Backup — original pdf

Backup

Whereas, the City Council has adopted a plan for focusing resources on the most important priorities known as Austin Strategic Direction 2023, and Whereas, the Strategic Direction recognizes the need for a city government that works effectively and collaboratively for all of us and that is equitable, ethical and innovative, and Whereas, city staff has asked that City Commissions be cognizant of the limitations that recent state legislation places on the City’s financial resources and include in their recommendations opportunities for departments to increase efficiencies, improve effectiveness and attain more equitable service delivery, and Whereas, Austin has a wide variety of community organizations and nonprofits with objectives similar to those in the City’s Strategic Direction, Now therefore be it resolved that the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission recommends that the City Council direct staff to explore additional opportunities for utilizing community organizations and nonprofits in achieving the outcomes set forth in the Strategic Direction for the benefit of the community as a whole such as, • • • • • Coordinating with community nonprofits who can expand existing efforts while offsetting costs through donations and volunteers such as the job fairs provided by AustinUp; Utilizing city staff to organize volunteers to provide new or expanded services such as peer mentoring in practical skills suggested by participants at the Commission on Seniors community forum; Working with community organizations to achieve the mental health outcomes identified by participants in the African-American Quality of Life community forum; Working with community organization grant recipients to identify process changes that can maximize resources on service delivery while minimizing overhead as identified by participants in the Asian-American Quality of Life community forum, Assisting community organizations to fill identified gaps in service delivery such as the number of taxpayers who may not be taking advantage of the property tax exemptions authorized by City Council as identified in previous studies such as “Uprooted” and the “Right to Remain” report on the Montopolis Neighborhood, and, Be it further resolved that the outcomes achieved through the efforts of these organizations and volunteers as well as by organizations with whom the City contracts for services to the community be included in reporting on the City’s progress toward reaching our Strategic Direction.