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[1. 20-7237 Approval of the minutes from the October 14 and November 2, 2020 meetings of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee and Subcommittee.]
UH, OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, UH, THIS MORNING IS TO APPROVE TWO, UH, SETS OF MINUTES.OUR FIRST SET IS FROM OCTOBER 14TH, AND OUR SECOND ONE IS FROM OUR NOVEMBER 2ND MEETING.
AND, UM, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA USUALLY READS THESE AND GOES THROUGH THEM WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB.
WHAT DO YOU THINK, COUNCILWOMAN? UH, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 14TH AND NOVEMBER 2ND, 2020.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
[2. 20-7238 Pentagon Advocacy Trip Recap. [Juan Ayala, Director, Office of Military & Veteran Affairs]]
ARE APPROVED.OUR FIRST ITEM IS TO TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR PENTAGON ADVOCACY TRIP RECAP, AND I SEE JUAN AYALA, AND THEN I SEE KAREN ON THERE, AND IT'S, UH, LIKE THE BAND IS BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
UH, IT'S SO NICE TO SEE YOU, KAREN.
THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
UH, GENERAL AYALA, IT'S YOUR, IT'S, UH, YOU'RE UP.
UH, TIM, UH, EDUARDO, CAN YOU PULL THE SLIDES UP? OKAY.
UH, AGAIN, EVERYBODY, AND I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF, UH, RUNDOWN OF, OF OUR 23RD TO OCTOBER, UH, PENTAGON VISIT.
UH, WHO US? UH, WHAT ARE THE ASKS? SO EVERYONE GOT THE ASK FOR SOMETHING.
IT'S, UH, WE DON'T JUST, IT'S NOT A TOURIST OR A PENTAGON TRIP JUST TO GO TO THE PENTAGON, SAY THANK YOU.
AND THEN SOME OF THE ACTION ITEMS, UH, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, UH, IN A WAY FORWARD.
AND I'LL LOOK BACK FOR, UH, Q AND A NEXT.
THIS IS A, I'VE TAKEN THE MAYOR, UH, TO THE PENTAGON KEY, UH, CIVIC, UH, LEADERSHIP.
I'VE TAKEN MEMBERS OF COUNCIL BEFORE.
UH, I TOOK CHERYL, UH, THE FIRST YEAR.
IT WAS A VERY, VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION JUST BECAUSE OF COVID.
THEY ONLY ALLOWED, UH, THREE PERSONS, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, AN ESCORT.
SO ARMY NORTH ALWAYS PROVIDES THAT ESCORT.
THEY'VE DONE IT FOUR YEARS IN A ROW.
AND SOME OF THE OVERALL THEMES THAT I THINK ARE VERY IMPORTANT, WE ALWAYS ASK FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC.
IF WE VISIT AN OFFICE, IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE A SPECIFIC ASK FOR SOMETHING THAT'LL BENEFIT, UH, NOT ONLY THE MILITARY, BUT OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND THEN WE ALWAYS HIGHLIGHT, UH, OUR TANGIBLE SUPPORT OF THE MILITARY.
AND WHAT I MEAN TANGIBLE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US CAN SAY, UH, AND PUT BUMPER STICKERS ON OUR CAR THAT WE SUPPORT THE MILITARY.
BUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS ACTUALLY PUT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
WE HAVE FUNDED, UH, SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT.
AND SO WE HIGHLIGHT THOSE THINGS AND WE ADVOCATE CONSTANTLY FOR, UH, COMPATIBLE LAND USE TO ENSURE OUR MILITARY MISSION STAY HERE.
AND THEN WE RECEIVE INPUT FROM THOSE MILITARY CIVILIAN LEADERS.
AND BY TAKING THE, THE MAYOR, WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, SECURE MEETINGS WITH SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL, UH, FOLKS IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PENTAGON, LIKE THE CHIEF OF STAFF AND THE AIR FORCE, UH, THE UNDERSECRETARY OF THE ARMY, AND FOLKS LIKE THAT.
AND WE ALWAYS ADVOCATE FOR SAN ANTONIO, SAN ANTONIO.
AND THEN WE THANK THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
THEY WANT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THEM TO REMEMBER SAN ANTONIO WHEN THEY'RE MAKING BASING DECISIONS OR ANY OTHER DECISION, UH, THAT AFFECTS THE MILITARY FOOTPRINT.
AND SO, WHO WENT THIS YEAR? OF COURSE, THE MAYOR WENT THIS YEAR, UH, BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND THE EFFECT OF ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE ENTIRE CITY.
UH, WE INVITED JENNA CELO FROM VEA FROM THE, UH, UH, SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION.
AND OF COURSE, UH, I WENT ON ON THE TRIP.
SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH REAL QUICK WHO WE SAW.
WE SAW LIEUTENANT GENERAL RON PACE.
HE'S A DIRECTOR OF DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY.
AND I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL THE BULLETS ON THERE, BUT, UH, WE WANTED, SOME OF THE BIG THINGS IS WE WANTED TO DESIGNATE, DESIGNATE, UH, B S C AS A TRAUMA CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.
WE WANT HIM TO SUPPORT THE ARMY DESIGNEE, UH, PROGRAM, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DESIGNEE PROGRAM.
AND THAT PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM THAT PAYS FOR THE CIVILIANS THAT ARE SEEN AT B C THAT HAVE SUFFERED LEVEL ONE TRAUMA.
85% OF THEIR LEVEL ONE TRAUMA PATIENTS AT BROOK ARMY MEDICAL CENTER HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MILITARY.
THEY'RE VERY GOOD TEAMS, UH, WITH THAT REPETITIVE PRACTICE.
BECAUSE LEVEL ONE TRAUMA, AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, IS GUNSHOT WOUNDS, KNIFE, STABBINGS, CAR WRECKS, WHICH ARE IEDS.
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TEAMS GET TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, THEY'RE VERY, VERY GOOD.I CAN TELL YOU, TIM, UH, WALLBERG CAN TELL YOU FROM, UH, AND KEN RAD, FROM FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE SEEN THESE TEAMS FROM B A S C AND THEY SAVE LIVES.
AND SO THAT'S A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MILITARY.
WHAT DO THEY GET OUT OF IT? THEY GET THAT REPETITIVE PRACTICE.
THEY GET TO SAVE AMERICAN LIVES IN COMBAT OR ANY OTHER TRAUMA.
AND WE, THE CITY GET THAT COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
SO THE TAKEAWAYS, AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME OF THESE RIGHT HERE, UH, WHAT THEY ASKED OF US, UH, THEY ASKED US, AND SO THIS PROGRAM, THIS DESIGNEE PROGRAM, THE ARMY PAYS FOR, IT'S ABOUT $20 MILLION.
THE ARMY'S BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE HIGH COST OF IT, AND A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE CANNOT PAY.
AND SO, I'M, I'M WORKING WITH, UH, I HAVE A MEETING WITH, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE LOPEZ, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO CRAFT LANGUAGE INTO A BILL THAT, UH, PLACES THIS TYPE OF PAYMENTS INTO MEDICARE.
AND SO IT, IT CAN GO INTO THAT TYPE OF BILLING.
AND THAT WAY WE WILL NOT, 'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO BILL PATIENTS AND THEN THE, AND IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET THEIR MONEY.
AND SO THEY LOSE THAT FUNDING.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THAT.
UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, DONNA CAMPBELL HAS COME ON AND SAID SHE WILL DO IT.
SO WE'VE GOT A REPUBLICAN AND A AND A DEMOCRAT.
SO I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD SHOT AT CHANGING THE LANGUAGE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH ARMY NORTH REGARDING D H A DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY WHO IS, UH, MOVING, TRYING TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE DC AREA.
AND THEY'RE TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE NOW SO FAR, UH, WE, WE HAVE ADVOCATED FOR THIS, FOR THEM TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, THE PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AGENCY.
AND I'LL, AND I'LL TALK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THEY SENT ABOUT 220 PEOPLE HERE.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER 700 DESCENT HERE.
WHY ARE THESE NUMBERS IMPORTANT? 'CAUSE THOSE ARE JOBS.
THESE ARE HIGH PAYING JOBS THAT COME HERE.
THAT'S JUST THE UNIFORM SERVICE MEMBER OR THE CIVILIAN.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT COME HERE AND SHOP AT H E B AND GO TO OUR STORES AND DO THESE THINGS.
SO, ECONOMICALLY, THAT'S VERY GOOD.
JOHN RAYMOND, CHIEF OF SPACE OPERATIONS.
UH, HE IS HEADING THE SERVICE PIECE OF IT, THE AIR FORCE PIECE, UH, OF UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEEP IN RIGHT NOW INTO, UH, UH, US SPACE COMMAND COMING HERE TO SAN ANTONIO.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE A SURVEY TEAM THAT'S COMING HERE ON SATURDAY.
AS YOU KNOW, THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS THING, ABOUT 150 STATES, WERE ASKED TO NOMINATE CITIES.
UH, EVENTUALLY ABOUT A HUNDRED CITIES WERE NOMINATED, CAME DOWN TO 40 CITIES FROM 26 STATES, AND WE'VE MADE ALL THOSE JUMPS.
WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LEAVE IT ALL OUT ON THE FIELD TO SEE IF WE CAN TAKE THIS, THIS COMMAND THAT'S 1400 HIGH PAYING JOBS COMING TO SAN ANTONIO.
UM, SO, UH, WE ASKED, UH, GENERAL, UH, RAYMOND, WHO I KNOW VERY WELL.
I'VE DONE A COUPLE CLASSES WITH HIM, UH, WHILE I WAS STILL ON ACTIVE DUTY.
AND SOME OF THE INTEL THAT HE GAVE ME WAS THAT SPACE COMMAND IS RELATIVELY NEW.
AND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO IS THEY'RE LOOKING AT FUTURE COMMANDS.
SO WE PUT IT IN HIS EAR THAT WE NEED TO STAY INFORMED OF THESE NEW FUTURE COMMANDS.
WE WANT THEM TO COME IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER INTEL PIECES IS THAT THE NEW ADMINISTRATION THAT'S COMING IN, YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES.
EITHER WAY, THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO UNDO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION DID, UH, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MILITARY STAYING HERE.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY TRYING FOR THAT.
BUT THAT'S, HE PUT THAT IN OUR EAR.
I THINK MY PERSONAL OPINION IN TALKING TO THE FOLKS PENTAGON, I THINK WE'RE TOO DOWN, FAR DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, AND SO WE'RE GONNA TRY VERY HARD TO PICK UP THOSE ADDITIONAL MISSIONS, JUST LIKE WE DO THE D H A MISSIONS, JUST LIKE WE PICKED UP A BATTLEFIELD AIRMAN A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WHICH IS ABOUT 300 JOBS THAT CAME TO SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE WE ADVOCATED FOUR OR FOUR YEARS AGO, ADVOCATED, ADVOCATED.
AND IT CAME HERE, UH, IN THE LACKLAND.
I KNOW, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ROCHE GARCIA KNOWS, KNOWS ABOUT BATTLEFIELD.
UH, UNDER SECRETARY OF THE ARMY, A VERY HIGH RANKING, UH, INDIVIDUAL.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE REALLY EMPHASIZE, WE THANK THEM FOR, UH, THE SUPPORT.
YOU KNOW, THE ARMY HERE, ARMY NORTH, UH, GENERAL LAURA RICHARDSON HAS THE, THE NATIONWIDE, NOT JUST SAN ANTONIO, UH, LOGISTICS AND, UH, GROUND RESPONSE TO C OVID 19.
AGAIN, WE WANTED HIM, UH, TO DESIGNATE B S C AS A TRAUMA CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS EVERY TIME THEY HAVE A A, A CLASS OR TRAINING FOR TRAUMA, THEY BRING THAT THOSE FOLKS DOWN HERE FOR A THREE WEEK PROGRAM OR A FOUR WEEK PROGRAM, AGAIN, THEY STAY IN OUR HOTELS, THEY'RE GONNA WORK.
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ALL THE FIELD TRAINING OUT AT, UH, BULLIS.AND WE'VE GOT THE TOP MEDICAL CENTER, UH, IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UH, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
THE OTHER THING TOO IS, I MEAN, I WAS HEARTBROKEN WHEN WE LOST TO 2020, UH, WARRIOR GAMES.
UH, UH, AND SO THEY'RE COMING BACK IN 2020 OR, OR THEY'RE COMING BACK NEXT YEAR.
AND IN 2022, UH, WE WANT THEM TO BE HELD IN SAN ANTONIO IN 2022.
I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD SHOT.
UH, I HAD A MEETING WITH, UH, THE ARMY, UH, GENERAL OFFICERS ON THE ARMY STAFF BECAUSE THE ARMY IS NOW THE EXECUTIVE AGENCY, UH, OR AGENT FOR ALL THESE WARRIOR GAMES.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO, TO GET 'EM DOWN HERE.
AGAIN, THAT'S AN ECONOMIC BOON, UH, FOR US, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
IT HIGHLIGHTS ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE HERE TO TREAT OUR WOUNDED ILL AND INJURED.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE THAT WE HAVE HERE, UH, CENTER FOR THE INTREPID, AND EVERY SINGLE SERVICE IS WOUNDED WARRIOR UNITS.
WOUNDED ILL AND INJURED ARE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE THE HEADQUARTERS ARE.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON, WE ALSO BROUGHT UP THE SECRETARY DESIGNEE PROGRAM, UH, TO HIM SINCE THAT IS AN ARMY PROGRAM.
AND YEAH, WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT FUNDING STAYS IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE DON'T WANT IT GOING ANYWHERE BECAUSE WE WANT THAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT, NUMBER ONE.
AND NUMBER TWO IS, UH, WE DON'T WANNA LOSE B A S C.
WE WANT TO KEEP THOSE MISSIONS HERE AT B S C, BECAUSE THAT'S A GEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, DURING C OVID 19, I THINK THEY GOT SOME BAD PRESS, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY DID TREAT MORE LEVEL ONE TRAUMA FOLKS FOR US IN THE CITY IN, IN ORDER FOR US IN, IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE BED SPACES AND BEDS AVAILABLE FOR SOME OF THE C OVID 19 PATIENTS.
NEXT, UH, ROBERT ALI, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR HOMELAND DEFENSE.
THE MAYOR SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR A MEETING, UH, WITH HOMELAND DEFENSE.
UH, SO WE DID, AND THEY, THEY DISCUSSED AT LENGTH, UM, CONTINUED TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION AND COOPERATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
UH, NO, NOTHING, UH, WAS COMMITTED, BUT I THINK WE PLANTED THE SEED.
UH, I KNOW BOB, UM, SALI, HIM AND I, HE WAS A, HE'S A RETIRED HAMMERHEAD, LIKE I AM A MARINE, AND WE'VE SERVED TOGETHER AND, UH, WE'RE KEEPING IN CONTACT WITH HIM.
UH, AND JENNA, UH, RA UH, COMMITTED TO HIM THAT THEY WOULD CONNECT HIM TO SOME COMMUNITY COMMUNITY LAB GROUPS.
AND SO, AGAIN, THESE ARE FOLLOW ON THESE, THIS IS ECONOMICALLY GOOD FOR US WHEN THEY COME DOWN HERE.
AND HE WAS ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN WARRIOR GAMES.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE ANOTHER ALLY, UH, WHEN WE, UH, CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR 2022.
NEXT, UH, JENNIFER MILLER'S FROM BERNIE.
UH, SHE IS A, A VERY HIGH RANKING, UH, UH, OFFICIAL.
UH, WE HAVE MET WITH HER FOUR YEARS IN A ROW.
UH, SHE REALLY LIKES SAN ANTONIO.
SHE JUST, SHE'S ALSO AN AIR FORCE RESERVIST.
SHE JUST DID A YEAR AN AIR FORCE LAWYER.
UH, SHE JUST DID A YEAR IN AFGHANISTAN.
AND SO WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE HER BACK.
WE ALWAYS ASK, UH, FOR THINGS.
SHE HELPED US GET BATTLEFIELD AIRMEN.
WE'VE HAD ABOUT 2100, UH, BILLETS COME TO SAN ANTONIO.
AND I HAVE A, UH, THEY WON'T TELL YOU THIS, BUT, UH, I THINK SHE'S BEEN A BIG INFLUENCE.
SO WE WANT TO CON, WE ALWAYS ASK TO CONSIDER SAN ANTONIO FIRST.
OUR GOAL IS WHEN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HAS A BASING DECISION TO MAKE, TO ADD FOOTPRINTS SOMEWHERE THAT SAN ANTONIO IS THE FIRST PLACE THEY THINK OF.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE KEEP GOING ON EVERY YEAR, AND WE TELL HER THE SAME THING.
UM, SO HERE'S SOME OF THE ACTION ITEMS. AGAIN, WE SUBMITTED, UH, WE, WE, WE WORKED REAL HARD WITH HER AND, AND, AND TOLD HER THAT WE REALLY, REALLY WERE PREPARED TO TAKE SPACE COMMAND.
UH, WE ALSO ARE WORKING WITH US, OR I'M SORRY, WITH J B S A RIGHT NOW, UH, FOR A PROJECT, UH, WHICH IS, UH, AND I THINK I, I JUST SAW WALTER CERN ON THERE.
UH, THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, UH, FOR THE DEFENSE COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM, THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OUT THERE.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, JOINT BASE, SAN ANTONIO TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
AND THOSE ARE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE MILITARY AND TO, UH, AND, AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SOMETIMES WE OVERLOOK THE NATIONAL GUARD.
WHEN I TALK TO, UH, SOME OF OUR STATISTICIANS AND, AND, UH, GUYS THAT DO ALL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENTS, I ALWAYS TELL THEM, INCLUDE THE NATIONAL GUARD, NOT JUST THE ACTIVE DUTY FOLKS, BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY LARGE GUARD PRESENCE HERE, AND HE WAS BRAND NEW.
UH, BUT WHAT WE'RE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET FOR YEARS IS THE AIR FORCE IS, IS GOING DOWN ON THEIR F SIXTEENS AND THEY'RE GOING TO THE NATIONAL GUARDS.
WE WANT SOME OF THOSE, THOSE ADDITIONAL SQUADRONS TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO.
WE, WE HAVE THE PERFECT FIT HERE.
WE HAVE THE 149TH, AND WE JUST, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR
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YEARS.WE WENT TO THE, THE BIG CEREMONY.
THE COUNTRY OF EGYPT IS PARTNERING AS A STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY BRING EGYPTIAN STUDENTS, THEY BRING EGYPTIAN AIRCRAFT, UH, TO TRAIN HERE.
AND AGAIN, ECONOMICALLY, IT'S GOOD AND IT'S GOOD FOR US.
UH, ALSO BECAUSE IT ELEVATES, UH, THE STATUS, I THINK OF OUR CITY IN OUR MILITARY HERE.
UH, THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD ALSO HAS, UH, A STATE PARTNERSHIP, UH, RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, THE COUNTRY OF CHILE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, EGYPT HAS THIS F 16, SO IT'D BE A PERFECT FIT.
THAT PARTNERSHIP IS ESTABLISHED.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS, A FEW YEARS AGO, THE NATIONAL GUARD CAME TO ME AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF ENCROACHMENT, CIVILIAN ENCROACHMENT AROUND MARTINDALE, UH, UH, ARMY AIRFIELD.
CAN YOU HELP US WITH THIS? BECAUSE IF, IF THERE'S TOO MUCH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE OUR HELICOPTERS SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
HUGE ECONOMIC LOSS, HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT HAPPENED.
UH, WE WORKED ON IT FOR A COUPLE YEARS, UH, WITH PARTNERS WITHIN THE CITY, AND WE CAME UP WITH A COMPATIBLE AGREEMENT, A COMPATIBLE LAND USE AGREEMENT TO WHERE THE COMMUNITY WAS ABLE TO BUILD, UH, HOMES AND OTHER THINGS WHILE THE NASHVILLE GUARD WAS ABLE TO TRAIN THERE, UH, AT MARTINDALE.
WELL, NOW WHAT MARTINDALE WANTS TO DO, OR WHAT THE GUARD WANTS TO DO IS TAKE THOSE AVIATION UNITS, MOVE 'EM TO LACKLAND, AND THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY'RE GONNA BRING A GROUND UNIT, AN ADDITIONAL UNIT, AGAIN, MORE JOBS.
THIS IS ABOUT A FOUR OR 500, UH, PERSON UNIT FROM ANOTHER, UH, PART OF TEXAS INTO MARTINDALE.
SO AGAIN, THESE ARE JOBS, AND IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN, UH, WITHOUT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND SO WE, WE, UH, WE MADE SURE THAT THE, THE GENERAL KNEW, UH, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING, AND THAT WE WANTED TO MORE GUARD MISSIONS.
TITLE 32, NOT ACTIVE DUTY TITLE 10, UH, MISSIONS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AGAIN, AGAIN, UH, IT'S, UH, ECONOMIC, UH, IMPACT.
AND STRATEGICALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, THE MORE OF A FOOTPRINT THAT WE HAVE HERE.
IF THERE IS A BRACK, WHY WOULD THEY TAKE AWAY OUR BASES AND OUR INSTALLATIONS IF WHAT WE DO IS NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL TO NATIONAL DEFENSE, BUT WE HAVE SO MANY ASSETS HERE THAT, THAT ARE DOING SO MANY GREAT THINGS.
AND THIS GENERAL BROWN GENERAL, UH, UH, BROWN, UH, IF YOU RECALL, UH, BRAND NEW CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE US AIR FORCE.
HE WAS A, HE IS A, UH, HISTORICAL PICK.
HE'S THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO LEAD THE AIR FORCE OR ANY SERVICE.
AND SO WE HAD A VERY DISCUSSION WITH HIM.
UM, WE HAD SEAN MANASCO, WHO'S ALSO FROM SAN ANTONIO.
HE'S ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AIR FORCE, UM, FOR PERSONNEL.
AND AGAIN, WE ADVOCATED FOR HEADQUARTER SPACE COMMAND.
UH, AND WE ADVOCATED FOR, UH, TO HOLD IT.
SO THE WARRIOR GAMES ARE HERE IN 2022.
WE WANT 'EM TO BE HERE IN 2022.
WE WANT THEM TO COMBINE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
AGAIN, THAT BRINGS THE ENTIRE AIR FORCE LEADERSHIP HERE.
IT BRINGS ALL THESE COMMANDS HERE.
I MEAN, I'M ON THE BOARD OF VISIT SAN.
THIS IS GOOD FOR US, UH, ALL THE WAY AROUND.
AND IT HIGHLIGHTS OUR, OUR MILITARY.
IT HIGHLIGHTS OUR CITY, UH, WITH, WITH D O D.
UH, AND SO I THINK THIS IS ALL GOOD.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COULDN'T TAKE WAYNE PEACOCK, YOU COULDN'T GO THE, THE PRESIDENCY OF E O OF S STATE, BUT WE HAD HIM CALL IN.
AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? THAT IS IMPORTANT TO ALL THREE SECRETARIES.
ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE FORWARDED LETTERS TO ALL 50 GOVERNORS, UH, SAYING THAT SUPPORT SPOUSE SUPPORT STUDENTS FAMILY SUPPORT WAS GONNA BE ONE OF THE CRITERIA FOR BASING DECISIONS TO PUT BASES, UH, UH, SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, HERE OR ANYWHERE.
WHAT DID US, WHAT IS US? THEY JUST PUT, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT IS.
I THINK IT WAS $50 MILLION TOWARDS FAMILY SUPPORT.
SO, U SS A A IS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
I MEAN, U S A A IS ALL OVER THE STATE.
SO TO GET THE PRESIDENT, C E O OF U S A A TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF SAN ANTONIO, I THOUGHT WAS, UH, WAS, WAS VERY GOOD.
AND THAT REALLY MADE AN IMPRESSION.
AND, YOU KNOW, WANT TO THANK JENNIFER FOR, I THINK HE'S ON HER BOARD, THE, FOR, TO GET HIM OUT THERE.
BUT, UH, AND THEY'VE ALSO WRITTEN LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR, UH, SPACE COMMAND.
SO WE CONTINUE TO, UH, MONITOR, AND THIS IS AN OLD, UH, LINE THERE.
I DON'T NEED TO MONITOR THEM ANYMORE.
I KNOW WE'RE IN THE TOP SIX, AND WE'RE GONNA WORK VERY HARD TO GET, UM, TO GET, UH, TO GET THEM HERE.
UH, GENERAL BROWN TALKED VERY, UH, WARMLY ABOUT, UH, SAN ANTONIO.
AND, YOU KNOW, HE, HE ASKED THE MAYOR, THE ONLY ASK HE HAD FOR THE MAYOR WAS, HEY, INVITE ME TO THE NEXT FIESTA EVENT.
SO THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHERE WE'RE AT
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ON THE SEC.THIS PROGRAM, UH, AS PART OF THE, UH, STATE, UH, LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR THE CITY, UH, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, UH, I'M WORKING WITH HOUSE AND SENATE REPRESENTATIVES TO CRAFT LANGUAGE INTO THE LAW TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, UH, IS MAINTAINED.
I KNOW THERE'S OTHER THINGS GOING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND AGAIN, THAT LAW WILL FACILITATE THE COLLECTION OF MEDICAL COSTS OF THE MILITARY AND EASE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON SOME OF THOSE PATIENTS.
AND THEY BRING 'EM IN FROM EVERYWHERE.
YOU KNOW, RAC FOLKS BRING 'EM IN FROM EVERYWHERE.
UH, I THINK THE, THE, UH, THE, IT'S A 2000 MILE AREA.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MAILING PEOPLE ARE IN THAT AREA, BUT THEY BRING 'EM IN FROM EVERYWHERE.
AND A LOT OF THESE FOLKS, I THINK, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BALLOT, THEY CAN'T PAY.
AND SO I THINK THIS IS GREAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE, UH, FOR D H A TO THEIR FOOTPRINT.
WE JUST, UH, GAINED 220 PEOPLE BY, BY SPRING WHILE THOSE 220, BY THE SUMMER, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THOSE OTHER 700.
THINK ABOUT THIS AGAIN, AS JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, JOBS.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD, WHEN I WAS AT THE CHAMBER, I WOULD TELL EVERYBODY THAT WE NEED, UH, GET OUR SMALL BUSINESSES TO SEE HOW THEY CAN DO BUSINESS WITH MILITARY OR WITH OUR FEDERAL AGENCIES, OR 66 FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT ARE HERE, UH, IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WHY NOT A SINGLE FURLOUGH, NOT A SINGLE LAYOFF FOR ANY OF THE, UH, FOLKS IN THE MILITARY.
AND THEY'RE IN EVERY ONE OF OUR 10 DISTRICTS.
AND SO, UH, OR THE, THE FOLKS THAT WORKED THERE, 85% OF THE 45,000 TROOPS THAT ARE ABOARD JOINT BASED SAN ANTONIO, 85% OF 'EM LIVE IN TOWN.
AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP.
THEY ALWAYS SAYS, YOU CONSIDER SAN ANTONIO NEEDS PLACE.
IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT, YES, IT IS.
UH, WARRIOR GAMES WILL CONTINUE TO DO.
I'VE TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT SPACECOM SATURDAY.
THEY'RE COMING DOWN WITH FIVE PEOPLE TO DO AN ASSESSMENT OF JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO.
AND I'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM TOO, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT COMMISSARIES, PXS GYMS, UH, CAPACITY IN BUILDINGS, AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE PORTS AREA, AND THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT OUR CITY.
THE A R P, UH, INDEX ON LIVABILITY TO SCHOOLS, DAYCARE CENTERS, RUNWAYS, RESPONSE TO EMERGENCIES BY OUR POLICE AND FIRE.
AND AGAIN, WE, WE, WE'VE DONE ALL THAT WORK, UTILITY OVERLAYS, AND SO WE'RE READY FOR 'EM.
I HAVE A, A, A GOOD FEELING THAT WE'RE GONNA GET 'EM IN 2022, UH, PROJECTS, UH, FOR THE MILITARY, FOR THAT.
DSIP NATIONAL GUARD IS ON, ON TRACK, UH, TO MOVE THOSE WARRIOR WING ASSETS, UH, TO KELLY AND BRING THAT GROUND UNIT HERE.
AND AGAIN, UH, THAT SURVEY, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT I THINK NEEDS TO CONTINUE AFTER, LONG AFTER I'M GONE, UH, AND TWO, FOUR STAR GENERALS, UH, GRABBED ME AND SAID, HEY, JUAN, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS VISIT TO THE PENTAGON MOVED THE NEEDLE, AND I THINK IT MOVED THE NEEDLE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT POLITICAL WILL GOT THE 50 YARD LINE.
WE GOT TO THE TOP SIX, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, IS THAT NOW IT'S AT, UH, IT'S AT THE POLITICAL LEVEL BECAUSE THESE THINGS, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, ARE VERY POLITICAL IN NATURE.
YOU GO SEE SOME OF OUR BASES AROUND THE WORLD AND YOU SAY, WHY THE HELL ARE THEY HERE? WELL, YOU ASKED SOMEBODY THAT REALLY ADVOCATED, UH, FOR 'EM AT ONE POINT, AND IT WAS NOT A, A MILITARY GUY.
IT WASN'T A, IT WAS A, A POLITICIAN OR A, AN ELECTED FISHERMAN.
I HAD ONE FOUR STAR, ANOTHER FOUR STAR ASSEMBLY.
THIS IS THE ONLY CITY BUSINESS AND ASKED TO HOST.
AND SO I THINK THIS, THIS MOVES THE NEEDLE, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT.
UH, I'M READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UH, BUT AGAIN, IT'S, UH, I THINK THESE TRIPS ARE, ARE VERY WORTHWHILE.
AND, UH, UH, WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE'LL CONTINUE.
WE, UM, DO, WE DID HAVE JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ AND KEVIN WOLF ON THE, ON THE LINE, AND IT WAS MY BAD.
AND SO, UM, IF WE CAN GET OUR, OUR CLERK TO, UH, TO RECOGNIZE THEM ON THE MINUTES, THAT, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UM, SO NO, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH, WITH QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, AND, UM, I'LL INVITE, UH, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ TO START.
FIRST CO-CHAIR, HOW YOU BEEN? I AM GOOD.
UH, MR. UH,
I CAN'T BE THERE TO SEE, UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE HANDSOME MUG.
UH, BUT, UM,
I KNOW I DID SPEAK WITH, UH, FOLKS OVER AT THE PORT.
UH, THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, COMPETITION.
UM, BUT IT'S, I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY AN HONOR THAT WE'RE IN THE, IN THE, ON THE SHORT LIST.
UH, SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO ON THE COUNTY SIDE, UH, LET US KNOW.
I KNOW, UH, THE MAYOR AND THE COUNTY JUDGE HAVE BEEN VISITING ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT I THINK, UH, THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE
[00:25:01]
HAS LAID THE GROUNDWORK, AND I'M CERTAINLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.SO, UH, BUT NO QUESTIONS, BUT I APPRECIATE THE BRIEFING.
UH, COUNCILMAN ADRIANA GARCIA ROCHA, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY OF POSSIBLY GETTING 1400 JOBS COMING TO PORT SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS IN D FOUR.
SO I'M REALLY, UM, PSYCHED ABOUT THAT.
UM, I, I WANTED TO TAKE THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, JUST REALLY THANK GENERAL AYLA FOR, FOR YOUR WORK.
I, I, I LOVE THAT YOU HAVE THESE, UH, LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOLKS.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SEEN SOME REALLY, UH, REALLY GOOD FOLKS THAT ARE LEADING AT DIFFERENT, UH, LEVELS, UH, ACROSS OUR MILITARY THAT ARE FROM SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS POINT POINTING THAT OUT, BECAUSE IT JUST REMINDS ME HOW, HOW PROUD I AM TO BE A PART OF MILITARY, UH, CITY OF A AND, AND BORN AND RAISED HERE.
LIKE, LIKE SOME OF THESE FOLKS.
UM, DEFINITELY CAN'T WAIT TO INVITE GENERAL, UH, BROWN TO FIESTA WHENEVER THAT FIESTA EVENT COMES UP FIRST.
I'M SURE I'LL BE RIGHT THERE WITH HIM AS WELL.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, GENERAL ALA YOU HAD ON YOUR SLIDE.
AND, AND THIS IS, UH, REALLY MY, MY ONLY QUESTION THERE WAS, AND THIS COULD BE OFFLINE.
YOU HAVE, UH, THE PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AGENCY REFERENCED ON THERE.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND SO, SO AGAIN, THAT'S, UH, JUST, JUST OFFLINE WHENEVER YOU GET A CHANCE.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I, UH, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, ON, ON, UM, A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I THINK WOULD REALLY, UM, EXPRESS, UH, MORE OF OUR COMMITMENT TO, UH, AND GOOD NEIGHBOR WITH.
UH, UH, LET ME, WHAT I CAN DO IS I CAN SET UP A VISIT, UH, ONCE THEY'RE ESTABLISHED.
AND, UH, YEAH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY GENERAL ALA THANK YOU, JUAN.
THANK YOU, KAREN, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK AS WELL.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM BEING VERY STRATEGIC IN ALL OF OUR MOVEMENTS, AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
I ALSO, AND I ALSO THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY STRATEGIC WHEN WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE INVITING ALL OF THESE TOP LEVEL BRASS FROM ALL OF OUR BASES TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UM, BECAUSE IT REMINDS THEM OF OUR CONNECTION.
UH, SO I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE CAN WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.
AND, UM, ALSO WELL DONE TO THE PORT SAN ANTONIO TEAM, UH, JIM AND THE ENTIRE BOARD.
I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN VERY, UH, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING HARD ON THIS.
AND OF COURSE, JENNA AND THE MAYOR, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS UPDATE.
I AM SO SAD WE DIDN'T GET THE WARRIOR GAMES THIS YEAR, BUT IT IS, UH, WHERE WE ARE.
AND I'M, I'M OF COURSE, UM, IN ALIGNMENT WITH YOU, GENERAL AYALA, UH, THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO RALLY TO GET IT, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
I DO JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU, GENERAL, BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK FROM THE, UH, PRESIDENT-ELECT, UH, FOR THE RETIRED FOUR STAR GENERAL LLOYD AUSTIN.
DO YOU KNOW HIM? DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW HIM OR HAVE ANY CONNECTIONS WITH YOU'RE ON MUTE, SIR.
SOMEBODY MUTE ON THE OTHER END.
UM, HE IS A, A, A, HE'S, HE'S A TREMENDOUS LEADER.
UH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, THE ONE, THE PERSON I WORKED FOR WAS A JUNIOR, WORKED FOR HIM, UH, IN IRAQ, AND ON ONE OF MY TOURS, UH, VERY THOUGHTFUL, UH, VERY INTELLIGENT, VERY STRATEGIC, VERY CARING, UH, INDIVIDUAL
UH, UH, THEN VICE PRESIDENT, UH, WENT TO VISIT HIM IN RETE.
AND HIS SON, UH, I THINK THEY HAD JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT, UH,
AND, UH, USUALLY WHEN THE VICE PRESIDENT GOES AND VISITS YOU OUT IN THE FIELD, YOU HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND A LOT OF REQUESTS.
AND SO THEY GOT THROUGH THEIR BRIEFING AT RETE.
AND, UH, THIS IS TELL, THIS JUST TELLS YOU GENERAL AUSTIN, GENERAL AUSTIN HAD ONE QUESTION FOR HIM.
HOW'S YOUR SON BIDEN? SO THAT TELLS YOU A LOT ABOUT, ABOUT HIM.
SO, UH, YES, I, I DO, I DO KNOW HIM.
AND, UH, I THINK HE'S GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE.
THIS IS MY OPINION, JUST BE, IS MY OPINION, JUST BECAUSE OF THE, HE HAS TO HAVE A WAIVER.
YOU HAVE TO BE OUT SEVEN YEARS.
UH, HE MIGHT EEK IT OUT, BUT I PERSONALLY, AND AGAIN, I'M A, I'M MILITARY.
UH, I THINK HE WOULD BE A GREAT SECRETARY.
UH, TWO OF MY FAVORITE WARRIORS ARE KEVIN WOLF
[00:30:01]
AND CLAYTON PERRY.UH, CLAYTON, WHY DON'T YOU GO FIRST? YEAH.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION.
AND THIS IS ALL RIGHT DOWN MY ALLEY.
I WOULD'VE LOVED TO BEEN ON THE TRIP UP THERE TO THE PENTAGON, BUT UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS RIGHT NOW.
BUT, UH, ALL OF THIS IS RIGHT DOWN, UM, SAN ANTONIO'S ALLEY, NOT JUST MINE.
AND WE'VE GOTTA KEEP THAT IN MIND.
AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO ON THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, AFFECTS THE MILITARY.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, THEY'RE WATCHING, THEY'RE WATCHING EVERY STEP THAT WE MAKE ON CITY COUNCIL.
EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE, EVERY VOTE THAT WILL TAKE, THAT AFFECTS THEIR MILITARY, THAT LIVES PLAY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE JUST NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE TAKE ON CITY COUNCIL, SAYING, IN THE BACK OF OUR MIND NOW, ARE THE MILITARY GONNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SAN ANTONIO OR LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO AND THEIR MISSIONS AND, AND, UH, MOVING THEIR PEOPLE TO SAN ANTONIO OR TO SOME OTHER AREA? SO I JUST WANNA REMIND MY COLLEAGUES, AND I HOPE THAT RESONATES ACROSS THE COUNCIL.
'CAUSE UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, UH, GARCIA AND MYSELF HAVE, UH, WORKED VERY CLOSELY ABOUT, UH, BLACKLAND.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT SOME ISSUES OUT THERE, LIN, THAT NEED TO BUBBLE UP TO THE TOP HERE PRETTY SOON.
AND THAT, THAT ISSUE IS THE RUNWAY.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S JOINT USE RUNWAY OUT THERE BETWEEN THE PORT AND LACKLAND AND THE GUARD, UM, FOR TRAINING.
AND THAT'S GONNA BECOME A CRITICAL ISSUE HERE SOMETIMES SOON, THAT SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO TAKE A STEP FORWARD SAYING, OKAY, WE TAKE THAT LEADERSHIP ROLE AND WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA START THAT PROCESS OF WHO'S GONNA FUND IT, WHO'S GOING TO TAKE THE LEAD? AND, YOU KNOW, IT, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE MONEY.
WHERE'S THE MONEY GONNA COME FROM? ARE WE GONNA BUILD ANOTHER RUNWAY AS AN ALTERNATE LANDING STRIP UNTIL THE MAIN RUNWAY GETS, UH, RESURFACED AND REDONE BECAUSE IT IS FALLING APART? UM, SO THAT'S A BIG CRITICAL AREA THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON AS A COMMUNITY AND AS A COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT, AND AS A PLAYER, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE THOSE OPERATIONS OUT THERE.
AND I, I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, ACTUALLY BRING THAT TO THE COMMITTEE HERE, OR, UH, B SESSION AT THE CITY COUNCIL, BECAUSE IT IS THAT STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL FOR THIS WHOLE COMMUNITY ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, WHAT DIRECTION ARE WE GONNA GO, WHO'S GONNA FUND IT, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
YOUR ALSO, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO START TALKING ABOUT THAT.
BUT YEAH, THIS IS ALL GOOD, GOOD WORK HERE.
I'M, UH, PROUD OF THE TEAM THAT WENT UP THERE TO, UM, WORK THESE ISSUES.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL KEEP THIS TRIP.
AND FUTURE TRIPS WE'LL TAKE UP THERE TO CONTINUE TO LOBBY FOR SAN ANTONIO AND THIS COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES AS WELL, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST SAN ANTONIO, IT'S A WHOLE, UH, REGION, UH, SUPPORTS MILITARY, VICE VERSA.
UH, I THINK, WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE, SOMETHING LIKE $30 BILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT COME INTO THIS, THAT COMES INTO THIS REGION? WE CAN'T TAKE OUR EYES OFF THAT BALL, NOT FOR A SECOND.
SO LET'S KEEP PUSHING FORWARD AND MAKING IT ATTRACTIVE FOR MORE MISSIONS HERE TO SAN ANTONIO, AND TO KEEP THE ONES THAT WE HAVE.
FOOT STOMP, FOOT STOMP, FOOT STOMP.
COUNCILMAN PERRY, IF I COULD SAY SOMETHING, UH, ON YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, I TALK ALMOST EVERY DAY TO THE MILITARY ON CVID 19.
UH, AND THAT VIRUS DOESN'T HAVE A FENCE LINE.
AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, AND THEN ANYTIME THAT A DIRECTIVE COMES FROM THE MAYOR OR THE JUDGE, I MAKE SURE WE MAKE SURE THAT THE MILITARY HAS IT.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEY ARE MILITARY, THEY'RE FEDERAL, UH, THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF, UH, UH, REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS ON THE BASE.
BUT I GUARANTEE YOU THAT RELATIONSHIP IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UH, GENERAL MILLER, CAROLINE MILLER, UH, TRIES VERY HARD TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE IN LINE WITH THE CITY.
AGAIN, THOSE 85% THAT LIVE OFF BASE, THEY HAVE TO LIVE WITH BOTH.
AND, I MEAN, I'VE WORKED WITH THEM FROM TOBACCO 21 TO THIS.
I MEAN, SO THAT RELATIONSHIP IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WHILE I'VE GOT YOU HERE, THE THING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND I, AND I, WHEN I FIRST GOT TO THE CITY FIVE YEARS AGO, I'D GET A LITTLE BIT OF PUSHBACK TAKING THESE FOLKS TO CITY COUNCIL.
IT, THAT RELATIONSHIP, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
THEY REMEMBER THAT A LOT OF 'EM HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A CITY COUNCIL, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE THREE STAR GENERALS.
TWO STAR GENERALS, AND THEY REMEMBER THAT.
AND SO, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
WHEN WE BRING HIM IN FOR CAKE CUNNINGS, WHEN WE BRING HIM IN FOR VISITS, UH, UH, THE MAYOR JUST VISITED WITH GENERAL GOLFING THAT HE JUST RETIRED.
[00:35:01]
UH, AND SO THOSE, THOSE VISITS ARE, ARE VERY IMPORTANT.AND, AND I ENCOURAGE, UH, AND AS, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE ON COUNTY SIDE, UH, I WORKED, UH, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE, UH, KAREN AND HER TEAM.
AND WHEN THEY COME BACK ON SATURDAY, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST DOING A SITE VISIT.
BUT ON THE 21ST OF DECEMBER, UH, THEY'RE GONNA A VIDEO CONFERENCE WITH THE MAYOR AND A BUNCH OF THOSE, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THEY'RE GONNA ASK IS ACCESS TO MILITARY AND VETERAN SUPPORT.
AND SO, UH, I SEE COMMISSIONER WOLF ON THERE, AND I SEE KAREN ON THERE.
I'M GONNA ASK KAREN TO ON BOARD AND TALK ABOUT THE GREAT PROGRAMS THAT THE COUNTY HAS, UH, FOR, UH, NOT ONLY OUR TRANSITIONING SERVICE MEMBERS, BUT ALSO OUR VETERANS THAT ARE IN THE CITY.
LET ME, LET ME JUST, UH, PIGGYBACK ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID, SIR.
WE SHOULDN'T JUST EXPECT THEM TO COME DOWN TO CITY HALL.
THE MILITARY LOVES TO SHOW OFF WHAT THEY'RE DOING AT THEIR INSTALLATIONS.
I, I, I REALLY ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO GO OUT THERE AND VISIT INSTALLATIONS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN THE DISTRICT.
THEY LOVE TO SHOW OFF WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THE MISSIONS THAT THEY ARE ACCOMPLISHING, THE, THE, THE THINGS THAT I FOUND OUT.
AND COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA FOUND OUT, THE NATIONAL GUARD SAID, WOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU GUYS DID THAT KIND OF THING.
AND THEY'RE PROUD OF THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
SO I'M REALLY ENCOURAGING BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY GO OUT AND VISIT THESE PLACES, GO TO THEIR OFFICES, DON'T EXPECT THEM TO COME TO YOURS.
UH, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UH, WHEN DID, UH, WHEN DID WE GET THAT BRIEFING AT FORT SAM? SIR, WE, THEY, THEY DID A, A MISSION BRIEF THERE AT FORT SAM.
YEAH, THIS WAS, UH, THIS WAS, UH, BEFORE, I THINK IT WAS BEFORE COVID HIT, BUT YEAH, NO, IT IS AFTER ANY ANYBODY ON COUNCIL? IT WAS AFTER, IT WAS AFTER COVID HIT, BECAUSE WE HAD MASKS ON IN THERE.
BUT HOW MANY, OH, THIS IS THE NINTH ONE.
YEAH, ALL THE COUNCIL WAS INVITED.
HOW MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS ATTENDED? I THINK A COUPLE OF YOU, BUT, UH, AGAIN, THREE.
AND THEY, THEY GO, WENT TO A LOT OF EFFORT TO PUT A BRIEFING TOGETHER TO TAKE OUT THEIR TIME OUT OF THEIR MISSION TO BRIEF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY WHO IT WAS, BUT I, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A, THAT'S A DISAPPOINTMENT ON MY PART.
AND I THINK IT WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT ON THEIR PART THAT WE CALL OURSELVES MILITARY CITY, U S A AND WE DON'T GIVE THEM THE COURTESY TO SHOW UP TO THEIR BRIEFING.
AND I'M PREPARED TO, UH, TO SET THOSE TRIPS UP.
COMMISSIONER WOLF QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YEAH.
REAL QUICKLY, UM, FIRST, UH, JUAN, UH, GREAT JOB.
UH, REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
UH, JUAN, I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT I DO HAVE THE WARRIOR GAMES SHIRT ON, SO I EXPECT CONTINUED WORK FOR THAT.
UM, UH, UH, ADRIANA, YOU CAN PROBABLY GET THE GUARD TO ACTUALLY GIVE YOU A RIDE IN ONE OF THEIR JETS.
UH, SO I CHALLENGE YOU TO TRY AND GO DO THAT.
UM, WHICH ACCEPTED, AND, AND JUST BECAUSE THIS IS MY LAST MEETING, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, YOU KNOW, THROW THIS OUT, UH, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMITTEE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON.
UM, CLAYTON BROUGHT UP THE RUNWAY AT, FOR SAN ANTONIO.
THERE ARE TWO WAYS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO FUND THIS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO PUT IT ON THE TABLE IN REGARDS TO TRYING TO ATTRACT SPACE FORCE, UH, CERTAINLY.
BUT JUST BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
SO THE TWO POTENTIAL WAYS TO DO IT IS, ONE, WE COULD POSSIBLY DO IT THROUGH THE R M A, THE TWO, TWO IS THROUGH THE CREATION OF AN AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
EITHER ONE OF THOSE, UH, COULD EASILY, UH, RAISE AT LEAST A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT INTO THE MIX.
IF, IF WE, IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, THROW THAT INTO THE MIX, UH, IN REGARDS TO SPACE FORCE, UH, AND IT TIPS US OVER THE EDGE, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO BUILD THAT RUNWAY.
LIKE I SAY, WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE EXISTING R M A, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE CREATION OF AN AIRPORT AUTHORITY, UM, BOTH OF THOSE ARE, ARE COUNTY STATUTORY ABILITIES THAT THEY, THAT, THAT WE COULD UTILIZE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY.
UH, SO IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHERE THE MONEY
[00:40:01]
IS, CLAYTON, I JUST GAVE YOU TWO DIFFERENT SOURCES FOR IT.UH, I'LL TELL YOU, UH, JUAN, ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCES, UH, DURING, FOR ME, DURING THIS PAST, UH, THREE AND A HALF YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE, UM, IS GETTING TO WALK, UH, CAMP BULLIS WITH YOU, UM, AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY HOW IMPORTANT A JUUL WE HAVE IN THAT, IN THAT, UH, FACILITY OUT THERE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE KEY COMPETENCIES OF, OF THIS JOB IS KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND UNLESS WE'RE ACTUALLY WALKING THESE FACILITIES, UM, AND WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE ARE OUT THERE SAYING WE'RE MILITARY, U S A, I THINK WE'RE DOING A DISSERVICE TO, UM, TO THOSE FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY, UH, WORK THOSE JOBS.
AND SO, UH, WHENEVER YOU HAVE TOURS SET UP, I'D, I'D, I'D LOVE TO GO WITH YOU.
AND ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO WANTS TO GO TO CAMP BULLIS, UM, I'LL LOVE TO TAG ALONG, UH, THAT THAT IS A PLACE THAT YOU'LL NEVER FINISH EXPLORING.
UH, ANYWAY, NUMBER TWO, UH, I'LL TELL YOU MY UNDERSTANDING, JEFF, UH, IS THAT SPACE FORCE AND SPACE COMMAND ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, AND CAN YOU, CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE DIFFERENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE? YEAH.
I THINK I'LL DEFER TO JUAN, BUT, BUT THAT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UH, SPACE FORCE HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S SO CLOSELY LINKED TO THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.
SPACE COMMAND IS MORE OF A PROTECTION OF, OF ALL OF OUR, UH, INFORMATION ASSETS AND SO FORTH FROM SPACE.
UH, SPACE FORCE IS, IS CONSIDERED A COMBATANT COMMAND, WHICH MEANS ALL FOUR SERVICES, UH, PARTICIPATE IN IT.
IT'S A, IT'S A COMMAND SPACE COMMAND.
THE, UH, THE OTHER UNIT THAT, THAT PEOPLE GET, UH, UH, SPACE FORCE, THEY GET CONFUSED.
THAT'S THE AIR FORCE'S SPACE UNIT.
THINK OF IT AS, AS, AS THE WAY THE MARINE CORPS IS ORGANIZED, THE, THE C THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, IT, THE HIGHER HEADQUARTERS, AND THEN THE MARINE CORPS IS, ITS, ITS COMMAND IS IS PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY.
IT'S, I KNOW IT'S CONFUSING, IT'S CONFUSING TO A LOT OF MILITARY FOLKS, BUT IT'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
SPACE FORCE IS PART OF THE AIR FORCE.
SPACE COMMAND IS ONE OF THE 11 COMBATANT COMMANDS THAT THE NATION HAS THAT IS, IS A JOINT COMMAND.
AND IT'S LIKE AFRICA, AFRICA COMMAND, EUROPEAN COMMAND, SOUTHERN COMMAND.
UH, IT IS, IT IS A DIFFERENT, UH, ANIMAL THAN THE AIR FORCE COMPONENT, WHICH IS THE OTHER ONE.
SO, YEAH, IT'S, IT, IT CAN BE CONFUSING, BUT YES, IT'S DIFFERENCE.
AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING IS GET SPACE COMMAND HERE, WHICH IS A FOUR STAR COMMAND, AND IT'S A JOINT COMMAND, WHICH MEANS THAT THE, THE STAFF IS NOT ONLY AIR FORCE, UH, IT CAN BE FROM, FROM ALL THE SERVICES.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A VERY HELPFUL CLARIFICATION.
THE OTHER THING, UM, I THINK EVERYBODY ON THIS CALL UNDERSTANDS HOW EXCRUCIATINGLY DIFFICULT IT MUST BE TO GET ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE GENERAL'S, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, HOW TO GET THEM ALL IN THE SAME ROOM, UH, AND SCHEDULED.
AND, UM, I, I, I DON'T ENVY WHOEVER IT IS THAT HAD TO DO THAT, BUT, UM, I, I DO KNOW THAT IT'S, UH, THOSE TWO PEOPLE ARE KEVIN AND LAUREN ON THIS CALL.
UM, AND YOU GUYS HAVE EARNED A VACATION.
UH, AND, UH, IF, AND IF NOT A VACATION, DEFINITELY A MARGARITA.
UH, THE, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU GUYS REALLY PUT A LOT OF WORK IN INTO MAKING SURE THAT THE, THE GENERAL AND THE MAYOR'S TRIP WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
UH, LAUREN, UH, I WANNA ECHO THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS HARD.
THAT WAS REALLY, THAT WAS A, THAT CAN BE A NUBIAN GOAT ROPE.
IT REALLY CAN
UH, BUT YEAH, IT WAS, UH, YEAH, IT, IT WAS, UH, YEAH, IT WAS 17TH.
LASTLY, I'LL POINT OUT, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, YOU, YOU MENTIONED TWICE DURING THESE MEETINGS AND, AND I'VE TAKEN IT TO HEART.
YOU KNOW, THIS CONCEPT OF HAVING SOMEBODY WALKING THE HALLS OF THE PENTAGON, UH, MAKING SURE THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, UH, AFTER TODAY'S PRESENTATION'S CLEAR TO ME THAT WE, WE'VE GOT THAT GUY, UH, AND, UH, HIS NAME IS, UH, GENERAL AYALA.
AND, UH, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU GENERAL.
UM, AND I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND, UM, I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE STINT WITH THE HISPANIC CHAMBERS OVER SO THAT WE CAN FINALLY GET YOU, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF YOUR BANDWIDTH, UH, WELCOME BACK.
ALRIGHT, FOLKS, WE'VE GOT, UH, THERE, THERE YOU GO.
WE'VE GOT A, UH, UH, SOME MORE ITEMS, UH, ON OUR AGENDA.
AND LET ME PULL THAT UP REAL QUICK HERE.
[3. 20-7239 Bexar County State Legislative Program & Elections Legislation. [Melissa Shannon, Governmental Affairs Director, Bexar County]]
GOT THE BEAR COUNTY STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM AND ELECTIONS LEGISLATION, AND THIS IS, UH, MELISSA SHANNON'S ITEM.AND, UM, I WILL CHALLENGE GENERAL AYLA TO A NUBIAN
[00:45:01]
GOAT ROPE, BECAUSE I WOULD BET THAT HE HAS NEVER ROPED A GOAT, SO HE CAN COME OUT AND WE'LL ROPE SOME GOATS.I'M JUST SAYING GENERAL, THANK YOU, MELISSA.
I, I HAVE ROPED A GOAT, AND UNFORTUNATELY I'VE ALSO RIDDEN A GOAT.
UH, IT'S, UH, MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
PEOPLE, UM,
THIS IS A FAMILY SHOW HERE, GENERAL.
UM, SO FIRST OFF, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, LAST NIGHT ABOUT, I GUESS IT WAS ABOUT 7:00 PM YOU RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM EDUARDO.
UM, IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN THAT YET, YOU MAY WANNA PULL IT UP.
UH, 'CAUSE TOWARDS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION, I'LL REFERENCE, UM, THAT LISTING.
SO JUST F Y I, THAT IT, UM, ONLY TOOK ME LIKE 12 HOURS TO PULL THESE THREE SLIDES TOGETHER YESTERDAY WITH ALL THE OTHER COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND SUCH.
SO ANYWAY, UM, SO JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, UM, HOW WE'RE STRUCTURED HERE AT THE COUNTY.
I AM THE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, UM, FOR THE COUNTY.
AND, UM, I ANSWER TO DAVID SMITH, TO THE COUNTY MANAGER, WHO ULTIMATELY ANSWERS TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
UM, WE'RE JUST A SMALL TWO-MAN OPERATION.
IT'S JUST MYSELF AND MANUEL AL.
AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ALL PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS PS AND TAX INCREMENT FINANCING.
WE ALSO DO THAT IN MY OFFICE, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER, UH, SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT COME UP FOR THE MANAGER.
UM, SO I REPRESENT THE COUNTY AT ALL, UH, LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL, UH, LEVELS ON ANY I G R MATTERS.
AND I, UH, REPRESENT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
SO I BASICALLY REPRESENT THE FULL COUNTY, BUT IF WE GET TO ANY DISCREPANCIES WITHIN OUR VARIOUS ELECT ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEN I DEFER TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, AT THE CITY, EVERY, YOU KNOW, ALL STAFF ANSWERS TO THE MANAGER, UM, AT THE COUNTY, WE'RE NOT SET UP THAT WAY.
WE'VE GOT VARIOUS ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO SAY THE SHERIFF HAS A, UH, LEGISLATIVE ISSUE, IF COMMISSIONER'S COURT IS IN FAVOR OF THAT ISSUE, AND ALL FIVE OF MY COURT MEMBERS HAVE TO BE IN FAVOR OF IT, FOR IT TO BE SOMETHING THAT I WORK ON, THEN WE'LL WORK ON IT WITH THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS.
IF NOT, THEN THEY'RE FREE TO GO OFF AND, UH, DO, UM, TAKE THOSE ITEMS UP AT THE FEDERAL OR STATE LEVEL WHEREVER THEY WANT.
UM, SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, EDUARDO.
SO, UM, IN THE, THE PACKET THAT I RECEIVED THAT I'VE SHARED WITH THE GROUP, WITH THE STAFF THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IS A COPY OF THE COUNTY'S PROGRAM.
SO THESE ARE THE ITEMS, UM, THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UH, OUR PROGRAM IS DIVIDED INTO TWO CATEGORIES.
WE HAVE INITIATIVES AND POLICIES.
OUR INITIATIVES ARE PRIORITY ITEMS WHERE I'VE ASKED ALL THE VARIOUS OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY TO SUBMIT ITEMS TO US THAT THEY WOULD LIKE US TO WORK ON.
AND THESE HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT TO THE COUNTY IN SOME WAY, UM, FISCALLY, UM, MAYBE IT'S A CLEANUP OF STATUTE THAT WILL HELP US, UM, MANAGE THINGS A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO THESE ARE ITEMS THAT WE WILL ACTIVELY BE SEEKING BILL SPONSORS ON AND TRYING TO GET A BILL TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK AND SIGNED OFF ON.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE POLICIES, THESE ARE JUST, UM, ITEMS THAT ARE OF INTEREST TO THE COUNTY.
UH, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, IMPACT US IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND THIS IS THE COUNTY'S POSITION ON CERTAIN ITEMS THAT WHEN I AM IN AUSTIN, UM, I'M ABLE TO SIGN IN, IN SUPPORT OR, OR OPPOSITION OF BILLS OR WORK ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY ON THESE ITEMS. SO OUR, UM, INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THIS NEXT SESSION, I'VE GOT FIVE ITEMS THAT I'LL BE ACTIVELY PURSUING.
UM, SITE AND RELEASE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, RAPED SUCCESS SO FAR IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I KNOW THAT SS A P D, UH, PARTICIPATES IN THIS.
WE'RE SEEKING TO ADD SOME MORE, UM, NONVIOLENT LOW LEVEL, UM, OFFENSES TO THE SITE RELEASE STATUTE TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW THE OFFICERS, UM, AT THE TIME OF WHEN THEY HAVE THE PERSON THERE, THEY CAN JUST CITE THEM AND LET THEM GO, RATHER THAN TAKING THEM TO THE ADULT DETENTION CENTER.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S A BIG COST FOR THE COUNTY OPEN COURT.
THIS IS AN ITEM SPECIFICALLY, UM, FOR OUR PROBATE COURTS RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT WE ARE ONLY GOING TO SEEK THIS FOR PROBATE COURTS.
UM, THINK ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT GO THROUGH PROBATE.
THOSE ARE, UM, PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY INCAPACITATED INDIVIDUALS.
IT'S REALLY HARD FOR THEM TO COME DOWN TO THE COURTHOUSE.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, PARKING'S NOT THE GREATEST DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO IT'S HARD FOR FAMILY MEMBERS TO BRING THEM IN.
SO WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN DOING REMOTE COURT HEARINGS, BE, UH, VIA, YOU KNOW, VIRTUAL,
[00:50:01]
UM, ZOOM AND OTHER ID, UH, AVENUES.AND SO WE WANNA, UM, UPDATE THE ESTATES CODE TO BE ABLE, UH, TO ALLOW PROBATE COURTS TO CONTINUE TO, UH, MEET WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS, UH, REMOTELY PAROLE REVOCATION HEARINGS.
THERE IS A DISCREPANCY RIGHT NOW, UM, IN LANGUAGE WITH THE, UH, PARDONS AND PAROLES BOARD AND THE DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS ON WHAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT CONSTITUTES A NEW OFFENSE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS OUT ON PAROLE, UM, WHAT WE CALL A BLUE WARRANT, UM, UH, WHEN THEY'VE, UH, WHEN THE PAROLE, UH, IS REVOKED.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CLEAN UP SOME LANGUAGE AND, AND FIX THOSE.
UM, SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT A NEW OFFENSE WOULD BE.
STUDENT EXPULSION, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING ON FOR THE JUVENILE, UM, DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS, AND MOST OF THE ISDS WITHIN BEXAR COUNTY ARE ALREADY DOING THIS AS WELL.
THIS IS JUST A STATUTE CLEANUP.
UM, THE, THE THING THAT'S, THE WAY THAT'S EASIEST FOR ME TO EXPLAIN THIS ONE IS, THINK BACK WHEN VAPING BECAME SUCH A BIG DEAL.
A LOT OF THE KIDS WERE VAPING, UM, AND MAYBE IT WAS THEIR FIRST OFFENSE.
WELL, THEY AUTOMATICALLY, THAT WAS A MANDATORY AUTOMATIC EXPULSION FROM SCHOOL, AND WE GOT 'EM IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM INTO OUR ACADEMY.
IT'S MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE FOR US TO HANDLE THEM AT THE J J A THAN IT IS AT THE I S D LEVEL.
UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, MOST SCHOOLS ARE ALREADY DOING THIS, WHERE THAT, THOSE KIND OF MINOR, WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER A MINOR OFFENSE, FIRST TIME OFFENSE IS, UM, NOT AN AUTOMATIC, UM, EXPULSION, BUT IT'S ANOTHER, UH, CLEANUP LANGUAGE ITEM THAT WE WANNA DO.
AND THEN LASTLY IS THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE ELECTION.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TRIED THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES.
UM, WE ARE ONLY ASKING FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO ALLOW US THE, UH, ABILITY TO PUT THIS ITEM ON A BALLOT TO SEE IF, UM, THE CITIZENS IN BEXAR COUNTY WOULD ALLOW US TO, UM, CHARGE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION TO RAISE MORE FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION.
WE JUST WANNA PUT IT ON THE BALLOT AND LET THE CITIZENS DECIDE.
SO, UM, ELECTIONS, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ REQUESTED THAT I BRIEF THIS GROUP, GROUP ON, UM, ON THE BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED TO DATE.
BUT I KNOW, UM, BECAUSE WE WORK IN THIS DAY, THIS, THIS, YOU KNOW, WORLD DAY-TO-DAY AT THE CITY LEVEL AND THE COUNTY LEVEL, WE UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T E DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CITIES AND COUNTIES AND HOW OUR VARIOUS OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS WERE SET UP.
SO BEFORE I GET INTO THE BILLS, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO GIVE JUST A BRIEF LITTLE HISTORY LESSON.
UM, BEXAR COUNTY, WE CREATED THE POSITION OF ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR BACK IN 2001, AND PRIOR TO THAT, IT WAS THE COUNTY CLERK WHO MANAGED ALL THE ELECTIONS WITH THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR ACTING AS THE VOTER REGISTRAR.
SO CHAPTER 31 OF THE TEXAS, UH, ELECTION CODE, UM, ALLOWED US TO CREATE THAT POSITION AND IT GOVERNS THAT POSITION, UM, IN SECTION 31.031.
UM, THAT'S WHERE THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT BY WRITTEN ORDER MAY CREATE THE POSITION OF THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID BACK IN 2001.
AND THEN SECTION 31 0 3 2, UM, APPOINTS ALLOWS US TO APPOINT THE ADMINISTRATOR AND THEN, UM, UH, CREATE THE COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION.
SO THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BASICALLY THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR'S BOSS.
SO I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COME TO COUNTY, UH, COMMISSIONER'S, COURT SEEKING, YOU KNOW, ADVICE OR CHANGES OR WHATEVER, UM, FOR US TO MAKE IMPROVE ITEMS. UM, BUT IT, IT IS, THERE ARE TWO MEMBER, WELL, THERE'S ONE MEMBER OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT THAT'S ON THIS COMMISSION.
SO THE COMMISSION CONSISTS OF THE COUNTY JUDGE WHO IS THE CHAIR, THE COUNTY CLERK AS THE VICE-CHAIR, THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR AS THE SECRETARY.
AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO HAVE MEMBERS OF, UH, THE COUNTY CHAIRS OF THE VARIOUS POLITICAL PARTIES, BUT THOSE POLITICAL PARTIES THAT MADE NOMINATIONS BY PRIMARY ELECTION FOR THE LAST GENERAL ELECTION.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S JUST REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PARTIES WHO, UM, HAVE SEATS AT, AT THAT, UM, COM, ON THAT COMMISSION.
AND THEN LASTLY, TO BE ELIGIBLE TO BE THE VOTER REGI, UM, ADMINISTRATOR, THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, UM, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE A QUALIFIED VOTER OF THE STATE.
SO THE, UM, COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT GO WITH THAT, ELECTIONS
[00:55:01]
OPERATIONS, UM, ALL THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE COUNTY.SO, UM, THE LAST NUMBERS I SAW, AND I'M NOT, NOT, I'M NOT SURE IF THESE ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT, BUT THAT'S LIKE 712 PRECINCTS, 53 POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS, 20 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, 29 CITIES, THREE MILITARY INSTALLATION, AND OVER 1.2 OR SO REGISTERED VOTERS.
SO IT'S, IT'S A BIG UNDERTAKING.
SO THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME TO ALLOW, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF, UH, GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD HELP A LITTLE BIT.
SO, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, EDUARDO.
AND, UM, THIS IS WHERE THE LIST THAT I, I, UM, SPOKE ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING.
UM, SO I EMAILED OUT A LIST OF ALL THE BILLS THAT I AM CURRENTLY TRACKING RIGHT NOW.
UM, PRE-FILING BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 9TH FOR ALL, UH, STATE LEGISLATIVE BILLS.
AS OF 5:00 PM LAST NIGHT, THERE HAD BEEN 948 BILLS FILED SO FAR, AND WE'RE TRACKING RIGHT NOW 53 ELECTIONS, BILLS.
SO DON'T LOOK AT THAT LIST AND SAY, UH, THIS IS WHAT THE COUNTY'S IN FAVOR OF WHAT WE'RE OPPOSED TO.
THOSE ARE JUST THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN FILED AND WE'RE TRACKING THEM.
UH, WHAT WE DO HERE IS ON A DAILY BASIS, WE LOOK AT THOSE BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED, AND THEN WE SHOOT 'EM OUT TO THE VARIOUS OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS FOR FEEDBACK IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
UM, YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE GRAPHIC THERE IN THAT SLIDE.
I'VE, UM, NOTATED A TEXAS TRIBUNE ARTICLE THAT WAS RECENTLY, UM, THAT THE TRIBUNE RECENTLY HAD OUT.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA QUOTE SOMETHING FROM THAT ARTICLE.
IT SAYS, UM, FRESH OFF A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, REPLETE WITH A ACCUSATIONS OF ELECTION MALFEASANCE, BUT DEVOID OF EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD FRAUD IN TEXAS.
LOCAL REPUBLICAN LEADERS SAY THAT THE STATE NEEDS MORE LAWS TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE STATE'S ELECTION.
SO I TRY NOT TO GET INTO PARTY POLITICS.
UM, AND I AM NOT GOING TO TODAY.
UM, BUT WHAT I DO IS BOTTOM LINE, I AM LOOKING AT HOW ANY OF THESE BILLS WILL AFFECT THE COUNTY AND AFFECT OUR BOTTOM LINE.
HOW WILL THEY AFFECT US? DOES IT MEAN MORE PERSONNEL? DOES IT MEAN MORE MONEY IN THE COFFERS TO PAY FOR DIFFERENT ITEMS? UM, SO SOME OF THESE BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED TO DATE, UM, ARE GEARED TOWARDS MAIL, MAIL-IN BALLOT, BALLOTING, UM, ILLEGAL VOTING, UM, MISBEHAVING OF ELECTIONS OFFICIALS, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST PREVIOUS ITEMS THAT, OR ITEMS THAT HAPPENED IN OUR MOST RECENT, UM, ELECTION.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ACROSS THE STATE ABOUT VOTING ISSUES.
UM, QUITE A FEW VOTER REGISTRATION BILLS.
UM, UH, SOME HAVE BEEN FILED BY THE BEXAR COUNTY DE DELEGATION, UH, TO ALLOW, UM, INDIVIDUALS, WHEN YOU GO TO THE, UH, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO GET YOUR, UM, DRIVER'S LICENSE RENEWED, IT WOULD BE AUTOMATIC, UM, REGISTRATION.
UM, THERE ARE SOME BILLS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GEARED TOWARDS, UM, CITIZENSHIP AND, UM, IMMIGRATION ISSUES.
SO THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY ABOUT THAT ONE.
AND THEN ALSO A BIG PUSH RECENTLY HAS BEEN ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OR YOU MAY NOT KNOW, YOU STILL HAVE TO FILL OUT A DOCUMENT AND SUBMIT IT TO, UM, BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS, UM, TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE, IN HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY.
SO I SAID 53 BILLS HAVE BEEN FILED, UM, AS OF LAST NIGHT.
12 OF THOSE, UH, WERE BY REPUBLICANS AND, UM, 41 DEMOCRATIC BILLS.
UM, SO I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I REALLY, UM, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DETAILS YET ON THOSE 53 THAT HAVE BEEN FILED.
WE ACTUALLY JUST TODAY, THIS MORNING, THE URBAN COUNTY.
SO IF YOU EVER HEAR ME TALK ABOUT, UM, THE METRO SIX, SO THOSE ARE THE LARGEST FIVE COUNTIES IN THE STATE AS WELL AS EL PASO.
SO WE'RE METRO SIX, WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE CALLED CALL OURSELVES.
UM, THEY ALL HAVE SOMEONE ON STAFF LIKE MYSELF.
UM, SO WE HAD OUR FIRST BILL REVIEW THIS MORNING.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WEEKLY, WE ALL GET TOGETHER AND WE GO THROUGH BILLS.
SO WE'RE ALL, EVEN THOUGH BILL FILING STARTED ON THE NINTH, UM, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A MONTH AGO, WE'RE STILL, UM, JUST TRYING TO GET, UM, OUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT WITH, UH, STATE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES AND, UH, THE BILLS THAT WE'RE TRACKING.
UM, AND, AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, UM, AT THE CAPITOL.
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHO'S GOING TO BE ALLOWED IN THE CAPITOL'S STILL CLOSED AS OF TODAY.
[01:00:01]
THAT AFFECTS, THAT IS THE SPEAKER'S RACE, WHICH WE HAVE A PRESUMPTIVE SPEAKER, BUT HE CAN'T TAKE OFFICE UNTIL THEY GAVEL IN.SO THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL JANUARY THE 12TH.
UM, SO THERE'S STILL A LOT UP IN THE AIR.
SO I'LL STOP HERE AND, UM, OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
UH, WE'LL START WITH, UH, JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ CO-CHAIR, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YEAH, THANK YOU.
UH, COUNCILMAN AND MELISSA, THANKS FOR THAT, UM, OVERVIEW.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THIS IS ALWAYS AIMING AT A MOVING TARGET.
I THINK, UM, THIS PARTICULAR SESSION, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM FOLKS, OBVIOUSLY IS GONNA FOCUS A LOT ON, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND THEN, UM, THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE STREAMLINED THAN, UH, SESSIONS PASSED IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF, UH, A NUMBER OF, UH, BILLS THAT GET THROUGH.
BUT, UM, I KNOW THE ELECTIONS PIECE WAS ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST COMING OFF THIS BIG ELECTION, UM, YOU KNOW, WAS, WAS A PARTICULAR INTEREST.
WE DON'T KNOW, UM, WHAT MAY BE DONE THERE, BUT OBVIOUSLY I THINK OUR, AT LEAST YOU KNOW, MYSELF PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, SOME OF THOSE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED ON, YOU KNOW, ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION.
I THINK THERE WAS A BIG, UH, DISCUSSION THIS YEAR TOO ABOUT, UH, MAIL BALLOT, UH, DROP OFFS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO WE'LL KEEP TRACKING IT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU, UH, JUST A BRIEF, UH, OVERVIEW.
AND MELISSA DID A GOOD JOB OF, OF WHAT, UH, LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA TRANSPIRE, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING.
AND I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT WE'RE, UH, COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY ON SOME SHARED, UM, IDEAS.
IN PARTICULAR THE DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES.
'CAUSE UH, THAT'S ALWAYS, UH, A CONCERN AS WELL.
UH, COUNCILMAN, THANKS AGAIN, MELISSA, FOR THE OVERVIEW.
UH, LEMME COYLE, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? 'CAUSE A LOT OF WHAT MELISSA JUST LAID OUT IS, UM, DOVETAILS QUITE NEATLY INTO WHAT WE DO.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY IS DOING THAT I IMAGINE THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE OUR, UH, OUR NINJAS IN AUSTIN UP THERE TO, TO CONTINUE, UH, FIGHTING NOT JUST OUR FIGHT, BUT ALSO UP THEIRS.
RIGHT? I THINK THE MAIN MESSAGE FROM US, AND, AND WHY THIS IS VERY HELPFUL TO US IS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COUNTY IS SEEKING.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW THE COUNTY'S LEAD.
I I WOULD SUGGEST ON ELECTION RELATED ISSUES.
SINCE ELECTIONS ARE A COUNTY FUNCTION, UH, WE'VE HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS ASK ABOUT, UH, VARIOUS ELECTION RELATED BILLS.
AND, AND, UH, MY RESPONSE HAS BEEN WE'RE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE COUNTY AND THEIR INSIGHT ON HOW THESE THINGS WILL IMPACT ELECTIONS IN BEXAR COUNTY.
UH, MELISSA'S TEAM AND OUR TEAM ARE TALKING CONSTANTLY AND, AND, UH, AND I'M SURE SHE'S GONNA KEEP US UP TO SPEED, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SESSION.
YOU'RE ON MUTE, CHAIRMAN PERRY, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? NO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MELISSA, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR THE, FOR THE HISTORY LESSON TOO.
UM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE, THE LIST OF BILLS, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH ALL OF THEM.
AND I GUESS THIS IS FOR THE CHAIR AND FOR JEFF.
I KNOW, UM, BIG PUSHES TO LOOKING AT BILLS THAT COME, UH, WITH SAME DAY VOTER REGISTRATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, OF COURSE, ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION AS YOU WERE MENTIONING.
BUT CAN YOU ALSO TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE I KNOW MYSELF, WE WERE SAYING, WELL, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE MAIL IN? AND, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ MENTIONED IT, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE MAIL-IN DROP OFF BOXES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND JUST IN ONE LOCATION? AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THE COUNTY JUDGE DOES.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THE THE ADMINISTRATOR WOULD DO.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, I'LL JUMP IN HERE AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
AND SO I'M GOING TO, UM, TELL YOU AS WELL COUNCILWOMAN THAT, UM, I REPRESENT THE FULL COUNTY, SO I KNOW ABOUT THIS MUCH ABOUT EVERY ITEM.
AND SO I'M GOING TO TRY AND, AND, AND TELL YOU WHAT I THINK IS CORRECT, BUT, UH, COMMISSIONER CAN CORRECT ME.
SO WHAT WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WAS IN HARRIS COUNTY, UM, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO HAVE ALL THESE VARIOUS DROP OFF BOXES.
WELL, THE WAY, OR TRAVIS, ONE OF THE COUNTIES, UM, THE WAY THE STATUTE IS WRITTEN IS IT'S BASICALLY WHEREVER, WHOEVER MANAGES THAT ELECTION, THEIR OFFICE LOCATIONS, I GUESS IS, FOR LACK OF BETTER TERM.
SO SINCE WE HAVE AN ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR WITH ONE LOCATION,
[01:05:01]
WE WERE LIMITED TO THAT ONE LOCATION FOR DROP-OFFS.BUT IN THE OTHER COUNTIES WHERE WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS, IT WAS BECAUSE MAYBE IT WAS THEIR, UM, COUNTY CLERK WHO DID IT, WHO IS THEIR ELECTIONS PERSON, AND THEY HAVE VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
SO I THINK THAT IS, I THINK THAT'S WHY WE WEREN'T UNABLE TO HAVE VARIOUS, BECAUSE OF STATE STATUTE.
THAT'S WHAT'S ALWAYS SO FRUSTRATING ABOUT A LOT OF WHAT JEFF AND CHRISTINE AND I DO AT THE STATE LEVEL IS, UM, YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND YOU THINK, OH MY GOSH, THAT'S SO SIMPLE, WE CAN FIX IT.
NO, I MEAN, IT'S THE, WELL, DON'T GET ME STARTED.
THIS STUFF GOES SO FAR BACK INTO, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY OF THE STATE AND THEN THE STATE STUCK SUCH A DIVERSE STATE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE METRO AND THE URBANS WE'RE FIGHTING WITH THE RURAL BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE FOR US, BUT IT DOESN'T FOR THEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, LONG STORY SHORT, UM, OUR STATUTES ARE WHAT THEY ARE, AND WE CONTINUE EVERY SESSION TO TRY AND CLEAN UP CRAZY ITEMS LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT'S THE REASON WHY WAS THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS, THANK YOU, COUNCIL
AND I THINK IT'S, UM, I THINK IT, IT, IT WOULD HELP US ALL UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
UH, JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ, I THINK YOU DID A DEEP DIVE AND BECAME A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON THAT ONE PROVISION OF THE STATUTE, UH, THE ELECTION CODE.
UM, AND I THINK YOU GUYS EXPLORED NOT JUST DROPBOX, BUT SATELLITE OFFICES TOO, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH.
AND DID A GOOD JOB OF COVERING THAT.
I MEAN, THERE IS THAT DISTINCTION.
I, THERE'S BE SOME CLARITY THROUGH SOME LEGISLATION, UH, THIS SESSION.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, UM, DO DROPS FOR BAIL BALLOT BECAUSE THE STATUTE, MAIN ELECTION OFFICE IS WHERE, UH, THEY CAN BE DROPPED OFF, WHICH IN OUR CASE IS, IS THE OFFICE ON TRIO.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THOSE, THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES LIKE HARRIS COUNTY WHERE THEY HAD, UH, COUNTY CLERKS OFFICES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO PULL THAT OFF.
SO I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY CLEAN THAT UP.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS GONNA BE UNIFORMITY, BUT IT MAKES SOME SENSE IN, IN, IN THE LARGER COUNTIES IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR, FOR DROP OFF, UM, LOCATIONS.
BUT, BUT, UH, BUT YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE CERTAINLY ROBUST DISCUSSION ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS CYCLE WAS, UM, PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAIL BALLOT DISCUSSION CONTINUE OUTSIDE OF THAT BECAUSE OF THE CONVENIENCE, RIGHT? I MEAN, PEOPLE, AND, AND I THINK THERE, THERE'S ALWAYS A RED HERRING ABOUT FRAUD, BUT I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOMETHING WILL GET DONE, HOPEFULLY THIS SESSION TO, TO CLARIFY THAT.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST A CREATIVE IDEA HERE, AND IT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK, BUT, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS 10 FIELD OFFICES, AND I, I THINK THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE FIELD OFFICES AS WELL, AND I'D BE WILLING TO PUT MINE UP AS A, AS A, YOU KNOW, SET ASIDE ONE OF THE CUBICLES, UH, TO BE A MINI SATELLITE OFFICE.
UH, IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT SOMETHING TO DISCUSS AT A LATER DATE.
YEAH, WE JUST, WE DISCUSSED SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, THE MOST, YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL FOUR OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE OFFICES IN THE, IN THE PRECINCT.
SO YOU THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT, RIGHT? MAYBE MM-HMM.
UH, ANYWAY, BUT APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR INPUT ON THAT, AND WE WILL, UM, SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES SENSE FOR EVERYBODY.
COMMISSIONER WOLF, ARE YOU ON THE PHONE? YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE? I HAVE NO COMMENTS.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN ADRIANNA GARCIA ROCHA, NO COMMENTS.
CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU'VE, UH, BEEN DOING SO WONDERFULLY.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY HAS SIGNALED THAT, UH, HE HAS NO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS EITHER.
AND SO I'LL, I'LL, UH, I'LL FINISH, UH, BY MENTIONING SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US ON THE CITY SIDE, AND THAT IS THIS, UH, THIS BAN ON LOBBYING, UM, AND THE HEARING THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S, UH, STILL SOME, UH, DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
UM, CAN SOMEBODY, MELISSA OR JUSTIN, TELL ME, UM, WHERE WE ARE ON THAT AND WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN RECRUIT THE COUNTIES, UH, TO, UH, LEND THEIR VOICE TO THIS EFFORT, OR IF YOU GUYS ARE GONNA SIT IT OUT? SO, I BRIEFED COMMISSIONER'S COURT, I GUESS IT WAS NOVEMBER 10TH, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EXACT ITEM.
[01:10:01]
OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH, I HAVE VERY STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT THINGS, AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO, UM, TELL MY OPINION.SO, AND I TOLD THIS EXACT OPINION IN OPEN COURT, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I TOLD JUDGE WOLF LAST SESSION.
SO SHORT STORY JUDGE CALLED ME, AND I, I REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE I WAS STANDING WHEN HE CALLED ME AND HE'S LIKE, WHAT IS THIS? I HEAR ABOUT THESE, THIS LOBBYING STUFF.
AND I SAID, OH, YEAH, THEY'RE TRYING TO, UM, ELIMINATE WHAT THEY CALL TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYISTS.
AND HE IS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS? AND I SAID, JUDGE, LOOK, BOTTOM LINE, IF THE FRICKING LOBBY CAN'T KILL THIS BILL, THEN THEY'RE NOT WORTH ME HIRING.
SO, AND I'VE GOT LOBBYISTS ON THIS CALL, AND I'M SORRY, BUT WE'VE GOT BIG FRICKING FIRMS OUT THERE THAT WE'RE PAYING A HELL OF A LOT OF MONEY TO.
AND IF THOSE JACKASSES DON'T STAND UP AND QUIT STANDING BEHIND US AS CITIES AND COUNTIES AND ALL THE ASSOCIATIONS, THEN THEY'RE NOT WORTH US SPENDING OUR MONEY ON.
SO THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT.
SO, SORRY, BUT THAT'S MY TRUTH.
SO, UM, I AGAIN, SPOKE UP IN COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND BASICALLY SAID THAT EXACT SAME THING.
UM, I CONTINUE TO SAY IT, SO IT, IT'S FOR THE LOBBY TO KILL.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE CITIES AND THE COUNTIES NEED TO HAVE A DOG IN THIS HUNT RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE ADVISED THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE STANDING BACK AND WE'RE GONNA WAIT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, UM, AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE COUNTY, IT DOESN'T AFFECT ME.
SO RIGHT, WRONG, OR INDIFFERENT, I CAN DO WITHOUT THE LOBBYIST.
THAT'S, THAT'S HOW MELISSA SHANNON PERSONALLY FEELS.
UM, SO IF, IF, IF IT HAPPENS, IT HAPPENS.
NOW WE ARE TRYING TO HELP OUR ASSOCIATION.
SO WE'VE GOT TAC TAX ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, AND WE'VE GOT CONFERENCE OF URBAN COUNTIES, WHAT WE CALL C U C.
WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THEM BECAUSE IT COULD ULTIMATELY AFFECT THEM, AND IT WON'T HURT US, THE METRO SIX AS MUCH, BUT IT'S GOING TO HURT OUR OTHER MEMBERS WHO DON'T HAVE PEOPLE ON STAFF.
SO WE WILL HELP THEM IN THE FIGHT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING A BACK SEAT.
SO, SO, AND LEMME JUST, LEMME JUST MENTION, YOU KNOW, UM, MELISSA'S GOT A STRONG OPINION ON THIS, AS DO I, I MEAN, I, UH, I'VE TALKED TO NELSON ABOUT THIS.
I MEAN, I'M OF THE OPINION THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A STRONGER POSITION.
LOOK, I I'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE, AND IT TAKES NOTHING AWAY FROM MELISSA OR HER TEAM, BUT IT IS, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO TRACK EVERY, EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE FOLKS THAT WE HIRE AS ADVOCATES, UM, YOU KNOW, PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THIS.
AND SO I, I THINK WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, UPFRONT ABOUT, UH, THAT PARTICULAR MOVEMENT AND, AND AT THE VERY LEAST, BE IN LINE WITH THE OTHER URBAN COUNTIES.
SO, UH, I'D ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA KEEP DISCUSSING IT, BUT THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S MY 2 CENTS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY, MAYBE THERE'S, I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN IN BETWEEN ON THIS EITHER.
EITHER, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE AGAINST IT OR EUPHORIC, AND, AND WE'VE JUST NOT REALLY ARTICULATED THAT YET.
BUT, UM, I, I THINK THAT COULD CHANGE POTENTIALLY, UH, WITH, WITH THE WAY THINGS PROGRESS, UH, WITH THE SESSION.
SO, SO THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU.
UH, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MY QUESTION WAS WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE COUNTY'S GONNA GET INVOLVED AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GONNA LEND THEIR VOICE.
AND IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THERE'S STILL CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO BE HAD BEFORE.
[4. 20-7240 Update on State Legislative Interim Hearings. [Jeff Coyle, Director, Government & Public Affairs]]
COYLE, UM, I THINK THAT YOU'VE GOT, UM, SOMETHING YOU WANNA ADD.YEAH, WE, WE ACTUALLY HAD AN ITEM NEXT ABOUT INTERIM.
SO, UM, I CAN JUST GIVE YOU SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT IT.
TWO, TWO BILLS HAVE BEEN FILED SO FAR, UM, HOUSE BILL 7 49, AND I FORGET, THE SENATE BILL WAS JUST YESTERDAY.
UH, THEY WERE FILED BY THE TWO SPONSORS OF THE BILL'S LAST SESSION.
SO SENATOR BOB HALL AND REPRESENTATIVE MAYS MIDDLETON.
THEY ESSENTIALLY SAY THAT A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION, AND THAT MEANS A CITY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, RIVER AUTHORITY HOSPITAL DISTRICT, ESSENTIALLY LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UH, MAY NOT SPEND PUBLIC FUNDS TO EITHER HIRE LOBBYISTS, CONTRACT LOBBYISTS, UH, OR, UH, OR SPEND PUBLIC FUNDS WITH A TRADE ASSOCIATION THAT DOES LOBBYING LIKE T M L C U C, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL OF URBAN COUNTIES, ET CETERA.
UH, SO THOSE ARE BOTH VERY HARMFUL IN OUR VIEW, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF OUR POSITION IN OUR STATE AGENDA.
UH, THERE WAS ALSO A, A HEARING YESTERDAY BY THE SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
IT WAS AN INTERIM HEARING BECAUSE
[01:15:01]
THIS ISSUE WAS A CHARGE THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED BY THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AFTER LAST SESSION.AND ESSENTIALLY, UH, THERE WERE SEVERAL ARGUMENTS AGAINST US THAT INITIALLY, THE TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION, A VERY CONSERVATIVE, UH, ADVOCACY, ADVOCACY GROUP THAT DOES ITS OWN LOBBYING BY THE WAY, UM, ARGUED ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT GOVERNMENTS SPEND.
THEY ADDED UP ESSENTIALLY EVERY LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACROSS THE STATE AND, AND, UH, AND SAID IT WAS $41 MILLION THAT ARE USED TO LOBBY GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND, AND ARGUED THAT THAT IN ITSELF WAS WRONG.
THEY ACTUALLY ADDED AN ADDITIONAL WRINKLE THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY SHOULD ALSO BAN STAFF, PEOPLE LIKE MELISSA AND I AND CHRISTINE, UH, WHO, WHOSE JOBS ARE TO ENGAGE IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
UM, UH, UH, THE SPONSOR THEN BOB HALL SPOKE UP AND SAID, WELL, IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT THE MONEY.
IT'S ABOUT THE DAMAGE THAT, THAT YOU ALL, THAT THESE LOBBYISTS ARE DOING TO TAXPAYERS.
AND HE ARGUED THAT WE, UH, ARE REGULARLY LOBBYING AGAINST OUR OWN RESIDENTS INTERESTS AND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED.
UH, AND THEN A THIRD ARGUMENT, UH, SORT OF SURFACED, WHICH WAS, UH, THAT IT'S JUST REALLY NOT RIGHT THAT, UM, THAT WE AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS TAXING POWER ARE, UH, USING TAXES TO, UH, PUSH ISSUES THAT MAY NOT ALIGN WITH EVERY VIEW OF THE PERSON WHO LIVES IN THAT COMMUNITY.
THEY ESSENTIALLY ARGUED THAT STATE GOVERNMENT, THEY, THEY ARGUED THAT STATES CREATED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THEY CREATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
SO THEREFORE, IT'S STATES, IT'S THE STATE'S JOB TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS FROM BOTH THE FEDS AND THE LOCALS, WHICH WAS A QUITE INTERESTING, UH, ARGUMENT.
WE HAD A, A MEMBER ON THE COMMITTEE, WELL, ACTUALLY WE HAVE A SAN ANTONIO MEMBER ON THE COMMITTEE, SENATOR ZINI, WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO BE THERE YESTERDAY, WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH HER OFFICE.
SENATOR, UH, EDDIE LUCIO FROM THE VALLEY WAS AT THE HEARING, AND HE SPOKE UP EMPHATICALLY IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES, SAID, I HAVE CITIES IN MY DISTRICT THAT RELY VERY HEAVILY ON PROFESSIONALS WHO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, WHO ARE FULL-TIME ENGAGED WITH THE 181 MEMBERS ACROSS THE CAPITOL.
AND, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THE VALUE, AND I'M NOT SEEING, UH, THE EVIDENCE HERE THAT WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS DAMAGING THEIR OWN RESIDENTS.
UH, THERE WAS ALSO TESTIMONY FROM THE PROFESSIONAL ADVOCACY ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE LOBBYIST TRADE GROUP.
AND THEY ARGUED THAT THEY ARE ALL ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND ETHICS, AND THAT IF YOU BAN THIS STUFF, IT DOESN'T STOP LOBBYING, IT JUST SENDS IT UNDERGROUND.
THEIR VIEW IS THE PROFESSIONALIZING OF THE INDUSTRY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, THERE WAS A, A, THERE WERE TWO LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, THE COLLIN COUNTY JUDGE WHO SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE BAN, AND THEN THE GRAND PRAIRIE MAYOR.
AND HIS ARGUMENT IS VERY SIMILAR TO OURS.
THERE'S 7,000 BILLS FILED EVERY SESSION.
UH, IT WOULD TAKE A VERY LARGE, FULL-TIME STAFF TO TRACK ALL OF THAT AND ENGAGE IN ALL OF IT, AND WORK YEAR ROUND TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEMBERS NOT FROM OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, HIS ARGUMENT EFFECTIVELY WAS THAT IT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO HAVE CONSULTANTS JUST LIKE WE DO IN MANY OTHER AREAS, AND THAT THIS WOULD, UH, REALLY HAVE THE EFFECT OF NOT PROTECTING TAXPAYERS, BUT SILENCING TAXPAYERS AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY LIVE IN, UH, AT THE EXPENSE OF THE MANY FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES AND OTHER INTERESTS AT THE CAPITOL WHO DO HIRE MANY, MANY LOBBYISTS.
UH, LAST THING I'LL ADD IS THAT, UH, THIS WAS INVITED TESTIMONY ONLY.
UH, AND SO MAYOR NUREMBERG JOINED WITH 42 OTHER MAYORS IN SIGNING A LETTER THAT ESSENTIALLY SAID, CITIES ARE ON THE FRONT LINE OF THE COVID RESPONSE.
WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE STATE.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO SO, LET'S NOT TAKE ON SUCH A POLITICALLY CHARGED ISSUE THAT DRIVES THE WEDGES BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND STATE GOVERNMENT WHEN WE HAVE SO MANY BIG ISSUES TO DEAL WITH.
SO, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, UH, JUST FACTUALLY IN TERMS OF THE SITUATION.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, SO, JEFF, JUST TO BE CLEAR, UH, THIS IS ITEM YOU JUST, I THINK, JUMPED INTO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UM, IS THAT THE COMPLETE BRIEFING ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR? UH, THERE ARE TWO OTHER INTERIM HEARINGS THAT, UH, WE'RE WATCHING.
THERE HAVE, UH, BEEN VETERANS HEARINGS.
JUAN'S BEEN PROVIDING INFORMATION ON OUR SUPPORT FOR, FOR SPOUSES OF, UH, MILITARY FOLKS AND OUR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
AND, UH, AND WE'RE TRACKING THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEARINGS.
THEY'VE NOT REALLY TALKED ABOUT LEGISLATION YET.
IT'S REALLY BEEN ABOUT THE STATE'S RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC.
SO, UH, JUST JUST TO NOTE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WATCHING THOSE THINGS AND, AND, UH, WE'LL UPDATE OUR MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT AFFECT US.
SINCE WE'RE ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR, IF I CAN ASK MY, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO GIMME A WAVE, IF ANY OF 'EM HAS A QUESTION OR COMMENT ON THIS.
[01:20:01]
SEEING A WAVE FROM COUNCILWOMAN VRAN.UM, JEFF, SORRY, I DON'T, DID YOU SEND US THAT LETTER THAT MAYOR BERG SIGNED? YES, WE DID.
SEEING NO OTHER HANDS BEING WAIVED.
UH, COMMISSIONER WOLF, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, THERE'S NO VIDEO FOR YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? NONE.
SO THE NEXT TWO ITEMS, UM, ARE IMPORTANT.
UH, THEY'RE IN THEIR ONLY, UH, CSA RELATED ITEMS. IT'S OUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATION, SERVICE AGREEMENT, RENEWAL, AND THEN THE BRIEFING ON THE CITY'S FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
AND SO, COMMISSIONER WOLF AND ALL OF OUR FRIENDS FROM THE COUNTY, YOU'RE INVITED TO STAY, UH, OR YOU'RE INVITED TO GO ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY.
AND SO, UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, RODRIGUEZ SIGNED OFF.
JEFF, UH, CHAIRMAN, VERY, I'M NUMBER FIVE.
THE CLERK MAY TELL ME OTHERWISE, BUT I THINK YOU MIGHT NEED TO ADJOURN THE JOINT MEETING AND CONVENE AS THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
IS THAT, IS THAT RIGHT TEAM, OR ARE WE GOOD TO JUST MOVE FORWARD? CORRECT.
SO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE, UM, THE JOINT COMMITTEE WILL
[5. 20-7241 Federal Representation Services Agreement Renewals. [Jeff Coyle, Director, Government & Public Affairs]]
RECESS, UM, AND NOW WE ARE, UH, IN OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COSA SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, WHICH IS CONVENED TO CONSIDER.ITEMS FIVE AND SIX ARE AGENDA.
FIRST ITEM IS, UH, THE, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO RENEW OUR FEDERAL CONSULTANT TEAM, OUR FEDERAL LOBBYISTS, UH, CONTRACTS.
WE HAD A LENGTHY DISCUSSION AT THE LAST I G R, UM, I, AND, AND, AND A SERIES OF FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS THAT WE ANSWER TO THE MEMBERS BY EMAIL.
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, A LOT OF IT IS REPETITIVE WITH THE ONE EXCEPTION OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY HAD ASKED FOR.
SO I CAN GO THROUGH THOSE SLIDES IF YOU WANT, OR IF IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, WE CAN SHOW YOU THOSE MEASURES AND, AND, UH, HAND IT BACK TO YOU FOR ANY DISCUSSION.
WELL, UH, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE COMFORTABLE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
SO, UH, HANDS, UH, IF Y'ALL WANNA SEE THE, THE SLIDES, PLEASE.
UH, UNLESS Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE TOPIC, SEEING NO.
CAN WE JUST SEE THE MEASURES? YEAH, LET'S JUST MEASURE JUST THE MEASURES, THE SIDE WITH THE MEASURES.
UH, EDUARDO, IF YOU COULD BRING UP THAT SLIDE.
UM, AND I, AND I'LL START OFF BY SAYING WE'VE HAD SOME LENGTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IDEA OF SCORING ON PARTICULAR ISSUES IN THE AGENDA.
UM, BUT WE, WE THINK IT'S A DI A VERY DIFFICULT AND PERHAPS UNFAIR WAY TO MEASURE THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR TEAM IN LARGE PART, BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE ITEMS, UH, HAVE, UH, ARE, ARE, ARE GOVERNED BY THINGS THAT ARE MUCH BROADER THAN JUST SAN ANTONIO'S AGENDA, FOR EXAMPLE, THE MAKEUP OF THE TWO CHAMBERS, AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE HOLDING UP BILLS IN A GRIDLOCK SCENARIO, OR WHETHER THEY'RE FUNDING THEM.
SO THIS IS MUCH MORE SPECIFIC TO THE PERFORMANCE WE EXPECT OUT OF OUR TEAM.
UH, THE FIRST IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAM, AND THAT'S OUR NEXT ITEM ON THIS AGENDA, UH, FOR DISCUSSION.
BUT, UH, THE LOBBY, THE LOBBY TEAM CONSULTANT TEAM'S INVOLVEMENT IN DEVELOPING THOSE ITEMS, WORKING WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, FRAMING THE LANGUAGE IN WAYS THAT ALIGNS WITH WHAT THEY EXPECT THE CONGRESSIONAL, UH, TERM TO BE FOCUSED ON.
THE MEASURE OF THAT ULTIMATELY IS PASSAGE BY THIS COMMITTEE AND THEN PASSAGE BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, ALL OF THE NEXT ITEMS ARE REALLY THROUGH A REVIEW AND EVALUATION ON OUR DEPARTMENT'S PART, BUT THAT, OF COURSE, IS SHAPED BY THE EVERY MONTH FEEDBACK WE'RE GETTING FROM YOU, UM, AS WE PRESENT UPDATES ON OUR FEDERAL ACTIVITIES.
SO THE, THE NEXT MEASURE IS, UM, SUBMITTING APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS FOR THE CITY.
OUR CURRENT TEAM HAS DONE THAT ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS AND HAS SUCCESSFULLY INSERTED A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT SALLY WENT OVER AT OUR LAST MEETING, UH, IN THE 12 APPROPRIATIONS BILLS.
WE EXPECT FROM THEM AT LEAST, UH, 25 FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO BE IDENTIFIED FOR US.
WE THEN WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO APPLY, UH, AND WHEN WE APPLY, WE THEN GO BACK TO THE CONSULTANT TEAM AND HAVE THEM HELP WITH THE ADVOCACY WITH, UH, THE FEDERAL AGENCIES AND OUR, UH, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO TRY TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, IT'S ALWAYS A TWO STEP.
WE HAVE TO, UH, GET THE MONEY IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET, AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO AFTER THE GRANTS.
UH, AND, UM, AND I THINK, UH, AGAIN, THE, THE, UH, AMOUNTS AND THE GRANTS THAT SALLY PRESENTED AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, DEMONSTRATED, UH, SIGNIFICANT RETURN ON IN VALUE, UH, RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM OUR TEAM.
[01:25:01]
PLAN, UH, HIGH LEVEL MEETINGS FOR US.UH, WE JUST HAD JUAN'S PENTAGON VISIT, AND THAT WAS A COMBINATION OF JUAN AND OUR LOBBY TEAM, UH, UH, AT GETTING THE ACCESS TO ALL THOSE HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS.
THEY DO THE SAME EVERY TIME WE GO TO DC DURING ESSAY TO DC AND OTHER VISITS, UH, WE EXPECT MONTHLY WRITTEN REPORTS FROM THEM, UH, AS WELL AS MORE FREQUENT REPORTS ON, ON DEVELOPMENTS THAT OCCUR.
AND, UH, PURSUANT TO THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM YOU AT THE LAST MEETING, SALLY HAS BEEN REGULARLY FORWARDING ON ALL OF THOSE TO THE COMMITTEE SO THAT YOU ARE GETTING THEM AS WELL.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, WE EXPECT THEM TO HELP US DEVELOP A VERY COMPREHENSIVE BRIEFING BOOK, UH, EVERY TIME WE GO TO DC THAT THAT GIVES THE BACKGROUND, THAT GIVES THE BIOS AND THE PEOPLE WE'RE MEETING WITH THE POLITICAL CONTEXT.
UH, HOPEFULLY ALL OF THE RESOURCES YOU NEED TO WALK INTO THOSE MEETINGS AND, AND ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
UH, SO THOSE ARE THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES WE'VE USED IN THE PAST, UH, WITH A FEW MINOR TWEAKS.
UH, WE'RE PROPOSING THEM AS PART OF THIS CONTRACT GOING FORWARD.
COUNCILWOMAN
COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GARCIA ROCHA SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MA? OKAY.
PERRY HAS QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? GO AHEAD, SIR.
UM, YOU KNOW, JEFF, THERE'S AN OLD SAYING THAT YOU CAN MEASURE ANYTHING, AND I BELIEVE THAT, AND I'M, I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT WE COULDN'T COME UP WITH METRICS.
I MEAN, EVERY ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS THAT YOU'VE LISTED, THERE CAN BE METRICS DEVELOPED ON THAT.
AND I LOOK AT THE METRICS NOT ONLY AS A SUCCESS OF OUR LOBBYISTS, BUT ALSO THE SUCCESS OF THIS COMMITTEE ON WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THE LOBBYISTS ACTUALLY DO FOR US, GOING UP TO THE LEGISLATURE.
YOU KNOW, IF WE, WE, WE, WE HAD A WHOLE LONG LAUNDRY LIST OF ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO SEND TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR THEM TO SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO TRACK THOSE AND HAVE THAT AS A SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE MEASURE ON WHETHER THAT WAS SUCCESS SUCCESSFUL, AND WHAT PART DID THEY PLAY IN THAT, AND WAS IT SUCCESSFUL? IF THEY WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL, OKAY.
THEN EITHER THEY DIDN'T DO THEIR JOB, OR WE SENT 'EM ON A WILD GOOSE CHASE SAYING THAT WE AS A COMMITTEE DIDN'T COME UP WITH THE RIGHT STUFF THAT WOULD BE SUPPORTED OR NOT SUPPORTED UP THERE AT THE LEGISLATURE.
SO I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE SOME METRICS DEVELOP THAT SHOWS NUMBERS, SUCCESSES, FAILURES, AND, YOU KNOW, THEN EVALUATE, OKAY, WHAT WENT WRONG HERE? WAS IT THE LOBBYISTS THAT DIDN'T, DIDN'T PUT THE RIGHT EMPHASIS AND DIDN'T TEAM UP WITH THE RIGHT, UH, TEAMS OR CITIES OR WHATEVER TO GET SOMETHING THROUGH? AND IF IT GETS STALLED AT THE LEGISLATURE, WELL, THAT'S AN EXPLANATION, AND YOU CAN EXPLAIN EVERY ONE OF THOSE NUMBERS.
BUT, UH, I, I, I JUST, I JUST THINK THAT LAUNDRY LIST OF WHAT YOU'VE NOT A, NOT A METRIC SHOWING SUCCESS OR FAILURE.
AND I, I THINK THAT THAT CAN BE SHOWN IN A, IN GRAPHICALLY AND, UM, PUT IT UP THERE, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IF WE'RE NOT BEING, IF WE'RE NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL, OR THE LOBBYISTS AREN'T BEING SUCCESSFUL, WHY? WELL, I'LL GIVE YOU, COMES BACK, IT COMES BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE.
WELL, WE GAVE 'EM THAT WHOLE LONG LAUNDRY LIST WE STRUCK OUT ON EVERY ONE OF 'EM.
WELL, THEN MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE GIVING THEM TO DO, UH, TO TAKE FORWARD TO THE LABOR, TAKE FORWARD TO THE LEGISLATURE.
YOU CAN TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, BUT, UH, I THINK WE CAN MEASURE EVERYTHING AND IT SHOULD BE DISPLAYED GRAPHICALLY SO THAT IT'S EASY TO READ AND BE ABLE TO BE EXPLAINED.
COUNCILMAN, I'LL, I'LL, UH, ANSWER INITIALLY TO SAY THAT WE DO MEASURE OUR SUCCESS RATE, FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE LEGISLATURE.
IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT MY DEPARTMENT OVERALL GETS EVALUATED ON EACH YEAR, AND WE PUT IT IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET BOOK.
WE TRACK EVERYTHING THAT WE TOOK AN ACTIVE ROLE IN, EITHER FOR OR AGAINST, AND HOW THEY TURNED OUT.
AND WE HAVE GOALS THAT WE, UH, IDENTIFY FOR THOSE.
A A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF WHY I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS, IN PRACTICALITY, VERY DIFFICULT.
ONE EXAMPLE WOULD BE THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR IN OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM.
LAST SESSION, IT'S BEEN HELD UP OVER LANGUAGE IN THE ACT THAT
[01:30:01]
HAS TO DO WITH GUN SAFETY, GUN VIOLENCE, THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MERITS OF THE PROGRAMS AND POLICIES THAT FLOW FROM THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT.UH, TO HOLD OUR, TO HOLD THAT AS A, AS A MINUS AGAINST OUR LOBBY TEAM, I THINK WOULD BE UNFAIR TO THEM.
A A SECOND EXAMPLE IS THE, UH, CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE THAT WE ARE AGGRESSIVELY AND ACTIVELY PUSHING FOR.
OUR LOBBY TEAM HAS COMMUNICATED REGULARLY WITH ALL OF OUR MEMBERS.
THEY ARE ALL ON BOARD AND HELPING PUSH IT, BUT IF THERE IS A LOBBYIST OUT THERE THAT COULD CONVINCE THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER TO, UH, CHANGE HIS MIND AND, AND, UH, PUSH A BILL THROUGH, I THINK THEY'D BE THE MOST VALUABLE LOBBYIST IN DC AND WE'D ALL WANT TO USE THEM.
I, I THINK IT'S VERY OFTEN MUCH, MUCH BIGGER THAN JUST, UH, ONE CITY AND ONE TEAM'S EFFORTS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON MORE IS THE, THE PERFORMANCE THAT WE EXPECT OUT OF THEM TO PUT US IN THE BEST POSITION TO SUCCEED, WHETHER OR NOT, UH, CONGRESS ULTIMATELY, UH, FOLLOWS THROUGH ON EACH OF THE ITEMS WE WANT.
YEAH, AND I, I, I TOTALLY AGREE, BUT THAT'S WHAT METRICS DOES.
IT SPURS THAT CONVERSATION AS TO, OKAY, WHAT WENT WRONG? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE ISSUE IS AND WHERE THE HOLDUPS ARE, OR DID WE MESS UP OR DID THE LOBBYISTS MESS UP? OR WHO, WHOEVER, WHEREVER THE CLOG IS.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND IT, IT, I THINK IT CAN BE DISPLAYED DIFFERENTLY AND, UM, MADE IT MORE MEANINGFUL FOR, UH, ESPECIALLY AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, OR, OR MAYBE JUST, MAYBE I'M JUST THE ONLY ONE THAT'S SEEING THIS, AND IF IT IS FINE, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S GO AHEAD.
BUT, UH, THAT'S JUST MY COMMENTS THAT ANYTHING CAN BE MEASURED AND SHOULD BE MEASURED, AND THERE'S ALWAYS EXPLANATIONS OUT THERE FOR ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT METRICS ARE DESIGNED FOR, IS TO SHOW THOSE TRENDS WHETHER YOU'RE BEING SUCCESSFUL OR NOT.
AND, AND TO THAT, UM, I, I THINK THAT, UH, WE DO MEASURE IN DIFFERENT WAYS THOUGH, RIGHT? I THINK THAT JEFF, UH, WHEN COUNCILMAN PERRY SUGGESTS MEASUREMENTS, UM, LIKE WHAT HE'S SUGGESTING IS SORT OF A 180 DEGREE SORT OF LOOK AT WHAT WE DID IN ORDER TO, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT THESE PACKETS OF, OF ADVOCACY INITIATIVES TOGETHER TO SET THEM UP THERE.
AND THEN, UM, I MEAN, I, I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY HEALTHY FOR US TO, UM, YOU KNOW, COME BACK AT THE END OF EVERY SESSION AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, DID, DID WE WIN? RIGHT? AND, UH, WHAT DOES WIN MEAN? RIGHT? SOMETIMES WIN MEANS, UM, BRINGING, BRINGING IT UP TO BEGIN WITH AND STARTING THE CONVERSATION KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WON'T GET DONE.
BUT IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT ONE OR THE ONE AFTER THAT, IT MIGHT, RIGHT? UM, AND SOMETIMES JUST PUTTING IT ON PEOPLE'S RADAR SCREENS IS THE WIN IN AND OF ITSELF, RIGHT? UM, AND, UH, I THINK DEFINING A WIN, UM, ON THE FRONT END IS ALSO EQUALLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? UH, OUR JOB IS ALSO TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS, NOT JUST FOR OURSELVES, BUT FOR OUR, FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, RIGHT? I DON'T THINK ANYBODY OUT THERE IS EXPECTING US TO CONVINCE DONALD TRUMP OR JOE BIDEN, YOU KNOW, TO NOT VETO THOSE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT, NOT VETOED.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAKE, REGISTERING OUR VOICE AND REGISTERING OUR OPPOSITION FOR, OR OUR SUPPORT FOR INITIATIVES IS IMPORTANT.
NOT JUST TO, FOR THE PURPOSE OF BRINGING HOME THE WIN FOR SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO TO SEND A MESSAGE TO OUR, OUR ALLIES, LIKE U SS A A AND LIKE THE MILITARY CITY JBSA FOLKS AND ALL THAT, THAT WE'RE FIGHTING FOR THEM, EVEN IF WE LOSE FIGHTING FOR THEM, IS, IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO, I'M, I'M A BELIEVER, AND I THINK YOU ARE TOO, UH, CLAYTON, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MISS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE SHOTS WE DON'T TAKE, BUT THAT GOES, YOU KNOW, BUT WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU, YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE, YOU'RE GONNA MISS THE SHOTS, RIGHT? UM, AND TAKING THE SHOT IS IN AND OF ITSELF A WIN IN MY, IN MY OPINION.
BUT, UH, COUNCILMAN ADRIAN ROCHA, YOU GAVE ME SOME BODY LANGUAGE THERE THAT, UH, SUGGEST YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
JEFF JUST REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING.
AND IN OUR BUDGET BOOK, UM, PAGE 2 87, I HAD MADE A NOTE I HADN'T ASKED, BUT HE REMINDED ME ABOUT IT.
WE HAVE GOALS, UM, WE HAVE GOALS FOR THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN 2019.
WE HAD AN 83%, UM, I, I GUESS GOAL, IT WAS REDUCED TO 75%.
UH, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE FEDERAL GOAL IS? UH, I, I, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT IS.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK OF, IN TERMS OF THE DEPARTMENT'S CALCULATION, IT'S, IT'S FOCUSED ON STATE.
SO, UM, AND, AND WE'RE LIMITED BY THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES WE HAVE.
SO I'M NOT SURE THERE'S A NUMERIC GOAL.
IF THAT'S THE DESIRE OF THE COMMITTEE, WE CAN TRY TO WORK ON THAT AND, AND CALCULATE THAT.
UM, UH, BUT, BUT THE, THE STATE, UH, THE STATE MEASURE IS THE ONE I'M REFERRING TO AS BEING A PART
[01:35:01]
OF OUR DEPARTMENT, UH, PERFORMANCE.THIS, OH, I'M SORRY, CARLOS, GO AHEAD.
I WAS ABOUT TO SAY IN REACTION TO ALL THIS CON, UH, CONVERSATION THAT WE DO AN AFTER SESSION BRIEFING WHERE WE SHOW HOW WE DID AND SHOW AND, AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE, THAT THE CHAIRMAN AND COUNCIL PERRY ARE ASKING, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED? YOU KNOW, WHY DID WE NOT SUCCEED? AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO KIND OF EVALUATE IF WE PUT OUR EFFORTS IN THE RIGHT AREA, WHAT WAS THE BENEFIT? WE'VE NOT DONE THAT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
SO JEFF, I THINK AS AN ACTION ITEM, WE SHOULD TAKE THAT SPLIT AND TAKE THAT ON, AND AT THE END OF EVERY, YOU KNOW, UH, CONGRESSIONAL SESSION, BRIEF THIS COMMITTEE, AND MAYBE BRIEF THE FULL COUNCIL ABOUT HOW WE DID, UH, AND WE CAN START TRACKING MEASURES AS WELL.
AND, AND, AND I, I, I GUESS TWO COUNCILMAN OR, OR TO CHAIR S'S POINT, UM, WHEN I DEFINE A WIN, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN PROBABLY WHAT COUNCILMAN S DEFINES AS A WIN AND WHAT
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD ALL GET ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT A WIN WOULD BE, RIGHT? AND SO IT, IT, IT MIGHT TAKE OBVIOUSLY A, A LONGER SESSION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TO SAY THAT I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THE, UH, THE DEFINITION OF WIN.
SO LET'S, LET'S DEFINE WHAT A WIN IS, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, REAL QUICKLY, IF I COULD JUST ANSWER THE COUNCILMAN, UM, WE DO HAVE OUR FIRST PRESENTATION OF OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT SESSION COMING UP NEXT.
AND I THINK, UH, IT, A LOT OF, IN A LOT OF CASES, IT'S GENERAL SUPPORT LANGUAGE FOR VARIOUS POSITIONS THAT WE WANNA SEE.
IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO THE POINT WHERE WE SAY, THIS IS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WE WANNA SEE IN THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM, OR THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT I, I FLAG THAT BECAUSE AS SALLY GOES THROUGH THIS, IF YOU ALL CAN HELP US, UH, SORT OF PUT A FINER POINT TO WHAT ULTIMATELY THE COMMITTEE WOULD SEE AS SUCCESS IN SOME OF THOSE ITEMS, I THINK WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO THIS AND HELP ACCOMPLISH WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
UH, COUNCIL
UH, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
OH, WELL, ACTUALLY, THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM, SO WE'VE GOT A MOTION IN A SECOND ON THE FLOOR.
WE'VE GOT UNANIMITY ON THIS ONE.
[6. 20-7242 Briefing on the City's Federal Legislative Program for the 117th Congress. [Sally Basurto, Federal & Grants Administrator]]
GO AHEAD WITH THE LAST ITEM.I'M GONNA TURN IT TO SALLY IN JUST A SECOND.
BUT FOR, UH, SETTING THE STAGE HERE, UM, THE, THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL TERM STARTS IN LATE JANUARY, UH, ACTUALLY EARLY JANUARY, I SHOULD SAY.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE LAME DUCK SESSION.
SO THIS IS OUR, UH, FIRST PRESENTATION OF OUR, OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM TO YOU.
THERE IS A, UH, TENANT, EITHER A B SESSION OR AN IN SESSION PRESENTATION THAT WOULD FOLLOW, UH, THE WORK THAT THIS COMMITTEE DOES TO HELP US GET IT READY FOR FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, BUT THE TIMING IS INTENDED FOR US TO HAVE AN AGENDA SET, UH, SOME, UH, FORMALLY APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, SO THAT WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME AS THE NEW, UH, CONGRESS.
SALLY, YOU WANNA TAKE IT AWAY? THANK YOU.
EDUARDO, CAN YOU BRING UP THE PRESENTATION PLEASE? THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AS JEFF SAID, TODAY'S BRIEFING WILL INCLUDE WHAT OUR PROCESS HAS BEEN AND THE PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE ISSUE THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING BE INCLUDED IN THE NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM.
UM, AS JEFF SAID, AFTER TODAY'S, UH, I G R COUNCIL COMMITTEE BRIEFING, WE'RE LOOKING AT A, UH, B SESSION OR EVEN POTENTIALLY AN A SESSION IN JANUARY.
SO THAT'LL GIVE US PLENTY OF TIME TO REVIEW THIS WITH YOU TODAY, AND THEN HAVE A FEEDBACK GUIDE AND RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON TODAY'S, UH, PROPOSED, UM, ISSUES.
UM, AND JUST VERY QUICKLY, WE LAUNCHED THE INTERNAL CITY PROCESS IN OFFICE OF THIS YEAR, AND WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS, WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES.
BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, IN THE SPIRIT OF HAVING YOU RECOMMEND TO US TO BRING THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE INVITED SAS AND THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO FOR THEM TO SHARE THEIR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, CONTINUED, UM, THOSE ACTIVITIES AND CONTINUED TO WORK WITH OTHER COMMUNITY ENTITIES SUCH AS THE CHAMBERS, UM, PARTNERS AND OTHER, UM, K THROUGH 12, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE
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A, AND I MENTIONED THE CHAMBERS AND AS WELL AS ADVOCACY.SO THAT INCLUDES LOCAL GROUPS, REGIONAL GROUPS, AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL
UH, THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE 12 DIFFERENT ISSUE AREAS THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY.
I WILL PROVIDE BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SOME DETAILS ON EACH OF THEM IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES.
UM, TO SHARE WITH YOU, WE TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION THE CITY'S PRIORITIES, OUR RESPONSE AND RE OUR RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PILLARS YOU SEE HERE, REPRESENTED AS WELL.
AND WE ALSO TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR DELEGATION FROM N L C, THE US CONFERENCE OF, AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN TRACKING THE PRIORITIES AND THE INTERESTS OF THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION, UH, TO TRY TO IDENTIFY SOME ALIGNMENT, UH, FOR POTENTIAL GREATER SUCCESSES DURING THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION.
AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST IS THE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE AND RECOVERY.
AS, UH, WE'VE BEEN BRIEFING YOU, THERE ARE ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS RIGHT NOW FOR AN ADDITIONAL STIMULUS BILL.
UH, HOWEVER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE AGGRESSIVELY FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, FLEXIBLE FUNDING ASSISTANCE TO CITIES TO HELP US ADDRESS THE HEALTH RESPONSE AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY.
PARTNERS OF SPECIAL NOTE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE AND RELIEF INCLUDED FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, THOSE HARD HIT INDUSTRIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES, SUCH AS RESTAURANTS AND BARS, UH, THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRIES, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AND SCHOOLS AND OTHERS.
SO WE'VE BEEN COORDINATING WITH THOSE KEY PARTNERS, UH, TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE ARE LEVERAGING OUR RESOURCES.
UM, ONE OF OUR MOST RECENT PARTNERSHIPS HAS BEEN WITH THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.
WE HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH WITH THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, AND ASIDE FROM THE CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS BILL, THERE ARE ALSO, UH, INDEPENDENT STANDALONE BILLS OR PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT WE'VE BEEN TRACKING, LIKE THE RESTAURANT ACT OF 2020, THAT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR, UH, RESTAURANTS AND BARS TO BE ABLE TO COVER THE OPERATING COSTS THAT HAVE BEEN HIT BY THE REVENUE LOSSES.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE CORONAVIRUS, UH, STIMULUS BILL THAT WE'RE TRACKING.
WE'RE ALSO TRACKING STANDALONE BILLS.
AND ACCORDING TO THE STATE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM, THE RESTAURANT ACT, WHICH WE EXPECT TO BE REFILED IN THE NEW, UH, CONGRESSIONAL SESSION, IS THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
SO IT'LL BE, UH, GREAT TO LEVERAGE OUR RESOURCES THERE WITH THAT GROUP.
ALSO, ONE OF OUR PILLARS IS WORKFORCE AND TRAINING.
AND WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR SUPPORT, FOR FUNDING FOR NOT ONLY TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, AND SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, PARTNERS HAVE BEEN LEANING ON OVER THE YEARS THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, BUT ALSO EMERGING WORKFORCE AREAS.
BRING JOBS THAT THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT A, UH, FOCUS ON AS A PRIORITY.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH, ADULT, UH, VETERANS, UH, AND OTHERS THAT WILL HELP SUPPLEMENT OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE AND TRAINING INITIATIVES.
UM, UH, ADDITIONALLY SUPPORT, UH, FEDERAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE AGENCIES AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO SUPPLEMENT AND ENHANCE THE CITY'S READY TO WORK PROGRAM.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THIS EFFORT.
A LOT OF WORK WILL CONTINUE TO GO INTO IT, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION, UM, IS AWARE AND THAT WE EDUCATE THEM ON THE LOCAL INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING, UM, IN THIS AREA.
AND, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT SAN ANTONIO ON A NATIONAL PLATFORM AS A INCENT, AS AN INITIATIVE, AS A NATIONAL MODEL, NOT JUST WITH THE AGENCIES AND THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT WITH THE, LIKE, CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS MODEL NATIONALLY.
ANOTHER KEY PRIORITY THAT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE, WHICH OF COURSE HAS, UM, REALLY BEGGED MUCH GREATER NEEDS, UM, THIS YEAR MORE THAN EVER, IS HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT SUPPORT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM, UM, AND A FOCUS ON FORECLOSURE AND EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAMS. UH, THOSE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN LEGISLATION SUCH AS THE CARES ACT THAT ALLOWED, UM, SOME ASSISTANCE AND, AND COVERAGE FOR HOMEOWNERS, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS INCLUDED, NOT ONLY IN THE NEXT STIMULUS BILL, BUT UH, ONGOING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, SUPPORT FUNDING, UH, INCREASES TO THOSE STAPLE GRANT PROGRAMS FROM HUD, SUCH
[01:45:01]
AS HOME AND C D B G EVERY YEAR.THERE IS, UM, A BIG EFFORT NATIONWIDE AND FOR US AND OUR CONSULTANTS TO ENSURE THAT HOME AND C D B G AND OTHER HU PROGRAMS GET INCREASES.
AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR THROUGH THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS, UM, THAT THERE BE A, AN INCREASE IN THESE TWO PROGRAMS. WHATEVER SLIGHT, UH, INCREASE IS, UH, EQUALS MORE FUNDING FOR SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE ALWAYS PUSH FOR INCREASES IN THESE TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
BROADBAND AND DIGITAL INCLUSION.
UM, HERE AGAIN, ANOTHER PILLAR FOR US LOCALLY.
UH, WE ARE, UH, PROPOSING TO SUPPORT FUNDING TO NOT JUST EXPAND BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
OUR INNOVATION AND IT TEAM WANTED TO TAKE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH HERE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS NOT JUST IN THE BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT ALSO INCREASE ACCESS FOR RESIDENTS TO AFFORDABLE INTERNET.
HOW CAN WE GET THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS FOR THEM AS FAR AS ACCESS TO THOSE SERVICES, ACCESS TO DEVICES AS WELL, AND DIGITAL LITERACY, WHICH EQUALS HOW DO WE USE THESE DEVICES AND ON A DAILY BASIS, NOT JUST FOR SCHOOL, BUT ALSO FOR WORK.
SO THE BROADBAND AND DIGITAL INCLUSION DISCUSSION HAS BEEN VERY ROBUST, UM, IN CONGRESS IN 2020, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE CONVERSATION, UM, WILL CONTINUE NOT JUST AS A STANDALONE ITEM, BUT IN STIMULUS BILLS AND OTHER STANDALONE BILLS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRACKING AS WELL.
WE HAD A, A ROBUST DISCUSSION IN, IN OUR PREVIOUS, UH, SEGMENT.
UH, GENERAL LAYLA SPOKE ABOUT SPACE COMMAND.
OF COURSE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UM, OUR PARTNER, UH, J B S A IN THEIR MILITARY MISSIONS, UH, THROUGH PRIORITIES.
THESE PRIORITIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO BE INCLUDED IN N D A A AND OTHER, UM, APPROPRIATIONS BILLS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THOSE ARE, UH, BILLS THAT MUST BE PASSED TO KEEP THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDED.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE TO CONTINUE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS TO INCLUDE, UH, JBSA, UM, ON AND OFF BASE, UH, PRIORITY PROJECTS.
THIS, UM, PRIORITY, UH, YOU MAY RECOGNIZE IN THE LAST PROGRAM, IT WAS TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE RETITLED IT TO INFRASTRUCTURE MODERNIZATION.
WE HAVE EXPANDED THE LANGUAGE TO BE MORE OF AN INCLUSIVE, UH, ISSUE HERE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION IN 2020 ABOUT AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
THE HOUSE WAS SUCCESSFUL TO PASS A VERY LARGE, I THINK IT WAS A $1.5 TRILLION INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT DIDN'T JUST INCLUDE THE TRADITIONAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
IT ALSO INCLUDED, UH, STATE STREET AND AVIATION PROJECTS, HOUSING, BROADBAND.
IT'S A VERY INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP COMMUNITIES ADDRESS THOSE MOBILITY CHALLENGES.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SAN ANTONIO IS A PARTNER AT THE TABLE WHEN, UH, THIS INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE COMES BACK IN, IN THIS NEXT SESSION WITH, UM, THE OREGON CHAIRMAN, UH, CHAIRMAN DEO OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE WINNING HIS REELECTION.
WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT THIS, UH, WILL DEFINITELY BE COMING BACK.
AND WE ARE HEARING THAT THIS ALSO HAS A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION.
SO WE'RE EXCITED, UM, TO CONTINUE OUR RELATIONSHIP, UM, IN CONGRESS THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED IN SUPPORT OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE THAT WILL BENEFIT SAN ANTONIO AND N L C AND THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ALL THESE INITIATIVES.
ON THE AVIATION IMPROVEMENT, UH, SIDE, YOU WILL SEE THESE AS FAMILIAR ITEMS. WE'RE KEEPING THE AIR AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FUNDING AND SUPPORTING AN INCREASE FOR THAT.
THIS IS A VERY BENEFICIAL TOOL IN THE, UH, AVIATION FRONT TOOLBOX.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S AN INCREASE THAT WE CAN SUCCESSFULLY GET THROUGH CONGRESS, THAT WILL ALLOW OUR AIRPORTS AND AIRPORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS, UH, MORE FUNDING AND MORE FLEXIBLE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, UH, THOSE NEEDED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, UH, PROGRAMS ON THE P F C FRONT, THE PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGE, THAT ALSO ASSISTS AIRPORTS TO ADDRESS INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, THE LAST, UM, TIME IT WAS RAISED, I BELIEVE WITHIN 2000.
SO IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THIS HAS BEEN, UH, CHANGED OR ADDRESSED.
AND THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BRING BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO HELP US PROVIDE, UH, SOME GUIDANCE TO US ON, UH, IF WE GET, GET TO THAT POINT IN TIME, DO WE CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHERE CONGRESS DOES PASS THE P F C OR, OR ELIMINATES IT? THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU FOR ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE.
[01:50:01]
UM, YOU'LL RECOGNIZE THIS, UH, ISSUE AS WELL.SUPPORT CONGRESSIONAL CHANGES TO THE PERIMETER RULE, UM, AND OR, UM, THE SLOT RULE IN ORDER TO SECURE THAT SLIDE FROM SAN ANTONIO TO D C A.
EVEN THOUGH THE F A A REAUTHORIZATION ACT IS STILL A COUPLE OF YEARS AWAY FROM BEING REAUTHORIZED, OUR CONSULTANTS, UM, AND G P A, WE FEEL THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE, THE DIALOGUE GOING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE CROSS BOARD SUPPORT, UH, FOR THIS ISSUE.
AND WE DID A DRY RUN WITH OUR DELEGATION MEMBERS OF THIS PAST FALL WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR CONSULTANTS, AND WE STILL HAVE THEIR SUPPORT.
SO WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT CONTINUING THESE DISCUSSIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS A PRIORITY, UH, FOR SAN ANTONIO, AS YOU KNOW, AND ALSO PARTNERS SUCH AS, UH, JOINT BASED SAN ANTONIO AS WELL.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE AIRPORT CONTINUES TO GET, UH, COVID, UH, FUNDING, UH, AS WELL AS FOR THE AIRLINES AS, UH, KEY PARTNERS AND CONCESSIONAIRES.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN VERY, VERY HEAVILY HIT, UH, BY THE PANDEMIC AS WELL.
SO THEY RECEIVED SOME FUNDING, UH, THE AIRLINES AND THE AIRPORTS, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OTHER PARTNERS THAT ARE WITHIN THE AIRPORT STRUCTURE, UM, ARE COVERED AS WELL, SUCH AS THE CONCESSIONAIRES.
UNDER THIS, UH, SECTION, THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION, THERE'S, UH, A FEW THAT WE BROUGHT IN TOGETHER UNDER THIS UMBRELLA.
THE FIRST ONE YOU'LL RECOGNIZE IS, UH, CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION, SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT AND HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION.
WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U S H H S TEAM.
WE MEET WITH THEM EVERY YEAR, AND STAFF CONTINUES TO WORK WITH, UH, THE STAFF, UM, AT OUR LEVEL TO ENSURE THAT WE KEEP AN EYE ON THOSE FUNDING STREAMS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF H H SS TO FUND THESE PROGRAMS HERE LOCALLY.
ADDITIONALLY, SUPPORT FOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON DACA.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IT'S BEEN ON THE NEWS A LOT LATELY.
UH, THERE'S BEEN FEDERAL DECISIONS, UM, MADE BY FEDERAL JUDGES THAT HAVE ALLOWED, UH, THE, UM, APPLICATION PROCESS TO OPEN UP.
AND A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, I THINK WAS THE LATEST NOTICE FROM THE US HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY HAVE STARTED ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS, UM, AS WELL, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
SO WE DON'T SEE THAT THAT WILL BE OVERTURNED OR CHALLENGED AT THIS POINT IN TIME, UM, IN DECEMBER.
SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT, UH, WE ARE HEARING THAT THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT SUPPORT, UH, TO ADDRESS NOT JUST DACA, BUT COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
HEY, SALLY, CAN I JUST INTER INTERJECT REAL QUICK ON THE DACA ITEM? THE, THE MAIN POINT HERE IS THAT WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL ACTION, IT'S BEEN A PINGING PONG BALL BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIONS.
IT CONTINUES TO GO BACK AND FORTH.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEKING HERE IS A PERMANENT RESOLUTION TO THE ISSUE VERY SIMPLY.
UH, NEW TO THE SECTION, ITS SUPPORT FOR FEDERAL REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM, UM, IS A OFFICIAL HOMELAND SECURITY PROGRAM THAT IS MANAGED BY HOMELAND SECURITY.
UH, INDIVIDUALS WANTING TO RESETTLE IN THE UNITED STATES SUBMIT A FORMAL APPLICATION THAT REQUIRES APPROVAL.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, ITEMS AND CRITERIA THAT NEED TO BE MET.
UH, THE TWO AGENCIES IN SAN ANTONIO THAT RECEIVE FUNDS TO MANAGE, UH, THESE POPULATIONS ARE CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND RAICES, AND THEY HAVE SEEN A DECREASE, UM, IN THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS APPLICATION AND EVENTUALLY APPROVAL PROCESS UNDER THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.
AND THAT HAS HURT THEIR OPERATIONS FUNDING DOLLARS.
SO, UM, OUR IMMIGRATION, UM, LIAISON, UH, TINO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THEM CLOSELY ON THAT, AND THEY'VE ASKED FOR OUR SUPPORT, UM, TO TRY AND, AND, AND REMOVE THAT CAP THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS SET FOR THAT, UH, FORMAL PROCESS UNDER HOMELAND SECURITY.
SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING INCLUSION OF, OF THIS ITEM.
UNDER THE TAX CREDITS UMBRELLA, WE ARE PROPOSING VARIOUS TYPES OF TAX INCENTIVES THAT WILL HELP, UM, THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT.
UH, THIS WAS IN OUR, THIS IS IN OUR CURRENT PROGRAM, AND THIS HELPS, UM, IT IS ESSENTIALLY INCENTIVIZE BUSINESSES TO HIRE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS SUCH AS VETERANS, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, SINGLE MOMS UNDEREMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND A NEW CRITERIA THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO INCLUDE ARE INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY C OVID 19.
SO THAT'S OUR CURRENT ADVOCACY.
UM, PART RIGHT NOW TO THE WCS IS INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY C OVID 19.
SO THERE WOULD BE AN EXPANSION OF THIS PROGRAM IF WE CAN GET, UH, THAT PART OF IT INCLUDED.
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THE EMPLOYEE RETENTION TAX CREDITS HELPED ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY COVID MAKE PAYROLL.ESSENTIALLY, UH, THOSE ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES CAN APPLY FOR UP TO, UH, $10,000 TO COVER 50% OF, OF WAGES PAID.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROGRAM CONTINUES AND THAT IT GETS REFUNDED.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY INCLUDED IN THE CARES BILL, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT CONTINUES.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TAX CREDIT AREAS AND PROGRAMS FROM TREASURY THAT HAS GREAT SUPPORT FROM THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AND ALSO, UH, N L C AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.
THE SECOND PART OF THE, UH, TAX CREDIT, UM, INITIATIVE IS THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT.
WE'VE HAD, UH, THIS IN OUR PROGRAM BEFORE.
IT HELPS CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, OPTIONS AND IN THE CREATION OF MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.
THERE ARE VARIOUS DEVELOPERS IN SAN ANTONIO HERE LOCALLY THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TAX CREDIT AND HAVE HAD PROJECTS HERE LOCALLY, UH, SUCCESSFULLY CREATED AND UP AND GOING BASED ON THE INCENTIVES TO CREATE THESE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.
A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES ARE, UM, PARK AT 30, UH, 38, 30, THE PAN AMERICAN APARTMENT AND THE ST.
AND THERE ARE AT LEAST 10 OTHER, UH, EXAMPLES OF ONGOING OR PAST PROGRAMS THAT HAVE RECEIVED.
THE DEVELOPERS HAVE RECEIVED THESE, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS, ALSO ON THAT FRONT OF THE HISTORIC TAX CREDITS THAT ALSO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS AND HELP WITH THE RESTORATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THESE TOOLS ARE IN THAT TAX INCENTIVE TOOLBOX, UH, TO HELP REHAB, UM, AND RESTORE, UM, THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ARENA, THIS IS, UM, ONE OF THE STAPLES IN OUR PROGRAM.
WE EXPANDED IT A LITTLE BIT TO, UM, ADD LANGUAGE THAT, UM, BASICALLY SAYS THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
UM, THAT INCLUDES ALSO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND ANTI-TRAFFICKING AND ANTI-SMUGGLING PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS OFFICER TRAINING PROGRAMS AND EQUIPMENT.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH A VERY SOLID RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AND WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO OBTAIN GRANTS, UM, CO UH, GRANTS WITH PARTNERS, UH, IN THE ANTI-TRAFFICKING ARENA, AS WELL AS E EQUIPMENT, LIKE THE BODY CAMS GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED A HANDFUL OF YEARS AGO.
SO WE CAN, WE'LL CONTINUE ENHANCING AND, UH, TAKING CARE OF THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH D O J IN THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION.
AND AS JEFF MENTIONED EARLIER, SUPPORT FOR COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATION TO INCREASE FIREARM SAFETY AND PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THE HOUSE SUCCESSFULLY PASSED A FIREARMS BILL.
IT WAS A COMPREHENSIVE BILL, IT STALLED IN THE SENATE.
UH, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT IN 2020 THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL MOVEMENT, UM, IN THAT AREA.
UNDER HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, WE'VE, UH, AGAIN, UH, ESTABLISHED A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH HOMELAND SECURITY AND FEMA TEAMS. UH, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR TO INCREASE OUR U O C GRANTS TO 3.5 MILLION, AND IN THIS REGIONAL CATASTROPHIC PLANNING GRANT, WE RECEIVED, I BELIEVE, 697,000, ALMOST $700,000, UH, GRANT AWARD.
THIS IS THE FIRST, UH, GRANT THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS RECEIVED.
AND WE ARE HEARING THAT THIS GRANT WILL BE COMPETITIVELY AVAILABLE NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
WE'LL HAVE A YEAR UNDER OUR BELT WORKING ON THIS GRANT.
SO, UM, IF THE NEED ARISES AND IF OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS TEAM DETERMINES THAT OUR OTHER NEEDS, WE WILL SUBMIT ANOTHER APPLICATION, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR GRANT.
UM, WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTER GRANT, UM, AND OTHER EMERGING FEMA PROGRAMS THAT THIS INCOMING ADMINISTRATION WILL PUT A LENS ON THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE AND, UH, FILL THOSE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO THIS IS THE, THE FINAL RECOMMENDED, UH, LEGISLATIVE ISSUE.
THIS IS A, A NEW SECTION, UH, COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING SUPPORT TO FUND THE REDEVELOPMENT OF MAIN STREET BUSINESSES, UH, FOR URBAN CITIES.
THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS ARE, ARE THE HEART OF THE CITY AND VERY IMPORTANT, UH, FOR REVENUE MAKING, PUBLIC AND GREEN SPACES.
AND WE ARE CARRYING OVER BROWNFIELD SITES, UM, AS AN AREA
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OF PRIORITY FOR SAN ANTONIO, OUR BROWNFIELD TEAM WITH THE CITY AS RECENT AS OCTOBER SUBMITTED A NEW APPLICATION FOR $300,000.UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS AN ASSESSMENT GRANT, AND WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK ON THAT.
WE MET WITH E P A BACK DURING SA TO DC AND SO THIS CONTINUES TO BE AN AREA WHERE, UH, THESE GRANTS, AS LONG AS THEY'RE BEING FUNDED, THERE'S ALWAYS BROWNFIELD SITES, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE TEAM THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO, TO TACKLE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY SUPPORT FUNDING FOR THE TRANSITION TO RENEWABLE ENERGY, THE CLEAN ENERGY STANDARDS.
OF COURSE, THIS IS A LONG-TERM GOAL, THIS PART OF OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
AND WE'RE ALSO HEARING THAT THIS IS A, UH, BIG PRIORITY FOR THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND HIGHLIGHT AND INCLUDE THIS ONE AS WELL.
AND LASTLY IN THIS SECTION IS SUPPORT FOR FUNDING AND REAUTHORIZATION OF THE HISTORIC, UH, PRESERVATION FUND.
THIS IS A CARRYOVER ITEM THAT OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION TEAM RELIES ON AND WORKS FOR THE STATE ON MAKING SURE THAT THESE GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY, BUT FOR OUR PRESERVATION PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO REHABILITATE, UM, THOSE IMPORTANT HISTORIC SITES, UM, IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UH, LASTLY, UH, PART OF THIS PROGRAM IS THE CATCHALL SECTION OF THE PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS TO ADDRESS, UH, THE GOOD OR BAD THAT COMES OUT OF CONGRESS, UH, DURING THE SESSION THAT IS INITIALLY NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM.
OUR APPROACH IN THE PAST HAS BEEN, UH, THAT EMERGING ISSUES ARE BROUGHT BACK TO THIS GROUP, TO THIS BODY, UH, TO GET GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PROCEED.
SO WE RECOMMEND CONTINUING, UH, THAT PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE AND KEEP YOU AWARE OF THOSE EMERGING ISSUES.
LIKE I SAID, FOR GOOD OR FOR BAD.
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, UM, REALLY ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT COME UP THAT ARE DETRIMENTAL TO THE CITY.
AND SOMETIMES THERE'S GOOD UP.
SO WE'LL BRING YOU BOTH, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP YOU AWARE AND THEN GET YOUR GUIDANCE.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I CAN'T SEE HOW MANY OF OUR CONSULTANTS ARE STILL HANGING ON, BUT I BELIEVE WE STILL HAD KEVIN AND LAUREN AND CONGRESSMAN BONIA ON THE LINE BEFORE I STARTED THE PRESENTATION, SO WE'RE ALL AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, SO LET'S, UH, LET'S GO AROUND THE HORN, COUNCILWOMAN,
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, AND TEAM, THIS IS A GREAT AGENDA.
THIS IS A REALLY GREAT AGENDA, AND I, I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE A WAY I, I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE MAYBE IN THE, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE BEST APPROPRIATE WAY TO PUT WHERE TO PUT IT IN THE COMMUNITY REVITALIZATIONS, OR MAYBE IN TAX CREDITS, MAYBE IT WON'T FIT.
THERE WOULD BE, UM, REGARDING OPPORTUNITY ZONES, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A FOCUS ON OPPORTUNITY ZONES THAT WOULD BE INCLUSIVE FOR LOCALS, FOR RESIDENTS TO HAVE THE VOICE AT THE TABLE.
I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE'RE, I THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION IS LOOKING AT TO, TO, TO, I GUESS, UM, TO, TO HAVE A PART OF IT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO, TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION SINCE WE HAVE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I'M WONDERING IF WE SHOULD ALL I WOULD LIKE, AND THIS IS FOR CONVERSATION FOR MY COLLEAGUES HERE AT A COMMITTEE, UM, MAYBE IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE CORONAVIRUS SECTION, UM, AND RELIEF, BUT I ALSO THINK IT COULD BE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PORTION IS ADDRESSING AND COMBATING FOOD INSECURITY.
UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT WITH, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE FOOD DESERTS AND FOOD INSECURITY IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE BILLS COMING FORWARD THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT INCREASING, UH, SNAP, UH, THE AMOUNT, THE DOLLARS TOWARDS SNAP IN THE CORONAVIRUS ACT, BUT MAYBE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION AS COMMITTEE, I'D LIKE TO PUT THAT IN THERE SINCE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON AT A CITY LEVEL.
WE ALSO HAVE MADE A, UM, RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, UM, A PRIORITY AT OUR CITY BY DECLARING IT AS THAT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO ALSO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A VOICE, UM, IN PURSUING AND, UM, ADVOCATING FOR THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
UM, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT AS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
AND I DID WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALSO PUTTING A SUSTAINABILITY IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE PORTION.
UH, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, CLIMATE, CLIMATE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S WHERE OUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UM, ALSO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THE, THE TAX CREDITS IN THERE AND ADVOCACY
[02:05:01]
THERE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR OUR TAX ABATEMENT POLICY FOR THE CITY ALIGNS TO WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH OUR, OUR TAX CREDIT AND, AND WORK THAT WE'RE DOING THERE.BUT THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS FOR CONVERSATION, OR IF WE CAN, UM, TALK ABOUT THOSE, THOSE, UM, INCLUSIONS.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE EXCELLENT SUGGESTIONS.
UM, AND, UH, SO LET'S, LET'S CONTINUE, UH, TO ADD TO THAT LIST OF, OF THINGS WE NEED TO DISCUSS, UM, COUNCILMAN GARCIA ROCHA, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, AND THANK YOU, SALLY FOR THE GREAT PRESENTATION.
I THINK THAT YOU DID, UM, A WONDERFUL JOB IN, IN CAPTURING, UH, THE ITEMS THAT ARE OF INTEREST TO US.
UM, IN, IN THE SPIRIT OF FAIRNESS, I WAS LOOKING, UM, AT, UH, THE DOCUMENTS AND I NOTICED THAT THE NORMANDY GROUP, UM, WE ADJUSTED, UH, A MONTHLY PAY OF 10,000 TO 8,333 FOR A TWO YEAR PERIOD.
I'M WONDERING, MY QUESTION IS TWOFOLD.
ONE, IS THIS RELATED TO THE PRIORITIZATION OF, OF, OF THE ASSAY TO DC FLIGHT, AND TWO, DID THEY GET ADVANCED NOTICE, UM, SINCE OUR LAST ITEM WAS DISCUSSED? UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, SALLY, I DON'T THINK IT'S ADJUSTED, UH, WITH THIS CONTRACT.
I THINK IT'S CARRYING THROUGH THE SAME AMOUNT WE, WE DID, UH, WHEN WE DID OUR SOLICITATION BEFORE THE LAST CONGRESSIONAL TERM TWO YEARS AGO, UM, WE FRANKLY WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO, TO HAVE BOTH CLARK HILL, WHICH FINISHED FIRST IN OUR, UH, EVALUATION AND NORMANDY, UM, AS PART OF THE TEAM.
AND SO BOTH TEAMS WERE WILLING TO TAKE A REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNTS THAT THEY HAD PROPOSED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND PUT THE TEAM TOGETHER.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, BUT SOMEBODY ELSE SPEAK UP IF I'M, IF I'M WRONG HERE.
NO, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, JEFF.
I THINK THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY CHANGES IN THE, UH, AGREED UPON COMPENSATION FROM THE COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTS IN, UH, 2019.
UM, EDUARDO IS TEXTING ME THAT THERE WAS, SORRY.
UH, ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES IS REMINDING ME HERE THAT THERE WAS A TYPO IN OUR BRIEFING LAST PRESENTATION.
I THINK THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBERS YOU'RE SEEING.
I JUST WANTED TO, TO AGAIN, TO BE FAIR.
SO I, I WAS TRYING TO WATCH OUT FOR, FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, I, IF, IF SOMEONE, MAYBE, AND, AND I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME HERE, BUT I'D LOVE TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE DC TRIP.
WE MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS STILL, UH, A LOT OF THINGS UP IN THE AIR, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE, UM, POSTPONED VIRTUAL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S BEEN AN UPDATE, BUT I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
MAYBE OFFLINE OR, OR MAYBE BY A MEMO, IF YOU ALL WANNA SEND IT TO US, IF
SALLY'S ON THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF THE CHAMBER.
UM, THE OUTLOOK REMAINS THE SAME OUT OF EXTRAORDINARY PRECAUTION.
THE LAST, UH, TIME I CHECKED WITH THEM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THEY'RE STILL LOOKING AT A MAY, JUNE TIMEFRAME POTENTIALLY FOR A VIRTUAL, JUST BECAUSE CAPITOL HILL IS STILL, REMAINS CLOSE TO VISITORS, SO IT WOULDN'T BE A VERY FRUITFUL, UM, OR HONESTLY, A SAFE VISIT, UM, IN FEBRUARY.
AND THEN WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION COMING IN, THERE WILL POTENTIALLY BE A NEW OR DIFFERENT, UH, CRITERIA OR RESTRICTIONS OR, UH, PROCESSES FOR VISITING AGENCIES.
SO WE'LL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON ANY CHANGES, UH, TO VISITS TO THE, UM, CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS, AGENCIES AND ALSO THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, VIA THE WHITE HOUSE VISITS.
AND THANK YOU, BY THE WAY, BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SENDING THE UPDATES, AND I LOVE THE UPDATES.
THE WEEKLY UPDATES ARE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, DO WE ANTICIPATE ANY FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES PERHAPS IN THE UPCOMING YEAR, IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS BECAUSE OF BILLS THAT ARE BEING PASSED RELATED TO COVID 19 AND COVID 19 RESPONSE? YEAH, WHY DON'T I TRY TO JUMP IN AND ACTUALLY, OUR LOBBY TEAM COULD PROBABLY ADD A LOT MORE INSIGHT, BUT THE BIG FOCUS RIGHT NOW IN THIS LAME DUCK PERIOD IS, UH, IS THE, THE NEXT COVID RELIEF PACKAGE.
AND THERE WAS FINALLY SOME POSITIVE MOMENTUM IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS CAME UP WITH A $908 BILLION PROPOSAL THAT FALLS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 500 MILLION THAT'S, UH, MITCH MCCONNELL HAD PROPOSED.
AND THE 2.2 TRILLION THAT, UH, HOUSE SPEAKER PELOSI HAD PROPOSED, UM, THERE IS IN THAT 160 BILLION FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
AND FOR CONTEXT, THE CARES ACT HAD 150 BILLION FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
SO IT'S ROUGHLY IN THE SAME AREA.
WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE FORMULAS WILL BE THE SAME, UH, BUT IT APPEARS THAT THE SIDES ARE TRYING TO PACKAGE THIS TOGETHER WITH THE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT FUNDED, UH, BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
[02:10:01]
OUR TEAM CAN ADD MORE IF YOU'D LIKE THAT.WELL, AND, AND MAYBE IT'S JUST AN UPDATE, AND AGAIN, IT COULD BE OFFLINE, AND I'M SENSITIVE TO TIME, BUT I, I WAS SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR LIKE WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS OFFERING IN TERMS OF GRANTS, WHAT, UM, THE, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, FOR INSTANCE, MIGHT HAVE AVAILABLE IN TERMS OF GRANTS NOW THAT WE'VE SEEN HOW COVID 19 HAS AFFECTED US.
SO I, I WAS LOOKING FOR VERY SPECIFIC KIND OF GRANTS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT, MIGHT BE BEING TOSSED AROUND.
AND SO, UH, IT MIGHT TAKE, TAKE KIND OF A, A BIGGER DISCUSSION, UM, DISCUSSION.
BUT, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, AND, AND, AND THIS MIGHT BE PART OF THE THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT, AND SO WE HAD MENTIONED MAYBE SOME SORT OF A RUBRIC, RIGHT? OR, OR SOME SORT OF A DEFINITION FOR WINS.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE MAYBE COULD TAKE THE, THE BALANCE SCORECARD APPROACH RIGHT ON, ON OUR FEDERAL LOBBY, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT YEAR.
UM, BUT REALLY, UH, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE, I THINK, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITHIN THESE DIFFERENT, UM, AGENCIES TO, TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO LEVERAGE SOME GRANT FUNDING THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PARTNER UP WITH, UH, WITH DIFFERENT, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT, WHERE I WAS GOING, JEFF.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN VIA GROUND, DO YOU WANNA WEIGH BACK IN HERE? YEAH, JUST VERY QUICKLY, UM, IN RELATION TO SA TO DC TRIP, JUST F Y I, NATIONALLY, THE CITIES HAS ALREADY SAID THAT THEIR NORMAL CONGRESSIONAL CITIES CONFERENCE, WHICH HAPPENS IN MARCH, IS GOING TO BE ALL VIRTUAL.
HEY, CHAIR, DO WE NEED A MOTION FOR THIS? UM, ACTUALLY, JEFF, DO WE NEED A MOTION FOR THIS? THAT'S A REALLY GOOD, YEAH, CARLOS IS, YEAH.
SO WE'LL NEED A MOTION FOR THIS TO, UH, TO PASS THIS ON TO COUNCIL, CORRECT? YES.
SO I MOVED TO, UM, CARRY THIS FORWARD TO FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION WITH THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, SO I'VE GOT A, A, A COUPLE OF EXTRA ORNAMENTS TO HANG ON THIS TREE AND, UH, JEFF OR SALLY, SEE IF YOU CAN, UM, UH, ACCOMMODATE THIS.
AND, UH, I'M, I'M OPEN TO HEARING ANYBODY ELSE, UH, TELL ME WHETHER IT'S A GOOD IDEA OR IF YOU OBJECT.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE PAUSE ACT, THE P A W S ACT, UH, IS GOING TO BE, UH, RESUBMITTED.
THAT'S, UH, A BILL, UH, PROPOSED THAT THE SECRETARY OF VETERAN AFFAIRS, UM, UH, PAY OUT GRANTS TO CITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR WOMEN WARRIORS TO OBTAIN SERVICE ANIMALS.
UM, THIS IS A BIG INITIATIVE THAT THIS COUNCIL KICKED OFF, UH, LAST YEAR IN DISTRICT SIX WITH CANINES FOR WARRIORS.
UM, THEY'RE TAKING, WHAT IS IT, 200 TO 300 DOGS OFF OUR HANDS AND SAVING THE LIVES OF THOSE DOGS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, SAVING THE LIVES OF, UH, THESE WOUNDED WARRIORS, UM, WHO ARE CANDIDATES FOR, OR WHO HAVE EXPRESSED, UH, SUICIDAL IDEATION.
AND, UM, IT, IT, IT'S PROVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, BEING PAIRED WITH A SERVICE ANIMAL REDUCES, UH, INCIDENTS OF SUICIDE.
AND SO, UH, I THINK THAT CONSIDERING THAT WE'VE THROWN A LOT OF WEIGHT BEHIND THAT PROGRAM, UM, ADVOCATING FOR THE PAUSE ACT IF AND WHEN IT'S FILED, UH, WOULD BE, UH, IN KEEPING WITH, WITH THAT EFFORT, JEFF.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING TOO IS, UM, I, I THINK YOU ALL HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR, JEFF, YOUR TEAM HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR AND, AND IT'S, IT'S REFLECTED IN THIS AGENDA THAT THIS ENTIRE COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE, UH, INDUSTRY, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE, UM, PULL FROM EVERY LEVER TO HELP THEM OUT.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LEVERS IS THE ONE, UM, IN AS FAR AS, UH, GOVERNMENT ADVOCACY GOES.
AND SO, UM, I, I CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS INCLUDED THAT IN THIS.
UH, AND I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, WHICH IS WHY, UM, I, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF, UH, MY, MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WOULD OBJECT TO INVITING THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION TO MAYBE OUR NEXT MEETING, UH, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE ASKING US TO DO, UM, FOR THEM, AND, UM, SEE WHERE IT IS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, UH, BLOW WIND INTO THEIR SAILS.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE OTHER THING IS, UM, WE ALSO MENTIONED, UH, A COUPLE OF TIMES DURING OUR MEETING WITH VISIT SA, UM, THAT THERE WERE LEGISLATIVE ITEMS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT AS WELL.
UM, AND I THREW OUT THERE JUST, AND, AND REALLY, I MEAN, IT, IT'S JUST ONE OF MANY THAT THIS INDUSTRY IS ADVOCATING FOR, BUT RETURNING THE, UH, DEDUCTION FOR, UH, BUSINESS TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR, UH, ENTERTAINMENT RESTAURANTS AND, UH, AND HOTELS.
UH, REMEMBER, MEALS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO BE DEDUCTED UP TO 50%.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR BUSINESSES, UH, WHEN PEOPLE TRAVEL, UM, THAT'S NOT COOL.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT COME TO SAN ANTONIO AND SPEND A LOT OF MONEY.
AND TO THINK THAT THOSE AREN'T BUSINESS EXPENSES WHEN THEY'RE HERE ON BUSINESS IS, UH,
[02:15:01]
IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT ALSO WILL HELP THE, THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.UM, AND AGAIN, THERE'S A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT, UM, THAT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IS, IS ADVOCATING FOR.
SINCE OUR LIFEBLOOD IS THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, MAYBE WE CAN ADD THAT, UH, TO OUR FEDERAL AGENDA.
SO IT, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THIS IS GONNA HAVE TO BE A CONTINUING CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WHICH IS THE CASE FOR ALL OF OUR AGENDAS EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY GOOD START.
SO WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE.
UM, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN GRAS GOT A, A QUESTION.
AND I THINK IN THIS AGENDA, BECAUSE SO MANY DIFFERENT SECTORS ARE GOING TO BE HURTING, AND HOPEFULLY CONGRESS WILL START PUTTING OUT GRANTS, ET CETERA, THAT WE CAN LEND OUR VOICE FOR THAT, UH, SUPPORT IN THE FUTURE.
I'M THINKING ABOUT THE ARTS COMMUNITY AS WELL, UM, AND MUSEUMS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD.
SO JUST IF WE CAN HAVE, JUST LIKE WE HAVE THAT CATCHALL THAT WE CAN ALSO HAVE THAT WHEN GRANTS FUNDING AVAILABILITY COMES FORWARD.
MR. CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, JEFF AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT MAYBE EVEN HIGHLIGHTING MORE, UH, PANDEMIC RELIEF RECOVERY.
KIND OF PUT THAT UP FRONT BECAUSE THAT IS OUR PRIORITY.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL REARRANGE THIS PRESENTATION BEFORE GOES TO COUNCIL, DO THAT, MAKE SURE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH,
SO WE'RE CAPTURING THAT AS WELL.
AND, UH, DID I MENTION HOW IMPORTANT THE PAUSE ACT IS TO ME? I THINK I DID.
UH, SO WE GOT A MOTION IN A SECOND, UH, ON THE TABLE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION? AYE.
UH, AND HEARING NO OPPOSITION, THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR MEETING.
UH, OUR FRIENDS, UH, IN DC OUR FRIENDS IN AUSTIN, OUR FRIENDS, UH, HERE WHO, UH, ARE OUR CONSULTANTS.
I HOPE THAT Y'ALL HAVE A VERY NICE HOLIDAY SEASON, UM, AND EXPECT NO GIFTS FROM ME THIS YEAR BECAUSE, UH, I'M GONNA BE GIVING ALL OF MY GIFTS, UH, TO THE RED CROSS.
UM, SO, UH, I, I MIGHT, I MIGHT MAKE A CONTRIBUTION IN HENRY BON'S.