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ANTONIO IN SAN ANTONIO, PUNTA.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION.
UH, TIME IS 2:12 PM ON THIS EIGHTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2021.
[1. Staff presentation on the FY 2022 Proposed Budget focusing on, but not limited to, the following City Departments or Initiatives: [Erik Walsh, City Manager, Scott Huizenga, Director, Management & Budget] A. Planning B. Library C. Parks and Recreation]
UM, LET ME TURN IT OVER NOW TO, UH, CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH TO GET US STARTED WITH OUR PRESENTATIONS.UM, ACTUALLY
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, THREE PRESENTATIONS ON THE DECK TODAY.
WE'LL START WITH PLANNING, UM, AND THEN WE WILL MOVE TO THE LIBRARY.
UM, BOTH RAMIRO AND PAUL STALL, THE CHAIR OF THE LIBRARY BOARD.
WE'RE HERE FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'LL WRAP UP WITH PARKS AND RECREATION AND HOMER.
SO WE'LL KICK IT OFF WITH BRIDGET.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
BRIDGET WHITE, DIRECTOR OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
FIRST, AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT.
PLANNING CURRENTLY HAS 24 DEDICATED FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IN THREE DIVISIONS, CITYWIDE PLANNING, REGIONAL PLANNING, AND REZONING.
THE DEPARTMENT REMAINS FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SA TOMORROW CONFERENCE OF PLAN, WHICH IS THE ADOPTED LONG RANGE GROWTH AND POLICY DOCUMENT FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AS WELL AS OVERSIGHT OF THE CITY'S GROWTH POLICY EFFORTS IN OUR E T J.
WE WORK TOWARDS FOSTERING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENTITIES IN OUR PLANNING PROCESSES WITH ACTIVE COORDINATION WITH RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, NEIGHBORING CITIES AND REGIONAL ENTITIES SUCH AS VIA SAS, C P SS, SARAH, JOINT BASED SAN ANTONIO, THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, AND THE ALAMO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED FISCAL 2022 BUDGET TOTALS $4.6 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY 800,000 FROM FISCAL YEAR 2021 DUE TO INCREASES IN PERSONNEL COSTS.
AND THE ADDITION OF TWO PROPOSED PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS I WILL HIGHLIGHT ON UPCOMING SLIDES.
FIRST, OUR FISCAL 2022 WORK PLAN.
IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, WE WILL CONTINUE WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY'S ADOPTED 2016 SA TOMORROW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WITH ANTICIPATED COUNCIL ADOPTION OF THE SIX PHASE TWO SUBAR PLANS AND INITIATION OF THE SIX PHASE THREE SUB AREA PLANS.
IN ADDITION TO THE SUBAR PLANS, WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD THE BANDERA ROAD CORRIDOR PLAN, PHASE ONE, WHICH COVERS APPROXIMATELY 6.5 LINEAR MILES FROM LOOP 1604 TO LOOP FOUR 10.
THIS PLAN IS A MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION, FUTURE LAND USE
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AND URBAN DESIGN PLAN FOR THE BANDERA ROAD QUARTER, AND IS THE FIRST QUARTER PLAN TO BE DEVELOPED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE SA TOMORROW PLAN.AS A MATTER OF BACKGROUND, THE SA TOMORROW SUB AREA PLANNING PROCESS IS A RESULT OF THE 2016 UPDATE TO THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM.
THE FRAMEWORK AND PROCESS FOR WHICH WE, FOR HOW WE PLAN ACROSS THE CITY IMPLEMENTATION USES THE 13 REGIONAL CENTERS OR EMPLOYMENT CENTERS IDENTIFIED IN THE CONFERENCE OF PLAN, AS WELL AS 17 COMMUNITY AREAS TO COMPLETE PLANNING ACROSS 30 GEOGRAPHIES.
THE USE OF CONSISTENT METHODS AND LANGUAGE ACROSS ALL GEOGRAPHIES WILL RESULT IN ONE COMPLETE CITYWIDE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, SOMETHING THAT CURRENTLY DOES NOT EXIST TODAY.
THE PLANNING PROCESS BEGAN IN 2017 AND IS A MULTI-YEAR WORK PLAN WITH SIX PLANS INITIATED PER PHASE OVER FIVE PHASES WITH APPROXIMATELY 24 MONTHS TO COMPLETE EACH PLANNING PHASE.
WE ANTICIPATE ALL PHASES TO BE COMPLETED BY MID 2028.
AS SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE TO DATE, WE HAVE COMPLETED THE UPDATED LAND USE CATEGORIES AND FIVE REGIONAL CENTER PLANS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.
OKAY, ALONG WITH PLANNING WITHIN THE CITY, WE'LL ALSO CONTINUE FOCUSING ON GROWTH MANAGEMENT OUTSIDE OF OUR MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES.
THE CITY'S E T J EXTENDS FIVE MILES BEYOND OUR CITY LIMITS AND IS LOCATED PRIMARILY IN BAYER COUNTY, WHICH HAS AND CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE AN INCREASE IN POPULATION.
THE REGIONAL PLANNING WORK PLAN INCLUDES FINALIZING UPDATE TO THE ANNEXATION AND GROWTH POLICY, WHICH IDENTIFIES A STRATEGY FOR GROWTH WITHIN THE E T J, ALONG WITH HOW THE CITY COORDINATES WITH NEIGHBORING CITIES REQUESTING MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS AND E T J RELEASES.
WE ANTICIPATE HAVING THIS POLICY BEFORE COUNCIL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION BY MID NEXT YEAR WITH GROWTH IN THE COUNTY HAS COME AN INFLUX OF REQUESTS FOR SPECIAL DISTRICTS.
STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE EACH ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS IN ORDER TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT USING CRITERIA THAT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE POLICY.
AND FINALLY, GROWTH HAS BEEN OCCURRING ON THE SOUTH SIDE, AS WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN DEVELOPMENT IN AREAS PREVIOUSLY APPRAISED FOR AGRICULTURAL USES MANY YEARS AGO.
AS A RESULT, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS IN PLACE ARE NO LONGER VALID, ALLOWING THE CITY TO ANNEX AND ZONE THOSE PROPERTIES.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT OTHER PROJECTS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET.
THE COMPREHENSIVE REZONING PROCESS FOLLOWS OUR SUB AREA PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND ALIGNS THE ZONING ON THE GROUND OF WHAT WAS ADOPTED IN AN AREA'S FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
EXAMPLES OF NEEDING TO ALIGN THE ZONING INCLUDE NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION APPLICATION OF NEW ZONING DISTRICTS, OR TO CORRECT ZONING ISSUES THAT RESULTED IN AN AREA CHANGING OVER TIME.
COUNCIL APPROVED SEVERAL REZONING CASES IN DECEMBER OF 2019 TO ADDRESS SUCH ISSUES IN THE BROOKS AREA, AND WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD MORE AREAS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND AS PLANS ARE ADOPTED.
AND FINALLY, WE WILL CONTINUE WORK RELATED TO THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION PROGRAM, SUCH AS THE ENHANCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM AND DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN STANDARDS, BOTH STRATEGIES IDENTIFIED IN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION PLAN.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD PHASE ONE OF THE BANDERA ROAD CORRIDOR PLAN PROJECT TO COMPLETE THE LAND USE AND DESIGN PLANNING FOR THE FULL BANDERA ROAD CORRIDOR.
THE FIRST PROPOSED PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT IS THE PORTION OF THE QUARTER FROM LOOP FOUR 10 TO COLLIBRA.
THIS WILL COMPLETE THE PLANNING PROCESS BY EXTENDING RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO LAND USE, MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND URBAN DESIGN THAT AFFECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE BANDERA ADJACENT COMMUNITIES INSIDE OF LOOP FOUR 10.
THE SECOND PROPOSED PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT IS TO IMPLEMENT THE ADOPTED BROOKS AREA REGIONAL CENTER PLAN WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REVITALIZATION PLAN FOR THE GOLIAD ROAD CORRIDOR CENTERED AROUND THE GOLIAD ROAD AND HOT WELLS INTERSECTION.
THE PLAN IS INTENDED TO FORMULATE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE A COMMUNITY SERVING CORRIDOR AS IDENTIFIED BY THE RESIDENTS, AND TO WORK TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES, DEVELOP ECONOMICALLY, INCREASE PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SAFETY, AND PROVIDE FOR STREETS SCAPE IMPROVEMENTS WHERE POSSIBLE.
AND FINALLY, IN REGARD TO PERFORMANCE MEASURES, WE TRACK METRICS RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUB AREA PLANS.
30 PLANS ARE TO BE DEVELOPED, AND THESE PLANS WILL COVER THE 500 PLUS SQUARE MILES OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AS WE DEVELOP THE PLANS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS WITH THE PLANNING TEAM, COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD FOCUSED MEETINGS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO INFORM COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS MEETINGS WITH NOTICES MAILED OUT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AS IT ALLOWS US TO REACH NOT ONLY PROPERTY OWNERS, BUT ALSO TENANTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS.
WE'LL PROVIDE TRANSLATION SERVICES AT MEETINGS.
THE SURVEYS ARE PROVIDED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, BOTH ONLINE,
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AND THEY'RE MADE AVAILABLE IN A HARD COPY FORMAT.AND FINALLY, ALL ADOPTED SUB AREA PLANS ARE TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH.
WITH COVID, WE BEGAN EXPLORING NEW AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, SEVERAL PHASE TWO SUB AREA PLANS EXPLORED THE USE OF AN ONLINE PLATFORM CALLED CONSIDERATE, WHICH ALLOWS INTERESTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SHARE INFORMATION AND VOTE ON PROPOSED PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS.
ALSO, WE REALIZED THAT OUR DESIGN WORKSHOPS HELD FOR TRANSFORMATIVE SITES IN FOUR OF THE SIX PHASE TWO AREAS ENDED UP WORKING BETTER VIRTUALLY AS OPPOSED TO IN-PERSON VERSIONS HOSTED FOR PREVIOUS PLANS.
GOING FORWARD, WE'LL INCORPORATE VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT TOOLS AS APPROPRIATE TO SUPPLEMENT OUR IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION ON THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S FISCAL 2022 BUDGET.
I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS COUNSEL MAY HAVE.
AFTER ALL PRESENTATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, I'LL NOW TURN THE PODIUM OVER TO RAMIRO SALAZAR, DIRECTOR OF THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UH, THANKS FOR THE INTRODUCTION, BRIDGET.
I WAS GETTING READY TO PRESENT MYSELF SINCE IT'S BEEN SO LONG THAT I'VE COME BEFORE THIS BODY.
UM, BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT I APPRECIATE.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE PAUL STAHL, CHAIR OF THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
JUST BY WAY OF INFORMATION, UH, THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT AND THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES WAS CREATED, UM, BY THROUGH THE CITY CHARTER.
UH, THE CITY CHARTER GIVES THE BOARD AUTHORITY POLICY MAKING AUTHORITY, AS WELL AS, UM, PRESENTING A, A BUDGET ESTIMATE.
NOW, THE BUDGET ESTIMATE IS PROVIDED THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT CITY U UTILIZES TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET, BUT TODAY PAUL STAHL, CHAIR OF THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS HERE TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
RAMIRO SAID, I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND, UH, IT HAS BEEN, UH, IT HAS BEEN SOME TIME SINCE I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ADDRESS Y'ALL PERSONALLY.
I HAVE NOT BEEN HERE SINCE, SINCE COVID.
UH, SO BEFORE I BEGIN, I QUICKLY JUST WANTED TO MENTION HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE, UH, THE LEADERSHIP STEWARDSHIP THAT Y'ALL HAVE SHOWN, KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
UM, THE LIBRARY BOARD, UH, TRUSTEES IS A POLICYMAKING BODY COMPRISED OF REPRESENTATIVES APPOINTED BY YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
TOGETHER, OUR BOARD IS COMPRISED OF BUSINESS LEADERS, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, EDUCATORS, LIBRARIANS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO SHARE A COMMON PASSION FOR THE VITAL ROLE THAT LIBRARY PLAYS, UH, LIBRARIES PLAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
THE SAN ANTONIO LIBRARY ENRICHES THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE IN EACH OF YOUR DISTRICTS THROUGH ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND RESOURCES, BOTH DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL, UH, LIBRARIES, BASICALLY, AND SIMPLY JUST MAKE COMMUNITIES BETTER AND STRONGER.
BECAUSE OF THE STRONG PRIOR BUDGET SUPPORT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM CITI, WE ARE WELL POSITIONED TO CONTINUE OUR RECOVERY, UH, BOTH FROM COVID AS WELL AS, UH, THE S SNOWMAGEDDON BACK IN FEBRUARY, UH, CONTINUING THROUGH THAT RECOVERY PROCESS AND ACCELERATING OUR FOCUS ON LOOKING FORWARD TOWARDS THE FUTURE.
WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE CITY MANAGEMENT FOR THIS YEAR'S PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, THE DETAILS OF WHICH RAMIRO IS GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH HERE SHORTLY.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO JUST MENTION THAT IF A PRO, IF ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS IDENTIFIED BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER FUNDING OUR REGULAR FUNDING, OUR REQUEST TO INCREASE OUR OUTREACH INTO THE COMMUNITIES THROUGH OUR LIBRARY VEHICLES AND OUR DEDICATED OUTREACH TEAMS. WE FIND THAT FURTHER EXTENDING OUR REACH BEYOND THE WALLS OF OUR FACILITIES, UM, IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS AND ONE OF THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE TO HELP CONNECT THE PEOPLE, UH, OUR CITIZENS WITH THE LIBRARY SERVICES THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE YET KNOWN ARE AVAILABLE.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY, UH, BOARD.
THANKS YOU AND I WANTED TO WRITE RAMIRO BACK TO GIVE HIS PRESENTATION.
I WILL NOW PRESENT THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT'S, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET.
FIRST SLIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE LIBRARY'S SYSTEM.
UH, THE LIBRARY SYSTEM HAS A LARGE FOOTPRINT IN THE COMMUNITY WITH 30 LOCATIONS.
TWO OF THOSE BRANCHES IS A PARTNERSHIP AND CO-LOCATION.
ONE IS WITH THE NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT'S, UH, LOCATED IN DISTRICT TWO.
IT'S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT LIBRARY SERVES BOTH AS A BRANCH LIBRARY AND AS A HIGH SCHOOL, UH, LIBRARY.
THE OTHER PARTNERSHIP IS THE PROTRAN BRANCH LIBRARY IN DISTRICT SIX.
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WITH THE Y M C A AND, UM, BOTH PARTNERSHIPS WORK VERY WELL.AGAIN, THE LIBRARY SYSTEM HAS A LARGE FOOTPRINT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE A LIBRARY IS FACILITIES GENERALLY AVAILABLE IN ALMOST EVERY COMMUNITY IN SAN ANTONIO.
SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT WE, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE SERVICES.
THE LIBRARY SYSTEM PROVIDES AGE-BASED SERVICES.
THOSE ARE SERVICES PERTAINING TO CHILDREN, TEENS, ADULTS, AND SENIORS.
SO THERE'S A VERY FOCUSED ATTEMPT AND STRATEGY TO SERVE THOSE PO, UH, AGE-BASED, UH, POPULATIONS.
THE DIGITAL AND PRINT COLLECTION IS THE RESOURCES THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, DIGITAL MEANING EBOOKS, THE DOWNLOADABLE BOOKS, UH, EVEN DIGITAL MAGAZINES AND OTHER DIGITAL RESOURCES, DATABASES AND SO ON.
AND OF COURSE, THE PRINT COLLECTION, WHICH CONTINUES, CONTINUE, CONTINUES TO BE VERY POPULAR, ARE THE PHYSICAL BOOKS, BOTH CHILDREN'S BOOKS, TEENS AND ADULTS.
LIBRARIES OFFER SAFE AND USER-FRIENDLY SPACES, UH, TO GET OUT OF THE HEAT, UH, TO DO RESEARCH, UH, TO JOIN OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE IN A DIALOGUE OR CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, OUR, UH, THE ATTEMPT OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IS TO PROVIDE USER-FRIENDLY SPACES THAT ARE SAFE, THAT ARE WELCOMING TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
AND SO, ANOTHER IMPORTANT ROLE, THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IS PROVIDING WIFI AND ACCESS TO PUBLIC COMPUTERS, AGAIN, WITH THE ATTEMPT TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
AND THEN I'M VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT ARE THERE TO ASSIST PATRONS.
OFTEN THERE'S INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR, UH, ITEM OR A PIECE OF INFORMATION, AND THEY, AND THEY NEED ASSISTANCE OR JUST USING THE, UH, THE PUBLIC COMPUTER.
SO PART OF THE KEY OUTCOMES FROM ALL THESE EFFORTS AND SERVICES THAT THE LIBRARY PROVIDES IS TO ADVANCE LITERACIES AND NOT USE LITERACIES IN A PLURAL WAY, BECAUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT LITERACIES LIKE DIGITAL LITERACIES, UH, DIGITAL LITERACY, FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND OF COURSE, LITERACY AS WE KNOW IT, LEARNING TO READ.
UM, SUPPORTING EDUCATION IS ANOTHER KEY ROLE THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT PLAYS.
SO SUPPORTING AND ADVANCING EDUCATION, UH, BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE THAT SI INDICATED IS ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT ROLE.
AND I'LL, I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT IT, UM, WHEN I DISCUSS WITH YOU HOW THE LIBRARY SYSTEM RESPONDED DURING THE PANDEMIC AND OF COURSE, LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO, I'D LIKE TO, UH, DISCUSS VERY BRIEFLY THE IMMEDIATE WORK PLAN FOR THE LIBRARY.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO RESTORE LIBRARY USE TO PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
NOW, I'M GONNA SAY NEAR PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS, BECAUSE CURRENTLY BECAUSE CHILDREN CANNOT BE VACCINATED, WE CANNOT OFFER IN-HOUSE PROGRAMMING FOR, FOR THOSE CHILDREN.
UH, SO WE WILL BE OFFERING IN-HOUSE PROGRAMS FOR TEENS AND FOR ADULTS.
UH, SO WE WILL BE STRIVING TO GET TO PRE PANDEMIC PANDEMIC LEVELS, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION AS IT PERTAINS TO CHILDREN AGE 12 AND UNDER.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON GATHERING DATA AND USING DATA TO MAKE, UH, DECISIONS, UH, REGARDING OUR SERVICE EFFORTS, OUR OPERATIONS.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, UH, VERY COMMITTED TO.
OF COURSE, WE WILL WORK ON A DEVELOPING AN EQUITY ACTION PLAN, WHICH WILL, FOR 2022, ACTUALLY IDENTIFY TACTICS AND THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS, UH, TO ADVANCE EQUITY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT AN IT ROADMAP THAT WAS DEVELOPED THREE YEARS AGO THAT SPEAKS TO, UM, THE NEED FOR UTILIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT NOT ONLY THE OPERATIONS, BUT THE EFFORTS TO DELIVER SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO, TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, LAST YEAR, OVER A YEAR AND A HALF, WE, WELL, IT WAS LAST YEAR, WE INTRODUCED A NEW INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEM THAT IS MORE USER FRIENDLY.
IT PROVIDES MANY, UM, MAKES IT EASY RESOURCES OF THE LIBRARY.
SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF, UM, AN, UM, TECHNOLOGY LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY THAT WE IMPLEMENTED.
AND THE OTHER, UM, ASPECT OF OUR 2022 WORK PLAN IS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN ALL LIBRARY FACILITIES A GREAT A STANDARDS.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UH, WE RECOGNIZED THAT MANY OF OUR LIBRARY FACILITIES WERE IN DIRE NEED OF, OF ATTENTION.
AND SO WE DEVELOP, UM, A, A GRADING SYSTEM TO GRADE EACH BRANCH, LI EACH LIBRARY FACILITY, NOT FACILITY, NOT ONLY BRANCHES, BUT EVERY LIBRARY FACILITY, UH, TO GREAT THINGS LIKE, UM, CARPET CONDITIONS, THE CON THE, THE, THE, THE CONDITIONS OF THE SYSTEMS, H V A C, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, UH, FURNISHINGS, AND SO ON.
AND THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY MANAGEMENT AND, AND CITY COUNCIL, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET ALL OF OUR, UH, FACILITIES AT GREAT AID LEVEL.
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UH, LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, I WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO CONTINUE THAT EFFORT TO KEEP OUR FACILITIES AT GREAT AID LEVEL, SO THEY CONTINUE TO BE ATTRACTIVE USER FRIENDLY AND SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF, OF THE LIBRARY.HERE'S A PIE CHART THAT SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE RESOURCES.
OUR CORE MISSION IS TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND RESOURCES.
SO YOU'LL SEE THE MAJORITY OF THE RESOURCES GOES TO ACCESS FOR INFORMATION.
SO THE BUDGET, THE PROPOSED BUDGET WILL GROW, UH, FROM 42.2 MILLION TO 44.3.
THAT'S A 2.1 MILLION INCREASE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE VERY EXCITED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET BUDGET BY THE CITY MANAGER IS TO, TO MAKE PERMANENT A PILOT PROJECT THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO THAT SPECIFICALLY, UH, ELIMINATED FINES FOR YOUTH MATERIALS.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET WILL EXTEND THAT TO ALL LIBRARY MATERIALS.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT FINES DO NOT SERVE, UH, AS A, AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO RETURN BOOKS TO THE LIBRARY.
IT ACTUALLY HAS THE OPPOSITE EFFECT.
AND, UH, MANY URBAN LIBRARIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY HAVE GONE WHAT THEY, WE CALL FIND FREE.
THAT'S A, A JARGON WE USE OR TERMINOLOGY.
UH, SO THE PROPOSED BUDGET WILL ALLOW US TO ELIMINATE FINES AND, AND ELIMINATE THAT BARRIER.
FOLKS ARE AFRAID OF COMING TO THE LIBRARY.
SOME FOLKS ARE COMING, ARE AFRAID OF COMING INTO THE LIBRARY BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE AFRAID IF THEY CHECK OUT AN ITEM, THEY MAY INCUR FINE, AND THEY WILL NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PAY THE FINE.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR THIS, UH, PROPOSED ELEMENT OF, OR THIS ELEMENT OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AGAIN, A PILOT THAT WILL BE MADE PERMANENT AS IT PERTAINS TO PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS, WE'RE, WE'RE PLEASED THAT FUNDING WILL BE PROVIDED TO ALLOW THE LIBRARY OPERATIONAL CAPACITY TO OPEN TWO NEW LEARN CENTERS AT TWO NEW LOCATIONS.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE FOUR LEARN CENTERS, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHAT A LEARN CENTER IS.
WE HAVE ONE AT THE CARVER BRANCH LIBRARY, ONE AT THE JOHNSTON BRANCH LIBRARY, ONE AT THE BAAN BRANCH LIBRARY, AND THE OTHER ONE AT THE BROOK HOLLOW BRANCH LIBRARY.
THIS, THIS CENTER, UH, WHICH IS STAFFED BY ONE PERSON, IS A VERY, UH, TARGETED, UH, SERVICE, UH, FOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE LOOKING FOR JOBS, THAT MAY BE LOOKING FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
WE WILL REFER THEM TO RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, G E D, UH, OR THEY MAY NEED DIGITAL LITERACY.
AT THIS FOUR CENTERS WE'RE ALSO, UH, AND IF THE PROPOSED BUDGET'S APPROVED, WE'LL HAVE SIX.
THIS IS WHERE WE ISSUE ALSO THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD THAT PROVIDES A PHOTO ON THE LIBRARY CARD FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY NEED IT TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THIS, UH, PROPOSED ELEMENT OF THE, OF THIS ELEMENT OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND ALSO THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES $200,000 TO, UH, ALLOW TO SUPPORT THE SECURITY EFFORTS OF THE LIBRARY.
SO EARLIER I MENTIONED THE, THIS GOAL OF MAINTAINING LIBRARY FACILITIES, A GREAT A LEVEL.
UH, WE'RE PLEASED THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES FUNDING FOR THE FOREST HILLS BRANCH LIBRARY.
THAT BRANCH HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR OVER A YEAR.
UM, WE HAD, IT WAS FUNDED WITH A BOND PROGRAM, 2017 BOND DOLLARS.
UH, WE HAD RENOVATED THAT BRANCH.
WE WERE READY TO ALMOST OPEN THAT BRANCH.
AND THEN WE HAD THE WINTER STORM, UM, DUE TO BREAK OF WATER LINES.
IT FLOODED THE ENTIRE BUILDING AND RUINED THE, ALL THE RENOVATION AND THE COLLECTIONS.
SO THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES $1.5 MILLION, SO WE CAN RENOVATE AND REPAIR THAT BRANCH SO THAT WE CAN RETURN IT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE COMMUNITY CAN UTILIZE IT.
THE CENTRAL LIBRARY ALSO EXPERIENCED SOME DAMAGES AS PART OF THE WINTER STORM, APPROXIMATELY $1.1 MILLION IN DAMAGES.
WE NEED TO REPAIR THOSE DAMAGES.
UM, AND, AND ALSO IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A 2017, UH, 3 MILLION DO, UH, DOLLAR BOND PROGRAM TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY TO TRANSFORM THE CHILDREN'S AREA AND TO TRANSFORM THE TANA COLLECTION.
SO, UH, THOSE ARE IMPROVED AREAS, AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE ENTIRE LIBRARY LOOKING GOOD.
IT, AGAIN, IT'S AN ICONIC BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN AND, AND THE, AND THE FLAGSHIP OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
OTHER SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PROJECT INCLUDES FUNDS FOR THE CORTES BRANCH LIBRARY, UH, TO REPLACE THE H V A SYSTEM, SYSTEM FUNDS FOR THE BAAN BRANCH LIBRARY TO MAKE, UH, BUILDING UPGRADES AND FOR THE WESTFALL BRANCH LIBRARY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, ALSO TOTALING 246,000.
SO EARLIER I MENTIONED, HOW DID THE LIBRARY RESPOND TO THE PANDEMIC? AS YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED THE, THE AFTERMATH AND, AND, AND ACTUALLY THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC.
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AND IT HAS BEEN BOTH AN IMPACT ON PERSONALLY AS WELL AS ORGANIZATIONALLY AND OPERATIONALLY.SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THE LIBRARY TEAM RESPONDED QUICKLY.
WE KNEW THAT, UH, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, WAS, WAS EVIDENT.
AND, UM, SCHOOLS PIVOTED TO DISTANT LEARNING.
AND WE KNOW THAT IN MANY HOUSE HOUSEHOLDS, THEY DON'T HAVE HIGH SPEED INTERNET.
SO WHAT THE LIBRARY DID IS WE WORKED WITH I T S D TO STRENGTHEN THE WIFI SIGNAL INTO THE PARKING LOT.
WE MARKED THE PARKING SLOTS WERE, THE SIGNAL WAS STRONG ENOUGH SO THAT THEY COULD BRING, PEOPLE COULD COME IN, BRING THEIR STUDENTS AND ACCESS THE INTERNET.
UH, WE ALSO FOCUSED ON PROMOTING, UH, THE DIGITAL COLLECTION, THE DIGITAL LIBRARY, UH, EBOOKS, DOWNLOADABLE MAGAZINES, DOWNLOADABLE BOOKS.
UH, WE REDIRECTED FUNDS FROM THE PRINT BUDGET OVER TO THE DIGITAL SO THAT WE COULD HAVE MORE CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO, AGAIN, TO THE DEMANDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE, UH, THE LIBRARY STARTED OFFERING VIRTUAL PROGRAMS. AND, UH, WHAT'S EXCITING FOR ME TO SEE, UH, CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS INTERACT WITH KIDS IN A COMPUTER, AND THEY'RE JUST AN AS ANIMATED, UH, PRESENTING STORY TIME.
UH, AND THOSE ARE SKILL SETS THAT WE LEARN QUICKLY.
AND AGAIN, I I WANNA SHOUT OUT TO THE LIBRARY STAFF FOR QUICKLY ADAPTING TO THE SITUATION.
OTHER SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDED, UH, THE LIBRARY PROVIDED WAS, UM, UH, CONTACT FREE PICKUP.
AND WITH CONTACT FREE PICKUP, WE ALSO, UH, PROVIDED WHAT WE CALL GRAB AND MAKE, OR GRAB AND GO.
YOU SHOULD BE GETTING SOME KIDS, UH, SO THAT, UH, PARENTS COULD TAKE HOME AND WORK WITH THEIR KIDS.
UM, AND DO ARTS AND CRAFTS AND ALL OF THOSE ACTIVITIES HAVE A LEARNING ASPECT OF IT IS DEVELOPING DEVELOPMENT, WELL, DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS FOR KIDS, GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PARENT TO ENGAGE WITH THE CHILD.
UH, SO THERE, THERE'S A, A PURPOSE TO THAT.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
UH, WE DID OPEN OUR DOORS TO, UH, WHAT WE CALL INITIALLY BRISK BROWSING AND ACCESS TO PUBLIC COMPUTERS.
AND THEN WE COMPLETELY OPENED OUR DOORS.
WE WENT FROM FIVE DAYS A WEEK, SERVICE TO SIX DAYS A WEEK IN AUGUST, I BELIEVE 16TH.
AND WE'RE READY TO GO TO SEVEN DAYS, UH, OPENING ALL LIBRARIES TO SEVEN DAYS A WEEK ON SEPTEMBER 26TH.
SO THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AS IT PERTAINS TO USAGE.
OBVIOUSLY, WITH OUR DOORS CLOSED, OUR INABILITY TO BRING PEOPLE INTO OUR BUILDINGS THAT HAD AN IMPACT.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT NOW AS WE ARE REOPENING THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, WE'RE SEEING THE TREND GOING UP, THE USAGE USAGE GOING UP, AND THAT COUPLED WITH SOME OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
I BELIEVE IT'S THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WILL ALLOW US TO, TO, TO, UM, CONNECT WITH PEOPLE AND ACTUALLY CONNECT THEM TO THE RESOURCES OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS WHAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, WELL, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OTHER ITEMS JUST AS WELL.
BUT, UH, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE OF THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY, I THINK THERE'S SO MANY WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES.
WE LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
WE LEARNED HOW TO DO VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING.
WE INIT, WE QUICKLY STARTED TRAINING FOR OUR STAFF BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING PROGRAMS FROM THE KITCHEN.
YOU COULD SEE THE REFRIGERATORS, THE PET PETS, AND SO ON.
SO WE WORKED ON HOW TO PRESENT OURSELVES MORE PROFESSIONALLY IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.
SO THAT WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
WE LEARNED THAT, UH, WE NEED NEW SKILL SETS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, AND WE NEED MORE TRAINING.
UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK, LOOK AT.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN, AND THERE'S SEVERAL COMPONENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED THAT WILL INFORM THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
ONE IS A TALENT MODERNIZATION STUDY THAT LOOKED AT THE SKILL SETS AND COMPETENCIES OF, OF, OF STAFFS THAT'S NEEDED, NOT ONLY FOR TODAY'S LIBRARIES, BUT FOR THE FUTURE.
UH, WHAT KIND OF STAFFING LEVELS WE, UH, WE NEED TO BE PLANNING FOR.
UM, THERE'S ALSO AN IT ROADMAP THAT I, UH, MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WILL SPEAK TO THAT.
THERE'S A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENTS.
SOME OF YOU WERE INTERVIEWED BY A CONSULTANT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
WE'RE REDOING THAT WORK BECAUSE THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
THE WHOLE ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED.
UH, SO THE CONSULTANT AGREED TO CONTINUE THE WORK WITHOUT ADDITIONAL, UH, PAY OR RESOURCES.
SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED, UH, UH, FOR, FOR THAT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF DATA THAT WE'RE COLLECTING.
WE WE'RE FOCUSED RIGHT NOW A LOT.
AND AS, AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE COLLECTING DATA ON BARRIERS TO ACCESS, WHAT IS IT THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE USE, UH, UTILIZATION OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IN PRE PEM PANDEMIC, WE SEE WHICH COMMUNITIES ARE IMPACTED.
WE SEE THE SOUTH SIDE, THE WEST SIDE, AND THE EAST SIDE.
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WHEN YOU COMPARE THEIR USAGE UTILIZATION RATES WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY, IT SEEMS PRETTY LOW.BUT I'M CONVINCED IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T VALUE LIBRARIES.
IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T YET FIGURED OUT HOW TO TOUCH WITH THEM, HOW TO INFORM THEM OF THE BENEFITS OF THE RESOURCES, UM, WHAT THE LIBRARY HAS TO OFFER TO, TO THEM.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE TALKING ABOUT MULTIPLE TACTICS IN ORDER TO REACH OUT TO, TO THOSE COMMUNITIES AND INFORM THEM OF THE OPPORTUNITIES.
SOME OF THEM HAVE PERCEPTIONS OF INSTITUTIONS.
SOME MAY HAVE LANGUAGE BARRIERS, SOME MAY HAVE TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS.
UM, SO WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
HOW DO WE BREAK DOWN, MITIGATE, REMOVE BARRIERS TO ACCESS? HOW DO WE LEARN FROM DOING OUR WORK? WHY SOME FOLKS ARE STAYING AWAY FROM LIBRARIES.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T VALUE THE RESOURCES.
AGAIN, IT'S BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT BE AWARE.
THEY MAY BE INTIMIDATED, THEY MAY BE AFRAID OF CONSEQUENCES.
UM, WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE HAVE A LARGE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND A LARGE, UM, HISPANIC COMMUNITY COMMUNITY THAT IMMIGRATED FROM, FROM MEXICO.
THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES IS DIFFERENT THAN HERE.
THE IDEA OF YOU CAN TAKE BOOKS AND TAKE IT HOME AND THEN RETURN THEM.
IT'S SOMETHING RELATIVELY NEW.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE PIECE OF JUST VERY SMALL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY EXCITING WORK THAT WE WILL BE DOING, UH, DEVELOPED A STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, THAT WILL ALLOW US TO ADVANCE EQUITY, UH, TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT EDUCATION AND TO BUILD A LITERATE COMMUNITY AND EMPOWERED COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OTHER ENTITIES TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL, DIGITAL DIVIDE.
HOW CAN WE PROVIDE, UM, OTHER LITERACIES DUE TO LITERACIES IN PARTICULAR? UH, SO AGAIN, A VERY EXCITING, UH, PERIOD FOR THE FUTURE BECAUSE THE PANDEMIC HAS GIVEN US A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO STEP BACK AND REEVALUATE, RE REEVALUATE OUR SERVICE MODELS, HOW WE DELIVER SERVICES, HOW WE REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AGAIN, I'M, I'M, I BETTER STOP HERE 'CAUSE I GET PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PIECE OF, UH, THE WORK THAT'S IN THE FUTURE FOR US.
SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AFTER MY NEXT COLLEAGUE WHOM GARCIA DELIVERS HIS PRESENTATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND RAMIRO, THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS OF RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT OUR PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY A YEAR AGO, SO IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING.
BUT BEFORE I BEGIN THE PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE STAFF THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
UM, NIKKI RAMOS IS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER, UH, RECREATION SERVICES.
WE HAVE MELINDA SERTA AS WELL.
SHE'S OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER PARK OPERATIONS.
LYNN KENTON IS OUR INTERIM PARK ADMINISTRATOR, AND SHE'S LEADING OUR EQUITY EFFORTS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
HE'S OUR MANAGER OVER THE HOWARD W P GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM AND ITS DEVELOPMENT.
JAMES RAMIREZ IS OUR FISCAL ADMINISTRATOR.
HE DID A GREAT JOB WORKING WITH SCOTT AND HIS TEAM, UH, IN HELPING PUT THIS BUDGET PRESENTATION TOGETHER.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MY EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, RYAN EVANS, EACH OF THEM PLAYED A ROLE IN HELPING GET THIS BUDGET FOR PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL TODAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY SHARING THE MISSION OF OUR DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL PARKS, FACILITIES, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL.
AND TO DRIVE THIS MISSION FORWARD.
WE'RE ORGANIZED AROUND HALF A DOZEN BUSINESS PLATFORMS. RECREATION SERVICES, OF COURSE, UH, HOUSES ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS, ADULT AND SENIOR CENTERS, FITNESS AND AQUATICS PROGRAMMING.
THIS TEAM HELPS KEEP OUR PARKS CLEAN, SAFE, AND FUNCTIONING FOR THE PUBLIC TO ENJOY.
OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE.
THEY'RE THE, UH, IN MANY WAYS THE FACE OF THE DEPARTMENT, SOMETIMES OUR PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM.
THIS INCLUDES OUR PARK STEWARDSHIP DIVISION, SO WHERE WE HAVE VOLUNTEER SERVICES, AMBASSADOR PROGRAMS, UM, AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB IN HELPING CONNECT US TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE OUR PARK ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, BUSINESS SEGMENT AS WELL.
THIS IS REALLY OUR PARK PLANNING TEAM.
UH, EFFORTS INCLUDE PREPARATION FOR THE UPCOMING BOND OR IN THE MIDDLE OF A BOND, KIND OF HELPING DELIVER PROJECTS AND WORKING WITH ROSIE'S TEAM.
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ALSO, UH, IT INCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR HIKING BIKE TRAIL SYSTEM, AND THEN AS WELL AS STRATEGIC PLANNING AROUND THE 10 MINUTE WALK.UM, OUR URBAN TREE CANOPY TEAM, UH, PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN DELIVERING TREES INTO THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT FORMS, WHICH I'LL HIGHLIGHT IN DETAIL LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
AND THEN OUR, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT IS PLATFORM INCLUDES OUR RESERVATIONS, TEAM, CONTRACT AND FISCAL SERVICES, AND THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE.
SO THIS SLIDE IS INTENDED TO SERVE AS A DASHBOARD, BE BY THE NUMBERS.
IT IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE OR EXHAUSTIVE.
UH, WE CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE MORE THAN 250 PARKS, 200 MILES OF TRAILS NOW.
THESE ARE TRAILS WITHIN OUR PARKS, AS WELL AS THE HIGHER W PEAK GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.
MORE THAN 200 PLAYGROUNDS, 28 REC CENTERS, AND A GROWING NUMBER OF SKATE PLAZAS AND DOG PARKS THAT ARE WIDELY POPULAR THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
THE PROPOSED PARKS OPERATING BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 IS $105 MILLION ACROSS ALL FUNDS.
THIS IS, UH, LED WITH, UH, THE GENERAL FUND SET AT 50, A LITTLE OVER 54 MILLION, FOLLOWED BY OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS AT A LITTLE OVER 33 MILLION.
NOW, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, A CHANGE IN OUR GENERAL FUND.
WE HAVE SEEN GROWTH NEARLY $4 MILLION.
THIS IS ATTRIBUTED TO AN INCREASE IN PERSONNEL SERVICES, FUNDED MANDATES AND SCHEDULED LINE ITEMS. WE'VE SEEN INCREMENTAL GROWTH IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FUND AS WELL ATTRIBUTED TO THE SAME REASONS.
AND, UH, YESTERDAY DURING MIKE SHANNON'S PRESENTATION, HE TALKED ABOUT HOW ROBUST DEVELOPMENT IS IN THE COMMUNITY.
A BYPRODUCT OF THAT IS WE CONTINUE TO SEE A HEALTHY, UH, TREE FUND.
AND SO THIS YEAR, UH, WE ARE INVESTING $2.5 MILLION MORE THAN, OR EXCUSE ME, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, $2.5 MILLION MORE THAN IN THE CURRENT YEAR SET AT 4.2 MILLION.
AND HOW WE'LL BE DETAILING THAT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, WE HAVE, UM, $3.1 MILLION OF SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE.
THIS WILL SUPPORT EIGHT PROJECTS.
EXAMPLES OF THIS INCLUDE POOL RENOVATIONS, UH, BATHROOM RENOVATIONS, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER RENOVATIONS TO ALSO INCLUDE HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM UPGRADES, AS WELL AS ROADS AND TRAILS WITHIN PARKS.
AND A MOMENT AGO, I TALKED ABOUT FUNDED MANDATES AT JUST OVER $500,000.
UH, THIS IS TO ACCOMMODATE A GROWING PARK SYSTEM.
SO IN THE NEXT OPERATING YEAR, WE WILL OPEN A LITTLE MORE THAN NINE MILES A TRAIL, FIVE POSITIONS WILL DIRECTLY SUPPORT, UH, THOSE NEW AMENITIES ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND EQUIPMENT.
SO OUR WORK PLAN IS, UH, REALLY LOOKING TO ENHANCE EFFORTS IN FOUR KEY AREAS.
THIS IS RECREATION PROGRAM PARTICIPATION, RECEIVING COMMUNITY INPUT TO HELP DEVELOP PROGRAMMING, BUT ALSO STRATEGICALLY RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS INTO OUR CENTERS.
ADDITIONALLY, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
THAT IS A PART OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, UH, AS JUST PART OF OUR STANDARD SERVICE DELIVERY, WHETHER IT IS TO HELP DEVELOP PROGRAMMING OR DRIVE FORWARD CAPITAL, PROJECT DELIVERY, WE TALKED ABOUT TREES.
SO WHILE WE DO HAVE, UH, WE'LL BE INVESTING MORE THAN $4 MILLION IN TREES IN THE UPCOMING, UH, PROPOSED, OR F Y 22, WE WILL USE DATA TO HELP TARGET THOSE INVESTMENTS.
UH, THIS IS REALLY LOOKING AT KNOWN URBAN HEAT ISLANDS WHERE WE CAN MITIGATE THAT EFFECT.
ALSO, PLANTING TREES IN HIGH NEED AREAS, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT OUR 10 MINUTE WALK.
SO IT'S GREAT TO BE WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK OF A PARK, BUT CONSIDERING WHAT IS THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE LIKE GETTING TO THE PARK.
SO IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP, UH, ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT, UH, RELIEF FROM THE HEAT, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT DOING.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, THE 10 MINUTE WALK TO A PARK.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
SO REALLY CONTINUING TO, UH, HAVE A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THERE ARE GAPS AND WE'RE BELOW THAT THRESHOLD.
AND AS OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW, WE KNOW THIS WILL KIND OF BE AN EVOLVING EFFORT.
OUR WORK PLAN HIGHLIGHTS REALLY, I THINK ARE TIED TOGETHER UNDER ONE SINGLE THREAD OR FABRIC.
AND IT'S TO TAILOR EVENTS SPECIFIC TO THE COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS WE SERVE.
AND SO I'LL PROVIDE A FEW EXAMPLES OF, OF REALLY WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT.
IT'S, UH, UTILIZING OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT ARE NESTLED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AS A WAY TO CREATE A FORUM FOR PUBLIC TO BE IN OUR CENTERS, BUT
[00:40:01]
PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK AND INPUT OF WHAT THEIR NEEDS AND DESIRES ARE.UH, THIS THEN CREATES A CYCLE TO CONTINUALLY RECEIVE THAT.
WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, TREE INVESTMENTS, CONTINUING OUR DRIVE THROUGH OPTIONS, USING THAT DATA, MAKING SURE WE'RE IN THE PLACES THAT WE NEED TO BE TO CONNECT RESIDENTS TO TREES IN A SAFE AND EASY FASHION.
LOOKING AT THOUGHTFUL AND PURPOSEFUL PARK ACTIVATIONS.
YOU KNOW, UH, ONE EVENT THAT WE DID LAST YEAR IS WIDELY POPULAR.
WE'LL BE DOING AGAIN THIS YEAR WAS A HAUNTED DRIVE THROUGH, UH, IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER AT SOUTH SIDE LIONS PARK.
UH, THAT WAS GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY, GREAT TEAM BUILDER FOR STAFF AS WELL.
WE HAD ALL HANDS ON DECK AND EVERYBODY CONTRIBUTED TO THE EFFORT.
UH, BUT ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID NEW THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF, UH, RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING WAS INTRODUCING KAYAKING OPPORTUNITIES INTO OUR PARK SYSTEM.
UM, AT WOODLAWN LAKE PARK, WE HAVE AN UPCOMING EVENT AT WOODLAWN LAKE PARK.
AND SO NOW WE'RE FOCUSING AND LOOKING AT INTRODUCING THAT SAME LEVEL OF, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND OPPORTUNITY AT MEDINA RIVER NATURAL AREA, WHICH IS ONE OF THE GEMS OF OUR PARK SYSTEM.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, I WANNA GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF EVENTS BASED PLANNING TO DRIVE FORWARD PROJECT DELIVERY.
AND IF I COULD TAKE COUNCIL BACK IN TIME, EVER.
SO BRIEFLY, IN 2019, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN, UH, CONJUNCTION WITH PUBLIC WORKS LED A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS TO DEVELOP A CONCEPT PLAN FOR THE NEW BERKELEY V AND VINCENT M. DAWSON PARK.
UH, AND THAT IS THE UNDEVELOPED GREEN SPACE DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO HAY STREET BRIDGE.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CONCEIVED, AND IT WAS BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AT THAT TIME, WAS CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THE GREEN SPACE.
AND WE DELIVERED THAT PLAN IN DECEMBER OF 2019.
THE PANDEMIC BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER, SO WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BRING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT OPPORTUNITY TO, TO CONNECT THEM TO THE GREEN SPACE, BUT WE'RE CHANGING THAT.
AND SO IN NEXT MONTH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DISTRICT TWO PUBLIC WORKS PARKS, AND, UH, WE WILL BE HOSTING A MOVIE NIGHT IN THE PARK.
UH, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TAILORING THINGS TO THE COMMUNITIES, WHICH OUR ASSETS EXIST, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO ALSO BE PARTNERING WITH THE SAN ANTONIO AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ARCHIVE MUSEUM TO HELP SPONSOR MOVIE THAT WE WILL BE AIRING THAT THAT NIGHT.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF HOW WE WILL DRIVE FORWARD OUR WORK PLAN IN 2022.
SO WE HEARD MIKE TALK ABOUT YESTERDAY HOW ROBUST DEVELOPMENT THE COMMUNITY IS.
AND SO FOR US, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST, UH, PLAN FOR INVESTING IN GETTING TREES INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS, UH, AT 4.2 MILLION.
AND AS SUCH, WE WILL LIKELY HAVE A, A LOWER ENDING FUND BALANCE, UH, WHEN WE'RE HERE A YEAR FROM NOW.
IT'S A MODEL THAT WE CONSTANTLY UPDATE AND WORK WITH, UH, MIKE SHANNON, AND HIS OFFICE TO MAKE SURE WE ALWAYS HAVE THE CURRENT DATA STAPLE PROGRAMS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE, UH, IS PARTICIPATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM, C P S ENERGY, GR GREEN SHADE, OAK QUILT EDUCATION.
THIS IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.
SO WHEN THEY GO OUT AND PUT DOOR HANGERS FOR CURBSIDE COLLECTION, THEY'RE, UH, INCLUDING INFORMATION ON OAK WILT AND EVERYTHING WE DO.
WHEN I TALKED ABOUT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE CASE OF OAK WILT, IT'S IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
SO WE WANT TO, AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY IN THE WAYS THAT, UM, BEST MEETS THEIR NEEDS.
WE'LL, ALSO, WE TALKED ALREADY ABOUT TREE UH, ADOPTIONS AND CONTINUING IN, UH, OUR PLANTING PARTNERSHIPS.
AND I WANNA SPEND A MOMENT ON OUR EQUITY TREE PROGRAM THAT IS SOMETHING THAT FOCUSES ON SERVICE DELIVERY AND GETTING TREES TO, UM, RESIDENTS IN HIGH AREAS OF NEED.
THEY RECEIVE A DOOR HANGER, AGAIN IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH RESIDENTS HAVE A MENU OF NATIVE, UH, SHADE TREE OPTIONS.
THEY SIMPLY RETURN THAT TO US, AND WE GO OUT, DO UTILITY LOCATES.
WE WILL THEN, UM, SCHEDULE THE INSTALLATION OF THE TREE AT THE CONVENIENCE OF THE HOMEOWNER.
SO WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, IMMEDIATELY WAIT SIX MONTHS TO DO, IT'S A STANDING OFFER, AND WE STILL DELIVER THEM AND CONNECT THEM TO THAT TREE.
AND THEN LASTLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT IN, UH, THE DEPARTMENT.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN COLLABORATING WITH RAZZY AND HIS TEAM TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN INTRODUCE TREES AND RIGHT OF WAY PROJECTS WHERE IT MAKES SENSE.
SO GOING BACK TO DATA DRIVING OUR INVESTMENTS, THERE'S A COUPLE OF UPCOMING PROJECTS, UH, AND KEY CORRIDORS ALONG LOWER BROADWAY AND COMMERCE STREET.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE BRING PEOPLE INTO OUR
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BUSINESS DISTRICT AND THROUGH OUR BUSINESS DISTRICT, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO LEVERAGE PUBLIC INVESTMENT.WHILE AT THE SAME TIME REALIZING ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.
THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROTECT THE AQUIFER IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
WE KNOW THE SALES TAX CAP WAS REACHED IN MARCH OF, UM, THIS YEAR, AND WE HAVE $18 MILLION, UH, LEFT FOR ACQUISITIONS.
WE PROJECT TO SPEND THOSE IN 2022.
THIS WILL THEN LEAD INTO THE NEXT ITERATION OF THE EDWARDS A FOUR PROTECTION PROGRAM, WHICH COUNCIL ADOPTED A YEAR AGO.
IT IS A 10 YEAR PLAN TARGETING $100 MILLION.
THEN THAT WOULD, THROUGH THE SAN ANTONIO MUNICIPAL FACILITIES CORPORATION, UM, BEGIN TO CONTINUE RATHER PROTECT ACRES OVER THE AQUIFER.
THERE WILL BE NO CHANGES IN PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.
THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WILL STILL DELIVER THAT PROGRAM.
AND TO DATE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, WE HAVE PROTECTED MORE THAN 167,000 ACRES SINCE 2000.
OUR HOWARD WP GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM, TO DATE, WE'VE CONSTRUCTED MORE THAN, OR 84 MILES, EXCUSE ME.
AGAIN, THIS WAS, UH, ANOTHER SALES TAX FUNDED, UH, PREVIOUSLY SALES TAX FUNDED PARKS, UH, PROJECT OR PORTFOLIO, SOMETHING IN OUR PORTFOLIO.
UM, AND FOR THE FUNDS THAT REMAIN THAT ARE COLLECTED, WE WILL HAVE THOSE IN PRODUCTION, UH, INTO FISCAL YEAR 2024.
AND AT THAT TIME, WE EXPECT TO HAVE 110 MILES OF OUR, UH, HOWARD WP GREEN TRAIL SYSTEM CONSTRUCTED.
NOW WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO IDENTIFY FUTURE FUNDING OPTIONS, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S SEVERAL, UH, ALTERNATIVES ON THE TABLE.
ALL OF THEM, WHICH WE ARE AGGRESSIVELY PURSUING.
UM, OPTIONS INCLUDE, UH, THE ALAMO AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, OUR, UH, BEAR COUNTY'S RIVERS AND CREEKS PROGRAM, WHICH IS PROPOSED TO, UH, OVER CONSTRUCT 26 MILES, EIGHT IDENTIFIED PROJECTS, RIGHT AT $84 MILLION.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE UPCOMING BOND, WHICH SERVES AS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE INVESTMENT IN OUR HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL SYSTEM.
AND WE DO HAVE A CRITICAL MILESTONE COMING UP.
ALL OF COUNCIL WILL BE INVITED TO JOIN US FOR THE FORMAL RIBBON CUTTING OF LEON AND SATO TRAIL CONNECTION.
THAT IS, UH, GONNA CONNECT 40 MILES OF TRAIL.
AND THAT IS A HUGE MILESTONE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
ACCESS TO PUBLIC GREEN SPACE, EQUITABLE PARK ACCESS CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
DECEMBER OF 2018, ACTUALLY, THE CITY SIGNED ON TO THE 10 MINUTE WALK TO A PARK CAMPAIGN.
SINCE THEN, WE HAVE SEEN MATERIAL IMPROVEMENT IN THIS AREA.
THIS PAST YEAR, THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND RELEASED THEIR FINDINGS, REPORTING THAT THE ACCESS TO PUBLIC GREEN SPACES IN, IN SAN ANTONIO IS AT 48%.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THIS IS JUST THE ACCESS TO PUBLIC GREEN SPACE, NOT PRIVATE GREEN SPACE IN, IN GATED COMMUNITIES THAT SOME IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE ACCESS TO.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE WERE IDENTIFIED AS THE TOP THREE FASTEST RISER, UH, IN THIS CATEGORY.
AND ALSO NOTED AS, UM, 33% MORE PARK SPACE PER PERSON, UH, IN LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS THAN THE CITY MEDIAN.
SO WHILE WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THESE RESULTS, WE SEE THE GLASS ONLY HAVE FULL, AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO, AND WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING HARD TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THOSE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND STRATEGIES THAT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THIS AREA.
OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES, THEY ARE ALIGNED WITH OUR WORK PLAN.
UM, RECREATION FACILITY PARTICIPATION.
UH, WE'RE PROJECTING TO, UH, BE JUST NORTH OF 400,000 PARTICIPANTS.
THIS IS AT 80% OF PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
SO RECOGNIZING WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDST OF A, A PANDEMIC, UH, WE ARE SEEING, UH, FOOT TRAFFIC BACK IN OUR CENTERS AND WE'RE CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO, AGAIN, STRATEGICALLY RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS INTO OUR CENTERS AND PROGRAMS. TREES VERY SIMILARLY HAVE TAKEN, UH, A DIP.
WE DO MONITOR AND TRACK, UH, TREES PLANTED AND ADOPTED.
WE'LL BE JUST SHY OF 9,800 TREES PROJECTED IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
AND AGAIN, UM, PRE PANDEMIC LEVEL, THIS NUMBER WAS AT
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A LITTLE OVER 11,000.SO AGAIN, NOT QUITE WHERE WE WANT TO BE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING THE WORK.
NOW, THE ONE THING THAT THE PANDEMIC DID NOT PREVENT US FROM DOING IS CONTINUING TO, TO PROTECT ACREAGE OVER THE AQUIFER.
SO, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT, BUT WE ANTICIPATE MEETING THAT MARK.
AND THEN THE LAST TWO MEASURES REALLY A REFLECTION OF HOW WE MAINTAIN OUR GREEN SPACES.
SO WHILE WE, UM, ARE SEEING MORE IN OUR PARKS, THE 85% TRACKS, UH, THE, THE TURNAROUND TIME FOR US TO COMPLETE SERVICE REQUESTS IN PARKS.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE IN OUR PARKS, IT DOES PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PROMOTE CONTINUED RECYCLING EFFORTS AS A, UH, EFFORT TO DIVERT FROM WASTE IN LANDFILLS.
AND MY LAST SLIDE IS TO TALK ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES.
THESE ARE CENTERED AROUND EX EXCELLENCE, EQUITY AND ENGAGEMENT.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO OBTAIN NATIONAL, UH, ACCREDITATION THROUGH OUR AFFILIATE, THE NATIONAL RECREATION PARK ASSOCIATION.
IT IS A MULTI-YEAR, UH, WORK EFFORT, AND IT REQUIRES EFFECTIVELY THAT WE DOCUMENT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, POLICIES, PROCEDURES, PROTOCOLS, AND, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, I THINK A BIG BENEFIT THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE COME OUT OF THIS IS NOT ONLY, UM, BECOMING ACCREDITED, BUT TAKING A SYSTEMS THINKING APPROACH TO SERVICE DELIVERY AND BUILDING SYNERGY ALONG THE WAY.
EQUITY THE DEPARTMENT IS ON THE BACKEND.
AND IN EARLY FISCAL YEAR 2022, WE'LL COMPLETE OUR EQUITY ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN WE'LL BE MOVING, UH, TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR TWO YEAR EQUITY ACTION PLAN.
AND LAST AND, BUT NOT LEAST, IS, IS ENGAGEMENT.
I TALKED EARLIER ABOUT, UH, OUR WORK PLAN BEING FOCUSED AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
IN THIS INSTANCE, IT'S ABOUT INCREASED EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WITH PARKS FOCUS TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
INVESTING IN OUR STAFF IS CRITICAL SO THAT THEY HAVE THE SKILLS TO SUCCESSFULLY MEET THE EXPECTATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE DO HAVE A BRIEF VIDEO TO SHARE WITH COUNCIL, AND THE TEAM IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
SAN ANTONIO PARKS AND RECREATION MAINTAINS MORE THAN 16,000 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE AND OPERATES OVER 250 CITY OWNED PARKS, 140 MILES OF TRAILS IN CITY PARKS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, AND OVER 80 MILES OF HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS THAT COMPRISE OF THE HOWARD W PEAK GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.
EACH DAY, OUR COMMUNITY UTILIZES OUR PARK SYSTEM TO EXERCISE, WALK THE FAMILY DOG, PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMMING, OR SIMPLY TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER IN NATURE.
THE PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT LIGHT TO THOSE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR PARKS AND TRAILS PROVE TO BE ESSENTIAL IN PROVIDING A HEALTHY, SAFE, AND ACCESSIBLE PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THE OUTDOORS.
THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE EACH AND EVERY DAY.
OVER 500 DEPARTMENT STAFF ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING OUR PUBLIC GREEN SPACES ARE CLEAN, SAFE, AND FUN, BUT ALSO EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE FOR ALL.
THOUGHTFUL PLANNING AND USE OF RESOURCES HELP DRIVE OUR MISSION TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE SPACES FOR ALL CITY.
SWIMMING POOLS, GYMNASIUMS, SPORT FACILITIES, RECREATION CENTERS, AND ADULT AND SENIOR CENTERS ARE THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY, DRIVEN BY THE GOAL OF CELEBRATING OUR VIBRANT AND DIVERSE CULTURE, OUR RESIDENTS QUALITY OF LIFE IS A PRIORITY.
OUR IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING, FITNESS IN THE PARK TREE ADOPTIONS, SUMMER FOOD AND DRIVE-THROUGH PARK ACTIVATIONS ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY.
EXPLORING THE OUTDOORS PROVIDES MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS.
REMOVING BARRIERS TO OUTDOOR ACCESS AND EXPERIENCES ENSURES EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS FOR ALL.
WE'RE EXCITED THAT SAN ANTONIO WAS RECOGNIZED THIS YEAR BY THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND AS ONE OF THE TOP THREE CITIES WITH THE GREATEST INCREASE OF RESIDENTS WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK TO A PARK.
THE 2021 PARK EQUITY FINDINGS SHOW THAT SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS IN LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE ACCESS TO 33% MORE PARK SPACE PER PERSON THAN THE CITY MEDIUM, AND 40% MORE THAN THOSE IN HIGH INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO WORK TOWARDS PROVIDING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES IN SAN ANTONIO.
THIS YEAR, WE INTRODUCED PARKER, OUR TREE MASCOT, WHO IS BRINGING SMILES WHILE CONNECTING YOUTH TO RECREATION, NATURE AND FUN.
WE TAKE PRIDE THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PARK SYSTEM IS RESPONSIVE, RESTORATIVE, RESILIENT, AND RESOURCEFUL.
OUR VISION IS EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR ALL BY 2050.
WE WILL PROVIDE FUN, SAFE, ATTRACTIVE,
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AND AFFORDABLE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND COMMUNITY SPACES WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK THAT REPRESENT THE DIVERSITY AND DESIRES OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.BY CONNECTING PEOPLE, NATURE, RECREATION, AND RESOURCES, WE WILL INSPIRE AND NOURISH THE WELLBEING OF ALL.
WE COMMIT TO A CULTURE AND SYSTEM THAT DRIVES EXCELLENCE, EQUITY, EMPOWERMENT, AND ENGAGEMENT IN ALL WE DO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
HOMER, UH, BRIDGET, UH, PAUL AND, AND, UH, RAMIRO.
UM, HOMER, COULD YOU COME BACK UP HERE AND COULD YOU PUT BACK, UH, SLIDE NUMBER 11? YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR YOU TO TALK ABOUT THIS PARK SCORE THE WAY YOU ARE, THAT IT'S A MIXED BAG.
WE TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD.
UM, I THINK IT'S, UM, IT SHOWS TREMENDOUS PROGRESS IN OUR CITY'S PARK SYSTEM, WHICH WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA REST ON OUR LAURELS.
TO ILLUSTRATE THAT POINT, UM, LET ME READ YOU TWO HEADLINES ABOUT THE SAME REPORT FROM THE SAME PUBLICATION.
SAN ANTONIO'S PARK SCORE PUTS IT WITHIN THE TOP THREE FAST RISERS IN THE NATION, AND A FEW WEEKS LATER, SAN ANTONIO PARK'S LAGGING FAR BEHIND ACCORDING TO NEW RANKING
UM, SO THE POINT BEING, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, UH, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO BE GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED.
I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT SOME OF THE RANKING HISTORY, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WHEN THIS STARTED, UM, BACK IN 2016, WE WERE RANKED NUMBER 71, UM, JUST A FEW YEARS PRIOR TO THAT.
THEY DIDN'T EVEN RANK A HUNDRED CITIES.
I THINK IT WAS 50 CITIES, AND, AND WE WERE LIKE 48, 44, AND THEN THEY EXPANDED TO 60, AND THEN WE WERE 53, AND THEN THEY EXPANDED A HUNDRED, AND THEN WE WERE 71.
WE'VE JUMPED TO NUMBER 60, UM, THIS YEAR, AND WE NOW HAVE, UH, A 78 SCORE ON ACREAGE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE GONE FROM ROUGHLY 30% AS YOU SHOWED, OF RESIDENTS WITHIN 10 MINUTE WALK OF A PARK TO NOW ALMOST HALF OF RESIDENTS.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING, UH, AS A COMMUNITY ARE, ARE BEGINNING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE HAVE WANTED TO BASED ON OUR SURVEYS AND OUR COMMUNITY, UH, VISIONING, UM, DURING SA 2020 WHEN, SO MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? I, I THINK PART OF THE FORMULA, AGAIN, AS WE SEE SAN ANTONIO GROW, KNOW KNOWING THAT WHERE THE GAPS ARE MAY CHANGE.
SO I THINK THE ANSWER'S GONNA CHANGE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK IT'S THROUGH CONTINUED STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, WE CONTINUE TO DRIVE FORWARD OUR SCHOOL PARK PROGRAM.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST THIS YEAR WE REALLY EXPANDED THAT AS KIND OF MORE OF A RECREATIONAL SCHOOL YARD MODEL.
AND, UM, SO WE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH ANY I S D THAT EFFECTIVELY OPENS UP AND MAKES AVAILABLE ALL OF THE RECREATIONAL SCHOOL YARDS TO THE PUBLIC.
AND REALLY THE ONES USING IT ARE WHERE THOSE SCHOOLS EXIST.
UM, AND SO CONTINUING TO EXTEND BEYOND JUST THE, THE, THE FUNDED SCHOOL PARK MODEL, BUT LOOKING AT THESE OTHER MORE CREATIVE WAYS THAT I THINK DRIVE THAT FORWARD.
UM, A SECOND STRATEGY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T REALLY, I THINK GOTTEN INTO, BUT LOOKING AT WHERE WE DO HAVE GAPS, BUT THEN WHERE WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES POTENTIALLY, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, MAYBE EXISTING STORMWATER PROPERTY THAT COULD BE TRANSFORMED INTO SOME OTHER USE.
SO THOSE ARE ASSETS THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ARE IN-HOUSE AND I DON'T THINK ARE GONNA REQUIRE A LOT OF INVESTMENT TO DO OTHER THAN DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREEN SPACE.
SO I WOULD SAY THOSE ARE TWO PRIMARY THINGS THAT WE WILL LOOK AT DOING IS, UM, GOING BEYOND SCHOOL PARKS TO LOOK AT RECREATIONAL SCHOOL YARDS, ALL OF THEM.
AND THEN WORKING WITH OUR, UH, SISTER DEPARTMENT, RAZZIE AND HIS TEAM FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, REALLY LOOKING AT MAYBE SOME, UM, AVAILABLE STORMWATER PROPERTY.
YEAH, AND I THINK ALSO PART OF THAT IS TO LEVERAGE OUR STRENGTHS WITH REGARD TO LINEAR CREEKWAY PROGRAMS. SO I'M GLAD, UH, TO SEE THAT IN, IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY, UH, IS COMMITTED AND THEY'RE PUTTING A, A HUGE PORTION OF THEIR CAPITAL, UH, PROGRAM THIS YEAR, UH, INTO, UH, COMPLETION OF THE LINEAR CREEK WAYS.
AND THAT'S A GOAL OF OURS WITH THE, UH, WITH THE BOND COMING UP AS WELL, THAT WE'RE NOT JUST DOING AN INCREMENT, THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY COMPLETING THE SYSTEM.
UM, WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST, UH, WITH, UH, OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR TEAM ABOUT SOME LEGISLATION THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE, I THINK IN 2015, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO USE EASEMENTS AND RIGHT OF WAYS, UH,
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR UTILITIES FOR, YOU KNOW, REALLY ACCELERATING ACCESS AND CREATING NEW, UH, TRAILWAYS.IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT? Y YES, WE ARE.
UH, AND I DON'T HAVE EXACTLY WHAT THAT PLAN LOOKS LIKE IN THE CONTEXT OF 22.
UH, BRANDON, IF YOU HAVE SOME INSIGHTS YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE, BUT THE SHORT ANSWER ME IS YES.
UH, I KNOW WE'VE RECEIVED THE SAME FROM OTHER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN IN DISTRICT 10, AND SO WE'RE ARE LOOKING AT SOME KEY CONNECTIONS.
CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME MORE INSIGHTS? UH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT CITYWIDE, UH, SINCE YOU MADE THE SUGGESTION ORIGINALLY, UH, WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE C P S EASEMENTS.
AND THERE IS ONE PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT'S ABOUT TWO TO THREE MILES LONG THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT, UH, IN THE SOMEWHAT NEAR FUTURE THAT WOULD BASICALLY BE ACCORDING TO THAT.
NOW, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THERE ARE THE C P S EASEMENTS AND THEN THERE ARE ALSO THE FEE SIMPLE OWNERS OF THE LAND UNDERNEATH THAT WE STILL HAVE TO WORK WITH.
UH, AND SO THE EASEMENTS GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THERE BECAUSE THE LAND IS CLEARED, IT'S ALREADY BEING USED FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO WORK WITH THE LANDOWNERS WHO ACTUALLY OWN THE FEE SIMPLE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE LAYING HER IN, LAYERING IN
BUT, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT, AT PLACES ALL AROUND THE CITY FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
WELL, I, I'M, AGAIN, I'M, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO ON OUR END TO, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BUT THAT COULD BE A TREMENDOUS SS BOON FOR OUR, OUR QUICK WAY SYSTEM.
SO, UM, I'M INTERESTED IN ABSOLUTELY SEEING THAT MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THANK YOU BRANDON HOMER ON THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT IS THE, UM, EDWARD'S AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM.
UH, WE MADE A COMMITMENT OF A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS AT LEAST, UH, TO THAT PROGRAM OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS PROGRAM IS IT ALLOWS US TO SPEND, UH, AT THE RATE OF, UH, DEMAND.
SO IF WE HAVE, UM, IDENTIFIED EASEMENTS FASTER, UH, THAN THAT 10 YEAR PROGRAM, UH, IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED, WE COULD MOVE FASTER.
IS THAT SOMETHING, GIVE ME A, A A, AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THE AQUIFER PROGRAM AS IT MOVES INTO PHASE TWO, UH, WITH THE CAB AND WHAT WE ARE, UM, WHAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING HAPPENING OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS WITH THAT PROGRAM? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, UM, WE, WE ANTICIPATE CERTAINLY TO, IT IS A VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION PROGRAM.
SO WE KNOW THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW ACREAGE PROTECTED OVER THE AQUIFER AS IT RELATES TO AFTER WE SPEND THE LAST BIT OF SALES TAX REVENUE GETTING INTO THE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING PLAN.
THERE'S, UH, IF YOU IMAGINE A LEVER, IF YOU WILL, THERE'S AN ABILITY TO, UM, FUND MORE OR LESS JUST BASED ON WHAT'S IN THE QUEUE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS IN MY COMMITMENT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND BEN IN PARTICULAR, IS AS WE, UH, GET CLOSER INTO, UM, DRAWING DOWN THOSE FINAL DOLLARS AND REALLY PROVIDING A, A, WE'LL HAVE A MUCH BETTER SENSE AT MID-YEAR BUDGET HERE, UH, IN 22 OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND A YEAR FROM NOW WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT ADOPTING THE F Y 23 BUDGET, WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS.
SO IT, IT'S UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.
I DON'T HAVE A DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT I COULD TELL YOU OTHER THAN THE DIALOGUE.
THE COMMUNICATION IS GONNA BE CRITICAL.
AND AS IT RELATES TO CAB, THEY'RE STILL IN THE MIX.
NOTHING CHANGES, ONLY THE FUNDING MECHANISM CHANGE.
SO CAB WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE FORWARD THE PROGRAM AND EVERYTHING WE BRING FORWARD TO COUNCIL, WE BRING IT TO THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD FIRST.
AND SO THEY WILL STILL PLAY A CON A CRITICAL ROLE IN HELPING SHAPE AND DRIVE FORWARD THE FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM.
SO LET ME, LET ME JUMP IN THERE, MARY, AND GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE DETAILS.
SO THE, THE COUNCIL CREATED THE MUNICIPAL FACILITIES CORPORATION IN OUR TWO YEAR BALANCE BUDGET THAT WE PRESENTED IN 23.
WE HAVE AN, WE HAVE A A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS SET ASIDE TO BEGIN THAT PROGRAM.
AND THAT WAS WHAT WE NEEDED TO START, UM, UH, THAT WE PROJECTED EARLIER IN THE YEAR, UM, PROBABLY DURING, PROBABLY MID MIDYEAR IN 20, UH, THROUGH THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE'LL BE COMING WITH YOU WITH THE FINANCING MECHANISMS BECAUSE WE'LL WANT TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE.
UM, AND WE'LL WANT TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE PRIOR TO RUNNING OUT OF THE SALES TAX MONEY.
SO, OKAY, EVERYTHING IS STILL ON TRACK AND WE HAVE MONEY SET ASIDE IN THE 23 PLAN, AND WE'LL NEED TO START DOING THAT INCREMENTALLY.
UM, BUT, BUT EVERYTHING THAT WE PLANNED FOR, UM, AS WE EXECUTED THIS AGREEMENT, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE ADJUSTED FINANCIALLY.
SO A COUPLE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, THAT WE DO, IN ADDITION TO GETTING AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRAM ITSELF AS WE WIND DOWN THE SALES TAX REVENUE.
UH, THE FIRST IS THAT WE MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE PRIORITIES
[01:05:01]
OF THE CAB, UM, THOSE IDENTIFIED EASEMENTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR PROTECTION ARE WHAT DRIVES THE DOLLARS, NOT VICE VERSA, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE NOW HAVE NOW THAT FLEXIBILITY TO SPEND, UM, YOU KNOW, AT, AT, AT A, AT A, AT A RATE THAT WE CAN MAKE THE MOST IMPACT OUT OF THE, THE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE ALLOCATING.AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADJUST THE BANK IF NECESSARY, UH, TO ADD ADDITIONAL.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE WE GO, WHICH DIRECTION WE GO, WHETHER WE PUT CONTINUE TO PUSH WEST OR WE MOVE NORTH, AND WE LOOK AT SMALLER EASEMENTS THAT ARE CLOSER TO WATERSHED, UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE SETTLED IN SOME WAY.
SO MY MY ASK IS THAT WE ALSO APPROACH THE SCIENCE EVALUATION TEAM IN THE CAB THAT OVERSEES IT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE COORDINATED IN TERMS OF WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES ARE.
'CAUSE IF THERE IS, UM, A CHANGE OR IF THERE IS A, A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT IN THE PRIORITIES, WHETHER WE'RE GOING MORE IN KAMAL OR WE'RE GOING TOWARDS CONTINUE TO GO TOWARDS MEDINA, NOW'S THE TIME TO DO IT BECAUSE WE, WE CAN ALSO CALIBRATE THE PROJECT BASED ON THOSE PRIORITIES.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT IN PARTICULAR, HOMER? YE YES, MAYOR.
AND SO WE DID BRING TO CAB EARLIER THIS SUMMER, OR MAY HAVE BEEN LATE SPRING, UH, FOR, FOR MORE GENERICALLY A WATER STUDY, RIGHT? WHERE DO WE NEED TO BE TARGETING OUR INVESTMENTS? SO THE, THE PLAN IS THAT WE WOULD PARTNER WITH E A A AND THEY WOULD DO THAT ANALYSIS AND, AND BRING IN SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AS NEEDED IN THE DISCUSSION, UH, KNOWING THAT WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE WAYS AGO, NOT A LOT UNDER THE CURRENT SALES TAX THAT WE'VE ALREADY COLLECTED, THE CAB DECIDED TO, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK, LET'S TABLE IT FOR NOW STAFF AND A A GO BACK TO THE TABLE, COME BACK WITH ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS.
AND SO WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT BACK TO THE CAB FOR DISCUSSION THIS FALL.
BUT WE ARE NOT AT A POINT YET TO SAY WE'RE DOING THE WATER STUDY, BUT THERE HAS BEEN PRELIMINARY DIALOGUE AND CAB DECIDED WE HAVE QUESTIONS, GO GET ANSWERS AND COME BACK.
AND SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT LATER THIS FALL, LOOKING AHEAD TO, OF COURSE, DRAWING DOWN THE FINAL DOLLARS AND THEN BEYOND.
AND IF I CAN GET AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UH, ALL OF THAT IS COLORED BY THE FACT THAT, UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING CORRIDORS IN, UH, THE COUNTRY AND OUR ABILITY TO MAKE IMPACT, UM, IS THE GREATEST NOW.
SO WITH THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE PROGRAM, IF WE CAN PUSH FORWARD ON THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND SETTLE THAT ISSUE, UH, SO WE CAN DETERMINE HOW FAST WE WANNA MOVE, UH, WITH, WITH THE NEXT ITERATION OF V A P P, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, I DO WANT TO, BRIDGET, WOULD YOU COME UP FOR A MINUTE? OBVIOUSLY, I'M, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN, IN GETTING S A TOMORROW BACK ON TRACK WITH REGARD TO PLANNING STUDIES, UH, SINCE THEY WERE IMPACTED BY SA, UH, BY, UH, THE PANDEMIC MM-HMM.
UM, BUT PROBABLY THE THING THAT'S BURNING ON MY MIND MOST IS WHERE ARE WE WITH THE GROWTH MANAGEMENT POLICY ANALYSIS, THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, UH, WHEN DO YOU PLAN TO BRIEF COUNCIL AND THE UTILITIES ON, ON THAT PLAN? SO WE'LL ACTUALLY BE MEETING WITH THE WORKING GROUP AND THE ADVISE THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP ON THE 20TH OF SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER TO, TO RESTART THE PROCESS.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT KNOW, OUR ANNEXATION GROWTH POLICY IS TO LOOK AT GROWTH IN OUR E T J.
UM, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THEN ALSO HOW WE INTERACT WITH NEIGHBORING, UM, CITIES IN TERMS OF OUR BOUNDARIES.
AND SO THE PROJECT WAS PAUSED, ONE BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT THEN ALSO TOO AT THE STATE, THERE TEND TO BE BILLS THAT IMPACT ANNEXATION.
SO WE WANTED TO HOLD OFF AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE.
SO WE'LL RETAKE, UH, WE'LL RESTART THE PROJECT IN SEPTEMBER.
WE'VE ACTUALLY EXPANDED OUR SCOPE TO LOOK MORE AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND KIND OF THE HISTORICAL, UM, CONCERNS THAT EXIST WITHIN, UM, OUR, OUR, WITHIN OUR E T J.
AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN MEETING WITH SAS ACTUALLY EVERY OTHER MONTH TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO THEY'LL, THEY SHARE INFORMATION IN TERMS OF THEIR USAS, WE SHARE INFORMATION IN TERMS OF OUR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS THAT COME IN.
SO WE'RE SHARING INFORMATION THAT WAY.
UM, SO OUR GOAL IS TO GET THE PROJECT TO COUNCIL BY JUNE OF NEXT YEAR.
AND A COMPONENT OF THAT ALSO WILL BE LOOKING AT THE E T J IN TERMS OF, WE HAVE REGIONAL CENTERS IN THE CITY, BUT WHAT ARE THOSE, UM, AREAS OF CONCERN IN THE E T J THAT WE MAY WANNA PAY, UH, CLOSE ATTENTION TO.
SO YOU, YOU, UM, YOU BEGGED MY NEXT QUESTION THEN, WILL, WILL THAT STUDY OR WILL THAT, UH, POLICY, UH, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH REGARD TO THE C C N OF SAS? YES, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH SAS SINCE ACTUALLY LAST YEAR.
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UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP WITH THE SAS BOARD.SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER DISCUSSIONS OR WHATEVER DIRECTION THEY'RE LEANING IN, WE CAN CAPTURE THAT IN THE POLICY.
WELL, I WAS HOPING THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE USAS MM-HMM.
PRI UH, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.
UM, RAMIRO, I WISH I HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU.
UH, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN, UH, STALWART, UH, DURING THE ENTIRE PANDEMIC AND REALLY PIVOTING, UH, YOUR SERVICES AND I'M, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
UH, JUST KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, PAUL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE ALONG WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
LET ME TURN IT NOW TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
I'LL START OFF WITH, UH, THE EASY ONE.
SO HOMER, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, BY THE WAY.
UM, I THINK HE'S THE CUTEST MASCOT EVER.
UM, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU'LL BE ADDRESSING SOME OF THE FLOODING ISSUES SPECIFICALLY, AND, AND DISTRICT FOUR, ITS MILLERS POND, UM, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET THAT, THAT TALKS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, RECREATION CENTERS THAT NEED SOME, SOME, I GUESS SOME LOVE.
SO, UM, AS PART OF OUR, UM, ACCREDITATION PROCESS, AND IN FACT PROBABLY IT WAS LESS THAN A MONTH AGO, I WAS TALKING TO JORGE TO REALLY LOOK AT THE VERY THING DOING AN ASSESSMENT OF, OF ALL OF OUR FACILITIES.
WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF TENURED PROJECT STAFF, UH, THAT PERFORM THESE, UH, SERVICES.
BUT IT'S GOOD TO HAVE KIND OF AN INDEPENDENT EYE.
SO I THINK, UM, IN SHORT, IT'S ABOUT US NEEDING TO DO AN ASSESSMENT OF ALL OF OUR FACILITIES, IN PARTICULAR MILLER'S POND.
IF THERE'S A NEED THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BUDGET.
WHAT I SHOWED WAS OUR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, BUT WE QUITE FRANKLY, DO HAVE THINGS THAT WILL COME UP THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
AND THAT'S WHAT OUR OPERATING BUDGET IS DESIGNED TO DO.
SO IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC NEED, UM, LET ME KNOW, OR I CAN VISIT WITH YOU OFFLINE.
BUT I THINK REALLY, UM, WE HAVE ALL OF OUR CENTERS, UH, THAT WE NEED TO EVALUATE.
AND THEN, UM, BEYOND THE RIGHT, IT'S ONE THING TO KNOW THE NEED, BUT THEN HOW DOES IT GET FUNDED? AND SO THE BOND PRESENTS A AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE NEEDS AS WELL.
AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON SLIDE SIX, YOU HAVE SPECIFICALLY COMMUNITY INPUT FOR, UM, PROGRAMMING NEEDS.
AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN BLA IS GONNA LOVE THIS, BUT I HAVE HAD THIS INTEREST RECENTLY, LIKE WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, SEVERAL RESIDENTS HAVE ASKED ABOUT BOXING PROGRAMS MM-HMM.
AND APPARENTLY THERE'S THIS EXCELLENT PROGRAM, I THINK, IN D TWO, AND I THINK THAT IT'S, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE REPLICATE THAT.
AND I KNOW I HAD ASKED YOU A LITTLE BIT, BUT JUST SO THAT MY COLLEAGUES COULD HEAR, CAN YOU, UM, CAN YOU SHARE WHAT, WHAT YOU SHARED ABOUT SPECIFICALLY PROGRAMMING? AND I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR, UH, IS REALLY INTERESTED IN BOXING.
IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, FOR SOME REASON IS ON A BOXING HIGH RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO OUR BOXING PROGRAM IS LOCATED, UH, IN DISTRICT TWO AT, UM, LINCOLN.
AND I KNOW YOU EXPRESSED AN INTEREST OR HEARD THE SAME FROM DISTRICT FIVE.
SO, UH, GETTING BACK TO, I THINK THE SHORT, INTERMEDIATE STEP WOULD BE LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT OUTSIDE OF OUR BUILT FACILITY THAT IS LINCOLN, UH, AND INCORPORATE AS PART OF OUR FITNESS IN THE PARK PROGRAMMING.
SO WHAT ARE THOSE ELEMENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING AT LINCOLN THAT, THAT COULD STILL BE DONE OUTSIDE IN THE GREEN SPACE? SO THAT'S THE FIRST STEP.
AND THEN AGAIN, SECONDLY, AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO THE BOND, IF IT IS ABOUT, NO, WE NEED A FORMAL, YOU KNOW, BOXING FACILITY TO GROW THE PROGRAM, THEN THAT'D BE THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TARGET THAT.
BUT, UH, I KNOW NIKKI'S HERE AND, AND SHE AND I WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT IT YESTERDAY.
SO FOR US, UH, WE'RE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE WE HAVE, UM, THE STAFF WE NEED.
'CAUSE UM, WE JUST RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THE INSTRUCTOR WHO'S A VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTOR, UH, I, IT'S GONNA BE MOVING ON.
SO IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE SUSTAIN THAT, WHERE IT'S AT, BUT GROW IT.
AND SO, UM, KIND OF TWO STEPS, BUT LOOKING AT REALLY OUR FITNESS IN THE PARK WITH AND THROUGH PAID INSTRUCTORS TO HELP EXTEND THAT.
AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU MAY BE CONSIDERING FITNESS IN THE PARK.
AND THANK YOU, NIKKI, FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT.
I THINK THAT'S LIKE AN EXCELLENT WAY.
SPECIFICALLY, I WAS ASKED BY ONE OF MY RESIDENTS WHOSE CHILD PLAYS BASEBALL, UM, ABOUT THE CONDITIONING PART OF IT, SO THE TRAINING AND CONDITIONING MM-HMM.
UM, AND SO, AND THEN I GOT ASKED ALSO BY AN R O T C INSTRUCTOR.
AND SO IT WAS JUST KIND OF WEIRD, A WEIRD COINCIDENCE.
'CAUSE HERE'S MANNY TALKING ABOUT BOXING ALL THE TIME NOW, AND THEN MY RESIDENTS ARE ASKING ABOUT IT.
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JUST THOUGHT THAT I'D ASK THAT, THAT QUESTION AND, AND SEE HOW WE COULD MAYBE, UM, TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.BUT I LOVE THE FITNESS IN THE PARK IDEA.
I THINK THAT THAT'S A GREAT STARTING, UH, SPACE.
SO I, THOSE ARE IT FOR, UH, YOU HOMER, AND THEN RAMIRO.
I, UM, MY RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT FOUR LOVE THE LOVE CENTER.
SO, UH, THE LEARN CENTER, THEY'RE JUST, UM, THRILLED ABOUT ALL OF THE ACCESS.
THANK YOU, PAUL, FOR YOUR, UM, WORDS TODAY AS WELL.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE.
I RECEIVED SOME REALLY NICE POSTCARDS TODAY, INCLUDING ONE FROM A GRANDMOTHER WHO USES THE LIBRARY REGULARLY FOR INTERNET CONNECTION.
SO, UM, AND THEN I RECEIVED ANOTHER ONE FROM A SMALL CHILD THAT SAID THAT, UM, UH, SHE COULDN'T AFFORD BOOKS.
AND SO I TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS, AS WE'RE MAKING THIS, UM, WORK.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUDGET PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU SPECIFICALLY FOR THE HVAC FOR, UH, JOHNSTON BRANCH LIBRARY.
AND THEN I KNOW YOU ALL ALSO, UM, HAVE IN HERE THE CORTES HVAC, WHICH, UH, IS, IS MUCH NEEDED.
UM, DO YOU ALL PARTNER AT ALL WITH OATS SENIOR CENTER OR, UM, SENIOR PLANET SPECIFICALLY, UM, WHO'S NOW WITH A A R P ON ADULT LITERACY AND TECHNOLOGY SPECIFICALLY? ACTUALLY, WE, WE DO, WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP.
WE HAVE A, A NEW INITIATIVE FUNDED, UH, THROUGH THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
IT'S A, UH, DIGITAL LITERACY FOR SENIORS FOR 60 AND ABOVE.
THEY PROVIDE SOME TECHNICAL SUPPORT.
ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO HELP, UM, WITH THAT, I THINK THAT WE NEED SOME ADDITIONAL, A ATTENTION IN THAT, UH, REGARD.
AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF GRANDPARENTS THAT ARE RAISING GRANDCHILDREN IN, IN MY DISTRICT, RIGHT.
AS WELL AS IN, IN OTHER DISTRICTS.
SO THAT INTERGENERATIONAL COMPONENT IS CRITICAL.
AND SO I THINK THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO FOCUS ON THAT.
THERE'S ALSO THIS INTEREST RIGHT NOW IN, IN GRANDPARENTS TRYING TO HELP THEIR, THEIR GRANDKIDS SPECIFICALLY WITH TECHNOLOGY.
WHEREAS BEFORE IT MIGHT'VE BEEN THE GRANDCHILD WOULD COME AND SAY, HEY, LET ME HELP YOU, RIGHT? OR CHECK THIS OUT.
NOW THE GRANDPARENTS LIKE, NO, I HAVE TO LEARN SO THAT I CAN HELP.
UM, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU, RAMIRO.
AND THEN I'LL GO ON TO PLANNING AND SPECIFICALLY BRIDGET.
UM, WE'LL START OFF WITH, WHAT'S THE CRITERIA FOR A STREET TO HAVE A FULL CORRIDOR PLAN? SO LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, YOUR, UM, BANDERA ROAD CORRIDOR PLAN.
WHAT IS THE CRITERIA? HOW DO IDENTIFY THE STREETS THAT WOULD QUALIFY? SO ACTUALLY THE BANDERA ROAD CORRIDOR WAS IDENTIFIED THROUGH DISTRICT SEVEN.
BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WAS ONGOING WITH T DOT.
SO IT WAS A WAY FOR THE CITY TO, UM, WORK WITH TXDOT TO IDENTIFY FROM A PLANNING STANDPOINT, THE LAND USE QUARTER IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD THEN FEED INTO THEIR DESIGN.
SO IT IS CONSIDERED THE FIRST QUARTER PLAN UNDER SA TOMORROW.
UM, IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF QUARTERS THAT ALIGN WITH WHAT VIA HAS DONE.
AND OF COURSE WE DO HAVE TO, UM, UPDATE THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN ONGOING IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING.
SO IT REALLY IS, WE HAVE TO BUILD UP OUR QUARTER PROGRAM.
AND, UM, THE SECOND PORTION OF BANDERA WILL BE MORE OR LESS THE SECOND QUARTER PLAN THAT WE DO FOR THE QUARTER PROGRAM.
SO THAT KIND OF PLAN, UH, PLAYS INTO MY NEXT QUESTION.
IT WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW SUB AREA FACES ARE ORGANIZED IN PRIORITY ORDER.
SO YOU JUST KIND OF ADDRESSED HOW WE, WE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT, AT SOME OF THESE, BUT I NOTICED THAT COMMUNITY AREAS ARE AFTER REGIONAL CENTERS AND OUR SUB AREAS.
UM, HOW, WHY, JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND.
SO ON SLIDE FIVE, THERE IS A MAP OF ALL 30 AREAS.
WHEN WE IDENTIFIED THE AREAS FOR THE WORK PLAN, WE FIRST START OFF WITH THE, UH, 13 REGIONAL CENTERS.
AND AT THE TIME WE WERE ASKED TO LOOK AT COMPLETING THE REGIONAL, THE SUB AREA PLANS FOR THOSE REGIONAL CENTERS.
HOWEVER, WE CAN'T JUST PLAN FOR 13 AREAS OF THE CITY.
SO IF YOU NOTICE FOR PHASE ONE, WE ADDED A COMMUNITY AREA, WHICH IS THE WEST SIDE.
SO FIVE REGIONAL CENTERS, ONE COMMUNITY AREA.
UM, FOR PHASE TWO, WE DECREASED THE NUMBER OF REGIONAL CENTERS, BUT ADDED THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY AREAS, UH, THE EAST AND THE SOUTHEAST.
AND THEN SIMILAR TO PHASE THREE, AND THEN WE'LL COMPLETE THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY AREAS.
FOR PHASES FOUR AND FIVE REGIONAL CENTERS ARE CONSIDERED, UH, EMPLOYMENT CENTERS.
AND REALLY THE PREMISE OF SA TOMORROW IS TO, UH, FOCUS THE GROWTH IN THESE REGIONAL CENTERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE AT LEAST 15,000 JOBS AS IDENTIFIED IN OUR INITIAL STUDIES.
PRIOR TO THE CONFERENCE OF PLAN BEING COMPLETED, WE WANTED TO AT LEAST FOCUS ON THOSE REGIONAL CENTERS FIRST.
BRIDGETTE DOES, UM, THE PROCESS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REZONING PROCESS, DOES THAT ONLY HAPPEN THEN WHEN THE REGIONAL CENTER IS BROUGHT UP FOR REVIEW? YES.
SO THE COMPREHENSIVE REZONING IS TO ALIGN THE ZONING WITH THE ADOPTED LAND USE MAP.
SO ONCE THE PLAN IS ADOPTED, WE HAVE STAFF THAT WILL WORK ON THE REZONING PORTION FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UM, PLAN.
WE DO HAVE, SAY, LARGE SCALE REZONING THAT'S DONE THROUGH D S D.
THEY MAY DO REZONING BASED ON ADOPTED PLANS ALREADY IN PLACE, BUT WE FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON ADOPTED SUB AREA PLANS.
AND THEN IF YOU COULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR, UH, REVITALIZATION PROGRAM, HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM OPERATION
[01:20:01]
FACELIFT WITH, WHICH I THINK WAS PHASED OUT? SO THE OP THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY IN DIS IS ACTUALLY IN DISTRICT 10.IT WAS ACTUALLY STARTED IN, UM, 2014, UH, PRIOR TO COUNCILMAN PERRY AND COUNCILMAN GALLAGHER.
UM, AND SO IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS A WAY TO REVITALIZE THAT AREA, UM, NACODOCHES PARENT VITAL AREA.
SO REVITALIZATION PLAN WAS COMPLETED IDENTIFYING A NUMBER OF, UM, STRATEGIES.
I'VE, I LISTED A FEW ON THE SLIDE ON, ON SLIDE SEVEN, THE GRANT PROGRAM, THE, UM, DESIGN STANDARDS.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT THOUGH.
SO IT'S AN EFFORT THAT WAS STARTED ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO AND CONTINUES PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE EFFORT AND, UM, BY THE COUNCIL OFFICE.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, THE TENANTS IN THE AREA TO REALLY REVITALIZE THAT AREA.
BRIDGET, I HAVE AN IDEA FOR D 4 0 1, SO I'LL GET OFF WITH YOU OFFLINE, BUT, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, BRIDGET, LET ME HAVE YOU POP RIGHT UP.
I WAS JUST, UH, HEARING YOUR, YOUR DISCUSSION ON, UM, THE, HOW DEVELOPMENT IS FITTING INTO THE PLANS AND, UH, AND, UH, THE SA TOMORROW PLAN.
AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
UM, HAS, HAS THAT BEEN REVIEWED THROUGH YOUR DEPARTMENT TO SEE HOW THAT FITS INTO ANY POTENTIAL GROWTH PLAN WITH THE SA TOMORROW PLAN? OR IS ALL THAT GONNA HAVE TO TAKE PLACE AFTER? SO AS YOU'RE SAYING, YOU'RE ASKING, AS WE LOOK AT OUR PLANNING PROCESS, DO WE ACCOUNT FOR GROWTH THAT'S ON THAT'S, UM, ONGOING OR HAS OCCURRED? WELL, I GUESS WHEN A PROJECT COMES UP AND THEY WANT TO BUILD OR DEVELOP IN AN AREA THAT'S PART OF OUR, OUR PLAN, WHETHER OR NOT WE'VE HAD THE, ALL THE INPUT AND FINALIZE THE PLAN, DO YOU REVIEW THOSE AND SEE IF THEY FALL INTO ANY OF, OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE SET UP IN THOSE PLANS? SO TYPICALLY WHEN A DEVELOPMENT COMES IN, SO REZONING, UM, ZONING DEVELOPMENT THAT GOES THROUGH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, UM, SS O P WITH, WITH D S D, UH, WE CREATED THAT VERY EARLY ON.
SO IF A PROJECT COMES IN THAT'S IN A PROPOSED REGIONAL CENTER AREA OR ALONG A MAJOR TRANSIT CORRIDOR, WE WILL REVIEW IT.
UM, IF THERE ARE, UM, ANY OTHER ACTUALLY ZONING CASES THAT COME IN, THEY DO SEND THEM TO PLANNING FOR US TO REVIEW IN LIGHT OF, UM, LAND USE DISCUSSIONS OR WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE FUTURE GOING FORWARD.
BUT UNTIL THE WHOLE PLAN'S ADOPTED, I SUPPOSE ONCE THAT TAKES PLACE, WE MAY GO BACK AND KIND OF RECONFIGURE SOME OF THAT ZONING AND PLANNING.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE PLANTS HAVEN'T BEEN ADOPTED IN MOST OF THE CITY, SO WE CAN'T SAY THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FITS INTO OUR PLAN FOR THIS AREA.
'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE PLANS FINALIZED.
WELL, WE DO HAVE THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS.
UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE, THERE'S A REASON WHY WE UPDATED OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM.
SO SOME AREAS OF THE CITY, WE MAY HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN THAT ACTUALLY IDENTIFIES LAND USE AND THE APPROPRIATE ZONING FOR THAT PARTICULAR LAND USE.
SO IF A PROJECT COMES IN AND THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT WOULD LOOK TO THAT PARTICULAR PLAN.
SO WE ARE LOOKING TO OUR, OUR SUB AREAS ARE ACTUALLY BIGGER.
THEY ENCOMPASS A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO IN SOME INSTANCES YOU HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE AND THAT'S WHAT WE, WE LOOK TO, UH, WHEN WE COMPLETE OUR SUB AREA PLANS.
UM, ONE THING I MENTIONED IS THAT WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE A CITYWIDE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
SO THERE'S REALLY NO CONSISTENCY IN HOW WE LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE 500 PLUS SQUARE MILES OF SAN ANTONIO.
ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT THEN OF COURSE, UPDATE THOSE PLANS BECAUSE THESE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE 10 YEAR PLANS.
BUT WE MAY HAVE TO GRANDFATHER A LOT OF THINGS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY FIT INTO THE FINAL PLAN.
'CAUSE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE RECENTLY BEFORE THE PLANS ARE FINALIZED.
WELL, WHEN WE COMPLETE OUR LAND USE, WE ACTUALLY LOOK TO SEE WHAT'S ON THE GROUND.
IT'S KIND OF AN EQUATION WE LOOK TO SEE.
WE LOOK AT THE, THE ADOPTED PLAN THAT'S THERE NOW.
WE LOOK AT THE ZONING, WE LOOK AT KIND OF TRENDS OR WHAT HAS OCCURRED OVER TIME.
AND THEN THAT'S HOW WE IDENTIFY WHAT THE SUB THE ESSAY TOMORROW FUTURE LAND USE CAT CATEGORY WOULD BE.
SO WE TRY NOT TO DEVIATE TOO MUCH, BUT WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT'S THERE.
NOW WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN MAY HAVE DONE AND WHY THEY WANTED AN AREA TO LOOK THE WAY IT DOES.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHEN WE HAVE THESE, UH, I GUESS A, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO WE STARTED, UH, LOOKING AT THESE PLANS FOR STONE OAK AND THE AIRPORT AREA IN DISTRICT NINE.
BUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE
[01:25:01]
PANDEMIC ALL THAT KIND OF GOT PUT ON HOLD.BUT, UH, I'M WONDERING, UH, HOW MUCH IMPACT OR EFFECT DID THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS HAVE ON THIS PLANNING PROCESS? IS IT, IS IT THE COMMUNITY THAT'S DRIVING THE PLANNING PROCESS OR IS IT THE CONCEPT OF WHAT THE PLAN SHOULD BE THAT'S DRIVING THE COMMUNITY? WELL, WE WANT ALL SUB AREA PLANS TO ALIGN WITH THE SA TOMORROW CONFERENCE OF PLAN, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ADOPTED LONG RANGE POLICY DOCUMENT FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WHEN WE HAVE OUR ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, IT'S THE PLANNING TEAM AND THE COMMUNITY THAT IDENTIFY THE VISION AND THE GOALS FOR THE AREA.
SO WE DO START, I'LL SAY THAT WE ACTUALLY START WITH OUR EXISTING CONDITIONS ATLAS.
IT REALLY KIND OF PUTS EVERYONE ON THE SAME PAGE IN TERMS OF WHAT'S THERE IN THE COMMUNITY NOW.
AND SO IT IDENTIFIES OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES.
AND SO THE COMMUNITY WILL LET US KNOW WHAT THE VISION IS, WHAT THE GOALS ARE FOR THE AREA, AND THEN WE GO THROUGH A PLANNING FRAMEWORK.
THE PLANNING FRAMEWORK IS SIMILAR FOR ALL, ALL OF THE AREAS.
SO WE LOOK AT MOBILITY, WE LOOK AT HOUSING, WE LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
SO I WILL SAY TOO THAT EACH SUB AREA HAS A VERY UNIQUE PLANNING TEAM.
SO IT'S MADE UP OF INDIVIDUALS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THAT AREA BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN WORK IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
SO WE ALLOW THE, THE COMMUNITY TO DRIVE THE PROCESS AND TO LET US KNOW BECAUSE WE WANT BUY-IN BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE LIVING IN THE AREA.
UM, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHEN WE GET TO THE ZONING PIECE THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THE LAND USE DECISIONS THAT THEY MAKE.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR.
UM, RAMIRO, I'M NOT GONNA ASK YOU TO GET UP.
I WANT TO TELL YOU, I THINK YOU'RE DOING A, A GREAT JOB, BUT EVERYBODY LOVES THEIR LIBRARIES.
UH, YOU DID MENTION THAT THE LIBRARIES HAVE BEEN GRADED IN, IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO KNOW HOW THE THREE LIBRARIES IN MY DISTRICT ARE ALL GRADED.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST GET THAT OUT TO EVERYBODY, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE EXPANSION OF LIBRARIES, UH, BUT I, I REALIZED THAT GETS TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.
I'M GONNA BE, UH, I'M GONNA BE GOING AFTER, UH, PUBLIC WORKS ON THAT AND SEE IF I CAN GET SOME, SOME MORE FIGURES ON IMPROVEMENTS TO LIBRARIES.
BUT I, I KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR BUDGET NOW, HOMER.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK YOU, COULD YOU TELL US HOW MUCH IS IN THE TREE MITIGATION FUND? 'CAUSE I HEARD YOU SAY WITH THE EXPECTED EXPENDITURES IT MAY BE LOT LOWER NEXT TIME.
WHAT'S IN THERE? SO LET ME, I'M GONNA PULL UP THE, AND PULL OUT OF MY BINDER THE, UH, BUDGET PAGE.
SO CURRENTLY I BELIEVE, LET ME GIMME A SECOND HERE.
SO THE, UH, ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR IS, UH, RIGHT AT SIX POINT, JUST UNDER 6.25 MILLION.
SO, AND YOU ANTICIPATED SPENDING A LITTLE OVER 4 MILLION, I BELIEVE IN, IN NEXT, IN NEXT YEAR.
THE ADOPTED, UH, SPENDING PLAN RIGHT, IS 1.7.
WE'VE REALIZED IN TRACKING IT, THAT IS CONTINUED TO CREEP UP.
SO WE CAME OUT WITH A MORE ROBUST PLAN PROPOSED FOR F Y 22.
SO YOU'LL SEE, UM, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH, I, I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW MUCH USUALLY COMES IN PER YEAR BASED ON THE AVERAGE OVER DEVELOPMENT OVER THE LAST FIVE OR 10 YEARS.
JAMES HAS, UH,
CLEARLY, UM, IT'S UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE LAST FEW YEARS WE'RE UPDATING IT TO REFLECT MORE REVENUE IN THAN I THINK WHERE WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND SO THIS MAY SHOW, UM, WHAT THAT REVENUE LOOKS LIKE GOING BACK TO 22.
SOMEWHERE AROUND TWO AND HALF TO $3 MILLION? CORRECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS, UH, LOOKING TOWARD TO SEE, UM, WHAT THE FEASIBILITY IS OF EXPANDING WHAT YOU DO.
WE HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, IN A TERRIBLE WEATHER, UH, A LOT OF TREES DIED IN A LOT OF THE, UH, ISLANDS DOWN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF ROADWAYS AROUND TOWN.
UH, AND A LOT OF THOSE TREES WERE, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE REMOVED 'CAUSE THEY'RE JUST DEAD.
UH, BUT WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND PLANT SOMETHING NEW.
UH, AND, AND THROUGH THIS MITIGATION FUND, I WOULD PRESUME THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THAT CAN COME FROM.
AND WE HAVE UTILIZED THIS FUND FOR STORM RECOVERY EFFORTS BEFORE IN
[01:30:01]
PRIOR YEARS.SO IF THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC AREAS I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE, GET THOSE, AND THEN WORK WITH ROSIE'S TEAM.
IF IT'S IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UH, I WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THAT YOU'VE REACHED AN ARRANGEMENT WITH N I S D TO, I GUESS, USE THEIR SCHOOL YARDS AS KIND OF LOCAL PARKS WHERE THEY HAVE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT OR TRACKS OR THINGS AROUND MIDDLE SCHOOL GEN, UH, FACILITIES.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, WE REFER TO 'EM AS KIND OF A MORE OF A RECREATIONAL SCHOOL YARD MODEL.
SCHOOL PARKS ARE MORE FORMAL FUNDING MECHANISMS IN PLACE WITH A MATCH REQUIREMENT.
BUT, UM, YES, UH, THEY, THEY WERE A, A GREAT PARTNER AND, UM, AS A RECREATIONAL SCHOOLYARD AS OPPOSED TO LIKE A PARKS PROGRAM, OTHER THAN NOT HAVING PEOPLE THERE TO OPERATE A PROGRAM, WHAT ELSE IS THE DIFFERENCE? IS IT, IS IT SIMPLY OPEN TO PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY TO WALK IN TO USE THOSE FACILITIES? ARE THERE TIME LIMITS, DAY LIMITS, THINGS LIKE THAT? YES.
SO, UH, IT IS JUST THE ACCESS TO THE AMENITY.
UH, AND THE HOURS ARE OPEN WHEN IT'S NOT, UH, WHEN SCHOOL'S NOT IN SESSION.
SO, UM, IF ONCE THERE'S NO LIGHTING AND SUN'S DOWN, THEN PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS DURING THAT TIME.
BUT IT'S DESIGNED TO REALLY FUNCTION JUST LIKE A, A SCHOOL PARK, EXCEPT WE DID NOT FUND ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND THANK Y'ALL TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH LIBRARIES.
UM, I WANNA COMMEND, UM, Y'ALL'S TEAM FOR WORKING WITH SA STANDS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE, THE LIBRARY CARD, UM, THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD.
UM, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US A LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS OR SPACES THAT ACCEPT THAT LIBRARY CARD AS A FORM OF ID? WELL, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS, BUT I, IT, I BELIEVE IT'S, UH, IT'S RECOGNIZED BY S A S A P D.
UH, AND AGAIN, THE CARD IS MEANT, AND BY THE WAY, IT'LL GIMME AN OPPORTUNITY.
I, I SAID THE FOUR LOCATIONS FOR LEARN CENTERS AND WHERE WE DISTRIBUTE UHHUH, UH, IN DISTRICT ONE IS, UH, WESTFALL, NOT AL, IT'S NOT BROOK HOLLOW.
SO I NEEDED TO MAKE THAT CORRECTION.
SO BACK TO THE, UH, THE CARDS.
THERE, THERE, THE, THE WHOLE CONCEPT IS THAT ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, NEW IMMIGRANTS THAT MAY NEED, UH, SOMETHING TO NAVIGATE THE SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, SOMETIMES ARE REQUIRED.
SOME KIND OF, UH, UH, LIKE AN ID MM-HMM.
SO THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD CAN SERVE THAT PURPOSE BECAUSE IT HAS A PICTURE, IT HAS THE NAME OF THE INDIVIDUAL, IT HAS THE BIRTHDATE, IT HAS THE ADDRESS.
SO IT HAS SOME BASIC INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS NAVIGATE THE VARIOUS SERVICES.
AND, AND OF COURSE, THE, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE, AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
DO WE KNOW OF C P S AND SAW IS ACCEPTED AS A FORM OF ID? I KNOW THERE WAS AN INQUIRY BY C P S.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE STATUS OF IT.
I CAN FIND OUT AND GET BACK TO YOU.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO COMMEND Y'ALL ON.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, COUNCILMAN CONCERNING YOUR QUESTION ABOUT SAWS AND C P S ACCEPTING THE LIBRARY CARD AS A FORM OF ID FOR THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE.
WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH C P S AND, UH, WE'LL BE HAVING A MEETING COMING UP WITH ESSAY STANDS AND C P S TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
UH, WE HAVE NOT HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH SAUCE.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE ON THOSE TWO.
UM, ALSO, UM, WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BISON LIBRARY, PLEASED TO SEE THAT THERE'S FUNDING IN THE BUDGET FOR THAT.
DO WE KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT, UM, OPERATION HOURS? YEAH, WE WERE, WE WERE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION AS WE WERE PREPARING.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE WORKED VERY HARD WITH THE RESPECTIVE CO, UH, COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TO MITIGATE ANY DISRUPTION TO SERVICE.
SO WE CAN SCHEDULE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I MAY, I'LL USE, UH, LAS PALMAS AND MEMORIAL BRANCH LIBRARY.
UH, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RENOVATIONS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY VERY CLEARLY, WE DON'T WANT BOTH BRANCHES CLOSED AT THE SAME TIME.
WE DON'T WANT THEM CLOSE DURING THE SUMMER, SUMMER READING PROGRAM.
SO WE WORK VERY HARD TO, UH, ALLEVIATE THAT.
SOMETIMES IT'S, UH, UNAVOIDABLE THAT WE HAVE TO CLOSE, BUT WE, WE WORK VERY HARD TO MINIMIZE THE, THE CLOSURE TIME IF WE CAN.
AND THEN WE PROVIDE INTERIM SERVICE.
WE FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PARTNER WITH THE, UH, SURROUNDING OR NEIGHBORING, UH, ENTITY TO SEE WE CAN HAVE A PRESENCE THERE IN PROVIDING ARMED SERVICE WHILE THE LIBRARY MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE.
AND, AND AGAIN, UH, JUST SO MANY THANKS FOR ELIMINATING THE LATE FEES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE TRULY THE ONLY PUBLIC SPACES THAT WE HAVE, SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE LIKE ALL THE WORK YOUR DEPARTMENT'S PUTTING INTO ENSURING THAT WE'RE BEEFING UP, UH, THE SERVICES THAT OUR LIBRARIES OFFER.
UM, I KNOW THE FAR WEST SIDE OF OUR DISTRICT, UM, MANY OF OUR SENIORS HAVE NOTED THAT THERE'S NOT AN ACCESSIBLE SENIOR CENTER.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT OUR
[01:35:01]
OFFICE IS GOING TO BE ADVOCATING FOR WITHIN THE BOND.UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE DIGITAL LITERACY COURSES OFFERED TO OUR SENIORS, UH, ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES OFFERED TO SENIORS THAT ARE LIBRARIES? YES, WE DO.
WE OFFER DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROGRAMS, UH, VIRTUAL PROGRAMS. WE'D LIKE TO GET, UH, SENIORS ENGAGED, UH, WITH ACTIVITIES, CROCHETING AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES TO KEEP THEM ACTIVE AND KEEP THEM SOCIALIZED WHERE THEY CAN WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S SAFE.
WE PARTNER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AS WELL TO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DIGITAL LITERACY FOR SENIORS.
UM, E H S IS ONE OF OUR PARTNERS.
THEY'RE GONNA HELP US, UH, TARGET OR IDENTIFY, UH, SENIORS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
UH, BECAUSE AS YOU INDICATED, YEAH, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IS REAL.
UH, AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, AND THE LIBRARY WANTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT SOLUTION.
THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR LIBRARIES.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SHIFT TO BRIDGET AND PLANNING.
UH, I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO CHRIS RYERSON, OUR WEST SIDE PLANNER.
THE LAST FEW YEARS WE'VE BEEN WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE THAT THE SA TOMORROW PLAN FOR THE WEST SIDE REFLECTS WHAT COMMUNITY ENVISIONS.
UM, SO SHOUT OUT TO CHRIS RYERSON.
UM, SO I SEE THAT THERE ARE PLANS OF, OF ROADS AND CORRIDORS, BUT HOW IS THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT APPROACHING HOUSING IN THE PROCESS, UH, AND NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOW ARE WE PLANNING FOR HOUSING AND NOT JUST ROADS? SO I'LL START OFF WITH HOUSING.
EACH SUB AREA PLAN DOES HAVE A HOUSING, UM, ELEMENT.
AND SO WE COORDINATE WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES AND YOU'LL NOTICE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS ALIGN WITH WHAT'S BEING MADE IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE, THE, THE FRAMEWORK THAT'S DONE.
SO THE HOUSING IS FROM A LAND USE PERSPECTIVE, WHERE DO WE HAVE HOUSING AND HOW DO WE PROVIDE HOUSING FOR ALL? SO THERE IS AN ELEMENT THERE.
UM, AND THE NEXT QUESTION YOU HAD WAS, I'M SORRY.
ESSENTIALLY THAT, HOW ARE WE INTEGRATING LIKE, HOUSING WITHIN THE ASPECT, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS? I'M SORRY.
YES, YOU HAD A QUESTION ON NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, NEIGHBORHOODS IS ACTUALLY INTERESTING IN THAT, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE SOME NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS ALREADY THAT, THAT EXIST.
UM, BUT ONE THING THAT WE WANTED TO DO, AND THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WAS STRESSED THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS IS IF A NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A PLAN, WE MORE OR LESS KIND OF CELEBRATE THAT PLAN.
SO WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILES AND PRIORITIES IN EACH SUB AREA, IN EACH SUB AREA PLAN.
SO WE MEET WITH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IF THEY HAVE A PLAN, WE IDENTIFY WHAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED SINCE THAT PLAN WAS DONE.
AND THEN WE WORK WITH THEM TO LIST OUT PRIORITIES.
AND WE LOOK AT HOW THOSE PRIORITIES ARE SIMILAR TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN THAT SUB AREA.
AND THEN ALSO WHAT PRIORITIES THEY HAVE THAT ALIGN WITH THE OVERALL ESSAY TOMORROW, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO THAT'S ONE WAY THAT WE, UM, ENGAGE SPECIFICALLY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
I WILL SAY IN THE WEST SIDE, WE HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE NOT A LOT, A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THE PLANNING PROCESS IN THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WORK WITH NEIGHBORHOODS TO HAVE THEM DEVELOP THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILES AND PRIORITIES.
SO IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN BEFORE, HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO HAVE SOMETHING AS PART OF THAT SUB AREA PLAN.
AND UH, I'D ALSO ENCOURAGE THAT WE LOOK OUTSIDE OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
'CAUSE OFTEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S FOLKS WHO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ATTEND.
UH, I WOULD SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, IF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT COULD, UH, GIVE OUR OFFICE SOME FLYERS TO MAYBE GIVE TO KIDS AT THE, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB TO PUT IN THEIR BACKPACK SO THEIR PARENTS COULDN'T BE INFORMED ABOUT THE MEETINGS THAT ARE COMING UP.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA.
UM, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WITHIN THE PLANNING MEETINGS, WHEN WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MULTIMODAL DEVELOPMENT AND PLANS, COMMUNITY RAISES, UH, THE QUESTION AROUND PLANNING, UH, AND THE, THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENTS MM-HMM.
WE, WE, UM, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS THE MOBILITY SECTION IN EACH OF THE PLANS TO IDENTIFY, UM, RE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND IDENTIFY IMPROVEMENTS THAT ONCE THE PLAN IS ADOPTED, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT CAN JUST TAKE THAT AND MOVE AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH FORMALLY WHAT WAS T C I, BUT NOW IS THE TRANSPORTATION KIND OF PLANNING COM COMPONENT.
IN FACT, WE MEET MONTHLY, UM, AS TWO DEPARTMENTS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE PLANS, WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND WHAT THEY MAY HAVE, UM, UM, UPCOMING MM-HMM.
AND ON THE SLIDE ABOUT THAT ANNEXATION, DO WE REQUEST AN R O I, UM, I KNOW MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE CONCERNS THAT WHEN WE ANNEX PROPERTY, THAT MUCH OF OUR RESOURCES GO TO THESE NEWER ANNEXED AREAS AND IT OUTPACES INVESTMENT IN THE ESTABLISHED COMMUNITIES.
SO DO WE, UH, CAST AN O I TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RECEIVING THE TAX BASE TO MAKE UP FOR IMPROVEMENTS? SO THE WAY WE ANNEX HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT.
IN 2017, THE STATE CHANGED HOW THE CITY CAN GO, HOW CITIES CAN GO ABOUT ANNEXING.
UM, WE ARE, WE CAN ANNEX, SO WE HAVE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION.
[01:40:01]
HAS A PROPERTY THAT'S SPLIT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, THEY COME IN TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, I WANNA DEVELOP, BUT I WANT TO HAVE, UH, CONSISTENT CITY SERVICES.UM, WE AS A CITY CAN GO OUT, IF WE IDENTIFY AN AREA, WE HAVE TO HAVE AN ANNEXATION ELECTION.
WE ACTUALLY DID THAT IN 2018, BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH AREAS AROUND A MILITARY BASE.
SO THAT ANNEXATION WAS AROUND THE CAMP BULLS AND THE LACKLAND AREA.
UM, BECAUSE THE ANNEXATIONS FAILED, WE, WE WERE STILL ABLE TO, UM, HAVE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS THAT ARE, WE'VE COMPLETED THEIR BIO ORDINANCE OF THINGS HAPPEN.
WE CAN HAVE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE CAN ENFORCE, BUT IN TERMS OF GOING OUT AND ANNEXING, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
YOU DID HAVE AN ANNEXATION, UM, ITEM ON THE AGENDA LAST WEEK THAT WAS A VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION IN THE SOUTH SIDE.
THE SOUTH SIDE IS A LITTLE INTERESTING IN THAT IN 2014, PRIOR TO THE STATE LAW CHANGING, WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ANNEXING THAT ENTIRE AREA WITH ANNEXATION THE CITY, THE, THE STATE REQUIRES US TO HAVE, UM, OFFER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS IF PROPERTIES ARE, UM, APPRAISED AS, AS AG VALUE.
UM, BUT BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE AREAS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR, ALTHOUGH WE STILL DO OUR DEPARTMENT CANVASSING, THAT, UM, ANNEXATION WAS ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR IN TERMS OF THE FISCAL ANALYSIS AND HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST FOR SERVICES.
BUT WE DO ACROSS THE BOARD, IF WE DO ANY SORT OF ANNEXATION, LIKE VOLUNTARY, WE STILL DO A DEPARTMENT CANVASSING AND IT GOES OUT TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND DOES THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAVE A LIST OF PROPOSED U D C AMENDMENTS? UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW WITH THE PROCESS HAVING, UH, BEEN RESTARTED.
WE ARE LOOKING AT A U D C, UM, U D C DIAGNOSTIC.
SO WHAT AMENDMENTS CAN BE MADE OR PROPOSED FOR THE U D C THAT HELP IMPLEMENT SA TOMORROW? SO WE WANTED TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HAVING A PLAN, THEN WORKING THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF SOME SUB AREA PLANS BEFORE WE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED WHAT, UM, AMENDMENTS COULD BE MADE TO THE U D C.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON TOO, OR PROPOSING, UM, THE ADDITION OF, UM, MIXED USE DISTRICTS.
SO WE HAVE MIXED USE LAND USE CATEGORIES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MIXED USE DISTRICTS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING, UM, TO PROPOSE FOR THE AMENDMENTS.
UM, THANK YOU BRIDGETTE, RAMIRO AND HOMER FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
YOU CAN, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU, BRIDGET.
UH, I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED BY Y'ALL'S ENTHUSIAST.
I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED BY Y'ALL'S ENTHUSIASM FOR YOUR DEPARTMENTS AND REALLY WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S VERY MOTIVATING AND EXCITING.
SO, UM, I REALLY, THAT GOES FOR ALL YOUR TEAM, ERIC, SO THANKS FOR, FOR THAT.
UH, ACTUALLY I THINK PAUL LEFT, DIDN'T HE? OKAY.
THANK YOU PAUL FOR COMING TO TALK WITH US TODAY.
I SHARE IN HIS REQUEST TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR OUTREACH.
I KNOW THAT'S REALLY CRITICALLY NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY ON ALL THE CRITICAL SERVICES A LIBRARY HAS TO OFFER.
I KNOW, UM, WHEN I'M TALKING, UM, WHEN I WAS, WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK AT SCHOOLS AND I WOULD TALK TO CHILDREN ABOUT LIBRARY SERVICES, SOMETIMES THEY, THEY WEREN'T AWARE.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I ALSO WANNA TAKE JUST A MOMENT TO HONOR AND THANK LONGTIME DISTRICT SIX LIBRARY BOARD MEMBER LAURA ECKLER.
SHE SERVED DISTRICT SIX AND OUR CITY PASS BY PASSIONATELY ADVOCATING FOR OUR LIBRARY SERVICES.
SHE'S RECENTLY HAD TO STEP DOWN, BUT WE'RE GONNA FILL THE SPOT VERY SOON.
UM, AND ITO, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THE STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH Y M C A, UM, IN DISTRICT SIX ON UP PETRANKO ROAD.
THAT'S A REALLY, UM, INTERESTING PARTNERSHIP AND I THINK IT'S BEEN REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR, FOR THAT PART OF MY DISTRICT.
IT WAS HAD WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A LIBRARY GAP THERE, SO IT'S NICE THAT YOU FILLED THAT.
I'D LIKE US TO START A DIALOGUE WITH THE WEST SIDE EDUCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER, UH, IN EDGEWOOD TO SEE IF WE CAN DO SOME KIND OF SIMILAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM WITH, WITH ALAMO COLLEGES TO, UM, TO, TO EXECUTE THAT SAME MODEL, UH, TO SERVE THE EDGEWOOD COMMUNITY, PLEASE.
I THINK THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY IN BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, ESPECIALLY IN THAT PARTICULAR PART OF MY DISTRICT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? ACTUALLY? YES.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
UH, THE CHANCELLOR, UM, CONTACTED ME JUST RECENTLY.
I BELIEVE WE'RE MEETING NEXT WEEK.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
WE DID HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, SO THAT'S GREAT.
BUT I'M GLAD THAT'S ON THE RADAR.
UM, THAT'S, UH, ACTUALLY THE REST IS FOR, FOR HOMER.
UM, THE PARKS BUDGET, AS YOU KNOW I'VE SAID OVER AND OVER IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO DISTRICT SIXERS.
WE LOVE OUR GREEN SPACE SPACES AND TRAILS THERE.
AND PARKS COMES THIRD TO ONLY STREETS AND PUBLIC SAFETY WHEN WE DO SURVEYS AND, AND TALK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM.
WILL YOU EXPAND MORE ON THE SECURITY PATROL? UM, DID YOU HAVE A A A PART
[01:45:01]
IN THE, IN THE, THE BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS ABOUT SECURITY PATROL? THE REASON I ASK IS WE CONSISTENTLY RECEIVE CALLS REGARDING ENCAMPMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE HOUSELESS.UM, AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S AROUND OUR PARKS AND OUR TRAIL SYSTEM.
SO I WONDER IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? Y YES, I THINK MAYBE, UM, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO THIS SLIDE THAT HIGHLIGHTED KIND OF OUR ORGANI RIGHT.
I TALKED ABOUT WE HAVE A HALF A DOZEN BUSINESS PLATFORMS ORGANIZED AROUND UNDER OUR, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM.
WE HAVE OUR, UH, PARK STEWARDSHIP DIVISION THAT IS WHERE OUR TRAIL STEWARDS ARE HOUSED.
SO TRAIL STEWARDS, UH, ARE ON ALL OF OUR HIKING BIKE TRAIL SYSTEMS. THEY, UH, TRAVEL IN MULTIPLE PAIRS, UH, AT VARY DATE, UH, POINTS IN TIME THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND, UM, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND SO THEY'RE KIND OF SERVE AN OBSERVANT REPORT FUNCTION.
SO IF WE DO SEE HOMELESS ACTIVITY, THEY'RE FEEDING THAT UP TO OUR, UH, TEAM.
AND THEN WE COORDINATE WITH D H SS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, ENGAGING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN ULTIMATELY IF THERE'S GONNA BE OUTREACH AND, UM, SUBSEQUENTLY CLEAN UP OF THAT AREA SEPARATE FROM JUST BEING EYES AND EARS.
THEY'RE ALSO JUST, UH, THERE TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KNOW, HOW DO I GET FROM A TO B? OR IF THEY HAVE A FLAT TIRE, HERE'S A A, A SPARE TUBE, HERE'S SOME WATER.
SO THEY KIND OF SERVE THE MORE OF THIS AMBASSADOR ROLE FOR OUR PROGRAM.
I WOULDN'T CALL THEM SECURITY PER SE.
BUT THEY WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH PARK POLICE AS WELL.
I'M CURIOUS, NOW THAT WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT, ARE THEY TRAINED IN FIRST AID? THEY ARE.
AND IN FACT, THEY DO A LITTLE, SO WHEN WE ONBOARD THEM, THEY ACTUALLY GO THROUGH A LITTLE, UH, TRAINING ACADEMY WITH PARK POLICE.
I THINK IT'S A TWO DAY COURSE.
UH, BUT THEY ALSO, UM, ARE RECEIVED FIRST AID TRAINING AS WELL.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ALL THE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT SHOULD THERE BE A NEED FOR, FOR ACCESSING IT? I WAS ON THE TRAIL A WHILE BACK WITH SOME FRIENDS AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS, AND BY ONE OF MY FRIENDS, I MEAN, ME FELL OFF MY BIKE
SO THAT WAS VERY, UM, I, I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT THEY WERE NEARBY TO HELP.
UM, SO, UM, WE'LL JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE NEEDS FOR, FOR DISTRICT SIX.
WE, WE RECENTLY, UM, CAME WITH ME AND A AND A RIDE ALONG, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN THE DISTRICT.
AND THERE'S, UM, A CANOPY AT OSCAR BETAS PARK THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND, I THINK.
DID WE TALK ABOUT THAT? WELL, I THINK WE, WHEN WE WENT OUT THERE, WE SAW IT, BUT THERE'S BEEN A, UM, AN NEIGHBORHOOD MEMBERS THAT ARE COMING AND TALKING ABOUT THAT PLAY STRUCTURE THAT'S THERE.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE IS A CANOPY THERE, BUT THEY, THEY ARE ASKING FOR AN EXTENSION JUST BECAUSE IT'S HOT.
AND THEN ALSO AT TIMBER RIDGE ENHANCEMENTS, WE HAVE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE LIGHTING THERE AND, AND WE SAW THAT THE HISTORIC, UM, GAZEBO THAT'S THERE.
UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF, UH, CALLS AND, UM, EMAILS ABOUT THAT PARK IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE OF, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ABLE, THERE'S A CITYWIDE, YOU KNOW, EFFORT TO MOW EVERYTHING WITH ALL THE RAIN WE'VE HAD, BUT I THOUGHT THEY, WE TALKED ABOUT MAYBE A, A KIND OF RAIN GARDEN OR SOMETHING THERE THAT WE COULD KIND OF HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THAT.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT SURE IF THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO.
HAVE YOU DONE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN ANOTHER PARK? WE, WE HAVE, YES.
SO WE DO HAVE A COMMUNITY GARDEN PROGRAM.
AND SO, I MEAN, IT COULD BE A COMMUNITY GARDEN CAN BE SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS A POLLINATOR, WILD SCAPE.
IT COULD BE A FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GARDEN, OR IN THIS CASE SOME TYPE OF RAIN GARDEN.
SO YES, WE HAVE DONE THINGS LIKE THAT BEFORE.
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH GREEN SPACES ALLIANCE.
SO WE CAN, UH, WE HAVE A RESOURCE TO CONNECT TO, TO DRIVE THAT FORWARD.
I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT I WAS WEARING MY HELMET WHEN I FELL OFF MY BIKE.
BUT, UH, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL THAT I HAD.
MY FIRST, UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, BUT FIRST OF IT'S KIND OF JUST, UH, COMMENTS.
BRIDGET FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO SEE, UH, BROOKS IS A REGIONAL CENTER, HAS BEEN WORKING, THEY'VE BEEN THRIVING.
THEY WERE A PHASE ONE, UH, THE SOUTHEAST, WHICH INCLUDES TEXAS A AND M, IS A PHASE TWO REGIONAL CENTER.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IN THIS PHASE THREE, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFFING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP ON TIME WITH THIS PHASE ONE AND PHASE, UM, PHASE TWO AND THREE? SO THE ONLY PLAN LEFT FOR PHASE ONE IS THE WEST SIDE.
CHRIS IS ACTUALLY THE, UM, THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THAT PLAN.
PHASE TWO, WE ANTICIPATE GETTING THOSE TO COUNCIL BY MID NEXT YEAR.
SO PHASE TWO, AND THEN WE'LL KICK OFF PHASE THREE EARLY NEXT YEAR.
SO WE, THERE, THERE IS A BIT OF OVERLAP WITH THE PLANS.
SO AS WE ARE STARTING KIND OF THE ADOPTION PROCESS, SO WE HAVE PLAN DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS ONCE WE ISSUE KIND OF WHAT WE CALL OUR PUBLIC DRAFT, WE THEN START INTO THAT ADOPTION
[01:50:01]
PROCESS PHASE AND THEN START, WE'LL, STAFF WILL START LOOKING AT CREATING, UM, EXISTING CONDITIONS, ATLASES FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF PLAN.SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF OVERLAP, BUT SAY ONE PROJECT MANAGER, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR TEXAS A AND M PROJECT MANAGER IS ALSO THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE SOUTH SIDE.
JUST BECAUSE OF PROXIMITY, HE KNOWS THE AREA.
SO AS WE'RE WINDING DOWN WHEN WE'RE STARTING TO PICK UP THE OTHER.
AND JUST IT, BECAUSE IF THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU LET US KNOW.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS, AND TO ECHO SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES OR FROM EARLIER THIS WEEK, UH, IS BILINGUAL STAFF.
IF WE NEED MORE OF THAT AS WE GO INTO MEETINGS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS, PLEASE, UH, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE GET THE, THE STAFF THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE COMMUNICATING AT THESE MEETINGS.
UM, WITH THE LARGE SCALE, I KNOW WE CALL IT REZONING AND, AND FOR SOME IT'S RIGHT ZONING IN CERTAIN AREAS OF DISTRICT THREE.
UM, IS THIS PROCESS, IS IT ONLY INITIATED BY THE SA TOMORROW PLAN? OR CAN COUNCIL MEMBERS KIND OF INITIATE A LARGE SCALE REZONING? SO LARGE SCALE REZONINGS ARE DONE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
THE FIRST WAY IS THROUGH TYPICALLY A C C R BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WOULD GO THROUGH D S D.
WHAT WE DO IS ONCE A PLAN IS ADOPTED, WE LOOK AT WHERE THERE ARE INCONSISTENCIES WITH THE ZONING ON THE GROUND WITH THE ADOPTED LAND USE MAP.
SO WE AS THE CITY STAFF IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS.
WE DO RESEARCH, UM, YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE MAP ON, UH, SLIDE SEVEN, WHICH IS FOR THE BROOKS AREA.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS IDENTIFIED.
SO WE WILL START TO LOOK AND, UM, CATEGORIZE THE AREA OR LOOK AT THE AREAS, UM, DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF PARCELS THAT MAY HAVE INCONSISTENT ZONING, AND THEN DO A LOT OF RESEARCH.
WE WORK WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICE MM-HMM.
SO PLANNING ACTUALLY TAKES ON THAT PARTICULAR EFFORT OF ALIGNING THE ZONING WITH THE PLAN.
UM, AND WE'RE DOING THAT BECAUSE WE FOUND IN A LOT OF, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS MENTIONED THIS TO US VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS THAT PLANS WERE DONE, BUT THEN THE ZONING WAS NEVER ALIGNED WITH THE LAND USE.
AND SO THERE ALWAYS HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONCERNS.
AND, UH, THE ONLY THING, AND WE CAN TALK OFFLINE ABOUT THIS IS, UH, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT THREE AND OTHER PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, IS, UM, WORKING TO MITIGATE AND ADDRESS THE FOOD DESERTS IN THE AREA WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND SPECIFICALLY DISTRICT THREE, WHICH I COMPLETELY APPRECIATE.
I I ALSO GAIN A FOOD DESERT BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE TWO GROCERY STORES IN THE AREA.
SO IF WE COULD JUST ADDRESS THAT AND TALK MORE ABOUT THAT OFFLINE.
THAT, THAT'S IT FOR PLANNING, UH, RAMIRO FOR THE LIBRARY.
UM, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE WAY YOU TRANSITIONED SO QUICKLY, UH, FROM IN-PERSON TO VIRTUAL.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE BUDGET DID, AND THERE THERE IS A 2.1 MILLION CHANGE, BUT DID YOU SUBTRACT THAT 100,000 BECAUSE I, I THINK WE AS A CITY NEED TO FIND THAT 100,000 THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOSING BECAUSE OF THE REDUCTIONS OF NOT COLLECTING THOSE LIBRARY FEES, TRYING TO FIND THAT FOR YOU SOMEWHERE.
SO DID Y'ALL REDUCE IT OR IS IT NO, THE, THE FEES AND REVENUE THAT THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT, UH, GENERATES GOES BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.
IT DOESN'T GO DIRECTLY TO THE, TO THE LIBRARY.
IT'S NOT ASSIGNED DIRECTLY TO THE LIBRARY.
BUT I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO THAT LET'S TRY AND GET YOU MORE, BECAUSE 2.1 IS GOOD IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT I THINK THERE COULD BE MORE, ESPECIALLY FOR WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE LIBRARIANS TO DO.
AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD PROGRAM AND ANY MONIES WE CAN GET FROM, WHETHER IT'S ARPA OR, UH, OTHER DOLLARS TO, TO GO TOWARDS THAT PROGRAM, I'D LIKE TO SEE DOING THAT.
AND THE OTHER THING I WANNA APPLAUD YOU ON IS THE LIBRARY SAFETY.
I HAVE REUS AND, UM, MISSION LIBRARY IN DISTRICT THREE, AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE, UH, SECURITY, UH, GUARDS THERE AND THE GOOD JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING, KEEPING THAT AREA SAFE.
UM, I THINK FOR THE LIBRARY, THAT IS IT.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET PARKS AND REC.
UM, MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU IN TERMS OF THE SAFETY, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR SENIORS AND WOMEN
[01:55:01]
WHO USE OUR TRAIL SYSTEM AND RECREATION EXERCISE? UH, ARE WE, ARE YOU ALL JUST RELYING ON PARK POLICE AND THEN IS THAT A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE WE HAVE TO TA TAKE UP IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE? OR Y'ALL? IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE, UM, LIGHTING, EMERGENCY PHONES IN THE BUDGET FOR, FOR THE TRAILS AND THE PARKS? I, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.SO, UH, FOR US, UH, WE DO LOOK AT WHERE WE HAVE, UH, INCIDENT RATES AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
SO IF IT'S ABOUT, UM, BREAK CAR BREAK-INS AT A TRAIL HEAD, OR WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS THAT KIND OF MIGRATES AND BECOMES A LARGER ISSUE, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A MULTITUDE OF FACTORS.
SO ONE OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE THINGS THAT WE COULD EVALUATE AND IF THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC SEGMENTS IN MIND, UH, WE CAN GO ASSESS THOSE.
SO THAT'D BE THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
UM, AND THEN WE DO WORK CLOSELY WITH PARK POLICE.
SO FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE TRY REALLY TO ALIGN OUR TRAIL STEWARD PROGRAM THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WHICH IS NOT A, A PUBLIC SAFETY POSITION.
I MEAN, THESE ARE, UM, CIVILIAN POSITIONS THAT PROVIDE AN EXTRA SET OF EYES AND EARS.
SO WE TRY TO ALIGN THEIR SCHEDULES SO THAT THEY'RE COMPLIMENTING, COMPLIMENTING WHEN PARK POLICE, UM, MAYBE IS, IS NOT THERE MM-HMM.
SO I THINK IT'S A MULTITUDE OF THINGS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, LASTLY I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, I DO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH CAPTAIN BRADY WISE.
AND SO THINGS THAT WE SEE THAT, UM, ARE COMING UP, WE, WE TRY TO MITIGATE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE.
UH, AND ACTUALLY I, UM, WE TEAMED UP WITH AVIATION AND HAVE, UH, A REPORT LOCATION NOW OUT OF STINSON.
THAT WAS NOT THE CASE SIX MONTHS AGO.
AND IT WAS TO BE RESPONSIVE TO OUR GROWING PARK SYSTEM AND WHERE WE SEE REQUESTS FOR GREATER PRESENCE AND VISIBILITY.
AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS PANDEMIC AND ALL ALONG MY, UH, THE MISSION REACH IN DISTRICT THREE, I SAW ACTIVATION.
I SAW TONS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE.
BUT WITH THAT ALSO CAME AN INCREASE IN INCIDENTS.
AND WE LEARNED, MY STAFF AND I LEARNED THAT WE ONLY HAD TWO PARK POLICE FOR A WHOLE SECTION OF MISSION REACH, WHICH, WHICH ISN'T ENOUGH.
SO I WANT US TO LOOK CREATIVE, EVEN IF IT'S OUR, UM, OUR SAFETY PATROL OUT THERE WITH DRONES.
AND I KNOW THAT DOESN'T HELP, BUT KIND OF JUST MONITORING WHAT'S GOING ON ON THOSE TRAILS.
UH, I LOVED THIS SLIDE ON THE, UM, AND THIS IS, THIS WILL BE A LITTLE ON THE THREE, THE 10 MINUTE ACCESS TO PUBLIC GREEN SPACE, WHICH IS THE 10 MINUTE WALK TO A PARK, BECAUSE I HAVE THAT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I HAVE A 10 MINUTE WALK TO A PARK.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP ON GETTING INPUT FROM THE RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO DOG PARKS AND SKATING PLAZAS, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT BRINGING AN ELEMENT THAT THEY, THEY DON'T WANT.
SO IF WE COULD KEEP UP THOSE, UH, CONVERSATIONS.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, HOW CAN WE REESTABLISH OUR CORPORATE AND NON-PROFIT PARTNERSHIPS LIKE WE HAD WITH KABOOM U S A A, UM, I'M READY TO GET A PARK BY COCA-COLA IF I NEED TO
WE STILL HAVE, UH, A STANDING WITH KABOOM, IN FACT, UM, UNDER OUR PARK ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM PARK PLANNING, WE'RE ACTIVELY, UH, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH KABOOM FOR ANOTHER PLAYGROUND.
NO DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE YET, BUT, UM, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER.
SO, UH, IF THERE ARE THINGS RIGHT NOW READY ON THE TABLE, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF US HAVING A DIALOGUE.
UH, PART OF THE MOST CURRENT EXAMPLE OF CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP IS WITH THE PLAYA INITIATIVE AND SPURS GIVE MM-HMM.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S A HERE AND NOW THING THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO DRIVE FORWARD.
UH, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PARTNERSHIPS THAT IS PART OF OUR SYSTEM PLAN TO CONTINUE TO BE RESOURCEFUL IN THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES.
AND I JUST, JUPE PARK, THAT'S THE ONE ON MY RADAR.
UM, SORRY, I LOST MY COUNCIL MEMBER APPLIES.
UH, RAMIRO, WE, UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, AND AT THE SAME TIME WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT, UH, SENIOR CITIZENS, UH, AND THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE OFFERING THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LIBRARIES ARE AS RELEVANT TO THEM AS THEY ARE TO EVERYBODY ELSE.
[02:00:01]
AND I, I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE RIGHT NOW OR, OR SOMETIME LATER ABOUT, UH, YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OATS SENIOR PLANET AND HOW THAT HAS, UH, HOW WELL THAT HAS GONE.'CAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS FROM TALKING TO THEM THAT THAT'S GONE VERY WELL.
BUT I, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT Y'ALL'S PLANS ARE FOR GROWING THAT PROGRAM.
UM, I THINK THERE'S CONSENSUS ON THIS COUNCIL TO INCLUDE OATS, UH, EITHER IN THIS BENCH OF THIS, THIS ITERATION OF THE BUDGET, OR, UM, BY WAY OF ARPA FUNDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS AS ROBUST AS IT NEEDS TO BE.
I MAY BE PRESUMPTUOUS IN ASSUMING THAT THERE'S, THAT THERE'S SUPPORT ON THE COUNCIL, BUT I THINK I'VE HEARD IT.
UM, AND SO, UH, OFFLINE, MAYBE WE, WE CAN TALK, I, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING AND, UM, AS FAR AS HOMER YOUR, YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR PRESENTATION ON THE PARKS, LIKE ALL OTHER PRESENTATIONS.
UH, I, I, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I'M, AGAIN, VERY THANKFUL, UH, TO THIS COUNCIL AND, UM, TO THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL AND, AND TO YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR HELPING US MAKE DAN MARKS AND PARK A REALITY.
I THINK THAT OUR FRIEND DAN WOULD, UM, WOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING THERE.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU GUYS DEVELOP OUT AS FAR AS AN ULTRA ACCESSIBLE PARK.
I, I HAD THE, THE PLEASURE OF SITTING DOWN AND DOING A DEEP DIVE INTO ULTRA ACCESSIBILITY WITH GORDON HARTMAN.
UH, AND GORDON TAUGHT ME A LOT, AND I CONTINUE TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT WHAT ULTRA ACCESSIBILITY REALLY MEANS.
HE AND, UH, HIS GROUP OF EXPERTS ARE DEVELOPING OUT, UM, A SET OF DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR PARKS AND FACILITIES, UM, THAT WOULD BE ABOVE AND BEYOND BY MANY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, ABOVE AND BEYOND, UH, A D A REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE VIEWING THE AADA A AS A FLOOR, UM, AND STRIVING TO GET WAY PAST THAT.
THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF A D A IS, IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
AND SO, ONE OF THE THINGS I'LL DO GOING FORWARD IS, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M GONNA BE CHALLENGING YOU TO MAKE EVERY PARK IN SAN ANTONIO AN ULTRA ACCESSIBLE PARK THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND, UM, THE AADA.
A SO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY MAKE SWING SETS, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WHEELCHAIR BROWN.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, GORDON IS RIGHT WHEN HE WAS TELLING ME, HE'S LIKE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY AN ENTIRE SWING SET AND REPLACE ALL YOUR EQUIPMENT IN EVERY PARK.
HE GOES, HOW ABOUT YOU JUST PICK ONE SWING IN EVERY PARK AND MAKE THAT ONE SWING, UH, A A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE PARK? I'D, I'D, I'D BE SURPRISED IF ANYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT PROPOSITION THAT, THAT WE ADD ACCESSIBILITY TO OUR PARKS AS OPPOSED TO JUST BEING SATISFIED WITH A D A.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT JUST SATISFIED WITH A D A HOMER, BUT I THINK THAT WE, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO REACH FURTHER.
UH, AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.
ANYWAY, THOSE, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS GUYS.
I, I, I, I THINK WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TODAY IS GREAT.
C COUNCILMAN, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST ADD, I MEAN, I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THAT CONCEPT OF THE ULTRA ACCESSIBLE PARK.
AND, AND FRANKLY, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK AS A, AS A COMMUNITY, AS WE REPLACE EQUIPMENT OR WE DEVELOP NEW, UH, PARKS, THAT WE INCORPORATE THAT, THAT JUST BECOMES PART OF OUR NATURAL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE COMPLETELY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AND, AND, UH, ACTUALLY ALREADY MOVING ALONG ON THAT PATH.
AND TO, AND TO BEAT THE DEAD HORSE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHILE I CERTAINLY LOVE THIS DAN MARSON PARK IDEA, 'CAUSE IT'S SO UNIQUE AND SO SPECIAL, AND IT'S NAMED AFTER DAN, I, I'D LIKE, UM, FOR THIS PARK TO NOT BE UNIQUE ONE DAY, I, I WOULD LIKE FOR EVERYBODY TO GO TO ANY PARK AND ENJOY THE ACCESSIBILITY THAT THEY CAN ENJOY AT DAN MARKSON'S PARK.
AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE, YOU GOT A PARK LIKE THAT IN, IN YOUR DISTRICT TOO.
BUT I, I DON'T THINK THAT THESE NEED TO BE THE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE.
I THINK THESE NEED TO BE THE RULES.
BUT ERIC, ERIC, I, I, I LOVE, I LOVE YOUR COMMENT AND THANKS FOR, FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS.
UM, HOMER, I'VE GOT A COUPLE FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU HERE ON, UH, SLIDE NUMBER FOUR.
I SEE A CHANGE OF ALMOST $4 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND.
WHAT, WHAT IS THAT AND WHY? UH, THAT IS DIRECTLY, UH, DRIVEN BY THE INCREASE IN PERSONNEL SERVICES.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WAS IN THE PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET BY THE CITY MANAGER WAS A 4% INCREASE, UH, IN SALARIES.
AND THEN THE 1%, UM, PAYMENT, RIGHT? THE EQUIVALENT TO THE SALARIES.
WE ALSO, UH, HAD RECEIVED 500,000 IN MANDATES, WHICH SUPPORTS FIVE POSITIONS PLUS RESOURCES TO, UH, ACCOMMODATE 9.3 MILES OF TRAIL THAT WE'RE GONNA BE OPENING NEXT
[02:05:01]
FISCAL YEAR.AND THEN, UH, JUST ADJUSTMENTS TO SOME SCHEDULED LINE ITEMS. OKAY.
UM, AS FAR AS THE, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AFER PROTECTION PROGRAM.
WHAT DID, HOW MUCH, UM, DID WE RECEIVE FROM THE SALES TAX OVER THE TERM OF THE AFER PROTECTION PORTION OF THAT SALES TAX OVER THE, THE LIFE OF THAT PROGRAM? GIMME JUST A MOMENT, SIR.
NOW, AND, UH, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING HERE, THAT WAS OVER 20 YEARS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
I WAS JUST GONNA QUALIFY THAT THOUGH.
SO YOU ASKED ABOUT ACQUISITIONS, RIGHT? SO IN, UH, THE, THE 2015 SALES TAX WAS SET AT 100 MILLION FOR THE EDWARDS PROGRAM.
90 OF THAT WAS FOR ACQUISITIONS, 10 MILLION WAS FOR WHAT WE GENERICALLY REFERRED TO AS DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.
THE, SO THE THREE 15 WOULD BE THE ACQUISITIONS.
AND THEN, SO 325 OVER 20 YEARS, AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A HUNDRED OVER 10 YEARS.
SO THAT OVER, LET'S SAY OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS, THAT'S 200 MILLION.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE OFF A LITTLE BIT IN THE AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM, THE WAY I SEE IT, UNLESS, UM, UNLESS THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE, UM, DO WE GET GRANTS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
ALSO, UM, OVER THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM, THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE SOME FUNDS.
PROBABLY THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE OF THAT WAS, UH, THE EISENHOWER TRACK THAT CAME TO COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER OF 2019, I BELIEVE.
UH, AND SO THAT WAS IN PART, UM, PROP MONEY, UH, SALES TAX MONEY, EXCUSE ME, PROP ONE AND PROP TWO.
SO OUR HOWARD WP GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE ARE MAKING THE CONNECTION FOR LEON AND SATO.
AND THEN, UM, THERE WAS ALSO SOME REPI MONEY, UH, THAT WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, CAMP BULLIS.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE HAVE LEVERAGED AND EXTENDED FUNDING FOR THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM.
AND I, UM, AND I THINK WE GOT ABOUT 190 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR THE TRAILWAY SYSTEM, PLUS A 3 25 FOR THE, FOR THE AQUIFER PROTECTION.
UM, SO IN MY CALCULATIONS, I, I, I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE BIT SHORT IF WE STAY ON TRACK FOR THE AQUIFER PROTECTION COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAVE BEEN FUNDING ON THAT IN THE, IN THE TRAILWAY SYSTEM.
I, I, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE COUNTY IS ACTUALLY FUNDING MORE FOR OUR TRAILWAY SYSTEM THAN WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, UH, IN THEIR PROGRAM.
UH, SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE COUNTY PUT THAT FORWARD IN THEIR BUDGET AS WELL.
SO, JUST, JUST A COUPLE OF NOTES ON THAT, UM, ABOUT OUR AQUIFER PROTECTION TRAILWAY SYSTEM AND, UH, UH, HOW ARE, HOW ARE WE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON IDENTIFYING AND TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT THE TRAILWAY SYSTEM ON WHAT, WHAT WE HAD PLANNED VERSUS WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON THEIR, UH, BUDGETING? SO, UH, BRANDON ROSS AND MYSELF HAVE, UH, BEEN WORKING WITH THE RIVER AUTHORITY OVER THE PAST, SEEMS LIKE NEARLY TWO YEARS ON IDENTIFYING THOSE EIGHT PROJECTS.
AND SO, UM, THAT WAS REALLY CONTINUING PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD DIRECTLY INVEST IN, WERE IT NOT FOR THE COUNTY TO COME FORWARD WITH THAT.
THE COUNTY'S PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED, UM, EIGHT PROJECTS, 26 MILES OF TRAIL, $84 MILLION.
OUR SALES TAX UP UNTIL NOW HAS BEEN ON A FIVE YEAR INCREMENT.
SO, UH, WE'RE GLAD TO SEE THEM COMING TO, TO THE TABLE WITH THAT.
BUT THE, THE SELECTION OF PROJECTS, THAT WAS, AGAIN, LOOKING AT WHERE WE NEEDED TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS, WHERE IF THEY WEREN'T THERE, WE WOULD STEP IN AND DO IT.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF ONE OF THE GUIDELINES IN DETERMINING WHAT THOSE PROJECTS NEEDED TO BE.
LIBRARIES HERE, SLIDE NUMBER FOUR.
UM, YOU TALK ABOUT MAINTAINING ALL LIBRARY FACILITIES TO A
[02:10:01]
GRADE A.WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? GRADE A AND DO WE HAVE A LIST OF ALL LIBRARIES AND WHAT THEY'RE GRADED AT RIGHT NOW? YES.
SOME, A FEW YEARS BACK WE DEVISED, UH, LED BY KATHLEEN DONOLAN, WHO'S OUR ASSISTANT LIBRARY DIRECTOR AND OVERSEAS FACILITIES.
UH, SHE LOOKED AT BEST PRACTICES IN THE INDUSTRY AND DEVELOPED A RATING SYSTEM OR GRADING SYSTEM TO ALLOW US TO ASSESS THE CONDITIONS OF LIBRARY FACILITIES.
AND I, I HAVE NOT SEEN THE GRADING SYSTEM, AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO GET A COPY OF THAT SURE.
TO SEE WHAT OUR LIBRARIES AND DISTRICT 10 ARE GRADED AT AND WHAT THE PROGRAMS ARE THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED TO GET THEM UP TO AN A.
UH, AND I NOTICED THAT, UH, YATES LIBRARY WAS NOT ON THE LIST FOR, UH, HVAC UPGRADES.
AND YOU AND I KNOW THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THAT PARTICULAR LIBRARY, WITH HVAC SYSTEMS, UH, EVEN DURING VOTING TIMES, WE'VE HAD TO SHUT DOWN BECAUSE THE HVAC SYSTEM WASN'T WORKING, IF I MAY, YES.
WE DETERMINED IT WAS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE.
UH, THIS LAST, UH, ISSUE THAT WE HAD WAS A SENSOR.
UH, IT WAS NOT THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
WE INVESTED ABOUT $200,000, NOT MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
UH, I KIND OF HAD THE SAME PERCEPTION YOU DID, BUT IN VISITING WITH STAFF, AND THEY WALKED ME THROUGH, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE MADE.
SO THE, THE, THE ISSUE THAT WE HAD, THE LAST ISSUE WAS A SENSOR, NOT THE WHOLE SYSTEM THAT WAS OUTDATED OR, OR NOT.
IT'S NOT SCHEDULED FOR REPLACEMENT AT THIS POINT.
UM, HOPEFULLY IT'S FIXED AND WILL STAY FIXED FOR A WHILE.
UH, APPRECIATE IT ON SLIDE NUMBER FIVE, BUT YES, PLEASE GIVE ME THAT LIST OF HOW ABSOLUTELY OUR LIBRARIES ARE GRADED.
UH, SLIDE NUMBER FIVE SAYS, UH, GENERAL FUND AN ADDITIONAL 2.1 MILLION.
WHAT, WHAT IS THAT FOR? UH, THE BULK OF IT IS FOR COMPENSATION, THE PROPOSED INCREASE FOR SALARY AND BENEFITS.
UM, 922 IS FOR OPERATIONAL CAPACITY, SO THAT WE CAN ADD, UH, TWO POSITIONS.
ONE FOR THE NEW LEARN CENTER AT REIS AND THE OTHER ONE AT MEMORIAL AND 200,000 FOR SECURITY.
AND THE SECURITY IS FOR PEOPLE CONTRACT SECURITY.
HOW, HOW DO WE WORK WITH THE COUNTY, WITH THEIR LIBRARY SYSTEM? WE HAVE A VERY GOOD PARTNERSHIP.
I DO HAVE TO ADMIT, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE WEREN'T WORKING AS CLOSELY.
UH, BUT WE'VE HAD, WE'VE ENJOYED A, WELL, A PRETTY GOOD PARTNERSHIP AND RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH THE COUNTY.
AS YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE BIBLIOTECH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO EXTEND LIBRARY SERVICES, SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES TO, UH, FOLKS THAT LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS WITHIN BAYER COUNTY.
UM, SO IT'S A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
THEY, WE WORK TOGETHER, WE SHARE BEST PRACTICES.
THEY HAVE LIBRARIES WITHIN THE CITY ALSO, NOT JUST OUT IN THE COUNTY.
SO DO WE HELP ADVERTISE? DO WE CROSSTALK, DO WE, UH, WE DO CROSS, UH, CROSS PROMOTE.
WE NEED TO GET BACK TO MORE OF THAT.
UM, DO Y'ALL HAVE A CUSTOMER SURVEY SYSTEM AND, YOU KNOW, TO GAUGE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION? WE DO.
UM, IF YOU CHECK OUT AN ITEM, UM, YOU MAY BE SENT THE REMINDER IF YOU MAKE A RESERVATION THAT YOUR ITEM IS READY TO BE PICKED UP.
BY THE WAY, THERE'S A, WE, WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR OPINIONS.
AND I MENTIONED EARLIER, IN PART, AS PART OF MY PRESENTATION GOING FORWARD, GETTING CUSTOMER FEEDBACK IS HUGELY IMPORTANT, UH, TO DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF, UH, SERVICE STRATEGIES AND TACTICS WE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE TO REALLY, UM, UH, PROVIDE RESPONSIVE AND MEANINGFUL SERVICES.
SO FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT, AND AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT I ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WE'RE REALLY, UH, LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN, UH, BROADEN THAT RE REACH FOR COMMUNITY INPUT.
BUT WE DO HAVE IN PLACE, AND WE HAVE A SOFTWARE CALLED CUSTOMER ANALYTICS THAT CAPTURES ALSO FEEDBACK BECAUSE DATA IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE, UH, INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR THE TREE FUNDS AND ALL THOSE PROGRAMS. UH, AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST GOT A PRESENTATION RECENTLY FROM CITY STAFF ON A 20 20 17 BOND PROJECT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO FREDERICKSBURG ROAD, AND WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE SOME CONCRETE MEDIANS IN THAT ROAD.
THEY'RE GOING FROM FOUR LANES TO, TO THREE LANES, AND THERE'S GONNA
[02:15:01]
BE SOME MEDIANS ADDED THERE.AND MY THOUGHT PROCESS WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO SEE INSTEAD OF JUST CONCRETING THOSE MEETINGS, GET SOME TREES IN THOSE.
AND I KNOW, HOMER, THAT I SENT YOU AN EMAIL ABOUT THAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN HOW WE CAN CREATE A CITY POLICY.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THOSE MEETINGS, BUT EVERY MEETING AND GOING FORWARD AND HOW WE CAN INCLUDE THAT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF YOU COULD TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, AND IN RESPONSE TO THAT EMAIL, I'VE ALREADY REACHED OUT TO DAVID MACBETH IN PUBLIC WORKS SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE MEDIANS ON FREDERICKSBURG ROAD.
UH, BUT REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, KIND OF REALLY EXPANDING AND, AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN INCLUDE TREES AS PART OF RIGHT OF WAY PROJECTS.
SO I HIGHLIGHTED A COUPLE OF KEY ONES TODAY.
UH, THOSE AREN'T THE ONLY TIMES THAT WE'VE DONE IT.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY, UH, THE BEST EXAMPLE WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IT TO THAT MAGNITUDE.
SO FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE RIGHT OF WAY, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING, UH, RAZZIE AND HIS TEAM IN THAT I THINK HISTORICALLY, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE FACED IN GETTING TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY HAS BEEN MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THE DESIGN IS RIGHT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TREE CAN SURVIVE AND, AND THE GREATS ARE LARGE ENOUGH.
BUT THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, SAFETY BEING NUMBER ONE.
I, I THINK, UM, THAT WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES JUST MAKING SURE SIGHT LINES ARE CLEAR.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TWO TEAMS ARE COLLABORATING, UM, FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, CLEARLY THAT SOMETHING COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, SETS POLICY.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE TEAM IN PLACE AND THE RESOURCES TO, TO THINK CRITICALLY ON HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE, UH, TREES AS PART OF THESE PROJECTS.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'VE STARTED ON THAT.
AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW WE CAN, UH, WORK TO TOGETHER TO DEVELOP A POLICY SO THAT WE ALWAYS INCLUDE TREES IN THOSE SITUATIONS AS LONG AS THERE'S NOT A SAFETY ISSUE INVOLVED.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY CHANCE THAT THERE'S SOME, SOME, UH, MEDIANS THERE AND OR THERE'S A, I'M SORRY, THERE'S, WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS CALLED? THE CEMENT THINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD? I'M, I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN.
WHAT ARE THE NAMES OF THOSE SEA? I'M DRAWING A BLANK.
THE CEMENT THINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
ISLANDS OR THERE'S ALSO BULL BOUTS.
THERE'S DIFFERENT, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND UM, WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES ON THAT, UH, BANDERA CORRIDOR TO BE ABLE TO PUT TREES IN THERE.
OH, YOU MEAN, UH, FOR THE, THE CURRENT PHASE ONE, OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THE PHASE TWO? ANY OF 'EM? UM, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND LOOK AT, UM, IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN, BECAUSE AT LEAST FOR THE PHASE ONE, WE DO HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH, WITH TXDOT ON THAT.
UM, SO WHATEVER WE HAVE IN TERMS OF LAND USE AND DESIGN, THEY CAN WORK INTO THEIR, UM, FINAL DESIGN.
BUT WE COULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT.
UM, I HAVE MORE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS FOR PARKS.
UM, I THINK YOU'RE DOING GREAT WORK.
IT'S JUST COMMENTS, NO QUESTIONS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE FACILITIES AND PARKS DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PLANS.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CASTANO PARK, IT'S LOCATED ALONG THE CREEKWAY, UM, HAS A LOT OF HEAVY FOOT TRAFFIC.
UM, AND WITHIN THOSE RESTROOMS, UM, THERE'S ONLY ONE WOMAN'S AND ONE MEN'S RESTROOM WITH ONE STALL EACH.
THEY'RE PRETTY BIG STRUCTURES, BUT THEY ONLY HAVE ONE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, A A AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT INVESTING TO ENSURE THAT WE INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF STALLS, UH, WITHIN THOSE RESTROOMS. AND I'D LIKE TO EXPLORE USING A SMALL PORTION OF THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FUNDING TO ADD ANOTHER STALL TO EACH OF THE MEN AND THE WOMEN'S RESTROOM.
UM, AND I'M EVEN WILLING TO LOOK AT SHARING SOME OF THE FUNDING FROM DIFFERENT PARK PRO PROJECTS FOR THE MAINTENANCE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
SO ERIC AND STAFF, I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH THE ALL ENSURE THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN BY IDENTIFYING FUNDING.
UM, AND SPEAKING OF RESTROOMS, UM, THERE'S NOTHING SITTING OUT IN THE TEXAS HEAT, SO I'D LIKE TO ESTABLISH THE DIRECTION AMONGST MY COLLEAGUES THAT IF WE HAVE PORTAL POTTIES IN OUR PARKS, THAT WE PROVIDE SOME SHADE STRUCTURES, WHETHER THAT'S PLANTING TREES, UM, OR PUTTING SOME TYPE OF SHADE STRUCTURE TO ENSURE THAT IT'S JUST NOT OUT THERE.
UM, SO, UH, IN, UH, AGAIN, LIKE BACK ON THE TRAILS, I SPOKE TO DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENT TO DISTRICT BY RESIDENT WHO USES THE TRAILS, THE NEW ADDITION ON THE APACHE CREEK TRAIL HEAD OFF OF SOUTH BRAZOS SAN CHIHUAHUA.
AND THEY MENTIONED THAT IT'S NOT A D A ACCESSIBLE, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A PUBLIC WORKS, UH, CONVERSATION OR A PARKS CONVERSATION.
UM, IS, PARDON ME, IS THIS THE BRAZO STREET POCKET PARK? YES.
UH, I'M GONNA LOOK TO MELINDA BECAUSE I BELIEVE, UM, THAT IS A PROJECT THAT WE ARE DELIVERING AND, UM, IT'S NEW CONSTRUCTION.
[02:20:01]
PART OF THAT, UH, REQUIREMENT TO MEET STANDARDS IS THAT IT'D BE AADA A ACCESSIBLE, THE, UM, IT, THERE'S NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE TO THAT SPACE IN, IN PARK CLEARLY, BUT ALSO IS VERY BUSY.UH, BUT THE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS AND A D A ACCESSIBILITY ARE PART OF THE PROJECT.
YES, BUT WE ARE DRIVING IT, IT IS NOT A PUBLIC WORKS ISSUE.
IF WE COULD WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE ADDRESS THAT.
'CAUSE I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DIPPING INTO NAP FUNDING, UM, FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN DESIGN.
SO IF WE COULD WORK ON THAT, THAT'D BE GREAT.
YEAH, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE AND GET DETAILS.
'CAUSE THE PROJECT, UH, IS IS NEAR COMPLETION.
IF THERE'S A NEED THAT WE NEED TO EVALUATE AND THERE'S MAYBE SOMETHING WE MISSED, WE WILL GO BACK AND REMEDY IT.
BUT I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE.
UM, UH, THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, UM, BUT I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT LI LIBRARIES, PARKS ARE SOME OF THE LAST SPACES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND WITH ALL THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT BUDGETS BEING A MORAL DOCUMENT, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT OUR PREVIOUS BUDGETS HAVE DEFUNDED THE PARKS AND RECS DEPARTMENT BY OVER 5 MILLION SINCE 2012.
UM, WHILE SAP'S GENERAL FUND ALLOCATION HAS INCREASED BY 158 MILLION, IF THIS BUDGET IS APPROVED, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR CITY HAS GROWN BY OVER 300,000 PEOPLE, BUT WE ARE DOING OUR CURRENT AND OUR FUTURE RESIDENTS A DISSERVICE BY NOT PROPERLY INVESTING IN PARKS, HOUSING, AND OTHER BASIC SERVICES.
UM, FURTHER WITH THE NEW STATE LAW ON POLICE BUDGETS, CITIES WILL NEED TO SLASH BUDGETS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS IF THEY DO NOT KEEP THE POLICE BUDGET IN CHECK.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.
UH, JUST A QUICK WORK ROMERO, IF YOU COULD SEND ME THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEY I'D, I'D APPRECIATE THAT.
BRIDGET, GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES IN THE ANNEXATION POLICY DRIVEN BY THE LEGISLATURE AND, AND I, I THINK EVERYBODY DID A GREAT JOB AND THWARTING A LOT OF THAT, UH, AROUND OUR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AND US BEING ABLE TO KEEP THAT FIVE MILE, UH, RADIUS AROUND THE INSTALLATIONS, UH, FROM, UM, BAD DEVELOPMENT, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY, AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR, OUR, UH, REQUIREMENTS ARE MAINTAINED AND WE PROTECT THE MILITARY AROUND, AROUND, UH, ENCROACHMENT ISSUES.
UM, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, WHAT ARE Y'ALL LOOKING AT? I, I, I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED IN SLIDE NUMBER SIX WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT FINALIZING UPDATE OF THE CITY'S ANNEXATION AND GROWTH POLICY.
UM, SINCE THERE'S ONLY A, I I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO UPDATE BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF DRIVEN BY THE LEGISLATURE ON WHAT WE CAN ANNEX AND WHAT WE CAN'T ANNEX.
WELL, THE CITY DOES HAVE AN ANNEXATION GROWTH POLICY.
THE LAST TIME IT WAS UPDATED WAS PART OF THE 2016 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT PARTICULAR POLICY, IT ALLOW OUTLINES HOW WE COULD ANNEX BASED ON THE OLD STATE LAW.
AND SO WITH THE LAW CHANGING IN 2017, WE ARE STILL ABLE TO ANNEX JUST NOT IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE.
AND WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE FACT THAT, UM, WITH ANNEXATION, WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE MILITARY THE WAY WE CAN ANNEX AROUND MILITARY BASES, UM, VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO FORMALIZE IN THE POLICY.
ALSO, BACK THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY, UM, SPECIAL DISTRICT REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE NOW, UM, WHERE THEY'RE COMING IN AND WE HAD ONE ON, ON COUNCIL'S AGENDA LAST WEEK WHERE DEVELOPERS ARE COMING IN ASKING FOR COUNCIL'S CONSENT TO THE CREATION OF A PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO FORMALIZE IN THE POLICY, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT PROVISIONS, UM, THEM PAYING THE APPLICATION FEE, OPERATIONS ASSESSMENT FEES.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE LAST POLICY WA WAS DONE.
SO WE HAVE TO UPDATE THAT AND FORMALIZE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
ON SLIDE 10, UH, PERFORMANCE MEASURES, I, I WAS LOOKING AT THAT AND SAID, OKAY, AND, AND, UH, AS FAR BACK AS YOU HAVE ON THAT 2020 ACTUALS, YOU ONLY HAD FIVE SUBAR PLANS COMPLETED.
AND UM, AND THEN TARGET EIGHT AND THE ESTIMATE IS ONLY FIVE, BUT IN FOR 22 YOU HAVE 12.
HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU GONNA GET 12 DONE WHEN WE'VE NEVER REACHED THAT GOAL BEFORE? UM, THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE CUMULATIVE.
SO WE ADOPTED THE FIVE REGIONAL CENTERS IN FISCAL YEAR 2020.
OUR GOAL WAS TO THEN COMPLETE MORE REGIONAL CENTERS IN FISCAL YEAR 2021.
HOWEVER, WITH THE PANDEMIC, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO COMPLETE PHASE TWO AND THEN KICK OFF PHASE THREE.
SO THOSE SIX PHASE TWO RE, UH, SUB AREA PLANS AND THE REMAINING,
[02:25:01]
UM, PHASE ONE, THE WEST SIDE PLAN, THOSE ACCOUNT FOR THE ADDITIONAL SEVEN.SO THAT'S WHAT WE HOPE TO FINISH THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN START OFF WITH THE PHASE THREE PLANS.
SO THE ONES WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FINISH, WE WOULD LIKE TO NOW FINISH IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
SO THOSE ARE THE SEVEN, WHICH FIVE PLUS SEVEN EQUALS YOUR GOAL, AND THEN FIVE MORE MAKES, MAKES THE 12 IS CORRECT.
WELL, WE HAVE FIVE AND THEN WE WILL FINISH SEVEN.
IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, WHICH EQUALS 12.
AND THEN IN ANOTHER TWO YEARS WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER SIX AND THEN WE'LL KEEP UNTIL WE GET TO THE 30.
I COULDN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY WE ACTUALLY HAD.
OUR GOAL IS TO COMPLETE, UH, 30 SUBAR PLANS.
THAT WILL BE THE ENTIRE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND WHEN'S THE END DATE FOR THAT TOTAL? MID 2028.
THEY TAKE APPROXIMATELY 24 MONTHS TO DO.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
UH, THAT IS OUR DISCUSSION TODAY.
UM, THERE WAS, THERE'LL BE NO EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS THAT WERE POSTED FOR TODAY WILL BE CARRIED OVER TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH, AND MAY BE CONSIDERED AT ANY TIME DURING TODAY.
TOMORROW'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THE TIME IS NOW 4:37 PM AND TODAY'S MEETING IS NOW IN RECESS.
WE WILL BE BACK AT 5:00 PM FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.
PUBLIC HEARING MAYOR, AND A, UH, A BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET.