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UM, TIME IS 2:03 PM ON THIS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13TH, 2021.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, IF YOU COULD READ THE ROLE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY AND MARY BERG HERE.
ALRIGHT, AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
UM, WE, UH, HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
[1. 20-7432 Briefing on the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the City of San Antonio's Federal Legislative Program for the 117th U.S. Congress. [Carlos Contreras, Assistant City Manager; Jeff Coyle, Director, Government & Public Affairs]]
TODAY.SO LET ME TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER, ERIC WALSH.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, WE'VE GOT TWO ITEMS ON THIS, UH, THIS AFTERNOON'S AGENDA.
UH, THE FIRST IS A, A PRESENTATION ON OUR HUNDRED 17TH FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
UM, AND JEFF IS ALSO GOING TO UPDATE THE COUNCIL ON WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR, UH, REGARDING THE COVID STIMULUS BILL THAT, UH, WAS PASSED, UH, IN LATE 2020, UH, EVERY TWO YEARS.
AS YOU KNOW THAT OUR GOVERNMENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, UH, WORKS WITH THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, OUR I G R COMMITTEE, UM, AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
AND THE, THE PROGRAM ACTS AS A GUIDE THAT, UM, THAT OUR STAFF, UH, AND OUR CONSULTANTS USE TO ADVANCE THE CITY'S INTEREST OF BC.
UM, 17 HAS PRIORITIZED ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY IN RESPONSE TO, TO THE PANDEMIC.
AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM JEFF HERE IN A SECOND, UH, ABOUT SOME OF THAT.
PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN HAS STATED THAT, UH, IMMEDIATELY UPON ENTERING OFFICE, HE WILL WORK TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF PANDEMIC, INCREASED VACCINE DISTRIBUTION AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ECONOMY.
UM, WE GET TO THAT LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
I DID ASK JEFF TO INCLUDE AT THE BEGINNING OF PART OF THIS PRESENTATION, UH, SUPPLEMENTAL, UH, INFORMATION THAT WE DO HAVE TO DATE, UM, REGARDING THE LAST STIMULUS.
AND SO WHAT THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JEFF TO, UH, START THE PRESENTATION.
OKAY, ERIC, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, UH, AND I WILL START WITH THE RELIEF ACT PIECE.
UM, WE HAD A, A GREAT DISCUSSION AT I G R THIS MORNING, SO I G R MEMBERS FORGIVE ME, UH, THAT YOU'LL SEE THIS TWICE.
UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY CITY MANAGER NOTED IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WHOLE COUNCIL HAD THIS INFORMATION.
SO LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, AS ERIC MENTIONED, UH, HOUSE RESOLUTION 1 33 WAS PASSED IN LATE DECEMBER ON THE 27TH.
UH, IT WAS A COMBINATION OF TWO THINGS.
IT WAS THE, UH, FEDERAL BUDGET FOR F Y 21.
UH, SO THEY, SO THEY PASSED A BUDGET FINALLY A FEW MONTHS INTO THE FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AND THEY TACKED ONTO THAT THE $900 BILLION, UH, WHAT'S CALLED THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF AND RESPONSE, UH, SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT.
I'LL CALL IT THE RELIEF ACT GOING FORWARD.
UM, THE DETAILS OF, UH, THAT RELIEF BILL HAVE BEEN PROVIDED AT A HIGH LEVEL TO THE COUNCIL ALREADY.
WE ARE GETTING GUIDANCE AND, AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS FEDERAL AGENCIES BY THE DAY.
AND SO WHAT I'M ABOUT TO PRESENT IS, IS THE LATEST FROM WHAT WE HAVE.
AND, AND UNDOUBTEDLY WE'LL KNOW MORE INFORMATION IN THE COMING DAYS.
SO, UH, WE'VE BROKEN THIS UP BY, UH, WHO, WHO RECEIVES THE RELIEF EFFECTIVELY, UH, TO TRY TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND.
SO WE'LL FOCUS FIRST ON INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYERS.
UH, THE FIRST IS, UH, AS YOU KNOW, DIRECT PAYMENTS TO ALL AMERICANS EARNING LESS THAN $75,000 A YEAR.
THAT'S A DIRECT PAYMENT OF $600, OR FOR COUPLES EARNING UP TO 150,000.
IT'S A $1,200 PAYMENT, UH, WITH AN EXTRA $600, UH, PER CHILD.
UH, MOST OF THOSE PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED ALREADY, EITHER THROUGH DIRECT DEPOSIT OR MAILED CHECKS, BUT THERE ARE SOME, UH, TAXPAYERS THAT MAY NEED TO CLAIM THEM ON THEIR, UH, TAX RETURNS THIS YEAR IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY RECEIVED THEM.
UH, SECONDLY, THERE'S A $300, UH, ENHANCED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT ON TOP OF STATE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS THAT RUNS THROUGH MARCH 15TH.
THE EVICTION MORATORIUM WAS EXTENDED FROM THE END OF DECEMBER TO THE END OF JANUARY, SO ONE ADDITIONAL MONTH.
AND THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT HAS SINCE EXTENDED THE, UH, UH,
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EVICTION RELIEF FUND AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, UNTIL MID-MARCH.AND THEN THERE ALSO IS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THIS RELIEF ACT, A RENTAL ASSISTANCE, EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UH, FUND, WHICH I'LL GET TO IN A MINUTE.
ON THE BUSINESS FRONT, THIS IS REALLY A BIG PIECE OF THE RELIEF ACT.
THERE WAS 325 BILLION ALTOGETHER FOR SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.
THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF THAT WAS A NEW ROUND OF PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM LOANS, P P P FORGIVABLE LOANS.
UM, IT HAS BEEN, UH, TWEAKED, UH, TO TARGET BETTER SMALL, MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES THAT WERE OFTEN LEFT OUT OF THE LAST ROUNDS.
UH, IN FACT, THE PORTAL FOR APPLYING, UH, OPENED THIS PAST MONDAY, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR, UH, COMMUNITY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS LIKE LYFT FUND THAT WORK WITH DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES.
UH, THE PORTAL OPENED FOR ALL OTHER LENDERS, MAJOR BANKS AND SO FORTH TODAY.
SO THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, UM, INVESTMENT, UH, GROUPS WERE GIVEN A TWO DAY HEAD START, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, WE HAD THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION AT BOTH THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVEL, UH, BRIEF I G R THIS MORNING.
AND, AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF WINS SPECIFICALLY FOR RESTAURANTS IN THIS PROGRAM.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE UH, AMOUNT OF A LOAN YOU CAN APPLY FOR IS 3.5, UH, TIMES PAYROLL, 3.5 TIMES PAYROLL FOR RESTAURANTS, 2.5 TIMES PAYROLL FOR ALL OTHER BUSINESS SECTORS.
UH, THEY ALSO, UM, THE BILL ALSO EXEMPTED, UH, BUSINESS EXPENSES RELATED TO COVID FROM TAXATION.
UH, IT ALSO MADE BUSINESS MEALS, UH, TAX EXEMPT FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO TRY TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL, UH, ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR RESTAURANTS.
UM, AND, UH, AND THEN, UH, THE ITEM RIGHT BELOW IT IS IMPORTANT ALSO FOR EMPLOYERS.
IT EXTENDS THE EMPLOYEE RETENTION TAX CREDIT, WHICH MEANS EMPLOYERS THAT KEEP EMPLOYEES ON THEIR PAYROLLS, UH, CAN, CAN RECEIVE A TAX CREDIT FOR THOSE, UH, FOR ALL WAGES PAID, UH, FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN THE FEDERAL, UH, RELIEF FUNDING.
UH, THE UP ON THE RIGHT, THE $20 BILLION EMERGENCY INJURY, UM, UH, ECONOMIC INJURY, UH, LOAN PROGRAM IS AN ACTUAL LOAN PROGRAM, NOT, NOT FORGIVABLE, UH, BUT IT'S EMERGENCY LOANS TO BUSINESSES THAT NEED, UH, SOME FUNDS TO CARRY THEM THROUGH A ROUGH SPOT THAT WAS EXTENDED, UH, THROUGH THE FIRST TWO QUARTERS OF THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THE WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT WAS EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S THE PROGRAM THAT GIVES TAX CREDITS TO EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE EMPLOYEES FROM CERTAIN, UH, TARGETED GROUPS WHO HAVE, HAVE TYPICALLY HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING EMPLOYMENT.
UH, IN TERMS OF FUNDING TO THE STATE, UH, $1.5 BILLION WILL FLOW TO THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR TESTING AND TRACING.
THAT'S OUT OF ABOUT 19 BILLION NATIONALLY.
FOR, FOR THOSE CATEGORIES, THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THE STATE HAS BEEN PICKING UP THE COST OF TEST, UH, MOST OF THE TESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THERE'S A NEW, UH, UH, REVENUE STREAM TO SUPPORT THAT.
THERE WAS ABOUT $54 BILLION FOR SCHOOLS, FIVE AND A HALF OF WHICH WILL GO TO TEXAS, UH, TO HELP SCHOOLS WITH REOPENING WITH, UM, DISTANCE LEARNING, WITH MEASURING THE, THE, UH, LEARNING LOSS THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND, AND MANY OTHER BENEFITS.
UH, THERE WERE, THERE'S $10 BILLION THAT WILL GO TO STATE HIGHWAYS.
UH, COUNCILMAN
IN PARTICULAR, SOME OF THE COMPETITIVE GRANTS THAT WE'VE GONE AFTER RECENTLY, LIKE, UH, THE BROOKS CITY BASED GRANT, A BUILD GRANT APPLICATION THAT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL LAST YEAR.
UH, WE'VE LOOKED INTO IT SINCE I GR THIS WILL BE BY FORMULA.
THIS WILL BE ADDED DOLLARS TO THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, UH, THAT WILL GO TO THE STATE, AND IT CAN BE USED FOR BASIC, UH, HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE PROJECTS, SALARIES, ET CETERA.
SO ESSENTIALLY, IT'S FUNDING INTO THE STATE HIGHWAY PROGRAM.
IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW OR WHETHER THAT WILL AFFECT US.
AND THEN ON THE BROADBAND, UH, FRONT, THE BIGGEST, UH, PIECE, UH, WAS DIRECTED TO LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS TO HELP THEM GET CONNECTED.
UH, SPECIFICALLY THE MONEY GOES TO, UH, INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO AGREE TO PARTICIPATE, UH, TO ALLOW THAT TO OFFSET THE COST OF BASICALLY GIVING A $50 PER MONTH, UH, DISCOUNT, UH, TO LOW INCOME, UH, CONSUMERS FOR SERVICE.
SO $50 A MONTH OFF FOR INTERNET SERVICE AND UP TO A HUNDRED DOLLARS ONE TIME FOR A DIGITAL DEVICE.
UH, SO IT TAKES THE PROVIDERS SUCH AS CHARTER COMMUNICATION AT AND T,
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UH, AGREEING TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROGRAM.UH, CHARTER HAS COMMUNICATED TO US THAT THEY INTEND TO, THEY'RE STUDYING IT, MAKING SURE THEY UNDERSTAND HOW IT WILL WORK, AND AT AND T HAS SAID THEY ARE ASSESSING IT, UH, AND, AND HAS NOTED THAT THEIR CURRENT, UM, UH, LOW INCOME DISCOUNT PROGRAM OFFERS $10 A MONTH, UH, SERVICE.
UH, IT'S CALLED THE ASSESS PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS THE, UH, SPECIFIC FUNDING STREAMS TO THE CITY, UH, THAT WE'RE AWARE OF AT THIS POINT.
NUMBER ONE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER AND DR.
BRIDGER HAVE COMMUNICATED TO YOU ALREADY THAT WE WILL RECEIVE $13.9 MILLION FOR VACCINATION ACTIVITIES FOR BROAD RANGE OF, OF VACCINATION ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT, UH, THE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINES.
WE WERE ONE OF ONLY FIVE CITIES NATIONALLY THAT RECEIVED THE FUNDING DIRECTLY.
ALL, ALL OF THE REST OF THAT POT WENT TO STATES.
UM, THE RENTAL, UH, THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS $25 BILLION NATIONALLY, UH, CITIES GREATER THAN 200,000 CAN APPLY TO RECEIVE THAT FUNDING DIRECTLY.
AND WE HAVE DONE THAT AS OF FRIDAY.
UH, WE HAVE USED THE EXISTING FORMULAS AND, AND WORKED WITH THE NATIONAL HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO SORT OF CHECK OUR MATH AND OUR ESTIMATE.
I WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS OUR INTERNAL ESTIMATE, IS THAT WE WILL RECEIVE ROUGHLY $6 MILLION FROM THAT PROGRAM, UH, FOR RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
UH, SIMILARLY, THE AIRPORT, UH, IF YOU'LL GO BACK ONE, UH, WE'LL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
UH, OUR ESTIMATE, AGAIN, OUR ESTIMATE IS ABOUT EIGHT TO $10 MILLION, SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THE 40 MILLION RECEIVED FROM THE CARES ACT, BUT HELPFUL, NONE NONETHELESS.
AND THERE IS ALSO SOME HEAD START AND CHILD, UH, CARE DEVELOP, UH, CHILDCARE BLOCK GRANT FUNDING THAT WE HAVE YET TO SEE THE FORMULAS ON, BUT, UH, LIKELY WILL COME TO OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.
AND THEN FINALLY, ON THE COMMUNITY FRONT, UM, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT TRANSIT MONEY IN THIS ACT, UH, VIA HAS TOLD US THEIR ESTIMATE BASED ON THE FORMULAS AS THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE ABOUT $61 MILLION TO SUPPORT THEIR OPERATIONS.
UM, THERE WAS $13 BILLION NATIONALLY IN FOOD ASSISTANCE IN A NUMBER OF AREAS IN, UH, UH, AN INCREASE IN SNAP BENEFITS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND $400 MILLION FOR FOOD BANKS.
THERE ARE ABOUT 200 FOOD BANKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT, THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS.
AND SO THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK HAS COMMUNICATED THAT THEIR ROUGH ESTIMATE IS THAT TEXAS WILL RECEIVE ABOUT 35 MILLION SPLIT AMONG THE TEXAS FOOD BANKS.
SO THAT SHOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, UH, FOR THEM.
AND THEN THERE IS A $15 BILLION FUND TO HELP, UH, LIVE VENUES, THEATERS, UM, ET CETERA, THAT HAVE, UH, SUFFERED FROM THIS.
UH, DURING THE I G R MEETING, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, UH, CONNECTED US WITH A LOCAL COALITION OF, OF VENUES THAT ARE CHAIRING INFORMATION SO THAT, UM, THE OWNERS OF THESE VENUES CAN UNDERSTAND HOW TO, HOW TO SEEK SUPPORT.
THERE IS A WEBINAR THAT THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION'S HOSTING THIS FRIDAY.
AND, UH, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, NOT JUST IN THIS CATEGORY, BUT IN ALL OF THE BUSINESS SUPPORT CATEGORIES, IS WORKING TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO SAN ANTONIO BUSINESSES TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THAT WRAPS UP THE RELIEF ACT.
UH, AND NOW WE MOVE INTO OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM.
I'M GONNA TRY TO MOVE QUICKLY.
IT'S A LOT OF ITEMS BECAUSE OF OUR NORMAL FEDERAL AGENDA COMBINED WITH ALL THE, THE COVID NEEDS.
UH, SO I'M GONNA SKIMM THROUGH THIS AND THEN, AND THEN ANSWER QUESTIONS AS NEEDED.
SO, WE STARTED DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM IN AUGUST, WORKING WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS, COMMUNITY DEPART, UH, PARTNERS, UH, CHAMBERS AND OTHER MAJOR EMPLOYERS, AND OUR, OUR LOCAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS.
WE BRIEFED THE I G R COMMITTEE IN EARLY DECEMBER, AND THEY VOTED TO MOVE, UH, THIS ON TO FULL COUNCIL.
SO, FOLLOWING THE FEEDBACK WE GET FROM YOU HERE TODAY, WE ARE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED TO BRING THIS FOR A COUNCIL VOTE.
UH, THESE ARE ALL OF OUR CATEGORIES.
I'LL GO THROUGH EACH ONE SO YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, THE FIRST AND AND OBVIOUS STATEMENT IS, UH, CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE AND RECOVERY.
UH, THE ONE THING THAT WAS NOT IN THE RELIEF ACT IN LATE DECEMBER WAS MORE MONEY FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, UH, MUCH OF THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN HAS COME FROM THE C R F FUNDING IN THE CARESS ACT.
UH, WE EXPECT WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AND NEW CONGRESS THAT THERE WILL BE A RENEWED DISCUSSION, UH, AROUND STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING, AND, AND WE WANT TO PUSH FOR THAT.
UH, IN ADDITION, WE ARE, UH, MAKING EFFORTS TO WORK WITH ALL OF THE HARD HIT INDUSTRIES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OTHER ENTITIES TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HELPING COMMUNICATE THEIR NEEDS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
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NEXT SLIDE.THE OTHER MAJOR PRIORITY, UH, FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THIS CONGRESS, IT APPEARS, IS A BIG INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, NOT JUST HIGHWAYS AND ROADWAYS, BUT SIDEWALKS, BIKE LANES, AIRPORTS, PARKS, BROADBAND, WATER WASTEWATER, ET CETERA.
UH, IN FACT, IT'S, IT'S, UH, BELIEVED THAT A BIG INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE MAY BE MARRIED UP WITH ANOTHER, UH, CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE.
AND SO WE'VE STARTED A PROCESS INTERNALLY OF GATHERING PROJECTS THAT WE CAN, UH, BE PREPARED TO PRESENT.
AND, AND WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO DO THE SAME SO THAT OUR REGION PRESENTS A, A UNIFIED, UH, ASK IN TERMS OF WHAT WE, WHAT WE NEED, UH, MOST CRITICALLY IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS A, A STANDARD, UH, ITEM IN OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM EVERY TWO YEARS.
THE NEW WRINKLE HERE, OF COURSE, IS OUR VOTER APPROVED READY TO WORK PROGRAM, WHICH NOW CREATES A LOCAL FUNDING STREAM THAT WE WANNA LEVERAGE TO SUPPORT, TO SECURE MORE FEDERAL FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIP.
UH, SO WE'LL BE UP, UH, TALKING REGULARLY ABOUT WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS DOING IN, IN HOPES OF, UH, UTILIZING THAT TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL, UH, FUNDING FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO HELP FOLKS, UM, BUILD THE SKILLS TO WORK IN THE, IN THE INDUSTRIES THAT WE'RE, UH, FOCUSED ON.
HOUSING ASSISTANCE IS ALSO A STANDARD, UH, ITEM FOR US.
UH, WE DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ON THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US, LIKE HOME AND C D B G PROGRAMS THAT HAVE FACED, UH, UH, PROPOSED, UH, ZEROING OUT OR MAJOR CUTS BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.
UH, WE DON'T EXPECT TO PLAY AS MUCH DEFENSE THIS TIME, BUT NONETHELESS, WE WANT TO PUSH FOR LEVEL OR MORE FUNDING IN THOSE AREAS.
SO THIS IS A GENERAL, UH, UH, STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR FEDERAL FUNDING AND, AND OTHER PROGRAMS TO HELP CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW, UH, JB SSA'S MISSIONS AND PROTECT THE MISSIONS, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, HELP J B SS A, UH, ADVOCATE FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS THROUGH THE, UH, ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS.
WE ARE SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR, GETTING MULTIPLE PROJECTS PLACED IN THE BUDGET, UH, THAT BENEFIT, UH, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, AND WE WANNA CONTINUE DOING THAT.
ON THE AIRPORT FRONT, UH, SEVERAL MAJOR CATEGORIES.
UH, UH, MORE FUNDING FOR THE A I P PROGRAM THAT, THAT WE USE TO DO A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AT THE AIRPORT.
UH, THERE'S A MANY YEAR EFFORT TO, UH, ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY IF COUNSEL APPROVED IT TO RAISE THE PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGE TO, TO, UH, INVEST IN FACILITIES AT THE AIRPORT.
EVEN THOUGH, UM, THE F A A REAUTHORIZATION IS NOT UP IN THE COMING YEAR, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO TRY TO SECURE THAT NONSTOP FLIGHT TO REAGAN NATIONAL.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE AIRPORT, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THIS PANDEMIC AND ITS IMPACTS GO ON, UH, WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR RELIEF FOR THE AIRPORT GIVEN, UH, THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS THAT COMMERCIAL AIR HAS, UH, EXPERIENCED.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS A BIG CATEGORY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTIONS PROGRAMS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOMELESSNESS, UH, ALL, ALL FEDERAL FUNDING STREAMS THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE, UH, BE PRESERVED.
WE, UH, CONTINUE TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON DACA DEFERRED, UM, ACTION, UH, FOR CHILD OF, UH, EXCUSE ME, I MESSED IT UP ON DACA.
UH, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS HAS BEEN A PINGING PONG BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIONS AND FRANKLY, THE COURTS.
AND CONGRESSIONAL ACTION IS WHAT WOULD FINALLY PUT TO BED THE, THE ISSUE OF PERMANENT STATUS FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THIS COUNTRY, UM, UH, THROUGH, BY THEIR, BY THEIR PARENTS, AND, AND, UH, DO NOT HAVE CITIZENSHIP THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
UH, IN ADDITION, THE FEDERAL REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT, UH, IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGE REFUGEE COMMUNITIES IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS IS A BIG RECEIVER STATE, AND FEDERAL FUNDING IS TIED TO THAT.
GROUPS LIKE CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND ESIS PARTNERS OF OURS HAVE SEEN FUNDING CUTS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FOR, UH, AN ADEQUATE CAP, UH, SET BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND, AND FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO HELP FOLKS WHO HAVE LEGALLY BEEN GRANTED LEGAL STATUS, UH, AND GREEN CARDS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, BUILD THEIR LIVES HERE.
UH, HOUSING, THERE'S A NUMBER OF TAX CREDITS.
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HOUSING TAX CREDITS HAVE BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL FOR A NUMBER OF PROJECTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS HAVE HISTORIC TAX CREDITS.SO WE WANNA SEE THOSE PRESERVED.
UH, ON PUBLIC SAFETY FRONT, I THINK YOU ALL KNOW WELL, WE, WE OFTEN RECEIVE FUNDING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT, AS WELL AS COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE CONSISTENT WITH THE RESOLUTION THAT THE COUNCIL PASSED, UH, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THAT THAT ISSUE ALMOST SEEMS TO HAVE FALLEN OFF THE RADAR FEDERALLY, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, WE REMIND FOLKS OF OUR POSITION ON THAT, ON THAT ISSUE.
UH, SPECIFICALLY THE UI PROGRAM, UH, FUNDS A LOT OF THINGS AT OUR, AT OUR, UH, E O C AND WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS TO HELP THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WITH THE RISK ASSESSMENT THEY CONDUCT ON ALL COMMUNITIES TO DETERMINE THE FUNDING AND, AND WE'LL BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED THERE.
AND UNDER THIS IS A BIG CATCHALL FOR COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION BROWNFIELD'S, UH, PROGRAMS, UH, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY ZONES, UH, THAT CAME OUT OF THE BIG TAX BILL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
UH, THINGS THAT CONTINUE TO HELP US REDEVELOP OUR INNER CITY, UH, ARE IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, WERE, UH, BORROWING IT FROM DOUG MELNICK IN OUR SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE.
UH, THERE'S A NEED FOR A CLIMATE STIMULUS, UH, FUNDING TO HELP, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HELP MAKE THE TRANSITION TOWARDS MORE RENEWABLE SOURCES, UH, NOT JUST LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BUT PRIVATE INDUSTRY ALSO.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND, AGAIN, TO REHABILITATE HISTORIC SITES LIKE OUR, UH, OUR HISTORIC MISSIONS.
WE HAVE GENERAL CATCHALL LANGUAGE, BECAUSE THERE ARE ALWAYS ITEMS THAT COME UP THAT, UH, WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE.
UH, THE MIGRANT, UH, RESOURCE, UH, CENTER ISSUES OF, OF, UH, TWO SUMMERS AGO WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE.
SO THIS IS A CLEAR STATEMENT ABOUT, UH, SUPPORTING LE UH, LEGISLATION THAT HELPS THE CITY IN OPPOSING LEGISLATION THAT HURTS THE COMMUNITY'S INTERESTS.
AND OF COURSE, WE DO THAT WITH REGULAR DIALOGUE WITH THE I G R COMMITTEE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SESSION.
AND WITH THAT LENGTHY PRESENTATION, I'LL, UH, DO MY BEST TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, JEFF.
UH, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE, THE GREAT WORK OF OUR I G R COMMITTEE.
UM, AGAIN, UM, A, A FIRST AND OF ITS KIND COLLABORATION NOW WITH OUR CO-CHAIRS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER S REPRESENTING THE CITY.
AND THEN, UM, COMMISSIONER JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ, REPRESENTING THE COUNTY.
SO WE ARE ALL TOGETHER MOVING FORWARD ON OUR STATE AND FEDERAL AGENDA.
SO, WITH THAT, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO, UH, OUR CHAIRMAN, MANNY S THANK YOU.
UM, A LOT HAS BEEN SAID, UH, ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED IN WASHINGTON, DC, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE ELECTIONS AND ALL THAT.
I DO WANNA CALL TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE FLUIDITY AND UNCERTAINTY OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN DC OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UM, JEFF, THIS AGENDA AND THE PLAN TO EXECUTE IT IS, UM, I'M, I'M CONFIDENT THAT, UH, IT IS FLEXIBLE AND IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEW PLAYERS, AND THERE'S A SEA CHANGE GOING ON IN THE SENATE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE MAY HAVE TO COME AND ADJUST THIS FEDERAL AGENDA FROM TIME TO TIME.
AND, UM, THANKFULLY, MY COMMITTEE HAS AGREED TO MEET, UH, AS OFTEN AS, UH, AS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO GET CONTINUOUS, UH, UPDATES, BUT ALSO TO MAKE CHANGES AS NEEDED.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, I ALSO THINK THAT WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT TEAM IN PLACE, UH, PROFESSIONALS IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, IF WE WANTED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, HEAD UP TO AUSTIN, I'M SORRY, UH, AUSTIN AND IN DC, BUT IF WE WANTED TO HEAD UP TO DC, ALL OF US, MANY OF US WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BECAUSE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, COVID RESTRICTIONS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MANY OF US, UM, YOU KNOW, WON'T GET ON A PLANE.
I CERTAINLY AM NOT GONNA GET ON A PLANE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND SO, UH, THAT'S WHY IT'S SO NECESSARY FOR US TO HAVE ON THE GROUND REPRESENTATION UP THERE.
WE CANNOT JUST MONITOR, BUT ALSO ATTEND MEETINGS EVERY DAY, ALL DAY, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, VERY QUICKLY SHIFT, UH, AS NEEDED, UH, DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FACTS AS THEY, UH, AS THEY, YOU KNOW, REVEAL THEMSELVES.
AND SO, UH, WITH THAT, I DO WANNA THANK, UH, MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, WE'VE GOT A REALLY DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE ON THAT, ON THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS THE VOICE OF THE MILITARY WHEN, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, UH, SPEAKS UP AND HE'S DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB.
COUNCILMAN VERAN ALWAYS BRINGS THE, UH, PERSPECTIVE FROM THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
[00:25:01]
UH, ROCHA REEDS, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.UH, AND THAT'S ALWAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF READING MATERIAL OUT THERE.
AND OUR FRIENDS FROM THE COUNTY HAVE ALSO BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
SO, JEFF, UH, THANKS TO YOU IN ADVANCE AND ALSO TO OUR FRIEND, UH, SALLY BATO, UH, WHO I KNOW IS GONNA BE, UM, EXHAUSTED, UH, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SHE'S THE BEST CHAMP WE'VE GOT UP THERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLI, UM, GO DOWN TO DISCUSSION.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU MANNY, FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO BEST, AND THAT IS ADVOCATING FOR THOSE WHO NEED THE HELP.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ADVOCATING FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO GET THE HELP THAT WE NEED.
AND TO ALL OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WHO SERVE ON THE I B R COMMITTEE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING THE THOUGHTFULNESS OF THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO AS I LOOK AT THIS AGENDA AND GOING FORWARD.
UM, JEFF, I KNOW THAT I ASK YOU A LOT OF TIMES ABOUT HOW WE'RE COMMUNICATING AND GETTING THIS INFORMATION OUT BESIDES US JUST HAVING OUR A SESSIONS AND OUR B SESSIONS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS INFORMATION THAT CONTINUOUSLY NEEDS TO BE EDUCATED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I WANTED TO KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO, UH, HELP OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND, IN FULL DETAIL WHAT THIS TRULY MEANS AS FAR AS, UM, WITH LIFT FUND, WE KNOW A LOT OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN DISTRICT TWO FEEL THAT THEY WERE LEFT OUT OF A LOT OF THE FUNDING, WHETHER IT WAS THROUGH THE COUNTY, THROUGH THE CITY, THROUGH P P P, THEY JUST FEEL LIKE THEY WERE LEFT OUT.
AND SO, I'M WONDERING, HOW ARE WE SPEAKING TO THOSE BUSINESSES NOW THAT THIS ROUND OF P P P IS AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER CHANCE TO REALLY GET THE FUNDS THAT THEY NEED, BUT NOT FEEL LIKE THEY WERE LEFT? WELL, I, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THERE ARE MANY, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO FEEL THAT WAY, THAT THE PROGRAM DIDN'T.
I THINK I SAW ALEX LOPEZ ON HERE A MOMENT AGO, AND I MIGHT DEFER TO HER AS HER DEPARTMENT'S WORKING ACTIVELY ON THAT.
AND WE ARE COORDINATING WITH THE ENTITIES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE ALREADY PUTTING INFORMATION OUT, INCLUDING THE SS D A, UM, AND THE U T S A, THE SMALL BUSINESS, UM, ACCELERATOR PROGRAM.
SO THESE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY PUTTING SOME INFORMATION OUT, BUT THEY ALSO CAN PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, CONNECT WITH THE LENDERS THAT ARE GONNA BE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT CONNECT OUR, OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO THE ACTUAL FUNDING WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE.
SO WHAT OUR FOCUS WILL BE IS MAKING SURE THAT THE MESSAGES, UM, ARE OUR VERY DIRECT TO THE POPULATIONS THAT WE KNOW, UM, DIDN'T ACCESS FUNDS.
BECAUSE ALL OF THE GRANT RECIPIENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT RECEIVED GRANTS FROM THE CITY'S PROGRAM, WE KNOW WHETHER THEY HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED P P P OR NOT.
SO WE CAN DEFINITELY CATER OUR MESSAGES AND MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS GETTING TO THOSE POPULATIONS.
UM, AGAIN, THE KEY IS CONNECTING THEM TO THE RESOURCES AND TO THE HELP AND ACCESSING THOSE RESOURCES.
AND I'LL JUST ADD TO ALEX'S, UH, POINT, IF I COULD, UM, UH, I KNOW THE MAYOR MENTIONED IT LAST NIGHT IN, IN HIS BRIEFING ABOUT THE OPENING OF THE PORTAL FOR GROUPS LIKE LYFT FUND.
AND WE PROVIDED SOME PHONE NUMBERS AND INFORMATION.
THE, UH, RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION ASKED THIS MORNING IF WE WOULD HELP SPREAD THE WORD THAT THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED A SAN ANTONIO BASED BANK, TRANS PECOS BANK, UH, TO, TO HANDLE ALL RESTAURANT APPLICATIONS, UH, FOR P P P.
SO, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU HAVE RESTAURANTS IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT MAY BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THAT, UH, TRANS PECOS IS THE, IS THE BANK THAT THEY ARE, UM, URGING PEOPLE TO GO SEE.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, WORKFORCE, UH, INITIATIVE WITH THE TAXES, UM, TO HELP THOSE BUSINESSES HIRE PEOPLE, I KNOW THAT WORKFORCE SOLUTION ALAMO NORMALLY IS THE, THE, OR THE ENTITY THAT GETS THOSE FUNDS.
DO WE KNOW IF THEY ARE GONNA BE THE ONLY ENTITY THAT RECEIVES THOSE FUNDS THIS TIME, OR WITH OUR ESSAY READY TO WORK PROGRAM, WILL WE BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY RECEIVE SOME OF THOSE SAME FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE WITHIN SA READY TO WORK TO GET THOSE TAX INCENTIVES? SO THIS IS ALEX SPECIFICALLY.
ALEX, SORRY, THIS IS ALEX, AND I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ME A LITTLE BIT BETTER NOW.
UM, A LOT OF THE FUNDING THAT YOU REFERENCED, IT DOES COME THROUGH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS
[00:30:01]
ALAMO, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT IT'S, UM, AUTHORIZED AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.UM, SO IF, IF THAT ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT BECOMES AVAILABLE, UM, DEFINITELY WOULD BE, WOULD BE DRAWN DOWN THAT WAY.
UM, THE BENEFIT OF THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM IS THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE INFORMATION, BOTH FROM THE BUSINESSES AND FROM IMPACTED EMPLOYEES, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HELP BUSINESSES ACCESS THOSE RESOURCES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
AND ARE WE GONNA BE TARGETING OUR SMALLER BUSINESSES THAT NORMALLY HIRE FROM WITHIN THE DISTRICT, BUT THEY DON'T REALLY QUALIFY UNDER THE WORKFORCE SOLUTION? ALAMO, UH, PLATFORM, THEY'RE NOT BIG CORPORATIONS.
THEY'RE MOM AND POP BUSINESSES.
WILL WE BE ABLE TO HELP THEM SEE IF THEY QUALIFY FOR THESE SAME TAX INCENTIVES AS WE GO FORWARD? I, I THINK IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW THE LEGISLATION IS PUT FORWARD AND WHAT RESOURCES BECOME AVAILABLE.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT, AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE INTRODUCED LAST SESSION AND WHAT HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN IN PLACE.
UM, BUT, BUT FUTURE PROGRAMS COULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS COUNCILWOMAN FOR GIVING THE COMMUNITY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS A, A TWO DAY HEAD START IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT MAY NOT HAVE A BANKING RELATIONSHIP ALREADY.
THAT, UH, THE FIRST ROUNDS OF P P P WENT TO A LOT OF BUSINESSES WHO ARE WELL CONNECTED WITH MAJOR BANKS, WHO WERE ABLE TO GET APPLICATIONS IN QUICKLY.
THE IDEA HERE IS FOR BUSINESSES TO NOT THAT, THAT DON'T HAVE THAT, OR DON'T NEED THAT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO A LYFT FUND AND GET ALL THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO GET CONNECTED TO THOSE DOLLARS.
SO EVEN, EVEN ON THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION FRONT THIS MORNING, THEY MADE THE POINT THAT, UH, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF THEIR ASSOCIATION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UH, THE TRANS TRANSPECOS, UH, PROCESS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO FUNNEL ANY SIZE BUSINESS THAT NEEDS IT, UH, OR AS SMALL AS BUSINESS AS NECESSARY INTO THESE PROGRAMS TO GET THEM CONNECTED.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, THE MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT IS STILL MISSING.
UM, I HAVEN'T HEARD, ARE WE GONNA BE ASKING FOR MORE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS OR, UH, MENTAL HEALTH TELEMED, OR WHAT IS THE MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT OF, OF THIS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA? YES, THERE ACTUALLY IS A FUNDING STREAM, UH, FOR MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL.
THERE'S ALSO ACTUALLY IN THAT BROADBAND CATEGORY, THERE'S SOME TELEHEALTH, UH, FUNDING.
UM, I DIDN'T GO INTO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT WE CAN PULL IT AND, AND SEND IT TO YOU AFTERWARDS.
THAT, THAT INFORMATION I'D LOVE TO SEE.
WELL, UM, I'LL FINALIZE THIS LAST PIECE, UM, WITH MILITARY, UM, I KNOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND ONE THING THAT WE KNOW THAT DRIVES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS OPENING THE GATES ALL THE WAY THROUGH ALL NEW BROWNFIELDS THERE AT FORT SAM.
I KNOW WHEN WE WENT TO WASHINGTON LAST YEAR, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS FUNDS ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY FOR OPENING GATES ON MILITARY BASES, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD ANY KIND OF FOLLOW UP OR, OR FOLLOW THROUGH TO SEE IF THAT IS EVEN STILL WITHIN THE BUDGET, UM, OR EVEN AVAILABLE WITHIN THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR MILITARY.
AND SO, UM, JEFF, IF YOU COULD JUST FIND OUT, UM, INFORMATION ON THAT FOR ME, I'D LOVE TO HAVE A FOLLOW UP.
BUT THOSE ARE ALL THE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS I HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
THANK YOU, JEFF, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND TO ALL THE MEMBERS ON THE, ON THE I G R AND, UH, AND SALLY, OF COURSE.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS, UH, REGARDING, UH, THE PRESENTATION DIDN'T MENTION TOO MUCH ABOUT HEALTH, LIKE THE, THE COUNCILWOMAN SAID, WE KNOW THAT OUR MEDICAID WAIVER FUNDING IS, UH, DIMINISHING O OVER TIME.
UH, WHAT, WHAT FUNDING STREAMS CAN WE EXPECT TO INCREASE, UH, HEALTH FUNDING FOR, FOR THE CITY? WELL, I THINK THE FUNDING STREAMS IN THE ACT ARE VERY SPECIFIC TO THE, THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
UM, I CAN'T SAY, I ACTUALLY, I SEE COLLEEN HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA ADD TO COLLEEN.
SO THE, UM, THE STATE HAS SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO EXTEND THE MEDICAID WAIVER PROGRAM.
I THINK THAT WAS WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO, COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, SO WE'RE WAITING ON WORD FROM THE STATE.
IF THAT GETS APPROVED, THEN THE, THE 1115 WAIVER FUNDING, UM, WILL CONTINUE
[00:35:01]
FOR THE CITY.UM, AND, UH, THERE IS OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, ALSO AN EFFORT UNDERWAY TO, UM, SEEK MEDICAID EXPANSION FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH WOULD ALSO, UM, BE A BIG HELP FOR US.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG ANSWERS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.
SO, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE, IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR, OUR FUNDING AND OF COURSE THE, THE EXPANSION BOTH REST ON THE STATE.
SO THERE IS, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LOBBYING FOR THAT WE SHOULD BE LOBBYING FOR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL RIGHT NOW FOR HELP? NOT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE STATE.
AND THEN, UH, I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, UH, A CLIMATE.
UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT A, I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THE TERM THAT YOU USED? A STIMULUS? UH, SO VERY GLAD TO SEE THAT, UH, MAKING IT IN THERE.
I THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT ON THAT ONE WE COLLABORATE WITH, UH, WITH OTHER ENTITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND, AND CAN YOU, IS THAT UNDERWAY OR WHAT, WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS ALSO ON THE C P S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA? 'CAUSE ON OUR, ON OUR OWN, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT, I DON'T THINK, WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT.
ON THE C P S FRONT, THEY'RE ONE OF A NUMBER OF ENTITIES THAT WE REGULARLY WORK WITH ON BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL ISSUES.
WE HAVE A, AN I G R ROUNDTABLE THAT WE CREATED, UH, SOME YEARS AGO THAT ARE, UH, SALLY AND MY COUNTERPARTS AND ALL THE OTHER ENTITIES.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM, UH, ON THE, UM, CLIMATE ISSUE AND, AND SORT OF GREEN ECONOMY ISSUE.
UH, MUCH REMAINS TO BE SEEN IN TERMS OF WHERE THIS GOES.
WHAT, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT IT'S BEEN PUT OUT ALREADY AS THE PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION TEAM'S PRIORITY.
A BIG PRIORITY IS TO FOCUS ON THE GREEN ECONOMY, TO GET US BACK INTO THE, UM, THE CLIMATE AGREEMENTS ACROSS THE, UM, WORLD THAT WE HAD BACKED OUT OF IN RECENT YEARS.
SO OUR LANGUAGE IS VERY GENERAL, INTENTIONAL, INTENTIONALLY RIGHT NOW, UH, TO SEE WHERE THESE CONVERSATIONS GO.
BUT WE'RE ESSENTIALLY PLAYING OUR FLAG THAT THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE WANNA BE FOCUSED ON.
AND, AND ABSOLUTELY IT WILL REQUIRE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, NOT JUST PUBLIC, BUT PRIVATE HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, MS. GOLD WILLIAMS, UH, NOT, NOT TOO LONG AGO.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU GUYS SAW THE PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY.
A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THE, THE COAL PLANT THAT THAT'S STILL IN OPERATION AND FOR BRINGING THAT OFFLINE COULD ENTIRELY DEPEND ON, UH, OR COULD BE CHANGED DEPENDING WHAT COMES OUTTA CONGRESS, UH, WHAT LEGISLATION HAPPENS.
COULD YOU HEAR ME OKAY? I'M SORRY.
I THINK I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY CONNECTION.
UM, SO, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, TO COLLABORATING, UH, ON THAT.
AND THEN, UH, LASTLY FOR NOW, UM, IS, ARE WE ADOPTING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION OR ARE WE ADOPTING A REPORT? WHAT I, UH, LIKE COUNCILMAN ROCHE GARCIA, I, I LIKE TO SEE THE DOCUMENTS.
I LOVE TO HAVE THE DOCUMENTS BEFORE THEY, THEY GO FORWARD WITH MY APPROVAL, SO, RIGHT.
NO, UH, DEFINITELY NOT ADOPTING A POWERPOINT.
WE DO A FAIR QUESTION, THOUGH.
UH, WE DO HAVE IT IN A DOCUMENT.
UM, WE, WE DO TRY TO MAKE SURE THE LANGUAGE IN THE PROGRAM IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE PUT, WE PUT IN THE SLIDES SO THAT YOU SEE THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE.
BUT I THINK WE CAN DISTRIBUTE IN ADVANCE OF, UH, COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF THE FULL PROGRAM.
WE'LL, WE'LL DISTRIBUTE THE DOCUMENTS SO THAT EVERYBODY HAS THAT TO READ.
AND COUNCIL WILL, IT'LL BE ON, IT'LL BE ONLINE AS WELL ON THE AGENDA.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE RELIEF PACKAGE AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COVERED, UH, 13.9 MILLION FOR VACCINATIONS.
UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE MENTIONED AS PART OF THE RELIEF, 1.5 BILLION TO TEXAS FOR TESTING, TRACING, MITIGATION EFFORTS, IS, AM I RIGHT IN UNDERSTANDING THAT BOTH IN THE VACCINATION EFFORTS AND, AND IN THE TESTING TRACING EFFORT, ET CETERA, THE STATE HAS BEEN REIMBURSING US WITH, UH, THE FINANCIAL BACKING OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND WE HAVEN'T USED ANY LOCAL MONEY TO DO THAT, IS THAT TRUE? SO I'M GONNA JUMP IN AGAIN.
UM, ON THE, THE QUESTION ABOUT TESTING, THE STATE HAS PAID DIRECTLY THE VENDOR CURATIVE
[00:40:01]
AND DCO, WHO ARE PROVIDING PROBABLY 90% OF THE, THE CITY'S, UH, FREE TESTS COMMUNITY LABS.HOWEVER, WE ARE PAYING FOR, UM, WITH A COMBINATION OF GRANTS, C R F AND GENERAL FUNDS.
UM, SO THAT'S THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ABOUT TESTING.
THE QUESTION ABOUT VACCINATIONS WE DON'T KNOW YET.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE STATE GOT, WILL GET SOME FUNDING FOR VACCINATIONS.
WE KNOW THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO METRO HEALTH WILL, WILL GET $13.9 MILLION.
WE'VE NOT GOTTEN THE, UM, THE PAPERWORK THAT COMES WITH THAT FUNDING.
SO WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR ON THE DETAILS AT THIS POINT.
UH, I ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, WE'VE GOTTEN, UH, ALLOCATION OR, OR WE'RE EXPECTING, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA GET SOME OF THE MONEY FOR EMERGENCY BROADBAND.
UH, AND DO WE HAVE ANY INDICATION OF HOW MUCH WE MIGHT BE GETTING ON THAT AND HOW THAT CAN, UH, KIND OF HELP US OFFSET THE GENERAL FUND MONEY WE'VE PUT INTO THAT? RIGHT.
COUNCILMAN? WE, UH, WE DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE GETTING ANY DIRECT BROADBAND MONEY.
UH, WE, WE, TWO MAJOR AREAS THAT WE'RE, WE HAVE DETAILS ON AT THIS POINT, IS THAT FUNDING WILL GO TO THE STATES, ABOUT 300 MILLION COLLECTIVELY TO ALL THE STATES TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP OUT, UH, BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE IN AREAS THAT ARE UNDERSERVED.
SO, UH, SHIFTING OVER TO OUR STATE EFFORTS, UH, AS YOU RECALL, THAT IS ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES IN OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM IS BROADBAND EXPANSION.
IN FACT, UH, CRAIG AND I HAVE A CALL SET UP WITH, UH, THE ADVISOR WITHIN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WHO IS LEADING ON THE BROADBAND ISSUE TO POSITION OURSELVES AT THE STATE LEVEL.
BUT SO THAT MONEY WILL FLOW TO THE STATES, AND THEN THE BIG PEAK PORTION OF THIS, UH, RELIEF ACT WILL GO TO INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO AGREE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND, AND THEY WILL THEN BE REIMBURSED FOR OFFERING, UH, SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNT THEIR CUSTOMERS, UH, WHO FALL INTO VARIOUS, UH, ELIGIBILITY CATEGORIES.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, IT DOES.
I'M WONDERING IF CRAIG CAN TELL US IF WE'VE GOT THOSE KINDS OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT MIGHT RELIEVE SAN ANTONIO OF SOME OF THE COSTS THAT WE ARE TAKING ON AS A BURDEN IF THIS FEDERAL MONEY COMES THROUGH TO THOSE ISPS THAT ARE WORKING WITH US.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF CRAIG HOPKIN IS HERE, COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
I, I'M HERE COUNCILMAN, UH, JEFF, UH, THAT HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED.
REMEMBER, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON IS AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE CONNECTIVITY AND GETTING THEM CONNECTIVITY, RIGHT? BUT IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD BE PLACES WHERE CONNECTIVITY EXISTS, BUT IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE.
SO THIS WOULD ALLOW IT TO BE CHEAPER FOR THEM TO GET IT.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRING THOSE TWO TOGETHER.
UH, MY GOAL IS JUST TO TRY AND ASSESS, ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND COMMITMENTS WITH THIS MONEY THAT MIGHT BE COMING DOWN THE LINE FROM THE STATE TO HELP US SAVE OUR BUDGET, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY MONEY COMING TO THE MUNICIPALITY OR THE STATE FOR ALL OF THE LOSSES THAT WE'VE HAD.
AND IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SUBSTITUTE SOME OF THIS MONEY COMING IN FROM THE FEDERAL RELIEF ACT AND, AND HELP REINFORCE OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, I THINK THAT'LL HELP US THIS YEAR AND GOING FORWARD INTO NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT THAT.
AND I HOPE THAT WE FIND SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY WE WILL GET A LITTLE BIT OF RELIEF FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING TO OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
AND I GUESS THAT'S GONNA TAKE TIME TO SEE HOW THESE PLANS WORK.
COUNCILMAN? I, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT'S A SENTIMENT THAT I THINK WE ALL SHARE AND AS DETAILS COME OUT, UH, OF, OF THIS STIMULUS EFFORT, AND IF THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL STIMULUS EFFORT, UH, AFTER JANUARY 20TH OR INTO THE, INTO THE NEW YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING, HAVING TO REVISIT ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNCIL, KIND OF LIKE, KIND OF LIKE WE DID LAST APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE WITH THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN ABOUT WHERE, WHERE ALL THE DOLLARS COMING FROM, FEDERAL OR STATE, HOW DOES THAT FIT INTO OUR PLANS AND HOW CAN WE REALLOCATE? UM, AND AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION, I ENVISION US, UH, HAVING TO DO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, UH, MOVING FORWARD IN THE BEST FINANCIAL, UH, POSITION.
RIGHT? ONE THING I'M ENCOURAGED TO SEE IS THE ESTIMATED 6 MILLION FOR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A DISCUSSION OF THAT, UH, JUST THE OTHER DAY IN COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK THIS NUMBER WAS MENTIONED AS SOMETHING THAT WAS ANTICIPATED.
UH, I THINK WE ARE FACING A REAL CONTINUING HOUSING CRISIS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND EVEN
[00:45:01]
HOMEOWNER OR, OR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT JUST APARTMENT RENTERS, BUT, BUT HOUSING RENTERS.AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, I'M CERTAIN WILL GO A LONG WAY TO SAY TO HELP A FEW THOUSAND FAMILIES STAY IN THEIR HOMES RIGHT NOW.
AND I HOPE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE PUT THIS MONEY INTO.
UH, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE MORE RESOURCES OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT THREE TO SIX MONTHS TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT MASSIVE WAVE OF HOMELESSNESS THAT SEEMS TO BE BUILDING WAY OFF IN THE BACKGROUND.
THAT'S WHY I AM SAYING IF WE CAN RELIEVE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS FROM SOME OF THESE OTHER FEDERAL DOLLARS COMING DOWN THE LINE, WE MAY BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE THAT TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
OKAY, COUNCILMAN, JUST ON THAT NOTE, ON THE, ON EMERGENCY HOUSING, UH, YOU, IT IT'LL BE ON NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA, BUT WE HAVE ANOTHER FIVE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS COMING FROM, UH, PART, MOST OF IT COMING FROM THE STATE FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING.
AND THEN, UH, THROUGH AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY TO TAKE COUNTY FUNDS.
UH, AND WE WILL PROGRAMMATICALLY ADMINISTER THROUGH AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
UM, AND THE, THE ELIGIBILITY FOR THOSE DO, FOR THOSE DOLLARS, UH, IS ANYBODY WHO LIVES IN BEXAR COUNTY TO INCLUDE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS.
SO THERE'S AN, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL ALLOTMENT THAT THAT'LL BE ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION NEXT THURSDAY AS WELL.
YEAH, I, I'M AWARE THAT WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M ALSO AWARE OF IS, IS THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION THAT'S QUESTIONABLE THAT, THAT MANY OF US FEEL COULD ALSO BE COMMITTED TO RENTAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE THAT, UH, THAT IS UP FOR DEBATE.
I THINK NEXT WEEK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS.
AND, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
I ECHO EVERY ONE OF YOUR SENTIMENTS ON REGARDING OUR OWN GENERAL FUND AND EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
I'LL SIMPLY, UH, ADD TO THAT, THAT WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY GOT TO EXAMINE THE ELIGIBILITY, UH, THRESHOLDS THAT WE'VE PUT ON TO ARTIFICIALLY, UH, NUMBERS BECAUSE, UH, PEOPLE HAVE REACHED THEIR LIMIT.
AND, AND SO THAT IS, THAT IS REALLY CRITICAL FOR US TO LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE, ARE, ARE NOT RECEIVING MORE FUNDING SIMPLY BECAUSE WE, WE'VE CUT THEM OFF AT TWO MONTHS.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, JEFF, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, A FEW WEEKS BACK, COUNCIL RECEIVED A BRIEFING ON THE HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, THIS PLAN MENTIONED THAT SAN ANTONIO WOULD SEEK FEDERAL CONTINUUM CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING, AND THE CONTINUUM OF CARE MODEL HAS ITS MERITS.
BUT WHAT I HEAR FROM MY RESIDENTS, BOTH HOUSED AND UNHOUSED, IS THERE IS A NEED FOR, FOR, UH, US TO HAVE FEWER BARRIERS TO HOUSING.
UH, WE KNOW IS THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS DEMONSTRATED A COMMITMENT TO ENSURING FEDERAL HOUSING PROGRAMS USE A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH TO ENDING HOMELESSNESS.
THIS COULD OPEN UP SOME NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSING FIRST SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO ADVOCATE FOR DOLLARS, WHICH ALLOW US TO FUND MORE HOUSING FIRST SOLUTIONS.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? I BELIEVE OUR LANGUAGE IN THE PROGRAM ADDRESSES IT.
UM, UM, IT COVERS THAT, AT LEAST FROM A GENERAL CATEGORY.
I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, MELODY'S ON HERE TO SPEAK MORE SPECIFICALLY TO THE PROGRAM OR NOT, OR, OR KEVIN KELLY, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? BUT I, I THINK OUR HOMELESS LANGUAGE GIVES US THE DIRECTION TO BE ABLE TO, UH, PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT.
UM, AGAIN, AND JUST TO, UH, TO, TO, UH, DEMONSTRATE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS HOUSING FIRST, UH, IS, IS A MODEL THAT ALLOWS US TO, UH, TO ACCEPT, UM, THOSE THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH, WITH, UH, UH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS, UH, SHELTERING THEM FIRST.
UH, BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF THE PROBLEM IS, UH, WE JUST SIMPLY DON'T HAVE PERFECTLY HOMELESS PEOPLE.
UM, TOO MANY EXAMPLES, UH, THAT I HAVE SEEN MYSELF WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO HELP SOMEBODY AND THEY NEED DETOX, AND WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE BEDS FOR PEOPLE TO DETOX.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AS WELL.
SO, UH, I WILL, I'LL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR A HOUSING FIRST MODEL FOR A CITY.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT THIS, THIS WILL BE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT TO OUR GROWING, UH, HOMELESS, UM, POPULATION IN SAN ANTONIO.
[00:50:03]
THANK YOU, SIR.UM, YEAH, AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, UH, AN ISSUE NOW AND, AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE THIS COVID THING STARTED, THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S A C C R IN THE SYSTEM SOMEWHERE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IT COME OUT SOON.
UH, ABOUT JUST THAT FROM, UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO ABOUT, UH, HELPING OUT OUR FOOD AND BEVERAGE COMMUNITY HERE AS WELL.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST WENT OUT, UH, WE PUT OUT THAT WE HAD ABOUT $25 MILLION, UH, AVAILABLE FOR BUSINESSES, AND WE GOT OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF REQUESTS.
AND SO IT WAS JUST A SMALL PORTION OF WHAT, WHAT REQUIREMENTS WERE OUT THERE.
AND WE ACTUALLY TURNED OFF THE PROCESS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO GO AROUND.
SO I'D LIKE, I'D STILL LIKE TO SEE MORE EMPHASIS PUT TOWARDS OUR BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN THAT, UH, OUR HERDING AND CLOSING AGAIN, REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE LEADING THE STATE IN BUSINESS CLOSURES.
AND WE, THEY'RE HURTING NOW, NOT TWO YEARS FROM NOW, NOT FOUR YEARS FROM NOW.
AND NOW IS WHEN WE SHOULD BE REACHING DEEP INTO OUR POCKETS NO MATTER WHERE THAT MONEY IS.
WE NEED TO SEE ABOUT PULLING THAT OUT.
AND I, I'D LIKE TO SEE ALL THESE DIFFERENT POCKETS OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE THAT'S SITTING IN THE BANK, OR, UH, NOT BEING EXECUTED THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY REACH INTO TO SEE ABOUT HELPING OUR CITY MORE.
WHETHER IT'S AN EAP, WHETHER IT'S IN C D B G, WHETHER IT'S IN BUSINESS SUPPORT, WHATEVER.
WE'RE, WE'RE IN A CRISIS MODE HERE.
AND PARTICULARLY OUR BUSINESSES, THAT'S OUR LIFEBLOOD.
OUR, OUR WHOLE WHOLE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS OVER 90% SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THEY'RE HURTING.
AND I'VE HEARD IT FROM NU NUMEROUS COMPANIES THAT THEY NEED HELP NOW, NOT DOWN THE LINE IN THE FUTURE.
SO, AGAIN, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS, ABOUT WHERE, WHERE WE CAN FIND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO, UH, HELP OUT TO OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, SIR.
I TRIED TO UNMUTE MYSELF BEFORE YOU SAID THAT.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MAYOR AND THANK YOU, JEFF.
I CAN'T FIND YOU ON MY SCREEN.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AGAIN.
YOU DID A GOOD JOB THE SECOND TIME AROUND AS WELL.
UM, I DID WANT TO SAY WHAT WE'RE ALSO SET OURSELVES UP REALLY GOOD, REALLY WELL, BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AND BECAUSE OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS IN DC AND LOCALLY IS THAT, AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH OUR TEAM IS WHEN THESE EXECUTIVE ORDERS START COMING OUT OF THE GATE, HOPEFULLY STARTING ON THE 20TH AND THE 21ST, THAT WE WILL BE PREPARED AS A CITY, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE PUT SO MUCH INTO ORGANIZING AND PROCESSING IN ORDER TO, TO HAVE THAT RUN SMOOTHLY.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT IS GOING TO BE COMING OUT QUICKLY THROUGH EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
UM, I ALSO HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE COMMUNITY LABS REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, THE MONEY FOR COVID MONEY OR HOPING WE CAN GET MORE COVID MONEY.
SO THE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE AND RECOVERY.
UM, HOW MUCH DID WE DEDICATE IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR THE COMMUNITY LABS, UM, THE COMMUNITY LABS REIMBURSEMENT AND, AND THAT, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY, DID WE, IS THAT PART OF THE POD THAT WE SHIFTED OVER INTO THE GENERAL FUND CANAL? EXPLAIN THAT PLEASE.
IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
AND, AND ON NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA, WE'RE GIVING YOU ANOTHER UPDATE ON, ON WHERE WE LANDED WITH C R S.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE WE, WE DETAIL THAT, HIGHLIGHT THAT OUT.
BUT IT WAS PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
AND THEN, AND THEN SINCE DECEMBER 30TH, UM, IS, IS PROBABLY, PROBABLY, IT WAS PRIMARILY ALL, AS COLLEEN MENTIONED EARLIER, EITHER THE USE OF GRANT FUNDS.
'CAUSE REMEMBER THERE WERE OTHER GRANTS WE RECEIVED THAT DIDN'T HAVE THAT, THAT DEADLINE OF DECEMBER 30TH.
UH, WE PRIORITIZED OUR SPENDING TO USE THE C R F MONEY THAT WAS GONNA END AT THE END OF DECEMBER AND HELD OFF SPENDING ON GRANTS THAT HAD A LONGER TIMELINE HORIZON, UH, TO BEGIN IN JANUARY.
BUT WE CAN, UM, WE CAN DETAIL THAT OUT FOR NEXT WEEK.
[00:55:01]
YOU.AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION, OR ANOTHER COMMENT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE, UM, WAS I DO APPRECIATE, UH, THE CHAIR OF I G R, HAVING THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION AND THE SAN ANTONIO RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION SPEAK TO WHAT THEY PRESENTED TO WHAT THEY HAVE, WHAT WE ALL HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY AS A, UM, AS RELIEF IN THE STIMULUS BILL THAT JUST PASSED.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THEY ARE COLLECTIVELY WORKING FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE ONE BANK LENDER FOR OUR SMALL MOM AND POPS OTHERS THAT MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, MAJOR BANKS.
AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE BANK CLEARLY.
CAN YOU SHARE THAT INFORMATION, JEFF? I WANNA SAY TRANS TRANSCOS.
UM, AND, UH, WE, UH, I, I SPOKE WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AFTER I G R THIS MORNING, AND THEY ARE GATHERING THE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO SHARE ALSO, SO WE, WE CAN SEND IT OUT TO YOU IF YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO, IF YOU WANNA DISTRIBUTE IT TO YOUR RESTAURANTS AND YOUR DISTRICT, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEY WERE VERY ACCOMMODATING AND READY TO WORK WITH US, UM, WITH HELPING OUR SMALL MOM AND POPS THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO WEBINARS THAT MAY NOT, THAT MAYBE NEED, UH, A LITTLE MORE HELP WHEN IT COMES TO BEING A PART OF THE TRANS PECOS, UH, BANK AND FILING FOR PPPS MOVING FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH WE AS A CITY ARE NOT GETTING THAT DIRECT FUNDING FOR THE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND THEY ALSO SHARED WITH US THAT THE, THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION RESTAURANT ALSO HAS A RELIEF FUND THAT THEY'RE GETTING MORE DOLLARS INTO THAT, AND THEIR PORTAL HAS NOT OPENED YET.
UM, OR THEY'RE OPENING THEIR PORTAL AND THEY ENCOURAGED US TO SEND OUR SMALL MOM AND POPS TO THEM AS WELL.
AND THEY WOULD HELP THEM, AND THEY COULD EVEN GO OVER TO THEIR OFFICES AND FILL IN, UH, WITH ONLINE IF THEY NEED TO WITH THAT HELP.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE HELP THAT THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION AND THE TEXAS RESTAURANTS ASSOCIATION IS DOING, BECAUSE THEY DID WORK HARD TO GET THESE THINGS IN THE STIMULUS BILL THAT NOW LIVE THERE.
AND I'M ALSO VERY HAPPY THAT, UH, THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN, UH, THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN VERY SIGNIFICANT WHEN WE, UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR ISSUE, PART OF OUR WORK THAT WE SAID SET OUT EVERY MONTH THAT WE WERE GOING TO REVIEW AND EVERY MONTH THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IF WE NEEDED TO.
AND THAT'S WHY WITH OUR MICRO BUSINESS AND NONPROFIT GRANTS, WE DID, UH, MOVE AND SHIFT FOR, UM, $8.7 MILLION DEDICATED AND CAR AND FOCUS ON THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE GRANTS.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE COULD BE MORE.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE.
AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE WANTING TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO HELP CONNECT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, OUR, OUR, OUR RESTAURANTS AND OUR COMMUNITY TO ALL OF THIS OPPORTUNITY WITH P P P AND WITH THE TEXAS RESTAURANT RELIEF FUND, AND CONTINUE TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS WHERE IT NEEDED.
AND, UM, ERIC, IF YOU CAN CLARIFY FOR ME THE NUMBERS AGAIN, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO US.
'CAUSE ON THIS PRESENTATION IT WAS, WHAT DID WE HAVE HERE WITH THE, UM, THAT YOU PRESENTED THIS MORNING? UM, LET ME SEE THE UPDATE FOR THE DOLLARS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, 6 MILLION.
SO WE HAVE THIS, OR ESTIMATED, I SHOULD SAY ESTIMATED 6 MILLION.
AND THEN ERIC, YOU SAID NEXT WEEK, 5 MILLION, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT YES, MA'AM.
YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S ADDITIONAL, UH, THREE POINTS, ALMOST THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE MONEY THAT'S COMING THAT WE WILL BE ADDING TO EMERGENCY HOUSING PROGRAM.
AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL, UH, $2.2 MILLION FROM BEXAR COUNTY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA ADMINISTER, UH, FUNDS FROM BEXAR COUNTY THROUGH OUR PROGRAM.
IT IS AVAILABLE, UM, UM, FOR ANY RESIDENT OF BEXAR COUNTY, OBVIOUSLY TO INCLUDE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS.
SO THE, THE, I THINK THE COUNTY APPROVED AN I L A, UH, YESTERDAY AT THEIR, UM, AT THEIR COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING.
IT'LL BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO COUNCIL ALONG WITH THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE STATE MONEY NEXT WEEK.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE THROWING A LOT OF NUMBERS OUT, UH, TODAY.
UH, BUT I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS TOMORROW, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE WORK AND ALL OF THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE
[01:00:01]
ALL OF THESE MONTHS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND CONTINUING TO WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE, UM, WE JUST, WE HAVE TO, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY AROUND IT.SO, UH, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I'M READY TO GET TO WORK OR CONTINUE THE WORK.
COUNCIL MEMBER VIA, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, AND THANK YOU, UM, JEFF AND, AND ALL MY COLLEAGUES.
AND JEFF, YOU HEARD MY, MY FEEDBACK EARLIER ON THIS PART OF IT, BUT I DO WANT TO ADD, UM, SO YESTERDAY WE HAD A PRESENTATION AT THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE THAT, THAT RELATES TO TODAY'S CONVERSATION.
AND COUNCILMAN
MY, UH, GENERAL QUESTION IS WHAT OTHER, I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYBODY THAT'S GREATLY AFFECTED OUT.
I KEEP HEARING THAT THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE HAS BEEN GREATLY AFFECTED.
IS THERE ANOTHER ONE THAT'S REALLY CLOSELY AFFECTED THAT WE SHOULD NOT LOSE FOCUS ON AS WELL? LIKE, WHAT ARE WE MISSING, I GUESS IS WHAT I'D BE AFRAID OF? I, I DON'T WANT TO PUT ALL OF MY EGGS IN ONE BASKET, RIGHT? I, I GREATLY APPRECIATE A LOT OF MY RESIDENTS WORK IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY, BUT WHAT OTHER INDUSTRIES AND HOW ARE WE TAKING CARE OF THEIR, THEIR, UM, THEIR NEEDS? IS, IS, I GUESS MY QUESTION, UM, THROUGH ADVOCACY FOR, FOR MORE FUNDS, WHAT OTHER THINGS ARE WE CONCENTRATING ON, JEFF, I THINK, LET ME ASK ALEX FIRST, IN TERMS OF THE OTHER BUSINESS, UH, SECTORS, I THINK, UM, THANK YOU JEFF AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER VERY CLOSELY RELATED TO FOOD AND BEVERAGE ESTABLISHMENTS WOULD BE, UM, VENUES, UH, ANY KIND OF PERFORMANCE VENUES, UM, MUSICIANS, ARTISTS, ALL OF THAT TYPE OF WORK THAT HAS SUBSTANTIALLY BEEN IMPACTED AS WELL.
UM, A ALONG, AND I THINK THERE WAS SPECIFIC LEGISLATION AND SPECIFICALLY SPECIFIC RELIEF ASSOCIATED WITH THAT INDUSTRY IN THIS PAST BILL.
UM, BUT I THINK, UM, IN, IN GENERAL, IT'S RETAIL, UM, THAT I BELIEVE THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CONTINUE TO SEE THE IMPACT ON RETAIL.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE JOBS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED IN OUR ECONOMY WITH, UM, THE NUMBER OF, OF RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT WE TEND TO THINK OF.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE, YOU KNOW, PERFORMANCES AND RETAIL COUNCIL MEMBER.
I WOULD ADD THAT ANY OTHER KIND OF TOURISM RELATED TYPES OF INDUSTRIES, SO THINK HOTELS, THINK AMUSEMENT PARKS, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE, THAT ARE HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON TOURISM GREATLY AFFECTED AS WELL.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA ADD ALSO THAT, THAT, AND I'LL ECHO GONNA ADD THE VISITOR INDUSTRY THERE BECAUSE THAT, THAT, THAT SECTOR CONTINUES TO BE IMPACTED, UH, AT THIS POINT.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE, SO IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY IN GENERAL, THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, RIGHT? AND SO, AGAIN, I'VE GOTTA BE VERY SENSITIVE BECAUSE I DON'T JUST REPRESENT ONE, UM, 1, 1, 1 GROUP, RIGHT? AND SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THERE'S BEEN A BIG PUSH FOR, FOR, FOR CERTAIN AREAS, BUT THAT WE DON'T LOSE TRACK OF THOSE OTHERS THAT, THAT WORK SO CLOSELY TOGETHER.
SO I WAS TRYING TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FOCUS ON THAT.
UM, SMALL BUSINESSES IN D FOUR HAVE BEEN GREATLY AFFECTED, AND I'VE ALREADY SHARED WITH YOU THAT, UM, I, I WAS DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE DISTRICT FOUR CONTINUES TO, TO SEE THE LOWEST NUMBER OF GRANTS.
I'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
I'VE ACTUALLY CREATED A SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE FOR D FOUR RESIDENTS.
AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ACCESS, UH, TO INFORMATION HOW THEY NEED IT, NOT JUST THROUGH WEBINARS THAT IT IS, UM, PRESENTED IN, IN MULTIPLE, UM, DIFFERENT FORMATS THAT THEY CAN HAVE ACCESS TO.
AND SO I ALSO THINK THAT GETTING GOING ON THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, THERE WAS A C C R THAT I HAD SUBMITTED THAN THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, SO THAT IF THERE COULD BE SOME MORE MOVEMENT, I THINK NOW IS THE TIME THAT THAT GROUP SHOULD BE ENGAGED.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT A PLUGIN FOR MY C C R THAT, THAT GOT ADVANCED.
UM, AND THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN HEARD AT E W D C, AND I'D LOVE TO, UH, JUST GET SOME FEEDBACK ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT OR WHEN THAT'S GONNA PROGRESS, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT THIS IS THE TIME.
LIKE, IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME FOR US TO HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES AT THE TABLE, IT'S NOW, AND THAT COMMITTEE SHOULD BE OUR, OUR, OUR WAY TO GET THEIR, THEIR INPUT.
SO IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE ARE DOING AT OUR, UM, DISTRICT LEVEL AND IN REACHING OUT TO OUR RESTAURANTS AND MOM AND POPS, WE SHOULD PROBABLY SEE HOW FAST WE COULD MOVE THAT ALONG.
AND I KNOW EVERYBODY'S WORKING REALLY HARD, UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOU, BUT AGAIN, JUST, JUST A PLUG FOR THAT AS WELL.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, UH, AND I JUST WANNA TAKE A, A MOMENT TO, TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES AGAIN.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT IT HAS BEEN STATED MANY TIMES, UM, PEOPLE NEED HELP NOW.
UH, THIS CRISIS DOESN'T WAIT FOR THE BUREAUCRACY TO UNFOLD.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN MARCH, IT'S PRECISELY WHY WE SET UP THE PILLARS OF HOW WE WERE GONNA DEAL WITH
[01:05:01]
THE FUNDING THAT CAME TO US THROUGH C R F, AS WELL AS RESHAPE OUR OWN F Y 20 AND F Y 21 BUDGETS THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE GUIDED BY THESE PILLAR THAT WE KNEW WERE GONNA BE ONGOING, IMMEDIATE NEEDS, FOOD, SHELTER, SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF, WORKFORCE, DIGITAL DIVIDE.AND AS WE'VE PROGRESSED THROUGH THIS, AND AS THE NEED HAS RISEN IN SOME CATEGORIES, UH, FASTER THAN OTHERS, WE'VE SHIFTED, WE'VE PIVOTED, UH, A LOT OF THAT WORK HAS GONE ON WITH THE STAFF.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO WORK THAT OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE, HAVE TACKLED, UH, QUITE WELL.
UH, AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE WORK PARTICULARLY OF THE E W D C, UH, CHAIRWOMAN, UH,
UM, YOU MIGHT, IT MIGHT NOT BE ON A MEMO EVERY TIME, BUT WE HAVE SHIFTED SIGNIFICANT FUNDS AS WE'VE MOVED AROUND THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
AND TO THE EXTENT WE HAVE OTHER IDEAS, UH, TO BE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, THEY DON'T NEED TO WAIT.
IF IT'S SMALL BUSINESS RELATED, WE, WE FUNNEL THAT THROUGH, UH, OUR E W D C, UM, DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, MANNY'S COMMITTEE, UH, ET CETERA.
SO, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK, UH, ON THE OTHER ITEMS AND, UM, BUT AS, AS NEEDS ARISE, WE DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR, UH, BUREAUCRACY'S NORMAL, UH, SPEED OF ACTION.
SO, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, JEFF, GREAT PRESENTATION.
LOOK FORWARD TO LEADING IN, IN DC AND, AND NICE WORK AGAIN, MANNY.
[2. 21-1019 Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Disparity Study: Request for Proposal Pre-Solicitation Briefing. [Carlos J. Contreras, III; Assistant City Manager; Alejandra Lopez, Director, Economic Development]]
UH, LET'S GO NOW TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.UH, TURN IT BACK OVER TO ERIC.
UH, THE SECOND ITEM TODAY IS, UM, UH, A PRESENTATION ON A PRES SOLICITATION, UH, PRESENTED BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF, UM, OUR UPCOMING DISPARITY STUDY SOLICITATION THAT'LL HELP US MEASURE AND POTENTIALLY IDENTIFY, UH, FUTURE AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY'S SMALL BUSINESS, UH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM.
UH, DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY'S IMPACT ON THE SPTA ORDINANCE, UH, AND IN TURN, OUR, OUR OWN LOCAL, UM, SMALL MINORITY WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UH, THIS SOLICITATION, UH, IS, UM, UH, IS A HIGH PROFILE, UH, UH, UH, SOLICITATION THAT WE WANTED TO BRIEF THE COUNCIL ON, ON THE FRONT END.
UM, AND THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO COME BACK AND UPDATE THE COUNCIL, UM, AND GET FEEDBACK AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT'S REQUIRED.
THE STUDY WILL, UM, COLLECT AND ANALYZE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA, UH, TO DETERMINE IF THE DISPARITIES CONTINUE TO EXIST AND WHAT AT WHAT LEVELS FOR OUR LOCAL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES PERFORMING ON CITY CONTRACTS.
AND WILL ALSO HELP US MEASURE THAT, UH, PROGRAM'S IMPACT, UM, IN REMEDYING ANY, UH, SORT OF HISTORICAL, UH, CONTRACTING DISPARITIES.
SO IT REALLY SETS OUR BAR, UM, AND OUR GAME PLAN, UH, FOR THE FIVE YEARS, UH, ONCE THIS IS SET.
UM, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO MIKE SINDEN, WHO IS PROBABLY APPRECIATIVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON SOMETHING ELSE OTHER THAN, UH, WHAT HE'S BEEN WORKING ON THE LAST YEAR, AND MICHAEL, UH, LED THIS EFFORT, UH, LAST TIME.
SO I'M GONNA HAND IT BACK OVER TO MIKE TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
MICHAEL, WE'RE STILL NOT HEARING YOU, SIR.
I, I, I HAVE YOU UNMUTED ON MY SIDE.
UH, WOULD YOU CHECK YOUR PHONE? OKAY, I THINK I GOT IT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
UM, MY NAME IS MICHAEL SEND, AND I'M AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AS ERIC MENTIONED FOR THIS NEXT PRESENTATION, I'LL BE DISCUSSING THE UPCOMING 2023 DISPARITY STUDY SOLICITATION THAT WILL HELP US MEASURE AND POTENTIALLY IDENTIFY FUTURE AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY'S SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVOCACY PROGRAM REFERRED TO AS THE S BETA PROGRAM.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE PURPOSE OF THE S BETA PROGRAM IS TO UTILIZE OUR LOCAL SMALL, MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES ON CITY CONTRACTS.
WE DO THIS SPECIFICALLY TO CURE DOCUMENTED RACIAL AND GENDER DISPARITIES FOUND IN PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED DISPARITY STUDIES.
THESE PAST STUDIES EVALUATED VARIOUS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR DATA SETS, WHICH SHOWED THE UNDERUTILIZATION AND UNDERREPRESENTATION OF LOCAL MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES SUCH AS CONTRACTING AND LENDING PRACTICES, WHICH ULTIMATELY AFFECTS MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS FORMATION AND RETENTION RATES.
AS FOR PUBLIC SECTOR CONTRACTING
[01:10:01]
DISPARITIES, THE CITY SUB BETA PROGRAM HAS DOCUMENTED A LOT OF SUCCESS, MOSTLY OVER THE LAST DECADE IN UTILIZING MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES IN RELATION TO THEIR AVAILABILITY IN OUR MARKETPLACE, AND TO DEMONSTRATE THAT SUCCESS, THE CHART ON THIS SLIDE SHOWS HOW FAR THE CITY HAS COME IN UTILIZING MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES SINCE OUR EFFORTS BEGAN NEARLY 30 YEARS AGO.FOR THOSE WHO RECALL, THE CITY'S FOCUS ON THIS ISSUE STARTED BACK IN 1988 WHEN THE HISPANIC CHAMBER FOUND THAT THE CITY WAS UTILIZING 2% OF LOCAL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES ON CITY CONTRACTS.
IN ORDER TO STUDY THE ISSUE FOR OURSELVES, THE CITY CONDUCTED ITS FIRST DISPARITY STUDY IN 1992, WHICH FINDINGS LARGELY MATCHED THE HISPANIC CHAMBER STUDY AS WE FOUND UTILIZATION OF MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES TO BE AT 10%.
AS A RESULT OF THIS IDENTIFIED DISPARITY, THE CITY IMPLEMENTED A SUB BETA LIKE PROGRAM WITH THE INTENTION TO CURE.
HOWEVER, AS THE CHART REFLECTS, NOT MUCH IMPROVEMENT WAS DOCUMENTED BETWEEN THE 1992 STUDY AND A SECOND DISPARITY STUDY ADOPTED IN 2010, WHICH SHOWED THE CITY'S UTILIZATION OF MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES AT 16%.
SO OVER A YEAR, 18 YEAR WINDOW UTILIZATION ONLY INCREASED BY 6%.
AS A RESULT OF THAT MINIMAL IMPROVEMENT, THE SAB BETA PROGRAM UNDERWENT SIGNIFICANT AMENDMENTS, AND IT WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY OVERHAULED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, CREATING THE SAB BETA PROGRAM.
YOU ALL KNOW TODAY, SINCE THE 2010 STUDY, WE HAVE SEEN DRAMATIC SUCCESS.
THE THIRD DISPARITY STUDY ADOPTED IN 2015 SHOWED UTILIZATION AT 23%, WHICH REPRESENTED A GREATER IMPROVEMENT OVER A FIVE YEAR SPAN THAN THE 18 YEAR SPAN FROM 1992 TO 2010.
AND TO FURTHER DEMONSTRATE OUR PROGRESS, THE LAST BAR YOU SEE ON THIS CHART REPRESENTS OUR LATEST FINDINGS FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 2019 SUB BETA ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH SHOWS THAT 50% OF ALL FUNDS PAID FROM CITY CONTRACTS IN WHICH THE SAB BETA PROGRAM APPLIED WERE DONE SO WITH LOCAL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.
AND WHILE OUR ANNUAL REPORTS ARE NOT AS COMPREHENSIVE AS THE DISPARITY STUDY, THEY DO A GREAT JOB INDICATING THE CITY'S SUCCESS YEAR OVER YEAR IN CURING CONTRACTING DISPARITIES.
AS WE HAVE CONTINUOUSLY DOCUMENTED INCREASES, THESE RECENT FIGURES SEEN THROUGH THE C BETA ANNUAL REPORTS ARE THE REASON THE CITY IS WAS AWARDED THE GOLD AWARD IN THE ECONOMIC EQUITY AND INCLUSION CATEGORY FOR POPULATIONS GREATER THAN 500,000 BY THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IN 2019.
LOOKING AT THE IMPACT OF THE C BETA PROGRAM, CURRENTLY, APPROXIMATELY $2.5 BILLION WILL BE DIRECTLY PAID TO LOCAL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES OVER THE NEXT DECADE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
THIS SLIDE LISTS SOME OF THE PROVEN, UM, AMENDMENTS I JUST REFERENCED THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED IN 2011 POST TO 2010 STUDY, AS WELL AS THOSE MADE IN 2016 POST TO 2016 STUDY.
THE 2010 AMENDMENTS WERE VAST AND INCLUDED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EVALUATION POINTS STRICTLY FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES CERTIFIED BY THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL CERTIFICATION.
AS A SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, HISTORICALLY, PRIME CONTRACTORS DID NOT HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED TO RECEIVE PRIME EVALUATION POINTS.
SO WE DID AWAY WITH THAT IN 2011 TO ENSURE WE WERE TRULY BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL SMALL MINORITY WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES AS PRIME CONTRACTORS.
IN ADDITION, WE STARTED SETTING CONTRACT SPECIFIC SUBCONTRACTING GOALS TO SOLICITATIONS THAT WE COULD STRONGLY ENFORCE AS THE GOALS WERE SET THROUGH DATA SETS REFLECTING FIRM AVAILABILITY IN OUR MARKETPLACE.
HISTORICALLY, WHEN CHALLENGED, WE COULD NOT ENFORCE FIRM SUBCONTRACTING GOALS ON PROJECTS AS WE COULD NOT PROVE THE AVAILABILITY OF LOCAL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.
SO AGAIN, WE DID AWAY WITH THAT BY SETTING GOALS BASED OFF A DATABASE THAT IS BASED ON REAL AND CURRENT MARKET, UH, LOCAL MARKETPLACE DATA.
THE DATA JUST REFERENCES PULLED FROM THE CENTRAL VENDOR REGISTRY THAT WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED AS PART OF THE 2010 AMENDMENTS, AND EASILY INFORMS WHICH FIRMS WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THE TYPE OF WORK THEY PERFORM, AND IF THEY ARE CERTIFIED AS A SMALL MINORITY OR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS.
IN ADDITION, A GOAL SETTING COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALLOW FOR A GROUP OF CITY STAFF TO EVALUATE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW BEST TO APPLY THETA PROGRAM TO SOLICITATIONS OVER $50,000.
AND FINALLY, IN 2010, WE ESTABLISHED A COMPLIANCE MODULE TO EVALUATE EACH PRIME CONTRACTOR'S EFFORTS IN UTILIZING LOCAL, SMALL, MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES ON EACH CITY PROJECT IN RELATION TO WHAT THE PRIME CONTRACTOR PROMISED AT TIMES CITY COUNCIL AWARD FOR THE 2016 AMENDMENTS, THE COMMUNITY BELIEVED THE CTA PROGRAM WAS ON TRACK TO MEETING ITS GOALS PER THE DISPARITY STUDY RESULTS OF 2015.
SO THE AMENDMENTS MADE AT THAT TIME WERE MORE TWEAKS TO THE POLICY THAN AN OVERHAUL.
ONE MAIN AMENDMENT WAS THE EXPANSION OF C BETA PRIME EVALUATION POINTS AND SUBCONTRACTING GOALS TO EACH INDUSTRY IN WHICH THE PROGRAM APPLIED.
FOR EXAMPLE, PRIME EVALUATION POINTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO BE APPLIED SPECIFICALLY FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LIKE YOU SEE TODAY.
HOWEVER, THE 2015 DISPARITY STUDY SHOWED THAT THE USE OF LOCAL SMALL
[01:15:01]
BUSINESS EVALUATION POINTS ALONE DID NOT CURE DISPARITY, AND A SPECIFIC TOOL FOCUSED ON MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES WAS NEEDED.ANOTHER AMA, A MAIN AMENDMENT IN 2016, WHICH WAS LARGELY SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY, WAS TO ALLOW PRIME CONTRACTORS TO OUR LOCAL SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PERFORM SELF-PERFORM SUBCONTRACTING GOALS IN ORDER TO GROW AND MAXIMIZE THEIR CAPACITY ON A CITY CONTRACT.
NOW THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF
ESSENTIALLY, THE PURPOSE OF A DISPARITY STUDY IS TO COMPILE AND EVALUATE EVIDENCE OF POTENTIAL RACIAL AND GENDER DISPARITIES AND THE SPECIFIED RELEVANT MARKETPLACE.
THE NEED FOR A STUDY IS DRIVEN BY THE RICHMOND VERSUS CROSON SUPREME COURT CASE OF 1989 THAT RULED FOR A GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION TO HAVE A RACE OR GENDER-BASED CONTRACTING PROGRAM.
THE ENTITY MUST MEET THEIR DEFINITION OF STRICT CONSTITUTIONAL SCRUTINY MADE UP OF THREE PRIMARY FACTORS.
FIRST, THE SUPREME COURT STATED THAT THE PUBLIC ENTITY MUST DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE IS, THERE IS STATISTICAL EVIDENCE OF RACE AND GENDER-BASED DISPARITIES IN YOUR RELEVANT MARKETPLACE.
SECOND, THE COURT RULED THAT YOU MUST OBTAIN ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT MATCHES THE STATISTICAL EVIDENCE FOUND AND LAST ALL REMEDIES IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THE STATISTICAL AND ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE MUST BE NARROWLY TAILORED AT THIS, AT FIXING THE SPECIFIED ISSUES FOUND IN YOUR MARKETPLACE.
THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IS TO CONDUCT A DISPARITY STUDY EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS TO REEVALUATE THE FACTORS I JUST STATED, SO THAT WE ARE NOT OPERATING UNDER OLD EVIDENCE THAT MAY HAVE CHANGED AND IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, OPENING THE CITY AND PROGRAM UP FOR POTENTIAL LEGAL CHALLENGE.
SEEING HOW THE DISPARITY STUDY IS NOW OVER FIVE YEARS OLD, AND ONCE THE NEW ONE IS COMPLETED, IT WILL BE CLOSER TO SEVEN YEARS.
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING WE RELEASE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO SELECT A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A NEW DISPARITY STUDY.
ESSENTIALLY, THE CONSULTANT WILL EVALUATE CITY CONTRACTING DATA FROM 2014 TO 2020.
THE REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS DATA SET IS BECAUSE IT PICKS UP WHERE THE 2015 DISPARITY STUDY LEFT OFF.
IN ADDITION, THEY WILL REVIEW VARIOUS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR DATA SETS, WHICH I WILL DESCRIBE MORE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THEY WILL RESEARCH IF THESE DISPARITIES EXIST FOR THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, ETHNIC AND GENDER CATEGORIES SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE.
AND THAT RESEARCH WILL BE BROKEN DOWN INTO THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS INDUSTRY CATEGORIES THAT YOU ALSO ARE SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE.
FOR THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, THERE WILL BE SEVEN MAIN DELIVERABLES THAT WE WILL BE ASKING A CONSULTANT TO PERFORM THROUGH THIS STUDY.
FIRST, THE STUDY WILL DEFINE DEVELOPMENT MARKETPLACE THAT WILL BE LARGELY BASED OFF THE DATA FOUND AS WELL AS RE UH, RELATED COURT CASES THAT GUIDE THIS DEFINITION.
SECOND, THE CONSULTANT WILL CALCULATE A CUSTOM AVAILABILITY FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO DO THIS, OR AT LEAST HOW WE'VE SEEN IT DONE.
THE CONSULTANT WILL USE VARIOUS DATA SETS TO IDENTIFY MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES IN OUR MARKETPLACE, AND THEN PERFORM SURVEYS TO INFORM ON THE ACCURACY OF THAT DATA.
ONCE THAT INFORMATION IS FOUND, IT WILL THEN BE WEIGHTED AGAINST THE CITY'S SPENDING PATTERNS.
AND A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS IS IF WE HAVE A LOT OF MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES, LIKE USE THIS EXAMPLE THAT OUR SUBMARINE MANUFACTURERS IN THE SAN ANTONIO MARKETPLACE, THOSE FIRMS WILL NOT WEIGH HEAVILY TOWARDS THE CUSTOM AVAILABILITY CALCULATION AS THE CITY DOES NOT PURCHASE SUBMARINES AT THIS TIME.
THIRD, THE CITY WILL ANALYZE UTILIZATION OF LOCAL MINORITY WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES ON CITY CONTRACTS IN THE TIMEFRAME DISCUSSED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
FOURTH, THE STUDY WILL DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY CAUSATION BETWEEN DISPARITIES AND DISCRIMINATION.
FIFTH, IT WILL DETERMINE IF BARRIERS EXIST IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
UM, A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS, THE LAST DISPARITY STUDY LOOKED AT PRIVATE SECTOR LENDING DATA, WHICH SHOWED VARIOUS DISPARITIES TOWARD MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES, AND AS A LARGE REASON WHY WE ESTABLISHED THE LOAN INTEREST BY DOWN PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIP WITH LIFT FUND SIXTH, THE STUDY WILL EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR RACE AND GENDER NEUTRAL REMEDIES TO ENSURE THOSE INTERVENTIONS ALONE COULD NOT SOLVE ANY POTENTIAL DISPARITIES FOUND.
AND LAST, THE STUDY WILL ULTIMATELY RECOMMEND IF WE SHOULD SUSPEND, CONTINUE, OR AMEND THE ABATE PROGRAM.
NOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO PAUSE AND REMEMBER THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE DISPARITY STUDY PROCESS.
ONCE THE CONSULTANT IS CHOSEN, THE STUDY WILL LIKELY TAKE BETWEEN 18 AND 24 MONTHS TO COMPLETE, WHICH PUTS US ON TRACK FOR AN EARLY 2023 STUDY COMPLETION DATE.
AT THAT TIME, IF WE DECIDE TO CHANGE THIS, THE BETA PROGRAM, BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY, THAT PROCESS WILL BE CONDUCTED AFTER THE DISPARITY STUDY IS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
AT THAT POINT, IF THE CONSENSUS IS TO MODIFY THE PROGRAM RELATED TO THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WILL UNDERGO A HEAVY PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WITH CITY COUNCIL AND THE LOCAL SMALL MINORITY WOMEN ON BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY THOSE POTENTIAL CHANGES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE STUDY, WHICH TAKES AROUND SIX TO NINE
[01:20:01]
MONTHS TO COMPLETE PER OUR PRIOR EXPERIENCE.AS FOR THE PROCESS TO SELECT THE DISPARITY STUDY CONSULTANT, WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
AS STATED EARLIER, THE ESTIMATED VALUE IS $800,000 AS A VERY TIME ATTEMPTED EFFORT THAT TAKES ANYWHERE FROM 18 TO 24 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE COMPLETE THE STUDY IN THAT TIMEFRAME AS THE SUB BETA ORDINANCE REQUIRES THAT THE STUDY BE COMPLETED BY 2023 OR THE PROGRAM SUNSETS.
ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE N I G P CODES THAT MAKE UP THE SOLICITATION.
AND AS A RESULT, THE 369 COMPANIES IN OUR CENTRAL VENDOR REGISTRY WHO WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE SOLICITATION AS WELL AS THE 519 COMPANIES LISTED IN THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL CERTIFICATION AGENCY DATABASES.
IN ADDITION, WE WILL ALSO USE THE FOLLOWING ADVERTISING METHODS LISTED ON THIS SLIDE.
AS FOR THE EVALUATION CRITERIA, EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATIONS WILL REPRESENT 25 POINTS.
THEIR PROPOSED PLAN WILL BE 30 POINTS.
OUR OWN S BETA PROGRAM WILL APPLY AT 10 POINTS.
THE LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM WILL APPLY AT 10 POINTS, AND THE VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE PROGRAM WILL APPLY AT FIVE POINTS THROUGH THE S BETA PROGRAM.
YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO REQUIRE THE CONSULTANT UTILIZE LOCAL, SMALL, MINORITY, AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES AT 20% TO HELP PERFORM THE STUDY.
NOTE THAT NO AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE SOLICITATION.
THE GOAL SETTING MEMBERS WHO VOTED TO APPLY THESE ATED TOOLS INCLUDE ALEX LOPEZ, WHO YOU ALL KNOW, IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, NORBERG ZU, WHO IS AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND NIKKI RAMOS, WHO IS AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND SERVES AS THE COMMITTEE'S CHAIR BY BEING THE CITY MANAGER'S DESIGNEE.
THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS WILL INCLUDE CARLOS RASS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, WHO OVERSEES THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, ALEX LOPEZ AND NORBERT ZU, AND WILL ALSO HAVE MYSELF AND JUANITA
AS TO THE TIMELINE OF THIS SOLICITATION PROCESS, WE JUST STARTED WITH THE GOAL SETTING COMMITTEE THAT MET ON OCTOBER 30TH AND SET THE CTA TOOLS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
WE MET WITH SPAC ON NOVEMBER 20TH, AND WE PRESENTED THIS INFORMATION TO THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON DECEMBER 8TH.
TODAY, WE ARE BRIEFING YOU ALL DURING THE SESSION AS PART OF THE SELECT HIGH PROFILE PROCESS.
AFTER THIS MEETING, WE WILL RELEASE THE SOLICITATION TO THE PUBLIC ON JANUARY 15TH AND HAVE A PRE-SUBMIT CONFERENCE ON FEBRUARY 1ST.
THE DEADLINES FOR QUESTIONS WILL CONCLUDE ON FEBRUARY 8TH, AND THE DUE DATE FOR THE PROPOSALS IS MARCH 15TH.
EVALUATION WILL BE COMPLETE BY APRIL 16TH.
CONTRACT WILL BE NEGOTIATED BY MAY 14TH.
AND WE'LL PRESENT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL AT B SESSION ON JUNE 9TH.
WE WILL THEN TAKE THE ITEM TO A SESSION FOR CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL ON JUNE 17TH, AND THE CONTRACT WILL START ON JUNE 18TH.
THEN, AS I SAID BEFORE, 18 TO 24 MONTHS FROM THAT DATE, WE WILL HAVE THE DISPARITY STUDY COMPLETED.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
AND NOW MYSELF, ALEX LOPEZ AND CARLOS CONEZ ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MAY, MAY HAVE.
UM, AND ALEX AND E D D TEAM, UM, I KNOW THIS IS A, A, A PROCESS BY WHICH WE HAVE A LOT OF LEGAL BARRIERS AROUND US, AND, AND I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT, UH, SAN ANTONIO IN THIS PROCESS HAS PROVEN TO BE, UH, ONE THAT IS UNASSAILABLE.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR THE WORK.
UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO THE DISPARITY STUDY, UM, I, I DO, UH, WANT TO ENCOURAGE US TO CONTINUE TO GET THE FEEDBACK FROM SBA C AS WELL AS E W D C.
AND IF YOU COULD REPORT BACK TO US, UH, ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS, MICHAEL, BE, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UH, HOW HAVE THE PRESENTATIONS GONE, UM, IN SBA C ET CETERA? TO DATE, THEY'VE GONE, UM, VERY WELL.
WE'RE TRYING TO EDUCATE SPAC MEMBERS.
A LOT OF THEM WEREN'T PART OF THE PRIOR EXPERIENCE, SO WE KIND OF GAVE THEM A SIMILAR PRESENTATION WITH A LITTLE MORE DEPTH, UM, IN, I BELIEVE THE NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME.
UM, WE'RE PLANNING ON GOING BACK TO THEM THIS MONTH AND ACTUALLY WALKING THEM THROUGH WHAT THAT 2015 DISPARITY STUDY ACTUALLY SHOWED SO THEY CAN GET A KIND OF EXAMPLE OF WHAT'S TO COME.
BUT SO FAR, UM, IT'S BEEN ALL THUMBS UP AND WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
WELL, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS.
LET ME TURN IT OVER NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK, UH, MICHAEL AND CARLOS AND ALEX.
UH, WE MET EARLIER IN REFERENCE TO, UH, SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE COME UP ABOUT CONTRACTING, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BLACK CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION AND ALSO WITH THE FAIR CONTRACTORS
[01:25:01]
COALITION.AND WE KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN AROUND THIS CONVERSATION OF THE DISPARITIES OF HOW CONTRACTS ARE AWARDED OR WHERE, UH, CONTRACTS HAVE FELT TO BE FALLEN OFF.
AND ONE QUESTION THAT I ASKED, UM, WAS ABOUT OUR REGISTRY OF HOW WE HAVE BUSINESSES IN THE DATABASE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
AND I THINK CARLOS, UH, MICHAEL AND ALEX, THIS MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY BREAK DOWN OUR REGISTRY TO SEE WHERE WE'RE MISSING THOSE BUSINESSES THAT WE COULD BRING ON BOARD FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR STUDY.
UM, SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN HAVE INFORMATION AS WE GO FORWARD TO WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT WITHIN THIS DISPARITIES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE RESOURCES LIKE THE REGISTRY, OR WORKING WITH THE FAIR, UH, CONTRACTORS COALITION AND HAVING THEM REACH OUT TO THE BLACK CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION TO SEE HOW WE CAN BRIDGE THOSE GAPS SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS CONVERSATION AND NOT CONTINUE TO BE HERE.
BUT I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT THIS STUDY HAS TO SAY THIS TIME AROUND.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO.
UH, THANKS FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, MY ONLY QUESTION IS, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR, FOR THOSE THAT ARE DIFFERENTLY ABLED, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY TO, UH, TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS STUDY AS WELL OR BE INCLUDED? SURE.
I'D LIKE TO HAND IT OFF TO FOLKS AT CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UH, MAY I ANSWER THIS ONE ON THE DISPARITY STUDY? CURRENTLY, THERE REALLY ARE JUST TWO CRITERIA THAT ARE LOOKED AT.
ONE IS RACE, THE OTHER IS GENDER.
AND, AND AT THIS POINT, UH, ALL WE'RE DISCUSSING IS AWARDING A CONTRACT FOR THE COLLECTION OF THE DATA TO SHOW, UH, WHETHER THERE IS, UH, DISCRIMINATION, RACIAL OR GENDER BASED IN INDUSTRIES THAT THE CITY PARTAKES.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UH, SOME COURT OPINIONS HAVE STATED THAT, UM, UH, CITY HAS THE JURISDICTION TO ADDRESS, UH, DISCRIMINATION AS A PART OF, UH, EITHER PASSIVELY OR BY AWARDING TAX FUNDS TOO.
BUT SOCIETAL DISCRIMINATION AS A WHOLE IS SOMETHING THAT IS LEFT TO THE FEDERAL PUBLIC.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN.
WELL, I, I GUESS, UH, I GUESS PARTLY THE, THE, THE, THE POINT I, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS, IS THAT WE, WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT THERE, THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT AS WE'RE, THAT ACKNOWLEDGING THESE STUDIES, THAT, UH, INCLUDING BEING INCLUSIVE OF THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED, I THINK HELPS TO PROVIDE, UH, SOME MORE INSIGHT WHILE I REALIZE, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S, UM, UH, FEDERAL LAWS THAT, THAT GOVERN SUCH, SUCH ISSUES.
UH, THERE'S EXAMPLES THAT THE CITY, UH, CAN FOLLOW AND CAN HELP SET WHEN IT COMES TO THAT COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY, UH, ABOUT BEING INCLUSIVE OF, OF THOSE KINDS OF INSIGHTS.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT IN THAT THIS IS A, UH, TWO-STEP PROCESS IN THAT FIRST WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, HAVE THE DISPARITY STUDY, AND WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY SOME FLEXIBILITY AS TO WHAT WE WANT THEM TO STUDY AND WHAT FACTS WE WANT THEM TO GATHER.
UH, BUT THEN, UH, AFTER WE GET THOSE FACTS, THEN THAT'S A SEPARATE THEN ANALYSIS AS TO WHETHER OR, OR TO WHAT EXTENT THOSE DATA, UH, HELP GUIDE US IN TERMS OF MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR CURRENT VETA
WELL, I, I MEAN, WE HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE CHAMPIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THAT, THAT THAT CAN, THAT CAN MAYBE PROVIDE, UH, SOME INPUT OR, OR INSIGHT ON THIS.
UH, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US TO, TO BE MINDFUL, UH, OF, OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE GETTING READY TO OPEN UP CITY HALL.
UH, SOMETHING I'M VERY PROUD OF HAVING WORKED WITH GORDON HARTMAN IS, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING THE FRONT DOOR A HUNDRED PERCENT ACCESSIBLE, UH, WHEN, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WERE TOLD IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE, THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO DO IT.
UM, SO, UM, I, I GUESS THAT THAT'S JUST MY REQUEST, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, MAKING, UH, DOING THESE STUDIES.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, TH THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE CONVERSATIONS FREQUENTLY ABOUT WITH PEOPLE, UH, AND, AND AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME INCREDIBLE CHAMPIONS THAT I, I THINK CAN PROVIDE SOME GREAT INSIGHT.
[01:30:01]
THANK YOU.COUNCIL MEMBER TINO, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL MAYOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, I, I ACTUALLY DO WANNA FOLLOW UP ON THAT SAME POINT, AND THEN I'LL, THEN I'LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE.
UM, I PROMISE I'LL HAVE POINTS.
UH, SO I WANNA GO TO, WE, MICHAEL, YOU BROUGHT UP, UH, SOME LEGAL LANGUAGE ABOUT, UH, BARRIERS IN THE MARKETPLACE.
UH, YOUR SLIDE FIVE, AND THAT WAS STRICTLY FOCUSED TO MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES.
AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH OUR, OUR ORDINANCE.
YET OUR ORDINANCE ALSO ADDRESSES SMALL AND LOCAL, RIGHT? OR, OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT ORDINANCE? LOCAL IS DICTATED BY A DIFFERENT ORDINANCE, UH, AND IS HISTORIC FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
AND SMALL, AND SMALL IS IN FACT PART OF THE, UH, VETA ORDINANCE.
BUT WHAT WE'RE USING TO GUIDE US IS THIS, UH, IS RICHMOND CROSON, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH MINORITY AND WOMEN.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH SMALL, BUT IT'S PART OF OUR ARGUMENT.
THE, THE CROSON DECISION IS A DECISION THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, RELATES TO AND GOVERNS, UH, A CITY, A GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY TO PREFER CERTAIN GROUPS BASED ON GENDER AND RACE.
AND IT SETS OUT HOW YOU DO THAT.
THE GOVERNMENT CAN SIMPLY DO, UH, GENDER NEUTRAL, RACE NEUTRAL CONTRACTING.
THERE'S NO CONSTITUTIONAL OR STATUTORY PROHIBITION FOR THAT.
BUT IF THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO MAKE DECISIONS, DECISIONS IN HIS CONTRACTING BASED ON GENDER, BASED ON RACE, THE CROWSON DECISION SETS OUT HOW YOU DO THAT.
AND THE WAY YOU DO THAT IS YOU DETERMINE HISTORIC AND CURRENT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST, YOU KNOW, BASED ON GENDER, BASED ON RACE IN YOUR MARKETPLACE.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE, WE'RE ALLOWED DO, OTHERWISE WE CANNOT DO THAT.
UM, SO, SO THE, THE POINT I, I'M, I'M TRYING TO MAKE HERE IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE, WE HAVE SOME LEGAL LIMITATIONS HERE, THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US MAY BE A LITTLE BIT BEYOND THAT, RIGHT? SO, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ALSO IMPORTANT TO US, SO WE WANNA CONTINUE LOOKING AT THOSE, AND WE'VE GONE AHEAD AND FOLDED THAT INTO, INTO THE ORDINANCE.
SO I, I DO THINK THAT THE DISPARITY STUDY DOES PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT OTHER, POSSIBLY TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS IN OUR CONTRACTING STRUCTURE.
UH, AGAIN, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE GONNA FOLD THEM INTO THE ORDINANCE, THAT THAT'S A SEPARATE PROCESS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF COUNCILMAN TRAVI AND I WERE INTERESTED AND, AND SEEING HOW, UH, HOW WE'RE DISTRIBUTING FUNDS TO DIFFERENTLY ABLED PEOPLE OR L G B T Q OWNED BUSINESSES, WE WOULD EITHER HAVE TO SET UP A WHOLE SEPARATE STUDY TO DO THAT, OR WE COULD POSSIBLY ADD IT ON AS, AS ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE R F P.
THAT WOULD BE, UH, IN, IN NUMBER TWO, THE, THE NUMBER TWO DELIVERABLE IN, IN YOUR R F P I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY TO INCLUDE THOSE ADDITIONAL TWO THINGS TO LOOK AT.
UM, I, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO HEAR FROM, FROM MY OTHER COLLEAGUES.
I, AT THIS POINT, I DON'T SEE A REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST THE, THE STUDY, RIGHT? OR WE COULD GO BACK, WRITE THE C C R OR BRING IT THROUGH COMMITTEE AND, AND SEE IF IT HAPPENS, HOPE FOR THE NEXT BUDGET PROCESS, RIGHT? SO, UM, SO I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF ADDING IT.
NOW, UH, MY OTHER QUESTION, UH, HAS TO DO, NOT SO MUCH WITH THE, WITH THE STUDY ITSELF, BUT WITH THE DATABASE, UH, THAT WE USE OF BUSINESSES.
ARE WE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE AREA THAT USES THAT SAME DATABASE OR SAY DO, DO OTHER ENTITIES, OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES HAVE THEIR OWN DATABASES SET UP? SO SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR, YOU KNOW, ALMOST PARK OR WHOMEVER? SURE.
SO THE CONSULTANT, THAT'S PART OF WHAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IS OBTAIN AND GATHER A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT DATA SETS THAT INFORM ON, UH, GENDER AND RACE SLASH ETHNICITY OF, OF DIFFERENT BUSINESS OWNERSHIP RATES.
UM, THAT COULD BE THAT ONE OF 'EM IS THROUGH THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL CERTIFICATION AGENCY, FOR EXAMPLE.
OTHERS COULD BE THROUGH CERTAIN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, TRADE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, YOU NAME IT.
[01:35:01]
SO THEY'RE GONNA REACH OUT KIND OF BROAD, GATHER THEM ALL, CROSS COMPARE THE LIST, AND THEN SURVEY AGAINST THAT FOR, FROM AN ACCURACY STANDPOINT TO GET A FINAL DETERMINATION OF, OF WHAT'S TRULY OUT THERE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.COUNCIL MEMBER, ARE YOU ALL ASKING ABOUT OUR VENDOR REGISTRY OR A DIFFERENT DATABASE? THE VENDOR REGISTRY? YOUR, YOUR VENDOR REGISTRY.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING.
MICHAEL, DO, DO, DO OTHER, ARE OTHER PUBLIC INDS ABLE TO USE OUR VENDOR REGISTRY, I THINK IS THE QUESTION.
OUR PUBLIC REGISTRY IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
ANYONE CAN GO ON AND SEARCH FOR A, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN ELECTRICIAN, FOR EXAMPLE, AND IT WOULD POP UP KIND OF WHO, WHO'S IN OUR LOCAL MARKETPLACE THAT IS CERTIFIED AS THAT MM-HMM.
UM, SO, UH, I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT BEYOND BEYOND SCOPE HERE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ANYTHING YOU NEED FOR, FOR THE RELEASE OF THE R F P, THIS COMMENT HERE, BUT, UH, IT, IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, WHICH IS ENSURING THAT, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T, THAT HAVEN'T GOTTEN ENOUGH OF THE PIE, RIGHT? GET ENOUGH OF THE PIE.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF IN THE FUTURE THERE'S A WAY THAT, UH, WE PARTNER WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT, UM, PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK FOR SAY, UH, SAHA ALSO REGISTER, AND THEN THERE'S A CHECKBOX FOR SAHA, OR YOU CAN DO A CHECKBOX, UH, FOR THE CITY.
IT IT MAY BE TOO COMPLICATED, BUT, UH, I, I THINK IT COULD HELP BRING OUR SISTER PUBLIC AGENCIES ALONG WITH US.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST TALKING TO ERIC ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY ABOUT HOW HE SAID THE CITY'S THE ONLY ONE THAT GETS AN A IN, UH, FROM THE FAIR CONTRACTING COALITION.
AND, UH, I GUESS I WANT IT TO BE THAT GOOD STUDENT THAT IS OFFERING THE TUTORING TO THE, TO THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE BIT, UH, CONDESCENDING.
UH, I HOPE IT'S NOT, BUT I'D JUST LIKE FOR A WAY FOR US TO WORK WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND MAYBE THAT'S UP TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO, TO REACH OUT TO THE LEADERS OF SOME OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO, TO DO THAT.
AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, UM, LAST POINT HERE IS WHEN DO WE LOOK AT, UH, DOES THIS LOOK AT LOCAL, LIKE HOW MUCH WENT TO LOCAL BUSINESSES? CORRECT.
THEY'RE GONNA LOOK FOR HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH CITY CONTRACT DOLLARS WERE PAID TO MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES IN OUR LOCAL RELEVANT MARKETPLACE.
BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT MICHAEL, I THINK THE QUESTION THE COUNCILMAN HAD IS, DOES IT LOOK AT SIMPLY LOCAL, OUTSIDE THE MINORITY AND GENDER? I THINK THE ANSWER IS NO.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER OUR, UM, THE, THE GROUPS THAT GORDON HARTMAN HELPED US DO, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, OF THE PANDEMIC, WHAT ONE OF OUR GROUPS MY, MY GROUP WAS TRYING TO DO WAS IDENTIFY WHAT PROCUREMENTS ARE GOING ON OUT THERE THAT ARE GOING TO AGENCIES OUTSIDE OF THE AREA THAT COULD BE DONE LOCALLY, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THAT THE LOCAL ENTITY IS COMPETITIVE AND WHAT, UM, WHAT THE MANUFACTURERS AND THIS GROUP WANTED TO KNOW IS, OKAY, WHERE ARE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE MAYBE THERE'S NOT A LOCAL COMPANY, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE DEMAND IS LOCAL, AND CAN A LOCAL COMPANY POSSIBLY GET CREATED TO DO THAT, OR SHIFT A LITTLE BIT OR ADJUST THEIR SCOPE SO THAT THEY CAN MEET THAT DEMAND? UH, AND SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES KNOWING, RIGHT? WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT NO ONE IS THAT, THAT NO ONE IS PROVIDING LOCALLY? SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN THIS IS DONE, WOULD, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO SEE, OR, OR EVEN NOW, I GUESS WE COULD SEE A LIST OF ALL THOSE, EVERYTHING WE PROCURE, I DON'T KNOW BY WHATEVER CATEGORIES WE WANNA BREAK IT DOWN INTO, AND WHAT PERCENT OF THAT IS PROVIDED LOCALLY, AND THEN THAT CAN HELP THE LOCAL COMPANIES SEE WHERE THERE IS DEMAND, UH, AT LEAST AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
MICHAEL, DO YOU KNOW IF THE DISPARITY STUDY WILL PROVIDE THAT KIND OF DETAIL? I DON'T THINK IT, ALEX CAN CORRECT ME HERE, BUT I DON'T RECALL IT DRILLING DOWN TO THAT LEVEL.
I WILL SAY WHEN WE EVALUATE, UM, SOLICITATIONS EACH AND EVERY DAY, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE AVAILABILITY IN OUR MARKETPLACE TO PERFORM THE SERVICES SO WE CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE FOLKS HERE THAT CAN PROVIDE THEM? AND IF NOT, TO YOUR POINT, A POTENTIAL GAP IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD BE FILLED BY SOME, SOMEONE ELSE MM-HMM.
I, I WOULD HOPE WE, WE COULD DO THAT.
SO, UH, I'LL, I'LL END THERE, BUT, UH, THANK YOU, UH, VERY MUCH.
[01:40:01]
REGISTRY.I WAS JUST GONNA STATE THAT WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS STARTED WORKING WITH THE S C T R C A FOR THE, FOR VENDORS TO GO GET CERTIFIED WITH THEM.
THEY CAN THEN CLICK A BOX SAYING THEY WANT TO BE IN THE CITY SYSTEM, AND THAT DATA INTEGRATES OVERNIGHT FOR US.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OTHER ENTITIES TO LET THEM KNOW THEY CAN ADD THAT FUNCTIONALITY ON AS WELL.
SO SOMEONE CAN SAY, I WANT TO BE WITH SAS C P S TO CITY AND OVERNIGHT IT UPLOADS.
UH, LET'S GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU MICHAEL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I WANNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK JOHN PATRIK FOR SENDING US ALL THREE PRESENTATIONS ON MONDAY.
SO WE HAD THE PRESENTATIONS FOR THE B SESSION AND THE PRESENTATION FOR A SESSION TOMORROW.
I KNOW IT SAYS THERE'S SOME, UM, NUMBERS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED.
UM, ON SLIDE SIX, MICHAEL, THIS WAS THE SAME SLIDE SIX THAT WE WERE PRESENTED ON DECEMBER THE EIGHTH.
AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE NOT ON E W D C ON DECEMBER THE EIGHTH, I ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, BULLET POINT NUMBER THREE.
IT SAYS, RESEARCH IF DISPARITIES EXIST IN THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, ETHNIC AND GENDER CATEGORIES.
I MISSED THE ETHNIC AND GENDER CATEGORIES SPECIFICALLY.
AND I ASKED ABOUT VETERANS AND I ASKED ABOUT FOLKS WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES, AND I WAS GIVEN AN ANSWER AND I WAS TRYING TO GO BACK, BUT I REALIZED THAT WE HAVEN'T APPROVED THE MINUTES FOR DECEMBER THE EIGHTH.
CAN YOU, WHOEVER ANSWERED THAT DAY, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THE MINUTES WERE, WERE POSTED.
WE, WE HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY, WE DIDN'T APPROVE ANY MEANING, UH, MINUTES.
BUT CAN SOMEBODY REMIND ME WHAT THE EXACT REASON WAS? BECAUSE THE, THE, THE REASON THAT YOU GAVE, UH, EARLIER RAY TO COUNCILMAN TREVINO? UM, I DON'T REMEMBER.
THAT WAS THE EXACT SAME REASON THAT I WAS GIVEN, BUT CAN, IT SEEMED TO BE THAT MY, UH, ANSWER WAS MORE HARSH AND I WAS TRYING TO, TO, TO SEE IF THERE WAS A CHANGE OR IF THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE COUNCILMAN SANDHILL SAID.
AND SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE, WHERE, WHERE IT'S THAT WE CAN, UM, MAYBE STILL CONSIDER IT OR NOT CONSIDER IT BASED ON WHAT I WAS GIVEN DECEMBER 8TH AND COUNCILWOMAN.
IF, IF I COULD JUST EXPLAIN WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING THE DISPARITY STUDY, THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE DATA IS GOING TO BE USED TO BOLSTER, REVISE OR SUNSET OR SPEED OF ORDINANCE.
UH, THE SPEED OF ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, IT DOES INCLUDE SMALL BUSINESS, BUT AS CARLOS HAD MENTIONED, THAT IS MOSTLY BECAUSE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE CONSIDERED AS A RACE NEUTRAL WAY TO ADDRESS SOME DISPARITY.
UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN APPROVING SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS, UH, SINCE ALMOST THE 1940S WHEN, WHEN THE WORLD WAR II WAS GOING ON.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S A PRACTICE THAT HAS BEEN COMMON, ALTHOUGH I'LL TELL YOU, THERE IS NOT A LOT OF CASE LAW THAT GOES INTO SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, THERE IS AN, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CASE LAW WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RACE-BASED PROGRAMS BECAUSE THAT FALLS INTO THE EQUAL PROTECTION PROGRAM, UH, EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE AND SUBJECTS ITSELF TO A HIGH SCRUTINY, STRICT SCRUTINY IS WHAT THE, UH, THE COURTS CALL IT.
UH, BUT IT, IT REALLY ONLY APPLIES TO RACE, RACE, GENDER, OR I'M SORRY, RACE BASED PROGRAMS. GENDER IS, UH, PUT IT UNDER A LESSER SCRUTINY BECAUSE OVERALL THERE IS A, A, UH, A BASIS TO SAY THAT THAT TYPE OF DISCRIMINATION HAS HAPPENED.
UM, TRADITIONALLY FOR, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME ACROSS, ACROSS THE BOARD, WHEN WE ARE, UH, GETTING INFORMATION THROUGH THE, THIS DISPARITY STUDY, IT'S FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHOWING THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING A DISCRIMINATION, UH, DISCRIMINATION THAT HAS OCCURRED IN OUR MARKETPLACE THAT WE ARE A PART OF.
AND THAT PART OF CAN BE THAT WE WERE, UH, EITHER DIRECTLY IN SERVING SOME KIND OF DISCRIMINATION OR WE WERE NOT USING OUR TAX MONEY IN A FAIR WAY AND ADDRESSING THAT DISCRIMINATION.
THERE HAS TO BE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE, UH, TO SHOW THAT THAT DISCRIMINATION EXISTS.
AND YOU KNOW, LIKE AS I SAID EARLIER, THERE ARE GENERALLY SOCIETAL DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES.
I I AM VERY MUCH AWARE OF THAT, BUT THE CASE LAW IN PROGRAMS LIKE SPEED UP USUALLY ONLY ADDRESS RACE AND GENDER.
NOW, I THINK WHAT MAY, AND, AND, UH, I, I BELIEVE I WAS NOT AT THAT, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING, BUT I, I THINK WHAT THEY WERE PROBABLY TRYING TO, UH, ADDRESS IS THE FACT THAT DATA CAN BE COLLECTED ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
UH, AND HAVING THAT DATA IS ONE THING, USING THEM TO BOLSTER OUR SPEEDA PROGRAM COULD
[01:45:01]
PRESENT A LEGAL RISK TO US.UH, BECAUSE THERE IS A, AN IDEA OF OVER INCLUSION.
IF WE ARE NOT NARROWLY TAILORED TO ADDRESS A SPECIFIC WRONG, THEN OUR WHOLE PROGRAM COULD BE STRUCK DOWN.
AND SO THAT MIGHT BE SOME OF THE REASON WHY WE WOULD CONSIDER ONLY MAINTAINING RACE AND GENDER AND A DISPARITY STUDY FOR THIS PURPOSE AND SEPARATELY SEEKING DATA ON OTHER, OTHER TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION SEPARATELY.
UH, BUT I, I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND WHILE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS EFFORT, COUNSEL MAY THINK THAT WHY DON'T WE LOOK AT OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
THERE WILL COME A TIME AFTER THIS INFORMATION IS GATHERED THAT I THINK WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE A B SESSION OR POSSIBLY TALK TO YOU IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A FULL LEGAL DETAIL OF WHAT RISK WE WOULD BE RUNNING IN LOOKING AT, UH, OTHER, UH, DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES THAT ARE NOT BASED IN RACE OR GENDER.
AND YES, THAT WAS, UH, THAT WAS A HARSH ANSWER THAT I RECEIVED.
AND SO I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE ANY FALSE EXPECTATIONS TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE RAISING THE SAME QUESTION TODAY.
IF, UM, THEY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF FOR THIS PURPOSE IS, IT'S SPECIFIC TO, UM, TO TODAY'S DISCUSSION, RIGHT? AND IT, SO WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT IT CAN'T BE DONE.
WE'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOME ADDITIONAL LEGAL WORK INVOLVED.
AND, AND SO DOES THAT GIVE ME HOPE AGAIN OR DOES THAT PUT US BACK IN THE, UH, LET'S, LET'S TAKE ONE THING AT A TIME, UH, CATEGORY.
SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, IF I COULD, LET ME ANSWER THAT ONE, RAY.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH COUNCILWOMAN.
IT'S ONE WHERE, YES, WE CAN LOOK AT ADDITIONAL THINGS IN THE STUDY, BUT THERE'S, UM, THERE'S SOME HOPE, ALTHOUGH, UM, I WOULD SAY IT'S, IT, IT'S, IT'S ONE WHERE IT WOULD BE A VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE TO ADD ANYTHING OTHER THAN RACE AND GENDER BECAUSE THE CASE LAW HAS BEEN SO SPECIFIC TO RACE AND GENDER.
AND ALSO COUNCILOR WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT WE WE'RE GATHERING INFORMATION CERTAINLY IS ONE THING WE WOULDN'T WANT TO SUGGEST TO THE PUBLIC.
WE'RE GONNA PROMISE SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE DELIVERED AND THAT I THINK THAT'S A DANGER POTENTIALLY THAT WE COULD HAVE HERE.
SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE, AND SO I HAD IT IN MY LITTLE WRITTEN DOWN NOTES, UM, THAT FOR SOME REASON IT COULDN'T BE DONE AND, AND TO FOLLOW UP.
SO I'M GLAD THAT IT CAME UP AGAIN.
UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWER.
AND, AND RAY AND, AND CARLOS AND, AND ANDY, I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY, SO ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME CLARIFY WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO, I'M, I'M ALWAYS GONNA BE IN FOR, BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE Y'ALL HAD TURNED ME DOWN ON DECEMBER THE EIGHTH AND Y'ALL WERE GIVING HOPES TODAY.
SO I WAS LIKE, WHICH ONE IS IT? SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, I DON'T THINK WE NEED MINUTE TAKERS IF YOU ARE PRESENT IN THE ROOM AND RECALL THE MEETINGS FOR US, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, THAT IS HELPFUL CLARIFICATION.
LEMME GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I JUST WANTED TO GET A CLARIFICATION ON, ON HOW, ON HOW WE USE THE TERM LOCAL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS, WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF LOCAL AT THIS TIME? SURE.
SO PER THE STUDY IN 2015, THEY NARROWED, UM, LOCAL DOWN TO OUR SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA, WHICH IS BEXAR COUNTY.
AND I BELIEVE THE SURROUNDING SEVEN COUNTIES THAT TOUCH US.
YEAH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, 'CAUSE I THOUGHT, I REMEMBER SOME DISCUSSION SAYING SOME COMPANIES WEREN'T IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THEY WEREN'T ELIGIBLE FOR SOME KIND OF POINTS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.
BUT, BUT UH, THAT CLARIFIES IT FOR ME.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UM, I THINK THAT IS THE, UH, DURATION OF OUR DISCUSSION ON THESE TWO ITEMS. UH, GOOD MEETING TODAY.
UM, AS A REMINDER, WE DO HAVE A FIVE O'CLOCK PUBLIC HEARING, SO WE'LL NEED A QUORUM THERE, FOLLOWED BY OUR NORMAL CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.
UH, WE ARE GONNA HAVE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION TOMORROW.
SO LET ME, UH, CLARIFY THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS TODAY THAT WERE POSTED FOR TODAY WILL BE CARRIED OVER UNTIL THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW, THURSDAY, JANUARY 14TH, AND WILL BE CONSIDERED AT ANY TIME DURING TOMORROW'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, THE TIME IS NOW 3:52 PM AND TODAY'S MEETING, UH, IS NOW IN RECESS.