Approved Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities Minutes September 12, 2025 MAYOR’S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Friday, September 12, 2025 The Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities convened in a regular meeting on Friday, September 12, 2025, at City Hall, 301 W 2nd St. Room 1101, Austin, Texas. Chair Kelly called the Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities Meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Conor Kelly, Chair Gabriel Arellano Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Elisabeth Meyer, Vice Chair Lisa Chang DeLawnia Comer-HaGans Mickey Fetonte Lynn Murphy Elizabeth Slade Kristen Vassallo PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities regular meeting minutes on August 8, 2025. The motion to approve the minutes from the meeting of August 8, 2025 on Chair Kelly’s motion with no objection passed on an 8-0 vote. Commissioner Fetonte was off the dais. Commissioners Diaz, and Franks were absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 1 Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities Minutes September 12, 2025 2. Staff briefing regarding the therapeutic recreation programs being planned and implemented by Evan Kessler, Recreation Program Supervisor, Austin Parks and Recreation and Rachel Hyde, Recreation Program Supervisor, Austin Parks and Recreation regarding therapeutic recreation programs their budget needs for more accessible therapeutic recreation programs. Presentation postponed until next meeting. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. 4. Presentation by Ann Graham, Liaison, Friends of Elisabet Ney regarding renovation plans for the Elisabet Ney Museum and their plans to make the space more accessible to patrons. Presentation given by Ann Graham, Liaison, Friends of Elisabet Ney. Update regarding the most recent meeting of the Austin Transit Partnership Community Advisory Committee. Discussion was held. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 5. Update from the October 2025 Disability Event Working Group on community outreach and marketing efforts. Update provided by Commissioner Arellano. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. 7. 8. 9. Formation of a working group regarding the expansion of therapeutic recreation program access and the creation of budget recommendations for therapeutic recreation programs within the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. The motion to approve the formation of a working group to expand therapeutic recreation program access and the creation of budget recommendation for therapeutic recreation programs within the Austin Parks and Recreation Department with Vice Chair Meyer and Commissioners Slade and Vassallo as members was approved on Commissioner Vassallo’s motion, Vice Chair Meyer’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioners Diaz and Franks were absent. Formation of a Budget Working Group to discuss and create recommendations about the committee’s budget priorities. Withdrawn. Approve an update to the membership of the AWEbility Festival Working Group. The motion to add community member, Savannah Habaruema to the AWEbility Festival Working Group was approved on Commissioner Arellano’s motion, Chair Kelly’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioners Diaz and Franks were absent. Approve a Recommendation to Council to allocate funds to cover AWEbility Festival costs. The motion to approve a Recommendation to Council to allocate funds to cover AWEbility Festival costs was approved on Chair Kelly’s motion, Commissioner Murphy’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioners Diaz and Franks were absent. 2 Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities Minutes September 12, 2025 10. 11. 12. 13. Approve a Recommendation to Council to develop a marketing strategy for the AWEbility Festival. The motion to approve a Recommendation to Council to develop a marketing strategy for the AWEbility Festival was approved on Chair Kelly’s motion, Commissioner Arellano’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioner Diaz and Franks were absent. Approve a Recommendation to Council to recognize and reward three awardees at the upcoming AWEbility Festival. The motion to approve a Recommendation to Council to recognize and reward three awardees at the upcoming AWEbility Festival was approved on Commissioner Arellano’s motion, Chair Kelly’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioners Diaz and Franks were absent. Approve a Recommendation to Council to request an official letter from the City’s Financial Services Team to verify the City of Austin’s EIN for funding assistance of the AWEbility Festival. Withdrawn. Approve the appointment of a representative from the Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities to review the agendas and report important priorities from the ATP Project Connect Committee. The motion to approve the appointment of a representative from the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities to review the agendas and report important priorities from the ATP Project Connect Committee with Chair Kelly being the representative was approved on Vice Chair Meyer’s motion, Chair Kelly’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioners Diaz and Franks were absent. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Recap of the AWEbility Festival Parks and Recreation Department Report Chair Kelly adjourned the meeting at 6:31 p.m. without objection. The motion to approve the minutes from the September 12, 2025 regular meeting of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities was approved during the November 14, 2025 regular meeting of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities on Chair Kelly’s motion, Commissioner Arellano’s second on a 7-0 vote. Vice Chair Meyer was off dais. Commissioners Fetonte and Slade were absent. 3