[00:00:04]
I COULD HAVE WALKED OVER HERE, BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE WALKED OVER HERE IN THIS, IN THIS SEAT THIS TIME.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I'M PLEASED AS THE VICE CHAIR TO BE CHAIRING THIS, UM, BOARD MEETING.
SINCE OUR BOARD MEMBER, UM, CASTRO DERA IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SO I'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15TH, AND THE TIME IS 2:06 PM.
AS A REMINDER, THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES BOTH AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND OTHER INTERPRETIVE SERVICES.
IF YOU NEED THOSE SERVICES IN THE FUTURE, PLEASE CONTACT OUR BOARD LIAISON, CHLOE MAXWELL, WHOSE CONTACT INFORMATION IS MADE AVAILABLE IN EACH AGENDA POSTING BEFORE WE BEGIN THE FIRST PART OF OUR MEETING.
I BELIEVE THAT OUR CHAIR, MADAM CHAIR, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE, UM, UH, CO-CHAIRING THIS MEETING WITH YOU, UM, THAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE SOME, SOME OPENING REMARKS.
WELL, THANK YOU, DR. BURNETT, FOR COVERING THIS MEETING ON MY BEHALF, UM, SINCE I'M CURRENTLY OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHEN WE ANNOUNCED AT THE LAST MEETING THAT YOU WILL BE STEPPING OFF THIS BOARD, I HAD ASKED EVERYONE TO HOLD OFF ON THEIR GRATITUDE AND, UM, GOODBYES TO YOU.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO START THIS MEETING ANNOUNCING THAT THIS WILL BE YOUR LAST MEETING.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BITTERSWEET THAT YOU ARE ALSO CHAIRING THIS MEETING FOR US AS A, AS A GOODBYE ALSO AT THE CARVER LIBRARY, WHICH IS, I THINK, PRETTY POETIC IN HOW, WHAT YOU, WHAT IT HAS MEANT FOR YOU AND FOR US TO HAVE YOU IN THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER.
SO, WITH THIS, I'D LIKE TO, UH, OFFER A FEW WORDS OF GRATITUDE MYSELF AND OPEN IT UP TO THE REST OF THE BOARD TO JUST TELL YOU PERSONALLY WHAT IT HAS MEANT TO ME TO HAVE YOU AS IN, IN THIS JOURNEY.
UM, YOU HAVE TAUGHT US AN ENORMOUS COURAGE TO SPEAK UP ABOUT ISSUES THAT MATTER, THAT MATTER TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT MATTER FOR GENERATIONS.
IT HAS MEANT, UH, AN INCREDIBLE BLESSING FOR ME TO HAVE YOU AS A ROLE MODEL.
I KNOW YOU OFTEN CONSIDER YOUR STUDENTS, YOUR MENTORS, BUT OWNED THE FACT THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN OUR CITY'S MENTOR.
YOU HAVE BEEN AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE ALLY TO US.
I'M JEALOUS OF INDIANAPOLIS TO HAVE YOU
UH, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT YOU'RE NOT LIVING US BECAUSE YOU LIVE IN OUR HEARTS, AND YOU LIVE IN THE WISDOM THAT YOU HAVE SHARED WITH ALL OF US.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FRIENDSHIP, THE KINDNESS, AND THE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY THE COURAGE AND YOUR TENACITY.
SO PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH WITH US, AND I DO LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU RIDING THE TRAINS, THE BUSES, AND WALKING ON THOSE SHADED SIDEWALKS ALONG WITH US.
SO THAT, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO ANYBODY ELSE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY GOODBYES TO YOU.
LOVE, UM,
I KNOW, UH, AND, AND SO MUCH HAS BEEN SAID IN SO MANY PARTS OF THIS CITY BECAUSE YOUR, YOUR REACH HAS EXTENDED SO FAR, UH, AND IN, IN WHAT IS A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THE, THE IMPACT THAT YOU'VE HAD IN SO MANY PLACES.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT AND FEEL PROUD ABOUT THAT.
I'M NOT SURE THAT I CAN THINK OF ANYBODY WHO'S HAD THIS KIND OF REACH OR THIS KIND OF RECOGNITION IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
YOU'VE STARTED A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS, AND, AND, AND I WISH YOU WERE GOING TO BE HERE TO CONCLUDE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, BUT RECOGNIZE THE, THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY IN, IN INDIANAPOLIS.
BUT I THINK THAT IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO FINISH THESE CONVERSATIONS AND TO NOT LOSE A, A, A BEAT.
UH, AND I THINK YOU HAVE, HAVE, HAVE SHONE A LIGHT DOWN A, A TUNNEL OR TWO ON A PATH.
UH, AND, AND WE NEED TO NOW PICK THAT UP.
THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS BOARD, UH, WITH, UH, HELPING
[00:05:01]
TO INSTILL THE, THE MEASURE THAT THE, THE, THE MEASURE OF EQUITY THAT COMES FROM BEING AWARE AND BEING CONSCIOUS AND BEING, AS YOU HAVE OFTEN SAID, BEING DELIBERATE IN, IN RESPONSE, UH, REALLY HAS LEFT THIS ORGANIZATION AT THIS POINT IN TIME, CERTAINLY THROUGH THE WORK OF THE STAFF AND, AND, AND THE LEADERSHIP.UH, BUT, UH, FROM THE, FROM THE EXECUTIVE STAFF OF, OF THIS ORGANIZATION.
UH, BUT, BUT THROUGH YOUR GENTLE AND ALWAYS NOT SO GENTLE PRODDING, UM, I, SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT, THAT ARE, ARE AT ODDS OR FRICTION OTHER PLACES IN OUR CITY, UH, WERE REACHING OUT THIS PAST WEEK TO WANT TO KNOW HOW THEY COULD RECOGNIZE THAT THIS ORGANIZATION WAS DOING THIS PART DIFFERENTLY.
UH, AND, AND I WAS REAL PROUD TO BE PART OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS GETTING THAT KIND OF, OF, OF RECOGNITION, UH, FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE GROUND DOING THE, THE HARD WORK.
UH, I HOPE YOU THIS WILL ALWAYS BE HOME AND THAT YOU'LL KEEP COMING BACK TO US.
UH, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE, UH, OFFICIALLY IT SAYS THAT YOU ARE THE, UH, COMMUNITY PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY REPRESENTATIVE, UH, AS THE COMMUNITY MEMBER TO THIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
BUT, UH, TO ME, YOU'VE BEEN SO MUCH MORE TO THAT, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT WE'VE SPENT TOGETHER AND THE INSIGHT THAT YOU HAVE SHARED WITH ME, AND THE TIME THAT WE HAVE SPENT TOGETHER, UM, THE, IN SOME CASES, MENTORSHIP THAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME, THE, UM, THE TRUTH TELLER THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AT TIMES, SOMETIMES HEAR FROM THE DIOCESE, AND SOMETIMES BEHIND THE SCENES.
I APPRECIATE THE, THE FRANK CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD ABOUT A VARIETY OF ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN SO CRITICAL TO NOT JUST THIS PROJECT, BUT TO AUSTIN AS A WHOLE.
UM, THERE IS A, UH, THERE'S A VERSE OF THE BIBLE THAT, THAT I THINK COMES TO MIND WHEN I THINK OF YOU.
IT'S, IT'S ESTHER FOUR 14 THAT IN PART THAT SAYS, AND WHO KNOWS, BUT THAT YOU HAVE COME TO YOUR PO POSITION FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS.
AND I, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT YOU WERE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THIS POSITION FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS, AS WE WERE EMBARKING ON THIS, UM, THAT THIS BOLD NEW INITIATIVE FOR THE SAKE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING MOVING FORWARD.
AND I REALLY HAVE APPRECIATED YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS, AND YOUR ENGAGEMENT AS A PART OF THIS.
WHERE WE ARE LOSING YOU, INDIANAPOLIS, IS, IS GAINING SOMEBODY GREAT.
YOU WILL ALWAYS BE WELCOME HERE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU COMING AND RIDING THE RIDING THE BLUE AND THE RIDING THE BLUE LINE BACK ON FROM YOUR AIRPLANE TRIP BACK DOWNTOWN SOMETIME.
WELCOME TONY NICOLETE, ACCORDING TO MY SCRIPT, I'M TURNING THIS OVER TO YOU FOR A MOMENT.
UM, I CERTAINLY FEEL SO PRIVILEGED TO GET THIS OPPORTUNITY JUST TO SHARE THIS SPACE WITH YOU TODAY, UM, AS YOU MOVE ON, UM, FROM US, BUT NEVER AWAY FROM US.
UM, I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME, UM, SOMEWHAT OBSERVING YOU FROM AFAR AND HOW YOU HAVE ENGAGED, UM, REALLY BROADLY IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND SO THIS OPPORTUNITY WHEN YOU, UM, REALLY ARE OUR FOUNDATIONAL INITIAL BOARD WAS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY, NOT ONLY FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ALL OF US AS STAFF TO GET TO, UM, REALLY IMPART SOME OF THE, YOUR WISDOM AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND IN FACT, EVEN ABOUT 10 MINUTES AGO,
[00:10:02]
AS WE SAT HERE AND CHATTED, I CONTINUE TO ABSORB AS MUCH AS I CAN FROM YOU, UM, BECAUSE IT'S SO NEEDED AND SO HELPFUL AND SO VALUABLE.UM, UH, JUST THE WAY WITH TALKING ABOUT CALMNESS AND LEADERSHIP, UM, THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED.
UM, AND IF WE CAN ALL JUST LEARN A PIECE OF THAT, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, YOUR, YOUR IMPACT WILL BE EVEN BROADER THAN, THAN, YOU KNOW.
SO WE, AS, AS FOR THE STAFF, WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO STARTING THIS UP AS BOARD MEMBER ELKIN SAYS, AT THIS CRITICAL MOMENT OF STARTUP THAT THE VALUES THAT YOU HAVE AND HAVE BROUGHT TO THIS COMMUNITY WILL STAY AND BE CORE TO THE VALUES OF A TP.
SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE, UM, A FEW THINGS FOR YOU THAT WE'D LIKE TO, OH, I COME FOR THE GIFTS IN THIS PARTY,
IT'S GONNA TURN INTO A PARTY AFTERWARDS.
WE'RE GONNA LOWER THE LIGHTS A LITTLE BIT.
SOMEBODY GONNA BUST OUT SOME TUNE'S.
SO WITH THAT, COURTNEY, I THINK IT'D BE NICE IF THE BOARD COULD, WE COULD ALL JUST KIND OF STAND UP REAL QUICKLY AND, UM, PRESENT THIS, THESE GIFTS AND SNAP A PICTURE AND, UH, AND, AND WORK ON WITH THAT.
SO, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
SO, UH, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS AND, UH, CHAIR CASTRO DEBERRY CAN BE PART OF THAT.
SO, DR. BURNETT, WE WANT TO, UM, PRESENT YOU WITH, UM, JUST AN ART THAT REPRESENTS OUR CITY.
IT'S A LOCAL ARTIST, UM, PART OF THE ART GARAGE.
AND, UH, WE KNOW YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE TAKING AUSTIN WITH YOU, BUT A VISUAL REMINDER OF THAT, UM, AS YOU, AS YOU SIT IN YOUR NEW COMMUNITY, UH, WE THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO HAVE A VISUALIZATION OF WHO WE ARE AT A MOMENT IN TIME, TOO.
BY THE WAY, WE THINK THIS, UM, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO UPDATE THIS EVERY TWO YEARS, I THINK
SO WE REALLY WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION, AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND THEN ALSO, WE, UM, WE THINK THE, I DON'T KNOW WHICH WOULD COME FIRST OR SECOND, BUT WE DECIDED THIS WOULD BE SECOND
THAT'S WHAT SHE REALLY WANTED.
THAT'S WHAT SHE REALLY WANTED.
AND, AND SO AS YOU'RE, AS YOU'RE SITTING, UM, IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL LIBRARY, IN YOUR BOTANICAL GARDENS, UM, YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE PROJECT CONNECT IN YOUR HANDS.
AND WE, WE LOVE THE THOUGHT OF THAT.
UM, THIS IS NOT IN MY SCRIPT, SO I'M A LITTLE BIT TAKEN A ABACK, BUT MY HEART IS, UM, EXTREMELY FILLED.
THE, THE ARTWORK THAT'S A PART OF THE BEAUTY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND THAT WILL DEFINITELY PROBABLY HANG IN MY HOME WHERE IT CAN, YOU KNOW, REALLY BE IN MY SPACE IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY.
THIS, I REALLY APPRECIATE FINDING THIS BECAUSE RANDY HAD PASSED THESE OUT AT THE HOLIDAY TIME, AND MY HUSBAND STOLE MINE,
AND THE REASON I LOVE THIS IS BECAUSE IT SAYS IT'S GO TIME, AND IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR SERVING ON THIS PARTICULAR BOARD IN THIS CITY AT THIS, AT A TIME SUCH AS THIS.
AT THIS TIME, I FEEL LIKE IT'S AN ASSIGNMENT FOR US TO REALLY, UM, DO SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL FOR A VERY MAGICAL AND SPECIAL CITY.
SO THIS WILL DEFINITELY BE SOMETHING THAT I USE EVERY DAY, BECAUSE IT REALLY IS GO TIME.
I TRIED TO GET A PICTURE OF ONE OF THE BUSES GOING BY, UM, TODAY ON MY WAY OVER TO THE MEETING, UH, THAT HAD THE PROJECT CONNECT LOGO ON IT.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY A, A BEAUTIFUL MOVING POSTER BOARD, UH, YOU KNOW, TELLING PEOPLE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND IT MADE ME HAVE THIS GREAT SENSE OF PRIDE TO BE A PART OF THAT.
AND THE MAYOR GAVE ME A, A KEY TO THE CITY SO I CAN GET IN THIS JOINT ANYTIME I WANT TO
AND I TOLD VERONICA THAT I REALLY WANNA BE ONE OF THE INAUGURAL WRITERS, UM, ON, ON, ON OUR VERY FIRST RIDE.
I, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE ONE COMMENT IF I COULD.
I DO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING THERE, BUT I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SIT NEXT TO DR. BURNETT ON A FLIGHT TWO DAYS AGO.
SO I GOT TO CHAT WITH, UH, WITH HER.
UH, HOW IRONIC WAS THAT? BUT ANYWAYS, UH, MY LIFE IS INDEED RICHER FOR HAVING KNOWN YOU, DR. BURNETT, THIS PROJECT AND THE CITY IS RICHER.
THIS IS A MORE EQUITABLE AND LIVABLE CITY DUE TO YOU.
AND, UH, I WILL SAY THIS IS NOT GOODBYE, BUT, UH, WE'LL DEFINITELY STAY IN TOUCH AND IN HONOR SERVE WITH YOU.
THAT, UM, THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES, COINCIDENCES OF GOD'S WAY REMAINING ANONYMOUS.
AND WE HAD ASSIGNED SEATS ON A VERY FULL FLIGHT.
SO THAT WAS JUST REALLY A, IT WAS A GOOD MOMENT.
UM, SO I GOT TO ACTUALLY SEE TONY
[00:15:02]
SO ON WITH THE BUSINESS OF THE MOMENT.UM, THERE ARE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
MADAM CHAIR, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO SHARE? OKAY, SO THERE ARE NO, NO, YOU'RE GOOD.
SO THERE ARE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGN UP TO SPEAK AT TODAY'S MEETING, SO WE'LL MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR DISCUSSION
[2. Technical Advisory Committee Reports]
ITEMS. OUR FIRST ITEM TODAY IS THE, UM, OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORTS, AND X OFFICIO BOARD MEMBER GINA FCA, WILL SHARE THE REPORTS ON BEHALF OF THE ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE, AND THE PLANNING, SUSTAINABILITY EQUITY, AND OUR DBE COMMITTEE.UM, SO THE ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE MET ON MAY 31ST.
WE HAD 25 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE.
IN ADDITION TO THE, UH, MEMBERS THAT ARE, ARE LISTED IN THE AGENDA PACKET, THERE WERE TWO PRIMARY AGENDA ITEMS, THE BLUE LINE BRIDGE OPERATIONS, UM, FOLLOW UP AND UPCOMING COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOPS, UH, WHICH INCLUDED THE DRAG.
AND THAT WORKSHOP WAS HELD LAST NIGHT.
AND THE SUBWAY STATION OVERVIEW, WHICH WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 22ND, THE BLUE LINE BRIDGE MEETING.
UM, THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED THE PROS AND CONS OF THE TWO OPTIONS OF THE BLUE LINE BRIDGE AND THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED TO DATE AND DISCUSSION ABOUT A DECISION TIMEFRAME FOR THOSE OPTIONS ON THE DRAG, THE COMMITTEE REVIEWED THE UPCOMING DESIGN WORKSHOP, WHICH WAS HELD LAST EVENING, AND I, UH, WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, PETER MULLEN FOR HIS GREAT WORK AT THE MEETING LAST NIGHT, AND THE COVERAGE OF IT THAT WE RECEIVED THIS MORNING.
UH, SUBWAY STATION OVERVIEW, THE COMMITTEE REVIEWED SOME NEW IDEAS ON HOW TO OPTIMIZE SOME OF THE UNDERGROUND STATIONS, UH, SPECIFICALLY AUDITORIUM SHORES AND THE DOWNTOWN TRANSIT HUB.
UM, AND THERE WERE REQUESTS FOR SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS WE CLOSED OUT THE MEETING RELATED TO THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS OF THE, UH, SURROUNDING THE, UH, STREETS AND THE TRAFFIC NETWORK, THE STREET NETWORK AROUND THE DRAG.
AND, UM, THOSE WERE ALSO DISCUSSED AT LAST NIGHT'S MEETING.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE PLANNING, SUSTAINABILITY, EQUITY AND DBE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE PSEC MEETING THAT WAS HELD ON JUNE 2ND.
UM, PRIMARY AGENDA ITEMS FOR, FOR THAT MEETING INCLUDED COST DISCUSSIONS AND THE COMBINED MAINTENANCE FACILITY PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION.
UM, A TP STAFF TALKED WITH THE PSEC MEMBERS ABOUT THE BEST PRACTICES AND COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT THE COST IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, THERE WAS A, A STRONG COMMITMENT TO FOCUS ON TRANSPARENCY AS WE IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE COST DRIVERS ARE FOR OUR PROJECTS.
UH, THE COMBINED MAINTENANCE FACILITY, A TP, PRESENTED THE PREFERRED SITE FOR THE COMBINED MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND THE, UH, LRT SYSTEM ACROSS ROUTE 71 FROM OUR AIRPORT IN, UH, A TP REVIEWED THE DETAILS OF THIS SITE WITH THE COMMUNITY IN A MEETING THAT WAS HELD ON JUNE 8TH.
UM, THERE WERE NO REQUESTS FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PRESENTED AT THAT MEETING.
AND, UM, WOULD THAT ALL CONCLUDE MY REPORT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT.
[3. Executive Director Report]
BEFORE WE MOVE INTO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, UH, MADAM CHAIR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, GIVE AN UPDATE, A QUICK UPDATE ON THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECRUITMENT PROCESS? YES.AND I DO WANNA THANK, UH, BOARD MEMBER FAND DACA FOR COVERING THOSE MEETINGS FOR US, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO THANK YOU, UM, BOARD MEMBER FCA, AND YES, I'D LIKE TO, UH, GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE.
SO, UH, BOARD MEMBER, I DO RECALL WE HAD A RESOLUTION WHERE BOARD MEMBER ELKINS AND MYSELF WILL BEGIN A PROCESS TO IN THE SEARCH FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
AND, UH, BUT I ALSO LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WHEN WE APPOINTED, UM, UH, MR. CANALI AS OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WE DID SO, UH, TWO MONTHS AGO IN APRIL, WITH THE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT HE COULD ADVANCE AND WITH THE MANDATE TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE PROJECT CONNECT.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST TASKS THAT WE'VE ASKED, UM, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS TO CONTINUE TO DO A FULL ASSESSMENT OF THE PROGRAM SO THAT AS WE DO THE SEARCH FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WE KNOW WHERE WE STAND AS A PROGRAM, WHAT WE NEED TO DO NEXT.
SO THIS MAY NOT TAKE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT INTENDING TO FAST FORWARD THIS PROCESS, BUT WE WANNA DO IT AS A METHODICAL AND INTENTIONAL WAY
[00:20:01]
OF DEALING WITH AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED WITH THE PROGRAM.UM, AND I DON'T, AND ONE, THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE'RE GONNA DO, WE'RE GONNA RECRUIT A, HAVE A RECRUITING FIRM ENGAGE A, RECRUIT A RECRUITMENT FIRM TO HELP US DO THIS NATIONAL SEARCH.
AND, UM, SO THAT PROCESS WILL BE ONGOING AND WE'LL BE REPORTING BACK AT EVERY MEETING ON THIS PROCESS.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY FURTHER COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBER ELKINS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS? NO, NONE FROM ME.
HAVE, HAVE WE ALREADY ENGAGED A, A NATIONAL SEARCH FIRM AT THIS TIME? NO.
SO THE, THE SEQUENCE OF WHERE WE'RE, WHERE WE'RE HEADED IS THAT, IF YOU RECALL WHAT WE DID WITH THE ASSESSMENT WITH, UM, OUR FIRM WITH, UM, S AND YOUNG, WHAT THEY PRESENT, I BELIEVE IS IT'S GONNA BE HERE IN THE JULY MEETING.
THEY'RE GONNA BEGIN TO TELL US THE PROCESS OF WHERE THEY'RE DOING THIS FULL EVALUATION.
ALSO, I, I, I THINK I FORGOT TO MENTION, IF YOU RECALL, WE, THEY'RE ALSO BEING ENGAGED TO DO AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS ON THE COST TESTAMENTS.
SO WHEN WE START TO GET THAT INFORMATION AS WELL, WE'RE GONNA THEN MOVE ON TO DO THIS RECRUITMENT OF THE NATIONAL FIRM.
I, I GUESS I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHY WE, THAT THAT CAN'T BE HANDLED AT THE SAME TIME.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO GO THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS TO GO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OBTAINING A NATIONAL SEARCH FIRM.
WHY ARE WE NOT PROCEEDING WITH OBTAINING A NATIONAL SEARCH FIRM NOW? AND GO AHEAD AND HAVE THAT IN OUR WHEELHOUSE, READY TO ACTIVATE 'EM AT SUCH TIME AS WHEN WE'RE READY TO DO SO, RATHER THAN HAVING AND RUNNING THE RISKS OF THE DELAYS IN THE PROCESS.
I, I, I'D LIKE TO MAYBE RESPOND TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, HAVING GONE THROUGH A NATIONAL SEARCH, THE, UM, ASSESSMENT, THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT WILL INFORM THE RFP PROCESS BECAUSE PART OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN THE FIRM IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN LOOK FOR SOMEONE THAT SATISFIES THE NEEDS OF WHERE WE ARE.
SO THERE CAN BE SOME PARALLEL TRACKING, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'RE OUT OF ORDER TO DO A FULL ASSESSMENT THAT CAN TRULY INFORM A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE RFP MADAM CHAIR.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT I WAS THINKING WAS THE LOGIC BEHIND THAT.
AND, AND THAT'S THAT IS CORRECT.
BUT IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR COMMENT BOARD MEMBER, UH, STRATTON, IS THAT JUST THE PROCESS FOR ENGAGING THE FIRM COULD BE DONE IN PARALLEL? IS THAT YOUR, YOUR COMMENT? YES, MA'AM.
AND, AND FOR THAT, I BELIEVE WE CAN CERTAINLY MOVE FORWARD WITH ENGAGING ANOTHER FIRM.
UM, SO I DON'T SEE ANY, ANY PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT IN PARALLEL, WHEN WE ACTUALLY ENGAGE THE FIRM TO THEN SEEK OUT OUR, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PERMANENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THEN THAT WOULD BE WITH THE BASIS BASED ON THE ASSESSMENT THAT WE RECEIVED.
BUT, BUT I, I CONCUR WITH YOU THAT SOME PIECES COULD BE DONE IN PARALLEL AS TO NOT WASTE TIME, BUT THE ACTUAL SEARCH ITSELF FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COULD BE DONE ONCE WE HAVE THE ASSESSMENT.
SO WOULD IT, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE OR POSSIBLE FOR STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME SORT OF AN RFP PROCESS TO ENGAGE, UH, PUT OUT ON THE STREET TO ENGAGE A SEARCH FIRM SO THAT WE COULD AT LEAST BE TALKING ABOUT GETTING A FIRM IN PLACE, EVEN IF WE'RE NOT GONNA USE THEIR SERVICES NOW? THAT WAY WHEN WE'VE DONE THE OTHER PIECES, WE CAN JUST PULL THE TRIGGER AND GET OUT THERE, AND WE'RE NOT WAITING THEN FURTHER FOR THAT RFP TO GO AHEAD AND FIND THE FIRM.
WE CAN THEN, ONCE WE KNOW WHAT OUR ASSESSMENT IS, WE CAN IMMEDIATELY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
WOULD THAT BE APPROPRIATE AND POSSIBLE? YEAH.
I, I CAN SEE, OH, SORRY, CHAIR.
I WAS GONNA SAY, AND WE'LL HAVE A MEETING, I THINK WITH CHAIR AND, AND BOARD MEMBER ELKINS.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT CONTRACTING MECHANISMS POTENTIALLY.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO DO JUST THAT INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF HOW LONG THAT COULD POSSIBLY TAKE.
WE HAVE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND OTHER WAYS TOO TO KIND OF RAMP THAT PROCESS UP IF WE WANT TO.
AND I THINK PROBABLY THE NEXT STEPS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESOLUTION IS FOR US TO HAVE A MEETING ON THE, THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
DO, DO YOU THINK WE COULD HAVE A CONTRACTOR, A A SEARCH FIRM CONTRACTED BY THE NEXT BOARD MEETING IN JULY?
[00:25:01]
I I CAN REPORT BACKI'M JUST, JUST TRYING TO GET A, A TIMEFRAME IN TERMS OF FINDING THE PERSON WHO IS ULTIMATELY GOING TO SEARCH FOR THE CANDIDATES.
JUST, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AGAIN, PARALLEL TRACK THIS WHILE WE'RE DOING THE ASSESSMENT, WHILE MR. CANAL IS DOING THE ASSESSMENT INTERNALLY, SEPARATELY FOR WHAT WE WANT TO GO LOOK FOR AND HAVE THAT SEARCH FIRM DO.
SO IS THAT QUESTION FOR ME, IF WE CAN COMMIT TO HAVING THIS BY THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, UM, CHAIR, I WOULD JUST, SO IN, IN, IN THE VEIN OF THE INTERPRETATION OF THE RESOLUTION LANGUAGE FROM APRIL, I WOULD SAY AS A COMMITTEE OF YOURSELF AND A BOARD MEMBER, ELKINS, WE JUST HAVE TO MEET AND KIND OF CONFER AROUND WHAT THE BEST PROCUREMENT METHODOLOGY WOULD BE.
AND, AND, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK TO THE BOARD MAYBE AT THE BRIEFINGS AND, AND UPDATE YOU ALL.
I THINK, UM, THE CHAIR AND MYSELF AND STAFF WILL TO GET TOGETHER NEXT WEEK, CREATES SOME POTENTIAL CANDIDATES.
AND BY THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, I THINK WE SHOULD BE IN A POSITION TO SAY, HERE'S WHERE WE ARE.
AND WE SHOULD HAVE A FIRM ON BOARD, HOPEFULLY BY AUGUST, GET BACK TO YOU.
SO IN THE INTERIM, LET'S HAVE OUR, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT FROM GREG CANE.
UM, WE HAVE A QUICK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE REPORT TODAY.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO JUST, UM, KIND OF NOTICE THAT IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE AS A COMMUNITY CORPORATION, WE'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AT THIS FANTASTIC LIBRARY AND MUSEUM NEXT DOOR.
UM, IT'S BEEN GREAT ON THESE LAST PROBABLY 12, 13 MONTHS BEING ABLE TO BE IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
WE'RE EXCITED THAT WE DO ANTICIPATE OUR NEXT, UH, MEETING WILL BE AT, UH, OUR NEW BOARD SPACE, UH, AT THE OFFICE BUILDING, UH, DOWNTOWN.
SO THAT'S EXCITING FOR EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW, UH, THAT WE'LL HAVE OUR PERMANENT PLACE OF MEETINGS, WHICH IS GREAT FROM A TRANSPARENCY PERSPECTIVE.
EVERYONE WILL KNOW WHERE TO FIND US.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE LAST, UM, THE LAST BOARD MEETING WAS THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN PRODUCED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE TALKED THROUGH THAT AND WE STARTED A PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH A, ASSESSING THAT, MAKING SURE THAT IT IS, UH, WELL COMPILED, IT'S THE RIGHT INFORMATION.
UM, AND SO EVEN THIS, UH, THE INFORMATION WE GAVE YOU TODAY WAS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, SLIGHTLY PACKAGED IN A MORE, IN A MORE ORDERED FASHION.
UM, AND SO, UH, CASEY WAS GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT THAT PROCESS OF BOARD COMMUNICATIONS AND REALLY SETTING OUT A RIGOROUS PLAN ABOUT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO EVOLVE THAT THAT BEST SERVES THE NEED OF NOT ONLY YOU AS A BOARD, BUT SINCE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS PUBLIC INFORMATION, IT CAN SERVE THAT, THAT ALSO THAT ROLE OF COMMUNICATING OUT TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT, UM, THE STATUS OF, OF OUR PROGRAM AND WHERE A TP IS.
AND SO CASEY'S GONNA SPEND A LITTLE TIME RIGHT NOW TALKING ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, AND I'LL JUST ACKNOWLEDGE, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO READ THE SCREEN, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU ALL HAVE PACKETS IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, SO YEAH, WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE BOARD IN THE BRIEFINGS IN THE LAST BOARD MEETING, UM, AROUND KIND OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT AROUND HOW WE WANNA BE COMMUNICATING AS WE BUILD OUT OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR SYSTEMS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS IMPROVING.
AND SO, UM, THE GOALS WE HEARD CONSISTENTLY AND NOT SURPRISINGLY, ARE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
UM, AND THAT WE, THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE DEDICATED COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES.
SO WE ARE DEFINITELY WORKING ON THAT.
UM, STREAMLINING AND CONDENSING OUR COMMUNICATIONS, WHICH WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ARE A LEAN TEAM, SO WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING WAYS TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT, UM, INCREASING DIALOGUE AT THE BOARD MEETINGS.
AND I THINK WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO, UM, WORK ON THAT IN THE, IN THE FORMAT OF OUR BOARD MEETINGS.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT, BEING PROACTIVE AND REDUCING SURPRISES.
SO ANYTHING IN THE MEDIA, MAKING SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF THOSE BEFORE THEY'RE OUT OR OTHER ISSUES.
UM, HIGHLIGHTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OUTCOMES.
UM, AL ALREADY IN THE BOARD MEMO THIS MONTH, YOU'LL SEE AND THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS THAT WE HOSTED, UM, SINCE THE LAST BOARD MEETING.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO REFINE HOW WE REPORT OUT ON THAT.
AND, UM, AND THEN KEEPING THE BOARD UPDATED ON THE STATUS OF YOUR REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION.
UM, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH A SYSTEM NOW THAT WE CAN USE, UM, PART OF ALL OF THESE REQUESTS AND THE WAY THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, WE HAVE A PROTOCOL AROUND HOW WE RESPOND TO, TO, TO THE BOARD AND HOW WE RESPOND IN, IN A WAY THAT'S TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE IS THAT WE'RE GONNA PLANNING ON CREATING A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE AROUND THE WAY THAT WE COMMUNICATE.
SO WE ALL KIND OF ARE STARTING FROM THE SAME PLACE AND HOW THAT'LL WORK.
AND YOU GUYS WILL KNOW WHAT YOU, WHAT TO EXPECT, AND WE WILL STRUCTURE THAT AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW,
[00:30:01]
THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND THE EXPECTATIONS.SO THAT'LL INCLUDE MONTHLY COMMUNICATIONS, WEBSITE CONTENT.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO UPDATE THAT, UM, AND IMPROVE THE PUBLICATIONS TIMELY INFORMATION VIA EMAIL BOARD, INFORMATION REQUEST TRACKING, AS I MENTIONED, WHICH, UM, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A TEAM SYSTEM WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THAT WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL MAKE SURE THE BOARD HAS ACCESS TO AND THAT'LL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE.
AND THEN, SO THEIR NEXT STEPS IS KIND OF CREATING THAT SOP, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT.
WE'LL PRESENT THAT TO YOU AT THE BOARD BRIEFINGS BEFORE THE JULY MEETING, AND THEN WE'LL BEGIN ROLLING OUT THOSE ELEMENTS, UM, IN JULY AND THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
UH, AND THEN JUST ONE OTHER QUICK ITEM TO MENTION, UH, ABOUT ABOUT A TP.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO STAND UP THE ORGANIZATION, WHAT'S KEY? I THINK KEY KIND OF OUR VALUES OF TRANSPARENCY, UH, AND, AND, AND OPENNESS, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT FOUNDATIONAL POLICIES AS AN ORGANIZATION.
THEY ARE, UH, IN THE ESSENCE THE FOUNDATIONS OF TRUST FOR INTERNALLY WITH OUR PARTNERS, WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, AND WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO SOME OF THE WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE.
IF YOU RECALL LAST YEAR, THE, THE A TP BOARD IS PART OF THE BUDGET, ADOPTED ITS FIRST FINANCIAL POLICIES.
UH, WE HAVE A PROCUREMENT POLICY IN PLACE TODAY.
YOU'RE WORKING ON YOUR ART, YOUR AUDIT CHARTER.
SO REALLY CORE PRINCIPLES ABOUT HOW YOU AS A BOARD, UM, ARE OPERATING.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE BOARD POLICIES, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON THE INTERNAL STAFF ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES.
THEY ARE JUST AS KEY AND ELEMENTAL TO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, CONDUCTING THE BUSINESS OF THIS CORPORATION, UH, IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER.
SO WE STARTED WORKING ON SOME OF THE DRAFT POLICIES, THESE AROUND, UH, INTERN PROGRAMS, TECHNOLOGY USAGE, INFORMATION SECURITY, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
NOT ONLY FOR IN THIS DAY AND AGE WE LIVE OFF, BUT EVENTUALLY AS WE BEGIN THAT THE VERY, UM, THE, THE PROCESS OF ISSUING BONDS AND DEBT, UH, SEC UH, SECURITY IS A REALLY KEY PART OF THAT.
OUR TECHNOLOGY ASSIGNMENT AND ACQUISITION POLICIES AND ALSO SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
WE HAVE DONE SOME, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE, THESE ARE INTERNAL POLICIES.
WE'VE ALREADY WORKED ON ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES, OUR POLICY MANAGEMENT, OUR, UH, FOOD AND MEAL POLICIES WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING, UH, A WORK OR BUSINESS OR TRAVEL.
UM, SO THESE ARE AGAIN, IMPORTANT POLICIES THAT WE CAN ALL AS AN ORGANIZATION WORK TOWARDS.
IN ADDITION TO THESE POLICIES, WE'VE ALSO STARTED, UH, A DIALOGUE INTERNALLY ABOUT, UH, OUR TASK ORDERS AND OUR WORK ORDERS AROUND CONTRACTS THAT WE ARE FUNDING.
AND, UM, SO I'VE ASKED DIANE SEILER, WHO HAS STEPPED INTO THE INTERIM ROLE OF CFO, AS WELL AS JEN PINE TO WORK, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PROGRAM TEAM AS WE'RE DOING TASK ORDER AND WORK ORDERS ASSIGNMENT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ALIGNMENT WITH HOW THESE FUNDS ARE BEING SPENT, ALONG WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE VERY, IN A VERY FORWARD WAY, PROGRESSING THE PROGRAM, WHICH WE ARE DOING.
WE ARE, UH, WE HAVE GREAT RESOURCES.
WE HAVE A FANTASTIC TEAM WORKING ON THAT.
AND IT'S ALL ABOUT THAT ALIGNMENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO THAT'S SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WE'VE DONE FROM THAT PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES, UM, PERSPECTIVE OF STANDING UP THE ORGANIZATION.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THESE AND CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOU ON THESE AS WE ADVANCE MORE OF THEM SAID JACKIE? YES.
AND THEN, UM, THE, THE NEXT ROUND OF INFORMATION, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, INCLUDING IN THE PA IN YOUR, IN THE PACKETS AND ONLINE IN THE PACKETS, IS INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PROGRAM STATUS AND TECHNICAL UPDATES.
THEY'RE IN YOUR PACKETS AND THE TEAM ARE ALREADY HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD IS, UM, YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
WE DON'T NEED TO OFTENTIMES REPRESENT THAT.
HOWEVER, TODAY I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE JACKIE NORBERG COME UP AND TALK TO US ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES, SOME OF THE STUFF WE'VE BEEN DOING AS WELL, SOME EVALUATIONS OF WHERE WE ARE.
SO I THINK WE'LL START WITH THAT.
AND AS SHE WALKS UP, I'M GONNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD THIS IS, UH, JACKIE'S, UH, LAST MEETING WITH US AS A A TP EMPLOYEE, AS A FORMER, UH, WORKING WITH CAT METRO AND THEN A TP OVER THESE YEARS.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY THIS, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN WORKING WITH JACKIE, UM, BACK IN 20 AND 20, REALLY 2019 AND 2020.
UM, AND IN THIS PROCESS OF LEARNING THAT WE ARE ALL IN, UM, THERE IS NO BETTER TEACHER IN THIS COMMUNITY ABOUT COMMUNITY AND ENGAGEMENT THAN JACKIE.
WE HAVE BEEN SO LUCKY AND FORTUNATE, AND I THINK THE SUCCESS OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS DUE LARGE PARTS OF THE WORK THAT SHE WAS DOING DAY IN, DAY OUT, NIGHT IN AND NIGHT OUT.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, WEEKEND IN AND WEEKEND OUT.
WE HAD A LOT OF SUNDAY NIGHT, UH, MEETINGS TO GET READY FOR THE MONDAY NIGHT, UH, UH, MONDAY NIGHT SESSIONS THAT WE HAD, UM, JACKIE'S INTEGRITY ABOUT HOW TO APPROACH, UM, THE COMMUNITY.
[00:35:01]
EVEN IN THIS SHORT TIME, HOW MUCH I'VE LEARNED HAS REALLY BEEN FANTASTIC.AND I THINK IT SEEDS THE VALUES OF WHO WE ARE.
SO WHILE WE ARE, UM, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT SHE'S MOVING ON, HOWEVER, IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT GUEST TO CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK AND I THINK SHE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THERE FOR US AS A GROUP TO, UM, JUST DO SOME PULSE CHECKS ON HOW WE'RE DOING.
SO THAT'S REALLY NICE TO KNOW THAT SHE'LL STILL BE HERE.
JACKIE, BEFORE YOU START, I WANNA ECHO, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD THAT YOU PUT THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND IN A PROJECT SUCH AS THIS, UM, THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE MAIN THREADS THROUGH IT AND YOUR PERSONALITY, YOUR DEMEANOR, YOUR CALMNESS, UM, I'VE WATCHED YOU ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THAT'S THE SUCCESSES HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF YOU AND ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT ORGANIZATION IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
GAIN IS DEFINITELY OUR LOSS, BUT AUSTIN DOESN'T, UM, IT CONTINUES TO BENEFIT FROM YOU.
'CAUSE YOU DO PUT THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND YOU, UM, A LOT OF PRESSURE HAS BEEN PUT ON THAT, AND YOU HAVE REALLY CONTINUED TO EVOLVE AND INNOVATE IN WAYS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
SO YOU WILL DEFINITELY BE MISSED.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, BEFORE WE LET YOU DO THE WORK, I HAVE TO POKE IN RIGHT QUICK.
SINCE WE DON'T GET TO RECOGNIZE YOU AT A CAT METRO BOARD MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CAT METRO FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME WITH US.
UM, BEFORE A TP, SHE WAS TEACHING US AT CAT METRO HOW TO DO THIS, AND SHE'S BUILT A FABULOUS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM.
THE COMBINED TEAMS BETWEEN CAP METRO AND A TP WORK SO WELL TOGETHER BECAUSE OF HER LEADERSHIP.
AND WE WILL MISS YOU TERRIBLY, BUT WE KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING FAR.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, IT JUST SO HAPPENS TODAY WOULD'VE BEEN, IT IS, UH, MY SEVEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH CAP METRO AND THE CAT METRO FAMILY.
SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF FITTING TO, TO BE ENDING ON THIS NOTE.
I HAVE LEARNED SO VERY MUCH AND CONTINUE TO LEARN, UM, AND, AND HAVE THIS FABULOUS TEAM THAT WILL NOT MISS A BEAT, I ASSURE YOU.
IN FACT, LONNIE STERN IS GOING TO BE TAKING THE HELM OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT, AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW HE'S, HE'S GONNA DO A GREAT JOB.
UM, IT'S BEEN MY HONOR, REALLY AND AN HONOR TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOU.
[4.1. Community Engagement and Involvement Update]
UH, WE'LL GO INTO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REPORT.UM, SO WE HAVE WORKED OUR WAY THROUGH THE LIST OF, UH, 12, I BELIEVE, MEETINGS THAT WERE, UM, LAID OUT, UH, AT OUR MARCH 1ST, UH, TRI-PARTY MEETING.
UM, AND WE'VE JUST GOT ONE MORE TO GO.
SO WE'VE ALMOST MADE IT ALL THE WAY.
UM, LAST NIGHT WE HAD A, A MEETING OF THE DRAG WORKING GROUP, WHICH WAS REAL, ALWAYS VERY INTERESTING.
WE HAD A HUGE TURNOUT, UM, 170 PEOPLE THROUGH ZOOM, BUT WE ALSO HAD 251 PEOPLE STREAMING ON OTHER, UH, PLATFORMS. UM, AND SO MOVING FORWARD, WHAT WE'VE DECIDED IS TO INCLUDE THE STREAMING NUMBERS AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY'RE ENGAGING AS WELL.
UM, AND ALTHOUGH THAT LIVES ON THE STREAMING WILL LIVE ON, BECAUSE THE MEETINGS ARE ALL RECORDED AND POSTED, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO COUNT THE, THE STREAMING NUMBERS ON THE DAY OF THE ACTUAL MEETING.
THOSE THAT HAPPEN LIVE AS PART OF OUR ENGAGEMENT.
SO, UM, YOU WILL SEE THAT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF LAST NIGHT'S MEETING, THERE WERE A LOT OF VERY STRONG OPINIONS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
THE DRAG IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PIECES OF THE HEART OF THE CITY.
UM, AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT THREE OPTIONS.
UH, LOOKING AT THE DRAG, WE HAD GONE TO THE COMMUNITY BEFORE WITH TWO OPTIONS, AND THIS TIME PRESENTED A THIRD.
UM, THE THIRD BEING A WALKABLE TRANSIT MALL OPTION, WHICH WOULD TAKE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC OFF OF THE DRAG.
WE HEARD A LOT OF POSITIVE RESPONSE ABOUT THAT, PARTICULARLY THE STUDENTS WERE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A NEW SPACE IN THE PUBLIC REALM FOR THEM, BUT ALSO FOR THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS.
SO, UM, A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK THERE.
WE DID HAVE HAVE SOME FOLKS WHO HAD DEFINITE CONCERNS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS.
UM, AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A TRAFFIC ANALYSIS THAT HAD BEEN DONE AND, AND, UM, SOME OF THE, THE POSSIBILITIES OF, UM, MITIGATING THOSE TRAFFIC IMPACTS.
CONCERNS WERE, UH, VOICED ABOUT, UM, DIVERTING TRAFFIC TO WEST CAMPUS.
CONCERNS WERE, UH, VOICED ABOUT THE MLK INTERSECTION WITH GUADALUPE AND, UM, AND THE WEST CAMPUS STREETS.
UM, WE ALSO HEARD CONTINUE TO HEAR CONCERNS ABOUT BUSINESSES, AND IN PARTICULAR, J MARTINS NOT SURPRISING, THIS IS AN AUSTIN INSTITUTION.
UM, WE LISTENED WITH OPEN EARS AND OPEN MINDS AND CONTINUE TO REASSURE PEOPLE
[00:40:01]
THAT WE ARE LISTENING, UM, THAT WE DO PRIORITIZE RESIDENCES OVER BUSINESSES IN THE CASE OF ACQUISITIONS.AND THAT HAS BEEN OUR APPROACH, BUT THAT THIS IS AN ITER ITERATIVE PROCESS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO COME BACK.
THERE WILL BE NO SURPRISES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES.
WE ALSO HAD, UH, THIS MONTH, THE, THE SECOND OF, UH, TWO COMBINED MAINTENANCE FACILITY MEETINGS.
UH, GINA ALLUDED TO THAT JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
UM, WE, UH, DISCUSSED THE, THE, UM, PREFERRED LOCATION, THE RECOMMENDED LOCATION FOR THE, THE NEW FACILITY.
WE HAD HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, UH, THE DESIRE TO, UH, HAVE THIS FACILITY BRING ADDED VALUE FOR THEM.
AND SO THIS IS A FOOD DESERT AREA.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT LACKS CHILDCARE OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS IS AN AREA, UM, THAT IS QUITE ISOLATED.
AND SO WHAT CAN THIS FACILITY AND OTHER PROJECT CONNECT FACILITIES HONESTLY BRING, BRING TO THE COMMUNITIES, UM, THEY ARE IMPACTING.
AND SO THAT HAS BEEN A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION THAT WILL CONTINUE AS WELL.
AND THEN COMING UP, WE HAVE OUR LAST MEETING IN THE SERIES THAT WILL BE OUR SUBWAY STATIONS OVERVIEW MEETING.
I BELIEVE WE ALREADY HAVE ABOUT 117 PEOPLE REGISTERED FOR THAT.
AND WE EXPECT THAT TO GO UP ANOTHER, ANOTHER AREA THAT'S OF BIG INTEREST TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST, AND THAT IS THE DE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS.
AND AS I'VE TOLD YOU ALL BEFORE, THIS IS A, AN ONGOING, UM, EFFORT TO TRY TO CONNECT WITH FOLKS THAT USE OUR SYSTEM, THAT USE CAPITAL METRO SERVICES, UM, THAT NEED OUR SERVICES AND THAT WE DON'T TEND TO HEAR FROM AS OFTEN.
AND THAT THAT'S ALWAYS A SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION FOR US.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO DO THAT BETTER, WHETHER IT'S GOING TO THEM OR OFFERING ONE-ON-ONES OR WORKING WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT THIS WILL GIVE US A BENCHMARK, A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS THAT I DO WANNA POINT OUT AND THAT THOSE ARE THAT, UM, WE DO NOT REQUIRE THAT PEOPLE COMPLETE DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS TO PARTICIPATE.
WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT SHOULD BE A BARRIER TO PARTICIPATION.
AND AS SUCH, WE DO HAVE ABOUT 40% OF PARTICIPANTS, UH, ON THE AVERAGE WHO DO NOT FILL OUT THOSE DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS.
SO THAT LEAVES A LITTLE BIT OF A HOLE IN OUR DATA SET.
UH, SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE'RE REPORTING.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE BEEN, OF COURSE, DOING OUR MEETINGS ALMOST 100% VIRTUALLY FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE MOVING FORWARD.
WE'RE GOING TO START ADDING BACK IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, BUT AS A TEAM, WE FEEL LIKE THE FOCUS OF THOSE IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES SHOULD BE ON THESE PRIORITY COMMUNITIES WHO WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONNECT WITH AS WELL, UM, IN, IN THESE VIRTUAL FORMATS.
SO, UH, FIRST QUESTION I WANTED TO GO OVER, UH, THE RESPONSES TO, WE HAD 861 PEOPLE ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
UM, THESE, THIS IS CUMULATIVELY SINCE MARCH WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST OF OUR, OR RATHER APRIL WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST OF OUR, UH, 12 MEETINGS.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE SMALLER, UH, SQUARE THERE SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN IN OUR CITY PER THE 2020 CENSUS DATA.
THERE'S ALSO AN ASTERISK THERE BECAUSE AS WE KNOW THAT DATA WASN'T COM, YOU KNOW, TOTALLY COMPLETE EITHER BECAUSE OF A LOT OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, BUT IT'LL GIVE US AN IDEA.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE A MUCH HIGHER PROPORTION OF THOSE IDENTIFYING AS WHITE IN OUR MEETINGS AS WE DO IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THERE'S SOME WORK TO DO THERE.
CLEARLY, UM, 47.1% IDENTIFY AS WHITE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN OUR MEETINGS WE'VE HAD A 69% PARTICIPATION BY THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS WHITE, UM, FOR THE BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
UM, THE, THE, THE 2020 CENSUS FOR AUSTIN SHOWS 6.9% OF OUR, OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND IN OUR MEETINGS PARTICIPATION, CLEARLY WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO ONLY 3% THAT HAVE IDENTIFIED AS BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, THE LATINO LATINA HISPANIC COMMUNITY, SAME ISSUE.
UH, OUR COMMUNITY IS 32.5%, UH, IDENTIFY AS LATINO, LATINA, HISPANIC.
UM, AND IN OUR MEETINGS WE'VE HAD ONLY 12% WHO, WHO IDENTIFY.
SO LOTS OF WORK TO DO, TO DO THERE AS WELL.
THE ASIAN COMMUNITY TRACKS A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
WE'VE HAD A 6% PARTICIPATION AND A 9% IN THE CENSUS
[00:45:01]
DATA.AND I'LL STOP RIGHT THERE JUST IN CASE WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, JACKIE, I, I REALIZE THAT, THAT THIS IS CLEARLY NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE ON ANY LEVEL.
I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, YOU LOOK AT THE CENSUS DATA, WE KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME, SOME, UH, FLAWS AND PROBLEMS WITH THE CENSUS, UH, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
COVID BEING ONE OF THE BIGGEST DRIVING FACTORS THERE.
AND, AND THAT IS AT LEAST SOME KIND, WE GOTTA BENCHMARK IT SOMEHOW.
THAT IS THE BENCHMARK WE HAVE, EVEN IF IT IS FLAWED, AS YOU POINT OUT THERE.
UM, YOU, YOU'RE RIGHT, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO IDENTIFY AND WE DON'T WANT THEM TO THAT TO BE A BARRIER AND REQUIRE IT.
UM, BUT WHAT I AM WONDERING IS, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY WE CAN MAYBE GET MORE EVEN MORE CREATIVE? YOU, YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE JUST BEEN PHENOMENAL WITH THE LEVEL OF CREATIVITY.
YOU, YOU, I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE, UM, UH, VICE CHAIR DR. BURNETT SAID THAT YOU PUT COMMUNITY IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I'LL SAY YOU PUT THE ENGAGEMENT IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
YOU, YOU AND YOUR TEAM FIGURED OUT WAYS TO ENGAGE PEOPLE THAT I, THAT I HAD NOT REALLY COMPLETELY THOUGHT ABOUT.
YOU TOOK IT TO, TO NEW LEVELS.
AND, AND I, SO THIS IS MY LITTLE WAY OF SAYING THANK YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF MY QUESTION HERE.
UM, ARE THERE MAYBE MORE WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT KIND OF DIGGING DOWN? I KNOW WE'RE DOING BY DOING A LOT OF THE ONLINE, I'M THINKING THAT, THAT, THAT WE TEND TO GET A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT THAT MIGHT BE OF ONE PARTICULAR, UH, SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS AND, UM, AND RACE THAT WAY POTENTIALLY.
I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THEM, WE'RE TRYING TO GO AND DO IT AT THE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS NOW THAT WE'RE BACK OPENING UP TO IN PERSON.
BUT ARE THERE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN ENGAGE? I KNOW I'VE SPOKEN OFFLINE WITH CHAIR ILION AND HE'S, EVEN FROM THE DIOCESE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WITH, UH, CHURCHES AND WITH, WITH OTHER AREAS IN, UM, YOU KNOW, PLACES LIKE THE EASTERN CRESCENT AND, AND OTHER, OTHER DIFFERENT KIND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AND OUTREACH THAT MAYBE WE COULD DIG DOWN INTO AND START DOING OTHER KINDS OF OUTREACH EVENTS.
IT MIGHT KIND OF BUMP UP THOSE NUMBERS AMONG THE, UH, THE BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO LATINA AND, AND, AND HISPANIC DEMOGRAPHICS WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE VERY, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE VERY FAR DOWN COMPARED TO WHAT AUSTIN IS.
ANY ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? OR HAVE Y'ALL, HAVE Y'ALL BEEN KIND OF SCRATCHING YOUR HEADS LOOKING AT THIS THE SAME WAY AND JUST, JUST REALLY STRUGGLING WITH TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT TOO? YEAH, WE BASICALLY TALK ABOUT THIS ALMOST EVERY DAY.
UM, AND LUCKILY WE HAVE, UH, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE PSEC COMMITTEE AVAILABLE TO US AS A RESOURCE.
WE'LL BE WORKING MUCH MORE CLOSELY WITH BOTH OF THOSE COMMITTEES TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM FOLKS THAT ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE IN SOMETHING YOU DON'T SEE SOME OF THE OBVIOUS ANSWERS.
UM, ALSO, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH TRANSIT FORWARD.
UM, THE, THE COALITION, THE COALITION THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER BEFORE THE ELECTION IS NOW FINDING NEW LIFE IN HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT US, BOTH CAP METRO AND US IN OUR EFFORTS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY COME UP WITH A FRAMEWORK TOGETHER FOR THAT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE A, A MEETING SCHEDULED WITH, WITH THEM ON FRIDAY TO, TO GO THROUGH THAT.
UM, YET THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES, THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER WAYS WE COULD BE DOING THIS.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE HOW WE CAN BETTER WORK WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE NEED A TRUSTED, UH, ORGANIZATION TO GIVE US AN END WITH COMMUNITIES.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRUST.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE BOTTOM LINE HERE.
UH, MORE SO THAN THE BARRIER TO PARTICIPATION IS, IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A TRUST DEFICIT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST FOR US, A TP CAP METRO, IT'S ALSO FOR OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.
AND, UM, SO HOW DO WE BEGIN TO CHIP AWAY AT THAT? I THINK IT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE HAVE TO GET AT THIS IN A, IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
UM, AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON A FRAMEWORK THIS SUMMER FOR THAT.
UM, ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, CORTES CONSULTING.
THIS IS A FIRM THAT'S DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY IN COLONY PARK, UM, TO, TO HELP US DEVELOP SOME METHODS.
WE ALSO ARE LUCKY TO HAVE THE, UM, EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PROJECT GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME.
THIS IS WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE CITY, AND THEY'VE DONE SOME REALLY INNOVATIVE THINGS WITH INCENTIVIZING PARTICIPATION, WHICH I THINK IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING THAT WE NEED TO EXPLORE, IS CAN WE PROVIDE EITHER FINANCIAL OR OTHER INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE BECAUSE PEOPLE'S LIVED EXPERIENCE AND THEIR TIME IS VALUABLE AND THEY SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THAT.
UM, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE TOOLS WE CAN ADD TO THIS TOOLBOX.
UM, THE OTHER FUN THING THAT'S HAPPENED IS WE HAVE, UH, AT CAP METRO, A BRAND NEW, UM, ENGAGEMENT VEHICLE.
WE'RE CALLING IT THE MEEP, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT MEEP STANDS FOR.
[00:50:01]
IT IS AN AC OF COURSE, ANOTHER ACRONYM.UM, BUT IT, IT'S A, IT'S A LITTLE ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
IT'S, UH, PRETTY MUCH LIKE A GOLF CART, BUT IT ALSO IS TRICKED OUT WITH VIDEO SCREEN AND A WINDOW WHERE YOU CAN OPEN THAT UP AND DO SURVEYING OF PEOPLE AND GIVE OUT INFORMATION.
AND IT'S WRAPPED IN SOME REALLY COOL BRIAN CARTER ESQUE, UH, KIND OF ARTWORK, ANOTHER LEGACY OF BRIAN CARTER.
UM, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO USING THAT VEHICLE TO, TO GO OUT DIFFERENT PLACES AND, UM, AND TALK TO PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
AND, AND MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE IS ANOTHER BIG PART OF THIS.
IT'S NOT JUST PHYSICALLY MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, BUT ALSO MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE EMOTIONALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND CULTURALLY, UM, ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
ALSO, UM, SOMETIMES THE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS ARE NOT THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH THIS.
SOMETIMES WE GOTTA ASK BROADER QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, ASPIRATIONS AND CONCERNS AND VALUES, AND THEN EXTRAPOLATE THAT, THAT INFORMATION AND USE THAT TO INFORM OUR DECISIONS IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
SO, LOTS OF WORK TO DO, BUT YES, UH, WE'RE EXPLORING ALL OF THE, THE OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND RELYING SOME ON OUR PARTNERS AND, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP US COME UP WITH THE IDEAS, RECOGNIZING THAT WE DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING.
WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN CONTINUALLY.
JACKIE, I I WANNA REITERATE SOMETHING I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE.
I REALLY HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THAT WE CO-SPONSOR MEETINGS, LIKE WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE OR WITH THE CHAMBERS, THAT, THAT THEY ARE A HOST OF THE MEETING AT THEIR REG, REGULARLY SCHEDULED TIME, THAT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY ENGAGED IN THOSE ACTIVITIES, THOSE EVENTS, SO THAT, BECAUSE THAT WILL, UM, THAT OPENS UP A DOOR, UM, THAT OPENS UP MANY DOORS ON MANY FRONTS SO THAT WE CO-HOST AS OPPOSED TO BEING AT THEIR SPOT, BUT THAT, THAT THEY'RE A PART OF MARKETING THE EVENT.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE BUILD TRUST IN RELATIONSHIPS.
MAYOR ADLER, UM, I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT, THAT YOU TAKE THE, THE PACKETS THAT ARE GIVEN OUT WHERE YOU'RE INTRODUCING LIKE THREE NEW OPTIONS AND JUST SEND THEM TO THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, I HAD SOME OF THE CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE COME TO ME WHO GOT CALLS, UH, REFERENCE TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE DISCUSSED, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAG, AND IT WAS NEWS TO THEM.
UH, SO THEY, THEY'RE ASKING TO BE BROUGHT IN.
I THINK THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THAT IS WHEN YOU PREPARE THE PACKAGE, JUST AS A MATTER OF COURSE, I'D SEND IT OUT TO THE CAP METRO BOARD AND I'D SEND IT OUT TO THE, TO THE COUNCIL.
IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS THEY CAN ASK, OTHERWISE THEY'RE AT LEAST CURRENT IN, IN, IN WHAT'S SHOWING UP.
UH, AND I WOULD ALSO JUST REAL QUICKLY SAY, YOU'VE DONE JUST AN, AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS PROJECT PASSED THE VOTERS WAS BECAUSE OF THE EARLIER WORK THAT YOU HAD DONE WITH, UH, WITH CAP METRO.
AND I WOULD FEEL EVEN WORSE ABOUT YOU LEAVING A TP AND PROJECT CONNECT IF YOU WEREN'T GOING TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT I ALSO HELPED START IN AUSTIN, WHICH, WHICH HELPS, HELPS WITH IT JUST A LITTLE BIT.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE'LL LOOK AT THE, UH, PEOPLE WHO ANSWERED THE QUESTION ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY.
AND I WILL POINT OUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT NON GENDER NON-CONFORMING AS A, AS A CATEGORY.
AND WE'VE HAD PEOPLE ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
ALSO, 75 RESPONDENTS IDENTIFIED AS LGBTQ PLUS, UM, AND OUR FEMALE PARTICIPATION SEEMS TO BE UP OVER THE PREVIOUS, UH, MONTHS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S EXCITING TO SEE, UM, THAT WE'RE GETTING A, A BETTER DISTRIBUTION OF, UH, OF PEOPLE IN THAT RESPECT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, WE WILL LOOK AT AGE GROUPS.
AND AGE HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING THING AS WELL.
UM, WE TEND TO HAVE AN OLDER, UH, MORE AFFLUENT, MORE EDUCATED, UH, GROUP OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATING, BUT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT BETTER SPREAD BETWEEN THE AGE GROUPS.
UM, AND IN PARTICULAR, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE HAD 1% OF OUR PARTICIPANTS IDENTIFYING AS UNDER 18 YEARS OLD, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING TO SEE.
IT MEANS YOUNG PEOPLE ARE REALLY, UM, EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE FOR YEARS TO COME.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE FUTURE.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE MOST AT STAKE HERE.
UH, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THAT.
ALSO, 19 TO 25 YEAR OLDS, 11%.
UM, THE LARGEST GROUP AS YOU CAN SEE IS THE 35 TO 55%, UM, EXCUSE ME, EIGHT 40% OF OUR PARTICIPANTS, AT LEAST THOSE WHO ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
ALSO IMPORTANT, UM, AS THE JPA POINTS OUT, ANOTHER, UH, GROUP THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ENGAGE WITH BECAUSE THEY ARE IN NEED OF OPTIONS, MOBILITY OPTIONS, IS THE SENIOR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND OUR PARTICIPATION AMONG SENIORS HAS BEEN PRETTY HIGH AS WELL.
[00:55:01]
IS THE INFORMATION I HAVE FROM OUR DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT.WE'LL BE BUILDING UPON THIS, HOPEFULLY GETTING BETTER AT IT.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE RYAN ROBINSON, UM, ON STAFF AT A TP, WHO IS A DEMOGRAPHER, WAS A DEMOGRAPHER FOR MANY YEARS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, WHO'S GONNA BE WORKING ON SOME HEAT MAPS FOR US THAT WE CAN LAYER THESE, UH, THESE DEMOGRAPHIC STATISTICS OVER TO FIND OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE OUR WORKING GROUPS ATTRACTING PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY LIVE AND WORK IN THOSE AREAS THAT WE WERE MEANT TO ENGAGE WITH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL, UH, PARTICIPATION.
UM, SO THIS IS A GOOD STARTING POINT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BUILD ON IT AND, UM, AND HOPEFULLY MOVE THE NEEDLE.
AT LEAST WE'LL BE ABLE TO KNOW NOW IF WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE THERE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UM, COMMENTS, THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS FROM TONY? YEAH, I JUST HAD A COMMENT THAT JACKIE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
I'VE BEEN DOING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ALL OVER THE US AND CANADA FOR MANY YEARS, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN SOME COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS WE HAVE ON THIS PROJECT.
AND THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, IT REMINDS ME OF THIS WONDERFUL PROVERB AND I'D LOVE TO RECITE IT.
I THINK IT'S SO POWERFUL AND MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW IT ALONE.
WE GO FASTER, FASTER TOGETHER, WE GO FORWARD.
MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU ALL AS WELL TO JACKIE.
UM, I WOULD GO AS FAR AS TO ATTRIBUTE THE SUCCESS OF THIS REFERENDUM OF PROPOSITION A TO YOU, JACKIE, BECAUSE YOU WERE THE FACE THAT PUTS ON THE GROUND, THE KIND LISTENER TO BRING FORWARD A VISION.
AND NOT JUST OVER THIS PAST TWO YEARS, BUT OVER THE EIGHT YEARS OR MORE THAT YOU'VE BEEN AT CAP METRO.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LESSONS THAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT US AND MY DEEP LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO YOU, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDEST JOBS.
AND I HOPE YOU SEE THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR AND THAT WE RECOGNIZE IT AND THAT WE SEE IT, AND THAT WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, FOR YOUR COURAGE, FOR ALWAYS KEEPING A KINDNESS TO YOU IN THE MIDST OF VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE YOU HAD TO BE THE FACE OF SO MANY OF THOSE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS.
AND IT'S TIME TO ALSO BREAK IN THE JOY AND THE FRUIT OF YOUR LABOR.
SO PLEASE KNOW THAT WE'RE DEEPLY, DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
AND, UM, AND THIS IS A LIVING EVOLUTION BECAUSE WE HAVE NEW TOOLS TO ENGAGE NEW TECHNOLOGIES, BUT I HOPE THAT WE NEVER LOSE OUR HUMANITY TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH FOLKS WHERE THEY ARE ON THE GROUND.
I LOVE THAT YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONNECTION OF WHERE THEY ARE, BECAUSE MOBILITY, AGAIN, IS A HUMAN RIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT WE ARE GIVING OUR COMMUNITY SOMETHING THAT I HOPE WILL ALWAYS BE OF SERVICE AND WILL MAKE US MORE, A MORE UNITED AND AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, JACKIE.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? GREG, YOU HAD SOMETHING YOU WANTED? SURE.
UM, I ACTUALLY LISTENING TO THAT, IT, IT REALLY ISN'T ITSELF AN EXAMPLE OF WHY TRANSPARENCY IS, UH, IS JUST PART OF WHO WE ARE.
LIKE TO BASICALLY LAY OUT SOME NUMBERS THAT, LET'S SAY HAVE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AND, AND THEN YOU DOING THAT ACTUALLY CREATED A DIALOGUE UP HERE ON THE DAIS TO TALK ABOUT WAYS TO IMPROVE THAT, UH, ON TOP OF THE THINGS THAT YOU AND LONNIE AND THE TEAM ARE THINKING ABOUT.
SO I THINK IT'S, IT, IT REALLY ILLUSTRATES WHERE WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION ABOUT THAT NEED TO, SOMETIMES THINGS AREN'T WORKING PERFECTLY, BUT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY VALUABLE.
UM, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT AND IT PROVIDES A CHALLENGE FOR US.
BUT THAT'S GREAT, AND WE'RE GONNA LEAN INTO THAT CHALLENGE.
WE'RE GONNA WORK, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU HAVE SOME DIALOGUE TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA DIALOGUE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE GONNA LISTEN TO OTHER FOLKS AND CONTINUE, AS YOU SAID, THAT, UM, THAT CONTINUUM OF IMPROVEMENT AROUND THAT, WHERE WE GO TO.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AND THIS IDEA OF TRANSPARENCY IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF DOING THAT, UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS.
UM, THE IDEA OF TALKING ABOUT THE COSTS OF WHERE WE WERE WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND KNOW THE MAYOR AND BOARD MEMBER ELKINS WERE REALLY, IT WAS TIME TO TALK ABOUT THEM WITH THE PUBLIC.
'CAUSE IT'S INFORMING A LOT OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS WITH US AS WE'RE HAVING THESE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THE PATHWAY AND TALKING ABOUT INVESTMENT CHOICES.
UM, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE HAVING THAT, AND I
[01:00:01]
KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO THAT REALLY WELL WITH OUR PARTNERS, UH, WITH CAP METRO, WITH THE CITY, WITH OUR COMMUNITY, WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS, ON THESE DISCUSSIONS, UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE IMPLEMENTING THE VISION THAT THE VOTERS GAVE US.
WE WON'T BE ASKING FOR ANY MORE TAXES TO DO THAT.
UM, WE HAVE A, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT A CONFERENCE AND, UH, A NATIONAL, WITH THE NATIONAL FOLKS, AND I CAN, I, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN PUT THE WORDS TO HOW, UM, TO, TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, HOW UNFATHOMABLE OUR FANTASTIC REVENUE STREAM THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE HAVE A PROP DEDICATED PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO INVEST IN TRANSIT.
UM, UH, YOU HAVE TO ALMOST SAY IT TWICE TO GET EVERYONE USED TO THE CONCEPT OF IT.
SO WE HAVE AN FANTASTIC VISION.
WE HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM AROUND ALL THE PARTNERSHIPS TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA KEEP DOING.
AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE COMMUNITY ALONG AS WE, AS WE HAVE THAT.
SO I THINK, UH, UM, MADAM CHAIR MENTIONED THIS IDEA OF ASSESSMENT AND, AND WHEN YOU, UM, UH, ASK ME TO KIND OF, UM, STEP INTO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROLE, WE KNOW THAT WAS IMPORTANT AT THIS CRITICAL TIME TO ASSESS WHERE WE ARE.
UM, AND LUCKILY WE HAVE SOME GREAT EXPERTS, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY WHO HAVE WORKED ON THESE AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND I THINK, UH, WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO IN JULY IS MAYBE EXPANDING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE AND OPTIMIZE OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY AROUND NOT ONLY CHOICES, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT LAST NIGHT THAT PETER TALKED ABOUT ON THE DRAG, BUT ALSO AT A MORE MACRO LEVEL ABOUT PRIORITIES AND INVESTMENT CHOICES.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'LL BE AN IMPORTANT, UH, DISCUSSION FOR US, UM, THAT WE CAN DO MORE OF, AGAIN, IN A DIALOGUE SETTING IN JULY, UM, RELYING ON, UH, SOME GREAT PEOPLE, UM, TO CONTINUE ADVANCING OUR PATHWAY AND OUR PROGRESS FORWARD.
BUT I THINK AT THE CORE OF THAT, IT COMES BACK TO HOW WE ARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT IDEAS TODAY.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING MORE OF THAT CONVERSATION, UH, BOARD WITH YOU, UM, IN THE UPCOMING MONTH AS WELL AS THE MONTHS FORWARD.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, UM, AND LET'S GIVE JACKIE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
SO SPEAKING OF ROUNDS OF APPLAUSE, I'M GOING TO GO, UM, TAKE AN AGENDA ITEM, MOVE AN AGENDA ITEM FORWARD, BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, SOMEONE HERE WITH US THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REALLY RECOGNIZE AND GIVE TREMENDOUS KUDOS TO IT.
IT ACTUALLY DOVETAILS PERFECTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE POWER OF THAT.
SO WE, THE PROJECT, UM, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME.
AUSTIN CHRONICLE GIVES AWARDS AND ONE OF THEM IS, UM, AUSTIN CHRONICLES BEST CIVIC VOLUNTEERS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE EPITOME OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, IS CIVIC VOLUNTEERS.
SO WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIR HERE BECAUSE THE, OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE AUSTIN CHRONICLES BEST CIVIC VOLUNTEERS.
COULD YOU COME UP AND GIVE US SOME SO WE CAN APPLAUD YOU AND CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOUR COMMITTEE? SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SHARE A COUPLE WORDS WITH US.
IS IT AVE? I KNOW ITZA, BUT IS IT AVE? IT'S OKAY.
BOARD MEMBERS AND, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE WORK THAT JACKIE WAS JUST PRESENTING, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WE HAVE BEEN REALLY EXCITED AND HEARTENED BY WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
WE'RE SEEING CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT AND ITERATIONS AND WE'RE WORKING BETTER, WHETHER THAT'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHETHER IT'S THE DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT PETER'S WORKING ON AND OTHERS ARE WORKING ON, AND THE WORK THAT GREG AND DOTTIE ARE DOING.
AND REALLY, WE'RE SEEING A COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION OF HOW WE DO THINGS.
SO I KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS JUST EXCITED AND HONORED TO ENGAGE IN THIS WORK.
I KNOW I'M HONORED TO SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WORKING WITH FOLKS, BUT I THINK JUST MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE CHARTING A PATH, NOT JUST FOR OUR OWN SELVES AND FOR EVERYONE IN AUSTIN.
I THINK WE'RE CHARTING A PATH FOR EVERYONE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES WHO WANT TO DO SIMILAR WORK.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL THE AMAZING PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM AND BEYOND WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS.
THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
UH, AUSTIN TRAILBLAZERS IN MANY WAYS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATED WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT US.
IT'S A TEMPLATE FOR OTHER LARGE COM, OTHER LARGE PROJECTS
[01:05:01]
AND COMMUNITIES, UH, AND HOW YOU CAN DO THIS TOGETHER.I THINK THE PROVERB, TONY, UM, TALKED ABOUT, IF YOU WANNA GO FAST, GO ALONE.
IF YOU WANNA GO FAR, GO TOGETHER.
UH, SO THAT'S, UM, THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE.
RIGHT IN GIVING YOU THAT AWARD.
[5.1. Approval of minutes from the May 18 Board Meeting]
BACK TO, UM, FOLLOWING OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE SOME ACTION ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO, UM, TAKE CARE OF.SO THE FIRST ACTION ITEM TODAY IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR MAY 18TH, 2022 AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETING.
IF EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THOSE MINUTES, I'LL REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THIS ITEM.
UH, FIRST A, A MOTION FROM MAYOR ADLER APPROVE.
I'M SORRY, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, I'LL TAKE, CAN YOU DO THE SECOND, UH, MOTION, UH, FROM MADAM CHAIR AND THE SECOND FROM MAYOR ADLER.
AND I'LL DO A ROLL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
AND I'LL ABSTAIN BECAUSE I WAS NOT AT THAT MEETING.
[5.2. Approval of ATP Audit Charter]
IS APPROVAL OF THE A TP AUDIT CHARTER.I'LL REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND ON OUR ACTION ITEM TWO PROMOTION.
MY MOTION MAYOR AND TONY SECONDING.
UM, UM, SO WE HAVE A, A, A MOTION AND A SECOND, SO I'LL TAKE A ROLL CALL ON THAT ACTION ITEM.
AND THAT MOTION PASSES AND VICE CHAIR BURNETT.
[6.1. Discussion of Title VI Program Plan for ATP]
DISCUSSION LINES, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BRING TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION.YOU HAVE YOUR TECHNICAL, THE PROGRAM UPDATES ARE IN YOUR BOARD PACKET FOR YOUR REVIEW.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I'M SURE THE STAFF WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.
SO THIS MONTH WE HAVE A DISCUSSION OF OUR TITLE SIX PROGRAM PLAN FOR AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP WITH COURTNEY CHAVEZ.
UM, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR OF EQUITY AND DBE.
UM, TO START OFF, I HAVE TO SAY THAT HAVING SAT DOWN NOW, I FEEL A LITTLE BIT OVERWHELMED IN THE MOMENT.
NETTE, ON YOUR LAST MEETING IS SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL.
AND SO I'M GONNA TRY TO HOLD IT TOGETHER AS WE CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION, UM, AND GET MOVING.
SO FIRST, THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT TITLE SIX IS REALLY TO BASELINE THE TOPIC SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE HEADING AND WHAT OUR OBLIGATIONS ARE AS A TP.
UM, SO I'M GONNA START WITH WHAT IS TITLE SIX? IT'S PART OF THE SUITE OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT MAKES UP THE 1964 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.
VERY IMPORTANT ACT THAT WE STILL HOLD TRUE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
TITLE SIX ITSELF WAS CREATED TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN IN ANY PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY THAT RECEIVES FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.
WHAT I HAVE ON THE SCREEN NEXT TO YOU AND YOUR, IN YOUR PACKET, OUR LIST OF ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS, UM, LAWS, EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT HAVE COME OUT FROM THE UMBRELLA OF TITLE SIX.
'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT I CONSIDER TITLE SIX.
IT IS THE UMBRELLA OF NON-DISCRIMINATION, UH, PROTECTIONS THAT WE, THAT WE USED ACROSS OUR, OUR ENTITIES.
UH, THEY SIT ASIDE TITLE SIX BECAUSE WHAT IT LOOKS AT IS ONLY RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN.
SO ANYTHING THAT GOES BEYOND THOSE PROTECTED CLASSES REALLY FALL INTO THESE OTHER CATEGORIES.
THE WAY THIS WORKS, BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING SHOULD COME FROM THE FT A, WE FOLLOW FTA REGULATIONS IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN TITLE SIX.
SO, FDA DEFINES DISCRIMINATION AS ANY ACTION OR INACTION, WHETHER INTENTIONAL OR UNINTENTIONAL IN ANY PROGRAM ACTIVITY OF A FEDERAL AID RECIPIENT, SUB-RECIPIENT OR CONTRACTOR THAT RESULTS IN DISPARATE TREATMENT, DISPARATE IMPACT, OR PERPETUATING THE EFFECTS OF PRIOR DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.
SO, DISPARATE TREATMENT, MEANING INTENTIONAL DISPARATE IMPACT, MEANING UNINTENTIONAL, SO ALWAYS MONITORING EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
NEXT SLIDE, FDA SETS OUT SPECIFIC PROGRAM OBJECTIVES, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY SAYING THAT WHATEVER WE'RE DOING WITHIN THE WORLD OF TRANSIT, WHETHER IT'S CONSTRUCTION, WHETHER IT'S OPERATING, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT IN A NON-DISCRIMINATORY MANNER.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO ALL OF OUR ACTIVITIES AND OUR MEETINGS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, RACE, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN ARE NOT CONSIDERED IN ANY WAY IN HOW WE'RE MAKING OUR DECISIONS.
[01:10:02]
THAT BRINGS US TO WHAT A TITLE SIX PROGRAM PLAN IS.SO THE WAY FTA OPERATES, IN ORDER FOR US TO SHOW THAT WE HAVE EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTED TITLE VI INTO OUR PROGRAM, WE'RE REQUIRED TO SET OUT A PROGRAM PLAN.
AND SO THAT GIVES A LIST OF ITEMS THAT WE INCLUDE TO ESSENTIALLY SHOW US HOW WE IMPLEMENT IT, AND THEN MONITOR THAT PROCESS.
IT IS A VERY PRESCRIBED DOCUMENT.
UM, IT IS FOLLOWING FEDERAL REGULATIONS TO A POINT WHERE IT FEELS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MANEUVERING POWER, BUT REALLY THE POWER BECOMES HOW WE IMPLEMENT IT.
SO I'VE LISTED ON THE SLIDE, HE, HERE ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES THAT GO INTO THAT PLAN.
WHAT YOU SEE MISSING IS SOMETHING THAT IS ONLY FOR CAT METRO, WHICH IS ANYTHING RELATED TO SERVICE CHANGES OR FAIR CHANGES, BECAUSE THAT IS CONSIDERED AN OPERATOR'S PIECE.
WE ARE NOT OPERATORS, WE ARE PROJECT DELIVERY.
SO WALKING THROUGH THIS, UH, TITLE ASSURANCES IS ESSENTIALLY THE POLICY THAT WE SIGNED AS AN ORGANIZATION TO SAY THAT WE WILL FOLLOW TITLE SIX.
UM, NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC, MEANING WE HAVE TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE TO EXPLAIN WHAT TITLE SIX IS TO THE PUBLIC, EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION AROUND TITLE SIX, WHAT OUR PROGRAM PLAN IS, AND IF AN ISSUE OR A CHALLENGE COMES UP RELATED TO TITLE VI, HOW TO FILE THAT COMPLAINT.
SO THAT GOES TO NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS AN ACTUAL COMPLAINTS PROCESS.
WE HAVE TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT HOW A COMPLAINT WILL BE FILED, HOW IT'LL BE INVESTIGATED, A TIMELINE AROUND THOSE INVESTIGATIONS, HOW WE'RE GONNA TRACK, UH, HOW WE'RE GOING TO TRACK, UM, RESULTS, UM, AND ALSO EVEN COMPLAINTS THAT MAYBE WE DON'T TAKE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'LL RECEIVE COMPLAINTS.
UH, IF WE THINK IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN, WE SHOULD PUT THAT OUT OF OUR MINDS.
COMPLAINTS WILL COME IN, CONCERNS WILL COME IN.
WHAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO IS REALLY EVALUATE WHAT WE CALL JURISDICTION.
IS IT TRULY A TITLE SIX COMPLAINT? DOES IT TRULY BELONG TO A TP? WE'LL TRACK ALL OF THAT SO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HOW WE'VE, UM, WE RESOLVE THEM.
WE WILL MAINTAIN THAT LIST SO THAT IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY INVESTIGATIONS, COMPLAINTS, OR LAWSUITS THAT WERE FILED AROUND TITLE SIX, WE HAVE THOSE RECORDS.
UH, WE HAVE THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN, WHICH IS A REALLY INTERESTING CONVERSATION AFTER THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DISCUSSION.
SO THIS IS AN INCLUSIVE PARTICIPATION PLAN DESIGNED TO SHOW HOW WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HISTORICALLY NOT INVOLVED IN OUR MEETINGS.
THE WAY THAT FTA CURRENTLY HAS REGULATIONS, YOU DON'T HAVE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S ACTUALLY AN ADDITIVE.
IT IS A GOOD THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT AND WE CAN ADD THAT INTO OUR ASPIRATIONAL GOALS AS WE CONTINUE.
UM, OUR PLAN IS TO BUILD OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH ALSO TRANSIT FORWARD, WHAT JACKIE AND LONNIE HAVE BEEN BUILDING OUT IN THAT FRAMEWORK.
WE CAN ACTUALLY DOCUMENT THAT IN THIS PLAN, PUT IT INTO THE TITLE SIX PLAN, AND THEN MONITOR HOW WE'RE DOING OVER TIME.
UH, NUMBER SIX IS THE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE PLAN.
SO THIS IS WHEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETINGS, WE SAY THINGS LIKE, WE'RE OFFERING SPANISH TRANSLATION OR A SL, THIS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE AN LEP PLAN.
WITHIN THAT PLAN, WE'RE IDENTIFYING WHO IS, ARE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, WHAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE USING LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH, AND WHAT, UH, TRANSLATION, BOTH WRITTEN AND, UH, VERBAL DO WE NEED TO OFFER AT OUR MEETINGS.
UH, CURRENTLY SPANISH IS THE PRIMARY, BUT USING CAP METRO'S RECENT LAP STUDY, WHICH WE WILL BE ADOPTING, UH, THEY'VE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED 10 ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES THAT ARE USED IN AUSTIN AS A SAFE HARBOR, MEANING THAT WE WOULD BE READY AND PREPARED TO DO THOSE TRANSLATIONS AS ASKED.
NEXT IS THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF THE TRANSIT RELATED NON-ELECTED PLANNING BOARDS, ADVISOR COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST TRACKING WHO'S ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMITTEES SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT THAT DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN IS.
UM, NUMBER EIGHT VERY IMPORTANT IS, AND IT'S EXPLANATION OF HOW WE WILL BE MONITORING OUR SUBRECIPIENTS UNDER TITLE SIX.
SO ESSENTIALLY, ANY VENDOR, ANY CONTRACTOR THAT WE HIRE, WE ARE OBLIGATED TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ALSO FILING TITLE SIX POLICIES.
SO WE CREATE A PROCESS TO DO THAT, WHICH IS NOT ONLY LOOKING AT THEIR DOCUMENTS, BUT ALSO MAINTAINING OVERSIGHT, JOB SITE ASSISTANCE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND FINALLY, TITLE SIX, EQUITY ANALYSIS FOR FACILITY CONSTRUCTION.
SO, UH, FOR ME, HAVING COME FROM HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES AND FHWA, THIS IS THE MOST INTERESTING CARVE OUT OF A TITLE SIX EQUITY ANALYSIS THAT I SAW, BECAUSE MAJORITY OF PLANNING PROCESSES, YOU HAVE TITLE VI ANALYSIS OF SUBSUMED INTO A NEPA PROCESS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.
BUT IN TITLE SIX, THERE'S A SPECIFIC CARVE OUT FOR, UM, A MAINTENANCE FACILITY, FOR EXAMPLE, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT A A TRANSIT AMENITY, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A BUILDING, THEN IT COMES INTO A TITLE SIX ANALYSIS.
SO A, UH, COMBINED MAINTENANCE FACILITY, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD FALL INTO THAT
[01:15:01]
CATEGORY, BUT A STATION WOULD NOT.AND SO ALL OF THOSE PIECES WILL BUILD OUT INTO THIS PROGRAM PLAN.
OUR NEXT STEP IS TO FINALIZE THAT I'M WAITING ON THE LAST BITS OF, OF THE PARTICIPATION PLAN, THEN CIRCULATE IT TO THE BOARD FOR ADOPTION NEXT MONTH.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS? AND I HELD IT TOGETHER,
ANY QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, THANK YOU MS. CHAVEZ FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I RECALL BACK IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, THE FDA CIRCULATED A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AS A REVAMP TO TITLE VI.
UM, WERE WE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT, IN THAT INQUIRY? DID YOU RECALL? Y YES, WE DID PARTICIPATE.
I DID SUBMIT SOME GUIDANCE AND, AND SUGGESTIONS IN RELATION TO THE THAT RFI.
UM, WE'RE STILL WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE OUTCOMES OF THAT ARE, BUT EXPECT, I, I KEEP SAYING I EXPECT CHANGES AND I DON'T SEE THEM YET, BUT I'M HOPING BY THE NEW YEAR WE'LL SEE SOME SHIFT.
SO THERE IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT SOME ASPECTS OF THE TITLE VI REQUEST WILL CHANGE AND WE'LL BE BACK HERE AGAIN DOING THIS AGAIN.
SO WE, WE STILL HAVEN'T HEARD THE OUTCOME OF THAT INQUIRY YET.
IT HASN'T BEEN PUBLIC ANY UPDATES.
THERE ARE NO UPDATES THAT I'VE HEARD ONLY RUMORS ABOUT WHEN WE COULD EXPECT SOMETHING.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
ANYTHING, ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
AND, UM, I, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE REMINDED THAT DISCRIMINATION CAN ALSO BE UNINTENTIONAL.
SO HAVING YOUR, UH, GUIDANCE AND YOUR EXPERTISE AS WE BUILD THIS OUT, I THINK IS INVALUABLE TO THE, TO THE, TO THE PROJECT, TO BE SURE THAT WE DON'T DO SOMETHING THAT'S UNINTENTIONALLY DISCRIMINATING IN SOME WAY.
AND, UH, THAT THESE FEDERAL GUIDELINES ARE THE FLOOR, NOT THE CEILING, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY.
AND IF I CAN SAY, DR. BURNETT, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
I, AND NOW THAT I'VE GOTTEN THROUGH MY PRESENTATION, I DID JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT AND TELL YOU THAT IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO BE A PART OF THIS BOARD WITH YOU, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT A PART OF THE BOARD.
BUT IT FEELS LIKE THAT
SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT,
[6.2. Discussion of the Capital Interlocal Agreements with CapMetro]
UM, UM, A ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.UM, A DISCUSSION OF UPCOMING INTERLOCAL GRANT AGREEMENTS WITH CAP METRO AND SPECIFICALLY THE NEAR TERM CAPITAL AGREEMENTS TO IMPLEMENT PROJECT CADETS, METRO RAPID AND REDLINE PROJECTS WITH OUR VERY OWN, BRANDON CARR, AUSTIN TRENT, PARTNERSHIPS DEPUTY COUNCIL.
UM, THE REASON WE'RE HERE TODAY IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN UPDATE BECAUSE AT LAST MEETING WE SORT OF HINTED THAT WE MIGHT HAVE ONE OF THESE AGREEMENTS READY FOR THIS MONTH.
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO.
SO I JUST WANT TO PROVIDE YOU JUST A QUICK, UH, UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE.
IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO AGAIN, THESE ARE THE LIST OF THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE ANTICIPATE TO BE COMING UP.
THE TOP TWO AGREEMENTS ARE THE CAPITAL AGREEMENTS.
UM, WE DID RECEIVE RED LINES BACK FROM CAPITAL METRO ON THE EXPO IN PLEASANT VALLEY METRO RAPIDS COSTS.
UM, SO WE WILL BE MEETING, UM, WITH CAP METRO TOMORROW TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO FINALIZE THOSE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND GET THOSE READY FOR JULY FOR THE MCCULLOUGH STATION.
UM, WE'RE HOPING AGAIN TO BASE THIS MCCULLOUGH STATION AGREEMENT ON THE EXPO IN PLEASANT VALLEY AGREEMENT, UM, AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO KEEP TERMS CONSISTENT, UM, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND ALSO JUST, UH, FOR INTERPRETATION BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
UM, SO THAT ONE WE HOPE WILL BE SOMETIME LATER THIS SUMMER.
UM, THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT IS, IS A FUTURE AGREEMENT.
THE CITY SUPPORT SERVICES, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE'VE SENT OUT OUR, OUR DRAFT TO THE CITY AND WE'RE STILL WAITING ON, UH, COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK FROM THE CITY.
AND WE DID RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS ON THE CAP METRO SUPPORT SERVICES.
UH, WE WERE ASKED TO KIND OF REVAMP SOME THINGS.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THAT, UM, AND GETTING THAT BACK TO CAP METRO.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE UPDATE FOR THE, UH, UPCOMING AGREEMENTS.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, SIR.
SO THERE ANY OTHER, ANYTHING ELSE, ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO BRING TO THE FORE AS WE CONCLUDE THE MEETING?
[01:20:02]
MADAM CHAIR, I'M SUPER GRATEFUL FOR ZOOM AND ALL THAT'S THE SILVER LINING IN THIS MOMENT THAT WE CAN, UM, ZOOM PEOPLE IN FROM, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE, OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.SO I, AS WE CONCLUDE THE, UM, JUNE A TP BOARD MEETING, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK, UH, GREG AND ALL OF THE STAFF.
UM, CLEARLY A LOT OF WORK GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES TO, TO KEEP THIS MOVING AND THAT'S, THAT DOESN'T GO UN RECOGNIZED OR UNSEEN.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE A MOMENT TO, YOU KNOW, TO PUT THAT AS A MATTER OF THE RECORD, THAT THERE'S JUST A LOT OF GREAT THINGS HAPPENING AND IT IS A BITTERSWEET MOMENT FOR ME.
UH, THANK YOU VERONICA, FOR HAVING ME UP HERE AS THE CHAIR.
I WANNA JUST, YOU KNOW, ZOOM THROUGH MY LAST MEETING, UM, UM, AND BE AN OBSERVER.
BUT THIS HAS BEEN A PLEASURE AND IT'S VERY SYMBOLIC FOR ME AT THE CARVER.
UM, TALKING, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT JACKIE WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE THINGS THAT, UM, COURTNEY WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THIS HAS TRULY BEEN A, A, A BLESSING.
AND I AM GONNA BE ON THAT INAUGURAL AND I WON'T BE ON A CANE.
SO WE GOTTA
SO AT THIS TIME, I WANNA, UM, THANK THE BOARD FOR, UH, ALLOWING ME TO SERVE WITH YOU IN SUCH A SPECIAL WAY.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PROGRESS.
SO IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS, THOUGHTS, OR QUESTIONS, UH, THE MEETING OF THE A TB BOARD STANDS ADJOURNED AT 3:27 PM THANK YOU.