[00:00:02]
UH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY, UH, OUR FIRST MEETING IN THE BASEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR STAFF, FOR, UM, FOR GETTING US A ROOM SO QUICKLY.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO MEET CONSIDERING, UH, WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE OUR, UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WITH US.
AND SO WE HAVE, UM, OUR FIRST ITEM, UH, IS TO TAKE THE ROLE.
AND THEN OUR LAST MEETING WAS ON AUGUST 16TH, I'M SURE.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA REVIEWED THOSE MINUTES.
UM, I MOVED TO APPROVE OF THE MINUTES
[1. Approval of minutes from the August 16, 2021 meeting of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee]
SECOND.UH, WE NEED A VOTE ON, UH, ON, UH, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
UM, ARE WE DOING THE VOTES ON THE SYSTEM OR ARE WE JUST DOING VOICE VOTES? UH, WE CAN, LET'S TRY.
OH, I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY CARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT I THINK WE'RE SET UP.
PLEASE VOTE IF WE CAN, BECAUSE MINE'S GONNA SHOW UP AS JEFF AND RODRIGUEZ.
ACTUALLY, THEY'RE, THEY DON'T, THEY DID NOT PUT THE MEMBERS IN.
SO, SO LET'S JUST DO A VOICE VOTE.
JEFF, WE'VE GOT, UH, FOUR ITEMS TODAY.
UM, BUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND BUMP UP THE, UH,
[5. 3 called Special State Legislative Session]
SPECIAL SESSION AT THE, AT THE STATE, UH, ITEM SO THAT WE CAN, I THINK THAT YOU, YOU'RE RIGHT.THAT'S GONNA TAKE THE MOST CONVERSATION.
UH, JUST A COUPLE QUICK HOUSEKEEPING THINGS.
BOTH OF THE COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES HAD COMMUNICATED TO US THAT THEY COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY.
UM, WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE MEETING ANYWAY, BECAUSE THE SPECIAL SESSION STARTS MONDAY.
AND, AND WE'D LIKE TO GET DIRECTION AND INPUT FROM THE COUNCIL ON, ON SOME OF THE ITEMS ON THE CALL.
UH, SECONDLY, A REMINDER THAT THE REASON WE'RE IN THIS ROOM IS BECAUSE IT'S BROADCAST CAPABLE.
SO WE'RE LIVE STREAMING AND, AND BROADCASTING THE MEETING.
AND SO JUST A REMINDER TO TURN YOUR MICS ON, UM, WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN.
UM, SO, UH, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, WE WILL, WE'LL START WITH THE STATE SESSION ITEM.
UM, SO THIS IS THE THIRD SPECIAL SESSION FOLLOWING THE 87TH REGULAR SESSION THAT ENDED, UH, AT THE END OF MAY.
UH, IT BEGINS ON MONDAY, AS I MENTIONED, SEPTEMBER 20TH.
UH, AND THE RULES ARE THAT SPECIAL SESSIONS ARE CONVENED FOR 30 DAY PERIODS, UH, CAN ONLY BE CALLED BY THE GOVERNOR.
THE GOVERNOR DECIDES WHAT ITEMS GO ON THE CALL.
IT'S NOT A FREE FOR ALL, LIKE A REGULAR SESSION.
AND THERE ARE FIVE, UH, ITEMS, SEVERAL VERY BIG ITEMS, UH, ON THE CALL FOR THIS ONE.
UM, OTHER TOPICS CAN BE ADDED BY THE GOVERNOR AT ANY TIME, AND OTHER BILLS CAN BE FILED BY MEMBERS.
OFTEN MEMBERS FILE BILLS THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO ONE OF THE ITEMS IN THE CALL TO, TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
UM, AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL TRY THE SAME THING THROUGH AMENDMENTS.
BUT AS A GENERAL RULE, THE LEGISLATURE TRIES TO TREAT THE SPECIAL SESSIONS EFFICIENTLY, FOCUS ON WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAS ASKED THEM TO, AND, AND MOVE ON.
AND SO THE FIVE ITEMS WE TALKED ABOUT AT, UH, COUNCIL A WEEK OR SO AGO ARE OF COURSE THE BIG REDISTRICTING.
UM, THAT MAY TAKE, WELL, MORE THAN 30 DAYS.
UM, THE APPROPRIATION OF, UH, NORTH OF $16 BILLION IN ARPA MONEY THAT WENT TO THE STATE.
UH, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT GOVERNMENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MANDATE VACCINES.
UM, THE TRANSGENDER STUDENT ATHLETE BILL THAT HAS, UH, UH, DIED BOTH IN THE REGULAR SESSION AND NOW THROUGH TWO SPECIALS.
UM, AND I'LL GET INTO THAT IN A SECOND.
AND THEN A, A SORT OF REHASH OF A BILL THAT PASSED DURING THE REGULAR SESSION RELATED TO RESTRAINT OF A DOG, UH, AND THEN WAS VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR.
AND SO WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE FIVE, GIVE YOU A LITTLE BRIEF HISTORY AND WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS ON HOW WE APPROACH IT NEXT WEEK.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, THAT'S ALL SUBJECT TO THE DIRECTION YOU GIVE US AS A BODY.
UH, AS I MENTIONED IN COUNCIL LAST WEEK, WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT WAS PASSED FOR THE 87TH.
IT DOESN'T ADDRESS EVERY ISSUE.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE JUDGMENT CALLS THAT NEED TO BE MADE, AND THAT'S THE, THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE TO HELP US, UH, SETTLE ON THE RIGHT POSITION FOR SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
SO ON THE REDISTRICTING FRONT, UM, WE DID HAVE LANGUAGE IN OUR STATE PROGRAM DO HAVE LANGUAGE IN OUR STATE PROGRAM THAT SIMPLY SAYS WE SUPPORT A DATA DRIVEN, AS OPPOSED TO POLITICAL, A DATA-DRIVEN REDISTRICTING PROCESS THAT ULTIMATELY PROVIDES FAIR AND EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION, UH, REFLECTING OUR COMMUNITY'S RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY.
[00:05:01]
I REALIZE THAT'S A HARD THING TO DEFINE.UM, WE'VE CONVEYED THAT MESSAGE ALL ALONG.
COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA TESTIFIED VERY EARLY ON TO THE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE.
UH, THE REALITY IS, UNTIL WE SEE MAPS AND THEY'RE, AND THE FIRST, UH, MAPS COULD BE RELEASED AS EARLY AS MONDAY, UH, IT'S HARD TO WEIGH IN AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IMPACT THE REDRAWING OF, OF DISTRICTS WILL BE.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT, OBVIOUSLY, IS TO MONITOR, WAIT TO SEE THE MAPS.
WE'LL REPORT TO YOU ON, ON WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
UH, AND INEVITABLY IT IS A VERY PARTISAN PROCESS BY NATURE.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, DISTRICTS, UH, THAT ARE LOSING RESIDENTS AND ADDING RESIDENTS, AND THAT MAY CHANGE, UH, PARTY HANDS.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TALK THROUGH ALL THAT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT, IF ANY OF THE CITY'S PLACE IS IN THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, THE, THE SECOND ITEM IS THE ARPA FUNDING.
UH, OF COURSE, WE GOT, UH, ARPA MONEY DIRECTLY, AS YOU KNOW, WELL TO THE CITY.
320, JUST UNDER 327 BILLION, DO A MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION OF WHICH, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, SPENT AS PART OF THE F Y 22 BUDGET TO OFFSET REVENUE LOSSES AND ADDRESS SOME IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
SO WE HAVE OUR REMAINING POT OF 2 26 OR SO THAT WE WILL HAVE A VERY THOROUGH COMMUNITY PROCESS THIS FALL TO DETERMINE HOW TO SPEND.
THE STATE MEANWHILE HAD ITS OWN ALLOCATION, UM, AND THE GOVERNOR LEFT IT TO THE SPECIAL SESSION FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO DECIDE HOW TO SPEND THAT MONEY.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT THERE IS, AS I MENTIONED A COUNCIL LAST WEEK, THERE IS A, UM, A, UH, A VERY, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD THAT THE, THE STATE LEADERSHIP HAS CONVEYED A POSITION THAT CITIES HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED ALL THE RELIEF MONEY THEY NEED AND, AND THAT THE STATE MONEY OUGHT NOT TO GO TO CITIES WHEN WE HAVE OUR OWN DIRECT FUNDING.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING SOME STRATEGIC APPROACH TO IT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN GIVE US MONEY, BUT RATHER ADDRESSES SOME OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS IN AREAS THAT MAYBE ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE STATE TO ADDRESS.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT ARE IN SOME GENERAL CATEGORIES.
UM, I'M GONNA START WITH THE THIRD ONE, WHICH IS THE OBVIOUS, THE COVID RESPONSE.
UM, ANY DOLLARS THAT THE STATE SPENDS ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE IS MONEY THAT WE PERHAPS DON'T HAVE TO.
ONE EXAMPLE IS, RIGHT NOW T DMM IS, UM, CONDUCTING TESTING, UH, I'M, I'M SORRY, VACCINATION CLINICS AT THE AIRPORT AND HAVE BEEN FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, AND WE'RE RUNNING SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE A DAY THROUGH THOSE CLINICS.
AND SO THAT'S AN EXPENSE THAT METROHEALTH DOESN'T HAVE TO ENDURE.
UH, SIMILARLY, UH, DURING THE RECENT, UH, SURGE, UH, FROM THE DELTA VARIANT, WHEN HOSPITALS WERE REALLY FEELING THE STRESS, THE STATE STEPPED IN AND PROVIDED, UH, NURSES FOR HOSPITALS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND THINGS HAVE STARTED TO LEVEL OFF A LITTLE BIT.
BUT THAT STATE SUPPORT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEEK, OF COURSE, UH, IN, IN HELPING US ADDRESS, UH, ANY UPCOMING CHALLENGES RELATED TO COVID.
UM, BROADBAND IS AN ISSUE THAT REALLY IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE STATE TO FUND.
THEY PASSED HB FIVE DURING THE REGULAR SESSION, WHICH CREATES A BROADBAND OFFICE, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN STOOD UP YET, BUT THE BILL CREATES IT.
UM, IT CALLS ON THE OFFICE TO DO STATEWIDE MAPPING, EITHER USING FEDERAL DATA OR THE STATE'S OWN DATA, NEITHER OF WHICH HAS OCCURRED YET.
AND IT CREATES A GRANT PROGRAM FOR AREAS THAT ARE UNDERSERVED, WHICH THEY DEFINE AS, UH, FEWER THAN 80% OF THE, UH, RESIDENTS OR POPULATION IN THAT AREA HAVING A HIGH SPEED BROADBAND CONNECTION.
SO, UH, WE BELIEVE IT'S PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE FOR US TO BE IN AUSTIN SAYING WE ARE READY.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF MAPPING AND A LOT OF WORK AT OUR, AT, AT OUR, AT OUR OWN LEVEL LOCALLY.
UH, AND WE HAVE SOME AREAS OF MAJOR NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE HOPE THAT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, UH, THAT FUNDING IS PUT TOWARDS, UH, BROADBAND, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY AFFORDABILITY AND, AND EDUCATION AROUND, UM, DIGITAL USAGE.
UH, WE THINK OUR FOR-PROFIT PARTNERS WILL BE, UH, IN ALIGNMENT WITH US.
AND, AND ULTIMATELY THEY MAY BE THE ONES WHO DO, WHO PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
IN FACT, THE BILL ONLY ALLOWS GOVERNMENT TO APPLY FOR SOME OF THIS FUNDING IF NO PRIVATE SECTOR PROVIDER HAS, HAS SOUGHT THE FUNDING TO SERVE THAT AREA.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A WAIT AND SEE, BUT WE THINK THAT'S AN OBVIOUS CATEGORY FOR US TO, TO ASK FOR.
SECONDLY, ON THE HOUSING FRONT, YOU ALL KNOW, WELL, YOU'VE ASKED THE QUESTION MANY TIMES ABOUT THE HOUSING MONEY AND HOW LONG IT WILL LAST.
THE EMERGENCY HOUSING MONEY HERE WE'RE SCHEDULED RIGHT NOW THROUGH DECEMBER, I BELIEVE, WAS THE LAST REPORT FROM LORI.
UH, MEANWHILE, THE STATE HAS ITS OWN HOUSING, UH, UH, RELIEF PROGRAM.
[00:10:02]
AND AS RESIDENTS EXHAUST THEIR, UH, SUPPORT FROM US LOCALLY, WE SEND THEM TO THE STATE.AND SO WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO SEE T D H C A FUNDED BY THE, BY THIS, UH, BY THE LEGISLATURE, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT BACKSTOP.
UH, SIMILARLY, WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
T D H C A AS, AS YOU KNOW, IS SHARING FUNDING WITH US, KNOWING THAT WE CAN GET IT OUT QUICKLY AND THERE'S NEED FOR IT.
UH, SO THAT'S ANOTHER OBVIOUS CATEGORY THAT IS NOT A DIRECT ASK TO THE CITY, BUT IS IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE'RE GATHERING REQUESTS FROM A LOT OF OUR PARTNERS RIGHT NOW.
UM, PRISCILLA CAMACHO'S HERE FROM ALAMO COLLEGES, UH, COMMUNITY COLLEGES ACROSS THE STATE ARE REQUESTING FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT WERE AUTHORIZED BY THE LEGISLATURE, BUT NOT FUNDED.
UM, WE'RE TALKING TO OUR, OUR HEALTHCARE PARTNERS, OUR HOSPITAL PARTNERS, OUR, UH, FOR-PROFIT PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND COLLECTING THEIR REQUESTS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM.
WE DON'T NEED TO BE THE LEAD ON THOSE, BUT WE CERTAINLY WANNA LEND OUR, UH, OUR SUPPORT TO THEM.
AM I MISSING ANY, CHRISTINE? ONE OF THE ELIGIBLE EXPENSES IS, UM, UH, WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, ONE OF THE ELIGIBILITY UNDER ARPA.
UH, SO WE'VE ASKED SAWS AND THEY ARE, UH, PLANNING TO SEEK FUNDING TO MAKE THE, THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE MORE RESILIENT.
AND WAS THAT IT, I THINK, UM, SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GATHERING THOSE, BUT, UM, UH, WE, WE WILL LIKE TO BE SUPPORTING OUR PARTNERS THERE.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, TWO MEMBERS WHO SERVE IN THE RELEVANT COMMITTEES.
UH, IN TERMS OF APPROPRIATIONS ON THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
OUR ONLY SAN ANTONIO MEMBER IS SENATOR CAMPBELL.
AND ON THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, OUR ONLY SAN ANTONIO MEMBER IS REPRESENTED MINHA.
SHE IS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON, UH, STRATEGIC FEDERAL RELIEF FUND.
SO IN THEORY, SHE'LL PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE IN, IN HELPING DECIDE HOW THAT MONEY GETS SPENT, AT LEAST ON THE HOUSE SIDE.
UH, THE THIRD ISSUE IS THE TRANSGENDER STUDENT ATHLETES BILL.
AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY HERE, THE, THE MAYOR.
AND, UH, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION AT COUNCIL LAST WEEK ABOUT, UH, TAKING A DEFINITIVE POSITION ON IT.
WE WILL LOOK FOR THAT DIRECTION FROM YOU.
BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE HISTORY.
UM, DURING THE REGULAR SESSION, THERE WAS A, THERE WERE SEVERAL BILLS, AND ONE OF THEM RELATED TO COLLEGE SPORTS SPECIFICALLY, THAT, UM, THAT STUDENT ATHLETES AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL COULD NOT COMPETE IN A ATHLETIC CATEGORY, UH, FOR WHICH THE GENDER WAS OPPOSITE, WAS THE LANGUAGE THEY USED TO THEIR BIRTH, UH, GENDER TO THEIR GENDER AT BIRTH.
IN OTHER WORDS, TRANSGENDER ATHLETES COULD NOT COMPETE IN THEIR PREFERRED CATEGORY.
THEY HAD TO COMPETE IN THE CATEGORY OF THEIR, UH, BIRTH, UH, THEIR GENDER AT BIRTH.
UM, WE, UH, AT RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THE BILL CAME OUT, THE NCAA MADE A SOMEWHAT VAGUE, BUT SOMEWHAT POINTED STATEMENT ABOUT NOT GOING TO STATES THAT PASSED DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION.
UM, WE HAD SEVERAL CALLS WITH THE NCAA TO TRY TO PARSE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE SAYING, AND, AND WE DIDN'T GET CLARITY ON IT.
BUT THE INTERPRETATION WAS THAT IF A BILL LIKE THAT PASSED THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, OUR, UH, 2025 NCAA FINAL FOUR, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD BE IN JEOPARDY.
SO WE HAD SOME CALLS WITH, UH, OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, THE VISITOR INDUSTRY, THE CHAMBERS, UH, AND ALL WERE MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF OPPOSING THE BILL, UH, FOR THE ARGUMENT THAT IT HAD A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR ECONOMY AND OUR ABILITY TO BE COMPETITIVE.
ULTIMATELY, UM, THE LEGISLATURE DID NOT MOVE THAT LEGISLATION.
THEY FOCUSED INSTEAD ON A BILL THAT RELATED ONLY TO, UH, INTERSCHOOL SPORTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
UH, AND THAT THAT FAILED DURING THE REGULAR SESSION.
UH, IT FAILED DURING THE FIRST AND SECOND SPECIAL SESSION, AND THE GOVERNOR HAS PUT IT ON NOW FOR THE THIRD, UH, TIME.
UM, WE HAVE NOT TAKEN A POSITION TO DATE ON THIS WITH THE ARGUMENT BEING THAT INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS BETWEEN TEXAS SCHOOLS, UH, IS NOT A VISITOR COMPETITOR, A VISITOR INDUSTRY ISSUE, BECAUSE THEY GOTTA COMPETE SOMEWHERE IN TEXAS.
AND IT'S THE SAME RULES EVERYWHERE.
MORE TO THE POINT, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE NOT TAKEN A POSITION ON THIS AGENDA, AND WE TYPICALLY LOOK TO THEM FOR ISSUES RELATED TO EDUCATION.
UM, ALL THAT SAID, UH, WE ARE STARTING TO HEAR MORE FROM OUR VISITOR INDUSTRY NOW, UH, THAT THIS CASCADE OF BILLS THAT ARE DEEMED TO BE DISCRIMINATORY, UH, THE, THE, UM, WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY DISCRIMINATORY IN ALL OF 'EM, THE BILLS THAT HAVE GOTTEN NATIONAL ATTENTION, THE VOTER BILL THAT PASSED LAST SPECIAL, THE ABORTION BILL, AND
[00:15:01]
THEN NOW THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS TRANSGENDER BILL ARE, UH, ARE CONCERNING TO THE INDUSTRY IN TERMS OF THEIR ABILITY TO COMPETE FOR EVENTS THAT PEOPLE WON'T COME TO THE STATE.UH, IT'S HARD TO, TO DISTINGUISH WHETHER THIS BILL, THIS NEXT ONE WOULD BE THE DEATH NAIL VERSUS THE TWO PREVIOUS ONES THAT HAVE GOTTEN NATIONAL ATTENTION.
BUT, UH, I FEEL OBLIGATED TO SHARE THAT WE ARE HEARING THAT NOW FROM OUR FOLKS AT THE, IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY AND FROM THE CONVENTION, UM, INDUSTRY.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT IS TO MONITOR IT, CONTINUE WATCHING IT, AND DETERMINE LATER IF WE NEED TO STEP IN AND TAKE ACTION.
BUT IF, IF THE COUNCIL ULTIMATELY DECIDES THAT WE WANT TO TAKE A STRONGER STANCE ON IT, UH, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER SCHOOLS AND CHAMBERS AND SO FORTH ARE, UH, THEN OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THE MESSAGE WE WILL, WE WILL CARRY UP TO AUSTIN.
UM, ON THE VACCINE MANDATE, UM, THE GOVERNOR HAS ALREADY, UH, PREEMPTED OUR AUTHORITY TO MANDATE VACCINES BOTH IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND EVEN FOR OUR OWN ORGANIZATION.
UM, HE'S PUT THIS ON THE CALL SO THAT THE LEGISLATURE ULTIMATELY CAN CODIFY, MAKE THAT DECISION PERMANENTLY AND PUT IT IN STATE LAW.
UH, WE THINK THE SWEET SPOT FOR US IS TO OPPOSE LEGISLATION THAT PROHIBITS US FROM MANDATING VACCINES FOR OUR OWN EMPLOYEES.
IT'S CERTAINLY A BIGGER DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER A CITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO MANDATE IT ACROSS THE CITY.
BUT AT A MINIMUM, WE FEEL AS AN EMPLOYER, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REQUIRE A VACCINE, UH, IF WE SO CHOOSE.
AND SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE, THAT WE THREAD THE NEEDLE IN THAT WAY, THAT WE SUPPORT ANY LEGISLATION THAT RESPECTS OUR RIGHT AS AN EMPLOYER AND OPPOSE ANYTHING THAT WOULD PROHIBIT US FROM FROM DOING THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE, UM, UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT OF, OF A DOG BILL.
UH, IT WAS PASSED DURING THE REGULAR SESSION SENATE BILL 4 74.
IT BASICALLY ALIGNS WITH OUR ORDINANCE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN CHAPTER FIVE.
IT SAYS THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA, UH, TETHER AN ANIMAL OUTSIDE, IT CAN'T BE WITH A HEAVY CHAIN THAT'S CHOKING THE ANIMAL.
THEY MUST HAVE SHADE, UH, THEY MUST HAVE, UH, ADEQUATE WATER.
UM, THEY CAN'T BE LEFT IN STANDING WATER.
UH, IT'S A, IT'S A COMMON SENSE, UH, ANTI ANIMAL CRUELTY, UH, LEGISLATION.
WE SUPPORTED IT DURING THE REGULAR SESSION.
I BELIEVE SHANNON SIMS TESTIFIED ON IT.
UH, IF NOT, WE SUBMITTED LETTERS AND, AND REGISTERED OUR SUPPORT.
THE GOVERNOR VETOED IT, UH, AFTER THE SESSION CALLING IT MICROMANAGEMENT, AND HE WAS HEAVILY CRITICIZED FOR IT.
UH, AND HAS SINCE PUT IT BACK ON THIS CALL, UH, WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT IT ADDRESSES THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS VETO.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE CONCERNS MIGHT BE.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE LEGISLATION IF IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT PASSED BEFORE.
AND OUR ORDINANCE, OBVIOUSLY, WE'LL NEED TO WAIT AND SEE WHETHER, UH, THE GOVERNOR'S CONCERNS LEAD TO A CHANGING OF THAT.
AND SO LONG AS IT DOESN'T PREEMPT OUR ORDINANCE, UH, WE USUALLY DON'T HAVE A, A DOG IN THE FIGHT, FORGIVE THE PUN.
UM, BUT AS LONG AS WE'RE ALLOWED TO EITHER HAVE OUR ORDINANCE AND OR THE STATE LAW, UH, IS, UH, MATERIALLY SIMILAR TO IT, THEN WE WOULD RECOMMEND SUPPORTING THAT.
AND SO, WITH FOLLOWING THE DISCUSSION HERE, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEND AN EMAIL TO OUR DELEGATION THIS WEEKEND, STAKING OUT OUR POSITIONS AS THEY CONVENE ON MONDAY.
UM, WE ALSO COMMUNICATE TO OUR LOBBY TEAM, UH, WHAT OUR POSITIONS ARE AND ASK THEM TO, TO WORK FOR US IN ADVANCING THEM.
UH, WE'LL BEGIN MONITORING THE HEARINGS IN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE, WHICH WILL BEGIN MONDAY.
THE SCHEDULES AREN'T OUT YET, I DON'T BELIEVE, BUT THEY COME OUT MONDAY.
UH, AND THEN WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED, UH, BY EMAIL WHEN IT'S IN BETWEEN MEETINGS, UH, AND, OR YOU CAN CALL ME ANYTIME AND WE'LL, WE'LL TALK.
BUT, UH, BUT THEN OBVIOUSLY IF THERE ARE SOME MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS, UH, ERIC USUALLY WANTS US TO COME BEFORE THE FULL COUNCIL AND PROVIDE THAT UPDATE.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'LL PAUSE AND ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M, I, I, PRISCILLA CAMACHO FROM A C C D IS HERE.
AND SO YOU MENTIONED THE, UH, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PRISCILLA, I, IT, SORRY, PRISCILLA, IF, IF THERE IS A, UH, A SPECIFIC ASK YOU HAVE OF THIS COMMITTEE, UM, NOW'S THE TIME, RIGHT? UM, AND IF IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MONITORING, UM, THAT'S FINE.
BUT TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN, IN, IN THESE CONVERSATIONS? YOU, YOU GUYS ARE ESSENTIAL TO US FOR THE READY TO WORK PR, UH, PROGRAM.
AND, UM, ALSO THIS, THIS C O V I D, UM, MASK AND VACCINE MANDATE THING I'M, IS, IS IMPORTANT TO YOU GUYS, BUT WHERE DO YOU STAND AND WHAT DO YOU WANT? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING ME, UM, ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THOSE.
UM, BUT WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE CITY'S SUPPORT DURING A LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE TEAM, AND SO, UM, WE, THERE WAS A LOT OF ALIGNMENT.
[00:20:01]
ANYTHING LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WE ARE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU BECAUSE WE ARE, WE GET THE HITS JUST AS MUCH AS YOU ALL DO.UM, AND IF PEOPLE FORGET THAT THE COLLEGES ARE A LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY MM-HMM.
SO WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
SO LET ME COVER THE TWO ITEMS. IT'S A TOTAL, UH, FUNDING REQUEST OF $325 MILLION.
UM, THIS IS A UNIFIED EFFORT AMONGST ALL 50 COMMUNITY COLLEGES, BOTH URBAN, RURAL, YOU NAME, THEY'RE, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
AND SO PART OF IT IS $75 MILLION FOR THE TRUE WORKFORCE PROGRAM.
THIS WAS SUPPORTED UNANIMOUSLY ACROSS BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY LEADERS THAT WE WORKED WITH C OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES.
UM, AND IT'S AIMED AT LOOKING AT PROGRAMS, CREATING NEW, EXPANDING THOSE PROGRAMS THAT ALREADY WORK, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PUT PEOPLE THAT WERE IMPACTED BY COVID.
SO VERY, IT SOUNDS SIMILAR, DOES IT SOUNDS SIMILAR, DOESN'T IT, TO WHAT WE DID HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH Y'ALL, UM, FUNDED HERE.
UM, BUT TRYING TO TAKE THAT TO SCALE AT A STATEWIDE LEVEL.
UM, AND REALLY USING SOME OF THIS, WE'VE BEEN SHARING SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WITH THE WORK HERE, UM, TO TRY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
IT FOCUSES ON SIX MONTH PROGRAMS. SO IT IS VERY MUCH ABOUT SHORT TERM CREDENTIALING PROGRAMS. UM, IT WAS CREATED, BUT IT WASN'T FUNDED.
HOUSE BILL TWO, WHICH WAS THE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS IN THE REGULAR SESSION, DID PUT A LINE ITEM THERE THAT IF THERE WAS FEDERAL AID RECEIVED BY THE STATE, THAT IT'D BE SOME MONIES BE USED TO FUND THIS PROGRAM AND CREATE THIS PROGRAM.
IT WOULD BE HOUSED AT THE HIGHER ED BOARD, BUT REQUIRES COORDINATION WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS, UM, WORKFORCE CENTERS, REGIONAL DATA.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT THE EMPLOYERS DO REALLY CREATE AND REALLY KIND OF PUSH THE INITIATIVE AND THEN WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES, THE TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL SCHOOLS, AND THEN THE LAMAR STATES, WHICH ARE, UM, UP IN EAST TEXAS.
THE OTHER PORTION OF THE GRANT, UM, THE MONIES WE'RE REQUESTING IS $250 MILLION TOWARDS LEARNING LOSS AND OTHER NEEDS THAT OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES HAVE SUFFERED.
UM, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE IN ALAMO.
WE, UM, WE HAVE SOME RESOURCES WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE MONIES WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY, THE COUNTY, AND OTHER ENTITIES, UM, TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
BUT THE LEARNING LAWS THAT YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT IN THE NEWSPAPERS IN K THROUGH 12 DIDN'T END THERE.
IT, IT'S COMING IN KIND OF BLEEDING INTO OUR FIRST TIME IN COLLEGE.
WE'VE DONE GREAT WORK, HAS HAS K THROUGH 12 AND DEVELOPMENTAL ED, AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS, WHEN THEY COME TO OUR CAMPUSES, THEY ARE COLLEGE READY.
WE'RE SEEING A SPIKE IN THE STUDENTS THAT ARE NEEDING DEVELOPMENTAL ED, NOT JUST IN MATH, BUT ALSO IN ENGLISH.
UM, AND SO THINGS THAT WE WERE MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE COLLEGE READY AND GO THROUGH COLLEGE AND THEN MAKE IT TO THE CAREER.
UM, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME HITS.
UM, AND NO FAULT OF K THROUGH 12.
I MEAN, THIS WAS IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES.
EVERYBODY IS DOING WHAT THEY CAN, BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING THAT IMPACT.
AND SO PART OF THIS IS $250 MILLION THAT WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO ALL 50 USING A FORMULA BASED ON FIRST TIME IN COLLEGE ENROLLEES, AND THEN THOSE, UH, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIMS. OKAY.
SO MY WOULD BE SUPPORT FOR THIS REQUEST.
WE ARE WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS.
I'VE SENT THIS ALSO TO OUR CHAMBER PARTNERS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH JULIA GRIZZARD AND THE BEXAR COUNTY EDUCATION COALITION TO, TO WORK WITH OUR ISDS.
THIS IS TRULY A COMMUNITY REQUEST BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT JUST OUR ADULT, UM, ADULT ED STUDENTS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE WORKFORCE PROGRAMS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE UNDER OTHER END OF THE PIPELINE.
SO OUR RECENT GRADS, OUR INCOMING GRADS, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THEM IN THERE AND WE HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES WE NEED, AND WE'RE TRYING TO SUPPLEMENT AND USE ALL THE FEDERAL MONIES WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COLLABORATING AND COMBINING THOSE, NOT TRYING TO JUST GO INTO THE SAME STRATEGIES.
'CAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON.
WE SERVE A VERY LARGE POPULATION.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES THERE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
MY, UM, MY WIFE IS A PROFESSOR AT A C C D.
AND, UM, SHE SEES WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FIRSTHAND AS FAR AS A LEARNING LOSS.
UH, SHE TEACHES THAT, UM, FIRST YEAR SEMINAR.
AND, UM, THERE IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WIND BLOWING THROUGH THOSE CLASSES THAN THERE EVER WAS BEFORE.
AND A LOT OF THESE STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH THAT.
AND SO, UM, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S REAL.
UM, BUT TO THE EXTENT ON, ON THE, UH, ON THE ISSUE OF, OF SUPPORT FOR THESE LEGISLATIVE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I IMAGINE THERE'S GONNA BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, FOR TESTIFYING.
I'LL REMIND YOU, WE HAVE TWO VERY SMART EDUCATORS ON OUR, ON OUR COUNCIL.
UM, AND I'D I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEEK, UM, THEIR HELP, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO GO UP AND TESTIFY, UM, AND HELP YOU TELL SAN ANTONIO'S STORY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE JUST GONNA GO AROUND THE HORN AND SEE IF ANYBODY'S GOT QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING OVER HERE TODAY.
UM, FOR ME, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEE.
SO A HALF A BILLION DOLLARS TOTAL? NO, IT'S, IT'S A TOTAL REQUEST OF 3 25 75 FOR A WORKFORCE PROGRAM THAT WAS CREATED IN THE SESSION.
[00:25:01]
THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATED TO ALL 50 COMMUNITY COLLEGES? CORRECT.AND, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TOTAL REQUIREMENT IS AND WHAT THE TOTAL RESOURCES ARE THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO YOU FOR THAT REQUIREMENT.
SO IT WOULD BE HARD FOR ME TO SAY, OKAY, Y'ALL NEED WHATEVER AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU NEED, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR REQUIREMENT IS.
AND WHY ARE YOU ASKING FOR THIS ADDITIONAL MONEY? UH, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT BACKS THAT UP, SAYING, OKAY, HERE'S OUR PROGRAMS. THESE ARE THE RESOURCES, UH, THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, AND THIS IS THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO FILL THAT REQUIREMENT.
SO, UH, AND I CAN SEND YOU A ONE PAGER WE HAVE ON, SO WE HAVE A COLLECTIVE, WE WORK WITH OUR TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES, SO VERY SIMILAR TO T M L AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU ALL WORK WITH.
AND SO THEY ARE REALLY TAKING THE LEAD ON BEHALF OF ALL 50 COMMUNITY COLLEGES FOR THIS, THIS PITCH.
WE'RE SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE WE'RE ONE, WE'RE ONE OF THE 50, AND WE SEE THE NEED AND SEE THE VALUE.
BUT I'LL SEND YOU THE ONE PAGER, AND I CAN ALSO SEND YOU MORE SPECIFICALLY THE IMPACT ON ALAMO.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON COLLECTING THE DATA ON THE INCREASED COST, ESPECIALLY ON THE LEARNING LOSS, BECAUSE WE WERE APPROPRIATING ALREADY SOME MONIES TO HELP WITH OUR HIGH CHALLENGE COURSES, WHICH WERE PREDOMINANTLY IN MATH.
UM, BUT WE'RE SEEING THE NEEDS IN OTHER AREAS, LIKE I MENTIONED IN ENGLISH.
SO, UM, I CAN HAVE, WE'RE STILL WORKING TO COLLECT WHAT THAT, THAT NUMBER COULD LOOK LIKE FOR THIS NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR AND POTENTIALLY ALSO ACADEMIC YEAR, UM, THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR.
'CAUSE WE SEE THAT THIS IS NOT GONNA JUST BE THIS YEAR.
THIS IS GONNA BE A TWO, MAYBE FOUR YEAR ISSUE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DEALING WITH BECAUSE OF, OF THE STUDENTS.
AND TO MY POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU ARE YOUR OWN TAXING AUTHORITY MM-HMM.
SO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN TAX RATES THAT YOU ESTABLISH BASED ON THE REQUIREMENTS, BUT YOU ALSO GET MONEY FROM THE CITY.
YOU ALSO GET MONEY FROM THE COUNTY WHO ARE TAXING AUTHORITY.
SO I'M LOOKING AT IT AS A TAXPAYER SAYING, WAIT A MINUTE, I'M GETTING DOUBLE TAXED HERE FROM THE CITY OR TRIPLE TAX FROM THE CITY, COUNTY AND, AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHY DON'T YOU JUST DEAL WITHIN YOUR OWN SANDBOX, IF YOU WILL.
IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, YOU RAISE YOUR TAX RATE.
SO, UM, JUST LIKE YOU ALL, UM, THE LEGISLATURE DOESN'T PARTICULARLY LIKE US RAISING OUR TAX RATE NOR OUR TUITION.
UM, WE ALSO WORK A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
SO WE SERVE NOT ONLY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY.
BEXAR COUNTY IS OUR TAXING AUTHORITY AND TAXING ENTITY IN SERVICE AREA.
BUT WE ACTUALLY SERVE IN A, A GREATER SERVICE AREA.
WE SERVE ALL OF THE RURAL COMMUNITIES AND COUNTIES AROUND US.
WE CAN'T TAX THEM TO SERVE THEM, BUT WE STILL SERVE THEM.
THEY'RE CONSIDERED IN-DISTRICT STUDENTS WHEN WE SERVE, WHEN WE, WHEN THEY COME AND REGISTER WITH US.
AND SO, HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU MORE BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON A COMMUNITY COLLEGE COMMISSION, FINANCE COMMISSION.
UM, AND IT'S VERY COMPLICATED.
SCHOOL FINANCE IS COMPLICATED.
THIS IS JUST AS COMPLICATED BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT WORKS AND BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO A TAX ENTITY, BUT WE ARE, WE TRY TO KEEP OUR RATE ALSO LOW AND NOT RAISE IT WITHOUT ALSO RAISING OUR TUITION.
'CAUSE WE WANNA KEEP IT AFFORDABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THE STUDENT POPULATION THAT IT'S SERVING.
WE'RE TRYING TO LEVERAGE THE RESOURCES WE HAVE WITHOUT PUTTING A BURDEN ON THE STUDENTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND OUR TAXPAYERS.
SO IT'S, WE, WE ARE AIMING FOR THE SAME THING.
WE DON'T WANNA RAISE THE RATE IF WE DON'T HAVE TO.
AND WE, THAT'S WHY WITH THESE APPROPRIATIONS AND BECAUSE IT IS AN ELIGIBLE USE FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING LOSS, WE'RE SEEKING THIS.
AND FRANKLY, IT'S A REALLY SMALL REQUEST.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A LOT OF THE OTHER REQUESTS BEING MADE, ONE OF THEM IS UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, SUPPLE, SUPPLEMENTAL OF THE BUDGET, AND THAT'S GONNA BE ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO $7 BILLION THAT THEY'RE GONNA USE JUST FOR THAT.
WELL, I, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE I'M GETTING THOSE QUESTIONS.
WHY AM WHY AM I PAYING CITY, COUNTY, AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE TAXES, AND WHY IS EVERYBODY GIVING MONEY TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE? UM, SO IT'S LIKE BEING DOUBLE AND TRIPLE WHAMMIED OUT THERE INSTEAD OF JUST THE TRUE COSTS BEING REFLECTED BY THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE INSTEAD OF GETTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE CITY AND COUNTY.
SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT ABSOLUTELY, UH, DETAIL AND WHAT, WHAT Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO DO TO FIX THAT, BECAUSE, UM, YEAH, IT'S ALL ABOUT APPORTIONING THE RESOURCES WHERE THEY REALLY SHOULD BE GOING FROM EACH, EACH DISTRICT AS FAR AS THAT GOES.
SO YEAH, I'D, I'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
AND, AND THE INVITATION TO SPEAK IS, IS ON ON EVERYTHING YOU HEARD TODAY.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JEFF OR STAFF? I'M SORRY, THE INVITATION TO SPEAK WAS ON, ON THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION.
SO I JUST WANNA, I, I WANNA INVITE YOU TO, TO ADDRESS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR JEFF OKAY.
[00:30:01]
WE CAN ALSO GO AROUND THE HORN LATER IF YOU WANT TO.YEAH, ON THE, UH, THE, UM, LET'S SEE.
GO BACK TO THE LIST AGAIN, JEFF.
UM, APPROPRIATIONS OF A RPA FUNDING, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOTTEN AN ALLOCATION ALREADY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THERE IS STILL FUNDING AVAILABLE OUT THERE THAT THEY WILL BE DISTRIBUTING TO CITIES ACROSS THE STATE, I THINK YES, WE SHOULD BE THERE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS THAT, HEY, HERE'S WHAT OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE, AND HERE'S WHAT IT WOULD COST ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO YEAH, I TOTALLY SUPPORT THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, VACCINE MANDATES, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY LAID DOWN BY THE GOVERNOR, THE TRANSGENDER STUDENT ATHLETES.
I, I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE SIT BACK AND MONITOR THAT.
UH, I FULLY EXPECT THAT TO GO THROUGH LAWSUIT AFTER LAWSUIT AFTER LAWSUIT.
AND, UM, I, I, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO, AS YOU SAID, JEFF, I TOTALLY SUPPORT THAT RECOMMENDATION JUST TO, UH, MONITOR THAT TO SEE WHERE IT GOES.
AND, UM, YEAH, LET'S SEE WHAT THE GOVERNOR DOES ABOUT THE DOG RESTRAINTS.
THAT WAS, UM, UM, INTERESTING ON WHAT HIS CALL WAS ON THAT.
OF COURSE, LIKE YOU SAID, THERE WAS NO REASONING BEHIND THAT, UM, OTHER THAN MICROMANAGING.
BUT, UM, LET'S, LET'S, UM, I, I FULLY SUPPORT THAT ALSO.
I MEAN, WE'VE SEEN NUMEROUS CASES, ESPECIALLY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF, NOT ONLY ANIMAL, I MEAN DOGS, BUT I MEAN, A LOT OF DIFFERENT ANIMALS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF ANIMAL ABUSE.
I, I THINK WE NEED TO CLAMP DOWN ON THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND THANK YOU, PRISCILLA, FOR BEING HERE.
AND YOU AND I HAD TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE LEARNING LOSS ALREADY, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO HELP CHAMPION THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW THAT SAN ANTONIO IS ONE OF THE CITIES THAT HAS THE, THE LOWEST EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT LEVELS, AND THAT OUR KIDS, UH, ARE GROWING IN POVERTY, ARE NOW STAYING EVEN FURTHER BEHIND BECAUSE OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
AND JUST, YOU ALL KNOW THE REASON.
SO, UM, I, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING AND ADVOCATING ANYTHING, UM, TO DO WITH PARTNERS, LIKE, LIKE THE ALAMO COLLEGES.
SO, SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO THERE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, I, I, I WANNA TAKE A, A PLUG IN CASE MY, MY COLLEAGUES DON'T, DON'T REMEMBER, BUT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE IS THE NUMBER ONE COLLEGE, UH, COMMUNITY COLLEGE MM-HMM.
UM, AND THEN I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR, TWO YEARS AGO, PALO ALTO WAS THE, THE SECOND.
UM, UH, SO, SO WE HAVE THIS REALLY GOOD HISTORY OF OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES DOING GREAT THINGS.
AND SO THEY, THEY EXTEND BEYOND THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT, BUT THEY ALSO PROVIDE RESOURCES HOSTING, UH, FOOD DRIVES AND JUST HELPING THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I, I DO WANNA PUBLICLY STATE THAT I THINK YOU ALL ARE AWESOME, AND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND, AND OF COURSE FOR YOUR WORK WITH THE READY TO WORK.
UM, I HAVE A, A, A QUESTION, AND, AND THIS IS, UM, TO GO OFF OF AND, AND I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA MAKE A, A, A PROPOSED OR PROPOSAL, UM, TO, TO YOU ALL.
AND WE HAVE IN OUR LEGISLATIVE, UH, PROGRAM FOR THE 87TH, WE HAD IN THEIR PROTECTION OF COMMUNITY INTEREST IN THERE, THERE'S TWO KEY BULLET POINTS THAT I THINK THAT WE COULD TAKE INTO THIS SPECIAL SESSION AND POSSIBLY PASS SOME SORT OF A RESOLUTION.
AND THERE'S TWO ITEMS IN THERE.
ONE IS, UM, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT, UH, ANY LEGISLATION THAT OPPOSES LEGISLATION THAT WOULD BE, UH, OR ANY SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT CLEARLY BENEFITS US AND OPPOSED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD BE DETERMINED TO, UH, UN UNDERMINE OUR INTEREST, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S TWO KEY BULLET POINTS ON THERE.
ONE OF THEM IS RESULT IN THE LOSS OF REVENUE TO CITIES OR NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY TO GENERATE REVENUE.
I THINK SOME OF THAT DOES THAT.
AND SO I, I, I JUST WANNA BE MINDFUL THAT IF WE'RE SUBMITTING ANOTHER RESOLUTION FOR THIS SPECIAL SESSION, WHICH I THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO THAT, WE INCLUDE THAT IN THERE.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER ONE IN THERE SAYING THAT THE RESULT, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE SAYING, RESULT IN DIMINISHING THE FUNDAMENTAL AUTHORITY OF CITIES TO OPERATE IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THE BEST INTEREST OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND THE WELFARE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THAT TO ME IS COVID VACCINE MANDATES FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND SO, UM, IT, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR, FOR EVERYONE.
WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS, ET CETERA, BUT I, BUT I, ET CETERA.
BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON THOSE TWO KEY BULLET POINTS UNDER THE PROTECTION OF COMMUNITY INTERESTS AND PERHAPS DRAFT A NEW RESOLUTION, UH, OF SOME SORT.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO ASK THAT, UM, UH, CHAIR, BUT ALSO, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY COLLEAGUES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN HERE.
AND WE HAVE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE FOUR EDUCATORS ON THE COUNCIL, UH, NOW, AND SO I'M SUPER JAZZED ABOUT THAT.
SO, SO, BUT ON THIS, ON THIS COMMITTEE, WE HAVE TWO, UM, BUT WE HAVE OTHER COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WHO ARE NOT PART OF THIS, AND I'D LOVE FOR THEM TO GIVE THEIR INPUT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO HAVE A B SESSION TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL INPUT? JEFF,
[00:35:01]
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WOULD BE TIME, BECAUSE WE ARE VERY LIMITED ON THAT.UM, BUT I JUST FEEL BAD BECAUSE OUR COLLEAGUES, THERE'S A LOT OF OUR COLLEAGUES THAT WEREN'T HERE WITH US BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T IN THEIR POSITIONS JUST YET, UM, WHEN WE DRAFTED THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDAS.
AND SO I REALLY WANT THEIR INPUT AS WELL.
AND SO MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE MISSING THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THEM GIVE OUR INPUT.
SO, I MEAN, HAVE THEM GIVE THEIR INPUT.
SO, WELL, I THINK YOU ANSWERED PART OF THE QUESTION ALREADY, WHICH IS IT, THE SPECIAL'S GONNA MOVE VERY FAST.
UM, THEY DON'T, THIS ISN'T, WELL, EVEN A REGULAR MOVES FAST, BUT THEY WANT TO FOCUS ON THE KEY ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, ORDERED BY THE GOVERNOR AND THEN GO HOME.
UM, THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU POINT TO IN THE AGENDA IS THERE IN INTENTIONALLY, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW EVERY BILL THAT'S GONNA GET FILED, NOT EVEN CLOSE.
UH, AND SO WE USE THOSE AS A GENERAL GUIDE FOR THE TYPES OF POSITIONS WE TAKE ON THINGS WITH FEEDBACK AND INPUT FROM YOU WHENEVER WE'VE GOT A QUESTION ABOUT IT AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO I DON'T, YOU DON'T NEED A RESOLUTION FOR THAT LANGUAGE OR EVEN THE COVID MANDATE.
I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT THAT IS THE, THE DIRECTION TO BE ABLE TO GO AS SO LONG AS YOU ALL DON'T AGREE, DISAGREE WITH THAT.
UM, THAT SAID, UH, ERIC IS ALWAYS OPEN, THE CITY MANAGER'S ALWAYS OPEN TO A FULL COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THESE THINGS.
IF YOU, IF YOU WANT US TO COME BACK BEFORE THE COUNCIL AS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS SPECIAL IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO AND HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT TOPICS, WE CAN, IT'S ALSO POSTED AS IN THIS MEETING AS A BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
SO IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION AS A COMMITTEE AND SEND SOMETHING UP FOR THE FULL COUNCIL TO CONSIDER, THAT'S A AT YOUR DISCRETION AS WELL.
UM, SO I HOPE I ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
AND SO, AND, AND THE ORDINANCE IS LESS THAN A PAGE, RIGHT? LESS GO AROUND.
SO I WAS THINKING IT MIGHT BE SIMPLE ENOUGH TO JUST, UH, IT MIGHT BE WORTH AN EXTRA EFFORT TO JUST PUT THOSE TWO BULLET POINTS SPECIFICALLY AND BE A LITTLE BIT GENERAL, UM, AND JUST KIND OF CONVEY, AGAIN, OUR, OUR, OUR COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT THESE PRIORITIES SPECIFICALLY FOR COMMUNITY, UM, PURPOSES.
AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE, UM, INCONVENIENCE OF THE NATURE OF, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE FOR CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? NOT EVERYBODY'S IN THE ROOM.
AND, UM, I, I THINK THAT ONE OF OUR JOBS IS TO REMEMBER THAT REMEMBER OUR COLLEAGUES WHO ARE NOT HERE, RIGHT? AND THEIR POSITIONS AND, UM, THE INFLUENCE THAT THEY BRING, UH, TO THE CONVERSATION, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE OFTENTIMES BRING THOSE POINTS THAT THEY MAKE OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM TO THIS CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB AT THAT.
UH, I DO THINK, JEFF, THAT THERE'S A, UM, BECAUSE OF TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE ON THIS ONE AND THE UR, YOU KNOW, THE URGENT NATURE OF, UH, OF THIS SPECIAL, UM, SURELY THE GOVERNOR'S NOT GONNA WAIT, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE HAVE OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND OUR A SESSION AND ALL THAT.
SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS, YOU KNOW, UM, ASK YOU TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DO SOME, DO SOME HUSTLING UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS OF THIS BUILDING, RIGHT? TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S READ INTO THIS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S MY JOB, TOO.
UM, AND SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL MAKE THAT COMMITMENT AND I'LL GO SPEAK TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND PAT WALLACE WILL SPEAK TO THE CHIEFS, AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET ALL THE BUY-IN YOU NEED, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN'T IMPANEL, UH, YOU KNOW, A FULL COUNCIL SOON ENOUGH.
BUT THERE IS NOTHING TO STOP US FROM IMPANEL A FULL COUNCIL FOR, YOU KNOW, A SHORT MEETING, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ZOOM IS AN AMAZING TOOL AND PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO SHOW UP FOR THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE COULD DO ZOOM ANYMORE.
OH, YOU CAN'T DO ZOOM ANYMORE.
UM, I THINK EDUCATION IS GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'S VERY, THAT OUR COUNCIL IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
NOW, THERE ARE SIX EDUCATORS NOW THAT SANDOVAL IS INSTRUCTING, AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN
UM, AND I THINK EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS WERE GOING TO COLLEGE AND ENDED UP DROPPING OUT BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T PREPARED.
AND I THINK A LARGE PART OF THAT IS THIS, OUR EMPHASIS ON STANDARDIZED TEST, STANDARDIZED TESTING, OF COURSE.
UM, BUT I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE STRIVING TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT THE LEARNING LOSS THAT IS GOING TO BE, THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE AS WELL, UM, FOR ANY SUPPORT WE CAN PROVIDE THERE.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO RE REDISTRICTING, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO LOBBY FOR A DATA DRIVEN REDISTRICTING PROCESS, AND I'D ARGUE THAT GERRYMANDERING HAS A MUCH LARGER IMPACT ON CITIES LIKE OURS.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD CHALLENGE IT AS AGGRESSIVELY AS POSSIBLE.
AND I KNOW THE, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS MONITORING, BUT IS THERE A, WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT
[00:40:01]
STEP UP? UM, WE, ONE OF OUR CONSULTANTS, UH, JUST TOLD US THIS WEEK, THEY EXPECT THE FIRST, UH, MAPS TO COME OUT.UM, SO THEY, THE CENSUS BUREAU SENT THE DATA TO STATES LATE AUGUST, EARLY SEPTEMBER.
UM, THERE'S A REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE WITH THE CHAIR AND, UH, IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, AND THEY'VE BEEN TAKING THE DATA, AND WE WILL, WE'LL DO A FIRST CUT AT IT.
UM, THERE, THERE, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUT, NOT JUST FROM CITIES, BUT OBVIOUSLY FROM ALL TEXANS.
SO AS SOON AS IT GETS POSTED, UH, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT, SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
I THINK GIVEN THAT IT'LL PROBABLY BE MONDAY, AND WE'RE NOT CONVENED AS A, AS A COMMITTEE AT THAT POINT, WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU BY EMAIL TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S GETTING A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT.
UH, AND THEN IF WE NEED TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING AND DISCUSS IT, UM, THAT'S CERTAINLY ON THE TABLE AS WELL.
UM, I THINK I, I GUESS MY SHORT ANSWER IS THE SAME THAT WE REALLY, WE NEED TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT IT SHOWS TO BE ABLE TO PASS JUDGMENT, UM, AT THIS POINT.
AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT NICHE.
UM, AND IT MIGHT HAVE MORE TO DO WITH THE CENSUS, BUT I WANNA KNOW WHAT WE CAN, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE.
UM, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A PRIORITY ON, UM, HOW INCARCERATED PEOPLE ARE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.
UM, CURRENTLY THEY'RE COUNTED WHERE THEY'RE INCARCERATED AT, NOT WHERE THEY WERE ARRESTED.
UM, AND SO WHAT THAT DOES IS IT TRANSFERS POLITICAL POWER FROM, UH, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT ARE LARGELY OVERPOLICED AND OVER ARRESTED.
UM, AND IT TRANSFERS THAT POWER TO RURAL, MOSTLY WHITE COMMUNITIES.
IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO NOW, OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT CENSUS OR, YEAH, THE, THE CENSUS PROCESS IS OVER HERE.
UM, I'M NOT TOO FAMILIAR WITH THAT POINT, BUT I'M CERTAIN THAT BERTA RODRIGUEZ IN OUR DEPARTMENT IS, SHE LED OUR, UM, OUR COMPLETE COUNT EFFORTS FOR THE CITY, UM, PRIOR TO YOUR ELECTION LAST YEAR.
SO, UM, BUT UH, CONGRESS, JUST LIKE THE LEGISLATURE DICTATING THE STATE AGENCIES, CONGRESS ULTIMATELY DICTATES TO THE US CENSUS BUREAU HOW THINGS ARE CONDUCTED.
UH, AND SO IF THAT BECOMES AN IMPORTANT PRIORITY FOR US IN THE FUTURE, WE CAN PUT THAT INTO OUR FEDERAL AGENDA AND GO SEEK ACTION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO SHAPE THE WAY THE COUNT IS HANDLED.
SO, SO I THINK SHORT ANSWER IS THERE'S PROBABLY NOTHING WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO AFFECT THE COUNT AND HOW IT WAS DONE, BUT, UM, BUT IN THE FUTURE, WE CERTAINLY CAN.
THAT'S FAIR GAME FOR OUR FEDERAL ADVOCACY.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO ARPA, I WONDER WILL THE STATE POTENTIALLY PLACE RESTRICTIONS ON HOW WE CAN USE ARPA FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE, LIMITATIONS ON USE OF FUNDS TO ADDRESS NEEDS OF THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY? UM, I DON'T THINK SO.
IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE ALL GOVERNED BY, UH, THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES.
UM, WE HAVE REALLY BROAD GUIDELINES RIGHT NOW, WHICH ARE, I THINK, THE FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, COVID RESPONSE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, I'M NOT REMEMBERING THE OTHER TWO OF VERONICA CARILLO I WISH WAS HERE TO BE A LIFELINE FOR ME.
BUT THERE'S ALL, THERE ARE THE REALLY BROAD BUCKETS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROCESS, UH, LOCALLY TO, UH, IN FACT, WE, I JUST MET WITH SOME TEAM MEMBERS AT NINE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING TO PROPOSE A PROCESS FOR HOW WE GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND GET FEEDBACK ON IT.
UM, IN THEORY, THE STATE COULD PASS SOMETHING, UM, TO TRY TO LIMIT WHAT WE DO.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE GOVERNORS CALLED FOR.
UM, SO TECHNICALLY IT'S NOT IN THE CALL RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK THERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE DEBATE OVER WHETHER THE STATE CAN AFFECT HOW CITIES CAN USE MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE DIRECTLY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
NOW, AS I SAY THAT OUT LOUD, I'M THINKING YOUR QUESTION THOUGH.
UM, IF THE STATE WERE TO DIRECT ANY OF THE STATE'S ARPA MONEY TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES, THEY ABSOLUTELY COULD PUT STRINGS ON IT.
UM, AND, AND THEY MAY, WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING THIS BATTLE NOW FOR YEARS TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO LOBBY AND ADVOCATE AT THE LEGISLATURE.
I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE LANGUAGE INSERTED IN ANY, UH, APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THAT SAY, CAN'T GO TO ANY ORGANIZATION THAT LOBBIES AS A WAY TO TRY TO MAKE US TO STOP FROM ENGAGING IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE, WE HAVEN'T HEARD THAT.
I, I THINK THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT A BIG ENOUGH TASK WITH $16 BILLION TO, TO DIVVY UP, UM, IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO MONITOR AND ADVOCATE AS OPPORTUNITIES APPEAR FOR COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.
AND I'M WONDERING, UM, ARE WE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL WE'VE HAD A ROBUST PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS TO DETERMINE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES OR HOW ARE WE, UH, MEASURING THAT?
[00:45:01]
I, I THINK, UH, AS A, AS FAR AS THE STATE, UH, PIECE IS CONCERNED, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THOSE, THOSE MAJOR, UH, AREAS RIGHT NOW, THE STATE, UM, THE LOCAL, OUR ARPA MONEY.UH, ABSOLUTELY THERE'S GONNA BE A VERY ROBUST PROCESS.
UH, I'M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROCESS WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE, BUT WE'VE GOTTA DO SOME WORK INTERNALLY TO GET IT READY.
BUT, UM, DON'T HYPE IT UP
IT'S, UH, IN MANY CASES, A, A A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME TRANSFORMATIONAL THINGS.
UH, AND SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT.
UM, AND AND FAR AS THE STATE IS CONCERNED, NOBODY'S ASKING US UP THERE WHAT WE THINK THEY SHOULD MM-HMM.
UM, WE JUST WANTED TO BE SELECTIVE AROUND SOME AREAS THAT WE THINK OR NOT GENERATE TOO MUCH, UH, ARGUMENT WITH US.
AND, AND THEY GENERALLY WOULD ALIGN WITH SOME OF THE STATE'S PRIORITIES, CERTAINLY THE BROADBAND AND THE COVID RESPONSE.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE WE THINK THE SMART ASKS ARE, IF WE WERE TO GO UP AND, AND SAY, HEY, WE NEED ANOTHER A HUNDRED MILLION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR WHATEVER, UM, THE STATE'S GONNA SAY, YOU'VE GOT YOUR MONEY DIRECTLY FROM THE FEDS.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE SOME OF THAT RESPONSE ALTOGETHER.
AND, AND CANDIDLY, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY, OUR, OUR ARPA MONEY YET.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T SAY THAT WE'RE OUT OF IT.
WE'VE STILL GOT A POT THAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, APPROPRIATED LOCALLY.
I HOPE I'M ANSWERING THE QUESTION.
AND, UH, I'LL SAY THAT BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, UH, BLOCK WALKING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS IS BROADBAND HOUSING AND COVID RESPONSE, I THINK ARE FA VERY FAIR.
AND THE COMMUNITY, I WOULD SAY I WOULD IDENTIFY THOSE AS COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.
AND OBVIOUSLY FOR COSA PARTNER REQUESTS, UM, DUE DILIGENCE IS ALWAYS A PART OF THAT.
SO I, I, I SUPPORT, UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE ANTI, THE, UM, ANTI-TRANS ATHLETE BILL, I THINK ANY ANTI L G B T Q AND SPECIFICALLY ANTI-TRANS LEGISLATION, WE NEED TO ACTIVELY OPPOSE, UM, NOT JUST MONITOR.
UM, I WANT TO REFERENCE TREVOR PROJECT'S 2021 NATIONAL SURVEY ON L G B T Q, UH, YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH, WHICH FOUND THAT ABOUT 94% OF L G B T Q YOUTH, UM, RESPONDED THAT RECENT POLITICS, SPECIFICALLY ANTI L G B T Q LEGISLATION HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
AND L G B T Q YOUTH ARE A MUCH LAR MUCH LARGER PORTION OF YOUNG, YOUNG SUICIDES.
AND SO OPPOSING THESE BILLS DOES HELP IN MITIGATING THE L G B T Q, SUICIDE, SUICIDE RATE AND OVERALL YOUTH SUICIDE RATE.
UM, AND I THINK THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE BILL ARE ONE ELEMENT, BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION THERE AS WELL.
AND AS A CITY, I THINK WE'VE TAKEN ENOUGH STANCES TO DECLARE AND TO CONFIDENTLY STATE THAT WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE L G B C Q COMMUNITY.
UM, SO JUST IN, IN REVIEW OF, OF, UH, OF THE PRIORITIES YOU'VE LAID OUT, JEFF, AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT I'VE, I'VE, I'M ON THE SAME PAGE.
THE ISSUE OF REDISTRICTING, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE MONITOR THE ISSUE OF ARPA, UM, IS THAT WE MONITOR AND ADVOCATE IF THE NEED ARISES, UM, ON THE ISSUE OF VACCINES AND, UM, C O V I D, UH, WE WILL OPPOSE ANY EFFORTS THAT WOULD LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO PROTECT OUR OWN EMPLOYEES, UH, WITH, UH, REGARDS TO TRANS, UM, DISCRIMINATION, THAT TRANS DISCRIMINATION BILL.
UM, YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE MONITOR I DO, I DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON THAT.
AND THEN WITH REGARDS TO THE DOGS, UH, BILL IS THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR OUR EXISTING ORDINANCES.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT? I THINK SO.
I WOULD, UH, TWEAK THE TRANSGENDER TO SAY WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO DATE HAS BEEN MONITORED, WE HAVEN'T ACTIVELY ENGAGED, UM, UH, AND WITH DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL THAT COULD CHANGE.
AND, AND I, AND I WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT WE ARE STARTING TO HEAR FROM, UH, VARIOUS FACTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT IT.
UM, SO, UM, AND, AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR THOUGHTS ON, ON, ON ALL THIS.
IMPERIAL, I'LL CALL YOU, I'LL CALL YOU IN A SECOND, BUT I, UH, BEFORE WE, WE'VE MAKE A DECISION AND, AND I THINK COUNCILMAN MCGEE RODRIGUEZ IS A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT.
UH, WE, UH, I I, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE WHO ELSE WOULD BE ADVOCATING WITH US, AT THE VERY LEAST RIGHT? AS TO GET SOME INTEL ON, UM, WHO ELSE WILL BE CHAMPIONING THIS WITH US, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE, THE ALGEBRA THAT WE DO IN FASHIONING THE ARGUMENT AND WHO WE SPEAK TO, I THINK IS ALSO DEPENDENT UPON
[00:50:01]
WHO OUR, UM, WHO OUR PARTNERS ARE ON THIS ONE.UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WILL INFORM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE MESSAGING, RIGHT? RIGHT.
UM, BECAUSE WE COULD, UH, DO IT ON THE BASIS OF MENTAL HEALTH AND YOU KNOW, AND IT'S JUST THE MORALLY RIGHT THING TO DO, RIGHT? UH, BUT ALSO WE COULD ADD IN THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IF IN FACT THEY SPEAK UP AND SAY, HEY, THIS HAS GOT US WORRIED, RIGHT? OR, UM, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, RIGHT? UM, IF IN FACT THEY SHOW UP AND SAY, NO, THIS HAS GOT US WORRY TOO.
WE CAN ADD, BAKE INTO THEIR, UH, OUR, UM, OUR PARTNERS REQUESTS.
BUT, UM, YOU GOT SOME WORK TO DO IN FIGURING OUT, YOU KNOW, WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE, WHO'S READY TO FIGHT THIS WITH US? YEAH.
I MENTIONED THAT DURING THE REGULAR SESSION WE HAD SEVERAL CALLS WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
RIGHT? BUT I MENTIONED THAT YESTERDAY TO OUR PARTNERS AT V S A, UM, AND I, AND, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE THERE.
UH, WELL, I THINK THAT CONVERSATION MAY HAPPEN IN SHORT ORDER, RIGHT? WE HAVE CHECKED AGAIN WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND, AND NOTHING'S CHANGED ON THEIR FRONT.
UM, AND WE'VE GONE BACK AND LOOKED AT WHO OPPOSED DURING THE SECOND SPECIAL AND THE REGULAR, UH, AND IT WASN'T OUR NORMAL SORT OF CITY ALLIES AND SO FORTH, RIGHT? UM, BUT I, AGAIN, I SAY ALL THAT WITH THE IDEA THAT IF OUR, UM, UM, STANCES CHANGING AND, AND THE POSITION IS THE ISSUE IS RISING TO A HIGHER PRIORITY FOR US TO OPPOSE, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
UH, AND I WILL KEEP THE COMMITTEE INFORMED ON THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE WITH PARTNERS AND WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY ARE, UM, ON IT, YOU KNOW, DURING A REGULAR SESSION, IT'S ONE OF SEVEN OR 8,000 BILLS THAT WE DEAL WITH.
UH, NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT FIVE.
UM, SO, SO THIS IS CLEARLY SOMETHING THAT HAS RISEN TO THE TOP OF THE DISCOURSE, AND I HEAR YOU.
UM, AND THOSE ARE FAIR POINTS.
UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY? YEAH, JUST REAL QUICK, I I, I MADE MY COMMENTS ON ALL THE OTHER ONES EXCEPT FOR THE ARPA FUNDING.
NOW THESE ARE ALL, ARE WE LOOKING AT THESE FOUR REQUESTS AS ONE TIME COSTS? WERE THERE ANY RECURRING COSTS ON ANY OF THESE? BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET IN A SITUATION WHERE WE CREATE SOMETHING AND LET'S SAY WE GET SOME FUNDING FROM THE STATE, WHICH I DOUBT WE WILL, BUT, UH, LET'S JUST SAY WE GET SOME, ARE THESE ONE-TIME COSTS OR IS THIS SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA BUILD INTO OUR BUDGET FOR FUTURE YEAR COSTS? 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT.
UM, AND, AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE ONE-TIME COSTS, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OUR $5 BILLION BACKLOG HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND I, I DON'T SEE IT UNLESS, NO, UM, YOU CAN EXPLAIN IT UP THERE.
TO ME, THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE BAKED INTO TWO OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
THE, THE BROADBAND IS CERTAINLY CATEGORIZED AS INFRASTRUCTURE FROM TREASURY IN TERMS OF THIS MONEY.
AND THEN UNDER THE PARTNER REQUEST, WE DID JUST GET INFORMATION FROM SAS YESTERDAY THAT THEY WOULD BE SEEKING SOME WATER INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY FUNDING.
UM, TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION, THOUGH, I MENTIONED BEING STRATEGIC ABOUT IT, NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE MONEY TO US THAT WE'RE SEEKING.
SO BROADBAND WOULD BE FUNDING THAT WOULD GO TO THE STATE'S BROADBAND OFFICE AND OR TO OUR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR THEM TO BUILD OUT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, HOPEFULLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE PLANNING THAT WE'VE DONE LOCALLY HOUSING, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR A DIRECT APPROPRIATION TO US, BUT RATHER TO THE STATE AGENCY THAT WE'VE HAD A GOOD WORKING PARTNERSHIP WITH.
AND THEN COVID RESPONSE, ANY MONEY THE STATE SPENDS THAT OFFSETS OUR EXPENSES IS A BENEFIT TO US.
SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
NONE OF THESE THINGS WOULD BE COMMITTING THE CITY TO SOME FUTURE, UM, BUDGET AMOUNT OR, OR EXPENSE THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET FOR.
AND I SUPPORT THAT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT STEP UP SUPPORTING THOSE FUNDING, FUNDING STREAMS. BUT, UM, IF WE HEAR OF OTHER, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE OR WHATEVER THAT OTHER CITIES THEY ARE SAYING, HEY, WE NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDING, ARPA FUNDING, OUT OF THIS 16 BILLION, I THINK WE OUGHT TO HAVE A LIST OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT WE CAN THEN SAY, HEY, WE NEED THESE ITEMS FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS FOR THIS WHOLE ARPA FUNDING IS INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND I, I, I, I JUST HATE TO BE OUT THERE ON OUR OWN, NOT REQUE OR HAVING SOMETHING AVAILABLE TO PUT IN SAYING, HEY, DON'T FORGET SAN ANTONIO, AND HERE'S OUR, I MEAN, WE GOT A $5 BILLION BACKLOG, AND MY GOODNESS, WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET THERE.
BUT, UH, I THINK NOT TO HAVE A LIST OR SOMETHING READY TO GO, IF THAT CASE COMES UP, WOULD BE A STRIKE.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE THIS YET, BUT WE COULD,
[00:55:01]
UH, CHECK IN WITH THE M P O ON THAT FRONT TOO.THEY'VE GOT, OBVIOUSLY, THE LIST OF PROJECTS IN THE TIP.
AND IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS BEING ROUTED TO TECH DOT, THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY THEN FLOW THROUGH THE M P O, WE COULD, WE COULD SUPPORT THAT.
THAT WAY WE WOULDN'T BE CREATING OUR OWN LIST.
THAT'S SEPARATE FROM WHAT'S ALL THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE BY YOU AND THE OTHER M P O BOARD MEMBERS.
DOES THAT SOUND OKAY FOR? YEAH, I, I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT.
UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY SPOKE THEIR PIECE ON THIS.
UH, PRISCILLA CAMACHO, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO COME OUT HERE TODAY, BUT YOU DID, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
UH, YOU, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, AND, UM, EVERY TIME YOU, EVERY TIME I HEAR YOU SPEAK, I, I, I'M JUST SO IMPRESSED.
AND, UM, AND I THINK A C C D IS LUCKY TO HAVE YOU, WELCOME BACK TO WELCOME BACK TO SAN ANTONIO.
I, I, I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE READY TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM, RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE GOTTA ANSWER FOR US AND SOME INTEL THAT YOU SAID YOU WERE GONNA CONNECT.
AND THEN YOU AND I GOTTA GO TALK TO OUR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE READ THEM INTO WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT WE DISCUSSED TODAY.
AND SO, UM, UNLESS ANYBODY HAS, UH, AN OBJECTION TO TAKING ACTION, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ALONG, UM,
[2. Recap of the August 20 Pentagon visit]
RECAP OF OUR AUGUST 20TH PENTAGON VISIT.THE GOOD GENERAL, WELL, GOOD MORNING.
UH, THIS IS THE, THIS WAS THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW THAT WE'VE TAKEN THE MAYOR, UH, TO THE PENTAGON.
AND, UH, WE'RE VERY STRATEGIC.
UH, WHAT WE REALLY LIKE TO DO IS ENSURE THAT WE LET THE PENTAGON LEADERSHIP KNOW THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS INCREASING MILITARY VALUE, UH, AND THAT WE FIGHT NIGHT AND DAY, UH, TO ENSURE THAT ENCROACHMENT, UH, DOESN'T, UH, DIMINISH, UH, THE ABILITY OF OUR MILITARY UNITS HERE, UH, TO TRAIN.
AND REALLY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UH, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, ANY STATISTIC FROM THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER, THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE EMPLOYER IN THE CITY, UH, AND IN THIS REGION.
AND WE WANT THAT NOT ONLY TO REMAIN, UH, BUT WE WANT IT TO GROW.
WE LEARN SOME HARD LESSONS AT THE BRACK, UH, IN, UH, FROM KELLY AND BROOKS.
AND, UH, WE WANT THAT, UH, WE WANT THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT TO REMAIN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, SO YOU ONLY SEE THREE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE, AND IT'S, UH, USUALLY IN THE PAST WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE MORE THAN THAT.
UH, SA TO DC TAKES A WHOLE GAGGLE, AND I SAY THAT IN A GOOD WAY.
UM, AND THREE, JUST BECAUSE OF COVID, THEY'RE DOWN TO 40%.
AND SO, UH, WE CAN ONLY TAKE THREE FOLKS INTO OUR, OUR VISITS.
SO IT'S THE MAYOR AND I, AND THEN MR. BOB NAING JOINED US.
UH, HE IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT, UH, US ARMY NORTH, OUR ASSISTANT, THE COMMANDER AT US ARMY NORTH, UH, AND WHO WE VISITED WITH, WE VISITED WITH, UH, DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY, AND WE WERE ABLE TO ATTEND A REFL AND ATCHING CEREMONY.
VERY, A LOT OF PROTOCOL, VERY CEREMONIAL, CEREMONIAL.
WE ADDED, OR THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ADDED, UH, US SPACECOM FLAG, UH, TO THAT, UH, UH, TO THEIR ARRAY OF PEOPLE THAT THEY SUPPORT IN THE SERVICES.
UH, WE WENT TO THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE FOR INSTALLATIONS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT.
UH, AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL GET IN MORE DETAIL ON WHO THOSE, THOSE FOLKS ARE UNDER SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE, UH, GINA JONES, UH, AN ALLY.
AND OF COURSE, UH, UH, I THINK IS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FRIEND IN THE PENTAGON WITH HER.
AND IN THE AIR FORCE, THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE AIR FORCE, WHO'S ALSO FROM SAN ANTONIO, UH, GENERAL BROWN.
AND, UH, AND THEN WE SAW THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS.
UH, WE SAW THE OPERATIONS UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING FOR FIVE G.
UH, VISIT THE MAYOR, UH, HAS HAD THIS ON THIS RADAR.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I, WE TOOK HIM TO JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO.
THE MILITARY IS REALLY, UH, BEHIND THIS EFFORT, AND THEY WANT TO JOIN THE CITY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN SYNC, JUST LIKE COVID, JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO.
MAYOR ALWAYS SAYS THERE'S NO FENCE LINE WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THESE, UH, UH, OPERATIONS.
SO, UH, OVERALL THEMES, EVERY TIME WE GO, UH, THE FIRST FOREMOST ASK THAT WE HAVE, AND THE THEME THAT WE HAVE IS IF WE WANT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, ANYTIME THERE IS A, UH, A MISSION BEING MOVED, OR ANYTIME THERE IS A NEW MISSION, UH, BEING STOOD UP, WE WANT THEM TO CONSIDER SAN ANTONIO, FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO HOST THAT MISSION.
AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS A THEME WITH US.
ANY OFFICE WE GO TO, UM, THE DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR YEARS NOW.
UH, THEY, UH, ARE PRETTY MUCH NOT OFFICIALLY ARE GONNA BRING THAT HEADQUARTERS HERE.
WE'RE TALKING INITIALLY, SIX, 600 MORE PEOPLE UP TO 2000.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? THAT'S JOBS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, OUR E D D, UH, YOU KNOW, TRACKS THESE THINGS.
[01:00:01]
BREAKS, ALL THESE THINGS FOR, TO BRING BUSINESSES HERE.UH, WHAT WE DO IN OUR OFFICE IS TRY TO BRING UNITS HERE.
AND BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME THING.
YOU BRING ONE SERVICE PERSON HERE, AND YOU BRING A FAMILY HERE.
AND SO YOU, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THAT IS.
UM, I TELL EVERYBODY, UH, WHEN I WAS, UH, THE INTERIM AT THE CHAMBER, I WOULD TELL 'EM THAT THE ONLY ORGANIZATION, UH, IN THE CITY, OR ONE OF THE ONLY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY DID NOT FURLOUGH ANYBODY, DID NOT LAY OFF ANYBODY DURING THIS COVID.
UH, THE WORST OF THE COVID PANDEMIC WAS THE MILITARY.
SO THOSE PAYCHECKS KEPT COMING.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT STRATEGICALLY, IN MY OPINION, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THESE BASES HERE.
SO WE ALWAYS, UH, BRING THAT UP.
WE ALSO, UH, A THEME FOR EVERYBODY WAS TO KEEP THE SECRETARY OF, UH, ARMY SECRETARY'S, UH, DESIGNEE PROGRAM.
WHAT THAT IS, IS, UH, LEVEL ONE TRAUMA, WHICH IS THE WORST TRAUMA, THE MOST COMPLEX TRAUMA, UH, GUNSHOTS, CAR WRECKS, THESE KINDS OF THINGS, BURNS.
UH, 85% OF THE PATIENTS AT BROOK ARMY MEDICAL CENTER HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MILITARY.
ABOUT SIX OR 7,000 A YEAR, THEIR CIVILIANS.
UH, WHEN COUNCILMAN TREVINO WAS HERE, HE STOOD UP AND SAID, MY BROTHER WAS, HIS LIVE WAS SAVED AT BAMS C UH, WHEN THE GOVERNOR, UH, WAS BURNED, OR DID THEY TAKE HIM TO BAMSEY? AND WHEN THEY HAD THE, UH, OVERFLOW OF THE SUTHERLAND SPRING SHOOTINGS, THEY TOOK HIM TO BAMSEY.
AND WHY, WHY, WHAT DOES THE ARMY GET OUT OF IT? WHAT DOES THE MILITARY GET OUT OF IT? THEY GET REPETITIVE PRACTICE.
AND I HAVE SEEN THESE MEDICAL TEAMS IN IRAQ.
I HAVE SEEN THEM JET, I KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE SEEN 'EM IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, THAT THEY DO MIRACULOUS WORK, SAVING, UH, PEOPLE'S LIVES.
AND THE PRACTICE THEY GET IS HERE AT BROOK HARBOR MEDICAL CENTER.
UH, COUNCILMAN LIA, YOU SAW THEM AT, UH, HOW THEY, WHAT THEY WERE DOING UP AT THE BULLAS.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP THAT ALWAYS EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR THE JOINT MILITARY CITY PARTNERSHIP.
AND, UH, ALSO COVID THEMED THIS YEAR.
AND THE, UH, UH, WINTER STORM MUY, IF YOU RECALL, THE MILITARY REALLY CAME THROUGH AND SUPPORTED US LOGISTICALLY, UH, UH, DURING THE, THE STORMS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THEY MANNED THOSE 13 WATER POINTS THAT WERE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND THE MAYOR ALWAYS, UH, THANKS HIM, UH, VERY MUCH FOR, FOR WHAT, UH, FOR THAT SUPPORT.
NEXT SLIDE, LIEUTENANT GENERAL PACE.
UH, AGAIN, DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY.
WE WANT THEM TO BRING THAT HEADQUARTERS HERE.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE CONSOLIDATING ALL MEDICAL TREATMENT FROM THE THREE SERVICES, THE ARMY, UH, THE NAVY, AND THE AIR FORCE.
WHY DO THEY WANT TO DO THAT? BECAUSE THAT'S, UH, SYNERGY THAT LEVERAGES EVERYBODY.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, A BULLET WOUND, A SUCKING CHEST WOUND, WHATEVER, UH, DOESN'T SEE IF IT'S ARMY, NAVY, OR AIR FORCE.
AND SO WE WANNA BRING IT HERE.
UH, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CARE, UH, UH, COMING, STAYING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, THAT SECRETARIAL, UH, DESIGNEE PROGRAM.
AND ALSO, UH, WE BROUGHT UP THE FIVE G ISSUE, UH, TESTING AND TELEMEDICINE, ESPECIALLY TELEMEDICINE BECAUSE OF ALL THE RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UH, HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THAT.
AND, UH, ONE OF OUR TAKEAWAYS IS THAT WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW UP WITH HIM ON THAT.
UH, SO WHAT, SO WHAT DID WE COME OUT, UH, THE VISIT, WAS IT, I ALWAYS GET ASKED, WHAT WAS IT ABOUT? WAS IT SUCCESSFUL? I, I THINK IT WAS IN, UH, IN HIS OFFICE.
UH, HE IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF D H A, UH, RELOCATING TO SAN ANTONIO.
I GOT A CALL, AN EMAIL FROM THEIR OFFICE YESTERDAY SAYING, THEY'RE TALKING, UH, RIGHT NOW TO, UH, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, WHO'S GONNA HOUSE HIM AT, UH, FORT SAM HOUSTON.
UM, DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE DID PASS A BILL, UH, 2365 HOUSE BILL, THE BA SS C BILL.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS IT MAKES, UH, BA, SS C JUST LIKE ANY OTHER HOSPITAL, UH, UNDER, UNDER MEDICAID.
AND, UH, FOR YEARS, EVERY TIME I WENT TO THE PENTAGON, UH, PENTAGON LEADERSHIP WOULD THREATEN US SUBTLY THAT THEY WERE GONNA PULL THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE COST.
WELL, THEY CAN'T DO THAT NOW, UH, BECAUSE NOW IT'S PART THAT BILL WAS PASSED.
UH, AND IT WAS BIPARTISAN, UH, WORK DONE BY SENATOR CAMPBELL AND, UH, THE AUTHOR, UH, WE, WE ACTUALLY HELPED, UH, REPRESENTATIVE LOPEZ, RAY LOPEZ PUT THAT TOGETHER, AND IT, AND IT WAS SIGNED.
AND SO THEY WERE VERY, UH, THANKFUL ABOUT THAT.
I TALKED ABOUT THE TELEMEDICINE.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I'LL, AND I'LL FOLLOW THIS UP WITH MILITARY LEADERSHIP, B A M C OR THE MILITARY DOES NOT ONLY WANT TO TAKE MORE LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CASES THEY WANT TO TAKE, THOSE ARE VERY COMPLEX.
THEY WANT TO TAKE REGULAR EMERGENCY CASES.
AND SO THAT WILL TAKE A BURDEN OFF OUR, UH, OFF OUR, UH, HOSPITALS HERE, ESPECIALLY HERE DURING COVID, UH, WHEN THERE'S A, UH, UH, UH, DOTH OF BEDS.
UM, AND THE MAYOR, OF COURSE, ALWAYS IS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE BANSI RESPONSE.
IF YOU RECALL, UH, THERE WAS A LITTLE ANGST HERE FROM OUR, UH, FROM SOME OF OUR FOLKS, OUR STRIKE FOLKS, THAT THEY WERE GONNA PULL A LOT OF THE MILITARY FOLKS,
[01:05:01]
MILITARY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO OTHER STATES TO RESPOND TO COVID.AND THEY WERE GONNA LEAVE, UH, B M C TO WHERE THEY COULD NOT TAKE LEVEL ONE TRAUMA.
UH, WE SPOKE TO THEM, AND WHAT THEY ENDED UP DOING, ESPECIALLY DURING THE, THE HEAT, THE, THE, THE REAL BAD PART OF, OF COVID IS WHAT THEY ENDED UP DOING IS TAKING EVERY, UH, LEVEL ONE TRAUMA PATIENT THAT WAS TAKEN TO THEM, FREEING UP UNIVERSITY AND OTHER HOSPITALS, UH, TO TAKE THE COVID PATIENTS, UH, THAT, UH, WE HAD HERE, UH, DURING THAT TIME.
SO, THE ACTION ITEMS HERE AS WE LEAVE, UH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, UH, GET TOGETHER WITH, UH, SALLY AND HER FEDERAL DELEGATION HERE.
AND SO WE DID THE STATE PART MEDICAID.
UH, WE WANT TO, UH, PUT SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT'S APPROPRIATE ALSO, UH, AT THE, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA WORK THAT.
UH, AND OF COURSE, UH, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FINALIZE AND GET AN OFFICIAL AWARD ON THIS DEFENSE HEADQUARTERS AGENCY.
UH, SO FAR SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE GAINED ABOUT 2100 NEW POSITIONS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MILITARY POSITIONS, UH, THAT ONE WOULD DOUBLE, UH, WHAT WE'VE, UH, BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S, THAT, THAT IS A GOOD EFFORT.
JENNIFER MILLER, ANOTHER, SHE'S FROM BERNIE, ACTUALLY.
UH, SHE'S ALSO A LAWYER, AND SHE IS ALSO A RESERVIST, I BELIEVE, IN THE AIR FORCE.
AND JUST GOT BACK FROM A YEAR TOUR IN, UH, AFGHANISTAN.
AND ALSO, SO THEY DO BASING, SO VERY MUCH, UH, EFFORT BY THE MAYOR, UH, TO HURRY UP AND MAKE THE DECISION ON D H A.
ALSO, UH, PORT SAN ANTONIO HAS COME TO US.
KELLY FIELD TAXIWAY, WHICH IS A JOINT USE TAXIWAY, UH, AIRFIELD, IS, UH, BOTH CIVILIAN AND MILITARY USE IT.
UH, THEY, THEY NEED TO FIX IT, BUT IF THEY CLOSE IT, IT'LL SHUT DOWN THEIR OPERATIONS.
SO WE PROPOSED SOME FIXES, BUT WE HAD TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE AIR FORCE.
UH, WE WORKED OUT A SOLUTION TO WHERE OPERATIONS STILL CONTINUE, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN OPERATIONS STILL CONTINUE, UH, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UH, THEM REPAIRING THE, UH, THE RUNWAY.
UH, IT'S GONNA COST THE AIR FORCE, UH, THEY'RE WILLING TO, TO TAKE THAT BILL.
UH, AND SO, BUT THAT, BUT WE MADE AN AGREEMENT.
IT WAS A COMPROMISE, UH, AND ALSO, UH, TO CONTINUE TO CONSIDER, UH, SAN ANTONIO FOR THOSE FUTURE MISSIONS, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE.
UH, WE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH 'EM DURING THE US BASE COMMAND MISSION, OR, UH, WHEN THAT CAME, CAME ABOUT, UH, THAT DECISION, I DID ASK THEM A VERY POINTED QUESTION, UH, ON A, ON A FOLLOW-UP CALL IS NOW THAT THE, THE, THE FORMER PRESIDENT SAID THAT HE MADE THE DECISION, UH, WASN'T CLEAR.
IF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE AIR FORCE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, THE ONE THAT WAS ANNOUNCED, OR IT WAS THE PRESIDENT SAID, NOPE, IT'S GONNA BE ALABAMA.
UH, OF COURSE, THEY GAVE ME THE, UH, THE, THE SIDESTEP.
UH, BUT I THINK MORE TO COME ON THE SPACE COMMAND DECISION, UH, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, UH, OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, IT'LL COME OUT WITH A FINDING.
UH, BUT I THINK WE'RE STILL IN THE, IN THE FLIGHT FOR THAT ONE.
UM, AGAIN, UH, THE MAYOR, UH, UH, EXPRESSED THE, THE GREAT, UH, OR EXPRESSED GRATITUDE FOR, FOR THE, THE PARTNERSHIP AND, UH, FOR WINTER STORM URI.
AND, AND AS, AS I'VE MENTIONED, UH, THAT WAS A GOOD MEETING.
WE DID, UH, GET SOME THINGS, UH, DONE, UH, ON THE D H A PROJECT.
WE KEEP BRINGING UP THAT THE MAYOR AND ERIC WALSH, THE CITY MANAGER, COMMITTED 18, UH, MILLION DOLLARS, UH, APPROXIMATELY TO REFURBISHING A BUILDING AT FORT SAM HOUSTON.
UH, WE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.
ANYBODY CAN SAY WE SUPPORT THE MILITARY.
BUT THIS CITY, UH, AS YOU WELL KNOW, IN THE LAST FIVE TO SIX YEARS, I THINK, WELL, IT'S LONGER THAN THAT, UH, OVER 110, UH, MILLION DOLLARS, UH, TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WHICH ARE COMMANDER PRIORITIES.
UH, HONORABLE, UH, GINO ORTIZ JONES, UH, UNDER SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE.
AND, UH, GENERAL BROWN, UH, BOTH WITH THE SAN ANTONIO TIES.
WE, WE TRY TO, TO HIT, UH, ALL THE FOLKS IN THE LEADERSHIP.
AND IT, BELIEVE ME, IT GETS UP TO THEM.
UH, AND THERE ARE GONNA BE ADDITIONAL MISSIONS, IN MY OPINION, UH, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A BRAC UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION.
AND, AND BRAC IS NOT A FOUR LETTER WORD.
UH, WE DID REALLY WELL IN THE 2005.
WE GOT KILLED IN THE 95, UH, ONE.
AND AS THEY CONSOLIDATE MISSIONS, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE, I THINK, AT THE FOREFRONT, UH, OF GETTING NEW MISSIONS.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS, AND ONE, AND, AND A VERY SENIOR OFFICER GENERAL TOLD ME THIS ONE TIME, HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO'S THE ONLY CITY THAT HAS A PRESENCE UP HERE, UH, WITH THE MAYOR.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP THROUGH PRESENCE, I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
AIR FORCE, UH, 75TH ANNIVERSARY IS IN, UH, 2022, SAME TIME AS THE WARRIOR GAMES THAT ARE SCHEDULED.
WE WANT THEM TO BRING THAT HERE.
WHY ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, MORE RAISING THE PROFILE OF OUR CITY, NOT ONLY TO THE MILITARY, UH, BUT WHEN THEY DO THAT CELEBRATION,
[01:10:01]
UH, IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL TYPE OF CELEBRATION, JUST LIKE THE WARRIOR GAMES.UM, ACTION ITEMS. UH, THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL.
UH, GINA JONES ASKED US INTO HER OFFICE AFTER THE MEETING, UH, SHE WAS NOT SCHEDULED TO GO TO THE MEETING.
UH, SHE FOUND OUT IT WAS SAN ANTONIO, AND SHE MADE TIME.
SHE CAME BACK FROM A TRIP, MADE TIME FOR THE MEETING, AND, AND, UH, SHOWED US TO HER OFFICE AND TOOK US AROUND THE PENTAGON, WHICH IS A BIG DEAL IF YOU'RE IN THE MILITARY, UH, TO GET INTO THE UNDERSECRETARY OF ANYBODY'S SERVICES, UH, OFFICE.
AND THEN SHE KIND OF WHISPERED IN OUR EARS, YOU HAVE AN ALLY HERE AT THE PENTAGON, AND I'M, UH, QUOTE UNQUOTE AN ALLY.
UH, AS I WAS WALKING OUT, UH, THE MAYOR ASKED ME, SHE SAYS, WELL, SAYS, GINA JONES WORKED FOR THE, UH, FOR GENERAL BROWN.
GENERAL BROWN WORKS FOR GINA JONES.
SO, UH, YEAH, VERY, UH, INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN THERE.
AND, UH, SHE'S GONNA BE A GREAT ALLY.
SO I'M VERY GLAD TO HAVE HER THERE.
HE WAS A SENIOR ARMY, UH, OFFICIAL THAT WE VISITED.
MR. JEFFREY ANGERS, UH, WAS ALSO A, THEY HAVE THESE LONG TITLES, UH, BUT THEY'RE VERY HIGH IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
I'LL JUST PUT IT TO YOU THAT WAY.
UH, MR. ANGERS IS THE ONE THAT RUNS THAT SECRETARIAL PROGRAM THAT FUNDS THE B SS C LEVEL ONE TRAUMA.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN WE WALKED IN THERE, HE CAME STRAIGHT TO US AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TRYING THIS AT NEVADA.
WE TRIED THESE IN OTHER STATES, AND YOU'RE THE FIRST ONES TO GET IT THROUGH.
AND WE WERE VERY SURPRISED YOU GOT IT THROUGH, BUT THANK YOU.
SO I THINK THAT WAS A BIG WIN.
AND THEY KNOW THAT IN THE PENTAGON.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE WON OR WERE SELECTED FOR THE WARRIOR GAMES IN 2020.
HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY, UH, WE WILL KEEP THEM HERE.
AND NOW THE OTHER THING THAT WE PITCHED IS THAT THE ARMY IS NOW GONNA BE EXECUTIVE AGENT FOR ALL THE GAMES.
AND THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT HAVING THEM EVERY OTHER YEAR IN ONE SITE.
SO WE'VE PITCHED REALLY HARD TO HAVE 'EM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE'VE GOT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'VE GOT THE VENUES, UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE ALL THE WOUNDED WARRIOR UNITS, UH, ALL THE RECOVERY UNITS FOR ALL THE SERVICES HERE.
AND WE'VE GOT BROOK ARMY MEDICAL CENTER.
WE'VE GOT THAT BURN CENTER, TOP LEVEL ONE HOSPITAL IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OUT OF 40.
UH, AND THE MAYOR MADE A COMMENT, EXPLORER FURTHER COOPERATION PARTNERSHIP IN RESPONDING TO C OVID 19.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE RESOLVED THAT, UH, BUT HE DID LEAVE THAT THERE.
SO WE LEAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THEM.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THE PASSAGE OF 2365, UH, WAS REALLY, UH, SOMETHING, IT WAS A BIG WIN FOR OUR CITY, FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, BAMSEE NOT ONLY SUPPORT SAN ANTONIO, BUT THEY SUPPORT 1.2 MILLION, UH, MILE RADIUS, 22 COUNTIES.
AND SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A HUGE WIN.
I THINK WE NEED TO, TO MAKE THIS MORE STRATEGICALLY, COMMUNICATE THIS, UH, SO WE WON'T EVER BE THREATENED TO LOSE, UH, B SS C HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
NEXT LAST VISIT, UH, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR FIVE G AT THE PENTAGON.
AND THEN DEB, UH, UH, STANSKI, THEY'RE DOING THIS, THESE STUDIES IN TRANCHES.
AND THE MAYOR REALLY, UH, WANTS, UH, A FIVE G PRESENCE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
NOT JUST A SITE, UH, BUT THE NEXT GENERATION HUB AS A FIVE G INNOVATION CENTER.
AND, UH, I TALKED TO JENNIFER, NOT JENNIFER MILLER, UH, UH, GENERAL MILLER.
UH, CAROLINE MILLER, THE COMMANDER OF J B S A JOINT BASE, SAN ANTONIO.
SHE'S VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THEY REALLY WANNA PARTNER WITH US.
AND, UH, WE LIKE A LOT OF THINGS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE INITIATE A LOT OF THINGS WE NEVER CUT THE RIBBON TO.
UH, BUT I THINK THIS ONE, UH, WE PROBABLY WILL, BECAUSE THE MILITARY IS REALLY UP AHEAD ON, UH, ON FIVE G.
SO WE'RE GONNA SCHEDULE SOME, UH, SOME OFFICE CALLS BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND MS. HEIDI SHU, WHO'S THE UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING.
AND THEY WE'RE FOLLOWING UP WITH THE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF THE TELEMED, UH, PART OF IT.
AND THEN, UH, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THEIR STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, JUST, UH, FINAL, UH, WORD.
AGAIN, THESE ARE VERY STRATEGIC VISITS.
WE WANT TO KEEP OUR MISSIONS HERE.
AND, UH, AND WE, THE OTHER THING WE DO IS WE REALLY EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE, WE KILLED OR STOPPED A COUPLE OF BILLS THAT WERE REALLY ENCROACHED UPON THE ABILITY, ESPECIALLY CAMP BULLIS TO DO THEIR MISSIONS.
THEY WANTED TO TAKE AWAY THE CITY'S, UH, ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE ANY, UH, REGULATIONS, THE TREE ORDINANCE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THE MILITARY REALLY MONITORS THAT.
AND I THINK WE DID A, WE'VE DONE A REAL GOOD JOB.
WE HAVEN'T, I TELL EVERYBODY WE HAVEN'T LOST AN INCH OF GROUND OR, UH, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, SEATED AN INCH OF GROUND, UH, TO, UH, EITHER DURING
[01:15:01]
THE ANNEXATION ISSUE OR ANY OTHER TIME.AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO FIGHT BECAUSE THAT KEEPS OUR MISSIONS HERE.
AND, AND I TELL THIS TO MY FOLKS IN THE OFFICE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO DO IT COMPATIBLY WITH THOSE MILITARY MISSIONS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL VISIT, UH, MORE TO COME.
UH, AND ONCE WE GET THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS ON A COUPLE OF THESE THINGS, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, I KNOW JEFF, I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
AND, UH, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, PLEASE.
WE'LL, UM, WE'LL HOLD OFF ON THE QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS A TWO PART PRESENTATION, RIGHT, JEFF? UM, NOT, NOT THIS ONE.
UH, WE CAN MOVE STRAIGHT ON SALARY IS GONNA TACKLE BOTH, UH, THE ITEMS THREE AND FOUR AS THE AGENDA.
WELL THEN, THEN DISREGARD THE, UH, GENERAL, MY, MY, UH, THAT'S A LOT TO RIGHT CLICK ON AND UNPACK.
THIS IS VERY THOROUGH AND ALWAYS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
I, I WILL REMIND YOU THAT, UM, UH, YOU EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION HEALTHY AS A HORSE, RIGHT? WELL, WHEN VETERINARIANS TREAT HORSES, THEY'LL SAY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE HEALTH AST CLAYTON PERRY, RIGHT? AND, UH, HE'S THE HEALTHIEST GUY IN SAN ANTONIO.
HE'S BEEN THROUGH HELL AND BACK, WENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR COVID.
HE IS GOT, YOU KNOW, 62, UH, COVID INJECTIONS, THE INFUSIONS AND ALL THAT.
THAT'S THE GUY YOU NEED TO TAKE TO DC WITH YOU, UH, FOR THESE MEETINGS, RIGHT? BECAUSE HE'S AS FLUENT AS YOU ARE IN, IN ALL OF THESE THINGS.
AND, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT HE'S GOT AS WELL ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN YOU CAN ACTUALLY TAKE MORE THAN THREE PEOPLE WITH YOU.
UM, BUT, UH, THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENT ON THIS ONE.
CLAYTON, YOU HAVE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH.
AND YEAH, I, I HAVE BEEN UP THERE SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE GENERAL AND THE MAYOR AND, AND, UH, YEAH, THOSE DISCUSSIONS ARE VERY ENLIGHTENING.
AND WE CERTAINLY PUT A GREAT FOOT FORWARD HERE FROM SAN ANTONIO TO THE PENTAGON ON THOSE VISITS.
AND YEAH, WE, WE NEED TO KEEP DOING THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CORRESPONDENCE OR MONITORING ON A, IN MY OPINION MM-HMM.
BUT, UH, HAVING SAID THAT, THE, THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE GENERAL IS THE, UM, THE COMMITMENT OF THE EIGHT, I THINK HE SAID $18 MILLION FOR THE RUNWAY TO, UH, KELLY WORKED AT, IT WASN'T THE RUNWAY, UH, IT WAS THE, UH, D H A.
UM, IS THERE ANY INDICATION WHEN THAT COMMITMENT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT DOES COME HERE TO SAN ANTONIO AND WHERE THAT MONEY WOULD BE COMING FROM? WELL, I GUESS, UH, SO PART IT WOULD BE DEFENSE ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT MONEY, THE DA AND GRANT, THAT'S PART OF IT.
UM, AND I'VE TALKED TO OUR FINANCE PEOPLE HERE, UH, DIRECTION MAYOR AT E E D, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO DO IT.
I'VE TALKED TO ALEX LOPEZ, UH, HERE AT THE CITY, AND WE'VE ALSO, UH, SPOKEN TO, UH, THE STATE, THE KEITH GR AT THE STATE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
UH, THEY ALSO WANT D H A TO COME HERE.
AND SO THAT'D BE A FUNDING SOURCE.
THE OTHER ONE, THE OTHER ONES THAT ARE CHOMPING AT THE BIT ARE COMPANIES OUT IN TOWN.
IF YOU GET TELEMEDICINE HERE TO GET D H A HERE, TO GET THAT HEADQUARTERS HERE, YOU'VE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH A, UH, VELOCITY COMES TO MIND.
UH, E COMES TO MIND, THOSE TYPES OF, UH, COMPANIES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO I, I BELIEVE THAT ONCE IT'S OFFICIAL AND THAT THE HA MAKES THE ANNOUNCEMENT, OKAY, YOU COME TO SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE THEY, THEY WERE LOOKING AT SAN DIEGO MM-HMM.
ONCE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE, UH, THEN WE CAN INITIATE THE FUNDING SOURCES.
AND THE STATE IS REALLY, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE READY.
THEY'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE SIGNAL, THE OFFICIAL, OR, YEAH.
I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THE FUNDING LIABILITY WOULD BE HERE FOR SAN ANTONIO AND WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT POT OF MONEY IS, UH, TO SUPPORT THAT.
NOT SAYING THAT WE CAN'T COME UP WITH IT.
OBVIOUSLY, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A BOND COMING UP HERE SHORTLY.
WE'VE GOT, UH, UM, HECK, WE GOT ARPA FUNDS OUT THERE ALSO.
BUT, UH, ANYWAY, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN, IS HOW THAT FUNDING WOULD WORK, WHERE IT WOULD COME FROM.
AND, AND I WOULD REALLY BE INTERESTED TO SEE THAT ABOUT, UH, OUR PRIVATE PARTNERS OUT THERE ABOUT THEM INVESTING IN THIS TYPE OF A PROJECT.
ALSO, IF THEY'RE THAT INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH WOULD THEY KICK IN, DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT'S, AND, UH, THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, RENEE MAKE THIS IS IN, NOW, I'M THERE, YOU KNOW, CALLS ME EVERY OTHER DAY.
SO, I MEAN, WE HAVE THAT TYPE OF, UH, INTEREST.
AND, AND AGAIN, THE, UM, UM, WELL, I HOPE WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY, WHEN IS OUR NEXT M T T F MEETING? OCTOBER.
I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE, IN THE KELLY OPERATION AND, AND OR
[01:20:01]
PORT OPERATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH REDOING THAT RUNWAY, AS YOU KNOW, AND, UH, TO UNPACK THAT AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS HOW THAT, THAT IS GONNA UNFOLD HERE IN THE FUTURE.ALSO, BECAUSE THAT'S CRITICAL HERE TO SAN ANTONIO AND THE PORT, AND, UH, KEEPING THAT AS, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THAT RUNWAY OPEN AND, UH, UH, DOING WHATEVER WE CAN TO SUSTAIN THOSE OPERATIONS, NOT ONLY FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MILITARY, WHICH INCLUDES ALSO FOR OUR CIVILIAN YES.
UH, COMPANIES THAT ARE OUT THERE USING IT EVERY DAY.
UM, GENERAL AEL, I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR UPDATE.
THANK YOU ALSO FOR SENDING THE REPORT.
I THINK YOU SENT IT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
I HAD A MEETING WITH CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ, AND SO I KIND OF GAVE HIM A, A, A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAKDOWN.
UM, I ALSO HAVE TO STATE THAT, UM, UH, UNDER SECRETARY, DO YOU KNOW, ORTIZ JONES IS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR, SO I FANGIRLED WHEN I WALKED, I BLOCKED, WALKED ONE TIME, AND I KNOCKED, I LITERALLY KNOCKED, AND SHE OPENED, AND I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOD.
AND SO, ANYWAY, IT WAS VERY COOL.
UM, SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AND THAT WE HAVE AN ALLY OVER THERE.
UM, SO, UH, THE RUNWAY DEFINITELY, LIKE, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY SAID, UH, I, I'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF ANYTHING WE CAN DO THERE.
UM, THE $18 MILLION THAT YOU SAID THAT THE MAYOR AND ERIC COMMITTED, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THAT AT ALL, GOING THROUGH COUNCIL.
AND IT SCARES ME THAT THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER COMMITTED $18 MILLION, ALTHOUGH I'M INCREDIBLY IN SUPPORT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAYBE LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ON PACKAGE THAT WHAT THE DIFFERENT SOURCES ARE THAT WE COULD, UM, BE LOOKING AT, UH, FOR THAT.
AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED A DE, UH, D E A POSSIBLY, BUT, UM, IF JUST AT A LATER DATE, MAYBE.
AND I'M LOOKING TO SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH YOUR OFFICE ANYWAY, BECAUSE I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN HOW WE COULD MAKE THE, UH, AIR FORCE 75TH ANNIVERSARY.
UM, AND I'VE, I'VE, UH, TALKED TO THE MAYOR.
I'VE TALKED TO COUNCILMAN PERRY AS WELL AS A MILITARY LIAISON.
HOPEFULLY WE COULD MAKE IT LIKE A WEEK LONG EVENT.
I KNOW THE WARRIOR GAMES ARE GONNA BE HERE.
I KNOW THE AIR FORCE ALREADY HAS A LOT OF CELEBRATIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY PLANNED TO KICK OFF DURING FIESTA.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, BUT I REALLY WANT TO SHOW HOW WE MILITARY CITY U S A AND THE AIR FORCE PLAYS A GREAT PART IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IN OUR AREA.
RIGHT? AND SO, UM, I'VE ASKED FOR SOME FUNDING FOR BANNERS ALONG SOUTHWEST MILITARY, FOR INSTANCE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE DONE ANYTHING TO RECOGNIZE THE AIR FORCE.
AND IN QUITE A WHILE, I'VE LIVED IN THAT AREA ALL OF MY LIFE, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE IT.
UM, SO I'M HOPING TO PARTNER WITH, WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST OBVIOUSLY A CITY LED THING, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TAKE ON, UH, DIFFERENT WAYS OF CHAMPIONING THIS.
AND SO I'D LOVE TO SEE IF THERE COULD BE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT WITH SOMEBODY, RIGHT.
ON WHAT THE AIR FORCE DOES, UH, WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING AND WHAT THEY WILL BE DOING.
AND THEN ALSO, ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT SPECIFICALLY, I WENT TO THE CHANGE OF COMMAND, UH, CEREMONY FOR THE N S A.
AND SO THEY'RE GREAT PARTNERS, UM, OBVIOUSLY THEM, AND, AND ALSO, UM, I, I DO HAVE TO SAY, I, I DO HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, AND TO RETIRE GENERAL ROSARIO, UH, FROM THE, UM, UH, UH, TEXAS, UM, NATIONAL TEXAS GUARD, THEY WERE AWESOME THROUGHOUT THE COVID PANDEMIC.
BUT CAN YOU ALSO HELP ME, UH, AND MAYBE THIS IS DURING OUR MEETING, JUST HOW WE PLUG THEM IN, EVERY TIME THERE'S AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE, I KNOW THEY GET ACTIVATED, AND I KNOW THEY'RE ON OUR LIST.
UM, BUT WHO REACHES OUT WHO MAKES THAT REQUEST? HOW OFTEN DO WE ENGAGE THEM? I, I GUESS IS, IS MY OVERALL QUESTION.
AND AGAIN, THESE COULD BE JUST FOLLOW UP OR IF YOU WANNA TAKE, TAKE A SHOT AT SOME OF THEM JUST RIGHT NOW.
UH, YEAH, NO, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND, AND WE'LL TAKE, WE'LL TAKE ON THE, UH, THE, UH, THE REQUEST.
UM, WE WORK THROUGH THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AT JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO.
THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL 266 OF THEIR MISSION PARTNERS, N SS A BEING ONE OF THEM.
AND SO, UH, IF YOU WALK INTO THE E O C, UH, R E O C, YOU'LL ALWAYS, UH, HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, AND THEY'RE, UH, THEY REPRESENT THOSE OTHERS.
UM, ONE OF THE, WE HAVE TRIED ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, UH, TO, UH, TAKE THE MAYOR INTO N SS A BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THAT ASSET EITHER.
THAT'S, UH, BESIDES THE ONE IN N S A IN, UH, IN, UH, IN MARYLAND, UH, THAT'S THE OTHER ONE.
UH, AND THAT'S A, UH, THEY SUPPORT 16TH AIR FORCE, WHICH IS HUGE HERE.
AND SO, UH, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS WE WILL, UH, WE WILL, TIM, LET'S TRY TO REENGAGE TO GET THE MAYOR BACK IN THERE.
UH, I HAVE GONE TO N S A N A COUPLE TIMES.
THEY'VE ASKED ME TO GO AND SPEAK, UH, DURING, UH, HISPANIC HERITAGE WEEK AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, THE, THE COLONEL DOWN THERE IS, IS NEW, THE CHANGE OF COMMAND, OBVIOUSLY, AND WE'LL, WE WILL TRY TO INVOLVE, UH, INVOLVE HIM MORE WHILE THEY ARE PART OF THE MILITARY AND JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, BECAUSE OF THEIR MISSION OF INTEL.
UH, SOMETIMES THEY DO GET LEFT OUT, SO WE'LL, WE'LL INCLUDE THEM, UH, AS ON OUR, UH, ON OUR LIST.
WELL, WE, WE'VE HAD THE MAYOR SCHEDULED, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.
[01:25:01]
OTHER THINGS WE GOT COVID IT OUT ONE TIME AND EVENT.UH, AND IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATELY COVID UH, SHUT THAT DOWN.
UH, BUT I, I DO THINK, UH, JEFF IS GONNA TALK TO YOU JUST, YEAH, JUST ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
I THINK MAYBE THE LANGUAGE IS MISUSED A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF COMMITTING $18 MILLION, NOTHING, OF COURSE, THAT THE CITY HAPPENS JUST BY DECISION.
YOU HAVE A, A COUNCIL BODY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS.
THE COMMITMENT, I BELIEVE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UH, JUAN, THERE'S NOT A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR ANYTHING FORMAL.
IT'S A COMMITMENT TO MAKING IT HAPPEN.
THAT IF THEY'RE GONNA BRING AN ENTIRE HEADQUARTERS UNIT HERE, THE CITY IS A WILLING PARTNER TO, TO, TO DO, PROVIDE THE SUPPORT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE COMMUNICATED IS THEIR NEED TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A HEADQUARTERS BUILDING.
SO, REST ASSURED, ANY DECISIONS LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY THAT SUM OF MONEY WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE DISCUSSED BY THE ELECTED BODY POLICYMAKERS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE THAT THEY'RE COMING HERE, AND THEN WE'LL START THE PROCESS THAT JEFF IS STUCK TALKING ABOUT.
WE CAN ALSO TAKE THE MONEY OUTTA YOUR C CCP F FUNDS.
SO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO PORT
OH, WAIT, JUST, OH, I'M, I'M SO, SO SORRY.
DID YOU SAY WE STILL WOULD BE IN THE RUNNING FOR SPACE COMMAND? I THINK SO.
UH, LOVE, AND AGAIN, I'M VERY, I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC.
I LIKE IT BECAUSE BACKGROUND ON THIS, I THINK, UH, OVER A HUNDRED CITIES APPLIED.
AND I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL
AND SO, UM, I I, I, I THINK THAT, DO I PERSONALLY THINK, UH, MY PERSONAL OPINION, THAT WE WOULD HAVE A A A, WE HAVE A DECENT SHOT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A REAL GOOD SHOT.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, IF WE DON'T PUT OUR FOOT IN, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
SO IF THE, IF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL COMES OUT AND SAYS, LET'S REDO THIS, OR WHATEVER WE'RE GONNA DO, I, I'M GONNA GO FULL BORE.
WE SHOULD GO FULL BORE IN AGAIN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE TOP SIX, WHAT IT DID, IT HIGHLIGHTED SAN ANTONIO.
THAT'S THE OTHER THING, UH, AMONGST THE MILITARY.
I MEAN, WE WERE IN THE PENTAGON, THEY WERE MENTIONING, GOD, YOU WERE IN THE TOP SIX.
AND SO IT HIGHLIGHTS US, UH, STRATEGICALLY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THAT WE CAN TAKE ON MORE MISSIONS.
THAT'S, TO ME, THAT'S THE KEY, BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE, WHEN THE TOP SIX CAME OUT WAS THAT ALL SIX COULD SUPPORT THIS HEADQUARTERS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THOUGHT PROVOKING OR INSIGHTFUL TO SAY.
BUT, UM, I REALLY DID APPRECIATE THE FORMAT OF THE, THE PRESENTATION, AND I THINK EVERYTHING WAS MADE VERY CLEAR.
AND COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA ALWAYS ASK WONDERFUL QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS, AND THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE THE, THE MEETING WE HAD.
AND AS ALWAYS, TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WE'RE YOUR RESOURCE.
[4. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2021]
UH, IS GONNA GIVE A A TWO-PRONGED FEDERAL UPDATE.I JUST WANTED TO SET THE STAGE VERY BRIEFLY.
UM, THE FIRST IS AN UPDATE ON THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
YOU ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE STATE LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED RELATED TO VOTING.
THIS IS FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT WAS RECENTLY REFILED.
AND SO SALLY'S GONNA PRESENT ON THAT AND, AND WHAT THE, THE STATUS AND AND FORECAST IS FOR IT.
AND THEN SECONDLY, COUNCILMAN PERRY, YOU HAD ASKED AT COUNCIL WHEN WE, UH, WHEN, WHEN THE DISCUSSION CAME UP ABOUT THE MIGRANT, UH, MIGRANT POPULATION TRAVELING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO, WHAT WE HAD BEEN DOING FROM A FEDERAL ADVOCACY LEVEL, UM, IS OUR STANDPOINT.
SO WE'RE GONNA REPORT ON THAT.
WE ALSO KNOW HOT OFF THE PRESS, YOU'RE PROBABLY READING WHAT WE'RE ALL READING, WHICH IS 10,000 PLUS MIGRANTS, MOSTLY HAITIAN, UM, AT THE BORDER RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN AN IMPACT FROM THAT YET.
I WAS JUST LOOKING AT OUR NUMBERS AND CHECKING WITH JESSICA VALINO FROM OUR HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE STILL GETTING IN THE RANGE OF THREE, FOUR, OR 500 DAILY AND ALMOST ALL OUR ARRIVING WITH PREARRANGED TRAVEL PLANS.
AND BY 8:00 AM THE, THE FOLLOWING MORNING, EACH DAY WE'RE LEFT WITH SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE AND 15.
SO THINGS ARE STILL WORKING SMOOTHLY RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IT AND WATCHING IT, UH, JUST LIKE YOU ARE.
AND SO, UM, UH, THE PRESENTATION IS TIMELY.
UH, FOR THAT PURPOSES, SALLY, THANKS FOR OBLIGING ME.
UH, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN.
COUNCIL MEMBERS TO KICK THIS OFF, A QUICK PRESENTATION OVERVIEW SLIDE.
AS JEFF SAID, THERE'S BEEN SOME ACTIVITY IN CONGRESS ON THE VOTING, UH, RIGHTS, UH, SPECTRUM SANDBOX.
UM, I'M GONNA REVIEW, UH, THE ASPECTS AND THE LATEST ACTIVITY ON HR FOUR, THE JOHN LEWIS
[01:30:01]
VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT.AND THEN, UH, AFTER THAT, THE SECOND ITEM, AS JEFF SAID, GO OVER THE MIGRANT ARRIVALS, UH, SOME DATA, UH, STATUS, UH, AND AS WELL AS OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS.
UM, AS I JUST SAID, CONGRESS HAS, UH, BEEN VERY DILIGENTLY WORKING THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS THROUGH THE SUMMER TO ADVANCE, UH, VOTING RIGHTS LEGISLATION.
THEY REALLY HAVE A LOT OF PRESSURE RIGHT NOW TO TRY AND GET, UH, THIS LEGISLATION, UH, PASSED, UM, ON, IN BOTH CHAMBERS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, THE HOUSE, UM, HAS MOVED A LITTLE MORE QUICKLY ON THIS, UH, MORE ON THE SENATE TO COME A SNAPSHOT OF THE LEGISLATIVE TIMELINE DURING THE A HUNDRED AND 16TH CONGRESS.
THE PREVIOUS CONGRESS, THE, UH, VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT WAS FILED IN FEBRUARY IN THE HOUSE.
IT TOOK A FEW MONTHS, BUT AT THE END OF THAT YEAR, IN DECEMBER, THE HOUSE VOTED, UH, TO PASS IT MOSTLY ALONG PARTY LINES.
THERE WAS ONE, UM, REPUBLICAN MEMBER THAT DID, UH, VOTE TO SUPPORT IT, BUT AGAIN, MOSTLY ALONG PARTY LINES.
UH, JUST LAST MONTH, UM, ON AUGUST 17TH, CONGRESSWOMAN SEWELL FROM ALABAMA REFILED, UH, THE ADVANCEMENT ACT WITH SOME FIXES, UH, THAT THE SUPREME COURT DIRECTED CONGRESS TO WORK ON IN SHORT ORDER.
ONE WEEK LATER, THE HOUSE PASSED IT ON AUGUST 24TH.
SO, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS PRETTY SPEEDY, UM, THEIR WORK IN AUGUST, UH, FOR THE HOUSE.
SO NOW THEY HAVE SENT IT OVER TO THE SENATE FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
AND, UH, THE, UH, HERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, BACKGROUND AND HIGH LEVEL HIGHLIGHTS ON WHAT THE BILL ENTAILS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE SUPREME COURT, UH, VIA TWO DECISIONS IN 2013, AND MOST RECENTLY IN 2021, NULLIFIED THE, UM, SPECIFIC PRE-CLEARANCE FORMULA THAT DETERMINES WHICH STATES AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS, UM, HAVE A PATTERN OF DISCRIMINATION.
SO THIS BILL PROPOSES TO MODERNIZE THE FORMULA, UH, SPECIFIC AREAS THAT THE, UH, FORMULA WOULD BE LOOKING AT WOULD BE, UH, CHAR, UH, CHANGING ELECTION PRACTICES IN DIVERSE AREAS, CHANGING DOCUMENTS TO VOTE OR REGISTER TO VOTE, UH, REDUCING ACCESS BASED ON LANGUAGE, UM, AS WELL AS REDUCING POLLING LOCATIONS.
ALSO IN DIVERSE AREAS, ENTITIES WOULD NEED, UH, PRE-CLEARANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR THESE ELECTION AND VOTING CHANGES.
IT ALSO INCLUDES A PROVISION TO CHALLENGE POTENTIALLY DISCRIMINATORY VOTING CHANGES.
THIS WOULD ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT THESE POTENTIAL, UM, DISCRIMINATORY ACTIONS BY STATES AND, UM, POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS WHO RUN, UM, ELECTIONS.
SO, A QUICK GLANCE, UM, AT THE STATUS, UH, CONGRESS, THE HOUSE AND SENATE RETURN, UH, TO CAPITOL HILL NEXT WEEK, THEY HAVE A LOT OF LEGISLATIVE ITEMS OF VERY MAJOR PRIORITY TO TACKLE IN JUST A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
UH, THOSE INCLUDE, UH, FUNDING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, THROUGH A SHORT-TERM CONTINUING RESOLUTION OR A CR UM, CHAIRMAN, UH, YOU BROUGHT UP THE DEAD CEILING ISSUE.
IN OUR LAST MEETING, UH, TREASURY, UH, YELLEN HAS BEEN, UH, SECRETARY YELLEN FROM TREASURY HAS BEEN PRESSURING CONGRESS, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THEY INCREASE THE DEBT CEILING, OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL RUN OUTTA MONEY BY OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.
SO THAT'S A PRESSING ITEM THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK ON.
AND THEN YOU'LL RECALL IN OUR PREVIOUS MEETING, I PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, SENATE'S PASSAGE OF THE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT INCLUDES $500 BILLION WORTH OF NEW MONEY.
THE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON THAT PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 27TH.
SO A LOT OF, UH, KEY LEGISLATIVE ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE TO TACKLE.
UH, IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES AND THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE SENATE WILL, UH, PASS, UH, THIS BILL NOW THAT IT'S BEEN PASSED BY THE HOUSE, UH, AS A STANDALONE BILL.
UM, IN THE, JUST THIS WEEK, THE SENATE HAS RESPONDED, UM, VIA THE FREEDOM TO VOTE ACT.
SO JUST ON TUESDAY, SENATE DEMOCRATS UNVEILED A COMPROMISE BILL.
IT IS A, UH, PAIRED DOWN, UH, VERSION OF THE, UH, PREVIOUS HOUSE BILL, UH, THAT THEY PASSED, BUT DID NOT ADVANCE IN THE SENATE.
SO THIS WAS ESSENTIALLY THE WORK OF, UH, SENATE DEMOCRATS TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE SOME KIND OF VOTING RIGHTS.
UH, IT FOCUSES ON PROTECTING ACCESS, UH, TO, TO THE BALLOT BY PROTECTING A VOTER RIGHTS.
IT SETS A NATIONAL ID STANDARD.
IT INCLUDES 15 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF EARLY VOTING PLUS TWO WEEKENDS.
AND IT ALSO ENSURES THAT VOTERS CAN REQUEST
[01:35:01]
TO TO VOTE BY MAIL.MANY OF THESE, UM, UH, HAVE BEEN, UH, REMOVED BY CERTAIN STATES IN SOME OF THE STATE BILLS.
IT WOULD ALSO ESTABLISH, UH, THE ELECTION DAY AS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY.
AND IT ALSO WOULD MANDATE STATES TO FOLLOW SPECIFIC CRITERIA AS, UH, BEING DISCUSSED EARLIER, UM, WHEN DRAWING NEW CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING LINES.
SO ALL THIS IN IS INCLUDED IN THE FREEDOM TO VOTE ACT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? WE, UM, ARE AWARE THAT BECAUSE IT IS A DEMOCRAT'S BILL CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO REPUBLICAN SUPPORT FOR THIS BILL.
UH, SO WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, BEHIND THE SCENES IS THAT THERE'S A VOTE WHIPPING GOING ON, AND, UM, THE SENATORS ARE TRYING TO GET THOSE ADDITIONAL 10 VOTES THAT THEY NEED, UH, TO PASS AND ADVANCE THIS BILL.
[3. Update on advocacy regarding itinerant migrant surge in San Antonio]
ON OUR NEXT TOPIC, UH, MIGRANT ARRIVALS AND OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS, UH, BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, WE SAW AN INCREASE OF MIGRANT ARRIVALS THAT PEAKED IN AUGUST, UH, 2021.SO WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE HUMAN SERVICES TEAM, JESSICA DOLINA, UH, TINA GALLEGOS, OUR IMMIGRATION LIAISON, UM, IN TANDEM WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, UH, TO ENGAGE IMMEDIATELY, UM, ON THIS EFFORT.
THE AIRPORT AND THE BUS STATION WERE TRANSPORTATION HUBS.
SO THE, UH, MIGRANT INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE COMING, UH, PASSING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO WERE PRIMARILY COMING FROM THE, UM, BORDER AREA OF, UH, DEL RIO SECTOR.
AND SO MOST OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING WERE COMING FROM THERE.
UH, UH, FORTUNATELY, THOSE NUMBERS OF MIGRANTS, UH, WHEN WE DID SEE THE PEAK IN AUGUST, SAN ANTONIO WAS NOT THEIR FINAL DESTINATION.
THEY WERE TRAVELING THROUGH, UH, EN ROUTE TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION, THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, NONPROFIT PARTNERS, NOT JUST IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT IN THE BORDER AREAS.
THERE WAS A LOT OF COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION NEEDED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THO THAT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, UM, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE CALL.
AND WE'VE GOT THE CSSA REQUEST THAT WE'RE IDENTIFIED BY, UH, CITY STAFF, UM, THAT WE NEEDED TO ENGAGE RIGHT AWAY, UH, VARIOUS OFFICIALS TO MAKE SURE TO, TO TACKLE THESE REQUESTS.
FIRST ONE IS WE NEEDED TO IMPROVE COORDINATION WITH CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL AND OTHER BORDER ENTITIES THAT WERE TRANSPORTING THE MIGRANT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO SAN ANTONIO.
WE WANTED THEM TO HAVE A PREARRANGED TRAVEL PLANS, SO THAT WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT, UM, THE DURATION OF TIME, UH, SPENT AT THE AIRPORT WAS ESSENTIALLY JUST WAITING FOR THEIR FLIGHTS AND GOING TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION.
UM, A BIG ASK IS, UH, THE COVID COVID TESTING ASK.
UM, IT'S IMPERATIVE DUE TO A, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC, UH, HEALTH, UM, AND SAFETY MATTER, THAT WE REALLY NEED THESE INDIVIDUALS TO BE COVID TESTING TESTED BY C B P AND BORDER PATROL SECTOR.
SOME TESTING IS HAPPENING, UM, WITHIN, UH, THE ICE OPERATIONS, BUT C B P IS CURRENTLY NOT DOING ANY TESTING.
SO, DISCUSSIONS, UM, ARE ONGOING WITH C B P, HOMELAND SECURITY, UM, AND HUMAN SERVICES TO TRY AND, AND TACKLE THIS, UM, REQUEST.
IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, UH, TO GET A RESULT ON.
UH, WE ALSO ADVOCATED FOR GREATER REIMBURSEMENT FLEXIBILITY.
YOU MAY RECALL IN 2019, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH SENATOR CORNY AND CONGRESSMAN COYAR TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY FUND THE EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER, UH, BOARD PROGRAM.
ON THE FUNDING SIDE, UH, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DRAW DOWN, UM, SEVERAL, UH, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, WHICH I'LL REVIEW WITH YOU HERE MOMENTARILY.
AND THEN THE LAST ASK, SOME OF OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, UH, PREFER TO HAVE OR TO HAVE ESTABLISHED DIRECT FEDERAL FUNDING AGREEMENTS.
UH, INSTEAD OF REIMBURSEMENT, UM, FUNDING, UH, GRANTS THAT WE GET NOW THROUGH THE EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER BOARD, IT WOULD JUST BE A, A, A EASIER, UH, FUND ON THE FUNDING SIDE OF THINGS FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, THOSE AGREEMENTS.
THERE ARE MODELS ACROSS TEXAS THAT EXIST, UM, IN HOUSTON AND OTHER ENTITIES, AND IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, WHERE, WHERE THESE MODELS ARE EXISTED.
SO WE DO HAVE EXAMPLES WHERE SAN ANTONIO COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE THAT IN PLACE HERE.
SO THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONGOING AS WELL.
UH, HERE'S A QUICK GLANCE AT THE MIGRANT ARRIVALS.
UM, IN SAN ANTONIO, YOU'LL SEE THE APRIL THROUGH JULY, UH, NUMBERS COLUMN COMPARED TO THE AUGUST, 2021.
YOU SEE THE, THE INCREASE THERE.
UM, THESE ARE UNDUPLICATED NUMBERS AT THE GREYHOUND BUS STATION IN OUR AIRPORT IN AUGUST AT THE BUS STATION, THERE WERE 4,205, OVER 10,000 AT THE AIRPORT FOR A TOTAL OF 14,000.
SO HERE YOU CAN VISUALLY SEE, UM, THE INCREASE IN THE SURGE THAT WE SAW WHEN WE PEAKED IN AUGUST ON OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS FRONT.
UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE WAS, UH, THIS WAS A, A BIG, UH, TANDEM EFFORT BETWEEN, UH, THIS OTHER CITY
[01:40:01]
STAFF, UH, G P A, OUR CONSULTANTS, UM, AND AS WELL AS, UH, AGENCY AND CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS.YOU'LL SEE THERE, UH, MR. RAUL ORTIZ, THE CHIEF OF US BORDER PATROL FROM HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, UH, THE MAYOR AND OUR CITY MANAGER, UM, HAD A, A DISCUSSION EARLY ON IN AUGUST, UH, WITH CHIEF ORTIZ.
WE ALSO COORDINATED CALLS, UM, FOR THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER WITH, UH, DEL RIO, UH, LEADERSHIP THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE LIST IN AUGUST AS WELL.
HE'S THE WHITE HOUSE VACCINATIONS COORDINATOR, AND CONTINUED TO PRESS UPON, UH, THE CHALLENGES THAT SAN ANTONIO WAS FACING, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, AIRPORT COMMUNICATED WITH MR. FLORES FROM THE F A A SOUTHWEST REGION, UH, DIRECTOR.
UM, OUR AIRPORT, UH, DIRECTOR JESUS S HAD THAT DISCUSSION WITH MR. FLORES.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD SEVERAL OTHER DISCUSSIONS, WHICH THEY CONTINUE WITH, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HEADQUARTERS AND OTHER D H SS REGIONAL OFFICES.
UH, WE ALSO, WHICH WAS SUPER HELPFUL, IDENTIFIED CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL POINTS OF CONTACT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IMPROVED COORDINATION AND ONGOING COMMUNICATION, UM, WAS IN PLACE AND HAS CONTINUED, UH, THROUGH TODAY.
UH, YOU SEE THOSE TWO INDIVIDUALS THERE.
ONE OF THEM IS FROM THE DEL RIO SECTOR.
AND THEN, UH, SIGRID GONZALEZ, UM, REPORTS TO THE C B P COMMISSIONER, AND SO SHE HAS THAT DIRECT LINE TO HEADQUARTERS AS WELL.
IN DC THIS IMPROVED COORDINATION WITH, UH, BORDER PARTNERS, UH, RESULTED IN THE MIGRANTS ARRIVING WITH PREARRANGED TRAVEL PLANS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
AND THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OPERATIONS AT THE AIRPORT, UH, WEREN'T IMPACTED.
UH, AGAIN, MOST OF THEM ARE DEPARTING THE SAME DAY.
THOSE THAT HAVE, THAT REQUIRE OVERNIGHT SHELTERING NORMALLY LEAVE WITHIN 48 TO 72 HOURS, AND OUR NGOS ARE PROVIDING THAT SHELTERING AS WELL.
I MENTIONED EARLIER OUR WORK WITH SENATOR CORNIN AND CONGRESSMAN QUAY ON THE EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER BOARD FUNDING.
IN TANDEM WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, WE HELPED TO CRAFT LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE THAT WAS INCLUDED EVENTUALLY IN THE 2019 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROACH BILL IN THE HOMELAND SECURITY TRANCHE.
UH, THERE'S BEEN THREE ROUNDS, UH, OF THAT, UH, PARTICULAR FUNDING, UM, AVAILABILITY.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN ABLE TO TAP, UH, I THINK I, I BELIEVE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN THOSE THREE ROUNDS.
AND IN 2021, UH, CONGRESS, UH, DUE LARGELY TO THE EFFORTS OF, UH, SENATOR CORNYN AND CONGRESSMAN, UH, QUAR, THEY INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL 110 MILLION, UM, IN ARPA.
AND SO WE, THAT IS, UH, MONEY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE AND OUR NONPROFITS TAP INTO TO ENSURE THAT WE GET REIMBURSED, UH, FOR THE EXPENSES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING FOR THE ASYLUM SEEKER, UH, SERVICES, UH, TO DATE, UH, 140,000, UM, HAS BEEN IN REIMBURSEMENTS THROUGH JUNE, 2021.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, HUMAN SERVICES HAS ALREADY PROJECTED THROUGH DECEMBER.
SO THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL FUNDING REQUESTS, UM, THAT ARE BEING SUBMITTED, UH, TO THE EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER BOARD FOR REIMBURSEMENTS.
UH, THESE ARE OUR ONGOING ADVOCACY EFFORTS.
AS I SAID, THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH, UH, CITY STAFF, OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION, OUR FEDERAL CONSULTANTS, AND WE CONTINUE TO TALK TO THEM, UM, AS OFTEN AS NEEDED.
THESE STRATEGIC DISCUSSIONS, UH, THAT WE ENGAGE WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, UH, IN ENTAIL, UM, COMMUNICATING, UH, OUR CONCERNS AND OUR CHALLENGES WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE ENGAGED WIDE AND BROAD, AND OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FEDERAL AGENCIES ARE ONGOING.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
JESSICA VELINA WITH HUMAN SERVICES IS HERE, AND TINO GALLEGOS IS ALSO HERE.
THEY'VE BEEN FRONT AND CENTER IN WORKING WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS.
THEY, THEY, WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THEM AND THEIR LEADERSHIP.
WE COULDN'T, NO, YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU POUR A LOT OF YOURSELF INTO THE, INTO THIS WORK WITH, UH, OUR IMMIGRANTS.
UM, COUNCILMAN PERRY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, SIR? SURE.
AND SALLY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS, AND I, I'M MADE THESE COMMENTS SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, I GUESS, ABOUT ARE THESE PEOPLE JUST COMING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO AND NOBODY KNOWS IF THEY'RE TESTED.
NOBODY KNOWS IF THEY'VE BEEN, UH, UH, VACCINATED OR ANYTHING.
AND I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, US BEING A COMPASSIONATE CITY AND PUSHING FOR OUR OWN CITIZENS TO BE TESTED, TO BE VACCINATED, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT PUT TOGETHER, BUT NOBODY WAS REALLY SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT FOLKS COMING THROUGH THE CITY THAT COULD, THAT NOBODY
[01:45:01]
COULD SAY FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT.YEAH, EVERYBODY'S TESTED, EVERYBODY'S BEEN VACCINATED, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THAT UP.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS ON COUNCIL THAT I DIDN'T APPRECIATE, BUT, UH, HAVING SAID THAT, UM, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL PUSHING THIS.
BUT AGAIN, THE ACTION IS NOT BEING TAKEN YET TO SUPPORT MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ALL TESTED AS THEY'RE COMING ACROSS THE BORDER OR BEFORE THEY'RE COMING INTO, UH, ACROSS THE BORDER LIKE THAT.
SO WHERE ARE THEY IN THAT PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE BORDER? UM, SURE.
AND, AND JEFF, YOU, YOU CAN ADD TO THAT AS WELL AS JESSICA AND, AND TINO.
UM, WE'VE MADE THE REQUEST, COUNCILMAN, WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS REQUEST.
UM, I MENTIONED THAT OUR NUMBERS PEAKED IN AUGUST.
UH, OTHER BORDER COMMUNITIES LIKE THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND EL PASO, THEY SAW THESE NUMBERS PEAK FOR THEM MUCH EARLIER IN THE, IN, IN 2021 IN MARCH, PROBABLY.
AND SO THEY'VE BEEN MAKING THE SAME REQUESTS.
I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR HAS HAD DISCUSSIONS, UH, WITH OTHER MAYORS AS WELL.
SO WE'RE ALL MAKING THE SAME REQUEST.
UM, THE, THE FIRST MENTION TO US ABOUT, UM, WHY BORDER PATROL IS NOT TESTING IS THEY DON'T HAVE, UM, THE STRUCTURE IN PLACE, UH, THAT OTHER, UH, DIVISIONS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, ICE, UH, DOES TO BE ABLE TO TEST BECAUSE THEY HAVE CERTAIN FACILITIES AND MEASURES IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
SO THEY WERE VERY FRANK WITH US, AND THEY TOLD US BORDER PATROL DOESN'T TEST.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED, UM, AND WE'VE HAD THESE DISCUSSIONS ALREADY WITH OUR, UH, DELEGATION AND AS WELL, UH, WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR CONSULTANTS IS ENGAGING ANOTHER AGENCY, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO THOSE DISCUSSIONS, UM, ARE ONGOING.
IT IS AN ITEM THAT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE LONGER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER ONES AS FAR AS COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION, BECAUSE IT IS A, A BIG REQUEST.
BUT, UM, WE, WE, WERE NOT GONNA GIVE UP ON IT BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY DOES HELP US ON THE GROUND TO BE ABLE TO, UH, COORDINATE THESE SERVICES WHEN MIGRANT FAMILIES NEED TO MOVE TO OTHER LOCATIONS AND WITH OTHER NONPROFITS, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE BEING TESTED TOO.
SO THEY'LL TAKE THEM FROM US AND ASSIST TO CARRY SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS IF THEY'RE BEING TESTED.
SO EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE THAT HAPPENING.
IT'S JUST GONNA TAKE DEFINITELY A, A LITTLE LONGER, LET, MAY BE A LITTLE MORE POINTED, IF I COULD COUNCILMAN I, IT, THEY'RE TELLING US NO.
UM, UH, BORDER PATROL IS OVERWHELMED.
THEY'RE EVEN MORE SO NOW WITH THE RECENT NUMBERS THERE.
THE ANSWER HAS BEEN SIMPLY THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO IT.
UM, SO WE, WE DO HAVE A VACCINE CLINIC AT THE AIRPORT, THE STATE'S HELPING US RUN SO WE CAN ENCOURAGE, UH, FOLKS TO GET TESTED.
WE CAN'T REQUIRE IT, UH, NOT TESTED, UH, VACCINATED, UH, RIGHT THERE IN THE SAME FACILITY.
UM, AND OF COURSE, THE, AS A FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION HUB, THE AIRPORT IS STILL SUBJECT TO THE MASK MANDATE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO ENFORCE THAT.
UM, BUT WE'RE NOT, IT, IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNLESS THINGS CHANGE.
I MEAN, THEY, THE ANSWER TO US IS THAT BORDER NOT GONNA TEST, UH, UPON RELEASE.
WELL, UM, I'VE ASKED MY STAFF TO SEND, UH, COUNCILMAN P PIUS, UH, LETTERS TO YOU THAT I'VE SENT BOTH TO, UM, WELL, TO OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION, UH, ACROSS THE STATE, UH, ABOUT THIS SITUATION.
I, AND IT'S A FAILURE ON THE BORDER PATROL'S, UH, PART ON NOT PROVIDING THAT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS COMING ACROSS THE BORDER.
AND WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING HERE ON WHO HAS BEEN OR HAS NOT BEEN TESTED OR VACCINATED COMING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF PAINS WHEN THIS WAS HAPPENING LAST TIME ABOUT, UH, RECEPTION, A RECEPTION CENTER HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WITH PEOPLE COMING IN, UM, YOU KNOW, HELPING 'EM, HELPING 'EM GET ON THEIR WAY, THAT KIND OF THING.
HAVE WE MADE ANY PROVISIONS IN MAYBE SETTING UP A RECEPTION CENTER? AS THOSE BUSES COME IN, THEY FLOW THROUGH AND WE OFFER THAT TO THEM, UH, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO SO THAT WE CAN CATCH THOSE THAT WANT TO BE TESTED OR VACCINATED AS THEY GET OFF THE BUSES.
AND BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY GOES TO THE AIRPORT, NOT EVERYBODY GOES TO THE, TO THE BUS STATION.
UH, SOME PEOPLE COME HERE TO STAY IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO AS A CITY AND THEN ASK FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THEN PASS THAT BILL OVER TO
[01:50:01]
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT DOING THEIR JOB AT THE BORDER.WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY DOING THAT PART, SEEKING THE REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO JESSICA HERE, BUT, UM, WE EXPLORED A LOT OF OPTIONS IN TERMS OF RECEPTION CENTERS, AND ULTIMATELY GIVEN THE DAILY FLOW, THE BETTER SOLUTION WAS THE IMMEDIATE PASS THROUGH THAT FOLKS ARRIVE AND GET ON A FLIGHT THAT AFTERNOON OR THAT MORNING AND MOVE ON THEIR WAY.
WE DO OFFER HOTEL ROOMS THROUGH OUR PARTNERS FOR A COUPLE DOZEN WHO NEED TO STAY LONGER THAN THAT.
UM, BUT SETTING UP A RECEPTION CENTER THAT ULTIMATELY KEEPS PEOPLE HERE LONGER IS NOT WHAT THEY WANT, UM, AND NOT BENEFICIAL TO THE FLOW.
SO, UM, DID I SUMMARIZE THAT RIGHT OR DO YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT, JESSICA? YEAH, SURE.
SO THERE'S ACTUALLY, UM, HERE, LEMME GET THIS FOR YOU, KIND OF DIFFERENT POINTS OF ENTRY THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE ENTRY COMING AT THE AIRPORT.
WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ARRIVING AT THE BUS STATION, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A NON-PROFIT PARTNER THAT'S OFFERING A RESPITE CENTER.
SO THEY'RE ALSO TAKING ADDITIONAL, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE COMING IN.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I GUESS I'M NOT BEING CLEAR THEM EVEN PASSING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO, SHOULDN'T WE BE OFFERING THAT SERVICE TO AT LEAST GET THEM TESTED? AND IF THEY TEST POSITIVE, YOU KNOW, ARE WE JUST GONNA LET THEM CONTINUE ON TO THEIR DESTINATION AND PASS THAT PROBLEM ALONG TO SOMEBODY ELSE HERE IN TEXAS? I, I, I'M, AM I BEING CLEAR HERE? WHY DON'T WE OFFER THAT SERVICE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND IF PEOPLE TEST POSITIVE, WE TAKE CARE OF 'EM UNTIL THEY TEST NEGATIVE AND THEY GO THEIR THEIR WAY.
IF, IF I MAY, I, I THINK WHAT WHAT I'M HEARING IS, IS THAT, UM, AND MAYBE MORE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE MADE ON, ON THE POINT THAT WE CAN ONLY DO THAT WHICH THE CONSTITUTION ALLOWS.
RIGHT? WE CAN'T FORCE ANYBODY TO TAKE A TEST.
WE CAN'T FORCE ANYBODY TO TAKE A VACCINE.
WE CAN'T FORCE ANYBODY TO STAY IN SAN ANTONIO OR, OR LEAVE SAN ANTONIO.
WE CAN'T EVEN TELL 'EM WHERE TO GO AND WHEN TO GO.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN IN POKER PARLANCE, YOU KNOW, WE PLAY THE CARDS THAT ARE DEALT WITH US, UH, THAT DEALT TO US.
AND IN THIS INSTANCE, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE COULD DO.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO HEAR FROM YOU, LIKE, IS IS THERE SOME SOLUTION THAT YOU'VE GOT IN, IN IN MIND THAT IS NOT BEING WORKED OUT HERE? NO, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING TO FORCE ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THAT'S A TOTAL FAILURE.
BUT SHOULDN'T WE BE PROVIDING OR HAVE THAT SERVICE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO GET TESTED? RIGHT.
OR VACCINATED OR IF THEY TEST POSITIVE AND TO STAY HERE THROUGH THAT QUARANTINE PERIOD.
AND WE'VE BEEN HERE NOW FOR, FOR TWO HOURS AND, AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT WE'VE NOW DEVOLVED INTO A AWAY FROM THE FEDERAL, UH, AGENDA RIGHT.
INTO WHAT IS IT YOU'RE DOING ONCE THEY GET HERE.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY ON TRACK 'CAUSE THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT IS, THAT MERITS A, A MORE TIME THAN THE LITTLE BIT OF TIME THAT WE'VE GOT LEFT.
AND SO, UH, BUT I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOUR POINT IS, IS MADE ON THE RECORD AND THAT, AND THAT, THAT YOUR ANSWERS WERE PROVIDED.
AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE UNSATISFACTORY ANSWERS AND I DON'T THINK THAT IF THEY CONTINUE ANSWERING, THEY'RE GONNA SATISFY YOU ANYMORE.
UH, DO YOU AGREE? UH, SOMEWHAT, BUT I, I, YEAH.
I WANNA PUT THE MARKER ON THE TABLE.
I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND WHAT'S NOT HAPPENING AT THE BORDER.
AND IN MY OPINION, WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND BILLING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SO.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I WANNA THANK, UH, GALLEGOS HERE AND JESSICA LINA.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT AT ANY TIME THAT I HAVE QUESTIONS, I JUST PICK UP THE PHONE AND, AND CALL YOU ALL.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR TAKING THE CALLS.
UM, I, I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE, THE, THE, NOT THAT I'D BE CONCERNED, I THINK TESTING'S ALWAYS GREAT.
I GO GET TESTED ONCE A WEEK, JUST PROACTIVELY, BUT IT TAKES TWO TO THREE DAYS TO GET THE RESULTS.
AND THOSE ARE THE GOLD STANDARD P C R TESTS.
IF WE DO THESE QUICK ONES, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, MAY OR MAY NOT CATCH SOMETHING, AND THEN THEY'RE STILL SOMEWHERE ELSE ALREADY.
SO JUST, UM, UH, THAT'S ALL I'LL, I'LL SAY ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO WITH THE CURRENT NUMBER OF CSA STAFF, HOW MANY ARE REDIRECTED TO THE MIGRANT EFFORTS SPECIFICALLY? IS THERE, UH, HOW MANY IN D H SS OR ANYWHERE ELSE? SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE ONLY UTILIZING, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES STAFF.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT, UH, WITH OUR STAFF AND OUR PARTNER OPERATIONS, SO NONPROFIT PARTNERS.
UM, WE HAVE TEMP STAFF THAT WE'VE BROUGHT ON BOARD, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE TO SIX EMPLOYEES THAT WE'RE, UM, REDIRECTING PER WEEK ON A ROTATING BASIS FOR D H S.
ALSO, UM, I I THOUGHT THERE WAS GONNA BE TWO TEMPORARY STAFFING POSITIONS THAT WERE GONNA BE HIRED THROUGH
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TRI-STAR TEMP AGENCY.I WASN'T SURE IF THAT WAS UNDER D H S OR UNDER THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, BUT I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IF THEY'D BE BILINGUAL AND ONLY ENGLISH AND SPANISH, BUT IAN CREOLE, UH, FRENCH, PORTUGUESE.
SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE TAKING THOSE LANGUAGE CONSIDERATIONS IN THOSE POSITIONS.
AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY, WE HAVE 11 POSITIONS THAT WE'RE HIRING FOR.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THREE OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT ARE VACANT.
SO WE EITHER HAVE FOLKS ONBOARDED THAT ARE, UM, WORKING RIGHT NOW OR IN THE PROCESS OF ONBOARDING.
UM, THEY ARE PRIMARILY BILINGUAL IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO A LANGUAGE LINE AND TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR OTHER LANGUAGES LIKE CA CREOLE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, ARE WE ALL WORKING TO, I I'M ASSUMING, ASSUMING WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER IN NONPROFITS AND NOT IN SILOS, CORRECT? YES.
SO BETWEEN OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND THE CITY, WE HAVE VERY DISTINCT OPERATIONS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE OPERATING, BUT WE DO HAVE ONGOING COORDINATION BETWEEN THOSE OPERATIONS, UM, AND, AND WEEKLY CALLS WITH THEM TO COORDINATE SERVICES AND MAKE SURE WE'RE IN ALIGNMENT.
AND THEN, UM, THIS QUESTION IS, IS FOR JEFF, OUR, AS WE SUBMIT OUR REIMBURSEMENTS, AND WE'RE JUST KEEPING TRACK OF THAT, ARE CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS IN, IN SUPPORT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR, INCLUDING, UH, SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE SAW TODAY? ABSOLUTELY.
THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT HELP TO US.
UM, UM, I THINK SALLY WAS TALKING WITH CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ'S STAFF LAST NIGHT ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY HELPFUL.
IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A DIFFICULT CHALLENGE FOR ALL INVOLVED, AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, AND, AND HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN.
I KNOW WALTER'S HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH MEMBERS.
HE'S BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE IDEA OF REIMBURSEMENT.
WELL, HE HAS THE RADIO AS WELL TOO, SO THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM.
AND I'LL MOVE ON TO THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS, UM, UH, UH, ADVANCEMENT ACT.
HOW DOES TEXAS SENATE BILL ONE UNDO THE WORK THAT'S BEEN ACHIEVED BY THE V R A, THE, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT? AND HOW WOULD PASSAGE OF THIS PARTICULAR ONE BY CONGRESS EARLY IN THE YEAR PREVENT, UM, THE, THE BILL, UH, TEXAS SENATE BILL ONE FROM ADVANCING IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE? GREAT QUESTION, AND I DIDN'T FULLY TIE THAT TOGETHER.
UM, IT, IT'S REALLY THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
IT'S NOT SB ONE AFFECTING THIS BILL.
IT'S THAT THIS BILL WOULD PREEMPT STATE LAW.
THIS WOULD CREATE A NATIONAL STANDARD FOR A LOT OF THESE THINGS.
SO, SB ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, REGULATED EARLY VOTING, WHEN YOU CAN DO IT, WHEN YOU CAN'T, THAT SORT OF THING.
THIS IS FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT ESTABLISHES A STATEWIDE, I MEAN, A NATIONAL STANDARD.
THIS IS WHAT, UH, THE DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSED SSB ONE WENT TO DC TO ADVOCATE FOR NOT NECESSARILY THE COMPROMISE VERSION, BUT THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF, UH, VOTING RIGHT.
JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS BILL.
UM, SO THAT'S THE IDEA IS THAT THIS WOULD, UH, PREEMPT THAT.
AND, AND, AND PREDICTABLY THE STATE HAS, UH, JOINED WITH MANY OTHER STATES ENSUING, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CAME OUT THIS WEEK AND, AND SAID, WE WENT TO GREAT PAINS TO PASS VOTER, UH, LAW IN TEXAS, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA STAND FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, UNDOING THAT.
I THINK THE, AS SALLY MENTIONED, THE PROGNOSIS ISN'T NECESSARILY GOOD THOUGH, UM, BUT WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON IT AND, AND HAD COMMITTED TO YOU ALL TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON, ON BOTH, ON ACTIONS, AT BOTH LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
SO THAT WAS MY, ACTUALLY, YOU ANSWERED PART OF MY NEXT QUESTION, BUT I'M WONDERING, UM, WHERE DOES, I KNOW WHERE OUR, OUR LOCAL OR OUR STATE, BUT OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, WHERE DOES, WHERE DO THEY STAND? WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? I THINK IT FALLS SQUARELY ALONG PARTISAN LINES.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, HOW WILL OUR BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T RUN A FOUL OF SSB ONE IF A T R O IS NOT GRANTED IN ONE OF THE PENDING LAWSUITS? YEAH.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER ON THAT YET.
UH, AT OUR LAST CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY, THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR WAS PUTTING TOGETHER, UH, EXTENSIVE INFORMATION TO PRESENT TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT ON THE IMPLICATIONS AND HOW THEY WILL IMPLEMENT CHANGES TO BE IN LINE WITH IT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S HAPPENED YET.
UM, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY A PERFECT CONVERSATION AT THIS COMMITTEE, UH, GIVEN OUR, OUR CITY COUNTY MAKEUP, UH, FOR THEM TO KEEP US UP TO DATE.
THEY'RE CERTAINLY WELL AWARE OF IT.
AND, AND AS I SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL WEEK OR SO AGO, THERE WERE OTHER PARTS OF THE BILL THAT HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE COUNTY THAT AREN'T THE SORT OF CONTROVERSIAL THINGS THAT ARE TALKING ABOUT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE TYPES OF VOTER MACHINES UTILIZED BASED ON THE REQUIRED INFORMATION AND PROCESSES THAT THE BILL REQUIRES, UH, ARE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY SORT OF WORKING THROUGH NOW.
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, UH, IN ALL ROOMS WHERE BALLOTS ARE BEING COUNTED, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN, UM, JUST REALLY FAST, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT PLUGS IN HERE, BUT WE, UM, RECEIVED WORD YESTERDAY FROM SENATOR CORDEN'S OFFICE THAT THE F A A AND AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WE HAD RECEIVED $3.4 MILLION FOR, UM, RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY IMPROVEMENTS,
[02:00:01]
UH, FOR OUR AIRPORT.DO YOU KNOW WHEN WE'RE RECEIVING THOSE FUNDS, UM, ERIC WARNER AND KEN WHITAKER FROM THE AIRPORT ARE HERE.
DO YOU, ARE YOU ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, ERIC, WHEN WE'RE RECEIVING IT? NO, I DON'T KNOW A SPECIFIC TIME, BUT NOW THAT IT'S BEEN OFFICIALLY REWARDED, IT WAS AWARDED TO US BASED UPON OUR SUBMISSION OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO DO.
SO NOW IT'S JUST A MATTER OF US STARTING A PROJECT AND ASKING FOR THAT REIMBURSEMENT.
DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE, BUT I, I CAN GET ONE.
UM, I GUESS, AND PART OF THIS SOUNDS A LITTLE REDUNDANT, BUT I'M WONDERING, UH, WHAT SUPPORT COULD WE AS A CITY PROVIDE, OR WHAT CONVERSATIONS DO WE NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO SUPPORT, UH, THE JOHN LEWIS, UH, VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT? WE, UM, DO NOT HAVE THAT ITEM SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT IN THE FEDERAL AGENDA.
UH, THAT WAS APPROVED A GOOD YEAR AND A HALF NOW AT THIS POINT, FORMER COUNCILWOMAN VERAN HAD, UH, HAD REQUESTED THAT WE PASS A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT OR AMEND OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR IT.
WE TAPPED THE BRAKES AT THE TIME BECAUSE THE BILL HAD NOT BEEN REFILED SINCE THE 2019 VERSION.
AND SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS A BODY THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A POSITION ON, THEN WE CAN, YOU AS A COMMITTEE COULD RECOMMEND THAT AGAIN, EITHER AMENDING THE PROGRAM TO INCLUDE IT OR PASSING A RESOLUTION, WHICH ALLOWS FOR MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE NARRATIVE.
UM, AND, AND WE, YOU AS A COMMITTEE, COULD MOVE THAT UP TO FULL COUNSEL FOR CONSIDERATION.
I WOULD
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS, IT'S REFERENCED ON SLIDE 11, UH, THAT, SORRY, I REALIZE MY MIC WAS OFF.
UM, ON SLIDE 11, IT SAYS, YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THE CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL POINTS OF CONTACT FOR IMPROVED COORDINATION.
BUT I'M WONDERING, UM, WHAT DOES IMPROVED COORDINATION WITH C B P MEAN AND LOOK LIKE? SURE.
SO, UM, EARLY ON COUNCILMEN, WE WERE NOT GETTING, FOR EXAMPLE, REPORTS OF THE ANTICIPATED NUMBERS OF THE MIGRANT INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE BEING PROCESSED IN, UH, DEL RIO AND EAGLE PASS.
UH, BY IDENTIFYING THESE INDIVIDUALS, UM, ASSISTANT DEPUTY CHIEF OF STEPHANIE ANAYA, UH, BEGAN SENDING THOSE REPORTS, UH, NOT JUST TO SAN ANTONIO, BUT TO OTHER PARTNERS, UM, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO BEING ABLE TO PREPARE AND KNOW, VERSUS HAVING THOSE TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORT VANS TO SHOW UP IN SAN ANTONIO AT HOURS THAT WE WERE UNAWARE OF, THAT THEY WERE COMING, THEN THAT WAS A BIG ISSUE AND A CHALLENGE FOR US BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR NGOS, UM, WAITING FOR, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE MIGRANTS TO COME INTO SAN ANTONIO.
SO JESSICA CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE PROBABLY ON HOW THAT HAS HELPED, UM, THEIR OPERATIONS, OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS OF HAVING ADVANCED NOTICE OF HOW MANY AND WHEN THEY WERE COMING TO SAN ANTONIO TO TRANSPORT TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION.
UM, IT'S A MATTER OF GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY WE'RE GONNA EXPECT IF THEY'RE PRE TICKETED OR WHAT TYPES OF NEEDS THEY'LL HAVE.
UM, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THEY'VE ALSO ARRANGED ONGOING CALLS WITH NOT ONLY SAN ANTONIO, BUT OTHER NONPROFIT PARTNERS, UM, IN THE, THE BORDER COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO GIVE INFORMATION AS PROCESSING, UH, GUIDELINES CHANGE, AND AS THEY LOOK AT CHANGING POLICY MM-HMM.
SO IT'S BEEN IMMENSELY HELPFUL.
UM, WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH ICE AND WE'RE HOPING TO BUILD UP THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SO THAT IT'S VERY SIMILAR.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS A GREAT REPORT.
UH, JUST AN OBSERVATION, UM, ROOM, UH, A CONVERSATION ABOUT TRAVEL TO DC TO LEND SUPPORT TO SOME OF THESE EFFORTS, UH, I THINK IS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO HAVE SOON.
SO COUNCILMAN, YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION? A WRAP UP? A WRAP UP JUST TO SAY THAT, UH, TODAY IS CONSTITUTION DAY AND, UH, LET'S SUPPORT THE US CONSTITUTION.
AND ANYBODY WANTS TO SEE A CONSTITUTION COPY.
IT'S ALWAYS AN ANDY'S POCKET, RIGHT? DOESN'T ANDY ALWAYS CARRY ONE OF 'EM.
JEFF, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? UM, NO, I, I, I HEARD THE SUGGESTION FROM THE COUNCILMAN ON THE VOTING RIGHTS.
UM, IS THAT SOMETHING WE SHOULD ACT ON AT THIS POINT? DO WE WANT TO LOOK, I, I THINK ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO PUSH THAT, RIGHT? I, I THINK IS, IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I, I WILL TELL YOU FROM EVERYTHING I'M READING, UM, THE VOTES AREN'T THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF D O A, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SEND OUR, OUR MESSAGE, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY
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FOR A VALUE STATEMENT.UM, AND SO YEAH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT OPTIONS YOU GUYS COME UP WITH.
WE'LL, UH, WE'LL WORK WITH THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO PREPARE A RESOLUTION, AND IF IT'S SOMETHING ULTIMATELY THAT THE COUNSEL WANTS TO MOVE, TAKE ACTION ON, WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE THAT READY.
I'M, I'M ASSUMING WE'LL ALL GET TO REVIEW THAT PRIOR TO IT GOING TO COUNCIL.
I MAKE SURE THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I THINK THAT, UM, THAT TAKES CARE OF ALL OUR BUSINESS.