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TIME IS 5:05 PM ON THIS AUGUST 4TH, 2021, THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR
[1. A public hearing for the FY 2022-2026 Consolidated Plan and FY 2022 Action Plan funded through the City’s four U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) entitlement grant programs including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Hearth Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA). [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, Director, Neighborhood and Housing Services Department] ]
THE FY 20 22, 20 26, US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT CONSOLIDATED PLAN, AN FY 2022 ACTION PLAN AND BUDGET IS NOW OPEN.COMMENTS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO MATTERS REGARDING THIS ITEM.
EACH PERSON WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, AND EACH GROUP WILL HAVE UP TO NINE MINUTES.
I, I WILL, I WILL, UM, ANNOUNCE JUST SECOND, UH, LET ME NOTE FOR THE RECORD, UH, THE, UM, QUORUM THAT WE DO HAVE PRESENT.
UH, AND WE DO HAVE EVERYONE PRESENT ON THE COUNCIL EXCEPT COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
SO, AGAIN, THE, UH, HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
THE FIRST PERSON THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IS ANTONIO DIAZ.
YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DEANNA ORGA
UH, I'M, I'M HERE BASICALLY BECAUSE OF, OF THE HOUSING ISSUE THAT CONTINUES TO LOOM OVER MANY, MANY RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS ALIKE.
AND I SEE THAT THERE'S A MORATORIUM THAT HAS ENDED, BUT HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH THE C D C AND AS I WAS JUST WONDERING, THROUGH THE CITY'S BUDGET, UH, IF FUNDS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING PROBLEMS PAYING THEIR RENT AND, AND ALSO, UH, HOMEOWNERS OR PEOPLE THAT ARE RENTING OUT THEIR HOMES.
SO, ALL THIS IS, IS MY CONCERN TODAY, AS WE'VE SEEN, WE HAVE MANY, MANY HOMELESS PEOPLE OUT IN THE STREETS THAT NEED THIS HELP.
AND, UH, WITH THIS MORATORIUM ENDING, AND I UNDERSTAND THE C D C HAS EXTENDED THE MORATORIUM, I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT FUNDS.
FUNDS, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT EVERYBODY IS CONCERNED ABOUT, WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA BE HAVING FUNDS TO CONTINUE PAYING FOR HOUSING OR NOT, AND THOSE THAT ARE ALSO, AGAIN, HOMEOWNERS AND THAT HAVE MORTGAGE PROBLEMS OR WHATEVER THAT MAY BE.
SO, COVID CONTINUES TO BE A, THAT ISSUE FOR EMPLOYMENT OR FOR EMPLOYERS AND FOR PEOPLE GETTING OUT.
I SEE THAT THE, OUR, OUR GOVERNOR HAS IMPLEMENTED OPENING UP BUSINESSES AND SO FORTH, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA IN MY MY OPINION, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE PROBLEMS AS FAR AS CONTINUING TO KEEP PEOPLE IN HOMES AND HOUSING.
AND I HAVE A LOT OF, UM, EMPATHY FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE.
NOT SYMPATHY, BUT EMPATHY, BECAUSE I COULD BE ONE OF THEM VERY EASILY.
I, SO, AGAIN, I HOPE THAT IT'S INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET FOR ALLOWING, AND SOMEHOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THESE MORATORIUMS THROUGH THE C D C OR THROUGH WHATEVER DEPARTMENT THAT THE CITY, OUR CITY, HAS THE FUNDS TO CONTINUE HELPING OUR PEOPLE.
DIANNA REGAS, FOLLOWED BY BARBARA KOA.
AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU, GOD, FOR EVERYTHING HE'S DONE, FOR ALL EVERYONE ON THIS, UH, TIME OF COVID, UH, FOR HIS PEOPLE.
I ALSO WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING ELECTED.
BUT ANYWAYS, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO PHYLLIS FOR WINNING THE DISTRICT.
AND I ALSO WANNA SAY, UH, I HOPE Y'ALL TAKE IT
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INTO CONSIDERATION, INTO EXTENDING, UH, TO HELP, YOU KNOW, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, THEIR TIME'S GONNA BE UP FOR THE RENT ASSISTANCE.YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE JOBS, YOU KNOW, STILL, IT'S HARD TO GET A JOB, ESPECIALLY IN THESE TIMES.
YOU, I HAD A HARD TIME, YOU KNOW, GETTING A JOB.
THANK GOD I GOT A JOB NOW AND A SPECIAL ANGEL.
BUT, UH, I HOPE YOU DO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE IN NEED.
AND WE, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE SO MANY HOMELESS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE THEY WILL BE, IF YOU DON'T HELP 'EM OUT, WE COME TO YOU FOR HELP, ASKING FOR HELP STILL.
I ASKED FOR THEM TOO, SO THAT YOU COULDN'T HELP 'EM.
I KNOW Y'ALL HAD A, A THING GOING ON IN SAHA THAT LEFT, UH, $8, UH, AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, ON THEIR VULTURES THE LAST TIME WHERE THEY COULDN'T GET AN APARTMENT BECAUSE THEY NEEDED $8.
YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, PLEASE HELP THE PEOPLE OUT.
WE'RE THE PEOPLE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT NEED YOUR HELP AND FOOD BILLS, RENTS, JOBS, A LOT OF JOBS.
YOU GO AND APPLY AND THEY, UH, CHECK YOUR BACKGROUND.
BUT CAN'T THEY JUST OVERLOOK IT AND JUST GIVE 'EM A JOB SO THEY CAN SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES? THEY NEED A JOB.
Y'ALL WANT US TO WORK? YOU HAVE TO GIVE US A JOB IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO NOT ASK TOO MUCH FOR ASSISTANCE.
THANK YOU, MS. R I GUESS THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MS. SANCHEZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LINDA ORTEGA.
HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS LETICIA SANCHEZ AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE, AS WELL AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE HISTORIC WEST SIDE RESIDENCE ASSOCIATION.
OUR ASSOCIATION REPRESENTS RESIDENTS IN THE NEAR WEST SIDE, AND AS YOU WELL KNOW, UM, HAS THE LOWEST INCOME LEVELS OF THE CITY.
UM, IT ALSO HAS A HIGH RATE OF HOME OWNERSHIP.
HOWEVER, OUR RESIDENTS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT KEEPING THEIR HOMES DUE TO SKYROCKETING PROPERTY TAXES AND ALSO THEIR INABILITY TO MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSING STRUCTURES.
OUR RESIDENTS ARE TAX PAYING CITIZENS WHO DEMAND THE BENEFIT FROM THIS FEDERAL FUNDING AND WANT THOSE FUNDS DIRECTED PRIMARILY TO THE REHABILITATION OF EXISTING HOMES.
THEIR HOMES, OUR RESIDENTS ARE TIRED AND FRUSTRATED.
IT'S SEEING FUNDING DIRECTED TO BUILD NEW HOMES ON AFFORDABLE HOMES.
HOMES THAT ARE AT 60% OR HIGHER A M I, UM, INSTEAD OF, UH, WHILE THEIR HOMES AND THEIR NEEDS TO REHAB THEIR HOMES ARE CONTINUALLY IGNORED BY CITY COUNCIL.
WE ALSO NEED TO, FOR YOU, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SEE THAT, UH, OUR, OUR RESIDENTS, OUR RENTAL RESIDENTS, ARE DEALING WITH C O V I D RECOVERY AND NEED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE WITH RENT AND UTILITY FUND.
WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THE 2022 BOND FUNDS WILL BE DIRECTED TO NEW HOUSING STOCK.
SO WE ASK THAT THIS FEDERAL FUNDING BE DIRECTED TO THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS OF OUR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS, YOUR TAX PAYING CONSTITUENTS.
WE ASK THAT YOU REDUCE THE FUNDING RECOMMENDED FOR BUILDING NEW AFFORDABLE SINGLE FAMILY AND RENTAL HOUSING, AND ALSO THAT YOU ENSURE THAT THOSE ANY NEW HOMES BUILT ARE BUILT AT 30% A M I OR BELOW.
AND WE ASK THAT YOU DIRECT THESE FEDERAL FUNDS TO REHABILITATING EXIST EXISTING HOMES, AND TO PRIORITIZE ASSISTING SPECIAL NEEDS AND HOMELESS RESIDENTS.
UM, I ALSO LIKE TO STATE THAT MS. VELMA PENYA, WHO'S
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A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE WESTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, CONTACTED ME.SHE SAID SHE WAS UNABLE TO BE HERE BECAUSE OF C I, UH, BUT ASKED TO GO ON RECORD THAT THE WESTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ECHOES THE REQUEST OF THE HISTORIC WEST WEBSITE RESIDENCE ASSOCIATION.
MS. ORTEGA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY RAY MORALES.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, A MEMBER OF THE HISTORIC, UM, WESTSIDE RESIDENCE ASSOCIATION AND A LEADER WITH COPS METRO.
AND I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO FOR ALERTING US TO THIS MEETING BECAUSE, UH, OTHERWISE WE WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN.
AND I GUESS, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PEOPLE DID NOT KNOW IF THERE'S NO ONE HERE.
BUT IF WE WERE RECALL, BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2019, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A BUDGET OF $35 MILLION FOR HOUSING PROGRAM IN LINE WITH THE MAYOR'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS.
OF THAT 15.8 MILLION WAS FOR REHAB AND PRESERVATION PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE SO BADLY NEEDED, INCLUDING OCCU OWNER OCCUPIED REHABS, UH, RENTER REHABS UNDER ONE ROOF, MINOR REPAIR, LESS PAIN.
IT WAS PROJECTED THAT 15 POINT MILLION WOULD COVER 571 HOUSEHOLDS.
OF THE 15.8 MILLION, 7.5 MILLION WAS DESIGNATED FOR OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB FOR APPROXIMATELY 80 HOMES, WHICH IS REALLY NOTHING, BUT IT IS.
IT WILL, IT WOULD'VE HELD 80 HOUSEHOLDS THEN COVID CAME IN EARLY 2020, AND A GOOD PORTION OF THE HOUSING BUDGET WAS TRANSFERRED TO BE USED BY THE EHAB PROGRAM, WHICH IS, WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, OBVIOUSLY, AS IT WAS SO MUCH NEEDED THERE.
HOWEVER, WE NEED TO KEEP THIS IN MIND.
WE NEED TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN RECOMMENDATION LAID OUT BY THE MAYOR'S HOUSING TASK FORCE AND PROPOSITION A PEST ALLOWS ALLOWING THE CITY TO USE BOND MONEY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS. THIS IS A NEW RESOURCE AND SHOULD BE USED, BUT SHOULD BE USED WITH A LOT OF CARE.
AND KEEPING IN MIND OF THOSE THAT ESPECIALLY NEED IT, THE MONEY SHOULD BE USED FOR TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THOSE EARNING 30% OR LESS OF A M I.
MOST OF US HERE HAVE A HOUSE, AND IT'S PROBABLY A VERY NICE HOUSE, AND IF WE NEEDED TO HAVE IT REHABBED, WE COULD PROBABLY AFFORD IT.
BUT A GREAT PORTION OF OUR CITY PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE IT.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION.
MR. MORALES, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY GRACIE SANCHEZ.
UH, I'M RAY MORALES, UH, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 10, AND I'M DISAPPOINTED MY REPRESENTATIVE'S NOT HERE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO START WITH TWO FACTS PUBLISHED IN THE AUSTIN TRIBUNE.
UH, JUST YESTERDAY, UH, US HOME PRICES INCREASED BY 17.2% IN JUNE, 2021.
THE HIGHEST INCREASE SINCE 1979, SAN ANTONIO RATE ALSO SHOT UP TO 12.4%.
AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING WILL BECOME A MORE ACUTE ISSUE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
IF SAN ANTONIO HAS A HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS, WHY IS SAN ANTONIO MAKING THE PROBLEM WORSE? IT WOULD BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND REDUCE GENTRIFICATION, RETAIN OUR CITY'S UNIQUE NEIGHBORHOODS.
CHARACTERS INCREASE AVAILABLE HOUSING TO JUST SIMPLY REHABILITATE EXISTING HOMES AND NEEDLE REPAIR.
THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS FOR DEMOLITIONS, WHICH IS CALLED ABATEMENT, AND MOST OF THE POPULATION OUT, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF PROFESSIONALS, DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS, WAS INITIALLY SET UP FOR VACANT STRUCTURES.
NOW, DEMOLITIONS ARE INCREASINGLY IMPACTING OWNER-OCCUPIED STRUCTURES, AND THIS IS WITHOUT REGARD TO C OVID 19 OR LACK OF ADEQUATE HOUSING OPTIONS CAUSE AND IMPACT OF DEMOLITION DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT WE ARE SADDLING OUR POOREST RESIDENTS WITH DEBT, DISLOCATION AND SEPARATION FROM THEIR EXTENDED FAMILIES, AS WELL AS FROM THEIR RELIGIOUS
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CENTERS, EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL VENUES.WE ARE SEVERING THE CONNECTIONS THAT HAVE EXISTED FOR GENERATIONS, AND I'M REFERRING TO DEMOLITION BEING TAKEN PLACE BY B S B, WHICH IS THE BUILDING STANDARDS BOARD.
THE D S D, UH, SO DEMOLITIONS ONLY CONTAIN THE DRAIN, UH, CONTINUE THE DRAIN, AND WE SHOULD NE WE SHOULD CREATE A MORATORIUM ON DEMOLITIONS.
UM, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE PRIORITIES OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE FUNDS BE DIRECTED TO REHAB AND EMERGENCY HOUSING INSTEAD OF NEW STRUCTURES.
I PRACTICED FOR 30 YEARS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND, UM, MOST OF MY PROJECTS WERE OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, BUT I'VE LIVED IN SAN ANTONIO.
I LIVED IN THE WEST SIDE, AND I HAVE SEEN THAT DEMOLITIONS TAKING PLACE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, AND SO I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, SPECIFICALLY REHABILITATING EXISTING HOUSING STOCK, UM, AND ALL THE PRIORITIES, PRIORITY ONE, TWO, AND THREE, UH, ESPECIALLY THREE, WHICH IS PROVIDE HOUSING AND SUPPORTING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR HOMELESS POPULATION.
UH, CONTRARY TO WHAT MY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE SAYS, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE, VOTERS, AND DISTRICT 10 WHO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE.
WE SHOULD NOT CRIMINALIZE THE HOMELESS, BUT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.
GRACIE SANCHEZ, FOLLOWED BY ROSE HILL.
WHEN ES, UH, MY NAME IS GRACIA SANCHEZ.
UH, FIRST I WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE AND THE MAYOR FOR, UM, HONORING MY MOM, UM, JUST BY BEING PRESENT OR WRITING NOTES, UM, WHO SHE PASSED AWAY ON JUNE 14TH, BUT ALSO HONORING MY MOM IS CONSTANTLY RECOGNIZING WHO SHE WAS AND WHO THE PEOPLE ARE FROM THAT COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE POOR, THEY'RE WORKING CLASS, THEY'RE WORKING CLASS POOR.
AND I HONOR HER WORK BY CONTINUING TO SPEAK UP ON BEHALF OF THAT COMMUNITY THAT USUALLY DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS.
UM, I WANNA SAY THAT I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS MEETING.
I, ON FRIDAY, I SEARCHED FOR, YOU KNOW, REGISTRAR, FOUND OUT YOU ALL HAVE A NEW SYSTEM, AND IT WASN'T THERE.
THERE WAS THE A SESSION AND THE B SESSION, BUT NOT THIS FIVE O'CLOCK.
I DON'T THINK I SAW IT POSTED UNTIL EITHER MONDAY LATE OR TUESDAY.
SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT I'M RESPONDING TO BECAUSE THE DETAIL OF THIS HUD COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WASN'T ANYWHERE FOR US TO ACCESS, OR IF IT IS, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT WEBSITE TO LOOK AT.
SO I WANNA CHALLENGE US BECAUSE COUNCILMAN, UH, SANDOVAL, YOU'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, AND WE'VE PASSED ALL THESE DIFFERENT POLICIES TO MAKE THINGS MORE TRANSPARENT, AND IT'S NOT TRANSPARENT.
SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT I'M RESPONDING TO.
I KNOW THERE'S 20 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS, BUT WHAT, HOW, WHAT'S THE DETAIL? WE DON'T KNOW THE DETAIL.
I KNOW THAT I DID GO BEFORE ANOTHER MEETING OF THE COMPREHENSIVE, THE HUD COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND I SAID THAT I WOULD LIKE MONIES TO GO TO REHABBING BECAUSE AS MR. MORALES MENTIONED, THEY'RE TEARING DOWN A LOT OF HOMES.
AND WE KNOW FROM THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AT RISK.
SO HOW DO WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT? AND IT'S ALSO A VERY ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS TO SUSTAIN EXISTING HOMES, AND THAT'S THE MOST AFFORDABLE.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS THE ONE ROOF, THE WHITE ROOF PROJECT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN THERE OR NOT.
HOW CAN WE PUT MONIES IN THERE? UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, WELL, AND I WANTED TO GO BACK AGAIN FOR THE LACK OF NOTICE BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF HOUSING ADVOCATES RIGHT NOW, AND, AND THIS IS PROOF THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE I WAS TEXTING PEOPLE AT THE LAST MINUTE AND EVERYBODY'S LIKE, WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND I WAS AT A MEETING OF SHIP ON MONDAY THAT TALKED ABOUT THE LOWEST INCOME HOUSING, YOU KNOW, FUNDING FOR THE LOWEST INCOME, THE E L I
RIGHT? AND, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH DEFINITIONS OF AFFORDABILITY BECAUSE AFFORDABILITY IS NOT 80%, AFFORDABILITY IS NOT 60% AFFORDABILITY FOR SAN ANTONIO IS REALLY ZERO TO 30% OR EVEN 40%.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE BO WE'RE WE'RE DOCUMENTS, SAY AFFORDABILITY.
AND THE DOCUMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, Y'ALL, WE CREATED IN 2018 TALKS ABOUT AFFORDABILITY.
BUT ON MONDAY'S MEETING, I ASKED OF HOUSING FOR ZERO TO 30% HOW MANY HOMES HAD BEEN BUILT.
ONLY 853 UNITS HAVE BEEN BUILT FOR ZERO TO 30% OUT OF 18,000.
LET'S NOT JUST TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY.
LET'S, LET'S CALL IT ZERO TO 30% GRACIA.
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THANK YOU, MS. SANCHEZ, ROSE HILL.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN, HOW, HOPE YOU ALL HOPE Y'ALL ARE DOING GOOD IN THE, UH, CONGRATULATIONS FOR Y'ALL'S NEW ELECTION.
UH, MY NAME IS ROSE HILL, PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT HILL ALLIANCE, AND ALSO, UH, UH, IN CHARGE OF THE 31 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION'S D TWO PRESENCE ROUNDTABLE.
I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF, I JUST RECENTLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS MEETING TOO, ABOUT A QUARTER TO FIVE, AND I'M GLAD THAT I DID COME BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
DISTRICT TWO HAS BEEN LEFT BEHIND A LONG TIME, AND IT'S TIME THAT WE STAY INFORMED.
I'M REALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE NUMBERS OF THE PANDEMIC AND EVERYTHING.
WE ARE REALLY HOPING TO HAVE MORE TOWN HALL MEETINGS TO EDUCATE OUR, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
THE BUDGET IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CRUCIAL PARTS THAT WE CARE ABOUT SO DEEPLY.
HOW? WHY? BECAUSE IT AFFECTS EACH US INDIVIDUALLY.
IT AFFECTS OUR, OUR, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR MORE AFFORDABILITY OF HOMES AND ON THE EAST SIDE AND, UH, JOBS, UH, C D B G FUNDS, OUR SIDEWALKS, OUR STREETS.
BUT IF WE, UM, CONTINUE TO HAVE MEETINGS AND WE DON'T TAKE IT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE'RE, WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA BE DEPRIVED OF INFORMATION OF EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKING DECISIONS TO THOSE HOMEOWNERS THAT PAY HIGH TAXES AND THAT WANNA HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD.
WE'VE GOT TO GET THEIR, HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD, AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
SO I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE MY COUNCILMAN AND THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL, IF WE HAVE TO EXTEND THE DATE OF THE BUDGET TO BE ADOPTED, I KNOW Y'ALL ADOPTED IT, BUT TO BE FINALIZED, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO EXTEND IT OUT UNTIL THIS PANDEMIC SIMMERS DOWN AND THAT WE CAN GET OUT THERE.
OUR COUNCIL PEOPLE CAN GET OUT THERE TO THE PUBLIC AND WE CAN TALK TO THE COMMUNITY.
IF YOU DO, DON'T DO THAT, YOU'RE GONNA EXCLUDE US.
AND THE DECISION, WE ARE PART OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
WE ARE THE TAXPAYERS AND AS NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENTS, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COMMUNICATE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, WITH THE PANDEMIC GOING ON, WE WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME, ESPECIALLY THOSE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE COMPUTERS.
UH, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO VIEW IT ON TV AND THEY'RE NOT, AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS NOT ALL THE SAN ANTONIO NEIGHBORHOODS OR PEOPLE THAT WOULD LOVE TO BE HERE, BUT OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF COVID, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE, WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION.
SO I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE MY COUNCIL PERSON AND ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL PEOPLE TO SERIOUSLY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, DO NOT APPROVE THIS BUDGET UNTIL YOU GET US ALL, EVERYBODY HERE AT ALL 10 DISTRICTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR INPUT, BECAUSE EACH ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SO IMPORTANT.
AND I KNOW I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT DISTRICT TWO, AND I KNOW THAT OUR COUNCILMAN PROBABLY DOES AS WELL, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT OUR VOICES ARE HEARD.
SO MAYOR, I STRONGLY, HOPEFULLY THAT THIS PANDEMIC WILL, AND I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB TO KEEP US INFORMED.
I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU ON TV, SO WE'RE KEEPING US INFORMED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KE KEEPING MASKS AND GETTING EVERYBODY VACCINATED.
SO YES, WE NEED TO GET VACCINATED.
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S VACCINATED BECAUSE IF THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR TAXES AND THEY WANNA GET OUT THERE AND VOICE THEIR OPINION, THEN THEY GOTTA GET VACCINATED.
BUT ULTIMATELY, AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AND HOPEFULLY THAT OUR VOICES CAN BE HEARD.
HAVING HEARD ALL COMMENTS FROM THOSE PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE FORMAL ACTION ON THIS MATTER TOMORROW, AUGUST 5TH, 2021 AT THE CITY COUNCIL, A SESSION.
WE'RE NOW GONNA PROCEED TO PUBLIC COMMENT IN OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.