[1. 21-4334 Briefing on the FY 2022 Trial Budget. [Maria Villagomez, Deputy City Manager; Scott Huizenga, Director, Management and Budget]]
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WE PRESENTED THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST, FIN FINANCIAL FORECAST TO THE CITY COUNCIL JUST OVER A MONTH AGO ON MAY 12TH.WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION, UH, REGARDING REVENUES THAT HAVE, UH, INFLUENCED THE YEAREND ESTIMATE SINCE THAT TIME, THAT WE WILL REVIEW A FEW SHORTLY.
UH, THE SALES TAX CONTINUES TO PERFORM MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTED.
WE'VE SEEN THAT FOR MOST OF THE YEAR.
UH, NOTABLY, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS HAVE IMPROVED JUST IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND BOTH OF THOSE PUT US IN, IN MUCH A BETTER POSITION IN BOTH OF THOSE FUNDS.
AS WE LOOK AT THE OUTLOOK FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, WHILE THE ECONOMY CONTINUES OR APPEARS TO BE IMPROVING RAPIDLY, THE PACE OF THAT RECOVERY STILL REMAINS VERY MUCH UNCERTAIN.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THESE, THESE REVENUE SOURCES THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS AS, AS NEW INFORMATION COMES TO LIGHT.
LAST MONTH AT THE FORECAST, WE EXPECTED A VERY MODEST REVENUE SURPLUS BOLSTERED BY THE INCREASED SALES TAX.
UM, AFTER RECEIVING UPDATED INFORMATION, WE'RE NOW PROJECTING A MUCH HIGHER COLLECTIONS IN SALES TAXES, AND NOW ARE NOW, WE ARE NOW EXPECTING SALES TAXES TO BE $22.7 MILLION ABOVE THE ORIGINAL ADOPTED BUDGET OF 295 MILLION AT THAT TIME.
WE'VE ALSO SEEN INCREASED PAYMENTS RECENTLY FROM C P S JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
THEREFORE, WE'VE REVISED OUR ESTIMATE IN THAT CATEGORY TO $4.4 MILLION ABOVE THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
SO THEREFORE, EVEN WITH DECLINES IN OTHER AREAS, OTHER REVENUES IN THE GENERAL FUND, WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE $18.4 MILLION ABOVE THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR THE GENERAL FUND IN REVENUES, SALES TAX COLLECTIONS PROBABLY
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REPRESENT, UH, THE CONTINUING ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AS MUCH AS, AS MUCH AS ANY CATEGORY, ANY MEASURE.UH, FISCAL YEAR 2019 FOR SALES TAX WAS, UH, THE LAST FULL YEAR PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, SO YOU COULD CALL IT KIND OF THE LAST QUOTE, UNQUOTE, NORMAL YEAR OF SALES TAX COLLECTIONS.
UM, AFTER FISCAL YEAR 19, UM, WHICH WAS REPRESENTED THE BLUE BAR GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 20, WE WERE HEADING ON A VERY SIMILAR TRAJECTORY, OF COURSE, UNTIL STARTING MARCH OF LAST YEAR WITH A PANDEMIC WHEN COLLECTIONS DROPPED PRECIPITOUSLY.
AT THAT TIME, IN MARCH AND APRIL OF, OF 2020, WE STARTED TO SEE SOME REBOUNDS, EVEN IN 2020, SOMEWHAT UNSURPRISINGLY, PROBABLY, AND BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 2021.
UM, THIS FOLLOWED LARGELY A SIMILAR COURSE OF, OF ABOVE PRIOR YEAR COLLECTIONS.
AGAIN, EVEN AT THAT TIME, MUCH TO OUR SURPRISE, THE ONE EXCEPTION THIS YEAR, UH, PRIOR TO THIS POINT WAS IN MARCH OF 2021, YOU, THAT'S THE LOW POINT OF THE SALES TAX THAT REPRESENTS THE FEBRUARY COLLECTIONS, WHICH WAS THE WINTER STORM MONTH.
SO WE SAW MUCH A LOWER, A LOWER YEAR OVER YEAR COLLECTION AMOUNT FOR, FOR MARCH OF 2020.
AND THEN FOLLOWING INTO THESE LAST TWO MONTHS, UM, APRIL AND MAY, THAT HAVE COME IN MUCH, MUCH HIGHER THAN PROJECTIONS.
IN FACT, UM, NOT ONLY YEAR OVER YEAR, BUT RECORD LEVELS IN FACT OF, OF SALE TAX COLLECTIONS JUST IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
UM, SO TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, WE'VE ALSO REVISED OUR, OUR LAST FOUR MONTH PROJECTION FOR THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, JUNE THROUGH SEPTEMBER, TO TREND SLIGHTLY ABOVE 2019 OPERATIONS OR, OR COLLECTIONS RATHER.
AND THAT'S WHAT IN, IN TOTAL, THAT'S WHAT NECESSITATES THE, THE INCREASE IN SALES TAX COLLECTIONS THAT I PRESENTED.
AGAIN, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN AN UP AND DOWN ROAD THROUGHOUT THIS PRE PANDEMIC, BUT IT APPEARS TO BE ON THE RIGHT TRAJECTORY, AGAIN WITH A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHAT THE PACE OF THAT RECOVERY ULTIMATELY WILL LOOK LIKE.
FOR C P S REVENUES, THIS IS TYPICALLY THE MOST VOLATILE, UH, REVENUE SOURCE IN THE GENERAL FUND.
THIS IS DUE TO, OF COURSE, WEATHER FLUCTUATIONS.
ALSO, YOU KNOW, FUEL, PRICE, UH, VOLATILITY AND, AND OTHER VARIABLES.
C P S REVENUE HAD BEEN TRENDING BELOW THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHICH HAD SEEN RECORD OFF SALE, OFF, OFF SYSTEM SALES IN, ESPECIALLY IN 2019.
THIS YEAR'S INCREASE IN ACTUALS HAVE BEEN DRIVEN BY ELECTRIC FUEL ADJUSTMENTS AND BY OFF SYSTEM SALES AGAIN, UM, WHICH HAS LED US TO REVISE THE C P SS ESTIMATE UP BY THAT $4.4 MILLION THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE.
AGAIN, THIS, THIS VOL VOL, THIS VOLATILITY NOTORIOUSLY MAKES C P SS HARD TO, HARD TO PROJECT FROM YEAR TO YEAR, SOMETIMES EVEN FROM MONTH TO MONTH.
UM, BUT RECENT COLLECTIONS HAVE, HAVE SPURRED AN INCREASE IN THE YEAR END PROJECTION FOR C P S.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE EXPECTING A, A MU, A MUCH HIGHER BALANCE IN THE GENERAL FUND THAN EVEN AT THE FORECAST THAT WE PRESENTED JUST LAST MONTH IN THE FORECAST, WE WERE EXPECTING A GENERAL FUND ENDING BALANCE OF $24.9 MILLION ABOVE THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
WITH THE REVISED REVENUE ESTIMATES, WE'RE NOW PROJECTING TO BE $42.9 MILLION ABOVE THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
THESE BID REVENUES ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE CARRIED INTO THE, THE TWO YEAR BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 22 AND 23, AND THAT'S WHAT'S PRESENTED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET, UH, BEFORE YOU TODAY.
COMBINED WITH EXPECTED, UH, GROWTH, THE, WITH, WITH THIS EXPECTED GROWTH IN REVENUES WE'RE, WE'RE NOW EXPECTED TO BE EFFECTIVELY BALANCED FOR FISCAL YEAR 22 AND 23, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE SAW IN THE FORECAST.
SO AGAIN, IT'S MUCH IMPROVED EVEN FROM WHERE WE WERE JUST ONE MONTH AGO.
STAFF HAS PROVIDED PREVIOUS BRIEFINGS ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OR ARPA.
WE'LL BRIEFLY DISCUSS THE BACKGROUND AGAIN, OF ARPA AND HAS PROPOSED USE IN THE TRIAL BUDGET IN OTHER AREAS AS WELL.
JUST A QUICK BACKGROUND, THE, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TOTALS $1.9 TRILLION TARGETED IN SEVERAL AREAS.
STATE AND LOCAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS ALLOCATED AT 19% OF THE TOTAL ARPA ACT FOR SAN ANTONIO.
THE CITY HAS BEEN ALLOCATED AN ESTIMATED 465 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
THE CITY HAS ALREADY BEEN AWARDED OR BEEN NOTIFIED OF OVER $300 MILLION IN FUNDING, AND THE COUNCIL'S EXPECTED TO TAKE ACTION ON THESE AWARDS HAVE BEEN AWARDED OR NOTIFIED TOMORROW, AS, AS LISTED ON THE AGENDA FOR, FOR A SESSION TOMORROW MORNING.
THE FOCUS OF THE ARPA STRATEGY FOR THE CITY IS IN THREE PRIMARY AREAS, FINANCIAL STABILITY, REVENUE LOSS, RECOVERY, AND IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
THE STRATEGY CALLS FOR A PHASED APPROACH TO, TO IMPLEMENTING AND IMPLEMENTING
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THE PROGRAM.THE FIRST PHASE INCLUDES FINANCIAL STABILITY AND IMMEDIATE NEEDS IN THE BUDGET, AND THAT'S WHAT'S INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS TRIAL BUDGET.
THE SECOND PHASE WOULD TAKE PLACE AFTER THE BUDGET, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE FUNDING, CONTINUING COMMUNITY PRIORITIES WITH LEVERAGED ARPA FUNDING.
THE TRIAL BUDGET PROPOSES USE OF ARPA SPECIFICALLY FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND.
THE TRIAL BUDGET AS PROPOSED ONLY INCLUDES THE CALCULATED LOSS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 2019 COLLECTIONS AND ACTUAL COLLECTIONS IN 2020, THAT THAT LOSS IN REVENUE, OTHER FUNDS AND POTENTIAL LOSS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021 WILL BE UPDATED AS PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND, AND PROBABLY BEYOND.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES THE LOSS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020.
SO NOW WE HAVE UPDATED REVENUE PROJECTIONS AND PROJECTIONS FOR ARPA.
WE CAN TURN OUR ATTENTION TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY PROPOSED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET.
AGAIN, THE TRIAL BUDGET IS A PRELIMINARY ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES FOR NEXT YEAR.
IT SERVES AS THE BEGINNING POINT FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND PRIORITIES, AND IT SETS THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE COUNCIL GOAL SETTING SESSION THAT WILL BE HELD NEXT FRIDAY.
THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES BETTER THAN EXPECTED REVENUES, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, IT RESTORES REDUCTIONS THAT WERE PLANNED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 NEXT YEAR, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES THE USE OF ARPA FUNDING IN, IN THESE FUNDS FOR FINANCIAL STABILITY.
THE TRIAL BUDGET ALSO RESTORES SERVICES TO PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS, AS WE DID IN THE, IN THE FINANCIAL FORECAST.
IT ADDS OPERATING FUNDING FOR PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED PROJECTS, AND FOR GRANT MA GRANT MATCHES ANTICIPATED IN FISCAL YEAR 22, AND IT ADJUSTS OPERATIONS FOR INFLATION FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS AS WELL.
THE TRIAL BUDGET, AS MENTIONED, LIKE THE FORECAST RESTORES FUNDING TO, TO KEY AREAS THAT WERE PLANNED FOR REDUCTION, INCLUDING, UH, FULLY RESTORING STREET MAINTENANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
IT ELIMINATES PLANS EMPLOYEE FURLOUGHS, AND IT PROVIDES COMPENSATION INCREASES FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.
THE BUDGET ALSO CALLS FOR THE TRIAL BUDGET, ALSO CALLS FOR $30 MILLION IN TARGETED IMPROVEMENTS IN KEY COMMUNITY AND OPERATIONAL AREAS.
THESE AREAS INCLUDE PUBLIC HEALTH, WHICH IS THE LARGEST PROPOSED INCREASE.
OTHER AREAS INCLUDE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS, AND E M SS SERVICES.
THE TRIAL BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES CUSTOMER SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS FOR 3 1 1 AND OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS, AS WELL AS SUPPORT FOR BROADBAND, BROADBAND SERVICES, AND FOR SECURITY UPGRADES.
THE PRO PROPOSED INCREASE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INCLUDES $3 MILLION FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO PROVIDE ENHANCED RESPONSE TO CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE.
IT CALLS FOR $3 MILLION IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT THAT WOULD FOCUS ON A TEAM-BASED APPROACH TO ADVOCATE FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND IT PROPOSES $2 MILLION TO BUILD ON THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE EXPANDING MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALTH TECHNOLOGY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON HEALTH, JUSTICE AND, AND HEALTH EQUITY.
THE TRIAL BUDGET WOULD ALSO ADD $5 MILLION IN HOUSING SECURITY TO A TOTAL OF $28.2 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND AND GRANT FUNDING COMBINED.
THIS WOULD, THIS COULD PROVIDE, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL RENT SUPPORT, MORTGAGE UTILITY ASSISTANCE, UH, SIMILAR TO THE SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURRING.
IT ALSO COULD PROVIDE FOR HOUSING NAVIGATORS TO CONNECT RESIDENTS TO ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAMS. THE TRIAL BUDGET ALSO INCREASES HOMELESS SUPPORT BY $2 MILLION TO A TOTAL OF $13 MILLION.
IN GENERAL FUNDING, GRANT FUNDING COMBINED, THE TRIAL BUDGET PROPOSES $5 MILLION ALSO FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE, INCLUDING RESILIENCY PLANNING, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, AND FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD INCLUDE GENERATORS AT CRITICAL CITY FACILITIES.
AND THE TRIAL BUDGET ALSO HAS $5 MILLION FOR TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY, WHICH WILL INCLUDE IMPROVEMENTS TO SEVERAL PADE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROJECT AREAS, AS WELL AS CONTINUING THE ONGOING BIKE MASTER PLAN.
IN ADDITION, THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES $1.3 MILLION IN ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT THE THREE ONE ONE CALL CENTER TO DECREASE THE TIME IT TAKES TO RESPOND TO CALLS.
IT ALSO PROPOSES ADDITIONAL STAFFING TO, TO RESPOND TO OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS.
THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES FUNDING FOR CITYWIDE BROADBAND COORDINATION AND LEGAL SUPPORT, AND IT INCLUDES SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS, INCLUDING CYBERSECURITY AND POTENTIALLY PHYSICAL SECURITY AT FACILITY AS WELL.
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THE TRIAL BUDGET PROPOSES $2 MILLION FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO E M S SERVICES, WHICH COULD INCLUDE, UH, CLINICAL DISPATCHERS AND TELEMEDICINE SUPPORT, UM, ALSO POTENTIALLY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE PROGRAM FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE.FINALLY, AS MENTIONED, THE TRIAL BUDGET INCLUDES COMPENSATION INCREASES TO CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.
IT ALSO PROVIDES FOR, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS FOR BOTH EXISTING AND PROPOSED CBAS FOR THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
IN ADDITION TO THE GENERAL FUND, THE TRIAL BUDGET LOOKS AT THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND, AND AS A REMINDER, THE THE HOTEL TAX RATE IN THE CITY IS A TOTAL OF 16.75%.
THE CITY RECEIVES 7% OF THE HOTEL TAX FOR CONVENTION, SPORTS FACILITIES, ARTS AND CULTURE HISTORY AND PRESERVATION, AND TRAVEL AND TOURISM PROMOTION THROUGH VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
UH, 2% OF THAT TOTAL 16.75 IS DEDICATED SPECIFICALLY TO PAY CONVENTION CENTER DEBT.
THE HOT FUND TRAJECTORY, SINCE THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY DOWN, UM, UNTIL VERY RECENT RECENTLY, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME, SOME UPWARD TRENDS.
THE, THE HOT FUND WAS ALREADY BUDGETED TO START THE FISCAL YEAR TO BE $34.4 BILLION BELOW LAST YEAR'S LEVELS, AND UNTIL RECENTLY, IT WAS PERFORMING EVEN BELOW THOSE ALREADY LOWERED EXPECTATIONS.
UM, THE IN, IN RECENT HISTORY, THE FUND UNSURPRISINGLY, CAME TO A VIRTUAL HALT IN MARCH, APRIL, MAY OF LAST YEAR, AND WE DIDN'T REALLY SEE A SIGNIFICANT UPTICK UNTIL REALLY MARCH AND APRIL OF THIS YEAR.
OF THE WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR IN SPRING BREAK COINCIDED WITH THE GRADUAL REOPENING OF FACILITIES.
SO WE, AND SO WE'VE CERTAINLY SAW AN UPTICK IN, IN MARCH AND APRIL, AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE HIGHER REVENUES IN MAY.
SO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THOSE VARIANCES IN AFTER CONSULTING WITH, UH, VISIT SAN ANTONIO AS WELL, WE EXPECT A STEADY INCREASE IN BOTH ROOM DEMAND AND IN HOTEL RATES THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR TO REVISE THE HOT FUND ESTIMATE BEYOND OUR ORIGINAL PROJECTIONS, THAT WILL STILL PUT US BOTH BELOW 2019 LEVELS AND STILL BELOW EVEN THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, BUT AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE, ABOUT $6 MILLION OR MORE THAN WHAT WE ESTIMATED JUST LAST MONTH IN THE FORECAST.
AND OF COURSE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO REVISE INFORMATION AND HOT FUND SALES TAX AND ALL THESE FUNDS AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE RECEIVE MORE COLLECTIONS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR AND INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
THE TRIAL BUDGET USES BOTH THAT INCREASED REVENUE AND ARPA FUNDING TO RESTORE FUNDING AND STAFFING AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE ALAMODOME TO FULLY RESTORE OPERATIONS AND, AND, UH, STAFFING AT AT THOSE FACILITIES.
IT ALSO INCREASES ARTS AND CULTURE FUNDING BACK TO THE 2019 BASELINE LEVEL OF $10.1 MILLION ABOVE THE ADOPTED BASE OF $6.4 MILLION IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
IT ALSO WOULD INCREASE THE APPROPRIATION TO VISIT SAN SAN ANTONIO FROM $15.1 MILLION THIS YEAR TO $20 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 2022.
SO FINALLY, NEXT STEPS IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THE CITY IS CURRENTLY CONDUCTING A SPEAK UP ESSAY SPEAK UP SURVEY THAT IS OPEN THROUGH JUNE 21ST.
AS OF AT LEAST A COUPLE DAYS AGO, WE'VE ALREADY HAD ABOUT OVER 6,500 RESPONSES FROM CITY RESIDENTS.
THE SURVEY RESULTS, AND THIS TRIAL BUDGET WILL BE A PART OF THE GOAL SETTING SESSION THAT WILL BE HELD NEXT FRIDAY WITH COUNCIL FOLLOWING THE GOAL SETTING SESSION.
STAFF WILL TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND PREPARE THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT'S SCHEDULED TO BE BE RELEASED ON AUGUST AND PRESENTED ON AUGUST 12TH.
THERE WILL BE MORE COMMUNITY INPUT AND SEVERAL BUDGET WORK SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS OF AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.
AND FINALLY, THE FISCAL YEAR 22 ADOPTED BUDGET IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 16TH.
SO WITH THAT MAYOR AND COUNSEL, I THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.
HAPPY TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS AND DEPARTMENT STAFF IS ON HAND AS WELL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, SCOTT.
UM, AND AS, UH, AS YOU SAID BEFORE, THIS IS A, A JUMPING OFF POINT.
UM, WE USED THE TRIAL BUDGET PROCESS LAST YEAR DURING THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS THAT WE WANTED TO GET A, A TRIAL BUDGET UP THERE FIRST, UH, EARLIER THAN USUAL, SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO, UM, PLAN FOR THOSE CHANGES THAT, THAT WE WERE GONNA SEE, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, DIFFERENT REVENUE SOURCES BEING IMPACTED AND ALSO NEW REVENUE SOURCES COMING IN AS A RESULT OF THE RELIEF FUNDS.
UM, AS WE THINK ABOUT THE GOAL SETTING SESSION THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT WEEK, UM, AGAIN, REMINDING OURSELVES WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE HAVE BEEN, AND WHERE WE WANT TO GO, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, INVESTING OF THE FUNDS THAT GO BEYOND OUR NORMAL ANNUAL BUDGET, UM, REMINDING OURSELVES AGAIN THAT, UH, OUR GOAL IS NOT JUST SIMPLY
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TO GO BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE USING, UM, THE CLARITY I THINK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE PANDEMIC TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT NEED TO CHANGE SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT, UM, AND ADDRESS ISSUES OF INEQUITY THAT WE KNOW HAVE BEEN REVEALED BY THE PANDEMIC.UM, I THINK THE MOST INSTRUCTIVE SLIDE FOR ME ON THIS PRESENTATION, UM, IF SOMEBODY CAN PULL UP SLIDE 13, AND THIS AGAIN WILL HELP US TO UNDERSTAND OR HELPS ME UNDERSTAND, UM, KIND OF THE STEPS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UM, AND, AND EMPHASIZING THE FACT THAT ALL OF THESE NUMBERS AGAIN, UM, ARE GOING TO LIKELY CHANGE.
UM, PHASE ONE IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH THE TRIAL BUDGET.
UM, AND ERIC OR, OR MARIA, WHOEVER CAN, UM, JUST GIMME A LITTLE BIT HIGH LEVEL CLARITY ON THIS.
UH, OUR FY 2019 BUDGET WHEN WE GO TO F 20, UM, WAS SEVERELY IMPACTED, AND WE MADE CUTS ALONG THE WAY TO ADDRESS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO RESTORE CUTS IN THE FFY, OR EXCUSE ME, 2021 WAS IMPACTED COMPARED TO FY 20.
UM, WHEN WE'RE GOING INTO FY 22, WE ARE PROPOSING TO RESTORE SERVICES CUTS.
SO WHAT IS THE RELATIVE LEVEL? WHAT IS THE TOTAL ANNUAL BUDGET THAT'S GOING TO BE, WHAT'S THE BUDGET LEVEL FOR 22, UM, GOING TO BE AT COMPARED TO 20 OR 21? GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
I'M MARIAME, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR.
UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR THE GENERAL FUND OR JUST OPERAT? YEAH, THE OPERATIONAL BUDGET.
WHAT, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS WHAT IS OUR F Y 22 BUDGET OPERATING FUNDS, UM, COMPARED TO FY 21? HOW MUCH OF THAT ARE WE FILLING IN WITH RELIEF FUNDS VERSUS GENERATING THROUGH REVENUE STREAMS THAT ARE NOW NO LONGER BEING IMPACTED, THEY WERE DURING THE PANDEMIC? SURE.
SO, UM, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, MAYOR, WE ARE USING $55.4 MILLION FROM THE ARPA FUNDS INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO HELP US ONE, BALANCE THE BUDGET.
UH, TWO, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND THREE, TO BE ABLE TO ADD SOME OF THOSE TARGETED IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU SAW, THE $30 MILLION THAT YOU SAW ON THE SCREEN, UH, TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE THAT IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, AND DO SOME OF THAT ALSO IN FISCAL YEAR 2023.
OKAY, BECAUSE WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, JUST IN TERMS OF THE PHASING IS THAT AS WE'RE BUDGING THIS F Y 22, WE ARE CLEARING THE DECKS, SO TO SPEAK, FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA USE THE RELIEF FUNDS, INVEST THE RELIEF FUNDS TO GO, YOU KNOW, MAKE STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ESSENTIAL SERVICES ANYMORE, OR WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT ESSENTIAL SERVICES, BUT NOT AT THE LEVEL THAT WE ARE PROGRAMMING IN THE F Y 22 BUDGET.
AND, AND YOU BRING A GOOD POINT, MAYOR.
THE, THE AMERICAN, UH, RECOVERY ACT ALLOW US TO RECOVER FOR REVENUE LOSS, UM, BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 COMPARED TO THE LAST FISCAL YEAR ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAD PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.
SO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO DO IS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ACTUAL REVENUE LOSS THAT WE EXPERIENCED IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 2019.
SO THAT IS AN ACTUAL AMOUNT THAT WE ALREADY REALIZED.
WE ARE NOT FORECASTING AT THIS POINT, THE REVENUE LOSS FOR 2021 BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDES.
THE ECONOMY IS RECOVERING AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA END BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
SO SINCE WE HAVE MORE TIME WITH, WITH THE ARPA FUNDS, THAT ALLOWS US TO COMMIT FUNDS THROUGH 2024 AND THEN SPEND THEM THROUGH, UH, DECEMBER, 2026.
SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, ARE VERY STRATEGIC ABOUT THOSE INVESTMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
TO YOUR POINT, NO, AND, AND I, AND I APPRECIATE THAT APPROACH BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO BY PHASING IT IS ENSURE, NUMBER ONE, UM, BASELINE BUDGET.
WE'RE DELIVERING THE SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS, STREETS, DRAINAGE, POLICE AND FIRE, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT THINKING BEYOND THAT, WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IF WE WORK DILIGENTLY.
UM, AND THERE ARE STILL COMMENTS DUE TO THE REGISTRY, UH, TO, TO THE, I GUESS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OR THE TREASURY, THE US TREASURY.
UM, THE TREASURY, UH, ON THE USE OF THE ARPA FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT GENERAL OR WHAT DIRECT ALLOCATIONS ARE
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TAKEN CARE OF, BIG PICTURE ISSUES, AND WE CAN USE THOSE ARPA FUNDS IN A TARGETED WAY THAT ADDRESSES SOMETHING THAT IS SIMPLY NOT COVERED BY THE DIRECT ALLOCATIONS.UM, SO I THINK IT'S GONNA REQUIRE A LOT OF WORK STILL, UH, FOR MY COLLEAGUES BENEFIT, WE ARE COMMUNICATING WITH ALL THE OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS RIGHT NOW ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE ANTICIPATING USING THEIR ARPA FUNDS FOR TO KIND OF, AGAIN, UH, COLLECT BEST PRACTICES.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN A PHASE WHERE WE'VE GOTTA TAKE CARE OF OUR GO FORWARD BUDGET, WE'RE RESTORING CUTS, UH, TO SERVICES THAT WERE MADE DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK STRATEGICALLY BEGINNING AT THE GOAL SETTING SESSION ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE BIG TRANSFORMATIVE ISSUES THAT WE'VE GOTTA WORK ON THAT ADDRESSES ISSUES BROUGHT TO BEAR DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AM I SUMMARIZING THAT CORRECTLY, ERIC? YOU ARE MAYOR, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT IS, IT IS, UM, AS MARIA MENTIONED, THE, IT'S A VERY DELIBERATE APPROACH TO ONLY LOOK AT THE 2020 REVENUE LOSS KNOWING THAT, UM, IF, IF THAT GREEN BAR KEEPS GROWING FASTER FROM A RECOVERY STANDPOINT, THEN THEN OUR RECOVERY AND THE USE OF ARPA FUNDS TO DEAL WITH OUR CURRENT STABILITY ISSUES GIVES THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY MORE FLEXIBILITY ON THE BACKEND FOR THOSE MORE TRANSFORMATIVE ISSUES.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MONITOR IT, YOU KNOW, IT AS PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, UM, AND CERTAINLY BY YEAR END, SO THAT WE'RE, SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'VE GOT AND WE'RE PLANNING ACCORDINGLY.
AND, AND IN MEANWHILE, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL LEVERAGING THESE OPPORTUNITIES TOGETHER.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND I ALWAYS USE A SPORTS ANALOGY SO THAT WE DON'T END UP WITH MORE THAN ONE MAN ON A SINGLE BASE, UM, THAT WE'RE COVERING ALL OF OUR BASES, UH, APPROPRIATELY AND, AND ALSO LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR DESIRES FOR US TO INVEST PROPERLY.
SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION, AND I THINK, UM, THIS IS A HELPFUL FIRST STEP FOR US IN, IN THE DISCUSSIONS FOR, UH, OUR GOAL SETTING NEXT WEEK.
LET'S START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
UH, WE HARDLY SEE YOU, BUT THIS IS YOUR MOMENT TO SHINE.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, MARY, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT UPFRONT.
THAT'S, UH, THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY MY FIRST QUESTION, UH, SEPARATING THE TWO.
UH, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T HAVE HIGH ASPIRATIONS FOR OUR YEAR TO YEAR BUDGET AND A PLACE WHERE WE WANNA SEE IT GET EVENTUALLY.
UM, SO, UH, FIRST LET ME START WITH, UH, YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS, UH, $8 MILLION.
UH, THAT IS, THAT IS VERY GOOD.
UH, EVENTUALLY I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US GET TO A, TO A GREATER INCREASE, IN PARTICULAR, I SEE ONLY $2 MILLION IS SET ASIDE FOR THE HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, THERE IS, UH, TALK ABOUT A BRAIDED FUNDING APPROACH, BUT, UH, I'M ASSUMING WE'RE GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF THE 26 MILLION RIGHT? ON THE HEALTH DISPARITY GRANTS.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'LL SHOW THAT TO THE FULL COUNCIL NEXT WEEK AT THE GOAL SETTING, BECAUSE WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS JUST THE LOCAL INCREMENT.
WE'VE GOT $26 MILLION IN, UM, HEALTH DISPARITY FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WE ARE BRAIDING OVER THAT FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND SO, UM, BUT TO YOUR POINT, THAT WILL REQUIRE US OVER TIME TO INCREASE OUR LOCAL SPENDING SO THAT, UM, THERE ISN'T A CLIFF AT THE END OF THE FIVE YEARS.
SO IT IS A, UH, I, I THINK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF UPDATING OUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE LAST YEAR.
AND WE'LL SHOW YOU THAT WHOLE PICTURE TOTAL FUNDS AS PART OF NEXT WEEK'S CONVERSATION.
SO WE RECEIVED A BRIEFING ON IT LAST, UH, LAST FRIDAY.
UH, THERE IS, UH, NO SHORTAGE OF VERY AMBITIOUS, UH, INITIATIVES PUT FORWARD IN THAT.
I WOULD SAY THERE ARE AT LEAST 40 NEW ITEMS COMING FORWARD IN IT.
SO, UH, AND I ASKED, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE THESE GOING TO BE PHASED IN? THE ANSWER I RECEIVED WAS, NO, EVERYTHING WILL BEGIN IN YEAR ONE.
SO I DON'T SEE HOW 2 MILLION IS GOING TO GET US TO
DO YOU WANT ME TO YEAH, YOU CAN, BUT LET ME, LET ME ALSO JUST ADD THAT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN JULY.
THEY HAVE UPDATED THAT PLAN AND IT'S, IT'S PUTTING THE DOLLARS CONNECTIONS, BUT IT IS A, IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PLAN.
SO SOME OF THE FUNDING WILL COME FROM THE C D C $26.6 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU LAST FRIDAY.
UM, SOME OF THE FUNDING MAY COME FROM ARPA, IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
AND THEN WE ARE REQUESTING, AS ERIC DESCRIBED, A SMALLER AMOUNT FROM GENERAL FUNDS, SO THAT EVENTUALLY OVER THE FIVE YEARS OF THE STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN, UM, THERE WOULD BE ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.
WE ARE ABLE TO START MOST OF THOSE INITIATIVES, UM, RIGHT AWAY, OR IN OCTOBER WITH THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
THERE ARE A FEW INITIATIVES THAT, UM, WE'LL START IN YEAR TWO AS OPPOSED TO YEAR ONE, JUST BECAUSE WE NEED TO
[00:35:01]
BUILD SOME INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE WE CAN, WE CAN CONTINUE.AND WE ALSO HAVE THE HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION DOLLARS THAT, FROM RECOVERING RESILIENCY, THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER BRAID, THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE OF THE BRAID THAT HAS TO COME IN THAT WE'LL RECONCILE AS WE GO THROUGH THE SUMMER THIS YEAR.
I JUST WANTED TO GET A QUICK BREAKDOWN ON THE MENTAL HEALTH.
WE DID ALSO GET BRIEFED ON THE MENTAL HEALTH UPDATES BY, UH, AN INTERIM UPDATE FROM THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION, WHO, UH, IF, IF YOU DIDN'T WATCH THE, THE MEETING, IT'S OKAY IF YOU DIDN'T, BECAUSE ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE NOW GONE
UH, BUT THE UPDATE THAT, THAT WE GOT WAS THAT THERE WOULD BE THREE, UM, UH, MULTI MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESPONSE TEAMS, RIGHT? AS A, AS A PILOT, WE WOULD HAVE THREE OF THEM OPERATING.
UH, SO HOW, I GUESS, HOW DID YOU COME TO THE 3 MILLION? SURE.
SO JUST TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT TO, TO THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS PART OF OUR, THE REVIEW OF OUR POLICE SERVICES, ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE THREE AREAS, AND SPECIFICALLY IS HOW WE STRENGTHEN OUR RESPONSE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS, AND, UH, CALLS THAT INVOLVE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
SO WE, UH, ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION EARLIER, UH, THIS CALENDAR YEAR, TO HAVE THEM DO AN ASSESSMENT OF OUR FIRST RESPOND, UH, RESPONDERS, UH, RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS.
SO, UH, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE LAST FRIDAY, THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION PRESENTED THEIR PRELIMINARY, UM, FINDINGS OR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THAT WORK IS GONNA BE COMPLETED IN THE MONTH OF JULY.
AND THEN WE ARE GONNA COME BACK TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN EARLY AUGUST WITH THOSE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
WITH THAT SAID, UH, ONE OF THE PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS IS TO HAVE A TEAM, UH, OF THREE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES ADDRESS THIS, UM, MENTAL HEALTH GOALS THAT WOULD INCLUDE AN E M SS, UM, UH, PERSONNEL.
UH, IT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A, UM, MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN AND WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A POLICE OFFICER.
SO, UH, THE STUDY, UM, FOCUSES ON AREAS OF OUR CITY WHERE WE GET MOST OF THE CALLS RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH.
AND THE PROPOSAL RIGHT NOW IS TO DO A PILOT PROGRAM AND ONE OF THOSE ZIP CODES WHERE WE GET MOST OF THE CALLS, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE 7 82 0 7 1, AND D FIVE, UH, COMBINED IN, UM, UH, THE CENTER PART OF THE CITY.
SO, SO THAT WOULD BE THE PILOT PROGRAM.
THE $3 MILLION THAT WE SET ASIDE RIGHT NOW IS A PRELIMINARY NUMBER.
WE DON'T HAVE THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THERE MAY BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRANTS AS WELL.
SO THAT IS AN ESTIMATE FOR SOME TEAMS, UH, POTENTIALLY MAYBE THREE TEAMS, UH, THAT WILL BE, UM, ADDED AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AND PERHAPS OTHER, OTHER RESOURCES NEEDED.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT A FINAL NUMBER, BUT IT'S JUST TO BEGIN THE DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNCIL.
THAT'S GREAT TO, TO HEAR YOU'RE CONSIDERING INCLUDING THAT IN THE BUDGET.
UM, I, I WANNA MOVE ON TO, UH, THE RESILIENCY, UH, UH, AREA THAT YOU HAVE.
ALSO VERY GLAD, UH, TO SEE THAT.
ONE THING I, I MIGHT RECOMMEND IS ENSURING THAT WE DO HAVE COMMUNITY, UH, RESILIENCY HUBS.
UH, I THINK YOU MAY BE GETTING AT THAT WITH IMPROVEMENTS TO CERTAIN FACILITIES.
I THINK YOU MENTIONED ENHANCEMENTS.
UH, WE JUST, I THINK WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE GOOD COVERAGE EVENTUALLY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY, WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO, WHETHER IT'S TO CHARGE THEIR PHONE, THE COOLING CENTER, WARMING CENTER, AND PROVIDE THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEEDED DURING THINGS LIKE THE STORM PROVIDED.
THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO GET THERE.
AND, UM, LASTLY, I'LL, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE HEAR FROM, FROM MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS IS, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR STREETS, THEIR SIDEWALKS.
SO GLAD TO SEE WE'RE RESTORING THAT FUNDING.
UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE 3 1 1 IMPROVEMENTS.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A, A NOTORIOUS PAULA.
YEAH, WE HAVE A NOTORIOUS GLITCH, RIGHT, WHERE THE CASES ARE CLOSED AND WE DON'T KNOW WHY THEY'RE CLOSED.
AND PLEASE TELL ME THAT'S ONE OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THREE ON ONE, AND I WOULD SAY WE DON'T HAVE A GLITCH.
I WOULD SAY WE DON'T HAVE A GLITCH.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS, AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE ALREADY, UH, ALLOW FOR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING WHEN IT'S NOT JUST CLOSED, WHETHER OR NOT WE ACTUALLY DID THE WORK.
SO WE, THAT SYSTEM IS ALL WORKING CORRECTLY.
UM, I THINK THE, THE CHALLENGE ALSO IS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS TO THEIR REQUESTS.
I THINK WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT PEOPLE DO WANT TO KNOW THAT THEY SUBMITTED A REQUEST, BUT THEY ALSO WANNA KNOW THAT WE TOOK CARE OF IT AND WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID WITH IT.
SO, SO THEY CAN SEE THAT NOW ON 3 1 1.
[00:40:01]
NOBODY ANSWERED THE DOOR.SO IF YOU, WHETHER IT'S, UH, YOU ARE CALLING 3 1 1, WE CAN TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED TO IT.
YOU CAN GO SEE IT ON THE WEB PORTAL.
WE'RE GETTING READY TO IMPLEMENT AN IMPROVEMENT TO THE APP WHERE YOU ACTUALLY CAN SEE YOUR 3 1 1 CALLS AS WELL AS ACTUALLY TODAY YOU CAN SEE IT IN YOUR APP.
YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE TASK BAR, IF YOU WILL, A STATUS REQUEST BAR.
THAT'S ALL, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.
WAIT, SO THEN WHAT ARE THE IMPROVEMENTS? BUDGET? SO THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE PHONE IN A TIMELY MANNER, SO THIS IS ABOUT PEOPLE.
'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE A VERY LARGE CALL VOLUME.
UM, LAST YEAR IT WAS, UM, OVER 900,000.
UM, THIS YEAR WE EXPECT RIGHT AROUND 9, 920 2000 CALLS.
WE'RE NOT GETTING TO ALL THOSE CALLS, RIGHT? AND SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER, ANSWER 90% OF THE CALLS, BUT ANSWER WITHIN 45 SECONDS.
WAY MORE THAN THAT, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, THAT IS WHAT THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE FOR.
AND, AND 3, 1 1 OVER THE LAST YEAR HAS DONE A LOT MORE THAN JUST 3 1 1.
AND WE SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT SYSTEM AND THE STAFF BEHIND IT.
IT'S A GATEWAY TO ALL OUR SERVICES.
WHEN WE HAVE A WINTER STORM OR THERE'S A LACK, THERE'S, THERE'S LOOKING PEOPLE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION.
SO WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT FROM A RESOURCE STANDPOINT, WE'RE PREPARED BECAUSE IT'S USED FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, NOT JUST THE RUN OF THE MILL POTHOLE.
AND THEN, UM, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION ON, ON THE ARPA FUNDS.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE VERY EXCITING.
UM, AND LASTLY, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU PLAN TO PHASE OUT IN THE COMING YEAR? SO, UH, ONE THING I WAS INTERESTED IN WERE THE NAVIGATORS THAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ PUT IN THE LAST BUDGET.
I THINK WE HAD A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THAT.
AND THE OTHER THING WAS THE, THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN USING.
SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE CONTINUE.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, TOMORROW WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT.
WILL THAT BE JUST RELATING TO ACCEPTING FUNDS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY ADVOCATING HOW THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE SPENT? YEP.
UM, SO THERE'S FOUR DIFFERENT PIECES OF THAT ITEM.
SO OF ACTUALLY MARIA, WHAT, LET'S WALK THROUGH THOSE.
SO, UM, COUNCILMAN CUR, YOU ARE CORRECT.
SO THE, THE ITEM IS BROKEN OUT IN TWO PIECES.
ONE, WE'RE ACCEPTING ROUGHLY ABOUT $35 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL CARESS FUNDS, UH, FROM THE FIRST ROUND OF ALLOCATION THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE.
UH, THERE'S SOME DOLLARS FOR THE AIRPORT CHILDCARE SERVICES, GRANTS HEADSTART, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S ONE ACCEPTANCE.
THE OTHER ACCEPTANCE, IF YOU MAY RECALL ONE OF THE SLIDES, THERE'S ABOUT $465 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS THAT WE HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF.
UH, WE HAVE GOTTEN EITHER THE CASH OR NOTIFICATION FOR 302 MILLION OF THAT.
SO WE'LL BE ASKING YOUR, YOUR AUTHORIZATION FOR US TO ACCEPT THOSE DOLLARS.
UM, NOW WITHIN THOSE TWO ACTIONS ON THE FIRST ACTION WE HAVE, UM, ASKING THE, THE CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE US TO ENTER INTO TWO AGREEMENTS TO LEASE A, UM, HOTEL THAT WE WOULD USE AS A LOW BARRIER, UM, HOMELESS SHELTER.
SO THE, THE TOTAL VALUE OF THOSE TWO AGREEMENTS IS $2.9 MILLION, AND THAT IS TO LEASE THE, THE HOTEL FOR 12 MONTHS, AND ALSO TO HAVE SAME MINISTRIES OPERATE THE, THE, THE, UH, THE HOTEL.
SO THAT'S AN ACTION WITHIN THAT FIRST UMBRELLA.
THERE'S ALSO A COUPLE OF, UM, HEALTH RELATED CONTRACTS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR, YOUR AUTHORIZATION.
ONE OF THEM HAS TO DO WITH CONTACT TRACING, AND THE OTHER ONE HAS TO DO WITH STUDYING C OVID 19, ONE OF THE VARIANTS.
SO THAT IS INCLUDED IN THAT FIRST PHASE.
THE SECOND PHASE, WHICH IS THE ARPA, WE ARE ASKING YOUR AUTHORIZATION, UH, TO EXTEND OR ENTER INTO NEW AGREEMENTS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE SOME OF THE, UM, HEALTH DISPARITIES GRANT THAT WE, THAT WE RECEIVE.
YOU SAW IT ON THE SCREEN, OVER $20 MILLION.
UM, THAT IS ROUGHLY ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR AUTHORIZATION IN SEVERAL AGREEMENTS.
AND THEN LASTLY, WITHIN THE ARPA CATEGORY, WE ALSO RECEIVE $49 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL RENTAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS.
THE CURRENT RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE BASED ON DEMAND, WE ANTICIPATE THAT IS GOING TO, UH, WE ARE GONNA RUN OUT OF MONEY BY THE END OF JULY.
SO BY YOU GIVING US THE AUTHORIZATION TO
[00:45:01]
CONTINUE THE PROGRAM WITHOUT $49 MILLION, THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, WE THINK WE CAN CONTINUE THE PROGRAM THROUGH DECEMBER.SO THOSE ARE THE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO, TO, UH, CONSIDER TOMORROW FOR, FOR ACTION.
AND THE LARGEST CHUNK, ALL OF THOSE ARE WITHIN NUMBER FOUR.
AND THE, THE LARGEST PART, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT IS THE, THE STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY PORTION OF ARPA.
UM, IT'S ACCEPTING WHAT WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED, THE $164 MILLION, BUT IT'S NOT PROGRAMMING OR ALLOCATING IT, IT'S JUST, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER STATE OR FEDERAL GRANT, THE COUNCIL HAS TO PASS AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING THAT MONEY.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT IS NOT BEING ALLOCATED, THAT'S BEING JUST ACCEPTED.
BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS SOME OF IT IS GOING TO BE ALLOCATED IF WE JUST APPROVED ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
NO, UH, IF YOU GO, GO TO SLIDE 12 REAL QUICK.
SO OF THE $49 MILLION OF THE HOUSING SECURITY, $69 MILLION, THAT'S NOT PART OF THE 326 MILLION.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE 69 AND THEN PROGRAM THE 49, AND THEN THOSE THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN, UM, PRIMARILY THEIR CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH, UH, CONTRACTS IS COMING OUT OF THAT $26 MILLION HEALTH DISPARITY.
BUT THE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE ITEM TOMORROW IS THE FIRST ITEM.
UM, AND, AND WE ARE NOT, ALEC, YOU'RE NOT APPROPRIATING ANY OF THAT.
YOU'RE JUST ACCEPTING THE MONEY.
NO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOO MANY THINGS TOGETHER IN ONE PARTICULAR ORDINANCE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MIGHT FEEL ABOUT IT, BUT I WOULD, UH, AND I, I MIGHT JUST MOVE THAT WE BREAK THAT UP INTO SEPARATE COMPONENTS THAT WE CAN DISCUSS AND VOTE ON SEPARATELY SO THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH WE'RE ALLOCATING.
AND ANDY, I'M, I'M GONNA NEED TO NEED YOU TO LET ME KNOW IF WE'RE GOING OFF TRACK HERE BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT ITEM, BUT DON'T ACTUALLY STATE IT.
BUT THE DISCUSSION COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE IS BRINGING UP A GOOD POINT, BUT WE CAN'T DISCUSS.
THE POINT IN HERE IS THAT, UM, AGAIN, DISCUSS IT TO THE POINT OF, OF STRUCTURALLY HOW IT'S GONNA BE ADDRESSED TOMORROW, BUT NOT, NOT SUBSEQUENTLY.
AND THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING IS I'D LIKE TO SEE IT BROKEN DOWN TO WHERE WE CAN IDENTIFY IT BETTER AS WE VOTE ON IT.
I HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE BULK OF THIS MONEY IS AIMED TOWARDS REVENUE LOSS RECOVERY, WHETHER IT'S STATE OR FEDERAL.
UH, AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH REVENUE LOSS RECOVERY DOLLARS ARE BEING ALLOCATED TO REPLACE LOST REVENUE FROM 2020 LOST CITY REVENUE.
SO IN YOUR, IN YOUR SAMPLE, UH, YOUR TEST BUDGET, HOW MUCH IS ALLOCATED TO REPLACE 2020 LOST CITY REVENUE? YES, COUNCILMAN, AND I'M GONNA ASK, UM, THE AV TEAM TO PULL SLIDE 14.
SO $97.5 MILLION IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
46 AND A HALF IS, UH, UM, BEING ADDED TO THE GENERAL FUND AND 51 MILLION TO THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
NOW, WE'RE ALSO FORECASTING AT THE END OF THIS BUDGET NOW, POSSIBLY AS MUCH AS A $42 MILLION, UH, EXCESS BEYOND EXPENSES DEPENDING ON HOW REVENUE CONTINUES TO FLOW.
AND IF WE ARE SAYING WE'RE GONNA ALLOCATE 97 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO 2020, BUT OF COURSE 2020 IS OVER, WE CAN'T SPEND THAT.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S CARRIED FORWARD AND I WOULD PRESUME IT WOULD BE CARRIED FORWARD AND PUT ON TOP OF THIS 42 MILLION THAT WE MAY HAVE, UH, AS A A SURPLUS.
SO, UH, MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DO WE DO WITH 97,000,040 2 MILLION? ARE WE GONNA BE ALLOCATING THOSE IN THIS BUDGET? AND IT SEEMS TO ME THEY WILL BE GREATLY IN EXCESS OF THE REVENUE COMING IN FOR THIS YEAR BASED ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UH, SO TWO PIECES, COUNCILMAN THE $42 MILLION IS IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT THAT IS ESTIMATED ENDING BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021, OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
SO SINCE OUR, WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY IS A BALANCED TRIAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEARS 2022 AND 2023, WE NEED THAT 46 AND A HALF MILLION THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN GOING TO THE GENERAL FUND TO ACHIEVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND ALSO TO ADD, UH, IF, IF THE COUNCIL, AS PER DISCUSSION, $30 MILLION IN TARGETED INVESTMENTS,
[00:50:02]
WELL, WE'VE GOT 42 MILLION, WE MAY HAVE PLUS 46 MILLION.WE REALLY NEED ALMOST 90 MILLION TO BALANCE THE BUDGET THIS YEAR GOING FORWARD.
SO WHEN WE PRESENTED THE, THE FORECAST TO THE COUNCIL, THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 ON THE TWO YEAR BALANCE BUDGET HAD A DEFICIT OF $38 MILLION.
SO, SO WE TALKED ABOUT OUR REVENUES BEING BETTER FOR SALES TAX AND C P S, UH, THAT IN ADDITION TO THIS REVENUE LOSS OF 46 AND A HALF, ALLOWS US TO BALANCE THE BUDGET AND THEN ADD, UH, TARGETED INVESTMENTS.
SO THE ACCESS, WE'RE GOING TO TARGETED INVESTMENTS THEN? YES, SIR.
UM, NOW WE GOT WAY BEHIND ON INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SO WE POSTPONED, UH, WE DIDN'T ELIMINATE, WE JUST POSTPONED, UH, ARE WE GONNA BE IN A POSITION TO TRY AND MOVE THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE JOBS FORWARD? UH, WILL ANY OF THE GENERAL FUND MONEY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE UP BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING REVENUE RECOVERY, BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND GO INTO MOVING THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE DELAYED UP MORE QUICKLY? AND, YOU KNOW, IF, SO NOT JUST FUNDING, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RESOURCES? YOU KNOW, DO WE KNOW IF THOSE RESOURCES WOULD BE AVAILABLE? 'CAUSE I ALREADY KNOW A FEW PROJECTS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON HAVE BEEN KIND OF SLOW AND I'M JUST WONDERING, YES, WE'D LIKE TO MOVE THOSE PROJECTS WE DELAYED, BUT ARE THE RESOURCES IN THE CITY AVAILABLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THOSE UP? AND I GUESS THAT'S A, A GENERAL QUESTION BASED ON THIS MONEY, BUT I'M, I'M WONDERING HOW WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT.
WELL, I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SPEND SOME TIME ON THAT THIS SUMMER.
COUNCILMAN, I THINK YOU RAISED A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK PUBLIC WORKS AND, AND, AND HAS DONE A BETTER JOB THIS YEAR AT ACCELERATING THE APPROVAL OF THOSE THAT, THOSE, THOSE CONTRACTS.
BUT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, TAKING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CAPACITY OF, OF THE CONTRACTORS, UH, IN THE AREA.
BECAUSE REMEMBER, OUT OF THE, OF THE $110 MILLION IN STREET MAINTENANCE, WE DO EVERY YEAR IT'S $10 MILLION USING CITY FORCES AND WE'RE CONTRACTING OUT A HUNDRED MILLION.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT AS WE GO THROUGH THE SUMMER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BALANCED AND NOT TIPPING.
ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, AND I MAY HAVE SOME MORE BEFORE THE END OF THIS AFTER I LOOKED OVER SOME MORE, BUT I NOTICED THAT WE'RE PUTTING $2 MILLION INTO HOMELESS, UH, ON THE PRESENTATION NOW.
IS THAT 2 MILLION IN ADDITION, OR IS THAT 2 MILLION REPLACING LOST REVENUE? UH, THAT $2 MILLION IS IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR BASE BUDGET TODAY.
AND I'D LIKE TO ASK AS SOON AS YOU CAN PUT THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER, AND I, I'VE HEARD IT BEFORE, BUT I NEED TO HEAR IT AGAIN.
HOW MUCH TOTAL MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON HOMELESSNESS IN THIS CITY AND IN THIS COUNTY, NOT ONLY BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, 'CAUSE WE DO THE, THE LION'S SHARE OF IT, BUT BY THE COUNTY AND BY ALL OF THE NONPROFITS? UH, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AGAIN, FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WE DON'T SEEM TO BE LICKING THE PROBLEM, BUT WE'RE PUTTING A LOT OF MONEY INTO IT.
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK AND CONCERN ABOUT HAVING A MUCH MORE COLLABORATIVE, COOPERATIVE EFFORT TO DO THIS INSTEAD OF AS DISPERSED AS IT IS.
SO I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HEAR THOSE NUMBERS.
IF WE'RE PUTTING TWO MORE, 2 MILLION MORE IN THERE, UH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY.
AND I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH LEASING A HOTEL TO TRY AND MOVE HOMELESS INTO AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CAN HELP THEM WITH.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON, SO I THINK WE NEED TO REVISIT THAT SOME MORE.
THANK YOU COUNCIL UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KIO.
UH, I WANNA, IS THIS ON? HELLO? OKAY.
I WANNA START BY SAYING I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE 5 MILLION IN TRANSPORTATION FUNDING.
I VERY STRONGLY ADVOCATE TO ALLOCATE MORE THOUGH, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, UH, THE BIKE MASTER PLAN AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROJECTS ARE KEY TO OUR RECOVERY.
BUT MORE THAN THAT, IT'S GONNA ELEVATE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, I THINK, FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE IT BEYOND JUST, UH, RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE.
SO I'M GOING ON RECORD FOR THAT.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE E M S IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, DOES THIS INCLUDE FUNDING FOR NEW DISPATCHERS TO SUPPORT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT? Y YES, POTENTIALLY.
AND WHILE, WHILE THE CHIEF'S COMING UP AND SPECIFICALLY, UM, BEEFING UP THE GOOD SAM APP PROGRAM THAT WE BEGAN EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
I WAS WAITING FOR MY LITTLE PROMPT UP HERE.
[00:55:01]
AND, UH, COUNSEL.UM, UH, AS, AS PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO, UH, WE DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN EVERY SINGLE DAY TO GET TO CIVILIANS AS QUICK AS WE CAN.
UM, THE, UM, CLINICAL DISPATCHERS IS A PROGRAM THAT WE SHOWED IN TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
THIS IS BASICALLY PUTTING A DISPATCHER IN YOUR LIVING ROOM WITHIN ABOUT 30 SECONDS IF YOU HAVE A SMARTPHONE.
SO WHEN YOU CALL, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT FIRST OF ALL, ALL THE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE DO, AND MOST OF YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS.
AND FOR OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, I LOOK FORWARD TO SITTING DOWN AND COMPREHENSIVELY DISCUSSING ALL OF OUR IMPROVEMENTS ON HOW WE GET TO YOU, UH, QUICKER AND HOW WE ARE PROVIDING GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE TO YOU.
SO THIS BASICALLY SHOWS OUR GOOD SAM APPLICATION.
AND SO, UM, WHEN YOU CALL NINE ONE ONE, IF YOU HAVE A SMARTPHONE, UM, AND IT COULD BE FOR ANYTHING, IT COULD BE FOR A FIRE, IT COULD BE FOR A HEADACHE, IT COULD BE FOR ANYTHING.
THAT LINK IS GOING TO, UH, GO TO YOUR PHONE.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HIT THAT LINK.
THAT LINK WILL PUT YOUR FACE ON A SCREEN WITH A CLINICAL DISPATCHER.
THAT DISPATCH WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT YOUR PULSE RATE IS, WHAT YOUR SKIN TONE IS.
HE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AROUND THE ROOM AND SEE WHAT YOUR SITUATION IS.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS WHERE WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING A STROKE.
ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT THEM AND TELL THAT THEY'RE HAVING A STROKE.
WE ALREADY HAVE RESOURCES EN ROUTE, BUT WE CAN CALL THE HOSPITAL AND PUT THEM A STROKE PROTOCOL SO THAT WAY WE ARE GETTING TO THEM QUICKER.
WE HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT RECENTLY WHERE A GENTLEMAN WAS IN CARDIAC ARREST.
THE FAMILY DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS IN CARDIAC ARREST.
SO OUR DISPATCH WAS ABLE TO TELL THEM TO ROLL THE GENTLEMAN OVER, TEACH THEM C P R AND, AND HELP WITH MANAGING THAT PATIENT.
UH, BUT WHAT YOU SEE THE NUMBERS UP THERE IS WE'RE SAVING RESOURCES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE BARS ACROSS THE TOP, UM, WE'VE UTILIZED THE GOOD SAMAT 4,000, UH, 518 TIMES.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, WE ARE SAVING BASICALLY, UH, 19 RESOURCES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND SO, UH, WHAT THAT EQUATES TO IS, UM, ABOUT 4,370 RESPONSES EVERY SINGLE YEAR THAT WE ARE NOT SENDING A FIRETRUCK ON.
WE ARE NOT SENDING AN AMBULANCE ON, WE ARE NOT EXPOSING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO THE DANGERS OF TRAFFIC BECAUSE THAT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING THAT WE DO.
SO A FULL-TIME E M S UNIT AVERAGES ABOUT 4,060 UNITS.
SO WE ARE BASICALLY GIVING BACK A RESOURCE AND SAVING THEM FOR OUR MORE CRITICAL RUN.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE CAPABILITIES OF THIS PROGRAM.
WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED INTO HOW THIS COULD HELP WITH OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES BECAUSE AGAIN, A LOT OF OUR CALLS ARE GENERATED BY PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, OR HOMELESS.
AND SO IF I HAVE A CELL PHONE, BUT WE CAN LOOK AT THE AREA, I CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT HOUSE, UH, IN THAT APARTMENT BEFORE WE GET THERE.
AND SO INSTEAD OF US TAKING 5, 6, 8 MINUTES TO GET THERE, I'M PUTTING SOMEBODY IN THEIR LIVING ROOM WITHIN 30 SECONDS.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M GONNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO JUST AGAIN, JUST TO RE KIND OF EDUCATE YOU, 2006, WE HAD LESS THAN 50 PARAMEDICS ON FIRE TRUCKS, UH, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
NOW, WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1, UH, 91% OF ALL OF OUR INCIDENTS HAVE PARAMEDICS RESPONDING ON 'EM.
SO, UH, WE'VE ALMOST, UM, DOUBLED OUR NUMBERS OF PARAMEDICS.
AND YOU SEE, WE HAVE 868 PARAMEDICS.
UH, THAT'S 49% OF OUR PERSONNEL, 857 OR SO.
OUR PARAMEDICS, UH, THE REST ARE E M T.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO SAVE LIVES IN THIS CITY.
I'M GONNA TAKE YOU TO ONE MORE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MEDICAL INCIDENTS THAT WE RESPOND ON, AND YOU CAN SEE THE PRIORITY ONES ARE ABOUT 5.6 OF OUR TRANSPORTS.
AND SO PRIORITY ONES ARE CRITICAL GUNSHOTS, HEART ATTACKS, CARDIAC ARREST, DROWNING STROKES, ELECTROCUTIONS, UM, TRAUMATIC INJURIES.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE BULK OF OUR RUNS AS FAR AS THOSE EMERGENCIES.
AND SO WE WANT TO HAVE THE GOOD SAM APP AVAILABLE SO WE'RE NOT TYING UP E M SS UNITS ON NEEDLESS RESPONSES.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE BLUE, UH, 56% OF THE TIME, UM, WE'RE NOT TRANSPORTING PEOPLE.
SO WE WANT TO USE AS GOOD SAM APP TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS WE CAN.
WE'RE THE ONLY FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE NATION THAT HAS THIS, UH, THAT HAS THIS TECHNOLOGY, AND I CAN'T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND FOR EACH OF YOU ON COUNCIL, UM, THIS IS GONNA BE A, ONE OF A KIND SYSTEM IN THE NATION THAT WE HAVE.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, OPERATING THIS PROJECT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET TO YOU AS QUICK AS WE CAN.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
[01:00:01]
THAT, SO I, BUT I DO APPRECIATE IT.UM,
UM, THE, UH, I, I'M WONDERING HOW WE DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OR THE PERCENTAGE OF ARPA MONEY FOR, UH, REVENUE RECOVERY, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
I, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS CATEGORIZE IT AND PUT IT INTO COLUMNS AND BUCKETS, BUT HOW DID YOU MAKE THE DETERMINATIONS TO WHERE THEY WENT? SO COUNCILMAN THOSE THREE, THOSE THREE INITIAL GOALS, UM, WERE REALLY SET OUT OF THE FRAMEWORK OF THE ORIGINAL LEGISLATION AND, UM, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AS WE SHOWED IN THE SLIDE, UM, RATHER THAN, RATHER THAN US TRY TO ASSUME AND CALCULATE 2021 LOSS REVENUE, WE WANTED TO BE CONSERVATIVE AND ONLY FOCUS ON 2020.
GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LAST TWO MONTHS WE'VE MADE UP A LOT OF GROUND.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'LL BE BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
UM, BUT, UM, THAT'S THE ONLY DIVISION OF, OF DOLLARS AND ASSUMPTIONS WE'VE MADE.
AND, AND THAT'S THE 97 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE WAS, WAS ASKING ABOUT.
UM, I'M CURIOUS, IS THERE ANY, UM, IN ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES, WAS ARTS ANYWHERE IN THERE? YES, MA'AM.
IN THE, UH, THE 50, A LITTLE OVER $50 MILLION OF THE $97 MILLION IS IN, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE PROPOSING AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET TO, TO HAVE THAT, UM, OFFSET THE REVENUE LOSS IN THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND.
AND SO IF YOU'LL, SOMEBODY WILL BRING UP THAT LAST SLIDE.
UM, THAT REVENUE LOSS HELPS US DO A COUPLE OF THINGS IN, IN THE HOTEL TAX FUND.
THE FIRST IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT, UM, STAFFING AVAILABLE FOR THE CENTER AND THE DOME FOR EVENTS.
UM, THE SECOND IS, UH, INCREASING ARTS AND CULTURAL FUNDING TO OUR 2019 LEVELS BACK TO $10.1 MILLION.
UM, AND THEN, UH, MAKING A, UH, AN INCREASE IN THE, UH, V S A VISIT SAN ANTONIO ALLOCATION FROM A TRIAL BUDGET STANDPOINT.
THESE ARE JUST PROJECTIONS, BUT, BUT I THINK WE HEARD CLEARLY THAT, UH, IN, IN A COUNCIL DISCUSSION SEVERAL WEEKS AGO THAT, UH, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RESTORE THAT, THAT ARTS AND CULTURAL FUNDING AND THE ARPA FUNDS ARE ALLOWING US TO DO THAT.
ARE THE, DO THE ARPA FUNDS ALLOW FOR, UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, HUD HAS SECTION THREE THAT REQUIRES RECIPIENTS, UH, TO SOME HUD FUNDING TO GET, UM, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYMENT TRAINING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, GIVEN OUR, OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY, IS THERE ANY, IS THERE ANY, UM, DO ANY OF THE FUNDS FROM THESE, THESE GRANTS APPLY OR COULD THEY APPLY TO SECTION THREE? UH, COUNCILMAN, I BELIEVE THE ANSWER IS YES TO THAT.
UH, WITHIN THE GUIDELINES, THAT IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT IS ELIGIBLE.
UH, IS THERE, DID I MISS THAT SLIDE? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT, THAT WOULD HAVE MORE IN DEPTH, UM, EXPLANATION OF HOW WE CAN USE THE MONEY OR HOW MUCH, OR WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT IN TERMS OF THE N R M GUIDANCE THAT WE HAVE FROM THE US TREASURY.
UM, IT'S ABOUT 126 PAGES, BUT WE CAN GIVE YOU SOME, UM, HIGHLIGHTS, UH, INCLUDED WITHIN THE GUIDANCE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A SEPARATE PRESENTATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
UM, THANK YOU SCOTT AND TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION IS ON SLIDE 19, ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES.
IS THERE, UM, WHAT IS THIS BASED ON? THE, IS IT, SO IT'S JUST THAT'S WHAT WE HAD, UM, THAT'S DIRECTLY WHAT WE HAD.
THERE'S NO NEED OR NOBODY WENT BACK AND KIND OF MADE A COMPARISON OR ANYTHING, OR A PROJECTION BASED ON, UM, GOOD SCENARIOS, DECENT SCENARIOS, WORST CASE SCENARIOS.
COUNCILMAN, WHAT THIS REPRESENTS IS JUST WHAT WE HAD IN THE BUDGET AND FISCAL YEAR 2019.
SO THERE'S, OKAY, WELL PERFECT.
AND THEN ARTS FUNDING, I SEE IT LATER IN, BUT IT'S RESTORED FOR 2022.
UM, BUT WE'RE NOT, IS THAT NOT UP FOR POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION? THIS GO AROUND TO RESTORE IN 2021? CORRECT.
NOT WITHIN OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS TO MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT IN 2022.
AND THEN CAN YOU HELP ME, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE EMPLOYEE HOME INCENTIVE AND FELLOWSHIP IS.
SO THE EMPLOYEE HOME INCENTIVE IS, WE HAVE A PROGRAM BY WHICH WE INCENTIVIZE BOTH CIVILIAN
[01:05:01]
EMPLOYEES AND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES TO LEAVE IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE, OF THE CITY, SPECIFICALLY IN THE, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, CLOSER TO THE IN, IN INSIDE FOUR 10.UM, AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER PROGRAM FOR UNIFORM EMPLOYEES THAT INCENTIVIZE THEM TO LEAVE WITHIN CITY LIMITS.
UH, AND THEN IT IS A GREATER INCENTIVE THEY LEAVE WITHIN LOOK FOUR 10.
SO THEN THAT ALSO INCLU INCLUDES LIKE, UM, SO, SO I THINK YOU JUST ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
SO I WAS TRYING TO SEE IF IT WAS BOTH THAT WERE INCLUDED AND THEN ON THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY.
AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN HDA.
UH, IS THERE GOING TO BE SOME PARTICULAR ATTENTION PAID, UM, TO THE NUMBER OF PEDESTRIAN DEATHS THAT WE HAVE HAD AND MAYBE THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN MORE HIGHLY, I GUESS SOMEBODY'S LOOKING MAYBE THAT'S TAMIKA TOO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, TAMIKA MONVILLE, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION.
COUNCILWOMAN YES IS THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
WE ARE PROPOSING TO DO AN UPDATE OF OUR BIKE MASTER PLAN THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR US TO GUIDE US AND HELP US IDENTIFY WHERE THE AREAS ARE OF SIGNIFICANT PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES AND BICYCLE INJURIES ARE.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE OUR GUIDE TO DEVELOPING A FUTURE PLAN THAT DOES NOT PUT PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS ON ROADS WHERE THE SPEEDS ARE 35 MILES AN HOUR OR HIGHER, WHICH WE KNOW FOR A FACT YOU WILL DIE.
SO WE'RE GONNA STOP THAT, AND THAT'S WHY THE PLAN IS GONNA HELP US ADDRESS THAT.
HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE? UM, AND I'M LOOKING FOR WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? TWO YEARS.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO SOONER, SOONER THAN A TWO YEARS? YES.
WE'RE GONNA STOP DOING WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, THAT'S A GREAT START.
I DON'T MEAN IT TO BE FUNNY, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WE'VE BEEN JUST STRIPING LANES BECAUSE WE'RE DOING, OH, WE'RE GONNA DO A MILL AND OVERLAY.
LET'S JUST GO PUT A LANE OUT HERE.
AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO THIS YEAR IS, AS A PART OF OUR BIKE, I M P, WE'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY A SERIES OF SLOW STREETS WHERE WE CAN GO AND PUT LABELS, BICYCLE IMAGES ON THE STREETS TO SAY THIS IS A SLOWER STREET WE'RE GONNA DEVELOP THAT PRIMARY NETWORK.
BUT THIS YEAR, THE I N P IS GONNA BE FOCUSED ON NOT RES STRIPING.
SO DON'T CALL US UPSET, BUT WE JUST DON'T WANNA KEEP STRIPING LANES IN AREAS WHERE WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE DYING.
SO WE ARE BASICALLY INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE TO RIDE ON ROADS THAT ARE NOT SAFE.
AND BY DOING THIS WITH THE I N P, WE'RE GONNA IDENTIFY THIS NETWORK AND IT'S GONNA HELP INFORM THIS NETWORK THAT WE'LL BUILD WITH THE PLAN.
SO THE FIRST YEAR OF THIS ANALYSIS, REMEMBER WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT BIKES IN THE NEEDS FOR A DECADE.
SO THIS PLAN IS AN UPDATE OF THAT.
SO THE FIRST YEAR IS GONNA BE A LOT OF DATA COLLECTION.
WE'RE GOING TO INTEGRATE INTO THIS BUDGET AND ANNUAL BICYCLE SURVEY TO CITYWIDE TO UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE RELATE TO BIKES, HOW PEOPLE USE BIKES IF THEY USE THEM, WHY THEY DON'T, IF YOU WOULD, WHAT DO YOU NEED? SO THAT SURVEY AND DATA COLLECTION, WE NEED A LOT OF DATA TO UNDERSTAND WHERE DO WE HAVE SHARED PATHS? WHERE DO WE HAVE MULTI-USE PATHS? WHERE DO WE JUST HAVE LANES? SO THAT'S OUR PLAN TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE NEED IS TO STOP DOING WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT'S GETTING US THE SAME RESULT, AND TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHERE WE ACTUALLY PLACE AND ENCOURAGE CYCLISTS TO BE.
TAMIKA, DO YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT ON THE VISION ZERO ALSO THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT? YES.
SO THE TARGETED 5 MILLION, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE MID-BLOCK CROSSINGS THAT WE CAN DO IN THE SHORT TERM TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS THOSE HIGH CAPACITY, HIGH INJURY AREAS.
AND A COMPONENT OF THE TARGETED IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO BEGINNING THAT FIRST YEAR BUDGET FOR THE BIKE STUDY UPDATE.
WHAT DOES SHORT TERM MEAN TO YOU? SHORT TERM MEANS TOMORROW.
I MEAN, REALLY SHORT TERM IS NOT FAST ENOUGH FOR US BECAUSE WE HAVE FATALITIES THAT WE JUST DEALT WITH LAST WEEK.
SO FOR US, THESE ACTIVITIES CAN TAKE US THREE TO SIX MONTHS TO DO THE MID-BLOCK CROSSING BASED ON THOSE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED ALREADY HAVE THE DESIGN COMPLETED FOR THEM.
MY NEXT WELCOME QUESTION IS ON 3 1 1, AND IT'S SPECIFIC TO THE 3 1 1 APP.
AND I HAD A TOWN HALL A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, AND ACTUALLY A FEW WEEKS AGO I HAD ANOTHER ONE, AND THERE WAS A WOMAN WHO SAID SHE'S BEEN ASKING FOR 24 HOUR STAFFING OF 3 1 1.
AND I TOLD HER, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD, UM, DO THAT, BUT I WILL DEFINITELY ASK.
[01:10:01]
THEN THERE WAS A FOLLOW UP THIS, UM, A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO ABOUT THE 3 1 1 APP, AND I'VE EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF, LIKE I EVEN TRIED RIGHT NOW TO POP UP MY 3 1 1 APP AND IT'S NOT LOADING.AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE USER OF THE 3 1 1 APP RESIDES IN MY DISTRICT, THE NUMBER TWO DIS, UH, USER LIVES REALLY NEARBY, ACTUALLY IN D SIX.
AND HE'S A YOUNG MAN IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTIVELY USING THAT APP.
AND, UM, ONE OF THEM TALKED ABOUT HOW THE LAST SYSTEM UPDATE DIDN'T, UM, OR, OR, OR IS JUST MADE IT WORSE, HE SAID.
AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, AND I'M, I'M WORKING WITH BRIAN, UM, OR HE, HE WAS GONNA CONNECT WITH BRIAN DILLER TO GIVE FEEDBACK AND, YOU KNOW, JUST ADDITIONAL WAYS OF HOW TO IMPROVE.
I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE D SIX.
AND SO, UM, TRYING TO SEE HOW, HOW WE CAN CONNECT THEM, BUT WE KNOW THAT, THAT FOLKS WANNA USE THIS.
UM, SO I GUESS THE TWOFOLD QUESTION IS, TELL ME ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS TO ACTUAL, WHEN I CALL THE PHONE THREE ONE ONE AND THEN TO THE APP ITSELF.
HOW ARE YOU GONNA GET INPUT AND WHEN DO WE HOPE TO PUSH OUT THAT NEXT UPDATE FOR THE APP? SO THE FIRST QUESTION, UH, WELL, LEMME, LEMME START WITH THE SEC, THE, THE SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS ABOUT THE MOBILE APP.
SO WHEN WE HAVE ISSUES WITH THE MOBILE APP, I, I REALLY, I TROUBLESHOOT THOSE MYSELF.
LIKE I USE THE APP A FEW TIMES OVER THE WEEKEND.
I HAD A, A ISSUE ON TWITTER THAT SOMEONE WAS TELLING ME THEY COULDN'T ACCESS THE WEB PORTAL.
YEAH, WE SENT IT TO THE VENDOR YESTERDAY, IT GOT ADDRESSED TODAY.
SO WE DO RESPOND AND TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
UM, SO I DO, I DO WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT SPECIFICALLY THE ISSUES ARE.
I CAN, WE ALL KNOW FOR A FACT THE ANDROID VERSION OF THE APP IS A LITTLE QUIRKIER JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY ANDROIDS HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT VERSIONS.
WE DEFINITELY HAVE MORE, I'M GONNA CALL 'EM COMPLAINTS, RIGHT.
UH, BUT THE APP ITSELF, I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, I USE IT THREE TIMES OVER THE WEEKEND,
SO, AND I'M SORRY I DIDN'T BRING MY PHONE UP HERE.
OTHERWISE, OTHERWISE I WOULD'VE SAID, WELL, IT'S WORKING.
YEAH, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE IN CITY BUILDINGS, THAT'S WHERE I HAVE AN ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE ON A COASTAL WIFI OR IF YOU'RE ON THE ESSAY FREE WIFI OR WHATEVER WE CALL IT NOW, UM, THAT IS SOMETIMES AN ISSUE.
UM, BUT, UM, SO I DO, I WILL, I WOULD LIKE TO CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU AND UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, STAFFING IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WE ARE PROPOSING, UM, NINE, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES, UH, AND A SUPERVISOR TO BE ABLE TO, UM, BRING OUR SERVICE LEVEL WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
SO CALL CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ARE, ARE REALLY, UM, UM, EXCUSE ME, THE WORD IS ESCAPING ME, BUT THEY'RE REALLY LOOKED AT LIKE, HOW, WHAT IS YOUR SERVICE LEVEL? AND SO FOR US, WE HAVE A GOAL OF ANSWERING, UM, THIS YEAR IT WAS 70% OF OUR CALLS WITHIN 45 SECONDS OR LESS.
WE ARE NOT A 24 7 OPERATION, RIGHT? WE'RE, THAT'S LIMITED STAFFING.
SO, AND RIGHT NOW, UM, WE'RE, WE ARE HOPING TO ACHIEVE LIKE 45%, UH, OF OUR CALLS WITHIN 45 SECONDS.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT IS NOT A GOOD THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT PROUD OF THAT.
BUT THE SHEER VOLUME OF CALLS COMING INTO 3 1 1, THAT'S WHERE THAT PERFORMANCE MEASURE IS AT THE MOMENT.
UM, WITH THE NEW IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD GET US TO, UH, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER 66%, UM, AGAIN, STILL NOT WHERE WE SHOULD BE.
WE WERE, SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN THE CALL VOLUME WASN'T AS HIGH, WE WERE GETTING, WE HAD ACHIEVED 81% OF OUR CALLS, UH, WITHIN 45 SECONDS OR LESS, AND AT A 96% ANSWER RATE.
SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SERVICE LEVEL, HOW QUICKLY CAN YOU PICK UP THE CALL? UM, AND ANSWER RATE IS JUST PICKING IT UP ALTOGETHER, RIGHT? UH, AGAIN, RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT ABOUT 81%, UH, ANSWER RATE.
SO THERE'S STILL 19% OF OUR CALLS THAT ARE NOT GETTING ANSWERED.
'CAUSE WE'RE PEOPLE GET TIRED OF WAITING, RIGHT? THEY GET TIRED OF WAITING.
SO THESE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WILL HELP US ANSWER, UH, THOSE CALLS.
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND THE MENTAL HEALTH.
I, I KNOW THAT WE ALL HAD BEEN, OR WE HAD PROPOSED OR NOT PROPOSED, WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE CAHOOTS PROGRAM.
AND IS THERE, UM, IS IS WHAT YOU ALL ARE REFERRING TO, THE $3 MILLION ADDITIONAL FOR MENTAL HEALTH, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE CAHOOTS PROGRAM OR IS IT SOMETHING SIMILAR? UH, COUNCILWOMAN, SO THE $3 MILLION RIGHT NOW IS A PLACEHOLDER, UM, FOR THE, TO WAIT FOR THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION.
UM, RIGHT NOW, UM, THE, THE PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY PRESENTED TO COMMUNITY HEALTH INEQUITY LAST FRIDAY DID NOT INCLUDE KAHOOTS.
AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, IT WAS A TEAM COMPOSED OF A A E M S, UH, PERSONNEL, A, UM, MEDICAL, UM, CLINICIAN AND A POLICE OFFICER.
UM, SO, AND I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S YOU, MARIA, BUT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, JUSTICE AND TECHNOLOGY.
[01:15:01]
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND JENNIFER IS COMING TO THE PODIUM TO ADDRESS THAT.AND I, I'M, I'M ASSUMING IT'S A COMBINATION, JENNIFER, LIKE, YES.
SO THANK YOU AND THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP AGAIN.
EARLIER, I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU'RE NEW.
I'M ONE OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, THERE ARE FOUR BUNDLES AS WE'RE DESCRIBING THEM WITHIN THE STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN.
ONE OF THEM IS MENTAL HEALTH, ONE OF THEM IS HEALTH JUSTICE, ONE OF THEM IS TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE OTHER ONE IS ACCESS TO CARE.
SO THOSE ARE FOUR DISTINCT BUNDLES THAT YOU'LL BE HEARING QUITE A BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, AT THE GOAL SETTING SESSION.
UM, DID YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION? A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, I, YOU KNOW WHAT, I GUESS THE COMMA WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE AND IT THREW ME OFF.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING ACCESS TO CARE, HEALTH, JUSTICE AND TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT WAS JUST A GRAMMATICAL ERROR, BUT I'VE GOT IT.
UH, OVER THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS, THERE WERE 56 DEMOLITION PERMITS ISSUED IN DISTRICT FIVE.
AND IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 AND FISCAL YEAR 2021, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT 27 PROJECTS COMPLETED IN OR IN THE QUEUE VIA THE OWNER REHAB PROGRAM OR THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM.
UM, HOW MUCH FUNDING DOES STAFF PROJECT THAT WE'LL RECEIVE IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR? SO ARE YOU, UM, ON THE SPECIFICALLY COUNCILMAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE UNDER ONE ROOF AND THE, AND THE REHAB YEAH.
UH, COUNCILMAN RIGHT NOW, AND I'M GONNA ASK, UH, TO PULL THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUDGET, I THINK IT'S $28 MILLION THAT, THAT WE HAVE, UM, ALLOCATED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022.
WHEN WE COME BACK TO YOU, OUR GOAL SETTING SESSION, THEN WE'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE COMPONENTS.
UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT, IN 2019, WE HAD A PROGRAM THAT WE ENHANCED IN 2020, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD TO ADJUST SOME OF THAT FUNDING AND PUT IT MORE INTO, MORE INTO RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
SO WE'RE EVALUATING THOSE BUCKETS OF FUNDS THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT WE'LL HAVE THAT FOR THE GOAL SETTING SESSION NEXT FRIDAY.
AND IS THAT SEPARATE FROM THE SHOTGUN PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE? IT IS.
AND ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FUND THAT PROGRAM, THE SHOTGUN PILOT? YES.
I'M GOING TO SHIFT TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, CURRENTLY THERE ARE 122 SIDEWALK GAP MILES IN DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, SO HEADING INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET AND THE BOND, I WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THESE MILES AND AS WELL AS GET AN UPDATED REPORT ON HOW MANY OF THESE MILES ARE NEAR SCHOOLS, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PARKS.
UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET AN UPDATED DATA ON? Y YES MA'AM.
AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN ADVANCE OF NEXT, UH, FRIDAY'S CONVERSATION.
WE'LL, BETWEEN PUBLIC WORKS AND, UH, RAZZY AND, AND ROD SANCHEZ.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH RAZZIE SO WE COULD EXPLORE WHAT THAT PILOT PROGRAM LOOKED LIKE AND HOW WE COULD POTENTIALLY IMPLEMENT IT IN DISTRICT FIVE, UM, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
SO I'M GONNA SHIFT TO SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN DISTRICT FIVE.
UH, OVER THE LAST YEAR, UM, DISTRICT FIVE BUSINESSES ONLY SUBMITTED 81 APPLICATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL PERMITS, UH, WHICH WAS ONLY ABOUT HALF OF THE AVERAGE DISTRICT.
UM, SO HEADING INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP SMALL BUSINESSES IN DISTRICT FIVE ACCESS THESE APPLICATIONS AND PERMITS AND HOW WE SHOULD APPLY FOR THESE PERMITS.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THAT FURTHER WITH Y'ALL.
UM, IN THE PAST, I KNOW THE CITY HAD OPERATION FACELIFT, UM, AND THAT PROGRAM NO LONGER EXISTS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE EXPLORE, UM, BRINGING THAT PILOT PROGRAM BACK, UH, FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICTS WITH, UM, THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HEAVY ECONOMIC INVESTMENT.
PARKS, I'M GONNA SHIFT TO PARKS.
UM, IN DISTRICT FIVE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INVESTMENT IN ELMENDORF PARK.
UM, BUT WHEN WE LOOK TO CASTANO PARK, UM, THE RESTROOMS ARE IN DIRE NEED OF REPAIR.
LIKE THEY'RE JUST, THEY NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REMODELED.
SO EXPLORING, UM, MORE INVESTMENT IN OUR PARKS IN PARTICULAR IN CASTIANO PARKS IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE.
SAME THING WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, THE TEROS, THE ROOFS OVER OUR POOLS.
UM, CASTIANO PARK DOESN'T HAVE A POOL, SO WE ALWAYS JOKE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT POOL'S ALWAYS CLOSED.
'CAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO WORK THERE BECAUSE THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO SHADE.
SO IF WE COULD EXPLORE INVESTMENTS IN OUR PARKS, PROVIDE SHADES FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR WORKERS, AND THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRANT.
UM, I WANNA START WITH SLIDE 19.
[01:20:01]
SOMEONE, UH, LET ME KNOW, THIS CIVILIAN INCREASE, IS THAT CIVILIAN COMPENSATION INCREASE? IS THAT THE COLA OR IS THAT STEP PAY PLAN? UM, PAY PERFORMANCE.SO THAT RIGHT NOW IS JUST AN ALLOCATION COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, THERE'S, THAT IS A BUDGETED AMOUNT, IF YOU WILL.
WE HAVEN'T GOING INTO A CALLOUT PERFORMANCE PAY OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF PAY.
SO FOR PURPOSES OF THE TRIAL BUDGET IS JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN ALLOCATION EQUIVALENT TO 3% OF WAGES FOR CIVILIANS.
AND THEN I'LL MOVE ON TO SLIDE 21.
UH, I, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEALTH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL.
WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND GET THIS DONE.
BUT MY QUESTION IS WITH THE, THE, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
UH, WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF OPERATION THAT ARE GOING TO, UH, THIS TEAM IS GOING TO BE WORKING? AND, UH, CURRENTLY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS OUR ONLY 24 7 LINE THAT'S OPEN.
SO I'M JENNY HIXSON, I'M THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UH, HEALTH PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, SO THE PROPOSED EXPANSION IN THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO PILOT A 24 7 RESPONSE OUT OF ONE SUBSTATION.
YOU'RE CORRECT THAT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVOCATES AT ALL SUBSTATIONS THAT ARE THERE FROM ABOUT EIGHT TO 10, 8:00 AM OR 7:00 AM DEPENDING ON THE SUBSTATION, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY ADVOCATES THEY HAVE, WE KNOW THAT'S INSUFFICIENT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF HAVING THEM 24 HOURS A DAY IS THE RIGHT CALL, OR IF THERE'S ANOTHER PLACE THAT WE COULD BE INVESTING THOSE FUNDS THAT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT AND SERVE PEOPLE BETTER IN THE LONG RUN THAN IN CRISIS RESPONSE.
SO THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO PILOT THAT, ALSO, PILOT MORE CASE MANAGEMENT, AND THEN KIND OF EVALUATE, WHICH IS THE MORE SUCCESSFUL APPROACH.
I WOULD'VE LOVED FOR YOU TO PILOT IT IN DISTRICT THREE, BUT I DON'T HAVE A SUBSTATION YET.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO SLIDE, UH, 23.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 5 MILLION FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION, DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THESE PLANS ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE, UH, YET AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO MARKET THEM? HI COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, NO, WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET.
WE DO KNOW THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE, UM, COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND HELP THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE, THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE, UH, READY IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
SO, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GONNA BE WORKING, UM, THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS TO BRING SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THE NEED IS OUT THERE.
I THINK WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR THIS, UH, RECOVERY AND EQUITY.
BUT WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT TAKES IN THE, THE DIFFERENT, UH, COMMUNICATION, UH, FOR THINGS THAT, UH, OUR RESIDENTS USE.
AND I THINK THE COUNCILWOMAN, UH, LAST YEAR PROVED THAT WE, WE STILL NEED THAT PHONE LINE.
UM, TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY.
UM, THIS ALSO, DO WE HAVE THIS BROKEN DOWN INTO SPECIFIC DISTRICTS IN, UM, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO BRING THIS, UH, THIS SAFETY, THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND BIKE MASTER PLAN? DO WE HAVE THAT BROKEN INTO WHAT'S GONNA BE DONE IN THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS YET? UH, YES MA'AM.
WE HAVE A, UH, TAMIKA HAS A SCOPE OF, AND IT HAS IDENTIFIED PROJECTS, AND WE WILL, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S, UM, UH, PART OF THE LARGER CONVERSATION THAT YOU ALL WILL HAVE NEXT FRIDAY.
AND THIS IS, UH, JUST, I WANNA TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES AND THEIR POOL FOR COMPENSATION.
UH, AS WE KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
AND I THINK WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE ARPA FUNDINGS TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT, OH, WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE COMING ON AT $15 AN HOUR AND OTHERS THAT MAYBE CAME ON TO THE CITY AND WERE GETTING PAID MAYBE EVEN SIX 50.
'CAUSE PE CITY EMPLOYEES STAY FOR VERY LONG.
AND WITH THE STEP PLAY PLAN, UM, THAT, THAT REALLY HASN'T DONE.
SO, DO I LIKE THE 3% HERE? WHAT IS THAT ACTUALLY GONNA INCLUDE? UH, STEP COLA? DO WE HAVE THAT? NO, WE HAVE AN ALLOCATION, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL WORK THROUGH THAT THIS SUMMER.
BUT YOU'VE MENTIONED PAY PLAN TWICE.
AND LET ME, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PLATE PLAN THAT WE PUT ON HOLD IN THE 2020 BUDGET.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I HEARD FROM EMPLOYEES, UM, WHEN I BECAME CITY MANAGER WAS THE PAY PLAN, WHICH HAD BEEN
[01:25:01]
ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL 10 YEARS AGO.UM, HEAVILY WEIGHTED EMPLOYEES FROM YEARS ONE TO 10.
AND WE HAD EMPLOYEES THAT HAD BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR SEVEN YEARS WHO WERE MAKING PRACTICALLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS AN EMPLOYEE WITH 14 YEARS, 24 YEARS.
AND SO, UH, THAT YEAR IN FISCAL YEAR 20, WE PUT THE PAY PLAN ON HOLD, UM, WITH THE ANTICIPATION THAT IN THE SPRING OF 2020, WE WOULD REDO PAY PLAN 2.0.
WE'VE GOTTA GET BACK TO THAT IN 2021 BECAUSE THERE'S GOTTA BE A LARGER HORIZON FOR EMPLOYEE PAY THAN JUST THE FIRST 10 YEARS.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, PUBLIC WORKS PARKS, A LOT OF OUR OPERATIONAL DEPARTMENTS HAVE LONG TENURED EMPLOYEES.
AND SO THE PAY PLAN 2.0 HAS TO TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION, AND WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DO THAT THIS YEAR, OR THIS IN FISCAL YEAR 22.
I JUST, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT, UH, THAT GOT BACK ON TRACK.
AND THEN THAT IS, I DO DO AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, COURAGE THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON TOMORROW.
AND MAYBE THAT, THAT PROBABLY DOES NEED TO BE BROKEN UP A LITTLE MORE SO IT CAN BE, UM, LOOKED AT AND THE, AND THE CITIZENS UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE BETTER ALSO.
AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS, UH, ANDY AND I, IT'S CONVENIENT TO HAVE ANDY NEXT TO ME HERE.
UM, UH, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE WILL DRAFT UP A MOTION FOR, AND, AND WE'LL START WITH YOU COUNCILOR, COURAGE TO, SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION TO BREAK THAT UP AND THEN, UH, HAVE THAT SET FOR TOMORROW MORNING.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRA COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN IS THAT NEXT WEEK WHEN WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, OUR SIT DOWN AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS.
AND I KNOW THESE ARE BROAD CATEGORIES, BUT I'M STILL REALLY CONFUSED ABOUT F Y 20 AND 21.
WHAT WE CUT AND WHAT WE DEFERRED OUT OF BOTH OF THOSE BUDGETS.
AND ARE WE REPLENISHING EVERYTHING FROM 20 AND 21, NUMBER ONE, WITH EITHER, EITHER REVENUES COMING INTO THE CITY OR THROUGH THIS ARPA FUNDING? I'M, I'M STILL CONFUSED ON THAT.
AND THE REASON I'M CONFUSED 'CAUSE I, I KNOW IT AND I KEEP GOING BACK TO THE, THE STREET SITUATION WHERE WE CUT OUT $50 MILLION TO MAKE IT THROUGH, UM, THROUGH THE YEAR.
SO, AND I SEE THAT ONE SLIDE WHERE WE'RE ONLY SHOWING $46 MILLION IN OUR GENERAL FUND THAT WE'RE REPLENISHING WHY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EVEN COVERING THE STREETS THAT WE DEFERRED OUT OF 20 I, SO I NEED A BETTER EXPLANATION.
I NEED SOMETHING SHOWING THAT MORE CLEARLY WHAT WE DEFERRED OR WHAT WE CUT OUT OF OUR BUDGET FOR 20 AND 21.
AND ARE WE GONNA GET THAT MONEY BACK INTO OUR TWO YEAR PROGRAM TO REPLENISH WHAT WE TOOK OUT? WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK TO TRY TO LAY THAT OUT IN THOSE CATEGORIES.
AND I'LL JUST ADD A THIRD CATEGORY.
SO YOU TALKED ABOUT DEFERRALS REDUCTIONS AND A THIRD CATEGORY, I THINK WILL, WILL KIND OF MAYBE HELP KIND OF FRAME THIS ISSUE IS REVENUE LOSS.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE THREE DISTINCT THINGS THAT WE DEALT WITH.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT, UM, AND SHARE THAT WITH THE COUNCIL IN ADVANCE OF FRIDAY.
YEAH, AND MY NU MY NUMBER ONE WAS ALWAYS THAT STREET PROGRAM THAT WE CUT THAT $50 MILLION OUT OF, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST TO BE PUT BACK INTO THE BUDGET FOR 2022, THAT $50 MILLION RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
UM, SO THAT ON THE GLOBAL, GLOBAL BASIS, I, I, THAT WOULD REALLY HELP ME UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE PUTTING BACK INTO THE BUDGET.
UM, I'VE GOT A LOT OF DETAIL QUESTIONS HERE, BUT I I THINK A LOT OF THOSE WILL BE ANSWERED NEXT WEEK WHEN WE START WORKING THE BUDGET.
SO I'M GONNA FOREGO A LOT OF THESE, BUT I DO HAVE A, A COUPLE OF OVERALL QUESTIONS THAT I THINK, UH, WOULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND BETTER.
LIKE SAWS AND C P S RIGHT NOW, THEY'VE DEFERRED THE, UH, UH, DISCONNECTS, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND WHAT DO WE KNOW WHAT THEIR BALANCES ARE IN THOSE PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW FOR SAWS AND C P S? GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M BEN GELLE, I'M THE CITY'S CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
SO AS OF ABOUT MARCH 31ST, UH, THE C P S BALANCES IN TERMS OF THOSE OUTSTANDING MORE THAN 30 DAYS, WAS IN EXCESS OF A HUNDRED MILLION.
[01:30:01]
TO DISCONNECT, I THINK WERE IN THE 60 TO $65 MILLION RANGE.UH, ON THE SAW SIDE, AGAIN, AS OF MARCH 31ST, AROUND $37 MILLION, $38 MILLION IN TOTAL.
AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE, THOSE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT AROUND 30 MILLION.
DO WE KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GONNA, UM, START TO, UM, COLLECT ON THOSE PAST, PAST PAYMENTS? SO BOTH UTILITIES CONTINUE TO TALK WITH CUSTOMERS AND REACH OUT TO CUSTOMERS, ENCOURAGING THEM TO, UM, UH, SEEK ASSISTANCE, UH, THROUGH SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE SET UP, UH, TODAY.
BUT ALSO THEY OFFER, UH, BILL PAYMENT PLANS.
SO THEY ARE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO TALK WITH CUSTOMERS ABOUT THOSE OPTIONS.
UH, SAWS, I THINK AT THE BOARD OF MEETING LAST WEEK, UH, TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GONNA LIKELY RESUME, UH, DISCONNECTIONS IN THE FALL TIMEFRAME SOMEWHERE AROUND OCTOBER 1ST.
AND, UH, I DON'T BELIEVE C P S HAS PUT OUT A SPECIFIC TIMELINE.
I'LL ALSO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH BOTH UTILITIES TO, UH, CLOSER LOOK AT THOSE OUTSTANDING BALANCES TO SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO USE SOME OF OUR FEDERAL FUNDING TO CREATE A PROGRAM TO, UH, HELP WITH SOME OF THOSE OUTSTANDING BILLS.
THAT WOULD HAVE TO, I MEAN, BASED ON THE NUMBERS I JUST GAVE YOU, THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO HAPPEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OTHER TOOLS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE, UM, SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TODAY, BUT ALSO TO INCLUDE, UH, BILL PAYMENT ASSISTANCE OR BEING ABLE TO SPREAD YOUR OUTSTANDING BALANCE OVER SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH BOTH UTILITIES TO, TO HOPEFULLY COME BACK LATER IN THE SUMMER WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT.
SO LET'S JUST ASSUME THAT THEY'RE GONNA START THOSE PROGRAMS AND GET THESE BILLS PAID IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, STARTING IN THE FALL.
DID WE FIGURE IN, BECAUSE WE GET A PERCENTAGE OF THAT, UM, REVENUE, WERE THOSE DOLLARS INCLUDED IN, IN OUR PROJECTIONS? NO, SIR.
I DID NOT, UH, TRY TO FACTOR THAT, UH, IN, AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
I, I THINK WE'VE GOTTA DO A LOT MORE WORK WITH BOTH UTILITIES BEFORE I WOULD TRY TO FORECAST AND PUT SOMETHING INTO OUR BUDGET.
ALONG THOSE LINES, COUNCILMAN, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE FORECAST OF, OF, OF THEM BECOMING WHOLE OR THE FORECAST OF THE UNCOLLECTED RIGHT NOW? WELL, I, I THINK, I THINK IT GOES HAND IN HAND BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE GET, WHAT IS IT, 14% FROM C P S AND FOUR, 4%, 4% FROM SAWS.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALREADY SHOWING A SURPLUS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING FROM, FROM C P S.
I DIDN'T SAW SEE ANYTHING FROM SAWS IN HERE.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WILL FACTOR INTO OUR REVENUE AS WELL.
AND I'D LIKE TO GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER HANDLE ON THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF MONEY THAT, TO ME, THAT'S ALL PLUS MONEY THAT WE HAVEN'T FIGURED INTO THE BUDGET HERE.
AND SOMEHOW WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THAT AND AT LEAST BE COGNIZANT OF THAT ON OUR UPCOMING BUDGET.
YEAH, I I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
I THINK, UM, WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE ANALYSIS AROUND THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME OF IT WILL LIKELY ENTER INTO SOME OF THESE PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. SO THOSE OUTSTANDING BILLS WILL, WILL BE SPREAD OUT OVER TIME, SO YOU WON'T BE SEEING ALL OF THAT COMING IN AT ONE TIME.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK, UH, TO DO ON THAT BEFORE I THINK WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THE OTHER THING WE ALWAYS DO IS WE GET CLOSER TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT BOTH UTILITIES IN TERMS OF THE OUTLOOK FOR THE NEXT YEAR TO TWO YEARS TO SEE IF WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR PROJECTIONS.
UH, I MEAN, YOU'VE SEEN IT, UH, SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
THOSE MOVE CAN MOVE QUITE A BIT ON US DEPENDING UPON WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER.
SO THOSE WILL BE THINGS THAT WE WILL UPDATE AS PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND, UM, JUST LIKE WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW WITH, UH, ERCOT SAYING TO PULL BACK, I'M ASSUMING THAT MEANS THAT C P S WILL ACTUALLY BE SELLING MORE ELECTRIC TO THE GRID, UH, DURING THAT TIME.
IS THAT A GOOD ASSUMPTION OR BAD ASSUMPTION? IT DEPENDS.
SO, UM, AS LONG AS OUR GENERATION FLEET OR C P S GENERAL GENERATION FLEET IS RUNNING AND WE ARE MEETING OUR CUSTOMER LOAD, UM, THEN THERE IS THE POTENTIAL TO SELL EXCESS POWER INTO THE GRID IF IT'S NEEDED.
YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HONED A LITTLE BIT MORE IN, IN PREPARATION FOR THE BUDGET, UH, COMING UP TO HAVE, AND WE DO HAVE ASSUMPTIONS BUILT IN THE BASE BUDGET.
WE'RE ALWAYS, UH, THERE'S ALWAYS A BASE ASSUMPTION IN THE FORECAST, UH, ON TERMS OF HOW MUCH WE WILL SEE IN OFF SYSTEM SALES, AND THAT'S A FUNCTION OF, AGAIN, HOW MUCH YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO SELL INTO THE TEXAS POWER MARKET.
AND THEN THE OTHER FUNCTION'S GONNA BE AT WHAT PRICE.
SO, UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A BASE ON THAT, BUT WE'LL UPDATE THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN BEN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GUIDING US THROUGH THIS, UH, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
[01:35:01]
COMMITTEE, UH, MEETINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING.AND, AND THE CITY HAS ALREADY SEEN THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE, THE REPORT FROM, FROM THE COMMITTEE.
UM, IS THIS $5 MILLION THAT WE, YOU SHOWED, UH, TO COVER WHAT THE, THE TOTAL COST FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS? OR WHAT, WHERE ARE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FALLING IN THE BUDGET? OR ARE THEY WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT THEY WILL.
UM, AND SO THE $5 MILLION IS JUST KIND OF A, A BASIC ASSUMPTION RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE DONE, UM, A, UH, A REVIEW OF FACILITIES AND GENERATORS, GENERATOR NEEDS.
UM, SO WE'VE DONE SOME PRELIMINARY WORK DURING THE SPRING.
UM, THE COUNCIL'S TALKED ABOUT, UH, RESILIENCY STUDY, UH, THE COUNCILMAN APPLIES, TALKED ABOUT THAT SEVERAL TIMES.
SO THERE, THERE'S A COMPONENT IN THERE.
AND MARIA TALKED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS.
SO WE HAVEN'T LIKE DETAILED OUT, BUT WE KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE ADDED EXPENSE THAT WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS ON THE TOP OF EVERYBODY'S MIND AS WE GO INTO THE GOAL SETTING SESSION.
AND LOOKING AT, UH, SAWS AND C P S, THEY, THEY'VE GOT A TON OF RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.
AND, UH, I GUESS ARE THEY, CAN THEY APPLY FOR ANY OF THIS MONEY COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL? UH, OR DO THEY HAVE DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY THAT THEY CAN GO INTO ASKING FOR DOLLAR SUPPORT? OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UH, USE ARPA FUND TO HELP ARPA FUNDS TO HELP C P SS AND SAWS? I I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN USE ARPA FUNDS TO HELP THEM FOR WEATHERIZATION OR, UM, GENERATORS AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF AS A RESULT OF THE WEATHER OR, OR THOSE RELATED ISSUES.
I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE.
BUT DO THEY HAVE ANY PROGRAMS THAT, LIKE FEMA DID THEY, FEMA AND, UH, SAWS AND C P S HAD DAMAGE FROM THE STORM THAT WE HELPED THEM APPLY THROUGH FEMA FOR REIMBURSEMENT, BUT IT WAS FOR DAMAGE TO FACILITIES OR EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORM.
WELL, IF, IF WE COULD JUST MAKE SURE THAT YEAH, NO, THERE'S NO ABSOLUTE WAY THAT WE CAN HELP, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND, AND, UH, ANDY, ROD AND I HAD A, A MEETING EARLIER IN THE WEEK WITH, UH, MR. PUENTE AND HIS EXECUTIVE TEAM ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES, AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON, ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL BE COMING OUT, UM, AND BETTER COORDINATION.
UH, I, I'M LOOKING AT THE THREE ONE ONE CALL CENTER AND OPEN RECORDS REQUEST IMPROVEMENTS OF $1.3 MILLION ON THE PAGE 24.
UH, HOW IS THAT GONNA BE DIVIDED OUT? HOW MUCH TO THE 3 1 1 CENTER? HOW MUCH TO OPEN RECORDS? I'M SURE MARIA HAS IT MEMORIZED.
AND DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBER FOR 3 1 1 900,000 I THINK IT IS.
AND THEN THE REST TO OPEN RECORDS, NOT ALL OF IT.
SO WE WE HAVE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS, COUNCILMAN? UM, UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TWO, LET ME GET YOU THE NUMBER.
LEMME JUST HAVE THE BUDGET OFFICE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS, MARIA DOESN'T KNOW THE NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF HER HEAD.
UH, THE
SO, UM, I I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT I, I THINK CHIEF MCMANUS, YOU, YOU'LL AGREE WITH ME IF MY COUNT IS CORRECT IN 2020 AND SO FAR IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 20 21, 39 WOMEN HAVE BEEN MURDERED IN SAN ANTONIO.
IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? BY THEIR, UH, BY SOMEBODY IN THEIR FAMILY THAT THEY KNOW.
UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO WE HAD A WOMAN KILLED IN FRONT OF HER CHILDREN
UH, AND IT DOESN'T SEEM, SEEM LIKE THOSE NUMBERS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER OVER THE FOUR YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, CHIEF, HAVE THEY, AM I WRONG? I HOPE I'M WRONG.
AND MUCH TO YOUR FRUSTRATION, I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND THIS IS NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART AS WELL.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY ONE AGENCY IN TOWN WHOSE, WHOSE HOOD I GET TO LOOK UNDER.
AND SO I'LL JUST USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND I'M NOT GONNA ADVOCATE ANDY, I'M JUST GONNA MENTION WHAT I KNOW.
UM, THE COUNTY, UM, OUT FUNDS THEM BY A LOT.
UH, THE BATTERED WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER FOR WHATEVER REASONS, RIGHT? THEY GET, UH, $223,000 FOR SHELTER.
THEY GET $148,000 FOR COUNSELING PROGRAMS. UM, THEY GET $50,000 TO HOUSE A PERMANENT EMPLOYEE AT THE COURTHOUSE TO HELP PROCESS PROTECTIVE ORDERS.
[01:40:01]
FOR BATTERERS INTERVENTION PROGRAMS, WHICH HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE THE SOLUTION, UH, TO A LOT OF THESE, UH, FUTURE, UM, FUTURE CASES.WE KNOW THAT, UH, JENNY, UH, HICKSON, I THINK YOU'RE IN, YOU'RE IN HERE.
WE KNOW THAT WHAT ONE IN THREE OR ONE IN FOUR WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO HAVE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STORY TO TELL, OR WILL HAVE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STORY TO TELL? UM, SO FRANKLY, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT ALL THE PAGES THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND I SAW SOMEWHERE BROADBAND AND SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS FOR $1.6 MILLION IS THAT PHYSICAL SECURITY OF OUR PO.
UM, THAT'S AN ALLOCATION FOR SOME PHYSICAL, BUT SOME CYBER, UM, AND, UM, AND, AND SOME TWO POSITIONS TO KIND OF LEAD A BROADBAND EFFORT.
AND THEN I SAW, YOU KNOW, MONEY FOR, AND I HEARD YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU NEED MORE MONEY FOR SIDEWALK GAP IN DISTRICT FIVE.
IT'S, IT'S NOT GOOD WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE WITH YOUR SIDEWALK.
AND IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE IT WAS, UH, PAID ATTENTION TO.
AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SIDEWALK GAP ON THE NORTH SIDE AS WELL.
UM, AND A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS THAT CAN'T GET, YOU KNOW, FROM THEIR HOME TO C V S AND THAT SIDEWALK GAP IS IMPORTANT.
BUT IF I WERE MEANT, IF I WERE ASKED TO CHOOSE, I'D RATHER ROZY POUR LESS CEMENT OR POUR IT SLOWER IF IT MEANT THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE AMOUNT TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGENCIES ACROSS THE BOARD, WHOEVER THOSE AGENCIES ARE, BECAUSE DOING NOTHING GETS US NOTHING.
AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE NOT DOING NOTHING, JENNY, BUT I THINK THE AMOUNT THAT WE'VE ALLOTTED THE BATTERED WOMEN IN CHILDREN'S SHELTER HASN'T CHANGED IN LIKE 15 TO 20 YEARS.
IS THAT RIGHT? 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S $250,000 CONSISTENTLY OVER THE PAST 15 OR 20 YEARS.
UM,
I DO KNOW WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COASTA R F P PROCESS, SO I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T COMMENT ON THAT AT ALL.
SO IT'S COME TO NO, THERE'S, 'CAUSE WE'RE SO IT COME TO NO, IS NO SECRET THAT I KNOW THAT SPECIFICALLY.
AND SO, AND SO THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS NOT THAT WE'RE DOING ANYTHING WRONG, BUT, BUT WE SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES BY HOW WE FUND OUR PRIORITIES, RIGHT? UM, AND I CONSIDER MY JOB AS A COUNCIL PERSON TO LEAVE FEWER CADAVERS BEHIND, UM, THAN PRIORITIZE.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT I WAS WANTING TO ASK YOU, RIGHT? BENCHES AT, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR SPECIFIC PARKS WHERE I DON'T HAVE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF BENCHES.
I'D RATHER PEOPLE NOT HAVE BENCHES IF IT MEANS THAT I CAN SAVE ANOTHER WOMAN FROM HAVING TO BE MURDERED IN FRONT OF HER CHILDREN.
RIGHT? AND SO, UM, I'M GONNA KEEP HARPING ON THAT.
I I THINK THAT WE CAN DO BETTER.
UH, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PRIORITIES.
THERE'S AN ENDLESS NUMBER OF PRIORITIES AND NEEDS IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT THERE'S A VERY LIMITED POT OF MONEY.
I KNOW THAT A BILLION HERE, A BILLIONAIRE SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, ONCE IT'S ALLOTTED FOR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS AND POLICE AND FIRE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO, NOT MUCH MORE IS LEFT.
RIGHT? BUT WE CONTINUE TO EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS.
ERIC, AND I THINK I'M BEATING A DEAD HORSE, UH,
UM, THE CHIEF, YOU WANNA WEIGH IN? YEAH.
JUST, UH, FOR THE RECORD, 39 LAST YEAR, 12 THIS YEAR.
UH, YEAH, IT DOESN'T MAKE FEEL ANY BETTER, RIGHT? UM, AND I THINK IT WAS 30 SOMETHING THE YEAR BEFORE THAT.
AND SO, UM, I HAVE A, I I DO, I I I, I SEE THE WORD ASSUMPTIONS IN ONE OF OUR SLIDES.
YOU, BEN, GO, YOU HAD THE ASSUMPTIONS UP THERE.
AND ONE OF THOSE ASSUMPTIONS WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT MEDICAL INFLATIONARY, UM, YOU KNOW, CONSEQUENCES OF THE ECO THIS ECONOMY AND ALSO THE INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF COMMODITIES, RIGHT? I MEAN, ALL BUILDERS IN SAN ANTONIO ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE INCREASE IN, WHAT IS IT? STEEL CEMENT, WOOD PAINT, P V C, PIPE, GYPSUM, ALL THAT.
UM, AND WE'RE, THAT, WE'RE SUBJECT TO THOSE SAME PHENOMENA, THAT ASSUMPTION IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS FACT AND IS EMPIRICALLY PROVEN OUT.
I I THINK A LOT OF OTHER ASSUMPTIONS THOUGH, UM, NEED TO, TO BE LESS ASSUMED, WHICH IS WHY THAT RESILIENCY STUDY IS SO IMPORTANT, RIGHT? AND I, AND I'M GONNA KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHEN WE MEET.
AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, UM, WE, THESE ASSUMPTIONS NEED TO BE INFORMED BY AS MUCH SOLID DATA AS POSSIBLE.
AND I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT YOU ARE MY CITY MANAGER WHO IS, UH, WILLING ENOUGH TO BE VULNERABLE ENOUGH TO, UH, DO A META ANALYSIS OF WHERE WE CAN POLISH UP OUR RESILIENCY AND LEARN NEW THINGS ABOUT OURSELVES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF A RESILIENCY STUDY COSTS, UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M EAGER TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
AND THEN, UH, LASTLY I'LL TELL YOU, UM, WE'RE GONNA, REGARDING THIS, UM, A R P A FUNDING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH LIKE WE ALWAYS DO, AND IT'S OKAY.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE OFTENTIMES VERY LEGITIMATE.
THE PERENNIAL COMPLAINTS THAT WE DON'T ADEQUATELY FUND OR UNDERFUND FAMILY SERVICES, EDUCATION, HOMELESSNESS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HEALTH DISPARITIES, AND ALL THE OTHER SOCIAL SAFETY NET, UH, UM, POTS THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
BUT I, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, MAYOR, THAT WE TELL THE STORY, NOT JUST HERE, BUT ALSO EVERYWHERE OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, THAT SAN ANTONIO IS
[01:45:01]
STEPPING UP AND IT'S USING ITS ARPA FUNDING AND THAT WE USED OUR CARES FUNDING TO DO THINGS THAT WE'D NEVER DONE BEFORE.UM, AND I, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY DOES COME TO THIS COUNCIL AND SAY, OH, YOU GUYS DON'T CARE ABOUT X, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL REFERENCE THE LIST, I JUST, YOU KNOW, RATTLED OFF.
I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO SAY, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
UM, MAYBE NOT TO THE TOMB OF THE DOLLARS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO, BUT OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE DONE WHAT NO OTHER CITY COUNCILS HAVE DONE IN THE HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO, RIGHT? UM, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UM, MORE THAN HALF A BILLION DOLLARS ERIC, UM, FOR THESE SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROJECTS.
AND SO, UH, I, I DO THINK THAT, UH, IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO GIVE FULL THROATED, UM, CLARITY TO THE, TO THE FACTS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, EXIST ON THE TABLE.
SO ANYWAY, I, I'M PROUD OF YOU GUYS.
I REALLY AM MARIA, BEN, UH, YOUR CREW.
I'VE GOTTEN TO MEET SOME OF YOUR INTERNS ALREADY AND SOME OF THE YOUNG FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING, UH, ON THIS BUDGET.
AND, UM, THEY DON'T LOOK YOUNG FOR VERY LONG 'CAUSE YOU REALLY PUT 'EM THROUGH THE GRINDER,
UH, AND SO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE TO ALL OF THEM, UM, UH, WHO ARE WORKING HERE, UH, AND, AND DOING IT.
AND I KNOW SOME OF THEM ARE WATCHING 'EM.
I'M, I'M PROUD OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF 'EM, PARTICULARLY A YOUNG WOMAN NAMED STEPHANIE WHO WORKS FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR TEAM.
AND COUNCILMAN, JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON THE BREAKOUT BETWEEN 3 1 1 AND OPEN RECORDS REQUEST.
SO, UM, 3 1 1 IS, UH, UM, ABOUT $500,000.
AND OPEN RECORDS REQUEST IS THE BALANCE OF THAT AMOUNT.
UM, WE ARE ADDING RESOURCES ON THE OPEN RECORDS REQUEST TO BOTH, UM, G P A AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GETS PROBABLY OVER 90% OF THE OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS THAT WE GET ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND SO TO THE, UM, TO THE CLERKS WHO ARE WORKING ON THE OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS AND ANSWERING THEM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA WANNA BURN MY HOUSE DOWN TONIGHT AFTER THEY HEAR ME SAY THIS, BUT I'D RATHER NOT SPEND THAT MONEY IF IT MEANS THAT WE CAN MOVE SOME OF THAT OVER TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND, UM, AND IF IT MEANS THAT OUR OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS PROCESS STAYS A LITTLE CLUNKIER UNTIL WE CAN START REALLY SOLVING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THEN, THEN SO BE IT.
UM, AND MARIA, THE SQUARE ROOT OF THAT NUMBER IS
SO THE COUNCILMAN ASKED ME A QUESTION, WHAT WAS THE POLICE BUDGET IN 1985? FIVE.
AND I HAVE A VERY SMART ASSISTANT IN THE BACK, KEVIN ORTON, AND THE NUMBER IS 65 MILLION.
THAT WAS THE POLICE, BUT IN THE GENERAL FUND,
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
AND I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL AND COUNCILWOMAN RHA GARCIA.
'CAUSE THEY ASKED A QUESTION, UM, AND I JUST WANT CLARIFICATION ON IT FOR 3 1 1.
UM, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MOST OF THE 500,000 THAT'S GONNA BE ALLOTTED TO THE THREE ONE ONE CALL CENTER IS GOING TO BE FIRST STAFFING.
SO TO CREATE THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
THAT'S THE CURRENT PLAN, COUNCILMAN? YES, SIR.
UM, CAN WE EXPECT ANY CHANGES TO OPERATIONS OR DO WE BELIEVE THAT, UM, TO IMPROVE THE EFFICACY? UM, OR C CAN WE EXPECT ANY CHANGES IN OPERATIONS TO IMPROVE EFFICACY? OR DO WE BELIEVE THAT THE GAPS THAT EXIST CAN BE FULFILLED, UM, JUST THROUGH STAFFING? THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE, WE HAVE VERY STRICT STANDARDS FOR ALL OF OUR CALL CENTER, UH, STAFF.
UH, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE, YOU KNOW, IN A READY STATE SITTING, READY TO BE ANSWERING A FALL, 90% OF THEIR ENTIRE SHIFT.
SO, UH, THEY'RE HELD TO PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, THEY'RE HELD TO QUALITY ASSURANCE, UH, STANDARDS.
SO IT, IT REALLY IS ABOUT BODIES AND SEATS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE CALLS FOR THE VOLUME THAT'S COMING IN.
UM, AND THEN, UH, WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TECH UPDATES, UM, I WAS WONDERING, CAN WE EXPECT ANY CHANGES TO THE APP? UM, THE, THE UPDATES THAT WERE, THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW FOR THE APP ARE SO THAT IN THE MOBILE APP, YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE YOUR REQUEST THAT YOU HAPPEN TO CALL IN FOR MM-HMM.
AND THAT IS RIGHT NOW IN, UM, ACTUALLY PENDING WITH BOTH THE GOOGLE AND THE UH, UH, APP STORE.
AND THEN I GUESS MAYBE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, THAT'S THE ONLY UPDATE RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE, ARE LOOKING AT.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING RIGHT NOW THAT, UM, CURRENTLY IT REALLY ONLY GIVES STATUS UPDATES SUCH AS, UH, LIKE WORK START, BUT CONSTITUENTS CAN'T SEE NECESSARILY, UM, NOTES LIKE WE LEFT A DOOR HANGER OR WHAT SPECIFICALLY WHAT SPECIFIC ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN.
UM, I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE ANY WAY FOR THAT TO BE CONSIDERED? SO ACTUALLY YOU
[01:50:01]
CAN, WHEN YOU OPEN UP A FLAG, AND IRONICALLY I'M HAVING ISSUES WITH MY APP RIGHT NOW,UH, BUT, UH, WHEN YOU OPEN UP A FLAG, YES, YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE THE STANDARDIZED WORKFLOW THAT WE IMPLEMENTED AS PART OF THE DECEMBER, 2019 UPDATE.
UM, UM, SO NOT ONLY ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE THE STATUS, BUT THEN YOU'RE ALSO ABLE TO SEE THE NOTES.
SO WHEN YOU OPEN UP EACH FLAG, UM, THE NOTES THAT ARE PUT IN, NOT BY 3 1 1, BUT BY THE DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE RESPONDING TO THE REQUESTS, YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE THOSE NOTES IN A VERY STRUCTURED FORMAT, UM, WITHIN THE FLAG.
SO THAT'S, YOU'RE THE CITIZEN CAN SEE THEM.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE WEB PORTAL, YOU OPEN UP A REQUEST.
NOW, ANYTHING PRIOR TO DECEMBER, 2019, UM, YOU, UM, YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO SEE THE STANDARDIZED WORKFLOW, BUT YOU ARE STILL ABLE TO SEE THE STRUCTURED NOTES.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE NOTES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PRE-IDENTIFIED BY ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS FOR ALL OF THEIR SERVICE REQUESTS.
SO AGAIN, I WAS TRYING MY APP AND THEN THERE IS A, SOMEHOW I'M NOT ABLE TO
I'VE ALREADY TEXTED THE, THE MOBILE APP VENDOR.
UM, BUT I'LL DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SITTING DOWN WITH YOU AND WORKING, UH, AND SHOWING YOU, UM, ALL OF THAT FUNCTIONALITY.
AND THEN THIS WAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, THE OPEN RECORD REQUEST FUNDING.
UM, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT 90% OF THAT IS GOING TO BE GOING TO SS A P D FOR OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS.
SO WE HAVE, UH, WHAT I MENTIONED COUNCILMAN, IS OF THE TOTAL OPEN REQUEST, OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS THAT WE GET ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, ROUGHLY ABOUT 90% OKAY.
ARE RELATED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR HANDLED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
JUST A, A FEW QUESTIONS IN, IN THE SECOND ROUND, UM, WHEN CAN WE ANTICIPATE TO SEE THE RESULTS FOR THE SA SPEAK UP SURVEY? UH, COUNCILMAN, WE'LL HAVE THAT, UM, AS PART OF, THAT'LL BE FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE I OF THE, UH, AGENDA ON, ON FRIDAY MORNING NEXT WEEK.
AND IS THERE ALSO A WAY TO SEE SOME TYPE OF SUMMARY OF THE 3 1 1 CALLS THAT HAVE RE BEEN RECEIVED IN THE PAST, UH, IN THE PAST YEAR? I, I THINK THE ESSAY SPEAK UP, UH, TOOL IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
UH, I ALSO THINK WE RECEIVE BUDGET INPUT ALL YEAR LONG.
WHEN PEOPLE CONTACT US AND TELL US WHAT THEY WANT.
AND WE, AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE A, A WEALTH OF THAT INFORMATION IN EACH OF OUR, OUR COUNCIL OFFICES.
AND, AND WE'LL SEND THOSE TO YOU SEPARATELY OF COURSE, BUT IS THERE A WAY TO SEE THAT, RIGHT.
WE CAN, I THINK WE CAN INCLUDE WITHIN NEXT WEEK'S PRESENTATION KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OR PROFILE OF THE YEAR IN THREE IN ONE CALLS.
UM, AND, UH, SEND YOU, UH, MY OFFICE WILL SEND YOU A SEPARATE, UH, MEMO REGARDING A DISTRICT SPECIFIC REQUEST THAT WE HAVE AMONG THEM, OF COURSE, YOU'LL CONTINUE TO SEE SIDEWALKS, DRAINAGE, AND ALLEY ISSUES, UH, THAT WE HAVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN, ALONG WITH A CONSIDERATION FOR THE NEW PARK LAND THAT WE ACQUIRED AND A POSSIBLE, UM, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR, FOR THAT PARK.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WHEN WE GO INTO STREET FUNDING ALLOCATION, IT'S A HUGE PART OF OUR BUDGET.
AFTER, AFTER PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, YOU HAVE DEVELOPED A NEW TOOL.
AND, AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT AT THE RETREAT, IS, IS YOUR TOOL, UM, TAKES A, TAKES A COMBINATION OF HOW BIG THE STREET NETWORK IS, RIGHT.
AND I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE OF COURSE VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT IN FACT, WE DISCUSSED THIS RECENTLY ON A, AT AN AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING, THAT THE I M P ISN'T THE ONLY SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR, FOR STREET REPAIRS THAT WE HAVE THINGS LIKE, UM, THE BOND ALLOCATIONS THAT WE RECENTLY HAD, AS WELL AS POSSIBLY YOU MIGHT HAVE TOURS, UH, FUNDED IMPROVEMENTS.
SO, UH, FROM AN AREA REPRESENTING A DISTRICT THAT DOES NOT HAVE A TOURS IN IT, REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT THAT HAD THE LEAST AMOUNT OF FUNDING IN THE LAST, UH, STREETS BOND PROPOSITION, 11 MILLION OUT OF $440 MILLION, I WOULD, UH, KINDLY SUGGEST THAT WE LOOK AT AN ALTERNATIVE WAY OF DISTRIBUTING THOSE FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN ALSO IMPROVE OUR STREETS.
WELL, AND, AND YOU HIT UPON SOMETHING THAT, THAT I KNOW THAT THIS COUNT THE, THE COUNCIL'S FAMILIAR WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, AND I, I, I THINK WE NEED TO BETTER ALIGN OUR FIVE YEAR I M P WITH OUR FIVE YEAR BOND PROGRAM.
UM, AND, AND WE'VE GOT SOME IDEAS WE'LL INTRODUCE THEM.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THEY'LL REALLY, IM WILL NECESSARILY MAY IMPACT THE BUDGET IN 2022
[01:55:01]
GLOBALLY, BUT THEY WILL IN 23 AND IT'LL, IT'LL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, ROUGHLY ABOUT 30% OF OUR ANNUAL ALLOCATION, OUR ANNUAL STREET MAINTENANCE ALLOCATION IS BEING DIRECTED TOWARDS COMPLETE RECONSTRUCTIONS.THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY BOND PROGRAMS AND THEY'RE TAKING US 24 MONTHS TO DO, NOT 12 MONTHS.
AND SO HOW DO WE REALIGN THAT, UM, WITH THE BOND PROGRAM, UM, SO THAT WE CAN DO ANNUAL STREET MAINTENANCE 12 MONTHS AND MAYBE BE ABLE TO LOOK AT OTHER MOBILITY TYPE OF FACETS, UH, REGARDING TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK WE'RE ON THE SAME CHANNEL.
SO, AND, UH, LASTLY ANOTHER THING I'D LIKE FOR US, US TO, TO SEE AT THE RETREAT IS AN, AN UPDATE ON THE ALAMO PROMISE FUNDING AS WELL AS THE, THE LARGE INVESTMENT WE MADE INTO HOUSING.
AND, AND IN PARTICULAR, AS YOU KNOW, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN PRESERVING EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHAT THAT'S GOING MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN OUR HOME ALLOCATION OR IF WE ARE RESORTING TO TOTS FOR, FOR ANY OF THOSE.
AND I WILL MAKE MY LAST PLUG FOR THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE.
UH, WE PROVIDED THEM SEED FUNDING IN THE, UH, I THINK TWO, TWO YEARS AGO.
THEY RECENTLY GAVE AN UPDATE TO OUR, TO OUR COMMITTEE.
THEY'RE DOING PHENOMENAL WORK.
UM, AND, UH, WE'LL NEED A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPORT BEFORE THEY'RE ENTIRELY, UH, INDEPENDENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, I, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT A COUPLE OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL PEOPLE HAVE POINTED OUT I, AND ADD MY VOICE TO THEM, UH, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT VIOLENCE TO WOMEN AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HOW LITTLE IS ALLOCATED.
AND THEN EARLIER I HAD TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 2 MILLION MORE DOLLARS INTO HOMELESS.
WELL, I THINK THAT $2 MILLION MIGHT BE BETTER SERVED GOING INTO PROGRAMS TO PROTECT WOMEN AND FAMILIES FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO ADD MY THOUGHT TO THAT.
ALSO, I WANT TO THANK COUNCILWOMAN GRO FOR WHAT SHE MENTIONED ABOUT THE PAY STEP PROGRAM.
'CAUSE I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT AND MAYBE MANY OF US HAD, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I DIDN'T SEE, AND I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, ERIC, IS, UH, TRYING TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT.
WAS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR TRIAL BUDGET THAT SHOWED AN ADJUSTMENT TO THAT PROGRAM? WHICH PROGRAM? IS THAT AGAIN? THE STEP PAY STEP PROGRAM? NO, THERE ISN'T BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT REDONE THE STEP PAY PLAN THAT WAS, THAT WAS TO BE DONE THIS FISCAL YEAR.
THAT WE DID NOT, WE DID NOT DO WE'LL NEED TO, BUT I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT NOW AND THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA MEAN ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT ORDER IN ORDER TO STRETCH THAT OUT AND MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT FAIR, THAT CERTAINLY WILL REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL DEDICATION OF FUNDS SPECIFICALLY IN 23.
WELL, OH, SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE THINKING THAT IT'S SOMETHING WOULDN'T BE IMPLEMENTED TILL 2023? POSSIBLY.
THAT'S TOO BAD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T GIVE ANYBODY A PAY INCREASE LAST YEAR AND NOW WE'RE NOT GONNA GIVE THEM AS THAT GROWTH THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR.
I, I COMPLETELY, MY HIGHEST PRIORITY OF CITY MANAGER IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES GET A PAY ADJUSTMENT.
AND SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO, UM, I THINK WE OUGHT TO DO THAT.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, UM, IN THE DECEMBER UPDATE, IT WAS THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION I GAVE YOU, WE PUT IT IN THE FORECAST.
UM, PART OF THAT IS ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE WORK WITH THE EMPLOYEES ON WHAT THAT STATE, UH, THAT STEP PAY PLAN LOOKS LIKE THROUGH THE EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
UM, BECAUSE, UM, I, BEYOND, BEYOND JUST ONE FISCAL YEAR, THIS IS GONNA REQUIRE A COMMITMENT OF RESOURCES GOING FORWARD PERMANENTLY BECAUSE IT'S RESTRUCTURING 60, WELL, 4,500 EMPLOYEES PAY.
WELL, I HOPE WE CAN MOVE THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION, WE SAW NOTHING IN HERE ABOUT THE SS A P O A CONTRACT, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT DOLLARS THAT IS, BUT I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN GET IT, LOOK AT IT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IF WE GOT IT THE WAY WE WANTED IT, WHAT IS THE OUTSIDE AMOUNT THAT WE'D BE LOOKING AT INCREASING OUR BUDGET TO, TO MEET THAT ADD EXPECTATION COUNCILMAN? SO RIGHT NOW, THE CITY'S PROPOSAL THAT IS ON THE TABLE, UH, FOR YEAR ONE, WHICH IS FISCAL YEAR 2022 FOR WAGES IS A 0%.
UH, AND THAT IS BECAUSE IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, THEY GOT A 5%, UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
SINCE THIS IS A TWO YEAR BALANCE BUDGET, THE CITY'S PROPOSAL IS A 2% WAGE INCREASE.
AND THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET NUMBERS THAT, THAT WE SHARE WITH YOU TODAY FOR 2023.
BUT WE DON'T ANTICIPATE ANYTHING IN 2022 BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROPOSAL.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE.
THE NEGOTIATIONS WILL CONTINUE.
[02:00:01]
OKAY.UH, ONE OTHER PART OF THIS I THINK IS A LOT OF US HAVE, HAVE BEEN SAYING WE'D LIKE TO SEE A LOT OF, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES IN THE HANDS OF OTHER PROFESSIONALS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT USING CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS TO GO AHEAD AND ISSUE THE, TO ANSWER THOSE CALLS FOR NOISE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
MAYBE IT'S A, A NOISY BUSINESS OR A BARKING DOG, OR A NEIGHBOR HAVING A PARTY, OR MAYBE IT'S FIREWORKS OR MAYBE IT'S GRAFFITI, UH, OR MAYBE IT'S A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS OR MAYBE IT'S A DOMESTIC ARGUMENT, OR MAYBE IT'S HOMELESSNESS.
BUT IF WE CAN FIND OTHER PROFESSIONALS TO TAKE OVER THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES, THAT FREES PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS POLICE TO BE OUT DOING OTHER MORE SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF THEIR JOB.
BUT I HADN'T SEEN ANYTHING IN THIS TRIAL BUDGET THAT INDICATES THAT WE ARE GOING TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES TO GO THAT WAY.
SO DID I JUST MISS IT, OR IS IT IN THE PLANNING STAGE OR WHAT? SURE.
SO, UM, EXCELLENT QUESTION, COUNCILMAN.
WE, WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE PROCESS OF DOING A REVIEW OF POLICE SERVICES THROUGH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
AND WE'LL BE PROVIDING A BRIEFING TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ON THE 23RD NEXT WEEK ON THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT.
AND WE ARE LOOKING TO YOUR POINT TO SOME CALLS THAT PERHAPS COULD BE A HANDLE IN A, IN A DIFFERENT MANNER.
UH, WE'RE DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL, AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING INFORMED BY THE 27 COMMUNITY MEETINGS WE HELD ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO HELD ABOUT 12, UM, MEETINGS WITH DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
AND JUST THIS WEEK I MET WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS ALSO TO GET THEIR INPUT.
SO THAT BRIEFING GOES TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK.
AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE AS PART OF THE GOAL SETTING SESSION TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THOSE POTENTIAL CALLS, TO YOUR POINT THAT COULD BE HANDLED DIFFERENTLY, GET YOUR FEEDBACK.
SO IN THE MONTH OF JULY, WE CAN FINALIZE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THAT'LL BE PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, RIGHT? IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HIRING MORE CODE COMPLIANCE PEOPLE OR BRINGING IN OTHER MENTAL HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS OR SOCIAL WORKERS TO DEAL WITH THESE PROBLEMS, THEN IT'S GONNA COST US.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SEE THAT IN OUR BUDGET BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR ALONG.
AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD, UM, FOR, FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY DELIBERATE IN ANY STRUCTURAL CHANGES WE MAKE IN THOSE TYPES OF CALLS.
AND I THINK THE, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT THIS WEEK FROM POLICE OFFICERS WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN KIND OF ROUNDING OUT WHAT WE HEARD AT THE 27 MEETINGS.
UM, BUT ALLOWING OFFICERS MORE TIME TO BE PROACTIVE OR DEAL WITH, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR SCHOOLS OR WHAT, OR WHATEVER, WILL REQUIRE AN INVESTMENT OF RESOURCES IN OTHER PLACES.
AND, AND WE COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO GROW INTO.
IT'S NOT JUST THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET.
IT'S KIND OF A STRUCTURAL CHANGE FROM A SERVICE STANDPOINT AND THAT WE ALL SEE THE BENEFIT OF.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, COUNCILMAN.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHO THIS QUESTION IS FOR, BUT IT KIND OF RELATED TO COUNCILMAN PERRY'S QUESTION EARLIER.
UM, AND IT WAS ABOUT THE GENERATORS, BUT MINE IS SPECIFIC TO THE RISK MITIGATION PLAN.
HAVE WE REVIEWED THE RISK MITIGATION PLAN AND IDENTIFIED, UM, OR DO WE HAVE A PLAN TO PRIORITIZE WHICH BUILDINGS GET THE GENERATORS FIRST OUT OF THIS? AND, AND HOW MUCH OF THE $5 MILLION WOULD EVEN BE CONSIDERED TO GO FOR GENERATORS? SURE.
SO, UM, BENEFIT OF OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THE CITY HAS WHAT WE CALL A HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN THAT IS UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UH, THE LAST, UM, UPDATE WE DID WAS IN 2021.
AND, UH, WE ARE GONNA BRING THAT TO COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER.
IT WENT, IT WAS APPROVED BY FEMA.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNCIL.
AND THAT HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN IDENTIFIES, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OR OPTIONS FOR US TO MITIGATE SOME OF OUR HAZARDS IDENTIFIED IN THAT PLAN.
ONE OF THOSE ACTIONS IS HAVING, UM, BACKUP GENERATORS TO SOME OF OUR FACILITIES.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN, WE HAVE DONE AN ANALYSIS OF OUR FACILITIES AND PRIORITIZE THOSE PRIORITIES.
OUR PRIORITY ONES INCLUDE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, FIRE STATIONS, AND POLICE SUBSTATIONS.
WE ARE FINALIZING THE NUMBERS.
THE $5 MILLION WILL NOT ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE, UM, FACILITIES, BUT IT'LL BE A, A PHASE APPROACH.
SO OUR GOAL SETTING WILL BE PROVIDING YOU WITH AN UPDATE AND LETTING YOU KNOW TO DO THOSE PRIORITIES.
ONE AND TWO, HOW LONG IT'LL TAKE US TO BE ABLE
[02:05:01]
TO DO THAT.AND COUNCILWOMAN, WE MAY HAVE, UM, SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS, UH, IDENTIFIED IN THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN AS POTENTIAL BOND PROJECTS, UH, THAT THE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS TOWARDS THE END OF SUMMER.
UM, UM, 'CAUSE THEY ARE LARGE AND, UH, WE MAY WANNA LOOK AT THAT AS AN ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCE.
AND THEN JUST MY FINAL QUESTION.
SO THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE OPEN RECORDS REQUEST, SO SPECIFICALLY TO THE PD DEPARTMENT AND THROUGH G P A, UM, AND IS IT SOFTWARE? IS IT, UH, IS IT ON THE USER END? IS IT ON THE DATA ENTRY END? SO WHERE IS IT? I'M GONNA HAVE JEFF, UH, ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I'M AN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND CURRENTLY STILL THE INTERIM G P A DIRECTOR, WHICH IS WHERE OPEN RECORDS IS HOUSED.
UH, IT'S STAFFING FOR BOTH OUR TEAM, UH, IN THE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AND IN THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, WE'VE HAD EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN, UM, OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
IT'S BEEN ROUGHLY A NINE TO 11% INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR.
UH, WE CLOSE A VAST MAJORITY OF THEM, BUT WE'RE GETTING LARGER AND BIGGER REQUESTS OF, UH, ANY AND ALL RECORDS FOR MANY YEARS WITH MANY DIFFERENT KEYWORDS AND SO FORTH.
SO WE'RE ADDING STAFF BOTH IN OUR SHOP TO WORK WITH ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH HANDLES THE BULK OF THESE TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS THEM, UH, QUICKER FOR REQUESTERS.
YOU WANNA MENTION HOW MANY RECORDS YOU GET, EVERYBODY? YES.
UM, SO CURRENTLY WE GET OVER 50,000 OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS A YEAR.
AND F Y 2020, WE GOT 56,641, UH, AND CLOSE JUST UNDER 55,000 OF THEM.
SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM, UH, AND A NUMBER GO TO THE GO TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND SO FORTH.
BUT, UH, COVID PRESENTED SOME UNIQUE PROBLEMS. WE GOT A LOT OF REQUESTS RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC AT A TIME WHEN ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS WERE FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING THE PANDEMIC.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO BUILD, TO GET OUT FROM UNDER THE, THE BACKLOG.
AND, AND OVERALL, WE'RE SEEING THIS YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE.
WE WERE RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD DR BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME EVERY YEAR.
IT WAS SIX AND SEVEN DAYS ON AVERAGE.
IN 18 AND 19, IT'S GONE UP A LITTLE BIT.
UH, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THAT BACK DOWN.
FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO, IT WAS IN THE 30 DAY RANGE.
SO WE'VE MADE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS, BUT WE'VE GOT SOME CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR OPEN RECORDS ARE COPIES OF POLICE REPORTS? AND IS THAT REALLY SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO TAKE THAT LONG? ISN'T THERE SOME SORT OF SOFTWARE THEY CAN? RIGHT.
HOW FAST CAN WE PROVIDE A POLICE REPORT? I THOUGH I DON'T HAVE THE PERCENTAGE, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ARE THAT, UM, DATA WAREHOUSES LIKE LEXINEXIS AND SO FORTH, SEND REQUESTS FOR THOUSANDS OF REPORTS ON A DAILY BASIS.
THOSE ARE ACTUALLY THE EASY QUICK TURN REQUESTS.
IT'S THE, UM, UH, ALL RECORDS RELATED TO CASES, ALL EMAILS, ALL TEXT MESSAGES, THE BIG, UH, REQUESTS THAT END UP TAKING A A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
DID YOU UNDERSTAND, AND IF I MAY, COUNCILMAN, UH, IT DOES REQUIRE SOME MANUAL INTERACTION BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY CASES WHERE EVEN INFORMATION ON A POLICE REPORT HAS TO BE REDACTED.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF ANY, IF IT INCLUDES A MINOR, UH, PERSONAL INFORMATION, UH, IF THERE'S NO ARREST, WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT INFORMATION.
SO IT DOES REQUIRE SOME PROCESSING.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
NO, EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE TO GO FIRST AND WE TAKE SECOND IN.
SO, UH, IS THE MIC PICKING ME UP HERE? YES.
UH, LAST NIGHT, UH, I THINK I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T BREAK THE RULES AND I STUCK TO THE TWO MINUTES.
UM, SO I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT TODAY.
UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO, TO BE A COUNCIL MEMBER? AND, UH, HOW EXCITED AM I? AND THE TRUTH WAS, I, I WAS JUST READY TO GET TO WORK.
YOU KNOW, I, I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT WINNING.
I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HOOP LAW OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I, I REALLY, IT ACTUALLY, UM, REALLY IRRITATES ME THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE TREAT ELECTED OFFICIALS IN OUR COMMUNITY AS CELEBRITIES, AS VIPS, THE WAY WE PUT 'EM UP ON A PEDESTAL.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE JUST ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT, AND I'VE WANTED A SEAT AT THE TABLE WHERE I CAN ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS AND GET INVOLVED AND DO THE WORK.
[02:10:01]
I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY STRONG FEELINGS LAST NIGHT OR YESTERDAY WITH ALL THE CEREMONIES, BUT TODAY I DO, BECAUSE TODAY WE'RE STARTING THE WORK.AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
WHAT STRUCK ME IS, UH, THE WAY WE HAVE, THE WAY THIS IS LAID OUT, AND IT'S JUST, I MEAN, IT'S TOTALLY RANDOM, RIGHT? IT'S JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT DISTRICTS SEVEN THROUGH 10 OVER HERE, AND WE'VE GOT DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH FIVE ON THIS SIDE.
WE'VE GOT THE EXPERIENCED VETERANS OVER THERE, AND WE GOT THE FRESHMAN AND WE GOT THE FRESHMAN TEAM OVER HERE.
WELL, WE GOT CLASS OF 20, CLASS OF 2019, RIGHT? WE GOT THE 20, WE GOT THE 2020.
WE GOT SOME SOPHOMORES, BUT WE GOT THE FRESHMAN TEAM ALL ON THIS SIDE.
WE GOT THIS EXPERIENCED VETERANS WHO ALL CAME IN IN 2017 OVER THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING, THE REPORTERS HAVE BEEN ASKING A LOT IS, OKAY, WELL WHAT ABOUT THESE? WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THESE OUT OF TOUCH RADICALS OVER HERE COMING IN, IN THE FRESHMAN CLASS? YOU KNOW? AND, UH, THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUT SOME OF US IN A BOX AND SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GONNA START A HIPPIE COMMUNE OVER HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? WHAT'S GOING ON? UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I'VE SAT HERE AND I'VE LISTENED TO YOU ALL, AND I'VE, I'VE BEEN, I'M JUST, I'M REALLY IMPRESSED.
I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE FRESHMAN TEAM, AND I'M EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS FRESHMAN TEAM.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO BROUGHT THE BUSINESS OVER THERE WITH HER LINE OF QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A HARD TIME PUTTING YOU IN THAT BOX.
UM, SO I'M, I'M JUST, I'M REALLY IMPRESSED, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THE EXPERIENCED VETERANS OVER THERE WANNA PLAY ON THE SAME FIELD, YOU GUYS BETTER EAT YOUR WHEATIES.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GOT REAL COUNCIL MEMBERS OVER HERE, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT DOING THE WORK WITH YOU ALL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
UM, I WANT TO ASK, TO GET TO THE BUDGET, I WANNA ASK, HOW DID WE GET TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW? WHAT, WHAT WENT INTO THIS? HOW DID WE, HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THIS TRIAL BUDGET? AND TO WHAT EX HOW WAS PUBLIC INPUT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION? I KNOW WE'VE GOT A SURVEY GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT I DON'T WANT IS PUBLIC INPUT ON THE BACKEND.
AND, AND ALSO I WANNA KNOW ABOUT MEANINGFUL PUBLIC INPUT.
NOT JUST A SURVEY, BUT WE, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE, AND WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN, SOMETIMES THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND THAT ARE DOING THIS EVERY DAY, RIGHT? AND SO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UH, THE, WE GOT THE BEAR COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH, UH, IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AND A LOT OF MONEY, AND A LOT OF TIME WAS SPENT IN PUTTING THAT PLAN TOGETHER.
AND IT'S A GREAT PLAN, AND I'M GLAD WE DID IT.
BUT SHORTLY AFTER THAT PLAN CAME OUT, I WAS ASKED TO FACILITATE SOME MEETINGS WITH LEADERS OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY WHO WORK IN LOW INCOME ZIP CODES.
AND, AND I, I DIDN'T FACILITATE THE MEETING.
I WAS THE NOTE TAKER FOR THE MEETING.
AND SO WE HAD THESE FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS AND WE BROUGHT THESE LEADERS TOGETHER, THESE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE ASKED THEM WHAT THEIR NEEDS WERE.
AND AS I WAS TAKING NOTES, I NOTICED EVERY SINGLE THING THEY BROUGHT UP WERE THOSE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THAT WERE IN THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
AND SO IT HIT ME, WE DIDN'T NEED TO DO THIS STUDY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ON THE GROUND THAT ALREADY KNOW WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE, AND TO WHAT EXTENT ARE WE WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE OUT THERE DOING THE WORK TO INFORM US ON WHAT, UM, HOW WE SHOULD BE INVESTING OUR RESOURCES BEST.
AND SO, ONE, I WANNA KNOW, HOW DO WE GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY? AND TWO, HOW ARE WE GONNA HAVE TAKE, GET MORE, COLLECT MORE MEANINGFUL INPUT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE BEEN TEXTING WHILE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, TEXTING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WHO I KNOW, PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, WHO I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WORK IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHO I KNOW AND SAYING, HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THIS? HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO PROVIDE INPUT? YOU KNOW, I WANT TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK BEFORE WE GO TO OUR GOAL SETTING, UM, UH, WORKSHOP, ALL DAY WORKSHOP ON THE 25TH.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IT.
AND THAT, I MEAN, 'CAUSE THIS IS LIKE REALLY HIGH LEVEL TOO.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA WANNA DIVE INTO THE WEEDS MORE, BUT I WANT TO TALK TO PEOPLE, EXPERTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE ON THE GROUND DOING THIS WORK AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIVE IN THE WEEDS MORE.
BECAUSE I THINK IT, IT'S A GOOD REMINDER OF, OF WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE CAN GET LOST IN POWERPOINTS.
[02:15:01]
MM-HMM.UM, THE LAST YEAR HAS CHANGED THE WAY WE DO SOME OF THESE THINGS.
'CAUSE WE'VE GOT LIMITED CHOICES.
AND, AND, AND YOU'VE SEEN, YOU'VE, YOU'VE HEARD SCOTT IN THE PRESENTATION IN THE LAST FIVE WEEKS WITH THE LAST TWO MONTHS WORTH OF REVENUE.
WE, WE'VE DEFINITELY SEEN A CHANGE.
THIS IS, THIS CONVERSATION IS BUILT OFF OF A FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST AND JUST THAT IT'S JUST A FORECAST.
WE CAN ALWAYS DO A BETTER JOB OF HOW WE ARE GETTING MEANINGFUL PUBLIC INPUT ON EVERYTHING, NOT JUST THE BUDGET PERIOD.
UM, AND, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO BETTER.
PART OF IT, AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, PART OF IT IS THE, IS THE BALANCE BETWEEN ALLOWING THE COUNCIL AS A GROUP TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AS A GROUP BEFORE WE START, UH, RUNNING OUT AND SHOWING EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND THEN YOU GUYS ARE GETTING CALLS ABOUT, HEY, THIS IS A GREAT PLAN AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A BALANCE AND THAT WE ALWAYS TRY TO STRIKE.
UM, I, I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT HOW WE DO GET THE SURVEY RESULTS.
YOU'LL SEE NEXT WEEK WE'VE GET, WE'VE GOTTEN 6,500 RESPONSES.
WE'LL GET MORE BY NEXT WEEK, BUT IT IS ONLY ONE ELEMENT.
UM, WE WILL HAVE, UM, I THINK PROBABLY MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THAT INPUT.
I, I THINK IT SOMETIMES IT LOOKS DIFFERENTLY.
UM, THE HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH YOU'LL, THE REST OF THE COUNCIL WILL SEE THE DETAILS OF.
WE SHOWED A COMMITTEE LAST WEEK RIGHT.
AND IT WAS KIND OF A PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT MM-HMM.
UM, BUT COUNCILMAN I, I, MARIO, UM, I THINK WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? LIKE, UH, IF I TAKE A SURVEY, SHOULD WE SPEND MORE MONEY ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING? SHOULD WE SPEND MORE ON, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH? SHOULD WE SPEND MORE ON STREETS? OKAY.
BUT ALRIGHT, THERE'S 5 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT HOW IS THAT GONNA BE SPENT? AND, AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, A SEPARATE BRIEFING, UH, THAT I'D LIKE TO REQUEST.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO JOIN, UM, I'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU ALL, UH, THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THERE THAT HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A UNTRUE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY BENEFIT WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING? AND I, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO BE EXPLAINED TO ME.
SO THERE'S, WE ARE, WE ARE COMING OUT OF THEM.
PART OF THE, THE ISSUES THAT, UM, YOU'LL BE HEARING TOMORROW IS TAKING THAT, THIS IS PROBABLY THE LAST BIG CHUNK OF MONEY WE GET FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING AND HOW WE TAKE THAT PROGRAM AND GET BACK TO WHAT WE WERE AT PRE PANDEMIC ABOUT DEALING WITH SHOTGUN HOMES, REHAB, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS. UM, WE'LL WALK THROUGH KIND OF WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE HAVE BOTH IN, IN LOCAL DOLLARS AND C D B G DOLLARS NEXT WEEK WITH YOU AND GET FEEDBACK.
'CAUSE I, I, I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY WANT TO GET BACK TO ADDRESSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THE ROOT MM-HMM.
AND HOW WE DO THAT AND HOW WE BRIDGE THAT GAP IS GONNA BE CRITICAL IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE'LL WALK THROUGH NUM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL NEXT WEEK.
AND, AND, AND IF, IF YOU WANT TO, WE CAN GIVE YOU KIND OF A PRE-BRIEFING SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA ANYWAY.
SO THAT, SO THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF THE, OF THE, THE VARIETY OF OF PROGRAMS. GREAT.
UM, I'M, I'M ALMOST OUTTA TIME I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND LET OTHERS GO AND I'LL PUNCH IN AGAIN.
I JUST WANT TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF OTHER AREAS.
UH, I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE HERE ABOUT THE HOMELESSNESS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
I'VE ALWAYS ASKED, WELL, HOW MUCH ARE WE GETTING IN? MELODY HAS, UH, COME UP, UH, WITH NUMBERS RANGING FROM 50 TO $80 MILLION A YEAR THAT THEY, THAT WE GET HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FROM FEDERAL AND STATE, UM, AND, UM, SERVICES BEING OFFERED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UH, TO ADD MORE INTO THAT PROGRAM, I, I, I ALWAYS, I ALWAYS LOOK AT THAT SAYING, MAN, DO, IS THAT WHERE WE REALLY WANNA FOCUS OUR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WE, WE WE GET OR MAYBE GETTING? AND I, I, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF ALLOCATING THOSE RESOURCES UP FRONT THAT WE ARE GETTING, UM, WE HAVE A, A PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING COMING UP HERE ON THE 23RD AND CHIEF, UM, I, I'M HOPING THAT WE GET, UM, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AT THAT PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING THAT WILL HELP GUIDE US ON, UH,
[02:20:01]
THE, UH, POLICE STRUCTURE AND THE MANPOWER THAT WE HAVE ON HAND, BECAUSE THAT LAST COMMUNITY SURVEY WAS VERY CLEAR THAT PEOPLE WANT MORE POLICE ON THE STREETS.AND I THINK WE NEED TO SHOW THAT, QUANTIFY IT, LOOK AT IT, AND, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
UM, WITH THAT, FROM THAT SURVEY THAT WENT OUT TO THAT SCIENTIFIC SURVEY THAT WE GOT THOSE RESULTS BACK FROM, UH, THE LAST ONE, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE COULD WORK THIS IN, BUT I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE HERE ON COUNCIL ABOUT, UH, EXPANDING OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, WHICH WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN, UH, TO, UM, AFFECT OUR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO TO HELP REDUCE THAT CITY BURDEN OF THE OVERALL TAX ON PROPERTY TR PROPERTY TAXES.
SO, UM, I KNOW THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH TIMING ON THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REPORT TO THE STATE, I THINK BY ONE JULY, UH, THAT WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
I THINK, UM, MY FORMER COLLEAGUES AND COLLEAGUES ON COUNCIL NOW THAT WE DID PASS THAT, UM, WHEN WAS THAT? A COUPLE YEARS AGO? TWO YEARS AGO AND, UH, TWO YEARS AGO.
AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ABOUT EXPANDING THAT IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE COULD, UM, LOOK AT THAT, GET THOSE IMPACTS AND SEE ABOUT CALLING A SPECIAL SESSION OR WHATEVER TO SEE ABOUT GETTING A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
UH, BUT WE'D HAVE TO GET THAT, UH, STATE NOTIFICATION BY ONE JULY.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT, AND I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT LEADING THAT EARLIER.
UM, AND IF WE CAN'T GET IT THIS YEAR FOR 21, MAYBE WE CAN GET A HEAD START FOR 22 AND, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST UP THERE IS TO THE MAXIMUM, UH, THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED IN OFFERING A HOME STATE EXEMPTION TO THEIR HOMEOWNERS HERE OR IN AUSTIN.
SO I'D LIKE TO, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY POSSIBLE WAY TO DO THAT AND FOR THIS YEAR OR, UM, LAY OUT THE PROGRAM SO THAT WE DON'T MISS IT FOR THE NEXT YEAR TO DISCUSS IT AND HAVE THAT NOTIFICATION TO THE STATE.
COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBER PAL.
I, I WANT TO KNOW A A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UH, FOR OUR, UH, 3 1 1 SERVICES.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE LINES THAT I CALL EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE WHEN SOMETHING I ORDER ON AMAZON DIDN'T SHOW UP ON TIME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT ALLOWS YOU TO LEAVE A MESSAGE AND THEY'LL SAY, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU RIGHT.
WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
DO WE DO THAT HERE? WE DO NOT.
WE DO NOT HAVE, I MEAN, WE'RE OPEN FROM SEVEN TO SEVEN, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, AND THEN FROM 7:00 PM TO 11:00 PM WHEN YOU PRESS ONE FOR URGENT ANIMAL CARE OR, UH, WEATHER, AND THEN AT 11, IT'S THE VOICE MESSAGE SAYS, CALL US AF UH, CALL US, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CLOSED.
CALL US DURING OUR NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
WOULD WOULD YOUR LIFE BE EASIER OR HARDER? UH, IF, UH, IF WE DID HAVE THAT FEATURE? UM, HONESTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFICULTY THAT WE HAVE, UM, ANSWERING THE PHONES AS THEY'RE COMING IN, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE, I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT, UM, TO GO NOW SET ASIDE A PERSON TO HANDLE THE CALLS THAT ARE COMING IN AFTER 11 WHEN REALLY, UM, EVEN THE CALLS COMING IN BETWEEN 7:00 PM AND 11:00 PM THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY HANDLING ARE NOT REALLY URGENT, UH, IN THAT.
UM, SO I, I PERSONALLY THINK IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO RETURN PEOPLE'S CALLS AND THEN HIT OR MISS AND, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU'RE ALWAYS YEAH.
SO, SO TO INCONVENIENCE YOU, I, I NOT 'CAUSE I WANT TO INCONVENIENCE YOU.
I THINK YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB.
UH, I WANT TO DRILL DOWN AND UNDERSTAND HOW MANY PEOPLE CALL US AFTER 11, LIKE WHILE WE'RE CLOSED.
IS THERE A, IS THERE A DATA POINT ON THAT? UM, I DON'T KNOW.
BECAUSE MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'S A SOLUTION OF SOME KIND RIGHT.
BECAUSE I IMAGINE THAT IF I CALLED AFTER 11, AFTER A DAY AT WORK OR SOMETHING, OR IF I NOTICED A BROKEN SPRINKLER HEAD AFTER 11, I CALL 3 1 1 AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY'S THERE THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD LEAVE ME FRUSTRATED AND NO AMOUNT OF GOOD REASONS.
LIKE WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFFING OR THE BANDWIDTH WOULD ASSUAGE MY, MY ANGER.
AND SO I JUST, I, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT AND WELL, AND AGAIN, THE GREAT THING IS WEB PORTAL MOBILE APP 24 7.
UM, BUT, BUT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE TOOLS RIGHT.
AND ARE, AND ARE TRYING TO ACTUALLY MAKE A CALL YEAH.
LIKE MY DAD FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT ALL THE DEVICES AND HE'LL NEVER USE THE WEB PORTAL.
AND THEN, UM, E E ERIC, UH, ROD SANCHEZ AND, AND MIKE SHANNON.
THOUGHTS MEETING WITHOUT HEARING THEIR NAMES MENTIONED.
UH, AND I, NOW I'M ABOUT TO MAKE THEM FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE.
FELLAS, I'M, I'M DOING, I'M WORKING ON TWO CASES RIGHT NOW AT OUR LAW OFFICE, ONE IN BOCA RATON AND THE OTHER ONE IN ORLANDO.
UM, AND WE'RE DEALING WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT AND PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS, ALL THREE WITH THESE BIG PROJECTS.
[02:25:01]
UM, WHY IT IS THAT THOSE CITIES THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO FARM OUT SOME OF THE WORK TO PRIVATE ENGINEERING COMPANIES, UM, TO HELP HANDLE THE BOTTLENECKS.WE MET WITH SOME OF THESE CODE, PRIVATE CODE ENFORCEMENT AND INSPECTORS.
UM, THEY CAME OUT AND THEY SAID, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY TO, TO GET RID OF SOME OF THE, GET RID OF SOME OF THE BOTTLENECK PO YOU KNOW, NOW THAT ALL THE BUILDINGS STARTING TO HAPPEN.
UH, THEY BROUGHT IN, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE ENGINEERING FIRMS WHO DO YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN DEPUTIZED TO DO THIS ON A CONTRACT BASIS.
AND THEY'RE TELLING US THAT, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO WORK WELL.
UM, AND THEN I'LL, I'LL SUPERIMPOSE UPON THAT THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE'RE ALL HEARING AND THAT THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GONNA HEAR ABOUT HOW LONG IT'S TAKING THESE DAYS TO GET THE INSPECTIONS DONE.
AND YOU'VE HELPED ME RECENTLY IN TWO GREAT, IN, IN TWO CASES, AND YOU'VE WENT ON ABOVE AND BEYOND.
BUT I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BOTTLENECK AND WHETHER OR NOT WHAT I JUST THREW OUT THERE ABOUT BOCA RATON IN ORLANDO MIGHT, MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
ALRIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN.
I'M MIKE SHANNON, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UH, SO WE HAVE OCCASIONALLY USED SOME THIRD PARTY, UH, PLAN REVIEW AND INSPECTION SERVICES.
IF, IF WE HAD A SPIKE IN DEMAND THAT WE COULDN'T ACTUALLY KEEP UP WITH.
UH, WE HAVEN'T USED THAT IN QUITE SOME TIME.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER THE SERVICE THAT OUR CUSTOMERS WANT, ESPECIALLY THE DEVELOPERS.
UH, WE MEET WITH THEM EVERY MONTH.
WE SHOW THEM OUR PERFORMANCE METRICS, MAKING SURE WE GET THE PLAN REVIEWS DONE, THE INSPECTIONS.
RIGHT NOW, WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKLOG IN THE PLUMBING, UH, BECAUSE, UH, NOT ONLY US, UH, BUT OUR CONTRACTORS OUT IN THE FIELD ARE HAVING PLUM PLUMBING ISSUES, MEANING FI FINDING GOOD PLUMBERS.
UH, SO THOSE WERE A LITTLE BIT BELOW OUR, OUR NUMBERS WE'RE HIRING VACANCIES.
UH, BUT WE ARE OPEN TO PROVIDING OR, OR GETTING ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE RESOURCES, UH, AND CONTRACTING.
AND WE HAVE THOSE TOOLS READY AND AVAILABLE.
UH, WE HAVE USED THEM IN THE PAST.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION OR NOT.
BUT NOW IT BEGS ANOTHER QUESTION.
WHEN CAN WE SEE THOSE PERFORMANCE METRICS? UH, WE HAVE OUR PERFORMANCE METRICS ONLINE.
UH, I KNOW IN MY BUDGET PRESENTATION WE'LL GO OVER NOT ONLY, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE, UH, TO THIS YEAR, BUT UH, I CAN GET THEM TO YOU AND IT'LL HELP, IT'LL HELP ME, RIGHT? SURE.
BECAUSE WHEN THESE DEVELOPERS COME TO ME AND SAY, OH MY GOSH, YOU GUYS TAKE SO LONG, I CAN TAKE OUT MY HANDY CHEAT SHEET AND SAY, NO, WE DON'T ACTUALLY.
WE MEET WITH OUR HOME BUILDERS, OUR COMMERCIAL, OUR TRADE CONTRACTORS ON A MONTH TO MONTH BASIS.
AND, AND THE, THE REALLY, THE, THE MAIN THING THAT WE GO OVER ARE THOSE PERFORMANCE METRICS.
UH, BUT WE CAN SEND THEM OUT TO THE COUNCIL, UH, BOTH, UH, THE FRESHMEN AND THE, THE TENURED.
AND THEN ERIC, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU COULD PUT IN CHARGE OF THE INVESTIGATION AS TO WHY I GOT A DONKEY FACE COOKIE ALONG WITH THE MAYOR, UH, AND EVERYBODY ELSE GOT A DRESS.
WE BOTH GOT DONKEY, WE GOT DONKEY PHASES.
UM, SO ERICA, WE'RE ALREADY HAVING, UH, SIDE BRIEFINGS ON, UH, THE HOMELESS SITUATIONS, BUT I WANTED TO ADD TO THAT AND JUST MAKE A REQUEST THAT I CAN GET SOME BRIEFINGS, UM, ONE ON SIDEWALKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN I WAS KNOCKING DOORS ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD JUST NORTH OF MINE, KEYSTONE NEIGHBORHOOD, I KNOCKED THE DOOR OF A GENTLEMAN.
HE WAS 95 YEARS OLD AND, UH, AND VERY MOBILE.
YOU KNOW, HE SAID HE DOESN'T VOTE BY, HE'S NINE FIVE.
UM, AND, UH, HE DOESN'T, HE'S LIVED THERE FOR DECADES AND HE DOES NOT HAVE A SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT HE'S GONNA LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE.
UH, AND THEN I, I THOUGHT I SAW JUSTIN
SHE HAD A SIDEWALK THAT WENT HALFWAY ACROSS HER BLOCK BUT DOESN'T FINISH.
AND HER MOTHER, SHE SAID, WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR, BUT SHE STOPPED TO HAVE TO PUSH HER WHEEL, HER MOTHER IN HER WHEELCHAIR ON THE STREET.
UM, BECAUSE THE SIDEWALK DIDN'T GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE, LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE PRIORITIZING.
THERE WERE SEVERAL CASES WHERE WE SAW A SIDEWALK GO HALFWAY DOWN THE BLOCK AND IT DIDN'T FINISH.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING THOSE.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO GET A, UM, A BRIEFING ON THAT AND WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE.
I'D ALSO LIKE ANOTHER BRIEFING ON, UM, THE BICYCLE MASTER PLAN AND, UH, PROTECTED BIKE LANES.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT ONE AFTER HOURS, EITHER IN THE EVENING OR THE WEEKEND OR ON THE WEEKEND, UM, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE SOME OF THE LEADERS IN THE CYCLING COMMUNITY TO THAT ONE AND BE ABLE TO GET THEIR INPUT AS WELL.
WHEN WE DO THAT, WHEN, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WE'VE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN PART OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT TAXING PEOPLE OUTTA THEIR HOMES.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO START WITH PROTECTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, I STARTED DOING RESEARCH ON THIS AND FOUND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THEIR OWN HOME THAT THEY OWN DON'T HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
AND WHEN YOU GET A HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, YOU GET A SIGNIFICANT TAX BREAK.
[02:30:01]
UM, WE DID SOME RESEARCH AND WE SAW THAT FOR THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL, TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS LIVED IN THEIR OWN HOME THAT THEY OWNED AND DIDN'T HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE AMONG THE MOST INFORMED PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK NOW WITH OUR NEW COUNCIL, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN THEIR OWN HOME, DON'T HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
AND I'M CONCERNED THAT WE, THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE EXEMPTIONS PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS ARE PROBABLY IN HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS IN LOW INCOME ZIP CODES.
AND SO, SOMETHING I'M GONNA BE ASKING FOR IN OUR BUDGET IS A CARVE OUT FOR FUNDS TO, FOR SOME ENTITY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE THE CITY OR IF WE WANNA WORK WITH NONPROFITS WHO ALREADY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN LOW INCOME ZIP CODES.
BUT I WANT US TO PROACTIVELY GO INTO LOW INCOME ZIP CODES AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY QUALIFIES FOR PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS HAS THEM.
BECAUSE I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT RIGHT NOW OUR PROPERTY TAX BURDEN IS DISPORT OR IS DISPROPORTIONATELY SHOULDERED BY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN LOW INCOME ZIP CODES.
AND I KNOW THAT COULD END UP AFFECTING OUR BUDGET.
AND SO THAT MAY MEAN THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE CUTS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND SO I WANT YOU ALL TO BE ABLE TO START TO ANTICIPATE THAT.
BUT I'M, NOBODY WANTS TO DO A BUDGET CUT AND HAVE TO CUT OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT I'M NOT WILLING TO ALLOW THE SPENDING THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AT THE LEVELS WE HAVE, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, DISPROPORTIONATELY HAVE LOW INCOME PEOPLE SHOULDER THAT BURDEN.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS.
AND, AND IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE SOMEBODY TURNS 65 YEARS OLD, THEY ALSO GET A PORTION OF THEIR PROPERTY TAXES FROZEN.
SO I WANT US TO GO INTO THOSE SAME ZIP CODES AND FIND EVERYBODY WHO'S 64 AND OFFER THEM ASSISTANCE IN PROTESTING THEIR APPRAISALS.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU TURN 65, A PORTION OF PROPERTY TAXES GET FROZEN.
AND SO MANY PEOPLE DO NOT PROTEST THEIR PROPERTY TAX, THEIR PROPERTY APPRAISALS.
AND SO IF WE GO IN AND WE ASSIST THEM ON PROTESTING THEM, AND THEY CAN GET THEM KNOCKED BACK, BACK DOWN MAYBE 15, 20, 20 5%, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU GET 'EM FROZEN AT, THAT'S GONNA BE MEANINGFUL FOR THOSE SENIOR CITIZENS, UM, AS THEY AGE OUT ON A LIMITED FIXED INCOME.
AND THAT THAT CAN HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT YOU ALL ARE GONNA BE HEARING A LOT FROM ME AND THAT I'M GONNA BE PUSHING FOR.
UH, REAL QUICKLY, BACK TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BECAUSE ONE OF OUR GREAT ALLIES, COUNCILMAN PALIS, UH, BROUGHT IT UP.
IF WE ARE GONNA TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM, UH, OPEN RECORDS
AND BECAUSE WE KNOW, WE KNOW THE HOMICIDE, AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE, UH, FOR THE CHIEF COMING UP AND SHARING THOSE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, 12 IS TOO MANY, UH, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE WOMEN LIVING WITH A DIFFERENT THREAT LEVEL.
SO IF WE COULD GET THAT IN THE BUDGET WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS 3 MILLION AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE, THE MENTAL HEALTH AND THE, THE RISK LEVEL THAT THEY'RE FACING.
SO, SO THE EXISTING AGENCIES THAT USE EVIDENCE-BASED LETHALITY ASSESSMENTS ARE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES.
THEY USE THE DANGEROUS ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS DEVELOPED BY JACKIE CAMPBELL FROM THE JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AS DOES THE BEX COUNTY FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.
UM, WE HAVE TRAINED, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TRAINING WITH THE SUPPORTER OF CHIEF HOOD FIRE ON USING A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE DANGER ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS CALLED THE DA FIVE, WHICH IS A FIVE QUESTION SCREENING THAT WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS.
WE'RE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, PARTNERING WITH, UM, THERE'S A PROFESSOR NAMED DEBORAH MESSING WHO'S OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, WHO HAS OFFERED TO TRAIN SS A P D ON WHAT'S CALLED THE DALE, WHICH IS AGAIN, A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE DANGER ASSESSMENT THAT'S INTENDED FOR USE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO, LETHALITY ASSESSMENT IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
I THINK FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF EVIDENCE-BASED ASSESSMENTS AND GETTING THOSE OUT.
UM, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN GET THOSE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY IN THE FASTEST WAY WE CAN.
THEY, AND IF WE COULD POSSIBLY DO THAT FOR MAYBE SOME OF OUR STAFF, OUR DISTRICT STAFF THAT DO CONSTITUENT SERVICES, 'CAUSE I KNOW THEY HEAR THOSE STORIES TOO.
OR IF THEY COULD JUST GET SOME TRAINING OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE OUT THERE, UH, FOR WOMEN AND MEN LIVING IN THIS SITUATION, THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT.
WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT LETHALITY ASSESSMENTS WITH EVERYONE.
WE CAN'T TRAIN PEOPLE ON THE DANGER ASSESSMENT UNLESS THEY'RE SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS BECAUSE OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
[02:35:01]
ANYONE AND EVERYONE ABOUT LETHALITY ASSESSMENT.SO IF WE COULD GET THAT SOMEHOW IN THE BUDGET, A PART OF THAT BUDGET PROCESS, UH, SINCE WE'RE TAKING AWAY MONEY FROM OTHER THINGS, LET'S DO THAT.
YEAH, IT'S, AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY KIND OF, WE BUILD INTO THE, THE ACTION.
I'M NOT SURE WE NECESSARILY NEED MONEY FOR THAT, BUT, UM, BUT DEFINITELY WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
UM, ALL WELL, THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD DISCUSSION.
UH, KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE, UH, HAD A TRIAL BUDGET PRESENTATION, THEN WE HAD A FIRST ROUND OF OUR GOAL SETTING SESSION DISCUSSION, BUT IT, IT'S A GOOD LIFTING OFF POINT FOR WHAT WE HAVE TO DO NEXT WEEK.
BUT, UH, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND, UH, DON'T FORGET, WE HAVE A 5:00 PM DECISIONS TO BE HEARD HEARING ACROSS THE STREET, UH, AS WE DO USUALLY EVERY WEDNESDAY.
WE DO HAVE FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
UM, WE WILL MOVE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION TO TOMORROW, THOUGH, UH, SO THERE WILL BE NO EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
EXEC EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS THAT WERE POSTED FOR TODAY WILL BE CARRIED OVER UNTIL THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW, JUNE 17TH AND THURSDAY, JUNE 17TH.
AND WE MAY AND MAY BE CONSIDERED AT ANY TIME DURING TOMORROW'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
THE TIME IS NOW 4:41 PM AND TODAY'S MEETING IS NOW IN RECESS.