* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
           
          [Resilience Committee on October 15, 2026.]
          [00:00:19]
HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE HERE. 
          BUT BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, WE HAVE STAFF MEMBER TO STAFF MEMBERS FROM SEVERAL OFFICES TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS ALCORN. 
          OH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ JUST JOINED US. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, VICE MAYOR PRO TE PECK, A COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE. 
          SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. 
          UM, WELL, WE ARE READY. 
          I THINK WE'VE GOT A GREAT PRESENTATION TODAY, MICHELLE DOB DOBBINS WITH THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT WHAT, UH, DISASTER RECOVERY HAS TO DO WITH ART. 
          LITTLE KNOWN FACT. 
          IT HAS A WHOLE LOT TO DO WITH ART. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MICHELLE. 
          AND WE'RE READY. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, DOBBINS. 
          AND I SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY FOR THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE. 
          A-K-A-H-A-A AND OH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          IS THAT BETTER? ALL RIGHT, . 
          SO IF YOU DIDN'T HEAR, AGAIN, MY NAME IS MICHELLE DOBBINS. 
          I SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY AT THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, A-K-A-H-A-A. 
          AND, UH, I THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON AND JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR WORK, WHY WE DO THIS WORK, AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY TO ARTS AND CULTURE. 
          UM, AND BEFORE I KIND OF GET INTO THE PRESENTATION, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS JUST KIND OF SHARE SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE AND, UH, MY BACKGROUND, SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND KIND OF HOW ALL THIS WORK CAME TOGETHER. 
          AND SO, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE THINK ABOUT RESILIENCE, WE THINK ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND PREPAREDNESS AND COMMUNITY RESPONSE, UH, DURING A DISASTER, BUT ALSO WHAT WE LIKE TO FOCUS ON AND WHAT WE LIKE TO BRING ATTENTION TO ARE THE PEOPLE, UH, THAT ARE IMPACTED. 
          THOSE PEOPLE THAT THEIR LIVELIHOODS, THEIR BUSINESSES, AND THEY, THEIR WORK ARE IMPACTED. 
          AND THIS INCLUDES THE ARTISTS, UH, CREATIVE WORKERS ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND CULTURAL AND HERITAGE ORGANIZATIONS. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA SHARE WHAT WE ARE BUILDING AND HOW WE GOT TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. 
          NEXT. 
          AND SO, UH, HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, ACTUALLY THIS YEAR, WE CELEBRATED OUR 20TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY. 
          AND SO WE'VE BEEN, UH, HAA FOR 20 YEARS NOW, AND OUR MISSION IS TO CONNECT THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY WITH SUPPORT, RESOURCES, AND PARTNERSHIPS. 
          UH, AND THEN WITH THAT, WE LOOK AT HOW ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS CAN SUSTAIN THEIR WORK AND LOOK AT HOW WE CAN HELP THEM TO PROPEL, UH, IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND SO, RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY IS A BIG PART OF THE OVERALL AGENCY COMMITMENT. 
          NEXT. 
          AND SO HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, AGAIN, WE INVEST IN ARTS AND ORGANIZATIONS. 
          WE CONNECT PEOPLE TO RESOURCES, AND WE CONNECT WITH VARIOUS PARTNERS, WHETHER IT IS, UH, IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WHETHER IT IS OUR NONPROFIT VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER. 
          AND WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN, UH, WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM, AND THEN THE SYSTEMS THAT THE ARTS AND CULTURAL, UH, ECOSYSTEMS NEED IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN AND, AND TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          AND SO, A BIG PART OF OUR WORK THAT WE DO AT HAA, WE HAVE CIVIC ARTS, UH, AND WE HAVE GRANTS. 
          AND SO THOSE TWO ARE OUR MAJOR PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED, UH, THROUGH THE CITY, BUT ALSO WE HAVE PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE ONE THAT I WORK WITH, WHICH IS NOW RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY. 
          WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DOING THIS WORK 10 YEARS AGO, IT WAS DISASTER SERVICES. 
          BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE START TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO COMBINE RESILIENCY WITH RECOVERY IN ORDER FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN AND SUSTAIN. 
          AND SO, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF. 
          I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK SINCE 2000, I THINK 2000, 2001, UH, RIGHT AFTER TROPICAL STORM, ALLISON. 
          UH, AND THEN AFTER THAT, A LOT OF MY WORK AND MY EXPERIENCE COME FROM, UM, WORKING AFTER KATRINA, RITA, AND ALL OF THE MAJOR DISASTERS. 
          UH, AFTER THAT POINT, I WORKED 25 YEARS, 20 PLUS YEARS AT A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION OF BAKER RIPLEY. 
          [00:05:01]
AND, UH, THROUGH THAT WORK, I'VE OPERATED AND MAINTAINED, UH, STATE PROGRAMS, FEDERAL PROGRAMS, UH, LOCAL PROGRAMS. AND SO, UH, A LOT OF MY EXPERIENCE AND WHAT I BRING TO HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE COMES FROM THAT EXPERIENCE OF LOOKING AT THE PEOPLE SIDE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEXT. 
          AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I'M ALWAYS ASKED IS, WHAT DOES ARTS HAVE TO DO WITH DISASTER? OR, YOU KNOW, OKAY, YOU WORK IN DISASTER, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE ARTS? AND A LOT OF TIMES, UH, WHAT I DO IS I SIT BACK AND I, I TAKE PEOPLE BACK TO THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE ART. 
          UH, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN ARTISTS AND ART WORKERS ARE DISCUSSED, THEY'RE OFTEN DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY CREATE AND, UH, WHAT THEY CONTRIBUTE, WHICH IS A BIG PART OF THE CONVERSATION. 
          AND IT'S GREAT BECAUSE ARTS AND CULTURE ACTUALLY KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES CONNECTED. 
          UM, AND IT HELPS TO BUILD LOCAL ECONOMY, BUT THAT'S JUST A PART OF IT. 
          AND SO WHAT I TRY TO DO IS TAKE PEOPLE BACK TO THE PERSON AND TO LOOK AT ARTISTS, CREATIVES, UH, AND ART WORKERS AS PEOPLE FIRST, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE FAMILIES, UH, THEY HAVE BILLS, THEY HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THEY HAVE LIVELIHOODS. 
          UH, AND THAT DEPEND ON THINGS LIKE THEIR EQUIPMENT, UH, MATERIALS BEING USED AND ACCESS TO MARKETS. 
          AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESILIENCE, WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVELIHOODS. 
          AND THAT'S HOW, OR WHAT, I TAKE ARTS BACK. 
          AND SO ARTS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH RECOVERY IN TERMS OF RESPONSE. 
          ARTS IS THERE TO BUILD CONNECTIONS. 
          IT'S A HEALING MECHANISM, UH, FOR DISASTERS AND DURING DISASTERS. 
          BUT ALSO, AGAIN, BECAUSE ARTISTS ARE SO UNIQUE, THEY TOO NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED, NOT JUST FOR THEIR PROFESSION, BUT AS PEOPLE NEXT. 
          AND SO, LIKE I SAID, UH, HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK SINCE, UM, RIGHT AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY. 
          AND SO AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, THE AGENCY TOOK ON THIS 18 MONTH PROJECT WHERE THEY BROUGHT IN A CONSULTANT AND REALLY LOOKED AT THE ARTS AND THE ARTS ECOSYSTEMS. AND WHAT WE REALIZED, OR WHAT THEY REALIZED THEN IS THAT THERE WAS A BIG GAP IN TERMS OF HOW THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS WERE MADE UP AND HOW THEY, UM, WORK WITH ARTISTS, ARTISTS, UH, BEING A LOT, BEING SO PRIORITIES IN, UH, BEING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT NOT HAVING THE STRUCTURE AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. 
          THEY WORK OUTTA THEIR HOMES. 
          THEY DO A LOT OF GIG WORK, UH, AND THEN WHEN DISASTERS HAPPEN AND THEY LOSE THAT INCOME, IT'S, IT'S DEVASTATING. 
          OR IF THEY'RE WORKING FROM THEIR HOME AND THEIR EQUIPMENT IS DAMAGED, THAT ALSO IMPACTS THEIR ABILITY TO CONTINUE, UH, TO DO THIS WORK. 
          AND SO, UH, WE TOOK OUT AND WE STARTED DOING THIS WORK, AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN RESPONDING TO MOST MAJOR DISASTERS. 
          UH, SO WE RESPONDED, UH, HURRICANE HARVEY, OF COURSE, WE ALSO, UH, DID COVID RESPONSE. 
          WE RESPONDED TO, UH, WINTER STREET FIRE THAT HAPPENED IN 2023, AND THEN WINTER STORM URI. 
          AND SO A LOT OF OUR WORK IS JUST MAINLY BEFORE NOW HAS BEEN AROUND RESPONSE. 
          BUT AGAIN, REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, MOST PEOPLE THAT WE ENGAGE WITH, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. 
          THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHERE, UH, THE EDUCATION AND THE RESILIENCY PIECE COMES TO PLAY NEXT. 
          AND SO THE REALITY WE FACE, AND YOU GUYS NOTICE, UH, IF WE LIVE IN HOUSTON, WE NOTICE, AND SO DISASTERS ARE BECOMING MORE OCCURRING. 
          THEY'RE HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. 
          UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF CHANGES ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL. 
          WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE CHANGES ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF, UH, FEMA ASSISTANCE, BUT WE KNOW THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW, THE IDEA IS THAT, UM, THE STATES WOULD HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY. 
          AND SO PUTTING THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE STATES AND HOW DOES THAT TRICKLE DOWN TO THE FOLKS THAT NEED HELP? UH, THERE ARE ECONOMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY IN THE ARTS. 
          UH, UH, A LOT OF FUNDING HAS BEEN CUT. 
          AND SO TRYING TO LOOK AT OTHER AVENUES IN DIFFERENT WAYS. 
          AND THEN CREATIVE WORK DOES NOT FIT INTO TRADITIONAL RECOVERY MODELS. 
          AND I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. 
          THE GOOD THING IS THAT IN 2024, FEMA DID CHANGE SOME OF THOSE, UH, GUIDELINES. 
          AND 
          [00:10:01]
SO IF YOU'RE A, AN ARTIST OR A SELF-EMPLOYED, OR A SMALL BUSINESS, UH, OWNER, THAT'S NOT STRUCTURED AS SUCH, YOU CAN STILL GET ASSISTANCE NEXT. 
          SO WHY THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY IS UNIQUE, UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, IRREGULAR INCOME, A LOT OF THEM DON'T HAVE, UH, A LOT OF SAVINGS, AND THEY DEPEND SOLELY ON THE WORK THAT THEY DO, WHETHER IT IS PAINTING, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH FESTIVALS, WHETHER IT IS THROUGH, UH, PRODUCTION SHOWS THEIR MUSIC. 
          AND SO WHEN THERE'S A DISASTER, THERE'S A HUGE ECONOMIC ECONOMIC LOSS. 
          UH, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PHYSICAL LOSS FOR, UH, FOR THEM IS THE INABILITY TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK THAT THEY DO, AND TO DO THE THINGS THAT THEY LOVE. 
          AND BECAUSE OF THEIR UNIQUENESS, AS I UH, MENTIONED EARLIER, THE NON-TRADITIONAL WORK STRUCTURE THAT THEY HAVE, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY FIT INTO, UH, OUR TRADITIONAL RECOVERY SYSTEMS. AND, UM, RIGHT AFTER HARVEY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED WAS THAT A LOT OF ARTISTS AND CREATIVES, THEY TOO DON'T SEE THEMSELVES, UH, FITTING IN, AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW HOW TO VALUE THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING OR PUT A VALUE TO IT. 
          AND SO A LOT OF TIMES, UH, THEY DON'T APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE, WHETHER THAT'S FEDERAL, STATE, OR JUST, UH, LOCAL ASSISTANCE. 
          AND WHAT WE HEARD HEAR A LOT IS THAT THEY'LL DEFER AND SAY, SOMEBODY ELSE NEEDS THIS MORE THAN I DO. 
          AND, UH, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CONTINUE TO, TO ADVOCATE FOR. 
          AND AGAIN, JUST, UH, WHEN IT TERMS IN TERMS OF ORGANIZATIONS, THERE'S LIMITED CAPACITY TO DO THIS WORK. 
          UH, HAA IS ONE OF THE FEW OR ONLY LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND EVEN PERHAPS, UH, WITH SOME OF THE NONPROFITS WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A YEAR ROUND PROGRAM FOR DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY. 
          NEXT, SO RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY, AND, UH, WE OFFER YEAR ROUND SUPPORT, UH, TRYING TO BUILD A STRONGER TOMORROW. 
          AND SO THE DIVISION, AGAIN, PRIOR TO LAUNCHING THIS YEAR AS THE RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY, UH, DIVISION, WHAT WE DID MAINLY WAS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, PROVIDE GRANTS TO ARTISTS WHEN THEY'RE IMPACTED. 
          AND SO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO NOW IS TAKE A MORE HOLISTIC LOOK AT WHAT IS IT THAT ARTISTS, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND CREATIVES NEED IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN? UH, HOW DO WE HELP THEM TO PREPARE, UH, BEFORE A DISASTER AND HAVE THAT MINDSET OF READINESS AND PREPAREDNESS. 
          UH, THE NEXT THING IS TO ADAPT. 
          AND SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT ARTISTS, UH, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE DIFFERENT SKILLS THAT THEY HAVE, IF THEY DO FESTIVALS, UH, A LOT OF SKILLS IN THE THINGS THAT ARTISTS DO ARE TRANSFERABLE SKILLS. 
          AND SO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO NOW IS TO HELP THEM TO LOOK AT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY POSSESS. 
          WHAT ARE THEIR STRENGTHS? HOW CAN THEY TAKE WHAT THEY DO BEST, WHAT THEY KNOW BEST, AND TRANSLATE THOSE INTO OTHER THINGS THAT THEY CAN BE DOING IF, UH, EMERGENCY OR DISASTER HAPPENS AND THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO, UH, THEIR DAILY WORK, AND THEN TO RECOVER, BUT NOT ONLY TO RECOVER, WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO THRIVE. 
          AND SO REALLY, AFTER DOING THIS WORK FOR 20 SOMETHING YEARS, YEARS, I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN PEOPLE COME OUT BETTER THAN THEY WENT IN. 
          BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEMS. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE, AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE WELL-INFORMED DECISIONS UPFRONT, UH, FOR EVERY WEEK THAT A, UM, A PERSON DOESN'T GET HELP THAT PROLONGS THEIR RECOVERY BY A YEAR NEXT. 
          AND SO THE SHIFT, THIS IS THE SHIFT THAT, THAT WE'VE MADE WITHIN HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE. 
          WE GRADUALLY STARTED DOING SOME OF THIS WORK LAST YEAR, BUT WE FULLY LAUNCHED THIS YEAR. 
          AND SO WE ARE TAKING IT FROM RESPONSE AND BEING REACTIVE TO MORE PROACTIVE. 
          UH, AND I APOLOGIZE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE SLIDES ARE, ARE A LITTLE DISTORTED, BUT WE, UH, WE ARE GOING FROM, UH, BEING REACTIVE TO BEING MORE PROACTIVE. 
          AND SO INSTEAD, AGAIN, LOOKING AT PREPAREDNESS AND JUST RESPONSE, WE'RE LOOKING TO CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO YEAR ROUND RESOURCES, UH, THAT WE CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT. 
          AND THEN ALSO WE'RE LOOKING AT CROSS SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS. 
          AND SO WITH THAT, WE'VE ADDED, UH, 
          [00:15:01]
ANOTHER BUCKET OF WORK TO WHAT WE ARE, TO WHAT WE'RE DOING NEXT. 
          AND SO HOW, WHO AND HOW DO WE SUPPORT? WE SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS, UH, OF COURSE, AND WE SUPPORT ARTISTS, CREATIVE WORKERS, ANYBODY BASICALLY THAT IDENTIFIES AS AN ARTIST. 
          AND SO WE LOOK AT, AND WE ASK THEM WHAT THEIR DISCIP DISCIPLINE IS, AND IF THEY'RE MUSICIAN, IF THEY'RE, UH, UH, A NAIL TECH, IF THEY ARE, UM, UH, ARE A HAIRDRESSER AND, AND DEFINE THEMSELVES AS A CREATIVE, AS AN ARTIST, WE ALSO WORK WITH THEM AND LOOK AT THEM. 
          AND SO IT'S NOT JUST THOSE TRADITIONAL, UH, ARTS LIKE PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURES. 
          WE ARE TRYING TO BE MORE HOLISTIC IN OUR APPROACH TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE, THE ARTS COMMUNITY. 
          UH, WE HELP ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL. 
          AND SO, UH, WITH ORGANIZATIONS, WE HELP ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, WE HELP CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. 
          WE HELP, UH, UH, CULTURAL AND, UH, HERITAGE ORGANIZATIONS. 
          UH, A CEMETERY WAS IMPACTED IN 2024 WITH THE DERECHO AS WELL AS HURRICANE BARRELL. 
          AND SO WE REACHED OUT TO THEM TO HELP THEM TO BE ABLE TO RECOVER INTO FIND SUPPORT AND SYSTEMS THAT MAY ABLE BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM. 
          NOW, TAKE IT. 
          THE, UH, CEMETERY WAS A PUBLIC CEMETERY, AND IT WAS A HISTORIC, UH, LANDMARK. 
          AND SO WE WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO TRY TO HELP THEM TO BUILD CAPACITY. 
          AND AGAIN, TO GET THEM TO THE POINT THAT IF THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE, THEY CAN AT LEAST KNOW WHERE TO START AND WHERE TO FIND, UH, HELP AND, AND RESOURCES. 
          AND SO HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS. 
          UH, AND SO WE HAVE ADVOCACY. 
          AND SO I DO A LOT OF ADVOCACY. 
          UH, AND THE ADVOCACY THAT I DO MAINLY IS ABOUT INCLUDING THE ARTS AND, UH, THE CULTURAL SECTORS INTO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING. 
          AND SO I WORK CLOSELY WITH HARRIS COUNTY, AND I'M HOPING TO BUILD A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ALTHOUGH I DO, UH, HAVE SOME PARTNERS THERE. 
          BUT THE IDEA IS THAT AS WE'RE PLANNING, AS WE ARE THINKING ABOUT, UH, THE RESOURCES AND THE THINGS THAT WE NEED BEFORE DOING AND AFTER DISASTER, WHO ARE THE FOLKS? WHO ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT WE NEED TO CONCERN OURSELVES WITH? UH, THAT'S THE WORK THAT I DO THROUGH ADVOCACY DISASTER SERVICES. 
          AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO, AND IT'S A MAJOR FOCUS OF OUR WORK. 
          UH, THE PIECE THAT WE'VE ADDED AND BUILT IN IS THE CAREER AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY PIECE PIECE. 
          AND SO THE IDEA THERE IS WHERE WE START TO REALLY BUILD UP SOME OF THAT RESILIENCY AND HELPING FOLKS TO, UH, UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO YEAR ROUND SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO FARE OR WEATHER THROUGH DISASTERS, WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S A NATURAL DISASTER, WHETHER THEY LOSE THEIR JOB, WHETHER IT'S A MANMADE DISASTER. 
          AND SO WE WORK WITH THEM TO PROVIDE, UM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. 
          WE BRING IN DIFFERENT WORKSHOPS, WHETHER IT'S ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROTECTING YOUR ART, BACKING UP YOUR INFORMATION, PROTECTING YOUR HOME. 
          AND SO THE CAREER AND ECONOMIC PIECE IS THE NEW PIECE, BUT IT'S A BIG PIECE, UH, IN PART OF THE, THE WORK. 
          AND, UH, LATER ON IN THIS YEAR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO WORKSHOPS ON GRANT WRITING AS WELL AS FINANCIAL COACHING NEXT. 
          AND SO WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE? UM, SO FOR HAA, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE NO, UH, MORE PREPARED. 
          UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THEY KNOW OF HAA, BUT THEY KNOW OF US, UH, THROUGH OUR GRANTS PROGRAM OR OUR CIVIC ARTS. 
          AND SO NOW WE ARE JUST REALLY TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, UH, OUR WORK THAT WE DO IN RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY, AND THAT WE ARE A RESOURCE. 
          AND, UH, THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE WANNA BE ABLE TO HELP THEM TO BE MORE ECONOMICALLY STABLE. 
          BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EVEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE APPLY FOR GRANTS ON THE OTHER SIDE, UH, THEY DON'T KNOW TO PAY THEMSELVES. 
          AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA EDUCATE THEM ON, AND THEN TO BE MORE CONNECTED SO THAT THEY AGAIN KNOW WHERE TO, WHERE TO GO, UH, AND BE ABLE TO, TO NETWORK YEAR ROUND AND ULTIMATELY TO HAVE A FASTER AND A MORE ECONOMIC RECOVERY 
          [00:20:01]
NEXT. 
          AND SO, UH, IN CLOSING, I THINK THE, THE MAIN THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT COMMUNITY RESILIENCE, THAT WE LOOK BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT AND LOOK AT WHAT THE PEOPLE, UH, INCLUDING ARTISTS, CREATIVE WORKERS, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND, UH, CONSIDER WHAT IT TAKES FOR PEOPLE TO RECOVER AND WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN LONG TERM AND TO BE ABLE TO, TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          UM, THE BIGGEST GAP IS NOT NECESSARILY A LACK OF RESOURCES, WHICH A LACK OF RESOURCES AND CAPACITY IS A BIG ISSUE, BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS A LACK OF AWARENESS, A LACK OF CONNECTION, AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING HOW THE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS WORK. 
          UH, I THINK ANOTHER BIG ISSUE IS, UH, SILO WORKING. 
          AND SO FOR ME IT'S LIKE, HOW DO WE INTEGRATE THE ARTS INTO, UH, THE BIGGER PICTURE OF DISASTER AND DISASTER RESPONSE SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO, OR FEEL EMPOWERED, TO BE ABLE TO TAP INTO THOSE RESOURCES AND NOT SEE THEMSELVES, UH, AS, AS OUTSIDE OF THOSE CURRENT SYSTEMS. SO, UH, I THINK THE MORE THAT WE UNDERSTAND CONNECTIONS BEFORE DOING AND AFTER A DISASTER AND BRING AWARENESS AND EDUCATION TO THE ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY, I THINK THE BETTER OFF THAT THEY WILL BE IN ORDER, UH, TO WITHSTAND AND, UH, ADAPT WHEN DISASTERS COME. 
          SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY, AND I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. 
          WELL, THANK YOU, MICHELLE. 
          A GREAT PRESENTATION. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THROUGH BAKER RIPLEY, BUT ALSO THROUGH VOAD. 
          THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE ORGANIZATION AND SO NECESSARY, AND IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND ALL MY FAVORITE PEOPLE BELONG, I SAY. 
          BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE, THAT THAT THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN, IN THE ARTS ALLIANCE GOES BACK TO THE CITIZENS, RIGHT? YES, YES. 
          YOU KNOW, WE THINK OF ARTS ALLIANCE MORE ON, YOU KNOW, GRANTS AND, AND ORGANIZATIONS, BUT CERTAINLY GREAT, UH, TO, TO HEAR THE PRESENTATION AND HOW IT REALLY IMPACTS INDIVIDUALS IN, IN TIMES OF NEED. 
          UM, IN THE MEANTIME, I THINK WE'VE BEEN JOINED ONLINE BY, UH, STAFF FROM, I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE STAFF FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OR MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, CASTEX TATUM'S OFFICE AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PANZELLA'S OFFICE. 
          UM, AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, BUT WE DO HAVE A QUESTION FROM A STAFF MEMBER. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'LL TAKE A, A CALL. 
          LET'S SEE, COUNCIL MEMBER STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS'S OFFICE. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          UH, SO IN TERMS OF RESILIENCE, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT NATURAL DISASTERS AND PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES, UM, BUT WITH THE RISE IN PROMINENCE OF AI, THERE'S GENUINE FEAR IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY AS YOU KNOW, THAT AI, MUCH LIKE NATURAL DISASTERS WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES. 
          YOU KNOW, JUST YESTERDAY, MIDTOWN HOUSTON AND FRESH ARTS CAME UNDER FIRE. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW, UH, FOR SELECTING AN ARTIST WHO HEAVILY RELIED ON AI FOR THEIR PIECE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I'M MISTAKEN, BUT I EVEN SPOTTED A FEW AI ELEMENTS JUST TODAY. 
          BUT REGARDLESS, I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO HOW HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE IS PROTECTING LOCAL ARTISTS FROM AI TAKING AWAY THEIR OPPORTUNITIES AND LIVELIHOODS. 
          IS THAT PART OF THIS RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY YEAR ROUND SUPPORT? UH, ACTUALLY, SO I, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT. 
          WE HAD, THERE WAS A, A ARTS FORUM, UH, THIS PAST MONDAY ON THE 10TH. 
          AND SO WHAT WE HEARD FROM ARTISTS IS THAT, UM, THE USE OF AI IS TAKING OVER SOME OF THE WORK AND STUFF THAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          AND SO IT HAS NOT BEEN A MAJOR PART OF THE WORK THAT HAA HAS BEEN DOING. 
          HOWEVER, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS, AND THAT'S PART OF IT, IS REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES AND THE NEEDS OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN THEN DIRECT THEM. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR GREAT QUESTION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR ANY, ANYTHING FOR MICHELLE? WELL, MICHELLE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR CAREER AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO. 
          YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP IS CERTAINLY IMPORTANT AND, AND YOUR BACKGROUND COMING TO THE ARTS ALLIANCE, UM, TO ADDRESS RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY IS, IS, UH, ADMIRABLE. 
          AND I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT FIT. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AT THIS POINT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT A SHORT COMMITTEE MEETING AND, UH, OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING IS NOVEMBER THE FIFTH AT 10:00 AM LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL EITHER PRESENT OR 
          [00:25:01]
ONLINE. 
          SO THANKS AND HAVE A GREAT DAY. 
          THIS MEETING'S ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.