JIC Meeting Minutes - JIC July 26th, 2023 (Approved) — original pdf

Approved Minutes

JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE (JIC) MEETING MINUTES JULY 26th, 2023 JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE (JIC) REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, JULY 26th, 2023 The JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE convened in a REGULAR meeting on WEDNESDAY, JULY 26th, 2023, at the PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER (PDC) - AUSTIN CITY HALL - BOARDS & COMMISSIONS ROOM, 301 W. 2ND STREET in AUSTIN, TEXAS. Chair AMANDA AFIFI called the JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE MEETING to order at 3:17pm CST. Commissioners in Attendance: Hispanic/Latino Quality-of Life-Resource Advisory Commission: Amanda Afifi (Chair) Asian American Quality-of-Life Advisory Commission: Hanna Huang Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: African American Resource Advisory Commission: Serita Fontanesi Commission for Women: Julie Glasser Commission on Aging: Richard Bondi Commission on Immigrant Affairs: Miriam Dorantes & Melissa Ortega Early Childhood Council: Leonor Vargas & Eliza Gordon Human Rights Commission: Morgan Davis Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities: Jennifer Powell Commissioners Absent: LGBTQ+ Quality-of-Life Advisory Commission: VACANT Staff in Attendance: Equity Office, Immigrant Affairs Program Manager – Rocio Villalobos Equity Office, Business Process Consultant – Jeremy Garza 1 JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE (JIC) MEETING MINUTES MEETING MINUTES JULY 26th, 2023 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. None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the COMMITTEE’s REGULAR MEETING on JUNE 28th, 2023. The minutes from the meeting of JUNE 28th, 2023, were approved on COMMISSIONER SERITA FONTANESI’s motion, COMMISSIONER JENNIFER POWELL’s second on a 9 – 0 vote. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discussion on the Interim City Manager’s changes to the telework policy for city employees, with possible action to pass a recommendation to City Council in support of continuing telework to maintain a competitive workforce. Whereas, the ability to telework has the largest impact on women, childcare givers, and those with childcare needs. Whereas, the City of Austin has the highest childcare costs in the State of Texas, with impacts felt across the city and telework provides flexibility and helps alleviate pressure on the affordability crisis facing families and childcare givers in Austin. Whereas, telework has direct impacts in opening access to people with disabilities to the City workforce and is crucial to retaining those employees in a healthy and accommodating work environment. Whereas, it is a more inclusive policy to have telework for BIPOC staff and people of color who overwhelmingly report better work productivity and overall health with a flexible telework policy. The motion to pass a recommendation to City Council on the benefits of maintaining a robust and generous telework policy for City of Austin employees, with the four “whereas” stanzas listed above added to the recommendation was approved on COMMISSIONER HANNA Huang’s motion, COMMISSIONER RICHARD BONDI’s second on a 9 – 0 vote. 2 JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE (JIC) MEETING MINUTES 3. JULY 26th, 2023 Discussion on the Interim City Manager’s Proposed Budget for FY24, with possible action to approve a recommendation to city council regarding the impending changes to the Equity Office, Civil Rights Office, Small & Minority Business Resources Department, Office of Sustainability, and the Resilience Office. Discussion and no action taken. Discussion on Equity Action’s Community Investment Budget a with possible action to recommend City Council take action to fund all items in the Community Investment Budget. No action taken. Discussion on FY24-25 Community Townhalls on the Budget with possible action to affirm the locations, including: Town Hall #1 EVENING/NIGHT on Wednesday October 18th, 2023; Town Hall #2 DAYTIME on Thursday October 26th, 2023; and Town Hall #3 WEEKEND on Saturday, November 4th, 2023. Locations not confirmed yet. Discussion, but no action taken. Discussion on Interim City Manager Jesus Garza's recommendation to hold off bonds until 2026, affecting the cultural centers (including MACC, AARC, & Dougherty Arts) with possible action to approve a recommendation from the Asian American Quality-of- Life Advisory Commission that directs City Council take action on this issue. The motion to pass a recommendation to City Council requesting a 2024 Bond Election for all the Cultural Centers was approved on COMMISSIONER LEONOR VARGAS’ motion, COMMISSIONER AMANDA AFIFI’s second on a 9 – 0 vote. Discussion on future goals and priorities for the Committee. Commissioners are encouraged to reach out to Chair Afifi with additional committee priorities for FY23-24. Two additional suggestions given on the dais include: Demographics and advocacy for how the city collects demographic data, to get better funding for diverse communities. Adding a “commitment to promote” as a form of accountability to both the committee and the city. 4. 5. 6. 7. 3  JULY 26th, 2023 JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE (JIC) MEETING MINUTES 8. Discussion on workgroups with possible action on dissolving, establishing, or altering the membership of any workgroups, as needed by the Committee. Discussion and no action taken. Discussion on the regular meetings times of the Joint Inclusion Committee, with possible action to officially change and alter the regular meeting time for the remainder of the 2023 calendar year. 9. Discussion and no action taken. Tabling until the LGBTQ+ Quality-of-Life Commission has representatives confirmed on the committee. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: 10. Call for items from Committee Members: Discussion, nominations, and possible action to appoint a Vice-Chair of the Joint Inclusion Committee. Discussion on Age Friendly Action Plan that guides the overall work of the commission, and possible action on creating a JIC workgroup to create a Joint Action Plan and doing this in collaboration with the Equity Office. Staff Briefing from Interim City Manager – Jesus Garza Staff presentation on Community Health Workers from Austin Public Health. Discussion on future goals and priorities for the Committee. Discussion on workgroups with possible action on dissolving, establishing, or altering the membership of any workgroups, as needed by the Committee. Staff Briefing from Diana Gray and Charles Lucien from the Homeless Strategy Response Team from the City of Austin. Discussion on the regular meetings times of the Joint Inclusion Committee, with possible action to officially change and alter the regular meeting time for the remainder of the 2023 calendar year. 4 JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE (JIC) MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at: 4:57 pm 11. JULY 26th, 2023 The motion to adjourn the meeting was approved without objection. -- 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. 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. For additional information please call the Equity Office’s Business Process Consultant at (512) 987- 1797 or email at jeremy.garza@austintexas.gov. TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Joint Inclusion Committee, please contact Jeremy Garza via phone at (512) 987-1797 or (preferably) via email at jeremy.garza@austintexas.gov. **These meeting minutes were approved at the Commission’s REGULAR MEETING on AUGUST 23rd, 2023, on COMMISSIONER RICHARD BONDI’s motion, COMMISIONER JULIE GLASSER’s second on a 9 – 0 vote. 5