Regular Called Meeting of the Economic Prosperity Commission Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 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. 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 • Amy Rister, 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 Special Called Meeting on June 24, 2024. 3. 4. 5. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discuss and approve the creation, membership, and timeline of the Global Business Expansion working group. Discuss and approve the creation, membership, and timeline of the Redevelopment working group. Discuss and approve the creation, membership, and timeline of the Small Business working group. Discuss and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to provide the EPC and other Boards and Commissions a message board, similar to the City Council Message Board, as allowed by Section 551.006 of the Texas Open Meetings Act. 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 …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Economic Prosperity Commission Recommendation Number: 20240717-005: Message Board for Use by Boards and Commissions WHEREAS, the City Council Message Board is running on software whose last major update was in 2007, the time before smartphones. The software is named “phpBB”, where “BB” stands for “bulletin board”, a technology from the era of dial-up modems. WHEREAS, Austin is known as a technology city. We are home to chip manufacturers like IBM, NXP, AMD, and Samsung. WHEREAS, Austin has a significant presence of technology companies such as Apple, Google, Dell, and Meta and Indeed. WHEREAS, Austin is home to the University of Texas at Austin, one of the top technology universities in the world. WHEREAS, Technology is part of Austin’s brand and our city’s government should be using the most modern applications available. WHEREAS, the city council message boards of Port Aransas and Amarillo are using WordPress, a newer software than Austin’s. WHEREAS, there is a new generation of collaboration software based on instant messaging and designed with smartphones in mind. This includes such proprietary apps such as Slack and Discord, as well as open-source alternatives like Zulip and Matrix. This innovative technology is being used by the boards of for-profit and nonprofit organizations to communicate and collaborate. WHEREAS, our Mayor, Kirk Watson, when in the Texas Senate, authored and championed changes to the Texas Open Meetings Act. The addition of Section 551.006 to the Texas Government Code permits government bodies to use online real-time communication that is visible to the public. Thus enabling the Austin City Council Message Board which now has thousands of posts and millions of views. WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Boards and Commissions play an important role in city government. They are vital in adjudication, monitoring rights, monitoring the environment, and oversight of critical industries. They improve Austin by cherishing amenities, fostering the arts, and providing expert advice to City Council and serve as the inclusive interface for communities that are often overlooked by the government. WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Boards and Commissions do not have message boards and, therefore, still suffer under the restrictive provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act prior to the addition of Section 551.006 by then Senator Kirk Watson. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Economic Prosperity Commission recommends the City of Austin: 1. Research and implement modern technology solutions for the current City Council Message Board. 2. Develop …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Economic Prosperity Commission Recommendation Number: 20240717-005: Message Board for Use by Boards and Commissions WHEREAS, the City Council Message Board is running on software whose last major update was in 2007, the time before smartphones. The software is named “phpBB”, where “BB” stands for “bulletin board”, a technology from the era of dial-up modems. WHEREAS, Austin is known as a technology city. We are home to leading hardware companies like IBM, NXP, AMD, and Samsung. WHEREAS, Austin has a significant presence of technology companies such as Apple, Google, Dell, and Meta and Indeed. WHEREAS, Austin is home to the University of Texas at Austin, one of the top technology universities in the world. WHEREAS, Technology is part of Austin’s brand and our city’s government should be using the most modern applications available. WHEREAS, the city council message boards of Port Aransas and Amarillo are using WordPress, a newer software than Austin’s. WHEREAS, there is a new generation of collaboration software based on instant messaging and designed with smartphones in mind. This includes such proprietary apps such as Slack and Discord, as well as open-source alternatives like Zulip and Matrix. This innovative technology is being used by the boards of for-profit and nonprofit organizations to communicate and collaborate. WHEREAS, our Mayor, Kirk Watson, when in the Texas Senate, authored and championed changes to the Texas Open Meetings Act. The addition of Section 551.006 to the Texas Government Code permits government bodies to use online real-time communication that is visible to the public. Thus enabling the Austin City Council Message Board which now has thousands of posts and millions of views. WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Boards and Commissions play an important role in city government. They are vital in adjudication, monitoring rights, monitoring the environment, and oversight of critical industries. They improve Austin by cherishing amenities, fostering the arts, and providing expert advice to City Council and serve as the inclusive interface for communities that are often overlooked by the government. WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Boards and Commissions do not have message boards and, therefore, still suffer under the restrictive provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act prior to the addition of Section 551.006 by then Senator Kirk Watson. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Economic Prosperity Commission recommends the City of Austin: 1. Research and implement modern technology solutions for the current City Council Message Board. 2. …
1. ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, July 17, 2024 The Economic Prosperity Commission convened in a REGULAR CALLED meeting on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at 301 W. 2nd Street, Room 1101, Austin, Texas. Chair Michael Nahas called the Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. • Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance in Person: Aaron Gonzales (9), Michael Nahas (4), Raquel Valdez Sanchez (3), Rodrigo Cantu (5), Amy Rister (6) • Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Luis Osta Lugo (8), Kelsey Hitchingham (10) • Absent: Amy Noel (7), Laura Dixon (Mayor), Christiana Ponder (1) • Vacancy: District 2 PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approve the minutes of the Economic Prosperity Commission Special Called Meeting on June 24, 2024. The minutes from the meeting of June 24, 2024, were approved on Commissioner Hitchingham’s motion, Vice Chair Osta Lugo’s second on a 7-0 vote. Commissioners Noel, Dixon, and Ponder were absent. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discuss and approve the creation, membership, and timeline of the Global Business Expansion working group. The motion to approve the creation of the Global Business Expansion working group with Commissioners Rister (group chair), Nahas, and Hitchingham, as well as with a deadline of September 2024 for an initial report, was approved on Chair Nahas’ motion, Commissioner Rister’s second on a 7-0 vote. Commissioners Noel, Dixon, and Ponder were absent. 1 3. 4. 5. Discuss and approve the creation, membership, and timeline of the Redevelopment working group. The motion to approve the Redevelopment working group with Commissioners Osta Lugo (group chair) and Cantu, as well as with a deadline of September 2024 for an initial report, was approved on Chair Nahas’ motion, Commissioner Valdez Sanchez’s second on a 7-0 vote. Commissioners Noel, Dixon, and Ponder were absent. Discuss and approve the creation, membership, and timeline of the Small Business working group. The motion to approve the Small Business working group with Commissioners Valdez Sanchez (group chair) and Gonzales, as well as with a deadline of September 2024 for an initial report, was approved on Chair Nahas’ motion, Commissioner Gonzales’s second on a 7-0 vote. Commissioners Noel, Dixon, and Ponder were absent. Discuss and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to provide the EPC and other Boards and Commissions a message board, similar to the City Council Message Board, as allowed by Section 551.006 of the Texas Open Meetings Act. The …
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
Regular Called Meeting of the Economic Prosperity Commission Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 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. 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) (Velasquez) (Vela) • Benjamin Salazar, District 2 (Fuentes) • Raquel Valdez Sanchez, District 3 • Michael Nahas, Chair, District 4 • 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 April 17, 2024. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. 4. 6. 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. 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. Discuss monthly meeting logistics: communicating via Microsoft Outlook on the City of Austin network and how commissioners may invite speakers to future meetings. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Discuss and vote on a June 2024 makeup meeting: either a special called business meeting, or a community interest meeting in a public setting where a quorum may be present but no business will take place. The …
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, April 17, 2024 The Economic Prosperity Commission convened in a REGULAR CALLED meeting on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 301 W. 2nd Street, Room 1101, Austin, Texas. Vice Chair Michael Nahas called the Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. • Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance in Person: Luis Osta Lugo (8), Michael • Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Kelsey Hitchingham (10), Nahas (4), Rodrigo Cantu (5) Christiana Ponder (1), Amy Noel (7) • Absent: Laura Dixon (Mayor), Benjamin Salazar (2), Raquel Valdez Sanchez (3) • Vacancy: District 6, District 9 PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Economic Prosperity Commission Regular Meeting on March 20, 2024. The minutes from the meeting of March 20, 2024, were approved on Commissioner Osta Lugo’s motion, Commissioner Nahas’ second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Dixon, Salazar, and Valdez Sanchez were absent. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discuss and approve the commission’s potential recommendations to City Council for the City’s FY 2024-2025 budget. Drafts of these recommendations were introduced at the commission’s March 20, 2024 meeting; however, due to a loss of quorum during the meeting, the commission did not take action on any recommendation. • Recommendation 20240417-002A (Renters): Approved, as amended, on Commissioner Nahas’ motion, Commissioner Osta Lugo’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Dixon, Salazar, and Valdez Sanchez were absent. 1 • Recommendation 20240417-002B (Retirement Programs): Commission declined to take action on this recommendation. • Recommendation 20240417-002C (Sales-Tax Income): The motion to approve this recommendation failed on Commissioner Nahas’ motion, Commissioner Osta Lugo’s second. Those voting aye were: Commissioners Nahas, Osta Lugo, Cantu, Hitchingham, and Ponder. Those voting nay were: Commissioner Noel. Commissioners Dixon, Salazar, and Valdez Sanchez were absent. 3. Conduct officer elections for Chair and Vice Chair for one-year terms of office from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025. • The motion to approve Commissioner Nahas for Chair was approved on Commissioner Hitchingham’s motion, Commissioner Osta Lugo’s second on a 6- 0 vote. Commissioner Nahas accepted the nomination. Commissioners Dixon, Salazar, and Valdez Sanchez were absent. • The motion to approve Commissioner Osta Lugo for Vice Chair was approved on Commissioner Nahas’ motion, Commissioner Hitchingham’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioner Osta Lugo accepted the nomination. Commissioners Dixon, Salazar, and Valdez Sanchez were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Presentation by Michael Ward Jr. on …
Business Expansion Program Update Economic Development Department Economic Prosperity Commission May 15, 2024 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND UPDATE PROCESS Chapter 380 Revision: State Local Code LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE TITLE 12. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SUBTITLE A. MUNICIPAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 380. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATING TO MUNICIPAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Sec. 380.001. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. (a) The governing body of a municipality may establish and provide for the administration of one or more programs, including programs for making loans and grants of public money and providing personnel and services of the municipality, to promote state or local economic development and to stimulate business and commercial activity in the municipality. 1 C I T Y O F A U S T I N Current Program Development Background In 2018 EDD Staff utilized feedback from an extensive engagement process in development of the current Program Guidelines • Community conversations included 8 Sessions, held in each Council District • Stakeholder sessions with attendance ranging from 7 to 90, with 260 participants that provided approximately 2,500 comments Current Chapter 380 Policy and Program adopted by City Council • Community benefits incorporated by reference At that time, City Council authorized the City Manager to develop a Location Enhancement Program Business Expansion Program application, scoring matrix and scoring guidance developed by staff post City Council approval • Commitment to community benefits used to score project applications, but not a requirement for project eligibility • Application questions are not adequately tied to outcomes in scoring guidance • Eligibility and performance metrics lack transparency C I T Y O F A U S T I N Business Expansion Program Desired Program Impact Overarching goal is supporting economic growth through the creation of notable targeted job opportunities, in balance with strong commitments to community benefits Program Categories Local Expansions (Category 1) • 5 New Full-Time Jobs created over 5 Years • Operational for >12 months within City of Austin Targeted Hiring (Category 2) • Create one or more apprenticeships or internships • Create one or more full-time jobs hired and retained Austinites facing economic and socio-economic barriers to employment External Attractions (Category 3) • 75 New Full-Time Jobs created over 10 Years • Firm has no Austin Presence or project delivers new operation C I T Y O F A U S T I N Targeted Community Benefits Talent Development Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Business Type / Sector/ Industry Diversification Quality …
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 1. 3. 4. 6. 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 …
Regular Called Meeting of the Economic Prosperity Commission Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 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. 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) Benjamin Salazar, District 2 (Fuentes) Raquel Valdez Sanchez, District 3 (Velasquez) Michael Nahas, Vice Chair, District 4 (Vela) Rodrigo Cantu, District 5 (R. Alter) Vacant, District 6 (Kelly) Amy Noel, District 7 (Pool) Luis Osta Lugo, District 8 (Ellis) Vacant, District 9 (Qadri) Kelsey Hitchingham, Chair, District 10 (A. Alter) 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 March 20, 2024. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Discuss and approve the commission’s potential recommendations to City Council for the City’s FY 2024-2025 budget. Drafts of these recommendations were introduced at the commission’s March 20, 2024 meeting; however, due to a loss of quorum during the meeting, the commission did not take action on any recommendation. Conduct officer elections for Chair and Vice Chair for one-year terms of office from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Presentation by Michael Ward Jr. on Austin Urban Technology Movement’s tech ecosystem that eliminates poverty through expanding technology skills, apprenticeships, digital equity, workforce development, and job placement assistance in our society. WORKING GROUP/COMMITTEE UPDATES 5. Updates from the Jobs, Procurement, and Infrastructure working groups on the established focus and current findings of each 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 …
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, March 20, 2024 The Economic Prosperity Commission convened in a REGULAR CALLED meeting on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 301 W. 2nd Street, Room 1101, Austin, Texas. Vice Chair Michael Nahas called the Economic Prosperity Commission Meeting to order at 6:37 p.m. Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance in Person: Raquel Valdez Sanchez (3), Michael Nahas (4), Luis Osta Lugo (8), Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Benjamin Salazar (2), Kelsey Hitchingham (10), Laura Dixon (Mayor) Absent: Tina Cannon (9), Christiana Ponder (1), Amy Noel (7) Vacancy: District 5, District 6 PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Economic Prosperity Commission Regular Meeting on February 21, 2024. The minutes from the meeting of February 21, 2024, were approved on Commissioner Osta Lugo’s motion, Commissioner Valdez Sanchez’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Cannon, Ponder, and Noel were absent. WORKING GROUP/COMMITTEE UPDATES 2. Updates from the Jobs, Procurement, and Infrastructure working groups. At the commission’s February 21, 2024 meeting, the working groups were asked to contribute to the commission’s budget recommendation to City Council (Agenda Item 3). The Procurement and Infrastructure working groups were not able to meet since the February 21, 2024 meeting; they have no updates. Update from the Jobs working group (Commissioners Nahas, Valdez Sanchez, Salazar): they met yesterday to discuss potential budget recommendations, talked mostly about City Council’s proposed resolution for an Austin 1 Infrastructure Academy, whose goal is to train people in construction and infrastructure jobs. They also discussed the Austin Urban Technology Movement, which offers training in the technology industry and is a potential speaker at a future commission meeting. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 3. Discuss and approve the commission’s recommendation to City Council for the City’s FY 2024-2025 budget. Vice Chair Nahas shared with the commission potential budget recommendations related to renters, retirement programs, and sales-tax income. During this agenda item Commissioner Dixon moved off the virtual dais, creating a loss of quorum, so the commission did not take action on any potential recommendation and moved on to the remaining discussion-only items. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Discuss entrepreneur-in-residence programs at universities and how these programs can foster and retain talent locally. Commissioner Osta Lugo led discussion on the limited availability of these types of programs, the potential for them to be used in Austin for international students to …
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20240417-002A Luis Osta Lugo (8) Date: April 17, 2024 Subject: City’s FY 2024 – 2025 Budget (Renters) Motioned By: Michael Nahas (4) Seconded By: Recommendation The Budget of the City of Austin should respect renters as the equal of homeowners. Description of Recommendation to Council Require that the City of Austin 2024-25 Budget respect renters as "Typical" residents of Austin. Require that the City of Austin 2024-25 Budget's "Taxpayer Impact Statement" add a line for the average tax per rental unit, which includes the property tax and all other taxes and annual fees on rental properties. Require that the City of Austin 2024-25 Budget's "Taxpayer Impact Statement" rename the line "TOTAL YEARLY IMPACT" to "TOTAL YEARLY IMPACT (homeowner)" and add a line for "TOTAL YEARLY IMPACT (renter)", which includes the average taxes and fees paid per rental unit. Require that the City of Austin 2024-25 Budget's "Taxpayer Impact Statement" include a calculation of "TOTAL YEARLY IMPACT (renter)" for the previous budget, Fiscal Year 2023- 24, and compute a percentage increase from Fiscal Year 2023-24 to Fiscal Year 2024-25. Require that the City of Austin 2024-25 Budget's "Taxpayer Impact Statement" use the bottom half of the page to hold a table of "TOTAL YEARLY IMPACT" for Austin residents at all income levels. Rows should be by household income for every 10th percentile, from bottom 10% to top 10%. City Staff should estimate what proportion of each income bracket are homeowners and renters and assign an average (mathematical mean) property tax weighted by that proportion, based on properties that income bracket would rent or own. Unless City staffCity staff may have have more detailed knowledge;, they should investigate ifcan assume that residents in the bottom 10th percentile of income uses the average (mathematical mean) of the bottom 10th percentile of residential Austin Energy usage, residential Austin Water usage, etc. Rationale: The City of Austin 2023-24 Budget's “Taxpayer Impact Statement” refers to a “Typical” Resident Ratepayer” who pays property tax with a homestead exemption and, therefore, 1 of 2 must be a homeowner. The 2023-24 budget claims that this “Typical” Austin resident owns a house worth $499,524. In fact, the City of Austin actually has a majority of renters. The U.S. Census Bureau for the time period 2017-2021 reports that only 44.7% of the housing units in Austin are owner-occupied. A household owning a property worth $499,524 is likely …
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20240417-002B Date: April 17, 2024 Subject: City’s FY 2024 – 2025 Budget (Retirement Programs) Motioned By: Seconded By: Recommendation Reduce risk by moving retirement programs from pensions to defined contribution. Description of Recommendation to Council Remove risk by changing our retirement programs from pensions to defined-contribution programs. Remove risk by paying other parties to accept Austin’s existing pension liabilities. Payment could be either a series of future annual payments or an immediate payment, using funds raised by General Obligations bonds. Rationale: The City of Austin currently promises pensions to its employees. That is, we specify benefits after they retire for as long as they live. This sounds nice, but the hard truth is that we do not know the financial future. We do not know the price today of those promises. Those promises have already created a gigantic problem. The 2023-24 Budget says our unfunded actuarial accrued liabilities in 2020 were “nearly $2.4 billion”. That is more than one-and-a-half years of the annual General Fund. Every resident, adults and children, lost more than $100 benefits in Fiscal Year 2023-24 because the City of Austin spent that money fixing just 1/30th of our pension liability. Pensions are dangerous. They crippled America’s car industry. They almost ended America’s steel industry. And multiple cities have declared bankruptcy due to the burdens of pension: Detroit MI, Stockton CA, San Bernardino CA, and more. Pension programs can harm more than the City of Austin; they might harm our employees in the future who would be relying on the City of Austin for those pensions in their retirement. To ensure the City of Austin’s economic prosperity, it should not make unpredictable promises about the future. It should “pay as we go” with its employees. That means a defined contribution plan, which puts a fixed-multiple of the employee’s salary into a retirement program this fiscal year, without any promises about the future. 1 of 2 The risk from existing liabilities caused by past pension programs should be removed from the City of Austin budget. That can be done by paying a financial firm to accept the risk, in exchange for fixed future payments or a lump sum, raised with General Obligation bonds. The risk could also be removed by offering fixed or lump sum payments to holders of the pensions. Vote For: Against: Abstain: Absent: Attest: [Staff or board member can sign] 2 …
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20240417-002C Date: April 17, 2024 Subject: City’s FY 2024 – 2025 Budget (Sales-Tax Income) Motioned By: Seconded By: Recommendation Investigate hedging sales-tax income to reduce uncertainty and increase the budget. Description of Recommendation to Council Ask the City Manager to investigate hedging as a way to reduce the uncertainty in sales-tax income. Specifically, the City Manager should ask financial institutions how much they might bid in exchange for 80% of next fiscal-year’s sales tax revenue. If City Council accepted such an offer, the City of Austin would have a more stable and predictable income, allowing us to plan better and increase the budget. Rationale: The City of Austin’s income from sales tax is large and unpredictable. The 2023-24 Budget states that sales tax was 7% of income. But it also shows that, over the last decade, its income is unpredictable: growing 25% some years and 0% in others. But most of the City of Austin’s expenses are predictable and fixed. According to staff, “70 to 80%” of the expenses are wages, which are steady expenses. With a variable income and fixed expenses, it is easy for the City of Austin to overspend and run out of money. The result would be drastically slashing programs during the middle of a fiscal year, which would be harmful to the economic prosperity of all Austinites. The City’s staff knows about this danger and warns about it in the 2023-24 Budget: “City financial staff have long advocated thoughtfulness and restraint in projecting sales tax revenues, in the knowledge that periodic economic disruptions and resulting contractions of sales tax revenue—such as the one witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic—are inevitable.” And “… actual sales tax receipts falling short of budgeted levels can have severe repercussions with respect to maintaining a balanced General Fund budget, there are no corollary consequences should this revenue exceed projections.” The City of Austin could plan better and have a larger budget if we exchange the variable income from sales tax for a steady predictable income. That is, find a financial institution that is willing to trade: it will pay Austin a stead income in return for 1 of 2 accepting the unsteady income from sales tax. In the financial lingo, this is called “selling risk” or “hedging”. It is very common in the business world. For example, Southwest Airlines could lose a lot of money if fuel …
