Special Called Meeting of the Economic Prosperity Commission Monday, June 24, 2024, 12:00pm City Hall, Boards & Commissions Room 1101 301 W. 2nd Street Austin, Texas Some members of the Economic Prosperity Commission may be participating by videoconference. Audio is recorded. 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 Cesar Garza and Stephanie Calderon at the Economic Development Department: cesar.garza@austintexas.gov and stephanie.calderon@austintexas.gov or 512-974-8055 (Cesar Garza). CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: • Laura Dixon, Mayor (Watson) • Christiana Ponder, District 1 (Harper- Madison) • Vacant, District 2 (Fuentes) • Raquel Valdez Sanchez, District 3 • Michael Nahas, Chair, District 4 (Velasquez) (Vela) • Rodrigo Cantu, District 5 (R. Alter) AGENDA • Vacant, District 6 (Kelly) • Amy Noel, District 7 (Pool) • Luis Osta Lugo, Vice Chair, District 8 • Aaron Gonzales, District 9 (Qadri) • Kelsey Hitchingham, District 10 (A. (Ellis) Alter) CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 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 Economic Prosperity Commission Regular Meeting on May 15, 2024. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discuss and vote on goals for the next year and the creation of working groups to achieve those goals. Each working group will have a temporary project or assignment, a list of members, and an expected deadline for its proposed recommendation. 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 Cesar Garza at the Economic Development Department, at 512-974-8055, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Economic Prosperity Commission, please contact Cesar Garza and Stephanie Calderon at the Economic Development Department, at cesar.garza@austintexas.gov and stephanie.calderon@austintexas.gov …
1. ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, May 15, 2024 The Economic Prosperity Commission convened in a REGULAR CALLED meeting on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 301 W. 2nd Street, Room 1101, Austin, Texas. Chair Michael Nahas called the Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting to order at 6:38 p.m. • Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance in Person: Luis Osta Lugo (8), Rodrigo Cantu (5), Michael Nahas (4), Aaron Gonzales (9), Raquel Valdez Sanchez (3) • Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Christiana Ponder (1) • Absent: Benjamin Salazar (2), Laura Dixon (Mayor), Amy Noel (7), Kelsey Hitchingham (10) • Vacancy: District 6 PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approve the minutes of the Economic Prosperity Commission Regular Meeting on April 17, 2024. The minutes from the meeting of April 17, 2024, were approved on Commissioner Valdez Sanchez’s motion, Vice Chair Osta Lugo’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Salazar, Dixon, Noel and Hitchingham were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation by Global Business Expansion Division staff, City of Austin Economic Development Department, regarding the guidelines for the City’s Business Expansion Program authorized under Chapter 380 of the Texas Local Government Code. EDD Deputy Director Anthony Segura and Division Manager Sabine Romero introduced Arnie Jacob and Donald Jackson who shared information about the Chapter 380 program update process. 1 Discuss commission’s plan for the next year, 2024-2025, in alignment with the new Chair’s term of office, including: expectations of work by Chair, Vice Chair, and Commissioners; goals and priorities for the commission; and how to fill vacancies and what attributes to seek in new Commissioners. Chair Nahas led wide-ranging discussion on ways to setup the commission to succeed; expectations of each member including: a minimum of 5 hours of business-related work per month per commissioner, taking turns inviting speakers to future meetings, making one Council recommendation per year, and helping recruit for board vacancies. Potential commission goal for the year: rotate through monthly meeting topics such as artificial intelligence, pensions, happiness index, Austin economic report, affordable housing, job creation, City economic programs, and other topics. Discuss monthly meeting logistics: communicating via Microsoft Outlook on the City of Austin network and how commissioners may invite speakers to future meetings. Commissioners were reminded to send business-related communication via their City of Austin email and each commissioner was invited to contact the Chair with a request to add a certain speaker on an upcoming …
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES Monday, June 24, 2024 The Economic Prosperity Commission convened in a SPECIAL CALLED meeting on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 301 W. 2nd Street, Room 1101, Austin, Texas. Chair Michael Nahas called the Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting to order at 12:02 p.m. • Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance in Person: Luis Osta Lugo (8), Michael Nahas (4), Rodrigo Cantu (5) • Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Aaron Gonzales (9), Amy Noel (7), Raquel Valdez Sanchez (3), Christina Ponder (1), Kelsey Hitchingham (10) • Absent: Laura Dixon (Mayor) • Vacancy: District 2, District 6 PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Tom Hedrick, Member of Early Matters Greater Austin: Affordable Childcare Now coalition efforts. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Economic Prosperity Commission Regular Meeting on May 15, 2024. The minutes from the meeting of May 15, 2024, were approved on Vice Chair Osta Lugo’s motion, Commissioner Valdez Sanchez’ second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioner Dixon was absent. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discuss and vote on goals for the next year and the creation of working groups to achieve those goals. Each working group will have a temporary project or assignment, a list of members, and an expected deadline for its proposed recommendation. The motion to approve the goal of focusing on the City of Austin Economic Development Department (EDD), specifically the Global Business Expansion, Redevelopment, and Small Business divisions within EDD, was approved on Vice Chair Osta Lugo’s motion, Commissioner Cantu’s second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioner Dixon was absent. 1 The motion to table the creation of working groups until the next meeting was approved on Vice Chair Osta Lugo’s motion, Commissioner Hitchingham’s second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioner Dixon was absent. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • None Chair Nahas adjourned the meeting at 12:59 p.m. without objection. ********** These minutes were approved at the July 17, 2024 meeting on Commissioner Hitchingham’s motion, Vice Chair Osta Lugo’s second on a 7-0 vote. Commissioners Noel, Dixon, and Ponder were absent. 2
