE SPECIFICALLY IN THE PREPAREDNESS PORTION.
SO WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED OVER $250,000 IN FUNDING FOR THIS PREPAREDNESS CAMPAIGN.
AND TO DATE, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER WHAT IS CALLED, UM, MAKE MA EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS YOUR SUPER POWER.
UM, AND THROUGH THIS CAMPAIGN, WE HAVE MANAGED TRADITIONAL PAID MEDIA OUTREACH, UM, ADS ON STREAMING SERVICES AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS, WHICH ARE ALL RUNNING IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAJOR RETAILERS LIKE HEB AND WALMART.
UM, AND IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE OVER 280,000 PEOPLE HAVE EVER BEEN REACHED TODAY WITH JUST THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS ALONE, UM, OUR NEXT STEPS WITH THIS CAMPAIGN, OR TO FURTHER SPEND THE FUNDS WITH ADDITIONAL MARKETING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND WITH THAT ALTERNATE OVER TO SUSTAINABILITY TO TALK ABOUT RESILIENCY HUBS.
GREAT, GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE NEW CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER.
UM, AND LIKE MY COLLEAGUE JUST MENTIONED, UH, THIS EFFORT HAS BEEN PART OF THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE FOR, UH, QUITE SOME TIME NOW, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF A TRANSITION PHASE.
SO I'M HAPPY TO, UH, BRING IN SOME UPDATES, UH, INTO, UH, THESE EFFORTS AND THE TRANSITION, UM, UH, EFFORTS IN THE TRANSITION PROCESS, UM, DISASTERS OF THIS MAGNITUDE, UH, TRULY DO BRING TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE AND WE MUST USE THIS MOMENTUM TO DRIVE FORWARD.
AND COUNCIL HAS PRIORITIZES THROUGH THE RESOLUTION THAT PASSED, WHICH HAS DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO CREATE A PLAN AND RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, TO, UH, CREATE RESILIENCE HUBS.
BUT WE HAVE ALSO LEARNED THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT
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IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE A STEP BACK, UM, AND LEVERAGE THE RESOURCES THAT ALREADY EXIST IN OUR COMMUNITIES.UM, AND THIS IS WHERE THE CITY CAN HELP CONVENE, CAN HELP FACILITATE AND REALLY CAN HELP EMPOWER.
SO THE RESILIENCE, UH, HUBS PROGRAM IS IN ITS EARLY STAGES OF A PILOT PROGRAM.
UH, BUT THE GOAL IS TO BUILD A FULL SCALE NETWORK OF FACILITIES THAT PROVIDE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS TO ALL AUSTINITES DURING EMERGENCIES AND ALSO DURING BLUE SKY DAYS.
SO, UM, OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, SIGNIFICANT UPDATES AND SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES THAT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
UH, SIX FOCUS AREAS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT, AND THIS HAS BEEN THROUGH, UM, UH, ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WITH THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND SET OF, UH, WORKING GROUPS.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN LED BY THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, AND I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE MY COLLEAGUE MARK, WHO DARE FROM THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR, UH, THIS EFFORT THAT IS HERE WITH US TODAY.
UM, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONSULTANT, UM, HAS ALSO BEEN PROCURED AND THE WORK FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THIS, IN THIS SIX SPECIFIC AREAS IS EXPECTED TO START, UM, AT THE END OF JUNE AND EXPECT IT TO END AT THE END OF THE SUMMER.
THE GOAL OF THIS, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WILL, UH, FINALIZE, UH, AND, AND WE'LL END IN THE SELECTION OF SIX SPECIFIC SPECIFIC LOCATIONS SITES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL SERVE AS OUR FIRST SIX PILOT RESILIENCE HUBS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND FINALLY, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, A BROCHURE AND EFFORTS TO EXPAND ON COMMUNICATION MATERIALS, UM, HAS BEEN INITIATED.
UM, THE NEXT STEPS IS, AS I MENTIONED, WE WILL FINALIZE A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS OF THESE SPECIFIC SITES.
UH, WE'LL CONTINUE FORMULATING THE NEXT PHASES TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO OTHER CITY AREAS AND HOW TO SCALE IT UP TO, UM, NOT JUST THE EASTERN CRESCENT, BUT ALL OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS LAUNCHED A COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN TO TIE INTO EXISTING EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, AS WELL AS OTHER SERVICES.
I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN EFFORT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD TO SUSTAINABILITY, UM, IN COORDINATION WITH
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ALIGN WITH ALL OF THESE AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THE INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS.
UM, THERE WAS A RE UH, AN UPDATED, UM, MEMO THAT WAS PRESENTED EARLIER THIS WEEK.
UM, AND IN THIS, UH, SLIDE, THERE IS A LINK THAT PROVIDES A MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE UPDATES OF RESILIENCE HUTS.
UM, I'LL HAND IT OVER BACK TO ONE.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, UH, IMPLEMENT, PASS CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, UH, MITIGATION ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE.
AND FOR THIS, UH, THIS SLIDE I'M GOING TO ASK LINDA LBS ADAMS HAS COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND GIVE US AN UPDATE AS TO HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR CORRECTIVE ACTION PROCESS.
I LIKE TO FOCUS MORE SO ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS PART, UM, FOR THE AFTER ACTIONS RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE WINTER STORM URI, THERE WERE 132.
THERE WERE 132 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED OUT OF THOSE HUNDRED 32 RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE CAME TO YOU IN JANUARY, WE HAD EVALUATED AND WE HAD DINNER.
WE IDENTIFIED 32 OF THOSE THAT WE COULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN WORK ON.
AND THEY HAD, WHICH HAD A HIGH IMPACT, BUT REQUIRED LITTLE TO NO RESOURCES AND LITTLE TO NO BUDGET.
THIS SLIDE IS WHAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU BACK IN JANUARY OF WHERE WE WERE, WE HAD COMPLETED FIVE, WHICH WAS 15% WITHIN THE FOCUS AREAS OF COMMUNICATIONS, PLANNING, AND PREPAREDNESS TRANSPORTATION LOGISTICS, AND ONE IN LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN.
AND WE WERE WAITING UPDATES ON 15 OF THOSE, WHICH IS 46.9%.
NEXT SLIDE, AS OF JUNE, WE'VE COMPLETED 10 MORE, WHICH, UH, WHICH IS TOTAL OF 15, WHICH MAKES THAT 47% WITHIN THE FOCUS AREAS OF COMMUNICATION, PLANNING, AND PREPAREDNESS AND LOGISTICS WITHIN COMMUNICATIONS OR SEVEN OF THEM.
ONE EXAMPLE YOU HEARD ABOUT WAS THE READY CENTRAL TEXAS CAMPAIGN.
WE EXTENDED THE LANGUAGE ACCESS, UM, IN THAT CAMPAIGN, UM, IN THE FOUR, THERE WERE FOUR IN PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS.
ONE OF THE, AN EXAMPLE THAT I'M GIVING TO YOU IS THAT WE CLOSED WAS SOLIDIFYING
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THE ROLE OF THE EQUITY OFFICE IN OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, UM, WHICH WAS SIGNIFICANT FOR US BECAUSE IN THE FOUR LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN, THE EXAMPLE THAT I'M GOING TO USE TO YOU IS HOW WE UTILIZE THE EQUITY OFFICE TO HELP US.UM, IN OUR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES WERE UTILIZED.
WE WERE ABLE TO BETTER UTILIZE AN E AN EQUITY LENS WITH, UH, THE DISTRIBUTION OF SERVICES IN OUR RECENT EVENTS.
AND IN PROGRESS, WE STILL HAVE, WE HAVE EIGHT, WHICH IS 25% AND, UH, WAITING, UH, UPDATES.
ALSO AT THE MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR PLANS TO CREATE A SYSTEM THAT HOUSES ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN A CENTRAL LOCATION THAT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE FOR TRANSPARENCY.
WELL, WE'RE EXCITED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU TODAY, THE NEW CRIS SYSTEM, CHRIS STANDS FOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCY IMPROVEMENT STATUS PORTAL.
THIS SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED BY CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, AND IT'S A DYNAMIC PORTAL THAT FEATURES AFTER X REPORTS FROM SIGNIFICANT EVENTS.
THE SYSTEM IS VERY USER-FRIENDLY.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO TRACK STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY TAKING A HOLISTIC VIEW WITH THE DASHBOARD OR DRILLING DOWN INTO THE EVENT BY THE RECOMMENDATION.
IT ALSO ALIGNS WITH FEMA FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY STANDARDS, WHICH IS CATEGORIZED IN BY MISSION AREAS.
AND THEY'RE INCORPORATED CORE CAPABILITIES ARE WITH CORPORATED INTO THE MISSION AREAS.
THE SYSTEM WILL BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE IN JULY AT DATA THAT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
THE DATA HOUSED IN CRIST ARE 10 EVENTS DATING BACK TO 2013, AND THEY THEY'RE ALL HAVE BEEN LOADED INTO THE PORTAL.
I WILL NOT READ THEM ALL, BUT YOU'LL HAVE THEM AS BACKUP, BUT THEY, THEY ARE IN THE SYSTEM WE'RE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE.
WHEN YOU GO INTO THE PORTAL, YOU WILL, THE BEGINNING PART OF IT WILL BE AN INTRODUCTION.
IT TELLS YOU ABOUT CHRIS, TELL YOU WHAT'S IT ABOUT THE THING YOU SEE THE DASHBOARD.
AND THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.
UM, KEEP IN MIND THAT IS DYNAMIC.
IT DOES REFRESH EVERY TWO HOURS.
SO THE DATA WILL BE READILY AVAILABLE AND SHOULD BE.
WE'RE HOPING THAT IT'S, THAT IT WILL BE AS CURRENT AS CURRENT.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET THERE AS CURRENT AS POSSIBLE AT THE TOP OF THE DASHBOARD OF THIS, OF THE, OF THE SNAPSHOT, YOU'LL SEE WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEARCH BY EVENT.
YOU CAN SEARCH BY MISSION AREA.
AND THE SECOND, THE THIRD ONE IS GOING TO BE BY CORE CAPABILITY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOP TO MY RIGHT, THE RECORD COUNT, THERE ARE 1,147 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE IN THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PIES, THEY ARE DESIGNATED BY THE RECOMMENDATION BY MISSION AREA, WHICH IS BASED OFF OF FAMOUS STANDARDS.
AND THIS SECOND PIE IS BASED OFF OF STATUS.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE, UM, IT TELLS YOU WHERE IT'S COMPLETED IN PROGRESS CLOSED AND NOT START IT.
WHEN YOU DRILL FURTHER DOWN INTO THE SYSTEM, YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY CLICK ON THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION WILL, YOU CAN GET A FURTHER, YOU CAN GET FURTHER DETAILS ON THE STATUS OF WHAT, OF EACH RECOMMENDATION BUILDING THE SYSTEM.
WE HOPE THAT THIS ALLOWS FOR INFORMATION TO BE AVAILABLE TO YOU AT ALL TIMES.
AND WE ALSO HOPE THAT THIS IS A WAY OF BEING TRANSPARENT IN REGARDS TO ALL OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
I WILL NOW TURN IT BACK OVER TO ACM RAY RAY, OR YOU NOT SO THIS IS, SO THIS RECOMMENDATION HAS TO DO WITH RESOURCE STAFFING WITHIN HOMELAND SECURITY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
I THINK OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE CLEARLY SEEN WITH, UH, WHAT, WITH THE PANDEMIC, UH, RESPONDING TO THE NORMAL COURSE OF EMERGENCIES IN 2020 AND 21, AS WELL AS WINTER STORM ORI.
WE HAD A SENSE THAT THERE WAS MORE RESOURCING NEEDED, AND CERTAINLY THE AUDITOR'S REPORT CLEARLY POINTED OUT WHERE AREAS ARE THAT WE NEEDED TO FOCUS.
SO WE'VE COMPLETED AN EVALUATION WITH THE VSAM AND HAVE COME FORTH IN THE SHORT TERM WITH REPO REALLOCATING, SOME LONGSTANDING VACANCIES FROM OTHER OFFICES INTO HAYSOM IN ORDER TO START THE PROCESS OF BEEPING UP, UH, ITS CAPABILITY.
UH, YOU SEE HERE, TWO OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE, UH, FOCUSED ON RESILIENCY HUB ACTIVITIES.
THIS IS MEANT TO UNLOAD IF YOU WILL, OR LET SHIP THE LOAD FROM THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, WHICH AGAIN,
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I WANT TO RECOGNIZE HAS DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB OF LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR CHIEF REAL ZEAL RESILIENCY OFFICER ALARA PITINO IN ORDER TO CARRY THE BALL FORWARD TO OTHER OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON DOING THE WORK THAT'S REQUIRED, AGAIN, PARTICULARLY AROUND MASS CASUALTY COORDINATION, WHICH WILL BE VERY HELPFUL.AND AGAIN, EXTENDING THE CAPABILITY OUTREACH INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING THE COMMUNITY BE PREPARED AS WELL AS STAFF TO BE PREPARED TO RESPOND.
UM, SO THE FOCUS FOR HOUSTON NOW GOING FORWARD IS TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES, RECLASSIFIED THOSE FOUR POSITIONS SO THAT THEY CAN BEGIN FILLING THEM.
UH, AND THEN I WOULD SAY, UH, THE POSITIONS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT ARE NECESSARY TO BEEF UP, UH, HE SUMS CAPABILITY.
THEY WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE UPCOMING PROPOSED, UH, FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET.
UM, GO BACK ONE, THERE YOU GO.
UPDATE POLICY AND PROCESS FOR ENSURING ADEQUATE STAFF ARE TRAINED AND AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO DISASTERS.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE MAJOR, UH, WORK IN THIS, IN THIS, IN THIS AREA.
THE, THE MAIN THING IS HERE IS WE, WE S WE ARE CONDUCTING MONTHLY COORDINATED MEETINGS WITH DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS WITH THEIR SINGLE POINTS OF CONTACT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE COORDINATING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS, LOOKING AT WHAT THE UPCOMING TRAINING AND EXERCISE SCHEDULES LOOK LIKE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE DEPARTMENTS ARE UP TO DATE WITH WHAT INFORMATION THEY NEED TO BE COORDINATED WITH THEIR, WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR PERSONNEL IS TRAINED AND READY FOR THE UPCOMING, UM, UM, DISASTER SEASON.
AND SO W W W THIS IS A MONTHLY MEETING THAT WE ARE, THAT WE'RE HOLDING.
AND IN FACT, THERE'S A MEETING TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN, UH, TH THE, THE LEVEL OF READINESS AND PREPAREDNESS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE ALL IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE ALSO EXPLORING OTHER WAYS OF, UH, OF, UH, IDENTIFYING THE STAFFING RESOURCES.
UH, SPECIFICALLY WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT CONTRACTORS COULD BE A PLACE ON STANDBY OR UNDER CONTRACT TO ASSIST IN, IN, UH, THE CITY IN RESPONDING TO FUTURE DISASTERS, AS WELL AS USING TEMPORARY AGENCIES TO FILL SPECIFIC POSITION GAPS.
UH, IN THE FUTURE, WE HAVE BROUGHT ON BOARD A TEMPORARY, UH, PERSONNEL RESOURCE MANAGER, A TEMPORARY POSITION THAT IS WORKING WITH, UH, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO IDENTIFY AVAILABLE STAFF IN, IN THE EVENT OF A, OF A, AN EMERGENCY OR DISASTER.
AND THEIR ROLE IS TO WORK WITH HRD TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE, UH, FINDING WHAT RESOURCES MAY BE AVAILABLE FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO BETTER ASSIST, UH, IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY OR DISASTER.
UH, LASTLY, I WANT TO KIND OF, YOU, YOU MIGHT'VE HEARD ME MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT WE ARE UTILIZING RECENTLY RETIRED CITY EMPLOYEES THAT, UH, ARE, HAVE BEEN WILLING TO COME OUT OF RETIREMENT AND ASSIST THE COMMUNITY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY OF DISASTER, WHERE, UM, WE CALL THEM THE DISASTER RESERVISTS.
AND THESE ARE, UM, IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS AND TO INCLUDE, UM, UH, PURCHASING AND ACCOUNTING, AS WELL AS OTHER AREAS IN, UH, FROM FIRE POLICE AND EMS AND, UM, FACILITIES AND FLEET AND OTHER DIFFERENT, UM, VENUE, ANYBODY THAT IS A REASONABLY CITY RETIRED EMPLOYEE THAT IS WILLING TO, UH, WILLING TO BE A PART OF THE DISASTER RESERVE IS WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FORMALIZING THAT PROCESS OF RECRUITING AND, AND, AND BETTER STRENGTHENING THIS PROGRAM.
WE THINK THAT THIS IS A WAY OF, OF LEVERAGING EXPERTISE THAT WE'RE, UH, THAT, UM, EMPLOYEES HAVE ACQUIRED, UH, IN THEIR CAREERS WITH THE CITY AND, AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN THE FUTURE, IF, IF THERE IS A, AN EMERGENCY OR DISASTER THAT REQUIRES THAT TO HAPPEN.
NEXT SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN IS ENSURE THE CITY HAS ADEQUATE EMERGENCY SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR FUTURE DISASTERS.
UH, WE HA HAVE SECURED A SPECIFIC, UH, QUANTITIES OF WATER, UH, AND, AND MEALS READY TO EAT, UH, FROM A COMPANY CALLED HEATER MEALS AND OTHER KEY RESOURCES AND SUPPLIES WHERE, UM, WE ARE, UM, STORING THEM.
AND THE QUANTITIES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP IS, IS REALLY DEPENDENT ON THE AVAILABLE, UH, WAREHOUSE SPACE THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND, BUT WE HAVE, UH, UM, UM, SECURED THOSE RESOURCES AND THEY'RE INTENDED TO BE A, A, A BRIDGE TO ALLOW US TO THEN IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT WILL ALLOW US TO THEN GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA.
UH, ALSO WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW
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THAT WE'RE WORKING ON A DISASTER FOOD AND DRINKING WATER APPENDIX TO THE MASS CARE PLAN.AND THIS IS, UH, UH, INTENDED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE, UH, BETTER ALIGNED AND, AND, AND HAVE A BETTER SYSTEM IN PLACE TO, UH, UH, FOOD SHORTAGES AND AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE, UM, A, A CLOSER CONNECTION WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS WE RESPOND TO THE NEED FOR FOOD AND WATER IN AN EMERGENCY ALSO, UH, ADDITIONAL WORK IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO LOOK AT THE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.
THE HOPE IS IF THAT, IF WE DEVELOP THIS, UH, SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, IT WILL MAKE US MORE RESILIENT AND LESS VULNERABLE TO THE IMPACTS THE NATIONAL WORLDWIDE SHORTAGE IMPACTS THAT ARE FACING THE, UM, FACING COMMUNITIES, UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, EVERYTHING FROM, UH, UH, FUEL SHORTAGES, AS WELL AS BABY FORMULA SHORTAGES, WE NEED TO BE LESS DEPENDENT ON ADJUST IN TIME.
UH, SO WE NEED TO BE REALLY LOOK AT A, A, UM, DEVELOPING A STRATEGY THAT MAKES US MORE RESILIENT IN THIS, IN THIS REGARD.
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO OVERCOME IS WE NEED TO IDENTIFY OUT OF ADEQUATE WAREHOUSE SPACE, AS WELL AS STAGING AREAS, AND ALSO THE NECESSARY STAFF TO HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS IN THE FUTURE.
NEXT SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT IS CREATE AND IMPLEMENT A LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN FOR EMERGENCIES TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES RECEIVE ADEQUATE INFORMATION.
AND THIS SLIDE, I'M GOING TO ASK SARAH TO COME BACK TO THE PODIUM AND GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN DISREGARD.
SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HEARD OF AND LIVE THROUGH, UM, DURING STORM ERIE WAS THAT STAFF WHO WERE RESPONDING TO THE STORM ALSO DIDN'T HAVE POWER OR WATER.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH CPIO TO ESTABLISH IS, UM, INCREASED OUR VENDOR CAPACITIES FOR OUT OF STATE VENDORS, FOR TRANSLATION SERVICES, AS WELL AS WE, AS, AS WELL AS WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A CONTRACT WITH DEAF LINKS FOR ASL INTERPRETATION, BOTH OF THESE BENEFITS WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THROUGH THE HEAT ADVISORY AND HEAT WARNING INCIDENTS LAST WEEK.
UM, AND ALSO JUST SHARE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FEBRUARY STORM OF 22, AS WELL AS FOR THE BOIL WATER NOTICE CITY STAFF SPENT OVER $17,000 ON TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR JUST THOSE TWO INCIDENTS.
AND SO CONTINUED RESOURCES WILL BE NEEDED AS, AS THESE EMERGENCIES ARISE.
UH, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE, OF THE LANGUAGE ACCESS, UH, THAT HAS SPENT ALREADY TRANSLATE IT.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, 10 LANGUAGES.
SO THIS IS THE PART OF OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN.
NEXT SLIDE NUMBER NINE, AND SHARE THE CITIES DISASTER RESPONSE EFFORTS ARE EQUITABLE AND MEET THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, A MAPPING REPORT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN THIS AREA.
UH, NOT ONLY HAS THE EQUITY OFFICE, UH, ROLE, UH, BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTERS, UM, OPERATING GUIDELINES, UH, AS WELL.
UH, WE'VE ALSO MADE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO OUR PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND SLPS, UH, IN, IN OUR PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURES, WHICH WILL NOW INCORPORATE LANGUAGE TO ASSURE THAT, UH, EQUITY IS A PART OF THE, UH, PLAN DEVELOPMENT OR UPDATE PROCESS.
AND IT ENSURES THAT WE WILL HAVE THAT THEIR PARTICIPATION AND IN THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DOCUMENTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, WE, UM, UH, MODIFIED, UH, PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
UM, THE, UH, THE EQUITY OFFICE IS, UH, HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN OUR RECENT, UM, RESPONSES.
AND THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE SHOWING YOU BY, BY ACTUALLY, UH, PRACTICING, RIGHT? SO AS WE HAVE, UH, IN THE RECENT EMERGENCIES OR DISASTERS THAT WE'RE FACING, UH, WE HAVE UTILIZED THE EQUITY OFFICE VERY SUCCESSFULLY, UH, AND THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US IDENTIFY THE APPROPRIATE, UH, UH, POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION IN THE MOST RECENT BULL WATER CRISIS THAT WE HAD AS WELL AS, UH, COME UP WITH A, UH, A SOLUTION FOR THE DELIVERY OF WATER AT RESIDENTIAL HOMES THAT WAS IN COOPERATION WITH CAPITAL METRO AND THE AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK AND EQUITY OFFICE WORKING TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION,
[00:30:01]
UH, HOW TO MEET THE NEED OF THE COMMUNITY.SO THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO, UH, NOT ONLY, UH, UM, UM, SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO PUT IT INTO ACTION AND DEMONSTRATE, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND ANOTHER PERFECT EXAMPLE IS THE EQUITY OFFICE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH HAYSOM, AS WE WERE IDENTIFYING THE SUPPLIES THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE INCORPORATED IN OUR SHELTER MISSION READY PREPACKAGE, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT OUR LIST AND ENSURE THAT CULTURAL INCLUSION AND EQUITY OF SUPPLIES WERE, UH, UH, PART OF THE PROCESS AND THAT INFLUENCE, UH, DETERMINED THE SUPPLIES THAT WERE ULTIMATELY PUT IN THE, IN THE CONTAINERS AS WE WERE GETTING READY FOR THE LAST WINTER WEATHER SEASON.
NEXT SLIDE, NUMBER 10 DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN TO INVOLVE COMMUNITY IN DISASTER, PREPAREDNESS AND PLANNING.
UM, AS, UM, AS WAS REPORTED IN THERE IN THE RECOMMENDATION, NUMBER FIVE, UM, A POSITION THAT WAS REALLOCATED BY THE CITY MANAGER, OR, UH, WHAT IS TO FILL THE ROLE OF THE MASS CARE COORDINATOR.
UH, THIS POSITION IS GOING TO BE, UH, INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING COORDINATE WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND FIRST RESPONDERS, AND LOOK AT, UH, WHAT, HOW BEST TO ALIGN THOSE RESPONSE EFFORTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, MOVING FORWARD, UH, AS THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE'RE NOT JUST DOING THIS FOR WINTER WEATHER.
IT IS A YEAR ROUND, ALL HAD THIS APPROACH, UH, THAT WERE THERE WERE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, IN ADDITION TO OTHER PERFECT EXAMPLES OF HOW WE'RE MEETING THE, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THE RECENT EFFORT THAT WAS UNDERTAKEN BY OUR RESILIENCY OFFICER, WORKING WITH COMMUNITY RESILIENCE TO TRUST, AS WE ARE LOOKING AT TO ADDRESS THE BABY FOOD FORMULA SHORTAGE, AND THAT COORDINATION EFFORT THAT WAS THERE WAS CONDUCTED BY A RESILIENCY OFFICER, AS WELL AS THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE, UH, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESILIENCY HUB OUTREACH AND CAMPAIGN.
AND THEN ALSO THE, UM, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF PREPAREDNESS GUIDES AND DISASTER FLIERS IN, IN CONJUNCTION WITH GO AUSTIN VAMOS AUSTIN, AND THAT'S WORK THAT WAS, UH, PARTICIPATED BY THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO THOSE ARE ALL PERFECT EXAMPLES OF HOW WE'RE TRYING TO THE INTENT OF THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AND WE WILL HAVE MORE, UH, THROUGH REPORTING IN FUTURE UPDATES, UH, NEXT LIGHT THANK YOU.
ONE AGAIN, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
I'M VERY PROUD IN THE TEAM IS VERY PROUD ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED YET.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S MORE WORK TO BE DONE AS WELL, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS OF BRINGING THE RESILIENCY HUB, UH, CONCEPT TO FRUITION, AND CERTAINLY ADDRESSING ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON THE CRISP PORTAL.
THESE EFFORTS ARE NOT ACCOMPLISHED IN SILOS, BUT REALLY AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION, AS WELL AS WITH EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS IN ORDER TO MAKE ALL OF THIS WORK.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE REALLY INTENT ON DRIVING TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE THAT CAN REALLY CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE DO BUSINESS MORE EFFECTIVELY, AS WELL AS EFFICIENTLY.
REALLY LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE THOUGHT THAT WE ARE BETTER PREPARED TO RESPOND TO THE NORMAL COURSE COURSES, DIFFERENT, DIFFICULT TO SEE WHAT IS NORMAL THESE DAYS, BUT THE NORMAL COURSE OF DISASTERS THAT WE MIGHT EXPERIENCE AND ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO BEING ABLE TO RESPOND TO LOW PROBABILITY HIGH IMPACT INCIDENTS LIKE WINTER STORM ALREADY REPRESENTS.
AND SO WITH THAT AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE TEAM, UH, WE'RE PLEASED TO BE HERE TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
I ALSO HOPE WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARED FOR HIGH PROBABILITY HIGH RISK EVENTS LIKE WILDFIRE, UM, AS WELL AS YOU KNOW, UM, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION AND YOUR WORK, UM, AS IS OFTEN THE CASE IN THIS COMMITTEE, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND A LOT MORE TIME ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS.
UM, BUT BEFORE WE, YOU KNOW, DO THAT, JUST WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF.
WHO'VE BEEN OPERATING UNDER EMERGENCY FOR QUITE SOME TIME UNDER DIFFICULT CONDITIONS.
AND, UH, WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK, UM, THAT YOU DO.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT I IMAGINE, SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS ARE GOING TO BE ABOUT TODAY AND I'LL LET MY COLLEAGUES GO FIRST ON THE QUESTIONS IS GOING TO BE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT THAT YOU NEED TO DO YOUR JOB EFFECTIVELY.
UM, AND, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONVERSATION, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY, THANK YOU.
[00:35:01]
AND I'D LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT I UNDERSTAND THIS PRESENTATION TODAY TOOK A LOT OF WORK BY THE HSE STAFF, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT THEY CARRIED THAT LIFT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN BETTER EQUIPPED IN REGARDS TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, DIRECTOR ORTIZ.I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND ONE OF YOUR SESSIONS AT THE TEXAS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE IN SAN ANTONIO RECENTLY.
AND I WANTED TO JUST PUBLICLY COMMENT ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITY TO PACK A ROOM FULL OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS FROM ALL ACROSS THE STATE.
I KNOW I APPRECIATED THE PRESENTATION AND THE FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO I SPOKE WITH AFTERWARDS WAS ABSOLUTELY GLOWING.
IT'S MY HOPE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A WORLD-CLASS HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT THAT OTHERS LOOK TO IN ORDER TO FRAME OUT THEIR OWN PROGRAMS. WE'RE A BIG CITY, AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN THE DISASTER PLANNING PROCESS AHEAD OF TIME, SO THAT WE COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE OF A DISASTER STRONGER AS A COMMUNITY THAN WE WERE BEFORE.
I DO WANT TO SAY, HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR COUNCIL TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY PLAN FOR AND RESPOND TO DISASTERS THAT YOUR OFFICE DOES NEED TO BE STAFFED.
SO OUTSIDE OF THE STAFF THAT YOU MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION, I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WERE ANY ADDITIONAL UNMET NEEDS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH COUNCIL THAT WE CAN HELP ADVOCATE FOR DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, AND THANK YOU, UH, REMEMBER FOR THOSE KIND WORDS, UM, UH, SAY THEIR PRESENTATION WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, UH, UH, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL RESOURCE REQUESTS THAT WERE, THAT WE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE FY 23 BUDGET PROCESS.
AND, UM, AND, AND THOSE ARE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, THAT YOU'LL SEE THEM AS COME TO YOU, UH, IN, IN THAT MATTER.
SO WE'LL, WE'RE WAITING TO SEE WHAT, UH, YOUR DECISION WILL BE ONCE YOU, THOSE WERE PRESENTED WHEN THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTS HIS BUDGET.
AND COULD YOU MAYBE HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WILL LOOK IN REGARDS TO THE SELECTION OF THE SIX RESILIENCY HUBS? LET ME SEE IF I GET SOMEBODY.
SO LET ME, I'LL THINK OF A, AN ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.
AND SO, UH, I, I THINK THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS IT RELATES TO RESILIENCY HELPS, UH, IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSING HAND WITH THE OVERALL MESSAGE OF PREPAREDNESS AND, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS WE ENGAGE WITH THE, WITH THE DIFFERENT, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, LOOKING AT HOW TO BUILD THAT LEVEL OF RESILIENCY LEVEL OF TENACITY IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT WE'RE, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL, BUT REALLY MORE EXPANDING OF FROM THE, THE FOUR PILLARS OF PREPAREDNESS THAT WE ARE LAYING OUT.
UH, AND THEN LOOKING AT WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE, UH, WHAT THE ASSESSMENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS IDENTIFIED AS GAPS IN THEIR ABILITY TO BE MORE RESILIENT.
ANYTHING ELSE? NO, UH, I'LL JUST ADD THAT THIS, THIS IS A PROCESS COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WE ARE BEGINNING THROUGH OUR CONSULTANT THAT WAS JUST PROCURED AND THE STEPS ARE BEING OUTLINED.
UM, AS, AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THAT, UH, SPECIFIC, UH, SCOPE OF WORK, UM, WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS PROCESS IS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THE SPECIFIC AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN, IN THE SIX AREAS THAT THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT IN IS NOT JUST THROUGH, UM, THE TYPICAL OUTREACH THAT HAS BEEN EMPLOYED, BUT AS MORE MEANINGFUL AND AUTHENTIC.
AND SO IT INCLUDES, UH, LANGUAGES THAT ARE, UH, TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT INVOLVES SPECIFIC, UM, UH, MATERIALS WORKSHOPS AS WELL, THAT ARE, UM, UH, DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN HELP, NOT JUST, UH, PICK THE LOCATIONS, BUT IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC SERVICES THAT THESE LOCATIONS ARE GOING TO PROVIDE.
UM, AND ULTIMATELY HELP DESIGN WITH THIS FACILITY ULTIMATELY WILL WE'LL PROVIDE FOR THEM.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE COULD HEAR WHAT YOU SAID, DIRECTOR ORTIZ.
UM, I, I SAID WE, WE NEED TO BE BUILT, UH, BE ABLE TO EMPOWER THEM TO BE MORE RESILIENT.
WELL, AND THEN THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY MY LAST AND FINAL COMMENT REAL QUICK.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT AND REMIND THE COMMUNITY THAT RESILIENCY STARTS WITH PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS.
THAT INCLUDES MAKING A PLAN, BUILDING AN EMERGENCY KIT AND STAYING INFORMED.
THOSE ARE THREE SMALL STEPS THAT EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY CAN TAKE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR FAMILY HAS THE BEST OUTCOME WHEN DISASTER STRIKES AND COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA REAL QUICK.
I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT ITEM 51 ON OUR AGENDA THIS WEEK, UM, THAT YOU'RE SPONSORING.
UM, I BELIEVE I HAVE SOME, WELL, MAYBE AN AMENDMENT OR TWO IN CONSIDERATION TO PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING FORWARD, AND I'LL POST THAT TO THE MESSAGE BOARD FOR YOU.
[00:40:01]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYONE.THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA UM, THANKS VERY MUCH.
THIS IS REALLY SUPER HELPFUL, AND I'M REALLY PLEASED TO HEAR ALL OF THE WORK.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I, THAT I TOOK NOTE OF, UM, THE DATABASE TO TRACE THE WRECK, TO TRACK THE RECOMMENDATIONS, CRISP, TO ATTRACT THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE PROGRESS.
UM, REALLY, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE DISASTER RESERVISTS.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS IN THAT AREA PLANNING WITH, UM, FOR STOCK OF WATER AND FOOD AND OTHER KINDS OF THINGS, WHICH I WOULD ASSUME HAD BEEN PART OF THE PRACTICE IN THE PAST, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S MORE TRANSPARENCY AND INTENTIONALITY AROUND IT HAVING TRANSLATORS OUTSIDE OF TEXAS.
AND I THOUGHT WE SAW LAST WEEK WITH, WITH THE COOLING CENTER, WITH THE PROMOTION OF COOLING CENTERS, A REAL IMPORTANT STEP OF, OF UTILIZING THE RESOURCES, UM, AND LEVERAGING THE RESOURCES WE ALREADY HAVE, BUT ALSO, UH, IMPORTANTLY GETTING THAT WORD OUT IN A VERY INTENTIONAL PUBLIC WAY.
I THINK THAT'S ALL REALLY GOOD, GOOD PROGRESS WITH REGARD TO THE DISASTER TRAY RESERVISTS.
I HEARD, UM, MR. DIRECTOR ORTIZ, THAT YOU SAID THOSE WERE RETIRED INDIVIDUALS, ARE THEY ALSO CITY STAFF, CURRENT CITY STAFF AND DEPARTMENTS THAT WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE PULLED IN TO WORKING, UH, RESPONDING TO A DISASTER SO THAT THERE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, EXIST IN THE CITY STAFF WHERE WE THAT'S THAT ROLE OF THAT PERSONNEL RESOURCE MANAGER, UH, TEMPORARY POSITION THAT I TALKED ABOUT, WE'RE WORKING, WE UTILIZED THAT POSITION, WORKING WITH HRD TO IDENTIFY A WAY OF, OF HOW DO WE IDENTIFY THOSE, THE, THE AVAILABLE POOL OF CITY EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD, CAN BE REASSIGNED OR VOLUNTARY, BE REASSIGNED TO SUPPORT DISASTERS.
UM, AND, AND, AND HOW DO WE WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF HAVING THE, THE, THE RIGHT, UH, INCENTIVE OR COMPENSATION FOR, FOR THAT WORK THAT IS BEING DONE IN, IN, IN SUPPORT OF A DISASTER THEN MAYBE AFTER HOURS, OR IT MAY BE IN LIEU OF, OF, OF WORK.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S SEPARATE FROM THE DISASTER RESERVERS, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE, FROM THE PANDEMIC IS THAT, UH, THE LONGER THE DISASTER IS THE DEPARTMENTS NEED TO GET BACK TO SOME TYPE OF NORMAL OPERATION.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF CALLING THEM ALL DISASTER RESERVE IS JUST FOR CLARITY, BUT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT MY DECISION, BUT SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE DISASTER IS SERVICE OR SORT OF RETIRED FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE PULLED BACK IN.
THEN YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR CITY STAFF WHO WOULD, YOU'RE DOING TRAINING OF CITY STAFF FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO WOULD SERVE IN THE EOC.
AND THEN THERE'S A THIRD EFFORT GOING ON TO, TO IDENTIFY, UM, TO IDENTIFY THE STAFF OR JUST IDENTIFY, IDENTIFY HOW THEY WOULD BE COMPENSATED.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU PLANNING ON IDENTIFYING AND TRAINING THOSE STAFF WHO ARE OUR KIND OF OUR CITY DISASTER RESERVISTS OUT IN THE DEPARTMENTS WHO WOULD BE PULLED IN, WHO WOULD OFFER TO THAT, EXCUSE ME, UM, THEN THE IDENTIFICATION OF THOSE STAFFS, WHAT ROLE THEY'RE GOING TO PLAY IN A DISASTER AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE TRAINED AND PREPARED AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO TRADITIONALLY WHAT WE DO IS WE FOCUS MOSTLY ON SHELTERS, BUT AS THE RECENT EVENTS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE REALIZED THAT WE HAVE OTHER EXPERTISE THAT MAY BE NECESSARY TO DEAL WITH, UH, UH, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, UH, POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE, MORE NIMBLE IN ORDER TO MEET THE, THE DISASTER NEEDS IN THE FUTURE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, CLIMATE CHANGE IS TELLING US THAT WE NEED TO GET READY.
AND I WOULD SAY COMMUNICATIONS, I HOPE IS ON THAT LIST TOO, OF, UH, WORK THAT PEOPLE PERFORM IN THESE DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND LET'S SEE, HOW MANY VACANCIES DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE? UM, AND HE SAID RUN NOW, WE ARE WORKING THROUGH, UH, TWO VACANCIES, THREE VACANCIES.
UM, ONE WAS JUST RECENTLY PROMOTED.
SO IT'S RESULTED IN A NEW VACANCY WHERE GOING THROUGH THE HIRING PROCESS OF THAT.
UH, AND ANOTHER ONE WAS A, UH, RECLASSIFICATION THAT JUST GOT APPROVED AND WE HAVE INTERVIEWS SCHEDULED FOR THIS FRIDAY.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE, UH, UH, NOW THAT WE HIRED THE NEW PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING MANAGER, UH, SARAH NOW HAS A VACANCY THAT SHE WILL BE STARTING THE HIRING PROCESS FOR THAT VACANCY.
AND, UH, AND SOME OF THESE WERE, UM, UH, VACANCIES, UH, AS A RESULT OF, UM, UM, UH, WORKFORCE MOVING ON TO OTHER BIGGER AND BETTER OPPORTUNITIES.
UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE TO FILL THOSE GAPS AS BEST AS WE CAN.
I WAS JUST NOTING, NOTING THAT ON SLIDE 19, THAT YOUR PRIORITY WAS TO FILL VACANCIES.
SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT THOSE ARE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE ABOUT THREE.
UM, AND IN ADDITION TO THE FOUR THAT WE ARE IN
[00:45:01]
THE PROCESS OF RECLASSIFYING, THE TWO FOR THE RESILIENCY HELP AND THE TWO, UH, FOR THE OTHER HEAPS OF NEEDS.SO, UH, SO IF YOU TAKE SO TOTAL, WE HAVE SEVEN, FOUR THAT WE'RE, THAT THE CITY MANAGER, UH, REALLOCATED TO US, UM, FROM MANAGEMENT SERVICES, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT POSITIONS THAT WERE, BUT, UH, IT WAS WITHIN THE, UH, THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AREA.
AND SO THOSE ARE HAVING TO GO THROUGH A RECLASSIFICATION PROCESS AND WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THAT.
UM, AND I DID HAVE, UH, AND I THINK THAT'S MY LAST AREA OF QUESTIONS FOR THE MOMENT.
UM, SO YOU HAVE THREE VACANCIES PLUS FOUR, IF IT'S APPROVED IN THE BUDGET FOR, UM, FOR POSITIONS COMING IN FROM, FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, WHICH REQUIRES COUNCIL APPROVAL, THE QUESTION I HAD FOR YOU, AND I'M, I'M REALLY DELIGHTED BY THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON ABOUT AROUND THE RESILIENCE ON PLANNING.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL, AND, UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT.
I THINK IT'S ESPECIALLY, AND I THINK THE PILOT PROGRAM IS TERRIFIC AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF THOSE SIX SITES IS IMPORTANT.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY MENTIONED MY FOLLOW-UP RESOLUTION TO THAT, WHICH IS ON THIS WEEK'S AGENDA TO, TO DEVELOP RESILIENCE TOOL KITS.
AND I JUST SEE A HUGE URGENCY BEHIND THAT.
I'M GLAD, SO GLAD THAT WE NOW HAVE OUR CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER ON BOARD, BUT THE RESILIENCE TOOLKIT I THINK, IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL BECAUSE AS, AS, UM, MAYOR PART TIME, YOU JUST MENTIONED THE THREAT OF WILDFIRES AS WE SAW DURING THE EMERGENCY, WE, WE DID HAVE, UM, SHELTERS IN CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN AND NOT, NOT AT ALL IN OTHERS.
AND WE KNOW DISASTERS HAD EVERYWHERE.
SO WE CAN'T, WE REALLY JUST CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO HAVE COMMUNITIES PREPARED AND OTHER AREAS, UM, AND THOSE PLACES PRE IDENTIFIED AND THOSE COMMUNITY GROUPS PRE IDENTIFIED WHO, WHO KNOW HOW TO ASSIST IN THAT KIND OF IN THAT KIND OF TIMEFRAME.
WE SIMPLY JUST CAN'T HAVE ANOTHER, ANOTHER SITUATION LIKE LAST TIME WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD IMPROMPTU EFFORTS FROM COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OTHERS TO STAND UP, TO STAND UP SHELTERS AT A TIME WHERE LOTS OF FOLKS AROUND THE CITY NEEDED REFUGE.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT, THAT, UM, FOLLOW UP RESOLUTION WILL BE HELPFUL IN THAT AREA.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, I UNDERSTAND THE STRUCTURE FOR THE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER POSITION.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, AND MAYBE THE BUDGET IS THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT LET ME JUST AIR THAT.
I'M, I'M INTERESTED TO KNOW WHY THE CHOICES TO MOVE, TO REMOVE RESILIENCE FROM THE WORK OF THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND RECLASSIFY THOSE POSITIONS WITHIN HAYSOM, UM, BECAUSE WHILE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES, I LOVE THE TERM THAT YOU USED, UM, FROM OUR CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER, THEY'RE ALSO DOING IMPORTANT WORK, UM, DURING BLUE SKY DAYS.
AND SO TO ME, THAT IS THE WORK OF THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE IS REALLY CRITICALLY INVOLVED IN, IN CREATING, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY DURING AN ONGOING BASIS.
SO I REALLY SEE THAT RESILIENCE WORK VERY MUCH CENTERED WITHIN RESILIENCE.
AND, UM, I GUESS MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR, UH, JASON ALEXANDER, WHY THE DECISION TO MOVE THE, THE, ON THE GROUNDS RESILIENCE HUB WORK TO HAYSOM RATHER THAN LEAVE IT WITHIN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
AND THANK YOU, JASON ALEXANDER, CHIEF OF STAFF.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION RIGHT NOW THAT THE RESILIENCE OFFICE IS NOT POSITIONED IN A WAY TO HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFFING.
SO IN INTEREST OF TIME, WE DECIDED THAT THE, THE RESOURCES WERE BEST FIT IN HAYSOM THAT PROGRAM WORK IS ALREADY HAPPENING.
UH, LAURA'S ROLE IS ESSENTIALLY, UM, UH, A COLLABORATIVE ROLE WITH HAYSOM.
SO IT JUST MADE SENSE, ESPECIALLY IN THE, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
I, I, I LOVE ACTUALLY THAT, UM, THAT THAT POSITION LIVES OUTSIDE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS STRUCTURES, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO PULL, TO PULL AND BE COLLABORATIVE WITH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
I GUESS I REALLY DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND, ESPECIALLY IF THOSE POSITIONS ALREADY ARE WITHIN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
AGAIN, I THINK, I THINK THE ONGOING DAY TO DAY WORK SEEMS TO BE MUCH MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IS MISSION AS, AS, AS I ENVISIONED IT AS ONE OF THE FOLKS WHO I THINK VOTED ON THE CREATION OF THAT OFFICE.
NO, I GUESS I DIDN'T, IT WAS INNOVATION, BUT IN ANY CASE, WE'VE ALL HELPED FUND AND STAFF IT THROUGH THE YEARS.
UM, I JUST SEE THEIR ROLE AS, AS VERY CRITICAL TO THE, TO THE MISSION OF, OF WHAT WE ENVISIONED FOR THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
AND IF I MAY LET ME TRY TO CLARIFY THAT WE ARE NOT TAKING VACANCIES FROM THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, RATHER, THE POSITIONS THAT WE ARE NOW SUPPLEMENTING IN HAYSOM ARE, ARE TO CONDUCT THE WORK THAT OTHER EXISTING RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABILITY WERE PERFORMING.
RIGHT? SO WE ARE BASICALLY CREATING A PATHWAY FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES TO GO BACK TO THOSE PROJECTS.
AS WE MENTIONED YESTERDAY AT WORK SESSION, THEY HAVE CLIMATE, UH, PRIORITIES TO DEAL WITH THE VACANCIES ARE IN OTHER, UH, UH, LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT WE ARE NOT TO CLARIFY AGAIN, WE ARE NOT TAKING RESOURCES FROM SUSTAINING.
UM, I UNDERSTOOD WHAT, WHAT DIRECTOR ORTIZ WAS
[00:50:01]
SAYING THAT THE POSITIONS ARE ORIGINATING WITHIN MANAGEMENT SERVICES.I THINK I'M STILL, I'M STILL WONDERING ABOUT THE CHOICE OF PUTTING THEM IN HOUSTON RATHER THAN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, BECAUSE THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK OF THOSE SEEMS TO BE SO CONNECTED TO THE WORK OF THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE.
WE CAN ALSO CHAT MORE ABOUT IT OFFLINE, IF THAT MAKES MORE SENSE.
UM, I THINK PART OF, PART OF THE REASONING BEHIND IT, AND THIS IS A LOT OF IT IS BECAUSE OF THE URGENCY OF TACKLING REALLY WHAT THE SERVICES OF WHAT THE COMMUNITIES ARE, WHICH IS WHAT THE COMMUNITIES NEED IN EMERGENCIES IMMEDIATELY.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW THAT IS WHAT THE WORK THAT HE SAID IS HIS PRIMARY ROLE IS, AND THE WORK THAT DIRECTOR OR TEASES LEADING, UM, THAT IS REALLY THE PRIMARY PHASE THAT IS BEING TARGETED RIGHT NOW IN THE PILOT IN SETTING UP THE PILOT IN THE PILOT PROGRAM, THE SIX AREAS IT'S INITIATING WITH WHAT THESE SITES CAN SERVE TO IMMEDIATELY SERVE AS THE EMERGENCY HUBS AND BUILDING ONTO WHAT THEY DO IN BLUE SKY DAYS.
RIGHT? THIS IS PART OF ULTIMATELY WHAT THE OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT WE'RE KICKING OFF IN THE OUTREACH CAMPAIGN.
THIS KICKING OFF IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IS GOING TO HELP IDENTIFY, BUT PRIMARILY THE IMMEDIATE NEED AND THE URGENCY IS FOR THE EMERGENCY COMPONENT OF IT, UM, IN THE LONG, IN THE LONG RUN.
AND AS WE LOOK AT PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE OF THE PROGRAM IS STANDING UP THOSE, UH, PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS AND SERVICES THAT ALSO LOOK AT ECONOMIC RESILIENCE AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AS A WHOLE.
AND THOSE ARE THE ELEMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FURTHER EXPLORED IN THE PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE, AS WE EXPAND AND SCALE UP THE PROGRAM, NOT JUST WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL SITES AND THOSE SIX, UH, PILOT LOCATIONS, BUT ALSO CITYWIDE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION, I THINK, AND I GUESS I AM TRYING TO THINK ABOUT THE LONG-TERM AND THAT'S WHY PHASE TWO AND THREE SEEM REALLY, AGAIN, TO BE JUST PART OF THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IS MISSION.
UM, SO ANYWAY, WE CAN, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
TOVO NOW JUST POINT OUT, I THINK THAT IT WAS A RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POOL PUT FORWARD, AND I'M PRETTY SURE I WAS A CO-SPONSOR AND I THINK YOU WERE A CO-SPONSOR THAT CREATED THE, THE OFFICE OF THE RESILIENCE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
I THINK I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE.
WHICH I WAS THINKING OUR COUNCIL HAD VOTED ON, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS NOT, IT WAS BEFORE ALL OF OUR TIME.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, GREAT.
I WILL ASK A COUPLE OF SEVERAL MINE HAVE ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED.
UM, I WANTED TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MASS CARE, UH, POSITION AND WHAT THAT ROLE WOULD BE.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE, UH, YES.
UH, THE MASS CARE COORDINATOR POSITION.
WHAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED, UH, IN, IN RECENT DISASTERS IS THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, THERE ARE OUT THERE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE WILLING TO HELP OUT IN A DISASTER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COORDINATING THOSE EFFORTS WITH, WITH OUR, UH, OUR CITY AND COUNTY EFFORTS AS WELL.
UH, SO A MASS CARE COORDINATOR WILL BE TASKED WITH BUILDING, CREATING A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER AND HAVING A, A, A, A, A PROCESS ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CAN BE ENGAGED IN, IN FUTURE DISASTER RESPONSES.
UH, THEY ARE GOING TO BE ENGAGING WITH THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UH, ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COLLABORATING IN AREAS WHERE WE SEE COLLABORATION, UH, TO BETTER PREPARE AS WELL AS IN THE RESPONSE.
UH, THERE WILL ALSO BE SUPERVISING SOME OF OUR, UH, OUR SHELTER EFFORTS IN OUR FOOD AND, UH, WATER ACCESS EFFORTS.
AND FOR RON NOW, UH, UM, UM, WE'RE ALSO, WE'LL BE OVERSEEING PART OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE, IN, UH, UH, RESILIENCY OR RESILIENCY HUBS, UH, ARENA.
I WOULD ASK THAT THIS PERSON ALSO BE SURE THAT THEY ARE, UM, CONNECTING ACROSS THE CITY, UM, AND NOT JUST IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT WHERE WE'RE DOING OUR PILOTS FOR THE RESILIENT TUBS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PILOTS PHASE SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
UM, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW THESE DISASTERS ARE GOING TO PLAY OUT.
AND IF WE HAVE NO RESOURCES ON THE WEST SIDE AND THERE'S A DISASTER ON THE EAST SIDE, AND IT CAN'T BE SUPPORTED, WE WILL BE IN TROUBLE AND VICE VERSA.
UM, AND, AND SO THERE IS A RISK IN PUTTING ALL OF OUR RESILIENCE EFFORTS IN ONE AREA OF TOWN FOR THE RESILIENCE OF THE WHOLE CITY.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE AND THAT'S WHERE THE MOST IMMEDIATE NEED IS.
AND SO THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE STEP.
[00:55:01]
YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SYNAGOGUES AND THE CHURCHES AND THE, AND THE TEMPLES, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, ARE ENGAGED THE SCHOOLS, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE WEST SIDE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THE OTHER RESOURCES IN TERMS OF THE HUBS THERE AREN'T THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS THERE AREN'T THERE AREN'T THOSE RESOURCES.UM, SO THE MASS CARE COORDINATORS REALLY GOING TO NEED TO COMPLIMENT WHAT THE RESILIENCE, UM, HUBS ARE DOING, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S PART OF, OF, OF HOW THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT IT.
OBVIOUSLY IT NEEDS TO BE EVERYWHERE.
UM, BUT I, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE ARE PROVIDING FOR RESILIENCE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO, UM, DIVE INTO IS, UM, THE WAREHOUSING CONSTRAINTS.
UM, I'M HEARING MORE AND MORE THAT THIS IS A, A CHALLENGE WITH OUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK, UM, AND, AND GOTTEN INTO SOME SPECIFICS OF THEIR NEEDS.
UM, MY QUESTION IS WHETHER YOU ARE TUNED INTO THE WORK THAT OUR REAL ESTATE OFFICE IS DOING ABOUT OUR WAREHOUSE NEEDS AND THEIR CURRENT PROJECT FOR THAT, YES, WE ARE, UH, WORKING REAL CLOSELY WITH, UM, UH, THEY'RE ALL XANDER, UH, IN, IN THOSE EFFORTS.
UM, W W WAREHOUSING, UM, AS A, UM, AS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY CRITICAL IN OUR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN A LOCAL STOCK PILE OF RESOURCES, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT FEW TO DISASTERS AT A STATE LEVEL.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVEN THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS REALIZED, AND THEY HAVE DEPLOYED, UH, SIX, UH, STRATEGIC, REGIONAL STATE WAREHOUSES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT A STATEWIDE DISASTERS.
WE, UM, HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THE ER, UM, AND THE BEGINNING OF, OF THE, OF THE HURRICANE HARVEY, THE, UH, 2018, UH, BOWL WATER CRISIS, THE, UH, THE WINTER STORM URI, THE PANDEMIC ALL HAVE, UM, ALL THOSE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS HAVE RESULTED IN.
WE NEED TO IDENTIFY A, A SUITABLE CLIMATE CONTROL WAREHOUSE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE EMERGENCY SUPPLIES ON HAND TO SUPPORT EMERGENCIES AND BE LESS DEPENDENT ON JUST IN TIME, UM, WHICH AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, AS IMPACTED GREATLY IN A, A SUPPLY CHAIN, UH, CRISIS.
I'M NOT SURE THAT IT WAS DARRYL ALEXANDER, WHO, WHO WAS, IT WAS ANDY AND REAL ESTATE THAT I THINK WE WERE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH.
AND, AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO MOVE FROM, UM, LEASED PROPERTIES TO OWN PROPERTIES.
UM, AND THEY'RE DOING THAT VISIONING RIGHT NOW FOR OUR WAREHOUSES.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT HE SOME BE INVOLVED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BOTH FOR HAYSOM, UH, BUT ALSO FOR THESE KEY NONPROFITS THAT WORK WITH US.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALK WITH ADRF, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF WAREHOUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE 10,000 SQUARE FEET THAT THEY NEED OR SOMETHING, WHICH IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS DOESN'T SEEM THAT BIG.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, CAN WE BUILD THAT INTO, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO A CENTRAL WAREHOUSING AREAS, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE WAYS TO BUILD, YOU KNOW, TO BUILD THAT, UM, FOR THAT ACCESS FOR OUR NONPROFITS AS WELL, UM, WHEN THEY HAVE ACCESS TO SOME OF THESE SUPPLIES THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE, OR WE'RE RELYING ON THEM TO HOLD THOSE.
IN, IN THE OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE, WE'RE WORKED WITH MICHAEL GATES AND HE'S HELPED US IDENTIFY DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR LEASE OR PURCHASE.
BUT THAT'S THE, THE QUESTION IS, UH, SECURING THE FUNDING FOR EITHER A LEASE OR A PURCHASE, UH, TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.
BUT THERE IS ALSO A WHOLE, LIKE A, A STRATEGIC PROCESS FOR OUR WAREHOUSES THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE LOOPED INTO.
UM, I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE CRISP SYSTEM SET UP.
I THINK THAT COMES DIRECTLY OUT OF SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD IN THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THOUGH THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU PICK THE 32, UM, IF I UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS SAID CORRECTLY, YOU PICKED THE 32 ELEMENTS OF THE AFTER ACTION THAT WERE THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT, AND THEN YOU TOLD US WHAT THEY REPORTED, AND THERE'S A HUNDRED OTHER ONES THERE THAT ARE NOT REPORTED HERE.
AND SO, WHILE I APPRECIATE THE PROGRESS ON THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT, THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A BUDGET.
I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US GAVE DIRECTION NOT TO SEEK, TO MAKE THE CHANGES THAT ARE NEEDED, THAT REQUIRE BUDGETS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THESE REPORTS.
UM, SO I'M, I WOULD LIKE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THE OTHER HUNDRED
[01:00:01]
ITEMS. UM, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO CATEGORIZE THEM, ET CETERA, AND YOU'VE MADE MORE PROGRESS THERE, BUT, BUT IT'S THE SUM TOTAL THAT WE NEED TO HEAR ABOUT.AND, AND WE ARE WORKING ON ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHICH SOME URI, UH, AND WE CAN, UH, GIVE YOU A REPORT ON, ON THE PROGRESS ON ALL OF THOSE, UH, WERE, UH, THE REASONABLY IDENTIFIED 30 TWOS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE IDENTIFIED AT THE LAST MEETING THAT OUT OF THOSE, THE PRIORITY, THE PRIORITY OF THOSE WERE THESE 32 THAT, UH, SEEING THAT THEY HAD THE MOST BENEFIT, UH, AND, UH, COULD BE IMPLEMENTED, UH, UH, WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY WE'LL, UH, WE, BUT WE DON'T MEAN TO SAY THAT WE ARE NOT WORKING ON THE OTHER ONES.
UH, WE, WE ARE WORKING IN THOSE AS WELL, AND WE CAN PROVIDE YOU A REPORT ON THAT AS WELL.
AND, AND WITHIN YOUR TIMEFRAME, OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED TO GET YOUR HIRING DONE.
AND I DON'T WANT THAT REPORTING TO GET IN THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES, BUT, BUT I JUST WANT TO COMMUNICATE THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO JUST DO THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT.
WE NEED TO BE PUTTING THAT FORWARD.
AND, AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TRADE-OFFS ARE THAT WE'RE MAKING.
WHEN WE'RE NOT INVESTING IN THOSE THINGS.
AND IT'S HARD IF YOU'RE NOT PRESENTING TO US, UM, WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE TRADE-OFFS ARE, UM, THAT ARE BEING MADE BEHIND THE SCENES, BECAUSE WE MAY NOT AGREE WITH THE TRADE-OFFS.
UM, ONCE WE HAVE THAT, THAT INFORMATION.
UM, THE LAST THING IS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KIND OF, UM, THE BUDGET AND YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK AND, AND, AND, AND IF WE HAVE TO, WE'LL PUT IT IN AS A BUDGET QUESTION, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO COME OUT WITH SOME STUFF IN THE BUDGET AND THERE'S GOING TO BE STUFF YOU WANTED THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE GOTTEN.
AND AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU ASKED FOR YOU DID NOT GET, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT WE'RE NOT FUNDING, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO JUST KNOW ONLY WHAT YOU WERE GIVEN.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND WHAT ARE THE TRADE OFFS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE MAKING, UM, THROUGH THAT NOW THAT MAY NOT BE IN THE ACTUAL BUDGET, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY, UM, BE UNDERSTANDING THAT BETTER.
AND AT THIS POINT THAT'S A REAL BLACK BOX.
AS IT, AS THE BUDGET PROCESSES EVOLVED, LET ME LET THEM FINISH.
AND THEN YOU CONNECT, I'LL SAY WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS WHEN THEY COME.
AND TO MY STAFF, IF YOU CAN PLAN ON PUTTING THOSE QUESTIONS IN COUNCILMAN, WHATEVER.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT ONCE UPON A TIME THAT USED TO ACCOMPANY THE BUDGET AND IT WAS CALLED I THINK THE HORIZONS REPORT, AND IT WAS EXTRAORDINARILY USEFUL BECAUSE IT SHOWED WHAT EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, WOULD DO IF THEY HAD MORE FUNDING.
AND, UM, AND HOW, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETIMES THE COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL DID MAKE DECISIONS THAT WERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN, THAN THE ONES THAT, UH, THE MANAGER BROUGHT FORWARD.
BUT HAVING, HAVING THAT INFORMATION IN ONE PLACE FOR EACH DEPARTMENT, I THINK IS EXTRAORDINARILY USEFUL.
I'VE MENTIONED IT, I THINK EACH BUDGET CYCLE AND IT HASN'T COME BACK YET.
SO NOW WE HAVE TO ASK LOTS AND LOTS OF QUESTIONS THROUGH THE Q AND A TO GET TO THAT INFORMATION, BUT I THINK IT WAS CALLED THE HORIZONS DOCUMENT.
THAT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, THERE ARE MORE QUESTIONS WE CAN ASK, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE ON IN OUR, IN OUR, UM, AGENDA.
UM, FOR BEING HERE, WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE AGAIN, THE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE STAFF AND THE RESOURCES AND THE SUPPORT CROSSED, UM, DEPARTMENTS TO DO THE WORK THAT WE ARE ASKING OF YOU, EITHER AS COUNSEL'S ASKING YOU, OR JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW THE DISASTERS ARE DISASTERS ARE, ARE PLAYING OUT, UH, APPRECIATED THE TRAINING THAT YOU DID WITH US.
I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME, SOME WORK TO BE DONE IN THAT AREA IN TERMS OF PREPAREDNESS, BUT IT WAS A GOOD NEXT STEP.
SO THANK YOU FOR ORGANIZING THAT TRAINING.
[3. The City Auditor’s Integrity Unit report, which summarizes activities of the Unit related to its’ fraud, waste, and abuse hotline]
UP WE HAVE ITEM THREE, THE CITY AUDITOR'S INTEGRITY UNIT REPORT, UM, THIS SUMMARIZES ACTIVITIES OF THE UNIT RELATED TO ITS FRAUD WASTE AND ABUSE HOTLINE.I'M THE CHIEF OF INVESTIGATIONS AT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR.
UH, I RUN THE INTEGRITY UNIT, WHICH IS MADE OF FOUR, ARE STAFFED BY FOUR INVESTIGATORS.
AND TODAY I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF FISCAL YEAR 22.
SO COULD YOU ADVANCE? SO, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO GO OVER SOME ALLEGATION TRENDS THAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR THIS YEAR.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE INVESTIGATIONS WE'VE COMPLETED, WHAT INVESTIGATIONS ARE ONGOING AND THEN SOME ADDITIONAL
[01:05:01]
OUTPUTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS FROM THE FOUR INVESTIGATORS WHO MAKE UP THE INTEGRITY UNIT.SO HEADLINE NUMBER HERE IS SO FAR THROUGH EIGHT MONTHS, WE'VE HAD 185 NEW ALLEGATIONS COME INTO MY TEAM THAT PUTS US ON PACE TO HAVE ABOUT 278 ALLEGATIONS FOR THE YEAR.
THAT WOULD BE A 15% INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND IT PUTS US AT THE NUMBER OF ALLEGATIONS.
WE WERE SEEING PRE PANDEMIC BEFORE.
SO MANY STAFF MEMBERS, UH, STARTED WORKING FROM HOME.
I DO BELIEVE THE BULK OF THIS INCREASE IS PART OF THE CITY'S RETURN TO WORK PROGRAMS, WHERE EMPLOYEES ARE COMING BACK INTO THE OFFICE, AND THAT GIVES THEM MORE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE CONCERNING BEHAVIOR, OTHER RED FLAGS, THAT THEY THEN REPORT TO MY TEAM NOW THAT, UH, PAYS FOR 2 78 IS AN AVERAGE OF THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS.
WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN AN UPTICK IN THE MOST RECENT THREE MONTHS.
IF THOSE THREE MONTHS ARE MORE INDICATIVE OF WHAT WE'LL SEE THE REST OF THE YEAR, WE COULD ACTUALLY SEE CLOSE TO 300 ALLEGATIONS.
AS FAR AS, UH, THE ALLEGATIONS THAT COME INTO THE OFFICE, WE KIND OF SPLIT THEM.
WE DO AN INITIAL TRIAGE INTO TWO CATEGORIES, ONES THAT ARE WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION AND ONES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OUR JURISDICTION ON THIS SLIDE.
UH, THE BULK OF THE ONES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OUR JURISDICTION END UP BEING HR-RELATED ISSUES.
THAT INCLUDES HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION, RETALIATION, AS WELL AS OTHER HR ISSUES.
THOSE ENDS UP GETTING REFERRED TO THE HR TEAMS AND INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS OR THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
THE NEXT MOST COMMON CATEGORY.
THERE IS OPERATIONAL ISSUES THAT WAS ABOUT 15% OF THE ALLEGATIONS THAT CAME IN SO FAR THIS YEAR.
THOSE ALSO GET REFERRED TO THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS AS FAR AS THE CORE FRAUD WASTE AND ABUSE THAT MY TEAM GETS TO INVESTIGATE THE MOST COMMON ALLEGATIONS WE'VE SEEN COME IN OVER THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS HAVE BEEN CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WITH 18.
THAT INCLUDES STEP UP TIME, INVENTORY OR CASH.
UH, THERE WERE 11 OF THOSE AND THEN WE'VE HAD SEVEN ABUSE ALLEGATIONS, SEVEN MISUSE ALLEGATIONS, AND FOUR WASTE ALLEGATIONS.
UM, MOVING ON TO HOW WE HEAR ABOUT THESE ALLEGATIONS.
UH, THIS NUMBER RIGHT HERE ALIGNS PERFECTLY WITH INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES, WHICH STATE THAT IF YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE OR OTHER PROBLEMS GOING ON IN YOUR ENTITY, YOU HAVE TO GIVE INFORMANTS THE CHANCE TO REPORT ANONYMOUSLY.
AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR INFORMANTS CHOOSE TO REPORT TO US ANONYMOUSLY.
WE USUALLY SEE ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF OUR INFORMANTS CHOOSING TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
UM, AND THAT ENSURES THAT WE'RE GIVING THE BEST CHANCE FOR US TO HEAR ABOUT THE VARIOUS CONCERNS IN THE CITY, UH, TO LET PEOPLE REPORT IT ANONYMOUSLY, TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT THESE CONCERNS.
YOU GOT TO MAKE IT EASIER TO REPORT AND GIVE PEOPLE A LOT OF CHANCES IN DIFFERENT WAYS TO REPORT, UH, THE FAVORED METHOD WE'VE SEEN.
AND THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
MOST OF OUR INFORMANTS LIKE TO USE THE ONLINE REPORTING FORM.
UH, THAT'S A SIMPLE ONLINE TOOL.
IT PROMPTS THE INFORMANT WITH VARIOUS QUESTIONS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING RELEVANT INFORMATION AND THEY CAN USE IT ANONYMOUSLY OVER TWO THIRDS OF OUR INFORMANTS, LIKE TO USE THAT, OH, JUST OVER 10% OF OUR INFORMANTS, LIKE TO USE OUR HOTLINE, WHICH IS JUST A TELEPHONE NUMBER.
YOU CAN CALL, LEAVE A VOICEMAIL AGAIN.
AND THEN LASTLY, WHILE IT'S NOT AS BIG A NUMBER AS THOSE FIRST TWO, 6% OF OUR INFORMANTS ACTUALLY DIRECTLY CONTACTED AN INVESTIGATOR ON MY TEAM.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE IT DOES SHOW THAT THE INVESTIGATORS ON MY TEAM HAVE EARNED SOME TRUST WITH PEOPLE THEY'VE DEALT WITH OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR CAREERS AND COMPLETING INVESTIGATIONS, TALKING TO WITNESSES AND VARIOUS OTHER CONTACT POINTS IN THE CITY.
PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED TO TRUST THEM AND THEY'LL REACH OUT THEM DIRECTLY TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS.
UH, NOW ALLEGATIONS BY DEPARTMENT.
UH, THESE ARE THE TOP FIVE AREAS.
WE'VE ARE TOP FIVE DEPARTMENT, UH, DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY, UH, REPRESENTED BY ALLEGATIONS SO FAR THIS YEAR.
UM, I'LL GIVE TRENDS WHEN I DO THE FULL YEAR ANALYSIS IN THE FALL TO SHOW LIKE WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE TAKING OUT FOR STICKING DOWN.
BUT SO FAR THIS YEAR, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS HAD THE MOST ALLEGATIONS WITH 16% PER CAPITA.
IT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY NEXT UP WITH CITY OFFICIALS WITH 9%, UM, THAT AREA ISN'T JUST ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ALSO INCLUDES ALL OF THE CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO APPOINTED OFFICIALS AS WELL, AUSTIN WATER WAS NEXT WITH 8% AND THEN ANIMAL SERVICES AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH EACH AT EACH HAD 6% OF THE ALLEGATIONS THAT CAME IN SO FAR THIS YEAR.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO INVESTIGATIONS.
AND BEFORE I GET INTO THESE SEVEN, WE'VE COMPLETED SO FAR, JUST A BIT OF BACKGROUND.
ANY CONCERN THAT GETS BROUGHT TO MY OFFICE GETS LOGGED IN OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AS AN ALLEGATION, UH, THEN WE'LL DO THAT INITIAL TRIAGING IN OUR JURISDICTION OR OUT IF IT'S IN OUR JURISDICTION AND INVESTIGATOR WILL GET ASSIGNED AND THEY'LL START INVESTIGATING TO SEE IF THEY CAN SUBSTANTIATE OR UNSUBSTANTIATED WHAT'S ALLEGED.
IF THAT INVESTIGATOR OBTAINS, UH, ENOUGH EVIDENCE INDEPENDENT OF THAT INITIAL INFORMANT TO INDICATE IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THIS VIOLATION OF CITY CODE REALLY DID OCCUR.
WE'LL UPGRADE IT IN OUR SYSTEM TO AN INVESTIGATION AND THE SAME INVESTOR, GATOR STAYS ON IT AND WILL CONTINUE THEIR INVESTIGATIVE PATH.
BUT WHEN IT'S AN INVESTIGATION, THEY SPEND MORE TIME, THEY KNOW IT'S A PRIORITY, SO IT GETS A BIT MORE TIME, ENERGY, AND, AND, UH, OUR FOCUS ONCE IT'S AT THE INVESTIGATION STAGE.
SO, SO FAR THIS YEAR WE'VE COMPLETED SEVEN INVESTIGATIONS.
FIVE OF THOSE WERE SUBSTANTIATED
[01:10:01]
AND LED TO PUBLIC REPORTS.ONE WAS INCONCLUSIVE, AND ONE WAS UNSUBSTANTIATED WHEN WE HAVE EITHER OF THOSE TWO OUTCOMES, UH, WE DOCUMENT OUR FINDINGS AND WE SHARE THEM WITH THE RELEVANT PARTY TO CLOSE OUT, UH, THE INVESTIGATION.
NEXT SLIDE, FOCUSING ON THE FIVE THAT WERE SUBSTANTIATED THAT LED TO PUBLIC REPORTS.
UH, THE KEY TAKEAWAY ON THIS SLIDE THOUGH, IS THAT ACCOUNTABILITY ACTION THAT, THAT LAST COLUMN THERE FOR THE FIRST THREE, UH, THE REPORT LED TO EMPLOYEE SEPARATION THAT GOES TO SHOW THAT DEPARTMENT'S AGREED WITH OUR FINDINGS AND WE'RE TAKING THEM SERIOUSLY AND, AND TOOK THAT ACCOUNTABILITY ACTION, YOU KNOW, THE MOST SEVERE THEY CAN TAKE, UH, UH, WHEN DEALING WITH AN EMPLOYEE ISSUE, THE FINAL TWO, THOSE INVESTIGATIONS WERE ACTUALLY JUST PUBLISHED AT THE VERY END OF MAY.
SO THEIR ACCOUNTABILITY ACTION PROCESS IS STILL GOING THROUGH DEPARTMENT HR CONSULTATION WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT THE ULTIMATE DECISION IS.
THEY'RE JUST SO RECENT THAT WE DON'T KNOW AT THE TIME OF THE PRESENTATION.
SO ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO, WHERE YOU HOPE TO FINISH FOR THE REST OF FISCAL YEAR 22, WE HAVE EIGHT OPEN INVESTIGATIONS THERE ACROSS SIX DEPARTMENTS AND THE ISSUES THEY FOCUS ON INCLUDE THEFT, BOTH INVENTORY AND TIME FRAUD, CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND MISUSE CITY RESOURCES, UM, INVESTIGATION, STATE TIME.
WE WON'T BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ALL THOSE IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UH, BUT I DO ANTICIPATE ABOUT A HANDFUL OF THESE, UH, FINISHING BY THE TIME I REPORT TO YOU ALL IN THE FALL.
UH, MOVING ON FROM ALLEGATIONS INVESTIGATIONS ONTO, OR JUST ARE ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS, UH, BY TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS HAVE ACTUALLY, UM, UH, DECIDED TO FOCUS ON TRAININGS AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE BOTH THE CITY OR OUR INVESTIGATIONS COMMUNITY BEYOND JUST COMPLETING OUR OWN INVESTIGATIONS.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, WE'VE, UH, PRESENTED TRAININGS IN FRONT OF FOUR DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS TO NATIONAL AND TO INTERNATIONAL.
WE'VE ALSO CONDUCTED TWO INTERNAL TRAININGS FOR THE OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR.
AND THEN A HANDFUL OF TIMES WE PRESENTED TO THE CITY SUPERVISOR ACADEMY, WHICH IS A SERIES OF DIFFERENT TOPICS.
ONE OF THOSE IS ON CITY ETHICS, IT'S LED BY THE LAW DEPARTMENT, BUT MY TEAM ALWAYS COMES IN AND PRESENTS FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO LET SUPERVISORS KNOW ABOUT OUR JOB FUNCTION.
AND THEN WHAT WE EXPECT FROM SUPERVISORS.
IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INVESTIGATION INVOLVING SOMEONE ON THEIR TEAM, WE ALSO ASSIST WITH ALL RISK AND FRAUD ASSESSMENTS THAT THEY, UH, HAVE AUDITS THAT ARE CONDUCTED BY, UH, THE REST OF THE STAFF ON OUR, IN OUR OFFICE.
AND THEN OUR TEAM ACTUALLY HOLDS SIX, UH, PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS, AND WE HAVE TWO MORE IN PROGRESS.
SO AMONG THOSE FOUR INVESTIGATORS, NEXT SLIDE.
SO THAT INCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND I'VE ALSO THROWN UP VARIOUS WAYS THAT PEOPLE WATCHING TODAY COULD REPORT TO OUR OFFICE IF THEY HAVE ANY CONCERNS.
I THINK THAT LAST LINE IS IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE WHO'S WATCHING.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MECHANISM THAT WE HAVE IN OUR, IN OUR CITY, UM, TO ALLOW OUR EMPLOYEES OR ANYONE ELSE WHO COMES ACROSS ANY, UM, INSTANCES OF POTENTIAL FRAUD OR ABUSE TO REPORT THAT SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THEM.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT COLLEAGUES.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NOPE.
UM, CAN WE CHECK IF COUNCIL MEMBER POOL DOES MAYBE TAKE THIS SLIDE DOWN COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I DO APPRECIATE, UM, THE CAREFUL WORK THE, OUR AUDITORS INVESTIGATION UNIT CONTINUES TO DO.
AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT IT DOES INSPIRE THE CONFIDENCE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THEM TO MAKE THEIR, UH, CONCERNS KNOWN.
[4. Historic Preservation Fund Update including Heritage Preservation Grant Guidelines.]
ALL RIGHT.UM, NEXT UP, WE HAVE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND UPDATING, INCLUDING THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT GUIDELINES, SOMEONE FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE.
I'VE SHARED MY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION WITH CITY HALL.
WILL YOU BE BRINGING THAT UP OR WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO CONTROL HI THERE, WHATEVER YOU PREFER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR SCREEN AND I CAN GIVE YOU PRIVILEGES? YES, PLEASE.
UM, I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS WAS IN OUR BACKUP YET.
[01:15:01]
UM, IF IT IS NOT IN OUR BACKUP, IF WE CAN MAKE SURE IT GETS UPLOADED, PLEASE WE'LL DO.CAN YOU SEE MY PRESENTATION? YES, WE CAN.
HELLO, MELISSA ALVARADO MANAGER OF THE HERITAGE TOURISM DIVISION WITHIN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TODAY, I'LL BE GIVING AN UPDATE ON THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT REVIEW PROCESS, THE DRAFT GUIDELINES, AND NEXT STEPS.
WE ARE PUTTING FORWARD A MODEL OF FUNDING THAT WILL SERVE TO EXPAND PROGRAM ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY WHILE MORE EFFECTIVELY PROMOTING TOURISM TO AUSTIN.
ALL RIGHT, IN ADDITION TO BEST PRACTICE RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, REVISIONS TO THE GUIDELINES STATE BACK TO 2017, WHEN AN INTER AGENCY VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE DEVELOPED OVERARCHING RECOMMENDATIONS THAT INCLUDED EQUITABLE CONSIDERATIONS TO ALL USES OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDING TO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND IN 2018, A HERITAGE GRANT WORKING GROUP WAS FORMED TO EVALUATE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND AND GRANT USES THAT GROUP SUPPORTED EXPANDING PROJECT ELIGIBILITY AND RECOGNIZE THE ESSENTIAL ROLE IT WOULD SERVE TO HELP ATTRACT TOURISTS AND COMMUNICATE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE TO VISITORS.
IN ADDITION, THE GROUP WAS IN SUPPORT OF PROJECTS IN UNDERREPRESENTED GEOGRAPHIC AREAS AND UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES OR CULTURAL GROUPS.
THE GROUP ALSO RECOMMENDED INCREASED OUTREACH, ADDITIONAL APPLICANTS, SUPPORT, AND REIMBURSEMENT PAYMENTS TO ENCOURAGE THE PARTICIPATION OF UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES NATIONALLY, WHILE ALL AMERICANS DESERVE TO SEE THEIR HISTORY IN PLACES THAT SURROUND US, JUST A SMALL FRACTION OF THE SITES ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REPRESENT DIVERSE CULTURES, THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, WHICH HAS LED THE MOVEMENT TO SAVE HISTORIC PLACES FOR THE PAST 70 YEARS NOW RECOGNIZES THAT AS A NATION, WE HAVE WORK TO DO TO FILL IN THE GAPS OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE.
THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION MOVEMENT IS PIVOTING TO A PEOPLE CENTERED PRESERVATION MODEL THAT HONORS THE FULL DIVERSITY OF THE EVER EVOLVING AMERICAN STORY.
AND IT ALSO IN 2018, A CITY STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 2023 PLAN WAS LAUNCHED REINFORCING THAT THE CITY MUST LEAD WITH THE LENS OF RACIAL EQUITY AND HEALING.
IN ADDITION, AS A PARTNER TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE AND THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, THE HERITAGE TOURISM DIVISION WITHIN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT LOOKS FORWARD TO FURTHER EXPANDING PROGRAM GUIDELINES THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE UPDATE TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2020 RE SO WHAT IS THE GOAL TO BE ACHIEVED? THE REVISED GUIDELINES, THE DESIRED GOAL IS TO SUSTAIN AND GROW AUSTIN'S CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SO THAT ALL MAY SHARE IN THE ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS OF THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION AND CREATIVE SECTORS, AS WELL AS UPHOLDING THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S EQUITY OFFICE STANDARDS AND GOALS.
THIS HOT FUNDING REVIEW GOAL IS DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH EDD IS MISSION TO PROMOTE A COMPETITIVE, SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE ECONOMY FOR ALL.
SINCE OUR LAST PRESENTATION TO THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS REPRESENTED IN PHASES ONE AND TWO, THE HERITAGE TOURISM DIVISION HAS DONE A NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS ON PROGRAM ENTRY, BARRIERS, ACCESS TO EQUITY, TRAINING, PROCESS AUDITS, TOURISM, MARKETING, TRAINING, AND EXPANDED ELIGIBLE EXPENSES.
WE'VE ALSO RECENTLY RELAUNCHED AN UPDATE TO THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT GUIDELINES BASED ON PREVIOUS COMMUNITY FEEDBACK RECEIVED LATE LAST YEAR, A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE CURRENT DRAFT GUIDELINES.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING FEEDBACK ON THE GUIDELINES, WHICH CAN BE FOUND AT OUR WEBSITE
[01:20:01]
AT AUSTIN, TEXAS DOT THE BACKSLASH HERITAGE DASH GRANTS.A SERIES OF BRIEFINGS ON THE DRAFT GUIDELINES WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE COMING WEEKS.
THE PURPOSE OF THE GRANT, EXCUSE ME.
THE PURPOSE OF THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT IS TO PROMOTE TOURISM THROUGH PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS, SITES, AND DISTRICTS AND PER TAX CODE CHAPTER 3 51 PROJECTS MUST BE LOCATED IN AN, UH, DOWNTOWN NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER OR IN AN AREA LIKELY TO BE VISITED BY TOURISTS.
WE ARE DEDICATED TO PRESERVING AUSTIN'S IRREPLACEABLE, HISTORIC AND HERITAGE TOURISM EXPERIENCES THAT REPRESENT THE INCLUSIVE STORIES OF THE PAST THAT HAVE CAPITAL PLANNING, EDUCATIONAL AND MARKETING PROJECTS THAT ENGAGE NEW AUDIENCES AND ATTRACT TOURISM.
THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND.
THE FUND CONTRIBUTES 15% TO THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT FUNDING.
15% IS RESERVED FOR POTENTIAL HISTORIC ACQUISITIONS.
AND 70% IS FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF CITY OF BOSTON, HISTORIC FACILITIES AND SITES AND ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY.
AND EXCUSE ME, HISTORIC PLACE-BASED CAPITAL PLANNING AND EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS ARE INTENDED TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC SITES AND DIVERSE HISTORY INFORMING PROJECTS THAT ENCOURAGE TOURISM.
WE ARE PROPOSING A TWO YEAR CONTRACT FOR EACH OF THESE TYPES OF CONTRACTS, BOTH NONPROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.
THESE ARE PROJECT SPECIFIC CONTRACTS WHEREIN TWO PROJECT BIDS MUST BE SUBMITTED AND PROJECTS MUST ADHERE TO STANDARDS RELATED TO THE TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES.
PROJECTS MUST HAVE A HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THESE PROJECTS INCLUDES AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL AND EXTERNAL PANEL REVIEW CAPITAL PROJECTS MUST ALSO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION CAPITAL CONTRACT AWARDS CAN VARY FROM $15,000 TO $250,000 PLANNING CONTRACT AWARDS CAN VARY FROM $15,000 TO $30,000.
PRESERVATION PLANS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED FOR GROUPS WITH LESS ACCESS TO PRESERVATION, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOP THE CYCLICAL AND MAJOR PRESERVATION PRIORITIES NECESSARY TO PRESERVE THEIR INDIVIDUAL SITES.
EDUCATIONAL CONTRACTS SERVE TO CREATE EXPERIENCES FOR TOURISTS TO INTERACT WITH HISTORIC PLACES AND DIVERSE STORIES, WHICH INCLUDE TOUR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, CONFERENCE EVENTS WITHIN HISTORIC DISTRICTS OR HISTORIC MARKERS ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR AWARDS UPWARDS OF $10,000 IN OUR PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 23, HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT GUIDELINES, MARKETING OF HISTORIC CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS MUST ACTIVELY CONNECT AND MARKET HERITAGE, PARTICULARLY OF UNDERREPRESENTED HISTORIES, HISTORIC PLACES OR EVENTS THAT ENABLED TOURISTS, ENGAGE WITH HERITAGE AND HISTORY PROJECTS PROMOTE AND EXPLORE.
AUSTIN'S COMPLETE HERITAGE AND HISTORY ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
PROJECT TERMS ARE ALSO RECOMMENDED AT TWO YEARS ELIGIBLE TO BOTH NON-PROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES.
WHEREAS NO HISTORIC DESIGNATION IS REQUIRED.
THIS IS A NEW RECOMMENDATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 TO PROJECT MITT BEDS MUST BE SUBMITTED.
THE SELECTION PROCESS INCLUDES A STAFF AND PANEL REVIEW AND PROJECTS MUST MEET AT LEAST TWO OF FIVE HISTORIC CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA, WHICH INCLUDES SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC EVENT, SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE OR GROUP OF PEOPLE, SIGNIFICANT ERA CULTURAL OR HERITAGE UNDERSTANDING AND SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENTS.
IN ADDITION, IN FISCAL YEAR 23, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT LEGACY BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR 20 YEARS OR MORE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE HISTORY CULTURE AND AUTHENTIC IDENTITY OF AUSTIN ALSO BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THIS PROJECT TYPE MARKETING CONTRACT AWARDS ARE UP TO $30,000.
THE NUMBER OF MARKETING CONTRACTS IS NOT TO EXCEED 25% OF THE TOTAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT FUND.
EXAMPLES OF MARKETING PROJECTS INCLUDE
[01:25:02]
DIGITAL MARKETING PROJECTS, HERITAGE AND MULTICULTURAL TOURISM MARKETING, WHICH INCLUDES DESTINATION VIDEOS, PHOTOGRAPHY, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND MARKETING CAMPAIGNS, LANGUAGE TRANSLATION OF MARKETING AND MARKETING CONTENT, ASSET DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION, SUCH AS BROCHURES, MAPS, GUIDES, REC CARDS, ITINERARIES, AND WEBSITE ENHANCEMENT.THE PROPOSED SCORING RECOMMENDED FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 INCLUDES PRESERVATION, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SITE LONG RANGE PRESERVATION GOALS, ENDANGERMENT, ANY WHETHER OR NOT THE SITE IS THREATENED OR ENDANGERED THE PROJECT TEAM VIABILITY AND A PRESERVATION FUNDING PRIORITIES LIST, WHICH SPECIFIES THE MAJOR AND PRIORITIZE COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT ALONG WITH THE ASSOCIATED COSTS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE HERITAGE TOURISM IMPACT, WHICH WOULD IDENTIFY THE MARKETING STRATEGIES TO ATTRACT NEW AND DIVERSE AUDIENCES AND TOURISTS, A DESCRIPTION OF A MARKETING PLAN AND THE DATA THAT WILL BE COLLECTED TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THE MARKETING STRATEGIES AND TO OVERALL HOW THE PROJECT WILL RAISE VISIBILITY FOR HERITAGE TOURISM IN AUSTIN, ACCESS AND IMPACT WILL ALSO BE ANOTHER AREA THAT WILL INCLUDE FIRST TIME.
APPLICANT PRIORITY DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, COMMUNITY COLLABORATOR, COMMUNITY COLLABORATION, AND PROJECTS THAT REFLECT COMMUNITY VOICE AND PARTICIPATION.
THE LEVEL OF ACCESS TO PRESERVATION RELATED TECHNICAL SERVICES OR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO BE EVALUATED.
AND IN ADDITION TO THESE THREE AREAS, A COHESIVE PROJECT BUDGET AND BIDS WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED.
AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THE DRAFT GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND AT OUR WEBSITE AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV BACKSLASH HERITAGE GRANTS.
UM, WE WELCOME YOUR REVIEW OF THE DRAFT GUIDELINES AND ANY FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT THAT IS PROPOSED THROUGH JUNE 24, AFTER A SERIES OF COMMISSION BRIEFINGS AND FURTHER STAFF ASSESSMENT OF FEEDBACK ON THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES, WE ANTICIPATE LAUNCHING THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT PROGRAM ON SEPTEMBER A EDD STAFF PLANS TO STAGGER LAUNCHES OF OUR PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE AS MUCH CLARITY, ACCESS AND ASSISTANCE AS POSSIBLE TO OUR POTENTIAL APPLICANTS.
AND WITH THAT, I AM HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, IF WE CAN TAKE THE SHARE SCREEN DOWN AND, UM, JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE CTM COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, KELLY'S GOING TO BE TRYING TO SIGN ON, UH, REMOTELY FOR THE REST OF THE MEETING, UH, COUNSELOR TALK ABOUT, DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? YOU HAVE A FEW, THANK YOU.
I NEED TO REVIEW THE DRAFT GUIDELINES.
SOME OF MY QUESTIONS MAY BE ANSWERED WITHIN THOSE, BUT THE LAST COUPLE OF SLIDES WHERE YOU USE DISCUSSED SITE CRITERIA, UM, YOU DON'T NEED TO PULL IT BACK UP AGAIN, BUT WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE SITE FOR THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARDS, UH, FOR THE GRANTS PROGRAM TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES? OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THOSE CRITERIA IN TERMS OF CITY SITES AS WELL, OR FOR CAPITAL EDUCATIONAL AND ALL CITY SITES? ALL APPLICANTS MUST HAVE A HISTORIC DESIGNATION FOR CAPITAL PLANNING AND EDUCATIONAL RELATED TO A RELATED PROJECTS.
IT'S ONLY THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL REVIEW THROUGH THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
I THINK I, MAYBE I WASN'T THAT CLEAR YOU HAD A SLIDE UP THAT TALKED ABOUT SITES, UM, CRITERIA FOR SITES.
I CAN'T, UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T TELL YOU WHEN IT IS, CAUSE I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE A COPY OF IT.
IT HASN'T BEEN PUTTING IN THE BACKUP.
WELL, LET ME MOVE ON TO MY NEXT QUESTION.
WHAT WILL YOU SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT SLIDE THAT WAS ARE? WELL, THE COUNCIL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPROVE THE DRAFT GUIDELINES.
UM, SO IN, IN, IN THE PAST, THE GUIDELINES HAVE NOT COME BEFORE COUNCIL.
THE PROCESS HAS BEEN THAT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE GONE TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARK
[01:30:01]
COMMISSION AND THEN IT IS UP TO THE COMMISSION TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF UPDATES OR ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL AS PART OF THE APPROVAL OF THE OVERALL FUND, AN RCA COMPLETE WITH ALL USES OF THE, UH, OF THE FUND AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO THE HERITAGE GRANTS IS PACKAGED TOGETHER IN ONE RCA FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL, BUT THAT'S AFTER YOU'VE ALREADY.I MEAN, AT THAT POINT YOU WILL BE PROPOSING AWARDS BASED ON THE CRITERIA AND THE GUIDELINES THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW OR PROVIDE INPUT ON, OR WE MAY HAVE PROVIDED INPUT, BUT IT'S NOT INCORPORATED.
SO, YOU KNOW, IN SO MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS, WE ACTUALLY GET TO SEE AND, AND MAKE CHANGES AND APPROVE THE GUIDELINES.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THIS WAS ONE WHERE WE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I'M HAPPY TO, TO SHARE THOSE GUIDELINES FOLLOWING THIS MEETING.
YEAH, I THINK MORE, WELL, LET ME, LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT THEM AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF GO FROM THERE, BUT THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT CAPTURED MY ATTENTION.
ONE IS ONE IS, UM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
I THINK THIS IS IT'S GREAT TO SEE THIS PROGRAM FILL OUT AND I CONTINUE TO JUST BE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE WAY WE'RE INVESTING OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY DOLLARS IN THIS, IN THIS WAY.
WE HAD A REALLY GREAT, UM, EVENT AT DAN'S FIELDS LAST WEEK ON FRIDAY.
AND IT'S JUST, UH, YET ANOTHER REMINDER OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE INVEST THOSE DOLLARS IN, IN PLACES THAT PROMOTE TOURISM, BUT ALSO PROVIDES SUCH A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR AUSTINITES TO COME AND SPEND TIME IN THEM AS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S A GREAT, THAT WAS JUST A GREAT INVESTMENT.
I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT I UNDERSTAND TO BE PART OF THE SHIFTING CRITERIA FOR THE MARKETING PIECE.
I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY ON THAT SLIDE, THAT THERE WOULD BE FOR-PROFIT, UM, FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES WOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THAT.
I HAVE TO GIVE THAT A LITTLE THOUGHT.
I CAN SEE THE, I THINK I CAN SEE THE VALUE OF THAT, BUT WHERE I, WHERE I AM CONCERNED IS THAT THIS WOULD, NOW THAT THE ELIMINATION OF, OF THE REQUIREMENT THAT THERE'D BE A HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEY DON'T YET HAVE ONE, I WOULD AT LEAST WANT THEM TO BE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING SO, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE'RE INVESTING IN BUSINESSES THAT MAY IN A COUPLE OF YEARS DECIDE TO SELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SUCH SCARCE DOLLARS THAT I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO INVEST IN.
WE NEED TO INVEST OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION DOLLARS IN IF IN BUSINESSES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT ARE GOING TO, THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO REMAINING TO PROVIDE THAT HISTORICAL ASSET.
AND SO THAT'S, UM, LET ME JUST SAY THAT THAT'S, UH, THAT WOULD BE A MAJOR CONCERN FOR ME IF THAT, IF THAT CONTINUES TO BE CONTINUES TO NOT BE PART OF THE CRITERIA.
I JUST, AGAIN, WE HAVE VERY SCARCE DOLLARS IN THIS AREA AS IN EVERY OTHERS, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN AND FOLKS HAVE MADE A COMMITMENT.
I SEE IT AS A KIN TO INVESTING ARE PROVIDING THAT TAX EXEMPTION THAT, THAT SLIGHT TAX ASSISTANCE TO, OR SLIGHT TAX EXEMPTION, TO THOSE WHO HAVE HISTORICAL DESIGNATIONS IN THE COUPLE OF INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE COME FORWARD AND ASKED FOR THOSE TO BE REMOVED, WE'VE ASKED THEM TO PAY THE MONEY BACK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WE MADE AN INVESTMENT, UM, IN THEIR PROPERTY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH BY MAINTAINING IT UNDERSTOOD.
UM, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE REALLY COMING FORWARD.
UM, AS PART OF OUR EFFORT IN TERMS OF OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT AND TRUST BUILDING.
UM, WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT, UH, POTENTIALLY, UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH A MODEL THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A HISTORIC DESIGNATION IN YEAR ONE, AND ENDED UP BACK, WE KIND OF WERE TO COME BACK, UM, FOR FUNDING REQUIRE IT AS ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, FUNDING IS CONSIDERED.
SO IN TERMS OF, SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, YOU WOULD BE WORKING TO HELP THAT HELP THAT PROPERTY BUILD CAPACITY TO DO THE DESIGNATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, UM, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS AS PART OF THE PLANNING CATEGORY, WE ARE NOW MAKING IT, UM, AN OPTION TO PURSUE A DESIGNATION, A FORMAL DESIGNATION, UTILIZING THE HELP OF INDIVIDUALS WITH THAT LEVEL OF EXPERTISE, UM, TO ASSIST THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION, THEY WOULD HAVE TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE, ARE PRE-QUALIFIED THROUGH THE STATE OR THROUGH THE CITY FOR THAT DESIGNATION.
UM, BUT IF THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT AT THEIR LEVEL OF TOURISM, UM, THEN THEY COULD POTENTIALLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A GRANT PURSUE THAT DESIGNATION FORMALLY.
[01:35:01]
KNOW, I MEAN, I, I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORE OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING, BUT AS I THINK ABOUT IT, IF WE'RE PROVIDING A GRANT AND WE HAVE PARTICIPANTS IN OUR PROGRAMS THAT ARE UNWILLING OR UNINTERESTED IN EXPLORING A HISTORIC DESIGNATION, THEY, I WOULD JUST SAY, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GREAT CANDIDATES FOR THESE DOLLARS.YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO MAKE THAT LONG-TERM, THAT LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO RETAINING THAT HISTORIC ASSET.
UM, BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE FOR NOW.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD ASK, UM, YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS AND THIS ONE, THIS ONE ONCE UPON A TIME, UM, AS YOU LOOKED AT THE LIST OF RECIPIENTS YEAR AFTER YEAR, SOME OF THE SAME RECIPIENTS GOT THE DOLLARS.
AND I THINK THAT HAPPENS IN SOME OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS AS WELL.
AND I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE THE CHANGES THAT YOU'RE IMPLEMENTING.
I WOULD SAY THOUGH, I WONDER IF WE ALL, IF WE ALSO OUGHT TO HAVE SOME MESSAGING AROUND THIS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T, THESE ARE NOT GOING TO BE LONG-TERM LONG-TERM GRANTS.
I THINK WE, WE SOMETIMES HAVE CULTIVATED AN EXPECTATION, NOT YOU SPECIFICALLY, NOT ANYBODY HERE SPECIFICALLY, BUT, BUT, UM, HAVE SOMETIMES CULTIVATED A LONG-TERM DEPENDENCE ON THOSE CITY DOLLARS.
AND, AND THESE REALLY AREN'T DESIGNED TO BE KIND OF LONG-TERM SUPPORT FOR, FOR HISTORIC BUSINESSES.
THEY'RE INTENDED TO BE KIND OF SEED MONEY TO HELP, HELP WITH A CAPITAL PROJECT OR SEED MONEY TO HELP WITH MARKETING OR SEED MONEY, TO HELP WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
AND, AND I, I'M TRYING TO, UM, HELP THE COUNCIL OF THE FUTURE, BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND IN NEW WAYS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HEAR FROM HEAR FROM FOLKS WHO HAD GOTTEN THAT MONEY IN THE PAST SAYING, WE, WE CAN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT THE CONTINUED FUNDING.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO SET EXPECTATIONS IN ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AT THIS POINT THAT THE CITY FUNDING IS, IS HELPING YOU BUILD CAPACITY.
IT'S HELPING YOU GET SOME WORK DONE AND, AND GET TO THAT NEXT POINT WHERE YOU'RE ABLE TO, TO BRING IN DIFFERENT DOLLARS.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE ADDRESSED THAT IF THERE ARE, I'M NOT NECESSARILY ASKING IF THERE'S FOR THERE TO BE A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE A PROHIBITION AGAINST APPLYING AGAIN WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT IS I WOULD ASK THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME MESSAGING AROUND THAT, THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A ONE-TIME GRANT AND THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S COME UP IN THE COURSE OF YOUR WORK? ALL GOOD POINTS? YES.
UM, SO ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY IS THAT, UH, WHILE WE HAVE INCREASED THE CONTRACT TERMS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF PROJECT TYPES, UM, WE ARE REQUIRING THAT ALL CONTRACTS BE COMPLETED AND IN GOOD STANDING BEFORE BEING ABLE TO REAPPLY, WHICH IS HISTORICALLY WHAT WE FOUND, NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE PRIOR TO THIS PROGRAM, MOVING OVER TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, SO THAT IS A PROGRAM REQUIREMENT NOW.
AND, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, SORRY, I LOST, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
UM, WELL, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S USEFUL AGAIN, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST ASK YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND YOUR COLLEAGUES TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT HOW WE COULD, HOW WE COULD REALLY SET THAT EXPECTATION THAT BECAUSE YOU GOT AT ONCE, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER OR EVERY TWO YEAR, EVERY TWO YEAR, EVERY TWO YEAR, UM, RECEIPT THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT DIFFERENT KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THAT MEANS THAT MEANS NOT RE NOT AWARDING GRANTS, UM, TO THE SAME APPLICANTS WITHIN, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME THEY, THAT THAT'S OPEN.
SO THE OTHER TWO THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS, UM, ONE IS THAT WHILE WE DON'T REQUIRE A MATCHING REQUIREMENT, WE ARE ASKING ABOUT LEVERAGED INVESTMENTS BECAUSE WE'RE WANTING TO GET A BETTER DATA SNAPSHOT OF OUR INVESTMENT TO ANY OTHER LEVERAGE MONIES THAT AN APPLICANT MAY BRING IN, UH, JUST TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ROI.
SECONDLY, WHILE THIS GRANT PROGRAM IS OPEN TO BOTH NON-PROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES SINCE, UM, EDD HAS BEEN MANAGING THIS PROGRAM, 79% OF OUR APPLICANTS HAVE, OR, OR AWARDEES RATHER HAVE BEEN NONPROFIT APPLICANTS.
UM, AND I, I DO VERY MUCH BELIEVE THAT THAT IS AN EXTENSION OF OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WELL, I, I BELIEVE THAT WAS IT, UM, ANYONE OTHER ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UM, SO YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS ALSO, UM, POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THE 70% THAT'S ON CITY LANDS, WHO IS NOW MAKE NIGHTS STILL LEADING THAT.
AND, AND I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE.
UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT PROGRAM?
[01:40:02]
SO I DIDN'T MENTION ANY CHANGES TO THE 70% INSTEAD.I WAS RESTATING THE PERCENTAGE ALLOCATIONS THAT WERE PASSED IN A COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
UH, THOSE PERCENTAGES, WHICH INDICATE 15% OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION GO TO THE HERITAGE GRANT, 15% TO POTENTIAL HISTORIC ACQUISITION AND 70% FOR, UM, UH, THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF SITTING UP IN HISTORIC FACILITIES PLUS ANY, UM, UH, PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR HERITAGE GRANTS.
IT ALSO INCLUDES STAFF SUPPORT FOR BOTH EDDM PARRED.
IT INCLUDES THAT OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE THAT I, UM, THAT I MENTIONED FOR CITY OWNED HISTORIC SITES.
I THINK MS. MCKNIGHT IS ACTUALLY HERE IN CHAMBERS THAT YOU CAN'T SEE HER.
UM, AND, AND MAYBE SHE CAN SPEAK BRIEFLY TO THE PROCESS OF YOU CAN COME UP, PLEASE.
I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR PARTS HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND TOURISM PROGRAM.
UM, WE, WE DO WORK CLOSELY WITH MELISSA ALVARADO ON THE PART ALLOCATION OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND.
WE DID UNDERSTAND YOU HAD SOME QUESTIONS.
WE DID PREPARE A FEW SLIDES, NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE BREADTH OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
IF YOU'D LIKE US TO PULL THOSE UP BRIEFLY, WE CAN GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT, BUT IF WE COULD JUST PAUSE A SECOND AND TAKE THE VOTE ON THE AIRPORT, SO THAT, CAUSE I THINK THAT, UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THREE AND THEN THAT WILL BE OUR LAST BUSINESS THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
[5. Approve proposed bylaw amendments for Airport Advisory Commission.]
GONNA PAUSE ON THIS ITEM QUICKLY AND TAKE UP ITEM FIVE.UM, THE PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENTS FOR THE AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION.
UM, IF OUR CLERK WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT GOOD MORNING, MYRNA NEAL'S CLERK'S OFFICE, I'M HERE WITH THE, UM, AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION, PROPOSED BYLAWS, UM, AMENDMENT, UM, TO EDIT ARTICLE FOR A OFFICERS TO ADD THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY.
THE OFFICERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL CONSIST OF A CHAIR, A VICE CHAIR, AND THE SECRETARY TO EDIT ARTICLE THREE B DUTIES OF OFFICERS TO ADD LANGUAGE REGARDING THE SECRETARY.
SO IT WOULD READ IN THE ABSENCE OF THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, THE SECRETARY SHALL PERFORM ALL DUTIES OF THE CHAIR.
THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE CONTINUITY OF LEADERSHIP ON THE DIOCESE, AND THEY FIND IT HELPFUL TO HAVE TWO INDIVIDUALS AS BACKUP GIVEN THE UNIQUE HYBRID ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE PRESIDING OFFICER MUST BE PRESENT ON SITE.
IT IS, IT IS IMPORTANT, UM, TO THE COMMISSION TO HAVE A DEEPER BENCH OF OFFICERS AS BACKUP TO OFFICIATE, UM, OVER COMMISSION MEETINGS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN OPERATING WITH AN ELECTED SECRETARY FOR PAST THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, NOT REALIZING THE BYLAWS DIDN'T PROVIDE FOR THAT OFFICE.
UM, UH, FOR STAFF COMMENTS, WE RECOMMEND THIS, THESE AMENDMENTS AND I'M HERE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN FOR TOTAL.
UH, THIS SOUNDS FINE TO ME, BUT I DO WONDER GIVEN WHAT YOU GIVEN THE NEED WITH REGARD TO THE, TO HYBRID, IF, UH, IF THIS ISN'T SOMETHING WE MIGHT MAKE PROVISION FOR AT A MORE GLOBAL LEVEL, NOT THE SECRETARY NECESSARILY, BUT JUST THAT THE CHAIR OR VICE-CHAIR CAN DESIGNATE SOMEONE ELSE TO BE, TO CHAIR A PARTICULAR MEETING, UM, TO DO THAT FOR ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE GIVEN THAT ANY THOUGHT OR IF YOU HAVE ANY LANGUAGE TO SUGGEST, BUT THAT MIGHT BE, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WANTS TO BRING FORWARD OR, OR THAT YOU WANT TO BRING FORWARD FOR OUR CONSIDERATION AND AGREEMENT.
UM, IF THE CHAIR OR THE VICE CHAIR ARE NOT AVAILABLE, THEY WILL DESIGNATE A MEMBER OF THE, UM, COMMISSION.
HOWEVER, THE AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION REQUESTED TO HAVE IT IN THEIR BYLAWS.
DO I HAVE A MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER TO-GO SO MOVES? UM, I WILL SECOND THAT, UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, IT'S UNANIMOUS ON THE DYESS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POOL OFF AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, WENT US ABSENT TODAY.
[4. Historic Preservation Fund Update including Heritage Preservation Grant Guidelines.]
YOU.SO WE WILL NOW GO BACK TO MS. MCKNIGHT, AND IF YOU COULD PULL UP HER SLIDES, PLEASE, UM, APPRECIATE ANY INSIGHTS YOU CAN OFFER, UM, YOU KNOW, EITHER ABOUT THE, ANY PROPOSED CHANGES OR SORT OF HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE FUNDING AT THIS STAGE.
UM, WE REALLY DO WELCOME AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
CAN MCKNIGHT WITH, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION MANAGER OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM.
[01:45:02]
AGAIN, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH MELISSA ALVARADO AND THE HERITAGE TOURISM DIVISION ON THE ALLOCATION TO, UH, PART OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND.YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
MELISSA WENT THROUGH SOME OF THE POLICY DIRECTION.
I THINK WHAT I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE TO YOU IS THAT A PORTION OF OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET IS FUNDED THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND THROUGH COUNCIL DIRECTION.
IF YOU RECALL, AS PART OF THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 18 ACTIONS, THE COUNCIL REQUESTED THAT, UM, EXPENDITURES THAT WERE ON THE GENERAL FUND THAT COULD BE FUNDED THROUGH HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND BE TRANSFERRED.
SO I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT A MAJORITY OF THE OPERATIONAL FUNDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY FUNDED THROUGH HOT WERE ORIGINALLY GENERAL FUND.
WE WERE ABLE TO ADD, UH, FOUR FULL-TIME POSITIONS AS WELL AS SOME PROGRAM BUDGET SO THAT WE COULD CREATE OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UH, PROGRAM AS WELL AS STAFF, THE OAKWOOD CHAPEL, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE WAS EXISTING AND IT WAS GENERAL FUNDS.
SO I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION TO MAKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR OPERATIONAL FUNDS, UM, I, YOU KNOW, ADDED THAT THERE WERE A FEW OTHER ACTIONS IN FYI, 18 RELATED TO THE HERITAGE GRANT, WHICH MELISSA HAS COVERED AS WELL AS THE DIRECTION TO ACQUIRE THEM AND TOPLESS NEGRO SCHOOL, A HISTORIC PROPERTY THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
JUST A REMINDER THAT ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES, PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED, UM, WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND IN PART DO COMPLY WITH THE TEXAS TAX CODE SECTION, WE TAKE SERIOUSLY THAT REQUIREMENT.
AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE ENSURE THAT THAT IS THE CASE.
UH, YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO SEE THAT SINCE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 17, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DIRECT ON $19 MILLION TO CAPITAL PROJECTS AT PARKS AND RECREATION, WHICH WAS THE INTENTION OF COUNCIL, WHICH WAS THAT, UH, PARK PARKS AND RECREATION ARE REALLY AN ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR OUR CITY, AS YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS, UM, I THINK COUNCIL FOUND IT TO BE FITTING THAT, UM, THOSE DOLLARS BE REINVESTED INTO OUR PARK SYSTEM.
SO HAPPY TO REPORT THAT, UM, YOUR, YOUR VISION FOR THIS PROGRAM IS, IS, UM, IS HAPPENING IN TERMS OF THE OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, OUR HISTORIC MUSEUMS ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE, UM, HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND NOW WHERE THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY FUNDED THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE OAKWOOD CHAPEL.
THAT WAS A NEW FACILITY THAT WAS BROUGHT ON AND THROUGH A COUNCIL ADOPTED CEMETERY VISION PLAN, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OPEN THE CHAPEL, UH, AND NOW IT IS SERVING VISITORS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, THERE'S AN EARMARK WITHIN OUR FACILITY SERVICES FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES THAT NEED TO BE MAINTAINED, WHICH WAS, AGAIN A COUNCIL'S INTENTION WHEN THEY WERE OFFSETTING A GENERAL FUND WITH HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND AND BECAUSE OF THE, UH, DIRECTION TO, UM, TO INVEST MORE FUNDING THROUGH HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND, WHICH IS HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX TO PART WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND TOURISM PROGRAM AT PARKS AND RECREATION, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT I MANAGE THAT, UM, INCLUDES THREE FULL-TIME POSITIONS TO MANAGE THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE INITIATED THE MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS, AS WELL AS HISTORIC DESIGNATIONS, INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, ET CETERA, ALL TOLD, UM, THE EXPENDITURES ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE ARE ABOUT 10 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES, TEMPORARY STAFF, AS WELL AS PROGRAM EXPENSES.
THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE HISTORIC MUSEUMS THAT WE OPERATE THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UH, WE'RE WORKING HARD TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THESE SITES ARE PROMOTED TO OUR TOURISTS.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW WE DO THAT, BUT I'LL ALSO POINT OUT THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS ANOTHER BENEFIT, WHICH IS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, NOW YOU'LL SEE THAT THE OAKWOOD CHAPEL, WHILE WE'RE ABLE TO PROMOTE, UM, OUR EXHIBITS AND OUR SITE TO TOURISTS.
IT'S ALSO THE HOST OF, UH, THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAM THIS YEAR.
SO WE HAVE IT AS THE HOME BASE FOR, UM, FOR, UH, THE JOB CREATION PROGRAM, UM, WHICH IS, UH, THEY'RE DOING MUSEUM SERVICES AND, UM, ALL SORTS OF WORK WITHIN ALL OF OUR HISTORIC MUSEUMS. AND SO THAT IS THE HOME BASE.
IT'S ALSO, UM, HOSTING SMITHSONIAN FELLOWS THIS SUMMER.
UM, IT IS THE, UM, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN YOUTH INITIATIVES OFFICE ALSO AS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THIS FACILITY.
UM, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THE OLD BAKERY SINCE THE 1970S HOSTS SENIOR GUILD, WHICH IS, UH, SENIORS OVER 50 MAKE CRAFTS THAT ARE THEN SOLD AT THIS VISITOR FACILITY.
[01:50:01]
JUST POINTING OUT THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE A REALLY STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN PROVIDING FOR THE TOURISTS AT THE SAME TIME, PROVIDING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.AND WE'RE PROUD TO BE ABLE TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE.
THIS IS THE MISSION OF OUR PROGRAM VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH WHAT MELISSA LAID OUT FOR THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND, UM, USE, WHICH IS TO PRESERVE A STEWARD, ACTIVATE AND PROMOTE THE HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES OF OUR PARK SYSTEM.
YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO SEE THAT, UH, WE'RE STILL NOT DONE COUNTING.
WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF HISTORIC RESOURCES, RESOURCES WITHIN OUR PARK SYSTEM.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF LAUNCHING A HISTORIC RESOURCE INVENTORY.
UM, WE RIVAL OUR STATE PARK SYSTEM WITH RESPECT TO THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES.
UM, CERTAINLY THERE'S HISTORIC MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL CENTERS, BUT PLEASE DON'T FORGET THAT WE HAVE CEMETERIES.
WE HAVE GOLF COURSES, WE HAVE RECREATION CENTERS.
WE HAVE PARKS THAT ARE TREMENDOUS CULTURAL LANDSCAPES.
WE HAVE PUBLIC HISTORY WITHIN PARKS.
WE HAVE IMPORTANT PEOPLE WHO NEED TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED.
WE HAVE PARKS WITHIN HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
SO THIS MARKS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REALLY PROVIDE COORDINATED, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, EFFORTS TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE AND PROTECT.
I'M JUST GOING TO FLY THROUGH SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED IN PART OR WHOLLY THROUGH HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, SOME OF THEM ARE STILL IN PROGRESS OR DESIGN, BUT I THINK YOU'LL BE, UM, AGAIN, PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE INTENDED GOAL OF COUNCIL IS REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, COMING THROUGH WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE SUCCESSFULLY, UH, IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM.
OAKWOOD CHAPEL RECEIVED PARTIAL FUNDING THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND COMPLETED IN 2018.
NEXT SLIDE, THE ZILKER CAFE ALSO RECEIVED PARTIAL FUNDING THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND.
NEXT SLIDE MAYFIELD PARK HAS RECEIVED FUNDING FOR NUMEROUS PROJECTS, RANGING FROM A HISTORIC RESTORATION OF THE HISTORIC GARDEN SHEDS AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE MASONRY AND GATE REPAIR.
UM, WE DO HAVE HOPES THAT WE CAN DO FULL LANDSCAPE AND COTTAGE RESTORATION IN THE FUTURE.
JUST LAST WEEK, WE DID THE DEDICATION AND RIBBON CUTTING FOR DOWN'S FIELD, A HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BALL FIELD AT EAST AUSTIN.
THAT'S BEEN THE HOME OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ATHLETICS FOR, UM, OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
AND, UH, IT WAS, UH, FULLY FUNDED THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUNDS.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THROUGH OUR MARKETING BUDGET, WE ARE ABLE TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK THAT REALLY HELPS US WITH THE JUSTIFICATION TO SPEND FUNDING ON A FACILITY SUCH AS THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING THE RESTORATION AT O HENRY, WHICH IS A HISTORIC MUSEUM ALONGSIDE THE DICKINSON IN BRUSH SQUARE RIGHT NEXT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO REALLY AN IDEAL PROJECT FOR THIS FUND.
NEXT SLIDE, SEE HOME INTAKE FACILITY IS GOING TO BE COMPLETED AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC LATER THIS YEAR.
UM, THIS IS A TERRIFIC EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WERE ABLE TO PULL IN A HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUNDS TO ALIGN WITH, UH, SOME GENERAL OBLIGATION FUNDS TO COMPLETE THIS PHASE.
ONE OF, UM, OF THIS PROJECT, WHICH I THINK IS GOING TO BE SO EXCITING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE JUST CAN'T WAIT X SIDE BRUSH SQUARE SHOULD BE STARTING THIS SUMMER.
UM, THIS IS A HISTORIC PARK AGAIN RIGHT NEXT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR MUSEUMS AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO GET THIS PROJECT UNDERWAY.
THIS IS A PHASE ONE THAT'S REALLY, UM, PHASE TWO WOULD BE DEPENDENT UPON THE RELOCATION OF THE FUNCTION OF THE FIRE STATION AND THE EMS. UM, OBVIOUSLY THE BUILDING WOULD REMAIN BUT EXCITED TO GET PHASE ONE UNDERWAY AND AGAIN, INCREDIBLE TRANSFORMATION AND RIGHT IN THE HEART OF OUR, OUR SORT OF VISITOR DISTRICT.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE FIESTA GARDENS HAS BEEN FULLY FUNDED THROUGH DESIGN.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WILL NEED TO WAIT ON THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND TO RECOVER FOR A CONSTRUCTION FUNDING.
WE HAD REQUESTED THE FUNDING WITH MELISSA ALVARADO'S ASSISTANCE.
UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY WITH THE PANDEMIC, UM, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UM, WAS, WAS SEVERELY IMPACTED.
AND SO WE WILL BE WORKING WITH MELISSA TO DETERMINE WHEN THIS PROJECT CAN BE FULLY FUNDED.
UM, IT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY THROUGH A PHASE ONE DESIGN, UM, PHASE TWO WOULD BE THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY, WHICH WOULD HOPEFULLY BE RELOCATED, UH, SOON AS WELL.
SO STAY TUNED AS WE KIND OF WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS IN HERITAGE TOURISM TO FIGURE OUT NEXT STEPS WITH THIS SITE.
NEXT SLIDE, THIS WILKER CLUBHOUSE, UH, DESIGNED IS COMPLETE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN A CONSTRUCTION BID PHASE.
IT IS FULLY FUNDED THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND.
NEXT SLIDE AGAIN, BARTON SPRINGS BATH HOUSE DEPENDENT ON AN INJECTION OF FUNDING FROM THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND.
THIS IS CURRENTLY IN DESIGN X SLIDE, THE ELIZABETH NAME MUSEUM
[01:55:01]
IN THE SAME POSITION.IT'S A COMBINATION OF FUNDING, INCLUDING THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND AND DESIGN IS UNDERWAY.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WOULD REPLACE WINDOWS STORES AND IMPROVE THE HVAC SYSTEM FOR THIS, FOR THE COLLECTION, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THESE FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE A SURPRISE THAT A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAD REQUESTED BUDGETS FOR MULTIPLE YEARS AGO, WE'LL NEED MORE FUNDING.
WE'RE STILL WORKING TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON OUR CONSTRUCTION BUDGETS.
UM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE MESSAGED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THEY'RE UNDERSTANDING, AND THEY'LL BE WORKING WITH US.
I PUT THIS SLIDE UP HERE JUST TO SHOW YOU THAT WE HAVE A BOTTOMLESS PIT OF PROJECTS.
UM, THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT I WAS ABLE TO, UM, KIND OF COME UP WITH THE STAFF OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
THIS IS OUR SORT OF RUNNING LIST, BUT WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF PROJECTS.
WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF NEED.
UM, SO, UM, AND PLEASE KNOW THAT EVERY, EVERY YEAR A BUILDING BECOMES, YOU KNOW, OFFICIALLY CONSIDERED HISTORIC RIGHT NOW, THE CUTOFF DATE IS, UM, 1972, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY HARD FOR THOSE OF US THAT, UM, MIGHT BE NEARING HISTORIC AGE OURSELVES TO UNDERSTAND, BUT, UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE HAVE DESPERATE NEED.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT BECAUSE OF THIS FUNDING, IT DOES TAKE PRESSURE OFF OF OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION FUND.
UM, NOW OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION FUND CAN FUND THINGS THAT CAN'T BE FUNDED THROUGH HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND.
SO THIS IS A UNIQUE SOURCE OF FUNDING.
THAT'S REALLY ONLY APPLICABLE TO HISTORIC SITES THAT SERVE TOURISTS AS WELL.
UH, AND SO IT REALLY HAS HELPED, I THINK, MAKE OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION FUND GO FURTHER, UM, AND ALLOW US THIS ADDITIONAL OPTION FOR FUNDING PROJECTS.
I'M GOING TO COVER NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PROGRAM, WHICH IS OUR ABILITY TO DESIGNATE PROPERTIES.
WE HAVE AN EXTREME DISPARITY AND THE NUMBER OF PROPERTIES IN CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN THAT REPRESENT UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF THEIR LISTING TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OR VARIOUS HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
SO OUR PROGRAM ALLOWS US TO FORGE PARTNERSHIPS, WORK ON A STAFF LED PROJECTS, OR EVEN FUND NATIONAL REGISTER, UM, HISTORIC DESIGNATIONS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO FACILITATE INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE ALL OVER THE PARK SYSTEM.
OUR PROGRAM COORDINATOR IS A PROFESSIONAL HISTORIAN WHO IS ABLE TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WE ARE PUTTING IN PARKLAND IS ACCURATE AND CORRECT.
UM, AND SO THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PROGRAM, WHICH IS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THESE DESIGNATIONS IN PLACE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING TO DESIGNATE NEW SITES THROUGH THE NATIONAL REGISTER CITY OF AUSTIN OR HISTORIC MARKERS NEXT.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE AN INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE PROGRAM.
I'M GOING TO FLY THROUGH SOME EXAMPLES OF THE TYPE OF MARKETING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO.
FORTUNATELY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WRAP UP BECAUSE I HAVE AN 1130 AND, AND WHATNOT.
UM, WHAT I DEFINITELY WANT TO HEAR MORE, WE WEREN'T NECESSARILY PREPARED FOR A FULL PRESENTATION.
WE WERE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT, CAUSE I TO SAY THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO AND I, UM, WERE AMONG THE GROUP THAT HELPED TO PUSH THE SWITCH, UM, AND TO STEER IT OVER SEVERAL YEARS.
AND I THINK, UM, ALL OF THE EXAMPLES YOU GAVE UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK THAT WE UNDERTOOK THAT IN RETROSPECT SEEMS OBVIOUS, BUT AT THE TIME WAS NOT AT ALL, UM, OBVIOUS AND HAS STEERED SO MANY RESOURCES AND ALLOWED US TO DO SOME REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, GREAT WORK.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, I THINK THAT WE ARE, WE WOULD VERY MUCH STILL LIKE TO SEE THAT TIMELINE OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE FUNDING.
I KNOW I HAVE, UM, HAD A LITTLE BIT OF FUNDING THAT HAS GONE TO MAYFIELD PARK, BUT MOUNT MANEL AND LIONS, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN WAITING, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FIVE YEARS TOO, AND UNDERSTAND WITH LIONS, THERE'S STILL UNCERTAINTY.
UM, BUT WE'D VERY MUCH LIKE TO MOVE INTO THE DESIGN PHASES FOR MOUNT BUCKNELL.
UM, AND, AND IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE TIMELINE.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAD SOME, SOME COVID, UM, PAUSES AND, AND WE NEED TO RECUPERATE.
UM, BUT IT, IT IS, I THINK, IMPORTANT THAT WE SEE THAT TIMELINE.
UM, AND WE SEE THAT THE PROJECTS ARE NOT JUST IMMEDIATELY DOWNTOWN WHEN THEY ARE KNOWN TO BE BIG DRAWS, UM, FOR OUR TOURISTS AND HISTORIC GREAT.
WE STOOD READY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AT ANY TIME.
SO HAPPY TO CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU.
REMEMBER TO BOTH BE OF THIS PART OF THE PRESENTATION IN THE BACKUP AS WELL.
AND THAT OVERVIEW IS REALLY, YEAH.
PLEASE CHECK OUT THE MARKETING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO AND HAPPY TO EXPLAIN HOW THAT HELPS REALLY SUPPORT OUR EQUITY AND DIVERSITY GOALS AS WELL.
AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT HAVING YOU BACK LATER IN THE FALL.
CAUSE I THINK WE ALL WOULD BE REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO CHAMPION, UM, THESE RESULTS AND, AND WE'RE CUTTING YOU OFF.
NOT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT EXCITED ABOUT IT, BUT BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF TIMING, UM, BUT WE ARE THRILLED WITH THIS WORK, SO
[02:00:01]
THANK YOU SO MUCH.UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT FUTURE ITEMS. IT IS 1134 AND I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.