Jun 03, 2021 City Council A Session on 2021-06-03 9:00 AM

TO HIS SONS, UH, DOMINIQUE AND SAVON.

WELL, GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.

IT LOOKS, UH, GREAT IN HERE TODAY, AND THE BUZZ, YOU CAN JUST FEEL IT.

AND PART OF THIS BUZZ THIS MORNING IS, UH, WHO I'M GONNA INTRODUCE THIS MORNING.

UM, SIR, WHY DON'T YOU COME ON UP TO THE MIC.

UH, I AM, I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE WITH US TODAY, UH, PASTOR DANTE BANKS.

AND, UH, HE'S WITH THE GOD CHASERS COMMUNITY CHURCH, AND HE'S GONNA DELIVER OUR INVOCATION TODAY.

BUT, UH, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW, UH, HE GOES BY PD AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO REFER YOU TO TODAY AS PD.

BUT, UM, UH, HE'S AN INFLUENCER, A SPIRITUAL LEADER, A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, ANT ENTREPRENEUR FROM RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

HE GREW UP, UM, AND WENT TO SCHOOL, UM, LET'S SEE, IN THE EAST SIDE AND WENT TO SAM HOUSTON.

SO, UH, A LOCAL BOY THAT GREW UP AND, UH, HAS TAKEN CHARGE OF A, A SPIRITUAL GROUP.

AND, UH, THIS CHURCH, I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY, I WAS INVITED.

UH, IT WAS RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF C O V I D, AND IT WAS LIKE IN MAY OR JUNE LAST YEAR THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD A GRADUATION OF ALL THE CHILDREN IN, IN THIS CHURCH IN GRADUATING TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL.

AND LEMME TELL YOU, IT WAS HOT OUT THERE, BUT YOU COULD SEE THE ENTHUSIASM ON THE FACES OF THOSE CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, THE EXCITEMENT OF GOING UP TO THE NEXT GRADE.

AND THE PARENTS WERE THERE, ALL THE SUPPORT GIVEN, AND IT WAS JUST A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, HE, UM, GREW THIS CHURCH.

IT'S A BRAND NEW CHURCH, AND IT WAS LABELED AS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING CHURCHES HERE IN SOUTH TEXAS.

SO, UH, GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM TO COME OUT HERE TODAY AND SPREAD THE WORD AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND, AND HOW THIS, WHERE THIS CHURCH IS, AND LETTING FOLKS KNOW.

AND, UH, MAYBE FOR FOLKS TO COME UP AND VISIT SOMETIME.

BUT, UH, UH, LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE, YOU'RE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR AND ACCOMPLISHED SONGWRITER AND WORSHIP LEADER, BUT HIS GREATEST TITLES ARE HUSBAND TO HIS WIFE, TABITHA, AND FATHER

[00:05:01]

RIGHT? ALL RIGHT, GREAT.

AND HE'S ALSO ACCOMPANIED TODAY BY THE ASSOCIATE PASTOR, UH, ADRIANA BUENO MONEY.

SO, UH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL HERE THIS MORNING, AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU PD.

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, PLEASE RISE.

GOD BLESS YOU.

I'M SO HONORED TO BE HERE, UM, TO OUR HOLY AND WISE GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY, FOR THIS IS THE DAY THAT YOU HAVE MADE, AND WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT.

YOU SAID THAT WE SHOULD ENTER EACH DAY WITH THANKSGIVING AND WITH PRAISE.

SO GLADLY TODAY WE START BY SAYING THANK YOU.

WE WOULD NOT APPROACH YOU WITHOUT SAYING THANK YOU.

WE ARE THANKFUL TO LIVE IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, AND BEAUTIFULLY DIVERSE CITY.

UH, WE PRAY A SPECIAL BLESSING OVER IT ON TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR COVERING OUR CITY.

WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE PEOPLE IN THIS CHAMBER WHO SERVE THIS GREAT CITY.

GIVE THEM STRENGTH, GIVE THEM THE COURAGE OF CONVICTION, AND GIVE THEM WISDOM TO CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT REPRESENT THE ENTIRE CITY.

WE THANK YOU FOR THE MAYOR OF THIS AMAZING CITY.

WE PRAY FOR HIS STRENGTH.

WE PRAY FOR A COVERING AND A BLESSING OVER HIM AS HE CONTINUES TO LEAD OUR CITY.

AND WE ALSO PRAY FOR THESE GREAT LEADERS IN THIS CITY, COUNCIL, LORD JESUS, WHO STAND AS JESUS CHARACTERS THEMSELF, WHO STAND THE INTERCESSION FOR THE VULNERABLE AND THE VOICELESS.

THANK YOU FOR THEIR FAITHFULNESS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ALL FRUITFULNESS IS BORN OUT OF FAITHFULNESS.

SO WE THANK YOU LORD JESUS, FOR THEIR FAITHFULNESS, GOD.

AND I THANK YOU FOR EVERY UNKNOWN PERSON IN THIS ROOM, EVERY, UH, UNSPOKEN VOICE IN THIS ROOM.

I ASK THAT YOU COVER THEM, KEEP THEM, AND PROTECT THEM, GOD, AS WE, AS WE INATE.

THANK YOU LORD JESUS.

WE WOULDN'T INATE WITHOUT FIRST INVITING.

SO WE INVITE YOU TO THIS PLACE.

GOD, WE INVITE YOU TO THIS CHAMBER.

GOD WE LOVE YOU, AND WE GIVE YOU GLORY IN JESUS' PRECIOUS NAME.

AMEN.

AND AMEN.

[2. 21-3991 Pledge of Allegiance]

STATES LIBERTY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PD.

ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 29TH AND MAY 5TH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE MINUTES.

UM, THE FIRST BUSINESS ITEM

[3. 21-3992 Approval of Minutes from the City Council Meetings of April 29, 2021, and May 5, 2021]

OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES, UH, APRIL 29TH AND MAY 5TH, 2021.

IF THERE IS NO DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.

STARTED, UH, ON THE REST OF OUR AGENDA TODAY, UH, WE DO HAVE SOME GUESTS IN OUR AUDIENCE, AND I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ONE TO START.

UM, BEFORE WE GET

[Additional Item]

UH, AND THAT IS ALL THE FOLKS WHO ARE HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE WHAT WE'VE BEEN MISSING FOR THE LAST, UH, SEEMS LIKE TWO YEARS.

AND THAT IS, UH, FIESTA SAN ANTONIO, VIVA FIESTA VIVA.

UM, UH, AS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S BEEN A VERY CHALLENGING YEAR.

UH, FIESTA IS A PARTY WITH A PURPOSE, BUT OUR PURPOSE HAD BEEN DIVERTED TO OTHER THINGS, UH, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, NAMELY, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SAVE THE LIVES OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND LOVED ONES AND PROTECT EACH OTHER FROM WHAT IS STILL A BREWING GLOBAL PANDEMIC.

UH, AS A SIDE NOTE, I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE HERE WHO IS CONTINUING TO BE MINDFUL OF THE PRECAUTIONS, UH, AND THE GUIDANCE OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, NAMELY, GETTING VACCINATED, ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO DO SO.

UH, BUT ALSO IF YOU'RE NOT VACCINATED OR YET DON'T YET HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING VACCINATED, UH, PLEASE CONTINUE TO WEAR YOUR MASK AND PRACTICE THOSE OTHER, UH, IMPORTANT, UH, PROTOCOLS.

BUT FOR ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY, UH, WE HAD TO SEE THE CANCELLATION OF ONE OF THE MOST TREASURED TRADITIONS OF OUR CITY LAST YEAR, WHEN FIESTA, UNFORTUNATELY HAD TO BE POSTPONED AND ULTIMATELY CANCELED, UH, WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.

THE FIESTA COMMISSION AND THE NONPROFITS AROUND THIS COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD WITH OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS, UH, AS WELL AS WITH THEIR OWN MEDICAL CONSULTANTS, UH, TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CONDUCT FIESTA IN A SAFE MANNER.

AND ULTIMATELY, IT WAS DECIDED TO, UH, POSTPONE IT, UH, WITH THE HOPES THAT WE COULD HAVE ONE IN JUNE.

AND WE ALL THOUGHT THAT WE COULD HAVE IT IN JUNE, AND WE COULD HAVE A QUITE A PARTY IN JUNE IF SAN ANTONIO CONTINUED TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT IT HAS BEEN DOING, UH,

[00:10:01]

TIME AND AGAIN DURING CHALLENGING TIMES, UH, WHICH IS PULL TOGETHER, WORK TOGETHER, GET A JOB DONE, AND ULTIMATELY GO BACK TO, UH, LIFE AND ACTIVITIES AND, AND FUN.

UH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DOING.

I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR METRO HEALTH LEADERS AND, AND STAFF, UH, AND EVERYONE IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO HAS NOW PUT US ON THE BRINK OF BEING ABLE TO PUT THIS PANDEMIC BEHIND US.

WE HAVE HAD ONE OF THE LOWEST POSITIVITY RATES, UH, OF THE INFECTION IN OUR CITY FOR ALMOST TWO AND A HALF MONTHS, UH, UNDER 3%.

WE'VE HAD ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF VACCINATION.

DESPITE ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD GETTING VACCINES HERE, WE'VE BEEN GETTING THEM INTO ARMS VERY WELL.

UH, WE'VE BEEN MINDFUL OF EQUITY AND CHALLENGES OF GETTING TO VERY DIFFICULT TO REACH POPULATIONS.

SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING THE WORK NECESSARY TO PROTECT ONE ANOTHER.

AND NOW, UH, I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT WE GET TO REAP SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT, UH, AND NAMELY THAT WE CAN, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT'S GONNA BE ONE HECK OF A PARTY LATER THIS MONTH THAT NOT ONLY IS FUN TO ATTEND, BUT ALSO BENEFITS SO MANY OF THE IMPORTANT NONPROFITS AROUND OUR CITY.

SO, UH, TO RECOGNIZE AND TO GET THIS CELEBRATION STARTED OFF RIGHT.

LET ME ASK, UH, STEVE ROSENAU TO COME UP.

UH, STEVE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FIESTA COMMISSION EXECUTIVE BOARD, AND, UM, HE'S BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE DISCUSSIONS TAKING PLACE, AND, UM, HE'S READY TO, TO TELL US WHAT, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.

AND, AND, UH, WALTER SERNA WILL COME UP AS WELL, THE CHAIR OF THE FIESTA COMMISSION.

SO GUYS, THE FLOOR IS YOURS, MAYOR.

UH, ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, FIESTA COMMISSION, UH, AND ALL THE SAN ANTONIO, I WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR STEADY LEADERSHIP.

UH, IN MARCH OF 2020, YOU WERE THERE, ALONG WITH MY IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT, JEANNIE TRAVIS, WHO'S HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, WHERE WE MADE THE PAINFUL DECISION TO POSTPONE FIESTA AND EVENTUALLY CANCEL IT, AS YOU SAID, IN THE HISTORY OF FIESTA, THAT HAD NEVER HAPPENED, UH, OTHER THAN, UH, WORLD WAR I, UH, WORLD WAR II, ACTUALLY, WHEN THAT HAPPENED.

UH, AND SO WHEN I TOOK OVER AS, UH, FIESTA COMMISSION PRESIDENT, MY GOAL WAS TO TRY AND PUT SOME, SOME SORT OF FIESTA FORWARD, BECAUSE I KNEW HOW HARD IT WAS ON OUR NONPROFITS.

UH, WE HAVE OVER 110 PMOS PARTICIPATING MEMBERS ORGANIZATION THAT DO SO MUCH IN THE COMMUNITY.

WHEN YOU SAY, WE PARTY WITH THE PURPOSE, WE ACTUALLY DO, UH, FROM SCHOLARSHIPS, UH, RAYFIELD SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY THAT HELPS CONSERVE A LOT OF OUR GREAT BUILDINGS HERE IN, IN SAN ANTONIO TO THE CAVALIERS THAT SPREAD, UH, UH, MONEY AROUND, UH, THE CITY TO, UH, DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS.

THEY WERE ALL IN NEED OF THIS FIESTA.

AND, AND SO WHAT WE DID, WE HIRED A MEDICAL CONSULTANT.

METRO HEALTH, UH, WAS GREAT.

UH, YOUR, YOUR WAS GREAT.

UH, AND SO WE'RE HERE TODAY AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND WE'RE READY TO MOVE FORWARD.

UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE PICKED JUNE, WE SAID WE'D ONLY DO IT IF IT WAS SAFE.

UH, FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE STILL LISTENING, PLEASE GET VACCINATED.

THAT'S THE SAFEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.

UH, AT A LOT OF OUR EVENTS, WE'VE BEEN COORDINATING WITH METRO HEALTH, WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET A VACCINE AT THE TIME, UH, WHEN YOU SHOW UP, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN VACCINATED, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TENTS SET UP AT CERTAIN LOCATIONS.

WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE FOR, UH, PUTTING THOSE ON OUR WEBSITE SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW, UH, UH, WHERE YOU CAN GET VACCINATED WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU WALK UP TO ONE OF THESE EVENTS.

THAT'S THE SAFEST WAY TO DO IT.

BUT WE'RE EXCITED, WE'RE READY AT FIESTA, UH, THIS CITY NEEDS IT.

I, I WAS TALKING TO THE MAYOR THE OTHER DAY.

I SAID, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING THAT, THAT FIESTA DOES, LIKE, LIKE NO OTHER EVENT IN THIS, IN, IN THIS CITY, UH, OTHER THAN THE SPURS PLAYOFFS, BUT IT BRINGS, IT BRINGS THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER, AND, AND THIS COMMUNITY, SOLY NEEDS IT AFTER THIS HORRIBLE PANDEMIC THAT DID NOT ONLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE LOST A LOT OF LIVES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT ACROSS THE WORLD.

AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

AND, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 50 EVENTS OF ABOUT THE, ABOUT A HUNDRED OF THE 110.

WE HAVE ABOUT 50 STILL.

SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO OUT AND SUPPORT, GO OUT AND BUY A, A GORDITA OR GO DRINK A BEER AT OSA OR GO SPEND SOME MONEY, BECAUSE IT ALL GOES TO A GOOD CAUSE.

UH, AND WE, UH, WE APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME, ALL ANYTHING YOU CAN DO FOR IT.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING US HERE.

AND I, AND I'LL, I'LL LET STEVE, UH, SAY A FEW WORDS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT.

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING FIESTA.

LIKE WALTER SAID, IT'S A GREAT COMMUNITY IMPACT, BUT IT REALLY, IT REALLY HELPS OUR NONPROFITS AND THE, THE CHARITIES THAT THEY SUPPORT, AND IT REALLY BENEFITS THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO.

SO THAT WAS REALLY OUR GOAL THIS YEAR, IS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A SAFE FIESTA AND REALLY BRING THE CELEBRATION BACK BESIDES THE FINANCIAL STRUGGLES, THE EMOTIONAL STRUGGLES OF NOT HAVING FIESTA IN 2020, AND THEN POSTPONING IT TO THEN POSTPONING IT TO 21.

WE REALLY THINK THIS IS GONNA BE A GREAT WAY TO BRING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BACK TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE AND START BRINGING BACK SOME NORMALCY.

SO, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT,

[00:15:06]

AND I THINK ALL OF YOU HAVE IS SASH, AND WE HAVE A, A TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION TOO.

MAYOR, FOR YOU, YOU'D LIKE TO COME DOWN HERE AND ACCEPT YOUR GIFT.

UM, AND, UH, WITH, I'LL COME DOWN AND, UH, LET ME TURN THE FLOOR TO COUNCIL MEMBER.

GRA THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND CONGRATULATIONS, CHAIR.

AND STEVE, IT'S, IT'S ODD TO SEE YOU IN THIS CAPACITY AND NOT IN THE OYSTER BAKE CAPACITY, BUT WELCOME AND CONGRATULATIONS.

I DON'T THINK I'VE BEEN ABLE TO TELL YOU THAT FOR OVER A YEAR.

AND WE REALLY KNOW WHY YOU CHOSE JUNE.

IT'S BECAUSE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY MONTH AND COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ'S BIRTHDAY MONTH.

SO WE UNDERSTAND WHY YOU CHOSE, UH, FIESTA TO BE IN JUNE.

BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE WORK.

AND, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO ALSO SHARE THE COMMITMENT.

OH MY GOSH, , IT'S A VEST, Y'ALL.

UM, UH, I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UM, CALLISTA, MS. FIESTA FOR BEING THERE FOR OUR VACCINATION HUB THAT WE HELD.

WE HAD OVER 134 PEOPLE VACCINATED, AND THEY ARE READY TO FIESTA.

AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL .

UM, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THERE AND FOR BEING A PART OF OUR, OUR VACCINATION HUB.

SO VIVA FIESTA AND, UH, VIVA VACCINES.

COUNCIL MC GONZALEZ, GO AHEAD.

OKAY, WELL, I'M JEALOUS.

I WANNA BEST .

I LOVE IT.

ALTHOUGH I DO LOVE MY SASH TOO.

THANK YOU, UM, SO MUCH, UH, FOR ALLOWING US TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FIESTA.

WE REALLY DID.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MISSED FIESTA BECAUSE WE MISSED, UH, OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, THERE'S A FAMILY, UH, UH, IN MY DISTRICT, UM, DONNA PACHECO.

UH, SHE USED TO RUN OUR, OUR SENIOR CENTER, UM, AT GOOD SAMARITAN.

AND NOW SHE RUNS THE SENIOR HOUSING AT DONNA MARIE AND HER FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS HAS RENTED OUT AT THE HOTELS HERE IN DOWNTOWN FOR 10 DAYS.

AND THEY HAVE LIKE 50 FAMILY MEMBERS THAT COME AND CELEBRATE WITH ALL OF THE PARADES, UH, AND ALL OF THE FIESTA EVENTS.

AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF DONNA'S WATCHING TODAY.

I KNOW SOMETIMES SHE DOES.

UM, BUT I HOPE THAT HER FAMILY GETS TOGETHER AGAIN TO CELEBRATE THE FIESTA BECAUSE THEY HAD A VERY TRAGIC YEAR WITH C O V I D, ESPECIALLY OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY, SO MANY WHO DIDN'T GET TO SEE ANOTHER FIESTA.

SO I HOPE THAT PEOPLE, UM, FIRST OF ALL, GET THE VACCINE.

UH, IT'S READILY AVAILABLE ANYWHERE, UH, AND SO WE CAN GET THEM, UM, THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR ORGANIZING A, UH, A VACCINE FIESTA DRIVE A WEEK AGO.

UM, AND THAT IT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE AT LOTS OF EVENTS.

SO IT'S JUST, UH, SO EXCITED TO GET BACK TO, UM, TO A LITTLE BIT OF NORMALCY.

IT REALLY IS, UM, JUST SEEING EVERYBODY'S FACES.

UH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, SUCH A THRILL.

SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR HANGING IN THERE.

WE HAVE OUR LOVELY MISS FIESTA.

UM, YOU KNOW, CAN I WEAR THE CROWN JUST FOR MINUTE? UH, I'M OBVIOUS I'M NOT READY TO GO, BUT, UM, BUT THANK YOU, UM, FOR, FOR COMING AND LETTING US CELEBRATE WITH YOU ALL, UM, IN THIS, UH, SORT OF FIESTA FINALE FOR, UH, ME AND COUNCILWOMAN VERAN.

SO, UM, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

AND, AND PLEASE, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, BE GENEROUS.

IT'S A PARTY WITH A PURPOSE.

AND, UM, WE KNOW THAT THESE FUNDS GO TO VERY GOOD CAUSES.

UM, ONE OF MY CHILDREN'S SCHOOL WAS ONE OF THE RECIPIENTS OF A, A PRIZE, UH, OF A VERY GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CAVALIERS LAST YEAR.

SO, SO IMPORTANT WORK ALL OVER, UM, THIS CITY.

AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.

COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS IN THIRD GRADE AT SS H GATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ONE OF THE JOYS OF MY LIFE STORY, AS I CAN TELL, I WAS IN THE FIESTA PARADE AS A CABBAGE PATCH KID RIDING WITH THE YOUNG MADAM ELLS.

UM, AND SO THANK YOU TO MY TEACHERS, MRS. JACKSON AND MS. ATKINSON THAT CONTINUED TO PUSH US TO LET US KNOW THAT INCLUSIVITY IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ALWAYS HAS DONE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, WALTER.

I REMEMBER, UM, WHEN WE STARTED HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT FIESTA BEING IN JUNE, WE REACHED OUT TO YOU BECAUSE WE HEARD THAT JUNE IS JUNETEENTH, AND WHAT YOU DID WAS STEP UP AND SAID, LET'S MAKE IT A E FIESTA EVENT.

AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR KNOWING THAT WE ARE INCLUDED

[00:20:01]

AND WE'RE NOT EXCLUDED, AND WE'RE LIVING IN THE AMERICAN DREAM OF MAKING SURE EVERYONE IS REPRESENTED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A WONDERFUL FIESTA, AND I AM JUST HAPPY TO BE A PART OF A CITY COUNCIL THAT TRULY SPEAKS TO ALL OF SAN ANTONIO.

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

AND THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.

I'M SO EXCITED.

I WAS REALLY HAPPY WHEN I WALKED IN THIS MORNING.

I SAW ALL OF YOU ALL, I WAS HAVING SOME FIESTA WITHDRAWAL, AND I HAVEN'T HAD MY PROPER CHICKEN ON A STICK FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

AND SO, UM, I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE.

UM, I'M A RECIPIENT OF A RAY FELLOW SCHOLARSHIP, A PAST RECIPIENT, SO I KNOW, UM, THAT, THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO BUY BOOKS, ET CETERA.

SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.

LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH YOU ALL AND CONTINUING THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO FOR OUR STUDENTS.

UM, THANK YOU, CALISTA, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN FRONT AND CENTER WITH THE SHOW ME YOUR MASK COMPETITION, AND YOU'VE BEEN AT EVERYTHING.

AND SO WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE DECORATING THEIR FIESTA MASKS OR THEIR MASKS IN THE FIESTA SPIRIT OF SAN ANTONIO.

I WAS REMINDED BY DR.

BRIDGER.

UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU COULD STILL BREATHE IN THE MASKS SO , SO DON'T OVER DECORATE THEM, BUT DECORATE THEM.

AND SO PLEASE, AND THEN, MAYOR, I GOTTA TELL YOU THAT I, UH, RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE SAYING THAT YOU'RE READY FOR THE NEXT KIN SET.

'CAUSE YOU LOOK LIKE A CLAN FOR KIN .

SO I JUST HAD TO, I JUST HAD TO SAY THAT.

UM, BUT I, BUT I LOVE IT.

I LOVE THE BEST.

UH, AND THEN ALSO, UM, STEVEN WALTER, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL AS WELL IN, IN KEEPING, UM, OUR COMMUNITY AT THE TOP OF MIND WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY.

SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ SAID, BE GENEROUS.

AND MY TRANSLATION IS, COME OFF KETO.

YOU ALL HAVE AN EXTRA GUITA BECAUSE THE KIDS NEED US.

SO, THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH YOU.

VIVA FIESTA.

VIVA, THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.

I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR THEIR, UH, FORTITUDE TO STICK WITH THIS.

I KNOW IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT TIME, A DIFFICULT DECISION TO PUT OFF THE, UH, ORIGINAL ONE LAST YEAR.

AND THEN I KNOW WE WERE ALL HOPING THAT BY NOVEMBER IT'LL BE BETTER, AND IT WASN'T, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS TODAY.

AND IT'S GREAT THAT WE'VE GOT FIESTA COMING UP.

YOU KNOW, IT REALLY SYMBOLIZES THE DIVERSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THE HARMONY OF OUR COMMUNITY WHEN SO MANY, UH, FAMILIES AS AND NEIGHBORS COME TOGETHER JUST HAVE FUN.

AND SO, I THINK PROBABLY EVERYBODY'S LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

WE MAY NOT ALL GET TO A FIESTA EVENT, BUT IN OUR HEARTS, I THINK ALL OF US ARE GONNA BE CELEBRATING FIESTA THIS YEAR.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A, JUST A GREAT TIME.

COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.

COUNCIL MEMBER PALS.

UH, JUST TO CONTINUE POURING ALL OF YOURSELF, UH, AND YOUR WIFE IS INCREDIBLY GENEROUS TO, TO LEND YOU TO THIS COMMUNITY.

WITHOUT EXAGGERATION, I THINK THAT THIS MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT FIESTA OF, UH, MY CHILDREN'S LIFETIME.

UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS REALLY HORRIBLE, NO GOOD YEAR, UH, THAT WAS 2020, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT MY CHILDREN AND THEIR LITTLE FRIENDS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND ALL MY NEIGHBORS COULD REALLY USE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING UPLIFTING.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND A REASON TO SMILE.

UH, AND YOU GUYS ARE WALKING, TALKING EXAMPLES OF, OF, UH, OF, OF SAN ANTONIO AND OF, OF THE SMILES THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT WE ALL NEED RIGHT NOW.

UH, I, I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT I DID SEE A WINNEBAGO WITHOUT CURTAINS THAT USED TO LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THAT VEST.

UH, AND SO , I, I, AND I NEED CHIEF MCMANUS TO INVESTIGATE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THOSE CURTAINS WENT.

UM, THE, UH, BUT THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WEARING YOUR, YOUR FIESTA GEAR TODAY, UH, ARE VERY SPECIAL.

AND I KNOW THAT YOU, YOU, RIGHT NOW, YOU COULD BE AT WORK MAKING MONEY.

UH, YOU COULD BE, UH, OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, DOING SOMETHING SELFISH AND TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF.

AND ON VACATION.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, IT'S ALMOST JUNE.

AND INSTEAD YOU'RE GIVING UP YOUR TIME, UH, FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS AND RAISING MONEY, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF IT WITHOUT ANY, UH, INTEREST, UH, CYNICAL, CYNICAL SELF-INTEREST ON YOUR PART, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BENEFIT FROM IT.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I GOT HERE IN 1992.

UH, THAT WAS MY FIRST, THAT WAS MY FIRST YEAR IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND THE FIRST TIME I SAW FIESTA, AND I SAW ALL OF YOU IN YOUR WHITE SUITS WITH YOUR MEDALS ON, AND YOUR SASHES.

I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE A CONVENTION FOR CENTRAL AMERICAN DICTATORS.

UH, AND, UH, BUT I, I'VE, UH, I, I'VE COME TO, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE COME TO REALLY ENJOY SEEING YOU GUYS GET ALL WORKED UP.

AND, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, IT'S JUST THE GENEROSITY.

AND SO, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT ONE PERSON IN PARTICULAR, UH, WALTER CERNA, I THINK YOU'RE ONE OF THE MOST GENEROUS HUMAN BEINGS I, I'VE EVER MET.

UM, AND YOU GIVE OF YOURSELF, UM, EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU FIND THE TIME,

[00:25:01]

SO, VIVA, WALTER VIVA.

THANKS, MAYOR.

COUNCILMEMBER.

PAIA, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.

WHAT AN EVENT, JUST LIKE I SAID A WHILE AGO, THAT YOU CAN FEEL THE ELECTRICITY IN THE AIR ALREADY BUILDING UP TOWARDS THIS EVENT.

UM, I, I'M EXCITED.

I'M ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT FIESTA.

Y'ALL PROBABLY DON'T KNOW, BUT FOR YEARS I WORKED IN TWO DIFFERENT BOOTHS.

ONE A BEER BOOTH.

I WAS A BEER, UH, BEER BOOTH, BABE.

AND, UH, AND THEN IN A, UH, UH, HONEST, UH, ACTUALLY, I DATED A GIRL THAT I MET, UH, IN, IN THE BOOTH, OKAY.

BUT ANYWAY, BUT THEN A FAJITA BOOTH.

SO I HAD BEEN INVOLVED WITH FIESTA FOR MANY YEARS, AND, UH, IT WAS GREAT WHEN I GOT ELECTED HERE TO COUNCIL BECAUSE I HAD TO MOVE MYSELF AWAY FROM THE BOOTH WORK, AND I BECAME A PARTICIPANT.

AND THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST FUN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS NOW.

AND WE REALLY MISSED IT THIS LAST YEAR, LIKE EVERYBODY SAID.

BUT EVERYBODY'S REALLY EXCITED NOW ABOUT GETTING THIS THING GOING AGAIN.

AND I'M JUST HAPPY THAT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR IS HERE.

WE'VE MADE THESE DECISIONS, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, AND WE'RE READY TO PARTAKE.

SO, VIVA FIESTA.

VIVA.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.

COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO.

UH, I DIDN'T WORK AT A BOOTH.

CLAYTON .

UM, I JUST WANNA SAY WELCOME BACK.

UH, REALLY, THAT'S PROBABLY THE, THE GONNA BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PHRASE THAT WE THINK ABOUT AS THIS COUNTRY RECOVERS.

AND, AND WE THINK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY, THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING TOGETHER AND CELEBRATING ONE ANOTHER, DOING EVENTS LIKE FIESTA, WELCOME BACK.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO.

UH, IT'S GREAT TO SEE Y'ALL.

AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERSISTENCE AS WELL THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

UM, BEFORE WE RELEASE YOU, UM, INTO THE WORLD, WE'RE GONNA, WE BRING THE COUNCIL DOWN, AND WE'LL ALL TAKE A PICTURE TODAY TO COMMEMORATE.

I JUST CLOSE IT REAL QUICK TOO.

I, I WANT TO THANK MY BOARD, IF Y'ALL COULD STAND UP, UH, MY EXISTING BOARD RIGHT NOW.

WE WORKED TIRELESS TIRELESSLY FOR THE LAST YEAR TO TRY AND PUT THIS EVENT ON, AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HIM FOR, FOR, UH, WORKING HARD.

AND, AND AGAIN, MAYOR, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COUNCIL.

I WANNA GIVE YOU A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR GETTING US HERE.

THANK Y'ALL FOR EVERYTHING.

VIVA FIESTA.

WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN AND TAKE A PICTURE REAL QUICK.

OH, WE'RE DOING THIS.

[00:31:17]

THANK YOU, EVERYONE.

UM, LET ME TURN THE FLOOR OVER NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN FOR POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.

COM, UM, ABSOLUTELY IN HIS HEART IS IT IS A 600 ACRE TRACK THAT WAS PURCHASED BY THE CITY FROM THE, FROM THE STATE OF GEORGE W BRACKENRIDGE IN 1944 AND 1964.

UM, IT IS WITH SOME, IT IS WITH SADNESS THAT I, I BRING THIS NEWS, BUT IT'S ALSO WITH AN AMOUNT OF GREAT PRIDE AND JOY THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS, UH, AN INCREDIBLE SOURCE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

UH, MR. RAMON VI QUIN WAS BORN DECEMBER 7TH, 1920.

HE WAS DE HE DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF SAN ANTONIANS, SPECIFICALLY THOSE IN CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT THREE.

HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE FOUNDING OF THE SUNNY SLOPE AND PASADENA HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN 1982.

AND HE LED THE EFFORTS TO GET A GYM BUILT AT THE SOUTH SIDE LIONS COMMUNITY CENTER.

MR. QUINTO WAS A WORLD WAR II VETERAN WHO SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY FROM 1941 TO 1945 IN THE FIJI ISLANDS.

MR. QUIN RECENTLY PASSED AWAY ON MAY 14TH, 2021.

MANY OF Y'ALL REMEMBER THAT IT WAS JUST THIS PAST DECEMBER THAT I ALSO RECOGNIZED HIM FOR HIS, UH, 100TH BIRTHDAY.

AND HE HAD, AS DURING C O V I D, THEY HAD A, UH, PARADE, A CAR PARADE IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE ON RIGSBY, WHERE HE LIVED MA MANY, MANY YEARS.

MR. QUINTO WAS A HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AWARD RECIPIENT FOR SERVICE AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

IN 1992, THE STATE OF TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AWARD, A FOUNDING MEMBER AND PAST PRESIDENT IN 1997, ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE FROM THE CITY IN MAY 9TH, 2001, AND ALSO RECOGNITION FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR KEEP SAN ANTONIO BEAUTIFUL, INC.

IN AUGUST OF 2002, MR. QUINTAL ALSO WAS GIVEN THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR HIS UNSELFISH DEVOTION AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AS THE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE SUNNY SLOPE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.

AND A RESOLUTION FOR HIS 99TH BIRTHDAY WAS PRESENTED TO HIM BY STATE, REPRESENTED BY THEN STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROLAND GUTIERREZ ON DECEMBER 7TH, 2019.

MR. KINGO, UM, WAS A STALWART IN OUR COMMUNITY.

HE ALL MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS DATING BACK TO JOE WEBB WOULD GO AND TALK TO HIM, AND ALWAYS STAND UP STRAIGHT AND GET, UM, PREPARED WHEN THEY HAD TO ADDRESS THIS, UH, MAN.

AND EVEN THOUGH SMALL IN STATURE, HE COMMANDED RESPECT, AND HE DID NOT, UH, MINCE WORDS.

HE TOLD YOU EXACTLY HOW HE FELT ABOUT YOU, AND EXACTLY WHEN YOU WERE NOT DOING, UH, THE RIGHT THING.

AND I WAS, UM, RECIPIENT OF THOSE WORDS AS WELL.

BUT HE DID IT BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF HIS COMMUNITY.

SOUTHSIDE LIONS PARK WAS A PLACE

[00:35:01]

THE PARK WAS FIRST KNOWN AS HIGH LYONS PARK, AND IT TAKES ITS NAME FROM THE ORGANIZATION THAT WORKED TO PRESERVE THE AREA OF THE PUBLIC PARK LAND.

IN 1944, THE CITY PURCHASED 346 ACRES.

ORIGINALLY, THE ACRES FROM THE BRACKENRIDGE ESTATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF A LANDFILL, RESIDENTS OF THE HIGHLAND PARK AREA AND THE SUNNY SLOPE AREA, MEMBERS OF THE HIGHLAND PARK LIONS CLUB SUCCESSFULLY PETITIONED THE CITY TO USE THE LAND AS A PARK INSTEAD OF A GARBAGE DUMP.

PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARK, 22 ACRES WERE DEEDED TO THE, IN 1953, TO THE SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL.

THE AREA ADJACENT TO SATO CREEK WAS CLEARED IN 1956 FOR A PICNIC AREA, A RECREATION CENTER, SOFTBALL FIELD, TENNIS FACILITY, DAM, AND 10 ACRE LAKE WERE BUILT ON THE PROPERTY.

AND IN 1986, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS WERE USED TO, TO BUILD A GYMNASIUM AND TO UPGRADE THE COMMUNITY CENTER THAT WAS DEDICATED.

ON NOVEMBER 1ST, 1986, MR. QUINTERO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN FIGHTING TO GET THAT GYM AND THAT COMMUNITY CENTER BUILT, AND THAT WAS IN 1986.

AND HE DID NOT STOP PARTICIPATING IN EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT THREE CITY COUNCIL RACE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER SINCE, UM, THEN, AND YOU ALWAYS WANTED HIM ON YOUR SIDE.

I WANNA THANK HIS DAUGHTER, MARIE HERRERA, WHO IS HERE TODAY IN THE AUDIENCE, HIS SON, ROBERTO QUINTERO, WHO IS ALSO HERE, AND CHRISTOPHER QUINTEROS NEPHEW THAT IS HERE AS WELL, FOR BEING HERE AND FOR SHARING YOUR DAD WITH US AND WITH ALL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

AND I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HIS WORK, AND BECAUSE OF HIS WORK AT SOUTH SIDE LIONS MAYOR, I, I WANNA THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, I'VE PUT TOGETHER A C C R IN RENAMING THE SOUTH SIDE LINES COMMUNITY CENTER, AND JIM TO THE RAM VI QUIN, UM, COMMUNITY CENTER.

AND JIM, IN RECOGNITION OF HIS, UM, SELFLESS WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY.

SO, UM, AS MY ONE, PROBABLY THE LAST C C R ON THIS COUNCIL, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL MOVE FORWARD IN, UH, THE NEXT TERM.

SO THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU TO THE QUINTERO FAMILY FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE WORKING ON HIS LEGACY.

COUNCIL MEMBER VIGRAN, AND, AND ALSO THANK YOU TO THETA FAMILY, UH, FOR BEING HERE.

UM, IT'S ALWAYS RIGHT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, A COMMUNITY LEADER AND SOMEONE WHO'S GIVEN HIS, UH, LIFE TO SERVICE OF OUR CITY AND OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.

SO, UM, IF WE COULD ASK YOU TO STAND SO YOU COULD BE RECOGNIZED BY OUR CHAMBERS HERE.

I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, FOR BEING HERE.

UM, MR. AND MRS. ERO, UH, MR. QUINTERO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS? OKAY.

FIRST OF ALL, FROM THE, UM, QUINTO FAMILY, WE WANNA THANK THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.

REBECCA, MY DAD WOULD BE VERY PROUD, AND NOW ALL HIS GRANDKIDS CAN SEE EVERYTHING AND THEN WHAT HE'S DONE.

BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, CITY CONS, UH, MISS AND EVERYONE.

UM, MY DAD DID A LOT FOR THE DISTRICT TREE.

HE WAS VERY DEDICATED TO THE, UM, COMMUNITY THERE.

HE DID A LOT.

AND I, I WANT TO THANK YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR RECOGNIZING MY FATHER.

IT'S OUTSIDE LINES, EITHER IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER OR IN THE POOL AND RUNNING AROUND.

UM, LIKE, ALSO, ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY, I WANNA THANK Y'ALL, UH, FOR ALL Y'ALL SUPPORT.

UH, YOU KNOW, MY GRANDFATHER DID A LOT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO FOR HIS, UH, CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN.

UH, I DO REMEMBER THEM, ME BEING THERE EVERY, EVERY DAY.

[00:40:01]

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT JUST DIDN'T BENEFIT OUR FAMILY.

IT BENEFITED EVERYBODY IN, IN THAT AREA.

SO, UM, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR HONORING HIM AND SUCH A WONDERFUL MAN.

UM, THANK Y'ALL.

WELL, WE THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE AND, AND KNOW THAT OUR, OUR, UH, PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU AND, AND THE COMFORT OF FRIENDS AND THE EMBRACE OF FAMILY, UH, TO GET YOU THROUGH THE NEXT, UH, MANY MONTHS.

BUT, UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT HIS LEGACY AND THE IMPRINT HE'S MADE ON THE CITY AND SO MANY LIVES ARE PERMANENT, AND WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

ALRIGHT, LET ME, UM, NOW TURN THE FLOOR OVER, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ FOR A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.

AND, UH, IT IS, UM, SUCH AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE MR. QUINTAL FOR, UH, THE TIRELESS WORK HE DID.

AND IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW OUR CITY IS THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, WHO, UH, IN SMALL WAYS, UH, ACTUALLY CHANGE THE WORLD.

AND THAT'S, UH, WHAT, UM, NORMA OU HAS DONE IN HER CAPACITY.

UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO HONOR, UM, TO, AND, UH, CONGRATULATE MS. NORMA, DR.

CANTU.

SHE IS, UM, AND LET ME START BY READING.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957 CREATED THE US COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS AS INDEPENDENT BIPARTISAN FACT FINDING FEDERAL AGENCY WITH A MISSION TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS POLICY AND ENHANCE ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL, OF FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS.

GIVEN THE CURRENT ATTACK ON VOTING AND OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS, IT IS GRATIFYING TO KNOW THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN APPOINTED SAN ANTONIO NORMA VI CANTU AS CHAIR OF THE US COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS, THE FIRST LATINA TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION.

AND SO, AS A LATINA, ENDING MY FIRST TERM HERE, RATHER MY MY TIME HERE ON THE CITY COUNCIL, IT IS JUST APPROPRIATE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNIZE HER TODAY.

I'M GONNA READ A LITTLE BIT OF HER BACKGROUND, UM, AND I HAVE A VERY EXTENSIVE BIOGRAPHY OF ALL OF THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE, BUT LET ME JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS.

UM, SHE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN BROWNSVILLE AT AGE 16, WENT ON TO PAN-AMERICAN UNIVERSITY AND GRADUATED AT AGE 19 SUMMA C*M LAUDE.

AND THEN ON TO HARVARD LAW, WHICH SHE GRADUATED WITH, UH, HER JURIS DOCTORATE AT AGE 22.

MOST RECENTLY, SHE HAS BEEN A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.

AND, UH, SHE IS AT, WAS CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ADMINISTRATION, UH, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION.

AND SO, UH, DR.

OR RATHER, UH, NORMA TU HAS A LONG HISTORY OF CIVIL RIGHTS ACTION, UH, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO EDUCATION.

UM, AND SOME OF HER CASES THAT SHE TRIED HERE, WEST ORANGE COVE, I S D VERSUS NEELY, UH, THAT WENT TO THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT.

SHE ALSO WAS WITH LULAC VERSUS RICHARD, UH, CO-COUNSEL ON A, A SUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE TO STATE'S LAW FUNDING, LOW FUNDING FOR COLLEGE FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS IN BORDER REGIONS.

THERE ARE MANY, MANY EXAMPLES.

SHE HAS A PUBLICATION IN 1995, PROTECTING STUDENTS FROM HARASSMENT AND HATE CRIMES, A GUIDE FOR SCHOOLS AND HONORARY SERVICES.

SHE WAS A WOMEN'S INSTITUTE OF SPORTS AND EDUCATION HALL OF FAME, A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF EX EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION, A BOARD MEMBER OF FOUNDATION FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT, AND MANY, MANY OTHERS.

UH, AND SO IT IS SUCH A, A PRIVILEGE, UM, FOR ME TO HONOR MS, UH, CANTU TODAY AS SHE REALLY IS A GROUNDBREAKER FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.

AND, UM, MAYBE YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME, I UNDERSTAND YOU ALSO SERVED IN THE, UH, CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IN THIS A SIMILAR CAPACITY.

UM, BUT PERHAPS YOU COULD COME AND ADDRESS, UH, THE COUNCIL ON THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND, AND WHAT YOU MAY BE DOING, UH, IN THE FUTURE IN THIS CAPACITY.

ALWAYS THOUGHT OF SAN ANTONIO AS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON THE PLANET, WHERE YOUR PARENTS WOULD BRING YOU AS KIDS, WHERE YOU WOULD GO TO THE PARK, YOU RIDE THE LITTLE TRAIN, GO ON THE RIVER WALK, AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

UM, IN THE AREA OF EDUCATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION, YOU'RE MEASURED BY, UM, UH, WHAT, WHAT PERIODICALS, UH, UH, AND WHAT PEOPLE ONLINE WRITE ABOUT YOU.

I'VE BEEN ON THE FRONT COVER OF THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION TWICE IN THE AREA OF HIGHER ED.

THAT'S CONSIDERED A BIG DEAL.

UH, AND I'VE BEEN, UH, EDITORIALIZED AGAINST IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND THAT'S ALSO CONSIDERED A BIG DEAL.

UH, WHAT I WANNA DO IS THANK SAN ANTONIO FOR BEING SUCH A WONDERFUL HOME FOR ME.

I GOT HERE IN 1979, BUT MY PARENTS HONEYMOONED HERE.

AND SO, SO I'VE

[00:45:01]

WHAT I'M GOING TO JUST, JUST LEAVE YOU WITH IS, IS A, A A, A PICTURE OF WHAT THE FUTURE OF CIVIL RIGHTS LOOKS LIKE IN THIS COUNTRY.

UM, IT'S, IT'S ALREADY SO MUCH BETTER THAN IT WAS WHEN I STARTED AT, AT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE FUND IN 79.

IN 79, THERE WERE, THERE WERE NO WOMEN BUS DRIVERS IN 79.

THERE WERE, THERE WERE LATINAS WERE PUT AT THE BACK END OF THE, OF THE JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS, UM, WHERE WHITE MEN AND WHITE WOMEN GOT TRAINED FIRST, AND THEN THEN LATINO MALES AND BLACK MALES, AND THEN FINALLY, THE BLACK FEMALES AND THE LATINA FEMALES.

WE'VE ALREADY MOVED FORWARD SO WELL IN EDUCATION.

THINK ABOUT THE EDGEWOOD LAWSUIT, WHICH STARTED IN SAN ANTONIO.

THINK OF THE FIGHT FOR, FOR STRONGER PROGRAMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION, WHICH STARTED IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND THINK OF THE FIGHT IN ALL THESE AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT AND HEALTH THAT SAN ANTONIO TOOK A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN.

SO, IT IS, IT IS BETTER, AND, AND IT CAN BE EVEN BETTER.

AND I, TAKING WITH ME TO THIS NEW POSITION, WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM MY FELLOW SAN ANTONIANS, IT'S A BIPARTISAN COMMISSION THAT MEANS, OF THE EIGHT MEMBERS, UH, WHOSE JOB IT IS TO, TO OBSERVE AND TO COMMENT AND TO MAKE STRONG REPORTS ABOUT THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

FOUR OF THOSE EIGHT COMMISSIONERS ARE DEMOCRATS, AND FOUR OF THOSE EIGHT COMMISSIONERS ARE REPUBLICAN.

AND WE WORK TOGETHER.

WE WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE WE HAD THE COMMON MISSION THAT WE CAN DO BETTER IN CIVIL RIGHTS.

THE ORGANIZATION BEGAN IN 57 WHEN PEOPLE WERE STILL IN DENIAL, THAT BROWN V BOARD OF EDUCATION MEANT ANYTHING.

AND NOW WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT KIND OF DENIAL, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, THE EIGHT COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF SHOWING LEADERSHIP ARE SHOWING IT IN A BIPARTISAN WAY.

AND WE LEARNED THAT FROM OBSERVING HOW PEOPLE WORKED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND I'M TAKING THAT TO THE NATIONAL LEVEL AS A, AS A SHINING MODEL.

A TRUE EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE TREATING EACH OTHER CIVILLY, PEOPLE TREATING EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT, AND PEOPLE SHOWING THAT WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.

SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK, UH, THE COUNCILWOMAN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, SHIRLEY GONZALEZ FOR, FOR, UH, INVITING ME TODAY, UH, IN MY OFFICE, I CAN'T ACCEPT ANY GIFTS.

I CAN'T EVEN TAKE A SASH.

I CAN'T EVEN TAKE A WONDERFUL VEST.

UM, BUT WHAT I CAN TAKE IS YOUR GOOD WISHES.

AND, AND IF YOU WILL, UH, LET ME CLOSE BY, BY LETTING ME OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO YOU ALL.

THE COMMISSION HAS 50, UM, VOLUNTEER ADVISORY COMMITTEES, ONE FOR EACH STATE.

AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WE JUST ADDED COMMISSIONS FOR THE TERRITORIES SO THAT GUAM AND PUERTO RICO VIRGIN ISLANDS WILL ALSO HAVE A WORKING BODY OF PEOPLE COMMITTED TO WORK TOGETHER IN A BIPARTISAN WAY ON MATTERS OF CIVIL RIGHTS.

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE A VOLUNTEER, OR SOMEONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON A COMMISSION IN TEXAS OR IN ANY OF THE OTHER STATES AND TERRITORIES, SEND A NOTE AT EN CANTU.

I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EMAIL ADDRESS, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA WRITE IT DOWN ENCANTU@USCCR.GOV, US CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION, U S C C.

WHAT IS IT NOW? OKAY.

C C R.

YEAH.

CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSIONED US COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS.

, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT NOTES.

I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT A, A, A PREPARED, UH, BUT US COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS.GOV.

AND, AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DID IN HONORING THE, THE CENTENARIAN BEFORE US, BECAUSE HIS EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE, I HOPE WHEN WE'RE ALL A HUNDRED, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE HERE ALL TOGETHER AND BE AS HEALTHY AND AS CONTRIBUTING AND AS GENEROUS, UH, AS, AS OUR FELLOW SAN ANTONIO ARE.

AND DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? CAN YOU REPEAT THE EMAIL ? OKAY.

IN CANTU AT US COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS, SO IT'S CCR.GOV.GOV.GOV.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND IF YOU'RE TWEETING OR DOING TWITTER@USCR.GOV IS OUR TWITTER HANDLE.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE INVISIBLE.

ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU.

YOU ALL ARE AWESOME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WELL, DON'T, DON'T GO ANYWHERE.

MS. CANTU, WE DO WANT TO GO AROUND THE HORN A LITTLE BIT.

YES, PLEASE.

SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THANK

[00:50:01]

YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.

COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.

CHAIR CHAIRWOMAN CHAIR.

CHAIR, CHAIR CANTU.

UH, IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU HERE IN OUR, IN OUR CHAMBERS.

AND I THINK I AM TORN BETWEEN EXCITEMENT FROM HAVING SOMEONE FROM THIS AREA SERVE IN SUCH A TREMENDOUS CAPACITY, UH, AND ALSO, UH, BETWEEN THE EXCITEMENT OF ALL THE GREAT WORK YOU ARE, YOU ARE GOING TO DO.

UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, WHEN, WHEN WE HEARD THE, THE PREVIOUS CHAIR COME SPEAK AT A CONFERENCE THAT WE HAD HERE, UH, NOT TOO LONG AGO YES.

WAS THAT THE COMMISSION WAS FORMED, UH, BECAUSE OTHERWISE THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION MIGHT NOT HAVE PASSED.

THAT IT, IT NEEDED THE COMMISSION.

UH, SO THE WORK THAT YOU DO WILL BE SO IMPORTANT IN ENSURING THAT THE, THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION IS, IS UPHELD HERE IN, IN OUR COUNTRY.

UM, I AM, UH, I ALSO MENTIONED THIS TO YOU EARLIER IN, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE SPOKE, BUT WE'RE ALSO VERY PROUD TO HAVE THE, THE FIRST EVER MEXICAN AMERICAN, UH, CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE, UH, HOUSED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL, UH, PARTICIPATE IN SOME EVENT IN THE FUTURE, UH, WITH US.

BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, AND, AND I ALSO, YOU ARE RIGHT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THINGS GETTING, GETTING BETTER.

I MEAN, I WAS AROUND IN 79, BUT I WASN'T AROUND.

BUT TOO FAR, TOO FAR BEFORE THEN.

AND OBVIOUSLY SOME THINGS ARE DIFFERENT TODAY.

UH, BUT I THINK WHAT'S ALSO CHALLENGING IS THAT SOME OF THE, SOME THINGS THAT WE SEE ARE, ARE NOT SO VISIBLE.

AND HOW DO YOU, UH, HOW DO YOU ENFORCE CIVIL RIGHTS WHEN SO MANY OF THE VIOLATIONS ARE, ARE INVISIBLE? SO, UH, WE LOOK TO YOUR, WE LOOK TO YOUR LEADERSHIP TO TAKE US TO, TO A BETTER DAY HERE.

AND I'LL PREPARE SOMETHING LONGER FOR THE INSTITUTES MM-HMM.

, UH, MEETING, I MEAN, I, I, WHEN I WAS LEARNING TO DRIVE, MY FATHER COULD POINT TO EXAMPLES OF, OF PEOPLE WHO HAD, WHO HAD BEEN, UM, UM, BEATEN AFTER BEING ARRESTED.

AND HE GAVE ME THE TALK.

I MEAN, I'M A LATINA FEMALE, BUT I GOT THE TALK THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES ARE GETTING TODAY.

AND SO, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SO SAD.

WE'RE NOT GIVING THE TALK TO GIRLS, BUT NOW WE'RE GIVING THE TALK, STILL GIVING THE TALK TO BOYS.

SO THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT, THAT ARE STILL, UM, A PROBLEM THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT ARE VERY, UM, VERY TRAGIC, UH, PROBLEMS. UM, WHAT, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I AM GOING TO FIGHT FOR IS TO, TO PRESERVE THE CONSTITUTION.

AND THE WAY THE COURTS HAVE INTERPRETED THE CONSTITUTION IS THAT WE CAN BRING LITIGATION WHERE THERE IS INTENTIONAL, OBVIOUS, OUTRAGEOUS KINDS OF ACTS, BUT WE CAN ALSO BRING LITIGATION AGAINST THE MORE SUBTLE, THE MORE INVIDIOUS AND THE MORE PERVASIVE ACTS THAT, THAT, UM, ARE CAMOUFLAGED.

AND SO, SO LOOKING BEYOND THAT CAMOUFLAGE, UH, TO, TO, TO FIND SOLUTIONS AND TO WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS THOSE SOLUTIONS, THAT'S STILL ON THE AGENDA.

COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

AND THANK YOU, DR.

CANTU.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE STEPPED IN TO DO.

WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE.

AND AS AFRICAN AMERICANS AND BLACK PEOPLE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, THE ONE THING THAT WE KNOW THAT IS WITHIN THE CONSTITUTION IS THAT WE ARE STILL DECLARED THREE-FIFTHS HUMAN.

TO KNOW THAT ALL OF US ARE HUMAN, RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, IS SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR.

THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DECLARED RACISM A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, NOT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM, BUT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOLUTIONS TO A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE ALWAYS FACED.

AND AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD IN THAT UNITED FRONT, HAVING SOMEONE FROM RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO TRULY SPEAKS TO HOW WE AS A CITY LOOK AT US ALL WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE, MOVING ON ONE ACCORD.

BUT THE ONE THING THAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR RIGHT NOW IS THE CONTINUOUS RIGHT TO VOTE.

WE KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR ANCESTORS WERE NOT ONLY BEATEN NOT ONLY WATER HOSE, BUT EATEN BY DOGS TO HAVE THIS RIGHT AND TO KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN STATE, WE ARE BEING THREATENED WITH A LOT OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING TO THE RIGHT TO VOTE, IS WHAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR.

I'M WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU.

I'M WILLING TO, TO HELP YOU.

UM, I KNOW THAT EVEN AT THE AGE OF 45, THAT A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN IN MY LIFETIME CAN SPEAK TO A LOT OF THE CHANGES THAT I WOULD LOVE FOR MY KIDS NOT TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

AND THEY ARE ALREADY HAVING THE TALK WITH MY DAUGHTERS, HAVING THE TALK WITH MY SONS, HAVING THE TALK WITH MY NIECES.

IT'S STILL A HARD THING TO DO, BUT WE DO IT BECAUSE LIFE IS PRECIOUS.

AND AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO NOT LOOK AT RACE, BUT LOOK AT THE HUMAN ASPECT OF

[00:55:01]

IT ALL AND LEAD FROM THAT HUMANITARIAN SIDE POINT.

AND SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WORK THAT YOU WILL BRING BACK HERE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER ILLA GRANT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR.

CANTU.

I SO APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO STEP UP AND SERVE AGAIN IN THIS ADMINISTRATION AND, UM, YOUR WORK WITH AS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE ALL HAVE TO BE IN THIS TOGETHER.

AND, UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND PROTECTING OUR CONSTITUTION, WHICH OVERSEES ALL OF US BECAUSE WE KNOW, UM, STATES ARE DIFFERENT.

AND THERE ARE SOME MOVEMENTS THAT ARE LOOKING AT ERASURE OF STORIES.

UM, BUT WE ALWAYS, EVERYBODY, WE, WE WORK HARD.

WE STRIVE FOR A BETTER NEXT GENERATION, OUR BE BETTER FOR OUR FAMILIES, AND THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE DOING, THE BATTLES THAT WE ALREADY FOUGHT.

WE SHOULD NOT HAVE OUR KIDS, OUR GRANDKIDS FIGHT AGAIN.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, SPECIFICALLY AT THE, THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

SO WE CAN HAVE THAT TAKE CARE OF THE ERASURE THAT'S HAPPENING AT STATE LEVELS.

UH, BUT THANK YOU.

UM, I WILL SEND MY EMAIL.

I'LL HAVE SOME TIME LATER, SO I'LL BE AN ADVISORY, UH, GROUP AND VOLUNTEER.

UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ FOR, UH, HAVING HER COME.

COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.

UH, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING.

UM, MY FELLOW COUNCILWOMAN JUST SAID ANDREW SULLIVAN.

UH, AND IT WAS ON MY MIND WHEN I SAID I WANTED TO SPEAK.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE US CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION, BUT THIS IS MORE THAN CIVIL RIGHTS.

THIS IS HUMAN RIGHTS.

WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN CITIZENS.

WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN COLOR OR RELIGION OR ANY WAY.

WE LIVE OUR LIVES.

WE'RE ALL HUMAN BEINGS.

WE SHOULD ALL BE ENJOYING THE SAME PROTECTIONS FROM ALL OF THE LAWS IN OUR COUNTRY.

AND SO, I COMMEND YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I HOPE EVERYBODY STARTS TO REALIZE THIS IS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, NOT JUST CIVIL RIGHTS.

COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, UH, DR.

KTU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

AND I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ, FOR INVITING YOU TODAY.

UM, IT MAKES ME PROUD TO KNOW THAT IN THE, UH, OVAL OFFICE, THERE'S A BUST OF CESAR CHAVEZ NOW, UM, WHICH IS A RECOGNITION OF, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF, UM, THE FIGHT FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS IN CIVIL RIGHTS.

AND, UM, YOUR APPOINTMENT, I THINK, IS ALSO A RECOGNITION OF SAN ANTONIO'S ROLE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEGACY OF THE UNITED STATES.

I MEAN, YOU, WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BIRTHPLACE OF MALDEF, OF THE UNITY COUNCIL OF, UH, IDA.

, UH, GENUINELY SPEAKING.

THIS IS ALSO THE BIRTHPLACE OF LULAC, ALTHOUGH THAT'S ARGUED.

UM, AND OF COURSE, YOU MENTIONED EDGEWOOD.

THERE'S SO MANY OTHERS.

EMMA 10 YUKA.

THIS WAS THE ORGANIZING BATTLEGROUND FOR, UM, THE, THE, THE LABOR MARCHES, UH, THE PECAN STRIKES.

UM, SO, SO MUCH OF SAN ANTONIO'S HISTORY IS INTERWOVEN IN THE STORY OF CIVIL RIGHTS IN AMERICA.

AND SO, UH, KNOWING THAT YOU'RE THERE, NOT ONLY AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF, UH, THESE STORIES FOR THE ENTIRE NATION, BUT ALSO AS A SAN ANTONIO, UM, I THINK IS, IS, UM, IMPORTANT.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US HERE LOCALLY TO UNDERSTAND OUR HERITAGE.

AND WE'RE, WE'RE CERTAINLY TALKING ABOUT THAT IN OTHER ASPECTS OF, OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UH, PARTICULARLY IN, IN THE ALAMO NOW.

UM, BUT I, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I GET, UH, AN EMAIL THIS, UH, EVERY MORNING WITH A, A MEDITATION, A QUOTE OR, OR A PASSAGE, OR A BIBLICAL, UM, UH, UH, CHAPTER.

AND I GOT ONE THIS MORNING THAT REMINDS ME OF YOU, UH, AND WHAT YOU SAID.

IT'S FROM ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, WHO HERSELF, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF HER LIFE, GOT TO SEE THE, THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN CIVIL RIGHTS ERA.

AND I JUST, UH, I'M COMPELLED TO READ IT.

SO I HOPE YOU, YOU, YOU GRANT ME THAT.

IT SAYS, FORBID US TO BE SATISFIED WITH WHAT WE MAKE OF LIFE.

DRAW US FROM TRIVIAL CONTENT AND SET OUR EYES ON FAR OFF GOALS.

KEEP US AT TASKS TOO HARD FOR US THAT WE MAY BE GIVEN.

WE MAY BE DRIVEN TO YOU FOR STRENGTH.

DELIVER US FROM FRETFULNESS AND SELF PITYING.

MAKE US SURE OF THE GOOD WE CANNOT SEE AND OF THE HIDDEN GOOD IN THE WORLD.

SAVE US FROM OURSELVES AND SHOW US A VISION OF A WORLD MADE NEW.

AND SO, UH, THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THINGS ARE INDEED BETTER THAN THEY WERE, BUT THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT AS GOOD AS THEY CAN BE.

UH, I THINK GIVES ME A, A SENSE OF OPTIMISM FOR YOUR TENURE AS CHAIR, DR.

KENTU.

AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR REPRESENTING US ALL.

COULD HAVE MY PARTNER, DR.

AND IF I

[01:00:01]

JUDE VALDEZ, WOULD YOU STAND UP PLEASE? AND I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT YOUR PREPARATION TODAY WAS TH THANKS TO JEAN RODRIGUEZ.

SO HAVE THE GENTLEMAN ALSO HAVE A, AN ABILITY TO BOW .

AND, AND, UM, DR.

CANTU ONE REQUEST, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE ADMINISTRATION UNDERSTAND THAT THE FIRST EVER MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE WAS LAUNCHED HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

UH, THAT WE WE'RE PROBABLY PROUD OF IT, AND WE HAVE A HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR ITS SUCCESS, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY USE HIS PARTNERSHIP.

I WILL, I WILL CERTAINLY SAY THAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR.

KENTU.

IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS TO PULL FROM CONSENT FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.

NOW, UM, WE'LL GET ON WITH OUR, UH, BUSINESS AGENDA TODAY.

UH, WE'LL START, UM, WE HAVE ONE ITEM FOR INDIVIDUAL BRIEFING.

THAT'S OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA UPDATE.

THAT'S ITEM FOUR.

I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUES

[CONSENT AGENDA]

UH, AND I HAVE INDIVIDUAL ZONING ITEMS TO BE READ.

UH, THAT WILL NOT BE ON CONSENT.

PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.

P ONE AND Z, EXCUSE ME.

P ONE AND Z ONE, Z FOUR, Z SEVEN, AND P THREE Z EIGHT, Z 16, AND Z 17 WILL ALL BE INDIVIDUALLY HEARD TODAY.

UH, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS TO THAT, UH, PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEM Z NINE WAS PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED TODAY.

AND THEN AGAIN, I ALSO MENTION ITEM FOUR WILL BE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? 16, ITEM 16.

ANY OTHERS? IF THERE ARE NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

JU MAYOR, I'M SO SORRY.

UH, ITEM Z 16 AND Z 17.

ANY OTHER ITEMS BESIDES THOSE ZONING CASES AS WELL AS ITEM FOUR AND ITEM 16? UH, I HEARD, UH, A MOTION.

WAS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

HEY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR, UM, FOUR 16 Z ONE P, ONE Z, FOUR Z, SEVEN P THREE Z EIGHT, Z 16, AND Z 17.

PLEASE VOTE.

OH, I'M SORRY.

WE'LL HOLD THE VOTE.

UH, WE WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THOSE ITEMS. WE DON'T HAVE ANY CITIZENS SIGN UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT WE DO HAVE COUNCIL DISCUSSION.

SO LET ME PROCEED THE DISCUSSION.

WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GRA.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO SHANNON.

I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ONE ITEM AND, AND, UM, IT'S 'CAUSE I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

I WANNA THANK, UH, SHANNON MILLER AND HER TEAM.

I DON'T THINK THEY'RE HERE, BUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TIME HERE IN, UH, IN DISTRICT THREE, THEY HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE PARTNERS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS, CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO MAINTAIN OUR STORY, TO PRESERVE, TO REVITALIZE, AND TO UTILIZE.

I WANNA THANK, UM, SHANNON, FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TOGETHER WHEN IT COMES TO OUR LEGACY BUSINESSES, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR LEGACY TRADES AND OUR LEGACY SKILLS THAT WE'RE EVEN USING.

AND THE READY TO WORK OR THE TRAIN FOR JOBS ESSAY PROGRAM.

BECAUSE IT IS OUR, UM, CURRENT BUILDINGS, IT IS OUR CURRENT, UM, IT IS OUR CURRENT HOUSING STOCK THAT WE ARE ALSO HELPING REVITALIZE LIKE THE STAR PROGRAM.

UM, AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE MISSION, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICT, THE GREAT PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE, AND MANY OF YOU, ALL YOUR LEGACY BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN, UM, NAMED.

AND BECAUSE IT'S LA VITA, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND THE CRITICAL WORK THAT THEY DO FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

AND IT'S BEEN MY HONOR TO WORK WITH THEM THESE PAST EIGHT YEARS TO BRING, UM, INCREDIBLE PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES AND THE FACADE PROGRAMS. AND THE GRANT PROGRAMS, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ALSO HAVE THE LIVING HERITAGE SYMPOSIUM HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

SO, UM, ERIC, I, I ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO KEEP THAT UP AND HELP THEM WITH THE LIVING HERITAGE SYMPOSIUM AS IT CONTINUES TO GROW.

BECAUSE THOSE TRADES THAT WE ARE TEACHING, THOSE ARE CRAFT IN A SKILL THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED IN SAN ANTONIO WITH ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS AND THE VACANT BUILDING PROGRAM THAT THEY CAME UP WITH TOO.

IT'S JUST BEEN INCREDIBLE WORK.

THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM.

AND ALSO A GREAT BIG SHOUT OUT TO CLAUDIA

[01:05:01]

GUERRA WHO COLLECTS OUR STORY SO WE CAN TELL THEM AND MAKE THEM COME TO LIFE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE CAPTURED FOR ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR COMMUNITY.

SO THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR GIVING ME THIS TIME.

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.

COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT AND HIGHLIGHT ITEM, UM, IN ZONING, WHICH IS Z FIVE.

AND I WANNA THANK BROWN AND ORTIZ.

I WANT TO THANK JAMES MCKNIGHT.

CAROLINE.

KEN, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING TO US AS DISTRICT TWO.

THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO LISTEN WHEN I SAID NO AND THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS THAN SOMETHING THAT WAS GONNA SPEAK TO ALL THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT TWO.

UM, ITEM Z FIVE IS A APPLICATION THAT WILL TAKE US FROM A LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AREA TO A COMMERCIAL AREA FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSTRUCTING TWO, THREE STORY BUILDINGS FOR HUMANA AND A MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CHANGING LIVES, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AN AREA THAT HAS NOT SEEN ANY KIND OF MEDICAL BUILDINGS, ANY KIND OF HOSPITALS, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE HERE TO DO.

THIS IS THE WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR.

AND TO KNOW THAT IT'S COMING TO DISTRICT TWO DUST MY HEART SO MUCH.

JOY, I WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JUST CONTINUING TO NOT GIVE US THE CRUMBS OFF THE TABLE, BUT FOR BRINGING ALL OF THE NECESSARY THINGS THAT WE NEED INTO DISTRICT TWO.

I'M HONORED TO REPRESENT MY HOME, THE PLACE THAT RAISED ME.

I'M HONORED TO BRING THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF A COLLABORATION THAT ACTUALLY HAS A COMMUNICATION THAT MAKES THE CHANGES.

AND SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN.

THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

ALL ITEMS SAY FOR THOSE LISTED, UM, ON YOUR VOTE SCREEN, THERE IS NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, SO PLEASE VOTE.

THOSE TWO BILLS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE THERE.

ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ITEM

[4. 21-3996 Briefing on legislation filed and passed in the 87th Regular State Legislative Session and its impact on the City of San Antonio. [Jeff Coyle, Assistant City Manager]]

FOUR.

ITEM FOUR IS A BRIEFING ON LEGISLATION FILED AND PASSED IN THE 87TH REGULAR STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

ALL RIGHT, JEFF FLOOR IS YOURS.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

I, UM, I WANTED TO START WITH SOME THANKS IF WE COULD WITH THE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION OVER FIRST.

AS THE MAYOR'S WALKING OUT, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT HE DID ALL SESSION.

UH, THE MAYORS OF ALL THE MAJOR TEXAS CITIES, UH, GET TOGETHER ON A, A WEB CALL OR A PHONE CALL EVERY OTHER WEEK AND, AND WORK TOGETHER THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

AND HIS INVOLVEMENT WAS SO SIGNIFICANT.

THE GROUP HAS NAMED HIM THE LEADER FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, SO HE'S NOW LEADING THAT GROUP.

AND, AND I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR THAT.

UM, OUR I G R CHAIRMAN, COUNCILMAN PALIS, HAS BEEN TREMENDOUSLY SUPPORTIVE OF US ALL SESSION LONG, UP UNTIL THE VERY LAST WEEKEND, MAKING CALLS TO SENATORS FOR US, UH, AND CHAIRMAN, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

AND FOR ALL OF OUR I G R COMMITTEE, COUNCILMAN PERRY, COUNCILMAN VERAN, COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, EACH OF YOU TESTIFIED CALLED MEMBERS, UH, ENGAGED AND, AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THAT.

AND THEN FINALLY, I, I MUST, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE MY PARTNER IN CRIME HERE, CHRISTINE WRIGHT, WHO IS, UH, BACK FROM THE CAPITOL.

I AM TOLD THAT HER FAMILY DID STILL RECOGNIZE HER WHEN SHE WALKED BACK IN THE HOUSE, SO THAT'S A GOOD SIGN.

SO, UH, A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THIS.

I WAS GONNA SAY THAT THIS IS THE LAST BRIEFING FOR YOU, BUT BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING, UH, THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED ON A RADIO SHOW THAT IN ADDITION TO THE SPECIAL SESSION IN THE FALL, SEPTEMBER OCTOBER, AROUND REDISTRICTING AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL FUNDS, HE IS INTENDING TO CALL ANOTHER SPECIAL SESSION BEFORE THAT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE LEGISLATION THAT DID NOT PASS THIS SESSION.

HE SPECIFICALLY NOTED THE ELECTIONS BILL AND OTHER ITEMS TO BE NAMED LATER.

SO WE'RE EXPECTING, UH, TO BE BUSY AGAIN, LIKELY LATER THIS SUMMER.

SO, UH, LAST THING I WANNA SAY BEFORE I START IS, CITIES HAVE THE BROADEST SPECTRUM OF ISSUES AND INTERESTS AT THE CAPITOL OF, OF ANYBODY UP THERE, IN MY OPINION.

AND SO THIS IS A PRETTY

[01:10:01]

COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.

I'M GONNA MOVE FAST, BUT, UM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF ITEMS, AND WE'VE BROKEN IT UP IN THE ORDER OF THE PROGRAM THAT YOU ALL APPROVED LAST YEAR SO THAT WE CAN GO BACK AND REVISIT THE POSITION STATEMENTS THAT WE TOOK AND, AND HOW THE LEGISLATION ENDED UP.

SO, FIRST OF ALL, AS AN OVERVIEW, UH, THERE WERE MORE THAN 7,000 BILLS FILED THIS SESSION, UM, ABOUT ON PAR AND, UH, JUST OVER 1100 PASSED.

SO THAT IS ABOUT A 15% SUCCESS RATE, WHICH IS PRETTY, UH, PRETTY TYPICAL.

UH, WE TRACKED AS A, AS A CITY, UH, JUST UNDER 1800 BILLS.

IT SHOWS HOW MUCH, UH, THE LEGISLATION AFFECTS CITIES UP AT THE CAPITOL.

NOW THAT THE SESSION IS OVER, IT ENDED MONDAY, THE GOVERNOR HAS UNTIL JUNE 20TH TO SIGN OR VETO BILLS.

SO THIS IS THE PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE'LL SEE WHETHER THE LEGISLATION THAT THE LEGISLATURE PASSED, UH, ULTIMATELY GETS ENACTED INTO LAW.

UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST ON THE STATE BUDGET, THEY PASSED, UH, JUST UNDER $250 BILLION BIE BIENNIAL BUDGET.

IT'S ABOUT A 5% REDUCTION FROM THE LAST BIENNIUM OF NOTE FOR US.

THERE'S $30 MILLION IN THERE FOR THE DEFENSE ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM.

THAT'S THAT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL DRAWING MONEY DOWN FOR MILITARY RELATED PROJECTS.

THERE IS FUNDING FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL.

I'LL MENTION THAT IN ANOTHER SLIDE.

I KNOW YOU'RE EXCITED.

COUNCILWOMAN VERAN, UH, THE BUDGET FULLY FUNDS THE, UH, GAINS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION MADE THROUGH HB THREE LAST SESSION, UH, INCLUDING PRE-K MONEY, UH, K THROUGH 12.

UH, SOME OF OUR I S D PARTNERS ARE HERE, NAOMI MILLER AND HILLARY LILLY.

AND, UH, THEY'VE NOTED THERE WAS ALSO A CLEANUP BILL AROUND HB THREE THAT, UH, PASSED SOME, SOME GOOD THINGS, BUT ALSO SOME ADDITIONAL STRINGS ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT THEY'RE ANALYZING NOW.

UH, TRANSPORTATION FUNDING THROUGH THE VOTER APPROVED PROPS ONE AND SEVEN WAS PRESERVED.

SO NO ISSUES THERE.

UH, THAT WAS A CONCERN OF OURS AND OUR TRANSPORTATION PLANK.

AND THEN FINALLY, NOT ON THE SLIDE, THERE IS $50 MILLION TO THE G L O FOR THE PRESERVATION AND UPKEEP OF THE ALAMO AND ALAMO COMPLEX.

UH, SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

AND ACTUALLY, ONE OTHER NOTE, UM, ON THE TRANSPORTATION FRONT, JOHN GARY FROM VIA, WHO MIGHT HAVE JUST STEPPED OUT, UH, REMINDED ME THAT THE TEXAS MOBILITY FUND, UH, WAS REESTABLISHED THROUGH LEGISLATION.

THAT'S ONE OF THE FUNDS THAT TRANSIT CAN DRAW ON.

MANY OF THE OTHER, UM, TXDOT FUNDS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR TRANSIT PROJECTS.

SO THEY'RE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

AND MY PHONE IS RINGING.

OKAY, SO LEMME START ON OUR, OUR POSITIONS IN THE PROGRAM.

WE SUPPORTED LEGISLATION, UH, TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR POLICING.

UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD FOUR BILLS ALL CARRIED BY REPRESENTATIVE GERVIN HAWKINS.

UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THE FOUR MADE IT THROUGH THE PROCESS.

THE FOUR WE GOT MOVING, GOT VOTED OUT OF COMMITTEE.

UH, ONE OF THE FOUR WAS ACTUALLY SET FOR A HOUSE VOTE AND DIED WITH THE, UH, WITH THE DEADLINES FACING THE HOUSE LATE IN THE SESSION.

NOW, THAT SAID, A LOT OF POLICE REFORM LEGISLATION DID NOT PASS THIS SESSION.

UH, NOTABLY THE BIG GEORGE FLOYD ACT, WHICH WAS THE COMPREHENSIVE BILL, AND SEVERAL OTHER BILLS THAT WERE PIECES OF THAT OR OTHER, UH, POLICE RELATED REFORMS, UH, DIED AT THE LEGISLATURE.

THE TWO NOTEWORTHY ONES THAT DID PASS ARE SENATE BILL 69, WHICH PROHIBITS CHOKE HOLDS AND CREATES A DUTY FOR OTHER OFFICERS TO INTERVENE IN CASES OF EXCESSIVE FORCE.

AND HB 1938, WHICH, UH, ORDERS THE STATE TO CREATE A GRANT PROGRAM THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, UH, THAT WE COULD APPLY FOR TO, UH, PAY FOR THE COST OF STORING, UH, BODY-WORN CAMERA VIDEO, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH ITEM.

WE SUPPORTED AN INCREASE IN STATE FUNDING.

UH, UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES WAS SUBJECT TO THE SAME 5% BUDGET CUTS THAT ALL STATE AGENCIES WERE.

SO WE WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN, IN ASKING FOR AN EXEMPTION FOR THAT AGENCY, UH, THERE WAS A, AN EXPANSION OF TELEMEDICINE, TELEHEALTH, TELEMEDICINE, TELEHEALTH THROUGH HB FOUR, WHICH WAS A POSITIVE BILL.

UH, HB THREE IS NOT ON THE SLIDE, BUT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE.

THAT'S THE ONE THAT WOULD'VE CODIFIED THE GOVERNOR'S PREEMPTION OF LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES IN A PANDEMIC.

IT ALSO WOULD'VE CURBED THE GOVERNOR'S AUTHORITY AND GIVEN THE LEGISLATURE MORE OVERSIGHT, UH, THAT BILL DID NOT PASS.

UH, AND I SAW ON THE NATIONAL NEWS THIS MORNING, THERE WERE ABOUT 14 STATES THAT HAD PASSED, UH, LEGISLATURES THAT HAD FILED BILLS TO CURB LOCAL HEALTH DIRECTORS AUTHORITIES TO ADDRESS, UH, ISSUES DURING A PANDEMIC.

SO I'M, I'M GLAD TO REPORT THAT DID NOT PASS HERE, UH, OF THE OTHER, UM, UH, MEDICAID RELATED BILLS.

WE HAD SUPPORTED, OF COURSE, THE FULL EXPANSION OF MEDICAID TO COVER MORE THAN A MILLION, UH, TEXANS WHO ARE NOT COVERED BY IT TODAY.

THAT DID NOT PASS.

THOSE ARE

[01:15:01]

HB 1 33 DID PASS.

THAT'S THE ONE THAT EXPANDS MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR WOMEN FOR SIX MONTHS AFTER PREGNANCY OR AFTER DELIVERY OR MISCARRIAGE.

UH, AND ACTUALLY 26 58 SHOULD BE NOTED AS A GREEN PLUS THAT DID PASS.

AND THE NOTE THERE IS THAT REPRESENTATIVE CORTEZ'S BILL, UH, TO EXPAND MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR, UH, IN, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 19.

THIS IS THE PERSON WHO'S TURNED 18 AND WOULD LOSE MEDICAID COVERAGE SIX MONTHS AFTER, UH, TURNING 18.

IT EXTENDS IT FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

SO THAT BILL PASSED ALSO UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH, AS I MENTIONED, THE STATE HEALTH, UH, SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL FUNDING, IT'S $152 MILLION FOR THE COMPLETION OF THAT, UH, BUILDING ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

UH, AND THEN THE, UH, THE BILL THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST THAT CALLED FOR, UH, THE CREATION OF AN ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, DID NOT PASS.

UH, ON THE BROADBAND FRONT, WE SUPPORTED LEGISLATION TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE ALL THREE PILLARS WERE ADDRESSED.

THE AVAILABILITY, CONNECTIVE, UH, AVAILABILITY AND CONNECTIVE, UH, CONNECTIVITY BEING ONE OF THEM, AFFORDABILITY BEING ANOTHER.

AND, UH, THE THIRD BEING LITERACY AND, AND EDUCATION ABOUT HOW TO, UH, USE THE INTERNET.

OF COURSE, HB FIVE, THE COMPREHENSIVE BILL ADDRESSES ALL OF THOSE IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.

UH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG WINS FOR THE LEGISLATURE THIS SESSION.

AND, AND WE'VE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH, UH, WITH WHAT WAS APPROVED ON THE MILITARY FRONT.

WE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

UH, FIRST WE SUPPORTED, UH, CONTINUED FUNDING FOR DAG AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ADD VALUE TO OUR BASES.

UH, SO AS I MENTIONED, 30 MILLION FOR DAG SAWS WAS SUCCESSFUL IN PASSING A BILL THAT ALLOWS THEM TO ADD THE INSTALLATIONS TO THE SAWS SYSTEM.

UH, AND ANOTHER BILL THAT, UH, MADE STATEWIDE THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT AGREEMENTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE WITH J B S A, WHERE WE EXECUTE PAVING PROJECTS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THEM.

UH, THERE'S NOW STATE AUTHORITY FOR, UH, COMMUNITIES AND BASES TO DO THAT ALL OVER TEXAS.

UH, ALSO, WE SUPPORTED THE LEGISLATION TO ALLOW MEDICA, UH, B A S C TO BILL, UH, UNDER MEDICAID FOR CIVILIAN PATIENTS THEY TREAT IN THEIR TRAUMA CENTER.

UH, REPRESENTED LOPEZ CARRIED THAT BILL AND, UH, AND SENATOR CAMPBELL ON THE SENATE SIDE.

AND THAT PASSED AND IS AWAITING, AWAITING THE GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE.

WE'VE ALREADY COMMUNICATED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S MILITARY AFFAIRS PERSON ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.

UH, AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET THAT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE ON, UH, LEGISLATION THAT, THAT, UH, THREATENS, UH, THE MISSIONS, UH, PRIMARILY AROUND INCOMPATIBLE DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE BASES.

UH, CAMPBELL'S SENATE BILL 1168 DID PASS.

THAT'S THE ONE THAT PROHIBITS FEES AND FINES IN THE E T J IF AN ELECTION HAS ALREADY BEEN HELD.

BUT AS YOU RECALL, WE GOT THE LANGUAGE PUT IN THE BILL.

SHE PUT THE LANGUAGE IN THE BILL RIGHT FROM THE START THAT EXEMPTS, UH, OUR MILITARY PROTECTION AREAS.

THOSE ARE THE ONLY AREAS OF OUR E T J WHERE WE'VE HELD ELECTIONS, UM, TO ANNEX THEM.

AND THEY SAID, NO.

SO, SO WE'RE PROTECTED THERE.

AND THEN THE ALL-ENCOMPASSING, UH, E T J BILLS THAT I WAS WARNING ABOUT EARLIER IN THE SESSION, THAT WOULD'VE ALLOWED ANY AREAS, INCLUDING MILITARY BUFFER ZONES, TO RELEASE THEMSELVES ESSENTIALLY FROM THE E T J.

UH, THOSE BILLS DID NOT, UH, PASS.

SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.

SO LET'S MOVE ON.

OUR FOURTH SORT OF BIG CATEGORY IN OUR AGENDA, WHICH WAS LOCAL CONTROL.

WE HAD OPPOSED ANY LEGISLATION THAT WOULD RESTRICT OUR ABILITY TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY AT THE CAPITOL.

SB 10 DID NOT PASS, NOR DID, UH, H B A 7 49 OR SB 2 34.

WE'LL SEE WHETHER THEY COME UP IN A SPECIAL SESSION OR NOT.

BUT, UH, TWO SESSIONS IN A ROW.

NOW, THE HOUSE HAS REFUSED TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HURT CITIES AND COUNTIES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES FROM ADVOCATING AT THE CAPITOL.

UH, OTHER BILLS UNDER LOCAL CONTROL.

WE ALWAYS SUPPORT LEGISLATION AS YOU KNOW, THAT THAT, UH, CONTINUES YOUR ABILITY AS LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO MAKE DECISIONS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

SO THE, UH, THE BIG C E O DEBT FINANCING BILL DID PASS, BUT WITH ALL THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'VE PREVIOUSLY TALKED ABOUT, ALLOWING US TO USE COS FOR ALL THE REASONABLE PURPOSES THAT, UH, THAT WE WOULD, THE, UH, DEFUND POLICE, NO DEFUNDING POLICE BILL HB 1900 DID PASS AS WELL.

UH, SO THAT PROHIBITS US FROM REDUCING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET UNLESS THE OVERALL BUDGET IS, IS DECREASED WITH EXCEPTIONS FOR, UH, CARVING OUT GRANTS IN A CERTAIN YEAR OR A DISASTER DECLARATION, AND SO, SO ON AND SO FORTH.

UH, BILLS THAT, UH, GIVE STATE THE, THE FULL JURISDICTION OVER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PROHIBITING ANY LOCAL REGULATION OF THAT FAILED, UH, AS DID A BILL THAT WOULD PROHIBIT US FROM REQUIRING CERTAIN INDUSTRIES TO DO ANYTHING BEYOND, UH, WHAT THE

[01:20:01]

STATE REQUIRES IF THEY'RE STATE LICENSED.

UH, THAT BILL DID NOT PASS, NOR DID A BILL THAT WOULD PROHIBIT, UH, US FROM REGULATING VACANT BUILDINGS AND THE REQUIREMENTS ON THE OWNERS.

UH, ANOTHER E T J BILL WE HAD TALKED ABOUT FAILED A BILL THAT WOULD'VE REQUIRED ALL OF OUR BA BALLOT LANGUAGE TO BE, UH, REVIEWED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FAILED.

AND THE BILL THAT WOULD'VE PROHIBITED, UM, PAID SICK LEAVE REGULATIONS, UH, DID NOT PASS.

OF COURSE, THE COURTS HAVE, UH, WEIGHED IN ON THAT ISSUE, BUT THE LEGISLATIVE EFFORT DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH FOR A SECOND SESSION IN A ROW.

ON THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FRONT, WE HAVE SUPPORTED, UH, MORE FUNDING, NUMBER ONE, AND SEVERAL PROGRAMS WITHIN THE BUDGET BILL, INCLUDING RAPE CRISIS CENTERS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS, GOT A MIL MULTIMILLION DOLLAR INCREASES IN THEIR BUDGETS.

UH, THE OTHER BILLS THAT WE HAD SUPPORTED CREATING A STATEWIDE DATABASE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SEE THE CONDITIONS OF BONDS WHEN SOMEONE IS RELEASED AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH A SEXUAL ASSAULT RELATED CRIME, DID NOT PASS, UH, NOR DID THE BILL THAT WOULD'VE, UM, UH, CREATED STATEWIDE PROCESSES FOR GATHERING THE FIREARMS OF THOSE CONVICTED, UH, NOT SURPRISING IN A SESSION WHERE THEY WERE ALSO PASSING, UM, UN PERMITTED CARRY, UH, OF, OF FIREARMS, UM, ON THE ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT FRONT, THIS IS REALLY A BIG BROAD CATEGORY FOR US, BUT THE, THE BILLS THAT RELATED TO TRANSGENDER PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS DID NOT PASS, UH, NOTHING PASSED THAT WOULD'VE HARMED OUR MAJOR EVENTS REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM THAT WE SEEK FUNDING FOR WHEN WE HOST MAJOR EVENTS LIKE THE FINAL FOUR.

THERE WERE SOME BILLS THAT PASSED THAT ADDED NEW, NEW ELIGIBLE EVENTS, BUT, BUT NOT REALLY DIRECTLY RELATED TO US.

UM, MY PARTNER, PRISCILLA CAMACHO AT ALAMO COLLEGES HAS BEEN TELLING ME THERE'S A, A COUPLE OF BILLS THEY'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT ON THE WORKFORCE FRONT.

ONE ALLOWS THE PRE-FUNDED TUITION PROGRAM IN TEXAS TO NOW BE APPLIED TO APPRENTICESHIPS.

SO NOT JUST FOR COLLEGE, BUT FOR TRAINING SCHOOLS AND, AND OTHER APPRENTICESHIPS.

UM, AND THERE WAS A PROGRAM, COUNCILMAN PERRY PASSED.

UM, I'M TELLING COUNCILMAN PERRY, HE DIDN'T PASS IT, UH, SENATE BILL 6 78 THAT, UH, CREATES A SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY LOAN PROGRAM FOR SO SMALL BUSINESS TO BE ABLE TO APPLY, UH, TO THE STATE FOR LOANS TO HELP THEM IF THEY'VE BEEN ECONOMICALLY INJURED OR PHYSICALLY HARMED, UH, BY A DISASTER.

UH, AS I MENTIONED, FULL FUNDING FOR PUBLIC ED.

UH, THE TUITION REVENUE BONDS, UNFORTUNATELY, DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH THE SENATE GAUNTLET, WHICH WAS WHAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT.

SO THE PROJECTS THAT OUR HIGHER ED, UH, PARTNERS HAD, UH, POTENTIALLY LINED UP FOR BONDS, UM, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT, OR AT LEAST IN TERMS OF THE BOND FUNDING.

UH, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL BILLS THAT PRE-K, UH, FOR SA SUPPORTED, MOSTLY RELATED TO CHILDCARE CREATION OF A STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE, UH, STANDARDS AND SO FORTH THAT CHILDCARE PROGRAMS MUST MEET, UH, BOTH PAST NOTHING MUCH TO REPORT ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FRONT, A NUMBER OF BILLS DIDN'T PASS THAT LAST ONE ON THE LIST THERE, YOU SEE, WOULD'VE ALLOWED FOR QUARTERLY PAYMENTS OF PROPERTY TAXES THAT WAS REPRESENTED.

AL'S BILL, UH, EACH OF THESE DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH.

AND ON THE HOMELESS FRONT, UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, UNFORTUNATELY, THREE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE BIRTH CERTIFIC, UH, BIRTH RECORDS, BIRTH CERTIFICATE BILL FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, WHERE, WHERE THE FEE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE WAIVED, UH, DID NOT PASS THE ONE BILL THAT DID, UH, PROHIBITS CAMPING IN PUBLIC PLACES AIMED DIRECTLY AT AUSTIN.

IN FACT, MOST OF THE THINGS THAT IT REQUIRES, WE DO ALREADY.

IT ASKS THAT OFFICERS NOTIFY, UH, BEFORE CITING SOMEONE OF WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM AND, AND CALLS IN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP, UH, TO BAD BILLS.

UH, IN OUR VIEW, THAT WOULD'VE REQUIRED, UH, COUNTY APPROVAL AND, AND SOME VERY ONEROUS, UH, PUBLIC HEARING REQUIREMENTS BEFORE CONVERTING ANY PROPERTY TO A, UH, SHELTER OR HOUSING FOR HOMELESS, UH, UH, FAILED AT THE LEGISLATURE ON THE UTILITIES FRONT.

UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT, UH, SAS WAS SUCCESSFUL IN PASSING THE BILL THAT EXCLUDES INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT WHEN IT RELATES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DELINQUENT IN THEIR UTILITY BILLS OR RECEIVING UTILITY ASSISTANCE.

MAYOR, I KNOW THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO YOU, UH, AND THAT BILL HAS MADE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

WE'RE ALSO WAITING FOR THE GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE, HOPEFULLY ON THAT.

UM, SSB THREE WAS THE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, UH, WEATHER EVENT RELATED BILL.

IT DID PASS.

AND OUR PARTNERS AT SAWS AND C P S ARE REVIEWING IT MORE CLOSELY, BUT SPECIFICALLY, IT CREATES A STATEWIDE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM.

CREATES SOME STANDARDS FOR WEATHERIZATION, CREATES, UH, A MAPPING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT FEEDS OUR ENERGY SYSTEM ACROSS THE STATE.

IT ALSO HAS REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER UTILITIES THAT THEY MAINTAIN A CERTAIN PRESSURE, UH, IN A DISASTER,

[01:25:01]

AND, AND SAWS IS REQUIRED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO DO THAT.

UH, SO THEY'RE ASSESSING THAT RIGHT NOW.

A BILL THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T TALK ABOUT MUCH, BUT WE WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT GOING INTO THE SESSION WAS SENATE BILL 180 2, WHICH HAD THE POTENTIAL TO DEREGULATE THE MARKET AND, AND, UH, AND, AND CREATE A LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR OUR, UH, ELECTRIC UTILITY HERE.

THAT BILL NEVER REALLY, UH, WENT ANYWHERE.

IT WAS REALLY TARGETED TOWARDS GEORGETOWN, AND SOME ISSUES WERE RESOLVED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL THAT, UH, CAUSED THAT TO NOT BE A PRIORITY.

COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ ON THE VISION ZERO FRONT, UH, THREE OF THE FOUR THAT WE SUPPORTED DID NOT MAKE IT INCLUDING THE PRIMA FASCIA DEFAULT SPEED LIMIT IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS.

THE ONE BILL THAT DID WAS THE ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES OR DEATH CAUSED IN CROSSWALKS.

OUR MUNICIPAL COURT BILL, UH, MADE IT TO THE VERY END, AND UNFORTUNATELY WAS A CASUALTY OF, UH, UNRELATED, UH, INFIGHTING BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.

UH, WE WERE VERY CLOSE.

I FEEL GOOD THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PUSH IT THROUGH ON A FUTURE SESSION, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS KILLED FOR REASONS UNRELATED TO THE BILL ITSELF, UH, AND SOME OTHER BILLS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.

AS, YOU KNOW, OPEN CARRY, UH, MEANING THE ABILITY TO CARRY A WEAPON WITHOUT A LICENSE OR TRAINING REQUIREMENTS ALONG AS YOU'RE NOT PROHIBITED FOR OTHER, UH, REASONS UNDER THE LAW PASSED THE, UH, HB 1818, WHICH WOULD'VE ALIGNED STATE LAW WITH OUR ORDINANCE AROUND, UH, UH, COMMERCIAL PET SALES, UH, MADE IT JUST ABOUT AS FAR AS YOU CAN MAKE IT.

IT WAS IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE SENATOR'S NAMED TO THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE WOULD NOT AGREE, UH, TO IT.

AND SO IT DIED, WHICH IS A BETTER OUTCOME THAN HAVING PASSED BECAUSE IT MAY HAVE CREATED, UH, PREEMPTION CONCERNS FOR OUR ORDINANCE AND THE OTHER ORDINANCES AT CITIES ACROSS, UH, TEXAS.

UH, I WILL SAY ON THE ANIMAL FRONT, THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER BILLS THAT, UH, SHANNON SIMS WAS REMINDING ME OF THIS MORNING THAT WERE POSITIVE BILLS.

THERE'S ONE THAT EXEMPTS SALES TAXES WHEN, WHEN SOMEONE ADOPTS AN ANIMAL.

THERE'S ANOTHER THAT, UM, PROHIBITS, UH, UH, IS A TETHERING BILL THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR ORDINANCE OF PROHIBITS HEAVY CHAINS THAT HAS SHADING AND WATER REQUIREMENTS FOR ANIMALS THAT ARE, THAT ARE TETHERED.

UH, AND THEN THERE WAS A BILL THAT PROHIBITS ANYONE WHO'S BEEN CHARGED WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY FROM, UH, OWNING A PET IN THE FUTURE.

UH, SO THOSE WERE ALL GOOD.

AND HB 6 52, THE BILL THAT WOULD'VE REQUIRED VERY ONUS, ONEROUS, UH, COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT ANY DISEASE OUTBREAKS IN, IN, UH, SHELTERS LIKE A C S DID NOT PASS, UM, OF THE GOV.

UH, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS 30 PRIORITIES THAT HE LAID OUT, ONLY THREE DID NOT PASS.

WE'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT THEM.

THE TRANSGENDER BILL, THE LOBBYING BILL, AND THEN S SP 12 RELATED TO, UH, PROHIBITING SOCIAL MEDIA FROM BANNING, UH, VARIOUS USERS AND CONTENT.

UH, IMMEDIATELY WITH A WEEK LEFT STILL IN THE SESSION, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PUBLICLY CALLED ON THE GOVERNOR TO CALL A SPECIAL SESSION TO DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES.

THE GOVERNOR QUICKLY SAID, YOU ALL ARE STILL IN SESSION.

WE WILL DEAL WITH THAT LATER.

UH, WE KNOW THERE WILL BE A FALL SPECIAL ON REDISTRICTING AND THE SPENDING OF FEDERAL FUNDS.

AND AS I MENTIONED THIS MORNING, THE GOVERNOR HAS NOW SAID THAT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ONE BEFORE THAT WITH ITEMS STILL TO BE DETERMINED.

THE BIG NEWS LAST WEEKEND AS THE SESSION WRAPPED UP WAS SB SEVEN, THE VOTING BILL.

THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT, I HAD REPORTED THAT MANY OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS WERE REMOVED BY THE HOUSE, SUCH AS THE LIMITS ON EARLY VOTING AND EXTENDED HOURS AND SO FORTH.

WHEN IT WENT INTO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, MANY OF THOSE THINGS WERE ADDED BACK IN, INCLUDING SOME NEW REQUIREMENTS THAT HAD NOT BEEN IN EITHER VERSION OF THE BILL.

SO THAT CAUSED, UH, QUITE A BIT OF, UH, OF UPROAR LEGISLATIVELY.

AND ON THE FINAL NIGHT WHEN THE BILL WAS COMING TO THE HOUSE FLOOR FOR A VOTE, UH, 30 OR SO, DEMOCRATS LEFT THE CHAMBERS, UH, ROBBING THE HOUSE OF A, UH, QUORUM AND CAUSING THE BILL TO DIE BEFORE THE DEADLINE.

SO THE GOVERNOR IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS SAID, WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THAT IN A SPECIAL, AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA ADDRESS THE COMPREHENSIVE BAIL BOND REFORM BILL, UH, THAT HE WANTED AND HAD DECLARED AN EMERGENCY THAT DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH.

SO, WITH THAT, UM, I'LL LEAN ON CHRISTINE TO HELP ME ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE SHE HAS THE ANSWERS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, JEFF, UH, FOR THE UPDATE AND FOR THE GREAT WORK OF YOU AND THE TEAM, UH, DURING THE COURSE OF THIS SESSION, WHICH, UH, WE KNOW THE WORK'S NOT OVER.

IT'S ONLY JUST BEGUN.

SO, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS UP THERE.

CHRISTINE, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK IN SAN ANTONIO.

GREAT WORK THROUGH, THROUGH THE COURSE OF THIS SESSION.

AND, UH, WE KNOW WE'LL GO WITH OUR HANDS FULL, UH, AS WE GET TO THE REST OF SUMMER.

LET ME TURN IT OVER NOW TO OUR CHAIRMAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, PEL.

AND, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO DO IT.

I KEEP RAISING PRAISE.

I REIGNING PRAISE DOWN ON YOU GUYS,

[01:30:01]

I THINK YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE DONE YEOMAN'S WORK UP THERE, UM, AT MY TIME UP HERE ON CITY COUNCIL, THESE FOUR YEARS, I'VE, I'VE YET TO SEE YOU GUYS WORK AS HARD AS YOU HAVE.

UM, UH, AS YOU HAVE IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

YOU LEFT IT ALL ON THE FIELD.

I KNOW THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU, YOU KNOW, LATE EVENINGS, AND YOU JUST SOUND EXHAUSTED, AND YOU'VE SPENT TIME AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILIES, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GO BE UP THERE DAY AND NIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR INITIATIVES ARE, ARE HANDLED.

UM, MY COMMENTS ARE GONNA BE REALLY SHORT, AND REALLY, IT'S JUST A HIGHLIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A DELEGATION UP THERE IN AUSTIN WHO, YOU KNOW, REALLY CARRIES A LOT OF OUR WATER AND, AND DOES A, A GOOD JOB.

BUT, UH, THERE'S ALWAYS AN M V P IN EVERY SEASON.

AND SO I, I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CALL OUT AND HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF, UH, TREY MARTINEZ FISHER, I THINK IN, IN MY OPINION, HE'S, HE'S OUR M V P THIS YEAR.

HE REALLY WENT ALL OUT, UH, FOR US.

UM, NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE EFFORTS OF ANY OF OUR OTHER DELEGATES, BUT, UH, TREY REALLY DID, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, GIVE IT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA GAS, UH, TO GET SOME OF OUR EMERGENCY ITEMS TAKEN CARE OF.

AND SO, UH, IF Y'ALL HAVE A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TODAY, TEXT TREY, UH, NOT DURING THIS MEETING, RIGHT, ANDY? UH, YEAH, NOT DURING THIS MEETING, BUT, UH, TEXT TREY OR, OR, UH, OR SEND HIM AN EMAIL THANKING HIM FOR ALL HIS HARD WORK.

UH, AND, UH, JEFF, TO, TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND THE FOLKS THAT AREN'T HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, ON YOUR TEAM, Y YOU GUYS, UH, HAVE ALL EARNED A COLD BEER.

COUNCIL MEMBER PALAI, COUNCIL MEMBER.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

UH, CHRISTINE, IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK.

I WAS VERY EXCITED TO SEE YOU WALK IN.

THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR, YOUR FIGHT AND FOR YOUR COORDINATION IN ALL OF THE PHONE CALLS THAT YOU WERE IN DAY IN AND DAY OUT IN THE MEETINGS.

I KNOW THAT WE WERE ABLE TO AWARD OFF SO MANY BAD BILLS AND GET SO MANY THINGS THROUGH BECAUSE OF YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR WORK AND YOUR COORDINATION WITH OUR TEAM UP IN AUSTIN.

THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.

UM, JEFF, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS, UM, KEEPING US, UH, ON TOP OF WHAT'S GOING ON, GIVING US THE, UH, RED FLAGS WHEN YOU NEEDED TO ACTIVATE US IN WHATEVER CAPACITY WE NEEDED TO.

IT'S ALWAYS MY PLEASURE TO, TO HELP AND SUPPORT THAT WAY.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS WITH, IT'S ALWAYS, UM, YOU ALWAYS FEEL EMOTIONALLY MIXED AFTER A, A LEGISLATIVE SESSION, A STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN, IN PARTICULAR, UH, BECAUSE YOU, YOU TAKE A LOT OF TOUGH LOSSES, AND I THINK YOU SPOKE ABOUT IT TWO WEEKS AGO OR A WEEK AGO, AND HOW THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR IS, IS WAS PRETTY BRUTAL AND LEFT A LOT OF PEOPLE RAW BECAUSE A LOT OF THE, THE, UM, CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE HAPPENING, I THINK, CHRISTINE, YOU WERE THERE FOR THE MAJORITY OF IT AND COULD SENSE THE, HOW EVERYTHING WAS GOING AND HOW PEOPLE WERE FEELING.

SO, UM, I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BREAK AND LET EVERYONE, UM, JUST HOPEFULLY RESET AND THEN COME OUT FOR WHAT WE KNOW.

MAYOR IS GOING TO BE AN EVEN BIGGER BATTLE, UM, COMING UP EVEN BEFORE THE FALL SPECIAL SESSION.

AND I JUST LOOK TO THE COLLEAGUES WHO ARE GONNA BE HERE ON THIS, THIS DAIS TO GET READY AND TO GO ALL OUT, BECAUSE SO MUCH IS AT STAKE.

AND MAYOR, AGAIN, THE COORDINATION WITH THE COUNTY, SPECIFICALLY ON THE ELECTIONS AND, UH, THE VOTER SUPPRESSION THAT HAS BEEN TARGETED.

I, I HAVE TO SAY, I WAS VERY PROUD OF THE MEMBERS WHO GOT TOGETHER AND WHO DID WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, BECAUSE PUTTING ALL OF THOSE, THOSE OTHER ITEMS IN AT NIGHT WHERE PEOPLE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO VOTE, BUT THEY PUT IT IN THE, THE, THAT BILL WAS NOT CORRECT, AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO UPLIFT OUR DELEGATION WHO WAS IN THERE.

AND, UH, I KNOW I, I SENT A MESSAGE TO REPRESENTATIVE EZ SAYING, I'M SENDING YOU MY PRAYERS, MY GOOD VIBES, AND ALL OF THIS HELP FROM OUR ANCESTORS TO GET TO YOU, UH, TO MAKE IT THROUGH THAT, THAT LAST FIGHT.

AND SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAPACITY, BESIDES BEING A PRIVATE CITIZEN, I CAN BE HELPFUL WI WITH, BUT I WILL AS A, A PRIVATE CITIZEN, AS A MEMBER OF, UH, SAN ANTONIO, THAT I'LL CONTINUE TO, TO VOICE MY, UH, SUPPORT OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND OPPOSITION OF WHERE WE NEED TO OPPOSE.

SO CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK, AND, UH, JEFF, THANK YOU AND THE TEAM FOR ALL OF THESE YEARS, FOR ALL OF THE WORK.

AND I THINK WALTER WAS HERE AS WELL, AND HE WEARS SO MANY HATS, BUT ALSO THE WORK WITH THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, AND SASHES, YES.

HATS AND SASHES.

YOU'RE RIGHT, JEFF.

UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

IT'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY A JOY.

AND SALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S HERE, BUT SALLY, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF HER WORK AND EDUARDO, ALL THE READING THAT HE HAS TO DO.

UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL, ALL OF

[01:35:01]

IT.

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE CREW AND OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATURES AND ALL.

I ASK A MAYOR, AND, AND JEFF AND ERIC, PLEASE INVITE ME WHEN THEY FINALLY DO THE RIBBON CUTTING OF THAT FEDERAL COURTHOUSE.

I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO, UH, THE I G R PROCESS AND THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, THE POSITION OF PRIVATE CITIZEN IS PROBABLY THE MOST POWERFUL, UH, IN THIS PROCESS.

SO WE WILL BE LEANING ON YOU.

UH, AND, AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, DEBATE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE ON SSB SEVEN.

UM, IT'S QUITE A LESSON IN DOUBLESPEAK AND OBFUSCATION TO LISTEN TO.

UM, SOME OF THE WRITERS OF THAT BILL, UH, EXPLAIN WHAT THEY'VE DONE, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST HOURS OF THE DEBATE AS IT, UH, WAS UNCEREMONIOUSLY DISMISSED AND PROBABLY WILL BE BACK IN SOME FORM DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION.

BUT IF THAT DOESN'T GET EVERY PRIVATE CITIZEN AND VOTING RESIDENT OF THE STATE ON HIGH ALERT ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS, I'M NOT SURE WHAT WILL.

BUT, UH, THAT DEBATE WILL CONTINUE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE FULL ENGAGEMENT OF THIS COUNCIL IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.

UM, JEFF, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

UM, JUST REALLY QUICK, UH, ON THE, ON THE ISSUE OF A SPECIAL SESSION OR MULTIPLE SPECIAL SESSIONS, IS THERE ANY CLARITY ON TIMELINE AT THIS POINT? NO, UH, UH, GOVERNOR WAS NOT CLEAR ABOUT THAT.

SPECIAL SESSIONS HAVE TO BE CALLED IN 30 DAY INCREMENTS.

THE ONLY TIMELINE HE GAVE WAS THE REDISTRICTING FEDERAL FUNDS.

ONE WOULD BE SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE BEFORE THAT.

SO JULY, AUGUST, SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIMEFRAME, I WOULD ASSUME.

UM, ALSO, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE WORK OF, UM, YOU KNOW, OF OUR, ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES, PARTICULARLY, I, WELL, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, JEFF , UM, AND, AND THE MILITARY TRANSITION TASK FORCE AND THE FOLKS WHO HAVE LEANED INTO THE MILITARY ASPECTS OF OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, WE GOT A LOT OF BIG WINS HERE THAT ARE GONNA CARRY THE STATE THAT THE PENTAGON WAS VERY INTERESTED IN, UM, RESOLVING, UH, NOT JUST FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH OF, UM, OUR, OUR MILITARY'S HEALTH AND CYBER INFRASTRUCTURE DEPENDENT ON, UH, THESE ISSUES BEING RESOLVED.

BUT THEY WERE WHERE THEY WERE DONE ON IN BENEFIT OF THE ENTIRE STATE.

AND, AND FRANKLY, OUR NATION'S DEFENSE, UH, HAVE WE COMMUNICATED, UM, BACK TO THE PENTAGON AND, AND THOSE GENERALS AND OTHERS WHO WERE REQUESTING THESE KINDS OF, UH, SOLUTIONS, UH, YET, UH, AND IF SO, WHAT, WHAT'S OUR PLAN TO DO THAT? 'CAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL STRENGTHEN OUR POSITION, UH, WITH, UM, OUR MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE HERE.

GREAT POINT.

I, I WILL TALK TO JUAN ABOUT IT.

IN TERMS OF THE PENTAGON, DC FOLKS, I KNOW THAT THE LOCAL FOLKS HAVE BEEN IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH US.

IN FACT, DURING THAT LAST WEEK, SEVERAL AMENDMENTS WERE TACKED ON TO BILL'S E T J RELATED AMENDMENTS THAT THE MILITARY WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT.

AND, AND, UM, UH, THEY WERE RIGHT THERE WITH US IN COMMUNICATING WHAT THE IMPACTS WOULD BE.

THE BAMS C TEAM IS CLOSELY INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE SESSION ON THAT BILL.

UH, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, I THINK THAT'S, THOSE ARE SOME GREAT MESSAGES FOR US TO TAKE TO DC AND, AND I'LL TALK WITH JUAN AND MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THAT AND ALSO PREPARING YOU FOR YOUR NEXT VISIT.

ALRIGHT, WELL, AGAIN, UH, GREAT WORK ON THE REGULAR.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO OVERTIME.

THANKS, JEFF.

THANK YOU, CHRISTINE.

ALRIGHT, THAT WAS, UH, JUST A BRIEFING.

SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE REST OF OUR AGENDA NOW.

UH, WE'LL

[16. 21-3637 Ordinance approving a Mutual Termination Agreement of an economic development agreement with Petco Animal Supplies, Inc (Petco). [Alejandra Lopez; Assistant City Manager and Interim Director, Economic Development]]

PROCEED WITH ITEM 16.

ITEM 16 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A MUTUAL TERMINATION AGREEMENT OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH PETCO ANIMAL SUPPLIES INC.

PETCO.

COUNCILS MEMBER PERRY.

UM, ALEX, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU CAN SHOW US HERE, A PRESENTATION OR ANYTHING? GOOD MORNING.

YES, SIR, I DO.

OF THE AGREEMENT, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN THE 10TH YEAR OF, OF A 10 YEAR, UM, ABATEMENT.

IT'S, IT'S VERY BRIEF, UM, BUT IT, IT WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE AGREEMENT AND THE ACTION THAT WE'RE REQUESTING, WHICH IS A MUTUAL TERMINATION AGREEMENT OF, UM, OF OUR PREVIOUS AGREEMENT WITH PETCO.

UM, JUST AS SOME BACKGROUND, COUNSEL APPROVED AN AGREEMENT WITH PETCO, UH, IN DECEMBER OF 2020.

IT INCLUDED A 10 YEAR, 100% TAX ABATEMENT, UH, $650,000 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FUND GRANT, AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TRAINING CREDITS.

THE ABATEMENT, UH, THE VALUE OF THE ABATEMENT THAT THE COMPANY ACTUALLY RECEIVED WAS ABOUT $238,000.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FUND, UH, WAS ACTUALLY REDUCED TO JUST $250,000.

UM, AND THEN THE TRAINING CREDITS THEY DID RECEIVE WITH NORTHWEST VISTA AND, UM, NORTHEAST LAKEVIEW COLLEGE.

AS FAR AS THE STATUS

[01:40:01]

THEY WERE REQUIRED TO INVEST $5 MILLION, AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE INVESTED 21.8 MILLION.

UM, WHERE THEY FELL SHORT WAS IN THE JOB CREATION.

THEY WERE REQUIRED TO CREATE 400 JOBS, BUT THEY'VE ONLY, THEY CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE 250.

AT THE PEAK IN 2015, THEY DID GET CLOSE.

THEY WERE AT ABOUT 3 89.

UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE AT TWO 50.

HOWEVER, THESE JOBS, NOT ONLY ARE THEY MEETING THE WAGE REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE IN THE CONTRACT 10 YEARS AGO, THEY'RE ACTUALLY MEETING ALL OF OUR CURRENT WAGE REQUIREMENTS.

96% OF THESE JOBS, UM, PAY OVER OUR CURRENT ALL INDUSTRY WAGE OF 1737.

TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS THAT PETCO HAS MADE IN OUR COMMUNITY, I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO INTRODUCE SUZANNE KOGI, WHO'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PETCO FOUNDATION IN HIS OFFICE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

I THINK SHE HAD TO STEP OUT FOR A MEETING, BUT SHE'S BACK MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

UM, I SAY I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE, ABSOLUTE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING, UM, AS THE PRESIDENT OF, IT'S ACTUALLY WE'RE, WE RENAMED PETCO LOVE, BUT WE USED TO BE NAMED THE PETCO FOUNDATION.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, PETCO AS A HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMPANY IS NOT ONLY COMMITTED TO THE CARE OF THE PETS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THE CORE OF THAT IS WE HAVE TO BE COMMITTED TO THE PETS THAT NEED US MOST IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK THAT COMMITMENT BEGAN WHEN PETCO MOVED INTO SAN ANTONIO.

WE ARE ALWAYS COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE LIVE IN, WORK IN, AND OUR CORPORATE CENTERS ARE SAN DIEGO AND SAN ANTONIO.

AND WE MOVED IN HERE INTO SAN ANTONIO.

WE MADE THAT $1 MILLION COMMITMENT FOR THE ADOPTION CENTER.

IT WAS ONE OF MY FIRST DUTIES WHEN I STARTED HERE.

I MOVED TO SAN ANTONIO IN 2013.

I GOT TO BE AT THAT GRAND OPENING, OR THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR THAT WHEN MAYOR, AT THE TIME, MAYOR CASTRO ANNOUNCED THE COMMITMENT OF SAN ANTONIO AS A NO-KILL, OR WHAT I LIKE TO SAY, A LIFE-SAVING COMMUNITY.

AND THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO THAT EVER SINCE.

AND YOUR SAN ANTONIO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES HAS DONE AMAZING WORK TOWARDS THAT COMMITMENT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT AT, AT PETCO LOVE, WE REALLY LIKE TO INVEST IN ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE REALLY DO BELIEVE ARE MAKING AN IMPACT.

THAT'S WHY WE'VE INVESTED SINCE THAT TIME, $1 MILLION JUST IN SAN ANTONIO ANIMAL CARE TO HELP SAVE LIVES IN THIS COMMUNITY.

AND THEN SINCE THAT TIME, AN ADDITIONAL 2.5 MILLION IN ALL OF YOUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP SAVE PET LIVES TOO.

SO SAN ANTONIO PETS ALIVE ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE, SAN ANTONIO HUMANE SOCIETY, AND A MULTITUDE OF OTHER RESCUES IN HUMANE SOCIETIES.

UM, MORE RECENTLY WHEN CANINES FOR WARRIORS APPROACHED US TO SAY THEY WANTED TO OPEN A CENTER IN SAN ANTONIO, NOT ONLY TO HELP THE PETS OF THIS COMMUNITY, BUT TO HELP THE VETERANS, OUR MILITARY VETERANS THAT NEED SUPPORT AND NEED SERVICE ANIMALS, WE STEPPED UP WITH A $2 MILLION COMMITMENT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

SO THOSE ARE A LOT OF PAST COMMITMENTS.

I WOULD SAY THAT IT EVEN GOES BEYOND THE FUNDING OUR EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEER AND FOSTER IN THIS COMMUNITY.

I'M GONNA GO ON RECORD TO SAY THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE FOSTERED PROBABLY A HUNDRED ANIMALS FROM SAN ANTONIO ANIMAL SERVICES SINCE THE TIME I'VE BEEN HERE.

BUT OUR EMPLOYEES DO THE SAME.

SO I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE.

UM, WE OF COURSE HAVE OUR STORES THAT ARE OPEN TO HOUSE ADOPT ANIMALS FOR ADOPTION IN OUR STORES.

UM, AND WE'RE JUST REALLY COMMITTED TO THE PETS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

SO I, YOU KNOW, THAT IS NOT A PAST COMMITMENT.

THAT IS A COMMITMENT THAT WILL EXTEND WELL INTO THE FUTURE.

WE'RE PROUD TO BE ALONG YOUR SIDE TO HELP SAVE LIVES.

UM, AND IN ADDITION, ANYTIME THERE IS A DISASTER, WE'RE THERE WITH PRODUCTS AND OTHER SERVICES, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY HELP, UH, SERVE THE ANIMALS OF THIS COMMUNITY.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ARE JUST REALLY THANKFUL TO THIS COUNCIL AND TO YOUR SAN ANTONIO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE TO SAVE LIVES.

UM, AND WE'LL PARTNER WITH YOU.

WE'VE BEEN YOUR PARTNER IN THE PAST, AND WE'LL BE THERE FOR YOU IN THE FUTURE.

POSITIONS OPEN RIGHT NOW.

SO, COUNCIL COUNSEL, BECAUSE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY SUPPORT THAT WE'VE SEEN PETCO DEMONSTRATE IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND BECAUSE THEY ARE, THEY WERE ABLE TO MEET, UM, MOST OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THEIR CONTRACT, THEY ARE STILL ACTUALLY HIRING.

I BELIEVE THEY HAVE 20

[01:45:01]

UM, WE ARE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING A MUTUAL TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT.

AND WITH THAT, I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

UH, THANK YOU, ALEX.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU HERE.

UH, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND LOOKING BACK AT HISTORY, UM, ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND, AND, UM, TAX INCENTIVES AND GRANTS AND ALL THAT KIND OF THING.

IN THE PAST, HAVE WE EVER CLAWED BACK, UM, DOLLARS FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT DIDN'T MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS? YES, WE HAVE, SIR.

WE ALWAYS BUILD THAT INTO THE, INTO THE AGREEMENTS, THE ABILITY TO DO SO.

BUT WE STILL LOOK AND CONSIDER WHAT THE, WHAT THE FACTORS ARE.

UM, WHERE DID THEY EXCEED EXPECTATIONS, WHERE DID THEY FALL SHORT, WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS THAT MAY BE LED TO THEM FALLING SHORT AND, AND REALLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SO THAT THEY CAN STILL UNDERSTAND.

AND SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND ANYBODY LOOKING TO DO BUSINESS WITH SAN IN SAN ANTONIO UNDERSTANDS THAT WE, WE WANT TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS.

AND HOW, HOW MANY HAVE WE ACTUALLY GONE BACK AND CLAWED BACK, UH, UH, DOLLARS FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT DIDN'T FULFILL ITS CONTRACT? I CAN'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW.

UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY GET THAT TO YOU THOUGH.

WE, SORRY.

IF YOU CAN COUNCILMAN, LET ME JUST ADD THAT WE HAVE IN, IN FACT, UH, IN A COUPLE OF CASES, GONE BACK AND GOT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DID.

ONE OF THOSE CASES WAS OBITER.

IT WAS A COMPANY WHO PROVIDED NO COMMUNICATIONS TO THE CITY, BASICALLY GAVE US A WAR NOTICE WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE.

WE APPROACHED THE, UH, TAX ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.

WE THREATENED TO CLOSE THE, UH, BUSINESS DOWN WITH THE TAX LIEN OF WHAT THEY OWED, EXCUSE ME.

AND THEY ENDED UP PAYING EVERYTHING.

A LOT OF THE CASES, ONCE WE GET INTO THE DISCUSSION WITH THE, UH, THE CORPORATION, WE ARE ABLE TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO, UM, RECOVER.

SO WE HAVE RECOVERED QUITE A, QUITE A BIT, AND THE AGREEMENT ITSELF PROVIDES FOR A SCALING DOWN OF THE PERCENTAGE OF THE TAX ABATEMENT THAT WE PROVIDE.

SO IN, IN OTHER CASES, UH, THEY DON'T RECEIVE THE FULL BENEFIT OF THE TAX ABATEMENT ANYWAY.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY HERE ON THIS PARTICULAR CASE.

IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THEY RECEIVED $277,000 IN TAX ABATEMENT.

THEY, IT WAS SCALED DOWN THOUGH, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T MEET THAT JOB REQUIREMENT.

SO THEY LEFT A LITTLE OVER $40,000 THAT THEY DID NOT ACCESS.

WE DIDN'T PROVIDE IT.

SO WE'RE BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER $250,000 HERE, THE, THE, THE 250 FOR THE GRANT THAT THEY RECEIVED, AND 277 IN, IN THE TAX ABATEMENT.

SO STILL A PRETTY BIG AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS OFFERED TO 'EM.

AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, GREAT OPERATION, GREAT THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE HERE FOR THE CITY.

I UNDERSTAND THAT GREAT PHILANTHROPY, BUT THAT'S NOT IN THE CONTRACT.

I IS THAT ANY OF THAT STUFF IN THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE SIGNED, IT WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TO DO THAT.

NO, SIR.

OF THE, THE CONTRACT BUSINESS.

SO LET'S TRY TO SET THAT ASIDE.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT HERE.

WHAT, WHAT THE CONTRACT HAD IN IT, AND WHEN ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF ASSIGNEE TO THAT CONTRACT DOESN'T FULFILL ITS REQUIREMENTS, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S THINGS THAT OUT THERE THAT YOU CAN DO TO REMEDY THAT.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE.

I I, I LOVE THE FACT THAT THEY'VE DONE GREAT WORK HERE IN THE CITY.

THEY'VE GIVEN, GIVEN A LOT TO PHILANTHROPY, BUT THERE'S STILL A CONTRACT THERE.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.

AND IT'S NOT A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, YOU OR ME OR ANYONE, CITY STAFF.

THAT'S NOT WHO THE CONTRACT IS WITH, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TAXPAYER OUT THERE.

THIS IS THE CONTRACT FOR THOSE FOLKS, THE ENTIRE CITY THAT PROVIDES THOSE TAX DOLLARS FOR THIS TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN.

AND, UM, THEY DIDN'T MEET THAT OBLIGATION WITH THE TAXPAYER.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM ON THAT.

I, I DON'T AGREE WITH US SETTING THAT ASIDE AND, UM, NOT FINISHING UP WITH THIS CONTRACT.

AND I, I, I DON'T, YEAH, I DON'T AGREE WITH JUST LETTING THAT GO BECAUSE OF THE PHILANTHROPY AND THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE HERE FOR THE CITY.

AGAIN, THERE WAS A CONTRACT AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING IN ON.

SO THAT'S MY CONCERNS WITH THIS.

I I REALLY, I REALLY CAN'T SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE

[01:50:01]

UM, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE AND THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE FOR THIS CITY, BUT AGAIN, I'M LOOKING AT THE CONTRACT AND IT HASN'T BEEN MET.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBER S I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND, UM, THAN ANYTHING WE EXPECTED.

AND THE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL TELL YOU MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH PETCO AND HEBER, YOU, YOU WERE THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED.

WE, UM, UH, CANINES FOR WARRIORS, AND I HAD TALKED VERY EARLY ON, UM, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO THEIR FLORIDA CAMPUS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKED TO RORY DIAMOND AND, UM, HE SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE IF WE COME TO SAN ANTONIO? I THINK IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.

AND HEBERT, YOU HELPED ME.

AND MARIA VIE GOMEZ HELPED ME, YOU KNOW, COBBLE TOGETHER A DEAL.

BUT IT REQUIRED THEM, UM, CANINES FOR WARRIORS TO INVEST MILLIONS, UH, IN ORDER TO, UM, HAVE OUR DOGS, THE SAN ANTONIO BROWN SPECIAL BREED OF DOG, UM, THAT NEVER GETS ADOPTED AND IS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, UH, SADLY, UM, YOU KNOW, A CANDIDATE FOR EUTHANIZATION.

UM, WE, UM, YOU GUYS HELPED THEM WITHOUT EVEN BLINKING AN EYE.

I, I, I FELL OUTTA MY CHAIR.

AND SO DID, I MEAN, SO DID THE CANINES FOR WARRIORS FOLKS.

THEY FELL OUTTA THEIR CHAIR WHEN YOU GUYS SHOWED UP AND SAID, HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED? IT'S 2 MILLION.

UH, AND, UH, YOU GUYS PAID $2 MILLION, AND THAT CAMPUS IS GETTING BUILT IN DISTRICT SIX.

UM, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING TOP SECRET, DON'T TELL ANYBODY, OKAY? BUT I, I SPOKE TO CANINES FOR WARRIORS LAST WEEK, AND MAYOR, THEY'RE LOOKING AT AN EXPANSION, UH, BEFORE THEY'RE EVEN FINISHED CONSTRUCTION.

AND SO, UM, AND ALL OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF, OF THE HELP YOU GUYS GAVE US.

AND SO, UM, I LOOK AT THE CONTRACT TOO, BUT YOU KNOW, THOSE AREN'T SUICIDE PACTS.

UH, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ENDED UP BECOMING OUR PARTNERS IN MANY WAYS AND GIVING BACK WAY MORE.

AND YOU GAVE BACK TO THE TAXPAYER.

UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN IT TO, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, FOUNDATIONS AND THAT MONEY WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN USED HERE LOCALLY, BUT YOU KEPT THAT MONEY HERE, AND YOU HELPED US CREATE JOBS THERE AS WELL.

THEY'RE GONNA BE, UH, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE TWO DOZEN EMPLOYEES WHO ARE GONNA END UP WORKING FOR CANINES FOR WARRIORS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND SO I'M, UH, YOU KNOW, SORRY, THIS, THIS WHOLE MUTUAL AGREEMENT THING DIDN'T WORK OUT THE WAY WE ALL WANTED TO, BUT, UM, I SUPPORT STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UH, I MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, FOR A TERM, UH, MUTUAL TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT.

COUNCILWOMAN, WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, WHEN WE PARTNERED WITH, UM, THE PETCO FOUNDATION, UH, ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO, UM, OUR LIVE RELEASE RATE BACK THEN WAS ABOUT 30%.

COUNCIL MEMBER PALA, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 16.

COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.

UH, THANK YOU.

UM, AND I JUST, I, I HAVE JUST A FEW QUESTIONS, UM, REGARDING, UH, SOME OF THE WORK THAT, UM, UH, WAS DONE WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MILLION DOLLARS IN GRANTS FOR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES PROGRAMS. UM, CAN YOU JUST ELABORATE ON SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS? UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO DO WITH OUR FUNDING, WHICH I THINK IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR ANY FUNDER, IS WHAT WE FUND IS WE FUND AS EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS, WE LOOK AT COLLECTIVELY WHAT IS THE ORGANIZATION DOING WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE HA THAT THEY HAVE.

AND THEN WE TRUST THE LEADERSHIP OF THAT ORGANIZATION TO USE OUR FUNDS AS THEY FEEL APPROPRIATE.

SO THOUGH IT HAS GONE TO PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT'S ADOPT, PREPARING ANIMALS FOR ADOPTION, PROVIDING MEDICAL SUPPORT, BUT WHAT WE TRY TO DO INTENTIONALLY IS NOT DICTATE WHAT THEY USE THE MONEY FOR.

THEY CAN USE THE MONEY FOR WHATEVER THEY WANT AND THE NEEDS THAT ARE NOT BEING FULFILLED BY THE EXISTING FUNDING.

AND, UM, HOW ABOUT THE, IS THAT THE SAME THING WITH THE 2.5 MILLION IN OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES? A ABSOLUTELY.

WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS WE LOOK AT OVERALL ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND WHO IS MAKING THE GREATEST IMPACT TO SAVE LIVES.

AND WE FUND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, E ERIC, AND WE ALLOW THEM THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

I'M SORRY, ERIC, DID YOU HAVE, UH, SOME CLARIFICATION? I, I WAS, BUT MAYBE HEBERT WAS THINKING THE SAME THING.

I WAS THINKING, LET ME, LET ME ALSO PART OF ANSWER THAT THE MILLION DOLLARS THAT, UH, THAT PETCO FOUNDATION GAVE TO THE CITY FOR THE NAMING RIGHTS OF PAUL JOLLY, THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE SEAT FUNDING FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF OUR RESCUE PROGRAM.

UM, THAT HAD A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR OPERATING BUDGET OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.

AND, AND, AND SO, UM, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED BECAUSE FRANKLY, THAT WAS THE SEED FUNDING THAT TOOK US OFF INTO THAT ARENA, UM, AND HAS LED TO THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE TODAY.

IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE GONNA SAY, HEBERT? YEAH.

UM, OKAY.

COUNCILWOMAN

[01:55:02]

UM, ALMOST EVERY SINGLE INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT HAS HELPED US TO GET TO THE 90 PLUS TO 92% LIVE RELEASE RATE.

UH, PETCO FOUNDATION MONEY WAS INVOLVED WITH THE SEATING FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY AND TRY SOMETHING NEW.

AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO PRESENT RESULTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT THEN ALLOWED US TO BE ABLE TO FUND THOSE PROGRAMS. AND SO THE PETCO FOUNDATION, THEIR FUNDING THAT THEY GAVE TO US AS AN ORGANIZATION HAS, HAS TOUCHED NEARLY EVERY SINGLE, UH, INITIATIVE OF OUR PROGRAM.

UH, THANK YOU.

UM, AND SO I I, WE HAVE COME SUCH A LONG WAY, UH, WITH ANIMAL CARE AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST ON THE EIGHT YEARS I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL, UM, HEBER, I KNOW, UM, YOU WERE NOT DIRECTOR AT THAT TIME, UM, BUT I THINK THE TRANSFORMATION THAT WE'VE MADE, UM, WITH LIVE RELEASE, UH, WAS TRANSFORMATIVE AND REALLY FAST.

UH, I FELT LIKE WE WENT FROM A 90% KILL.

I DON'T KNOW IF THESE ARE THE RIGHT TERMS, BUT 90% KILL RATE TO ALMOST ZERO IN LIKE THREE YEARS.

UM, AM I RIGHT ON THAT? THOSE NUMBERS? SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, INDUSTRY-WISE, THAT OUR TURNOVER WAS RELATIVELY QUICK, UH, THREE YEARS.

IT'S, IT TOOK A FEW MORE YEARS THAN THAT, BUT, UH, COMPARED TO, COMPARED TO OTHERS, UM, WITHOUT, WITHOUT CLOSING OUR DOORS, WITHOUT US BECOMING A, UM, A, A CLOSE TO ADMISSION SHELTER, UH, WE DID, UH, DO SOMETHING THAT WAS UNIQUE AT THE TIME.

AND WHEN WE STARTED THIS PARTNERSHIP, UM, 10 YEARS AGO, WAS THAT THE PATH WE WERE HOPING TO GET.

SO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO REACH WHERE WE ARE TODAY HAS, HAS BEEN, UH, HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GOAL, UM, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, AND, AND SO PETCO FOUNDATION, THEY SAW THAT, THEY RECOGNIZED IT, AND THEY, UH, THEY WERE THE ENTIRE TIME THAT THEY'VE BEEN THERE, JUST KIND OF SAYING, WHAT DO YOU NEED? WE ARE HERE FOR, TO HELP YOU.

SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UM, NO, AND YOU CAN HAVE A SEAT.

I, THE REST ARE MOSTLY JUST COMMENTS.

BUT, UM, WE HAVE COME SUCH A LONG WAY, UH, IN THE WAY THAT WE HAVE DEALT WITH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.

I KNOW, I MEAN, JUST IN THE EIGHT YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL IN COUNCIL IN DISTRICT THREE, THEY OFFERED ANOTHER OPEN, ANOTHER SPAIN NEUTER CLINIC.

WE'VE HAD THE PI PAUL JOLLY CENTER, BECAUSE THAT ALSO WASN'T OPEN.

UH, WHEN WE GOT HERE ON THE COUNCIL, I THINK IT WAS JUST OPENING.

UM, AND, UH, WE HAD A COMPLETE, UM, TRANSFORMATION IN THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING, UM, GETTING A LOT MORE FUNDING.

SO I THINK WE'VE INCREASED OUR FUNDING TO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES ABOUT 5 MILLION SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL, MAYBE MORE.

UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS, UM, IT, IT IS A, A DRASTIC, UH, CHANGE FROM THE WAY THAT WE DEALT WITH, UM, UH, OUR ANIMALS, UM, FROM 10 YEARS AGO.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT SOMETIMES THINGS CHANGE.

WE SAW THAT A LOT DURING COVID.

I MEAN, AND, AND SO AGAIN, WITH THE, THAT'S ALWAYS THE PROBLEM WITH THE TENURE AGREEMENT, UM, IS THAT THINGS CHANGE.

UH, AND I FEEL LIKE WE ADAPTED REALLY WELL, UM, AND, AND IN FACT, UH, PROBABLY EXCEEDED ANY EXPECTATION.

UH, AND SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS AND SOMETIMES YOU ACTUALLY EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATIONS, THEN MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD ENOUGH REASON TO TERMINATE A CONTRACT, UM, THAT PERHAPS WAS LIMITING IN SOME WAY THAT WE COULDN'T HAVE ANTICIPATED WHEN WE MADE THIS ARRANGEMENT 10 YEARS AGO.

UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW I WASN'T ON THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME TO PROVE THIS, BUT, UH, WE HAVE JUST GONE LEAPS AND BOUNDS, UH, OVER ANYTHING I THINK WE COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED.

UM, AND, AND I HOPE WE CONTINUE TO FIND A WAY TO GET THE WORD OUT.

UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WE STILL, UH, I HEAR, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UM, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TALK ABOUT STILL THE ISSUE OF THE ROAMING DOGS.

UM, BUT WHAT WE KNOW NOW IS THOSE ARE USUALLY LOOSE DOGS, UH, RATHER OWNED DOGS.

I MEAN, I HAVE A DOG THAT WILL GET OUT ANY CHANCE SHE GETS.

YOU JUST BEAR.

YOU WANNA, YOU KNOW, GET SOMETHING OUTTA THE GARAGE AND SHE ESCAPES.

UH, AND I'M SURE THAT MY DOG IS NOT THE ONLY DOG IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO'S DOING THAT.

AND SO WE, UM, IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT SCENARIO THAN

[02:00:01]

WHAT WE SAW YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS WALKING DOWN, UM, THE STREET PICKING UP PUPPIES ON MY WAY BACK AND FORTH TO WORK.

UM, AND SO IT HAS BEEN, UH, EVERYTHING FROM RESPONSE TIMES TO THE WAY THAT WE HAVE, UM, UH, EDUCATED OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT, UM, NOT LETTING YOUR DOG LOOSE, UM, AND HOW THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE, UM, EDUCATING PEOPLE ON SPAY NEUTER.

UM, IT HAS BEEN JUST A, A DRAMATIC CHANGE.

UH, AND SO, UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN ISSUE IN FRONT OF US THAT WE NEED TO VOTE ON TODAY.

AND, UM, I'LL SUPPORT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, BUT IT ALSO IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, AS A CITY, UM, TO REDUCE OUR KILL RATE, UM, TO REALLY, UM, INFORM ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES ABOUT THE SERVICES, A AVAIL AVAILABLE WITH AN ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, UM, TO THE INCREDIBLE TEAM OVER THERE AT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, WHO I THINK DON'T GET ENOUGH, UH, PRAISE AND ATTENTION.

UH, I THINK SOME OF THE KINDEST PEOPLE I'VE MET AT THE CITY ORGANIZATION ARE THOSE WHO WORK WITH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.

SO THANKS TO THE INCREDIBLE TEAM, UH, HERE.

UM, AND, UH, THE, THE PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT THAT WE CAN'T DO WITHOUT.

UH, I THINK WE'VE SEEN TREMENDOUS CHANGES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND, AND I TOO, UM, WAS INVOLVED IN THE RESCUE COMMUNITY.

I PERSONALLY HAVE RESCUED, UH, OVER 35, UH, DOGS AND PUPPIES.

UM, I HAD TO STOP DOING THAT, UH, AFTER I HAD CHILDREN.

IT JUST GOT TO BE A LITTLE TOO MUCH POOP IN ONE HOUSE, .

BUT, UM, BUT IT HA IT WAS, UH, I, I REALLY ENJOYED DOING IT.

AND SO FOR ANYBODY THAT HAS THE CAPACITY, UH, TO CONTINUE TO FOSTER, UM, THAT THEY, UH, THAT THEY, UH, PARTICIPATE BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A JOY.

SO, UH, THANK YOU, UM, FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND, UM, I'LL, UH, SUPPORT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TODAY.

CAN I MAKE ONE RESPOND? YES, PLEASE.

I STILL HAVE, UH, TWO MINUTES, SO I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, JUST BECAUSE YOU DID MENTION THE STRAIGHT DOG POPULATION.

I, I MEANT TO SAY EARLIER, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE'VE DONE, WE'VE ACTUALLY INVESTED AND LAUNCHED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, A NATIONAL DATABASE FOR LOST AND FOUND PETS UTILIZING PET FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY.

OUR GOAL IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE ONE CENTRAL ONLINE SEARCH FOR LOST AND FOUND PETS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

UM, AND THAT WE COULD REDUCE ALL OF THOSE ANIMALS COMING IN TO ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES BY HAVING COMMUNITY MEMBERS REUNITE THEM RIGHT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

THAT WAS AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, TOO.

AND, AND IT'S CALLED PETCO LOVE LOST .

COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.

ERIC, YOU WANTED TO JUMP IN ON, ON ANOTHER ITEM? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, THE POINTS THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY POINTED OUT.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ASIDE FROM THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND, UM, CERTAINLY THE, THE OPERATING BUDGET BENEFITS TO IMPROVING OUR LIVE RELEASE AND THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD WITH PETCO, UH, AND PETCO FOUNDATION SINCE THEY'VE BEEN IN TOWN, I DID WANT THE COUNCIL TO KNOW THAT AS WE, AS THE STAFF DID THE ANALYSIS, AND WE LOOKED AT THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UH, WE DID TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE FACT THAT, UH, PETCO QUADRUPLED THE REQUIREMENT, UH, TO INVEST.

UM, AND SO THAT HAS TO BE RECOGNIZED, AND THEY EXCEEDED THE WAGE REQUIREMENTS.

SO IT WAS, IT WAS THE TOTAL PACKAGE, AND THAT WAS PART OF THE STAFF ANALYSIS IN COMING UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION TODAY.

AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCILMAN PERRY AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL UNDERSTOOD THAT WE DID LOOK AT THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT, UM, AND WHAT IT ENCAPSULATED AND, AND FOUND THAT IN, IN SOME CASES, UM, WHERE, AS ALEX POINTED OUT, THEY FELL SHORT IN THE ACTUAL JOBS.

UM, BUT THE TOTAL INVESTMENT, UH, EXCEEDED WHAT WAS REQUIRED.

SO, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE THINK THAT FROM A STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, UH, THE GOALS WERE MET, UM, AND, UM, AND THE SALARY AT WHICH, AND THE, THE WAGES THAT THEY'RE PAYING AND EMPLOYEES ARE THE TYPES OF WAGES THAT, UM, THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER.

THANK YOU, ERIC.

COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF A CHALLENGING DECISION BECAUSE I THINK THAT ALL TO THE CREDIT OF PETCO, YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS IN THIS COMMUNITY WITH YOUR INVESTMENT TO THE COMMUNITY.

UH, AND I THINK THAT JUST REMINDS ME OF SO MANY OTHER GOOD, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY WITH OTHER BUSINESSES.

AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF, OF WHO WE ARE AND THE KIND OF COMMUNITY WE ARE.

I DID HAVE, UH, A QUESTION THOUGH THAT ALEX, UM, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER IN LOOKING AT THE PAGE ONE PRESENTATION HERE.

IT SAID, ORIGINALLY A 10 YEAR, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT

[02:05:01]

TAX ABATEMENT.

AND AGAIN, HOW MUCH OF A TAX ABATEMENT WAS GRANTED? 277,000.

AND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT IS A 10 YEAR TAX ABATEMENT? UM, IS THAT ALL OF THE TAXES FOR THAT 10 YEAR PERIOD OR PART OF THE TAXES, OR NO, SIR.

IT WAS ONLY A PART OF THE TAXES.

THERE WAS, I BELIEVE, ONE OR TWO YEARS WHERE THEY ACTUALLY DID MEET THE EMPLOYMENT, UM, TARGET FOR THAT YEAR.

AND SO THEY RECEIVED THE FULL 100%, BUT THE REST OF THE YEARS IT WAS PROPORTIONATELY REDUCED.

THAT IS WHAT WE DO WHEN THEY'RE NOT, UM, MEETING THAT GOAL ALONG THE WAY.

SO I THINK I MENTIONED THAT THEY ACTUALLY LEFT ABOUT $43,000 THAT WE DID NOT ABATE BECAUSE ALONG THE COURSE OF THE AGREEMENT, THEY, THEY DIDN'T MEET THAT GOAL.

AND I NOTICED IT LOOKED LIKE THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT SAID 650,000 FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES, BUT IT WAS REDUCED TO 250,000.

YES, SIR.

WHEN AND HOW DID THAT OCCUR? THE, THE 400,000 WAS REDUCED.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED TO, UM, SOMEHOW BE PAID OUT IN CONNECTION WITH CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WOULD BE MADE.

AND ULTIMATELY, WE, WE TOOK THAT OUT OF THE AGREEMENT AND WE CANCELED THAT PART OF, OF THE GRANT ITSELF.

AS WE SEE NOW, IT DIDN'T NECESSARILY IMPACT, UM, THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THEIR COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS ANYWAY.

AND THE, UH, A HUNDRED THOUSAND TRAINING CREDITS WAS ALL MET.

YES, SIR.

WOULD NOT BE SEEN AS ONE LEVER CUT ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND I THINK THEY'VE BEEN, UH, BUT H E B'S A GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNER, UH, WHATABURGER'S A GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNER, U S A A IS A GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNER, AND, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT IF WE ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT WITH ANY OF THEM AND THEY DIDN'T MEET A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE CONTRACT, OR WE DIDN'T MEET A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR SHARE OF THE CONTRACT, UH, BOTH SIDES WOULD EXPECT THAT THE CONTRACT SHOULD BE MET OR SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THAT.

I'M REMINDED TODAY OF AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FACING OURSELVES, UH, WHERE WE WERE IN A CONTRACT WITH A, A COMPANY AND THE CONTRACT, UH, APPARENTLY WASN'T FULFILLED TO THE EXTENT THAT WE ALL EXPECT IT MIGHT'VE BEEN.

AND SO NOW THE CITY'S BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING OUT MONEY.

SO, I MEAN, THIS IS ALMOST THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY WHEN WE SAY, WELL, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND FORGIVE THIS.

SO AS MUCH AS I APPRECIATE WHAT, WHAT THE COMPANY DOES, AND I KNOW THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE A VALUABLE PARTNER, UH, I HAVE TO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY THAT WE NEED TO UPHOLD OUR CONTRACTS, NOT JUST THIS ONE, BUT GOING FORWARD.

AND THERE ARE SO MANY CONTRACTS, THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP TO THIS COUNCIL THAT I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, GIVING INCENTIVES THAT, UH, MAYBE SHOULDN'T BE EARNED OR HAVEN'T BEEN EARNED, BUT ARE, WE'RE STILL GONNA BE LOOKING AT.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A HARD LINE ON MAKING SURE THAT EVERY CONTRACT THAT WE AGREE TO, WE FULFILL OUR PART AND THAT OUR PARTNERS FULFILL THEIR PART.

SO I, I WON'T BE VOTING IN SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF TODAY.

AND, UH, I AM, UH, ACTING, UH, MAYOR PRO 10 RIGHT NOW, SO I'LL RECOGNIZE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GRO.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU, ALEX, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

UM, ONE THING THAT WE DISCUSSED, WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING NEXT WEEK, IS WELL, WITH OUR ECONOMIC, UM, AGREEMENTS AND OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, 3 12, 3 80 ECONOMIC INCENTIVES.

AND ONE THING THAT WE DISCUSSED AT E W D C COMMITTEE THIS PAST WEEK WAS THAT EVERYONE IS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHEN IT COMES TO MAYBE THE, UM, TERMS HAVE NOT BEEN MET COMPLETELY, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ'S POINT, WHAT HAPPENED 10 YEARS AGO, WHAT HAPPENED 15 YEARS AGO, ET CETERA.

UM, IN THIS CASE, THIS IS A CASE BY CASE P BASIS, AND WE HAVE DEALT WITH OTHER ENTITIES, PRIVATES, NONPROFITS, CORPORATIONS, UM, AND THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT IN HOW WE DO OUR CLAW.

SOMETIMES WE DO CLAWBACKS, SOMETIMES WE HAVE THEM JUST GIVE ALL THE MONEY BACK TO US.

SOMETIMES, UM, WE PRORATED OF SORTS.

SO EVERYONE IS DONE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

WHAT THIS PROVES TO ME, ALEX, AND YOUR MUTUAL TERMINATION AGREEMENT HERE, WHAT THIS PROVES TO ME IS THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE, GOING THROUGH A CASE BY CASE BASIS ON ALL OF THESE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE.

AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT JUST SAYING, OKAY, THIS ONE LEVER WE PULL FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE THAT, I'M SURE WE WOULD DO THIS IF WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, THAT THAT

[02:10:01]

AND THIS IS WHAT THIS MUTUAL TERMINATION IS FOR ME, UH, BECAUSE I THINK IF ANOTHER SMALL BUSINESS WERE TO COME FORWARD AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S JUST NOT MAKING, CUTTING THE CA UH, CUTTING THE WHAT IT NEEDS TO THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

AND THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

AND YES, PETCO IS HUGE, UH, BUT PETCO IS ALSO INVESTING IN THE COMMUNITY DIRECTLY.

UM, I HAVE BEEN, I THINK WHAT THE INVESTMENT THAT PETCO HAS DONE TO THE COMMUNITY AND ANIMAL CARE SERVICES IN THE PAST HAS ALLOWED US TO COME UP WITH DIFFERENT PROGRAMS LIKE THE MICRO CHIPPING, LIKE OTHERS WITH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES BECAUSE IT'S FREEING UP OUR DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO DO OTHER, UM, ITEMS. AND I WANTED TO, AND I AM GONNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK I SEE SHANNON HERE.

ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, THANK YOU ERIC MARIA, EVERYBODY FOR ALLOWING US TO GET THOSE, UM, ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS INTO CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS SPECIFICALLY.

THEY, UM, I CAN'T WAIT FOR US TO GET MORE MONEY TO HELP RECOVER THOSE FINANCIAL LOSSES THAT WE HAD IN OUR BUDGET LAST YEAR TO GET SOME MORE, UM, OFFICERS IN OUR, OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S TAKING, AND PETCO ALSO HELPS WITH THE EDUCATION OF RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP THAT WE NEED TO GET OUT TO STOP THE ROAMING AND STRAY ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I TALK ABOUT THE MICROCHIPPING BECAUSE IT'S BEEN ABLE TO, UH, MICROCHIP THE PETS HAVE, HAS ENABLED ME TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO REUNITE PETS WITH THEIR OWNERS.

AND IT'S SUCH A JOY WHEN THE, THE FAMILIES FIND THEIR PETS, AND I CAN'T KEEP IT, BUT I HAVE TO GIVE IT BACK, RIGHT? TO THE PET, UH, TO THE FAMILY.

BUT IT'S GREAT BECAUSE THESE ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE INSTITUTED.

THESE ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE KEEPING THE PETS, THE DOGS SAFE AND, UM, GETTING THEIR FAMILY MEMBER BACK TO THEM.

AND IT'S ALSO ALLOWED ME TO FIND FOREVER HOMES FOR THOSE PETS TOO.

UM, BECAUSE OF OUR PARTNERS, BECAUSE OF SAN ANTONIO PETS ALIVE.

AND I WAS HAPPY TO BE THERE AT, UH, THE PAUL JOLLY CENTER WHEN IT FIRST OPENED ALL OF THESE YEARS AGO.

AND SEEING THE, UH, VACCINATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO TO ALL OF OUR ANIMALS, AND I KNOW HOPEFULLY WITH YOUR INVESTMENT, IS ANOTHER REASON WHY WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC IN DISTRICT THREE, MAKING THAT CONVENIENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO GET THEIR ANIMALS SPAY AND NEUTERED.

SO, UM, I A I THINK THAT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF US ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, DOING THE RIGHT THING AND TERMINATION THE AGREEMENTS.

AND I AM GOING TO BE IN SUPPORT OF THIS, UH, BECAUSE IT'S WHAT WE, WE SHOULD BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.

SO THANK YOU FOR PULLING IT.

UM, BUT I THINK IT SPEAKS TO THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.

AND I KNOW, UM, DOGS AND PUPPIES ARE, I BELIEVE ANGELS IN DISGUISE, AND THAT'S WHEN I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE SO MANY AND HAVE THEM AS MY FAMILY TOO.

SO, THANK YOU, CHAIR.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL.

COUNCILWOMAN.

UH, COUNCILMAN CAB HAVADA.

THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM.

UM, WAS, WAS THERE A CLAUSE IN THE CONTRACT TO ACCOUNT FOR A BREACH OR FAILURE? YES, MA'AM.

THEY'RE AL ALWAYS, WE ALWAYS INCLUDE THIS IN OUR AGREEMENT.

IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THOUGH, RAY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THEM AS WELL.

I REALLY DON'T.

I JUST, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS ON, UM, THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD STICK TO THE CONTRACT, BUT EVEN THIS, WE'RE STICKING TO THE CONTRACT.

ANY GOOD LAWYER WILL TELL YOU, RIGHT? YOU'RE GONNA INCLUDE A CLAUSE IN A CONTRACT.

THAT'S WHAT CON WHY CONTRACTS ARE MADE.

WE'RE STILL FOLLOWING THE CONTRACT, UM, BY INCLUDING THE, THE BREACH CLAUSE AND, AND FOLLOWING THE BREACH CLAUSE.

I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY FAIR TO DISCOUNT ALL THE GOOD WORK PETCO HAS DONE IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, AND THAT SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT SIX, THE AREA WHERE THEY ARE HAS GROWN UP, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.

AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE A PART OF THAT, THAT CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT.

UM, AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT HAPPENS IF WE VOTE THIS DOWN IN THE CONTRACT? UM, TECHNICALLY THEY'RE IN THE LAST YEAR OF THEIR ABATEMENT PERIOD.

UM, SO THEY, THEY COULD TECHNICALLY RECEIVE A PROPORTIONATE ABATEMENT FOR THE JOBS THAT THEY HAVE CREATED.

UM, ONCE THEY GO INTO THE, UM, RECAPTURE PHASE, WHICH STARTS AT LIKE YEAR 11, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO CLAW BACK ANY DOLLARS THAT WE PAID THEM.

PRESENTATION, IF I'M READING IT CORRECTLY, THE THIRD PAGE, THE STATUS OF THE AGREEMENT, UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE COMPLETED, I MEAN, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE AGREEMENT THEY'VE COMPLETED.

I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY FAIR TO, I THINK IT'S SORT OF A PUNISHMENT, YOU KNOW, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE

[02:15:01]

RIGHT.

UM, SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE ITEM.

I APPRECIATE THE RECOMMENDATION AND JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I DON'T THINK WE ARE GOING AGAINST THE CONTRACT.

UM, SO THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER KEO, HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER S THANKS, UM, FOR LETTING ME TAP IN.

AGAIN, ANDY, AS I'M SITTING HERE LISTENING TO THIS AND, AND I'M WATCHING THE THREE LAWYERS IN THE ROOM KIND OF WIGGLE IN THEIR SEATS, I, I THINK I KNOW WHY THE, UH, HAVING BEEN IN YOUR SEAT, UH, AT TWO OTHER BIG ORGANIZATIONS, SOMETIMES, UM, IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE.

'CAUSE UM, ALL THE LAWYERS DO IS GIVE ADVICE, VERY LIMITED ADVICE ON THIS IS LEGAL, THIS IS NOT LEGAL.

AND THEN YOUR CLIENT MAKES THE HARD DECISION.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, PARENTHETICALLY RIGHT NOW, TALK ABOUT YOUR ROLE IN, IN, UH, IN THIS DECISION.

I, I WANNA BE CERTAIN IT'S NOT LEGAL DEPARTMENT AGITATING AND ADVOCATING FOR, FOR THIS, RIGHT? UH, ABSOLUTELY.

UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, YOU'RE CORRECT.

I MEAN, THAT'S WHY I'M SITTING OVER HERE AND ERIC'S OVER THERE YEAH.

IS THAT HE'S THE CLIENT, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S OUR, IN COVID IT'S OUR ROLE.

IT'S OUR ROLE TO TO INFORM THE CLIENT OF WHAT THE LEGAL RIGHTS ARE UNDER THE FOUR CORNERS OF A CONTRACT.

IT IS THE JOB OF THE CLIENT TO TAKE THAT ADVICE IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING, INCLUDING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONTRACTING PARTY, BECAUSE IT'S THE CLIENT THAT UNDERSTANDS HOW THAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WOULD BETTER THE CITY IN THIS CASE, UM, OR NOT.

AND SO, YES, OUR JOB IS TO PROVIDE ADVICE ON WHAT THE LEGAL RIGHTS ARE.

IT'S THE JOB OF THE CLIENT TO TAKE THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.

AND IN MY CAREER, I'VE ALWAYS TOLD CLIENTS THAT THE GREATEST PREDICTOR OF HOW WELL A CONTRACT WORKS OUT IS NOT WHETHER THE CONTRACT IS 10 PAGES OR A HUNDRED PAGES.

IT'S WHETHER YOU HAVE A STRONG, PRODUCTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OTHER PARTY.

SO THAT'S, I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.

YEAH, YOU DID.

THANK, THANKS, MAYOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER PAL.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.

I'M ON A SHOT CLOCK HERE.

BUT ANYWAY, UM, MY POINT IS WE'RE BRINGING IN ALL THESE EMOTIONAL ISSUES.

THIS IS NOT AN, AN EMOTIONAL ISSUE.

THIS IS A CONTRACTUAL ISSUE.

THEY'RE SHORT, 150 JOBS OUT THERE, 150 JOBS.

YOU KNOW, I, I SEE A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT HERE ON FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE A COMPANY CAN COME IN HERE AND SELL THIS CITY A BIG BAG OF THINGS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE, HEY, IN FIVE OR 10 YEARS THEY'LL FORGIVE US THIS.

AND, UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY THAT MONEY BACK.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA CLAW ANYTHING BACK.

SO I'M, I'M AFRAID OF THAT.

AND LET'S REMEMBER ALL OF THESE PHILANTHROPY FELT, I CAN'T EVEN SAY THE WORD PHILANTHROPY OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY'VE DONE, THERE'S TAX ADVANTAGES TO THAT ALSO.

AND LET, LET'S NOT FORGET THAT THIS IS A CONTRACT.

AND I, I'M, I JUST SAY THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS.

AND IF IT IS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT PHILANTHROPY AND GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, LET'S PUT IT IN THE CONTRACT.

LET'S NOT JUST BRING THIS IN AFTER THE FACT SAYING, HEY, THEY'VE DONE ALL THIS GOOD WORK, BUT THEY DIDN'T MEET THE CONTRACT.

LET'S LET 'EM GO.

SO WITH THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S MY LAST COMMENTS.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.

UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

AND, UM, IT, IT'S JUST A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

AND ALEX, I APOLOGIZE.

YOU WERE IN FRONT OF MY OFFICE AND YOU SAID, I'M HERE ABOUT PETCO, AND I SAID, I'M FINE.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY SOME QUESTIONS HAVE COME UP BASED ON, ON TODAY'S CONVERSATION.

SO I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE AGREEMENT SAID, CREATE 400 JOBS, INVEST X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, AND MAYBE THERE WAS A, A THIRD THING IN THERE, BUT LET'S STICK TO THOSE TWO.

UH, THEY CREATED SOME OF THOSE JOBS, RIGHT? YES.

WHAT IS IT, TWO 50 OUT OF THE 400? YES, MA'AM.

AND THEY MET THE INVESTMENT REQUIREMENT.

WAS PROVIDED, UM, WAS THAT ALSO IN PROPORTION TO THE JOBS CREATED? IT WASN'T ASSOCIATED WITH THE JOBS, IT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INVESTMENT.

AND OUR JOB WAS TO PROVIDE THE A HUNDRED PERCENT TAX INVEST, UH, ABATEMENT.

AND IN E D I F, UH, GRANT, WE DIDN'T PROVIDE THOSE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.

RIGHT.

SO WE DIDN'T KEEP OUR SIDE OF THE BARGAIN BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KEEP THEIRS.

IT'S PROPORTIONATE BASED, BASED IT, PROPORTIONATE BASED, THEIR PERFORMANCE WILL PROPORTIONATELY PROVIDE THE, THE INCENTIVE.

SO THE ABATEMENT WAS PROVIDED IN PROPORTION TO THE NUMBER OF JOBS CREATED? YES, MA'AM.

AND THE INCENTIVE GRANT

[02:20:01]

, ONCE THEY INVESTED THE $5 MILLION, WE PAID THE GRANT OUT.

THEY, THEY FAR EXCEEDED THAT MM-HMM.

BUT ONCE THEY INVESTED THAT 5 MILLION, WE, WE MADE THE, THE PAYMENT.

AND THAT'S HOW THE CONTRACT WAS WRITTEN.

THAT IF THE INVESTMENT WAS MET, X AMOUNT WOULD BE PAID OUT, AND IF THE JOBS WERE MET, THE A HUNDRED PERCENT ABATEMENT WOULD BE MADE OUT.

SO THE CONTRACT WORKED AS DESIGNED.

SO, UM, WHY ARE WE CLOSING IT OUT RIGHT NOW? THE, DURING THE TERM OF THE ABATEMENT PHASE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY IN THE CONTRACT TO PROPORTIONATELY REDUCE THE ABATEMENT VALUES AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE 10 YEARS.

THAT'S WHERE WE GO INTO WHAT WE CALL A RECAPTURE PHASE.

AND IF THEY'RE NOT AT 100% OF WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GONNA DO, WE TECHNICALLY CAN CLAW BACK EVERYTHING THAT, THAT'S THE MONITORING PORTION OF THE CONTRACT.

THE OTHER ISSUE THAT I KNOW WE MENTIONED, OR I THINK WE MENTIONED IT DURING THE MEMO ALSO, WAS THAT, UM, PETCO ACTUALLY SOLD THEIR LOCATION AND THEIR LEASING BACK.

SO THAT INHERENTLY CHANGED THE OWNERSHIP AND WERE REQUIRED A CHANGE TO OUR AGREEMENT.

WHEN THEY NOTIFIED US OF THAT, WE STARTED LOOKING AT IT IN CONNECTION WITH THE PERFORMANCE THAT WE'VE SEEN.

WE EVALUATED IT HOLISTICALLY AND CAME UP WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION.

OKAY, GREAT.

SO WHILE MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE NOT SUPPORTING THIS ITEM HAVEN'T EXPLICITLY SET IT, I, I BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE SUPPORTING IS TO GO INTO THE CLAWBACK PHASE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.

UM, I KNOW YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE YEAH.

GONNA BE ABLE TO MEET IT OR, OR NOT.

UM, AND WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS IT'S OKAY, WE GOT THE 250 JOBS WHERE THE REST OF US ARE GOOD WITH THAT.

SO, UH, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THE ITEM.

UM, HOWEVER, I DO HAVE A, A QUESTION FOR PETCO.

UH, CAN YOU JUST, UH, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF, OF CLARITY, AND FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER 150 JOBS KNOWING THAT YOU WERE IN THIS CONTRACT, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO? SO I'M PROBABLY NOT THE MOST APPROPRIATE PERSON TO SPEAK TO, TO THAT.

UM, I CAN TELL YOU GENERALLY, I MEAN, I, I REPRESENT, AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE FOUNDATION, THE NONPROFIT, UM, PETCO, JUST OVERALL WITH THE OPERATIONS, UM, LOOKED AT RESTRUCTURING AND JUST AS A RETAILER, HOW DO WE MOST EFFECTIVELY MEET THE NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION? AND SO THEY DID HAVE TO PULL BACK ON SOME POSITIONS HERE LOCALLY.

MAYBE, YOU KNOW WHAT I, I'LL PROBABLY ASK THAT TO ALEX.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THAT PETCO DOES IN, IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT I, I, UM, SORT OF IN, IN SUPPORT OF WHAT COUNCILMAN, UH, PERRY SAID, I, I DO THINK WE NEED TO SEPARATE THE, THE TWO.

WE DON'T WANNA MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT'S SOME SORT OF QUID PRO QUO THAT BECAUSE, UH, THEY HAVE DONATED ALL THIS MONEY, WE'RE GONNA LET THEM GO.

I, I THINK I, I DO THINK WE WANNA KEEP THOSE TWO THINGS, UH, SEPARATE FOR THE SAKE OF, OF ETHICS, UH, UP HERE.

UH, SO WHAT HAPPENED, KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THEY HAD THIS CONTRACT WITH US AND THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF CLAWBACKS, UH, THEY MADE THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO TAKE THAT RISK? YES, MA'AM.

ANYTIME WE'RE NEGOTIATING AN AGREEMENT.

UM, AND IN PARTICULAR, GOING BACK TO WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT, THEY WERE RELOCATING HERE.

THEY DID NOT HAVE AN OPERATION IN SAN ANTONIO.

UM, SO WE ENCOURAGE COMPANIES TO BE VERY REALISTIC ABOUT THE NUMBERS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE HITTING, AND SO THAT WE CAN DO A PROPER COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS AS WELL.

UM, THEY COMMITTED TO THE 400 JOBS, BUT AS SOON AS THEY STARTED, THEY STARTED THEIR RAMP UP PHASE.

THERE WAS A YEAR, I BELIEVE IT WAS 2015, WHERE THEY DID MEET OR COME VERY CLOSE TO THE 400 JOBS.

BUT AFTER THAT, THERE WAS REALLY CHANGES TO THEIR OPERATIONS.

THERE WERE SOME EFFICIENCIES THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO, TO INCORPORATE, AND THAT REALLY REDUCED THE NUMBER, THE HEADCOUNT THAT THEY WERE NEEDING IN, IN THE SAN ANTONIO OFFICE.

AND, AND DO YOU THINK WHEN THEY MADE THOSE CALCULATIONS THAT THEY, THAT THEY TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE POSSIBILITY OF A CLAWBACK? I MEAN, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY WERE HERE, UM, SO THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION, ALEX? I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM.

UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE MONITOR ALL OF OUR AGREEMENTS TWICE A YEAR.

WE'RE IN TOUCH WITH THEM.

UM, AND WHEN WE START SEEING THINGS LIKE THIS, WE START HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.

AND LIKE I MENTIONED DURING THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROPORTIONATELY REDUCE ABATEMENTS, BUT WE STILL HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM TO MAKE THEM AWARE, WE CAN DO THIS NOW.

BUT AT SOME POINT, IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO REACH THAT FULL NUMBER, THERE IS OTHER ITEMS IN YOUR CONTRACT THAT MIGHT BE TRIGGERED.

SO WE, WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.

UM, AND THIS IS KIND OF, THEY HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE STILL

[02:25:01]

ALEX, WHY AREN'T THEY HERE TODAY? I BELIEVE THEY'RE, THEIR HEADQUARTERS IS IN SAN DIEGO.

UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATING.

NO, SHE'S ASKING WHY AREN'T THEY IN CHAMBERS TODAY? THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN? YEAH.

YEAH.

WE DID NOT NECESSARILY ASK THEM TO TO, BUT THEY KNEW THIS ITEM WOULD BE UP FOR CONSIDERATION.

THEY DID.

AND THEY ASSUMED IT WOULD BE APPROVED.

I GUESS YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT.

I, BUT I, I AM DISAPPOINTED, SO THANK YOU.

NOT NOT IN YOU, ALEX.

NOT IN YOU.

SO YOU, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN POINTED OUT, UH, YOUR B SESSION NEXT WEEK IS TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THE, UH, PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE, UH, REQUIRED AMENDMENTS WE HAVE TO BRING BEFORE COUNCIL FOR AMENDMENT.

AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LISTENING TO YOUR, YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS COUNCILWOMAN, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL WILL WANT TO CONSIDER, BECAUSE IN THIS CASE, ON THOSE ANNUAL MONITORING, WE, THERE'S A PRO RATA DIAL DOWN ON THE ABATEMENT, AND THAT'S THE REPERCUSSIONS THAT THE COMPANY FEELS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS IS A LONG TIME AND THINGS CHANGE.

UM, AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE SHOULD BE, UH, A PERIOD OF RECONCILIATION DURING THE, DURING THE TIMEFRAME, UM, I WOULD, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.

UM, OR WE STRENGTHEN THE PRO RATA DIAL DOWNS FOR THINGS THAT AREN'T MET DURING THAT TERM.

BUT, UM, IT, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL CAN TALK ABOUT AS WE ENTER INTO THE NEW ORDINANCE, UH, THAT'LL COME TO COUNCIL, I THINK IN AUGUST EVENTUALLY.

UM, UM, AS HOW WE, HOW WE DO THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

ADD JUST ONE MORE THING.

SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE GOT 250 JOBS THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE.

WE WERE VERY LIKELY NOT TO GET OTHERWISE, RIGHT? YES MA'AM.

THIS WAS A NEW, A NEW LOCATION TO SAN ANTONIO.

SO GOING INTO CLAWBACK MIGHT, DISINCENTIVIZE OTHER COMPANIES FROM INVESTING IN, WE WOULD NOT SPECULATE.

I COMMUNICATE THAT MESSAGE TO ANYBODY.

WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.

COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.

AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS QUESTION WAS ALREADY ASKED, BUT I, I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION IS, IF THERE IS THE PRO RATTA, UM, SCALING BACK OF THE INCENTIVES PROVIDED TO THE COMPANY, WHY IS THERE ALSO THE CLAW BACK AT THE END IF THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS? 'CAUSE ESSENTIALLY WE'RE ALREADY CLAWING BACK AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE CONTRACT.

YES, SIR.

SO WE, WE, UM, CREATE THAT FLEXIBILITY DURING THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE FOR EBBS AND FLOWS THAT THEY MAY SEE IN THEIR OPERATIONS.

BUT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE AGREEMENT, WE WANT IT TO STILL, UM, DEMONSTRATE WHAT THE COMPANY ORIGINALLY COMMITTED TO MAYOR.

IF, IF I MAY, IT'S ALSO IN THERE TO, UH, UH, DISINCENTIVIZE, UH, THE COMPANY FROM MOVING AFTER THEY'VE FULFILLED THAT FIRST PART OF THE RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.

UM, AND, AND, AND IN WHICH CASE, IF, IF WE PROVIDE THE FULL INVESTMENT IN THE COMPANY AS THEY'RE PROVIDING IN US AND THEY DON'T FULFILL THEIR END OF THE BARGAIN, THEN THEY, THEY, IT'S A VERY LOPSIDED RELATIONSHIP.

BUT IN THIS CASE, IT'S BEING CALIBRATED AN ANNUALLY.

SO, UM, WELL, I APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION.

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A HELPFUL DISCUSSION AS WE MOVE INTO, UH, THE POLICIES NEXT WEEK, WHICH, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE LISTENING HAVE ALREADY CLEARLY CHANGED.

WHEN YOU SEE THE FRAMEWORK OF THE, OF THE DEAL THAT WAS PROVIDED 10 YEARS AGO AND WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY, THOSE THINGS HAVE ALREADY CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.

UH, AND, AND I THINK FOR THE BETTER FOR, FOR BOTH SIDES OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS.

SO, UM, WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 16, APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 16.

ITEMS Z ONE AND P ONE, P ONE AND Z ONE IS AMENDING THE GREATER BELLEVUE AREA COMMUNITY PLAN FROM PUBLIC INSTITUTIONAL TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL FROM MF 33 TO C TWO S WITH A SPECIFIC USE AUTHORIZATION FOR A CAR WASH LOCATED AT 1846 BASSEY ROAD.

UH, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS ON OUR ZONING AGENDA.

UM, WE WILL START AGAIN TO NOTE ITEM Z NINE, UH, IS NOT BEING HEARD TODAY.

SO WE'LL MOVE TO

[Items P1 & Z1]

STAFF AND PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS DENIAL, 21 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND TWO OPPOSED.

COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

UH, MY OFFICE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE APPLICANT TO CONFIRM THE DEED DEEDED RESTRICTIONS

[02:30:01]

THAT WILL PREVENT INCOMPATIBLE USE ON THIS SITE.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO GRANT A 60 DAY CONTINUANCE TO ENSURE THESE DISCUSSIONS CAN CONTINUE.

I HAVE MOTION TO CONTINUE THE CASE FOR 60 DAYS.

ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEMS Z ONE AND P ONE TO AUGUST 5TH.

MOTION CARRIES ITEMS.

[Z-4. 21-3911 ZONING CASE Z-2021-10700061 CD (Council District 2): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "R-4 MLOD-3 MLR-2 AHOD" Residential Single-Family Martindale Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District to "R-4 CD MLOD-3 MLR-2 AHOD" Residential Single-Family Martindale Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District with a Conditional Use for Two (2) Dwelling Units on Lot 13, Block 2, NCB 1420, located at 219 North Gevers Street. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval. ]

ITEM Z FOUR.

ITEM Z FOUR IS A REZONING FROM R FOUR TO R FOUR CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR TWO DWELLING UNITS LOCATED AT TWO 19 NORTH GEVER STREET.

STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

39 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR.

ZERO OPPOSED NO RESPONSE FROM JEFFERSON HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN.

UM, THANK YOU MAYOR.

I WOULD MOTION TO CONTINUE TILL JUNE 17TH.

UM, THE REASON FOR THIS MOTION IS TO PROVIDE THE APPLICANT AND THE NEW JEFFERSON HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS.

OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEM Z FOUR TO JUNE 17TH.

HEARING.

MOTION CARRIES ITEMS Z SEVEN

[Items Z7 & P3]

AND P THREE.

ITEM Z SEVEN AND P THREE IS AMENDING THE HERITAGE SOUTH SECTOR PLAN FROM AGRIBUSINESS TIER AND SUBURBAN TIER TO SUBURBAN TIER FROM D R AND R 20 TO R FOUR, LOCATED AT 11 4 18 BLUE WING ROAD AND 43 45 MICKEY ROAD.

STAFF PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

21 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ONE OPPOSED COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRIME.

THIS CASE IS FOR PHASE TWO OF THE MICKEY ROAD RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION THAT WAS APPROVED THIS PAST MARCH.

I WANNA THANK THE SOUTHTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION AND THE APPLICANT FOR WORKING TOGETHER AND CONTINUING THESE IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS ON A SET OF RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS THAT ADDRESS SOME CONCERNS THEY HAVE WITH DENSITY AND A NUMBER OF UNITS PER ACRE ALLOWED ON THIS PROPERTY.

WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORK STAFF ON ADDRESSING THIS MUCH NEEDED PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE EXISTING PROPERTIES IN THIS AREA.

AND AT THIS MOMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTER THE SIGNED DEEDED RESTRICTIONS INTO THE RECORD AT THIS TIME.

AND I MOTION TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, PROOF SECOND.

THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEMS Z SEVEN AND P THREE DEEDED RESTRICTIONS NOTED IN THE RECORD HEARING.

Z EIGHT, MAYOR, ITEM Z EIGHT HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN BY THE APPLICANT AND WILL NOT BE HEARD TODAY.

ITEM

[Z-8. 21-3942 ZONING CASE Z-2021-10700023 (Council District 3): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C-3NA MLOD-2 MLR-2 AHOD" General Commercial Nonalcoholic Sales Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District to "C-3 MLOD-2 MLR-2 AHOD" General Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District on 0.0361 acres out of NCB 11155, located at 3822 Pleasanton Road. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval. (Continued from the May 20, 2021 hearing)]

MADAM CLERK, YOU GOT THAT? YES.

MAYOR, CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? YEAH, GO AHEAD.

COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON.

UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

'CAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF CONCERNS, UH, WITH THIS PROPERTY SPECIFICALLY, UH, THE ONE PORTION OF NA AND THE ALCOHOL USE THAT IS THERE RIGHT NOW.

SO, UM, THAT WAS HIS DECISION.

COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON, COUNCIL MEMBER, OR EXCUSE ME, UM, ITEM D, EXCUSE ME,

[Z-16. 21-3941 ZONING CASE Z-2021-10700062 ERZD (Council District 8): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C-3 UC-1 MLOD-1 MLR-2 ERZD" General Commercial IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Edwards Recharge Zone District to "MF-40 UC-1 MLOD-1 MLR-2 ERZD" Multi-Family IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Edwards Recharge Zone District on Lot 23, Block 1, NCB 14859, save and except 0.05 acres out of NCB 14859, located at 6919 North Loop 1604 West. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval.]

ITEM Z 16.

ITEM Z 16 IS A REZONING FROM C THREE TO MF 40, LOCATED AT 69 19 NORTH LOOP 1604 WEST STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL, SIX NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR, AND ONE OPPOSED.

COUNCIL MEMBER PAIA.

I MAKE A MOTION FOR A CONTINUANCE TO JUNE 17TH, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION THAT DAY.

ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE OF ITEM Z 16 TO JUNE 17TH.

HEARING.

FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE.

MOTION CARRIES ITEM Z

[Z-17. 21-3945 ZONING CASE Z-2021-10700066 ERZD (Council District 8): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "R-6 UC-1 MLOD-1 MLR-2 ERZD" Residential Single-Family IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Edwards Recharge Zone District to "NC UC-1 MLOD-1 MLR-2 ERZD" Neighborhood Commercial IH-10/FM 1604 Urban Corridor Camp Bullis Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Edwards Recharge Zone District on Lot 2, Block 13, NCB 14768, located at 15719 Babcock Road. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval.]

17.

ITEM Z 17 IS A REZONING FROM R SIX TO NC, LOCATED AT 15 7 19 BABCOCK ROAD.

STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

10 NOTICES MAILED ONE IN FAVOR, TWO OPPOSED.

HILLSDALE'S NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT COUNCILS MEMBER PIAS, UH, MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE TO AUGUST 19TH.

SECOND, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCES OF ITEM Z 17 TO AUGUST 19TH.

HEARING.

[02:35:01]

DO WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT? WE DO COUNT.

THAT IS THE BALANCE OF OUR AGENDA TODAY.

UM, WE DON'T HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT

[22. 21-4031 City Manager's Report]

UH, WE DO MAYOR.

UH, JUST A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS I'M EXCITED TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL THAT, UM, ARE CONNECTED BEYOND CLASSROOM PROJECT, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED, UH, AS A 2021 SMART 50 AWARD RECIPIENT.

UM, IT'S, UM, UM, A PROGRAM, AWARD PROGRAM THAT'S PARTNERED THROUGH SMART CITIES CONNECT, AND, UH, THE AWARD RECOGNIZES GLOBAL SMART CITY PROJECTS THAT STAND OUT FOR INNOVATION AND INFLUENTIAL WORK.

SO, UM, EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE, UM, OF THE AWARD AND THE TEAM, JOHN PATRIK, BRIAN DILLARD, CRAIG HOPKINS, JOHN RODRIGUEZ, AND, AND, UH, THOSE FOLKS.

UM, JUST A REMINDER, OUR 3 1 1 APP GOT THIS AWARD BACK IN 2019, AND I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN PLY AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN SHEPHERDING THAT PROJECT AS THAT'S GONE ALONG.

SO BIG THANKS TO THE TEAM.

UH, SECONDLY, UH, OUR OWN KEVIN GOODWIN, WHO WAS HERE EARLIER, BUT I DON'T THINK HE'S HERE ANYMORE.

UM, ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTORS IN IT DEPARTMENT WON THE INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR CATEGORY, UM, PRIMARILY, UM, THE NOMINATION CAME FROM OUR OPEN CITY PARTNERS, UH, AND THE AWARD IS FOR THE WORK DONE ON OUR C OVID 19 WEB PORTAL.

UM, THE JUDGING PANEL FOUND THAT, UH, KEVIN AND OUR IT TEAM, UH, THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND THE USE OF DATA, UH, WAS, UH, BEST IN CATEGORY.

SO A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.

UH, WE CERTAINLY, UH, KNOW HOW DIFFICULT LAST YEAR WAS, BUT, UH, THOSE, THAT GROUP DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF GETTING THAT SYSTEM UP QUICKLY, UH, AT THE, UH, END OF APRIL AND THEN CONTINUING TO BUILD UPON IT.

SO, THANK YOU TO THE TEAM.

UM, THE, UH, IN HONOR OF PRIDE MONTH, UH, ION COUNCIL, I, I DID WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO OFFER A MESSAGE OF SUPPORT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, UM, AND, UH, AND RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO WHO IDENTIFY AS PART OF THE L G B T Q COMMUNITY AND, UM, UH, LET OUR CITY TEAM KNOW THAT THEY ARE VALUED MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM.

AND WHILE MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE TOWARDS EQUALITY, UM, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.

AND I WANTED TO REAFFIRM MY COMMITMENT TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THE ORGANIZATION.

LASTLY, OUR SPOTLIGHT VIDEO, UH, IN RECOGNITION OF, UM, MEMORIAL DAY, WHICH, UH, WAS THIS PAST MONDAY, UM, OBVIOUSLY, UH, A NATIONAL HOLIDAY TO RECOGNIZE, REMEMBER THOSE THAT HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMU TO OUR COUNTRY.

UM, IT'S ALSO A TIME TO, UM, HONOR AND REFLECT THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

AND WE'VE GOT A QUICK VIDEO THAT HIGHLIGHTS, UM, EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED IN THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.

SO LET'S ROLL THE VIDEO.

I'M A THIRD GENERATION SAILOR.

MY, UM, GRANDFATHER STEVE MARTINEZ, SENIOR.

HE WAS, UM, ALSO IN THE NAVY.

HE WAS A SENIOR CHIEF BOILER TECH.

UM, MY FATHER, HE WAS IN THE NAVY.

HE, UM, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MEDICAL SERVICE CORPS.

MEMORIAL DAY MEANS TO ME, REMEMBERING ALL THE SERVICEMEN AND SERVICEWOMEN THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE US, GONE OVERSEAS, UM, LOST THEIR LIFE IN BATTLE.

YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE A SENSE OF, UH, DEVOTION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW IT FEELS TO, TO HONOR THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, WENT BEFORE US AND THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES SO THAT WE CAN BE FREE.

MEMORIAL DAY COULD EASILY BE A SOMBER DAY, BUT I REALLY SEE IT AS A DAY TO CELEBRATE LIFE, LIBERTY AND FREEDOM.

I HEAR THAT THE UNITED STATES VETERANS HAVE OFFERED US, AND IT'S A GREAT DAY TO TRANSITION FROM SPRING TO SUMMER AND HAVE THAT MINDSET OF WE'RE CELEBRATING LIFE AND WHAT ALL LAYS AHEAD.

MEMORIAL DAY MEANS A LOT TO ME BECAUSE AS I'M GONNA GO BACK TO VILLE, WE HAD A, UM, BOY THERE, HIS NAME WAS BOBBY GRIFFIN, AND HE JOINED THE MILITARY.

EVERY TIME I HEAR MEMORIAL DAY, IT REMINDS ME OF HIM AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT I KNEW THAT HAD FAMILY THAT DIED.

IT'S JUST VIETNAM WAS A BIG DEAL.

AND THAT'S WHAT MEMORIAL DAY REMINDS ME OF.

BUT NOW IT'S A DESERT STORM, YOU KNOW, A ROCKY FREEDOM AND ALL THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON IN THIS AFGHANISTAN.

AND, AND IT'S JUST A SAD, SAD, SAD TIME, BUT IT'S A GOOD TIME KNOWING THAT WE'RE FREE COUNTRY.

THAT'S IT, MAYOR.

[02:40:02]

THANK YOU ERIC.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE SPOTLIGHT, UM, ERIC, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT, UH, DURING PRIDE MONTH.

WHEN IT COMES TO MEMORIAL DAY, I ALWAYS THINK OF, UM, THE LEGACY OF THE, THE MEMBERS OF SAN ANTONIO, SPECIFICALLY FROM THE EDGEWOOD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HARLANDALE, I S D AND THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO, WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES, UM, SO YOUNG IN, UH, IN VIETNAM AND, AND OTHER, UM, THEATERS OF WAR.

AND SPECIFICALLY, I REMEMBER ANDY , WHO WAS A STUDENT OF MINE AT ST.

MARY'S UNIVERSITY, WHO WAS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE YOUNG MAN.

AND THEN HE WENT OUT AND, UM, UH, WAS A CASUALTY OF, OF THE WAR, BUT HIS LEGACY REMAINS ON IN, UH, DURING MEMORIAL DAY.

SO THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT.

UH, MAYOR AND I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A REMINDER TO ALL SAN ANTONIANS THAT THIS SATURDAY IS ELECTION DAY FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTIONS, JUNE 5TH, 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM YOU CAN VOTE ANYWHERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

COUNCIL MEMBER GRO.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.

AND I, AND THANK YOU, ERIC, FOR PUTTING THAT, UH, VIDEO UP THERE.

AND I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, OKAY, YOU HEAR THIS A LOT, US BEING MILITARY CITY, U S A, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO HAVE A NATIONAL CEMETERY HERE RIGHT OUTSIDE OF FORT SAM.

AND IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO THAT CEMETERY, YOU NEED TO GO.

IT'S AMAZING.

IT'S, IT'S AWE INSPIRING TO WALK THROUGH THAT CEMETERY OR GO VISIT OR ATTEND A FUNERAL.

THERE.

I, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO GO AND SEE THE, UH, VIETNAM MEMORIAL, THE TRAVELING VIETNAM MEMORIAL OVER THERE, AND IT WAS, IT WAS EERIE WITH THAT, PLUS ALL THE DIFFERENT MARKERS IN THAT CEMETERY.

IF YOU'RE FROM SAN ANTONIO OR IF YOU LIVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, YOU HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND EXPERIENCE THE NATIONAL CEMETERY THERE.

SO I, I, I JUST REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO DO THAT.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.

UM, THANK YOU TO OUR CITY MANAGER FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT VIDEO MEMORIAL DAY.

AS A VETERAN, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS ALWAYS A SACRIFICE.

UM, AND AS A EARLY ARMY, UH, SOLDIER AT MY FIRST DUTY STATION AT, AT FORT CAMPBELL IN KENTUCKY, WE HAD A YOUNG LADY JUST PASS AWAY.

BUT THEN I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE HUNDRED AND FIRST SCREAMING EAGLES BECAUSE WE LOST SEVERAL SERVICE MEMBERS DUE TO A HELICOPTER COLLISION.

AND SO KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE GIVEN THEIR ALL TO THIS COUNTRY IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE STEP UP TO REMEMBER.

UM, AND WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THEIR FAMILIES.

UM, THANK YOU TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE ON THE DIOCESE WHO ALSO HAVE SERVED.

UM, AND WE KNOW THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR THEIR MEMORIES.

WE CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE SERVING.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.

BUT ALSO REMEMBER, AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS TIME, UM, ON TOMORROW, THERE IS A NATIONAL CALL FOR AWARENESS OF GUN VIOLENCE AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN LOST TO GUN VIOLENCE.

AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO WEAR OUR ORANGE AND THEIR MEMORY AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD.

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CURRY.

I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE PRESENTATION TODAY, ERIC, THANK YOU.

AND RIGHT NOW HERE, THE CHURCH BELL'S RINGING.

UH, AND IT REMINDS ME OF, OF THE, THE SYMBOLIC NATURE AND THE MEANING OF, OF, UH, MEMORIAL DAY.

MY FATHER WAS A WORLD WAR II VETERAN.

HE DIED A FEW YEARS AFTER THE WAR FROM SERVICE CONNECTED, UH, DISABILITIES.

I WAS PROUD TO SERVE.

UH, AND JUST THIS WEEK, UH, MY, UM, MY DAUGHTER'S FATHER-IN-LAW DIED.

UH, HE WAS, UH, A COLONEL, RETIRED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

HE WAS A DOCTOR FOR 30 YEARS AND JUST YESTERDAY PASSED AWAY.

SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SERVED THIS COUNTRY IN THE MILITARY, AND WE ALWAYS NEED TO REMEMBER THE SACRIFICES THAT THEY MAKE.