>>Mayor Watson: jennifer -- jennifer reardon and thomas sykes. Hello.xd jennifer reardon and thomas sykes. Come on up. Welcome, everybody, our first proclamation todayt(, be it known by these presents, that I, Kirk Watson, Mayor of the City of Austin, do hereby proclaim may 15th,ni 1999 as the 12th annual City-wide skin cancer screening day in Austin. And I call on all citizens to join me in recognizing that one million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed nationwide this year according to the american cancer society and thatco early detection is critical to minimizing the impact of this disease. In recognizing that theq centers for disease control estimate that one in five americans. [One moment please]w3xd [music playing]
>>
(Music)
preciousnusr)m cargo that we cf1 o haul.rp cf1 o we seldom think ofo cf1 o (
(Music)
singing
(Music)
(Music)
.m->
>> thank you, thank you very much. [Applause]uw
>>Mayor Watson: thank you very much. Thank you very much, mike.acj
(Music)
f would everyone please rise and join with us in delivered today bypass store greg mcdonnell q of1+uu central presbyterian church church.
>> Delivered by associate pastor sally Watson.
>> It's good0=/ to see you,?a1 hi cousin, how are you, let's join togethere loving God, thank you for another day of life in we canb?ewz you and others. Bring your spiritlzf into this day that we may hear your voice and seek your well over our own. Open our eyes to your presence and our hearts to your leading that your will may be done throughout the City of Austin, in Jesus' name we pray, amen.
>> Thank you very much, pastor Watson for being here. I will call to order the City Council of Austin, Texas for a regular meeting of the City Council. It is Thursday, may 13th, 1999. We are meeting@clfthe City Council chambers at 307 west second street. Changes and corrections to the agenda. Item no. Recommended by the music commission.-aas item no. 12 Should read recommended by the music commission. Item no. 16 Should read: approve a resolution4] the official -- delete 5,700,693, replace with.4z 6,162,818 for developer reimbursements. Go to the first patternnalcal, funding in the amount --(g 12456461, replace with 1,33,488 for the1qc water utility and")!4yenm replace with $1,698,394 for the wastewater utility to be funded by the issuance of commercial paper. After the semi colon delete 2,908,and replace withw 3,129,999 to be1xv funded by the issuance of generalypa&zc obligation debt. Item no. 17 Should read, amend ordinance numberu 890915 b, the 1998-'99 capital budget, follow through to where it says by, then delete 2,792,016. Replace it $3,032,882. You will -- further into the paragraph where it says a%yi appropriating delete the 2908677 replace withgmye43c#7n 3,129,999. Go to the parenthetical funding in an amount of delete 2792016. Replace with3,032,882(x for water and wastewatercmzaaility. Follow until it comes to the 2908677, delete that and replace with 3,129,999 for2-[ watershed protection to be funded by future certificates of obligation.o%z item 41, set a public hearing to receive citizen xhekts on the City's 1999-2,000 proposed community development program. The suggested dates of june 3rd, 1999 and delete june 10, 1999, replacing it with july 1, 1999 at 6:00 p.m. Item 53: create an ordinance creating and specifying the makeup of the census 2,000 complete count committee. Item 61l"s postponed indefinitely. 62 Is postponed2h+m indefinitely. Itemi6/jn9u 63, c14-98-, public hearingo tol$ amend ... Zoning property locallyxgx 8en as 3014 afton sure way is postponedn"to july 1st. Item no. 62 Is postponed]5 june 3, 1999. Item no. 67 Is postponed to may 20, 1999. Item 68 is postponed to may 20, 1999.dr item 71 is postponed! to may 20,buc '99, as etw no. 72. Items that are set for a time certain.x immediately followingfola reading of]%I the consent agenda item no. 10, Aa7 briefing on options and estimated time line for the completion of the land use study, at 3:00 p.m. A resolution to appoint relief judges to the municipal court. At 4:00 p.m.94i zoning items 54 through 63. And at 6:00 p.m. Arwp public hearing authorizing the construction5o ofifu right-of-way through .473 acres of dedicated parkland as onion creek district parkez, item no. 64, At 6:00 p.m. Conduct p2zwn public hearing authorizing a resolution of aebn; .041y<2jut license agreement and a .052 acre temporary construction space to allow construction of a sub surface storm sewer through dedicated parkland known as grand meadow park in acc6n#ntu)ud 26.001 of the Texas parks and wildlife code. [One moment please]tnc
>> also at 6:00 for a time certain a public hearing to receive citizens comments on proposed amendmiho "to the city's 1998-'99 development program and federal annual plan. The first item on f agenda is the approval of minutes for the regular meeting of may 6th, ioy< I will entertain a motion9n. Motion made by Council Member Garcia. Is there a second to approve,Paul seconded by Council Member Griffith. Any discussion? hearing none, all those in favor say aye-te possessed no, motion carries. Next general citizens --.
>>Garcia: Mayor, on the one dealing with the east cesar chavez neighborhood plan, I would like to be recognized for a suspension of the rules so that we can give priority to thetx? presenters of the plan first sorc can do their presentation, then we can take comments from everybody else.
>>Mayor Watson: at 6:00 when we cyex/ to that time certain, I will call that up and recognize Council Member Garcia for a suspension of the rules. General citizens communications, Mr. Waits, pedro metiz and jennifer bowls. Charles waits. Is pedro metiz here?cf5 if you will make your way to the podium.gn welcome Mr. Waits.]h
>> Mayor, Council, I amb3 charlie waits, thank you for allowing me to speak to youiwxrn today. I -- I came last week to talk about green power and I asked the Mayor a question and he took two and a half of my minutes, s/ee)qg't get to talk about green power.
>>Mayor Watson: anything you want to ask me today? [= no, no, no, not until the last?h#ew seconds.
>>Mayor Watson: all right.
>> But, it's my understanding that green power is going to beem fact and it's my understanding that we are going$?qi to buy green power from ourselves in the amount of what theqz City1%m uses. I came once before7n and went through andqq clear to myself and I have checked figures that it anm: investment of! n $85 million$,n to produce one megawatt of power from solar and wind is not much better. Andncv'as, I don'tadz know where you get that much gas, but I really would vite you to go[kmy slow, on green powern#,,xfu before you let any contractsq solarMr]bom some other place or windg9v from some other place, please look and see what has happened toc/ wind and solar in the past. As -- andqkn nobody --u these -- all of the renewables do not even accountfsex for -- for one-half of one speakers of)%e the -- of one percent of the energy in the United States,x there's just no way that this is goingxa/d to work. I went through the tapes that I havevc of -- of the exchange between Mr. Duncan and Mr. Robins and the Council. And if you were at that meeting, and can get to that tape, please listen to it.u/g again,,+ar8/ be sure that you want to commit contracts stating that you will use wind or that you willj>v use:gy solar percent of Austin's energy with solarr would cost $4 --:j!n $4,80 million if we did it with the same type! llnu@ of solar systems weo&f> have today at the airport and other places, thank you very much for your time. Ic!aat that I have done a very like to alertnj the -- the newspaper and thej,I radio stations to look at this green power thing, it makes no sense to me.se.g
>> thank you%-, Mr. Waits. I am sure we will all check those numbers.i4] pedro metiz. [One moment please]lra
>> good afternoon, we are here to talk again about the new change in thevbd day labor site. [Speaking in=q spanish]uo.
>> With( almost inevitable to the 51st and airport.padrug9n; pedro estimates there are between 3 and#0a/ 400 people that get workl?o in the street and not through the program.g:yq ue,e] the proposed site on 51st and airport is really a site that can only containi/ between 100.v+d and 150 workers and not those that are currently working in the street. This"v make is almosted inevitable that many of these people are going to (r)p found again downtown looking forw because of the smallness of the new space.)t7l the only way that9 this program can work, the new program can work in an effevom]t way is that if -- is it's basically a new administration take over the program.fh,nna >> if the site change is made without a fundamental change in the current;/o structure q, the only thing that we arejn/ to do=if isnjy problem to a new place.?q0mok$cj% I think that it's time that Austin through its generosity and its tradition of generosity comes up with a new program that really addresses the needs of workers/sn and employers alike.fi#/%h
>> it really is the only way thaoll we can sit and be0r comfortable and be proud of the fact that we3]v hak-n solved really truly the da?; labor problem. Again for this to happen, for the program to really be effective, there must be a change of administration. It doesn't matter how many millions of dollars you spend3w, the truth of it is the program hasn't worked andgi1c hasn't been to the satisfaction of the majority of thkb% population of people who are5.[ work in this the street.
>>Goodman: thank you very much.
>> Gracias.
>>Goodman: jennifer bowls.
>> This is easy. Good afternoon, Council, thanks for hearing again the day labor sitey issue. I wanted to bring to thel% Council's attention some issues that maybe normally don't come to the attention of the Council around the day labor issue. First of all, historicalu , the issue oftq been addressed as people call day laborers and ir >>Goodman: thank you very much, Council Member Garcia. [Applause] >>t
>>Garcia: ms. Bowles?l5oaty:wje. Garcia had a question for you.
>>Garcia:j6u thank you. What the Council is trying to do is several things. Number one is we are trying to separate the resource center for the homeless from thenh labor site one. In directing staff]z% that's basically what we said.; secondly is we want. To operate a'gc site that in essence protects the interests of the,1;&o"n workers. Sow manages that site needs to be somebody who knowsnk8 labor issues.
>>Kvo exactly.
>> Third, we want to make[n sure that we don't affectg)z neighborhoods.c this para>b&ar operation that we have right now affects all kind of people,0? be neighborhoods that have people living, but they are business people thatlox0 are affected by what happens on second street from the Convention Center to san antonio.=xy" to have more than one site because I think the numbers that -- that Mr. Metiz mentioned are correct, they are probably -- that site is probably not big enough for a cityq our size. So our hope is that we take a of those things into&pd5"vy train theif1r contractors to come4xwd8to a place and/ef train them in such a way> that they understand the responsibilities that they have to the -- to the workers and also to the neighborhoods. It's a big task, butu that the Council has directed the staff to do in that particular manner because youxpjdvy in the street right now come here to work. I travel a lot on second street, this morning I was traveling there, a truck sl4nvqb58 or 10uzy guys jumped in the back of the truck. They are eager to work. This economy can abqu all of that energy.d so my hope is that we can work withwxs a group so that we can have# a model that[/ really works.@rmsbc%m plano has a model that really works.!('t the police, we are going to pass anapn ordinance that says if you don't pick up peopler the day labor9cdx site, a contractor you%p% are going to get ticketed because if you start spilling out, you are going to affect the neighborhoods negatively. So we hope to be able to do all of those things. We hope that we have your
>> absolutely. Thank you so much, youri: staffq> has been very helpful. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>>Goodman: Gus pena. Mr. Pena. Let's go to John dolleyz=2
>> my associate is going to pass out some backupy,k materialzw//cz. Good afternoon0t] Austinilj/ the City Council. We were reallyjn represented regulation committee hearing yesterday regarding andrews county. Giving testimony to and stating opposition to the house billyt 1910. That wouldwcreateg nuclear waste facility in Texas. The senate committee is formulating a substitute Bill at this time. We hope will reject the house bill 1910 as offered and at the very least bring the nuke bill back to a more favorable intent in compliance with"&.1 the federal compact bill. I want=c to state for the record that I personally oppose any waste dump facilities in Texas. Generally as a ruler. Other than stored+eg7guz at their site of generation.ta I am now asking the City Council to adopt a resolution specifically regarding=)z this waste site,dxz proposed for andrews county,a Texasn. And I am also asking Austinites and the councb [ to contact state senators and the6$cj% governor today]o phone. E-mail, fax or with these post cards that I have herenki, that I willt!ve0nn you8g[, after I speakcw or I can leave them in the forrier, you can pick them up out there, but I encourage you all to take action on this. It's very important to ourdc/q drinking water foruut the Colorado watershed. Thankz-wyou.
>>Goodman: thank you, Mr. Dolley. Felipe salazar Garza. Mr. Garza? jeremy dixon. Is this Mr. Garza?
>> this is fell leap pay Garza.
>> -- Felipe Garza.
>> Thank you -- first cj% wanted to thank the Council for allowing him to talk before the Council.>v program in effect right now that hasn't fulfilled all of the possibilities that it could have fulfilled.gihhc the only thing#3hat's happened through negotiations is the more deficient.@tmkvpc/c the fundamental problem is that the current centerbe hasn't really known how:c to deal with workers.nfhq;0n Mr. Salazar wants to bring the attention to the fact that only 25% of the people are really using the current center.ewsqqt;if/ it's also very, very important to conduct a public%w campaignpnn to let'%a contractors know that this site exists, officially, under the auspices of the City.[oop/z because it really is an official facilitation of freedom of contract basically.fn;=v3cp if employers don'twr dnowj(m that there's a central site where they can get workers, then there are going to be workers on the street looking for work thata-o, way.et!a@ it's crucial make a coalitionuf basically between contractors'v workforce that you find in the street currently."5q
>>Garcia: [speaking in spanish]um n there are people coming from the north and south, varies sides, workers./#c it would be very goodi&#z if these four key points could be -- could be made into reality withyhn new program. [Buzzer sounding]hgn.
>>Goodman: thank you very much.
>> Thank you very much. [Applause]d=(
>>Goodmanli0:]qg$z jeremy dixon.lg["fz)px edelmira mendezr.wn?
>> I'm sorry you have to see so much of my face, but ourn translator didn't: come.
>> Good afternoon.bnt I am here again to talk about day labor23k.gl the day labor0q a method of sustainment%j big group of workers.nr/ it's critical to know that in terms of8 workers risking themselves in thez street?#e2c, we need to work with them to$uf develop a program, a work program that really works. And that's designed by workers for the benefit of@h5 them. I am[g thinking aboutvi program that would it shouldhn be -- it should be established bpnh knowledge of -- of the goals of the workers.. >>Mayor Watson: thank you.
>>Garcia:ni and I want to make sure that everybody y9 lot to do with gettingni this thing off the ground.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you. We have a number of people signed up to speak on numberlp no. 51. Since it's on the consent agenda what I'm going to ask you to do is please not -- you arwo welcome to, but thetj$ is really know need to if it's going to be on the consent agenda. I will read plrly if you are for it. What I will do is read your name into the record.I] michaelco vonohlen in favor. Ebil guerra in favor. Dianer earl mostly for. Marthaq cast steel for. Annenr harutunian for. I never can -- say it again.
>>Garcia: (speaking in spanish).
>>Mayor Watson: thank you. Thank you all6ze1. On item no. 55, That is -- has been pulled for discussion. I don't knowni why this was pulled.
>>Garcia: 4 p.m. I'm certain, Mayor.
>>Mayor Watson: yeah. Let me just double-check.xd all right. Is there any further discussion on the consent agenda? hearing none, all those in favor say aye? opposed say no. Motion carries, consent agenda is passed.coxdct(xd item no. 10 Is a briefing on options and estimated time lineq formy completion of the landju?e study. We indicated that would be brought up at a time certain so let's bring that up.ninro[nicop,('cw3i]coninre1connd<
>> we'll be right with you. I'm just trying to get this up on the projector.
>>Mayor Watson: while we're doing that, on item 85 I'll recognize the City attorney for a brief presentation. That was an item that was discussed in executive session and before we take it up I would like for their to be a presentation.
>> [Inaudible].
>> Resolution to authorize the --.
>>Garcia: you need the mic on.
>> This item is a resolution that authorizes the institution of a eminentok domain proceedings against thet( bfi site, thexd public purpose is toe1 establish administrative offices for theni solid waste services department.b and this will start the process of the City condemn t0eking land.
>>Mayor Watson: what is the difference between 85 and 92?
>> it was double-posted,:m[ session as well as beforew3 the executive session.
>>Mayor Watson: we have!u a number of people signed up to speak? if you are in favor and it's on consent. And I'm -- the way I'm going to ask for that will be as a months firsti] and -- motion first and call on the peopleh]eeuz speak. If it's going your direction I would ask that you not -- everybody has to stand up and talk about it. Is there a motion?
>>Spelman: I move approval of items 85 annual 92. Second? secondedn by Council Member Garcia. Let me call out thelp names of the people signed up to speak or signed up to indicate their support. If you are not in support or you feelxd like we need to hear something, (p:q feel free to speak, but suzanne in a almanzaev sylvia herrera.jf orten sismt io polamaro. Jamie. Marcus de leon. I'm sorry?ko ms. Rangel, do you wish to speak? all right.co Mr. Porter, are you going to want to speak?
>> yes.
>>Mayor Watson: you will followc ms. Rangel.
>> Good afternoon. I'm with!u the neighborhood association which is right across the street from bfi. I am in support of this because bfi really needs to -- we've been trying to get them to relocate for several years. We've hadni firesc, rodents, traffic, trash, all in our yards because of this facility. We've tried several times to try to locate without having to be pushed out, but nothing. So I think it's time that the Citynr Council do try to condemn them. If they really cared about the neighborhood, they would have relocated on their own without having to just be there waiting for somebody to give them theni five million that they've been asking for. What it is is a slab of cement and a whole bunch of trash and inmq able to get the job done.r so again, thank you. I'm glad, I hope that you all can approve this. I would like to get a good night's rest, my family would like to be able to go to sleep knowing the rodents are not going to be in the neighborhood, no fires, no nothing.2jp and I really appreciate it.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you, Mr. Porter.
>> Good afternoon. I applaud your efforts at resolve whag is a difficult situation and in need of solution in long -- for the longterm. I wanted to bring to your attention an issue related to this and that has to do with the fact this is the only regional facility for processing recyclables in theb. Area and I would request that you be judd shus aboutjf theni time frame and look at solutions for the problem that may come up, which is that have passed anni ordinance with mandatory recycling for kmurbl and multi-family businesses and residences. And that many small businesses use this facility and largeco businesses as well that process those recyclables. And 61 City currently, City staffco is currently working on developing plans for a City owned material recoveringni facility, a prototype of which is now in operation. And I would likeni to request the City Council consider directing the City Manager and solid waste services to look at expanding the capacity of the facility that they areco currently planning to complete andmbking it available to businesses that may previouslyq haver serve thosec?$tqzxd are affected by the mandatory "a ordinance that you all havenr passed. I just ask you to not put the rock and hard place and allowxd regional capacity for processing. Thank you very much.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you, Mr. Porter.
>> Mayor, we would be happyr evaluate that, bring back a recommendation to City Council.
>>Mayor Watson: great. Thank you. Michaelw3 vo nochltco ohlen in favor. Johnnyni limo in in favor. Paul hernandez is in favor and Gavino Fernandez is in favor. Motion has been made and seconded to approve items 85 and 92. 9Y'9any further discussion? hearing none, all those in favor say aye. Opposed sayf co. Motion carries. On item no. 50, That item -- it's my understanding there is a Council Member who is asking for an additional condition, however, the applicant has asked for a postponement until june 3rd. Inr will entertain a motion to postpone item 50 until june 3rd.
>>Garcia: so moved.
>>Mayor Watson: motion made. Seconded by v:ugcilmemberfa Griffith any discussion?'@3 hearing none, all those in favor say aye. Opposed say no. Motion carries on item 50 as postponed until june 3rd.ni are you all ready?
>> yes, sir.
>>Mayor Watson: okay. Mr. Murphy.
>> Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. My name is patrick murphy with the watershedni protection department. I'm here todp to present to you a report on aco study of the land development analysis for the barton springs zone. As you may recall, we have been working on a draft mitigation policy forq non-grandfathered projects in the a that project is ongoing. As part of this project, the Council requested thatnr we look at a land -- land uses andq development information in the barton springsco zone and bring thatok back to you, and this is a report today on what that would involve and how long it would take us to do. The purpose of thisni analysis is to aid the Mayor and Council in the consideration of a land mitigation policy for development in the barton springsfa zonecnr. The project will cover the barton springs zone both inside and outside Austin's planning jurisdiction. This a/% is 370 square miles this is anmap of the barton springs zone, to give you an idea how big the project is. As you can see the contributing zone in the light blue and thejf recharge zone in the dark blue extends well into hays and over into blanconi county. The products that we will be producing withnr this would be impervious cover for the entire barton springs zone. We would get that informationnr using aerial interpretation. A general land use of commercial and residential in our planning jurisdiction, that includes our etj, as well as development project data in the planning jurisdiction. The basis for our analysis includes digitized aerial photography, plant(imetric impervious coverni data, land use andq development project data. This is an example of thqi digitized aerix/ datao[ and gives you an idea what we look at in looking atw3 the impervious cover and land uses. This slide shows your planimetric impervious cover for this same slide which basically shows that the roads and buildings are now gridded off and showco that those are different types of cover types as impervious covero[. The third slide shows you land use coverage map which basically gives you a general overviewu of different land use coverages in this same general area that was in the aerial photo. This is an example showing spread sheets that many of you have seen of development in the barton springs zone which gives us a lot of informationni about projects which has taken a great deal of time to put together over many, may staff hours. The workd four months, approximately 500 staff hours.xd during -- with that time wefa will enterco subdivision data into gis, update the spread sheets with building and site plan data that we currently have, combine gisxd and development data and performn4r@v and maps. The staff that are involved include watershed pro pro sex, infrastructure support services, planning and environmental conservation services and development review and inspection. In sum rye, we will usexd existing staff and available information and take advantage of our investment in technology to the greatest degree possible.q we will reallocate and redirect existing resources to accelerate data input so that we can produce the analysis and required time frame. That concludes my presentatao]. If there are any questions, I'm here to answer as well as mike heitz.
>>Garcia: Mayor Pro Tem?
>>Goodman: Council Member Garcia.
>>Garcia: Mr. Murphyym, I suspect that this information couldco be presented alsoq to county commissioner courts and municipalities that are +fq s that so]Mrg/ that you have planned?
>> it is something that we really haven't discussed, to be honest, where we would present this information to. Right now;or we are providing that information to you all, and we wilor take your direction on that. We -- as far as setting public hearings, as we continue to go through the mitigation policy with the environmental board, Planning Commission and backl% to Council, those are currently on hold until we get a read on whether we will be doing the study as parted of that.
>>Garcia: I didn't ask the question properly.kofa at the appropriate time, that's what I wanted to say, at the appropriate time, if the Council, you know, wishes to direct you to make this presentation and if you can get, you know, a he/ beforew3 thosei] commissioner's courts and City Council thatt( have part of the recharge zone and the contributing zone in their jurisdictions.
>> Certainly we would be happy to do that. If that is something --.
>>Gqr%: I think it would be very use fell to them too.
>>Garcia: thank you very much.
>>Mayor Watson: Council Member Slusher.
>>Slusher: will there be with way we can calculate traffic impact from these numbers once we have them?
>> the answer is I really don't know specifically how that will be done, although it would be logical to me that wio(n land use that exist we should be able to give you an idea of traffic generated. It is not part of this current report and whether that could be donenb in the four-month time frame or not I'm not sure. We would have to discuss that and get back with you on that answer.
>>Slusher: okay. Could you -- I don't want to add on a bunchni of stuff,$x but that seems like an important factor, if you could just check with the other folks on the staffr:bu doxd that.
>> We'
>>Slusher:nr what we're looking at.
>> We'll give you a response to that question.
>>Slusher: and did I hear right we're going to look at what is approved beyond the City's jurisdiction?
>> yes, that's correct. We'll bexdnr looking both within our planning jurisdiction and throughout the entire barton through hays and into blanco county. Ql
>>Slusher: great. Thank you.
>>Mayor Watson: any additional questions? all right. Thank you very much, Mr. Murphy.
>> Thank you.
>>Mayor Watson: that concludes item no. 10. Item no. 52 Was set for a time certain. A Council Member has requested thatlp therefa be an executive session. I'm assumingi] -- calm Lewis, do you want to make a motion?co
>>Lewis: a motion?
>>Mayor Watson: iq myr understanding you requested an executive session. Would you like to move to go into executive session?
>>Lewis: yes, I make a motion that we go into executive session for item no. 52.
>>Mayor Watson: and the question I need tofa asknr is --xd [inaudible]nlit would be under personnel matters so it would be pursuant to the section I think isxd 075 of the government code, which would allow for a discussion of personnel mattersco in executive session. Is there a second to the motion? it.
>>Griffith: second.
>>Mayor Watson: secondedr Council Member Griffith.co any discussion? hearing none, all those in favor say aye. Opposed say no. The motion carries. We will go into executive session. I tell you what, instead of doing it that way, we're goingco to need to go back into executive session on other items.w3 if -- what we coulde1 do is go ahead now and go back into executive session on thosexd other items, I'll entertain a motion to reconsider the motion to go into executive session.
>>Griffith: so moved.
>>Mayor Watson: seconded by Council Member Garcia. Any discussion? hearing none, all those in favo@zay aye. Opposed motion carries. I'll entertain a motion to gono9@6hcj% into executive session with regard to personneljf matters tuned Texas government code with regard to itemxd no. 52.Xd in addition tot( that motion or part of that motion it would be to go into executive session pursuant to -- concerning legal issues concerning the intellect y'all property matters, discussion of legal issues concerning the application of the interim development ordinance to certain lapped in the northco Austin municipal utility district 1, discussion legal issues concerning the rights of axd developernr to continue a development proposal after andtzwrwdngext situation, to discuss village of beeveco versus Travis Countyxd water control and improvement district no. 14, Causeco no. 96-03683, Travw3/ county district court, causexd no. 97-12332 In the Travis County districtnr court and request of the travis county water control and improvement district for cease and desist orderr village of bee cave, Texas and lower p that is currentlyco undoktded. Motion made by Council Memberxd Lewis. Q]seconded. Any discussion.
>>Slusher: how does the amount of people signed up to speak tu+k en 52 comparedw3 to 11 and 12 because I'm concerned that we're delaying that item onw3 into theni evening when we53 could -- if we wanted to do executive session weym could do that.
>>Mayor Watson: it is a world of difference.ni and there are a lot more people signedi] up on 11 and 12.
>>Slusher: well, I would ask Council Member Spelman -- is it necessary to do this one?
>>Mayor Watsonxd: Council Member Lewis, you mean?lp the only reason I didw3 that --.
>>Slusher: this is set for 3:00.
>>Mayor Watson: it's set for 3:00.
>>.
>>Spelman: we did that so the judges could actually beq here. How much time do you think you will need, Council Member Lewis.
>>Lewis: welllp, I don't know.
>>Mayor Watson: you are the one that requested the executive session.
>>Lewis: not long.
>>Mayor Watson: we could always go back into executive session. Let's go ahead and go in for all items named and we can quickly take care of it. D >>Garcia: yes, Mayor. I was wondering if staff couldnr give a very brief presentation as to where we are on=n this operation. We originally committed $500,000 for this year. We're being asked to commit another $200,000.I] and I would like to know can -- has the staff been able to d after thisi] $700,000 are used up in year one, if the station can continue operatingc year two and year three with just $100,000.
>> I'm suec=n brewbaker, purchasing officer. Let me address those questions Council Member Garcia. We just -- just a brief history. We brought this contract forward in september. You all approved the contract. And I believe we executed it the end of5a october, like the 30th of october, and then the channel actually started productions in mid-november. And what has happened duringg that first six months, quitew3 honestly, is that they front-loaded the costs to try to build up thet( production. Change the production, make it more commercial, make iti] more -- you know, more mainstream media so they would have a product to sell advertisers with. You know, you are going to advertise with a good product. The first sixoki]onths they have not made a wh=su of money in selling the advertising. So we met with Mr. Melkier,o+ esther matthews and I did, starting about six weeks agonr, I would guess, going over the marketing plan, where you are and what's going to be coming in. And -- and what have you done to contains7 your costs. So in essence what I think we believe is that he is -- and we're going to put on a slide and showco you. He is starting just now to. Generate revenues, and if -- when you look at this slide, you are going to see a trend of starting in may, it just starts this month. Thismy is going to be the first month that he actually has made what I would consider very much money. I think heretofore he's only made about $11,000. So z/t can see that that trend is going up. And these are committed advertising. These are committed fundraisers. Yeah, this is what we've passed out to you too. So I'm -- I'm going to say to you that if he is real lucky within the next six months, that might get up to a $50,000 a month number. Although I don't know that that is going to happen that fast. I don't think he can bexe- totally self-sufficientxd looking at the projections so far. I don't think he can makexi with 100,000 next year. I think that wouldnr be very optimistic. I'mxd not sure he wouldn't need a subsidy even the next year, but I think if he cannr continue at this rate, within three years you would have pretty close to anixd self-supporting channel.
>>Garcia: have you been able to estimate how much more we have toi]xd allocate beyond 800,000 to keep them operational for the first three years?
>> if I've -- I've looked at his preliminary budget numbers Council Member, andc I'm looking at 160, I would say for sure, but I would -- I would beco more realistic and say it would have to be 20 which would be 100 above theqn 800. And I think it's going to be 150 to twoc the next yeare1, probably 100 the next year or 50. So I think you are lookingt( at realistically three to 400 dread thousand dollars additional over the 800. But that would not be within the three-year period, within the three-year period it would be-9 about 300 more.
>>Garcia: and you are saying that beyond thenr three-year period, we still would have to subsidize it?
>> looking at what I'm looking at today, I would say there would still be a need for some subsidy, yes. I don't know whether it's going to be 150 to the 200 or whether it will be down to the 100,000. I couldn't say that. But based on what I'm looking at now, I would say that.nr
>>Garcia: Mayor, I have some other questions, but I prefer hearing from the speakers. I think other Council Members have questions.
>>Mayor Watson: Council Member Griffith has some questionsd before we go to speakers. >Griffith: just very quickly and it's probably Council Member Garcia's question stated another way. At what point, if any, do you realistically expect the network to be self-supporting? that was our goal, and do you think that is going to happen at some point? if so, what might that point realistically be based on the actuals that you are seeing now?
>> goodness, I would feel better ifw3 Mr. Melker answered that. Looking at what I'm looking at -- andoke may come up and correct me, and in hope he does I think you are looking at this year -- you are looking at three to five years longera5 of subsidy. I think at the end of five years you should have a self-sufficient channel. There has been a lot of interest, he'sco gotten tremendous interest within the last three or four months.:e"- so, you know, in any business, it starts feeding on itself, and it may grow much morexd quickly andr forward than it has thus far, but at this rate, we're looking at about a five to seven thousand dollars a month increase. So I think -- and that's going to have dips and spurtsz. So I think it would be overly optimistic to say it would be self-sufficient earlier than five years. >Griffith: it's been the income side that has been short, the way I'm reading this. Do you see realistically that the income side is going to come up enoughjfq to -- to sustain the business?
>> well --. >Griffith: and veptdly make it self supporting in five years? is that what you are saying?
>>Garcia: well, if you look at this peak over here in october he will be bringing in about $30,000 that month. If he can sustain that kind ofl-5p growth -- and these are advertising dollars and promotional dollars, and if he can sustain that kind of xuo.dn >> we're going to look at that. He had someup front costs that would be one-time costs so nexny yearn costs should be decr?ed somewhat. Some of those initial startup costs, production costs, equipment costs, stuff like that will notjf be as aqut. Now, what he is -- whether he is going to off set that withw3 increased marketing, that's kind of one of those business issues I'm not sure. >Griffith: thank you.
>>Spelman: I'll probably have more questions,sa but just while this is up before us, what is the basis for these numbers?
>> okay. These are numbers that I've looked at that he has commitments of advertising. And what we did is we took these and put them into the months in which they will be recognized.
>>Spelman: okay. So I'm sure I understand this, there is alp commitment to spend $8,000 on the network bye1 !n] may.
>> Yes.
>>Spelman: and there is a commitment to spend $30,000 worth ofnr advertising six months from now in october.
>> Yes.
>>Spelman: okay. Help me with this. Why is it that weg of commitment in october, we have advertisers who are willing to spend money six months from now but not willing to spend money now.
>> I think he will be able to address this a lot better than I will, but I think probably what is attributing to that is that as the marketing effort is beginning to bew3 developed and come around,xd people are placing their money further out, and some of this money in october, and he will tell you about this, the september and october, somer one-time big event money. You know, you are going to come and put on an event, that kind of thing. So that's going to bump that up. And those are done in those kind ofrey activity months, and he knows more about the musicians doing those sorts of things.w3 but those start becoming booked and becoming more regular and more frequent. That starts pushing those up. This early, early0l $8,000 you are looking at is, you know, 500 here and a thousand theret( and 250, they are the smallerni but steadier, you know, $500,000 for eig 800 for two months and those kind of ads kicking thate1 up.
>>Spelman: so the revenues in october may actually be higher sthan $30,000.
>> Yes.
>>Spelman: isco it conceivable it would be lower? this is a dmiltment, but if somebody backs out --
>> I don't know the rules of the game in the -- in putting on special events, butted I couldn't imagine that people would do that because a lot of8- work goes into that and I know thatw3 Mr. Melkier is going the talk to you about some of that. You are doing a lot of pre advertising of the eventqq at the backyard or a big auction or< whateverhe those kinds of things are, so I don't foresee them backing out. On the other hand, everybody is bottom lined -- everybody's bottom lineym can be looked at at the second or third quarternb of a fiscal year and they may be told to cut their advertising and that's always a possibility too. So I couldn't say it wouldn't happen.
>>Spelman: and because so much of that, august, september, october revenue is based on advertising for a few big events, it would be imprudent of us to expect that november, december, January would necessarily also be $30,000 a year or -- $3,000 or more in advertise sng.
>> Except there you are getting into the holidays. So I would think there it would be more.
>>Spelman: okay.
>> See, I think -- I think that's when your big advertising is going to come is over the holidays. A lot of events going on, a lot of parties going on, all that kind of stuff. So your whole holiday budgeting should be more.
>>Spelman:q this is certainly something we can check out in the next three ora5 for months just to make sure we are on target.
>> And we can do a train gravel for -- graph for you evur? quarter or month.
>>Spelman: this is getting a little ahead of what we wanted to go, butted for future reference, do we have an income statement? do we have a sense for what the monthly costs are?
>> yes. We have all that.
>>Spelman: I would like to take a look at it. Thank you.
>>Mayor Watson: we have a number of people signed up to speak. Some are signing up but not speaking. So we can get into discussion, we do wantxd to hear from you, but if you are just repeating what somebody else said or you are just saying I'm for this guy or against this guyq orni whatever you want to phrase it just say it that succinctly if you can.lp lynn cook si is for but not speaking. Fred schmidt is for. And writes I am in support of this funding increase in view of the much improved Austin music network and ask Council support as well t quality of the on air product is clearly evident to anyone who watches channel 15 today andist management compan well within its budgeted expenses. Shortfall in revenue disappointing but notxd unexpected in a startup turn around of this kind. The new Austin music network is the most powerful economic tool available to the Austinco music community. The handle is now finally rsed to have the impact on that level. More time to sustain the model will enable the commercial revenue streams to develop.xd ty crane not speaking but for. Don harvey not speaking but for.cook megan kreshefsky not speaking but for. Steven barron for. Steven ueler did not sign up for or against.
>> For.
>>Mayor Watson: for? okay. Wayne -- irm sorry, do you have something you need to --
>> [inaudible].
>>Mayor Watson: did I run over you?
>> yes, sir.
>>Mayor Watson: I apologize. Mr. Barron, why don't you come forward.
>> Hello and thank you for your time. First I would like to say I'm very proud of the Cityni Council and I put on the mother earth festival every year. It's a benefit concert. It all began with Mr. Slusher's article back in '91 about barton springs and the beginning ofco the s.o.s. Coalition.ni the reason I'm speaking is because the Austin music network has been a huge parti] of mother earthnr festival the last few years. They brought out and shot the event -- excuse me, I'm a little nervous. My first time at this podium. I would like tonr say that I've had an opportunity to be the fly on the wall with the Austin music network and watch the people who work there. They remind me a lot of some of the bands that play around in town. They work very hard to try to get a good product that people want to see. They pour their souls intoi it and I am very impressed with the work they do with the equipment they have to work with. I know that starting -- trying to requisite sponsorship for mother earth, I contacted a lot of businesses around town trying to support the mother earth festival whichco is by the way for the sims foundation. I -- in myni sponsorship recollect situations I asked people to consider putting in time with the Austin music network and I think I was successful.I] kristine celis could not be here today but she wanted me to mention her name. Also many of the bands,c valejo and ian moore, nc overLord andjf all those people are very much for this wholeatn >> speak.
>>Mayor Watson: okayr
>> good afternoon. Thank you for letting me speak. I'm wayne gaithright, vice chair of the Austin music commission. As you know, the music commission did vote to support continued funding for the Austin music network. Continuing the funding. I would likexd to talk in terms of the Austin music network as a sound business choice, one that Austin can't afford to lose. We -- the commission, we've looked at financial reportsfa from the group and we know that the expenditures are right on target. The channel with a a promise has been delivered and I've heard an overwhelming agreement that the quality of this channel is excellent. The problem is the advertising revenue has -- as has been mentioned, the initial projections were overly optimistic. However, more and more businesses are now becoming familiar with the network. They are seeing the market that they want to target expand and now they are starting to want to be included inco this happening. The Austin music industry is a major force in the welfare of our community. South by sut west alonexd generateds $18 million. On any given night there are at least 100 bands performing in Austin entertainingr thousands of people. There are 13,000 people employed by the music industryq in Austin and Travis County. Over 1500 musical acts. Our new Austin-Bergstrom international airportni boasts a music stage and local music on the intercom.ni Austin is sixth in the nation for number of art sttion and musicians per capita. Attendance at local arts theater has surpassed houston and dallas creating an overall impact ovr nearly $70 million yearly. Ourxd Austin convention visitors bureau includes the slogan the live music capital of the world in all its marketing materials. Grammy nominations for Austin artists are becoming commonplace. In short, Austin is known world wide for itsxd music and the overall impact of the Austin music industry must be staggering. Yet none of the tourism revenue gets paid to musicians other than a below average performance fee. I would venture to say the averagenr musician when you calculate everything sue8u practicing setting up perform is below minimum wage t Austin music is the answer. It's the tool that we need to market and to continue to grow our valuable resource. All music, music education, the symphony, u.t. And more. It will become self-sufficient eventually. Eventually there will be stars that get their big break on the Austin music network. And it could eventually become a gold mine for us. But not unless you vote to keep it going and see the incredible value that it is to us right now. [Buzzer sounds]. Please vote to support it.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you. Yes, Council Member Lewis.
>>Lewis: let me ask you a question. You said on any given night there's 100 bands performing in Austin. How do those -- how do the places advertise other than print media? I know I see tonight the chronicle and some of the other weekly papers where they advertise who is going to be playing.
>> You are right. The print media is big, it's advertise understand thenr chronicle, in the excel, in the american-statesman and there are now start to be clubs that are advertising on tac9 the Austin music networkni now they that they know they have a bignr target audience watching the network out there right now.
>>Lewis: all right. Thankni you.
>>Mayor Watson: Mr. Ueler.xd
>> yes, Mayor, Council Members, thank you for letting me speak. I've been an Austin resident since 1997 where I moved from new york where previously I was creative director for marketing sales at abc network so I know a bit about media and marketing and advertising dollars. I think it goes without ag that the ausi music network is a tremenz/ks benefit to musicians, advertisers and the City of Austin.ni world. It's better than advertising itself at the allergy capital <9of the world, which I didn't find out until I moved here, butnr that's another story altogetherxd. Basically what I would like to suggest is that it's quite obvious that ther values and the content values of Austin music network's programming have skyrocketed since rick melkier's stewardship has taken over, however, revenue has seemed to fall short of expectations. We're talking about ad dollars here. Those of you familiar with the business world understand advertisers allocate so many funds for proven mediums where they are going to sell products and these are often done at least a year in advance and those are generally allocated for proven entities. Austin music network is a unique hybrid. It's neither fish nor foul and therefore it presents tremendous promotional opportunities. Advertisers use up their advertising dollars and they have those allocated well in advance. However, there are promotional dollars often hidden away that can be expedited and can be -- didn't know I said anything funny. That can be obtained for dynamic promotions and I would like to suggest that in the futureco, first of all, that the funding and the sub siization of Austin music network continue, but a certain amount of that money goes into a marketing and promotional department that would bring inxd promotional dollars for event marketing, point of sale purchases, cooperative advertising, and that in turn will bring in advertising dollars. So I would like to suggest that we look into the possibility of generating promotional dollars fromxd advertisers because those are quickly and a lot more expediently obtainable than advertising dollars that hav been allocated a year in advance. I speak from experience. I know that there is money hidden away. Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you. Richard trockenburg. Jim hudson still here?xd
>> right here.
>>Mayor Watson: it's my understanding you wish to donate your time.
>> Yes, sir. You have six minutes if you need it.
>> Thank you, Mayor Watson, thank you Council. I'm here to speak in opposition toes ka lagt the $200,000 payment to music management and also press my puzzlement as to why we're even here talking to about this issue. It's my understanding music management came before the Council in the fall of last yearynd put forth a plan byni which with $500,000 of seed money and their ability to market that they would be able to make a self-sufficient 4p<9 channel in three years. Their plan was they would need 200,000 in the second year and 100,000 in the third year. A big reasonok why theyco were selected or at least why we were told as citizens they were selected was that they had a private sector perspective to managing this channel, unlike some of their competitors. Well, I mean it's the private sector. If you decide to front-load your money and you lose, what you do is you suck it up and you make it through your contract through other sdurces. I suggest to Mr. Melkier he go out and get it.ns@6hcjij- if he wants toxd con+ managing the contract get a loan, other type of money, we have honored our commitment. I don't even know why we're discussing it any more than that. Second point though, and by the way, there are hundreds of contractors who come before you to do business, and I would like toni think that most of them make money. I would like to think that the City of Austin isr to do business, but I'm sure there areco many contractors who have bid?4n business and lost money on it and they've sucked up the loss because they wanted to have an opportunity to do business in the future and I think you are send ago terrible message to every one of those contractors if you even consider doing this. Second point, contract management. How did we get ourselves in a position where we all/.c a contractor to spend a year's worth oft( funding in six months? isn't that contract management 101 to oen sure that -- that you have enough money to last for a whole year. That seems to be pretty simple to me. I think if Council could ask Mr. Garza or ms. Brewbaker or utility matdly the contract managers for an explanation. I'm not suggesting that music management is in non-compliance. We're in the talking here about revokingoh contract. I watch the channel. I enjoy it. But I think you should say to them today we expect you to meet all of the things that you agreed to for the rest of the year on the money we have given you. And if you fail to do that, then we will take actions like we would do with a#cn other contract to revoke your management contract. That seems very simple to me. And I would ask some other questions ofnrco Mr. Melkier or ask staff to do that. Are there any contingentfa liabilities that have and accrued during this first six months of managing the contracted. As I read the proposal it seemed to me that he was getting some -- some of his suppliers to sort of give him a break in thenr early going of his contract with the idea things would get better later. Well, are there subcontractors tow3 Mr. Melkier who are something right now? I don't know that's true, but I would ask that question. I would also make another issue about the marketing. We always talkxd about marking plans.xd I heard him speak before the music commission about some of theni wonderful pipeline that he had of 150,000 dollars of contracts that werex$du8rting on the table and a couple of the entities he mentioned that werefa under consideration were Austin energy and the Austin qe"9convention bureau. To me that's likenr taking tax dollars, rate dollars I pay to the electric utility or bed tax dollars to come in to supplement general fund is not what I was thinking we were getting when we were getting a private sector. I thought what he was doing business community and getting private dollars. I would structure staff to make a suggestion that we don't count those dollars the we we would if we got a dell corporation or a 3m to contribute money here. Finally I want to mention something about on air st. Louis tations. I sent an e-mail to every member of the Council several weeks ago. I don't know how many people watch the network, but several weeks ago when it became clear that the channel was in trouble, there were times on the network where on-air staff I assume they are paid, were making solicitations to me as ar my calm to come support this channel.ni are we setting a precedent right now where Channel 6 can lobby me to get more money for Channel 6? does anyone else see that is a horribly bad thing to do? and if there isn't a law or an ordinance against doing that, that that is what you ought to be doing, telling our -- vendors they can't lobby the Council that way. I would like again for someone to address that issue. I thinkq it's a profoundly wrong and bad precedent. Again, in caseni I'm not being totally clear, I am absolutely against --.
>>Mayor Watson: are you really worried about that?jf [laughter].
>> Absolutely against giving $200,000 today toniusic+4 thank you.
>>Lewis: is that the reason that you are here because of [laughter].
>> I would say that thet( escalation of my venom occurred when I was being slis at this time. Degrees I sent an e-mail to Council Member Slusher when he asked for specifics about time when there was actually no video being played. I mean isn't thatnr the purpose of this channel, to play video of Austin and Texas based musicians? I mean, you know, I'm getting solicitations, I watch that on other channels. Thanks.
>>Mayor Watson: Mr. Leonardni lions had also signed up. He didn't sign up for or time to Mr. Trockenberg. The rules which say you have to be present -- and I know you leftxd ' seconds on the table, which is also a precedent that I hope you will stick with in the future, because rules require youco be present to donate time you didn't donate his time to -- count it as part of your time. Again Mr. Lions didn't sign up for ornr against but I assume he had talked to you beforehand and knew what he was going to say so I'm going to indicate he was probably against. There you go. Wendy morgan. Ms. Morgan, this isn't directed directly at you, but for those of you all coming up again, if you are just reiterating what somebody else has said or you are just saying you are for or against, we don't necessarily need to hear everybody. We've got 60 people so far signed up on this side.
>> I will be brief. I'm the director of music marketing for the Austin convention and visitors bureau. And I have worked in this position for -- actually almost four months now. I have worked with the Austin music network in helping them promote themselves. I think that the Austin music network is an incredibly valuable tool in marketing Austin who situations. I think it's a valuable tool not only for the musicians but the venues that get publicity on the show like what's the cover that talks about the bands that will be playing at the club that evening. It's also very valuable tool for the visitors of the City. 16 Million visitors come to town. They open up the Austin chronicle or the excel and hat? to decide what band to see, they can turn on the Austin music network and see what bands are available for them to see that evening. That's a very valuable tool for visitors. Also we're trying very hard to market Austin in terms of its music. We're trying to get visitors from the out sides of town. We've got a lot of people living in north Austin that may have never been into the City to see the capitol let alone a live band, so the Austin music network/n allows citizens of Austin that may never have wen downtownco before to have a chance to see music, maybe help spur them to buy a cd. So I think that's a very important tool for Austin. Some things that I have done in my office at the music marketing office, we have sponsored tent cards and we had a pripter sponst tent cards that we put to promoteni the Austin music network in 5,000ni hotel rooms that carry Austin cable vision or time warner cable vision and that promoted thenr viewing of the music network drg southwest southwest. We got them in before sxsw started. We have also been working with the university of Texas public relations department, one of their classes has doia5k spent all semester working on a marketing campaign for the Austin music network. They came up with an incredible package of press pre leases as well as marketing ideas as well as logos. So using some tools we have this the City whether it be students and interns and just developing relationships with folks, we can work very hard to market the Austin music network. So I would like again to say the music network is a very valuable tool and I appreciate your time.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you very much. Sharon fielding.zv brond today nester signed up not wishing to speak butco in favor.
>> I'Mr
>>Mayor Watson: is jeannie Ramirez here? do you wish to speak -- if you will please make your way toward the podium. Welcome, ms. Fielding.
>> I am an Austinite musician. This is what I want to do with my life and career. The Austin music networkni has greatly helped me forward my career when I've only been doing this for two years. And I have created a cd, I've created a music video that is now going to record labels this. Is a very important thing to me because they have invited me back several times to play and I have done it and I've played several songs and they have played them over and gefr again where I wasn't even present. One timenr I found on the tv and found myself on tv and didn't know. I've had people come up to me and tell me, they are like we saw you on tv and I never knew. I never knew youni could play giz tar or sing like that.ht they will come support me when they've never hoard me before. These arexd co-workers, people ico don't even know. I've had people come up and say aren't you cheryl fielding I heardhy>u on tv and I really liked you. Where can I get your cd. )H have a lot of gratitude for the Austin music network for helping me do this. Austin is a very nurturing City and I've lived outside of here much of my life and when I came to Austin they sucked me in and made me feel wem come and let me know that it was okay that I do this. They let me find my own voice here. I've never been happier in all my life and I'm very grateful for music and the commission who has put this Austin music network together for us and I would please ask you to continue funding it. Sxsw made $18 million for Austin. We're only asking for $200,000 to keep it going. And as people like me, I am a product of what the Austin music network has done and what Austin stands for. Thank you very much.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you. [Applause]. [One moment please]. I mean, it goes up depending on the -- on the popularity of the show.
>>Mayor Watson: on who?
>> dudley and bob and debra show, that morning thing. Bud bud.
>> But the music network, will be able to do that soon. Right now they're giving you rock bottom prices to get you to advertise. And, you know, have I talked to joey with saxton pub. He is going to start advertising. I've talked to cel sismtno' lis brew ri. I've talking to my peers to see if they can afford something a month to try to get this thing, help it out. You can see the growth by chart how fast they're growing. They started this thing in november, which was unrealistic. Everybody's advertising dollars for this holiday season last year was already done. You're asking asking about why do you have this october? we figure out six months to a year in advance where we're spending our money. We don't say maya.s is when we're going to do is. People for october know halloweenlp is coming up, they know Christmas is coming up. We'r%u budgeting for that in our money. That's whya.a it keeps taking longer. And the more people advertise, it's like anything else. You put a mcDonald's on the corner, prettyn other things there. As soon as you get people advertising, there's going tov be more and more clubs, more music related type people coming on this thing. I can see it happening.
>>Spelman: I don't want to ask another question, but I appreciate your answer.
>>Mayor Watson: you just taught him never to ask a question. [Laughter]. Chap clap.
>>Slusher: I don't think he pointed this out during his answer, but steamboat is doing monthly benefits.
>> We've already got joe eely. Once a month we're doing is show at steamboat for the Austin music network. I think the Austin music hall is also going to jump on the band wab gone.
>> And Mr. Trach enburg is not herewz considers that a horrible promotion, butfvf we'll deal with that later. Thank you, Mr. Crooks.
>>Mayor Watson: let me use this as an opportunity because you make a very passionate statement about the music network and you also do something that some other speakers have done, but I think you do it very well, which you have pointed out many of the benefits. One of the speakerst that came just before you, and I apologize that iech forgotten your name, yeah, made a real good point about being a beginning or starting her career. And one of the advantages of having an Austinb music network is the incubator effect of having such a thing. And I think I can speak for the entirec Council, all seven of us, that this is not a question of keeping an Austin music network. All of us see multiple values to having the Austin musi network. Some of us, if you ask us to start annual lie liesing it and giving alln the different values, we might come up with different lists or different orders on list, but there's a whole lot of reasons that I think all of us want to see the music network continue: the issue we're faced with as a goch earning body to address -- the question is how do we have an Austin music network. I believe I speak for everybody. It's not whether we have an Austin music network, it's a question of how do we haveu >> I moved here to Austin from massachusetts aboutkbon four yearso[[ ago and like most people=) I moved here because of the music scene, because of the film industry and things that were going on here. And one of the first things I see, I came to visit a friend and they were like Austin is so cool. And one ofywc the first things I noticed were all the things on television, all the publicczpaccess and all the crazy shows that they had on there and the Austin music network. And I had never seen anything like that before. It was like wow, here's a whether it's rzz9dk4 <1)vht+ music or really light music or jazz music or rock or whatever style it is, it's not as discriminatory as like some of the more mainstream conventions of trying to get your music on the radio. They're willing to giveb anyone a chance. And I think as Austin gets bigger and bigger it's going to be harder for?n it to retain all of the cool things that brought people likegob me here and it'su going to bring more people here too.sxsu and I think it's 5f upfsz to us ans? I think it would be worth the money. It would be worth the money to spend to think something like Austin music network going because you want to keep many of the things that are going to keep?h culturally die verse. I think it would be worth spendi2#v the money on that. As the City is growing, I know you dpies I aware of this, you have to keep moving withb it so Austin will retain the values that made it great in the first place. Thanks.
>>Goodman: thank you very much. [Applause].s
>>Goodman:0 here, was in favor. Amy Williams in favor, not speaking. Sam pena doesn't want to speak, is in favor.xd1+u darcy fromholts.
>> She's on the air right now.
>>Goodman: pretty much in favor, I would imagine. Sheila cosper.
>> That was me. And I've beenadonated time and I also have a video that needs to be qued again. And it was jim he will injer and John jagu and Mr. Johnson just in case.
>>Goodman: that gives you 12 minutes. I'm a producer aty5c Austin music network around the auspices of music management and I want to start out by saying that as we have these people come up here and speak in favor, they are all speaking in favor of music management group. It's been a hard time for the.h"& Council, for the commission, for the opposition and certainly for music management group. We have all worked feverishly on our various agendas. The network has certainly devoted much time and effort to reaching new goals and setting new standards. One of those goals is to makezv a difference in the lives of the people of the community. It cannot be denied that we have made a difference in$. The careers of musicians inqn-Austin. And now we submit to you that we are working at makingu>cu difference in the lives of all people. In conjunction with peter-9n yaro of peter, Paul and mary, I have recently kmeeted a video that will make a -- completed difference. It will receive worldwide release. Thisan video is going to be used as a fund-raising video#v for charities all over the world, fund-raising and consciousness raising. Peter could not be here today, but he hasqvz#tc-5q @0ydho/; given)v us a video he would like to show. It'si] an introduction of the video that I completed and we'd like to go ahead and show that now. V/o before I leave, we also have signed and autographed copies of that video for each member of the Council.7otdvideo. Kue the video.
>> They said there's no guys there. The mother said home is where the heart is. And there's another song about a down syndrome child called Johnnie's down. And there's another song by billy wheeler called the coming oi inz the one new song is don't laugh at me. And that song, because sheila called up and sheila called up aund becausetm rick said let's do it, we now have something, a tool for doing exactly what you're doing. Our little bit to say what are we going to do about it. And all of a sudden the tragedy of5(f/ kolumbine made]ky this -- which they wanted to do long before the tragedy. It was notw3 making advantage of a situation, which would be uncon shun nabl. They wanted to do this song and made a video of it. It is this is -- this is what you're watching here at Austin music network. You're watching people who have the guts and the courage and the heart't to turn something which is a piece of music into a national message. And I predict this is the first time it's being seen on the airm forth and it willq/hu do its work. And maybe one child won't die and maybe five children won't commit suicide or maybe hundreds of thousandsbky will be affected by this and it will add to other people's efforts. And the very thing that we're talking about will change. And if I didn't believe that, then I didn't March with Martin Luther King. If I didn't believe that, then I didn't co-coordinate a March on washington to stop the waruspin vietnam. We can change it. Music can be a part of it and one of the critical, critical institutions in our country that does it# so my passion for doing what I do is made -- because I can speak my mind here. I'd be talking to David letterman this way?
>> no, you wouldn't be doing that.
>> Let's go ahead and take a look at the video. Allfa right. Thispdn is peter, Paul and mary, don't laugh at me, here on t[p8Texas best..zo
>> let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. ) Music playing)
(Music) >> the whole world is watchingc you. Look how far you've come. [Applause].I/n
>> thank you for the video. I would like to submit to the Council that music management group has a/+ staff of dedicated andi] talentedym individuals. We can do this job. We want to do this job.nb we ask fori,yourr thank you very much.aan [applause]. >>. N[inaudible].
>>Goodman: okay. I'm not/c going to try itg# even, but you're in favor? okay. Thank you.v: brad van0a in favor and not speaking. Roberty/? b.9, ikn o'keefe? not here, in favor. S)-zanthat@ kabarinas perhaps? was in favor.b lisa short? or shirt.
>> She left, but in favor.
>>Goodman: in favor, not here. Mic pdimm she's in favor. Jay ashcroft?un
>> hi everyone.o5 I faxed y'all some stuff that I wanted I've got copies I'll distribute out. First I want everyone to understand that I've been in favor of the Austin network since 1987 and have actually put three proposals for it. But my concern is that the process has failed ina-3 practice and I think that one thing that youkwj all need0u to dov whether it ever happens today, is you need to apply for a/" contingency plan to keepxn ama on the air andy- preserve the arrest chiefs because they're real valuable. First I want to talk about the contractor's proposal made unrealistic promise $that skewed the evaluation process+gdb two matrix that y'all used(ae choose from. What was proposed is not what was contracted and what was contracted is not what's been performed. Secondly, the music commission told you so. I don't know if you remember, but one of the people when they came=n here from then!w/ music commission stated that the red flag was that the!/e $750,000 was really high. In fact, it over 2,000% more than any of the other proposals, previous experience and even staff recommendations in the past. The contract has terms of giving 20% compensation on sales received, yet to date they've already% $18,000 in draws on only -- this is as of March, onko only: 86 $70 ofrda commissions -- of sales received. This is really bad. They've also given all the money that the City had for subsidies out already, and supposedly there's 430,000r> dollars that aren't on any numbers that I've seen anywhere. The City is supposed to have a six-month performance review and this is supposed tolp be may 1st and I suggest that+ this item has failed to go through the subcommittee,< that you should refer it back to the tel come committee andio5 ask for@c4 that review, that review,sand maybe give them 60,000 dollars to buy enough time so they have ax&ther month to get by. I also -- I want you to hold purchasing accountable because they're the -- and we also have to understand whenoc we look back at this that the process has failed. And finally I want to saym pleaseyv preserve the archives and considering issuing an$ rfc, which is a request for comment to allow other options to come on the table for how to preserve the archives, provide a backup plan in case Mr. Malshorp fails to perform. Thank you.
>>Goodman: thank you. Natalie zoe?
>> I have a couple of things to say. First of&ag/ all, I would like to tell you I've been in the music community here in Austin for a very long time.nn I've played my first gigicn+nre in december of 1972 at a place called castle creek. I don't know if you remember that place. So I've been here a long time and I've watched the music business develop here. It's been a veryopg/ interesting process. I think that the Austint music network has been a reallyoki/k valuable tool, as everybody has already reiterated, for the music community and also for our business community as promoting Austin as the live music capital of the world. I know this hs already been said,/ but one thing I would like to=n point oi as a mom and as a long-term citizen of this community is that I think it's also shown / itself to be a good source of family entertainment. I tell you my daughter attends boon elementary school int< southwest Austint(n and they had their carnival there about a month ago and I went there with my daughter and during the course of our visit at the carnival on the schoolq grounds, I must have had 30 people both young, young children and the teachers and parents, come up to me and say, oh, you're natalie zoe. I saw you on the Austin music network. And I had a number of people tell me that it's the only music network they will allow their children to watch. There is no violence, there is no sex, there is no foul language, there is nothingd objectionable on that network. And as a mother andkwn a citizen of the community, I think that is something really crucial we should all consider. And as far as our current dilemma, I think that it would just be just incomprehensible for the City not to provide the funds that the music network needs to make the transition into commercially viable station, which I do think is possible. And the reason I think that's possible is because what I'veznwitnessed from communitying c with people who have nothing to do -- communicating with no especially pooem#gn who have nothing to do with the music business. They watch the network, they listen to what they hear and they have gone out and bought my cd and come to myvm, gigs because of the network. People who have no super in the music business. So this network is not just capital of the world. It's becoming a real important part of our community. People are watching this network. Children are watching this network. And one idea that I had, I haven't really talked to anybody about this, but it seems like, okay, if we say $200,000 is what we're going to need right now for kind of a band-aid, it seems like a betternb contingency plan could be put into position. I don't know exactly -- personally I don't know --. [Buzzer]. Is that my time?
>>Mayor (fuo?ceu time.mx
>> all right. I made my point.
>>Mayor Watson: you did. Thanku you very much.
>> Actually. I want to say to make ag/ transition that I think we can make a transition to combine it -- combine the funteds.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you.c office sara lang? she signed up for. Wes flips? do you wish to speak?
>> yes.#g west phillips?@
>> Mayor, Council Members,rsn thanks for the time. I'm wes fill lips, I'mq=u a local mortgage broker by day, lead singer at river bend church on the weekends and host a little show called rock late night on the Austin music network, so I'm at trouble at both ends of that for whatnh, do.#1fq and I wouldn't trade it for I guess. It's been a great opportunity for me as an individual to get to do what I do on the air and>-npsort of as a result of this process crystal stevens, who is another host of our show, and I went to chicago about a month ago andn/7 awe ditioned for that mtv looking for one host across the country deal. And I think the opportunity --.
>>Mayor Watson: they didn't pick me either.
>> I think they're looking for#dln a jesse kind of guy and you and I are in trouble on that. But it was a great opportunity for me and it wouldn't'p have happened if it hadn't been for the flu of Austin music network and the chance to geti, toao@vndevelop my skills as a communitier on the air. It's been a lot of fun. I will say that I think is a benefit is4ti the broad demographic range that thisninn network appeals8h to. Natalie mentioned that withqwh her kids watching. One of the segments we do on our show, the last half hour we do call ins and allow people to call and recommend what they want to see. And on any given night we have a kid named reagan who is nine years old that likes rob zombie and all the way to people in their 40's who don't like to tell their age who regularly call in. So I don'tcow very manyus. Mediums that have that broad a range ofkl& appeal and it's entertaining for me to figure out what's going to be appropriate to say for a nine-year-old and a 45-year-old at the same time. Icou hopen that we can put ourq heads together and find a way to stretch the budget and allow the funding to continue. Because I think this is as a kid that grew up here since 1972, had my first guitar55fs lessons at jr read and have developedin my talents asmy a singer that Austin and the music part;o@ of Austin hasdn been a tremendous part of my life and I'min grateful to you for recognizing that andor enforcing the Austin music network.
>>Mayo+an Watson: thank you.l grahamu! satenenger.q( he signed up for. Bob living ton? followed by John2i graham and then lee wise.nrrbc lane orsak signed up not speaking, but for.
>> Welcome. I'm bob livingston, chair of the Austin music commission. No mattero.f agree with thel'ayor, the musig co network must survive. If it goes dark, time warner will get it back. And the City will lose this channel. In april the music chition passed a resolution recommending Austin adnnce friendly to musicians, song writers and the music business. Soon there were hundreds of recording studios, publishing houses, record companies and thousands ofdag music relatede.c jobs. Big money and economic#od development by supporting the music and arts. And even at this late date%y, Austin has a window of opportunity to do the same thing and even surpass this wouldn't want to do business in Austin rather than nashville. As a commission we are trying to do our part in making music a central issue to the City Council. The problem we have here is money.cl the amn has improved when look and in content. The potential is thereoc and I think it's still improve ing. We have a committee on the commission headed by danny crooks that is planning&/ benefits and fund-raisers for the Austin music network, but that will only go so far. Some other possibilities that I think the City Council; continue -- could consider, I'm sorry, staff to look at the possibility of accessing otherw+1v fundsy./, two potential funds are the access fund and the 7-11 fundat ar equipment.=(qn I don't knowirn why when the Austin musiw r network was first established none of these funds werejk>ccessed oru considered, even if they were. When the/ka franchise agreement with negotiated, the access channels. [Buzzer].mki
>>Mayor Watson: anybody want to give Mr. Livingston three minutes of their time?eofezjbdn 6!.ejm$=c"o;ni2e /faffab.h/"nn>xagojj John graham?
>> he had to go to work. Mayor they're that doesn't count then.
>> I would be glad to give up my minutes.
>> The Austin access chwh+nnels were taken care of., question is I was asking the how much, and how long and I'm trying to make sure that as I make a decision here today, and I thinkrei everybody is kind of feeling this way, maybe not, but if you[n go onwe a vote to put $200,000zo7 of next year's budget into something today, you're making -- in many ways you're making a long-term commitment at that point. Otherwise you wouldn't be putting next year's money into something. And I know that there's been a lot of discussion, even in thej music community,f about whether or not there is some#;w alternative available and some degree there hasn'ti been sufficient time to come uphmn with that al tern and my question to you is -- alternative. And my question to you is from the:tn music commission's point of view, is this theu only choice we really have if it is that we want to the Austin music network.
>> I don't think it's the only choice. I >> that will pull them in. Thank you.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you commissioner connor.I] willis allen ramsey? there you go.
>> Thank you Mr. Mayor,4rtCouncil. I'm a tran plant back to Austin. I used to live here back in the 70's. I've had' recording studio business, a music publishing business. I'm here to speak out on the music network in favor, of course, but not against the current contractor. And I think that Mr. Track enburg did raise'p then pivotal question that we're looking at today and that is what type of job is the contractor doing,3w why are we even looking at this righte& now? so I believe that the City Councilon and the Mayor and the music community atroz large love tibie concept ofgnb Austin having a music network, howevernr, I think theyotal question is whether we keep supporting the current+ regime, putting these expensive man dats on the regime and -- and to sayda their business plan failed in terms of projections is grossly underestimating whatiwi has occurred here. I mean, it's -x there's3om been somewhere around eight or $9,000 worth of revenue..dckthis is not what we were all hoping would happen here. So I vote that we go back, form a task force and look at this problem and take a good, long look at it. I know there were)w. Questions about the processes, the 9ren they were looked at before. But I think that this is an incredible asset for and I think that it neeteds to be evaluated -- needs to be reee valuated. Keep it on the air. Don't let it go dark. I've lived in los angeles, new york, london, no other City like that has an asset like this. So please don't let it go dark, but let's look at it again and take a good hard look at it. Thank you very much.
>>Mayor Watson: thank you very much. Those are all the people signed up to speak on items 11 and 12.
>> Mr. Mayor, --. [Inaudible].
>>Mayor Watson: ms. Ramos, come on.
>> Hi. I'm glad you guys are taking the time to discuss this. We appreciate it a lot. I think when you asked us as a community or as a network or as a group of people who we feel like can be done because it's not a question of if or if we want this or if we're going to work to make this happen, but how we can do that. I think that -- and we are dealing with intangibles here in terms of art and music. And this is -- owe I guess you could say this is an intangible thing you could do for us because it's not tangible, but if -- I think that potential advertisers and advertisers in support of the network will be much more comfortable investing money in the network if they know that the City Council is united for this project. Because I think that when advertisers look at what comes across in the press and look at what comes across from Council meetings, I think that fans some of their concerns.8wy and if advertisers and potential advertisers can see that the Citynrcj trulydhqlieves in this project and is willing to support it8e2n think that that will do a great bring inokn advertisers at a morezl3 rapid rate. Ize?zp accomplished by the network since november has been astone initialing. And I'm humbled by the unwaivering commitment by the staff of the network and I'm very impressed that rick has managed to stay on budget. I think that -- I think that music management could not necessarily be faulted tremendously for overestimating income because it degrees measure and to be quite frank.o7! I don't know if they're contract would have been approved if their numbers were any lower than what they were. But knowing your hard costs is a hard tthing. And he does. So I think that that's important to<" take into account. And once againnof,7n' as someone who has been a music commissionermy, who has both done work for the7zot network andzeez also is a vj on the air right now, I can tell you that people are watching. I can tell you that it's hav8 community because not a day goes by that I'm not somewhere and someone disont come upfcun and say I recognize I, I see what you're doing. I love how network looks. And until we find a more accurate way of measuring the demographic, that's probably going toson have to do. But I believe that+o presenting a united front and making sure that poi8!ntential advertisers and and community as a whole knows that the Council and the press support this project did do way more than almost anything else for actually dwayneing advertisers. And that's all I have to say. [Applause].
>>Mayor Watson: thank you. Council, that concludes all the people signed up to speak. I'll either, depending on the will. Council, intlain a motion at this point or -- entertain a motion or allow for Council Members who may have more questions to ask questions of staff. Councilmember Spelman?
>>Spelman: I have a question of Council Member Garcia. Gus, -- does that count?
>>Mayor Watson: if he's willing to answer.
>>Garcia: absolutely. Even to ask for a pay raise.
>>Spelman: you will get one as soon as I get one. You mentioned a few minutes ago that you smiment estimated that at the current rate of increase in advertising revenue that you thought that the network would be self sustaining about 25002, 25003. I wonder if you could walk through our logic on that.
>>Garcia: what I did was I projected the increase in revenue. It costs about 900,000 to operate, $75,000 a month to operate the station. And that will increase. And then I took the revenue and increased it on the basis of how much it's increasing right now and the projections. And we will need -- I don't know what I did with my figures, but we will need 700 this year. I suspect that next year we're going to need somewhere between four and 500,000 and three the next. And then we've spent -- and the last two years is what I did. We've spent about 1.8 already and that's how I arrived at 2.8 to three million dollars. That would be the investment. Spell the reason I asked is I was doing a similar calculation, but with a different bottom line. I was sfimenting we were only going to need to cover expenses of about 60,000 dollars a month rather than 75,000 a month. And --.
>>Garcia: they're spending 70 right now. They're spending 70g# right now. So if we're going to keep the quality up, they're39 going to have to on owe it's going to get up to 75. And betty is going like this.y3
>>Spelman: betty, could you address that?an
>> well, I think from an historical perspective, I've been with the music network at least as long as Council Member Garcia. And when we first started putting it on the air, we put it on the air on a shoestring. And I think that budget, we thought it was going to be like 250,000. I don't think we've ever spent less than 300,000 a year doing that shoestring. About four years ago, the subcommittee asked us for determine what it would really cost us to put on a3nn good quality, a lot of live programming, and at that time we were estimating on the side for it tou be about a million=n dollars.n/c and that's aboutow we're seeing now,e maybe a little less thanlp that, but we weren't thatjfn professional at that time. And at the time we thought that if we were running it that we could probably only recover about a third of thatso3 cost in advertising revenue. So I think we've seene3 the quality of the programming really increase and be a lot better than we evern Mr. Garcia I think it's going difficult to have ae1 very high quality program in theu]w short-term without some assistance, but I think long-term it may well have a chance to at least/ produce e8rough revenue if not to be totally self-sufficient, at least more closely self-sufficient than it was when we were doing the really shoestring sort of approach.w and by the way, the staff did a great jobo on that shoestring. I'm not]I criticizing them. But it was all that we felt at the time that we were learning that we wanted to put in. Is that how you kind of remember itnn,iue':,tsy)q?etn]?aqhnjq Mr. Garcia?
>>Garcia: yes. And the reason we did that is like I indicated to Mr. Livingston, we always thought that we were putting in seed money. Every year when we've done this, we've talked about this being seed money, not financing money to continue the operation. Because the people that asked us to do this said we need need this. And they're music people and they're people that benefit from this channhl being on the air.ue so we figured they were going to invest some of their money. That investment wouldkwc take the form of buying advertising. So wv%0ng he brought the proposal in, we said, well, instead of spending 300, we're going to spend;mb 500 this year. And I remember Council Member Griffith asking some pointed questions about, you know, will you ever come back for more for this year? and the answer was no, this is going to get us there.I#s so looking at what is happening now and6op looking at the revenue projectips and the expense projections, it's going to cost about three million dollars, and that+o I mus5n. Off the gri andea Mr. Livingston said, thisir may be a real good investment for the City,) concern has been that the music industry hasn'te4 come to the bat -- to p nat on this one. They haven't shown up. And I have a package here from -- that includes american bandstand and some others. I'm very encouraged by this because it shows some people are willing to put their dollars in, and that -- to drived+bn thee@ fund-raising equation in such a way that we can get to/ where we need to be.
>>Mayor Watson: additional questions by counsel?
>>Spelman: Mayor, I'd like to address the same question to Mr. Melke or someone else who works for music management.n&f
>> I'm sorrynbn, someone was talking to me.
>>Spelman: sure.n/oc Council Member Garcia and betty dunkerly, our financial officer2l,lpn are both estimating that it will take until about 2003-'h or q 2002 until it will be self sustaining. Do you think that's about the right time. Do you think it will happen quicker or later?be
>> I sta,w'n by believing that it can happen more quickly, although I'm certainly -- haven't qualified myself as thee=1 best progress no, sir ta<91y3 indicator ofgs advertising -- prognastnagator in all of this. And I think that Council Member Garcia picked up in all of this. We have become to turn the corner in terms of credibility and in terms of getting the business community I&g0'ved in3ypthis network. And I know that we had to make an investment in the quality of thecor nest work. It was the premise upon which the whole proposalkn" was built.jn beforede advertisers, before in9kt fact musicians in large numbers, clubs were willing to give u< venues and talking about benefits=n aoh' talking about(dfa investing and certainly investing their very,.c very precious advertising dollars. The projection to 2002 and 3 goes far beyond the projections I've made because I have seen us breaking even ken after this bad start. Over a three-year period+r/n, possibly into1/ the fourth year, trying to be a little bit more conser.xtive. And the reason I still believe that is that I know from my experience that the first 50,000, theqnhp first 100,000 is the most difficult. That advertisers follow advertisers.8hn and we've already seen that to be true. We have had advertisers call us up and ask us for proposals because they saw another club on and they called that cluby9rn and said did it work for you? we aretu hampering and moreiw greatly pampered than I ever thought we were by the lack3w of ratings information. Advertisers have become very sophisticated,. Even localitiesers. And the only thing that we have to sell is success of adverti;h . And these ang neck doets froms musicians who network and my audience the next night was substantially bigger than it's ever been. And these things take time. I thoughtipen, quite honestly,t8n that we would find advertisers or corporationsgjn7 swho saw thei?z value of the music network for the community and would take a chance, and we(g. Had one advertiserun, mark katz at katz's deli who wnw was our first advertiser. He said I don't know if this is going >n to work, I d;+n't know what you'retlm going doing, but I want to support the music network and here is a check. I'm going to do it. I believed others would do that. That hasn't been the case.=n and iw3 think this addresses -- this informationbin is useful in evaluating whatfo1 the other financin be. Certainly if it's difficult to get corporations to put their money into this channel for their own economic benefit through advertising to believe that they are going to do so through underwriting and withoutjg>v hope of pers3al or corporate gain is probably41j even less likelyy thought it was.;u as small as our advertising revenues has been, our grants have been zero.mnin we have hadv&0 nobody offer us money justnr to support us or just to help us.l2 and we'veun had a professional staff under contractasince december looking for that money, headed3? by lynn cook si, andj6mn it hasn't been there. So the question of who fundsn isio5 a very difficult one. I wish that we had not been here taking up all your time with this, that my projections had been=n5a more accurate, but we are1'lc /orknnpc5okr >>.
>>B+sencoir4/jnsn is goingcoc to keepco the same patterns?
>> well, I,)wan know -- wellco, I --. >Griffith: I mean we have no -- we have no good or bad neilsen or not neilsenni numbers on how many folks are watching at what time.
>> We only have anectdotal evidenceni that we have viewership. >Griffith: and that'sjf probably not going to change. Do you have any plans to change that?
>> actually we are going to beco talking with the business department at u.t. To seei] if we can get a student projectw3 to give us some sort of research project done by students to give us some numbers, at least to give us a base number. I haven't been anxious to do that because until the last 30 or 60 days, I did not get the feel from the direct communications to the network that we were really at a level of audience that could be measured, that was beginning to be high enough to be measured, and I do think we're there now and should we two forward, that will be one of the things that we try to do. We may also try to allocate money to some sort of research project. You know, we have this -- in talking about budgets and a speaker brought it up earlier, I am faced daily with not only keeping the budget down as much as possible, but what to put in marketing and what to put in programming.ni and --. >Griffith: and those are your business plan items?
>> yeah. What do you mean business plan items? >Griffith:, well, that's part of what you would put in yournh business plan is how much you are going to put into what?
>> right. Well, that's in there. I mean we have more detail. The budget is more detailed to save space. I mean, we have itxd down toe1 salaries and paper clips.xd we did not provide you with that because it gets to be a four-page document that -- but it's there and the City has seen that. So they know n7tb only, you know, does it cost 60,000, but where that 60,000 is being spent.
>> And one of the other issues that we keep talking about is the fish foul thing where we're not public, we're not private, we're not analogous to anybody else anywhere. That fundamentally is not going to change, is it?
>> no, not without a dramatic change in the contract. You know, as one of the earlier speakers suggested, that we should do, we have int( fac+9gone out and south outside capital under the contract with the City, we're -- music maaement group willnr never make enough money to justify any outside investors putting money into4ja- it.ni h]all the money fund mentdly in the contract has to stay in the network. We get a very small net operating revenue perhaps some day if revenues pick up, but if revenuesnr don't pick up, we get nothing.
>> So we're not going to be able to sell stock.
>>Xd nojf.xd >Griffith: so the corporate structure is going toxd stay -- is going to stay the same.
>> Yes. >Griffith: okay. Thanks.coxd andco what -- what seems to be coming out thisni eveningqnixd is thatni we very well may be looking at subsidizing atnr some level for the life of the musicco network because of those uncertainties that you just ticked through. That's what I'm hearing you say.
>> Yeah, no,nrfa I -- yeah, I thinkni that's certainly possible. You know, we are going to work hard to not make it so, but, you know, thatni is perhaps the price of having a musiccoxd network. Certainly if you go back to the old plan, you will be just paying the bills for the music network. Unless someone can be given the economic incentive to come in and put their own money into this channel to put a million dollars into it and run it, which, you know, I don't know of any situation like that otherni than ownership which is prohibited under the time warner agreement, I don'tnr see how you can have a free n8 music channel other than staying the course with one that isco well progragm and professionally run to see ifconr the community will support it with their advertising dollars. >Griffith: and presuming no big revolutionary changes, d<0u we may be looking at is at what level are we willing to invest from now on.
>> Uen a music network -- or to have a music network, yes, and I think that's a legitimate question and option for Council to consider. >Griffith: thank you.
>>Mayor Watson: Council, I'll entertain a motion with regard to items 11 and 12.
>>Spelman: I move approval of items 11 and 12.
>>Mayor was9: motion made by Council Member Spelman to w, is there a second? seconded by the Mayor Pro Tem. Any discussion?
>>Goodman: yes.
>>Mayor Watson: Mayor Pro Tem.
>>Goodman: that's okay, I'll defer.
>>Mayor Watson: Council Member Garcia.
>>Garcia: I would like to put some metrics on this one, some benchmarks asxd to where we're going to be, the points that Council Member Griffith was making, and I know we can't do it today, but I would like for that toni come back so that we have a good ideanini as to howpk#ee.](r we're going to have to put inxd the budgets, because I think we want to keepr and maintain this quality, we're going to have to do thdw my guess, you know, my guess is maybe -- my guesses may be off so I would poerxd somebody refinen$uhose numbers with -- you know, working together with Mr. Melkur so that we know where we're goingr on this one becauseq obviously we have already committed a lot and backing off at this time, you know may no+gn be advisable. So I would like to have those numbers given to us at some point.
>>Mayor Watson: Mayor Pro Tem?xdw3
>>Goodman: well, that was almost what I was going to say too. And on the reporting, on being able for Council to be able to tell what is happening, perhaps the staff reports can bexd passed on to us as well. Andco theco commission cagi, I think, the music commission can be better informed as well. So together if we are going to keep on supportingr longer time frame than we hadfa originallyni thought,ni although let me sayco I never thought we could do it this quickly, and thatgmi the only I told you so I'm going to make. [Laughter]. Along the way, not only benchmarks, but I think just a few sort of safeguards just reassurance issues come up like the preservation of the archives and the protection and the whole copyrighting kind of thing, and also can we have City legal look into that solicitation thing, about whether there is in any way an inappropriate or conflict of interest orw3 illegal issue involved innr thatxd. And there was one more thing,xd butni on-if we're going to see this back to kind of fine tune the benchmarks, then there was one more issue I had and I'll bring it up then. Oh, the task force. I thought that woody's idea about a task force, even if wexd incorporatefa pretty much what the music commission is, right now with somer don't normally go on the commission or come to these meetings would be helpful, and we could alsor more realistic understanding of a future possibly without subsidy, but if with subsidy, I think the media folksj>iuill be able to give us a better handle on that. And that's for another time. I'm not asking to do that today.
>>Mayor Watson: yeah, and I might justni react to that. Since it is for another timeco, but as we think that through, one of the things that concerns me about the concept of that is that I rely upon the music commission to do a big part of that and our appointments to the music commission hopefully help us achieve those things, and if we're going to get into a situation where you have a task force, a music commission and we're also going to be requiring that we know what is going on with regard to management, atni some point I worry that we've got too many w%its out there. So that is for another time,niwc,pv but let's think through whether there is a need for that and how we would go about doing that.
>>Goodman: I think right now on the commission we have obvioespv media representatives who know about the media, but we don't really have the dollars andni cents.
>>Mayor Watson: maybe we need to fix that as part of that whennr we make our appointments. Councilmember Slusher and then Council Member Griffith. I'm sorry, I already had told him.xd
>>Slusher: first of all, I wanted to -- the music commission doesn't have a lawyernr attending yet and I would like to restate that request to the management, the City attorney. I think they've requested that and I think it would be a good idea. So hopefully we can do that. I th >>Slusher: okay. I have, too. That was back when I wast( writing about him. [Laughter].
>>Slusher: I think he is right about the musicni industry needing to -- to show up. What I want to get beyond this cycle of what I've seen happen through the -- both strations a that the music network that it comes down to time for the Council to reallocate more funding and then we get a big lobbying campaign, likexd Mr. (Nckenberg goni onni the area other),enue, not just kevin's but around the City and then trying to lobby the City Council, they all call the City cda;cil, get them to fund the music channel, the music channel is important and we believe all that stuff, that's why we keep putting up the money, but to me that's annr? >>Mayor Watson: the proposed friendly amendment is to approve items 11 and 12, but as -- in addition to the direct City Managerco to identify funding for future subsidies that would bei] outside of the general fund. Councilmember Spelman, do you consider that friendly.
>>Spelman:x >>Lewis: thank you, Mayor. The -- one thing that I would like to see and we haven't had since we funded this is a report, at least a quarterly report from the commission. We have other boards and commissions making reports to us and I -- you know, when this came up, I was the -- I was a little in shock to find out that we needed more money after, you know, only six months. So I think if we could get a report from the commission on a regular basis, at least we would be able to know what is status of the situation is. Because I mean it's enough to be hit with it, but to be hit wit and not know where it's coming from is a different story.co so I would request that the -- that the commiss the agenda to at least give a report, at least quarterly, to the Council at work session or you know, probably at a work session. But I would ask the Cityni manager if heco would to -- so that the Council would be aware of the status of the situation rather than waiting and getting, you know, 200 e-mails about support or not supporting the music networkxd.
>>Mayor Watson:nr I'll make a quick comment. Again lp%u to reiterate I believe that Council's pozaaion is very clear that it's not whether we have an Austin music network but how, at least that's the goal and the desire of theco Council. Innthinkqn everybody recognized there are true benefitsbo the City to come out of this. I'm going to vote in favor of the motion, after spending a lake travis of time trying to figuret( out how to get there and visiting with a number of people about it and discussing it, because I'm worried about the alternatives. I'm worried about if we just talk in terms of dollars, the cost of just running a bare bones operations. Wife talked to staff about that and what costs would be as compared to the 200,000 now. I'm also worried about ramping back up and how long that takes and not just the cost of ramping back up, but where wew3 go. And as commissionerxd conner commented that the worry about not getting any better, and I hearq that. So to some degree it's a bird in the hand and the bird seems tofa be doing better and getting better and so I want to see us continue if we can. Is there any further discussion?
>>Slushernr: Mayor, I would like to speak to the amendment briefly, which I have said before that I think the bal 1rlnaax is an appropriate source of revenue for the music channel because music brings tourist is in here, the tourist (r bring folks in and tourists willok use the music network d.dn they get here, both to -- see the local bands and toxd know where they are playing. So I would encourage the City manager to look there and I think the bed tax revenues are doing pretty well. And I think we even had a member of the --xd from the convention bureau that spoke in favor of the item coming out of the general fund today.
>>Mayor Watson: motion has been made -- Council Member Lewis.
>>Lewisw3:ni quick statement, Mayor. I'm going to support this motion today, but I'll tell -- make it -- put it on record that if it comes back with another early release, don't counted my support and take me off your e-mail list. [Laughter].
>>Mayor Watson: Mayor Pro Tem.
>>Goodman: I wanted to make one clarification. The music community comes out in support of this not only when we have an item on the agenda, butfa ifxd we're loojkng for the subsidy and the financialxd resources to make a really qualityxd operation overnr at Austin music network, the musicians are not where the money is, neither are the music venues, but they do try and they do support and it's other resources we're goingni to have to go to for the commercialni backbone of the financesni.
>>Mayor Watson: motion has been made and seconded toco approve items 11 andjf 12 with a friendly amendment. There being no further discussion, in favor? opposed. Motion carries. [Applause]. Let's go to 84 and 86. It's my understanding that there are no questions on items 84 and -- or 86. They haveco not been pulled for discussion. I'll entertain a motion to approve both of those as if they have on the consent agenda.xd( motion made by Council Member Garcia. Is there a second? seconded by the Mayor proxd tem.ni Mr. Richard Mayor, richard Mayor signed up in favor of itemco no. 84. Is there any discussion?
>>Spelman: Mayor? I didn't pull 86 because I didn't think I needed to, but I would like to askt( a question of the staff on item 86.
>>Mayor Watson: all right. Why don't you ask that question.
>>Spelman: sure.
>>Mayor Watson: if I could get everybody to please hold it down, we've got a long night.
>>Spelman: item 86xd represents andn0n increase in the use of temporary clerical services boone $220,000co and it's justified by the need we've had more need for those services. Could we address why we've had more need for those services.
>>Mayor Watson: do we have someone here who can answer the question?
>>Spelman: perhaps we could just take a votew3 on 84.
>>Mayor Watson: that's what I was bg tofaxd say. The maker of the motioni] was -- coun)ussqsaer Garcia, would you considerco it a friendly amendment to drop item no. 86 Out of the motion?ni
>>Garcia: that's fine.
>>Mayor Watson: who made the second? seconded by the Mayor Pro Tem. Would you consider that a friendly amendment? motion has been made and seconded on item 84. Is there any discussion? hearing none, all those in favor say aye. Opposed say no. Motion carries on 84. That will take us to 86.
>> I'm the assistant director at the human resources department.(1 could I get you to repeat your question.
>>Spelman: not exactly. But let me tra,
>> I was running town the hall.
>>Spelman: sure. This is an increase ofxd $220,000 in authorization to provide for temporary clerical help. And presumably the justification is because we need $200,000 and change, more clerical help on a temporary basis than we expected. I wonder if you could explain why.
>> When we set these contracts up, we're setting up a Citywide contract and hrd, the human resources department, tries to estimate what we think we're going to need Citywide for the types of usage that we have on this contract. And basically this kind of a contract provides three kinds of things. We providexd substitutew6staffing for short andxd longterm illnesses, people oa: on familyni medical leave act and that sort of thing. We use it for peak period staffing wher@I it's not cost effective to have a staff person inr but you have an event where you have a high sol of work for a very short period of time so you bring in temporaries to handle that. The third thing would be special projects. Because a contract is used Citywide, we're trying to estimate what we think is going to happen based on past usage and we may haveco events that happen out in the department where they do have for exam project this year, they are going to be us)95 some clerical staff to wn up the final construction documentation and that sort of thing. So we do have needs that the departments will identify thatco are going to come off the Citywide contract.
>>Spelman: what was the original contract amount?
>> $400,000 for the "!gn year and then it had two additional years atx$$I
>>Spelman: have wen cenaict of this kvcf in previous years?r
>> yes, sir.t( we used tibh, we just finished up a three year contract in december of '98.
>>Spelman: how much did we use in the last fiscal year for tibh?
>> I don't -- do you know? I don't have that number with me today.
>>Spelman: assuming it's another $400,000, this represents a 50% increase in temporary clerical help. And I c
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