* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:01]
          ALL RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET'S, UH, LET'S GET STARTED. 
          LET'S GET STARTED. 
          AND, UH, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT SOME PRETTY IMPORTANT THINGS ON THE AGENDA. 
          THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS FROM THE COUNTY. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, DEBERRY. 
          THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. 
          IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU IN PERSON. 
          UH, AND MY COACH HERE, JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ. 
          I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD THIS MEETING IN PERSON WHERE YOU AND I GET TO SIT BY SIDE. 
          AND SO, UM, LET'S, UH, I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW 
          [1. Approval of the minutes from the June 9, 2021 meeting of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee]
THE MINUTES FROM OUR JUNE 9TH MEETING. 
          I KNOW THAT MY FRIEND, UH, ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA PROBABLY PROOFREAD IT TWICE. 
          WHAT DO YOU THINK? I HAD ONE CHANGE, BUT I GAVE IT TO DAN. 
          OKAY. 
          YOU MOVE TO APPROVE. 
          GREAT. 
          UH, AND DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. 
          OH, COUNCILMAN PERRY. 
          SECONDS. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FOR JUNE NINE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          HEARING NO OPPOSITION. 
          THOSE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. 
          UM, ARE, WE HAVE A RECAP THAT, UM, SALLY AND JEFF ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH FOR, UH, THE VISIT THAT, UM, WE MADE WITH THE MAYOR AND WITH STAFF AND, UH, SOME OF OUR ADVOCACY GROUPS UP THERE. 
          UM, SO WE WILL HAND IT OFF TO Y'ALL. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          LET'S KICK THIS OFF. 
          SALLY BATO WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, I G R COMMITTEE. 
          THANK YOU TODAY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE YOU A RECAP AS CHAIRMAN PALAI SAID, UM, AN OVERVIEW OF THE WASHINGTON DC ADVOCACY VISIT IN JULY. 
          UM, ADDITIONALLY, I'M GONNA PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE DISCUSSIONS GOING ON IN WASHINGTON, DC RIGHT NOW, SPECIFICALLY THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT. 
          A LOT TO COVER THERE. 
          UM, ADDITIONALLY, I'M GONNA PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE, UH, ACTIVITY GOING ON IN CONGRESS REGARDING THE F Y 22 APPROPRIATIONS DETAILS. 
          AND THEN A, UH, QUICK RECAP AT THE END, UH, TO SHARE SOME PRELIMINARY DETAILS ON THE 2021 ESSAY TO DC TRIP COMING UP IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. 
          [2. Recap of the July 19-21 Washington, D.C. Advocacy Visit]
TO KICK IT OFF VERY QUICKLY, UH, THESE ARE THE DC ADVOCACY MEETINGS THAT WE SCHEDULED THAT WERE PART OF OUR AGENDA. 
          THE VISIT TOOK PLACE ON JULY, UH, THE 19TH THROUGH THE 21ST. 
          AS YOU SEE HERE, WE MET WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, HOMELAND SECURITY, FEMA OFFICIALS, THE WHITE HOUSE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, THAT INCLUDED OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION MEMBERS, UH, IN ADDITION TO KEY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO DISCUSS PRIORITIES FOR OUR REGION ON THE TRIP. 
          THESE WERE THE ADVOCACY VISIT PRIORITY ISSUES. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE, RAY'S GRANT WAS AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST. 
          THIS WAS THE $25 MILLION FUNDING REQUEST THAT WE SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. 
          THIS IS A CITY COUNTY, UH, PARTNERSHIP APPLICATION THAT WE SUBMITTED FOR THE, UH, SARA MORA TRAILS THAT IS PART OF THE HOWARD PEAK TRAIL SYSTEM. 
          MORE TO COME ON THAT. 
          IN ADDITION, WORKFORCE INITIATIVES WAS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF OUR DISCUSSIONS. 
          UH, WE MET WITH SECRETARY WALSH, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WITH THE WHITE HOUSE, UH, TO DISCUSS KEY ITEMS, UH, TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, SUCH AS THE ESSAY READY TO WORK PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING WAS VERY KEY. 
          WE ARRIVED THERE JUST IN TIME AT THE HEELS OF A BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE AGREEMENT THAT HAD JUST BEEN REACHED BY THE PRESIDENT IN A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS ON THE UI FUNDING AND, UH, RANKING SIDE. 
          EVERY YEAR, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS IN ADVOCACY FOR OUR U A E PROGRAM. 
          THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT ASSISTS COMMUNITIES EVERY YEAR THROUGH HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING TO RESPOND AND PROTECT AGAINST TERRORISTIC EVENTS AND OR OTHER EMERGENCIES. 
          UH, LOCALLY EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, THE U A C TEAM AT FEMA IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT SAN ANTONIO'S THREATS AND VULNERABILITIES ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS THIS PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEARS. 
          LASTLY, CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING REQUESTS. 
          I WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL, UH, DETAILS HERE ON THE SPECIFIC REQUESTS, BUT AFTER ABOUT 10 YEAR MORATORIUM, CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS BROUGHT BACK, UH, CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING REQUESTS, OR WHAT WE USED TO CALL THEM OR EARMARKS. 
          AND THE CITY SUCCESSFULLY WORKED WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION MEMBERS TO SUBMIT SEVERAL REQUESTS UNDER THIS, UM, FUNDING PROCESS, SPECIFICALLY ON THE RAISE GRANT. 
          UH, AFTER MEETING WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND PROVIDING SOME VERY KEY ALIGNMENTS, UH, WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, WHEN 
          [00:05:01]
WE MET WITH D O T, UH, OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION MEMBERS HAVE AGREED TO KEEP WORKING WITH US TO DEMONSTRATE CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT. 
          THE RAISE GRANT IS A VERY HIGHLY COMPETITIVE GRANT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. 
          IT TRADITIONALLY RECEIVES MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EXTRA IN, UM, REQUESTS. 
          SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP DEMONSTRATING CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT IN LOCAL SUPPORT. 
          SO, PART OF OUR STRATEGY IS TO ENSURE THAT WE REMAIN RELEVANT AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR PROJECT AT THE T D O T LEVEL AND WITH THE WHITE HOUSE. 
          SO, A CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT LETTER IS IN THE WORKS CURRENTLY. 
          IN ADDITION, THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, UH, TRADITIONALLY INVITES MEMBERS, UH, NOT JUST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT CABINET MEMBERS. 
          AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG, UH, MAY ATTEND THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYOR. 
          SO WE HAVE SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR A MEETING WITH, UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG AND SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG, OTHER D O T OFFICIALS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE ASSETS OF OUR RAISE GRANT. 
          UM, IN ADDITION, SEVERAL OF OUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM OUR DELEGATION HAVE AGREED TO PROVIDE, UM, CALLS, UH, TO D O T IN COORDINATION WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANT. 
          WE HAVE ARRIVED AT HAVING OUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS MAKE THOSE CALLS IN SEPTEMBER, EARLY TO MID-SEPTEMBER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INFLUENCE, UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AT THE RIGHT TIME. 
          ON THE WORKFORCE FRONT, WE MET WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, SPECIFICALLY, UH, SECRETARY WALSH. 
          IT WAS A TREMENDOUS MEETING, AND WE WILL CONTINUE OUR DIALOGUE WITH SECRETARY WALSH AND HIS TEAM. 
          THE MAYOR IN D C INVITED THE SECRETARY TO CONTINUE OUR WORKFORCE DISCUSSIONS TO FOCUS ON WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAN ANTONIO THROUGH FUNDING OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
          THE SECRETARY HAS ACCEPTED THE INVITE, SO WE'RE COORDINATING WITH HIS TEAM TO DETERMINE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR HIS VISIT AND HIS TEAM IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          SO HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE SOON, AND WE'LL PROVIDE THAT UPDATE ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE FRONT. 
          UH, POST WASHINGTON DC WE HAD SOME REALLY GREAT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AND WITH D O T. 
          OUR VISIT HAS, UH, BEEN ABLE TO KEEP US IN CONVERSATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. 
          OTHER WHITE HOUSE DIVISIONS HAVE TAKEN NOTE OF THE SAN ANTONIO VISIT, AND ON JULY 30TH, AS PART OF THE ONGOING SUPPORT IN OUR COORDINATION WITH N L C AND THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, THE MAYOR LED A PRECEDENT ON JULY 30TH, ALONG WITH HIS, UH, BIG CITY MAYORS COLLEAGUES IN SUPPORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          WE SHARED THAT WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AND WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION, AND IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED. 
          THEY'RE COMMENDING SAN ANTONIO A GREAT DEAL FOR ADVOCATING FOR OURSELVES AND SUPPORTING, UH, THOSE INITIATIVES. 
          ADDITIONALLY, ON AUGUST 11TH, UH, THE WHITE HOUSE ORGANIZED A MAYOR'S PRESS EVENT, AND MAYOR NUREMBERG WAS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE ALONG WITH A SMALL GROUP OF MAYORS. 
          AGAIN, THAT WAS A NATIONAL PLATFORM WHERE SAN ANTONIO HAD A SEAT AT THE TABLE. 
          SO THAT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT THAT, UH, THE MAYOR, UH, PARTICIPATED IN. 
          AND SAN ANTONIO WAS ON THAT PLATFORM FOR U A E. 
          LAST WEEK, ON AUGUST 11TH, WE HAD A FOLLOW-UP VIRTUAL MEETING WITH THE FEMA U OSSI TEAM. 
          IT WAS VERY, UH, IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO TALK TO THE U OSSI TEAM AND HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. 
          THEY ARE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A REVAMPING OF THE U OSSI PROGRAM. 
          THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND WE FEEL THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN, UM, THREATS AND VULNERABILITIES THAT ARE NOT BEING MEASURED THAT WOULD UPLIFT SAN ANTONIO TO A HIGHER RANK IN ORDER TO RECEIVE MORE FUNDING AND BRING MORE FUNDING TO, UM, OUR URBAN AREA. 
          SO WE HELD THIS CALL LAST WEEK WITH OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS TEAM AND PROVIDED SOME FEEDBACK ON SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE FEEL SAN ANTONIO IS NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. 
          UM, ON A DIFFERENT FRONT. 
          ALSO, OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS TEAM IS WORKING TO COMPILE DATA THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TO THE FEMA TEAM IN ORDER TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL THREATS THAT WE'RE WORKING TO IDENTIFY ON THE CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING REQUEST. 
          THIS COMMUNICATION IS ONGOING. 
          IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE A FEW MONTHS SINCE WE SUBMITTED THESE FUNDING REQUESTS THROUGH OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION MEMBERS. 
          SO WE ARE MONITORING IT VERY CLOSELY, AND WE'LL CONTINUOUSLY PROVIDE THOSE UPDATES TO YOU, THE ADMINISTRATION COLLABORATION. 
          I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO BE DEFINITELY ONGOING. 
          UM, DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ON JULY 28TH, WE SCHEDULED A CALL WITH THE METRO HEALTH TEAM AND THE WHITE HOUSE COVID RESPONSE TEAM. 
          WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS WITH THEM OUR COVID OPERATIONS, OUR VACCINE EFFORTS, 
          [00:10:01]
AND THEY PROVIDED VACCINATION AND COVID RESPONSE, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON THE CALL. 
          SO THE CONVERSATION THERE WILL BE ONGOING. 
          OUR METRO HEALTH TEAM DID IDENTIFY EQUITY AS, AS AN AREA THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE CONVERSING WITH THE WHITE HOUSE TEAM ABOUT. 
          SO THESE CONVERSATIONS WILL ALSO BE, UM, MORE TO COME AND ONGOING ON AUGUST 6TH. 
          DR. 
          BESHAR CARE, HE IS THE WHITE HOUSE VACCINATIONS COORDINATOR. 
          HE VISITED SAN ANTONIO AND WE ORGANIZED A TWO PART MEETING, UH, FOR DR SHOW CARE. 
          THE FIRST PART WAS MAYOR NUREMBERG AND JUDGE WOLF AND OUR CITY MANAGER. 
          AND THEY DISCUSSED THE CITY'S CURRENT VACCINATION EFFORTS, OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERS, UM, AND OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST, UM, FOR THE MAYOR AND THE JUDGE, AND THE CITY MANAGER. 
          THE SECOND PART WAS A ROUND TABLE THAT INCLUDED OUR HOSPITAL CEOS AND OTHER KEY COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERS. 
          AND THEY ENGAGED IN A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE ITEMS AND AREAS THAT SAN ANTONIO NEEDS ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE IN. 
          SO THAT WILL BE, UM, ADDITIONAL COLLABORATION THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE WITH THE, UH, WHITE HOUSE VACCINATIONS COORDINATOR AT DR. 
          TRUCARE. 
          AND THEN ON JULY 29TH, UH, BECAUSE OF THE MEETING THAT WE HAD AT THE WHITE HOUSE, IT CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF OTHER WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS THAT WE DID NOT MEET WITH NECESSARILY WHEN WE WERE THERE IN JULY. 
          SO WE RECEIVED, UM, AN OUTREACH CALL FROM THE US TRADE REPRESENTATIVE'S OFFICE, AND WE SCHEDULED A CALL WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND OUR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS TEAM, AND WE INITIATED THE CONVERSATION WITH THEM ON THE TRADE POLICIES AND PRIORITIES FOR SAN ANTONIO. 
          UM, A NEXT CALL THAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE U S T R REPRESENTATIVE'S OFFICE WILL INCLUDE, UH, TRADE, UH, STAKEHOLDERS FROM SAN ANTONIO TO CONTINUE DISCUSSING WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE AND, UM, ANY ADDITIONAL STEPS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE FORWARD TO GET TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. 
          IN ADDITION, WE'VE SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR AMBASSADOR TAI TO MEET WITH OUR DELEGATION DURING A TO DC. 
          AND SO THEY HAVE FLAGGED THAT IF THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT SHE'S GONNA BE IN TEXAS, THEY'LL REACH OUT TO US AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY SCHEDULE SOMETHING AHEAD OF SA TO DC. 
          MOVING 
          [3. Federal Update on Appropriations and Infrastructure Legislation]
ON, UH, TO INFRASTRUCTURE, SPECIFICALLY THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT. 
          AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IN LATE JUNE, UH, THE PRESIDENT IN A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS ARRIVED AT A BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT. 
          SINCE THEN, THE SENATE ON AUGUST 10TH PASSED, UH, THIS BILL, WHICH INCLUDES 550 BILLION IN FEDERAL INVESTMENTS OVER FIVE YEARS. 
          THESE ARE THE MAJOR CATEGORIES THAT I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION. 
          UH, 28 BILLION FOR TRANSPORTATION. 
          55 BILLION FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, 65 BILLION FOR BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE, 73 BILLION FOR ENERGY AND POWER, WHICH INCLUDES THE ENERGY GRID GRID, 46 BILLION FOR RESILIENCY. 
          ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION IS 21 BILLION, WHICH INCLUDES CLEANUP ACTIVITIES, AND THEN WATER STORAGE, UM, IS 8 BILLION FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          I WANTED TO BREAK THIS UP A LITTLE BIT FURTHER FOR YOU SO THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE THESE SUBCATEGORIES UNDER THE TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS, SPECIFICALLY ROADS AND BRIDGES. 
          IT'S 110 BILLION. 
          UH, THIS IS FOR THE REPAIR AND, UH, IMPROVEMENTS OF ROADS AND BRIDGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          TRANSIT IS 39 BILLION, SAFETY IS 11 BILLION. 
          THIS IS FOR SPECIFICALLY CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROJECTS. 
          THE AIRPORT'S, UH, TRANCHE IS 25 BILLION, AND THAT INCLUDES 15 BILLION FOR THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
          SO THAT'LL BE, UM, A GREAT AREA FOR US TO, TO TRACK AND MONITOR CLOSELY FOR OUR AIRPORT. 
          ELECTRIC VEHICLE, UH, CHARGERS. 
          THESE ARE FOR STATIONS 7, 4, 7 0.5 BILLION. 
          ELECTRIC BUSES, SEVEN, 7.5 BILLION AS WELL. 
          AND THEN RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES IS 1 BILLION. 
          UH, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, AREA OF FUNDING IS OF GREAT INTEREST TO US BECAUSE WE MENTIONED, UM, THIS, UH, CONCERN AND JUSTIFICATION IN OUR RAISE GRANT APPLICATION. 
          SO WE'RE DEFINITELY GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES UNDER THE RECONNECTION OF COMMUNITIES, SPECIFICALLY KEY FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO CITIES. 
          WE'VE GOT THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES TO THANK FOR THIS LIST. 
          UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, OUR COLLABORATION WITH N L C AND THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS ENTAILED ADVOCACY SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS FUNDING, UH, SAFE STREETS. 
          UH, ESSENTIALLY VISION ZERO PRIORITIES, LARGE BRIDGE REPAIRS. 
          THIS 20 BILLION FOR LARGE BRIDGE REPAIRS WOULD NORMALLY BE AN AREA OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CITIES WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN OR EVEN ATTEMPT 
          [00:15:01]
BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S NEVER REALLY BEEN FEDERAL FUNDING TO TACKLE THESE LARGE BRIDGE REPAIRS. 
          NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS, THIS WOULD BE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR STATE AND LOCALS, UM, TO ADDRESS CERTAIN INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS LOCALLY AND AT THE STATE LEVEL. 
          UM, FOR RAISE GRANTS, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN 4.5 BILLION. 
          SO THIS WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT, UM, THE RAISE GRANT FUNDING AND SEE WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR SAN ANTONIO AND OUR REGION ARE THAT FALL UNDER, UM, THE ALLOWABLE EXPENDITURES. 
          HERE. 
          AGAIN, THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM GRANTS 25 BILLION. 
          THIS INCLUDES, LIKE I SAID, 15 BILLION FOR THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
          AND THERE WILL BE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE AREAS FOR CON, UH, SESSIONS AS WELL. 
          RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES, 1 BILLION. 
          AND THE LAST ONE, ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAM, 1.7 BILLION. 
          THIS WILL HELP TRANSIT AGENCIES COME UP TO A D A COMPLIANCE. 
          SO THIS WILL BE AN AREA THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR VIA AS WELL. 
          SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE FRONT? NOW THAT THE SENATE HAS PASSED THE BILL, IT'S OFF TO THE HOUSE SIDE FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION. 
          SO THE HOUSE RETURNS ON AUGUST 23RD. 
          SPEAKER PELOSI HAS CALLED THE HOUSE TO RETURN. 
          UH, HOWEVER, WE, UM, DON'T ANTICIPATE A SMOOTH PATH FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          BILL NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONGOING. 
          WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THE HOUSE MUST VOTE ON THE SENATE VERSION IN ORDER FOR THE SENATE BILL THAT WAS SENT TO THE HOUSE, NOT TO HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE SENATE FOR AN ADDITIONAL VOTE, BECAUSE THAT WILL REALLY KICK OFF, UM, SOMEONE RAVELING ON THAT BILL. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA BE CON CONTINUING TO TRACK THIS VERY, VERY CLOSELY. 
          WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR DELEGATION, UM, TO ENSURE ON THE HOUSE SIDE THAT THEY KEEP US POSTED. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, WE'LL BE MONITORING THIS CLOSELY WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR CONSULTANTS AND THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE COORDINATE WITH. 
          BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, A LITTLE BIT ON THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS. 
          UM, IN LATE MAY, THE PRESIDENT KICKED OFF THE ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS BY RELEASING HIS F Y 22, UH, PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT KICKS OFF THE ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS, WHERE THE HOUSE AND SENATE TACKLE THEIR 12 BILLS, WHICH FUND, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE SPECIFIC AGENCIES, UM, THAT RECEIVE THAT FUNDING THAT WE SO CLOSELY MONITOR, IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, TO SHOW THAT THE HOUSE DID, UH, PROCEED TO PASS THEIR 12 APPROPRIATIONS BILLS BEFORE THEY LEFT FOR THEIR AUGUST OF RECESS. 
          HOWEVER, THE SENATE'S A LITTLE BIT ON A SLOWER TRACK, AND THEY APPROVED, UH, THREE OF THE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS. 
          SO THEY STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO WHEN THEY RETURN AFTER THE LABOR DAY. 
          UM, HOLIDAY. 
          I WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND SHARE WITH YOU THAT PART OF THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS INCLUDED COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, UH, FOR THE F Y 22 APPROPRIATION SPILLS. 
          WE WORKED SUCCESSFULLY WITH CONGRESSMAN CASTRO AND CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ TO SUBMIT TWO MEMBER SPONSORED REQUESTS. 
          YOU, UM, WILL RECALL THESE IN, IN PAST, UM, OVERVIEWS AND UPDATES. 
          THE FIRST ONE IS THE HOUSING EQUITY BASED HOME EXPANSION, RENTAL PRESERVATION PROGRAM. 
          THAT'S A $2 MILLION REQUEST THAT CONGRESS CONGRESSMAN CASTRO, UH, SUPPORTED AND SUBMITTED. 
          AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS A MENTAL HEALTH EXPANSION FOR WEEKEND COVERAGE FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT AT $1 MILLION. 
          AND THAT WAS CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ. 
          SO WE CONTINUE TO TRACK THESE CLOSELY AS THEY, UH, UNFOLD FURTHER IN THE CONGRESSIONAL APPROACH PROCESS. 
          SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT ON THE F Y 22 APPROPRIATION SIDE? SO THE HOUSE AND SENATE RETURNS MID-SEPTEMBER AFTER THE LABOR DAY HOLIDAY TO CONTINUE THEIR APPROPRIATIONS WORK. 
          HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE SENATE IS, IS SUBSTANTIALLY BEHIND WHAT THE, UH, HOUSEWORK HAS DONE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT A CONTINUING RESOLUTION OR A CR WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. 
          SO WE'LL BE TRACKING THAT CLOSELY BECAUSE A CR WILL NOT INCLUDE OUR APPROPRIATIONS OR COMMUNITY FUNDING REQUESTS. 
          BUT ULTIMATELY, IF AN OMNIBUS BILL IS VOTED ON, WE WILL BE ADVOCATING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR INDIVIDUAL REQUESTS ARE INCLUDED. 
          STATUS OF THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION. 
          BILL, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE LEGISLATION THAT THE HOUSE PASSED ON JULY ONE, SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIVE YEAR TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION BILL THAT HAS TO BE PASSED EVERY YEAR. 
          LAST YEAR, CONGRESS HAD TO PASS A ONE YEAR CONTINUING RESOLUTION OF THIS BILL, WHICH EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 30TH. 
          A PIECE OF THIS BILL WERE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, PROJECTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AS WELL. 
          THROUGH 
          [00:20:01]
THE SUPPORT OF CONGRESSMAN CASTRO, HE SUBMITTED FOR US THE SAR MORA RIO RIO OVERPASS AT $15.6 MILLION. 
          WE'RE GONNA BE TRACKING THIS VERY CLOSELY, THIS PARTICULAR, UM, REQUEST AND ALL THE OTHER REQUESTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION SURFACE BILL ARE GONNA HAVE A LONG TRAJECTORY OF NEGOTIATIONS. 
          SO WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THESE PROJECTS ARE GOING TO LAND, BUT WE KNOW THAT CHAIRMAN DEFAZIO FROM THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE IS WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE INVESTMENTS REMAIN IN SOME KIND OF A TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE. 
          LASTLY, UH, OCTOBER 19TH THROUGH THE 22ND IS OUR ANNUAL ESSAY TO DC UH, FLY-IN FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY LEADERS TO ADVOCATE FOR PRIORITY, UM, ISSUES FOR THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY. 
          INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND GROWING AND PROTECTION OF OUR MILITARY COMMUNITIES ARE ALWAYS PRIORITIES THAT ARE PART OF THE FLY-IN THE CHAMBERS ISSUE. 
          TEAMS ARE WORKING TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL PRIORITY ISSUES THAT WILL BE PART OF THE AGENDA IN OCTOBER. 
          SO WE JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS ON YOUR RADAR, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU'RE AWARE. 
          WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANY DEVIATIONS, ALTHOUGH WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE CHAMBERS BECAUSE THERE ARE, UH, EXPECTED A LOT OF CHANGES IN DC IN REGARDS TO USING THE CAPITOL HILL BUILDINGS OR THE VISITOR CENTER. 
          SO THE CHAMBER STAFF ARE TRACKING THAT CLOSELY, AND THEY WILL BE INFORMING US, UM, AS THEY GET THE DETAILS SQUARED AWAY. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANKS. 
          AND THEN I, I THINK I'M, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO, UM, MY CO-CHAIR TO KICK OFF OUR ROUND OF QUESTIONS. 
          THERE WAS A LOT THERE TO UNPACK. 
          SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? UH, LEMME SEE IF I CAN GET THIS WORKED OUT, SALLY, THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT. 
          THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO REMARK QUICKLY ON THE, UH, THE, THE DC TRIP. 
          UM, I, I KNOW THAT THOSE THINGS SOMETIMES SEEM FRUITLESS AT THE TIME BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THE LEAD UP AND THEN ALSO THE FOLLOW UP. 
          BUT I FELT VERY GOOD ABOUT, UH, IN PARTICULAR, AND PART OF IT IS THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE, UM, THE UNITED EFFORT OF BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE. 
          UM, I, I THINK THE FOLKS IN DC NOTICED THAT, AND I THINK THEY TOOK, UH, NOTES ON THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF HAVING FOLKS COMING IN WITH DIFFERENT REQUESTS, WE WERE ON THE SAME PAGE. 
          UH, WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH ENTITIES THERE. 
          AND, UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE ULTIMATELY WHEN THEY MAKE THEIR DECISIONS OR HAVE TO MAKE THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS. 
          'CAUSE WE KNOW IT'S A PRETTY COMPETITIVE, UH, PROCESS IN PARTICULAR WITH RESPECT TO THE RAISE GRANT, UM, I KNOW THAT WE POINTED OUT WHILE WE WERE THERE THAT FOR THE LAST DECADE OR SO, WE'VE KIND OF BEEN SHUT OUT ON TRANSPORTATION GRANT MONEY. 
          I THINK LAST TIME IT WAS CALLED THE TIGER GRANT, AND WE GOT SOMETHING IN 2011, I BELIEVE, FOR THE VIA TRANSIT CENTER. 
          UM, I THINK WE ALL MADE A VERY COMPELLING, UH, CASE THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST THAT WE'RE DUE, BUT WE HAVE, UM, A PROJECT THAT WE'RE ALL GETTING BEHIND THAT CHECKS A LOT OF THE BOXES THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS ASKING. 
          UH, SO, SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO TO HIGHLIGHT THAT FOR THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE, UM, SALLY, TO YOUR WORK IN, IN ORGANIZING AND PUTTING IT TOGETHER. 
          I KNOW WE HAD SOME OF OUR TEAM THERE AS WELL. 
          UM, BUT, BUT I KNOW, UM, THAT AGAIN, THE FOLLOW-UP IS, IS ALSO KEY. 
          SO, UM, I KNOW YOU'VE MENTIONED SA TO DC I KNOW, I THINK BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, I THINK THE MAYOR HAS SOME FOLLOW-UP WORK TO DO. 
          IF YOU'LL JUST LET US KNOW WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO FROM THE COUNTY SIDE AS WELL, WHETHER IT'S, UM, HAVING, UH, THE, THE COUNTY JUDGE THERE, OR SOMEBODY MYSELF OR COMMISSIONER DEBERRY, UM, OR EVEN A FOLLOW UP LETTER. 
          I THINK THIS, THE, THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE IS, IS, IS, IS NOW BEING PUT IN THE SPOTLIGHT. 
          AND, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, MR. CO-CHAIR, OUR FIRST TIME MEETING IN PERSON, BUT I THINK THE GENIUS OF PUTTING THESE ENTITIES TOGETHER IS GONNA PAY DIVIDENDS, UM, IN THE LONG RUN. 
          SO, UM, SO JUST KEEP US POSTED WHAT YOU THINK, UH, SALLY AND, AND JEFF AND MELISSA ON HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO CHIME IN. 
          THIS IS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR US. 
          WE KNOW IT'S VERY COMPETITIVE, BUT, UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK YOUR WORK, UH, LEADING UP TO THE, THE, THE TRIP BECAUSE IT WAS, I THINK, A VERY SUCCESSFUL TRIP. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          I APPRECIATE THE, THOSE WORDS. 
          AND, UM, YOU DEFINITELY ARE RESONATING PART OF THE STRATEGY THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY PAYING D O T AND NOT JUST, UH, THE AGENCY, BUT THE WHITE HOUSE TO ENSURE THAT WE STAY RELEVANT AND THAT THEY SEE THE ONGOING, UH, SUPPORT, UM, THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND ALSO 
          [00:25:01]
HERE LOCALLY. 
          SO WE'LL DEFINITELY BE REACHING OUT AND INCLUDING THIS COMMITTEE AND THE MEMBERSHIP, UH, TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE CALLS WITH VARIOUS OFFICIALS, NOT JUST FROM THE AGENCY, BUT ALSO THE WHITE HOUSE, UM, TO EDUCATE THEM AND PROVIDE AWARENESS OF THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE GRANT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THE OTHER THING I'LL MENTION AND, AND I'LL PASS IT ON, ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP, I KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THE COURT IS, UH, PRIORITIES AS IT RELATES TO THE ARPA DOLLARS. 
          I KNOW YOU, YOU ALL ARE AS WELL. 
          UM, WE ARE, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE SOME HELP FROM OUR, OUR CONSULTANT ON, UM, WHAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY EXPECT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SO THAT WE DO DON'T HAVE TO USE ARPA DOLLARS ON THE FRONT END, UM, KIND OF SPREADING OUT, UH, LEVERAGING THOSE DOLLARS. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE, UM, BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IS, IS, UM, THAT, UH, CONNECTIVITY WITH THOSE DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING LATER AND, AND POTENTIALLY EITHER IN, UM, THE STIMULUS, UH, UH, PACKAGE OR IN OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, SO THAT WE CAN COORDINATE THOSE EFFORTS. 
          BUT I, I KNOW IT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE, UH, BUT I THINK, UH, THAT'S, IT'S JUST SOMETHING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT. 
          THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, FOR BRINGING THAT UP. 
          AND ACTUALLY IT'S, UM, HOT OFF THE PRESS. 
          I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SIFT THROUGH THE ENTIRE EMAIL, BUT, UM, OUR FEDERAL CONSULTANT THAT WAS HIRED BY OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WENT THROUGH, I THINK, MAYBE ABOUT 4,000 PAGES, UM, WORTH OF LEGISLATION ON THE HOUSE AND SENATE SIDE. 
          UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL INCLUDED, UM, AND THE HOUSE, UM, UH, SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BILL TO IDENTIFY, UH, THOSE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO, THAT'S DEFINITELY AN UNDERTAKING THAT WE SUPPORTED HIM DO, WE SUPPORTED HIM DOING. 
          UM, AND WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF WHAT HE'S IDENTIFIED, WE'LL FIND THOSE ALIGNMENTS, UM, AND PROVIDE THESE UPDATES TO THE COMMITTEE. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN, UM, I'LL, I'LL PIGGYBACK ON THAT AND TELL YOU ALL THAT THE, THE GENIUS RIGHT, OF JOINING, UH, BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, UH, I THINK WAS ALSO SOMETHING THAT, UH, WAS EVIDENT TO THE FOLKS THAT WE PRESENTED TO. 
          UM, AND ONE OF THEM COMMENTED, AND, AND I'LL USE MY OWN WORDS, NOT HIS, 'CAUSE I, I FORGOT EXACTLY HOW I PUT IT, BUT YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST IT'S ALWAYS SEEMED LIKE SAN ANTONIO, THE COUNTY VIA BROOKS, RIGHT? THAT WERE A BUNCH OF PIRANHAS GOING AFTER THE SAME MEAL. 
          UM, AND, UH, IN THIS INSTANCE, THAT COORDINATION MAKES IT MUCH EASIER FOR THEM ALSO, RIGHT? MM-HMM. 
           TO SEE US AS A, AS A METROPOLITAN REGION. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S ALSO REALLY SMART, UM, AND VERY IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT OUR LOBBY TEAMS UP THERE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY PAID LOBBYISTS, AND THEN THE COUNTY PAID LOBBYISTS, AND EVEN BROOKS IS LOBBYISTS, UM, ARE ALL IN THE SAME ROOM, AND THEY ALL HAPPEN TO BE THE SAME PEOPLE. 
          UM, RIGHT? SO WALTER, UH, YOU KNOW, SERNA, YOU REPRESENT THOSE THREE ENTITIES, RIGHT? BUT, UM, YOUR OTHER LOBBY, UH, COLLEAGUE, CHRISTINA ANTELLO REPRESENTS THE COUNTY AS WELL AS AS BROOKS. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT CITY, CITY, UH, PAID, UH, LOBBYISTS THAT THEY'RE NOW ADVOCATING FOR COUNTY PRIORITIES AS WELL. 
          AND I THINK THAT THAT PARTNERSHIP IS GONNA, IS GONNA PAY OFF, AND I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. 
          UH, 4,000 PAGES IS WHAT YOU SAID. 
          COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA READS LIKE 6,000 PAGES A NIGHT, SO I'M NOT IMPRESSED. 
          COUNCIL, THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU, SALLY. 
          UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO READING THAT. 
          UM, HOW ARE WE ENGAGING, I'M SORRY TO TAKE THIS OFF. 
          HOW ARE WE ENGAGING WITH THE ESSAY READY TO WORK LIAISONS? WELL, IT'S GONNA BE BOTH OF US TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ESSAY READY TO WORK IS REPRESENTED WHEN SECRETARY WALSH IS IN TOWN. 
          SURE. 
          SO, UM, THOSE DISCUSSIONS, UM, HAVE BEEN ONGOING AND LED BY OUR NEW ECONOMIC, UH, DIRECTOR BRENDA SORENSON. 
          AND SO SHE'S BEEN ENGAGED, I THINK SHE HAD BEEN ON, SHE WAS ON DAY FOUR WHEN WE ASKED HER TO JUMP ON, UH, THE CALL WITH, UM, THE LABOR TEAM TO KIND OF JUST KICK OFF THOSE DISCUSSIONS. 
          SO THIS COMING WEEKS SINCE WE'RE TARGETING HOPEFULLY, UM, LATE AUGUST VISIT BY THE SECRETARY AND HIS TEAM, SHE'LL BE INVOLVED IN BE PROVIDING THOSE, THANK YOU, BE PROVIDING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT NEED TO BE PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS. 
          SO WE DID, UH, HEAR FROM SECRETARY WALSH THAT THOSE DISCUSSIONS WHEN HE'S IN SAN ANTONIO WOULD ENTAIL THAT, UM, APPROACH THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS SO NICELY LAID OUT WHEN WE'VE BEEN IN DC NOT JUST IN THIS LAST VISIT, BUT, UH, AS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. 
          THEY LOVE THAT SAN ANTONIO MODEL WHERE ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE AT THE TABLE, CITY, COUNTY, UH, BUSINESS AND PUBLIC. 
          SO WE WILL FOLLOW THAT MODEL AND MAKE SURE THAT WE SHOWCASE STAKEHOLDERS, UM, THAT ARE ALL PART OF THAT INITIATIVE. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU, SALLY. 
          I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING SECRETARY WALSH FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, AND HE'S DID SOME GREAT THINGS IN BOSTON. 
          I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH THE PEOPLE HE LEFT BEHIND IN BOSTON. 
          SURE. 
          UM, PARTICULARLY IN REGARD TO WOMEN AND NOT LEAVING WOMEN BEHIND. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE, THE RECOVERY. 
          SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION. 
          UH, HAS THE 46 POINT, NO, I THINK IT WAS $46 BILLION BEEN DEFINED ALREADY IN RESILIENCY, WHAT THEY MEAN BY RESILIENCY. 
          AND ALSO THE SAME FOR THE 1.7 BILLION FOR 
          [00:30:01]
ACCESSIBILITY. 
          SO WE ARE SCOURING THROUGH THOSE PAGES RIGHT NOW, AND SO THERE ARE SOME DETAILS ALREADY IN THE BILL. 
          SO WHAT WE, UH, PLAN ON DOING IS PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF ESPECIALLY THOSE CATEGORIES THAT ARE KEY FUNDING INITIATIVES FOR CITIES, N L C, THE CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, AND I KNOW NACO, UH, NACO, ALL THREE PROVIDE, UM, OVERVIEWS OF THAT SPECIFIC FUNDING. 
          SO, AND OUR CONSULTANTS WILL HELP US, UH, SIFT, UM, THROUGH ALL THE, YOU KNOW, DETAILS OF WHAT THAT WILL ENTAIL. 
          UM, ESSENTIALLY MOST OF THIS FUNDING IS EITHER GONNA BE, SOME OF IT'S GONNA BE FORMULA, AND SOME OF IT IS GONNA BE THROUGH COMPETITIVE GRANTS. 
          SO WE'LL IDENTIFY ALL OF THAT, UH, ALL OF THOSE DETAILS, AND BE ABLE TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU VERY SOON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? ? THAT'S A FIRST. 
          COUNCILMAN ? COMMISSIONER. 
          . 
          COMMISSIONER DEBERRY? I'M GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          COUNCILMAN. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          SO, UH, JUST CLOSING IT OUT, I DO WANNA ASK A FEW QUESTIONS. 
          THE DEBT CEILING FIGHT ON THE HORIZON, IS THAT, UH, IS THAT SOMETHING Y'ALL ALREADY TALKING ABOUT? AND HOW WILL THAT, UM, IMPACT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE AND HOW WERE WE IMPACTED THE LAST TIME THAT FIGHT GOT UGLY? SO, OBVIOUSLY, UH, CONGRESS IS DEFINITELY HAVING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THOSE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT. 
          WHAT'S SUCKING THE AIR OUT OF THE ROOM IS THE FACT THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WAS PASSED. 
          NOW IT HAS TO BE PASSED, UH, BY THE HOUSE, UH, CHAMBER. 
          AND THEN ALSO THE BUDGET, UH, RECONCILIATION AND THE BUDGET RESOLUTION ARE ALL NEGOTIATIONS THAT ARE ONGOING. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE OUR CONSULTANTS, ARE THEY ON TO PROVIDE MAYBE THE LATEST ON THE DEBT CEILING NEGOTIATIONS, BUT I KNOW IT'S BEEN ONGOING. 
          AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE BOTH CHAMBERS ARE IN RECESS, SO OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO TACKLE IT SOONER OR LATER BECAUSE, UM, THEY DID START WORKING ON THOSE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS WITHOUT REALLY HAVING THAT TOP LEVEL, UH, NUMBER, UH, THROUGH THE, UH, BUDGET, UH, RESOLUTION. 
          SO DEFINITELY ON THE TABLE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE CAN GET YOU AN UPDATE, COUNCILMAN. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN I SAW THE TWO ITEMS THAT WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TWO, THE TWO ASKS THAT COUNCIL, I'M SORRY, THAT, UH, CONGRESSMAN CASTRO AND CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ HAD AGREED TO PITCH FOR US, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ON REGARDING MR. DOGGETT, MR. UH, CUE OR MR. CHIP ROY. 
          AND WHY NOT, HAVE WE NOT ASKED THEM ANYTHING? HAVE THEY NOT OFFERED WHAT'S GOING ON? SO, ORIGINALLY, AS PART OF THE PROCESS, MR. ROY DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY FUNDING REQUEST. 
          SO HE DIDN'T SUBMIT ANY PROJECTS. 
          UH, CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT PUT, UH, ALL HIS FOCUS MOSTLY IN AUSTIN. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , I BELIEVE HE SUBMITTED ONE REQUEST FOR HEMISPHERE. 
          UM, AND THAT PROJECT DID NOT ADVANCE, MEMBERS WERE REQUIRED TO RANK THEIR PROJECTS. 
          UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT EVEN IF SAN ANTONIO HAD SUBMITTED SOME PROJECTS BECAUSE HE WAS PUTTING HIS PRIORITY, UH, AS FAR AS THE RANKING PROCESS IN AUSTIN, WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE CUT. 
          SO WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH, UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE SAME STORY, BUT IN A DIFFERENT CITY. 
          LAREDO FOR CONGRESSMAN KUER, THERE WAS A BIG FOCUS FOR THE CONGRESSMAN THERE AS WELL. 
          AND CHIP ROY, UH, HE DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REQUEST, UH, PROCESS FOR MEMBERS THE SAME AS, UH, SENATOR CORNY AND, UH, SENATOR CRUZ. 
          THOSE THREE MEMBERS DECIDED NOT TO SUBMIT ANY REQUESTS WHATSOEVER. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN, UH, I, I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, TO MENTION TWO THINGS. 
          ONE, I IT'S, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SHOULD BE GOING TO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE AND THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES MEETING. 
          WE HEARD FROM THE FOLKS THAT WE MET UP THERE, THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE TOO. 
          UM, AND THAT FOOTPRINT THAT WE CREATE BY GOING UP THERE AND ADVOCATING FOR THE SAME THING. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN MEETING THESE FOLKS AT SOME OF THESE EVENTS AND EVEN AT THE AFTER EVENTS, UM, IS WHERE THESE DEALS GET DONE. 
          UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT T M L AND, UH, NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES IS NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY DOES, BUT, UM, YOU SHOULD COME, UH, AND, AND I HOPE THAT YOU DO, YOU'LL, YOU'LL, YOU MAY BENEFIT FROM IT. 
          UM, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, UH, FROM FROM DISTRICT TWO, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS BEING YOUR FIRST, I THINK YOU'D LOVE T M L AND N L C, AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL, UH, YOU'LL ACCEPT THE INVITATION. 
          SPEAKING OF INVITATIONS, WE TALKED TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 
          UH, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, IS REQUESTING FOR ESSAY TO DC, WHICH I HOPE EVERYBODY WILL ALSO ATTEND, UH, THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS SERVE AS LIAISONS TO THE, UM, THE INTEREST GROUPS THAT ARE GOING UP THERE, OR THE ADVOCACY GROUPS THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING FORMED. 
          AND SO EVERY YEAR, S A D C FORMS A MILITARY GROUP OR AN EDUCATION GROUP, OR A HOUSING GROUP, OR A WORKFORCE GROUP, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. 
          UM, THEY'RE, UH, ASKING THAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, AGREE TO SERVE AS A LIAISON TO ONE OF THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE GROUPS. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY'S ALREADY SPOKEN FOR, FOR THE MILITARY GROUP. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE AGREED TO SERVE ON THE HOUSING GROUP. 
          UM, NO. 
          UM, I FORGET NOW, BUT, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, OPTIONS. 
          YOU OKAY. 
          YOU GAVE 
          [00:35:01]
OPTIONS, BUT, AND NONETHELESS, THERE ARE, THEY'RE REQUESTING ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE FULLY THIS YEAR, UM, AND TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPANY THESE GROUPS AS THEY GO AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR ISSUES, BUT ALSO THAT THEY JOIN, UH, EITHER VIA STAFF OR IN PERSON, UM, IN THE ADVANCED PREP WORK FOR, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE, UH, ADVOCACY ASKS. 
          UM, AND SO THAT MEANS THAT SOME OF OUR CHIEFS OF STAFF WOULD HAVE TO ATTEND SOME MEETINGS AT THE, AT THE, UH, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE BAKING INTO THESE REQUESTS, THE CITY'S PRIORITIES. 
          RIGHT, JEFF? OKAY. 
          UH, AND YOU'LL HELP THE MEMBERS, UH, OF COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT WORK. 
          I THINK THAT LAST POINT YOU MADE IS KEY, UH, COUNCILMAN IN THAT, UM, THEY'RE A SERIES OF ISSUE TEAMS. THEY TYPICALLY ARE MEETING OVER THE COURSE OF THE MONTHS LEADING UP AND DEVELOPING THE AGENDA AND POSITIONS, UM, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND COMMISSIONERS, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THOSE PREP GROUPS TO BE FULLY VERSED IS BENEFICIAL. 
          AND IF NOT, THE, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THEMSELVES, THEN STAFF. 
          UH, SO THAT WAY WE'RE NOT WALKING INTO MEETINGS IN DC HAVING NOT BEEN A PART OF THE CONVERSATION LEADING UP TO ALL OF THOSE, THOSE ASKS. 
          SO I, THE CHAIRMAN, YOU'RE NOT TAKING THE CREDIT FOR IT, BUT I THINK THIS WAS A REALLY SMART REQUEST, UH, ON YOUR PART TO BE TALKING WITH THE CHAMBER ABOUT HOW ALL THIS FITS. 
          WE ALWAYS HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS UP THERE, AND THE ABILITY TO SPREAD ACROSS THE, THE FULL DELEGATION, THE INFLUENCE OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IS, IS VERY VALUABLE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS ALSO A REQUEST ON THE PART OF THE CHAMBER. 
          AND EACH ONE OF US, OR SOME OF US, HAVE GONE TO S A D C IN THE PAST, AND YOU'VE HEARD WHEN YOU WERE ON THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THIS EQUATION, TRISH, UH, YOU, YOU REMEMBER HOW FRUSTRATING IT WAS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS JUST TO SPIN OFF AND THEN DISAPPEAR FOR THE ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, TRIP. 
          AND THAT DOESN'T ADD ANY BENEFIT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER, UH, WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS IN, IN PUTTING THIS THING TOGETHER. 
          UM, AND THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S MORE ROBUST AND MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION ON THE PART OF, UH, OF THE COUNTY AND, AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN THEY GO. 
          AND SO THEY'RE ASKING FOR A PRE-COMMITMENT, UH, TO, TO ACTUALLY NOT SPIN OFF, RIGHT. 
          AND TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH THEM WHILE WE'RE THERE, UH, AND TO REPRESENT OUR CONSTITUENTS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE ENTIRETY OF S A D D C, I'LL, I'LL, AND I'M BEATING A DEAD HORSE, UM, I DO HAVE SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE, UH, FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE EXCITED ABOUT ANIMALS, UH, AND, UH, VETERANS. 
          UH, THE PAUSE ACT WAS VOTED ON BY THE HOUSE, AND THE PAW ACT, UH, WAS, HAS CLEARED THE SENATE. 
          IT IS NOW ON PRESIDENT BIDEN'S DESK. 
          UH, THE PAW ACT PERMITS, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO INVEST, UH, IN THE FORM OF GRANTS IN PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS THAT TRAIN UP SERVICE ANIMALS FOR, UH, VETERANS WHO NEED PHYSICAL AND P T S D HELP. 
          AND SO, UM, THAT WAS A BIG DEAL, AND IT'S GONNA HELP A C SS HERE, MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, EUTHANIZE FEWER BIG DOGS. 
          AND SO, UH, ANYWAY. 
          THANKS SALLY. 
          WHAT'S, UH, WHAT'S NEXT? 87TH ETTE. 
          THIS IS LATER HERE. 
          YES, SIR. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, WE'RE GONNA, UH, GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON THE, UH, SECOND, UH, SPECIAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE. 
          THE FIRST, EFFECTIVELY BEING A WASH. 
          CHRISTINE WRIGHT IS GONNA GIVE THAT UPDATE. 
          UH, WE ALSO, UM, INTEND TO GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER ON THE ELECTIONS ISSUE, UM, FOR SOME CONTEXT. 
          UH, THE CITY, AT LEAST I'LL SPEAK FOR THE CITY SIDE OF THINGS, DID NOT HAVE ELECTION REFORM IN OUR CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AGENDA. 
          UM, WE DID, HOWEVER, EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR OUR PARTNERS AT THE COUNTY. 
          AND THAT'S TYPICALLY THE WAY IT WORKS, IS THAT WE, WE WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS ON KEY ISSUES. 
          AND OF COURSE, THE COUNTY RUNS ELECTIONS HERE. 
          AND SO, AS THOSE BILLS EMERGED DURING THE REGULAR SESSION, WE TOOK, UH, ACTIVE POSITIONS ON IT, AS DID THE COUNTY. 
          WE ACTUALLY DID IT IN ALIGNMENT. 
          UM, AND NOW THAT WE'RE TWO SPECIAL SESSIONS IN AND STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE, WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE VALUABLE TO REALLY DIVE INTO THE ISSUE ITSELF AND WHAT SOME OF THE COMPONENTS ARE. 
          I UNDERSTAND LAST MINUTE, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF MIX UP WITH THE COUNTY'S ELECTIONS COORDINATOR, THAT CANCELLATION THAT WENT OUT FOR TODAY'S MEETING AND THEN WAS RETRACTED, I THINK, THROUGH OFF HER SCHEDULE. 
          SO SHE'S NOT HERE. 
          AND I THINK MELISSA'S GONNA, UM, YOU KNOW, DO HER BEST TO GO FROM JACKIE'S NOTES. 
          BUT, UM, JUST, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THAT WAS THE INTENT WAS FOR US TO TALK REALLY DIVE DEEP ON THE ELECTIONS FRONT. 
          CHRISTINE, TAKE AWAY. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, CO-CHAIRS COMMITTEE. 
          MY NAME'S CHRISTINE WRIGHT. 
          I'M WITH GOVERNMENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR THE CITY. 
          UM, JUST WANTED TO KIND OF 
          [4. 87th Legislature Update
	Special Session
	State Elections Legislation]
GIVE A, UM, JUST A QUICK UPDATE OF WHAT'S GOING ON DURING THE SECOND SPECIAL SESSION. 
          JUST AS, UM, QUICK BACKGROUND, UM, THE, THE, THE SPECIAL SESSION IS A CONTINUATION OF THE 87TH REGULAR SESSION. 
          SO, UM, THE CITY CONTINUES TO FOLLOW. 
          OUR CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED A 87TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UH, PROGRAM. 
          SO WE'RE, THAT'S KIND OF STILL OUR ROADMAP THAT WE'RE STILL USING FOR THESE SPECIAL SESSIONS. 
          UM, SO THE, UH, SECOND SPECIAL SESSION STARTED AUGUST 7TH. 
          UM, THEY CAN CONVENE UP TO 30 DAYS. 
          [00:40:01]
UM, THERE'S A 17 ITEM AGENDA. 
          THE FIRST ONE HAD, UH, 11, SO THERE WAS SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS ADDED TO THE SECOND CALL. 
          UM, ANOTHER THING IS, UM, BILLS CONSIDERED ARE LIMITED TO WHAT'S IN THE CALL NOW. 
          THAT'S JUST, THAT'S USUALLY HOW IT GOES. 
          ALTHOUGH THERE ARE 300 BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED. 
          NOT ALL OF THEM ARE INCLUDED ON THE CALL, BUT LEGISLATORS LIKE TO FILE THEM JUST IN CASE SOMETHING'S ADDED OR TO, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF SAFE AS PLACEHOLDERS. 
          UM, ANOTHER THING IS, UH, THE, UM, THE HOUSE HAS YET TO REACH A QUORUM, OF COURSE, TO TAKE SIGNIFICANT ACTION TODAY. 
          IF THEY DON'T HAVE A QUORUM AT FOUR O'CLOCK, IT WOULD BE, I THINK, DAY 35 OF NOT HAVING A QUORUM. 
          SO, UM, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO, SINCE THERE'S NOT A QUORUM, THEY AREN'T ALLOWED TO, UM, REFER ANY BILLS. 
          SO THERE'S, UM, NO HEARINGS. 
          BEEN PRETTY QUIET ON THE HOUSE SIDE. 
          UM, ANOTHER ONE THING I WANTED TO MENTION WAS IN THE SENATE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE KIND OF MOVING, THEY'RE MOVING PRETTY FAST AT LIGHTNING SPEED HERE. 
          UM, BUT ONE THING IS THEY, ONE RULE THEY DID ADOPT WHEN THEY WERE ADOPTING RULES FOR THE SECOND SESSION WAS THAT IF, UM, IF A COM THAT A SENATE COMMITTEE CAN CANCEL, CAN CANCEL A HEARING, IF THEY'VE ALREADY PASSED THE SENATE BILL THAT HAS A, UM, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY HAS A SIMILAR SUBJECT LINE AS A HOUSE BILL. 
          SO THAT BECOMES KIND OF AN ISSUE, BECAUSE IF A HOUSE BILL COMES OVER, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE NOT THE SAME AS THE SENATE BILL, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THE SAME, UM, CAPTION OR SAME SUBJECT LINE. 
          SO I KNOW THAT WAS AN ISSUE BROUGHT UP, BUT EITHER WAY, SO IF A HOUSE BILL GOES OVER TO THE SENATE, UM, THE SENATE CAN NOT HEAR IT, THEREFORE, PEOPLE CAN'T GO AND, UM, TESTIFY IN FRONT OF THE SENATE ON LANGUAGE THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE HOU SENATE ALREADY PASSED OUT. 
          SO JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT WAS A NEW RULE THAT THEY DID. 
          UM, AS WE KNOW IN THE, UM, HOUSE, UM, WARRANTS WERE, YOU KNOW, UM, WARRANTS WERE ISSUED FOR 52 DEMOCRATS, UM, AND D P S HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GO OUT, UH, TO, UH, GO OUT AND, YOU KNOW, FIND THEM, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY. 
          BUT, UM, IF THEY ARE BY CHANCE ARRESTED THE LAWMAKERS, UM, THEY'LL NOT FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES OR FINES. 
          UM, AND THE ONLY THING THEY CAN DO IS BE BROUGHT TO THE HOUSE CHAMBER. 
          SO, UM, THAT, THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING TOO. 
          SO, UM, ALSO YESTERDAY, I'M SURE EVERYONE HEARD ABOUT THE FLOOD THAT HAPPENED AT THE STATE CAPITOL. 
          UM, LOOKING AT THE ROOMS THAT WERE AFFECTED, IT COULD BE SOME OF OUR MEMBERS, OUR DELEGATION MEMBERS THAT HAVE SOME OFFICES THAT HAVE SOME DAMAGE. 
          UM, COULD BE BARBARA GROVER HAWKINS, REPRESENTATIVE CORTEZ, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CAMPOS AND PACHECO. 
          THEY'RE IN THOSE HALLWAYS THAT HAD SOME OF THE FLOODING. 
          SO IF YOU SEE ANY OF THEM, I GUESS, ASK THEM HOW , HOW THEY'RE DOING WITH THEIR OFFICE, UM, . 
          SO, UM, BUT I THINK THE CAPITOL IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN. 
          THE CAPITOL OPENED UP TODAY AS USUAL. 
          SO, UM, BUSINESSES CONTINUING. 
          SO LET'S SEE, MOVING ON. 
          SO, UM, THESE ARE THE ITEMS ON THE CALL PASSED BY THE SENATE. 
          UM, I'M NOT GONNA TOUCH ON ALL OF 'EM, JUST THE ONES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME KIND OF IMPACT TO THE CITY OR COUNTY. 
          AND, UM, AND THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT CALL FROM WHAT WE SAW IN LIKE 2017. 
          THERE WERE A LOT OF LOCAL ISSUES ON THE 2017 SPECIAL SESSION THIS YEAR, THERE'S NOT AS MANY, SO, I MEAN, LET'S KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT IT STAYS LIKE THAT. 
          UM, SO, UM, THE FIRST ONE IS ELECTION, UH, REFORM. 
          UM, WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, SENATOR ALVARADO DID HER FILIBUSTER LAST WEEK FOR 15 HOURS WHEN SHE, UM, CONCLUDED THE BILL PASSED ABOUT LIKE 20 MINUTES LATER. 
          SO, UM, THAT NOW IS DONE. 
          WE'LL MOVE TO THE HOUSE. 
          UM, AND MELISSA, OF COURSE, AS JEFF MENTIONED EARLIER, WILL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE ELECTIONS BILL, UM, WHEN I'M, WHEN I'M DONE HERE. 
          BUT, UM, SO WE HAVE ELECTION REFORM. 
          UM, UH, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT IS COUNTY RELATED IS BAIL REFORM UNDER THE COUNTY IS WATCHING THAT PRETTY CLOSE CLOSELY DUE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALLOWING, UH, CRIMINALS WITH VIOLENT OFFENSES TO BE RELEASED ON, ON BAIL. 
          SO I KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT, BUT LIKE I SAID, THE COUNTY IS THE ONE REALLY TRACKING THAT ONE. 
          UM, LET'S SEE HERE. 
          UM, NEXT IS APPROPRIATIONS. 
          THAT'S MORE OF KIND OF A, UM, PROPERTY TAX, UM, RELIEF EFFORT THAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          UM, WHAT IT DOES IS, UM, SO THERE'S A BILL, UM, SSB EIGHT, UM, BY BETTEN COURT. 
          AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT, UM, ALLOWS A HOMEOWNER WHEN THEY ACQUIRE, WHEN THEY, UM, PURCHASE THEIR HOME, USUALLY TODAY, THEY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR TO GET THEIR, UM, TO GET THEIR, UM, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. 
          SO NOW WITH THIS BILL, THEY CAN GET IT IN THE YEAR THAT THEY PURCHASE 
          [00:45:01]
THEIR PROPERTY. 
          SO THAT'S MOVING ALONG. 
          IT ALSO HAS A, UM, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S ALSO PASSED THE SENATE. 
          UM, NEXT WE HAVE THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION. 
          THIS IS THE ONE, UM, THAT WE HAVE SUPPORTED AND WE DO SUPPORT. 
          IT'S, UH, WHERE, UM, SB NINE, IT REQUIRES SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO, UM, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UM, ON, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, FAMILY VIOLENCE, AND CHILD ABUSE. 
          UM, THIS BILL WAS SURPRISINGLY, UM, VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR DURING THE REGULAR SESSION BECAUSE IT DIDN'T INCLUDE A, UM, OPTOUT CLAUSE FOR, UM, PARENTS. 
          SO NOW IT DOES INCLUDE THAT OPTOUT CLAUSE. 
          SO, UM, AND THAT ONE HAS ALSO PASSED THE SENATE, SO WE SUPPORT THAT ONE. 
          UM, PRIMARY ELECTIONS, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THIS ONE. 
          UM, THE REASONING FOR THIS BILL IS, UM, AS A RESULT OF THE DELAY OF THE 2020 REDISTRICTING DATA, THEY'RE HAVING TO, UM, MODIFY FILING PERIODS AND ELECTION DATES, AND IT WILL ALL BE BASED ON WHEN THE LEGISLATURE ACTUALLY COMPLETES REDISTRICTING. 
          SO THEY'RE HAVING TO MOVE, I KNOW THERE'S, UM, SEVERAL SCENARIOS INCLUDED IN THE BILL, DEPENDING ON WHEN REDISTRICTING IS APPROVED. 
          UM, NEXT WE HAVE EMPLOYMENT. 
          UM, THIS WAS SB 14. 
          THIS WAS, UH, WE WERE PRETTY ACTIVE IN THIS BILL LAST WEEK. 
          UM, THIS IS THE PAID SICK LEAVE BILL. 
          UM, AS IT WAS FILED IN THE SPECIAL SESSION, IT, UM, RAISED SOME CONCERNS BECAUSE, UM, THERE WAS LANGUAGE THAT WAS REMOVED THAT WAS PASSED OUT OF THE REGULAR SESSION. 
          UM, SPECIFICALLY, UM, THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE BILL WOULD PREVENT US, UH, THE CITY FROM ESTABLISHING EMPLOYMENT POLICIES FOR OUR OWN EMPLOYEES. 
          UM, WE, UH, LUCKILY WERE ABLE TO TALK TO THE, UM, RAISE OUR CONCERNS TO THE, UM, SPONSOR, UH, SENATOR CREIGHTON, AND HE ADDED SOME LANGUAGE BACK INTO THE BILL, WHICH IS UP THERE. 
          IT WAS HIS AMENDMENT THAT WOULD, UM, HE WAS ON THE FLOOR THAT WOULD NOT, THAT IT DOES, STATING THAT IT DOES NOT PROHIBIT US FROM, UM, FROM NEGOTIATING TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT. 
          SO WE KNOW THE INTENT OF THE, HIS, THE INTENT OF THE AMENDMENT WAS TO MAKE US FEEL, YOU KNOW, GOOD IN WHAT WE, WE CAN STILL DO WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT WE DO STILL WOULD LIKE SOME, UM, UH, CLARIFICATION ON THE WORD NEGOTIATE, UM, JUST TO KIND, SO THERE'S NOT ANY MISINTERPRETATION. 
          I KNOW THERE'S SOME OTHER CITIES ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AS WELL. 
          UM, SO WE WANNA CHANGE THAT TO SET OR ESTABLISH. 
          AND WE HAD A CALL LAST WEEK WITH, UM, THE SPEAKER'S OFFICE AND SENT THEM SOME FOLLOW UP, UM, SENT THEM SOME FOLLOW UP INFORMATION, AND THEY'RE DEFINITELY GONNA LOOK, TAKE A LOOK AT IT. 
          AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO, UM, CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT IN THE HOUSE WITH THE, UM, WITH THE HOUSE SPONSOR. 
          SO I GUESS THAT'S A WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS, UM, TYPE THING. 
          BUT SENATOR CREIGHTON WAS WILLING TO HELP OUT AND WITH THAT CLARIFICATION THAT HE DID DO ON THE, ON THE SENATE FLOOR. 
          UM, NEXT WE HAVE THE PUBLIC EDUCATION, UM, DURING A PANDEMIC. 
          UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I'VE, UH, AND WE HAVE SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES HERE FROM NORTH SIDE IN SAN ANTONIO, I S D, BUT IS, UM, THE VIRTUAL LEARNING BILL, SB 15. 
          IT GRANTS, UM, DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS THE ABILITY TO DO VIRTUAL LEARN LEARNING AND STILL RECEIVE THEIR EQUIVALENT FUNDING. 
          UM, SO THAT'S THAT. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE OUR COLLEAGUES HERE, IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS. 
          , UM, ITEMS ON THE CALL THAT HAVE NOT PASSED THE SENATE ARE ARTICLE 10 FUNDING. 
          UM, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, IT'S THE FUNDING FOR LEG LEGISLATIVE STAFF, UM, LEG COUNCIL, UM, LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD. 
          BUT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS FOR THIS ONE IS, UM, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 
          THEY'RE THE ONES THAT RUN REDISTRICTING FOR THE STATE. 
          SO THEIR FUNDING IS A LITTLE, IS PRETTY IMP. 
          I MEAN, ALL THE FUNDING'S IMPORTANT, BUT THEIRS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT OF REDISTRICTING. 
          UM, THE NEXT THREE FEDERAL, C O D RELIEF, APPROPRIATIONS, BORDER SECURITY, AND RADIOACTIVE RATE WA WASTE, THERE ISN'T, UH, ON THE CALL THE GOVERNOR SAID LEGISLATION THAT ADDRESSES THIS. 
          THERE HAS NOT BEEN LEGISLATION YET THAT HAS NECESSARILY ADDRESSED THESE ISSUES. 
          I KNOW SOME OTHER ISSUES HAVE COME OUT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY LEGISLATION. 
          SO WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THAT LANGUAGE. 
          AND THEN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE QUORUM, UM, THIS ONE S UH, WHICH ONE IS THIS? THIS S WHERE ARE YOU? S J R ONE, SORRY. 
          UM, IT PROPOSES TO LOWER, UM, THE TWO THIRD QUORUM RULE TO A SIMPLE MAJORITY. 
          AND, UM, THIS IS, HAS NOT PASSED, PASSED SECOND READING IN THE SENATE. 
          BUT, UM, IT NEEDS, SINCE IT'S A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, IT NEEDS 21 VOTES TO PASS TO THIRD READING, AND IT CURRENTLY HAS 19. 
          SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE VOTES YET TO PASS IT OUT. 
          UM, AND TWO MEMBERS THAT WERE ABSENT, UH, ARE ACTUALLY, UH, ASSUMED TO VOTE AGAINST THE BILL. 
          SO I THINK THEY'RE, 
          [00:50:01]
THEY HAVEN'T PASSED ON THIRD READING YET. 
          I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE THE VOTES YET. 
          UM, LET'S SEE HERE. 
          UM, SO THAT'S, THAT COVERS THE ITEMS ON THE CALL THAT WE'RE TRACKING. 
          UM, OTHER ACTIVITY, OF COURSE, IS COVID RELIEF. 
          UM, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, SURGE IN CASES, UM, THE SENATE, UH, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE HAD A HEARING LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS HOSPITAL NEEDS. 
          AND, UM, ERIC EPLEY, THE STRAC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR, WAS THERE TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY AND, UM, SHARE THE NEEDS OF HOSPITALS ALONG WITH OTHER HOSPITALS THAT WERE ALSO IN ATTENDANCE. 
          SO WITH THAT, UM, THE GOVERNOR LAST WEEK THEN, UM, ANNOUNCED A DEPLOYMENT OF 2,500 MEDICAL PERSONNEL. 
          UM, AND THE FIRST DEPLOYMENT OF THAT PERSONNEL WILL BE, UM, FUNDED THROUGH THE STATE, UM, FROM THE STATE THROUGH THE 30TH OF SEPTEMBER. 
          UM, AFTER THAT, IT'S KIND OF STILL UP IN THE AIR, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. 
          UM, BUT I DO KNOW, UM, TODAY, UH, WE HAVE 295, UM, MEDICAL, UH, STAFF COMING THAT'S PART OF THIS 200 2500. 
          WE HAVE 295 COMING TO SAN ANTONIO. 
          THEY'RE FLYING IN TODAY, APPARENTLY. 
          SO, UM, OH, AND ANOTHER THING WITH, UM, THE STATE IS THAT THEY ARE, UM, TEEM IS, YOU'LL PROBABLY, YOU MAY KNOW THIS, TEEM HAS, UM, THE VACCINE CLINIC AT THE AIRPORT THAT THEY ARE FUNDING FOR US THROUGH SEPTEMBER 12TH. 
          SO WHAT'S NEXT? UM, WE KNOW FOR SURE THERE'LL PROBABLY BE A FALL SPECIAL SESSION FOR REDISTRICTING. 
          OTHER ITEMS TO BE DETERMINED BASED ON WHAT PASSES DURING THE SECOND SPECIAL SESSION. 
          THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID HE WILL CALL SPECIAL SESSION AFTER SPECIAL SESSION AFTER SPECIAL SPECIAL SESSION TO GET SOME OF THIS, THESE ITEMS DONE. 
          BUT REDISTRICTING, UM, CHAIR, CHAIRMAN, HUNTER, UM, IN THE HOUSE LET THE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE KNOW THAT THEY WILL START MEETING AFTER SEPTEMBER 1ST WHEN THEY HAVE ALL OF THEIR, OF THE CENSUS DATA. 
          SO, UM, EVERY AND THEIR HEARINGS WILL BE, UM, IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL, SO PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO, TO DO BOTH. 
          HE, AND HE JUST ANNOUNCED THAT LAST WEEK. 
          UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          THERE'S . 
          ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK, THANK YOU, CHRISTINE. 
          UM, LET'S JUST GO AROUND THE HORN COMMISSIONER. 
          NO QUESTIONS. 
          COUNCILMAN? NO, JEFF, YOU YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING? OR MELISSA, YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING? DO YOU WANNA DO THAT? SORRY, I FORGOT. 
          SO, MELISSA, SHANNON, BEAR COUNTY GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, I APOLOGIZE. 
          THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A MIX UP WITH JACKIE'S SCHEDULE. 
          UM, SO I DON'T HAVE HER FEEDBACK ON THE MOST RECENT, I THINK THERE WERE SEVEN, SEVEN AMENDMENTS THAT WERE APPROVED ON, UM, THE SENATE FLOOR WHEN IT WENT THROUGH. 
          I DON'T HAVE FEEDBACK ON THOSE, BUT, UM, I'M TRYING TO GET BACK. 
          SORRY TO WHAT JACKIE HAS PROVIDED ME. 
          I THINK A, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD IN THE PRESS ON THE ELECTIONS BILL ON SB ONE, UM, A LOT OF, A LOT OF WHAT THE PUSH IS IS COMING FROM WHAT OCCURRED IN HARRIS COUNTY, AND IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BEING, UM, PENALIZED FOR THAT, I GUESS. 
          UM, IT, IT'S PROHIBITING, UM, 24 HOUR VOTING, UH, THE, UH, LOCATIONS OF ELECTIONS PROHIBIT. 
          THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF PRO PROHIBIT PROHIBITIONS IN THERE. 
          UM, AND I'M SORRY, I'M RAMBLING HERE. 
          TRYING TO READ THROUGH THESE NOTES. 
          UM, JACKIE HAS ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN THAT WOULD AFFECT OUR BALLOT MACHINES, UM, THAT WOULD REQUIRE A, A KEY STROKING, UH, PROGRAMMING, UM, ADDITION ON EACH OF OUR ELECTIONS COM COMPUTERS, AS WELL AS EVEN REQUIRING CD ROMS FOR TABULATORS. 
          WELL, NO ELECTIONS EQUIPMENT OUT THERE. 
          UM, NO VENDOR HAS THAT RIGHT NOW, AND IF IT DOES HAPPEN, THE FEDS HAVE TO CERTIFY THAT EQUIPMENT AS WELL. 
          SO STATES ADDING REGULATIONS THEN THAT THE FEDS WILL HAVE TO COME IN AND CERTIFY. 
          AND I APOLOGIZE, COMMISSIONER, I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HOW MANY, UM, MACHINES WE HAVE, BUT IT'S IN THE HUNDREDS OF, UH, YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW EITHER. 
          UM, BUT LET ME, LET ME JUST JUMP IN ON, I, I DIDN'T TALK TO JACKIE ABOUT THIS, BUT I KNOW SOME THINGS HAVE NOT CHANGED. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE AMENDMENTS LOOK LIKE, BUT, BUT I THINK THE, THE MAIN DRIVERS OF THE INITIAL, UH, LEGISLATION WAS, UM, RESTRICTING THE HOURS. 
          UM, AND WHETHER, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WE'RE ADDING MORE HOURS. 
          THE REALITY IS, UH, 
          [00:55:01]
IT, IT, THE, THE NEW LEGISLATION WOULD NOT ALLOW SOMETHING LIKE A 24 HOUR, UH, BALLOT, UM, BOX LIKE, LIKE HARRIS COUNTY DID, WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR THE DRIVE THROUGH VOTING, WHICH IS ALSO SOMETHING TEMPORARY YEAH. 
          THAT, THAT, THAT HARRIS COUNTY TEMPORARY DID. 
          UM, THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL REQUIRE ID REQUIREMENTS ON MAIL BALLOTS, UM, IN THAT LEGISLATION AS WELL. 
          I THINK AS YOU KNOW NOW, I THINK THEY JUST VERIFY YOUR SIGNATURE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU MAIL IN, UM, YOUR BALLOT. 
          UM, AND THEN SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY DID LAST TIME, IN ADDITION TO KIND OF EXPANDING THE HOURS, WE DIDN'T DO 24 HOURS, BUT WE, I THINK FOR THE FIRST TIME WENT TO 10:00 PM THAT LAST WEEK OF EARLY VOTING. 
          BUT WE ALSO, UM, PROACTIVELY SENT OUT APPLICATIONS FOR, FOR MAIL BALLOTS BECAUSE OF COVID TO THE OVER 65 POPULATION. 
          UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE NEW LEGISLATION AS WELL. 
          SO, UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER DETAILS, BUT I THINK, UM, THOSE ARE THE MAIN ONES THAT WE'RE WATCHING. 
          AND, AND YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE TOOK A POSITION THE COURT DID THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES, HAVE MORE, UM, BALLOT, UH, UH, BOXES OUT THERE. 
          AND A LOT OF, AGAIN, NOT TO GENERALIZE, BUT A LOT OF WHAT'S IN THE NEW PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS ACTUALLY RESTRICTING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY'S POSITION HAS BEEN. 
          UH, AGAIN, THAT'S CHANGING. 
          IT SEEMS LIKE. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GETTING BETTER OR WORSE, FRANKLY. 
          UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA EVER HAVE A QUORUM TO, TO EVEN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, BUT, UM, BUT I THINK, UH, AT LEAST THE PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO, THE STRATEGY INITIALLY WAS TO KIND OF STRETCH THIS OUT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE UNTIL THE, UM, CONGRESS COULD TAKE SOME ACTION ON THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. 
          BILL. 
          UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A HEARING I BELIEVE ON THAT. 
          UM, IS IT THIS WEEK, SALLY, DO YOU KNOW, UH, I KNOW THERE'S A HEARING, I KNOW CONGRESS IS NOT IN SESSION, BUT I THINK THEY'RE STILL HAVING A HEARING SOMETIME SOON AND THEN EITHER THIS WEEK OR NEXT ON THAT, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT. 
          AND WHAT'S, UM, IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT SPEAKER PELOSI HAS SAID THAT SHE PLANS TO, UM, HAVE THIS, UM, AS AN ITEM OF DISCUSSION FOR THE HOUSE WHEN THEY RETURN. 
          SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT SHE WANTS TO HAVE THE HOUSE PASS AND ADDRESS. 
          YEAH, YEAH. 
          ANYWAY, SO THAT, I THINK THAT'S THE, THE SUMMARY AND THE QUORUM ISSUE. 
          YOU MENTIONED THAT, I MEAN, I, CHRISTINE AND I WERE JOKING BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED. 
          WE HEAR ALMOST EVERY OTHER DAY THERE'S GONNA BE A QUORUM TOMORROW. 
          UM, WHAT I HEARD TODAY IS I THINK, UH, THEY'RE GONNA GO IN AT FOUR O'CLOCK TODAY AND I HEAR THAT THERE'LL BE 95 MEMBERS IS WHAT THE NUMBER WE'RE HEARING, AND TOMORROW THERE'S GOING TO BE A QUORUM. 
          SO , WHO KNOWS, WE'RE ALL JUST ANXIOUSLY AWAITING. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, ANYTHING? NO. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          AND COUNCIL ROCHA? NOTHING. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, MELISSA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND CHRISTINE, GOOD JOB. 
          UH, EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND UM, I THINK THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR MEETING. 
          RIGHT? JEFF, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, ANYTHING ELSE, ANY OTHER ORNAMENTS YOU WANNA HANG ON THIS TREE? NO, SIR, WE CERTAINLY DON'T. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, WELL THEN, UH, WE ARE OKAY. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY? YEAH. 
          ON THE, UH, ON THESE PRESENTATIONS, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN GET THESE PRESENTATIONS A DAY OR TWO BEFORE THIS MEETING SO WE CAN REVIEW THESE AND LOOK AT 'EM? UM, WE'LL, WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO DO THAT. 
          I KNOW THAT THE CITY MANAGER'S BEEN GETTING OUT THE B SESSION PRESENTATIONS. 
          THERE'S A LITTLE MORE OF A LEAD TIME FOR THOSE TOPICS. 
          UM, LET ME SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. 
          WOULD APPRECIATE IT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          EVERYBODY THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS FROM THE COUNTY. 
          UH, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS MAKING THE TRIP. 
          WE'RE WE'RE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.