Special Meeting of the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board May 11, 2020 Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Meeting to be held May 11, 2020 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 Sunday, May 10th at noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Meeting, residents must: •Call or email the board liaison at 713-824-7335 or Samantha.Night@austintexas.gov no later than noon, Sunday May 10th. 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 Samantha.Night@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. AUSTIN-TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD POLICY BOARD MONDAY, MAY 11TH FROM 1:00 TO 2:30 PM VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING Kara Prior, Vice Chair Felipe Camacho Kacey Hanson Sharon Mays Joi Chevalier Ryan Rosshirt AGENDA CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Karen Magid, Chair Andrea Abel Ellen Sweets Roman Gonzalez Emily Nicola Kara Prior CALL TO ORDER 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2. OLD BUSINESS a. Board Infrastructure & Protocol i. Review Board Members’ meetings with City and County Officials 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Working Group Briefings and Recommendation i. Build Opportunities for Food Entrepreneurs ii. Support Farms & Farmers iii. Food and Climate iv. Healthy Food Access to All Communities i. Discuss and take possible action on recommendations v. Food and Gardens vi. COVID-19 Food System Response i. Discuss and take possible action on recommendations vii. Review of Board Member Assignments FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If …
DRAFT ATCFPB COVID-19 Food System Response - emergency/short-term responses The document with the mid- to long-range policy and budget requests have been separated out to focus the requests on different time-scales. The other document can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zBuK3yHR_1VSD9wFb1PNf3n7h24o6Q-cgPdgZSKAMQc/edit? usp=sharing NOTE: Thank you for your time contributing to this document. Since we are working to have as many voices add to this document as possible, please do not delete verbiage or suggestions. Please use strikethrough (Format -> Type -> Strikethrough) to add comments, suggest edits, and particularly removal/edits of ideas or change to “Suggesting” from “Editing” which is the equivalent to track changes . The COVID-19 outbreak and the responses implemented to mitigate its further spread are disrupting every part of our local food system. Nearly all aspects of the food system from producers, retailers, processors, restaurants, schools, emergency food agencies, and other businesses and institutions have had to transform the way they operate, in many cases shutting down. Most are losing revenue and opportunities that will prevent them from recovering. Food system workers have lost jobs in record numbers, and a number of those jobs will not be available when the crisis lifts. Every household has had to adapt as well, as access to food has become limited and inconsistent, particularly for those already struggling with food insecurity. 1 The Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board works to advocate for a robust, resilient local food system. We have worked to compile this response and recommendations based on the issues and concerns that are being highlighted in the current pandemic circumstances, as well as recommendations and best practices from a variety of stakeholders and other sources to address impact being felt throughout our local food sector. This list is not complete. Given the on-going nature and uncertain duration of this crisis, new and unpredicted issues will continue to come to light. Additionally, with time for analysis when we have emerged from emergency circumstances, more action will be required. However, we have a generational opportunity to use this time of crisis and reflection to bring to life a vision of nourishment and planetary health for all. Every action taken to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, feed people during this crisis, and support and rebuild food system businesses and institutions must include a commitment to ensuring racial and economic equity and recognize that food access is essential to justice. Communities of color, …
Building on the Austin/Travis County Food Policy Board’s (ATCFPB) commitment to strengthening economic vitality, social equity and natural resource protection in our local food system, the Healthy Food Access Working Group (WG) of the ATCFPB chose to prioritize creating processes and tools that center equity in our regional food system. April 13, 2020 PROPOSAL WHEREAS: • The City of Austin (CoA) with regional food system stakeholders participated in a two- day facilitated workshop that explored Food Systems Inequities in the U.S. and Central Texas: Root Causes and Historical Analysis and concluded that those negatively impacted must be involved in all decision-making processes in order to authentically center equity; • 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; • Before COVID-19, more than 1 in 6 Central Texas residents were food insecure, and 20.1% of Travis County residents experienced food insecurity in 2017; • A comprehensive Central Texas Food Regional Food Plan that centers equity aligns with the City and Travis County economic, social, and environmental priorities; • Regional food planning helps integrate the many major local planning functions such as land use, economic development, transportation, environmental sustainability and resilience, parks and recreation, public safety, health and human services, and agricultural preservation; • The timing of an equity-centered Central Texas Regional Food Plan supported by the CoA and Travis County will impact and integrate with planning processes and policy priorities already underway such as the Austin Community Climate Plan and the Land Development Code Revision; • The CoA with public, private, and community partnerships has invested in critical food system-related initiatives that provide a foundation for a regional food plan including: the Good Food Purchasing Program, a comprehensive Food Environment Analysis, a state and local food system-related 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) • Total sales for food retail sector in the Capital Area was nearly $7.6 billion in 2015; • Opportunities for federal and state grant funding may be contingent on a demonstrated commitment at the local level via match funds. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The …
MEETING MINUTES MAY 11, 2020 Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board The Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board (ATCFPB) convened on Wednesday, May 11, 2020 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Board Members in Attendance: Andrea Abel, Felipe Camacho, Joi Chevalier, Emily DeMaria, Kacey Hanson, Kara Prior (Vice-Chair), Karen Magid (Chair), Ryan Rosshirt Absent board members: Roman Gonzalez, Ellen Sweets, Sharon Mays Staff in Attendance: Emily Ackland, Edwin Marty, Sam Night, Amanda Rohlich CALL TO ORDER Board Chair Karen Magid called the meeting to order at 1:05 pm. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL a. Paula McDermott. Suggestion to ask for staffing and funding to meet the great needs to address food system needs highlighted through the COVID-19 pandemic. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM APRIL 15th MEETING Board Member Kara Prior motioned to approve the meeting minutes from April 15, 2020 pending discussed edits, with Board Member Kacey Hanson seconding the motion. Passed on a 7-0 vote. 2. OLD BUSINESS a. Board Infrastructure & Protocol i. Review Board Members’ meetings with City and County Officials i. Karen Magid has a phone call with Sherri Flemming from Travis County to provide update and discuss general funding related to Keep Austin Together 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Working Group Briefings and Recommendation i. ii. iii. iv. Build Opportunities for Food Entrepreneurs – no updates Support Farms & Farmers – Felipe reported that there was no meeting and nothing to report. Met with Noel Trotsky about Travis County planning. Food and Climate – Office of Sustainability created webinar presentation. Karen will share with full board for review. Food and Gardens – no updates The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Edwin Marty, Office of Sustainability at 512-974-2120, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Food Policy Board please contact Edwin Marty at 512-974-2120 v. Healthy Food Access to All Communities – Kacey Hanson shared that no updates have been made to the recommendation since the April meeting. The recommendation is ready for board action. Board Member Joi Chevalier joined the meeting at 1:30 pm Board Member Emily de Maria left the meeting at 1:45 …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Austin Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number: 20200511 – 3.a.iv.i_Funding for Food and Equity WHEREAS, The City of Austin (CoA) with regional food system stakeholders participated in a two‐day facilitated workshop that explored Food Systems Inequities in the U.S. and Central Texas: Root Causes and Historical Analysis and concluded that those negatively impacted must be involved in all decision‐ making processes in order to authentically center equity; 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, Before COVID‐19, more than 1 in 6 Central Texas residents were food insecure, and 20.1% of Travis County residents experienced food insecurity in 2017; WHEREAS, A comprehensive Central Texas Food Regional Food Plan that centers on equity aligns with the City and Travis County economic, social, and environmental priorities; WHEREAS, Regional food planning helps integrate the many major local planning functions such as land use, economic development, transportation, environmental sustainability and resilience, parks and recreation, public safety, health and human services, and agricultural preservation; WHEREAS, the timing of an equity‐centered Central Texas Regional Food Plan supported by the CoA and Travis County will impact and integrate with planning processes and policy priorities already underway such as the Austin Community Climate Plan and the Land Development Code Revision; WHEREAS, The CoA with public, private, and community partnerships has invested in critical food system‐related initiatives that provide a foundation for a regional food plan 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) WHEREAS, Total sales for food retail sector in the Capital Area was nearly $7.6 billion in 2015; WHEREAS, Opportunities for federal and state grant funding may be contingent on a demonstrated commitment at the local level via match funds. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board recommends that the City of Austin and Travis County support and fund the convening of community partners led by a Community Advisory Board, made up of community members impacted …
