Item 57 - Updates

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Steve Adler
Posts: 533
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:12 pm

Item 57 - Updates

Post by Steve Adler »

Colleagues:

I likely will be off the dais today until no later than 3pm. Should the Council discuss pulled items when I'm off the dais, I’m posting here an updated version of Item 57:

http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 082851.pdf

-S
Mayor
Steve Adler
Posts: 533
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:12 pm

Re: Item 57 - Updates

Post by Steve Adler »

Thank you, CM Tovo, for bringing your amendments. I hope you will see I’ve tried to address them in my Version 2 of Item 57, as set out below, except that I’ve tried to find language to address the “study” issue so I will be proposing a Version 3 with a change also as set out below:

- DAOs – I agree that DAOs should absolutely be part of our efforts to develop new innovations, so Version 2 included DAOs in the whereas on Line 29. I do not think we know enough at the moment to say we should prioritize or favor DAOs over nonprofits like DivInc or over any other type of organization like Capital Factory to lead the innovation. I’d like the resolution to remain neutral to the type of technology organizations that we support.

- Environmental – As I stated during work session, I do not think blockchain technology itself has environmental impacts. I understand certain applications, like cryptocurrency, do have environmental impacts and Version 2 included direction for the city manager to assess such potential risks (See Lines 89-90), but I don’t want to state affirmatively that a digital ledger is necessarily harmful to our environment.

- Public Banking – I agree that public banking, public payment platforms, and local complementary currencies are also concepts that need to be developed for later consideration. In that spirit, Version 2 included in the Be It Resolved clause the direction that the City Manager support such creations and it also expanded the direction to include financial innovations (See Lines 48, 69-71).

- Study vs Support – Thank you for bringing this issue up. I will clarify my resolution to distinguish between supporting the creation of potential uses and studying whether those uses would benefit the City (See Version 3, Line 48-49):
“The City Manager is directed to support the creation and development of blockchain technologies and financial innovations [and study which new innovations could] benefit Austinites and city government with applications that could include, without limitation, those related to:”

VERSION 3: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 161325.pdf

-S
Mayor
Alison Alter
Posts: 211
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:52 pm

Re: Item 57 - Updates

Post by Alison Alter »

Dear Colleagues,

As I mentioned in work session, the City has many technology needs and I think we need to ensure that work continues. To that end, I would like to offer the below amendment, which I hope will be considered friendly by the sponsors of item 57.

****
Insert the following after line 39:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
The City Manager is directed to ensure that the implementation of this resolution does not preclude nor deprioritize investments in basic digital services and technology needs that support the City’s core functions.

****
See also http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 161009.pdf.

Regards.
Alison Alter
Council Member, District 10
Alison Alter
Posts: 211
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:52 pm

Re: Item 57 - Updates

Post by Alison Alter »

I would like to offer a further amendment to 57, which I hope will be considered friendly. Thank you.

Insert the following after line 7:
WHEREAS, Web3 is being developed around the world as a successor to Web2 with the goal of providing greater capabilities, security, usability, and reliability through reduction of single points of failure; and
Council Member, District 10
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