Solicitation No CLMC804 Prime Subs San Antonio St. Chilled Water Distribution Extension (MH) Santa Clara Construction, Ltd. (MB) Earthco Landscape Construction, LLC (MA) Benqwest, LLC (FW) Compliance Resources, Inc. (FW) S&R Investments, Inc. Non-M/WBE Subs Total CLMC803 Prime Subs CLMB333 Prime Prime Prime Prime Prime Prime Prime Prime CLMP296 Prime Subs CLMC800 Prime Subs CLMA038 Prime Subs St. Elmo Cheatham Building Renovations Balfour Beatty Construction, LLC (MB) Ceda-Tex Svcs, Inc. (MH) Mario L. Carlin Management, LLC (FW) NEIHI Glass, Inc. Non-M/WBE Subs Total 2020 Job Order Contract (JOC) Brown & Root Industrial Services, LLC Jamail & Smith Construction, LP Warden Construction Corporation Hensel Phelps Construction Co. Alpha Building Corporation Centennial Contractors Enterprises, Inc. (MH) Veliz Company, LLC Basic IDIQ, Inc. Urban Trails Plan and Sidewalk/ADA Transition Update Toole Design Group, LLC (MB) Reach Out Austin! (MB) A Drone's Eye View, LLC (MH) Altura Solutions, LP (MH) Cultural Strategies, Inc. (MA) Asakura Robinson Company, LLC (FW) MWM Design Group, Inc. Transportation Safety and Mobility Improvements IDIQ (MH) Muniz Concrete & Contracting, Inc. (MB) Robert E Ashford (MB) Avery's Lawn Care & Landscaping, LLC (MH) Pena's Traffic Services, LLC (MA) Benqwest, LLC (FH) Austin Constructors, LLC Non-M/WBE Subs Total Mueller Energy Center Chiller Capacity Addition Stellar Energy Americas, Inc. (MB) HVJ Associates, Inc. (MH) Garza EMC, LLC (MH) Casabella Architects (MA) Aptus Engineering, LLC (MA) Encotech Engineering Consultants, Inc. (FA) KWH Engineering, LLC (FW) Studio Balcones, LLC (FW) MWM Design Group, Inc. (FW) Dickensheets Design Associates, LLC (FW) Baer Engineering & Environmental Consulting, Inc. (FW) Balcones Geotechnical, LLC Non-M/WBE Subs Total # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Goal Information SG MG No Goals Compliant Compliant Compliant Compliant Compliant Compliant Compliant Compliant SG MG SG MG SG MG SG GFE SG MG SG MG Cost Estimate Award Amount Prime MBE AA H A/NA WBE DBE SMBR Liaison Project Manager Dept Goals Met Type John W. Smith Richard Duane Austin Energy Yes Construction Item 3b1 Council Date 10/1/2020 FY21 Council Awards Report October 2020 MBE/ WBE $6,000,000 $4,322,891 75.88 10.81 2.70 2.73 2.73 0.34 0.36 0.36 SG GFE $1,200,000 $1,247,733 27.58 2.47 7.43 7.43 3.24 2.91 2.91 1.51 0.00 1.88 6.72 John W. Smith Andrew Clements Public Works 10/1/2020 No Construction $2,178,568 John Smith Kevin Benson 10/1/2020 Yes Construction Capital Contracting $1,000,000 51.30 9.00 11.00 4.90 20.00 15.80 15.80 Rachelle Delouis Craig McColloch Public Works 10/1/2020 Yes Professional $2,000,000 $2,500,000 …
Disparity Study Next Steps Consultant Data Analysis Study Presented to COA Internal Stake Holder Briefings SMBR Staff Session COA Executive Session COA General Session External Stake Holder Briefings M/WBE Advisory Committee (July Mtg) MTAs, Chambers & Minority Organizations M/WBE Small Business Session Prime Consultant Stakeholder Session Prime Contractor Stakeholder Session Submit to City Council Procurement Working Group Sept.2020 – May 2021 May 2021 June 2021 June-July 2021 August 2021 August/September 2021
October 15, 2020 City of Austin P.O. Box 1088 Austin, TX 78767 Reference: City of Austin Disparity Study Council Member, I wanted to contact you directly regarding the current City of Austin Disparity Study. The stated purpose of this research was to compile evidence regarding challenges and needed remedies for the current W/MBE program. I’d like to share some information with you directly regarding the impact of the current system. ECM is a Project Delivery firm with offices in Austin and El Paso and successful projects across the state. We are Project and Construction Managers serving as owners’ representatives on construction projects for city leaders for 37 years. We are considered a Professional Services firm and are procured through and RFQ process. The ECM staff consists of architects, engineers, builders and other construction-related professionals and numbers in the low sixties. We are considered a small, minority business in nearly all of the markets where we operate. While the capital city is a key market for the firm, the City of Austin (COA) is the notable exception to our state-wide minority business designation. The “Personal Net Worth” component of Austin’s minority business definition excludes us from competition as a minority (prime) firm. This policy eliminates local business opportunities and forces us to compete against large, national, and international firms. These organizations often boast a workforce that is hundreds (or even thousands) of times larger than ours. While we know that we are a highly-capable firm, it is sometimes difficult to compete head-to-head on a “level playing field” with these global giants. Under the current City of Austin minority definition, once a minority business reaches the Personal Net Worth ceiling, they are no longer eligible for the minority designation. Once this happens, the small firm that has grown in experience, capabilities and value to the city is pushed out and replaced by a new crop of inexperienced companies filling the procurement vacuum. This in fact makes the owner (City of Austin) a revolving door that educates and graduates firms, never really taking advantage of the investment that they’ve made in nurturing each of these organizations. Raising or eliminating the PNW ceiling will allow these (still small) firms to continue providing experience and professional services to the city and satisfying the intended purpose providing opportunities to small minority businesses while receiving quality services for the taxpayers. In terms of consistency, it should be …
City of Austin – Minority Participation Comparison of MBE/WBE Programs vs. other Cities And resulting MBE/WBE spend since the 2015 Disparity Study Jan 31st 2021 Position on Minority Participation - Both the US Hispanic Contractor’s Association and the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have identified “Increasing Minority Participation” for our members as a key initiative for 2019/2020 and will work diligently to advocate on our members behalf ensuring we put forth our best efforts to increase the percentage of contracts awarded to minority/women-owned businesses - Collectively, we support approximately 1,800 local business members in the Greater Austin area, the majority whom are small minority/women-owned businesses. Approximate membershipGreater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce600 U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association1,200 Subtotal1,800 The City of Austin’s Aspirational Goals - The City of Austin has some of the most ambitious goals in the state when it comes to Minority participation….second only to San Antonio. - The Question is whether the structural elements of the program allow MBEs/WBEs to succeed vs. these aspirational goals. - Let’s see what the data says….. Minority Participation GoalsFortSan DallasWorthHoustonAntonioAustinConstruction25.0%25.0%34.0%44.0%41.2%Professional Services36.3%15.0%24.0%40.0%47.4%Architectural/Engineering25.7%15.0%n/a31.0%n/aGoods/Commodities18.0%25.0%11.0%42.0%13.2%Other Services23.8%n/an/a55.0%43.2%Highest2nd HighestSource: City Code 2-9A-19 2015 Disparity Study 2015 COA Disparity Study Key Findings Before we dive into the data…let’s understand what was recommended previously by the previous Disparity studies… Executive Summary – Section F – Paragraph 1. Minorities and Women Chapter III demonstrates that current M/WBE availability levels in the City of Austin’s market area, as measured in Chapter II, are substantially lower in most instances than those that we would expect to observe if commercial markets operated in a race- and gender-neutral manner and that these levels are statistically significant. In other words, minorities and women are substantially and significantly less likely to own their own businesses as the result of discrimination than would be expected based upon their observable characteristics, including age, education, geographic location and industry. We find that these groups also suffer: - - whether they work as employees or entrepreneurs. substantial and significant earnings disadvantages relative to comparable nonminority males, The 2015 City of Austin’s Disparity Study identified that we have an issue that has existed for a significant period of time that required action and changes in policy. 2015 COA Disparity Study – Key Recommendations The 3rd party (i.e. Consultant) recommendations in the 2015 Disparity study were extensive….these are a few of the key recommendations that we thought as having the potential for …
MBE/WBE and Small Business Enterprise Procurement Program Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Tuesday – March 2, 2021 The MBE/WBE and Small Business Enterprise Procurement Program Advisory Committee convened in a Regular meeting on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 via videoconference. CALL TO ORDER Committee Chair, Eliza May calls meeting to order at 5:32pm. BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Eliza May (Chair), Reginald World (Vice-Chair), Lena Banks, Daniel Berner, Usha Boddapu, Barbra Boeta, Tina Cannon, Schiller Liao, Ahmed Moledina CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL There were no speakers. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes for the regular meeting of February 2, 2020 were considered for approval. The minutes were approved on a motion by Committee Member, Schiller Liao and seconded by Committee Member, Ahmed Moledina. Minutes approved on an 8-0 vote. 2. NEW BUSINESS For discussion and possible action on recommendations to City Council (City Code § 2-1-163(B)) regarding the following: a. Discussion and appropriate action regarding information on the City’s MBE/WBE participation and usage; and the use of a Personal Net Worth (PNW) and the Economic Disadvantage definition in the MBE/WBE Procurement Program. • Frank Fuentes and Salvador Chavarria of the US Hispanic Contractors Association (USHCA) and Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce both presented on this item. o One of their key goals is to increase minority participation of their members. Have been working on this goal for about two years. They represent over 1800 businesses in Austin ranging from construction firms, IT firms, professional firms, and commodity firms. o Reviewed Austin’s certification process compared to the other four municipalities. Austin is the only city that does not accept certificates from other regional organizations. Many of our members have their regional MBEs and state HUBs but no COA MBE. Page 1 of 10 o Austin imposes a personal net worth (PNW) limit for any owners of any business that have MBE/WBE certification. o The payment process on contracts, lack of reciprocity with certification, and firm size limits have considerably decreased the pool of MBE/WBE firms. o Our recommendations are as follows: Eliminate Personal Net Worth cap and support immediate State HUB reciprocity for City projects while firms recertify. Expand pool of MBE/WBE firms prior to the new Disparity Study, then revise the program once the Disparity Study is completed. Request City Council to drive accountability to increase MBE/WBE/SBE participation as part of the COVID-19 economic recovery plan. Create quarterly reports and present …
Regular Meeting ZONING & PLATTING COMMISSION Tuesday, February 2, 2021 The Zoning & Platting Commission convened in a meeting on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 @ http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Chair Kiolbassa called the Commission Meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Commission Members in Attendance: Cesar Acosta Ana Aguirre – Secretary Nadia Barrera-Ramirez – Vice-Chair Timothy Bray Jim Duncan Bruce Evans David King Jolene Kiolbassa – Chair Ann Denkler – Parliamentarian Ellen Ray Hank Smith EXECUTIVE SESSION (No public discussion) The Zoning & Platting Commission will announce it will go into Executive Session, if necessary, pursuant to Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, to receive advice from Legal Counsel on matters specifically listed on this agenda. The Commission may not conduct a closed meeting without the approval of the city attorney. Private Consultation with Attorney – Section 551.071 CITIZEN COMMUNICATION The first four (4) speakers signed up prior to the speaker registration deadline will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of minutes from January 19, 2021. Motion to approve the minutes from January 19, 2021 was approved on the consent agenda on the motion by Commissioner King, seconded by Commissioner Evans on a vote of 11-0. B. PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. Rezoning: Location: Owner/Applicant: Agent: Request: Staff Rec.: Staff: C14-2020-0139 - Cullen & Ralph Ablanedo; District 2 8811 Cullen Lane and 203 Ralph Ablanedo Drive, Onion Creek Watershed Rhodes #4 LLC (Gary Rhodes); Chris E. Clearman Drenner Group PC (Amanda Swor) CS-CO; GR-MU-CO to GR-MU Recommended Wendy Rhoades, 512-974-7719, wendy.rhoades@austintexas.gov Housing and Planning Department Public Hearing closed. Motion to grant Staff’s recommendation of GR-MU combining district zoning for C14-2020-0139 - Cullen & Ralph Ablanedo located at 8811 Cullen Lane and 203 Ralph Ablanedo Drive was approved on the consent agenda on the motion by Commissioner King, seconded by Commissioner Evans was approved on the consent agenda on a vote of 11-0. 2. Zoning and Rezoning: Location: Owner/Applicant: Agent: Request: Staff Rec.: Staff: C814-04-0187.02.SH - Goodnight Ranch PUD - 2nd Amendment; District 2 East side of Old Lockhart Highway between Nuckols Crossing Road and Capitol View Drive, Onion Creek / Marble Creek Watersheds Austin Goodnight Ranch, L.P.; MVE Venture, Ltd.; Benchmark Land Development, Inc. (Terry Mitchell) Austin Goodnight Ranch, L.P. (Myra Goepp); Alice Glasco Consulting (Alice Glasco) I-SF-2; PUD to PUD, to change conditions of zoning Postponement request …
Versión en español a continuación. Commission on Immigrant Affairs Special Called Meeting Monday, February 1, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs to be held February 1, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (January 31, 2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the February 1, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512-972-5117 or sinying.chan@austintexas.gov no later than noon, January 31, 2021. The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sinying.chan@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Commission on Immigrant Affairs FECHA de la reunion (Lunes, Febrero 1, 2021) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Enero 31, 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de junta en 512-972-5117 o sinying.chan@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que se utilizará para llamar ). …
Versión en español a continuación. Regular Meeting of the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board February 01, 2021 Meeting of the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board to be held February 01, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance by January 31, 2021 by noon. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the Febraury 1st Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison at Amanda Rohlich, at Amanda.Rohlich@austintexas.gov no later than noon Sunday, January 31st. The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. •Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to Amanda.Rohlich@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch- atxn-live Reunión del Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board FECHA de la reunion 1 de febrero de 2021 u por otra correo pueden folletos enviarse electrónico reunión se información La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (31 de enero de 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en Amanda.Rohlich@austintexas.gov, (512) 974-1364 a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). La información requerida es el nombre del orador, los números de artículo sobre los que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutrales, y un número …
Versión en español a continuación. Regular Meeting of the Public Safety Commission February 1, 2021 at 3:00pm Public Safety Commission meeting to be held, February 1, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (January 31, 2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the February 1, 2021 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION Meeting, members of the public must •Call or email the board liaison at (512) 974-5747 or Janet.jackson@austintexas.gov no later than noon, January 31, 2021 (the day before the meeting). The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. •Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to Janet.jackson@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch- atxn-live Reunión del PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION la junta en reunión se residentes pueden ver FECHA de la reunion February 1, 2021 La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (January 31, 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de (512) 974-5747 or Janet.jackson@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). La información requerida es el nombre del orador, los números de artículo sobre los que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutrales, y un número de teléfono o dirección de correo electrónico. • Una vez que se …
Regular Meeting of the Art in Public Places Panel February 1st, 2021 – 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Art in Public Places Panel to be held February 1st, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance, the day before the scheduled meeting, Sunday, January 31 by Noon. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the February 1st Art in Public Places Panel Meeting, residents must: • Contact the panel liaison at 512-974-7841 or anna.bradley@austintexas.gov no later than noon, Sunday, January 31. The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. • Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the panel liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. • Speakers must call in at least 30 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. • Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. • Handouts or other information may be emailed to anna.bradley@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before (Sunday, January 31) the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. Reunión del Art in Public Places Panel FECHA de la reunion (Febrero 1, 2021 – 6:00pm - 7:30pm) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Enero 31, 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los residentes deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en 512-974-7841 o anna.bradley@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). La información requerida es el nombre del orador, los números de artículo sobre los que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutrales, y un número de teléfono o dirección de correo electrónico. • Una vez que se haya llamado o enviado por correo electrónico una solicitud para …
Versión en español a continuación. Music Commission Meeting February 1, 2021, 6:30pm Music Commission meeting to be held February 1, 2021, with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (January 31, by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the February 1 Music Commission Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison at Kimberly.mccarson@austintexas.gov, 512-974-7963 no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to Kimberly.mccarson@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Font Size: 12; Font: Times New Roman; Font Style: Regular Reunión del MUSIC COMMISSION al correo envíe un electrónico enlace de FECHA de la reunion (February 1, 2021, 6:30pm) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (January 31 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o junta en 512-974-7963, la Kimberly.mccarson@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que se utilizará para llamar ). • …
City of Austin – 87th State Legislative Food Policy FOOD POLICY MANAGER CITY OF AUSTIN Policy and Funding DATE FILED TRACK BILL NUMBER AUTHOR Companion TITLE SNAP HB 343 Cain Relating to prohibiting the purchase of certain food and drink items under the supplemental nutrition assistance program. 11/09/20 SNAP HB 319 Springer Relating to work requirements and employment and training services for certain persons receiving benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program. 12/02/20 SNAP HB 701 Walle, Armando 12/02/20 SNAP SNAP SB 224 SB 170 SB 224 Perry and West Blanco, Cesar (F) Perry, Charles 11/09/20 Tax Credit HB 209 Thierry SB 224 HB 701 Relating to simplified certification and recertification requirements for certain persons under the supplemental nutrition assistance program. Relating to simplified certification and recertification requirements for certain persons under the supplemental nutrition assistance program. Study regarding feasibility implementing SNAP simplified certification (companion to HB 701) Relating to a franchise tax credit for entities that establish a grocery store or healthy corner store in a food desert. 11/30/20 Disaster HB 671 Martinez Relating to establishment of the disaster identification system for a declared state of disaster. What’s next? •Participation in Texas Food Policy Roundtable •Tracking local agriculture and food processing bills •SNAP Incentive Working Group • Recommendation from HSSC in October •Planning for extension of COVID 19 emergency feeding programs/funding •Food Policy Board recommendation •Tracking direction of the new USDA secretary
Board/Commission Recommendation Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation: ( ) Austin, TX WHEREAS, the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board advocates for a robust, resilient local food system; and WHEREAS, the harmful effects of climate change, including floods, droughts, heat waves and wildfires, are worsening in the Austin area and around the world; and WHEREAS, the “Global Warming of 1.5 °C” issued in 2018 by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change illustrates that keeping the average global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius will help to avoid severe effects of climate change, including ecosystems collapsing, that will very likely occur if warming reaches 2 degrees Celsius; and WHEREAS food systems currently account for 21-37% of total GHGs, and are at the heart of many of the world’s major challenges today including biodiversity loss, enduring hunger and malnutrition, and an escalating public health crisis; and WHEREAS, communities of color, low-income, and rural populations are most negatively impacted by the existing food system due to systemic racism and structural inequity and face the greatest barriers to accessing healthy, affordable foods, as well as economic opportunity; WHEREAS, COVID-19 has exposed a woefully under-resourced and undeveloped food system in terms of planning, resiliency and coordination, both locally and beyond; and WHEREAS, new and innovative collaborative efforts among government, nonprofits, for-profits, and other feeding organizations are taking a leading role in addressing spikes in food insecurity and creating deeper access and reach into food insecure communities, we still need to identify and further develop effective partnerships with diverse public and private sector organizations that can provide needed capital and infrastructure to financially support collaborations, stimulate the food economy, and improve economic stability and ongoing access; and WHEREAS, The City of Austin with public, private, and community partnerships has invested in critical food system-related initiatives that provide a foundation for developing a robust local food system including: the Good Food Purchasing Program, a comprehensive Food Environment Analysis, a state and local food system-related public policy scan, mapping and protocols for urban agriculture on public lands, updated permitting processes for food production, markets and emergency relief, and investment in food access initiatives with multiplier effects for the local economy (e.g., SNAP enrollment, mobile markets); and WHEREAS, the inclusion of the food system in the Austin Climate Equity Plan is seen as critical to strengthen our local food system in economically, racially, and environmentally just ways; and WHEREAS, …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Austin Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number: (YYYYMMDD‐XXX) (XXX is the agenda item number): Brief Description of the Topic WHEREAS, local and independently owned restaurants are a significant and integral part of the Austin culture, community, and economy; and WHEREAS, more than 50 locally owned Austin restaurants permanently closed in 2020 as a direct result of government mandated operating restrictions enacted in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic; and WHEREAS, Austin restaurant revenues dropped by more than 73% in 2020 and research conducted by the Texas Restaurant Association shows that 62% of restaurant owners expect sales to continue to decrease over the next three months; and WHEREAS, in 2020 the hospitality industry experienced the worst job losses of any sector in the Austin metro area, dropping 24.3%; and WHEREAS, Order No. 20201223‐023 by the Mayor of the City of Austin encourages restaurants to increase the use of drive‐thru, curbside, delivery services, or take‐out services to the extent feasible; and end all dine‐in services; and WHEREAS, the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board is tasked with advising the Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioners' Court on the need to improve the availability of safe, nutritious, locally, and sustainably‐grown food at reasonable prices for all residents, by coordinating the relevant activities of city government NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board requests the Austin City Council to direct the Austin City Manager to create an interdepartmental collaborative to determine the most appropriate location(s) for the pilot program outlined in Exhibit A. Date of Approval: _____________________________ Record of the vote: Attest: _____________________________________________ (Staff or board member can sign) EXHIBIT A A food access program that allows Austin‐based restaurants to use the parking lots of City of Austin and Travis County owned properties as satellite food pick up locations. These central access points will function exclusively as a pickup point for pre‐purchased meals. All transactions will be made in advance of the customer pick up. There will be no food preparation, food consumption, or purchase transactions allowed onsite. The program will prioritize locations that allow for multimodal access – car, bicycle, pedestrian, or public transportation. Program Requirements* 1. Participating restaurants must be insured and have an active Austin/Travis County Food Establishment permit. All meals must be prepared and packaged onsite at the permitted food establishment. 2. Restaurant staff must follow strict COVID‐19 safety guidelines, including …
