REGULAR CALLED MEETING OF THE HISPANIC/LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION July 22, 2025, 6:00 P.M. City Hall, Boards and Commissions Room #1101 301 West 2nd St Austin, Texas 78701 Some members of the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory 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 Christi Vitela, 512- 974-2792, christi.vitela@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Amanda Afifi, Chair Yesenia Ramos, Vice Chair Dulce Castañeda Lyssette Galvan Kevin Jackson Jr Johanna Moya Fábregas Brian Peña Jesús Perales Melissa Ruiz Daniela Silva AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 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 Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission special called meeting on June 26, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Discussion of accessibility frameworks and Latine community needs and usage of the City of Austin digital products with Luisa Apolaya Torres, Sr. Service Designer, Communications & Technology Management. 3. Presentation regarding Know Your Rights, Annie Fierro, Workers Defense Action Fund. 4. Discussion of the City of Austin Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Proposed Budget DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding funding for Academia Cuauhtli. 6. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the Office of Community Liaison. 7. Approve the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission 2024-2025 Annual Internal Review. 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 Christi Vitela at the City Clerk’s Department, at 512-974-2792, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Hispanic Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission please contact Christi Vitela at 512-974-2792 or christi.vitela@austintexas.gov.
Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission June 26, 2025 HISPANIC/LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES Thursday, June 26, 2025 The Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission convened in a special called meeting on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at City Hall, 301 W 2nd St in Austin, Texas. Commissioner Afifi called the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission Meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Amanda Afifi Melissa Ruiz Brian Peña Yesenia Ramos Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Dulce Castañeda Jesús Perales PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission regular meeting on March 25, 2025. The minutes from the meeting on March 25, 2025, were approved on Commissioner Perales’ motion, Commissioner Castañeda’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Galvan, Jackson, Moya Fábregas, and Silva were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation regarding the need for funding for Academia Cuauhtli. The presentation was made by Dr. María Unda, Academia Cuauhtli. 1 Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission June 26, 2025 3. Update from the Joint Inclusion Committee representative on the work of the committee from the past three months. Commissioner Afifi provided an update. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM 4. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair. The motion to approve Commissioner Afifi as Chair was approved on Commissioner Peña’s motion, Commissioner Castañeda’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Galvan, Jackson, Moya Fábregas, and Silva were absent. The motion to approve Commissioner Ramos as Vice Chair was approved on Commissioner Ramos’ motion, Commissioner Peña’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Galvan, Jackson, Moya Fábregas, and Silva were absent. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Recommendation for support of Academia Cuauhtli Recommendation regarding the Office of Community Liaison Communications and Technology Management Presentation Know Your Rights Presentation Director of Office of Equity and Inclusion ADJOURNMENT The motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:05 p.m. was approved on Vice Chair Peña’s motion, Commissioner Ramos’ second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Galvan, Jackson, Moya Fábregas, and Silva were absent. 2
Access and Use of City of Austin’s Digital Products Seeking Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Committee’s Perspective Luisa Apolaya Torres, Sr. Service Designer CTM Digital Strategies & Solutions luisa.apolayatorres@austintexas.gov Digital Strategies & Solutions Team @ CTM Human-centered design Accessibility Virtual Reality AI Governance Forms Consolidation User Testing UX Design Advocating for great digital experiences for all city residents. What are digital products? City of Austin’s Website Service Portals (Austin 311 Online Portal, City of Austin Utilities, etc) Mobile Apps (CapMetro, Austin 311) Community Outreach Groups (Austin Public Health) Access and Use of City of Austin’s Digital Products What factors can affect access and use? Digital literacy Findability of information English literacy Familiarity with resources provided by the city Trust in the product to find accurate information What does the use of digital products by the Latine community in Austin look like? What products do they access? How do they access? When do they access? What is their relationship with these products? Factors for Access and Use Digital literacy Findability of information English literacy Familiarity with resources provided by the city Trust in the product to find accurate information What can a reimagining of digital products accessible to the Latine community in Austin look like? What needs are already identified, if any? Are there opportunities to improve a current product? Are there opportunities to create a new digital product?
HISPANIC/LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20250722-005 Description of Recommendation to Council The City of Austin needs to ensure equitable funding regarding youth recreational and educational programs. Residents have expressed continued concerns regarding the lack of culturally and linguistically research-based services for children and youth. We need to continue to sustain and expand cultural and multilingual programming for Austin students. Date: July 22, 2025 Subject: FY26 Budget Recommendations Motioned By: Commissioner Recommendation Support for Academia Cuauhtli Programming and Expansion Seconded By: Commissioner D R A F T There is a lack of places where youth can go to connect with their culture and heritage while simultaneously being provided academic support and life skills. Academia Cuauhtli is a free culture and language revitalization academy for school children and their parents. They use a curriculum focused on Indigeneity, social justice, Tejano history, traditional arts, and danza Mexica. The program serves working class, mostly Mexican, immigrant communities whose children attend schools within Austin Independent School District (AISD). The program embraces Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center’s (ESB- MACC) mission of collaborative engagement in service to our communities. Academia Cuauhtli also fulfills its mission through teacher preparation and mentorship by creating teacher support networks, hosting professional training workshops and conferences. programs; and Rationale ● Allocate $106,000 for Academia Cuauhtli’s culturally and linguistically diverse arts ● Allocate $80,000 to create a full-time Culture and Arts Education Supervisor. The Bilingual Cultural Revitalization Saturday Academy offers ethnic studies and Danza Mexica instruction to AISD third- to fifth-graders at no cost, including breakfast and transportation. They serve an average of 200 students, 70 public school teachers, and 10 graduate students per year. The Saturday school runs from September through May. Academica Cuauhtli also has a summer STREAM Program in June and July. The interdisciplinary summer program integrates science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and math with cultural learning. Additionally, a collaborative team conducts qualitative and quantitative research to document their programs’ impacts and to inform their practices. Teacher professional development is ongoing and led by university faculty, and it is tailored for Latinx and Indigenous educators. The professional development program runs from September through August. Academia Cuauhtli also has a transnational teacher preparation initiative (La Colaborativa) that bridges educators in Mexico and the U.S., and focuses on bilingual and culturally responsive pedagogy. Nuestro Grupo is a community-based collective of teachers, parents, and scholars that meet weekly …
Expansion and Empowerment of the Community Liaison Office Proposal to Expand and Elevate the Austin Police Department Community Liaison Office Overview: In order to strengthen community policing, build trust with minoritized communities, and ensure that feedback from impacted groups shapes department policy and practice, we propose expanding and elevating the Community Liaison Office within the Austin Police Department (APD). Key Changes Proposed: ● Structural Elevation: Move the Community Liaison Office out of the Public Information Office (PIO) and establish it as an independent division that reports directly to the Chief of Police (or a designated Assistant Chief). ● Role Expansion: Assign both a civilian liaison and a sworn officer liaison for each major minoritized community (such as LGBTQ+, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and Women). These teams would work in close partnership, giving community members the choice of engaging with a civilian or a sworn officer depending on the nature of their concern. ● Formalization of Sworn Officer Roles: Formalize the currently unofficial liaison roles many sworn officers already fulfill, making community liaison work an official, recognized part of their job duties and workload. ● Direct Communication Channels: Create dedicated public contact points (e.g., phone hotline numbers and emails) for each liaison team, and ensure they are prominently available on the APD website and communications. ● Training Responsibilities: Liaison officers would assist in training the broader police force on issues specific to their communities, such as: ○ Correct use of pronouns and respectful engagement with transgender residents ○ Cultural sensitivity and best practices for interacting with various minoritized groups ○ Awareness of systemic issues and culturally competent policing ● Commission and JIC Engagement: Require that liaisons regularly engage with their corresponding City of Austin Quality of Draft Life Commissions (e.g., the Asian American QOL Commission, the LGBTQIA+ Commission) and provide updates and receive input. The liaisons should act as bridges between community representation bodies and APD leadership. ● Policy Feedback Role: Empower liaison teams to provide policy recommendations to APD leadership informed by the needs of their respective communities, ensuring direct integration of lived experiences into policing policy. Goals of This Proposal: ● Create more accessible, transparent, and culturally competent channels for communication between APD and minoritized communities. ● Ensure that community voices—especially those represented by the city's various commissions and the Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC)—are actively heard and integrated into APD policies and practices. ● Build lasting trust …
Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission The Board/Commission mission statement (per the City Code) is: § 2-1-146 - HISPANIC/LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION. This report covers the time period of 7/1/2024 to 6/30/2025. Annual Internal Review D R A F T (B) The commission shall advise the City Council on issues relating to the quality of life for the City's Hispanic/Latino community and shall recommend programs and policies designed to alleviate any inequities that may confront Hispanics and Latinos in social, economic, and vocational pursuits including education, youth services, housing and community development, cultural arts, economic development, health, civic engagement, and transportation. 1. Describe the board’s actions supporting their mission during the previous calendar year. Address all elements of the board’s mission statement as provided in the relevant sections of the City Code. (A) The Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission should have a balanced membership reflecting in-depth knowledge of the challenges and concerns of the Hispanic/Latino community. The City Council should appoint persons who are representative of or sensitive to the needs of the Hispanic/Latino community in the City of Austin. The Commission received staff and community briefings and provided feedback to various departments on issues. This year included the following presentations: ● Demographic data briefing from the City of Austin Demographer Office presented by Lila Valencia, City Demographer. ● Austin/Travis County Food Plan briefing from the Office of Sustainability presented by Amanda Rohlich, Business Process Consultant Sr., Food Policy Advisor. ● Affordable Child Care in the greater Austin area presented by Cathy McHorse, Early Childhood Consultant. Unda. ● Equity Based Preservation Plan briefing from the Planning Department presented by Cara Bertron, Program Manager II, Planning. ● Anti-Defamation League Austin on their work locally in combatting antisemitism, hate and extremism presented by Courtney Toretto, Director of Policy for the Central Division. ● Austin-Travis County Family Child Care Educators Network briefing from Austin Public Health presented by Caitlin Oliver, Early Childhood Program Coordinator. ● Small Business Division briefing from the Economic Development Department presented by Dannny Brewer, Program Manager. ● Drive a Senior ATX presented by Jill Skinner, Executive Director. ● Immigrant Affairs briefing from the Equity and Inclusion Office presented by Rocío Villalobos, Immigrant Affairs manager and DACA Liaison Officer. ● American Gateways regarding their work in the Austin community providing legal services to the low income and immigrant communities presented by Rebecca Lightsey, Co-Executive …
HISPANIC/LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20250722-005 Support for Academia Cuauhtli Programming and Expansion Date: July 22, 2025 Subject: FY26 Budget Recommendations Motioned By: Commissioner Perales Seconded By: Commissioner Silva Recommendation The City of Austin needs to ensure equitable funding regarding youth recreational and educational programs. Residents have expressed continued concerns regarding the lack of culturally and linguistically research-based services for children and youth. We need to continue to sustain and expand cultural and multilingual programming for Austin students. Description of Recommendation to Council ● Allocate $106,000 for Academia Cuauhtli’s culturally and linguistically diverse arts programs; and ● Allocate $80,000 to create a full-time Culture and Arts Education Supervisor. Rationale There is a lack of places where youth can go to connect with their culture and heritage while simultaneously being provided academic support and life skills. Academia Cuauhtli is a free culture and language revitalization academy for school children and their parents. They use a curriculum focused on Indigeneity, social justice, Tejano history, traditional arts, and danza Mexica. The program serves working class, mostly Mexican, immigrant communities whose children attend schools within Austin Independent School District (AISD). The program embraces Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center’s (ESB- MACC) mission of collaborative engagement in service to our communities. Academia Cuauhtli also fulfills its mission through teacher preparation and mentorship by creating teacher support networks, hosting professional training workshops and conferences. The Bilingual Cultural Revitalization Saturday Academy offers ethnic studies and Danza Mexica instruction to AISD third- to fifth-graders at no cost, including breakfast and transportation. They serve an average of 200 students, 70 public school teachers, and 10 graduate students per year. The Saturday school runs from September through May. Academica Cuauhtli also has a summer STREAM Program in June and July. The interdisciplinary summer program integrates science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and math with cultural learning. Additionally, a collaborative team conducts qualitative and quantitative research to document their programs’ impacts and to inform their practices. Teacher professional development is ongoing and led by university faculty, and it is tailored for Latinx and Indigenous educators. The professional development program runs from September through August. Academia Cuauhtli also has a transnational teacher preparation initiative (La Colaborativa) that bridges educators in Mexico and the U.S., and focuses on bilingual and culturally responsive pedagogy. Nuestro Grupo is a community-based collective of teachers, parents, and scholars that meet weekly to coordinate year-round …
