REGULAR MEETING OF THE COMMISSION ON AGING WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2026, 12:00 P.M. AUSTIN CITY HALL, BOARDS & COMMISSIONS ROOM 301 W 2ND ST AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 Some members of the Commission on Aging may be participating by videoconference. 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, call or email Ryan Sperling, 512-974-3568, Ryan.Sperling@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Richard Bondi, Chair Teresa Ferguson, Vice Chair Suzanne Anderson Martin Kareithi Faith Lane Fred Lugo Judi Nudelman Agnieszka Ozarowski Jennifer Scott Luan Tran Preston Tyree Henry Van de Putte Selina Yee Xiaoyi Zeng AGENDA Proclamation for AGE of Central Texas’ 40th Anniversary – Presented by Councilmember Marc Duchen CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 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 Commission on Aging regular meeting of June 10, 2026. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Update on a timeline for finalizing Age Friendly Action Plan 2026-2030. Briefing by Halana Kaleel, Community Engagement Specialist, and Nicole Alexander, Age Friendly Austin Program Coordinator, Austin Public Health. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. Update on the July staff report to the Age Friendly Advisory Committee. 4. Discussion regarding the Age Friendly Action Plan Focus Area Two. 5. Update regarding the status of the proclamation recommendations approved at the June 10, 2026 meeting. 6. Discussion regarding the Commission on Aging’s 2026 Annual Internal Review and Report. 7. Discussion on the June 24th Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) meeting, including Levers of Economic Mobility Index, briefing on the Human Rights Impact Review, new Equity Officer Dr. Joseph Allen, Austin Police Department (APD) Collective Sex Crimes Unit and discussion of APD engagement with the JIC, and newly established Native American and Indigenous Quality of Life Commission. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 8. Discussion reviewing the commission’s working groups, and possible action to change working group membership. 9. Discussion regarding commission priorities for Age Friendly Action Plan Focus Areas One, and possible action to approve a list of priorities. 10. Discussion and possible action …
COMMISSION ON AGING MINUTES REGULAR MEETING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2026 The Commission on Aging convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Austin City Hall, Boards and Commissions Room 1101, 301 W 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Bondi called the Commission on Aging Meeting to order at 12:07 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Richard Bondi (Chair) Fred Lugo Judi Nudelman Henry Van de Putte Xiaoyi Zeng Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Teresa Ferguson (Vice Chair) Suzanne Anderson Faith Lane Jennifer Scott Preston Tyree Selina Yee PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Commission on Aging regular meeting of May 13, 2026. The minutes of the May 13, 2026 meeting were approved on Commissioner Nudelman’s motion, Commissioner Van de Putte’s second on an 11-0 vote. Commissioner Kareithi was off the dais. Commissioner Tran was absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Review of Age Friendly Action Plan Focus Area 1 and discussion about actions the commission can take to support the Age Friendly Action Plan Focus Area 1. Item 2 was taken up after Item 16 without objection. Discussion was held. 1 3. Discussion regarding the commission’s 2025 Annual Internal Review & Report. Discussion was held. 4. Update on topics discussed at the May 27th Joint Inclusion Committee meeting. Update by Chair Bondi. 5. Update on the progress of recommendations 20251210-008: Older Adult Icon on City Demographer Website and 20260311-009: Addressing the Digital Divide for Older Adults. Update by Chair Bondi. 6. Presentation regarding the Westminster CARES Foundation. Presentation by Charles Borst, Executive Director, Westminster. The presentation was made by Charles Borst, Executive Director, Westminster. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 7. Approve a recommendation to Council for a proclamation on Social Wellness Month. The recommendation to Council for a proclamation on Social Wellness Month was approved on Commissioner Van de Putte’s motion, Commissioner Lugo’s second on a 12- 0 vote. Commissioner Tran was absent. 8. Approve a recommendation to Council for a proclamation on National Wellness Month. The recommendation to Council for a proclamation on National Wellness Month was approved on Commissioner Tyree’s motion, Commissioner Nudelman’s second on a 12-0 vote. Commissioner Tran was absent. 9. Approve a recommendation to Council for a proclamation on Implicit Bias Awareness Day The recommendation to Council for a proclamation on Implicit Bias Awareness Day was approved on Commissioner Van de Putte’s motion, Commissioner Nudelman’s second on an 11-0 vote. …
Commission on Aging Meeting July 8, 2026 Draft Timeline to Finalize and Submit the new Age-Friendly Action Plan: The final draft of the 2026-2030 AFA Plan is complete The plan is currently under review by the Commission on Aging and other key partners. We anticipate the Commission on Aging will approve the new AFA Action Plan in August 2026, after which it will be sent to the Austin City Council for final approval.
Commission on Aging Build, Bridge, and Champion Framework for the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan (2026–2030) The Commission on Aging adopts the following Build, Bridge, and Champion Framework to guide its work in support of the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan (2026–2030). The Commission recognizes the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan as the City’s primary roadmap for advancing the health, independence, engagement, inclusion, mobility, housing security, economic security, and overall quality of life of older adults. Since the creation of the original Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan in 2016, the Commission on Aging has played a central role in identifying priorities, engaging community stakeholders, and advancing Austin’s efforts to become a more age-friendly city. As the Age-Friendly Austin initiative has matured, the Commission’s role has evolved to focus on advancing key strategies within the Action Plan, fostering collaboration among partners, elevating the voices of older adults, and promoting accountability for results. The Commission further recognizes that City Council’s adoption of Resolution No. 20250605-084 marked a significant expansion of the City’s commitment to older adults by directing all City departments to incorporate age-friendly principles into their work, designate departmental points of contact, and participate in implementation of the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan. This increased citywide engagement creates new opportunities for collaboration, coordination, and implementation across City departments and community partners while reinforcing the Action Plan as the City’s guiding framework for advancing the well-being of older adults. Accordingly, the Commission adopts the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan as its primary organizing framework and the principal basis for establishing its priorities, activities, and areas of focus during the 2026–2030 planning period. Through the Build, Bridge, and Champion Framework, the Commission will focus its efforts on advancing selected strategies within the Action Plan, supporting implementation by City departments and community partners, acting as a force multiplier, and helping ensure that the needs and perspectives of older adults remain central to City decision-making. The Commission views its selected Build, Bridge, and Champion strategies not as a comprehensive list of all issues affecting older adults, but as the areas where the Commission believes it can have the greatest impact during the 2026–2030 planning period. Page 1 of 3 Commission on Aging Build, Bridge, and Champion Framework for the Age-Friendly Austin Action Plan (2026–2030) The Build, Bridge, and Champion strategies adopted by the Commission for each Age- Friendly Austin Action Plan Focus Area shall collectively constitute the Commission’s Age- Friendly Austin …
Draft Age Friendly Austin Action Plan: 2026-2030 Last Updated: June 8, 2026 Focus Area Two: Health, Mobility, and Accessibility Aligns with Domains: 8-Community & Health Services, 2-Transportation, and 1-Outdoors Spaces & Buildings Goal 1: Increase awareness and access to health, safety, and accessibility resources. Objective 1: Reduce use of non-urgent emergency services among seniors. Strategy 1: Support and increase capacity of the Senior Home Safety Program. Partners: Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS), Commission on Aging, Austin Fire, Austin Police. Deadline: 2029 Metric: Year-over-year % decrease in non-injury fall calls for residents 55+. Strategy 2: Develop partnerships to recruit and train volunteers to conduct initial basic home assessments. Partners: University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, ATCEMS, Austin-Travis County Medical Reserve Corps. Deadline: 2029 Metrics: # of partnerships developed. # of assessments completed by volunteers annually. Strategy 3: Implement senior specific pop-up resource clinics. Partners: ATCEMS, APH Mobile Van Program and Community Health Worker Hub. Deadline: 2029 Metric: # of seniors served annually. Excerpted from: June 8, 2026 version of the Draft Age Friendly Austin Action Plan: 2026-2030 Page 1 of 8 Draft Age Friendly Austin Action Plan: 2026-2030 Last Updated: June 8, 2026 Focus Area Two: Health, Mobility, and Accessibility Aligns with Domains: 8-Community & Health Services, 2-Transportation, and 1-Outdoors Spaces & Buildings Goal 1: Increase awareness and access to health, safety, and accessibility resources. (continued) Objective 2: Reduce the food insecurity score for seniors. Strategy 1: Advocate for increased funding for congregate meal programs at trusted locations of seniors such as senior activity centers, recreation centers, and community centers. Partners: APH, APR, MOWCTX. Deadline: 2029 Metric: # of seniors served at congregate meal sites annually. Strategy 2: Expand home-delivered meal options and grocery delivery programs for home-bound seniors, and seniors living with disabilities. Partners: MOWCTX. Deadline: 2029 Metric: # of home-delivered meals provided to seniors annually. Strategy 3: Distribute multilingual resources on nutritious meal choices through trusted City partners, City spaces most visited by seniors, and Austin Public Health sites and community health workers. Partners: APH, MOWCTX, APL, APR, Central Texas Food Bank. Deadline: 2027 Metric: # of nutrition-related educational resources available in top requested languages (Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean). Excerpted from: June 8, 2026 version of the Draft Age Friendly Austin Action Plan: 2026-2030 Page 2 of 8 Draft Age Friendly Austin Action Plan: 2026-2030 Last Updated: June 8, 2026 Focus Area Two: Health, Mobility, and Accessibility …
Draft Age Friendly Austin Action Plan: 2026-2030 Last Updated: June 8, 2026 Focus Area One: Social Engagement, Connection, & Inclusion Aligns with Domains: 4-Social Participation, 5-Respect & Social Inclusion, 7-Communication & Information Focus Area Two: Health, Mobility, and Accessibility Aligns with Domains: 8-Community & Health Services, 2-Transportation, and 1-Outdoors Spaces & Buildings Focus Area Three: Housing & Economic Security Aligns with Domains: 3-Housing and 6-Civic Engagement & Employment July 6, 2026 Page 1 of 1
Commission on Aging Initial Work Plan for Age Friendly Action Plan Focus Area One Goal 1: Improve access to technology and community information. Item Reach Out to Them Check with AF Staff on Their Plans Do We Need Add’l Info? Possibly Defer to Work Group √ √ √ √ √ √ Connect with Technology Commission to explore common goals Connect with APL to learn about their programming for older adults Connect with Digital Lift, AGE Technology Learning Lab and others to explore common goals Focus on internet access where there are gaps, referring to areas in QoL Study. Investigate the possibility of developing or driving an access map, showing areas where internet service isn’t available to older adults. Investigate the possibility of a lending library, not just laptops and hotspots (e.g., include DME). Use our advisory role through our appointing body to drive additional connectivity. √ √ √ √ √ Due 4Q 2026 4Q 2026 4Q 2026 4Q 2026 2Q 2027 3Q 2027 4Q 2026 Compiled by: Richard Bondi Page 1 of 3 07-06-2026 Commission on Aging Initial Work Plan for Age Friendly Action Plan Focus Area One Goal 2: Reduce social isolation through inclusive, diverse community engagement. Item Reach Out to Them Check with AF Staff on Their Plans Do We Need Add’l Info? Possibly Defer to Work Group Due Expand low-cost and free programming at City recreation and senior centers to reduce financial barriers. Raise awareness of social isolation and loneliness as a community issue(educate policy makers, public). Use our advisory role to advocate through our appointing bodies to drive changes. Ensure we’re staying connecting to our appointing bodies. Reduce social isolation for homebound persons – find organizations that visit people’s homes, develop a toolkit for homebound seniors. Explore where the off ramp is from certain programs like Home Health that transition into actual living focusing on free community-based practices including faith and interfaith communities. √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 4Q 2026 4Q 2026 4Q 2026 4Q 2026 1Q 2027 1Q 2027 Compiled by: Richard Bondi Page 2 of 3 07-06-2026 Commission on Aging Initial Work Plan for Age Friendly Action Plan Focus Area One Goal 3: Integrate older adults into City planning and governance. Item Investigate live streaming our meetings. Research ways to kick-start a Community Ambassador program, possibly with help from Senior/Recreation Center staff and volunteers …
