COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION http://www.austintexas.gov/cttc MINUTES Regular Meeting Wednesday – February 9, 2022 – 6:30 PM City Hall – Boards and Commissions - Room 1101 301 W. 2nd Street - Austin, TX 78701 Please go to http://www.austintexas.gov/cityclerk/boards_commissions/meetings/10_1.htm for backup material associated with this agenda. All ATXN (City Channel 6) programming is cablecast on Spectrum, Grande Communications, and Google Fiber on their cable channel 6, on AT&T U- Verse Channel 99 and webcast online. Over 20 meetings per month, including this commission meeting, are available on demand online, typically within a few hours of the cablecast. Schedules and video can be found at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/atxn-video-archive. CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Sophie Gairo - Mayor Steve Adler Nehemiah Pitts III - Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, District 1 Steven Apodaca – Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, District 2 Malcolm Yeatts - Council Member Sabino “Pio” Renteria, District 3 Vacant - Council Member Gregorio Casar, District 4 Dave Floyd - Council Member Ann Kitchen, District 5 Iliya Svirsky - Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, District 6 Maxine Eiland - Council Member Leslie Pool, District 7 Jennifer Ramos - Council Member Paige Ellis, District 8 Nicole Thompson – Council Member Kathie Tovo, District 9 Sumit DasGupta - Council Member Alison Alter, District 10 Commission Members Present Sophie Gairo Nehemiah Pitts III Steven Apodaca Malcolm Yeatts Dave Floyd Nicole Thompson Commission Members Attending Remotely Maxine Eiland Sumit DasGupta Unexcused Absence Iliya Svirsky Jennifer Ramos CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order at 6:33 pm PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. No members of the public were signed up to speak. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – January 12, 2022 Motion to amend the January 12 minutes and approve them as amended made by Chair Pitts, seconded by commissioner DasGupta, passed on a vote of 7-0-1. 2. STAFF AND COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS (A member of the public may not address a board at a meeting on an item posted as a briefing) a. Presentation on Digital Access Research (Susan Millea and Dan Brown, Children’s Optimal Health) The resource presented can be viewed here: ACS Demographics & Internet Access Data | Digital Access: An Opportunity to Improve Equity in Central Texas (arcgis.com) The presentation can be viewed here: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=377513 b. Presentation on Public …
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Regular Meeting Wednesday - January 12, 2022 - 6:30 PM City Hall - Boards and Commissions - Room 1101 301 W. 2nd Street - Austin, TX 78701 Some members of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Nehemiah Pitts IIL Chair Steven Apodaca Dave Floyd Maxine Eiland Nicole Thompson Sophie Gairo Malcolm Yeatts Illiya Svirsky Jennifer Ramos Sumit DasGupta CALL TO ORDER AGENDA CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - December 8, 2021 2. STAFF AND COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS (A member of the public may not address a board at a meeting on an item posted as a briefing) a. Office of Innovation Briefing (Alba Sereno, Chief Research & Strategic Initiatives Officer, Innovation Office) b. Update on the Grant for Technology Opportunity Program Letter of Interest Process ( Jesse Rodriguez, Interim Program Manager, Financial Services Department) 3. NEW BUSINESS (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Selection of the 2022 GTOPs Core Review Panel (Commission Discussion and Action) b. Digital Equity and Inclusion Town Hall Discussion 2- Chair Nehemiah Pitts III (Commission discussion and possible action) c. Election of Officers - Vice Chair (Commission discussion and action) 4. COMMISSION UPDATES (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Digital Inclusion, Civic Engagement, and Strategic Technology and Telecom Policy Working Group b. Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group c. Technology, Infrastructure, and Innovation Working Group 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 call Jesse Rodriguez at the Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs Department, at jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission, please contact Jesse Rodriguez at jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov
Innovation Office Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission January 2022 The City of Austin's Innovation Office works with City teams to Primary Strategic Direction 23 alignment: GTWFA Strategy 13: Establish a workplace culture of high performance, continuous improvement, and human-centered innovation that encourages employee growth and inclusive collaboration. In addition, embrace technology, rapidly prototype potential solutions, and improve business processes to increase efficiencies and reduce red tape. Who we are identify and test solutions to complex challenges facing Austin. We hold space for early-stage ideas and solutions. We facilitate teams, research problems, and design services to make progress toward Austin’s strategic goals We define innovation as any project that is new to you with an uncertain outcome, and we’re aimed at addressing pressing challenges that affect our community. We practice human-centered innovation, which is a new approach to exercising authority and decision-making that starts with the needs, behaviors, and experiences of our community, and continues through a process of questioning assumptions, engaging with empathy, stewarding divergent thought, reflecting, and learning. Organizational orientation Chief of Staff Innovation capabilities Qualitative and quantitative research Community-based accelerators Systems design and mapping Data science Co-creation facilitation Design and prototyping Community organizing Evidence-based practices Grant applications Impact evaluations Networking and partnering with community, technology, and nonprofit orgs Theories of change in complex systems Proving things that haven’t been done, yet Business modeling, program design Office structure Chief Innovation Officer (Daniel Culotta, Acting) Research & Strategic Initiatives Alba Sereno, Chief Research & Strategic Initiatives Officer Design, Prototyping & De-risking Portfolio Manager Daniel Culotta Digital equity/community tech related projects (Recent Past) Lifefiles: Grant funded project to build distributed ledger to help residents control and share their identity documents facilitating their access to social and health services, especially those vital to ending homelessness such as housing, public benefits and access to medical care. Digitally certified and encrypted, LifeFiles allows for the decentralized distribution of certified documents, allowing for remote verification and secure shareability. Code is open source for those who wish to implement the solution. Contact: Daniel Culotta, OOI https://rwjflandingpage.webflo w.io/ Open Data Portal: This portal provides easy access to open data and information about your city government. We encourage the use of public data that the City of Austin has published to spark innovation, promote public collaboration, increase government transparency, and inform decision making. We are preparing a scope for a next phase of refinement to the portal & …
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION http://www.austintexas.gov/cttc MINUTES Regular Meeting Wednesday – January 12, 2022 – 6:30 PM City Hall – Boards and Commissions - Room 1101 301 W. 2nd Street - Austin, TX 78701 Please go to http://www.austintexas.gov/cityclerk/boards_commissions/meetings/10_1.htm for backup material associated with this agenda. All ATXN (City Channel 6) programming is cablecast on Spectrum, Grande Communications, and Google Fiber on their cable channel 6, on AT&T U- Verse Channel 99 and webcast online. Over 20 meetings per month, including this commission meeting, are available on demand online, typically within a few hours of the cablecast. Schedules and video can be found at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/atxn-video-archive. CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Sophie Gairo - Mayor Steve Adler Nehemiah Pitts III - Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, District 1 Steven Apodaca – Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, District 2 Malcolm Yeatts - Council Member Sabino “Pio” Renteria, District 3 Vacant - Council Member Gregorio Casar, District 4 Dave Floyd - Council Member Ann Kitchen, District 5 Iliya Svirsky - Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, District 6 Maxine Eiland - Council Member Leslie Pool, District 7 Jennifer Ramos - Council Member Paige Ellis, District 8 Nicole Thompson – Council Member Kathie Tovo, District 9 Sumit DasGupta - Council Member Alison Alter, District 10 Commission Members Present Nehemiah Pitts III Nicole Thompson Sophie Gairo Malcolm Yeatts Dave Floyd Jennifer Ramos Commission Members Attending Remotely Sumit DasGupta Steven Apodaca Unexcused Absence Iliya Svirsky Maxine Eiland CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order at 6:41 pm CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. No citizens were signed up to speak. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – December 8, 2021 Commissioner Gairo requested an amendment to the minutes adding the designation of Commissioner Floyd as chair of the Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group to the minutes. Motion to approve the minutes as amended made by Commissioner Thompson, seconded by Ramos, passed on a vote of 8-0. 2. STAFF AND COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS (A member of the public may not address a board at a meeting on an item posted as a briefing) a. Office of Innovation Briefing (Alba Sereno, Chief Research & Strategic Initiatives Officer, Innovation Office) Presentation by Alba Sereno can be viewed here. b. Update on the Grant for Technology Opportunity …
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Regular Meeting Wednesday – December 8, 2021 – 6:30 PM City Hall – Boards and Commissions - Room 1101 301 W. 2nd Street - Austin, TX 78701 Some members of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Nehemiah Pitts III, Chair Steven Apodaca Dave Floyd Maxine Eiland Nicole Thompson Sophie Gairo Malcolm Yeatts Illiya Svirsky Jennifer Ramos Sumit DasGupta AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 13, 2021 2. STAFF AND COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS (A member of the public may not address a board at a meeting on an item posted as a briefing) a. Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs update – Rondella Hawkins, TARA Officer, Financial Services Department b. HACA Mobile Hot Spot Speed & Connection Testing – Catherine Crago, Head of Strategic Initiatives, Housing Authority of the City of Austin & Austin Pathways, and Ashlee Johnson, ACC IT Intern c. Briefing on the Reliable and Affordable Broadband for All Project – Khotan Harmon, Leadership Austin Fellow 3. NEW BUSINESS (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Digital Inclusion Week Art Competition – Jesse Rodriguez, Interim Program Manager, Financial Services Department (discussion and possible action) b. Digital Equity and Inclusion Town Hall – Chair Nehemiah Pitts III (Commission discussion and possible action) c. Election of Officers – Vice Chair (Commission discussion and action) 4. COMMISSION UPDATES (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Digital Inclusion, Civic Engagement, and Strategic Technology and Telecom Policy Working Group b. Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group c. Technology, Infrastructure, and Innovation Working Group 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 call Jesse Rodriguez at the Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs Department, at jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission, please contact Jesse …
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS Legislative and Regulatory Update – December 2021 Congress ➢ Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684): Signed by Pres. Biden; the broadband provisions include includes $65 billion for broadband-related projects and cybersecurity grants: Broadband Highlights: • $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program - available to states that apply for funds. Allocated to states by formula. • Deployment to unserved and underserved areas first then connecting eligible community anchor institutions • Data collection, broadband mapping, and planning • Provision of affordable broadband to multi-family residential building in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. • Broadband adoption (including providing affordable internet-capable devices) • $2.75 billion under the Digital Inclusion Act, which includes two new grant programs, the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program and Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, focused on digital inclusion. • $14.2 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Benefit Households via providers (see FCC below regarding rulemaking) • This is an extension of the temp. Emergency Broadband Benefit Program ($50/month which expires December 31, 2021), though with lower monthly subsidies. • Permanent program - $30/month subsidy for internet service for households up to 200% of poverty that qualify for other federal benefits (Nutrition, SSI, Veteran’s Pension, etc.). • $1 billion for middle mile infrastructure. ➢ $2 billion for USDA rural broadband construction programs (primarily ReConnect). ➢ $1 billion for DHS-run grant program to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to information systems owned or operated by, or on behalf of, State, local, or Tribal governments. ➢ Build Back Better Act (HR-5376): House-passed version includes $500 million for a new FTC data privacy and security bureau, $500 million for NTIA connected device vouchers, $490 million for next-generation 911 tech upgrades and $300 million for the FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund. ➢ Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility Act (E-BRIDGE Act) (H.R. 3193) (S. 1695) : Passed House Nov. 4th; authorizes the Commerce Dept. to award economic development grants for public-private partnerships and certain consortiums for projects to provide, extend, expand, or improve broadband service through (1) planning, technical assistance, or training; (2) land acquisition or development; or (3) acquisition, construction, or improvement of facilities. ➢ Next Generation Telecommunications Act (S. 3014): Would establish a Next Generation Telecommunications Council to advise Congress on 6G advancements and other advanced wireless communications technologies; allocates $10 million to the Council, which would submit a report to Congress within one year. …
HACA & Austin Pathways Sneakernet Project June 7, 2021 - July 30, 2021 Presenter Catherine Crago Head of Strategic Initiatives HACA/Austin Pathways Authors Ashlee Johnson, ACC IT Intern Omar Tapia, ACC IT Intern Andrew Martinez, ACC IT Intern Spring-Fall 2020-2021 Team Members With Thanks to John Bratcher, T-Mobile James Mason, ACC IT Intern Khotan Harmon, ACC IT Intern Stan McClellan, Texas State University HACA & Austin Pathways Resident Smart City Ambassadors Background & Introduction ● HACA has 18 public subsidized housing properties spanning Austin from north to south across the eastern crescent. ● Is a single provider’s 4G hotspot the best product for all HACA properties and all parts of town? ● What are acceptable levels of service, using third-party definitions, for broadband speed in a HACA household, i.e. per multiple users using intensive applications simultaneously in a household? ● What is the cost of service both per household and per property for wireline vs. wireless broadband service? ● Does a resident at a given property get “$1 of wireless broadband” for a dollar spent? Our Scope ● One year 7-Week Project Staffed by co-lead by 2 and assisted by 4 part-time ACC IT Work Study Interns ● Three Phases. ○ Phase 1, July 30, Procurement Recommendation, Stakeholder Feedback ○ Phase 2 & 3, Vendor analysis ● Core activities, Phase 1: design of experiment, key map design and validation, data collection and validation, evaluation, stakeholder requirements feedback and synthesis ● Ten HACA Properties ○ 8 Central and North Properties with No In-Home Internet ○ 2 Central-Downtown Properties with Free Google Fiber Phase 1 Questions ● What is the right internet service to provide to each household at each property, given a conservative outdoor reading and better-than-average devices? ● Is a single provider’s 4G hotspot, is that product the best for all HACA properties and all parts of town? ● What are acceptable levels of service, using third-party definitions, for broadband speed in a HACA household, i.e. per multiple users using intensive applications simultaneously in a household? ● What is the cost of service both per household and per property for wireline vs. wireless broadband service? ● Does a resident at a given property get “$1 of broadband” for a dollar spent? On Location at North Loop ● Boots on the ground ● Outdoors only ● Hardware in hand Speedtesting Hardware MacBook Air: 1.6ghz, dual-core 8th-gen, intel core i5 2015, macOS …
Reliable and Affordable Broadband Internet for All Final Report: December 8, 2021 Khotan Harmon, 2021 Leadership Austin Digital Inclusion Fellow Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs (TARA) City of Austin What is digital equity “Digital inclusion is the ability of individuals and groups to equally access and use information and communication technologies affordably, efficiently, and reliably along with digital training, resources, and skills needed to fully participate in a digital society.” - Digital Empowerment Community of Austin (DECA) 2 ● Insights from Lived Experience of Results of inputs: How we got here Austin residents from CTTC Special Conversation ● Goal of the Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission Work Plan ● Experience from Previous City-supported projects & COA Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan ● Impact from COVID-19 Virtual Pivot ● Application to Leadership Austin and funded by St. David's Foundation (THANK YOU!) ● Khotan Harmon named LA Digital Inclusion Fellow ● Framed out the goals and inquiry areas for the project ● Aligned current City program staff to support Fellow and coordinated activities underway for project ● Identified initial stakeholders to engage in project 3 Project scope: Reliable and Affordable Broadband for All Project Goals: Deliverables: Our community needs a fellow to assess, identify and develop viable longer-term solutions to address the problem of digital equity to ensure reliable, affordable broadband for all. The availability of the internet is critical to participate in a growing digital society and to provide equitable, educational, job and economic opportunities and access to healthcare. Report #1: Community asset mapping and survey of existing data on the mapping and speed of private broadband infrastructure and reasons for barriers to broadband adoption. Report #2 - Feasibility Plan based on models and best practices nationally that could be offered as a possible solution in Austin for affordable reliable broadband for all in Austin. Stakeholder engagement - Reactivated, engaged and collaborating cross-sector of stakeholders in a wide-reaching and community-wide effort. 4 A 3-horizon view of the challenge and solutions HORIZON 1. ADDRESS IMMEDIATE NEEDS HORIZON 2. BRIDGE THE GAPS HORIZON 3. LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS Short term 1-3 years Medium term 3-5 years Long term 5-10 years 5 GAATN - Longer Term Collaboration ● The Fellowship was designed to evaluate and engage GAATN (Greater Austin Area Telecommunications Network) for possible digital equity solutions. That didn’t work out the way it was planned! “GAATN was created pursuant to Section 791.001 et seq. of the …
First Place Winner: $400 Award Name Zahraa Alfatle Submission Number 31 School Name Guerrero Thompson Elementary Age of Artist 11 Method Pencil, paper, colored pencils Subjectmatter Digital empowerment Second Place Winner: $200 Award Name Sowmya Kulukuru Submission Number 34 School Name James Bowie High School Age of Artist 14 Method Photoshop 2022 Subjectmatter During the pandemic, being able to reach out to my friends and loved ones was one of the things that kept me sane. Ever since moving from California all the way to Texas due to my dad's work, technology has enabled me to keep in touch with my old friends. Being able to talk with them like I used to, even though I'm over 1000 miles away, means a lot to me, and so I drew a superhero who is empowered by the technology around her. I drew a few examples of the ways I've used technology during the pandemic, like messaging people and drawing on my tablet. My artwork is meant to represent how, even though technology comes in such a small package, it can have a large impact on the people who use it, and empower people to reach limits they previously couldn't. Third Place Award: $100 Award Name Isabelle Call Submission Number 30 School Name Canyon Vista Middle School Age of Artist 11 Method Procreate on iPad and Apple Pencil Subjectmatter We can all be connected and stay in touch with everyone in our lives with technology. Even while staying home all year to keep safe, I got to learn from my teachers, saw my family and friends, and learned new things.
Digital Equity & Inclusion Townhall Summary Report - Part I Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission, City of Austin Nehemiah Pitts III, Commission Chair Digital Equity & Inclusion Townhall w/ CTTC On October 9th, 2021 Mission Capital and the Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission hosted a Digital Equity & Inclusion Townhall. Serving as a culminating portion of Digital Inclusion Week 2021 programming and part of our CTTC 2019 - 2020 Work Plan to host special conversations capturing lived experience, this event included a variety of Austin residents receiving services, policymakers, and the community leaders of local nonprofits. As reflected by last years work, the global COVID-19 pandemic has necessarily elevated the importance of Digital Equity and Inclusion conversations for affected communities and the leaders that serve them. The purpose of this convening was to allow Austin citizens the opportunity to directly communicate their lived experiences and persistent challenges with accessing internet-enabled devices and equitable broadband internet today. Following on previous meetings with local residents, community leaders, organizations, city staff, and local Internet Service Providers (ISPs), these citizen accounts and collaboration stories will provide “challenge data points” for cataloging and potential resolution in Part II of this Summary Report. Digital Equity & Inclusion Townhall Speakers Community Entities w/Staff & Clients United Way of Greater Austin Paola Silvestre - Director of Family Pathways Liliana Fuentes Lugo - Client Estefani Garcia - Client Viridiana Hernandez - Client Raul Alvarez Isabel Torres - Client Deja Gilline Davis - Client Housing Authority of the City of Austin & Austin Pathways Catherine Crago - Head of Strategic Initiatives Lupe Garcia - Smart City Ambassador/Client Irene Ensley - VP of Residents Council/Client Ana Clerc - Google Program Adminstrator Ashlee Johnson - ACC IT Intern Digital Equity & Inclusion Townhall Ecosystem Participants CTTC Commissioners Nehemiah Pitts III, Commission Chair - District #1 Steven Apodaca - District #2 - - - Maxine Eiland - District #7 Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs Office (TARA) - Khotan Harmon, 2021 Digital Inclusion Fellow Elected Officials/Staff Nonprofit Co-Hosts - Mayor Pro-Tem Natashia Harper-Madison - District #1 - - Reyda Taylor, PHD, Senior Consultant Data & Evaluation Chelsea Hartness, Membership Manager Discuss this report and possible action at next meeting. Actions may include voting to collaborate on the creation of one or more of the following: 1.) Client Follow Up 2.) Program Ideation & Collaboration w/APL, HACA, and United Way to start Next Steps?
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Regular Meeting Wednesday – November 10, 2021 – 6:30 PM City Hall – Boards and Commissions - Room 1101 301 W. 2nd Street - Austin, TX 78701 Some members of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Nehemiah Pitts III, Chair Steven Apodaca Dave Floyd Maxine Eiland Nicole Thompson Sophie Gairo Malcolm Yeatts Illiya Svirsky Jennifer Ramos Sumit DasGupta AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 13, 2021 2. STAFF AND COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS (A member of the public may not address a board at a meeting on an item posted as a briefing) a. Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs update – Rondella Hawkins, TARA Officer, Financial Services Department 3. NEW BUSINESS (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Digital Inclusion Week Art Competition – Jesse Rodriguez, Interim Program Manager, Financial Services Department (discussion and possible action) b. Digital Equity and Inclusion Town Hall – Chair Nehemiah Pitts III (Commission discussion and possible action) c. Election of Officers – Vice Chair (Commission discussion and action) 4. COMMISSION UPDATES (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Digital Inclusion, Civic Engagement, and Strategic Technology and Telecom Policy Working Group b. Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group c. Technology, Infrastructure, and Innovation Working Group 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 call Jesse Rodriguez at the Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs Department, at jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission, please contact Jesse Rodriguez at jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Regular Meeting Wednesday – October 13, 2021 – 6:30 PM City Hall – Boards and Commissions - Room 1101 301 W. 2nd Street - Austin, TX 78701 Some members of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Nehemiah Pitts III, Chair Sophie Gairo Malcolm Yeatts Illiya Svirsky Jennifer Ramos Sumit DasGupta David Alexander, Vice Chair Steven Apodaca Dave Floyd Maxine Eiland Nicole Thompson AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – September 29, 2021 2. NEW BUSINESS (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Digital Inclusion Week Art Competition – Jesse Rodriguez, Interim Program Manager, Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs (discussion and possible action) b. Commission discussion and action on its 2022 meeting schedule (Commission discussion and possible action) c. Grant for Technology Opportunities Program 2022 Cycle - Jesse Rodriguez, Interim Program Manager, Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs (discussion and possible action) d. Digital Equity and Inclusion Town Hall (Commission discussion and possible action) 3. COMMISSION UPDATES (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Digital Inclusion, Civic Engagement, and Strategic Technology and Telecom Policy Working Group b. Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group c. Technology, Infrastructure, and Innovation Working Group 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 call Jesse Rodriguez at the Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs Department, at jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission, please contact Jesse Rodriguez at jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov
2022 Meeting Schedule Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission The commission shall meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month. MEETING DATES CANCELLED MEETING DATES & EVENTS January 12 February 9 March 9 April 13 May 11 June 8 July 13 August 10 September 14 October 12 November 9 December 14 Commission members serve for a term of four years beginning March 1st on the year of appointment. GTOPS 2022 Update – Applications Received. Meeting will be held outside of central City. Commission FY 23 Budget Recommendations due no later than mid-April. GTOPs 2022 Award Recommendations. Election of Officers at the first regular meeting after April 1, 2022 Terms of office shall be one year, beginning May 1st and ending April 30th. Work Plan Retreat / Regular Meeting Terms for newly elected officers start (May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023) Commission Annual Report Due to City Clerk July 31st NO MEETING SCHEDULED FOR THIS DATE 2022 GTOPs Review and 2023 Recommendations Adopt a meeting schedule for the upcoming year, including makeup meeting dates for holiday and cancelled meetings.
M E M O R A N D U M Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission TO: FROM: Jesse Rodriguez, Interim Program Manager Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs October 13, 2021 DATE: SUBJECT: Recommendations for 2022 Grant for Technology Opportunities Program Background The City of Austin’s Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan, as adopted by Resolution No. 20141120- 074, includes every Austin resident having an opportunity to be fully engaged in digital society, accessing and using digital and communications technology. The Office of Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs (TARA) is the lead office for implementation of this plan. The Grant for Technology Opportunities Program (GTOPs) is a grant administered by the Community Technology (CT) Division of TARA directed at improving the community's ability to fully participate in the digital society to achieve the goals of the Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan. Purpose and Process The purpose of this report is to review the significant changes coming to the 2022 cycle of the GTOPs. Each year, CT staff performs a review of the prior grant cycle in preparation for the next year of grants. For this year’s annual strategic planning and review process, feedback surveys were deployed to all GTOPs applicants and reviewers. In addition, staff observations and multiple touchpoints with the chair of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission (CTTC) were taken into account. From these data sources, recommendations were drafted into the final version of the recommendations, presented below. Analysis There are three categories of changes being proposed for the GTOPs 2022 cycle: 1) Changes to the review and scoring process; 2) changes to the application and application process; 3) changes to contract oversight; and 4) continuous innovation and improvement plans. Together, these four changes could greatly improve service delivery and core program capacity to local Austin nonprofit groups. Changes to the Review and Scoring Process Recommendation 1: Transition to an Olympic-style scoring system, whereby the top and bottom scores are dropped 1 Under the current GTOPs scoring system, each reviewer independently scores applications. All scores are provided to all awardees along with comments on why the reviewers scored the way they did. Naturally, different reviewers score in slightly different ways, some higher, others lower on average. Individual applicants often see a single score that is significantly lower than the others, and they often feel as if a single reviewer is taking them out of the running. This is a consistent point of feedback, not …
First Place Award: $400 Name: Mira Patel School: Kealing Middle School ID 13 12 Age of Artist Submission Method Digitally Method I used alcohol markers and pen on tan mixed media paper. This is a style of art is a mix of realism and character art that is often used in bullet journaling. Subjectmatter Date Created 11/4/2020 9:15pm To me, digital equity means tech adapted to fit different types of peoples needs. Equity is different than giving everyone the same thing because everyone is different. Second Place Award: $200 Name: Ari Bernstein School: Covington Fine Arts Academy ID 18 12 Age of Artist Submission Method Digitally Method Subjectmatter online. Date Created 11/6/2020 11:16am Prismacolor, a pencil, sharpie and, gimp (photoshop like program) My artwork is about everyone, no matter the difference, having equal digital tools and resources needed to succeed digitally. I showed this by drawing diverse people in different places and them using different kinds of technology to learn and create things Third Place Award: $100 Name: Kavya Gupta School: St Francis School ID 24 11 Age of Artist Submission Method Digitally Method colors in photoshop. Subjectmatter I first made a pencil sketch of the people, inked it, scanned it, and then finalized the This art is about kids connecting digitally in this pandemic, even if things get hard. This also reminds me that everyone is here for you, and we are not alone. This drawing also has lots of races, cultures, and ethnicities, connecting to each other digitally, no matter what you look like, or where you come from. Date Created 11/6/2020 11:33pm Score Distribution Submission Originality Theme 9.33 8.67 7.33 7.67 7.33 7.33 7.33 6.33 6.00 8.00 6.00 6.67 5.00 7.67 4.00 7.00 4.33 4.33 3.67 3.33 2.00 Creativity 9.33 8.33 8.33 7.33 7.33 6.67 6.33 6.67 6.67 6.00 6.67 6.33 6.00 5.67 5.33 5.00 5.00 5.33 4.33 3.67 3.33 Impactful / Engaging 9.67 8.00 7.67 7.33 7.33 6.33 7.00 6.00 5.00 7.00 5.67 5.33 6.00 6.33 5.33 4.67 4.67 4.33 4.00 4.00 2.67 Average Score 37.00 33.33 31.67 30.00 29.67 28.00 27.67 26.33 25.67 25.67 25.33 24.67 24.33 24.33 22.00 21.67 20.00 20.00 17.67 16.33 13.67 8.67 8.33 8.33 7.67 7.67 7.67 7.00 7.33 8.00 4.67 7.00 6.33 7.33 4.67 7.33 5.00 6.00 6.00 5.67 5.33 5.67 13 18 24 20 22 16 2 17 1 19 14 5 6 10 23 3 7 15 4 …
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION http://www.austintexas.gov/cttc MINUTES Regular Meeting Wednesday – October 13, 2021 – 6:30 PM VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING Please go to http://www.austintexas.gov/cityclerk/boards_commissions/meetings/10_1.htm for backup material associated with this agenda. All ATXN (City Channel 6) programming is cablecast on Spectrum, Grande Communications, and Google Fiber on their cable channel 6, on AT&T U‐ Verse Channel 99 and webcast online. Over 20 meetings per month, including this commission meeting, are available on demand online, typically within a few hours of the cablecast. Schedules and video can be found at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/atxn-video-archive. CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Sophie Gairo ‐ Mayor Steve Adler Nehemiah Pitts III ‐ Council Member Natasha Harper‐Madison, District 1 Steven Apodaca – Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, District 2 Malcolm Yeatts ‐ Council Member Sabino “Pio” Renteria, District 3 David Alexander ‐ Council Member Gregorio Casar, District 4 Dave Floyd ‐ Council Member Ann Kitchen, District 5 Iliya Svirsky ‐ Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, District 6 Maxine Eiland ‐ Council Member Leslie Pool, District 7 Jennifer Ramos ‐ Council Member Paige Ellis, District 8 Nicole Thompson – Council Member Kathie Tovo, District 9 Sumit DasGupta ‐ Council Member Alison Alter, District 10 Commission Members Present Nehemiah Pitts III Nicole Thompson Dave Floyd Steven Apodaca Jennifer Ramos Sophie Gairo Commission Members Attending Remotely Maxine Eiland Sumit DasGupta Malcolm Yeatts Unexcused Absence David Alexander Iliya Svirsky CALL TO ORDER Meeting started at 6:49PM CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – September 29, 2021 Motion by Chair Pitts to approve the minutes as amended; second by Commissioner Dasgupta; passed on a vote of 9-0. Minor wording change would be CEO ACTION FOR RACIAL EQUITY, Motion for the wording change as per Commissioner Apodaca. 2. NEW BUSINESS (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Digital Inclusion Week Art Competition – Jesse Rodriguez, Interim Program Manager, Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs (discussion and possible action) The announcement of the awards was postponed due to the lack of submissions. b. Commission discussion and action on its 2022 meeting schedule (Commission discussion and possible action) Motion to approve the commission 2022 schedule as presented made by Chair Pitts, second by Commission Apodaca passed on a vote of 9-0. Presentation by Jesse Rodriguez can be viewed …
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Special Called Meeting Wednesday – September 29, 2021 – 6:30 PM City Hall – Chambers - Room 1001 301 W. 2nd Street - Austin, TX 78701 Some members of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Nehemiah Pitts III, Chair Sophie Gairo Malcolm Yeatts Illiya Svirsky Jennifer Ramos Sumit DasGupta David Alexander, Vice Chair Steven Apodaca Dave Floyd Maxine Eiland Nicole Thompson AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 14, 2021 2. STAFF AND COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS (A member of the public may not address a board at a meeting on an item posted as a briefing) a. Autonomy Institute Fellow Presentation on Public Infrastructure Network Nodes (Jeff DeCoux, Autonomy Institute Fellow) 3. NEW BUSINESS (Discussion and Possible Action) a. City of Austin Strategic Outcomes Review (Commission discussion and possible action) b. Digital Inclusion Week 2021 Planning (Commission discussion and possible action) 4. COMMISSION UPDATES (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Digital Inclusion, Civic Engagement, and Strategic Technology and Telecom Policy Working Group b. Knowledge, Information, and Data Stewardship Working Group c. Technology, Infrastructure, and Innovation Working Group 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 call Jesse Rodriguez at the Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs Department, at jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission, please contact Jesse Rodriguez at jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov
