Approved Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

EMMA S. BARRIENTOS MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES Wednesday, February 3, 2021 The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Advisory Board convened via video conferencing. Board Members in Attendance: David Goujon, Chair Art Navarro, Vice Chair Olga Campos-Benz, Member Gerardo Gandy, Member Diana Gomez, Member Wayne Lopes, Member Ricardo Maga Rojas, Member Claudia Massey, Member Tomas Salas, Member Endi Silva, Member Board Member Absent: Staff in Attendance: Lucas Massie, PARD Division Manager Laura Esparza, PARD Division Manager Michelle Rojas, ESB-MACC Manager Olivia Tamzarian, ESB-MACC Supervisor CALL TO ORDER: Chair Goujon called the Board Meeting to order at 6:09 pm. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION Jeannie Ramirez spoke about Item 3a, Ramirez, a local rock singer, expressed her difficulties with the lack of resources to make music in Austin. She felt that there is repression in the City of Austin and that there is a lack of diversity in music festivals because mostly international artists are given opportunities and not local artists. She mentioned her support for a music hub at the MACC and expressed her concern that the hub should have inclusive spirit for Latino musicians and include both men and women and leaders should not have a conflict of interest. Michael Mares Mendoza spoke about his proposed artwork honoring Manuel “Cowboy” Donley. Mendoza details that he has meet with Donley’s widow and received a letter of support for his project. He has also spoke with Andrew Garrison of UT Austin and East Austin Stories and included it as part of his project. Mendoza also expresses that there is now more augmented reality around the piece. Chair Goujon spoke about championing the history of the community and artists and embracing augmented reality. Goujon remarked to Mendoza that a letter of support approved last meeting from 1 the Board should be seen shortly and he appreciates Mendoza’s dedication and telling the stories of heroes of the community. Chair Goujon states he will call on other citizen, Anna Maciel, for Item 3a. when that item came up later in the agenda. Chair Goujon stated the ESB-MACC mission statement. PUBLIC INPUT None 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (AGENDA ITEM 1) Chair Goujon stated the minutes were received earlier in the day so he tabled the approval of the minutes so board members had more time to read them. 2. CHAIR REPORT (AGENDA ITEM 2) Chair Goujon presented the chair report, which was a briefing of Phase 2, the music hub and encouraged Board dialogue. He reemphasized Jeannie Ramirez’s comments. He also pointed to Austin’s title as the “Live Music Capital of the World” and representation of that population. Chair Goujon stated the meeting’s discussion with presenters and community speakers will help to provide much needed cultural infrastructure within our Phase 2 expansion. He also emphasized the importance as Board members to be engaged in conversations and questions. He details Gavin Garcia’s presentation and calls for Anna Maciel to speak for Citizen Communication. 3. PRESENTATIONS (AGENDA ITEM 3) Chair Goujon presented Music Commissioner Gavin Garcia and introduced Anna Maciel to speak. Anna Maciel thanks the Board Chair and members. She requested the board’s support in including a music hub in the expansion of the MACC. She expressed the overdue need for a music hub and would provide a place for Mexican American, Latino musicians, music professionals, and music enthusiasts. She also stated the importance in supporting our Cultura and musicians that have not been supported by the Austin Music Commission. She hopes that we can consider moving forward and push hard to make sure the hub is included in the expansion of the ESB-MACC. Chair Goujon invited Gavin Garcia to speak. Gavin Garcia thanked the Board and clarified that he is speaking as an individual and music professional and not as part of the Austin Music Commission. He provided his background and background on the creative spaces bond. He expressed that he is encouraged to see how the City can examine its prioritizing racial equity and a Latin Music Hub would be a step in the right direction. Gavin Garcia then introduced Alex Vallejo to speak. Alex Vallejo detailed his experience and expertise in music hubs. He expressed the music hub will nurture the new generation of Latino musicians in Austin but also preserving the history of Mexican American and Tejano artists from this area. Provided his services to support the music hub by facilitating or overseeing it and provide his expertise. 2 Gavin Garcia prompted Anna Maciel to speak. Anna Maciel continued to express the need for support for Latino musicians. She detailed the Hillside Concert Series, a tradition for 62 years that has not had support from the City of Austin to pay musicians. She also stated recreation centers like Zaragosa don’t have an outlet to play out there and the ESB-MACC would be a great area. Anna Maciel expressed Johnny Limon, herself and the Tejano Music Coalition can’t get support to help their musicians. She expresses hope that something can be done at the ESB- MACC so music can be more accessible to everyone especially for musicians. One place that musicians can come together and call home at the ESB-MACC. Gavin Garcia stated the Latino music industry has suffered for many reasons. He stated what is lacking is a home for Latino musicians and professionals and the music industry is largely absent in addressing local Latin music. Chair Goujon expressed, with the ESB-MACC Phase 2 expansion, we are not saying the project will only serve musicians. He envisions a cross pollination of artists, visual and performance artist and a place for seniors to share history with others and future generations. Chair Goujon asked about specifics of a recording studio, such as size and needs. Alex Vallejo answered that studio can be a small room with microphones and board and spaces can be utilized as studio and live stream space. He expressed the studio can be facilitated in one room of the ESB-MACC and could begin as a demo/collaboration room that can then move artists to other studios to further develop their work. Gavin Garcia stated he echoes David Goujon and the space will also be for the theatrical community including AISD and Austin Community College and an incubator artists of all kinds. Board member Tomas Salas states the expansion calls for renovating the current space. He recalls the idea expressed that the Black Box can be a good space and he supports that idea. Vallejo said that he likes that idea as well. Goujon reemphasized adapting spaces in Phase 2 to meet today’s needs and having flexible spaces. He stated the logical next step is to provide infrastructure and the music hub coming from the Creative Spaces bond and adding the 2 million dollars to the Phase 2 expansion is the best use of City resources since there is already a contract with a design team and City staff are already working on this. Board member Claudia Massey asked about what items are needed to be considered a music hub and can the studio be used for other functions when it is not used for recording. Vallejo stated that it can be used for other purposes not just for recording. Massey asked if there are any other requirements other than the recording studio. Garcia stated the hub would need rehearsal spaces if possible and also have an education component for teens, 3 junior and high school teaching on music production. Vallejo mentioned music business education. Maciel stated the need to be careful in how we present the hub, in particular the name of the hub, Mexican American/Latino Music Hub. Board member Olga Campos-Benz posed questions for the next step, such as other voices in the Latino community to get involved and to get input from artists to see what they want. Campos- Benz would like to weigh the ideas and figure out the best way to go. Garcia said he is speaking with PARD and the Economic Development department on feasibility and would like to get input from stakeholders. He also stated there is funding and political will for this and will be a short run to City Council. Salas posed a question/idea to issue statement or letter about things that have been heard from the community over the last few years as a board, including the music hub. Campos-Benz expressed that Salas’ idea was great. She also stated it would be good to hear from artists who participated in the community engagement about what they want. Goujon expressed that the next step is to elevate this to City Hall and the community. A letter to City Council and Mayor is the next step. He also expressed that this is support for a music hub for the Carver and the Asian American Resource Center equally as important. Art Navarro expressed there was a past resolution in support of the Music Hub to City Council but another can be sent to support even further. He also stated the need to highlight the soon to be resources at the ESB-MACC and detailed the expansion. He expressed his support for a professional music studio not just a starter studio. He expressed that the Board should meet with city management or invite them to present at a MACC meeting to meet with them directly. Chair Goujon expresses thanks to Anna Maciel, Alex Vallejo, and Gavin Garcia and emphasized promoting the survey. Maciel expressed the importance of connection being made with the Austin Music Commission to hold them accountable and the Board letter for the City should be sent to the Music Commission as well. Chair Goujon emphasized the need to continue the discussion with various commissions. He also expressed the importance in thinking about how it will work with the Phase 2 project. He then called for 4a. Item. 4. STAFF BRIEFINGS (AGENDA ITEM 4) A) STAFF REPORT ON ESB-MACC PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS AND FY22 BUDGET TIMELINE MACC Supervisor Olivia Tamzarian gave the Staff Report, which included summaries of exhibits and programs and emphasized the La Mujer event planning underway that the Board can 4 provide suggestions on. Goujon thanked Olivia and mentioned the Awards of Excellence can be a great thing to bring back. Michelle Rojas mentioned proposals to the budget office are due on April 9th and that PARD Finance would be presenting at the next board meeting. Chair Goujon stated the ESB-MACC can be more proactive in providing budget feedback. Salas asked how many LAAP artists were present in the Phase 2 Community Engagement meetings. Tamzarian stated Mauricio Callejas attended. Tomas Salas requested clarification if notification was provided to artists and Tamzarian confirmed that three separate invitations had been sent out. B) STAFF BRIEFING ON PHASE 2 PROGRESS Heidi Tse, Project Manager for Public Works introduced herself. She detailed the Phase 2 construction group, Rogers O’Brien Construction and the various meetings that have been going on with different groups such as Waterloo Greenway and Trails Foundation. Heidi Tse also discussed the continuing Phase 2 Community Engagement meetings and future engagement dates. She also communicated the possible development of a communications group that will provide information to the key stakeholders and the group may meet monthly. Tse shared the Phase 2 timeline and mentioned exploring ways to compress the schedule as it becomes possible. Vice Chair Navarro stated he wanted to focus on the projected estimates on the amount of square footage that he mentioned in the previous presentation. Tse clarified that they are working backwards with numbers and using some numbers from the 2018 Master Plan. The estimated numbers used are 23,000 square feet of new spaces and 7,000 square feet of renovated spaces. Chair Navarro asked if this is a reduction of there we were at any one point in time and if there will be a 2nd story in the plan. Tse clarified that the architects are working on what we can build and what fits in with the funding allocated. Tse stated that the current plan is a reduction of funds and detailed the current and original funding and approximate square feet. Navarro asked if there has been a plan on what will be reconstructed or remodeled. Tse stated nothing other than what is on the master plan in a conceptual layout and that it won’t be started until they get into schematic design. Salas asked when the building program document or draft will the Board see it once it’s completed and who has the final approval. Tse clarifies the draft will be provided in the March meeting and the final approval will come from PARD management. Board Member Gerardo Gandy asked if there will be a report of community engagement feedback. Tse clarified there will be a substantial project draft and a collection of what was gathered at the community engagement meetings. Justin Schneider, PARD Community Engagement Specialist stated that once we go into the next phase, the design team will present the schematic design to the community and how the information collected influenced their design proposal. Member Gandy talked about future installations that allow the MACC to collaborate with the community and how we can plan ahead to allow these collaborations to continue. Schneider 5 clarified that there may be different avenues for that and added the Art in Public Places (AIPP) Program would create additional opportunities at the MACC. Tse stated the AIPP Program is a requirement of the bond project so some funding in the project is set aside for AIPP. Tse and Schneider both mentioned that Anna Bradley from AIPP will be a part of schematic design. Christina Bies, Project Coordinator also discussed the need to account for art pieces that may be donated and to work them into the project design. Schneider detailed a plan to develop a Community Communications Group. Chair Goujon asked if document shown is used for the entire Phase 2 process. Schneider clarifies it is the first Phase 2 document that gets them through the Community Input Stage. Chair Goujon expressed gratitude to the project team. He asked if there will be a presentation in March from the joint venture team. Tse confirmed. OLD BUSINESS (AGENDA ITEM 5) A) Discussion of Phase 2 Renovation and Expansion Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Chair Goujon opened the discussion to the other board members. Member Gandy the he supports the music hub at the MACC and asked to commit to doing everything possible to have a space worthy of the needs of the community. B) Discussion on Request to broadcast ESB-MACC Advisory Board meetings live on ATXN. Chair Goujon updated the board that the only way to get the meetings live on ATXN was if the meeting were previously broadcast before the pandemic. He reiterated that perhaps if there would be a recording studio at the MACC the meetings could be broadcast in the future. NEW BUSINESS (AGENDA ITEM 6) A. Reports on all working groups. 1. Arts Chair Goujon made a motion to establish a Budget working group for FY22 budget recommendations. Member Massey seconded the motion. Vote passed (10.0) Chair Goujon asked for members to join the Budget working group and asked members to reach out to him. Member Campos Benz mentioned meeting with Gavin Garcia and mentioned the other key players that already involved in conversations of music hub and to reach out to other organizations that need to be engaged to amplify the shared voices. Report would be provided at next board meeting. 2. Budget 3. Transportation 4. Phase 2 Project Nothing to report. Chair Goujon emphasized the need to support the music hub and the need for a letter of support to be distributed by the board members. Vice Chair Navarro also recommended 6 that a copy of the resolution be attached to the policy makers. Chair Navarro made a motion to create a letter of support from the board for a music hub. Member Ricardo Maga-Rojas seconded the motion. Motion passed (10.0) 5. Ethnographic Research Chair Goujon mentioned that PhD candidate Cassie Smith would be reaching out to members to complete her interviews. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS (AGENDA ITEM 7) Chair Goujon mention a presentation from the joint venture design team on the Phase 2 building program. He also brought up the need to follow up on the music hub conversation. Vice Chair Navarro requested that the director of the Economic Development be invited to present on general operations and specifically on the Creative Spaces bond. Vice Chair Navarro also requested that the director of Parks and Recreation be invited to the meeting and/or the Assistant City Manager over Parks and Recreation to continue stating interest in the Creative Spaces funding to fully emphasize activism on parts of the community. Vice Chair Navarro made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Member Massey seconded. The motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:01pm. 7