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COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER VIA COUNCIL MEMBER RIDGE HERE.
UH, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOU HAVE ATTENDANCE TODAY.
NO, NO, IT'S GONNA BE ARCHIVE.
UH, MS. KAO, I BELIEVE YOUR MICROPHONE'S STILL ON.
[1 20-7212 Approval of the meeting minutes from the November 2, 2020 Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting.]
LET'S, UH, LET'S START WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MEETING, MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 2ND, UH, 20 FOR CULTURAL LABOR SERVICES.WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 2ND.
[2 20-6437 Briefing and Overview of the Arts Core Grants Policy Update and discussion on timeline and next steps to update the Guidelines for the FY22-24 Funding Cycle. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Debbie Racca-Sittre, Director, Department of Arts & Culture]]
FIRST ITEM, UH, WE'LL LOOK AT A POLICY UPDATE AND DISCUSSION ON TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS TO UPDATE THE GUIDELINES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 AND 2024 FUNDING CYCLE.UM, I BELIEVE, UH, LORI, UH, YOU HAVE DEBBIE PRESENTING THIS, AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE DIANA HOGO WITH CULTURAL AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATOR.
SHE'S GOING TO BE PRESENTING, BUT DEBBIE ROCK SITTER AND MYSELF WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO DIANA, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M DI ALGO THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, AND BE PRESENTING ON THE CORE GRANTS PROGRAM FUNDING GUIDELINES, ITEM.
AND THOSE GUIDELINES WERE PREVIOUSLY TITLED THE ARTS AGENCY FUNDING GUIDELINES.
SINCE 2016, THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE HAS DEVELOPED A CULTURAL PLAN CALLED THE CULTURE ART PLAN, AND IT'S A COORDINATED PLANNING DOCUMENT THAT IDENTIFIES STRATEGIES FOR DEPARTMENT FOCUS AREAS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE HAVE EIGHT DIFFERENT FOCUS AREAS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON SINCE 2016.
AND ONE OF THOSE IS THE ARTS AGENCY FUNDING GUIDELINES.
MOST RECENTLY, IN MARCH OF 2020, WE ALSO CREATED A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
AND THAT PLAN IS ALSO BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE LOOK AT THESE GUIDELINES.
SO, IN FEBRUARY OF 2018, CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED OUR CURRENT POLICY OF THE ARTS AGENCY FUNDING GUIDELINES.
AND AT THAT TIME, WE SAID THAT WE WOULD LOOK, LOOK AT ANY UPDATES THAT MAY BE NEEDED AFTER THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THESE GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED FOR FISCAL YEARS 19, 20 AND 21.
WE'VE DONE ANALYSIS AND LOOKED AT ANY UPDATES OR CLARIFICATIONS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THESE GUIDELINES.
AND THE GRANTS THAT ARE AWARDED THROUGH THIS POLICY AIM TO SUPPORT A DIVERSE PORTFOLIO OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ACROSS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IN THE PRODUCTION OF ONGOING SUSTAINABLE, HIGH QUALITY ARTISTIC ACTIVITIES.
IN OUR CURRENT ARTS GRANT PROGRAMS, WE HAVE, UH, FIVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE.
AND THE, THIS SHOWS THE NUMBER OF AGENCIES THAT WE'VE FUNDED, AS WELL AS THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEAR 19, 20, AND 21.
AND THESE ARE OUR PROGRAMS IN PRIORITY ORDER.
WITH ALL OF OUR STRATEGIC PLANS OF THE CULTURE, ART, THE PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH IS TO COLLECT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
WE LOOK AT DATA ANALYSIS AND BEST PRACTICES, AND OUR SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION IS OUR OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
SO THIS IS THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOWED TO LOOK AT REVISING THIS POLICY.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE COMMUNITY INPUT SURVEYS AND FOCUS GROUPS THAT WE HAVE CONDUCTED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER.
IN SEPTEMBER, WE LAUNCHED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT SURVEY CALLED THE CULT TWO ART SURVEY.
THIS, THIS SURVEY REPRESENTED, EXCUSE ME, SURVEYED A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, 100 RESIDENTS PER COUNCIL DISTRICT, AND OVER 400 VISITORS TO SAN ANTONIO.
IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS, WE LAUNCHED A SURVEY OF OUR CURRENT ARTS FUNDING GUIDELINES, AND THIS WAS AVAILABLE TO OUR ARTS AGENCIES, OUR ARTS FUNDING COMMITTEE, AND OUR SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION.
WE HAD A SURVEY FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
AND AT THE BEGINNING OF 2020, WE ALSO DEVELOPED
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THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST STRATEGIC PLAN.AND AS PART OF THAT PLAN, WE CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUPS TO DEVELOP THAT PLAN.
WE CONDUCTED A COMMUNITY SURVEY, WHICH WAS AN ESSAY, SPEAKUP ONLINE SURVEY.
THERE WAS ALSO A PHONE OPTION, AND WE DISTRIBUTED FLYERS IN ORDER TO MAKE INDIVIDUALS AWARE OF THAT PHONE OPTION.
WE RECEIVED ALMOST 300 RESPONSES FOR THAT SURVEY, AND WE CONDUCTED FIVE VIRTUAL FOCUS GROUPS WHERE WE HAD OVER 50 ATTENDEES.
AND THOSE ATTENDEES ALSO HAD AN OPTION TO SUBMIT ANY FEEDBACK THEY HAD BY, BY EMAIL.
WE LOOKED AT BEST PRACTICES AND DATA ANALYSIS.
THESE ARE THE NINE CITIES THAT WE LOOKED AT TO COMPARE THEIR PROGRAMS AND SEE WHAT TYPE OF ARTS PROGRAMS THEY IMPLEMENTED.
AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT SS M U DATA ARTS.
SO WE CURRENTLY USE S M U DATA ARTS.
ALL OF OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES CREATE A CULTURAL DATA PROFILE.
UM, AND WE WORKED WITH DATA ARTS TO GATHER SOME INFORMATION, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY NOTIFIED US THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH DATA TO DRAW POLICY CONCLUSIONS AT THIS TIME, AND THEY RECOMMENDED LOOKING AT THE POLICY AFTER AT LEAST THREE MORE YEARS IN THE SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE CHANGES THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO THE GUIDELINES.
WE ARE RENAMING THE RENAMING TO THE CORE GRANTS PROGRAM.
CURRENTLY THE GUIDELINES ARE ARTS AGENCY FUNDING GUIDELINES, BUT THE NEW POLICY WILL COVER MORE THAN JUST ARTS AGENCIES.
WE WOULD END THE CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM AND USE THE FUNDING FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS GRANTS.
WE WOULD REMOVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM RE-GRANTING AND BRING THAT INTO THE DEPARTMENT TO MANAGE.
WE WOULD UPDATE THE ELIGIBILITY FOR BASE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.
WE WOULD ADD LGBTQIA PLUS TO CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SUPPORT.
WE WOULD CHANGE THE FESTIVALS PROGRAM TO EVENTS GRANTS, AND WE WOULD SET A MAX LIMIT OF 20% OF THE EVENT COST UP TO $20,000, AND ALLOW ALL SAN ANTONIO NONPROFITS TO APPLY, WHICH WOULD OCCUR, ENCOURAGE EVENTS IN NON-TRADITIONAL OR UNDERSERVED SETTINGS.
SO THIS IS THE FUNDING SCALE THAT WE USE FOR BASE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT OUR PEER CITIES, THEY ALL USE SOME KIND OF GRADUATED SCALE.
WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING ANY CHANGES TO THIS SCALE AT THIS TIME.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING SOME CHANGES TO OUR BASE OPERATIONAL ELIGIBILITY.
SO ON THE LEFT YOU'LL SEE THE NO CHANGES ARE BEING RECOMMENDED TO THE FOLLOWING.
AN AGENCY MUST BE HEADQUARTERED AND A MAJORITY OF THEIR EVENTS IN SAN ANTONIO, THEY NEED TO BE AN I R S RECOGNIZED 5 0 1 C THREE NONPROFIT IN BUSINESS FOR THREE YEARS.
THEIR MISSION AND PROGRAMMING MUST BE PRIMARILY ARTS AND CULTURE.
THEY CANNOT BE A FISCAL SPONSOR.
THEIR EVENTS NEED TO BE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN ACTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT MEETS REGULARLY.
THEY NEED TO HAVE A BOARD DIVERSITY PLAN AND A PAID STAFF TO ADMINISTER THE GRANT.
SO SOME CHANGES THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS TO REQUIRE AGENCIES TO BE PRODUCERS OF ART, NOT PRESENTERS.
AND A PRODUCING ORGANIZATION IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT PRODUCES AT LEAST A PORTION OF THEIR OWN ARTS OR CULTURAL CONTENT THAT IS UNIQUE TO SAN ANTONIO.
MUSEUMS THAT HOLDING AND EXHIBITING THEIR OWN COLLECTIONS ARE CONSIDERED PRODUCING ORGANIZATIONS.
WE WOULD SET A MINIMUM AGENCY BUDGET SIZE OF $50,000 AND A MINIMUM GRANT AWARD OF $5,000.
AND THESE TWO ITEMS, THE MINIMUM OF THE AGENCY BUDGET, SIZE, AND THE GRANT AMOUNT, THOSE WERE BOTH BEST PRACTICES FROM SOME OF OUR COMPARISON CITIES.
OUR NEXT PROGRAM IS OUR EQUITY PROGRAM, WHICH IS CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SUPPORT.
THIS IS FOR AGENCIES THAT RECEIVE BASE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.
IT'S AN ADDITIONAL 20% ON TOP OF THEIR BASE OPERATIONAL.
THIS IS FOR AGENCIES THAT HAVE A MISSION TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE THE FOLLOWING CULTURES.
LATINO OR LATINA, AFRICAN AMERICAN, ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE AMERICAN, AND WOMEN.
AND A CHANGE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS TO ADD LGBTQIA PLUS AS A CULTURALLY SPECIFIC AREA.
WHEN WE SURVEYED OUR COMMISSION AND OUR COMMITTEES, WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK THAT, UM, THIS SHOULD BE AN AREA THAT WE CONSIDER ADDING.
AND WE ALSO HEARD FROM OUR, SOME OF OUR RESPONDENTS TO THE SURVEY, WHEN WE LOOKED AT OUR COMPARISON CITIES, UM, THREE OF OUR COMPARISON CITIES ALSO HAD L G B T Q PROGRAMMING FOR CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SUPPORT.
SO THAT'S AN AREA WE'RE RECOMMENDING.
THIS SLIDE IS ON OUR, IS ON OUR INDIVIDUAL
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ARTIST SURVEY.SO THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY PROVIDES GRANTS TO ARTISTS THROUGH OUR ARTIST REGRANTING PROGRAM.
AND WHEN WE SURVEYED OUR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, WE ASKED WHO, WHO THEY WOULD MOST PREFER TO MANAGE THEIR GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
39 INDICATED NALAC ARTIST FOUNDATION IN LUMINARIA, WHICH ARE OUR CURRENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE ARTIST REGRANTING AND 60 RECOMMENDED THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE DOING THE ARTIST REGRANTING PROGRAM, BUT A CHANGE THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD MANAGE THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ARTIST GRANT PROGRAMS USING FUNDS FORMALLY ALLOCATED TO THE AGENCIES FOR CAPACITY BUILDING AND FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
SO THAT MONEY WOULD BE REALLOCATED.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO REPLACE FESTIVALS, THE FESTIVALS CATEGORY WITH EVENT GRANTS.
THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR OTHER TYPES OF EVENTS, NOT JUST FESTIVAL AND NONPROFIT COMMUNITY EVENTS.
IN NON-TRADITIONAL LOCATIONS, FISCAL FISCAL SPONSORS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO APPLY AND THE GRANT WOULD BE FOR 20% OF THE COST OF THE EVENT NOT FOR OPERATIONS.
AND THESE ARE SMALLER GRANT SMALL GRANTS.
THE MAX AWARD WOULD BE $20,000.
THIS PROGRAM IS COMPETITIVELY SCORED AND IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A PAID ADMINISTRATOR.
SO THESE ARE THE FIVE PROGRAMS OF THE CORE GRANTS FUNDING PROGRAM, POLICY PROJECT GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, THE ARTISTRY GRANTING PROGRAM, EVENTS, BASE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, AND CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SUPPORT.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE TIMELINE THAT WE WILL IMPLEMENT FOR THE NEXT CORE GRANT FUNDING APPLICATION.
IN JANUARY, WE WOULD OPEN AN INTENT TO APPLY IN MARCH.
THE APPLICATION WOULD OPEN IN MAY WOULD BE THE EVALUATION PROCESS IN JUNE, APPLICANTS WOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THEIR PROPOSED FUNDING, AND WE WOULD WORK WITHIN WHATEVER BUDGET WE ARE ALLOCATED TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY.
IN JULY, THOSE PRELIMINARY FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD GO TO THE ARTS FUNDING COMMITTEE AND ANY APPEALS WOULD BE HEARD.
THEN IN JULY, THE ARTS COMMISSION WOULD ALSO HEAR THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS AND ANY APPEALS IN AUGUST.
THE FISCAL YEAR 22 FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND ALSO IN AUGUST, THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSIONS.
THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD ALSO BE PRESENTED AT THAT TIME.
THIS IS ALL IN PREPARATION FOR THE BUDGET ADOPTION FOR FISCAL YEAR 22 FUNDING.
THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE APPROVAL STEPS.
SO ON NOVEMBER THE 30TH, OUR ARC FUNDING COMMITTEE APPROVED THIS REVISED POLICY ON DECEMBER THE FIRST, THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION ALSO APPROVED THE REVISED POLICY.
TODAY WE ARE ASKING YOU THE CITY COUNCIL CULTURE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER THIS POLICY.
AND IF APPROVED BY YOU, THE COMMITTEE, THIS WOULD GO TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION ON DECEMBER 17TH.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M, I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND AS LORI SAID, UH, SO IS DEBBIE.
THANK YOU, UH, DIANA, UH, GREAT PRESENTATION.
AND I'LL JUST START OFF BY SAYING THIS, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD PROGRAM AND, AND REALLY HAVE HEARD, UH, MANY PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, TALK ABOUT, UH, THE GREAT WORK YOUR DEPARTMENT IS DOING.
AND SO I I, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OTHER THAN TO SAY I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THESE, UM, MINOR CHANGES THAT, THAT, THAT WILL BE A MAJOR IMPACT.
UH, I SPECIFICALLY IN ADDING L G B T Q I A AS A CULTURALLY SPECIFIC, UM, COMPONENT TO, UH, TO THE, UM, UH, TO THE CULTURALLY SPECIFIC, UH, UH, AREAS.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
I'LL GO AROUND THE HORN STARTING WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN.
JUST WANNA THANK DEBBIE AND, UM, THANK DIANE DIANA FOR PRESENTING.
UM, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR AND I KNOW OUR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS ARE GONNA BE GREATLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND THIS WILL ALSO HELP BRING MORE CULTURALLY DIVERSE AND AWARE EVENTS TO THE CITY, UM, AS WE GET BACK INTO HAVING THOSE LIVE AND IN PERSON EVENTS.
SO JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, UH, CHAIR FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
OKAY, WE'LL GO ON TO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
DIANA, CAN YOU PULL UP THE SLIDE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE
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CHANGES FOR THE, THE ELIGIBILITY? I DON'T KNOW WHAT SLIDE NUMBER THAT WAS.SORRY, CAN YOU GO TO SLIDE NINE, THEN? WE'LL GO TO SLIDE 10.
AND THEN, UH, IF YOU CAN GO TO SLIDE 10 NOW.
SO I THINK I JUST HAVE A, A GENERAL, UM, THIS IS OUR ARTS FUNDING, BUT I THINK MY, IT'S A MORE OF A GENERAL QUESTION MAYBE TO LORI OR OR WHOMEVER TO WOULD THESE ARTS AGENCIES, IF IT'S THE AGENCY SIZE, UH, WOULD THIS ALSO GO TO, THIS IS ON TOP OF WHATEVER MONEY A DELEGATE AGENCY THAT DOES ARTS PROGRAMMING.
IS THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, CORRECT? OR AM I
AND I'LL ASK DEBBIE TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT.
SO YES, THIS IS THE, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT DELEGATE AGENCY PROGRAM.
UH, WE TYPICALLY THINK OF THOSE OPERATIONAL GRANTS AS OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE WHO WE SHARE DELEGATE AGENCY STAFF WITH DEPARTMENT OF HE SERVICES.
SO THESE GRANTS ARE FOR OPERATIONAL FOR THEM TO BE IN BUSINESS, TO BE ARTS ORGANIZATION, AND D H S IS ACTUALLY BUYING SERVICES FROM THEM.
SO WE'RE JUST PROVIDING GRANTS VERSUS BUYING SERVICES.
SO WE, WE, THE CITY PROVIDE MONEY ON BOTH ENDS FOR BUYING SERVICES AND THEN ALSO PROVIDING THE OPERATIONAL IN SOME SENSE, IN SOME INSTANCES.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF AGENCIES THAT OVERLAP AND WE CAN PROVIDE, UH, THE, THE TWO AGENCIES AND HOW MUCH THEY GET FROM EACH DEPARTMENT IF YOU'D LIKE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO SEE, UM, IF YOU COULD, UM, PULL, IF THERE ARE ALSO ANY OVERLAP WHEN IT COMES TO ARTS AGENCIES THAT GET MONEY, UM, THROUGH OUR, I GUESS, DELEGATE AGENCIES THAT WE BUY SERVICES, THAT THEY ARE ALSO PART OF THIS, UH, POT OF MONEY, BUT THEN ALSO, UM, THOSE THAT GET C C P F DOLLARS FROM OUR COUNCIL OFFICES.
I'D LOVE TO SEE IF WE HAVE OVERLAP THAT WHOLE WAY.
'CAUSE I JUST WANNA GET LIKE A REALLY GOOD, UM, INVENTORY OF THAT.
I, IT'S A LITTLE BIT CONNECTED, BUT NOT EXACTLY ON, ON THIS AND THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE COMING HERE, UH, I'M GLAD TO SEE THE BOARD DIVERSITY PLAN.
AND JUST A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE BOARD DIVERSITY PLAN.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, TIMELINES ON THAT? SO WE'RE ASKING ABOUT, UM, HOW THEY INTEND TO IMPLEMENTED, IMPLEMENTED THEIR DIVERSITY PLAN BY X NUMBER OF YEARS.
IS THAT PART OF THE ELIGIBILITY THAT WE HAVE ON THERE, DIANA OR ADOBE? SO FOR, FOR OUR CURRENT, UM, OUR CURRENTLY FUNDED AGENCIES, THEY DO HAVE TO PROVIDE US THE BOARD DIVERSITY PLAN.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IN JANUARY.
THOSE ARE GONNA BE DUE TO US IN JANUARY.
AND SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THOSE AND PROVIDING THEM FEEDBACK ON THE PLANS THAT THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY SUBMIT.
I THINK AS YOU ALL, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, THAT WE'RE REALLY CLEAR WITH THESE, UM, WITH THE ENTITIES THAT WE HAVE, WE'RE WE'RE CLEAR ACROSS THE BOARD WITH WHEN THEY SHOULD START IMPLEMENTING THESE PHASES OF THEIR BOARD DIVERSITY PLAN AND SETTING EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL OF THEM.
SO, UM, FOR ALL OF THEM ACROSS THE BOARD AND THAT WE HAVE A, A GOOD TIMELINE FOR THEM THAT WE'RE NOT SAYING, OKAY, WELL ANOTHER FOUR YEARS YOU CAN DO IT.
NO, WE NEED TO SEE MORE, UM, ACTION ON THAT BOARD DIVERSITY PLAN.
AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THE COMP CITIES.
WHO WERE THE COMP, UH, THE COMPARABLE CITIES THAT YOU ALL WERE WORKING, UH, LOOKING AT? SO THAT IS INCLUDED ON SLIDE SEVEN.
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THERE WAS, UM, NINE CITIES THAT WE LOOKED AT, WHICH ARE AUSTIN, WE LOOKED AT BOSTON, CHICAGO, DALLAS, HOUSTON, PHOENIX, PORTLAND, SAN DIEGO, AND SEATTLE.AND THEN, UM, FOR THE OTHER CHANGES THAT WE'RE MAKING, I GUESS IT'S SLIDE, UH, 11 OR 12? UM, NO, SLIDE 11, I GUESS IT WAS.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER, UM, I'M GLAD YOU ADDED THAT CHANGE THERE FOR CULTURALLY SPECIFIC.
AND I THINK, UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, CONTINUING TO GET INPUT AND INSIGHT FROM SO MANY PEOPLE ACROSS THE BOARD.
I DO THINK THAT THE CITY'S ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT DOES NEED TO MAINTAIN OVERSIGHT.
AND I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT 60% OF THOSE THAT YOU SURVEYED SAID THAT THE CITY SHOULD ALSO MAINTAIN IT.
IS THAT RIGHT? UH, FOR THE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS SURVEY, YEAH.
FOR THE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS SURVEY.
SO WE HAD 108 INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS THAT RESPONDED TO THAT ONE SURVEY AND MM-HMM.
SO IS OF 60 OF THOSE 108 YOU SAID? YES.
UM, IS, IS THAT ON THE SLIDE? I THINK IT WAS, BUT I DUNNO WAS YES.
IT'S, IT'S ON SLIDE 12, UHHUH,
JUST TO GO A DEEPER 60 OF THE A HUNDRED EIGHT, THIRTY NINE OF THE 108 WERE SAYING NALAC OR LUMINARIA AND THEN ANOTHER SEVEN WERE SAYING OTHER AGENCIES.
YEAH, I, I, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD PREFER TO, UH, TO HAVE IT DEPARTMENT MANAGED BECAUSE YOU'RE HEARING ALL OF THIS INSIGHT AND INPUT.
SO QUESTION ABOUT ILLUMINATI, ARE THEY PART OF, UH, BOARD DIVERSITY PLAN AS WELL? DO THEY HAVE A BOARD DIVERSITY PLAN OR THEY, DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT? YES, LUMINARIA HAS SUBMITTED A BOARD DIVERSITY PLAN.
AND HOW ARE YOU ALL, LIKE WHAT IS THE MEASUREMENT OF IT? HOW ARE Y'ALL MEASURING THAT? IF IT'S, IF IT'S WORKING, IF IT'S NOT WORKING, IF IT'S REPRESENTATIVE OR WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU MEASURING IT UP AGAINST? RIGHT.
SO FOR THE, UH, CULTURALLY SPECIFIC AGENCIES, WHICH LUMINARY IS NOT, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE AT LEAST 51% OF THEIR BOARD REPRESENT THE CULTURE THAT THEY SAY THAT THEY PROMOTE AND PRESERVE.
UH, FOR THE OTHERS, WE'RE ASKING THEM TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN THAT STRIVES TO MEET THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR CITY.
UM, I'LL JUST CONTINUE, UH, I MAY HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, BUT WHEN THIS COMES TO COUNCIL, BUT UM, I AM COMFORTABLE WITH THIS CHAIR.
DO WE NEED A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FOR FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION? 'CAUSE IF WE DO, THEN I MOVE TO, TO MOVE THIS TO FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, NOW THIS FUNDING ALL COMES FROM THE HOT TAX, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO A LOT OF WHAT WE CAN DO IS GOING TO DEPEND ON WHAT OUR PROJECTED BUDGET IS FOR HOT TAX INCOME NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? YES.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER SOURCES, UH, DO WE GET GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT COULD GO INTO THIS PROGRAM FROM OUTSIDE? UH, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THE CITY, THIS IS PURELY FOR THE HOTEL OCC OCCUPANCY TAX ALLOCATIONS THAT THE DEPARTMENT GETS.
I WANNA, ONE OF THE COUNCILMAN THAT THIS YEAR, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 20, UH, THERE WAS A $1.6 MILLION OF GENERAL FUND THAT WAS PUT IN AS A ONE TIME TO SUPPLEMENT THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
BUT WE HAVE WRITTEN THE GUIDELINES SUCH THAT IT COMPLIES WITH THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX RULES BECAUSE THERE ARE SPECIFIC RULES ABOUT A,
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AN INTENT TO BRING TOURISM TO SAN ANTONIO.AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE USING THE, UH, BASE OPERATIONAL, UH, TABLE WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION'S BUDGET SIZE IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE MAXIMUM WE CAN GIVE THEM.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF UH, AN ORGANIZATION HAS A FOUR TO $6 MILLION ANNUAL BUDGET, THE MAXIMUM CONTRIBUTION WE'LL MAKE WILL BE 10%.
BUT WE WOULD, WE ALSO NEED TO TAKE OUR BUDGET INTO CONSIDERATION SO WE MAY NEVER GET TO THE BASE THE MAXIMUM.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE, WE MAY HAVE TO CUT IT DOWN TO EIGHT OR 9% IF WE'RE LIMITED ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE HAVE.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THOSE MAXIMUMS WERE.
AND SO IF AN AGENCY'S AS BIG AS, UH, WELL SOME ARE, UH, OVER 15 MILLION, WHO WOULD BE AN AGENCY THAT HAS A BUDGET OVER 15 MILLION THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE IN THE PAST? ANYBODY? UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY AGENCIES RIGHT NOW THAT ARE OVER THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BECOME INELIGIBLE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE OVER 15 MILLION.
SO WHI MEANS MUSEUM IS LARGER THAN 10 MILLION AND SO THE MAXIMUM THEY'D BE ENTITLED TO WOULD BE $300,000 THEN IF IT'S A $10 MILLION THING.
I JUST WANTED TO GET A FEEL FOR THAT.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, I GUESS WE'LL GO NOW.
I GUESS WE'LL GO NOW TO COUNCILMAN PERRY.
PERRY, DO YOU REALIZE YOU'RE ABOUT TO INTERROGATE ALL THIS
UH, IT CAN YOU GO BACK SLIDE 10 AGAIN, PLEASE? ALL RIGHT, THERE WE GO.
UM, SO ON THE NO CHANGES TO THE FOLLOWING, SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WERE IN OUR PREVIOUS PLAN, AND I JUST COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON THOSE.
IT SAYS, THE MAJORITY OF EVENTS IN SAN ANTONIO, WHY WOULD WE FUND ANY AGENCY THAT'S GONNA BE DOING EVENTS OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO? WE MAY HAVE SOME AGENCIES WHO MAY DO EVENTS A LOT OF TIMES MIGHT WITHIN OUR PART OF THE CITY.
SO YOU HAVE THESE SMALL BEYOND AND ALAMO HEIGHTS THAT MAY HAVE, UH, A VENUE THAT A AGENCY COULD DO AN EVENT OR A PROGRAM AT.
UH, BUT WE WANT MOST OF THEIR EVENTS TO BE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UH, SOMETIMES THEY MAY HAVE A, A PARTNERSHIP WHERE THEY PARTNER WITH A SISTER CITY OR THEY GO OUT OF TOWN FOR A PERFORMANCE, FOR INSTANCE.
UH, BUT WE WANT THEM TO DO MORE, MOST OF THEIR EVENTS HERE.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH MEANS SANTON WOULD HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THAT EVENT.
YEAH, I, I SAW THAT LATER ON THERE, BUT I, I, I JUST THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ODD IS, IS, UH, STRAPPED AS WE ARE FOR, YOU KNOW, HOT TECHS THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY ENTERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE DOING SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
UM, UH, JUST A COMMENT ON MINE.
I, I'D REALLY LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO TAKE ANOTHER HARD LOOK AT THAT, IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANNA, UH, HAVE IN THERE AT ALL.
THAT THEY SHOULD KEEP ALL OF THESE PERFORMANCES OR WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING, UM, THE ART HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND NOT IN SURROUNDING CITIES THAT, THAT JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, PHY YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT THE PHYSICALITY OF SOMEBODY GOING OUTSIDE OF CITY USING CITY FUNDS.
UH, I, I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE WITH THAT IF Y'ALL ARE OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT, UM, I'D RATHER SEE IT STAY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THEN, UM, LET'S SEE THE HAT ON HERE.
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PAID STAFF TO ADMINISTER THE GRANTS.WHY, TELL ME WHY THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PAID STAFF TO ADMINISTER THE GRANTS.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN REQUIRING FOR MANY YEARS THAT THEY HAVE A PAID STAFF TO ADMINISTER THE GRANTS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO HAVE, UH, PEOPLE THAT CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR, UH, PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND OUR REPORTING THAT WE REQUIRE AND OUR FINANCIAL REPORTING THAT WE REQUIRE.
WE ACTUALLY REQUIRE QUITE A LOT OF REPORTING.
WE ASK FOR BACKUP DOCUMENTATION FOR EVERY PENNY THAT THEY SPEND OF THE CITY'S DOLLARS.
AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE PAID STAFF, WE FIND THAT THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE COURSE OF, WE DID CHANGE THAT FOR EVENTS.
UH, EVENTS WOULD NOT HAVE TO HAVE PAID STAFF BECAUSE IT'S A ONE TIME, AND SO THEY'RE GONNA TURN IN RECEIPTS JUST FOR THAT ONE EVENT.
SO THAT'S EASIER FOR VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS TO DO, BUT TO ADMINISTER CONTRACTS ON A REGULAR BASIS, IT IS A BEST PRACTICE THAT OTHER CITIES REQUIRE AS WELL, THAT THEY HAVE AT LEAST ONE PAID STAFF PERSON TO MANAGE THE GRANT.
UM, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT IS A VOLUNTEER THAT WOULD, UH, WORK FOR FREE, THAT WOULD HELP OUT THAT ORGANIZATION, UH, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THEIR OVERHEAD, WHICH EVERYBODY IS LOOKING TO DO ALL THE TIME, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE QUALIFIED TO DO THE JOB AND THEY DO THE JOB, I, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I WOULD SAY, WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE PAID? UM, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S A BEST PRACTICE, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND, UH, YOU MIGHT NECESSARILY GET A BETTER, BETTER RESPONSE FROM A PAID PERSON VERSUS A NON-PAID PERSON.
BUT THAT, THAT, THAT'S DEPENDENT ON THE PERSON AND, UH, THE ORGANIZATION ON HOW THEY, HOW THEY DO THAT.
I, I, YOU KNOW, IT JUST SEEMS KIND OF FUNNY THAT WE'RE REQUIRING AGENCIES TO ADD TO THEIR, THEIR OVERHEAD TO RUN A PROGRAM THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT NET 'EM $5,000 OR NOT.
AND, AND YET THEY STILL HAVE TO HAVE A PAID PERSON THAT THEY CAN'T PAY 'EM VERY MUCH IF, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S THE ONLY GRANT THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET THAT THEY HAVE TO ADMINISTER.
YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? THEY, WE, THE ONLY SOURCE OF FUNDS, BECAUSE WE WOULD NEVER FUND ANY ORGANIZATION AT HIGHER THAN, UH, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE BASED ON THE SCALE.
SO THEY SHOULD HAVE OTHER MONEY.
UM, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO JUST BE PAID JUST TO DO THIS GRANT.
THEY, THEY CAN BE THE DIRECTOR THEN DO EVERYTHING.
SO THIS MIGHT BE A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY USE TO, TO WORK ON OUR GRANT, BUT THEY SHOULD REALLY HAVE OTHER GRANTS FROM OTHER SOURCES AND OTHER THEY MUST HAVE OTHER, UH, OKAY.
JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, DO YOU KNOW IF OTHER GRANTS REQUIRE THAT TO HAVE PAID STAFF TO MANAGE THEIR GRANT PROGRAMS? IS THAT A REQUIREMENT IN OTHER GRANTS ALSO? IT IS A REQUIREMENT IN OTHER CITIES, UH, FOR THESE ARTS GRANTS.
AND IT'S ALSO A REQUIREMENT OF, OF SOME OF OUR, UH, FEDERAL PROGRAMS LIKE THE N E A, THEY DO REQUIRE THAT THERE'S A PAID STAFF MANAGING THE GRANT.
SO IF THEY WANNA BE ELIGIBLE FOR OTHER GRANTS, THEY REALLY NEED TO HAVE, UH, SOMEONE.
AND THEN ON THE CHANGES, UM, THE MINIMUM AGENCY SIZE AT 50,000, WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? HAVE 50,000 IN THE BANK OR HAVE 50,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT ON HAND OR $50,000 PAYROLL? WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? $50,000? THAT WOULD BE THEIR ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET AND THEY WOULD NEED TO HAVE $50,000 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET PER YEAR FOR THREE YEARS.
SO JUST STRICTLY THE OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, LET'S GO TO SLIDE SLIDE 12, I THINK, OR SLIDE 11.
NOW IN THIS, THIS IS GREAT HERE WITH WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.
UM, BUT WHAT ABOUT OTHER CULTURAL, UH, ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN TOWN? UM, I KNOW THIS IS, THESE ARE TO BE PROMOTED AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT WHAT ABOUT LIKE, UH, THE ITALIAN SOCIETY OR, UM, THE, UH, GERMAN GROUP THAT'S DOWNTOWN THAT HAS THE,
[00:35:01]
UH, GERMAN MEN'S CHOIR, THE, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIND OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T FIT INTO LATINO, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, ASIAN, NATIVE, OR WOMEN, WHAT, I MEAN, ARE THEY STILL GONNA BE ELIGIBLE OR HOW WOULD THEY BE, UH, HOW WOULD THEY BE WRAPPED AND STACKED, UH, AGAINST THESE OTHER PROMOTED ORGANIZATIONS? THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WERE THE ONES THAT WE WERE SPECIFICALLY TARGETING WHEN WE LOOKED AT CHANGING TO EVENTS BASED GRANTS FROM FESTIVALS.UH, BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF EVENTS OUT THERE THAT ARE CULTURALLY SPECIFIC WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES, UH, THAT THEY'RE PROMOTING THAT REALLY DIDN'T FALL UNDER ANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAD.
AND SOME OF THEM THAT THEIR MISSION MIGHT NOT BE ARTS AND CULTURAL IN NATURE.
IT MIGHT BE, UM, MAYBE THEY'RE, UH, A FOUNDATION, UH, AND THEY DO MORE HISTORY PRESERVATION.
THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE IN THE PAST FOR OUR GRANTS, BUT UNDER THIS NEW EVENTS GRANTS PROGRAM, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR, UH, UP TO THAT 20% OF THE EVENT OR $20,000.
AND SO WE HOPE TO HAVE MORE, UH, LARGER DIVERSITY OF PROGRAMS IN THAT EVENT GRANT, UM, SECTION.
AND WE ALSO HOPE THAT THEY WILL BE ALL OVER TOWN AS WELL.
AND, UM, WHEN WILL Y'ALL BE SOLICITING FOR APPLICATIONS AGAIN ON THIS? FOR THIS PARTICULAR, THE CHANGES ON THIS PROGRAM, WE WOULD BE OPENING THE, UH, INTENT
AND THEN WE WOULD OPEN THE APPLICATION ITSELF IN MARCH.
SO THEY WOULD BE ON THE BLACKOUT PERIOD FROM MARCH THROUGH MAY, ACTUALLY.
SO THERE'D BE, OKAY, WILL THIS, UH, SINCE THIS IS AN R F P AND YOU'LL GET PROPOSALS AND ALL THAT, UH, UH, WILL THIS GO THROUGH THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, COMMITTEE? IT IS ACTUALLY A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS RATHER THAN PROPOSALS, UH, BECAUSE IF YOU MEET THE ELIGIBILITY, UH, YOU, YOU'RE QUALIFIED.
UM, WE COULD TAKE IT TO THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE IF THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE US TO DO.
WELL, IT, IT IS A SORT OF A CONTRACT, IF YOU WILL, BY AWARDING A GRANT TO GRANTEES.
IT, IT, TO ME THAT IS A CONTRACT AND THEY, THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW SPECIFIC GUIDELINES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR IT.
AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, ON TRACKING THE COSTS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
I, I, I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT GO, OF COURSE I'M NOT THE CHAIRMAN THERE, BUT WE DO HAVE THE CHAIRMAN ON THE, ON THE, UH, ON THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT BECAUSE TO ME, THIS IS A CONTRACT BETWEEN US AND THESE PARTICULAR AGENCIES THAT WILL BE AWARDED THIS.
AND, AND I, I'LL TO YOUR POINT, DEBBIE, ABOUT WHERE THESE, UM, UH, AGENCIES ARE LOCATED IN TOWN.
I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME KIND OF METRIC OR MAYBE A MAP OF SAN ANTONIO SHOWING WHERE THESE AGENCIES ARE LOCATED AT AND WHAT THEIR PLAN IS FOR, UH, USING THOSE, USING THOSE RESOURCES IN, IN THE GRANTS.
YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE ARE THE, WHERE ARE THEY GONNA TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE CITY.
SO, JUST A COUPLE OTHER PIECES OF DATA ON THAT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S REALLY UP TO THE, UH, COUNCILMAN IF HE WANTS TO ENTERTAIN THIS ON THE OUT AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, COMMITTEE.
SO WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL THE COMMENTS I HAVE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE GOT, OH, COUNCILMAN KURT.
YEAH, LET ME JUST COMMENT ON, ON WHAT MY FRIEND JUST, UH, WAS PUTTING FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT MOST OF WHAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT ON THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND HIGH PROFILE CONTRACT COMMITTEE IS CONTRACTS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS WHERE THE CITY IS GOING TO BE AWARDING OR EXPENDING OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND I DOUBT THAT WE'LL HAVE ANY OF THESE ART PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE ANYWHERE NEAR THERE.
HOWEVER, IF THERE ARE ONE OR TWO ORGANIZATIONS, 'CAUSE WE ALSO LOOK AT HIGH PROFILE, SO SOMETHING LIKE THE WOODY MUSEUM OR THE, UH, SYMPHONY, UH, THEY MIGHT BE HIGH A PROFILE THAT THEY MIGHT COME FORWARD, UH, TO THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, SO I THINK IT COULD BE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT I DOUBT IF WE'D SEE MORE THAN ONE OR TWO,
[00:40:01]
UH, AT THE MOST, UH, COMING FORWARD IN THIS AREA.SO THAT'S JUST MY, MY VIEW ON IT.
COUNCILMAN? YEAH, LEMME JUST COME BACK ON THAT.
I WAS THINKING MORE IN THE LINES OF SINCE, UM, SINCE THESE WILL BE ALL, UH, AWARDED AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL ONES, BUT THE TOTAL AMOUNT, UH, THAT COULD BE A SPECIAL INTEREST ITEM TO, UH, COUNCIL FOLKS AS TO WHERE THESE ARE, WHO THESE ARE GOING TO AND, UH, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE, UM, UH, ADMINISTERED.
SO THAT, AGAIN, UH, IT'S UP TO YOU ON WHAT YOU WANNA DO, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER OR CHAIRMAN LAURIE HOUSTON, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THAT REALLY IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMITTEE.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE BROUGHT THE R F P FORWARD TO THE PROCESS.
I MEAN THE, THE PROCESS FORWARD, AND YOU ALL ARE VETTING THAT.
AND SO I FEEL THAT'S WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF COUNCILMAN AND CHAIRMAN ROBERTA'S COMMITTEE.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THAT.
SORRY, I, I WAS, I WAS GONNA SAY THE SAME.
UH, AND COUNCILMAN PERRY AND COUNCILMAN CURRIES, YOU'RE BOTH ON THIS COMMITTEE, SO, UH, I THINK YOU CAN, YOU CAN REVIEW IT IN, IN, IN THE SAME WAY.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, AGAIN, GOOD WORK.
UH, LORI, DEBBIE, DIANA, GREAT PRESENTATION, UH, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
WE'LL NOW TAKE THE MOTION, UH, TO MOVE THIS TO FULL CITY COUNCIL.
[3 20-7162 Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP), Texas Emergency Rental Assistance Program (TERAP), and Texas Eviction Diversion Program (TEDP) Update to include discussion of evictions and the CDC Moratorium (Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager, Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood & Housing Services)]
WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, TEXAS EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND TEXAS EVIC EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM, UPDATE TO INCLUDE DISCUSSION OF EVICTIONS AND THE C D C MORATORIUM.I'M GONNA PASS THIS ON TO VERONICA SOTO.
WE ALSO HAVE TO GONZALEZ ON THE LINE AND HE'LL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, SO I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE COVID 19 EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAM TO BRING YOU UP TO DATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE START OFF WITH THE COVID 19 EMERGENCY HEALTH AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AS OF LAST FRIDAY, WE HAVE OVER 23,300 FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSISTED.
WE CONTINUE TO TRACK THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME FOR THOSE FAMILIES, AND IT IS STILL AVERAGING 30%.
THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO A HOUSEHOLD IS JUST OVER 2,600, AND WE CONTINUE TO MOSTLY HELP RENTERS WITH OVER 85% OF THE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN APPROVED BEING RENTERS.
THE NEXT SLIDE HAS A DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDING.
AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY, ABOUT 80% GOES TO RENT AND MORTGAGE WITH ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO PAY UTILITY BILLS, C P SS THOUGHT INTERNET, AND THE CASH ASSISTANCE.
YOU'LL SEE THAT CASH ASSISTANCE IS NOW, UH, THE SECOND LARGEST CATEGORY HERE, WHERE, AGAIN, AS OF FRIDAY, 62.4 MILLION HAS BEEN EXTENDED IN THIS PROGRAM SO FAR.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE IS ONE OF THE DASHBOARDS THAT APPOINTS THAT WE HAVE.
THIS IS AS OF LAST FRIDAY BY COUNCIL DISTRICT WHAT, UM, HOUSEHOLDS HAVE BEEN, UM, ASSISTED IN EVERY DISTRICT.
WHAT THE AVERAGE A M I FOR THAT COUNCIL DISTRICT IS THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SITE AND THE AMOUNT APPROVED FOR, FOR THE DISTRICT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE A DISTRIBUTION IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED AND BEEN ASSISTED IN EVERY PART OF THE CITY.
THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND TRACKED IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GETTING OUT THE DOOR.
SO PER WEEK, OUR AVERAGE IS NOW 1.5 MILLION, AND WE ESTIMATE THAT WITH THE EXISTING FUNDING, JUST OVER 76 MILLION WILL HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE UNTIL THE LAST WEEK IN JANUARY.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO TRACK THIS NUMBER BECAUSE WE DO GET APPLICATIONS COMING IN EVERY DAY STILL.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE, EXCUSE ME, TALKS ABOUT SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT THE CITY RELATED TO RECEIVE.
THIS IS THROUGH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
IT'S, UH, A PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE CALLING THE TEXAS EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AT THE STATE LEVEL.
[00:45:01]
OUT OF THE CARE ACT.THIS IS C D B G C B, MONEY TO ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITY AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
THAT A NOTICE, UM, NOVEMBER 23RD THAT WE WOULD BE RECEIVING $3.6 MILLION OF THIS FUNDING TO HELP ABOUT 449 HOUSEHOLDS.
FUNDING WOULD BE AVAILABLE JANUARY 15TH, AND WE ESTIMATE IT WOULD LAST THROUGH FEBRUARY.
SO LET ME GO IN THE NEXT SLIDE THROUGH SOME OF THE CRITERIA THAT THE STATE HAS LAID OUT.
THIS IS, AGAIN, MONEY GRANTED TO ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE AN EXISTING RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
ALL THE RESIDENTS STILL NEED TO BE IMPACTED BY C OVID 19 IN LINE WITH THE CARES ACT MONEY.
THE PROGRAM DOES ALLOW FOR SIX MONTHS OF RENT TO BE PAID.
SO THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN OUR CURRENT PROGRAM.
AND YOU CAN FUND ARREARS, UM, UP TO FIVE MONTHS IN ARREARS.
SO THIS IS MORE MONTHS THAN WHAT WE HAVE DONE WITH OUR COVID 19 EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
FURTHER, THE PROGRAM ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE, UM, 10% OF THE FUNDING TO THE TEXAS EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PILOT WE'RE CURRENTLY RUNNING.
AND I'LL MENTION A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE CONTAINS THE TIMELINE FOR THIS FUNDING.
EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE BEEN, UM, TOLD HOW MUCH WE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR, WE STILL HAVE TO COMPLETE AN APPLICATION.
WE SUBMITTED THE PRE-APP ALREADY.
THE FULL APPLICATION IS DUE DECEMBER 28TH.
THERE'S A WORKSHOP THAT ALL COMMUNITIES WOULD HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN IN JANUARY, AND THE CONTRACT AND THE FUNDING WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE AND READY TO UTILIZE JANUARY 15TH.
SO THIS IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING, 3.6 MILLION COMING TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO VIA T D H C A.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, TALKS ABOUT THIS TEXAS EVICTION, UM, DIVERSION PROGRAM.
I MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT, UH, AGO THAT THIS NEW FUNDING ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE PROGRAM, IT WAS CREATED BY THE GOVERNOR BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
THE FUNDING WAS DISTRIBUTED BY C C H C A, THAT'S THE STATE AGENCY, AND THEY FUNDED US THROUGH OUR C S B G MONEY.
THAT'S THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT MONEY.
SO IT ACTUALLY CAME THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, WHICH SERVES AS THE C S B G, UM, C S B G AGENCY FOR THE COUNTY.
UM, WE GOT $600,000 FOR THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
THIS REQUIRES THAT THE PEOPLE WHO GET THE FUNDING HAVE A COURT ORDER EVICTION BECAUSE IT, IT'S DIVERSION FROM EVICTION.
THERE ARE RULES FOR THE LANDLORD AND TENANT, AND THEY MUST AGREE TO PARTICIPATE.
SO THERE'S ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION THAT IS NEEDED, AND LANDLORDS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM MUST ALSO AGREE TO WAIVE LATE FEES AND INTEREST PAYMENT.
AND IT IS STILL, UM, COVID 19 IMPACTED CLIENTS AND SIX MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE WITH FIVE MONTHS BEING BACK, UH, BACKUP RENT.
AND SO WE HAVE STARTED THIS PROGRAM.
WE ARE RUNNING THAT RIGHT NOW THROUGH OUR PROGRAM AT THE COURTS.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT OUR COURSE PROGRAM SHORTLY.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE HAS THE COMBINED FUNDING FOR OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE FUNDING PROPOSED FOR THE CITY FROM T B H C A, WHICH WOULD BE THIS TEXAS EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
ON TOP OF OUR EXISTING EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WE'VE, UH, WE'RE IN THE THIRD OF THE FACES WITH 76.6 MILLION.
AND OF COURSE, UH, WE'RE INCLUDING THE PILOT, UH, $600,000 HERE.
SO THIS IS A COMBINATION OF OUR EAB FUND AS WELL AS WHAT THE T D H C A HAS PROVIDED AND WILL PROVIDE.
I'LL MOVE ON TO TALK ABOUT EVICTION.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS BY TRANSIT TRANSITION SLIDE, TALK ABOUT EVICTION AND THE C D C MORATORIUM.
AND SO LET'S START WITH THE C D C MORATORIUM.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THIS MORATORIUM IS SET TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
IT IS A NATIONAL MORATORIUM ON EVICTION FOR NON-PAYMENT OF RENT.
SO EVICTIONS FOR OTHER ISSUES CAN STILL CONTINUE.
AND WE KNOW THAT TO GET THE PROTECTION A TENANT HAS TO FILL A DECLARATION.
AND WE'VE GOT AN ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE.
BUT THIS IS JUST REMINDING YOU THAT HAS TO BE A RESIDENTIAL TENANT, THAT THE INCOME QUALIFICATIONS ARE IN PLACE.
SO ONLY CERTAIN INCOMES ARE ABLE TO GET THE DECLARATION AND THE THE DECLARATION HAS TO BE PROVIDED TO THE LANDLORD.
ALL THE OTHER OBLIGATIONS OF THE STILL ARE IN PLACE AND RESIDENTS
[00:50:01]
ARE URGED TO CONTINUE TO PAY SOME RENT IF THEY CAN, AND LANDLORDS CAN STILL CHARGE THESE PENALTIES AND INTEREST.THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE GUIDANCE THAT CAME AROUND THE C D C EVICTION MORATORIUM FROM THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT.
TEXAS SUPREME COURT IS THE AUTHORITY WHEN IT COMES TO EVICTION.
THEY SET THE PROCEDURES THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO THEY CLARIFIED WHAT THE COURTS COULD DO WHEN IT COMES TO THE C D C EVICTION MORATORIUM.
AND THEY GAVE US A LOT MORE CLARITY AS TO WHEN PEOPLE COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS, WHAT LANDLORDS NEED TO DO.
AND ALSO HAD THE COURTS PROVIDE THE TEMPLATES TO DEFENDANT.
SO NOW THE COURTS ARE DOING THAT.
SO THIS CLARITY HAS HELPED US, UM, WITH THE TEAMS THAT WE HAVE WORKING AT THE COURTS.
AND OF COURSE, WE STILL TRY AND GET THE PEOPLE FACING EVICTION TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE CLEAR WAY IN WHICH THEY CAN GET OUT OF AN EVICTION PROCEEDING AT THE COURT.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT THE DIVERSION PROGRAM.
AGAIN, I ALREADY MENTIONED IT, UH, CREATED SEPTEMBER 25TH.
IT IS REFERRALS FROM THE COURT THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND ONE THING, LANDLORDS AND TENANTS MUST AGREE TO PARTICIPATE.
LANDLORD MUST WAIVE FEES AND INTEREST.
AND AGAIN, IT'S SIX MONTHS SO DIFFERENT THAN OUR CURRENT PROGRAM.
WE ARE CONCERNED, AS THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS ABOUT THE EVICTIONS.
UM, SO WE MAP HOW MANY EVICTIONS ARE BEING FILED.
UM, WE KNOW EVICTIONS STARTED BEING HEARD BACK IN JUNE, AND THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED HAVING STAFF BE PART OF THE COURT.
VERY GRATEFUL THAT THE COURTS ALLOWED OUR STAFF TEAM TO BE PRESENT AT THE COURTS AND ANNOUNCED THAT WE HAD OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
BUT YOU CAN SEE ON THAT TREND LINE HOW EVICTIONS DECLINED.
BUT AS SOON AS PEOPLE COULD FILE EVICTIONS, THEY STARTED BEING FILED.
AND AS SOON AS THE COURT STARTED HEARING EVICTION CASES, WE SAW AN UPTICK.
AND YOU CAN SEE DIFFERENT THINGS WHERE THE MORATORIUM, UH, PASSED.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE COURTS REOPENED BACK IN JUNE, UM, WHEN THE PROTECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CARES ACT WENT AWAY BACK IN AUGUST.
AND WHEN THE MORATORIUM THAT THE C D C ISSUED ON EVICTIONS WENT INTO A FIFTH.
BUT WE STILL SEE EVICTION FILINGS.
SO WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT OUR TEAM HAS DONE, THE NEXT SLIDE HAS SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE SEEN.
THERE'S FIVE COURTS IN THE COUNTY THAT HEAR EVICTION CASES.
PRECINCT ONE HAS TWO COURTS, BUT THESE ARE THE COURTS.
AND HAVING OUR TEAM, UM, BE AT THE COURTS HAS HELPED TO RESET A LOT OF CASES.
THAT MEANS THAT THE HEARING GETS POSTPONED.
WE GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE TENANTS APPLY FOR A, HOPEFULLY WE RESOLVE THE ISSUE THROUGH THAT ASSISTANCE SO THAT THE, UM, THE EVICTION, UM, DOESN'T CARRY FORWARD BECAUSE THE OBLIGATION, THE PAYMENTS THAT ARE DUE ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
WE'VE HAD CASES DISMISSED BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS STILL A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND AS WE GET THE FINDINGS OR THE NOTICES OF WHO'S GONNA HAVE A HEARING, OUR TEAM PROACTIVELY REACHES OUT TO THOSE TENANTS AND LETS THEM KNOW THAT THE PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE AND THAT WE STILL WILL HELP THEM APPLY.
SO THIS IS OUR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SUCCESS AT, AT THE HEARING.
PEOPLE ARE STILL OFTEN NOT SHOWING UP TO THE HEARING, AND WE CONTINUE TO URGE PEOPLE TO SHOW UP TO A HEARING BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T SHOW UP, ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS IT'S A DEFAULT JUDGMENT, WHICH MEANS THAT THE, THE LANDLORD WINS THE CASE.
AND SO, UM, THE DEFAULT KICKS IN.
WE STILL CAN HELP PEOPLE EVEN AT, AT AN EVICTION HEARING.
AND SO WE WANT PEOPLE TO SHOW UP BECAUSE THAT HEARING IS STILL IMPORTANT, BUT THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER HELP.
SO FOR THE PUBLIC LISTENING, IF YOU GET A HEARING NOTICE OR FACING EVICTION, PLEASE SHOW UP TO THOSE HEARINGS SO THAT YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME HELP.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
WELL, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF UNKNOWNS, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE CURRENT MORATORIUM IS GONNA EXPIRE COME THE NEW YEAR.
WE KNOW THAT THE NOTICE OF TENANTS RIGHTS THAT CITY COUNCIL PASSED, UH, THIS PAST SUMMER IS STILL IN EFFECT.
SO THAT'S ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS THAT WE HAVE, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE STAFF USE THE DATA FOR EVICTION, UH, FINDINGS TO DO OUTREACH, TO ATTEND HEARINGS.
[00:55:01]
WILL CONTINUE OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM AND CONTINUE THE STAFF PRESENCE AS WE HAVE FUNDING TO CONTINUE THAT.UM, AND WE'LL STILL HAVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT CITY PROGRAMS BE PROVIDED BY THE COURTS.
AND THE COURTS HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY GOOD ABOUT SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT BOTH CITY AND THE COUNTY PROGRAMS FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE ORDERS.
UM,
UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS LIMITING US.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT COME THE NEW YEAR, WE'LL GET ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE ON THIS.
THERE ARE CALLS FROM ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION AND THE RIGHT TO THE CITY TO CONTINUE AND EXTEND THE EVICTION MORATORIUM.
AND OF COURSE, THAT'S BEEN THE HEROES THAT TIED UP IN CONGRESS AT THE MOMENT.
UM, AND THE NEXT SLIDE JUST CONTINUES TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE NEXT YEAR.
A LOT OF TALK, OF COURSE, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WHEN IT COMES TO ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT MIGHT COME TO, UH, INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES.
AND WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT WITH A G P A.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE A STAFF PRESENCE AT THE COURT ON EVICTION SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ASSIST RESIDENTS.
OUR KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAININGS WILL CONTINUE, OF COURSE, AND HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEIR, THEIR RIGHTS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO IS A BIG PART OF WHAT, HOW WE CAN HELP, WE'LL HAVE OUR FINANCIAL AND HOUSING RECOVERY CENTER CONTINUE TO OPERATE THROUGH MAY.
UM, WE HAVE C SS B G FUNDING THAT WILL HELP US CARRY THAT.
IT MAY NOT BE AS LARGE AS CURRENTLY, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT CENTER RUNNING.
AND OF COURSE, WE CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH OTHER PROVIDERS FROM THE HOMELESS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS TO THOSE AGENCIES THAT D H SS WORKS WITH, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO HELP, UM, NOT JUST THE AGENCIES, BUT THE FAMILIES THAT MAY NEED HELP.
UM, OF COURSE, C H S DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THEY'RE A PARTNER, UM, IN, IN THIS EFFORT.
AND SOMETIMES WE DIRECT PEOPLE TO THAT PROGRAM IF THEY HAVE ALREADY, UH, ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE THROUGH EAP.
AND OF COURSE, WE WILL COORDINATE WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO CONTINUE TO MARKET THE WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, A LOT OF THINGS ARE BEING LOOKED AT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR.
AND AS FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRY AND TARGET MONEY, UM, FOR THE, THE NEED THAT WE SEE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND AS LORI MENTIONED, UM, WE'RE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
EDWARD GONZALEZ IS ON THE CALL, AND I KNOW SARAH WANTS THESE ALSO AVAILABLE IS THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVICTION WORK, BUT LORI, EDWARD, SARAH AND I ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, AND THANK YOU, UH, STAFF FOR COMPILING THE DATA.
UM, THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT BRIEFING.
UH, AS UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ARE, ARE GONNA BE ENDING HERE VERY SOON, STIMULUS CHECKS WILL FADE.
AND OF COURSE, THE C D C MORATORIUM EXPIRES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, HOUSING IS HEALTHCARE.
AND I WANNA ASSURE, UH, THAT OUR RESIDENTS, UH, KNOW THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING IN OUR ABILITY TO PREVENT EVICTIONS AND KEEP THEM HOUSED, UH, AS CASES, UH, AND HOSPITALIZATIONS INCREASE, UH, EXPONENTIALLY.
UH, I WANNA START OFF, UH, YOU SHOWED A SLIDE, UH, WITH, UH, WITH THE, UH, THAT ADDED FUNDING.
IT SAID THAT THE, UH, LANDLORD AND, AND THE TENANT MUST AGREE, UM, AND I GUESS IT'S PART OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE, THE STIPULATION THAT, THAT THESE GO AHEAD LIKE HIM.
UM, SO, SO IF, IF A LANDLORD DOES NOT AGREE, UH, WHAT'S WHAT, THEN WHAT WOULD BE OUR PROTOCOL? I, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER, 2021 TO EXTEND THAT MONEY.
AND WE HAVE STARTED, UM, HELPING FAMILIES WITH THIS FUNDING.
WE ARE TRYING, UM, TO WORK WITH AS MANY LANDLORDS AS WE CAN.
UM, THESE ARE THE RULES THAT T B H C A THEMSELVES SET OUT WITH REGARDS TO PARTICIPATION.
THEY, THEY REQUIRE THAT BOTH THE, THE TENANT AND THE LANDLORD SIGN A DOCUMENT AGREEING TO THE PROGRAM AND THE PARAMETERS.
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YOU KNOW, AND OUR STAFF TEAM IS REALLY, REALLY WORKING HARD TO CONVINCE LANDLORDS TO PARTICIPATE.UM, IT'S SIX MONTHS OF RENT THAT CAN BE PAID.
AND SO, UM, IT'S A, A RICHER PROGRAM, IF YOU WILL, THAN THE CURRENT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO WE HOPE THAT KNOWING THAT SIX MONTHS OF RENT CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF, IS GONNA BE ENOUGH OF AN INDUCEMENT FOR THE LANDLORD.
UM, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO TRY AND GET AS MANY LANDLORDS TO PARTICIPATE.
KNOWING THAT 600,000, UM, FOR THE PILOT CURRENTLY IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY.
UH, AND EVEN THE ADDITIONAL THREE POINT, UH, 6 MILLION WITH 10% FOR THAT DIVERSION PROGRAM IS NOT A LOT.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO JUST URGE LANDLORDS TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, WELL, SO I WANT US TO START LOOKING, UH, TO JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR.
UH, THIS PARTICULAR YEAR THERE WERE 3,652 EVICTIONS FILED, AND, AND THAT WAS PRE MORATORIUM AND OTHER MEASURES.
UH, SINCE SINCE, UH, 2016, THERE HAVE BEEN A COMBINED AVERAGE OF 2,900 LOCAL EVICTIONS IN THE MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
SO IS IS, IS STAFF ABLE TO PROJECT, UH, WHAT THE FILINGS WILL LOOK LIKE IN EARLY 2021 GIVEN THE EXPIRATION OF MORATORIUM AND THE NUMEROUS FAMILIES WHO STILL OWE BACK RENT? UH, I READ THAT AUSTIN HAS HAD, UH, FEWER THAN 700 FILINGS SINCE MARCH.
SAN ANTONIO HAD MORE FILINGS IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS ALONE.
UH, WHAT IS AUSTIN DOING DIFFERENTLY? UH, CAN YOU, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I THINK SARAH CAN HELP ME A LITTLE BIT.
UM, IT'S REALLY HARD TO DO A LOT OF PROJECTIONS.
WE CAN SEE THE TREND, UM, AND, AND WE CAN MAKE OUR BEST ESTIMATES.
UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT AFTER THE MORATORIUM AND THAT THE NUMBER OF EVICTION FILINGS WILL GO UP, WE WON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER.
UM, SARAH, YOU'VE BEEN HELPING PRACTICE.
YOU WANNA ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THIS RESPONSE? SURE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU AN EXACT NUMBER AND BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
UM, THE BEST THAT WE CAN SAY, AT LEAST FOR RIGHT NOW, UM, IS THAT TYPICALLY JANUARY IS A HIGHER MONTH FOR EVICTIONS ANYWAY.
UM, WE SEE MORE PEOPLE WHO, UM, DECIDED NOT TO FILE THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS FOR WHATEVER REASON, CHOOSING TO DO SO IN JANUARY.
SO IN PART, WE'LL SEE A SPIKE BECAUSE OF THAT.
UM, BUT WE ALSO EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE A BIG INCREASE.
UM, ALL OF THE CASES THAT WE'VE SEEN RESET, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE C D C MORATORIUM, UM, WHICH THERE IS, UH, CLOSE TO 400, UM, WE'LL SEE COMING DUE IN JANUARY AGAIN.
UM, SO THERE'LL BE AT LEAST THAT ON TOP OF THE NORMAL AMOUNT.
UH, I'M NOT SURE HOW BIG OUR COVID 19 IMPACT WILL BE, BUT, UM, LAST JANUARY AND IN, IN PAST JANUARY IS BEFORE THAT WE'VE SEEN CLOSE TO 2000 FILINGS.
WELL, UH, SO BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, THE NUMBER OF LOCAL DEFAULT JUDGMENTS WAS CLOSER TO 90%.
UH, PREVIOUSLY STAFF INDICATED THAT ONE IN THREE EVICTIONS ABOUT 1200 IN TOTAL, FILED LOCALLY SINCE JUNE 15TH RESULTED IN A DEFAULT JUDGMENT, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A DISPLACEMENT BECAUSE THE TENANT WAS UNAWARE OR UNABLE TO ATTEND THEIR HEARING.
HAS THIS TREND TREND REMAINED THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE SIX WEEK EVICTION FILING, UH, UH, DATA THAT, UH, YOU JUST PRESENTED OR, UH, OR WHAT ELSE? YOU KNOW, WHAT GIVES ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD POINT OUT THAT, UH, I GUESS I WOULD ASK THAT, UH, WHILE WE'RE STATIONING PEOPLE AT, AT THESE COURTS, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL THE JPS WHO'VE BEEN VERY, VERY COOPERATIVE WITH, WITH, UH, MY OFFICE AND MY STAFF REGARDING THIS, UH, UH, THIS EFFORT.
BUT IS, IS THERE ANOTHER WAY FOR, FOR THOSE FOLKS, UH, TO BE REACHED BEFORE THE COURT DATE SO THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT THAT'S COMING AND THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO THEM AT, AT THOSE, UM, COURT SITES? SO AS I MENTIONED, UM, ONCE WE KNOW SOMEONE IS GONNA GET A A HEARING DATE, WE PROACTIVELY REACH OUT TO THEM.
UM, WE, WE CALL, WE EMAIL, WE LET 'EM KNOW THAT OUR PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE AND, AND THERE'S A FEW PEOPLE WHO TAKE US UP BEFORE THE COURT DATE.
UM, OF COURSE, THE WHOLE POINT IS TO TRY AND GET TWO PEOPLE BEFORE THEY, THEY GET A NOTICE.
UM, AND SO OUR TEAM IS WORKING WITH
[01:05:01]
MIGHT BE HAPPENING, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE WORD OUT.UM, WE CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE ALL OF THE TRAININGS.
OUR
UM, BUT, BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS GET THE DATA TO, UM, WHO'S GONNA CHOOSE TO FILE AN EVICTION BECAUSE IT STILL A, A LANDLORD SAYING THEY'LL GO THROUGH THAT COURT PROCESS AND SOME MAY START THE PROCESS AND NOT CONTINUE THE PROCESS.
THEY MIGHT START WITH A NOTICE TO VACATE AND CHOOSE TO ABANDON IT.
UM, SO IT IS ABOUT GETTING THE WORD OUT BROADLY, UH, TO FOLKS THAT WE HAVE THE PROGRAM AND THAT WE DO HAVE ASSISTANCE.
WELL, SARAH WARMS LAKE, COULD YOU ADD TO THAT? 'CAUSE TO AREN'T THE PRECINCTS EACH SENDING OUT NOTIFICATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS A HEARING INFORMING THEM OF THEIR RIGHTS, SO THEY'RE GETTING THAT IN ADDITION TO OUR PHONE CALLS? YEAH.
SO, UM, PRIOR TO EVEN THE TEXAS EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM, THE JPS HAD AGREED TO SEND A FLYER TO EACH ONE OF THEIR, UH, PLAINTIFFS AND DEFENDANTS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH THAT GAVE INFORMATION ABOUT BOTH OUR PROGRAM AND THE COUNTY'S PROGRAM.
THEY'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT, AND THEY'RE ALSO SENDING, PER THE STATE SUPREME COURT REQUIREMENT RIGHT NOW, A PACKET OF INFORMATION, INCLUDING A TEMPLATE DEC, EXCUSE ME, DECLARATION ON THE C D C MORATORIUM.
ONCE WE GET FILING DATA, WE ALSO SEND OUR OWN PACKET, INCLUDES ALL THE SAME INFORMATION, UM, AND WHERE THE PHONE NUMBER FOR THE TENANT IS AVAILABLE, WE MAKE A PHONE CALL.
UM, IT'S NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE, BUT ONE THING THAT'S THE HAVE BEEN REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF IS ENCOURAGING LANDLORDS AT THE TIME THAT THEY'RE MAKING THOSE FILINGS TO PROVIDE MORE COMPLETE INFORMATION, THEIR SUPPORT ON THAT.
AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THE THE JPS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY, UH, COOPERATIVE.
I JUST, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHY SOME OF THESE FOLKS ARE SOMEHOW, UM, THEY'RE JUST NOT SHOWING UP.
AND, AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE FOR US TO, TO TRACK THIS KIND OF INFORMATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHICH REMINDS ME THAT IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING I WAS GONNA MENTION, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO HAVE, UM, A COUPLE, UH, FEW, FEW MEETINGS AGO, WE, WE HAD OUR, UM, OUR, UH, DASHBOARD THAT WAS GIVEN OUT TO THIS COMMITTEE, UH, UH, FOR EVERY COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND, AND SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO, I WANT TO REITERATE, UH, THE NEED TO HAVE THAT DASHBOARD AT EVERY, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, AND CAN WE INCLUDE THIS KIND OF DATA IN THAT DASHBOARD AS WE KNOW THINGS ARE GONNA BE, UH, FLARING UP IN JANUARY.
UH, HAVING, HAVING, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS DATA THAT, THAT TRACKS THE INFORMAL, UH, UH, I'M SORRY, THE TRACKS, THESE, THESE FORMAL EVICTIONS.
UM, AND UH, AND THEN ALSO A WAY TO TRY TO PRESENT A WAY TO TRACK INFORMAL EVICTIONS IN 2021, I THINK IS, UH, IS REALLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, A GRASP ON HOW IT'S GONNA IMPACT US, UH, AND OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO I, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS DATA THAT YOU PRESENTED IS, IS, IS, UH, IS ALSO TELLING US THAT WE'RE HEADING FOR, UH, WHAT LOOKS LIKE A TIDAL WAVE OF EVICTION, UH, FILINGS IN THE NEW YEAR.
AND, UH, AND SO AGAIN, MANY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION OR UNDERSTAND THEIR RIGHTS, SPEAK ENGLISH, UH, AND THEY COULD BE FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOMES.
I, I WILL IMPLORE THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO INCREASE OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUNDS, UH, TO, UH, SUBSTANTIALLY BEFORE THE NEW YEAR, UH, BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS ABOUT TO FLARE UP AGAIN.
AND, UH, I'D, I'D LIKE FOR THE CITY TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES TO DETERMINE WHAT IS WORKING AND WHEN NEEDS TO CHANGE AS FAR AS EVICTIONS, UH, AND HOUSING SECURITY.
UH, WILL THAT, WITH THAT, UM, I WANNA, YOU KNOW, UH, GO AHEAD AND PASS TO, UH, MY COUNCIL COMMITTEES, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THIS COMMITTEE.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY.
UM, IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO, I THINK IT'S SLIDE FOUR.
SO YOU HAVE THE AVERAGE A M I THERE, UM, ON THE APPLICANT'S AND THE NUMBER OF APPROVED HOUSEHOLDS, AND THEN THE FAMILY SIZE, AND THEN THE APPROVED TOTAL AMOUNT APPROVED FOR EACH ONE OF THE DISTRICTS.
WHAT, UNDER THIS CRITERIA, WHAT WERE WE FUNDING? WHAT FUNDING LEVEL WERE WE GIVEN
[01:10:01]
AT, WERE WE GIVEN OUT AT THIS POINT IN THIS PROCESS? WAS IT 80% A M I OR A HUNDRED PERCENT A M I OR, OR, OR WHAT WAS THE ACTUAL FUNDING AMOUNT? IF WE'RE TAKING, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THIS IS A COMBINATION THAT LOOKS AT ALL THREE CASES OF THE PROGRAM.SO WE STARTED THE PROGRAM HELPING FAMILIES AT OR BELOW HUNDRED PERCENT A M I IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, OCTOBER ONE, WE STARTED
UM, THAT'S CORRECT THAT THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT, UH, THE FUNDING THAT, THAT WE, UH, WE HAD ADMINISTERED, UH, 50 MIL, ABOUT $50 MILLION FROM PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO.
SO 50 MILLION OF THE 60, UH, 2.4 WAS FROM, UH, WITH THE PHASE ONE AND PHASE $2 BEFORE WE SWITCHED THAT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA TO, UH, 80% OF A NINE.
AND WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THAT TIME PERIOD, WE DID HAVE, UH, 500 AND ABOUT 550 APPLICANTS THAT WERE FROM 80, UH, 80 TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF A M I.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT SHOWS YOU OF THE, OF THE 23,000, UH, APPLICANTS THAT WE, THAT, THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE, ABOUT 500 WERE, WERE OVER THE 80% OF A M I 550.
UM, YEAH, VERONICA, IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD BREAK THAT OUT FOR ME AND SHOW ME HOW MUCH UNDER THE FIRST PHASES AND WHAT WERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW MANY IT WENT TO AT WHAT A M I AND FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT GIVEN OUT, AND THEN UNDER THIS NEW NEW PLAN, HOW MUCH HAS BEEN GIVEN OUT UNDER THE NEW PLAN FOR THAT AS WELL? YES, YOUR HONOR.
UH, ONE THING THAT CONCERNED ME AND COUNCILMAN, UH, CHAIR, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT WE HAD GOTTEN PRETTY GOOD HELP FROM A LOT OF, UH, THE JPS, BUT BOY PRECINCT FOUR SEEMS TO HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBERS THERE.
UH, WAS, WAS THERE SOME REASON WHY SO MUCH TURNED UP IN PRECINCT FOUR? IT'S ABOUT 40% OF ALL THE ACTIVITY AND, AND THERE ARE FIVE COURTS ALL TOGETHER.
SO ARE, ARE WE GETTING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, THAT J JP COURT THERE AND WHAT'S BRINGING SO MANY EVICTIONS INTO BASICALLY THAT EAST SIDE? IT'S SLIDE 16, I THINK, AND SARAH, DO YOU WANNA HELP ME ANSWER THAT QUESTION? SURE.
SO, UM, OF COURSE, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN COURAGE IS A, A MORE COMPLICATED ONE.
UM, AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH JUST THE REALITY OF WHEN THE COURTS WERE OPEN OR CLOSED.
P FOUR IS A
BUT THEY, UM, REMAINED OPEN THROUGH, UH, FROM JUNE 15TH WHEN THE COURTS REOPENED ALL THE WAY TILL TODAY, UM, ON A VIRTUAL BASIS.
SO THEY HAD A MORE CONSISTENT HEARING SCHEDULED THAN SOME OF THE OTHER COURTS.
AND THAT'S GONNA CONTRIBUTE A LOT TO WHY YOU SEE MEMBERS IN THAT AREA.
UM, THERE WAS SOMETHING, AND, AND IT'S RELATED TO WHAT ROBERTA JUST SAID A MINUTE AGO ABOUT, UH, UNDERSTANDING THE MAKEUP.
WE HAD TALKED, I THINK AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, ABOUT TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF ALL RENTERS IN THE CITY.
AND I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET SOME DETAILED DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT RENTERS AS SOON AS, UH, THE SURVEY WE WERE DOING WAS COMPLETED.
UH, SO ALONG WITH THE IDEA OF HAVING THAT DASHBOARD THERE, I'D LIKE TO GET THAT DEMOGRAPHIC, DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR RENDERS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
I THINK THE OVERALL PRO PROGRAM, WE'VE BEEN RUNNING IT WELL.
UM, BUT I'M WORRIED ROBERTO, LIKE YOU ARE AFTER JANUARY 1ST, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE WE CAN START HAVING SOME PLAN OF ACTION TO DEAL WITH THAT IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOESN'T STEP IN ANYTIME SOONER.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, AND, AND I THINK, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE IN AGREEMENT.
UH, IF, IF, IF WE COULD JUST ASK STAFF TO JUST START PLANNING AHEAD THAT, UH, WE REALLY NEED TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, REPLENISHING THESE FUNDS IN THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR WHAT'S COMING.
UH, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH,
[01:15:02]
UH, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.AND, UM, YES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, ONCE WE, MAYBE EVEN, UM, I DON'T KNOW, DO WE HAVE A THRESHOLD, LAURIE AND OR, UM, OR LITTLE OF WHAT IS OUR, WHAT IS OUR GOAL OR PERCENTAGE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IF WE HAVE SEEN NO ACTION FROM THE STATE OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO EXPANDING THE MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS? AND IF OUR LEVELS IN OUR, IN OUR BUDGET ARE DOWN TO A CERTAIN POINT THAT WE START LOOKING FOR MORE INVESTMENTS IN, IN DOLLARS, DO WE HAVE A, A LETTER, A, A NUMBER THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, OR WE'RE JUST CONTINUING TO FIND, TRY TO IDENTIFY DOLLARS TO PUT INTO OUR, UM, EAP COUNCILMAN, THIS IS LORI.
UM, FIRST, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PREPARED, WE ARE DOING AN INVENTORY OF ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
AND SO IF WE RUN OUT OF FUNDING, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE UTILITY ASSISTANCE FUNDING.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER NONPROFITS THAT MIGHT HAVE FUNDING.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY GO TOWARDS A MORE OF A CASE MANAGEMENT, UM, APPROACH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH EACH TENANT INDIVIDUALLY TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP THEM.
OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR TOOL THAT WE CAN USE TO HELP WITH SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
UM, BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS EXPLORING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR FUNDING.
SO WE'RE MONITORING THE STIMULUS BILLS.
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT, UM, OTHER FUNDING SOURCES OR IF WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO USE CERTAIN FUNDS, WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT WAYS HOW WE CAN DIVERT THEM TO THIS PROGRAM, AND WE'LL DO THAT THROUGH OUR UPDATES TO, UM, CITY COUNCIL AND THE B SESSIONS, UM, AND A SESSIONS ON THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLANS.
AND AS YOU ARE CONTINUING TO UPDATE US ON A MONTHLY BASIS AS WELL, I THINK THAT'S BEEN HELPFUL AND, AND LIKE, UH, THE CHAIR SAID THE DASHBOARD AND GETTING THAT INFORMATION TO US LIKE YOU'VE BEEN PROVIDING, UH, THAT WE ALSO SEE, UM, WHERE WE ARE WITH THE NUMBERS SO WE CAN, UH, START LOOKING AMONGST, EVEN LIKE I DID IN MY OFFICE, EVEN WITHIN OUR OWN COUNCIL BUDGETS, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO REDIRECT, UM, SOME DOLLARS.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK TOO, UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO, TO DO WHAT WE CAN, UH, LORI BEDEL TO EITHER SEND A, UH, A JOINT LETTER, UH, MAYOR JUDGE JOINT LETTER TO THE, TO ALL OF OUR, UM, BEXAR COUNTY DELEGATION AND TO, UM, TO THE JU TO THE GOVERNOR TO ASK HIM TO EXPAND HIS EMERGENCY ORDER FOR THE MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS.
I I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT SOONER THAN LATER BECAUSE I DON'T, IT'S GONNA BE REALLY HARD PRESSED TO GET ANYTHING IN AGREEMENT BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
PEOPLE NEED SOME SORT OF SECURITY NOW.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO, IF THE MAYOR AND THE JUDGE HAVEN'T DONE THAT, I THINK THEY NEED TO DO THAT, UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND TO OUR SENATORS AND OUR MEMBERS OF, UM, OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.
UM, TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT COUNCILWOMAN MAYOR BROWN WAS SAYING, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE HAD BEEN CONVERSATION THAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE COUNTY JUDGE AND WITH THE PRECINCTS TO FIND OUT IF WE COULD CONTINUE, UH, THE MORATORIUM HERE IN BEAR COUNTY.
DO WE KNOW WHERE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE OR WHAT HAS BEEN, UM, BROUGHT FORWARD BASED ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS SO FAR? WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT, UM, A CITY CANNOT DEVELOP THEIR OWN MORATORIUM, BUT EACH PRECINCT CAN DECIDE NOT TO HOLD HEARINGS.
SO IT'S REALLY UP TO EACH OF THE PRECINCTS, BUT THE CITY CANNOT, OR THE COUNTY CANNOT DO A MORATORIUM ITSELF.
AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRECINCT FOUR, 'CAUSE THAT WAS GONNA BE MY QUESTION, COUNSELOR.
WHAT CONVERSATIONS ARE WE HAVING WITH COMMISSIONER CALVERT, UM, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH PRECINCT FOUR? UM, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT CONVERSATION LIKE, OR IS HE EVEN AVAILABLE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS? OR WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE TAKING FOR HIM TO ENACT OR TO EVEN SPEAK WITH PRECINCT FOUR TO, TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN KIND OF SLOW THIS PROCESS OF, OF EVICTIONS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE SEEN HERE
[01:20:01]
WITH THE AT LEAST 536 DEFAULT JUDGEMENTS? I KNOW SARAH CAN HELP ME WITH THIS ONE, BUT JUST A REMINDER, JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURTS ARE ALSO ELECTED OFFICIALS.AND SO THOSE COURTS ARE E ELECTED JUDGES, UM, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT TAKING THEIR GUIDANCE FROM STATE LAW AND THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT ADMINISTER, UM, THEIR PROCEEDINGS, UM, IN ACCORDANCE TO THAT.
BUT DECISIONS ABOUT OPERATIONS IS REALLY, UH, AT EVERY JP COURT.
AND, AND THOSE ARE INDIVIDUALLY ELECTED POSITIONS.
OBVIOUSLY WE CAN, UH, HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMISSIONER COURT AS WELL, BUT THE JPS ARE ALSO ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SARAH, DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? NO, VERA, I THINK YOU WELL COVERED IT.
UM, STAFF ARE HAPPY TO WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS IN, IN WHATEVER WAY WE NEED, UM, TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE.
SO I THINK THAT, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME FORM OF DIALOGUE OR EITHER SOME FORM OF HOW WE SPEAK TO, UH, THE JPS ABOUT, EVEN IF IT'S A INDIVIDUAL THAT'S GOING, UM, AND IS NOT THERE WITHIN THIS DEFAULT.
IF THERE IS A, A WAY THAT WE CAN DO A CONTINUATION, NOT JUST SETTLE IT, IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO THIS PERSON THAT IS GOING INTO THE DEFAULT, IF WE SEE THAT THEY'RE ON THE DEFAULT LIST, CAN WE HOLD IT FOR MAYBE, UM, A TOTAL OF TWO WEEKS BEFORE A JUDGMENT IS SEALED AND DELIVERED? UM, HOW DO WE GET IN TOUCH WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS? WE KNOW THAT IF THEY'RE NOT THERE IN COURT TO GIVE US SOME WAY OF, OF LOCATING, BECAUSE 536 DEFAULT JUDGMENTS MEANS 536 FAMILIES EITHER ARE HOMELESS OR LOOKING FOR A HOUSE OR LIVING WITH SOMEONE GOING FROM PILLAR TO POST.
THAT MEANS THAT THEY ARE, ARE IN A FORM OF BEING UNSHELTERED.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT TRULY HANDLING AND TACKLING RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, WE KNOW THAT HOUSING IS DEFINITELY FALLING IN THE GUIDELINES BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAD IN REDLINING.
AND SO HOW THAT LOOKS AT THIS PRESENT TIME IS WHAT IS SHAPING OUT TO LOOK LIKE.
AGAIN, UM, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC, SO WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE USED TO DO THAT WERE ACCORDING TO THE BOOKS, IS NOT GONNA HELP US IN MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD.
SO WE HAVE TO SOMETIMES LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND FIND THE BEST WAYS TO DO SO.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW BACK IN APRIL AND JUNE WE HAD ROUGHLY ABOUT A 2% IN NONE PAYMENT OF RENT.
UM, AND THAT WAS, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THE AVERAGE OF NONPAYMENT OF RENT IS AT THIS TIME? COUNCILMAN? WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING WE CAN EASILY PROVIDE TO YOU ALL ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT READILY AVAILABLE.
SO, BUT WE, WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION AND WE'LL SEND THAT OUT TO THIS COMMITTEE, UM, TODAY OR TOMORROW.
UM, AND THEN IF A FAMILY, UM, HAS ALREADY APPLIED FOR THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND THEY'VE ALREADY EXHAUSTED EITHER THEIR THREE MONTHS OR TWO MONTHS, WHAT OTHER MEANS DO THEY HAVE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO REAPPLY OR ARE WE JUST FUNDING THEM OUT TO OTHER DELEGATE AGENCIES? I CAN TAKE THAT, UH, VERO.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE DOING A COMBINATION OF THE ITEMS WITH THE NEW STATE FUNDING.
UH, WE, THAT KIND OF RESETS THE, THE, THE ELIGIBILITY.
THERE'S A WHOLE NEW ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINE.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS, WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE THE STATE FUNDING FOR THAT.
BUT IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE COORDINATING WITH OUR NON-PROFIT, UH, SAFETY NET, AND WE ARE MAKING REFERRALS FOR, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, TO GET TO, TO, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THOSE ITEMS. NOW, I WILL SAY THAT WE, WE CANNOT ASSIST THE SAME PERSON FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD.
SO WE ARE COORDINATING TO ENSURE THAT IF SOMEONE WAS TO RECEIVE, UM, UH, LET'S SAY A SEPTEMBER RENT FROM THE CITY, THEY CANNOT RECEIVE A SEPTEMBER RENT FROM, UM, LET'S SAY FROM, UH, SALVATION ARMY OR SAN MINISTRIES.
THEY, SO WE ARE COORDINATING THOSE BENEFITS.
WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THOSE CASE MANAGERS IN ORDER TO, TO PROVIDE A, A WRAPAROUND FOR, FOR THOSE REPEATS.
I I'LL SAY THAT, UM, WE ARE GETTING ABOUT 80% OF OUR APPLICATIONS AFTER OCTOBER ONE ARE FROM NEW CLIENTS FROM NEHA.
SO THEY HAVE NEVER APPLIED BEFORE, AND ABOUT 20% ARE REPEAT.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE ARE SEEING THAT WE ARE SEEING SOME REPEATS AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PROVIDING THOSE REFERRALS FOR THEM.
AND THEN, UM, LORI OR AVEO, WHEN IT COMES TO THE TREND THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE DEFAULT JUDGMENT, ARE WE SEEING THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IN PARTICULAR LOCATIONS? UM, CAN WE PUT THE NUMBER OF HOW MANY OF THESE DEFAULT JUDGEMENTS WENT TO A PARTICULAR, UH, COMPLEX INDIVIDUAL
[01:25:01]
HOUSING UNITS? CAN WE QUANTIFY THOSE NUMBER OF DEFAULT JUDGEMENTS AND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM? WE CAN MAP THOSE OUT AND TRY AND SEE.UM, BUT WE DO URGE FAMILIES TO, IF THEY'RE THEY'RE FACING EVICTIONS, PLEASE SHOW UP TO THE COURT HEARING.
UM, MANY PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THE C C D C EVICTION MORATORIUM, AND THEY ERRONEOUSLY THINK I DON'T HAVE TO SHOW UP TO A HEARING, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT OUR STAFF TEAM HAS, WE MENTIONED TO PEOPLE, IF YOU HAVE AN EVICTION HEARING, PLEASE SHOW UP.
UM, COUPLE TIMES I'VE BEEN ON THE, UM, DAILY BRIEFINGS WITH THE MAYOR AND THE COUNTY JUDGE, AND IT'S BEEN ABOUT EVICTIONS AND, AND URGING PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE A HEARING TO PLEASE SHOW UP.
UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE THINKING, OH, THE MORATORIUM IS AROUND, SO I DON'T HAVE TO SHOW UP TO COURT.
UM, PEOPLE STILL NEED TO SHOW UP TO COURT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
COME JANUARY, COME JANUARY, WE HOPE MORE PEOPLE SHOW UP, BUT BY THE TIME, UM, TH THEIR HEARING HAPPENS, WE KNOW SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE ALREADY MOVED OUT OF WHEREVER THEY WERE BEFORE.
UM, AND SO WE CAN'T ALWAYS REACH BACK OUT AND TRACK, BUT IT, IT IS ABOUT CONSTANT GETTING THE WORD OUT.
UM, AND, AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY, WE'RE TRYING TO WITH OUR PARTNERS TO GET THE WORD OUT.
UM, AND I KNOW SARAH AND THE REST OF THE COURTS TEAM WORKS REALLY HARD IN COMMUNICATING THESE MESSAGES.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, THIS IS LORI AGAIN.
WE CAN DEFINITELY MAP THAT OUT.
AND POTENTIALLY IF THERE IS AN AREA THAT HAS HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF THOSE DEFAULT JUDGEMENTS, WE CAN ENGAGE OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL TEAM OR KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TEAM AND GO OUT AND DO MORE EDUCATION.
UM, HAVE WE WORKED WITH THE SAN ANTONIO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION TO MAYBE DO MAILERS TO OUR SPECIFIC, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEXES? THE SAN ANTONIO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER AND THEY DO DO E-BLASTS.
UM, AND WHEN WE HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION REGARDING A LANDLORD, THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN ENGAGED, UM, AND THEY HELP US GET THAT INFORMATION AND, BUT CITY STAFF HAS BEEN THE ONE DOING MAILERS TO FREQUENT USERS OF THE EVICTION PROCESS.
UM, WE FEEL THAT THAT PROBABLY GETS THEIR ATTENTION MORE IF IT COMES FROM THE CITY AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, THE REQUIREMENTS WITH THE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING.
UM, BUT THE SAN ANTONIO DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATION, MOST OF THEIR WORK IS DONE THROUGH E-BLASTS AND THEY'VE ALSO BEEN A GREAT PARTNER.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET INFORMATION ON A SPECIFIC LANDLORD WHO'S NOT RESPONDING TO US OR SOMETHING.
AND LORI, I KNOW BEFORE YOU HAD ASKED FOR THE PRE-FILING RECORDS, UM, DID, WERE YOU ABLE TO GET THOSE PRE-FILING RECORDS BEFORE THEY GO TO, UH, COURT? SARAH, CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT? YEAH, SO WHAT FILING DATA IS, IS JUST THAT A LANDLORD WENT TO COURT AND SAID THAT I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A HEARING TO EVICT THIS TENANT.
SO, UM, WE GET THAT DATA ON A WEEKLY BASIS, AND THAT IS THE SAME DATA THAT THE COUNTY USES TO SEND THEIR NOTICES OF CITATION.
SO ALL OF THE OUTREACH THAT WE DO WITH THAT FILING DATA IS BEFORE, UM, THAT COURT HEARING HAPPENS.
SO IN THOSE PHONE CALLS, WE'RE LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT RESOURCES.
IF WE MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM, UM, WE'RE ENCOURAGING THEM TO FILL OUT THEIR T E D P APPLICATIONS.
AND LASTLY, WE'RE LETTING THEM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IF FOR SOME REASON THEY CAN'T GET BACK TO US, IF WE CAN'T CONNECT, THERE WILL BE SOMEONE IN THE COURTROOM.
UM, AND LATELY THE TEAM HAS DO BEEN DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE VERY VISUALLY APPARENT SO FOLKS, UH, KNOW TO SEEK THEM OUT.
UM, AND THAT'S BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL TO THIS POINT.
AND THEN MY LAST AND FINAL QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, HAVE WE DONE A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF OUR DELICATE AGENCIES THAT OFFER EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND WHAT THEIR, UH, THEIR, THEIR CAPABILITIES ARE AS FAR AS THEIR FUNDING SOURCE? COUNCILMAN, WHAT WE DO HAVE IS WE HAVE A LIST OF ALL THE SERVICES THAT OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES OFFER.
AND SO, AS EDWARD MENTIONED, IF WE DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE, OR MAYBE IT'S A REPEAT REQUEST, WE KNOW WHAT AGENCY PROGRAMS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
SO WE KNOW WHICH AGENCIES ACTUALLY HAVE THE FINANCIAL CAPABILITY TO HANDLE A NEW CA APPLICANT OR SOMETHING.
SO THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
[01:30:01]
UM, AND, AND I'LL JUST CLOSE BY.YOU KNOW, I, I JUST THINK, AND, AND LISTENING TO ALL OF THIS, I I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE BLOWING OUR OWN HORN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE HAD.
'CAUSE I WAS JUST RE RE-LOOKING AT ALL THESE NUMBERS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HELPED 23,357 FAMILIES, AND THAT'S PROBABLY AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD, NEARLY 75,000, UH, PEOPLE RIGHT THERE, PLUS THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THE MONEY FOR THE RENT.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER 23,000 PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES.
YOU KNOW, SO BY MY CALCULATION, WE'VE PROBABLY ASSISTED OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO THROUGH THIS CRISIS.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE PUBLICLY, BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, LET PEOPLE KNOW THERE ARE STILL THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED, BUT IF WE DON'T BLOW OUR OWN HORN, A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT JUST SAY, OH, THEY'RE WASTING THAT MONEY, OR THEY'RE SPENDING MORE MONEY OVER THERE, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING TO IT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR AGENCIES PUT OUT SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND PLUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THIS MONEY SO FAR.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
UH, I, I, I GUESS I WOULD ONLY AGREE AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM OUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THE, THE TO PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEED.
SO I, YEAH, I, I THINK WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF GOOD THINGS, BUT IT'S WAY TOO EARLY TO BE, UH, BLOWING OUR, OUR OWN HORN, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH, WITH JANUARY IN FEBRUARY LOOMING, UH, IN FRONT OF US.
UM, I'LL JUST SIMPLY CLOSE BY, UH, ASKING THAT, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE LOOK AT, UH, WHILE THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER SAYS THAT, UH, CITIES CANNOT PUT A MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS, UM, DOES THAT INCLUDE NOTICES TO VACATE? AND, UH, THAT, THAT I THINK COULD BE VERY HELPFUL, UH, IF WE, UH, IF WE LOOK INTO THAT BECAUSE, UH, I THINK PUTTING A MORATORIUM, AT LEAST ON NOTICES TO VACATE WOULD, WOULD HAVE A HUGE IMPACT BECAUSE, UH, AS WE KNOW, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, MANY PEOPLE WILL SIMPLY LEAVE ONCE THEY GET A NOTICE TO VACATE.
THAT IS NOT AN ACTUAL EVICTION PROCESS, IT'S JUST SIMPLY A NOTICE AND PEOPLE WILL JUST SIMPLY LEAVE.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN, UH, I ALSO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MONIES, UH, THAT, THAT WE, WE HAD DISCUSSED WHERE WE WOULD FIND MORE, MORE DOLLARS.
AGAIN, WE HAVE DIFFERENT PILLARS.
WE SAID THIS LAST SUMMER THAT WE WOULD DECIDE AS A COUNCIL TO MOVE MONEY AROUND WITHIN OUR PILLARS.
AND I, FOR ONE, KNOW THAT THERE ARE, THERE IS MONEY AVAILABLE, UH, IN, IN, IN OTHER PILLARS, GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THAT CAN'T BE MOVED AROUND SHOULD WE NEED IT.
AND I, AND I WOULD SAY THAT AGAIN, UH, THAT MONEY, IT WAS, IT WAS COMMUNICATED, UH, TO US THAT WOULD BE, WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO US IN CASE AN EMERGENCY.
AND SO, UH, I DO WANT THE PUBLIC AND THIS COMMITTEE TO KNOW, UH, THAT MONEY IS THERE AND CAN BE, UH, UH, RE UH, REALLOCATED.
AND, UM, AND, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, STAFF, IF Y'ALL COULD JUST EMAIL ME YOUR RESPONSE REGARDING MY QUESTION ABOUT AUSTIN AND WHAT AUSTIN IS DOING THAT IS CREATING SOME OF THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, MUCH, MUCH LOWER NUMBERS, UH, I'D ASK YOU TO JUST PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT, AT WHAT IS, WHAT HAS OCCURRED THERE.
AND, UH, I I THINK IT, IT, IT, IT CERTAINLY DESERVES A, A DEEP DIVE, UH, AND A RESPONSE, UH, FOR US, UH, AGAIN, I'D ASK THAT WE PUT THIS ON A, ON A MONTHLY DASHBOARD AS WE HEAD INTO THESE, UH, NEXT, UH, FEW MONTHS.
UH, MONITOR AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS A COMMITTEE AND PLEASE GET THAT TO US BEFORE THE COMMITTEE MEETING SO THAT WE CAN, UH, HAVE SOME OF THAT DATA, USEFUL DATA, UH, TO INFORM OUR DISCUSSION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, LAURIE, UM, COUNCILMAN, I DID WANNA ADD THAT, UM, WE WILL BE PROVIDING THE DASHBOARD IN ADVANCE.
WE DID PROVIDE IT THIS TIME, BUT IT WAS BURIED IN THE PACKET THAT WAS SENT OUT TO YOU ON FRIDAY, BUT IT WAS THE USUAL DASHBOARD THAT GOES OVER THE UNDER ONE ROOF, THE NUMBER OF PERMITS ISSUED, UM, BUT IT WAS THE VERY LAST PAGE OF THAT PACKET.
UM, IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL, WE WILL SEND THAT DIRECTLY OKAY.
TO THE COMMITTEE, JUST AS THE DASHBOARD.
AND THEN WE WILL ALSO ADD INFORMATION WHEN I'M HEARING FROM YOU ALL, AND WE ALSO ADDED THE EAP DASHBOARD INFORMATION TO THAT AS WELL, SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE.
BUT WE'LL ADD SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EVICTION RATES AND WHERE THEY WERE MONTH TO MONTH, START MEASURING THAT.
AND THEN THE RENTAL RATE COLLECTION WE CAN ADD, SO WE CAN START STACKING.
[01:35:01]
GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU OUT IN ADVANCE AGAIN, BUT DO A DIRECT EMAIL TO YOU AND, AND, AND, AND WE WILL POST THAT SOMEWHERE, UM, ON OUR CITY WEBSITE, CORRECT? YES.AND IT IS POSTED, LIKE I MENTIONED, BUT IT WAS BURIED IN THE, IN THE ACTUAL PACKET THAT WAS SENT OUT.
SO WE WILL, WE WILL MAKE IT ITS OWN LINK ON THE AGENDA.
YEAH, THAT WAY WE CAN, UH, I THINK THE PUBLIC CAN GO TO A SPECIFIC PORTION OF THE SITE AND SEE AN UPDATED, UH, DASHBOARD, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS A CITY.
UM, APPRECIATE THE, THE UPDATE AND THE INFO.
UM, STAY SAFE AND UH, WE ARE ADJOURNED.