[Arts & Culture Committee on April 9, 2025.]
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AND CULTURE COMMITTEE TO ORDER AT, UH, WHAT IS THIS? 2 0 3 IN THE AFTERNOON.
AND I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING.
UH, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT COMMITTEE AND THERE HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN SOME CHANGES THAT I'M SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN, IN FINDING OUT ABOUT.
BUT FIRST I WANNA GIVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO, WHO IS THE VICE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE, AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE UPDATES ON, UM, THE ARTS AND CULTURE CITY OF HOUSTON PERSPECTIVE, AND ALSO HEARING FROM THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, UH, TODAY, AS WELL AS FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND, UH, I'M INTERESTED TO HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ABOUT THE ART AND CULTURE HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I'M CAROLYN EVAN SHABAZZ, THE CHAIR OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.
AND I WANNA SAY THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND WILL BE BROADCAST ON HT V, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MUNICIPAL CHANNEL.
AND HANDOUTS FOR TODAY'S MEETING ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV/COUNCIL/COMMITTEES.
AND EVERYBODY'S GONNA REMEMBER THAT, RIGHT? YOU GOT THAT
ALRIGHT, WELL, I CAN CERTAINLY REPEAT IT.
HOUSTON TX.GOV/COUNCIL/COMMITTEES.
IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISH TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, THERE IS A SIGN IN SHEET AT THE FRONT OF THE TABLE, BUT I CERTAINLY WANT TO, UH, DO A ROLL CALL.
AND WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN HERE.
AND REPRESENTING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
I, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE OF MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM, DISTRICT K.
AND THEN WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AT LARGE ONE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT G MARIANNE HUFFMAN.
ARE YOU HERE REPRESENTING COUNCIL MEMBER HUFF? YEAH.
WERE YOU SENT SO FAR BACK? ALRIGHT.
AND THEN WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, UH, FOR DISTRICT B, UM, FOR COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON.
THE AGENDA HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO ALL MEMBERS.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? HEARING NONE, THE AGENDA IS APPROVED.
WE HAVE A, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK OUR GUESTS AND PARTNERS IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE WHO ARE WITH US TODAY, HOPEFULLY.
MEG BOOTH, CEO PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON, IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE STAND.
CRAIG HOWARD MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
MARCY DALLAS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FRESH ARTS.
ANGELA CARRANZA, ARTS DISTRICT.
HOUSTON CANDLER, SNIPE, MIDTOWN CULTURAL ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
HMM, HARRISON GUY FIFTH WARD CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
AND JASON OLIVER, THIRD WARD CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ONGOING LEADERSHIP, CREATIVITY, AND COMMITMENT TO THE CULTURAL FABRIC OF OUR CITY.
AGENDA ITEM TWO, MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS UPDATE.
WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO OUR PRIMARY PRESENTATION, AND I WANT TO CERTAINLY WELCOME STEVEN DAVID, THE, THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
HE'S ALWAYS READY AND AVAILABLE, AND WE REACH OUT AND HE REACHES OUT AND WE TRY TO GET THINGS DONE.
AND SO I THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR MAKING YOURSELF AVAILABLE FOR THIS MEETING.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR JOINING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES.
UH, WHAT I WANTED TO DO TODAY WAS, UH, START OFF BY RECOGNIZING THE, UH, THE INTRINSIC PARTNER, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK WITHIN ARTS.
UH, AND THAT'S OUR PARTNERS AT THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
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THEM TO WAVE OR STAND AT OUR CHAIR AND THE NEW CEO.UM, THESE FOLKS ARE THE ONES WHO THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS A CONTRACT WITH, ACTUALLY TWO CONTRACTS WITH.
UM, AND WITHOUT THEM, WE LITERALLY COULD NOT DO THE WORK, UM, THAT WE DO WITHIN THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND WITHIN ARTS ITSELF AND PROCUREMENT, AND BEING ABLE TO DO CONSERVATION AS WELL.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO TODAY IS, IS GIVE Y'ALL SORT OF A STATUS UPDATE OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, LAST TIME THAT I SPOKE TO Y'ALL, THAT I THINK THAT I SAT DOWN IN FRONT OF YOU AT THIS COMMITTEE AND THEN, UH, SPOKE TO YOU IN FRONT OF COUNCIL AS WELL.
WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, DISCUSSING THE CIVIC ARTS ORDINANCE ITSELF.
UM, AND WE WERE DISCUSSING THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF PASSING THE CIVIC ARTS CONTRACT WITH THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
UH, AND SINCE THEN, UH, THERE WERE, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES TO THE OFFICE, BUT THERE WERE ALSO THINGS THAT, UM, WE COMMITTED TO Y'ALL, UM, TO HAVE COMPLETE.
UH, THOSE THINGS ARE NOT COMPLETED.
AND SO I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THOSE AND BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU UPDATED TIMELINES.
UM, THERE'S SOME VERY EXCITING THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASK FOR, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE 875 ASSETS THAT ARE IN THE POSSESSION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THEM, THEY SIT ACROSS AND I'VE GOT A HECK OF A GLARE.
SO, UH, WE HAVE, AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS, UH, VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND LOCATIONS.
WE HAVE SOME ON LOAN WITH THE ZOO.
WE HAVE, UH, A NUMBER OF THEM WITHIN THE, UH, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM.
WE'VE EVEN GOT SOME ON LOAN, UH, TO HOUSTON.
FIRST, A COMPONENT UNIT OF THE CITY ITSELF.
BUT THIS IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE.
NOT ALL OF THEM ARE ON DISPLAY.
UH, YOU'LL FIND THAT SOME OF THEM ARE IN STORAGE.
UH, SOME OF THEM ARE IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR WHERE WE NEED TO REPAIR THEM.
UH, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS ABOUT 175 ASSETS ACROSS, UH, WITHIN OUR POSSESSION.
COULD YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? SO, AN UPDATE ON THE APPRAISALS.
THE LAST TIME THAT I SPOKE TO Y'ALL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COMMITTED WAS THAT BY THE END OF LAST FALL, AUGUST ACTUALLY, WAS THE DATE THAT I TOLD Y'ALL THE END OF AUGUST OF 24, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE APPRAISAL PROCESS, UM, THAT WE HAD CONDUCTED.
WE WERE DOING A CONCURRENT PROCESS.
WE WERE DOING AN INVENTORY OF OUR ASSETS.
WE WERE AWARE AT THE TIME OF AROUND 150 ASSETS, UH, WHICH AS I JUST TOLD YOU EARLIER, IT'S ABOUT 8 875, EXCUSE ME, ABOUT 850 ASSETS.
AND WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE APPRAISAL ITSELF.
THE APPRAISAL DID NOT COMPLETE BY THE END OF AUGUST.
UH, BUT I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT, UH, WITH THE ARTS ALLIANCE AND THEIR ASSISTANCE, WHO ARE ACTUALLY GONNA BE COMPLETING THE APPRAISAL, UH, BY THE END OF THIS MONTH.
AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE IT TO Y'ALL AS A REPRESENTATION OF A COMPLETED PIECE.
NOW, THE THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT THE APPRAISAL IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO HELP US DO IS UNDERSTAND A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS.
UM, IT WILL ALLOW US, UH, HAA TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO US FOR THE LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE, UH, AS WELL AS CONSERVATION EFFORTS THAT NEED TO GO.
UM, AND THEN ALSO INFORM ACCESSION AND DEACCESSION NEEDS, UH, WITH OUR PIECES THEMSELVES.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY PUTTING THEM INTO SERVICE OR TAKING THEM OUT OF SERVICE, UH, WITHIN OUR INVENTORY.
UM, IT PROVIDES US WITH AN ACCURATE INVENTORY THAT'S NOT ONLY, UM, GIVING US INFORMATION ABOUT THE PIECE ITSELF, WHO DID IT, WHEN IT WAS COMMISSIONED, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
IT ALSO LETS US KNOW WHERE IT'S AT.
AND I'M PRETTY EXCITED WE'RE NOT GONNA SHOW IT HERE.
UH, BUT ALONG WITH, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'LL BE RELEASING TO Y'ALL SOON, WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE, UH, PRODUCING A HAS PRODUCED A MAP FOR US THAT WILL SHOW US EXACTLY WHERE THESE ASSETS ARE.
SO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO VISIT THEM THEMSELVES CAN.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND, UH, THE LIABILITY THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE EFFECTIVELY TWO POTS WITHIN EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
THERE IS THE POT THAT HAS, UH, ACTUAL, UM, PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM, UH, WITHIN THE CIP, THE CIVIC ARTS, UH, SECTION OF OUR CIP.
AND THEN THERE IS AN UNENCUMBERED POOL BALANCE.
THE UNENCUMBERED POOL BALANCE IS, UH, EFFECTIVELY A ROLLOVER THAT GOES FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
UM, AND WHEN IT IS NOT PROGRAMMED, IT SITS WITHIN THAT POOL AND CONTINUES TO ROLL OVER.
WE USE THOSE FUNDS, UM, FOR NOT JUST THE PROCUREMENT OF NEW PIECES OF ART.
WE ACTUALLY USE THEM TO PUT, UH, TO DO CONSERVATION OF OUR ART.
SO WHEN ART, UH, BECOMES, OR ART COMES IN DISREPAIR, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, UH, PREPARE IT USING THOSE FUNDS.
A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THAT, UH, THE POLICE MEMORIAL DOWN MEMORIAL PARKWAY.
UM, IT ACTUALLY HAS A WATER FOUNTAIN RIGHT IN THE TOP OF THAT PYRAMID, AND IT COSTS ABOUT $44,000 TO FIX IT.
SO THOSE ARE, THAT'S THE POT OF MONEY THAT IT TAKES TO REPAIR THOSE THINGS.
UH, ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE ABOUT 150 OBJECTS THAT REQUIRE MARKET VALUATIONS TO BE COMPLETED.
UM, WHAT THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DO, UM, IS UPDATED INTO A CENTRALIZED MANAGED DATABASE.
AND THIS DATABASE WILL BE MANAGED BY THE ARTS ALLIANCE.
IT WILL HAVE BOTH A BLEND OF WHAT WE OWN VERSUS WHAT THEY OWN.
SO WE CAN HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, CREATE A, UH, A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF NOT JUST CITY OF HOUSTON ASSETS, BUT ALL ASSETS ACROSS THE REGION THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO GO VISIT AND SEE THE REALLY COOL THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN HOUSTON.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, UH, THAT WE ARE, WE ALSO DO HERE, IS WE DO EXHIBITIONS AT CITY HALL.
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THE BASEMENT OF CITY HALL RIGHT NOW, AS WELL AS THE FIRST FLOOR, YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF THOSE.UM, WHAT WE CAME TO FIND OUT WAS THAT THERE WERE FOUR EXHIBITIONS PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ARTS ALLIANCE.
UH, WE'RE ABLE TO BUMP THAT UP TO QUITE A FEW MORE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING SOME, UH, CONSERVATION WORK IN THE ROTUNDA ITSELF.
UH, SO COMING THIS FALL, THERE'S GOING TO BE, UH, A WE'RE GOING TO STOP DOING, UH, ANY SORT OF EXHIBITIONS WITHIN THE ROTUNDA.
BUT MY GOAL, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE ARTS ALLIANCE ABOUT, AND I ALSO SPOKE WITH VENITA, WHO HELPS SUPPORT Y'ALL.
I'D LIKE TO PUT SOME EXHIBITS IN Y'ALL'S SPACE IN THE ANNEX, RIGHT? YOU'VE GOT A REALLY COOL FIRST FLOOR.
YOU'VE ALSO GOT THE GROUND LEVEL WHERE EVERYBODY WHO PARKS, UH, AT THE SURFACE LOT COMES THROUGH THAT AREA.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF COOL THINGS THAT WE OWN 875 ASSETS.
NOT ALL OF THEM ARE DISPLAYED.
UM, THE ONES THAT ARE IN A SHAPE OR IN A STATE TO BE DISPLAYED, WE'D LIKE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO, TO COME OVER TO Y'ALL AS WELL.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE PLANNING SOME, SOME REALLY COOL PIECES FOR Y'ALL COMING OVER TO, UH, THE ANNEX ITSELF.
UM, COULD WE GO TO THE, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE? SO WHAT ACTIVITY HAVE WE BEEN DOING? SO THE LAST TIME, AGAIN, THAT WE CAME TO Y'ALL AND SPOKE TO YOU ABOUT THE CIVIC ARTS CONTRACT, UH, WHENEVER YOU PASSED IT, UH, WAS THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO, UH, A BUNCH OF WORK, IF YOU RECALL.
AND I'M GOING TO GIVE A HIGH LEVEL, PROBABLY, UH, NOT STANDARD, UH, TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION OF WE HAVE TO SEPARATE, UM, AIRPORTS FROM THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS WHEN WE RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS.
UH, THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS LOVELY IN DOING THIS WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE, UH, YOU MIGHT BE DOING REVENUE REPLACEMENT.
THEY DON'T JUST SAY, HEY, THIS REVENUE IS NOW GONE.
THEY SAY, ALL YOUR FEDERAL FUNDING IS GONE.
SO WE HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH A LOT OF HOOPS AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR I'S ARE DOTTED AND OUR T'S ARE CROSSED WHENEVER WE HAVE DEPARTMENTS LIKE THE AIRPORT, UH, THAT UTILIZE A TON OF FEDERAL FUNDS, ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY.
UM, AND SO AIRPORTS, UH, HAS THEIR OWN ARTS PROGRAM.
UH, WE HAVE DONE A TON OF WORK, UH, IN THE AIRPORT RECENTLY.
I THINK ALL OF Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE NOW HAVE, UH, A REBUILT TERMINAL.
AND IT IS A BEAUTIFUL THING IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE IT YET.
AND THERE IS A TON OF ART THERE.
UH, BUT SINCE THE CIVIC ARTS CONTRACT WAS SIGNED ON JULY OF 2024, UH, THE AIRPORTS HAS SIGNED IN THE LANGUAGE OF, UH, THE ARTS ALLIANCE AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE.
UH, THESE ARE LETTERS OF AUTHORIZATION.
IT'S EFFECTIVELY THE CONTRACT, UM, THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE ARTS ALLIANCE.
AND THEN THE ARTIST, ALTHOUGH LOAS ALSO ALLOW US TO FIND THE PIECE OF ART, UM, OR COMMISSION IT ITSELF.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE DONE, UH, OUT OF THE AIRPORTS, WE WERE ABLE TO DO 16 NEW LETTERS OF AUTHORIZATION THAT, AND HAVE CLOSED OUT SIX.
UM, HA IS CURRENTLY MANAGING 10 PROJECTS, UH, FOR HAS, TOTALING ABOUT $1.5 MILLION.
UM, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, THAT WE SAW IS ON WITH ALL OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SINCE THE PASSING OF THAT CONTRACT, WE'VE HAD ZERO LETTERS OF AUTHORIZATION.
UM, SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN AS MUCH WORK, UH, DONE WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SEVEN, UH, LETTERS OF AUTHORIZATION THAT ARE, UH, PENDING, SUBMITTED, PENDING REVIEW AND AUTHORIZATION.
BUT THOSE ARE ACTUALLY UNDER THE LAST ITERATION OF THE CONTRACT.
SO SINCE THEN, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO DO ANYTHING.
SO WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW IS, UH, WE ARE GONNA BE BRINGING IN THE ARTS ALLIANCE.
UM, CONTRACTUALLY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO HELP US DO THIS, AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB.
WE WANNA BE ABLE TO REMOVE ANY BARRIERS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO GET THIS WORK DONE.
UM, GRACE, WHO IS, UH, SITTING BEHIND ME TO MY LEFT, SHE IS, UH, SHE'S THE ONE THAT SORT OF LEADS THAT UP.
AND WE'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO THE, SHE'S BEEN REACHING OUT ON HER OWN TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, ASKING THEM WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THIS STATUS, WHAT WOULD THEY LIKE TO DO, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THE BALL ROLLING AND BEGIN GETTING SOME OF THOSE FUNDS ACTIVATED.
'CAUSE EVERY TIME THAT WE HAVE A DOLLAR THAT IS UNSPENT, UH, AND SITS IN A AND EFFECTIVELY A FUND AND JUST LANGUISHES THERE, UH, IT'S MONEY NOT GOING OUT TO ARTISTS.
IT'S MONEY NOT GOING OUT TO GALLERISTS IT'S MONEY, NOT GOING OUT TO ACTUALLY PRODUCE ART AND DO THE THING THAT IT'S INTENDED TO DO.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT OFFICE BACK TO DOING THE BASIC WORK AND, AND BE ABLE TO, UH, GET THOSE UNENCUMBERED MONEY SPENT.
UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SKIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, THE CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, I'M GONNA GO OVER VERY FAST BECAUSE I BORED Y'ALL LAST TIME TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GRANTS CONTRACT AND THE CIVIC ARTS CONTRACT.
BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT THE GRANTS CONTRACT IS A HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CONTRACT.
SO EVERY TIME THAT SOMEONE COMES INTO HOUSTON AND PUTS A HEAD IN A HOTEL BED, THERE'S A POOL, A POOL OF MONEY THAT COMES AND IT FUNDS THE, UH, IT FUNDS THE GRANTS.
AND WHAT THE GRANTS PROJECT GRANTS CONTRACT DOES IS IT IS A, UH, A GRANT MAKING AIM FOR THE ARTS ALLIANCE UNDER A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT WITH US.
AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY, EVERY YEAR, UH, THEY ISSUE OUT ABOUT $15 MILLION IN AWARDED TO 300 INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AND ARTS AND CULTURAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THINK THE BIG ONES AS WELL AS THE SMALL ONES.
AND THERE IS A REPORT THAT GETS PRODUCED.
IT'S ABOUT TWO AND A HALF INCHES THICK, AND IT GOES THROUGH ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
I THINK WE'VE GOT PEOPLE BEHIND US WHO ARE PRETTY BIG SUPPORTERS OF PROGRAMS LIKE THAT, UH, BECAUSE IT PUTS MONEY DIRECTLY INTO THE HANDS OF ARTISTS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE THE CIVIC ARTS CONTRACT.
NOW THE CIVIC ARTS CONTRACT IS FUNDED NOT
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BY HOT MONEY, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY FUNDED BY, UH, CIP DOLLARS AND SPECIFICALLY VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION OVER, I BELIEVE, $500,000.AND SO WHAT THIS DOES IS UNDER, WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDER A TWO YEAR CONTRACT.
AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AROUND THE HORSESHOE WAS THAT, UH, THERE'S TWO PADS THAT Y'ALL WANTED TO SEE.
ONE IS YOU WANTED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CIVIC ARTS ORDINANCE ITSELF.
AND THE CIVIC ARTS ORDINANCE, UH, HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2006.
AND, UH, WHAT IT DOES IS IT SAYS 1.75% OF ALL ELIGIBLE CIP EXPENDITURES, 1.75%, GOES INTO A FUND THAT'S THEN SPENT FOR ART OR DEDICATED TO ART ITSELF.
AND WE ALSO USE IT FOR CONSERVATION OF THOSE PIECES.
NOW, MOST IMPORTANTLY, AND THIS IS THE THING THAT WE HEARD LAST TIME, IS THAT THERE IS, FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S SOME CLEANUP THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THIS ORDINANCE HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED IN A VERY LONG TIME, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT PRACTICES AND METHODS IN PLACE THAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER FOR US.
WE ALSO HEARD AN INTEREST AMONG COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BEGIN HAVING A CONVERSATION AROUND THE 1.75% ALLOCATION, UH, AS PURSUANT TO THE FIRE DEPART FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE WILL BRING POTENTIAL REVISIONS BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE, AND WE WOULD LIKE FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO BE ABLE TO VOTE OUT, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS AN INTEREST AMONG COUNCIL FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE UP AND BE ABLE TO BRING THOSE ORDINANCE CHANGES, POTENTIAL ORDINANCE CHANGES BACK TO US TO CITY COUNCIL FOR VOTE.
AND WITHIN THE CIVIC ART, WELL, THIS IS, I ALREADY WENT OVER THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE AN HAA UPDATE.
I'LL LET THEM ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UH, I IMAGINE THERE'S GONNA BE SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN AS THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS COME UP AND, AND ASK THEIR QUESTIONS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SWAP BACK AND FORTH.
'CAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE SOME ADMINISTRATION PERSPECTIVE QUESTIONS, I IMAGINE, AS WELL AS SOME, WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE WE DOING, UH, WITH THE ARTS ALLIANCE? BUT THE ARTS ALLIANCE UPDATE, UH, THAT I'LL GO THROUGH REALLY QUICK IS THAT THE CITY'S INITIATIVE, AND LET'S CREATE, LET CREATIVITY HAPPEN.
GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN RIGHT NOW.
THE DEADLINE FOR THEM IS APRIL 22ND OF THIS MONTH.
UH, ARTS ALLIANCE WILL ALSO BE HOSTING AN INSTAGRAM LIVE GRANTS Q AND A.
TAYLOR, YOU WANNA GO OVER THAT?
UM, SO THANK YOU CITY'S INITIATIVE AND LET CREATIVITY HAPPEN.
UM, GRANTS ARE OPEN RIGHT NOW.
THESE ARE MULTI-YEAR GRANTS THAT WE O OPEN MULTIPLE TIMES, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, THE FIRST ROUND IS OPEN.
NOW THAT DEADLINE IS APRIL 22ND.
WE ARE HOSTING AN INSTAGRAM LIVE EVENT TODAY.
THIS WILL BE A Q AND A WHERE CONSTITUENTS CAN ACTUALLY JOIN THE LIVE AND ASK US QUESTIONS.
UM, THAT WILL BE HAPPENING FROM FOUR TO 5:00 PM ON INSTAGRAM.
OUR NEXT GRANTS WORKSHOP WILL BE AT SAID INSTITUTE.
THAT'LL BE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16TH AT 7:00 PM.
UM, SO WE'RE TAKING OUR, OUR, OUR GRANTS WORKSHOP OVER TO DISTRICT G.
WE WERE IN DISTRICT K THIS PAST WEEKEND.
WE ACTUALLY HOPE IT, UH, HOSTED A GRANTS WORKSHOP AT PHILIPPINE COMMUNITY CENTER.
SO WE WERE EXCITED TO BE OUT THERE.
UM, RECENTLY THE CIVIC ART DIVISION COMPLETED THE INSTALLATION OF 36 NEW ARTWORKS, UM, FOR THE HOUSTON AIRPORT, WHICH TOTAL AN INVESTMENT OF 2.6 MILLION FOR THE NEW INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL.
AND THE CIVIC ART DIVISION IS CURRENTLY MANAGING ABOUT $2.3 MILLION, UH, OF CIVIC ART FUNDS.
AND WOULD YOU MIND INTRODUCING YOURSELF? 'CAUSE YOU ARE NEW IN THIS ROOM? I AM NEW IN THIS ROOM.
I AM THE NEW CEO OF HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE HER AS OUR NEW PARTNER.
OKAY, SO THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME RAMBLE.
I KNOW I TALK AT Y'ALL A LOT, SO THANKS FOR LETTING ME DO IT A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS? I'M HAPPY TO PAUSE AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
THE FIRST QUESTION WILL BE COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER AORN, UM, AT LARGE FIVE.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, ON THE NUMBERS, STEVEN, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, THE, I'M LOOKING AT A COUPLE THINGS THERE.
EVERY QUARTER BY ORDINANCE, THE CONTROLLER IS TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON CIVIC ART ACTIVITY.
THAT CAN BE FINE IN OUR, OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS MM-HMM
UM, THAT, AND I GUESS I'M LOOKING AT THE LAST ONE.
THAT WAS DECEMBER OF 24, THE LAST QUARTERLY REPORT.
AND THEY HAVE APPROPRIATED PREEN, CUMBERED, ENCUMBERED, EXPENDED AVAILABLE MM-HMM
SO I, I, I COULD SHARE, I MEAN, I, I DON'T WANNA READ OFF ALL THE NUMBERS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A NEGATIVE AVAILABILITY IN POLICE AND IN PUBLIC WORKS.
WE HAVE, UM, 286,000 IN FIRE, 126,000 IN SOLID WASTE, 125,000 IN PARKS, 413,000 IN HEALTH MM-HMM
AND 77,000 IN, IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT.
IS THAT THE SAME THING, KIND OF AS WHAT'S IN THE CIP, WHICH IS THESE UNENCUMBERED POOL BALANCES? YEAH.
IT'S NUANCED TO WHAT WE TRY AND DISPLAY IN THE CIVIC, IN THE, UH,
[00:20:01]
CIVIC ARTS CIP LINE ITEM.BUT IT'S EXACTLY TO YOUR POINT.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF MONEY SITTING THERE.
AND, AND, BUT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE IN THE WORKS AND WE'RE KIND OF SPEEDING THAT UP.
AND HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE IS LEADING THAT CHARGE TO SPEED THAT UP.
WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS HANDLED BY MOCA OR WAS IT ALWAYS, I MEAN, WHAT, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE WEREN'T SPENDING THE MONEY AS BEST AS WE COULD HAVE, OR, SO WHAT WE FOUND, UH, I'LL, I'LL SAY, UH, WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF DUE DILIGENCE WORK THAT WAS BEING DONE.
UM, IN SOME INSTANCES WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE DUE DILIGENCE THAN WHAT WAS NECESSARY.
UM, ALSO, THE, THE ITERATION OF THE OFFICE GREW TO A POINT WHERE THERE WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT OVERLAP FROM OUR, PER THE ADMINISTRATION'S PERSPECTIVE, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT OVERLAP, UM, WITH WHAT THE OFFICE DID VERSUS WHAT CONTRACTUALLY THE ARTS ALLIANCE SHOULD BE DOING.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ATTEMPTED TO DO, UH, WAS TO REMOVE THE, THE BARRIERS THAT WERE, UH, THAT WE VIEWED THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER VIEWED AS UNREASONABLE, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE ARTS ALLIANCE BEING ABLE TO DO THEIR WORK.
AND ON THE APPRAISAL THAT WE'RE DOING, HOW IS THAT BEING FUNDED? HOW MUCH IS THAT COSTING TO DO THE APPRAISAL WORK? OR IS THAT JUST, ARE WE JUST, HOW'S THAT WORKING? LET ME GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT ONE.
I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER, RIGHT, BECAUSE I, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S PRETTY LABOR INTENSIVE TO DO AN APPRAISAL OF 850 WORKS OF ART, 75 8 75 WORKS OF ART
UH, AND THE TWO YEAR CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE NOW WILL BE COMING BACK TO US IN YEAR.
SO IT PAST MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR, MIDDLE LATE OF LAST YEAR.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VICE CHAIR CASTILLO.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE INFORMATION.
STEVEN, UH, MY QUESTION FOR YOU, SO CURRENTLY MOCA DOESN'T HAVE A DIRECTOR CORRECT.
UM, CAN YOU PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF FILLING THAT VACANCY? YEAH, THERE'S CURRENTLY NOT A PLAN TO FILL THAT VACANCY.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE AS A, WHAT WE VIEW, UM, IN THIS IS THAT THERE WAS A CHALLENGE AROUND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT.
UM, WHAT WE NEED IS SOUND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES.
UH, MY GOAL, AND I THINK THIS HAS BEEN THE PER THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE MAYOR, I THINK YOU'VE SEEN IN ITERATIONS OF, UH, US LOOKING AT DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WHAT WE DO IS WE TRY AND UNDERSTAND AND GET AS MUCH GRANULARITY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
WE DIG DEEP AND WE GO AND FIND WHERE THINGS ARE AND WHERE THINGS ARE NOT.
UH, AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE PLAN IS TO GET THE CONTRACT MOVING FORWARD AND TO BE ABLE TO, UM, FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH, UH, WITH SORT OF DIRECT OVERSIGHT FROM THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION, UH, DIRECT OVERSIGHT THAT THE WORK IS GETTING DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND THAT WE ARE PUSHING DOLLARS OUT THE DOOR THAT ARE OTHERWISE SITTING IN A POT UP.
AND UNTIL THAT POINT, AND THIS IS, I WOULD SAY MORE LIKE A CORE SERVICES TYPE OF OF PERSPECTIVE, WE WANT TO BE ABLE UP AND UNTIL THAT POINT, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT LEADERSHIP IN THE OFFICE.
WE WANNA HAVE A CONVERSATION, CONVERSATION ABOUT WORK BEING DONE.
SO THEN WHAT'S THE LONGER TERM PLAN FOR THE OFFICE ITSELF? IS IT, WILL IT, WILL IT JUST STILL FUNCTION? THE ADMINISTRATION WILL HAVE A BIGGER ROLE TO PLAY YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE ON THE TEAM WITH GETTING THE CONTRACT ADMINISTERED? IS THERE PLANS TO CONTINUE THE OFFICE AS A MAYOR'S OFFICE OF, OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS? YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT VERSION OF THAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, BUT I MEAN, CLEARLY THERE'S A NEED AND A DESIRE BY THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MAYOR STAYS FOCUSED ON, ON CULTURAL, ON ARTS IN GENERAL.
UM, WHAT I'LL SAY IS THAT THIS MAYOR IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ARTS.
WE, UH, WHAT WE HEARD FROM CITY COUNCIL, UM, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CIVIC ARTS CONTRACT, IT WAS NOT GOING TO PASS.
UM, AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING.
WE BROUGHT IT FORWARD AND WE HEARD FROM FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I THINK THAT THERE WAS, UH, APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF, UM, I THINK THERE WAS AN APPROPRIATE CRITIQUE THAT MONEY WAS NOT BEING SPENT.
AND SO THE COMPROMISE WAS TO LOWER THE OVERALL CONTRACT AMOUNT FROM 25 MILLION TO 15 MILLION BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH MONEY SITTING IN AN UNENCUMBERED POOL BALANCE.
UM, AND THAT WAS THE COMPROMISE.
AND THE, THE COMMITMENT THAT I MADE TO Y'ALL WAS THAT IF WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE READY TO, WHERE WE HIT THAT CEILING OF 15 MILLION, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO YOU.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO CIP AND AS LONG AS THE CIVIC ARTS ORDINANCE IS IN PLACE, UH, MONEY IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE PUSHED INTO THOSE FUNDS.
UM, AND SO WHERE THE OFFICE SITS, IT IS VERY CLEAR.
I MEAN, I, I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN.
THE MAYOR IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, IN SO FAR THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PASS THIS CONTRACT.
WE PUSHED THE, UH, THE GRANTS CONTRACT.
WE DID A, A YES TO THE, THE GRANTS CONTRACT AND A CONTINUATION OF IT.
BUT AS WE GO THROUGH THESE THINGS, WE NEED OUR CONTRACTS AND OUR VENDORS, AND THEY'RE DOING VERY WELL.
BUT WE NEED OUR VENDORS TO PERFORM, RIGHT.
AND WE NEED THEM TO DO THE WORK.
[00:25:01]
SEEING WAS THE BLEND BETWEEN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND THE, UH, HAA CONTRACT.THE WORK WASN'T GETTING DONE FOR SOME REASON.
UM, AND SO THE, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN FACT OF FACT FINDING MODE.
AND SO I, I'LL SAY THAT I'M NOT TRYING TO AVOID ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, BUT WE'RE STILL LEARNING.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING IS, IS I DON'T WANNA BE ABLE, I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU A RIGHT OR A WRONG ANSWER WITHOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE FACTS BEHIND US.
SO WITH RESPECT TO THE ARTS ORDINANCE, THE PLAN IS TO BRING THAT BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE WITH SOME PROPOSED CHANGES FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, FOR THE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
DEBATE AND THEN RECOMMEND POTENTIALLY TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL.
AND THERE'S, I'LL SAY THAT THERE'S TWO VERSIONS, RIGHT? WHAT WE HEARD AROUND THE HORSESHOE WAS THAT THERE WAS A CONSIDERATION FOR FIRE AND POLICE, BUT ALSO THERE IS STUFF THAT MATRICULATED UP TO US FROM, LIKE THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY SAID THIS WOULD BE, THIS LANGUAGE IS OUTDATED.
IT DOESN'T REC, IT DOESN'T REFLECT CURRENT PRACTICES OR BEST PRACTICES IN THE WAY THAT THE CITY INTERACTS WITH EITHER ITS VENDOR OR THE CITY INTERACTS WITH ITSELF.
SO THOSE, THERE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE ARE GOING TO BE THE, THE CLEANUP LANGUAGE WITHIN THE ORDINANCE.
AND WE EXPECT THAT TO BE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR DIALOGUE TO OCCUR AT THIS COMMITTEE, UM, FOR WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S AN APPETITE BY CITY COUNCIL TO, UH, DECREASE THE 1.75% FOR FIRE AND POLICE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
UH, STEVEN, I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH, UH, MONEY HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TO THE FUND SINCE THE 1.75 HAD BEEN ENACTED? I MEAN, YOU'RE ASKING ME TO DO MATH FROM 2006 TO NOW? I KNOW.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, STEVEN.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO LAST YEAR, AS I RECALL, THERE WAS, UH, SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER THE 1.75 WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE STATUTE.
HAVE Y'ALL DONE ANY MORE THINKING ABOUT THAT? YES.
AND IF SO, WHAT, WHERE DO YOU, WHERE DO YOU SHAKE SHAKE YOUR MIND? YES.
AND THIS IS WHERE, I'M NOT GOING TO TRY AND EXPLAIN IT TO YOU, BUT I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ONE OF OUR ATTORNEYS EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.
THE ANSWER THAT I WAS GIVEN, AND I TRUST THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OPINION ON THIS, WAS THAT WE ARE NOT, UH, EXCEEDING THAT THE STATE, I THINK YOU BROUGHT IT FORWARD THAT THE STATE SAYS 1%, UM, THAT THE 1.75 DOES NOT PUT US OUT OF, OUT OF STEP.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO TO 1.75.
WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING PRIMARILY ABOUT THE CIVIC ART PART, NOT THE, THE HAA GRANT MM-HMM
REMIND ME THE FORMULA OF WHAT, HOW MANY, HOW MUCH THEY GET OF HOT.
WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE THAT YOU WOULD KNOW? PROBABLY IT'S 19.
SO 19.7 IS ALLOCATED TO ARTS CULTURE AND TOURISM.
UM, OF THAT MONIES, WE RECEIVE A PORTION, THERE'S 35% THAT'S GIVEN TO ORGANIZATIONS WITH BUDGET SIZES OVER 10 MILLION.
THEY'RE BIG, THEY'LL BE BIG MUSEUMS AND ALL THAT.
35 TO, UM, ORGANIZATIONS WITH BUDGET SIZES UNDER 10, UM, 2.5 DEDICATED TO CITIES INITIATIVE, UM, WHICH IS A SPECIALIZED GRANT PROGRAM THAT WE RUN ALONGSIDE THE CITY, ABOUT 16%.
WAIT, WHAT'S THAT CITY'S INITIATIVE? THE CITY'S INITIATIVE GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH IS, IT IS A, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF OUR MULTI-YEAR GRANTS.
WE DEVELOPED THIS GRANT AND COALITION WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF, OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
AND IT DEDICATES FUNDS TO THREE SPECIFIC FUNDING AREAS, EITHER SOMETHING AROUND ARTS, CULTURE, ARTS AND TOURISM, UM, ARTS AND CONFERENCES AND NEIGHBORHOOD DESTINATIONS AND DISASTER.
SO IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF OUR GRANT PROGRAMS THAT HAS A SPECIALIZED POT OF MONEY DEDICATED TO IT.
16, ABOUT 16% GOES TO MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, AND THEN 9% COVERS OUR ADMINISTRATION.
SO WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS MOCA'S ROLE IN, IN H IN THAT, NOT THE CIVIC ART PART, BUT THE GRANTS PART? WHAT WAS THEIR ROLE? AND ARE WE, SINCE WE'VE, THERE'S, I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE, IT STARTED WITH ONE PERSON, RIGHT? I MEAN, THIS STARTED WHEN BILL WHITE WAS MAYOR.
AND THERE WAS ONE PERSON, IT WAS MINNET, RIGHT? IT WAS MINNET WAS JIM DET, AND SHE DID IT.
AND THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE WAS BORN THEN.
AND SO, WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT HAS BEEN THE ROLE OF THE CITY'S THE MAYOR'S OFFICE DEPARTMENT IN THAT ASPECT OF THE GRANT STUFF? YEAH.
SO THEY'VE, UM, IN A SENSE, BEEN LIKE A, A CO-DESIGNER OF OUR PROGRAMS. WE MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT LIKE HAA FACILITATES THE GRANT COMPETITION.
THE COMMUNITY IS THE ONE WHO ADJUDICATES SCORES AND ULTIMATELY DECIDES WHO GETS THIS FUNDING.
SO, UM, MOCA HELPED OVER HELPED US OVERSEE THAT PROCESS.
WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY BIG DECISIONS ABOUT GUIDELINE CHANGES OR APPLICATION CHANGES OR PROCESS CHANGES WITHOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE IN CONVERSATION WITH MOCA.
[00:30:01]
UM, GRANT APPLICATIONS WERE ADJUDICATED, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS RECEIVED THE RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE THEY WERE KICKED UP TO THE MAYOR FOR FINAL APPROVAL.SO, SO STEVEN, DO YOU, HOW DO YOU SEE THAT CHANGING? OR IS THAT, IS THAT, SO THIS, IS THERE BE SOMEBODY IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE KIND OF DOING THAT YES.
I, I WOULD CONSIDER THAT LIKE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT WORK.
I THINK THAT THERE, THERE IS AN IMPORTANT, UH, DISTINCTION, UH, THAT THIS IS THIS PROCESS.
THE GRANTS PROCESS STARTED LAST YEAR, RIGHT.
THEY, THEY HAVE WORKSHOPS AND THEY DO CONVERSATIONS, AND IT IS ALL THE ARTS ALLIANCE DOING THE WORK.
UM, IF WE WERE TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE GRANT PROCESS, IT WOULD BE IN A DOWNTIME.
IT WOULDN'T BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROCESS.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE IT.
I THINK THAT, UH, WHAT I'LL SAY IS THAT WHEN WE FIRST CAME INTO OFFICE, AND THIS WAS MY FIRST INTERACTION WITH HAA AND WITH MOCA, UH, COMING BACK IN, I THINK ACTUALLY IT WAS LIKE DAY TWO AFTER INAUGURATION, UM, UH, WE GOT CALLS FROM A WHOLE BUNCH OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT GOT NOTIFICATIONS THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO, TO GET GRANTS THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE ARTS ALLIANCE HAD, UH, INDICATED, UH, VERY PUBLICLY WAS THAT THEY WANTED TO FOCUS ON SMALL ARTISTS.
LIKE A LOT OF BIG THINGS WERE GETTING, UH, HAD HISTORICALLY GOTTEN THEIR GRANT MONEY.
UM, AND THAT THEY WANTED TO FOCUS ON BRINGING UP SMALLER ARTISTS UP TO THE TOP AND SURFACING THOSE THINGS AND BEING ABLE TO GIVE THEM GRANT FUNDING.
UM, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE PRETTY UPSET.
AND WHAT WE FOUND RIGHT, IS THIS IS ONE OF THOSE, UH, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT'S THE THIRD RAIL, UH, WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF VERY PASSIONATE PEOPLE WHO CARE A LOT ABOUT AND DEPEND ON THE MONEY THAT COMES OUT OF THESE PROCESSES.
AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE WERE GOING TO BE ANY CHANGES THAT WERE MADE, IT WOULD BE INFORMED, IT WOULD BE, UH, A CONSENSUS PROCESS.
AND THEN IT WOULD BE DONE AT A TIME WHERE PEOPLE CAN RECEIPT, HEAR WHAT CHANGES ARE OCCURRING, HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR FEEDBACK, AND THEN BE PREPARED FOR THOSE CHANGES.
SOME OF THAT FORMULA MONEY, YOU WERE, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THOSE PERCENTAGES, SOME OF THAT GOES TO, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS, RIGHT? OR NO? YES.
AND THAT COMES OUT OF WHICH OF THOSE PERCENTAGES YOU WERE THAT LARGER 19.7%.
AND THEN WHAT IS, WHAT, IS THERE ANY ANTICIPATION THAT HOUSTON FIRST IS MORE INVOLVED IN THIS, UH, IN THE OPERATION OF THIS? OR IS THAT NOT, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR DOWN THE CONVERSATION OR THAT FAR DOWN THE PATH.
I MEAN, I THINK IT AT A, WE LEND THEM ART PIECES, UH, FOR THEM TO DO COOL STUFF THAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO THEY'RE INTRINSICALLY A PARTNER, UM, ALREADY, UH, WHERE THIS SITS MOVING FORWARD, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, STEVEN, FOR, FOR THE TIME BEING.
FOR FOLKS THAT ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE OFFICE OR WANNA REACH OUT TO THE OFFICE CONSTITUENTS, WHO IS THE BEST POINT OF CONTACT NOW FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS? IS IT YOU? SO IF THERE ARE QUITE
WE PAID THEM TO BE THAT POINT OF CONTACT.
UM, IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING THROUGH THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE, UM, IT WOULD BE MYSELF OR DION IN THE OFFICE.
UH, THERE IS STILL SOMEONE THERE.
UM, YEAH, DION, ACTUALLY, I SAW NEW WAVE.
UH, AND WHAT WE'RE ALL DOING IS WE'RE ALL LEARNING TOGETHER, UM, ON THIS ONE.
UM, AND SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY THAT'S RELATED TO ACTIVITIES THAT MOCA DOES, UM, AN INVOICE THAT NEEDS TO BE PAID, UH, SOMETHING THAT GOES, WHAT HAPPENS IS I'LL RECEIVE IT AND THEN I CALL TAYLOR AND SHE HELPS FACILITATE AND, AND GET AND UNDERSTAND IT.
BUT THAT IT CAN BE US OR IT CAN BE THEM.
UM, ONE THING THAT I WANNA MAKE A PLUG FOR IS WE HAD A, A GENTLEMAN COME AND GIVE A PRESENTATION AROUND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ART.
AND I THINK ONE THING THAT WAS CLEAR FROM IT WAS THERE WAS A DESIRE FROM COUNCIL TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WHAT HE SHARED WAS, WAS BROADER TRENDS, IMPACTS FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE.
THERE WAS A DESIRE TO LEARN MORE LOCALLY ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT'S HAD FROM OUR INSTITUTION, SPECIFICALLY ON OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
WHICH THEY'RE NOT REALLY EQUIPPED TO DO.
UM, THEY CAN PROVIDE SOME, SOME GREAT MACRO PERSPECTIVES, BUT WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE HOBBY CENTER ON OUR LOCAL ECONOMY OR THE, YOU KNOW, JONES HALL OR, OR THE ALLEY SPECIFICALLY.
IF THERE'S WAYS FOR MOCA AND HHA TO PACKAGE THAT AND PRESENT IT, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AND IMPACTFUL TO GET A FULL PICTURE OF THE IMPACT THAT OUR ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE HAS ON OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
'CAUSE THAT, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT
[00:35:01]
WAS CLEAR FROM THE QUESTIONS PEOPLE WANTED.UM, BUT HE WASN'T ABLE TO TO REALLY ARTICULATE.
CAN I SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT? PLEASE.
SO AS OF, I THINK IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS NOW, I ACTUALLY RECENTLY PROMOTED OUR SENIOR GRANTS MANAGER, SHARIF ROBBIE, WHO I THINK IS HERE.
SHARIF, CAN YOU STAND UP? SHARIF ROBBIE IS NOW HA A'S SENIOR DATA ANALYTICS MANAGER.
AND HIS POSITION WAS CREATED TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN TELL THE STORY OF THE IMPACT THAT THE ARTS AND CULTURAL SECTOR IS HAVING ON THE ECONOMY OF HOUSTON AND REALLY UPLIFTING THAT STORY.
NO MORE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE UPDATE AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED WORK TO SUPPORT HOUSTON'S ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMITTEE.
AGAIN, I WAS GONNA TELL THEM THAT THAT'S, THIS IS TAYLOR JACKSON, THE NEW CEO OF THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE A DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, STEVEN.
DAVID, IF YOU COULD HAVE A SEAT AND CONTINUE WITH US, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
NOW WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
EACH SPEAKER WILL, WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION BEFORE YOUR REMARKS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS A LEGEND, NAOMI CARRIER.
I'VE KNOWN HER FOR MANY YEARS AND SHE'S JUST FANTASTIC.
AND IT'S MY HONOR AND PLEASURE FOR YOU TO BE HERE TODAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON TO EACH OF YOU.
I AM THE FOUNDER OF THE TEXAS CENTER FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN LIVING HISTORY, WHICH WE CALL TLA, IT'S ACRONYM.
AND I'M ALSO, UH, ONE OF THE PERSONS WHO HAS WORKED WITH TOUR NUMBER SEVEN, THE OST, ALAMEDA REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO INTERPRET THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THIRD WARD.
SO THIRD WARD IS ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYTHING THAT I DO.
AND AS I HAVE GRADUATED FROM BEING A CLASSROOM TEACHER IN A LITTLE SMALL ROOM, TO HAVING TO INTERPRET THE HISTORY OF A COMMUNITY AS LARGE AS THIRD WARD, THAT HAS GIVEN ME AN OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO JUST INTERPRET A COMMUNITY, BUT WHAT IS THIS COMMUNITY ABOUT? WHERE HAS ITS PEOPLE COME FROM? WHAT HAS BEEN THEIR MIGRATIONS? WHAT IS THE, UM, THE LANDSCAPE OF THE COMMUNITY, EVEN AS IT CONCERNS THE COLUMBIA TAP RAILROAD? AND SO, IN DOING THAT PROCESS, I HAVE COME UPON THE IMPORTANCE OF SIGNAGE AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO HERITAGE TOURISM.
OUR COMMUNITY HAS ONE LARGE THOROUGHFARE, AND THAT IS EMANCIPATION AVENUE.
IT WAS RENAMED EMANCIPATION AVENUE IN 2017 SO THAT IT WOULD BE IN COLLABORATION WITH EMANCIPATION PARK, WHICH WAS OF COURSE PURCHASED IN 1872.
WHAT I WANT TO SEE IN THAT COMMUNITY THAT INTERPRETS IT, HISTORY AND CULTURE, IS NOT ONLY WHERE THE PEOPLE COME FROM, MANY OF THEM, THE BRAZOS VALLEY, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT THE COUNTIES OF FORT BEND, BRAZORIA OF WHARTON AND MATAGORDA, AND THE WORK THAT THESE PEOPLE DID TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I WANT TO SEE MORE SIGNAGE, MORE PUBLIC ART ALONG EMANCIPATION AVENUE AND ANY OTHER OF OUR MAIN THOROUGHFARES THAT DOES INTERPRET WHO WE ARE, MAINLY THE AFRICAN AMERICANS THAT HAVE LIVED AND DEVELOPED THAT COMMUNITY.
AND AS THE COMMUNITY IS BECOMING MORE DIVERSE, WE CANNOT LEAVE OUT THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING THERE, WHO ARE NOW BEGINNING TO OWN THE COMMUNITY AND WANTING TO INTERPRET THE COMMUNITY, IN PARTICULAR THE COLUMBIA TAP RAILROAD AND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISM.
I WANNA SEE SIGNAGE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
I WANNA SEE TRAILBLAZER BENCHES, I WANT MEMORY MARKERS.
I WANT SELF-GUIDED WALKING, WALKING AND GUIDED TOURS IN THAT COMMUNITY.
SO THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO BE THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BE 18.2% OF THE POPULATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEN WE NEED TO BE REPRESENTED ALONG THE STREET IN THE SIGNAGE, IN THE URBAN ART, IN THE QR CODES.
I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO TAKE MY CELL PHONE AND POINT IT TO A QR CODE AND PULL UP SOMETHING THAT MAYBE HAPPENED A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
AND THAT'S REALLY ALL I NEED TO SAY, IS THAT I WANNA SEE MORE MONEY INVESTED INTO THIRD WARD'S HISTORY AND CULTURE THAT WE CAN SEE IN URBAN ART, WHICH IS PUBLIC EDUCATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON
[00:40:01]
TO DANNY ASBA YELL, AND PLEASE PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME CORRECTLY.I, I, UM, MAY HAVE BUTCHERED IT.
I'M DANNY ASBURY L AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR SEEING ME.
I COULD HAVE READ THAT, BUT THERE WAS A WRITING THAT KINDA GOT ME, BUT THANK YOU
ALRIGHT, SO GOOD AFTERNOON MEMBERS, UH, OF THE COUNCIL.
UH, MY NAME IS DANNY ASBERRY EL AND I'M HERE TO ADDRESS A CRITICAL ISSUE REGARDING THE ART PROCUREMENT PROCESS CURRENTLY OVERSEEN BY THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, UH, AND, UH, FRESH ARTS AT TURS.
ONE, AN ISSUE THAT TOUCHES FAIRNESS, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCESS FOR ALL ARTISTS IN OUR CITY.
I WANTED TO ALSO MAKE MENTION THAT TAYLOR, THE CEO WAS NOT CEO THEN, SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, PUT THAT OUT THERE.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE HAA IS IS A DESIGNATED PARTNER OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, CREATING A SCENARIO WHERE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS SOLE INTERNATIONAL AND MANY OTHERS MAY FIND THEMSELVES AT A DISADVANTAGE.
THIS RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, PARTICULARLY UNDER THE CITY HOUSTON, CITY OF HOUSTON, ORDINANCE 15 DASH ONE, WHICH EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF FAIR COMPETITION IN CITY CONTRACTS.
WHEN A CITY, WHEN A CITY SANCTIONED ENTITY DOMINATES THE BIDDING PROCESS, WE RISK UNDERMINING THAT VERY PRINCIPLE LIMITING OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIVERSE ARTISTIC VOICES.
I'M GONNA JUST GET THROUGH THIS SPEECH, AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, SOLAR INTERNATIONAL'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE EAST HOUSTON NEIGHBORHOOD RESILIENCY PLAN, WHERE WE PLAYED A, A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE ARTISTIC, ARTISTIC COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT.
IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT ON PAGE 75 OF THAT PLAN, THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT LISTED, UH, AS A PRIME PARTNER, UH, UH, I'M SORRY, THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT LISTED, UH, FRESH ARTS AS A PRIME, UH, PARTNER, DESPITE THE FACT THAT SOLE INTERNATIONAL WAS THE ONE WHO EXECUTED THE WORK FOR THE EAST HOUSTON RE RESILIENCE, UM, PLAN.
THIS DISCREPANCY NOT ONLY DIMINISHES THE VISIBILITY OF SOLE'S CONTRIBUTIONS, BUT ALSO RAISES FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND RECOGNITION UNDER SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, IN CITY PROJECTS.
MOREOVER, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY ALSO IN THE USE OF CITY OWNED BUILDINGS FOR ART INITIATIVES, WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON ORDINANCES, UH, TWO DASH 11 OUTLINING THE NECESSITY FOR TRANSPARENCY IN CITY OPERATIONS.
THIS, UH, THIS ORDINANCE MANDATES THAT ALL TRANSACTIONS, INCLUDING THOSE INVOLVING PUBLIC ASSETS, BE CONDUCTED OPENLY TO ENSURE PUBLIC TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
SO THE COUNT, THE CALL OF ACTION WOULD BE TO URGE THIS COUNCIL TO ADVOCATE FOR REFORMS THAT WHICH I THINK YOU'RE DOING, UH, TO ADVOCATE FOR REFORMS THAT PROMOTE A TRANSPARENT AND EQUITABLE BIDDING PROCESS FOR OUR PROCUREMENT.
THIS MEANS ENSURING THAT ALL ARTISTS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE, HAVE A FAIR CHANCE TO CONTRIBUTE TO HOUSTON'S CULTURAL LANDSCAPE.
BY DOING SO, WE CAN HONOR THE COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A VIBRANT, INCLUSIVE ARTS COMMUNITY THAT TRULY REFLECTS THE DIVERSE SPIRIT OF OUR CITY.
SO IF YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION AS TO WHY I, I SAID THAT, UH, UH, FOR THE FIRST PORTION OF MY SPEECH WAS BECAUSE I LITERALLY WENT INTO A BID WITH SOLE INTERNATIONAL AND ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT I WAS COMPETING AGAINST HAA AND FRESH ARTS.
AND THEY ARE KNOWN PARTNERS EVEN TO THE FACT THAT OUR ORGANIZATION HAS, YOU KNOW, SUBMITTED GRANTS AND ARTWORK AND ALL THAT TO HAA.
SO FOR ME TO, FOR, FOR THE ORGANIZATION TO COMPETE AGAINST AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THAT, THAT HAS THESE, THAT HAS OUR ASSETS TOO, WHY DID WE EVEN COMPETE? SO IT'S, IT'S, IT WAS A THING, BUT I, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THE CURRENT CEO WAS NOT CEO THEN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THE NECESSARY, UH, THE NECESSARY INNER WORKINGS OF ALL OF THAT.
BUT, UM, IF YOU GO INTO THE EAST HOUSTON, UM, RESILIENCY PLAN, WHICH IS A PLAN THAT WE HELPED TO DEVELOP ALONGSIDE OF THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT ALONG WITH THE EAST HOUSTON CIVIC CLUB, THAT WAS A LOT GOING ON AS WELL.
SO, NO, NO, JUST IF Y'ALL HAD ANY QUESTIONS, WELL, YOUR COMMENTS ARE, ARE DULY NOTED, AND WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN LOOK
[00:45:01]
INTO SOME OF THESE CONCERNS.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JASON OLIVER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I LEAD THE THIRD WARD CULTURAL DISTRICT, UM, LOCATED IN DISTRICT D, WHERE I'M GRATEFUL TO BE REPRESENTED BY THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE CHAIR DR. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
I'M HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS HOW IMPORTANT THE ARTS ARE TO ME AS A RESIDENT, UM, DURING THIS TIME OF TRANSITION FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND THE CITY IN GENERAL.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THE CITY STRENGTHEN ITS SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS, UH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS THROUGH EFFECTIVE STORYTELLING, BUILDING ON THE SUCCESSES OF INITIATIVES THAT THE CITY AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS HAVE RUN, LIKE MAKE MUSIC DAY, WHICH IS COMING UP IN JUNE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MANY OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS IN THIRD WARD HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO, AND IT'S EVENTS LIKE THIS THAT HAVE BEEN FACILITATED AND SUPPORTED BY THE CITY THAT HELP TO DRIVE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO EXPERIENCE HOUSTON'S AMAZING CULTURAL OFFERINGS.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CURRENT SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS, AND I REALLY WANT TO LOOK AT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON WHAT WE HAVE AND REALLY STRENGTHEN THAT.
UH, ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE, THE MANY CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THIRD WARD, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO KEEP TELLING THE STORIES ABOUT WHY HOUSTON IS SUCH A BELOVED CITY.
AND THANK YOU FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATION TO YOUR LEADERSHIP.
ALL OF THE GREAT QUESTIONS THAT WERE GOING ON AROUND THE THE CIRCLE TODAY.
UM, I AM NOW LEADING THE, THE THEATER DISTRICT HERE REPRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JO MARTINEZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO.
AND I JUST, I CAME ACTUALLY WITH, WITH WITHOUT A SPEECH TO NECESSARILY, BECAUSE I WANTED TO HEAR WHAT HAPPENED TODAY, WHAT THIS CONVERSATION WAS.
AND I WANTED TO LEAVE JUST SAYING THAT I'M VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE EXCELLENT QUESTIONS THAT I HEARD AROUND THE TABLE, THE COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS, UH, THE NEW LEADERSHIP AT HAA, THE COMMITMENT BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO CONTINUE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL AND BEING ENGAGED WITH THE GREAT ARTS THAT ARE GOING ON HERE.
I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE HUGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANDING THE STORIES THAT ARE TOLD ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE ARTS GOING ON ALREADY.
WE HAVE THESE SEVEN CULTURAL DISTRICTS RUN BY MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY.
UM, AND THE WORK THAT THE, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IN THE THEATER DISTRICT ARE DOING, NOT ONLY DOWNTOWN, BUT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND OUR SCHOOLS, UM, I THINK IS JUST INCREDIBLE.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL IN CONTINUING THESE CONVERSATIONS AND GETTING, GETTING THINGS MOVING FORWARD.
AND OUR LAST SPEAKER IS ELIZABETH SOSA BAILEY.
UH, I'M ELIZABETH SOSA BAILEY.
I HAVE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF MY CAREER WORKING IN AND CHAMPIONING PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT INCLUDE, UM, HOUSTON BALLET, HOUSTON SYMPHONY, HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY, AND OTHERS, INCLUDING SOME FOLKS HERE IN THE ROOM.
I AM ALSO A RECIPIENT OF THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE SUPPORT FOR ARTIST AND CITY INDIVIDUALS GRANT.
UM, BECAUSE OF THIS LIFE CHANGING GRANT, I WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, BE ABLE TO SHOOT A PROJECT THAT TAKES PLACE IN, IN INNER CITY HOUSTON.
IT'S A TELEVISION PILOT IN 1996 ABOUT A BIRACIAL HALF BLACK, HALF LATINA WOMAN WHO IS, WOULD'VE BEEN A PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER AND DOES NOT END UP GETTING TO DO THAT.
SHE BECOMES A HIGH SCHOOL COACH.
HOUSTON IS AN UNDERDOG, AND WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE.
OBVIOUSLY THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING WEEK FOR THAT.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE
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OF THE WORK, BECAUSE OF THIS GRANT, UM, I MEAN, I, I'M TRIPPING UP ON MYSELF BECAUSE I AM SO HONORED AND SO EXCITED AND SO GRATEFUL THAT THIS HAPPENS.AND HONESTLY, UM, I'M A, THE ONE THING THAT THAT KIND OF WORRIED ME A LITTLE IS NOT HAVING, UM, A PERMANENT PERSON IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE A DEMOTION TO ONLY HAVE SOME KIND OF CONTRACT POSITION.
I DO, UM, FEEL OPTIMISTIC, BUT I HOPE THAT EVERYONE HERE AND THAT THE CITY UNDERSTANDS HOW TREMENDOUS HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IS FOR BEING ABLE TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SOMEBODY THAT'S USUALLY THE BACKEND, NOT EVER TALKING ABOUT THEMSELVES AS AN ARTIST IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
YOU ARE, EXCITEMENT IS INFECTIOUS.
AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN ALLEVIATE YOUR CONCERNS AS WE GO FORWARD.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WANTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE WE CLOSE THIS MEETING? OKAY.
IF THERE'D BE, HOLD ON A MINUTE.
MAY I ACTUALLY SAY ONE MORE THING THAT I LEFT OFF? COULD YOU COME UP, SEE, I KNEW SOMEBODY HAD SOMETHING, A BURNING THOUGHT.
APOLOGIES FOR COMING BACK, BUT THANK YOU.
I, I MEANT TO ALSO FLAG, UH, LAST MONTH ON MARCH 10TH, WE HAD THE THEATER DISTRICT OPEN HOUSE DOWNTOWN HERE.
AND IT WAS AN AMAZING EVENT AND IT WAS GREAT TO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ COME OUT AND SPEAK.
AND WE HAD OVER 18,000 PEOPLE ENTER OUR THEATERS DURING A FIVE HOUR BLOCK OF TIME THAT AFTERNOON.
IT WAS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND I THINK, UH, A REAL MARK ON THE CITY FOR WHAT'S ALL GOING ON HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I RAISED AND CELEBRATED THAT WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.
IF THERE IS NO FURTHER BUSINESS, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
CAN I GET A SECOND? THANK YOU.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO ADJOURN.
ALL OPPOSED, NAY, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PARTICIPATION, AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR PRESENTERS AND OUR SPEAKERS.