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[D7 Budget Town Hall]
GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.WELCOME TO DISTRICT SEVEN TOWN HALL BUDGET MEETING.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, SOME HOUSEKEEPING RULES ON HOW YOU COULD SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS, AND WE WELCOME THOSE SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS.
UH, YOU CAN GO TO SA SPEAKUP@SANANTONIO.GOV, OR YOU CAN USE THE HASHTAG SA SPEAKUP 22 ON SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, OR YOU CAN TEXT SA SPEAKUP 22 TO 5 5 0 0.
AND AGAIN, WE WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS.
WE'LL BE TAKING THOSE, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF THE PROGRAM.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
COUNCILWOMAN, YOUR MICROPHONE IS ALL CLASSIC.
UH, BERT, WELCOME TO OUR BUDGET TOWN HALL FOR DISTRICT SEVEN.
I KNOW THERE IS ALREADY MORE THAN 20 PEOPLE WATCHING BECAUSE WE'RE MONITORING THAT RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN'T TELL HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ONT V S A, BUT I'M SURE THERE ARE THOUSANDS BECAUSE THERE'S OVER 150,000 PEOPLE IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
UM, BEA ALL THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU GAVE US, WILL THERE BE A SLIDE LATER SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE HOW TO SEND IN THEIR QUESTIONS IN CASE THEY DIDN'T CATCH IT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SET IT? I CAN REPEAT IT DURING THE PROGRAM.
DROP IT INTO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL.
WE'LL BE POSTING THOSE ON, ACROSS OUR, OUR PLATFORMS. YES, MA'AM.
SO, UM, TODAY YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET.
AND THERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS BUDGET THAT I'M VERY, VERY HAPPY TO SEE.
SO I WANT YOU TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THEM.
UH, ONE OF THEM, AND I THINK THE, THE BIGGEST ONE, IN MY OPINION, IS THE INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH THAT WE'RE MAKING.
UH, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS COMING INCLUDING, UH, HOW WE'RE RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
AND THAT'S GOING TO OVERLAP A LITTLE BIT WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'LL SEE IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'RE ALSO INVESTING IN PARKS, IN NEW STREETLIGHTS.
UH, THAT'S GOING TO BE EXCITING BECAUSE IF, UH, IF WE GET ANY CALLS AROUND HERE, IT'S ABOUT STREETLIGHTS.
UH, ALSO, I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF ANIMAL CARE, UH, ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCATES OUT THERE IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW PROGRAM THAT A C S IS BRINGING FORWARD FOR ANIMAL WELFARE.
IT WILL BE FOCUSED ON A LOT OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
AND AS USUAL, I KNOW PEOPLE WANNA SEE INVESTMENTS IN STREETS, SIDEWALKS, AND DRAINAGE, AND WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF THAT.
UM, ALSO, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LIVE INSIDE LOOP FOUR 10, AND YOU'RE TIRED ABOUT HEARING THIS BANDERA STUFF HAPPENING OUTSIDE LOOP FOUR 10, GUESS WHAT? IT IS GOING TO BE YOUR TURN AS WELL BECAUSE WE ARE STARTING A STUDY INSIDE LOOP FOUR 10.
OF COURSE, THAT'S ASSUMING THAT THE BUDGET PASSES AND THERE'S NOT ANY MAJOR CHANGES.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO ASK YOU ABOUT IS, UH, DOES THIS LOOK HOW YOU WANT IT TO LOOK? UH, ARE THERE ANY SUGGESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR US? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE OVERLOOKING A DIRECTION YOU WANT US TO TAKE, IF NOT THIS YEAR, IN THE FUTURE? SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR QUESTIONS AND YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, BETA HAS TOLD YOU WHERE YOU CAN SEND, UH, YOUR FEEDBACK.
IF, UH, IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING AFTER THIS MEETING IS OVER, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STILL SUBMIT IT EITHER TO THE BUDGET TEAM OR TO YOUR COUNCIL OFFICE.
WE SHARE ALL OF THE INPUT THAT WE GET WITH OUR, WITH OUR CITY STAFF.
UM, THE OTHER THING YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT TODAY, NOT JUST THE BUDGET, IS THE NEXT BOND PROGRAM.
THE LAST ONE WAS ADOPTED IN 2017.
SO, UH, I CAN TELL YOU I AM WORKING DILIGENTLY TO ENSURE THAT OUR DISTRICT GETS THE FUNDING THAT IT NEEDS, AND EVERYBODY ON THIS CALL IS GONNA BE A PARTNER IN THAT.
RIGHT? I HAVE THEIR COMMITMENT ALREADY, SO YOU CAN HEAR THEM NODDING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR DISTRICT SEVEN.
SO, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR BUDGET WHIZZES, AND THAT IS ERIC WALSH AND MARIA.
THANKS COUNCILWOMAN FOR HAVING US.
AND, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING, WE HAVE A, UH, A LOT OF CITY EXECUTIVES FROM A VARIETY OF DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ON TONIGHT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
SO, BERTHA, LET'S, UH, LET'S RUN THROUGH THE POWERPOINT REAL QUICK.
ALRIGHT, SO THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, FIVE KEY MESSAGES OF THE BUDGET.
UH, ONE IS THAT, UM, WE ARE SEEING, UM, UM, SOME RECOVERY, UM, MORE SO IN, IN SOME AREAS OF OUR BUSINESS, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF UNCERTAINTY THAT IT STILL EXISTS IN, IN, IN SOME PARTS OF THE CITY BUSINESS.
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WE ARE KIND OF MANAGING THAT AS WE GO FORWARD.UM, AND, AND, AND CAUTIOUSLY KIND OF PROJECTING WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT, UH, SIX TO 12 MONTHS.
UH, THE SECOND KEY BUDGET MESSAGES THAT WE'RE RESTORING CUTS THAT WERE, UM, UH, MADE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
UH, WERE ALSO, UM, PROPOSING RECOMMENDATIONS AND INCREASED COMPENSATION FOR EMPLOYEES, UH, NAMELY THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, UM, AND NO INCREASE IN THE CITY PROPERTY TAX RATE.
THE THIRD AREA, AND YOU'LL SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF IT AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, REALLY FOCUSES ON SOME OF THE LESSONS WE LEARNED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND, AND, AND INVESTING IN SOME OF THESE AREAS THAT WE THINK, UM, WILL HELP THE COMMUNITY IN THE LONG RUN, UM, AND BETTER SERVICE.
UH, THE, THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
THE FOURTH AREA THAT, UH, THE KEY MESSAGE IS REALLY, UH, LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE RESPONDING TO CALLS FOR SERVICE, UM, IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND, UM, AND IN PARTICULAR WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT REALLY TAKING AN APPROACH, UH, OF, OF IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE THINGS WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WE WENT THROUGH A PRETTY EXHAUSTIVE PROCESS IN THE SPRINGTIME.
AND THEN FINALLY IS, UH, OUR LAST, UH, UH, KEY BUDGET MESSAGE IS REALLY, UH, FOCUSING ON A MORE RESILIENT CITY AND SPECIFICALLY CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BETTER PREPARED FOR AN EVENT LIKE WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN FEBRUARY.
SO, UH, EVERY YEAR WE DO A COMMUNITY SURVEY, UH, THROUGH OUR ESSAY SPEAK UP.
AND KIND OF THE FIVE BIG AREAS THAT ROSE TO THE TOP OUT OF THE OVER 12,000 SURVEYS WERE STREETS AND SIDEWALK, PUBLIC HEALTH, SENIOR SERVICES, PARKS AND RECREATION AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
SO THOSE WERE THE BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM, UH, UH, FOR US AS WE PREPARED THE BUDGET, UM, AND THROUGH THIS ANNUAL SURVEY PROCESS.
LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT DOLLARS THAT THE CITY RECEIVED.
UM, AND, AND PART OF THIS, PART OF THIS WAS, UH, THE STRATEGY THAT WE SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL DISCUSSED, UH, IN LATE, UH, LATE SPRING.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE FOCUS OF THOSE RECOVERY FUNDS, UM, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE TREASURY AND THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE, ARE REALLY TO CREATE FINANCIAL STABILITY FOR LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS TO, UM, UH, ADJUST FOR REVENUE LOSS THAT, THAT, UH, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS EXPERIENCED AND ADDRESS ANY IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY STILL HAS.
AND WE'VE TAKEN KIND OF A PHASED APPROACH THROUGH OUR ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS.
WE ARE LOOKING TO, UH, RESTORE, UH, THE REVENUE LOSS FROM 2020 IN OUR GENERAL FUND AND OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT LATER ON.
UM, THAT'S TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $90 MILLION.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE USING THOSE FUNDS OVER A, OVER, REALLY OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD TO KIND OF SMOOTH OUT, UH, THE, THE STEEP LOSSES WE SAW IN 2020.
UH, IT REALLY GOES TO THE CORE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE FINANCIALLY STABLE.
THE GENERAL FUND IS OUR FUND THAT, UH, THE HIGHER ALL OF OUR BASIC SERVICES, POLICE, FIRE, PARKS, CODE COMPLIANCE, THE LIBRARY SYSTEM AND, AND, AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF, UH, SERVICES.
PHASE TWO, THE COUNCIL WILL PROBABLY HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THIS SOON AS WE, AS SOON AS THEY ADOPT THE BUDGET.
WE ARE EXPECTING FINAL GUIDANCE FROM THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT AT THE END OF THIS MONTH OR BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER.
AND THAT'LL REALLY BE THE RULES OF THE ROAD, UH, FOR US AS WE LOOK TO, UH, SET THOSE PLANS OUT, UH, INTO THE FUTURE.
UM, UM, I WOULD ANTICIPATE, AND WHAT SOME OF THE CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD WITH THE COUNCIL IS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A THREE TO FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN FOR THE USE OF THESE FUNDS.
THESE MONEY, UH, THESE FUNDS HAVE TO BE, UH, COMMITTED BY 2024 AND SPENT BY 2026.
SO WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT A, UH, UH, KIND OF A LONG TIMELINE TO, TO WORK.
THE BALANCE IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
AND SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS THE COUNCIL WILL BE HAVING AS WE GO THROUGH THAT EFFORT IN THE FALL.
SO I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME UNCERTAINTY.
WE HAVE SOME RECOVERY OF REVENUE FASTER THAN OTHERS.
SO HERE, HERE ARE THREE MAIN EXAMPLES, UH, AND THREE OF OUR MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES THAT WE SAW THE BIGGEST IMPACT IN 2020, UH, SALES TAX.
UM, AND, AND, AND I'M JUST GONNA FOCUS ON HOW IT COMPARES TO 2019, BECAUSE 2021 WAS A, UH, 2020 AND 2021 WERE VERY DIFFERENT YEARS FOR US.
BUT OUR SALES TAX, UH, PROJECTION
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FOR F Y 22 IS 11% BETTER THAN OUR F Y 19 ACTUALS.UM, WE'VE SEEN, UM, OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS ABOUT A FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE, UH, YEAR OVER YEAR IN SALES TAX.
SO AN 11% INCREASE OVER OUR 2019 ACTUALS IS A PRETTY HEALTHY CLIP.
WE'VE SEEN THE RECOVERY OF SALES TAX REALLY PICK UP IN THE SPRINGTIME AND CARRY US THROUGH THE SUMMER.
UM, AND WE'RE EXPECTING THAT TO CONTINUE.
UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SLIDE, UH, YOU SEE OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, AND THAT TAX REALLY FUNDS OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS, OUR, UH, AGREEMENT WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO, THE MARKETING ARM FOR OUR VISITOR INDUSTRY, UM, OPERATIONS OF THE ALMO DOME IN THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, OUR, OUR, UH, PROJECTED REVENUE FOR 22 IS 24% BELOW THE 2019 LEVELS.
SO WE'VE KNOWN THAT THIS PART OF OUR BUSINESS WAS GONNA TAKE LONGER TO RECOVER, AND, AND WE'RE EXPECTING THAT TO HAPPEN PROBABLY IN 20 23, 20 24.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THIS AS WE GO THROUGH.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS OF OUR BUSINESS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR VERY CLOSELY.
UM, AND THEN THE THIRD AREA OUR AIRPORT, UM, IS DOING IS DOING WELL.
WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT 2%, TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS BETTER FROM A REVENUE PERSPECTIVE AS COMPARED TO 2019 ACTIVITIES PICKED UP AND MENTS ARE STILL NOT AT F Y 19 LEVELS, BUT, BUT REVENUE WISE AND ACTIVITY WISE, UH, WE, WE FEEL LIKE THE AIRPORT IS ON A, ON AN UPSWING.
SO THE 22 PROPOSED BUDGET, THE TOTAL CITY BUDGET IS 3.1 BILLION.
UH, THE LARGEST PORTION OF THAT IS 1.36 BILLION OF OUR GENERAL FUND, WHICH AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, MAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF OUR BASIC SERVICES.
1.12 MILLION IN OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS.
AND THOSE ARE OUR BUSINESS FUNDS THAT WHERE REVENUE, UM, PAY FOR THE EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION, LIKE OUR AIRPORT, OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FUND, OUR SOLID WASTE AND GRANTS.
AND THEN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR IS $592 MILLION.
WE'LL BE GOING INTO THE LAST YEAR OF OUR 2017 BOND PROGRAM.
SO A LOT OF PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AS WELL AS, UH, DRAINAGE AND AIRPORT PROJECTS.
SO OUR 22 GENERAL FUND PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, REVENUES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THREE MAIN REVENUE SOURCES.
UM, THE PROPERTY TAX, UH, AT 31% OF OUR TOTAL REVENUE BUDGET, UM, ARE, UM, OWNERSHIP OF C P S AT 27%.
UH, AND OUR SALES TAX AT 25.3%.
THOSE THREE AREAS MAKE UP ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF OUR, OF OUR ANNUAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
AND THEN ON OUR EXPENSE SIDE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE MONITOR VERY CLOSELY IS OUR PERCENTAGE OF OUR BUDGET WE SPEND ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE HAVE A FINANCIAL POLICY WHERE WE SPEND, WHERE WE SHOULD SPEND LESS THAN 66% OF OUR BUDGET ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND GOING INTO THE F Y 22 PROPOSED BUDGET, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENSES ARE AT 63.2%.
YOU SEE THE OTHER BIG CATEGORIES THERE, THE OTHER TWO BIG CATEGORIES OF PARKS AND STREETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN THE VARIETY OF OTHER SERVICES, WHETHER THEY'RE LIBRARY OR METRO HEALTH.
UH, MUNICIPAL COURT CODE COMPLIANCE, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, LIKE THE COUNCILWOMAN MENTIONED EARLIER, ARE ALL THERE IN THAT $340 MILLION SLICE.
SO, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, BIG, A BIG TOPIC, A BIG PRIORITY OF THE COUNCILS, UH, A BIG PRIORITY FROM THE SURVEY WE HEARD.
UM, OUR STREETS BUDGET IS NOW, UM, ALTHOUGH THE LAST TWO YEARS WENT THROUGH SOME CUTBACKS THAT WE HAD TO, AS A RESULT OF COVID, THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, RESTORES ALL THE FUNDING FOR STREETS AT $110 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, WE MAINTAIN ALMOST 4,200 CENTER LINE MILES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, AN EVER INCREASING PAVEMENT INDEX CONDITION THAT, THAT WE MONITOR ANNUALLY TO, TO REALLY GRADE OUR, OUR OUR STREETS.
UH, FIVE YEARS AGO THAT, THAT PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX WAS AT ABOUT 72%, AND THIS $110 MILLION WILL REALLY BE GEARED AND POINTED TOWARDS ALMOST 1300 PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
NEXT YEAR, OUR SIDEWALKS INVESTMENT FOR NEXT YEAR, UH, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, UH, ALMOST $4 MILLION OR $3 MILLION IN SIDEWALKS, UH, REALLY TO PUT 61 MILES OF USABLE SIDEWALKS BACK INTO THE NETWORK.
UM, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THIS, UH, WORK WILL BE ON, UM, UH, CONSTRUCTING SIDEWALK GAPS AROUND SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, BUS STATIONS, OR BUS
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STOPS.UM, AND, AND ABOUT TWO MILES OF THIS USABLE NETWORK IS GONNA COME BACK INTO PLAY BECAUSE OF OUR REPAIR PROGRAM, AND REALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE SEGMENTS OF THE, OF THE SIDEWALK THAT REALLY AREN'T USABLE AND GETTING THOSE REPAIRED SO WE CAN PUT THE WHOLE NETWORK BACK INTO PLACE.
SO, ADDITIONAL MONEY GOING INTO SIDEWALKS NEXT YEAR.
WE ALSO HAVE $6.2 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR 10 MID-BLOCK CROSSING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, IDENTIFIED BECAUSE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THE AREAS OF TOWN WHERE WE CONSTANTLY SEE EITHER PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY ACCIDENTS OR PEDESTRIAN VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS.
UM, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST, UH, MONEY WE'VE SET ASIDE IN ONE YEAR TO REALLY MAKE A DENT IN THOSE PERENNIAL SITES AROUND TOWN WHERE WE, UH, HAVE SEEN, UM, UH, ACCIDENTS OCCUR, AND THEN $2.7 MILLION TO JUMPSTART OUR BIKE MASTER PLAN EFFORT.
REALLY, THIS WILL BE A BIG PRIORITY OF THE, OF ALL OF OURS AS WE, UH, GO INTO THE 2022 BOND PROJECT, UH, SELECTION PROCESS THAT THE COUNCILWOMAN MENTIONED.
SO, SOME OF THE DISTRICT SEVEN STREET DRAINAGE PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS THAT ARE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
WE HAVE MONTICELLO, UH, AREA PARK, UM, UH, STREETS WORK THAT'LL BE DONE NEXT YEAR.
THE OP SCHNABEL, UH, PARK ENTRANCE AND THE BRIDGE, UM, STREETS AROUND THE THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL AREA, A CEILING CHANNEL.
PHASE THREE IS CONTINUING, UM, THE DRAINAGE PRO, UH, IMPROVEMENTS AROUND PEMBROKE AND PARHAM STREET AND, UH, AS WELL AS THE WEST SUMMIT, UH, ALLEY AREA.
IN TERMS OF PARK AND LIBRARY PROJECTS, WE HAVE, UH, PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE FOREST HILL LIBRARIES THAT HAD GONE THROUGH WORK THROUGH THE BOND, WHICH DAM WAS DAMAGED DURING THE, THE FEBRUARY STORM.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE REPAIRING THAT FACILITY.
UH, NEXT, UH, UP, WELL STARTING HERE REALLY SOON.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO GOT, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WOODLAWN LAKE MULTI WOODLAWN LAKE PARK MULTI-GENERATIONAL CENTER, WHICH IS A BOND PROGRAM.
AND THEN THE OP SCHNABEL PARK MULTI-GENERATIONAL CENTER, WHICH IS ALSO A BOND PROGRAM THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH, UH, WITH Y M C A.
SO, UM, I MENTIONED A COUPLE OF VISION OR 10 VISION ZERO PROJECTS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO OF THOSE THAT'LL BE IN THE DISTRICT SEVEN AREA.
ONE IS, UH, ALONG COLLIBRA BETWEEN GENERAL MCMULLEN AND NAVIDA, AND THEN FREDERICKSBURG, UH, BETWEEN BL, UH, BLUE MILL AND, UH, WIN.
UM, AND, AND THOSE ARE TWO AREAS OF TOWN WHERE WE HAVE SEEN, UM, UH, ACCIDENTS OCCUR.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE INCLUDING IN THE BUDGET NEXT YEAR IS, UM, ILLEGAL DUMPING, UH, COLLECTION CREW.
UH, RIGHT NOW AS WE RESPOND TO 3 1 1 CALLS, UM, OR OTHER INCIDENTS, WE'RE UTILIZING, UH, SOLID WASTE CREWS OR STORMWATER CREWS OR PUBLIC WORKS CREWS THAT ARE, THAT HAVE ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE A, I THINK, A RELATIVELY EASY INVESTMENT TO HAVE A ONE CREW DEDICATED TOWARDS CLEANUP, WHETHER, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S, UM, UH, WORKING WITH NEIGHBORHOODS DIRECTLY RESPONDING TO 3 1 1 CALLS.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THIS WILL HELP KEEP ALL OF OUR CREWS BACK ON THEIR FOCUS, UM, RATHER THAN TRYING TO PULL FOLKS OFF.
UM, AS, AS WE SEE ISSUES, UH, THIS IS A, UM, A SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION FOR ME, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE RESOURCES IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY RESPOND AND, AND, AND, UH, AND KEEP OUR CITY CLEAN.
OUR SOLID WASTE COLLECTION CENTERS, OUR SOLID WASTE FEES ARE NOT CHANGING IN THE UPCOMING, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET, BUT WE STILL HAVE, UH, OUR BRUSH AND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION SITES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, WE WANTED TO INCLUDE THIS SLIDE, UH, SO THAT FOLKS SEE THAT, WHETHER IT'S, UH, OVER WACH PARKWAY OR RIO CITY ROAD, OR CENTER OFF OF CALIBRA AND FOUR 10, UH, OUR FAR EAST, UH, RIGSBY, UH, LOCATION, OR ALONG NELSON ROAD, ALL OF THESE, UM, COLLECTION CENTERS ARE AVAILABLE TO, TO RESIDENTS.
SO I MENTIONED THIS A SECOND AGO, NO RATE CHANGE FOR F Y 22.
UH, IF YOU HAVE A 96 GALLON BROWN CAN AND YOU'RE PAYING $28 50 CENTS A MONTH, UM, TRY TO DOWNSIZE, UH, AND SAVE YOURSELF A BIT OF MONEY, UM, AND MAYBE USE YOUR RECYCLING, UH, CAN, AND YOUR GREEN CAN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
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THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIERED PRICING, UM, AND LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF, UH, WASTE WE TAKE TO OUR LANDFILLS.SO THE COUNCILWOMAN MENTIONED THIS, UH, HER OPENING REMARKS, UM, AND, AND, UH, IT'S ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE MAKING A LARGE INVESTMENT IN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVITIES, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH OUR METRO HEALTH STRATEGIC, UH, GROWTH PLAN.
AND, AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD A, A RECENTLY ADOPTED STRATEGIC PLAN PRIOR TO COVID.
WE SPENT TIME OVER THE SPRING UPDATING THAT PLAN WITH THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED AND THE, AND, AND, AND, AND REALLY THE PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE SEEN IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING AND SERVICING PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED DIFFERENTLY THROUGH COVID AND A HOST OF OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH RELATED AREAS.
UM, A VAST MAJORITY OF THESE, THIS FUNDING IS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT IT'S REALLY ENTAILING AN INVESTMENT IN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVITIES.
UM, WE HAVE PREPARED A, A FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR THE COUNCIL, AND WE'LL MONITOR IT YEAR TO YEAR, BUT REALLY IT'S ABOUT, UH, INCREASING OUR INVESTMENT, NOT JUST OF OF FEDERAL DOLLARS, BUT OF LOCAL DOLLARS AND WHAT PUBLIC HEALTH DOES.
UM, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST COVID, UM, OUR DIABETES PROGRAMS, OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, HOW WE HELP PEOPLE CONNECT TO THEIR, UM, UH, OTHER CITY SERVICES, UM, HOW WE, UM, UH, BEEF UP OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL IN HELPING GET THE WORD OUT REGARDING COVID TESTING AND COVID VACCINATIONS, AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS PLUGGED IN, UH, WHERE THEY CAN.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES, BUT A $4 MILLION INVESTMENT TO REALLY, UM, IMPROVE OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES AND ADVOCACY FOR VICTIMS, UM, AS WELL AS OUR MENTAL HEALTH, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG TAKEAWAYS WE HAVE FROM OUR POLICE SERVICES PLAN THAT WE WENT THROUGH THIS PAST YEAR.
SO, ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I THINK WE'VE SEEN, UM, UH, A HUGE, UH, RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS, UM, THE UTILIZATION OF A, UH, TELEMEDICINE APP, UH, THROUGH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND THOSE THAT ARE CALLING 9 1 1.
THE IDEA WAS TO UTILIZE THIS TELEMEDICINE OPTION TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, SOONER ON SCENE CARE.
UM, UH, WE PILOTED IT THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR'S PROPOSED BUDGET ADDS ADDITIONAL 9 1 1 DISPATCHERS WHO ARE TRAINED AND LICENSED PARAMEDICS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, UM, RESIDENTS, UM, CRITICAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS WHEN THEY'RE CALLING ABOUT 9 1 1.
AND WE'VE GOT, UH, THE MEDIA'S DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB OF COVERING THIS PROGRAM.
WE'RE ONE OF THE LARGEST, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTRY THAT'S DOING THIS, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT FULL-TIME.
WHAT IT DOES IS IT PROVIDES A MORE IMMEDIATE CARE ON SCENE, ALSO ALLOWS US TO FREE UP OUR AMBULANCE AND PARAMEDIC RESOURCES FOR CRITICAL EMERGENCIES.
UM, WE GO ON CLOSE TO 400,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE A YEAR FOR, UM, UH, MEDICAL CALLS AND, AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT SMARTER AND QUICKER IS, UH, SAVES US ALL, UM, RESOURCES.
SO, OUR POLICE SERVICES REVIEW, UM, REALLY, UH, WE TOOK, UH, THIS PAST YEAR TO LOOK AT HOW WE'RE RESPONDING TO FAMILY VIOLENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH CALLS.
AND WE UTILIZED THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION TO REALLY LOOK AT, UM, THE TYPES OF CALLS WE'RE GETTING, UM, 9 1 1 CALLS.
YOU KNOW, AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, FAMILIES AND, AND INDIVIDUALS DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHO TO CALL WHEN THEY HAVE, UM, A FAMILY MEMBER OR THEY'RE EXPERIENCING SOMEBODY WHO'S HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH, UM, EPISODE.
UM, AND, AND WHAT'S HAPPENED, NOT JUST HERE, BUT OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, IS THAT, UH, PEOPLE CALLED 9 1 1 TO GET A POLICE RESPONSE.
PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE SAW FROM THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION THAT WE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IS REALLY TO TAKE A TEAM APPROACH AND RESPOND TO THESE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS.
AND PART OF THIS WILL BE HOW WE MANAGE THESE CALLS AS THEY COME INTO OUR DISPATCH CENTER, KIND OF LIKE THE SLIDE BEFORE, UH, WITH OUR, UM, CLINICAL DISPATCHERS, BUT HAVING FOLKS AT OUR DISPATCH, UH, BE ABLE TO, TO DISPATCH A TEAM, UH, THAT IT CONSISTS OF A POLICE OFFICER, A PARAMEDIC, AND A LICENSED CLINICIAN.
REALLY, IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING KIND OF BETTER ON SCENE, UH, ADVOCACY AND SERVICE.
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THE SITUATION, MAKE SURE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, WHO NEEDS HELP IS GETTING THE PROPER HANDOFF TO SERVICES, UM, AND PROVIDE AN ABILITY FOR US TO DO FOLLOW UP.UM, AND THAT TOTAL INVESTMENT GOING INTO THE NEXT YEAR IS, UH, JUST UNDER $5 MILLION.
THIS IS A DIFFERENT WAY OF BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE, UM, THAN, RATHER THAN JUST SENDING A POLICE OFFICER AND BEING ABLE TO MAYBE FROM A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE, GET THESE FOLKS PLUGGED INTO THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED, UM, UM, FOR, UM, FOR THEMSELVES.
SO, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE POLICE SERVICES REVIEW, AND WE HAD 27 COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UH, DURING THE SPRING.
WE HAD A SURVEY WE CONDUCTED, WE MET WITH POLICE OFFICERS, BUT, UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET HAS $5.8 MILLION, UH, SET ASIDE.
AND IT'S PROBABLY THE, THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF MONEY WE SET ASIDE IN, IN ONE YEAR FOR ADDED STREETLIGHTS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WHETHER THEY BE, UH, TIED TO COMMUNITY SAFETY OR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, BUT REALLY SETTING ASIDE MONEY TO, UH, BEEF UP THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, UH, WE'VE ALSO, THE, ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE COUNCIL GOAL SETTING SESSION WAS POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT CREATING A STREET LIGHTING INDEX THAT WE COULD UTILIZE IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND IT WOULD JUST SET THAT BASELINE REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAVE DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS NOW, UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT, UH, ARE OLDER.
AND, UM, THE STREET LIGHTING INDEX MAY GIVE US A, A REALLY GOOD GUIDE.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT NEXT YEAR.
THE OTHER AREA THAT WE SAW, UM, UM, FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS, UM, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO THE PROPOSED BUDGET SETS ASIDE A RECOMMENDATION FOR 15 NEW POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS, 12 OF THOSE BEING, UH, SAFE OFFICERS TO ADD TO OUR COMMUNITY POLICING COMPLIMENT, AND THREE OFFICERS TO OUR DOWNTOWN FOOT AND BIKE PATROL UNIT.
UM, ANOTHER TAKEAWAY FROM THE POLICE SERVICES REVIEW IS WHAT ARE THOSE CALLS THAT WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE A POLICE OFFICER RESPOND TO? AND, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY HAVE JOINED THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WE ASKED YOU ABOUT THESE VERY CALLS.
SO THE PROPOSED BUDGET SETS ASIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, ANIMAL CARE SO THAT THEY CAN RESPOND, UH, TO, UM, MANY OF OUR, UM, UM, ANIMAL CALLS.
NOW, SOME OF THOSE CALLS, IF IT'S A VICIOUS DOG CALL, MORE DANGEROUS CALL, WE'LL HAVE BOTH AN ANIMAL CARE OFFICER AND A POLICE OFFICER RESPOND.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE CALLS, WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER TO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
FIREWORK CALLS AROUND 4TH OF JULY AND NEW YEAR'S EVE, I GUESS SOME DIVISION IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE GONNA CONDUCT A PILOT PROGRAM THIS FALL FOR THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY NIGHTS TO HAVE OUR CODE OFFICERS RESPOND, UH, TO THOSE CALLS, UM, AND THEN CALL POLICE OFFICERS IF, IF A CITATION NEEDS TO BE, UM, ISSUED.
YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL HAS APPOINTED A, UH, TASK FORCE TO REVIEW OUR NOISE ORDINANCE ABATEMENT, UH, UH, I'M SORRY, OUR NOR NOISE ABATEMENT ORDINANCE.
AND SO, UH, THAT'LL BE HAPPENING THIS FALL.
SO WE'LL LINE THAT EFFORT UP WITH THIS PILOT AND BE ABLE TO COME BACK WITH THE COUNCIL WITH SOME, UH, GENERAL, UM, OVERVIEW IN TERMS OF, UM, ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, UH, A BIG, A BIG PRIORITY OF BOTH THE COUNCIL AND, UM, THE, UH, THE SURVEY.
UM, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 32 POINT, ALMOST $33 MILLION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
14.1 MILLION OF THAT IS COMING FROM OUR GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND THAT'S AN INCREASE OF ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OVER THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL INCREMENT IS GOING INTO THREE MAIN PROGRAMS. OUR MINOR REPAIR PROGRAM, OUR OWNER OCCUPIED PROGRAM, AND OUR UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM.
UM, THREE VERY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT OR PROGRAMS. UM, A VERY, UM, A HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER.
UM, AND WE KNOW THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A GREAT AMOUNT OF NEED IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE STILL HAVE FUNDING AVAILABLE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND, UH, AT THE CURRENT PACE RIGHT NOW, WE BELIEVE WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH FEDERAL FUNDING TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM TO THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, BUT THIS IS REALLY MORE GETTING BACK TO WHAT OUR INVESTMENT NEEDS TO BE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, PRE COVID.
UH, HERE'S ANOTHER LESSON THAT WE'VE LEARNED THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
AND IT'S REALLY, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOT PEOPLE IN PLACE THAT CAN HELP, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS NAVIGATE POTENTIAL NEEDS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE.
[00:30:01]
HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE AND AN EASY NUMBER, LIKE 3 0 1 AND GREAT BROCHURES, BUT SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST NEED TO BE WALKED THROUGH THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT, AND THE SERVICES THAT THEY MAY QUALIFY, WHETHER THEY'RE HOUSING RESOURCES OR, UH, CHILDCARE OR HUMAN SERVICES, OR THOSE THAT, UM, UM, UM, MAY BE HOMELESS.UH, WE'VE SEEN A, UH, AN UPTICK IN REQUEST FROM OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY ON FINANCIAL COUNSELING.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE'RE MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN NEXT YEAR'S PROPOSED BUDGET TO BEEF UP THOSE SERVICES.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SEE IS THAT AS SOMEBODY COMES TO THE CITY LOOKING FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALSO AVAILABLE, UM, OR ELIGIBLE FOR HOUSING OR, UH, UTILITIES ASSISTANCE OR CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE NETWORKING FOLKS TO THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT, UH, THAT THEY MAY BE, UH, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF MAIN FACTORS HERE.
AND IT'S AN EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
BUT REALLY LOOKING TO REPLACE, UH, CRITICAL BUILDING SYSTEMS AT OUR KEY PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES.
UM, SOME OF OUR, MOST OF OUR FIRE STATIONS HAVE GENERATORS, BUT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO ADD INVESTMENT, UH, FOR FIRE STATIONS, OUR POLICE SUBSTATIONS, AND SOME OTHER FACILITY FACILITIES.
WE'RE ALSO SETTING ASIDE CAPITAL DOLLARS TO, UH, IDENTIFY AND, UH, INVEST INTO FOUR RESILIENCY HUBS THAT'LL BE GEOGRAPHICALLY SPREAD AROUND THE CITY.
AND THESE ARE REALLY, THEY, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE CITY BUILDINGS.
THEY COULD BE SCHOOLS WHERE WE'LL PARTNER WITH OTHER AGENCIES TO MAKE THE CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, SO THAT THOSE FACILITIES HAVE POWER, WHETHER IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST OR IN THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE STRUGGLES WE FOUND, UH, OURSELVES IN, IN FEBRUARY, WHERE OUR FACILITIES WERE JUST, UM, LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
SOME WERE ON ROLLING POWER OUTAGES, AND SO WE WANT TO, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE INVEST AND THERE COULD, WE COULD HAVE MORE RESILIENCY HUBS AS WE GO INTO THE FUTURE.
BUT WE WANTED TO START WITH FOUR, UM, AND, AND DO THAT WORK GOING INTO THE NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE ALSO SETTING ASIDE MONEY TO REALLY FURTHER LOOK AT OUR VULNERABILITIES AS A COMMUNITY AND THROUGH A RESILIENCY ANALYSIS.
UM, OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE THIS.
AND, UM, GIVEN WHAT WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE LAST, UM, SEVEN MONTHS, SIX, UH, EIGHT MONTHS, UH, WE WANNA REALLY LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE VULNERABLE.
WE ALSO WANNA LOOK AT HOW WE CAN BETTER PREPARE THE COMMUNITY FOR THESE TYPES OF, OF INCIDENTS, WHICH, FRANKLY, FROM MY PER PERSPECTIVE, UH, WE'RE SUBJECT TO MORE AND MORE NOW THAN WE WERE IN THE PAST.
SO HOW BETTER CAN WE HELP PEOPLE BE PREPARED? AND HOW DO WE IDENTIFY THOSE THAT ARE VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, DEPENDING ON THE EMERGENCY THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL FOR, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, OR OUR UTILITIES.
SO REALLY TACKLING THAT ISSUE AND HAVING A BETTER FOOTING UNDERNEATH US AS WE GO FORWARD.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE RESTORING OUR, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT, UH, WERE REDUCED TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO SETTING ASIDE A, UH, MONEY TO DO A PILOT PROGRAM.
AND REALLY THIS IS GONNA HELP SMALL BUSINESSES THAT NEED HELP WITH ACQUIRING, BONDING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CITY CONTRACTS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A NUMBER OF SMALL, UH, BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, WE'RE, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DO THIS.
THIS WILL GIVE THOSE COMPANIES, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO LEVERAGE THAT POT OF MONEY, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO GO OUT TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND, AND ASK THEM TO MATCH THAT.
IT'S REALLY, UH, KIND OF A CORPUS THAT THAT SMALL BUSINESSES WILL BE ABLE TO TIE INTO, UM, FOR, UH, POTENTIAL CONTRACT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
UH, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR HOTEL OCCUP OCCUPANCY TAX, UH, ALLOCATIONS.
AND WE ARE TURNING BACK, UH, FUNDING FOR OUR CONVENTION CENTER IN AOD DOME TO SUPPORT UPCOMING CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS.
YOU KNOW, AS WE, UH, WENT THROUGH THE SPRING, WE'VE SAW AN, A REALLY, A VERY STRONG UPTICK IN ACTIVITY IN BOOKINGS THAT OUR FACILITIES, WE HAVE SEEN SOME TREPIDATION HERE THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT TO CONTINUE, UM, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA MONITOR OUR EXPENSES VERY CLOSELY AS WE GO INTO FY 2022.
WE'VE ALSO INCREASED OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL DEPARTMENT FUNDING FROM $8.9 MILLION TO 10.9, AND WE'VE BROUGHT OUR FUNDING FOR ARTS AGENCIES BACK TO PRE COVID LEVELS.
UM, AND THAT'S A CRITICAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, BOTH, BOTH FOR RESIDENTS,
[00:35:01]
BUT ALSO FOR, UH, POTENTIALLY VISITORS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND REALLY INVESTING INTO THE CULTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY.SO THE COUNCILWOMAN MENTIONED ALSO AT THE BEGINNING, UM, UH, GIVEN OUR UPDATE TO OUR DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH WE'LL ACTUALLY BE TALKING TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT THIS TOMORROW AT OUR, AT OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION, UH, EVERY FIVE YEARS, WE GO TO THE VOTERS WITH A BOND PROGRAM.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE IN OUR LAST YEAR OF OUR 2017 BOND PROGRAM.
UH, BY THE TIME, UH, VOTERS, UM, GO TO THE GO TO THE POLLS, UH, IN MAY TO VOTE ON THIS, WE WILL HAVE 97% OF THOSE PROJECTS COMPLETED.
UM, THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT TO THE, UH, PUBLIC TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY PUTTING THIS MONEY INTO PRODUCTION.
UH, GIVEN OUR CURRENT SCENARIO, UM, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION OF THE COUNCIL IS THAT, UM, WE HAVE A $1.2 BILLION BOND PROGRAM, UH, THAT WE TAKE TO THE VOTERS, AND THAT INCLUDES NO CHANGE TO THE CITY PROPERTY TAX RATE.
THE COUNCIL WILL BEGIN, WE'LL HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS IN THE, IN THE SPRINGTIME.
WE'LL BE, UH, TALKING ABOUT THIS IN SEPTEMBER, IN LATE SEPTEMBER.
UM, WE WILL HAVE A NUMBER OF, PROBABLY A NUMBER OF, OF B SESSION CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNCIL.
UM, COUNCIL WILL, UH, SELECT, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ACT AND REVIEW, UM, POTENTIAL PROJECTS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL.
AND I BELIEVE COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SANDOVAL, I THINK THE FIRST TIME I MET YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, YOU WERE A COMMUNITY APPOINTEE FOR THE 2017 BOND PROGRAM.
AND SO IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED, UM, AND TO END UP BEING A COUNCIL PERSON AND END UP BEING A COUNCIL PERSON, RIGHT? UH, AND, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, AND SO DID CO THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I MET COUNCILMAN PERRY AS WELL.
SO TWO FUTURE COUNCIL PERSONS.
UM, A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM THE COMMUNITY DURING THE FALL.
AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL, UH, BY, UH, EARLY 2022, THE COUNCIL WILL REVIEW, ADOPT THE PLAN, AND THEN CALL THE ELECTION IN FEBRUARY.
SO A LOT OF WORK AHEAD AND, UH, REALLY EXCITING.
THERE'S A, UH, GOSH, A A LOT OF NEED IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO, UH, WE, WE STARTED, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO.
IT JUST FEELS LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO.
UH, OUR BUDGET WORK SESSIONS WITH THE COUNCIL, UH, WE'LL HAVE THEM TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER.
WE HAVE OUR COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS, WHICH, UH, WHICH WE'RE HAVING TONIGHT.
UH, WE HAD THREE, UH, DISTRICTS LAST WEEK, AND WE'VE GOT DISTRICT, UH, MEETINGS ALL WEEK THIS WEEK.
WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR THE PUBLIC ON SEPTEMBER 8TH AND 14TH, AND THE COUNCIL'S SCHEDULED TO, UM, UH, ADOPT THE BUDGET WITH ANY NECESSARY AMENDMENTS ON SEPTEMBER 16TH.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE WORK PLAN GOING FORWARD.
SO I WILL TURN IT BACK TO YOU, BERTHA.
YOU'RE GONNA FACILITATE THE QUESTIONS, AND WE'VE GOT, YES, SIR.
A LOT OF FOLKS WANNA THANK ALL THE EXECUTIVES FOR BEING ON HERE TONIGHT TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND COUNCILWOMAN, YOU ARE CORRECT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE TUNED IN AND THERE ARE QUESTIONS COMING IN.
SO WE'RE GONNA JUMP RIGHT INTO IT.
AND WE'RE GONNA START OUT WITH, UH, A QUESTION, UH, RELATED TO CODE COMPLIANCE.
AND I KNOW, KNOW, THERE WAS, UH, PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION ADDRESSED, UH, UH, A PILOT PROJECT AROUND NOISE.
UM, BUT HERE WE HAVE ONE, MICHAEL, MAYBE YOU WANNA TAKE THIS ONE.
IT SAYS, WHAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, FUNDS WILL BE GOING INTO CODE COMPLIANCE VIOLATIONS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND WE'RE SEEING QUESTIONS AROUND, UH, OVERGROWN GRASS AND, AND, AND, UM, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU BERTA, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, SO WE'RE MAINTAINING, UH, OUR LEVELS.
THERE'S NO CUTS IN CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND ACTUALLY WE'RE GETTING MORE FUNDING, UH, TO TOUCH UPON THE NOISE ENFORCEMENT, UH, VIOLATIONS.
WE'RE GONNA DO A PILOT PROGRAM IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR, UH, 22, UH, AND REALLY SEE IF WE CAN HELP MAKE A DENT ON, UM, THE OVER 50,000 NOISE COMPLAINTS THAT COME INTO OUR CITY, UH, EACH YEAR OR 18 MONTHS.
SO, UH, BUT THE, THE FUNDING FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT IS, IS STRONG, IS STAYING STRONG, AND IT'S CRITICAL THAT, UH, NOT ONLY DO WE RESPOND TO THE CALLS THAT COME IN FOR SERVICE, UH, BUT THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE ACTUALLY OUT THERE PROACTIVE, UM, LOOKING FOR THOSE BEFORE YOU HAVE TO CALL.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M EXCITED THAT OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT BUDGET IS, IS GONNA MAINTAIN AND ACTUALLY GET SOME MORE MONEY TO DO SOME MORE THINGS.
BUT IF YOU HAVE AREAS THAT, UH, YOU THINK NEED TO BE ADDRESSED QUICKER, UH, CALL THEM INTO THREE ONE ONE OR, UM, OR CALL INTO YOUR CODE SUPERVISOR, UH, OR ANYONE IN DEVELOPMENT
[00:40:01]
SERVICES, AND WE'LL GET ON IT RIGHT AWAY.BERTHA, LEMME LET ME JUMP IN HERE REAL QUICK.
AND MIKE, THANKS FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE IN THE SLIDE, AND I THINK IT MAY BE BE REALLY GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR IF WE COULD, IF WE CAN KICK IT OVER TO SHANNON, UM, SO HE CAN TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAM THAT THE COUNCILWOMAN MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING.
AND IT REALLY TAKES A, A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO, UM, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IN, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND ACTUALLY, SHANNON'S NOT ON ANYMORE, SO I'LL EXPLAIN IT.
SO, UM, WHAT THE COUNCILMAN WAS DESCRIBING IS KIND OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
UH, IT'S ALMOST LIKE, UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE SAFE PROGRAM FOR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
AND, UH, SHANNON, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE ANIMAL CARE PROGRAM? YES, SIR.
I'M TRYING TO GET THE THING UNMUTED.
I'M HAVING SOME COMPUTER PROBLEMS. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU, SHANNON.
UH, SORRY, I, I GOT DISCONNECTED.
SO WHAT WERE WE TALKING ABOUT, ERIC? ERIC, YOU'RE MUTED.
THE, THE COUNCILWOMAN MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, THE THE NEW ANIMAL CARE SERVICES PROGRAM.
SO WHY DON'T YOU, WHY DON'T YOU JUST BRIEFLY GIVE SOMEBODY, GIVE EVERYBODY AN OVERVIEW? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, TRADITIONALLY WE'VE ALWAYS ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL DISTRICT OFFICERS AND ENFORCEMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, ONE THING THAT I CAN TELL YOU AS THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL CARE SERVICES IS THAT ENFORCEMENT IS VERY STRONG RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE WRITING RECORD NUMBERS OF CITATIONS.
THIS NEW PROGRAM, THOUGH, IS WRAPPED AROUND CASE MANAGEMENT AND TAKING A PEOPLE APPROACH TOWARDS KEEPING ANIMALS IN HOMES.
SO IT'S REALLY FOCUSED ON TAKING EXISTING RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE WITHIN A C SS AND WITH THE CITY, AND BEING ABLE TO TARGET THOSE RESOURCES AT THE PEOPLE THAT NEED THEM THE MOST.
UH, SO WHILE WE DO HAVE A TON OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW, IT'S TYPICALLY ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS.
UH, WE ALL KNOW THAT A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE RUN INTO IS THE RIGHT PEOPLE ACTUALLY NOT BEING ABLE TO GET ACCESS TO THOSE RESOURCES.
UH, AND TYPICALLY THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE GREATEST NEED.
UH, SO UTILIZING A CASE MANAGER TYPE OF A MENTALITY, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO OUT AND DEVELOP CASE PLANS, UH, FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT STRUGGLED TO, YOU KNOW, BE IN COMPLIANCE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT THIS WILL HELP US IN RECIDIVISM.
UH, IT'S DEFINITELY AN EQUITABLE APPROACH, UH, AS WE'RE TARGETING AREAS THAT, THAT HAVE THOSE LOW EQUITY SCORES, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN IDENTIFYING, AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF PUSHING MONEY, UH, FROM ENFORCEMENT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE POSITIVE RESULTS.
AND I'M GONNA STAY WITH YOU FOR A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE, WE DID HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS COME IN ABOUT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, UH, SPECIFICALLY AROUND, UM, SPAY AND NEUTER PROGRAMS, UH, THE TRAPPING OF, UH, STRAY ANIMALS.
WE HAD, UM, MINEO MENDO IN KATHLEEN YOUNG, BOTH ASKING ABOUT INCREASED FUNDING AROUND PROGRAMS THAT COULD HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, THE STRAY ANIMAL POPULATION.
BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING THAT? UH, WELL, PART OF PART OF THAT IS GOING TO GO BACK TO THIS CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, A KEEPING ANIMALS, UH, SAFE ON THE PROPERTY.
UH, AS WE KNOW, A LOT OF ANIMALS THAT WE FIND THAT ARE LOOSE ARE OWNED ANIMALS, SO KEEPING THOSE ANIMALS SAFE AND ON THEIR PROPERTY.
UH, THE SECOND PIECE OF THAT RIGHT NOW IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY KIND OF BEING IMPACTED NATIONWIDE.
WHEN THEY MENTIONED SPAY NEUTER, UH, THERE IS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE RIGHT NOW OF VETERINARIANS, UH, ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE 7,000, UH, VETERINARIAN JOBS THAT ARE VACANT RIGHT NOW WITHIN, WITHIN THE NATION.
UH, THE 31 SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE NATION ARE ONLY MAKING ABOUT 2,500 VETERINARIANS A YEAR.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'VE GOT THIS KIND OF SIGNIFICANT CRISIS GOING ON OF A VETERINARY SHORTAGE.
HOWEVER, UH, WE'RE, UH, TAKING ON PARTNERSHIPS, UH, WITH SOME OF THE, UH, THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, INCREASING AND STRENGTHENING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UH, WITH FOLKS THAT WE'VE HAD LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIPS FOR SPAY NEUTER, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR, OUR HIGH VOLUME SPAY NEUTER, SPAY NEUTER, UH, VETERINARIANS WHO ARE EVEN MORE CRITICAL RIGHT NOW THAN JUST YOUR TYPICAL VETERINARIAN.
UH, AND, AND I THINK THROUGH SOME OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED, UH, THROUGH PLACES LIKE LOW COST PET VACS, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PUSH MORE, UH, HIGH QUALITY VACCINATIONS INTO THE ACTUAL COMMUNITY.
UH, IT'S JUST NOT PRACTICAL FOR A C S TO DO IT WITH OUR OWN VETERINARIANS, BUT THESE PARTNERSHIPS ARE GONNA ALLOW US TO PUSH THOSE RESOURCES, UH, FURTHER INTO THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE A GREATER IMPACT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA SHIFT GEARS AND, AND GO OVER TO, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE.
AND I THINK, UM, ERIC, IF YOU WANNA TAKE THIS ONE, UM, COUNCILMAN,
[00:45:01]
WE HAVE A RESIDENT IN D SEVEN WHO'S AN ART LEADER IN YOUR COMMUNITY WHO POSTED THIS, UM, JOHN OSA.AND, UH, HE STATES THAT THEY'RE CRUCIAL THAT THE ARTS AND CULTURE IS CRUCIAL TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY.
AND WHILE THE NEW 22 ALLOCATIONS FROM ARPA DO INCLUDE FUNDING, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE UP FOR, AND IT ONLY BRINGS UP FUNDING TO THE 2019 LEVEL, UH, WHY IS THE CITY NOT INCLUDING LAST YEAR'S DEFICITS AND PROVIDING ORGANIZATIONS A BETTER PATHWAY TO RECOVERY? WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, I'M GOING TO LET ERIC TAKE A, A FIRST STAB AT THIS.
WELL, NO, AND, AND, AND, AND PART OF THIS IS, REMEMBER, UM, OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND IS STILL IN A, IN, IN, UH, IS STILL 24% BELOW WHERE WE WERE IN 2019.
WE WERE VERY DELIBERATE, AND THE COUNCIL TALKED ABOUT THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE SPRINGTIME ABOUT GETTING US BACK TO 2019.
AND, AND, AND WE DID THAT IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET LAST YEAR THROUGH A COMBINATION OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX FUNDS, GENERAL FUND SUPPORT, LOCAL DOLLAR SUPPORT, AS WELL AS ARPA, WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I DON'T THINK I, I DON'T THINK I ANYBODY WILL ARGUE THAT ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IS NEEDED, BUT AS WE, SO AS WE RECOVER IN THAT ONE AREA OF OUR BUSINESS, UM, UH, WE, WE, WE, WE MADE THE, THE, THE PURPOSEFUL DECISION TO BRING ARTS BACK TO 2019 LEVELS AND SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ARTS AGENCIES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THAT'LL BE, THAT'S PART OF THE, THE WORK SESSION CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL THIS WEEK.
SO I SUSPECT THERE'LL BE A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND WE'RE CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
BUT, UM, UM, THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH MONEY FOR, FOR EVERYTHING, BUT WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GET, TO GET BACK TO SQUARE ONE BACK IN 2019.
YEAH, I THINK THAT THE QUESTION IS, IS REALLY IF WE HAVE THESE ONE-TIME FUNDS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, I GUESS HOW DID WE MAKE THE DECISION NOT TO USE THOSE TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ART? AND I'D SAY THE, THE DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE ONE TIME ARPA FUNDS, WERE, ARE TENTATIVELY GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN, UH, SOME LEVEL OF IT WILL GO, WILL GO TO THE ARTS, TO, TO THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
BUT SOME OF IT IS ALSO GOING TO OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT IS STILL, UH, REALLY BIG AND REALLY NEEDED, UH, RIGHT NOW.
SO I THINK THAT WAS, THAT WAS REALLY THE POLICY TRADE OFF IN TERMS OF, OF THE DECISION THAT THE COUNCIL HAD TO MAKE.
AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOT AN EASY ONE AT ALL.
THE OTHER, THE OTHER FUNDING THAT STAFF CHOSE TO OR IS RECOMMENDING TO RESTORE, HAD TO DO WITH STREETS AND, AND SIDEWALKS AND NOT FALLING ANY FURTHER BEHIND ON THOSE.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT WAS ANOTHER TRADE OFF WHERE, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, WE COULD HAVE PUT MORE MONEY IN THE ARTS, UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, AND IT IS ALL SUBJECT TO COUNCIL APPROVAL, RIGHT? IF, IF COUNCIL DECIDES NOT TO APPROVE IT, THEN WE, WE GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION WAS TO PUT MORE MONEY BACK IN STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.
AND IF, UM, I THINK A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF ON THIS ONE THOUGH, UM, HEAR A LOT ABOUT STREETS AND SIDEWALK REPAIR, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE PRIORITIES EVERY YEAR THAT WE DO THE BUDGET, UH, EVEN WHEN WE'RE NOT IN BUDGET TIME FROM, FROM OUR RESIDENTS.
BUT, UM, I WILL CERTAINLY TAKE THE, THAT RECOMMENDATION OR THAT QUESTION, UM, TO HEART AND, UH, AND TALK TO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AND SEE HOW, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT POSSIBLY, UM, MAKING AN ADJUSTMENT.
AND, AND A GREAT SEGUE TO IS SOME STREET, UH, QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE GETTING, UM, THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND, AND HERE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, NEPHI, MAYBE, UH, IF YOU WANNA TAKE THIS, UM, AND THESE ARE VERY SPECIFIC, SO WE MAY NEED TO GET BACK, UM, WITH SOME SPECIFIC RESPONSES TO THESE RESIDENTS, BUT THEY TALK ABOUT, UH, THE PRO, WHETHER THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES FUNDS FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS ALONG BABCOCK, SPECIFICALLY FROM FREDERICKSBURG ROAD TO BALCONES HEIGHTS, UM, THAT'S FROM ANNA THORNTON.
AND THEN DEBBIE GARZA VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE NEED, UH, FOR, UH, RESURFACING, WHICH SHE HAS SEEN HAPPEN IN AND AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT SPECIFICALLY THE 200 BLOCK OF OF GLOBE AVENUE, WHICH IS WHERE SHE LIVES.
AND, UM, SO IF WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT PART OF THE BOND DISCUSSIONS WE NEED TO HAVE, OR ARE WE LOOKING AT SPECIFIC, UH, BUDGETING? AND AGAIN, IF WE NEED TO FOLLOW
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UP, WE CERTAINLY WILL, UH, DEBBIE AND ANNA.BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
COUNCILWOMAN, UH, THAT THE RESIDENTS IN D SEVEN HAVE AROUND STREETS, UH, AROUND BABCOCK, FREDERICKSBURG, GLOBE AVENUE.
SO NEPHI, AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WANNA TAKE THAT, NOT REALLY A QUESTION MORE, WANNA MAKE SURE TO MAKE KNOWN WHAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT HERE ONLINE.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, BERTHA FOR SE, UH, GIVING ME THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, SPECIFIC LOCATIONS, UH, WE HAVE NOT ONLY THE, THE AVAILABILITY TO USE BOND MONEY TO DO SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT ALSO ON OUR YEARLY BUDGET, WE HAVE SOMETHING KNOWN AS THE, THE STREET MAINTENANCE PLAN OR S AND P THAT WILL LOOK AT MULTIPLE STREETS.
THAT INCLUDES DIFFERENT TREATMENTS INCLUDING SURFACING, RESURFACING, EVEN ALL THE WAY TO EVEN RECONSTRUCTION.
SO WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICE.
UM, WE ALSO LOOK, PAY ATTENTION TO 3 1 1.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE MEMBERS OF, OF THE PUBLIC TO PLEASE CALL 3 1 1 AND LET US KNOW, COMMUNICATE THAT INFORMATION SO THAT WE HAVE THAT DATABASE AND WE CAN WORK WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICE TO MAKE THE DETERMINATION WHERE WE GO FIRST.
THERE HAS TO BE A SEQUENCE ON HOW WE DO CERTAIN THINGS, BUT WE'LL CERTAINLY WITH, WITH COUNCIL, UH, TO DEVELOP, DEVELOP THOSE PLANS.
UM, DALE, WE'RE GONNA GO TO, UH, CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET THE RESIDENT AN ANSWER TO THEIR QUESTION.
SO THAT WAS THE 200 BLOCK OF GLOBE, AND I HEARD THE, THE PORTION OF BABCOCK, AND THAT'S ALL AROUND WHERE I LIVE.
SO I AM VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT WORK DONE SOON.
UM, SO WE'LL GET YOU AN ANSWER BEFORE THE, BEFORE THE CALL'S OVER.
AND WE CAN SEND THAT VERBATIM OVER TO YOUR OFFICE AFTERWARDS AS WELL.
UM, UH, SO DAVID AND OR DOUG, WE HAVE A QUESTION COMING IN FROM OUR RESIDENTS THAT ASKS, WHICH BUDGET ITEMS FALL UNDER THE CLIMATE AND ACTION PLAN, AND ARE THERE ANY EXPENDITURES SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO GREEN GAS, GREENHOUSE GAS, POLLUTION, MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION TO, TO WHAT SEEMS TO BE A WORSENING CLIMATE CONDITION? DOUG, YOU WANT TO GO FIRST? SURE, SURE.
I THINK ONE OF THE, THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT, UM, THE CLIMATE PLAN IS ITS IMPLEMENTATION CUTS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS.
UH, SO AS YOU SAW IN THE PRESENTATION, UH, THERE IS FUNDING GOING TOWARDS SIDEWALKS, UH, TO A BIKE MASTER PLAN.
UM, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE DIRECT GREENHOUSE GAS, UM, REDUCTION, UM, UM, ELEMENTS.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, MANAGE A ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND, UH, THAT WE, UH, UNDERTAKE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS IN CITY FACILITIES, UH, THAT'S BUDGETED FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND SO THAT'S GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT.
AND IN TERMS OF DIRECT FUNDING, UH, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE'S TWO ITEMS. UH, THERE'S, UM, FUNDING TO CONTINUE OUR, UM, EMPLOYEE CLIMATE TRAINING SERIES.
UM, THIS, WE LAUNCHED THIS THIS LAST YEAR.
EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE NEEDED TO LEARN ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND THEIR ROLE IN CLIMATE CHANGE.
UH, AND WE PLAN TO CONTINUE THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR, UM, PROFESSIONAL FACILITATION FOR OUR CLIMATE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
UH, THOSE ARE THE TWO, UM, COMMUNITY, UM, UH, BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING, UH, ADVISING CITY COUNCIL, ADVISING CITY STAFF ON IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN.
SO, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS IN THE PLAN THAT, THAT ARE GONNA MOVE US, UH, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
BUT THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE THINGS DIRECTLY RELATED TO MY OFFICE'S BUDGET.
I'M GONNA TRY AND SQUEEZE A COUPLE MORE IN HERE.
UH, BEFORE WE, UH, HAND IT OVER TO, UH, ERIC AND THE COUNCILWOMAN, A REP, UH, CHIEF, UH, MCMANUS, THERE'S A QUESTION HERE COMING IN, UH, FROM TINA CORTEZ WHO ASKS, WAS ANY OF THE ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, LIGHTING, ET CETERA, TAKEN AWAY FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET? I CAN ASK MARIA FOR THAT ONE.
UM, WE, UH, DID NOT MOVE ANY OF THE FUNDS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR, FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, TEAM THAT WE'RE ADDING AS FAR OF THIS PROCESS.
WE'RE ADDING SOME CLINICIANS, UM, TO OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE AND SOME FUNDING TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE A PARAMEDIC TO THE TEAM, AND ALSO, UM, SOME RESOURCES TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO, UH, TO, UH, AUGMENT THE TEAM.
SO THE TEAM OF THREE INCLUDES A PARAMEDIC, A, UH, MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN, AND A POLICE OFFICER.
AND AS FAR AS LIGHTING, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE, THE BUDGET HAS $5.8 MILLION FOR LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, YOU MAY RECALL IF YOU ATTENDED SOME OF THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WE HAD ABOUT POLICING SERVICES, ONE OF THE THINGS THE
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COMMUNITY SAID IS THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE MORE LIGHTING TO, TO FEEL SAFER AT NIGHT.SO THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, $5.8 MILLION.
AND ALSO OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE WORKING ON DEVELOPING A LIGHTING INDEX THAT IS GOING TO HELP US PRIORITIZE WHERE TO INSTALL THOSE, THOSE LIGHTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UH, TO RESPECT EVERYONE'S TIME THIS EVENING, IT IS, UH, 6 58 COUNCILWOMAN, AND I WILL REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ABOUT THE BUDGET.
UH, YOU CAN ALSO GO TO SAN ANTONIO.GOV AND SEARCH FOR THE 2022 BUDGET.
AND THIS PRESENTATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS COMING THROUGH ASKING WHERE THEY COULD ACCESS THE BUDGET.
SO SAN ANTONIO.GOV, UH, SEARCH FOR, UH, THE FY 22 BUDGET, AND THIS PRESENTATION IS AVAILABLE.
UM, SO COUNCILWOMAN, I'M GONNA, UM, TURN IT OVER, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, ERIC OR THE COUNCILWOMAN, UH, FOR A WRAP UP.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE GLOBE, UM, IS PROGRAMMED IN THE ANNUAL INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, MAINTENANCE PLAN, BUT NOT FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECT.
UM, BUT IF YOU WANNA GET MORE DETAILS, PLEASE, UH, CONTACT OUR FIELD OFFICE 2 0 7 0 8 7 OH IN TERMS OF BABCOCK.
UM, THAT PARTICULAR PORTION IS NOT PROGRAMMED, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION.
UH, WE WILL TRY TO SQUEEZE THAT IN IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS BECAUSE I TAKE THAT PART OF THE
UM, AND THEN, UH, LASTLY TO, I THINK DR.
JULIAN ASKED US A QUESTION ABOUT EMISSIONS, UH, REDUCTIONS.
AND, UH, JULIAN, UH, JUST EARLIER TODAY, DOUG AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AND ABOUT WHAT THINGS WE CAN DO TO SPEED UP EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS.
AND I, I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO BE DISCOURAGED.
WE HAVE SOME GREAT IDEAS, AND I'M HOPING TO BRING THEM FORWARD, UM, IN THE, IN THE NEAR TERM, UM, THIS, THIS YEAR.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA NECESSARILY NEED BUDGET FOR IT BASED ON WHAT WE DISCUSSED, UH, DOUG IT IS, BUT IT, IT WOULD, UH, REDUCE.
SO THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION.
UM, AND I KNOW I'M GONNA GO JUST LIKE ONE MINUTE OVER TIME, BUT I DID GET AN EMAIL, UH, DIRECTLY TO ME, AND I GUESS IT, IT WAS SENT TO SA SPEAKUP, BUT MAYBE DIDN'T, UM, MAKE IT ON THE, ON THE LIST HERE, THERE IS A, UM, KAREN IS ASKING ABOUT HB 1900, WHICH PASSED THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT MANDATES THAT THE CITY NEVER DECREASED POLICE BUDGET.
AND GIVEN THIS CONTEXT AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE INCREASING, UH, THE POLICE BUDGET THIS YEAR, UM, I, I GUESS COULD YOU COMMENT ON THAT? SO WE'RE INCREASING THE POLICE BUDGET, IT SAYS HERE BY ABOUT 30, 30 MILLION.
SO IS THAT A CONCERN THAT, THAT LAW THAT PASSED? WELL, THE, THE, WHAT THE, WHAT THE LAW DOES IS MAKE, UH, MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR MUNICIPALITIES TO, UH, REDUCE THE BUDGET.
UM, ASIDE FROM ANY SORT OF OTHER, YOU KNOW, UM, MAYBE FEDERAL GRANTS THAT, THAT AN AGENCY MAY GET.
UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT, OBVIOUSLY IN TERMS OF THE INVESTMENT IN THE, IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, PART OF IT IS, UM, THE FULL YEAR FUNDING OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WAGE THAT WAS, THAT OFFICERS RECEIVED THIS YEAR.
SO THAT HAS TO BE, UH, ADJUSTED FOR, WE, WE ARE ADDING $1.8 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL OFFICERS IN TERMS OF, UH, 15 OFFICERS.
SO THAT DOES INCREASE THAT BUDGET.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO REFLECTS WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WE MET WITH THEM IN THE SPRINGTIME.
SO I THINK AS LONG AS WE MANAGE THAT PRO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS FOR I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR US IS FROM OUR FINANCIAL POLICY STANDPOINT, IS TO MAKE SURE THOSE EXPENSES ARE WITHIN THAT, BELOW THAT 66% UMBRELLA.
UM, IF, IF THAT NUMBER STARTS TO CREEP UP TOO MUCH, THEN IT IMPACTS OTHER SERVICES.
AND SO MANAGING THOSE, THOSE EXPENSES YEAR TO YEAR WILL BE, WILL BE OUR JOB.
AND I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY WHO JOINED US TODAY.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL THE CITY STAFF THAT'S ON THIS, UH, ON THIS WEBEX RIGHT NOW.
EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD FROM ALL OF THEM, THEY'VE ALL PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN DEVELOPING THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND MAKING SURE YOU GET SERVICES DELIVERED EVERY DAY HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
IF YOU HAVE, UH, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTINUE TO SEND THEM EITHER TO, AS THEY SPEAK UP OR TO THE COUNCIL OFFICE, AND WE WILL DO OUR VERY BEST TO GET BACK TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.