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COUNCIL MEMBER VILLA GRANT HERE.
I, I, UH, CONTACTED CHAIR, UH, RODRIGUEZ THIS MORNING, AND HE'S HAVING CONNECTIVITY PROBLEMS. UM, I THINK OUR FIRST
[1. 21-3635 Approval of the minutes from the April 14, 2021 meeting of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee.]
ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO APPROVE OUR MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA, DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO READ THOSE? I DID.
I, I HAVE A, A QUESTION, AND IT WAS, THERE WAS SOME PROJECTS THAT WERE LEFT OUT AND, AND THEY WERE SPECIFIC TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED.
ONE OF THEM WAS, UM, SAWS AND IT'S, IT'S REFERENCED IN THERE.
I HAD ASKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW MANY GENERATORS OR HOW MUCH WORTH AND GENERATORS THEY NEEDED, AND, AND THE ANSWER, I THINK, BY WALTER WAS $62 MILLION.
I THINK THAT'S KIND OF CRITICAL THAT, THAT WE INCLUDE THAT JUST KIND OF AS A REFERENCE POINT.
AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER PART IN THERE THAT I THOUGHT WAS, UM, MISSING, AND IT WAS SPECIFICALLY I ASKED ABOUT HOW WE'RE COORDINATING WITH OTHER ENTITIES TO SUPPORT SOME PROJECTS.
AND I THINK THAT MAYBE I, I DUNNO IF WE COULD JUST INCORPORATE THAT SOMEHOW INTO THE MINUTES.
I, I DIDN'T SEE THAT NECESSARILY IN THE MINUTES, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD ACTION ITEM TO HAVE DOCUMENTED THAT WE'LL COMMIT TO.
BUT THOUGH, THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION.
SO SOME OF IT IS, UM, BASED ON BREVITY.
THANK, THAT'S IT, CHAIR, BUT I WILL DO APPROVE WITH THE AMENDED.
WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH AMENDMENTS.
WE'VE GOT A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN GERRAN.
HEARING NO OPPOSITION ARMS ARE APPROVED.
[2. 21-3636 School District's federal relief funding]
FLOOR IS YOURS, SIR.UM, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, IF YOU RECALL, THE, UH, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE FINALLY DISTRIBUTING, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS TWO THIRDS OF THE FEDERAL RELIEF MONEY THAT HAD BEEN, UH, INTENDED FOR, UH, PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR SCHOOLS.
UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR, THE LAST TIME WE HAD THE I S D REPRESENTATIVES ON THIS COMMITTEE MEETING, THEY TALKED ABOUT, UH, NEEDING OUR HELP TO TRY TO PUSH FOR THOSE FUNDING.
THAT FUNDING THAT IT HAD NOT, UH, UH, UH, BEEN PASSED DOWN FROM THE STATE TO THE DISTRICTS.
SO THAT CHANGED AT LEAST PARTIALLY.
AND WE HAD A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS AT OUR COUNCIL MEETING ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY, UH, WHAT THE DISTRICTS CAN USE IT FOR, PLAN TO USE IT FOR WHAT ABOUT THE REMAINING PORTION? PORTION.
AND SO WE'VE INVITED, UH, SEVERAL OF THE DISTRICTS BACK AGAIN HERE TODAY.
WE HAVE, UM, SUPERINTENDENT PEDRO MARTINEZ, UH, FROM S A I S D, AND SUPERINTENDENT SEAN MICAH FROM NORTHEAST I S D, AND JULIA GRIZZARD FROM THE BEXAR COUNTY, UH, EDUCATION COALITION.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHO AMONG THOSE THREE WANTS TO KICK IT OFF, BUT I'M GONNA, UH, PASS THE BATON HERE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE, UH, ADVOCACY FROM THE LAST MEETING.
UM, SO LEMME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PASSED THREE DIFFERENT PACKAGES, UM, AND WE REFER TO THEM AS SER ONE, SSR TWO, AND SR THREES THINK OF THEM AS THREE DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL PACKAGES.
UM, THE MONEY THAT THE STATE IS RELEASING AS SER THREE.
UH, AND SO TWO THIRDS OF THAT MONEY, IT WAS THE LARGEST PACKAGE.
AND SO, JUST MORE CONTEXT, THE FIRST TWO PACKAGES WERE PASSED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
THE THIRD PACKAGE WAS PASSED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
AND THE ONLY REASON I'M BRINGING THAT OUT IS BECAUSE IN THE THIRD PACKAGE, THEY MADE IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE STATE TO KEEP THE MONEY.
IN FACT, THEY PUT A PROVISION THAT AS SOON AS THE MONEY WAS AVAILABLE TO THE STATE, THEY HAD A, THEY HAD A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS TO RELEASE IT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO THAT'S WHAT DROVE ALL THE ACTION, UH, AS WELL AS THE LOUD ADVOCACY.
UH, WE HAVE NOT, WE'VE NEVER SAW, WE NEVER SAW SSR ONE.
SO THAT MONEY WAS, WAS SUPPLANTED BY THE STATE.
SSR TWO, UH, IS TIED UP IN THE POLITICS.
AND, UH, JULIA AND OTHERS CAN PROBABLY TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
SO SSR THREE THOUGH IS THE, IS THE BIGGEST ONE.
AND SO THE, THE MONEY WE HAVE TILL SEPTEMBER, 2024 TO SPEND IT.
UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR DISTRICT, WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE, UH, JUST A LITTLE OVER $200 MILLION.
WE'RE PLANNING TO SPEND ABOUT 70 MILLION A YEAR OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
AND IT'S GONNA BE ALL TIED TO OUR, REALLY, TO HELP OUR CHILDREN RECOVER.
SO IT'S EVERYTHING FROM MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AT EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL, ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL TIME,
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UH, YOU KNOW, JUST CONTINUED SAFETY, SAFETY INVESTMENTS IN OUR, IN OUR BUILDINGS FOR, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT PEOPLE FEEL SAFE, YOU KNOW? AND OUR STAFF, OUR CHILDREN, UH, FEEL SAFE.MOST ARE THE BIG COMPONENTS FOR US.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S, FOR US, IT'S A, IT'S A MULTI-YEAR RECOVERY.
SO, UH, IT, THE MONEY DOES EXPIRE, I MEAN, OR DOESN'T, ISN'T, UH, SUSTAINABLE AFTER, UH, 2024, BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE IT FOR THREE YEARS.
WE'RE STILL, WE STILL NEED HELP IN ADVOCATING FOR SSR TWO, WHICH IS ANOTHER BIG PACKAGE, THAT BIG PACKAGE.
WE COULD USE THAT MONEY TO EVEN HAVE A FOUR YEAR PLAN, OR EVEN TO BE THAT MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF NEED, UM, RIGHT NOW IN OUR DISTRICT, EVEN THOUGH OUR BUILDINGS ARE OPEN AND WE ARE INVITING CHILDREN TO COME IN.
UM, I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS A LOT IN THE MEDIA THAT, UH, I'M, I'M TOLD BY OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, SEAN DID AN AMAZING OP-ED ABOUT HIS OWN SON, ABOUT WHAT HE WAS SEEING.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M SEEING THAT ACROSS OUR DISTRICT WITH SO MANY OF OUR CHILDREN NOW WORKING, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE OFFERING THEM TO COME IN PERSON, THEY DON'T WANNA COME IN.
UH, WE'RE SEEING THE LOWEST PERCENT OF STUDENTS, UH, COMING IN IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M SEEING MORE STUDENTS, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING, YOU KNOW, LATE INTO THE EVENINGS, HELPING THEM WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, UH, EVENING PROGRAMS, SATURDAY PROGRAMS, YOU NAME IT, MY STAFF ARE GOING ALL OUT TO MAKE SURE CHILDREN ARE GRADUATING.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU THE, IT, IT'S JUST NOT IDEAL.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE START, AS WE FINISH THE YEAR, WE NOT ONLY FINISH STRONG, BUT WE GOTTA START VERY STRONG NEXT YEAR.
AND MY PLEA TO THE COMMUNITY IS WE GOTTA DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO GET OUR CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOLS.
UH, THAT IS REALLY WHAT OUR CHILDREN NEED.
AND FRANKLY, DISPROPORTIONATELY IN OUR COMMUNITY IS MOSTLY OUR CHILDREN OF POVERTY.
THEY'RE THE ONES LEARNING FROM HOME.
UM, OUR MIDDLE CLASS CHILDREN, FOR THE MOST PART HAVE BEEN IN PERSON ALMOST ALL YEAR LONG.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID, I JUST WORRY THAT SO MANY OF THESE STUDENTS ARE NOW STARTING TO WORK.
AND SO I WOULD ASK FOR YOUR HELP NOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION, NOT TO, I KNOW THEY NEED WORKERS, I GET IT.
BUT AGAIN, OUR KIDS NEED TO BE IN SCHOOL.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE WORKING, YOU KNOW, 40 HOURS A WEEK, EVEN THOUGH THEY WANNA SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING IT FOR.
THEY WANNA HELP SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.
AND I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO SEAN.
YEAH, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA JUMP IN THERE, PEDRO.
SO, I, I THINK WHAT SER THREE DOES AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT, UM, THAT KIND OF ADDS ON TO WHAT PEDRO JUST SAID, IS IT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO GO BACK IN TIME AND REIMBURSE OURSELVES FOR A LOT OF THE COSTS THAT WE'VE INCURRED THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.
SO THAT WAS REALLY A CRUX OF WHAT MANY SUPERINTENDENTS WERE TALKING ABOUT, IS, UH, BEGINNING IN MARCH OF 2020, WE STARTED SPENDING MONEY.
UM, AND I, I'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT SAYING WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A REGULAR SCHOOL BUDGET FOR ANYTHING BUT A REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THIS ALLOWS US TO GO BACK IN TIME AND REIMBURSE OURSELVES, UH, REALLY TO A ONE-TO-ONE, UH, DOLLAR AMOUNT, UH, FOR THINGS LIKE TECHNOLOGY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE RAN OUR OWN, UM, TESTING SITE AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE OTHER PIECE I'LL ADD ON WITH WHAT PEDRO SAID, UM, THOSE MONIES DO HAVE TO BE SPENT BY 2024.
HOWEVER, FOR US, WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT IS HOW CAN WE DO THAT AND OFFSET SOME COSTS NOW IN OUR DISTRICTS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN THEN USE THIS MONEY PAST 2024.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE VERY CHALLENGED AS A SYSTEM TO CATCH EVERY CHILD UP IN THREE YEARS.
AND SO THE, THE KEY FOR US IS DOING THINGS TO, TO TELL WHAT PEDRO SAID ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, UM, RECOVERY AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE, SO FOR INSTANCE, THIS SUMMER, INSTEAD OF FIVE, UM, ELEMENTARY SITES, WE HAVE 24 ELEMENTARY SITES.
SO WE HAVE REALLY STOOD UP A LOT OF DIFFERENT SITES, UH, TO CATCH KIDS UP.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE USE THOSE MONIES TO EXTEND PAST 2024.
UH, THE OTHER PIECE, AND I WILL ECHO WHAT PEDRO SAYS, IT IS ALARMING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, UM, HOW MANY STUDENTS DON'T WANNA RETURN.
THEY HAVE FOUND A $12 AN HOUR JOB, AND THEY BELIEVE THAT, THAT, THAT THEY'RE RICH, UM, THAT THEY ARE NOW CONTRIBUTING IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND DON'T WANT TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL.
UH, I'VE HAD SOME REAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE PUT COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE LAWS YEARS AND YEARS AGO INTO PLACE BECAUSE, UM, PEOPLE WEREN'T MAKING GOOD DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE THEIR CHILDREN SHOULD BE.
AND, AND SOCIETY SAID, KIDS NEED TO BE IN SCHOOL.
SO WE DO, WE NEED EVERYBODY'S HELP MAKING SURE THAT KIDS GET BACK INTO SCHOOL NEXT YEAR IN PERSON.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL STAND UP A REMOTE OR A VIRTUAL LEARNING, BUT REALLY IT'LL BE A SMALL NUMBER OF KIDS THAT ACTUALLY QUALIFY FOR IT.
WE'RE BUILDING OUT THE PROFILE, AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY A THREEFOLD, IT'S THE PROFILE OF A, OF A LEARNER.
IT IS THE PROFILE OF WHAT WE CALL THE LEARNING COACH, WHICH IS THE PARENT.
WHAT'S THEIR ROLE IN A VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT? AND THEN THE PROFILE OF A, OF A, OF A TEACHER IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.
BECAUSE THOSE THREE THINGS HAVE TO BE IN PLACE FOR A CHILD TO BE EXTREMELY
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SUCCESSFUL.AND SO FROM TALKING TO COLLEAGUES, UH, ACROSS THE STATE, WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE BETWEEN FIVE AND 8% OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY BEING INTERESTED IN CONTINUING A VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE.
BUT YEAH, I CAN TELL YOU IT WILL NOT LOOK LIKE IT DID.
SO, JULIE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WISH TO ADD THAT I DIDN'T COVER OR PEDRO DIDN'T COVER? I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT I, I, I MAY JUST, UM, REVIEW AND PUT IT IN CONTEXT AND THEN GIVE AN UPDATE WHERE THINGS ARE, UM, ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, THE, THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD ADD IN TERMS OF THE, THE REIMBURSEMENT, RIGHT? GOING BACK IN TIME, UM, OUR SCHOOLS ARE PAID ON ATTENDANCE.
UM, AND SO OVER THE LAST YEAR, THEY'VE BEEN, AND THE, AND THE COMPTROLLER ARE THE, EXCUSE ME, THE COMMISSIONER'S WORDS HELD HARMLESS.
UM, WHAT THAT'S DONE FOR OUR SCHOOLS, THAT MANY OF THEM ARE CONTINUING TO GROW.
UM, ALSO WE HAD INVESTMENTS MADE THROUGH HOUSE BILL THREE.
THOSE WERE NOT REFLECTED FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS OVER THE LAST YEAR.
SO IN ADDITION TO HARD COSTS AND THINGS THAT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE HAD TO DO, UM, AS DR.
MICAH SAID, ANY, BUT ANYTHING BUT A, A NORMAL YEAR, THERE HAS BEEN, UM, THE LACK OF EXPECTED INVESTMENT THAT WE WERE EXPECTED TO SEE AS A RESULT OF HOUSE BILL FREE.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY STILL MAKING UP FOR SOME GAPS IN INVESTMENT, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN.
AS A REMINDER, HOUSE BILL THREE DID PUT MORE $2 BILLION INTO COMPENSATORY EDUCATION THAT HAS NOT LARGELY BEEN REFLECTED, UM, FOR OUR SCHOOL BUDGETS.
UM, AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE MAKING UP A LOT OF TIME.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE, THE MONEY THAT WAS RELEASED WAS A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY, BUT WE ARE REALLY CATCHING UP, UM, AS A SYSTEM, UM, ACROSS BEXAR COUNTY.
AND, AND JUST AS A REMINDER, B C E C BEXAR COUNTY REPRESENTS, UM, OUR 16, UM, AREA DISTRICTS.
UM, THE SECOND THING I JUST WANTED TO, TO CLARIFY, UM, OR, OR ADD TO, UH, WHAT SUPERINTENDENT MARTINEZ SAID EARLIER ABOUT, IT'S HARDER FOR THE STATE TO HOLD ONTO THAT MONEY.
THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY A, A POSITIVE THING WE WANT THE STATE TO RELEASE AND SEND IT TO, TO DISTRICTS.
UM, AS, UM, SUPERINTENDENT MARTINEZ STATED EARLIER, THE CARES ACT, THAT FIRST SET OF DOLLARS THE STATE TOOK AND LARGELY, UH, FILLED, UH, EXCUSE ME, BUDGET POLLS WITH THAT, THOSE DOLLARS.
SO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS DID NOT SEE ANY OF THAT MONEY.
NOW, THE, THE COMMISSIONER HAS SENT OUT PRESS RELEASES AND SAID, WE'VE INVESTED ALL THIS MONEY INTO OUR SCHOOLS.
THAT WAS NOT CARESS ACT DOLLARS.
THAT WAS, UM, UH, SOME, A LITTLE BIT OF REIMBURSEMENT, UM, 75% AND NOT ALL QUALIFIED COSTS, UM, ESTABLISHED THAT, BUT IT WAS NOT THE MONEY THAT WAS INTENDED TO GO TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT WAS LARGELY SUPPLANTED.
UM, AND SO WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT SECOND POT OF MONEY.
IT'S $5.5 BILLION THAT THE STATE STILL, UM, HAS AND THEY'RE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT IS, AND HAS BEEN CITED IN SEVERAL PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT ARE MOVING, UM, ACROSS THE, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE RIGHT NOW, UM, THAT, UH, DIRECT THE, THE, UH, COMMISSIONER TO ACTUALLY UTILIZE IT IN PARTICULAR WAYS.
AND SO WE STILL, WE DO THINK THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO POTENTIALLY SU SUPPLANT A PERCENTAGE OF THAT TO BE USED FOR, UM, PROGRAMS THAT THE COMMISSIONER HAS, UM, HAS SELECTED, UM, OR THINKS THAT ARE GOOD FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR ALLOWS HIM THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, HE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF HIS, UH, DOLLARS ON TEXAS HOME LEARNING, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN USED BY A COUPLE DOZEN OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT INVESTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN THAT ONLINE, UM, PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE STILL MONITORING THAT.
OUR, OUR, UM, OUR, UH, PUSH AT THE CAPITAL HAS BEEN THAT THOSE DOLLARS NEED TO GO TO OUR SCHOOLS.
AND, AND OUR DISTRICTS NEED LOCAL CONTROL TO DETERMINE WHAT'S BEST FOR THEIR DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST DIVERSE DISTRICTS, UM, IN THE STATE.
UM, WE HAVE DISTRICTS THAT ARE, UM, A THOUSAND, UH, ENROLLMENT ALL THE WAY UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
AND SO IT REALLY SHOULD BE LOCAL CONTROL ISSUE FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DECIDE HOW THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE, ARE UTILIZED.
MICAH SAID, UM, EARLIER, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, FAMILIES, OR EXCUSE ME, SENIORS THAT ARE NOT COMING BACK TO SCHOOL.
UM, IN TALKING TO SUPERINTENDENT SOTO, UM, UH, JUST A COUPLE, UH, WEEKS AGO, THOSE STUDENTS ARE PUTTING FOOD ON THEIR TABLES.
UM, AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE'RE SEEING THEM IN, UM, IN H IN H E B AND OTHER, UH, PROGRAMS IN THEIR FAMILY'S BUSINESS, TRYING TO KEEP THOSE DOORS OPEN, UM, BUT THEN ALSO PROVIDING FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
UM, AND SO WE'RE REALLY SUPPORTING, UM, LEGISLATION AND EFFORTS TO HELP THOSE STUDENTS, UM, GET BACK IN THE CLASSROOMS IN A WAY THAT ALSO HELPS THEIR
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FAMILIES.WE'RE TRYING TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THEM SOME MORE SUPPORT.
UM, SO WE'RE STILL PUSHING FOR THAT, AGAIN, THAT $5 BILLION TO GO, UM, DIRECTLY TO OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, BUT HAPPY TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS.
I SEE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF HANDS, AND, UM, THANKS AGAIN FOR HAVING US TODAY.
I, I APPRECIATE THE, UM, THE UPDATES AND, UM, OUR, OUR SUPERINTENDENTS, AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, UH, YOUR OWN, UH, YOUR OWN UNIVERSES TO MANAGE OVER THERE, AND THAT YOU MADE SOME TIME TODAY FOR US, IS, IS, IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, SUPERINTENDENT MARTINEZ, YOU SAID THAT YOU COULD HELP, I'M SORRY, YOU COULD USE SOME HELP ADVOCATING FOR S R TWO.
UM, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AS FAR AS WHAT DO YOU ENVISION US DOING? 'CAUSE I, I MEAN, WE'RE, I THINK ALL OF US WILL AGREE HERE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR US, YOU KNOW, YOUR VOICE JUST MATTERS.
AND SO JUST HAVING, YOU KNOW, A UNIFIED VOICE FROM OUR CITY LEADERS AND COUNTY LEADERS.
AND THEN WHAT I WOULD ASK IS REACH OUT TO YOUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS HOUSTON AND, AND EL PASO AND AUSTIN AND, AND DALLAS.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MANY TIMES OUR LARGE CITIES LIKE SAN ANTONIO AND OUR LARGE COUNTIES LIKE BEXAR COUNTY, WE DON'T LEVERAGE THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT THAT YOU CAN HAVE.
AND, AND THIS IS A UNIVERSAL ISSUE.
EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS BEING AFFECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE, WHETHER THEY'RE RURAL OR LARGE, URBAN OR SUBURBAN.
AND SO, AND THE NEEDS ARE JUST GROWING.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY.
AND SO, SO I JUST THINK IT'S, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD THAT THEY RELEASED THE SR THREE.
THEY WANTED TO GET CREDIT FOR THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THAT WAS REALLY BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND BY THE WAY, IT WAS A LOT OF FEDERAL PRESSURE, INCLUDING FROM OUR OWN LEGISLATORS FROM SAN ANTONIO.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE.
UH, BUT AT THE END, UH, WE KNOW THAT OUR STATE SADLY, NEEDS MORE PRESSURE.
AND, AND CALLING THEM OUT IN THE MEDIA DOESN'T, DOESN'T, UH, ALSO HELPS A BIT TOO AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, LET'S, LET'S GO AROUND THE HORN.
I, I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER.
UM, AND I'M GONNA GIVE, UH, ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO, TO WEIGH IN HERE.
'CAUSE I HAVE A FEELING EVERYBODY'S GOT COMMENTS.
AND LET'S START WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ADRIANA, UH, ROCHE GARCIA.
AND THANK YOU, UM, EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE NAOMI MILLER IS ALSO ON THE CALL REPRESENTING NORTHSIDE, I S D.
UM, AND SO WE, UH, UH, THERE'S A FEW SCHOOLS IN DISTRICT FOUR THAT, UM, BELONG NORTH AND JUST WANNA THANK THEM FOR THE FABULOUS WORK THAT THEY ALWAYS DO.
I GOT A CHANCE TO PRESENT TO THEIR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COM, UH, COMMITTEE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, UH, I HAVE, UH, SOME QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, THE STUDENT LEARNING LOSS, THIS HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP TO ME, UM, BACK IN NOVEMBER BY A PRINCIPAL AND I, I REACHED OUT TO THE MAYOR AND HE, UM, ADDED IN HIS, UH, DAILY BRIEFING AT THE TIME THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE PARENTS TO, UM, REMIND KIDS, RIGHT.
TO, UH, TO LOG ON, DO THEIR WORK, ET CETERA.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED DURING THE CONVERSATION WITH THE PRINCIPAL, IT WAS A PRINCIPAL AT SOUTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL, WAS THAT THERE WAS A PARENT THAT HE SAID, BUT HE'S ON THE COMPUTER.
MY SON'S ON THE COMPUTER ALL THE TIME.
BUT THE THING IS THAT THE PARENT REALLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, RIGHT? THE SO, SO THE CHILD WAS DOING OTHER THINGS ON THE COMPUTER WAS WASN'T REALLY LEARNING, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, SO I WAS REALLY AFRAID AT THAT TIME, RIGHT, BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE LEARNING LOSS THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
AND SO, UM, AT THE TIME, I WAS ALSO TOLD, AND, AND THERE IT WAS A HIGH PERCENTAGE, RIGHT? SO, SO HE BROKE IT DOWN BY PERCENTAGE AND THE FRESHMEN AT THIS LEVEL, AND THE SOPHOMORES AT THIS LEVEL, ET CETERA.
SO, MY QUESTION TO YOU ALL IS, ARE WE ON TRACK TO GRADUATE? ARE SENIORS, DID THEY, ARE, ARE, I FEEL SO BAD FOR THE SENIORS? IS, IS WHAT I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW? AND SO HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THEY, THEY, THEY SUCCESSFULLY ARE COMPLETING THEIR, THEIR SENIOR YEAR AND, AND GOING ON? DID WE HAVE A LOT OF SENIORS THAT ARE, DO WE HAVE A LOT OF SENIORS FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS RIGHT NOW? YEAH, SO, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAW, UH, COUNCILWOMAN WAS AT, AT THE END OF THE FIRST SEMESTER, WE SAW ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR SENIORS WERE FAILING CLASSES.
AND THAT'S THE MOST WE'VE SEEN, UH, AT LEAST IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.
WE'VE GOTTEN THAT DOWN, DOWN CUT BY HALF AS OF AS OF THIS MONTH.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT, AND I TOLD THIS TO MY BOARD, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE STUDENTS FINISHING WORK MIDNIGHT BEFORE GRADUATION DAY.
LIKE I, I MORE THAN WE NORMALLY HAVE.
I'LL PROBABLY HAVE A LARGER GROUP GRADUATING IN THE SUMMER.
WE'RE GONNA GRADUATE THEM, AND MY STAFF IS GONNA DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.
THE BIGGER, UH, CONCERN I HAVE IS FOR OUR YOUNGER GRADES, OUR NINTH AND 10TH GRADERS IN HIGH SCHOOL SPECIFICALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, MOST STUDENTS DON'T DROP OUT AT IN THEIR SENIOR YEAR, BUT WHEN, WHEN THEY DROP
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OUT, IT'S USUALLY IN THE NINTH AND 10TH GRADE.THEY FALL BEHIND IN THEIR CREDITS, IN THEIR COURSES, THEY LOSE HOPE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE GROUP THAT I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT.
WE STILL HAVE TIME, WHICH IS WHY I THINK WE JUST NEED TO HAVE AN AGGRESSIVE ALL OUT, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THEM IN, IN PERSON ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS, FINE ARTS, ANYTHING.
WHAT I TOLD MY TEAM IS WHATEVER EXCITES THAT STUDENT, CREATE IT, CREATE THE CLUBS, CREATE THE EXTRACURRICULARS.
LET'S GET, LET'S REMIND THEM WHY THEY LIKE COMING TO SCHOOL.
AND THAT'S MY BIGGER CONCERN, COUNCILMAN.
WE JUST GOTTA BE, IT HAS TO BE AN ALL OUT CALL AND IT HAS TO BE IN PERSON.
WE JUST GOTTA GET THEM IN THE CLASSROOMS. ABSOLUTELY.
AND I, I AGREE, SUPERINTENDENT, UM, WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, UM, I HAD REACHED OUT TO A FEW PEOPLE AND JUST TO PICK THEIR BRAINS, LIKE, HOW CAN YOU HELP US INCENTIVIZE ATTENDANCE FOR THESE STUDENTS, RIGHT? LIKE, WHAT DO THEY, LIKE, WHAT WILL GET THEM THERE? AND SO, UM, SO DEFINITELY I THINK THAT, AND I'D LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION O OFFLINE.
AND SO I, I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK TO MAYBE MS. ARD AND, AND SEE HOW WE CAN HELP HER OR, UM, I HAVE SOME IDEAS ON THAT.
I DO THINK THAT THERE WAS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
THE TEXAS HOME LEARNING IS FOR A CERTAIN KIND OF STUDENT, A CERTAIN KIND OF FAMILY, RIGHT? THE STUDENTS THAT I REPRESENT, THE FAMILIES THAT I REPRESENT, THEY CAN'T DO THAT.
UM, ONE, THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THAT.
UM, TWO, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE, UM, THE ABILITY, SOMETIMES THE TECHNICAL, THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S NOT THERE ONE, RIGHT? AND SO I'M REALLY AFRAID THAT, THAT, UM, THAT WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR KIDS FALLING BEHIND.
UM, BUT MY FINAL QUESTION, I HAVE TONS OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'M NOT GONNA ASK THEM.
I'LL, I'LL ASK THEM OFFLINE AND I'LL CALL EACH OF YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY AND ASK.
UM, BUT THE OTHER QUESTION THAT IS ON MY MIND, JUST BECAUSE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND, UM, I'M SORRY, EARLIER THIS WEEK, UM, I ASKED GEORGE HERNANDEZ, WHAT ARE WE DOING? BECAUSE I'D, I'D LOVE TO SEE KIDS VACCINATED BEFORE THEY EXIT FOR SUMMER BREAK.
SO, UM, IS, IS THAT KIND OF, WILL YOU ALL BE ABLE TO USE THAT SOMEHOW TO KIND OF GET THE KIDS BACK IN AND, AND MAYBE DRAW KIND OF LIKE A, A FAIR TOGETHER OF SOME SORT FOR NEXT YEAR'S EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES? HELP HELP ME WITH THAT? YEAH.
SO, SO YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEEN GREAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, U N H, SO GEORGE, UM, BUT ALSO BAPTIST IS NOW GONNA PARTNER WITH US ALSO FOR OUR 12 YEAR OLDS.
AND UP, WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS THAT I THINK VACCINES ARE GONNA BE AVAILABLE.
I THINK MY COLLEAGUES AND I, WE'RE GONNA DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET OUR CHILDREN VACCINATED.
I'M SEEING THAT ACROSS, ACROSS ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS.
WHAT I'M MORE WORRIED ABOUT IS THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE THE MAN WANE.
SO JUST AS ADULT, THE MAN IS WANING FOR OUR VACCINATIONS, THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING, IS GONNA HAPPEN WITH OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY OUR SENIORS, OUR OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAYING, LOOK, WE'RE DOING SENIOR ACTIVITIES IN THE SCHOOLS.
WE'RE REMINDING THE STUDENTS THAT WHEN THEY'RE VACCINATED, WE HAVE LESS RISK OF HAVING TO CANCEL EVENTS.
WE'RE GONNA DO IN-PERSON GRADUATIONS.
AGAIN, IF THEY'RE VACCINATED, IT JUST MAKES IT, IT JUST CREATES SAFETY FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, THIS IS ANOTHER AREA, UM, CITY LEADERS AND COUNTY LEADERS THAT WE NEED A A CAMPAIGN TO GET ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE VACCINES, THE VACCINE SUPPLY WILL BE AVAILABLE.
THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE, IT'S JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY ACTUALLY DO IT.
SO, SO COUNCIL WILL ADD ONTO THAT IS THAT DR.
SHE'S ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO ALL OF US, UM, TO HELP US BECAUSE WITH THE PFIZER VACCINE, IT'S AN ISSUE WITH STORAGE.
AND SO SHE'S ACTUALLY SAID THEY CAN STORE THE VACCINE FOR US AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE.
MY, MY NURSES, UM, ARE LICENSED VACCINATORS.
SO WE ARE ACTUALLY CREATING A PLAN RIGHT NOW, UM, TO START GOING AROUND OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, TO, TO MAKE THIS AVAILABLE.
BUT TO, TO PEDRO'S POINT, UH, WE JUST NEED HELP WITH ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GET IT, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS, UH, VACCINE HESITANCY, AND WE WANT THEM TO GO AHEAD AND, AND, AND GET IT.
'CAUSE THAT JUST MEANS WE CAN GET BACK, UH, BACK TO NORMAL.
AND I DO WANNA JUMP IN ON THE LAST THING.
YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT COUNCILWOMAN, ABOUT ATTENDANCE.
ATTENDANCE REALLY THROUGH THIS HAS BEEN EXCELLENT.
IT, IT'S NOT THE ATTENDANCE, IT'S ENGAGEMENT.
SO THE CHILD IS ON THE COMPUTER IN THE ROOM, THEY'RE NOT ENGAGING IN THE LESSON.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THROUGHOUT.
SO IT'S REALLY, OUR ATTENDANCE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN BEST THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
UM, BUT OUR ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN MUCH LOWER.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, TO ADD ON TO, TO ALL THREE OF THOSE POINTS FOR SOME OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS, UM, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ATTEND TODAY.
UM, ONE FOR OUR SENIORS, WE, WE ARE, UM, THERE, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME HIGH ANXIETY AROUND CERTAIN CERTAIN SENIORS BEING ABLE TO GRADUATE.
UM, RIGHT NOW, UH, THERE IS A HOUSE BILL, HOUSE BILL, 9, 9 9, THAT ALLOWS SENIORS, UM, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UH, SOMETHING CALLED THE INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS, UH, ALLOWS 'EM IF THEY'VE HAD ANY TROUBLE TAKING THEIR END, OF COURSE, EXAMS, WHICH HAVE TO BE DONE IN PERSON, UM, WHICH THEY HAVE TO PASS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THEM.
UM, AND THEY HAVE TO, UH, FAIL THIS KIND OF SWEET WINDOW IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR IGS TO HAVE ANOTHER PATH FOR GRADUATION.
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STUDENTS WHO HAVE LOST THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST AND RETEST.AND WE HAVE, WE ESTIMATE AROUND 1500 SENIORS THAT ARE AT RISK FOR NOT GRADUATING ACROSS OUR DISTRICTS UNLESS WE PASS HOUSE BILL 9, 9 9.
UM, ON THE SENATE SIDE, WE'RE PUSHING TO GET IT, TO GET A HEARING, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE WANNA ENSURE THAT, UH, THAT THOSE SENIORS THAT HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO COME IN TO TEST THAT ARE AT RISK THEMSELVES, THAT MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN QUARANTINED OR HAVE HAD COVID, UM, DURING THE FALL AND, AND EARLY PART OF THE SPRING, WHEN THEY'RE THESE TESTS IN PERSON, THEY ARE ON PARTICULAR DAYS, UM, THAT THEY HAVE ANOTHER PATH TO GRADUATION.
IT'S NOT A, A QUICK SIGNATURE OR A CHECKBOX.
IT IS AN AN EXTENSIVE AND ARDUOUS PROCESS FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
AND SO WE THINK IT SHOULD BE OPEN TO ALL OF OUR SENIORS THIS YEAR, ESPECIALLY, UM, FOR A LOT OF OUR OTHER DISTRICTS, WE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH ATTENDANCE.
AND SO I THINK YOUR QUESTIONS ARE FANTA, HOW DO WE GET STUDENTS BACK IN SEATS FOR, UM, SOME OF OUR MORE, UM, SO, UM, HARLANDALE AND EDGEWOOD AND, AND, UM, AND, AND, AND SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH SIDE HAVE HAD, HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, A WANING OUR, OUR DIFFERENT KINDS OF ATTENDANCE RATES.
BUT THERE STILL ARE ISSUES WITH BOTH ATTENDANCE.
MICAH SAID IT SO WELL WITH ENGAGEMENT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE STUDENTS EITHER IN FRONT OF ENGAGED IN SCREENS ARE REALLY WHERE WE WANT THEM, IS BACK, UM, IN THE CLASSROOM.
UM, AND THEN I, UH, WANNA COMMEND OUR INCREDIBLE SCHOOL LEADERS FOR DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN VERY EARLY ON TO VACCINATE EVERYBODY WHO QUALIFIED BEFORE IT WAS OPENED UP.
UM, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE REALLY LEADING THE WAY IN ENSURING AND THE WAY, AND ENSURING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, AS THE SUPERINTENDENTS MENTIONED.
AND NOW WE HAVE, UM, REALLY A, A TRUE TESTAMENT TO HOW POWERFUL OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS ARE.
MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS OPENING COMMUNITY VACCINATION SITES OPEN TO ANYBODY WHO COMES IN.
UM, AND THEY'RE WALK-INS AND THEY ARE OPEN.
AND THESE ARE ESPECIALLY AVAILABLE IN OUR, IN OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WHERE MEDICAL CENTERS ARE FAR AWAY, ARE WHERE FOLKS ARE UNABLE TO TRAVEL TO.
IF THEY'RE DROPPING OFF THEIR KIDS, THEY CAN GO RIGHT INTO THE GYM AND GET THEIR VACCINE RIGHT THERE.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN REALLY, UM, PROUD OF, OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR LEADING THE WAY.
I KNOW THAT MANY OF, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, OF OUR OTHER, ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS WOULD, AS IT SAID, APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP, UM, TO CONTINUE TO MAKE FOLKS AWARE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO VISIT THESE SITES.
AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE PUSHING FOR HB 9 99 AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
IF IT TAKES US GOING UP THERE AND, AND CHAMPIONING THAT, I'LL, I'LL BE HAPPY COUNT ME AND JEFF FOR THAT.
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR YOUR ANSWERS.
AND, UM, I, I, I'LL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS REALLY EXCELLENT CONVERSATION BECAUSE COUNCILWOMAN ROCHE GARCIA PUSHED FOR, UH, US TO TAKE THIS TOPIC UP AS, AS SOMETHING THAT, UM, SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR US MOVING ALONG.
UH, COMMISSIONER DEBERRY, NICE TO SEE YOU.
UM, HAPPY TO BE HERE, UH, PEDRO AND SEAN AND NAOMI, UH, I'M SURE YOU'RE HERE IN BRIAN STEAD.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THIS, LET ME SAY, I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS BY THE SUPERINTENDENTS AND EDUCATORS IN GENERAL, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A VERY ROUGH ROAD, UH, TO HO SO KUDOS TO ALL OF YOU FOR THE JOB THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
THERE WAS A RECENT ARTICLE ON THE NEWS, OR ACTUALLY THIS MORNING'S NEWSPAPER, ABOUT THE FACT THAT AREA COLLEGES ARE NOT GONNA REQUIRE A VACCINATION RECORD.
SO, LOOK, I HAVE TWO CHILDREN.
I HAVE ONE THAT'S A FRESHMAN IN AUSTIN.
I HAVE ONE THAT'S A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, SO I KNOW PERSONALLY THE EFFECT THAT COVID HAS HAD THE EFFECT THAT ONLINE LEARNING HAS HAD BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER AND MY SON HATE IT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A JOB AND A CHORE FOR ME AS A MOTHER TO TELL THEM, I NEED YOU TO BE ENGAGED.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEDRO, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU WANT KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL, WE HAVE GOT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE DO THAT, BECAUSE ONE THING WE HAVE LEARNED DURING THIS PANDEMIC IS THAT ONLINE LEARNING IS NOT THE SAME AS IN PERSON.
UM, SO YOU ALL I'M ASSUMING, ARE NOT GONNA REQUIRE VACCINATION RECORDS TO GET PEOPLE BACK, KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL.
UM, SO I'VE GOT THAT QUESTION.
AND THEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, I'VE LOOKED, UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT MY STAFF IN DEBT THAT THE TREASURY REGULATIONS REGARDING THE MONEY THAT'S COMING DOWN TO THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, I WOULD IMPLORE THAT YOU ALL WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY REGARDING WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH.
BECAUSE THERE IS A STIPULATION IN THE TREASURY REGULATIONS THAT WE CAN SPEND MONEY WHERE THAT'S CONCERN.
[00:30:01]
DO ANY OF US ANY GOOD THAT WE OPERATE IN SILO.LIKE WE NEED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO HELP SOLVE THIS ISSUE.
YEAH, NO, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
ONE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN REQUIRE VACCINES YET BECAUSE THERE'S STILL EMERGENCY USE.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FOR OUR OURSELVES, WE DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE.
AND I'VE CHECKED AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH MY COLLEAGUES, AND THEY'RE THAT EITHER.
SO FOR US, IT REALLY IS ABOUT ENCOURAGEMENT, REALLY ENCOURAGING AND MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE.
AND AS JULIA SAID, I'M SO PROUD OF OUR, OF OUR, OF MY COLLEAGUES, THEY'RE DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE.
IT'S CREATING THE CAMPAIGN AND, AND REALLY HELPING PARENTS, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THEIR, THE CONCERNS THEY MIGHT HAVE OR QUESTIONS.
WE'VE EVEN HAD TOWN HALLS WITH DR.
ERICA GONZALEZ, YOU KNOW, WHO'S AN EXPERT IN THIS AREA.
SO, AGAIN, I, I THINK, BUT WE NEED, I THINK WE COULD STILL USE THE CITY AND THE COUNTY'S HEALTH BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUCH A BIG MEGAPHONE THAT YOU CAN REALLY GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.
AND THEN YOU'RE COMPLETELY RIGHT ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH.
WE, WE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, OUR COMMUNITY HAD A LACK, YOU KNOW, INSUFFICIENT SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN WHO NEEDED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.
THE NEEDS ARE NOW OFF THE ROOF.
AND SO I THINK THE MORE WE CAN LEVERAGE FUNDS, UH, MY FEAR IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GONNA INVEST, IT'S REALLY FINDING THE PROVIDERS, FINDING THE PARTNERS.
WE'RE GONNA HELP MORE OF OUR MASTER'S, UH, MASTER'S DEGREE LEVEL SOCIAL WORKERS GET LICENSED.
WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT SO THEY CAN BECOME, UH, UH, THERAPISTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M ALREADY AT THE POINT WHERE I NEED CLINICIANS AT EVERY SCHOOL I NEED FOR MY LARGER HIGH SCHOOLS.
I NEED MULTIPLE CLINICIANS BECAUSE WE JUST, WE'RE SEEING THE NEED AND THE PARENTS ARE SHARING THAT WITH US, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CHILDREN THAT ARE REMOTE.
TO YOUR POINT, AS A, AS YOU KNOW, AS A PARENT YOURSELF, THE PARENTS ARE TELLING US HOW, UH, ISOLATED THEIR CHILDREN FEEL, HOW, YOU KNOW, THE MENTAL CHALLENGES THEY'RE HAVING, THEY'RE SEEING AT HOME.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN IN SCHOOL YET.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN IN PERSON YET.
THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY DOES.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY TO DO IT, BUT WE ARE DOING, UH, TO HEATHER'S POINT, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
THAT'S WHY WE'LL MOVE AROUND OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T JUST SIT IN A CENTRALIZED LOCATION.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT RESTRICTS ESPECIALLY OUR FAMILIES, UH, WITH, UH, POVERTY BACKGROUNDS.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE TO YOUR POINT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IF SAN ANTONIO WAS PART OF THIS, AND SO WAS I A PILOT SEVERAL YEARS AGO CALLED HANDLE WITH CARE.
AND, UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, HAD WORKED ON.
BASICALLY WHAT IT WAS, IS WHEN A CHILD, UM, WAS AT HOME AND, AND AN S A P D OFFICER SHOWED UP AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY WERE EXPOSED TO SOMETHING, WHETHER IT WAS, UM, FAMILY VIOLENCE OR WHATEVER, THEY WOULD CALL SOMEBODY IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND JUST SAY, HANDLE THIS CHILD WITH CARE THE NEXT DAY.
WHAT IT ALLOWED US TO DO WAS, INSTEAD OF LEADING WITH DISCIPLINE, WHEN WE SAW A CHILD ACT OUT, WE LED WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS THAT WE, UH, NEEDED TO DO.
AND SO IT HAS A, HAD A HUGE IMPACT.
SO, TO YOUR POINT, WE DO A LOT WITH, UM, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND REACHING OUT, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY, UH, RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT IT, UM, NEXT YEAR I'M ACTUALLY CREATING A MENTAL HEALTH UNIT WITHIN MY POLICE DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEY HAVE THE ADEQUATE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED, UH, TO DO IT.
AND SO REALLY IT COMES DOWN TO, AND, AND IF YOU'VE NOT, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT ALSO JUST THROUGH THE LENS OF, UM, THIS SECRET SERVICE REPORT THAT WAS DONE ON SCHOOL SHOOTINGS.
AND REALLY WHAT IT TALKS ABOUT IS THESE ARE ALL VERY PREVENTABLE.
IT'S ALL ABOUT EARLY INTERVENTION.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT IS HOW DO WE EARLY INTERVENE WITH STUDENTS AND GIVE THEM THE PROPER SUPPORTS SO THAT THEY DON'T FEEL ISOLATED, THAT THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE ALONE, THAT THEY HAVE THE, THE NECESSARY RESOURCE AND WITH THE FAMILY.
SO SOMETHING WE DID THIS YEAR IS CALLED T A, IT'S ACTUALLY TELEHEALTH MEDICINE, UH, FOR PSYCHOLOGY.
WE'VE HAD OVER 500 PARENTS PARTICIPATE IN IT WITH THEIR CHILD, SO THEY CAN DO IT AT THE SCHOOL, OR THEY CAN ACTUALLY DO IT AT HOME.
AND SO PEOPLE HAVE REALLY ENJOYED THAT, AND THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN, UH, FREE TO US.
WELL, THANK YOU, UH, SEAN FOR THAT.
I KNOW THE COUNTY HAS BEEN, AND THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES HAS BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS WELL AS S A P D.
I MEAN, MUCH LIKE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, IT'S NOT JUST A LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, PERSON, BUT THERE'S ALSO A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL AT THE DOOR TO DEESCALATE THE SITUATION.
SO ANYWAY, I JUST, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
UM, I THINK U H S HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
UM, I JUST HAD LUNCH WITH GEORGE ACTUALLY ON FRIDAY, SO I'LL ADVOCATE, UH, FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE PERHAPS PROMOTE A CAMPAIGN, UH, TO GET MORE, UH, PEOPLE VACCINATED,
[00:35:01]
AND NOT JUST PARENTS, BUT CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT 12 AND ABOVE, BEING ABLE TO BE VACCINATED, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANNA GET TO A HERD IMMUNITY STATUS.SO ANYWAY, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO ASSIST AND TO HELP, UH, WE AT THE COUNTY ARE HERE.
AND, UH, JUST DOVETAILING ON YOUR COMMENTS, I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UM, I WAS TALKING TO MY WIFE THE OTHER DAY AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, OUR CHILDREN WEREN'T JUST STUCK AT HOME AWAY FROM THEIR FRIENDS, BUT THEY WERE ROBBED A YEAR OF SOCIALIZING AT, AT THESE REALLY, REALLY TENDER AGES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND PEDRO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE 13 OR 14, BUT, UM, BEING WITH MY FRIENDS WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, UM, BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE I TEST OUT THE SOFT SKILLS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHERE WE LEARN HOW TO, UH, PRACTICE TO BE ADULTS AND, AND INTERACTING WITH FOLKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR, UH, OFF, UH, FROM THAT, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT TRAINING IS VERY SERIOUS.
BUT ALSO, UM, AS IT OCCURS TO ME THAT THOUSANDS OF SENIORS NOT GRADUATING IS GOING TO BE A SOCIAL SAFETY NET CRISIS FOR MUNICIPALITIES AND FOR COUNTIES.
AND SO, UH, VERY TROUBLING COUNCILWOMAN, UH, REBECCA
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH, UH, FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
I DID WANT TO, UM, JOIN IN AND THANKING YOU FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK FOR EACH OF YOU AS SUPERINTENDENTS.
YOU ARE INDEED SUPER, BUT TO ALL OF YOUR TEAM AND THE ENTIRE TEAM THAT'S MADE EVERYTHING FUNCTION.
UM, I WANTED TO START OFF, I, I KNOW Y'ALL SHARED THAT IT'S, YOU CANNOT MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR VACCINES.
UM, BUT THAT ALSO GOES FOR ANY SPORTS OR ANY, UM, ANYTHING AROUND PROM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN JUST CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR IT AND SAY THAT'S THE, THE SAFEST THING TO DO IS TO GET A VACCINE IF YOU'RE GONNA PLAY IN SPORTS.
SO WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE AUTHORITY WHEN IT COMES TO EXTRACURRICULARS, BUT THERE, OF COURSE, YOU GET INTO A LOT OF POLITICS.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, AND I, AND I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR SEAN AND FOR BRIAN AND NORTHSIDE, I THINK THE POLITICS WOULD BE A LOT.
IT MAY NOT BE WORTH THE FIGHT AND THE ENERGY.
UM, BUT I, BUT I DO BELIEVE COUNCILWOMAN THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN AREA AGAIN, THAT I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY ABOUT JUST ENCOURAGING THE FAMILIES AND REALLY FINDING OUT WHAT IS IT THAT'S MAKING 'EM HESITATE.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S US HAVING, YOU KNOW, TOWN HALLS.
SO WHETHER IT'S METRO HEALTH, WHETHER IT'S US, YOU KNOW, BRINGING BACK DR.
GONZALEZ, YOU KNOW, AND DOING SOME OF TOWN HALLS WITH PARENTS, AND WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT.
UH, BUT I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, I CAN DO SOMETHING.
SEAN CAN DO SOMETHING AND, YOU KNOW, EACH DISTRICT CAN DO THEIR OWN THING.
IT'S A LOT MORE POWERFUL WHEN IT'S UNITED EFFORT ACROSS THE CITY AND COUNTY.
YEAH, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN SEEING A LOT OF PICTURES.
THERE HAS BEEN, UM, I GUESS, UH, CONTRACTING OF COVID BECAUSE OF SPORTS, AT LEAST IN, IN SOME FAMILIES.
UM, AND THEN I SEE A LOT OF PICTURES OF PROM, AND IT LOOKS GREAT.
IT LOOKS VERY SAFE TOO, BUT YOU KNOW, IT WOULD FEEL EVEN SAFER HAD THEY HAD THEIR VACCINE.
OF COURSE IT WAS BEFORE IT WAS RELEASED FOR SOME OF 'EM.
UM, LET ME MOVE ON TO, I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PEDRO, YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE STUDENTS ARE GOING OFF AND WORKING A FULL TIME, AND WE HAVE SOME GREAT CORPORATE PARTNERS HERE.
AND YOU MENTIONED ONE H E B, WHO'S BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATION, UM, ALWAYS.
SO, UM, HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS BEEN HAD WITH OUR GREAT CORPORATE SPONSORS LIKE H E B AND OTHERS WHEN THEY SEE MAYBE SOME, UH, TEENAGERS GOING IN FOR 40 OR 30 HOURS A WEEK? WE'RE STARTING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, COUNCILMAN AND, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE LEVERAGING OUR COUNSELORS THAT ARE ACTUALLY CALLING THE EMPLOYERS.
UM, A LOT OF THEM ARE REALLY THE, THE RESTAURANTS AND THE SMALLER BUSINESSES THAT JUST DESPERATELY NEED THE WORK.
THEY NEED THE, THEY NEED THE, THE, THE WORKERS.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, UH, AND I KNOW THE COUNTY CITY HAVE DONE A LOT TO HELP OUR BUSINESSES, BUT I REALLY DO THINK, TO BE FAIR TO OUR BUSINESSES, THEY'RE STILL STRUGGLING.
THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO RECOVER.
SO, ABSOLUTELY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL THESE CHILDREN THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR ABILITY TO BE HYBRID, UH, OR BE REMOTE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY CAN WORK.
AND SO I, I, IT'S A GROWING PROBLEM IS, IS WHAT I WOULD SAY.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A CHANCE TO TRY TO CONTAIN IT AND REALLY TRY TO MINIMIZE IT, ESPECIALLY AS WE THINK ABOUT NEXT, THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH, UM, A LOT OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS PARTNERS.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ADVOCATING FOR SSR TWO, IS THAT RIGHT? AND, UM, WHATEVER WE CAN DO, I THINK, JEFF, IF WE CAN MAYBE DRAFT A LETTER THAT MAYBE WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN SEND TO OUR
[00:40:01]
COLLEAGUES IN OTHER CITIES AND PERSONALLY SEND IT TO THEM AND LET THEM KNOW AND INVITE THEM TO TALK TO THEIR SUPERINTENDENTS IN THEIR CITIES TO GET THE INFORMATION.UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT OUT AS SOON AS WE CAN.
I KNOW ALL OF US ARE, WE ALL HAVE CONTACTS IN DIFFERENT CITIES IN TEXAS THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO, UM, OTHER COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
UH, YOU KNOW, I I'M GONNA SUPPORT YOU IN WHATEVER YOU ALL NEED.
AND, AND JEFF JUST, UM, DOVETAILING ON THAT, WE, UH, WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, UH, VIA TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, UH, TO LEVERAGE SOME LEADERSHIP THERE, UM, AND ENCOURAGE T M L TO WEIGH IN ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THERE IS THE BUSINESS CASE, RIGHT, FOR CITIES, AND THAT IS, HEY, IF ALL THESE SENIORS AREN'T GRADUATING, THEY'RE GONNA BE OUR PROBLEM, UH, TO DEAL WITH AT SOME POINT.
BUT EXCELLENT POINT, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, BRINGING UP THE REAR
AND THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN TODAY AND, UH, TALKING ABOUT THIS, THIS, THIS HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT AND I, I ALWAYS, UH, HAD DOUBTS ABOUT THIS, UH, REMOTE LEARNING AND WHAT, HOW EFFECTIVE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE ON, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE KIDS, AND NOT ONLY THE KIDS, BUT THE SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS AS WELL, AND WHAT EFFECTS IT HAS ON THEM.
SO, UM, IT IS GONNA BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW WE CAN ENTICE THOSE KIDS TO COME BACK TO WORK.
AND THERE WAS A COMMENT, I FORGET WHO MADE IT ON SOMEHOW GETTING HELP TO THE KIDS AND FAMILIES.
I, I, I WASN'T REALLY CLEAR ON THAT, WHAT THAT MEANT, UH, YOU KNOW, TO GET THEM BACK TO SCHOOL INSTEAD OF GOING OUT, WORKING IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? I I, I, I WASN'T CLEAR ON THAT.
I THINK IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN JULIA THAT SAID THAT MADE THAT COMMENT.
I THINK PART OF THE COUNCILMAN PERRY IS THAT, UM, WE KNOW THAT FAMILIES ARE STILL HURTING, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S STILL CHALLENGES AROUND EVICTIONS, THERE'S STILL CHALLENGES.
AND SO I KNOW THE CITY AND COUNTY HAVE STEPPED UP.
AND SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO, TO DO THAT AND GO DEEPER IN TERMS OF JUST UNDER UNDERSTANDING WHAT FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S PUTTING PRESSURE ON OUR STUDENTS TO GO TO WORK.
AND SO, FOR ME, ONE OF THE, ONE OF MY FEARS, BECAUSE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I'VE BEEN ASKED IS, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU JUST FORCE SOME, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKE AWAY THE REMOTE OPTION.
UH, AND THAT'S EVEN CAME FROM SOME OF MY BOARD MEMBERS.
I SAID, BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, YOU START TALKING TO THESE FAMILIES AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW OUR KIDS, THEY'RE JUST GONNA DROP OUT.
THEY LITERALLY, I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA CHOOSE TO WORK AND HELP THEIR FAMILY INSTEAD OF GOING TO SCHOOL.
AND SO ME PULLING OUT THE REMOTE OPTION IS JUST GONNA BE MORE PUNITIVE FOR THEM.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A MORE HOLISTIC EFFORT.
AND I THINK THERE AGAIN, WE REALLY DO NEED THE CITY AND COUNTY YOU'VE DONE A LOT ALREADY.
SO, BUT AS, AS YOU'RE GETTING MORE FEDERAL FUNDS, UH, LEVERAGING THOSE FUNDS, UH, TO REALLY HELP THOSE FAMILIES THAT NEED IT, I THINK IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT, THAT IS, IS HOPEFULLY WOULD BE, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY.
UH, UH, I, I GUESS I HEARD IT A DIFFERENT WAY THAT SOMEHOW Y'ALL WOULD GET INTO THE BUSINESS OF HELPING FAMILIES.
I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS CLEAR ON THAT.
'CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I HEARD.
BUT, UH, THAT GOES TO MY POINT, AND I'VE CERTAINLY BEEN LOBBYING SINCE THE VERY GET GO ON, ON THIS THING ABOUT REACHING OUT AND USING MORE OF OUR RESOURCES TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN, BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THESE KIDS ARE GOING INTO THE SMALL BUSINESSES, THE MOM AND POP SHOPS TO HELP OUT.
AND YET, UH, WE'VE GIVEN VERY LITTLE HELP TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN.
WE'VE HAD OVER, WE'RE AT 38% OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITIES HAVE CLOSED THEIR DOORS.
AND SO WHAT DO YOU DO? UH, THAT'S, THAT IS A SOURCE TO KEEP PEOPLE EMPLOYED.
IT'S A SOURCE TO KEEP THE KIDS AT SCHOOL, UH, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE TO GET MORE HELP TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY HERE, UH, WITH THESE, UM, UM, WITH THESE PACKAGES THAT ARE CONTINUING TO COME OUT TO THE CITIES.
AND, AND I KNOW THE COUNTY IS GETTING A BIG CHUNK OF THAT ALSO, BUT, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT IS AN ANSWER TO A LOT OF THESE PROBLEMS, IS TO HELP THEM KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN WITH, UH, LOW INTEREST LOANS OR GRANTS OR WHATEVER TO PREVENT THAT KIND OF THING, THING FROM HAPPENING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND TO REVERSE THAT TREND OF THE, OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH MAKE UP MAKES UP OVER 90%, 95% OF OUR TOTAL ECONOMY HERE.
SO, UH, WE'VE GOT TO TURN THAT AROUND AND GET THOSE, GET THOSE BUSINESSES BACK ON THEIR FEET.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.
YEAH, THANK, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN AND I, AND I THINK PEDRO, UM, AND SEAN MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP
[00:45:01]
BETWEEN GETTING KIDS BACK INTO SCHOOL AND THESE BUSINESSES SUCCEEDING BECAUSE, UH, AS A PARENT, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO GO BACK TO WORK WHEN, UM, YOU'VE ALSO GOT CHILDREN THAT YOU GOTTA TAKE CARE OF AT HOME.AND, UM, I, I'LL END WITH THIS, UM, TO OUR SUPERINTENDENTS AND TO JULIA.
UM, I THINK YOU CAN COUNT ON THIS COMMITTEE, UH, TO LEAN IN AND, AND HELP, UM, THIS IMPACTS ALL OF US IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
UH, AND JEFF, MAYBE YOU AND I VISIT OFFLINE, UM, TO DEPLOY OUR, UM, OUR VERY SMART LOBBYISTS AND CAPABLE LOBBYISTS TO GO KNOCK ON DOORS AND DELIVER THESE LETTERS, UH, OF SUPPORT.
UM, AND ALSO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET, UH, T M L TO, UH, TO WEIGH IN.
UH, PEDRO, SEAN, JULIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS MAKING THE TIME.
OH, COUNCILWOMAN VRAN, YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.
ALL RIGHT, JEFF, WHAT DO WE GOT NEXT ON THE AGENDA?
[3. 21-3638 Federal update on appropriations and surface transportation legislation]
UH, NEXT ITEM IS AN UPDATE ON OUR, UH, EARMARK REQUEST.UM, UH, SOME WERE ACCEPTED, UH, AND SUBMITTED, SOME WERE NOT.
AND SO WE WANT TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UH, AS A, AS A QUICK, UH, LEVEL SETTING AS ALL, THERE WERE SEVERAL BITES OF THE APPLE.
THERE WAS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR RELATIVELY SMALL TICKET ITEMS TO BE SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
AS PART OF THE, THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, UH, THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT, UH, PROJECTS FOR THE EARMARKED PROJECTS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BILL.
AND THEN UPCOMING IS AN OPEN, UH, RAISE GRANT SOLICITATION THAT TAMIKA HAS, UH, UH, CARVED OUT A PATH FORWARD FOR US, UH, AS A COMMUNITY, UH, THAT SHE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO SALLY TO, TO SHARE THE LATEST HERE.
UH, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, LET'S, UH, DIVE RIGHT IN AS ONE EDDO.
CAN YOU BRING UP THE PRESENTATION PLEASE, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS FOR TODAY'S BRIEFING? UM, AS JEFF STATED, I WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING SUBMISSIONS, UM, VIA TWO PROCESSES THAT THE HOUSE LEADERSHIP KICKED OFF LAST MONTH.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE SECOND ONE IS THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION SUBMISSION.
THE HOUSE, UH, KICKED OFF THE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING PROCESS, FORMERLY KNOWN AS EARMARKS, UM, WHICH HAD BEEN, UH, UNDER A BAN FOR OVER A DECADE.
ALSO, THE HOUSE OPENED UP THE MEMBER DESIGNATED PROJECTS PROCESS THAT ALLOWED OUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS TO SUBMIT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR FUNDING CONSIDERATION INTO THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BILL.
UM, VERY QUICKLY, THE CITY WAS SUCCESSFUL TO, UM, GET ACCEPTED 18.6 MILLION IN REQUESTS THAT WERE SPONSORED BY OUR VARIOUS CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS.
AND I WILL BREAK, UH, THAT NUMBER DOWN IN THE SLIDES TO COME.
I WANTED TO POINT OUT, UM, TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAD IN THE LAST MONTH.
IT WAS A LOT OF WORK, A LOT OF COORDINATION WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS AND THEIR STAFF.
UH, JUST TO POINT OUT, THIS PROCESS WAS A BRAND NEW PROCESS, AND IT WAS NOT JUST NEW FOR US, BUT ALSO FOR CONGRESSIONAL STAFF.
UM, WE QUICKLY LEARNED, UH, FROM OUR MEMBERS THAT THEY RECEIVED AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF REQUESTS, A LARGE BUCKET OF REQUESTS FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE ALLOWABLE FUNDING STREAMS. UM, SO I REALLY DO WANNA THANK THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFF FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE OF US.
AND ALSO, UM, I DEFINITELY WANT TO SEND A BIG THANK TO OUR CONSULTANTS, UH, ESPECIALLY LAUREN AND WALTER AND LETTI.
UH, WE COMMUNICATED DAILY AS WE TRAVERSE THROUGH IT ALL.
I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT AFTER THIS ROUND ONE, UM, UNDER OUR BELT, THAT IN PREPARATION FOR NEXT YEAR'S, UH, CYCLE, FOR, FOR HOPEFULLY BOTH OPPORTUNITIES, WE, UH, ANTICIPATE THEY WILL BE, UM, ONGOING IN THE YEARS TO COME.
WE WILL BEGIN OUR VETTING AND OUR COORDINATION WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS, UM, AND THEIR STAFF, UH, MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
SO, UH, A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR, FOR ALL OF US.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE PROJECTS, UH, THAT WE SUBMITTED, UH, TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS.
THESE TWO WERE THE ONES THAT WERE SUBMITTED, UH, OFFICIALLY, INFORMALLY, UH, INTO THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL.
WE SHARED THESE PROJECTS WITH YOU LAST MONTH.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE EQUITY BASED HOME EXPANSION AND RENTAL PRESERVATION PROGRAM.
THIS PROJECT, AS YOU WILL, UH, RECALL, OUR HOUSING TEAM WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES RELATED TO EQUITY, UH, BY TARGETING, UM, REHABILITATION INVESTMENTS IN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, IN
[00:50:01]
THE NEAR DOWNTOWN AREA.THIS $2 MILLION REQUEST BY SUBMIT WAS SUBMITTED BY CONGRESSMAN CASTRO.
UH, THE NEXT REQUEST, UM, WAS OUR SS A P D MENTAL HEALTH UNIT.
UH, YOU MAY RECALL THIS PROPOSALS TO CREATE AN OVERNIGHT SHIFT FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OF OFFICERS AND CLINICIANS.
CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ SUBMITTED THIS ON BEHALF OF COSA FOR $1 MILLION.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, ON THE FOLLOWING FEW SLIDES, I WILL PROVIDE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECTS OUR MEMBERS SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, ACROSS SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY GOOD LIST, AND, UM, THE MORE OF THESE PROJECTS GET FUNDED AND MAKE IT THROUGH THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS, UM, IN WASHINGTON, THE MORE FEDERAL FUNDING WILL COME TO SAN ANTONIO.
SO THESE ARE THE PROJECTS, UM, SUBMITTED BY CONGRESSMAN CASTRO.
UH, $500,000 REQUEST FOR POWER GENERATORS FOR SAWS, 306,000 FOR UNIVERSITY HEALTH, FOR A COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH ASSESSMENT, $1 MILLION REQUEST FOR PROJECT QUEST IDEAL WORKFORCE INITIATIVE, AND ALSO $884,000 REQUEST FOR ST.
MARY'S UNIVERSITY FOR THEIR FAMILY LIFE CENTER OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC.
CONTINUING FOR CONGRESSMAN CASTRO.
HE ALSO SUBMITTED $84,000 REQUEST FOR ALAMO COLLEGES, FOR THE
ADDITIONALLY, 500,000 FOR COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS FOR THEIR PROGRAM EXPANSION, $1 MILLION FOR SAJA TO EXPAND WIFI IN THEIR PUBLIC HOUSING PROPERTIES.
AND ADDITIONALLY, UH, 894,000 FOR VIA FOR WAYFINDING TECHNOLOGY IN SUPPORT FOR BLIND AND LOW VISION, UH, RIDERS IN THEIR BUSES.
CONTINUING TO CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ.
ASIDE FROM, UH, OSA'S, UH, REQUEST, HE ALSO SUBMITTED ONE ADDITIONAL PROJECT FOR THE BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S ANIMAL CRUELTY INVESTIGATIONS UNIT FOR 151,000.
CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT SUBMITTED TWO PROJECTS FOR THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY, UH, 500,000 FOR SACS RN PROGRAM FOR EXPANSION.
ADDITIONALLY, $1 MILLION FOR HEMISPHERE TO REHAB TWO OF THEIR HISTORIC HOUSES ON THE HEMISPHERE FOOTPRINT.
UM, HERE I WILL PIVOT TO THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
THESE PROJECTS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING IN THE FY SURFACE TRANSPORTATION, UH, REAUTHORIZATION BILL THAT WILL BE MOVING THIS SUMMER, UH, INTO THE FALL.
AND AGAIN, THESE PROJECTS HAD TO BE INCLUDED IN THE TIP.
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF TAMIKA MONVILLE, OUR TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR, SHE HELPED US TO SELECT PROJECTS THAT WERE GOING TO BE, UH, CHECKING OFF THOSE BOXES, UH, THAT OUR, UH, THE COMMITTEES WANTED TO SEE FUNDED THAT WERE OF INTEREST TO THEM, AS WELL AS NATIONALLY COMPETITIVE PROJECTS.
SO, THE SAFA RAILROAD, RAILROAD OVERPASS WAS THE ONE SUBMITTED, UM, BY CONGRESSMAN CASTRO, UM, ON THE WEST SIDE IN THE AMOUNT OF 15.6 MILLION.
SO THIS IS THAT BIG TICKET ITEM.
UM, THAT WAS THE HIGHEST PRICE OF THE THREE THAT WE IDENTIFIED WITH TAMIKA'S ASSISTANCE.
UM, YOU WILL RECALL THAT, UH, WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PROJECTS WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, UNDERGOING IN THE LAST MONTH WAS THE FIRST STEP IN THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH OUR MEMBERS AND STAFF TO ENSURE THAT THESE PROJECTS STAY IN THESE APPROACH BILL THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
SO THESE PROJECTS ARE, UM, NEXT SLIDE.
PLEASE LET, LET ME JUST MENTION ONE, ONE THING.
UH, THE OTHER TWO PROJECTS THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED WITH TAMIKA'S HELP WERE THE BROADWAY AND THE PRESSA PROJECTS.
AND I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE AND POINT OUT THAT THOSE TWO PROJECTS WERE INCLUDED IN, UH, CONGRESSMAN, UH, DOGGETT'S OFFICE.
WE DO UNDERSTAND HE RECEIVED DOZENS AND DOZENS OF REQUESTS.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, HE HAS A VERY LARGE DISTRICT THAT RUNS ALONG THE I 35 CORRIDOR.
UM, A BIG PART OF IT IN SAN MARCOS AND AUSTIN.
AND ULTIMATELY, THOSE TWO PROJECTS, PRESA AND BROADWAY, WERE NOT SUBMITTED.
WERE NOT SELECTED FOR SUBMISSION, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THEY DO REMAIN ON THE TIP LIST FOR FUNDING ON THIS SIDE.
UM, HERE ARE THE ADDITIONAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS SUBMITTED FOR OUR MEMBERS FOR THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY.
6.4 MILLION FOR SARAH FOR S CREEKS TRAIL THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY CONGRESSMAN CASTRO.
[00:55:01]
FOR THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY FOR THE MENGER CREEKS PROJECT SUBMITTED BY CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT AND CONGRESSMAN CASTRO.UH, ALSO SUBMITTED A 15.6 MILLION REQUEST FOR VIAS, UH, OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
SO, VERY QUICKLY WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE STAND WITH THE HOUSE, UH, TIMELINE IT'S LOOKING.
UH, CHAIRWOMAN DELTO ANNOUNCED RECENTLY AS OUR CONSULTANTS NOTIFIED US THAT SHE ANTICIPATES THAT THE HOUSE WILL MARK UP THEIR 12 BILLS IN JUNE.
UH, THEY DID, UH, THEY HAD A SIMILAR PROCESS, A VERY ROBUST TIMELINE LAST YEAR TOO.
SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THEY WILL STICK TO IT.
AND EVENTUALLY FLOOR PASSAGE BY JULY ON THE T N I SIDE, THAT INCLUDES THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BILLS, UH, UH, PROJECTS, WE ANTICIPATE, UH, THAT THEY WILL ADVANCE, UH, THAT BILL SOMETIME BETWEEN NOW AND MEMORIAL DAY, THE END OF MAY.
AND THEY ARE HOPING THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THAT, UH, AND MERGE IT WITH THAT LARGER INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE, UM, FOR THE PRESIDENT TO SIGN IN THE FALL.
AGAIN, A VERY ROBUST AND AMBITIOUS TIMELINE, BUT, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES TO YOU AS THIS PROCESS UNFOLDS FURTHER.
AND NOW, UH, LASTLY, SWITCHING GEARS.
AS JEFF MENTIONED THE RAISE BUILD GRANT, WE NOTIFIED YOU AT THE LAST MEETING.
IT HAD JUST, UM, OPENED UP AND HAD BEEN UNVEILED BY SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG.
WE WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU A QUICK UPDATE TODAY, UM, FROM LAST MONTH.
IT'S A $1 BILLION COMPETITIVE POT FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
THE PROJECT MAX IS 25 MILLION WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS PLACED ON PERSISTENT POVERTY.
SO THAT IS AN AREA THAT WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT VERY, VERY CLOSELY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CHECK OFF THAT BOX AS WELL.
THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS JULY 12TH.
SO WE KICKSTARTED THIS PROCESS ALREADY IN COLLABORATION WITH TAMIKA AND OUR CONSULTANTS IN OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
I PROVIDED, UH, BRIEFINGS LAST WEEK TO OUR SENATE STAFF AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE PURSUING, UH, THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND NOW I WILL PASS THE NEXT SLIDE TO TAMIKA, OUR TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR, TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR NEXT STEPS.
AND THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR IN THE COMMITTEE.
I WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD AND ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS WAS WE NEEDED TO IDENTIFY AN EXPERT IN GOING AFTER THESE FEDERAL DISCRETIONARY GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW TO BRING ON BOARD BOOTH CONSULTING.
JEFF BOOTH HAS OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH HIM IN OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHER POSITIONS TO DO JUST THIS, BRING COMMUNITIES INTO THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS AND HELPING US TO IDENTIFY WHICH PROJECTS WITHIN SAN ANTONIO AND THE REGION MAKE THE MOST SENSE FOR US TO PUT FORWARD AS A FEDERALLY COMPETITIVE PROJECT.
SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THE FIRM WILL BE HELPING US DEVELOP A SCHEDULE BECAUSE WHAT WE KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT WITH THIS NEXT REAUTHORIZATION, WE WILL HAVE A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE FOR DISCRETIONARY GRANTS.
BUT ONE OF THE KEY CHALLENGES IS THAT MANY CITIES AND REGIONS PUT FORTH MULTIPLE PROJECTS, WHICH DILUTE THE POTENTIAL FOR US BEING SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT ONE BIG ASK.
SO WITH THE SUPPORT OF THIS FIRM, WILL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE REGION, WORK WITH YOU ALL, AND WITH OUR COUNCIL, AND ALSO WORK WITH OTHER REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE NOT COMPETING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.
SO OUR TIMELINE IS REALLY AGGRESSIVE, BUT THE OTHER PIECE OF WORK THAT WE WILL BE DOING IS THIS CONTRACT WILL BE FOR A YEAR, AND THAT WILL HELP US TO IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE PROJECTS THAT MAY NOT BE IDEAL FOR RAISE RIGHT NOW.
HOWEVER, THEY WILL BE COMPETITIVE FOR OTHER FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE BIG MESSAGE THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, IS THAT WE HAVE TO BE COORDINATED BECAUSE WHEN THESE PROJECTS ARE REVIEWED, A KEY COMPONENT OF THE EVALUATION IS THE COORDINATION AND ALSO THE FINANCIAL CAPACITY TO MANAGE THESE PROJECTS.
SO WHAT TENDS TO HAPPEN IS WE MIGHT HAVE AN ENTITY IN OUR REGION THAT HAS A REALLY GREAT PROJECT, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL STABILITY TO SUPPORT THESE LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS OR LARGE PLANNING STUDIES, WHICH ARE A PART OF THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE RAISE GRANT.
[01:00:01]
BE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AND WE WILL SCHEDULE MEETINGS IN THE, IN THE NEXT MONTH TO BRING US ALL TOGETHER TO DISCUSS A STRATEGY OF HOW WE APPROACH GOING AFTER THE RAISE GRANT.AND SO WE JUST LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL AND REALLY PUTTING OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD TO COMPETE NOT AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, BUT COMPETE AGAINST OTHER NATIONALLY COORDINATED PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PUT FORTH BY OTHER OTHER STATES.
MR. CHAIRMAN MEMBERS, THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK.
AND WHENEVER SALLY AND TAMIKA CO-PRESENT, IT'S REMINDS ME OF THOSE CONCERTS, THE MONSTERS OF ROCK, UH, 'CAUSE YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING TOGETHER.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
UH, I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND PASS IT OFF.
AND, UH, IN REVERSE ORDER, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, NO, NOT REALLY.
I GUESS, UM, WITH THE CAP OF, WHAT IS IT, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR ANY STATE, UM, I GUESS THAT THAT'S THE MAX WE COULD GET HERE IN TEXAS, WHAT ARE WE DOING, UM, WITH OUR, OUR, IS THERE GONNA BE A, LIKE A CENTRAL CLEARING HOUSE THAT GETS SUBMITTED TO, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THIS? I MEAN, IS EVERYBODY GONNA SUBMIT IT TO ONE AGENCY IN TEXAS? IT SEEMS LIKE THE N P O M P O OUGHT TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS, OR TDOT INVOLVED IN THIS SOME KIND OF WAY.
WELL, COUNCILMAN I'LL, I'LL ANSWER INITIALLY AND THEN LET TAMIKA ANSWER THE M P O TDOT QUESTION.
UM, THERE IS NOT A STATE CLEARINGHOUSE FOR IT.
WE ARE VERY MUCH IN COMPETITION WITH DALLAS AND AUSTIN AND HOUSTON AND EL PASO, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO MIGHT SUBMIT THE CAP IS A HUNDRED MILLION.
AND, UH, AND THE CAP PER PROJECT IS 25 MILLION.
SO, UH, BUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF ONE STATE, UH, GETTING FOUR, UH, MAJOR PROJECTS LIKE THAT IS ALREADY VERY SLIM.
I THINK WE TALKED, UH, LAST MONTH ABOUT AN 8%, SEVEN OR 8%, UH, SUCCESS RATE WITH THIS GRANT.
IT'S, UH, PROGRAM, IT'S VERY OVERSUBSCRIBED.
SO, UH, YOU'RE RIGHT, WE NEED TO COOR COORDINATE REGIONALLY AND PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY HERE, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE IN COMPETITION WITH THOSE OTHER TEXAS AREAS.
AND TAMIKA, DID YOU WANT TO TOUCH ON M P O I I BELIEVE THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS YOU'RE PLANNING, CORRECT? YES, CORRECT.
SO WHEN WE, ONE OF THE ISSUES IS MAKING SURE THAT THE PROJECTS WE PROPOSE ARE ALREADY IN THE TIP, BECAUSE THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME ADMINISTRATIVELY, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
SO GOING FORWARD WITH PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AS REGIONAL PRIORITIES IS GOING TO HELP US BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED THE CONSTRAINED OPPORTUNITY THERE, AND WE'RE SHOWING THAT WE ARE INVESTING LOCALLY.
AND THAT WITH THE BUILD GRANT, THAT WAS A HUGE EMPHASIS WITH THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.
DON'T ASK FOR FEDERAL DOLLARS IF YOU'RE NOT PUTTING FORWARD YOUR OWN
AND SO SHOWING THAT WITH OUR TIP PROJECT SO IT DOESN'T BECOME, OH, LET'S JUST THROW ANY PROJECT IN THERE THAT MAKES IT STREAMLINED AND EASIER FOR US TO GET ON BOARD AND IDENTIFY THOSE PROJECTS WITHIN THE TIP THAT ARE CONSIDERABLY HAVE CONSIDERABLE COSTS AND OR WE NEED TO DO SIGNIFICANT PLANNING, AND WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GETTING THOSE PLANNING FUNDS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH VIA, WITH THE M P O AND WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE, UM, AS WE'VE BEEN SAYING, SALLY AND I, AND JEFF AND I, WE'VE BEEN SAYING WE CAN'T HAVE THE MAYOR GIVING 27 LETTERS OF SUPPORT OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC AND WE HAVE TO BE ON ONE PAGE.
OKAY, SO WHEN IS THIS DUE? JULY 12TH.
AND ARE WE GONNA HAVE ANY SPECIAL M P O MEETING TO, UH, DISCUSS THIS AND REVIEW IT AND GET EVERY, GET BUY-IN REGIONALLY? I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TIME BETWEEN NOW AND JULY 12TH.
YOU CAN ANTICIPATE THERE WILL BE SPECIAL REQUESTS FOR A MEETING FOR THIS.
AND I THINK THE BEST THING RIGHT NOW I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT ALL OF US TAKE A LOOK COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY AT THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE TIP THAT RISE TO THAT LEVEL TO BE COMPETITIVE.
BECAUSE AT THE, AT THE TAC IN THE T P B MEETING, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'LL PROBABLY BE DISCUSSING BECAUSE IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE AGREE ON WHAT THOSE PROJECTS ARE AND THAT WE DON'T SPEND TIME, UM, PUTTING NEW PROJECTS.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK, OH, LET'S ASK THIS PROJECT.
BUT REALLY WE SHOULD JUST BE LOOKING AT THE TIP AND SAYING, WHAT'S THE MOST COMPETITIVE AND WHAT HAS NOT BEEN AWARDED HERE.
[01:05:01]
THE LAST TIME WE RECEIVED A TIGER GRANT WAS FOR THE, UM, THE VIA, UM, BUS TRANSIT CENTER, THE WEST SIDE TRANSIT CENTER.AND SO THE GOOD ON THE TRANSIT PIECE WE'RE NOT REALLY IN MY MIND, AND THIS IS WHAT BOOTH CONSULTING CAN ELUCIDATE FURTHER ON, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN A PART OF MOST OF THE MAJOR TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS AS A PART OF THESE DISCRETIONARY GRANTS, IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT COMPETING AGAINST HOUSTON, DALLAS, AND ALL THESE OTHER CITIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY RECEIVED A LOT OF DISCRETIONARY GRANTS OVER THE PAST DECADE WHERE WE HAVE NOT.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE GOING FOR US.
WE HAVE AN AMAZING EQUITY ATLAS, WHICH SPEAKS TO SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE WE ARE ADDRESSING THE PERSISTENT POVERTY THAT SALLY SPOKE ABOUT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE CRITERIA OF THE ADMINISTRATION RIGHT NOW.
SO I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH IN OUR TIP.
WE JUST NEED TO FOCUS AND IDENTIFY WHAT IS GOING TO BE OUR PROJECT.
WELL, AGAIN, I I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE TIMING OF THIS AND IF WE'RE, IF, IF I WOULD SAY WE NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND THE M P O RATHER QUICKLY TO GO OVER THAT TIP, JUST LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, AND GET SOME CONSENSUS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN GET, GET, UH, THIS OVER THE FINISH LINE BY THE 12TH OF JULY.
I MEAN, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE HAVE OUR NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED, BUT I, IF WE NEED TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING, LET'S CALL IT AND GET WITH THE, GET WITH THE CHAIRMAN AND GET THAT SET UP AND, AND GET THAT MOVING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS IN ON WHATEVER PROJECTS THERE ARE THAT WE CAN THEN SORT OUT AND THEN SUBMIT AS OUR, OUR REQUIREMENT HERE AS A REGIONAL.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, RIGHT OFF THE TIP, IT'S DONE.
IT'S SITTING THERE, UH, IT'S, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR US TO DO THAT, BUT WE NEED BUY-IN FROM THE M P O ON WHAT PROJECTS TO ACTUALLY SUBMIT.
AND, UM, JEFF AND, AND TAMIKA AND SALLY, LET'S, UH, LET'S, UH, VISIT AND CIRCLE BACK WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY'S, UM, SUGGESTION ABOUT, UH, CALLING, UH, ANOTHER MEETING CLOSER IN TIME THAN, UH, WE USUALLY DO SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THIS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, REBECCA, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MA'AM? YES.
UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS HERE.
UM, VERY GRATEFUL FOR, UH, CONGRESSMAN CASTRO FOR PUTTING FORWARD WHAT HE DID ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, AS WELL AS, UM, CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ AND PUTTING FORWARD EXPANSION OF MENTAL HEALTH UNIT.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO GO SO FAR FOR US.
I KNOW WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO, BUT THEN MOVING THAT FORWARD, UM, I, I'M SO APPRECIATIVE OF THAT, AND I'M, I'M VERY APPRECIATE, I'M VERY HOPEFUL, UH, KNOWING THAT CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ IS ALSO IN APPROPRIATIONS.
UM, LET'S, LET'S HOPE THAT WE CAN MOVE, UH, THIS FORWARD.
UM, I DID WANNA SPEAK TO SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA MENTIONED WHEN WE FIRST HAD THIS CONVERSATION AND LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS AND THE COMMUNITY PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.
I, I WISH, OF COURSE, LOOKING HINDSIGHT IS 2020.
I WISH WE COULD HAVE ALL LOOKED AT THESE TOGETHER AND SEE HOW WE COULD STRATEGICALLY LEVERAGE, UM, PROJECTS THAT WOULD HAVE MAYBE GOTTEN MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK.
I KNOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SMALL COMMUNITY PROJECTS, BUT LOOKING AT SOME OF THEM LISTED, YOU KNOW, I I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH, WITH SOME OF THEM OF WHAT THEY ARE, UM, HOW DO THEY PLAY A ROLE IN THE, UM, LONG ECOSYSTEM STORY OF SAN ANTONIO, WHAT WE'RE ALL WORKING ON TOGETHER RIGHT NOW, UM, MEANING WORKING THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AND OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAMS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT THEN HOW ARE THESE OTHER PROGRAMS ALL LINKED TOGETHER? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THIS MOVES FORWARD.
AND IF WE ARE GIVEN THIS MONEY, I THINK IF Y'ALL COULD SHARE WITH US WHAT THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION IN AND THE, UM, I GUESS THE, UH, WINNING PITCH FOR THEM TO HAVE GOTTEN, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE GOTTEN ON THE LIST WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
SO WE CAN KNOW HOW TO LEVERAGE AND CONNECT ALL THE DOTS, UH, PART OF ALL THIS MONEY THAT WE CAN, WE CAN SEE AND HOW WE CAN USE IT TOGETHER.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO, TO MENTION.
GLAD TO SEE YOU THINKING, UM, NOT JUST LINEAR LEAD, BUT SEEING HOW WE CAN GET ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, YOU KNOW, PARTS INCLUDED IN THIS, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT DOING THESE PROJECTS IN SILOS.
SO ABSOLUTELY FOR THE BIG PORTION FOR THE BUILD GRANT, UM,
[01:10:01]
A HUNDRED PERCENT WE'RE IN ON THIS, THAT WE ALL CAN HAVE BUY-IN ON WHAT THE PROJECT CAN BE THAT IT HITS, NOT WHEN WE'RE TALKING REGIONALLY, WE KNOW THAT THAT NEEDS TO INCLUDE OUR, THE ENTIRE COUNTY AND MAYBE SOME OF OUR COUNTY NEIGHBORS, BUT THEN ALSO, UM, WHERE'S THE AREAS THAT ARE IN OUR REGIONAL CENTERS TOO, UH, LIVE, WORK, PLAY, LEARN, AND GROW.UM, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT JUST IN THE AREA, BUT HOW DOES IT CONNECT TO THE OVERALL STORY OF OUR REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH, UM, OPPORTUNITY.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE.
I'LL BE WATCHING THIS SHOW, UH, TO HEAR WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT THAT IN.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE, LET'S MAKE SURE WE CAN GET THE BACKUP INFORMATION OF HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE ALL OF THOSE OTHER COMMUNITY PROJECTS.
AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE FREO ROAD AND THE UNION PACIFIC WAS PUT IN THERE.
IF I MIGHT JUST, UH, JUST ANSWER TO COUNCILMAN ON ONE THING.
UH, WE, WE DO HAVE COUNCILMAN, UH, MORE DETAILED ONE PAGER, UH, ON EACH OF OURS THAT WE CAN SEND TO YOU RIGHT AWAY.
WE WILL ASK OUR PARTNERS FOR THEIR WRITE-UPS ALSO, SO THAT YOU HAVE THAT LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND, AND WE AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT THAT WE WISH THERE WAS MORE LEAD TIME, MORE CLARITY, THAT THIS WAS ALL, UH, A LOT OF, EVEN THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FEELING THEIR WAY HERE AS OUR EARMARKS WERE SUDDENLY BROUGHT BACK.
THERE REALLY WASN'T A LOT OF CLARITY ABOUT HOW THIS WAS GONNA WORK AND WHAT THE PARAMETERS WERE FOR PROJECTS.
SO WE TRIED TO COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF CREATIVE THINGS THAT FIT SOME EXISTING BOXES FEDERALLY AND, AND ALIGNED WITH OUR OWN ONE, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO HOUSING, RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH.
AND OF COURSE, UH, PROJECTS IN THE TIP.
I THINK WE'LL BE MUCH, UH, MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PREPARED NEXT YEAR.
UH, AND, AND, AND AS FAR AS ANYONE KNOWS, THIS WHOLE COMMUNITY PROJECTS FUNDING CONCEPT IS HERE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
UM, SO WE, WE'LL, WE'LL BE SPENDING AND WORKING WITH OUR FEDERAL LOBBYISTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR TO BE REALLY PREPARED FOR THE SECOND TIME IT COMES AROUND.
SO, UM, JUST IF I CAN FOLLOW UP, YES, I KNOW OUR PROJECTS, SO IF YOU CAN GET THE OTHER PROJECTS, BUT THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW, I KNOW YOU SAID HUNDREDS AND OUR, OUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS GOT HUNDREDS OF REQUESTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THOSE OTHER HUNDREDS OF REQUESTS WERE, OR THOSE OTHER, AT LEAST COMMUNITY COUNTY, CITY REQUESTS FROM OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES MAYBE THAT WE PARTNER WITH AT THE FEDERAL AND THE, THE STATE LEVEL.
WHAT WERE THEIR REQUESTS AND WHAT DID NOT MAKE IT ON THE LIST? I'M THINKING OF TEXAS A M, SAN ANTONIO, AND MAYBE SOME OTHERS.
SO WE CAN SEE WHERE OUR FUTURE ALIGNMENTS, UH, CAN HAPPEN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER DEBERRY.
SO FROM THE, THE OUTSIDE OF THIS CONVERSATION, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
SO TO AVENA, ROCHA'S POINT, COUNCILMAN LAN'S POINT, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT THIS AND NOT JUST REACTIONARY REGARDING, I KNOW THIS IS A SHORT TIMELINE, WE GOTTA GET STUFF IN WHAT HAVE YOU, AND LOOK, SHAME ON US AT THE COUNTY, BECAUSE I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE SHERIFF HAD A REQUEST IN FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY.
SO, UM, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT US WORKING TOGETHER AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT FROM A LOBBYIST STANDPOINT, MELISSA, JEFF, WHOEVER, UH, TO COUNCILWOMAN VIA VIETNAM STANDPOINT ABOUT WHAT ARE THE OTHER REQUESTS THAT CAME FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERS OR WHATEVER.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A HEADS UP ON THOSE THINGS, BECAUSE IF THE RIGHT HAND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING, WE ARE NOT DOING WHAT I THOUGHT WE NEED TO BE DOING FROM THE GET GO.
AND THAT IS WHATEVER MONEY WE'RE SPENDING, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT DOLING OUT MONEY, IT'S ABOUT WHAT ARE WE DOING STRATEGICALLY, FOUNDATIONALLY THAT WILL MAKE AN IMPACT IN THIS COMMUNITY, NOT JUST TODAY, BUT 50 YEARS FROM NOW.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, WE ALL NEED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER.
THAT COULD HAVE, UH, NOT BEEN SAID MORE CLEARLY.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN SAID LOUDER, BUT NOT MORE CLEARLY.
UH, AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, ADRIANA, ROCHE GARCIA, GOOD CHAIR.
UM, AND YEAH, JUST, JUST DITO TO, UM, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, COMMISSIONER, I, I, I THINK YOU'VE SAID IT BEST, UM, THAT ON, ON THE APRIL 14TH MEETING, UM, MINUTES, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I HAD, UM, SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE WANTED TO KNOW HOW WE'RE COORDINATING WITH OTHER ENTITIES TO SUPPORT PROJECTS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, TAM MAKE IT SAID SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TODAY.
AND SO, UM, LEVERAGE FUNDING AND HOW, HOW DO WE HELP ADVOCATE FOR A REGIONAL STRATEGY? PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT REGIONAL STRATEGIES FOR AT LEAST THE LAST DECADE, AND WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT THEN WE DON'T DO IT.
[01:15:01]
SO IT, I JUST, I THINK THAT THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF RE-ENVISION.AND SO THE PROJECT SUMMARIES, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE PROJECT SUMMARIES.
I, UM, AM REALLY SURPRISED THAT THERE IS, UM, UH, PROJECT QUEST HAS AN IDEA INITIATIVE ON THERE.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THAT IS FOR, RIGHT? AND SO I'VE, UM, UH, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE TRIED TO TEXT SEVERAL PEOPLE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHAT IS IT, HOW DOES THIS RELATE, FOR INSTANCE, TO OUR WORKFORCE INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE, UH, ESSAY RATED WORK.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT, HOW, HOW COULD WE HELP, HOW COULD WE, UM, LEVERAGE OUR CONNECTIONS, ET CETERA.
BUT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, AND I WANT TO ASK TAMIKA, DO YOU, HAVE YOU HEARD ANY MOVEMENT ON THE MOVING FORWARD ACT? I KNOW THAT, UH, SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG HAD SAID, UM, THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADDITIONAL MOVEMENT, UH, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING.
AND I'M WONDERING IF ANYBODY IN TRANSPORTATION HAS HEARD ABOUT THE MOVING FORWARD ACT AND IF IT INDEED IS MOVING FORWARD? NO, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY MORE DETAILS, BUT I THINK ONCE WE GET BOOTH CONSULTING ON BOARD, MR. BOOTH WILL HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION AS HE IS INTRICATELY ENGAGED WITH THE D O T AND STAFF AT THE D O T.
BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING RECENTLY.
TO SALLY'S POINT AND TO WHAT MANY OF YOU HAVE SAID, THE APPROACH AND HOW THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE COMING OUT ARE SO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST DECADE.
AND SALLY AND I HAD A, A LENGTHY CONVERSATION ABOUT EARMARKS AND HOW IN ANOTHER LIFE WE WERE DOING EARMARKS.
SO I BELIEVE, AND THIS IS WHY
THE KEY FOR US IS TO IDENTIFY, OKAY, WE MAY NOT GET THIS GRANT, BUT WHAT'S THE NEXT PRIORITY PROJECT AND HOW DO WE FRAME THE PROJECT SUCH THAT THEY TOUCH ON HOUSING, THEY TOUCH ON ADDRESSING POVERTY, THEY TOUCH ON TRANSPORTATION, THEY TOUCH ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE A KEY COMPONENT OF THE SUPPORT THAT WE GET FROM THIS FIRM, IS IDENTIFYING THOSE PROJECTS.
SO SCRAMBLING AT THE LAST MINUTE, AND WE HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF T O D GRANT COME, THIS IS GONNA BE THE PROJECT THAT'S MOST COMPETITIVE FOR US.
SO I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO LEARN, MIGHT BE QUICK TURNAROUND FOR A LOT OF THESE.
IS THERE, UM, ANY WAY THAT SOMEBODY, I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD BE, BUT, UM, WE HAVE THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW IN WORKING WITH, WITH THE COUNTY AND, UM, WITH THE COUNCIL TOGETHER.
IS THERE A WAY THAT WE PUT, COULD PUT TOGETHER A MATRIX OF PROJECTS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS? UH, I, ANYBODY WHO, YOU KNOW, IS KIND OF, I MENTIONED PALO ALTO COLLEGE LAST TIME, AND SO THEY WERE ADVOCATING FOR THEIR PROJECTS ON RECESS.
AND SO IS THERE ANY, UM, WHO DOES THAT? LIKE, WHO WOULD DO THAT? UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMEONE THAT'S ACTUALLY TAKING THAT LEADERSHIP ROLE AND SAYING, HERE'S EVERYTHING THAT, UM, WOULD, IS, IS VISIONARY, RIGHT? AND SO IN, IN TERMS OF PROJECTS, NOT JUST SILOED, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE VERY SILOED IN THIS.
AND SO I THINK SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TAKE THIS INITIATIVE AND BRING TOGETHER EVERYBODY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING READY TO GO AND PACKAGED AND LITERALLY JUST COPY AND PASTE AND SUBMIT, RIGHT? UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD DO THAT.
SO I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE'RE STARTING THAT PROCESS.
SO THE SUPPORT FROM BOOTH CONSULTING, WE'RE LOOKING AT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'RE LOOKING AT E P A, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION, UM, AS A COMPONENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT'S WHERE THIS FIRM'S EXPERTISE LIES IN GOING AFTER DISCRETIONARY GRANTS.
AND THAT STARTS THIS PROCESS OF DOING THAT LIST.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE COMPONENTS AND ONE OF THE TASKS HE WILL PROVIDE FOR US IN COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATING BASED ON WHAT'S IN THE TIP AND WHAT OTHER PROJECTS THAT MAY NOT BE IN THE TIP AS IT RELATES TO THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE.
BUT THEN LOOKING AND HELPING US DEVELOP PROJECTS THAT ARE, UH, BASICALLY DOING DOUBLE DUTY.
SO IT MIGHT BE A HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT GRANT, BUT THERE MAY BE, I ANTICIPATE E P A RELATED GRANTS ON SUSTAINABILITY THINGS.
SO THAT THIS IS THE FIRST STEP FOR US, AND THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP THAT I'M GONNA HELP US.
AND TAMIKA, I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLEAR.
I'M NOT, I THINK YOU HAVE A GREAT PLAN IN TRANSPORTATION.
I'M TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO WHO DOES WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE? RIGHT? AND SO WHO IS PLANNING THESE PROJECTS AGAIN, THAT ARE INNOVATIVE OR THAT IT'S WISHLIST ITEMS THAT WE KIND OF HAVE ON A REGULAR BASIS? WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE
[01:20:01]
WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT STRATEGY THAT THE TRANSPORTATION HAS, BUT HOW CAN WE APPLY IT FOR EVERYTHING ELSE, I GUESS IS MY QUESTION.AND WHOSE, WHOSE JOB IS THAT? I DON'T THINK THERE IS SOMEONE WHO, WHO'S TASKED WITH THAT, BUT HOW DO WE DO THAT? NO, LET ME, IF I COULD JUMP IN, COUNCILMAN, YOU'RE RIGHT.
THERE ISN'T, UM, I WOULD TAKE A STEP BACK AND SAY MAYBE WE TALK TO OUR FIVE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT PROCESS THEY WOULD LIKE.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT THIS IS, IS EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT UP TO 10 FUNDING ASKS.
SO, UM, PROJECT QUEST DOESN'T HAVE TO COME TO US AND ASK OUR PERMISSION TO DO IT.
UH, THE RIVER AUTHORITY, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T NEED CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
WHAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BRING PEOPLE UNDER THE TENT.
I THINK SALLY'S WORK TO GATHER WHAT WE KNOW HAS BEEN SUBMITTED IS PROBABLY THE MOST COORDINATION THAT IS OCCURRING RIGHT NOW.
AND SO, AGAIN, IT IS, IT IS A RELATIVELY NEW ENVIRONMENT.
UM, WE WERE SURPRISED FOR ONE THING BY THE FACT THAT, UM, PROJECTS, UH, ON THE TRANSPORTATION ONES, UH, WERE ONLY SUBMITTED BY DISTRICT.
SALLY WAS ASKING THAT QUESTION TO EACH MEMBER OF CONGRESS, DO YOU WANT PROJECTS IN YOUR DISTRICT? WE WEREN'T GETTING ANY CLEAR DIRECTION ON THAT.
SO WE WORKED WITH TAMIKA AND IDENTIFIED THE TOP THREE THAT WE THOUGHT WERE MOST COMPETITIVE.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE MEMBERS ONLY SUBMITTED ONES FROM THEIR DISTRICT, DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE SUBMITTING, UH, YOU KNOW, NO OTHER MEMBER WANTED TO SUBMIT BROADWAY, FOR EXAMPLE, AFTER CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT DECIDED THAT WAS ONE THAT HE COULDN'T FIT IN.
SO THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF COORDINATION THAT CAN, THAT NEEDS TO OCCUR, BUT IT, IT IS A COMPLICATED PROCESS BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, ANYBODY CAN GO TO THE CONGRESSMAN AND SAY, CAN YOU GET FUNDING FOR THIS? SO I THINK MAYBE WE START WITH THEM AND ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD LIKE, UH, HOW THEY WOULD LIKE US TO SORT OF, YOU KNOW, HERD ALL THE CATS, UH, IN SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY AND, AND SORT OF CREATE A PROCESS GOING FORWARD THAT IS MORE STREAMLINED.
AND, AND, UM, COUNCILMAN PERRY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NOPE.
DID, DID WE GO AROUND THE HORN ALREADY? UH, ANYBODY ELSE? NO.
WELL, JEFF, UH, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, IN, IN FOLLOWING UP WITH THIS IDEA OF MORE COORDINATION, I THINK IT'S REALLY SMART TO ASK, UM, THE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE TO HELP US IN THIS REGARD TO SIMPLIFY THEIR LIVES, RIGHT? UM, AND BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT SOMEBODY IS RUN IT BY THE CITY OR THE COUNTY, UH, IN ORDER TO, AND, AND WHETHER OR NOT THIS REALLY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PROJECT, UH, I CERTAINLY THINK ANIMAL CRUELTY IS A, IS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, COUNCIL, I'M SORRY, TO COMMISSIONER DE BARRY'S POINT, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT MAY ACTUALLY TAKE PRIORITY, UM, YOU KNOW, DURING A PANDEMIC RECOVERY.
SO I'M, UM, I, I, I THINK THAT'S WISE.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, TAMIKA.
OH, I, I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION.
I, I REMEMBER I, I SERVED ON THE BOARD OF VIA A LONG TIME AGO.
UM, AND, AND THIS NAME BOOTH, UH, IS FAMILIAR TO ME.
I ISN'T, ISN'T THIS GENTLEMAN, MR. BOOTH, UH, SOMEBODY THAT VIA HAD HIRED YES.
PREVIOUSLY VIA, UM, HE HELPED VIA GET THAT APPLICATION FOR WEST SIDE, UH, A WHILE AGO, AND HE HAD BEEN A CONSULTANT FOR THEM PREVIOUSLY TOO.
AND SO ASIDE, WELL, LET'S TALK OFFLINE.
I'M, I'M TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND HIS, UH, HIS, YOU KNOW, HIS RECORD OF SUCCESS, UM, FOR VIA, UM, AND, AND JUST TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER AND, AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT HE DID FOR THEM.
UH, I'M CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, OKAY WITH HIRING CONSULTANTS AND SHERPAS AND, AND GOVERNMENT, UH, RELATIONS EXPERTS.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THEIR EXACT ROLE AND HOW THEY FIT INTO THE BIG PUZZLE AND, AND ON THE TEAM PEOPLE THAT WE'VE GOT WORKING UP THERE.
BUT, UH, TAMIKA, I, I, I'D LIKE TO VISIT WITH YOU OFFLINE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
JEFF, WHAT'S NEXT? UH, CHAIRMAN, WE PUT
[4. 21-3639 87th Legislature update]
A PLACEHOLDER FOR STATE ITEMS. AS YOU KNOW, I GIVE A FULL UPDATE TO COUNCIL TOMORROW, SO I WASN'T, UH, PREPARED TO, UH, DUPLICATE THAT HERE.BUT WE WANTED TO AT LEAST LEAVE THE ITEM OPEN IF THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY TOPICS THAT YOU WANTED, UH, TO DISCUSS ANY OF THE MEMBERS WANTED TO DISCUSS.
SO, UM, COUNCILMAN VRAN, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS REGARDING OUR STATE ITEMS? NO, BUT I DO HAVE A REQUEST MOVING FORWARD KIND OF RELATED TO THE STATE ITEM.
[01:25:02]
BY ALL MEANS.UM, SO I'VE MENTIONED THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES, UH, CHAIR AS, AS AND JEFF AT OUR WEEKLY UPDATES.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT IF WE CAN COME THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE OR EVEN OUTSIDE OF THIS COMMITTEE, TAKE UP A RELU FROM, AT LEAST FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SIDE, UM, RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT, UH, BECAUSE A LOT IS GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
AND IF WE COULD DO JUST A RESOLUTION OF VOTING SUPPORT, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO, TO SEE THAT, UM, COME THROUGH THE CITY.
YES, COUNCILMAN, I RECEIVED THAT FROM THE CHAIRMAN YESTERDAY OF MONDAY.
AND, UM, WE'VE ASKED OUR FEDERAL TEAM TO GIVE US SOME BACKGROUND ON THE ISSUE AND THE LAY OF THE LAND FOR US.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL RETURN, UH, WITH A, WITH A RECOMMENDATION HERE SHORTLY.
COUNCILWOMAN? UH, ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, YOU CHAIR QUESTION JEFF.
I JUST, UH, I JUST FORGOT TO, TO MENTION HB 7 93 IS STUCK.
IT WAS THE ONE EXPANDING THE, UH, CRIMINAL AREA AROUND SCHOOLS.
AND SO, UH, I I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANY UPDATE.
I, I JUST KNOW THAT IT'S, I AND I, I, I LOST TRACK OF WHERE IT STUCK, BUT, UM, JUST WONDERING IF, IF MAYBE YOU CAN CHECK OR THE TEAM COULD CHECK ON THAT ONE.
I CAN EITHER TRY TO DO IT RIGHT NOW OR I CAN ADD THAT TO THE LIST OF THINGS WE UPDATE FOR YOU TOMORROW IF, UH, THAT'S FINE.
DEBERRY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, NO.
CERTAINLY THINK I HAVE WAITED ENOUGH TODAY.
I JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRAND'S LAST MEETING, UM, BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, HER SERVICE AND HER EFFORTS AND, UH, SHE'S BEEN AN AGENT OF CHANGE IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME.
AND SO REBECCA, I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR HARD WORK.
UM, AND THEN, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE STATE ISSUES? NOPE.
UH, I, I DO HAVE A, A QUICK ANSWER FOR COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA CHAIRMAN, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
UM, THE BILL DID NOT GET A HEARING IN, UH, IN COMMITTEE.
AND MONDAY WAS THE DEADLINE FOR HOUSE BILLS TO BE VOTED OUT OF HOUSE COMMITTEE.
SO IT'S THAT BILL IS OFFICIALLY DEAD.
UH, NOW, UH, REPRESENTATIVE PACHECO COULD ATTEMPT TO AMEND THAT LANGUAGE INTO SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S MOVING.
UM, BUT, BUT THAT'S THE STATUS OF THE BILL ITSELF, THE UPDATE.
JEFF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, Y'ALL.
THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR, UH, AGENDA, RIGHT, JEFF, IN THAT CASE.
UM, I THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR PARTICIPATING AND FOR STICKING AROUND.
THIS WAS A LONG MEETING, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT.
JEFF, THANKS SO MUCH TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, MELISSA, SHANNON, AND YOUR TEAM, AND FOR EVERYBODY, UH, PARTICIPATING FOR, UH, ASKING SUCH GOOD QUESTIONS.