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>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. THE TIME IS 2:06 P.M. ON THE 21ST DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2024. WE'LL CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL B SEX TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL?
[ ITEMS ]
RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS TODAY. THEY'RE DISPARATE SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE TWO PRESENTATION ROUNDS, DISCUSSIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO TURN THE TABLE ON OUR CITY CLERK AND HAVE HER START UP THERE, SO MADAM CLERK, IF YOU COULD COME FORWARD AND WE'LL START WITH ITEM
NUMBER ONE. >> CLERK: ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M DEBBIE RA RACCA-SITTRE, CITY CLERK. MY PRESENTATION IS THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE OFFICE OF CITY CLERK. WE TOOK ON A STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORT.
IT WAS A PRETTY FAST ONE. AND I'M GOING TO GO OVER THE RESULTS OF THAT, MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND GET YOUR FEEDBACK.
THE PRESENTATION IS GOING TO INCLUDE STRATEGIC PLANNING AREAS, THE PROCESS AND COMPONENTS, UPDATE ON THE MISSION STATEMENT, GOALS AND STRATEGIES WITH TIMELINES FOR THOSE GOALS. THE AREAS THAT WE LOOKED AT ARE THE FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK, WHICH WOULD BE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, CEREMONIALS, ELECTIONS AND ETHICS, MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS, PASSPORTS, VITAL RECORDS, AND THEN WE DID A STAFF ENGAGEMENT. THE STEPS THAT WE WENT THROUGH WERE A KICKOFF ON NOVEMBER 28TH OF 2023, STAFF GOT TOGETHER AND WE HAD A SESSION WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE MISSION STATEMENT AND WE DID AN UPDATE ON THE MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH I'LL GO OVER IN A FUTURE SLIDE. WE REVIEWED BEST PRACTICES OF PEER CITIES BUT ALSO NOT JUST PEER CITIES, WE LOOKED AT PEER ORGANIZATIONS, SO FOR THE ARCHIVES, WE DIDN'T JUST LOOK AT CITIES, WE LOOKED AT ARCHIVAL INSTITUTIONS, WE LOOKED AT THE INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES, WE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES AND WHAT KIND OF ARCHIVE SYSTEMS THAT THEY HAVE. AND WE LOOKED AT VARIOUS BEST PRACTICES, FOR INSTANCE, WITH VITAL RECORDS, WE DIDN'T JUST LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, BUT WE LOOKED AT THE COUNTY OF EL PASO, WHO ALSO WAS A FIVE-STAR AGENCY.
SO WE MADE SURE THAT WE COVERED THE BEST FOR THOSE BENCHMARKINGS.
WE HAD A COMMUNITY SURVEY. IT WAS A STATISTICALLY VALID COMMUNITY SURVEY IN ALL 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS ASKING ABOUT WHAT THE COMMITTEE THOUGHT ABOUT OUR SERVICES. WE HOSTED 12 STAKEHOLDER WORK SESSIONS, AND THEN WE HAD A STAFF RETREAT THIS MONDAY, WHERE WE FINALIZED THE PLAN AND DEVELOPED THAT ACTION PLAN FOR STAFF ENGAGEMENT. AND TODAY IS THE PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. EACH OF THOSE FUNCTIONAL AREAS IS GOING TO HAVE A VISION, GOALS AND STRATEGIES.
OUR NEW MISSION STATEMENT IS TO UPHOLD THE INTEGRITY AND SERVE AS THE CUSTODIAN OF ESSENTIAL RECORDS WITH A COMMITMENT TO PROFESSIONAL, TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE PUBLIC SERVICES, ENSURING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. AND THE STAFF REALLY LOVED THIS PART, WE'RE DEDICATED TO PRESERVE THE PAST AND SAFEGUARDING THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. AS A RESULT OF ALL THOSE WORK SESSIONS AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE GOT FROM THE BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH AS WELL AS THE SURVEY, THE PLAN CULMINATED IN REALLY THREE OVERARCHING GOALS.
THE OVERARCHING GOALS FOR THE PLAN WERE TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY, IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING. I'M GOING TO GIVE REALLY HIGH-LEVEL HIGHLIGHTS. THERE'S A LOT MORE THINGS IN THE PLAN WHICH I PROVIDED YOU A COPY WITH, BUT THESE ARE THE HIGH-LEVEL HIGHLIGHTS.
SO FIRST, INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS WAS THAT WE'RE NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE IN THE CITY TOWER OFFICE. WE'RE IN THE BASEMENT CONCOURSE LEVEL, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC LEVEL, AND IT'S GREAT FOR OUR
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PASSPORTS TEAM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A FRONT-FACING DESK WHERE WE CAN RECEIVE CCRS FROM YOU, OTHER MEMOS, CLAIMS, LAWSUITS THAT COME IN.WE HAVE TO TIME-STAMP THOSE TIMELY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN A TIMELY MANNER. HOLDING DOCUMENTS FOR PICKUP, SUCH AS THOSE CEREMONIAL AWARDS, WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING AN ELECTION COMING UP IN 2025, SO THOSE FILINGS, ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT ETHICS. WE HAVE PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTERS THAT WE'VE INSTALLED ON THE CONCOURSE LEVEL, AND SO HAVING SOMEONE TO ASSIST PEOPLE WITH THOSE PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTERS WOULD BE HELPFUL, AND THEN PROVIDING THAT FRONT DESK FOR CITY TOWER AND THEN VALIDATING THE PARKING.
SO PROPOSAL IS TO REORGANIZE ONE POSITION FROM FINANCE OVER TO THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK. THERE'S ALREADY A POSITION THERE AND THEY'RE WORKING THE INFORMATION DESK AND WE WOULD TAKE THAT OVER TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY OF OUR OFFICE.
SO THAT'S A ZERO COST CHANGE. AND I'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED IT WITH TROY ELLIOTT AS WELL, BY THE WAY.
NEXT ONE, KRESESING ACCESSIBILITY AND IMPROVING COMMUNICATION.
WE HAVE SEVERAL I.T. SYSTEMS THAT OPERATE THROUGH OUR OFFICE IN CONNECTION WITH THE I.T.S.D. DEPARTMENT. WE'RE RECOMMENDING, BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE WORK WITH I.T.S.D. TO UPDATE SOME OF THOSE IN-HOUSE SYSTEMS, SUCH AS THE BOARD APPLICATION, LOBBYIST FILING SYSTEM, CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE SYSTEM. AND THEN WE'LL BE EVALUATING AND EXPLORING ALTERNATIVES, BUT THE VITAL RECORDS SYSTEM IS ONE THAT'S ALREADY UNDER REVIEW, AND WE HAVE POTENTIALLY A CONTRACT THAT WILL COME FORWARD FOR AN OUTSIDE VENDOR FOR YOUR APPROVAL PROBABLY IN MAY.
ALSO INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY, IMPROVING COMMUNICATION AND PROVIDING TRAINING WOULD INCLUDE WORKING THROUGH OUR RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO IMPLEMENT AN ENTERPRISE RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT'S COMPLIANT, SECURE, SCALABLE, ACCESSIBLE, SEARCHABLE AND USER FRIENDLY. WE WOULD BE WORKING WITH I.T.S.D. TO EVALUATE THOSE SYSTEMS AND RESOURCES, INCLUDING STAFFING, OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION IS TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY AND IMPROVE COMMUNICATION FOR OUR ARCHIVES.
WE MET WITH SEVERAL EXTERNAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES, SAN ANTONIO AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY ARCHIVE AND MUSEUM, MEXICAN-AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE, THE WITTE MUSEUM, THE ARCHDIOCESE, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT PARTNERSHIPS WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY LONESOME OF OUR ITEMS TO THEM FOR THEIR EXHIBITS AND THEY COULD GET OUT INTO THE PUBLIC MORE.
AS YOU RECALL, THERE IS A DISPLAY THAT WE HAVE AT CITY TOWER.
IT'S A SMALL AREA, AND OUR STAKEHOLDER SAID, THIS IS A PRETTY SMALL AREA THAT'S KIND OF HIDDEN. IT WOULD BE GOOD IF YOU HAD A MORE FRONT-FACING LOCATION. ANOTHER THING THAT THE COMMUNITY ASKED FOR WAS THEY REALLY SUGGESTED THAT WE WOULD HAVE THESE ARCHIVES DIGITIZED. AND WHEN I STARTED IN 2021, THERE WAS ALREADY A PLAN IN PLACE TO DIGITIZE THE ARCHIVES AND TO PRESERVE THEM, SO IT PUT THEM IN THESE SLEEVES, YOU CAN SEE THE SLEEVE ON THE PICTURE AND PRESERVE THEM FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. AT $100,000 A YEAR, WHICH IS OUR CURRENT BUDGET, IT WOULD TAKE 60 YEARS TO DO ALL OF THIS WORK, AND I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE ACCELERATE THAT TO A FIVE-YEAR PLAN AT A COST OF 1.3 MILLION A YEAR. THAT'S FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AND THEN WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DIGITAL FORMAT IS COMPATIBLE FOR THE FUTURE, SO WE'VE RESEARCHED SOME SYSTEMS AND FOR ABOUT 17,000 A YEAR, WE'VE FOUND A SYSTEM THAT MOST OF THE ARCHIVES USE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU OPEN THAT PDF 10 YEARS FROM NOW, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE JUST A BUNCH OF SYMBOLS AND YOU CAN READ IT. ALSO INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY AND PROVIDING EDUCATION, WE WANT TO LEVERAGE THE 2022 BOND AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS, AS WELL AS DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FUNDING AT THE RECORD CENTER. WE WOULD IMPROVE CUSTOMER ACCESS TO VITAL RECORDS BY RECONFIGURING THE PARKING LOT, THE BUILDING ENTRANCE AND INTAKE. IT WILL ALSO MAKE THE BUILDING ENTRANCE MORE SECURE AND WE WOULD ADD SOME METAL DETECTORS AND THINGS FOR SECURITY FOR THE STAFF. WE WANT TO DEDICATE A WINDOW FOR DEATH CERTIFICATES. THIS WAS REQUESTED BY THE FUNERAL HOMES SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE FOR EVERYONE. CREATE A STOREFRONT MUSEUM OF MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES. IT'S INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF THE RENOVATION OF THE BUILDING, SECURE THE ARCHIVES IN A CLIMATE-CONTROLLED AREA TO PRESERVE THEM FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND THEN DEVELOP SPACES FOR LEARNING AND LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION, TAKING
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SOME SPACE THAT WE HAVE ALREADY FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PATERNITY AND TURNING THAT INTO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN USE THE IPADS AND THE LANGUAGE ACCESS TO DO INTERPRETATION SIGN LANGUAGE, FARCI IS A LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE, AND THEN ALSO THE STAFF RECOMMENDED THAT WE DO THINGS MORE LIKE MAYBE EVEN ADDING A WINDOW FOR SPANISH-SPEAKERS ONLY AND HAVING A BUTTON FOR OUR STAFF THAT ARE THOSE SPANISH-SPEAKERS THAT THEY GET THE DIFFERENTIAL PAY TO BE A SPANISH-SPEAKER, I SPEAK SPANISH OR HAB BLAI ESPAÑOL SO THE CUSTOMERS KNOW WHO TO GO TALK TO. AND THEN FINALLY IMPROVING COMMUNICATION, PROVIDING EDUCATION AND TRAINING. WHICH WANT TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT RECORD LIAISONS AND BOARD LIAISONS AND COMMUNICATE MORE WITH THEM, PROVIDE MORE TRAINING AND RESOURCES FOR THEM.WE HAD A GREAT MEETING WITH ALMOST 200 BOARD MEMBERS ON THE 30TH OF JANUARY, AND THEY MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP THOSE RESOURCES, VIDEOS FOR THEM, AND MAYBE EVEN SOME IN-PERSON TRAINING, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS THEY SAID WAS FOR PARKING, SO WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE PARKING DIVISION. AND THEN TRANSPORTATION, WORKING WITH VIA. AND THEN ALSO WE WANT TO DEVELOP MORE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF STAKEHOLDERS WITH TECHNOLOGY AND DIR DIRECTOR RUMS. WITHWE'VE ALREADY OPENED UP A LOT OF TEAMS CHANNELS AND WE CAN DO MORE OF THAT. WE COULD HAVE CHANNELS PERHAPS WITH THE HOSPITALS, BIRTH CERTIFICATES FOR NEW MOMS, AND FUNERAL HOMES AS WELL. THAT INCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE FULL PLAN WHICH HAS A LOT MORE THINGS IN IT, BUT I WOULD BE GLAD TO HEAR ANY FEEDBACK THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AS WELL. THANK YOU. GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DEBBIE, AND FIRST LET ME JUST APPLAUD YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR THE INITIATIVE TO COME UP WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN. THIS IS VERY WELCOMED FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IN SEEING A LONG-TERM VISION FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND THE -- SORT OF THE STRATEGY BEHIND THE MYRIAD TASK THAT YOU HAVE -- THAT YOU'RE CHARGED WITH. SO I'M GOING TO KEEP IT BRIEF. I DO SUPPORT THE PLAN. I DO LIKE THE ACCELERATION OF THE 60-YEAR ARCHIVING PROCESS TO BECOME A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT FIVE-YEAR TARGET. MY QUESTION WITH THAT IS, WHAT IS THE END GOAL OF THE DIGITIZATION? ARE YOU PUTTING THESE ARCHIVES ONLINE SO THEY'RE ACCESSIBLE TO RESPECTS AND OTHER PEOPLE
THAT WANT TO VIEW THEM? >> RACCA-SITTRE: YES, THAT'S THE GOAL TO PUT
THEM ONLINE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
>> RACCA-SITTRE: WE HAVE A WEBSITE AND IT JUST HAS A FRACTION OF THOSE ARCHIVES. WHAT YOU SEE ON THE DIGITAL COLLECTION MOSTLY PERTAIN TO ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, SOME OF OUR OLD CHARTERS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: UH-HUH. >> RACCA-SITTRE: CCRS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO GET IS ALL THOSE ARCHIVES THAT HAVE THE OLD MAPS, MORE OF THE HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FROM OUR CITY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: YEAH. WELL, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED THAT A LOT OF THE HISTORY AND RECORDS OF THE CITY, SOME OF THEM ARE STILL USEFUL AND IMPORTANT FOR OUR OWN RESEARCH AND EVEN FOR LAND USE DISPUTES, THAT THEY'RE STILL IN PAPER FORM. AND SO I THINK IT'S A PRETTY VITAL IMPORTANCE THAT WE GET THOSE DIGITIZED AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. THE BENEFIT OF THAT, AGAIN, HOPEFULLY THAT PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THEM WITHOUT HAVING TO MOVE AROUND.
SO, AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S A BIG POINT IN YOUR PROPOSAL HERE.
AND SO I WOULD FULLY SUPPORT IT. THE OTHER ONE IS, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF HAVING A STOREFRONT FOR SOME OF THESE HIGHLIGHTED ARCHIVES, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW WITH REGARD TO THINGS LIKE SAAACAM AND THE CREST BUILDING AND WHAT THE ALAMO IS DOING. I WOULD URGE US TO THINK LONG TERM. YOU KNOW, THE STOREFRONT IS ONE STEP IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT AT SOME POINT, WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO HAVE A LARGER PRESENCE FOR THE CITY'S ARCHIVES TO BE DISPLAYED, SOME OF THOSE RARE ARTIFACTS OF THIS NOW 300-YEAR-OLD CITY. AND THAT'S A DIRECTION THAT I HOPE WE WOULD MOVE IN IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.
AGAIN, GREAT JOB. YOU CAN SEE THAT YOU'VE BEEN CROSS-TRAINED IN MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE I SEE THE INNOVATION AND THE EFFICIENCIES THAT YOU'VE BEEN BUILDING IN THE DEPARTMENT ALONG WITH YOUR TEAM, SO GREAT JOB, DEBBIE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE'LL GO NOW TO COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA?
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>> HAVRDA: THANKS, MAYOR. THANKS PORE THE PRESENTATION, DEBBIE. YOU'VE BROUGHT THE DEPARTMENT IN SUCH A LONG WAY IN JUST A COUPLE YEARS, AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.
ESPECIALLY THE EFFICIENCIES AND TECHNOLOGY.
I NOTICED ON, I THINK IT'S SLIDES 8 AND 9, YOU MENTIONED ACCESSIBILITY, IS THERE -- IS THERE ANY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT REGARDING ACCESSIBILITY
FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS? >> RACCA-SITTRE: YES.
SO THE ACCESSIBILITY THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE REN NO VAITIONZS THAT WE'RE MAKING TO THE FACILITY OVER AT THE RECORDS CENTER IS GOING TO INCLUDE MORE ASSISTANCE WITH ACCESSIBILITY BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE A LONGER QUEUING LINE. WE'LL HAVE BETTER PLACES FOR WAITING RATHER THAN BEING -- HAVING TO WAIT OUTSIDE.
SO WE LOOKED AT THAT AS WELL. >> HAVRDA: OKAY.
AND THEN I THINK YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT RENOVATIONS TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING. CORRECT? AND PARKING?
>> RACCA-SITTRE: WE ARE LOOKING AT RENOVATIONS TO THE PARKING LOT.
THAT'S PART OF THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
WE'RE LOOKING TO RESTRIPE THE PARKING LOT AND CHANGE THE TRAFFIC FLOW TO ALLOW FOR MORE PARKING AND BITTER ACCESS. THAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AS WELL.
. >> HAVRDA: THANKS. ARE THERE STILL SERVICES
IN THE LIBRARIES? >> RACCA-SITTRE: WE ARE NOT COORDINATING WITH THE LIBRARIES AT THIS TIME. THAT WAS DONE PRIOR TO COVID AND THEN IT STOPPED. WHEN I STARTED, IT LOOKED AT REOPENING, BUT WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, THAT'S WHERE -- THEY'RE THE VITAL RECORDS AUTHORITY FOR US, AND THEY DID NOT
SUPPORT REOPENING THE LIBRARIES. >> HAVRDA: WAS IT LIKE ILLEGAL OR -- WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY DIDN'T SUPPORT IT?
>> RACCA-SITTRE: PROBABLY WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION --
>> HAVRDA: OH, OKAY. I FEEL LIKE THAT'S -- THE ANSWER WAS YES, THEN.
>> WALSH: I THINK THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH -- I RECALL --
>> RACCA-SITTRE: THE SPAN OF CONTROL AND THE TYPE OF.
>> WALSH: SPAN OF CONTROL AND PREVIOUSLY WE HAD NOT BEEN USING THE STATE-APPROVED PAPER, THAT CAN ONLY BE USED AT THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF RED TAPE AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT MADE IT ALSO A
LITTLE BIT MORE -- >> WALSH: -- HARDER. >> HAVRDA: WE CAN TALK OFFLINE, HANDY, BUT MY CONCERN WAS, IT WAS PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATED GETTING BIRTH -- MAINLY BIRTH CERTIFICATES, RIGHT, THERE AT LIBRARIES. SO IF IT'S NOT AN INS SURMOUNTABLE TASK, I'D LIKE US TO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN.
>> RACCA-SITTRE: WE CAN LOOK AT OPTIONS. >> HAVRDA: I ALSO AGREE WITH THE PROPOSAL TO DIGITIZE IN A MUCH LESS -- MUCH, MUCH SHORTER SPAN OR TIME. I THINK THAT'S WORTHWHILE, AND HONESTLY, EVEN IF WE DID TAKE THE 60 YEARS, THAT'S WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT, NOT INCLUDING EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CREATE FROM NOW.
>> RACCA-SITTRE: WELL, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE CREATING IS BORN DIGITAL AND IT'S EASIER TO KEEP UP WITH THAN TRYING TO GO BACK.
THE VENDOR THAT WE USE GOES DOWN -- THEY LOOK -- IF YOU LOOK AT REALLY, REALLY OLD MAPS, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE KIND OF BROWN IN COLOR, AND YOU ALMOST CAN'T EVEN SEE THE WRITING ON THEM ANYMORE, SO THAT VENDOR GOES 300 LAYERS DOWN INTO THE PAPER AND LIFTS THE IMAGE OFF.
SO THE DIGITAL IMAGE LOOKS LIKE A BRAND-NEW IMAGE.
THEY PRESERVE THE PAPER. IT STILL LOOKS OLD LIKE IT DOES, BUT THAT WAY IT
WILL BE KEPT AS WELL. >> HAVRDA: OKAY. THANKS SO MUCH, DEBBIE.
THANKS, MAYOR. THANKS, COUNCILMEMBER HALF.
COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANKS, MAYOR. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, DEBBIE.
OBVIOUSLY THE STRATEGIC PROCESS WAS WELL THOUGHT OUT.
IT'S REFLECTED IN THE PLAN. JUST A FEW QUESTIONS.
WHEN YOUR OFFICE WAS LOOKING AT THE ENHANCING THE USER FRIENDLINESS, DID Y'ALL GET FEEDBACK FROM THE AVERAGE RESIDENT? AND IF SO, WHAT DID THAT FEEDBACK LOOK LIKE? RAB
>> RACCA-SITTRE: WE GOT FEEDBACK THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY, AND THAT FEEDBACK TALKED A LOT ABOUT HOW -- WE FOCUSED ON ELECTIONS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND -- I'M GOING BLANK ON SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS -- VITAL RECORDS AND THE ACCESSIBILITY, LIKE WHAT KIND OF HOURS WOULD THEY LIKE, THOSE KIND OF THINGS. SO, YEAH, WE DID GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND THEY WERE THE ONES THAT SAID THEY WANTED TO SEE OUR ARCHIVES DIGITIZED, FOR INSTANCE.
>> GAVITO: UH-HUH. OKAY. YEAH.
I'M JUST CURIOUS -- TWEAKS ALONG THE WAY FROM A USER FRIENDLINESS PERSPECTIVE.
MY TEAM HAD POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO LOCATE CERTAIN ORDINANCES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND IT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT TRICKY WHEN THEY'RE NOT DIRECTLY IN THE CODE ORDINANCES. WE CAN WORK OFFLINE WITH YOU ON THAT, JUST BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT -- THAT THAT IS EASY FOR RESIDENTS TO FIND. I'M THINKING IF IT'S HARD FOR MY TEAM TO FIND, IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE EXTREMELY HARD FOR RESIDENTS TO FIND.
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>> RACCA-SITTRE: OKAY. >> GAVITO: SO WE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND THAT WAS ALL MY QUESTIONS. BUT THIS IS AWESOME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, DEBBIE. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDARETE GAVITO.
COUNCILMEMBER KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU, DEBBIE, FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I HEARD REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THE STAKEHOLDER SESSIONS. I HAD SOME STAFF THAT WENT AND THEY REALLY APPRECIATED YOU DOING THAT, I HAD GOOD FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF MY APPOINTEES, TOO, ON JUST THE OPENNESS TO RECEIVING INFORMATION. SO THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SET THOSE UP AND PUT THOSE TOGETHER. YOU MENTIONED USING TEAMS, AND I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A HELPFUL TOOL FOR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU ALL MORE EFFICIENCY, SO ENCOURAGE THAT CONTINUING.
A COUPLE -- MAYBE IT WAS LAST WEEK, WE TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WAS DEVELOPED BY AN EXTERNAL DEVELOPER THAT IS NO LONGER -- THAT WAS A CONTRACT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS. >> RACCA-SITTRE: WELL, ACTUALLY, THE BOARD APPLICATION SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED IN HOUSE, IT'S JUST THAT THAT EMPLOYEE ISN'T WITH US ANY LONGER.
>> KAUR: SORRY. I KNEW THERE WAS SOME CHANGE THERE.
ARE WE LOOKING AT UPDATING THAT SYSTEM OR ANY OF THOSE COMPONENTS A
PART OF THE PROCESS? >> RACCA-SITTRE: WELL, AND THAT -- I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT ONE UP BECAUSE AURORA HAS TAKEN THE LEAD WITH J JAIME NIETO WORKING WITH OUR I.T. DEPARTMENT AND THEY'RE ALREADY HAVING MEETINGS WITH STAFF THAT MANAGE THAT AND THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING ON IMPROVEMENTS. THEY'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD AT I.T.S.D. HELPING US GET THOSE TO BE A LITTLE MORE USER FRIENDLY.
>> KAUR: AWESOME. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. AND THEN JUST A QUESTION ON FUNDING, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE -- SOME OF THE THINGS, I THINK, THAT ARE RECOMMENDED ARE REALLY GREAT, BUT I KNOW THERE WAS A BUDGET NUMBER ALLOCATED TO DIGITIZATION EFFORT WHICH I THINK IS WONDERFUL, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ALLOCATION TO THE EDUCATION COMPONENT THAT ARE LISTED IN YEARS 2 OR 3 OR SOME OF THE OTHER TECH UPDATES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE FINANCE.
ARE THOSE ALREADY BUDGETED OUT? >> RACCA-SITTRE: WE HAVE NOT SET THE BUDGETS FOR THOSE YET. MY GOAL WAS TO FOCUS ON YEAR ONE SHORT-TERM BUDGET GOALS. AND YEAR 1 IN MY WORLD IS FISCAL 24 AND '25. THAT WOULD BE THE ASK. AS WE GO THROUGH EVALUATING THOSE THINGS AND THE PRICES AND THE COSTS THAT MIGHT BE THERE, THAT WOULD BE FUTURE YEAR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
>> KAUR: SO DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, YOU'LL COME BACK AND SAY BASED ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR YEARS 1 AND 2, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST
US. >> RACCA-SITTRE: THAT'S RIGHT.
>> KAUR: SO THAT'S STILL IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DEVELOPED.
SO I GUESS ECHOING DOWN IN THE THINGS IN THE PRAN THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ALLOCATE FUNDING FOR ARE THE TECH UPDATES. JUST ON THE FINANCE REPORTING PIECE, THERE ARE SOME -- I LOVE THAT YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPLOAD SPREADSHEETS, BUT THE SALES AND THE HEADINGS AND THE SPREADSHEETS DON'T NECESSARILY MATCH THE CELLS IN THE ACTUAL TOOL, AND SO THERE ARE SOME CONFLICTS THAT WILL ARISE, OR WHEN YOU UPLOAD AND THERE'S ERRORS, IT MAKES YOU COMPLETELY REDO THE WHOLE PROCESS RATHER THAN JUST THE SPECIFIC ROWS THAT YOU HAD ERRORS ON.
SO ANYWAYS, THESE ARE PRETTY SMALL THINGS I CAN E-MAIL YOU, BUT JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I DOUBLE DOWN ON RE -- LOOKING AT THE SYSTEM FOR TECHNOLOGY PURPOSES FOR USER FRIENDLINESS. AND THEN ALSO WANT TO SHARE SUPPORT FOR THAT EDUCATION TRAINING COMPONENT.
I KNOW THAT -- THAT'S SECOND YEAR AND TWO AND THREE SO WE WOONT GET A FUNDING REQUEST FOR THAT, BUT I THU IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THOSE OF US TRYING TO BRING YOUNGER FOLKS AND NEWER FOLKS IN THE ACTUAL CANDIDATE PIPELINE, THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO BEST BE A BOARD MEMBER.
AND SO I THINK THAT TRAINING COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR ROLE IS, HOW TO SHOW UP, AND HOW THEY CAN BEST SUPPORT DECISION-MAKING. SO I WANTED TO ECHO THAT.
BUT OVERALL, I THINK YOU DID GREAT WORK ON THIS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR.
COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE? >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND COUNCILWOMAN, YOU STARTED TO EXPLORE SOME OF THE SAME THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT. YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE COSTS FOR THIS.
LET ME ASK THE CITY MANAGER, IS THIS A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT THE COUNCIL WILL APPROVE SOMETIME OR IS THIS SIMPLY AN IN-HOUSE PLAN?
>> WALSH: WELL, I WON'T SPEAK FOR THE CLERK, BUT I THINK SHE'S EXPECTING AT SOME POINT FOR THE ADOPTION OF THIS AS A GUIDING DOCUMENT, AND COULD BE DONE AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET, OR THIS UPCOMING BUDGET.
BUT WOULD SET THE FRAMEWORK FOR THAT WORK EFFORT OVER THE NEXT FIVE
OR SIX YEARS. AM I RIGHT, DEBBIE? >> RACCA-SITTRE: THE MAYOR AND I TALKED ABOUT LET'S START OUT WITH A BRIEFING, LET'S GET FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL, AND LET'S KEEP THOSE THINGS KIND OF LIVING.
SO I THINK THERE COULD BE PARTS OF IT THAT DEFINITELY WE'LL NEED
COUNCIL APPROVAL. >> COURAGE: YEAH, I SAY THAT BECAUSE I THINK IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A LONG-TERM PLAN AND THERE OBVIOUSLY ARE COSTS
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INVOLVED WITH MANY OF THE ASPECTS OF THE PLAN, THAT WE KIND OF LIKE TO HAVE A PICTURE, WELL, WHAT ARE WE ANTICIPATING IN COSTS? A ONE YEAR BUDGET IS USEFUL, OBVIOUSLY, BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A FIVE-YEAR PLAN, AND I SEE WHERE THE COST OF DIGITIZING SO MUCH OF THE DATA THAT WE HAVE IS -- IS GOING TO BE X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS PER YEAR, BUT YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT REDOING PHYSICAL FACILITIES, MOVING SOME DEPARTMENTS TO DIFFERENT AREAS. AND SO ALL OF THOSE ARE GOING TO HAVE COSTS, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE THE LONG-TERM COSTS, AS WELL AS THE SHORT-TERM COSTS. BUT I WILL SAY THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE I DON'T SUPPORT. I THINK IT'S USEFUL, IT'S VALUABLE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT, IS IT GOING TO BE A FIVE-YEAR $20 MILLION PLAN OR A FIVE-YEAR $10 MILLION PLAN OR WHATEVER.SO, THOSE ARE MY REMARKS. THANK YOU.
RABZ SO TO ADD TO THAT, THE DIGITIZATION, WE HAVE AN ACTUAL BID FROM A VENDOR, WHO IS ON STATEWIDE CONTRACT FOR THAT 1.3 MILLION A YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS. THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN -- THEY HAD INVENTORIED OUR ENTIRE COLLECTION, SO IT'S THE SAME FIRM WE'VE BEEN USING WITH THE 100,000 A YEAR. SO WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT THAT IS A GOOD NUMBER.
FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE BUILDING, WE'RE HEARING RIGHT NOW FROM OUR DESIGN CONSULTANT THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN THE ENTIRE BUDGET TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED. SO WE'RE -- WE'RE GOING TO HOPEFULLY MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE A GOOD BID COME OUT OF THAT.
>> WALSH: AND JUST A REMINDER, COUNCILMAN, IN THE '22 BOND PROGRAM, THERE WAS MONEY FOR MUNICIPAL FACILITIES, SO THAT'S THE BUDGET THAT DEBBIE'S REFERRING TO, THAT SHE'S WORKING WITHIN RIGHT NOW.
>> COURAGE: OKAY. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER --
IN AUDIO] -- >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL HAVE UNDERTAKEN A PLAN FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, WHICH IS KIND OF SHOCKING TO ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THEN THANK YOU ALSO TO AURORA AND JAIME. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THE EVENT YOU ALL HOSTED ON JANUARY THE 30TH.
SORRY I MISSED IT. THAT WAS MY PARENTS IAN VERSERY, BUT MY TEAM WAS THERE. I KNOW THAT WE HAD A LOT OF OUR CIVIC LEADERS ENGAGED AND IN PARTICULAR WE HAD A LOT OF OUR D4 APPOINTEES.
SO I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
BACK, I THINK, IN -- MAYBE IT WAS SEPTEMBER, I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY, YOU ALL WORKED WITH THE EIA TO DO THE WOMEN AND CIVIC LEADERSHIP EVENT, ACTUALLY IT WAS IN THE SUMMER, I THINK. SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT THEY ALSO PARTICIPATE, RIGHT, A LITTLE BIT MORE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF MOMENTUM FROM THAT GROUP.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE INVOLVE THEM, BUT I THOUGHT THAT I JUST MIGHT MENTION THAT HERE TO CONTINUE PLUGGING THEM IN.
MY QUESTIONS ARE AS FAR AS THE APPLICATION PROCESS, LIKE THE APPLICATION ITSELF, IS THERE GOING TO BE A FOCUS GROUP WITH IMPROVEMENTS
TO THE APPLICATIONS THEMSELVES, OR NO? >> RACCA-SITTRE: WE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS AT THAT BIG EVENT ON THE 30TH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY, AND WITH WE WERE ACTUALLY SHOCKED THAT MOST OF THEM SAID THEY LIKED THE SYSTEM AND DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF CHANGES FOR
IT. >> GARCIA: OKAY. >> RACCA-SITTRE: THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY RELATED TO PARKING DOWNTOWN, IF THE CITY TOWER GETS FILLED UP AND THEY HAVE A MEETING LATER, OR JUST TRANSPORTATION IN GENERAL. THEY JUST WANTED MORE EDUCATION ABOUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE. WE MENTIONED THE CHILDCARE THAT YOU ALL HAD APPROVED, THE PROGRAM TO ASSIST WITH THAT AND NOT A LOT OF THEM HAD HEARD OF THAT, SO IT WAS GOOD TO GET THAT WORD OUT. SO AS WE DEVELOP MORE PROGRAMS, WE NEED TO DEVELOP MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO
PEOPLE SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THAT'S AVAILABLE. >> GARCIA: AND MAYBE IT'S LIKE WHEN THEY'RE APPOINTED, AN OFFICIAL WELCOME E-MAIL WITH ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, RIGHT? AND MAYBE WITH THE STAFF LIAISON. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAPPENS NATURALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY RIGHT NOW, BUT I MEAN, IT MIGHT BE SOMEWHERE TO PUT IT.
COUNCILMAN PELAEZ MADE AN INTERESTING OBSERVATION THIS MORNING, ONE OF OUR REAPPOINTEES FOR VIA WAS A TAD BIT LATE AND SO SHE WAS DEALING WITH LIKE A SCIENCE PROJECT ISSUE. I TOTALLY GET IT. RIGHT? BBEEN THERE, DONE THAT. HOWEVER HE POINTED OUT SOMETHING THAT I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT. YOU ALL HAVE LIFE ISSUES HAPPEN, WE AT LEAST HAVE A PARKING SPOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, SO WE STILL MAKE THE MEETING ON TIME. AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE COULD TRY TO FIGURE OUT -- NOW, VIA, I KNOW THEY DON'T MEET HERE, OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT REMINDED ME THAT IN OTHER COMMITTEES, RIGHT, LIKE THAT REALLY IS -- SO I DON'T KNOW THAT SOMETHING COULD BE CLEAR AT CITY TOWER FOR THEM. I KNOW THEY GET -- BUT
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JUST LIKE DESIGNATED SPOTS, LIKE IF THEY'RE GOING TO MEET AT A CERTAIN TIME. BUT ANYWAY, SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT OFFLINE, BUT IT JUST REMINDED ME, AND I JUST FELT BAD, RIGHT? IT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.ON THE FORMS THAT NEED TO BE COMPLETED PERIODICALLY BY THE APPOINTEES, IS THERE GOING TO BE DESIGNATED PERSON THAT MAYBE WALKS THEM THROUGH? I KNOW A LOT OF MY RESIDENTS HAVE A HARD TIME WITH SOME OF THE FORMS. AND SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLICATED ONES. SO IS THERE SOMEONE AT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK OR AT THE TOWER ANYWHERE THAT CAN MAYBE HELP THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS, LIKE ANY TIME THAT THEY COME IN ALREADY?
>> RACCA-SITTRE: YES. AND I THINK THIS IS PART OF THE ACCESSIBILITY THAT WE WANT TO CREATE BY ADDING THAT PERSON AT THE INFORMATION DESK TO BE ABLE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR SERVICES, SO WHEN A PERSON COMES IN AND NEEDS HELP. WE DO HAVE A STAFF PERSON THAT CAN WALK THEM THROUGH, THEY JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, SO THAT'S PART OF THAT COMMUNICATION PLAN THAT WE NEED TO DEVELOP, AS WELL AS -- AUDIO] -- OR USER GUIDES THAT WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE HELPFUL THAN THE
VERY SIMPLISTIC ONES THAT WE USE NOW. >> GARCIA: OKAY.
THANK YOU. AND THEN WHO ARE SOME OF THE EXTERNAL PARTNERS THAT YOU PLAN TO COLLABORATE WITH ON THE ARCHIVES EXHIBITS?
>> RACCA-SITTRE: SO WE PLAN TO PARTNER WITH THE INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES WITH THE SAAACAM, SACRI, THE -- WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH THE ARCHDIOCESE, BECAUSE WE KIND OF HAVE A LOT OF OVERLAP OF SOME THINGS WITH THEM, AS WELL AS WE'VE MET WITH THE WITTE MUSEUM AND OTHERS, AND WE THINK THAT IF THEY DO EXHIBITS, THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY PARTNER WITH THEM. THE ONE THAT WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TO OUR WORK SESSION, BUT WE DO HAVE THEM ON OUR RADAR IS THE ALAMO AND THE NEW ALAMO MUSEUM BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME THINGS IN OUR COLLECTION THAT WE THINK THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN.
>> GARCIA: I DIDN'T HEAR THE ALAMO AND I DIDN'T HEAR HOW WE COLLABORATE WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. AND SO I KNOW THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A REVAMP, IF YOU WILL, OR A REIMAGINATION, I DON'T KNOW WHAT -- JUDGE SAKAI IS CALLING IT, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE PARTNER WITH THEM AS WELL.
I KNOW IT COUNTY, BUT -- >> RACCA-SITTRE: THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WE DID HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING WITH LUCY CLARK BECAUSE WE ASKED HER HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR ARCHIVES AND WE USED THEM AS KIND OF AN EXAMPLE, BECAUSE THEIR BUDGET, THEY HAVE 18 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO DIGITIZE THEIR ARCHIVES -- WELL, THEY HAVE MORE STUFF THAN WE DO. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM ABOUT. AND THEY ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH US AS WELL, SO, YES, WE WILL INCLUDE THE BEXAR COUNTY HERITAGE SOCIETY.
>> GARCIA: AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THOSE ARE ALL MY
QUESTIONS, MAYOR. THANK YOU, DEBBIE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE?
>> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR. DEBBIE, AWESOME. I GET TO COMPLIMENT YOU TWICE TODAY. ONCE ON THIS, AND THEN COMING UP ON OUR NEXT TOPIC, BUT I REALLY HONESTLY DID NOT REALIZE HOW BIG OF A JOB YOU HAVE WHEN I GOT ELECTED LAST MAY, AND IT'S A LOT THAT YOU DO AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. MY ONLY CONCERNS, OF COURSE, WOULD BE WITH COST, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO END UP SPENDING ON A LOT OF THESE INITIATIVES. SO -- BUT I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WILL TRY TO KEEP THAT AT A MINIMUM. MY ONLY REAL QUESTION IS ON -- ON THIS ENGAGEMENT INFORMATION ON PAGE 27, ENGAGEMENT LEVELS.
SO HOW EXACTLY ARE WE DEFINING WHETHER SOMEBODY'SE ENGAGED?
IS THERE A DEFINITION FOR THAT? >> RACCA-SITTRE: THAT WAS FROM THE SURVEY THAT HR HAD DONE FROM THE STAFF WITH CPS, HR WAS OUR CONSULTANT. THEY PICKED A VERY BAD NAME FOR THEIR COMPANY, BUT THAT'S A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT OUR HR DEPARTMENT CONTRACTED WITH. AND WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY DID A SURVEY, THE PULSE OF EMPLOYEES, AND THEY DO THIS EVERY SEVERAL YEARS.
IT WAS EVERY TWO YEARS, BUT I THINK WE MAY HAVE SKIPPED DURING COVID OR
SOMETHING. >> WHYTE: RIGHT. >> RACCA-SITTRE: AND WE WERE ABLE TO COMPARE BACK TO 2018 TO NOW, AND SO THEY HAVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS, AND THEN THEY KIND OF WEIGHT THEM BY WHAT IS MOST MEANINGFUL TO PEOPLE. FOR INSTANCE, PAY -- EVERYBODY WANTS MORE PAY, RIGHT? BUT IN REALITY, IT'S NOT WEIGHTED AS HIGH AS HAVING GOOD LEADERSHIP BECAUSE GOOD LEADERSHIP IS WHAT MAKES SOMEONE
LEAVE THEIR JOB VERSUS AS MUCH PAY. >> WHYTE: RIGHT.
>> RACCA-SITTRE: PAY TENDS TO BE NOT -- SO THEY HAVE A WEIGHTED METHOD THAT THEY USE. AND PROBABLY WOULD BE A GOOD CONVERSATION THAT WE
[00:35:03]
CAN HAVE OFFLINE WITH HR, SO THEY CAN EXPLAIN THAT METHODOLOGY A LITTLEBETTER. >> WHYTE: SO, I MEAN, IF I'M READING THIS RIGHT, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, WHICH -- AND I SEE THE RESULTS HERE, SAY THAT N IN OCC, THE RESULTS ARE COMPARABLE TO THE REST OF CITY DEPARTMENTS, SO WE'VE GOT 35% OF EMPLOYEES THAT ARE CONSIDERED FULLY ENGAGED IN THEIR -- IN THEIR JOBS AND THEN THE REST ARE SOMEWHAT ENGAGED OR NOT
ENGAGED. AM I READING THAT RIGHT? >> RACCA-SITTRE: RIGHT.
THAT WAS PART OF THAT STUDY. >> WHYTE: OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT STUDY, BY THE WAY.
I'M CURIOUS ON WHAT SORT OF QUESTIONS WERE ASKED. >> RACCA-SITTRE: YES.
I WANT TO THANK THE HR DEPARTMENT FOR COMING TO OUR STAFF RETREAT ON MONDAY AND GOING OVER ALL THOSE RESULTS WITH THE STAFF.
>> WHYTE: YEAH. >> RACCA-SITTRE: AND THEN WE WORKED TOGETHER ON A PLAN MOVING FORWARD ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT.
>> WHYTE: YEAH. OKAY. WELL, AGAIN, THIS IS AWESOME. YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH ALREADY SINCE BEING THE CITY CLERK. SO THANKS FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK.
>> RACCA-SITTRE: THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO?
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, DEBBIE, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I WANTED TO COMMEND YOU ON YOUR EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, NOT JUST WITH OUR APPOINTEES, BUT WITH YOUR TEAM AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD PRODUCT HERE, RIGHT? SO I JUST WANT TO ALSO THANK YOU FOR ENSURING THAT I'M KEPT UP TO SPEED WITH OUR ONE-ON-ONES ON HOW THIS HAS BEEN MOVING ALONG.
ULTIMATELY, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING FORWARD.
I WANTED TO SHARE THAT DURING THE LARGER MEETING THAT YOU FACILITATED WITH ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, IT WAS BOARD APPOINTEES -- RATHER, WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, RIGHT? I KNOW MANY OF OUR APPOINTEES WALKED AWAY WITH A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF RESOURCES THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, HOW TO ACCESS THE STIPEND FOR CHILDCARE OR CARING FOR A PARTNER OR AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE HOUSEHOLD THAT MAY NEED SOME TYPE OF CARE WHILE THEY'RE PARTICIPATING AND SERVING ON THEIR BOARD OR COMMISSION, SO I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AROUND INCREASING COMMUNICATION TO OUR RESIDENTS AND THE SURVEYS, THE ACTIVE SURVEYS THAT YOU WERE RUNNING THROUGH -- AT THE LARGER COMMUNITY MEETING WAS JUST VERY INTERESTING TO SEE FROM OUR BOARD APPOINTEES ON HOW THEY'RE BEING APPOINTED, WHERE THEY SAW POTENTIAL BARRIERS AND WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO BETTER. ONE THING THAT I HOPE TO SEE AS THIS CONTINUES TO EVOLVE IS HOW WE CAN INCREASE ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION.
I KNOW FOR A COUPLE OF OUR APPOINTEES OFTEN WE'LL ORDER THEM AN UBER OR LIFT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE. I THINK MAYBE ENSURING THAT VIA CAN DONATE BUS PASSES TO ENSURE THAT OUR APPOINTEES THAT DON'T HAVE A CAR CAN RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B WOULD BE HELPFUL, AND, OF COURSE, POTENTIALLY EXPLORING STIPENDS WITH UBER OR LYFT OR WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE. VIA SEEMS LIKE THE MORE COST FRIENDLY METHOD TO GET FOLKS FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
I WANT TO THANK YOU YOU, DEBBIE, AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE.
YOUR ROLE ENCOMPASSES SO MUCH, SO WE'RE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR YOU.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM ONE? CUSTCOUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ?
>> PELAEZ: FIRST, IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE'S A PALPABLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN YOUR OFFICE, OUR OFFICES, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ERIK'S OFFICE, THAN THERE WAS BEFORE YOUR SHOWING UP.
AND IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD THE -- YOU UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT. AND I THINK YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
AND I DON'T THINK I'M SPEAKING OUT OF TURN WHEN I SAY THAT.
I THTY QUALITY OF THE COLLABORATION HAS I WILL TELL YOU ALSO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT THAT -- THAT WHICH YOU'VE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, YOU'VE COMMUNICATED TO YOUR STAFF, AND I'VE ALSO SEEN THAT THE QUALITY OF THE WORK THAT YOUR STAFF IS PUMPING OUT, RIGHT, IS DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED, RIGHT, AND THAT THEY'VE GOT THIS -- THAT THERE'S NOW AN OBSESSION FOR GETTING THE LITTLE DETAILS CORRECT, RIGHT? AND MAYBE THAT'S ALL YOU, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA WHO READS EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT, AND SO YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE SCRUTINIZED AT EVERY MEETING. BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE -- AND IN FRAMING THIS, I'LL TELL YOU IN 2008, I THINK IT WAS, I HAD -- I WAS AT SOME DINNER IN D.C. AND I GOT TO SIT NEXT TO THE NATIONAL A ARCHIVIST AND HE WAS TELLING ME THE HARDEST PART OF HIS JOB
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WAS GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHY HE EVENP HAS A JOB, AND THE PRESERVATION OF THE DOCUMENTS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION AT THAT DEPARTMENT, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY PRESERVE THE DOCUMENTS FOR THE SAKE OF RESEARCHERS, RIGHT, SO THEY HAVE THINGS TO RESEARCH WHEN THEY WRITE THEIR HISTORY BOOKS FOR GENEALOGY PROJECTS AND EFFORTS LIKE THAT, FOR JOURNALISTS WHO, YOU KNOW, NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHY WHAT HAPPENED HAPPENED. BUT ALSO BECAUSE THERE'S A -- THERE'S AN ACCEPTANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE TREASURES THAT ARE ON PAPER, THAT WE ARE STEWARDS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, RIGHT, SO THAT THEY CAN -- THEY CAN INHERIT THIS PATRIMOAN ANY, AND IT'S NOT JUST HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND ART THAT WE PASS ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION , BUT THESE DOCUMENTS. SO I'VE ALWAYS WORRIED, UNTIL NOW, THAT WE ARE NOT -- THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN TREATING WITH THE SAME SENSE OF IMPORTANCE THOSE OLD DOCUMENTS THAT WE GIVE THE NEW DOCUMENTS, RIGHT? AND I'M VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE LEANING INTO THIS DIGITIZATION, MAJOR. AND SO WE HAVE A -- I WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT GOING FORWARD. AND CONGRATULATIONS.THAT'S IT. I HAVE NO QUESTIONS. I'M PROUD OF YOU GUYS.
>> RACCA-SITTRE: THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ?
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: YEAH, I KNOW YOU PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS, SO I DIDN'T WANT TO GO WITHOUT ANY COMMENT. ONE, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS. I KNOW YOU WERE DOING A LOT OF MEETINGS AND A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT AND I THINK YOU CAME UP WITH A REALLY GREAT STRATEGIC PLAN AND I'M EAGER TO SEE WHAT MORE YOU CAN DO AND THE RESULTS OF THIS. EXCITED TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS UPCOMING BUDGET WITH YOU SO WE CAN HOPEFULLY MAKE SOME OF THESE THINGS
STAFF. >> RACCA-SITTRE: I DO WANT TO THANK THE WORK OF MY STAFF, ALL 39 OF THEM. THEY WORKED REALLY HARD ON THAT. THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT.
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: FOR SURE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. ANYONE ELSE? GREAT JOB, DEBBIE. LOOK FORWARD TO REPORTS ON PROGRESS.
>> RACCA-SITTRE: THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OKAY.
WE'LL GO NOW TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. ERIK, YOU WANT TO QUEUE
US UP. >> WALSH: YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
OUR SECOND ITEM TODAY IS A BRIEFING THAT WAS DISCUSSED -- A PROPOSAL THAT WAS DISCUSSED THAT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 18TH OF LAST YEAR, IT WAS REFERRED TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION ON DECEMBER 7TH, AND AT THAT POINT THE COUNCIL ASKED FOR THE ITEM TO BE REFERRED BACK TO B SESSION. JUST BY WAY OF A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, WHAT ANDY'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS THE -- A CCR ORDINANCE. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST ORDINANCE THAT SETS UP THE PROCESS FOR COUNCILMEMBERS TO ADD ITEMS TO A COUNCIL OR COMMITTEE AGENDA THROUGH THE STRUCTURE THAT THE MAYOR CREATES WITH EVERY TERM. THAT ORDINANCE WAS LAST UPDATED IN 2007.
AND SO TODAY, ANDY WILL BRIEF THE COUNCIL AGAIN ON A PROPOSAL TO UPDATE THAT ORDINANCE. COUNCILMAN WHYTE LAST FALL -- END OF LAST SUMMER, EARLY FALL, HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, MYSELF AND ANDY NOTING THAT THE PRACTICE DID NOT COMPLETELY MATCH UP WITH THE 2007 ORDINANCE AND THE COUNCILMAN AND THE MAYOR WORKED ALONGSIDE ANDY AND MYSELF TO DEVELOP AN UPDATED CCR PROCESS WITH CERTAINLY A FOCUS ON CLARITY AND TIMING AND PROCESS. SO ANDY'S GOING TO GO BACK OVER THAT SAME BRIEFING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT GOVERNANCE LAST OCTOBER AND FULL CITY COUNCIL IN DECEMBER, AND WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL CONVERSATION AT THAT POINT. ANDY?
>> SEGOVIA: COUNCIL, JUST A QUICK SIDE NOTE, AS ERIK AND HIS TEAM WERE TALKING ABOUT WHO WOULD GIVE THE PRESENTATIONS ON THE T TOPICS THIS AFTERNOON, I QUICKLY VOLUNTEERED TO GIVE THE CLERK'S PRESENTATION, BUT THAT DIDN'T QUITE PAN OUT FOR ME, SO I'M GIVING THE PRESENTATION ON THE CCRS. KIDDING ASIDE, ONE OF THE KEY REASONS I'M PRESENTING IS ALTHOUGH THE COUNCIL HAS THE ABILITY TO ADOPT THEIR OWN PROCEDURES AND POLICIES IN TERMS OF INTERNAL WORKINGS, WE HAVE A COLLECTIVE OBJECTIVE OF MAKING SURE WE COMPLY WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. AND TO CONFIRM THAT OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE, OUR CURRENT PRACTICE, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS ALL COMPLETELY CONSISTENT WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SO WE'LL START WITH THAT.
JUST TO GIVE SOME BACKGROUND AS ERIK NOTED, THE CCR ORDINANCE SETS UP THE PROCESS FOR COUNCILMEMBERS --
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YOU HAVE THAT AUTHORITY UNDER THE CITY CHARTER. THE CITY SAYS THE CITY COUNCIL CAN ADOPT ITS OWN INTERNAL WORKINGS, IT'S OWN RULES AND BUSINESS.THAT'S WHAT GIVES THE COUNCIL THE AUTHORITY TO PASS AN ORDINANCE LIKE THIS. AS ERIK NOTED, THE LAST TIME IT WAS UPDATED WAS IN 2007. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTACTS, THAT'S WHEN THE COLTS BEAT THE BEARS IN THE SUPER BOWL. SO IT'S BEEN QUITE A WHILE. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS IT WAS UPDATED GOING BACK TO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT IS IN THE 2003 ORDINANCE, WHICH IS THE EARLIEST ONE WE CAN FIND, THE CCR SIGNATURES REQUIRED SIX.
AND WE ALL KNOW NOW UNDER THE TEXAS OPENS MEETINGS ACT THAT THAT COULD RUN INTO COMPLIANCE ISSUES; THEREFORE, IT WAS CHANGED IN 2007, TO HAVE FIVE COUNCILMEMBERS SIGN THAT. SO IN THE 2007, IT HAD FIVE COUNCILMEMBERS SIGN A CCR, IT'S SUBMITTED TO THE CLERK, IT'S REFERRED EITHER TO THE FULL COUNCIL OR THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, AND THAT WAS DEPENDING ON THE TOPIC OF THE CCR. AND THEN UNDER THE 2007 ORDINANCE, IT WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE PUT ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE AGENDA OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. BUT THEN THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE COULD SCHEDULE THE ITEM IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THERE WAS ALREADY SOME INCONSISTENCY IN THE WRITING OF THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT WHOEVER WROTE THAT IS NO LONGER WITH THE CITY ANY LONGER, SO WE HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE AND CLARIFY IT.
AS ERIK NOTED, SINCE THEN, WE ALL KNOW THAT CCR PROCESS HAS EVOLVED BY PRACTICE, AND I THINK MOST OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT IT IS TODAY. BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE IDEA OF JUST WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF VOLUME, WE'VE OUTLINED HERE CCRS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, SIX YEARS. AS YOU CAN SEE, IT RUNS AROUND THE LOW 20S TO UPPER 20S, 2020 PROBABLY WAS IMPACTED BY COVID, SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CCRS. ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND AS ERIK NOTED COUNCILMAN WHYTE RECOGNIZED THAT, HEY, OUR CURRENT PROCESS DOESN'T MATCH THE MODEL THAT'S OUTLINED IN THE TWO UZ THOUGH SEVEN ORDINANCE. I THINK THERE WAS NO ARGUMENT THAT IT DIDN'T.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, AGAIN, GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT'S AN OSHED NANS THAT TALKS ABOUT -- ORDINANCE THAT TALKS ABOUT INTERNAL COUNCIL OPERATIONS, THERE WAS NO LEGAL LIABILITY REALLY STEMMING FROM THE FACT THAT IT WASN'T MATCHING IT EXACTLY. HOWEVER, EVERY LAWYER WILL TELL YOU THAT IT'S GOOD TO HAVE -- EVEN IF IT'S AN INTERNAL POLICY, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE WRITTEN POLICY MATCH WHAT'S ACTUALLY BEING PRACTICED.
THE COUNCILMAN THEN WORKED WITH THE MAYOR, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, MY OFFICE, TO TRY TO UPDATE THE CCR PROCESS SO THAT IT WOULD BE MORE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT'S GOING ON EITHER TODAY, OR MORE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF HOW CC RS ARE TO BE HANDLED. AND WHAT WE HAVE THEN IS A PROPOSED CCR PROCESS THAT HAS A STRONGER FOCUS IN TERMS OF TIMING, OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CCR'S SUBMITTED AND HOW LONG IT SHOULD TAKE FOR IT TO GET TO A GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE OR A SUBSEQUENT CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE. IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT WITH GREATER CLARITY WHAT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CAN DO ONCE IT GETS A CCR.
SO LET'S FIRST START WITH WHAT WE HELD OVER, WHAT WE KEPT FROM THE 2007 ORDINANCE. IT'S STILL A REQUIREMENT THAT IT BE SIGNED BY FIVE COUNCILMEMBERS. IT'S STILL -- WE KEPT THE LANGUAGE THAT SAYS A SIGNATURE -- YOUR SIGNATURE ON A CCR DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO SUPPORT AN ITEM, AND IT'S GOOD TO UNDERSCORE HERE THAT REALLY NO ORDINANCE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN PASS COULD REALLY COMPEL ANY COUNCILMEMBER TO VOTE A CERTAIN WAY OR TO SUPPORT A CERTAIN ITEM.
SO THAT DISCRETION IS MAINTAINED AS IT OUGHT TO BE.
WE ALSO KEPT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY CLERK, BUT WE ADDED ANOTHER CAVEAT TO THAT, WHICH I'LL GET TO HERE IN A MINUTE.
TWO THINGS THAT WE DID ADD IS THAT THE SPONSORING COUNCILMEMBER NOTIFIES THE CITY MANAGER OF THE CCR. AND THIS IS MORE OF AN EFFICIENCY STEP THAN ANYTHING ELSE. WHAT WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED PREVIOUSLY IS THERE WERE SOME PROPOSED CCRS THAT WHEN THE COUNCILMEMBER DISCUSSED THEM WITH ERIK, IT TURNED OUT THAT THEY WERE EITHER ALREADY IMPLEMENTED OR THAT THE PLAN WAS TO IMPLEMENT THEM OR THAT IT WAS AN INITIATIVE THAT COULD BE VERY NEATLY FOLDED INTO AN ONGOING CITY INITIATIVE OR PROGRAM THAT DIDN'T REQUIRE A BUDGET ADJUSTMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO IT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED FAIRLY QUICKLY. SO, AGAIN, WE ADDED THAT AS A COMMUNICATION EFFICIENCY STEP. IT DOES NOT PROVIDE THE CITY MANAGER IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, THE ABILITY OR THE AUTHORITY TO PROHIBIT A CCR FROM BEING SUBMITTED. THE OTHER THING THAT WE ADDED FOR THIS PROPOSED
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ORDINANCE IS THE CLERK WILL DEVELOP A SYSTEM FOR TRACKING CCRS SO THAT BOTH COUNCILMEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN IDENTIFY SPECIFIC CCRS AND SEE WHERE THEY ARE AT IN THE PROCESS. SO TIMING.THE CCR UNDER THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WILL BE PLACED ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AGENDA WITHIN 60 DAYS OF IT BEING SUBMITTED TO THE CLERK OR BY THE SECOND SCHEDULED GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, WHICHEVER IS SOONER. AND THE REASON -- THE ONLY REASON WE PUT THAT 60-DAY TIMEFRAME IS TO ALLOW FOR THE FACT THAT THE COUNCIL DOESN'T MEET IN JULY AND FOR THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THAT WINTER BREAK IN DECEMBER.
SO TO GIVE A REALTIME EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY JUST VERY THEORETICALLY, LET'S SAY COUNCILMAN PELAEZ SUBMITS A CCR THIS AFTERNOON BANNING NECK TIES FROM CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. VERY THEORETICAL.
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MET THIS MORNING, SO THAT MEANS IF COUNCILMEN PELAEZ SUBMITTED HIS CCR THIS AFTERNOON, THE EARLIEST IT WOULD BE HEARD WOULD PROBABLY BE THE MARCH GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, THE LATEST IT WOULD BE HEARD WOULD BE THE APRIL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE.
THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THE TIMING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO BESIDES TIMING, WE ALSO WANTED TO CLARIFY WHAT ACTIONS THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CAN TAKE IN TERMS OF CCRS. SO, ONE, IT WAS NOTED THAT -- AND WE FOUND THIS BY PRACTICE AS WELL, THAT SOME CCRS REQUIRED SOME ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL OR LEGAL ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE WHAT THE FRAMEWORK WAS, EITHER FROM A BUDGETARY OR A LEGAL STANDPOINT OF WHAT ACTION THE COUNCIL COULD TAKE. RECOGNIZING THAT IF IT'S NECESSARY FOR AN ITEM THAT'S SUBMITTED IN A CCR REQUIRES THAT SORT OF ANALYSIS, WE'LL IDENTIFY THAT AND WE'LL HAVE UP TO 90 DAYS TO DO THAT. OBVIOUSLY WITH THE OBJECTIVE WOULD BE TO DO THAT WITHIN 90 DAYS OR SOONER, BUT AT LEAST IT PUTS THAT TIME LIMIT OF 90 DAYS, FOR US TO DO AN ANALYSIS, IF IT NEEDS ONE. THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE COULD ALSO VOTE TO REFER THE CCR TO A COUNCIL COMMITTEE OR TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. NUMBER THREE'S ANOTHER REFLECTION OF WHAT WE WERE FINDING BY MANAGING THE CCRS UP TO THIS POINT, IS THAT A NUMBER OF CCRS BECAUSE THEY IMPACTED EITHER BUDGET PRIORITIES OR BUDGETS DEPARTMENT ACTION, THAT THEY WERE REFERRED TO THE BUDGET PROCESS -- THE BUDGETING PROCESS, SO THAT IT COULD BE EVALUATED, ANALYZED AND ACTED ON BY COUNCIL UNDER THAT PROCESS. SO THAT NUMBER THREE RECOGNIZES THE FACT THAT THERE MAY BE CERTAIN ITEMS THAT IF THEY IMPACT BUDGET PRIORITIES WILL BE REFERRED TO THE BUDGET PROCESS.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE COULD VOTE TO CLEAR THE CCR FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION. AND THE NEXT SLIDE WILL TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT REASONS THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CAN DO THAT. THE FIRST ONE IS IF THE REQUESTED ACTION IN THE CCR HAS ALREADY BEEN ENACTED BY EITHER STATE OR FEDERAL LAW.
AND A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE CCR THAT COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ SUBMITTED ASKING THE CITY TO ADOPT THE CROWN ACT, WHICH PROHIBITED DISCRIMINATION OF -- BASED ON HAIR STYLES.
WHILE THAT CCR WAS IN PROCESS, THE STATE ENACTED THE CROWN ACT, WHICH WAS A GREAT THING. BUT A SIDE NOTE, THE PLAN IS TO INCLUDE THAT IN OUR NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE. BUT, AGAIN, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE A CCR WAS SUBMITTED AN THE ACTUAL ACTION WAS ENACTED BY STATE LAW. THE OTHER REASON IS IT'S PREEMPTED BY STATE LAW.
THAT'S THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN. THE THIRD IS IF THE REQUESTED ACTION IS ALREADY BEING IMPLEMENTED OR WILL PLAN TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE CITY MANAGER. AGAIN, THE INTENT HERE IS IF WE HAVE CCRS THAT ARE FULLY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING FROM A CITY STANDPOINT, ERIK CAN, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, FAST TRACK THAT AND JUST WORK WITH THE COUNCILMEMBER TO SEE THAT THAT GETS DONE.
LASTLY, THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CAN FOR POLICY REASONS NOT RECOMMEND THE ACTION TO FULL COUNCIL. SO, AGAIN, JUST THE TIMELINE IN TERMS OF HOW THIS CAME THROUGH AND WHY THE COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING -- OR DISCUSSING THIS TODAY, THE PROPOSAL WAS DISCUSSED AT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 18TH. AND, AGAIN, THIS STEMMED FROM THE CONVERSATION THAT COUNCILMAN WHYTE, THE MAYOR, ERIK'S OFFICE AND MY OFFICE HAD. IT WAS REFERRED TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 7TH, AND THEREBY MOTION, IT WAS REFERRED TO A B SESSION, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE HAVING NOW. IF THE -- IF WE HAVE A CONSENSUS ON AN ORDINANCE
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THAT'S UPDATED, WE'LL PROBABLY PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA HERE IN THE FUTURE. BUT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT IF THERE IS A NEW ORDINANCE THAT'S ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE, THOSE WILL APPLY TO CCRS THAT ARE SUBMITTED AFTER THAT ORDINANCE IS PASSED.BUT EVEN IF THE ORDINANCE -- EVEN IF YOU HAVE, THOUGH, A CCR IN THE QUAI, THERE WILL BE A PLAN TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS SO WE HAVE CCR, THAT QUAI CLEARED, THAT WE CAN ESSENTIALLY HAVE A NEW SLATE FOR CONSIDERATION OF CCRS GOING FORWARD. I DID NOTE IN A PREVIOUS SLIDE THAT THE CLERK WAS TASKED WITH COMING UP WITH A MECHANISM, A SYSTEM, SO THAT COUNCILMEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC CAN IDENTIFY CCRS AND SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THE PROCESS, SO I'LL CALL HER BACK UP AGAIN TO GIVE YOU A PREVIEW OF WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
DEBBIE. >> RACCA-SITTRE: GREAT. THANKS, ANDY.
AND I WANT TO THANK CLIFF OVER THERE FOR HELPING DRIVE THIS THING.
I DEFINITELY WANT TO THANK CRAIG AND HIS TEAM, THE WEB TEAM AT I.T.S.D.
WE WORKED TOGETHER ON DEVELOPING WHAT WE WOULD CALL A TRACKER.
NOT A DASHBOARD, BUT A TRACKER OF CCRS. SO YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE 2024 AND 2023 LOADED UP. THIS IS IN DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS NOT LIVE.
BUT IF YOU ARE READY FOR THIS, WE CAN GO LIVE WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT PROTOTYPE. SO IT HAS INFORMATION ABOUT THE -- YOU CAN CLICK THE HOT LINK THAT SAYS WHAT THE ORDINANCE SAYS, YOU CAN GO TO SA SPEAK UP, SO SAY YOU WANTED TO SEE WHAT ONE OF THESE CCRS SAID, YOU COULD HIT ANY OF THE HOT LINKS ON THE LEFT AND IT WILL PULL UP THE ACTUAL CCR ITSELF. SO YOU CAN SEE. AND SO A PERSON COULD READ THE ENTIRE TEXT OF THAT CCR. AND THEN IF YOU GO BACK, YOU CAN CLICK ON -- THIS MORNING AT GOVERNANCE, AND THIS WAS A FET THAT I'M GOING TO THANK I.T.S.D. FOR PUTTING THIS MORNING'S MINUTES.
WERE APPROVED THIS MORNING. I WON'T PUBLISH MEETINGS UNTIL THEY'RE APPROVED. SO IF YOU CLICK ON THAT GOVERNANCE ITEM RIGHT THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE MINUTES FROM THAT MEETING AND PEOPLE CAN SEE WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED AND WHERE THAT IS GOING TO GO NEXT.
SO THAT'S THE GIST OF THE CCR TRACKER. IT'S ONLY IN DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW. IF YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK, WE CAN TAKE THAT AND SEE IF -- WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE CHANGES, BUT IF YOU'RE GOOD WITH IT,
THAT'S READY TO GO LIVE. THANKS, ANDY. >> SEGOVIA: SO TO CONCLUDE, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THERE'S NO REALLY STAFF RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE, AGAIN, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE STEMS FROM -- I'M SORRY, IT ADDRESSES THE INTERNAL WORKINGS OF THE COUNCIL, SO OBVIOUSLY THE COUNCIL HAS DISCRETION ON THAT. AGAIN, ALL WE ASK FOR FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE IS COMPLIANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, AND WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COUNCILMAN WHYTE WILL ANSWER THEM. NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE PREPARED TO ANSWER THEM.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ANDY, AND DEBBIE, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THIS WAS A CONVERSATION -- NOT A CCR ACTUALLY.
THIS DID NOT COME UP AS A CCR. THIS WAS A CONVERSATION THAT COUNCILMAN WHYTE RAISED WITH ME AND WITH ERIK AND ANDY, AND SO THAT'S WHAT BRINGS US TO TODAY, SINCE IT PERTAINED TO THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE PROCESS, THAT'S WHY IT WAS AGENDIZED AT GORCHESZ COMMITTEE INITIALLY, BUT WE'RE HERE NOW TO HEAR INPUT ON THE PROPOSAL.
I WILL SAY JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, DEBBIE, I LIKE THE -- I LIKE THE -- WHAT DID YOU CALL IT, TRACKER. IT IS A DASHBOARD.
IT'S NOT -- IT'S JUST TEXT, BUT I'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY, AGAIN, AND SAY THAT WE NEED A DASHBOARD OF DASHBOARDS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE WEBSITE. BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS -- AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT A LONG TIME AGO, ERIK. YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT ALL HAVE LEGISLATIVE TRACKERS.
IN THE CASE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THERE IS A FEDERAL REGISTRY.
AND WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US HAVE AT SOME POINT IS MAYBE THROUGH THIS TRACKER OR SOMEWHERE ELSE, WHEN THERE IS NEW POLICY, MAJOR POLICY BEING PROPOSED, AND IT'S ABOUT TO GO TO A FULL COUNCIL VOTE, THAT THERE'S A PERIOD OF TIME THAT IT WOULD EXIST ON A REGISTRY IN WHICH THE PUBLIC WOULD BE ABLE TO READ THE DOCUMENT, READ THE ACTUAL LAW THAT'S ABOUT TO BE VOTED ON, AND MAKE OFFICIAL COMMENT. SO NOT JUST -- NOT A COMMENT BOARD, BUT LIKE A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AN OFFICIAL, RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION, A CONSTITUENT THAT VERIFIES RESIDENCY COULD SUBMIT A COMMENT THAT WE COULD USE AS INPUT AS WE CONSIDER ACTION ON A MAJOR POLICY. I DON'T THINK EVERYTHING RISES TO THAT LEVEL, BUT
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AT SOME POINT, PUTTING IT IN A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN HAVE COMMENT.THE IDEA AROSE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE YEARS OF HAVING SOME MAJOR PROPOSALS COME FORWARD, AND THERE'S ALWAYS INEVITABLY AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, PEOPLE CONCERNED THAT THEY DIDN'T GET THEIR CHANCE TO PROVIDE INPUT. BUT THIS WOULD BE A PLACE WHERE THEY COULD DO THAT. ANYWAY, FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR LATER AS WE FURTHER REFINE THIS. IT NOT NECESSARILY REFERS TO CCRS, BUT MAJOR POLICY CHANGES THAT WE WOULD PROPOSE BEFORE THEY GO TO AN ACTUAL FULL COUNCIL ACTION, WE WOULD GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOME INPUT.
AT ANY RATE, I DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE WAY NOW, I'M GOING TO URN THE IT OVER TO COUNCILMAN WHYTE TO PROVIDE COMMENTS AND SOME CONTEXT FOR THE
DISCUSSION. COUNCILMAN WHYTE? >> WHYTE: YEAH, THANKS, MAYOR. THIS IS -- THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, AND I HOPE TO EVERYBODY ELSE ON COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC.
BUT FIRST I JUST WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR WORKING WITH ME ON THIS, ANDY, ERIK AND DEBBIE AS WELL. AND YOUR TEAM, BECAUSE I TALKED WITH DEBBIE RIGHT AT THE OUTSET TO UNDERSTAND HOW SOME OF THIS WAS TAKING PLACE. AND SHE WAS GREAT IN GUIDING ME ON THAT.
THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR REALLY TWO REASONS, THE WAY THAT I SEE IT.
AS CITY COUNCILMEMBERS, WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF WAYS THAT WE CAN FORCE THE ISSUE AND INITIATE POLICY DISCUSSIONS. AND THE CCR PROCESS IS ONE OF THOSE WAYS. ALL OF US GO BACK INTO OUR DISTRICTS, WE LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, WE HEAR ABOUT PROBLEMS, AND THEN I BELIEVE IT'S OUR JOB TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE HEAR ABOUT. AND WHEN WE DO COME UP WITH THOSE SOLUTIONS, WE GET TO TALK WITH ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THEM, WE CAN PUT A CCR TOGETHER, IF FOUR OTHERS ARE WILLING TO JOIN US ON THAT, AND THEN WE CAN GET A POLICY DISCUSSION INITIATED THROUGH COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEES AND THEN IF EVERYBODY AGREES IT'S VALID, WE CAN GET IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR A VOTE. THAT IS AN IMPORTANT RIGHT AND PROCESS THAT ALL OF US HAVE AND WANT TO TAKE PART IN. AND FOR FUTURE COUNCILS AS WELL, WE NEED TO PROTECT THAT. SAME GOES FOR THE THREE-SIGNATURE MEMO PROCESS THAT I WILL MENTION WHILE WE'RE ON THIS TOPIC, BECAUSE, AGAIN, THE ORDINANCE RELARELATED TO THAT ALSO DOESN'T HAVE A TIMELINE IN IT, AND IT'S MY HOPE THAT WE CAN GET A TIMELINE SET FORTH THERE AS WELL. BUT, AGAIN, THIS IS IMPORTANT TODAY. ONE, SO THAT WE CAN PRESERVE OUR RIGHT TO INITIATE THESE POLICY DISCUSSIONS. AND THEN, TWO, FOR TRANSPARENCY. GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WORK IF THE PEOPLE -- THE PUBLIC -- DON'T HAVE FAITH THAT IT'S WORKING AND IT'S WORKING ACCORDING TO THE RULES. AND WE NEED TO HAVE A PROCESS THAT IS TRANSPARENT WHERE WE'RE ALL ABIDING BY THE RULES AS WRITTEN.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, WHEN I GO AND I TALK ABOUT THIS BACK IN DISTRICT 10, I GET THE BIGGEST APPLAUSE WHEN I TALK ABOUT THAT NEW TRACKER, DEBBIE.
THE PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT, AND I'M SURE IN THE REST OF THE CITY, ARE GOING TO FIND IT VERY VALUABLE THAT THEY CAN GO ONLINE, SEE WHO HAS INITIATED WHAT POLICY PROPOSAL, AND THEN FOLLOW IT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND THEN BE ABLE TO SEE WHICH COUNCILMEMBERS VOTED FOR IT, WHICH COUNCILMEMBERS VOTED AGAINST IT. IT'S GOING TO BE A MORE TRANSPARENT AND ORDERLY PROCESS NOW, AND I THINK THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. REGARDING THE TIMING, I WON'T GO THROUGH THE NUMBERS, BUT AS YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS WORTH OF CCRS AND WHEN THEY WERE FILED AND IF OR WHEN THEY MADE IT TO A GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AND TO ANY SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, IT WAS OBVIOUS TO US, WE JUST NEEDED TO DO BETTER ABOUT MAKING SURE THESE THINGS WERE GETTING SCHEDULED IN A TIMELY FASHION. BECAUSE, AGAIN, I'M SURE ALL OF US HERE HAVE GONE BACK TO OUR DISTRICTS AND HAD PEOPLE ASK US, WELL, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CCR ON THIS, OR WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT? AND IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO BE ABLE -- TO HAVE TO SAY TO THEM, WELL, I'M NOT SURE.
IT HASN'T BEEN TAKEN UP IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS. SO VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT WE'RE REFINING THE ELEMENTS TO DO THIS? THE LAST THING I WANT TO
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SAY IS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THIS BUILDING THAT HAVE MENTIONED TO ME, WELL, MARC, ARE YOU BEING A LITTLE TOO IDEALISTIC ON THIS. WHAT ABOUT THOSE CCRS THAT JUST HAVE NO MERIT AND ARE SORT OF CRAZY, YOU KNOW? YOU REALLY WANT ALL OF THESE THINGS TO GET AND MY ANSWER TO THAT IS YES. NO MATTER WHO INITIATES A CCR, IT ONLY GETS MOVING IF FOUR OTHER COUNCIL FOLKS SIGN ON TO IT.AND EVERYBODY HERE WAS DULY ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE IN THEIR DISTRICT AND, THUS, IF THEY INITIATE A CCR AND THEY GET FOUR OTHER SIGNATURES, THEIR CCR DESERVES TO GET HEARD, JUST LIKE ALL OF THE CCRS THAT I INITIATE. AND SO WHILE, YES, WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING SOME TIME -- I THINK MORE TIME THAN IN THE PAST ON SOME OF THESE CCRS.
I THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD THING FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT I JUST STATED.
SO, AGAIN, I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE FINALLY HERE, AFTER TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR MANY MONTHS.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING INTO PLACE THIS REVISED ORDINANCE.
THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE.
COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO CONCUR WITH MUCH OF WHAT THE COUNCILMAN HAS JUST SAID ABOUT THIS. I LIKE THE WAY WE'VE CLARIFIED THE WAY OF PROCESSING CCRS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. WE DO HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESENT OUR IDEAS FOR CONSIDERATION. I HAVE TO SAY THAT OFTENTIMES I'VE HAD SOME IDEAS AND I TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER AND HE SAID, COUNCILMAN, WE'RE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT THAT. THAT'S GREAT. WE DON'T HAVE TO WRITE UP A FIVE-SIGNATURE MEMO I'VE ALWAYS FELT THE COMMITTEE PROCESS WORKS PRETTY WELL. I THINK ALMOST EVERY COMMITTEE CHAIR SAYS, REMEMBER, IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP TO THE COMMITTEE, YOU LET ME KNOW AND WE'LL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS BUT CLARIFYING THIS IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT WAY FORWARD . ONE QUESTION I DO HAVE, THOUGH, WITH WHAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD RIGHT NOW IS IT'S A FIVE-SIGNATURE REQUEST.
WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OF THOSE SIGNATORIES CHANGES THEIR MINE AND SAYS THEY WANT THEIR SIGNATURE REMOVED. OR IF IT HAPPENS DURING ELECTION TIME AND ALL OF A SUDDEN A MEMBER WHO SIGNED OFF DIDN'T GET RE-ELECTED. THEY'RE NO LONGER A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL. WHAT THEN IS THE MOST LIKELY PROCESS TO MOVE THAT KIND OF AN
ISSUE? >> SEGOVIA: FIRST OF ALL, COUNCILMAN, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE HAD A CCR AND SOMEBODY TRIED TO REVOKE THEIR SIGNATURE. TO ME THE ANSWER WOULD DEPEND ON THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.
IF IT'S SUBMITTED TO THE CLERK ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND MONDAY MORNING SHE GETS A REQUEST TO REMOVE IT, THAT'S ONE FACT AND CIRCUMSTANCE. A DIFFERENT ONE THAT, IF IT'S ALREADY BEING CONSIDERED BY A COUNCIL COMMITTEE AND THEN THEY WANT TO TAKE IT AWAY, THAT, I
THINK, WOULD BE A DIFFERENT ANSWER. >> COURAGE: I'M SAYING BEFORE
IT GETS TO GOVERNANCE. >> SEGOVIA: BEFORE IT GETS TO GOVERNANCE? ACTUALLY THAT WOULD BE ONE THAT I WOULD THINK WE WOULD HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH MAYOR, CITY MANAGER, AND COUNCIL. AGAIN, THESE ARE COUNCIL INTERNAL PROCESSES SO PROBABLY
HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNCIL ON THAT. >> COURAGE: OKAY.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA. WE HAVE SIDED WITH THINGS AND CHANGED OUR MINDS ALONG THE WAY. I WANT TO KNOW HOW WE MIGHT HANDLE A PROCESS LIKE THAT.
THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS, PLEASE QUEUE IN, WHETHER YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN MACHINE OR THE CITY LAPTOP.
COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, ANDY FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'M IMPRESSED WITH HOW MANY JOKES TODAY.
I APPRECIATE YOU. I'LL START OFF WITH THE EASIEST ONE AND IT'S SECTION 4D AND IT'S SUBSECTION 4. CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE. THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE DETERMINES FOR POLICY REASONS THAT THE ACTION SHOULD NOT BE RECOMMENDED TO FULL CITY COUNCIL. SO MY DEFINITION IS FOR POLICY REASONS .
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CAN YOU GIVE ME THAT EXAMPLE, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE IN YOUR EXAMPLE THAT YOU HAVE CITED IT SAYS THE COSTS ASSOCIATED ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH COUNCIL BUDGET PRIORITIES.BUT WE ONLY HAVE LIKE FIVE COUNCIL BUDGET PRIORITIES EVERY YEAR SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT EVERY OTHER CCR WOULD NOT BE A PRIORITY UNLESS IT'S ONE OF THOSE FIVE THINGS?
I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED ON THAT. >> SEGOVIA: FIRST OF ALL, COUNCILWOMAN, THE THING ON BUDGET PRIORITIES ONLY IS REALLL RESOLUTION OF A CCR RECOMMENDATION, BUT TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN THE RIGHT PROCESS. SO IF IT'S A BUDGET PRIORITY, THE THOUGHT BEING IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATELY HANDLED THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS WHICH, AGAIN, IS A PROCESS THAT'S HANDLED AND MANAGED BY ERIK.
BUT IT'S THE COUNCIL THAT DETERMINES THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES AND ULTIMATELY VOTES ON THE BUDGET. THAT'S THE ANSWER ON THE BUDGET ITEM.
THE ONE ON THE POLICY REASONS, THAT WAS INTENTIONALLY LEFT VERY BROAD.
AND TO GIVE YOU AN EXTREME EXAMPLE, IF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WANTS TO NOT SEND SOMETHING FOR FULL COUNCIL, ONLY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T LIKE WHOEVER SUBMITTED IT, THAT'S NOT A POLICY REASON. BUT IT HAS TO BE A REASON THAT'S TIED TO THE BUDGET IS, WHAT PROGRAMS AND POLICIES, ET CETERA WE HAVE. IT CAN'T BE TRIVIAL, I GUESS, IS WHAT I'M SAYING. IT'S INTENTIONALLY MEANT TO BE VERY BROAD.
>> GARCIA: GOOD. I WAS WORRIED BECAUSE WE GET THIS NICE BUDGET RECAP MEMO FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE EVERY YEAR. THAT KIND OF REMINDS US WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT DURING OUR BUDGET SESSIONS AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ALL HAVE PRIORITIZED THIS AND WE AGREE ON IT.
BASED ON THAT WE DO THE BUDGET. SO I JUST DIDN'T WANT -- SAY WE PRIORITIZED HOUSING, ANIMALS, AND PUBLIC SAFETY. THAT WE SUBMIT A CCR FOR CULTURE AND ARTS AND THAT IT'S NOT GOING
TO GET, I GUESS, ITS FAIR SHARE. >> SEGOVIA: IT'S CLEARLY NOT INTENDED TO DO THAT.
>> WALSH: I'M TRYING TO THINK OF AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN.
I DO RECALL -- THIS IS GOING BACK A WAYS. WHEN MAYOR HARDBERGER WAS MAYOR, ASKING THE CITY TO STOP IMPLEMENTING STOPLIGHT CAMERAS. THIS IS BEFORE STATE LAW CHANGED. AND THE GOVERNANCE CONVERSATION WAS -- BECAUSE AT THAT POINT THE DEBATE WAS IS THAT REALLY ENFORCEMENT AND SAFETY OR IS THAT A REVENUE MECHANISM.
AND THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT, CHOSE NOT TO ADVANCE THAT CCR BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT IN FAVOR OF PURSUING A REVENUE POLICY UNDER THE GUISE OF RED LIGHT CAMERAS.
SO THAT'S THE POLICY EXAMPLE THAT I CAN THINK OF. >> GARCIA: OKAY.
THANK YOU. YEAH, I WAS JUST, AGAIN, JUST DOUBLE CHECKING AND WORRIED BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY EVERYTHING HAS A BUDGET. EVERYTHING HAS SOME BUDGET IMPLICATION. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IS THAT GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN IF IT'S NOT A PRIORITY, LIKE HOW DO WE DO THAT.
>> WALSH: I'LL USE THE LAST GOVERNANCE -- NOT TODAY'S GOVERNANCE MEETING, LAST MONTH'S GOVERNANCE MEETING, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WILL OBVIOUSLY HAVE AN IMPACT BUT IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE OVERALL DIRECTION AND POLICIES OF THE COUNCIL.
THAT LANGUAGE ANDY SHARED WITH YOU IN THE PROPOSAL IS KIND OF BROAD IN NATURE AND IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERY SINGLE CCR -- I THINK I SAID THIS IN DECEMBER WHEN WE TALKED AT THE COUNCIL MEETING. ANY CCR THAT HAS ANY SORT OF DOLLAR IMPACT, MOST OF THAT, 99% OF THE TIME IS PART OF THE NORMAL COURSE AND PART OF WHAT WE DO.
THE CODE COMPLIANCE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL HAVE A COST. WE DON'T HAVE A CODE COMPLIANCE STRATEGIC PLAN, WE HAVE AN OLD ONE. WE NEED TO UPDATE IT.
WE SHARED WITH GOVERNANCE HERE'S THE TIMELINE EXPECTED AND THAT IS IN PROCESS AND WE'LL WORK THROUGH IT. IT'S FOR THOSE PROBABLY LARGER-SCALE ITEMS THAT DON'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE HAS THAT AUTHORITY RIGHT NOW TO SAY, WELL HOLD ON A SECOND. THAT'S A BIGGER TOPIC AND MAKE
SURE WE SHOULD CONSIDER THAT. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THEN THE MAYOR HAD MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT -- LIKE FOR INSTANCE THE WEBSITE.
AND WHEN I USED TO TRACK ALL OF THE LEGISLATION AT THE STATE, I WOULD SIGN UP FOR ALERTS THAT LET ME KNOW WHEN SOMETHING WAS GOING TO BE PRESENTED, RIGHT? AND SO ANY TIME THAT THERE WAS A CHANGE -- I DON'T KNOW HOW FANCY A SYSTEM OR HOW EXPENSIVE A SYSTEM, CRAIG, THAT WOULD BE.
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BUT I ACTUALLY LOVED THAT BECAUSE I WOULD GET E-MAIL ALERTS ALL OF THE TIME AND I WAS FOLLOWING IT. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE THAT SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS AND HOW MUCH MORE IT WOULD COST TO DO THAT.>> WALSH: DON'T KNOW. WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT. I DON'T THINK DEBBIE AND CRAIG HAVE WORKED ON THAT ASPECT. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YOU'RE DESCRIBING KIND OF THAT
E-MAIL ALERT WHERE YOU REGISTER FOR THAT TYPE OF STUFF. >> GARCIA: YEAH.
SALLY BASURTO IS AN EXPERT AT THAT. SALLY AND SALLY'S TEAM JUST FOLLOW IT ALONG. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN -- I'M SORRY.
I DIDN'T THANK THE COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN WHYTE FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
I THINK THIS IS A MUCH-NEEDED DISCUSSION AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE WATCHING OUT ALSO FOR FUTURE COUNCILS. SO MAKING SURE THAT JUST BECAUSE WE ALL LIKE EACH OTHER DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE FUTURE COUNCIL WON'T. I APPRECIATE THAT TOO.
I THINK, ALSO, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN THE TIME -- IT'S TAKEN AN ENTIRE YEAR AND I THINK THE LAST POLICY NOT IN AN ORDINANCE WAS THAT AFTER A YEAR IT ROLLS OFF.
SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BACK WHEN WE MADE THAT CHANGE WAS VERSUS THIS IS AN ACTUAL ORDINANCE THAT SAYS THAT IT WON'T TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR?
>> SEGOVIA: THAT WAS -- I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, COUNCILWOMAN, THE YEAR.
THAT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT SOME OF THE CCRS, FOR EXAMPLE -- I'LL USE THE EXAMPLE OF -- I THINK NONE OF THEM ARE ON COUNCIL NOW. A COUNCILMEMBER SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO HAVE LIFETIME PARKING PRIVILEGES AT THE AIRPORT. THAT WAS ON THERE FOR OVER A YEAR. IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE TAKEN UP.
SO THAT WAS WHERE -- IT WAS MORE AN EFFICIENCY THING. WE'RE TRYING TO DOCUMENT NOW THE TIMING AND WHEN YOU CAN TAKE SOMETHING OFF IN DOCUMENTING THE ORDINANCE.
>> GARCIA: GOT IT. SO THE CURRENT ONES THAT WE SUBMITTED -- I THOUGHT THERE WAS ALREADY A WEBSITE, UNLESS MY TEAM JUST KEEPS IT IN A SPREADSHEET OR SOMETHING.
I THOUGHT IT WAS IN A WEBSITE ALREADY. I DIDN'T SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WAS. IF SOMEBODY COULD EXPLAIN THAT DIFFERENCE.
>> THE CURRENT WEBSITE HAS JUST A GRID THAT HAS THE YEARS AND THE -- YOU CAN LINK TO THE CCR AS IT WAS SUBMITTED. SO ALL OF THAT ACTUALLY THE DATA RESIDES IN OUR DIGITAL COLLECTION IN OUR ARCHIVES. IT'S GOING TO BE A PERMANENT RECORD.
WHAT WE DID WITH THE TRACKER IS THE ABILITY TO CONNECT THE DOTS WITH THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS AND WHEN IT WOULD BE HEARD BY COUNCIL COMING UP, RATHER THAN JUST, OH, HERE'S A CCR BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO IT. SO THAT STILL EXISTS AND THAT WILL STILL EXIST.
IT WILL JUST BE ON OUR DIGITAL COLLECTION. >> GARCIA: OKAY.
AND THEN THE OTHER -- SO I'M WONDERING ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER.
SO WE JUST COPY ERIK IF WE SUBMIT? >> WALSH: YOU GUYS COPY ME NOW. I THINK THE PROPOSED CHANGE THAT ANDY IS SUGGESTING OR THE POLICY IS SUGGESTING IS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL GIVE ME A HEADS UP AND NOTIFY ME IN ADVANCE.
>> GARCIA: GOT IT. >> WALSH: I'LL TELL YOU THAT TWO-THIRDS OF YOU DO THAT ALREADY. SO IT'S PUTTING INTO POLICY THE PRACTICE OF WHAT AT LEAST
TWO-THIRDS OF YOU ARE DOING. >> GARCIA: IF WE SEND YOU A MEMO BUT YOU HAVEN'T READ IT BY
END OF DAY AND WE SUBMIT IT -- >> WALSH: I WOULD SAY DON'T SEND ME A MEMO.
CALL ME OR COME DOWN TO THE OFFICE AND TELL ME YOU WANT TO TALK TO ME.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THOSE ISSUES COME UP IN OUR REGULAR MEETINGS.
AND I CAN GIVE YOU SUFFICIENT FEEDBACK. A NUMBER OF OFFICES GENERALLY WILL SHARE THEM IN ADVANCE WITH ANDY'S OFFICE FOR FEEDBACK ON HOW IT'S WRITTEN.
ALL OF Y'ALL DO SOME VARIETY OF THAT RIGHT NOW. >> GARCIA: OKAY.
>> SEGOVIA: COUNCILWOMAN, THAT'S WHY WE PURPOSELY DIDN'T CHARACTERIZE IT AS A SUBMISSION.
IT TRULY WAS JUST A REQUIREMENT TO CALL ERIK OR HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ERIK.
>> GARCIA: GOT IT. OKAY. OKAY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, ANDY FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I ALSO DID APPRECIATE YOUR JOKES.
I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE SO FUNNY. >> SEGOVIA: I DIDN'T KNOW
MYSELF, COUNCILWOMAN. >> GAVITO: I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN WHYTE FOR BRINGING THIS. I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS AND, YOU KNOW, THE INTENT OF THIS IS REALLY TRANSPARENCY TO RESIDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. SO, WITH THAT, I DO WANT TO THANK DEBBIE AND CRAIG FOR THEIR
[01:20:03]
WORK ON THIS FIRST ITERATION OF THE TRACKER. I ALSO WANT TO ECHO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN DR. ROCHA GARCIA SAID ABOUT ALERTS. WE USED THAT A TON, WHEN I WAS APPRECIATE. I DID HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. SO WOULD THE MAYOR STILL BE IN CHARGE OF SETTING THE AGENDA OF WHAT'S TO BE HEARD? OR WOULD CCRS JUST BE HEARD INCHRONOLOGICAL ORDER WHEN THEY'RE FILED? >> SEGOVIA: THE CCRS WOULD FOLLOW THE TIMELINE HERE, COUNCILWOMAN. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, NO.
I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. SO LET'S SAY A COUNCILPERSON SUBMITS A CCR THAT REQUIRES LEGAL, QUOTE, FINANCIAL ANALYSIS. THAT MAY BE THEN UNDERGOING THAT 90-DAY ANALYSIS. LET'S SAY A COUNCILPERSON SUBMITS A CCR THE DAY AFTER THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE THE 90-DAY, IT MAY GET TO GOVERNANCE BEFORE THAT FIRST ONE.
THE INTENT THOUGH IS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A STRICT TIMELINE IN WHICH IT WILL GET BEFORE THE
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE BEFORE A DEFINITIVE AMOUNT OF TIME. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: I HEAR YOUR QUESTION DIFFERENTLY. I DON'T THINK THE ORDINANCE IS INTENDED TO TAKE AWAY ANY AGENDA-SETTING AUTHORITY. IT'S JUST PROVIDING GUIDELINES IN TERMS OF HOW THE SCHEDULING PROCESS WILL OCCUR. THE CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AGENDA-SETTING
AUTHORITY. >> SEGOVIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MISUNDERSTOOD YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN. YES, THIS APPLIES TO CCRS BUT AS THE MAYOR POINTED OUT, YOU'LL FIND ON TOMORROW'S AGENDA MOST OF THOSE ITEMS ARE GENERATED BY CCRS.
THIS IS APPLYING TO THE CCR PROCESS. STILL THE MANAGER AND THE MAYOR
PLACE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR COUNCIL. >> GAVITO: AND SO JUST TO FOLLOW ON THAT QUESTION. SO CHAIRS SETTING THE AGENDA, I ASSUME THAT'S IN OUR CHARTER OR THE ORDINANCE? I DON'T THINK IT'S ANYWHERE WRITTEN IN THIS ORDINANCE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THAT'S ROBERT'S RULES. THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE BODY WILL SET THE AGENDA IN CONCERT WITH THE COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER.
IN TERMS OF THIS PROCESS IT'S PROVIDING A TIMELINE FOR US TO DO THAT TIMELY FOR THE NEW-FILED CCRS. YOU KNOW, WHETHER ONE GETS FILED ON MAY 1ST, ANOTHER ONE GETS FILED MAY 5TH. THE ORDER OF WHICH THOSE APPEAR, AS LONG AS WE'RE FOLLOWING THE
GUIDANCE OF THE CCR ORDINANCE, IS UP TO THE CHAIR. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. DO COUNCIL MEMBERS GET TO SPEAK ABOUT THEIR CCR WHEN THE CCR'S
GOING TO BE HEARD AT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE? >> SEGOVIA: WE HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS COME AND SPEAK TO THAT, COUNCILWOMAN. GIVEN OUR CONTINUED FOCUS ON MAKING SURE WE COMPLY WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, BOTH IN ITS STRICTEST TERMS AND IN THE SPIRIT OF IT, WE ARE NOT ALLOWING COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COME SPEAK.
NOT ONLY THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, REALLY TO ANY COMMITTEE BECAUSE THEN WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE FULL COUNCIL. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, NO. BUT THE COUNCILMEMBER CAN SUBMIT A WRITTEN DOCUMENT TO THE COMMITTEE OR TO THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE.
AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE IS THAT NOBODY EVEN COMES AWAY WITH A NOTION THAT THERE'S
A DELIBERATION GOING ON BY SIX MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. >> GAVITO: OKAY.
THAT'S INTERESTING. WE CAN FOLLOW UP OFFLINE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THERE IS ONE TIME WHERE I DID PRESENT TO A COMMITTEE FOR -- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?
>> WHERE I WAS ABLE TO SUBMIT -- TO PRESENT ABOUT THE FACADE GRANT CHANGE.
SO I'M WONDERING WHY WE WOULDN'T JUST DO THAT FOR GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE.
I DO THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS BEING ABLE TO JUSTIFY THEIR CCR OUTSIDE OF A WRITTEN STATEMENT
IS IMPORTANT. >> SEGOVIA: WE CAN HAVE A -- WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THAT IN EXEC, IF WE CAN. AGAIN, IT TURNS ON COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
THAT MAY BE SOMETHING COUNCIL CAN CONSIDER BEFORE WE HAVE THE ORDINANCE IN AN A SESSION.
>> GAVITO: OKAY. ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION. HOW MANY CCRS ARE CURRENTLY IN
LINE TO BE HEARD AT GOVERNANCE? >> SEGOVIA: I THINK AS OF THIS MORNING 16 ARE IN THE QUAY.
>> GAVITO: ARE WE ANTICIPATING HAVING TO CHANGE THE CADENCE OF THE GOVERNANCE MEETING SO WE CAN
CLEAR THAT BACKLOG? >> WE DID A PILOT ON THAT IN THE LAST GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, COUNCILWOMAN, WHERE WE HAD AN
[01:25:04]
ACCELERATED CONSIDERATION OF SOME CCRS THAT HAD BEEN THERE IN THE QUAY FOR SOMETIME.THE THOUGHT IS IF COUNCIL PASSES A REVISED ORDINANCE, WE WILL USE THAT SAME STRATEGY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE CLEARED THE DECKS ON CCRS SO THAT THIS WILL APPLY TO CCRS GOING FORWARD.
DEFINITELY THE INTENT IS NOT TO LET CCRS LANGUISH SIMPLYBECAUSEE APPLIED TO THEM.
>> GAVITO: THANK YOU. >> WALSH: LET ME JUST ECHO. I MEAN, IF YOU GUYS TAKE ACTION ON THIS AT SOME POINT, WE'VE GOT TO CLEAR THE DECK. BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF TRAINS ON THE TRACK AND WE'VE GOT TO KEEP THEM ALL RUNNING AND THE MAYOR AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT. THE LAST GOVERNANCE MEETING, FRANKLY I LIKED THE WAY THAT WORKED. WE WERE ABLE TO DEAL WITH SEVEN OR EIGHT ISSUES IN A PRETTY EFFICIENT MANNER AND WOULD PROBABLY REPLICATE THAT TO DO THAT AND CLEAR THE DECK.
>> GAVITO: NO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I APPRECIATE THE MOST ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE IS THE TIME-FRAMES AND THE DEADLINES TO PUSH THINGS THROUGH. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ.
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND CONGRATS, COUNCILMAN WHYTE ON GETTING SUCH A BIG TOPIC AGENDIZED SO SOON. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR DILIGENCE IN THIS. ONE THING THAT REALLY MATTERS TO ME IS THAT ONCE A COUNCILMEMBER HAS PUT IN THE EFFORT OF GETTING THEIR FOUR SIGNATURES, GOVERNANCE SHOULD HEAR THE CCR.
MY TEAM AND I TRACK EACH OF OUR CCRS AND WE LOOK FOR WAYS OUTSIDE OF GOVERNANCE TO ACHIEVE THEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT POLICYMAKING VIA CCR IS NOT ALWAYS LINEAR AND THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS SO EASY TO TRACK VIA TRACKER . THERE ARE FIVE OF MY CCRS CURRENTLY IN COMMITTEE INCLUDING THE CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT IN D1.
THERE ARE SEVEN, I BELIEVE, AWAITING A GOVERNANCE MEETING. TWO THAT I JUST FILED LAST WEEK.
I WON'T HOLD ANYBODY. THERE ARE SEVEN THAT HAVE PASSED OR HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED WITHIN A BUDGET OR HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY SUCH AS THE INSULIN COST SHARE OR THE OFFICE OF [INDISCERNIBLE] INCLUDING THE CPS, SAWS RATE FREEZE FOR SENIORS AND THE CPS CONSUMER ADVOCATE AND THERE'S ONE PREEMPTED, WHICH IS THE PAY DAY LOAN EXPANSION.
I HEAR THE PEOPLE WEARING THE DUNCE CAPS AND THE TINFOIL HATS WHO SAY ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT JALEN'S IDEAS TO BE HEARD OR SAY BLOCK JALEN'S CCRS. WE'VE GOT TO STOP JALEN FROM HELPING POOR PEOPLE GET ACCESS TO PUBLIC SERVICES. I DON'T MIND Y'ALL.
I SEE YOU AND WE CAN ALL PLAY THE REINDEER GAMES. I USE CCRS FOR THREE REASONS.
IT ALLOWS ME TO SHARE IDEAS WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND BEGIN A POLICY DISCUSSION THAT I FEEL IS ABSENT OR NEEDS TO BE HAD. TWO, I BELIEVE IT'S THE MOST TRANSPARENT METHOD OF POLICYMAKING. AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PUBLIC OF A POLICY CONCEPT RATHER THAN WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES AND IT ALLOWS RESIDENTS TO BE BROUGHT IN ON THE DISCUSSION EARLY ON.
THREE, A CCR IS THE BEGINNING OF A DISCUSSION AND THE PROCESS OF GOVERNANCE AND COMMITTEES IS THE WAY THAT WE DO MOST OF OUR POLICYMAKING WORK. A CCR IS NOT A BILL AND IS NOT IMMOVABLE. IT'S A TOPIC WITH USUALLY A CONCRETE IDEA.
I DO APPRECIATE THE SPIRIT OF THIS DISCUSSION AND THE SPIRIT OF THE PROCESS AS PROPOSED BEING AMENDED. BUT MY ISSUE IS LARGELY WITH REPRESENTATION AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE OF US WHO WERE ELECTED OR RE-ELECTED TO REPRESENT OUR 140,000 CONSTITUENTS CAN PARTICIPATE FAIRLY. I'M UNSURE THAT THAT'S THE CASE EVEN WITH THESE CHANGES. AND I'LL NAME GOVERNANCE DOES A LOT.
THE IGR COMMITTEE WAS DISBANDED AND THE WHOLE WORK IS ADDED TO THE LOAD OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. YOU CONSIDER POLICY FROM THE ETHICS REVIEW BOARD.
YOU CONDUCT INTERVIEWS. I FEEL LIKE EVERY TIME I LOOK AT THE AGENDA THERE'S AN INTERVIEW SCHEDULED. YOU RECOMMEND APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS, I THINK THE VIA BOARD WAS THE MOST RECENT. AND CHARGED TO REVIEW DOZENS OF CCRS.
ALL THAT TO SAY THAT THE CHARGE OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE IS HEAVY AND AT MOST I HAVE SEEN MAYBE THREE CCRS AT A TIME AND THE PRESENTATIONS RANGE FROM SHORT TO VERY, VERY LONG.
I UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO GET A CCR HEARD AT THE NEXT MEETING OR THE ONE AFTER THAT OR THE ONE AFTER THAT. I'VE BEEN COMFORTABLE WAITING A YEAR FOR SOME OF MY CCRS TO BE HEARD. I BEGAN THIS BY SAYING THAT REPRESENTATION MATTERS.
WE TALK ABOUT HAVING REPRESENTATION ON A COUNCIL BY WOMEN.
WE HAVE A MAJORITY-WOMAN COUNCIL. WE HAVE LATINAS AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE A MAJORITY OF COUNCIL MADE UP OF SUCH. SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE
[01:30:04]
DELIBERATE TO IGNORE REPRESENTATION FOR THOSE TWO GROUPS ON A COMMITTEE LIKE GOVERNANCE. THERE'S TWO LATINAS ON GOVERNANCE OUT OF THE FIVE MEMBERS. HOWEVER, SINCE IVI TAYLOR WAS MAYOR, THERE HAS NOT BEEN REPRESENTATION ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. CURRENTLY THE SOUTHEAST, EAST SIDE, SOUTHEAST, AND NEAR EAST SIDE ARE ALL EXCLUDED FROM THESE IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS AND CCRS SHOULD NOT BE ONE OF THEM. I SAY ALL THAT BECAUSE I SERVE ON COMMITTEES WITH MOST OF YOU.I LISTEN TO YOU SPEAK AT SESSION AND QUITE OFTEN NO ONE BRINGS UP THE IMPACTS OF DECISIONS ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY UNLESS I DO. RARELY ARE ISSUES SIGNIFICANT TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY BROUGHT UP UNLESS I BRING THEM UP FOR MYSELF AND I HAVE TO BEG PEOPLE TO MENTION THE EASTSIDE.
FOR EXAMPLE THE EASTSIDE NOT HAVING A HOSPITAL WHEN WE ARE CONSTANTLY TALKING ABOUT HOSPITAL AND THE INACCESSIBILITY OF HEALTHCARE IN SAN ANTONIO. DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAVE THREE OTHER DISTRICTS AS SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF MY BORDER. THE SLEW OF ANTI-LGBTQ LEGISLATION 2021. NO ONE WAS TALKING ABOUT HAIR DISCRIMINATION AND MANY WERE NOT AWARE IT WAS HAPPENING AND THAT WAS THE REALITY FOR MANY PEOPLE IN OUR CITY UNTIL I INVITED YOUNG WOMEN FROM THE LEMONADE CIRCLE TO CITY COUNCIL. THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT HAPPEN AT GOVERNANCE I TAKE GREAT CONCERN WITH. UP TO THIS POINT IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THE FEELING IS IF THE MAYOR DIDN'T WANT SOMETHING AGENDIZED OR IF THE CITY MANAGER DIDN'T WANT SOMETHING AGENDIZED IT WASN'T GOING TO BE. IT MAY NOT BE TRUE.
THAT WAS THE FEELING. THE REVIEW OF THIS ORDINANCE AT LEAST SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT THEY MUST BE, AND WE'LL SET A TIME. I'M EAGER TO HEAR IT AND I'M EXCITED THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING -- IT WILL NO LONGER BE THE SENTIMENT.
CURRENTLY -- THIS IS AGAIN GOVERNANCE IS I THINK THE ONLY COMMITTEE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO THOSE COMMUNITIES WITHOUT REPRESENTATION ON THE COMMITTEE DON'T EVEN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON POLICY BEFORE IT'S SHUT OUT OR BEFORE IT'S CHANGED, ALTERED, OR APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE. THOSE ON THE COMMITTEE CAN DECIDE SOMETHING IS NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT IMPACTS THEIR DISTRICT OR NEVER HAVE TO HAVE THAT BELIEF CHECKED. AND I KNOW -- I'M TRYING TO SPEAK AS TACTFULLY AS I CAN AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT EACH OF YOU BUT I DO THINK A LOT ABOUT THE FUTURE AND THE REALITY IS THAT IN A YEAR AND A HALF, MAYOR RON WILL NOT BE THE MAYOR ANYMORE AND OUR REALITY AND THE POLICYMAKING REALITY IS GOING TO LOOK DIFFERENT AND SO MUCH LIKE COUNCILMAN WHYTE FEELS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS AFTER US HAVE AS FAIR A PROCESS AS POSSIBLE AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BEING IGNORED OR SHUT OUT OF POLICYMAKING, WHICH IS OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES. PREVIOUSLY WHEN A COUNCILMEMBER HAD A CCR, PREVIOUSLY COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD SPEAK SO LONG AS THEY DIDN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEY DIDN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL DISCUSSION.
SO IF BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD ANY DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM, THEY GOT TO WEIGH IN.
THAT WAS FINE. I ASKED ANDY BACK IN NOVEMBER WHEN THIS CHANGED IF THERE WERE ANY LEGAL IMPLICATIONS AND HE SAID IT WAS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MAYOR.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY CHANGE I WANT TO SEE. THAT'S ONE OF THE ONLY THING I CARE ABOUT. THAT CMS GET TO SPEAK. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT FUTURE COUNCILS AND MAYORS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO TO CONSTANTLY BE MINDFUL OF WHO'S IN THE ROOMS THAT THEY'RE IN AND WHO'S NOT IN THE ROOMS THAT THEY'RE IN WHEN IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS ARE BEING MADE. AND SINCE THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY THING I WOULD CARE ABOUT, I WOULD LOVE TO CHAT ABOUT IT IN EXEC. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ.
>> PELAEZ: THANKS, ANDY. GOOD PRESENTATION. THE JOKES WERE TERRIBLE BUT
THE -- >> SEGOVIA: I WON'T QUIT MY DAY JOB.
>> PELAEZ: NO, PLEASE DON'T. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS TELL MY CONSTITUENTS IS THAT THE WHEEL AT CITY HALL GRINDS SLOWLY BUT IT GRINDS FINE. AND WE ALMOST ALWAYS END UP WITH THE RIGHT RESULT. AND I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM EVERYBODY IS THAT EVERYBODY BRINGS THESE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT AND EVERYBODY IS FRUSTRATED WITH SOME PART OF THIS. AND MY HOPE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FIND SOME WAY TO ACHIEVE SOME AGILITY AND CLEAR THAT BACKLOG AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS MORE FAIR FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED. AND I THINK EVERYBODY IS COMING AT THIS IN GOOD FAITH.
LIKE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED, UP UNTIL NOW THIS HAS BEEN A HOBBSIAN CHOICE.
[01:35:10]
DO YOU FILE A CCR AND HOPE IT GETS HEARD WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME OR DO YOU WORK THE COMMITTEE PROCESS AND TRY TO GET YOUR ISSUE BROUGHT UP FOR THE COMMITTEE.AND I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS AT LEAST WILL GIVE US SOME PREDICTABILITY AND SOME ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO TELL OUR CONSTITUENTS HOW THE WHEEL IS GRINDING.
AND WHEN THEY CAN EXPECT SOME OF THEIR INITIATIVES THAT THEY'VE INSPIRED US TO FILE.
I THINK THIS IS GOOD. THERE'S PARTS OF THIS THAT YOU KNOW I DON'T LIKE.
AND I WON'T REHASH THAT. I THINK FOR THE MOST PART YOU'VE DONE EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE ASKED YOU TO DO. MY QUESTION IS THAT I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A RETROACTIVE POLICY THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING. AND SO THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO'S QUESTION REGARDING THE BACKLOG. I DO THINK THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH THE PACE OF OUR CCRS BUILDING FILED AND I THINK THAT'S JUST A FUNCTION OR A PRODUCT OF JUST US FILING SO MANY AND THERE ONLY BEING AN HOUR OR TWO HOURS FOR GOVERNANCE AND ALL OF US KEEPING A BUSY SCHEDULE. I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO REQUIRE US TO MAYBE MEET MORE THAN ONCE IN ORDER TO THAT UP TO YOU. BUT I WILL TELL YOU I DON'T KNOW, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE BACKLOG LIST, BUT I'VE GOT THREE I JUST WANT TO BRING UP. I'VE GOT A 2021 CCR CALLED DESIGNATING SELECT RESIDENT-ONLY PARKING ZONES AROUND UTSA. HASN'T GOTTEN ITS DAY IN COURT SINCE '21. THE WORLD WON'T STOP SPINNING IF I HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE LONGER BUT IT SURE WOULD BE NICE TO MAYBE GO BACK TO 2021 AND I GOT ANOTHER 2021 YOU'LL FIND OUT THERE THAT'S CODIFYING LOCAL PROTECTIONS FOR USERS OF SERVICE ANIMALS REGARDING HOUSING IN PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION. I DON'T REMEMBER US TAKING THAT UP AND IF WE DID, FORGIVE ME .
I DON'T REMEMBER. LASTLY, I KNOW THAT TWO OF OUR COLLEAGUES AND I SIGNED ON TO IT AND FILED A HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE CCR IN 2022. SINCE THEN WE HAVE HANDLED A LOT OF OTHER THINGS. HAS ANY VETTING BEEN DONE TO BRING THAT FORWARD SO WE CAN GET IT HEARD? IT'S GOING TO START GETTING HOT AGAIN SOON.
I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK BUT MY QUESTION IS, ANDY, BEFORE TODAY'S MEETING I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING, OKAY, GOOD. NOW WE'VE GOT A WAY FORWARD. I'LL JUST REFILE MY CCRS NOW THAT I KNOW THERE'S A NEW WAY TO GET MY CCRS HEARD WITHIN 90 DAYS.
I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO COME DOWN TO YOUR OFFICE AND HAVE A DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER THE FIRST CCR BUT THAT'S HOW FRUSTRATED I HAVE BEEN . SO CAN SOMEBODY MEET WITH ME LATER TO TALK ABOUT HOW IT IS THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THIS BACKLOG LIST? DID YOU ONLY START WITH 2022 OR ARE WE LOOKING PAST 2022 TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THOSE
ITEMS WERE KNOCKED OFF? >> WALSH: I'LL JUMP IN, ANDY. SO I'M LOOKING.
WE SEND OUT A WEEKLY COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORT THAT HAS PENDING.
AND IT GOES -- THE ONE THAT'S BEEN ON THAT LIST THE LONGEST IS THE HORSE CARRIAGE CCR FILED BY COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ AND COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. MANNY, I DO NOT SEE -- AND I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND ANDY'S OFFICE.
I DO NOT SEE THE TWO 2021. I DO KNOW THAT WE'RE PRETTY -- THE STAFF HAS GOT TO HAVE A DOCUMENT IN ORDER FOR SOMETHING TO COME OFF THAT LIST. SO I'M NOT SURE.
I'LL GET YOU AN ANSWER TO THAT. THERE ARE 16 ITEMS THAT ARE ON HERE.
THAT HORSE CARRIAGE ONE WAS FILED ON NOVEMBER 30, 2022. AND THEN THE NEWEST ONES WE HAVE ARE THREE THAT WERE FILED LAST WEEK. TWO BY COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ AND ONE BY COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO ON A DESIGNATION OF MEMORIAL WAY.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS IF THE COUNCIL GIVES US SUFFICIENT FEEDBACK TODAY TO TAKE THIS TO COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION, WE'LL ADD TO THAT LIST THE -- WE'LL ADD TO THE PRESENTATION HOW WE ARE PROPOSING, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, ON CLEARING THE DECK. IT MAY MEAN EXTRA MEETINGS FOR
GOVERNANCE OR A LONGER MEETING. THERE ARE 16 ITEMS ON THERE. >> PELAEZ: I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU'RE NOT TAKING AWAY FROM MY COMMENTS IS I SOMEHOW THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST HOPING I
[01:40:02]
WOULD FORGET. I DON'T THINK THAT. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PAPER GOES THROUGH YOUR OFFICE, DEBBIE, AND A LOT OF PAPER GOES THROUGH YOUR DESK AND THOUSANDS OF PAGES ARE REVIEWED BY COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA EVERY DAY. AND SO IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT THESE THINGS FELL BETWEEN THE CRACKS. I'M JUST HOPING WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION OFFLINE. FOR ALL I KNOW -- MY WIFE WILL TELL YOU I'VE GOT THE MEMORY OF A FRUIT FLY. MAYBE YOU GUYS DID COVER THIS AND I DON'T REMEMBER.>> SEGOVIA: WE ARE COMMITTED, COUNCILMAN. WHEN I SAY "WE," THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, MY OFFICE, THE CLERK'S OFFICE. AS ERIK SAID, TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THE COUNCIL DOES PASS A REVISED ORDINANCE, THE ONES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE QUAY ARE NOT AT A DISADVANTAGE TO WHERE IT WOULD BE BETTER OFF TO FILE A NEW ONE.
WE ARE COMMITTED THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. WE'LL HAVE A ROBUST PLAN TO
CLEAR THE DECK. >> PELAEZ: ANDY, I KNOW THAT'S TRUE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. >> WALSH: MAYOR, JUST REAL QUICK.
COUNCILMAN, ALSO, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY MANAGER ACTS AS A GATE. I DO NOT. I HAVE NOT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S PROPOSED FOR ME TO BE A GATE. IF I WAS, WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE A DIFFERENT PROCESS. BUT THE REALITY IS IT IS GOOD GOVERNMENT AND THERE'S A LOT OF EFFICIENCIES THERE. NOTHING COMES OFF THIS LIST -- AND WE PRODUCE THIS LIST AND HAVE PRODUCED THIS LIST EVERY WEEK FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. NOTHING COMES OFF THIS LIST UNLESS THERE'S A DOCUMENT THAT DOCUMENTS WHY. I'LL GET YOU AN ANSWER ON THOSE
TWO '21S BECAUSE I'M CERTAINLY CURIOUS WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: ALSO COUNCILMAN MARC WHYTE FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN INITIATING THIS CONVERSATION ON THE COUNCIL CONSIDERATION PROCESS. I'M STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND THIS PROPOSAL RECOMMENDATION AND HOW THE CURRENT PROCESS DOESN'T WORK. I BELIEVE THAT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, AS WRITTEN AND IF FOLLOWED, IS EFFECTIVE. AND IT LAYS OUT THAT THE CLERK MUST PLACE A SUBMITTED CCR ON THE NEXT AGENDA TO THE COUNCIL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AGENDA AND THE CURRENT CCR PROCESS STATES THAT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE SHALL SCHEDULE AN ITEM REQUESTED BY CCR IN A TIMELY MATTER. SO MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, AS WRITTEN IF FOLLOWED, WOULD BE EFFECTIVE. FURTHER, TO ERIK'S POINT EARLIER, THE LAST GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AGENDA HAD ROUGHLY SIX ITEMS AND IF WE AGENDIZE AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF AGENDA ITEMS, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE OUR WAY THROUGH THOSE SUBMITTED COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUESTS.
THAT'S OUR ROLE AS POLICY MAKERS TO HAVE THE DEBATE AND CONVERSATION WITH EACH OTHER'S POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS . AND WHAT I WOULD HOPE TO SEE IS THE CURRENT POLICY UPHELD.
WHAT THAT, I BELIEVE WE COULD BE EFFECTIVE IF WE HAVE ADEQUATE ITEMS AGENDIZED.
AND, WITH THAT, I DO SEE THE VALUE IN HAVING AN EXPLICIT AMOUNT OF DAYS.
FOR EXAMPLE, ON SLIDE 6, THE CCR WILL BE PLACED ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AGENDA WITHIN 60 DAYS FOLLOWED, WHAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION? WE AMEND THE CURRENT ORDINANCE TO ACCOMMODATE? I'M JUST TRYING TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING IN THE CASE WHERE IT'S NOT AGENDIZED WITHIN THE 60 DAYS, WHAT'S THE REPERCUSSION. WHAT HAPPENS FOR IT NOT BEING
AGENDIZED AND THUS NOT FOLLOWING CITY ORDINANCE. >> SEGOVIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE THE PROCESS WILL BE CODIFIED IN THE ORDINANCE, OBVIOUSLY THE EXPECTATION IS GIVEN THAT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND THE COUNCIL ARE FULLY AWARE SO THEY'LL BE COMPLIANT.
IF IT'S NOT SUBMITTED, OBVIOUSLY I WOULD THINK THE COUNCILMEMBER WOULD NOTIFY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE THAT CCR HAS NOT BEEN SCHEDULED WITHIN THE REQUIRED TIME-FRAME, WHICH WOULD OBVIOUSLY REQUIRE A RESPONSE IN TERMS OF WHY IT HASN'T.
AND MY EXPECTATION WOULD BE THAT UNLESS THERE'S VERY COMPELLING REASONS WHY IT HASN'T BEEN, COMPLIANCE WOULD BE SOON TO FOLLOW. THESE ARE RULES ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL THAT ADDRESS INTERNAL COUNCIL PROCEDURES, REALLY THE COMPLIANCE WILL COME FROM INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THAT THEY'LL COMPLY WITH IT. FURTHER RAMIFICATIONS, I COULD
[01:45:04]
HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH YOU ABOUT LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS IF A COUNCILMEMBER REALLY WANTED TOPURSUE IT FURTHER. >> CASTILLO: OKAY. I GUESS MY POINT IS THAT THE CURRENT PROCESS IS CODIFIED THROUGH ORDINANCE AND IT'S NOT BEING FOLLOWED.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS AMENDING IT TO GIVE OURSELVES MORE GRACE. SO IT'S JUST CONCERNING THAT IN A CASE WHERE WE DON'T FOLLOW THAT 60 DAYS, ARE WE JUST GOING TO AMEND IT TO EXPAND THE DAYS.
BUT, AGAIN, I DO SEE THE VALUE IN HAVING A DAY NUMBER. IT'S JUST I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT'S CURRENTLY CODIFIED AND NOT BEING FOLLOWED AND WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND IF IT WERE NOT TO BE FOLLOWED. FURTHER, ON THE POINT OF THE REMOVAL FROM CONSIDERATION, GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE FOR WHATEVER REASON DOESN'T BELIEVE IT SHOULD MOVE FORWARD.
I DO AGREE WITH WHAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY RAISED IS THAT IF THERE'S SIGNATURES TO INITIATE THE CONVERSATION, IT SHOULD TAKE PLACE. AS A BODY WE SHOULD FILTER AND MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION, WHETHER IT'S TO COMMITTEE AND IT DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD THERE, IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH A PROCESS. THE VOTE TO CLEAR A CCR FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION ISN'T SOMETHING THAT I'M NECESSARILY COMFORTABLE SEEING PROPOSED BECAUSE, AGAIN, EACH OF US ARE ALL DULY ELECTED TO SUBMIT COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUESTS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE INITIATING POLICY THAT SUPPORTS OUR CONSTITUENCY AND FOR A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS ON A GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO KILL AN ITEM FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION I DON'T THINK IS DEMOCRATIC AND I THINK IT SHOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND BE FULLY DEBATED.
I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT ITEM BEING REMOVED. THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW. AGAIN, THERE'S THE POINT FOR THE REQUESTED ACTION IS PREEMPTED BY STATE OR FEDERAL LAW AND THAT MEANS IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE REMOVED.
I BELIEVE THIS ELECTED BODY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO DEBATE WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD CHALLENGE OR NOT. AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CHALLENGING THE HOUSE BILL 2127. WE HAD THAT ABILITY.
AND WHILE THAT WAS SOMETHING I WAS SUPPORTIVE OF AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN, FOR WHATEVER THE REASON MAY BE, WE STILL HAD THAT ABILITY TO DEBATE AS A COUNCIL WHETHER WE WANTED TO CHALLENGE SOMETHING THAT WE VIEWED AS PREEMPTED OR NOT.
I'M JUST A BIT CONCERNED THAT THIS REMOVES SOME AUTONOMY FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS TO GOVERN AND FULLY REPRESENT OUR CONSTITUENCIES. AGAIN, WHETHER I SUPPORT AN IDEA OR NOT I BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND AS ELECTEDS WE SHOULD DEBATE THE F THAT PROCESS. AND OF COURSE RELY ON CITY STAFF TO TELL US WHAT THEIR LEGAL FINDING IS AND WHAT THAT BUDGET TIE OR REQUEST MAY BE. BUT I WILL SAY, WITH THE COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUESTS WE FOLLOWED, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE CHAIRS AND THE MAYOR BECAUSE I ASKED WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION AND IT MOVES FORWARD. NOT THAT IT GETS PRIORITIZED BUT IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW UP WHERE OUR POLICIES ARE THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED AND TO FOLLOW THOSE ALONG. AND, WITH THAT, I WANTED TO THANK RICK ON OUR TEAM WHO HAS CREATED OUR OWN INTERNAL CCR DASHBOARD, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING WHERE EVERYONE'S CCRS ARE. SHOUT OUT TO RICK FOR THAT. THOSE ARE MY PRIMARY COMMENTS AND I JUST HAVE CONCERN THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT'S NOT BEING FOLLOWED AND I BELIEVE IF WE FOLLOWED THE CURRENT ORDINANCE IT WOULD BE JUST AS EFFECTIVE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO.
COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. OVERALL, THE -- THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, ANDY AND DEBBIE. OVERALL THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE HAS BEEN ABOUT MORE DETAILED PROCEDURES AND STEPS FOR HANDLING CCRS IN THE PREVIOUS ORDINANCE.
I'LL SAY I'M IN SUPPORT BUT I'M ALSO CONFLICTED. I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE OPENED A PANDORA'S BOX OF SORTS AND ONLY AN INTENT VERSUS PRACTICE. I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE AIRING OF THE CCR GRIEVANCES HERE AND MAYBE WE NEED THAT. BUT I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE A SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND MORE CHECKS.
AND I DON'T SEE IN THIS ALL THE BALANCE THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
I DO THINK IT'S A GOOD STEP FORWARD. I DO HOPE -- I BROUGHT THIS UP IN A COUPLE OF GOVERNANCE MEETINGS. I DO HOPE THAT IT ELIMINATES IMPRACTICAL SELF-INTERESTED CCRS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES ALREADY BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE CITY. WE MENTIONED A COUPLE OF MEETINGS OR SO WE WENT THROUGH EIGHT AND THERE WAS A GOOD HANDFUL OF THEM ALREADY BEING DONE BY THE CITY.
[01:50:01]
I DO LIKE THE -- I THINK THE IDEA OF RUNNING THE CCRS THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS WISE. HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S SOMEWHAT OF A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.I LIKE THE PROVISION THAT PUTS THE ONUS ON THE SPONSORING COUNCILMEMBER TO NOTIFY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. AS I MENTIONED -- AND I HEAR YOU, ERIK AND I BELIEVE YOU'RE NOT A GATEKEEPER AND YOU DON'T INTEND TO BE A GATEKEEPER BUT I DO HAVE THE SAME CONCERN COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO BROUGHT UP ABOUT WHAT'S THE REPERCUSSION IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
THE 60 DAYS COMING OUT OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, OUT OF GOVERNANCE, WHY WOULD WE HAVE -- WHY ARE WE MAKING A RULE IF WE DON'T HAVE A CONSEQUENCE? SO I HAVE THAT SAME CONCERN.
I ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY REASONS WHY IT COULD BE DELAYED.
LEGITIMATELY DELAYED. MAYBE THERE'S A PUBLIC PROCESS. MAYBE THERE'S -- IT HAS TO GO THROUGH LEGAL AND AS QUICK AS YOU GUYS ARE YOU HAVE A LOT ON YOUR PLATE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF -- DOES THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE GET TO GRANT AN EXTENSION?
I MEAN, DOES THE MAYOR? >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: DO YOU WANT ME TO RESPOND HOW I THINK PRACTICALLY IT WILL WORK? SO, FIRST, THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, AS I HAVE APPOINTED THEM OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, HAS BEEN THE SENIOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THE CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE. THEY REPRESENT THE POLICY DISCUSSION.
THE CCR PROCESS OBVIOUSLY HAS EVOLVED SINCE THE ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN.
AS I INHERITED IT, WHERE IT EVOLVED FROM WAS THE FACT THAT PRIOR TO THE CCR BEING HEARD AT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, THE STAFF WOULD GO THROUGH ITS DUE DILIGENCE.
SO THEY HAD SOMETHING TO PRESENT. SO THAT ENTAILED A LITTLE BIT OF WEIGHT. SOMETIMES INDETERMINED, BASED ON THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN BEFORE A PRESENTATION COULD BE MADE. THAT HAS BEEN A LOT OF THE DELAY PROCESS. THE OTHER DELAY THAT HAPPENS IS JUST IN CONVERSATION WITH COLLEAGUES. I HAVE HAD AUTHORS OF CCRS SAY DON'T BRING THAT UP YET, FOR WHATEVER REASON. NOT READY. SO IT'S BEEN AN ORGANIC PROCESS.
WHAT I SEE THIS REVISION DOING IS PROVIDING A SHOT CLOCK, MORE OF AN EXPECTATION INTERNALLY AND A TRANSPARENCY EXTERNALLY ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING TO MOVE FROM NOW ON.
WHAT IT MEANS PRACTICALLY THOUGH IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT THINGS ON THERE JUST TO CLEAR THEM OUT TO START THE PROCESS OF STAFF DUE DILIGENCE. THOSE PRESENTATIONS FOR THE CCR AT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE NOW ARE NOT GOING TO BE AS SUBSTANTIVE AS THEY WERE. IT MIGHT MEAN THAT THE PROCESS STARTS AND IT COMES BACK TO GOVERNANCE. IT MAY MEAN IT GOES DIRECTLY TO A COUNCIL COMMITTEE. IF IN THE EVENT WE DON'T MEET THE SHOT CLOCK, THOUGH, WE'RE OUR OWN INTERNAL GUIDE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE PROCESS IF WE WANT TO MAKE CHANGES. BUT, AGAIN, WE'RE SETTING UP A PROCESS -- WE'RE SETTING UP, THROUGH THIS REVISION, EXPECTATIONS INTERNALLY, TRANSPARENCY EXTERNALLY IN THE EVENT WE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH IT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER
CONVERSATION. >> SEGOVIA: IF I CAN ADD TO THAT, COUNCILWOMAN, YOU TALKED ABOUT TIME LIMITS IN TERMS OF CONSIDERATION. IT APPLIES TO THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE -- AND WE HAD THE DISCUSSION WITH THE FULL RECOGNITION THAT THERE ARE ITEMS THAT GO TO THE SUBCOMMITTEES THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SUBCOMMITTEES ASK FOR ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS OR COMMUNITY INPUT. IN WHICH SOME ITEMS FRANKLY COME BACK TWO OR THREE TIMES.
SO IT WAS -- OUR VIEW WAS IT WAS IMPRACTICAL TO PUT THAT TIMELINE ON THE SUBCOMMITTEES RECOGNIZING THERE'S GOING TO BE THE CHAIR TO MAKE SURE THOSE THINGS DON'T LANGUISH EITHER FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE ALL THE CHAIRPERSONS OF THE COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEES, THEY DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN.
>> HAVRDA: SO, I MEAN, I KIND OF GO BACK -- AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS DEPENDING ON US AND WHAT WE SAY AS A BODY. I THINK THAT LEAVES A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM AND WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE AWAY FROM WIGGLE ROOM. I THINK THIS IS BETTER BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE REALLY KIND OF CATCHING EVERYTHING. AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, NOT TO CONTRADICT MYSELF, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND IT HAS -- WE HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE.
AND I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK NOT HAVING TECHNICALLY A STRONG MAYOR -- NOT YOU BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LEGALLY-STRONG MAYOR. THAT'S ONE OF THE -- I GUESS
[01:55:02]
THAT'S ONE OF THE PURVIEWS OF THE MAYOR TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. WHILE WE ARE ALL DULY ELECTED TO EACH OF OUR RESPECTED DISTRICTS, THE MAYOR IS ELECTED BY THE ENTIRE CITY SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE MAYOR. YOU KNOW, I'LL SAY THIS.I'VE BEEN ON GOVERNANCE SINCE MY SECOND TERM BUT THE FIRST TERM I WASN'T.
I DID HAVE A CCR THAT TO THIS DAY HASN'T GOTTEN HEARD. I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND BOTH SIDES OF IT. IT'S JUST DIFFICULT FOR ME RIGHT NOW TO RECONCILE WHAT WE'RE SAYING AND DOING. SORT OF INTENT VERSUS PRACTICE. AND SO I THINK IT SHOULD BE SORT OF AN ONGOING DISCUSSION AND SO I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION.
>> SEGOVIA: WE CAN PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER, COUNCILWOMAN, BETWEEN NOW AND THE CONSIDERATION AT A IN TERMS OF WHAT ADDITIONAL, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM REMEDIES WOULD BE, IN CASE WE DON'T FOLLOW. AS WE PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER, PROBABLY WOULD BE PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, WE WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT YOU FINE YOURSELVES IF IT DOESN'T MEET. BUT WE'LL PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER IN TERMS OF WHAT PROCESS REMEDIES THERE MIGHT BE IN CASE THAT'S NOT FOLLOWED. BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE, AGAIN, CONDUCIVE TOWARD COMPLIANCE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE ALL AFTER.
>> HAVRDA: SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR ANYBODY THAT CARES ABOUT WHAT I SAID THAT BY CHARTER WE DON'T HAVE A STRONG MAYOR. I'M NOT TAKING A SHOT.
I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION THOUGH AND I'LL SAY TOO I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CCR BUT WE NEED -- ALL OF US, MOST OF US CHAIR A COMMITTEE NOW AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN WE'RE AGENDIZING. I KNOW I GET A LOT OF FLAK BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENDA QUEUE AND THINGS DON'T GET HEARD, USUALLY NOT WITHIN 90 DAYS, UNLESS IT'S SOME KIND OF AN EMERGENCY. THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER AS CHAIRS AS WELL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
YES, AND I'LL JUST PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN WAS SAYING.
OUR COMMITTEES ALREADY -- FOR INSTANCE OUR PCDC COMMITTEE, THE LAST TIME THAT GOVERNANCE MET, WE HAD MOST OF THOSE CCRS WERE GOING TO GO TO PCDC. AND SO LAST YEAR WE MET OVER SUMMER BREAK. WE DID TWICE A MONTH MEETINGS. WE MET LIKE INTO THE WINTER HOLIDAY, LIKE THE LAST WEEK OF THE WINTER BEFORE WINTER BREAK WE WERE STILL MEETING.
SO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, MOVING THESE FORWARD. AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT MY COLLEAGUES ON, FOR INSTANCE THAT COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGREED TO IT AND THEY SEE THAT TO EACH ONE OF US OUR CCRS ARE IMPORTANT. I APPRECIATE THAT CONSIDERATION. LIKE AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO HOW IS IT GOING TO IMPACT OUR INDIVIDUAL COMMITTEES. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SIT ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE SINCE MY FIRST TERM AND I'VE BEEN THE LONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE SOUTHSIDE IT SEEMED FOR SOMETIME. AND SO I WANTED TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ'S POINT. BUT I DO ALSO FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT WE FOLLOW ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER AND THAT'S HOW THE COMMITTEES ARE DESIGNED BY THE CHAIR. THEY SELECT MEMBERSHIP, ET CETERA.
I'D LOVE TO LATER, RIGHT, THINK ABOUT THAT CONVERSATION AND SEE HOW COMPOSITION HAS BEEN MADE UP IN SOME OF THE OTHER COMMITTEES BUT I DO UNDERSTAND IT'S JUST SO DELICATE, RIGHT? SO ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER IS ONE. BUT THEN EQUITY AND REPRESENTATION ALSO MATTER. AND SO, GOSH, IT'S A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION TO HAVE AND I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND SAY I APPRECIATE YOU, COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ FOR BRINGING THAT UP. ALSO, I HAVE AN ISSUE I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO BROUGHT THIS UP. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME AND SPEAK ON THEIR CCR. AND SO UNLESS THERE'S A QUORUM AT THAT MEETING -- SO THERE'S FIVE OF US. SO CAN ONE OF US STEP OUT? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW. I FEEL BAD THAT OUR COUNCIL
COLLEAGUES AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME AND SPEAK. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: YEAH, LET ME ALSO COMMENT ON THAT. WHEN WE STARTED DISCUSSING A MORE LITERAL INTERPRETATION OF THE ORDINANCE, ANDY AND I DISCUSSED THE IMPLICATIONS OF SOMETHING FIVE-MEMBER COMMITTEE PLUS A COUNCILMEMBER COME TO SPEAK AND THE CONCLUSION WAS IN ORDER TO STRICTLY COMPLY WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND NOT HAVE QUESTIONS OF A QUORUM THAT FROM NOW ON CCRS WOULD BE PRESENTED BUT THEY WOULDN'T BE COMMENTED ON BY THE AUTHOR BECAUSE IT WOULD PRESENT A CALMER IN THE ROOM. AGAIN, UNDER THE ATTORNEY'S GUIDANCE IF THAT'S WHERE WE WANT
[02:00:03]
TO GO BACK TO, ANDY, I'LL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD BUT THAT SOUNDS OKAY TO ME.>> SEGOVIA: MAYOR, AS WE STATED, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE AN EXEC DISCUSSION ON IT AND TALK ABOUT THE LEGAL RISKS ENTAILED WITH THAT. BUT CERTAINLY WE'LL GIVE THAT SOME THOUGHT AND MAYBE COME UP WITH A WAY SO THAT THERE'S NO QUESTION.
AGAIN, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN COMPLIANT. WE JUST WANTED TO ELIMINATE ANY QUESTION ABOUT HAVING A DELIBERATION OF FULL COUNCIL. WE'LL BRING THAT UP AND PROVIDE
OPTIONS TO THE COUNCIL IN EXEC. >> GARCIA: AND I APPRECIATE THAT, ANDY, BECAUSE THEN I THINK IT WOULD BE UNFAIR FOR THOSE OF US THAT SIT ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A PITCH FOR OUR OWN CCRS. AND SO, AGAIN, JUST AS A SYMBOL OF RESPECT FOR MY COLLEAGUES WHO AREN'T ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT CAN ADVOCATE OR SPEAK ON BEHALF OF WHATEVER CCR WOULD BE, I GUESS, MY CONSIDERATION. AND THEN ALSO, ANDY, I REMEMBER -- SO WE CLEARED THE DECK, IF YOU WILL, LIKE A YEAR AGO OF OLD CCRS.
AND SOMEHOW -- AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO ASK THE QUESTION EARLIER.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WHEN WE DID THAT A YEAR AGO IT WASN'T AN ORDINANCE BUT THIS TIME IT IS AN ORDINANCE. BECAUSE I REMEMBER THAT SOME THAT WERE OVER A YEAR WERE NOT GOING TO BE HEARD OR SOME THAT WERE PLACED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE NO LONGER ON THE COUNCIL ROLLED OFF. SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
IT'S A PROCESS QUESTION AGAIN. >> SEGOVIA: AGAIN, COUNCILWOMAN, WE DID FACE -- THE TIME YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WE DID FACE A SITUATION WHERE WE HAD A NUMBER OF CCRS IN THE QUAY THAT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS -- THAT'S HOW I KNEW THE ONE ABOUT THE PARKING.
WE KNEW WERE NEVER GOING TO BE HEARD OR CONSIDERED. WE CAME UP WITH CRITERIA, AGE BEING ONE OF THEM, THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE REASONS WHY THEY WERE BEING TAKEN OFF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IN THE ORDINANCE IS DOCUMENT THEM SOP THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE CRITERIA ARE. SO WHEN THEY WOULD BE TAKEN OFF. WE DIDN'T INCLUDE, AS YOU SEE IN THE PROPOSAL, WE DON'T INCLUDE AGE BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE THE TIME REQUIREMENTS.
>> GARCIA: OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. COUNCILWOMAN KAUR.
>> KAUR: THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANDY, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, DEBBIE FOR THE WORK ON THE NEW TRACKER. KIND OF WANTED TO JUST ECHO SOME OF THE POINTS THAT WERE MADE AND SHOW AFFIRMATION FOR THINGS I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
I THINK THE TRACKER IS A REALLY IMPORTANT TOOL AND LIKE THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE THINGS ARE IN THE PROCESS. BECAUSE THAT IS A PART OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY.
I REALLY DO LIKE THE DATE OF SETTING A TIMELINE FOR CCRS TO BE HEARD BY X AMOUNT OF TIME AND WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT'S NOT THE CASE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE QUORUM OR WE'RE TRAVELING FOR XYZ CONFERENCE. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO A LITTLE BIT OF SUBJECTIVITY SO THE MORE WE CAN REMOVE THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
AS FAR AS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED ABOUT WHAT GETS TO BE HEARD AND WHO HAS THE CONTROL OVER IT, WHAT I THINK I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT WE IN OUR DISTRICT HAVE, YES, CCRS AS A POLICYMAKING TOOL BUT ALSO ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES THAT I THINK CAN HELP THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR RESIDENTS. SO AS A PART OF THIS PROCESS, I WOULD ALSO LIKE FOR US TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN PUT INTO PLACE THAT ALLOWS US FOR WHEN WE'RE MAKING CHANGES DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFOFFICE FOR STAFF. I THINK SOME OF THOSE THINGS DON'T NECESSARILY ARISE TO CCRS BUT ARE IMPORTANT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF DSD IS SENDING OUT MONTHLY E-MAILS AT THE END OF EVERY MONTH SO WE KNOW WHAT ZONING CASES ARE COMING UP.
THAT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE THAT I THINK I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PUT INTO PLAY SO THAT DOWN THE LINE, SHOULD WE HAVE ANY LEADERSHIP TURNOVER, THAT THAT'S A POLICY, AN ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY THAT STILL GETS STUCK AROUND. BECAUSE I DO THINK WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS AN EFFICIENT WAY OF CREATING CHANGE FOR A VERY LARGE ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A LOT OF IMPACT. THE CALLS THAT WE GET THE MOST FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE ABOUT SIDEWALKS AND STREETS AND ACS. THOSE ARE LIKE THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE ARE DEALING AND WORKING WITH AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE ARE MAKING CHANGES TO HOW WE ARE DOING FLASHING STOP SIGNS OR WHATEVER THOSE THINGS ARE, THOSE GET DOCUMENTED SOMEHOW AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS PROCESS BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION. AND THEN I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WHEN WE ARE CONSIDERING CCRS THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THE DILIGENCE IS DONE.
AND I ALWAYS START DEBATING WITH MY STAFF ABOUT WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS DUE DILIGENCE.
[02:05:02]
IS IT OUR RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE WE SUBMIT A CCR AND MAKE SURE THERE'S FUNDING POSSIBILITY, IT'S VIABLE, OR IS IT STAFF'S RESPONSIBILITY? AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO A CONVERSATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE IS WHERE DOES THAT DILIGENCE ACTUALLY OCCUR. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM THAT I SEE IS THAT WE DO PUT OUT CCRS AND THEN STAFF IS SPENDING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME DOING DILIGENCE FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE. HOW DO WE FIND A BALANCE THAT ALLOWS US TO INNOVATE AND HAVE STRONGER POLICY FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHILE BEING EFFICIENT WITH STAFF HOURS, WHICH WE KNOW IS ALREADY LIMITED. AND WHAT IS THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FOR US TO HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH BEFORE A CCR ACTUALLY GETS PUT INTO EFFECT, RIGHT? LIKE IS THERE A THRESHOLD OF YOU MUST HAVE THOUGHT OF XYZ AND THEN STAFF WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE.I KNOW THAT'S PUTTING MORE ONUS ON OUR OFFICES AND OUR JOB IS POLICYMAKING BUT I ALSO THINK WE SHOULD NOT BE -- WE SHOULD HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION OF STAFF RESOURCES THAT'S ALREADY PRETTY LIMITED. I THINK THOSE WERE A FEW OF MY THOUGHTS BUT REALLY WANT TO ECHO THAT I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS FULL TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHO ALREADY DON'T REALLY -- BECAUSE THE OTHER LAYER OF THIS IS A LOT OF COMMUNITY THINKS WHEN A CCR PASSED IT'S POLICY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT NEWS KIND OF PICKS IT UP AND TAKES IT. IT'S ALMOST -- THERE'S GOT TO BE COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY THAT THESE ARE JUST IDEAS AND WHEN THEY'RE JUST IN IDEA STAGE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN VETTED.
A RANT OF THINGS THAT ARE ON MY MIND. THANKS, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE.
>> WHYTE: YEAH, JUST A FEW FOLLOW-UP POINTS. REGARDING WHO CAN TALK AT GOVERNANCE MEETINGS AND COME IN AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CCR, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT A PART OF THIS ORDINANCE. THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT CAME UP IN THE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MAYOR AND ANDY AND ERIK. SO, FOR THE RECORD, IF WE CAN STILL ALLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COME AND TALK ABOUT THEIR CCR IN FRONT OF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, I AM CERTAINLY FOR THAT.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE TEXT OF THE REVISED CCR, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY NOTHING IN THERE ABOUT THAT.
TWO, REGARDING INCREASING CCRS, I MEAN AND DUE DILIGENCE BEFOREHAND, I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT A REVISED ORDINANCE -- I DON'T THINK IT WILL HAVE ANY IMPACT ON INCREASING CCRS.
I THINK HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL, AS COUNCILWOMAN KAUR SAID, TAKE THE TIME AND DO DUE DILIGENCE WITH EVERY CCR BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO PUT THEIR SIGNATURE ON IT.
NOW, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE PROCESS IS GOING TO WORK, THERE'S GOING TO BE VOTES ON THESE THINGS WHEN THEY GO TO GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. IT'S GOING TO TAKE THREE VOTES TO KNOCK IT OUT OR THREE VOTES TO MOVE IT ON TO A SUBCOMMITTEE. AGAIN, THE PUBLIC'S GOING TO BE SEEING ALL THAT AND SO I HOPE THAT INCREASES THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT COUNCIL PEOPLE TAKE BEFORE THEY SUBMIT A CCR. AND ON THAT SAME POINT, TO COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO'S POINT ABOUT HOW IT GETS ON THE AGENDA AND WHAT HAPPENS. THE WAY I READ THIS IS -- AND THE WAY WE SET IT UP IS THE MAYOR WILL HAVE THE DISCRETION, I SUPPOSE, USING THE EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING GETS FILED TODAY ON A CCR. THE MAYOR WILL HAVE THE DISCRETION TO PUT IT ON THE NEXT MONTH'S CCR OR THE NEXT MONTH'S GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE OR THE COMMITTEE MEETING AFTER THAT. THE OLD ORDINANCE SAID THE CITY CLERK SHALL PUT IT ON THE NEXT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. WHAT THIS NEW ORDINANCE SAYS IS JUST THAT IT SHALL GO ON GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AGENDA WITHIN THE NEXT 60 DAYS. IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THE CITY CLERK TO DO IT BECAUSE, AS WE KNOW, IT'S THE MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER THAT ARE DECIDING WHAT GOES ON GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. SO THIS NOW JUST REQUIRES IT TO BE ON ONE OF THE NEXT TWO GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AGENDAS. AND THEN FROM THERE, SECTION 4 OF THE NEW ORDINANCE MANDATES WHAT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MUST DO ONCE IT GETS ON THE GOVERNANCE AGENDA.
SO ONCE IT'S THERE, IF IT NEEDS FURTHER EXAMINATION BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THEY CAN SEND
[02:10:01]
IT THERE. IF THERE'S BUDGETING CONCERNS, THEY CAN SEND IT TO THE CITY MANAGER. BUT IF IT'S READY TO GO ON TO A COMMITTEE, THEY CAN VOTE IT ON TO A COMMITTEE OR FOR SOME REASON IT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED, THEY CAN DO THAT AS WELL.REGARDING THE REMOVAL PORTION OF IT, THE MAYOR AND I AND ANDY AND ERIK TALKED AT GREAT LENGTH ABOUT THAT. THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, BY ITS OWN NAME, GOVERNS CITY COUNCIL AND THAT'S WHY THAT'S IN THERE. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A WORTHWHILE PROVISION TO HAVE D IN THERE. I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT, AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T, TO MY STAFF, ESPECIALLY REBECCA FOR HER WORK ON THIS. SHE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ANALYZING THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF CCRS AND WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH ALL OF THEM.
SHE AND RAUL PUT IN A GREAT DEAL OF TIME ON THIS AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR WORK.
SO, AGAIN, YES, IS THIS PERFECT? PROBABLY NOT. WILL IT POTENTIALLY NEED CHANGES DOWN THE LINE? SURE. BUT THIS IS BETTER THAN WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, FOR THE REASONS THAT MANY OF YOU ARTICULATED TODAY.
THE TIMELINES AND THE TRANSPARENCY. SO I APPRECIATE TODAY'S
DISCUSSION. THANKS. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANKS, MAYOR.
I GUESS I WANT TO ADD MY FEELING ABOUT CAN A COUNCILMEMBER SPEAK FOR THEIR CCR.
AND I THINK THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO. WHEN IT COMES TO THIS COMMITTEE OR WHEN IT COMES BEFORE GOVERNANCE, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW CAN IT BE MOVED FORWARD. IT'S NOT AS TO SHOULD IT BE AN ORDINANCE OR NOT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WAY FURTHER DOWN THE LINE. IT'S GOING TO GO TO A COMMITTEE.
IT'S GOING TO GO TO COUNCIL. TO ME, I DON'T SEE A VIOLATION OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS LAW BY COMING AND EXPLAINING TO THIS COMMITTEE WHAT THAT CCR REPRESENTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT'S KIND OF MY FEELING ON THAT. YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS SAID I'M WILLING TO DISCUSS ANYTHING SO I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THINGS COMING TO GOVERNANCE OR BEING PUT IN A CCR. NOW SOMETIMES SOMEONE WILL ASK ME TO SIGN A CCR AND I'M NOT SURE ABOUT IT. I NEED MORE INFORMATION. SO I MAY PASS.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T THINK IT MAY BE WORTHY OF DISCUSSION.
CERTAINLY IF I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT. AND ONE CONCERN I DO HAVE THOUGH IS ALMOST ALL OF THESE, A VERY LARGE NUMBER, GET RECOMMENDED TO COMMITTEES.
AND THEN THAT PARTICULAR CCR REALLY IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THAT COMMITTEE.
IT'S UP TO THAT COMMITTEE CHAIR OR THAT COMMITTEE AS A BODY TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH IT. YOU KNOW, AS I THINK SOMETIMES I SEE THERE ARE TWO OR THREE OR FOUR CCRS THAT MAY BE GOING TO ONE COMMITTEE BUT THEY HAVE ONGOING COMMITTEE BUSINESS, MAYBE OTHER CITY ISSUES, MAYBE DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS. YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU FIT THEM IN RIGHT AWAY? AND DO THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER EVERYTHING ELSE YOU'RE DOING? I THINK REALLY IT'S THE COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE CHAIRS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT REALLY END UP CONTROLLING WHERE THOSE CCRS GO FORWARD.
BUT OUR PROCESS, AS A GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, OUGHT TO MOVE THEM PRETTY QUICKLY TO THAT COMMITTEE PROCESS. THERE'S ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYBE INCLUDED IN YOUR PRESENTATION -- AND I THINK IT WAS BROUGHT UP BY DISCUSSION HERE.
SHOULD AN AUTHOR, CAN AN AUTHOR CAN SOMETHING TO BE HELD FROM BEING PLACED ON THE AGENDA? AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT THAT'S COME UP IN THE CITY OR AT THE STATE LEVEL OR EVEN WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY OR WITH A CERTAIN AGENCY, ORGANIZATION THEY WERE TRYING TO AFFECT THAT MAY MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT ABOUT EVEN FURTHER OR HELD BACK. AND I WOULD THINK THAT IF SOMEONE'S AN AUTHOR AND THEY TALK WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS WHO SIGNED ON AND MOST OF THEM SAY, YEAH, WE CAN HOLD THAT A LITTLE BIT LONGER BECAUSE OF X OR Y, THAT THE AUTHOR OUGHT TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO REQUEST THAT.
AND THAT WAY MAYBE BETTER TIMING TO BRING IT FORWARD WOULD BE SOMETHING OF CONSIDERATION.
[02:15:02]
SO IT'S UP THERE FOR THE BODY TO DECIDE. I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO GO TO COUNCIL FOR OUR OVERALL ACTION BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO GIVE THE AUTHORS OF THOSE CCRS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, WELL, LET'S HOLD OFF A LITTLE BIT LONGER FOR WHATEVER GOOD REASONS THEY THINK MAY EXIST. THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANKS, MAYOR.>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ.
>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. I'LL AGREE WITH THAT FINAL POINT THAT AUTHORS SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, REQUEST POSTPONEMENT OF AN ITEM. THEY MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY NEED THE FINAL SAY IN WHETHER OR NOT IT DOES GET POSTPONED BUT I THINK THAT IF AN AUTHOR WANTS TO DO THAT THEY SHOULD SUBMIT IN FORMAL WRITING. I'M NOW REMINDED THAT WE CAN PROBABLY WITHDRAW OUR SIGNATURES ON CCRS THAT WE HAVE SIGNED PREVIOUSLY.
SO THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING FUN TO THINK ABOUT. GENERALLY WHAT I'M THINKING MIGHT HELP THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE IN SPEEDING ALONG THE PROCESS IS SINCE THERE'S NOW A TIMELINE AND TYPICALLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TAKES THE CCR THE LONGEST IS THAT CITY STAFF HAS TO DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE. THEY'RE DOING RESEARCH AND TRYING TO FIND THE COMPARABLE PROGRAMS TO SEE IF THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THE THING AND IF THEY'RE DOING ENOUGH. I THINK IT MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE FOR STAFF TO CONTINUE DOING THAT AND FOR THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO JUST FORWARD THE ITEM DIRECTLY TO A COMMITTEE AND AT THAT POINT Y'ALL ARE DECIDING WHAT COMMITTEE MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
I HAVE BEEN AT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS WHERE SOMETIMES AN ITEM IS REQUESTED BY THE AUTHOR TO GO TO CHEC AND SOMEONE WOULD RATHER IT GO TO ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMITTEE THAT MOST ALIGNS WITH WHATEVER THAT POLICY ITEM , YOU KNOW, IS REQUESTING, THAT THEY HAVE THE ULTIMATE ABILITY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. THE SECOND PIECE OF THAT -- THERE'S A FEW THINGS -- THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I DO FIND A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN WITH AND I THINK ITEMS THAT MAY HAVE A LARGE FINANCIAL IMPLICATION JUST GOING DIRECTLY TO THE CITY MANAGER FOR THEM TO MAYBE INCLUDE IN SOME WAY THAT WE HAVEN'T YET SEEN IMPLEMENTED AS PART OF THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
I DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S ANY DIFFERENT THAN US BRINGING UP SOMETHING DURING THE BUDGET PROJECT. TWO ITEMS, FOR EXAMPLE. ONE IS THE COSA ISD SCHOOL MASS SHOOTING RESPONSE PROGRAM AUTHORED BY COUNCILMAN PELAEZ. AND TEACHER HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AUTHORED BY ME. ULTIMATELY IF FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SIGNED ON TO THE CCR, A COMMITTEE SHOULD DECIDE, HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO SEND TO FULL COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. IF COUNCIL DECIDES IT'S GOING TO BE A PRIORITY FOR THEM OR THEY WANT TO START A POLICY OR SEE WHAT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF IT ARE BEFORE SAYING YES OR NO, IF IT IS APPROVED BY A FULL COUNCIL IT SHOULD THEN BE GIVEN PRIORITY DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION. IT SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE A DISCUSSION AT ALL UNTIL THE BUDGET.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSARILY THE PURPOSE OR ELSE WE WOULD ALL JUST WAIT UNTIL THE BUDGET.
YOU KNOW THERE'S A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT WE DO POLICY AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE BUDGET IS OUR NUMBER ONE POLICYMAKING TOOL. WE ALL USE IT FOR A LOT OF THINGS AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS I THINK SOME THINGS DON'T GET FILED AS CCRS, BECAUSE AUDIO]. BUT SOMETIMES WE WANT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO IT IS THROUGH CCR. AND SO THE CHALLENGE I HAVE THEN IS THOSE THINGS THAT ARE LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUNDING. I THINK IT'S THEN STAFF'S RESPONSIBILITY -- IT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IN RESPONSE TO COUNCILWOMAN KAUR. DILIGENCE IS ON US TO MAKE SURE SOMETHING IS OF INTEREST TO COUNCIL. TO ASK OUR COLLEAGUES WOULD YOU SUPPORT THIS, TO HAVE THAT BACK AND FORTH. WHENEVER I'M GOING TO GET A CCR SIGNED, I'M ALWAYS GOING TO ASK DISTRICT FOUR, 5 AND 6.
AND ALL THREE OF THEM WILL TAKE AT LEAST TWO TO THREE DAYS TO WORK WITH THEIR STAFF, TO ASK -- TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE AND ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE COMPARABLE PROGRAMS. OKAY. THIS ISN'T A THING RIGHT NOW, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SIGN THIS. THAT'S THE DUE DILIGENCE, ASIDE FROM MY OWN RESEARCH AND GETTING SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE WORTHWHILE FOR THEM TO SIGN, THAT'S A PART OF THE DUE DILIGENCE, IS US CHECKING ON ONE ANOTHER. AND SO --
>> I WANT TO BRING UP THE POINT OF, YOU KNOW, THE THING THAT WE ALL HERE -- WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS, IT'S THAT YOU FEEL THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING ENOUGH. IF YOU WERE DOING THE ITEM, IF YOU WERE DOING THE SPECIFIC REQUEST OF THE CCR, IT WOULD NOT GET FIVE SIGNATURES, I PROMISE YOU THAT. AND SO SOMETIMES WE'LL LOOK AT THINGS LIKE -- I'LL USE THE TEACHER HOME BUYER'S ASSISTANCE
[02:20:04]
PROGRAM. WE HAVE A PROGRAM FOR FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS, TEACHERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR, BUT THE REQUEST IS ASKING FOR PRIORITIZATION OF TEACHERS IN A HOME BUYER PROGRAM. AND SO WE MIGHT BE DOING THAT OR DOING ENOUGH, ACCORDING TO WHAT A RECOMMENDATION MIGHT SAY, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE REQUEST WAS ASKING FOR. SO THAT'S THE BIG ISSUE I'M HAVING WITH THE DUE DILIGENCE PART OF THE CCR PROCESS.AND SO THAT'S -- THAT, I STILL THINK IS WORTHWHILE DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU.
ERIK, YOU WANTED TO JUMP IN? >> WALSH: YES, MAYOR.
JUST TWO THINGS. I THINK -- I THINK PART OF THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO REQUIRE THE STAFF TO CHANGE. AND CHANGE IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS. AND I MENTIONED SOME OF THEM EARLIER.
THE LAST GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, WE DID VERY LITTLE WORK ON THOSE CCRS. THEY WERE VERY HIGH LEVEL, THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF ANALYSIS AND WORK AND DUE DILIGENCE, BUT IT WAS IN AN EFFORT TO KIND OF MOVE THINGS TO COMMITTEE. AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT THAT WILL BE THE CASE GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO KEEP EVERYTHING MOVING. THE PART OF THE PROPOSAL THAT ALLOWS FOR THE ADDITIONAL LEGAL ANALYSIS OR STAFF ANALYSIS IS KIND OF AN OUTLET OR SOME LATITUDE THAT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WILL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE. I -- YOU KNOW, THAT MEANS THAT A LOT OF THAT WORK IS GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN BEFORE IT GOES TO THE COMMITTEE AGENDA.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO THAT DUE DILIGENCE.
I WILL -- YOU KNOW, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN KAUR FOR SAYING WHAT I PROBABLY SHOULD BE SAYING, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE ARE IN A POSITION WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE OLD LIFE CEREAL COMMERCIAL, GIVE IT TO MIKEY, HE'LL EAT IT. WE EAT ALL OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO AND WE'RE NOT REALISTIC IN WHAT WE TELL THE COUNCIL OR SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEES IN TERMS OF TIMELINES AND IMPACTS AND DUE DILIGENCE. WE NEED DO A BETTER JOB OF THAT.
PART OF THE SHOT CLOCK THAT THE MAYOR'S DESCRIBING ON THIS PROPOSAL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO BETTER. IF YOU LOOK AT THE 16 ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE PEPPING LIST, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF -- PENDING LIST, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF HEAVY POLICY ISSUES ON TOP OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT TELLING THE COUNCIL AND RESPONDING BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, WHAT MAY GET DELAYED OR WHAT HAS TO BE ADJUSTED IN TERMS OF WORKLOAD.
BECAUSE THERE IS A POINT WHERE WE'RE -- WE'RE NOT EFFECTEDTIVE, AND WE DON'T WANT TO BE AT THAT POINT. THE LAST THING IS, IS THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO GET A CONSISTENT HEADS UP BECAUSE I CAN HELP DIRECT SOME OF THAT STUFF.
AND COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ'S CCR THAT HE WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, IF YOU READ IT ABSENT A CONVERSATION, IT DOESN'T SAY EXACTLY WHAT THE ALTERNATIVE THAT HE JUST SAID. AND THOSE THINGS, I THINK, CAN BE -- CAN BE THOUGHT THROUGH ON THE FRONT END AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE ACHIEVE -- OR HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE EASIEST POSSIBLE WAY. AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A WHOLE NOTHER PROCESS THAT YOU ALL GO THROUGH AS YOU CRAFT THE CCR AND DO THE DUE DILIGENCE ON THE COUNCIL, ON THE ELECTED SIDE, THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN ON OUR SIDE. SO, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO BE BETTER, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE -- WHEN I SAY "WE" THE STAFF IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE TRANSPARENT AND REALISTIC ABOUT THE WORKLOAD AND HOW IT POTENTIALLY IMPACTS THE
THINGS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING ALREADY. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT. THANKS, ERIK. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? OKAY. EXCUSE ME?
COUNCILMAN. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: OKAY. YEAH, AND I'LL JUST CLOSE. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY HELPFUL CONVERSATION.
YOU KNOW, AND IN MY VIEW, ALL MADE MUCH MORE -- MUCH EASIER ONCE WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT PROCESS. IN MY VIEW ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHAT GOVERNS THE COMMITTEES, THIS ONE INCLUDED, IS REALLY THREE THINGS, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, ANDY. STATUTE, NUMBER ONE.
TWO, OUR ADHERENCE TO ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, WHICH IS A MODIFIED VERSION OF THAT. AND THEN, THREE, CUSTOM. AND WITH RESPECT TO THE ORDINANCES, THEY ARE -- WHEN AN ORDINANCE SPEAKS TO THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE INTERNALLY, IT'S A REFLECTION OF WHAT WE EXPECT FROM OURSELVES.
IT REALLY HAS NO -- IT DOESN'T SUPERSEDE THOSE THREE THINGS AT THE END
[02:25:03]
OF THE DAY, SO REALLY IN TERMS OF ADHERING TO A CCR PROCESS AS THE COUNCILMAN HAS ARTICULATED AND AS WE'RE MODIFYING THE 2007 ORDINANCE, IT'S GOING TO BE SOME COLLECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY.YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER, HOW'S IT GOING? ARE THERE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN? ARE THINGS MOVING TOO FAST? TOO SLOW? HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH ME ANANCE CHAIR, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH EACH OTHERS AS CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEES, BECAUSE THAT'S THE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MECHANISM WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR MAKING SURE THERE'S COMPLIANCE TO OUR BEST OF INTENTIONS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
NOW, IS ANYTHING I SAY INACCURATE OR NOT TRUE, ANDY?
>> SEGOVIA: NO, MAYOR, I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING WAS INACCURATE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GREAT. WELL, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION.
WE DO HAVE AN NOT HAVE AN EXEC TODAY BUT WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AT 5:3
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.