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PM ON THIS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14TH, 2021.
UH, WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
UH, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU START US WITH A ROLE? YES, SIR.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
[1. 21-2844 Briefing on the Transportation Department’s programs and priorities. [Roderick Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; Tomika Monterville, Director, Transportation Department] (Part 1 of 2)]
WE'VE GOT TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, SO LEMME TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER, ERIC WALSH.OUR FIRST ITEM, UH, THIS AFTERNOON IS A BRIEFING BY TAMIKA MONVILLE, UH, OUR TRANSPORTATION, UH, DIRECTOR.
IT'S, UH, TAMIKA'S FIRST B SESSION.
SHE'S BEEN IN THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE PLENTY OF TIMES, UH, BUT HER FIRST B SESSION PRESENTATION TODAY.
AND SHE'S GONNA COVER A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS A OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
UM, MOST OF YOU HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO MEET TAMIKA.
SHE'S GOT A, UH, A VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, VARIED BACKGROUND IN TRANSPORTATION AND HAS BROUGHT, UM, A, UM, UH, A NEW ELEMENT AND LENS THAT, UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, UM, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, I CREATED THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE DEPARTMENT IS, UH, CREATED TO FOCUS, UM, AND ENHANCE THE CITY'S, BOTH CITY'S SHORT AND LONG-TERM PLANNING, UM, TO INCLUDE NOT JUST, UH, UH, A NORMAL TRANSPORTATION MODES, BUT ALSO ALTERNATIVE, UH, MODES.
UH, ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE DEPARTMENT IS, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE, TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY IS PLANNING AND MAINTAINING, UH, SAFE, ACCESSIBLE, EQUITABLE, UH, BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CONNECTS, UM, UH, PARTS OF OUR CITY USING, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE GREENWAY TRAILS AND NEIGHBORHOODS TO, UH, EMPLOYMENT RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AS I HAVE, UH, SHARED WITH TAMIKA, TAMIKA AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ARE REALLY GONNA BE THE GLUE BY WHICH WE, UM, CONNECT OUR PLANNING EFFORTS WITH, UH, BRIDGET AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND SA TOMORROW WITH THE PROJECTS AND THE DELIVERY OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR PARKS AND PUBLIC WORKS AND, AND REALLY STRENGTHEN OUR PARTNERSHIP AND OUR COORDINATION WITH VIA.
UM, SO PART OF, UH, UH, TAMIKA'S, UM, PRESENTATION ON THE BACKEND.
WE'LL HIGHLIGHT AND DISCUSS, UM, THREE, UH, MAJOR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN UNDER REVIEW BY TAMIKA AND HER STAFF, UM, THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO SUBMIT FOR FEDERAL FUNDING, UM, GIVEN SOME OF THE, UH, ACTIVITY GOING ON, UH, IN WASHINGTON DC AND SHE DID HAVE A CHANCE TO BRIEF THE I G R COMMITTEE ON THE, ON THESE THREE PROJECTS EARLIER.
SO WITH THAT MAYOR, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO TAMIKA TO, UH, GIVE US THAT BROAD OVERVIEW AND THEN GO INTO THE PROJECTS.
THANK YOU MAYOR NUREMBERG AND TAMIKA, THIS IS JOHN.
UH, UM, YOU MAY WANT TO CALL IN, MA'AM, UH, WE HAVE LOST YOUR CONNECTION, TAMIKA.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A RING.
WE, WE DO NOT HAVE YOU LIVE ON THE WEBEX, MA'AM.
WELL GOTTA STAY ON YOUR TOES AROUND HERE.
WELL, I'M REMINDED OF THE FIRST GAME THAT PEYTON MANNING PLAYED AS A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER.
SO, UM, THIS DOES NOT, UH, LEAD TO NECESSARILY THE PATTERN OF THAT WE'LL EXPECT FROM TAMIKA, UH, WHO WE EXPECT TO HAVE A A VERY SUCCESSFUL HERE TENURE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
BUT TAMIKA, IF YOU'RE HEARING US, UM, WE JUST NEED YOUR AUDIO RECONNECTED.
I CAN HEAR YOU GUYS, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY, GREAT.
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WAS A PART OF THE PLAN.HEY TAMIKA, THIS IS JOHN AGAIN.
I'M SO SORRY TO DO THIS TO YOU, MA'AM.
UM, I, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU USE YOUR, YOUR CELL PHONE TO CALL IN.
'CAUSE WE, WE, AS SOON AS WE SAW YOU AND HEARD YOU AGAIN, WE LOST IT.
[2. 21-2906 Briefing for a recycling processing pre-solicitation. [David W. McCary, Assistant City Manager; David Newman, Director, Solid Waste Management Department]]
I SEE DAVID MANN UP THERE.WE CAN PIVOT TO NUMBER TWO AND, AND THAT WAY TAMIKA'S GOT A CHANCE TO GET RECONNECTED AND, AND STABLE.
HOW ABOUT WE DO THAT? LET'S, LET'S DO THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE SECOND PRESENTATION WILL PROBABLY BE BRIEFER ANYWAY, SO WE CAN CLEAR THAT ONE AND, AND GIVE TAMIKA SOME MORE TIME.
SO, UH, THE SEC, OUR, OUR NOW OUR FIRST PRESENTATION, UH, DAVID NEWMAN IS GONNA KINDA GIVE AN OVERVIEW ON A PRES SOLICITATION BRIEFING, UH, ON A NEW, ON AN UPCOMING, UH, REQUEST PROPOSALS FOR A NEW CONTRACT FOR RECYCLING SERVICES.
OUR EXISTING CONTRACT, UH, ENDS, UM, IN, UH, AT THE END OF 2024.
UM, AND SO, UH, AS DAVID WILL WALK YOU THROUGH, UM, THERE'S A LONG LEAD TIME ON CONTRACTS LIKE THIS, UM, AND IT COULD, UH, IT COULD RESULT IN POSSIBLE CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT AHEAD OF IT AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
SO, DAVE, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO WALK THROUGH THE PRES SOLICITATION BRIEFING.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT RECYCLING.
THIS IS A POPULAR PROGRAM FOR US AND, AND PERHAPS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS A PRES SOLICITATION BRIEFING FOR A HIGH PROFILE CONTRACT ON RECYCLING.
IT INVOLVES SORTING AND SELLING OF MATERIALS FROM THE BLUE CARD, INCLUDING PAPER, CARDBOARD, ALUMINUM CANS.
PAYMENT FOR THIS SERVICE IS BASED ON A PER TON PROCESSING FEE.
IT ALSO INCLUDES A REVENUE SHARING COMPONENT.
OUR CURRENT VENDOR IS REPUBLIC SERVICES.
THE CONTRACT BEGAN IN 2014, IT EXPIRES THREE YEARS FROM NOW IN 2024.
LAST YEAR WE PAID REPUBLIC SERVICES 1.1 MILLION, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY $13 PER TON.
THIS AMOUNT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PROCESSING FEE OF 4.1 MILLION AND REVENUE OF 3 MILLION.
WE RECENTLY MET WITH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE AND WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR RECYCLING.
WE TALKED ABOUT OUR RECYCLING GOALS AS WELL AS THE NEED TO FOCUS ON QUALITY RECYCLING.
IN OTHER WORDS, PUTTING THE CORRECT ITEMS INTO THE BLUE CART.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF RECYCLING, SUCH AS CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES, AS WELL AS RECYCLING BEING A STRATEGY OF THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE RECYCLING MARKET.
IN 2017, CHINA ADOPTED HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS THAT MOST RECYCLERS COULD NOT MEET.
CHINA ESSENTIALLY STOPPED BUYING THE WORLD'S RECYCLING, AND THAT SENT THE MARKET DOWN.
SO CONTRACTS SHIFTED FROM BEING REVENUE GENERATORS FOR MOST CITIES TOWARDS EXPENDITURE TYPES OF CONTRACTS.
IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO COMPARE CONTRACTS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT WHAT I WANNA SHOW YOU ON THIS SLIDE IS THAT NEWER CONTRACTS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OLDER ONES.
BASED ON OUR REVIEW OF TEXAS CITIES AS WELL AS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION THAT WE RECENTLY PUT OUT, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR, OUR FUTURE CONTRACT PRICING WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $25 PER TON COMPARED TO OUR CURRENT RATE OF $13 PER TON.
AS A POINT OF REFERENCE, LANDFILL DISPOSAL FOR TRASH IS ALSO AT ABOUT $25 PER TON.
BECAUSE OF THESE RISING PRICES, WE LOOKED AT VARIOUS RECYCLING OPTIONS TO DETERMINE WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST FAVORABLE TO THE CITY.
WE LOOKED AT THE IDEA OF THE CITY BUILDING ITS OWN FACILITY AND OPERATING ITS OWN FACILITY.
WE COMPARED THAT TO WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO, WHICH IS A CONTRACTOR OWNED, CONTRACTOR OPERATED WHERE WE ESSENTIALLY DELIVER THE MATERIAL TO THEM.
AND THEN WE LOOKED AT A BIT OF A HYBRID BETWEEN THESE TWO, WHERE THE CITY WOULD OFFER LAND FOR CONSTRUCTION, THE CONTRACTOR WOULD BUILD A FACILITY ON THAT CITY LAND, OPERATE THE FACILITY, AND THEN AT THE END OF THE TERM, THOSE ASSETS WOULD BECOME THE CITIES.
WE HAVE A FEW CONTRACTS LIKE THIS ALREADY.
UH, ONE EXAMPLE IS THE TRANSFER STATION ON STAR CREST.
UH, WE OWN IT, THE CITY OWNS IT, BUT, BUT FOR THE, AT LEAST THE LAST 25 YEARS, WE'VE CONTRACTED THAT OPERATION OUT TO A VENDOR.
WE USED OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT, BURNS AND MCDONALD TO HELP US ANALYZE THESE SCENARIOS.
AND AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE ISSUED AN R F I, WE GOT VERY GOOD RESPONSE ON THE R F I AND WE
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DID HAVE MULTIPLE INTEREST IN BOTH THE CONTRACTOR OWNED SITE AS WELL AS THE CITY OWNED SITE.THE HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE ASKED US TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE ON THE CITY OPERATED SCENARIO.
WE WOULD HAVE DESIGN CONTROL AND WE WOULD ALSO HAVE OPERATIONAL CONTROL.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THE TYPES OF COMMODITIES THAT ARE CAPTURED, HOW EFFICIENTLY THEY ARE CAPTURED.
THAT WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITIES.
WE WOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
AND IF WE OWNED AND OPERATED THE FACILITY, WE MAY HAVE BETTER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
AND OF COURSE, IF WE WERE DOING THIS ON OUR OWN, WE WOULD RECEIVE 100% OF THE REVENUE FROM THE SALE OF THE RECYCLABLES.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS WOULD BE A NEW BUSINESS UNIT FOR US THAT WE HAVE NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN.
WE WOULD BE ENTERING A VERY TIGHT MARKET FOR THE SALE OF RECYCLABLES.
AND I WANNA SAY THAT IN ORDER FOR RECYCLING TO ACTUALLY BE RECYCLING, YOU DO HAVE TO SELL THE MATERIAL WITHOUT A TRACK RECORD.
WE WOULD HAVE TO RAISE THE CAPITAL FOR CONSTRUCTION AND WITHOUT A PARTNER, WE'D ESSENTIALLY BE DOING IT ALONE.
SO WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING THIS OPTION.
WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS AN R F P WITH TWO SUBMITTAL OPTIONS.
ONE OPTION IS THAT THE VENDOR MAY BUILD ON CITY PROPERTY, OPERATE FOR THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT, AND THEN AT THE END OF THAT TERM, THOSE ASSETS WOULD BECOME THE CITIES.
AND AT THAT POINT IN THE FUTURE, THE CITY COULD DECIDE WHETHER TO CONTINUE CONTRACTING THE OPERATION OUT OR PERHAPS FOLD THAT OPERATION IN-HOUSE.
AND THE OTHER OPTION IS THE CONTRACTOR PROPERTY CONTRACTOR OPERATED, WHERE ESSENTIALLY WE DELIVER THE MATERIAL TO THEM AND THEY CONDUCT THAT WORK ON THEIR PROPERTY.
WE PACKAGED OUR ORGANIC COMPOST CONTRACT LIKE THIS ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
IT DID HELP TO OPEN UP COMPETITION.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, ATLAS WAS AWARDED THE CONTRACT SINCE THAT TIME, THEY HAVE DELIVERED ON THE IMPROVEMENTS, THEY ASSUME THE PROCESSING OF THE COMPOST, UH, BACK IN JANUARY AND IT'S GOING WELL TODAY.
THE PROPERTY THAT WE WOULD OFFER FOR CONSIDERATION IS THE FORMER NORTHWEST SERVICE CENTER.
IT'S LOCATED ON CULEBRA ROAD, JUST INSIDE LOOP FOUR 10.
THIS HAS BEEN AN INDUSTRIAL OPERATION USED BY THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT FOR MANY YEARS.
UH, WE PARKED OUR, UH, OUR GARBAGE TRUCKS THERE.
WE HAD OUR GARBAGE OPERATION OUT OF THIS FACILITY.
WE HAD A MAINTENANCE SHOP FOR THE GARBAGE TRUCKS, UH, AS WELL AS REFUELING.
UH, TODAY WE UTILIZE IT AS A WAREHOUSE OPERATION FOR SOLID WASTE.
IT IS PART OF A LARGER GROUPING OF CITY FACILITIES, INCLUDING PUBLIC WORKS, SS A P D WEST PATROL, AS WELL AS OUR DEPARTMENT'S.
BULKY WASTE, H H W DROP-OFF AND FIRE STATION 35.
ACROSS THE STREET FROM US IS THE NORTH SIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S BUS MAINTENANCE FACILITY, AND BEHIND US IS THE SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
THE CONTRACT WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY WHERE WE DELIVER MATERIAL TO THE VENDOR.
THEY WOULD SORT IT, THEY WOULD SELL IT.
THERE WOULD BE MANDATORY ITEMS FOR THEM TO RECYCLE, INCLUDING PAPER, ALUMINUM, PLASTIC, AND GLASS BOTTLES.
WITH RESPECT TO PLASTIC BAGS, THEY ARE A CHALLENGE WHEN THEY'RE COMMINGLED IN THE BLUE CART AND WE BELIEVE THEY NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE BLUE CART.
WE INTEND TO ADDRESS THIS BY REQUIRING THE VENDOR TO TAKE THESE BAGS THROUGH KIOSKS, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT RETAILERS DO TODAY.
THIS WOULD BE AN R F P WITH A 15 YEAR TERM AND ONE OPTIONAL FIVE YEAR TERM.
THERE IS SIGNIFICANT VALUE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, THIS CONTRACT COMING FROM BOTH A PROCESSING FEE AS WELL AS THE SALE OF THE COMMODITIES.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE NET CITY PAYMENT WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $2 MILLION ANNUALLY.
THIS IS AN INCREASE OF $960,000 OVER WHAT WE CURRENTLY PAY.
AND WE WILL SEE THIS STARTING LATE FISCAL YEAR 2024.
AND THEN FULLY REALIZED IN FISCAL YEAR 25, WE HAVE PLUGGED THIS FIGURE INTO OUR FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST MODEL SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE FOR IT.
AND AGAIN, THIS CONTRACT DOES NOT START UNTIL AUGUST OF 2024.
BASED ON OUR R F I, WE BELIEVE THAT WE MAY GET FOUR, MAYBE FIVE RESPONSES, WHICH FOR THIS TYPE OF PROJECT WOULD BE VERY GOOD.
THE EVALUATION CRITERIA WOULD, WOULD INCLUDE EXPERIENCE AND SPECIFICALLY THE COMPANY'S FINANCIAL STRENGTHS, THEIR ABILITY TO WEATHER ECONOMIC CHALLENGES.
WE WILL ALSO LOOK AT THEIR CONTRACT PERFORMANCE WITH OTHER CITIES, UH, AND, AND IN PARTICULAR THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS WITH THE MARKET DECLINE TO SEE IF THEY RENEGOTIATED WITH THOSE CITIES OR IF THEY HELD TRUE TO THOSE CONTRACTS.
WE WILL ALSO LOOK AT THEIR MARKET STRENGTH, THEIR POSITION IN THE MARKET, THE VOLUME OF
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MATERIAL THAT THEY SOLD, WHO THEY SOLD TO WITH RESPECT TO PROPOSED PLANS.IT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO HERE ON THE GROUND IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO THE LOCATION OF THE FACILITY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT NEEDS TO BE CONVENIENT TO ALL OF OUR RECYCLE ROUTES.
THE RECOVERY OF COMMODITIES PERTAINS TO THE TYPE OF EQUIPMENT THAT THEY WILL INSTALL.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY RECOVER AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, AS MUCH AS THEY CAN FROM THE, UH, MATERIAL THAT WE DELIVER TO THEM.
THEIR OPERATIONAL COMMITMENTS.
THE DESIGN AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
WE NEED THEM TO BE OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO US.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR TRUCKS IN THROUGH THE GATE, OVER THE SCALES, TIPPED OUT AND GET BACK ON OUR WAY.
AND, AND SO WHAT THEY'VE PUT ON THE GROUND IS IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO TO, TO FACILITATE THAT.
VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS AND LOCAL PREFERENCE PROGRAM ARE FIVE AND 10 POINTS RESPECTIVELY.
AND DUE TO THE SIZE AND UNIQUENESS OF THIS PROJECT, SUB BETA REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN WAIVED.
WE BELIEVE WE PUT TOGETHER A VERY WELL-ROUNDED PANEL WITH REPRESENTATION FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, SOLID WASTE, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND ALSO THE CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS.
IF IT PLEASES THE COUNCIL, WE'LL FINISH THIS R F P, WE'LL GET IT ISSUED OUT.
WE'LL EVALUATE THE RESPONSES AND THEN RETURN IN THE FALL FOR A POST ELICITATION B SESSION AFTER CONTRACT AWARD, WHICH WE DO NEED BY DECEMBER.
WE EXPECT A TWO YEAR CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE OR PERHAPS A MAKE READY PERIOD IF IT IS AN EXISTING FACILITY.
AND THEN THE CONTRACT WOULD START IN AUGUST OF 2024.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAVID, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, AND, UH, SOME BIG CONCEPTS HERE.
UH, SO LET'S GET INTO THE DISCUSSION NOW.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
UH, THANK YOU DAVID FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION AND FOR TAKING THIS TO OUR COMMITTEE MEETING EARLIER.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, UH, WE DID REQUEST PARTICULARLY ME ABOUT SEEING THE OPTIONS OF OPERATING THAT IN-HOUSE.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING, UH, THAT ONE OF YOUR SLIDES.
UH, ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER CITIES THAT OPERATE THEIR RECYCLING CENTERS IN-HOUSE THAT YOU KNOW OF? UM, ACTUAL CITIES.
I'M ONLY AWARE OF THE CITY OF MACALLAN.
THEY OPERATE IT WITH MOSTLY, UH, UH, LABOR AND NOT MUCH TECHNOLOGY.
WE ARE AWARE OF SEVERAL COUNTIES THAT RUN THEIR OWN FACILITY, UH, IN CALIFORNIA, UH, AND A FEW OTHER LOCATIONS.
JOSEPHINE VALENCIA, UH, IS ON THE LINE AND I KNOW THAT SHE KNOWS SOME NAMES OF SOME FACILITIES, BUT WE HAVE, UM, VISITED SOME AND, AND TAKEN A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, UH, SO I GUESS I'LL, I'LL SUMMARIZE MY, MY QUESTIONS IN, IN THREE AREAS.
ONE IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE BEST APPROACH WHETHER OR NOT WE OPERATE OR ON CITY PROPERTY OR NOT ON CITY PROPERTY.
THEN, UH, MY OTHER SET OF QUESTIONS IS REALLY ABOUT WHAT WE CAN RECYCLE AND WHAT WE CAN REQUIRE THROUGH THE R F P PROCESS.
AND THEN, UH, LASTLY AS FAR AS OUR, OUR GOALS WHEN IT COMES TO, TO RECYCLING.
SO I'M GONNA JUMP TO WHAT, WHAT WE CAN RECYCLE YOU.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE CHINA POLICY AND, UH, WHEN THIS WENT TO CHECK A WHILE BACK, UH, WE WERE ASSURED THAT NONE OF OUR RECYCLABLES WERE BEING SOLD TO CHINA, THAT THEY WERE ALL STAYING IN NORTH AMERICA.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT, WHAT INDIRECT OR DIRECT, UH, IMPACT THAT POLICY IS HAVING ON OUR SALE OF COMMODITIES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? SO, WITH RESPECT TO TEXAS AND GENERALLY IN THE MIDSECTION OF THE COUNTRY, MOST RECYCLERS NEVER SOLD TO CHINA.
AND THAT IS TRUE OF REPUBLIC SERVICES.
UH, AND ALL OF THE MATERIAL HAS BEEN SOLD IN NORTH AMERICA AND, UH, SOME HAS BEEN SOLD TO MEXICO.
UM, UH, BUT MOST OF IT HAS BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES, I SHOULD SAY, WITH RESPECT TO CHINA, BECAUSE OF THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE MARKET WHERE THEY VIRTUALLY PURCHASED, YOU KNOW, A HUGE AMOUNT OF THAT MATERIAL.
WHEN THEY STOPPED BUYING IT, IT JUST DROVE THE MARKET DOWN AND IT WENT FROM ABOUT A HUNDRED, $110 A TON IN 2017 DOWN TO ABOUT $75 A TON, UH, AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
SO THAT, THAT IS REALLY HOW IT'S IMPACTED US AND WHERE WE ARE IS
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THAT IT'S, IT'S DRIVEN THOSE PRICES DOWN AND IT'S, AND, AND SO THE FOLKS THAT DO RECYCLING HAVE TO MAKE UP FOR THAT LOSS SOMEWHERE.AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE EITHER CHARGING MORE TO PROCESS OR THEY'RE CHANGING THE REVENUE SHARE COMPONENT, OR THEY'RE DOING BOTH.
ARE THERE ANY ECONOMIES OF SCALE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CAPTURE BY PARTNERING WITH EITHER COMMERCIAL HAULERS THAT, UM, THAT WORK IN THE AREA THAT COVER PROPERTIES THAT WE DON'T OR WITH OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE AREA? I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE, UH, DEFINITELY ECONOMIES OF SCALE IF YOU OWN OR OPERATE A RECYCLE FACILITY.
AND IF YOU CAN, UH, INCREASE THE VOLUME THAT YOU SEND THROUGH IT.
IF, IF YOUR, IF YOUR VOLUME IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND TONS A YEAR, IT'S GOING TO BE AT ONE PRICE.
IF IT'S 200,000 TONS A YEAR, YOU CAN OPERATE AT A LOWER PRICE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IN SAN ANTONIO WE HAVE THAT KIND OF VOLUME.
WE HAVE TWO FACILITIES LOCALLY, UH, AND WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS, IS THE DOMINANT FACTORY HERE, BUT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO COMMERCIAL, UH, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT, IN FACT, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH COMMERCIAL.
SO IF WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT, I MIGHT DEFER TO, TO MS. VALENCIA.
UH, BUT, BUT I DID WANT TO SAY, YES, THERE ARE ECONOMIES OF SCALE WITH LARGER VOLUMES OF MATERIAL GOING THROUGH A RECYCLE PLANT.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR, FOR NOT BRINGING THIS UP.
OH, I SHOULD STOP APOLOGIZING.
COUNCIL OWEN GONZALEZ, THAT'S HER, HER BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE TO, TO WOMEN ON THE COUNCIL IS DON'T APOLOGIZE, BUT I DID NOT THINK OF THIS WHEN IT CAME TO OUR, OUR COMMITTEE EARLIER, BUT YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, JUST GO AHEAD AND DROP IT OFF, THANKS.
WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT GOAL THAT WE HAVE 60%, UH, RECYCLING, WE'RE REALLY ONLY TALK, WELL, A, THAT WAS SET IN A DIFFERENT MARKET, RIGHT? THAT WAS SET BEFORE THE PRE CHINA STUFF.
AND IT'S ALSO ONLY LOOKING AT, AT THE RECYCLING THAT WE COLLECT, RIGHT? AND THERE IS SO MUCH OUT THERE, EVEN WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT WE DON'T COLLECT.
AND I MEAN, THERE ARE BUILDINGS THAT DON'T EVEN, UH, RECYCLE, RIGHT? UH, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS THAT, THAT WHOSE GARBAGE WE DON'T COLLECT AND THEY DON'T RECYCLE.
SO I, UM, NOT NECESSARILY WAS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE NEED TO REVISIT THAT GOAL, UH, UNDER THESE NEW, THESE NEW CONDITIONS ALSO, BECAUSE EVEN IF WE RECYCLE 60%, IF OUR TOTAL WASTE STREAM IS GROWING, UH, THAT MEANS WE'RE STILL SENDING MORE TO THE LANDFILL.
AND I THINK ULTIMATELY LIKE THE PERFECT GOAL OR THE PERFECT, UH, OUTCOME IS NOT TO SEND ANYTHING TO THE LANDFILL, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO THE, SO WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY, UH, I GUESS ON TRACK TO, TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION WITH THIS PARTICULAR GOAL ALONE.
SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TALK TO DOUG AND, AND MR. MCCAREY ABOUT, UH, REGARDING REVISITING THAT.
BUT, BUT WHAT IT DOES, THE QUESTION IT BEGS TO ME IS, UH, WHY AREN'T WE LOOKING AT PARTNERING WITH, UH, OTHER PROVIDERS IN THE AREA? MAYBE WE DON'T DO THE PICKUP, BUT MAYBE WE CAN OFFER THE RECYCLING TO THEM.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT STAFF COULD EXPLORE? LIKE WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE OBSTACLES THAT WOULD GET IN THE WAY AND HOW, HOW COULD WE ACTUALLY GET THERE AS A, AS A COMMUNITY? WELL, IT'S, TO ME, I BELIEVE IT'S THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE WE ARE DESIGNED TO COLLECT AND OUR TRUCKS ARE, ARE, ARE BUILT TO COLLECT FROM A RESIDENTIAL HOME.
WE DON'T HAVE, UH, THE FRONT LOAD DUMPSTER SERVICE THAT THE COMMERCIAL HAULERS DO.
WE DON'T HAVE THOSE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
SO, SO I MEAN, BUT AT THE RECYCLING CENTER, I DON'T MEAN ACTUALLY COLLECTING, I MEAN, CAN THEY DROP OFF AT OUR CENTER? THEY DO.
AND IF AND IF WE OWNED A FACILITY, UH, WE WOULD CERTAINLY OPEN IT UP TO ANYONE THAT WOULD WANT TO BRING IT TO US.
SO, UM, SO MAY, MAY I ADD SOMETHING IN THERE? I, I THINK I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION IS THAT IN TERMS OF PARTNERSHIPS, THAT'S CERTAINLY A POSSIBILITY.
HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE TWO LARGEST WA UH, PRIVATE WASTE HAULERS IN THE AREA THAT SERVICE COMMERCIAL, UH, ACCOUNTS ARE REPUBLIC SERVICES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT.
AND EACH OF THOSE HAVE THEIR OWN RECYCLING FACILITY.
SO FOR US TO BUILD A RECYCLING FACILITY AND EXPECT THEM TO BRING IT TO US WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR OWN EXISTING FACILITY MAY BE UNLIKELY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THIS FROM THE LENS OF 60% RECYCLING
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AND NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON OUTSIDE OF, OF THAT 60%.SO, UH, THAT MAKES TOTAL, TOTAL SENSE.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE, ARE, ARE THE OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS RECYCLING? UH, I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT ALAMO HEIGHTS AND, UM, HOLLYWOOD PARK DO, I'M NOT CERTAIN ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER SUBURBAN CITIES.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN, LET ME ADD SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS PERTINENT TO THIS.
OUR RE RECYCLING RESOURCE RECOVERY PLAN THAT SET US OFF INTO THIS JOURNEY TO, TO RECYCLE MORE, AND IT, AND IT, THAT IS WHAT CONTAINS THE GOALS FOR RECYCLING.
IT HAD THREE, THREE GOALS AND ONE WAS 60%.
THE OTHER TWO GOALS PERTAIN TO MAKING SURE THAT ALL RESIDENTIAL, UH, UH, UH, COMMUNITIES HAVE RECYCLING.
SO WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE ON THE BOOKS.
IT'S A, UM, APARTMENTS TO HAVE RECYCLING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A REQUIREMENT.
AND THE THIRD COMPONENT IS RECYCLING FOR BUSINESSES.
AND THAT'S WHERE OUR REWORKS SA PROGRAM COMES IN.
UH, WE ARE IN THE WORKS TO TRY TO ENHANCE THAT.
WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF CERTIFIED BUSINESSES AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO TO, TO BOOST THAT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT I, I THINK THROUGH THAT PLAN, WE DO ADDRESS BUSINESSES.
WE DO ADDRESS ALL RESIDENTIAL.
I JUST, I THINK 60% IS LOW, BUT THANK YOU
SO, UH, MY, IN MY LAST 36 MINUTES, SECONDS, UM, I WISH I HAD MINUTES.
UH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW TWO THINGS.
ONE OF THEM IS, IF YOU COULD OF THEM, IS IF YOU COULD GO THROUGH WHO THE R F I SUBMITTERS WERE AND IF ANY OF THEM WERE LOCAL OR CLOSE TO LOCAL.
AND THEN I, I'M GONNA ASK YOU IF YOU COULD SPEND SOME TIME TELLING US WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH PLASTIC BAGS AND IF YOU EXPECT THAT TO BE COVERED AS PART OF ANY OF THE PROPOSAL.
THE, UH, WE DID HAVE, UH, THE TWO LOCAL VENDORS THAT SUBMITTED ON THE R F I.
WE ALSO HAD THE VENDOR THAT RUNS DALLAS'S RECYCLE PLANT, UH, AND ONE OF AUSTIN'S RECYCLERS THAT SUBMITTED.
AND THOSE WERE FOUR VERY GOOD RESPONSES THAT WE RECEIVED.
UH, WE GOT A TOTAL OF SEVEN RESPONSES, AND SOME OF THE OTHERS DIDN'T REALLY HAVE, UH, WERE NOT RECYCLERS AND THEY WERE, THEY WANTED TO SELL EQUIPMENT.
SO, BUT, BUT WE HAD THOSE FOUR THAT WERE LEGITIMATE RECYCLERS AND GOOD COMPANIES.
UM, YOU ASKED ABOUT PLASTIC BAGS, THEY ARE A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MACHINERY.
AND TODAY WE DO ACCEPT THEM, UH, IF THEY'RE PUT INTO A BALL AND PUT INSIDE A PLASTIC BAG.
AND OUR, OUR VENDOR DOES TRY TO RECYCLE THOSE, BUT FREQUENTLY THEY GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MACHINERY, UH, AND IT, IT BASICALLY SHUTS DOWN THE OPERATION.
SO IN TALKING TO OUR CURRENT VENDOR, THEY DO NOT WANT TO ACCEPT PLASTIC BAGS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THEY CAN BE DELIVERED TO THE FACILITY DIRECTLY AND NOT MIXED IN WITH EVERYTHING ELSE, THEY CAN BE RECYCLED.
AND THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED THE KIOSKS AT RETAILERS.
SO WHETHER WE ADD KIOSKS AT CITY FACILITIES OR MAKE THE THE VENDOR DO THIS AND, AND JUST TRY TO BOLSTER UP THAT SYSTEM, WE COULD, WE COULD ADDRESS PLASTIC BAGS IN THAT MANNER.
AND I APPRECIATE THE, THE TIME MAYOR.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS PART OF THE R F P IS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH, WITH PLASTIC BAGS.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY ON, EXCUSE ME, MY VIDEO I THINK WAS CAUSING SOME TROUBLE EARLIER, SO I'VE GOT IT OFF.
UM, BUT, UH, I'VE, I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY SEVERAL TIMES TO GO OUT TO THE RECYCLING, UH, CENTER AND A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT STICK IN MY MIND.
NUMBER ONE, IT IS VERY LABOR INTENSIVE.
IT'S NOT JUST A BUNCH OF, UH, MACHINES THAT DO THE WORK.
THERE'S MANY HANDS THAT HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND SORT THROUGH AND ELIMINATE ALL THE WASTE THAT'S NON-RECYCLABLE.
UH, AND SO I'M GONNA BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THE PEOPLE WHO DO THAT WORK ARE GONNA GET IN THE WAY OF WAGES.
YOU KNOW, I, I HATE TO SEE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE DOING THAT KIND OF WORK FOR SEVEN 50 OR EIGHT OR $9 AN HOUR.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CONSIDERATION.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, SEE, UH, GIVEN IN THE PROPOSAL THAT WE GET THAT KIND OF INFORMATION ON WAGES AND BENEFITS.
UH, ANOTHER ISSUE WITH ME IS THAT I DON'T THINK WE EDUCATE OUR POPULATION WELL ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT THEY SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT RECYCLE.
NOW, RECENTLY I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE ADS THAT WE'VE HAD ON TV THAT I THINK ARE PRETTY GOOD, THAT SHOW
[00:30:01]
THE, UH, THE TALKING TRASH CANS AND TRYING TO TELL YOU WHAT GOES IN WHICH CYCLING.AND THEY TALK ABOUT PLASTIC THAT HAS SMALL MOUTHS AND PLASTIC THAT HAS BIG MOUTHS AND ET CETERA.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SOMEWHAT USEFUL, BUT TO STILL A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE TOTALLY CON CONFUSED ABOUT THAT END UP EITHER GOING IN THE TRASH THAT COULD BE RECYCLED OR GOING INTO RECYCLING.
AND I THINK THAT WHOEVER WE BRING ON, UH, TO WORK WITH US ON RECYCLING NEEDS TO TAKE ON A MAJOR ROLE IN EDUCATION.
AND THAT CAN BE AS MUCH AS PRODUCING MATERIAL THAT CAN BE PUT ON THE BINS ON THE INSIDE COVER WHEN YOU GO TO OPEN 'EM UP AND PUT THINGS IN THERE THAT CAN EXPLICITLY SAY WHAT GOES IN AND WHAT DOES NOT GO IN.
OR MAYBE IT'S THE CITY THAT WILL START DOING THAT, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF OUR PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE TOO MUCH TRASH TO SORT OUT OF THAT AND IT CONTAMINATES A LOT OF WHAT WE COULD RECYCLE.
SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE A BIGGER EMPHASIS ON, ON HOW WE HANDLE THAT ISSUE.
UH, AND I, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, DO WE THINK THAT OUR CURRENT RECYCLER IS GOING TO, UH, REMAIN WITH US, UH, OR BID TO STAY WITH US? AND IF THEY DON'T, DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA STAY IN BUSINESS AND STILL RUN THEIR PLANT INDEPENDENTLY IF THEY DON'T GET US? 'CAUSE WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING OUR OWN, BUT THERE'S ONE THAT EXISTS THAT WE'VE BEEN USING, UH, WITH REPUBLIC FOR YEARS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD TAKE OVER OR THAT WOULD BE MAIL MADE AVAILABLE TO US, OR IF REPUBLIC WOULD JUST KEEP WORKING EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T GET THE CITY, UH, BUSINESS.
UM, SO I GUESS THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT CONCERN ME THAT I THINK, UH, WE NEED TO GIVE MORE CONSIDERATION TO.
AND, UM, I THINK EDUCATION IS THE BIGGEST PART OF THIS.
AND ALSO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE FINAL, UH, PRODUCT THAT WE COME UP WITH, THE FINAL CONTRACT IS GONNA ENSURE THAT WE ARE GONNA SAVE MONEY BY RECYCLING.
UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, FROM WHAT I HEARD EARLIER, WE'RE RIGHT AT THE BORDER THAT WE'RE SPENDING $25 FOR RECYCLING AND IT'S $25, UH, A TRUCKLOAD TO GO AHEAD AND EMPTY IT AT THE DUMP.
OR MAYBE I'M READING THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, THE NEXT CONTRACT MIGHT, MIGHT SHOW US.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT RECYCLING IS GONNA BE PAYING US OR SAVING US MONEY, UH, GOING FORWARD.
SO THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS AND THE COMMENTS THAT I HAD THERE.
IF, IF I COULD TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THOSE REAL QUICK.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT OUR, WE ENDED THE YEAR LAST YEAR AT $13, UH, PER TON ON RECYCLING.
OUR CURRENT LANDFILL RATE IS $25 AND 53 CENTS CENTS.
WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING TWO YEARS FROM NOW IS THAT WE WILL PROBABLY BE AT $25 A TON FOR RECYCLING, WHICH WOULD PUT US EVEN WITH THE DISPOSAL.
AND I, I ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DID REACH OUT TO REPUBLIC.
WE ACTUALLY HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ABOUT PERHAPS EXTENDING THEIR CONTRACT.
UH, THEY DEFINITELY WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH US.
UH, THEY DID SUBMIT ON THE R F I, UH, HOWEVER, THEY, THEY WOULD NOT EXTEND IT UNDER THE CURRENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER, UM, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER CONSIDERATION FOR WHY WE BELIEVE THAT THE PRICE WILL INCREASE IN THE FUTURE.
AND, UM, THANK YOU MR. NEWMAN.
AND THANK YOU, UM, UH, JOSEPHINE FOR, UM, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, I HAVE A QUESTION SPECIFICALLY REGA RELATING TO THE VEDA WAIVER.
CAN YOU JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS WAIVED? IT? SO THERE WAS AN, AN ANALYSIS DONE AND THE COMPANIES THAT PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF WORK ARE VERY LARGE COMPANIES.
AND, AND SO BASED ON THAT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, DURING THE HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING, BUT IT WOULD BE VERY MINOR.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE IN TERMS OF, OF MAYBE LANDSCAPING H V A C.
UH, AND, AND JUST LIKE THE WAGES THAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE MENTIONED, I THINK THAT THERE'S SOMETHING WE, I TALKED WITH PROCUREMENT YESTERDAY, MAYBE WE CAN PUT THAT INTO THE R F P SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND PERHAPS, UH, N NEGOTIATE.
AND THE ONLY REASON I BRING IT UP IS BECAUSE I THINK I SAW ANOTHER, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE IT WAS, FORGIVE ME.
UM, BUT I WAS TRYING TO, TO FIND OUT THERE WAS ANOTHER
[00:35:01]
CONTRACT THROUGH SOLID WASTE THAT ALSO WAIVED THE SURVEYOR REQUIREMENT.AND SO, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT MAYBE SOME OF THE BIGGER COMPANIES, UH, ARE THE ONES THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD BID FOR THESE.
BUT I I I WAS JUST WONDERING LIKE HOW, UM, I GUESS HOW OFTEN DOES THIS HAPPEN, UH, IN PARTICULAR FOR OUR, UH, SOLID WASTE, UM, RFPS? SO COUNCILWOMAN, THIS IS MICHAEL SENDEN, UM, WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I'LL GLADLY TAKE THAT QUESTION.
SO KNOW THAT EVERY CITY SOLICITATION, UH, OVER $50,000 DOESN'T FACT COME THROUGH OUR OFFICE FOR REVIEW.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE DO IS WE COORDINATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT ON THE SCOPE OF WORK AND WE THEN LOOK TO SEE PER THAT SCOPE OF WORK, WHICH SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES ARE IN FACT AVAILABLE IN THE CITY'S CENTRAL VENDOR REGISTRY.
WE ALSO THEN LOOK AT HISTORICAL BIDDERS BASED ON COMPARATIVE BIDS IN THE PAST THAT THE CITY'S DONE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
USUALLY THERE ARE SOME AVAILABLE, WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE EVALUATION POINTS AND SUBCONTRACTING GOALS PLACED ON THE PROJECTS.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE DO NOT FIND ANY AVAILABLE.
AND SO IN THOSE CASES, WE JUST CONFIRM THAT WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND THROUGH VARIOUS DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESEARCH.
AND IN FACT, A WAIVER DOES APPLY, BUT IT IS NOT THE NORM IN THAT CASE.
WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE SET A GOAL, THERE'S ACTUALLY SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO CAN PERFORM IT.
SO MICHAEL, MAYBE YOU COULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE, UM, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT IS THAT WE'RE AWARDING FIVE POINTS FOR VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE PROGRAM, WHICH I LOVE BY THE WAY, BUT THE SURVEYOR REQUIREMENTS FOR WAVE.
SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND MAYBE, MAYBE THE DIFFERENCE.
SO I BELIEVE, UH, TROY AND FINANCE ARE ON THE CALL, IF I SCREW THIS UP AT ALL.
BUT FOR THE VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE PROGRAM AND EVEN LOCAL PREFERENCE, IT'S PRETTY BLACK AND WHITE AS TO WHEN IT APPLIES OR DOESN'T APPLY.
VERSUS ON THE SUB BETA SIDE, THERE'S ACTUALLY A VERY, UM, DETAILED REVIEW PROCESS IN WHICH WE HAVE TO EVALUATE TO MAKE SURE THOSE FIRMS ARE IN OUR AVAILABLE IN OUR MARKETPLACE BEFORE WE EVEN RECOMMEND A TOOL THAT EVEN GOES IN FRONT OF A FURTHER GOAL SETTING COMMITTEE BEFORE IT GETS APPLIED TO A CITY SOLICITATION.
SO THERE'S JUST A LOT MORE DEPTH AND ANALYSIS ON OUR SIDE THAT GOES INTO IT.
'CAUSE REMEMBER ON THE GOAL SIDE IT'S MANDATORY AND IF THERE'S NO VENDOR OUT THERE TO PERFORM IT, YOU'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF VENDORS SUBMITTING NON-RESPONSIVE BIDS 'CAUSE THEY COULDN'T FIND A VENDOR TO MEET THE GOAL.
UM, SO I, I, I THINK, AND I THINK YOU'VE, UM, CLARIFIED THAT E W D C EVEN THE, THE, THE DIFFERENCE WITH VETERANS AND, AND, AND THE WAY THAT YOU, YOU HELP WITH, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES.
I KNOW THAT ALEX JUST YESTERDAY SENT OUT THE, UM, 2021 ANNUAL PROCUREMENT GUIDE, UM, FOR THIS YEAR.
AND SO, UM, IT'S IN PREPARATION FOR ANY UPCOMING BIDS.
UM, I'LL BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH YOU, I HAVE NOT, UM, LOOKED AT THAT ONE JUST YET.
SO MY APOLOGIES IF THAT WAS REFERENCED IN THERE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT'S, UM, COME UP SEVERAL TIMES, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THAT.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, UH, IN THERE, IT, IT TALKS ABOUT, UM, ENSURING, AND THIS WAS JUST THE MEMO BY THE WAY, ENSURING THAT WE, UH, REACH A LARGE NUMBER OF LOCAL BUSINESSES.
AND SO I I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL ARE SHARING ALL OF THE SLIDES OF WHO'S GOING TO BE CONTACTED, WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE MARKETED, ET CETERA.
AND SO I'LL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS PROBABLY AFTER I READ THAT, MICHAEL.
UM, BUT I DO, UH, HAVE THEN ANOTHER QUESTION, AND THIS ONE IS PROBABLY FOR MR. NEWMAN.
IS THERE ANY JUST KIND OF SCALE OR ANY, ANY ANY PROJECTED COSTS THAT ARE GOING TO, UM, RESULT FOR OUR BUSINESSES THAT ARE FOR, FOR ANY OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES? UM, LIKE WHAT KIND OF, UH, PRICE INCREASE WOULD YOU, UM, WOULD YOU THINK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE EXPERIENCING AS A RESULT OF THIS INCREASE FOR SERVICES? UH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DON'T BELIEVE IT WILL APPLY TO ANY BUSINESSES.
SO I I, I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROJA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER
UM, HOW ARE WE FORECASTING THE MARKET VIABILITY OF THE COMMODITY? HOW ARE WE FORECASTING IT? MM-HMM.
IT'S A BIT LIKE THE, IT'S A BIT LIKE THE STOCK MARKET.
IF I KNEW WHERE THE COMMODITY PRICES WOULD BE, I'D BE PROBABLY BUYING AND SELLING THEM RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE DO WORK, YOU KNOW, WE DO WORK WITH A, A CONSULTANT TO HELP US EVALUATE THE MARKET.
WE ALSO SUBSCRIBE TO A PRICING SERVICE THAT KIND OF HELPS, UH, TRACKS HISTORIC HISTORICAL COMMODITIES AS WELL AS MAKES PROJECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE.
SO WHO IS A CONSULTANT? UH, WE, WE ARE CURRENTLY CONTRACTED WITH BURNS AND MCDONALD.
I'M SORRY, THE, THE NAME OF THE COMPANY IS BURNS AND MCDONALD.
[00:40:01]
AND, AND THEY'RE, SO THEY'RE DOING THE WORK OF, UM, OF FORECASTING THE, THE, THE MARKET VIABILITY OF THIS? YES.AND IS THERE A POINT WHERE WE MAY HAVE TO REVISIT THE CONTRACTUAL STRUCTURE IF, IF SAY, REVENUE FROM SALES BEGINS TO DECREASE? OR IS THIS A SITUATION WHERE ANY REVENUE BACK IT IS WORTH CONTINUING? I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
WHEN YOU SAY REVISIT THE CONTRACTUAL STRUCTURE, IF, IF WE, WHEN, WHEN THIS IS PANNED OUT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE CAN ONLY FORECAST SO MUCH, BUT IS THERE ANY TIME WHEN WE MAY HAVE TO REVISIT THIS IF THE SALES BEGIN TO, TO DECREASE? I AM.
ARE WE GONNA, ARE WE GONNA MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ALONG THE WAY? I GUESS, I MEAN, I'M, I'M HOPEFUL THAT A LONG-TERM CONTRACT WILL GIVE THE CITY SOME STABILITY AND WE WON'T ENTER THAT.
WHAT I THINK IS MORE LIKELY IS THAT WE MAY REVISIT CERTAIN COMMODITIES AS PACKAGING EVOLVES OVER TIME.
I'M, I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THINGS, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST COFFEE, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY USED TO COME IN HEAVY METAL CANS, AND NOW IT COMES IN LIGHTWEIGHT FOIL PACKETS.
SO AS PACKAGING TRENDS CHANGE COMMODITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION AND SA AND SALES WILL CHANGE.
SO I EXPECT THAT WE WOULD BE REVISITING WITH OUR CONTRACTOR WHAT ITEMS WILL BE ACCEPTABLE AND NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND THAT'S INDIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE COMMODITY PRICING.
AND HOW OFTEN WOULD THAT OCCUR? I DON'T, IS THERE A SCHEDULE FOR IT? THERE'S NOT A, THERE'S NOT A SCHEDULE FOR IT IN OUR CURRENT CONTRACT, AND I DON'T EXPECT THAT A, A SCHEDULE IN THE FUTURE CONTRACT EITHER.
I DO EXPECT THE CITY AND WHOEVER THE CONTRACTED VENDOR WILL MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS TO, TO EVALUATE THE SITUATION.
LET, LET ME ADD THAT, THAT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT POINT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LONG-TERM, POTENTIALLY LONG-TERM CONTRACT, AND AS, AS, UH, JOSEPHINE MENTIONED, CONDITIONS WILL CHANGE AND PACKAGING.
SO WE'LL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE SEE IN THE SOLICIT THE RESPONSES TO THE SOLICITATION, HOW THE CONTRACTOR'S GONNA APPROACH THAT, THAT'LL GIVE US AN IDEA AS WE GO THROUGH THE SELECTION AND OBVIOUSLY THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE CONTRACT NEGOTI SELECTION AND CONTRACT NEGOTIATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BUILD IN.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S GONNA CHANGE OVER TIME IS PRICING.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK, UH, WE'VE LEARNED FIRSTHAND FROM SOME OF OUR CONTRACTS IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
AND, AND WE'LL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE BUILD OURSELVES THE LATITUDE TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THROUGH THAT.
AND, AND, AND SOME KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, PERIODICAL CHECK-IN A SCHEDULE OF, OF, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE BUILT INTO THE CONTRACT.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY WHEN WE CAN BUILD THAT INTO THE CONTRACT AS WELL.
THAT, THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.
THE, THE ONE THING DAVID MCCAREY, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, THE ONE THING THAT YOU'D HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU OPEN THAT UP, THAT OPENS BOTH WAYS FOR NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH WOULD ALSO MEAN THAT IF THEY DON'T FEEL THAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN THE PROPER, UH, BENEFITS FROM THIS AND THEY'RE LOCKED IN WITH FLOORS OR CERTAIN PRICINGS THAT ARE FAVORABLE TO THE CITY, THEN IT MAY NOT BE FAVORABLE TO THEM.
BUT THAT WOULD OPEN IT UP, UH, WHERE IT POSSIBLY COULD COST THE CITY MORE DOWN THE ROAD.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND.
WHY WOULD IT COST, IF WE WERE TO BUILD THIS INTO THE SCHEDULE? YOU'RE SAYING IT WOULD COST, IT COULD POTENTIALLY COST THE CITY MORE? YEAH, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT IF WE BUILD INTO THE SCHEDULE, SAY FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE COMMODITIES THAT WE WOULD REVISIT OR MAYBE NO LONGER HAVE JUST OPENING THAT NEGOTIATION MIGHT ALLOW THAT VENDOR TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY.
WHAT WE'RE NOTICING AMONG OTHER CITIES IS THAT SOME OF THOSE VENDORS, AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOUSTON, AS OF RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE ALREADY TRYING TO RENEGOTIATE THEIR AGREEMENT AND THEIR AGREEMENT'S NOT EVEN TWO YEARS OLD.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO BE MINDFUL WHEN WE VISIT WITH OUR ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THOSE OF MY QUESTIONS, MAYOR, THANK YOU.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ILDA, AND, AND I'LL JUST PICK UP ON THAT NOTE, THAT WAS THE QUESTION I HAD WAS THE, THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT EXTREMELY LONG.
UH, AND, AND IN MY, MY VIEW, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE GOING TO, UM, GO THE ROUTE OF HAVING THE MARKET DRIVE, UM, OUR OPERATION IN TERMS OF, UM, RECYCLE, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE OUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO IN SOME WAYS, UH, LOCKING IN, UH, LOW PRICING, UM, UH, FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, BUT WE ALSO ARE LIMITING OUR ABILITY TO, TO POTENTIALLY CAPTURE INNOVATION, UH, DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME AS WELL, WHICH WOULD BE A BIGGER CONCERN FOR ME.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, IF WE ARE GOING TO BE DRIVEN, AND I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S RIGHT, I THINK IT'S JUSTIFIED WE OUGHT TO BE SEEKING THE MARKETS OPPORTUNITIES AND RECYCLING, UH, TO DRIVE THE OPERATION.
[00:45:01]
WANT TO, UM, DENY THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THIS, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE, UM, THEIR SIDE OF THE BUSINESS, UH, BUT ALSO DELIVER BETTER SERVICE IN THE MEANTIME, WHICH WE WOULD EXPECT IF, IF THE, IF THE CONTRACT HAD A SHORTER LIFE.THAT'S, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IN MY HEAD.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA RESPOND TO THAT, DAVID, UH, NEWMAN OR MCC, UH, MAYOR, MAYOR, I DO WANNA RESPOND TO THAT.
WHEN WE ISSUED OUT OUR R F I, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE HAD IS HOW LONG SHOULD THIS TERM BE? AND THE CONSENSUS WAS 15 YEARS.
UH, I WAS A BIT SURPRISED AT THAT, AT THAT AS WELL.
I THINK THOUGH THAT 15 YEARS IS A GOOD PAYBACK TERM IF THE FACILITY IS CONSTRUCTED HERE AND WHETHER THEY BUILD IT ON OUR PROPERTY OR SOMEWHERE ELSE, UH, THAT SEEMED TO BE, UH, UH, WHAT THEY LANDED ON.
UH, MANY VENDORS WANTED IT LONGER, BUT THAT SEEMED TO BE, UH, ABOUT A, A HAPPY MEDIUM.
AND OUR, OUR LAST CONTRACT WAS FOR 10 YEARS.
JUST AS A FRAME OF REFERENCE, DO WE HAVE ANY CONTRACTS HAVE, HAVE, UH, BEEN I GUESS OUR, UH, OUR SOLID WASTE LANDFILL LANDFILL CONTRACT IS WHAT, 30 YEARS? 30 YEARS? YES, SIR.
AND, AND, UH, AND THEY COME UP IN 2025, RIGHT,
UH, WELL THAT, THAT'S ONE I'D STILL LIKE US TO GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO OUTTA CURIOSITY IN THE R F I.
DAVID WAS THERE, WHAT WAS THE RANGE PROVIDED BY THE RESPONDENTS JOSEPHINE? CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT QUESTION? THE, THE RANGE OF CONTRACT LENGTH? YEAH.
UH, 15 OR 20 YEARS AND A TONGUE IN CHEEK RESPONSE FROM SOMEONE THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, THE LONGER, THE BETTER.
WELL, UM, I'M KIND OF WITH, UH, MELISSA ON THIS.
I THINK WE NEED TO BUILD INTO, UM, THIS EXPECTATIONS THAT WE WANT TO CAPTURE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND, AND INNOVATION DURING THE, THE, DURING THE CONTRACT PERIOD.
UH, WE WOULDN'T WANNA MISS OUT ON IT JUST BECAUSE MAYBE WE STRUCK TOO EARLY.
UM, SO IF WE CAN THINK ON, ON HOW TO DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
UM, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THE DISCUSSION ON, ON ITEM TWO.
UM, JOSEPHINE, DAVID, UM, AND DAVID MCC, I THINK WE'LL GO
[1. 21-2844 Briefing on the Transportation Department’s programs and priorities. [Roderick Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; Tomika Monterville, Director, Transportation Department] (Part 2 of 2)]
NOW BACK TO ITEM ONE.SO, UH, ERIC, DO YOU WANNA REINTRODUCE THE ITEM? NO, IT'S OKAY.
I'LL JUST, LET'S JUST UH, HAND IT OVER TO TAMIKA.
ALRIGHT, TAMIKA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
WE WOULD LIKE TO JUST THANK THE COUNCIL AND THANK YOU MAYOR NUREMBERG AND THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY FOR GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE NEW TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
THIS DEPARTMENT WAS CREATED AS A RESULT OF YOU ALL BEING FORWARD THINKING AND IDENTIFYING A NEED TO HUMANIZE THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE WITH THE LEADERSHIP AND THE COUNCIL RELATED TO ALTERNATIVE MOBILITY OPTIONS AND TRANSPORTATION NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
TODAY WE'D LIKE TO GO THROUGH SEVERAL ITEMS, MOST SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW TO STAND UP THIS NEW DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS TODAY OUR CURRENT FOCUS AREAS FOR THE DEPARTMENT, SOME FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, SOME OF OUR IDEAS AS IT RELATES TO THE FUTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
AND LASTLY, WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE RECOMMENDED PROJECTS WE THINK CAN COMPETE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL FOR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT FUNDS.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE'VE DONE WITH THIS NEW DEPARTMENT IS WE ARE ASSESSING WHAT OUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ARE AS IT RELATES TO OUR STAFFING, AS IT RELATES TO OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY AND TO REALLY JUST IDENTIFY WHAT SHOULD BE IN THE DEPARTMENT AND WHAT SHOULD BE WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
RIGHT NOW, OUR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTNER COORDINATION IS PIVOTAL AND CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS.
AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, WE'RE GONNA BE EVALUATING OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND COORDINATIONS FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
I ANTICIPATE THIS TO CONTINUE FOR THE DURATION OF THE DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S MOST CRITICAL RIGHT NOW AS WE EMBARK UPON THIS BUDGET SEASON AND ALL OF THE, THE INFLUX OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'LL BE TAKING A LOOK AT OUR DEPARTMENT AND HOW IT'S STRUCTURED TO SUPPORT COMPETITIVE APPLICATIONS
[00:50:01]
FOR SUCH FEDERAL, LOCAL, AND STATE PROGRAMS. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED IS IN RED THE FUNDING AND PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS OF THIS DEPARTMENT AND THE INTER INTERNAL COORDINATION.SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE COORDINATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE.
AND WHEN WE SAY WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE, THAT MEANS IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO REALLY REALIZE ALL OF THESE FUNCTIONAL AREAS THAT WE PROPOSE FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THESE BUCKETS, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THESE AS FOCUS AREAS.
THERE'S A SERVICE DELIVERY COMPONENT AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US IS WE MAY NOT DIRECTLY OPERATE SERVICES, BUT THIS TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING, COORDINATING, AND ENSURING THAT SERVICES ARE DELIVERED, WHETHER IT'S BICYCLE AMENITIES AND FACILITIES, WHETHER IT'S TRANSIT SERVICES, RIDE SHARING SERVICES, SCOOTERS, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE SERVICES.
AND THIS DEPARTMENT WAS CREATED SO THAT WE CAN BE A ONE-STOP SHOP AND THE CONNECTOR FOR THE COMMUNITY AS IT RELATES TO THOSE SERVICES.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO AS WE'VE BEEN DOING WITHIN THE DIVISION AS A DIVISION WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS, IN COORDINATING WITH OUR PARTNERS IN PLANNING NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT, AND DEVELOPING STRATEGIC AND CORRIDOR PLANS THAT SUPPORTS THE TRANSPORTATION VISION OF THE CITY.
SO WE KNOW WE HAVE SA TOMORROW OUR MULTIMODAL PLAN.
ALSO, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE COORDINATING AND IDENTIFYING WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY FOR THE CITY AND HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THE PLANS THAT WE CREATE BECOME OPERATIONALIZED AND SUPPORT THE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE AND TRANSIT ORIENTED VISION OF THIS CITY.
ONE OF THE KEY THINGS I'D LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS IS A ROBUST BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN THAT WILL INFORM AND GUIDE OUR SELECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF PROJECTS TO CONSTRUCT THROUGH OUR BOND PROGRAM.
THE OTHER PORTION OF RESPONSIBILITY AND FOCUS FOR THIS DEPARTMENT WILL BE ON SAFETY, COMPLIANCE AND OVERSIGHT.
WE JUST HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RECYCLING PROGRAM AND PROCUREMENT, BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, WE ARE ACTUALLY ENSURING THAT THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS ARE MEETING THE PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR CONTRACTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, RIDE SHARING SERVICES AND RIDE HAILING SERVICES.
HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THESE COMPANIES ARE PICKING UP OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS AND NOT DISCRIMINATING AGAINST THEM? THIS IS THAT PART OF THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT THAT WILL BE FOCUSED ON COMPLIANCE AND OVERSIGHT.
BECAUSE WHEN WE ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITH THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS AND VENDORS, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT ALL SAN ANTONIANS ARE EQUALLY ACCESSING THESE SERVICES AND THESE MOBILITY OPTIONS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROJECT DELIVERY IN THIS FOCUS AREA, THERE MAY BE PROJECTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE LEADING AND GUIDING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER AGENCIES, BUT ALSO WE ARE GOING TO BE COORDINATING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT AMPO AND VIA TO ENSURE THAT CAPITAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS VIAS ART ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT PROGRAM ARE IMPLEMENTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION AND ALSO FEDERAL HIGHWAY GUIDELINES.
LASTLY, GRANTS ADMINISTRATION.
THERE ARE A LOT OF GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE OUT HERE, BUT WE NEED TO BE STRATEGIC AND FOCUSED AND ENSURE THAT WE ARE APPLYING FOR THOSE GRANTS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP US LEVERAGE OUR BOND PROGRAM AND OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS MADE, WHETHER IT'S HOUSING, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, AND OTHER LAND USE PLANS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITIES.
SO HAVING A ROBUST GRANTS DIVISION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT IN THE FUTURE IS GOING TO BE PIVOTAL AND IMPORTANT FOR THIS DEPARTMENT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
WITH THE NEW DEPARTMENT, WE REALLY DO HAVE TO BE NIMBLE, WE HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHERE WE ARE GOING AND HOW WE GET THERE.
THE WAYS IN WHICH WE GET THERE ARE THROUGH THESE FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION OFFERS A NUMBER OF DISCRETIONARY FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT I BELIEVE ARE GONNA BE INSTRUMENTAL IN ENSURING THE SUCCESS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
SO I'M NOT GONNA GO IN DEPTH WITH EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS, BUT THERE ARE MYRIAD FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE WITH OUR CURRENT BOND PROGRAMS TO ENSURE
[00:55:01]
THAT WE'RE MAXIMIZING THE BENEFIT TO THE REGION.WHEN IT COMES TO MOBILITY OPTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE F T A, THERE'S A PROGRAM CALLED ENHANCED MOBILITY FOR SENIORS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW, BUT WHEN WE'RE ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY FOR THOSE WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES, WE CAN UTILIZE THIS PARTICULAR GRANT FUND FOR INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT.
AS A RESULT OF THESE TYPES OF GRANT PROGRAMS, WE CAN DO THINGS THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE TO ADDRESS OUR SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
A LOT OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH OUR FEDERAL HIGHWAY FORMULA FUNDING OPTIONS AND THIS TOO WILL BE ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL SPONSOR PROJECTS THAT COME OUT OF THIS NEW TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
SO IN ADDITION TO FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND ALSO FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION GRANTS, WE WILL HAVE A BEVY OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE TO LEVERAGE INVESTMENT THROUGH THE BOND PROGRAM, BUT ALSO WITH DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROGRAMS THAT REALLY PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SUSTAINABLE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY.
IN ORDER FOR US TO DELIVER THE VISION THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOR THIS DEPARTMENT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRODUCE ROBUST PLANS THAT ARE LIVABLE, THAT CHANGE AND ADAPT TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE'RE OPERATING, AND ALSO THE POLICY DOCUMENTS THAT WILL GUIDE US AND SUPPORT US WHEN WE ARE DEVELOPING PROJECTS ALONG CORRIDORS THAT ARE PRIORITY PROJECTS THAT ALSO HAVE TRANSIT, THAT HAVE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.
SO HAVING THAT DESIGN REVIEW AND HAVING THE POLICIES THAT GUIDE WHAT WE'RE ASKING DEVELOPERS TO DO TO COMPLEMENT OUR VISION FOR THE CITY ARE GOING TO BE ANOTHER COMPONENT OF WHAT WE DO WITHIN THIS TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS ARE GONNA BE VERY CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE AND COORDINATE AS THE CITY HAS DONE, AND WE REALLY WANNA BUILD A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH VIA.
SOMETHING WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS SUPPORTING VIA IN IDENTIFYING WHAT ARE GOING TO BE THE MAXIMUM OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO ADVANCE THIS RAPID TRANSIT PROGRAM AND COMPLEMENT IT WITH THE BOND PROGRAM.
SO AS WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, WE'RE IDENTIFYING WAYS TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT ALSO WITH THE LENS TO ENSURING THAT WE'RE EQUITABLE, THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THOSE WHO HAVE THE MOST NEED.
AND WE'RE ALSO BEING FORWARD THINKING IN IDENTIFYING WHERE DO WE GO IN TERMS OF AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY, HOW DOES THAT LOOK IN THE CITY? AND WHAT COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS DO WE NEED TO BUILD WITH ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY.
AND BEING A MILITARY CITY, WE HAVE A WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND DATA THAT'S GOING TO GUIDE US INTO THE FUTURE.
AND THIS DEPARTMENT IS POISED, POISED TO BE THE DEPARTMENT THAT ALLOWS ALL OF THESE TO COALESCE AT THIS TIME.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DON'T HAVE OUR LOGO ON THIS PRESENTATION TODAY, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE WORKS AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF HAVING A NEW DEPARTMENT.
WE CAN SET THE VISION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS COUNCIL AND THIS MAYOR AND THE LEADERSHIP, THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS VISION IS OPERATIONALIZED, BUT IT'S ALSO THOUGHTFUL IN ENSURING THAT EVERYONE WITHIN THE CITY FEELS A PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS NEW DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS BRANDING IS REALLY CRITICAL FOR US BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN T C I, WE'VE BEEN PUBLIC WORKS, WE'VE BEEN SIMS. AND SO HOW WE COME OUT IS GOING TO BE INSTRUMENTAL IN ENSURING THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHO WE ARE, WHAT OUR ROLE IS, AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO HELP THEM EXPERIENCE TRANSPORTATION IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND ENSURE THAT TRANSPORTATION COMPLIMENTS THEIR LIFESTYLE, THEIR WORK ENVIRONMENT, AND THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING OUR MISSION AND OUR VISION AND ALSO THE MESSAGING THAT COMES WITH GOING OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND COMMUNICATING WHAT THIS DEPARTMENT WILL BE DOING.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING COMMUNITY WALKABOUTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW SAN ANTONIANS EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND WE'RE WORKING TO PARTNER WITH ALL OF YOU AND THE CITY TO REALLY EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN RESOURCES.
HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY SAFETY IMPEDIMENTS AND INSTITUTING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR BICYCLES, BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS?
[01:00:01]
NEXT SLIDE.AS WE MENTIONED, THERE ARE MANY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE DOING TRANSPORTATION RELATED WORK, BUT DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR IT TO CONTINUE TO BE THE WAY IT IS TODAY? THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AS WE DEVELOP IDEAS AND PLANS THAT SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF THIS DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS GONNA BE HA IS GOING TO HAVE A FOUNDATION AND SUSTAINABILITY AND ALSO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE HERE IN THE CITY.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE CURBS AND GUTTERS BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE, EVERYONE WANTS AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE, BUT WE NEED CURBS AND GUTTERS FOR THOSE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES TO RECOGNIZE AND BE ABLE TO STOP AND PICK PEOPLE UP.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE FOR THIS DEPARTMENT AND WE WANT TO BE A GREEN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THE PYRAMID AND GIVE PEOPLE ALTERNATIVES.
WE CAN ONLY GO SO FAR, BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT WE WILL GO VERY FAR TOGETHER.
AND SO AS WE IMPLEMENT THESE IDEAS AND PLANS, IT'S GONNA BE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS THAT DOESN'T STOP TODAY.
WE ARE GOING TO BRING YOU APART AND TAKE YOU ON THIS JOURNEY WITH US AS WE GO FROM INFANCY TO SEASONED LIFE.
LASTLY, WE WANNA COVER ON THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SEVERAL OF THE FEDERAL PROJECTS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE GOING TO BE COMPETITIVE FOR US, EXCUSE ME, LOCAL PROJECTS THAT WE BELIEVE WILL BE COMPETITIVE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
SO THE FIRST PROJECT I'D LIKE TO SHARE IS
THIS PROJECT IS APPROXIMATELY $10 MILLION.
IT IS ALREADY IN THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH EACH OF THE PROJECTS I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY ARE ALREADY IN THE TIP.
THESE PROJECTS REALLY REFLECT A LOT OF THE TOUCHSTONES AND HALLMARKS OF THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION, EQUITY, REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY, MULTIMODAL AND MULTI RECREATIONAL USES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
HOW THE PREA STREET PROJECT REPRESENTS EACH OF THESE IS VERY SIGNIFICANT.
IT CONNECTS TO THE BROOKS AREA, WHICH IS ALREADY AN OPPORTUNITY ZONE, A FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED OPPORTUNITY ZONE.
IT'S WITHIN A CORRIDOR WHERE VIA WILL HAVE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT AND IT CONNECTS TO THE BROOKS TRANSIT CENTER.
SO THERE WE HAVE THE MULTIMODAL ACCESS.
IT WILL CONNECT MORE PEOPLE TO OUR RECREATIONAL TRAILS AND GREENWAY SYSTEM.
IT ADDS TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PIECE WITH THE OPPORTUNITY ZONE.
AND THIS PARTICULAR AREA WILL DEFINITELY TOUCH ON EQUITY BECAUSE AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE SUPER LONGSTANDING CHALLENGES AND LACK OF INVESTMENT DUE TO NO INVESTMENT OR NOT AS MUCH INVESTMENT THAT THEY COULD HAVE SEEN THROUGHOUT DECADES BASED ON FORMER HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES.
SO THIS REDRESSES, THIS ADDRESSES THE NEED TO BE EQUITABLE, AND WE BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY COMPETITIVE PROJECT.
THE Z OVERPASS IS A GRADE SEPARATED PROJECT WHERE FOR YEARS AND DECADES, EVEN THE RAILROAD HAS CONSISTENTLY CREATED A CHALLENGE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THIS PROJECT SPEAKS TO SAFETY GOALS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION.
IT ALSO SPEAKS TO ENSURING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
WE KNOW WITH ALMOST A DOZEN OR MORE RAILROAD CROSSINGS DAILY, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACT CAUSED BY DELAYED FREIGHT PEOPLE BEING DELAYED ON TRANSIT, WHICH IS ACCESSING THIS CORRIDOR.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT TRANSIT RIDERSHIP IS GOING TO IMPROVE THE RELIABILITY OF TRIPS, WHETHER YOU'RE IN A SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLE, ON A FREIGHT VEHICLE, OR ON A BUS.
THIS GRADE SEPARATION IS GOING TO RECONNECT THE COMMUNITY HERE WITH THIS PROJECT AT ZZA MORTA AT TRIO CITY ROAD AND AT THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD.
THIS PROJECT IS APPROXIMATELY $23 MILLION.
AND AGAIN, THIS PROJECT IS IN THE TIP, AND IT'S GOING TO RECONNECT THE COMMUNITY AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY.
MANY OF THE BUSINESSES SUFFER BECAUSE OF THE NEXUS OF THIS INTERSECTION IN THE CURRENT OBSTACLES IS GOING TO ALSO SUPPORT ENHANCED BICYCLE SAFETY AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
[01:05:01]
PROJECT IS WHAT'S CALLED A ROAD DIET.THIS PROPOSED PROJECT GOES FROM SIX LANES TO FOUR LANES TO INCLUDE VEGETATION, BICYCLE, AND PEDESTRIAN AMENITIES.
AND AT APPROXIMATELY $14 MILLION FROM INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 35 TO BURR ROAD, THIS PROJECT WILL COMPLIMENT A LOT OF THE EXISTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED HERE IN THIS AREA WITH THE INCLUSION OF VEGETATION.
ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAY, WE'RE IMPROVING THE AIR QUALITY, AND WE'RE ALSO ADDRESSING THAT MULTIMODAL MULTI-USE ACCESS TO RECREATIONAL TRAILS AND ALSO GIVING PEOPLE OTHER OPTIONS.
WE KNOW BROADWAY AND THE SURROUNDING AREA HAS HAD A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES WITH BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN CRASHES AND FATALITIES.
AND REDUCING THE NUMBER OF LANES FOR SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF THIS CORRIDOR AND ADDRESS SOME OF OUR VISION ZERO GOALS.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME, AND THANK YOU FOR ENDURING THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
TAMIKA, UH, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL OUR LIVES? UM, I, I, I, I CAN'T, UH, I'M SURE SHIRLEY AND, AND MANY OTHER OF OUR COLLEAGUES ARE GOING TO JUST, UM, HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT TO SAY ABOUT YOUR PRESENTATION.
BUT, UM, I FEEL LIKE, UH, THIS IS THE PRESENTATION WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR EIGHT YEARS, UH, WITH REGARD TO OUR TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THIS IS YOUR FIRST PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S QUITE CLEAR YOU'VE TAKEN A DEEP DIVE INTO ALL OF OUR ISSUES OVER THE LAST GENERATION OF, OF PLANNING AND, AND BUILDING A CITY THAT'S BEEN CAR-CENTRIC.
UM, WITH REGARD TO YOUR, UH, PRIORITIES ON FEDERAL FUNDING, UH, SUBMISSIONS FOR EARMARKS, UM, I AGREE THEY'RE ALL PRIORITIES.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR, UH, FROM MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT, UM, THE SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
UH, BUT CLEARLY THESE ARE UP THERE IN TERMS OF, UM, PRIORITIES AND PLANNING.
UH, AND I I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE SELECTED A DIVERSE RANGE OF THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT IS THE IMPACT OF OUR RAILROAD SYSTEM CUTTING ACROSS OUR ROADWAY SYSTEM AND WHAT THAT DOES FOR TRAFFIC AND SAFETY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE LONG BEEN A PROPONENT OF A, A FREIGHT BYPASS, WHICH I KNOW IS A, A BIT OF A, UM, A PIPE DREAM, UH, MAYBE.
UH, BUT THE, THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT AN OVERPASS HERE, UH, PLANNED AND A AND A CONGESTED PART OF THE CITY, I THINK IS VERY WELCOME NEWS, UH, FOR, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, LET ME JUST, UH, REFLECT ON A COUPLE THINGS, AND I THINK, UH, MY COLLEAGUES WILL PROBABLY PICK UP ON A NUMBER OF THESE THEMES.
UM, NUMBER ONE, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE, UH, OF, UH, YOUR EMPHASIS ON MULTIMODAL, UH, BUT ALSO SPECIFICALLY ON, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE BUILD IT SAFELY.
UH, I'LL LET MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR, OUR, THE NEED FOR US TO, UH, UH, MAKE REAL OUR, OUR COMMITMENT TO VISION ZERO.
UM, BUT TO HEAR YOUR, YOUR, YOUR VIEW ON, UM, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES, I THINK IS WELCOME NEWS FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY, ESPECIALLY THE AFTER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WE'VE BEEN THROUGH.
UM, ONE AREA THAT I DID NOT SEE THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME ON, UM, AND, AND CONSIDER IS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP IN OUR AIRPORT DISCUSSION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, UH, WHICH IS THAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW YOUR DEPARTMENT WILL INTERSECT WITH, UM, THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY AS WE CONSIDER POSSIBLE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE CREATIVE IN HOW WE TREAT OUR AIRPORT PLAN.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT POTENTIALLY A GROUND TRANSPORTATION TERMINAL CO-LOCATED WITH THE, WITH THE AIRPORT.
WE HAVE LOTS OF PROPERTY OVER THERE AS A RESULT OF OUR CON RACK, UH, CONSOLIDATING, UH, OUR, OUR RENTAL CAR LOTS AND THE NEED TO CONNECT OUR, OUR BUS SYSTEMS AND, AND CLEAN UP DOWNTOWN AND MAYBE CONNECT THE, THE GROUND TRANSPORTATION NETWORK WITH THE AIR, UH, TRANSIT SERVICE WOULD BE, UM, AN INTERESTING POSSIBILITY FOR US TO CONSIDER.
UH, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I, I JUST, THERE, THERE'S A LOT TO ABSORB HERE, TAMIKA.
YOU'VE KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK.
UH, HAS HAVE GIVEN US A LOT TO THINK ABOUT, UH, AND A LOT TO DO, UH, WITH REGARD TO OUR, OUR PLANNING.
AND, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF IT.
I THINK TRANSPORTATION NEEDS TO BE ONE OF OUR MAIN AREAS OF FOCUS AS WE BEGIN TO UNTANGLE ALL THE DIFFERENT LOCAL AND FEDERAL REVENUE STREAMS THAT WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE OVER THE NEXT SIX OR 12 MONTHS.
[01:10:01]
LAST THING I'LL SAY IS I, I DO APPRECIATE, UH, SLIDE 13 AND 14.I GUESS YOU PUT IN THERE TWICE FOR EMPHASIS.
UH, OR, OR MAYBE THAT WAS JUST ON THE DRAFT THAT WE GOT AN EMAIL, BUT, UM, WE HAD A, A TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR A FEW YEARS AGO, SEVERAL YEARS AGO ACTUALLY, WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE SA TOMORROW PLANNING PROCESS.
MANY MIGHT REMEMBER TERRY BELLAMY.
UM, AND WE'VE WAITED SEVERAL YEARS NOW TO, TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN IMPLEMENT SA TOMORROW AND OUR OVERALL TRANSPORTATION GOALS.
I THINK, UH, YOU ARE, YOU'RE NOW ON THE BOAT IMPLEMENTATION BOAT, SO, UM, LEAD US TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO TO MAKE A, THIS IS A GREAT START AND, UH, VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO WORKING WITH YOU AND THE COUNCIL, UH, ON IMPLEMENTING OUR GOALS.
LEMME TURN NOW TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KURTZ.
THANK YOU, MAYOR TAMIKA, I REALLY ENJOYED, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU HIT ON SO MANY THINGS THAT I THINK A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IN THE AREA OF TRANSPORTATION.
UH, ONE OF MY PET PROJECTS IS GOING TO CONNECT VIA IN THE AIRPORT BETTER.
AND, UH, I, I GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH THEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, VIA RIGHT NOW HAS A, A TERMINAL UP IN DISTRICT NINE, AND THEY RUN A A, A ROUTE THAT GOES RIGHT DOWNTOWN, RIGHT BY THE AIRPORT.
AND WE WANNA SEE THEM INTEGRATED MORE WITH THE AIRPORT, STOPPING ON THE WAY DOWNTOWN AND, AND CARRYING A LOT OF THAT TRAFFIC BACK AND FORTH.
SO I HOPE THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE ITEMS ON YOUR LIST YOU TALK ABOUT WITH THE PEOPLE AT THE AIRPORT.
UH, I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU TALK TOO ABOUT LEVERAGING A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS, UH, WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I THINK WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE, UH, A REAL INFLUX OF PROJECTS OR OR FINANCING COMING AVAILABLE FOR A LOT OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
AND, UH, AS MANY OF THESE AS WE CAN GET SHOVEL READY, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WE CAN GET TO WORK ON GETTING THE DESIGNS DONE AND SOME OF THE PLANNING DONE.
SO WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES, UH, OPEN UP THE FLOODGATES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, WE ARE GONNA BE PREPARED TO TIE IN A LOT OF THESE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT, THAT WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD ON.
UH, THERE'S ONE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, THOUGH I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE CALLED UPON TO, UH, PARTNER WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON ALL OF THESE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A SHARE IN A LOT OF THE COSTS ON THESE THINGS.
AND I DID HEAR YOU SAY, UH, USING BOND PROJECTS, UH, TO GENERATE THAT MONEY.
AND ARE YOU THINKING ALONG THE LINES OF HAVING SOME KIND OF A, A MAJOR TRANSPORTATION COMPONENT IN THE 2022 CITY BOND PROJECTS THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT? OR ARE YOU SPEAKING IN GENERAL TERMS ABOUT THE CITY FLOATING, UM, SOME MUNICIPAL BONDS FOR PROJECTS AS, AS THE NEED COMES UP? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, COURAGE.
WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW, AND I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR MAYOR NUREMBERG SPEAK ABOUT THE AIRPORT CONNECTION, AND YOU ALSO COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
WE ACTUALLY, EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE TEAM AT THE AIRPORT AND B AND I HAVE SAT DOWN AND HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT FRAMING OUR PROJECTS AND CONNECTING OUR PROJECTS TO LEVERAGE THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO US.
SO WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THIS COUNCIL IN IDENTIFYING THAT CONNECTION.
WHEN I SPOKE ABOUT THE BOND PROGRAM, WHAT WE ARE SPECIFICALLY DOING IS WE ARE IDENTIFYING IN THE CASE OF VIA WITH THE NORTH SOUTH CORRIDOR, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO IDENTIFY WHICH PROJECTS ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR EXISTING BOND PROGRAM THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED OR CONSTRUCTED YET, SO THAT WE CAN USE THAT AS A PORTION OF OUR LOCAL MATCH TOWARDS VIAS FEDERAL APPLICATION TO GET IN THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
THE C I G PROGRAM WITH THE F T A.
SO ESSENTIALLY THE CITY HAS DONE GREAT WORK ALREADY AND HAS PUT LOCAL DOLLARS TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT WITH SEVERAL OF THESE GRANT PROGRAMS, WE CAN USE WHAT THE CITY HAS ALREADY PROGRAMED AS A LOCAL MATCH WITH VIAS F T A APPLICATION TO GET INTO THE NEW STARTS OR SMALL STARTS PROGRAM.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK TO 2022, WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS WE'RE GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN NEED ALONG SAN PEDRO, WHICH IS WHERE VIA WANTS TO OPERATE THE ART PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY WHERE ARE WE CURRENTLY OR HAVE DONE WORK THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED A PART OF A LOCAL MATCH FOR AN F P A GRANT.
SO WE'RE ACTIVELY DOING EXACTLY WHAT
[01:15:01]
YOU ALL ENVISION AND SAYING, HEY, WHAT HAVE WE DONE? WHAT CAN BE CONSIDERED A LOCAL MATCH? WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND DO A NEW BOND, UM, LIKE A GARVEY BOND PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.WE HAVE ALREADY INVESTED IN THE CITY, NOW WE ARE JUST AT THE NEXUS OF THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATIONS AND OTHER MODAL ADMINISTRATIONS, F A A IN THESE DISCRETIONARY GRANT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN LEVERAGE OUR GREAT PLANS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
THIS IS RESIDENT
ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS ALSO GOING TO BE PART OF OUR 2022 BOND PROGRAM.
'CAUSE THEY'RE REALLY A GOOD PROJECT TO PAY 20% OF OUR CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND ALL OF THE SOFT COSTS, WHICH IS DESIGNED MATERIAL TESTING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS WE ARE PLANNING TO SUBMIT FOR FEDERAL FUNDING WILL BE ALSO PART OF OUR BOND 2022 BOND PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN JUST ONE AND ONE, HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
AND I THINK YOUR, YOUR QUESTION IS REALLY HITTING THE, MAYBE WHAT WE, MAYBE WHAT WE HAVEN'T DONE, UH, AS WELL AT IN THE PAST THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH TAMIKA'S EXPERIENCE, UM, I THINK PUTS US ON A BETTER FOOTING GOING FORWARD.
BUT THE ZAMORA PROJECT THAT TAMIKA TALKED ABOUT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, UM, HAS SPENT A LONG TIME, UH, UH, TALKING ABOUT THAT PROJECT.
THERE IS MONEY IN THE BOND PROGRAM AND IN THE N P O PROGRAM RIGHT NOW FOR THAT PROJECT, BUT BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF PROJECT IT IS, AND SO WE CAN USE SOME OF THAT AS LOCAL MATCH.
WE'VE GOT THE FUNDS THERE ALREADY, WHAT THE FLEXIBILITY GIVEN THE, THE, WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING FOR.
AND YOU SAW THE KIND OF THE MENU, THE CHECKS OF THE, OF, OF ON THE SLIDE THAT IT HITS, THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS TO LOOK AT, BUT IT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY.
SO THAT'S A PROJECT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED, ALREADY BEEN FUNDED, AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO ELSE WITH, BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT FEDERAL PROGRAM.
SO, I MEAN, IT, I I THINK IT'S GONNA BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION THAT YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL HAVE AS WE GO THROUGH THAT 2022 BOND JOURNEY.
SO I'LL JUST START OFF RIGHT THERE BECAUSE, UH, I THINK, UH, ERIC TEED UP PRETTY WELL.
UM, AND THOSE OF YOU ALL WHO SIT ON THE N P O WITH ME KNOW THAT IT WAS A PROJECT, YOU KNOW, MANY DECADES, UH, IN THE MAKING.
UH, AND FINALLY WE WERE ABLE TO SORT OF GET IT ALL TOGETHER AND HAVE THAT APPROVED S E M P O A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK.
I'M TRYING TO GET THE EXACT DATE, BUT IT'S BEEN A COUPLE YEARS.
BUT SINCE THEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN SORT OF WORKING ON THAT PROGRAM DOING, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL THAT'S REQUIRED.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALREADY IN THE PRE, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-PLANNING STAGES.
SO I GUESS WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE GET THE FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR THIS, UM, THE THIS FROM THIS PROGRAM, THAT THOSE MONIES WILL STAY IN THE, AT LEAST IN THE DISTRICT OR IN THE AREA, IS THAT, UM, IS THAT REASONABLE TO EXPECT COUNCIL, AND THIS IS ROD, UH, I'LL JUST SAY YES.
UM, THAT AS YOU, THERE'S $10 MILLION THAT WE PUT IN THE 2017 BOND FOR THIS PROGRAM.
WE WILL WORK WITH, WITH YOU OR WHOEVER'S SITTING IN THE DISTRICT FIVE SEAT, SHOULD WE GET THIS MONEY AND, AND FIGURE OUT WHERE WE COULD REALLOCATE, YOU KNOW, FOR ANOTHER STREET PROJECT IN IN DISTRICT, UH, IN DISTRICT FIVE WITH THAT $10 MILLION TO THE BOND.
COUNCILMAN, MAY I AND, AND THAT SOME BACKGROUND WE HAVE.
UH, ROSIE, WE HAVE 10 MILLION FROM BOND, 19 MILLION FROM M P O, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO GET IN 2014.
WE ARE, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE BUYING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT PROPERTY.
SINCE WE HAVE FEDERAL FUNDING INVOLVED.
WE HAVE TO ALSO PAY FOR RELOCATION.
WE ARE ANTICIPATING PROJECT AT LEAST THIS BETWEEN THREE TO 5 MILLION ADDITIONAL MONEY WE COULD USE THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDING HOPEFULLY WE GET FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I, I, AND I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE AS WELL, THAT IT HAS GONE UP SINCE THEN.
UM, JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW PROJECTS GO UP AND, AND IT'S ACTUALLY WAS A PROJECT MANY, MANY YEARS, UH, IN THE MAKING.
SO I I I HAD THAT SAME THOUGHT THAT MAYBE IT HAD GONE UP BY NOW.
SO, UM, I MEAN, I, I THINK IN THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A WHILE, HAVE SEEN THIS KIND OF THING
[01:20:01]
HAPPEN BEFORE, I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN DERAN AND I, UH, HAD A KIND OF A JOINT PROJECT OFF OF PRESA THAT WAS A RAMP, UM, THAT TURNED OUT, UH, THAT WAS, UH, PART OF THE M P O, I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY MILLIONS IN THE $10 MILLION RANGE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, UM, THAT ENDED UP GETTING REALLOCATED FOR, UH, THE STREETS ON PRESTA, WHICH ENDED UP BEING A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT BECAUSE IT, SHORTLY AFTERWARDS WE GOT THE WORLD HERITAGE DESIGNATION AND, UM, SOME OF THAT ALSO WENT TO SAR SAMURA, UH, ANOTHER PART OF SAR SAMURA, UM, UH, THAT HAS A HIGH, IT'S A HIGH CRASH CORRIDOR AND, AND LOTS OFSO I, I GUESS I JUST, I I, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR, UM, MY CONSTITUENTS TO KNOW THAT WE DID GET THAT FUNDING FROM THE M P O A COUPLE YEARS BACK.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS 2014 RAZZIE.
I FEEL LIKE IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO, BUT NO, THE FACT THEN WE GOT 18 2018, BUT MONEY IS COMING UP IN 2014.
2024 CAN BE 20, 20, 24, WE'LL GET THE MONEY.
BUT APPROVAL WAS DONE IN 2018.
AND, UM, UH, MARCH OF 2018 IS, UM, WHAT I'M CONFIRMING.
AND SO I JUST, I I THANK YOU MAYOR FOR ACKNOWLEDGING TAMIKA AND, AND HER WORK, UM, IN THE SHORT TIME THAT SHE'S BEEN HERE.
UH, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO SEE EACH OTHER IN PERSON JUST YET, BUT I AM HOPING, UM, TO TAKE YOU ON A TOUR OF THE DISTRICT JUST SO I CAN SHOW OFF, UM, ALL THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS.
UM, AND, UH, SO YOU CAN BE, UH, YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE RESPITE AND, AND MAYOR AND, AND MY OTHER COLLEAGUE WHO, WHO DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE TAMIKA YET HAS REFERRED TO HERSELF AS A TRANSPORTATION AT EVANGELIST.
UM, AND SO WE HOPE THAT SHE, UH, CONTINUES, UM, ON THAT THEME, UM, TO, UH, CONVINCE ALL OF US, UH, OR, UH, NOT JUST US ON THE COUNCIL, BUT US AS A CITY, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, TRANS OF TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES AND OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION BEYOND SINGLE, SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES.
BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT THAT IS, UM, THE FUTURE OF, OF OUR CITY AND, AND REALLY OF ALL CITIES.
UM, BUT I, I DID, I WAS TRYING TO REVIEW THE PRESENTATION, TAMIKA AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY REFERENCE TO THE U D C OR THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, UNLESS I MISSED IT.
I DIDN'T LIST IT IN THERE, BUT THAT'S A PART OF THE POLICY CONVERSATION.
IN ONE OF THE SLIDES, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE POLICY DOCUMENTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE, AS A PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR GUIDELINES, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR A COMPLETE STREET AND DEVELOPING AN ACTIONABLE DOCUMENT, WE'RE GONNA BE CLOSELY WORKING WITH THE TEAM HERE INTERNALLY WITH THE UPDATES TO THE U D C.
BECAUSE ONE AREA THAT IS GONNA BE INTEGRAL TO BASICALLY HELPING DEVELOPERS UNDERSTAND ARE THOSE TRANSIT RELATED GUIDELINES.
SO THE VISION THAT WE HAVE FOR THE DEPARTMENT IS SIMILAR TO WHAT IS DONE WITH TRANSIT, WHERE VIA HAS THEIR PRIMO CORRIDORS AND VIA ALSO HAS THEIR ART CORRIDORS.
OUR VISION FOR THIS DEPARTMENT IS TO HAVE SIMILAR CORRIDORS, BUT THOSE CORRIDORS NEED TO HAVE TEETH, AND IT HAS TO BE A PART OF THE U D C.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE DEVELOP OUR NEW BIKE MASTER PLAN, WE ENVISION TYPOLOGIES OF BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE BASED ON THE RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH AND BASED ON THE LAND USE.
SO ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS WILL TAKE PLACE WITH WHEN, WHEN THE U D C STARTS BACK UP.
BUT WE'LL HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH VIA AS WELL TO UNDERSTAND AND TO DEVELOP WHAT OUR TYPOLOGY IS BASED ON THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT DEVELOPERS WANT FROM MY EXPERIENCE.
THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW, BASED ON WHERE I'M BUILDING MY, MY PROJECT, WHAT ARE THE MINIMUMS AND MAXIMUMS AND WHAT MUST I HAVE.
AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TELL THEM THROUGH THE U D C, THROUGH OUR COMPLETE STREETS GUIDE, THROUGH OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN THAT ON THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF CORRIDOR OR ROADWAY AT A MINIMUM, THIS IS THE BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE AT A MINIMUM.
THIS IS THE PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU MUST PROVIDE.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE WANNA GO WITH OUR PLANS.
SIMILAR TO THE WORK THAT BRIDGET'S TEAM HAS DONE IN PLANNING, WE WANT TO HAVE A GUIDE AS IT RELATES TO MOBILITY OPTIONS.
IF YOU HAVE A FACILITY AND YOU HAVE THIS MANY BICYCLE COMPONENTS, OR YOU HAVE BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHEN WE'RE BUILDING OUR BUILDINGS, DO WE REQUIRE ADJACENT TO BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THERE BE A SHOWER IN THE BUILDING? SO THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE
[01:25:01]
GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE.WE'RE NOT GONNA SOLVE ALL THESE, UH, CHALLENGES TODAY, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE DISCUSSION IN THE FUTURE.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, TAMIKA.
AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ANTICIPATED ALSO, UH, DURING OUR, OUR U D C AMENDMENTS, UH, BEFORE, UM, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE AT LEAST A YEAR BEHIND YOU GIVEN COVID, UH, UH, DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR THOSE U D C AMENDMENTS, ROD? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY WERE SORT OF FORTHCOMING AND HAVE BEEN DELAYED.
I KNOW YOU GUYS WANTED TO DO THEM IN PERSON, AND MY RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT WE JUST GET MOVING.
I THINK PEOPLE LIKE THIS FORMAT OF, UM, DISCUSSION.
ANY ANY UPDATES ON THAT? WELL, NO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL ON HOLD.
I STILL VERY MUCH, UH, WANT TO, UH, WANT TO WAIT TO DO THEM IN PERSON.
THE OTHER THING I DON'T WANT TO DO IS I DON'T WANT TO DO U D C AMENDMENTS AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE LEGISLATURE'S MEETING, UH, 'CAUSE I, I HAVE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE WORKING TO COMBAT SOME OF THE BILLS.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING PROBABLY THE FALL, UH, TO GET STARTED WITH THE, WITH THE U D C PROCESS.
SO, SO I MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE I, I, I, I GUESS I JUST DON'T WANT THINGS TO GET HELD UP.
UH, I MEAN, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT THESE REALLY GREAT PROJECTS PENDING.
LOOKS LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE SOME FEDERAL DOLLARS PENDING.
UM, AND WE DON'T WANNA HOLD ANY OF THOSE UP WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THE E D C BECAUSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE THE TRANSPORTATION, UM, AMENDMENTS THAT WE NEED IF WE DON'T HAVE THOSE G D C AMENDMENTS FIRST.
UM, AT LEAST THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
AM I, AM I WRONG ABOUT THAT, TAMIKA? DON'T WE NEED TO HAVE THE U D C UPDATES FIRST BEFORE WE CHANGES? WELL, LET ME JUMP IN LITTLE BIT.
I MEAN, WE, WE DO NEED TO AMEND THE CODE TO MAKE SOME THINGS CRYSTAL CLEAR, BUT, BUT AS YOU KNOW, AS, AS THICK AS THAT U D C IS, UH, IT DOESN'T COVER EVERY SINGLE SCENARIO THERE IS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE INTERPRETATION.
SO AS, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME IDEAS FOR SOME PROJECTS, UH, YOU KNOW, TAMIKA AND MIKE CAN CERTAINLY PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER WITH ME AND, AND WE CAN STILL FIGURE OUT SOLUTIONS WITH THE CODE WE HAVE.
UH, THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE DON'T NEED TO DO THOSE AMENDMENTS 'CAUSE WE, 'CAUSE WE DO.
UH, BUT, BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO INTERPRET THE CODE AND, AND, AND STILL FIND SOLUTIONS TO, TO DO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ALL HOPELESS.
WE CAN, WE CAN STILL DO SOME THINGS RIGHT NOW BEFORE THE CODE, UH, GETS UPDATED.
WELL, UM, SO YOU HEARD IT HERE, RIGHT?
AND I THINK WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY IN PLACE THAT, THAT, UM, THAT IS PREPARED TO HANDLE IT.
WE JUST, UH, DON'T HAVE, UM, JUST TO WANNA BE HELD UP BY THE C B C AMENDMENT.
I'LL TURN, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ROI GARCIA, YOU MAYOR.
I THINK THIS IS, UM, OUR FOURTH MEETING IN TWO DAYS, AND LITERALLY THREE OF THEM WERE EARLIER TODAY.
SO, UM, TO MY COLLEAGUES, IF, IF SHE OWES YOU ANYTHING, IT'S PROBABLY MY FAULT SHE HASN'T GOTTEN BACK TO YOU,
I'VE BEEN, UM, TAKING ALL OF HER TIME.
BUT THANK YOU, UH, TAMIKA, GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, I TRY TO RESERVE THE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS FOR THE DIFFERENT MEETINGS THAT WE HAD.
SO TODAY I WANTED TO FOCUS ON, BY THE WAY, I LOVE THE ROBAX PICTURE THAT YOU INCLUDED IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
I THOUGHT THE, THAT, THAT, THAT WAS, UH, REALLY NEAT.
UM, I WANTED TO FOCUS ON RECONNECTING, UM, THE COMMUNITY WITH TRAILS.
AND SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, A NEW SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND SO, UM, THE PRIORITIZATION OF INVESTING IN LINKING TRAILS AND BIKEWAYS AND SIDEWALKS INTO A FUNCTIONAL NETWORK TO CONNECT PEOPLE IS, UM, IS CRITICAL AND MORE IMPORTANT TO CONNECT THESE COMMUNITIES, UM, COMMUNITIES.
UM, I LOVE THAT THERE IS SPECIFICALLY A SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
AND SO LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE SENT THE PRESENTATION IN PREPARATION FOR I G R, THERE IS A, A PROJECT THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE PRIME FOR THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION BILL.
THEN I FOUND OUT, UH, AND, AND BY THE WAY, IT WOULD'VE INCREASED ACCESS TO MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION, REDUCED CARBON POLLUTION, ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, SUPPORT, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE CONNECTION OF TRAILS.
UM, AND I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY EVENTUALLY ALSO WITH THE BOND AND WITH PORT SAN ANTONIO, ESSENTIALLY MAYBE, UH, CREATING A CONNECTION FROM PORT OF STATE TO CAMARGO PARK TO LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE PEA, SOUTH PARK, AND ON AND ON AND ON.
IT'S THE ONLY AREA OF THE CITY THAT HASN'T BEEN FULLY INVESTED IN.
UM, I THINK, UH, AND SO I WAS EXCITED ABOUT MED MAYBE LEVERAGING SOME FUNDS.
THEN I FOUND OUT THAT THIS WASN'T IN THE TIP.
[01:30:01]
NEW TO THIS, SO I AM WONDERING HOW WE CAN, OR, OR WHEN, WHEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? WHEN DO WE GET TO SEE, UM, WHAT, HOW, HOW THAT EXPANDS, I GUESS.AND SO, SO MAYBE THAT REQUIRES ANOTHER MEETING, TAMIKA.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
'CAUSE YOU'RE PROBABLY TIRED OF ME ALREADY.
UM, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW MAYBE WE'RE THINKING OF HOW TO ADVOCATE EVEN FOR THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE FAST ACT, UM, AND JUST GET SOME DEDICATED FUNDING FOR SOME OF THESE TRAILS AND, AND, AND WALKING AND BIKING, UM, THROUGH, THROUGH THAT REAUTHORIZATION.
SO CAN YOU MAYBE, UM, HELP ME WITH THAT OR, OR SEE FIRST HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHEN THE TIP IS REVIEWED AND, AND, AND HOW OFTEN WE GET YOU GIVE SOME INPUT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN, AND I DON'T MIND MEETING WITH YOU EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK TO TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION IF MY MINISTRY, UM, BUT I WILL STATE THAT THE TIP PROCESS, THIS IS, UH, THE TIP IS THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OR PLAN.
AND IT IS A PRODUCT THAT IS UPDATED REGULARLY AND WITH THE REGULAR UPDATES EVERY SEVERAL YEARS, TYPICAL TIPS ARE ACTUALLY GOOD FOR FOUR YEAR PERIOD, DEPENDING UPON THE AREA.
SO I THINK COLLECTIVELY AS A BODY, AS THE COUNCIL THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY COMMITTEE, AS WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE, WE CAN COALESCE AROUND THE SHARED PRIORITY OF CONNECTING THESE TRAILS.
DON'T LET THESE CURRENT APPLICATIONS AND CURRENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND NOT BEING IN THE TIP DETER YOU.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, AS SALLY TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY, AND JEFF DISCUSSED THIS, CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS REALLY LOOKING TO DO REALLY DYNAMIC THINGS.
AND IN FACT, HOMER AND I HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TRAILS CONNECTING, AND WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A PRESENTATION TO THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UM, NEXT WEEK.
SO WE SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE IT AND IDENTIFY WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO GET IT INCORPORATED INTO OUR TRANSPORTATION PROCESS.
AND THAT IS WHAT THE M P O IS FOR, THE TRANSPORTATION TIP IS FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OUR TRAILS NOT SO MUCH AS A PRIORITY TRANSPORTATION NETWORK, AND NOW WE'RE ELEVATING IT TO THAT LEVEL.
SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES.
IT'S ABOUT HOW WE FRAME THESE PROJECTS.
SO I THINK HISTORICALLY WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT AS JUST PARKS AND NOT SO MUCH AS A MOBILITY OPTION.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THE CREATION OF THIS DEPARTMENT AND PRIORITIZING THE TRAIL SYSTEM AND THE CREEKWAY SYSTEM AS WELL.
WE'RE GONNA ELEVATE THESE TRAILS TO THAT LEVEL TO WHERE THEY BECOME A PART OF THAT MOBILITY CONVERSATION EVEN MORE.
WELL, I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE YESTERDAY THE WALLS OF THE INNOVATION CENTER AT PORT SAN ANTONIO WENT UP AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S, UM, U T S A IS WORKING ON THE PORT SAN ANTONIO CAMPUS.
OUR LADY OF THE LAKE IS DOWN THE ROAD, ST.
SO WE REALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING, UH, INNOVATIVE BEYOND, UM, THE LAWS OF THE INNOVATION CENTER EVEN, RIGHT? AND SO, AND AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK LEVERAGE THAT FUNDING.
I WILL TAKE YOU UP ON YOUR WORD.
UM, WE HAVE SOME EXCITED RESIDENTS THAT HAVE SOME IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN LOOKING, UM, AT DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES.
AND I THINK WE'RE WORKING WITH HOMER AS WELL ON SCHEDULING SOMETHING.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I, I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT FOR, FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE SAR PROJECT.
AND SO A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS THAT I REPRESENT, UM, WE WILL GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.
SO THANK YOU, TAMIKA, FOR YOUR WORK.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU AND THE TEAM DO, DO, UH, EVERY DAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER RO GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, THANK YOU MAYOR.
AND, UH, TAMIKA, GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
EVERY TIME WE HEAR THIS PRESENTATION, IT GETS A LITTLE BIT MORE THOROUGH AND YOU'VE MADE MORE, MORE AND MORE PROGRESS.
SO WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU AND I, I THINK SOMEONE SAID THIS EARLIER, YOU ARE THE MINISTER AND WE ARE YOUR WILLING DISCIPLES AND WE'LL GLADLY FOLLOW YOU WHERE, WHERE YOU LEAD.
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, FOR YOU IN TERMS OF, UM, THE FOCUS AREAS.
UH, YOU HAVE A, A GREAT SLIDE HERE THAT REALLY SLIDE NUMBER FOUR, AT LEAST IN THE DRAFT PRESENTATION, SLIDE NUMBER FOUR, THAT GIVES US A REALLY GOOD IDEA ABOUT WHAT YOU WILL BE, UH, FOCUSING ON.
UM, SO, SO JUST SOME QUESTIONS ON IT.
UH, THERE IS ONE BUBBLE AT THE BOTTOM LABELED PROJECT DELIVERY
[01:35:01]
PLANNING, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES.SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT SOME OF THE WORK THAT PUBLIC WORKS DOES NOW WHEN THEY BUILD SIDEWALKS, WILL BE MOVED OVER TO THIS AREA? THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, WE HAVEN'T FIGURED THAT OUT YET.
WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE IS THERE ARE GOING TO BE GRANTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL APPLY FOR.
FOR EXAMPLE, IT COULD BE A TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT GRANT THAT WE COMPETE FOR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND AS A PART OF THAT PROJECT, WE INSTITUTE A T O D WHERE WE SUPPORT A PROJECT THAT VIA IS DOING, COORDINATING AND IMPROVING IN PROVIDING PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES FOR TRANSIT AND BICYCLE FACILITIES.
SO THIS MAY BE A PROJECT THAT WE SUBMIT, AND IT'S A DESIGN BUILD, SO IT'S GONNA BE AN AMALGAM OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE DELIVER PROJECTS.
SO IT MAY BE THAT WE DO IT AS A PART OF A BOND PROGRAM, WE DEVELOP THE PLAN WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, BUT A LOT OF THAT JUST DEPENDS ON THE FUNDING SOURCE AND WHAT MAKES SENSE.
SO WE'RE GONNA DELIVER PROJECTS IN VARIOUS WAYS, AND FROM MY EXPERIENCE, DOING IT THIS WAY HELPS US DELIVER PROJECTS, BUT IT ALSO HELPS US DEVELOP THE SKILLSET OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES AS IT RELATES TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
SO IN MY EXPERIENCE, HAVING A TEAM WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT THAT CAN MANAGE CONSULTANTS AND MANAGE THOSE DELIVERABLES, BUT ALSO TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT BUILDS THE INTERNAL TECHNICAL CAPACITY OF OUR TEAM.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY IN DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS DO IT DIFFERENTLY.
SOME HAVE A PUBLIC WORKS COMPONENT WHERE PROJECTS ARE CONSTRUCTED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, BUT IT MAY BE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE WILL BE MANAGING AND DELIVERING, BUT THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING HISTORICALLY.
AND THAT'S THE PLANNERS AND THE ENGINEERS IN THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT INFORMING AND SUPPORTING OUR PARTNERS IN PUBLIC WORK WITH THE PROJECT DELIVERY OF THE PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE CONSTRUCTING AND IMPLEMENTING.
SO I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
UH, ERIC, I'LL, I'LL JUST TELL YOU, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT HAS FACED PROBLEMS WITH DELIVERY OF SIDEWALKS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER DOES IT, WHETHER IT'S YOU OR PUBLIC WORKS, HAS A HIGH QUALITY PROCESS TO DELIVER THE SIDEWALKS SO THAT HALF OF MY TIME IN THE COUNCIL OFFICE ISN'T HELD UP WITH CONSTITUENT CASES COMING FROM PROBLEMS WITH DELIVERY OF PROJECTS.
SO IF I, I, IT JUST SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU'RE GONNA START FROM SCRATCH IN THE, AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S A BAD SKILL FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE IT IS GREAT, BUT I, WHAT I WOULDN'T WANT ERIC, IS FOR US TO START FROM SCRATCH IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT TO DELIVER THESE PROJECTS WHEN WE'RE STILL TRYING TO WORK THEM OUT IN, IN PUBLIC WORKS IN TERMS OF, OF HOW WE DELIVER THEM IN A, IN A QUALITY WAY.
LET, LET, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME TRY TO ACT AS TRANSLATOR HERE.
UM, UH, TAMIKA IS USING THE, THE TERM PROJECT DELIVERY THAT THE, SHE'S NOT, SHE'S NOT SAYING SHE'S GONNA BE IN CHARGE OF CONSTRUCTION, IT'S THE DELIVERY OF THE PROJECT.
THERE'S A, THERE'S AN ELEMENT HERE THAT, THAT FRANKLY, UM, WHAT WE'VE MISSED IN THE PAST AND, AND, AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO IS WELL AWARE OF IT.
AND IT, AND AS LONG AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIDEWALKS, IT'S, IT'S MAKING SURE THAT FROM A PLANNING STANDPOINT, FROM A MOBILITY AND A TRANSPORTATION STANDPOINT, THESE PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED, UM, AND THOUGHT THROUGH IN ADVANCE.
RIGHT? AND, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S, AND I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, TRANSPORTATION AND WHAT TAMIKA IS BRINGING AND WHAT SHE'S BUILDING IS THE GLUE.
IT'S THE GLUE AND, AND WE'RE GOING TO USE THAT EXPERTISE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND IT'S HOW SHE, IT'S HOW TAMIKA DESCRIBED IT AT THE END, IT'S, IT'S WORKING WITH THOSE PUBLIC WORKS PARTNERS THAT ARE DOING THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE, AND THE, UM, UM, AND THE, AND THE ACTUAL DELIVERY.
AND WHEN I, WHEN I HEAR THAT, I THINK CONSTRUCTION ALSO.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT, IT IS CONFUSING BECAUSE THE SLIDE SAYS CONSTRUCTION ON IT.
SO FOR, FOR, I THINK YOU, ALRIGHT, WE CAN, WE CAN TALK MORE, MORE LATER ABOUT IT.
UM, I ALSO, UH, NOTICED THAT SOMETHING I DIDN'T SEE HERE IS SCHOOL SAFETY.
UH, SO FOR INSTANCE, UM, I JUST WANNA KNOW WHERE, WHERE THESE, THESE FUNCTIONS WOULD BE COVERED AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO THERE'S AN ITEM ON TOMORROW'S AGENDA ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY FLASHERS AND HOW THOSE ARE GONNA WORK.
AND ON LAST WEEK'S AGENDA, THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT TRAFFIC
[01:40:01]
SIGNAL OPTIMIZATION.UM, WHERE WILL THOSE FUNCTIONS, UH, HAVE A HOME? MAY I ANSWER THAT COUNCILWOMAN? THE ITEM WE HAVE TOMORROW ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM, WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND SCHOOL FLASHING THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND GOOD NUMBER OF OUR EQUIPMENT, THEY ARE OLD EQUIPMENT.
WE ARE TRYING TO UPGRADE THEM.
WE ARE LOOKING WITH THIS PURCHASE, WE ARE LOOKING TO, 92 OF THEM WILL BE UPGRADED AND THEY SIT UNDER PUBLIC WORK BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONE AS WE MANAGE THOSE TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
UM, AND TRAFFIC SIGNAL OPTIMIZATION AS WELL.
AND THEN I WANTED TO ASK A, A COUPLE MORE, UH, QUESTIONS.
TAMIKA, IN THE FOCUS AREAS YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT, UH, THIRD PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS AND, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT RIDE HAILING APPS AND I IMAGINE TAXIS FALL, FALL INTO THAT.
UM, IS, SO TECHNICALLY WE DON'T HAVE, UH, WHEN YOU SAY THIRD PARTY, UH, WHAT'S OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM? MY MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE, WE REGULATE TAXIS, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF IT.
SO ANY ENTITY THAT'S PROVIDING A SERVICE TO SAN ANTONIO AS A MOBILITY SERVICE, FOR EXAMPLE, VIA, UH, TAXIS, OPERATORS, RIDE HAILING PROVIDERS, SCOOTER COMPANIES, ALL OF THESE ARE THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS.
SO WE DON'T DIRECTLY OPERATE ANY OF THESE SERVICES, BUT WE SANCTION THEIR OPERATION IN THE CITY.
AND SO ONE OF THE FUNCTIONS THAT I SEE IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS DEPARTMENT IS TO BE A REGULATORY AND OVERSIGHT ENTITY WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE WITH THOSE COMPANIES.
SO NOT NECESSARILY YOUR FOR HIRE TAXI, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE UBERS, THE LYFTS, THEY HAVE A FEDERAL REQUIREMENT TO NOT DISCRIMINATE, BUT WHERE WITHIN OUR CITY ARE WE REGULATING AND PERFORMING OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE THAT A LIFT OPERATOR OR DRIVER IS NOT DISCRIMINATING AND IS ONLY PICKING UP SAN ANTONIO IN ONE PART OF THE CITY AND NOT THE OTHER.
SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN WHEN I MENTION THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS.
AND SO VIA, WE DO NOT DIRECTLY OPERATE TRANSIT SERVICE, BUT WE FUND THAT SERVICE.
AND HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT VIA IS BEING COMPLIANT WITH ITS FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS? SURE.
SO I'M, I'M SORRY TAMIKA, I ONLY GET 10 MINUTES, SO I, AND I GOT YOUR, YOUR RESPONSE ON, ON THE FIRST ONE, BUT, BUT I WILL SAY DOESN'T VIA HAVE A WHOLE DEPARTMENT DEDICATED TO TITLE SIX ISSUES, IT IS NOT JUST TITLE SIX WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE COMPLIANCE PIECE FOR THE TRANSIT, WE ARE PAYING FOR THAT SERVICE.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT VIA IS IN COMPLIANCE, HAVING WORKED IN TRANSIT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT VIA IS DOING ANYTHING WRONG, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT AS THE CITY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT VIA IS OPERATING AND HAS CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMPANIES BECAUSE SEVERAL TRANSIT AGENCIES HAVE ENGAGED IN RIDE SHARING SERVICES AND HAVE CONTRACTS.
BUT FROM WHAT I KNOW, THE OVERSIGHT OF THEM IS CHALLENGING.
AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS A CITY PAYING FOR A SERVICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SCOOTER PROVIDERS ARE NOT JUST PLACING SCOOTERS IN ONE PART OF THE CITY AND NOT ADVANTAGING OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.
SO THAT'S THE REGULATORY AND OVERSIGHT PIECE THAT THIS DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE PERFORMING BECAUSE WE'RE RECEIVING FEDERAL DOLLARS.
AND SO HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE ARE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OVER THOSE PROGRAMS WHERE WE ARE RECEIVING FEDERAL FUNDS, WHERE WE'RE EXPENDING LOCAL TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
SO THERE HAS TO BE SOME REGULATORY SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE PIECE.
I HAVE A LAST QUESTION THAT I'D LIKE TO ASK BEFORE I RUN OUT OF TIME.
AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE, WITH THE FEDERAL EARMARKS PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE, THE ITEMS THAT YOU LISTED HAVE ALL MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN FUNDED.
ROSIE DID MENTION A COST OVERRUN, UH, IN ONE CASE OR, OR BASICALLY A COST ESTIMATE CHANGE.
SO, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I I WOULD LIKE SOME CLARITY ON, ON THE ONES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN FUNDED, UH, IN SOME WAY OR OTHER.
AND, AND SECONDLY, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE FUNDING WE'VE DRAWN DOWN FROM THE M P O REQUIRES US TO PROVIDE A 20% MATCH AND THAT THAT MATCH HAS TO BE LOCAL.
WE'RE PROPOSING TO SUPPLEMENT THAT PROJECT WITH ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AN EARMARK.
UH, DOESN'T THAT, UH, SORT OF, UH,
[01:45:01]
GO COUNTER TO THAT SPIRIT OF THE LOCAL MATCH? UM, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE'S A, A LIMIT THAT THE, THAT THE FEDERAL FUNDING FROM THE, FROM THE M P O CAN PROVIDE.SO I'M, I'M JUST CONFUSED ABOUT HOW ALL THOSE MATCHES WILL ADD UP.
SO WITH THE EARMARK PROCESS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO RECALL.
ONE OF THE LAST PROJECTS I WORKED ON ALMOST 11 YEARS AGO WAS AN EARMARK.
AND WHAT THAT MEANT WAS THE JURISDICTION HAD IDENTIFIED FUNDING 80% FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND 20% AS A LOCAL MATCH.
AND WHEN THE EARMARK BECAME AVAILABLE, THE PROJECT WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED FROM THAT EARMARK.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE BALANCE THAT REMAINS OR PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED FUNDS THAT WE HAD ALLOCATED FOR A PROJECT, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THESE PROJECTS THAT 20%, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IT.
IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE FEDERAL FUNDS, THEN THOSE IDENTIFIED FUNDS FROM TEXAS D O T OR FROM THE M P O WOULD THEN GO BACK TO THE SPECIFIC M P O AND THEN THE FUNDS THAT WE GET TO COVER THE ENTIRE PROJECT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL COVER THAT.
SO THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF EARMARKS AND I THINK SALLY AND THE TEAM ARE STILL EVALUATING WHAT DO EARMARKS IN THE 21ST CENTURY LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A MINUTE SINCE WE HAD EARMARKS.
SO THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO FIND OUT WITH ALL OF THESE CURRENT FEDERAL PROGRAMS. BUT THE SELECTION AND FUNDING ANY OFFSET, ANY EXCESS BEYOND WHAT WE'VE SUBMITTED, IDEALLY IT WILL BE COVERED BY THIS EARMARK.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
SO THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE OVERPASS THERE AT, AT ZAMORA, UM, DISTRICT TWO HAS HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION WHEN IT COMES TO GIVE SPRAWL, UM, AND ON OUR NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO ARE YOU DOING A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT COULD QUALIFY FOR THIS SAME PROJECT? TAMIKA, THANK YOU COUNCIL.
COUNCILMAN, WE SUBMIT THAT ONE PART OF OUR REQUEST TO NM P O TO BE FUNDED WHEN, AND THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE A DECISION IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR THAT'S ON OUR RADAR.
WE WORKED THAT ONE ON LAST TIME FOR 2017 BOND.
UNFORTUNATELY, BOND DIDN'T PICK UP THAT PROJECT, BUT LAST MARCH OF LAST MONTH, WE SUBMIT THAT ONE TO M P O TO BE FUNDED.
SO THAT IS A GREAT THING TO HEAR BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE STILL BURNING.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THAT GIVES SPRAWL AND, AND, AND, UH, FOSTER AREA RIGHT THERE.
UM, THE TRAIN STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, LITERALLY STOPS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, AND TRAFFIC IS JUST BUILT UP AND, AND STAGNATED.
AND SO WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO GET TO AND FROM HOME AND ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THE AMENITIES THAT THEY NEED.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VIA HOW ARE WE GONNA LEVERAGE THE VIA LINK SERVICES TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE FACILITIES FOR SOME OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO? WHEN YOU SAY LACK OF ACCESS TO MEDICAL FACILITIES, DO YOU MEAN LACK OF ACCESS AS A RESULT OF NOT HAVING THE VEHICLES OR AS A RESULT OF NOT BEING SERVED? SO THE LACK IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, OF TRANSPORTATION, THE LACK OF ACTUALLY HAVING A MEDICAL FACILITY WITHIN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OR WITHIN THE AREA THAT THEY CAN GET TO.
BUT WE KNOW WE HAVE VIA LINK THAT CAN KIND OF CLOSE THE GAP.
AND SO I'M WONDERING HOW WE'RE GOING TO LEVERAGE THE VIA LINK SERVICE TO ACTUALLY SPEAK TO, UH, GETTING THOSE RESIDENTS ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE FACILITIES.
I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO TALK TO YOU SPECIFICALLY.
'CAUSE I REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND NATIONALLY THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE WITH PROVIDING VIA LINK SERVICE, SIMILAR SERVICE PARATRANSIT SERVICES.
THERE IS AN EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO REQUIRE THOSE SERVICES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS
[01:50:01]
TO FIXED ROUTE BUS SERVICE.AND IT'S GONNA BE A CONTINUING CONVERSATION BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES WITH INCREASING THE VEHICLE SUPPLY FOR VIA IS ALSO INCREASING BUS OPERATORS.
SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES NATIONALLY WITH TRANSPORTATION IS THERE'S A NEED FOR BUS DRIVERS.
THERE'S A NEED FOR FREIGHT DRIVERS.
THE LAST TIME I DID RESEARCH, THERE WAS A BACKLOG IN 2018 OF OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND FREIGHT DRIVERS.
AND SO THE PUBLIC TRANSIT INDUSTRY IS FACED WITH CHALLENGES GETTING BUS DRIVERS WHO HAVE THE, THE SKILLS AND EXPERTISE TO DRIVE THOSE VIA LINK BUSES BECAUSE YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE A CARTOGRAPHER, YOU ARE A DELIVERY PERSON AND YOU'RE ALSO A HOME HEALTH AIDE.
IT IS THE PARATRANSIT DRIVER IS THE WORKHORSE OF THE VIA SYSTEM.
SO I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS AND IN FACT, WE DO HAVE SOME MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES WITH VIA SERVICES.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU AT A LATER TIME IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, SO THAT I CAN HEAR SPECIFICALLY THOSE CONCERNS IN THOSE PARTS OF YOUR DISTRICT WHERE YOU'RE SEEING THESE CHALLENGES.
LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT MEETING.
WE'LL GET THAT SCHEDULED WITH YOU.
UM, AS WE HAVE A LOT OF AREAS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A QUIET ZONE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR TRAINS.
UM, AND A LOT OF THOSE TRAINS ARE RUNNING RIGHT BY NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE ASLEEP AT, AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND THE NEXT THING YOU HEAR IS A TRAIN HORN BLARING DOWN, WE WANTED TO KNOW, UM, ARE YOU GONNA BE PARTICIPATING OR WILL THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT BE PARTICIPATING IN IN STUDIES THAT WILL SHOW HOW WE CAN TRULY SPEAK TO THE BETTERMENT OF LIFE FOR THOSE WHO ARE LIVING CLOSER TO THESE, UH, RAILROAD TRACKS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS? YES, MA'AM.
THAT IS A PART OF THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE IN OUR DEPARTMENT TO PERFORM THE ANALYSIS OF THE RAILROAD QUIET ZONES IN THOSE AREAS THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THAT.
SO IN ADDITION, LET'S ADD THAT ONE TO THE MEETING BECAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT ENGINEER HERE, EPI RUIZ, WHO WORKS ON THAT HERE.
SO WE'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU FURTHER ABOUT THAT AND IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS WHERE WE CAN EVALUATE THE QUIET ZONE REQUEST.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, TAMIKA.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER LIA.
AND NOT, NOT A LOT OF COMMENTS OTHER THAN THE THANK YOU TAMIKA.
UH, UH, I ECHO ALL OF THE, UH, THE, THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, YOU, YOU REALLY ARE, UH, RAISING THE BAR OF THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, AND I'M, I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT WHAT IT IS THAT, UH, YOU DO WITH, WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I, I DO WANNA REMIND MY COLLEAGUES THAT THESE THREE PROJECTS, THE PRESA, THE SARZA, MOURA AND THE BROADWAY PROJECT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ AND MYSELF, WE WERE IN DC UH, WITH UH, RAY SALDANA AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I REMEMBER SALLY VATO AND ALL OF US UP THERE ASKING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO CONSIDER, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE ZAMORA, UH, YOU KNOW, PROJECT FOR, UM, FOR DISTRICT FIVE.
AND, UH, WE HAD A, UM, AND WE DIDN'T SUCCEED.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUED TO GO UP THERE.
AND THE, THE SECRET TO THE, UH, TO THE ART OF, OF LOBBYING AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS IS, IS JUST PLAYING THE LONG GAME HERE.
AND I THINK THAT SO LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO ASK AND MAKE OUR STORY, UM, COMPELLING, AND, UH, JEFF, I THINK YOU AND SALLY AND THE CREW ARE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB AT DOING THAT.
I THINK WE'RE EVENTUALLY GONNA GET THERE.
AND TAMIKA, YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST WIND IN OUR SAILS.
I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC THAT YOU'RE ON, ON THIS TEAM 'CAUSE YOU REALLY DO A GREAT JOB AT ARTICULATING THE NEED.
UH, I DO WANNA MENTION, UH, ONE THING, TAMIKA, IF YOU AND I CAN SIT DOWN AT SOME POINT LATER, UM, I, I MET WITH, UH, BRIAN DILLARD AND, UH, VISIT SA AND A COMPANY CALLED EGO.
UH, IT'S A MICRO MOBILITY COMPANY THAT'S ALREADY OPERATING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
THEY'VE BEEN PROVIDING FREE RIDES AS A PART OF A PILOT PROGRAM FROM, UH, THE PEARL AREA TO DOWNTOWN, BACK AND FORTH.
UH, THEY'RE A FIRST MILE LAST MILE OPERATOR.
UM, I THINK IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING CONCEPT, ONE THAT'S ALREADY HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO GO TOO FAR TO GO LOOK FOR SOME OF THESE, UH, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS.
AND SO I'D, I'D, I'D APPRECIATE, UM, THE TIME FOR YOU, ME, AND MY STAFF TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO THEM.
THE OTHER LASTLY, I I'M JUST FLOORED, UH, AT, UH, HOW WONDERFUL AN IDEA IT IS TO START CONSIDERING OUR TRAILS AS A MOBILITY OPTION.
UM, AND IT'S A, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT OFTEN UP HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I'M FLOORED AT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF A LACK OF IMAGINATION I'VE HAD, UH, AND ON THIS, UH, AND I I'M GONNA STEAL THAT IDEA TAMIKA AND PRETEND IT'S MINE.
AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU NO CREDIT WHATSOEVER WHEN I GO AROUND TOWN TELLING EVERYBODY THAT I CAME UP WITH A REALLY, REALLY SMART IDEA.
AND THAT IS TO START THINKING OF OUR TRAILS AS A, AS A MODALITY OPTION.
[01:55:01]
I'M, I'M REALLY PROUD TO HAVE YOU ON THIS TEAM.I'M, I'M SO EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THAT WITH THESE TRAILS.
'CAUSE I THINK IF WE DON'T USE THESE TRAILS IN THAT WAY, UM, AND REALLY START THINKING ABOUT THESE TRAILS AS MORE THAN JUST RECREATION, UM, I THINK WE'LL HAVE FAILED.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS, THIS IS OUR ONE OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE MY SPECIAL PROJECT FOR THE REST OF THE, MY TIME ON COUNCIL IS MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE TRAILS, IT'S MORE THAN JUST FUN AND EXERCISE, THAT IT'S ALSO A WAY OF, UH, BEING ABLE TO GET TO WHERE YOU NEED TO GO.
UM, AND I'LL START BY, UH, THANKING THE LINEAR CREEK WAYS GROUP FOR ALL THEIR EFFORTS TO MAKE, UH, THE LINEAR CREEK WAYS A GREAT TRANSPORTATION OPTION, PARTICULARLY SIMA COLVIN, UH, FOR REPRESENTING DISTRICT ONE.
SO, WELL, UH, TAMIKA, LISTEN, I, YOU AND I HAVE MET SEVERAL TIMES.
YOU'VE BEEN INCREDIBLY RESPONSIVE.
YOU'VE MET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT A LOT OF ISSUES, UH, THAT THAT RUN THE GAMUT.
I'M GONNA BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT SOMETHING BECAUSE I THINK I HEARD YOU KIND OF TOUCH ON SOME OF THIS, BUT I THINK THAT THIS ONE THING IS KIND OF A SYMPTOM OF SO MANY OTHERS.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY, UH, AROUND OUR, OUR AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
AND HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AT LEAST IN, IN DISTRICT ONE, RESIDENTS IN D ONE ARE 19 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO GET, UH, TO TRAVEL BY FOOT TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
SO THAT'S WHY SIDEWALKS ARE SO IMPORTANT.
AND, UH, THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR THAT WE WE'RE HEARING IT MORE THAN EVER THE HOW, HOW IMPORTANT, UH, AN INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE SIDEWALKS ARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, I ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT INFRASTRUCTURE I IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW, UM, HAVING YOU ON BOARD IS, IS, IS SO CRITICAL FOR OUR ABILITY TO, TO MAYBE, UH, START CONNECTING A LOT OF DOTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I SEE THAT OZZY'S ON AND RAZZY, YOU'VE BEEN, UH, JUST REALLY AN INCREDIBLE HELP AND HELPING TO, TO TRANSLATE THE ONE THING I'VE BEEN BEEN PUSHING FOR, FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE SAY THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS EXISTING HOUSING, SO WE'VE GOTTA PROTECT THAT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN USE THAT SAME MODEL WHEN IT COMES TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE'S A LOT OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE REBUILT.
IT JUST NEEDS TO BE RECONSTRUCTED OR PATCHED HERE AND THERE SO THAT IT CAN CONTINUE TO BE USED.
AND, UH, WORKING WITH RAZZIE AND ANTHONY
UH, AND WE DID IT BY TAKING THAT EXAMINATION AND SAYING, LOOK, WE, WE SHOULDN'T BE REBUILDING DRIVEWAYS THAT, THAT ARE NOT BROKEN.
WE SHOULDN'T BE, UH, TEARING OUT ENTIRE SECTIONS OF SIDEWALK THAT ARE JUST FINE.
UM, AND SO I I, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, IS, IS IS ASK YOU TO TEAM UP WITH, WITH ROD SANCHEZ AND THE U D C, UH, RAZZI SAYING, AND THEN LET'S, LET'S FOCUS ON CREATING SORT OF KIND OF A RE RESOURCE BASED ANALYSIS THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS NEEDED AND WHERE, AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT IN, IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, THAT ARE NOT AS AFFLUENT AS OTHERS.
UH, THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO DO A LOT OF RECONSTRUCTION, A LOT OF REPAIRS, BUT WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE, UH, KNOW WHAT'S, UM, UH, WE'VE, OUR U D C UH, 29 11 AND AND OTHER ISSUES HAVE COME UP, UH, SORT OF RESTRICTING US FROM BEING ABLE TO, TO DO THINGS LIKE MAINTENANCE U UTILIZING DEBT SERVICE ACCORDING TO BEN GELLE.
BUT WE, WE, WE HAVE RESOLVED THAT, AND SO NOW WE'VE UNLOCKED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO, TO REALLY, UH, HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT I'M GA WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS US TO ANALYZE THE LIMITED RESOURCES, UH, THAT, THAT WE HAVE ALONG WITH THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SAID THAT WE WE'RE TRYING TO DO ABOUT 40 MILES OF SIDEWALK A YEAR, AND THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.
THAT'S NOT EVEN KEEPING UP WITH THE GROWTH OF THE CITY.
UH, I REALLY WANT US TO DO, UH, TO, TO SHOOT FOR A GOAL OF OVER 200 MILES OF SIDEWALK EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND I JUST, I, IN FACT, I CAN DEMONSTRATE TO YOU, UH, THROUGH RAZZY, UH, AND I GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM, FROM THEIR OFFICE.
WE, WE JUST, IN THIS YEAR ALONE, WE BROUGHT BACK 21.92 MILES OF WALKABLE SIDEWALK.
[02:00:01]
MULTIPLY THAT ACROSS 10 DISTRICTS AND YOU'RE AT 200 MILES.UM, SO I KIND OF WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW YOU'VE SEEN OTHER COMMUNITIES LOOK AT SIDEWALKS AND LOOK AT THE, THE, THE, THE, THE RESOURCES AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TAKING OUT PERFECTLY GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE AND REPLACING IT WITH BRAND NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE, GOOD, UH, A GOOD STREET OR A GOOD CONCRETE SIDEWALK DOESN'T NECESSARILY NEED REPLACING IT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BRAND NEW, IT JUST HAS TO BE FUNCTIONAL.
UM, BUT I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, IT SIMPLY HASN'T GOTTEN US THE, THE NECESSARY, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE, ESPECIALLY IN, IN AREAS THAT HAVE SEEN IN JUST GENERATIONS OF, OF NEGLECT AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DOESN'T CONNECT THEM.
UH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON, ON, ON, ON THAT AND HOW OTHER CITIES HAVE LOOKED AT, AT SIDEWALKS AS NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE AND PART OF TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, COUNCILMAN TRINO, BECAUSE WHAT HAS HAPPENED, AT LEAST IN MY EXPERIENCE, IS SAN ANTONIO IS REALLY UNIQUE IN THAT A LARGE PART OF THE CITY JUST HISTORICALLY HAS NOT HAD THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE ROADWAY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT.
SO MANY CITIES ARE IN THE SAME BOAT AS SAN ANTONIO.
IT'S A REALLY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE TO IDENTIFY AND DOCUMENT THE CONDITION OF SIDEWALKS.
SO THE FIRST STEP FOR MOST MUNICIPALITIES AND JURISDICTIONS IS TO DO THE ASSESSMENT.
DOES THE SIDEWALK EXIST? YES OR NO? BUT YOU CAN DO THAT, BUT IT STILL DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED WITH REGARD TO CONDITION, BECAUSE TYPICALLY IF YOU GO AND ASSESS A SIDEWALK AND SAY, YES, THERE'S A SIDEWALK, DEPENDING UPON WHERE THAT SIDEWALK IS LOCATED, IS THERE CURB AND GUTTER? IS IT JUST A SIDEWALK? AND THERE'S NO STORM WATER BENEATH IT? SO WE HAVE TO DO ALL OF THAT ANALYSIS.
AND I'M STILL NEW AND I'M STILL LEARNING, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS AN EXCELLENT GRASP ON THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO BRING ALL OF OUR SIDEWALKS INTO FUNCTIONALITY, BUT MORE THAN FUNCTIONALITY TO BE SAFE.
SO WE CAN JUST GO OUT AND WE CAN PUT A SIDEWALK OUT THERE, BUT ENSURING THAT IT'S SAFE, THAT IT'S NOT PRONE TO FLOODING.
I, I THINK THE LAY PERSON JUST THINKS IT'S JUST CONCRETE.
BUT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING RISK AND WE'RE NOT CREATING AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE WHO'S IN A MOBILITY DEVICE CAN BE ON A SIDEWALK BECAUSE IT'S FUNCTIONAL, BUT IF THAT SIDEWALK FLOODS EVERY DAY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE THE REQUISITE STORM WATER EVALUATION, THAT'S WHERE WE RUN INTO ISSUES.
SO I, I KNOW WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH ASSESSING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME.
AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN PALAIS, HE SPOKE ABOUT BRIAN DILLARD AND THE GREAT WORK THAT THE I T S D TEAM IS DOING IN MAPPING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE, THAT'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE ARE MANY CITIES THAT DON'T HAVE CITIES WHERE I'VE COME FROM AND HAVE LIVED, DO NOT HAVE THE DEPTH OF DETAILS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE SIDEWALK.
SO WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I JUST THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE US A LITTLE MORE TIME AS WE GET INTO THE WEEDS AND REALLY UNDERSTAND THE ACTUAL CONDITION OF OUR EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
WELL, YOU, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH THAT.
I, I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PARTNERS, UM, THAT, THAT WANT TO BE HELPFUL, INCLUDING U T S A IN, IN HELPING US PROVIDE SORT OF A CONDITION MAP.
BUT REALLY WHAT I, I GUESS WHAT I WAS GETTING AT TAMIKA IS MORE SORT OF THE, THE HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONNECTED SIDEWALK, UH, AS PART OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, THAT IT HAS TO WORK LIKE ALL OUR OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE ROADS, DO THEY HAVE TO BE CONNECTED? OTHERWISE, WE, WE, WE WE'RE NOT REALLY TREATING THEM THE WAY THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS, NEEDS THEM SO THAT THEY CAN BE MOBILE.
AND, UH, AGAIN, I WOULD ASK THAT, THAT, UH, WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO FIND, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A, A SORT OF A VALUE PROPOSITION ABOUT, UH, HOW WE, UH, MAKE SIDEWALKS A REAL PRIORITY AND THEN CREATE SOME STANDARDS, SOME DESIGN STANDARDS, SO THAT WE CAN, UH, UH, REALLY GET TO THAT NUMBER THAT GETS US, UH, TO WHERE THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS US TO BE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IF, IF WE'RE ONLY DOING 40 MILES A SIDEWALK A YEAR, WE'RE NOT EVEN KEEPING UP WITH GROWTH.
AND, UH, AND CERTAINLY THERE, THERE ARE WAYS WE CAN DO THAT.
[02:05:01]
THERE ARE THINGS WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, SAFETY, SIMPLE, SIMPLE POINTS.UH, AT LEAST IN, IN DISTRICT ONE, WHERE SIDEWALKS ARE OFFSET FROM THE CURB, UH, BECAUSE IT'S SAFER TO BE OFFSET FROM, FROM, FROM TRAFFIC THAN IT IS TO BE UP AGAINST THE CURB ARE THE KINDS OF STANDARDS I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, ADDRESS.
BUT THE, THE BIGGER POINT IS, IS THAT THAT'S HOW WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT ALL OUR RESOURCES WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE BIKE MASTER PLAN IS HOW CAN WE CREATE A BIKE MASTER PLAN THAT UTILIZES, UH, YOU KNOW, ROADS THAT, THAT, THAT COULD USE A ROAD DIET SO THAT, UH, WE CAN GET SOME BIKE LANES IN, UH, QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY, UH, WITHOUT IT, UH, BEING SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE SORT OF FORECASTED 20 YEARS, UH, DOWN THE ROAD.
SO, UH, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I, I BELIEVE IS, UH, IS, IS IS HOW WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, CREATING A, A REAL SENSE OF CONNECTIVITY WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION.
COUNCILMAN, GOOD NEWS ON SIDEWALK.
WE HAVE A CONDITION OF THE SIDEWALK.
WE KNOW WHERE OUR SIDEWALK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
WE KNOW WHERE WE HAVE SIDEWALK, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE SIDEWALK.
I THINK WE ARE, UH, WORKING ON THAT ONE, AND WE HAVE DONE MOST OF THE CONDITION OF THIS SIDEWALK RENEWAL.
COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO, COUNCIL MEMBER VIA THANK YOU MAYOR.
UM, TAMIKA, THAT WAS JUST AN OKAY PRESENTATION.
NO, THAT WAS A FANTASTIC PRES, UH, PRESENTATION, TAMIKA.
UM, AND IT WAS THE SECOND TIME, I THINK, WELL, NOT THAT, THAT, UH, PRESENTATION, BUT JUST A PORTION OF IT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, TAMIKA, I'M GLAD WE HAD YOU ON BOARD FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, UH, BECAUSE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH E FEDERAL GUIDELINES AND APPLICATIONS AND PROCESSES AND HOW YOU'RE ABLE TO STRATEGIZE AND LEVERAGE OUR STRENGTHS.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A STRENGTH FOR US WHEN WE SEE, UM, DOLLARS COME THROUGH.
I AM, UH, APPRECIATIVE TOO, OF COURSE OF THE NAME CHANGE, ERIC, THAT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, UM, I THINK MOBILITY IN THERE OR HAVING THAT KIND OF A SUBTITLE, IF YOU WILL, TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND TAMIKA, THANK YOU TOO FOR HIGHLIGHTING AND MAKING SURE CENTER, UM, CENTER OF OUR THOUGHT PROCESS AND CONVERSATION IS ABOUT, UM, THAT WE ADDRESS AND WE KEEP AT OUR FOCUS, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY FOR ALL ABILITIES AND FOR DIFFERENT ABILITIES.
AND I THINK THAT IS CRITICAL AS WE PLAN OUT EVERYTHING FROM OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, CAPITAL FACILITIES, UH, CAPITAL PROJECT FACILITIES, CITY FACILITIES, TO, UM, OUR STREETS, OUR PARKS, AND ALL OF THE LINKS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE CRITICAL.
UM, YES, I, OF COURSE I AM GRATEFUL TO SEE THE, UH, THREE PROJECTS THAT YOU'RE PUSHING FORWARD WHEN WE'RE COMING TO, UM, THE EARMARKS, AT LEAST WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALSO CONGRESSIONAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS THAT MANY OF US HAVE PUT IN LETTERS OF, UH, SUPPORT FOR, AND I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING, I THINK IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO, AND THAT'S TO PREPARE AND GET ALL OF OUR PROJECTS SHOVEL READY SO THAT WE CAN JUST HAVE, UM, ALMOST LIKE AN, AN ASSEMBLY LINE OF PROJECTS GETTING READY TO GO.
AND YES, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, I'M HOPING, AND I'M BELIEVING THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET MONEY FOR THE ZZA MORA, UH, BRIDGE.
AND WITH PRESA HAVING TO, UH, MOVE THAT MONEY FROM THE PRESA OFF RAMP, NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY, UH, PUT THAT MONEY OR EXPAND OUR MONEY THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THERE INTO A BETTER AND MORE, UM, HOLISTIC AND THOUGHTFUL, UM, PROJECT.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, MAYOR.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT THIS IS GOING TO DO AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WALKABOUT IN MY COMMUNITY, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, COUNCIL MEMBER
WE COULD ALSO GET ON THE KAYAKS AND USE OUR KAYAKS GOING THROUGH DISTRICT THREE.
SO WE HAVE A MULTIPLE, VERY MULTIMODAL IN, UH, OUR COMMUNITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
UH, GOOD PRESENTATION THERE, KAMI, TAMIKA, AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING MORE CLOSELY WITH YOU OVER THE NEXT, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AND, AND, UH, MAKING SOME OF THESE THINGS COME ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO BE DONE.
THERE'S A LOT OF NEEDS AND WANTS OUT
[02:10:01]
THERE, BUT, UH, AS WE ALL KNOW, YOU KNOW, NONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT THE, THE ACTUAL DOLLARS COMING TO THE TABLE FROM WHEREVER.SO I'M EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING MORE ACTIVE IN THE FEDERAL PROGRAM AND, AND, UH, APPLYING FOR GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, TO HELP.
I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA AND, AND WORTH RUNNING AFTER.
UM, BUT, UH, YEAH, I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THESE PLANS AND POLICIES AND, AND THINGS ALL IN MOTION SO THAT WE CAN, UH, UH, SEE WHAT'S GONNA COME OUT AT THE OTHER END AS SOON AS WE GET THE, THE RESOURCES TO ACTUALLY FUND THOSE PROJECTS AND MOVE 'EM ALONG.
SO, UH, WE STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO WITH THAT.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS AND I SAID THIS, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES ES ESPECIALLY OUR STREET REQUIREMENTS OUT THERE ON JUST MAINTAINING WHAT WE HAVE AND REPAIRING WHAT WE HAVE, UM, LET ALONE INCREASING OUR INVENTORY ON STREETS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MORE WITH YOU.
UH, I THINK THAT IS ALL OF OUR DISCUSSION, UH, TODAY TO MAKE A GREAT JOB ON YOUR FIRST PRESENTATION.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THIS IN THE CHAMBERS, UH, VERY SOON.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I THINK THAT IS, UH, ALL OF WHAT WE'VE GOT TODAY.
UM, ARE WE, UH, ANDY, ARE WE DOING OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY OR TOMORROW? YEP, IT'S TOMORROW.
WE'RE DOING OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION TOMORROW, UH, MAYOR.
SO, UH, IN THAT CASE, UH, THERE WILL BE NO EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS THAT WERE POSTED FOR TODAY WILL BE CARRIED OVER UNTIL CITY COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW, THURSDAY, APRIL 15TH.
AND WE WILL, AND WE WILL CONSIDER THOSE AT ANY TIME DURING TOMORROW'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, SO OUR B SESSION TODAY, UH, THE TIME IS NOW 4:16 PM AND TODAY'S MEETING IS NOW IN RECESS.
WE DO HAVE A, UH, PUBLICLY, UH, EXCUSE ME, CITIZENS TO BE HEARD PUBLIC HEARING AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
OKAY? SO WE WILL SEE Y'ALL AT FIVE O'CLOCK.