CITY OF AUSTIN COMMISSION FOR WOMEN REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, February 2, 2022, 12:00 p.m. Austin City Hall, Board & Commission Room, Room 1101 301 West 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78701 Some members of Commission for Women 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 by telephone. Speakers may speak up to three minutes on an item only once either in-person or remotely. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register call or email the board liaison at 512-974-3203 or jonathan.babiak@austintexas.gov. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten (10) speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed three minutes to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. a. Consider approval of the minutes from the Commission for Women regular meeting on a. Discussion and possible action regarding updates from the following working groups: 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES November 3, 2021. 2. OLD BUSINESS i. Homelessness ii. Safety iii. Health iv. Recognition of Equity for Women and Girls b. Discussion and possible action regarding updates from the Joint Inclusion Committee. c. Discussion and possible action regarding 2022 Commission Working Groups. 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Presentation by Melissa Taylor, Vice Chair, City of Austin Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Quality of Life Advisory Commission, followed by discussion and possible action regarding the LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life Study. b. Discussion and possible action regarding selection of members to represent the Commission for Women on the Joint Inclusion Committee. c. Discussion and possible action regarding the City of Austin FY2022 & FY2023 budget. d. Discussion and possible action regarding the 2022 Commission for Women Charter. 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 requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please contact Jonathan Babiak, Office of Civil Rights, at 512-974-3203 or jonathan.babiak@austintexas.gov, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Commission for Women, please contact Jonathan Babiak, Office of Civil Rights, at 512-974-3203 or jonathan.babiak@austintexas.gov.
City of Austin Commission for Women 2022 Charter • Austin will be the most equitable city in the nation for women and girls Vision Mission Definition Values • The Commission for Women serves as an advisory body that advocates for and inspires the city council and city manager to prioritize women’s quality of life, so that Austin becomes the most equitable city in the nation for women and girls. • The Commission for Women defines “women and girls” as individuals who identify as female, including those who are transgender and non-binary. • We prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion • We raise awareness, are a resource, and take action through our expertise on women's issues • We recognize the achievements of women who make an impact on equity • We collaborate among the community and city leadership to accomplish collective goals • We are tenacious and drive results Quality of Life Issues and Priorities for Women and Girls • Economic equity, including access to opportunity, workplace equity, affordability, housing and homelessness, childcare, and non-discrimination (e.g., CEDAW) • Safety, including sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, violence prevention, public safety and policing reform, victim services, and survivor experience • Health, including mental and physical well-being, access to quality and affordable healthcare, menstrual equity, maternal mortality, reproductive and sexual health, and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic • Gender and race equity, including the intersection of disparities across race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation These issues are a priority for the Commission for Women, and they define our work through 2023. We will measure our success on these issues and use them as benchmarks for the quality of life of women and girls. We will collaborate with city departments, community organizations, the Equity Office, and other Commissions (via the Joint Inclusion Committee), particularly regarding issues that affect women and girls of color. We will monitor key City of Austin leadership positions to ensure candidates make these issues a priority. We will champion these issues through recommendations, aligned working groups, budget planning, and recognition of those who advance equity for women and girls. Page 1 City of Austin Commission for Women 2022 Charter 2022 Working Groups & Goals Working Groups 2022 Goals Homelessness Research and recommend actions to address women and children with housing vulnerabilities or experiencing homelessness. Analyze the intersection of homelessness with safety and mental health, including shelter and housing for women …
COMMISSION FOR WOMEN MINUTES The Commission for Women convened for a hybrid regular meeting on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 with Chair Austen at Austin City Hall, 301 West Second Street, Austin, Texas 78701 in Room 1101 and the remaining members participating by videoconference. REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, February 2, 2022 Chair Austen called the Commission Meeting to order at 12:04 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Rebecca Austen, Chair Flannery Bope, Vice Chair Vanessa Bissereth Priscilla Cortez Neva Fernandez Juliana Gonzales Diana Melendez Pam Rattan Josie Serrata Staff in Attendance: Jonathan Babiak, Office of Civil Rights CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Consider approval of the minutes from the Commission for Women regular meeting on November 3, 2021. The minutes from the regular meeting on November 3, 2021 were approved on Chair Austen’s motion, Commissioner Rattan’s second on a vote of 9-0. a. Discussion and possible action regarding updated from the following working 2. OLD BUSINESS groups: i. Homelessness ii. Safety Discussion was held. No action was taken. Discussion was held. No action was taken. COMMISSION FOR WOMEN MEETING MINUTES iii. Health Discussion was held. No action was taken. iv. Recognition of Equity for Women and Girls Discussion was held. No action was taken. Wednesday, February 2, 2022 b. Discussion and possible action regarding updates from the Joint Inclusion Discussion was held. No action was taken. c. Discussion and possible action regarding 2021 Commission for Women Working Committee. Groups. Discussion was held. The following working group membership was adopted on Chair Austen’s motion, Commissioner Rattan’s second on a vote of 9-0: Homelessness: Rebecca Austen, Vanessa Bissereth, Flannery Bope, and Pam Rattan Safety: Neva Fernandez, Juliana Gonzales, Josie Serrata, and Amanda Lewis* Health: Flannery Bope, Juliana Gonzales, Diana Melendez, and Josie Serrata Recognition of Equity for Women and Girls: Vanessa Bissereth, Priscilla Cortez, and Diana Melendez d. Discussion and possible action regarding the recommendation for the City of Austin * Community participant FY2022 budget. Discussion was held. No action was taken. 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Presentation by Melissa Taylor, Vice Chair, City of Austin Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Quality of Life Advisory Commission, followed by discussion and possible action regarding the LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life Study. The presenter was unavailable. By unanimous consent the Commission agreed to return this item to a future agenda. b. Discussion and possible action regarding selection of members to represent the Commission for Women …
