[00:00:02]
THE TIME IS 2:06 PM ON THE 2ND OF JUNE, 2021.
UH, WELCOME BACK TO CITY HALL.
UH, IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK AND CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CITY STAFF.
UM, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE'S GOTTEN A CHANCE TO GET ORIENTED IN THE ROOM.
UH, WILL ACCOUNT FOR ANY, UM, CHALLENGES WITH GETTING SITUATED O OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
BUT, UM, NEEDLESS TO SAY, UH, THE STAFF, UM, THE TEAMS WORKING ON THIS BUILDING, UH, DESERVE A, A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS.
DID A TREMENDOUS JOB, WAS WELL WORTH THE WAIT.
UM, WE APPRECIATE THE, THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND CERTAINLY THE, THE BRINGING BACK TO LIFE, SOME OF THE HISTORIC FEATURES OF, OF THIS PEOPLE'S HOUSE, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN HIDDEN FOR SO LONG.
SO I'M GLAD THAT THIS COUNCIL IS ABLE TO, TO SEE IT AND BE HERE AS WELL.
BEFORE WE GO ON TO, UM, A SUMMER BREAK, UM, WE HAVE ONE ITEM TODAY ON OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION.
AND SO LET ME TURN IT OVER NOW TO CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
JUST, UH, REAL QUICK BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO YOU, ERIC, UH, JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVERYBODY WATCHING, UM, AND US AROUND THE TABLE, THE, UH, ENTRANCE, THE MAIN ENTRANCE BEHIND ME, UH, WHEN SESSIONS BEGIN IN HERE, WILL BE CLOSED.
AND SO THERE IS AN ENTRANCE AND EXIT ON, ON THE SIDE OF THE ROOM OVER HERE FOR THOSE WHO NEED TO EXIT OR, OR COME BACK IN.
UH, AND THEN THE RESTROOMS FOR ANYBODY NEEDS THEM IS ACROSS THE HALL.
SO, UM, AND WE CAN ADDRESS ANY OTHER ISSUES AS WE MOVE ALONG.
SO, ERIC, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL.
SO WELCOME TO THE FIRST B SESSION BACK INTO CITY HALLS.
AND, UM, CERTAINLY I WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID.
I WANT TO THANK, UM, ROD AND LORI HOUSTON, UM, WHO SHEPHERDED THE PROJECT.
UM, JORGE RAZZIE, UH, JEFF KNIPLE, UM, AND A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER STAFF THAT, UM, REALLY, UH, SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN THIS BUILDING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE GOT IT IN THE CONDITION THAT, UH, YOU'RE IN AS WELL AS THE CONTRACTORS, UM, G***O AND THEIR SUBS.
AND CERTAINLY WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO KINDA RECOGNIZE THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE BUILDING IN THE LATER POINT.
BUT JUST, UH, WANTED TO ECHO THAT, UM, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, MAYOR.
[1. 21-4035 Briefing on the COVID-19 Response and Recovery & Resiliency Plan and update on the American Rescue Plan Act. [Maria Villagómez, Deputy City Manager; Veronica A. Carrillo, COVID-19 Executive Officer]]
AFTERNOON'S B SESSION, WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA, UM, AND IT'S BROKEN UP INTO TWO PIECES.THE FIRST IS, UM, AN UPDATE ON OUR 2021 FINANCIAL REPORT REGARDING THE RE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
AND, UH, ANOTHER UPDATE ON WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE UM, PLAN ACT.
UM, SO JUST A REMINDER, UH, ALMOST A YEAR AGO, PRACTICALLY, ALMOST EXACTLY A YEAR AGO, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
UM, AND, UM, AS WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVE DONE, WE HAVE MADE, UM, UH, MONTHLY UPDATES TO THE COUNCIL AS WELL AS REPORTS.
UM, YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT, UH, PARTICULARLY LAST FALL ON A MONTHLY BASIS, WE WERE MAKING CHANGES BASED ON WHAT WE SAW IN CHANGING PRIORITIES.
UM, UM, THE SECOND PART OF THE, OF THE PRESENTATION ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, UM, WILL SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON THE FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR STATE CITIES AND COUNTIES.
AND, AND BROADLY, THE ELIGIBLE USES OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, UH, INCLUDE REVENUE LOSS AND ADDRESSING THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF C OVID 19.
SO, UM, THE, THE US TREASURY DID RELEASE GUIDANCE IN EARLY MAY, AND CITIES AND COUNTIES HAVE UNTIL MID-JULY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THAT GUIDANCE.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE A DATE YET ON THE RELEASE OF THE FINAL GUIDANCE, BUT WE'RE EXPECTING THAT LATER ON IN THE, AT THE END OF SUMMER OR EARLY FALL.
UM, THE, THE ARPA FUNDS, AND I, I SHARED THIS WITH SOME OF YOU THE OTHER DAY, UM, THE ARPA FUNDS ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE CARESS ACT FUND.
UM, THE, UH, THE FUNDS NEED TO BE COMMITTED BY DECEMBER, 2024 AND SPENT BY DECEMBER, 2026, SO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WHERE WE HAD NINE MONTHS TO, TO PLAN, EXECUTE, AND DEPLOY DOLLARS.
SO THE PLAN IS GONNA, UM, REQUIRE US, UH, OR GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP A THREE TO FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL
[00:05:01]
PLAN WITH GOALS, UM, THAT WE WILL, UM, NEED TO MONITOR QUITE FREQUENTLY.UH, THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH ARPA ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEY WERE FOR CARESS ACT.
AND, AND SO, UM, THAT THERE, THERE'S A LONGER VIEW THAT WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE.
WE HAVE BEGUN PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH THE COUNTY ON THE USE OF THE FUNDS, UH, OVER THIS LONG TIMEFRAME.
SO, UM, I SHARED WITH YOU AT THE FORECAST THAT MY RECOMMENDATION ACCORDANCE WITH THE ARPA FUNDS, IS THAT WE FOCUS ON, UM, THE PRIORITIES OF, UH, FINANCIAL STABILITY FOR THE ORGANIZATION, UH, RECOVERING REVENUE LOSS, AND A DEALING WITH IMMEDIATE NEEDS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE.
UM, UM, I'M GONNA REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT AT THE FORECAST, WE TALKED ABOUT BREAKING THIS UP IN THE TWO PHASES.
PHASE ONE BEING THE STABILITY, STABILIZING OUR OWN BUDGET AS WE GO THROUGH OUR BUDGET PROCESS THIS SUMMER, UM, WHICH WILL REQUIRE CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS TO BE MADE.
UM, AND PHASE TWO, UM, ONCE WE RECEIVE FINAL GUIDANCE, HAVING A BROADER CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL OVER THAT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THAT, THOSE FUNDS OVER THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
ON JUNE 16TH, WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO COUNCIL THE TRIAL BUDGET.
UM, AND AS PART OF THE TRIAL BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA MAKE, UH, SOME ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE RECOVERY OF, OF REVENUE LOSS IN A COUPLE OF OUR KEY AREAS.
THE GENERAL FUND, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND ARE THE TWO PRIMARY AREAS.
THERE'S TWO OR THREE OTHER SMALL AREAS OF OUR BUSINESS, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND AND THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND.
UM, WE, UM, UH, WE SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL AT THE FORECAST PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE RETAINED, UH, P F M CONSULTANTS TO HELP AUGMENT BOTH OUR, UH, ANALYSIS AND OUR PLANNING EFFORTS.
AND MICHAEL NADEL, UH, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF P F M, UM, IS WITH US VIRTUALLY TODAY IN CASE THE COUNCIL HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
HE, HE AND HIS GROUP HAVE BEEN, UM, INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US KIND OF, UH, DEEP BUNDLE THE GUIDANCE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR AND GIVING US ADVICE.
UM, SO WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS HERE TODAY, UH, IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO VERONICA CARRILLO.
MOST OF YOU WILL PROBABLY REMEMBER VERONICA, WHO HAS HAD A LONG CAREER WITHIN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
MOST RECENTLY, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND C C D O.
VERONICA CARRILLO IS OUR C OVID 19 EXECUTIVE OFFICER, UM, WHO HAS TAKEN OVER, UM, SINCE THE, UM, SINCE ANA'S, UH, PROMOTION TO, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO, VERONICA, UM, HAS BEEN HELP LEADING THE EFFORT TO HELP ORGANIZE THIS INTERNALLY AND COORDINATION, UH, WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, AND A P F M.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS VERONICA CARILLO, AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE APRIL C OVID 19 FINANCIAL REPORT AND PROVIDE YOU WITH AN UPDATE ON THE MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE ACTION, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS ARPA.
THE PRESENTATION WILL COVER A FINANCIAL UPDATE ON THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN, AND PROVIDE AN ARPA UPDATE, INCLUDING HIGHLIGHTS ON THE INTERIM RULES AND GUIDELINES AND NEXT STEPS.
WE'LL START WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY FUND ALLOCATIONS BY PROGRAM.
WE'VE ALLOCATED 649 MILLION AND HAVE SPENT 445 MILLION THROUGH THE MONTH OF APRIL.
WHEN WE COMPARE THAT TO OUR PLANNED AMOUNTS, WE HAVE A SAVINGS OF A LITTLE MORE THAN $4 MILLION.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES THE DETAILS ON THE STATUS OF THE BUDGET BY REVENUE SOURCE.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT FOR THE FEDERAL GRANTS, TOTAL SPENDING, WERE AHEAD BY ABOUT 1%.
THE SPENDING ASSOCIATED WITH THE THIS SPENDING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE CHILDCARE AND DEVELOPMENT GRANT.
HOWEVER, WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO THE CITY, AND THEY WILL INCLUDE THESE TWO PROGRAMS. OH, EXCUSE ME.
WITH REGARDS TO THE GENERAL FUND.
THE VARIANCE IS THE RESULT OF SAVINGS AND THE HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN DUE TO THE STATE FUNDING, A LARGE PORTION OF TESTING AND THE DIGITAL INCLUSION PROGRAM.
THE HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN COVERS, UH, NUMEROUS PROGRAMS. AND HERE ARE FOUR HIGHLIGHTS IN THE VACCINE PROGRAM.
WE'VE REACHED A MILLION FIRST DOSES AND 800 THOUSANDS
[00:10:01]
FULLY VACCINATED IN SAN ANTONIO.THE SECOND HIGHLIGHT IS THE COVID TESTING.
WE'VE BEEN PERFORMING THESE SINCE MARCH OF LAST YEAR, AND TOGETHER WITH THE STATE, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WE'VE ADMINISTERED MORE THAN 1.7 MILLION TESTS WITH THE CITY CONTRIBUTING MORE THAN 410,000.
WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE VACCINE ROLLOUT, THERE SIMPLY HAS BEEN LESS DEMAND IN TESTING.
WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE SITUATION IMPROVING WITH POSITIVITY RATES BEING BELOW 2%.
THE THIRD HIGHLIGHT OF THE HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IS CASE INVESTIGATIONS, WHICH WE ALSO STARTED IN MARCH OF 2022.
THIS IS THE TEAM THAT CONDUCTS INTERVIEWS ON COVID POSITIVE TESTS, OBTAIN DEMOGRAPHICS, RECORDING UNDERLYING CONDITIONS, AND LISTS THEIR CLOSE CONTACTS.
WE SHOULD NOTE THAT WE CONTINUE TO CONDUCT APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 200 CASES A DAY, AND WE'VE COMPLETED MORE THAN 220,000.
THE FOURTH HIGHLIGHT IS OUR MEDIA CAMPAIGN.
THAT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR IMPROVING SITUATION.
WE'VE PROVIDED EDUCATION, AND WE'VE KEPT THE COMMUNITY UPDATED, ESPECIALLY IN OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
WE CONTINUE WITH THE WHAT WILL IT TAKE CAMPAIGN WITH A FOCUS ON VACCINES.
AND OUR TARGET MARKETS INCLUDE MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS, MILLENNIALS, AND L G B T Q I A COMMUNITIES.
LET'S MOVE TO OUR, UH, RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
THE ILLUSTRATION SHOWS OUR BUDGET AT 314 MILLION.
THIS INCLUDES OUR FOUR PILLARS, WHICH ARE HOUSING, SECURITY, WORKFORCE, SMALL BUSINESS, AND DIGITAL INCLUSION.
OVERALL, THROUGH APRIL, THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN HAS EXPENDED MORE THAN $185 MILLION OF BUDGET.
NOW, LET'S REVIEW THE FOUR PILLARS.
THE LARGEST ALLOCATION IS FOR HOUSING SECURITY.
IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE CREATION OF EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS EAP.
THE TOTAL EAP BUDGET IS $133 MILLION, AND AS OF MAY 15TH, WE'VE APPROVED MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN ASSISTANCE TO OVER 36,000 HOUSEHOLDS SEEKING EMERGENCY RENTAL, MORTGAGE, AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
WE EXPECT TO EXPEND THESE FUNDS BY JULY.
HOWEVER, WE WILL BE BRINGING FORTH ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER THIS MONTH.
THE SECOND PROGRAM WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS OUR FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE HOMELESS.
FOR 13 MONTHS, THE CITY HAS LEASED A 300 ROOM HOTEL TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SHELTER SPACE FROM HAVEN FOR HOPE.
THE HOTEL HAS ALLOWED FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING ON THE HAVEN COURTYARD.
NEARLY 1600 INDIVIDUALS HAVE COME THROUGH THE HOTEL IN THAT PERIOD, ALL RECEIVING FULL ACCESS OF HAVEN SERVICES, SUCH AS EMPLOYMENT, HELP, HOUSING PLACEMENT, AND HEALTHCARE.
THROUGH CENTRO MED, D H S CONTINUES TO OPERATE AND SERVE HOMELESSNESS, HOMELESS WITH RESOURCES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TISONE MINISTRIES.
AT THE OLD SAN FERNANDO GYM, TO DATE, NEARLY 90,000 MILLS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED THROUGH THIS HUB.
THE SAN FERNANDO HUB ALSO PROVIDES SHOWERS ID, RECOVERY, HYGIENE ITEMS, CLOTHING, AND A CONNECTION TO OUTREACH SERVICES TO GET FOLKS HOUSED UNDER THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
AND THE F Y 21 GENERAL FUND BUDGET, D H SS HAS HIRED A NEW HOMELESS STREET OUTREACH TEAM TO COVER THE COMMUNITY WITH TRAINED STREET OUTREACH TO BUILD TRUST AND TO CONNECT THE HOMELESS TO SERVICES AND HOUSING.
SIX OF THE 11 TEAM MEMBERS ARE ON BOARD, AND FIVE ARE IN THE HIRING PROCESS.
ALSO IN THE HOUSING SECURITY PILLAR IS OUR RECOVERY HUB.
SINCE APRIL OF 2020, D H S BENEFIT NAVIGATORS HAVE CONNECTED OVER 9,000 RESIDENTS TO MULTIPLE NON-PROFIT STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS, SUCH AS SNAP PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE AND JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS. THE D H S BENEFIT NAVIGATORS HAVE SERVED APPROXIMATELY 44% OF ITS CLIENTS IN JUST ONE SESSION, AND 38 HAVE RECEIVED FINANCIAL COUNSELING.
THE LAST HIGHLIGHT IN THE HOUSING SECURITY PILLAR THAT I WANNA COVER IS THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM APPROVED IN JUNE
[00:15:01]
OF LAST YEAR.OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE MANAGEMENT HAS PROVIDED VICTIM ASSISTANCE, 91 AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE RECEIVED EMERGENCY HOUSING, AND 349 HAVE RECEIVED FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
IN ADDITION, AS OF MID-MAY 250 PARENTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE TRIPLE P PARENTING PROGRAM.
THIS BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES A MEDIA CAMPAIGN THAT BRINGS AWARENESS TO CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND MESSAGING ON SOURCES OF SUPPORT AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE A BUDGET OF 65.2 MILLION, AND A GOAL TO ASSIST ALMOST 6,000 INDIVIDUALS.
AS OF MAY 24TH, THERE WERE MORE THAN 2300 ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1,853 INDIVIDUALS PENDING ENROLLMENT.
ALSO, 416 HAVE BEEN PLACED IN BETTER JOBS, AND OF THOSE 186 HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED FOR MORE THAN 90 DAYS.
THE PANDEMIC COUNCIL HAS ALLOCATED OVER $52.2 MILLION TO AID SMALL BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY C O V I D.
THESE HAVE BEEN FOR ITEMS LIKE P P E NEEDED TO REOPEN, SUPPORT OF THE ARTS AND JOB TRAINING.
THIS ALSO INCLUDES $14 MILLION THAT E D D IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH TO SUPPORT THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY THAT HAS BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED.
THE PROGRAM IS ON SCHEDULED WITH ITS PLANNED AMOUNTS.
WE HAVE RECEIVED 500 QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, OF WHICH 366 HAVE ALREADY BEEN PAID AWARDS, TOTALING ALMOST $10 MILLION.
WITH THE REMAINING BALANCE OF 3.2 MILLION, WE ESTIMATE THAT ANOTHER 70 TO 90 GRANTS WILL BE AWARDED.
THE DIGITAL INCLUSION PROGRAM HAS A GOAL TO BRING HOME INTERNET ACCESS TO 20,000 STUDENTS IN 50 NEIGHBORHOODS.
16 NEIGHBORHOODS ARE ALREADY COMPLETE OR UNDERWAY.
BY DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR, 17,000 STUDENTS IN 40 NEIGHBORHOODS WILL HAVE HAD ACCESS, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT IN DECEMBER OF 2022, ALL 50 NEIGHBORHOODS AND 20,000 STUDENTS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET SERVICES.
SINCE WE LAST MET IN FEBRUARY, WE'VE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM CARES AND THE DECEMBER SUPPLEMENT, TOTALING $35.3 MILLION TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
THE AIRPORT HAS RECEIVED $11 MILLION IN GRANTS, 10 FOR OPERATIONS, AND ONE FOR CONCESSIONS.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OBTAINED A $700,000 GRANT FOR SUPPLEMENTAL IMMUNIZATIONS FROM THE REACH PROGRAM AND 15.1 FOR VACCINATIONS.
THE HEAD START PROGRAM WAS AWARDED ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH MARCH OF 2023 FOR CHILDCARE SERVICES.
THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 7 MILLION THAT WAS AWARDED AS A 25% ENHANCED REIMBURSEMENT PARENT MATCH DUE TO C O V I D AND HOUSING HAS RECEIVED 500,000 THROUGH THE STATE FOR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.
THESE FUNDS WILL BE B BROUGHT FORTH IN JULY FOR ACCEPTANCE IN JUNE, EXCUSE ME, FOR ACCEPTANCE.
I WILL NOW MOVE TO THE SECOND HALF OF THE PRESENTATION.
THE NEXT PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION COVERS THE SIX LEGISLATIVE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO C OVID 19, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
I'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE KNOW THUS FAR ON THE INTERIM RULES AND GUIDELINES, THE PROJECTED FUNDING AND NEXT STEPS.
THIS LEGISLATIVE ACTION PROVIDES 1.9 TRILLION TO SUPPORT THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND AID THOSE MOST IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
THE ACTION HAS PROVIDED DIRECT AID WITH STIMULUS CHECKS, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, FAMILY TAX CREDITS, AND OTHER AREAS IMPACTED, INCLUDING STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
315 IS ALLOCATED FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
AS ILLUSTRATED ON THE PIE CHART, THIS ACCOUNTS FOR ALMOST 20% OF THE FUNDS.
NOW, EACH ONE OF THESE ALLOCATION CATEGORIES HAS ITS OWN GUIDELINES AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
IN MAY, THE US TREASURY RELEASED GUIDANCE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
[00:20:02]
THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE CITY'S ESTIMATED ARPA TOTAL TO DATE, 326.9 IS THE CITY'S PORTION OF THE STATE AND LOCAL RECOVERY.AND WE'LL DISCUSS THE INTERIM RULES RELATED TO THIS ALLOCATION SHORTLY.
IN ADDITION, WE'VE BEEN NOTIFIED OF 20 MILLION FOR THE HOME PROGRAM AND 49.7 IN THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
OTHER NOTIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE AIRPORT, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND D H SS FOR AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 465 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AGAIN, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT EACH OF THESE SOURCES HAVE DIFFERENT GUIDELINES, REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, AND TIME PERIODS.
TO ASSIST IN THE INTERPRETATION OF THE STATE AND LOCAL GUIDELINES, WE HAVE HIRED CONSULTANT P F M, WHO IS HERE WITH US TODAY.
VIRTUALLY THE GOAL IS TO ASSIST THE CITY IN IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO MAXIMIZE THE FUNDING AND PLAN FOR LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY.
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN IS FORWARD-LOOKING.
THE INTERIM FINAL RULES PERMIT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO RECOVER COSTS INCURRED BEGINNING ON MARCH 3RD, 2021.
THE GUIDELINES OUTLINE, PERMISSIBLE USES AND DISBURSEMENTS WILL COME IN TWO TRANCHES ON MAY 19TH.
WE RECEIVED THE FIRST HALF OF THE 326 MILLION.
THE RULES THAT WE HAVE ARE INTERIM AND OPEN FOR COMMENT WITH THE US TREASURY.
THESE COMMENTS ARE DUE ON JULY 16TH.
NOW, THE PROGRAM PERIOD IS THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2024.
HOWEVER, PROVIDED THAT THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN OBLIGATED, WE CAN COMPLETE PROJECTS THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2026.
NOW, THERE ARE FOUR CATEGORIES THAT THE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR.
THE FIRST IS THE REPLACEMENT OF PUBLIC SECTOR REVENUE.
THE FUNDS CAN ALSO BE USED TO RESPOND TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY AND ADDRESS NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC.
IT ALSO ALLOWS PREMIUM PAY FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
THE FOURTH CATEGORY ALLOWS FOR INVESTMENT IN WATER, SEWER, AND BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
NOW, THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS UNDER ARBA ARE MORE EXTENSIVE THAN PREVIOUS LEGISLATIVE ACTS.
WE'LL STILL BE REQUIRED TO FILE THE QUARTERLY REPORTS.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
SO NOW WE'LL DISCUSS REVENUE LOSS.
THIS PROVISION ALLOWS STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ADDRESS BUDGET SHORTFALLS CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC.
THE REVENUE LOSS CAN COVER GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, MAINTENANCE, HEALTH SERVICES, AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
A POSITIVE COMPONENT TO THE LEGISLATIVE TEXTS IS THAT THE CALCULATION RECOGNIZES GROWTH.
THE REVENUE CALCULATIONS OCCUR AT FOUR POINTS IN TIME, BEGINNING WITH DECEMBER, 2020, THEN 21, 22, AND 23.
THE THE SECOND CATEGORY IS RESPONDING TO THE PUBLIC EMERGENCY AND NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
WHEN RESPONDING TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
THERE'S A DESIRE TO ADDRESS BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE NEEDS THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SO SUCH ITEMS THAT CAN BE ELIGIBLE INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENTS.
NOW, WHEN DISCUSSING THOSE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY C O V I D, IT WILL INCLUDE HOUSEHOLDS, AND IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT.
SO SOME ITEMS THAT IT COULD BE UTILIZED ARE LOANS, GRANTS IN KIND SERVICES AND COUNSELING PROGRAMS. SO THINK OF PROGRAMS THAT WILL HELP HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES REBOUND FROM THE DOWNTURN.
ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS CATEGORY ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES, PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE WITHIN THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK.
SO INVESTING IN HOUSING OR ADDRESSING DISPARITIES IN EDUCATION ALSO MEET THE CRITERIA.
SO THE NEXT CATEGORY IS PREMIUM PAY.
PREMIUM PAY IS FOR EMPLOYEES DESIGNATED AS ESSENTIAL, AND IT WILL INCLUDE THIRD PARTY CONTRACTORS, AND IT'S INTENDED FOR THOSE ON THE FRONT LINE.
AND LASTLY, WATER, SEWER AND BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MAY USE THIS
[00:25:01]
FUNDING TO INVEST IN DRINKING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.ELIGIBLE USES INCLUDE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, SO PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECT ON CLIMATE CHANGE QUALIFY.
THE INTERIM RULE REQUIRES THAT THESE PROJECTS OF ALIGN WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.
NOW, THE PANDEMIC HAS UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET AND AFFORDABLE INTERNET ACCESS.
SO THE FUNDS CAN SUPPORT BROADBAND INVESTMENT IN AREAS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERSERVED.
IT CAN BE USED TO ASSIST HOUSEHOLDS WITH INTERNET ACCESS OR DIGITAL LITERACY.
SO OUR NEXT STEPS, WE ARE CONDUCTING DUE DILIGENCE ON THE NEWLY ISSUED INTERIM.
RULES AND COMMENTS ARE DUE ON JULY 16TH.
WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED WHEN WE CAN EXPECT THOSE FINAL RULES.
UM, BUT OUR PRIORITIES ARE REVENUE RECOVERY, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND ADDRESSING THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS OF THE PANDEMIC.
ON JUNE 16TH, THE BUDGET OFFICE WILL PRESENT THE TRIAL BUDGET, AND WE WILL INCLUDE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USE OF ARPA FUNDS FOR REVENUE LOSS.
MAYOR COUNSEL, THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE TO BRIEF YOU TODAY.
I, ALONG WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE MANAGER'S OFFICE, ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, VERONICA, AND, UM, WELCOME TO YOUR FIRST CITY COUNCIL PRESENTATION.
UM, IT'S A NEW ONE FOR US HERE AS WELL.
UH, BUT I DO WANNA THANK STAFF, UH, FOR THE DUE DILIGENCE.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS, UH, ESPECIALLY AS WE AWAIT FINAL GUIDANCE AND NOTED, UH, NOTED.
UM, AND FOR MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL.
THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE TODAY WILL HELP TO INFORM THE COMMENTS BACK, UH, TO THE, TO THE REGISTER AND TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS ON OUR COMMENTS, UH, FOR, UH, THE ARPA FUNDS AND USE OF ARPA FUNDS.
UM, REALLY QUICKLY, JUST TO SET THE TABLE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE CAN AGREE THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE AND UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR US, UH, NOT ONLY TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
UH, THOSE HAVE BEEN ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, BUT ALSO TO USE THIS, UM, OPPORTUNITY AS A, AS A CATALYST FOR SOME OF THE TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGES THAT WE KNOW NEED TO OCCUR, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC OR AS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
I THINK WE ALL, UH, REMEMBER WHERE WE WERE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, UM, AND SEEING THE INITIAL ONSLAUGHT OF WHAT WE WERE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH FOR THE LAST 12, 13, 14 MONTHS, UH, AND A PROMISE THAT WE MADE TO OURSELVES THAT AS WE GET THROUGH, NUMBER ONE, WE WOULDN'T LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND, UH, BUT ALSO TWO, THAT WE WEREN'T SIMPLY GOING TO RUSH TO GET BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE, UH, THAT THAT WOULD BE A MISTAKE.
SO, UH, I'M VERY EXCITED, UH, ABOUT THIS PROCESS NOW, GETTING UNDERWAY, UH, IN EARNEST, UH, AT FIRST GLANCE, IT LOOKS LIKE OUR APPROACH HAS BEEN THE RIGHT ONE FROM THE START OF THIS PANDEMIC.
IN TERMS OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PROGRAM, UH, WE WILL, WITH ARPA AS WELL, CLEARLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS, UM, ISSUES OF PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO MENTAL HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AND THOSE IMPACTS.
UH, WE KNOW THERE IS AN ONGOING AND, AND CONTINUED NEED IN HOUSING SECURITY, PARTICULARLY IN HOMELESSNESS, THAT WE CAN ADDRESS AND, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE TO ENSURE, I BELIEVE THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, CAN, CAN HAVE A RECOVERY AS WELL, AND THAT WE CONTINUE EFFORTS TO GET SMALL BUSINESSES, THE BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY BACK ON ITS FEET.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, UH, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING COLLECTIVELY ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
UM, LET ME JUST, UM, MAKE A FEW BRIEF COMMENTS.
UM, AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, ERIC.
UM, NUMBER ONE, I THINK ON THE, ON THE SLIDES THAT YOU SHOWED, VERONICA, SOME OF THE MOST VALUABLE FUNDS THAT I'VE SEEN USED IN THIS COMMUNITY BEYOND THE ULTIMATE RELIEF THAT WE'RE PROVIDING FOLKS IS THE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS.
IF Y'ALL HAVEN'T BEEN TO, UH, THE AREA IN THE LIBRARY WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE WORKING WITH THOSE WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, REALLY STRUGGLED THE MOST IN THIS PANDEMIC, EITHER FROM, UM, FAMILY AND HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, OR STRUGGLING WITH RENT OR MORTGAGE OR, OR ACCESSING OTHER ASSISTANCE THAT WE'VE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE, UM, THOSE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS ARE DOING, UM, THE WORK OF ANGELS IN OUR CITY.
AND I, I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THAT.
AND, AND I THINK IT WAS VERY, UM, IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT THAT TEAM TOGETHER, ERIC.
UM, BUT AS IT RELATES TO WHERE WE GO NEXT, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT, OR WE HAVE TALKED, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT LEVERAGING, ABOUT ALIGNING WITH THE COUNTY, ABOUT
[00:30:01]
ENSURING THAT WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY SO WE CAN MAKE THE MOST OF THESE FUNDS, AND THAT WE CAN ALSO EXTEND THEIR IMPACT.UH, WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT YOU'RE UNDERGOING RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF ALIGNING WITH THE COUNTY, UH, AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THESE FUNDS? WELL, UH, MAYOR, WE HAVE, UM, FOR, FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, UH, THE COUNTY MANAGER AND I HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERS CONVERSATIONS.
WE'VE ALSO HAD THE, THOSE MEETINGS WITH YOU AND THE COUNTY JUDGE.
UM, THE COUNTY'S IN A MUCH DIFFERENT POSITION THAN WE ARE IN THE SENSE THAT, UM, CATEGORY NUMBER ONE OF REVENUE LOSS.
UM, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, AS IMPACTED AS THE CITY.
AND SO, UM, THEY'RE, THEY, THEY'VE GOT A CONSULTANT THAT'S HELPING THEM AND A NUMBER OF OTHER LARGE COUNTIES IN TEXAS ADVISE THEM ON A, ON THE BEST STRATEGY.
UM, AND, AND I THINK WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE TO, I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH THEM AS WE GO THROUGH THE SUMMER.
UM, BUT, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT SITUATION BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAD THAT REVENUE IMPACT.
THEY'VE HAD SOME REVENUE IMPACT.
I DON'T WANNA SAY THEY HAVEN'T, BUT I, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, SALES TAX AND HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND BARGE REVENUE AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN IMPACTED, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
SO THEIR FORMULA IS GONNA LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I THINK THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT AT THE END, THE FORMULAS LAND IN THE SAME SPOT.
ARE THEY DO COMMENTS AS WELL AT THE SAME TIME, THE SAME CYCLE? WE ARE, YES.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, UTILITIES AND THE STATUS OF OUR UTILITIES AND THE ASSISTANCE THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED FROM AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THAT? AND ARE WE EXPECTING ANY OF THESE FUNDS POTENTIALLY BE USED BY THE UTILITIES THEMSELVES? SO, UM, LET ME START WITH THAT AND ASK BEN TO COME UP TO THE MIC BECAUSE, UM, BEN HAS BEEN THE KIND OF THE LEAD DEALING WITH BOTH SAWS AND C P S ON UTILITY DISCONNECTS AND THAT OUTSTANDING BALANCE.
UM, WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S AN ELIGIBLE GUIDELINE, WE ARE, UH, KEEPING THAT ON THE TABLE BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED FROM THE UTILITY STANDPOINT.
UM, AND BEN, DO YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH THE, THE COUNCIL KIND OF WHAT THE LATEST CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN WITH THEM? SURE.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AS ERIC SAID, WE ARE COORDINATING WITH BOTH UTILITY C P S AND SAWS.
SO WHAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO IS TO REALLY HELP US GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS THAT ARE BEHIND, AND TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS AROUND THAT AS WE CAN.
THAT WILL THEN HELP US DETERMINE, ONE, WHAT'S ELIGIBLE AND WHAT'S NOT.
BUT THEN ALSO TO WORK WITH THEM TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN THEN USE TO TARGET AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THOSE CUSTOMERS.
SO, UH, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS AS RECENT AS TODAY, UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM AND WORK ON, ON COMING BACK WITH MORE INFORMATION AND A POTENTIAL PLAN IN TERMS OF HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT.
ONE OTHER THING THAT I'LL ADD, UM, IS THAT, UM, SOME OF YOU'LL RECALL THE MONEY THAT THE STATE SET ASIDE FOR, UH, HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
UM, WE HAVE TALKED, UM, TO THE TWO UTILITIES AND WILL LIKELY MAKE A, MAYBE A FORMAL REQUEST OF THAT BILLION DOLLARS, WHICH WE BELIEVE MAY BE, IS OUT OF THE CARESS ACT, WHICH MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE, AND AT LEAST MAKE AN ASK OF THE STATE, UM, AND ALSO SHARE THAT, UH, WITH OUR LOCAL DELEGATION.
AND WE'VE ALSO SHARED WITH THEM THAT, THAT BOTH UTILITIES, THAT IT'S UNLIKELY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COME UP WITH A PROGRAM THAT'S JUST GOING TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THAT.
I THINK YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THE NUMBERS ARE, ARE, ARE SIZABLE.
I THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AVENUES AND A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO HELP THOSE CUSTOMERS GET BACK ON TRACK AND TO GET THOSE, UH, BALANCES ADDRESSED.
SO IT COULD INVOLVE, YOU KNOW, PAYMENT PLANS THAT THEY GET INTO WITH, UH, THE UTILITIES.
ERIC MENTIONED THIS STATE FUND THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
THERE'S POTENTIAL HERE FOR OUR FEDERAL DOLLARS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AVENUES.
I THINK IT'LL TAKE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS FOR US TO COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE CAN REALLY, UH, HOPEFULLY HELP GREAT PAYERS WITH.
UM, FINALLY ON THE HOUSING SECURITY FUNDS THAT ARE PART OF ARPA, UH, THE 69.7, HOW MUCH OF THAT WILL BE UTILIZED FOR, UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE? GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WE HAVE NOT MADE THAT DETERMINATION YET.
WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THOSE ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES UNDER EACH OF THOSE FUNDING SOURCES.
UM, SO WE ARE GONNA BRING IN THAT BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
[00:35:01]
FUNDING THAT WE HAVE IN THE EAB PROGRAM, WE ARE ESTIMATING THAT WE'LL BE EXHAUSTED BY THE END OF JULY.SO WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL THIS MONTH WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE NEXT, UH, SET OF FUNDS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, LASTLY, I'LL JUST SAY AGAIN, I THINK, UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT OF THE STRAIN AND STRESS IN THE COMMUNITY AS IT RELATES TO THE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT I, I, AGAIN, WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES HERE, UH, IN THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL OVER AS OVER IN THE COUNTY FOR THE COLLABORATION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE LAST 14, 15 MONTHS.
I THINK IF WE CAN CONTINUE THAT SAME SPIRIT OF TEAMWORK, UM, WE WILL MAKE THE MOST OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE, UH, FOR GENERATIONAL IMPACT.
SO, UM, I HOPE THAT THAT'S HOW WE CONTINUE.
UH, I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY HAD THEIR FIRST SESSION EITHER YESTERDAY OR TODAY ON SIMILAR.
UM, A SIMILAR DISCUSSION UNFOLDS.
SO WE'RE GONNA STAY COORDINATED AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THESE UPDATES.
SO LEMME GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE, TO THE TEAM THAT PUT CITY HALL TOGETHER OR THAT, SORRY, UPDATED CITY HALL.
UM, VERY GLAD TO BE HERE, ERIC AND, UH, AND LORI, THANKS FOR, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
UH, AND ALSO VERONICA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FIRST PRESENTATION.
A COUPLE OF, UH, OF QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, AND, AND COMMENTS.
FIRST, UH, I WANT US TO SAY, I, I SUPPORT THE DIRECTIONS, UH, POSED BY, BY THE MAYOR IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHERE WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
SO THANK YOU, MAYOR FOR, FOR SETTING THAT TONE.
UM, I DO WANNA GO BACK TO THE EARLY ON IN THE PRESENTATION.
UH, YOU DON'T NEED TO MOVE ANY OF THE SLIDES, BUT WHEN YOU GAVE US THE UPDATE, UH, AND WE TALKED ABOUT FUNDING FOR, FOR VACCINATIONS, UM, I WANNA, I WANNA SAY IT'S BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE SOUTH SIDE ON, UH, ON THE VACCINATION EFFORTS.
UM, UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THAT.
AND BECAUSE OF YOU, A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE SOUTH SIDE HAVE BEEN VACCINATED THAT OTHERWISE WOULD, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN.
UH, BUT WE'VE REACHED A PLATEAU IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT, UH, TO BE VACCINATED.
AND I'D LIKE TO, TO SUGGEST THAT WE CONSIDER, UH, UTILIZING SOME OF OUR EXISTING FUNDING FOR INCENTIVES, AS WE'VE SEEN SOME OF OUR, OUR PARTNERS DO.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY WHETHER IT SHOULD BE BEER, WHETHER IT SHOULD BE TACOS, WHETHER IT SHOULD BE, UM, UH, TICKETS TO, TO SIX FLAGS, WHICH WE WERE SO, UH, FORTUNATE TO GET.
BUT I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A SOUND INVESTMENT.
IT WOULD BE A LOST OPPORTUNITY IF WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET, UH, MORE OF OUR, OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS VACCINATED.
I'LL MOVE ON TO THE, UH, AMERICAN RECOVERY, UH, PLAN, UH, PRESENTATION.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S A, A DEADLINE FOR JULY 16TH, UH, COMMENTS ON THE RULES.
ARE YOU PREPARING ANY DRAFT COMMENTS ON THE RULE RIGHT NOW THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? UM, NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY RIGHT NOW.
COUNCILWOMAN, UH, AND MAYBE, UH, REMEMBER WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OTHER TOUCH POINTS.
THE JUNE 16TH TRIAL BUDGET AND THE JUNE 25TH COUNCIL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WORK SESSION WHERE WE MAY BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'LL SEND BACK IN JULY, BUT AT THIS POINT WE DON'T HAVE IT.
I, I THINK WHATEVER WE, WE DO SEND BACK SHOULD OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT THE, THE DIRECTION THAT OUR BUDGET IS GOING IN SO THAT WE'RE NOT CAUGHT.
UM, WELL HOPEFULLY TO REDUCE THE, THE CHANCES OF, OF THE RULES CHANGING, UH, IN A WAY THAT'S, UH, CONTRADICTORY TO, TO WHAT WE WOULD PUT FORWARD IN THE DRAFT BUDGET.
UM, THERE WAS A, A STATEMENT IN THERE ABOUT THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACKS.
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT, WHAT THAT IS OR WHAT QUALIFIES AS A SENSE AS A QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK? SURE.
COUNCILWOMAN, AND I'LL START THE CONVERSATION.
WE HAVE MICHAEL NADEL, WHO'S OUR, UH, P F M CONSULTANT WHO'S ON VIRTUALLY, AND HE HAS BEEN HELPING US LOOKING INTO THAT MORE SPECIFICALLY.
SO I'M GONNA ASK FOR HIS ASSISTANCE.
UM, BUT, UM, THE WAY THAT WE UNDERSTAND IT IS SIMILAR TO SOME OF OUR GRANTS WHERE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, C D B G, SO HAVE HAS QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACKS THAT, UM, THE ARPA WANTS US TO ADDRESS EQUITY AND IS SPECIFICALLY HISTORICAL DISPARITIES THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR MANY YEARS.
SO IN ORDER TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE, ELIGIBLE TO GET ARPA FUNDS UTILIZED FOR THOSE PROGRAMS, THOSE, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE IDENTIFY IN AREAS THAT ARE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACKS, THOSE WILL BE CONSIDERED TO BE ELIGIBLE, UH, PROJECTS.
SO I THINK WE HAVE MICHAEL ON THE LINE.
UH, MICHAEL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING? IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND TURNING ON YOUR CAMERA?
[00:40:04]
GOOD AFTERNOON.UM, YEAH, IT, THE DEFINITION AND THE GOAL OF THAT ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM IS REALLY TO FOCUS ON LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, FACING, UM, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS.
UM, PERHAPS DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS IN MANY CASES, UH, FROM COVID PANDEMIC IF, IF I, OH, FROM THE COVID PANDEMIC.
UM, AND SO WHERE WOULD THAT DATA COME FROM? IT'S USING, UM, DEFINITIONS THAT THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT HUD PUTS OUT FOR OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.
IT'S BASED ON HAVING A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS WITHIN THAT CENSUS TRACT, UH, BEING, UM, INCOME ELIGIBLE, UH, BASED ON, UM, INCOME LEVELS, UH, BELOW, UM, THE REGIONAL STANDARDS.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S CONSISTENT WITH SOME OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT, THAT YOU, YOU AND OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE LONG USED, LIKE SURE.
UM, IS, SO MAYBE OFFLINE IF YOU COULD SHARE THAT WITH ME.
WHAT I'M CONFUSED ABOUT IS IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, IMPACTS FROM THE PANDEMIC, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THOSE ARE GOING TO BE CAPTURED IN, IN THE DATA THAT, THAT WE'LL BE USING FOR, FOR CRITERIA.
THERE IS ALSO SOME FLEXIBILITY UNDER THE GUIDANCE TO DEMONSTRATE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS, EVEN IN COMMUNITIES THAT MAY BE NOT QUITE MEETING THOSE ESTABLISHED CRITERIA, BUT THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED, UH, THE, UH, PARTICULAR IMPACTS.
SO THERE'S, UH, IT'S THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACTS PLUS IN TERMS OF, UH, THOSE COMMUNITIES WHERE A MORE FLEXIBLE USE OF THE ARPA DOLLARS IS, UH, PERMISSIBLE.
THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UH, A, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON, UH, WHAT WE CAN USE THAT FUNDING FOR.
UH, I'M GLAD TO SEE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND HEALTH EQUITY, UH, ON THERE.
I THINK THE MENTAL HEALTH IN PARTICULAR CAN REALLY HELP US WITH WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IN TERMS OF HOMELESSNESS.
UH, RIGHT NOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME, SOME LEVELS OF RESTRICTIONS FOR, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BEING ABLE TO USE OUR EXISTING, UH, SHELTERS.
SO IF WE COULD GET THEM INTO TREATMENT SOONER, UH, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY THEM.
UH, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO SEE SOME SORT OF PROPOSAL LIKE THAT COME FORWARD WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU BRING THE TRIAL BUDGET UP? UM, MAYBE A PORTION OF IT THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW, COUNCILWOMAN, THAT, THAT'S ALMOST POTENTIALLY A PHASE TWO BROADER CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE I KNOW THE COUNTY'S HIGHLY ENGAGED, UH, AS THEY APPOINT THE MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY AT, AT CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
SO IT'S A, THAT, THAT'S ALSO A POTENTIAL PHASE TWO THAT REQUIRES THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL ALL HAVE TO, THIS IS PART OF THE THREE TO FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN.
UM, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND AS MICHAEL POINTED OUT, AND VERONICA, IT'S DESIGNED TO, UH, BE VERY TARGETED AND ACHIEVE CERTAIN OUTCOMES.
UM, WE'RE ALSO HAVE TO MONITOR AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING A CLIFF, THAT WE FALL OFF OF A FINANCIAL CLIFF THAT WE FALL OFF OF IN 2025 OR 2026.
AND SO THAT, THAT, THAT GOES BACK TO THE HEART OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE COORDINATING AND LEVERAGING THOSE DOLLARS AND THAT THERE'S A FINANCIAL PLAN EVEN BEYOND ARPA.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK WE'LL HAVE IN THE TRIAL BUDGET AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW, LIKE POLICE AND THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND POTENTIALLY HOMELESSNESS.
AND THEN AGAIN, REVISIT IT AS PART OF PHASE TWO.
UM, AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, I WAS, UH, I WAS GLAD TO SEE, WELL, I'M GLAD TO SEE A LOT OF THINGS IN, IN THE PROPOSED, UH, FUNDING.
UH, BUT CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT, THAT MIGHT BE FUNDED? AND WOULD THAT BE FOR THE COST OF THE FULL PROJECT OR PARTIAL A DIFFERENTIAL COST? WE'RE ABOUT TO GO INTO OUR BOND CYCLE, AND IT SEEMS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET MORE OUT OF THOSE PROJECTS, UH, IF WE PUT IN, IF WE INVEST A LITTLE BIT MORE UPFRONT.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN USE THIS FUNDING FOR.
SO FOR INSTANCE, WE BUILD A PARK, UH, WITH OUR BOND FUNDING, BUT WE USE THE GREEN
[00:45:01]
INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING FROM THE LEGISLATION TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE SOIL SO THAT IT DOES, UH, GREENHOUSE GAS CAPTURE.I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN JULY ABOUT WHAT THAT IS.
UM, AND THAT IN AND OF ITSELF WOULD BE A PHASE TWO, NOT SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE WOULD, THAT I FEEL CERTAIN ENOUGH IN TERMS OF THE GUIDELINES AND THE ADOPTION OF OUR BUDGET.
BUT QUESTIONS LIKE YOU JUST RAISED ARE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK WE'RE ASKING OURSELVES WITH MICHAEL AND PROBABLY OTHER CITIES ABOUT WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IS, AND CAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXACT AND WHAT THE GUIDELINES ARE REQUIRING.
SO I, I THINK JUST TO CLARIFY AND, AND TO, TO MAKE SURE MY, MY MESSAGE IS, IS THERE, IS, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH THE PROPOSAL, IS I WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING FOR.
I, I WANNA SEE SOME IDEAS ABOUT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S, THIS IS PROBABLY A ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO INVEST IN THAT, UH, WITH, WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S HELP, WE ADOPTED A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN NOT LONG AGO.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE US MAKE SOME SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON IT WITH THE HELP OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INSTEAD OF ONLY USING OUR LOCAL DOLLARS FOR THAT.
AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME, UH, SOME ENHANCEMENTS IN, UH, IN MENTAL HEALTH, UH, FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE AND, UH, AND SOME INCENTIVES FOR VACCINES.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
AND THANK YOU VERONICA, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE OUT OF THE 1600, UM, HOMELESS, HOW MANY HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY PLACED IN PERMANENT HOUSING? NO, IT'S COMING UP TO THE, OKAY.
COME UP HERE TO, SO WITH THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, PLACE PEOPLE IN A PERMANENT HOUSING THROUGH RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS, WE, SO FAR WITH D H SS FUNDS HAVE PLACED ABOUT 120, UM, PEOPLE IN, IN FOR THAT RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
AND SO THE PROGRAM REALLY IS JUST STARTING TO GEAR UP.
UM, WE ANTICIPATE PLACING, UM, 1600 BY THE TIME THAT, THAT THE PROGRAM FINISHES.
AND WE ALSO HAVE PARTNERS WHO RECEIVED E S G DOLLARS SEPARATELY, WHO ARE BUSY PLACING PEOPLE AS WELL.
AND SO WE'LL GET YOU A FULL UPDATE THAT INCLUDES NOT JUST OUR NUMBERS, BUT ALSO THEIRS AS WELL.
AND THEN AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, PILLAR, I WANTED TO KNOW, ARE WE PROVIDING ATTORNEY OR PROTECTIVE ORDER ASSISTANCE TO THOSE WHO ARE FALLING UNDER THAT PILLAR? HI, COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I WILL GET THAT SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR YOU.
I KNOW WE'RE DOING A BETTER JOB OF COORDINATING EXISTING SERVICES, UM, BUT THAT SPECIFIC ONE, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK UP FOR YOU.
UM, AND THEN UNDER THE SMALL BUSINESS, I KNOW THAT WE'VE APPROVED MANY, UM, BUSINESSES, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT IN DISTRICT TWO WE HAD 3.5 MILLION COME TO OVER 150 BUSINESSES.
BUT I WANTED TO ASK HOW MANY BUSINESSES WERE DENIED, UM, ARE, ARE NOT APPROVED FOR THIS FUNDING? AND IF WE CAN GET WHY THEY WERE DENIED OR NOT APPROVED FOR FUNDING? YES, MA'AM.
UM, SPEAKING JUST ON THE HOSPITALITY GRANTS, UM, THERE WAS, I BELIEVE, 177 OF THE APPLICANTS THAT WERE DEEMED INELIGIBLE.
UM, FOR THE MOST PART THEY WERE, BECAUSE THEY WERE, THEY WERE IN AN INDUSTRY THAT WASN'T PART OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, BASICALLY.
UM, BUT THERE WAS SOME THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO PROVE LOSSES, UM, WHICH WAS ALSO PART OF OUR ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
AND THEN AS WE'RE GOING INTO THE ARPA FUNDING UNDER THE WATER AND, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO USE THOSE FUNDS TO DO PIPE REPAIR OR DO WATER STUDIES, OR DO WE KNOW IF THAT IS, UH, ELIGIBLE COUNCILWOMAN? UH, WE ARE, UH, EVALUATING THE, THE GUIDELINES AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO WE CAN DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP WHEN WE COME BACK FOR TRIAL BUDGET WITH SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH P F M IN REVIEWING THE GUIDELINES.
UM, AND THEN UNDER THE ADDRESSING OF FINE ARTS AND CULTURE AND NONPROFITS, ARE WE LOOKING AT THAT AS A GENERAL FUND, AS WE'RE DOING OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES, OR IS THAT GONNA BE A SEPARATE ENTITY UNDER HOW WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT DOING THE BUDGET ONCE WE COME BACK WITH THE CRITERIA? YOU,
[00:50:01]
SO, I MEAN, THE, THE, THE, ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT WE, I THINK, HEARD CLEARLY FROM THE COUNCIL AT THE MID-YEAR BUDGET AND THE FORECAST WAS THAT THE COUNCIL WAS LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES FOR, UH, RESTORING FUNDING FOR THE, UM, ARTS AGENCIES, UH, IN THAT COMMUNITY.SO THAT'LL BE LIKELY SOMETHING YOU SEE WITHIN THE TRIAL BUDGET, UM, AT A MINIMUM, FIRSTLY.
AND THEN, UH, POTENTIALLY AS PART OF, UM, UH, THE OVERALL ARPA STRATEGY.
UNDER BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE, WILL WE ALSO BE INCLUDING NOT JUST THE WIRING, BUT ARE WE NOW INCLUDING EQUIPMENT UNDER THAT FOR LAPTOPS? OR COUNCILMAN? IF YOU'RE ASKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT'S ELIGIBLE AND THE CRITERIA, I BELIEVE THAT IS AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE.
UH, WE ARE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS AT THIS POINT.
UH, WE'RE JUST PROVIDING COMMENTS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTION, WE'LL COME BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS PART OF THE TRIAL BUDGET, GET YOUR INPUT, AND THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PHASE TWO, WHICH WOULD BE THE ENTIRE STRATEGY FOR THE ARPA FUNDS.
AND THEN ARE WE, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR FEDERAL FUNDING CANNOT BE USED FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED WITHIN OUR CITY.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? I KNOW WE USED THE GENERAL FUND BEFORE, BUT DO WE KNOW HOW MANY FAMILIES HAVE BEEN ASSISTED OR HOW MANY FAMILIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE HOUSING THAT ARE UN, THAT ARE UNDOCUMENTED COUNCILWOMAN YES, YES.
OR THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR, NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE FEDERAL FUND? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION COUNCILWOMAN.
SO IF WE COULD, COULD FIND OUT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE LEAVING, UM, SOMETIMES FROM DAY TO DAY.
AND I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FUNDING THAT IS AVAILABLE TO HELP THOSE FAMILIES.
AND THEN, UM, LOOKING AT THE AIRPORT FUNDING, WILL THAT FUNDING BE ABLE TO HELP THOSE CONCESSIONERS THAT HAVE THOSE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES OR HAVE HAD TO RELOCATE OUT OF THE AIRPORT? HI, JESUS
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS IT WILL BE UTILIZED FOR THEM.
THERE ARE SPECIFIC FORMULAS TOTALING BETWEEN ARPA AND KRISA, A LITTLE OVER $5 MILLION.
IT'S GONNA GO TO THOSE CONCESSIONS THAT ARE THERE AT THE AIRPORT TO ASSIST THEM.
AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, AS FAR AS, UM, LOOKING AT THE MENTAL HEALTH THAT COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL WAS SPEAKING ABOUT, I WANTED TO FIND OUT WITHIN THOSE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK AREAS, WELL, WE BE LOOKING AT SATELLITE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS OR TELEMED SERVICES.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A WAY THAT WE REALLY START TO TALK ABOUT THIS MENTAL HEALTH, UH, CRISIS THAT WE HAVE.
SO I AM PARTICIPATING IN THE COUNTY'S TASK FORCE ON MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, AND ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
SO REMEMBER TWO YEARS AGO, THE CITY, UM, PARTIALLY FUNDED WHAT WE CALLED A RAPID ACCESS CLINIC FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR A YEAR NOW AND HAS SEEN REMARKABLE SUCCESS.
AND SO ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF IS THE, UM, EXPANSION OF THAT CONCEPT, UM, INTO MULTIPLE AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, AND, UM, WHAT WAS THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION? JUST THE TELEMED SERVICES.
I KNOW THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS THE NEW, UH, GOOD SAM MODEL, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT INTO THIS FUNDING AS WELL.
WE ARE ACTUALLY EXPLORING THAT COUNCILWOMAN, WE DON'T HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR, OR FINAL PLANS AT THIS POINT, BUT WE ARE EXPLORING, UM, UTILIZING THAT FOR OTHER PROGRAMS. OKAY.
AND I WANTED TO CLOSE OUT, BECAUSE ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN AT THIS TIME, OUR YOUTH SUMMER PROGRAMS, A LOT OF OUR FAMILIES, UM, ARE STILL TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH NOT ONLY THEIR FINANCIAL, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THE YOUTH HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRULY STILL ENJOY THEIR LIVES.
UM, ALSO LOOKING AT OUR SENIORS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR HOUSING IS UP TO PAR.
I KNOW WITH THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE BREATHABLE LIVING CONDITIONS.
UM, SO LOOKING AT FILTRATION SYSTEMS AS WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES AND ALSO OUR SENIOR CENTERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER OF GONZALEZ.
AND ALSO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO HELPED THIS IN HERE.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, THE LAST, UH, FEW WEEKS OR SO, UM, TO THIS BEAUTIFUL SPACE.
AND, UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS THIS MORNING, AND THEY GOT TO VISIT WITH THE MAYOR AND SEE HIS HISTORIC OFFICE AS WELL.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE WORK TO GET US IN, UH, HERE, SO WE COULD ENJOY IT.
[00:55:01]
AND, UH, SO I, I, LET ME JUST, UH, START, UH, UH, WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE.UM, JOHN HINOJOSA AND, UM, CHRISTINA BAE AND MARY HEATHCOTT.
THEY'RE ALL DISTRICT FIVE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
LONG, LONG TIME, MANY, MANY DECADES, UH, IN THE AREA.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING SORT OF LOOSELY ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR ARTS FUNDING, BUT I MEAN, I'LL GIVE YOU SCENARIO AND YOU TELL ME, UM, I GUESS I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU GUYS ARE STILL INVESTIGATING, BUT, UM, THE GUADALUPE THEATER, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IS IN TERRIBLE NEED OF, OF UPDATES.
UM, IT'S JUST AN OLD FACILITY AND, AND WE COULD STAND QUITE A FEW TECHNOLOGICAL UPDATES AND UPGRADES.
SO MIGHT THAT BE ELIGIBLE? I MEAN, IT'S A PUBLIC, IT'S A CITY OWNED FACILITY FOR ONE.
UH, IT ALSO, UM, HAD TO OVERCOME THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, AND I THINK IT'S STILL IN NEED OF, UM, SOME BROADBAND SUPPORT.
SO COULD WE USE THAT, UM, AND PIECE SOME THINGS TOGETHER? WE HAVE A HISTORIC BUILDING.
UM, I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AND WE'RE ADDRESSING THE ARTS, WHICH WE HAVE SO DESPERATELY SAID THAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT.
SO CAN WE JUST COMMIT $10 MILLION TO THE REDEVELOPMENT?
I MIGHT AS WELL THROW IT OUT THERE.
CAN WE, CAN WE JUST DO THAT? UH, YES.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR? THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
I CAN'T REALLY SEE YOU GUYS FROM, I LOVE, I LOVE OUR BUILDING, BUT I CAN'T ACTUALLY SEE YOU GUYS.
SO, UM, SO, UM, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, CAPITAL TYPE PROJECTS LIKE THAT WE BELIEVE IS AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE.
I'M SORRY, ERIC, DID YOU SAY INELIGIBLE? NO, WE BELIEVE IS AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE.
UM, AND IT, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD STRIVE TO GET ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL SAY THAT THE, THE POINT YOU'RE MAKING IS THAT IT'S A, IT'S A PUBLIC FACILITY, IT'S A MUNICIPAL FACILITY.
IT CERTAINLY PROBABLY MEETS, UH, THE DEFINITION OF QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK.
UM, SO YES, POSSIBLY, I, I, THIS IS, THIS IS, LET ME JUST INSERT MYSELF.
'CAUSE WE'RE GATHERING UP PART OF THIS SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ASKING THE RIGHT TYPE OF CLAR CLARIFYING QUESTIONS IN JULY.
THIS WON'T BE YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS WITH US.
WE DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA WILL BE, BECAUSE PHASE TWO OF THIS PROCESS IS GONNA BE MUCH MORE INTENSIVE, UM, AND SOMETHING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO, UM, PLAN FOR OVER A THREE TO FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
AND SO, I MEAN, I, I, I GAVE THAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE I FELT LIKE IT, IT'S PRETTY AN OBVIOUS ONE AT LEAST IN MY MIND.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I I I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, WHAT WE, THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN ABOUT RESTORING FUNDING.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE ARE WAYS WE CAN GO BEYOND RESTORING FUNDING, ESPECIALLY WHEN SO MANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE IN OUR OWN CITY-OWNED FACILITIES.
AND JUST LIKE, I LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL SPACE.
YOU KNOW, WE SPENT $40 MILLION RESTORING IT.
THERE ARE OTHER BUILDINGS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT COULD EQUALLY SUPPORT, UH, OR EQUALLY, UM, RECEIVE OR IN NEED OF A RESTORATION, ALMOST TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS ONE WAS, UM, NOT IN THE $40 MILLION RANGE, BUT, BUT, UM, THAT THE NEED WAS EQUALLY THERE.
SO, UM, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, I KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING MANY, MANY YEARS ABOUT OUR CITY OWNED FACILITIES AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO MAINTAIN THOSE.
UH, WE HAVE MANY ALL AROUND, UM, AT LEAST I KNOW THE ONES IN MY DISTRICT I'M FAMILIAR WITH, BUT I SUSPECT THERE ARE OTHERS.
UH, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY AS THOSE FACILITIES ADDRESS, UH, THE WHOLE DISTRICT IS GONNA BE THAT CENSUS TRACK THAT FALLS UNDER THOSE DESIGNATIONS.
BUT IF THEY ARE, UM, DOING ARTS, UH, THINGS FOR YOUTH, IF THEY ARE, UH, PART OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, IF THEY ARE PART OF OUR, UM, UH, NOT JUST MENTAL HEALTH, BUT PHYSICAL HEALTH, UH, PART OF OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, AND THEY SERVE THOSE TYPE OF NEEDS, UM, THAT WE SHOULD, UH, PRIORITIZE THOSE AS WE ADDRESS, UH, EQUITY IN PARTICULAR, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WITH THIS FUNDING, THAT AGAIN, IS A UNIQUE, UM, I THINK
[01:00:01]
THIS IS A REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE DISCREPANCIES, UH, OVER MANY, MANY DECADES.UM, AND SO I, I, I GOT THE, UM, THE PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT LATE.
MY, MY COMPUTER JUST DIDN'T LOAD.
BUT, UM, WHAT, WHY, IT SEEMED LIKE THE WIFI BROADBAND PIECE, UM, WAS REALLY SLOW GOING.
COULD, COULD YOU ADDRESS THAT? IT, I SAW YOUR, UM, PRESENTATION AND IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS STILL A LONG WAY TO GO TO ADDRESS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK WE CLARIFIED A TIMELINE FOR OUR INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY COUNCILS COMMITTEE THROUGHOUT LAST YEAR AND INTO THIS YEAR, WHAT OUR TIMELINE LOOKED LIKE AS FAR AS THE SPENDING ON THE DOLLARS, WE ARE ALREADY 11 MILLION SPENT, UM, COMMITTED.
AND THEN WE, THE RE THE REMAINDER OF THAT AND THE 25 MILLION, THE REMAINDER OF THAT IS FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR TO DEPLOY.
SO WE HAVE ALREADY DEPLOYED TO S A I S D, OUR PROJECT PLAN NEXT IS TO GO WITH EDGEWOOD AND HARLANDALE.
SO WE'RE ALREADY DEVELOPING THAT, THAT, UH, DEPLOYMENT MODEL WITH THEM.
UH, WE'LL BE DEPLOYED THERE EARLY SCHOOL YEAR THIS YEAR, THIS COMING YEAR.
UH, AND THEN AFTER THAT WE MOVE INTO, BACK INTO S A I S D WITH THE REMAINDER OF THEIR STUDENTS, WHICH IS I THINK IS ABOUT 6,400 STUDENTS IN SS A I S D FOR THE REMAINDER.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO SOUTH END, SOUTHWEST, NORTHEAST NORTH SIDE AND JUDSON, WHICH INCLUDES ABOUT 3,200 STUDENTS.
SO WE HAD, WE HAD SPEL, WE HAD SAID THAT VERY CLEARLY, UH, TO I T C OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS THAT, HEY, THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS IS GONNA BE REALLY SLOW MOVING BECAUSE THIS IS A PILOT, THIS IS NEW TECHNOLOGY, THERE'S A NEW WAY TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS.
AND SO WE'RE EXPLORING THAT NOW.
WE'RE KIND OF SPEEDING UP A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE WE KIND OF KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
I WON'T SAY CRAIG WILL KILL ME IF YOU I REALLY SAY THAT, BUT, UH, KIND OF KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WELL, I CAN, WELL, I, IT, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE I DON'T REALLY, REALLY LONG.
SO, UM, IT IS SINCE THE TIME THAT WE ADDRESSED, I MEAN, WE, WE ADDRESSED HOMELESSNESS AND WE'VE ADDRESSED ALL KINDS OF OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, BUT NOT THAT, SO WITH, WITH EAP AND HOUSING, THAT'S REALLY A FUNDING MECHANISM WITH THIS.
IT REALLY IS A MAJOR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE BUILD.
UM, SO WE WERE EXPECTING INITIALLY TO BE ABLE TO BUILD ON SAIS D'S FACILITIES.
SO WE'VE HAD TO DEPLOY TOWERS.
ACTUALLY, ONE OF 'EM IS OVER NEAR BISON LIBRARY.
YEAH, I THINK ALSO, UH, YOU WERE AT COLLINS NOT TOO LONG.
SO WE HAD, WE HAD TO BUILD THOSE MONOPOLES.
NOW WITH EDGEWOOD AND HARLANDALE, THEY HAVE GIVEN US THE APPROVAL TO GO AHEAD AND BUILD ON THEIR FACILITY.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAY YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE RAPID MOVEMENT THERE.
BUT WITH SS A I Z, NOT SO MUCH, THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT JEOPARDIZING THEIR E-RATE.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO REALLY BUILD OUT THOSE MONOPOLES RATHER THAN BUILD THEM MORE RAPIDLY ON THEIR GROUNDS.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR, UH, KIND OF EXPLAINING THAT PART.
UM, I JUST, I HAVE, THANK YOU.
I HAVE JUST A FEW MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE I RUN OUTTA TIME HERE.
UM, ABOUT, UM, REGARDING, UM, THE, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN AT SANDOVAL MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT COULD YOU ELABORATE WHAT EXACTLY MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S FOREMOST ON OUR MIND IS THE C P S ENERGY FAILURES OR CHALLENGES.
SO, UM, COULD YOU GIVE OTHER EXAMPLES OF WHAT THAT MIGHT BE LIKE? SURE.
COUNCILWOMAN, SO THE, THE ARPA FUND SPECIFICALLY FOR FISCAL RECOVERY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT THEY, UM, PROVIDE IS, UM, FOR THE LOCAL PROVISION OF GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES.
SO THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, CAP, UH, IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE PAY AS YOU GO.
THEY DON'T ALLOW THE, THE FUNDS TO BE USED FOR DEBT.
UH, BUT STREET MAINTENANCE, SIDEWALKS, UH, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, THOSE ARE EXAMPLES, UH, OF INFRASTRUCTURE, CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION, UM, THAT CAN BE PAID WITH THIS FUNDS, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, WATER AND SEWER.
UM, THIS FOR THE CITY SPECIFICALLY DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE EXAMPLES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED, UH, TO US SINCE, SINCE THAT'S WHAT WE TYPICALLY MANAGE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
WELL, MY QUESTION WAS REGARDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE WHAT WOULD, WHAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, SOME THINGS COME TO MIND, BUT I, I MAY BE OFF.
I MENTIONED THE IDEA OF UPGRADING AN OLD FACILITY AND JUST EVEN PUTTING MODERN, UH, UH, CLIMATE CONTROL.
UM, IS THAT PART OF THE GREEN ECONOMY OR IF, IF, IF WE DO A WHOLE SOLAR BUILDING, IS THAT AN EXAMPLE? OR IS IT MORE AS COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL MENTIONED, LIKE DRAINAGE? SURE.
DRAINAGE FOR SURE IS SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED IN THE GUIDELINES.
I DON'T HAVE EXAMPLES OF, UH, GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
THE GUIDANCE SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GUIDELINES AND ALIGN WITH THAT.
I WILL BE HAPPY TO DO MORE RESEARCH AND BRING THAT BACK TO OKAY.
DURING THE, THE TRIAL BUDGET, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE JUST, YOU KNOW, UM,
[01:05:01]
I MEAN, I, I CAN THINK OF A LOT OF THINGS, BUT, UM, I, I, PERHAPS, UM, I'D BE INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT ELSE IS THERE.AND I'LL, I'LL JUST ALSO, UM, MENTION WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, PHASING AND LEVERAGING.
UH, BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, LOCALLY AND FEDERALLY, IT'S NOT JUST THE ARPA.
UM, WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT POTENTIAL OF A JOBS PLAN, WHICH IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN.
UH, OUR COUNTY AND CITY POTENTIALLY DOING A BOND, UM, AS WELL AS OUR F Y UH, 22 AND BEYOND CAPITAL BUDGET.
SO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING THE SAME DOLLAR TWICE AND COVERING ALL THE GROUND THAT WE NEED TO, WHILE REACHING FOR THAT GENERATIONAL IMPACT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK, UH, WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING UP IS ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE AND, AND NEEDS TO BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND, AND I GUESS, UM, I'LL START RIGHT THERE WHERE YOU LEFT OFF, BECAUSE MAYOR, AS YOU STARTED YOUR COMMENTS, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE ARE NOT GOING BACK TO NORMAL, AND WITH THIS AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, THERE IS NO REASON WE SHOULD BE GOING BACK TO HOW IT NORMALLY WAS HERE IN THIS CITY WHERE THE, UM, AGE DIFFERENTIATION, NORTH AND SOUTH OF HILDEBRAND IS 20 YEARS WHERE, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE WAY IT IS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF, OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WITH THIS AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT, WE HAVE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND MAYOR, I WOULD SAY, AND TO, UH, MANAGER, DEPUTY, CITY MANAGER AND CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH.
AS WE LOOK AT, AS I ALREADY MENTIONED TWICE, I THINK THE BOND EVERY, AND THE, THE TRIAL BUDGET, EVERYTHING WE DO SHOULD BE WITH THE, I'LL CALL IT THE ARPA LENS.
UM, LOOK AT IT WITH HOW ARE WE GOING TO SEE A, A STACKING OF SORTS OF THESE DOLLARS, UM, KNOWING THAT THE COUNTY IS GETTING DOLLARS AS WELL, AND SOUTH OF FOUR 10, WHICH IS PART THE CITY PART, THE COUNTY, WE HAVE TO RIOS, BUT WE STILL DON'T HAVE SEWER LINES OR WATER LINES OUT THERE.
WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE ON SEPTIC SYSTEMS AND PEOPLE STILL WITH WELLS THAT WANT TO TAP INTO THE CITY, BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THEM TO GET INTO A CITY WATER, MAINE.
SO IF THE CITY AND SAWS MAYOR AND THE COUNTY CAN GET TOGETHER WITH THIS, UM, WATER AND CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUND, OR THIS WATER AND SEWER, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE COULD DO THIS.
AND AS WE'RE LAYING THE PIPE DOWN, LET'S ADD OUR OTHER UTILITY, THE BROADBAND AND THE DIGITAL AS WE'RE LAYING THOSE OTHER LINES DOWN, UM, OUT TO THAT AREA.
BECAUSE SOUTH SIDE I S D STILL NEEDS TO GET THEIR DIGITAL, UM, BROADBAND AND ACCESS OUT AND BE PART OF THE DIGITAL INCLUSION.
SO I, I WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
SO WITH THE COMBINATION OF LAYING DOWN LINES AND UTILITIES, I THINK, UH, WE LOOK AT IT AS A STACKING WITH ALL OF THESE DOLLARS, UTILIZING THE, THE COUNTY, THE STATE MONIES FOR THE DIGITAL, AND THEN, UH, THE BOND MONEY, ET CETERA.
AND WHATEVER SAWS CAN PULL FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL WITH SOME, SOME DOLLARS.
AND, UM, I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES, UM, INVESTMENTS ADDRESSING HISTORICAL DISPARITIES AROUND HEALTH AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.
UM, MAYBE SOME GUIDANCE OR SOME COMMENTS THAT WE CAN GIVE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH, HOW CAN WE USE AND HAVE, UM, ARTS PROGRAMMING PART OF MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS, AND HAVE THAT FUND USE THE MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS DOLLARS FOR ARTS FUNDING? BECAUSE I KNOW IN OUR SENIOR CENTERS, OUR SENIORS USE ARTS PROGRAMMING A LOT FOR MENTAL HEALTH, HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS.
OUR CHILDREN, OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE GOING TO NEED IT DESPERATELY AS THEY COME BACK FROM AN ENTIRE YEAR OF NO SOCIALIZATION.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE THAT COMING BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND ARTS IS A GREAT WAY TO USE IT AS A MENTAL HEALTH AND CALMING MECHANISM.
I KNOW WHAT HELPS FOR ME, UM, FOR, UM, INDIVIDUALS.
SO LET'S NOT LOOK AT IT JUST AS, AS SOMETHING EXTRA OR SOMETHING AS PART OF A COMMUNITY, BUT SOMETHING AS INTEGRAL TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH
[01:10:01]
AND WELLNESS.I THINK THAT'S HOW WE CAN ADD THE COMMENTS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN GIVING THIS GUIDANCE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, NEXT, UM, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE, OH, AND ALSO WHEN IT COMES DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES, PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS.
I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO GIVE COMMENTS TO SAY HOW OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND OUR, UM, HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN INTEGRAL IN DURING OUR C OVID 19 AND OUR TIMES OF SEPARATION AND OUR TIMES OF SHUTDOWN.
AND I WOULD CALL, UM, OUR, UM, HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD WORKERS, OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS, ESSENTIAL WORKERS, JUST AS OUR, UM, SOLID WASTE TEAM, OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, OUR JANITORIAL STAFF, OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, AND ALL OF THEM DESERVE PREMIUM PAY AS WELL.
SO HOW DO WE, I DON'T KNOW IF THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES SAY THAT AND IF IT'S OUTLINED LIKE THAT IN, UM, HUD, BUT IF IT'S NOT, LET'S GIVE THEM COMMENTS THAT THEY SHOULD BE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE PASS THAT ON TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THEM.
UM, NEXT, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT E P A COM, I'M S I'LL LET YOU ANSWER, ASK WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
IF, UM,
WHEN IT COMES TO THE E P A, I KNOW MITCHELL LAKE, UM, AND THE MITCHELL LAKE AUDUBON CENTER IS ALSO TRYING TO COME INTO, UM, INTO, I GUESS, ATTAINMENT WHEN IT COMES TO E P A.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, MAKE SURE, SEE HOW SAWS IS GOING TO USE DOLLARS OR IF WE CAN HELP ENHANCE THAT, THEM COMING INTO MEETING WHATEVER THE E P A IS TELLING THEM THAT THEY HAVE TO DO STILL.
AND, UM, ALSO, SO IF WE CAN HIRE MORE COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS, LET'S DO THAT WITH THE, OR AT LEAST FUND THEM FOR WIDER AREAS.
ALSO OUR VIVA CA SAN ANTONIO HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE, OF COURSE, UM, TO HELP OFFSET THE COST FOR THAT EXPANSION THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, IN THE OTHER COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PART OF OUR FISCAL RECOVERY.
AND, UM, I THINK I ALREADY MENTIONED THAT AREA, BUT, UM, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS RIGHT NOW WHEN IT COMES TO OUR, OUR OPPORTUNITY AND TO RESTORING AND THIS FISCAL, UM, THIS FISCAL RECOVERY THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
I THINK THAT'S, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY, UM, ESSENTIAL FOR ALL OF US.
SO LEMME START WITH THE QUESTIONS AND THEN YOU CAN, YOU CAN COME UP.
UM, I SAW THE BUDGET FOR, IT WAS 133.6 FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
WE HAVE 96 AND 96 HAS BEEN USED.
I GUESS STILL IS OUR BALANCE, IS THAT ENOUGH? AND HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO BE CONTINUING? AND I SEE LORI COMING TO THE PODIUM AND I'LL ANSWER THE FIRST, UH, PORTION OF THE QUESTION.
SO, UM, BASED ON THE DEMAND THAT WE HAVE FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE CURRENT FUNDS THAT WE HAVE WILL LAST TILL THE END OF JULY.
UM, SO WE HAVE ANOTHER ITEM COMING TO THE COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION THIS MONTH TO INCREASE THAT FUNDING WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDS WE'RE GETTING, UM, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND ALSO, UH, THE STATE HAS ALLOCATED SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS IN THE COUNTY THAT, UM, LORI CAN ELABORATE ON.
SO THE TOTAL $69 MILLION THAT WE SAW IN THE HOUSING PILLAR, ABOUT $50 MILLION IS COMING IN THE FORM OF THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
WE ANTICIPATE ALLOCATING ALL OF THAT TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
IF WE ALLOCATE ALL OF THAT FUNDING, THAT'LL GET US THROUGH DECEMBER.
UM, WE DID SEE A SPIKE IN HOUSING RENTAL REQUESTS OVER THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS THAT IS TRENDING DOWNWARD.
UM, BUT ON AVERAGE, WE'RE SPENDING ABOUT ANYWHERE FROM TWO AND A HALF TO 4 MILLION A WEEK, UM, IN EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE RENTAL REQUESTS.
O ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA WATCH CLOSELY, AND IT PROBABLY IMPACTS NOT ONLY EAP, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY WORKFORCE, UH, DEVELOPMENT TO TRAIN FOR JOBS, IS THE GOVERNOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO CEASE THE, THE ADDITIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT, I THINK GOES INTO EFFECT JUNE 21ST.
JULY WILL BE A GOOD, UM, MONTH FOR US TO CHECK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY RESIDUAL IMPACT ON SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE'RE WATCHING OUT THERE.
[01:15:01]
UH, WITH THE STATE ALLOCATION OF THESE ARPA DOLLARS, UH, HOW IS THAT GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED? I'M SURE JEFF HAS THE ANSWER FOR THAT ONE.UH, COUNCILWOMAN THE, UH, IT WILL BE LIKELY ADDRESSED IN THE SPECIAL SESSION THAT THE GOVERNOR CALLS IN THE FALL.
UM, THE HOUSE, AS YOU RECALL, HAD PUT LANGUAGE IN THE BUDGET THAT REQUIRED THAT, THAT BASICALLY SAID THAT FOR ANY OF THAT REMAINING FEDERAL RELIEF DOLLARS TO BE ALLOCATED, THE LEGISLATURE HAD TO APPROVE IT.
UH, IT WAS STRIPPED OUT BY THE SENATE, BUT THE GOVERNOR OF THE VERY NEXT DAY, UH, UH, COMMITTED TO INCLUDING THE LEGISLATURE.
AND SO SINCE THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL SESSION THIS FALL, UH, AROUND REDISTRICTING, MOST LIKELY ONCE THE CENSUS DATA COMES IN, WE EXPECT THAT THE FEDERAL, UH, FUNDING THAT HAS GONE TO THE STATE WILL BE ADDED TO THAT.
AND THERE WILL BE A SORT OF A MINI BUDGET, UH, DISCUSSION.
AND SO IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO ADD, COMMENT TO THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES, MAYBE TIGHTEN THAT TIMELINE FOR STATES TO D TO GIVE OUT THAT, UM, MONEY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR TO WHEREVER IT NEEDS TO GO.
I THINK IF X TIME DOESN'T PASS, THEN THEY NEED TO SEND IT DIRECTLY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BECAUSE THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING IN THIS STATE.
UM, LORI, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER, THIS IS STILL RELATED TO THE HOUSING, UH, ISSUE, RENTAL HOUSING.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT, WHAT KIND OF IMPACT THE STATE RENTAL HOUSING HAS HAD IN SAN ANTONIO WITH THE, THE NUMBERS THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN HELPING? UH, I KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING, BUT ARE WE HEARING, YOU KNOW, HOW THE STATE FUNDING IS IMPACTING PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO? COUNCIL MEMBER? I'M GONNA ASK VERONICA SOTO TO ADDRESS THAT QUESTION.
WE DO KNOW THAT THE STATE'S PROGRAM GOT OFF TO A SLOW START.
UM, THEY WERE TRYING JUST LIKE WE WERE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BETTER DISPERSE THAT FUNDING.
UM, SO VEL, IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, THANK YOU.
UM, THE, WE HAVE, UH, CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THE STATE ABOUT HOW THEY'RE DOING.
WE HAVE ACCESS TO HOW MANY FOLKS HAVE BEEN ASSISTED IN OUR COUNTY.
AND SO, UM, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS THIS WEEK.
I WILL GET THE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF HOW MANY IN OUR COUNTY.
UM, THEY WERE OFF TO A SLOW START.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCESS TO HOW MANY HAVE BEEN APPROVED, I CAN, I CAN GET THOSE NUMBERS IN OUR COUNTY.
IT HELPS US AVOID, UM, NOT HAVING DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS.
THEY JUST, UM, ARE RAMPING UP NOW.
BUT I'LL GET YOU THE NUMBER, UH, AS OF THIS WEEK.
YEAH, I, I BRING THAT UP SPECIFICALLY.
'CAUSE I HAD A CALL FROM, UH, A CONSTITUENT WHO HAD GOTTEN ALL THE FUNDING HELP SHE COULD FROM OUR SERVICES.
AND I WANTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WELL IT'S PROGRESSING AT THE STATE LEVEL SO WE CAN REFER HER THERE.
AND, UH, ARE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR OFFICE HELPING MAKE THAT REFERRAL TO THE STATE? WE ARE.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, COUNCIL APPROVED RECENTLY WAS A CONTRACT WITH THE HEALTH COLLABORATIVE TO DO OUTREACH AND INTAKE.
AND WE SPECIFICALLY ASKED, UH, THE HEALTH COLLABORATIVE TO HELP FAMILIES TO APPLY AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL.
SO IF THEY ARE, UH, MAXED OUT WITH THE EHAP PROGRAM LOCALLY, THEY WILL BE HELPING, THERE'S SOME FAMILIES WHO, UM, WOULD PREFER TO GO TO THE STATE GIVEN HOW MUCH THEY, THEY MIGHT BE, UH, IN ARREARS.
AND SO WHICHEVER PROGRAM THE CLIENT WISHES TO, THEY'LL GET THE SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE RELATED TO THE HOTEL, I DON'T KNOW IF EITHER OF YOU CAN ANSWER IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE HOTEL WE'VE HAD FOR THE HOMELESS, WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY GONE THROUGH THAT AND THAT WE CAN SAY ARE BACK ON THEIR FEET AND HOW MANY OF THEM ARE BACK ON THE STREET OUT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, OVER A YEAR OF PROVIDING THAT SERVICE.
I SEE MELODY WOOSLEY COMING UP TO THE PODIUM.
AND SHE'LL ADDRESS THIS FOR YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND SO, UM, COUNCILMAN, I MISSED PART OF YOUR QUESTION, BUT I KNOW THE FIRST OUT OF THE HOTEL ROOMS THAT WE'VE BEEN, THAT WE'RE LEASING, THAT WE'VE BEEN HELPING HOMELESS STAY IN, AND I KNOW THEY'RE GETTING SERVICES, HOW MANY OF THEM ARE, ARE BACK ON THEIR FEET AND, AND ARE, ARE NOT HOMELESS? AND HOW MANY OF THEM ARE BACK ON THE STREET THAT THEY JUST LEFT AND THEY'RE NOT THERE ANYMORE? RIGHT.
SO THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF TRANSITIONS DIRECTLY FROM THAT HOTEL.
ABOUT 1300 PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH
[01:20:01]
THE HOTEL AND IT HAS 300 ROOMS. UM, OVER 200, ABOUT 250 HAVE GONE INTO HOUSING FROM THE HOTEL.AND REMEMBER THIS POPULATION, UM, THAT THEY'RE USING THE HOTEL TO SHELTER, UM, IS REALLY THE COURTYARD POPULATION AND THE UNSHELTERED POPULATION.
AND SO IT STARTED OUT AS THE MOST HIGH RISK, UM, HOMELESS MOVED INTO THE HOTEL TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE SAFE, UM, MOSTLY FROM THE COURTYARD AREA.
AND NOW, YOU KNOW, TODAY, UH, REALLY LESS THAN A HUNDRED OF THE PEOPLE THERE ARE CAME FROM THE CAMPUS TO THE HOTEL.
A LOT OF THEM CAME DIRECTLY OFF THE STREET.
AND SO I'LL HAVE TO CHECK TO SEE IF THEY HAVE DATE ON, ON, UH, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT RETURNED TO THE STREET FROM THE HOTEL.
MOST OF THEM HAVE EITHER GONE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING OR TO THE HAVEN FOR HOPE CAMPUS.
WELL, I THINK THAT'D BE USEFUL 'CAUSE I HEAR, UH, I HEAR A LOT OF CRITICISM FROM PEOPLE ABOUT BUYING HOTELS TO HOUSE THE HOMELESS.
OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT, BUT THAT GETS TO BE THE TALK ON THE STREET.
AND I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME FACTUAL INFORMATION TO PEOPLE THAT X AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT X AMOUNT OF THEM ARE NOW HOUSED OR REEMPLOYED MM-HMM.
AND YES, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE BACK ON THE STREET AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO LET THEM KNOW THE RATE OF SUCCESS OR FAILURE THAT THAT SURE.
PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS EARNED.
WE'LL GIVE YOU A MORE DETAILED UPDATE.
UM, I, I, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF WE'VE LOOKED AT HOW MUCH OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY HAS BEEN SPENT RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC.
SO HOW MUCH OF OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS HAVE WE ACTUALLY SPENT ON THE PANDEMIC, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE? I COUNCILMAN THE FINANCIAL REPORT THAT WE PROVIDED TO YOU TODAY, UM, HAS A TOTAL FOR THE GENERAL FUND, UM, OVER $300 MILLION, I'M SORRY, IS $155 MILLION OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THAT'S FOR EVERYTHING RELATED TO PANDEMIC? YES.
DOES THAT INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE POLICE, THE FIRE, THE E M S? SO, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLOWED US TO GET REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THE RESPONSE LIKE POLICE CODE ENFORCEMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, AND THOSE THAT WERE SUBSTANTIALLY PRESUMED TO BE RESPONDING TO THE, TO THE PANDEMIC SUCH AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT WERE GRANTS SPECIFICALLY THE CARES, THE $270 MILLION THAT ALLOWS TO RECOVER THAT COST ASSOCIATED WITH, WITH THE PANDEMIC.
OTHER COSTS THAT WE RECOVER WERE SUPPLIES THAT WE PURCHASED, EQUIPMENT THAT WE PURCHASE.
WHAT YOU'VE SEEN AT THE ALAMO DOME, THE TRAILERS THAT ARE, UH, FIRE AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT ARE UTILIZING THE MOBILE UNITS THAT ARE GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
ALL THAT HAS BEEN PURCHASED WITH, UM, UH, UM, FEDERAL GRANTS.
SO THE ACTUAL GENERAL FUND MONEY IS, UH, 130 MILLION.
HOW MUCH OF THAT CAN BE REIMBURSED GOING FORWARD? SO COUNCILMAN YOU MAY RECALL, AS PART OF THE, UM, FUNDING STRATEGY THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL LAST YEAR, THE CARE FUNDS ALLOWED US TO GET, UM, SOME OF OUR FIRE PAYROLL REIMBURSED AND THAT THAT CREATED CAPACITY IN THE GENERAL FUND TO BE ABLE TO PUT MONEY BACK IN THE COMMUNITY FOR HOUSING.
I'M SORRY, NOT FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE, FOR, UH, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, SPECIFICALLY ALL THAT IS GENERAL FUND MONEY FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND ALSO FOR A SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
SO, SO THOSE FUNDS, AGAIN, BY THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CHARGE THAT FIRE PAYROLL TO THE CARES, ALLOW THAT CAPACITY IN THE GENERAL FUND.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUNDS THAT WE EXPECT TO GET REIMBURSED FROM FEMA OR ANY OF THE OTHER FEDERAL OR STATE, UH, SUPPORTS FOR WHAT WE'VE SPENT MONEY ON THAT WE JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN BACK YET? WE HAVE SUBMITTED ALL OF OUR EXPENSES COUNCILMEN, UM, TO, UM, THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO SUBMITTED EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE I MENTIONED THROUGH OUR CARES, UH, GRANTS.
UM, WE ARE GETTING QUITE A BIT OF GRANTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT IS ALLOWING US TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES DIRECTLY PAID FROM THE FEDERAL GRANTS RATHER THAN THE CITY'S BUDGET.
SO TO MY, UM, RECOLLECTION RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NOTHING IN THE GENERAL
[01:25:01]
FUND THAT IS OWED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO US.'CAUSE WE HAVE CHARGED FOR EVERYTHING AND WE'RE UTILIZING GRANTS DIRECTLY.
SO IF I WERE TO TELL THE PUBLIC WE ENDED UP SPENDING 130 MILLION MORE OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND THAT WE WERE REIMBURSED FOR EVERYTHING ELSE, IS THAT ACCURATE? 155.
AND SO THAT'S ALL JUST NON-REIMBURSABLE.
WE'VE ALL, NO, WE HAVE BEEN REIMBURSED FOR ALL THAT AND THAT'S BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR.
SO THE 130 IS WHAT WE DON'T GET REIMBURSED FOR, IS THAT RIGHT? AND I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN, LET ME CORRECT MYSELF.
IT'S $155 MILLION RIGHT OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THAT IS CAPACITY THAT WAS CREATED DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CHARGE ELIGIBLE EXPENSES SPECIFICALLY IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO THE CARESS FUNDS.
SO WE DIDN'T INVEST OUR DOLLARS.
IF IT WASN'T FOR THE CARESS, THERE WAS NO WAY THAT WE WOULD'VE INVESTED THAT 155 MILLION.
I GUESS I'M JUST, YOU GUESS I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I'M HEARING PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WE'VE SPENT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, WE'RE NOT GETTING BACK.
UH, IS THAT RIGHT? A HUNDRED MILLION THAT WE DIDN'T GET REIMBURSED FOR THAT JUST BASICALLY CAME OUT OF OUR TAX DOLLARS? WELL, OR MORE, THE 155 MILLION THAT, THAT MARIA AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT ARE THE ONE, OR, OR THOSE ARE THE EXPENSES THAT WE JUSTIFIED WERE AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE LAST YEAR.
DID WE SPEND MORE AS AN ORGANIZATION? YEAH.
I MEAN, UM, THERE WERE, THERE WERE PROBABLY A LOT MORE POLICE OFFICERS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN C O V I D OR CHANGING IN OPERATIONS.
UM, OTHER DEPARTMENTS WERE IMPACTED.
THE 155, UM, WAS THE, THE ELIGIBLE EXPENSES UNDER THE CARES ACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CHARGE AGAINST THAT.
BUT WE PROBABLY SPENT MORE WHAT TRYING TO IS HOW MUCH DID WE SPEND ON THIS? WE PROBABLY SPENT MORE, I MEAN, IT COULD TAKE, TAKE, I MEAN, I SPENT ALL LAST YEAR ON COVID AND WE DIDN'T CHARGE THAT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF EXPENSES THAT WE HAD AS A CITY, BUT, BUT WE ALSO HAD CHANGING PRIORITIES LAST YEAR BECAUSE THINGS THAT MAYBE WE, WE BUDGETED FOR NORMAL TIMES IN 2020 DEPARTMENTS DIDN'T EXECUTE BECAUSE IT WAS ALL HANDS ON DECK.
I I THINK A BIG CHUNK OF OUR BUDGET WAS SPENT ON COVID LAST YEAR BEYOND WHAT WE GOT REIMBURSED.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD KNOW.
SO ANYWAY, UM, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS HERE.
WHAT ABOUT, UM, REPLACING THE REVENUE THAT WE'VE BEEN INVESTING IN A DIGITAL DIVIDE.
OKAY, WE PUT GENERAL FUND DOLLARS IN THERE.
HOW MUCH OF THAT DO WE ANTICIPATE WE CAN GET BACK FROM BOTH THE STATE, WHICH IS NOW INVESTED IN THAT KIND OF A PROGRAM AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH SAYS WE'RE GONNA PAY BACK.
SO CAN WE GET BACK ALL OF WHAT WE'VE PUT INTO THAT BASED ON WHAT THEY, WHAT THE TWO STATE, UH, THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS SAYING, THEY'LL BE WILLING TO SUBSIDIZE? COUNCILMAN? I DUNNO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION TODAY.
TYPICALLY FEDERAL GRANTS HAVE RULES THAT YOU CANNOT SUPPLANT FOR, UH, PROGRAMS THAT YOU ALREADY BUDGETED FOR OR THEY'RE ALREADY UNDERWAY.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP SPECIFICALLY WITH THE ARPA, BUT THAT TYPICALLY, UH, THEY DON'T ALLOW FOR SUP PLAN.
BUT WE ONLY DID THAT BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHY WE INITIATED THAT PROGRAM.
'CAUSE KIDS COULDN'T CONNECT TO SCHOOLS.
SO I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE AN, A REIMBURSABLE TYPE OF A, AN INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY THAT, THAT'S A GOOD CLARIFYING QUESTION FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE AS MARIA MENTIONED, THE THE OTHER FEDERAL GRANTS WE HAVE GENERALLY HAVE A A NO SUPPLANT RULE.
SO IF WE'VE GOT MONEY BUDGETED FOR AN EFFORT, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE CAME ABOUT WITH THE BUDGET TO, UM, TO, UH, REIMBURSE OURSELVES FOR SOMETHING THAT'S BUDGETED, GENERALLY ISN'T ALLOWED UNDER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT THAT'S A GOOD CLARIFYING QUESTION FOR US TO THANK YOU, COUNCIL COURAGE.
YOU CAN TAP BACK IN, UH, JOHN, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO H THANK YOU, MAYOR.
MY COMMENTS ARE AN ATTEMPT TO EXPAND THE OUTLINE PARAMETERS OF THIS FUNDING.
I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE THIS COLORING BOOK OF, OF ISSUES, OF PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH.
AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT TO GIVE US A BUNCH OF CRAYONS.
BUT I WANNA COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I, I, I SEE SPACE HERE TO EXPAND PUBLIC HEALTH, TO INCLUDE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS.
WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, HOUSE, THE HOUSE LIST.
I'D LIKE TO SEE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS WORKING WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ADVOCACY GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO USE THESE FUNDS TO ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES AS WELL.
I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A, A GENERATIONAL IMPACT IN THAT SPACE AS WELL.
BUT, UM, CAN WE USE SOME OF THE HOUSING SECURITY FUNDS TO HELP LANDLORDS WHO, UM, MAYBE ONLY HAVE ONE OR TWO SMALL
[01:30:01]
RENTALS? I REMEMBER A YEAR AGO WE HAD A LOT OF, UM, LANDLORDS, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT THAT HAD JUST ONE OR TWO LITTLE RENTALS THAT WERE THEIR INVESTMENTS IN THEIR RETIREMENT.AND THEY WERE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT A LOT OF THE, THE, THE HOUSING CONCERNS.
UM, IF RENTERS AREN'T ABLE TO PAY THEIR RENT OR USE SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS OR THESE FUNDS TO, UM, TO PAY THEIR RENT, IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXPAND THIS TO HELP LANDLORDS WITH SMALLER INVESTMENTS, JUST ONE OR TWO RENTALS? COUNCIL MEMBER? THE CHALLENGE WITH PROVIDING FUNDING TO THE LANDLORDS IS IT'S PROHIBITED THROUGH THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUNDING.
HOWEVER, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THIS CASE IS WE WILL WORK WITH THE LANDLORD AND REACH OUT TO THE TENANT AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM BECAUSE PER THE GUIDELINES, THE FUNDING HAS TO GO DIRECTLY TO THEM.
UM, AND, AND LASTLY, HOW ARE WE DEFINING PREMIUM PAY? CAN WE SAY HOW, HOW, WHAT IS, WHAT IS PREMIUM PAY? HOW MUCH SURE.
COUNCILWOMAN, UM, THE WAY THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE GUIDANCE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TODAY, UM, EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PREMIUM PAY ARE THOSE RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, HEALTHCARE WORKERS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT, FOR INSTANCE.
AND, UM, THE GUIDELINES, THE GUIDELINES ALLOW FOR, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S AN AMOUNT UP TO $13 AN HOUR, UH, OF PREMIUM PAY.
UH, AND THEN UP TO A, A TOTAL AMOUNT ABOUT $20,000, UH, FOR A PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE.
THAT'S THE, THE WAY THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE GUIDELINES TODAY.
UM, UP WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY UP TO 13? THAT'S, SO FOR INSTANCE, IF THE EMPLOYEE WAS MAKING $15 AN HOUR AND THEY WERE, UM, SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO, UM, RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC THROUGH METRO HEALTH, UH, THAT PREMIUM PAY COULD BE AN ADDITIONAL $13 AN HOUR UP TO A ABOUT $20,000 IN TOTAL FOR THAT EMPLOYEE.
SO IT'S AN ADDITIONAL ON TOP OF YES, MA'AM.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'LL START OFF WITH THE EASIEST QUESTION.
DO WE KNOW, DID WELLMED GET REIMBURSED FOR, FOR ALL OF THE VACCINE STUFF? WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE, UM, HELPED THEM THROUGH THEIR FOUNDATION CONNECT TO FEMA.
WE PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON HOW TO FILL OUT THE FEMA PAPERWORK.
UM, AND THE LAST TIME I TALKED WITH JIMMY, EVERYTHING WAS, WAS FLOWING.
BUT I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE OFFICIAL YES, WE'VE BEEN REIMBURSED MESSAGE FROM WELLMAN.
UM, I THINK YOU SHOULD JUST STAY UP THERE.
'CAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ON THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WHAT TYPE OF, UM, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DO WE GIVE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS? IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY NEED.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S PRETTY FLEXIBLE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME IT MIGHT BE, UM, SEVERAL NIGHTS IN A HOTEL BECAUSE FOR WHATEVER REASON THE SHELTER IS NOT A GOOD FIT FOR THEM.
UM, FOR OTHERS IT CAN BE HOUSING ASSISTANCE, IT CAN BE FOOD ASSISTANCE, IT CAN BE MEDICATION ASSISTANCE.
UM, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY NEED.
IS IT ALSO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES? SO WE ARE EXPANDING OUR ABILITY TO CONNECT THEM TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
UM, REMEMBER A COUPLE COUNCIL MEETINGS AGO, WE EXPANDED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO PROVIDE COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY TO VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE.
UM, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF OUR ABILITY TO EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, UM, FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS. OKAY.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE, I THINK FOR YOU IS THE REACH PROGRAM.
CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT? SO THE, THE REACH PROGRAM IS A GRANT THAT WE HAD PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, UM, THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USED TO EXPAND FUNDING THAT WAS PANDEMIC SPECIFIC, UM, THAT ALLOWED US TO USE, UH, I'VE HEARD, I I, MY HEART JUST WARMS EVERY TIME I HEAR COUNCIL MENTIONED COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
UM, BUT THAT ALLOWED US TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WHO WERE WORKING ON THE PANDEMIC, WHO WERE DEPLOYED INTO THE AREAS THAT, UM, HAD THE HIGHEST RATES OF COVID INFECTION AND HOSPITALIZATION.
UM, AND SO IT, IT WAS A, A REALLY NICE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO METRO HEALTH, UM, TO BE ABLE TO USE THE SAME METHODOLOGY, WHICH WAS VERY MUCH STEEPED IN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, UM, ADDRESSING HEALTH EQUITY ISSUES, UM, TO FIT WITHIN WHAT WE NEEDED FOR THE PANDEMIC RESPONSE.
[01:35:01]
AND, AND I LIED, SORRY, THERE'S TWO MORE QUESTIONS.UM, BUT, UM, I, I'M FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN PRIVATE BECAUSE WE'RE GIVING IDEAS TODAY, BUT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE SENIOR POPULATION.
AND THIS MORNING I WAS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE AT TEXAS VISTA AND I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE FROM THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
AND SO SHE, UM, OFFERED TO HOST A MENTAL HEALTH TOWN HALL, UH, IN DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH I'M TOTALLY YOU GONNA TAKE THEM UP ON.
BUT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW THERE'S, UH, A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, NO DOUBT.
BUT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW IN THE SENIOR COMMUNITY IT'S EVEN MORE SO, UM, BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY TO CONNECT, INABILITY TO CONNECT WITH FRIENDS AND THEIR LOVED ONES DURING THE SHUTDOWN.
AND SO I THINK THE, GOING BACK TO NORMAL IS WHAT SHE WAS FOCUSED ON AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE RESOURCES OUT THERE AND THAT WE NEED TO TELL THEM THAT IT'S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY RIGHT NOW.
AND SPECIFICALLY OUR SENIOR POPULATIONS, AND I HAVEN'T HEARD TOO MUCH SPECIFICALLY REGARDING OUR SENIOR POPULATIONS, BUT I HAVE A HUGE POPULATION AND IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S OBVIOUSLY BILINGUAL.
AND I THOUGHT THAT THROUGH THE REACH PROGRAM, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IT'S FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY HEALTH THAT WE COULD LEVERAGE SOME OF THAT FUNDING AND MAYBE EVEN WORK WITH THE, UM, CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES AS WELL, SINCE THEY'RE THE, THE AUTHORITY.
AND THEN, UM, THE OTHER ONE IS THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY AT ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ABOUT THE NEED TO MARKET, FOR INSTANCE, THE, UM, WELL SOON TO BE READY TO WORK AT SAY, PROGRAM.
AND SO DO OUR HEALTHCARE WORKERS RIGHT NOW, UM, ARE THEY PITCHING OTHER PROGRAMS OTHER THAN JUST HEALTH RELATED PROGRAMS? I'D, I'D ASSUME THEY ARE, BUT DO THEY HAVE LIKE, THE FULL SPECTRUM OF SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR, TO OUR CONSTITUENTS? SO, SO CLEARLY, UM, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FOCUS ON SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, WHICH I THINK IS ENCOMPASSED UNDER WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING.
AND, UM, AS A RESULT OF C O V I D AND THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, WE HAD OUR FIRST, BUT NOT LAST, UM, UH, DAY LONG TRAINING SESSION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO COME TOGETHER TO LEARN ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT THEY COULD HELP SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH UT HEALTH TO EXPAND THAT AND MAYBE EVEN SOLIDIFY IT INTO SOME SORT OF A HUB THAT WE CAN USE FOR ALL COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, NOT JUST THOSE WHO WORK FOR METRO HEALTH.
AND MY LAST QUESTION FOR YOU IS THE GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH DISPARITIES ON SLIDE NUMBER 14.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE COULD STILL KIND OF MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THE WAY THAT I SEE IT, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY DEFINED JUST YET.
MY NEXT QUESTION IS FOR, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FOR BRIAN DILLARD OR JUST IN GENERAL ERIC, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE A PLOT, UM, OF TWO THINGS.
SO ONE WOULD BE JUST A STATUS UPDATE OF WHERE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONNECTED THROUGH THE DIGITAL, UM, UH, PROGRAM.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, A MASTER PLAN OF THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS THE CITY.
AND SO WHERE ARE WE MISSING THESE, UM, SEWER LINES, WHERE ARE WE MISSING, UM, ANY, ANYTHING THAT IS JUST INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED.
I THINK COUNCIL
AND SO YOU MENTIONED EARLIER WE'RE GONNA DO THIS OVER THREE TO FIVE YEARS, IT SOUNDS LIKE.
AND SO MAYBE THAT BECOMES ONE OF THESE ACTIONS LIKE WHERE OUR GOAL IS TO CLOSE THAT LOOP.
AND SO, UM, AND I, I DO THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS SPECIFICALLY FOR SMALL BUSINESS, ON PAGE SEVEN OF THE 21, APRIL 21 FINANCIAL REPORT, YOU ALL HAVE $792,000 BUDGETED, BUT ZERO IS SPENT.
CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT THAT IS FOR? AND IF YOU HAVE TO TELL ME LATER THAT IT'S FINE, BECAUSE ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE ON THE FINANCIAL REPORT, APRIL 21 IS ON PAGE SIX AND IT'S PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS FOR THE, THE $792, MA'AM.
THAT WAS WHAT WE STILL PLAN TO SPEND FOR ON THE JOB TRAINING GOT AS PART OF, OF TRAIN FOR JOBS IN THE SMALL BUSINESS COMPANY.
SO IT'S ON THE JOB TRAINING, SORRY.
I THINK MAYBE I, I READ IT INCORRECTLY THERE OR SOMETHING.
AND THEN ON PAGE 13, AND THIS MIGHT BE A MARIA QUESTION.
UM, SO WE HAVE A, WE SHOW A TOTAL OF $154.9 MILLION TOTAL FUNDING FROM THE GENERAL FUND THAT'S BUDGETED.
CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT TIMEFRAME THAT IS? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE SPENT 56.5 MILLION THROUGH APRIL AND WE HAVE 98.4 MILLION TO SPEND IN THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS.
IS IT REALISTIC TO SPEND THAT 98.4 IN THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS OR CAN WE STILL SHUFFLE AROUND WITH SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDING STRUCTURES? UH, YES.
[01:40:01]
UM, NO, WE WON'T BE SPENDING THAT, THAT WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS.UH, THE, SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED WITH THAT GENERAL FUND ALLOCATION INCLUDE, UH, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION PROGRAM THAT BRIAN DILLER IS WORKING ON.
AND AS YOU HEARD, SOME OF THAT WILL, WELL, NOT ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS WILL BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER, 2021.
SO THE PROGRAM IS GOING TO EXTEND INTO 2022.
UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT'S ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT IS BEING FUNDED WITH, UH, THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THAT IS LIKELY TO PERHAPS EXTEND AFTER SEPTEMBER.
AND THE HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, UH, IS THE OTHER PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND.
AND, UH, UM, OUR GOAL INITIALLY WAS TO HAVE THAT FUND THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY EVALUATING THAT PROGRAM TO BRING THE COUNCIL SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS PART OF THE TRIAL BUDGET.
THAT WAS GONNA BE MY NEXT QUESTION.
SO HOW DO WE SPEND WHAT WE ARE NOT, ARE NOT GONNA SPEND AND HOW, HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO SPEND IT? YEAH, SO I MEAN, PART OF THAT WILL BE, UM, I THINK WE WILL PROBABLY INCLUDE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL AND THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WORK SESSION LATER ON THIS MONTH.
UM, PARTICULARLY ON THE, UM, ON WORKFORCE, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS, UM, AND, UM, HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, BECAUSE THOSE ARE, FRANKLY, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT FUNDS ARE GETTING LINED UP AND PUT INTO PRODUCTION.
AND SO JUST LIKE WE DID WITH THAT PLAN A COUPLE OF TIMES, WELL, MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES AS WE DID THOSE MONTHLY REPORTS TO YOU, IF WE NEED, IF WE SAW NEEDS ELSEWHERE, WE STARTED, OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO SHIFT AND THE COUNCIL SHIFTED MONEY.
WE NEED TO DO THE SAME THING WITH SOME OF THOSE OTHER FUNDS AS WE GO INTO THE BUDGET, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO STAY WITHIN THE FOUR PILLARS EVEN FOR THAT MONEY.
WELL, IT'S, UM, IT, UM, NO, I WOULDN'T THINK SO BECAUSE OKAY.
FRANKLY, THAT'S, THAT'S GENERAL FUND MONEY I FIGURED.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO GET IT.
WE PROBABLY SHOULD MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT WE ROUTE BACK TO OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST.
AND PART OF THAT COMPLETE FINANCIAL PICTURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO.
UH, AND THANKS FOR THIS EXTENSIVE BRIEFING, UH, WITH EVEN MORE FEDERAL DOLLARS COME INCOMING.
IT'S, IT IS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND WHICH PROGRAMS HAVE WORKED AND WHICH HAVE, HAVE NOT, AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITIES TO, I THINK BE INNOVATIVE.
UM, I'M GONNA START WITH HOUSING SECURITY AND, UH, I, I, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT, AT HOTELS, UM, OH, AND I MUCH CLOSER, LIKE OKAY, RIGHT THERE, RIGHT HERE.
IS THIS, IS THIS GOOD? THAT'S, YEAH,
UH, AND SO I'LL, I'LL START WITH HOUSING SECURITY.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT HO HOTELS ARE, ARE, ARE SOMETHING THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE.
AND I WANT US TO BE, TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, UH, WITH REGARDS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND HOW IT RELATES TO, UH, OUR ISSUE OF THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UH, I WANNA TIE THAT A LITTLE MORE BROADLY IF I COULD.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO WHO WANTS TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THIS OR JUST MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS, BUT WHAT, WHAT WE NEED IS MORE OF A COORDINATED SYSTEM.
AND, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST MENTAL HEALTH, IT'S DETOX, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, MANY OTHER SERVICES.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, AND I, AND I DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID ALSO ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
I MEAN, I, WE KNOW THAT, UH, MANY TIMES, UH, WHAT WE DO IS WE, WE CALL OUR, OUR SS A P D TO, TO COME AND HANDLE THE SITUATION THAT, UH, WHERE THEIR HANDS ARE TIED.
AND, AND THIS, THIS TO ME IS, IS SO IMPORTANT IN, IN HOW WE TACKLE THIS.
UH, AND I, AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE DONE SPECIFICALLY WITH OUR OUTREACH SPECIALISTS IS IN DEVELOPING, UH, A LOT OF THE RELATIONSHIPS AND THE TRUST, AND THEN OF COURSE, MEETING WITH THE, THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SUPPORT AND COMMUNICATION ALONG WITH SS A P D, I THINK IS A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS.
UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, UH, CLAYTON, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ONE OF THE FIRST PROPONENTS OF THAT.
AND I THINK IT, UH, WE CAN AGREE THAT THIS IS A DIFFICULT ISSUE.
AND I, I DON'T WANT US TO, TO FOCUS IN ONLY ON ONE THING.
THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT WE, AND WHAT I KEEP HEARING FROM, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE FOLKS WHO ARE ADVOCATING FOR HOW WE CAN GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS IS TO HAVE A BETTER COORDINATED SYSTEM.
AND, AND THAT COORDINATED SYSTEM IS REALLY MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THAT PERSON.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME EXAMPLES THAT, THAT I HAVE SEEN HAVE, HAVE, HAVE SHOWN THAT
[01:45:01]
THERE ARE FOLKS WHO HAVE ALREADY, ARE ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WE'VE, THEY'VE BEEN LOST.SO IT'S A MATTER OF GETTING THEM BACK IN THE SYSTEM.
THERE'S FOLKS WHO SIMPLY JUST NOT HAVING AN ID CAN'T GET INTO A SYSTEM.
THERE'RE THERE'S SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH DETOX BETS.
THESE ARE ALL SOLVABLE, UH, ITEMS, I BELIEVE.
AND, AND BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE QUANTIFIABLE.
BUT WHAT'S, WHAT'S MORE CRITICAL HERE IS HOW IT'S COORDINATED SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO THE FOLKS THAT, THAT, THAT NEED IT.
AND IF WE ARE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, WE'RE NOT LEFT WITH THE BIGGEST QUESTION OF ALL, WHICH I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND I KEEP ASKING THIS, AND, AND I DO, AND I KNOW THAT THERE IS NOBODY HERE THAT HAS THE ANSWER TO THIS, WHICH IS WHERE DO THEY GO? IF YOU HAVE AN ANSWER, GO UP TO THAT MIC AND AND TELL ME, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER.
WELL, MANNY DOES
RIGHT? UM, AND, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT REALLY WANT TO HELP.
UH, I KNOW, UH, EVEN OUR CITY ATTORNEY HAS OFFERED SOME, SOME GREAT IDEAS, UH, WITH FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY THAT I THINK ARE, ARE WONDERFUL.
THEY REALLY, THERE'S SO MANY GOOD THINGS I THINK, THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US AND THAT I, I WANT US TO LINE UP.
AND I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS, CAN WE CR CAN WE USE THESE DOLLARS TO, TO CREATE THE FRAMEWORK OF THAT COORDINATED SYSTEM? THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE.
UM, AND, AND, AND HELP US TO DEFINE IT.
AND YOU KNOW, ERIC, YOU SAID, WELL, SOME, SOME OF THAT MIGHT BE THE COUNTY.
BUT THAT'S, AGAIN, IF IT HAS TO BE THEM.
BUT THAT, AS LONG AS WE GOT IT, WE COORDINATED IT, THEN WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, I'LL, I'LL JUST, THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY BEEN IN THE, AND THE MAYOR'S BEEN PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS ON THE TOP OF THE LIST AT THE COUNTY, BOTH DETOX AND MENTAL HEALTH, THE SPACE, THE SERVICES, THE WRAPAROUND, AND IT IS, IT'S A COMMUNITY ISSUE.
AND, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE LEVERAGING TOGETHER ON, UH, SEPARATELY THOUGH.
AND THEN IT'S THE GROUP THAT DOC DR.
BRIDGER IS PARTICIPATING WITH IN THE COUNTY WORK GROUP.
THERE'S ALSO, WE HAVE THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION REPORT THAT, UM, THAT HAS BEEN HELPING US FROM A POLICE STANDPOINT THAT'S COMING TO COMMITTEE IN JUNE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IDEALLY, UM, AND, AND WE JUST CAME OFF THE HEELS OF 27 PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND MENTAL HEALTH WAS A, A COMMON THEME THROUGHOUT ALL OF THEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN AN IDEAL SITUATION, UM, WHAT, WHAT I HEARD FIRSTHAND WAS THAT PEOPLE WANT A PLACE TO, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO IF THEY NEED HELP.
AND, AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THEY CALL 9 1 1.
SO WE NEED TO THINK THROUGH, RIGHT? WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1, IT'S, WHAT'S YOUR EMERGENCY POLICE FIRE, E M S I MEAN, SHOULD IT BE, SHOULD WE BE ASKING A FOURTH QUESTION? IS IT MENTAL HEALTH? AND WHAT DOES THAT RESPONSE LOOK LIKE? AND I'M GONNA ADD TO THAT, AND I'M GONNA ADD TO THAT, THAT, UH, TO YOUR POINT, IT, THERE'S ALSO PEOPLE WHO WANNA HELP THAT DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO TO HELP BECAUSE IT'S NOT COORDINATED.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S THE CONVERSATION I'D LIKE FOR US TO, TO, TO FRAME AND INVEST IN.
UM, SO I'M, I'M GONNA MOVE ON 'CAUSE I'M, I'M, I'M SEEING THE SHOT CLOCK GOING DOWN.
UH, AS FOR THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE, UH, PROGRAM, UH, FEDERAL, UH, LEVEL RECENTLY RELEASED NEW, NEW GUIDANCE, WHICH EASES THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS.
I HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH N H S D ABOUT THESE CHANGES.
AND I WANT, I WANT TO THANK VETO FOR, AND HER TEAM, FOR HER RESPONSIVENESS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, TENANTS APPLYING FOR ASSISTANCE WERE REQUIRED TO WAIT UP TO 10 DAYS FOR THEIR LANDLORD TO RESPOND IN THE AFFIRMATIVE THAT, THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT.
THE EAP, UH, AT THAT TIME WAS CUT IN HALF.
AND N H S D IS, IS CUTTING CHECKS TO FAMILIES FROM FIVE DAYS.
THAT'S A BIG DEAL, I WANNA SAY.
UH, MY ONLY ASK OF N H S D STAFF SPECIFICALLY IS TO ENGAGE THE EAP COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER GROUP, AS WELL AS SABOR AND THE DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATION, AND TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO BEST IMPLEMENT AND COMMUNICATE THESE NEW CHANGES.
UH, LAST FOR HOUSING SECURITY IS THE ROOF PROGRAM.
UH, WE KNOW WE CUT A LOT OUTTA THE ROOF PROGRAM TO HELP ASSIST WITH THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, NOT ONLY HAS THE PANDEMIC LED TO ECONOMIC INSECURITY FOR HOMEOWNERS, BUT MATERIAL PRICES ARE, ARE GOING UP AND, UH, THEY'VE INCREASED IN SOME CASES, UH, MORE THAN 25%, UH, TO THE CRAZY WEATHER THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS YEAR.
AND I, AND I WOULD BET THAT THERE'S A FEW FAMILIES THAT, THAT REALLY NEED ASSISTANCE IN, IN MAINTAINING THEIR HOMES.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I MAYBE THIS FITS WITHIN THE, SORT OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS WELL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WAY WE'VE LAID IT OUT.
UM, UH, I UNDERSTAND, AND AGAIN, I SUPPORTED
[01:50:01]
SHIFTING THE MONEY, UM, FROM 2024 RENTAL AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO SEE US, UH, PUT MORE, PUT MONEY BACK INTO THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM, WHICH HAS DONE OVER 1200 ROOFS TO DATE.
AND I THINK THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM THAT THAT HELPS TO SAVE, UH, OUR EXISTING HOUSING, WHICH IS OUR MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE HAVE.
AS FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT, UM, I KNOW MY OFFICE AND AND COUNCILMAN PERRY'S OFFICE WERE ADAMANT ABOUT INCREASING FUNDING AND IMPROVING THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
I WANNA COMMEND ALL INVOLVED WHO IMPLEMENTING A MORE INCLUSIVE HOSPITALITY GRANT PROGRAM.
UH, 89 DISTRICT ONE SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE RECEIVED ALMOST 2.8 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THE PROGRAM SO FAR.
AND LATELY I'VE HEARD NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE PROGRAM FROM THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION AND THE SMALL HOSPITALITY BUSINESS OWNERS.
I HOPE WE CAN USE THIS ITERATION TO INFORM, UH, FUTURE SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAMS AND POLICIES.
AS FOR, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, WE KNOW THAT THE WINTER STORM SPED UP, UH, SOME EXISTING ISSUES, WHICH, UH, RECENT RAINS HAVE LIKELY EXACERBATED.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THERE ARE POTENTIAL DOLLARS TO ADD TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGET.
SOME, SOME OF THAT FUNDING WAS RELOCATED TO 2020, SO RELOCATED IN 2020.
SO, UH, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR INCOMING FEDERAL DOLLARS, UH, IN A MANNER THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR EQUITY PRINCIPLES AND EXPECTATIONS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES.
SO, CAN STAFF WORK ON A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN SPECIFICALLY TO DISCUSS HOW INCOMING INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING WILL BE SPENT? UH, I KNOW RESIDENTS WILL HAVE QUITE A BIT OF, OF INPUT ON THIS.
AND, AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR WITH THE SIDEWALK, UH, RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM AND WANT, WANT FOLKS TO KIND OF HAVE SOME INPUT ABOUT WHERE THEY'D LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THESE SIDEWALKS REPAIRED.
UH, BUT INCLUDE THAT BROADLY AS PART OF OUR, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, PROGRAMS AS WELL.
UM, AGAIN, UH, I THINK THIS IS A, A GREAT START.
AND, UH, I HOPE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FRAMEWORK THAT PROVIDES A, A COORDINATED, UH, ENTRY SYSTEM FOR, FOR, FOR GETTING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS.
I THINK, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE.
WE HAVE THE RESOURCES NOW IN, IN, IN EVERY, UH, WELL SOON TO BE, 'CAUSE I, I THINK WE'RE STILL HIRING FOLKS, BUT, UH, I HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE A, A SYSTEM THAT IS, THAT PROVIDES US THAT FRAMEWORK SO THAT WHEN COMPANIES AS WELL, UM, WANT TO CONTRIBUTE, THEY, THEY ALSO KNOW WHERE, WHERE TO GO, UH, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, ERIC, I, UH, GOOD JOB TO, TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, ERIC, AS ALWAYS.
I, I WAS LOOKING AT THE, UM, DEPARTMENT OF TREASURIES, UH, INTERIM FINAL RULE.
UH, I THINK, I THINK IT'S REQUIRED READING, UH, TO, TO UNDERSTAND REALLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS FUND, AS FAR AS ELIGIBLE USES FOR THESE FUNDS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO, UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU GET AROUND TO IT, IS SENDING US A COPY OF THE RULES.
UM, I KNOW IT'S A 37 PAGE DOCUMENT, VERY SMALL FONT, BUT I DID, I DID DO MY BEST TO, TO REVIEW THE, THE RELEVANT PORTIONS OF IT.
AND MY WALKAWAY, OR MY TAKEAWAY FROM THAT WAS THAT THESE FUNDS ARE, UM, NOT JUST SORT OF UP FOR GRABS, UH, FOR ANY PURPOSE.
I MEAN, THEY'RE REALLY VERY RESTRICTED.
UM, AND THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY SAYS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE CITIES AND LOCAL TERRITORIES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF LEEWAY AS FAR AS HOW TO USE IT.
BUT THEN THEY VARY AND THEY LIMIT, UH, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY, UH, HOW MUCH LEEWAY YOU HAVE.
AND THOSE LIMITS ARE, ARE, ARE SERIOUS.
AND SO I WAS GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THEM, AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE CATEGORIES FOR ELIGIBLE USES, TIES, THE USE TO, UM, UH, OUR RESPONSE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO ONE, WE CAN, UM, ISSUE ASSISTANCE TO HOUSEHOLD SMALL BUSINESS AND NONPROFITS AND IMPACTED INDUSTRIES, UM, LIKE HOSPITALITY WHO WERE IMPACTED BY THE COVID PANDEMIC.
UH, WE CAN USE, UH, THE MONEY FOR PREMIUM PAY TO ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO WERE RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC.
WE CAN, UM, UH, USE THE MONEY TO THE EXTENT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LOST REVENUE RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC.
UH, THE ONLY PLACE WHERE I DON'T SEE US LIMITED BY, UH, THE PANDEMIC AS A CONDITION IS ON THE SPENDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND WATER, SEWER AND BROADBAND.
UH, AND, BUT THAT'S IT, IT DOESN'T SAY WATER, SEWER, BROADBAND AND
[01:55:01]
TO OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE.IT JUST LIMITS IT TO THOSE THREE, RIGHT? AND SO I, I'M, UH, I'M, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HERE, UM, OH, AND THEN IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT THEY MEANT, THEY EVEN IN A FOOTNOTE SAID, AND ALL OF THIS INCLUDES RESPONSES AND ADAPTATION COSTS, LIKE INVESTMENTS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES TO MEET PANDEMIC OPERATIONAL NEEDS, SUCH AS MODIFICATION TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS TO SET 'EM UP AS, UM, YOU KNOW, VACCINATION CLINICS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND, AND WHEN I WALK AWAY FROM THAT, HAVING READ THAT DOCUMENT, UH, IT'S A BIG DOSE OF SOBRIETY, UH, THAT IS SERVED UP TO YOU BY THE, BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY.
AND, UM, IT'S NOT A BLANK CHECK.
AND SO I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR JOB IS ALSO TO MANAGE OUR CONSTITUENTS EXPECTATIONS AS FAR AS HOW WE CAN USE THIS MONEY.
UM, I, I WILL REMIND YOU THAT, UM, MAYBE YOU, YOU DIDN'T COVER IT, BUT IT DID SAY THAT ANY MONEY WE USE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THAT THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT WANTS US TO IMPLEMENT A WORKPLACE PLAN THAT INCLUDES LOCAL HIRING, STRONG LABOR STANDARDS, PREVAILING WAGE REQUIREMENTS, AND IT EVEN SAYS THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK AND AUDIT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID THAT, AND THAT THAT WAS INCLUDED IN OUR SPENDING.
SO I'M, I'M ENCOURAGED BY THAT, BUT I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, I STICK TO MY WORD TO YOU, ERIC, WHEN YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS.
AND THAT IS, I SEE THIS AS, UM, AS OUR RECOVERY FUND TO MAKE THE CITY WHOLE FOR OR AS CLOSE TO WHOLE AS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DID DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, IN RESPONSE TO IT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
ONE, BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
UM, BUT TWO, I'M A FIDUCIARY OF A CORPORATION CALLED THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND AS A FIDUCIARY, I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, JUST WRITE CHECKS TO EVERYBODY ALL DAY LONG.
WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MATH PENCIL'S OUT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS ORGANIZATION IS VIABLE AND IT'S ONLY VIABLE SO LONG AS YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE CARE OF SO LONG AS YOU CASH FLOW, RIGHT? AND SO LONG AS YOU HAVE RESERVES AND SO LONG AS YOU'RE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP YOUR DEPARTMENTS RUNNING.
AND, UH, SO I'M, UH, I'M APPROACHING THIS ONE VERY, VERY CAREFULLY.
I THINK THE PLAN THAT YOU'VE, UM, THAT YOU'RE, THE, THE SCOUTING PLAN THAT YOU'VE, UH, LAID OUT FOR US IS, IS, AND, AND, AND I IS GOOD AND SOUND, AND I THINK YOU'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, I'LL RESIST, YOU KNOW, ANY ATTEMPT TO SPEND THIS MONEY ON, YOU KNOW, ON, ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT'S IN THE RULES.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND IF THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, START SAYING, HEY, FEEL FREE TO GO, YOU KNOW, ON A SHOPPING SPREE, WELL THEN LET'S GO ON A SHOPPING SPREE.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY'VE SAID.
I'M TELLING YOU, UH, THAT, THAT'S GREAT.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A H E B SHOPPING LIST TO GO THROUGH AND PULL EVERYTHING OFF THE SHELVES THAT WE CAN TO GET WHAT WE THINK IS, IS WHOLE.
UM, I, I GUESS OVERALL, ERIC, WHAT DID WE ACTUALLY DEFER OR CANCEL IN THE, IN, NOT ONLY IN THE 2020 BUDGET, BUT ALSO IN THE 2021 BUDGET? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WERE THOSE TOTAL AMOUNTS IN BOTH THOSE FISCAL YEARS BECAUSE OF COVID IN 2020, WE DEFERRED $87 MILLION OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND IN THIS YEAR'S, AND I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND, AND THIS YEAR'S IN THE 21 GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WE, UH, REDUCED OUR BUDGET BY ABOUT 37 OR $38 MILLION.
SO, UM, REMEMBER THE, THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF THE $87 MILLION WAS THE DEFERMENT OF ABOUT 49 $50 MILLION IN STREET PROJECTS THAT WERE RESTORED IN THE 21 BUDGET.
WE PUT HIRING FREEZES IN, IN PLACE.
UM, WE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, UM, STILL CONTINUED THOSE HIRING FREEZES, UH, ALL, ALL, UH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS PUT ON HOLD.
UM, WE CAN PREPARE A LIST OF THE 87 AND THE 37 FOR YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL.
I, I'M, AND I'M LOOKING AT, WHAT I'M HEARING THE RULES SAY IS, REIMBURSE YOURSELF FOR THOSE THINGS THAT C O V I D IMPACTED YOU WITH.
YOU TAKE THE 21 BUDGET, YOU SEE WHAT YOU DEFERRED OR CANCELED, THAT'S A DATA POINT.
NOW I'LL, I'LL ARGUE THAT ABOUT THAT 40 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS IN THE STREETS PROGRAM TO ME, WE LOST THAT.
AND WE NEED TO BE REIMBURSED THAT BECAUSE WE, WE BASIC, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T DEFER IT.
WE TOOK THAT OUT OF THE PROGRAM.
WE JUST PUSHED THE ENTIRE PROGRAM OUT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD TO, SO I'M SAYING WE NEED TO BE REIMBURSED THAT INTO THAT PROGRAM HERE, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN ARGUE THE, THE NUANCES OF THAT.
[02:00:01]
TO ME, THAT SHOULD BE OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS GO BACK IN 20 AND IN 21.AND THOSE ARE OUR TOP PRIORITIES TO REIMBURSE THOSE PROGRAMS, WHATEVER WE PULLED MONEY FROM TO PUT IT BACK IN, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE REST OF THIS MONEY, HEY.
UM, I, I THINK YOU GOT A GOOD APPROACH ON THAT.
UM, I, I'M JUST, I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING THIS LAUNDRY LIST GOING THROUGH AND UPGRADING THINGS BECAUSE IT JUST NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED NOT TO GET WHOLE FROM WHAT THIS VIRUS DID TO THIS CITY.
AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
UM, CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING? YES.
I, AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE REIMBURSEMENT NATURE OF YOUR CONVERSATION.
THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TACKLE IT FROM A REVENUE LOSS STANDPOINT MM-HMM.
THE GUIDELINES DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT REIMBURSING FOR DELAYED OR REDUCED EXPENSES, BUT THEY'RE VERY CLEAR ABOUT REVENUE LOSS AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, WHICH WE CAN FULLY ACCOUNT FOR.
AND TO YOUR POINT, BECAUSE OF THOSE FOUR POINTS IN TIME THAT THEY OUTLINED, WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR REVENUE FROM 19 TO 20 AND FROM 20 TO 21, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S EASY TO CALCULATE.
AND SO, UM, UH, WE, WE, WE MAY HAVE TO APPROACH IT FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES.
AND, AND I'M, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT THROUGH OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AND WITH OUR UPCOMING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, IS THIS GONNA BE MELDED INTO OUR OVERALL BUDGET DISCUSSION OR A SEPARATE LINE ITEM THAT WE WILL DISCUSS SEPARATELY FROM OUR NORMAL YEAR TO YEAR BUDGET? SO, UM, IT'S MY RECOMMENDATION, AND THIS IS WHAT I COVERED AT THE BEGINNING.
UM, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS IN THE TRIAL BUDGET AND IN OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE GUIDELINES FINALIZED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND I MAY BE WRONG, BUT WE'RE GONNA PREPARE OUR BUDGET IN JULY.
YOU GUYS WILL BE DEBATING IT IN AUGUST.
SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS, I THINK, ON THE FRONT OF REVENUE LOSS BECAUSE WE KNOW CLEARLY WHAT WE LOST FROM 19 TO 20, AND AT LEAST THROUGH THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 21, BECAUSE WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH 21.
AND THAT'S KIND OF, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M CALLING PHASE ONE.
PHASE ONE IS WHAT WE KNOW NOW, UH, WHAT WE'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT ABOUT.
IT'S PROBABLY ALL TIED TO REVENUE LOSS.
AND WE'LL DO THAT AS PART OF OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
PART TWO, PHASE TWO IS WHEN WE GET FINAL GUIDELINES, BIGGER CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY AND OTHER PARTNERS ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGE AND THEN PLAN FOR IT OVER THREE TO FIVE YEARS BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A PLAN SET BY COUNCIL.
UM, AND THAT MONEY HAS TO BE SPENT BY 2026.
UM, YEAH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THESE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT OR SEVEN? SEVEN.
UH, LOOKING AT THESE EXPENDITURES ON WHAT WE BUDGETED AND WHAT HAS BEEN SPENT, I'M ASSUMING IS TO DATE WHAT WE SEE SOME BIG DISPARITIES LIKE THE HOMELESS, UH, THE RECOVERY HUB, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WHAT, WHAT DATE ARE WE WORKING TOWARDS ON EACH, ON THESE NUMBERS HERE, AND ARE WE GONNA BE SPENT OUT? SURE.
SO ON THE EAP, OUR TARGET DATE IS JULY TO SPEND ALL 133.6 MILLION ON HOMELESS.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, UM, STEPS TO GET TO, TO SPENDING ALL THE FUNDS.
SO THE HOTEL ROOMS ARE FUNDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER, UH, OF 2021.
AND THEN THE OUTREACH TEAM, THOSE, THOSE 11 MEMBERS ARE FUNDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER, 2022.
SO THAT PARTICULAR PILLAR WILL BE FULLY SPENT BY SEPTEMBER, 2022.
AND SO WE'RE NOT EXPECTING ANY, UM, MONEY THAT WILL NOT BE SPENT THAT WE COULD MOVE.
FROM, WHAT WAS IT? CHILDCARE, LIKE $10 MILLION? YES.
OUTTA CHILDCARE AND SENT THAT TO BUSINESSES.
THERE MAY, UH, UM, NOT ON THIS SLIDE, COUNCILMAN? NO, BECAUSE THAT HOMELESS MONEY IS PRIMARILY ALL FEDERAL FUNDS.
THAT HAVE A DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER, 2022.
SO REMEMBER THAT WAS A LOT OF THE RIGHT.
WE, WE WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT HAVE DIFFERENT TIMELINES OF USE.
UM, WELL, SPEAKING OF THAT, YOU KNOW, ON THIS, I, I'M STILL ADVOCATING FOR OUR BUSINESSES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, NOT JUST MICRO BUSINESSES.
WE GOT SMALL BUSINESSES THAT GO UP TO A, A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WORKING FOR THAT BUSINESS THAT HAVE, WE, WHEN DID WE STOP TAKING REQUESTS FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOR
[02:05:01]
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE? THE, THE APPLICATION PERIOD.WE, THE PROGRAM THAT WE'D MOST RECENTLY HAD WAS FOCUSED ON THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
UM, SO WE CLOSED DOWN THE APPLICATION, UM, PROCESS IN APRIL, AND WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING THE APPLICATIONS AND AWARDING THE FUNDS SINCE THEN.
SO THAT WASN'T EVEN AVAILABLE TO THE BROADER, UM, BUSINESS COMMUNITY OUT THERE THAT WE OPENED FOR A SHORT TIME.
AND WE SPENT IT ALL REALLY QUICKLY HAVE, HAVE WE EVER REOPENED THAT TO AT LEAST GAUGE HOW MANY MORE BUSINESSES OUT THERE NEED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THIS, FROM THESE PROGRAMS? ARE WE, WE PLANNING THAT AT ALL, OR, OR NO? NO.
BUT REMEMBER WHAT WE DID DO WAS FUNDING THROUGH SOME OF THE PROGRAMS IS MAKING SURE THAT BUSINESSES HAD, UM, THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO FILE FOR P P P, FOR P P P.
AND, UH, SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.
BUT WE DID ONCE, ONCE WE ALLOCATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORIGINAL PILLAR, THAT $34 MILLION COUNCIL MOVED TWICE ADDITIONAL MONEY INTO THAT PILLAR.
UH, ONE FOR EXPANDED SMALL BUSINESS, AND THE SECOND ONE, THE $14 MILLION FOR HOSPITALITY.
WELL, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT PROCESS, UH, WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMING IN HERE.
SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
JUST, UH, UH, SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT.
UM, CAREER PLACEMENT, YOU GOT 416 AND THEN IT DROPS OFF SIGNIFICANTLY OVER 90 DAYS.
I MEAN, IF I'M READING THIS RIGHT, YOU ACTUALLY PLACED FOUR OVER 400 PEOPLE, BUT NOT ALL OF 'EM STAYED AFTER 90 DAYS.
IS THAT CORRECT? ACTUALLY, SOME OF THE 416 ARE STILL IN THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS.
WE KNOW THEY'VE COMPLETED TRAINING, THEY'RE EITHER WORKING ALREADY OR THEY'RE IN THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ON THE JOB FOR 90 DAYS YET.
ONCE THEY DO, THEY'LL DROP INTO THE NEXT BUCKET.
WE'LL, I'LL BE ASKING MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT LATER WHEN WE GET TO IT.
UH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, UH, COMMENT ABOUT SCHOOLS.
UH, JEFF, HOW MUCH DID OUR AREA SCHOOLS GET, UH, FROM THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL FOR BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS? WELL, I'D, I'D LIKE TO GET THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE THAT, THAT HAS A BEARING ON HOW MUCH WE'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING AND HOPING TO SPEND.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCHOOL FUNDING AND WHAT WE GET FOR OUR FUNDING ALSO.
AND I, AND I WANT PEOPLE TO REALIZE HOW MUCH MONEY THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING TO, UH, IMPLEMENT THESE BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OUT THERE AND, AND COUNSEL, IT'S A BIG NUMBER.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING P F M AND MICHAEL TO HELP, UH, PULL TOGETHER ALL THE RESOURCES THAT CAME TO SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY SO THAT WE'VE GOT KIND OF A BROADER VIEW OF MORE THAN JUST OUR 400 SOME ODD MILLION DOLLARS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT THERE IS ADDITIONAL, THERE'S A LOT OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT CAME INTO, INTO BEXAR COUNTY.
SO HE'S HELPING US WITH THAT AND WE'LL PROVIDE THAT TO THE OKAY.
UH, I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS MY COLLEAGUE HAS ASKED.
UH, I JUST WANT TO GET A CLARIFICATION ON, ON THE CONSTRUCTION THAT WE PUT OFF 47 MILLION, ISN'T THAT REALLY DEFERRED MAINTENANCE? SHOULDN'T THAT BE SOMETHING WE COULD BE REIMBURSED FOR BECAUSE THE COSTS A YEAR LATER OR TWO YEARS LATER IF THEY'RE DEFERRED, BECOME EVEN GREATER? YEAH.
SO AREN'T WE GOING TO ASK TO HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY REIMBURSED TO US? THAT IS, IN ESSENCE IT IS LOST INCOME.
IT'S JUST LOST OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU AND COUNCILMAN PERRY ARE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE TO ME.
AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO RECOVER EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR TO SAN ANTONIO IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES.
AND IF I GOTTA GO THROUGH REVENUE LOSS, THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH REVENUE LOSS, BUT MESSAGE RECEIVED ABOUT, ABOUT THE ISSUE, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES.
ONE OBVIOUS REVENUE LOSS IS HOTEL TAX.
SO ARE WE GOING TO ASK FOR OUR HOT TAX? YES, SIR.
AND HOW MUCH DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT COULD BE? WELL, UH, MARIA WILL PROBABLY REMEMBER THE, WE SHOWED ON THE SLIDE ON THE FORECAST, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF REVENUE TO THE TUNE OF A HUNDRED.
AND SO IT WAS $120 MILLION THAT WE CALCULATED, THAT WE SHOW YOU TWO WEEKS AGO FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND THEN OUR, THROUGH OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST, 2026 WAS 180 MILLION.
[02:10:02]
NOW, THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS PROVIDING A DIFFERENT WAY TO CALCULATE THAT THAN WHAT WE DID.MEANING THEY ALLOW FOR GROWTH.
WE JUST, WHAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU WAS THE REVENUE THAT WE COLLECTED IN 2020 COMPARED TO WHAT WE COLLECTED IN 2019.
THE GOVERNMENT IS SAYING, WE WILL ALLOW FOR GROWTH BECAUSE THE REVENUES PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE GROWN.
SO WE USE OUR FORMULA, THAT NUMBER IS HIGHER, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GONNA PRESENT TO YOU AS PART OF OUR TRIAL BUDGET.
AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS QUICK OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, UH, REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT WHEN WE PRESENTED THE FINANCIAL FORECAST, YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE HAD A DEFICIT IN OUR GENERAL FUND IN 2023.
OUR HOTEL ANCY TAX FUND HAD DEFICITS BEGINNING IN 2021.
SO AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, UM, HE'S RECOMMENDED PRIORITIES TO FOCUS ON REVENUE LOSS.
SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS GUIDANCE AND PREPARE THE TRIAL BUDGET, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON, ON OUR, UM, FINANCIAL STABILITY FOR THE CITY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BALANCED AND WE RECOVER FOR THAT REVENUE LOSS THAT WE, UM, WE LOST OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AT A MINIMUM.
LET ME JUST ASK THOUGH, ON THE TAX REVENUE WE THINK WE WERE PROJECTING TO LOSE, WASN'T THAT BASED ON WHAT WE WERE AFRAID WAS THE DECLINE IN THE PROPERTY VALUES IN SAN ANTONIO? AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE REALLY SEEING THAT.
SO WHEN WE DID THE FINANCIAL FORECAST LAST YEAR, WE HAD ANTICIPATED A REVENUE, UM, UM, NEGATIVE, UH, GROWTH IN OUR PROPERTY TAX VALUES.
UH, WHEN WE PRESENTED THE FORECAST TO YOU LAST WEEK, WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING A 3% GROWTH ON OUR PROPERTY VALUES AS OF AS OF, UM, THIS MONTH.
AND WHAT ABOUT FOR 2023? ARE WE SAYING THE SAME THING? WE THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT GROWTH.
THAT WOULD, BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST.
AND, AND, AND SO THAT'S THE, WHAT YOU'RE HITTING ON COUNCILMAN, IS THE, IS THE, THE, THE NEEDLE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO THREAD BECAUSE IT, IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO, UH, TRY TO GO TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND SAY, WE'RE PROJECTING WE'RE GONNA LOSE REVENUE IN 2022.
WE'VE GOTTA, WE'VE GOTTA SHOW ACTUAL REVENUE LOSS.
SO THIS, THIS MEASURED, THIS MEASURED PROCESS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO OVER THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
IF, IF, IF THE ECONOMY, IF WE MAKE A, IF WE SET A PLAN THIS SUMMER OR THIS FALL AND THE ECONOMY RECOVERS FASTER AND WE RECOVER REVENUE SHORTER OR QUICKER, THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADJUST THE PLAN.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE THE CONSTANT PULSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MATCH.
IF THE, IF THE, IF THE REVENUE DOESN'T RECOVER IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR PLAN, THEN, THEN WE SHOULD BE OKAY FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT.
BUT THE, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT, IS THAT THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE CURRENT GUIDELINES RE ALLOW GOVERNMENTS TO PROJECT SOME GROWTH IN REVENUE.
WELL, WE KNOW IN A NORMAL YEAR WE'RE GONNA SEE GENERAL GROWTH IN REVENUE ANYWAY.
SO, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE THE, THAT'S GONNA BE THE TRICK.
AND, AND LET ME, LET ME REEMPHASIZE SOMETHING THAT MARIA JUST SAID.
AS WE GO INTO THE TRIAL BUDGET AND THE CONVERSATIONS THIS SUMMER, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE KNOWN REVENUE LOSS THAT WE THINK WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES THAT EXIST RIGHT NOW AND ARE BEING DOUBLE CHECKED BY MIKE NADEL AND SET THE FRAMEWORK FOR OUR BUDGET NOW, UM, FOR THE GENERAL FUND, FOR THE HOT FUND, UH, PARKING MARKET SQUARE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF SMALLER ONES, UM, BUT ONLY THE REVENUE LOSS THAT WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR.
JUST REAL QUICKLY, I I WANTED TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THINGS.
WHEN DO YOU HAVE A CONSOLIDATED LIST OF QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE GOING BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? DO YOU HAVE THAT YET? UH, FOR THE JULY FEEDBACK, YES.
TODAY WAS A GOOD, THIS TODAY WAS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT IT WITH COUNCIL, SO WE'RE GONNA BE COLLECTING THAT.
UM, BUT WE WILL, UM, I WOULD SAY WE PROBABLY WOULD SHARE THAT TO THE COUNCIL AGAIN AT THE, AT THE GOAL SETTING SESSION AT THE END OF JUNE.
SO THAT WE MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING THINGS THAT WE'RE LEARNING.
UH, JUST WANTED TO GO OVER AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE, UH, ABOUT COORDINATION.
I, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS ON THE HOMELESSNESS SIDE FOR, FOR YEARS NOW, ABOUT COORDINATE THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO EVERYTHING.
AND THAT'S WHY WE RELY A LOT ON NONPROFITS OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, MELODY, YOU'VE GIVEN ME A COUPLE OF FIGURES, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO $80 MILLION A YEAR FOR HOMELESSNESS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A COORDINATION THING WE HAVE TO DO THAT.
WE'VE GOT TO GET THAT GOING HERE IN THE CITY BECAUSE ALL YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING IS PUMPING MORE MONEY INTO SOMETHING THAT'S NOT YIELDING ANY BETTER RESULTS OR HELPING THE HOMELESS OUTTA THEIR SITUATION.
SO, UM, WE, WE'VE GOT TO GET THAT COORDINATING SYSTEM GOING BETWEEN THE NONPROFITS
[02:15:01]
AND OURSELVES BECAUSE, UH, AND I'M, I'M, I'M AGAINST BUYING HOTELS AND OUTFITTING 'EM AND OPERATING 'EM FOR, FOR YEARS BECAUSE JUST TO YOUR POINT ERIC, WE SHOULD NOT BUILD OURSELF TO THAT CLIFF AT THE END OF WHEN THIS FUNDING IS GONNA GO AWAY.UH, THE MORE WE BUILD FOR FUTURE BILLS LIKE O AND M OPERATING, THAT KIND OF THING, WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO PULL THAT OUT OF SOMETHING ELSE, OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND TO CONTINUE THOSE OPERATIONS.
LET'S DON'T TAKE OURSELVES TO THAT CLIFF AND THEN WE'RE OUTTA THAT MONEY.
WHAT DO WE DO NOW? SO, JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT ON THERE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR, FOR SAYING THAT.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S ALL I HAD, SIR.
UH, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT FIRST, UH, DISCUSSION AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'LL BE PLENTY MORE, UM, IN VARIOUS PHASES OF THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
UH, WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE FITTING WE GET TO INAUGURATE THE FIRST HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG, UH, IN THIS ROOM TO COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.
SO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.
WELL, UM, WE, WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AGAIN, IT WILL BE ACROSS THE HALL AND, AND AGAIN, UM, FOR EVERYBODY LISTENING, THIS WILL BE, UH, THE EXIT AND ENTRANCE FOR STAFF AND COUNCIL.
UH, WE'RE ASKING ANYBODY, UM, GENERAL, UH, PUBLIC WHO HAVE ATTENDED, IF THEY CAN USE THE, UH, EXIT, UH, ON THE SIDE THERE.
SO COUNCIL WILL GO STRAIGHT ACROSS TO THE EXECUTIVE ROOM, UM, AND EVERYONE ELSE WILL EXIT, UM, IN THAT MANNER.
[Executive Session]
SO THE TIME IS NOW 4:25 PM ON THIS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2ND, 2021.THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL ALLOW MEET AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 AND DELIBERATE DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.087.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072.
REAL PROPERTY AND CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ISSUES ARE RELATED ADVICE, ADVICE RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LITIGATION INVOLVING IN CITY AND C OVID 19 PREPAREDNESS UNDER 5 5 1 0.07.
ONE TIME IS 5:02 PM ON THIS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2ND, 2021.
CITY COUNSEL IS RECONVENED FROM ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION AND NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN.
ALSO, FOR THE RECORD, THERE ARE NO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
UH, SO, UH, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.