REGULAR MEETING OF THE HISPANIC LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026, 6:00 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM 1101 301 W 2nd STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS 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, contact Nekaybaw Watson at nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2562. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Lyssette Galvan, Chair Amanda Afifi Andrea Flores Yesenia Ramos AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Dulce Castañeda, Vice Chair Elizabeth Morales Jesús Perales Melissa Ruiz 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 July 28, 2026. STAFF BRIEFING 2. Staff briefing from Austin Police Oversight regarding the Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) Dashboard. Presentation by Sara Peralta, Public Information and Marketing Program Manager, Austin Police Oversight and Crystal Kimbrough, Policy Compliance Consultant, Austin Police Oversight. 3. Staff briefing from Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (ACME) regarding the Creative Reset Phase II. Presentation from Candice Cooper, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, ACME, Marjorie Flanagan, Division Manager Cultural Education and Programs, ACME, Matrex Kilgore, Division Manager, ACME, and Michelle Rojas, Manager Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, ACME. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Discussion regarding Quality-of-Life Study and the Levers of Economic Mobility Index meeting held with Chair and Vice Chair and Austin Equity and Inclusion. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Approve proclamation language that celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. 6. Approve a list of questions to share with Joint Inclusion Committee for the Chief Interim Equity Officer. 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 …
Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission July 28, 2026 HISPANIC/LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2026 The Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission convened in a regular meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at Austin City Hall, room 1101. Chair Galvan called the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission Meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Lysette Galvan, Chair Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Dulce Castañeda, Vice Chair Amanda Afifi Andrea Flores Elizabeth Morales Jesús Perales Melissa Ruiz PUBLIC COMMUNICATION : GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Hispanic Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission meeting on June 23, 2026. The minutes from the meeting on June 23, 2026, were approved during the July 28, 2026 meeting on Commissioner Perales’ motion, Commissioner Ruiz’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioner Morales was off the dais. Commissioner Ramos was absent. STAFF BRIEFING 2. Staff briefing from Austin Public Health regarding general information on the Domestic Violence Center. Presentation by Laura LaFuente, Assistant Director, Austin Public Health and Akeshia Johnson Smothers, Program Manager III, Austin Public Health. Presentation was given by Laura LaFuente, Assistant Director, Austin Public Health and Akeshia Johnson Smothers, Program Manager III, Austin Public Health. 1 Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission July 28, 2026 3. Staff briefing from Austin Police Department regarding the transition of the Eloise House to Brave. Presentation by Kachina Clark, Division Manager, Austin Police and Marcy Alonzo, Sexual Assault Response and Resource Team (SARRT) Coordinator, Austin Police. Presentation was given by Kachina Clark, Division Manager, Austin Police and Marcy Alonzo, SARRT Coordinator, Austin Police. 4. Staff briefing from Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME) regarding Spanish Language support for ACME funding programs. Presentation by Morgan Messick, Assistant Director, ACME and Laura Odegaard, Division Manager – Cultural Affairs and Investments, ACME. Presentation was given by Morgan Messick, Assistant Director, ACME and Laura Odegaard, Division Manager, ACME. 5. Staff briefing regarding the 2026 East Austin Historic Resource Survey. Presentation by Sofia Wagner, Planner III, Austin Planning. Presentation was given by Sofia Wagner, Planner III, Austin Planning. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Approve a revision of the bylaws to add public safety to the purpose and duties. The motion to approve a revision of the bylaws by adding public safety to the purpose and duties of the bylaws were approved …
Officer Involved Shooting Dashboard Austin Police Oversight About Austin Police Oversight Austin Police Oversight is a separate and independent department from APD created to provide impartial oversight of the Austin Police Department’s conduct, practices, and policies to enhance accountability, inform the public to increase transparency and create sustainable partnerships throughout the community. ACCOUNTABILITY TRANSPARENCY PARTNERSHIPS 2 About Austin Police Oversight WHAT WE DO WHAT WE DO NOT DO ✓ Separate, independent, civilian oversight ✓ Review all community complaints ✓ We have full access to all APD databases ✓ Make recommendations to the Chief of Police & City Manager related to discipline, administrative policies and training ✓ Educate community members about the complaint process, our reports and recommendations, and their rights when interacting with law enforcement We do NOT work for or report to APD or the Chief of Police We do NOT oversee other law enforcement agencies We do NOT oversee criminal cases We do NOT administer discipline to officers We are NOT the final decision-makers on issues related to discipline and training 3 OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING DASHBOARD View Online 4 About Officer Involved Shootings ▪ An officer involved shooting is when an APD officer discharges their firearm. ▪ APO’s last OIS report was released in June 2020. 5 Making Information More Accessible The new Officer-Involved Shooting Dashboard was created to: • Transform historical reports into an interactive tool • • Increase transparency Improve public access to information • Support public understanding with data-driven insights What's included: Demographics (subject & officers) Incident Summaries Use of Force Details Trends over time Geographic Mapping Filter by district, year, etc. 6 Data Governance Incident summaries (date, location, outcome) Demographics (subjects & officers) Use-of-force details (weapon type etc) Trends over time (currently 5 years, 2018-2025) Geographic mapping of incidents Filters (year, district, etc.) Data Validation Processes ▪ Critical Incident Briefing (CIB) Info ▪ SIU Yearly Spreadsheets ▪ Internal Affairs (IA ) Case Files 7 Overview Page 8 Officer Insights 9 Subject Insights 10 Incident Details 11 Spanish Dashboard 12 User Accessibility and Testing ▪ English and Spanish language dashboard launched simultaneously ▪ User testing performed by APO staff and volunteers from the City’s Shared Voices program ▪ Logical tab order, high contrast alternative color themes etc. ▪ Meets Federal web accessibility requirements (WCAG 2.1) 13 What’s Next? • Establish a process for updating and maintaining the dashboard. • Present dashboard to community and commissions. • …
The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities and Museums Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment July 2026 Why Now? Austin Has Changed. Our Cultural System Must Change With It. ▪ Austin's population continues to grow and diversify. ▪ Community expectations have shifted from simply preserving facilities to actively programming and activating them. ▪ Residents expect welcoming, accessible, vibrant public spaces that are open, responsive, and community-centered. ▪ The Creative Reset presented an opportunity to rethink how our facilities operate, not just maintain the status quo. Emma S Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center 2 Our Community Spaces Cultural Centers and Entertainment Complex Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex African American Cultural & Heritage Facility + Dedrick Hamilton House Asian American Resource Center Connelly-Yerwood “Pink” House Emma S Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural + Genealogy Center Museums and Art Center Montopolis Negro School Zilker Hillside Theater Dougherty Arts Center Elisabet Ney Museum UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum Susanna Dickinson Museum O. Henry Museum Old Bakery & Emporium 23rd Street Renaissance Artist Market 3 Our Approach The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities and Museums Beverly Sheffield Hillside Theater Our Approach We designed this process around listening. Community Engagement Internal Assessment Staff Visioning Site Identity Exercise Operational Review Recommendations Implementation Plan Evaluation 5 Nearly a year of engagement ensured that our recommendations reflect both community priorities and operational realities. Elisabeth Ney Museum 6 Community: What We Heard The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities and Museums ACME Creative Reset Engagement Community: What We Heard Activate our facilities More activity, more energy, more opportunities. Expand partnerships Collaborate with artists, nonprofits, schools, and community organizations. Improve customer experience Create welcoming, consistent, easy-to-access spaces. Reduce barriers Simplify processes and increase accessibility. Celebrate each site's unique identity Honor history while creating new opportunities. Brush Square Pun-Off Event 8 Staff: What We Learned The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities and Museums Dougherty Arts Center Staff: What We Learned ▪ Staff are passionate and deeply committed to serving the community. ▪ Operational processes vary significantly across facilities. ▪ Administrative responsibilities often limit time available for programming and community engagement. ▪ Greater collaboration, shared services, and consistent expectations can improve efficiency while preserving each site's unique identity. ▪ Our facilities are aging. Staff Engagement Event 10 Our New Operating Model The Creative Reset Phase II Reimagining Austin’s Cultural Facilities …
Whereas, Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15th to October 15th throughout the country and serves to celebrate and recognize the history, diversity and rich culture of Latinos and their contributions to the workforce and economic growth of the City of Austin, the state of Texas, and the United States of America; and Whereas, Latinos represent 20% of the population of the United States. In Texas, this community comprises 40.2% of the population, and in Austin, 33% of residents identify as having Hispanic heritage. Given these demographics, it is fitting to acknowledge and reaffirm the City of Austin's commitment to strengthening the human infrastructure in Latino communities by providing opportunities for economic growth, education and civic engagement. Moreover, we recognize the tremendous economic vitality of Latinos since they account for 30.6 percent of the nation’s GDP growth, contributing over $2.7 trillion to the U.S. economy. Whereas, the Latino community in Austin remains steadfast in opposing the erosion of constitutional and civil rights of all Americans and the xenophobic political rhetoric emanating from Washington D.C. that targets Latinos with discriminatory immigration enforcement practices, and the militarization of federal law enforcement agencies, constituting a threat to the freedoms and liberties of all Hispanic communities. Whereas, despite these challenges, the Latino community in Austin maintains its firm commitment to upholding and protecting the constitutional and civil rights of all Americans and will continue to advocate for full and equal access to the political process, education, healthcare, and economic advancement: and, Whereas the advancement of the Hispanic community in civic participation, economic development, leadership, public service, scientific and academic research will continue to have an important and meaningful impact on the City of Austin, the State of Texas, and the United States of America; and Whereas, it is important to acknowledge and support the vital role Latino residents, community organizations, businesses, cultural institutions, and leaders have played in shaping the history, culture, and continued growth of Austin, and in creating opportunities for future generations; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Austin Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission recognizes the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month and respectfully recommends that the Austin City Council recognize September 15 through October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in the City of Austin and encourage all residents to celebrate and honor the history, culture, achievements, and contributions of the Latino community.
