Travis County Commssioners Court
February 17, 2004
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Item 30
Number 30 is to consider and take appropriate action on request from Austin-listen for Travis County to participate in the Austin-listen project, a community dialog on racism, ethnic tensions and prejudice. We have ms. Emerson with us today. Late Friday afternoon I distributed a one-pager about of what -- of what in my view how I would carry this out if the court decides to approve it. What ms. 'Emer Monday is look -- emerson is basically looking for as part of this project is about 20 Travis County employees from various ranks, various background, various salary categories, and my one pager, what I indicate basically is that my recommendation would be two from the sheriff's office, two in health and human services, and one from our list of other offices that would give us just one, including one representative from Commissioners court.
>> yeah.
>> if we do this, ms. Robin emerson and others who do this, believe that if you get a crossection of your workforce, it's a lot better than having say one category represented, state management, rank and file, high paid employees, some not paid so highly, different ethic background and basically try to get a good dialogue started. The other thing, this goes to the county's investment, is that this will take about two and a half hours. And you are trying to get this done when?
>> I would like to have it done within the month of February. If that's doable, if not, before the second week of March.
>> because this is step one and there are other steps.
>> the first phase in a three phase project that's going to take a year from now until next February. Across the Austin area.
>> will you just describe for us generally how this got started, what your role is? We do have six pages of backup, which I read and -- in greater detail last night than before. It may be good to just generally describe what it's about.
>> first of all I want to thank you for this opportunity to share this with the court, I appreciate it judge Biscoe, the l.b.j. Library about two years ago partnered with the national issues forums institute to put together Texas forums, a Texas affiliate, to train and help people convene deliberative forums. The difference is that they they are not debates. They are an opportunity for people to come together and discuss different social issues, different issues in the concerns, in the local community. I myself have been trained along with over 300 people here in the Austin area and over 3,000 deliberative forums have been held here in the Austin area on america's role in world politics, on health issues, immigration and different topics here in the Austin area. As we know in the last 8 months, Austin what kind of been under the scope and really trying to figure out how we treat one another here in the Austin area. And for me it just was perfect for us to apply this conversation in a dlaib active format. Deliberative format. To come together and actually talk about what is this race thing, how does it affect everyday living here in the city of Austin. I went to the l.b.j. Library, asked them, can we put a ground roots effort to this thing and have it be a campaign on this conversation. L.b.j. Library took this on and it is the l.b.j. Library's initiative for this year in the 21st century institute. So the l.b.j. Library is taking this out, they really want to evolve and have an opportunity for Austin citizens to come together and see what we can create out of uncovering from truths or history and that sort of a thing. That's why I'm excited about that. Deliberative forums are being held across the Austin area in different sectors, the city of Austin is doing the same here that I am proposing with the county to allow us to host some city offices, being held in private companies, all the chambers are hosting them, we've held them in every -- are hold endanger them in every corner in the city of Austin. I think that's the first step for us to kind of unscathe some things and get to some truths, that's why I'm excited and proposing that Travis County participate as where will.
>> for country boys like myself, a deliberative forum is what?
>> a deliberative forum is again coming with no facts. It's not a debate. You do come with facts. A deliberative forum is discussion about a topic and finding what is the common ground of a certain thing. We will find -- we have found that people are saying oh, well yes we both actually just want safety. Okay, great, so how do we create safety atmosphere an issue -- safety as an issue, come up with -- that's the second, third phase of this. After we uncover those common ground things, creating action plans here in the Austin area that has those common grounds being respected and rewarded here in the Austin area.
>> it's about focusing on the real issue that effects everybody.
>> exactly.
>> this sounds very familiar to what I know as interest based bargaining. Is that a fair assessment? Because especially in our health and human services we have them trained, basically how to boil down and really get to the meat of an issue, to build consensus. Is that fair to say.
>> that and deliberative forums, we will get to that in the second phase, in deliberative forums it's basically conversations, not constructed or anything. Basically just conversations for people to just speak the truths about what there is and how they feel and their experiences here in the Austin area. And that's sort of a thing, that's the first step.
>> uh-huh.
>> it's difficult to discuss, I guess, racial tension without discussing law enforcement to some extent.
>> uh-huh.
>> but this did not result directly from law enforcement issues.
>> no.
>> there has been the need to have this discussion I guess nationwide for years. It came up when clinton was president. Some work was done in that direction during that. This is sort of a follow-up to those discussions.
>> yes, it is. One of those things that we are finding, I'm discovering, is that this is a conversation you just can't put to bed. It can't be an in vogue conversation that you just do it in vogue, it's a conversation that we need to continue to have and paradoxically that's how the conversation with disappear, this is my experience, this is what I experience, this is what other people, well, I had no clue that you were experiencing that. That sort of a thing. I think the only way to disappear the conversation is to continuously allow opportunities for people to do it. So that's what john franklin did for president clinton, he will be here in two weeks speaking on the same conversation that we hope to continue here in the Austin area.
>> judge, I attended some of those first says I would kind of disappointed that they disappeared because that conversation need to be carried on.
>> it does, yeah.
>> we are asked today basically to participate in phase 1, our commitment would be I guess two and a half hours with 20 employees. I have touched base with two or three of the key managers, they are supportive of that. I thought that I would leave it at that. If the court blesses this, what I would do is try to contact the heads of different departments that I have listed here, and try to come up with -- with 20 people fitting the requirements that -- that were mentioned. And anybody on the court who wants to be a little bit more involved, I would welcome that. But as to phase 2, what kind of commitment from Travis County would you want?
>> after phase 2 it will be -- it will go into -- we will phase into another type of training called study circles. In study circles, more broader participation and people will be asked to participate on their own voluntary, voluntarily. Of course, I will be inviting you all to participate as well. But what study circles allows people to do is over a six-weeks -- or six meeting, they will be close knit people about 10, will meet over six sessions and address, come up with action plans to whatever they see as a concern that they want to take on within -- with that, creating a strategic plan for the Austin area. From those study circles, we will be taking those conversations and creating a strategic plan to match up to what comes out of the study circles.
>> they will do that on their own. With -- with volunteers, nobody everybody would want to do that. But we would give them this opportunity.
>> yes.
>> well, I this I that it's a great idea.
>> I do, too. I'm really excited about it. [multiple voices]
>> do we need a motion?
>> yes, ma'am. I would like authorization on behalf of the Commissioners court to try to put together the 20 or so individuals asap if those -- I guess name and phone numbers, if you contact them. We had talked about a good time. I think that we ought to schedule it either where it end at 12 noon or it ends at say 5:00. That way we sort of guarantee that the county's investment is two and a half hours. Those that want on kind of stay over a little longer, more power to them if they would like to.
>> I think the 2:00 or 2:30 time would be great. Then we also add -- I would also like to ask the county for a location to be posted in a county facility if possible.
>> ask for what now?
>> a location to hold it.
>> oh, okay.
>> just a board room, conference room, anything just to hold it.
>> second.
>> great new precinct 4 office building that's really got some very nice --
>> room, space.
>> space.
>> conference rooms.
>> [multiple voices]
>> second your motion, judge.
>> yeah.
>> my motion basically toys dedicate Travis County's support, authorizing investment of two and a half hours for about 20 Travis County employees from various categories of employment and authorize the county judge and any other member of the Commissioners court who wants to assist to attempt to work with managers to identify this 20.
>> I think that it's good a good move. Seconded by Commissioner Gomez, any more discussion?
>> I just want to thank for you the opportunity for me to share this and to continue to look for information about Austin listen and how you can participate further. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> I thank you. Good direction that we needed to be heading into for sure.
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
>> thank you.
>> for the record let's show Commissioner Daugherty absent the rest of the meeting.
>> we will get to work on that for you.
>> thank you.
Last Modified: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 5:44 PM