* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:06]
          COUNCIL MEMBER VIA HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY IN THE FLESH COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PARDON ME. 
          COMMISSIONER WOLF. 
          I BELIEVE WE'RE GETTING A, A REAPPOINTMENT FOR THAT. 
          YEAH, IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER DEBERRY THAT'S BEEN, UH, APPOINTED BY NELSON. 
          I THINK SHE'S ON. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          IT'S STILL NOTED FOR THE RECORD. 
          AND, UH, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ HERE AND, UM, CO-CHAIR , UH, I'M HERE. 
          THANK YOU EVERYBODY SO MUCH FOR, FOR JOINING. 
          WE'VE GOT A QUORUM. 
          UM, WE ARE, UH, CELEBRATING TWO THINGS TODAY. 
          UM, THE FIRST, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, IS THAT OUR FRIEND CLAYTON PERRY, HAS, UH, HAS JOINED US. 
          AND, UM, CLAYTON, WELCOME BACK. 
          YOU, UH, YOU GAVE US ALL A BIG SCARE, BUT LIKE I TOLD OUR FRIENDS, UH, ON TV, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STRONG LIKE A BULL, UM,  AND, AND COVID DIDN'T KNOW WHO WAS, UH, WHO IT WAS MESSING WITH. 
          AND SO, UH, YOU FEELING OKAY? I'M FEELING A LOT BETTER. 
          IN FACT, UH, UH, I'M GETTING STIR CRAZY NOW. 
          I, I, I GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE. 
          GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE. 
          BUT, UH, NO, I'M FEELING MUCH BETTER. 
          AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AND, UM, I'M FEELING I'M FEELING MUCH BETTER, AND I'M, I'M READY TO GO. 
          IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK THEN. 
          UM, AND THEN, UH, WE'VE GOT A NEW MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE, UH, COMMISSIONER TRISH DEBERRY, UH, IS ON. 
          AND I, I GOTTA TELL YOU, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING TRISH ON THIS COMMITTEE BECAUSE TRISH IS A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN, UH, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS. 
          AND, UH, TRICIA HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME, UM, AND CAN TEACH US ALL, UH, HOW TO DO GOVERNMENT RELATIONS. 
          AND SO WE ARE REALLY, UM, VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU. 
          AND I'M, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF NELSON, UH, TO HAVE CHOSEN YOU FOR THIS COMMITTEE. 
          AND, UH, I, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT NELSON'S THE SMARTEST MAN IN SAN ANTONIO, AND HE PROVES YET AGAIN THAT I'M RIGHT, UH, BY APPOINTING YOU. 
          AND SO, WELCOME. 
          UM, Y'ALL, UH, WE'VE GOT 
          [1. 21-1652 Approval of the minutes from the December 9, 2020 meeting of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee.]
MINUTES TO APPROVE. 
          UH, SO, UM, I, I GUARANTEE YOU THAT COUNCILWOMAN ADRIAN ROCHA HAS READ THEM AND PROOFREAD THEM AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA. 
          WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE MINUTES? UH, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE DECEMBER 9TH MEETINGS CHAIR, UH, MINUTES CHAIR SECOND, AND WE'VE GOT A SECOND FROM COUNCILWOMAN . 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          RIGHT. 
          HEARING? NO OPPOSITION. 
          OUR MINUTES ARE APPROVED. 
          OUR FIRST ITEM, 
          [2. 21-1629 South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless' Federal and State Legislative Priorities]
UM, IS THE, UM, A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, THE SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS. 
          UM, AND I'VE INVITED, UM, KATIE FROM, UH, FROM THERE. 
          AND SO JEFF, YOU, I'M, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO YOU FIRST. 
          SURE. 
          UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU. 
          THIS IS PART OF YOUR CONTINUED REQUEST THAT WE BRING IN OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR STATE AND FEDERAL NEEDS. 
          SO, KATIE VELA ISS HERE FROM SARAH, I BELIEVE SHE'S BROUGHT, UH, ERIC SAMUELS FROM HER, UH, STATE ASSOCIATION. 
          AND PATRICK STECK FROM OUR, UH, D H SS DEPARTMENT IS HERE AS WELL. 
          AND SO, UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO KATIE. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. 
          AND I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA PULL UP A PRESENTATION TO WALK EVERYONE THROUGH. 
          UM, SO I'M KATIE VELA. 
          I'VE BEEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SARAH FOR ABOUT 90 DAYS, BUT I'VE BEEN WITH THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE LAST FIVE AND A HALF YEARS. 
          SO I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING MANY OF YOU, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THAT TIME. 
          UM, SO TODAY WE HAVE KIND OF TWO TOPICS. 
          UM, FIRST IS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOCUSED ON STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. 
          AND FOR THAT PART OF THE PRESENTATION, WE BROUGHT IN ERIC SAMUELS AND NICK THOMPSON FROM TEXAS HOMELESS NETWORK, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE BALANCE OF STATE C O C. 
          THEY WORK WITH ALL OF THE RURAL AND SMALLER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT TEXAS. 
          AND THEY ALSO DO A GREAT JOB OF ORGANIZING ALL OF THE METRO AREA CONTINUUM OF CARE LEAD AGENCIES AROUND A COORDINATED, UM, LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. 
          AND SO THEY'LL WALK THROUGH THAT. 
          AND THEN KIND OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE PRESENTATION IS TO TALK ABOUT THE ROLE WE PLAY IN DRAWING DOWN FEDERAL FUNDING AND HOW WE CAN INCREASE THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE GET FROM HUD, UM, AND WHAT THOSE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE THAT HUD USES TO EVALUATE US. 
          SO THERE'S KIND OF THAT UNDERSTANDING. 
          SO WITH THAT, UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, AND I'LL HAND IT OFF TO ERIC. 
          WELL, THANK YOU KATIE. 
          AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE REALLY QUICK BECAUSE WE WANT TO GIVE KATIE MOST OF THE TIME. 
          [00:05:01]
BUT FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA INTRODUCE MYSELF, ERIC SAMUELS, PRESIDENT, C E O OF TEXAS HOMELESS NETWORK. 
          AND LIKE KATIE SAID, ONE OF OUR MAIN FOCUS AREAS IS THE BALANCE OF STATE. 
          SO WE STARTED IN THE SAME CAPACITY AS SARAH DOES THE SOUTH  REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS FOR 215 COUNTIES, PRIMARILY RURAL. 
          BASICALLY ALL OF THE COUNTIES THAT SURROUND BEXAR COUNTY, WE, UH, SERVE AS THE GUIDING, UH, AGENCY FOR, SO WE EVER WORK IN THOSE COUNTIES. 
          DON'T HESITATE TO CALL US. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WORK STATEWIDE AND WE WORK WITH ALL 11 CONTINUA, INCLUDING SARAH, UH, ON ISSUES TERM IN TERMS OF COLLECTING DATA, DISSEMINATING DATA, AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF TODAY ADVOCACY, UM, AND PUBLIC POLICY, UM, AND POLICY MAKER EDUCATION EDUCATION. 
          SO I'M GONNA LET NICK GET INTO THAT. 
          NICK THOMPSON IS OUR STATEWIDE INITIATIVES MANAGER, AND HE IS TAKING OVER A LOT OF OUR, OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS FOR THIS TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND THEN ALSO SOME OF OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AS WELL. 
          SO, UH, LET ME, UH, HAND IT OFF TO NICK. 
          SURE. 
          WELL, GOOD MORNING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMISSIONERS, SUPERINTENDENT, AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT'S ON THE INTERGOVERNMENT INTERGOVERNMENTAL, UH, COMMITTEE WITH US. 
          SO, LIKE ERIC SAID, I AM THE STATEWIDE INITIATIVES MANAGER FOR TEXAS HOMELESS NETWORK. 
          UM, SO ERIC AND I FOCUS ON OUR STATEWIDE PRIORITIES AS IT RELATES TO THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          UM, AND WE KIND OF HAVE THREE MAJOR BUCKETS THAT FALL WITHIN THAT. 
          SO EDUARDO, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          OUR FIRST MAJOR PRIORITY GOING INTO NOT JUST THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BUT, UM, GOING BACK AND LOOKING FORWARD TO, IS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR HOMELESS CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEMS. YOU'LL ALSO HEAR THAT BEING REFERRED TO AS OUR CONTINUUM OF CARE OR COCS. 
          UM, WE KIND OF USE ALL OF THOSE TERMS, UM, INTERCHANGEABLY A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, WITHIN THIS CATEGORY. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW AND HOW WE CAN BETTER IMPROVE THEM, UM, TO COORDINATE CARE AND HOUSING FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ACROSS THE STATE. 
          LAST SESSION, WE INTRODUCED BILL, UM, THAT WOULD ESTABLISH A DATA SHARING NETWORK STUDY, UM, I MEAN A DATA SHARING NETWORK. 
          WE'VE REINTRODUCED THAT IN THIS SESSION AS A STUDY. 
          UM, BOTH REPRESENTATIVE BOWERS AND YOUR OWN REPRESENTATIVE CAMPOS HAVE, UM, INTRODUCED BILLS RELATING TO THAT TOPIC. 
          UM, SO AT LEAST WHEN THINKING ABOUT THE DATA SHARING NETWORK, WE KNOW THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE DO FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITIES OF WHICH THEY RESIDE. 
          HOWEVER, THE BIG CAVEAT TO THAT IS, UM, DISASTER RESPONSE RELATED ISSUES. 
          SO ESPECIALLY AFTER HARVEY, UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING WHERE WE DID SEE PEOPLE MOVING ACROSS THE STATE. 
          UM, AND THEN IT'S THE EFFECT OF COVID 19, UM, IS ALSO YET TO BE SEEN AS WELL. 
          UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT. 
          SO THAT'S H P 1260 AND HB 1431. 
          UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, LOOKING AT THE CONTINUED FUNDING OF THE HOMELESS HOUSING AND SERVICES PROGRAM OR H H S P I SHOULD NOTE, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON THESE TWO PRIORITIES, UM, THAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT ALSO HAD, UM, SOME THOUGHTS RELATED TO THIS ON HIS BUDGET THAT HE PUT OUT LAST WEEK. 
          UM, SO WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEE THAT THE DATA SHARING NETWORK IS, IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT HE INCLUDED. 
          UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE WOULD NOT LIKE THERE TO BE AN ENCAMPMENT BAN TIED TO H H SS B FUNDING, UM, FOR OUR CITIES AS WELL. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND THEN OUR SECOND MAJOR BUCKET FOR, UM, OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, EXPANDING AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES. 
          SO WE KNOW THAT OFTEN THERE IS A SUPPLY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IN GETTING PEOPLE INTO HOUSING AS THEY'RE EXITING, UM, LIFE ON THE STREET. 
          SO WE REQUIRE THAT AS PART OF THE SOLUTION. 
          OF COURSE, UM, WE MUST SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND REHABILITATION OF MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IF WE WANT TO END HOMELESSNESS. 
          UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT JUST AN ISSUE IN OUR URBAN AREAS, THOUGH OF COURSE IT IMPACTS SAN ANTONIO, AUSTIN, DALLAS, FORT WORTH, EL PASO, AND HOUSTON DISPROPORTIONATELY. 
          BUT IT ALSO IS SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS SUBURBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES AS WELL. 
          UM, NONE OF THESE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AN ENTIRE BUCKET OF THINGS. 
          THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF THE ONES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          UM, SO SENATOR WEST, UH, REPRESENTATIVE RODRIGUEZ AND ROSENTHAL. 
          UM, ONE OF OUR MAJOR PRIORITIES IS GOING TO BE SOURCE OF INCOME PROTECTIONS, UM, DURING THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          SO THAT'S OTHERWISE KNOWN AS VOUCHER DISCRIMINATION. 
          UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, 
          [00:10:01]
ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE COMING OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC, HOPEFULLY, UM, THAT THAT IS A TOOL THAT OUR COMMUNITIES CAN USE TO BETTER GET PEOPLE HOUSED AND SUSTAINABLY HOUSED, UM, AS WE RECOVER NOT JUST FROM THIS CRISIS, BUT HOPEFULLY PREPARE AND PREVENT FROM THE NEXT CRISIS, TOO. 
          UM, ALSO LOOKING AT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AS IT RELATES TO THE L G B T Q I A COMMUNITY. 
          SO BANNING HOUSING DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION. 
          UM, REPRESENTATIVE ALS IS NOT THE ONLY ONE RELATED TO THIS ONE, BUT IT IS A NOTABLE ONE TO NOTE. 
          THERE ARE A SLEW OF BILLS THAT WILL LIKELY COME OUT, UM, RELATED TO EVICTION RELATED PROTECTIONS, BUT MOST OF THE MOVEMENT ON THE EVICTION SIDE OF THINGS HAS BEEN ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE C D C MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS, UM, AND OTHER RENTAL ASSISTANCE MONEY THAT'S COMING DOWN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND THEN LASTLY, AND THERE'S A SECOND SLIDE TO THIS TOO, WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A SECOND. 
          SO, TARGETED INTERSECTIONAL ASSISTANCE. 
          WE KNOW THAT WHAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGHOUT THIS COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND ALSO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN HOUSING FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS COUNTRY HAS IMPACTED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND OTHER COMMUNITIES THE MOST. 
          SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TARGETING, UM, THESE COMMUNITIES IN OUR RESPONSE AND IN OUR ASSISTANCE, UM, DURING THIS. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS IN WHICH THE HOMELESS CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM, UM, INTERSECTS WITH OTHER SYSTEMS AS WELL. 
          SO LOOKING AT CRIMINAL JUSTICE RELATED ISSUES SUCH AS DIVERSION PROGRAMS, UM, AND HOW, UM, OUR MEMBERS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERACT WITH THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. 
          UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, EXPANDING HEALTHCARE ACCESS TO THOSE LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS, UM, THROUGH MEDICAID BUY-IN PROGRAM. 
          UM, AND THEN ANOTHER BILL THROUGH REPRESENTATIVE BOWERS, WHICH WOULD, UM, REQUIRE TRAUMA-INFORMED PEACE OFFICER TRAINING, UM, AS WELL. 
          AND THEN JUST ONE LAST SLIDE FOR US. 
          AND SO OTHER, OTHER ISSUES THAT WE OF COURSE LOOK AT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFICATION AS IT RELATES TO NOT JUST GETTING PEOPLE HOUSED, BUT ALSO GETTING PEOPLE INTO EMPLOYMENT AND OTHER, UM, THINGS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE ON IN LIFE. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING AT BILLS RELATED TO ESTABLISHING BIRTH RECORDS, UM, TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, AND THEN ALSO CREATING, UM, FURTHER SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UM, THROUGH TAX CREDITS. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, UM, BUT NOT TO BE LAST EITHER, BUT THE GEORGE FLOYD ACT AND OTHER RACIAL JUSTICE ORIENTED BILLS. 
          WE KNOW THAT WHO SOCIETY ALLOWS TO BE HOMELESS IS A REFLECTION OF WHITE SUPREMACY, UM, THERE. 
          AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH BEST PRACTICES THERE, AND SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE HOUSED AT THE END OF THE DAY. 
          THAT IS OUR PURPOSE. 
          AND THAT ALSO, UM, MEANS THAT WE LOOK AT THE WAYS THAT THE SYSTEMS WORK TOGETHER. 
          FINALLY, WE ARE HAVING OUR, OUR VIRTUAL HOMELESS AWARENESS DAY. 
          THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN VIRTUAL, UM, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, BUT THAT WILL BE ON APRIL 7TH, 2021. 
          SO WE'RE SETTING UP MEETINGS WITH, UM, REPRESENTATIVES AND STATE SENATORS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THESE ISSUES AS WELL. 
          SO IF YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, WE DO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          AND WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO KATIE. 
          AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND FOR THAT VIRTUAL HOMELESS AWARENESS DAY, SARAH WILL BE COORDINATING LOCALLY, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, UH, GET SOME VISITS IN, UH, WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES. 
          SO WE'LL BE SENDING OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, SO YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE GET FOR HOMELESSNESS THAT SARAH COORDINATES, AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT HOW WE CAN INCREASE THAT FUNDING. 
          UM, SO YOU CAN GO TO THE FIRST SLIDE. 
          SO SARAH IS A NONPROFIT IN A 5 0 1 C THREE WITH A MISSION STATEMENT AND PURPOSE. 
          AND SO OUR ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A PLACE TO CALL HOME. 
          UM, WE DON'T PROVIDE ANY DIRECT SERVICE. 
          UH, WHAT WE REALLY DO IS COORDINATE AND STRENGTHEN OUR SYSTEM OF CARE BY WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS. 
          WE FOCUS ON PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES. 
          UM, NO, NO QUICK FIXES. 
          LOOKING AT LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS, UM, AND ALSO ON WHAT'S GOING TO HAVE A MEASURABLE IMPACT, NOT ONLY BY LOOKING AT DATA, BUT ALSO, UM, INTERVIEWING PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESSNESS AND MAKING SURE THAT ANYTHING THAT WE'RE TAKING ON THERE WILL BE A MEASURABLE IMPACT THAT WE CAN PROVE. 
          UM, NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND SO, IN ADDITION TO BEING A NONPROFIT, WE ALSO ARE A CONTINUUM OF CARE LEAD AGENCY. 
          [00:15:01]
THIS IS A DESIGNATION THAT WE HAVE FROM HUD, AND THESE ARE SOME OF OUR KEY FUNCTIONS IN THAT ROLE. 
          SO ONE IS TO COORDINATE FEDERAL FUNDING. 
          SO WE APPLY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING AS YOUR COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT ON BEHALF OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY TO HUD. 
          AND SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT PROCESS. 
          UM, BUT SARAH AND OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS ALSO OVERSEES OUR LOCAL HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM WHERE WE COLLECT ALL OF THE DATA. 
          SO, LOCALLY HAVEN FOR HOPE IS OUR DESIGNATED H M I S LEAD AGENCY, BUT OUR C BOARD DIRECTS KIND OF THE PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES FOR THAT DATABASE. 
          UM, ANOTHER KEY ROLE OF OURS IS DATA AND RESEARCH. 
          AND SO WE SUBMIT FEDERAL REPORTS ON HOMELESSNESS TO HUD ON BEHALF OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY. 
          THE REPORT YOU'RE PROBABLY THE MOST FAMILIAR WITH IS THE POINT IN TIME COUNT. 
          SO THAT'S NOT JUST AN ANNUAL KIND OF CENSUS AND VOLUNTEER EVENT. 
          IT'S USED FOR LOCAL, UM, REPORTING AND INFORMATION, BUT IT'S ALSO A REPORT WE SUBMIT TO HUD THAT'S USED TO EVALUATE OUR PROGRESS AND DETERMINE OUR FUNDING LEVEL FOR THE NEXT YEAR. 
          UM, WE ALSO ARE THE COORDINATOR FOR Y H D P, WHICH IS THE YOUTH HOMELESSNESS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. 
          SO THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL GRANT THAT WE GOT IN 2019 TO CREATE A SYSTEM TO PREVENT AND END YOUTH HOMELESSNESS. 
          UM, AND WE'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING A COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM, WHICH I'LL JUST BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT ON THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, SO IF YOU CAN GO, YEAH. 
          SO, UM, THIS IS PART OF HOW WE'RE EVALUATED IS HAVING THIS EFFECTIVE SYSTEM TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO HOUSING AND RESOURCES. 
          SO SEVERAL YEARS AGO, HUD CAME OUT WITH A MANDATE BECAUSE THEY WERE NOTICING THAT AGENCIES MAY BE PERFORMING WELL INDIVIDUALLY, BUT THEY WEREN'T SEEING THE OVERALL IMPACT ON HOMELESSNESS, UM, AND OVERALL PROGRESS AND KIND OF MOVING THE NEEDLE. 
          AND SO THEY ASKED THAT, UM, THERE'S A, THAT WE CREATE A LOCAL SYSTEM WITH A COMMON ASSESSMENT WHERE WE PRIORITIZE THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE VERY LIMITED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND LONG-TERM HOUSING RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. 
          UM, AND WE'RE EVALUATED EACH YEAR ON HOW THIS SYSTEM IS WORKING. 
          AND SO LOCALLY, OUR SYSTEM IS CALLED HOMELINK. 
          AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE, YOU CAN ALWAYS VISIT OUR WEBSITE, BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL HUBS WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO GET THIS ASSESSMENT AND THEN GET CONNECTED TO A VARIETY OF HOUSING PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES FROM THERE. 
          UM, THE HOMELESS CONNECTIONS HOTLINE AT THE CITY HAS ALSO BEEN ESTABLISHED AS ONE OF THE HUBS TO GET THIS ASSESSMENT. 
          SO, NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO IN THINKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT FUNDING THAT WE'RE INVOLVED WITH, UM, THE FIRST IS CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING. 
          SO THIS IS THE ANNUAL APPLICATION PROCESS WHERE WE APPLY ON BEHALF OF SAN ANTONIO, AND WE'RE SCORED BY HUD BASED ON THE STRENGTH OF THAT APPLICATION. 
          UM, AND WE SUBMIT TO HUD A, A KIND OF A RANKING, A LIST OF ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING FOR FUNDING. 
          AND SO RIGHT NOW THAT ANNUAL ALLOCATION IS 10.3 MILLION. 
          IT'S GONE UP BY 17% SINCE 2016, SINCE SARAH BECAME THE LEAD AGENCY AND COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. 
          AND THAT CAN BE USED FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING EXPANSION, RAPID REHOUSING. 
          UM, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING IS FUNDED THROUGH THE COMPETITION, BUT HUD'S REALLY FOCUSED ON FUNDING PERMANENT HOUSING SOLUTIONS. 
          AND SO, UH, THOSE AGENCIES ARE ABLE TO RENEW THEIR FUNDING EVERY YEAR. 
          BUT WE CAN'T EXPAND, UM, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FUNDING WITH CONTINUUM OF CARE GRANT MONEY. 
          IT CAN ALSO BE USED FOR H M I S, COORDINATED ENTRY AND PLANNING. 
          UM, SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE SCORE WELL IN THAT APPLICATION, BECAUSE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THAT FUNDING FROM HUD. 
          UM, JUST TO TOUCH ON EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT FUNDING, SO THAT FUNNELS IN THROUGH THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN JURISDICTION. 
          SO THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND THE STATE, THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT E S G FUNDING SOURCES COMING INTO SAN ANTONIO. 
          SARAH FACILITATES THE PROCESS FOR THE STATE E S G MONEY. 
          UM, SO WE APPLIED TO BE THE LOCAL COORDINATOR FOR THAT COMPETITION. 
          SO LAST YEAR WE COORDINATED, UM, 5 MILLION IN TD HCAS, E S G FUNDING. 
          UM, THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY WITH CITY AND COUNTY E S G IS THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO COORDINATE WITH THEIR C O C LEAD AGENCY. 
          AND THE REASON HUD DOES THAT IS THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL, UM, LOOKING AT THE SAME DATA, PRIORITIZING SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ONE EFFECTIVE COORDINATED SYSTEM. 
          AND, UH, WE HAD A HUGE WIN LAST YEAR BY HAVING OUR FIRST COLLABORATIVE FUNDING COMPETITION. 
          SO THE CITY, THE COUNTY, AND SARAH WITH THE STATE MONEY HAD ONE CONSOLIDATED APPLICATION. 
          UM, WE SET THE PRIORITIES AND DID THE EVALUATIONS, MADE IT A REALLY EASY PROCESS FOR AGENCIES TO APPLY FOR FUNDING. 
          UM, SO THAT WAS JUST REALLY NEAT TO SEE THAT COLLABORATION BETWEEN EVERYONE. 
          [00:20:01]
UM, SO THAT'S OUR ROLE WHEN IT COMES TO E S G. 
          AND WE CONTINUE TO MEET MONTHLY WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY STAFF TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL COORDINATING, LOOKING AT DATA, TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE FUNDING GAPS THAT WE STILL HAVE. 
          AND THEN THE YOUTH HOMELESSNESS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FUNDING. 
          THAT'S A $6.8 MILLION GRANT. 
          WE RECEIVED THE LARGEST IN THE NATION IN THE THIRD ROUND OF FUNDING. 
          IT'S A TWO YEAR DEMONSTRATION GRANT. 
          AND THEN ONCE THAT PERIOD IS OVER, IT ROLLS INTO THE ANNUAL CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING COMPETITION PROCESS. 
          UM, SO THAT'S A REALLY NEAT PROGRAM, AND, UM, A WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND OUR ANNUAL ALLOCATION WITH HUD AND THAT FUNDING'S FOCUSED ON YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS. 
          SO, NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THIS IS REALLY HOW WE SCORE WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE GRANT FUNDING. 
          THESE ARE HUD'S SYSTEM PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT THEY USE TO EVALUATE. 
          AND WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, IT USED TO BE THAT WE WROTE NARRATIVES AND WE COULD TALK ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND TELL A GREAT STORY ABOUT THE WORK HAPPENING. 
          NOW, THEY'VE REALLY SHIFTED TO SAY, DO YOU HAVE TO PERFORM WELL IN THESE AREAS? AND YOU'RE SCORED, AND THAT DETERMINES HOW MUCH FUNDING YOU GET FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT. 
          AND SO THE, THESE ARE THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND I'LL QUICKLY WALK YOU THROUGH THEM, BUT IT'S A AN IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE'RE DOING OUR SYSTEM PLANNING, THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE THIS IN THE BACK OF OUR MIND, ARE WE ALIGNING WITH THIS SO THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE THOSE FEDERAL RESOURCES? AND SO THE FIRST IS THAT WE REDUCE THE LENGTH OF TIME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES REMAIN HOMELESS. 
          UM, THIS CAN BE A TOUGH ONE BECAUSE IF PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS, THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AS SOON AS WE HOUSE THEM, IT DRIVES UP OUR AVERAGE TIME HOMELESS NUMBER. 
          SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE START TO FIND PERMANENT SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNSHELTERED, BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE HOUSE THEM THAT THAT INDICATOR, UM, THE NEXT IS TO REDUCE, UM, PEOPLE RETURNING TO HOMELESSNESS. 
          AND SO ONCE WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING THEM INTO HOUSING, MAKING SURE IT'S SUSTAINABLE, AND THAT IT REALLY STICKS AS AN INTERVENTION. 
          SO WE LOOK AT INCOME GROWTH AND CASE MANAGEMENT. 
          UM, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR STRATEGY, IS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE STAY IN HOUSING. 
          THE THIRD IS TO REDUCE THE OVERALL NUMBER OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. 
          THIS IS REALLY THAT POINT IN TIME COUNT IS HOW WE'RE EVALUATED EACH YEAR, UM, AND IF WE SEE REDUCTIONS IN OUR TARGET POPULATIONS, WE GET MORE POINTS AND MORE FUNDING. 
          UM, THE NEXT IS TO INCREASE JOBS AND INCOME GROWTH. 
          UM, WE ALSO, FOR THE NEXT MEASURE, LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BECOMING HOMELESS FOR THE FIRST TIME. 
          THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDER MEASURES FOR US TO CONTROL, BUT IT'S A REASON THAT WE FOCUS SO MUCH ON PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS. 
          UM, AND LOOKING AT, UH, THE EVICTION RESOURCES AVAILABLE THAT WE'RE ALL COORDINATING AND TALKING ABOUT WHO'S MOST VULNERABLE TO HOMELESSNESS AND KEEPING THEM HOUSED. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, THE LAST TWO ARE JUST PLACING PEOPLE INTO SHELTER AND HOUSING FROM STREET OUTREACH AND PLACING PEOPLE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING FROM SHELTER AND FROM ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. SO WE ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE ON ALL OF THESE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND WE HOPE TO SEE IMPROVEMENT YEAR OVER YEAR SO THAT WE CAN INCREASE OUR FUNDING. 
          SO NEXT SLIDE. 
          THESE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS HUD, UH, LOOKS AT TO EVALUATE US. 
          SO THEY LOOK AT THAT. 
          WE HAVE, UM, COVERAGE OF OUR PROGRAMS IN OUR DATA SYSTEM, WHICH IS H M I SS. 
          THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE DO REALLY WELL. 
          WE HAVE GREAT PARTICIPATION OF SHELTERS AND HOUSING PROVIDERS AND ENTERING THEIR DATA, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALWAYS WANNA KEEP AN EYE ON, THAT WE HAVE COVERAGE OF OUR WHOLE SYSTEM, UM, IMPLEMENTING A COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM. 
          THIS CONTINUES TO BE A HUGE AREA OF FOCUS FOR US, THAT HOMELINK HOUSING SYSTEM, THEY LOOK AT THAT WE STRATEGICALLY ALLOCATE AND USE OUR RESOURCES. 
          SO THIS IS REALLY THE COLLABORATION AND WHY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT FUNDERS ARE ALIGNING THEIR PRIORITIES TO SOLVE THESE SYSTEM ISSUES. 
          UM, AND WE REALLY HAVE TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS AND SECTORS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN RESOLVING HOMELESSNESS TOGETHER. 
          THEY ALSO LOOK AT, UM, HOUSING FIRST PRINCIPLES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE HUD PROGRAMS THAT THEY FUND. 
          AND SO WE HAVE DIFFERENT MODELS OPERATING IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          UM, BUT THE KEY THING FOR HUD IS THAT THERE AREN'T BARRIERS IN THE PROGRAMS THAT KEEP PEOPLE FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THEM, AND THAT THEY'RE NOT EVICTED FROM A PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING RULES THAT ARE CREATED BY THE PROGRAM. 
          SO REALLY, SOMEONE SHOULD ONLY BE EVICTED FOR A LEASE VIOLATION, FOR EXAMPLE, NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA PARTICIPATE IN CERTAIN SERVICES. 
          UM, AND THEN FINALLY, WE CAN IMPROVE OUR PERFORMANCE BY INCREASING OUR PERMANENT HOUSING UNITS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. 
          SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, BEEN CONVERSATION ABOUT PURCHASING A HOTEL TO POSSIBLY CREATE PERMANENT HOUSING. 
          IF WE CAN SHOW AN INCREASE IN UNITS THAT REFLECTS POSITIVELY IN THE COMPETITION AND CAN HELP US DRAW DOWN EVEN MORE FUNDING. 
          [00:25:02]
SO, NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO JUST A LITTLE BIT, UH, ABOUT SARAH'S, UH, STRATEGY AREAS. 
          IN 2021, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON TARGETED PREVENTION AND DIVERSION TO PREVENT AS MUCH HOMELESSNESS AS POSSIBLE, UM, TO REALLY, UH, ALIGN WITH ALSO THE CITY'S HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          WE WANNA FOCUS ON REDUCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, UM, CONTINUE THE WORK WITH YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS AS A Y H D P COMMUNITY. 
          WE CAN BE AN EXAMPLE AND A NATIONAL MODEL, UM, IN THIS AREA, UH, BY CREATING THAT SYSTEM. 
          AND THEN, UH, REALLY FOCUS ON DATA AND SYSTEM DRIVEN DECISION MAKING. 
          WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES ABOUT POSSIBLY CREATING A NEW COMMUNITY DASHBOARD ON HOMELESSNESS. 
          SO WE'RE ALL KIND OF ALIGNED ON THE KEY METRICS AND INDICATORS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          SO NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES OR ABOUT THE HUD FUNDING, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND, UM, JEFF, UH, BEFORE WE JUMP IN HERE, JEFF, I UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT, UM, OUR, WE'VE GOT AN ALLY AND, UH, STATE REP, UH, BURN, UH, WITH HIS, UM, HOSPITAL 8 91. 
          CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THAT? SURE. 
          NICK MENTIONED THE, UH, THE BILL THAT WE'RE PURSUING TO ALLOW US TO WAIVE FEES FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. 
          IT'S AN EXPANSION OF THE HOMELESS YOUTH AND FOSTER, UH, UH, YOUTH FROM LAST SESSION. 
          WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO MEMBERS OF OUR DELEGATION FILE IT. 
          UM, THE ONE THAT WE THINK IS GONNA MOVE IS REPRESENTATIVE BERNAL'S, UH, HB 8 91. 
          AND REPRESENTATIVE LOPEZ KNOWS THAT HE HAD FILED IT JUST TO BE A HELP TO EVERYONE. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT FOR NICK AND TOM AND, AND APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HAVING THAT ON YOUR RADAR. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE GOT, UH, REPRESENTATION TODAY FROM, UH, THE STATE ORGANIZATION AND, UH, PATRICK STACK. 
          I'M, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE ALSO JOINING US FROM OUR, UH, DEPARTMENT OF, UH, HUMAN SERVICES. 
          AND I WANNA JUST GIVE YOU THE FLOOR AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING WAS LEFT OFF, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU GET TO ADD TO THAT. 
          UH, APPRECIATE THAT. 
          NO, UM, DEFINITELY SECOND, EVERYTHING THAT KATIE AND NICK AND ERIC HAVE SHARED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WORK REALLY, REALLY CLOSELY AT D H SS WITH SARAH AND THE, THE TEAM THERE ON, UH, COORDINATING ALL OF OUR SERVICES. 
          SO, UM, JUST APPRECIATE, UH, THEIR, THEIR INPUT AND YOU HEARING DIRECTLY FROM THEM. 
          UM, KATIE MENTIONED THE HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN THAT, UM, WE SHARED OR MELODY SHARED WITH COUNCIL, UH, BACK IN DECEMBER. 
          WE'RE WORKING ON AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ON THAT. 
          AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP, ESPECIALLY WITH, UM, UH, THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES. 
          THAT'S, UM, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A GAP IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON AS WELL. 
          GREAT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND LET'S START OUR, UH, ROUND OF COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS WITH, UH, MY CO-CHAIR, UH, JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ. 
          THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN, APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AND, AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE INFORMATIVE, UM, INSIGHT ON WHAT WE ALL KNOW IS A, A PRETTY BIG ISSUE, NOT JUST HERE, BUT REGIONALLY AND ACROSS TEXAS. 
          UM, JUST TO, JUST TO, I GUESS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION WITH RESPECT TO FUNDING. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT IN YEARS PAST HAVING BEEN UP IN AUSTIN, THERE, THERE WAS, I THINK, UH, AN APPROPRIATION, UM, THAT, THAT CAME DIRECTLY TO, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVEN FOR HOPE. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS, UH, I CAN'T RECALL IF IT WAS GRANT MONEY OR PASS THROUGH FUNDING FROM, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          I WONDERED IF ANYBODY HAD A READ YET ON, UH, WITH THE DISCUSSION IN AUSTIN, PARTICULARLY WITH, UM, THE OUTLAY OF SSB ONE, THE BUDGET BILL, THE IMPACT, THE DIRECT DOLLARS THAT YOU GET FROM FROM, FROM THE STATE. 
          DOES ANYBODY HAVE AN EARLY READ ON THAT? WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE, TAKE THAT, NICK. 
          I CAN GO AHEAD AND TAKE THAT. 
          SO I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST HOUSING AND SERVICES PROGRAM FUNDING, WHICH IS GENERAL REVENUE FUNDING, RIGHT? AND THEN IT IS ALLOCATED, WELL, IT'S ATED, AND THEN IT'S A, IT'S ALLOCATED BY T D H C A, AND IT HAS BEEN GOING TO HAVEN FOR HOPE. 
          I I SUSPECT THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO GO TO HAVEN GROVE. 
          THAT MONEY, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY SESSION, IT'S SLATED FOR A FIVE TO 10% CUT THIS, THIS YEAR, IT IS SLATED FOR A 5% CUT. 
          WE ARE PUSHING FOR IT NOT TO BE CUT. 
          WE WANT IT TO HOLD STEADY. 
          UM, AND WE FEEL FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN. 
          I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT MONEY INCREASE, BUT, UM, WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENT, I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE, BUT I THINK THAT MONEY SHOULD, SHOULD BE IN PLACE, SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE USED THOSE SAME 
          [00:30:01]
ACTIVITIES. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IN PARTICULARLY THIS BUDGET CYCLE IS GONNA BE PROBABLY, UM, NON-EXEMPT FROM, FROM CUTS. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATIVE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HOT IS ON APPROPRIATIONS AND, AND YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT WE DO, UH, MR. CO-CHAIR, I THINK WE SHOULD STAY IN TOUCH WITH, UM, HOW THE, THE, THE BUDGET PROCESS IS, IS LAYING OUT. 
          UH, CERTAINLY IT HELPS TO HAVE HER THERE. 
          I THINK SHE'S THE ONLY BEXAR COUNTY MEMBER ON APPROPRIATIONS THIS CYCLE. 
          UH, BUT, BUT WE KNOW THAT RESOURCES ARE SCARCE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I I I, I THINK THE LEG, THE LEGISLATIVE BILLS, THE PIECES, UH, THAT MAY CHANGE, UM, OR ENHANCE EXISTING LAWS ARE GREAT, BUT, UM, THEY DON'T MEAN MUCH IF WE DON'T HAVE FUNDING. 
          AND SO, UM, WE CAN JUST KEEP, UH, OUR, OUR FINGER ON THAT PULSE. 
          I'LL, I'LL CERTAINLY DO MY PART, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HIGHLIGHTED THAT. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO JUST, SORRY, I WOULD ADD THAT GO. 
          IF YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE HOW MUCH THAT MONEY OR HOW THAT MONEY IS HELPING A CERTAIN NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, AND THEN ALSO SOME ANECDOTAL DATA, YOU KNOW, KATIE AND KENNY COULD PROBABLY HELP WITH THAT. 
          I THINK THAT MEANS A LOT. 
          IT MEANS A LOT MORE THAN ME OR NICK GOING UP TO TALK TO THE LEGISLATURE ABOUT THAT. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, EX EXCELLENT QUESTIONS. 
          COMMISSIONER DEBERRY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, I'M GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRANT. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU KATIE AND EVERYONE FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UH, JUST A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. 
          ONE QUESTION AND, AND ONE COMMENT. 
          UM, THE CONTINUING OF CARE FUNDING GOING AFTER WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE ON THAT? UM, SO THE LAST, LAST YEAR'S COMPETITION WAS DELAYED, AND THEN THEY AUTOMATICALLY RENEWED CURRENT, CURRENTLY FUNDED AGENCIES. 
          UM, THE NEXT ROUND WE EXPECT, UM, THE COMPETITION WILL HAPPEN IN THE SUMMER, AND THEN THE CONTRACTS WOULD START IN SPRING OF 2022. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          AND FOR THE PERMANENT, UM, HOUSING, WOULD THAT ALSO HAVE, UM, REGULATIONS OR CERTAIN PARAMETERS THAT ANYBODY GOING INTO PERMANENT HOUSING WOULD HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN? SO I THINK, UM, IT, IT, THE MAIN PARAMETER WOULD BE THAT THEY USE THE HOME LINK COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM FOR THEIR REFERRALS. 
          SO THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE ACCESSING AND NEEDING SERVICES ARE CONNECTED TO THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. 
          UM, I, I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN CRITERIA. 
          IT CAN BE SITE-BASED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. 
          SO ONE PROPERTY, OR IT CAN BE A PROGRAM THAT'S SCATTERED SITE WHERE YOU PROVIDE SERVICES IN APARTMENTS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE A PART OF SERVICES OR GETTING SERVICES. 
          WELL, THERE, THERE CAN'T BE PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS. 
          SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO OFFER SERVICES, UM, BUT YOU ALSO CAN'T KIND OF KICK SOMEONE OUT OF A PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY REFUSE THE SERVICES. 
          THEY WANT YOU TO KEEP ENGAGING AND WORKING WITH, UM, WITH THE CLIENT UNTIL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET THE, THAT SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME. 
          UM, BUT IT'S KIND OF A CONTINUOUS PROCESS. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND JUST FINALLY ON TH N'S PRIORITIES, I THINK THEY'RE, UM, IN ALIGNMENT WITH SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE HAVING, SPECIFICALLY TO MY COLLEAGUES. 
          WE ARE GOING TO BE HAVING A B SESSION ON THE SOURCE OF INCOME DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE AT THE CITY COMING UP HERE SOON. 
          BUT JUST SPECIFICALLY ON ANY, UH, HOUSING THAT HAS TO DEAL WITH CITY INCENTIVES. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S COMING TO A B SESSION NEAR ALL OF US. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, COUNCILMAN PERRY, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? SURE. 
          UM, APPRECIATE IT. 
          UH, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, AND THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING OUT THERE TO HELP THOSE LESS FORTUNATE. 
          UH, I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE SLIDE THAT YOU WERE SHOWING METRICS ON, ON WHERE YOU WANT TO IMPROVE, UH, UH, THAT KIND OF THING. 
          BUT ALONG WITH THE VERBIAGE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, NORMALLY METRICS HAS A, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, A GRAPH THAT SHOWS PROGRESS. 
          UH, I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THAT. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY OF THAT DEVELOPED YET, BUT I WOULD CERTAINLY BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE ACTUAL METRICS THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE TRACKING ON EACH ONE JUST TO SAY THAT YOU WANT TO IMPROVE OR, UH, REDUCE THAT KIND OF THING. 
          REALLY DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING. 
          WHAT, WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY, UH, DOING OUT THERE, AND WHAT ARE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, ON A YEARLY BASIS AND TRACK THAT PER YEAR. 
          SO I WILL BE VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT THE, WHAT THOSE, UH, RESULTS ARE. 
          AND, UM, UH, HOW CLOSELY DO YOU WORK WITH OUR CITY STAFF ON, ON, 
          [00:35:01]
ON THESE, UH, HOMELESS, UH, ISSUES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN, IN SAN ANTONIO? I WOULD SAY WE WORK EXTREMELY CLOSELY WITH YOUR STAFF. 
          WE MEET AT LEAST WEEKLY, UM, FOR COORDINATION AND PLANNING AND, UM, LOOKING AT DATA, DECIDING ON PRIORITIES FOR FUNDING. 
          UM, SO I'D SAY WE WORK VERY CLOSELY AS FAR AS SHARING THE METRICS AND THE PROGRESS. 
          UM, WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU OR WITH THE ENTIRE GROUP TO SHARE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE. 
          AND WE'RE WORKING ON THE, FROM THIS LAST YEAR, IT'LL BE DONE BY THE END OF THIS MONTH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'VE, I'VE, UM, OVER, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, I'VE BEEN A, A PRETTY, UH, VOCAL CRITIC ABOUT, UH, THE MONEY SITUATION. 
          AND, UH, THE DOLLARS RANGED ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO $80 MILLION A YEAR THAT WE SPEND HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR A POINT IN TIME COUNT OF AROUND 2,800 PEOPLE. 
          AND THAT, THAT SHOULD BE, UM, ALARMING TO ANYONE ON HOW MUCH MONEY THAT WE ARE PUTTING INTO THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THAT. 
          UM, UH, OUR, OUR REPORT, OR THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER, UH, NOT LONG AGO, IN FACT, UH, BY A COMPANY FROM SAN FRANCISCO, UM, ONE OF THEIR MAIN TENANTS IN THAT STRATEGIC PLAN WAS THAT WE NEED MORE MONEY. 
          AND TO ME, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE. 
          I MEAN, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE, THE ANSWER THAT WE GET FROM EVERYTHING IS THAT WE NEED MORE MONEY. 
          UH, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. 
          I THINK THAT WE, YOU KNOW, 80 MILLION, 50 TO $80 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE DO NOT USE WISELY. 
          WE DON'T COORDINATE AMONGST THE AGENCIES WELL ENOUGH. 
          WE DON'T GATHER THINGS TOGETHER TO FOCUS IN ON WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. 
          HOW DO WE GO AFTER THAT PROBLEM AS A GROUP AND NOT THESE INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE CITY AND THE STATE. 
          SO I'M, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THIS ON HOW WE'RE FOCUSING OUR EFFORTS, NOT INDIVIDUALLY, NOT WITH STATE AGENCIES, NOT WITH CITY AGENCIES, NOT WITH NONPROFITS, BUT HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER AS A WHOLE TO FOCUS IN ON THE PROBLEM AND HELP REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING OUT THERE? BECAUSE MY QUESTION IS ALWAYS, WELL, HOW MUCH MONEY IS ENOUGH? WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING $80 MILLION A YEAR THAT'S HERE IN THIS CITY. 
          HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? HOW MUCH MORE DO WE NEED TO SPEND $160 MILLION, $200 MILLION? WHAT, WHAT IS ENOUGH? AND AT WHAT POINT DO WE GET, UM, UM, A POINT OF NON, UM, REDUCING THE, NOT, NOT REDUCING THE NUMBERS TO ME, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU PUT INTO IT, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET TO ZERO. 
          WHAT, WHAT IS THAT POINT AND WHERE, WHERE SHOULD BE WE BE WORKING TOWARDS? I, I'M JUST VENTING HERE A LITTLE BIT. 
          I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR, UH, FOUR YEARS NOW. 
          AND, UH, THE ANSWER ALWAYS COMES BACK IS WE NEED MORE MONEY. 
          AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE ISSUE, NOT WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY PUTTING TOWARDS, TOWARDS THIS ISSUE. 
          SO, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING, UH, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE ON WHAT THE STATE IS DOING, TRYING TO, UM, HARNESS THESE ENERGIES AND RESOURCES AND FOCUS MORE AND WORKING, UH, ACROSS THE SPECTRUM INSTEAD OF ALL THESE STOVE PIPES, UH, ACROSS, UH, ALL THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T WORK TOGETHER. 
          SO I'LL GET OFF MY SOAPBOX FOR RIGHT NOW, AND, UH, APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          HI, THE, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, THOSE WERE EXCELLENT COMMENTS. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, UH, KATIE, UH, ERIC, NICK, WE INVITED Y'ALL HERE TO, TO GIVE US A, A SORT OF A CROSS SECTION OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON WITH A LENS OF, UH, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, RIGHT. 
          AND ALL THE BILLS THAT YOU GUYS ARE MONITORING. 
          YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB TODAY. 
          YOU REALLY GAVE US A, A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD, UH, AS FAR AS WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU. 
          AIR, UM, JEFF AND CARLOS, I THINK THAT WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DO. 
          AND I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BAKE INTO OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, SOME OF THEIR PRIORITIES. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, AND, UH, I, I, I HOPE THAT, UH, ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES GOT GOT SOMETHING OUT OF THIS. 
          I KNOW I DID. 
          KATIE, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. 
          I KNOW THAT YOU GOT, UH, YOU GOTTA GO SAVE THE WORLD. 
          AND SO I, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL CUT YOU LOOSE. 
          OKAY. 
          . 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, I'LL 
          [00:40:01]
FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THOSE METRICS. 
          ALRIGHT, GREAT. 
          NOW, JEFF, WE'VE INVITED SOME SUPERINTENDENTS TO THIS PHONE CALL. 
          YES. 
          UH, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. 
          SORRY TO INTERRUPT. 
          UM, OUR, 
          [3. 21-1631 Federal Update on: • Administration Actions & Cabinet • COVID Relief Package • Infrastructure Plan]
OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR FEDERAL, UH, PRESENTATION. 
          AND I WAS GONNA, WE WERE GONNA MIX THIS INTO THAT DISCUSSION, UH, BUT, UH, AT LEAST ONE OF OUR SUPERINTENDENTS NEEDS TO JUMP OFF AT 11 O'CLOCK, SO I THINK WE'LL JUST ADDRESS IT HERE FIRST. 
          UM, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA HAD ASKED AT THE B SESSION PRESENTATION ON OUR FEDERAL AGENDA, UH, HOW THE, UH, RELIEF ACT MONEY THAT WAS APPROVED BY CONGRESS IN DECEMBER IS IMPACTING SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 
          UH, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY WAS BEING DRAWN DOWN AND WHAT WERE THEY USING WITH IT? UH, AND THE SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH MY COUNTERPARTS AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE SHORT ANSWER IS IT HAS NOT, UH, THAT MONEY HAS FLOWED TO THE STATE, BUT NOT DOWN TO THE DISTRICTS. 
          AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN RIGHT NOW THAT THE STATE MIGHT USE THAT FUNDING TO JUST, UH, SUPPLANT, UH, ITS PRIOR COMMITMENTS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING AS OPPOSED TO SUPPLEMENTING THAT FUNDING TO HELP DISTRICTS DEAL WITH PANDEMIC ISSUES. 
          SO, UH, DR. 
          MICAH AND, UH, AND PA FROM ANY I S D, PEDRO MARTINEZ FROM S A I S D, AND JULIA G GRARD, THE BEXAR COUNTY EDUCATION COALITION, ARE ON THE CALL. 
          AND, UH, AND I THOUGHT THEY COULD ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR YOU HERE BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR FEDERAL PRESENTATION. 
          WONDERFUL, THANK YOU. 
          SO, LET'S, LET'S GO, UH, AROUND THE HORN AND MAKE SURE THAT MY COLLEAGUES GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, PEPPER, UH, THE TWO SUPERINTENDENTS WITH, UH, WITH THE TOUGH QUESTIONS. 
          UM, CO-CHAIR RODRIGUEZ, ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR SUPERS? YOU KNOW, NOTHING COMES TO MIND RIGHT NOW. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR TIME AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE SCHOOLS. 
          I KNOW THAT, UH, FROM THE COUNTY'S PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH, WITH QUITE A FEW OF YOU ON THE, UH, TESTING THROUGH COMMUNITY LABS. 
          BUT, BUT NO QUESTIONS NOW. 
          I'LL, UH, RESPECT YOUR TIME AND, AND I'M SURE THE, THE COUNCIL PERSONS HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          SURE. 
          TERRIFIC. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          UH, DEBERRY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR SUPERINTENDENTS? OKAY, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. 
          VRAN, YOU'RE UP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE ALL THE TOUGH QUESTIONS. 
          I'M JUST KIDDING. 
          I DON'T, UM, I DID, I DID WANNA ASK YOU ALL, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING AT, IF YOU'VE SEEN OUR FEDERAL AGENDA, OUR FEDERAL, UM, PRIORITIES IS SPECIFICALLY ON, UM, BROADBAND DIGITAL DIVIDE. 
          BUT LOOKING AT OUR FEDERAL DOLLARS, I'D REALLY LIKE TO HEAR YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, BROADBAND ACCESS, UM, GETTING NOT JUST THE, UM, THE INTERNET TO PEOPLE, BUT ALSO THE HARDWARE, UM, THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. 
          SO WE'LL START WITH, UM, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT, UH, AS SUPERINTENDENT MARTINEZ, SO WE'LL START WITH YOU AND THEN GO AROUND. 
          YES. 
          UH, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROUD OF THE FACT THAT, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, MADE SURE THAT EVERY ONE OF OUR CHILDREN HAS DEVICE, HAS NOT ONLY A DEVICE, BUT ACTUALLY ACCESS TO THE INTERNET. 
          UH, IN FACT, WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE FOR OUR YOUNGER CHILDREN, THEY EVEN HAVE MULTIPLE DEVICES. 
          WE GET, WE HAVE IPADS AS WELL AS CHROMEBOOKS BASED ON THE NEED OF TEACHERS AND THE CHILDREN. 
          SO WE FEEL LIKE WE ISSUE, UH, AND OF COURSE WE WERE, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL TECHNOLOGY BOND IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH OVERWHELMING SUPPORT. 
          SO WE CAN SUSTAIN THAT. 
          AND THEN THE CITY, FRANKLY, HAS BEEN AN AMAZING PARTNER TO, UH, BECAUSE WE GOT HOTSPOTS. 
          AND, BUT THE CHALLENGE WITH HOTSPOTS IS THOSE ARE NOT AS RELIABLE. 
          AND WHAT'S GREAT IS THROUGH THE CITY, UH, UH, THROUGH THIS REALLY ENOUGH FOR THE CITY, WE ARE GETTING NOW CABLING INTO THE HOMES IN SOME OF OUR POOREST NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          SO WE STARTED WITH THE WEST SIDE. 
          SO WHAT'S EXCITING IS WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING AND COLLECTING HOTSPOTS NOW AND GIVING THEM ROUTERS AND THROUGH THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          UM, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO WATCH OVER TIME, BECAUSE WE REALLY DO HAVE A SHOCK TO ELIMINATE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF ACCESS, BUT ACTUALLY GIVING THEM STABLE INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          UH, AND SO THE CITY IS ACTUALLY, UH, PROVIDING SUPPORT TO PAY FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF SERVICE FOR THE FAMILIES. 
          WE GOT THE COST DOWN TO $10, BUT WE ALSO GOT THE STATE TO ALSO SIGN ON AS WELL. 
          SO, SO I THINK GOING FORWARD, I THINK THAT THE ONLY QUESTION WILL BE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAINTAIN THAT $10 MONTHLY FEE FOR FAMILIES GOING FORWARD? BUT I JUST LOVE THE FACT THAT THE WIRING IS GOING INTO THE BUILDINGS, INTO THE HOUSE, INTO THE ACTUAL HOUSES. 
          'CAUSE THAT IS JUST SO EXPENSIVE. 
          UH, AND I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE AROUND THE MONTHLY FEES, BUT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, NEED SOMEBODY TO DO THAT. 
          AND SO THAT'S HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK. 
          IT IS OPEN FOR ANY OTHER, UH, SUPERINTENDENT. 
          UH, MS. GRARD, 
          [00:45:02]
I THINK YOU'RE ON MUTE. 
          NO, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU YET, MIKE, OUT OF, OUT OF NORTHEAST. 
          AND JULIA, AS YOU'RE, AS YOU'RE WRESTLING WITH YOUR TECHNOLOGY, UM, I CAN JUST SPEAK A A LITTLE BIT FOR JULIA IN THE FACT THAT, UH, THE, HER, THE ORGANIZATION THAT JULIA HEADS UP, UH, MYSELF, PEDRO, UH, NORTHSIDE, MANY DISTRICTS AROUND THE AREA ARE ON, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES, UH, OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES MOVING FORWARD. 
          UM, I'VE SAT ON OPERATION CONNECTIVITY SINCE ITS ONSET, UH, BACK LAST YEAR WHEN, UH, THIS BECAME REALLY A, A HUGE TOPIC. 
          AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BEXAR COUNTY AREA, UH, WHAT WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO DO IS, UH, HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, RELIABLE CONNECTIVITY, AS PEDRO SPOKE ABOUT, UH, HOTSPOTS, THOSE ARE NOT THE ANSWERS. 
          UH, UNFORTUNATELY, AS WE MOVED OUTSIDE OF THE URBAN CORE AND WE GOT INTO DISTRICTS SUCH AS, UH, SOUTHWEST, UH, EDGEWOOD AND P PLACES LIKE THAT, THOSE HOTSPOTS JUST WERE NOT RELIABLE. 
          NOT ONLY THAT, BUT ONCE YOU ARE HAVING MULTIPLE IN A FAMILY WITH MULTIPLE KIDS, ONE HOTSPOT SIMPLY WAS NOT ALLOWING THE STREAMING OF, OF VIDEO THROUGH THAT. 
          SO, AS PEDRO TOUCHED UPON, THE CITY HAS BEEN GREAT. 
          WE PARTNERED AS WELL IN SEVERAL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          BUT, UM, THESE ARE THOSE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO START LOOKING AT AS, AS THAT, UH, INTERNET AND RELIABLE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET IS, IS JUST LIKE WATER AND ELECTRICITY. 
          IT IS THAT ESSENTIAL IN TODAY'S WORLD. 
          AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT COUNCILWOMAN, ABOUT, UM, DEVICES, AND I THINK THAT'S THE PIECE THAT WE ALSO ALL NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT. 
          AND, UH, I SAT ON A PANEL LAST WEEK WITH T C E A, THE, THE COMPUTER EDUCATION ASSOCIATION FOR TEXAS. 
          AND I MENTIONED ON THERE THAT REALLY WE HAVE AN ALLOTMENT CALLED I M A INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ALLOTMENT. 
          AND COULD IT POSSIBLY BE THAT THE STATE ACTUALLY ADDS MONEY IN THERE FOR DEVICES MOVING FORWARD, UH, SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST SIMPLY RELYING ON BONDS. 
          NOT EVERY DISTRICT AROUND NEEDS A BOND ISSUE, BUT THAT WE HAVE SUSTAINABLE MONEY MOVING FORWARD THAT'S EARMARKED FOR THAT, AS TO REPLACE THOSE DEVICES, UH, AS AS THEY BECOME OLDER AND OUTDATED. 
          JULIA, ARE YOU WORKING? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. 
          IT WOULDN'T BE A VIRTUAL MEETING IF SOMEONE DIDN'T STRUGGLE WITH MUTE. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE THE INVITATION, AND THANK YOU, DR. 
          MICAH, UM, FOR SHARING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION. 
          WE HAVE 16 DISTRICTS ACROSS BEXAR COUNTY THAT WE REPRESENT. 
          AND, UM, I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION. 
          UH, COUNCILWOMAN, ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES, AS DR. 
          MICAH MENTIONED, IS CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND WORKING WITH OUR STATE COUNTERPARTS, UM, TO REALLY PUSH AND SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT DOES JUST THAT. 
          UM, THE TWO, UM, INCREDIBLE SUPERINTENDENTS WHO ARE A PART OF OUR COALITION HAVE ALREADY REALLY COVERED A LOT OF THE ISSUES. 
          UM, BUT I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT THIS SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY REGION IS REALLY LEADING IN THIS CONVERSATION. 
          WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO JOIN A LOT OF COALITIONS TO TALK ABOUT OUR CONNECTED BEYOND THE CLASSROOM PROJECT, UM, AND OUR PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH THE STATE TO REALLY MOVE THIS FORWARD. 
          WE ARE CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT NOT JUST BEING CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET, BUT CONNECTED TO HIGH SPEED BROADBAND. 
          AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONTINUED PUSH BACK AND FORTH AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT WE ARE IN A CONNECTED STATE, WHEN IN FACT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT CONNECTED TO HIGH SPEED. 
          AND SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE MAKE THAT DEFINITION MORE NUANCED AT THE STATE SO WE CAN REFLECT REALLY THE INEQUITIES THAT A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING ACROSS THE REGION. 
          UM, DR. 
          MICAH AND SUPERINTENDENT MARTINEZ ALSO REVIEWED THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO, UM, UH, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ONGOING COSTS THAT THESE DEVICES WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND IN OUR SCHOOLS. 
          UM, AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE AS A PART OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, PART OF ONGOING COST OF EDUCATION, BUT ALSO PART OF ONGOING, UM, COST OF, OF BEING A PART OF AN INCREASINGLY, UH, PRESENT ONLINE WORLD, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE ONGOING PARTNERSHIP. 
          UM, AND, AND WE'RE TRACKING, WE'RE DOING ONGOING TRACKING OF A LOT OF BILLS. 
          UM, WE'D LOVE TO, IF YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED, UM, COME BACK WHEN APPROPRIATE TO PRESENT ON, UM, THINGS THAT WE ARE TRACKING IN THE CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ARENA, AND SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, ITEMS THAT WE'RE TRACKING FOR EDUCATION FOR OUR SCHOOLS. 
          THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, CHAIR. 
          I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT. 
          SO THANK YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN PERRY, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? 
          [00:50:01]
NO, NOT, NOT OTHER THAN SAYING THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR, UH, UH, TRYING TO, UH, PROVIDE A QUALITY EDUCATION DURING THIS PANDEMIC. 
          I KNOW IT'S TOUGH ON EVERYBODY. 
          UH, A LOT OF CONCERNS BY PARENTS AS WELL AS TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. 
          UM, UH, I LEARNED NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT, UH, THE, THE VACCINES ARE JUST AS HARD TO COME BY IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS THEY ARE OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LIGHT'S AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL ON THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE INNOVATIONS AND MORE, UH, WAYS OF DOING YOUR BUSINESS ON EDUCATING THE KIDS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR WHAT Y'ALL DO ON A DAILY BASIS. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, UM, I, I FOUND TWO BENEFITS FROM, UH, FROM HAVING OUR SUPERINTENDENTS AND, UH, MS. GRARD HERE. 
          AND THAT IS, UM, WE GOT TO LEARN ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND AND WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT. 
          AND I'M, I FEEL REASSURED THAT THE CITY IS, UH, POINTED ITS SHIP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH, UH, IN CONNECTION WITH THE, UH, YOU KNOW, DIGITAL DIVIDE, CONNECTIVITY, INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING. 
          IT'S NEVER ENOUGH. 
          BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DO THINK THAT THESE FIRST STEPS ARE GONNA BE IMPORTANT IN, UH, ACCOMPLISHING THE GOAL THAT WE'RE ALL CHASING. 
          THE SECOND THING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT, UM, IS THE FACT THAT OUR SUPERINTENDENTS GOT TO SIT THROUGH THAT PRESENTATION, UM, PRE, YOU KNOW, BY, UH, SARAH AND, UH, OUR HOMELESSNESS ADVOCATES. 
          UH, I, THAT WAS NOT THE INTENTION, BUT, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS, UH, IS A VERY, VERY REAL PROBLEM THAT ALSO CRASHES UP ONTO Y'ALL SHORES. 
          AND PEDRO AND SEAN, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE YOUR CONSTITUENTS AS WELL, UH, AND PREVENTING, YOU KNOW, KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS FROM GOING HOMELESS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, A STRUGGLE. 
          I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE FAMILY SPECIALISTS AND COUNSELORS WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS, UH, AROUND THE CLOCK. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, THERE SEEMS TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, HAVING LISTENED TO THAT PRESENTATION FOR THE CITY TO DO A BETTER JOB AND THE COUNTY TO DO A BETTER JOB AT COORDINATING WITH THE ALL DIRECTLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ADULT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AS IT RELATES TO HOMELESSNESS ALSO. 
          AND SO, UM, I'M, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT YOU GUYS HAVING BEEN HERE AND, AND BEEN ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM, FROM HEARING THAT, UH, PEDRO, YOU FIRST CLOSING ARGUMENTS, UH, YOU HAVE ANY, ANYTHING YOU WANNA THROW AT US BEFORE WE WE MOVE ON? YEAH, SO, SO HERE'S WHERE I AM GONNA ASK YOUR HELP. 
          UM, AND I WANNA GO BACK TO THE CORE ISSUE THAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT. 
          SO, SO LET ME JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. 
          UM, SO RIGHT NOW IN OUR DISTRICT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE SERVE ALONG WITH EDGE, WITH THE ZIP CODES THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST POSITIVITY RATES AND HIGHEST CASES. 
          OUR DEATH RATES ARE HIGHER THAN THEY ARE IN THE NORTH AND OTHER AFFLUENT AREAS IN THE SOUTH, UH, WHERE CONSEQUE GRANT IS AT, IT'S THREE TIMES HIGHER. 
          SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND SO AGAIN, WE, WE SEE THAT. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN VERY CONSERVATIVE IN THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN INTO OUR BUILDINGS. 
          UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO ALLOW MORE CHILDREN TO COME IN BECAUSE WORKING WITH DR. 
          WU, FINALLY WE GOT BACK INTO THE YELLOW ZONE WITH THE POSITIVITY RATE HITTING BELOW 10%. 
          BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING VERY CLEARLY IS, UH, OUR FAILURE RATES ARE HIGH. 
          UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE HIGHEST WE'VE EVER SEEN. 
          UH, I FEEL LIKE I'M BACK SIX YEARS AGO WHEN, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUR REFORMS, 80% OF IT IS COMING FROM OUR KIDS THAT ARE REMOTE. 
          UH, AND IT'S, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE TEACHERS ARE NOT WORKING HARD OR TEACHERS ARE WORKING LONG HOURS. 
          I'M WORRIED ABOUT THEM BURNING OUT. 
          UH, THEY, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY IS A STRUGGLE AND IT REALLY IS JUST THE FACT THAT LIVING CONDITIONS, OTHER CONDITIONS IN THE FAMILY DO NOT PROMOTE REMOTE UH, LEARNING. 
          THEY JUST DON'T. 
          AND IT GOES BACK TO ALL THE CHALLENGES WE'VE ALWAYS STRUGGLED AS A COMMUNITY. 
          UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, OUR SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN OPEN AND, AND I REALLY CREDIT, NOT ONLY SEAN, BUT ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE REGION, THEY'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB IN KEEPING THE CHILDREN SAFE WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP. 
          UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, CON, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ AND THE, AND THE COUNTY FOR SUPPORTING COMMUNITY LABS, WE ARE DOING THINGS THAT VERY FEW IN THE COUNTRY ARE DOING RIGHT NOW. 
          WE'RE, WE HAVE TESTING IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. 
          WE HAVE GOOD DATA, AND WE CAN SEE WHAT THE RATES ARE FOR BOTH STAFF AND CHILDREN. 
          OUR POSITIVITY RATE IS, IS 0.3, UH, PERCENT, WHICH IS LESS THAN 1%, THREE OF A PERCENT, EVEN THOUGH THE COMMUNITY RATE HAS BEEN VERY HIGH. 
          WE SPIKED UP TO ABOUT 1% RIGHT AFTER NEW YEAR'S, BUT THAT WAS THE HIGHEST WE SAW. 
          AND WE DO ALL OF OUR OWN CONTACT TRACING. 
          AND IT ALL, SADLY, IS ALL FAMILY RELATED. 
          IT'S ALL, UH, LITERALLY LIKE HOUSEHOLD RELATED, COMMUNITY EVENT RELATED. 
          LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NOT SEEN REALLY TRANSMISSION AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL. 
          AND SO FOR US, SO WE HAVE THESE, THESE PIECES, RIGHT? SO WE KNOW, BUT IT IS MORE, I'LL TELL YOU, IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN EVER TO KEEP THE SCHOOLS OPEN BECAUSE 
          [00:55:01]
WE ARE VERY STRICT IN TERMS OF QUARANTINE FOLKS, WHENEVER THERE'S A CASE, BECAUSE WE DO GET THE CASES WE HAVE TO QUARANTINE KIDS, WE HAVE TO QUARANTINE STAFF, WE HAVE TO, WE'VE ADDED A LOT OF LONG-TERM SUBSTITUTES TO HELP US THAT ARE ACTUALLY AT THE BUILDING SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE MULTIPLE PEOPLE COMING INTO THE BUILDINGS. 
          SO BOTTOM LINE IS WE'RE INCURRING MORE MONEY, MORE COST THAN EVER TO KEEP THE SCHOOLS OPEN. 
          THAT'S NUMBER ONE. 
          NUMBER TWO, UH, OUR STATE, UNLIKE OTHER STATES, HAS NOT ACTUALLY HELD OUR FUNDING FARMERS AT ALL. 
          UH, THEY PLAY, THEY TALK ABOUT WHOLE FARMERS. 
          IT IS A MESS. 
          UH, WHAT THEY DID IS THEY, THEY ALLOWED SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE FUNDING TO BE, UH, RESTORED FOR ATTENDANCE, WHICH IS A, A PORTION OF THE FUNDING FOR THE FIRST SEMESTER. 
          AND THEY USED THE FIRST, UH, THE FIRST ROUND OF FEDERAL FUNDING TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT EVEN THOUGH IT'S MEANT FOR HIGH POVERTY KIDS, BY THE WAY. 
          SO EVEN WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT SO THAT WE CAN KEEP YOUR FUNDING WHOLE NEXT YEAR. 
          THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID TO US LAST SPRING. 
          AND SO ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, SAID, YEAH, OKAY. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          AND BY THE WAY, DISTRICTS LIKE MINE WERE THE ONES THAT GOT HIT THE HARDEST BECAUSE WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN A, A, A HIGH PROPORTION OF THAT FUNDING AS WELL AS EDGEWOOD AND SOUTH SAN AND HARLANDALE. 
          BUT AGAIN, WE SAID, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT WE'LL DO, IT'S WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE STATE, RIGHT? SO THEY'LL KEEP IT, BUT OUR FUNDING WILL BE NOT ONLY INTACT FOR US, BUT FOR NORTHEAST, FOR NORTH SIDE, ET CETERA. 
          IT WAS A MYTH. 
          SO THEY ONLY KEPT, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL 10, NONE OF THE, NONE OF THE POVERTY FUNDING, NONE OF THE SPECIAL ED FUNDING, NONE OF THOSE EXTRA FUNDS FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE EXTRA NEEDS EVER, EVER HAS EVER BEEN A HARM'S. 
          AND SO, SEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, BRIAN AND NORTH SAID, IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT, HE SAID, OH MY GOD, WE'RE LOSING $20 MILLION JUST ON THAT PIECE. 
          UM, AND SO AGAIN, SO I JUST ENCOURAGE MY COUSIN LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, IN YOUR FINANCES. 
          SO AGAIN, SO THEN SER TWO GOT PASSED. 
          SO THE SECOND RELIEF PACKAGE GOT PASSED FOR EDUCATION ALONE. 
          IT WAS FOUR TIMES HIGHER THAN THE FIRST PACKAGE. 
          SO THINK ABOUT THAT. 
          FOUR TIMES HIGHER. 
          HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE WE SEEN? ZERO. 
          WE HAVE SEEN ZERO. 
          AND I'VE ACTUALLY MADE A CASE TO THE, YOU KNOW, DIRECTLY TO THE PATIENT AND SAID, LOOK, I EVEN SHOWED HIM LIKE ALL THE ADDITIONAL COSTS WE'VE INCURRED THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE NOT SUBJECT TO REIMBURSEMENT. 
          'CAUSE WE CAN'T GO TO FEMA AND GET THESE COSTS BACK. 
          THE ADDITIONAL COSTS WERE INCURRING. 
          AND IN FACT, WHAT WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM LEGISLATIVE LEADERS IS, WHAT'S YOUR FAULT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE KIDS FOLKS, THE, THE KIDS THAT WERE DOWN IN ENROLLMENT, AND THIS IS NATIONWIDE, THE MAJORITY OF PRE-K AND KINDERGARTNERS, BECAUSE THOSE ARE NON-MANDATORY GRADES AND FAMILIES ARE NOT GONNA BRING IN THEIR KIDS IN A PANDEMIC AND THEY'RE GONNA PUT THEIR KIDS ON A COMPUTER. 
          THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO IT. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          IT IS JUST NOT WORTH IT FOR THEM. 
          EVEN FOR WORKING FAMILIES, WHEN YOUNG CHIL, THEY TELL ME HOW MUCH OF A STRUGGLE IT IS IN THEIR HOMES. 
          IT IS TENSE. 
          THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO IT. 
          AND SO, INCLUDING, INCLUDING SOME OF OUR LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, THEY'RE, WHEN YOUNG CHILDREN, THEY THEMSELVES ARE SAYING THAT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE, BUT YET THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING OUT AND SAYING, IT'S YOUR FAULT DISTRICT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE KIDS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW WHAT, AND THE, AND THE FEDERAL PACKAGES ALLOW THE STATES TO KEEP ALL THE MONEY AS LONG AS THEY DON'T CUT THE STUDENT RATES SO THEY CAN CUT YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE LESS CHILDREN AND THEY DON'T, AND, AND THEY CAN EVEN NOT GIVE YOU SPECIAL ED MONEY OR POVERTY MONEY BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE CHILDREN PER SE. 
          BUT MEANWHILE, UH, BUT, AND SO THEY, AND THEY GET TO KEEP IT ALL. 
          A THIRD PACKAGE IS ABOUT TO COME. 
          AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT A FORTUNE TELLER, BUT I THINK IT'S A 99.9, 99.9 PROBABILITY IT'S GONNA PASS. 
          THAT PACKAGE IS EVEN GONNA BE BIGGER AND THE STATE AND THE CITIES ARE GONNA GET A PACKAGE FROM THAT. 
          OUR STATE WILL GET THE SECOND BIGGEST PACKAGE, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE ONE OF THE SMALLEST STATE DEFICITS IN THE COUNTRY, AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THIS EDUCATION PACKAGE. 
          SO MY, SO I, THE REASON I AM SHARING THIS, AND I'M SOUNDING THE ALARM BELLS, I'M NOT A GOOD JUDGE ABOUT ETHICS AND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, INTEGRITY AND HOW THINGS WORK WITH ALL THE POLITICS HERE IN OUR STATE. 
          I'M NOT, I JUST HAVEN'T BEEN HERE THAT LONG. 
          I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE SIX YEARS. 
          I'M IN TEXAS. 
          BUT I AM FEARFUL BASED ON CURRENT ACTIONS THAT I'M SEEING AND THE RANKER THAT I'M SEEING IN THE POLITICS THAT ARE PLAYING OUT THAT, AGAIN, THAT OUR, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE GONNA GET SHORTCHANGED SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, LEADERS LIKE MYSELF AND SEAN. 
          WE'RE DOING, WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, AND OUR TEACHERS ARE DOING GOD'S WORK AND GOD'S WORK, KEEPING THE SCHOOLS OPEN. 
          WE WANT, AND WE'RE GONNA BRING IN MORE CHILDREN TO MAKE SURE THAT ACADEMICALLY WE DO NOT LOSE 'EM, BUT WE NEED RESOURCES. 
          IT'S THAT SIMPLE. 
          AND THE CITY AND, AND THE CITY AND COUNTY, YOU'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB BEING OUR ALLIES. 
          WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT AT THE STATE LEVEL. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, I JUST SOUND THE ALARM BELL SEAN AGAIN, I DON'T, I DON'T MEAN TO TAKE ALL THE TIME, BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT TO EVERYBODY. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE HAD YOU OUT HERE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU AND ONLY YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW DIFFICULT THIS IS. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE LEARN A LOT FROM LISTENING TO YOU, SEAN, CLOSING ARGUMENTS. 
          YEAH. 
          I'M JUST GONNA PIGGYBACK ON, ON WHAT PEDRO, UH, SPOKE ABOUT. 
          [01:00:01]
UM, SO LET ME GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS FOR THE NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          SER ONE, WHEN IT CAME OUT, HAD APPROXIMATELY 11 AND A HALF MILLION FOR NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          WE SAW $0 SER TWO THAT WAS PASSED IN DECEMBER TO HELP US DEAL WITH THIS PANDEMIC IS APPROXIMATE OF JUST NORTH OF 48 MILLION. 
          WE'VE SEEN $0 FROM, FROM THAT AT THIS TIME. 
          SO WHY IS THAT ALL IMPORTANT, RIGHT? LIKE, I, I DON'T WANT TO JUST SIT HERE AND SAY WE NEED MORE AND MORE. 
          I'M, I, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU HAVE HEARD THOSE CASES, BUT LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU THE WHY. 
          AND PEDRO TALKED ABOUT WE'RE FACING, UH, UNPRECEDENTED, UH, LEARNING GAPS WITH OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS WHO COME FROM POVERTY. 
          WHILE PEDRO AND I HAVE BOTH, UH, GONE AFTER STATE PASS AND HOUSE BILL THREE, WHICH IS AN EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR ALLOTMENT THAT GIVES US HALF A D A HALF OF THE MONEY FOR A DAY FOR STUDENTS IN K FIVE TO INTERVENE. 
          THE PROBLEM IS THERE IS NO MECHANISM TO GO AFTER TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN SIX THROUGH 12. 
          WHAT WE'RE SEEING ALREADY IN OUR FRESHMAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IS THEY ARE ALREADY WAY OFF TRACK FOR GRADUATION. 
          WITHOUT THAT TYPE OF MONEY TO START PLANNING, WE HAVE SIMPLY NO WAY TO FIGURE OUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO GIVE THESE RESOURCES BECAUSE WE'RE RESPONDING TO A PANDEMIC THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, AS PEDRO SAID, UH, THEY DID NOT HOLD HARMLESS. 
          UH, THEY DID IN SOME WAYS, BUT IN OTHER WAYS THEY DIDN'T. 
          BUT WE, WE DIDN'T BREAK EVEN. 
          IN FACT, OUR CALCULATIONS SHOW US GETTING 5 MILLION LESS DOLLARS THAN WE ANTICIPATED DOING. 
          SO WE'RE HAVING TO RESPOND TO THESE THINGS AND, AND THESE BARRIERS WITH LESS MONEY IN NO IDEA OF WHEN THAT MONEY WILL BE ALLOCATED. 
          BECAUSE ACCORDING TO ESSER, THEY DON'T HAVE TO, TO DISPERSE IT UNTIL 2022 AND SO OF JANUARY. 
          SO THEY'RE ASKING US TO DO A HUGE LIFT HERE, UH, WITH NO REAL, UH, ASSURANCE THAT THOSE MONIES ARE GOING TO BE THERE. 
          AND THEN, UH, PEDRO, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME POLITICS COMING INTO PLAY HERE, AND THEY'RE SAYING, LOOK AT THIS WINDFALL THAT YOU'RE GETTING. 
          AND IT'S SIMPLY NOT TRUE BECAUSE, UH, THEY DO A VERY, UH, NICE JOB OF TAKING A VERY COMPLEX SYSTEM THAT IS SCHOOL FINANCE AND BOILING IT DOWN TO IT'S SEEMINGLY A VERY RUDIMENTARY, UH, COMPONENT. 
          AND IT'S SIMPLY NOT THAT WAY. 
          IT'S EXTREMELY COMPLEX. 
          IT'S VERY HARD FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND IT. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THIS MONEY COMING TO US, AND AS PEDRO SAID, UH, WHEN THE THREE HAPPENS, UH, IT COULD BE DOUBLE. 
          WHAT I ALREADY SAID IN SR TWO IS LOOKING AT, UH, WHERE IS THAT MONEY GOING AND HOW ARE THEY GOING TO ALLOW US AS, AS LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO RESPOND? BECAUSE WHAT THE STATE HAS DONE IN THE PAST IS HELD THIS MONEY BACK AND ARE GIVING US WHAT THEY BELIEVE THE PRESCRIPTION IS FOR 1100 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE. 
          AND THAT SIMPLY IS NOT A GOOD SOLUTION. 
          UM, SOUTHWEST NEEDS DIFFERENT THINGS THAN PEDRO, AND I NEED DIFFERENT THINGS THAN PEDRO AS WELL. 
          WHILE WE HAVE SOME SIMILARITIES, YOU SIMPLY CANNOT GIVE US ALL TYLENOL, UM, FOR FIVE DIFFERENT, UH, TREATMENTS HERE. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT THE STATE'S TRYING TO DO. 
          SO I, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL GIVING US TIME THIS MORNING. 
          I APPRECIATE, UH, ANY ADVOCACY THAT YOU CAN, UH, FOR US IN, IN, IN OUR QUEST TO REALLY JUST, UM, MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS, BECAUSE AS YOU ALL WELL KNOW, IF OUR SCHOOLS ARE NOT RESPONDING AND OUR KIDS ARE NOT COMING OUT PREPARED, THEY'RE SIMPLY NOT GOING TO BE, UH, PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE IN OUR AREA. 
          AND, AND ALL OF US, PEDRO AND MYSELF, BRIAN WOODS, AND WE ARE ALL TRYING TO BUILD PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WHETHER THEY SEEK HIGHER ED OR WHETHER THEY ENTER THE WORKFORCE. 
          AND, UH, WE'RE ALL SOMEWHAT FEARFUL NOW THAT, THAT THIS PANDEMIC HAS DEFINITELY SET THESE STUDENTS BEHIND, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE RESOURCES, UH, TO DO THE INNOVATIVE TYPE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO CATCH THEM BACK UP. 
          SO, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THESE WERE EXCELLENT COMMENTS. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, TO MY COMMITTEE, UM, THIS IS ONE OF THESE COMMITTEES THAT HAS TO ACT VERY FLUIDLY AND AGILE, YOU KNOW, WITH AGILITY TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO, UH, SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES REAL TIME. 
          UM, AND SO JUST KIND OF GOING AROUND THE HORN, WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT, UM, INSTRUCTING JEFF COYLE TO PUT TOGETHER A LETTER, UM, FROM THIS COMMITTEE ADVOCATING, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE, UH, HELP OUT THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAKE THEIR CASE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE PUSH FOR, FOR THE, THE RECOGNITION OF THEIR, OF, OF THIS CRISIS. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, AND SO WOULD ANYBODY OBJECT TO, TO THAT COUNCILMAN VIA AGRO? I WOULDN'T OBJECT CHAIR. 
          I THINK WE HAVE TO DO IT. 
          SO, YES. 
          [01:05:01]
MM-HMM. 
          , PARTICULARLY, OUR TAXPAYERS JUST VOTED FOR A READY TO WORK SA BOND, SO THE VOTERS WANT TO SEE INVESTMENT, AND IF WE'RE NOT DOING IT FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WE'RE JUST SPINNING OUR WHEELS. 
          SO, ABSOLUTELY. 
          CHAIR, CHAIR. 
          GREAT. 
          GOT IT. 
          UH, CO-CHAIR, RODRIGUEZ, YOU OKAY WITH THAT? I SEE A THUMBS UP. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, THUMBS UP. 
          AND THEN, UH, I SEE A THUMBS UP FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, DEBERRY. 
          YEAH. 
          GOOD. 
          ALL RIGHT, JEFF. 
          UH, I THINK YOU GOT SOME CONSENSUS ON THAT. 
          UM, UH, GENTLEMEN, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY. 
          UH, IF, IF YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING, IS YOU'VE SCARED THE HELL OUT OF US, , UH, AND, UH, . 
          UM, AND YOU'VE SPURRED ME TO, TO DO, UM, A A FEW THINGS. 
          I'M GONNA GET WITH OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, QUERY THEM ABOUT THEIR APPETITE, UH, FOR BAKING THIS INTO OUR, OUR STATE AND FEDERAL AGENDA. 
          UM, AND COUNCILMAN AND, YEAH. 
          THE OTHER THING, JUST TO ADD, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW MELISSA'S ON THE LINE TOO. 
          WE, WE, AND WE JUST DISCUSSED OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM TO THE COUNTY YESTERDAY MM-HMM. 
          , UM, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WORKING, ALIGNING THOSE TWO AS WELL, RIGHT? I MEAN, YES. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY HAS A LOT OF WEIGHT, UH, BUT CERTAINLY WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THE COUNTY, UM, HAS, UH, SOME SAY IN INFLUENCES, UH, ABSOLUTELY, UH, POLICY THAT COMES OUTTA DC MORE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE, THE MONEY, UH, THAT, THAT GOES STRAIGHT TO SCHOOL. 
          SO, JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, MY INTERN, UH, WALTER SERNA IS ON THE LINE. 
          UH, AND, UH, WALTER, WE'LL NEED YOU AND THE, THE OTHER LOBBYISTS TO, TO GUIDE US AS, AS FAR AS HOW BEST TO MAKE THIS CASE, UH, UP IN DC. 
          AND SO, UH, GENTLEMEN, I, I THINK THAT'S A COMMITMENT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA GET FROM THIS, FROM THIS COMMITTEE VERY, VERY SOON. 
          LOOK LIKE MY COLLEAGUE HAD SOMETHING TO ADD. 
          OH, YES. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER DEBERRY. 
          I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, UH, FOR THE SUPERINTENDENTS, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED TO DATE? SO THAT'S BEEN SLOW. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER. 
          SO WE'RE AT ABOUT 10% OF OUR STAFF. 
          AND SO, AND WE, WE DESPERATELY NEED AT LEAST 20% OF OUR STAFF TO BE VACCINATED BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE STAFF THAT ARE AT RISK. 
          THEY'RE LITERALLY OVER 65 AND OR HAVE HEALTH RISKS. 
          AND SO WE ARE WORKING WITH UNIVERSITY HEALTH TO TRY TO GET MORE ACCESS. 
          BUT AGAIN, THE SUPPLY HAS BEEN SLOW. 
          UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY OUR STATE HAS NOT BEEN CLEAR ON PRIORITIZING EDUCATORS. 
          UH, OTHER STATES WERE VERY CLEAR. 
          OUR STATE HAS NOT BEEN COMMISSIONER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE, UM, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 1800 TEACHERS, UM, AND SUPPORT STAFF THAT DIRECTLY ASSIST WHAT GOES ON AT OUR CAMPUSES. 
          OF THAT 1800, WE HAVE, UH, JUST LITTLE OVER 50% OF THOSE. 
          AS FAR AS ALL OF MY TEACHERS. 
          I HAVE ABOUT 11% OF THEM VACCINATED AT THIS POINT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, AND, UH, IF YOU CAN'T TELL, COMMISSIONER DEBERRY DID NOT LIKE THOSE ANSWERS, UH, WE, WE NEED, YOU KNOW, WE NEED, WE NEED ALL OF YOUR TEACHERS UHHUH, WE NEED ALL OF YOUR TEACHERS, UH, VACCINATED, UM, GENTLEMEN, YOU GUYS ARE, ARE ROCK STARS. 
          UH, I'LL BE WRITING TO THE VA, UH, TO THE VATICAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE NOMINATE YOU GUYS FOR SAINTHOOD AS WELL. 
          AND SO, UH, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE. 
          UM, GO SAVE THE WORLD, GUYS. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. 
          THANK. 
          SURE. 
          SURE. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. 
          PLEASE KNOW IF WE CAN HELP IN ANY WAY. 
          I HAVE A GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS SPECIALIST AND DEB CALDWELL, WE WILL HELP YOU. 
          I KNOW PEDRO HAS ONE AS WELL. 
          WELL, WE'LL HELP YOU HOWEVER YOU NEED, UM, WITH WHATEVER INFORMATION YOU NEED TO SUPPORT YOUR CASE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, WE'LL, WE'LL NEED TO REACH OUT TO BOTH Y'ALL FOR THAT, JULIA, AS WELL. 
          SO WE'LL DEFINITELY PICK UP ON THAT. 
          THANKS. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR HAVING, UM, US, I KNOW THAT THE, THE 16 AND 17 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY AND COUNTY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN OFFERING, UM, HELP. 
          AND SO IF WE CAN INVITE ANY OF OUR OTHER SUPERINTENDENTS OR CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH, WITH JEFF AND WITH YOU ALL, UM, ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA MOVING FORWARD FOR THE ENTIRE REGION, WE'RE HERE TO PARTNER AND HELP HOWEVER WE CAN. 
          AND AS YOU CAN TELL, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE INCREDIBLE SUPERS. 
          I CALL THEM THE SUPERS 'CAUSE THEY'RE INDEED SUPERHEROES. 
          SO APPRECIATE THE TIME TODAY, CHAIRMAN, REAL SO MUCH. 
          BEFORE, BEFORE THEY JUMP OFF, I JUST WANNA ASK A QUESTION. 
          IF THEY'VE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO THE FEDERAL DELEGATION AND ALL LOCAL, FEDERAL DELEGATION ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY'RE HAVING, HAVE, HAVE YOUR GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS FOLKS REACHED OUT AND TOLD, UH, OUR LOCAL DELEGATION THE PROBLEMS YOU'RE HAVING AT THE STATE LEVEL AND AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL? YOU KNOW, WE, WE WE'RE DEFINITELY HAVING, UH, CON THOSE CONVERSATIONS, SIR, THE CHALLENGE THAT I SEE, AND I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, IS THAT THE GOVERNORS WANT A HUNDRED PERCENT FLEXIBILITY. 
          SO, SO I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THOSE RULES CHANGING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE FAITH THAT THE GOVERNORS WILL DO THE RIGHT THINGS. 
          AND SO THAT'S 
          [01:10:01]
THE UPHILL BATTLE. 
          SO WE, BUT WE ARE SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH OUR, WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES. 
          UM, AND WE ARE, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING MORE AND MORE IS, AGAIN, THE FIGHT IS GOVERNORS WANT ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY. 
          AND SO, SO CONGRESS IS GIVING THEM THAT FLEXIBILITY. 
          THAT'S WHY THEY CAN KEEP THE, THE EDUCATION MONEY IF, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T CUT THE RATES, THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS, IS LEADERSHIP. 
          SO, UH, FEDERAL, UH, LEADERSHIP HAS CHANGED, AND SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU THERE. 
          WHAT WE'LL SEE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          I, AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CREATING A ONE PAGE DOCUMENT THAT ACTUALLY SYNTHESIZES THIS DOWN, UH, INTO, AGAIN, TO TAKE THIS VERY COMPLEX ISSUE AND TRY TO BRING IT DOWN INTO A PRETTY EASY, EASY TERMS TO MOVE IT FORWARD THROUGH THE DELEGATION, UH, BOTH AT FEDERAL AND AT STATE LEVEL. 
          BECAUSE EVEN SOME OF OUR STATE LEGISLATORS, UM, ARE BELIEVING SOME OF THIS STUFF IS FLOWING WHEN IT'S SIMPLY NOT FLOWING THROUGH US. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU EVERYBODY. 
          I KNOW, UM, MY CO-CHAIR, UH, COUNCILMAN PAL HAD TO JUMP OFF. 
          UH, SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM. 
          THANK YOU BOTH. 
          I'M SURE HE'S PROBABLY WORKING ON THAT MEMO, THE POPE AS WE SPEAK. 
          BUT, UH, JEFF, I GUESS THE NEXT 
          [4. 21-1633 State Update on: • 87th Legislative Session • Bills of Interest]
ITEM ON, UH, THE AGENDA CONTINUATION. 
          YEAH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS SORT OF A SIDEBAR TO OUR FEDERAL UPDATE. 
          SO WE'VE GOT A FEDERAL UPDATE AND A STATE UPDATE. 
          A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE TALKED IN THE LAST MONTH, UH, TO YOU AND YOUR FELLOW COMMISSIONER. 
          WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY DUPLICATION TO THE FEDERAL UPDATE YOU HEARD AT COMMISSIONER'S COURT YESTERDAY, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MOVE, UH, REAL QUICKLY THROUGH THIS AND BE RESPECTFUL OF THE 12 O'CLOCK END TIME. 
          SO, SALLY, DO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT AWAY? UH, YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I G R MEMBERS, AS JEFF SAID, UH, FOR TODAY'S BRIEFING, I WILL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE, UM, ACTIONS TO DATE. 
          UH, THE UPDATE, UH, WILL INCLUDE ALSO CABINET NOMINATIONS AND THE, UM, SENATE CONFIRMATIONS TO DATE. 
          THERE IS A FEW, UM, TO SHOWCASE FOR YOU TODAY. 
          ALSO, THE UPDATE WILL INCLUDE, UM, A COVID RELIEF PROPOSAL TITLED THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, UM, AND THE FAST TRACK LEGISLATIVE PROCESS THAT THE LEADERSHIP IS PURSUING FOR A SPEEDY APPROVAL OF THIS BILL. 
          AND I WILL SHARE SOME OF THE DETAILS OF THAT SPECIFIC PROCESS. 
          FINALLY, UM, AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT'S INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN TITLED THE BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN PROPOSAL, AND SOME OF THE ACTION ITEMS, THE PRELIMINARY ACTION ITEMS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN TO POSITION OURSELVES, UM, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, EDUARDO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          FOLLOWING THE INAUGURATION, THE PRESIDENT TOOK A NUMBER OF ACTIONS, AS I'M SURE MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN TRACKING, INCLUDING SIGNING VARIOUS, UH, EXECUTIVE ORDERS. 
          UH, TO DATE, THERE'S BEEN OVER 45, I THINK 49 TO BE EXACT. 
          UM, I WILL HIGHLIGHT HERE, UM, A FEW OF THE, UH, RELEVANT EOS, UM, RELATED TO OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM AND OF IMPORTANCE TO THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, PLEASE NOTE, UM, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS ARE, UH, A STARTING POINT FOR MANY NEW PROCESSES, UM, AND REVIEWS. 
          SO FOR MANY OF THEM, IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME, UH, TO UNFOLD, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRACK THOSE VERY CLOSELY. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          STARTING OFF WITH THE CORONAVIRUS EXECUTIVE ORDERS, I AM GOING TO JUMP AROUND ON THESE, UH, A LITTLE BIT SO THAT, UM, I DON'T DRAW DOWN SO MUCH TIME ON THESE. 
          I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THESE. 
          UM, THE FIRST ONE I'LL TALK ABOUT IS THE C OVID 19 HEALTH EQUITY TASK FORCE. 
          IT ESSENTIALLY ESTABLISHES A TASK FORCE TO PROVIDE, UH, SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE INEQUALITIES AND SPECIFIC, UH, COMMUNITIES. 
          UH, THIS INFORMATION WILL BE REPORTED DIRECTLY TO THE PRESIDENT, AND IT'LL COVER, UM, ETHNICITY, DISABILITIES, AND OTHER IMPORTANT, UM, CONSIDERATIONS FOR POPULATIONS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING INEQUITIES. 
          UM, ON THE CORONAVIRUS FRONT, UM, I'LL SKIP OVER TO THE, UM, VACCINATION SUPPLY SHORTFALLS. 
          SO THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER KICKSTARTED THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT. 
          UM, WHAT THAT DOES IS IT DIRECTED, UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND, UH, HOMELAND SECURITY TO ACCELERATE, UH, MANUFACTURING AND DELIVERY, UH, TO MEET THE SHORTFALLS OF EQUIPMENT VACCINES, UM, AND OTHER, UH, SUPPLIES NEEDED, UH, JUMPING OVER TO THE, UH, EXPANSION OF VACCINE SUPPLY TO STAYS AND TO LAUNCH THE FIRST PHASE OF THE FEDERAL PHARMACY PROGRAM. 
          THIS GOT A LOT OF INTEREST. 
          UM, THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER DIRECTED FEMA TO BEGIN STANDING UP THE FIRST FEDERALLY SUPPORTED COMMUNITY VACCINATION CENTERS. 
          THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, AND A LOT OF INFORMATION STILL REMAINS TO BE SEEN, UM, AS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM UNFOLDS FURTHER, THE GOAL OF THE ADMINISTRATION IS TO STAND UP ABOUT A HUNDRED, UH, CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          UM, THE EXECUTIVE ORDER ALSO LAUNCHES THE FEDERAL PHARMACY, UH, PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT VACCINES 
          [01:15:01]
ARE MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITIES, UH, THROUGH THEIR LOCAL PHARMACIES. 
          THERE'S BEEN A SHORT LIST, UM, DISTRIBUTED AND WALGREENS C V S, UM, H E B, AND I BELIEVE COSTCO ARE ALSO, UM, INCLUDED IN, UH, THAT LIST OF PARTICIPATING, UH, PHARMACIES. 
          UM, SPECIAL NOTE, JUST YESTERDAY WE HAD A PRELIMINARY CALL WITH, UH, DR. 
          BRIDGE, BRIDGER CHIEF HOOD, ERIC EPLEY, ABSTRACT, UM, AND OTHERS FROM THE METRO HEALTH TEAM. 
          WE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE FEMA REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR AS, UM, UH, PROVIDED TO US, UH, WITH INFORMATION FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO EXPRESS OUR NEEDS, UH, AND TO REALLY EXPRESS, UH, THAT STRONG INTEREST TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VACCINATION COMMUNITY CENTERS. 
          UM, ALL THIS IS ONGOING. 
          SO WE HAVE, UH, ESSENTIALLY LAUNCHED OUR DISCUSSION WITH OUR, UH, REGIONAL, UH, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR TO PARTICIPATE, UH, REQUIRE FACE, MAC, THAT AIR AIRPORTS, AND OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. 
          THIS EO, UH, REQUIRES THAT ON CERTAIN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, LIKE, UM, AIRPORTS, AIRLINES, UH, BUSES, AND, UH, OTHER FEDERAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MODES THAT THERE BE, UH, MASKS WORN AT ALL TIMES. 
          THE MAYOR UPDATED HIS EMERGENCY ORDER TO REFLECT THIS DIRECTIVE, UH, LAST WEEK. 
          AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE, UH, ON THE HOUSING FRONT, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ONE HAS BEEN REPORTED ON A LOT. 
          IT EXTENDS THE EVICTION AND THE FORECLOSURE MORATORIUMS UNTIL MARCH 31ST. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          ON THE IMMIGRATION FRONT, AS YOU RECALL, DACA REMAINS AS PART OF OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM, SO THIS IS A GREAT STEP FORWARD. 
          UH, THE PRESIDENT INSTRUCTED HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO TAKE STEPS TO, UH, ESSENTIALLY SUSTAIN AND STRENGTHEN THE DACA PROGRAM. 
          IN A NUTSHELL, THIS ALLOWS DACA PARTICIPANTS TO CONTINUE SUBMITTING NEW AND RENEWAL APPLICATIONS. 
          UH, ANOTHER ONE UNDER THE IMMIGRATION FRONT, UM, IS RELATED TO THE PUBLIC CHARGE RULE. 
          UH, THE PUBLIC CHARGE RULE WAS PART OF OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM. 
          UM, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WHAT THIS DOES IS, IN, DURING THE PAST ADMINISTRATION, THIS RULE WAS IMPLEMENTED, UM, AND IT WAS AFFECTING INDIVIDUALS GOING THROUGH THE, UH, PROCESS OF, UM, LEGAL RESIDENCY AND CITIZENSHIP. 
          IF THEY, UH, WERE DRAWN DOWN OR HAD DRAWN DOWN PUBLIC OF BENEFITS LIKE MEDICAID OR FOOD STAMPS THROUGH THE SNAP PROGRAM, THIS WOULD NEGATIVELY AFFECT THEM, UM, IN THEIR APPROVAL PROCESS FOR RESIDENCY AND CITIZENSHIP. 
          SO, THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS LOOKING AT THIS VERY CLOSELY. 
          UM, AND WHAT WE ARE HEARING IS THAT THIS, UM, WILL PROBABLY NO LONGER APPLY, UM, TO THE CITIZENSHIP AND RESIDENCY FORMAL PROCESS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS GOTTEN A LOT OF, UH, AIRTIME IS, UH, REVOKING THE ORDER THAT AIMS TO EXCLUDE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS FROM FROM THE CENSUS. 
          SO THIS, UM, EXECUTIVE ORDER ESSENTIALLY, UH, REPEALED THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN, UM, AND WILL LOOK AT CLOSELY INCLUDING NON-CITIZENS, UM, IN THE CENSUS COUNT THIS ALL TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THE COUNTRY ENSURES A COMPLETE COUNT THROUGH THE WORK OF THE CENSUS BUREAU. 
          SO WE'LL BE TRACKING THAT ONE CLOSELY AS WELL. 
          UM, AND LASTLY, UNDER THIS UMBRELLA, YOU WILL RECALL IN TWENTY NINETEEN, THREE $0.6 BILLION WERE DIVERTED, UM, FROM, UH, THE MILITARY ACCOUNT. 
          AND 18 MILLION WAS PART OF A PROJECT THAT, UH, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO HAD, UM, IN THIS LIST FOR THE CAMP FULLEST DINING HALL. 
          SO THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER HAS ESSENTIALLY HALTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BORDER WALL, UM, AND ALL THE ACTIVITIES AND THE EXPENSES, UM, THAT HAVE, UH, OCCURRED ARE, UH, UNDER CLOSE REVIEW. 
          UM, LAST WEEK, THE MAYOR SENT A LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN CUELLAR, THANKING HIM FOR HIS LEADERSHIP ON THIS. 
          UM, CONGRESSMAN CUELLAR, UH, WAS VERY PROACTIVE IN REACHING OUT TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND, AND TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE VERY EARLY ON. 
          AND WE REQUESTED HIS SUPPORT TO, UH, REPROGRAM ESSENTIALLY THE MONIES BACK TO THE, UM, 18 MILLION CAMP FULL DINING HALL PROJECT ON THE FEMA FRONT. 
          VERY QUICKLY, TWO FEMA RELATED EXECUTIVE ORDERS REGARDING REIMBURSEMENT. 
          THIS ESSENTIALLY INCREASES OTHER REIMBURSEMENTS TO STATES AND LOCALITIES TO A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, RETROACTIVELY, UH, BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC. 
          AND SO THIS WILL COVER ANYTHING, UM, RELATED, UM, THAT IS AN ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURE UNDER THE FEMA REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM. 
          SO THIS IS, UM, GREAT NEWS, AND SO WE'LL BE CLOSELY TRACKING WITH OUR FINANCE TEAM AND OUR BUDGET TEAM ON THIS FRONT. 
          ON THE CLIMATE FRONT, I'M SURE YOU, YOU'VE READ, UM, 
          [01:20:01]
THE EXECUTIVE, UM, ORDER FROM THE PRESIDENT REJOINED THE PA UH, PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT. 
          THIS ESSENTIALLY IS FOR THE US TO ENGAGE, UM, IN THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL EFFORT, UH, TO, UM, CURB GLOBAL WARMING. 
          SO, UM, I BELIEVE IT TAKES 30 DAYS FOR THE US TO OFFICIALLY BE PART OF THE AGREEMENT. 
          SO, UM, THAT PROCESS, UM, HAS BEEN KICKSTARTED. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, EDUARDO. 
          SO, UM, THE PRESIDENT NOMINATED, UM, 15 CABINET MEMBERS TO THE MAIN AGENCIES THAT WILL RUN, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          TO DATE, SIX CABINET MEMBERS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE. 
          UH, THREE OF THOSE ARE, UH, RIGHT HERE. 
          I WON'T GO THROUGH EACH OF THEM, BUT I WILL POINT OUT THAT, UH, SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MALLORCA, WHO WAS, UM, DEPUTY SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA, AND THERE WAS AT LEAST, UM, ONE MEETING THAT, UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG HAD WITH, UH, THEN DEPUTY, UM, SECRETARY MALLORCA. 
          UM, JEFF WAS PART OF THAT MEETING AS WELL. 
          SO, UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY GOOD FOR SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE OF THAT PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP THAT WAS ESTABLISHED, NOT JUST WITH THE SECRETARY, BUT WITH HIS STAFF. 
          UM, AND IT NEVER HURTS, UM, TO HAVE AN EX-MAYOR, UM, AND SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG, UM, HEADING UP, UH, TRANSPORTATION. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, THESE ADDITIONAL THREE MEMBERS HAVE ALSO BEEN CONFIRMED, UM, GENERAL, UM, AUSTIN WILL BE HEADING UP THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, AND I KNOW THAT OUR VERY OWN GENERAL AYALA HAS HAD SOME THE PAST INTERACTION IN, IN HIS PAST LIFE AND SOME OF HIS OLD MISSION. 
          SO IT'LL BE GREAT TO, TO GET GENERAL AYALA, UM, SOME TIME AND OUR MEMBERS AND OUR MAYOR WITH, UH, GENERAL AUSTIN TO BE ABLE TO SOUND THE HORN ON THE NEEDS FOR JOINT BASED SAN ANTONIO AND OUR MILITARY COMMUNITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THE ADDITIONAL TWO SLIDES, UM, INCLUDE, UH, THE REMAINING OF THE 15 CABINET MEMBERS. 
          THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING CURRENTLY THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS, UM, FOR APPROVAL, AND EVENTUALLY THEY WILL GET, UM, A DATE, UH, FOR A, UH, SENATE VOTE. 
          WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRACK THOSE. 
          IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT HERE, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF EX MAYORS. 
          UM, MARTY WALSH, UH, WAS A PREVIOUS MAYOR FOR BOSTON, SO IT'LL BE GREAT TO HAVE SOMEONE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR THAT UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS, UM, OF CITIES. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AS WELL AS MARSHA FUDGE. 
          UM, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON SEVERAL CALLS WITH SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED BY N L C IN THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYOR. 
          SO, MARSHA FUDGE HAS BEEN VERY, VERY, UH, OPEN TO LETTING US KNOW WHAT HER POSITION IS ON VARIOUS THINGS AND IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ET CETERA. 
          SO, UH, IT WAS GREAT HEARING, UH, THAT INFORMATION THAT, THAT SHE SHARED DURING THOSE CALLS WITH, UH, N L C AND, AND THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UNDER THE COVID RELIEF PACKAGE, UH, A LOT OF ACTIVITY HAS OCCURRED IN THE LAST 24 HOURS, MOST OF IT COMING OUT OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEES. 
          I'LL SPRINKLE THE NEXT FEW SLIDES WITH DETAILS THAT HAVE BEEN JUST RECENTLY RELEASED, BUT BY BAY, UH, WAY OF BACKGROUND. 
          THE LAST MONTH, THE PRESIDENT UNVEILED, UM, HIS 1.9 BILLION AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AND, UH, THESE ARE A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROPOSAL AND, UH, THE COMMITTEE'S WORK THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST 24 HOURS. 
          UH, IT INCLUDES, UH, $1,400 DIRECT PAYMENT TO INDIVIDUALS MAKING $75,000 OR LESS. 
          IT ALSO INCLUDES THE 400 WEEKLY FOR ENHANCED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. 
          THESE BENEFITS WOULD LAST THROUGH AUGUST 29TH, UM, AS RELEASED BY THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, IT INCLUDES 3 BILLION FOR NUTRITION THROUGH THE SNAP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
          THIS IS THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM. 
          UM, THIS EQUALS A 15% INCREASED BENEFITS FOR SNAP PARTICIPANTS. 
          UM, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR FOOD BANKS, UM, ALWAYS SUPPORT BECAUSE IT'S A BENEFIT TO THE, TO THE RESIDENTS ON THE NUTRITION SIDE. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          ALSO, UM, VERY FRESH INFORMATION FROM LAST NIGHT, UM, N L C AND OUR CONSULTANTS HAVE BEEN TRACKING THIS CLOSELY. 
          UH, THE, UM, COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM RELEASED THE 350 BILLION FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. 
          THIS IS DIRECT AND FLEXIBLE, UH, EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE THAT SPECIFICALLY DOES ALLOW, UM, REPLACEMENT OF LOST REVENUES DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. 
          THIS HAS BEEN A ALL HANDS ON DECK ADVOCACY APPROACH. 
          WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH N L C AND THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE WHITE HOUSE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM. 
          UM, ALSO WANTED TO SHARE, THERE'S BEEN TWO LETTERS ORGANIZED 
          [01:25:01]
BY, UM, THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AND ANOTHER GROUP OF TEXAS MAYORS, UH, SENT TO CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE SUPPORTING THIS FUNDING. 
          SO, THANKS TO OUR CONSULTANTS FOR, UM, THEIR ASSISTANCE OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND, UM, TO ENGAGE ALL THE RIGHT KEY MEMBERS TO ENSURE CONTINUED ADVOCACY FOR, FOR THIS FUNDING. 
          UM, THE 350 BILLION SINCE WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THE DATA, UH, THE TEXT LANGUAGE FROM THE, UH, COMMITTEE. 
          THERE'S SPECIFICALLY 130 BILLION FOR CITIES. 
          AND THEN THE FORMULA IS FURTHER BROKEN DOWN, 45.5 BILLION FOR THOSE CITIES, OVER 500,000 POPULATION, UH, THAT ESSENTIALLY ARE C D B G ENTITLEMENT CITIES. 
          SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UH, WORK THROUGH THOSE DETAILS AND FOLLOW UP WITH YOU TO GIVE YOU THOSE SPECIFIC DETAILS ON THE FORMULA. 
          BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE, UH, C D V G. 
          UM, AS FAR AS, UM, THE, UH, DISBURSEMENT FOR THE SPECIFIC JURISDICTION. 
          UM, THE NEXT, UH, ITEM IS THE 20 BILLION FOR THE COMMUNITY VAC VACCINATION CENTERS. 
          UM, THIS INVESTS 20 BILLION IN A NATIONAL, UH, PROGRAM, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S PARTNERSHIP GOING WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ENSURE THAT VACCINATIONS ARE GETTING IN THE ARMS OF INDIVIDUALS. 
          UM, MORE TO COME ON THAT FRONT AS THE DETAILS ARE BEING RELEASED. 
          50 BILLION FOR COVID TESTING. 
          THIS ESSENTIALLY IS EXPANSION FOR TESTING, UM, AND MORE AND MORE PURCHASING OF THE RAPID, UH, TEST AND EXPANDING, UH, CAPACITY AT THE LAB LEVELS. 
          BEFORE YOU GET OFF THE SLIDE, BEFORE YOU GO OFF THE SLIDE, DO YOU HAVE THE, THE NUMBER FOR COUNTIES AS WELL? I KNOW THAT KEVIN SENT THAT UPDATE. 
          I CAN, YES. 
          I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME. 
          I I CAN, I CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          FROM WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY WAS THAT IT WOULD BE SPLIT 50 50. 
          THE, THE 130 BILLION WAS GONNA BE SPLIT 50 50 BETWEEN THE CITIES AND THE COUNTIES, I BELIEVE. 
          THANKS, WALTER. 
          WE CAN VERIFY THAT INFORMATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          39 BILLION, UH, FOR THE CHILDCARE DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. 
          THIS MONEY WOULD GO THROUGH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. 
          UM, THE EDUCATION AND LABOR COMMITTEE HAS, UM, RELEASED THIS INFORMATION. 
          SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UM, CHECK TO SEE HOW THIS WILL BE BROKEN OUT. 
          UM, TO THE LOCALITIES, 30 BILLION. 
          THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH HUD. 
          THIS IS, KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS ON TOP OF THE 25 BILLION THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE DECEMBER STIMULUS BILL. 
          UM, IN ADDITION, THERE WILL BE 4.5 BILLION FOR UTILITIES ASSISTANCE FOR, UM, ENERGY, UM, AND WATER BILLS. 
          UM, BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WE HAD EARLIER, UH, THERE'S ALSO 5 BILLION IN EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO ASSIST IN INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO ARE AT RISK OR ARE HOMELESS. 
          AND IT ALSO INCLUDES 3 BILLION FOR THE EMERGENCY SERVICES GRANT, THE E S G GRANT, UM, TO RESPOND TO THE OUTBREAKS, UM, IN HO HOMELESS POPULATIONS. 
          SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRACK THIS AS WELL. 
          UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, IT INCLUDES 170 BILLION TO SAFELY REOPENED SCHOOLS. 
          OBVIOUSLY, NOW WE KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT THE DETAILS THAT THE SUPERINTENDENTS PROVIDED THIS MORNING, AND WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, UM, MORE INFORMATION ON, ON HOW THIS THIS BREAKS OUT, AND WE'LL STUDY THE ISSUE MUCH MORE CLOSELY. 
          A SPECIAL NOTE, UM, THE A HUNDRED AND, UH, 70 BILLION INCLUDES 130 FOR K THROUGH 12, AND 35 BILLION IS FOR PUBLIC COLLEGES. 
          UM, AND THIS INCLUDES FUNDING, UH, TO COVER REMOTE LEARNING CAPABILITIES, UM, TO BRIDGE THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENTS DISCUSSED. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          ANOTHER IMPORTANT ONE ON THE HOW SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE BUSINESS COMMITTEE RELEASED INFORMATION FOR 25 BILLION IN GRANTS. 
          THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM TO SPECIFICALLY HELP RESTAURANTS AND BARS. 
          UM, OBVIOUSLY THE HARDEST, ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT, UM, INDUSTRIES, UH, DUE TO COVID, 5 BILLION OR A FIFTH OF THIS POD OF MONEY WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR SOME OF THE SMALLEST OR MICRO, UH, BUSINESSES WHO, UH, WHOSE REVENUE WAS LESS THAN 500,000 IN 2019. 
          THIS WAS JUST, UH, RELEASED A TEXT. 
          SO, UM, WE'LL LOOK AT THAT MUCH MORE CLOSELY. 
          THEY'RE SAYING THAT THE GRANT AMOUNTS COULD BE UP TO 10 MILLION, UH, PER BUSINESS. 
          SO AGAIN, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE EXACTLY HOW THAT UNFOLDS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ONCE, UH, WE GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS. 
          BUT IT'LL HELP THEM COVER EXPENSES SUCH AS PAYROLL, MORTGAGE, RENT, UM, AND UTILITIES. 
          AND THIS IS A SIDE OR SEPARATE, UM, UM, THE P P P PROGRAM AND A 35 MILLION 
          [01:30:02]
PROPOSED AMOUNT FOR FINANCING PROGRAMS OR LOANS. 
          SO A LOT, UH, TO DIGEST UNDER THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, WE'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE FOR, FOR YOU IN THAT FRONT AS WELL. 
          UH, GREAT NEWS ON THE AIRPORT FRONT. 
          EIGHT, UH, BILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR AIRPORTS. 
          UM, THIS INCLUDES, THIS CAN COVER CLEANING JANITORIAL SERVICES, PERSONNEL, UM, AND OTHER AREAS FOR, FOR OPERATIONS FOR AIRPORTS. 
          UM, ALSO GREAT NEWS IS IT INCLUDES 800, UH, MILLION FOR AIRPORT CONCESSIONAIRES WITH A GOOD CHUNK OF GOING TO SMALLER CONCESSIONAIRES. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT AT THOSE FINE DETAILS AS WELL. 
          3 BILLION FOR, UH, PUBLIC TRANSIT. 
          THIS WILL COVER OPERATING COSTS, PAYROLL, UM, EQUIPMENT. 
          THE T N I TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, UM, INCREASED THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT, I BELIEVE, OF 20 MILLION, 20 BILLION, EXCUSE ME, THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD INITIALLY PROPOSED. 
          UM, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT THIS WILL ALSO GO THROUGH THE URBAN FORMULA GRANTS THROUGH F T A ONCE THEY ARE ROLLED OUT 4 BILLION FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH. 
          UM, THIS WILL BE HELPFUL TO EXPAND ACCESS TO THESE, UH, VITAL, VITAL SERVICES THROUGH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          IN RECENT DAYS, YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD, UM, SOME NEWS ABOUT THEIR RECONCILIATION PROCESS THAT THE LEADERSHIP IN CONGRESS IS UTILIZING, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PRESIDENT'S, UH, COVID RELIEF BILL IS PASSED, UH, IN SPEEDY FASHION. 
          UM, THIS SLIDE DETAILS THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION RESOLUTION PROCESS. 
          UM, BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, UM, THIS PROCESS IS ESSENTIALLY AN EXPEDITED LEGISLATIVE PROCESS USED IN SPECIFICALLY FOR SPENDING AND TAX BILLS. 
          UM, AND THE LEADERSHIP, UM, IS PURSUING THIS PROCESS TO EXPEDITE THE APPROVAL, UM, OF THE COVID RELIEF BILL. 
          UM, BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, THIS PROCESS WAS ALSO USED, UM, IN PAST, UM, CONGRESSIONAL SESSIONS TO PASS THE 2017, UH, TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT. 
          YOU MAY REMEMBER, THAT WAS A DECEMBER, 2017 LARGE, UH, TAX CUTS, UH, BILL PASSED, UH, CONGRESS THEN. 
          AND THEN ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS, UM, THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. 
          I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT IN 2016 AND ANOTHER ONE IN 2017, BOTH, UM, UH, FAILED ATTEMPTS, BUT DEFINITELY THE PROCESS WAS, WAS UTILIZED TO TRY AND EXPEDITE THESE PIECES OF LEGISLATION. 
          SO, AS YOU SEE HERE, I'M SORRY, GO BACK  REAL QUICK. 
          I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT. 
          SO THIS WEEK WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IS THE COMMITTEES ARE DEVELOPING THEIR LEGISLATION, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'VE SEEN THE INFORMATION TRICKLE OUT. 
          UM, THE HOUSE AND SENATE WILL EVENTUALLY REVIEW, UM, THE LEGISLATION, UH, RECONCILE THEIR DIFFERENCES, UH, TAKE A VOTE ON THE FINAL BILL. 
          WHAT'S, UM, VERY APPEALING ABOUT THIS PROCESS TO THE CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP IS THAT ON THE SENATE SIDE, ONLY 51 VOTES ARE NEEDED TO PASS, UH, THAN THE USUAL 60 MAJORITY VOTES. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS A MUCH MORE, UH, SPEEDY AND SECURE, UH, PROCESS, UM, FOR ULTIMATE PASSAGE. 
          AND THEN, OF COURSE, PRESIDENTIAL CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL, WHICH WE KNOW OF COURSE, UM, WILL BE APPROVED. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I KIND OF WENT OVER, UM, THE PROCESS HERE. 
          WE'RE LOOKING ULTIMATELY THAT THE HOUSE, UM, IS WORKING TOWARDS, UM, A FINAL VOTE, UM, IN MID-FEBRUARY, AND THEN FINAL PASSAGE BY MID-MARCH. 
          UM, WHAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT THE MID-MARCH DATE IS THAT THE ENHANCED FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ARE AUTHORIZED, UM, THROUGH MARCH 14TH. 
          UM, SO THE LEADERSHIP WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY PASS THE BILL BEFORE THESE BENEFITS EXPIRE. 
          SO A VERY, VERY AMBITIOUS TIMELINE. 
          BUT, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE ON TRACK FOR KEEPING UP WITH THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE LAST SECTION OF THIS PRESENTATION IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN. 
          UH, THE PRESIDENT, UM, HAS SPOKEN ABOUT A TWO STEP PLAN OF RESCUE AND RECOVERY. 
          WE KNOW THE COVID RELIEF PLAN IS THE FIRST PART OF IT. 
          THE SECOND STEP, UM, HAS BEEN HIS PROPOSAL TO CREATE MILLIONS OF JOBS, UH, AND REBUILD THE COUNTRY'S INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          WE ARE HEARING REPORTS THAT THE PRESIDENT IS LIKELY TO UNVEIL FURTHER DETAILS OF THIS PLAN DURING HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. 
          UM, IN ON FEBRUARY 23RD, WE'VE BEEN IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH N L C AND THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS ABOUT HOW TO BEGIN PREPARING, UH, FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO, THESE ARE THE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN. 
          IT'S A PRIORITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION. 
          PART TWO OF, OF HIS VISION, 
          [01:35:01]
UH, REBUILD THE COUNTRY'S INFRASTRUCTURE, CREATES MILLIONS OF JOBS. 
          UM, AND A SPECIAL NOTE, IT INCLUDES NINE PRIORITY THEMES. 
          THE MAIN ONE IS INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          IT INCLUDES HOUSING INNOVATION, UH, THE REHABILITATION OF BUILDINGS AND HOMES, TRANSIT. 
          IT INCLUDES THE AUTO INDUSTRY, THE POWER SECTOR, AGRICULTURE AND CONSERVATION, AND LASTLY, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. 
          UM, SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE HAVE TAKEN WHAT WE KNOW NOW, AND WE HAVE TAKEN A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO CREATE A PRELIMINARY LIST OF PROJECTS. 
          UH, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ARE WAITING TO GET ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND GUIDANCE, ESPECIALLY THE PARAMETERS FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. 
          UM, AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION OF THIS PLAN, WE WILL PUT OUR, UH, BEST FOOT FORWARD, UH, PER SE, UM, TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAN ANTONIO TO, UM, REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE, UM, OF THIS FUNDING. 
          UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE FEDERAL THEME, WE HAVE A LIST HERE OF MICRO MOBILITY AND MULTIMODAL, UM, TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. 
          WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SIX 16, UM, AND YOU'LL SEE HERE, UM, THESE ARE JUST THE TITLES OF THEM. 
          WE CAN PROVIDE, UH, DESCRIPTIONS ON THESE. 
          IT WAS JUST A LOT OF INFORMATION TO PUT ON A SLIDE. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A PRELIMINARY LIST. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, THERE ARE THREE AIRPORT PROJECTS AND FOUR PARKS PROJECTS. 
          THESE INCLUDE UPGRADES TO BAGGAGE HANDLING, SYSTEM EXPANSION TO THE TERMINAL, UM, TERMINALS A AND B, UM, ADVANCED SECURITY LANE, UM, AND UNDER PARKS, UM, IT INCLUDES THE PHASE TWO TO HEMISPHERE PARK AND THE SUNKEN GARDEN THEATER, AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UNDER THE HOUSING AND INNOVATION THEME, WE HAVE FOUR HOUSING PROJECTS THAT WE'RE STARTING WITH. 
          THESE PROJECTS INCLUDE NEW CONSTRUCTION OF SINGLE AND MULTI-FAMILY, UM, HOMES, UM, REHAB AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNIT. 
          UH, IT ALSO INCLUDES FIVE BROADBAND, UH, PROJECTS FOR LIBRARIES, FIBER FOR CITY FACILITIES, UM, AND FIVE G PROJECTS FOR OUR STREETLIGHTS, WE HAVE TWO UNDER THE REHAB BUILDINGS AND HOMES THEME, UH, ELLA AUSTIN RENOVATION AND THE ALAMEDA THEATER PHASE TWO. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE PROPOSAL. 
          NEXT STEPS CONTINUE TO REVIEW AND ADD ADDITIONAL PROJECTS, UH, OBTAINED FROM, UH, THIS COMMITTEE AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL OBTAIN GUIDANCE AND PARAMETERS FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. 
          AS THESE DETAILS UNFOLD FURTHER, THE TIMING IS SHIFTING A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE KNOW THAT AFTER THE COVID BILL IS PASSED, THE ADMINISTRATION WILL SHIFT THEIR ATTENTION TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL. 
          I WILL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE, UM, WITH OUR FEDERAL AGENCY ADVOCATES, UH, N L C AND THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, AND THEN ESPECIALLY OBTAIN SUPPORT FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND OTHER, UH, KEY MEMBERS, UM, WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION UMBRELLA, LIKE THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, COMMITTEE. 
          SO A LOT OF INFORMATION. 
          THIS CONCLUDES, UH, THE PRESENTATION. 
          I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS I, I CAN ANSWER. 
          WE ALSO HAVE OUR, OUR CONSULTANTS FROM CLARK HILL, UH, THE NORMANDY GROUP, AND OF COURSE, WALTER TO ALSO HELP, UM, ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS FROM THE MEMBER. 
          SALLY, VERY THOROUGH, UH, INFORMATION. 
          A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION. 
          UM, BEFORE I, UH, GET EVERYBODY'S QUESTIONS, LET ME ASK BRIEFLY. 
          UM, AND, AND I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT SHORT ON TIME, SO THIS MAY REQUIRE A FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION, BUT THE, THE INITIAL LIST, UH, THAT YOU GUYS CAME UP WITH FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, UM, WHAT, WHAT PARAMETERS, 'CAUSE WE, WE JUST HAD THAT DISCUSSION YESTERDAY AT THE COUNTY, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER DEBERRY BROUGHT IT UP. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE DID YOU GUYS GET YOUR GUIDANCE, UH, TO COME UP FROM THAT INITIAL LIST? AND I KNOW IT'S, UH, IT'S A MOVING TARGET AT THIS POINT, BUT, UM, WAS THAT, WAS THAT COUNCIL INPUT OR, UH, WHAT WAS THERE A SPECIFIC CATEGORY? NOT YET. 
          JUMP IN, LEMME JUMP IN AND THEN JEFF CAN DO THAT. 
          SO GO AHEAD, CARLOS. 
          GO. 
          LIZ WAS NOT, NOT KNOWING WHAT GUIDANCE WOULD COME OUT FROM THE FEDS, UH, WHETHER LONG-TERM PROJECTS, SHORT TERM PROJECTS, UH, WHATEVER WOULD BE REQUIRED. 
          WE SORT OF BORROWED ON WHAT PRIOR STIMULUS PROJECTS PROJECT, UH, GUIDELINES OR SO, MEANING PROJECTS THAT CAN BE COMPLETED IN A SHORT, RELATIVELY SHORT. 
          SO WE LOOKED AT PROJECTS THAT ARE READY TO GO, THAT NOT READY TO GO, BUT COULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN 18 MONTHS. 
          THAT WAS SORT OF THE GUIDANCE THAT, THAT THE STAFF KIND OF WAS PUTTING TOGETHER. 
          THAT IS JUST AN ILLUSTRATIVE, ILLUSTRATIVE KIND OF LIST BASED ON CATEGORIES. 
          WE STILL WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE THIS COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL ABOUT ALL OF THE PROJECTS. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, BUT WE WANT TO BE INFORMED BY WHATEVER GUIDANCE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD PROVIDE AS 
          [01:40:01]
PROJECTS. 
          THERE COULD BE LONGER TERM MULTI-USE PROJECTS THAT ARE INCLUDED. 
          SO THERE'D BE A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIST POTENTIALLY THAT WOULD COME UP. 
          AND THIS LIST, AGAIN, IS JUST A STARTING POINT FOR DISCUSSION COUNCIL IS GONNA HAVE TO WEIGH IN ON, ON THIS LIST BEFORE. 
          YEAH. 
           AND, AND, AND, AND, AND IT'S NOT JUST, UH, FROM WHAT IT SEEMED LIKE, IT'S NOT JUST, UH, LAYING PAVEMENT. 
          I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE, THERE MAY BE SOME, UM, UH, LEANING TOWARDS A ENVIRONMENTAL TYPE PROJECTS, LIKE WITH THE, WITH THE CREEKWAY, THE RIVERS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SAY ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION. 
          ANYWAY, I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIVELY IF WE, YOU KNOW, SHARE SOME, UM, SOME PROJECTS IN, IN COMMON, I THINK WE CAN BOTH PUSH FROM BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY SIDE. 
          SO, UM, LET ME GET TO, TO QUESTIONS, UH, COUNCILMAN VIA YOU WANT TO, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? YES, THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          UM, THANK YOU, SALLY, FOR THE PRESENTATION, UM, AND THE PRO GOING UP THE PROCESS, UH, THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT BUDGET RECONCILIATION PROCESS IS. 
          UH, THANK YOU CHAIR FOR BRINGING UP THE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE LIST. 
          THAT WAS MY QUESTION AS WELL. 
          UH, WHEN IT COMES TO MICRO MOBILITY AND MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION, UH, THIS HASN'T GONE TO, TO COUNCIL FOR INPUT, UH, BECAUSE MY INPUT WOULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE PUT THE PUSH THROUGH OF SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS IN THE BROOKS AREA, WHICH HAS BEEN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, UM, IN, UH, IN CONVERSATION WITH THE BUILD GRANT. 
          IT HAS, IT HAS THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION. 
          IT WILL HAVE BIKE LANES, IT DOES CONNECT TO THE GREEN LINE, AND IT ALSO HAS THE VIA TRANSIT CENTER ON THAT AREA, WHICH WOULD ALLEVIATE CONGESTION. 
          I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER BECAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN UNITED FRONTED THE TOGETHER ON THAT PROJECT, AND IT IS SHOVEL READY TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE CRITICAL MOVING FORWARD. 
          UM, SO TELL ME WHY CARLOS, Y'ALL WERE LOOKING AT 18 MONTHS TO BE COMPLETED. 
          AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST NOT HAVING ANY GUIDANCE AT ALL ABOUT WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING, WE, WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD SOMETHING SO WE WEREN'T CAUGHT FLATFOOTED. 
          UM, WE'VE, WERE WORKING WITH THE, UH, CONSULTANTS ABOUT WHAT THEIR BEST GUESS WAS. 
          UH, AND ALL OF THIS IS DEVELOPING REAL TIME. 
          SO THE, THE, THE PROJECT YOU MENTIONED, COUNCIL MEMBERS OF IDEAL PROJECT, UM, THERE, THERE ARE MANY OTHERS AS WELL. 
          THE COUNCIL I KNOW WILL HAVE A LOT OF INPUT AND SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THAT. 
          WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE IDEAS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN START THE CONVERSATION. 
          UM, AND MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. 
          WE NEED TO BE COORDINATED AS WE GO THROUGH AND, AND SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR A REGION, UH, THAT ARE BENEFICIAL TO THE ENTIRE REGION. 
          UH, THAT'S ANOTHER SET OF DISCUSSIONS WE NEED TO HAVE AS WELL, IS HOW DO WE GET TOGETHER SO THAT WHEN WE SUBMIT SOMETHING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IT IS BENEFICIAL TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. 
          NOT A SPECIFIC ENTITY, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND THEN WE'RE NOT SORT OF, PARDON THE PHRASE, BUT FIGHTING AMONG OURSELVES FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS. 
          WE CAN BE A LOT MORE . 
          YEAH. 
          I THINK TOO, THE, THE, THE COORDINATED PIECE TOO, CARLOS, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RETURN OF EARMARKS POTENTIALLY. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, DO WE SUBMIT THIS LIST TO, UH, OUR APPROPRIATORS AS WELL? OR, YOU KNOW, DO WE HOLD BACK AND WAIT TILL, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW, KNOW MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT, UM, THE, UH, STIMULUS PACKAGE. 
          SO ANYWAY, A LOT MORE DISCUSSIONS. 
          I'M SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          AND THAT WAS, UM, THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT UP THE, THE, THE, UH, THE BROOKS PROJECT OR THE SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS PROJECT, BECAUSE IT HAD THAT COORDINATED VOICE, UH, TOGETHER MOVING FORWARD WITH BUILD. 
          UH, OKAY. 
          BUT I'M GLAD THIS IS, I MEAN, WE HAVE A FIRST LIST AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO, TO GO THROUGH THIS AS THIS MOVES IN REAL TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY, ANYTHING? UH, YEAH, I, I WAS, I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED TO SEE THAT LIST MYSELF. 
          UH, WE DO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, UH, ON THE COUNCIL THAT, UH, I THINK SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND, AND, UH, COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL. 
          I, I MEAN, I'VE GOT A PROJECT ALSO, HARRY WACH MULTIMODAL, UH, READY TO GO. 
          WE'VE STARTED PHASE ONE ON THE INTERCHANGE BETWEEN AUSTIN HIGHWAY AND HARRY WACH. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A HOST OF OTHER PROJECTS OUT THERE THAT I THINK, UM, UH, WE DO NEED TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT AND BE PREPARED AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CARLOS BEING PREPARED FOR SOMETHING THAT MAY COME, COME DOWN DOWN THE ROAD FOR US. 
          AND, UH, I'VE, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR A LONG TIME, ABOUT HAVING THOSE, UH, SHOVEL READY PROJECTS, AND I MEAN, SHOVEL READY, READY 
          [01:45:01]
FOR CONTRACTING, UH, TO GO ON OUT THE DOOR AS SOON AS WE GET ANY KIND OF, UH, UH, FUNDING AUTHORIZATION. 
          SO, UM, YEAH, LITTLE SURPRISED TO SEE, UH, FIRST CUT OUT A LIST THAT, UH, HASN'T, YOU KNOW, EVEN BEEN BROUGHT TO A COMMITTEE LEVEL AT THIS POINT. 
          SO, ANYWAY, JUST MY COMMENTS ON THAT. 
          LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, REFINING THAT LIST AND BEING PREPARED FOR ANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME ALONG OUR WAY. 
          APPRECIATE. 
          AND THAT, THAT'S ALONG WITH THE M P O AS WELL. 
          I MEAN, WE, WE'VE GOT A LONG LAUNDRY LIST THERE AT THE M P O THAT, UM, UH, WOULD BE POTENTIAL, UH, ELIGIBLE PROJECTS FOR, UM, ANY FEDERAL FUNDS COMING DOWN, UH, THAT WAY. 
          ALSO, THE, THE STATE WILL CERTAINLY, UH, JUMP IN THERE AND TAKE THAT FIRST, FIRST, UH, CRACK AT, UH, UH, TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS. 
          ANYWAY, SO, UH, JUST MY COMMENTS ON THAT. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          GREAT. 
          COUNCILMAN TO JUMP IN AND RESPOND. 
          HAVE TO GET SOMETHING YOU WANTED, SAY. 
          YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT, UH, I THINK IT'S VERY MUCH THE CITY MANAGER'S INTENT THAT THE FULL COUNCIL WEIGHS IN AS WE GET FURTHER ALONG. 
          KEEP IN MIND, WE'RE AT THE POINT RIGHT NOW OF DEMONSTRATING THE NEED TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE ABILITY TO BE READY TO GO. 
          THIS IS NOT A NARROWING OF PROJECTS WE CAN ADD TO THIS LIST AT ANY TIME. 
          UH, THE SOUTH NEW BRAUNFELS PROJECT IS ON BROOKS' LIST. 
          I KNOW THAT I THINK THE COUNTY HAS GIVEN SOME TO THE CHAMBER AT THIS POINT. 
          WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND SHOULD THEY MOVE ON A PACKAGE, WE ARE ABLE TO DELIVER QUICKLY. 
          SO, UH, SIMPLE AS THAT. 
          CARLOS AND I ADVOCATED TO THE MANAGER THAT WE PUT THE LIST IN FRONT OF THIS COMMITTEE SO THAT WE START THIS CONVERSATION, BUT IT'S VERY MUCH THE FIRST CONVERSATION CONVERSATION, RIGHT. 
          IT JUST A STARTING POINT. 
          GOT IT. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER DEBERRY, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE STATE, YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING OR ANY QUESTIONS? UH, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY A PROCESS, UH, BY WHICH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY A SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS. 
          UM, I'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH TONY GONZALEZ. 
          CLEARLY WE HAVE GONZALEZ, WE HAVE QUAR THAT ARE ON POWERFUL APPROPRIATIONS. 
          UH, AND I THINK AS COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ ALLUDED TO, UH, THERE IS THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY THAT EARMARKS COULD BE COMING BACK. 
          UM, SO WITH THAT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A REASON EARMARKS WENT AWAY BECAUSE PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST SLUSH FUNDS AFTER A WHILE. 
          BUT I THINK POST PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, I THINK A CASE CAN BE MADE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS, UH, THAT WOULD GRADE, YOU KNOW, CREATE GREAT EARMARK. 
          UH, SO, UH, BUT WHEN WE HAD A CALL YESTERDAY WITH THE COUNTY REGARDING, YOU KNOW, OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, THAT IS THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR LOBBYISTS, I SAID, LOOK, WALTER, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US? YOU KNOW, IS IT PRIORITIZING PROJECTS? WHAT DO YOU NEED? BECAUSE TONY GONZALEZ TOLD ME THE SAME THING. 
          HE SAID, LOOK, I NEED YOU TO SUBMIT ME A LIST. 
          UM, AND I THINK SOMEBODY ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT THE COUNTY MIGHT HAVE GIVEN THE CHAMBER LIST IF THAT'S HAPPENED, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT LIST. 
          UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE WITH ALL OF THIS MONEY COMING DOWN AND COMING DOWN VERY QUICKLY, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE'RE DOING THESE CALLS ONCE A MONTH OR WE HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FOR THE CITY AND COUNTY ARE MEETING ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, WITH, YOU KNOW, THE N P O INVOLVED. 
          BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, URGENCY IS CRITICAL RIGHT NOW. 
          WE CAN'T WAIT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROCESS IS COMPETITIVE AND WE NEED TO BE READY TO MOVE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND I THINK TWO, UH, GOOD POINTS, COMMISSIONER, UH, PART OF THE REASON I THINK THIS COMMITTEE CAME TOGETHER, UM, CITY AND COUNTY, WAS FOR THIS VERY REASON SO THAT WE COULD START, UH, COORDINATING EFFORTS BETTER. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK TO KEEP IN MIND, WALTER, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THE EXACT, UH, DATE OR DEADLINE, BUT THERE IS, UM, I THINK A MORE, UM, UH, I GUESS A, A DEADLINE THAT'S COMING QUICKER THAN THIS STIMULUS BILL WITH RESPECT TO APPROPRIATION. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO SUBMIT LISTS, UM, OR KEEP THAT IN MIND. 
          IS THAT, IS THAT THIS MONTH? YEAH, AND I'LL LET HENRY ALSO JUMP IN AND, AND, UH, LAURA AND KEVIN, UH, EACH CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE HAS AN APPROPRIATIONS DEADLINE, AND THEY ISSUE FORMS, UH, PUT OUT FORMS AND SAY, THIS IS THE FORMAT WE'RE GONNA USE. 
          THIS IS FOR THE APPROPRIATION PROCESS. 
          REMEMBER, IT'S A YEAR LONG PROCESS, BUT THEY HAVE DEADLINES. 
          QUORA WAS ONE OF THE FIRST IN OUR LOCAL DELEGATION TO, TO ISSUE A, A DEADLINE, AND HIS IS FEBRUARY 19TH. 
          IT'S REALLY CLOSE. 
          UH, THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THOSE OFFICES IF YOU, YOU MISS DEADLINES, ESPECIALLY IN QUORA WITH THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH 'EM. 
          BUT WE ALWAYS TRY AND MAKE THE DEADLINE. 
          SO I'LL LET SALLY JUMP IN AND HENRY, AND, AND THE REST, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA START GETTING THESE DEADLINES. 
          AND SO, TO, TO TRICIA'S POINT, YOU KNOW, IF THE COUNTY SUBMITS 
          [01:50:01]
FIVE OR SIX PROJECTS ON THE APPROPRIATION SIDE TO HENRY'S OFFICE AND THE CITY, UH, SUBMITS ANOTHER FIVE OR SIX THAT DON'T MATCH UP, THEN IT IS GONNA BE CONFUSION ACQUIRE. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ENOUGH TIME TO, FOR US TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER TO SAY, OKAY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE SENDING ACQUIRER JOINTLY, UH, OR ARE WE JUST GONNA DO OUR SEPARATE LIST? AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S FOR THE ELECTED SYSTEM DECIDE. 
          BUT I'D LIKE TO FOR THE OTHER GROUP, UH, THE REST OF THE GROUP TO JUMP IN AS WELL TOO. 
          YEAH, IF YOU COULD, UH, I DON'T KNOW. 
          I SEE HENRY, I DON'T SEE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR US HENRY, BUT, OR SALLY. 
          YEAH. 
          YES, I CAN HEAR YOU PROCESS. 
          WANTED TO. 
          SO AGAIN, AGAIN, THE, UH, HENRY ONE, HENRY, ONE SECOND. 
          LET ME, SALLY, CHIME IN ON SOMETHING. 
          SORRY ABOUT THAT, SALLY. 
          SORRY, CONGRESS. 
          NO, THAT'S OKAY. 
          JUST A REALLY QUICK CORRECTION. 
          JUST YESTERDAY, LATE YESTERDAY, WALTER, UM, WE HEARD FROM CONGRESSMAN ER'S TEAM THAT HIS FEBRUARY 19TH DEADLINE PUSHED TO MARCH. 
          SO WE, THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR, UH, CUELLAR APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK, AND, AND WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING OF THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE THAT, BUT, BUT CONGRESSMAN, GO AHEAD AND CHIME IN ON THIS SINCE YOU'RE, UM, ON THE GROUND THERE. 
          WELL, THE, THE, JUST REMEMBER THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE, THE, THE, THE STUFF THAT'S BEING REQUESTED IN THE STIMULUS BILL VERSUS THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS VERSUS THE UPCOMING INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE. 
          THOSE ARE ALL SEPARATE, UH, UH, VENUES. 
          SO, AND ANOTHER THING I'VE ALWAYS TOLD THE, UH, GROUP TO KEEP IN MIND THAT, UH, I REALIZE THAT WE ALL, I MEAN, WE, WE DO WORK FOR THE CITY, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE AIRPORT. 
          AND, UH, THESE MEMBERS, AGAIN, KEEP IN MIND THAT HENRY CUELLAR, HIS BASE IS LAREDO. 
          SO YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP IN MIND THAT, THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT WHEN THEY LOOK AT THEIR, THEIR, ALL OF THEIR REQUESTS. 
          KEEP IN MIND THAT LLOYD DOGGETT VERY EFFECTIVE, ALSO HAS SAN MARCO AND AUSTIN. 
          KEEP IN MIND THAT TONY GONZALEZ GOES ALL THE WAY TO EL PASO. 
          SO AS MUCH UNITY AS YOU CAN HAVE ON THE LOCAL PROJECTS MAKES IT EASIER FOR, FOR THEM TO PROCESS. 
          UH, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA MENTION THE NAMES HERE, BUT WE ALL KNOW PRIVATELY THE ONES THAT ARE MORE EFFECTIVE, AND THEN THE ONES THAT ARE NOT VERY EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF, OF MOVING, UH, PROJECTS FORWARD IN THE DELEGATION. 
          SO THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING TO KEEP IN, IN THE, IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND. 
          BUT, UH, AGAIN, ALL OF THESE PRO THREE PROCESSES, UH, THE STIMULUS, APPROPRIATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ARE ON, OPERATING ON DIFFERENT VENUES. 
          AND REAL QUICK, IF I MAY, JUST FOR A MINUTE, UH, RON ANO MY, OUR, OUR, MY PARTNER, UH, WORKING ON THIS MIGHT WANNA ELABORATE FURTHER, JUST VERY BRIEFLY. 
          YEAH, THANKS, HENRY. 
          I, I MEAN, I WOULDN'T ADD ANYTHING. 
          AND I KNOW KEVIN AND LAUREN FROM PARK HILL WOULD, WOULD AGREE. 
          I MEAN, I THINK THE REASON QUA PUSHED HIS, UM, DEADLINE, OR CLEARLY THE REASON HE PUSHED HIS DEADLINE IS 'CAUSE THEY'RE STILL WAITING TO SEE IF AIRMARK ARE INDEED COMING BACK. 
          THEY'RE WAITING FOR GUIDANCE FROM, FROM THE, THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE AND, AND HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP, UM, WHETHER THEY MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO, UM, THE QUESTION I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE TEAM HAS BEEN STRUGGLING WITH IS DO WE SUBMIT, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY, UH, WE'D BE SUBMITTING PROGRAMMATIC REQUESTS, RIGHT? NOT SPECIFIC PROJECTS. 
          THESE WOULD BE PROGRAMMATIC REQUESTS. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR 10 YEARS NOW SINCE THE EARMARK, UM, BAN WAS PUT IN PLACE. 
          UH, SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEY TRULY ARE GONNA LIFT THE VEIL ON THAT BAN AND LET EARMARKS MOVE FORWARD, WE SHOULD FIND OUT IN THE NEXT TWO, TWO TO THREE WEEKS AT MOST. 
          AND THEN THAT WOULD CERTAINLY CHANGE THE PROCESS. 
          OKAY, RON? UH, WE'LL DEFINITELY BE STAY IN TOUCH. 
          UH, BUT I KNOW WE GOTTA MOVE ON. 
          UH, WE STILL HAVE TO COVER THE STATE. 
          JEFF, DO YOU WANT TO FLY THROUGH THAT FOR US? DO YOU, DO YOU ALL HAVE TIME TO, IS THAT OKAY? I'LL DO A RAPID FIRE IF THAT WORKS. 
          YEAH, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UH, ARDA, IF YOU BRING UP THOSE SLIDES, PLEASE. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO QUICK SESSION, UH, UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE SESSION. 
          WE'RE FOUR WEEKS INTO IT NOW. 
          BOTH, UH, THE HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND. 
          THERE IS A BASE, UH, BUDGET SB ONE ON THE TABLE, AND THE HEARING STARTED IN SENATE FINANCE THIS WEEK REGARDING THE BUDGET, UH, NO BILLS HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO COMMITTEES YET. 
          THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY COMMITTEE HEARINGS, UH, ON ANY LEGISLATION YET. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE GOVERNOR GAVE HIS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS, UH, A LITTLE OVER A WEEK AGO, UH, THAT LAYS OUT AMONG OTHER THINGS, HIS EMERGENCY ITEMS THAT CAN BE VOTED ON PRIOR TO, UH, THE 60 DAY, UH, MORATORIUM. 
          HIS FIVE ITEMS WERE EXPANDING BROADBAND. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          SINCE IT'S ONE OF OUR ITEMS, REFORMING BAIL BONDS, UH, PENALIZING CITIES THAT DEFUND POLICE, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND. 
          UPHOLDING ELECTION INTEGRITY AND, UH, IMPOSING SOME CIVIL LIABILITY PROTECTIONS FOR PROTECT BUSINESSES FROM GETTING SUED OVER COVID ISSUES. 
          NEXT SLIDE, 
          [01:55:01]
PLEASE. 
          UM, HE'S ALSO, SINCE THE STATE OF THE STATE ISSUED HIS PROPOSED BUDGET AND, UH, BERTA, UH, RODRIGUEZ AND OUR TEAM PULLED OUT THREE ITEMS THAT ARE IN DIRECT ALIGNMENT WITH OUR NEEDS. 
          NUMBER ONE IS, UH, THE NEED TO IMPROVE THE, UH, HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, THE DATA REPORTING AND SO FORTH FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, UH, FUNDING TO CONTINUE THE CONSTRUCTION OF STATE HOSPITALS, INCLUDING THE ONE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND, UH, BROADBAND INVESTMENTS. 
          AND HE SPECIFICALLY CALLS OUT THE NEED TO FOR ACCESS FOR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES IN UNDERSERVED AREAS, WHICH IS GREAT. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, THE SPEAKER, UH, THIS WEEK ISSUED HIS, UH, HOUSE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS. 
          ACTUALLY, I GUESS IT WAS THE END OF LAST WEEK. 
          UH, AND IT WAS A REAL SHAKEUP. 
          A NUMBER OF VETERAN LEGISLATORS, UH, WERE REPLACED AS CHAIRS. 
          THERE ARE 12 FIRST TIME CHAIRS THIS SESSION, UH, KEEPING TO HIS PROMISE. 
          THE SPEAKER, UH, UH, APPOINTED CHAIRS OF BOTH PARTIES. 
          THERE ARE 13 DEMOCRATIC CHAIRS, 21 REPUBLICAN CHAIRS, AND THERE IS SOME SIGNIFICANT DIVERSITY, FIVE WOMEN CHAIRS AND 14 MINORITY CHAIRS, UH, AMONG THE GROUP. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          HERE'S A QUICK BREAKDOWN OF OUR DELEGATION IN, IN ORDER OF THEIR DISTRICT NUMBERS. 
          UH, REPRESENTATIVE MARTINEZ FISHER IS NOT A CHAIR OF THIS SESSION, BUT HE REMAINS ON THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, THE TAX WRITING COMMITTEE, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. 
          REPRESENTATIVE CORTEZ IS A FIRST TIME CHAIR OF URBAN AFFAIRS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, REPRESENTATIVE PACHECO IS A VICE CHAIR OF THE HIGHER ED COMMITTEE, WHICH I'M, I'M SURE OUR HIGHER ED PARTNERS ARE HAPPY TO SEE. 
          FRESHMAN MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE COMPOST IS ON PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          SHE'S FILED A NUMBER OF PUBLIC HEALTH RELATED BILLS AND URBAN AFFAIRS. 
          YOU'LL PICK UP A THEME HERE IN A SECOND. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, REPRESENTATIVE GERVIN HAWKINS REMAINS THE VICE CHAIR OF CULTURE, REC AND TOURISM. 
          THAT'S THE COMMITTEE THAT HAS HEARD ALAMO ISSUES AMONG OTHERS IN PAST SESSIONS. 
          REPRESENTATIVE ALLISON REMAINS ON THE SAME TWO COMMITTEES HE HAD LAST SESSION, PUBLIC ED AND PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          REPRESENTATIVE LARSSON, UH, REMAINS ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ALTHOUGH IS NOT THE CHAIR OF THIS SESSION. 
          AND REPRESENTATIVE BERNAL IS ON PUBLIC ED AND URBAN AFFAIRS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AND THEN REPRESENTATIVE MANHAR REALLY DREW SOME GREAT COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS AS, AS THE, UH, CHAIRMAN RODRIGUEZ MENTIONED A SECOND AGO. 
          SHE'S THE ONLY BEAR MEMBER ON APPROPRIATIONS. 
          UH, REPRESENTATIVE RODRIGUEZ KNOWS WELL THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT HAVING SERVED ON THAT COMMITTEE HIMSELF. 
          SHE'S ON THE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE THAT WILL DEAL WITH REDISTRICTING IN A SPECIAL SESSION, AND SHE IS THE FOURTH IF YOU ARE COUNTING SAN ANTONIO MEMBER ON URBAN AFFAIRS. 
          UH, WE'VE NEVER HAD THAT. 
          I THINK REPRESENTATIVE RODRIGUEZ AT ONE POINT WAS ONE SAN ANTONIO MEMBER. 
          ON THAT COMMITTEE, WE HAVE THE CHAIR AND THREE OTHER MEMBERS, UH, WHICH WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. 
          AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE COUNTY IS EXCITED THAT REPRESENTATIVE LOPEZ IS ON THE COUNTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UM, THREE OF OUR FOUR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BILLS HAVE NOW BEEN FILED. 
          THERE ARE THE BILL NUMBERS. 
          WE'RE WAITING ON THE FOURTH TO BE FILED. 
          THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, LIMITATIONS ON, UH, WHAT AN ARBITRATOR CAN RULE ON. 
          WE'RE SIMPLY WAITING FOR THAT BILL TO COME BACK FROM LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL. 
          BUT REPRESENTATIVE GERVIN HAWKINS IS THE AUTHOR ON ALL ON ALL FOUR. 
          NEXT SLIDE ON, UH, POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          WE ALSO HAD A BIG MEETING LAST WEEK WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY GROUPS, REPRESENTATIVE GERVIN HAWKINS, MYSELF AND LIZ PROVENCIO FROM OUR ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, PRESENTED ON WHAT WE'RE SEEKING TO ACCOMPLISH LEGISLATIVELY, WHICH ALIGNED WITH WHAT WE ARE SEEKING TO ACCOMPLISH IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING THAT STARTS FRIDAY. 
          ON ANOTHER FRONT, I MENTIONED THE PENALIZING CITIES THAT DEFUND POLICE. 
          UH, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL MEMBERS WHO HAVE FILED THOSE BILLS EXPLAINING THAT WHILE WE DID NOT DEFUND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE ALL ARE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS THIS SPRING OF LOOKING AT THE TYPES OF CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DEALS WITH, AND ASKING THE QUESTION OF OUR COMMUNITY WHETHER SOME OF THOSE RESPONSES WOULD BE BETTER HANDLED BY A NON-PUBLIC SAFETY UNIFORMED OFFICER. 
          AND SO WE'RE ASKING FOR THEM TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT RECOGNIZES THAT FLEXIBILITY AND YET STILL PRESERVES THE INTENT OF THEIR BILL. 
          REPRESENTATIVE ALLISON IN OUR DELEGATION IS AMONG THE AUTHORS THAT HAVE A, A DEFUND POLICE RELATED BILL THAT WE ARE HOPING THEY WILL INCLUDE THIS, THIS LANGUAGE. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH FRONT, AS YOU KNOW, ALL THE STATE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN ASKED TO CUT THEIR BUDGETS BY 5%. 
          WE HAD METRO HEALTH LOOK THROUGH THE, UH, PROPOSED CUTS FROM D S H S, THE STATE HEALTH AGENCY, AND HAVE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF AREAS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE IMPACTED, INCLUDING INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL, THE, UH, CONTACT TRACING EFFORTS AND OTHER THINGS UNRELATED TO COVID 
          [02:00:01]
SUCH AS S T D PREVENTION. 
          UH, WE'VE SHARED THOSE WITH REPRESENTATIVE MDI, UH, ON APPROPRIATIONS AND ARE CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE THAT D SS H SS B EXEMPTED FROM THAT 5% CUT REQUIREMENT. 
          UH, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES AROUND MEDICAID. 
          YOU PROBABLY SAW REPRESENTATIVE LARSON'S EDITORIAL, UM, JUST LAST WEEK. 
          UH, SO WE CONTINUE TO BE IN THAT, ENGAGED IN THAT EFFORT THROUGH THE BAYER HEALTH COALITION. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          ON THE BROADBAND FRONT, TWO BILLS HAVE BEEN FILED, UM, IN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE. 
          WE DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY THAT THESE WILL BE THE BILLS THAT MOVE. 
          THE, UH, HOUSE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, UM, ARE STAND TO BE PRETTY IMPORTANT AS THE, AS THE HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS CHAIR WILL LIKELY FACTOR IN, UH, HEAVILY ON THIS, UH, REPRESENTED. 
          PATTY WAS APPOINTED THE CHAIR THERE. 
          BUT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATION WITH OUR PROVIDER PARTNERS ON WHAT THEY SEEK LEGISLATIVELY AND ALSO, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE FEDERAL BROADBAND PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS, UH, DISCOUNTS ON MONTHLY SERVICE AND DEVICES FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          ON THE LOCAL DECISION MAKING FRONT, JUST A GENERAL REPORTING OF OUR ACTIVITIES, WE'RE IN WEEKLY CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF THE OTHER BIG CITIES THROUGH T M L. 
          UH, WE HAVE CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, LITERALLY ANALYZING HUNDREDS OF BILLS RIGHT NOW THAT CHRISTINE AND EDUARDO AND OUR TEAM HAVE, UH, SENT TO THEM FOR, FOR FEEDBACK. 
          UH, OUR LOBBYISTS ARE WORKING, UH, AROUND THE CLOCK TO SEND US RELEVANT INFORMATION AND CONNECT US WITH MEMBERS FOR, UH, CONFERENCE CALLS. 
          UH, THERE'S ALSO BEEN SOME GREAT COVERAGE IN THE MEDIA ACROSS THE STATE RECENTLY ABOUT, UH, THE NEED FOR CITIES TO CONTINUE TO HAVE ADVOCACY, UH, CONSULTANTS AT THE CAPITOL. 
          UH, NOTABLY, UH, THE REPUBLICAN MAYORS OF FORT WORTH, BALK SPRINGS AND ARLINGTON SUBMITTED AN OP-ED TO THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS, UH, THIS WEEK THAT GOT SOME, UH, SIGNIFICANT ATTENTION ACROSS THE STATE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, UH, JUST SOME THINGS WE'RE WATCHING. 
          UH, YOU'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ALREADY ABOUT SB ONE. 
          THE BUDGET BILL DAG FUNDING REMAINS LEVEL AT 30 MILLION IN THE BASE BUDGET. 
          UH, GENERAL AYALA SUBMITTED A LETTER TO THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE THIS WEEK TALKING ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THAT'S BEEN TO OUR COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES, UH, BERNAL'S BILL TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF SAWS. 
          CUSTOMERS WHO NEED UTILITY CUT, UH, CUTOFFS IS, OR, OR, UM, ASSISTANCE, EXCUSE ME, IS HB 8 72. 
          WE MENTIONED HB 8 91 DURING THE CONVERSATION WITH, UH, SARAH. 
          AND, UH, AND THEN REPRESENTATIVE CORTEZ HAS FILED OUR, UH, HB 1685 THAT WOULD ALLOW OUR MUNICIPAL COURT TO USE AN ELECTRONIC, UH, COURT, UH, DEVICE, NOT JUST HIRING A COURT REPORTER. 
          AND THAT'S MY RAPID FIRE SUMMARY. 
          I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. 
          I WANTED TO MOVE AS QUICKLY AS I COULD FOR YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU, JEFF. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, LET'S GO QUICKLY TO SEE IF ANY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS. 
          I'LL START WITH, UH, THIS TIME REVERSE ORDER. 
          COMMISSIONER BARRY, I KNOW WE HAD THIS UP SOME OF THIS UPDATE AT OUR, UH, MEETING YESTERDAY, BUT ANY QUESTIONS FOR JEFF OR THE CITY TEAM? THANKS FOR THE RAPID FIRE PRESENTATION. 
          JEFF. 
          UH, I KNOW, UH, WE ALL HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO GO TO, BUT I WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT VACCINE SUPPLY. 
          UH, ONE OF THE REASONS I ASKED THE QUESTION, HOW MANY TEACHERS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED IS IT'S A ATROCIOUS THE PERCENTAGE, YOU KNOW, AND THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS ASKING THE TEACHERS BE IN THAT FIRST TIER, BE A CLASS OF TIER ONE, YOU KNOW, AND AS WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE DECISION REGARDING SUPER SITES, ONE OF THEM IN DALLAS, ONE OF THEM IN HOUSTON, UH, IT IS RATHER RIDICULOUS, UH, CONSIDERING THE NEED WE HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT WE DON'T HAVE. 
          UH, SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY OF US PUTTING TOGETHER A JOINT LETTER, WE SHARE A LOBBYIST. 
          WALTER, I'D LIKE YOU TO WEIGH INTO THIS CONVERSATION. 
          UM, BUT I JUST THINK IF WE'RE GONNA GET A SUPER SIDE AND THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE DON'T HAVE ONE, WE NEED TO GET MORE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT LOBBYING FOR THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          I'LL TELL YOU, WE, WE SHARE THE, THE SAME FRUSTRATION COMMISSIONER, WE HAD A CALL THIS WEEK WITH THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FROM FEMA ASKING THAT VERY QUESTION THAT WHY WITH BEXAR COUNTY HAVING THE HIGHEST SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX SCORE OF ALL THE MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS, WHY IS ONE OF THESE FEDERAL, UH, SUPER SITES NOT COMING HERE? OF COURSE, IT WAS A STATE DECISION, AND, AND FEMA DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF ANSWERS FOR US. 
          WE'VE SINCE SENT, SENT THAT SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX TO THEM TO TRY TO MAKE THE CASE. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION, UH, WITH THE MAYOR AND OTHERS ABOUT SUBMITTING A LETTER. 
          I'LL HAVE TO CHECK WHERE THAT STANDS, BUT WE ARE PUSHING AGGRESSIVELY TO GET IT AND, AND, UH, ARE EQUALLY DUMBFOUNDED THAT, THAT WE WERE NOT ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, ONES IDENTIFIED. 
          WALTER, DO YOU HAVE 
          [02:05:01]
ANY INPUT? UM, I MEAN, I AM, LOOK, I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER. 
          WE'VE GOT THE SAME GOAL IN MIND. 
          I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT DO WE HARNESS MORE POWER COMING TOGETHER TO TRY TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS IN SOME AGGRESSIVE FORM OR FASHION? UH, WHICH IS WHY I'D LIKE TO GET WALTER'S INPUT. 
          I I, I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR HAD SIGNED A LETTER ALONG WITH OTHER MAYORS TRYING TO GET, UH, SOME OF THOSE VACCINATIONS SENT DIRECTLY TO US, UH, RATHER THAN THROUGH THE STATE. 
          UH, AND SO WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT CONVERSATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AS TO THE STATE LEVEL. 
          I KNOW THAT, UH, WHEN YOU TALKED TO ME YESTERDAY, COMMISSIONER, YOU TALKED ABOUT GETTING STATE LOBBYISTS INVOLVED AND PUSHING, UH, THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO FIND IF THERE'S A WAY TO GET, UH, SOME OF THOSE DIRECT VACCINATIONS SENT THERE. 
          SO I'LL HUDDLE WITH, WITH JEFF, UH, AND CARLOS AND, AND MELISSA TO SEE HOW HOW WE CAN GET THAT DONE, UH, TO, TO GET THE, THEM TO PUSH THE GOVERNOR. 
          'CAUSE I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE THE PLAY IS, THAT'S WHERE THE, THE DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE. 
          AM I RIGHT, JEFF? I MEAN, IT'S THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE THAT ARE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS. 
          AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE FRIENDS IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'LL TELL US. 
          UH, AND I, I, I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOUR LOBBYISTS AT THE STATE LEVEL HAVE REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UH, PEOPLE IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. 
          UH, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT WE, WE NEED TO MAKE THE PUSH. 
          BUT THEN ON THE FEDERAL SIDE, UH, WE'LL GET OUR LOCAL DELEGATION TO ASK, UH, FEMA IF THERE'S A WAY AROUND THAT AS WELL TOO, BECAUSE SAN ANTONIO SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE SIDES. 
          WELL, I MEAN, IT'S NOT JUST A, A HIGH MINORITY POPULATION. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY CAN WEIGH IN HERE, TOO. 
          WE HAVE A VERY HIGH VETERAN PO, YOU KNOW, POPULATION ASSOCIATED WITH BEING MILITARY CITY U S A. 
          UM, IT IS MIND BOGGLING, UH, TO ME, UH, THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A SUPER SET. 
          YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, COMMISSIONER. 
          AND MAYBE WE, WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON, UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, WHY DON'T WE JUST HAVE A, A, A FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATION BETWEEN MAYBE JEFF AND MELISSA, CARLOS, UM, AND SEE IF WE CAN, UH, WORK ON A, A, A JOINT LETTER OR SOME APPEAL, UH, TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. 
          UM, BUT THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FOR BRINGING THAT UP. 
          YEP. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, ANYTHING ON THE STATE? NO, UH, LOOKS, LOOKS GOOD. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JEFF. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          GREAT. 
          COUNCILWOMAN VERAN. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, CHAIR, I, I WANNA, I WANNA AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER DEBERRY. 
          WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO SEND A LETTER, A STRONG SHOW OF, OF UNITY ON THIS. 
          UM, NO MATTER WHAT PARTY LINES, WE ARE ALIGNED IN THIS MISSION OF NEEDING A SUPER SITE. 
          WE HAVE THE DATA, WE'VE DEMONSTRATED OUR ABILITY TO DO MASSIVE VACCINATIONS AND DRIVE-THROUGHS. 
          UM, THIS SHOULD BE A NO BRAINER. 
          UM, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO ASK, I SAW IN THE STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS FROM THE GOVERNOR, ALL THOSE PRIORITIES THAT YOU LAID OUT, WHEN DID HE DISCUSS, UM, COVID AND COVID RELIEF DURING HIS SPEECH, AND WHAT DID HE SAY? CHRISTINE, DO YOU WANNA ANSWER THAT ONE? I I CAN JUMP IN TOO. 
          OH, GO AHEAD, CHRISTINE. 
          I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          NO, GO AHEAD. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          WELL, WHAT, WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY, UM, COUNCILMAN WHAT I RECALL, UM, THE ONLY THING HE BROUGHT UP IN HIS EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO COVID WAS THE CIVIL LIABILITY PROTECTION FOR BUSINESSES. 
          UM, I DON'T THINK HE TALKED AT ALL, AT LEAST IN THE EMERGENCY ITEMS ABOUT VACCINATIONS OR ANY KIND OF PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, RESPONSE. 
          BUT, BUT GO AHEAD, CHRISTINE. 
          IF YOU WANT TO CHIME IN. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF I MAYBE MISSED, I DIDN'T WATCH IT EVERY MINUTE, MINUTE OF IT. 
          SO, YEAH. 
          UM, I MEAN, HE'S, HE TALKED ABOUT, YOU'RE EXACTLY CORRECT. 
          UM, HE, HE TALKED ABOUT C O V I D AS FAR AS JUST THANKING HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE A BROAD KIND OF OVERVIEW. 
          BUT AS FAR AS EMERGENCY ITEMS, UM, NO REALLY COVID RELATED ISSUES EXCEPT FOR THE LIABILITY, CIVIL LIABILITY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, AND I THINK YES TO, UH, COMMISSIONER DE BARRY'S REQUEST FOR A LETTER, AND THEN ALSO EXPLAINING TO OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION, UM, THE, THE, UH, WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH IN BEXAR COUNTY AND IN THIS AREA TOO. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          NO PROBLEM. 
          GREAT. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          WELL, I THINK THAT WRAPS EVERYTHING UP. 
          UH, BEFORE WE ADJOURN, LET ME TAKE JUST A, A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. 
          I, I BELIEVE THIS MIGHT BE CARLOS CONTRERAS LAST, UH, I G R, UH, MEETING. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO THANK CARLOS FOR ALL OF HIS WORK. 
          UM, HE'S COME A LONG WAY SINCE, UH, WHEN I WAS CHAIR OF, UH, I G R, AND HE WAS, UH, LEADING THE, THE TROOPS BACK THEN. 
          UH, WE'RE, WE'RE PROUD OF YOUR WORK. 
          WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU, CARLOS. 
          AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR THE CITY. 
          AND, UH, WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO COUNT YOU AS A FRIEND AND YOUR NEW, YOUR NEW VENTURE THERE AT GOODWILL. 
          BUT, UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND WISH YOU GODSPEED, MY 
          [02:10:01]
FRIEND. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          THANK YOU MEMBERS. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK WE'RE ADJOURNED. 
          HAVE A GOOD DAY, EVERYBODY. 
          TAKE CARE.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.