Jun 14, 2021 Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee on 2021-06-14 2:00 PM

[00:00:07]

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.

HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER .

COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.

HERE.

CHAIR TINO.

RIGHT HERE.

WE HAVE A QUORUM.

[1. 21-4276 Approval of the meeting minutes for the May 4, 2021 Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting.]

UM, I THINK THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES THAT GOES TO OUR EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, WHO IS DOWNTOWN APPROVE OUR LAST, I THINK, THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS.

IF YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING, PLEASE MUTE YOUR MICROPHONE.

UM, UM, AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL TAKE ANY, A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE, UH, MEETING MINUTES, SO THOSE SECOND, FIRST AND A SECOND.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

OKAY.

MOTION PASSES.

ALL RIGHT.

WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS, I'M GONNA MOVE UP THE, THE,

[Public Comment]

UM, DO IS, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, COMMENT AT THIS POINT? UH, THAT WE CAN'T, UH, YOU'RE MUTED.

ROSALINDA, I THINK SHE'S CHECKING TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY.

HELLO? HELLO? YES.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.

OKAY.

I DO HAVE 13 COMMENTS.

OKAY.

LET'S GET STARTED WITH THOSE.

OKAY.

UH, THEY'RE FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

OKAY.

THE FIRST ONE IS GOING TO BE FROM KAREN SHEPHERD.

UH, HER COMMENT IS, I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF THE CITY TRYING TO CONTROL EVERYTHING.

SECOND COMMENT IS FROM ADELA NEVE, I OPPOSE OF THE RENTER'S COMMISSION NOTED TO FIX SOMETHING THAT IS NOT BROKEN.

NEXT COMMENT IS FROM DANIELLE HAYWOOD.

I URGE THIS COMMITTEE AND CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A SUBCOMMITTEE THAT INCLUDES AN EQUAL NUMBER OF BOTH RENTERS AND RENTAL HOUSING PROVIDERS TO WORK TOGETHER ON RENTAL HOUSING ISSUES.

ADDITIONALLY, INDUSTRY TRADE ASSOCIATIONS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT THEIR APPOINTMENTS TO HELP.

NUMBER ONE, ENSURE THE RENTAL HOUSING PROVIDERS ON THE COMMITTEE ARE TRUE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.

NUMBER TWO, ENSURE THE INDUSTRY GROUPS ARE MORE LIKELY TO SUPPORT POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS EMANATING FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEE RATHER THAN RESISTING PROPOSALS DUE TO GAPS AND ISSUES RESULTING FROM A LACK OF EXPERIENCE ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE.

THE CITY HAS A COMMISSION ALREADY, I'M SORRY.

THIS IS FROM DEBBIE HELINA, A CITY COUNCIL HAS A HOUSING COMMISSION ALREADY, WHICH I WOULD THINK REPRESENTS THE ENTRANCE THAT MIGHT BE PRESENTED BY RENTERS, LANDLORDS IN ALL CAPACITIES, I FEEL A SUBCOMMITTEE IS RELATIVE, REPETITIVE, REPETITIVE AS WELL.

THE HOUSING COMMISSION ALREADY HAS AN EQUAL NUMBER OF BOTH RENTERS AND RENTAL HOUSING PROVIDERS WHO HAVE A VARIED LEVEL OF EXPERTISE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM.

I OPPOSE A NEW COMMITTEE.

CAN YOU GRAB ME THE OTHER SHEETS? NEXT IS MARY MARTY HUTCHINSON.

I OPPOSED TO A RENTER'S COMMISSION, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ALREADY HAS COM HOUSING COMMISSION THAT FUNCTIONS WELL AND HAVE RENTERS MEMBERS.

THE PROPOSAL WOULD CREATE AN UNNECESSARY AND ADDITIONAL COMMISSION DURING THIS TIME WHERE INCLUSION HAS BECOME A PART OF THE HEALING PROCESS.

FORMING A COMMISSION THAT IS A ONE-SIDED GROUP IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE CITY.

MAY I SUGGEST THAT WE IMPROVE UPON THE PRESENT FOUNDATION FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.

NEXT COMMENT IS FROM JAIME

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HE, HE JUST POSED THAT HE OPPOSES KIMBERLY BRAGMAN IS THERE, THERE IS ALREADY A HOUSING COMMISSION COMMISSION WITH RENTAL REPRESENTATION.

LET THEM DO THEIR JOB.

WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER COMMISSION, LET ALONE WITH ALONE ONE.

A SINGLE REPRESENTATIVE ALAN COOPER, I OPPOSE THE FORMATION OF THE RENTER'S COMMISSION, SECTION 92 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY CODE ALREADY PROVIDERS CLEAR AND CONCISE RULES AND PROTECTIONS FOR LANDLORDS AND TENANTS.

LET ROBERT VINNO, UH, KNOW THAT I OPPOSE OF THIS COMMISSION.

TONY MARTINEZ.

I OPPOSE THE STANDALONE RENTERS COMMISSION.

THOSE ARE ALL THE COMMENTS I HAVE.

OKAY, THANK

[4. 21-4060 Briefing and discussion of the current status of the FY 2021 Sidewalk Program, a component of the Public Works Department - Infrastructure Management Program (IMP). [Roderick Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; Razi Hosseini, Director, Public Works]]

UM, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED.

WE'RE GONNA MOVE, UH, THE BRIEFING ON THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM UP AND START WITH THIS PROGRAM.

ITEM FOUR, I THINK.

ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN.

COUNCIL MEMBERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A BRIEF PRESENTATION TO YOU ON THE CYBER PROGRAM.

SO I'LL LET ROGER HEAR UP THE PRESENTATION.

ALRIGHT, ROGER, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO TODAY THE PRESENTATION WILL BE TO PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR CYBER WORK PROGRAM AND THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE THIS PAST FEW YEARS WITH THE PROGRAM.

WE'LL PROVIDE A HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND REVIEW THE INVENTORY.

WE'LL PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF THE NETWORK.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR PROCESSES IN TERMS OF HOW WE USED TO DELIVER SIDEWALK PROGRAMS IN THE PAST AND THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE OVER THE YEARS.

WE'LL ALSO COVER THE SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM, WHICH IS A NEW PROGRAM THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.

AND THEN WE'LL SUMMARIZE BY PROVIDING A, THE STATUS OF THE PROGRAM AS OF TODAY.

LET'S GET ON WITH IT.

SO WHAT THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? NEXT SLIDE.

THANK YOU.

SO, A FEW YEARS AGO, IN 2018, OUR NETWORK HAD A TOTAL OF ABOUT 5,037 MILES OF EXISTING SIDEWALKS.

BUT THE SIDEWALK NETWORK WAS NOT CONNECTED.

WE HAD GAPS THROUGHOUT THE NETWORK TOTALING NEARLY 1900 MILES OF GAPS.

GAPS.

SO THE FOCUS OF THE PROGRAM AT THE TIME WAS TO FILL THE GAPS AND TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE MULTIMODAL OPTION AND A SAFE PATH FOR PEDESTRIANS.

IN DOING THE CYBER PROJECT THAT WE HAD AT THAT TIME, WE PRIORITIZED AREAS WHERE WE DID SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON THEIR PROXIMITY TO SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, LIBRARIES, PARKS, COMMERCIAL CENTERS, AND IN AREAS WHERE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A PEDESTRIAN AUTO CRASH.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE INVENTORY THAT WE HAD AT THAT TIME.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE INVENTORY AT A TIME AT A DISTRICT LEVEL.

ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE, OF THE SCREEN, YOU'LL SEE THE BLUE BARS THAT REPRESENT THE EXISTING MILES IN EACH DISTRICT.

AND SO, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THE EXISTING SIDEWALK NETWORK WAS ABOUT 5,037.

AND SO ON THE RIGHT SIDE, IT SHOWS THE TOTAL MILES OF GAPS THAT WE HAD, WHICH WAS NEARLY 1900 MILES.

AND THE YELLOW BARS SHOWS THE MILES OF GAPS THAT YOU HAD IN EACH DISTRICT.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN DISTRICT ONE, WE HAD 558 MILES OF EXISTING SIDEWALKS AND 240 MILES OF GAPS.

AND IN DISTRICT TWO YOU HAD 540 WITH 219 MILES OF GAPS IN DISTRICT NINE, YOU HAD 417 MILES OF EXISTING AND 150 MILES OF GAPS.

AND THE DISTRICT 10, YOU HAD 569 MILES OF GAP OF EXISTING SIDEWALKS AND 174 MILES OF GAPS.

SO THAT WAS WHAT THE NETWORK LOOKED LIKE AT THAT TIME.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

IN 2018 WAS ALSO THE TIME THAT WE

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AND SO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND WORKING WITH COUNCIL, WE CAME UP WITH A NEW CRITERIA, WHICH WAS PART OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING WITH DEVELOPING OUR CYBER CONCEPTUAL CYBER MASTER PLAN.

AND SO THE CRITERIA WE DEVELOPED AT THE TIME WAS TO PRIORITIZE AREAS BASED ON THEIR PROXIMITY TO THIS, UH, TO THE ELEMENTS SHOWN CRITERIA.

SO IF YOU HAD AN AREA WHERE YOU HAD AN EXISTING SIDEWALK OR A GAP, IF THAT LOCATION WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AN AREA WHERE THERE HAD BEEN A PEDESTRIAN AUTO CRASH, IT WILL PICK UP 25 POINTS.

IF HE WAS WITHIN QUARTER MILE RELEASE OF HIS SCHOOL, IT'LL PICK UP 17.5 POINTS AND SO FORTH.

SO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT SEGMENT AND YOU HAVE THE TOTAL POINTS ASSIGNED TO THAT SEGMENT, IT CREATES BASICALLY THE SCORE THAT'S ASSIGNED TO THAT SEGMENT.

SO IF THE SCORE, IF THE SEGMENT SCORED 80 TO 100 POINTS, THEN IT WAS CONSIDERED A PRIORITY ONE AND IT WAS 60 TO 80.

IT WAS A PRIORITY TWO 40 TO 60 PRIORITY THREE, AND SO FORTH.

AND SO ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, YOU'D SEE HOW MANY MILES WE HAD, THREE MILES CITYWIDE.

THEY WERE IN PRIORITY ONE AND 31 MILES OF GAPS.

THEY WERE IN PRIORITY TWO AND AND SO FORTH.

SO THE CRITERIA WAS USED TO THEN DRIVE THE PROJECT SELECTION.

ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE FOR THE NETWORK IS IN OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT PLATFORM, WHICH IS CALLED GRAPH.

SO WE TRACK ALL OF THAT IN THAT ENVIRONMENT AND THE SCORING IS ALSO STORED IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO WE'LL NOW GET INTO HOW WE DELIVERED PROJECTS AT THAT TIME.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE PROJECT SELECTION, LIKE I SAID, WAS BASED ON PROXIMITY TO THE LOCATIONS I MENTIONED.

WHEN WE BUILT SIDEWALK PROJECTS, WE PRIMARILY BUILT COMPLETE IMPROVEMENTS WITH SIDEWALKS, CURBS, DRIVEWAYS.

SOMETIMES IT WILL TRIGGER RETAINING WALLS, LANDSCAPING, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS.

BUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, I WILL WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE CONDITIONS WE ENCOUNTERED IN THE FIELD.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO ON THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT SIDE, IT SHOWS YOU THE TYPICAL CONDITION THAT WE ENCOUNTERED IN THOSE, IN THOSE DAYS.

AND SO YOU'D HAVE AN AREA WHERE YOU HAD, UM, CURB WITH A MISSING.

IT WAS, IT'S NO SIDEWALKS THERE.

YOU HAD A DRIVEWAY APPROACH AND YOU HAD FENCES NEXT TO IT.

AND WHEN WE BUILT THIS, THE PROJECTS AT A TIME YOU'D HAVE, WE'D REPLACE THE CURB, BUT WE'D ALSO END UP DOING SOME PAVEMENT WORK WITH IT.

YOU'D ALSO HAVE DRIVEWAY BRIDGES BEING BUILT WITH A SIDEWALK AREA.

AND THEN WE'LL BUILD SOME ADDITIONAL CONCRETE TO TIE INTO THE EXISTING AND WE'D MOVE THINGS OUT OF THE WAY THAT WERE WITHIN THE PROJECT SCOPE, WITHIN THE PROJECT FOOTPRINT.

SO THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'LL DO IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

IN THIS SLIDE, YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO SEE A PICTURE ON THE LEFT, WHICH IS THE BEFORE PICTURE WHERE YOU HAD MISSING SIDEWALK ON THIS, UM, ON THIS ONE.

AND SO IN THIS CASE, THE SIDEWALK WAS BUILT OUS WITH A CURVE.

AND SO IN DOING THAT WORK ALSO IT TRIGGERED SOME PAVEMENT WORK, UM, AS WELL AS BUILDING THE SIDEWALKS, TYING INTO THE DRIVEWAYS AND THE WAY WE DID THOSE PROJECTS AT THAT TIME, WHILE WE BUILT SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS, WE ALSO ENDED UP DOING A WHOLE LOT OTHER THINGS THAT WERE NOT NECESSARILY, UM, THAT WERE PART OF THE DELIVERY, BUT WE SPENT QUITE SOME FUNDS AT IN THOSE DAYS, UH, WITH OTHER THINGS THAT ALL THE MONEY WERE, I WASN'T GOING INTO BUILDING SIDEWALKS.

SO WORKING WITH COUNCILORS TRI AT THE TIME AND THROUGH HIS ENCOURAGEMENT, WE STARTED LOOKING AT REFINING OUR DELIVERY PROCESSES TO OPTIMIZE THE CYBER DELIVERY.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

HERE WE ARE NOW 2021.

THE PROGRAM STILL HAS THE SAME GOAL OF FILLING THE GAPS IN THE NETWORK, BUT WE'VE ALSO ADDED ANOTHER GOAL.

AND THAT GOAL IS TO REPAIR AND RECONSTRUCT BROKEN SIDEWALKS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

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BUT THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE ALSO NOW DOING IS TO REALLY, WE'VE OPTIMIZE OUR DELIVERY MECHANISMS. BUT BEFORE I GET THERE, LET'S LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

WE'LL COVER THE, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE INVENTORY TO SEE WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE NOW HAVE NEARLY 5,200 MILES OF EXISTING SIDEWALKS.

WE'VE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE MILES OF GAPS THAT WE HAVE, AND WE NOW HAVE ABOUT 1,648 MILES OF GAPS.

SO THE BLUE BARS SHOW THE EXISTING SIDEWALKS AND THE ORANGE BARS SHOW THE MILES OF GAPS THAT YOU HAVE IN EACH DISTRICT.

AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THE GAPS MILES HAVE BEEN REDUCING OVER THESE YEARS, UH, IN EACH DISTRICT.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO WE'LL COVER OUR PROJECT DELIVERY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING DIFFERENTLY NOW.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

OUR CURRENT PROCESS IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE USED TO DO IN THE PAST BECAUSE NOW OUR GOAL IS NOT ONLY TO CONNECT THE, THE SIDEWALKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND FILL GAPS.

WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO REALLY OPTIMIZE THE DELIVERY TO ENSURE THAT MOST OF THE FUNDING ALLOCATED TO THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM IS GOING INTO BUILDING SIDEWALKS IN THE CITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

AND SO WE'VE NOW DONE THIS BY OPTIMIZING OUR PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS.

WE LOOK AT LOW COST PROJECTS THAT CAN BE DELIVERED AT A LOW, VERY LOW COST.

SO IN THIS PICTURE TO THE RIGHT, WE LOOK AT AREAS WHERE THE CURBS EXIST, WHERE WE CAN COME IN AND JUST BUILD THE SIDEWALKS WHERE THE SIDEWALK CAN TIE INTO EXISTING DRIVEWAYS THAT ARE THERE SO THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO REBUILD ALL THIS TO DRIVEWAYS.

WE LIMIT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ANY CONSTRUCTION OF RETAINING WALLS.

WE WORK WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHERE THEY HAVE ANY, ANY INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S MOVED OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR PROJECT.

SO IN DOING THOSE THINGS NOW WE ARE, NOW WE'VE SIGNIFICANTLY OPTIMIZE THE PROJECT DELIVERY.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

NEXT SLIDE.

ALRIGHT, SO THIS NEXT ONE SHOWS YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE HAVE, UH, AS A TYPICAL PROJECT.

SO IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE PICTURE TO THE LEFT SHOWS AN AREA WHERE WE NEED TO BUILD A SIDEWALK, AND THE PICTURE TO THE RIGHT SHOWS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID.

WE BUILT A SIMPLE SIDEWALK THAT CREATES A CLEAR PATHWAY FOR A PEDESTRIAN AND ALSO PROVIDES A RAMP FOR SOMEBODY IN THE WHEELCHAIR TO BE ABLE TO TRANSIT THROUGH THE CORRIDOR.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

IN THIS OTHER EXAMPLE, WE ALSO SHOW AN AREA WHERE WE BUILT THE SIDEWALK.

WE TIED INTO THE EXISTING DRIVEWAYS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, MATCHED IT, AND WE DIDN'T DO ANY CONSTRUCTION OUT IN THE STREET.

THE EXISTING CURB IS LEFT IN PLACE, AND SO MOST OF THE FUNDING WENT TO BUILDING JUST A SIDEWALK.

SO IN DOING THAT, WE'VE GONE FROM A TIME WHERE WE USED TO SPEND APPROXIMATELY 70 TO $85 PER LINEAR FOOT DOING SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS TO NOW SPENDING ABOUT 50 TO $60 PER LINEAR FOOT BUILDING SIDEWALKS FOR THE CITY.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

THIS YEAR, COUNCIL ALLOCATED ABOUT $18 MILLION FOR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENT.

SO OF THE $18 MILLION, $5 MILLION WAS FUNDED THROUGH A T D AND THIS 40 SIDEWALK I M P PROGRAM.

AND THEN $30 MILLION WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE PEDESTRIAN RELIEF PROGRAM, WHICH IS A COMPONENT OF THE BOND PROGRAM.

WITH THE $5 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH THE I N P, WE PLAN TO BUILD 15 MILES OF NEW SIDEWALKS.

AS PART OF THAT EFFORT, ALSO, WE WILL RECONSTRUCT TWO MILES OF EXISTING SIDEWALKS WITH THE FUNDING ALLOCATED THROUGH THE PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE $30 MILLION.

WE PLAN TO BUILD 45 MILES OF

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THEN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, I'LL COVER THE STATUS OF THESE PROGRAMS AND WHERE WE ARE AS OF APRIL OF THIS YEAR.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO, THROUGH THE I M P PROGRAM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE ALREADY BUILT NEARLY 10 MILES, ABOUT 9.85 MILES OF OUR TARGET, 15 MILES.

THE BARS THAT CHART YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU SHOWS YOU THE BLUE BARS REPRESENT THE TARGET MILES IN EACH DISTRICT.

THE ORANGE BARS SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE AS OF TODAY.

SO OUR EXAMPLE IN DISTRICT TWO, WE PLAN ON BUILDING 1.82 MILES.

WE'VE ALREADY DONE ONE, 1.03.

IN DISTRICT THREE, WE'VE ACTUALLY DELIVERED A BIT MORE THAN WHAT WE HAD CONTEMPLATED DOING AND SO FORTH.

AND SO WE'RE TRACKING VERY WELL RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND WE ANTICIPATE COMPLETING THIS PROJECT BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR IN SEPTEMBER.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

FOR THE PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY PROGRAM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER ON, WE'LL BE ALLOCATED $30 MILLION.

WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL CONSTRUCT ABOUT 45 MILES OF SIDEWALKS.

28 MILES WILL BE COMPLETED THIS FISCAL YEAR.

17 MILES WILL BE COMPLETED NEXT YEAR.

SO OUT OF THE 28 MILES THAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR, WE'VE ALREADY FINISHED 10 OF THOSE MILES.

WE ARE TRACKING, WELL, WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR CONTRACTORS AND EVERYBODY ELSE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT WE COMPLETE ALL THE PLAN PROJECTS BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE MOVING ALONG ON THAT ONE ALSO.

NEXT SLIDE.

NEXT SLIDE.

THANK YOU.

SO I'M GONNA COVER IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES ON MY LAST SLIDE, THE SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM BASICALLY WAS FUNDED BY COUNCIL LAST YEAR FOR MANY YEARS, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

AS A C D, WE HAD MOST OF OUR EFFORTS FOCUSED ON FILLING GAPS THROUGHOUT THE NETWORK.

WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A STRUCTURED PROGRAM TO DO SIDEWALK REPAIRS OR RECONSTRUCTION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

SO THIS PROGRAM ESSENTIALLY WAS CREATED TO TARGET THE RECONSTRUCTION OF NEIGHBORHOOD SIDEWALKS.

AN EXAMPLE IS A PICTURE ON THE LEFT WHERE YOU HAVE A BROOKLYN SIDEWALK, AND IF YOU LOOK TOWARDS THE BACK OF IT, YOU SEE A SIDEWALK THAT'S DISPLACED CLOSE TO THE TREE WITH A ROOF RAISING UP THE SIDEWALK AND CREATING A HAZARD FOR A PEDESTRIAN OR SOMEBODY IN THE WHEELCHAIR.

THE PICTURE TO THE RIGHT ESSENTIALLY SHOWS A COMPLETED PROJECT THAT HAS NOW RESTORED THAT SIDEWALK TO USABILITY.

SO THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM BASICALLY IS TO STRATEGICALLY RECONSTRUCT DETERIORATING SIDEWALKS IN A MANNER THAT RESTORES THE MOST SIDEWALKS TO USABILITY.

AND SO WE DO THIS BY REALLY BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT AREAS WHERE WE DO PROJECTS LIKE THIS.

WE LOOK AT A BLOCK WHERE THE SIDEWALKS THAT MAY NEED TO BE RECONSTRUCTED, IT'S NO MORE THAN 30% WE SET AT, AT THE MOST, MAYBE 40%.

NOW, THIS PROGRAM WAS DONE AFTER WE HAD WORKED WITH COUNCIL AT RAVI IN HIS DISTRICT TO DO A PILOT PROGRAM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND BASICALLY WORKED AT THE KINKS OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.

AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL ULTIMATELY DID APPROVE THE CREATION OF A CYBER RECONSTRUCTION CREW.

AND NOW WE ARE REALLY EXECUTING PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, WITH AS PART OF THIS CREW.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THIS YEAR WE HAD PLANNED TO REPAIR, RECONSTRUCT ABOUT TWO MILES OF SIDEWALKS IN THE CITY.

BY DOING THIS, WE END UP RESTORING ABOUT 7.4 MILES TO USABILITY, WHICH IS REALLY PHENOMENAL.

SO, SO FAR WE'VE DONE ABOUT ONE OVER A MILE OF THE PLANNED RECONSTRUCTION, AND WITH THAT WE'VE RESTORED ABOUT 4.5 MILES OF SIDEWALKS TO USABILITY.

WE'RE ALSO DOING SOMETHING CONCURRENTLY WORKING WITH COUNCILING TRIVIA IN THIS DISTRICT AS PART OF THE PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY PROGRAM.

WE'VE IDENTIFIED ABOUT A MILLION, SORRY, ABOUT ONE MILE THAT WE PLAN TO DO.

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SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO IN SUMMARY, YOU CAN SEE THAT OVER THE YEARS WE'VE SIGNIFICANTLY TRANSFORMED HOW WE DO SIDEWALK PROJECTS IN SAN ANTONIO.

THREE YEARS AGO IN 2018, WITH AN INVESTMENT OF SIX 16.5 MILLION.

AT THE TIME WE BUILT ABOUT 26.4 MILES OF SIDEWALKS, AND THAT WAS WHAT WE MADE USABLE.

IN 2019, WE INVESTED $18.6 MILLION.

WE BUILT ABOUT 36 MILES OF SIDEWALKS.

IT WAS THE SAME YEAR THAT WE DID THE PILOT.

SO WE ENDED UP PICKING UP A FEW MORE MILES THAT WE MADE USABLE, AND THAT WAS ABOUT 37.535 MILES THAT ARE MADE USABLE.

LAST YEAR IN 2020, WITH THE INVESTMENT OF 18.4 MILLION, WE BUILT 60 63 MILES OF SIDEWALKS, BUT OVERALL WE MADE 84.2 MILES USABLE.

SO FROM THE TRANSFORMATION THAT WE'VE DONE AND THE REFINEMENTS THAT WE'VE DONE THROUGH OUR PROJECT SELECTION IN BEING MORE STRATEGIC ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS, DOING TARGETED IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND REPAIRING SIDEWALKS THAT ARE DEGRADED AND DETERIORATED, WE HAVE NOW THROUGH A COMBINATION OF FILLING GAPS AND RECONSTRUCTING SIDEWALKS COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM AND CREATING VALUE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.

AND SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

AND THAT WAS THE LAST SLIDE.

AND SO THANK YOU.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME TO GO OVER THE PROGRAM AND I'M OPEN TO YOUR QUESTIONS.

THANK THANK YOU ANTHONY.

UH, GREAT PRESENTATION.

UH, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

THANK YOU, ANTHONY, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE COMES FROM A LOT OF THE, UM, INFORMATION THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND ONE THING THAT THEY NOTICE IS THAT THEY'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THE SIDEWALKS, HOWEVER, THEY'VE STARTED TO NOTICE, UM, MORE DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT HAVE COME WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEWER SIDEWALKS.

AND I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT ARE WE DOING PROACTIVELY TO REALLY, UH, TACKLE THIS ISSUE.

UM, IS THE NEW CHANGE WHERE WE'RE ONLY DOING THE SIDEWALKS HELPING WITH THE ISSUES OF DRAINAGE.

UM, IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT, PLEASE.

SO COUNCILMAN, UH, IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, BECAUSE YOU WERE BREAKING UP A BIT WHEN YOU WERE ASKING A QUESTION, UM, YOUR QUESTION IS, THERE ARE SOME AREAS WHERE SOME SIDEWALK PROJECTS WERE DONE AND IT SEEMED THAT THERE WERE DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS.

IS THAT, IS THAT YOUR QUESTION? SORRY.

YES.

SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY, UM, THERE MAY BE AGIE ISSUE THAT OCCURS.

I THINK IN SOME INSTANCES WHEN WE'RE GOING TO DO A SIDEWALK PROJECT, UM, THE BUILDING, THE SIDEWALKS BETTER CHANNELS, THE FLOW DOWN THE STREET AND WITHOUT A SPECIFIC INCIDENT THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, I'M NOT SURE THAT CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION VERY, VERY WELL FOR YOU.

BUT WE ALWAYS WORK WITH OUR, AS A TEAM CONSULTING WITH, YOU KNOW, UH, OUR, OUR ENGINEERS AND ALSO OUR, SOME OF THE TEAM TO LOOK AT AN AREA TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY NON DRAINAGE ISSUES BEFORE WE START.

WE ALWAYS WORK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT THE SIDEWALKS ARE BUILT IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY ALLOWS THE PROPERTIES TO DRAIN INTO THE STREET AND THEREFORE THE FLOW TO BE, TO BE CHANNELED PROPERLY.

AND SO I, YOU KNOW, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY UNDERSTANDING OF ANY AREAS WHERE WE BUILD A PROJECT THAT THEN ULTIMATELY CREATES A DRAINAGE ISSUE FOR THE RESIDENTS.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT YOU TALKED ABOUT SO THAT WE CAN, I CAN BE ABLE TO, WE CAN, I CAN BE ABLE TO ADD, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THE ISSUE, UM, WITH COUNCILWOMAN.

THIS IS RESI.

LET ME ADD A LITTLE MORE.

WHENEVER REQUEST COMES TO US TO BUILD A NEW SIDEWALK, WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE WHAT WE ARE PLANNING TO BUILD IS NOT GOING TO CREATE A DRAIN ISSUE.

THE CHALLENGE

[00:30:01]

AND SOMETIMES SIDEWALK DOES NOT ADDRESS THAT KIND DRAINAGE ISSUE.

RAZZI, IF I COULD ADD, UH, TO THAT, BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE GOT, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY SIMILAR COMMENTS AND I WOULD JUST ADDRESS THE COUNCIL MEMBER BY SAYING THAT SIDEWALKS ARE, ARE, ARE TYPICALLY, UH, VERY, VERY, UH, FLAT SLABS NOT MEANT TO ADDRESS DRAINAGE ISSUES.

AND, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'LL REFER THEM TO, TO ZY AND 10 NEFE, UH, TO TAKE, TAKE A LOOK AT THE LARGER ISSUE AT HAND.

BUT, UM, I THINK ROSIE'S CORRECT, UH, MOST FOLKS BELIEVE THAT THE SIDEWALKS SHOULD SOMEHOW ACT LIKE A STRUCTURAL FEATURE, WHICH THEY, THEY SIMPLY ARE NOT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE CHAIR.

OKAY.

THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN.

UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

MY QUESTION, UH, IS HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO HAVE BROKEN STREETS REPAIRED? IS THERE, UH, AN ONLINE LINK THAT WOULD GO TO AND MAYBE SEND A PICTURE AND THEN GET IN LINE SOMEHOW TO GET YOUR STREETS REPAIRED OR TO GET YOUR SIDEWALKS REPAIRED? IS THAT SIDEWALK? OH, SIDEWALKS.

OKAY.

I GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, 3 1 1 IS THE BEST WAY TO REACH US.

I THINK THAT'S FOR ANY CITIZEN IN SAN ANTONIO THAT HAS AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM, THAT'S THE VERY FIRST PLACE TO BEGIN THAT REQUEST.

AND THEN IT COMES INTO OUR ORGANIZATION AND THEN WE SEND STAFF OUT THERE TO ASSESS IT AND DETERMINE THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ADDRESS QUICKLY OR IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WILL RESULT INTO A PROJECT, AND THEN WE'LL PROGRAM IT USING ONE OF OUR MECHANISMS, EITHER I M P OR TO THE BOND, DEPENDING ON THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CONSTANTLY HEAR ABOUT, ABOUT WHEN WE DO ANY KIND OF SIDEWALK WORK OR, OR EVEN STREET WORK, IS HOW PEOPLE'S, UH, MAILBOXES AND, UH, SHRUBS AND PLANTS ALONG THE EDGE OF THEIR PROPERTY AND, AND THEIR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS GET AFFECTED BY THAT KIND OF WORK.

HOW DO WE HANDLE THAT AND HOW WOULD I, AS A COUNCILMAN, UH, INFORM MY, UH, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS ABOUT IT? SO WE ENGAGE WITH OUR RESIDENTS AHEAD OF TIME WHEN WE'RE DOING A PROJECT.

WHEN IF SOMEONE, IF WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT HAS SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, THEN WE WORK WITH THEM TO RELOCATE THAT BEFORE WE BEGIN DOING WORK.

WE'LL FIND THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE BEST MECHANISM, UH, TO ENGAGE WITH A CITIZENRY.

NOW IF THERE'S A UNIQUE SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, UM, SOMEONE HAS SOMETHING THAT'S OF A UNIQUE TYPE, IN SOME INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS HAVE THE DECORATIVE MAILBOX THAT IS A BRICK STRUCTURE KIND OF MAILBOX, THAT'S SOMETIMES BEEN THE TIME WHERE WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH THOSE, UH, BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY DON'T REVEAL THOSE BACK FOR THE, FOR THE RESIDENTS.

WE TRY TO PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT IS NICE AS PART OF OUR PROJECT, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE A STRUCTURE LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT DOES BLOCK THE PATHWAY FOR A PEDESTRIAN COUNCILMAN.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE BUILT THOSE ON A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.

AS ANTHONY MENTIONED, WE GIVE THEM AMPLE TIME TO RELOCATE IF THEY WANT IN, IN CASE OF A SPRINGER SYSTEM, WE CUT AND KEPT THEM AT THE AGE OF THE SIDEWALK.

OKAY.

UH, WE USED TO HAVE A PROGRAM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL PART OF WHAT WE DO, WHERE IF, IF A SIDEWALK NEEDS ATTENTION, WE WOULD SHARE SOME OF THE EXPENSE WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS.

UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS ON A CASE BY CASE BA BASIS OR, UH, OR WHAT, BUT I I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT THAT.

IS THAT STILL SOMETHING THAT COULD MOVE A PROCESS ALONG MORE QUICKLY? YES, COUNCILMAN,

[00:35:01]

UH, BUT IF ON A FIRST, FIRST SERVE BASIS, AND IF WHERE THE FUNDS RUN OUT, THEN UH, THEN, YOU KNOW, UM, THE OPPORTUNITIES NOT THERE.

BUT USUALLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE WORK WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND WE HAVE A CYBER EQUIPMENT PROGRAM WHERE IT'S 50 50 COST SHARING.

OKAY.

AND HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH IS TYPICALLY IN THERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR? IT'S ABOUT IT, IT VARIES.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS CONSISTENT BY 150,000 THAT WE TRY TO SET ASIDE COUNCILMAN.

IF SIDEWALK IS SAFETY ISSUE, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT WE FIX IT.

IF IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE, WE FIX IT.

THAT'S CORRECT.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH MY DISTRICT IS, UH, A LOT YOUNGER THAN MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, I'VE NOTICED JUST WALKING AROUND IN SOME AREAS WHERE PEOPLE PUT THESE, THESE BIG MAILBOXES ON THE SIDEWALK, AND THEN THE SIDEWALK EVENTUALLY GIVES WAY BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT OF THOSE THINGS.

OR MORE OFTEN IT'S TREES AND THE TREE LIMBS CLOSE BY SHIFTING AND RAISING PARTS OF THE SIDEWALK AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, I NOTICED ON THE EXAMPLE YOU SHOWED THAT THEY WERE GOING AND YOU PUT A SIDEWALK IN OVER AN AREA THAT HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY TREE ROOTS.

DID IT LOOK TO ME LIKE YOU MAY HAVE RAISED THE SIDEWALK A LITTLE BIT, UH, AND THE ELEVATION ALONG THAT SIDEWALK SO THE ROOTS WOULDN'T BE AS MUCH OF A PROBLEM IN THAT EXAMPLE YOU HAD, WE, WE BUILD IT SO THAT IT TRANSITIONS, UH, BUT WE ALSO DO IT IN A WAY THAT ENSURES THAT IT DOESN'T BECOME A PROBLEM WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME PERIOD.

SO WE ALSO EXPLORING, UM, OTHER OPTIONS FOR TREATING THAT CONDITION.

UH, I KNEW IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD WHAT WE'VE CALLED A COMPOSITE MATERIAL.

IT'S SORT OF LIKE PLASTIC MATERIAL, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN USE TO GO BY TREE ROUTE.

IT LOOKS LIKE SIDEWALKS.

IT FEELS LIKE SIDEWALKS.

WE ACTUALLY HAD THAT DOWNTOWN HERE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

UM, AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO INTEGRATE AS A WAY OF FIXING SIDEWALKS IN AN AREA WHERE THERE'S A ROOT ISSUE.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.

THAT'S ALL CHAIR.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.

UM, AND DON'T FORGET, UH, ANTHONY, THAT WE, WE DO, WE ALSO, UH, WORKED WITH THE PRECAST, WHICH I THINK COULD, COULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IN THOSE KIND OF SITUATIONS.

YEAH.

UM, BUT GREAT, GREAT PRESENTATION.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS, THIS IS A, A PROGRAM THAT I THINK WILL HAVE A LAXING IMPACT FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY.

I'M, UH, PROUD TO HAVE WORKED WITH YOU AND, UH, UH, WE'LL BE, UH, WE'LL MISS WORKING WITH YOU, ANTHONY, AND YOUR TEAM.

UM, THANKS AGAIN FOR, FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

DID, IS THIS A BRIEFING OR DOES IT, DO YOU NEED A MOTION? IT WAS JUST A BRIEFING, SIR.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

UM, WE'LL GO ON TO BACK TO THE ORDER.

UH, LET'S SEE.

UH, OH, LET'S

[2. 21-4277 Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee Dashboard Overview]

UM, WE'LL PUT UP THE DASHBOARD AND WE CAN GO THROUGH EACH ITEM.

AND WE HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS ON THIS CALL TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THE DASHBOARD.

SO ROGER, IF YOU COULD PUT THAT UP PLEASE.

OKAY, GREAT.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS SUMMARY OF THE DASHBOARD, WE ARE AHEAD OF, OF SEVERAL OF THOSE CATEGORIES.

UM, THE ITEM RELATED TO TREES PLANTED, WE WILL BE AHEAD IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.

UM, WE ARE GONNA BE PLANTING A LOT OF TREES OVER THE NEXT, UM, TWO TO THREE MONTHS, AND WE ANTICIPATE MAKING THAT 1,250,

[00:40:03]

UM, WE ARE AHEAD AND ARE UNDER ONE ROOF GOAL.

AND THEN, UM, COMMERCIAL PERMITS ISSUED.

UM, WE ARE ON TARGET RESIDENTIAL PERMITS ISSUES.

WE MET THAT GOAL AND THEN THE MILES OF SIDEWALK COMPLETED, WE, YOU'LL COMPLETE THAT GOAL BY OCTOBER ONE.

UM, THERE IS BACKGROUND IN EACH OF THESE, UM, ITEMS IN THE BACKGROUND MATERIALS FOR THE UNDER ONE ROOF DASHBOARD.

UM, BUT WE HAVE STAFF HERE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER NEW QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, UM, REGARDING UNDER ONE ROOF.

UH, WILL, WILL YOU BE GOING BACK TO THE, UH, ORIGINAL BUDGETED AMOUNT? UM, RIGHT NOW WE'LL BE HAVING OUR, OUR TRIAL BUDGET DISCUSSIONS ON WEDNESDAY.

UM, BUT WE ANTICIPATE PUTTING THE SAME AMOUNT OF THE MON MONEY THAT WAS IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS 2 MILLION, UM, 250,000.

AND, UM, IF ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS IDENTIFIED OR PRIORITIZED FOR COUNCIL, THOSE AMENDMENTS CAN OCCUR THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.

SO, SO THERE'S NO RECOMMENDATION TO GO BACK UP TO THE FIVE, I THINK IT'S 5.25 MILLION? CORRECT.

UM, WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING AT THIS TIME.

UM, AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING COULD BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.

OKAY.

UM, HOW ABOUT, UH, DO WE, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE PLAN ON KEEPING DEMOLITIONS TO A MINIMUM? MIKE? SHANNON, I SEE THAT YOU'RE ON THE CALL.

WHY DON'T YOU ADDRESS THAT QUESTION? WELL, I THINK, UH, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.

UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, TO HELP ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, CERTAINLY, UH, THE NUMBER OF DEMOLITIONS BY CITY PROCESS IS STILL, UH, RELATIVELY LOW.

UH, THE MORATORIUM ISSUED BY THE COURTS, UH, WAS FURTHER EXTENDED, UH, LAST TIME.

I THINK WE SPOKE, UH, IT WAS, UH, EXTENDED BY THE COURTS THROUGH JUNE.

UH, THAT IS NOW, UH, THROUGH AUGUST.

UH, SO, UH, THERE'S STILL A NUMBER OF, UH, COURT, UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS STOPPAGES THAT ARE SLOWING THAT DOWN IN THE MEANTIME.

UH, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, AND, AND, UH, VETO WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES, UH, WE, WE COORDINATE ON THOSE PARTICULAR CASES THAT WE SEE, UM, AND, AND, AND TRY TO GET THEM OVER TO ANY OF THOSE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAMS, OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAMS, UH, TO CONNECT THOSE.

SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE DOING, UH, EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP FIND, UH, THOSE, THOSE HOMES, WHETHER THEY'RE OCCUPIED OR UNOCCUPIED, CERTAINLY WITH PREFERENCE TO THE OCCUPIED, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALWAYS THE NUMBER ONE.

UH, IF THERE'S AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO, UH, CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN AND SAVE THOSE STRUCTURES, THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL.

UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR STRATEGY AND I THINK, UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO EXECUTE THAT.

WE'LL SEE WHAT THE COURTS DO WITH ANY OF THOSE, UH, DEMOLITIONS OF THE VACANT STRUCTURES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

BUT, UH, BUT THAT'S HOW WE'RE WORKING IT RIGHT NOW.

THANKS, MIKE.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS? OKAY.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE HERE.

I'M SORRY, I FORGOT TO PUT MY LITTLE, IT'S COUNCIL .

OKAY, GO AHEAD.

I JUST WANTED TO, UM, MAKE A COMMENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE WORK HERE TO ALL OF THE TEAM AND, AND, UH, THANK YOU THAT WE HAVE THIS CLEAR DASHBOARD THAT IS ALSO PRESENTED ON A MONTHLY BASIS, SO WE KNOW, WE KNOW WE CAN FIND IT ONLINE, BUT HERE, COLLECTIVELY HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS IS VERY HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US AND FOR ALL OF US TO JUST TAKE TIME, UH, TO, TO LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO AND, AND HOW THIS IS IN RELATION TO OUR BUDGET.

SO I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE TREES ADOPTED, WITH THE TREES PLANTED, AND OF COURSE, LOOKING AT THOSE RESIDENTIAL, UH, PERMITS ISSUED, GLAD TO SEE MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN IN DISTRICT THREE AND MANY OF THE SIDEWALKS AS WELL AS UNDER ONE ROOF PROJECT.

SO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT CONTINUING.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER.

UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM OTHER COLLEAGUES? OKAY.

UM, WE'LL GO ON TO

[3. 21-4183 Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) Update. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager, Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood & Housing Services]]

UM, CHAIRMAN IAN BENAVIDES WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

WE'LL DO THIS PRESENTATION.

AND ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT IAN, IT'S EDWARD GONZALEZ.

I APOLOGIZE, EDWARD.

OKAY, NO WORRIES.

THANK YOU, UH, LORI FOR THE INTRODUCTION.

UH, CHAIRMAN TREVINO.

THANK YOU.

GOOD

[00:45:01]

AGAIN, MY NAME'S EDWARD GONZALEZ.

I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND TODAY I'LL BE GIVING YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

I THINK ROGER'S QUEUING UP THE, UH, THE PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW.

ROGER, GO TO SLIDE TWO PLEASE.

OKAY, GREAT.

AS WAY OF BACKGROUND, UH, THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN APRIL 23RD, 2020.

IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, UH, THE PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO ASSIST, UH, TENANTS AND OR MORTGAGE HOLDERS IN THE, UH, IN THE AREA OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE, MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALSO ADDED, UH, LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL BENEFIT ENROLLMENT THAT COMES AS BEING PART OF THE PROGRAM.

UH, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS OUR DASHBOARD.

THIS IS A YEAR TO DATE PROGRAM DASHBOARD.

I'M SORRY, THIS IS A PROGRAM YEAR TO DATE.

UH, NUMBER.

SO SINCE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM, WE'VE APPROVED, APPROVED 37,762 HOUSEHOLDS.

OH.

WITH OVER ONE POINT $107.9 MILLION WORTH OF ASSISTANCE.

THE ASSISTANCE IS BROKEN OUT, UH, THROUGH THESE FIVE MAIN CATEGORIES.

THE FIRST IS RENTAL AND OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE WITH $89.2 MILLION BEING PROVIDED TO RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS.

$8.7 MILLION IS BEING, UH, PROVIDED ON BEHALF OF CUSTOMERS.

ELECTRIC BILLS $1.5 MILLION TO WATER, WATER BILLS FROM SAUCE $390,000 FOR INTERNET BILLS.

THOSE ARE, UH, THOSE ARE MADE UP OF A, OF A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT, UH, PROVIDERS HERE IN, IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND THEN $8 MILLION IN DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE THAT WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO GIVE OUT FROM APRIL THROUGH FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.

THE 37,762 HOUSEHOLDS, UH, MAKE UP ABOUT A HUNDRED THOU, A LITTLE BIT OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND HOUSE, UH, HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS.

IF YOU TAKE THAT AVERAGE ASSISTANCE, THAT'S A $1,000 PER HOUSEHOLD MEMBER, AND IT'S A TWENTY EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT, UH, DOLLARS PER HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE AMOUNT.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO THIS IS, UH, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A BRIEF, UH, DASHBOARD THAT THE TEXAS RED RELIEF PROGRAM IS SHOWING.

UH, THIS SHOWS, THIS IS THE STATE PROGRAM THAT WAS LAUNCHED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.

UH, WE SEE THAT FOR BEXAR COUNTY, THERE'S, THEY'VE ASSISTED 2009 HOUSEHOLDS, UH, WITH $12.25 MILLION.

THEIR AVERAGE ASSISTANCE PER HOUSEHOLD IS RIGHT AT, UM, $6,000 PER HOUSEHOLD.

SO YOU CAN, THEY'RE START, THAT PROGRAM IS STARTING TO, TO, TO, TO GAIN SOME MOMENTUM.

AND THIS IS THE ASSISTANCE FOR, FOR THE BEAR COUNTY AS OF JUNE 4TH.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO, OUR CURRENT ALLOWANCES IS PART OF EAP.

THESE ALLOWANCES WENT INTO EFFECT OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 18TH OF THIS YEAR.

UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY PROVIDING A TIERED APPROACH OF ASSISTANCE, SO WE CAN PROVIDE UP TO NINE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES THAT ARE MAKING LESS THAN 50% OF THE AREA MEETING INCOME.

FOR THOSE MAKING 50, 51% TO 80% OF THE AREA MEETING INCOME, WE'RE PROVIDING UP TO SIX MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE.

NOW, THIS IS A CU UH, CU UH, CUMULATION OF ASSISTANCE.

SO IF AN INDIVIDUAL WAS TO COME IN MARCH AND THEIR FIRST TIME ASSISTANCE WAS FOR ONE MONTH, THEY CAN REAPPLY IN, UH, APRIL, IN MAY, IN JUNE.

UH, THE SAME IS, IS TRUE.

IF THAT PERSON HAS CAME IN MARCH AND HAD FOUR MONTHS OF ARREARS, WE WOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT FOUR MONTHS OF ARREARS, AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE THEIR CURRENT MONTHS RENT, WHICH WOULD BE THAT MARK'S RENT, AND THEN THE APRIL RENT WOULD, UH, WOULD GIVE YOU THAT, UH, SIX MONTHS OF TOTAL ASSISTANCE THEN THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL COULD APPLY FOR UP TO, UH, THREE MORE MONTHS IF THEY'RE MAKING LESS THAN THAT.

50% OF, OF A M I WE'RE CURRENTLY PAYING THE, AT THE TIME OF ASSISTANCE, THE FULL CURRENT SALES BILL, THE FULL CURRENT C P S BILL AND THE FULL INTERNET BILL.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO THIS IS THE AVERAGE ASSISTANT.

THIS CHART SHOWS THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS, UH, COMPLETING MARCH AND APRIL, UH, I'M SORRY, THE LAST

[00:50:01]

SO, MARCH, APRIL, AND MAY, THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN ABOUT $2.6 MILLION A WEEK.

THAT IS THE, UH, THE APPROVAL RATE FOR OUR PROGRAM EVERY WEEK.

NEXT SLIDE.

THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE PER HOUSEHOLD, AGAIN, UH, SINCE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM, IT'S BEEN AROUND $2,858.

THAT WAS THE AVERAGE FROM APRIL TO JUNE 1ST.

UH, IF YOU TAKE FROM FEBRUARY 19TH THROUGH JUNE 1ST, THAT AVERAGE IS ABOUT $4,216.

SO THE INCREASE IN THE ALLOWANCE THRESHOLDS HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN OUR AVERAGE ASSISTANCE PER HOUSEHOLD.

NEXT SLIDE.

THIS CHART HERE IS JUST A MATRIX THAT SHOWS THE TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS APPROVED THIS, UM, OF THE 37,000 HOUSEHOLDS, THEY'RE BROKEN OUT BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.

YOU CAN SEE THE AVERAGE A M I PER HOUSEHOLD IN EACH OF THOSE DISTRICTS.

THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE, AND THEN THE TOTAL AMOUNT APPROVED PER COUNCIL DISTRICT, CULMINATING WITH OUR $107.9 MILLION.

UH, ONE AREA THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS OUR COUNTY, UH, ASSISTANCE.

SO WE HAVE, WE BEGAN PROVIDING ASSISTANCE FOR THE COUNTY IN LATE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO APPROVE 542 HOUSEHOLDS WITH, UH, $2.2 MILLION WORTH OF ASSISTANCE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO, IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT EHA BUDGET, SO OUR CURRENT EHA BUDGET IS $133.6 MILLION, OF WHICH $107.9 MILLION HAS BEEN APPROVED AND PROVIDED DIRECTLY TO, UH, 37,000 HOUSEHOLDS RELIEVING $17.4 MILLION IN DIRECT ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE AS OF JUNE 1ST.

AND 8.3 MILLION OF THE $133.6 MILLION IS OUR PART OF OUR ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGET, WHICH IS USED TO PAY FOR TEMPS, UH, THAT ARE ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM.

NOW, I WILL SAY THAT, THAT THAT BUDGET IS 6.2 UH, PERCENT OF THE TOTAL BUDGET, AND SO WE'RE WELL BELOW THE 10% THRESHOLD FOR THE PROGRAM.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR A, UH, THIS, THIS SLIDE SHOWS, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE'RE, UH, WE HAVE PROVIDED FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION THIS THURSDAY.

THERE'S THREE MAIN GRANTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACCEPT ON THURSDAY, AND WE WANT COUNCIL'S, UH, WE'RE RECOMMENDING COUNCIL'S APPROVAL ON THAT.

UH, THE LARGEST TRACHE IS THIS $49.7 MILLION FROM THE US TREASURY.

THIS IS ROUND E R A ROUND TWO.

SO, UH, EARLIER IN THE YEAR, WE RECEIVED, UH, 49 POINT, I BELIEVE, $0.6 MILLION.

UH, AND WE ARE, UH, SPENDING THAT FUNDING RIGHT NOW.

THIS FUNDING FROM THE US TREASURY IS, IS ELIGIBLE FOR RENTAL UTILITY AND, AND INTERNET ASSISTANCE.

SO THOSE ARE ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES WITH THIS $49.7 MILLION.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, BEXAR COUNTY IS, WE'RE WORKING AN AGREEMENT AND WE'RE ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH BEXAR COUNTY TO A ADMINISTERED THEIR US TREASURY FUNDS.

UH, THAT'S E R A ONE.

UH, SO THAT ASSISTANCE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR RENTAL ONLY, UH, FOR RESIDENTS LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS, BUT WITHIN BEXAR COUNTY, THAT THAT AGREEMENT IS FOR $5.5 MILLION, $5 MILLION OF WHICH WOULD GO TO DIRECT ASSISTANCE, 500,000 FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.

AND THEN OUR THIRD AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE, UH, ASKING FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION THIS THURSDAY IS A, IS A FUNDING FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING COMMUNITY AFFAIRS FOR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, $500,000 FOR TO ASSIST MORTGAGE HOLDERS WITH, UH, PAST DUE MORTGAGE MORTGAGES.

NOW, THIS, UH, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS BEAR COUNTY RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS, IS ONLY FOR RENTAL, AND THIS MORTGAGE IS ONLY FOR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.

SO UTILITIES AND INTERNET ASSISTANCE, UH, ARE ONLY PART OF THE US TREASURY PACKAGE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO WITH THAT PROPOSED ADDITIONAL FUNDING OF $55.7 MILLION, IT WOULD BRING OUR PHASE FOUR TOTAL AMOUNT TO $102.5 MILLION.

AND OUR CURRENT EHA BUDGET, OR IN OUR PROPOSED EHA BUDGET FROM 133.6 TO $189.3 MILLION.

NOW $55.7 MILLION, UH, AS I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, IS BEING CONSIDERED THIS THURSDAY ON JUNE 17TH.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO WHAT WOULD THE PROPOSED BUDGET LOOK LIKE AFTER THE AWARD OF THAT $55.7 MILLION? UH, THIS,

[00:55:01]

500, WELL, LET ME, 67 MILLION WOULD BE FOR THAT, AND 5 MILLION WOULD BE FOR MORTGAGE AS I, EXCUSE ME, 500,000 WOULD BE FOR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.

$13.9 MILLION WOULD BE PART OF PART OF OUR ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGET.

AND THAT, UM, FOR THAT, LET ME, UH, AND THAT WOULD BRING OUR ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, BUDGET TO 7.3% OF THE BUDGET OF THE TOTAL BUDGET, WHICH IS WELL BELOW THE 10%.

THAT'S ALLOWABLE.

NEXT SLIDE.

COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT, UH, CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.

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

OKAY.

UH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

EDWARD, UH, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MY COLLEAGUES? UH, OKAY.

UH, THE ONLY, THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION I WOULD HAVE, UH, OBVIOUSLY I WON'T BE VOTING ON THIS ON THURSDAY, BUT, UH, WE ASK THAT, UM, THAT YOU SUPPORT MAY MAYBE ALLOCATING 5 MILLION UH, DOLLARS TOWARDS RELOCATION ASSISTANCE FROM THE INCOMING 50 MILLION.