Regular Called Meeting of the Economic Prosperity Commission Wednesday, August 20, 2025, 6:30pm City Hall, Boards & Commissions Room 1101 301 W. 2nd Street Austin, Texas Some members of the Economic Prosperity Commission 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 BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Commissioner Christina Ponder Ofelia Zapata Raquel Valdez Sanchez (Vice Chair) Michael Nahas Rodrigo Cantu Shakeel Rashed Appointment District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 Commissioner Zain Pleuthner VACANT Appointment District 7 District 8 Aaron Gonzales (Chair) District 9 Aditi Joshi Jake Randall District 10 Mayor AGENDA 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 July 16, 2025. PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. Hold a public hearing to solicit feedback from the public and community stakeholders regarding the usefulness and relevance of the Economic Prosperity Commission’s stated purposes and duties and its success in fulfilling those purpose and duties. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Presentation regarding the history of the partnership between Workforce Solutions Capital Area and the City of Austin, the new infrastructure academy, and workforce development programs in peer cities. Presentation by Yael Lawson, COO, Workforce Solutions Capital Area. Discussion reviewing peer city actions, local events, and news articles related to the commission’s working groups. Update from Chair Gonzales regarding his Economic Opportunity Committee presentation on July 18th and the 2024-25 annual report. Discussion regarding commissioner attendance and feedback received at district budget town halls. Discussion regarding planned and finished external speaker presentations at working group meetings. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 8. Conduct an evaluation of the recommendations made and other actions taken by the Economic Prosperity Commission throughout the year and how these reflected or achieved the commission’s directives, identify any overlaps in the role and work of the commission with …
Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, July 16, 2025 ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, July 16th, 2025 The Economic Prosperity Commission convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 301 W. 2nd Street, Boards and Commissions Room 1101, in Austin, Texas. Chair Gonzales called the Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting to order at 6:34 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance in Person: Aaron Gonzales (Chair) Rodrigo Cantu Michael Nahas Jake Randall Ofelia Zapata Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Aditi Joshi Zain Pleuthner Shakeel Rashed PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Economic Prosperity Commission Regular Meeting on June 18, 2025. The minutes of the June 18, 2025 meeting were approved on Commissioner Nahas’ motion, Commissioner Pleuthner’s second on a 7-0 vote. Vice Chair Valdez Sanchez and Commissioners Ponder were absent. Commissioner Zapata was off the dais. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1 Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, July 16, 2025 2. 3. 4. 5. Discussion regarding how commissioners would like to prioritize future speakers and presentations to the commission. Discussed. Discussion regarding commissioner engagement with the Economic Opportunity Committee. Discussed. Follow-up discussion regarding engagement with Council members on commission recommendations and activities. Item 4 was taken up before Item 3 without objection. Discussed. Discussion regarding the use of economic reports to support the commission’s working group recommendations. Discussed. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. 7. Discussion regarding membership and possible dissolution of the Childcare Working Group. Discussed. No action was taken. Approve the 2024-2025 Annual Internal Review and Report. Discussed. No action was taken. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 8. 9. 10. Update on from the Small Business Working Group on small business accelerators and conversations with Economic Development Department staff. Update by Chair Gonzales. Update from the Long-Term Economic Planning on research, studies, peer city evaluations, and proposed potential solutions on long-term economic planning as it relates to City of Austin employee retirement benefits, specifically looking at pensions, defined contributions, and other benefit plans. Update by Commissioner Nahas. Update from the Workforce Development and Job Creation Working Group regarding its research on policies related to vendor selection, bidding, and approval in the City, and potential speakers at working group meetings. Update by Commissioner Pleuthner FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS None ADJOURNMENT Chair Gonzales adjourned the meeting at 7:39 p.m. without objection. 2
