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>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. WELCOME TO OUR B SESSION.
WE'LL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL.
QUORUM. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT.
WE HAVE ONE ITEM TODAY [INAUDIBLE] I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ERIK WALSH.
I GUESS I WASN'T ON. ERIK WALSH, OUR CITY MANAGER.
>> WALSH: THANK YOU, MAYOR. TODAY'S BRIEFING IS ON THE CITY AND OUR COMMUNICATION AND OUR EFFORTS TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNICATION AND DELIVERY OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. THE -- WE'VE GOT THREE PRESENTATION. BRIAN IS GOING TO WALK THROUGH IMPROVEMENTS ON THE BRIEFING AND UNVEIL A NEW COMMUNICATION DASHBOARD. PART 2 WILL BE BRENDA HICK
>>HICKS-SORENSEN EVEN SON AND LAY THE GROUND WORK FOR A FEBRUARY B SESSION WHERE WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE CCR SIGNED BY COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ AND COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. AND I'VE ASKED RAZI TO BRIEF THE COUNCIL ON SEVERAL TOPICS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AT THE LAST TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE IN HOW WE ARE FOLLOWING UP ON CONSTITUENT CONCERNS AND REQUESTS AND HOW WE ARE UTILIZING SOME OF THE MONEY WE ALLOCATED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. SO A LOT OF GOOD STUFF.
THIS IS BRIAN'S FIRST PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL. SO HE IS EAGERLY AWAITING THE KICKOFF AND ANXIOUSLY HAS PREPARED FOR QUESTIONS HE'S GOING TO GET.
BRIAN, KICK US OFF. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THIS WILL BE A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR BRIAN BECAUSE -- A VERY ESTEEMED JOURNALIST IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS, WE GET TO NOW ASK HIM QUESTIONS. [LAUGHTER]
WELCOME, BRIAN. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER WALSH.
I AM HERE TO PRESENT AN UPDATE ON HOW PUBLIC WORKS HAS IMPROVED ITS COMMUNICATION ABOUT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. FOUR PRINCIPLES HAVE SHAPED THIS NEW APPROACH. THESE PRINCIPALS ARE TRANSPARENCY, SUPPORT, INNOVATION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. PUBLIC WORKS HAS MANY WAYS TO COM MUNICATE EFFECTIVELY. SOME ARE THEY INCLUDE HOLDING PUBLIC MEETINGS, MAILING FLIERS AND KNOCKING ON DOORS.
OTHERS ARE NEW. HERE ARE TWO NEW INITIATIVES THAT FALL UNDER TRANSPARENCY. FIRST PUBLIC WORKS HAS EXPANDED AND IMPROVED ITS ONLINE PRESENCE THIS YEAR. NOW EVERY PROJECT IN THE CURRENT 2022 BOND PROGRAM HAS ITS OWN WEB PAGE ON SA SPEAK UP. ALL 182 PROJECTS.
THESE PAGES ARE CONSISTENT IN DESIGN AND PACKED WITH USEFUL, ACCURATE INFORMATION. THEY OFFER CONSTRUCTION TIME LINES, RESOURCES FOR BUSINESS AND MORE. THEY ALLOW RESIDENTS TO SIGN UP FOR UPDATES.
THESE PAGES ARE UPDATED ON A REGULAR BASIS. WHEN TIME LINES CHANGE, PUBLIC WORKS WILL UPDATE THE PUBLIC HERE AND THROUGH OTHER MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.
PROJECTS, ITS DRAINAGE, STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND ALLEY PROJECTS.
IN BUILDING THESE DASHBOARDS, WE INCORPORATED FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, 311 OPERATORS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A FOCUS GROUP AND 15 USABILITY TESTS. PHASE 1 WILL LAUNCH IN JANUARY. IN FUTURE PHASES, THE DASHBOARDS WILL INCLUDE EVEN MORE PROJECTS SUCH AS THOSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS MOBILITY PROGRAM.
ALREADY THESE DASHBOARDS OFFER A MORE FLEXIBLE WAY TO FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MORE PROJECTS THAN EVER BEFORE. EACH DASHBOARD HAS TWO
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PAGES, AN OVERVIEW PAGE WHICH YOU SEE RIGHT HERE, AND A MAP.ON THE BOND PROGRAM OVERVIEW PAGE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN FILTER BY COUNCIL DISTRICT AND BOND YEAR IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON PIE CHARTS TO FILTER BY PROJECT TYPE SUCH AS STREETS OR DRAINAGE, PROJECT PHASE SUCH AS DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION, AND PROJECT STATUS SUCH AS ON OR OFF SCHEDULE.
YOU CAN ALSO SIMPLY TYPE A PROJECT NAME INTO A SEARCH BAR ON THE RIGHT.
UNDER EVERY 2022 BOND PROJECT IN THE LIST IS A LINK THAT TAKES YOU TO THAT PROJECT'S UNIQUE WEB PAGE. AND HERE YOU SEE THE MAP. ON THE MAP, YOU CAN CLICK AND ZOOM TO FIND PROJECTS, YOU CAN ALSO SEARCH BY PROJECT NAME OR BY ADDRESS.
WHEN YOU CLICK ON A PROJECT ICON, A BOX APPEARS WITH PROJECT INFORMATION SUCH AS A PHONE NUMBER FOR PUBLIC WORKS STAFF ASSIGNED TO THAT PROJECT AND A LINK TO THAT PROJECT'S WEB PAGE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME RESIDENTS CAN FIND PHONE NUMBERS ON A PUBLIC WORKS DASHBOARD FOR STAFF WHO CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY GIVEN PROJECT. AND THIS IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME RESIDENTS CAN FIND LINKS ON A PUBLIC WORKS DASHBOARD TO WEB PAGES WITH UPDATED INFORMATION AND A PLACE TO SIGN UP FOR MORE UPDATES. AND WE ARE HAPPY TO DEMONSTRATE THESE DASHBOARDS TO YOU BEFORE THEY LAUNCH. AS NOTED, THESE PROJECT PAGES ON SA SPEAK UP ARE NOW LOADED WITH INFORMATION INCLUDING MAPS, RENDERINGS AND PRESENTATION DOCUMENTS. THESE PAGES CAN BE UPDATED IN REALTIME IF ANYTHING CHANGES ABOUT A PROJECT THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.
WE HAVE ALSO ENDEAVORED TO INNOVATE IN HOW WE COMMUNICATE.
PUBLIC WORKS IS NOW LAUNCHING NEW SIGNAGE AT BOND PROJECT SITES.
FOR THE FIRST TIMES PUBLIC WORKS WILL PROVIDE UPDATED INFORMATION THROUGH QR CODES. TWO NEW SIGNS PER SITE. THE QR CODES WILL LINK TO THAT PROJECT'S SA SPEAK UP PAGE. AND CONTRACTORS ARE REQUIRED TO INSTALL THEM. WE'RE INNOVATING IN OTHER WAYS TOO.
LAST MONTH COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATED WITH THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO LAUNCH A CHAT BOT PROTOTYPE ON BROADWAY.
IT LETS RESIDENTS ASK QUESTIONS, GET ANSWERS AND OFFER FEEDBACK INSTANTLY AND 24/7. WE INSTALLED 40 SIGNS UP AND DOWN BROADWAY.
USERS SCAN A QR CODE OR TEXT A PHONE NUMBER TO ENGAGE IN AN ANONYMOUS TWO-WAY CONVERSATION. THE CHAT BOT SHARES OTHER RESOURCES AND PROVIDES THE CITY WITH DATA SUCH AS NUMBER OF USERS AND THAT'S GOOD THE PROJECT.
THE CITY IS EXPERIMENTING WITH THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS TO EVALUATE WHETHER TO EVEN VEST IN IT ON OTHER BOND PROJECTS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO GATHER DATA UNTIL THEN. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW PUBLIC WORKS IS GUIDED BY TRANSPARENCY, SUPPORT AND SOON VISIT OUR NEW ROAD TO PROGRESS WEB PAGE ON SA.GOV.
THE PAGE WILL LAUNCH IN JANUARY WITH THE NEW DASHBOARDS.
THANK YOU, I'LL BE HERE AND AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS, BUT FIRST BRENDA WILL SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT SUPPORT AND RAZI WILL FOLLOW UP ON ACCOUNTABILITY.
THANK YOU. >> HICKS-SORENSEN: THANK YOU, BRIAN.
GIVEN THE INTEREST IN CONSTRUCTION PARTICULARLY CONSTRUCTION IN COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WAS PROVIDED WITH $400,000 IN THE FISCAL YEAR '23 BUDGET TO FOCUS ON CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION, DESIGNED AS A PILOT PROJECT. WITH THOSE FUNDS WE IMPLEMENTED, DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED A CONSTRUCTION TOOL KIT AVAILABLE BOTH DIGITALLY AND IN FRONT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH. WE ALSO ROLLED OUT A SIGN, CUSTOM SIGN PROGRAM.
YOU WILL SEE HERE A PHOTO OF ONE WHERE BUSINESSES CAN PARTNER WITH US AND GET A CUSTOM SIGN THAT HIGHLIGHTS ANY FEATURES THEY WANT, WELCOME FOLKS AND HIGHLIGHTING PARTICULARLY THAT THEY ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
WE ALSO EXPANDED BUSINESS OUTREACH TEAM, WE CALL THEM THE BOSSES, THE BUSINESS OUTREACH SPECIALISTS. AND THEY SINCE COMING ON BOARD IN SPRING OF 2023 HAVE COMPLETED 582 SITE VISITS WITH THOSE BUSINESSES. I SHOULD HIGHLIGHT THAT WAS THE FISCAL YEAR '23 NUMBERS. OUR TARGETS ARE MUCH HIGHER FOR FISCAL YEAR '24.
WE DID UNDERTAKE A MARKETING CAMPAIGN WITH OVER 600,000 DIGITAL IMPRESSIONS, AND
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SOMETHING WE'VE REALLY BEEN FEATURING LOCALLY LATELY WITH THE BUY LOCAL CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN THE LOCAL SAVINGS PASS. WE ALSO DID PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT THROUGH THE COVID IMPACT GRANT PROGRAM.AGAIN IN 2022, 135 SMALL BUSINESSES RECEIVED CONSTRUCTION FUNDING.
AGAIN, THIS WAS THE ADDITIONAL $10,000 THAT BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY COVID WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE IF THEY WERE IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. WE ALSO PROVIDED IN 2023 THE SPECIFIC CONSTRUCTION FUNDING IN WHICH 91 SMALL BUSINESSES RECEIVED JUST UNDER $2.5 MILLION. AGAIN, THOSE WERE TARGETED SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE BUSINESSES IN CONSTRUCTION IMPACT AREAS. AND THEN WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDERTAKING THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AS IT RELATES TO THE 2024 CONSTRUCTION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH WAS THE CCR SUBMITTED, AND WHERE THERE'S $1.4 MILLION AVAILABLE. WE DO INTEND AFTER WE COLLECT THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IN PROVIDING A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL AT A B SESSION IN LATE FEBRUARY. WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT
OVER TO RAZI. >> HOSSEINI: THANK YOU, BRENDA.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I AM RAZI HOSSEINI, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. OVER THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TO REDUCE CONSTRUCTION IMPACTED ON BUSINESSES AND EXPEDITE PROJECT DELIVERY.
DURING THE LAST FEW BOND PROGRAMS, THE CITY COUNCIL -- HAS APPOINTED THE BOND ADVISORY BOARD AND ON JANUARY 26, 2023, THE COUNCIL APPROVED APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS TO STREETS, BRIDGES AND SIDEWALKS AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ADVISORY. TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT ON PROJECT DELIVERY, ADVISE ON HAVING IMPROVED COMMUNICATION TO RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY CONSTRUCTION. ENSURE TRANSPARENT PROCESS IN DEVELOPMENT OF CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE. STREET AND BRIDGES AND SIDEWALK COMPLETED ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 AND 9 SELECTION FOR THIS COMMITTEE. THIS SLIDE SHOWS WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO IMPROVE OUR PROJECT DELIVERY. RESPONSIBLE BIDDER ORDINANCE PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
COUNCILWOMAN HAVRDA THANKS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. SINCE THIS ORDINANCE HAS BEEN PASSED, WE HAVE TERMINATED TWO CONTRACTORS BECAUSE OF LACK OF THE QUALITY OF THE WORK OR MISSING THE SCHEDULE SIGNIFICANTLY.
SECOND IMPROVEMENT ITEM WAS JOB ORDER CONTRACT. STAFF APPROVAL INCREASED TO HALF A MILLION DOLLAR. COUNCILMAN WHYTE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT OUR PROJECT DELIVERY AND SAVE A LOT OF STAFF TIME NOT PREPARING TO GO FOR CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR EVERY SMALL PROJECT.
THE SECOND THING WE HAVE DONE ON UTILITY MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH UTILITY, MOST OF OUR PROJECT CONTAIN MORE THAN 50% UTILITY WORK.
WE ARE WORKING WITH CPS AND SAWS TO CLEARLY IDENTIFY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY, THIS REDUCE PROJECT DELAY SIGNIFICANTLY. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CONTRACT AND BEST PRACTICE. WE ARE LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY ON PROJECT. IN THE PAST, MAJORITY OF OUR PROJECT WAS DONE LOW BID.
STILL WE ARE GOING TO DO LOW BID, BUT SELECTIVE PROJECT. WE ARE LOOKING TO DO MOST OF THE FACILITY PROJECTS SUCH AS LIBRARY, COMMUNITY CENTER, SUBSTATION, FIRE STATION, CSP COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL. PRICE IS LESS THAN 40%.
THE QUALITY OF THE WORK IS SIGNIFICANT. CHR, WE HIRED THEM DURING THE DESIGN. THEY PROVIDE US CONSTRUCT VIEW, GOOD COST ESTIMATE AND ALSO THEY MANAGE OUR PROJECT FOR US DURING CONSTRUCTION. WE HAVE ROADWAY PROJECT. RATHER THAN US TELLING CONTRACTOR HOW MUCH DURATION THIS PROJECT HAS, WE ARE ASKING CONTRACTORS WHAT IT TAKES YOU TO FINISH THIS PROJECT IN SIX MONTHS, NINE MONTHS, AND ONE YEAR DURATION.
WE ARE EXPECTING THEM TO HAVE TO WORK LONGER HOURS, MAY HAVE TO WORK OVERNIGHT,
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WEEKEND. ALSO WE ARE ASKING THEM TO TELL US WHAT WILL BE THE COST EFFECT ON THIS ONE. CAN WE REALLY AFFORD TO GO SOME OF THESE VERY AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE. TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT. WE HEARD FROM YOU LAST YEAR BUDGET PROCESS THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. 2024 CONTENTS, 1 MILLION FOR TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM. 700,000 UP TO 100 RADAR FEEDBACK, THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM. 300,000 FOR UP TO 100 FLASHING STOP SIGN.AND, OF COURSE, $550,000 FOR NEIGHBORHOOD AND ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY PROGRAM. MIDDLE OF LAST WEEK I SENT EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 LOCATION MY [INAUDIBLE]. COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR STAFF AND WE ARE GOING TO INSTALL YOUR EARLY NEXT YEAR AND WE ARE HOPING TO GET OTHER LISTS FROM OTHER COUNCIL OFFICE SO WE CAN START MOVING FORWARD. NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM. DESIGNED TO [INAUDIBLE] ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS, RELATED TO VOLUME, DRIVER BEHAVIOR THAT MAY INCLUDE ONE OR COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING. CURB EXTENSION, ROUND-ABOUT, AND SPEED HUMPS.
THE WAY WE REVIEWED THESE REQUIREMENT, TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECT ARE EVALUATED FOR IMPLEMENTATION BASED ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA. SPEED, TRAFFIC VOLUME, CRASH HISTORY APPROXIMATELY FOR PEDESTRIAN DESTINATION SUCH AS SCHOOLS, PARK, COMMUNITY CENTERS AND VIA BUS. WE ARE PROPOSING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN REQUIREMENT FOR TRAFFIC DEVICE INSTALLATION. TRAFFIC HAS BECOME RAISED PHYSICAL FEATURE APPLIES ON THE ROADWAY SURFACE THAT MAKE UNCOMFORTABLE TO NAVIGATE WITH HIGH SPEED. TODAY'S CRITERIA IS A MINIMUM UNINTERRUPTED SEGMENT 1,324. WE ARE CUTTING THAT FUND NEARLY BY HALF, 700-FOOT.
A BIT HIGHER THAN TODAY'S 55-MIE REDUCING TO 32. VOLUME OF TRAFFIC, TODAY IS 500 PER DAY. WE ARE ELIMINATING VOLUME REQUIREMENT COMPLETELY.
AND REQUIRE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER OR RESIDENT SIGNATURE IS TWO-THIRDS OR 67%, WE ARE CUTTING THAT NUMBER 51% WHICH IS MAJORITY.
FLASHING ALWAYS STOP SIGN. SIGN ENHANCEMENT THAT PROVIDES MOTORISTS ADDITIONAL VISUAL REMINDER TO STOP. EXISTING REQUIREMENT IS ANY EXISTING ALL-WAY STOP SIGN COULD BECOME FLASHING STOP SIGN AS LONG AS FUNDING IS PROVIDED AT COUNCIL DISTRICT AND THERE'S NO CHANGE ON THIS ONE GOING FORWARD ALSO.
WE WILL FOLLOW THE SAME REQUIREMENT. FOR NON-ALL-WAY TRAFFIC SIGNAL, EXISTING IS NONE ALWAYS TRAFFIC COMMITTED TO FLASHING WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING AS LONG AS AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC FOR AT LEAST ONE ENTER ROADWAY EXCEED 1,500 PER DAY OR 2.5 PER MINUTES. OR THERE'S A CRASH HISTORY IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. NEW ALWAYS STOP SIGN. CRITERIA AS DEFINED IN TEXAS MANUAL UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES OR THERE IS A CRASH OR SITE HISTORY.
300 ON THE PER HOUR ON THE MAIN AND 200 ON CROSS STREET.
NO MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR TRAFFIC VOLUME UNDER RESIDENTIAL STREET AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT IN ONE OF THE 100 TOP HIGHLY TRAVELED ROADWAY.
TRAFFIC SIGNALS ARE DESIGNED TO ENSURE ORDERLY FLOW OF TRAFFIC PER WIDENING FOR PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICULAR TO CROSS AN INTERSECTION SAFELY AND PREVENT CONFLICT WITH VEHICLE ENTERING INTERSECTION FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
EXISTING CRITERIA IS DEFINED IN TEXAS UNUNIFORM TRAFFIC DEVICE AND CRASHES --
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VEHICLE PER HOUR IS 600 ON MAIN AND 200 ON CROSSING STREET.WE ARE CUTTING THIS ONE BY 30%. S FOR 420 AND 140 ON CROSSING STREET. RADAR FEEDBACK SIGN. AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS PART OF 2023 APPROVED BUDGET, 700 FOUR -- 700 FOR APPROVAL. SIGN WILL BE PROGRAMMED TO START TO ALERT DRIVER WHEN THEY ARE TRAVELING FASTER THAN POSTED SPEED LIMIT.
POTENTIAL LOCATION ONLY ONE OF THOSE CRITERIA WE HAVE LISTED ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
WHICH IS INCLUDE AVERAGE SPEED EXCEED MORE THAN 5-MILE PER HOUR.
AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC IS EXCEED 500 VEHICLE PER DAY. TWO OR MORE CRASHES IN LAST THREE YEARS. EXISTING CURB WARNING SIGN WITH AN ADVISORY SPEED OF FIVE MILE OR MORE LES THAN POSTED SIGN -- CURVE WARNING.
POSTED SPEED LIMIT TRANSITION FROM HIGHER TO LOWER SPEED.
QUARTER MILE OR MORE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND THE LAST ONE BUT NOT LEAST HIGH NUMBER OF SPEEDING OFFENSES IDENTIFIED BY SAPD.
IN SUMMARY, WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION TO PUBLIC, PROVIDE BUSINESS SUPPORT, FOLLOW CONTACT AND BEST PRACTICE AND AND EX SPA DIET PROJECT DELIVERY. IN 2024, THE DASHBOARD GO ON LIVE AND IN FEBRUARY OF '24 A B SESSION BY EDD ON CONSTRUCTION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS IS END OF OUR PRESENTATION. WE ARE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY
QUESTION YOU MAY HAVE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, RAZI.
>> WALSH: JUST A COUPLE THINGS. THIS IS UNWITH OF THOSE AREAS I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, ESPECIALLY IN ADVANCE OF THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM STREET PROJECTS WHICH WILL REALLY START HITTING CONSTRUCTION IN 2024 AND 2025. SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
I KNOW WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS IN AREAS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHAT'S NOT LOST UPON ME IS THE DASHBOARDS AND I WANT TO THANK THE GROUP THAT WORKED ON THE DASHBOARD BECAUSE THEY HAVE SPENT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME TRYING TO RECONCILE AND GET ALL THAT DATA ONLINE. BUT SOMETIMES THE OLD WAYS WORK JUST AS WELL AND MAKING SURE WE'RE VISIBLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR OFFICES AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE. AND SO THAT IS A KEY PART THAT I THINK IS -- IS WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO MORE OF AND DO BETTER AT. THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT PROBABLY PART OF THE ISSUES THAT I SEE THAT WE WILL TRY TO WORK AHEAD OF THIS YEAR IS THE DELIVERY METHODS. WE'RE GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL IN THE SPRING TIME TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT -- AND RAZI JUST TOUCHED BRIEFLY ON IT, BUT ON CONTRACTING BEST PRACTICES AND THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE EMPLOYING OR LEARNING IN A COUPLE OTHER AREAS AND HOW WE APPLY THEM TO, YOU KNOW, GOOD OLD STREET AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS IS KEY.
WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU WITH MORE DISCUSSION AND ASKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK IN THE SPRING TIME IN THOSE AREAS. THOSE CONTRACTS ARE KEY.
AS RAZI MENTIONED, WE HAVE SOME SOLICITATIONS ON THE STREET WHERE WE HOPE TO LEARN WHAT THE -- WHAT THE COST IS OF TIME AND PUTTING MORE CHALLENGES OR PUTTING MORE REQUIREMENTS ON THE CONTRACTORS IS -- WILL HOPEFULLY GET US THROUGH THESE PROJECTS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. AND LASTLY, THE ONE THING THAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE SPRING TIME IS THAT MOU WITH SAWS AND CPS WE BROUGHT FORWARD TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, AND THAT IS A VERY CRITICAL PARTED ESPECIALLY
IN THE WATER AND SEWTHE CONSTRU. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD WORK. GOOD NEWS IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE ROAD PROJECTS, WE'RE CERTAINLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN AND ALSO HOW WE CAN BEING SELL -- ACCELERATE WHERE NECESSARY. IT IS WORTH REMINDING ONE OF
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THE GOALS OF ALL THIS AND THE REASON THERE'S A LOT OF PRESSURE POINTS AND PAIN IN OUR ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROCESS IS WE HAVE A VERY OLD CITY AND EVERY TIME WE OPEN UP A STREET, IT'S SORT OF AN ADVENTURE WHAT WE MIGHT FIND UNDERGROUND.ERIK, YOU HAVE ARTICULATED THIS, WE DON'T CLOSE A STREET AND CALL IT FINISHED AND IN SIX MONTHS FIGURE WE HAVE TO OPEN IT AGAIN. THOSE MOU WITH THE UTILITY COMPANIES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. I GUESS A QUESTION ON THAT NOTE IS HAVE WE ENGAGED WITH THE TELECOMS AS WELL IS IT WORTH HAVING A CONVERSATION
WITH THEM IN THE SAME MANNER? >> WE HAVE, BUT -- BUT NOT IN TERMS OF AN MOU. I DON'T THINK THAT'S A BAD IDEA, MAYOR.
WE'VE GOT TO GET OUR ARMS AROUND THE UTILITIES. FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW ALAMO STREET BEFORE THAT BEGAN, WE REQUIRED AT&T TO COMMIT TO A TIME LINE.
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD EVER PUSHED THAT BUTTON AND I THINK THERE'S
SOME GROUND WE CAN MAKE UP ON THE TELECOM SIDE AS WELL. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I'LL ALWAYS ASK THE QUESTION ONCE WE'VE GOT A STREET OPENED UP, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO LAY SOME CONDUIT FOR WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT GO UNDER THERE IF WE DON'T KNOW THERE'S A UTILITY THAT'S UNDERGROUNDING, HELPS SAVE A LOT OF PAIN, FUTURE PAIN.
RAZI, IF I CAN ASK YOU JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. THIS IS A GREAT UPDATE.
I'M PLEASED WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ACCELERATE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS. DID THE TRAFFIC CALMING IMPROVEMENTS GO TO THE
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE? >> YES, IT DID. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: SO THEY'VE BEEN VETTED BY COMMITTEE. I AGREE WITH ALL OF THEM.
I ASSUME THERE'S A LOT OF COMMITTEES GOING THROUGH SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS BUT I THINK EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD WILL BE HAPPY TO SEE SOME OF THOSE CHANGES.
>> HOSSEINI: MAYOR, WE ARE GOING TO USE THIS REQUIREMENT ON NEW AND EXISTING APPLICATION. IF WE HAVE APPLICATION THREE MONTHS OLD, STILL WE ARE
GOING TO THIS NEW. ON BOTH, NEW AND OLD. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: IF THERE'S SOME RESIDENTS GOING THROUGH THE PETITION PROCESS WITH THEIR SPEED BUMP AND THEY'VE HIT THE MARK AND TRYING TO -- MAYBE THEY CAN STOP THEIR WORK.
THAT'S GREAT. MY QUESTION IS WE'RE ALSO -- AND I'VE ASKED FOR AND KNOW A NUMBER OF COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED FOR, WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR COMPLETE STREET POLICY.
I KNOW THERE'S A GROUP WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW. IS THAT GOING TO DOVE-TAIL INTO THIS? WE THINK ABOUT COMPLETE STREETS AND WHAT COMPLETE STREETS MEANS AS RELATES TO ALL THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO START COMING ON INTO THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS FROM THE BOND.
>> AND THE ANSWER IN SHORT IS YES. WE HAVE THAT GROUP WORKING ON IT AND WE ARE COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO ENSURE WE'RE
CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD WITH BOTH POLICIES. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OKAY.
SO IF A ROAD IS SUITABLE FOR THE COMPLETE STREET, THE NEW COMPLETE STREET DESIGN WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THAT WORK THAT MIGHT BE TAKING PLACE NEXT YEAR FROM THE BOND.
>> YES, RIGHT. ACTUALLY, MAYOR, FOR EVERY PROJECT, 17 AND 22, WE EVALUATE CAN WE DO COMPLETE STREET. IF NOT, THEN DOCUMENT WHY WE
COULDN'T DO IT. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: EXCELLENT.
THAT'S GREAT. LAST QUESTION OR QUESTIONS IS REALLY ON THE COM SIDE.
THANK YOU, RAZI. GREAT WORK. RAZI HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH STRESS ABOUT PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THESE PROJECTS THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR A LONG TIME, WE'RE FINALLY AT A POINT WE CAN DO THESE PROJECTS AND PEOPLE WANT THEM DONE YESTERDAY. RAZI, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB THROUGH PRETTY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. AND I REALIZE WE ALL WANT THEM TO GO FASTER SO I'LL JOIN THAT CHORUS TOO. ON THE COMMUNICATION, BRIAN, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE DASHBOARDS. I ASSUME WE'VE GOT A NICE LINK, EASY TO FIND PICKED OUT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SEND IT AROUND.
QUESTION IS TO GET THE MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK OUT OF THESE DASHBOARDS, ARE WE ALSO INCLUDING LIKE OUR IMP PLAN? SO FUTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE PART OF THAT ROLLING MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW?
>> AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE 2023 IMP STREETS. SHORT FULLY WE WILL INCLUDE IN '24. I'M SORRY, PHASE 2 OF THE DASHBOARD WILL BE DONE SOMETIME NEXT YEAR AND GO BACK AND INCLUDE OTHER DASHBOARD.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: SO THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN WILL START MAKING ITS WAY TO THE MAP.
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THAT'S GREAT. I ENVISION THIS DASHBOARD, PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST REQUESTED ITEMS FROM COUNCIL OFFICES AND SOMETHING WE CAN SEND TO FOLKS, WHETHER THEY ARE INTERESTED IN A PROJECT, WHEN IT MIGHT BE SCHEDULED OR INTERESTED IN STATUS OF A CURRENT PROJECT, THEY WANT TO KNOW WHO THE CONTRACTOR IS THEY CAN COMPLAIN TO,THIS WILL BE THE PLACE FOR THEM TO GO. >> HOSSEINI: THAT'S CORRECT. WE ARE GOING TO INCLUDE FIVE YEARS FROM THIS YEAR ANY PROJECT WE HAVE DONE IN CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IT WILL BE ON THE DASHBOARD.
THAT'S THE REQUEST CAME FROM COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. ALL THE PROJECTS WE HAVE
DONE LAST FIVE YEARS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD SAY JUST FOR THE GROUP, AND I'VE SAID THIS TO THE COMMITTEE A NUMBER OF TIMES.
WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT DASHBOARDS NOW. WE NEED A DASHBOARD OF DASHBOARDS. ONE PLACE PEOPLE CAN FIND OUT WHICH SET OF DATA THEY NEED TO LOOK AT WOULD BE HELPFUL. I'LL MAKE THAT REQUEST AGAIN WITH FULL COUNCIL. WE'LL GO TO DISCUSSION AND START WITH COUNCILMEMBER
ROCHA GARCIA. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH RAZI AND BRIAN AND BRENDA FOR THE PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
AND SO BRIAN, THANK YOU FOR THE PREVIEW LAST WEEK, I WAS REALLY EXCITED.
CONSIDERING THAT I HAD SUBMITTED THE CCR I THINK YOU HIT EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT SO THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT-OUT TO JAKE LEE AT CLEVELAND. HE IS ALSO SO RESPONSIVE IN YOUR TEAM AND I THINK WE PROBABLY AT LEAST ONE TEAM MEMBER EMAILS HIM DAILY. I FEEL LIKE HE'S ALWAYS WORKING. SHOUT-OUT TO JAKE. THERE WAS TWO KINDS AVAILABLE MAPS BEFORE AND THE MAYOR KIND OF MENTIONED THE IMP ONE AND THEN THE 2017 ONE AS WELL. I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE IN GUN AREA. CAN YOU REMIND -- TO BE IN ONE AREA.
DOES THIS ALSO HAVE CONTRACTORS OR JUST LIKE A STAFF LIAISON?
>> IT'S THE STAFF LIAISON. THE CAPITAL PROJECT PHONE CALLS FOR THEM AND SOMETIMES
MANAGERS. >> GARCIA: I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES WHAT WE MISS OUR PED MOBILITY MAP SO I FEEL LIKE THIS WILL BE HELPFUL. BUT ALSO THE GEOGRAPHY, AND SO WE COULD SEE EXACTLY WHERE SOME OF US WITH THE BIGGER DISTRICTS, IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO SHOW HOW DIVERSE THE SPEND IS.
I DO THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL FOR DISTRICTS 3 AND 4, WE'RE HUGE.
I FEEL THIS IS WHERE MY STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO PULL SOMETHING UP AND SHOW THIS IS WHERE WE'VE INVESTED, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. RAZI, WE WILL SPEND YOUR MONEY AS SOON AS IT'S AVAILABLE EVERY TIME. THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING.
EDWARD ON MY TEAM IS THE LEAD AND I WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE HIM AS WELL. AND THEN MY STAFF PARTICIPATED IN THE PREVIEW OF THE DASHBOARD SO I WANT TO SAY THEY SAID IT WAS VERY HELPFUL, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'M GOING TO GO TO MY BIG QUESTIONS ARE GOING TO BE TO BRENDA, ACTUALLY. AND SO I'M EXCITED THAT WE HAVE ON THE MAP THE INTEGRATION OF THE TOOL KIT. YOU HAVE IT IN SPANISH AS WELL.
I WENT OVER THE TOOL KIT. IT'S SUPER SEES I TO UNDERSTAND.
THERE WAS A -- EASY TO UNDERSTAND. THERE WAS A PAGE THAT TALKS ABOUT NOW WHAT AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION AND YOU INVITED PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN RIBBON CUTTING AND TALK TO CLIENTS ABOUT THE FACT THE STREETS ARE OPEN, ET CETERA.
I STILL FEEL THAT EVEN AFTER CONSTRUCTION, I CAME RIGHT BEFORE THIS MEETING, I CAME FROM A MEETING WITH A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO SHUT DOWN THEIR SMALL BUSINESS. AND SO, OF COURSE, IT'S A HARD TIME FOR THEM.
AND SO THEY WANTED TO GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK AS TO, LIKE TRYING TO HELP OTHERS, RIGHT, FROM THIS STOPPING. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SAID IS THAT WHEN THEY WERE CALLING AROUND FOR HELP EVEN TO DIFFERENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, THEY KEPT GETTING REFERRED BACK TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND THAT WAS IT. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEAM ISN'T DOING THE SAME THING. BECAUSE THEY CALLED MULTIPLE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND THAT'S ALL THEY WERE GETTING. AND SO WHEN SOMEBODY MAYBE CALLS, LIKE WHAT HAPPENS? WALK ME THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND FOR INSTANCE, I EVEN ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD APPLIED FOR THE ZERO INTEREST LOAN PROGRAM AND YOU DO IT HAVE IT REFERENCED IN THE TOOL KIT. THEY SAID WE DIDN'T THINK THEY QUALIFIED AND NUMBER TWO THE FUNDING IS OUT. IF YOU CAN REMIND WHEN SOME
[00:35:02]
MORE FUNDING IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE. WALK ME THROUGH WHEN A SMALLBUSINESS OWNER CALLS YOU, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM? >> HICKS-SORENSEN: AGAIN, OUR BUSINESS SPECIALISTS WILL ANSWER A CALL, DO A LOT OF HAND HOLDING.
WE DO PROVIDE REFERRALS. A LOT GO TO LAUNCH SA WHICH IS BEING MANAGED BY GEEKDO.
OM, A PROGRAM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS, IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE MANAGED BY GEEKDOM. THEY ARE THAT PORTAL, THAT FIRST ENTRY.
HOWEVER, WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T NECESSARILY EVEN MAKING THOSE CALLS.
TOMORROW AT CITY COUNCIL YOU ALL WILL BE CONSIDERING THE ECOSYSTEM MAPPING THAT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE SMALL BUSINESSES CAN ACCESS AT ANY POINT IN TIME. AND WE'LL PROVIDE ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES DEPENDING ON THOSE SPECIFIC NEEDS. WE'RE TRYING TO HIT IT BOTH FOR PEOPLE CONTACTING US DIRECTLY AS WELL AS SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BE LOOKING AT 3:00 A.. TO ADDRESS IT.
I KNOW YOU ASKED ABOUT THE LAUNCH SA -- EXCUSE ME, ABOUT THE ZERO PERCENT INTEREST PROGRAM. WE DO EXPECT TO HAVE THAT MONEY AVAILABLE EARLY 2024 AND ARE WORKING TO FINALIZE THE MARKETING PLAN AROUND THAT.
>> GARCIA: WONDERFUL. BRENDA, ON SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS JUST A COUPLE HOURS AGO, IT'S EVEN AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION THAT THEY FEEL LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE [INAUDIBLE] NOW GO DIFFERENT WAYS AND THEY FORGET ABOUT THEM. IT'S RETRAINING PEOPLE TO KNOW THESE THINGS ARE OPEN.
HOW FAR AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION FINISHES ARE THEY ELIGIBLE TO STILL RECEIVE OR WOULD THEY STILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE CONSTRUCTION HELP?
>> HICKS-SORENSEN: WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING THROUGH THAT.
WE HAVE FUNDING IN THE BUDGET FOR 5:00 ACTIVE VISIONS.
AND THAT ACTIVATION IS DEPENDENT UPON EACH DISTRICT.
WE'VE ONLY BEEN WORKING WITH ONE CORRIDOR RIGHT NOW ON WHAT THAT ACTIVATION WOULD LOOK LIKE TO GET THAT FOLLOW-UP FROM THE PILOT. IF THERE'S SIGNAGE, I KNOW THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT BILLBOARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT WE'LL WORK WITH THEM, THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT OFFICE ON WHEN THAT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED
FOR THAT CORRIDOR. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. AND MY FINAL QUESTION IS -- FOR YOU IS, SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE IT WAS CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT WAS TXDOT CONSTRUCTION. ARE WE ALSO HELPING, IS THAT ALSO A CONSIDERATION, THEY ARE RIGHT ALONG A HIGHWAY. IT'S NOT JUST CITY CONSTRUCTION, IS IT?
>> HICKS-SORENSEN: OURS, THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION IS SPECIFICALLY FOR CITY INITIATED PROJECTS. SO ITEMS LIKE TXDOT AND WHATNOT, WE ARE WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO AT LEAST BE AWARE OF THAT. AND OUR BUSINESS OUTREACH SPECIALISTS WHILE FOCUSED ON COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, EXCUSE ME, CONSTRUCTION CORRIDORS, ARE ALSO DIVIDED AND WILL LOOK AT OTHER AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO IF THERE IS AN AREA THAT WE FEEL THAT'S A TXDOT PROJECT THAT NEEDS SOME COORDINATION, WE CERTAINLY WILL DO THAT OUTREACH.
>> GARCIA: GOT IT. AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S -- IN MY AREA, A LOT OF THE GROWTH IS HAPPENING AROUND THE HIGHWAYS AND I DO FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THESE BUSINESSES ARE BEING DISPLACED. AND SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP THEM WOULD BE IMPORTANT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BRENDA.
RAZI, I JUST WANTED TO JUST GIVE ANOTHER SHOUT-OUT FOR THE SPEED HUMPS, THE REDUCTION FROM 67% TO 51% IS GOING TO MAKE LIKE A HANDFUL OF MY NEIGHBORS I KNOW HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT REALLY HAPPY. THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION. AND THEN THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS, THE REDUCTION BY 30%, I THINK THAT WAS ANOTHER CRITICAL COMPONENT ESPECIALLY IF WE WANT TO BE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY. I JUST APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK ON IT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA
GARCIA. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE TOPIC. I WAS SO EXCITED TO BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS AFFECTS DISTRICT 1 SO MUCH. THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION. WE WOULD LIKE TO DESCRIBE THIS AS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD. OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
MANY PARTS ARE SO OLD THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING UNDERNEATH AND IT'S FRUSTRATING. WHILE THIS IS GREAT, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BEST MANAGE THE SURGE. I LIKE THE FOUR KEY PILLARS THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT'S GOING TO PUSH THE WORK OF PUBLIC WORKS FORWARD AND I HOPE WE CONTINUOUSLY GO BACK TO THAT PIECE AND SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE TRANSPARENCY.
SO I WANTED TO MENTION A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME
[00:40:05]
UP. SOME OF THE STAFF HAVE ALREADY TALKED WITH OUR LEADERS ABOUT BUT I WANTED TO REITERATE WITH THE COMMUNITY.LET'S START WITH THE DASHBOARD, SPECIFICALLY, BRIAN.
QUESTIONS AROUND THE DASHBOARD. I KNOW EACH OF US WERE ABLE TO NOMINATE PEOPLE, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT WAS A LITTLE MORE OF A PREVIEW.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO BE DONE AROUND -- WHEN YOU SAY THE USABILITY TESTED, HAVE WE TESTED FOR THINGS LIKE FONT SIZE? FOR EXAMPLE, ON THAT SCREEN SHOT, AND I KNOW IT'S A SCREEN SHOT SO IT'S HARD TO SEE, BUT EVEN THE SIZE OF THE PROJECTS WERE SMALL IN FONT SIZE. HAVE THINGS LIKE THIS BEEN
TESTED? >> YES, WE WENT GRANULAR AND WENT FROM USABILITY AND THE DASHBOARDS CHANGED A LOT AFTER THOSE TESTS. FOR EXAMPLE, AN EARLY VERSION HAD BOTH THE MAP AND THE OVERVIEW PAGE ON THE SAME PAGE.
ONE PIECE OF FEEDBACK WAS THAT MUCH TOO MUCH. SO WE SEPARATED THEM OUT.
SO WE TOOK A VERY GRANULAR APPROACH TO IT. >> KAUR: THE ORIGINAL VERSIONS OF THE GIS MAPS, THEY WON'T EVEN LOAD ON MY COMMUTER.
I USE A PERSONAL COMPUTER AND THEY ARE REALLY ONLY FOR MY STAFF.
MY STAFF KNOWS HOW TO CLICK AND MANAGE AND GET TO EXACTLY THIS PROJECT IS HAPPENING, WHICH THE IS WHEN IT'S EXPECTING. I'M HOPING WE'RE KEEPING THE END USER IN MIND WHICH IS OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> KAUR: GREAT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYBE WE CAN CONTINUOUSLY DO THAT AS WE LAUNCH, MAYBE WE RECEIVE MORE FEEDBACK AND UPDATE
BEFORE WE LAUNCH PHASE 2. >> THE INTENT IS CONTINUE TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND HONE
THIS. >> KAUR: PERFECT. FOR THE TIME LINE PAGE, ARE -- WHEN GIVING BACK FEEDBACK, ARE THEY GOING TO SAY THAT FEATURE IS IMPORTANT OR IMPACTFUL FOR ME? HOW ARE WE GOING TO GIVE
FEEDBACK ON IT? >> THAT WAS PART OF THE PROCESS WE'VE BEEN THROUGH.
WHAT INFORMATION IS MOST USEFUL TO YOU. WE HAVE WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU NOW IS THE END RESULT OF THAT, ALTHOUGH IT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS.
IF THERE'S OTHER TYPES OF INFORMATION THAT ARE MORE USEFUL, WE CAN ADD THAT AS
WELL. >> KAUR: GOT IT. HOW OFTEN ARE WE GOING TO BE UPDATING THE INFORMATION. FOR EXAMPLE, PROJECTS CHANGE SOMETIMES WEEKLY.
>> THE ANSWER IS MONTHLY AND AS NEEDED. SO WHENEVER THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE -- AND THAT'S WHY THE ARCHITECTURE OF THIS IS DESIGNED SO THAT ANY TIME THERE'S AN UPDATE ANY TIME, IT WILL BE REFLECTED ON THE DASHBOARD
THROUGH THE PROJECT PAGE. >> KAUR: THAT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE TASK BECAUSE I
KNOW SOMETIMES LIKE WE HAVE A JOB AVAILABLE -- >> WALSH: WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE UPDATE REQUIREMENTS AND WHAT YOU EXACTLY SAID IS WHAT I SAID IN THIS ROOM WHEN I MET WITH STAFF. WE TURN LIVE, IF SOMETHING CHANGES, WE'VE GOT TO UPDATE THE WEBSITE OR THE DASHBOARD.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, NOTHING EVER WORKS OUT AS PLANNED. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALIZE AS WE SHIFT TO THIS DIFFERENT TYPE OF TRANSPARENCY THAT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WHEN YOU AND I GET THROUGH TALKING ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT BREW BLEW UP THIS MORNING FOR SOMETHING HAPPENING TOMORROW MORNING THAT IS UPDATING ON THE DASHBOARD THAT NIGHT SO PEOPLE SEE IT AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE REALTIME OTHERWISE IT'S OUTDATED. ONCE SOMEBODY CLICKS WITH OUTDATED INFORMATION, THEY
STOP GOING TO IT. >> KAUR: WE HAVE TO BE DILIGENT ABOUT IT WHICH I KNOW IS GOING TO TAKE TIME. DOUBLING DOWN ON THAT POINT. WHAT'S THE PROMOTION PLAN TO
GET THIS OUT TO RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES? >> WE ARE GOING TO PUT OUT THE HOME PAGE TO SA.GOV, THE ROAD TO PROGRESS PAGE. AS FAR AS WE'RE OPEN TO IDEAS, PROBABLY BE A NEWS RELEASE WHEN WE FINALLY DO LAUNCH THE DASHBOARDS.
>> KAUR: MAYBE WE COULD DO LIKE A NEIGHBORHOOD CAMPAIGN WHERE WE GO THROUGH MEETINGS TOGETHER WITH YOUR COUNCIL PERSON AND DO A LIVE UPDATE SO WE CAN MODEL IT FOR THEM.
I THINK SHOWING FOLKS HOW TO DO IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE BEST WAY, WORD OF MOUTH.
ON THAT SPECIFIC POINT, HAVE WE GIVEN ANY CONSIDERATION TO INCREASING THE NUMBER OF
COMMUNITY LIAISONS WE HAVE IN PUBLIC WORKS? >> THAT'S PROBABLY A
QUESTION -- I KNOW -- I'LL LET RAZI ANSWER THAT. >> HOSSEINI: I THINK, COUNCILWOMAN, WE HAVE ALREADY COUNCIL LIAISONS, SO FAR THEY ARE DOING GOOD.
THE CHALLENGE SOMETIMES IS VACANCIES. REGARDING THE PROJECT UPDATE, WE ARE GOING TWO WAY. ONE IS UPDATE THE DASHBOARD, BUT EVERYBODY IS NOT GOING TO GO EVERY DAY TO LOOK AT THE DASHBOARD.
WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE IF THEY ARE INTERESTED ON CERTAIN PROJECT, THEY SIGN AN EMAIL LIST. WE CAN INFORM THEM WITHOUT THEM LOOKING TO DASHBOARD.
[00:45:01]
WE WILL DO BOTH WAY. >> KAUR: RIGHT. SHOUT OUT TO HIM, ALWAYS AMAZINGLY RESPONSIBLE. ONE MORE THING ON THE DASHBOARD.
ON THE PROJECT PAGES, THE MAPS ON THE BOTTOM ARE SUPER NOT USER FRIENDLY.
IT'S SOMETIMES MARRED TO READ. IT'S NOT ---HARD TO READ.
MAYBE IT'S THE ONE ALL THE WAY ON THE RIGHT. IS THERE ANY THOUGHT WE CAN GIVE TO MAYBE LOOKING AT THE MAPS AND KIND OF TRYING TO HELP VISUALIZE FROM LIKE A HUMAN CENTER DESIGN PERSPECTIVE ABOUT HOW THEIR ROAD TO BE CLOSED OR
AFFECTED? >> YES, COUNCILWOMAN. WE ARE OPEN TO IMPROVING OUR
GRAPHIC DESIGN POSSIBILITIES. >> KAUR: THANK YOU.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK, BUT SPECIFICALLY WITH THE CHAPA, IT'S PRETTY COOL. WE REALLY LIKE IT. IT'S THE ONE THEY HAVE IS TALKING BROADWAY, BUT WE LOVE TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT AI. EVENTUALLY I HOPE IT WILL BE.
IF THERE'S A WAY STAFF COULD LOOK AND PROVIDE RESPONSES, SUGGESTIONS, WE WOULD
APPRECIATE THAT. >> I WOULD SAY WE ARE IN A TUNING PHASE WITH THAT TECHNOLOGY. THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH US ON THAT.
>> KAUR: OF COURSE. BRENDA -- THANK YOU, BRIAN. BRENDA, IF I COULD ASK ABOUT THE MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM. DO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TOO SPEND THE 500K WE HAVE ALLOCATED FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR YET?
>> HICKS-SORENSEN: WE DO AN ANALYSIS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM AND WE HAVE
RECOMMENDATIONS. >> KAUR: THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO? >> HICKS-SORENSEN: YES.
>> KAUR: DO YOU GUYS FORMALIZE SPECIFIC PROCESS? SIGNAGE IS SOMETHING I WOULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED TO BE AS HELPFUL. THEY'VE BEEN TO GRATEFUL FOR SIGNAGE. IS THERE GOING TO BE A SPECIFIC WAY WHERE THEY CAN MAYBE SUBMIT LIKE THIS PROJECT IS COMING UP ON THEIR STREET, WE WOULD LIKE A SPECIFIC SIGN FOR THEIR BUSINESS THAT HAS -- THIS IS WHAT WE LIKE AND THEN-"LIKE
A TICKET THEY COULD SUBMIT FOR SIGNAGE? >> HICKS-SORENSEN: RIGHT NOW WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT THROUGH OUR BUSINESS OUTREACH SPECIALIST.
WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ON HOW WE CAN ENGAGE.
>> KAUR: I THINK IF WE CAN FIGURE A WAY TO MAKE SMALL THINGS AND PUT THEM ON THE MITIGATION GUIDE. I THINK IT'S GREAT YOU'VE STARTED THE MITIGATION GUIDE. THIS IS A SPECIFIC THING WE CAN PROVIDE FOR YOU, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. AND THEN THE LAST THING ON THE MITIGATION, WHEN YOU DO DECIDE HOW THE ADDITIONAL $1.4 MILLION, I KNOW THAT WAS GOING TO COME BACK TO US IN B SESSION, OUR OFFICE WOULD LOVE TO HELP IN ANY WAY.
I'M SURE COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE AND COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ WOULD TOO SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THAT COME TO FRUITION. RAZI, THE LAST FEW QUESTIONS ARE FOR YOU. ACCOUNTABILITY SPECIFICALLY, I LIKED THE MAYOR'S POINT AND I WAS GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING BECAUSE WE HAD A COUPLE SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAD LIGHTS OPEN AND AT&T OR ONE OF THE COMPANIES, THE TELECOM COMPANIES THAT HAS US KEEPING IT UNUSED, SO WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT WE COULD CODIFY THAT A LITTLE MORE OR PUSH THEM TO BE FASTER. BECAUSE IT AFFECTS THE RESIDENTS. AND THEN SPECIFICALLY WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS ON A PROJECT PREVIOUSLY. IS THERE A WAY THAT BEFORE WE START A SERIES OF PROJECTS, I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS IS POSSIBLE, TO PUT BONUSES FOR COMPLETION.
>> HOSSEINI: WE ARE REALLY LOOKING TO PROVIDE INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO EARLY FINISH.
WE ARE GOING -- GIVE THEM CERTAIN TIME. THEN SAY IF YOU FINISH SOONER THAN THIS, WE CAN GIVE YOU 5,000 OR $10,000 PER DAY.
>> KAUR: THANKS, MAYOR. I'LL CHIME BACK IN. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG:
COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATIONS AND THE DASHBOARD IS REALLY EXCITING.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION AND RECOMMENDATION. WILL THE DASHBOARD ALSO LIST WHO THE CONTRACTOR IS AND IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO FILTER THROUGH THE CONTRACTOR ON
THE DASHBOARD? >> I THINK SINCE WE ARE IN A SOFT LAUNCH SITUATION RIGHT NOW, THAT'S VERY VALUABLE FEEDBACK THAT WE CAN CONSIDER FOR IT, YES.
>> CASTILLO: HELPFUL TO HAVE ACCESS JUST GIVEN RECENT CONVERSATIONS AS A
[00:50:06]
COUNCIL. THEN WILL IT LOCATE OR IDENTIFY IF THERE'S CROSS-COORDINATION WITH TXDOT OR UNION PACIFIC THAT ARE GOING TOPOTENTIALLY IMPACT THE PROJECT? >> WE'VE INCLUDED A A SECTION FOR NOTES. THAT SORT OF INFORMATION I THINK COULD BE USEFUL THING
TO PUT IN THERE. >> CASTILLO: GREAT. THANK YOU.
I ENCOURAGE THAT BECAUSE IN DISTRICT 5 A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT SEE A LOT OF HICCUPS OR HAVE EXTENDED TIME LINES HAVE COORDINATION WITH OTHER ENTITIES AND OFTENTIMES I'M HAVING TO EXPLAIN TO FOLKS THIS IS WHY IT'S TAKING SO LONG AND THE PIECES OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF PUBLIC WORKS. THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION FOR THE DASHBOARD. I DID HAVE A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION REGARDING NOTICES TO RESIDENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, WITH [INAUDIBLE] STREET IT'S DONE, LOOKS BEAUTIFUL, SUPER GRATEFUL FOR IT. THROUGH THAT PROCESS WE HAD SO MANY CALLS ABOUT WHERE IT WAS. I'M CURIOUS WHAT DOES COMMUNICATION LOOK LIKE FOR SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THERE'S ISSUES OR WORRY WAITING ON SAWS OR CPS. DO WE SEND MAILERS TO FOLKS ALONG THAT STREET TO IDENTIFY THEM THERE'S A POTENTIAL EXTENDED TIME LINE AND/OR THIS IS THE SCOPE OF WORK WE'RE LOOKING AT? SEEMS LIKE MANY FOLKS WERE NOT AWARE AND I FEEL LIKE SENDING OUT A MAILER COULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS.
MY QUESTION RAZI, WITH PROJECTS LIKE ROYSTON, WERE MAILERS SENT OUT TO NOTIFY OF POTENTIAL HICCUPS JUST TO MAKE SURE FOLKS WERE IN THE KNOW?
>> HOSSEINI: WHEN SAWS AND CPS IS DOING A PROJECT FOR US, WE USUALLY INFORM THE COMMUNITY THIS PROJECT IS COMING BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE SAWS OR CPS IS GOING TO DO. IF THERE IS ANY DELAY AND WE LEARN FROM SAWS OR CPS, WE
DO INFORM THE COMMUNITY. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. THAT'S HELPFUL.
REGARDING THE TALKING BROADWAY PILOT, THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING AND I'M INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHAT BOT. A COUPLE YEARS AGO IN SEATTLE THEY HAD KIND OF LIKE A LITTLE MISSION, IT WAS LIKE AN ART INSTALLATION TO HELP NAVIGATE FOLKS TO HEREBY BUSINESSES. KEEPING IN MIND SOME FOLKS MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A QR CODE, IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO LIST OUT SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THIS DIRECTION OR IN ONE DIRECTION. AND IN SEATTLE THEY HAD FOOT STOPS SO IT'S LIKE DANCE YOUR WAY TO THE BUSINESS AND IT WAS FOOTSTEPS YOU CAN FOLLOW TO GO DOWN THAT ROUTE. I'M CURIOUS IF WITH SOME OF THOSE QR CODES, ARE THERE SOME CIRCLES THAT HAVE THE BUSINESSES LISTED OUT OR IS
IT ALL QR CODE? >> IT ALREADY DOES THAT. IT LINKS TO A BUSINESS DIRECTORY AND ONE OF THE MAIN IMPETUS REALLY FOR THIS PROTOTYPE WAS TO HELP FOLKS
NAVIGATE AND FIND THE BUSINESSES. >> CASTILLO: SO IT'S QR
CODES. >> THROUGH THE QR CODE ON YOUR PHONE, IT LEADS YOU TO
A TWO-WAY CONVERSATION TO A BUSINESS DIRECTORY. >> CASTILLO: WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO LIST, IF YOUR PHONE IS DYING AND YOU ARE RUNNING ON LOW BATTERY YOU CAN READ RATHER THAN HAVING TO USE YOUR BATTERY TO ACTIVATE THE QR CODE. YOU ALL CURRENTLY DON'T DO THAT.
>> DO YOU MEAN ON THE STICKER? >> CASTILLO: YES.
>> THE BUSINESSES ARE NOT LISTED ON THE SIGNAGE CURRENTLY.
>> CASTILLO: I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE TRAFFIC CALMING CHANGES.
A FEW MONTHS AGO I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ERIK ABOUT A PROPOSED CCR WE WANTED TO DRAFT TO REDUCE SOME OF THE BARRIERS TO INCREASING TRAFFIC CALMING WITHIN NEIGHBORHOODS. WE HAD A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS WHERE THE STREETS WEREN'T LONG ENOUGH SO THEY DIDN'T QUALIFY. AS OTHER FOLKS HAVE NOTED, THE INNER CORE DISTRICTS ARE OLDER OR WHEN NO CODE EXISTED SO THEY ARE SOL WHEN IT CAME TO SPEED BUMPS OR SIGNAGE. GRATEFUL TO SEE THESE CHANGES ARE BEING RECOMMENDED. I WAS LOOKING AT SOME OF THE CCRS, AND IN 2013, TWO SIMILAR CCRS HAD BEEN COMMITTED REGARDING SAFE SCHOOL ACCESS REGARDING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND I BELIEVE IT WAS DIEGO WHO PUT THE SAFE STREETS CCR. EXCITED TO SEE WE'RE AMENDING THESE POLICIES TO MAKE SURE WE CAN SMALL MORE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES.
THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK
[00:55:04]
YOU. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO SAY VERY GOOD JOB I THINK ON ALL THREE OF THE ASPECTS OF THIS THAT WE LOOKED AT TODAY. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ON SLIDE 11 WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT CONSTRUCTION SIGNS, CURRENTLY THE CONSTRUCTION SIGNS THAT COMPANIES PUT OUT GIVE QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION. ARE THEY GOING TO BE REPLACED BY OR WILL THIS BE
IN ADDITION TO THE MOST CURRENT SIGNS THEY USE? >> GOOD QUESTION.
IT'S IN ADDITION TO. >> COURAGE: GOOD. I THINK MOST PEOPLE CAN READ THE OTHER ONE, THEY WILL KNOW WHO THE COMPANY IS IS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
THIS IS MORE USEFUL FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO GET INTO MORE DETAIL.
I'M GLAD BOTH WILL BE USED BY THE CONTRACTORS. ON SLIDE 24, IT TALKS ABOUT TRAFFIC CONTROL FOR STOP SIGNS. IT SAYS FLASHING ALWAYS STOP SIGNS. AND THEN IN THE -- THE CRITERIA, IT SAYS WHEN FUNDED BY COUNCIL DISTRICT. AND SO MY QUESTION IS, WHICH TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES OR HOW MANY WILL PUBLIC WORKS PAY FOR AND WHICH MUST COUNCIL BUDGETS PAY FOR?
>> HOSSEINI: WE HAVE PART OF THE BUDGET WE HAVE UP TO 400.
WE WILL BE SENDING LIST THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. AND WHAT'S OUR RECOMMENDATION WILL BE PROBABLY ROUGHLY 10 PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.
AND IF YOU NEED ANY COUNCIL DISTRICT NEEDS ADDITION TO THAT 10, THE FUNDING CAN BE
COME FROM THEN. >> COURAGE: OKAY, AND IS THAT THEN THE SAME ABOUT THE
RADAR FEEDBACK SIGNS AND WHAT ABOUT SPEED HUMPS? >> HOSSEINI: AGAIN, FUNDING COME FROM -- AS LONG AS WE SPEND OUR BUDGET FOR '24, ANY ADDITIONAL
INSTALLATION CAN FUND THOSE PROJECTS. >> COURAGE: DOES YOUR
DEPARTMENT HAVE MONEY FOR SPEED HUMPS? >> HOSSEINI: NOT ADDITIONAL MONEY OTHER THAN WHAT WE GOT THROUGH THE BUDGET.
>> COURAGE: IF I WANT A SPEED HUMP IN MY DISTRICT, DO YOU HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR
THAT OR IS IT GOING TO COME OUT OF MY BUDGET? >> [INAUDIBLE]
>> COURAGE: SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT I'LL BE LOOKING AT THE FUNDING I HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT RATHER THAN JUST GENERAL PUBLIC
WORKS. >> HOSSEINI: CORRECT. >> COURAGE: 100 SIGNS AND RADAR FEEDBACK SIGNS ARE ALL COVERED THROUGH YOUR BUDGET FOR THE FIRST 100.
>> HOSSEINI: CORRECT. UP TO 100. >> COURAGE: I KNOW ON RADAR FEEDBACK SIGNS THAT WE'VE PURCHASED IN DISTRICT 9 FOR OF THEM AND WE PUT OUT AND MOVE THEM AROUND. THEY CAN RECORD TRAFFIC DATA AND WE DELIVER THAT TO SAPD.
WILL THE ONES THAT YOU PUT UP BE ABLE TO RECORD TRAFFIC DATA THAT WE CAN THEN FEED
SAPD TO HELP THEM MONITOR AND REGULATE TRAFFIC? >> HOSSEINI: YES, THAT'S CORRECT. NOT JUST SAPD, ALSO FOR US TO USE TO SEE WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED TO DO WITH THIS ROADWAY. THEY WILL BE WORKING WITH
THE BATTERY AND SOLAR. >> COURAGE: I WANTED TO MAKE SURE OF THAT AND I SAY LET SAPD KNOW, WE NEED TO KNOW AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT ONE OF THE ISSUES WE TALKED ABOUT IN A TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING WAS HAVING BETTER ENFORCEMENT. AND I THINK THAT IF THESE ADDITIONAL RADAR FEEDBACK SIGNS CAN HELP SAPD UNDERSTAND NOT JUST WHERE WE SAY ON PAPER THE PROBLEM IS BUT RECOGNIZE THE TIME OF DAY, THE DAYS OF THE WEEK THAT YOU HAVE MORE SPEEDING, MORE VIOLATIONS, THAT THEY CAN ADEQUATELY ALIGN THEIR RESOURCES TO BE THERE AT THAT TIME, TO MODERATE THAT KIND OF CONDITION SO THAT HOPEFULLY IT CAN GO AWAY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WE WOULD BE RECORDING THAT DATA AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR DEPARTMENT WILL KEEP IT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT FORWARDED TO THE DIFFERENT POLICE SUBSTATIONS SO THAT THEY WILL LOOK AT IT AND DECIDE HOW TO ALLOCATE
THEIR POLICE PATROLS OUT THERE. >> WALSH: COUNCILMAN, AFTER THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AS A MANAGEMENT TEAM WE TALKED ABOUT THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE, AND WE'LL BE WORKING TO DO ON THAT SO TO YOUR POINT IF IT'S TUESDAY AFTERNOONS FROM 4:00 TO 6:00 IS A SPOT WHERE WE HAVE SPEEDING IN THESE AREAS, THEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN IMPROVE THEIR ENFORCEMENT IN THOSE KEY AREAS. THAT'S KEY AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT AFTER THE COMMITTEE
MEETING. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL, MAYOR.
THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE.
[01:00:05]
COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS. I WANT TO PLUS ONE EVERYTHING COUNCILWOMAN KAUR SAID. REALLY QUICK, BRIAN, FOR THE DASHBOARD, FIRST OFF, THIS IS GREAT. WE AS A TEAM HAVE BEEN JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER COMMUNICATE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ON OUR OWN BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT SO MANY RESIDENTS REQUEST.
AND SO I'M GLAD TO SEE ALL OF THE THOUGHT BEHIND IT, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE IT'S USER FRIENDLY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT ULTIMATELY NEEDS TO BE O THE SLIDE WITH ALL THE -- ON THE SLIDE WITH ALL THE SCREEN SHOTS, IS THERE A WAY FOR THEM TO SEE THE IMMEDIATE NEXT STEP? LIKE FOR THE PROJECT? LIKE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
NEXT? >> SO ALL CONSTRUCTION UPDATES WOULD BE ON THE PROJECT PAGE. AND SO THE IDEA IS IF YOU WANT TO DIG INTO THE PROJECT
AND SEE WHAT IS IMMEDIATELY COMING UP -- >> GAVITO: YOU WOULD BE
ABLE TO SEE THAT. >> IT WOULD NAVIGATE THEM TO THAT.
>> GAVITO: PERFECT. AND THEN I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT KIND OF THE CADENCE FOR COMMUNICATION. IF I SIGN UP FOR IT, I CAN UNDERSTAND IT AS NEEDED.
BUT ALSO TOO I WOULDN'T WANT MONTHS TO GO BY WITHOUT HEARING AN UPDATE.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, A LINE IN THE IN THE SAND.
>> THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE AND THAT WAS IN PLACE BEFORE I CAME TO THE CITY.
WE HAVE A DEDICATED TEAM OF CAPITAL PROJECTS OFFICERS WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO VARIOUS PROJECTS. AND THEY HAVE MASTER STAKEHOLDER LISTS AND THEY CONTACT, SEND MONTHLY UPDATES THROUGH SA SPEAK UP AND ALSO THROUGH EMAILS OF FOLKS DR. KAUR'S IDEA ABOUT GOING AROUND NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE I KNOW, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO USE LIKE THE IMP MAP IN THE PAST AND GET FRUSTRATED BY THE USER EXPERIENCE AND NEVER COME BACK.
I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO GO AND RETRAIN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HOW TO USE IT.
AND ALSO IT IS A LOT OF INFORMATION AND WE'RE ALL USED TO THIS STUFF EVERY DAY, BUT JUST TO KIND OF GRADUALLY HELP US ALL LEARN HOW TO USE THIS I THINK WOULD BE EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL. I ALSO DID WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT-OUT TO ROHELIO. HE'S AWESOME AND HELPFUL. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO BROUGHT UP A REALLY GOOD THOUGHT AND SOMETHING -- LIKE BAN DARA ROAD IS A "-BANDERA ROAD IS A HUGE PROJECT BUT IT'S THROUGH TXDOT.
IS THERE A WAY WE CAN LINK TO IT THE TXDOT PAGE? PEOPLE DON'T KNOW OR CARE TO KNOW SPECIFICS. SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE COULD INCORPORATE SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS. NOT PUTTING OUT THE CITY TO GIVE ALL THE FINAL DETAILS BECAUSE THAT IS ON TXDOT, BUT JUST TO INFORM
RESIDENTS. >> THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT COMES UP.
FOLKS WANT TO KNOW THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN PROJECTS AND WE CAN THINK ABOUT HOW
BEST TO LAY THAT OUT. >> GAVITO: SOUNDS GOOD. ERIK, WERE YOU GOING TO SAY
SOMETHING? >> I ALSO -- I THINK THAT WAS IT REALLY FOR THE DASHBOARD. THANKS, BRIAN.
RAZI, FOR THE OTHER UP DATES THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED -- ACTUALLY I FORGET WHO MENTIONED THIS, ABOUT THE SIGNS, THE CONSTRUCTION -- I MEAN THE BOND-RELATED PROJECT SIGNS. WILL THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH CIP OR NAMP ALSO HAVE SIGNS AS WELL? OR ARE THOSE JUST BOND
PROJECTS? >> HOSSEINI: MOST OF THE TIME BOND PROJECT BECAUSE TAKES YEAR OR SO. CIP A FEW DAYS, THE DURATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION.
>> GAVITO: SO YOU GUYS ARE JUST GOING TO FOCUS ON THE BOND PROJECT SIGNS.
>> HOSSEINI: PART OF [INDISCERNIBLE] LONGER TIME TO FINISH.
>> GAVITO: WE DO HAVE SOME SIGNS THAT TAKE A FEW WEEKS THAT -- WE MIGHT WANT TO
TALK ABOUT THAT. >> HOSSEINI: THE FLIER FOR THE COMMUNITY IS AFFECTED BY THE PROJECT. WE PUT GENERAL SIGN IN THE AREA BUT NOT FOR PARTICULAR
ROADWAY. >> GAVITO: I THINK THAT WE HAVE A FEW THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN WE MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT PUTTING SOME SIGNS FOR.
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OR I MEAN WHETHER IT'S YOU ALL OR -- YOU KNOW, OUR DISTRICT-SPECIFIC OFFICES.BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR MENTIONED IT, I MEAN THESE THINGS TAKE A LONG TIME, BUT FOR RESIDENTS THEY TAKE AN EXTRA LONG TIME BECAUSE THEY ARE IMPACTED DAILY. I KNOW THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ AND I CO-SIGNED THAT CCR TO DO A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT TRAFFIC IN THE CITY. I DO THINK THAT ON SLIDE 21 THIS TALKS ABOUT IT WITH THE SPEEDING, AND LIKE COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE SAID -- I DON'T KNOW WHERE RAZI WENT, LIKE COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE SAID, I CAN'T SEE HIM, LIKE COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE SAID, WE NEED TO COORDINATE WITH SAPD.
I SAID IT BEFORE, NONE OF US SPEED THROUGH ALAMO HEIGHTS OR CAST HE WILL HILLS BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET A TICKET. WE NEED TO START WITH THAT
CULTURE. >> >> HOSSEINI: FIRST PROJECT WE SHARE WITH SAPD. SECONDLY, CONSTANTLY SPEEDING ON THAT ROADWAY, WE NEED TO KNOW WHY. WE MAY HAVE TO REDESIGN THAT ROADWAY, DO SOMETHING ELSE.
WE WANT TO DESIGN ROADWAY PEOPLE CANNOT SPEED TOO FAST.
>> GAVITO: YEAH. YES, BUT THERE'S ALSO JUST CONSTANT SPEEDING LIKE WE HAVE IT NEAR SOME OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, LIKE JOHN MARSHALL, THOMAS JEFFERSON, JUST CONSTANT SPEEDING IN THAT AREA. I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IT'S A ROADWAY ISSUE, I THINK IT'S A CULTURE ISSUE IN THAT PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH IT A LOT AND THEY KNOW THEY CAN. ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GLAD TO SEE THE REMOVAL OF ALL THE BARRIERS TO GET A SPEED BUMP, BUT I KNOW THAT FOR SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS IT IS HARD IF THERE ARE ELDERLY OR THEY HAVE DISABILITY OF SOME SORT TO GET THEIR NEIGHBORS' SIGNATURE.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR THEM TO GO ABOUT THAT? >>
>> HOSSEINI: THE CHALLENGE IS, COUNCILWOMAN, WITHOUT SIGNATURE IF THEY INSTALL THERE'S SOME PEOPLE GOING TO BE AGAINST INSTALLATION. EITHER YOUR OFFICE COULD HELP OR WE COULD HELP, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE 51% SIGN FOR US TO INSTALL SPEED BUMPS.
>> GAVITO: SO THE SOLUTION IS FOR THEM TO CALL THE DISTRICT OFFICE TO HELP GET THOSE SIGNATURES. AND I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT, I MEAN FOR US WE FOUND WHEN WE PUT SPEED BUMPS IN, HALF THE NEIGHBORS LOVE IT, HALF HATE IT.
I DON'T THINK IT IS ALWAYS THE BEST SOLUTION. IN SOME INSTANCES, I THINK IT IS THE BEST SOLUTION, BUT I KNOW THAT FOR RESIDENTS HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE TEDIOUS PROCESS OF EVEN GETTING THE SIGNATURES FROM THEIR NEIGHBORS, FOR SOME IT'S I THINK THAT WAS ALL OF MY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
THE PRESENTATION, MAYOR. >> MAYOR, VERY QUICK. PART OF FACILITATING CONVERSATIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS OR ON THE STREETS, I MEAN, IF YOU RECALL THAT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE BUDGET THIS PAST SUMMER, THE STREET LIGHT PLAN, WHAT WE FOUND WHEN WE LOOKED BACK OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, WE HAVE MONEY AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW STREET LIGHTS AND WE HAVE NEIGHBORS THAT CAN'T AGREE ON WHERE TO PUT THE STREET LIGHTS -- THEY ALL WANT IT BUT NOT IN THEIR FRONT YARD. SO PART OF IT IS NOT JUST -- I'M THINKING ABOUT LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL CONVERSATION WITH EASY BELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT -- WELL, WE'LL CALL THE COUNCIL OFFICE TO HELP FACILITATE. I THINK THAT IT'S INCUMBENT UPON PUBLIC WORKS REALLY IN COORDINATION WITH YOUR OFFICES TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THAT BLOCK OR THAT STREET AND TO SAY, LOOK, HERE ARE THE PROS AND HERE'S THE CONS AND HERE'S THE PROCESS BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE DON'T GET TO COMPLETION OR END ON ANY OF THOSE THINGS. THEY BECOME OPEN APPLICATIONS WITHOUT CONCLUSION. AND WE SHOULDN'T -- WE SHOULDN'T PUT OURSELVES IN THAT SPOT.
>> KAUR: AND I APPRECIATE THAT AND I THINK THAT EVEN GETTING THEM TO DECIDE ON A SPEED BUMP WOULD HAVE SOME RESIDENTS LIKE, NO, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED THIS. AND I DO THINK THAT LENDS ITSELF TO AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK, OKAY, WHAT OTHER TRAFFIC CALMING DOES THIS STREET NEED BUT, YEAH, IT IS HARD TO GET NEIGHBORS TO AGREE. THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MEMBER HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND
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THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU FOR THE RELAXED CRITERIA ON SPEED BUMPS AND FLASHY STOP SIGNS AND MY NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SUPER EXCITED AND D6 HAVE LINED UP FOR FLASHY STOP SIGNS SO YOU WILL SEE D6 LINE UP. WE HAD A COUPLE OF MEETINGS WITH BUSINESS OWNERS, AFFECTED BY THE CITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. ONE WAS ALONG BROADWAY AND COUNCILMAN WHYTE WAS THERE AS WELL AND ONE MY STAFF ATTENDED ABOUT OLD HIGHWAY 90.MUCH OF WHAT I HAVE HEARD AT MOST MEETINGS IS THE LACK OF CONVERSATION.
SO I THINK THAT IT DASHBOARD CAN GO A LONG WAY IN THAT -- IN SOLVING THAT ISSUE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN ASKED BUT HOW OFTEN IS IT UPDATED?
>> AS NEEDED BUT AT LEAST MONTHLY. >> HAVRDA: OKAY.
IS THERE A PLAN TO DO IT MORE THAN MONTHLY? >> YES, ANYTIME THAT THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT IN TERMS OF TIMELINE AND, OF COURSE, ANYTHING ON THE PROJECT PAGES IS UPDATED BUT IN THE DASHBOARD ITSELF, ANY OF THAT INFORMATION, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED IT WILL HAPPEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
>> HAVRDA: SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR AND I THINK THAT IT'S SEMANTICS BUT YOU SAID THAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT, BUT IT'S REALLY ANY CHANGE, RIGHT? ANY CHANGE?
>> CORRECT. ESPECIALLY TO THE TIMELINES OF THE PROJECT ITSELF.
>> HAVRDA: YEAH. >> IF THE COMPLETION DATE CHANGES, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF
WHAT THEY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. >> HAVRDA: AND I THINK THAT IN OUR COMMUNICATION WITH CONTRACTORS AND THEM BEING AS HONEST AND TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE IS IMPORTANT.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT ALONG OLD HIGHWAY 90, ALL OF THEM -- EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS ALONG THIS CORRIDOR IS MOM AND POP AND THES NO BIG BOX STORES. EVERYTHING WAS TWO WEEK RESPONSES AND IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS AND IT'S NOT TWO WEEKS AND I WILL GIVE CONTRACT, WE HAVE A NEW CONTRACTOR IN, AND IT WAS THE PREVIOUS CONTRACTOR THAT I THINK THAT WAS PRETTY POOR COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY WOULD CALL ME ASKING AND I'D CALL THE CITY, HEY WHAT IS GOING ON, I WOULD GET THE SAME RESPONSE. SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE WERE GETTING GOOD INFORMATION FROM THAT CONTRACTOR. I'M NOT GOING TO BLAME IT ON THE ONE CONTRACTOR, I THINK IS A MORE INVASIVE ISSUE THAN I THINK WE UNDERSTAND, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HOLDING THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE ABOUT ACCURACY ON TIMELINES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. THESE -- YOU KNOW, THE OLD HIGHWAY 90 BUSINESSES ARE SUPPORTED BY COMMUNITY AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS KEEP THEM GOING. AND IN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, HONESTY IS THEIR INVALUABLE CURRENCY SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE OWE THEM AS WELL.
I AM HOPING THAT THE TRANSPAIRENSY AND SUPPORT AND I THINK INNOVATION, ALL OF THIS IS, AGAIN GOING TO PRODUCE THAT HONESTY. AND THE MEETING WITH THE OLD HIGHWAY 90 OWNERS -- BY THE WAY, IT'S ONGOING AND WE'RE NOW GETTING AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE IN FOUR MONTHS. BUT, WEIRDLY, THOUGH IT'S NOT TWO WEEKS, IT'S BELIEVABLE AND IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. I GUESS THAT WE'LL TALK AGAIN IN FOUR MONTHS.
BUT IT WAS BETTER THAN THIS SORT OF KICKING THE CAN ALONG THE ROAD AND -- VERY HONESTLY, IT DIDN'T SEEM THAT THEY WERE TAKING THOSE BUSINESSES SERIOUSLY.
SO I THINK NOW I HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE AND WE HAVE A NEW CONTRACTOR IN AND I'M HOPING THAT GOING FORWARD WE'LL HAVE A DIFFERENT -- CRITERIA -- NOT CRITERIA, BUT JUST MORE HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY. I WILL EMPHASIZE THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AS A CITY, THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROCESSES ARE AIRTIGHT. I THINK THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF SO MUCH OF OUR GROWTH AND MAKING SURE THAT AS WE MOVE INTO THESE SPACES AND WE'RE MOVING INTO CONSTRUCTION THAT WE'RE BEING -- WE'RE COMMUNICATING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH BUSINESSES. ONE OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD LAST NIGHT -- I'M SORRY -- LAST WEEK ABOUT BROADWAY WAS ABOUT, UM, THE CITY DIDN'T COME KNOCK ON MY DOOR AND TOLD ME THEY WERE GOING TO START WORK IN TWO WEEKS. WE DIDN'T TALK TO THEM AT ALL HOW THIS WOULD IMPACT THEIR BUSINESS. AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT AND YOU IT WAS ALL A ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION.
IT WASN'T THE OTHER WAY. SO I HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW MAYBE TO TALK ABOUT THAT GOING FORWARD AND HOW TO REMEDY THAT GOING FORWARD, BUT, UM, I GUESS THAT, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF FEEDBACK -- ON SITE 11, THAT'S GOING TO BE A FEEDBACK. THAT'S A FEEDBACK FORUM, RIGHT?
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SIGN INTO SA SPEAK UP? >> CORRECT, YES.
YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR UPDATES AND PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT WAY. >> HAVRDA: OKAY --
>> OR -- WELL, ON SA SPEAK UP YOU CAN SIGN UP TO RECEIVE UPDATES, TO BE CLEAR.
>> HAVRDA: SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, AGAIN, THIS IS ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION.
IS THERE A WAY TO GO TO ASK A SPEAK UP AND SAY THIS IS ME AND I'M ON THIS CORRIDOR AND THIS IS
HAPPENING TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD OR MY BUSINESS? >> I BELIEVE ON PUBLIC INPUT THAT'S AN ASPECT OF PUBLIC INPUT THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS PROVIDE ON FEEDBACK.
[01:15:01]
>> HAVRDA: OKAY, I'M NOT CLEAR -- IS THIS QR CODE A WAY FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GIVE
FEEDBACK AS WELL? >> YES. >> HAVRDA: OKAY.
OKAY. IF NOT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.
>> I WANTED TO STEP IN TO TALK ABOUT BROADWAY IN PARTICULAR ON. BROADWAY I FEEL THAT WE'VE GONE THE EXTRA MILE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE FOLKS. WE HAVE A MEETING EVERY OTHER WEEK WHERE ALL BUSINESSES ARE INVITED. AND WE'VE HAD SOME PRETTY ROBUST TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION WITH THEM. WHERE THEY TOLD US THAT WE HAVE AN EVENT COMING UP AND WE HAVE WORKED WITH OUR CONTRACTOR TO ADJUST THE SCHEDULE OR TO REMOVE BARRICADES OR ADD EXTRA SIGNAGE.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COMMUNICATION. AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET WITH YOU
AFTER THE MEETING -- >> HAVRDA: I DEFINITELY WILL BECAUSE THERE'S FOUR OR FIVE BUSINESSES THERE THAT DON'T KNOW AND SO LET'S FIGURE OUT WHERE THE GAP IS, RIGHT? SO FOR THIS -- THIS FEEDBACK, WHERE DOES IT GO? IT WILL GO TO PUBLIC WORKS? WHEN -- IF I ALREADY DO THIS QR CODE AND SAY THAT MY BUSINESS -- THIS IS HAPPENING ON MY BUSINESS
ON THIS CORRIDOR, WHERE WOULD IT GO? >> THAT QR LEADS TO THE PROJECT PAGE ON SA SPEAK UP. WHERE YES, THE PUBLIC IS PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
>> HAVRDA: WHO IS READING THAT FEEDBACK AND BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO OR FOLLOW UP?
>> THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE PROJECT MANAGER AND THE PUBLIC. THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMUNICATION
TEAM WHO WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY LIAISONS. >> HAVRDA: OKAY.
>> BY EXTENSION THE PROJECT MANAGERS AS WELL. >> HAVRDA: SO THE CONTRACTOR
ALSO WILL SEE THAT? >> I WOULD DESCRIBE IT AS A CHAIN OF COMMUNICATION.
>> HAVRDA: OKAY. OKAY. >> YES.
>> HAVRDA: I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CONTRACTOR THEMSELVES TO SEE THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, TO BE ABLE TO READ LIKE THE RAW REACTION, I GUESS.
OKAY, THAT WAS IT. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CABELLO HAVRDA. AND COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ.
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR AND TODAY IS A GREAT DAY AND WE'RE GETTING SEVERAL REQUESTS ADDRESSED TODAY REGARDING CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION.
YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT COUNCILMAN WHYTE AND I HAD CALLED FOR A PERMANENT MITIGATION PROGRAM. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING INTO THE WEEDS ON IT, BUT IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE IT MOVING ITS WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS TO IMPLEMENTATION.
I WILL SAY THAT WHAT Y'ALL BE ARE DOING WITH BROADWAY, I WOULD LIKE TO BE AFFORDED WITH THE NEW BRAUNFELS PROJECT, THOSE BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED SIGNIFICANTLY BY PHASE ONE BUT THEY RECEIVED MINIMAL SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY SO I WANTED TO MAKE THAT REQUEST PUBLICLY.
AND I WILL MOVE TO TRAFFIC CALMING, WE HAD A REQUEST TO RE, REEVALUATION FOR TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES AND I THINK THAT THIS MEETS THAT. I'M SO, SO EXCITED TO GO BACK TO MY RESIDENTS AND YEAR. AND I SAY IT ALL OF THE TIME THAT ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENT CALLS THAT WE GET ARE FOR TRAFFIC CALMING SOLUTIONS AND SPEED HUMPS BEING THE MOST COMMON REQUEST. THE SPEEDING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD MAKES THEM FEEL UNSAFE, AND IT FALLS ON RESIDENTS. AS OF RIGHT NOW THEY ARE EXPECTED TO GET PETITION SIGNATURES FROM TWO-THIRDS OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THEY HAVE TO MEASURE 3,120 FEET UNINTERPRETED WITH HIGHER SPEEDS OF 35 MILES PER HOUR AND AVERAGE TRAFFIC VOLUME OF 500 HOURS A DAY AND IN A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. SO I KNOW THAT MY CONSTITUENTS WOULD FEEL A SENSE OF JOY TO SEE THAT THESE HAVE BEEN REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY TO 51% OF ADJACENT NEIGHBORS, 700 FEET INTERRUPTED SPEED LENGTH, AND 32 MILES INSTEAD OF 35. AND ENTIRE ELIMINATION OF THE TRAFFIC VOLUME REQUIREMENT. AND I HAVE SIMILAR FEELINGS ABOUT THE FLASHING STOP SIGNS AND THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS, SO THANK YOU ALL. SO I WOULD GO BACK TO THE COUNCILMAN AND STATE THAT I WOULD LIKE US TO ENGAGE IN A CITY-WIDE ANALYSIS TO ALLOW US TO BE MORE PROACTIVE BECAUSE THE BURDEN IS STILL GOING TO FALL ON THE RESIDENTS AND THIS IS AN ISSUE OF PUBLIC SAFETY. I'LL SAY THAT THESE NEW LESSENED REQUIREMENTS WILL MAKE OUR RESIDENTS TO FEEL SAFER AND TO BE SAFER BY CHANGING THE DRIVER BEHAVIOR IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T HAVE QUALIFIED. SO THINKING AS A TOOL OF CRIME PREVENTION, IF SOMEONE IS IT GOING TO MESS UP THEIR CAR SPEEDING DOWN A ROAD THEY WILL QUICKLY LEARN NOT TO DRIVE QUICKLY DOWN THAT ROAD. THAT THEN ALLOWS POLICING TO OCCUR ELSEWHERE. SO I WOULD DISAGREE WITH A COUPLE OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THAT NOTE. WHAT I KNOW THAT MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS WILL WONDER AND WANT ME TO ASK, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS WHO SUBMITTED REQUESTS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS OR SO TO HAVE IT R RE-EVALUATED UNDER THE NEW REQUIREMENTS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO START THE
PETITION PROCESS AGAIN? IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? >> YES, COUNCILMAN, THIS NEW IS
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GOING TO APPLY FOR ANY NEW REQUIREMENT AND OLD ONE. WE ARE GOING TO LOOK FOR ACTUALLY WE HAD ONE ON ONE, EIGHT -- WE LOOKED AND EVALUATED AND SAID MANY DO MEET THE NEWREQUIREMENT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: HOW FAR BACK WILL YOU GO?
>> TWO YEARS. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: TWO YEARS? PERFECT, EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, RAZI, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND MOVING TO THE NEW COMS PLAN THAT WE WILL CALL IT. I LOVE THE METHODS THAT YOU'LL USE TO INNOVATE AND MODERNIZE YOUR TOOLKIT. I THINK THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS WANT TO BE EMPOWERED WITH INFORMATION, BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE RECEIVING TIMELY PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IMPACTING THEIR ROUTINES. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE FANTASTIC. AND ALSO FOR OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAMS WHO FIELD A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS. I ALSO AGREE THAT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE PROJECTS THAT NOT CITY LED OR AT LEAST TO PROVIDE LINKS OR CONTACT INFORMATION FOR OTHER AGENCIES WHO MAY HAVE PROJECTS IN THE CITY. MY PHONE WAS BLOWING UP EVERY SINGLE DAY ABOUT CONSTRUCTION ON THE WALTER STREET BRIDGE WHICH WASN'T ONE OF OUR PROJECTS AND IT WAS ALSO TXDOT AND TXDOT FOR SOME REASON IS DOING ALL OF THEIR PROJECTS AT ONCE.
SO I GENERALLY WONDER WHAT KIND OF SERVICE THAT WE COULD PROVIDE TO FILL THE INFORMATION GAPS IN
THESE SITUATIONS. >> I KNOW THAT OUR MEDIA -- PUBLIC WORKS COMMUNICATION TEAM -- DOES SPEND SOME TIME DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THOSE PROJECTS SO I HEAR YOU.
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I APPRECIATE YOU. I WONDER AS WELL, MIGHT IT BE POSSIBLE TO CHOOSE TO RECEIVE TEXT OR EMAIL UPDATES ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS? SO IF THEY'RE GOING ON THE WEBSITE AND THEY CLICK AND THEY SEE THE UPDATE, THE THING THAT IS HAPPENING NEXT, IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD A FIELD THAT ALLOWS THEM TO ENTER THEIR PHONE
NUMBER AND SIGN UP FOR TEXT UPDATES? >> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY HAPPENING ALREADY ON THE SA SPEAK-UP PAGE THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING AND THE ABILITY TO SIGN UP FOR EMAIL
UPDATES. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THAT'S GOING TO APPLY ON THE DASHBOARD?
>> WELL, SO THE DASHBOARD LINKS TO THAT PAGE AND SO EVERY -- EVERY PROJECT THAT YOU CAN SELECT ON THE DASHBOARD IN THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM HAS A LINK TO THERE PAGE THAT IS DESIGNED TO
ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN THAT EXACT WAY. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WONDERFUL, THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WHAT'S ALSO GOING TO BE KEY IS THAT WE DON'T FORGET THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE THERE JUST YET.
MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO CALL US FOR UPDATES TEND TO BE OLDER AND LESS INCLINED TO ENGAGE WITH A QR CODE, FOR EXAMPLE. SO I WONDER IF WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO INCLUDE PROJECT SCOPE AND
TIMELINE ON SOME OF THE SIGNAGE. >> SO ON THE EXISTING SIGNAGE RIGHT NOW, THERE ALREADY ARE PHONE NUMBERS FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECT OFFICERS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: YEAH, I WONDER IF -- I WOULD RE-EVALUATE THE CONTENT INFORMATION THAT IS BEING PROVIDED BECAUSE I HAVE RESIDENTS THAT CALL THOSE NUMBERS AND SAYING THAT I DON'T GET A RESPONSE AND I HAVE CALLED MULTIPLE TIMES. MAYBE THAT MEANS THAT NOTHING NEEDS TO CHANGE ON THE SIGNAGE PART BUT WE HAVE TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE THOSE WHO SHOULD BE
RESPONDING TO THOSE CALLS. >> ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECT SIGNAGE, IS THAT WHAT
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT? >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: UM-HMM. AND I LIKED THE SUGGESTIONS AROUND PING. OVERALL I'M THRILLED BY THIS PRESENTATION AND THIS IS A FANTASTIC FINAL B SESSION OF THE YEAR. AND MY LAST, IS THAT ABOUT -- [INDISCERNIBLE] JUST HAD TO ASK, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE.
>> WHYTE: THANK YOU, MAYOR AND THANK YOU RAZI FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO. YOU KNOW, OUR CONSTITUENTS I THINK DESERVE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT HOW THEIR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING USED IN RELATION TO CITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, BOND PROJECTS, ALL OF IT. AND SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT DASHBOARD AND -- AND KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND -- AND KNOW THEIR TIMELINE FOR ANY PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
SO THAT IS GREAT. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT COUNCILWOMAN KA BELL ON CAF HAF BROUGHT UP ABOUT BUSINESS OWNERS AROUND THE CITY AND THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING THE PACE OF CONSTRUCTION. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT DURING THE CAMPAIGN EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND I THINK THAT WE'VE JUST GOT TO DO -- OBVIOUSLY, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP TO MOVE THESE PROJECTS FORWARD, GET THEM STARTED EARLIER AND GET THEM COMPLETED EARLIER. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'LL DO IS TALKING WITH COUNCILWOMAN
[01:25:04]
VIAGRAN I THINK IN THE COMING WEEKS ABOUT HIGH-PROFILE CONTRACTS AND THE THRESHOLD AND SEEING IF WE COULD CUT OFF SOME OF THE -- YOU KNOW, THE LAG TIME IN THE BEGINNING OF THESE THINGS TO GET THESE PROJECTS STARTED, BECAUSE THE SOONER THAT WE START THEM, THE SOONER THAT WE'LL GET THEM DONE. I ALSO THINK THAT THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS ABOUT WHEN WE'RE OPENING THESE STREETS UP AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO TO GET AHEAD OF -- YOU KNOW, THINGS COMING ON, LANE CONDUIT, OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, IS ALSO A REALLY GOOD IDEA.SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO TAKE WHATEVER STEPS WE CAN TO MOVE THESE PROJECTS ALONG.
REGARDING CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION ON SLIDE 16, I THINK THAT WE -- YOU MENTIONED HOW MUCH MONEY -- I GUESS 2022, $1.35 MILLION WAS GIVEN OUT IN CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION AND 2023, $2.45 MILLION. DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY THE AVERAGE BUSINESS RECEIVED
WITH RESPECT TO THOSE GRANTS? >> THE AVERAGE WAS RIGHT AROUND $26,000 FOR THE 2023 FUNDING.
THE FIRST WAS THE $10,000 PER BUSINESS ADDITIONAL. I THINK THAT THE AVERAGE WAS, ROUND $7500 FOR THEM. NO, IT WAS $10,000 BUT WE'LL GO BACK AND CONFIRM THAT BUT IT WAS
THAT FOR THE 2023 FUNDING. >> WHYTE: I AM EXCITED THAT WE HAVE MONEY SET ASIDE MOVING FORWARD. WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA AND I HEARD LAST WEEK IS THAT TO THE EXTENT, NUMBER ONE, THAT WE CAN HELP THESE FOLKS WITH DIRECT DOLLARS, THAT'S GREAT.
NUMBER TWO, IS THERE ANYWAY TO INCENTIVIZE THESE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES TO FINISH THESE
PROJECTS QUICKER? >> OF COURSE. AND WE ARE WORKING ON THAT ONE.
FIRST OF ALL, THEY HAVE TO OUT THE RIGHT METHOD OF PROJECT DELIVERY.
LOW BID IS BASICALLY THE PRICE CONTROL AND NOT THE TIME. WE ARE DOING THE SENSITIVE PROJECT WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE BUSINESSES, OR TRAVELING PUBLIC, OTHER THAN LOW BID, WE ARE DOING THOSE CMR. THE IDEA THEN IS IF YOU'RE A CONTRACTOR YOU HAVE ONE YEAR OR 18 MONTHS TO FINISH THIS PROJECT AND WE ARE TELLING THEM, YOU TELL US HOW CAN YOU WORK ON THIS PROJECT TO FINISH SOONER. MAYBE HAVE TWO SHIFTS WORKERS EVERY DAY.
MAYBE WORKERS WORKING OVERNIGHT. AND MAYBE CLOSE THE ROAD AND GIVE IT TO YOU AND FINISH FASTER. BUT WE ARE ALSO ASKING THEM TO TELL US WHAT WILL BE THE DETAILS ON THE COST OF IT. THIS IS ONE THING. AND THE SECOND THING THAT WE ARE DOING, IS TO PUT MORE DOLLAR FIGURES AND MAKE THEM FINISH FASTER BECAUSE IT WILL COST MONEY WHEN THEY MISS THE SCHEDULE. AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE INCENTIVE -- YOU FINISH EARLY, WE GIVE YOU $5,000 OR $10,000 PER DAY, DEPENDING ON THE BUDGET OF THE PROJECT, AND THEN THEY HAVE INCENTVE TO FINISH SOONER RATHER THAN
WAITING FOR THE LAST DAYS OF THE CALENDAR DAYS. >> WHYTE: YEAH, THOSE ARE EXACTLY THE KIND OF THINGS THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT I THINK WOULD REALLY BENEFIT THE BUSINESSES. WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR, I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT MOSNA, CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE WHERE WE HAD OUR MEETING LAST WEEK. AND IT'S GREAT COFFEE.
EVERYBODY SHOULD GO AND GIVE THEM SOME BUSINESS. BUT IT WAS A REALLY APPROPRIATE PLACE TO BE HAVING THIS MEETING BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT THERE ON BROADWAY.
AND YOU CANNOT GET IN TO THE FRONT OF THEIR COFFEE SHOP BECAUSE OF THIS CONSTRUCTION.
AND IT'S REALLY -- IT'S REALLY DECIMATED THEIR BUSINESS. AND WE'VE JUST GOT TO BE MINDFUL OF THINGS LIKE THIS WHEN WE INITIATE THESE CITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
ANYWAYS, THANK YOU, RAZI, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE.
COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, BRIAN. WHO IS THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMUNICATION TEAM? LIKE, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO THEY HAVE, WHO IS IN CHARGE THERE?
>> SURE, SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST SIX, SEVEN MONTHS WE HAVE REALLY BUILT THAT TEAM OUT.
>> WE HAVE ALL TOGETHER FOUR. >> VIAGRAN: AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, HOW MANY
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PEOPLE THERE? >> WE HAVE A MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, AND THEN SPECIFIC TO SMALL BUSINESSES WE HAVE A FOUR-MEMBER BUSINESS OUTREACH SPECIALIST TEAM.
>> VIAGRAN: OKAY. SO SOME OF MY CONCERNS, I MEAN, I SHARE MY CONCERNS PROBABLY AT LEAST TWICE A MONTH REGARDING PROJECTS AND DELAYS, AND WORKING IN SILOS.
LAST WEEK I BROUGHT THE ATTENTION OF GEEVERS, AND THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION THERE.
I THINK THAT MY CONCERN THAT I HEARD HERE WITH COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA ASKED IS THAT IT WOULD GO TO THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMUNICATION TEAM. I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S THEN EVENTUALLY JUST COMING BACK TO MY TEAM.
IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION. SO I NEED TO KNOW WHAT ROLES CNE IS GOING TO HAVE IN THIS WHEN THEY'RE NOT GETTING RESPONSES FROM PUBLIC WORKS COMMUNICATION TEAM.
>> SO THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMUNICATION TEAM IS WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CAPITAL PROJECTS OFFICERS RIGHT NOW, AND ALSO VERY CLOSELY WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I FEEL THAT THERE'S BEEN -- THERE ARE WEEKLY MEETINGS AMONG THOSE FOLKS.
THERE'S A LOT OF INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
AND, OF COURSE, WITH CNE AS WELL. SO IT IS A CONCERTED EFFORT
ACROSS DEPARTMENTS. >> VIAGRAN: WELL, OKAY, I THINK THAT I'M GOING TO NEED TO TAKE SOME MORE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS REGARDING HOW WE ROLL THIS OUT, BECAUSE, UM, DISTRICT 3 IN PARTICULAR, ROOSEVELT IN PARTICULAR, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH THAT. AND HOW WE DO THAT. IF WE ARE RUNNING INTO A PROBLEM ON THE WEBSITE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING PROJECT DELAYS AND, UM, AND COMMUNICATION -- BECAUSE THE MEDIA, WHILE I APPRECIATE THEM TREMENDOUSLY, TENDS TO TAKE INFORMATION AND THEN CREATE A NARRATIVE THAT THEY FEEL IS BEST SUITED -- YOU KNOW, TO WHAT THEY DO.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, BRIAN. ON SLIDE 27, UM, MY -- AND THEN I SWEAR THAT I WILL STOP HERE.
ON SLIDE 27, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, RAZI. YOU KNOW THAT I THINK THAT TRAFFIC SIGNALS ARE THE ANSWER. WHAT DOES REDUCING THE THRESHOLD FOR TRAFFIC VOLUMES BY 30% DOES
THAT MEAN THAT I GET MORE TRAFFIC SIGNALS IN DISTRICT 3? >> MORE LIKELY SO, YES.
>> VIAGRAN: OKAY, ALL RIGHT. I JUST THINK -- I SAW THE SPEED BUMP THING -- I LOVE THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE SPEED BUMPS. BUT I DO THINK THAT TRAFFIC SIGNALS ARE THE FUTURE, AND ARE THE WAY TO GO. AND THE REDUCED -- THE FLASHING FOUR-WAY STOPS. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
BUT IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC FLOW -- AND I AM THINKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT OUR BUSY CORRIDORS, HOW DO WE SLOW PEOPLE DOWN? HOW DO WE MAKE THAT WORK? AND I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT IN WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE ON FLORES OVER BY FLORES AND SOUTH CROSS AND THAT DIRECTION.
AND I KNOW THAT WAS A PROJECT THAT WAS HELPED BY CPS' CONSTRUCTION OF THAT STREET TOO.
LIKE, THAT WORKS. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED MORE OF THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO, UM, TO PROMOTE THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND USING THOSE SPEED BUMPS WORK TOO, BUT I THINK WHEN PEOPLE SEE A RED LIGHT THEY KNOW WHAT RUNNING A RED LIGHT MEANS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO PUSH. AND I JUST -- I LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A COMMUNICATION WHERE THE PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOL BETWEEN PUBLIC WORKS AND THE CONTRACTORS AND EDD AND CNE ARE REALLY WORKING TOGETHER.
AND I AM EXCITED THAT CNE IS GOING TO BE PART OF THIS -- WITH THE SA SPEAK UP, BUT I THINK IN TERMS OF THE FLOW OF COMMUNICATION AND WHO IS RESPONDING, WE NEED TO REALLY FLUSH THAT OUT. SO THANK YOU. I WAS FAMILIAR WITH WHAT WAS COMING. SO -- AND I WAS GLAD TO HEAR THE INPUT OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES,
THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN.
COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. >> PELAEZ: THANKS, BRIAN. GOOD WORK.
I HAVE A LIST HERE OF ALL OF THE HORRIBLE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE SAID ABOUT ME WHEN I WAS A
[01:35:02]
REPORTER. I WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THOSE. [LAUGHTER] HEY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT EVERY COUNCIL PERSON BEFORE US AND EVERY COUNCIL PERSON THAT WOULD COME AFTER US WILL -- WILL HAVE TO WRESTLE WITH AND IT'S JUST THE PERENNIAL PROBLEM, RIGHT -- YEAR ROUND, IS THAT WE'VE GOT PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO -- WILL ALWAYS HAVE TROUBLE ACCESSING, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE PUMP OUT, RIGHT.AND NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE INFORMATION IS, THAT WE WILL INEVITABLY ALWAYS GET PEOPLE SAYING, BUT YOU NEVER TOLD ME, RIGHT, AND THOUGH WE TRIED WITH EVERY TOOL AVAILABLE TO TELL THEM. AND THAT'S OKAY, RIGHT. THEY ARE BUSY LIVING THEIR BEST LIVES. AND IN MANY INSTANCES BUSY SURVIVING, RIGHT.
AND WE HAVE TO JUST KEEP CHIPPING AWAY AT THAT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AS MANY CREATIVE WAYS TO GET THAT INFORMATION TO THEM. ALONG THOSE LINES, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS, WHOM NEVER WILL SIGN ON A DASHBOARD, AND IT'S GREAT, I HAVE NO CRITIQUE. SO IS THERE, UM -- YOU KNOW, THEY STILL WANT TO TO BE SPOKEN TO BY WAY OF DOOR HANGER OR MAIL OR EVEN A PERSONAL PHONE CALL. DO WE USE THOSE MASS PHONE CALLS, LIKE, IN THE EVENING WHERE IT RINGS AND IT SAYS, HEY, BY THE WAY -- EXCUSE OUR MESS, IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CALL 3-1-1, DO WE
DO THAT? >> I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S BLOCK WALKING AND DOOR KNOCKING THAT OCCURS WITHIN THE PROJECT LIMITS AND EVEN BEYOND THE PROJECT LIMITS.
AND IF SOMEONE IS NOT THERE WHEN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS OFFICER IS THERE, THEY WILL LEAVE MATERIALS THAT EXPLAIN UPCOMING -- UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION AND SO FORTH.
>> PELAEZ: BUT WE DON'T DO THE PHONE BLASTS? >> I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BUT I CAN
GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. >> PELAEZ: OKAY. I CAN TELL YOU THAT MOST OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN WE RUN FOR OFFICE, THAT'S A TOOL THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR US AND WE'RE ADAPTIVE TO USING THAT. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT MY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR MY DAUGHTER, THEY CALL ME AND TELL ME, UM, ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT I WANT TO KNOW AND THINGS THAT I DON'T QUITE HONESTLY CARE. BUT WHEN I SEE THE PHONE RING AND I ANSWER AND IT COULD BE MODIFIED BUS ROUTES TO SHOW UP TO THE PEP RALLY. AND SO, ANYWAY, I DO WANT TO JUST ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO LOOK AT IT. IT MAY NOT BE PRACTICAL FOR US, BUT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THERE, RIGHT? AND THEN THE OTHER THING TOO IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING THAT CAN BE SAID ABOUT EVERY MEMBER AROUND THIS TABLE IS THAT WE LOVE CAMERAS. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE POINTED IN OUR DIRECTION.
SO IF YOU SHOULD PROBABLY RECRUIT -- PROBABLY RECRUIT US TO DO VIDEOS.
YOU KNOW, TO ACTUALLY SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COUNCILMEMBERS -- YOU KNOW, HERE'S SOME INTERESTING PROJECTS COMING UP THAT YOU GUYS CAN PUMP OUT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT KNOW YOU BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW US. AND SO -- ANYWAY, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. AND IN GENERAL TERMS. AND THE OTHER THING TOO IS THOUGHT ON TRAINING PEOPLE HOW TO USE THIS DASHBOARD, RIGHT? IT'S GREAT, AND I'M SURE THAT IT'S A VERY POWERFUL TOOL BUT THERE'S SOME FOLKS OUT THERE THAT MAY GET INTIMIDATED BY THE POWERFUL TOOL AND IF ONLY THEY WERE SHOWN HOW TO USE IT. IS THERE A VIDEO TUTORIAL?
>> THAT IS IN PROCESS AND WE INTEND TO LAUNCH THAT WITH THE DASHBOARDS, A HOW-TO MANUAL.
>> PELAEZ: OKAY, THANKS, GOOD JOB AND I APPRECIATE IT. THANKS, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. AND COUNCILMEMBER.
>> KAUR: WE DID THIS ON BROAD WAY, IT WAS GREAT. AND RAZI I HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS THAT I DIDN'T GET TO FINISH. ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT CAME UP SPECIFICALLY AND ALSO SOMETHING THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT. FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR YOU MEANS MORE WORK FOR YOUR TEAM AND WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO I THINK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SHOWING THEM THAT OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM IS GOING TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO BE TRANSPARENT AND COMMUNICATIVE. AND SO THE REQUEST THAT I HAVE ON THE SPECIFIC SEASONALITY OF CONSTRUCTION, I KNOW THIS IS DIFFICULT AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'LL TAKE OUR PROJECTS AND TRY TO MODIFY THEIR SCHEDULES.
BUT IF THERE WAS ANY WAY FOR THE BIG PROJECTS AND TO COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA'S COMMENTS MAYBE THERE'S AN SOP THAT SAYS THAT ANYTHING THAT TAKES MORE THAN THREE WEEKS OR FOUR WEEKS GET THESE THINGS. THEY GET STREET SIGNAGE AND GET BLOCK WALKING AND THEY GET SPECIFICS. IF IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN THREE MONTHS, THREE MONTHS TO LIKE ALL OF THE BOND PROJECTS, IF WE COULD PRODUCE THE SCHEDULE AHEAD OF TIME AND JUST SHOP THE SCHEDULE AND JUST ASK FOR FEEDBACK. I KNOW THAT IS REALLY HARD FROM A CONSTRUCTION PERSPECTIVE, BUT ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO ON THE FRONT END TO SAY THIS AREA
[01:40:05]
SPECIFICALLY DIST DOESN'T WANT FRIDAY/SATURDAY CONSTRUCTION OR THEY PREFER SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. IF WE COULD BE FLEXIBLE IN THAT WAY I THINK THAT WOULD GO ABOVE AND BEYOND SO THAT'S JUST A REQUEST AS YOU THINK ABOUT PROJECTS.>> FIRST OF ALL, REGARDING THE COMMUNICATION PLAN. WE HAVE AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR COMMUNICATIONS, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT. LESS THAN 90 DAYS WE HAVE ONE COMMUNICATION. AND MORE THAN 90 DAYS TO SIX MONTHS ANOTHER ONE, AND THE YEAR AND MORE WE HAVE ANOTHER. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THIS REQUIREMENT.
>> KAUR: AND IF YOU COULD SHARE THAT WITH US AND WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT AND ADD WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM YOUR COUNCIL OFFICE TOO.
SO IT SEEMS THAT WE'RE HAND-IN-HAND. AND IN TERMS OF POST-PROJECT REVIEWS, SO ARE WE THINKING ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, AND COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA MENTIONED AND I AM SO EXCITED THAT YOU WERE VISITING THE DISTRICT OFFICES.
OUR STAFF INVITED THAT SPECIFIC COFFEE SHOP TO OUR MEETINGS, AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP AND IF THERE'S OTHER BUSINESSES THERE, LET US KNOW AND WE WILL WORK WITH THE TEAM TO FOLLOW UP.
BUT IN TERMS OF ACCOUNTABILITY -- HOW DO WE ASSESS -- DO WE DO LIKE A POST-PROJECT DEBRIEF AND WE SAY THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WENT WELL AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WENT NOT SO WELL AND THIS IS WHAT WE'LL IMPROVE ON THE NEXT ONE?
>> YES, MA'AM, WE DO SO RIGHT AFTER THE PROJECT IS FINISHED TO SEE WHAT THEY LIKE BODY THE PROJECT AND WHAT THEY DIDN'T. AND WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE IS SOME DAMAGE OUR CONTRACTOR HAVE DONE IN THEIR YARD WE DO FIX THOSE AFTER THIS IS DONE.
>> KAUR: WHO DOES THE SURVEY GO OUT TO? >> THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE
PROJECT. >> KAUR: LIKE NEIGHBORS AND BUSINESSES.
>> CORRECT. >> KAUR: MAYBE IF OUR OFFICE COULD ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT ONE THAT WE DO FOR A BIG PROJECT, MAYBE DO ONE FOR BROADWAY AND SAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE A POST-PROJECT ANALYSIS OF WHAT WENT WELL AND THEN TRY TO SHOW -- I THINK THAT SOMETIMES WE DO THE ANALYSIS, LIKE EVEN WHEN WE TALK WITH BRENDA IN TERMS OF WHAT IS EFFECTIVE FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM, WE DON'T TELL PEOPLE THIS IS WHAT WAS EFFECTIVE.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING DIFFERENTLY. AND IF WE CAN CONNECT THAT PIECE OF -- WE'VE GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM YOU FROM OUR SURVEY FROM BROADWAY, SO WHEN WE'RE FINISHING SOUTH ALAMO, WHATEVER THE NEXT PROJECT IS, WHAT WE WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP WITH THE CONNECTION PIECE THERE. AND THEN, YEAH, WANTED TO ECHO SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE THAT WE STILL NEED TO DO PAPER AND PAPER -- DOOR KNOCKING AND COMMUNICATE LIAISONS. I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WOULD WORK ON THAT AND THE TRADITIONAL MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. AND THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS THE TRAFFIC CALMING PROCESS. SO LOVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT Y'ALL MADE THAT ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED AND I AM SORRY THAT I MISSED THE LAST TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND THE QUESTION IS ABOUT THE PROCESS. AS A RESIDENT NOW YOU HAVE TO GET THE SIGNATURES BEFORE YOU GET THE EVALUATION DONE. IS THERE A WAY TO CONSIDER DOINE PROCESS, SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE EFFORT OF GETTING ALL OF THOSE SIGNATURES
BEFORE THEY EVEN KNOW IF SOMETHING IS POSSIBLE? >> I THINK THAT WE COULD DO
PROBABLY ON SOME OF IT, DEPENDS ON HOW MANY -- >> KAUR: IT IS A LOT OF WORK TO
TRY TO DO THAT? >> YEAH, I THINK SO. AND THEY'RE ONLY ASKING FOR 51 PERSONS. SO JUST BARELY PAST THE MAJORITY.
>> KAUR: YEAH, OKAY. OKAY, I HEAR THAT. AND I UNDERSTAND.
BECAUSE THEN IF YOU DON'T GET THE SIGNATURES IT COULD BE A CHANCE YOU THAT DON'T FEEL IT, BUT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, WHEN THEY DO AND THEY CAN'T GET THE WORK --
>> WE ALSO WANT TO IMPLEMENT -- THE REQUIREMENT, THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHERS.
>> KAUR: OKAY, ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS? OKAY. IT'S 3:50 P.M. ON DECEMBER 11, 2023 AND OUR B SESSION IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.