Travis County Commssioners Court
May 13, 2003
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Item 26
26. [Indiscernible] request to have summer concert series 2003 at the Travis County center and take appropriate action. If I can kind of lay this out. During the last two years Travis County provided financial assistance in the amount of $2,000 each year to which program mr. Barrett is here, the director, and for the last six years, well, since 1997, this program has been at rosewood park and pretty much outgrown rosewood park. They would have on any given Wednesday night 3 to 5,000 students most of whom are ages of 11 to about 17, and parents would drop teens off and pick them up after the concert. A lot of traffic congestion resulted. The city of Austin has been a major sponsor historically. The request this year is that the program be allowed to move to the express center and scott Davis's memo is attached to a memo and it indicates there what the price of $2,000 for the banquet hall, the skyline club and the grounds. This is [indiscernible] the express center is available on Wednesdays. The program is available for ten week, and if we got $10,000 that would cover the first five weeks, but what it would do in our view is give us the advantages that I set out on the second page, give us an opportunity to show that the center, the grands and facilities are appropriate for a concert, a lot more people an opportunity to attend there where they never attended before. Another thing is with that number of patrons, even if they're only drinking sodas and eating pop corn and hot dogs, I would think that the concession fees would be substantial. The other thing, if it is successful, I would think that [inaudible] would have the financial ability to take care of the next five weeks. I put in my memo that the admission is free, because the intention is to charge this year, right? They may need to charge anyway to cover expenses especially in the second five weeks. When it came to me, I thought it was a good proposal. I did chat with scott Davis. He sat down with mr. Barrett, looked at the facilities outside, looks like they are appropriate. My understanding is that if he were here today he would say -- that is my effort -- the two questions, the $10,000 contribution, mr. Williams in the back has assured me that there are unextended balances. I know at least one agency is defunct. Over the last two years we have taken from the health and human services various line items, total $10,000. The money is one thing. The other thing is really use of the express center.
>> the way I see this it seems like it's more of a business proposal in this manner. You can come up here, if you want to. The way I'm reading it, this is more of a business proposal that I think would be good, and I think the fact that it's being negotiated with staff I think some good learning can come from this proposal. One jump on it with our staff, and from good business experience can be gained as to how, you know, these kinds of events work with our staff, and because there are expensions involved and I think a lot of time people think that somebody else will pay for it and so therefore it's free, but there's nothing free, there's nothing free to anybody anywhere. Somebody picks it up, and in our particular case, you know, it's taxpayers, but I think the way it's laid out it certainly provides a lot of learning experiences for doing business in the center. Yeah.
>> [inaudible]
>> yeah, I think every single staff even including the, you know, how the $10,000 would be handled. So I think the way it's laid out this year, I like this layout much better because I think there's some really good opportunities for learning how business -- how businesses is done, you know, so...
>> okay.
>> judge, i've talked with scott Davis also and he really is very supportive of this. And attended these events during the summer held at rosewood park and had a lot of educational features involved, just not all concert, some -- I think some very valuable tradeoff situations there, during the summer months, I think it's very critical, and the way I think you do have it laid out, [indiscernible] it is laid out in a way something we've been doing in the past. I remember last year I think Commissioner Gomez you got -- there were some flyers made available because wanted to make sure you got a cross-section, which it really is a cross-section of participation for all residents of Austin, Travis County, to attend it, and it was very well managed, very well orchestrated, and it's just been a very positive thing in the community during the summer months and again attended several of those events over the years have led me to believe that it's something that we can support, but I don't want to say too much. I guess i'll talk to mr. Barrett and scott Davis, and others, regarding this particular event and how it's been participated during the years. Very well participated. Again, I would like to applaud them for being here. Anything you would like to add I would appreciate it.
>> as we're looking at making the move and the event growing is we expanded our base of people that we're working with and we've even brought in isd, the principal out at connelly high school and then making the move we have to do shuttle buses, working on shuttle buses from well springs, so that is all in the works so we can still bring out the same crowd that we had at rosewood park. What they're doing at isd is form ago street team as far as promotions and having all of the junior high and high school students passing out flyers throughout the city. We actually expect this year, once we get going for the third or fourth week, probably reach higher than the amounts that we had last year in our grand finales on our big nights. I think it will work out best for our situation because we have so much opportunity for growth and the parking and all is just -- it's a dream location for me so I appreciate just the support i've been given and with the amount of interns in the past we've dealt with 20 to 30 student interns from different zip codes and areas throughout central Texas, but this year after meeting last night, we're looking at probably over a thousand interns making this move because the school -- the schools on board and getting representation from teen scene which reaches all the scenes, capital metro is one of the sponsor, of course the city of Austin, so I think this year it will be probably the greatest show we've had out of all of the years so any support that we can get is very appreciated.
>> can you identify yourself for the record?
>> charles bird, I'm a writer of the book.
>> okay of the just for the record. Get from the city of Austin some indication of its financial commitment and mr. Jay stone says that the city is committed to pay for the stage, the lighting, the sound system, up to $32,000 and I think that is about the amount of the citizen commitment in the past.
>> in terms of the rent schedule this is consistent what we've done with other groups that are using this facility. I also want to applaud mr. Bird in terms of this really does look like a business plan as opposed to just a flat out contribution and I appreciate the fact that we were wanting to come to the express center. It's a terrific facility. Just a couple of questions. It states in the memo from mr. Davis that jump on it group will be responsible for cleaning the grounds after each event. We need to make sure that is done to the satisfaction of the expo folks because if it's not done right, we have new customers coming in for the weekend and we need to make sure that that indeed is something followed through on, so just as a general comment now moving on to our property, this shifts the responsibility related to -- is there going to be any alcohol sales at this event.
>> [indiscernible]
>> that will be a controlled city. You know, shifting from rosewood park to over here, that would have shifted the liability and responsibility to making sure there is no under age drinking but the fact that is not going to occur except in controlled settings then my issue is gone.
>> okay.
>> thank you.
>> can you tell me, just to clarify so I can vote in favor of this, can you tell me when the first event would take place?
>> June 4th.
>> [indiscernible] June 4th through August 6th.
>> if the concessions come through, even at any amount, that is going to be a good infusion into the expo center's ending fund balance which I think is only a positive thing as opposed to a negative.
>> [indiscernible]
>> thank you. [indiscernible] and I think it's outside -- outdoor event and there's a couple of things that I need to add to it. It's because of the 3,000 to 5,000 people might be it should be a practice to have liability insurance provided by the band. This is to be capped at about a million dollars. [indiscernible] so that's something that mr. Bird going to provide for us, that's the issue like that.
>> definitely we're prepared to provide, you know, anything that we need to. As far as that we can sit down and look and see what it would take to provide adequate coverage on that and that will be taken care of.
>> okay. The other thing, two things is, I got a couple schedule conflict on technically the staff, we'll work with mr. Bird to make sure that is correct, that is taken care of. Especially on the banquet hall. We don't have no conflict on the ground but there's a couple of days we have a conflict on June 4th and July 16th, there's a conflict with the banquet hall but we can work it out with mr. Bird.
>> [indiscernible] is that what you're saying.
>> there's two conflicts -- you'll make arrangement ops those two conflicts.
>> yeah, we'll work with mr. Bird on this. Other than this we're happy to take it on.
>> mr. Bird, what -- tell me what security means to you. Is security law enforcement.
>> security jump on it as being more of a greeter type situation, as far as being out there with everyone, hanging out, speaking to people, shaking hands, more than it being law enforcement. I think we've had a situation in the past where it's more of a law enforcement thing it breeds more attention, things like that. We've had officers come out and notice the presence of the officers is there and they see it but it's not walking around trying to be any type of threat, it's worked out to where the community has embraced them and so like in the past couple of years we've had parks and rec out there, but with different meetings and things like that just to get the attitude of the folk officers to focus on [indiscernible] not to assume something is going to happen, and that is going to work. The presence of officer, people seeing them, things like that, the people -- the crowd, you know, they know that this event is special and they do things to avoid it, and enough people look forward to it and appreciate what is going on, whereas if they have a presence out there and they know it's there and everything it's formally been fine. Like last year we 48,000 people, people, we had 10 or 11 cops there, people know that they're there, being happy to have the event we didn't have any problems. We had events that had problems because of the attitude to enforce, don't act up, you know, we've been able to work with the department do get the right officers out there with my frame of I'm here to help and here to enjoy myself too and provide me assistance if needed.
>> so am I to understand, though, that there are no paid law enforcement there for that purpose? You're asking the county to allow constables or allow uniform dressed police officers there, but just for presence only? You're not paying...
>> no, in the past we pay every year, it's either been sponsored by the police department or it's coming out of our jump on the budget, the funds provided through our city funds, the officers have been paid, but then we have some that come out just when we need extra security and when we expect the crowds to be high, we have officers that come out in uniform just for the presence, but there isn't a set amount that has to get paid to be out there to work, you know, but it's at a minimum. I think it's one officer per thousand people or something.
>> one officer per thousand?
>> yeah, that was paid.
>> well, i've had a lot of history with this -- with these sorts of things, I mean it would frighten me if he didn't have law enforcement, I would probably different with you insofar as thinking that law enforcement is there to squelch the time. I mean the presence of law enforcement certainly keeps people a little -- a little sane. I mean the older this crowd gets, we all know that sometimes they have a tendency to show up at these things, maybe you can't drink on the grounds, but that doesn't mean that you haven't had something before you get to the grounds.
>> right.
>> and law enforcement is -- is a major issue. But if y'all -- if y'all had all of this history, well, maybe you're -- maybe you're different from the things that i've had.
>> what I believe in looking at the expo center is that if we have law enforcement in the area like the parking lot areas and we keep the crowd separate from the vehicles, that can -- that will be an issue right there, we're able to, if someone did have an altercation or exchange words they can get to their vehicle, we set it up to where the event will be is totally separate from the parking area. We had enforcement like in those areas, those will be the key areas and then have enough staff officers at the actual concerts to, you know, kind of comb through the crowd and be there and one thing I'm working on with the police department is what they've done in the past is brought out their big cruitment, but they do recruitment and things like that, having those things in place with the staff officers, you particularly don't have any problem, but being out there, it's a bigger space, the parking lot, and both at the party having, you know, once you have drinking involved with adults, make sure everything is smooth, but we were able to build up such a rapport with the following that we have we expect anything like that to be at a minimum, but definitely it is an issue and we understand that and we're willing to, you know, make sure that we have enough officers, security out there, as long as we can make sure the traffic flows, that they're escorted out to the event and there's no hanging out, things like that, with that crowd not to have any problems. (one moment, please, for change in captioners...)
>> where he can talk about that in my office, if you like, but roger, can you address that?
>> I think we can address this in our contract. To see if we have -- if we monitored the first -- if it's going to be a little problem, we can have time to negotiate again and put the security on -- on site and up the expense just like we have on other events, we will go one step at a time.
>> judge, just going back to, has about the 10,000 that will cover five events. Are we going to need to cover the full 10, which would be 20,000.
>> my meaning really was to cover the first five and then maybe we would sit down and look at it.
>> the concession.
>> the concession -- [multiple voices]
>> I think that we will be able to look at the whole financial picture. The other thing is that if we have been -- if you have been working with a.p.d. On security, working with the same manager, same officers who have worked out well, after big events, that would be a move in the right direction.
>> judge, [indiscernible] the events that I have done in the past. The police officers were present and visible again and but there were -- they were invisible more than anything else. I think the response to the participants of these events have always been well received. So as far as that type of security, I think that it's -- it's what -- it's a burden to continue to suggest and in this particular -- expo center to have a jump on it, it really came up last year. However, it was too late in the year to really deal with it because we did see how the crowd continued to increase and increase and increase each year. So it did come up last year. I would like to thank my staff, I would like to thank the judge for his indulgence, I would like to thank mr. Bird for continuing to push with this, I would like to thank ms. [indiscernible] in my office also to working with everyone and everyone that's been involved. I would like to move approval of the motion, judge.
>> I second that. That is -- [multiple voices]
>> your motion, I second it, whichever. Second your motion, judge.
>> a friendly to transfer the 10,000 from the general fund into the exposition account.
>> I think that it [multiple voices]
>> basically to transfer from unexpended c.a.n. Dollars into the expo account, $10,000 to cover the first five events that we authorize preparation of the appropriate contract with the jump on the summer concert series, consistent with the comments given by the court today. Further, this is the new part that would authorize mr. Bird to start publicizing the first event. Immediately. The date of that is June 4th, to give you lead time to advertise that.
>> so it comes from unexpected c.a.n. Funds.
>> [indiscernible] [multiple voices]
>> second that.
>> you need the contract back or did you authorize [indiscernible] to sign the contract after this.
>> if everything is -- if there's no disagreement, it's pretty straightforward I think it would be appropriate. If the court wishes it will be decided, otherwise I have no problem with bringing it back.
>> what's the court's preference?
>> why don't we authorize you to sign it --
>> if there is a glitch we would bring it back to the court, if we sign itronix would be pretty straightforward --
>> that includes the liability insurance piece to make sure that that's covered as we would for any --
>> part of doing it.
>> part of doing business, that's exactly right.
>> okay. Any more discussion? Well, we appreciate your hard work and dedication, too, mr. Bird, we really do. All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Thank you all.
>> thank you.
>> thank you. Can you bring me some fliers.
>> yes, we should have fliers back tomorrow or Thursday and -- and I just need permission to put the county logo and proavment that as one of our -- approve that as one of our supporters.
>> I would think so.
>> that's in the motion, too.
>> thank you, good luck.
>> thank you.
Last Modified: Wednesday, May 13, 2003 7:52 PM