REGULAR MEETING OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 6:00 PM PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ROOM 1406, 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DR., AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Asian American Quality of Life Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch- atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Chelsea Pfeifer at chelsea.pfeifer@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2498. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Padmini Jambulapati, Chair Sarah Chen Zachary Dolling Hugh Li Bhumika Purohit Nayer Sikder CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Nirali Thakkar, Vice-Chair Sarah Xiyi Chen Hanna Huang Ahmed Moledina Alpha Shrestha Kuo Yang The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission regular meeting on August 18, 2026. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. 3. Staff briefing regarding Varsity Generation Programming and Austin’s aging Asian American community. Presentation by Kelly Maltsberger, Assistant Director, Austin Parks and Recreation and Jesus Aguirre, Director, Austin Parks and Recreation. Staff briefing regarding facilities updates to the Asian American Resource Center (AARC). Presentation by Darrell Alexander, Director, Austin Facilities Management. 4. Staff briefing regarding the Creative Reset II Initiative and the AARC. Presented by Candice Cooper, Chief Administrative Officer, Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. 6. Approve a nomination of stakeholder member to the Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission. Approve a nomination to the Joint Inclusion Committee. WORKING GROUP UPDATE 7. Update from Community Engagement Working group regarding community organizations, groups and companies representing or partnering with Asian American communities in Austin. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or …
Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Tuesday, August 18, 2026 The Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission convened in a regular meeting on Tuesday, January 18, 2026, at 301 W. 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Jambulapati called the Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission Meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE: Padmini Jambulapati, Chair Alka Bhanot COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE REMOTELY: Nirali Thakkar, Vice Chair Aasiyah Baig Sarah Chen Bhumika Purohit Alpha Shrestha Nayer Sikder PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Jelina Tunstill- Community Advancement Network APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission regular meeting on July 16, 2026. The minutes from the Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission regular meeting on July 16, 2026 were approved on Vice Chair Thakkar’s motion, Commissioner Chen’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioner Sikder was off the dais. Commissioners Dolling, Huang, Li and Yang were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. Presentation by SAFE Alliance regarding public health services. Presented by Dani Fletcher, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, SAFE Allliance. The presentation was made by Dani Fletcher, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, SAFE Alliance. Presentation by Indie Meme regarding programming and partnership opportunities. Presented by Radhika Malhotra, Executive Director, Indie Meme. ASIAN AMERICAN QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, August 18, 2026 The presentation was made by Radhika Malhotra, Executive Director, Indie Meme. 4. Discussion regarding the Lever of Economic Mobility Index reflection. Discussed. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Approve the creation of a working group regarding identifying engagement opportunities. The motion to approve the creation of a working group regarding identifying engagement opportunities was made by Vice Chair Thakkar, seconded by Commissioner Chen on a 10-0 vote. Commissioners Dolling, Huang, Li and Yang were absent. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 6. 7. Update from the AARC Working Group regarding updates from the last meeting. The update was given by Vice Chair Thakkar and Chair Jambulapati. Update from the Joint Inclusion Committee regarding sharing goals and focus areas. The update was given by Vice Chair Thakkar. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Approve an Alternate representative for the Joint Inclusion Committee. Presentation from Austin Parks and Recreation regarding Senior Programs serving the aging Asian American community. Presentation from Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment regarding the Creative Reset. Chair Jambulapati adjourned the meeting at 7:20 p.m. without objection. 2
AFM-AACME Facility Management Facility Management, Building Services, and AARC Support September 2026 What sites from ACME has AFM acquired in the last year? Budgetary Changes & Staffing Transitioned Facilities Facility Operator Facility Manager Facility Name Site Added to AFM Management Portfolio Square Feet ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME ACME AFM Mexican American Cultural Center AFM Asian American Resource Center AFM Carver Museum AFM Carver Genealogy Center AFM Doughtery Arts Center AFM Millenium Youth Complex AFM African American Cultural Facility AFM Dedrick-Hamilton House AFM Montopolis Negro School AFM O Henery AFM Susanna Dickinson AFM Elisabet Ney AFM Zilker Hillside AFM Umlauf Museum AFM Old Bakery AFM Renaissance Artist Market AFM Conelly-Yerwood 1-Oct-25 1-Oct-25 1-Oct-25 1-Oct-25 1-Oct-25 1-Oct-25 1-Oct-25 1-Oct-25 1-Oct-26 1-Oct-26 1-Oct-26 1-Oct-26 1-Oct-26 1-Oct-26 1-Oct-26 1-Oct-26 1-Oct-26 56,241 11,700 36,000 1,890 24,600 55,000 5,100 1,114 2,750 1,327 1,935 4,000 7,250 8,000 7,480 NA 1,500 FY25-26 8 Facilities (including AARC) ~191,645 sq ft FY26-27 9 Facilities (As of Oct 1, 2026) ~34,242 sq ft ~225,887 Total Square Feet AARC comprises 5.18% of ACME’s total facility square footage 3 Transitioned Personnel ACME STAFFING BUDGET CURRENT STATUS 7.75 FTEs Transferred from APR to AFM in FY25 $632,224 Annual budget associated with transferred positions All Filled One position was vacant at the time of transition 6.00 FTEs Added to AFM via City Budget process in FY26 $530,382 Annual budget associated with positions All Filled 13.75 Total FTEs $1,162,606 Total ACME Personnel Budget Positions support services across ACME facilities No transferred or additional FTEs are dedicated exclusively to AARC. 4 Transition Costs through 2026 Expenses were primarily supported by the Facilities Management Fund, with select purchases funded through the Support Services Fund. $0 in operational funds were received during the transition. ACME PORTFOLIO AARC FACILITY AARC SHARE ~ $705,100 Spent/ Encumbered ~$127,120 Spent/ Encumbered ~19% of ACME Total AARC SPECIFIC FACILITY EXPENSES HVAC PLUMBING SECURITY EQUIPMENT $92,804.00 (Leak, Compressor, Condensers, ballroom issues, VRF, Coolers) $22,914.26 (Water Main Leak, Water Heater) $13,601.00 (Entech Sales & System Service) 5 Upcoming FY27 Budget $2,300,304 Total ACME Budget $104,918 Dedicated AARC Expense $87,000 Planned AARC Budget ~3.8% of AFM budget for AARC One-time Expense Covers: Audiovisual equipment Budget Covers: Personnel Contracted Goods & Services Utilities Does not include: HVAC PMs Landscaping Carpet Replacement 6 What facility and management services does AFM provide? Services & Site Coordination …
The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities and Museums Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment July 2026 Why Now? Austin Has Changed. Our Cultural System Must Change With It. ▪ Austin's population continues to grow and diversify. ▪ Community expectations have shifted from simply preserving facilities to actively programming and activating them. ▪ Residents expect welcoming, accessible, vibrant public spaces that are open, responsive, and community-centered. ▪ The Creative Reset presented an opportunity to rethink how our facilities operate, not just maintain the status quo. Emma S Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center 2 Our Community Spaces Cultural Centers and Entertainment Complex Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex African American Cultural & Heritage Facility + Dedrick Hamilton House Asian American Resource Center Connelly-Yerwood “Pink” House Emma S Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural + Genealogy Center Museums and Art Center Montopolis Negro School Zilker Hillside Theater Dougherty Arts Center Elisabet Ney Museum UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum Susanna Dickinson Museum O. Henry Museum Old Bakery & Emporium 23rd Street Renaissance Artist Market 3 Our Approach The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities and Museums Beverly Sheffield Hillside Theater Our Approach We designed this process around listening. Community Engagement Internal Assessment Staff Visioning Site Identity Exercise Operational Review Recommendations Implementation Plan Evaluation 5 Nearly a year of engagement ensured that our recommendations reflect both community priorities and operational realities. Elisabeth Ney Museum 6 Community: What We Heard The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities and Museums ACME Creative Reset Engagement Community: What We Heard Activate our facilities More activity, more energy, more opportunities. Expand partnerships Collaborate with artists, nonprofits, schools, and community organizations. Improve customer experience Create welcoming, consistent, easy-to-access spaces. Reduce barriers Simplify processes and increase accessibility. Celebrate each site's unique identity Honor history while creating new opportunities. Brush Square Pun-Off Event 8 Staff: What We Learned The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities and Museums Dougherty Arts Center Staff: What We Learned ▪ Staff are passionate and deeply committed to serving the community. ▪ Operational processes vary significantly across facilities. ▪ Administrative responsibilities often limit time available for programming and community engagement. ▪ Greater collaboration, shared services, and consistent expectations can improve efficiency while preserving each site's unique identity. ▪ Our facilities are aging. Staff Engagement Event 10 Our New Operating Model The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities …
