[00:00:04]
[1. 21-1346 Briefing on proposed amendment to the City Charter to allow the City to issue bonds for permanent public improvements or any other public purpose. [Andy Segovia, City Attorney; Veronica Soto, Director, Neighborhood and Housing Services]]
ON THIS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD.GO AHEAD AND, UH, START WITH A ROLE.
MADAM CLERK, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY'S OUT TODAY.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
LET ME TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER AT WAL.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, THE ITEM, UH, THAT WE'LL PRESENT TO YOU TODAY, UH, CONCERNS THE CITY'S ABILITY TO ISSUE BONDS FOR, UH, PERMANENT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND OTHER, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UH, MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH, UM, THIS ISSUE AS IT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE PAST.
OUR CURRENT CHARTER PROVISION, UM, SPEAKS TO THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS, UM, TO PERMIT US, UM, FOR CAP, UM, UH, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND, AND DURING THE LAST BOND ISSUANCE, UM, THE CITY IDENTIFIED PARCELS FOR REDEVELOPMENT, UH, AND ALLOCATED BOND MONEY IN THE PROPOSITIONS FOR THE PURCHASE AND PREPARATION OF, OF LAND FOR POTENTIAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
UM, WHILE THIS CONTRIBUTED TO, UH, THE OVERALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING EFFORTS, UH, ON OUR BEHALF, UM, THE ABILITY TO DIRECTLY PARTICIPATE IN HOUSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UH, COULD GREATLY ENHANCE OUR ABILITY, UH, TO INCREASE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND, UM, UH, SUCH THE, THE MAYOR, UH, DID ISSUE IDENTIFIED THIS ISSUE, UH, WHEN HE CHARGED THE LAST, UH, CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IN 2017, UH, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ISSUE, AND ANDY WILL TALK, UH, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT IT.
UH, THE COMMISSION, UH, HAD A LOT OF ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, UM, AND REACHED CONSENSUS, UH, ON THE CONCEPT.
UM, UM, IF NOT THE EXACT LANGUAGE, UH, THAT WOULD BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE VOTERS.
UM, THE COMMISSION WAS NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE A FINAL REPORT ON THE MATTER, BUT THERE WAS A STRONG SENSE, UH, THAT ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO PLACE, UH, A GREATER ARRAY OF PROJECTS, UH, BEFORE THE COMMUNITY SO THEY COULD VOTE ON 'EM.
SO, ANDY'S GONNA, UH, PRESENT THIS ITEM, UH, AND SHARE THE LEGAL AND PROCEDURAL STEPS.
UH, IT'S A TIMELY MATTER BECAUSE, UM, THE COUNCIL WILL, UH, NEXT WEEK, NEXT THURSDAY, BE CALLING FOR THE, UH, MAY ELECTION.
UM, AND SO WE WANTED TO, TO BRING THIS BACK TO THE FULL COUNSEL.
THERE WAS A, UH, A COMMITTEE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS IN DECEMBER AT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ'S COMMITTEE.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, ANDY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND WE'LL, UH, GET THE PRESENTATION UP.
UH, WHILE THEY'RE DOING THAT, I DO WANT TO EXTEND THANKS TO, UH, BOTH THE HOUSING TEAM, UH, LORI AND VERO, AND FOR, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, UH, ALEX AND CARLOS FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION ON THIS.
AND THEY'LL BE HERE, UH, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS IT RELATES TO WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THIS ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY THAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT.
UH, AGAIN, WHAT, UH, SPECIFICALLY WE'RE GONNA PRESENT TO YOU IS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT, UH, TO THE CITY CHARTER THAT EXPANDS THE LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE CITY CAN DO IN TERMS OF ISSUING BONDS.
UH, SO WITH THAT, WITH THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE FIRST THING, UH, I WANT TO START OFF WITH IS WHAT IS THE TRADITIONAL PROCESS WE USE FOR, UH, CHANGES TO THE CITY CHARTER? UM, AND SO, UH, USUALLY WHAT WE DO, 'CAUSE I WANT TO A A ADMITTEDLY, THIS IS NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, PART OF THAT PROCESS.
IT IS RELATED TO THE PROCESS THAT, UH, THE, A CHARTER COMMISSION DID LOOK AT THIS BEFORE.
UH, AND THE REASON, AGAIN, AS ERIC POINTED OUT, IS, UH, PRIMARILY TIMING.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY TIMING IS THE LAST, UH, CHANGE WE MADE TO THE CITY CHARTER WAS IN, UH, NOVEMBER OF 2018.
AND UNDER THE CITY CHARTER, WE CAN ONLY MAKE CHANGES EVERY TWO YEARS.
SO THIS MAY IS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE CHARTER.
THE SECOND ONE IS, I'LL GET INTO MORE DETAIL LATER, IS,
[00:05:01]
GIVEN OUR TIMING AND THE TIMELINE FOR, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF BOND PROJECTS, UH, MAY PROVIDES US THE REALLY THE ONLY REAL WINDOW, UH, TO MAKE A CHANGE THAT WOULD ALLOW GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING BRONZE PROJECTS.BUT GOING BACK TO WHAT WE, UH, WOULD NORMALLY DO IS WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY, UM, IF WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, WHOLESALE CHANGES TO THE CHARTER, UH, THE MAYOR WOULD CONVENE AND CHARGE A CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, UH, AFTER CONSULTATION WITH COUNSEL IN TERMS OF, UH, DETERMINING WHO WOULD SERVE ON THAT CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
UH, THE LAST CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, AS ERIC POINTED OUT, WAS IN 2017, UH, UH, BONNIE PROSSER ELDER, WHO'S THE GENERAL COUNSEL OF VIA, WAS THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMISSION.
UH, WHAT WE USUALLY LOOK FOR IN TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP ON THAT COMMISSION IS PEOPLE THAT ARE, UH, FAMILIAR WITH MUNICIPAL LAW, MUNICIPAL FINANCE, UH, USUALLY A FORMER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, WE LOOK AT, UH, UH, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY, OR FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY.
UH, SO WE WANT, GIVEN THE GAMUT OF ISSUES THAT RUN ACROSS OUR CHARTER, WE LOOK FOR PEOPLE THAT, UH, HAVE THE, UH, THE EXPERTISE, THE INPUT, UH, THE BACKGROUND TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL INPUT, BUT PART OF USUALLY THAT PROCESS.
IT ALSO ENTAILS, UH, GETTING, UH, INPUT FROM, UH, COUNCIL AND STAFF IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT CHANGES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD VIEW AS BEING BENEFICIAL, UH, TO THE EFFECTIVE RUNNING OF THE CITY.
AND THE EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF BOND PROJECTS, OR, I'M SORRY, THE EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF ANY CHANGES TO THE CHARTER.
UH, WE HAVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
THROUGH THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
THEY CONSULT WITH STAKEHOLDERS, AND, UH, THEY OFTEN CONSULT WITH EXPERTS, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT, UH, VERY, UH, AREAS THAT ARE, UH, COMPLEX AREAS THAT DO REQUIRE, UH, CON CONSULTATION WITH EXPERTS.
UH, AND A CLA A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE, UH, PROPOSED BO, UH, CHANGE TO THE BOND FLEXIBILITY.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CONSULTED VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR BOND COUNCIL, UH, CLAY BENFORD, WHO'S ALSO HERE WITH US, TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, UH, AFTER THE PRESENTATION.
SO THAT CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, AS I SAID, IS A ROBUST PROCESS, IS A PRETTY LONG PROCESS THAT STRETCHES OUT FOR MONTHS.
UH, THEY DEVELOP, UH, AFTER THIS ROBUST PROCESS RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE THEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, VOTES TO PLACE, UH, THOSE, UH, CHANGES TO THE CHARTER PROPOSED CHANGES ON THE BALLOT.
AND ULTIMATELY, UH, IT'S THE COMMUNITY THAT VOTES ON WHETHER THOSE PROPOSED CHANGES, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, GO UNDER THE CHARTER OR NOT.
SO A LITTLE, UH, HISTORY SPECIFIC, UH, TO THIS BOND LANGUAGE THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UH, IN MAY OF 1997, THERE WAS, UH, A, UH, PROCESS TO LOOK AT THE CHARTER TO RECOMMEND CHANGES.
UM, AND PART OF THAT, UH, CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION RECOMMENDED A CHANGE TO THE CHARTER THAT, UH, ACTUALLY LIMITED THE ABILITY OF THE CITY, UH, TO ISSUE BONDS IN CERTAIN AREAS.
IT LIMITED TO ONLY, UM, UH, PUBLIC, UH, WORKS.
UM, AND, UH, UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, ONE OF THE HISTORICAL REASONS FOR THAT WAS SOME BACKLASH OVER THE, UH, UH, FUNDING OF THE ALAMO DOME, UH, AND SOME NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT WERE, UH, TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, AND SO IN 1997, IT WAS CHANGED TO WHAT'S THE CURRENT LANGUAGE IN THE CITY CHARTER, WHICH RESTRICTS THE PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, SO THAT WAS CHANGED IN 1997.
AS I SAID, THE PREVIOUS, UH, CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION DID TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
UH, AND AGAIN, AS ERIC SAID, THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL REPORT, BUT THEY DID TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
UH, AND CONCEPTUALLY THERE WAS AGREEMENT THAT WE SHOULD, UH, EXPAND THE LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF THE ABILITY OF THE CITY TO ISSUE BONDS SO THAT IT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT IS ALLOWED TO ALL TEXAS CITIES UNDER THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION AND, UH, TEXAS LAW.
UH, SO THAT WAS LOOKED AT, UH, THERE WAS SOME, UH, REVIEW OF LANGUAGE.
UM, WHAT WE DID IS, UH, TOOK A FURTHER REVIEW OF THAT LANGUAGE, AGAIN, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT'S ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW.
UM, SO THE PROPOSED, UM, UH, LANGUAGE THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR, UH, IS, UH, AS NOTED IN THIS SLIDE CURRENTLY, IT SAYS PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, AND THAT'S ALL THAT IT LIMITS THAT TO WHICH, AGAIN, TIES OUR HANDS IN TERMS OF WHAT PROJECTS WE MAY, UH, PUT FORWARD IN TERMS OF BOND PROJECTS, SPECIFICALLY HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND SPECIFICALLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
UM, SO SECTION 1331 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE IS WHAT GIVES CITIES THE ABILITY TO ISSUE BONDS AND ESTABLISHES THE PARAMETERS UNDER WHICH TEXAS CITIES MAY ISSUE BONDS.
AND IF YOU READ THE LANGUAGE THERE, THAT'S UNDER THE, UH, STATE
[00:10:01]
STATUTE, IT SAYS THAT MUNICIPALITIES, HOMEROOM, HOME RULE MUNICIPALITIES LIKE SAN ANTONIO CAN ISSUE BONDS TO MAKE, UH, PERMANENT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS OR FOR OTHER PUBLIC PURPOSE AND THE AMOUNT TO THE EXTENT PROVIDED BY ITS CITY CHARTER.UM, SO AGAIN, THE INTENT WAS TO PROVIDE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THE ABILITY TO ISSUE BONDS IN WITHIN THE SAME SCOPE AND PARAMETERS THAT OTHER TEXAS CITIES HAVE, UH, IN TERMS OF ISSUING BOND PROPOSALS AND BOND PROJECTS.
SO, UH, GOING BACK TO, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, EVEN WITH THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WERE UNDER US, UNDER OUR CURRENT LANGUAGE, WHICH, WHICH AGAIN IS PUBLIC WORKS AGAIN, UH, MANY, UH, UH, COMPLIMENTS TO THE HOUSING TEAM, UH, TO OUR BOND COUNCIL, UH, AND TO, UH, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT WORKED ON THIS.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET CREATIVE AND COME UP WITH A, UH, SOME PROJECTS, UH, THAT WOULD FIT WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF SOME, UH, FEDERAL AUTHORITY THAT WE HAD.
UM, AND SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, UH, SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS UNDER, UH, OUR CURRENT BOND, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTING.
BUT AS YOU, UH, REMEMBER, UH, MANY OF YOU REMEMBER, UM, IT REQUIRED US FIRST TO ESTABLISH AN URBAN RENEWAL PLAN, AND THEN IT REQUIRED US TO DESIGNATE CERTAIN AREAS IN THE CITY, UH, THAT, UH, MET CERTAIN CRITERIA IN TERMS OF BLIGHT, UH, AND SLUM CRITERIA, UH, THAT WOULD BE, UH, AMENABLE TO PROJECTS, UH, THAT WE COULD PUT ON THE BOND.
IT LIMITED USE OF FUNDS, THOUGH, TO SITE READINESS ACTIVITIES, UH, IN OTHER WORDS, GETTING THAT SITE READY FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AND SO WE COULDN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL, UH, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, UH, OR PROJECT CONSTRUCTION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ALL WE COULD DO IS REALLY GET THE SITE READY, UH, FOR DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THE URBAN RENEWAL PLAN, UH, REQUIRES SINGLE FAMILY FOR OWNERSHIP, UH, TO BE SOLD, UH, TO INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES BELOW, BELOW 80% A M I, UH, AS DEFINED BY HUD, AND HAVE A 30 YEAR RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, UH, COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS OF INDIVIDUAL SITES.
UH, AS MA AS MANY OF, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE AWARE THAT THEY COME UP THROUGH, UH, THESE PROJECTS COME UP THROUGH OUR NORMAL PROCESS IN TERMS OF AUDIT, UH, THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, ET CETERA.
UH, IT ADDS QUITE A BIT TO THE TIMELINE IN TERMS OF GETTING THESE PROJECTS IDENTIFIED.
UH, AND THE PREPARATION DONE AND THE DEVELOPMENT STARTING CONSTRUCTION, UH, ACTUALLY ADDS SIX TO 12 MONTHS THAT THAT PROCESS, UH, ANY PRE-DEVELOPMENT COSTS THAT THE CITY MAY INCUR, UH, IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING THOSE, UH, SITES, UH, ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR, UM, UNTIL COUNCIL APPROVES THE PROJECT.
SO THOSE ARE THE, SORT OF THE LIMITATIONS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER.
AND, AND AGAIN, I WILL, I'LL EMPHASIZE THAT, UH, MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS AS, AS YOU'VE LOOKED AT, UH, INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF APPROVALS.
SO, WHAT ARE WE, UH, UH, EXACTLY ASKING IN TERMS OF CHANGES TO THE CHARTER LANGUAGE? SO WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN HERE BEFORE YOU, UH, IS THE ACTUAL RED LINE THAT WE WOULD USE, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT CHANGE, EXACT CHANGE WE WANNA MAKE TO THE CITY CHARTER.
AS I SAID, IT'S SECTION 98 THAT TALKS ABOUT THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE BONDS.
AND WE WOULD STRIKE OUT THAT LANGUAGE WHERE IT SAYS TO CONSTRUCT, ACQUIRE, EQUIP, RENOVATE, AND PROVE AND REPAIR PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THAT WOULD BE REPLACED BY THE ABILITY, BY THE CITY TO ISSUE BONDS FOR PERMANENT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS OR FOR ANY OTHER PUBLIC PURPOSES, NOT PROHIBITED BY THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION OR THE GENERAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO, AGAIN, WE WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC PURPOSES, BUT THAT'S STILL CONSTRAINED BY WHATEVER, UH, POWERS ARE GRANTED TO US AND ABILITIES GRANTED TO US UNDER THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION AND ANY OTHER APPLICABLE STATE LAW.
SO, CLEARLY, OUR INTENT IS NOT TO EXPAND BEYOND WHAT THE STATE ALREADY PROVIDES HOME RULE CITIES IN TERMS OF THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP BOND PROJECTS.
UH, CURRENT, UH, CASE LAW IS ESTABLISHED CLEARLY THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS DO COME WITHIN THE AMBIT OF PUBLIC, UH, UH, PUBLIC PURPOSE.
UH, SO WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT, AND IT'S PRETTY WELL ESTABLISHED, THAT WITH THIS LANGUAGE CHANGE, WE CAN INCLUDE, UH, BOND PROJECTS THAT FIT IN THOSE TWO CATEGORIES.
AGAIN, THE CURRENT CITY, UH, UH, CHARTER LANGUAGE ONLY ALLOWS FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
SO, UH, BY CHANGING THE CHARTER, UH, THE CITY, UH, WOULD, THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD THEN PROVIDE YOU HAVE A GREATER ARRAY OF PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED UNDER OUR NORMAL
[00:15:01]
BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.AND, UH, I'LL JUST GO OVER THAT REAL QUICKLY HERE.
UH, I THINK IN THE NEXT SLIDE, OR IN THE NEXT SLIDE OR TWO, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I DO, I, I, UH, I, I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, OTHER TEXAS CITIES, WE INCLUDED AUSTIN, DALLAS, HOUSTON, BUT I THINK FORT WORTH ALSO HAS, UH, SIMILAR LANGUAGE IN THEIR CHARTER THAT TRACKS THE, UH, STATE LAW IN TERMS OF, UH, ABILITY TO, UH, ISSUE BONDS.
UH, AND AS, AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE CITIES HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THAT, AND IN FACT, HAVE ALREADY ISSUED, UH, HAVE ALREADY, UH, THEIR, THEIR CONSTITUENTS HAVE ALREADY APPROVED, UH, BOND PROJECTS RELATED TO BOTH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, AUSTIN'S ALREADY, UH, 94 MILLION, UH, AND THEN, UH, DALLAS HAS HAD 20 MILLION ON HOMELESS.
UH, HOUSTON, UH, HAS, UH, EARMARKED 15 MILLION, UH, AND, UH, FOR LAND BANKING AND OTHER PURPOSES.
SO O OTHER TEXAS CITIES HAVE ALREADY, UH, UH, USED THAT, UH, ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY TO DEVELOP BOND PROJECTS THAT FALL IN THESE CATEGORIES.
JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF, UH, WHAT PROJECTS WE CAN DO WITH THIS ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY.
UH, IN TERMS OF LAND BANKING, WE CAN DO NEW CONSTRUCTION, INCLUDING GAP FINANCING, UH, THAT WOULD, UH, ADDRESS BOTH, UH, HOMEOWNER, INDIVIDUAL, HOME OWNERSHIP, UH, AND RENTAL.
AND WE HAVE ALSO THE ABILITY THEN TO PRESERVE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK, UH, THROUGH RENTAL PROGRAMS, OWNERSHIP RE, UH, PROGRAMS INCLUDING, UH, REPAIR PROGRAMS AND REHAB.
UH, WE HAVE GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF A M I TARGETING.
UH, WE WON'T BE CONSTRAINED BY THAT 80% THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY USING.
UH, WE COULD USE LOWER A M I LEVELS, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZING LOCATIONS SINCE THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO FALL UNDER AN URBAN RENEWAL PROGRAM OR AN URBAN RENEWAL SITE.
IN TERMS OF ECO ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT, AGAIN, ALL THESE BOND, IF THEY'RE IDENTIFIED AS BOND PROJECTS, OBVIOUSLY THERE'LL BE A, UH, A VOTER APPROVED, UH, WE CAN USE TO SUPPORT SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS PROJECT, UH, IN TERMS OF EITHER GRANTS, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO BUILDINGS OR SITE PREP, UH, FOR, UH, COMPANIES WANTING TO COME AND RELOCATE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, AND IT, IT WOULD ALLOW FOR A GREATER ARRAY OF PRIVATE USES FOR THAT.
UM, SO AGAIN, IT WOULD GIVE THE, FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOP, UH, THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP BOND PROJECTS TO FACILITATE, UH, THE CITY ATTRACTING, UH, MORE BUSINESS TO, TO SAN ANTONIO.
HERE'S WHERE I WANT TO GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ON THE BOND PROGRAM, UH, TIMELINE.
AND THE OTHER THING I WANT TO EMPHASIZE WITH THIS SLIDE IS, UM, THE, UH, PROCESS IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING BOND PROJECTS, GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT, UH, GETTING STAKEHOLDER INPUT, UH, FORMING THE COMMITTEES, HAVING A ROBUST REVIEW OF ALL THE PROJECTS, THE PRIORITIZATION BY THE COMMITTEES OF THE PROJECTS, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, ALL THAT WILL STILL BE IN PLACE, UM, UH, AGAIN, WHAT THIS PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGE JUST DOES IS IT ALLOWS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GREATER ARRAY OF PROJECTS THAT THESE COMMITTEES, THE COUNCIL, THE COMMUNITY, CAN CONSIDER, UH, FOR BOND PROPOSALS.
AND SO IF WE LOOK AT THIS, UH, TIMING CHART, AND, UH, THERE'LL BE A LATER B SESSION IN WHICH WE GET INTO MUCH MORE DETAIL ON EACH ONE OF THESE MILESTONES WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF BOND PROJECTS.
BUT WE'VE STARTED BACK IN OCTOBER OF NOVEMBER, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, POTENTIAL PROJECTS, UH, FROM OCTOBER TO JANUARY.
WE'LL HAVE CONSULTANT SELECTION AND CONTINUED IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS, UH, FEBRUARY TO THROUGH JUNE.
WE HAVE PROJECT SCOPING, COST ESTIMATING, UH, THIS SUMMER, UH, THERE'LL BE COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS OF THE RESPECTIVE CATEGORIES OF THE BOND PROJECTS.
UH, AUGUST THROUGH SEPTEMBER, WE'LL HAVE, UH, RECOMMENDED PROJECTS DEVELOP.
AND, AND THEN, UH, FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR, WE'LL HAVE COMMUNITY, UH, MEETINGS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, AND IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, WE WILL CALL THE ELECTION FOR THE MAY BOND PROPOSAL IN MAY, 2022.
UH, SO, UH, THIS AGAIN, ALL GETS BACK TO THE TIMING, AND I'LL USE THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, IF WE ARE TO, IF WE ARE TO, UH, CHANGE THE CHARTER AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR THE CURRENT, UH, BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT IS UNDERWAY, THAT IS FOR THE 2022 BOND PROPOSAL, WE NEED TO MAKE THIS CHANGE IN MAY BECAUSE IF WE, UH, WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, UH, THE BOND DEVELOPMENT AND THE IDENTIFY
[00:20:01]
IDENTIFICATION OF PROJECTS, UH, FRANKLY, WOULD I PROBABLY HAVE RUN ITS COURSE AND BE VERY DIFFICULT TO CATCH UP.UH, SO IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN FIT IN THIS GREATER FLEXIBILITY INTO THE CURRENT, UH, PROCESS DEVELOPMENT, UH, WE RECOMMEND THAT, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL ORDER THE ELECTION WITH THE PROPOSED, UH, CHARTER CHANGE.
UH, THERE'LL BE A NOTICE OF ELECTION IN APRIL.
UH, ELECTION DAY WILL BE IN MAY.
AND IF THE VOTERS APPROVE OF THE CHANGE TO THE CHARTER, IT'LL BE EFFECTIVE UPON CANVASSING.
SO, AGAIN, IT'LL FIT, UH, UH, RATHER NEATLY INTO THE CURRENT, UH, BOND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE.
SO, OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE COUNCIL, UH, PLACES THIS PROPOSED LANGUAGE CHANGE AS IT RELATES TO THE ABILITY OF THE CITY TO ISSUE BONDS.
UH, IT FITS, AS I SAID, THE BOND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE.
IF WE DON'T PUT IT ON THE MAY ELECTION, UH, AND WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER, UH, FRANKLY, IT WILL ONLY AFFECT PROBABLY THEN THAT 2027, UH, BOND PROPOSAL.
UH, 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR PLAN IS TO ISSUE, UH, MAJOR BOND PROPOSALS EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UH, SO IF WE WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER, WE'D HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE 2027, UH, TO SEE THE FRUITION OF THIS ADDED FLEXIBILITY.
AND AGAIN, THE KEY TO THIS IS, IS THAT IT ADDRESSES A LOT OF COMMUNITY NEEDS, UH, PARTICULARLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, IT PROVIDES GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AND THERE'S OTHER PROJECTS, AGAIN, WITHIN THAT PUBLIC PURPOSES, AMBIT, UH, THAT WE CAN CONSIDER AND DEVELOP THAT DON'T FALL WITHIN THE PUBLIC WORKS AMBIT.
UH, SO THAT, UH, CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, MAYOR, AS I SAID, UH, WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS BOTH THE HOUSING TEAM, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, AND, AND, AND THE LEGAL TEAM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, ANDY.
UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I JUST WANNA ASK A, A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION.
UM, ERIC, UH, I GUESS THIS WOULD BE FOR YOU, UH, IF, IF WE CHANGE THE CHARTER IN SUCH A WAY, UH, DOES THIS PRESCRIBE, UH, THE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD PUT ON OUR BOND PROGRAM PRESCRIBE, OR THAT THE, WELL DOES, DOES IT PRESCRIBE THE FACT THAT WE WOULD PUT A HOUSING PROJECT OR HOUSING PROGRAM ON THE BOND, OR WOULD THAT STILL BE AT THE DISCRETION OF, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO COUNCIL? NO, I MEAN, THE, THE COUNCIL WOULD NEED TO DECIDE, UM, WHAT PROPOSITIONS AND PROJECTS STILL, THEY, THE COUNCIL WOULD STILL HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL.
AND, AND ANDY MENTIONED, WE, WE'VE GOT A B SESSION SCHEDULED ON, UM, MARCH 18TH TO TALK TO THE COUNCIL, INITIATE THAT, THE CONVERSATION WITH THE GROUP ABOUT THAT BOND DEVELOPMENT PRO PROJECT PROCESS.
THERE, THERE MAY BE, UH, THERE, THERE COULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND I'M, AND I'M MAKING THIS UP, BUT THE, THE COUNCIL COULD SAY THAT THEY WANT TO FOCUS ALL ON FACILITIES OR STREETS ONLY, OR, YOU KNOW, SO YOU STILL HAVE THE, THE ABILITY TO DO THAT AS A GROUP.
THIS WOULD JUST GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY AS A GROUP TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S OTHER, UH, ELEMENTS OF THE, THAT YOU WANT TO INCLUDE FOR CONSIDERATION.
ALSO, MAYOR, UM, I, I THINK CONCEPTUALLY, I, I'LL TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
CONCEPTUALLY, YOU COULD HAVE A BOND PROPOSAL FOR 2022 THAT HAS NO HOUSING OR NO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AGAIN, THIS ONE SIMPLY PROVIDES THE FLEXIBILITY TO CONSIDER THOSE.
BUT IF THE CHANGE IS NOT MADE, THEN WE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT OPTION.
SIM SIMILAR TO THAT, THEN, DOES IT PRESCRIBE OR PREVENT THIS, THE COUNCIL FROM PRESCRIBING THE TYPE AND MANNER OF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM, UH, TO PUT ON THE PRO ON THE BALLOT, UH, IF WE DID CHOOSE TO DO THAT? NO, IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T IN ANY WAY LIMIT THE COUNCIL'S ABILITY TO STILL REVIEW, FIND PROJECTS THE WAY THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN REVIEWED, MAYOR.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE, UH, TALKED OVER THE LAST YEAR ABOUT, UM, THINGS LIKE, UM, THE, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M GLAD, UM, I'M GRATEFUL THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED, UM, THE 10 YEAR PROGRAM FOR THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT, UM, OVER THE EDWARDS AQUIFER.
WOULD THIS ALSO BE A TOOL WE COULD USE IF WE, IF WE DECIDED TO, UH, PLACE ADDITIONAL EASEMENT, UM, PURCHASES ON, UH, A BOND PROGRAM? COULD THIS ALSO BE USED FOR THAT? YEAH.
UH, MAYOR, MAYOR, THE, YES, GO AHEAD.
BUT, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT I, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT, THAT AT THAT POINT ON
[00:25:01]
THAT ISSUE, WE REACHED A, A, A RESOLUTION AND A PLAN TO DEAL WITH THAT GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS, RIGHT? THAT IS STILL, UH, UH, A VERY GOOD OPTION THAT WE INTEND TO PURSUE.AND WE'VE MADE COMMITMENTS, UH, BUT AT SOME POINT DOWN THE ROAD, THE COUNCIL COULD HAVE, UM, UH, THE FLEXIBILITY IF IT MEETS THE, UH, THE PUBLIC PURPOSE, UH, LANGUAGE THAT ANDY SHARED WITH YOU.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO, SO LET ME JUST WRAP UP BY, BY THANKING EVERYONE, UM, WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS CONVERSATION FOR, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, IN 2017, WE, WE FORMULATED THE, UH, HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE, AND THEY GOT TO WORK.
UM, THE COUNCIL RATIFIED THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK IN 2018.
UM, THE SECOND, UH, PRIORITY POLICY ON THAT HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK THAT WE RATIFIED WAS THE CHANGE THAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING ANDY, UH, IN, UH, IN ALLOWING THE FLEXIBILITY FOR HOUSING, UH, AS A BOND PROGRAM.
SO, I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE HERE.
SAN ANTONIO REMAINS AMONG THE FASTEST GROWING CITIES IN THE NATION.
WE WILL, UH, AND WE MUST BE READY AS ANOTHER MILLION PEOPLE OR MORE ARRIVE OVER THE NEXT TWO DECADES.
UM, THE CHARTER AMENDMENT WILL GIVE THE CITY AN IMPORTANT NEW TOOL BY ENABLING FUTURE BOND PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE HOUSING AND OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
CURRENTLY, THAT USE OF BOND FUNDS IS LIMITED TO CONSTRUCTING PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS.
AND YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN HOW THAT'S LIMITED OUR OPTIONS, UH, AS A COMMUNITY.
SAN ANTONIO, AS A REMINDER, IS THE ONLY MAJOR TEXAS CITY THAT IS OPERATING WITH THIS LIMITATION.
SO PROVIDING HOUSING FLEXIBILITY WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD FOR OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I APPRECIATE THE, THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE TO, TO BRING IT TO COUNCIL AND ALSO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ'S, UH, EFFORTS AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL TO, TO MOVE IT TO THIS DISCUSSION TODAY.
SO LET ME, UH, TURN IT NOW TO THE CHAIR OF OUR PLANNING AND LAND USE COMMITTEE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GONZALEZ.
AND, UH, SO YOU REMINDED ME OF, UM, WHY WE, WHY WE TRIED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE.
SO I, I, I DO RECALL, I, I FEEL LIKE IT WAS WITH MAYOR TAYLOR WHEN WE INITIALLY STARTED HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, AND, AND WE, AND IT, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT PREVENTED US FROM, FROM BEING ABLE TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
AND I WAS LOOKING FOR IT HERE AND TRYING TO LISTEN.
UM, AND I DON'T RECALL, AND I FEEL LIKE IT WAS CARLOS THAT WAS GIVING THAT PRESENTATION, OR MAYBE IT WAS ED, UM, GOSMAN.
CAN, CAN YOU JUST REMIND ME HOW COME WE, WE DIDN'T ADVANCE AT THE LAST TIME, COUNCILWOMAN, I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE, AND, AND CARLOS CAN JUMP IN, I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CALENDAR DOESN'T LINE UP LIKE IT DOES RIGHT NOW.
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A CHANGE THAT, THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD'VE HAD TO PUT ON THE BALLOT.
THE VOTERS HAD TO APPROVE IT, AND THEN IT COULD GO INTO EFFECT.
AND, AND WE DIDN'T, UH, WHEN WE WERE AT THAT POINT IN 2017, WE WERE, WE WERE PAST THE ELECTION POINT.
OKAY, MR. WALSH, THIS IS CLAY BENFORD.
THE, IF YOU REMEMBER THE, THE ELECTION LAW WAS CHANGED IN 2017 TO MOVE THE ELECTION DAY FROM THE SECOND SATURDAY TO THE FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH OF MAY.
AND THE CONSTITUTION PROHIBITED THE TWO, THE CON THE CHARTER FROM BEING, UM, AMENDED EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND THE PRIOR ONE WOULD'VE, UH, RUN AFOUL OF THAT BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE OF ELECTION.
YEAH, IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT WAS LIKE A COUPLE OF DAYS, RIGHT, THAT WE WERE OFF, UH, FROM TRYING TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT THE LAST TIME.
AND SO THEN WE WENT WITH, UH, ANOTHER OPTION WHICH WAS PROVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, UH, I KNOW I HAVE A WONDERFUL PROJECT IN MY DISTRICT AS A RESULT OF THIS, UH, OF THE BOND.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE THAT WE CAN DO MORE OF THAT, UM, IN THE FUTURE JUST GIVEN, UM, THE POTENTIAL FOR REHAB.
UH, AND CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE, UH, ANDY, ABOUT, UM, THE CHANGES SO WE CAN DO REHAB LAND, CAN'T WE CURRENTLY DO LAND BANKING? BECAUSE I'LL LET
I'LL LET, UH, LET, WE CAN GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE, UH, JOHN, AND ACTUALLY I'LL, I'LL LET VERO TALK TO, UH, THE ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY COUNCILWOMAN THAT, UH, THE HOUSING TEAM WOULD HAVE VERO, IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING OVER THAT.
UM, SO WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY UNDER THE URBAN RENEWAL PLAN TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY, BUT WE CAN'T HOLD ONTO IT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND SO, UM, WE GO AND ACQUIRE, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO DO, UM, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS.
SO WE COULDN'T LAND BANK IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE BECAUSE WE ACQUIRED THE LAND.
AND VERY QUICKLY WE HAVE TO, UH, R S Q IT
[00:30:01]
SO THAT WE CAN SELL IT FOR THE, THE PURPOSE, UM, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WE CAN'T HOLD ONTO IT FOR A LONGER TIME.UM, AND THOSE TRANSACTIONS, EVEN THOUGH IT, IT IS QUICK, IT STILL TAKES US, UM, SIX MONTHS FOR YEAR.
SO WE HOLD THE LAND, BUT NO MORE THAN A YEAR, TYPICALLY, BECAUSE WE WANNA GET IT DEVELOPED.
SO THESE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT, UM, THAT THIS CHANGE AND THE CHARTER LANGUAGE ALLOWS US ARE THINGS WE CANNOT DO.
UM, WE CURRENTLY CAN'T DO THE GAP FINANCING BECAUSE, AS SANDY MENTIONED, WE CAN ONLY DO PROJECT READINESS.
SO THINK OF, UH, YOU KNOW, ABATEMENT OF A SITE, IF THERE'S ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, THINK OF UTILITIES TO A SITE.
BUT AS SOON AS WE START GOING UP, AS SOON AS WE START WITH ANYTHING COMING OUT OF THE GROUND, LIKE THE PICTURE YOU SEE THERE, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
UM, AND SOMETIMES TO GET AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU NEED TO DO MORE, UM, TO DO THAT GAP, UM, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO JUST DO SITE READINESS SOMETIMES, UM, BECAUSE THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION ITSELF IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO KEEP THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF AFFORDABLE.
THE OTHER THING IS WE HAVE, UH, STRUGGLED WITH THE, UH, HOME OWNERSHIP.
UM, THE 30 YEAR COVENANT THAT'S IN THE CURRENT URBAN RENEWAL PLAN HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO DO.
IT, IT, IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD HOPED TO DO.
AND SO TO TRY AND HAVE MORE HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, UM, IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE JUST FOUND TOO DIFFICULT, UM, WHERE REPEATED, BUT NO ONE, UM, TOOK US UP ON IT.
UM, WE HAD INTEREST, BUT THEY JUST FOUND IT TOO DIFFICULT.
THEY WASN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO COME TO FRUITION.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WOULD REALLY BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL, BECAUSE WE KNOW HOME OWNERSHIP FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, UH, AND GETTING MORE DIFFICULT, UH, AS WELL.
AND THEN THE OTHER PART OF THIS, UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CURRENT HOMEOWNERS WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN REHABBING THEIR HOUSES, PRESERVING THEIR HOMES, PRESERVING THOSE FAMILIES WHERE THEY ARE.
AND THE ONLY FUNDING SOURCE RIGHT NOW IS REALLY OUR HUD GRANTS.
UM, AND SO HAVING ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT COULD BE UTILIZED FOR THOSE PURPOSES, BUILDING THE CONTRACTOR BASE OR THE NONPROFITS THAT COULD DO IT, WOULD ALSO HELP, UM, PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND, AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT NEW THINGS WE COULD DO IF WE HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY THAN CURRENTLY.
UH, THANK YOU VEL, FOR, UM, JUST SORT OF EXPANDING ON SOME OF THOSE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING UP, YOU KNOW, VERY OFTEN, I KNOW AT LEAST IN MY COMMUNITY, UM, THAT GAP FINANCING HAS BEEN SO CRITICAL, UH, BECAUSE OF, UM, REALLY WANTING TO DO THE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WANTING TO DO MORE, UH, LIKE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE KIND OF HOUSING WE CAN DO WITH THIS BOND.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, STILL TO BE DETERMINED AS, UM, TIME GOES BY ABOUT HOW WE WANNA INVEST THIS.
AND I AM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UH, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES PROBABLY KNOW OVER THE YEARS I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PUT ASIDE, UM, AND REQUESTING, UM, UH, FUNDING EVERY BUDGET YEAR TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF INTERNAL PLANNING, UM, AND, UH, FOR MY DISTRICT IN PREPARATION FOR THE BOND.
AND IF WE COULD ADD THIS ADDITIONAL LAYER, UH, TO THAT PLANNING, WE COULD REALLY, UM, INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE COULD DO HOUSING, WE CAN DO DRAINAGE, WE CAN DO STREET MAINTENANCE, WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK THIS, THIS HAS BEEN REALLY THE MISSING COMPONENT THAT WE'VE NEEDED TO REALLY ROUND OUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AS WE'VE BEEN PRIORITIZING AN EQUITY BUDGET, UH, AND WE'VE BEEN, UM, PRIORITIZING MORE INVESTMENT IN, IN AREAS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN IN DECLINE.
SO I, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I HOPE THAT, UH, MY COLLEAGUES WILL AGREE THAT THIS IS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WHILE NOT NEW, IT'S URGENT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET STRAIGHT TO WORK ON THESE PROJECTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SISON HAS BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT OF MY MIND, AND I THINK IF WE HAD SIGNIFICANT GAP FINANCING, WE REALLY COULD GET A PROJECT LIKE THAT DONE.
UH, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MOVE ON THAT PROJECT IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF THE HUGE AMOUNT OF GAP, UH, NEEDED, UH, TO MAKE THAT PROJECT HAPPEN.
UM, SO ANYWAY, I'M REALLY EXCITED.
I I, WE HAVEN'T HEARD THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I ASKED THIS TO GO TO MY COMMITTEE SO THAT MY COLLEAGUES COULD MAKE FUTURE PLANS, UH, FOR THE BOND.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THIS DOESN'T TIE US TO ANY NUMBER.
UM, I KNOW THAT THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE SMALLER BONDS WE'VE SEEN LATELY, AND I THINK THE LAST TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, I ASKED THIS QUESTION, I DUNNO, MAYBE I'LL GO AHEAD AND ASK IT, ERIC, DO WE KNOW WHAT OUR BOND IS LIKE LOOKING LIKE? IS IT, IS IT STILL IN THE SEVEN $50 MILLION RANGE? OR ARE WE, UM, YEAH, WE,
[00:35:01]
UH, REMEMBER THE PART OF THE DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WE PRESENTED THE COUNCIL IN IN AUGUST, WE ARE, WE WERE PROJECTING THAT, UH, AMOUNT TO BE LOWER.IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW, UH, PROPERTY VALUES CAME BECAUSE WE WERE EXPECTING THERE TO BE, UM, UM, UH, A DECREASE OR FLATTENING OF VALUES.
UM, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT ON WHAT HAPPENED WITH VALUES, UH, HERE, UH, EARLIER, UH, LAST MONTH ON JANUARY 1ST, THE FIRST WE'LL SEE A SNEAK PEEK OF THAT, UH, PROBABLY TOWARDS THE, UH, END OF MAY, UH, TIMEFRAME.
THE BALANCE OF THAT IS, IS THAT I THINK WE'VE ALL SEEN, THERE'S, THERE'S, UM, STRONG RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES THAT CONTINUED.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT IMPACT THERE'S BEEN ON COMMERCIAL 'CAUSE THERE'S STILL SOME BUSINESSES THAT ARE, THAT ARE IMPACTED.
WELL, I, I KNOW THAT'S STILL TO BE DETERMINED.
AND OF COURSE, THIS, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T, UM, LIKE, DOESN'T, UH, TIE US TO ANY OF THOSE DECISIONS.
UM, IT JUST GIVES US ANOTHER THING THAT WE CAN LAYER, UH, ONTO OUR BOND PROGRAM.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO DO A PARK IMPROVEMENT AND A LIBRARY IMPROVEMENT AND STREET MAINTENANCE, AND NOW WE CAN DO HOUSING ON TOP OF IT, AND YOU CAN REALLY BUILD A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY, UM, UH, IF WE GET, UH, THIS LANGUAGE FIXED.
I HOPE THAT, UM, THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL SUPPORT IT AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, TO PUTTING THIS ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
AND, UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF TIME, UM, TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WHERE, UM, THAT INVESTMENT GOES.
UH, I'M SORRY, I WON'T BE HERE TO, UM, TO, TO TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT WITH YOU ALL, BUT I AM TRYING TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK, UH, FOR SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES IN MY DISTRICT, UM, AFTER I'M GONE.
SO THANK YOU, UM, UH, MAYOR, AND, UM, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.
AND, AND ONE THING I FORGOT TO ADD, AND YOU WILL BE HERE FOR THIS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, ERIC, THE NEXT STEP, UH, IN TERMS OF THE BOND TIMELINE IS TO HAVE A COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE IT FOR NEXT MONTH TO TALK HIGH LEVEL, UH, ABOUT, UH, OUR PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF, UM, ALLOCATION OF, OF, UM, THE BOND PROGRAM ITSELF AND THE DIFFERENT PROPOSITIONS WE MIGHT LOOK AT, UH, TO BE NOT JUST COMPLETING PROJECTS, BUT TO MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD STRATEGICALLY.
THAT'S ON, UH, THAT'S SCHEDULED RIGHT NOW FOR MARCH 18TH, AND THAT'LL BE WHERE WE GO.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THE, THE TIMELINE THAT ANDY SHARED WITH YOU GOING INTO A LITTLE BIT.
WE'LL GO INTO A LOT MORE DETAIL.
UM, I KNOW MANY OFFICES HAVE ALREADY BEGUN WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS HAVE ALREADY STARTED THAT, THAT WORK AS WELL.
UM, AND I, I FRANKLY, UH, ENVISION, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SET MAYBE SOME BROAD PRIORITIES, UH, IN AREAS AS A GROUP SO THAT, UH, IT GUIDES US AS WE GO THROUGH.
THERE WILL BE MULTIPLE TOUCH POINTS FOR THE BOND PROGRAM.
UM, BUT, UH, THE 18TH OF MARCH WILL BE THE FIRST ONE.
THANK YOU ANDY VERO, ERIC, FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
I AM CERTAINLY IN SUPPORT OF EXPANDING THE HOUSING TOOLKITS THAT WE HAVE FOR, FOR SAN ANTONIO.
I SERVED ON THE, WHAT WE CALLED THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT BOND COMMITTEE IN 20, UH, 16.
AND, UH, I, IT WAS ACTUALLY A HOUSING BOND
UH, SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE, WITH THE LIMITATIONS AND SOME OF THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
UM, AND I, I KNOW THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THE TREMENDOUS LIMITATIONS.
SO I I FULLY SUPPORT US, UH, EXPLORING THIS.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE PEOPLE MOVING TO SAN ANTONIO, UM, IN GENERAL, THEY, THEY COME FROM, UH, PLACES WITH A HIGHER COST OF LIVING.
WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVE HERE FROM THE WEST COAST OR EVEN FROM AUSTIN.
I'M TREMENDOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE NOW AND WHOSE FAMILIES HAVE LIVED HERE FOR GENERATIONS WHO ARE BEING PRICED OUT OF THEIR HOMES BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF, OF TRANSACTIONS, UH, GOING ON WITH, WITH PROPERTIES.
UM, SO I, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, I WANNA HAVE SOME ASSURANCES THAT THE PEOPLE WHO MOST NEED IT AT THE 30% OR 50%, UH, ANNUAL ME, UH, AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME ARE THE ONES WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN DO THAT IS BY PRESERVING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK THAT WE HAVE.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THIS CAN BE USED FOR THAT.
I I ALSO SEE NOW THAT THE CURRENT BOND LANGUAGE CAN, CAN BE USED FOR THAT.
HOWEVER, UH, RECENTLY I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO PRESERVATION PRODUCT PROJECTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE MOST RECENT R F P.
[00:40:01]
AND I BELIEVE WE NEED TO, UH, PERHAPS DO SOME WORK ON OUR PART TO SEE HOW WE CAN GET, UH, THOSE, UH, PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE.UM, DO WE HAVE A PLAN OR AN ASSESSMENT EVEN OF WHAT KIND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK IS OUT THERE? UH, ACTUALLY LET ME BACK UP.
HOW CAN WE CHANGE THAT? IF THIS PASSES, WHAT WILL BE DIFFERENT? SO THAT WE DO GET PRESERVATION PROJECTS IN FOR AN R F P, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, THIS IS LORI HOUSTON, I'M GONNA ADDRESS, AND THEN I'LL TURN TO VERONICA SOTO.
WE DO HAVE ONE PRESERVATION PROJECT IN THIS LAST ROUND OF GAP FUNDING, AND SO YOU'LL BE SEEING IT IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
UM, WE DO PRIORITIZE PRESERVATION PROJECTS IN OUR CURRENT, UM, SOLICITATIONS SO THEY GET HIGHER POINTS IF IT IS A PRESERVATION PROJECT, BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO TO MARKET TO MAKE SURE THAT EXISTING PROJECTS KNOW ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UM, VERO, DID YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING TO THAT? YES, WELL, BUILDING ON THAT, SO, SO FIRST MARKETING, UM, THE SOLICITATIONS WHEN WE DO THEM TO THOSE SMALLER, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS, BECAUSE THEY TEND TO BE SMALLER, UM, LANDHOLDERS, IF YOU WILL.
AND ONE ADDITIONAL THING WE COULD DO, WE COULD DO A SOLICITATION SOLELY FOR PRESERVATION SO THAT, UH, PRESERVATION, UM, KIND OF PROJECT WOULDN'T HAVE TO COMPETE WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO HAVING, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST DO PRESERVATION TO MARKET THAT AND TO ONLY SOLICIT FOR THAT IS ONE OTHER THING WE COULD DO.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE THE, THE KIND OF THINGS WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED TO US ABOUT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT THE HOUSING BOND IS YET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON THAT.
BECAUSE I, I, I WORRY THAT, UH, WE INVEST, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S GAP MONEY FROM HUD OR OUR TAXPAYER FUNDED BOND DOLLARS INTO NEW UNITS, AND AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE LOSING CURRENTLY AFFORDABLE UNITS.
WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST BLEEDING THEM RIGHT NOW.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE WOULD HAVE DONE MORE IF WE HAD INVESTED IN MAINTAINING THEM.
WE COULD HAVE HAD A NET, YOU KNOW, MORE UNITS.
AND I, I FEEL LIKE WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO I, I'M JUST VERY HESITANT ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING NEW UNITS WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A GRIP ON OUR CURRENT, UH, HOUSING STOCK.
I DON'T, I DON'T FEEL THAT WE DO.
LET ME ASK A, A FEW MORE, UH, QUESTIONS.
UM, WHO WOULD, IF WE ISSUE, UH, A BOND, UH, LIKE THIS, WHO WOULD OWN THE PROPERTIES IF THEY'RE NEW OR IF THEY ARE, UM, REHABBED? WELL, CURRENTLY, WE, UM, CURRENTLY THE WAY IT'S, THE CITY HAS TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AND DO A SOLICITATION.
THIS FLEX, THIS CHANGE WOULD ALLOW US MORE FLEXIBILITY.
WE CAN PROVIDE GAP FINANCING TO PROPERTIES THAT AREN'T OWNED BY THE CITY.
AND SO, SO THIS MONEY, OKAY, GO AHEAD.
SO, SORRY, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA TRY TO GO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO THIS MONEY COULD GO TO THE GAP, FINANCING COULD GO TO, UM, NON-PROFIT DEVELOPERS, IT COULD GO TO PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, IT COULD GO TO SAHA.
IS THAT RIGHT? N NO, IT CANNOT GO TO SAHA FOR GAP FUNDING.
WHAT WE CAN, AND THAT IS, AND I'LL, I'LL TURN THAT OVER TO ANDY TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN WORK WITH SAHA ON COSTS NOT RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OR REHAB OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LIKE STREETS AND OTHER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER CHARTER PROVISION THAT PREVENTS US FROM GIVING THE SPENDING TO SAHA FOR THOSE PROPERTIES.
AND ANDY, I'LL ASK YOU TO ADDRESS THAT.
THE, THE, UH, PROVISION THAT WE'RE CHANGING, COUNCILMAN, THERE'S OTHER PROVISIONS AND, UH, OTHER STATUTES THAT, UM, APPLY TO OUR WORK WITH SAHA THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS LANGUAGE WOULDN'T IMPACT.
UM, SO, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT, IT, NO, IT WOULDN'T DIRECTLY IMPACT WHAT WE CURRENTLY, UH, CAN DO WITH SAHA.
UM, AND THEN MY, I I DON'T THINK IT'S A SURPRISE TO ANYBODY TO, TO BE REMINDED THAT THE CITY AND SOME OF OUR, UH, INSTITUTIONS HAVE RECEIVED SOME CRITICISM ABOUT HOW MUCH OF OUR HAS BEEN IN 80% A M I AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE CONTINUING GAPS WE HAVE IN, IN 30%.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING THIS ON THE BALLOT, THAT WE GET SOME, UH, BUY-IN AND MAYBE BUILD SOME TRUST ABOUT REALLY HOW WE PLAN TO USE THIS, THIS MONEY, THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TO US, I UNDERSTAND IT'S APPROVED BY THE AG, IT WORKS IN OTHER CHARTER, UH, IN OTHER CITIES.
UH, WE, WE ARE OF COURSE OUR, OUR OWN
[00:45:01]
CITY.AND, AND TO ME, THE LANGUAGE IS FRIGHTENINGLY BROAD AND, UH, I'M ON THE COUNCIL TODAY, UH, GOD WILLING, I'LL BE HERE TO, TO VOTE FOR THE NEXT BOND, UH, BOND, UH, ISSUANCE OR SORRY, BOND, UM, ISSUE.
BUT I WON'T BE HERE 10 YEARS FROM NOW AND NEITHER WILL ANYBODY ELSE WHO'S, WHO'S ON THIS.
SO I, I THINK WE JUST WANNA BE CAREFUL ABOUT POSSIBLY OPENING A PANDORA'S BOX AND, UH, BEING VERY CAREFUL THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT WE HAVE THE TRUST OF THE, OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING, UM, THIS ISSUE.
UH, NOW I HAVE A, A QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE COMMISSION E ERIC STATED THAT THE, THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION WAS NOT ABLE TO FILE A REPORT ON THE MATTER.
COULD YOU TELL ME WHY THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN? THEY WEREN'T, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO 'CAUSE AT, AT THE TIME THAT, UH, THE TIMELINE FOR PUTTING THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE CHARTER, UM, UNEXPECTEDLY, WE HAD, UH, IF YOU REMEMBER, UH, THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION PUT CHANGES TO THE CHARTER, AND, AND THEY, THEY, THEY PUT THOSE CHANGES, UH, ON THE, UH, BALLOT BY PETITION, IF YOU REMEMBER.
AND SO THE, THE COMMISSION NEVER GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH THEIR WORK.
UH, ONCE THAT, UH, THOSE PROVISIONS WERE PUT ON THE, ON THE BALLOT FOR CHANGING THE CITY CHARTER.
COUNCIL WILMAN, I WANT THOSE SEVEN SECONDS BACK, BUT HOW DID THAT PRECLUDE THEM FROM MEETING AGAIN BETWEEN SEPTEMBER OF 2018 AND TODAY TO ISSUE A REPORT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN A A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE IS REMEMBER, WE, BECAUSE, UH, TWO OF THE THREE, UH, UH, FIREFIGHTER, UH, PETITION, UH, WERE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS, UH, THAT MEANS THE EARLIEST WE COULD HAVE CHANGED, IT WOULD BE THIS MAY.
UH, AND FRANKLY, UH, WE, THEY HAVEN'T MET AGAIN.
BE, UH, MY SENSE IS, UH, BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE PAST YEAR, UH, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, PAN THE PANDEMIC AND THE RECOVERY RESILIENCY FOR THAT.
UH, AND AS I SAID BEFORE, IT'S A VERY LONG PROCESS AS IT SHOULD BE FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION TO GET TOGETHER TO REVIEW ALL THE CHANGES.
MY SENSE IS THAT, UM, WE, WE PROBABLY WILL, UH, LOOK AT GETTING THAT IN GEAR FOR THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO SAY, CHANGE THE CITY CHARTER, WHICH WOULD BE IN TWO YEARS IF WE PUT THIS CHANGE ON THE BALLOT.
IS ANYONE FROM THE CHARTER COMMISSION PRESENT ON TODAY'S CALL TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS? NO, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, AND SO IF WE APPROVE THIS TO GO ONTO THE BALLOT AND IT IS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS, WHEN IS THE NEXT TIME WE CAN AMEND THE CHARTER? THE NEXT TIME YOU COULD AMEND THE CHARTER WOULD BE MAY 6TH, 2023.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, MAY 6TH, 2023.
UH, ANDY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE INVOLVED, BUT CAN YOU REMIND ME, OR CAN YOU REMIND US ALL, WHAT OTHER ISSUES WERE UNDER CONSIDERATION BY THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION? WE, THERE WERE CHANGES.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, COUNCILMAN, THERE WERE A WHOLE ARRAY OF 'EM.
THERE WERE CHANGES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, THERE WAS LOOK, UH, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT LOOKING AT, UH, UH, INDEPENDENT, UH, ETHICS REVIEW BOARD.
UH, AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, BUT THERE WERE OTHER MINOR CHANGES TOO, THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, WHICH WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED UNTIL 2023 THEN, IF THIS MOVES FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, AND I WANNA THANK MY FELLOW COUNCILWOMAN FOR SOME OF THE POINTS SHE JUST MADE, BECAUSE I SHARE MANY OF HER CONCERNS ABOUT HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT WORDING THIS PROJECT GOING FORWARD.
LET ME ASK ANDY, WHAT CANNOT BE FUNDED UNDER THIS NEW PROPOSAL OTHER THAN GIVING MONEY TO SAHA? WHAT CAN'T BE FUNDED COUNCILMAN IS ANY PROJECT THAT DON'T, AREN'T DEEMED TO HAVE A PUBLIC PURPOSE.
AND THERE'S LOTS OF CASE LAW AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT PROJECTS THOSE MAY BE.
AND, AND THOSE WOULD BE FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE THAT PREDOMINANTLY, UH, WOULD FAVOR REALLY A PRIVATE INTEREST, AND IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE WHAT PRIVATE GAIN WOULD COME OUT OF THOSE PROJECTS.
UH, THERE'S ALSO, UH, THE, THE PARAMETERS THAT ARE SET OUT BY OUR FINANCE, UM, UH, REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF THEM BEING CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND BEN CAN TALK MORE TO THOSE.
UH, BUT IT, IT, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S FLEXIBILITY THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT OTHER TEXAS CITIES HAVE, BUT
[00:50:01]
THERE'S STILL CONSTRAINTS UNDER TEXAS LAW, UH, UNDER OUR FINANCE PARAMETERS, UNDER WHAT'S CONSIDERED A PUBLIC PURPOSE THAT, UH, WOULDN'T MAKE THIS A, A COMPLETE, UH, OPEN CHECK, SO TO SPEAK, AS TO WHAT THE CITY COULD DO.BUT IN MOST CASES, IT'S THE COUNCIL THAT DETERMINES WHAT'S A PUBLIC PURPOSE, UNLESS OF COURSE THERE'S A BLATANT PRIVATE INTEREST THAT'S BEING FAVORED, RIGHT? CORRECT.
IT IS ONE WHERE THE COUNCIL, UH, IT'S ALMOST BY DEFINITION IF IT'S, IF IT'S A PRIORITY OF COUNCIL, THAT IT'S USUALLY A, A PUBLIC PURPOSE.
AND SO, THEORETICALLY, IF A FUTURE COUNCIL SAYS THEY WANNA BUILD A BASEBALL STADIUM, UH, THAT'S A PUBLIC PURPOSE, AND WE COULD FUND SOMETHING LIKE THAT THIS WAY.
BUT WITHOUT THIS, WE COULDN'T FUND A BASEBALL STADIUM.
CAN I JUST, I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR CLAY TO CHIME IN HERE A LITTLE BIT.
I, I'VE ONLY GOT SO MUCH TIME.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, OR I WANTED TO, I GUESS, EXPRESS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE OPENING UP A PANDORA'S BOX, SO YEAH.
UH, A BASEBALL FOOTBALL STADIUM COULD COME UP AS, UH, SOMETHING THEY WANNA FUND THROUGH THIS OR OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
BUT MY BASIC POINT IS, I THINK THE WHOLE ISSUE THAT'S COMING FORWARD, UH, REVOLVED AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND LIKE THE COUNCILWOMAN HAS INDICATED, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A PROTECTION THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BE THE PRIMARY USE OF THESE FUNDS.
AND I THINK THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE PART OF THIS DISCUSSION AND PART OF THE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE WE'VE WANTED TO DO AS A CITY.
I DON'T, I CAN'T RECALL ANYTHING THAT WE'VE, WE'VE SAID, WELL, WE CAN'T DO, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE OTHER SOURCES AVAILABLE TO DO THAT, EXCEPT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
NOW, WE DO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER ABILITY IN THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST TO GO AHEAD AND DO, DO THAT, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES, WHICH IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I'M WORKING ON AS A MEMBER OF THAT TRUST.
UH, AND, AND SO PART OF, I GUESS WHAT I'M THINKING IS TYPICALLY IF THE CITY WERE TO, LET'S SAY, FLOW TO BOND FOR $50 MILLION OR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, COULD THAT MONEY THEN BE, UH, PUT UNDER THE SAN ANTONIO TRUST TO GO AHEAD AND USE ITS PROCESS TO AWARD FOR HOUSING CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT? CAN ANYONE ANSWER THAT? AND I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, CLAY BENFORD, YES, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF FLEXIBILITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A POSITIVE BECAUSE THE, THE HUSS, THE, THE HOUSING TRUST THROUGH THE FC AND THE P F C ARE PUTTING IN SOME VERY, VERY STRONG CONTROLS AND, AND EXPECTATIONS GOING FORWARD ON CONTINUING TO PROVIDE, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I, I WANTED TO KIND OF CHECK, UH, ON WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS.
MY, MY BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COULD SQUEEZE OUT THE IMPORTANCE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST THAT COME TO THE CITY WITH GREAT IDEAS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE MIGHT LIKE TO DO.
UH, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY I BROUGHT THESE ISSUES UP.
UH, CONCEPTUALLY, I THINK WE DO NEED TO GIVE OURSELVES MORE FLEXIBILITY, BUT TOO MUCH FLEXIBILITY ALSO, I THINK CAN DISTRACT US FROM THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB I THINK WE HAVE AND, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING IN THE CITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT IN THE TIME I HAD.
UH, UH, I, I DO, I'M EXCITED FOR THE POTENTIAL OF THIS CHARTER CHANGE IN FUTURE HOUSING BONDS, WHAT IT CAN MEAN FOR OUR CITY.
AND THIS IS A KEY TOOL AND WILL HOPEFULLY PUSH US CLOSER TO BECOMING A, A TRUE HOUSING FIRST CITY.
UH, I, I AM CONCERNED AS, AS BOTH MY COLLEAGUES HAVE, HAVE, UH, EXPRESSED, UH, PRIOR TO ME, UH, THE, THE LANGUAGE CAN'T SEEM TOO BROAD TO PUT THE HOUSING ISSUE IN CONTEXT.
THERE COULD BE AS MANY AS 200,000 COST BURDEN HOUSEHOLDS BY 20 30, 70 4% OF WHICH WOULD BE RENTER HOUSEHOLDS.
RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE OVER 107,000 COST BURDEN RENTER FAMILIES, AND NEARLY HALF ARE SPENDING MORE THAN 50% OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING.
BY THE WAY, WE JUST HAD A MEETING AT THE BARE APPRAISAL, UH, DISTRICT YESTERDAY.
[00:55:01]
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL.UH, AND HOUSING STOCK HAS, HAS GONE DOWN FROM THREE MONTHS SUPPLY TO A 1.9 MONTH SUPPLY OF HOUSING THAT'S GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
UNDOUBTEDLY, THE, THE CITY DOES, UH, NEED THE ABILITY TO TAKE ON A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN CONSTRUCTING AFFORDABLE SINGLE AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING WITH GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH A HOUSING CRISIS THAT HAS BEEN EXACERBATED BY THIS PANDEMIC.
BUT THIS HAS TO BE DONE PROPERLY.
IT CANNOT BE A WINDFALL FOR OTHER ENTITIES WHO WILL NOT DELIVER ON THE TAXPAYERS VOTERS RESIDENTS EXPECTATIONS.
ITS BROAD LANGUAGE ALSO CANNOT BE USED AS A BANDAID THAT COVERS OTHER OBLIGATIONS.
WE FAILED TO MEET WITH EXISTING FUNDING LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE OR AQUIFER CONSERVATION EASEMENT PURCHASES.
I WANNA SHARE A STATEMENT FROM ONE OF MY DISTRICT ONE CONSTITUENTS, SOPHIA LOPEZ.
THE HOUSING BOND MUST BE USED TO ACHIEVE PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY AND PIONEER SOCIAL HOUSING IN SAN ANTONIO USING SAHA AND HOUSING TRUST TO DO SO.
SOCIAL HOUSING IS COMMUNITY OWNED HOUSING THAT IS PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE, AND IT CAN TAKE MANY FORMS. CAN THIS EXPECTATION BE ACHIEVED IF OUR CHARTER IS CHANGED? AND THAT'S A QUESTION, THE ANSWER IS THE ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY.
COUNCILMAN, AS WE OUTLINED, PROVIDES, UH, US MANY MORE TOOLS TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT.
BUT COUNCILWOMAN AAND, I'LL ASK YOU A SIMILAR QUESTION, AND YOU SAID THE CURRENT LANGUAGE DOESN'T ALLOW US TO WORK WITH, TO, TO, TO DO THAT.
CAN THE LANGUAGE BE INCLUDED WITHIN THE AMENDMENT TO ALLOW THE USE OF BOND FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR UPKEEP AND MODERNIZATION OF EXISTING PUBLIC HOUSING AND SPECIFICALLY THE REDEVELOPMENT OF SAHA PROPERTIES LIKE ALSAN? THE, THE SHORT ANSWER, COUNCILMAN IS NO, BECAUSE IT, IT, THAT THAT PROVISION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, UH, IS NOT THE ONE THAT GOVERNS THE RESTRICTIONS OF WHAT WE CAN DO WITH SAHA.
SO WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T FORMULATE, UM, SOME LANGUAGE IT WOULD REQUIRE NOT ONLY, UH, CHANGES TO THE CITY CHARTER, BUT CHANGES TO OTHER, UH, PROVISIONS, UH, I THINK IN STATE LAW.
BUT I, I'LL, I'LL GET YOU WHAT SPECIFICALLY WOULD NEED TO BE DONE, COUNCILMAN.
TO, UH, TO EXPAND THAT, UH, ABILITY TO WORK WITH SAHA.
WELL, LET'S LOOK, IF WE CAN GET AN OUTLINE, I THINK THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD HELP HELP US OUT.
UM, SO THE HOUSING TRUST JUST PASSED TENANT PROTECTION POLICY AND THE SOURCE INCOME DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS WILL SOON BE VOTED ON.
CAN THE CITY INSTITUTE THE SAME POLICIES FOR ANY PARTNER DEVELOPER WHO CONSTRUCTS MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING AS PART OF A FUTURE HOUSING BOND? I CAN ADDRESS THAT.
UM, SO THE SOURCE OF INCOME DISCRIMINATION, UM, WE'RE TAKING TO COUNCIL COMMITTEE AND HOPEFULLY TO COUNCIL AFTER THAT, IT WOULD APPLY FOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT RECEIVE CITY INCENTIVES AND THE HOUSING BOND WOULD BE CONSIDERED A CITY INCENTIVE.
SO IT WOULD APPLY, UH, TO THOSE, UM, THAT RECEIVE HOUSING BONDS, UH, FUTURE ITERATION.
IS THERE A LIMIT, UH, ON THE NUMBER OF CHARTER AMENDMENTS THAT CAN GO ON THE MAY, 2021 BALLOT? NO, THERE ISN'T COUNCILMAN.
AND, UM, I KNOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S CHARTER HAS NEARLY IDENTICAL LANGUAGE TO OUR PROPOSED LANGUAGE, AND THEY PROPOSED THREE BOND ISSUES WITH THE TERM, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE 2018 ISSUE FOR PLANNING OR QUOTE FOR PLANNING, CONSTRUCTING, RENOVATING, IMPROVING AND EQUIPPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FACILITIES FOR LOW INCOME AND MODERATE INCOME PERSONS AND FAMILIES.
UH, IF THIS CHANGE IS APPROVED, WOULD, WOULD WE THEN HAVE THE OPTION TO USE SUCH BOND LANGUAGE? I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BA BOND CATEGORIES COUNCILMEN THAT THEY'RE HAVE USED FOR THEIR YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE, UH, RECOMMENDING TRACKS VERY CLOSELY WHAT AUSTIN HAS IN THEIR CHARTER.
I, I JUST WANNA BE CERTAIN, UH, THAT ALTHOUGH OUR CHARTER CANNOT SPECIFICALLY STATE SPECIFIC FOR THE PURPOSES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE, THE BALLOT LANGUAGE CAN ALSO, CAN, UH, CAN, I'M SORRY.
ALSO, CAN FUNDING BE LIMITED TO PEOPLE EARNING BELOW 50% A M I AND RENTS RESTRICTED TO NO MORE THAN 30% OF THE HOUSEHOLD'S INCOME? BUT I, I CAN ADDRESS THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT OF WHAT, WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS YOU WANT TO SEE ON THE PARAMETERS FOR THOSE.
SO IF THERE WERE PROGRAMS, ANY RENTAL PROGRAM, YOU COULD AND SAY, THIS IS LIMITED TO THIS INCOME LEVEL, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, I WOULD HOPE YOU HAVE HOME OWNERSHIP AS WELL, SO THAT THESE DIFFERENT PARAMETERS
[01:00:01]
FOR THAT.BUT YES, YOU, YOU COULD DO THAT AS PART OF THE DETAILED WHAT KIND OF, UH, FUNDING FOR WHAT PROGRAMS AND WHAT LIMITATIONS.
UH, WELL THIS ISSUE WAS FIRST DISCUSSED BY THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IN 2017.
UH, HOW HAVE WE EDUCATED THE PUBLIC AND TAKEN THEIR FEEDBACK OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS? UH, I KNOW THAT THE, THE HOUSING COMMISSION HAS BEEN CHARGED, UH, WITH ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN HOUSING POLICY MAKING.
HAS THE HOUSING COMMISSION PROVIDED ANY FEEDBACK OR SEEN ANY OF THIS? SO LET ME TALK ABOUT THE GROUPS THAT, UM, WORK WITH THE HOUSING BOND.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, SEVERAL COMMITTEES.
WE HAVE THE R S A AND THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT BOND PROGRAM.
THOSE HAVE APPOINTEES, UM, AS WELL.
AND THOSE COMMUNITY, UM, MEMBERS HAVE BEEN APPRAISED.
SO, SO THEY WERE AWARE OF THE, UM, LANGUAGE FROM THE CHARTER COMMISSION WITH REGARDS TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION, WE HAVE NOT TALKED TO 'EM, UH, BROADLY OR IN THIS LEVEL OF DETAIL ABOUT THE CHARTER.
UH, THEY ARE AWARE THAT IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS MENTIONED IN THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE.
SO IT'S, UH, MENTIONED IN THIS DOCUMENT ABOUT $125 MILLION BOND, UM, HOUSING BOND.
THERE'S MENTION OF THE CHARTER LANGUAGE BEING AMENDED.
UM, SO THEY'RE AWARE THAT IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THERE, BUT WE HAVEN'T GONE WITH A SPECIFIC, UM, RECOMMENDATION OR ITEM UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN SETTING THE AGENDA, UH, BUT THEY'RE AWARE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT THE HOUSING COMMISSION, UH, PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK ON, ON, ON AND, AND PROVIDE SOME INPUT ON THIS, UH, FOR US TO ALSO LOOK AT.
UH, SO I, I'LL, UH, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THERE AND CHIME IN IF I HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER VIN, COUNCIL MEMBER ROJA GARCIA.
AND, UH, THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE TEAM FOR WORKING ON THIS.
UM, I, I KNOW THAT ON THAT CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IN 20 18, 2 OF OUR D FOUR RESIDENTS HAVE DONE IT.
I WOULD THINK THEM NOW TRUE GALLOWAY AND GINA JUAREZ, WHO WAS AN ALTERNATE.
AND SO I KNOW THAT THEY WORKED VERY HARD ON THIS BECAUSE I WASN'T THERE.
UM, I PULLED UP A MEMO FROM MARCH 28TH, 2018, AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE PUBLIC FINANCE.
UM, I, AND I WANNA UNDERSTAND HOW THAT HAS CHANGED, BECAUSE WHAT IT SAYS IN THERE IS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHETHER ARTICLE SEVEN SECTION 100 OF THE CHARTER SHOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO BORROW FOR PERMANENT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS FOR ANY OTHER PUBLIC PURPOSE.
THIS WAS PROPOSED ORIGINALLY TO PERMIT ISSUANCE OF DEBT TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT WE'RE BEING PRESENTED TODAY IS SLIGHTLY, UH, DIFFERENT, SLIGHTLY AN IMPROVEMENT.
CAN YOU HELP ME GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND, UH, AND THE PROCESS FOR IMPROVING WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY SET FORTH IN, IN THE MEMO THAT, THAT THE MAYOR SENT OUT? YES, COUNCILWOMAN, AS WE, UH, LOOKED AT WHAT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE WE WERE GONNA PUT, AGAIN, CONCEPTUALLY, IT WAS TO, UH, UH, FOCUS ON GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR HOUSING PROJECTS.
UH, BUT AS WE LOOKED AT THE LANGUAGE, WORKING WITH OUR FINANCE TEAM, WORKING WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE, AND, AND THE CITY STAFF, AND, AND FRANKLY ALSO IN COMPARISON, UH, TO OUR CURRENT LANGUAGE TO OTHER TEXAS CITIES, WHICH AGAIN, TRACK WHAT THE STATE PROVIDES CITIES IN TERMS OF FLEXIBILITY.
UH, WE ENDED UP WHERE THE BEST THING FOR US TO DO IS TO ALIGN OURSELVES WITH OTHER TEXAS CITIES AND ALIGN OURSELVES WITH WHAT, UH, WHAT, UH, THE STATE PROVIDES CITIES IN TERMS OF CAPABILITY TO ISSUE BONDS.
SO THEN WE ENDED UP WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION, NOT BASED ON WHAT THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION HAD NECESSARILY RECOMMENDED AT THE TIME.
IT'S BASED ON, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATION AS WELL.
YEAH, WE, WELL, I, I GUESS THE BETTER WAY TO PHRASE THAT, COUNCILMAN, IS WE LOOKED AT WHAT THE CITY, UH, I'M SORRY, THE, THE, THE, THE CHARTER COMMISSION LOOKED AT BACK THEN.
UH, AND WE TOOK A FRESH LOOK AT IT, GIVEN WHAT'S BEEN DEVELOPING IN OTHER CITIES AND IN, AND IN, UH, IN OUR BOND ACTIVITIES AND STATE LAW.
UH, AND SO WE REFRESHED THAT AND CAME UP WITH THE LANGUAGES BEFORE YOU NOW.
SO, UM, AND, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST TRYING TO, TO, UM, ASK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MY, MY CAMERA WAS OFF FOR A WHILE THERE, SO I'M SORRY, ANDY.
BUT, UH, SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT STAKEHOLDERS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THIS LAST GO ROUND OF REVISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT WEREN'T CITY RE RELATED OR CITY EMPLOYEES.
SO REMIND ME WHO YOU SAID WE HAD, UM, INCORPORATED FEEDBACK FROM.
UH, SO I'LL MENTION SOME OF THEM.
[01:05:01]
YOU KNOW, ALL THE FOLKS INVOLVED WITH THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE, UM, GOT FEEDBACK AND INPUT.THERE WERE OVER 120, UH, MEMBERS OF WORKING GROUPS.
THERE WAS SOME PARTICULAR COMMITTEE THAT WAS CHARGED WITH, UM, INCREASING INVESTMENT IN HOUSING.
SO THE CONVERSATION WAS BACK THEN IN 20 17, 20 18, UM, WE HAVE THE R S A BOARD, WHICH IS HELPING US TO IMPLEMENT THE CURRENT BOND PROGRAM.
SO THEY GOT BRIEFINGS, UM, WHEN, UM, THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE WAS MEETING AS WELL, SO THEY GOT INPUT.
UH, BACK THEN WE HAD ALSO BRIEFED THE HOUSING COMMISSION EVEN BEFORE WE, WE CONSTITUTED IT, UM, AS WELL.
SO WE HAD SOME REASONS A WHILE BACK WITH THEM.
UM, AND THEN THERE IS A NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT ON PROGRAM, UH, WHERE YOU ALL APPOINT, UM, MEMBERS TO THAT, UM, OVER 20 MEMBERS BODY.
AND SO THEY ALSO, UH, WERE AWARE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF THE CHARTER LANGUAGE.
WERE AWARE OF THE, UM, CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE LANGUAGE AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
UM, BESIDES THAT, UM, THERE ARE OTHER GROUPS THAT WE HAVE VISITED IT, UH, VISITED WITH THAT.
UM, T L B C WAS AN OPPORTUNITY, SO THERE'S BEEN QUITE A FEW INQUIRIES SINCE THEN WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS, UH, ASKING ABOUT THE TIMELINE AND WHAT'S PROPOSED, BECAUSE WE COULD PRESENT THAT TO P L B C.
UM, ALL THE PRESENTATIONS GIVEN TO P L B C ARE SHARED, OF COURSE, WITH THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
SO THEY'RE AWARE OF, UM, THE TIMELINE BEING PROPOSED AND, AND WHAT, UM, WHAT'S GONNA COME TO COUNCIL, UH, IN FEBRUARY.
SO, STAKEHOLDERS, COPS, METRO, UM, THE SARAH, UM, HOMELESS GROUP, UM, AMONG OTHERS HAVE GOTTEN BRIEF.
IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT THIS ALL HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, LITTLE, UM, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY.
IT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR, I WOULD SAY, UH, IN 2020 WE'VE DONE THAT.
UM, BUT SINCE THE P L D C, WE, WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF INQUIRIES.
UM, AND, AND SO A LOT OF INFORMATION HAS BEEN SHARED, BUT NOT FORMAL PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS ONE.
AND, AND I GUESS THAT, THAT MAYBE IS WHERE I WAS GOING WITH, WITH MY CONCERN.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UH, WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO, TO CERTAIN GROUPS OR EVEN TECHNOLOGY RIGHT, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH TIME STILL SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE TO, TO INCORPORATE RIGHT.
UM, ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT, THAT YOU SHOWED EARLIER, ANDY, UM, AND I DIDN'T HAVE IT IN MY DRAFT PRESENTATION THAT WAS SENT OUT ON MONDAY, SO IT WAS A, A, A NEW SLIDE, AND I, I TRIED TO GLANCE AT IT.
UM, BUT FOR INSTANCE, DALLAS HAS ALLOCATED ON, ON SLIDE SEVEN $20 MILLION, AND IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS HOMELESS.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANT.
LIKE, WAS IT FOR HOMELESS SERVICES? IS IT SPECIFICALLY FOR HOUSING FOR HOMELESS FOLKS? UH, SO I, AGAIN, I DIDN'T HAVE THAT SLIDER, I WOULD'VE ASKED EARLIER, BUT MAYBE IF SOMEBODY CAN HELP ME, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER, WHAT THAT MEANT, I I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND THEN ALSO WE CAN PROVIDE THAT COUNCILWOMAN.
AND THEN ALSO, CAN WE DESIGNATE, OR WOULD WE BE ABLE EVENTUALLY TO DESIGNATE MAYBE SOME PERCENTAGES AS TO HOW MUCH OF, OF A BOND OR, OR YOU KNOW, A ANY OF THIS WOULD BE ABLE TO BE DESIGNATED SPECIFICALLY TOWARDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
'CAUSE I, I, I, AND I THINK IT'LL, UH, HOPEFULLY THE ANSWER WILL ADDRESS A LOT OF THE CONCERNS SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS RAISED.
AGAIN, THE, THE, THE CHARTER CHANGE PROVIDES ADDED FLEXIBILITY, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, IT DOESN'T IN ANY WAY IMPACT THE, UH, ABILITY OF THE COUNCIL TO REVIEW INPUT FOR THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY TO REVIEW IN INPUT, UH, BOND PROJECTS AS THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPED, AS THEY'RE BEING PROPOSED, AS THEY'RE BEING PUT BEFORE COUNCIL.
UH, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I MEAN, AGAIN, THIS PROVIDES THE ADDED FLEXIBILITY.
UH, THE COUNCIL CAN STILL WORK IN TERMS OF WHAT, UH, SPECIFIC, UH, UH, BOND CATEGORIES WE HAVE, WHAT PROJECTS WE HAVE, WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE AROUND THOSE, SO THAT THAT ALL IS STILL IN PLACE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
AND, AND EVERYONE THAT IS A PART OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, SANDOVAL, I WANNA START KIND OF WHERE SHE LEFT OFF WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT THE LOSS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT FOR TWO SPECIFIC REASONS.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IN DISTRICT TWO, WE HAVE TWO OF OUR LOWEST
[01:10:01]
AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNIT BEING LOST.UM, THEY'VE ASKED THE RESIDENTS TO LEAVE IN THE MIDST OF THIS PANDEMIC THAT IS THE PLACE IN COMMERCE, WHICH USED TO BE SECOND BAPTIST OR NEW LIGHT VILLAGE, AND THEN THE PALM, WHICH IS, UH, THE ALL SECOND BAPTIST, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR THIS TO BE A TOOL TO ADDRESS THAT.
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS OUR PARTNERSHIPS, UM, AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS PARTNERS THAT WILL NOT DISPLACE THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO HELP.
SO AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AMENDMENT, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE PARTNERS WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH AS WE GO FORWARD WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ARE NOT GONNA CONTINUE TO DISPLACE THE MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
UM, COUNCILMAN, THIS IS LORI HOUSTON.
WE CAN ADDRESS THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CURRENTLY DO THAT ALREADY WITH THE EXISTING BOND.
ONCE WE IDENTIFY A HOUSING PARTNER THAT'S GOING TO BE RECEIVING ASSISTANCE, IT'S IN THEIR CONTRACT THAT THEY CANNOT DISPLACE AND THEY MUST FOLLOW CERTAIN RULES.
WE DO THAT WITH OUR CURRENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AND OTHER PROGRAMS. SO THAT WAS, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATE OUR PARTNER TO, TO BE MINDFUL OF ONCE WE SELECT THEM FOR A PROJECT.
UM, IT WOULDN'T BE ADDRESSED IN THE CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT IT WOULD BE ADDRESSED AFTER WE IDENTIFY THE, THE PARTNERS.
I, I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW WE ARE, ARE GOING TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THAT AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THIS GOING FORWARD, UM, IS THIS GONNA BE ONLY FOR NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OR IS THIS GONNA BE TO HELP, UM, LEVERAGE THE BUSINESSES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES? COUNCIL MEMBER, THIS IS SCOTT
UM, UH, THE, THE EXAMPLES THAT OF THE WAY OTHERS COMMUNITIES HAVE USED IT, OTHER CITIES HAVE USED IT ARE, AS YOU DESCRIBED, UH, TRYING TO REVITALIZE CERTAIN AREAS THAT ARE, THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM EITHER CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS OR BLIGHT OR, UH, DISINVESTMENT, UH, AND CAN BE UTILIZED AS A WAY TO, TO REDEVELOP THOSE AREAS TO ALLOW TO FOSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO THE COUNCIL AND THE PROJECTS CAN BE DETERMINED, BUT HOW, HOW THEY'RE GONNA BE UTILIZED.
BUT THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE TO TRY TO ADDRESS FLIGHTS.
SO YOU CAN THINK OF ALL KINDS OF CORRIDORS IN D TWO, IN D THREE, IN D FOUR IN D FIVE, AND, AND ALL REALLY ALL OVER THE CITY THAT ARE, THAT COULD, YOU COULD BENEFIT FROM THAT KIND OF, UH, OF INVESTMENT TO SPUR NOT ONLY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT TO REVITALIZE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEN, UM, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AMENDMENT, AND WE KNOW THAT WE UTILIZE TURS FOR A LOT OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT, UM, HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE USE OF THET, UH, FUNDING WHEN A, UH, PROJECT IS COMING FORWARD? THIS WOULD BE SEPARATE FROM ANYT FUNDING, BUT IT DOES NOT PRECLUDE A PROJECT THAT IS RECEIVING FUNDING THROUGH THE BOND TO ALSO GETTS FUNDING.
UM, AND THEN CARLOS, I KNOW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, LEVERAGING AND UPLIFTING, UM, OUR, OUR BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE.
IS THERE A, UM, LIMIT ON, ARE WE DOING ONLY SMALL BUSINESS? ARE WE DOING CORPORATE BUSINESS? UM, IS IT JUST NONPROFITS? HOW WILL THIS AMENDMENT AFFECT THOSE BUSINESSES? WELL, WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, AGAIN, AS ANDY'S INDICATED, THIS IS WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AS IT LOOKS AT PROJECTS, AS IT SETS PARAMETERS.
UM, AS IT RECEIVES INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, THE CHARTER'S NOT GONNA SPECIFICALLY STATE THAT THE CHARTER'S GONNA GIVE THIS COUNCIL AND FUTURE COUNCILS THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS.
SO, UM, I'M JUST REALLY, REALLY, UM, INTERESTED IN HOW, UH, WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LOOKING AT, UH, THE CHANGES IN THE A M I, UM, CAN WE SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE, OR, UM, HOW WILL THAT GO INTO, INTO THIS AMENDMENT? UM, COUNCILMAN, THE A M I LEVELS WOULDN'T BE ADDRESSED IN THE CHARTER AMENDMENT.
UM, BUT WHAT WE WERE, WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE DOING OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AND THAT PLAN, UM, IS LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR A M I LEVELS AND ADJUSTING OUR GOALS BASED ON THE NEEDS OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL AND COUNCILMAN COURAGE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 80% A M I, THE AREA IS REALLY 60% OF OUR LOCAL NEEDS.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF
[01:15:01]
RECALIBRATING THOSE GOALS, AND THOSE WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL COMMITTEE, AND ULTIMATELY CITY COUNCIL.AND THEN THOSE GOALS, WE WOULD USE THOSE, UM, AS WE GO AND WORK THROUGH THE BOND COMMITTEES ON HOW THESE PROJECTS OR WHAT PROJECTS OR WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS WE WANT TO FUND AND WHAT A M I TARGETS YOU ALL WANT TO DO.
BUT IT'S, THAT WORK DOESN'T OCCUR HERE.
IT WOULD WORK, IT WOULD, UM, OCCUR LATER ON WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON THE ACTUAL PROJECTS, THE PROPOSITIONS.
AND ERIC, I APOLOGIZE, I INTERRUPTED YOU.
UM, SO LORI, THEN THE NEXT QUESTION I HAVE, I KNOW BEFORE WE WERE WORKING ON, UM, OUR HOUSING PROJECT, UM, WITH THE PILOT PROGRAMS FOR, UH, THE REHAB HOUSES.
AND WOULD THIS AMENDMENT BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD UTILIZE TO GO TOWARDS THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE WERE ALREADY LOOKING TO PILOT? YES, WE CAN, WE CAN USE THIS MONEY FOR OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB AND MINOR REPAIR FOR OWNERSHIP.
SO THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE PRESENTATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER HDA.
UH, I WANNA BE CLEAR BEFORE I ASK A SERIES OF MAYBE TOUGH QUESTIONS THAT I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS AMENDMENT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE PRIORITIES OF THE HOUSING TASK FORCE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HELP THOSE MOST IN NEED OF HOUSING.
TO THAT END, UM, I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT, UH, TWO THINGS.
HOW WILL WE DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF HOUSING STOCK NEEDED FOR THE MOST IN NEED OF HOUSING THAT POPULATION IS, IN MY OPINION, A PRIORITY? AND THEN IF WE'RE DOING A BOND, HOW ARE WE GONNA DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF HOUSING STOCK NEEDED? DO WE ALREADY KNOW IT? AND HOW WILL WE DETERMINE IT IN THE FUTURE? SO, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, AND LET, LET ME, LET ME ANSWER IT THIS WAY.
THERE, THERE THAT'LL BE UP TO, TO, UH, THE COUNCIL.
WE CAN PROVIDE, THE STAFF CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, UM, WE HAVE A LOT MORE, UM, NEEDS IN TERMS OF STREETS THAT NEED TO BE REDONE, UH, AND NOT ENOUGH BOND CAPACITY.
UM, AND SO WE WILL HAVE TO, UH, PRIORITIZE THE COUNCIL WILL NEED TO PRIORITIZE AND IDENTIFY AS WE GO INTO THE BOND PROGRAM.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS IN MARCH.
YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY WHAT ARE THE BIG, WHAT ARE THE BIG THEMES OR PRIORITIES FROM THE COUNCIL STANDPOINT THAT WILL HELP GUIDE AND SHIFT WHAT WE CAN DO? WE WILL, UH, UH, THAT'S GOOD NEWS.
I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A, A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'S ON THE BOARD OVER AT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, BUT, BUT, UH, WE WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH BONDING CAPACITY TO FILL ALL OF OUR STREETS.
DRAINAGE, MUNICIPAL FACILITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I MEAN, IT'S GONNA REQUIRE A PRIORITIZATION.
AND REALLY THAT STARTS WITH THE COUNCIL, UM, TO KIND OF SET THAT, UH, FRAMEWORK.
UM, MY SECOND, UH, SET OF QUESTIONS IS, I, I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS IS GONNA TURN INTO A LARGER SCALE AND PERHAPS ABUSE FORM OF FUNDING GOING DIRECTLY TO THE DEVELOPER INSTEAD OF THOSE IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE HOUSING.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA CREATE A LARGER OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC FUNDING THAT GOES TO DEVELOPER AND DEVELOPER FEES.
WE'RE GONNA DEBT FUND, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GOING DIRECTLY TO THOSE MOST IN NEED.
ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? UH, I THINK THAT'S IN, THAT'S IN LINE WITH, UH, WITH SOME OF THE OTHER COMMENTS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE HAD, IS THAT AS WE, IF, IF THIS IS APPROVED, THEN HOW IT'S SHAPED AND HOW IT'S UTILIZED AND TARGETED WILL BE SET BY, BY, UM, UH, THIS COUNCIL ON THE FRAMEWORK.
IF IT'S, IF IT'S ONLY GONNA BE FOR, UH, OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB OR PRESERVATION, OR TARGETED A M I OR HELPING, UH, UH, NOT HELPING DEVELOPERS ENSURING THAT SOURCE OF INCOME ORDINANCES APPLY, WE, THE COUNCIL SETS THAT FRAMEWORK.
YOU, YOU BUILD THE FENCE, THEY GOTTA PLAY IN THE BACKYARD.
OKAY? AND SO, WE'LL, WE'LL RECEIVE PERIODIC UPDATES JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, OUR ATTENTION IS BROUGHT BACK TO THIS SO THAT IT DOESN'T KIND OF GET OUTTA OUR HANDS.
WE, WE, WE'RE GETTING READY TO LAUNCH INTO THE, THE WHOLE 22 BOND PROGRAM.
THERE WILL BE A LOT OF COUNCIL CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT ENTIRE PROCESS FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF.
IN FACT, DON'T WE HAVE, DON'T WE HAVE A B SESSION SCHEDULED TO GO OVER THAT? THE TIMELINE ON DEVELOPMENT? I THINK IT'S IN LATE FEBRUARY OR MARCH.
SO THEY WEREN'T SO TOUGH AFTER ALL.
[01:20:01]
I WANNA, I WANNA GO BACK TO SLIDE NUMBER FOUR.UM, WHENEVER, WHENEVER, AND COUNCILWOMAN, UM, HARVARD, I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DO OR IF YOU DON'T, BUT, UM, SOMETIMES CLIENTS COME TO ME AND ASK ME TO SELL, SET UP A, A, A SMALL L L C FOR THEIR LITTLE BUSINESS.
AND, AND MAYBE YOU DO, MAYBE YOU DON'T, UM, DO THE SAME THING.
BUT WHEN I DO, MY CLIENTS WILL COME TO ME AND SAY SOMETHING LIKE, OH, I WANNA START A LITTLE RESTAURANT, OR I WANNA START A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, TAXI CAB COMPANY OR WHATEVER.
UM, AND THEY'LL ASK ME, HEY, HEY, HEY, WHY DOES MY ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION NOT SAY TAXI CAB OR A LITTLE RESTAURANT? AND SO WHAT I TELL 'EM IS, WHAT WE INCLUDED IN YOUR ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION WAS A SENTENCE THAT SAYS, WE'RE CREATING THIS L L C FOR.
SO YOU CAN CONDUCT ANY BUSINESS OF LAWFUL PURPOSE, PERIOD.
IT IS THE BROADEST LANGUAGE YOU CAN POSSIBLY PUT IN ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.
AND, UM, AND I BET COUNCILMAN HOVER, YOU DO THE EXACT SAME THING.
YOU JUST WRITE FOR ANY LAWFUL PURPOSE, WHICH GIVES PEOPLE THE FLEXIBILITY TO JUST DO WHATEVER IT IS THEY WANT UNDER THE L L C THAT, UM, THAT STATE LAW PERMITS.
ANDY, WITH THAT IN MIND, I AM REMINDED OF THAT WHEN I LOOK AT THE PROPOSITION OR THE PROPOSAL YOU'VE GOT IN FRONT OF US, WHAT YOU'VE GOT IN FRONT OF US, AND THE ONLY THING YOU GOT IN FRONT OF US IS TO CROSS OUT THIS LANGUAGE, THIS LITTLE LIST, WHICH IS CONSTRUCT, ACQUIRE, EQUIP, RENOVATE, IMPROVE, AND REPAIR.
AND WHAT YOU WANNA DO IS REPLACE IT WITH LANGUAGE THAT BASICALLY SAYS, FOR ANY LAWFUL PURPOSE.
UH, COUNCILMAN AND I WILL STRESS THE REMOVAL OF PUBLIC WORK, WHICH IS A VERY LIMITING, UH, LIMITING PHRASE.
AND SO WHAT, THIS, WHAT THE, THE ONE AND ONLY THING THAT YOU'RE ASKING US FOR IS TO THE WORDS IN BLACK THAT ARE NOW CROSSED OFF INTO THE WORDS IN RED.
AND LORI JUST SAID SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING.
SHE SAID, NO, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ANDREW SULLIVAN, A M I WILL NOT BE MENTIONED IN THE CHARTER AMENDMENT.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT A M I THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT NONPROFIT PARTNERS THAT WE WILL CHOOSE OR WON'T CHOOSE.
THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT GENTRIFICATION.
THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHICH TYPES OF PROJECTS WE WILL OR WON'T CHOOSE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES.
THE ONLY THING WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY, AND I, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY THIS 'CAUSE I I DON'T KNOW WHAT MEETING I'M ATTENDING, IS TO TALK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE LANGUAGE IN THE CHARTER THAT IS JUST GIVES US MORE FLEXIBILITY TO DO WHATEVER THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION AND THE TEXAS LAW PERMITS US TO DO LATER AT SOME FUTURE MEETING.
I IMAGINE YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS BEING ERIC AND STAFF, WILL BRING US AND, UH, PROPOSED PROJECTS AND OUR, UM, BOND SELECTION COMMITTEES WILL BRING US PROPOSED PROJECTS.
AND THOSE PROJECTS WON'T EVEN BE UP TO US.
THOSE ARE GONNA BE PUT ON A FUTURE, UM, BALLOT FOR THE PUBLIC TO DECIDE.
SO I, I FEEL LIKE I JUST SPENT AN HOUR AND A HALF ON THIS BIG RABBIT TRAIL TALKING ABOUT A M I AND NONPROFITS AND GENTRIFICATION, WHEN THE ONLY THING WE'RE BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER TODAY IS WHETHER OR NOT WE WANNA GIVE OURSELVES THE FLEXIBILITY TO CONSIDER DIFFERENT FLAVORED PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE DOING A DISSERVICE TO ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING THIS MEETING, UH, AND LEAVING THEM THE IMPRESSION THAT AT THIS MEETING TODAY, WE'RE SOLVING A PARTICULAR SPECIFIC PROBLEM.
WE'RE NOT, THE ONLY THING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO ASK THE PUBLIC TO GIVE US PERMISSION TO ASK THEM IN THE FUTURE, UH, FOR, UH, CONSIDERATION OF SOME PROJECTS.
AND SO, ANDY, DID I GET ANY OF THAT WRONG? WELL, UM, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, ESSENTIALLY, NO.
I, I, I, AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME CHARACTERIZATIONS IN THERE MAYBE THAT I WOULD
BUT IF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YES, ESSENTIALLY WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PUTTING BEFORE THE COUNCIL, UH, THE ADDED FLEXIBILITY TO PUT, UH, THIS LANGUAGE IN THERE SO THAT YES, SO THERE CAN, IN BOND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BE MORE FLEXIBILITY THAT THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE THE EXACT SAME ROLE THEY'VE HAD BEFORE IN DEVELOPING THE PARAMETERS OF THOSE PROJECTS.
AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL VOTE ON THEM.
SO TODAY WE'RE NOT DECIDING ANYTHING.
AND IF WE VOTE ON THIS, IT IS ONLY A VOTE TO ASK THE PUBLIC TO DECIDE, NOT US.
UM, MAYOR, THOSE ARE MY ONLY COMMENTS.
[01:25:01]
THANK YOU, MAYOR.UM, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY ON THIS AGENDA, AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO PRIORITIZE RIGHT NOW AND THE COMMENTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE.
AND I ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE ALSO LAYING THE TABLE OF THE FUTURE DISCUSSION THAT WE WILL HAVE AT THE V SESSION.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I AM IN FAVOR OF PUTTING FORWARD AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND CHA LANGUAGE CHANGE ON THE CHARTER BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF ACTION ITEM TWO FROM THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK WHERE THE STRATEGY WELL ACTION ITEM WAS INCREASE THE INVESTMENT IN HOUSING STRATEGY WAS PO POLICY WAS DEVELOP A 10 YEAR FUNDING PLAN FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION.
AND ONE OF THE STRATEGIES WAS REVISING THE CITY CHARGER TO ALLOW BOND REVENUE TO BE USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
MY CONCERNS AND PRIORITIES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE AS WE'RE GOING TO, BECAUSE LIKE OTHER COLLEAGUES, SOME OF MY CONCERNS ARE THE AMBIGUOUS AND POTENTIALLY BROAD LANGUAGE THAT THIS CAN, CAN BE RIGHT HERE.
AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT OUR LEGACY HOMEOWNERS.
AND THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR ME.
UM, IF THAT COMES WITH WHICHEVER WAY WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE DO, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF TIMING, WE DO NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY ON THIS.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A STRATEGY AND WE KNOW THAT THAT IS THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
SO MAYOR, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, BUT I DO, I DO, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME I HAVE LEFT.
I CAN'T SEE THE CLOCK ON MY LITTLE, UM, THING RIGHT NOW, BUT I DO WANNA USE THE REMAINDER OF MY, UH, TIME JOHN AND GIVE IT TO MY COLLEAGUE BECAUSE I LOVED HER LINE OF QUESTIONING, AND I DON'T THINK TWO MINUTES WOULD GIVE HER, UM, ADEQUATE USE.
SO I'M GOING TO MUTE MY MIC AND LET COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL USE MY REMAINING SEVEN MINUTES AND 45.
WE, WE, WE WILL, UH, PROCEED AS WE ALWAYS DO.
UM, WE, WE CAN'T SEE TIME, SO, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, YOU DO HAVE ANOTHER, UH, ANOTHER ROUND HERE AND EVERYBODY WHO'S WANTED TO SPEAK ONCE HAS ALREADY GONE.
SO YOU HAVE THE FLOOR COUNCIL MEMBER? OR DO YOU WANT, DO YOU WANNA GO BACK COUNCIL MEMBER? YEAH, I MEAN, IF TAKE IT BACK IF I CAN'T HAVE IT, I THINK YOU SHOULD, RIGHT? IF YOU CAN'T HAVE MY QUESTION, IF YOU CAN'T HAVE MY TIME FOR QUESTIONING, UM, I'M NOT SAYING TEXT YOUR QUESTIONS TO ME.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, I'M SAYING, UH, SOME OF THE LINE OF QUESTIONINGS THAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE, UM, CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
ANDY, DO YOU HAVE A FULL LIST OF ALL OF THE MEMBERS WHO WERE ON THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION? YES.
UH, WE DO COUNCILMAN, WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH COUNCIL.
I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO SHARE THAT WITH THE, WHEN WE POST THIS FOR B SESSION DISCUSSION, WE NEED TO PUT ALL OF THE NAMES ON THERE AS WELL.
AND, UM, FOR WHICH, I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN, FOR, YOU MEAN FOR THE A SESSION DISCUSSION? YES, YES, FOR THE A SESSION DISCUSSION.
UM, THOSE ARE MY, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
SORRY, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, BUT THAT WAS GREAT STUFF THAT YOU WERE WORKING ON, SO CONTINUE.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
I, I REALLY DON'T KNOW, KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO HERE.
THERE'S SO MUCH, UH, CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I, UM, I WANNA SAY THAT WE ARE ALL ALLOWED
BUT I BELIEVE AS LEADERS, WE DO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT POTENTIAL UN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF OUR DECISIONS.
AND IF I DON'T DO THAT, I THINK I AM SHIRKING MY RESPONSIBILITY AS A, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS AN ATTORNEY WHO'S NOT TOLD THEIR CLIENT, WELL, IF YOU USE THIS LANGUAGE, IT DOES ALLOW THE OPPORTUNITY FOR X, Y, OR Z.
AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
I ALSO THINK IF WE'RE GOING OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND WE WILL BE ASKING THEM TO VOTE ON THIS, IT IT BEHOOVES US TO ENSURE THAT THEY TRUST WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH IT.
AND THAT IS WHAT THIS CONVERSATION IS ABOUT.
OTHERWISE, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT IF WE
[01:30:01]
CAN'T EXPECT THE PUBLIC TO TRUST WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.I ALSO BELIEVE THIS IS A CRITICAL TOOL THAT WE SHOULD PURSUE IT.
I AM, UM, NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, HAPPY, I GUESS WITH HOW WE WE GOT HERE TIME-WISE.
I UNDERSTAND CORONAVIRUS AND, AND OTHER CHARTER AMENDMENTS HAVE, HAVE THROWN A WRENCH INTO HOW THE PROCESS WOULD NORMALLY GO.
BUT OUT OF RESPECT TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED ON THIS PROCESS THUS FAR AND WHO ARE ADVOCATING FOR, FOR MORE HOUSING ASSISTANCE, I THINK WE WANNA DO RIGHT BY THEM, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A ROLE BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN THIS GETS VOTED ON, ON COUNCIL, I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF REQUESTING THE DRAFT MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
THEY ARE DRAFT AS THE COMMISSION DID NOT MEET AFTER THAT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT AMONG SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE IN THE SECTION ON THE, ON THE HOUSING ISSUE IS COMMISSIONERS WERE ASKING ABOUT LOCATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT ENSURING THAT PUBLIC HEARINGS WOULD BE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE.
AND, UH, AND EVEN STAFF SAID THE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE REP WOULD BE PRESENTED AS A WHOLE BY THE FULL COMMISSION, UH, TO, TO THE COUNCIL OR, OR TO THE PUBLIC.
SO, UM, I'M JUST SORRY THAT THOSE THINGS DIDN'T GET TO HAPPEN.
I WAS TOLD THAT THIS LANGUAGE WOULD ALLOW FOR US TO PURCHASE, UH, CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
AND THE MAYOR ASKED THAT QUESTION EARLIER ON, UH, DO YOU HAVE AN AG OPINION THAT CONFIRMS THAT? THAT'S WHEN WE DON'T HAVE AN AG OPINION THAT CONFIRMS THAT USUALLY THE TIMING, UH, THAT WE USE, UH, WHEN WE APPROACH, UH, THE AG ON OPINIONS FOR, FOR BOND PROJECTS, THAT THEY'RE, WE WAIT UNTIL THEY'RE MORE FULLY DEVELOPED, UH, OR AT LEAST WE SOME PARAMETERS AROUND THEM.
SO WE WILL BE SEEKING ONE IF THAT'S INDEED ONE OF THE, THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING IN TERMS OF A BOND PROJECT.
WELL, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT.
AND ANDY, WHEN COULD YOU COME BACK WITH SOME TIGHTENED LANGUAGE BASED ON THE, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE HEARD HERE? WELL, I GUESS COUNCILMAN, FROM, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD THE COUNCIL, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY, UH, ANY REALLY, UH, DIRECTION TO, UH, FURTHER LI OR TO LIMIT, UH, THE LANGUAGE THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED.
I'VE HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT HOW WE, UH, HOW WE PUT PARAMETERS AROUND PROJECTS IN THE FU IN WORDS, HOW WE LOOK AT BOND PROJECTS AS THEY'RE DEVELOPED.
UH, BUT I FRANKLY, I DIDN'T HEAR CONCERNS ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT GIVES THE COUNCIL, THE, AND THE COMMUNITY THE FLEXIBILITY TO CONSIDER, UH, A BROADER ARRAY OF BOND PROJECTS.
I THINK WE WERE SITTING IN DIFFERENT MEETINGS,
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD, BUT I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CHIME IN IF, IF THEY HAD CONCERNS.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I HAVE TO TAKE EXCEPTION TO THE IDEA THAT ALL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ALL THE WORDS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO US.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WORDS HAVE MEANINGS, AND I THINK THAT SOMETIMES THOSE WORDS NEED BETTER CLARIFICATION.
AND I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE SURETY, UH, IN, IN THIS EFFORT MOVING FORWARD.
AND I, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT MAYBE SOME OF US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS OR ANDY OR, UM, VERO SOTOS TEAM THINKS ABOUT HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, AS WE HAD PUBLIC WORKS PREVIOUSLY, WHICH WE'RE DOING AWAY WITH TO GIVE US FLEXIBILITY, INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS, AS PART OF THE AWARDING IN THIS.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THIS HAS COME ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE, THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SO I THINK TO INCLUDE IT WITHOUT MAKING IT A LIMITATION, BUT MAKING IT, UH, AN INVITATION, SO TO SPEAK, UH, TO GO FORWARD WITH, UH, IS SOMETHING WORTH CONSIDERING.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE YOUR STAFF TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE IT, THAT IN THERE.
UH, AND I THINK THAT WE ARE OPENING A PANDORA'S BOX.
WE ARE NOT OFFERING ANY KINDA LIMITATIONS ON, UH, WHAT, WHAT COULD HAPPEN WITH THIS.
AND I KNOW THIS COUNCIL IS COMMITTED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANOTHER COUNCIL WOULD BE COMMITTED TO, OR I DON'T KNOW WHAT MIGHT COME OUT OF, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OR WHAT MIGHT COME OUT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
[01:35:01]
OR WHAT MIGHT COME OUT OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE COMING TO THE CITY AND SAYING, UH, WE NEED CERTAIN THINGS.AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I'M WORRIED ABOUT A LOT OF THAT SQUEEZING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUT OF THE PICTURE.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAID WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I'VE GOT A QUESTION DIRECTLY FOR BEN.
BEN, UH, YOU PROBABLY LOOKED AT THIS OR YOU COULD PROBABLY TELL US, BUT WHAT IS, UM, WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM, UH, AMOUNT OF, UH, THE, THE BONDS THAT WE COULD FUND UNDER OUR TAXES AND OUR BOND BOND OBLIGATIONS AT THIS TIME? IS IT 700 MILLION, 800 MILLION, A BILLION? UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S OBLIGATED? AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THE TAX IS NOW, UH, FOR OUR, OUR, UM, BONDS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
EVEN 80% OF THAT NUMBER KIND OF TELLS US SOMETHING.
SO WHAT IS IT? SO COUNSELING, THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT POTENTIAL BOND CAPACITY WAS LAST AUGUST, WE GAVE YOU A PRESENTATION.
THAT NUMBER FOR 2022 WAS ESTIMATED AT $675 MILLION.
UH, BUT AS WE NOTED THEN, AND AS ERIC MENTIONED, UH, A MINUTE AGO, THESE WERE PROJECTIONS WE DID LAST SUMMER.
SO WE WERE ANTICIPATING, OR ARE STILL ANTICIPATING THAT THE TAX ROLL WOULD BE DECLINING AND F Y 22 GOING FORWARD.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL THE CASE.
SO WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS MAKING SURE WE COME BACK TO YOU ALL IN THE SUMMER AROUND JUNE OR JULY, ONCE WE SEE THE TAX ROLL, THAT'S GONNA TELL US A LOT ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE GOING FORWARD, THAT WILL, THAT WILL REALLY SET THE STAGE FOR THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM.
I REMEMBER THAT NUMBER, BUT WAS THAT 100% OF OUR BOND CAPACITY AT THAT TIME, OR WAS THAT A LOWER PERCENTAGE OF OUR BOND CAPACITY? THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE FULL, WHAT WE WERE ESTIMATING FOR THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
AND, AND JUST, I'LL JUST ADD THAT COUNCILMAN, JUST FOR, FOR YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, PRIOR TO THAT, UH, PRIOR TO LAST YEAR, WE WERE PROJECTING ON, UH, 980 MILLION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS BEN MENTIONED, WE, WE DO, WE, WE DO ANTICIPATE NEEDING TO BE ABLE TO UPDATE THAT, UM, AND, AND SEEING WHERE THE VALUES END UP AFTER APPEALS AND SO FORTH.
UM, BUT, BUT THINGS CONTINUE TO CHANGE.
UM, SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU THE RANGE OF WHERE WE WERE AT OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
AND I AGREE WITH COUNCIL SANDOVAL AND COUNCIL COURAGE, UH, WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
UM, I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT I, I AM ASKING FOR, UH, THIS LANGUAGE TO BE TIGHTENED UP.
SO I, I, I SAID IT IN MY COMMENTS THAT IT'S TOO BROAD.
I'M ASKING, UH, I DO WANNA SIT DOWN AND KIND OF HAVE A, A, A, A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS.
I'M GETTING, UH, LOTS OF QUESTIONS FROM, FROM VERY, UH, UH, VERY INFORMED INDIVIDUALS ON THIS SUBJECT.
LIKE I, MEN, LIKE I QUOTED, UH, SOPHIA LOPEZ, JESSICA GUERRERO, UH, THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT, UH, HAVE NOT BEEN CONSULTED AND JESSICA GUERRERO AND, AND THE, THE HOUSING COMMISSION DID NOT GET TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THIS.
AND I, AND I THINK, UH, THEY DESERVE TO PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK.
THE COMMUNITY'S GONNA ASK SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS.
AND, AND WE AS A COUNCIL, UH, MUST, MUST BE ABLE TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT, UH, FOR THAT DIRECTION.
UM, AND, UH, FORMER COUNCILMAN CRIER USED TO SAY, YOU COULD SET THE PRICE, BUT I'LL SET THE TERMS. AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF AT THE HEART OF WHAT, WHAT IS GOING ON TODAY, UH, TO QUOTE ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T GET AN AN R O I, BUT I'M JUST, I'M ONLY DOING THAT TONGUE IN CHEEK TO, TO WISH COUNCILMAN PERRY.
UH, WELL, I KNOW HE IS, UH, HE'S, HE'S, HE'S BATTLING COVID AND, AND WANT HIM TO KNOW THAT WE WISH HIM A SPEEDY RECOVERY AND LOOK FORWARD TO HIM COMING BACK TO, TO THIS DIOCESE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE QUESTIONS AND WE SHOULD, AS THIS IS A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND ONE THING THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR IS EDUCATION.
AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT AN AMENDMENT OR WHAT A CHARTER AMENDMENT WILL MEAN TO THEM.
SO I'LL CONTINUE TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO VOTE RESPONSIBLY AND TO VOTE
[01:40:01]
FOR THINGS THAT ARE GONNA HELP THIS COMMUNITY.AND AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH THIS AMENDMENT, I AM ASKING THAT WE DO TIGHTEN UP THIS LANGUAGE BECAUSE ONE THING THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO DO IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS LEAD THINGS BY THE WAYSIDE SOMETIMES.
AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DO THAT ON THIS WATCH.
SO IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE THE LANGUAGE THAT IS CONCRETE, THAT IS SOLID, SO THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO VOTE IN OUR COMMUNITY VOTE FOR SOMETHING.
THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVELIHOODS.
SO THAT IS THE ONLY THING I'M ASKING, ANDY, IS THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS SOLID, SOMETHING THAT IS CONCRETE, AND SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN CONTINUE TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY ON WHAT THEY WILL BE VOTING ON WHEN THIS GOES TO THE BALLOT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
TO BE CLEAR, THE LANGUAGE IS AMBIGUOUS AND BROAD, AND IN PARTICULAR IN SLIDE SIX, SECTION 98, WHERE YOU HAD ALL THE STRIKEOUT AND IN RED, WHERE IT SAYS, FOR ANY OTHER, FOR ANY OTHER, FOR ME, IS TOO BROAD.
AND I WANT, UM, I WOULD LIKE MORE, I GUESS, SPECIFICITY OR IF WE NEED TO LINE IT OUT OF WHAT OTHER, ANY OTHER MEANS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER VIRON, COUNCIL MEMBER, ER, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, RESPECTFULLY TO MY GOOD COUNCIL, THE GOOD COUNCILMAN FROM DISTRICT EIGHT.
I SUPPOSE I SHOULD BE FLATTERED YOU WOULD USE YOUR TIME TO CRITIQUE MY LINE OF QUESTIONING, BUT I CAUTION YOU TO REMEMBER LAWYERING LAWYERING 1 0 1.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER ON CROSS-EXAMINATION, ASK A WITNESS A QUESTION YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO.
I ASK QUESTIONS SOMETIMES IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY, AND TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY THAT THE COUNCIL, THEIR REPRESENTATIVES, ESSENTIALLY THE PEOPLE ARE IN CHARGE OF THE FUTURE OF HOUSING.
WE'RE NOT GONNA SOLVE ALL THE ILL OF SOCIETY WITH THIS LANGUAGE, BUT THE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE.
AND THAT IS WHY I ASK MY QUESTIONS.
AND I DO APPRECIATE, AGAIN, I'LL THANK ERIC AND STAFF FOR ANSWERING THEM SO WELL, THAT'S ALL.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.
AND, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, UM, OUR BOND LANGUAGE IS OFTEN VERY BROAD, INTENTIONALLY BROAD, SO THAT WE CAN BE FLEXIBLE, UH, IN THE WAY THAT WE FUND THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, I KNOW.
UM, WELL, I HATE TO EVEN START DOWN THE ROAD OF A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF LANGUAGE THAT WAS SORT OF BROAD THAT ENDED UP, UM, UH, CAUSING SOME TROUBLE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT DID END UP GETTING FLESHED OUT BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS ABOUT IT.
UM, AND I TOOK A LOT OF GRIEF FOR, UM, THAT BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE WAS BROAD, BUT IT DOES END UP GETTING ALL FLESHED OUT IN THE END.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT BECAUSE THIS IS VERY PRELIMINARY, WE'RE JUST, UH, GIVING, UM, THE PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON IT.
I MEAN, IT, IT DID GO THROUGH A COMMITTEE, IT WENT THROUGH THE, UH, COMMITTEE BEFOREHAND.
UM, IT'S TRUE THAT MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE NOT HERE AT THAT TIME, BUT, UM, UH,
I MEAN, IT WAS VERY THOROUGHLY VETTED BY THE, THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME.
AND THE ONLY REASON WE DIDN'T PUT IT ON THE BALLOT IS BECAUSE WE WERE OFF BY TWO DAYS.
UM, AND SO I COULDN'T REMEMBER ALL THOSE DETAILS.
THAT'S WHY I'D ASKED SOME QUESTIONS EARLY ON ABOUT, UM, HOW, WHY WE ARE DOING THIS TODAY.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT IS, UM, UH, URGENT THAT WE, UH, ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES ON HOUSING, ESPECIALLY REGARDING REHAB.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION HERE THAT PERHAPS WE CANNOT USE, UH, THESE, OR THAT WE IN FACT CANNOT USE, UM, THIS TYPE OF FUNDING FOR GAP FINANCING FOR A PLACE LIKE SISON, BUT WE CAN USE IT FOR A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, UH, ESPECIALLY REHAB, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ME SAY MANY TIMES THAT, UH, 80% OF THE BUILDINGS IN DISTRICT SEVEN, I'M SORRY, IN DISTRICT SEVEN, IN DISTRICT FIVE, UM, WE'RE BUILT BEFORE 1970.
SO, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF OLD BUILDINGS, HOUSING, UM, UH, EVERY, WE JUST, WE NEED SO MUCH WORK IN THE REHAB AREA.
THAT'S WHY I REALLY LIKE THIS LANGUAGE.
THE OTHER ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR DISTRICT, THAT'S VERY COMMON.
AND I, YOU KNOW, UM, WHILE I'M NOT A LAWYER, I WILL ASK QUESTIONS I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO.
SO CAN THIS, UH, FUNDING BE USED, UH, FOR, UM, FOR, UH, CLEANUP, LIKE, UM, LIKE, LIKE BROWNFIELD? UH,
[01:45:01]
I THINK MAYBE LAURIE, YES, IT COULD BE USED TO SUPPORT IF, IF, IF THE CLEANUP WAS A SUPPORT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, UM, THAT, SO THERE IS FLEXIBILITY TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.SO WHETHER IT'S IT'S SINGLE FAMILY OR WHETHER IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, A MULTI-FAMILY, UM, WE CAN USE IT FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT HAS ALSO COME UP VERY OFTEN IN MY DISTRICT, ALMOST EVERY LOT, UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE REDEVELOPED AT, AT LEAST IN THE VER MORE URBAN AREA HAS HAD A BROWNFIELD ISSUE, AND THAT HAS PREVENTED SOME OF THE DEVELOP IN MY COMMUNITY.
SO CAN IT BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE AS WELL? YES.
AND SO I THINK ALL THOSE WILL BE FLESHED OUT WHEN THE TIME COMES.
UM, I KNOW THERE, THERE'S STILL, THEY'LL, I I, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF WORK THAT STILL HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE, UM, ACTUALLY SEE A PROJECT COME TO FRUITION.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, PUTTING THIS TO THE VOTERS AND ALLOWING THEM TO VOTE ON THIS ALONG WITH OTHER PROJECTS THAT EVENTUALLY WILL PUT ON THE BOND.
UH, AND, AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR, UH, A GOOD DISCUSSION AND FEEDBACK ON, ON THIS ISSUE.
UH, JUST TO, AGAIN, OUR NEXT STEPS, UH, WE WILL, UM, TAKE THIS UP AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME GOOD DIRECTION IN TERMS OF PROVIDING FOR SOME GUIDANCE GOING FORWARD, HOW THE, HOW THE, UH, BOND, UH, CAN BE USED, UH, AND MAYBE AT THAT TIME, UH, PUT SOME COMMENTS INTO THE RECORD ABOUT OUR INTENT AS A COUNCIL FOR THE NEXT, UH, FOR THE NEXT BOND PROGRAM.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE DISCUSSION.
UM, AGAIN, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, RECONVENING ON THIS.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, THAT IS THE ONLY ITEM WE HAVE.
WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TOMORROW.
UM, OUR, UH, EXECUTIVE ITEMS THAT WERE POSTED FOR TODAY WILL BE CARRIED OVER UNTIL THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, AND WILL BE CONSIDERED AT ANY TIME DURING TOMORROW'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
THE TIME IS NOW FEBRUARY, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE TIME IS NOW 3:50 PM UH, FEBRUARY'S MEETING IN RECESS.