REGULAR CALLED MEETING OF THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2026, 6:30 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM, #1101 301 WEST 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 Some members of the Economic Prosperity Commission 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 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, contact Chelsea Pfeifer at chelsea.pfeifer@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2498. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Commissioner Appointment Nicole Tomaszewski Ofelia Zapata District 1 District 2 Raquel Valdez Sanchez (Vice Chair) District 3 Michael Nahas Kevin Roberts Shakeel Rashed CALL TO ORDER District 4 District 5 District 6 PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Commissioner Zain Pleuthner VACANT Appointment District 7 District 8 Aaron Gonzales (Chair) District 9 Aditi Joshi Jake Randall District 10 Mayor 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 Economic Prosperity Commission regular meeting on February 25, 2026 and the Special Called meeting on March 16, 2026. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation on an Economic Snapshot of Central Texas. Presentation by Chair Gonzales. 3. Discussion of priority initiatives related to the use of Artificial Intelligence as it relates to construction and job creation. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION 4. Approve a revised version of Recommendation 20251119-010: Pensions and OPEB Benefits based on additional information received from stakeholders. Approve an impact assessment framework and recommendation approval guidelines for the Economic Prosperity Commission. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair. 5. 6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Chelsea Pfeifer at the Austin City Clerk’s Office, at 512-974-2498 or chelsea.pfeifer@austintexas.gov to request service or for additional information. For more information on the …
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2026 ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2026 The Economic Prosperity Commission convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at Permitting and Development Center, Rooms 1401 & 1402, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Austin, Texas. Chair Gonzales called the Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting to order at 6:47 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Aaron Gonzales, Chair Aditi Joshi Michael Nahas Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Jacob Randall Nicole Tomaszewski Ofelia Zapata PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Economic Prosperity Commission Regular Meeting on January 21, 2026. The minutes from the Economic Prosperity Commission regular meeting on January 21, 2026 were approved on Commissioner Joshi’s motion and Commissioner Nahas’ second on a 6-0 vote. Vice Chair Valdez Sanchez and Commissioners Cantu, Rashed, and Pleuthner were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Discussion regarding the city’s FY 2026-27 budget process. Discussed. 1 ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2026 3. 4. 5. Discussion regarding the city’s boards & commissions bylaw amendment process. Chair Gonzales made a motion to postpone Items 3, 6 and 7 to the March 18, 2026 regular meeting, seconded by Commissioner Joshi. The motion did not pass, on a 5-1 vote. Commissioner Nahas voted nay. Vice Chair Valdez Sanchez and Commissioners Cantu, Rashed, and Pleuthner were absent. Discussed. Discussion regarding priority policy areas for potential Working Groups. Discussed. Update on outreach efforts regarding Recommendation 20251119-010: Pensions and OPEB Benefits. Update was given by Commissioner Nahas. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. 7. Approve a revised version of Recommendation 20251119-010: Pensions and OPEB Benefits based on additional information received from stakeholders. Chair Gonzales made a motion to postpone Items 3, 6 and 7 to the March 18, 2026 regular meeting, seconded by Commissioner Joshi. The motion did not pass, on a 5-1 vote. Commissioner Nahas voted nay. Vice Chair Valdez Sanchez and Commissioners Cantu, Rashed, and Pleuthner were absent. Withdrawn due to lack of quorum. Approve an impact assessment framework and recommendation approval guidelines for the Economic Prosperity Commission. Chair Gonzales made a motion to postpone Items 3, 6 and 7 to the March 18, 2026 regular meeting, seconded by Commissioner Joshi. The motion did not pass, on a 5-1 vote. Commissioner Nahas voted nay. Vice Chair Valdez Sanchez and Commissioners Cantu, Rashed, and Pleuthner were absent. Withdrawn due to lack of quorum. Chair …
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MARCH 16, 2026 ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2026 The Economic Prosperity Commission convened in a special called meeting on Monday, March 16, 2026 at Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street, Austin, Texas. Chair Gonzales called the Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting to order at 5:09 P.M. Commissioners in Attendance: Aaron Gonzales, Chair Michael Nahas Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Aditi Joshi Zain Pleuthner Jacob Randall Shakeel Rashed Nicole Tomaszewski Raquel Valdez Sanchez PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 1. Approve a revised version of Recommendation 20251119-010: Pensions and OPEB Benefits based on additional information received from stakeholders. The recommendation and possible amendments were discussed. The following amendment was made by Chair Gonzales and seconded by Vice Chair Valdez Sanchez. The amendment was to reinsert the following sections that were previously struck through: “WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report says “The deficit in governmental unrestricted net position is largely due to the net 1 ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MARCH 16, 2026 pension liability of $2.3 billion and other postemployment benefits (OPEB) liability of $1.9 billion.” AND “Request that the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) require a prudent, financially conservative discount rate and use it for the liabilities used to calculate the City’s total governmental activities net position.” The motion to approve the amendment failed on a 3-3 vote with Chair Gonzales, Vice Chair Valdez Sanchez and Commissioner Joshi voting Aye, and Commissioners Pleuthner, Randall and Tomaszewski voting Nay. Commissioners Nahas and Rashed abstained. Commissioner Zapata was absent. The motion to approve the recommendation without amending was made by Chair Gonzales and seconded by Vice Chair Valdez Sanchez. Chair Gonzales called the question. Commissioner Tomaszewski objected to calling the question. The motion to proceed with calling the question failed on a 3-5 vote with Chair Gonzales, Vice Chair Valdez Sanchez and Commissioner Joshi voting Aye, and Commissioners Pleuthner, Randall, Tomaszewski, Nahas and Rashed voting Nay. Commissioner Zapata was absent. Chair Gonzales withdrew the item without objection. 2. Approve an impact assessment framework and recommendation approval guidelines for the Economic Prosperity Commission. Withdrawn without objection. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Approve a revised version of the pension recommendation. Approve an impact assessment framework and recommendation approval guidelines. Chair Gonzales made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:18 p.m., seconded by Commissioner Joshi and passed on a unanimous vote. …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Economic Prosperity Commission Recommendation Number: 20260415-004: Revision to Pensions and OPEB Benefits Recommendation Rationale: The Economic Prosperity Commission previously issued a recommendation regarding pensions. After further discussion among commission members and the receipt of additional information, the Commission determined it appropriate to revisit and refine its prior recommendation, including the addition and removal of provisions. Retirement pensions are of significant importance to the community. In light of questions raised by members of the public, the Commission believes clarification and refinement of its earlier recommendation are warranted. The purpose of this recommendation is to reduce risks to the City’s future budgets, thereby strengthening the City’s financial position as the guarantor of employee benefits and ensuring that the greatest possible share of public funds is directed toward benefit payments rather than interest costs. This document constitutes a recommendation only. It is not binding and does not establish or modify City policy in any way. It represents the advice of volunteer commissioners to the Austin City Council. Any action to adopt, modify, or reject these recommendations rests solely with the City Council. These recommendations were developed based on the information presented to the Commission. Because the members of the Commission are not all financial professionals, the Commission strongly advises that each recommendation be reviewed by qualified financial professionals before being implemented in law. As with any recommendation, legal counsel should be consulted to ensure the City of Austin has the lawful authority to implement any action it may choose to pursue. WHEREAS, City Council created the Economic Prosperity Commission to advise the council on matters related to job creation and the City of Austin is one of the largest employers in Austin and retirement benefits make up a large percentage of the compensation of City of Austin employees. WHEREAS, City Council created the Economic Prosperity Commission to advise the council on matters related to job creation and the financial health of the City of Austin’s government is a signal used by employers to decide where to create jobs. . WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s retirement liabilities are large and have grown over the last decade. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for FY2025 on page 4 says “The deficit in governmental unrestricted net position is largely due to the net pension liability of $2.2 billion and other postemployment benefits (OPEB) liability of $771.7 million.”. While the absolute value of the …
Austin/Travis County 2025 Community Health Assessment Executive Summary • • • • • Region of 1.3+ million residents with rapid growth and increasing diversity Health inequities follow lines of race, income, and geography—reflecting systemic barriers Key challenges: housing instability, mental health crisis, healthcare access gaps Nearly 1/4 of households are ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) Community resilience and grassroots leadership offer pathways forward Population Characteristics 1.3+ Million Travis County residents (2023) Demographic Profile • • • • Hispanic/Latine residents: ~1/3 of population Nearly 30% speak language other than English at home Population aging: growing share of older adults (65+) Need for culturally responsive & age-friendly services critical Economic Stability: The ALICE Challenge ~24% Households classified as ALICE • ALICE = Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed (working but unable to afford basics) Key Economic Barriers • • • Stagnant wages while housing & living costs rise rapidly Renters: nearly 50% spend >30% of income on housing Food insecurity, especially among children, remains challenge Healthcare Access Disparities 1 in 7 Travis County residents under 65 uninsured Access Barriers • • • • Coverage gaps disproportionately affect Black, Latino, and immigrant communities Cost, transportation, and language barriers prevent timely preventive care Primary care & behavioral health services limited in under-resourced neighborhoods Delays in diagnosis and treatment from access gaps Mental Health: Widespread Community Concern Rising Distress Across Groups • Youth and young adults: academic stress, social isolation, trauma • Working mothers: caregiving burden, financial strain, burnout • Communities experiencing poverty and trauma: compounded stress System Barriers • Fragmented, often inaccessible system of care • Workforce shortages, stigma, and cultural disconnects limit service use Chronic Disease: Disproportionate Impact Prevalent Conditions • • Diabetes, hypertension, asthma remain widespread, especially in low-income communities Risk factors tied to environmental conditions: poor nutrition, limited physical activity Root Causes • • Neighborhoods lack: sidewalks, transit, grocery stores, healthcare facilities, green space Environmental hazards (extreme heat, flooding) disproportionately affect vulnerable areas Housing Instability: A Core Health Driver The Crisis • • Renters: ~50% spend more than 30% of income on housing Rising displacement, overcrowding, unaffordable rents undermine health Health Consequences • • • Difficulty managing chronic conditions with unstable housing Limited access to basic services (utilities, healthcare) when displaced Gentrification and exclusion from economic opportunity perpetuate inequity Place-Based Inequities: East & Southeast Austin Persistent Geographic Disparities • • Black and Latine residents in East/Southeast Travis County face compounded disadvantages Higher rates of: chronic …
Austin EPC | AI Policy Recommendation | DRAFT Austin Economic Prosperity Commission DRAFT POLICY RECOMMENDATION Ideation Phase Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Austin Residents: Labor Market and Economic Security March 2026 Commissioner Jake Randall (Policy Champion) Commissioner Tomaszewski Commissioner Joshi Commissioner Rashed Prepared for internal commissioner discussion. This document does not represent a formal position of the Economic Prosperity Commission. Submitted for Commissioner review and working-group discussion consistent with EPC bylaws. Draft for Commissioner Review Page 1 Austin EPC | AI Policy Recommendation | DRAFT Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Impact Snapshot (Preliminary) 3. Relevant Context 4. Glossary of Key Terms 5. Supporting Detail and Analysis 5.1 Problem Statement 5.2 Three Analytical Components Within the Ideation Phase 5.3 Preliminary Impact Hypothesis, Baseline Findings, and Measurement Plan 5.4 Feasibility Constraints 5.5 Policy and Program Options 5.6 Key Risks and Mitigations 6. Stakeholder Signals and Map (External) 7. Recommended Next Steps (60-Day Plan) 7.1 Days 1–15: Baseline Assembly 7.2 Days 15–40: Impact Estimation and Stakeholder Input 7.3 Days 40–60: Policy Design and Synthesis 7.4 Evidence Status: Verified, Preliminary, or Removed 8. References Draft for Commissioner Review Page 2 Austin EPC | AI Policy Recommendation | DRAFT 1. Executive Summary Austin should approach AI as a labor-market issue first, not only as a technology issue. The key policy question is straightforward: how is AI likely to affect the labor market and economic security of Austin residents, and how should the City prepare? Within the Commission’s construction and job creation mandate, this brief focuses primarily on job creation, job retention, and resident economic security, while treating construction as a secondary but relevant channel where AI-related infrastructure may increase local skilled-trades demand. Austin enters the AI paradigm shift with both strengths and vulnerabilities. The Austin metro has a large professional and technical workforce, low unemployment, and a durable base in computer and mathematical work. The city also has a highly educated population and high incomes. At the same time, Austin has many residents in office support, sales, food service, customer-facing, and other occupations where task change can create uneven effects across households. The current evidence does not justify alarmist claims about large, immediate job loss. Published research is more cautious: AI is likely to change tasks first, especially in cognitive and clerical work, before broad labor-market effects become visible. Early evidence also suggests that exposure is different from displacement. Some workers in highly …
Companion Summary Document of changes for Commissioners Total Items Reviewed: 16 ● 🟢🟢 No Change: 3 ● 🔵🔵 Revised for Clarity or Scope: 5 ● 🟣🟣 Amendment Pending Vote: 3 ● 🔴🔴 Removed by Mutual Agreement: 6 ● 1 item added 1. November Recommendation: The City should establish a defined-contribution plan to pay for OPEB for all employees hired after the plan was created. This is a legal trust where a fixed percentage of wages should be put into the fund to pay for OPEB benefits during each employees’ retirement. 2. November Recommendation: The City should continue to explore the cheapest way to provide medical care to existing retirees. This includes studying Chicago’s plan to use the Affordable Care Act, known as ObamaCare, as a way to get medical coverage for retirees. April Recommendation: Items 1 and 2 from the November recommendation were consolidated and refined in the following April recommendation. The City of Austin should continue to explore the most cost effective way to administer the Other Post Employment Benefit (OPEB) plan and contractually guarantee high quality medical care to existing and new retirees. This provision is intended to allow the city to provide the same if not better level of medical care for retirees while utilizing cost sharing federal programs and subsidies to reduce city costs. This includes studying Chicago’s plan to use the Affordable Care Act, known as ObamaCare, as a way to get medical coverage for retirees. Rationale: Removes defined contribution plan (401k) provision. Separates the dedicated (Other Post Employment Benefits) OPEB fund into a separate recommendation, and removes that this plan funding should be from a fixed percentage of wages. Makes clear the intent of this policy. —---------------- 3. November Recommendation: The City Budget’s “Taxpayer Impact Statement” page should include the per-ratepayer change in the City’s “total governmental activities net position” for the previous year. April Recommendation AMENDMENT: This item is no longer a part of the resolution’s recommendation. It is an amendment and should it be voted by a majority of commissioners in favor, it will be included in the April recommendation. The april language reads as “To avoid similar problems in the future, the residents of Austin should be informed when the City is losing money and taxes will have to be increased in the future to pay it back. The amount per ratepayer should be included in the City Budget’s “Taxpayer Impact …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Economic Prosperity Commission Recommendation Number: [YYYYMMDD-XXX]: Revision to Pensions and OPEB Benefits Recommendation Rationale: The Economic Prosperity Commission previously issued a recommendation regarding pensions. After further discussion among commission members and the receipt of additional information, the Commission determined it appropriate to revisit and refine its prior recommendation, including the addition and removal of provisions. Retirement pensions are of significant importance to the community. In light of questions raised by members of the public, the Commission believes clarification and refinement of its earlier recommendation are warranted. The purpose of this recommendation is to reduce risks to the City’s future budgets, thereby strengthening the City’s financial position as the guarantor of employee benefits and ensuring that the greatest possible share of public funds is directed toward benefit payments rather than interest costs. This document constitutes a recommendation only. It is not binding and does not establish or modify City policy in any way. It represents the advice of volunteer commissioners to the Austin City Council. Any action to adopt, modify, or reject these recommendations rests solely with the City Council. These recommendations were developed based on the information presented to the Commission. Because the members of the Commission are not all financial professionals, the Commission strongly advises that each recommendation be reviewed by qualified financial professionals before being implemented in law. As with any recommendation, legal counsel should be consulted to ensure the City of Austin has the lawful authority to implement any action it may choose to pursue. WHEREAS, City Council created the Economic Prosperity Commission to advise the council on matters related to job creation and the City of Austin is one of the largest employers in Austin and retirement benefits make up a large percentage of the compensation of City of Austin employees. WHEREAS, City Council created the Economic Prosperity Commission to advise the council on matters related to job creation and the financial health of the City of Austin’s government is a signal used by employers to decide where to create jobs. . WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s retirement liabilities are large and have grown over the last decade. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for FY2025 on page 4 says “The deficit in governmental unrestricted net position is largely due to the net pension liability of $2.2 billion and other postemployment benefits (OPEB) liability of $771.7 million.”. While the absolute value of the …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Economic Prosperity Commission Recommendation Number: 20251119-010: Pensions and OPEB Benefits WHEREAS, City Council created the Economic Prosperity Commission to advise the council on matters related to job creation and the City of Austin is one of the largest employers in Austin and retirement benefits make up a large percentage of the compensation of City of Austin employees. WHEREAS, City Council created the Economic Prosperity Commission to advise the council on matters related to job creation and the financial health of the City of Austin’s government is a signal used by employers to decide where to create jobs. WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report says “The deficit in governmental unrestricted net position is largely due to the net pension liability of $2.3 billion and other postemployment benefits (OPEB) liability of $1.9 billion.”. WHEREAS, the Legacy Liability of all 3 pensions is expected to increase. The police pension’s increases until 2030, COAERS until 2031, and the firefighter’s until 2032. WHEREAS, the payments to reduce the Legacity Liability will exceed $190 million in 2028. And those payments will continue until 2051 for the police pension, until 2053 for COAERS, and until 2055 for the firefighters’. WHEREAS, the City of Austin has not saved any money to pay for “other post-employment benefits” (OPEB), such as medical care. WHEREAS, the City of Austin is not legally required to provide OPEB and employees have no guarantee that OPEB will continue. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Economic Prosperity Commission makes the following recommendations: • • The City should establish a defined-contribution plan to pay for OPEB for all employees hired after the plan was created. This is a legal trust where a fixed percentage of wages should be put into the fund to pay for OPEB benefits during each employees’ retirement. The City should continue to explore the cheapest way to provide medical care to existing retirees. This includes studying Chicago’s plan to use the Affordable Care Act, known as ObamaCare, as a way to get medical coverage for retirees. . • • • • The City Budget’s “Taxpayer Impact Statement” page should include the per-ratepayer change in the City’s “total governmental activities net position” for the previous year. The pensions’ rules should be simulated under random expected conditions (for example, shuffled historical data) and varying assumptions. The output of those simulations should include the range of values …
City of Austin | Economic Prosperity Commission Impact Framework and Procedural Guidance January 21st, 2026 City of Austin | Economic Prosperity Commission Impact Framework and Procedural Guidance Executive Summary This document attempts to establish a clear, shared operating framework for the Austin Economic Prosperity Commission to improve consistency, effectiveness, and accountability in its policy work. The document attempts to define how the Commission measures success, how policy ideas should be developed from concept to Council-ready recommendation, and how potential initiatives are evaluated for impact, feasibility, and readiness. By articulating a North Star Metric and a standardized policy development process, the document is intended to support both new and tenured Commissioners in producing high- quality, actionable recommendations that are well-aligned with City priorities and capable of achieving necessary external buy-in. City of Austin | Economic Prosperity Commission Impact Framework and Procedural Guidance January 21st, 2026 Table of Contents I. Context & Purpose of Document II. Scope of Recommendations III. North Star Metric Definition IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. Communications and Representation Guidelines Impact Assessment Framework Phased Policy Development Workflow Policy Recommendation Template Example Policy Recommendation City of Austin | Economic Prosperity Commission Impact Framework and Procedural Guidance January 21st, 2026 I. Context & Purpose of Document Situational Context: The Economic Prosperity Commission has benefited from the addition of new Commissioners that bring fresh perspectives and expertise. However, newer Commissioners have at times expressed difficulty orienting to the Commission’s core goals, the metrics that define Commission success, and the practical mechanics of forming an initial idea into a well-formed, Council-ready policy recommendation. Historically, the Commission has been unclear on how policy potential is assessed, how Commission success is measured, and how both internal and external policy alignment are achieved. Document Purpose: The purpose of this document is to provide a shared operating context for Commissioners. The document attempts to establish a clear North Star Metric for defining Commission output and success, and it lays out a standardized process for policy development, including a structured rubric for assessing the potential impact, feasibility, and readiness of policy initiatives. The intent is to improve clarity, consistency, and effectiveness across Commission work, while supporting Commissioners in their efforts to produce high-quality, actionable recommendations for City Council and adhering to Commission bylaws. City of Austin | Economic Prosperity Commission Impact Framework and Procedural Guidance January 21st, 2026 II. Scope of Recommendations The Economic Prosperity Commission may advance …
