Apr 06, 2021 Economic and Workforce Development Committee on 2021-04-06 2:00 PM

FOR ITEMS ONE, TWO, AND THREE.

SO THERE, SHE'S, THANK YOU ALL.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR JOINING US AT OUR MEETING TODAY

[Items 1 - 3]

WE HAVE A LOT OF MINUTES THAT WE NEED TO APPROVE.

UM, SO WE HAVE, I'LL, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING FROM AUGUST, I'M SORRY, FROM SEPTEMBER THE SECOND.

I'M SORRY, WHAT AM I LOOKING AT FROM FEBRUARY THE SECOND, FEBRUARY 18TH, AND MARCH 2ND.

2021.

MOVED SECOND.

WE HAVE AN A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE E W D C COMMITTEE MEETINGS FROM FEBRUARY 2ND, FEBRUARY 18TH, AND MARCH 2ND, 2021.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.

UM, NOW THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENT.

DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY SIGNED UP? NO, MA'AM.

WE DO NOT.

[4. 21-2623 Briefing on the San Antonio Small Business Ecosystem Assessment, a new study that identifies impactful strategies to address San Antonio’s historic inequities in opportunity and outcomes for small businesses owned by people of color. [Alejandra Lopez; Assistant City Manager and Interim Director, Economic Development]]

UH, THE, UM, UH, AR THE, AROUND THE AREA OF MICRO ENTERPRISE AND ENTREPRENEURS, PARTICULARLY IN, UM, UH, BIPO NEIGHBORHOODS.

SEEING NONE.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, OUR BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A BRIEFING ON THE SAN ANTONIO SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENTS, AND I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, ALEX LOPEZ.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

AND I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UM, THIS OPPORTUNITY, UM, THIS FIRST ITEM AND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE, UH, THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AND, AND TO BE A PART OF THIS COLLABORATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MORE ABOUT.

UM, TO INTRODUCE IT THOUGH, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA ASK LEILA POWELL, UM, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LISC SAN ANTONIO, TO SHARE WITH US A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE BACKGROUND, THE CONTEXT.

UM, SHE SERVED AS THE PROJECT CO-LEAD, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR THIS WORK.

AND SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO HER.

SHE'S ALSO GONNA INTRODUCE OUR PRESENTERS FOR, FOR TODAY.

SO, LEILA, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALEX.

AND, UM, ALEX MENTIONED THE CO-LEAD STRUCTURE.

IT REALLY WAS A, UH, A REWARDING EXPERIENCE TO, TO WORK CLOSELY WITH ALEX, UH, FOR SO MANY MONTHS, BUT ALSO IN A COHORT WITH CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CITIES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS STUDY PROCESS SUPPORTED BY JP MORGAN CHASE, AND I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM THEM ON THE, ON THE, UH, ON THE CALL TODAY.

UM, WE WERE IN THE POSITION OF BEING ABLE TO LEARN FROM OUR, OUR PEER CITIES AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO SHARE THE SUCCESSES THAT WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO WITH THEM.

SO IN ADDITION TO THAT PART OF THE STRUCTURE THAT WAS VERY REWARDING, THERE WERE OVER FOUR DOZEN FOLKS FROM OUR COMMUNITY, UH, FROM A ACROSS SAN ANTONIO AND FROM DIFFERENT, UH, NICHES WITHIN THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM THAT PARTICIPATED IN, UH, 14 HOURS OF MEETINGS, UH, UH, FOR THE, UH, THE OVERSIGHT GROUP.

UM, WE HAD BOTH AN ADVISORY COUNCIL AND A WORKING GROUP.

AND SO WE WERE, UH, THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO LEARN, UH, UH, FROM EACH OTHER, ALSO FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS FOCUS GROUPS THAT WERE CARRIED OUT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

SO THAT, UM, THE WORK WAS REALLY GROUNDED IN THE EMERGING UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THIS ECOSYSTEM LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.

AND I SAY AN EMERGING UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE ALL OF US KNOW THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST YEAR.

AND THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD TO BE TRUE, UH, HA HAVE CHANGED.

UH, NEW, UH, EMPHASIS IS BEING PLACED ON,

[00:05:01]

THAT'S THE TERMINOLOGY WE'LL USE IN THIS, UH, PRESENTATION.

UM, BECAUSE, UH, NATIONALLY WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A CONTEXT WHERE THERE'S A MUCH GREATER AWARENESS OF THE ROLE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES PLAY, THE IMPACTS OF COVID AND THE ABSOLUTE IMPERATIVE, UH, FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC EQUITY RIGHT NOW, UH, IN THE UNITED STATES.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, HAVING ME HERE TODAY, FOR HAVING ALL OF US HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THIS WORK.

UM, AND I, UM, I, ALAN, I KNOW WILL HIGHLIGHT THE, UM, UH, THE, THE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP AND THE, AND THE OVERSIGHT GROUP.

I, I DO WANNA START BY SAYING THIS, UH, REPORT IDENTIFIES GAPS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE AREN'T THINGS TO CELEBRATE THAT WE SHOULD ALREADY BE CELEBRATING AND THAT WE ALREADY DO REALLY WELL.

SO WE'LL TALK, UH, WE'LL FOCUS ON THE GAPS, BUT WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IN OUR PROCUREMENT EFFORTS, THE WORK THAT ALEX AND OTHERS HAVE DONE WAS SEEN AS A MODEL BY OTHER CITIES IN OUR PEER COHORT.

SO WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE RE THE INTEGRATION OF, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTO WORKFORCE, UH, THAT, THAT THE CITY IS, IS LEADING ON RIGHT NOW, IS, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DEVOTED YEARS TO BRINGING ABOUT, THAT THERE'S A REAL ACCOMPLISHMENT THERE.

AND, UM, WE ARE NOT, WE ARE NOT, UH, ONLY POINTING TO DEFICITS.

WE SEE THIS WORK TODAY AS THE FOUNDATION TO BUILD ON THE SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY MADE IN AREAS LIKE, UH, PROCUREMENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

SO, UM, YOU, I KNOW ALL OF YOU AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, HEAR FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS ALL THE TIME ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND ONE OF THE ISSUES IS THAT ON THE AGGREGATE LEVEL, SAN ANTONIO LOOKS GREAT, BUT ON THE LEVEL OF YOUR, UH, CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, OR WHY THEY DON'T HAVE CERTAIN, UH, OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, IT THINGS MAY NOT BE AS ROSY EVERYWHERE.

SO THERE'S A GEOGRAPHIC, UH, THERE'S A WHO AND AWARE ASPECT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT SOMETIMES WE DON'T FOCUS ON.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL SEE TODAY IN THIS PRESENTATION.

UM, IT'S, IT'S DISAGGREGATING OR TAKING APART THE OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STORY THAT WE HEAR, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE KNOW WHERE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY ARE HAPPENING AND WHO'S BENEFITING.

SO THAT EQUITY DIMENSION CARRIES THROUGH AS WE TALK ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION.

HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE SUPPORTING BIPO OWNED BUSINESSES AND, AND, AND BIPO DIRECTED BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS, THAT WE'RE NOT JUST ENCOURAGING GENTRIFICATION? WHAT KINDS OF SAFEGUARDS AND FAIL SAFES DO WE PUT IN PLACE SO THAT PROSPERITY IS INCLUSIVE AND IT BUILDS ON THE STRENGTHS WE ALREADY HAVE? AND THE PEOPLE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, IT DOESN'T REPLACE THEM WITH NEW BUSINESSES, UH, OR, OR NEW RESIDENTS.

UM, SO WE, WE, TODAY THAT THEME OF CONNECTING WITH WHAT'S ALREADY GOING ON, YOU'LL SEE THAT THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, UH, DEVOTING MORE DOLLARS, IT'S ABOUT CONNECTING UP THE EXCELLENT EFFORTS THAT ARE ALREADY TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE, UH, BY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT OVERALL, WE CREATE A STRONGER PROFILE FOR BIPO OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES AND FOR SMALL BUSINESS, THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM IN GENERAL, UH, WITHIN THE LARGER, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECTOR IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I WANNA TURN IT OVER TO ELLEN AND, UH, SPENCER.

YEP.

CAN YOU JUST, UM, FOR CLARIFICATION, FOR EVERYONE WATCHING AS WELL, UH, DEFINE BIPO PLEASE? SURE.

UM, BIPO IS, UH, SHORTHAND, UH, FOR BLACK INDIGENOUS AND, UH, PERSON OF COLOR, UH, OWNED BUSINESSES.

WE, WE USE, UM, MANY DIFFERENT, UH, UH, TERMINOLOGIES, BUT, UM, THIS IS THE, THE ONE THAT I THINK YOU'LL SEE IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY.

AND I, I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT THERE IS, UH, A DIFFICULTY SOMETIMES IN DISAGGREGATING DATA, UH, WITH, UH, THE TERMINOLOGY OF, UH, HISPANIC NON-WHITE OR, UH, HISPANIC, UH, UH, NON-BLACK.

AND ELLEN MAY BE ABLE TO POINT TO SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE THAT TRIPPED US UP A LITTLE BIT.

THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN.

THANK YOU, LEILA.

COUNCILWOMAN IS, IS IT OKAY FOR OUR PRESENTATION TO BEGIN? YES.

YES.

CALLED COMMON FUTURE, WHICH IS A NETWORK OF LOCAL LEADERS WHO ARE PIONEERING ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO BUSINESS, PHILANTHROPY, AND INVESTING.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US ALL HERE TODAY.

AS LEILA MENTIONED, IT'S, IT'S A PLEASURE.

IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE FOR US TO BE IN SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY SO MUCH GOOD WORK GOING ON THAT CAN BE BUILT UPON SO MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE.

IT WAS EXCITING TO HEAR ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT WORK THAT, THAT ALEX IS DOING AND SOME OF THE BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATION WORK THAT WE KNOW LEILA HAS PLANNED.

UM, SO WE JUST SEE SO MUCH PROMISE HERE.

AND SO, AS LEILA SAID, ALTHOUGH OUR REPORT FOCUSES ON THE GAPS, WE VERY MUCH ENCOURAGE YOU TO BUILD UPON WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.

AND THERE'S A LOT THAT'S GOING ON.

UM, MY NAME IS ELLEN SHEPHERD.

I'M PART OF A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

[00:10:01]

SO OUR INITIATIVES ARE DESIGNED TO SHIFT CAPITAL INTO COMMUNITIES, UPLIFT LOCAL LEADERS, AND ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUITABLE ECONOMIES.

AND BEFORE WE GO INTO THE REPORT, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE OR HAVE MY COLLEAGUE, SPENCER LAU, INTRODUCE HIMSELF.

THANKS SO MUCH, ELLEN.

HI, EVERYONE, MY NAME IS SPENCER LAU, AND I'M A MANAGING ASSOCIATE AT NEXT STREET.

UH, NEXT STREET IS A MISSION-DRIVEN FIRM DEDICATED TO MOBILIZING CAPITAL CUSTOMERS AND CAPABILITIES TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS THAT HAVE BEEN SYSTEMICALLY HELD BACK ACROSS THE US.

AND SO I AM REPRESENTING MY COLLEAGUES AT WHO WORKED ALONGSIDE, UM, ALAN IN, UH, COMMON FUTURE AS WELL AS THE CITY AND LISC IN, IN THIS WORK.

I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR.

THANK YOU, SPENCER.

UM, AND IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO, THIS WORK IN SAN ANTONIO WAS ACTUALLY PART OF A STUDY OF NINE CITIES OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, ALL OF WHICH WERE GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY JP MORGAN CHASE.

AND THE, THE PURPOSE OF THESE STUDIES WAS TO EXAMINE THE, WHAT WE CALL THE STATE OF PLAY, THE, THE SITUATION, THE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THESE CITIES, AND THEN TO DEVELOP THROUGH A COMMUNITY CENTRIC PROCESS, A SET OF SOLUTIONS THAT WOULD HELP CHANGE THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THE BETTER.

UM, IN SAN ANTONIO, THE RESEARCH TEAM WORKED WITH A COALITION OF OVER 50 LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS TO CO-CREATE THE STRATEGIES.

AND THEN THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE WORK IS TO ACTIVATE SOLUTIONS TO NARROW RACIAL GAPS IN SMALL BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, REVENUE AND EMPLOYMENT ACROSS BAYER COUNTY WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WITH A LONG-TERM GOAL OF JUST CLOSING THOSE RACIAL GAPS.

THERE WERE FOUR PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF THE WORK IN TERMS OF OUR APPROACH.

SO FIRST WE LOOKED AT THE HISTORIC AND CURRENT STATE OF PLAY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR IN SAN ANTONIO, INCLUDING ANY DISPARITIES AND OWNERSHIP AND REVENUE.

AND THEN WE EXAMINED THE BUSINESS SUPPORT LANDSCAPE.

SO DO THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE SUPPORT SERVICES THAT THEY NEED TO, TO SUCCEED? UM, AND ALSO THE CAPITAL LANDSCAPE.

DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE, TO THE FUNDING THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN AND TO GROW? AND THEN WITH THAT DATA AND WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE IDENTIFIED GAPS IN WHAT WE CALL THE ECOSYSTEM AND THE ECOSYSTEM.

YOU'LL HEAR US BANDI ABOUT THAT TERM.

UM, WE DON'T MEAN LIKE SUSTAINABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL ECOSYSTEM, WE MEAN THE ECOSYSTEM.

UM, THE WHOLE SYSTEM THAT EXISTS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, BE IT, UH, UH, TECH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OR CAPITAL OR PUBLIC POLICY, UM, OR THE INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS OR PEOPLE.

THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY ECOSYSTEM, THAT THAT HOLISTIC SYSTEM.

SO WE IDENTIFY GAPS IN THE ECOSYSTEM AS IT CURRENTLY EXISTS, AND THEN WE WORK WITH THE LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY AND BEGIN TO PRIORITIZE SOLUTIONS TO FILL THOSE GAPS.

AND THIS IS THE GROUP OF LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS WHO WE WORK WITH.

UM, AS YOU'LL SEE, IT INCLUDES BUSINESS SUPPORT PROVIDERS AND CAPITAL PROVIDERS, FUNDERS, POLICY MAKERS, AND ALSO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THEMSELVES, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE WERE COMING UP WITH IDEAS THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE USEFUL.

WE ALSO STROVE TO ENGAGE A DIVERSE GROUP FROM THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

A KEY COMPONENT OF OUR, OF OUR STRATEGY IN THIS WORK IS TO PROVIDE NOT JUST DATA, BUT ALSO A FORUM OF DELIBERATION AND COORDINATION OF EFFORTS AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO WORK ON THESE ISSUES EVERY DAY, BUT AREN'T NECESSARILY WORKING ON THEM TOGETHER.

DON'T NECESSARILY REGULARLY HAVE THAT FORUM TO COORDINATE AND TO COLLABORATE.

AND NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO SPENCER TO TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF PLAY.

THANKS, ALAN.

SO, AS ALAN MENTIONED IN OUR ASSESSMENT, WE EXAMINED THE STATE OF PLAY OF THE REGION, SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITIES, THROUGH A COMBINATION OF DATA ANALYSIS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS OWNERS.

AND IN THAT RESEARCH, WE UNCOVERED THAT BEFORE THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, THE REGION WAS HOME TO 34,000 SMALL EMPLOYER BUSINESSES AS WELL AS 145,000 SOLE PROPRIETORSHIPS.

THE RESEARCH ALSO UNCOVERED THAT OF THOSE SMALL EMPLOYER BUSINESSES, THEY EMPLOYED OVER 150,000 PEOPLE IN THE REGION.

AND NOW THAT THESE NUMBERS HAVE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO COVID 19 PANDEMIC, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.

BUT CONSIDERING THESE BUSINESS OWNERSHIP STATISTICS AND THE RELATIVE EMPLOYMENT, SMALL BUSINESSES EMPLOY APPROXIMATELY 34 4% OF SAN ANTONIO AND BARRA COUNTY'S WORKFORCE REALLY HIGHLIGHTING THE CRITICAL ROLE OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE REGIONAL ECONOMY.

IN SPITE OF THIS, UM, SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THE REGION HAS NOT BEEN SHARED EQUITABLY ACROSS THE REGION, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, LOOKING AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND LOOKING AT HISPANIC RESIDENTS, UH, BLACK RESIDENTS AS ALL ASIAN RESIDENTS.

[00:15:03]

AND IF WE ACTUALLY CLICK ONTO THE SUBSEQUENT, UM, BUTTONS HERE, JUST WITH THE ANIMATION, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT THERE'S A DISPROPORTIONATELY FEWER BUSINESSES OWNED BY THOSE OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR COMPARISON TO THEIR POPULATION.

SPECIFICALLY, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT HISPANIC RESIDENTS MAKE UP 60% OF THEIR COUNTY'S POPULATION.

ONLY 24% OF BUSINESSES OWNED, UM, ARE AMONGST THOSE HISPANIC RESIDENTS.

AS YOU CAN ALSO SEE, WHILE BLACK RESIDENTS MAKE UP 9% OF THE COUNTY'S POPULATION, THEY ONLY REPRESENT 2% OF BUSINESS OWNERSHIP.

YOU SEE THAT SAME TREND WITHIN REVENUE IF YOU CLICK ONTO THE NEXT ANIMATION, THAT THESE BUSINESSES ALSO TEND TO BE SMALLER AND LOOKING AT THE REVENUE HERE OF 20%, UM, AMONGST THOSE BUSINESSES, UH, OWNED BY HISPANIC RESIDENTS.

MEANWHILE, IT LIKE IN THE LAST ANIMATION, WHILE ASIAN RESIDENTS AT MAKE UP AND OWN MORE BUSINESSES RELATIVE TO THEIR COUNTY POPULATION, THEY STILL HAVE SMALLER SIZE BUSINESSES IN COMPARISON TO THEIR NON-HISPANIC WHITE COUNTERPARTS.

THE MAIN POINT THROUGH THIS SLIDE IS TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WHILE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE REALLY SIGNIFICANT DRIVERS OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY, BUSINESSES OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE DISADVANTAGED RELATIVE TO THEIR NON-HISPANIC WHITE OWNED BUSINESSES IN THE REGION.

NOW, WE TALKED ABOUT HISTORIC NUMBERS.

IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF COVID 19.

NOT SURPRISING TO ANYBODY, THE PANDEMIC HAS AMPLIFIED MANY OF THE DISPARITIES THAT WE'VE SEEN IN TERMS OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERSHIP AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, THERE'S AN ESTIMATED THAT 3.3 MILLION BUSINESSES WERE 22% OF ALL BUSINESSES WERE LOST IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC.

THE IMPACT HAS BEEN EVEN MORE GREAT, UH, AMONGST THOSE OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR.

YOU REMEMBER THAT 22%, YOU COMPARE THAT TO 41% OF BUSINESSES PERMANENTLY SHUTTERED OWNED BY BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, 32% OWNED BY HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESSES, AND 26% OWNED BY ASIAN OWNED BUSINESSES INDICATING THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC AT A NATIONAL LEVEL.

WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT THAT IMPACT HAS BEEN SIMILAR LOCALLY WITHIN SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY.

THE NUMBER OF SMALL BUSINESSES CURRENTLY OPEN DECREASED BY NEARLY 30, 39, 30 8%, EXCUSE ME, YEAR OVER YEAR FROM JANUARY, 2020 TO JANUARY, 2021, AS MEASURED BY DIGITAL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS.

AND AMONGST THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY THOSE OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR, THEY'VE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY HURT BY THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, SUCH THAT AS WE ESTIMATE LOCAL, BLACK, HISPANIC AND ASIAN OWNED BUSINESSES ARE OVERREPRESENTED IN THE HARDEST HIT INDUSTRIES.

THESE ARE THE BUSINESSES LIKE RESTAURANTS, BARS, COFFEE SHOPS, HAIRDRESSERS, CONSTRUCTION FIRMS WHO HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN WONDERING, HOW DO I STAY IN BUSINESS? AS WE ALL KNOW, THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC HAS BEEN UNRELENTING TO SMALL BUSINESSES.

AND AS WE CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO THIS MOMENT, NEED TO CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE AMPLIFY WAYS TO BOLSTER, UM, THE CRITICAL FOUNDATION WITHIN THE REGION'S ECONOMY? NEXT SLIDE.

ONE WAY TO START THINKING ABOUT THAT IS BY LOOKING AT THE SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.

SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL IS OFTEN CONSIDERED THE LIFEBLOOD FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMY.

AND HISTORICALLY, THE REGION HAS HAD REALLY ROBUST SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL DEMAND.

WE ESTIMATE NEARLY $10 BILLION ANNUALLY.

MEANWHILE, THAT CAPITAL SUPPLY OR THE SUPPLY OF CAPITAL, WAS ESTIMATED ABOUT $1 BILLION ANNUALLY.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT COMBINATION OF BOTH LOOKING AT DEMAND AND SUPPLY, THAT REGION HAS AN ANNUAL GAP IN ANNUAL SMALL BUSINESS FINANCING OF APPROXIMATELY EIGHT TO $9 BILLION, INDICATING REALLY HISTORIC UNMET DEMANDS.

WE KNOW THAT THIS NEED FOR CAPITAL HAS ONLY AMPLIFIED IN DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT ALSO IN PARTS WITHIN THE CITY AND COUNTY WITH DISPROPORTIONATELY LOW RATES OF TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE LENDING IN HISPANIC AND BLACK COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE IN THE SOUTH AND EAST SIDES OF THE, OF THE CITY.

AND SO, AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE RESPOND, SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL CONTINUES TO BE A CRITICAL WAY FOR US TO MEET THE UNMET NEEDS AS, UH, AS WE KNOW HERE.

AND SO, UNDERSTANDING THIS, HOW HAS, UH, THE UNDERLYING DYNAMICS OF THESE NUMBERS ACTUALLY COME OUT WITHIN SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY? THE NEXT SLIDE,

[00:20:02]

YOU SHOW HERE A GRAPH THAT LOOKS AT PURE CITIES AND LOOKING AT THE SUPPLY OF CAPITAL BASED OFF OF DIFFERENT, UH, SOURCES OF CAPITAL.

AND UNDERNEATH THIS, UH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL HAS LARGELY BEEN SUPPLIED BY, UH, LARGE NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND COMMUNITY BANKS WITH OVER 90% OF SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL SUPPLIED AMONGST THOSE SOURCES.

MEANWHILE, LENDING AMONGST LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, UM, HAS BEEN HIGHER ACTUALLY IN COMPARISON TO OTHER MARKETS, UM, LARGELY CONCENTRATED WITHIN THE LARGER, UH, CDFIS THAT ARE OUT THERE, LIKE LIFT FUNDS AND PEOPLE FUNDS.

UH, CONVERSELY, DESPITE THE BURGEONING ACCELERATOR AND INCUBATOR NETWORKS, SAN ANTONIO HAS LOWER LEVELS EQUITY INVESTMENTS WITH LESS THAN A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY IN INVESTMENTS PER YEAR.

SO WE THINK ABOUT THIS DISTRIBUTION IN COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES.

DISTRIBU DISTRIBUTION OF SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL PRESENTS A REAL CHALLENGE FOR LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR TO ACCESS CAPITAL AS BANK LENDING HAS HISTORICALLY, THAT'S INACCESSIBLE FOR, FOR THOSE ENTREPRENEURS.

AS WE CONSIDER WAYS TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR THESE ENTREPRENEURS, WE NEED TO CONSIDER WAYS TO EXPAND AVENUES TO THAT TYPE OF COMMUNITY LENDING THROUGH THAT C F I LENDING, AS WELL AS ENABLING THOSE BUSINESS TO AS ONLY GET ON TRACK TO BE QUOTE UNQUOTE BANKABLE.

NOW AGAIN, ALL THIS IS UNDER HEARD BY HISTORIC LOOKS AT THE SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL DEMAND, BUT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL START TO THINK ABOUT HOW HAS THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC REALLY SEEN SHIFTS? AND WE ALL KNOW THAT COVID 19 HAS SEEN SHIFTS IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES, BUT PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE, THE CAPITAL DEMAND.

WHAT WE SEEN HERE IS THAT COVID 19 HAS ONLY MAGNIFIED THOSE SHIFTS WITHIN THE DEMAND LANDSCAPE.

IN THIS CHART, WE HAVE A QUARTERLY FORECAST.

WE'VE LOOKED OVER 2020, SO AS 2021, SO GET A BETTER SENSE IN TERMS OF THE EXPECTED DYNAMICS WITHIN SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL.

AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S A BIT OF AN SCAPED CURVE, JUST THAT THERE WAS INITIAL SURGE FOR CAPITAL, BUT EXPECTED LONGER TERM REDUCED DEMAND DUE TO A RECESSIONARY ENVIRONMENT.

THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS IS THAT WHILE SOME ARE POSITIONING THEMSELVES FOR GROWTH PAST THAT INITIAL EMERGENCY SURGE PHASE, MOST HAVE BEEN TRYING TO OFFSET LOSS REVENUE.

AND AFTER THAT INITIAL SURGE, WE EXPECT THAT BUSINESSES WILL NOT SEEK ADDITIONAL TRADITIONAL FINANCING FOR FEAR OF OVER-LEVERAGING WITH ENDLESS EXPECTATIONS THAT FUNDRAISING WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT DUE TO TIGHTER UNDERWRITING INVESTMENT POLICIES.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THOUGH, THAT THESE DYNAMICS ARE UNDERGRAD BY IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE PRIORITIZED FLEXIBLE NO TO LOSS, LOW COST CAPITAL, UH, IN THE PANDEMIC, WHICH POSITIONS TRADITIONAL LENDING AND INVESTMENT PRODUCTS OBSOLETE.

THIS HAS FORCED MANY LOCAL LENDERS AND CAPITAL PROVIDERS TO SCRAMBLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF BUSINESS OWNERS WITH NEW PRODUCTS LIKE THE P P P LOANS THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OTHER GRANT PRODUCTS THEY MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH SOURCES LIKE THE CITY.

MEANWHILE, UH, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE SOUGHT ALTERNATIVES TO MEET THEIR, UH, BUSINESS NEEDS, INCLUDING ACCRUING CREDIT CARD DEBT THAT HAS ONLY DAMAGED THEIR PERSONAL FINANCIAL HEALTH.

SO, LOOKING AT THESE FORECASTS BEFORE OUR TRANSITION BACK TO, UH, ELLEN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NOTE IS JUST THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE MOST PESSIMISTIC FORECASTS, THE MOST OPTIMISTIC FORECASTS, IN THAT IN A WAY, SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL ENABLES US TO SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN TERMS OF WHERE THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM IS FROM HERE, SMALL BUSINESS DEMAND IN A WAY, A PROXY FOR SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM HEALTH WITH HIGHER DEMAND INDICATING BETTER HEALTH.

UNDERSTANDING THIS, AS WE CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO RESPOND TO THIS MOMENT, WE'LL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WAYS TO REALLY BOLSTER THE CONTINUED STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS SAN ANTONIO AND BAYER COUNTY TO BRING THAT CAPITAL WITH CORRESPONDING SERVICES TO THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE IN NEED AT THIS MOMENT.

SO I'LL PASS IT BACK OVER TO ELLEN TO TALK ABOUT THOSE SERVICES.

THANKS, SPENCER.

AND IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, ONE THING THAT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE ABOUT SAN ANTONIO IS JUST TO LOOK AT WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED GEOGRAPHICALLY.

SO THE STARS ON THIS MAP, UM, SOME OF THEM REPRESENT MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS SERVICE ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATION.

SO, UM, SO THESE TEND TO BE CLUSTERS, BUT WE CAN SEE THAT THEY TEND TO BE CLUSTERED CENTRALLY, UH, WITHIN THE CITY WITHOUT AS, AS MUCH SERVICES AVAILABLE IN THE OUTSKIRTS.

AND THEN THE COLORS ON THIS MAP INDICATE THE MAJORITY RACIAL OR ETHNIC POPULATION IN EACH OF THESE AREAS, UM, WITH RED INDICATING MAJORITY HISPANIC, YELLOW INDICATING MAJORITY BLACK AND BLUE, INDICATING MAJORITY WHITE NON-HISPANIC.

SO IN SAN ANTONIO, IT WAS PARTICULARLY NOTABLE AMONG THE CITIES THAT WE STUDIED THAT BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES TEND TO BE

[00:25:01]

REGIONAL WITH LARGER ORGANIZATIONS THAT COVER LARGE MULTI NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS RATHER THAN PROVIDING SERVICES AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.

AND WHILE THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE ARE GOOD AND THE LEADERSHIP TENDS TO BE STRONG, UM, THERE CAN BE INSUFFICIENT STRATEGIES FOR THOSE KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT REVITALIZATION AND BUSINESS SUPPORT AND MARKETING.

ALSO, WE FOUND THAT WHILE THE INDIVIDUAL SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE STRONG, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY ACTING IN A COORDINATED WAY.

THEY LACK FORMAL MODES OF COLLABORATION AND SHARED METRICS AND GOALS THAT ARE REGION-WIDE AND TOWARD, TOWARDS WHICH THEY'RE ALL STRIVING AND, UM, MEASURING.

AND THEN FINALLY, SOMETHING WE HEARD FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IN SAN ANTONIO, ALMOST THIS EXACT VERBIAGE WAS SAN ANTONIO MAKES A LOT OF PLANS, BUT DOESN'T NECESSARILY COME TO ACTION.

AND WHAT WE FOUND THROUGH OUR VARIOUS INTERVIEWS AND, UM, AND STUDY WAS THAT, UH, PLANNING IN SAN ANTONIO TENDS TO BE WELL-RESOURCED, BUT COORDINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION TO, UH, TO ACT ON THOSE PLANS TENDS TO BE LACKING.

UM, SO, UH, IF YOU CAN JUST GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

WHEN WE MAPPED OUT WHAT SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN SAN ANTONIO, YOU'LL SEE THESE BAR CHARTS LOOK AT DIFFERENT KINDS OF BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM WITHIN AN INVENTORY OF ABOUT 36 ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE STUDIED.

AND THERE WERE SOME NOTABLE GAY STRENGTHENED.

FIRST OF ALL, UM, THERE WERE SOME GAPS IN SPANISH LANGUAGE SERVICES, ESPECIALLY AROUND ACCESS TO CAPITAL.

UH, WE FOUND THAT YOU, THAT EVEN WHERE BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO POTENTIALLY GET TO CAPITAL, THE LANGUAGE, THERE WAS A LANGUAGE BARRIER IN, UH, PROVIDING THE FINANCIAL LITERACY THAT THEY MIGHT NEED, OR EVEN PROVIDING JUST BASIC SUPPORT IN GETTING APPLICATIONS SPILLED OUT AND, UM, COMPLETED.

WE ALSO FOUND THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR GREATER SUPPORT, SPECIFICALLY OF BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES IN GROWTH INDUSTRIES.

THE BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS WE SPOKE TO SAID THAT BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES, UM, TENDED TO BE GEARED TOWARDS BUSINESS OWNERS THAT WERE, UM, STARTUPS OR IN INDUSTRIES NOT, UH, EXPECTED TO GROW, LIKE, LIKE FOOD SERVICE.

AND FOR THOSE BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES THAT WERE ANTICIPATING GROWTH AND WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GROW, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEEDED.

ANOTHER GAP IN SAN ANTONIO WAS BACK OFFICE SERVICES.

SO WE OFTEN HEAR THAT THESE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE BUSY TRYING TO RUN THEIR BUSINESSES.

AND IF THERE WAS SOMEONE, UH, THERE TO HELP THEM WITH THE ACCOUNTING AND THE LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS AND THE LICENSING AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, THEY WOULD BE BETTER ABLE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE BUSINESS ITSELF.

SO BACK OFFICE SERVICES IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

AS LEILA MENTIONED IN SAN ANTONIO, YOU'VE HAD SO MUCH DEVELOPMENT IN SO MUCH GROWTH AND INVESTMENT, UM, BUT WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A GAP IN PLANNING AND IN SERVICES TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT DUE TO ALL OF THAT GROWTH.

AND THEN, UM, ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF COVID, THERE WAS A NEED FOR HELP WITH TRANSITIONING BUSINESSES TO DIGITAL, TO GETTING THEM ONLINE, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO, UH, DO THEIR SALES.

AND THIS IS TRUE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS WOULD'VE BEEN TRUE EVEN WITHOUT COVID BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY OF THE WORLD, BUT COVID MADE THAT THAT MUCH MORE URGENT.

AND THEN FINALLY, THE, THE BLACK ENTREPRENEURS WE SPOKE TO ALSO SAID THAT THEY FELT LIKE NOT ONLY WERE THERE SERVICES LACKING, UM, FOR THEM AND FOR THEIR NEEDS, BUT ALSO TO HELP BRING THEM TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE'S RELATIVELY FEWER OF THEM, THAT IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR THEM TO HAVE SOME INFRA, SOME INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THEM TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER, TO PROVIDE EACH OTHER WITH PEER SUPPORT, AND TO EVEN START TO WORK AROUND SOME, UM, SHARED, UH, AGENDAS AROUND POLICY AND ADVOCACY.

ADDRESS THESE GAPS IN THE CAPITAL AND BUSINESS SUPPORT ECOSYSTEMS. AND THOSE STRATEGIES WERE ACCESS TO FLEXIBLE CAPITAL, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY, ACCESS AND NETWORKS AND ECOSYSTEM COORDINATION.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT WHETHER SAN ANTONIO WAS ADEQUATELY FUNDING BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR WORK.

AND AS YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM IN THE TOTALS, THE BUDGETS FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO TEND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER AND TO AVERAGE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN IN INDIANAPOLIS, WHICH WE CONSIDERED SORT OF A PEER CITY FOR SAN ANTONIO.

UM, AND ALSO NOTE THAT THE AVERAGES THAT ARE ARE THERE FOR SAN ANTONIO TEND TO BE SKEWED BY A FEW ORGANIZATIONS WITH HIGHER BUDGETS.

AND THAT, IN FACT, OVER 50% OF THE BUSINESS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS WE LOOKED AT HAD BUDGETS LESS THAN 500,000 A YEAR, WHICH IS QUITE LOW.

AND THEN IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A DISPARITY OF FUNDING, DEPENDING ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP WITH THOSE LED BY WHITE MEN AVERAGING BUDGETS AT ABOUT DOUBLE THOSE LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR.

AND NEXT, PLEASE.

SO, WORKING WITH THE LOCAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE FOLKS ON THE SLIDE THAT WE SHOWED YOU AT THE BEGINNING, WE IDENTIFIED FOUR CORE STRATEGIES TO

[00:30:01]

AND IN THE NEXT SLIDES, I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.

SO THESE WERE SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS THAT THE ADVISORY COUNCIL PRIORITIZE IS MOST PROMISING AND POTENTIALLY MOST IMPACTFUL.

WE REALIZED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE.

AND SO SPENCER AND I WENT THROUGH AND WE PUT STARS NEXT TO THE INITIATIVES THAT WE THOUGHT WERE PARTICULARLY WELL-POSITIONED FOR A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS, AND WHERE WE'VE SEEN SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS FROM OTHER CITY GOVERNMENTS IN OTHER CITIES.

THESE ARE JUST OUR SUGGESTIONS.

SO YOU ARE OF COURSE, WELCOME TO, UM, TO GRAB ONTO TO ANY OF THESE THAT YOU THINK HAVE, UH, HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF PROMISE IN SAN ANTONIO.

SO STARTING WITH CAPITAL AGGREGATION, THIS REPRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CATALYZE NEW INVESTMENTS AMONG PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTORS TO FORM NEW FUNDS TO DEPLOY FLEXIBLE CAPITAL.

SO THAT INCLUDES GRANTS EQUITY AND, UM, CAPITAL THAT'S BASED MORE ON REVENUE RATHER THAN JUST STRAIGHT UP INTEREST PAYMENTS, JUST DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET BUSINESSES MONEY THAT ARE ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE SYSTEM HAS TYPICALLY PROVIDED TO THEM IN THE PAST.

THE SECOND SOLUTION IS COMMUNITY CROWDFUNDING.

SO WE KNOW THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS TREMENDOUS PRIDE OF PLACE, SO IT SEEMED LIKE A RIPE AREA FOR, UM, FOR A, A CROWDFUNDING PLATFORM THAT WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO TO INVEST DIRECTLY INTO NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED BUSINESSES.

NEXT ON THIS SLIDE IS ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVEN COALITIONS, UM, THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HELPING TO STREAMLINE AND STANDARDIZE THE APPLICATIONS THAT BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO FILL OUT.

SO A STREAMLINE DEAL ORIGINATION PLATFORM THAT CONNECTS DIRECTLY TO LOCAL BANKS, CREDIT UNIONS AND CDFIS SO THAT BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO DO FOR EACH ONE OF THEM, AND SO THAT THOSE FUNDERS CAN FIND THEM MORE EASILY.

AND THEN FINALLY, IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO FLEXIBLE CAPITAL, LOAN LOSS RESERVES WOULD, UM, EITHER EITHER ESTABLISHING NEW OR ENHANCING EXISTING LOAN, EXISTING LOAN LOSS RESERVE FUNDS THAT WOULD HELP LOOSEN BALANCE SHEETS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, AND ENABLE THEM TO DO MORE DIRECT LENDING.

AND THEN MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE, SUSTAIN, WE LOOKED AT INNOVATIVE LAND OWNERSHIP MODELS, AND THIS WAS EXCITING FOR THE ADVISORY COUNCIL BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF DISPLACEMENT IN GENTRIFICATION IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND WITH LAND TRUSTS, REVENUE BONDING, PUBLIC LAND LEASING, THESE ARE ALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO, UM, PHYSICALLY OWN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

THAT IN ORDER TO HELP KEEP, UM, AFFORDABILITY AND AVOID THE RISK OF COMMERCIAL DISPLACEMENT, FINANCIAL HEALTH AND CREDIT BUILDING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL CAPITAL AND SERVICE PROVIDERS SO THAT WHEN BUSINESS OWNERS GO TO ACCESS CAPITAL, THEY'RE ALSO GETTING THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING THEY NEED TO IMPROVE THEIR FINANCIAL HEALTH AND IMPROVE THEIR ABILITY TO, UM, SUCCESSFULLY ACCESS THAT CAPITAL.

AND THEN FOR CAPACITY BUILDING FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS, THE GROUP IDENTIFIED TRYING TO COORDINATE AND COLLABORATE AROUND THE COVID 19 RESILIENCE, RESILIENCY, AND RECOVERY IN A FORMAL COLLABORATIVE, UM, THAT WOULD INCREASE THE CAPACITY AND OF CAPITAL AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, BOTH BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE JOINING FORCES AND ALSO BECAUSE HOPEFULLY THERE WOULD BE, UM, FUNDING FOR THAT COLLABORATIVE AS AN ENTITY UNTO ITSELF.

ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ACCESS AND NETWORKS.

UM, SO ACCELERATORS FOR TAILORED GROWTH STRATEGIES, UH, ACCELERATORS ARE, UH, ARE ENTITIES THAT CAN HELP ORGANIZATIONS OFTEN BY, ON A SECTOR BY SECTOR BASIS WITH ADVISING, COACHING AND MENTORSHIP THAT'S TAILORED TO THAT SECTOR, TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS, AND HELP BUSINESS OWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS OF COLOR TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY.

SECURE, SECURE CAPITAL INFORMED CONNECTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS NETWORKS.

UH, COMING OUT OF THE, WHAT WE HEARD FROM BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS WAS THIS IDEA OF GETTING NETWORKS OF BUSINESS OWNERS OF COLOR TOGETHER TO CREATE A SHARED ADVOCACY AGENDA AND A COALITION AND PROGRAMS FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

AND THEN CORRIDOR LEVEL SUPPORTS GOING.

UM, BACK TO THE MAP SLIDE THAT I PRESENTED.

THE, THE GROUP IDENTIFIED THIS NEED FOR, UH, TO LOCALIZE ACCESS TO SUPPORT SERVICES SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST REGIONAL, BUT ALSO AVAILABLE ON A NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.

AND THAT, THAT SUPPORT

[00:35:01]

SERVICES CAN, UH, CAN ALSO DO VERY SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING PLACEMAKING AND EVENTS AND MARKETING AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED TO CREATE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESSES TO SURVIVE.

AND THEN ON THE FINAL SLIDE, SO THIS IS LOOKING AT THE ECOSYSTEM AS A WHOLE.

UM, THE GROUP IDENTIFIED THAT THEY, THEY WORK WELL INDIVIDUALLY, AND THERE'S A LOT GREAT GOING ON IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT THAT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY COORDINATING EFFORTS.

AND SO THE IDEA WAS TO SUSTAIN AND ESTABLISH A FORMAL COALITION OF STAKEHOLDERS TO COORDINATE THEIR INITIATIVES, DEVELOP COLLECTIVE POLICY AGENDAS, UM, TRACK THEIR PROGRESS TOWARD THOSE INITIATIVES, AND TO DESIGNATE SPECIFIC ENTITIES THAT WOULD HELP LEAD THAT WORK.

WHAT WE KNOW FROM OTHER CITIES IS THAT IF THAT COALITION BUILDING WORK DOESN'T HAVE A LEADER AND DOESN'T HAVE FUNDING, IT TENDS TO FALL APART.

SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.

AND FINALLY, AN ADVOCACY PLATFORM.

OOPS, SORRY, I PSYCHED YOU OUT.

AN ADVOCACY PLATFORM, UM, THAT WOULD ADVOCATE FOR AND INTEGRATES THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM PRIORITIES IN THE CITY AND COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS WITH A REAL FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO THE ECONOMY OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES.

AND, UM, AND HIGHLIGHTING AND SPOTLIGHTING AND ADVOCATING TOWARDS PUBLIC POLICY THAT SUPPORTS THEM, AN ECONOMIC, UH, SUBSIDY POLICY, ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT POLICY THAT, THAT, UH, PROVIDES THE, THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT, UM, THAT THOSE BUSINESSES AND THEIR IMPACT ARE DUE.

THAT IS THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION.

UH, SPENCER AND I ARE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, AND WE'D ALSO LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU WHAT STRIKES YOU AS THE MOST PROMISING FOR THE CITY TO CHAMPION.

AND, AND AS ELLEN'S WRAPPING UP, I WANNA EMPHASIZE AGAIN THAT, UM, THE, THIS PHASE OF THE WORK IS CONCLUDED, BUT, UH, WE ARE LAUNCHING, EXCUSE ME, WE ARE LAUNCHING COLLABORATIVELY ON THE IMPLEMENTATION, UH, PHASE.

UH, LISC HAS ALREADY, WITH THE SUPPORT OF JP MORGAN CHASE, BEEN ABLE TO ASSEMBLE SOME FUNDING TO SUPPORT, UM, OUR BDOS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THAT NETWORKING STRUCTURE THAT WAS RECOMMENDED.

I KNOW, UM, WELLS FARGO HAS ALREADY IS EXPLORING, UH, DEVOTING, UH, SIMILAR, UH, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT.

UM, SO I THINK THIS IS A, A MOMENT NATIONALLY WHERE THE EMPHASIS ON EQUITY AND SMALL BUSINESSES COMING TOGETHER TO ALLOW US TO LEVERAGE LOCAL DOLLARS.

THANK YOU, LEILA.

THANK YOU ELLEN AND SPENCER FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.

APPRECIATE IT.

I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP FIRST FOR MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR, UH, COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, AND WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DR UH, ROCHA GARCIA.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

AND, UM, THANK YOU TEAM.

UM, I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU ALL, UM, PUT TOGETHER TODAY.

AND, AND I, I WAS HAPPY ABOUT SOME OF THE FINDINGS OF THE REPORT, UM, DISAPPOINTED OF COURSE, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE THINGS WE, WE'VE KIND OF BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND, YOU KNOW, THEY KEEP SURFACING, SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE SAYING IT AS WELL SO THAT, UM, IT CAN ADD TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.

ALSO, JUST, JUST FROM THE PERCEPTION LEVEL.

UM, I, I NOTICED ON THERE, UM, THAT ON THE REPORT THERE WAS A, A QUOTE TALKING ABOUT HOW 68% OF THE REVENUE GENERATED BY LOCAL BUSINESS STAYS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, BUT ONLY 40 PER, FOR 3% OF NON-LOCAL STAYS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

SO I THOUGHT THAT, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE CHAMPIONING, UM, BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT, UH, THESE, UM, LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE.

AND SO, SO JUST A CONTINUATION FOR, FOR THAT, UM, SEEMS TO BE CRITICAL THAT, THAT THAT MESSAGING, UM, RESTAURANTS, BARS, YOU ALL HAVE THAT THEY WERE GREATLY IMPACTED SPECIFICALLY.

UM, AND SO WE HAVE TAKEN SOME, SOME STEPS ALREADY AT THIS COMMITTEE LEVEL AND AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL TO ADDRESS THAT.

I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALWAYS MORE THAN WE CAN DO, BUT I, I THINK THAT WE, WE'VE STARTED ON THE RIGHT PATH.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THE FOCUS GROUPS.

HOW MANY WERE FOCUS GROUPS VERSUS HOW MANY INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED FOR YOUR RESEARCH? SPENCER, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW NUMBERS, THE FOCUS GROUPS.

WE HAD TWO FOCUS GROUPS OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, ONE IN ENGLISH AND ONE IN SPANISH.

UM, AND THE SPANISH ONE WAS CONDUCTED ENTIRELY IN SPANISH BY, UH, BY A COLLEAGUE OF OURS WHO KNOWS THIS WORK VERY WELL, SO THAT WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THAT INFORMATION FROM THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS IN A VERY THOROUGH WAY.

SPENCER, DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF YOU FOR THE INTERVIEWS? YEAH,

[00:40:01]

I'M IN IT RIGHT NOW.

WE HAD AN ESTIMATED, LIKE 15 TO 20 INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS, UH, WHICH WAS INCLUSIVE OF BOTH INTERVIEWS WITH BUSINESS OWNERS AS WELL AS WITH THOSE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT, THOSE QUOTE UNQUOTE ECOSYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL.

PAGE 20, UM, AND THEN FINALLY JUST, UM, PAGE 23, I THINK YOU ALL HAVE A KEY POINT THERE.

THANK YOU, SPENCER.

AND DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT, UM, THOSE PARTICIPANTS WERE FROM, BY ANY CHANCE? I THINK THAT WE WOULD NEED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT SPECIFICALLY.

UM, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT IT, THE AIM OF IT WAS TO BRING TOGETHER THE, UM, I'D SAY INCLUSIVE, UM, NETWORK OF, OF, OF, OF FOLKS TOGETHER.

UM, AND THAT WAS LARGELY IN PART JUST HOW WE WERE THINKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROCESS, NOT ONLY FOR THOSE INTERVIEWS, BUT ALSO WITH THE ADVISORY COUNCIL.

SURE.

AND THANK YOU.

AND, AND, UM, I BELIEVE IN THE WORK THAT THE ADVISORY COUNCIL DOES, I BELIEVE IN THE WORK THAT THE FOLKS THAT, UM, ARE REPRESENTED ON THE ADVISORY COUNCIL, UM, DO HOWEVER MANY OF THE, THE BUSINESSES THAT I REPRESENT ARE NOT REPRESENTED BY THEM.

THEY CAN'T AFFORD MEMBERSHIP AND, UH, CHAMBER, ET CETERA.

AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE, WE TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.

IN FACT, DISTRICT FOUR, THE DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT HAS HAD THE LEAST AMOUNT OF GRANTS, HAS HAD THE LEAST AMOUNT OF, UM, P P P LOANS THAT THEY APPLY TO BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU IDENTIFIED HERE, INCLUDING SPANISH LANGUAGE.

RIGHT? AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, THAT IT, IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS MORE FOCUSED ON DOWNTOWN.

UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S PLENTY OF BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SEE HOW YOU KIND OF GOT OUT TO, TO OUR AREAS, UM, AND, AND ENGAGED SOME OF THAT SUPPORT.

UM, WE STARTED OUR VERY OWN SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE AND DISTRICT FOUR.

SO WE HAVE PHOTOGRAPHERS, WE, UM, HAVE RESTAURANT OWNERS.

WE HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOLKS REPRESENTED ON THE COMMITTEE.

OUR VERY FIRST MEETING HAD, UM, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS 20 SOMETHING BUSINESS OWNERS.

AND SO, AGAIN, REPRESENTING DIFFERENT AREAS.

AND SO, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UM, MAYBE HOW THE, THE ADVISORY GROUP CAN ENGAGE SOME OF THOSE FOLKS, UM, AS WELL.

UH, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M HAPPY THAT YOU ALL ARE, ARE LOOKING AT THIS SPECIFICALLY, UM, SPANISH LANGUAGE SERVICES CULTURALLY, UM, COMPETENT, UH, I SAW IN THE REPORT AS WELL.

AND SO I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU ALL PRESENTED THAT HISPANICS AND BLACK OWNED AND ASIAN OWNED BUSINESSES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE MOSTLY AFFECTED.

I THINK SAN ANTONIO, AND RIGHTFULLY, YOU DID MENTION THIS IN THE REPORT, FOCUSES A LOT ON HISPANICS.

WE DO HAVE A LOT OF ASIAN AND A LOT OF, UM, BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS THAT I, I THINK ARE STILL, UM, UH, FEELING LIKE THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ATTENTION.

SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO LIGHT IN YOUR REPORT.

I DID NOTICE THAT YOU ALL MADE MENTION OF THAT.

AND SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO DO THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.

ONE OF THE THINGS, AND, AND I TEACH MARKETING FOR A LIVING, SO I WAS HAPPY TO SEE ON PAGE 22 THAT 80%, UM, IDENTIFIED MARKETING AS THEIR BIGGEST NEED.

SO IT, YEAH.

SO, YOU KNOW, I KEEP TELLING MY STUDENTS, MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT 'CAUSE I CAN JUSTIFY THIS.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TEACH THEM IS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE LOOK AT THE FULL PIE, RIGHT? SO PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, AND THEN THE EVALUATION.

UNFORTUNATELY, I'VE NOTICED THAT IN MANY PLANS, JUST LIKE YOU ALL REFERENCED TODAY, WE ONLY PLAN, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.

AND SO THEN WE NEVER GET TO THE EVALUATION PHASE.

AND SO, UM, SO, SO, SO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT IN, IN, IN THE DOCUMENT AS WELL.

AND THEN, UM, ON PAGE 18, YOU HAVE THIS, THIS BEAUTIFUL, UM, MAP.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT, IT REMINDS ME OF THE VACCINATION MAP.

AND SO AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS VA VACCINE MAPS THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING IN THE LAST, UH, COVID CASES AND, AND EVERYTHING, IT'S, IT'S THIS SAME STORY ONCE AGAIN, RIGHT? FOR OUR AREAS, UH, SOME OF THE, THE AREAS OF TOWN THAT MOSTLY NEED IT.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BRINGING THAT COMPONENT UP ON PAGE 20.

YOU HAVE THIS REALLY NICE, UM, DIAGRAM WITH EQUITY, AND I WANNA APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL HAVE THE SPECIALTY AND BREADTH.

THERE IS, UM, A NEED FOR SPECIALIZED BSOS, UM, TO SERVE UNIQUE NEEDS AND PARTICULAR TYPES OF BUSINESS OWNERS.

JUST LIKE IN OUR WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM, ALL OF OUR BUSINESS OWNERS ARE NOT ON THE SAME LEVEL.

SO EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, THEY ARE NOT EQUALLY PREPARED.

SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING IN, IN, IN THAT, UM, DOCUMENT THAT THE NEED FOR SPECIALTY, UH, CONSIDERATION FOR PARTICULAR TYPES OF SMALL BUSINESSES.

AND THEN I ALSO, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE SHOULD BE MUTUAL MEASUREMENTS OF QUALITY AND REPORTING, UH, THAT SHOULD BE DONE.

SO I, I REALLY LIKE YOUR EQUITY MODEL, LIZ.

I THINK WHAT I'M SAYING THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED IN, UM,

[00:45:01]

AND SO, AND, AND THIS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH HOW OUR ELECTIONS ARE STRUCTURED, BUT EVERY TIME SOMEONE NEW COMES ON, THEN WE KIND OF FORGET ABOUT WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE'S INITIATIVE WAS INTENDED TO DO, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THAT DEFINITELY, UH, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF THE, UH, TURNOVER, AND IT COULD BE BECAUSE, UM, WE'RE AN ELECTED, WE'RE AN ELECTED POSITION, SO WE MAY OR MAY NOT BE HERE IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

UM, HOWEVER, I THINK THAT THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE NEED TO SUPPORT THOSE SMALL BUSINESS, UM, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HELPING, UM, AND, AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE.

SO THAT'S IT FOR NOW, AND JUST, I'M REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE IN HOW MANY PEOPLE REPRESENTING DISTRICT FOUR, SOME OF THE DISTRICTS WERE, UH, INCLUDED IN YOUR STUDY.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

AS WELL? ACTUAL PRIORITIES, UM, FOR COALITIONS, THE, THE, THE LIST THAT YOU SAW, THE LIST OF ABOUT 16 THAT WE PRESENTED IS THE LIST AS IT'S BEEN SCALED DOWN TO DATE.

COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER GAO HDA.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

I, I THINK LELA SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, BUT WITH REGARD TO ACCESS TO FLEXIBLE CAPITAL, WHAT LENDERS OR INVESTOR GROUPS HAVE STEPPED UP TO SAY THEY'LL TAKE ON THE RISK AND EMPLOY FLEXIBLE CAPITAL OPPORTUNITIES? YEAH, UM, GREAT QUESTION.

SO LARGELY WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN MARCH IS THE PRESENCE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPED FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WHO HAVE STEPPED UP INTO THAT, THAT ROLE.

UM, YOU MENTIONED BEFORE THAT, UM, AMONGST THE LARGEST LOCAL, UH, C D F I WAS IS LIFT FUND.

AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH THEM ON, UM, THE WORK, UM, BOTH REGIONALLY AS WELL AS ACROSS THE STATE.

UM, AND SO THAT'S REALLY, UH, ONE PLACE THAT WE WOULD SEE, UH, EXPANDED FLEXIBLE CAPITAL AMONGST THOSE TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS THAT, UM, ALREADY HAVE, UH, RELATIONSHIPS WITH ENTREPRENEURS OF COVER ON THE GROUND, UM, TO SEE AN EXPANDED CAPITALIZATION OF THOSE TYPES OF LENDERS.

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH CAPITAL WE EXPECT TO BE AVAILABLE? I'M SORRY, SAY AGAIN? I'M SORRY.

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH CAPITAL WE EXPECT TO BE AVAILABLE? UM, SO ON AVERAGE, FROM HISTORICALLY WE'VE SEEN AMONGST THOSE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT WE SAW THAT, UH, C D F I LENDING WAS BETWEEN, UM, FIVE TO 10 MILLION, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY EXPANDED A LOT FROM, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC.

UM, ONE THING THAT, UH, IN THINKING ABOUT CAPITALIZING THOSE TYPES OF LENDERS TO NOTE IS, UM, REALLY EXPANDING THEIR BALANCE SHEETS TO BE ABLE TO THEN PROVIDE THAT CAPITAL, CAPITAL TO BUSINESS OWNERS.

AND, UM, ONE THING THAT, UM, ELLEN DID MENTION, UH, WAS THIS LOAN LOSS RESERVE FUND THAT, UM, WE HAVE SEEN IN OTHER MARKETS.

AND THAT, I THINK, UH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP THROUGH THERE, UM, THE CAPITAL THAT'S BEING AVAILABLE THROUGH THINGS LIKE THE NEW AMERICAN RESCUE PLANS HAVE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH, UH, THAT TYPE OF LOAN LOSS RESERVE PROGRAM, UM, TO BE ABLE TO THEN CAPITALIZE THOSE TYPES OF CAP, UH, COMMUNITY LENDERS.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

SO DO, CAN WE IDENTIFY PARTICULAR, UM, INVESTORS OR LENDERS THAT HAVE, UM, COMMITTED TO DO THIS COUNCILWOMAN? THERE ARE SOME, UH, THERE ARE SOME FUNDS NATIONALLY THAT HAVE BEEN SET UP, I'M NOT AWARE OF, UH, SPECIFICALLY OF A, A LOCAL FUND THAT'S, UM, BEEN TARGETING, UH, BIPO BUSINESSES.

BUT FOR EXAMPLE, UM, NETFLIX HA HAS FUNDED A NATIONAL FUND, UH, FOCUSING ON BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES.

AND THERE ARE, UH, SO WE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, THAT, UH, TO THE, UH, TO THE COMMITTEE.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

AND, UH, HAVE Y'ALL, DID Y'ALL KEEP DATA ON WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS AS WELL? WE DID.

WE DIDN'T, UH, THE, UH, BOTH THE, UM, ADVISORY, UH, COUNCIL AND THE WORKING GROUP, UH, HAD A, A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FOCAL POINT OF THE EVENTUAL REPORT AND WHETHER, HOW BROAD WE COULD BE VERSUS HOW FOCUSED WE COULD BE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE CONCERN ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE MENTIONED EARLIER.

SO WE EVENTUALLY NARROWED DOWN TO A FOCUS ON, UM, BIPO OWNED BUSINESSES, BUT THE DATA THAT WE HAVE ON WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES SHOWS DISPARITIES.

SO WOMEN OWN BUSINESSES AT A LOWER RATE.

THE REVENUE OF THOSE BUSINESSES, UH, TENDS TO BE SMALLER.

THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN BUSINESSES TENDS TO BE SMALLER FOR WOMEN OWNERS.

AND, UH, I CERTAINLY, UH, W WOULD BE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AND GET SOME, UH, SPECIFIC DATA ON, UH, UH, THE, UH, DISPARITIES THAT WOMEN EXPERIENCE IN THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM AS WELL, AND GET THAT TO THE COMMITTEE AS WELL.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT, THANK YOU.

UM, IF IT'S NOT A COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEM, IF, UH, YOU COULD EMAIL IT TO US JUST, JUST TO LOOK OVER, BUT I'D LIKE TO, TO MEET WITH YOU TO GO OVER THAT DATA, UM, IF IT'S NOT ON THE, THE COMMITTEE AGENDA.

UM, DO WE, IN REGARDS TO THE ECOSYSTEM, HAVE, HAVE WE, WHAT ECOSYSTEM PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED? HAVE THERE ANY, HAVE THERE BEEN ACTUAL PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED AND COALITION GOALS

[00:50:01]

UM, AS LEILA SAID, THERE'S A NEXT PHASE OF THE PROCESS THAT'S JUST STARTING TO KICK OFF THAT WILL HELP THIS GROUP TO LIKE, TO HONE THAT DOWN TO A MORE FOCUSED LIST.

UM, COMING OUT OF THIS MEETING, WE'VE JUST JUST SCHEDULED A MEETING ON THE 21ST TO REENGAGE THAT ADVISORY COUNCIL TO START TO DO JUST THAT WORK OF FIGURING OUT WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT AND, UM, WHERE THEY WANT TO BEGIN.

I'D LIKE TO, TO I GUESS ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, BRIEFING, I GUESS IN THE NEXT STAGE THAT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, UM, TO SEE IF YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE GOALS ARE.

AND THEN OF COURSE, IF WE'RE MEETING THE, THE GOALS AND FINALLY OVER THE LAST YEAR, UH, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED TO BE THE ONE OR TWO TOP MAIN BARRIERS TO BUSINESS RESILIENCY? HAVE WE IDENTIFIED THOSE? SPENCER, DO YOU WANNA, OR SHOULD I JUMP IN? ALRIGHT, I CAN JUMP IN.

SO I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF THAT TYPE OF FLEXIBLE CAPITAL TO BE ABLE TO, TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AT THIS MOMENT, BUT ALSO HAVING THOSE SERVICES THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE THAT WILL ALLOW THOSE BUSINESSES TO PIVOT TO OTHER TYPES OF BUSINESS MODELS, UH, IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO OPERATE AT THIS MOMENT.

UM, AND SO REALLY THAT COMBINATION OF HAVING THAT TYPE OF CAPITAL TO HAVE THAT LIFEBLOOD THAT WE HAD MENTIONED WITH THOSE SERVICES IN ORDER FOR THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS TO, TO CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE NOT ONLY THIS CRISIS, BUT POTENTIAL OTHER CRISIS IN THE FUTURE.

THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.

UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN HABER ANSWERED MOST OF, OR ASKED MOST OF MY QUESTIONS, BUT, SO LET ME JUST FOCUS ON A COUPLE OF THINGS.

UM, I MISSED THE INTRO, I GUESS, WHERE WE'RE, WHY DID WE DO THIS OR WHO FUNDED THIS, AND WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? THIS WAS FUNDED BY JP MORGAN CHASE, AND WE HAVE CHARLIE CORRIGAN FROM JP MORGAN CHASE ON THE CALL WITH US TODAY.

SO I ALSO JUST WANTED TO GIVE A QUICK THANK YOU TO CHARLIE FOR BEING HERE.

UH, CHARLIE, I THOUGHT I SAW YOU ON MUTE.

UM, SO JP MORGAN CHASE FUNDED THIS SAME STUDY IN NINE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND SAN ANTONIO WAS ONE OF THEM.

UM, AND SAN ANTONIO WAS CHOSEN IN PART BECAUSE, UH, THE LOCAL PROGRAM OFFICER FELT LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF PROMISE IN SAN ANTONIO TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT INITIATIVES, UM, AND, UH, IF THEY WERE ABLE TO, TO GET SOME MORE DATA ABOUT WHAT THE SPECIFIC NEEDS WERE.

AND WE'RE ALSO LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE REALLY GREAT AND ENGAGED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE FOLKS ON THE GROUND TO LEAD THE PROJECT, WHICH WERE LEILA AND ALEX.

UH, GREAT.

WELL, THANK YOU, UM, UH, FOR THAT.

UM, BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, I JUST, SO SINCE WE DO HAVE THE PERSON FROM CHASE HERE, AND WHAT WE'VE REALLY LEARNED FROM THIS STUDY, AND AGAIN, IT'S LIKE NO MYSTERY AND NOTHING, NO NEW INFORMATION HERE.

AND THAT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FOR OUR, OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, IS ACCESS TO CAPITAL.

AND I, I HAVE WORKED A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, AND IN FACT, I THINK ONE OF YOUR REPRESENTATIVES WAS IN ONE OF MY COMMITTEES ASKING LIKE, WHAT CAN YOU GUYS DO TO LOOSEN UP THE PURSE STRINGS SO YOU CAN BRING MORE MONEY HERE? UH, AND SO SINCE WE'VE GOT YOU ON THE CALL, COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? LIKE WHAT, AND, UH, I MEAN, WHERE THIS, I MEAN, I, THIS PRESENTATION, IN FACT, ONE OF MY VERY FIRST ISSUES ON THE COUNCIL, AND IN FACT EVEN THE WAY I GOT HERE WAS BECAUSE I HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH ACCESS TO CAPITAL HERE ON THE COUNCIL.

SO COULD YOU ADDRESS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES? HI, THIS IS CHARLIE CORGAN FROM CHASE, AND I APOLOGIZE, MY CONNECTION WAS WEAK, UM, SO MY VIDEO WASN'T WORKING.

UH, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR QUESTION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.

UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, UM, ON SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL THINGS FROM JP MORGAN CHASE AS A FIRM AND SOME OF THE COMMITMENTS THAT, THAT WE ARE MAKING.

UM, I WILL SAY, JUST AS THE, UM, PRESENTERS MENTIONED, WE'VE MADE A PRIORITY TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY-BASED LENDERS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF INCREASE THE, THE NUMBER AND THE QUALITY OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

SO THAT, THAT'S BEEN ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES IS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY WHERE THERE ARE COMMUNITY-BASED LENDERS WHO CAN, UM, FILL IN SOME OF THE, THE MISSING PIECES IN

[00:55:01]

THE, IN THE SYSTEM.

UM, WELL, AND, AND OF COURSE IN MEETING WITH MANY OF OUR PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS, YOU KNOW, PRIMARILY WHAT THEIR RESPONSE HAS BEEN IS SIMPLY THAT IT'S JUST TOO RISKY AN ENVIRONMENT, AND THAT'S WHY THE TRADITIONAL BANKS HAVE NOT WANTED TO SUPPORT.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.

I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU JUST HAPPEN TO BE HERE AND, AND THEY MENTIONED YOU AND YOU FUNDED THIS STUDY, SO I GUESS THERE WOULD BE SOME, UM, EXPECTATION, UH, THAT YOU WOULD TRY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, UM, BY FINDING WAYS, UM, TO INVEST.

AND I KNOW WE WORKED A LOT WITH LIFTFUND.

THEY'VE BEEN INCREDIBLE PARTNERS.

OF COURSE, LI HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER AS WELL, UM, IN, IN HELPING, UM, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF, OF, OF CRE OF MAKING, I GUESS THE BANKING OR TRADITIONAL BANKING INDUSTRY FEEL MORE CONFIDENT, UH, IN INVESTING IN SOME OF OUR BUSINESSES.

SO WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO MORE SUPPORT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, A PRIVATE SECTOR, WE CAN, WE'RE THE PUBLIC SECTOR, WE CAN DO OUR PART, WE CAN TRY AND CREATE, UM, DIFFERENT POLICIES, UM, AND, UH, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

SO I DO LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, YOU ALL INVEST IN YOUR FINANCIAL DOLLARS HERE IN OUR CITY, UH, AND WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.

UM, I JUST, ANOTHER QUESTION THAT CAME UP, UM, UH, REGARDING, UM, WAS THERE, UM, AN ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRY, OR DID I MISS THAT SOMEWHERE IN THE PRESENTATION? UH, WE KNOW THAT MINORITY, OR, WELL, I MEAN PEOPLE OF COLOR, UM, WELL, I, Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ME SAY MANY TIMES.

I DON'T HAVE ANY LARGE BUSINESSES.

UM, BUT, AND I KNOW, UH, A LOT OF WHERE OUR, UM, UH, WHERE OUR EMPLOYEES, WHERE PEOPLE ARE WORKING, UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT WHERE THE BUSINESSES ARE.

DO YOU HAVE, UM, WAS THERE ANY INFORMATION ON INDUSTRY SPECIFIC, SPENCER? GO AHEAD.

YES.

YEAH, SO, UM, WE DID DO AN INDUSTRY SPECIFIC ANALYSIS, WHICH WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON.

UM, WE HAD JUST SHOWN THAT THE IMPACT OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC SPECIFICALLY BASED OFF OF THAT INDUSTRY SEGMENTATION, BUT WE HAVE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON, UM, ALMOST A UNDERLYING, UM, UNDERSTANDING OF THAT INDUSTRY BREAKDOWN.

SO WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT ONE AS WELL.

FORCED TO CONDUCT BUSINESS ONLINE, BUT ALSO THAT WAS GONNA BE THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE ANYWAY.

UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UM, I'M CURIOUS.

SO, I MEAN, I'LL JUST, I GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE IN MY, UM, DISTRICT, UM, WE KNOW THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY.

UM, AND AFTER THAT, UM, I I WANNA SAY IT'S SERVICES LIKE RETAIL SERVICES, AND I THINK AFTER THAT CONSTRUCTION.

SO I WOULD ALSO BE CURIOUS TO SEE IF THERE'RE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE, UM, ARE ALSO RUNNING THOSE BUSINESSES, NOT JUST PEOPLE WORK OR WHAT MAY, WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, SO THAT WAS JUST ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD.

UM, AND THEN I THINK, UH, MY LAST QUESTION, UM, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE REGARDING THE PLANNING, YOU KNOW, I, I CHAIR THE, THE CITY'S PLANNING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT, UM, COMMITTEE, AND I WILL AGREE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE IMPLEMENTATION.

UM, SO, UM, UH, I THINK THAT WE HAVE, UM, PARTLY BY, UM, STATUTE WE HAVE TO DO CERTAIN PLANS.

UM, BUT, UH, AND, AND SO I THINK THAT THERE'S THAT, UM, UH, THAT PART OF THE REASON WHY THERE'S SUCH A HEAVY INVESTMENT IN PLANNING.

UM, AND, AND OF COURSE, UM, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION IS, IS WHERE WE REALLY, I THINK SHOULD BE FOCUSING, UH, OUR, UM, OUR INVESTMENT.

BUT, UH, I, I THINK, UH, JUST MY LAST QUESTION.

SO, UH, AND I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HDA ASKED IT, UM, A BIT PLAINLY ABOUT WHAT WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS, BUT I MEAN, WHAT ABOUT, OR THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING IN A POST COVID ENVIRONMENT, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW ONE THING I'VE ALWAYS COMPLAINED ABOUT IS THAT IS BROADBAND, UM, AND THE LACK OF BROADBAND OP OPTIONS IN MY DISTRICT, WHICH I KNOW KNOW LIMITS THEM THE KIND OF, UH, OF BUSINESSES THAT CAN MOVE HERE, UM, PARTICULARLY IN THE CREATIVE ECONOMIES.

UM, AND SO, UH, I FEEL LIKE WE MAY HAVE CORRECTED THAT, UH, IN A POST COVID ENVIRONMENT, BUT, UM, COULD YOU HIGHLIGHT MAYBE, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU THINK MIGHT BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, UM, TODAY GOING FORWARD? I THINK GOING ALONG WITH YOUR COMMENT ABOUT BROADBAND, ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE BUSINESSES HAVE THE CAPACITY AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO KNOW HOW TO USE IT.

UM, AS WE MENTIONED COMING OUT OF COVID, SO MANY MORE BUSINESSES ARE NOW, WE'RE

[01:00:01]

AND YET SO MANY BUSINESS OWNERS OF COLOR, WHETHER IT'S AN INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE, LIKE THE BROADBAND ISSUE ISSUE YOU MENTIONED, BUT OFTENTIMES IT'S JUST A LACK OF ACCESS OR A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW TO DO THE SIMPLEST OF THINGS.

LIKE TO GET ON A WEBEX MEETING, UM, OR TO BE ABLE TO LIKE USE A QUICKBOOKS ONLINE PLATFORM TO DO BOOKS OR COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR ACCOUNTANT TO DO THAT.

UM, AND IN, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE, UH, THE SPECIFIC FINANCIAL LITERACY AROUND BUSINESS OWNERSHIP TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, CREATE A CASH FLOW STATEMENT TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THE KINDS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED THAT A LENDER IS GONNA BE LOOKING FOR, TO BE ABLE TO GET THE MONEY AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME HISTORIC DATA PUT TOGETHER SO THAT A LENDER CAN LOOK AT THEM, UM, AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.

SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT AROUND THAT, BOTH THE COVID PIVOT AND ALSO THE, THE SPECIFIC KIND OF FINANCIAL LITERACY AND SUPPORT THAT BUSINESSES NEED TO BE ABLE TO FUNCTION.

ELLEN, CAN I ADD TO THAT, THAT I THINK THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN BUSINESSES AND, UH, AMONG BUSINESSES AND BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS IS CRITICAL HERE? THAT, UM, UH, IN TALKING TO, UM, BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS IN YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT, WHAT I HEAR IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT APPLYING FOR P P P.

IT DIDN'T EVEN OCCUR TO THEM THAT A GOVERNMENT BENEFIT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO THEM.

AND WHEN THEY DID THINK ABOUT IT, THEY WERE OVERWHELMED BY THE IDEA THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIND AN ACCOUNTANT OR PREPARE A A SUBMITTAL STATEMENT OR, BECAUSE THAT, THAT BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE AT THIS LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, IN MANY CASES SOMEONE SAYS, OH, THAT'S A 30, UH, UH, EMPLOYEE SHOP WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE PERSON, UH, A PERSON AS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE HEAR THIS IS A SIDE HUSTLE OR A SIDE GIG, OR, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THIS ISN'T CRITICAL TO THE ECONOMY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THAT THESE FOLKS DON'T DESERVE, UH, SUPPORT AND A LEG UP.

AND SO FIGURING OUT WAYS TO BETTER CONNECT THOSE BUSINESSES WITH EACH OTHER FOR MUTUAL SUPPORT, AND THEN TO ENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE ABOUT EXISTING PROGRAMS GETS INTO THEIR HANDS.

UM, THAT'S WHERE CREATING THESE NETWORKS CAN, UH, CAN REALLY COME IN, UH, INTO PLAY.

AND THAT'S RECOMMENDED STRONGLY IN THE REPORT.

OH, OKAY.

COUNCILMAN, WE COULDN'T HEAR YOU, BUT I THINK THAT WAS YOUR LAST QUESTION.

THAT WAS THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK, THANK YOU CHAIR.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.

UM, ONE QUESTION, I'M GONNA GO AND JUMP INTO MY QUESTIONS OR MY OBSERVATIONS.

FIRST.

UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU ELLEN SPENCER LELA, UH, THANK YOU, UH, CHARLIE AND JP MORGAN AND CHASE FOR THEIR INVESTMENT HERE AND INCLUDING SAN ANTONIO.

AND THANK YOU ALEX.

UM, MY COLLEAGUES HAD A LOT OF GOOD STATEMENTS, SO I'M JUST GONNA FOCUS ON KIND OF THE LAST COUPLE OF SLIDES ABOUT NEXT STEPS AND ACTION STEPS OR POSSIBILITIES.

UM, I, AND I THINK IT STARTS WITH YOUR LAST SLIDE WHEN IT COMES TO ECOSYSTEM COORDINATION AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HAS TO HAVE SOME SORT OF HUB OF COORDINATION HERE.

AND I THINK THAT IS CRITICAL.

UM, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

SO, ALEX, DO YOU KNOW IN ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'VE HAD WITH THE ADVISORY GROUP THAT WAS PART OF THIS, DID THEY ALSO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE ECONOMIC TRANSITION TEAM REPORT THAT WE DEVELOPED DURING COVID WHEN WE ALL HAD TO PIVOT TOGETHER? I THINK THERE WAS, AND, AND IN PART BECAUSE WE HAD SIMILAR PLAYERS, UM, A LOT, AND, AND I'M TRYING TO THINK BACK AT THE TIME WHEN THAT WAS BEING DEVELOPED, WAS ACTUALLY AS THIS WAS BEING LAUNCHED.

UM, AND SO THERE WAS THAT CONTINUITY OF THOUGHT, OKAY, BECAUSE THAT WAS BACK OF, OF COURSE, IN APRIL OF 2020, UM, TO PROBABLY CLOSER TOWARDS THE END.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS, THAT CAME OUT OF THAT WHEN IT WAS SUSTAINING AND CONSISTENCY, EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE PANDEMIC, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED WAS A SUSTAINED ACTION THAT THE ECONOMIC TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS THAT S A E D F WORK WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINED CENTRALIZED BODY OR TASK FORCE SPECIFIC TO ADDRESSING SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS NEEDS FOR FUTURE DISASTER AND PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AND EQUITY CONCERNS BY IMPROVING SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH.

SO THAT WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION WITH OUR E T T AND TO YOUR, UH, TO YOUR POINT THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED THAT I THINK COULD HAVE BEEN SAID AT ANY SORT OF MEETING

[01:05:01]

WE EVER HAD WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING, WAS WE HAVE PLENTY OF PLANS, BUT WE DON'T IMPLEMENT THAT OR WE DON'T, UM, WHAT WAS IT? WE DON'T HAVE BUT LACKS OF COORDINATION AND RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

THAT'S JUST IN BOLD, UNDERLINED, EXCLAMATION MARKS.

AND I THINK, UM, ALSO WE WANTED TO DO THAT WITH THE ECONOMIC TRANSITION TEAM.

'CAUSE WE KNOW THE SUSTAINING NEEDS TO CONTINUE.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND STILL BUILD ON THAT, UM, THE E T T AND SUGGESTIONS FROM THAT AND INCORPORATE WHAT YOU ALL ARE FINDING HERE ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM COORDINATION.

AND I THINK IT'S DOABLE.

AND IF WE'RE LOOKING AT LOW HANGING FRUIT, THAT CAN BE LOW HANGING FRUIT OF HOW WE CAN COORDINATE THIS WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESS AND NETWORKS.

ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONED, UH, CONSISTENCY AGAIN BECAUSE OF ELECTIONS.

UH, YES, I KNOW IN DISTRICT THREE, WE HAD THE EAST SOUTH CROSS CORRIDOR COUNCIL.

WE TRIED TO PICK UP THE COMMERCIAL AVENUE CORRIDOR COUNCIL.

I KNOW, UM, DISTRICT 10 WAS HAVING HIS AUSTIN HIGHWAY CORRIDOR COUNCIL.

AND THEN DISTRICT TWO WAS ALSO WORKING ON HER, UH, DISTRICT TWO CORRIDOR, UM, YOU KNOW, ENHANCEMENT IN THAT AREA.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR DISTRICTS AS A, AS A HUB, HAVE A HUB AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.

AND IT SPEAKS TO THE CORRIDOR LEVEL THAT WILL HELP, UM, BUILD AGAINST, I GUESS, UM, THE, THE GENTRIFICATION OR THE DISPLACEMENT OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND HOUSING, ET CETERA.

UM, BUT BUILD UP ON TOP OF THAT.

AND I THINK ALSO A WAY THAT WE CAN BUILD IT IN, IF WE HAVEN'T BUILT IT IN HERE YET, IS TO, LET'S LOOK AT OUR ESSAY TOMORROW PLAN AND OUR, UM, REGIONAL CENTER PLAN, AND HOW CAN WE BAKE IT IN THERE MORE EXPLICITLY? BECAUSE IF WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR REGIONAL CENTERS, WE KNOW IT'S, UM, JOB HUBS, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE MAJOR JOB HUBS.

MAYBE IT'S THE SMALLER ECONOMIC CORRIDORS THAT I THINK WE ALSO HAVE LISTED IN OUR SA TOMORROW PLANS IN OUR REGIONAL CENTERS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD OUT THERE.

AND I KNOW, UH, IN IN COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GONZALEZ'S COMMITTEE THAT SHE MENTIONED, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE HOME, UH, EVERY HOME IS ABOUT LAND, UH, COMMUNITY, LAND TRUST, LAND BANKING, AND SEEING WHERE THAT CAN HELP, WHERE MAYBE ARE SOME, UH, UNKNOWN CONSEQUENCES THAT CAN COME FROM THERE.

BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALREADY IN HER, IN OUR COUNCIL COMMITTEE.

UH, AND THEN LOOKING AT, I LOVE THE IDEA OF ACCESS TO FLEXIBLE CAPITAL.

UM, YES, LET'S LOOK AT THE LOAN LOSS RESERVES, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY CROWDFUNDING BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN WE HAD SOME OF OUR LEGACY BUSINESSES THAT WERE GOING UNDER DUE TO COVID, SO MANY PEOPLE WOULD'VE JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNITY HAD IT BEEN PLANNED PRIOR TO, TO WORK WITH THEM, TO HAVE THAT CROWDFUNDING IN ORDER FOR THEM TO STAY OPEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

WHERE CAN THAT LIVE? WHERE CAN THAT BE? WHERE CAN THAT COORDINATION HAPPEN? AND I THINK SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR LEGACY BUSINESSES IN SAN ANTONIO.

UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF MY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS IS AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND AS WE TAKE THOSE NEXT ACTION STEPS, I'M VERY ENCOURAGED TO SEE THIS.

AND I DO BELIEVE WE NEED TO ACTIVATE AND ENGAGE OUR NEW SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS A PART OF THIS SO THEY WILL HAVE THE ON THE GROUND GRASSROOTS, UM, LEVEL TO BE ENGAGED.

AND IF WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THIS, HOW WOULD WE IMPLEMENT IT? SO I'M VERY ENCOURAGED, UH, BY THIS AND I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE WILL ALL TAKE HERE TOGETHER.

AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER BEIS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER.

UM, SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AGAIN FOR THIS WORK.

IT WAS EXCITING, LEILA, I WILL AGREE WITH YOU AND I WISH YOU MANY MORE MEETINGS AND GREAT SUCCESS TO BRING BACK TO US.

BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE ROOSEVELT HEIGHTS PROJECT, A LOCATED WEST OF ROOSEVELT AVENUE, ALONG THE FRONTAGE OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY LOOP FOUR 10 WITHIN THE MISSION DRIVE INTERS IN COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE.

ALL RIGHT.

WE, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA AND TO MY COLLEAGUES TO REMIND THEM THAT WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER THIS ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

AND NUMBER FIVE IS A

[5. 21-2513 Briefing and possible action on the Roosevelt Heights Project located west of Roosevelt Ave. along the frontage of Interstate Highway Loop 410 within the Mission Drive-In TIRZ in Council District 3. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood and Housing Services]]

THIS IS VERY EXCITING, YOU ALL.

UM, SO I'M

[01:10:01]

GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO, I SEE VERO ON THE SCREEN, SO I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO VERONICA SOTO.

THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

VERONICA SOTO WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

UM, SO THE ROOSEVELT HEIGHTS PROJECT IS ACTUALLY A 135 LOT SUBDIVISION, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS OUR TAX INCREMENT FINANCING AS WELL.

SO IF WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, BEFORE I TELL YOU ABOUT THE PROJECT, LET, LET'S JUST TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT TAX INCREMENT FINANCING.

TAX INCREMENT FINANCING IS THE MORE, UH, STRAIGHTFORWARD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL WITHIN NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES.

IT IS ENABLED BY THE TEXAS STATE TAX CODE.

IT ALLOWS US TO DESIGNATE AREAS THAT WOULDN'T OTHERWISE BE DEVELOPED OR REDEVELOPED, UH, AND WOULD FIT STAGNANT, UM, AND BLIGHTED WITHOUT HAVING THIS PARTICULAR TOOL.

THE MECHANICS OF A TUR OR A DESIGNATION IS THAT A PARTICULAR AREA DESIGNATED AS A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE AND A PORTION OF THE TAXES COLLECTED WITHIN THAT AREA ARE CONTRIBUTED TO A TTS FUND, AND THAT FUND CAN ONLY BE UTILIZED WITHIN THE DESIGNATED AREA.

THERE IS A BASE YEAR WHEN THE TTS IS CREATED THAT CONTINUES TO GO TO THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THE INCREMENTAL, UH, VALUE OF THE TAX REVENUES, IT WAS, IS WHAT GOES INTO THE TURS FUND.

AND SO THAT'S HOW THE TS OR TAX INCREMENT FINANCING OPERATES.

IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE HOW WE SET UP SUCH A DISTRICT.

SO IN THE NEXT SLIDE WE TALK ABOUT THE CITY INITIATED AND THE PETITION INITIATED, TSIS, WHOEVER'S RUNNING THE SLIDESHOW.

CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? OH, I THINK YOU WENT PROBABLY TOO FAR.

ONE.

BACK TO SLIDE THREE.

AND SO THE BACKGROUND FOR THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT OR SUBDIVISION DEVELOPMENT IS THAT WE DID RECEIVE A FUNDING APPLICATION FROM BITTER BLUE INC BACK IN DECEMBER, 2019 THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WITH WITHIN THE MISSION DRIVE TERMS, THEY COULD GET REIMBURSED FOR 4.6 MILLION AND FOR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO HAVE THIS, UH, 135 LOT SUBDIVISION.

SO THE WAY THE CITY, UM, CREATES TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE IS TWO METHODS.

ONE THE CITY INITIATES IS, IS THE FIRST METHOD, AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A CITY INITIATED TURF.

SO THIS IS WHERE THE CITY SELECTS THE BOUNDARY AND SELECTS WHAT LAND IS GONNA BE THERE.

THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY, AND WE KNOW THAT THROUGHTS AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ELIGIBLE CITYWIDE AND TTS, UM, ORTS REVENUE CAN BE USED FOR THOSE.

AND IN, IN REIMBURSEMENT FOR PROJECTS BASED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.

TRADITIONALLY FOR SUBDIVISIONS, WE HAVE PETITION INITIATED TSIS.

THESE TEND TO BE FOR, UM, HOME OWNERSHIP KIND OF SUBDIVISION, AND TYPICALLY IT'S JUST ONE PROJECT.

AND THEN REIMBURSEMENT IS JUST FOR THAT PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THAT PARTICULAR SUBDIVISION.

SO THIS IS JUST BACKGROUND INFORMATION.

WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, LIKE FOR THIS IS A PROCESS WE USED TO EVALUATE HOW TO CREATE A NEW TURF.

THERE'S A LOT OF STAFF INVOLVED.

UM, THERE IS AN APPLICATION THAT HAS TO BE SUBMITTED AND A LOT OF FINANCIAL ANALYSIS BECAUSE IT DOES IMPACT, UM, A TURF IMPACT THE GENERAL FUND, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS TO THE CITY OVERALL AND TO ENSURE THAT THE TERM FOR THAT DESIGNATION IS ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE ACTIVITY THAT IS PROPOSED.

THERE IS A LIMIT WHEN WE DESIGNATE A TOURS, TYPICALLY 25 YEARS.

SOMETIMES WE DO LONGER THAN THAT, BUT IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, FOREVER.

UM, THERE'S A TERM LIMIT FOR A TS.

AND SO WE GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCIALS TYPE OF PROJECT.

WE PRESENT TO A GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE OF STAFF THAT INCLUDES ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT GET INVOLVED.

AND THEN WE BRING IT TO A CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE.

TYPICALLY FOR A NEW PETITION INITIATED TURS, UM, OR EVEN A CITY INITIATED TURS, WE WOULD GO TO PLANNING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT.

WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITHIN A DESIGNATED TURS THAT WAS CITY INITIATED, THEN WE DO HAVE TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL TO HAVE THE BOUNDARY FINALIZED AND TO ADOPT THE FINANCE AND, UM, THE, THE PROJECT PLAN AS WELL AS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF, OF A BOARD.

THEN THAT'S WHEN THE TTS IS CREATED.

AND THEN THE TTS ITSELF SAYS IT'S FORMAL PROCESSES, IT'S FINAL FINANCE PLAN, AND ITS FINAL PROJECT PLAN.

WHAT WE HAVE IS IN THE NEXT SLIDE, A PROJECT THAT IS LOOKING TO BE LOCATED WITHIN, UH, AN ACTUALLY EXISTING CITY INITIATED TSS.

SO, UH, IT'S THE MISSION DRIVE IN TSS.

[01:15:01]

WE, UH, HAD A LOT OF INFORMATION WE NEEDED TO GET, AND I KNOW THERE'S, UM, CAROLYN MCDONALD ON THE CALL AS WELL AS OUR STAFF, UH, EDGAR OLIVAS AND IAN VAN ON THE CALL TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.

WE NEEDED A LOT OF INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE WE COULD DO IT.

WE ALSO NEEDED TO LOOK AT WHEN THE CURRENT MISSION DRIVING TOURS IS GOING TO EXPIRE AND SEE IF WE COULD ACCOMMODATE THAT.

SO WE DID TAKE THIS TO THE TIFF GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT THE DATA, TO LOOK AT THE TERMINATION FOR THE CURRENT AND TO EVALUATE THE BEST PATH TO MOVE FORWARD IF IT SHOULD BE A TSS PROJECT OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

AND THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO USE A CHAPTER THREE 80 AGREEMENT, WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH WE CAN DO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SO THAT WE COULD USE A PORTION OF THE MISSION DRIVE IN TURS.

AND ONCE THE TURS EXPIRES, SHIFT THE FUNDING OF THIS PROJECT TO THE GENERAL FUND FROM THE CD'S O AND M RATE, CURRENTLY 6 62 0.15%.

SO IT'D BE A COMBINATION.

UM, THE FIRST FIVE YEARS WOULD BE FUNDED WITH THE INCREMENT FROM THE MISSION DRIVING TURS.

AND AFTER THE MISSION DRIVING TURS EXPIRES AND IT'S SET TO EXPIRE IN 2027, THE PROJECT COULD STILL BE REIMBURSED THROUGH THE CITY'S O AND M TAX RATE BECAUSE THE TERM WOULD BE AROUND 15 YEARS.

AND SO THE USE OF A THREE 80 AGREEMENT ALLOWS THE PROJECT TO GO FORWARD TO GET REIMBURSEMENTS OVER TIME AND EVEN CONTINUE AFTER THE T ITSELF EXPIRES.

SO THE PROJECT CAN BECOME AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AND A REALITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO THAT'S THE BACKGROUND OF WHY THE CHAPTER THREE 80 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IS BEING RECOMMENDED FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UH, HOME OWNERSHIP SUBDIVISION.

WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

WE HAVE A FEW MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL.

CAN WE GO TO, I THINK YOU SKIPPED, UH, SLIDE FIVE.

SO THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU, UM, LOCATION OF WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE SUBDIVISION.

BIG PICTURE OF THE WHOLE MISSION DRIVING TURF.

YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS CITY DESIGNATED, UM, DESIGNATION FOR THIS LARGE TURF.

AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE SEVEN IS THE SUMIN OF THE AREA IN QUESTION.

UM, AGAIN, JUST TO GIVE YOU BACKGROUND OF WHERE THIS IS LOCATED, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE ROOSEVELT HEIGHTS PROJECT ITSELF IS WITHIN THE MISSION DRIVE INTEREST.

THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU THAT LOCATION, UM, OFF OF ROOSEVELT AVENUE LOOP FOUR 10.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO LET'S GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THIS PARTICULAR SUBDIVISION.

I MENTIONED THAT IT'S 135 LOTS WITHIN THE SUBDIVISION.

THESE ARE GONNA BE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES.

THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS LISTED HERE.

SO AGAIN, BITTER BLUE IS THE DEVELOPER CURRENT PROPERTY OWNER THAT HAS USED TURS FUNDING IN THE PAST WITH THE ENGINEERING TEAM LISTED.

AND OF COURSE, THE, THE HOME BUILDER IS GONNA BE KB HOMES AND THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS TO BE DEVELOPED ON THIS PARCEL.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE OUTLINE IN THE MAP ARE GONNA AVERAGE, UM, 5,700 SQUARE FEET.

AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, HOMES THAT ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER IN THE AFFORDABLE RANGE.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE HOME SALE PRICES AND THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME TARGETED FOR THOSE HOMES.

SO OF THE 135 HOMES, ABOUT 40% OF THEM ARE GONNA BE, OR 54 HOMES ARE GONNA BE IN THE 200 TO 240,000, UH, SALES PRICE THAT'S STILL CONSIDERED, UH, AFFORDABLE TO FAMILIES UP TO 120% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME AND 81 OF THE HOMES ARE GONNA BE, UM, ABOVE THE $240,000 RANGE.

UM, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES.

UM, THAT COULD BE BETWEEN 80 TO 120% A M I TO AROUND 40% OF THE HOMES.

THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN, UM, LOOKING FOR THE FINANCING EVEN AS THE PRE-DEVELOPMENT WORK CONTINUES.

AND IF THIS MOVES FORWARD WITH A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION

[01:20:01]

AND TO COUNSEL WITH A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION, CONSTRUCTION COULD COMMENCE AS EARLY AS MAY, 2021.

AND THE PROJECT ITSELF, ALL 135 HOMES BE COMPLETED IN MID 2026.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS A SINGLE FAMILY SUBDIVISION IN AN AREA, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP THAT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT, BUT A LOT OF LAND AND POTENTIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE EMPLOYMENT CENTERS IN THE AREA.

UM, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF WHERE JOBS COULD BE LOCATED, UH, FOR THE POTENTIAL FUTURE, UM, HOMEOWNERS IN THIS AREA, AN AREA THAT DOES HAVE A FEW JOBS AND MORE JOBS COMING TO THE AREA AS WELL.

SO WE KNOW THAT, UM, WE NEED HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND WE NEED HOUSING LOCATED TO WHERE JOBS ARE AS WELL.

UM, CERTAINLY THERE ARE JOBS IN THE AREA THAT COULD BENEFIT FUTURE HOMEOWNERS IN THIS BEL HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION AS WELL.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND THIS IS THE DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF THE REIMBURSEMENT THAT IS EXPECTED FOR THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO REALIZE THIS PROJECT.

SO AGAIN, ONLY THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE REIMBURSED THROUGH THE CHAPTER THREE 80 AGREEMENT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE DETAILED LISTING OF WHAT THOSE ITEMS ARE.

THESE WOULD BE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, THE GRADING AND SOIL ISSUES FOR THE SITE.

DRAINAGE IS A BIG ISSUE AS WELL AS IS HAVING THE UTILITY.

THOSE ARE BIG TICKET ITEMS. AND THE WATER AND SEWER C P S CONNECTIONS ARE ALL PART OF WHAT WOULD BE REIMBURSED.

UM, HAVING THESE UTILITIES BE BROUGHT TO THE SITE, OPENS UP THE AREA FOR ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.

SO THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS AREA.

YOU CAN SEE THE ADDITIONAL, UM, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, CHARGES THAT WOULD BE REIMBURSED AS WELL.

SO THE TOTAL IS 4.625 AS YOU CAN SEE.

AND THE WAY THIS WOULD OPERATE WOULD BE ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS, AS THE TAX INCREMENT COMES IN, AS THE TAXES COME IN, THEN THEY COULD BE REIMBURSED TO THE DEVELOPER.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO THIS IS A TENTATIVE TIMELINE.

UM, AGAIN, WE VISITED A STAFF ON THE FIFTH GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THIS AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.

WE'RE COMING BEFORE YOU TO HOPEFULLY GET A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

AND WE STILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE MISSION DRIVE INTERNS FOR THEIR PORTION, UM, THOSE FIRST FIVE YEARS TO GET APPROVAL, AND THEN FOR THE WHOLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, IN MAY, 2021.

SO THAT CONSTRUCTION COULD COMMENCE IN MAY AND OR JUNE OF THIS YEAR.

AND THAT IS THE LAST SLIDE, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL AS, UH, THE TS TEAM OR, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE DEVELOPER AS WELL.

MS. CAROLINE MCDONALD.

NOT TOO FAR FROM THIS AREA AS WELL.

THANK YOU, VERO.

UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, AND TO MY COLLEAGUES, THIS AREA IS JUST, UH, SOUTH OF STINSON AIRPORT ON ROOSEVELT AVENUE, AND IT IS WITHIN FOUR 10 LOOP FOUR 10.

SO TO HAVE NEW HOUSING STOCK COMING IN WITHIN LOOP FOUR 10 AT THIS, UH, NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS IS SIGNIFICANT.

AND THIS WAS SOME PROPERTY THAT WAS, UM, ADJACENT OR IT IS IN THE HARLANDALE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL FOR HARLANDALE.

I S D.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION THOUGH FOR, UM, MRS. MCDONALD, CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE WHAT, UM, THE BEDROOM SIZES OF THESE HOUSES? YES.

UH, HELLO, MADAM CHAIR.

UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, CONSIDERING THIS ITEM TODAY.

UM, AS BARROW STATED, WE'RE AT ABOUT 135 HOMES, WHICH WILL BE A MIXTURE OF THREE AND FOUR BEDROOM WITH SOME TWO BEDROOMS. IT'LL BE VERY SIMILAR TO THE LOMA MESA SUBDIVISION, WHICH IS TO OUR NORTH.

OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES, THIS AREA, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE IS, THERE IS NO INFRASTRUCTURE BASICALLY HERE.

SO IT DOES HAVE TO BE BUILT OUT, UM, ALL IN THIS AREA.

AND WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF GRADE IMPROVEMENT.

AND I DO, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A SCHOOL THAT IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR, ACTUALLY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,

[01:25:01]

SO I WOULD, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, HEARING ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? ANYONE? COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ? UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

A MOTION TO APPROVE.

SECOND.

ALL RIGHT.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE TO MOVE IT TOWARDS, UH, FULL COUNSEL CONSIDERATION.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED? SAME SIGN.

MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.