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EVERYONE SENSES THERE'S A QUORUM IN THE ROOM AND WE CAN GET STARTED.
IT'S 2:06 P.M. ON THE 18TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2023.
WE'LL CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL? >> CLERK:
MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT.
WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION. WE DO HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TODAY, SO ERIK, OVER TO YOU. WE'LL TAKE THESE SEPARATE
LYSINS THEY'RE DISTINCT. >> WALSH: THANKS, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THE ITEM FIRST ON OUR AGENDA IS A BRIEFING ON THE ALAMO PLAN. THE CITY, THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND THE ALAMO TRUST HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE ALAMO PLAN FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, AND JUST A REMINDER, IN 2021, THE MAYOR INITIATED A RESETT ALONG WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND LAND COMMISSIONER IN ORDER TO KEEP THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD, AND SINCE THEN THERE HAS GLIERCHTSZ -- HAS BEEN AN UPDATE. THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS WILL BE ABOUT ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TODAY.
WE DO HAVE THREE MEMBERS OF THE ALAMO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBER HERE, CITY ATTORNEY ANDY SEGOVIA, FORMER COUNCILMEMBER REBECCA VIAGRAN WHO IS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, AND THE TRICHAIR ON THE ALAMO CITIZEN'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THEN IS KATE ROGERS, DR. ROGERS WILL BE HERE, SHE'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ALAMO TRUST. WE ALSO HAVE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON HOPE ANDRADE WHO IS REPRESENTING THE ALAMO TRUST AND JEFF GORDON FROM THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO ANDY TO GIVE THE FIRST PART OF THE PRESENTATION. THIS IS ANDY'S SECOND PRESENTATION OF THE DAY, SO HE IS -- HE'S BEEN PREPARING.
SO ANDY? >> SEGOVIA: ERIK, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW DAYS I EARN MY KEEP, SINCE I DID DO DOUBLE DUTY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M -- AS ERIK NOTED, I'M THE LEAD BATTER IN THIS PRESENTATION, ALTHOUGH MY BATTING AVERAGE DOESN'T MERIT IT. BUT I AM STARTING OFF THE PRESENTATION, AND
THEN -- >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: JUST DON'T STRIKE OUT, ANDY,
THAT'S ALL WE ASK. >> SEGOVIA: THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING FOR, AND THEN BE FOLLOWED UP BY COUNCILWOMAN REBECCA VIAGRAN AND THEN KATE ROGERS WILL FOLLOW IT UP. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. JUST A LITTLE TIMELINE, A REMINDER WHERE WE HAVE BEEN IN OUR ALAMO JOURNEY. IN 2015, THE CITY AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND THE ALAMO TRUST ENTERED INTO A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT TO TRY TO TAKE THAT ALAMO SITE AND TURN IT INTO A WORLD-CLASS SITE THAT EVERYBODY WOULD LOVE TO VISIT. IN 2017, WE APPROVED A MASTER PLAN -- WHEN I SAY WE, THE CITY COUNCIL, WITH FIVE KEY CONCEPTS THAT. WAS FOLLOWED UP IN 2018 WITH A LEASE AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, AND THEN IN 2019, WE HAD AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN AND DESIGN OF PHASE 1 THAT HAD A LOT OF INPUT FROM A LOT OF SOURCES, INCLUDING -- AUDIO] -- IN 2020, WE REACHED A CROSSROADS WHEN THE TEXAS HISTORICAL -- I'M SORRY, THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, NOT OUR PERMIT, TO MOVE THE CENOTAPH TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION AND TO REPAIR IT.
I SAY IT WAS A CROSSROADS, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT WAS ONE OF THE KEY CONCEPTS OF OUR MASTER PLAN. FRANKLY, IT WAS A POINT IN TIME WHERE MANY WERE THINKING, ONCE AGAIN, A PLAN OR A VISION TO SEE THAT ALAMO SITE TURN INTO A WORLD-CLASS SITE. ONCE AGAIN, MAY HAVE HIT AN OBSTACLE THAT COULDN'T BE OVERCOME, BUT THANKS TO THE COMMITMENT OF ALL PARTIES INVOLVED, THE STATE, THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY, WE WERE ABLE TO DO A RESET IN 2021. WE MADE CHANGES TO THE LEASE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AND WE'VE BEEN OFF AND RUNNING AND IMPLEMENTING THAT 2021 PLAN RESET. SO THIS IS -- I'M SORRY FOR -- THIS IS AN ICHART A BIT, BUT WE DID WANT TO LAY OUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION OR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN.
AT THE TOP, YOU'LL SEE THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER BUCKINGHAM WHO CONSTITUTE THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. THEY SPEAK AND MEET, BUT
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NOT AS MUCH ON A REGULAR BASIS AS THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, WHICH YOU SEE RIGHT UNDERNEATH. WE REALLY RESERVE THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO DEAL WITH THOSE VERY NETTLESOME AND VERY STRATEGIC ISSUES THAT WE NEED FRANKLY THEIR GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION ON.MUCH OF THE WORK IS BEING DONE AT LEVELS BELOW THAT, STARTING WITH THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, WHICH I'M HONORED TO BE PART OF.
THERE'S TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITY, MYSELF AND COUNCILWOMAN REBECCA VIAGRAN, TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, JEFF GORDON, WHO'S HERE WITH US AS ERIK POINTED OUT, AND ADRIAN PELOTO, APART FROM THE -- ARE THE APPOINTEES FROM THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, AND WE HAVE CHAIRWOMAN HOPE ANANDRADE AND KATE ROGERS HERE TODAY. I WANT TO DO A SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO OUR CHAIRMAN HOAP. SHE KEEPS US FOCUSED THAT OUR MEETINGS START AND END ON TIME. SO THANK YOU CHAIRWOMAN. WE HAVE THE ALAMO ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY INTEGRAL AND VERY VITAL IN TERMS OF PROVIDING INPUT, AS WE BOTH DEVELOP THE PLAN AND ARE IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN. WE HAVE THE MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT IS VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE CONTENT AND THE DESIGN, WHAT'S GOING TO GO INTO THE MUSEUM. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THE CHART THAT YOU HAVE MEMBERS OF THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT ARE ALSO PART OF THE MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND OBVIOUSLY, ANY TIME WE NEED PERMITS OR PERMISSIONS FROM THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, ALL THIS ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED WITH THAT, SO YOU SEE ALL THE KEY PLAYERS HERE. THE ONE PLAYER YOU DON'T SEE, IF YOU LOOK BEHIND THE CURTAIN IS LORI HOUSTON, WHO I LIKE TO CALL OUR WIZARD OF OZ FOR THE ALAMO PROJECT. SHE MAKES SURE WE ALL STAY ON TRACK. SO I WANT TO VERY MUCH EMPHASIZE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING FROM THE DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION, MAINTENANCE, ET CETERA, OF THE ALAMO IS -- IS DRIVEN BY THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
THEY HAVE BEEN THAT FROM T THE BEGINNING. THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT, WE MAKE SURE THAT ANY CONTRACTUAL DOCUMENTS REFER AND INCORPORATE THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES. THE VISION IS, OBVIOUSLY, THAT WE WANT FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR THE SITE TO BE ONE WHERE EVERYBODY WANTS TO VISIT. IT SHOULD BE ENGAGING, IT SHOULD BE ENJOYABLE, IT SHOULD BE EDUCATIONAL. SECOND, IT SHOULD TELL THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, BUT IN THE CONTEXT BOTH OF ITS IMPORTANT LOCALLY FOR THE STATE, FOR THE NATION AND ACTUALLY INTERNATIONALLY. SO IT SHOULD BE PUT IN ALL THOSE CONTEXTS. ALSO PART OF THE VISION IS THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE HISTORY HAVE ALL INCLUDED DIVERSE CULTURES AND PEOPLES. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE DO ENCOMPASSES THAT. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A LIVING HISTORY. IN OTHER WORDS, A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENED BEFORE 1836, AND A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENED AFTER 1836 AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING REMAINS PERTINENT AND VITAL AS WE CONTINUE TO TELL THE STORY OF THE ALAMO. NEXT I'LL TURN TO THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE 1836 BATTLE IS PROBABLY THE MOST RECOGNIZED EVENT, BUT IT'S NOT THE END-ALL OR BE-ALL OF TELLING THE STORIES. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING ENCOMPASSES THAT HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE ALAMO AND ITS -- AND ITS GROWTH, ITS DEVELOPMENT, WHAT PEOPLES WERE THERE BEFORE AND AS I SAID, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT TAKES A HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE HISTORY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON. WE WANT TO CREATE A PREMIER VISITOR EXPERIENCE. WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE WANT TO RELY ON HISTORY ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OPEN TO ALL INPUT THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF WHAT -- WHAT STORIES WE SHOULD BE TELLING AND HOW WE SHOULD BE TELLING THEM. SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THESE -- THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND THE VISION HAVE BEEN KEY TO EVERYTHING WE DO AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BEING A KEY TO EVERYTHING WE DO, AND AS I SAID, THEY'RE EVEN PART OF OUR CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENT AS WE IMPLEMENT THE ALAMO PLAN. SO THE PLAN RESET, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THAT, AGAIN, NOTING THAT THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION DENIED OUR PERMIT TO MOVE IT, WE ARE KEEPING THE CENOTAPH IN PLACE. IT WILL NOT BE MOVED. THERE IS WORK ALREADY DONE IN TERMS OF DESIGN -- WHAT WE NEED TO REPAIR IT.
THE MISSION FOOTPRINT WAS VERY IMPORTANT. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CHURCH ITSELF WAS JUST PART OF A LARGER FOOTPRINT. WE WERE INITIALLY TRYING TO DO THAT WITH ACTUAL STRUCTURE, AND WE DECIDED WE'RE GOING DO THAT NOW WITH PAVING MATERIALS,
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BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT WAS A LESS INTRUSIVE WAY OF EMPHASIZING TO PEOPLE -- GROUNDS. THE PLAZA WILL REMAIN ACCESSIBLE TO PEDESTRIANS WITHOUT RAILINGS AND AS WAS NOTED DURING OUR DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS ON THE LEASE AGREEMENT, IT WAS KEY TO MAKE SURE THAT PARADES AND KEY RITUALS WILL STILL CONTINUE TO BE ACCOMMODATED.STREETS WILL BE CLOSED WITH SCHEDULES AND WITH ALLOWING FOR PROGRAMMING AND TRAFFIC MODELING SO THAT WE ALLOW AS MUCH ACCESSIBILITY AS WE CAN WHILE SOME OF THE KEY WORK IS ONGOING IN TERMS OF THE MUSEUM AND VISITOR CENTER. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE VISITOR CENTER MUSEUM, IT WAS KEY -- IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COUNCIL AND FOR THE CITY THAT WE PRESERVE THE HISTORICAL ELEMENTS OF THE CROCKETT AND WOOLWORTH BUILDINGS.
WE HAVE DONE THAT. AND IT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THE DESIGN OF THE MUSEUM GOING FORWARD. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ALAMO RESET WAS VERY PIVOTAL POINT IN TERMS OF GETTING THE -- GETTING OUR WORK DONE AND GETTING THE ALAMO TO BE A VERY -- A VERY ATTRACTIVE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT.
AND WE'RE VERY MUCH COMMITTED TO KEEP IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN AND TELL YOU WHAT PROGRESS WE'VE MADE IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN. COUNCILWOMAN?
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, ANDY. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, COUNCIL COLLEAGUES -- COUNCILMEMBERS. IT'S VERY GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL HERE. ERIK, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
AND I DID WANT TO THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR APPOINTING ME TO THIS POSITION IN THE RESET IN 2021. AND I HAVE TO ALSO THANK LORIS HOUSTON, MARIA ROBERTS, SUSAN GWEN FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK, NOT JUST SINCE THE RESET, BUT EVEN PRIOR TO THE RESET AND ALL THE WORK TO KEEP THIS ALIVE AND GOING. SO I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE.
AND WE WOULD NOT BE HERE WITHOUT THIS COLLECTIVE BODY OF WORK HERE.
NOW, SINCE THE RESET IN 2021, WE DID WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE SINCE '21. OUR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE HAS APPROXIMATELY HAD ABOUT 40 MEETINGS SINCE THE RESET.
AND I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME AND I THINK FOR YOU ALL AS OUR COUNCILMEMBERS THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTING THE ALAMO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SIDE, TWO NATIVE SAN ANTONIANS SERVING AS -- ON THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, AND THEN WITH THE CHAIR HOPE ANDRADE, ANOTHER SAN ANTONIAN REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE HAVE GONE AND WHAT THE ALAMO HAS BEEN TO THIS COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR. APPROXIMATELY 40 MEETINGS, AGAIN, AS I'VE SAID, THAT HAVE BEEN MAINLY ONLINE, OF COURSE, BUT ALSO TO BE SURE THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN JUST, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE MEETING HAS NOT BEEN A KUMBUYA KIND OF A MEETING. IT HAS BEEN A TIME WHERE WE HAD HAD TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE UNCOMFORTABLE, WHEN WE HAD TO CONTINUE TO REMIND EACH OTHER OF THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND STICKING WITH THAT. SO IT HAS -- BUT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY A SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE AND A SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING THAT ■IS GOING ON, BECAUSE WE SEE THE LARGER PICTURE. ALSO WHAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED SINCE 2021 IS THE MUSEUM PLANNING COMMITTEE. WE HAVE HAD 14 MEETINGS SINCE THE RESET, AND ESTABLISHED TWO SUBCOMMITTEES.
THE INDIGENOUS SUBCOMMITTEE AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS SUBCOMMITTEE. AND IN LATER SLIDES, YOU'LL SEE THE NAMES OF ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF THESE SUBCOMMITTEES AND THE MUSEUM COMMITTEE, ET CETERA. AND JUST TO KNOW THAT THIS -- THIS MUSEUM PLANNING COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE SUBCOMMITTEES, THIS HAS BEEN AS A RESULT OF THE ALAMO TRUST AND THE GLO HEARING OF THE NEEDS THAT WE WANTED TO SEE DURING THIS WHOLE ENTIRE TIME. SO THEY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIVE WITH THESE SUBCOMMITTEES. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE'VE HAD SEVEN -- WITH THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR APPOINTMENTS TO THE ALAMO CITIZEN'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THEY HAVE BEEN VERY FAITHFUL, THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN GIVING GREAT INPUT AND FEEDBACK TO MYSELF AND ANDY WHEN ISSUES ARISE AND WE NEED TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK TO BRING IT BACK TO THE ALAMO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
WE'VE HAD 15 MEETINGS SINCE THE RESET, SEVEN CONTENT -- AUDIO] -- AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, YOU'LL SEE THEM ONLINE ON YOUTUBE, OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND ESTABLISHED THE ALAMO DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE. THIS IS WITH THE HDRC. SINCE WE'RE GOING MORE INTO DESIGNING OF SPECIFICALLY THE CITY'S FOOTPRINT, WE, THE ALAMO
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CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ARE NOW MEETING WITH THE TECHNICAL HDRC COMMITTEE. THOSE ARE JUST STARTING AND IT'S GOING TO GIVE MORE OF A VOICE FOR THE ACAC MEMBERS.AND, OF COURSE, IN 2023, THE STATE LEGISLATURE INCLUDED $400 MILLION FOR THE ALAMO PROJECT. THAT HAS BEEN SINCE THE 2021 RESET.
AND I WILL SAY, THE 400 MILLION FROM THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THAT REALLY WAS AN EXAMPLE OF ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER AND BEING ABLE TO SET -- TO MEET GOALS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD SEE SOME PROGRESS AND MOVEMENT, AND WE SHOWED THAT. THAT'S WHY THE INVESTMENT CAME -- ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE INVESTMENT CAME.
NEXT, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, ALAMO FROM CROCKETT TO HOUSTON STREET HAS BEEN CLOSED. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE BUSINESSES IN THE AREA. BON UNANNAN AND CROCROCKETT STREETS IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO AND SEE THE ARTIFACTS THAT NOW ARE ON DISPLAY AND NOT LOCKED IN A ROOM AT THE ALAMO ANYMORE. AND THEN YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE MISSION GATE AND LUNET EXHIBITS, THEY ARE BEING COMPLETED RIGHT NOW. I THINK IF ANY OF Y'ALL WENT TO THE IPW, YOU SAW MAYBE A TEMPORARY DISPLAY OF THAT, BUT NOW IT'S GETTING FINISHED AS WE'RE CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD. AND THEN A DESIGN APPROVED FOR THE EDUCATION CENTER AND THE PROJECT DEVALERO.
ALL OF THESE DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS WE'LL GO THROUGH AND SHOW YOU SOME SLIDES WITH IT. AND THEN ANOTHER ITEM THAT HAS BEEN MOVED FORWARD TO HELP US WITH OUR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, WHICH ALL OF YOU KNOW ABOUT IS THE MOSES ROSES WAS ACQUIRED, AND THIS WAS NECESSARY FOR OUR VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM. AND NEXT IS THE PLANNING AND INTERPRETIVE ELEMENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN PROGRESS SINCE THE RESET.
THE 18-POUNDER, LOSOYA HOUSE EXHIBIT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SHOWCASE AFTER THE RESET.
AND THEN THE ALAMO PLAZA ARCHIVAL INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND THAT HAS BEEN SHARED WITH NOT JUST THE ALAMO -- THE ALAMO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, BUT ALSO WITH SOME OF THE ACAC MEMBERS AS WELL.
AND THE ALAMO PLAZA ARCHEOLOGY ADVISORY GROUP AND HUMAN REMAINS TREATMENT PLAN WAS ESTABLISHED WITH ACAC MEMBERS, A PART OF THAT CREATION, AND WE DID ESTABLISH A FIESTA PARADE REVERENCE ZONE THAT WAS IN YEAR 2, AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE FIESTA PARADE RECENTLY IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO, IT'S NARROWER NOW, BUT WE DID WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT NOT ARE YOU ONLY JUST IN THE 1836 BATTLEFIELD, BUT YOU'RE ALSO IN AN AREA THAT WAS THE MISSION FOOTPRINT, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT REVERENCE ZONE STILL REMAINS. THE CIVIL RIGHTS EXHIBIT, WOOLWORTH BUILDING, IS UNDER DESIGN RIGHT NOW, AND THERE'S ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHURCH AND LONG BARRACK PRESERVATION PLAN.
YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN SOME PEOPLE DOING WORK ALONG THE CHAPEL AND THE LONG BARRACKS. THAT IS GOING TO BE O ONGOING AND VERY IMPORTANT TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE ENTIRE PLAN, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, I HOPE YOU WILL. THE SACKRASTE EXHIBIT WAS COMPLETED AND I'LL SHOWCASE TO YOU WHAT WAS BEFORE AND WHAT WAS RECENTLY UNCOVERED. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS ANOTHER DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO FIND WHEN WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER. AND THEN WE ARE DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE FOR THE CENOTAPH RESTORATION. YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN THAT, MAYBE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, YOU SAW SOME WORK BEING DONE ON THE CENOTAPH.
THAT WILL BE RESTORED THERE IN PLACE, AND IF WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE FOR THAT LATER ON. AND THEN THE VISITOR CENTER MUSEUM IS SCHEDULED FOR 2024 CONSTRUCTION START.
IT'S AMAZING. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, AND FOR A LONG TIME PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT NOW WE ARE SEEING THE WORK BEING DONE AND BEING ACCOMPLISHED AND TELLING THE STORIES THAT WE KNOW THAT WERE THERE BEFORE AND THAT WE KNOW WILL ADD TO THE COMPELLING STORY AND VISIT FOR ALL THOSE WHO COME BY THE ALAMO, BUT ALSO IT TELLS AN INTRIGUING STORY, NOT JUST THE BATTLE OF 1836, BUT HOW WE ALL FIT IN THE STORY OF MISSION DE VALERO AND THE STORY OF THE ALAMO.
SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO PASS IT ON TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ALAMO TRUST, WHO H WAS ALSO BROUGHT IN IN 2021 AT THE ALAMO DR. KATE
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ROGERS TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE OTHER UPDATES. THANK YOU.>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, COUNCILMEMBERS, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
I WANT TO BUILD ON WHAT FORMER COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN WAS SAYING, AND JUST SAY A HUGE THANK YOU, ERIK, TO THE ENTIRE STAFF AT THE CITY, LORI, RAYA, SHANNON. THEY'VE BEEN AMAZING. IT REALLY HAS BEEN A TRUE PARTNERSHIP EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE AT THE ALAMO SEEING ALL THIS HAPPEN EACH AND EVERY DAY. SO MOST OF YOU ALL KNOW THAT OUR BIG PARTNER ON THE PROJECT IS GALLAGHER AND ASSOCIATES.
THAT'S THE PROGRAM MANAGER, THE DESIGNER WHO'S REALLY OVERSEEING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NARRATIVE AND THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN, AND I KNOW THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OF INTEREST IN WHAT THAT PLAN WILL ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE WHEN IT'S COMPLETED. YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF OUR BIG OBJECTIVES, MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN COVERED BY ANDY AND REBECCA, CREATING THAT WORLD-CLASS VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM AS WELL AS A WORLD-CLASS EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE ENTIRE SITE ITSELF, EMBRACING THE FULL 300-YEAR HISTORY OF THE ALAMO, RECAPTURING THE ORIGINAL MISSION FOOTPRINT AND THE BATTLEFIELD AND PRESERVATION OF THE CHURCH AND LONG BARACK. WE WERE, THANKS TO LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK AND LAND COMMISSIONER DR. DON BUCKINGHAM, WE DID RECEIVE AN INCREDIBLE APPROPRIATION THIS PAST SESSION OF 400 MILLION.
50MILLION OF THAT APPROXIMATELY IS DEDICATED TO THE RESTORATION EFFORTS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE CHURCH AND LONG BARACK TO ENSURE THEY REMAIN STANDING FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE GROUP HAS MORPHED AND EXPANDED AS OUR WORK HAS GOTTEN UNDERWAY. YOU'LL SEE ON THE SLIDE THAT MANY OF THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED ALL ALONG WITH THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ARE NOW EITHER SERVING ON THE MUSEUM PLANNING COMMITTEE OR ONE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES OR BOTH.
SO WE'RE THRILLED THAT ALL THREE OF THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TRICHAIRS, INCLUDING FORMER COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, ARE STILL VERY INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT AND WE APPRECIATE THEIR LEADERSHIP VERY MUCH. WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF HISTORIANS.
THEY'RE LISTED ON THE SCREEN HERE, IT'S A VERY DIVERSE GROUP.
MOSTLY FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT WE DO CALL ON EXPERTS FROM OUTSIDE AS NEEDED DEPENDING ON THEIR ACADEMIC AREA OF EXPERTISE.
IT JUST SO HAPPENS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST RENOWNED EXPERTS ON SANTA ANA HAPPENS TO LIVE IN THE UK, SO WE PULL THOSE FOLKS IN AS NEEDED, AND THEY'RE REALLY HELPING US TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NARRATIVE IS FACTUAL AND BASED ON PRIMARY SOURCES AND REAL EVIDENCE.
THESE ARE THE BIG TOPICS TO BE COVERED, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN, YES, YOU'LL SEE IT COME TO LIFE IN THE EIGHT GALLERIES INSIDE THE NEW VISITOR CENTER MUSEUM, BUT YOU'LL ALSO SEE IT ACROSS THE GROUNDS THEMSELVES. SO WE START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY WHEN THE FIRST INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARRIVED IN THIS PART OF TEXAS MORE THAN 10,000 YEARS AGO, WE MOVE UP THROUGH THE COLONIAL ERA, THE 1500, 1600S, AND 1700S WHEN THE SPANISH FLAG FLEW OVER TEXAS.
INDEPENDENCE AND REVOLUTION IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1805 AND 1835 WHEN MEXICO FIRST FOUGHT FOR THEIR OWN INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN AND THEN, OF COURSE, THAT SPILLED OVER INTO THE TEXAS REVOLUTION. THE BATTLE ITSELF, WE GET 1.6 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR TO THE ALAMO APPROXIMATELY IN A NORMAL NONCOVID YEAR, AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM COME BECAUSE THEY'VE HEARD ABOUT THE BATTLE OF 1836. BUT OUR GOAL WHILE THEY'RE THERE IS TO TEACH THEM ABOUT THAT FULL HISTORY, SO THEY UNDERSTAND A LOT MORE HAPPENED HERE THAN JUST THOSE 13 DAYS. AND THEN THERE WILL BE TWO GALLERIES IN THE NEW MUSEUM YOU'LL SEE THAT FOCUS ON THE PART OF HISTORY THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE BATTLE TOOK PLACE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN, AS I MENTIONED, YOU'LL SEE IT COME TO LIFE REALLY ACROSS THE ENTIRE ALAMO HISTORIC DISTRICT AS DESIGNATED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO THIS IS A LITTLE HARD TO SEE, BUT WHAT THESE DIFFERENT COLORS AND DOTS REPRESENT IS THE PLACES WHERE THOSE DIFFERENT STORIES WILL COME TO LIFE.
AND THE GOAL HERE IS THAT WHETHER YOU DECIDE TO BUY A TICKET AND GO INTO THE NEW MUSEUM OR YOU JUST WANT TO DO THE FREE EXPERIENCE ON THE GROUNDS, INCLUDING THE CHURCH, THE LONG BAR RICKBBARRACK.
THIS IS THE BEST IMAGE OF THE 550 REDEVELOPMENT. AS YOU HEARD, THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION ALREADY UNDER WAY. MISSION GATE AND LUNETTE IS ON TRACK, FINISH BEFORE MARCH 2ND, TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY OF 2024. PLAZA DE VALERO IS ALSO UNDER CONSTRUCTION, SCHEDULED TO OPEN AS A NEW COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE NEXT JULY 4TH.
THAT'S THE GOAL. THE COLLECTION CENTER, YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE OF IMAGES THERE. THE HIGHLIGHT THERE AS WE OPEN THAT BUILDING ON MARCH THE THIRD AND AS OF AUGUST THE THIRD, WE WELCOMED OUR 100,000TH VISITOR TO THE NEW BUILDING, WHICH IS THE FIRST NEW BUILDING ON THE GROUNDS OF THE ALAMO SINCE 1950S. THE EDUCATION CENTER IS
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ALSO STARTING CONSTRUCTION NEXT WEEK, WHICH IS HARD TO BELIEVE. WE'LL START THE ARCHEOLOGY.THAT IS WHAT USED TO BE SAN ANTONIO FIRE STATION NUMBER TWO AND WAS ALAMO HALL DURING THE ERA OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS AND THEIR CARE OF THE ALAMO HISTORIC SITE. THE VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM AS REBECCA MENTIONED IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN 2027.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PROJECT, TO CUT THE RIBBON ONCE AND BE DONE WITH ALL THE CONSTRUCTION IN THAT SAME YEAR.
THE LAST PART OF THE PROJECT IS THE CONVERSION OF THE CURRENT GIFT SHOP INTO AN EVENT CENTER TO HOST PRIVATE EVENTS INSIDE THE GARDENS.
THESE ARE A COUPLE OF IMAGES, MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO COME DOWN AND WE APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH TO SEE THE NEW COLLECTION CENTER.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IT. THE TEAM IS EXCITED BECAUSE THIS ENABLED US TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE ALAMO BY FIVE TIMES. AND IT HOSTS A NUMBER OF ITEMS FROM THE PHIL COLLINS COLLECTION, BUT ALSO DONALD AND LOUIS JENNA WHO WERE LOCAL COLLECTORS REALLY FOCUSED ON THE SPANISH COLONIAL ERA.
THE EDUCATION CENTER, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS THAT IN THE FUTURE, THE CHILDREN WILL OFFLOAD ONTO BONNAM STREET TO ENTER THE NEW CENTER, THEY'LL SEE A SHORT FILM, AN OVERVIEW THAT REALLY EXPLAINS WHY THIS PLACE MATTERS, WHAT HAPPENED HERE, BEFORE THEY GO OUT ONTO THE GROUNDS TO EXPLORE. AND THIS SPACE WILL ALSO INCLUDE MULTIPLE FLEXIBLE CLASSROOMS. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ALL ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT EDUCATION, AS I AM, TOO, AND IT WILL HAVE A STEAM LAB IN IT, SO WE CAN DO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MATH PROGRAMMING AND ALSO A DEDICATED SPACE FOR EARLY LEARNERS. RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING IS A BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR LEARNING AREA, IT'S AN AGRICULTURAL GARDEN WITH A WORKING ASSAY KIA, SO THIS WILL ENABLE US TO REALLY TEACH THE CHILDREN IN REAL TIME ABOUT HOW THE ACACIA IRRIGATION SYSTEM ACTUALLY WORKED.
THIS IS THE VISITOR'S MUSEUM AS IT'S CONTEMPLATED NOW.
IN THE MIDDLE IS THE ENTRANCE TO THE OLD PALACE THEATER, AND THE GOAL IS THROUGH THESE WALKWAYS, AS YOU TRAVERSE BETWEEN THE GALLERIES, THEY'RE GENTLY SLOPING IN ORDER TO LEVEL THE FLOOR PLATES IN BETWEEN THE TWO STRUCTURES. UP ON TOP OF THE BUILDING IS AN EVENT CENTER.
ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS WE'VE MADE TO YOU ALL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND ALSO THE STATE OF TEXAS IS THAT WE WON'T COME BACK AND ASK FOR OPERATING DOLLARS ONCE THE CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE.
SO THROUGH THESE MULTIPLE EVENT SPACES, RETAIL, FOOD SERVICE, ET CETERA, TICKETED EXPERIENCES, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OURSELVES OPERATIONALLY.
THAT SPACE WILL HOLD UP TO 700 FOLKS FOR A SEATED DINNER.
ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE NEW BUILDING IS THE 4D THEATER, IT'S ROUGHLY A 30-MINUTE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE THAT COVERS THE FULL HISTORY.
IT'S GREAT FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIMITED TIME BUT WANT TO SAY I EXPERIENCED THE ALAMO, AND IT DOES HAVE IMAX PLUS THE 40 PHYSICAL ELEMENTS, YOU KNOW, YOUR SEAT WILL VIBRATE, THE SMOKE WILL COME OUT, ALL OF THOSE GOOD THINGS TO TELL THE STORY. THE CIVIL RIGHTS EXHIBIT, AS YOU HEARD, IS WELL UNDER WAY. YOU CAN STILL SEE IN THE FLOOR OF THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING WHERE THE LUNCH COUNTER ONCE STOOD.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO TELL THE STORY OF BOTH THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN SAN ANTONIO AS WELL AS THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT THAT'S REALLY STARTED HERE.
AND SO WE'VE GOT A VERY DIVERSE COMMITTEE THAT'S ALSO HELPING TO INFORM THE CONTENT THAT WILL ULTIMATELY GO INTO THAT GALLERY.
THESE ARE THE GALLERIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, SO THIS IS KIND OF THE WAY VISITORS WILL EXPERIENCE IT. THE LAST TWO THAT I'LL MENTION, THE FRONTIER POST COVERS THE ARMY QUARTERMASTER ERA THAT STARTED IN THE MID 1840S WHEN THE UNITED STATES ARMY FIRST CAME TO SAN ANTONIO. FROM RUIN TO MEMORIAL IS REALLY ABOUT THE PRESERVATION ERA. THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY WHEN CLARA DRISCOLL AND IDINA DE ZAVALA STEPPED INTO SAVE THE CHURCH AND THE LONG BARRACK FROM DESTRUCTION. YOU'LL SEE REFERENCES TO SOME OF THE POPULAR TELEVISION SHOWS AND MOVIES AND SO FORTH THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THE ALAMO OVER TIME. THE ROOFTOP EVENT SPACE, THESE ARE STILL CONCEPTUAL IN NATURE, BUT YOU SEE WHAT IT'S INTENDED TO LOOK LIKE INSIDE. IT HAS TERRACES ON THREE SIDES OVERLOOKING DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO AND WE HOPE IT'S A REAL A ATTRACTOR.
FUTURE MEETING PLANNERS COULD THINK, OH, MAYBE I WANT TO BE THE FIRST ONE OR ONE OF THE FIRST TO HAVE MY EVENT INSIDE THIS NEW SPACE AT THE ALAMO.
THE LAST PART IS THE CONNECTION TO THE RIVERWALK.
YOU KNOW, LOCAL ARCHITECT BOONE POWELL HAD WHAT WE THINK WAS AN INCREDIBLE VISION IN THE '80S TO CONNECT ALAMO PLAZA TO THE RIVERWALK, OUR STATE'S TWO MOST VISITED TOURIST ATTRACTIONS. SO THE WATER FEATURE THAT IS THERE TODAY IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT FUNCTIONING.
SO OUR GOAL THERE IS TO ACTUALLY REMOVE IT TO PUT IN SOMETHING A BIT MORE
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SUSTAINABLE, A BIT MORE CONTEMPORARY AND A LITTLE MORE NATURAL FEELING, BUT STILL WITH A FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER TO THE ALAMO STORY.IT'S WHAT FIRST DREW LIFE TO THIS AREA, AND IT'S WHY THE MISSIONS WERE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE ECONOMIC RETURN FOR THE PROJECT IN TOTAL LOOKING AT THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION PLUS THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF OPERATIONS IS IN EXCESS OF $11.3 BILLION.
THAT'S INCLUDING ALL FORMS OF TAXES, SALES TAX, HOTEL/MOTEL TAX, IT ALSO INCLUDES JOB CREATION. SO WE'RE THRILLED AND GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMITMENT THAT THE CITY HAS MADE, THE COMMITMENT THAT THE COUNTY HAS MADE. AND, OF COURSE, THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR THEIR VERY GENEROUS APPROPRIATION. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR YOUR ONGOING PARTNERSHIP OF
THIS PROJECT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, KATE, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN AND ANDY.
I JUST WANT TO FIRST THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS IN LEADERSHIP. YEAH, THERE WAS A REAL CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY A FEW YEARS AGO THAT THE PROJECT HAD JUST CAME TO AN IMPASSE, AND SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU GETTING IN THERE AND CONTINUING TO WORK THE PROJECT FORWARD. WE HAD MADE SO MUCH PROGRESS TO THAT POINT THAT IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO SEE SO MUCH EFFORT GO TO WASTE, AND YOU'VE GOTTEN IT NOT ONLY BACK ON TRACK BUT MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. I LIKE THE OVERVIEW HERE.
I THINK IT'S WORTH REPEATING, THOUGH, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN PROBABLY FOR AS LONG AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE AIRPORT, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT US RE REDEVELOPING, GIVING PROPER REVERENCE AND ENSURING THAT PEOPLE HAVE AN INFORMED EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY GO TO THE ALAMO. FOR AS LONG AS THAT AIRPORT'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE ALAMO AS WELL. SO THE DIFFERENCES HERE BEING WE HAVE NOW VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT CONTINUE TO BE BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT, AS THE IMMOVABLE OBJECTS IN THIS WHOLE EFFORT, DESPITE SOME OF THE CONTROVERSIES AND COMPROMISES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE AND SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE PLANS ITSELF, THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES HAVE REMAINED STEADFAST.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE A THREE-PARTY AGREEMENT, THE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE HAVE REMAINED AT THE TABLE. THAT IS THE CITY, THAT IS THE STATE OF TEXAS THROUGH THE GLO AS WELL AS THE ALAMO TRUST ITSELF AND THEN FINALLY THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
BUT IN PARTICULAR, I WANT TO GIVE MY THANKS TO THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T IN THE ROOM AND THAT IS THE BEXAR COUNTY DELEGATION TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THE ALAMO DEVELOPMENT PLAN IS A PRIORITY IN THE LEGISLATURE THROUGH APPROPRIATIONS, AND WE HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE WITH RESPECT TO ACTUALLY HAVING MONEY TO IMPLEMENT A PLAN. SO THANKS TO OUR BEXAR COUNTY DELEGATION, ESPECIALLY I WOULD SAY REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA GERVIN HAWKINS, I WAS THERE WHEN SHE PUT THE LIEUTENANTGOV NOR ON THE SPOT TO NOT ONLY SAY SUPPORTS THE PROJECT AND MOVE DOLLARS BEHIND IT.
AND THAT HAS ALL COME TO PASS. THANK YOU TO OUR DELEGATION. SO I'LL GET RIGHT INTO THE CONVERSATION THEN AND TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES. MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ.
>> RODRIGUEZ: I GET TO GO FIRST. THANK YOU, MAYOR, I THINK YOUR COMMENTS WERE WONDERFUL AND SET THE TONE.
I'LL START BY SAYING THAT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND WITHIN MY OFFICE THERE ARE CONFLICTING VIEWS OF THE ALAMO. MAYBE IN MY OFFICE, THEY'RE NOT THAT CONFLICTING, BUT I'LL SAY THAT FOR SOME PEOPLE, THE ALAMO ISN'T THE SYMBOL OF PRIDE AND STRENGTH THAT IT IS FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND SO THAT COULD BE SAID FOR A NUMBER OF ICONS AND MONUMENTS AND THE LIKE. HISTORY IS NOT ALWAYS CLEAN, IT'S OFTEN MESSY AND IT'S DIRTY AND SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS CLEAR EVERY DAY BECOMES CLEARER IS THAT THE OPPRESSED AND THE COLONIZED DON'T GET TO WRITE THE HISTORY BOOKS. AND SO WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT THAT IN THE PLANNING OF THIS, IN THIS NEW VISION IS THAT THOSE WHO -- THOSE WHO WOULD NORMALLY NOT GET TO WRITE THE HISTORY BOOK GET AN OPPORTUNITY AND A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO BE THEIR OWN STORYTELLERS. AND SO I'LL TOUCH ON THAT IN JUST A LITTLE BIT. OVERALL, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT IS GOING TO CHANGE A PART OF DOWNTOWN IN A VERY SIGNIFICANT WAY.
WE'RE CLOSING STREETS THAT FOLKS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO DRIVING TO, THINKING HOUSTON, CROCKETT, AND ALL THOSE CHANGE SOMETIMES COMES WITH SOME CONCERN, I UNDERSTAND THESE CLOSURES ARE GOING TO REVITALIZE A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF DOWNTOWN AND MAKE IT MORE WALKABLE AND ACCESSIBLE.
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I'M CURIOUS IF NEARBY BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THAT CONVERSATION, AND SO I THINK LIKE BONNAM, BONNAM EXCHANGE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S A REAL QUICK WALK AWAY, I MET PEOPLE THERE THAT SAY I WAS JUST AT THE ALAMO. HAVE THE BUSINESSES IN THE AREA BEEN INVOLVED IN>> HOUSTON: I KNOW KATE HAS REGULAR BREAKFAST MEETINGS WITH THE BUSINESSES TO TALK ABOUT THE PLAN. WE HAVE A BIWEEKLY CONSTRUCTION MEETING WITH ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO SIGN UP TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PLAN, AND THEN WE HAVE INDIVIDUAL STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
SO AS STREET CLOSURES ARE GOING TO HAPPEN, WE MEET WITH THOSE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES ONE ON ONE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THEIR SIGNAGE NEEDS MET AND ANY
OTHER COMMUNICATION NEEDS THEY MAY HAVE. >> RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO FOCUS ON THE INTERPRETATION OF BLACK HISTORY WITHIN THIS PROJECT. IN OTHER CITIES LIKE ATLANTA, HOUSTON AND WASHINGTON, D.C. HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MUSEUMS ARE A CENTRAL TOURIST ATTRACTION. THEY'RE WORLD-CLASS MUSEUMS AND SITES WHICH EDUCATE, OFFER REFLECTION AND INSPIRE PEOPLE. SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE MORE COMPLETE RENDERINGS AND PLANS TO TELL A COMPLETE STORY OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, BLACK PEOPLE AND THE COLONIZERS AND SETTLERS.
MANY INDIVIDUALS SPENT TIME AND EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THE ROLE THAT SAN ANTONIO PLAYED IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT WOULD BE TOLD.
WHAT IS GENERALLY DISCUSSED -- SO REGARDING THE INDIGENOUS AND CIVIL RIGHTS SUBCOMMITTEES, WHAT IS GENERALLY DISCUSSED IN THESE COMMITTEES
AUDIO] -- >> SO MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS CAME FIRST FROM THE ALAMO CITIZEN'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SO THEY HAD BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE PROJECT FOR A WHILE. THE OTHER MEMBERS WERE ADDED AT THEIR SUGGESTION. SO THE OTHER -- THOSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS OFFERED UP NAMES, THOSE FOLKS WERE SENT AN INVITATION AND THOSE THAT WERE WILLING TO GIVE THE TIME, NOW, NOT EVERYONE SAID YES. I WILL SAY CIVIL RIGHTS AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, BOTH OF THOSE, THEY'RE INFORMING NOT JUST THE GALLERIES THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THOSE TOPICS, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT THE INDIGENOUS STORY DIDN'T STOP AT ANY MOMENT IN TIME. THE DESCENDANTS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE STILL LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
SO THE GALLERY WILL REALLY EMPHASIZE THAT. WE'LL HAVE ORAL HISTORIES FROM CONTEMPORARY PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, A VERY VIBRANT PART OF SAN ANTONIO, AS YOU ALL KNOW TODAY. SAME WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS. SO THE CIVIL RIGHTS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
IT'S REALLY DESIGNED TO BE COMMUNITY DRIVEN IN TERMS OF THE CONTENT.
THAT MEANS THE STORIES THAT GET TOLD, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FEATURED, SO IT'S A GREAT DEAL OF WORK. SO THAT -- THOSE COMMITTEES ARE MEETING MONTHLY. WE JUST COMPLETED ROUGHLY TWO-HOUR WORKSHOPS WITH BOTH OF THEM, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY BRING FORWARD THEIR THOUGHTS, THEIR IDEAS, THERE'S HEALTHY DEBATE, HEALTHY DISCUSSION WHERE PEOPLE DISAGREE, BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S FOR. SO THE NARRATIVE PLAN THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED WILL ULTIMATELY SHOW UP ON BOTH DIGITAL ASSETS WITHIN THE NEW MUSEUM ITSELF, BUT ALSO ON THE GRAPHICS, ON THE WALLS,
ET CETERA. >> RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. AND THIS ISN'T A CRITIQUE OF EITHER OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTLY THERE, BUT I THINK IT'S A PROCESS WE SHOULD ALWAYS LOOK AT IS EVERY SO OFTEN STOPPING AND THINKING, YOU KNOW, WHO'S NOT IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW AND WHO SHOULD WE BE INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK IT'S NEVER TOO LATE. IT SHOULDN'T STOP ONE TIME, YOU SHOULDN'T ASK THAT QUESTION ONE TIME. BECAUSE BY THE TIME YOU ADD MORE PEOPLE, THEN THEY'LL KNOW WHO'S ALSO MISSING.
I THINK THERE SHOULD BE CHECKPOINTS, I THINK, WHERE WE CONTINUE TO REVISIT THE MEMBERSHIP AND THINK HOW MIGHT WE ADD MORE VOICES.
I HAVE NO THOWBTS ON THAT AT THE MOMENT, BUT I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING -- THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS. I'M ESPECIALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE ICONIC WOOLWORTH BUILDING.
SAN ANTONIO HISTORICALLY PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR COLLECTIVE CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES. NOTABLY DUE TO THE BRAVE ACTIVISM OF COLLABORATIVE GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO HOST SIT-INS AND A DEMAND FOR DESEGREGATION. WOULD YOU PLEASE -- A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL, COULD YOU SHARE THE PLANS FOR THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING SPACE, AND HOW MUCH OF THE ENTIRE SPACE IS GOING TO BE DEDICATED TO CIVIL RIGHTS IN SAN ANTONIO? SORRY, THAT WORD ALWAYS
MESSES ME UP. >> SO I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, COUNCILMAN. I'M ALSO GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP DR. CARRY LATTERMORE, BECAUSE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TO CONTEMPLATE THAT AREA, WE
[00:40:07]
COMMISSIONED DR. LATTERMORE TO WRITE A PAPER ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HERE LOCALLY AND WHAT MADE IT DIFFERENT FROM LUNCH COUNTER MOVEMENTS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.AND HE COMMENTED, AS YOU MENTIONED, A LOT ON THE COLLABORATIVE NATURE OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE IMPACT OF THE MILITARY AND THE FAITH-BASE SD COMMUNITY WHICH ALL HAD KEY ROLES TO PLAY, SO ALL THAT WILL BE TALKED ABOUT INSIDE THIS NEW EXHIBIT. IT'S A 4,000 SQUARE FOOT GALLERY WHICH IS COMPARABLE IN SIZE TO ALL OF THE OTHER GALLERIES AND THE STORIES THAT WILL
BE TOLD. >> RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S ALL OF MY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE ROD.
AND I ALSO APPRECIATE YOU RECOGNIZING DR. LATTERMORE, HE MADE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS PROJECT THAT I HOPE WILL BE MEMORIALED IN SOME WAY AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND I ALSO FAILED TO RECOGNIZE PROBABLY OUR MVP IN TERMS OF THE CITY INVOLVEMENT ALONG WITH ANDY, AND THAT'S LORI HOUSTON. LORI, YOU'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS.
LET'S CONTINUE ON WITH COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA.
>> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. WE ALL KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN A LONG AND SOMETIMES DIFFICULT ROAD TO GET TO THIS POINT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ALAMO GROUNDS, NOT WITHOUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF CONTROVERSY, BUT MY THANKS GO OUT TO EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN A PART OF THE WORK, THE DESIGN, THE COMPROMISE THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND THE COOPERATION THAT'S BEEN ACHIEVED TO BRING US THIS PLAN. THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF THE ALAMO, THIS IS OUR CHANCE. THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO TELL OUR OWN STORY, MOST PEOPLE THINK OF THE ALAMO AND THEY STILL THINK OF THE OLD HOLLYWOOD MOVIE, BUT THIS IS OUR REAL OPPORTUNITY. I'M ENCOURAGED TO SEE -- INDIGENOUS, COLONIAL REVOLUTIONARY WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE HISTORY OF THAT SITE. I'M ESPECIALLY PLEASED YOU'RE INCORPORATING DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXHIBITS TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEARNERS. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY. THERE HAVE BEEN EFFORT IN THE PAST TO TELL A TRUTHFUL, INCLUSIVE ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY WHICH INCLUDES, OF COURSE, THE BATTLE, BUT MUCH DEEPER, IT'S MUCH DEEPER AND FILLED WITH UNTOLD CONTEXT. THIS IS, AGAIN, A REAL CHANCE TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND I THINK -- YOU SAID SOMETHING TODAY, KATE, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE STILL HERE. AND THE STORY IS STILL ONGOING, SO LEAVING THAT SPACE FOR -- FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, MAYBE SOME THAT ARE NOT PARTICIPATING NOW BUT WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THIS IS ALMOST LIKE A LIVING EXHIBIT. IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE , AND IT SHOULD.
IT LOOKS, BY THE PRESENTATION, LIKE WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I'M HOPEFUL THAT THE END RESULT WILL HONOR NOT ONLY THOSE WHO FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE BUT THE MANY THAT WERE HERE BEFORE THE BATTLE AND GENERATION WHOSE HAVE BUILT THIS CITY OVER THE PAST 200 YEARS. MY HOPE IS THAT THE MUSEUM WILL SEPARATE THE ALAMO MYTH FROM THE HISTORIC REALITY, AND THAT MILLIONS OF TOURISTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD IN THE YEARS TO COME WILL EXPERIENCE THIS AS A WORLD-CLASS EXHIBIT. THE RENDERINGS THAT YOU HAD TODAY ARE VERY EXCITING. I ALWAYS GET A THRILL WHEN I GO TO THE ALAMO. I KNOW PEOPLE SAY THAT THEY'RE UNDERWHELMED, BUT I THINK IT'S A REAL GEM AND I'M VERY PRIDEFUL OF THE AREA, BECAUSE IT'S -- THERE'S SO MUCH STORY TO BE TOLD. AND I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH, THIS IS REALLY OUR CHANCE TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT. TELLING THE STORY OF OUR PAST, OF OUR PRESENT AND OUR FUTURE REALLY CAN START WITH OUR MOST POPULAR ASSET, AND THAT'S OUR ALAMO. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU, AND MAJOR SHOUTOUT TO LORI, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY COUNCILMEMBERS AND ITERATIONS OF THIS, AND YOU'RE COMING OUT ON TOP.
SO APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. AND THE CITIZENS REALLY, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS REALLY COMING OUT ON TOP.
SO THANK YOU. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN?
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR, KATE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS SENDING OUT THAT INVITATION TO THE COUNCILMEMBERS TO COME AND BE PART OF IT. I THINK THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I'VE SEEN THE PRESENTATION, AND I WANT TO THANK FORMER COUNCILWOMAN REBECCA VIAGRAN AND ANDY FOR STEPPING IN. I WAS WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO AT THE FIRST MEETING WE HAD AT THE HENRY B. GONZALEZ CONVENTION CENTER, AND IT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT TEAM, IT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT. LORI, I THINK YOU WERE THERE, AND I JUST -- I WASN'T SURE HOW WE WERE GOING TO GET THERE. AND HAVING A DESCENDANT AT THE ALAMO, I WASN'T SURE HOW WE WERE GOING TO TELL THE STORY, BUT I KNEW THAT THIS WAS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO TELL THE STORY.
AND THEN THE MAYOR DID A VERY BRILLIANT THING AND PUT REBECCA ON THE COMMITTEE AND HOPE AND ALONG WITH ANDY, AND WE REALLY STARTED THINGS
[00:45:01]
MOVING. AND I WANT TO -- I WANT TO THANK OUR BEXAR COUNTY DELEGATION THAT REALLY GOT THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TO COMMIT.BECAUSE IT'S NOT THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO TELL THE ALAMO -- THE STORY OF THE BATTLE, BUT WE WANTED TO TELL THE WHOLE STORY. AND THEY NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND, TO GIVE US THAT. SO BECAUSE IT IS THE STORY THAT DRAWS US THERE, BUT ON THE SLIDE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT NUMBER IT IS, OF THE MUSEUM, IF Y'ALL COULD PULL THAT UP WITH THE -- THAT IT STARTS WITH THE TRIBAL -- THE INDIGENOUS GROUPS, WHAT NUMBER IS THAT? BECAUSE I COULDN'T QUITE FIND IT.
MY COMPUTER FROZE. >> IS IT THE ONE ABOUT --
>> VIAGRAN: THAT ONE. THE MUSEUM AND GALLERIES.
AS WE DO THIS, WHAT I WANT TO REMEMBER, AND I'VE TOLD THIS STORY BEFORE, WHEN WE GO FROM RUIN TO MEMORIAL, THAT'S A WOMAN'S STORY.
>> YES. >> VIAGRAN: THAT WAS WOMEN WHO SAW SOMETHING OF VALUE AND KNEW THAT WE HAD TO PRESERVE AND TO RESCUE THAT.
SO I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE LOST AS WE TELL THE STORY.
AND I KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE VISITED WITH THE VISITORS FROM THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION THAT COME IN, AND THEY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST WRITING STORIES ABOUT THE ALAMO, WHICH WERE PRIMARILY MEN, BUT IT WAS THE WOMEN WHO ACTUALLY SAVED IT. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE PORTION OF RUIN TO MEMORIAL, THAT WE UNDERSTAND IT HAS BEEN THE WOMEN OF SAN ANTONIO AND TEXAS THAT GIVE US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE IT TODAY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK, THANK YOU, AND I JUST -- I CONTINUE -- I FEEL LIKE WE'RE WELL ON -- LIKE WE'RE HALFWAY THERE AND THE BUILDING -- WE HAVEN'T EVEN BROKE GROUND ON THAT BUILDING, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE THERE, BECAUSE IT'S TAKEN SO LONG. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
EFFORTS. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. I WAS HOPING THAT YOU WOULD BRING YOUR SISTER UP FOR QUESTIONING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
COUNCILMEMBER KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
I KNOW I'M COMING IN TAIL END OF AT LEAST THE PLANNING PART, BUT IT'S STILL NICE TO SEE -- NICE TO BE A PART OF IT NOW. SO I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AROUND COMMUNICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION.
THIS IS, I THINK -- I FEEL LIKE I'M JUST -- I'M GOING TO WEAR A HARD HAT EVERYWHERE I GO. BUT A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS WE'RE GETTING IS FROM THE BUSINESSES AROUND IT. AND SO I'M WONDERING, WHAT HAVE WE DONE ALREADY TO COMMUNICATE -- TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, WHAT'S HAPPENING, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR CONSTRUCTION NEXT MONTH? AND HOW WE CAN HELP MITIGATE THE ACCESSIBILITY PERSPECTIVE
FROM THEM? >> IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE'VE STARTED OFF DOING AND NOW WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TRY TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION AS THINGS GET UNDERWAY.
SO OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE'VE BEEN DOING MONTHLY WHAT I CALL FAMILY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOR BREAKFASTS, AND SO WE MEET WITH ALL THE SURROUNDING BUSINESS OWNERS. ANYONE IS WELCOME.
THE INVITATION IS OPEN TO ANYONE. ONE OF OUR HOTEL PARTNERS NORMALLY HOSTS IT. IT'S A BREAKFAST MEETING AND WE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S COMING NEXT. THINGS HAVE STARTED TO SPEED UP, SO NOW WE PROVIDE WEEKLY COMMUNICATIONS, THE CITY ALSO HOLDS WEEKLY CALLS.
AND, AGAIN, THOSE ARE OPEN FOR ANY STAKEHOLDER WHO WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S COMING. WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO AS PEOPLE -- WHEN THEY COME TO US WITH A CONCERN, RIGHT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, A FENCE WILL GO UP IN A PLACE THAT THEY WEREN'T ANTICIPATING IT.
WE TRY TO MEET WITH THEM INDIVIDUALLY AND ADDRESS IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH THE KROT FOR. CONTRACTOR. ONE THING WE'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO DO IS WORK ON SIGNAGE. IF A PARTICULAR PORTION OF A SIDEWALK IS CLOSED OR SOMETHING, HOW CAN WE HELP DIRECT VISITORS TO KNOW HOW DO I GET TO THE MENGER HOTEL, HOW DO I GET TO THIS PART? I EXPECT, AS WE DISCUSSED, COUNCILWOMAN, WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION IS GOING ON, THERE WILL BE SOME SHORT-TERM PAIN FOR SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS, AND WE REALLY WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP MITIGATE
THAT. >> KAUR: IT JUST MAKES ME COME BACK TO THE -- MIC] CCR THAT YOU GUYS PUT UP IN JUNE WHERE EVERY TIME WE HAVE A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, WE ALL ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE THE FINISH PROJECT, BUT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE BEING AFFECTED ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S -- ONE OF THE REQUESTS THEY MADE WAS JUST LIKE FORESHADOWING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND NOT JUST LIKE NEXT WEEK THIS FENCE IS GOING UP. I KNOW THAT'S HARD WITH CONSTRUCTION TIMELINES, BUT IF IN THOSE -- I THINK THOSE ARE BIWEEKLY MEETINGS YOU GUYS ARE HAVING, IF WE COULD DO LIKE TWO WEEKS OUT, LIKE IN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE EXPECTING, I THINK SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS, AT LEAST THAT HAVE COME TO US, WOULD -- WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON THE DOUBLE DECKER BUS SITUATION, TOO, IN TERMS OF ACCESS, SO I THINK THE REQUESTS FROM US, FROM THE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE
[00:50:02]
COMING TO US, IS JUST AS MUCH FORESHADOWING AS WE CAN PROVIDE THEM.AND THEN WE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE SIGNAGE THAT WE DID A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, PEOPLE WERE REALLY LAP PI ABOUT THAT, SO I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN USE THAT AS A REPLICATION OF MASSIVE SIGNS, WHAT THEY LIKE IS LIKE THEIR LOGO, SO MAYBE WE CAN USE SOME OF THOSE LEARN LESSONS AND REPLICATE THEM. THE ONES WE'RE GETTING CALLS ARE RIGHT BEHIND THE MENGER STREET, THE BUSINESSES BEHIND THE MENGER HOTEL.
THEY SAID THE FENCE THERE THAT IS FEELING LIKE -- PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY'RE CLOSED BECAUSE THE FENCE IS THERE. YOU CAN'T SEE IT.
IT'S NOT AS VISIBLE. >> OKAY. THANK YOU.
>> KAUR: AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, EVENTUALLY WHEN EVERYTHING IS DONE, ARE THE -- YOU KNOW, THE GATES AROUND KIND OF THE EAST SIDE OF THE PLAZA, ARE THOSE GOING TO BE OPEN OR WILL THOSE ALWAYS BE CLOSED WITH ONLY A MAIN ENTRANCE FROM THE FRONT LIKE IT IS RIGHT
NOW? >> SO TO THE EAST SIDE, SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND --
>> KAUR: SORRY, BY BONNAM, YOU KNOW, HOW ALL OF THE GATES AROUND THE
BACK ARE KIND OF ALL CLOSED. >> SO WHAT WE DID AS IT RELATES TO THE MENGER, SO -- LOOKS -- WHERE THE CHURCH IS, TO THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE CHURCH, YOU SEE THAT LONG, NARROW BAR.
>> KAUR: UH-HUH. >> THAT'S THE AREA OF THE SITE KNOWN AS THE ARCADE, AND IT LEADS EVER OVER TO THE MENGER HOTEL. AND THAT GATE OVER THERE IS NORMALLY LOCKED IN THE EVENINGS, ONCE THE GROUNDS CLOSE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO OPEN IT. >> KAUR: AWESOME.
>> SO WE'VE WORKED UP A NEW SOLUTION THAT WILL STILL KEEP SECURITY TIGHT TO NOT ALLOW FOLKS TO ACTUALLY GET INTO THE GROUNDS.
OH, THANK YOU. OKAY. I'M NOT GOOD AT THIS.
OKAY. RIGHT HERE. >> KAUR: YEAH. >> SO THIS GATE RIGHT
HERE WILL BE OPEN IN THE EVENINGS. >> KAUR: AND WHAT ABOUT
THE -- >> SO THEY CAN COME THIS WAY AND GET TO THE FRONT OR GO BACK TO THE MENGER, AND WE'LL DO SIGNAGE TO TELL PEOPLE WHERE TO GO.
>> KAUR: AND I LOVE THAT, BECAUSE THAT IS AT LEAST ONE OTHER ENTRANCE
POINT. >> YES. >> KAUR: AND THE THING I'VE BEEN CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT THIS AREA IS THE ACCESSIBILITY FROM ONE AREA, ONE EXCITING PART OF DOWNTOWN TO ANOTHER.
>> YES. >> KAUR: SO I GOT DROPPED OFF AT CROCKETT FOR LIKE MY EVENT THAT I WAS GOING TO AND I KIND OF HAD TO WALK ALL THE WAY AROUND.
>> YES. >> KAUR: AND I KNOW THAT MEANS INCREASED SECURITY BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE GATE OPEN, YOU HAVE TO MONITOR IT.
>> YEAH. >> KAUR: BY IT'S WAS JUST THINKING OF A WAY TO TRY TO CONNECT -- ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S ALL GOING TO BE VERY WALKABLE, TO FIGURE OUT A WAY WHERE YOU COULD ACCESS IT THROUGH MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ENTRYWAYS AND THAT WAY YOU COULD GET TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, EVENTUALLY EVEN THINKING ABOUT HOW TO GET TO CIVIC PARK AND ALL OF THE STUFF HAPPENING THERE, TOO. BUT AS WE CREATE DIFFERENT ENTITIES, HAVING CONSTANT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FOLKS AT HEMISFAIR TO TRY TO CREATE A HOLISTIC EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE DOWNTOWN.
>> YEAH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION, AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE'LL TAKE BACK AND WORK WITH WITH LORI AND HER TEAM ON.
>> KAUR: AWESOME. I THINK THOSE WERE THE ONLY THINGS I HADMENT
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK. >> THANK YOU.
>> KAUR: THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR.
COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU, KATE AND HOPE AND LORI FOR THE PRESENTATION AND BRIEFING AS WELL AS ANDY AND COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY, AS WELL AS GEORGE OUR APPOINTEE TO THE COMMITTEE WHO'S BEEN KEEPING OUR TEAM UP TO DATE ON CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN EVOLVING. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE SCHOLARS IN THE CULTURAL COMMUNITY AND ACTIVISTS HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT THE REIMAGINATION OF THE ALAMO WOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS A FULL HISTORY THAT INCLUDES THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS AND FORCE CONVERSATIONS AROUND GENDER INEQUITIES AND THE REALITY OF SLAVERY AND A FORCE THAT PROMOTED IMMIGRATION TO TEXAS.
AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO HEAR, RIGHT, THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE CORE PRINCIPLES THAT YOU ALL INTEND TO STICK TO AND ALWAYS GO BACK TO.
AND I KNOW WITHIN THE LEASE COMPACT STATES THAT THE GLO WILL USE ITS BEST EFFORTS TO TELL THE FULL STORY OF THE TEXAS REVOLUTION AND THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, AND WHAT I'M HEARING, THOUGH, RIGHT, FROM APPOINTEES AND THEN I KNOW THE EXPRESS-NEWS COVERED IT -- OR QUOTED SOMEONE WHO WAS ANONYMOUS, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SHARE WHO THEY WERE REGARDING AN EVENT THAT WAS POSTPONED, THE ALAMO'S PROGRAM ON THE MEXICAN SOLDIERS. AND THEY BELIEVED THAT IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE THE FULL STORY. CAN SOMEONE PROVIDE ME CLARIFICATION ON THAT
POSTPONEMENT AND WHEN WILL THAT TAKE PLACE? >> YES.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO THE EVENT WAS A CELEBRATION OF THE MEXICAN SOLDADOS AND THE REQUEST THAT WE RECEIVED AT THE TRUST WAS TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF
[00:55:03]
SOLDIERS FROM BOTH SIDES. AND SO THE LIVING HISTORY TEAM AT THE ALAMO DECIDED TO POSTPONE SO THEY COULD GET THEIR DUCKS IN A ROW. THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH AND PREPARATION THAT GOES INTO THOSE EVENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE PEOPLE ARE REPRESENTED AND BROUGHT TO LIFE ACCURATELY. AND SO THE EVENT IS TO TAKE PLACE IN MAY OF THIS YEAR -- OF 2024, I SHOULD SAY.>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR EMPHASIZING, RIGHT, SOLDIERS FROM BOTH SIDES BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S CONCERN THAT THE PLAN PRESENTS A VISION FROM WITHIN THE ALAMO GROUNDS OUTWARD, RIGHT? SO THERE'S NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE STORY OF THE DEFENDERS.
SO MOVING FORWARD, IT WILL INCLUDE BOTH, RIGHT, IS WHAT YOU'RE STATING
RIGHT NOW? >> YES, MA'AM. >> CASTILLO: I KNOW MEMBER OF THE ACAC AND OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN BRIEFING US AND WE'VE BEEN READING IT IN THE PAPER AS WELL, RIGHT, ABOUT THAT CONCERN THAT IT'S GOING TO BE VERY TOP DOWN. AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THE LIST OF THE MUSEUM PLANNING COMMITTEE AND THE SCHOLARS AS WELL. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAD REQUESTED.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST -- IT WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE PACKET SENT TO US, SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M SEEING IT, BUT A BRIEF SKIM, FOR EXAMPLE, LOOKING AT THE CIVIL RIGHTS SUBCOMMITTEE, THERE ARE A LOT OF REALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUALS, BUT, FOR EXAMPLE, I SEE SOME FOLK WHOSE ARE MORE CIVIL WAR EXPERTS RATHER THAN CIVIL RIGHTS.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU ALL CAN BREAK DOWN LIKE WHAT'S THEIR EXPERTISE, RIGHT? IF THEY'RE IN ANTHROPOLOGY OR THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT, WHAT IS THEIR FOCUS AND WHAT COURSES ARE THEY TEACHING, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF THERE'S A CIVIL RIGHTS SUBCOMMITTEE, THERE'S CIVIL RIGHT SCHOLARS ON THERE, TO HAVE THAT BREAKDOWN AND IDEA OF THEIR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE AND LENS, AND THAT WAY WE CAN ALSO FAMILIARIZE OURSELVES WITH THEIR WORK AND THEIR METHODOLOGY WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR INTERPRETATION OF HISTORY.
WITH THE MUSEUM PLANNING SUBCOMMITTEES, ARE THOSE MEETINGS ARE GOING TO BE PUBLIC, CAN FOLKS TUNE IN TO HEAR THE DISCUSSION AND THE DEBATE?
>> THEY'RE NOT PUBLIC. AND THE REASON THEY'RE NOT PUBLIC IS BECAUSE THERE IS DEBATE WITHIN THOSE MEETINGS. AND WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE HONEST AND CANDID WITH ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THEIR VIEWS, EVEN WHEN THEY DISAGREE. AND SO IT'S OUR INTENT WITH THOSE MEETINGS THAT WHATEVER DISAGREEMENTS HAPPEN INSIDE THE MEETINGS -- BECAUSE WE -- YOU KNOW, WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS, COMMITTEE, WE'VE MADE A COMMITMENT THAT WE WANT TO MAINTAIN TRUSTFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE ANOTHER, EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE COMMITTEE. AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARD.
YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT IT, YOUR COLLEAGUE MENTIONED, WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID IT BEST, HISTORY IS MESSY. AND IT IS.
AND ESPECIALLY SOME OF THESE MORE CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS.
SO THAT'S THE REASON THEY'RE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
>> CASTILLO: OKAY. >> BUT, COUNCILWOMAN, ONE THING I WILL SAY, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COLLEAGUE'S COMMENT ON THIS, TOO, THESE ARE NOT STATIC COMMITTEES. SO WHEN A NEW NAME IS BROUGHT FORWARD IN SAYING, HEY -- BECAUSE WE ALSO RECOGNIZE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW, SO IF THERE'S A PERSON OUT THERE THAT WE ARE MISSING OR SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW OF, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN ADD PEOPLE TO THE COMMITTEE. SO THESE ARE NOT FINITE, THE NAMES THAT ARE LISTED THERE. AND, IN FACT, LNL AT EVERY MEETING WE USUALLY HAVE ONE OR MORE NEW MEMBERS WHO ARE JOINING
UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF SOMEONE ELSE. >> CASTILLO: GREAT.
THANK YOU. AND THEN, AGAIN, RIGHT, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M SEEING THIS LIST, AND AT A GLANCE, I DO SEE ONE BORDERLINE HISTORIAN, I WOULD ENCOURAGE MORE SINCE THIS WAS MEXICO AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND FURTHER, EXPORTING CHICANO HISTORIANS AS WELL WHICH MAY FALL IN ETHNIC STUDY COURSES RATHER THAN HISTORY. RIGHT? AGAIN, THIS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PACKET SENT TO US SO THESE ARE NAMES I'M JUST NOW SEEING. AND, AGAIN, IF WE CAN HAVE CONTEXT ON WHAT THEIR EXPERTISE IS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND WITH THE CONSULTING SCHOLARS AND EXPERTS, WILL THEY BE RECEIVING A
STIPEND FOR THEIR EXPERTISE? >> THEY DO RECEIVE A STIPEND. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE COMMISSIONED THE WORK FROM CARRY LATTERMORE, WE ALSO HAVE A GENTLEMAN RIGHT NOW WHO'S WORKING ON A PAPER FOR US ON THE ROLE OF SLAVERY IN THE TEXAS REVOLUTION, LOOKING AT ALL THE RESOURCES THAT ARE OUT THERE. WE WANTED TO KIND OF HAVE A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF THAT. AND IN THOSE INSTANCES,
WE DO COMPENSATE THEM. >> CASTILLO: OKAY. GREAT.
SO THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR. >> YES. OF COURSE.
>> CASTILLO: ALL RIGHT. GREAT. THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE. AND THEN IF Y'ALL CAN JUST SEND WHAT THEIR
EXPERTISE ARE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU,
MAYOR. >> YES, WE'LL DO IT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE
GAVITO? >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK. WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS PRESENTATION BEFOREHAND, I DO WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE Y'ALL TAKING IN ALL THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
[01:00:02]
COUNCILWOMAN REBECCA VIAGRAN, I THINK THAT YOU SAID IT BEST, THAT THESE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS, AND SO I APPRECIATE THE SPACE THAT YOU ALL HAVE CREATED FOR HAVING THAT SAFE DIALOGUE.I MEAN, IT'S STICKY. IT'S MESSY. AND IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL Y'ALL'S EFFORTS IN DOING THAT.
I DID ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT MICHELLE LUGALIA HOLLAND WHO'S A DISTRICT 7 RESIDENT -- WORK ON PUSHING ALL OF US TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, SO I KNOW THAT SHE'S PROBABLY DOING A GREAT JOB LEADING THAT SUBCOMMITTEE AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING TO -- GETTING TO THOSE SAFE SPACES TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. I DID ALSO WANT TO ECHO COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR'S -- I LOVE ALL THE TITLES -- COMMENTS ON SUPPORTING THE BUSINESSES. YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THAT WAS ANOTHER CONCERN THAT WE HAD, NOT ONLY JUST FROM THE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE, BUT JUST THEIR OVERALL IMPACT.
I DID SEE THE SIGNS WITH THE BUSINESSES ON THE DETOUR, AND THEY WERE GREAT. AND SO I THINK THE MORE THAT WE CAN COPY AND PASTE WHAT THE DISTRICT ONE OFFICE DID TO MOVE AROUND THE CONSTRUCTION, I THINK THE BETTER. ALSO, TOO, I JUST DID HAVE ONE TACTICAL QUESTION. WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THE EDUCATION CENTER, THE VISITOR'S CENTER, MUSEUM, ALL OF THESE OTHER INITIATIVES TO BE OPEN?
>> SO THE EDUCATION CENTER AS I MENTIONED, CONSTRUCTION ACTUALLY
STARTS NEXT WEEK. >> GAVITO: OKAY. >> SO THE FENCING WILL BE GOING UP SOON, AND WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BUSINESS PARTNERS ABOUT THAT. AND WHEN THAT FENCE GOES UP, THAT'S WHEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO OPEN THAT ARCADE IN THE EVENINGS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT. THAT BUILDING IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETE
BY THE SUMMER OF 2025. >> GAVITO: OKAY. >> SO THAT'S THE GOAL.
SO WE CAN DO A ROBUST SET OF PROGRAMMING FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND TEACHERS IN TERMS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THAT SUMMER.
THE VISITOR CENTER MUSEUM, THE GOAL IS 2027.
>> GAVITO: OKAY. >> FOR COMPLETION. YOU KNOW, I -- THAT ONE IS A LITTLE LESS DEFINITIVE BECAUSE THERE'S STILL SOME PRETTY BIG UNKNOWNS BECAUSE OF OUR COMMITMENT TO SAVE THOSE STRUCTURES.
>> GAVITO: OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. >> GAVITO: AND THAT WAS ALL MY QUESTIONS.
THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE GAVITO. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA
GARCIA? >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. ROGERS AND COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN FOR THE INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION. I ALSO HAD AN UPDATE, I THINK IT WAS YESTERDAY, MAYBE THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, WITH HOPE ANDRADE AND THE TEAM, SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR KEEPING ME UP TO DATE.
AND ANDY, I THINK THAT WE ARE ON TRACK BECAUSE YOU HAVE A MAJORITY FEMALE LEADING THE MOVE. AND I THINK THAT'S HOW WE MIGHT BE AHEAD, TOO.
>> SEGOVIA: EMPOWERING TO SEE SO MANY WOMEN TAKE THE CHARGE. AND THANK YOU TO LORI AND SHANNON AS WELL. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD, BUT I'M JUST HONORED TO BE A SMALL PART OF IT.
COLLEAGUE COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO'S POINTS TODAY. WE DO HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTS -- AND A FEW YEARS AGO I LEARNED THAT I WAS 57.1% INDIGENOUS AMERICAN, AND 28.2% SPANISH, AND SO TO ME, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE TELL EVERY SIDE OF THE STORY, RIGHT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THIS IS -- THESE ARE MY ANCESTORS, RIGHT, AND SO -- AND I WANT MY KID AND HIS KIDS EVENTUALLY TO BE ABLE TO LEARN THE FULL STORY AND LEARN FROM THE BAD.
I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THAT, JUST TO ALSO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE BEAUTIFUL SLIDE ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ALAMO PLAN. AND SO IT WAS BY FAR MY FAVORITE SLIDE, AND AS A BOARD MEMBER FOR THE SAN ANTONIO VISIT SAN ANTONIO, I'M JUST SO EXCITED. ALSO WE WERE -- WE JUST LANDED A C VENT EVENT, AND SO IT'S A HUGE CONFERENCE AND SO IT'S GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE FOR THE CITY AND OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS TO SHOWCASE OUR HISTORY AND FOR PEOPLE TO GO BACK AND TELL THE STORY BEYOND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE CRITICAL. ALSO, MRS. RALSTON WHO INVESTED IN THE MUSEUM, I'M SO HAPPY THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO BE A PART OF IT AS WELL AS TO HONOR HER MOTHER. AND THEN THE LINE OF WOMEN INVOLVED IN THIS IS JUST SO IMPRESSIVE. THANK YOU, I HAVE NOTHING BUT KUDOS FOR YOU ALL TODAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
MAYOR. COUNCILMEMBER >> WHYTE: YEAH, I JUST WANT TO THANK KATE, HOPE, LORI, EVERYBODY INVOLVED WITH MAKING THIS PRESENTATION AND WHO'S
[01:05:05]
BEEN INVOLVED FOR SO LONG TO MAKE WHAT APPEARS TO MAKE A GREAT PROJECT EVEN BETTER.ALSO THE BEXAR COUNTY DELEGATION THAT WAS MENTIONED. THANKS TO THEM AS WELL.
AGAIN, I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF OUR SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
IT WILL BE NOTHING BUT GOOD FOR THE CITY IF WE DO. THE CONSTRUCTION CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED, I HEAR THOSE AS WELL. AND THAT AGAIN REMINDS ME ABOUT OUR CCR THAT MANY T OF US SIGNED AND THE NEED TO GET A PROGRAM IN PLACE QUICKLY SO THAT WE CAN HELP OUT SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION'S GOING ON.
WITH THAT SAID, AGAIN, I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE WORK THAT HAD BEEN DONE ON THIS. PROBABLY UNTIL I GUESS, KATE, WHEN WAS THAT? A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN WE HAD DINNER WITH COMMISSIONER BUCKINGHAM AND LEARNED MORE WHEN WE GOT BRIEFED BY LORI AND HOPE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. BUT THE EXTENT OF THE WORK HERE IS PRETTY REMARKABLE AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S REALLY PAID OFF WITH WHAT'S GOING TO BE A FANTASTIC PROJECT. CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE. GREAT WORK AND LOOKING FORWARD
TO SEEING IT COMPLETE. >> CASTILLO: COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
>> COURAGE: THANK YOU. I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT LAID OUT BEFORE US AS THE PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE COMING TO SAN ANTONIO. WE KNOW THAT THIS CITY DRAWS MORE TOURISTS THAN JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER CITY IN TEXAS AND THAT ONE OF THE PLACES THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ALAMO. WHEN PEOPLE HAVE LOOKED AT THE CHAPEL AND WALKED THROUGH IT AND MAYBE WALKED AROUND THE GROUNDS, THEY'VE ONLY GOT A BIT OF A TASTE OF WHAT THE ALAMO MEANS TO THIS COMMUNITY, TO THE PEOPLE IN THIS AREA, AND TO THIS STATE.
SO THE MUSEUM IS REALLY OFFERING A MUCH BROADER PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT THE ALAMO HAS REPRESENTED AND WHAT SAN ANTONIO REPRESENTS. SO I'M REALLY PLEASED WITH THAT. I DO HAVE ONE CONCERN, THOUGH, AND THAT IS IS IT GOING TO REMAIN AFFORDABLE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE TO COME AND SEE THE NEW ALAMO PLAZA, THE MUSEUM, THE COLLECTIONS BUILDING, THE EDUCATION BUILDING. I WAS THINKING OF A FEW PLACES, LIKE I CAN GO TO PHILADELPHIA AND SEE THE LIBERTY BELL AND PLACES LIKE THAT FOR FREE .
I CAN GO TO WASHINGTON, D.C. AND I CAN SEE EVERYTHING THERE FOR FREE.
I THINK YOU CAN STILL GO TO THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG AND YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THAT FOR FREE.
I'M WONDERING ARE WE GOING TO OVERPRICE THE ALAMO, THE MUSEUM, AND ALL THE OTHER ATTRACTIONS THERE IN THE FUTURE? WE'RE GETTING $400 MILLION FREE FROM THE STATE TO DEVELOP SO MUCH OF THIS. NOW, I CAN UNDERSTAND IF WE SPENT $400 MILLION THAT WE HAD TO BORROW AND WE NEED TO PAY THAT BACK OVER TIME, BUT THIS ISN'T THAT KIND OF A SITUATION. THE CITY HAS ALREADY DONATED $20 MILLION TO WORK OUT IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO AROUND THE PLAZA AREA AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I'M JUST WONDERING -- I UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO MAINTAIN BUT WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE COST TO THE AVERAGE EVERYDAY PERSON OR THE PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO WHO'VE LIVED HERE FOREVER WHO WANT TO COME AND SEE ALL OF THESE NEW FEATURESKE CAN YOU GIVE ME A RUNDOWN OF WHAT YOU THINK THOSE COSTS ARE GOING TO BE?
>> SO ESSENTIALLY EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE THAT IS ON THE PLAZA.
ALL THE NEW ELEMENTS ALONG THE PROMENADE, PLAZA DE VALERO, THE CENOTAPH, THE IMPROVED GARDENS, THE CHURCH, THE LONG BARRACK AS WELL AS THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE MUSEUM WILL BE FREE AND WILL ALWAYS REMAIN FREE. THE NEW MUSEUM, INCLUDING THE CIVIL RIGHTS EXHIBIT WILL BE FREE. YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE, IF YOU WILL.
IF YOU WANT TO PURCHASE A TICKET TO SEE THE GALLERIES UPSTAIRS, YOU CAN.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE 4-D THEATER YOU CAN DO THAT. YOU'LL HAVE MANY OPTIONS OF HOW MUCH MONEY YOU WANT TO SPEND, IF ANY AT ALL. OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU SPEND A DOLLAR OR NOT, YOU STILL HAVE A WONDERFUL, MUCH LONGER EXPERIENCE ON THE GROUNDS THAN WHAT YOU DO TODAY. IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE DOING THINGS LIKE WHAT YOU SEE WITH OUR WONDERFUL MUSEUMS AND THE CULTURAL CENTERS THAT OFFER FREE ADMISSION FOR RESIDENTS ON CERTAIN DAYS OF THE WEEK.
[01:10:04]
THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING WE WILL BE DOING . AND WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE PRIVATE FUNDRAISING SIDE OF THIS. WE'RE COMMITTED TO RAISING $150 MILLION. WE'VE RAISED A LITTLE OVER $50 MILLION THUS FAR.WE'RE ALSO $25 MILLION OF THAT WILL BE AN ENDOWMENT, WHICH WILL SPECIFICALLY PAY FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND TO MAKE SURE THAT TITLE I CAMPUSES, FOR EXAMPLE, SCHOOL
CHILDREN REQ CAN COME VISIT THE NEW ATTRACTIONS FOR FREE. >> COURAGE: THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT TITLE I SCHOOLS, REMEMBER THE COST OF
TRANSPORTATION. >> YES, SIR. >> COURAGE: IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE A $5 FEE TO GET IN BUT A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS ARE STRUGGLING TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR THOSE THINGS. THANK YOU.
THAT'S GOOD NEWS AND I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE THIS TO BECOME A VERY AFFORDABLE
OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL PEOPLE AS WELL AS TOURISTS. >> THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE.
>> WHYTE: YEAH. JUST OMITTED IN MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS TO GIVE SOME THANKS TO THE DISTRICT 10 REPRESENTATIVE ON THE COMMITTEE, WANDA HALL WHO I WAS TOLD REALLY DID GREAT TIME DURING HIS TIME ON THE COMMITTEE. SPECIAL THANKS TO WENDELL FOR
EVERYTHING THAT HE DID . THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK
YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
ACTUALLY, I WAS GOING TO ASK COUNCILMAN COURAGE'S QUESTION. KATE, I WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING. IF YOU ARE A LOCAL AND WANT TO GO EXPERIENCE ALL THE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER FOR THE ALAMO, ARE THERE ANY DISCOUNTS FOR LOCALS OR
FREE AFTERNOONS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT? >> YEAH.
THERE WILL BE A FREE EVENING, FAMILY NIGHT, THAT KIND OF THING.
WE WILL HAVE FREE TIMES WHEN THINGS WILL BE OPEN. IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ANSWER MORE SPECIFICALLY BUT WE HAVEN'T SET TICKET PRICES FOR THINGS YET.
WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF DOING AN ANALYSIS OF OTHER ATTRACTIONS LIKE US AND LOOKING AT THE MARKET TO SEE WHAT'S A REASONABLE AMOUNT FOR A FAMILY TO BE ABLE TO COME.
THE OTHER THING IS YOU COULD BE A MEMBER OF THE ALAMO FOR JUST $50 A YEAR AND YOU CAN COME AS
MUCH AS YOU WANT FOR FREE. >> HAVRDA: FOR A FAMILY OR FOR AN INDIVIDUAL?
>> THAT'S A FAMILY. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. INTERESTING.
THAT'S AN OPTION. THAT WAS REALLY IT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT LOCALS THAT WANT TO COME EXPERIENCE THE NEW ATTRACTIONS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK THE FREE AFTERNOONS HAVE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL AT MUSEUMS AND THINGS IN THE AREA. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I ALSO DID NOT, RIDICULOUSLY, I DID NOT THANK COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN AND HOPE ANDRADE FOR ALL THE WORK THEY DID ON THIS.
>> SEGOVIA: REMEMBER THAT THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND THE STRUCTURE WE PRESENTED, THAT WILL STAY IN PLACE. KEY THINGS IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE THE FEE STRUCTURE WILL BE PART OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE DISCUSSION, SO WE'LL HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT THERE AS WELL. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ.
>> PELAEZ: THANKS. ANDY, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT A BIG DEPARTMENT WITH 60-PLUS LAWYERS, RIGHT? IS THAT LAST COUNT? AND ON TOP OF THAT, YOU'RE WEARING A DEI HAT AND YOU'RE DOING THIS.
I DON'T ENVY THE WORKLOAD BUT YOU'RE DOING GREAT AND I APPRECIATE IT.
>> SEGOVIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. AS COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA POINTED OUT, IT'S THE REST OF THE TEAM TOO THAT'S DOING A LOT OF WORK AS WELL.
>> PELAEZ: I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. ONE IS ABOUT FIRST AMENDMENT -- EXERCISE OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO. THAT HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE PROTOAST AND HOLD MANIFESTATIONS AND DO WHATEVER IT IS THEY DO ON DEMONSTRATIONS. IS THAT STILL GOING TO BE ALLOWED AT THE ALAMO?
>> SEGOVIA: EVEN BEFORE THE RESET WE HAD A DESIGNATED FIRST AMENDMENT SPACE THAT WE WERE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS SET UP SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE FIRST AMENDMENT ACTIVITIES THERE. THAT'S STILL PART OF THE PLAN IS TO HAVE THAT AREA IN THE PLAZA, ON THE PLAZA. I'M SORRY. IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE -- IT'S
PART OF THE CAMPUS SITE. >> PELAEZ: DO Y'ALL KNOW WHERE?
IT'S RIGHT THERE. >> PELAEZ: OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
THE SECOND THING IS THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT DATA OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
[01:15:03]
I KNOW I MENTIONED IT BEFORE BUT I'LL MENTION IT AGAIN. THIS IS A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LEARN. IF WE'RE GETTING 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE THERE, WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THEM? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THEY VISITED THE ALAMO? HOW LONG WILL THEY LINGER AT THE ALAMO? FROM WHAT ATTRACTION DOWNTOWN DID THEY COME? WHERE WILL THEY BE GOING NEXT? WHAT SIGNAGE OPPORTUNITIES EXIST OR DON'T EXIST THAT SHOULD EXIST? HOW CAN WE HELP INFLUENCE CROWD MOVEMENT? THERE IS A SCIENCE OF CROWD ANALYTICS AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNCILWOMAN KAUR AND COUNCILMAN WHYTE AND I HAVE TALKED AT LENGTH AND I DO THINK THIS IS AN ASSET THAT WE OUGHT TO USE TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT CROWD MOVES AROUND DOWNTOWN AND HOW TO GET AS MUCH VALUE OUT OF THAT DATA WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING VALUE TO THE VISITOR USING THAT DATA, TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE SERVICES ARE DELIVERED. BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND I HAVE A FEELING IT WILL BE MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE WHEN YOU FINISH THE PROJECT.>> THE ESTIMATE IS 2.5 MILLION A YEAR ONCE THE PROJECT IS DONE.
OVER LABOR DAY WE ADDED A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS TO OUR EXIT SURVEY.
SO WE GET A HEALTHY PERCENTAGE OF ALAMO VISITORS WHO ARE GETTING THE TIME GETTING INTO THE CHURCH TO GIVE US THEIR E-MAIL ADDRESS. WE ALWAYS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON PUTTING A NEW CRM SYSTEM AT THE ALAMO SO WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB TRACKING OUR ANALYTICS. ALSO OUR FOOD AND BEVERAGE PROVIDER THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT PARTNERING WITH HAS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE DATA ANALYTICS IN-HOUSE TEAM THAT CAN ALSO HELP US LOOK AT DWELL TIME, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE PERFORMING REALLY WELL, EXHIBITS THAT ARE PERFORMING WELL. THINGS THAT ARE NOT SO WE CAN
MAKE CHANGES IN REALTIME. >> PELAEZ: THAT'S AN EXCELLENT BEGINNING AND MY HOPE IS THAT THIS IS A MUCH BIGGER CONVERSATION ABOUT THE 40 MILLION PEOPLE THAT VISIT US ANNUALLY AND HOW THEY USE DOWNTOWN. SO I WOULD LIKE TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT OUR COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING THIS ISSUE UP ABOUT CROWD ANALYTICS AND THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE.
BUT I DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU NOW, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, THIS IS MORE THAN BRICK AND MORTAR AND THIS IS MORE THAN JUST COLLECTIONS AND HISTORY.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT SOME POINT YOU GUYS BAKE IN THIS DATA COMPONENT. BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT'S ADDED VALUE.
AND YOU GUYS ARE A FORCE MULTIPLIER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO LEARN THESE LESSONS.
>> THANK YOU. >> PELAEZ: NEXT TIME MAYBE THERE'S A SLIDE ABOUT DATA.
>> YES, SIR. GOT IT. THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN.
>> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. KATE, I BELIEVE VISIT SAN ANTONIO DOES A LOT OF THAT WORK FOR Y'ALL TOO. YEAH. SO NEXT TIME WE'LL HAVE VISIT SAN ANTONIO HERE. BUT I DID WANT TO ASK ABOUT -- AND THIS MAY BE AN ANDY QUESTION. THE TRADEMARK OF THE IMAGE OF THE CHURCH AND WHAT DO WE PLAN TO DO? BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FEES AND BEING SUSTAINABLE.
DO WE HAVE PLANS TO MAYBE TRADEMARK SOME OTHER ITEMS AS WE MOVE FORWARD?
>> SEGOVIA: COUNCILWOMAN, GOOD QUESTION. ACTUALLY, THE TRADEMARK BELONGS
TO THE STATE. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY. >> SEGOVIA: AGAIN, WORKING TOGETHER WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE IT APPROPRIATELY AS WE IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.
WE'LL WORK WITH THEM IN TERMS OF LICENSING IN NOT ONLY THE SHOPS BUT IN OTHER AREAS AROUND THE CITY WHERE WE TRY TO LEVERAGE AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE SITE.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE OUR PARTNER BECAUSE THEY OWN THE TRADEMARK.
>> VIAGRAN: HOW ABOUT THE PLAZA, THE CENOTAPH, AND THE VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM? WHO DOES THAT CURRENTLY BELONG TO IN TERMS OF IF WE START USING THAT AS IMAGES OR IF THAT
STARTS TO BECOME ICONIC? >> SEGOVIA: I'M NOT SURE. MAYBE JEFF CAN HELP ME.
I'M NOT SURE TO WHAT EXTENT THE STATE HAS TRADEMARKED SOME OF THAT.
>> JEFF GORDON, GENERAL COUNSEL, TEXAS LAND OFFICE. WE HOLD SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 40 ALAMO TRADEMARKS BECAUSE THEY'RE LICENSED FOR DIFFERENT PRODUCTS THAT WE SELL TO GIFT SHOPS. WE PROTECT THOSE PRETTY VIGOROUSLY SO WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE TAKING THE TRADEMARKS AND DOING THINGS THAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED DEMEANING TO THE ALAMO. WE LICENSE THOSE -- WE HAVE A LICENSE THAT DOES A LOT OF THE MARKETING ISSUES. WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE CITY ON SOME LICENSING ISSUES IN THE
[01:20:01]
PAST AND WE CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO DO THAT. IN TERMS OF THE ICONIC, THE MUSEUM, IT'S PROBABLY MORE OF A TRADEMARK ISSUE IN THE FUTURE, PHOTOGRAPHS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, NOT A TRADEMARK. MORE OF A COPYRIGHT ISSUE NOT A TRADEMARK ISSUE.WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AND WE OWN THE BUILDINGS. WE OWN THE MUSEUM SO WE WOULD PROBABLY WORK, AS THAT GETS DEVELOPED, I'M SURE WE WANT TO BE PROTECTIVE OF THAT TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT BEING USED IN A WAY THAT DEMEANS THE ALAMO AND THE AREA.
>> VIAGRAN: YEAH, BECAUSE IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT SAN ANTONIANS, THEY LIKE THAT GOOD PHOTO OP AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING RESPECTFUL.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVENTIONS COMING IN AND WHEN THEY COME IN TO SAN ANTONIO, THEY WANT TO USE IMAGES FROM THE ALAMO TO ADVERTISE. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT. AND NOW THAT IN THE FUTURE -- BECAUSE OF THE BARRACKS AND THE MUSEUM AND THE OTHER CENTERS THAT WILL BE AFFILIATED, MAKING SURE WE GET THAT.
>> WE CERTAINLY DO NOT EVER STOP ANYBODY FROM TAKING A PICTURE WITH THEIR FAMILY IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO. ABSOLUTELY NOT AND WE WOULD NOT DO THAT.
>> VIAGRAN: OKAY. >> SEGOVIA: THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO EMPHASIZE, THANK YOU, JEFF. WE TALK ABOUT COPYRIGHT AND WE TALK ABOUT TRADEMARK, IT DOESN'T INHIBIT INDIVIDUALS FROM TAKING PICTURES. IT'S REALLY THE COMMERCIAL USE
OF IT, COUNCILWOMAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
>> GARCIA: I DID FORGET ONE THING. I HAD -- I TEACH MARKETING AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I POSE TO MY STUDENTS WAS HOW WOULD YOU MARKET THE ALAMO TO A YOUNGER GENERATION? THEY CAME UP WITH A LOT OF COOL IDEAS BUT ONE OF THEM WAS ONE THAT I THINK YOU ARE ALL WORKING ON, AN INTERACTIVE APP.
THEY CAME UP WITH THIS STORY OF HAVING AN AVATAR AND HAVING THE CHILD AVATAR TELL THE STORY FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW. AND SO -- BY THE WAY, THIS WAS A 45-MINUTE SESSION SO IT'S NOT FULLY BAKED. I'M JUST SAYING THIS BECAUSE IT MADE ME REALIZE HOW DO WE TELL THE STORY TO DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ABILITIES TO, AS YOU TELL THE STORY FOR THE ADULTS AND THEN FOR THE KIDS.
I DIDN'T ASK THAT SPECIFICALLY TODAY BUT MAYBE IT'S A LATER CONVERSATION.
I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW YOU'RE TARGETING THE DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS TO LEARN.
THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE WHOLE ALAMO TEAM FOR THE UPDATE. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE PROGRESS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW WE CAN SUPPORT CONTINUED MOVEMENT FORWARD.
I THINK THAT'S IT. WE'RE GOING TO GO NOW TO OUR SECOND ITEM.
ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE SCOTT IN CITY HALL TOO. HI, SCOTT.
ERIK, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. >> WALSH: THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO MOVING FROM THE EXCITING ALAMO TO OUR ANNUAL HIGH-PROFILE FORECAST REPORT. WE DO THIS ONCE A YEAR.
IT'S A VERY DELIBERATE PROCESS WHERE WE ARE FORECASTING OUT OUR HIGH-PROFILE SOLICITATIONS. TROY WILL WALK THROUGH THE FORECAST REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR '24. HE'S ALSO GOING TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW AND REMINDER FOR ALL OF US ON THE PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION TYPES AND HOW OUR PREFERENCE PROGRAMS FOLD INTO THAT. THE FORECAST DETAILS ALL OF THE DISCRETIONARY CONTRACT INITIATIVES THAT ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE RELEASED FROM OCTOBER '23 THROUGH SEPTEMBER '24. WE'LL BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE PROCESS OR PATH THAT THE SOLICITATIONS GO THROUGH. THOSE COULD BE THROUGH AUDIT. THEY COULD BE THROUGH BION.
OR IN SOME CASES BOTH. AND LOOKING FOR SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL SO WE CAN GET TO WORK OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS ON THESE SOLICITATIONS. TROY.
>> THANK YOU, ERIK. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
TROY ELLIOTT, DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING VERY, VERY EXCITING, PROCUREMENT. I HAVE ONE PERSON SHAKING THEIR HEAD. AS ERIK MENTIONED, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO GIVE Y'ALL A SNEAK PEEK OF WHAT'S ON THE RADAR OVER THE NEXT YEAR AS FAR AS HIGH-PROFILE PROJECTS.
AND WHAT PATH THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE AND GETTING YOUR INPUT AS FAR AS IF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, IF WE HAVE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD OR IF THERE ARE SOME CHANGES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
IN ADDITION TO THE HIGH-PROFILE PRESENTATION, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO APPLY A LITTLE BIT OF
[01:25:01]
BACKGROUND ON THE TYPE OF SOLICITATIONS THAT WE ISSUE AND WHAT TOOLS DO WE HAVE.AND ALSO TIED TO THOSE SOLICITATIONS WHAT PREFERENCE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO THE SOLICITATIONS, LIKE THE LOCAL PREFERENCE, VETERANS, AND SBEDA. BEFORE MOVING INTO THE PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MY TEAM. THIS TEAM DOES A TREMENDOUS JOB AT MOVING A HIGH VOLUME OF PROCUREMENTS EVERY YEAR. THIS TEAM LAST YEAR MOVED ABOUT 226 SOLICITATIONS THAT RESULTED IN ABOUT 556 CONTRACTS. ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, ABOUT 10,000 TO 15,000 PURCHASE ORDERS. SO THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR A HIGH VOLUME AND DO IT VERY, VERY WELL. ANGELICA MATA IS OUR ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR WHO ALSO LEADS THE PROCUREMENT TEAM. WE ALSO HAVE LAURA SAMBRANO, OUR PROCUREMENT ADMINISTRATOR. SHE HELPED DEVELOP THIS PRESENTATION TODAY SO IF YOU LIKE IT, ALL THE CREDIT IS MINE. IF NOT, SHE DID IT.
SHE'S ALSO RESPONSIBLE -- WE GET A HIGH VOLUME OF REQUESTS AND PROCUREMENTS AND SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THOSE AS WELL AS THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND THE CITYWIDE TRAINING AND OUR INTERNAL TRAINING. IN ADDITION TO LAURA AND MANAGING OUR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, WE HAVE JONATHAN MIRANDA.
HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE CONSTRUCTION. MORE NOTABLY ONE THAT YOU MAY RECOGNIZE IS THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER FOR THE AIRPORT AND ALSO MANAGES PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS, AND AVIATION. THEN WE HAVE JENNIFER JOHNSON, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING ALL OF OUR GOODS AND SUPPLIES. THIS IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST VOLUME AREAS WE HAVE.
WHEN I TALK ABOUT 10 TO 15,000 PURCHASE ORDERS A YEAR, MOST OF THAT IS RUNNING THROUGH HER GROUP. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE DENISE GOMEZ-ESQUIVEL.
SHE IS DOING THE MAJORITY OF OUR DISCRETIONARY PROCUREMENTS.
SO AS I MENTIONED, THEY HAVE ABOUT 70 PEOPLE BACK IN THE OFFICE THAT ALSO ASSIST BUT THIS TEAM DOES A TREMENDOUS JOB, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE HAD WITH THE PANDEMIC, SOME OF THE SHORTAGES THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN. THEIR JOB IS TO KEEP PURCHASING MOVING FOR OUR CUSTOMER DEPARTMENTS. AS I MENTIONED, THIS TEAM HAS SEVERAL TOOLS AT THEIR DISPOSAL. MOST OF IT IS HIGHLY REGULATED BY STATE STATUTE.
YOU'LL HEAR ME FROM TIME TO TIME TALK ABOUT THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR CHAPTER 252.
THREE PRIMARY SOLICITATIONS FALL UNDER THIS BUCKET. ONE IS INVITATIONS FOR BIDS.
WE USE THAT TO PURCHASE OR SUPPLIES AND GOODS FOR CONSTRUCTION.
REALLY TWO THINGS WHEN IT COMES TO AN INVITATION FOR BID. WE LOOK AT SPECIFICATIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO BUY A YELLOW PENCIL WITH AN ERASER ON IT. AND THE PRICE.
IF WE HAVE A BIDDER THAT MEETS PROPOSING ON A YELLOW PENCIL WITH AN ERASER AT THE LOWEST PRICE, WE'RE GOING TO AWARD IT TO THAT BIDDER. IF THEY MEET THEY HAVE THOSE THEN THEY'RE THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER. UNDER STATE STATUTE, NEGOTIATIONS OR CHANGES TO BID PRICES ARE NOT PERMITTED SO THERE'S NO DISCRETION.
THE OTHER ITEM WE USE IS A REQUEST FOR OFFER. WE TYPICALLY USE A REQUEST FOR OFFER FOR OUR COOPERATIVES. A COOPERATIVE IS A SET OR A GROUP THAT HAS, UNDER STATE STATUTE, HAS COMPETED AND HAS GOODS AND SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR US TO BASICALLY UTILIZE.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH GOING TO A COOPERATIVE IS IT REALLY DOESN'T UTILIZE ANY OF THE COUNCIL OR MAYOR'S PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF OUR PREFERENCE PROGRAMS FOR LOCAL, VETERANS, OR SBEDA. GOING TO THOSE CO-OPS DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR ANY OF THOSE ITEMS. WE ALSO USE THOSE FOR ITEMS WHEN WE WANT TO GO FORWARD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES. THERE MAY BE A SPECIFIC BRAND OR A SPECIFIC ITEM THAT IN PUBLIC SAFETY OR SOLE SOURCE THAT WE WOULD DO A REQUEST FOR OFFER TO GO DIRECTLY TO THAT COMPANY TO PURCHASE THOSE GOODS AND SERVICES. LASTLY, AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE THE COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL OR REQUEST FOR SEALED PROPOSAL, I THINK THIS IS MORE COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS WHAT YOU MAY RECOGNIZE AS A BEST VALUE PROPOSAL.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE FACTORS IN THE EVALUATION CRITERIA IN ADDITION TO JUST PRICE AND SPECIFICATION. WE CAN ALSO CONSIDER ITEMS SUCH AS EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND, AND QUALIFICATIONS, AND PROPOSED PLAN. TYPICALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT A BEST VALUE BID IT'S GOING TO BE A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED IN THOSE TYPES OF PROCUREMENTS. SOME OF THE EXAMPLES, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INVITATION FOR BID, IT'S AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, OFFICE SUPPLIES, FURNITURE, AUTO PARTS.
LOOKING AT THE SPECIFICATIONS AND LOWEST PRICE AND THEN WE AWARD TO THE LOWEST-PRICE
[01:30:02]
VENDOR. THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE REQUEST FOR OFFER THAT WE CAN UTILIZE EITHER THROUGH AN EXEMPTION OR THROUGH OUR COOPERATIVES. THESE ARE GOING TO BE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED ITEMS. OUR PUBLIC SAFETY ITEMS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE FIRE BUNKER GEAR, RESCUE EQUIPMENT, FIRE TRUCKS, AMBULANCES, AND SPECIALTY VEHICLES AND I.T. LICENSE AGREEMENTS. MOVING OVER TO REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL OR BEST VALUE-TYPE BIDS, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT HIGH-LEVEL OF SERVICES.JANITORIAL SERVICES, LANDSCAPING, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING SERVICES, HVAC.
THE OTHER TWO SOLICITATION TYPES ARE REQUESTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS.
ALSO KNOWN FOR OUR CONSTRUCTION SOLICITATION AND ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY SERVICES.
UNDER TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 2269, BASICALLY WE CAN SELECT A VENDOR BASED ON COMPETENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS. WE USE THIS TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRM'S CAPABILITIES. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, TYPICALLY FOR PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES, AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE ONES THAT YOU'RE MOST FAMILIAR WITH, WE CAN CONSIDER MULTIPLE FACTORS IN THE EVALUATION CRITERIA. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE TYPES OF THINGS WE SOLICIT USING THOSE TOOLS ON THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS.
TYPICALLY YOU'LL SEE THE ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPING AND LAND SURVEYING.
YOUR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, FINANCIAL, MARKETING, AND CONCESSION AND LICENSE AGREEMENTS. THAT COVERS SOLICITATIONS. WHAT PREFERENCE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE THAT COUNCIL HAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED TO SUPPLEMENT WHEN WE DO OUR PROCUREMENTS. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM, VETERAN-OWNED, AND SBEDA. ALL THREE OF THOSE ARE PROVIDED AUTHORITY UNDER STATE OR ALSO SUPPORTED BY COUNCIL ORDINANCE. TOWARD THE RIGHT YOU HAVE THE DBE OR DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE AND THE ACDBE PROGRAM, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY USED ON OUR FEDERAL PROGRAMS FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND AVIATION. JUST GIVING YOU A HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMS. THE LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM IS ADMINISTERED BY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. THE BUSINESS MUST BE LOCATED AND HEADQUARTERED WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO LIMITS. AN ESTABLISHED PLACE OF BUSINESS FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE A WHILE BACK BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE CONCERNED WITH IS THAT IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE EARLY YEARS OF THE ORDINANCE IN 2013, WHEN IT WAS FIRST PUT IN PLACE, IT DID NOT HAVE THOSE PROVISIONS IN THERE AND IT MAY ALLOW A PERSON OR COMPANY TO RELOCATE HERE AND ACTUALLY BE ELIGIBLE WITHIN ONE YEAR. WE PUT THAT PROVISION OR CAVEAT IN THERE. WE DID MAKE SOME CHANGES IN 2013 TO REALLY BROADEN THE LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM AND MAKE IT MORE ENCOMPASSING FOR OUR LOCALS.
SO ON OUR LOW BID WE INCREASED THE PRICE PREFERENCE FROM 3% TO 5%.
REALLY TO ALIGN IT WITH STATE STATUTE FOR OUR LOW-BID CONTRACTS.
WE ALSO EXPANDED IT, WHERE APPLICABLE, FOR OUR FEDERAL-FUNDED CONTRACTS.
ALSO, HISTORICALLY, THE LOCAL PREFERENCE WASN'T APPLIED TO NONPROFITS.
WE EXPANDED THAT AS WELL. NOW THE APPLICATION IS ALLOWED FOR AND APPLIED TO NONPROFITS.
WE TALK ABOUT THE LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM BEING APPLICABLE FOR ENTITIES LOCATED IN OUR MUNICIPALITY. AND SO IT'S REALLY FASHIONED AFTER STATE STATUTE.
STATE STATUTE BASICALLY DEFINES A PRINCIPLE PLACE OF BUSINESS WITHIN A MUNICIPALITY.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THE STATUTE, WHEN YOU TAKE THAT, IS YOU NOTICE THERE WILL BE SOME DOUGHNUT HOLES IN HERE THAT FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM IS NOT APPLICABLE TO A BUSINESS THAT RESIDES WITHIN THOSE AREAS.
THE LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM IS APPLICABLE IN TWO AREAS: THE LOW BID AREA PERMITTED BY STATE STATUTE. WE HAVE AND WE CAN PROVIDE A 5% PREFERENCE ON OUR LOW BIDS.
WE DO THAT AT LINE ITEM LEVEL. ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IF YOU ARE A LOCAL BIDDER AND YOU HAVE A PRICE OR A BID THAT IS WITHIN 5% OF THE NON-LOCAL, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY COST A LITTLE BIT MORE, BASED ON STATE STATUTE AND BASED ON THE COUNCIL ADOPTED ORDINANCE, WE CAN PROVIDE THE AWARD TO THE LOCAL COMPANY, EVEN THOUGH THE COST IS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO IT GIVES US ABILITY TO BASICALLY INCENTIVIZE LOCALS ON OUR PROCUREMENTS.
[01:35:03]
ON THE OTHER SIDE YOU HAVE THIS DISCRETIONARY SOLICITATIONS THAT ARE NOT GOVERNED BY STATUTE. IF IT'S GOVERNED BY STATUTE AND -- I'LL SHOW THAT IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES. YOU CANNOT APPLY A LOCAL PREFERENCE.BUT IF IT IS NOT GOVERNED BY STATUTE, WE HAVE POINTS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE.
THIS IS GOING TO BE IN OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, OUR REVENUE, AND CONCESSION CONTRACTS. TEN POINTS TO LOCAL BIDDERS HEADQUARTERED IN THE CITY OR FIVE POINTS IF YOU HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS PRESENCE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE DEFINE A SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS PRESENCE AS THOSE FROM BIDDERS FROM WHICH AT LEAST 20% OF ITS EMPLOYEES ARE REGULARLY BASED IN THE CITY. OR YOU HAVE A MINIMUM OF 100 EMPLOYEES IN THE INCORPORATED LIMITS OF THE CITY. SO NOT, YOU CAN GET UP TO FIVE POINTS. IF YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS PRESENCE, WHICH IS DEFINED AS 20% OR 100 EMPLOYEES OR MORE.
WE ALSO HAVE THE VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE PROGRAM.
THIS IS ALSO ADMINISTERED BY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN ORDINANCE IN JANUARY 2014. THERE IS NO GEOGRAPHIC LIMITATION LIKE THE LOCAL PREFERENCE. IF YOU ARE A VETERAN AND OPERATE IN THE UNITED STATES, THEN YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PREFERENCE ON OUR PROCUREMENTS.
CERTIFICATION BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR OR OTHER ENTITY WITH THE SAME CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND OVER TO MICHAEL TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SBEDA PROGRAM AND THEN I'LL TAKE BACK
OVER. >> THANK YOU, TROY. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS MICHAEL SINDON. I'M AN ADMINISTRATOR WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT . I'LL PROVIDE A BRIEFING ON THE SBEDA PROGRAM, WHICH IS ACTUALLY ADMINISTERED BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AS Y'ALL KNOW, THE SBEDA PROGRAM'S INTENT IS TO PROMOTE THE UTILIZATION OF SMALL, MINORITY, AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES TO ADDRESS DOCUMENTED DISPARITIES FOUND IN THE SAN ANTONIO MARKET AREA. THE PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN 1992 AFTER INITIAL DISPARITY STUDY FOUND THAT ONLY 10% OF OUR DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT WITH MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES. THE PROGRAM WAS REVISED IN 2010 AND 2016 AND BECAME THE PROGRAM YOU ALL KNOW TODAY. AMENDMENTS TYPICALLY DO FOLLOW THE ADOPTION OF DISPARITY STUDIES GIVEN THE CASE LAW GUIDANCE THAT RACE AND GENDER-CONSCIOUS PROGRAMS BE IMPLEMENTED IN A NARROWLY TAILORED FASHION TAILORED TO THOSE STUDY FINDINGS.
YOU ALL ADOPTED A 2023 DISPARITY STUDY BACK IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR SO AS A RESULT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN UTILIZING THOSE FINDINGS TO PROPOSE A SBEDA ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS. WE WILL ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN OCTOBER AND WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU ALL WITH AMENDMENTS TO THIS PROGRAM HOPEFULLY BY DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM, THERE'S REALLY TWO MAJOR CRITERIA.
FIRST, FIRMS MUST BE CERTIFIED BY THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL CERTIFICATION AGENCY AS A SMALL BUSINESS. SITE STANDARD CERTIFICATIONS ARE BASED ON GUIDELINES FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. WHILE THE BASELINE FOR CERTIFICATION IS BEING A SMALL BUSINESS, YOU MAY ALSO NEED TO BE A MINORITY OR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES TO GAIN ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES. SECOND, THE BUSINESS MUST BE HEADQUARTERED OR HAVE A PRESENCE IN THE SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA.
SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS PRESENCE MEANS THAT THE FIRM HAS A SATELLITE OFFICE IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA, IT'S BEEN OPERATIONAL FOR A YEAR, AND 20% OF THE COMPANY'S TOTAL WORKFORCE OPERATES OUT OF THAT OFFICE. TO ASSIST SMALL BUSINESSES SEEKING CITY CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY NINE TOOLS THAT WE CAN APPLY TO SOLICITATIONS TO EITHER PROMOTE A FIRM'S COMPETITIVENESS IN SEEKING PRIME . THESE TOOLS CAN BE APPLIED IN A RACE AND GENDER-NEUTRAL FASHION. RACE AND GENDER NEUTRAL MEANS ANY ELIGIBLE SMALL BUSINESS CAN RECEIVE THE BENEFITS AND RACE AND GENDER CONSCIOUS MEANS NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SMALL BUT YOU HAVE TO BE MINORITY OR WOMEN OWNED. EDD DOES RECOMMEND THESE TOOLS AND TOOL WEIGHTS BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF SMALL, MINORITY, WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES TAILORED TO THE SPECIFIC SCOPE OF WORK FOR A PROJECT.
WE ALSO BALANCE THAT ON SIMILAR PAST PROJECTS. THE TOOLS APPLIED TO THESE PROJECTS ARE DONE BY A GOAL-SETTING COMMITTEE. THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS THEM BUT THERE'S A COMMITTEE THAT ESTABLISHES THEM ON EACH PROJECT. THE COMMITTEE IS MADE UP OF A CITY MANAGER'S DESIGNATION, THE DEPARTMENT BUYING THE GOODS AND SERVICES, AS WELL AS TWO CITIZENS WHO ONLY VOTE ON THINGS OVER $3 MILLION. THIS KIND OF GIVES AN EXAMPLE OF HOW SOME OF THE PRIMARY
[01:40:02]
TOOLS CAN APPLY TO OUR CITY CONTRACTS AND CITY SOLICITATIONS.SO WE'LL START WITH THE LEFT-HAND SIDE HERE. THE FIRST PRIMARY TOOLS ARE SBEDA PRIME EVALUATION PREFERENCE POINTS. THIS CAN ONLY APPLY TO DISCRETIONARY SOLICITATIONS. THE ONES TROY MENTIONED EARLIER, THOSE ARE GRADED LIKE A TEST. THEY INCLUDE MULTIPLE CRITERIA BEYOND PRICE SUCH AS EXPERIENCE. WE CAN APPLY UP TO 20 SBEDA POINTS TO INCENTIVIZE AND MAXIMIZE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES SEEKING THAT CONTRACT OPPORTUNITY.
THE SECOND PRIMARY TOOL, WHICH IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE, ARE SBEDA CONTRACTING GOALS.
THESE ARE APPLICABLE TO BOTH DISCRETIONARY AND LOW BID SOLICITATIONS.
THE TOOL ALLOWS FOR UP TO 40% OF A CONTRACT TO BE PERFORMED BY A SMALL, MINORITY, OR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS. THTHE SUB BULLETS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS SLIDE ARE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU MAY SEE THEM APPLY ON A SOLICITATION. YOU MAY SEE THE GOALS STACKED IN SUBSETS. I'M SHOWING HOW 30% COULD BE FOR SMALL BUSINESS, OF THAT 20% FOR MINORITY WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES AND OF THAT 4% FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN-OWNED BUSINESSES . AGAIN, THIS IS ALL SET BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FIRMS COMPARED TO THE SCOPE AND HISTORIC UTILIZATION. THAT'S IT.
I'LL HAND IT BACK OVER TO TROY. >> THANK YOU, MICHAEL.
THE ONE THING I WOULD POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LEFT SIDE AND TALK ABOUT THE EVALUATION MATRIX. 35 POINTS ARE DEDICATED TO PREFERENCE PROGRAMS. AND THE SBEDA PROGRAMS ARE WORTH UP TO 20 POINTS. BASICALLY PROVIDES PREFERENCE FOR SBEDA, FOR COMPANIES OPERATING WITHIN THE SAMSA BUT YOU CAN GET AN ADDITIONAL 10 POINTS IF YOU OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS FOR A TOTAL OF 30 POINTS FOR A LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS CAN BE AVAILABLE. AND IF YOU'RE A VETERAN, ANOTHER FIVE.
THE LAST PREFERENCE PROGRAM REALLY IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY BOTH AVIATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS. IT'S REQUIRED APPLICATION FOR SOME FEDERAL PROGRAMS. FEDERAL FUNDING APPLIED FOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION, AND FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION , BECOME CERTIFIED AS A DBE OR ACDBE. THIS BASICALLY OPERATES SIMILAR TO THE SBEDA PROGRAM ON AVAILABILITY OF FIRMS IN THE MARKET AREA. JESUS TALKED LAST WEEK ABOUT THE CONCESSIONS PROGRAM AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE ACDB AND IT HAS TO BE APPLICABLE IN THE PRE-SOLICITATION. WE TALKED ABOUT SOLICITATION TYPES.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE PREFERENCE PROGRAM. WHERE ARE THEY APPLICABLE.
AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS APPLICABLE. AS I MENTIONED, PROCUREMENTS ARE HIGHLY REGULATED. IN SOME CASES IT'S ALLOWED BY STATE STATUTE AND IN SOME CASES IT IS NOT. ON THE LEFT SIDE ON INVITATION FOR BIDS FOR THE LOCAL PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE FIRST IN THE COLUMN, AS I MENTIONED, PRICE PREFERENCE IS AVAILABLE AND IS REGULATED BY STATE STATUTE. IT'S ALSO AVAILABLE ON REQUEST FOR OFFER.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS OR BEST VALUE, LOCAL IS NOT AVAILABLE PURSUANT TO STATE STATUTE. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THAT EVALUATION MATRIX A FEW MINUTES AGO WHERE YOU HAD FOR DISCRETIONARY CONTRACTS WHERE YOU HAD TEN POINTS AND FIVE POINTS FOR VETERANS, ON A BEST-VALUE BID LOCAL WITH NOT BE CONSIDERED. IT'S NOT ALLOWED BY STATE STATUTE.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND SEVERAL LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AGO WE ACTUALLY TRIED TO CLOSE THAT GAP WHERE WE ACTUALLY WENT TO THE LEGISLATURE AN PROPOSED CHANGES TO BASICALLY ALLOW LOCAL. BERNAL BASICALLY WAS THE AUTHOR FROM THE HOUSE SIDE AND MENENDEZ SPONSORED IT FOR THE SENATE. WE WERE SUCCESSFUL GETTING IT PASSED FROM THE HOUSE TO THE SENATE. WHENEVER IT WENT TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK THE GOVERNOR VETOED IT SO WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN CLOSING THAT G GAP. TODAY IT'S STILL NOT AVAILABLE.
LOCAL IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES FOR RFQS AND RFPS.
THEN WHEN IT COMES TO VOSB, IT IS NOT ALLOWED UNDER STATE STATUTE FOR INVITATION FOR BIDS OR REQUEST FOR OFFERS. OR REQUESTS FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS, AS LOCAL IS.
IT IS AVAILABLE FOR RFQS AND RFPS. THEN SBEDA, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF OUR SOLICITATION TYPES. AND THEN LOOKING TO THE RIGHT, DBE ON OUR FEDERAL PROGRAMS.
[01:45:08]
SWITCHING GEARS A LITTLE BIT. TALKED ABOUT SOLICITATION TYPES.TALKED ABOUT LOCAL PREFERENCE. KIND OF SHOW YOU WHERE THAT'S APPLICABLE IN THE FORECAST.
ON YOUR TABLET THERE IS ACTUALLY A DETAILED FORECAST. AND THAT DETAILED FORECAST, THAT FILE, IT GOES INTO DETAIL SOME OF THE THINGS I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IN A SUMMARY LEVEL. BUT THIS DETAILED FORECAST WILL ACTUALLY GO THROUGH EACH OF THE PROCUREMENTS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, WE ARE ACTUALLY TELLING YOU THE SOLICITATION METHOD THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE USING TO PROCURE THAT HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACT. WE'RE ALSO TELLING YOU THE TYPE OF PREFERENCE PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO ACTUALLY BE APPLIED WITH THOSE HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACTS BASED ON WHAT WE JUST WENT OVER. SO YOU CAN FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT. WHAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY IS A VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL. I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON IT BECAUSE WE WOULD BE HERE FOR QUITE SOMETIME. PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT THE HIGH-PROFILE PROCESS, THIS WAS STARTED IN OCTOBER OF 2013 WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACT COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT OF THE HIGH-PROFILE DISCRETIONARY PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
IN 2017 THE COMMITTEE WAS WE NAMED, REALLY FOR A DUAL PROCESS, NOT ONLY FOR THE HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACTS BUT ALSO TO MONITOR AND HEAR THE INTERNAL AUDITS THAT COME THROUGH AS WELL. THERE WERE SEVERAL CHANGES THAT WE MADE ALONG THE YEARS TO THE HIGH-PROFILE PROCESS. 2019 WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF ITEMS THAT WERE GOING THROUGH AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE BUT WERE OF A SIGNIFICANT INTEREST TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL. SO IT'S ALSO GOING TO B SESSION.
RATHER THAN DUPLICATING THE EFFORT IN TWO PLACES, WE CAME UP WITH A SET OF CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE CALLED SELECT CRITERIA, THAT BASICALLY GUIDES US FOR HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACTS OR SOLICITATIONS THAT WE RECOMMEND TO GO DIRECTLY TO B SESSION AND BYPASS THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE. MAKING THE PROCESS A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT.
THEN IN JUNE OF 2022, WE COMBINED ALL THE AVIATION HIGH-PROFILE SESSIONS INTO JESUS' MEETINGS EVERY THREE MONTHS IN A B SESSION SO WE CAN MANAGE THE AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE ASSOCIATED AND KEEP Y'ALL INFORMED AS A COUNCIL. THEN LASTLY IN OCTOBER OF 2022 WE REFINED THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT MORE. A LOT OF THE CONTRACTS COMING THROUGH THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY WERE FAIRLY ROUTINE BETWEEN 1 TO $5 MILLION. RATHER THAN RUNNING THOSE THROUGH A B SESSION OR AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE, OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO MOVE THOSE DIRECTLY TO THE COUNCIL AGENDA. I'LL SHOW YOU THOSE HERE IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
WHAT IS A HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACT? A HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACT IS A CONTRACT THAT IS DISCRETIONARY IN NATURE AND VALUED OVER $1 MILLION.
IT ALSO HAS A HIGH LEVEL OF COMMUNITY INTEREST OR OTHER EXCEPTIONAL INTEREST OR IT'S HIGHLY COMPLEX OR TECHNICAL IN NATURE OR CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS THAT ARE NON-STANDARD ARE COMPLEX. IF IT MEETS ANY ONE OF THOSE THREE CRITERIA THEN WE DEEM IT AS HIGH PROFILE. IT GOES THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND WE'LL SOLICIT COUNCIL FEEDBACK THROUGH SEVERAL METHODS OR PATHS, AS ERIK CALLED IT.
LOW-BID PROCUREMENTS ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE DEFINITION. THEY ARE NOT DISCRETIONARY.
THEY ARE BASICALLY SELECTED BASED ON PRICE AND SPECIFICATION.
YOU WILL NOT SEE A LOW-BID ITEM COMING THROUGH THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OR B SESSION UNLESS THERE IS A SPECIFIC INTEREST. THEN WE'LL HEAR IT AT THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
AS I MENTIONED WHILE AGO, WE NOTICED THERE WERE SEVERAL CRITERIA THAT WERE COMMON AMONGST A LOT OF THE HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACTS THAT WENT DIRECTLY TO B SESSION.
SO AS FAR AS A GUIDELINES, IF A HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACT HAS AN IMPACT OF $25 MILLION OR MORE, HIGH-LEVEL POLICY OR PUBLIC SAFETY IMPLICATIONS, CONTRACT TERM OF TEN YEARS OR MORE, OR PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE AS STAFF OVER SEVERAL YEARS WITH THE COUNCIL MEETINGS, THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY RECOMMEND THOSE FOR B SESSION. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS ERIK MENTIONED, OUR FORECAST IS PRESENTED ANNUALLY TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT'S ON THE RADAR OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. THERE ARE FOUR PATHS THAT THEY CAN TAKE.
THOSE THAT ARE SELECTED FOR PRESENTATION AT A COUNCIL B SESSION.
TYPICALLY THEY MEET THOSE CRITERIA ON THE PRIOR SLIDE OF $25 MILLION OR MORE.
AND MEET THOSE SELECT HIGH-PROFILE CRITERIA. THEY CAN -- ALL THE AVIATION PROCUREMENTS AND HIGH-PROFILE PROCUREMENTS WILL GO THROUGH THE B SESSION MEETINGS WHERE JESUS DELIVERS HIS STATUS ABOUT EVERY THREE MONTHS ON THE TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
[01:50:01]
WE'LL ALSO PROVIDE THE PROCUREMENTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH AVIATION.THEN WE HAVE THOSE THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO BE PRESENTED TO THE AUDI AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE RANGING FROM $5 MILLION TO $25 MILLION.
THOSE THAT WOULD GO DIRECTLY TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'LL SHARE WITH YOU THE HIGH-PROFILE PROCUREMENTS THAT FALL INTO EACH OF THOSE BUCKETS.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE FROM Y'ALL AS A COUNCIL HOW THEY ARE BEING PRESENTED, THEN WE'LL TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDINGLY.
THERE ARE 51 HIGH-PROFILE SOLICITATIONS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED TO BE RELEASED IN 2024. WE DID PRESENT THIS PRESENTATION OR A PORTION OF THIS PRESENTATION TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 10 AND ALL THESE SOLICITATIONS HAVE BEEN COORDINATED WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
CRITERIA THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. FIVE IS PART OF THE AVIATION B SESSIONS.
22 FOR AUDIT COMMITTEE PRESENTATIONS AND 21 RECOMMENDED DIRECT FOR PLACEMENT ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA. KEEP IN MIND THOSE THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR A B SESSION AND THOSE THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR AUDIT COMMITTEE PRESENTATIONS, THAT'S 60 PRESENTATIONS. SO WE WILL DO A PRE-SOLICITATION BRIEFING WITH THE COUNCIL, BASICALLY GETTING YOUR INPUT BEFORE THE ACTUAL SOLICITATION EVER HITS THE STREET. WE WILL GO OVER THE SCOPE, THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, THE PREFERENCE PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDED, THE AMOUNT, THE TERM. KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE CONTRACT THAT WE'RE SOLICITING, GETS Y'ALL'S FEEDBACK BEFORE IT'S RELEASED, INCORPORATE THE FEEDBACK, AND THEN WE PERFORM THE EVALUATION. AFTER THE EVALUATION WE BRING THAT BACK IN THE FORM OF A POST SOLICITATION BRIEFING AND WE SHARE THE RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION WITH THE COUNCIL.
AFTER THAT PRESENTATION, IT CAN BE MOVED FORWARD TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL B SESSIONS, THERE WERE THREE THAT WE SELECTED FOR INDIVIDUAL B SESSIONS. ONE WAS FOR $10 MILLION. IT'S AN RFCSP.
THE WATERWORKS CONSTRUCTION AT BRACKENRIDGE. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INTEREST ON THE BRACKENRIDGE SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO BRING THIS BACK TO COUNCIL TO HEAR IN THE FORM OF A B SESSION. THE SECOND IS NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING. THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT INTEREST FROM THE COUNCIL -- AT LEAST WE HAVE FELT THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT INTEREST FROM THE COUNCIL ON SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. THIS IS AN RFP FOR $9.6 MILLION.
AND THEN ON SEPTEMBER 30 YOU HEARD THE PRE-SOLICITATION FOR THE RFP FOR TOWING AND IMPOUND MANAGEMENT SERVICES, ROUGHLY $23 MILLION A YEAR AT $460 MILLION.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THIS ONE TO TAKE ALL COUNCIL INPUT FOR SOLICITATION. THE OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE WRAPPED INTO THE B SESSIONS WITH AVIATION DEPARTMENT BY JESUS. THERE ARE FIVE ITEMS HERE.
THERE ARE TWO ON-CALLS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE HIGH-DOLLAR AMOUNTS, FAIRLY ROUTINE FOR GENERAL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. THEN IN THE MIDDLE JESUS PRESENTED LAST WEEK THE RFP FOR THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE PRIME CONCESSIONAIRE AND RETAIL CONCESSIONAIRE OF $71 MILLION. WE HAVE THE TWO RSCFPS FOR SECURITY SERVICES FOR THE AIRPORT . AS FAR AS THE AUDIT COMMITTEE PRESENTATION, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT 22 BE RECOMMENDED TO RUN THROUGH THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
44 PRESENTATIONS. SEVEN OF THOSE ARE REQUESTS FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS, 12 RFPS, AND 3 RFQS. THE SEVEN REQUESTS FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS, WE TYPICALLY CALL BEST VALUE. THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE THE CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS, ABOUT $7 MILLION FOR A PARKING REVENUE CONTROL SYSTEM.
THIS IS REPLACING THE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AT OUR CITY-OWNED GARAGES.
DON'T WORRY. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE.
THE OTHER ONES I WOULD HIGHLIGHT WOULD BE THE ONES FOR PUBLIC WORKS, ABOUT $12.8 MILLION FOR TRAINING ACADEMY AND DRIVING TRACK IMPROVEMENTS.
DISTRICT 1 PARKS AND MULTIGENERATIONAL RECREATION FACILITY.
THIS IS TYPICALLY GOING TO BE JUST TO GIVE YOU INSIGHT TO WHAT THAT IS, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY TELL IT FROM THE NAME , IT'S GOING TO BE A TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION FOR BASICALLY SUPPORTING THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF WORK ORDER MANAGEMENT,
[01:55:01]
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT, DRIVER PERFORMANCE, AND ROUTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.CONTINUING ON WITH THE 12 RFPS, WE HAVE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, $4 MILLION WITH THE HIGH-VOLUME RESCUE PARTNER. WE ALSO HAVE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND HEALTH.
THESE WERE TWO THAT WERE RECOMMENDED TO BE MOVED UP FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT WE HAD RECOMMENDED TO BE HEARD AT THE AUDIT COMMITTEE. THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IS $1.9 MILLION FOR VACANT LOT ABATEMENT SERVICES. AND FOR HEALTH, $1 MILLION FOR IMMUNIZATION VACCINE HESITANCY. THE UPPER RIGHT, FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, WE'RE TAKING TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE FOR AN SAP CHANGE. WE HAVE OUR PROCUREMENT BACKBONE, OUR PROCUREMENT SOFTWARE AND FINANCIAL SOFTWARE. $3.5MILLION FOR BUDGET SOLUTION . DOWN BELOW YOU CAN SEE THOSE THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES. WRAPPING UP THE 12 RFPS FOR RISK MANAGEMENT, WE HAVE $8 MILLION FOR OUR SELF-INSURED TPA OR THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR. PUBLIC WORKS, $11.2 MILLION FOR ON-CALL REMEDIATION AND DISPOSAL SERVICES. OUR ALARM FEES MANAGEMENT AT $5 MILLION FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT. FOR TRANSPORTATION, $1.2 MILLION FOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES. THIS ONE WAS ALSO RECOMMENDED TO BE MOVED UP FROM THE COUNCIL CONSENT AGENDA UP TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE. WRAPPING UP THE AUDIT COMMITTEE PRESENTATIONS, WE HAVE THREE REQUESTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR PUBLIC WORKS WE HAVE TWO ON CALLS. FOR CULTURAL RESOURCES CONSULTING SERVICES AND ENGINEERING INSPECTION SERVICES. FOR TRANSPORTATION, $5.5 MILLION FOR OUR SAFE STREETS FOR ALL, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE DESIGN SERVICES FOR OUR MID-BLOCK CROSSWALKS. WRAPPING UP WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL CONSENT AGENDA, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT 27 GO TO BE DIRECTLY PLACED ON THE CITY COUNCIL CONSENT AGENDA.
17 RSCFSS. THESE ARE FAIRLY LOW VALUE BENEATH $5 MILLION.
BUT ALSO PRETTY ROUTINE IN NATURE. SO FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, WE HAVE 17 RSCFPS.
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WHICH IS AN ASSET MANAGEMENT TRACKING SYSTEM.
YOU CAN SEE WALKING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE LIST, FAIRLY ROUTINE.
SPRINKLER INSPECTION SERVICES. SELF-DISPENSING EQUIPMENT FOR LIBRARIES.
THEN UNDER PUBLIC WORKS WE HAVE CASSIANNO PARK AND OUR NEW MEDICAL CENTER PARK.
WE ALSO HAVE ONE RFP AND THREE RFQS FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE WE HAVE $1.3 MILLION FOR OUR APPRENTICESHIP UPGRADE GRANTS. FOR PUBLIC WORKS WE HAVE THREE RFQS. SIDEWALK CONDITION ASSESSMENT SURVEY AND STORM DRAIN VIDEO INSPECTION SERVICES. MAYOR, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE A GROUP OF DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE THAT IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THESE CONTRACTS, WE CAN ANSWER BUT WE'RE WELCOME TO ANY INPUT YOU MAY HAVE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION TROY AND MICHAEL AS WELL.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, GUYS FOR BEING DILIGENT IN PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS WITH THE OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES ABOUT PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING AND WHAT STANDS OUT TO ME IN ALL THOSE DISCUSSIONS IS THAT SAN ANTONIO, THE CITY ORGANIZATION AND OUR PROCUREMENT EFFORT IS ALMOST SORT OF A BIG BROTHER IN THE ROOM, HAVING REFINED THIS OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. SO YOU GUYS DO A VERY GOOD JOB. MY ONLY SUGGESTION IN ALL OF THIS IS THAT BECAUSE A HUGE AMOUNT OF WHAT THE COUNCIL DOES INVOLVES LEAST THE FIRST 23 SLIDES OR SO IN A WEB VERSION THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY USE FOR ONBOARDING, AS WELL AS HAVING PROSPECTIVE CITY VENDORS TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. I MEAN, YOU REALLY WENT AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK WITH OUR PROCUREMENT AROUND CONTRACTING VARIATIONS AND I THOUGHT IT WAS
[02:00:03]
A REALLY WELL-DONE SUMMARY, TROY. THAT'S MY ONLY SUGGESTION.I WOULD TRY TO ENCAPSULATE THIS, AT LEAST THE FRONT HALF OF IT, EXCLUDING THE FORECAST FOR 2024, BUT IT'S ALL GOOD INFORMATION AND IT HELPS US INTERPRET AND HELPS THE PUBLIC ALSO INTERPRET WHAT OUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE IN THE PROCESS.
WE'LL GET INTO THE CONVERSATION NOW. WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMEMBER
MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND I THINK I'LL TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE. I THINK FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS B SESSION WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE STARTED AT SLIDE 23 BUT I DO THINK THAT GENERALLY NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO COME IN WOULD BENEFIT FROM SEEING ALL OF SLIDE 1 THROUGH 22, 23.
DITTO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID. THERE'S JUST ONE THING THAT I THINK IS A LITTLE INTERESTING TO ME. I'LL START OFF BY SAYING THAT OFTEN IT'S EASY FOR FOLK OUTSIDE OF COUNCIL TO LOOK AND SAY, OH, COUNCIL IS ALWAYS DISAGREEING ON THIS OR THAT OR THESE ARE CONTENTIOUS ISSUES THAT COUNCIL IS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT.
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO OFTEN AGREEMENT ON THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT WE DO, WHICH ARE THESE HUNDREDS OF ITEMS A MONTH THAT WE AGREE ON AND THAT WE PASS ON CONSENT.
THERE'S JUST ONE SINGLE ITEM ON HERE THAT I DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY THAT THAT'S WHERE IT BELONGS. WITHIN -- SO THE THRESHOLD FOR ITEMS TO GO TO AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY WAS $5 MILLION TO $25 MILLION. IT LOOKED LIKE THEY'RE ALL AT ABOUT $15 MILLION AND UNDER EXCEPT FOR ONE, WHICH WAS UNDER THE LIBRARY.
IT WAS THE PRINT MATERIALS, CATALOGING, AND PROCESSING THE SERVICES.
IT'S KIND OF AN OUTLIER AT $24.5 MILLION. I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE WE SHOULD RECONSIDER THAT ONE. I KNOW IT'S LISTED AS BEING THE THRESHOLD, BUT SINCE EVERY OTHER ITEM WAS $15 MILLION AND UNDER, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT FITS IN THERE AND I THINK IT MIGHT WARRANT -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT LEVEL OF INTEREST THERE ARE FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BID OR FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT FOR ME, PERSONALLY, I WOULD MOVE THAT TO PROBABLY THE B SESSION OR -- I WOULD PROBABLY MOVE IT TO THE B SESSION. THAT'S ALL MY FEEDBACK, OTHER THAN I KNOW THIS WAS A LOT OF WORK. I APPRECIATE YOU, ALL THE WORK YOU DO. Y'ALL DO THE MATH I DON'T WANT TO DO.
SO, THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THAT'S COMING FROM A MATH TEACHER, BY THE WAY. THAT'S HARD-CORE MATH. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE REALLY BUSY NEXT YEAR.
AUDIT HAS THEIR WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM SO I'M EXCITED THAT WE HAVE A GOOD -- WE'VE ALWAYS HAD BUT WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN GOING FORWARD. I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS BUT I THINK AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF THIS -- MAYBE IT WAS INTENDED -- CONSEQUENCE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS A SNAPSHOT THAT IT PROVIDES OF THE SIZE AND EXTENT OF THE GROWTH, THE ACTIVITY IN OUR CITY, ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AS A CITY TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN OF COURSE ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH.
THERE'S JUST A LOT GOING ON IN SAN ANTONIO AND AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT AND THIS REMINDS ME THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SMART, STRATEGIC CHOICES.
THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ARE ABOUT THE PREFERENCE PROGRAMS. WELL, THE PREFERENCE PROGRAMS ARE IMPORTANT AND I HEAR YOU IN THIS PRESENTATION SAYING GOING INTO A PROCESS THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO LEVEL OR ATTEMPTS AT LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD.
ONCE WE'RE IN THE PROCESS, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING, ANY CRITERIA OR STANDARDS FOR THE APPLICANTS THAT KIND OF MAKE IT THROUGH THE PROCESS TO SHOW THAT WE ARE BEING EQUITABLE? IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING. DO WE HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF VETERAN BUSINESSES THAT WE WANT TO SEE MAKE IT THROUGH THE END OR WOMEN OWNED OR MINORITY OWNED? I ASK THAT KNOWING THAT MAYBE IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE PUTTING OUR THUMB ON THE SCALE FOR ONE OR THE OTHER. BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE GOING INTO THE PROCESS IT'S HEAVY WITH THESE OPPORTUNITIES BUT NOT AFTER THAT. IS THERE ANYTHING BUILT IN, AS
WE GO ALONG? >> WE'RE NOT SAYING WE WANT TO GET TEN LOCALS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE DO MONITOR, WHEN THE LOCAL PREFERENCE AND VETERANS IS APPLICABLE AND WHEN IT'S NOT.
YOU MAY HAVE LOCAL COMPANIES THAT GET A BID BUT WAS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC TARGETS WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL OR VETERANS OUTSIDE OF WHAT MICHAEL DOES ON THE SBEDA
PROGRAM. >> ON EACH PROJECT YOU'LL SEE A GOAL THAT WE MONITOR TO THE END, WHICH IS AN EXPECTED PERCENTAGE OF DOLLARS TO FIRMS.
[02:05:02]
AND DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES AS WELL AS OVERALL. WHILE THAT MEASURES THE DOLLARS AND NOT NECESSARILY THE INDIVIDUALS, PER SE, THAT IS SOMETHING WE LOOK ATAUDIO] TO MONITOR FOR ANNUALLY AS WELL. >> HAVRDA: OKAY.
CAN WE DO THAT? CAN WE LOOK AT IT GOING FORWARD? I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A QUESTION FOR ANDY AND WE CAN MAYBE DISCUSS AT ANOTHER TIME.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S A PUBLIC CONVERSATION BUT I'M CURIOUS IF THAT'S ALLOWABLE.
>> SEGOVIA: A LOT DEPENDS ON THE DETAILS, COUNCILWOMAN. YOU'RE RIGHT.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT IN EXEC. >> HAVRDA: OKAY.
I'M JUST INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT -- WELL, SMALL BUSINESSES, HOW WE CAN HELP THEM, ESPECIALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW THEIR WEALTH AND THEN A LOT OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE GENERATIONAL.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THEM, NOT JUST BE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE BUT BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT PARTICIPATION. IF THAT MAKES SENSE. AND THEN DO WE KEEP STATISTICS ON THOSE -- I THINK MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HE ANSWERED. ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE
THAT ARE APPLYING? >> YEAH, WE MEASURE IT IN TWO WAYS.
NUMBER ONE, WHO IS ACTUALLY BIDDING AND THEN WHO IS ACTUALLY SUCCESSFUL, EITHER AT
THE PRIME OR SUBLEVEL. WE MEASURE FOR THAT AS WELL. >> HAVRDA: CAN YOU SEND THAT
TO US, THE INFORMATION? >> SURE. WE HAVE LAST YEAR'S AND WE'LL
BE RELEASING THE FISCAL YEAR '23 REPORT IN JANUARY. >> HAVRDA: OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA.
COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A HIGH-COMMUNITY INTEREST PROPOSAL?
>> IT CAN BE SEVERAL THINGS. IT CAN BE IF IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED.
IT CAN BE, FOR EXAMPLE, IT CAN BE A PROCUREMENT-RELATED, LIKE WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, BRACKENRIDGE PARK. THE COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER, THEY HAVE A HIGH COMMUNITY INTEREST. THEY USUALLY COMMUNICATE THAT THROUGH US OR THE COUNCIL PEOPLE. AND THEN WE UTILIZE THATHA TO DESIGNATE IT AS A HIGH
PROFILE. >> GAVITO: BASICALLY, THROUGH THE FEEDBACK Y'ALL ARE GETTING FROM COUNCIL OR WE'RE SEEING ACTIVATION IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHEN Y'ALL KIND OF
DIFFERENTIATE, HEY, THIS IS A HIGH-COMMUNITY INTEREST. >> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> GAVITO: I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE GOING TO SAY ANYTHING.
>> NO. >> GAVITO: HOW MANY HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACTS DO WE
USUALLY GET IN A FISCAL YEAR? >> TYPICALLY THIS IS ABOUT 50 -- THIS IS ABOUT THE AVERAGE. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE'S 51 ON THE LIST TODAY.
THAT WILL MORE THAN LIKELY CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THINGS WILL POP UP AND WHEN THEY DO POP UP, WE'LL TAKE THEM EITHER THROUGH BEN AS A LIAISON TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OR COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN AS THE CHAIR OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE TO SEE WHAT PATH THEY WILL
FOLLOW. BUT 50 IS ABOUT THE AVERAGE. >> GAVITO: OKAY.
ALSO TOO I FORGOT TO MENTION, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. THIS PRESENTATION WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL. I STILL HAD A FEW MORE QUESTIONS.
ON SLIDE 23, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HIGH-PROFILE FORECAST, Y'ALL MENTIONED THERE'S FOUR PATHS A HIGH-PROFILE SOLICITATION CAN TAKE.
HOW DO Y'ALL DECIPHER WHICH PATH THAT THEY'LL TAKE, WHETHER THEY GO ON CONSENT OR AUDIT?
>> BASED ON THE CRITERIA WE TALKED ABOUT. FOR EXAMPLE, STARTING AT THE BOTTOM FOR THE CITY COUNCIL CONSENT AGENDA. LIKE I SAID, OVER TIME WE STARTED TO NOTICE THAT BETWEEN 1 TO $5 MILLION THEY WERE FAIRLY ROUTINE, LOW VALUE.
SO TYPICALLY $1 MILLION TO $5 MILLION GO TO CONSENT AGENDA.
$5MILLION TO $25 MILLION ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND THEN THE SELECT CRITERIA THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AND YOU JUST BROUGHT UP FOR B SESSION. HERE RECENTLY EVERYTHING WITH AVIATION, JUST GIVEN KIND OF THE AGGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE TIMELINE, WE DO IT THROUGH
JESUS' B SESSIONS. >> WALSH: WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL.
THIS IS JUST BASED ON KIND OF OUR PRACTICES AND OUR POLICIES, OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR THOSE THREE TO GO TO B SESSION. WE DID TOWING ALREADY. BRACKENRIDGE, OBVIOUSLY, HAS HAD A LOT OF -- PHASE 1 HAD A LOT OF ACTIVITY SO WE'RE GOING OUT ON A LIMB SAYING WE SHOULD PROBABLY DO A PRE AND POST FOR THAT ONE. BUT IF THERE'S OTHERS ON THE LIST, EVEN BEYOND TODAY'S MEETING, IF THERE'S OTHERS ON THE LIST THAT YOU'RE LIKE I FEEL LIKE WE OUGHT TO SPEND MORE TIME ON THIS ONE, THAT'S THE FEEDBACK WE'RE LOOKING
FOR. >> GAVITO: YEAH, AND I KNOW PRIOR TO ME BEING ON COUNCIL WITH THE AIRPORT SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, I KNOW THAT WITH THE AVIATION CONTRACTS WE DID, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE FOR THOSE.
I AM CURIOUS ON HOW WE COULD APPLY THAT TO OTHER AREAS OF CITY GOVERNMENT.
>> WALSH: I WILL GIVE YOU SUGGESTIONS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET BOGGED DOWN
[02:10:04]
EITHER. I THINK THE AIRPORT EXPERIMENT HAS PROVEN THAT WE CAN SHAVE TIME OFF. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, WHEN WE ARE -- WHEN YOU SEE THE HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACT FORECAST, WE'RE GOING TO START GETTING INTO CONSTRUCTION OF THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM. I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO START TO BUNDLE SOME OF THOSE UP AND MAYBE HELP THAT PROCESS ALONG AS WELL.THAT'S ONE THING YOU REALLY DON'T SEE A LOT OF, OTHER THAN THERE'S A D1 CENTER.
BECAUSE WE'RE IN DESIGN STILL FOR 2022. BUT BEGINNING IN '25, '26,
AND '27, IT'S GOING TO BE CONSTRUCTION HEAVY. >> GAVITO: I'M PROCESSING HOW WE CAN TAKE THAT TO SOME OTHER AREAS. ALSO, TOO, I COULDN'T REMEMBER THE PORTAL THAT WHERE VENDORS CAN APPLY FOR CITY CONTRACTS AND VIA CONTRACTS AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS. WHAT IS THAT PORTAL CALLED? DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONE I'M TALKING ABOUT WHERE A VENDOR CAN APPLY FOR A CITY CONTRACT AND A VIA CONTRACT?
MA MAYOR WAS REFERENCING. >> GAVITO: WHAT IS THE TIMELINE?
>> MAYOR >> WALSH: IF YOU ASK THE MAYOR, HE'S GOING TO SAY YESTERDAY. WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE PROGRESS SO THERE'S A ONE-STOP OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, LOCAL BUSINESSES, TO BE ABLE TO BID ON LIKE ITEMS
THAT MAYBE THE CITY AND CPS AND THE COUNTY ARE PROCURING. >> GAVITO: WELL, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA WAS SAYING. THESE ARE BRINGING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO, YOU KNOW, MINORITIES IN OUR AREA. IT'S A GAME CHANGER.
THE SOONER WE CAN DO THAT, THE BETTER. I PERSONALLY GET NERVOUS WITH THE DURATION OF SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS, ALTHOUGH I KNOW TEN-YEAR CONTRACTS ARE NEEDED FOR THEM TO PLAN. WHAT IS THE CITY'S METHODS FOR TRACKING AND MONITORING AND
POTENTIALLY PIVOTING ON SOME OF THOSE CONTRACTS? >> AS FAR AS THE TIMELINES?
>> GAVITO: NOT NECESSARILY THE TIMELINE BUT JUST MAKING SURE THAT CITY COUNCIL IS KEPT UP TO DATE ON, HEY, THINGS ARE GOING WELL WITH THIS VENDOR, THINGS ARE NOT GOING WELL WITH THIS VENDOR. SPECIFICALLY FOR SOME OF THOSE LONG-TERM CONTRACTS.
>> WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS, WE WILL MANAGE THAT. IF IT NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED, WE'LL WORK THROUGH ERIK AND HAVE THE CITY MANAGER COMMUNICATE WITH Y'ALL.
ONE THING, WITH OUR 51 NOW, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT THOSE ARE NEW.
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS. WE HAVE ABOUT 11 THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT TODAY THAT ARE IN PROGRESS, SO WE HAVE 51 ON AVERAGE BUT WE ALSO HAVE
SOME THAT ARE IN PROGRESS AS WELL. >> GAVITO: AWESOME.
THANKS AGAIN. THIS WAS REALLY HELPFUL AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE
GAVITO. COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. >> PELAEZ: I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE ITEMS IS SELF-INSURED TPA CLAIMS ADMINISTRATION. DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE NON-SUBSCRIBERS TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION OR WE ARE BUT WE'RE JUST SELF-INSURED?
>> COUNCILMAN, WE'RE SELF-INSURED FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION.
WE DO HAVE AN EXCESS POLICY THAT KICKS IN AT A CERTAIN LIMIT BUT THIS CONTRACT ADMINISTERS THOSE CLAIMS FOR US. THEY'RE A CLAIMS PROCESSOR.
>> PELAEZ: OKAY. ARE WE SUBSCRIBERS TO THE WORKERS' COMP SYSTEM?
>> WE'RE NOT FUNDING THROUGH THE STATE, IF THAT'S YOUR QUESTION.
WE'RE SELF-FUNDING OUR WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS. THERE ARE RULES THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW. THERE'S A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW BUT WE'RE NOT BUYING
WORKERS' COMP INSURANCE. >> PELAEZ: OKAY. THANK YOU.
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE, I HAVE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SUBSTANTIVE PART OF THE CONTRACT FOR THE TRAINING ACADEMY DRIVING TRACK IMPROVEMENTS, I IMAGINE THAT'S
ASPHALT AND SEALING AND ALL THAT? >> RAZI CAN TALK ABOUT THE
SPECIFICS. >> PELAEZ: SO THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE I HAD A REALLY INTERESTING MEETING WITH THE ABC -- IS ASSOCIATION OF BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS? NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE AGC, WHICH IS A COMPETING ORGANIZATION.
[02:15:05]
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IN OUR CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS IS WE PROVIDE SOME FLEXIBILITY WHEN IT RELATES TO INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS. SO THIS IS YOUR DEADLINE FOR FINISHING THE PROJECT. HOWEVER, WE HAD MANY DAYS OF RAIN WHERE IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE CEMENT HERE, WHATEVER. AND WE DON'T DING THEM OR PENALIZE THEM FOR NOT FINISHING THE PROJECT ON TIME BECAUSE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER. AND WE WERE -- THAT CLAUSE WAS TRIGGERED DURING THE BIG FREEZE. DO YOU REMEMBER? DURING COVID -- THERE WAS ONE YEAR WHERE IT WAS ALMOST RAINING EVERY DAY.IT WAS HORRIBLE. IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THE ONE THING WE DON'T INCLUDE AS IMPLEMENT WEATHER IS DAYS WHERE IT'S 115 DEGREES OUT THERE.
IT'S HARD ON THE EQUIPMENT. THEY CAN'T GET WORKERS OUT THERE.
THEY HAVE TO CALL IT QUITS EARLY BECAUSE IT'S JUST WAY TOO HOT AT NOON.
AND THEN WE PASSED -- IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD AT THE TIME AT THE TIME.
WAS IT THE GOOD NIGHT, BE QUIET, GOOD NEIGHBOR -- LIKE YOU CAN'T BUILD AT NIGHT THING. USUALLY THEY WOULD BUILD AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T RUN INTO THE HEAT PROBLEM AND NOW WE'VE CREATED A SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE TO ONLY BUILD DURING THE DAY. AND THEY'RE ASKING, AND IT'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, WOULD WE BE WILLING TO INCLUDE EXTREME HEAT AS AN INCLEMENT WEATHER EVENT THAT WE WOULD RECOGNIZE.
RAZI, WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> HOSSEINI: COUNCILMAN, GOOD QUESTION BUT ANY TIME THEY COULDN'T WORK, EITHER FOR COLD OR HOT OR RAINY DAY, WE GIVE THEM TIME.
IN SUMMERTIME, WE ALLOW THEM TO START WORK VERY EARLY AND FINISH AROUND 3:00 OR SO,
BEFORE IT GETS TO 105 DEGREES OR 108 DEGREES. >> PELAEZ: YEAH BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS INCLEMENT WEATHER, IS IT DEFINED IN THE CONTRACT AS RAIN, TORNADO, HAIL, WHATEVER? OR DO WE JUST SAY INCLEMENT WEATHER AND THEN IT'S UP TO US WHAT IS OR ISN'T INCLEMENT WEATHER. IS IT SILENT IN THE CONTRACT OR
DO WE SET IT OUT? >> HOSSEINI: IT DEPENDS ON WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE PROJECT CONSTRUCTION. IF THEY CANNOT WORK, MANY TIME IF IT'S A RAINY DAY, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO WORK BECAUSE THE QUALITY OF THE WORK IS NOT GOING TO BE THERE.
IT IS FOR OUR BENEFIT FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO NOT WORK ON THAT DAY.
>> PELAEZ: YEAH. FORGIVE ME. YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB AT GIVING ME AN ANSWER BUT IT'S AN ANSWER TO A QUESTION I DIDN'T ASK.
I'M ASKING A SPECIFIC QUESTION. >> SEGOVIA: I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT EVERY PROVISION, COUNCILMAN, BUT IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT INCLEMENT WEATHER -- I'M SORRY. THAT HOT DAYS ARE EITHER NOT SPECIFICALLY INCLUDED IN INCLEMENT WEATHER OR NOT CONSIDERED INCLEMENT WEATHER UNDER OUR CONTRACTS.
>> PELAEZ: SO THE QUESTION THEN IS -- >>
>> PELAEZ: AND THAT'S THE ANSWER I WAS LOOKING FOR. IT BEGS THE QUESTION THEN SHOULD WE AS A COUNCIL INCLUDE THAT AS ONE OF THE DEFINITIONS OF INCLEMENT WEATHER SO THAT CONTRACTORS DON'T GET DINGED BECAUSE IT WAS TOO HOT ON THE DATE OF BUILD.
>> WALSH: I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO THEM BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT. I DO WANT TO GET PROJECTS DONE FAST.
IT'S ALWAYS HOT HERE. NOW, WE'VE HAD A HOT SUMMER BUT THAT'S THE FIRST I'M HEARING THAT THERE'S A CONCERN. THAT IT'S TOO HOT AND THEY CAN'T WORK.
WE DO MAKE PROVISIONS. I WOULD LOVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO DO AS WE LOOK TO DO THESE CONTRACTS AND BRING THEM FORWARD.
IF THERE'S A PROVISION WE NEED TO TAKE OR BETTER DEFINE IN THE CONTRACT.
BUT I WANT CONTRACTS DONE QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY. >> PELAEZ: I JUST THINK THAT WE DID SPEAK RATHER LOUDLY RECENTLY THAT HEAT IS, IN SOME INSTANCES, A SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE. AND WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE GETTING SICK.
>> WALSH: THERE ARE DAYS WHERE IT GETS SO HOT THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO
SOLVE IT HERE. >> WALSH: I GUESS ALL I'M SAYING -- I HATE TO INTERRUPT YOU. IF THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT THE CONTRACTORS HAVE, I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT DIRECTLY FROM THEM BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR OR ROD.
WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM. IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE'RE NOT CATCHING IN THE CONTRACTS, MORE
THAN HAPPY >> WALSH: MY RECOMMENDATION IS NOT BE SO LOOSE THAT IT'S ALSO A REASON WE DON'T HAVE PROJECTS DONE ON TIME.
[02:20:01]
>> PELAEZ: NO, I GET IT. >> WALSH: AND MAYBE THERE'S A TRADEOFF, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AS WE DO THE NEXT ROUND OF CAPITAL PROJECTS FIGURING OUT SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE TO FINISH EARLY. WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM. NOW I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER THAT'S A REAL
ISSUE. >> PELAEZ: ALL RIGHT. THANKS, ANDY.
I APPRECIATE IT. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ.
COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR APPOINTING ME TO CHAIR OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
I KNOW BEN AND TROY ARE JUST DELIGHTED TO HAVE ME ON THAT COMMITTEE.
[LAUGHTER] ERIK, TOO, I FORGOT. OH, BECAUSE I DID PULL SOME ITEMS THAT THEY WERE LIKE LET'S LEAVE THIS ON COUNCIL CONSENT.
AND I WAS LIKE, NO, LET'S TAKE THEM TO... BUT I DO WANT TO THANK MARK AND JOHN WHO ALSO SIT ON THAT COMMITTEE WITH PHIL AND JUDY AND THE ONE THING I THINK WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR IS WHAT WE -- WHAT YOU THINK WE NEED TO TAKE TO AUDIT FROM THAT CITY COUNCIL CONSENT AGENDA AND WHAT POSSIBLY MAY NEED A B SESSION AS WE -- AS WE TALK ABOUT ISSUES AND WE KNOW WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR CONSTITUENCY. THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES WAS ONE THAT I ASKED THEM TO PUT TO AUDIT COMMITTEE.
NOT THAT -- I AM CONFIDENT THAT OUR CITY'S GOING TO DO A GREAT JOB, BUT JUST TO GET THOSE EXTRA EYES ON THAT BEFORE IT HEADS TO CITY COUNCIL. THE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY IS THAT THIS -- THIS IS -- IT'S A LOT OF CONTRACTS, IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS INCORPORATED IN THIS, SO ANY NEW IDEAS OR THINGS YOU HEAR, LET'S DEFINITELY DISCUSS, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.
TROY AND BEN HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB IN PUTTING WHAT WE NEED FORWARD AND I THINK THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING AS WE MOVE INTO THOSE BOND RFPS AND REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE THERE. SO I AM -- I WOULD LIKE -- AND THIS, ANDY, MAY COME FROM YOU OR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN TERMS OF THAT SUPPLY SA, THE TIMELINE FOR THAT AND THE DASHBOARD THAT'S GOING OUT THERE, BECAUSE I THINK AS WE HEAR A LOT OF THE COMMENTS FROM OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, WE NEED A DEFINITE TIME OF WHEN THAT'S GOING TO BEGIN SO THAT IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR ALL THOSE APPLYING FOR THE PROCESS.
THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
VIAGRAN. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE? >> WHYTE: YEAH, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. ALL OF THIS BEING, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT NEW TO ME, IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR IT IN OUR AUDIT COMMITTEE, AND THEN AGAIN TODAY. SO THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN FOR HER LEADERSHIP IN THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND APPRECIATE THE
PRESENTATION. THANKS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR?
>> KAUR: I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, AND ERIK, YOUR COMMENT MADE ME THINK ABOUT THIS. OFTENTIMES I THINK IT'S NOT THE ACTUAL CONTRACT, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY WE NEED TO HEAR IT IN A BIGGER FORM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT LED UP TO THE POINT OF THE CONTRACT, RIGHT? AND SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE SECOND PART OF BRAC IS ON B SESSION, BUT IT MADE ME ALSO THINK ABOUT THE DISTRICT ONE MULTIGENERATION ALPHA SILLTY, AND I KNOW WE JUST HAD A MEETING FOR THAT LAST WEEK SO WE'RE ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY WHEN WE DO HAVE BIG PROJECTS LIKE THAT, IF WE DO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THE FRONT END, THEN THE CONTRACT END, THEY'RE CONFIDENT WE'LL GET THE JOB DONE IN THE RIGHT WAY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE
THAT COMMENT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT.
WE DO NOT HAVE AN EXEC TODAY, RIGHT, ERIK, OR -- ANDY?
>> WALSH: THAT'SRRECT. >> SEGOVIA: NO EXEC TODAY, MAYOR.
WE'RE GOING TO DO IT TOMORROW. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT. ALL RIGHT.
IT'S 4:30 P.M. ON OCTOBER 18, 2023. B SESSION IS ADJOURNED.
WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AT 5:00 P.M. ACROSS THE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.