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WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION.
THE TIME IS 2:11 PM ON THIS 29TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2021.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL OUR COUNCIL SESSION TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
[1. Staff briefing on the status of the 2017 – 2022 Bond Program and a briefing on the 2022 2027 Bond Program process. [Roderick Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; Razi Hosseini, Director, Public Works]]
A QUORUM.UM, WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY, AND THAT IS THE OVERVIEW OF THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM.
SO LEMME TURN IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, EXCITING DAY AS WE MOVE INTO A, UM, CORE CITY FUNCTION OF MAINTAINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, IMPROVING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ADDING TRANSFORMATIONAL, UM, ASSETS FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, THIS IS THE, UH, PART TWO, I'LL, I'LL REMIND THE COUNCIL WE HAD A B SESSION IN, UH, MID-MARCH TO TALK ABOUT THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF OUR BOND PROGRAM AS WE WERE WORKING, UM, TOWARDS, UM, THE UPDATE THAT WE WENT THROUGH THIS PAST SUMMER WITH OUR DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN, BUT ALSO TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL ON, ON WHAT THOSE CORE PRINCIPLES ARE.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THEM, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.
CAN I GET THE PRESENT? THE, UH, THERE WE GO.
SO, UH, QUICKLY THROUGH THE AGENDA, WE'RE GONNA WALK THROUGH THE BOND PROGRAM OVERVIEW JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEED AND THE PROJECT REQUESTS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA SPEND A, A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME ON THE KEY POLICY AND PRIORITIES SECTION OF THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE BOND PROCESS AND NEXT STEPS.
THERE ARE SIX MAIN TAKEAWAYS, UM, THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR POLICY CONVERSATION FROM THE COUNCIL TODAY.
UM, ONE IS, UM, WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE SIX PROPOSITIONS, AND YOU'LL SEE THIS LATER ON THE SLIDE.
UM, BUT I'M LOOKING FOR THE COUNCIL TO PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK ON WHAT THOSE PROPOSITIONS ARE.
UM, NUMBER TWO, UM, FEEDBACK, ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK ON THE SCORING AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT ROD WILL COVER TOWARDS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, FEEDBACK ON THIS POLICY AND, UH, THE PRIORITIES.
AND YOU'LL SEE WE'VE BROKEN IT OUT INTO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT, UM, BUCKETS.
UM, THINGS LIKE THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AS A GROUP.
UM, HOUSING, UH, REGIONAL PROJECTS, CITYWIDE, LINEAR CREEKS AND OTHERS.
FOURTH, UH, WE'LL BE ASKING THE COUNCIL TO OFFICIALLY BEGIN THE PROCESS TO IDENTIFY COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SIT ON THE, UH, C COMMUNITY BOND COMMITTEES.
UM, AND ROD WILL COVER THAT TOWARDS THE END.
UM, LORI WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THESE POLICY ISSUES, BUT ALSO WE'RE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK ON THE COUNCIL ON THE PUBLIC ART ASPECT.
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UM, IF YOU'LL RECALL, THERE WAS A C C R THAT WAS SUBMITTED LAST YEAR, UH, THAT WENT TO GOVERNANCE, UH, WENT TO A COMMITTEE BUT DID NOT PROCEED, UH, AFTER THAT, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A 1% OF OUR 2017 BOND PROGRAM IS ALLOCATED TO PUBLIC ART.NOW'S THE TIME FOR THE COUNCIL TO BEGIN THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE MAINTAIN THE 1% OR JUST THAT, AND WE'LL WALK THROUGH A COUPLE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS FOR YOU TO, TO SEE.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, NUMBER SIX, UH, FOR THIS PRESENTATION, WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU SOME ALTERNATIVE, ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE COULD PURSUE IN PARALLEL, UH, WITH THIS PROCESS.
UM, WITH THE GOAL OF BEING ABLE TO DO AS MANY OF THESE PROJECTS AS POSSIBLE UNDER THE SAME STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK, UM, AND THE PRIORITIES OF THE COUNCIL.
SO OUR 22, UH, BOND PROGRAM, UM, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF IT.
UM, YOU KNOW THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO UPDATE OUR DEBT MANAGEMENT, UH, PROGRAM, UM, THAT HAS GOTTEN US TO TODAY WHERE WE GIVE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE SIZE OF THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM.
UM, DURING MY PRESENTATION TO THE, DURING THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, I PROVIDED THE RECOMMENDATION OF $1.2 BILLION FOR OUR 2022, UH, BOND PROGRAM.
UM, TODAY, I'LL HIGHLIGHT A KEY, A COUPLE OF THOSE KEY ASPECTS.
UM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RECOMMENDATION IS BASED ON, UM, PRUDENT FINANCIAL PLANNING AND, UH, OUR SOUND FINANCIAL, UM, POLICIES AND PRINCIPLES, MANY OF WHICH THE COUNCIL REVIEWS ANNUALLY, BUT WE MAINTAIN AND MANAGE, UH, YEAR ROUND.
UH, THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF OUR, OF OUR ORGANIZATION HAS ALLOWED US TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN EXCELLENT BOND RATINGS, UM, WHICH LOWER OUR BORROWING COSTS WHILE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASING OUR INVESTMENT AND OUR OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, ADDITIONALLY, OUR PLANNING, UM, HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN, UM, PROGRAMMED OVER FIVE YEARS SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN A CONTINUED PACE OF INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT IS MAINTAINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OR BUILDING NEW OR IMPROVING.
AND THEN ONE OF THE KEY FEATURES OF OUR, UH, DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN IS THAT IT ASSUMES NO CHANGE OR INCREASE IN THE CITY'S DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE.
EVERYTHING WE DO, ALL THE REFINANCES WE DID LAST YEAR WHEN INTEREST RATES WERE VERY LOW, UH, FOR INTEREST RATE SAVINGS, ALL OF THOSE SMALL MO MOVEMENTS ADD TO OUR CAPACITY AS AN ORGANIZATION.
AND ULTIMATELY, THE RECOMMENDATION, ONE OF THE SHARE FOR HISTORICAL CONTEXT, THIS, THIS PRE THIS, UH, SLIDE, WHICH SHOWS THAT, UH, A CLEAR DEPARTURE FROM BETWEEN 2003 AND 2007 AS THE CITY STARTED TO RETOOL OUR INVESTMENT IN A FIVE YEAR INCREMENT.
AND YOU SEE THERE PRIOR TO 2007, VERY, VERY SMALL, UH, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO WAS STILL A LARGE CITY IN 1994 AND 1999 AND 2003, BUT A DEPARTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LEVERAGING OUR INVESTMENT FROM A DEBT MANAGEMENT STANDPOINT AND, AND IN INVESTING IN, IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS GROWN OVER TIME, UM, TO THE LAST, UH, PROGRAM IN 2017 THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS AT $850 MILLION TO OUR PROPOSED $1.2 BILLION, UH, TODAY.
SO THE SIX PROPOSITIONS THAT, UH, WE ENVISION, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL ON ARE STREETS, BRIDGES AND SIDEWALKS, DRAINAGE AND FLOOD, FLOOD CONTROL, PARKS AND RECREATION, MUNICIPAL FACILITIES, PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH FACILITIES AND HOUSING.
AND WE HAVE DISCUSSED WHETHER OR NOT FROM A FACILITY STANDPOINT, WE CAN COMBINE PUBLIC HEALTH AND MUNICIPAL FACILITIES, I'M SORRY, PUBLIC SAFETY AND MUNICIPAL FACILITIES UNDER STATE LAW, IF THEY ARE INCLUDED ON THE BALLOT, WE HAVE TO SEPARATE THOSE PROJECTS BY PROPOSITION.
THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THIS CATEGORY IS HOUSING, WHICH IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CHARTER CHANGE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR NEED AND, AND SOME OF THESE NUMBERS YOU'VE SEEN THROUGH ROSIE'S PRESENTATIONS OR THROUGH COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS.
BUT IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE NEED FOR THE CITY, UM, WE BELIEVE WE HAVE $6.6 BILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE NEED, 2.4 BILLION IN STREETS, SIDEWALKS IN BRIDGES, 3.1 BILLION IN TERMS OF DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL.
ALMOST $570 MILLION IN PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE TO INCLUDE COMPLETING OUR LINEAR CREEKWAY TRAIL
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SYSTEM, $310 MILLION IN MUNICIPAL FACILITY IMPROVEMENT, AND 198, ALMOST $200 MILLION IN PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS.AND WE SHARED SOME OF THESE LISTS WITH YOU YESTERDAY, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE COUNCIL UPDATES.
UM, BUT WE CURRENTLY HAVE 398 PROJECTS THAT HAVE REALLY BEEN GENERATED BY A NUMBER OF SOURCES THROUGH, THROUGH, THROUGH YOUR OFFICES, UM, THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS OR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH 3 1 1 THROUGH OUTSIDE AGENCIES, THROUGH OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES.
UM, IN TERMS OF PROJECT REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, IT'S $2.8 BILLION IN TOTAL, 398 REQUESTS.
UM, SO THAT SETS THE FRAMEWORK OF AT LEAST THE REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, THE TIMELINE A LITTLE BIT LATER AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, THIS WILL CHANGE.
THERE WILL BE OTHER PRIORITIES, LIKELY THE COMMITTEES THAT YOU'LL APPOINT AT THE, UH, FOR THE PROPOSITIONS AND THE REVIEW OF THE PROJECTS, NEW PROJECTS COULD BE INSERTED.
UM, THIS NUMBER IS GONNA CONTINUE TO CHANGE.
PART OF WHAT PART OF WHAT WE NEED TODAY AND WHAT WE WILL NEED AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS THE COUNCIL CONSENSUS.
UM, TODAY, AS WE COME BACK ON OCTOBER 13TH TO GIVE YOU THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE STRUCTURE OF THIS.
SO THE POLICY ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION, AND I'M GONNA COVER THE FIRST FOUR, AND THEN I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO LORI TO COVER THE LAST FOUR.
UM, THESE ARE POLICY ISSUES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE AND THESE, THIS DOES NOT TAKE THE PLACE OF THE, THE HARD WORK THAT YOUR OFFICES AND STAFF AND, AND WHETHER YOU HAVE A, A A DISTRICT COMMITTEE THAT IS HELPING ADVISE THAT WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING WITH RAZZIE AND HOMER TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING GENERATED, UM, WITHIN THE DISTRICTS THAT'S ONGOING.
THESE ARE THE OTHER AREAS THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL IN ORDER TO GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU THIS AFTERNOON.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, DURING OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION IN JUNE.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT DURING THE PROPOSED BUDGET PROCESS, BUT THE IDEA THAT WITHIN OUR BOND PROGRAM, WE MOVE THE RECONSTRUCTION OF FRETS THAT ARE IN OUR ANNUAL BUDGET RIGHT NOW, OUR ANNUAL SS M P AND ARE TAKING US UPWARDS OF TWO YEARS TO, UH, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT THAT WE MOVE THOSE PROJECTS INTO THE BOND PROGRAM.
AND THAT DOES A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THAT, THAT HEAVY RECONSTRUCTION WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR BOND FRAMEWORK.
UM, BUT IT ALSO FREES UP OUR ANNUAL, UH, BUDGET, OUR ANNUAL, UH, STREET MAINTENANCE BUDGET TO DO, UM, EITHER MORE STREET MAINTENANCE OR DEDICATED, UH, VISION ZERO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN OUR OPERATING BUDGET LIKE WE BEGAN THIS YEAR.
AND AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN JUNE AND IN THE BUDGET, THERE ARE TWO SIDES OF THE FORMULA.
UM, THERE'S THE OPERATING SIDE AND THERE'S THE WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE THESE F STREETS, THESE FAILED STREETS WITHIN THE BOND PROGRAM.
YOU'LL SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE THAT WITH ALMOST 4,200 CENTER LINE MILES, THE NUMBER OF F STREET MILES THAT WE HAVE BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, WE WOULD RE, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, THAT, UM, WE'RE SPENDING ROUGHLY $20 MILLION OF OUR $110 MILLION STREET MAINTENANCE BUDGET AND OUR ANNUAL OPERATING TAKE THAT $20 MILLION TIMES THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ALLOCATION WITHIN THE BOND PROGRAM TO, TO ADDRESS JUST THE FRES.
UM, AND WE WOULD FOLLOW OUR S M P BUDGET ALLOCATION THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS, THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE CONDITION OF THE DISTRICT'S ROADWAY NETWORK, AS WELL AS THE SIZE OF THE DISTRICT'S ROADWAY NETWORK TO DEVELOP THAT, THAT, UM, UM, THAT RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THIS WOULD RUN VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE DISTRICTS IN 2017 THAT ALLOCATED AMOUNTS FOR SIDEWALK GAPS IN THE 2017 BOND PROGRAM, MUNICIPAL AND PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES.
AND, AND, UH, SOME OF, MOST OF THE COUNCIL WILL REMEMBER THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF CONVERSATION LAST YEAR DURING THE PANDEMIC ABOUT MUNICIPAL FACILITIES AND OUR OBLIGATION TO MAINTAIN THEM, UM, WHETHER WE, WHETHER WE OPERATE IN THEM OR WHETHER OR NOT, UH, WE CONTRACT OUT THE USE OF THAT FACILITY TO OTHER PROVIDERS.
UM, WE WENT THROUGH A, UH, A PRETTY THOROUGH PROCESS TO EVALUATE OUR
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MUNICIPAL FACILITIES AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES.WE HAVE ALMOST 1200 VARIOUS BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES.
UM, MANY OF THEM, UH, REQUIRE REPAIR OR ENHANCEMENT AND, AND MOST OF THEM WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS WITHIN OUR ANNUAL DEFERRED MAINTENANCE BUDGET.
BUT WHICH PRO WE, WE LOOK TO SEE WHICH PROJECTS WE HAD THAT, THAT WERE, THAT WERE LARGER PROJECTS OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WE COULD AFFORD TO DO IN OUR ANNUAL DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECT.
THESE ARE, FRANKLY, PROJECTS THAT, OR THESE ARE, FRANKLY, BUILDINGS OR FACILITIES THAT, UH, THE CITY HASN'T INVESTED IN IN THE PAST AND NEEDS TO, THEY'RE NOT MOVING, THEY'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT CLOSING 'EM DOWN.
UM, THEY'RE THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, OR OUR EMPLOYEES AND ARE CRITICAL TO, UH, THE FOOTPRINT THAT THE CITY HAS IN MANY PARTS OF OUR CITY.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED, UM, $191 MILLION IN NEW FACILITIES THAT ARE NEEDED.
AND THEY ARE, YOU'LL SEE FROM THE LIST THAT WE'VE SENT YESTERDAY THAT INCLUDE THINGS LIKE THREE COMMUNITY CENTERS, UH, FIVE FIRE STATIONS, ONE POLICE SUBSTATION, UH, AND THE, UH, A C S, UM, HOSPITAL, UM, THERE AT OUR A C S SITE OFF OF 1 51.
WE'VE ALSO IDENTIFIED $252 MILLION IN POTENTIAL PROJECTS, UH, FOR THE RENOVATION OF FACILITIES, SOME OF THEM LARGE, UH, THE ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, THE CARVER LIBRARY MARKET SQUARE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, MOVING THE GRODEN IMPOUND LOT FROM OUTSIDE LACHLAN'S GATE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE ON OUR PATH WITH J B S A TO MOVE THE FENCE LINE, THE GUADALUPE THEATER, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO LITTLE THEATER, AND A NUMBER OF RESILIENCY IMPROVEMENTS AT OUR FACILITIES THAT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO DO IN OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
UM, THE COUNCIL'S HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT HAZARD MITIGATION.
THAT PLAN, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY FEMA EVERY FIVE YEARS, IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY FEMA AND THE DEPARTMENT OF OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HERE IN THE STATE.
AND REALLY, UH, THE GOAL OF THAT PROGRAM, OF THAT PLAN IS TO IDENTIFY ALL HAZARDS WITHIN SAN ANTONIO.
WITHIN THAT PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE COMING TO COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER, IS, UH, $671 MILLION IN DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS AS, UM, UM, NECESSARY FLOOD MITIGATION TO DEAL WITH HAZARDS.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING IN A FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM.
UM, AND, AND IT'S REALLY INCUMBENT UPON THE CITY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR 5 10, 15 YEAR PLAN IS FOR MANY OF THESE PROJECTS.
SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, UH, MIGHT SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU BECAUSE THEY ARE THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT YOU KNOW OF, UM, BUT OTHERS WOULDN'T BE FAMILIAR TO YOU.
THEY ARE, UM, CONNECTIONS THROUGH TRIBUTARIES ROADS.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, REGARDLESS OF THIS BOND PROCESS, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DEVELOP A LONGER TERM PLAN TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS.
BUT AS A POLICY ISSUE WITHIN THE BOND PROGRAM, WHERE'S THAT NEXUS AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS SOME OF THESE? OUTTA THE 98 PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, 13 OF THEM ARE, UH, EITHER COMPLETED UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR IN DESIGN.
SO THAT LEAVES 85 ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT WE NEED TO WORK TO DEVELOP A LONGER TERM PLAN WITHIN THE, WITHIN THIS BOND PROGRAM AND BEYOND LINEAR CREEKWAY TRAILS.
SO, UM, THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, UH, THAT HAS BEEN, UM, SALES TAX SUPPORTED, UM, FOR SOME TIME NOW.
WE HAVE SPENT $143 MILLION, UM, THROUGH AUGUST THROUGH LAST MONTH TO COMPLETE 84 MILES OF OUR LINEAR CREEKWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.
UM, THE, THE, THE COUNTY, UM, AND THIS GOES BACK PRE PANDEMIC WHEN WE WERE, WHEN THE COUNCIL AND THE COUNTY AND VIA WERE TALKING ABOUT CONNECT SA AS PART OF THOSE EARLY CONVERSATIONS, THE COUNTY AGREED TO TAKE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALMOST 25 MILES OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
AND THEY HAVE RECENTLY, AS PART OF THEIR CAPITAL PROGRAM INCLUDED, 83, ALMOST 83 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TOWARDS, UM, THE, THE FINAL PRODUCT.
BUT BEYOND THAT, UM, WHAT DO WE NEED TO FINISH THE CREEKWAY TRAIL SYSTEM? LAST YEAR, AS THE COUNCIL TALKED ABOUT THE REALLOCATION, THE POTENTIAL REALLOCATION OF THE SALES TAX INCREMENT TO READY FOR, READY FOR WORK, AND ULTIMATELY VIA THE, THE PREVIOUS SALES TAX PROGRAMS, PROTECTING
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THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AND THE LINEAR CREEK DEVELOPMENT, WHAT THE CITY SAID WAS THAT WE WOULD DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO CONTINUE THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM, AND THE COUNCIL DID THAT.WE DEVELOPED A MUNICIPAL LOCAL, UH, LOCAL MUNICIPAL, MUNICIPAL FACILITIES CORPORATION THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY CREATED.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE SAS INCREMENT REVENUE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO FUND THAT PROGRAM IN 2023, WHAT WE SAID AT THE TIME, ALSO, LITTLE DEVELOPMENT NEEDED WITHIN THE LINEAR CREEKWAY SYSTEM TO COMPLETE IT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE WOULD TAKE UP AS PART OF THE BOND CONVERSATION.
SO WE HAVE $200 MILLION OF NEED, ADDITIONAL, ALMOST 45 AND A HALF MILES AFTER THE COUNTY TAKES CARE OF THEIR 25, AN ADDITIONAL 45 MILES OF LINEAR CREEKWAY FOR AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF $200 MILLION.
WE ALSO HAVE AN OUTSIDE GROUP ACTIVATE SA, WHICH HAS SPENT A, AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME, REALLY DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB OF IDENTIFYING BOTH RIGHT OF WAY AND ON STREET CONNECTORS OF OUR TRAIL SYSTEM, UM, IN SORT OF A, UH, HUB AND SPOKE SYS, UH, METHOD.
UM, THAT PROGRAM AS THEY'VE COME TO US, UM, AND WE WILL ULTIMATELY SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL IS ESTIMATED THE COST $90 MILLION, WE BELIEVE, BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, THAT ROUGHLY HALF OF THAT WE COULD, WE COULD PURSUE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
UH, SOME OF THEIR PROJECTS RUN ALONG THE SURFACE ALONG OUR F STREETS.
SO IF WE'RE DEALING WITH F STREETS IN THE BOND PROGRAM, HOW WE LINE UP THE POTENTIAL CONNECTIVITY, WE BELIEVE THAT AS OF RIGHT NOW, THAT A MINIMUM $45 MILLION OF THAT 90 WOULD GET US THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THOSE INTERCONNECTS.
UM, SO ALMOST 300 MILLION, I'M SORRY, ALMOST $245 MILLION TO CONTINUE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR LINEAR CREEK WASTE SYSTEM.
JUST AS A REMINDER, OUR SALES TAX PROGRAM THAT THE VOTERS HAVE APPROVED HAS ROUGHLY MOVED IN FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS, JUST LIKE OUR BOND PROGRAM.
SO, UM, IF WE WERE GONNA CONTINUE TO TACKLE THIS ISSUE AND CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IT, THEN AT LEAST A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN ORDER TO KEEP UP WITH THE SAME PACE AND THEN FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE INCORPORATE ACTIVASE A SAY, BECAUSE REALLY WHAT THAT PROGRAM DOES IS INTERCONNECTED TO THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND REALLY GET TO THE HEART OF, UH, WHAT YOU'VE HEARD TAMIKA SAY UP HERE, THAT OUR CREEKWAY SYSTEM IS PART OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO LORI.
SHE'S GONNA GO THROUGH THE REMAINING FOUR, UH, POLICY ISSUES, AND THEN ROD WILL, UH, CLOSE UP WITH THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, THE TIMELINE, AND THE NEXT STEPS.
MY PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION WILL FOCUS ON HOUSING OUR REGIONAL CENTERS CITYWIDE PROJECTS, THE PERCENT FOR ART PROGRAM, AND THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES TO HELP US FUND SOME OF THESE NEEDS.
THE FIRST POLICY ITEM I'M GONNA DISCUSS IS HOUSING.
THIS HAS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR THIS COUNCIL AND A PRIORITY SINCE THE ADOPTION OF THE MAYOR'S HOUSING FRAMEWORK POLICY IN 2018.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE HOUSING COMMUNITY, OUR HOUSING COMMISSION, AND OUR CITY STAFF TO DEVELOP THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, WHICH USES THE MAYOR'S HOUSING FRAMEWORK POLICY AS ITS FOUNDATION, BUT UPDATES SOME OF ITS STRATEGIES AND RECALIBRATES THE TARGETS IN THE POLICY.
THOSE NEW TARGETS REFLECT THE NEW CENSUS DATA.
AND WHAT I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU TODAY IS THAT WE HAVE 95,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN BEXAR COUNTY THAT ARE COST BURDEN.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE HAVE 95,000 HOUSEHOLDS THAT SPEND MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME ON THEIR HOUSING EXPENSES, AND WE CAN HELP THEM, AND THERE ARE TWO WAYS WE CAN HELP THEM.
ONE, WE CAN INCREASE THEIR INCOME, OR TWO, WE CAN FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED FOUR WAYS THAT THE CITY CAN INFLUENCE TO HELP US MEET THAT GOAL OF HELPING 95,000 HOUSEHOLDS NO LONGER BE COST BURDEN.
THE FIRST WAY I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS JOB TRAINING.
WE CAN WORK WITH OUR READY TO WORK PROGRAM AND HELP ENROLL INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COST BURDEN IN OUR READY TO WORK PROGRAM AND HELP THEM INCREASE THEIR INCOME.
AND WE KNOW THAT OUR READY TO WORK PROGRAM HAS A FIVE YEAR GOAL OF 37,000 INDIVIDUALS TO GO THROUGH THE JOB TRAINING.
THIS IS A GOAL OF 24,000 THAT OUR COST BURDEN OVER 10 YEARS.
ANOTHER WAY TO HELP AN INDIVIDUAL
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IS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.WE LEARNED THROUGH THE SNOW EVENT THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL HOUSEHOLDS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CONNECTED TO THE EXISTING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE THAT THE FEDERAL, THE STATE, OR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS TO OFFER.
WE NEED TO HELP CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO THOSE ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH VOUCHERS.
WE KNOW THAT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS A TURNOVER RATE OF VOUCHERS OF ABOUT 1000 TO 1200 A YEAR.
WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THOSE IN NEED ARE GETTING THOSE VOUCHERS.
WE CAN HELP CONNECT THEM THROUGH SNAP THROUGH CHILDCARE SERVICES.
UM, OVER 65 PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS.
THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT THE CITY, THE STATE, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE THAT CAN HELP OFFSET AN INDIVIDUAL'S EXPENSES.
SO THEY'RE NO LONGER COST BURDEN.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR PRIVATE SECTOR AND MAKE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS TO HELP THEM BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SUCH AS ANCILLARY DWELLING UNITS, THE GRANNY FLATS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, OR POTENTIALLY JUST KEEPING A BETTER TRACK OF THAT NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE KNOW THAT OVER 50% OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS PROVIDED THROUGH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND THAT DOES NOT RECEIVE A SUBSIDY.
BUT THE ITEM THAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY IS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESERVATION AND PRODUCTION.
WE NEED TO PRODUCE OR PRESERVE 28,000 HOUSING UNITS.
THAT'S BOTH HOME OWNERSHIP AND RENTAL.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THIS GRAPH, WE'VE BROKEN THAT UP BY HOME OWNERSHIP OF 13,000 UNITS AND RENTAL OF 15,000 UNITS.
THE MAJORITY OF THE NEED IS FOR THOSE THAT ARE MAKING 50% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME OR BELOW.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE SOME NEED FOR THAT HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY IN THAT 80 TO 120% A M I CATEGORY.
I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IN THE ZERO TO 30% A M I CATEGORY FOR RENTAL, WE HAVE A THOUSAND UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
WE NEED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LIVING AT HAVEN.
THEY NEED THAT NEXT STEP HOUSING OPPORTUNITY, AND SOME MAY NOT BE READY FOR THEIR OWN HOME OR THEIR OWN APARTMENT, BUT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WILL HELP BRIDGE THAT.
AND WE'VE WORKED WITH LISC, OUR LOCAL OFFICE, AND THEY DEVELOPED A STUDY, AND WE NEED 1000 UNITS.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS THAT WE NEED TO TARGET OUR RESOURCES TO HELP US MEET THAT NEED.
AND SO I WANNA STRESS THAT WE NEED RESOURCES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE HOUSING FRAMEWORK POLICY.
THE HOUSING FRAMEWORK POLICY IDENTIFIED $250 MILLION IN THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM, AND IT RECOMMENDED ANOTHER $250 MILLION IN THE 2027 BOND PROGRAM.
THAT'S A TOTAL OF $500 MILLION OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS TO HELP US MEET OUR HOUSING TARGETS.
I WANNA STRESS THAT WE NEED TO USE THIS MONEY TO HELP US MEET THE GOALS FOR THOSE THAT ARE 50% A M I OR BELOW.
THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO USE OUR RESOURCES, BUT I DON'T WANT TO NOT MENTION THAT WE NEED ALL TYPES OF HOUSING.
WE NEED MARKET RATE HOUSING STILL, IF WE DO NOT CONTINUE TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND FROM MARKET RATE, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT BY 2040 WE'RE GONNA GROW BY A MILLION INDIVIDUALS, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUPPLY CONVERT INTO MARKET RATE TO MEET THAT DEMAND.
SO IT'S ABOUT TRACKING THAT BALANCE.
WE ALSO NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX PROJECTS, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE AN 80% UNIT TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT 30% UNIT.
BUT WHAT I WANNA SHARE HERE IS THAT IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET $250 MILLION IN THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM, WE WANNA FOCUS THAT ON THAT 50% A M I OR BELOW.
BUT LET'S NOT FORGET THAT WE NEED ALL TYPES OF HOUSING.
THE NEXT ITEM I WANNA TALK ABOUT ARE REGIONAL CENTER PROJECTS.
WE CAN'T UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR REGIONAL CENTERS.
CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE SA TOMORROW PLAN IN 2016.
THAT PLAN IDENTIFIED 13 REGIONAL CENTERS WHERE WE WANT SAN ANTONIO TO GROW.
I MENTIONED WE'RE GONNA GROW BY A MILLION BY 2040.
THESE ARE THE 13 AREAS THAT HAVE THE WORKFORCE AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE RESIDENTIAL OR ALREADY HAVE RESIDENTIAL.
I WANNA POINT OUT DOWNTOWN, DOWNTOWN HAS 25,000 RESIDENTS IN THE REGIONAL CENTER.
THOSE RESIDENTS LIVE IN NINE NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN REGIONAL CENTER.
WE ALSO HAVE 80,000 EMPLOYERS EMPLOYEES IN THAT REGIONAL CENTER.
SO IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND TO ACCOMMODATE THAT GROWTH, WE NEED TO SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SO WE MINIMIZE THE IMPACT ON THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND CAN ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH.
BROOKS HAS 13,000 RESIDENTS AND 40,000 EMPLOYEES.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HELP THEM GROW.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS THROUGH SMART PLANNING AND BY INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THOSE AREAS.
CITYWIDE PROJECTS, THESE ARE THOSE PROJECTS THAT AREN'T DISTRICT SPECIFIC.
THEY MAY RESIDE IN A DISTRICT, BUT
[00:30:01]
THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.SO EXAMPLES OF A CITYWIDE PROJECT WOULD BE BRACKENRIDGE PARK, THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO, BOTANICAL GARDENS, MUSEUMS. OTHER EXAMPLES THAT ARE CITYWIDE PROJECTS THAT ARE BUILT WITHIN MULTIPLE DISTRICTS WOULD BE THE ACTIVATE SA LISTS OF THOSE CONNECTIONS TO THOSE GREENWAY TRAILS ARE BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS.
WE NEED TO DO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR BRIDGES.
SO WE NEED TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT CITY COUNCIL CONTINUES TO WANT TO SUPPORT THESE CITYWIDE PROJECTS.
ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE IS OUR BICYCLE MASTER PLAN.
THAT WOULD BE A CITYWIDE PROJECT THAT WE'D WANT TO INVEST IN.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE 1% FOR PUBLIC ART BUILT INTO OUR BOND POLICY.
IN THE 2017 BOND THAT PROVIDED $8.3 MILLION IN FUNDING, IT FUNDED 17 PROJECTS, HELPED 30 ARTISTS GET COMMISSIONS, AND WE HAD 10 FABRICATORS.
OUR INSTALLERS, NOW, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, 1% IS A LOT OF MONEY, 8.3 IS MORE THAN WE'VE EVER RECEIVED IN ANY BOND PROGRAM COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES.
UM, WE ARE 1%, BUT YOU'LL SEE AUSTIN IS 2%.
HOUSTON 1.75%, DALLAS 1.5, AND CHICAGO 1.3.
SO OUR QUESTION, UM, TO COUNCIL IS DO WE WANNA STAY AT 1%? AND IF WE WERE TO STAY AT 1%, THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE $12 MILLION IN PUBLIC ART, OR WE CAN GROW TO 1.5%, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE $18 MILLION OR 24 MILLION OR 2%, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE $24 MILLION IN FUNDING, REGARDLESS OF WHAT PERCENT THE NUMBER FOR PUBLIC ART'S GONNA BE LARGER THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN, JUST BY THE FACT THAT THIS BOND PROGRAM IS THE LARGEST BOND PROGRAM WE'LL HAVE EVER HAD.
I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS CULTURAL AND ART INSTITUTION AND PROJECTS IN THIS PROPOSED BOND PROGRAM.
AND SO WE MAY BE HELPING WITH PUBLIC ART, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO FUND THROUGH THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM THAT OUR, OUR AGENCY PARTNERS.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS OUR ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES.
WE HAVE OUR STORMWATER REGIONAL FUNDS.
WE KNOW THAT WE COULD LEVERAGE AN ADDITIONAL $38 MILLION IN REGIONAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS ON TOP OF THE $1.2 BILLION.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN ALSO THE USE OF OUR TOURIST FUNDS TO HELP IDENTIFY FUNDING FOR OUR REGIONAL AND CITYWIDE PROJECTS.
TOURISTS SHOULD REALLY BE USED FOR CATALYTIC PROJECTS.
THEY SHOULD REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE, HELP SPUR ON MORE DEVELOPMENT.
AS ERIC MENTIONED, WE HAVE $2.8 BILLION IN NEED.
WE COULD POTENTIALLY ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT, PUT IT ON THE TOUR SIDE SO WE HAVE MORE CAPACITY FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS.
I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO ROD SANCHEZ WHO'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS, THE SCORING PROCESS, EVALUATION CRITERIA, AND NEXT STEPS.
AS ERIC MENTIONED, WE, WE HAD A B SESSION WITH YOU, UH, IN MARCH OF, OF LAST YEAR, UH, WHERE WE DISCUSSED THE, THE BOND PROCESS.
AND WE DISCUSSED, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE WEIGHT THESE PROJECTS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT PROJECT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHER PROJECT.
UH, AND WE GOT BACK FROM THE COUNCIL THAT DAY WHERE THERE WERE FOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT THEY WANTED US TO FOLLOW.
AND, AND THEY WERE CONNECTIVITY.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO THESE PROJECTS PROVIDE ACCESS, UH, TO OTHER CITY SERVICES AND, AND OTHER THINGS AROUND THE CITY AND ADOPTED PLANS, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, UH, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS THAT PROMOTE THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, ALSO WITH AN EMPHASIS ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, SO THOSE ARE TWO, TWO THINGS WE WANT TO SCORE BY.
UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO PROJECTS HELP US, YOU KNOW, RESPOND AND ABSORB TO ADVERSE CONDITIONS THAT HAPPEN TO US AND HELP US RECOVER AND TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND FINALLY, UH, EQUITY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF THE EQUITY LENS THAT WE WANNA APPLY TO ALL PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WILL THESE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IMPROVE THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND, AND LOW INCOME? SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE ALL 398 PROJECTS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO US, AND WE'RE GONNA APPLY THESE CRITERIA, AND WE'RE GONNA SCORE THEM.
UH, AND ACCORDING TO THOSE SCORES, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO TO RANK THEM.
SO WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO, TO DO THAT.
NOW, HERE'S WHERE, WHERE THE ASK STARTS COMING.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, WE WILL GET TO THE NEXT STEPS WE NEED FOR THE COUNCIL TO DO.
BUT, UH, GOING FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA FORM BO BOND COMMITTEES AND, AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO BUILD, TO HAVE FIVE BOND COMMITTEES.
UH, ERIC TALKED ABOUT SIX PROPOSITIONS.
UH, BUT AS WE MENTIONED, WE'RE GONNA FOLD IN THE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, FACILITIES
[00:35:01]
TOGETHER, UH, INTO ONE COMMITTEE, THE, THE MUNICIPAL FACILITIES INTO ONE COMMITTEE.SO WE'LL HAVE FIVE, UH, COMMITTEES.
AND WHAT OUR ASK OF THE COUNCIL IS, YOU KNOW, FIRST THE MAYOR, WE'RE ASKING THE MAYOR TO APPOINT THREE CO-CHAIRS AND PLUS TWO CO-CHAIRS FOR EACH OF THOSE FIVE COMMITTEES.
AND THEN WE'RE ASKING EACH OF YOU TO APPOINT 15 MEMBERS, UH, THREE CITIZENS PER EACH OF THE COMMITTEES.
AND THESE COMMITTEES WILL BE MEETING, STARTING, YOU KNOW, LATE OCTOBER, UH, THROUGH JANUARY TO HELP US FINE TUNE THIS BOND PACKAGE, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE, THE HOUSING COMMITTEE.
THAT COMMITTEE WILL START IN NOVEMBER, UH, AFTER THE PLANNING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND HOUSING COMMISSION ADOPT THE STRATEGIC HOUSING, UH, INITIATIVE PLAN.
SO THAT COMMITTEE WILL GET A LITTLE BIT LATER START, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT PROCESS TAKES PLACE.
SO, AS WE MENTIONED, WE'LL HAVE A STREETS AND BRIDGE AND SIDEWALK COMMITTEE, UH, A DRAINAGE COMMITTEE, A PARKS AND OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE, A FACILITIES AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND THE HOUSING.
SO WE NEED YOUR HELP, UH, BY, BY NEXT, UH, BY OCTOBER 13TH.
WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU HAVE YOUR 15 APPOINTMENTS SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE COMMITTEES STARTED AND GOING.
SO, TIMELINE, NEXT STEPS, AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL BE BACK ON OCTOBER 13TH.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU GIVE US TODAY, AND WE ARE GOING TO COME BACK WITH A PROPOSAL ON WHAT A BOND PACKAGE COULD LOOK LIKE, THAT WE WANT TO TAKE TO THESE BOND COMMITTEES TO FINE TUNE FOR US.
SO, NEXT STEP, WE'LL BE BACK HERE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT PROPOSED PROPOSAL.
UH, WE HOPE TO HAVE YOUR 15, UH, MEMBERS, UH, FOR THOSE COMMITTEES SO THAT WE CAN GET, UH, GET STARTED.
UH, AND LATE OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER, WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING WITH THOSE BOND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UH, ONCE AGAIN, GONNA GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE PROJECT, GONNA VET THOSE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA FINE TUNE THEM.
WE'RE GONNA FIND SOME PROJECTS THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING FOR FUNDING THAT MAYBE COME OUT OF THIS PROCESS WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR FUNDING.
SO THESE COMMITTEES ARE, ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, THESE COMMITTEES ARE ALSO AN AVENUE FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE INVITING THE PUBLIC TO COME AND, UH, GIVE US THEIR INPUT.
YOU KNOW, AFTER ALL THIS, THIS BOND PACKAGE IS FOR THEM.
WHAT, WHAT DO THEY WANT THIS BOND PACKAGE TO LOOK LIKE? WHICH PROJECTS SHOULD WE INCLUDE? SO, VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS THAT WILL BE TAKING FORWARD FROM OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER.
AFTER THAT, COME JANUARY, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH A PACKAGE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER ON SKIN.
YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ACCEPT THAT PACKAGE, MAYBE MAKE SOME CHANGES IF YOU'D LIKE.
BUT ON THAT DAY, YOU'RE GONNA VOTE ON A PACKAGE THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT BEFORE THE VOTERS.
THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU IN FEBRUARY WHERE YOU WILL SET THE ELECTION.
AND THEN ON MAY 7TH, UH, WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC VOTE ON THE BOND PACKAGE.
SO, FOR TODAY, AS AS ERIC SAID, UH, WE NEED YOUR INPUT, WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK TO GO FINISH, YOU KNOW, FINE TUNING A, A PACKAGE TO BRING TO YOU IN TWO WEEKS.
SO THE FIRST THING WE NEED YOUR INPUT ON ARE THESE, THESE HUGE BUCKETS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CALLING THEM BUCKETS, UH, OR WE'RE GROUPING THESE PROJECTS TOGETHER.
UH, THE FIRST IS YOUR, YOUR DISTRICT STREETS DRAINAGE AND, AND PARKS.
NOW, ROY MET WITH ALL OF YOU OVER THE LAST MONTH, AND YOU GAVE ROY YOUR PRIORITIES.
YOU TOLD ROY, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT FOR OUR DISTRICT.
IT WASN'T EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANTED.
I MEAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF PROJECTS YOU LEFT OUT, BUT YOU SAID, WE, WE WANNA HAVE THESE INCLUDED IN THE BOND PACKAGE.
SO, UH, OVERALL THE NEED IS 6.5 BILLION, BUT WHAT YOU TOLD ROZY IS 600 MILLION WORTH OF PRO THAT YOU WANT.
SO IF WE DO ALL THE PROJECTS THAT YOU SAID WERE A PRIORITY, THAT'S $600 MILLION, UH, THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PUT IN THIS BUCKET.
HOUSING, YOU JUST HEARD THE DISCUSSION ON HOUSING, THE FRAMEWORK.
THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION FOR 250 MILLION TO GO TOWARDS OUR HOUSING A PROPOSITION, AND YOU HAD THE LENDER GREENWAY TRAILS, UH, TO DO OUR PART.
THIS IS NOT INCLUDE THE ACTIVATED SA, BUT JUST OUR PART.
THERE'S 200 MILLION THAT WE COULD, UH, INCLUDE IN THAT HAZARD MITIGATION.
WE HAVE $671 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS THAT ARE BOND ELIGIBLE.
UH, AND ONCE AGAIN, UH, THIS IS NOT, UH, THE BOND'S NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS.
UH, BUT WHAT PORTION OF THE BOND DO WE WANNA PUT TOWARDS THE BIGGER PLAN, UH, MUNICIPAL FACILITIES.
THERE'S A $443 MILLION NEED FOR NEW AND, AND TO RENOVATE OUR EXISTING FACILITIES.
AND THERE'S $259 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER.
AND THEN THE CITYWIDE, THESE ARE THE BIG CATALYTIC PROJECTS.
$868 MILLION FOR YOU TO CONSIDER.
SO, UH, JUST TO KINDA GIVE YOU A FRAME OF REFERENCE, UH, SO WE HAVE $1.2 BILLION IN THIS BOND PACKAGE.
UH, IF WE TAKE THE 600 MILLION THAT YOU TOLD RAZZIE THAT, THAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR DISTRICTS, AND WE TAKE THAT 250 MILLION FOR HOUSING, THAT PUTS US AT $850 MILLION.
THAT'S ALREADY THE SAME SIZE OF THE
[00:40:01]
2017 BOND PACKAGE.SO THAT LEAVES 350 MILLION FOR THE LINEAR GREENWAY TRAILS, THE HAZARD MITIGATION MUNICIPAL FACILITIES, UH, REGIONAL PROJECTS, AND CITYWIDE PROJECTS.
SO WE REALLY NEED YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY ON, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IS THAT $600 MILLION IMPORTANT? DO WE, DO WE WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH THAT NUMBER FOR YOUR DISTRICTS? IS IT $250 MILLION? WHAT WE WANNA GO FORWARD WITH? UH, AND WHAT ABOUT THESE OTHER AREAS? UH, SO NEED YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY SO THAT WE CAN GO AND, AND PUT THESE BUCKETS TOGETHER.
'CAUSE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA PUT THESE BUCKETS TOGETHER ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU TELL US TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA GO AND SCORE THOSE PROJECTS ACCORDING TO CRITERIA THAT I JUST GAVE YOU.
WE'RE GONNA RANK THOSE PROJECTS, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA GO DOWN THE LIST.
YOU KNOW, EACH PROJECT HAS A COST TO IT.
AND WHEN WE REACH THE BUCKET LIMIT, WE'RE GONNA DRAW THE LINE.
SO THE PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HIGH ENOUGH IN PRIORITY THAT ARE ABOVE THE LINE, THOSE ARE THE ONES WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND TO YOU IN TWO WEEKS THAT YOU FUND THE ONES BELOW THE LINE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA SAY, WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING FOR THOSE.
WE NEED TO FIND ANOTHER SOURCE.
UH, SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU TELL US TODAY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE THAT'S GOING TO HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW MANY PROJECTS WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIT IN, UH, TO THOSE VARIOUS BUCKETS.
WE ALSO WANT TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON, ON THE SIX PROPOSITIONS THAT WE LAID OUT FOR YOU.
THOSE ARE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
UH, WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK, YOU KNOW, OR IS, IS THAT WHAT WE WANNA DO? DO WE WANT TO TAKE ONE OUT? DO WE WANT TO ADD ONE? WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT TODAY.
UM, LORI JUST PROVIDED YOU WITH THE, YOU KNOW, ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES.
UH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE SHOWED 1.2 BILLION IS A LOT.
IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF FUNDING, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE NEED OUT THERE.
UH, SO WHAT ABOUT USING OTHER FUNDING SOURCES SUCH ASTS TO HELP US TAKE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS OFF THE LIST, UH, SO THAT WE MAKE ROOM FOR OTHER PROJECTS.
UM, THE PUBLIC ART, UH, FUNDING DISCUSSION, UH, IT'S AT 1%.
WE'VE, WE HAD THE C C R THAT RECOMMENDED 2%.
WE WENT THROUGH SEVERAL COMMITTEE PROCESSES, BUT, BUT WE'VE NEVER MADE IT TO THIS BODY.
UH, SO WHAT'S AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT FOR PUBLIC ART FUNDING? AND THEN FINALLY, YOU KNOW, WE, I, I LAID OUT THE SCORING CRITERIA THAT YOU TOLD US BACK IN MARCH THAT YOU WANTED US SCORE THOSE PROJECTS BY.
IS, IS THAT STILL WHAT YOU WANNA DO OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT US TO CONSIDER OR, OR MAYBE NOT TO CONSIDER? UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT TODAY.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO ERIC TO CLOSE.
UH, ONE OTHER THING THAT, UM, TO PUT ON THE, UM, TO, TO PUT OUT THERE SO THE COUNCIL'S AWARE, UH, UH, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, DURING BUDGET ADOPTION, WE WILL BE COMING FORWARD IN OCTOBER ON THE CONVERSATION AROUND ARPA DOLLARS.
AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, I THINK THAT, IN FACT, I THINK WE'RE SCHEDULED TO COME TO THE COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 20TH, THE WEEK AFTER WE COME BACK ON THIS ISSUE ON OCTOBER 13TH.
AND THERE MAY BE, AS WE GO THROUGH ARPA AS WELL, WHICH ALSO HAS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PORTION, UH, IN NOVEMBER, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE SOME OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
I WANT TO KIND OF PUT, MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT THAT ISSUE IS ALSO GONNA BE ROLLING THROUGH AT THE SAME TIME.
AND, AND THERE MAY BE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, UM, OR THAT GET IDENTIFIED THAT COULD BE PARTIALLY FUNDED OR OFFSET OR REMOVED FROM ONE LIST, UM, UM, AS LONG AS THEY MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
SO IT'S ANOTHER ASSET AND RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
MOST, MOST CITIES ARE PROBABLY GOING THROUGH THE ARPA PROCESS, UM, UH, LIKE US.
UH, BUT VERY FEW CITIES ARE ALSO GOING THROUGH A BOND PROJECT, PRO BOND PROCESS LIKE THIS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE OUGHT TO USE IT TO OUR ADVANTAGE.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, ERIC, UH, ROD, LORI, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK THIS REALLY HELPS SET THE STAGE AND I'M, I'M PLEASED WITH THIS.
UM, FIRST STEP, UH, IN THE PROCESS.
LEMME JUST, UM, STEP BACK FOR A MINUTE.
UM, I THINK THERE'S NOT BEEN A TIME, AT LEAST IN MY LIFETIME, WHERE WE'VE HAD A GREATER NEED FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY, UH, NOT ONLY IN OUR CITY, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND WHAT IS BEFORE US NOW WITH REGARD TO THE 2022 BOND, COUPLED WITH THE ARPA PROCESS, THAT IT WILL BE UNDERWAY IN A PARALLEL ALONG WITH OUR FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
THE COUNTY'S CAPITAL PROGRAM, A POTENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE BUILT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TRULY A GENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO ADVANCE OUR COMMUNITIES TO TRANSFORM NOT JUST THIS CITY, BUT CITIES ACROSS, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I, I WANT TO NOTE SOME PROGRESS.
UM, SINCE THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THE EQUITY FUNDING FRAMEWORK, WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE SLIDES RELATED TO NEEDS, UH, PARTICULARLY IN OUR MOST BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE STREETS AND DRAINAGE, WE'RE ACTUALLY MOVING THE NEEDLE.
I CAN RECALL A B SESSION, UH, WITH MIKE FRISBEE, WHERE
[00:45:01]
WE ASKED WHAT WAS THE RAW ESTIMATED NEED FOR BASIC STREET INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, JUST TO TAKE CARE OF THE STREETS THAT WE HAD ON THE GROUND.AND THE ESTIMATE, I REMEMBER AT THE TIME WAS A LITTLE OVER $4 BILLION.
THAT WAS JUST THE STREETS THAT WE HAD.
SO THE FOCUS ON NOT ONLY IMPROVING OUR ANNUAL BUDGET WITH REGARD TO STREET MAINTENANCE, BUT ALSO FOCUSING THEM ON THE AREAS THAT NEED IT THE MOST HAS BEEN MOVING THE NEEDLE.
UM, AND WE SHOULD CONTINUE THAT.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO REFLECT ON IS, LET'S GO TO SLIDE FOUR IF YOU COULD.
SO THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS TO ME AND ACROSS THE BOARD, UNDER INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, BASED ON THE GROWTH THAT WAS OCCURRING AT THE TIME, STARTING IN 27, 2007, UH, WE BEGAN A PROCESS TO INCORPORATE FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PROGRAMS PUT BEFORE THE VOTERS.
THAT IS WHEN I THINK WE BEGAN TO START CATCHING UP.
UM, AND SO IT STANDS TO REASON, UH, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE WANT TO MANAGE OUR, UH, DEBT SERVICE WITHOUT HAVING TO RAISE RATES.
WE WANNA MANAGE OUR CAPACITY WITH REGARD TO, UH, THE AVAILABLE, UH, FUNDS THAT WE HAVE AND NOT ASK FOR ADDITIONAL.
UH, THIS IS A, A GOOD GRAPH TO REMIND US THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MAIN, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE ALONG WITH FACILITIES.
UM, SO TO YOUR QUESTIONS, UM, ERIC, LET ME JUST, UM, AND ROD AND LORI, LEMME JUST NOTE A COUPLE THINGS.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE INPUT OF MY PEERS.
UH, AND I DO WANT TO THANK NOT JUST THE STAFF, BUT THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE ALREADY WEIGHED IN AND HELPED SHAPE THIS INITIAL PROPOSAL, UM, ON HOUSING.
THIS IS THE PROPOSITION TO ME THAT IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, WE DID HAVE A HOUSING PROPOSITION.
IT WAS THE SIXTH PROPOSITION IN 2017.
UH, BUT SINCE THEN, THE VOTERS APPROVED A CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT ALLOW US TO ACTUALLY START CATCHING UP WITH THE, UM, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY GAP.
AND I THINK LORI DESCRIBED WHAT THAT IS VERY WELL.
UM, THIS IS THE NUMBER THAT CAME DIRECTLY OUT OF THE FRAMEWORK THAT COMES WITH IT, A COUNCIL RATIFICATION VOTE, AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT GOT US TO THAT NUMBER.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING UNDERNEATH THAT NUMBER AND FINDING OUT WHAT, HOW WE'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE THAT.
BUT I'M VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THE LEVEL OF FUNDING THAT'S IDENTIFIED FOR HOUSING, UH, AS AM I, THE SIX PROPOSITIONS.
UM, I THINK WE'VE DONE A GREAT SERVICE, UM, TO THE WHOLE PROCESS THAT GIVEN ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT ARE COMING AVAILABLE, AND WE WANNA STAY FOCUSED, THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED PILLARS TO OUR APPROACH, RESILIENCY, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND ADVANCING CONNECTIVITY IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THAT'S A GREAT APPROACH.
IT'S NOT JUST A LIST OF PROJECTS.
WE'RE TRYING TO ADVANCE STRATEGIC OUTCOMES ON THE FOUNDATION OF EQUITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT.
UM, SO WITH REGARD TO THE SIX PROPOSITIONS, WHILE THEY MAY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE TRADITIONAL PROPOSITIONS WITH THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'VE OUTLINED, I THINK THIS MOVES THE NEEDLE AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
UH, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF USING ALTERNATIVE, THE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING, UH, THE TOUR'S SUGGESTION.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THAT CONVERSATION CAN BE TAKEN UP AT THOSE BOARDS.
OBVIOUSLY, UH, WITH ALL THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON, WE WANT TO, UH, WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE, OF THE IMPACT, UH, BY STAYING AS LEVERAGED AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD APPROACH TO MAXIMIZE, UH, THE OUTPUT OF THIS EFFORT RIGHT NOW THAT'S GONNA LAST, YOU KNOW, THREE TO FIVE OR MORE YEARS.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WITH REGARD TO ARTS FUNDING, UM, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF MOVING THE ARTS FUNDING TO ONE AND A HALF, PERHAPS 2%.
I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL.
UH, BUT CLEARLY AS OUR CITY GROWS, SO DOES OUR NEED TO INVEST IN OUR ARTS AND CULTURE, WHICH IS WHERE WE DERIVE OUR ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE AND OUR, OUR, OUR COMPETITIVE IDENTITY.
SO, UM, I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE INPUT ON THAT, BUT I, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF, OF ADJUSTING THAT NUMBER.
UH, THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION.
AND, UH, THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
LEMME START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA.
THANK YOU TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I'M, UM, VERY HAPPY WITH THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT FORTH, UM, THAT I'LL, I'LL START OFF ECHOING THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS ON THE 250, UM, MILLION DOLLARS THAT IS GONNA BE DIRECTLY BUDGETED FOR HOUSING PROJECTS.
I, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, SO THANK YOU, UM, LORI AND TEAM FOR THAT.
UH, I RECENTLY WROTE AN OP-ED SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE DECADE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO, UM, INVESTING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS GONNA BE CRITICAL.
I TALKED ABOUT A TWO-PART PLAN, A VISION OF 10 YEARS.
AND SO LORI MENTIONED THAT TODAY, UM, SPECIFICALLY IN THINKING ABOUT THE BOND NOW, BUT ALSO THE BOND IN 2027, POTENTIALLY
[00:50:01]
BEING A PHASE TWO.SO THAT'S THE WAY THAT I'M LOOKING AT THIS INVESTMENT IN, IN THIS BOND.
IT'S LITERALLY GONNA BE PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO.
UM, AND SO IT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL THAT WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON, UH, THE INVESTMENT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL SAW, BUT LAST NIGHT, UM, THE, UH, BEXAR COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT BOARD OF MANAGERS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF A 68 ACRE TRACT OF LAND AT THE INTERSECTION OF SARA SAMRA AND JAGUAR PARKWAY, AND IT'S GONNA BE FOR A NEW HOSPITAL, SO A HOSPITAL ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND SO I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S GONNA COME WITH THAT.
SO I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, IN PARTICULAR WITH THE TEXAS A AND M, UH, REGIONAL CENTER, HAVE BEEN LISTED AS REGIONAL.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THE ARTS, UM, PUBLIC ARTS SPECIFICALLY, AND I, I'D, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE UP THE, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ONE POINT A HALF OR THE 2%, BUT CAN WE ALSO, IN, IN, IN ADDITION TO PUBLIC ART, CAN WE FUND PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY FOR FILM, OR WOULD THAT BE OF CONSIDERATION? OR IS IT JUST PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS COUNCIL MEMBER? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT? THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE? RIGHT.
UM, UM, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE WORK IS POTENTIALLY.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S PROBABLY A NUMBER OF THINGS ON THAT LIST FROM AGENTS OR OUTSIDE AGENCY REQUESTS THAT ARE, ARE GONNA REQUIRE US TO, UM, LIKE WE'VE DONE IN PAST BOND PROGRAMS, UM, IDENTIFY AN AGREEMENT ON THE FRONT END WITH DEAL POINTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IS PRIOR TO THE COUNCIL ACTUALLY PLACING ON A LIST FOR THE VOTERS.
BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, SO LIKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, SO WE COULD POTENTIALLY ALSO CONSIDER THAT UNDER THAT PUBLIC ART CATEGORY, IF WE MOVE UP FROM LIKE THE 1% TO THE 2%, OR IS IT JUST FOR ART? THIS IS PUBLIC ART, OKAY.
BUT IF THERE WAS LIKE A FILM OFFICE OR A FILM STUDIO, THAT WOULD BE A CAPITAL PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE IDENTIFIED IN THE PROPOSITIONS.
THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
LET ME COME BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UM, SO REAL QUICK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COUNCIL GUIDANCE OR COUNCIL DIRECTION IN IS THE, WHAT ARE THE SIX PROPOSITIONS? LIKE IF THE SIX PROPOSITIONS LISTED ARE GOOD OR THAT YES, THAT, THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL IS, IS IN SUPPORT OF THOSE SIX MOVING FORWARD AT THIS POINT.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN ONE MORE TIME? AT THE VERY BEGINNING, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WHY PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH WERE COMBINED AND SOMETHING LEGAL ABOUT SOMETHING NOT COUNTED, OR ONE OF THEM NOT BEING ABLE TO BE INCLUDED IN MUNICIPAL FACILITIES.
WELL, GENERALLY, I LET ANDY DO THE, THE, THE LEGAL STUFF,
YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, I THINK THE AC IF THE A C S CLINIC, UM, MAKES THE FINAL LIST, IT WOULD BE LISTED UNDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY PORTION OF THE PROPOSITION.
YOU EARNED YOUR LEGAL MERIT BADGE FOR TODAY.
THAT'S, I COULDN'T HAVE DESCRIBED IT BETTER.
WELL, I THINK I AM GOOD WITH THE SIX PROPOSITIONS AS STATED.
UM, ONE THING I AM INTERESTED IN IS FOR THE PUBLIC ART, AND THIS IS ALSO GONNA GO INTO THE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES.
I WOULD PERSONALLY BE INTERESTED IN INNER CITY TOURS, DOLLARS BEING USED FOR MURALS THROUGHOUT THE TOURS BOUNDARY.
IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? A MURAL WOULD NOT BE A, UM, A CA A, A, UH, A PROJECT THAT WE WOULD CAPITALIZE AND ISSUE DEBT FOR.
AND SO, LEMME THINK, BUT I THINK THAT'S A SEPARATE QUESTION, COUNCILMAN.
I WOULD LOVE TO DO, I WOULD LOVE TO GET AS MANY.
SO I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO AND HOW, UH, DISTRICT FIVE IS AN ARTS DISTRICT, AND I WANT TO BATTLE HER FOR THAT SPOT
AND SO IF WE CAN GET
'CAUSE I THINK DISTRICT TWO IS SPECIAL IN THAT WE HAVE AN, WE'RE PARTIALLY IN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, AND THEN WE'RE PARTIALLY A WAREHOUSE DISTRICT, AND LET'S THROW ART INTO THE MIX.
UM, I ALSO DO WANNA STATE THAT ONE OF MY MAJOR PRIORITIES, MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR, UM, PROBABLY NUMBER ONE IS FAILED STREETS.
UM, DISTRICT TWO, LOOKING AT THE SLIDE 17 MAKES UP OVER 77 MILES OF FAILED STREETS, WHICH IS ABOUT 17% OF THE CITY'S TOTAL
[00:55:01]
MORE THAN ANY OTHER DISTRICT.SO I WOULD NOT BE REPRESENTING MY CONSTITUENTS IF I DID NOT SAY, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PRIORITIZE FAILED STREETS.
I ALSO WANNA SAY YES FOR $250 MILLION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND NOW I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO MY CONSTITUENTS DISTRICT TWO.
I'M SUPER EXCITED TO GET THE BOND CONVERSATIONS GOING AND LOOKING FORWARD TO APPOINTING YOU.
BUT FIRST I NEED YOU TO APPLY.
UM, MY OFFICE'S GOAL IS TO HOST A BOND OPEN HOUSE, OR A SERIES OF BOND OPEN HOUSES WHERE MY CONSTITUENTS CAN RECEIVE PROPOSALS AND PRESENTATIONS AND WE CAN BEGIN BUILDING BUY-IN FOR THESE HUGE PROJECTS AND THE DIRECTION THEY CAN TAKE OUR DISTRICT IN.
I ALSO WANT TO STATE MY SUPPORT FOR THE, UH, ANIMAL ANIMAL CARE HOSPITAL FACILITY.
I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT THE COMMUNITY FEELS THE SAME AND THAT MY COLLEAGUES FEEL THE SAME.
JUST ONE THING THAT, UM, UH, I DON'T THINK, UH, I DON'T THINK I MENTIONED AT THE END, UH, WE ARE PREPARED, UM, FIRST THING TOMORROW MORNING TO DISTRIBUTE TO THE OFFICES, THE FORMAT AND THE INFORMATION WE NEED FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU'LL BE RECRUITING.
SO, WE'LL, WE'RE COORDINATING BETWEEN PUBLIC WORKS, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO GET YOU THAT INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN GET IT OUT THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UH, OTHER THAN THE MAYOR, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAD HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF, UH, UNDERSTANDING HOW THE BOND PROCESS WORKS.
UH, THERE MAY BE ONE OR TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAD SERVED ON A BOND PREVIOUSLY, BUT, UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS.
FROM THE POINT OF VIEW IS WHEN THESE COMMITTEES COME TOGETHER, AND LET'S SAY EACH COMMITTEE, UH, HAS ITS OWN LIST OF PRIORITIES FOR THEIR DISTRICT, LET'S TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE LIST THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
THESE WERE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM HIS DEPARTMENT BASED ON PEOPLE WHO HAVE CALLED OR COMPLAINED, OR COUNSEL REQUESTS THAT HAVE GONE FORWARD, ET CETERA.
AND SO HE WAS RECOMMENDING A LIST OF X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS OF PROJECTS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
NOW, EACH OF US MAY HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICT WHO SAY, WELL, WE WANT ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WE WANT THIS, WE WANT THAT.
SO LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT NUMBER NINE, I'LL, I'LL PICK A NUMBER, SAYS THAT THEY WANT 75 MILLION WORTH OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, BUT THE OTHER DISTRICTS ALL HAVE 55 OR 60 OR SOMETHING.
HOW WILL THAT BE DETERMINED AS TO HOW THOSE INFRASTRUCTURES GET CHOSEN TO BE PUT ON THE BALLOT? FOR EXAMPLE, IS IT THIS A MAJORITY VOTE, OR IS IT SIMPLY, UH, AN ADVISORY POSITION THAT THESE COMMITTEES HAVE AND THAT THE STAFF PASSES ON TO THE COUNCIL, THE ADVICE, BUT THE COUNCIL SOMEHOW MAKES THE FINAL DECISION ON THESE THINGS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT ALL FIVE OF THESE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES THAT ARE BEING SET UP, HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WORK? SO COUNCILMAN, UM, BEFORE WE GET TO THE COMMUNITY COMMITTEE, THE BOND COMMITTEE PROCESS, THIS COUNCIL WILL IDENTIFY THE ALLOCATIONS AND THE PROJECTS BY PROPOSITION.
WE, YOU WILL SET THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.
AND, AND, AND YOU SEE THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REQUEST AND THE NEED AND WHAT THE FINAL, AS ROD DESCRIBED IT, WHERE THE LINES DRAWN.
WE TAKE THAT TO THE BOND COMMITTEES AND THE BOND COMMITTEES.
SEE THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE WITHIN THAT LINE, WITHIN THAT ALLOCATION THAT I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA MAKE SOMETHING UP.
SO I'M GONNA, LET'S SAY, LET'S SAY STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.
THE ALLOCATIONS 500, LET'S SAY IT'S $600 MILLION, AND WE'VE GOT PROJECTS THAT EQUAL $600 MILLION, BUT PROBABLY ANOTHER $500 MILLION THAT AREN'T ABOVE THE LINE.
AS THE BOND COMMITTEES REVIEW THOSE OR POTENTIALLY BRING ADDITIONAL, THE BOND COMMITTEES WILL VOTE FOR THE INCLUSION OF A PROJECT.
BUT ONE OF THE, PART OF THE DISCIPLINE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IN THIS PROCESS IS, IS THAT IF YOU ADD, IF THE COMMITTEE WE'RE, THE STAFF IS GONNA TELL THE COMMITTEE, THE COUNCIL SAID $600 MILLION.
IF YOU MAKE IT SIX 10, THEN WE HAVE TO MOVE SOMETHING DOWN BELOW THE LINE.
AND THAT'S THE DISCIPLINE THAT WE'RE GONNA INSTILL IN THE PROCESS.
ULTIMATELY, THE COUNCIL, THE, THE COMMITTEE, AND THERE MAY BE, AND BACK IN 2017, THERE WAS A SHUFFLING OF, OF A DOLLAR AMOUNT BETWEEN COMMITTEES, BUT THAT'S MANAGED CENTRALLY THROUGH THE STAFF AND KEEPING THE COUNCIL UPDATED.
THE COMMITTEES WILL VOTE AND APPROVE A FINAL LIST, AND WE WILL BRING IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
THE COUNCIL HAS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THAT ADDITIONAL LAYER OF ADJUSTMENTS, BUT I THINK EARLY ON IT'S GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND, AND THE, THE FIRST STEP IS REALLY WHAT THE COUNCIL TO SET THAT DISCIPLINE IN THOSE AMOUNTS AND THOSE TARGETS.
[01:00:01]
CORRECTION, ERIC.IT'S THE VOTERS, THOUGH THAT'LL HAVE THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY ON VOTING FOR THE BOND PACKAGES.
NOW LET ME ASK, WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, TAXES AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I HAVE SAID IS, WE'D LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION NEXT TIME IN THE 2023 BUDGET YEAR IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES.
BUT IF THERE'S A A, A TAX EXEMPTION INCREASE, WE'LL LET THREATEN THE FINANCING OF A BOND BOND PROJECT.
UM, IT DEPENDS ON THE, IT DEPENDS ON THE ALTERNATIVES THAT THE COUNCIL LOOKS AT.
UM, IF, IF THERE IS A, UH, TAX RATE DECREASE, THEN THAT IMPACTS BOTH THE OPERATING AND THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE, UM, UM, CHANGES TO THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, UM, HIT OUR OPERATING SIDE OF THE BUDGET, UM, AND HAS LESS, HAVE LESS OF AN IMPACT.
BUT IT, BUT, BUT THERE WERE TWO SCENARIOS THAT THE COUNCIL TALKED ABOUT DURING THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH WAS REDUCING THE RATE, REDUCING THE RATE CHANGES, ONE OF OUR CORE ASSUMPTIONS.
AND THE LAST THING I'LL ADD IS ON THE SUBJECT OF ART.
YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT THE PRESENTATION THAT THE STAFF PUT TOGETHER, AND ALL OF US APPRECIATE ART.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT TRYING TO RAISE THE, UH, LEVEL OF FUNDING WE'RE GONNA PUT INTO ART IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE OR, OR IN THE BOND.
UH, THE EXAMPLES THAT WE LOOKED AT BASED ON OTHER CITIES MADE ME REALIZE THAT, UH, ALL OF THOSE OTHER CITIES ARE WEALTHIER THAN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I DON'T THINK THOSE OTHER CITIES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PROBABLY CHICAGO, HAVE AS LARGE POPULATION THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND SO THAT EXTRA MONEY THAT IS GOING TO GO TO ART, I SAW, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT GOES TO ONE POINT A HALF PERCENT, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ABOUT EIGHT ARTISTS AND THREE OTHER, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP PUT THE PRODUCT TOGETHER.
UH, AND THAT WOULD COST $6 MILLION.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M, I'M THAT, UH, SOLIDLY BEHIND ALLOCATING $6 MILLION TO HELP MAYBE 11 PEOPLE OR 12 PEOPLE, PROFESSIONALS, ARTISTS, UH, DO SOME PROJECTS THAT YES, WOULD, WOULD BE NICE TO SEE AROUND THE CITY FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT I'M FOR THAT.
'CAUSE NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 12, $13 MILLION, UH, EXTRA BEYOND WHAT WE'RE PAYING NOW.
AND I THINK, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY ON A TIGHT BUDGET WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS WE'RE TRYING TO PUT INTO THIS BUDGET.
UM, I'D WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE 250 MILLION GOING TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND, AND SPECIFICALLY WELL, AND I WANNA REITERATE THAT BEFORE WE END UP SPENDING ANY OF THAT MONEY, I DO HOPE THAT THIS COUNCIL WILL SUPPORT A STUDY ON HOW WE'VE, UH, APPLIED INCENTIVES TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR DIFFERENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE USING THOSE TAXPAYER DOLLARS EFFECTIVELY.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UH, A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, GO TOWARDS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A GREAT FRONT END SYSTEM UNDER DEVELOPMENT TO COORDINATE STREET OUTREACH AND AMPLE SHELTER CAPACITY IN SAN ANTONIO FOR HOMELESS.
BUT THE, THE MISSING PIECE FOR PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, INTELLECTUAL DIS DISABILITIES, AND OTHER TRAUMA OR CHALLENGES THAT LEAD TO LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS IS A LACK OF SUFFICIENT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING STOCK.
UH, RIGHT NOW, THE SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR HOMELESSNESS ESTIMATES THAT WE NEED A THOUSAND ADDITIONAL UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR UNSHELTERED IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A SUB SUBSTANTIAL PORTION THAT'S SET ASIDE FOR THAT.
IT'S THE COMPASSIONATE THING TO DO, BUT NOT ONLY THAT, IT'S ALSO, IT, IT ALSO REALLY CAN FREE UP OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTERS AND OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES AS WELL.
UM, SO IT'S A WIN-WIN, UM, ON ART.
I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE INCREASE TO 2%.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY ESTABLISH SAN ANTONIO AS A LEADING CITY IN SUPPORTING THE ARTS.
UM, THE ACTIVATE SA PROPOSALS THAT WERE BROUGHT FORWARD, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE WERE COMMUNITY GENERATED PROPOSALS.
THEY ESTABLISH, THEY HELPED, UH, ESTABLISH CONNECTIVITY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND GIVE PEOPLE WAYS TO, UH,
[01:05:01]
GET TO TRAVEL AROUND OUR CITY, UH, TO GET OUTTA THEIR CARS AND TO EITHER WALK OR TO RIDE BIKES.AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, I SUPPORT THE, THE PROJECTS FOR THE ZOO AND THE BOTANICAL GARDEN.
I HAVE NOT SEEN, UH, PRESENTATIONS ON THE OTHER PROJECTS YET.
SO I, I'M GONNA WITHHOLD COMMENT ON THOSE FOR NOW.
AND ON, UH, ON THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SCORING CRITERIA, I SEE THAT THOSE ARE, I, I DON'T SEE ANY SPECIFICS ON THAT SCORING CRITERIA.
AND MY CONCERN IS THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA BE APPLIED.
AND, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH FOCUS ON RESILIENCY.
AND I DON'T, I JUST WONDER IF WE SHOULD BE HAVING SOME KIND OF A CARVE OUT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT MAKING OUR COMMUNITY MORE RESILIENT.
AND I JUST WANNA TAKE EVERY CHANCE I CAN TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT WE CANNOT COUNT ON THE STATE TO MAKE, TO ENSURE THAT OUR POWER STAYS ON DURING SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS.
AND I WANT US TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN BE MORE RESILIENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 20% OF THIS BOND GO TOWARDS RESILIENCY PROJECTS.
UM, SLIDE 25, I BELIEVE ON SLIDE 25, YOU'LL SEE THE WORD RESILIENCY AND A, AND A DESCRIPTION OF IT.
UM, COUNCILMAN BRAVO IS A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, I THINK WE OUGHT TO FOCUS ON ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS.
UM, THERE'S ALWAYS DEBATES OUT THERE AS TO WHAT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, UM, IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THE UNIVERSAL CONSENSUS IS THAT GOVERNMENT IS HERE AT ITS MOST BASIC TO, UM, PREVENT FUNERALS THAT CAN BE PREVENTED.
UM, I, I THINK THAT, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS DESCRIPTION, ERIC, IT'S A, IT'S A BIT CLUMSY AND IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANYBODY'S FAULT.
I THINK IT'S JUST, MAYBE WE MISSED SOMETHING HERE, BUT PROJECTS WILL ADDRESS NEEDS AND IMPROVE EXISTING CONDITIONS TO ABSORB, RECOVER, AND PREPARE FOR FUTURE GROWTH.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT RESILIENCY MEANS.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S ABSORB, UH, ACUTE SHOCKS, RIGHT? RECOVER FROM STRESSORS AND PREPARE FOR FUTURE GROWTH.
AND SO THE, THE REASON I'M MAKING A BIG DEAL ABOUT THIS IS IF I HAVE A FEELING THAT THIS SLIDE IS GONNA BE SHOWED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO OUR COMMISSIONS, UH, WHO WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING TOGETHER TO SELECT BOND PROJECTS, UM, AND I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERY WORD WE PUT ON THEM IS SOLID.
IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
SO, UM, THE, THE SECOND THING IS, IS BECAUSE I THINK RESILIENCY IS, IS OUR PRIMARY FUNCTION IN GOVERNMENT.
AND BECAUSE I, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN BRAVO.
UM, I, I'M, I'M GONNA URGE Y'ALL TO REALLY THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT HURRICANE HARVEY, UM, MAYOR AND, UH, THE REST OF US WHO WERE ON COUNCIL, THEN THAT WAS SORT OF OUR BIG CRISIS FACING US, THE FIRST BIG ONE, I THINK.
UM, AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THAT STORM WAS BARRELING TOWARDS US, AND 55 MILES AWAY, IT CHANGED ITS MIND AND DECIDED TO THAT HOUSTON WAS NICE.
UM, AND IT, IT REALLY LEFT US ALONE.
THAT WAS 33 TRILLION GALLONS OF WATER.
UM, AND I, I DON'T THINK THAT WE WOULD'VE SURVIVED
I THINK WE WOULD'VE HAD MANY FUNERALS.
UM, HAD THAT STORM HIT US MANY MORE THAN HOUSTON PROBABLY GOT.
UM, I ALSO THINK THAT WE'RE JUST NOT READY FOR HURRICANE HARVEY.
AND IF ANYBODY'S WONDERING, YOU KNOW, CAN WE ABSORB THE NEXT HURRICANE HARVEY IF IT LANDS ON US? I, I DON'T THINK WE COULD.
UM, I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
UM, AND I'M DELIGHTED THAT THIS IS WHAT THIS BOND IS FOR, UH, IS TO GET US CLOSER TO BEING READY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, PREVENTING FUNERALS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ON THESE BONDS, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TOO, BUT NOT, NOT AS IMPORTANT AS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN GET HOME TO THEIR LOVED ONES AT NIGHT.
UM, ALONG THOSE LINES, I DON'T, ERIC, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF SHELTER SPACE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS IN THIS CITY.
UM, THIS IS AT A CRISIS LEVEL.
UM, AND WE HAVE SHELTERS THAT HAVE YET TO TURN FOLKS AWAY, BUT THAT'S COMING.
AND WE, WE CAN'T BE THE CITY THAT DOESN'T PLAN AHEAD FOR A PROBLEM THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GETTING WORSE INSTEAD OF BETTER.
[01:10:01]
UH, AM SUPPORTIVE OF THE 2% SET ASIDE FOR ART.UM, IF YOU LOOK AT STEVE NIVEN'S REPORT, UM, DEBBIE, I THINK YOU, YOU COMMISSIONED STEVE TO DO THIS REPORT FOR US, RIGHT? UM, AND HE, HE LOOKED AT IT IN 2017, AND THEN I THINK HE LOOKED AT IT AGAIN IN 2021.
AND, UM, WHAT HE TOLD US WAS THAT THE ARTS CREATIVE COMMUNITY GENERATES ABOUT 4.1 BILLION, 4.8 RIGHT BILLION DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WITH MULTIPLIER IMPACTS BAKED IN THERE, UH, AND QUOTING FROM HIS STUDY, HE SAID THAT CREATIVE ECONOMY'S GROWTH HAS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO THE GENERAL ECONOMY'S GROWTH.
UH, AND, AND THERE'S NO DEBATE OUT THERE.
I MEAN, WHENEVER YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE CITIES THAT INVEST IN PUBLIC ART AND IN BEAUTIFUL SPACES, UM, THAT HAVE PUBLIC ART PUNCTUATING THEM.
YOU GET COMPANIES LIKE AMAZON AND MICROSOFT AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THE OTHER BIG NAME EMPLOYERS WANTING TO STAY THERE LONGER OR TO RELOCATE RIGHT, TO CITIES LIKE THAT.
UM, I, I THINK THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAVE INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC ART, UM, ALL WE'RE END UP DOING IS MAKING SAN ANTONIO MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY HERE.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S OUR JOB TOO, IS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, UH, ENJOY THEIR CITY MORE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I, I DO THINK THE AMOUNT SET FOR HOUSING ERIC, UH, IS APPROPRIATE, UM, CONSIDERING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE FACING.
UH, I ALWAYS WISH THAT WE COULD, UH, DO MORE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE SIZE OF THIS BOND AND WHAT I THINK THE PUBLIC IS WILLING TO ACCEPT AND NOT ACCEPT, I, I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS A, A GOOD NUMBER.
UH, I, I DO WORRY THOUGH, NOT ABOUT THE ACTUAL NUMBER ITSELF, BUT WHAT YOU CAN GET OUT OF THAT NUMBER.
SO, LORI, I MEAN, YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AT INVESTMENT FOR, YOU KNOW, HOUSING DOWNTOWN FOR LONGER THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS, IN THIS ROOM.
I THINK, AND I THINK YOU'LL AGREE WITH ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THE 20 21, 20 20 $2 DOESN'T GO AS FAR AS IT, YOU KNOW, THE 20 $19, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE INCREASED PRICE OF LAND LABOR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT MAJOR LABOR SHORTAGES, RAW MATERIALS COST SO MUCH MORE THAN EVER BEFORE.
UM, AND NOW I, I SPENT THE WEEK WITH, WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THIS INDUSTRY, UM, AND THEY WERE TELLING ME THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT THIS INFRASTRUCTURE BILL COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON WITH A CERTAIN SENSE OF ANXIETY, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO CREATE A RUSH ON LABOR, RAW MATERIALS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE NATION ALL AT ONCE.
AND THAT WE CAN EXPECT THE COST FOR THOSE TWO THINGS TO GO UP DRAMATICALLY.
UM, AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, COSTS GOING UP AGAIN BECAUSE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY, NEW HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS IMPOSED UPON, YOU KNOW, BUILDINGS.
BECAUSE PEOPLE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR BUILDINGS ARE CLEAN AND HYGIENIC AND COVID FREE AND ALL THAT.
SO, UM, I, I THINK THAT $250 MILLION IS AN IMPORTANT NUMBER, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE START HAVING THE CONVERSATION TODAY ABOUT WHAT THAT NUMBER BUYS US VERSUS WHAT WE THINK IT MIGHT BUY US
SO, UM, ANYWAY, I THINK YOU'RE PICKING UP WHAT I'M LAYING DOWN.
UH, AND THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, ERIC AND STAFF.
UM, BOND IS ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO INTO THE CITY TO ADDRESS PAST WRONGS LIKE REDLINING, TO MOVE FORWARD, AND TO HAVE THE RESIDENTS KEEP US ACCOUNTABLE.
THE ASKS, WHILE MANY AS, AS I GO THROUGH THE PAPERWORK, HAVE MERIT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT PROJECTS AND ASKS AND ASK OURSELF.
SOME OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE GLOBAL, NATIONAL, AND STATE IMPACTS, NOT JUST CITYWIDE AND REGIONAL.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE MY DIRECTION IS THAT WE GO THROUGH THAT AND WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE LOOK AT THE REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, MOVED FORWARD.
I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
WHILE A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE MERIT, I DON'T LIKE TO USE THE WORD SCARCITY, BUT WE JUST CAME OUT OF A PANDEMIC AND A WINTER STORM, AND WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF JUST RECOVERY.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I, I AM A TOTAL YES TO THE SIX DESIGNATIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ THAT FAILED STREETS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF MY PREDECESSOR WHO GOT US TO 14%.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE WEREN'T THERE BEFORE.
SO, UH, I AM THANKFUL FOR THAT.
BUT I THINK WE DO NEED TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ASK FOR ON THE LINEAR CREEK TRAILS.
THE ONE THING I'D WANT YOU TO CONSIDER IS
[01:15:01]
THAT EAST WEST CONNECTOR, BECAUSE I AM CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR AN EAST WEST DIRECTION, UH, IN STREETS.UH, AND, UH, ALSO IN THE, UM, IN THE TRAILS THAT WE HAVE, UH, REGIONAL CENTER PROJECTS, I AGREE WITH THE ONES THAT WERE CHOSEN.
AND I REALLY THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE REGIONAL CENTERS, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE FACT THAT THEY DO MAKE A GLOBAL IMPACT.
THEY MAKE A NATIONAL IMPACT, ESPECIALLY OUR JOINT BA BASED SAN ANTONIO.
AND THEY MAKE A, A STATE AT IMPACT, ESPECIALLY THE THREE LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, BECAUSE PEOPLE FROM THE VALLEY AND THE SURROUNDING TOWNS DO COME TO BROOKS PORT AND THE UNIVERSITY.
SO I THINK WITH THE HOSPITAL ALSO COMING, AND I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SYSTEMS, UM, MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, I THINK WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY THERE TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH THE CITYWIDE PROJECTS, IF I HAD TO CHOOSE ONE, IT WOULD BE THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO BE BECAUSE I FEEL THAT'S THE MOST AFFORDABLE FOR MY RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT THREE.
I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE AFFORDABILITY COMING OUT OF THE OTHER PROJECTS IN THAT AREA FOR MY RESIDENTS.
I AM IN AGREEMENT THAT WE SHOULD LEAVE PUBLIC ART AT 1%, NOT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO, I, I DON'T WANT MORE ART.
I WANT MORE ART IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION IN A LARGER VENUE BECAUSE PUBLIC ART IS JUST THE CITIES.
I WANT TO SEE THE ARTIST OF SAN ANTONIO BEING, UH, PATRONIZED BY AT AND T VALERO AND THE OTHERS.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A, UH, A LARGER CONVERSATION.
AND I DO WANT TO SEE THE FILM INDUSTRY GROW IN THAT.
UM, THE LAST THING I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS HOUSING.
ANY EXTRA DOLLARS WE HAVE TO PUT TOWARDS HOUSING.
I AM THRILLED WITH THE PROGRAM THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND THE USE OF TOURS, BUT WE NEED AFFORDABLE MARKET RATE.
THERE IS A HOUSING CRISIS LOOMING, UH, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT.
I THINK THE WORK THAT, UM, IAN AND AND VERO ARE DOING WITH SHIP IS ADMIRABLE.
AND I, I HAVE A, I'M PART OF A GREAT HOUSING TRUST TEAM THAT IS GOING TO GET ORGANIZED AND MAKE SURE THAT WE MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS, AS, UM, AS THIS CITY MOVES FORWARD.
SO I, I AM THRILLED WITH THE AMOUNT, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER DOLLARS, WE CAN, IF, IF WE DON'T DO THE 1% FOR ARTS, LET'S MOVE IT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR SOME SORT OF INCENTIVES FOR THAT, UM, BECAUSE THAT, THAT IS CRITICAL.
SO MY TWO DIRECTIONS OR QUESTIONS, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IS CAN YOU IDENTIFY ANY OTHER TAXING ENTITIES THAT ARE MAKING REQUESTS OR THAT WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO AS WE MOVE FORWARD? BECAUSE IF THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY, OR THE COUNTY IS ASKING, I THINK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WHO ARE ASKING FOR, UM, TAX REBATES OR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, MAYBE WE CAN ENCOURAGE OUR, UM, OUR TAXING COUNTERPARTS TO LOOK AT, UH, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS, CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE AGENCIES? BECAUSE I NOTICED IN THE LI, UH, LIST THAT WE'RE GIVEN MONEY IN THE BUDGET OR THE CARES ACT CYCLE, AND NOW AGAIN, UH, REQUESTING BOND DOLLARS, BECAUSE I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT ASK.
AND, UM, I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, UM, CITYWIDE PROJECTS, UH, WE, WE NEED TO SEE IF THEY MEET THE MERIT OF THAT RES WHEN I THINK RESILIENCY AND EQUITY, I ALSO THINK WHAT SORT OF JOBS ARE THEY BRINGING AT WHAT WAGES ARE THE, THESE PROJECTS BRINGING THESE JOBS? AND, UM, AND ALSO WHAT SORT OF, UH, COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE THEY BRINGING, UM, IN MORE THAN JUST, UM, IN MORE THAN JUST THE STANDARD THAT WE HAVE.
BUT JOBS, EQUITY, INCLUSION, THAT UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY THAT I TALK ABOUT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT ALSO.
BUT THAT IS, THAT IS THE GIST OF MY COMMENTS.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR WORKING SO HARD.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MY, UH, REPRESENTATIVES BEING ON THE BOND COMMITTEE AND MOVING THIS FORWARD AND MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY IS ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY AND TO ACTUALLY, UH, FLOURISH, UH, OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC.
JUST A CLARIFICATION REAL QUICK, COUNCILMAN.
[01:20:01]
WERE ASKING FOR A LIST OF THE AGENCIES OR MAYBE PARTNERS THAT RECEIVED CARES MONEY LAST YEAR AND ARE ASKING FOR BOND PROJECTS? YES.COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
AND THANK YOU, ERIC FOR THE PRESENTATION AND RAZZI FOR YOUR TEAM AND THE PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTATIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN GIVING.
UM, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, RIGHT? UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT EQUITY, IT SAYS, PROTECTS WILL SUPPORT IN WITHIN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES BASED OFF OF THE PRESENTATIONS.
UH, AND SLIDE SIX RATHER, WE SEE THAT OVER HALF OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS DRAINAGE.
UM, AND BASED OFF OF THE PRESENTATION, UM, THAT I'VE RECEIVED, DISTRICT FIVE ONLY HAS ONE DRAINAGE PROJECT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S STILL A LONG PROCESS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WORK TO DO, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD WITHIN COMMUNITY, UH, MEETINGS.
BUT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST BASED OFF OF REPORTED AND STUDY DRAINAGE PROJECTS WITHIN DISTRICT FIVE, THERE'S 23 UNFUNDED DRAINAGE PROJECTS, AND THAT'S ROUGHLY ONE POINT $167 MILLION.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT THE NEED ON SLIDE SIX, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE INVEST IN BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, WHEN I, UH, SPEAK TO FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, IT'S THE NEED TO ALLEVIATE THE DRAINAGE FROM THE QUINTANA AREA TO COLLINS GARDEN.
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE UNDERWATER.
UM, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 2017 BOND PRESENTATION, THERE ARE NO DISTRICT FIVE DRAINAGE PROJECTS WITHIN THE 2017 BOND.
SO I WANNA BE SURE THAT IF WE'RE USING THE LANGUAGE OF EQUITY, RESILIENCY, THAT IT DOES IN FACT REPRESENT THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE USING.
UM, WE WANNA BE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE USING ALL THESE INGREDIENTS AND THAT IT DOES, IN FACT, ADD UP TO EQUITY AND RESILIENCY, AND IT'S NOT JUST LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE USING WITHIN OUR PRESENTATION.
UM, SO I, I KNOW MOVING FORWARD, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CORRECT THIS.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK BACK TO HISTORY TO 2017, YOU KNOW, THE PRESENTATION DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY D FIVE BOND PROJECTS.
SO THERE'S A NEED THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS.
UM, AND I ECHO, UM, D TWO AND D THREE ON THE NEED TO PACKAGE F STREETS.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE HEAR IN COMMUNITY IS INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TOO THAT WE PACKAGE OUR SIDEWALKS.
UM, FOR DISTRICT FIVE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SEE UP TO A HUNDRED MILLION 0.65 MILLION TO ADDRESS ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS FOR SIDEWALKS FOR FAILED, UM, PROJECTS.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE FAR WEST SIDE OF DISTRICT FIVE, THE EDGEWOOD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AREA, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR POOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THERE'S NO SENIOR CENTER.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A SENIOR CENTER THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE, WHICH IS IN THE FAR WEST SIDE OF THE DISTRICT.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE POINT SYSTEM THAT WE'RE USING, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC OWNERSHIP AND PUBLIC ACCESS.
I REALLY LIKE THE POINT THAT MY COLLEAGUE, THAT MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILMAN VRAN BROUGHT UP, RIGHT? WHAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, AND WHILE I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO INVEST IN THESE LARGER PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, MY CONSTITUENCY, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AVERAGE AREA, MEDIAN INCOME OF FOLKS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, YOU KNOW, WE LIKELY WON'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT A HUNDRED DOLLARS TICKET FOR A CONCERT.
UM, SO I WANT US TO, TO, TO GROUND OURSELVES IN ENSURING THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING PROJECTS THAT ARE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, DON'T REQUIRE A MEMBERSHIP TO ACCESS, UM, THAT EVERYONE THROUGHOUT THE CITY CAN AFFORD TO ATTEND, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE MEET THIS NEED.
UM, AS MY COLLEAGUE TERRY, I SAYS, WE'RE KICKING THE CAN FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PRIORITIZE THE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, BECAUSE IF I KNOCK ON A DOOR WITHIN DISTRICT FIVE AND SAY, WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, THEY'RE GONNA CLOSE THE DOOR ON MY FACE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT RAINS, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD IS UNDERWATER.
SO WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS AND WEEKS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, I AM A STRONG PROPONENT OF INCREASING THE, THE ARTS FUNDING FROM TO 1.5 TO 2%.
UM, THE CITY PUT FORWARD THAT STUDY THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE ARTS WILL GENERATE UP TO 4.8 BILLION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT INVESTING IN THE ARTS, WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT THAT IT'S TOURISM, IT'S GENERATING TAX REVENUE, AND THAT'S MORE FUNDING INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WE NEED TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, UM, AND WITH THAT, RIGHT, JUST LIKE WITH HOUSING AND WITH ANYTHING, WE NEED TO INVEST FROM THE BOTTOM UP.
WE NEED TO WORK ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE, DRAINAGE, STREETS, SIDEWALKS, AND THEN WE BUILD THAT DENSITY.
UM, REGARDING THE FUNDING FOR HOUSING.
UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE, UM, ON HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE ALLOCATED AND SPENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, I, I, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO BUILD ALL RATES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, MARKET RATE, EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT LET ME PULL UP THE, SO WHAT
[01:25:01]
GIVES ME PAUSE IS THAT FOR THE PRODUCTION, FOR HOME OWNERSHIP, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR 80% AND BELOW, UH, WITHIN DISTRICT FIVE.YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE HOMEOWNERS AT THAT RATE AND BELOW.
SO I THINK MOVING FORWARD, UM, BEFORE I CAN SAY I'M COMFORTABLE WITH 250 MILLION FOR HOUSING, WE, I, I NEED TO LEARN MORE ON WHAT WE INTEND TO DO WITH THAT FUNDING.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, JUST CLARIFY ON THAT, THAT IS FOR PRODUCTION OF NEW HOMES.
AND THE EIGHT, WE DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA PRESERVE THAT 80%.
BUT I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE PRESENTATION, AND WE LOOK AT THE, IN CROW IN, UH, INCREASING POVERTY RATE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND WE LOOK AT THE ROLE OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP AND WEALTH BUILDING, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES AND THOSE THAT 80% AND BELOW ALSO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BUY A NEW BUILD.
UM, SO I UNDERSTAND, UM, THE NEED TO PRODUCE ABOVE 80%, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
HOWEVER, I THINK WE NEED TO PROVIDE OUR MOST VULNERABLE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE THAT AMERICAN DREAM AND PURCHASE A HOME TOO.
UM, SO I, I, I LIKE WHAT I'M SEEING HERE WITH THE PRODUCTION AND THE PRESERVATION, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT PRODUCING NEW BUILDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
I'M SO USED TO BEING ON THE PODIUM FOR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD THAT I'M LIKE,
UM, SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS, HAVE WE HAD CONVERSATIONS AROUND HOW WE'RE GOING TO LEVERAGE THE POTENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING, UM, WITH THE BOND LEVERAGE IN, IN, IN, UH, IN WHAT SENSE COUNCILWOMAN, LIKE, AND HOW WE CAN WORK PARALLEL AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE WITH THE BOND PROJECTS, RIGHT? FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A COUPLE THAT ARE PUT FORWARD THAT ARE PHASE TWO, HOW WE LOOKED AT HOW THOSE, THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING COULD POTENTIALLY LEVERAGE THAT PHASE TWO.
UM, NO, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE POINTS THAT THE MAYOR MADE THAT WAS, WE MONITOR WHAT HAPPENS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, WE'LL NEED TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS WE GO THROUGH THE FALL.
UM, BUT EVENTUALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE GO THROUGH THE FALL, WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, TO MAKE, UM, A DECISION IN TERMS OF A PROJECT LIST.
SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER MAY I ALSO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT, UM, BECAUSE ALL OF THESE LISTS OF NEEDS AND REQUESTS ARE GREATER THAN WE'RE GONNA ALLOCATE TO THAT WE CAN CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, THESE BROADER PLANS, FIVE YEAR, 10 YEAR, 15 YEAR PLANS, ACCELERATING THOSE AS WE GET ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCES.
AND WHAT DOES COORDINATION LOOK LIKE WITH THE COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE? I'M EXCITED TO SEE THAT THEY'RE ASSISTING WITH THE LINEAR CREEKWAY TRAIL, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE PRO, UH, PROGRAMS SIMILAR TO MINOR REHAB, AND HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE USING SOME OF THOSE COUNTY FUNDS WITHIN THE CITY AS WELL.
UM, AND NOT SO MUCH JUST PRIMARILY FOR BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS LIKE THE CREEKWAY, BUT HELPING US OUT, YOU KNOW, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE USING BOTH OF OUR PUBLIC MONEY TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, SO LIKE, I KNOW THEY'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND THEIR BOND.
WHAT DOES THAT COORDINATION LOOK? CAN WE INVITE THEM TO GIVE US A BRIEFING ON WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON? ABSOLUTELY.
I, I THINK, I THINK PART IS WHAT, AS WE GO THROUGH THE ARPA PROCESS, OUR INTENTION OF THE MAYOR AND I HAD EARLY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY JUDGE AND THE COUNTY MANAGER ABOUT THE PROCESS WE INTENDED TO GO THROUGH.
AND ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS THAT THE MAYOR AND I MADE WAS THAT WE WOULD KEEP THEM APPRISED.
WE DO HAVE THE LISTING OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT THE COUNTY HAS INCLUDED WITHIN THEIR 600 AND SOMEWHAT MILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
AND WE'VE, I'VE ASKED, UH, RAZZY AND HOMER AND UM, UM, UM, AND TAMIKA TO LOOK TO SEE HOW ARE WE LEVERAGING, UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S MORE WORK THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO.
I I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY GET AN UPDATE FROM THE COUNTY IN TERMS OF OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB AND HOW WE BUILD UP ADDITIONAL CORPUS, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT WE, EVERYTHING WE'RE ABLE TO DEAL WITH FROM THE, THE STRATEGIC, THE STRATEGIC HOUSING PLAN, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN PERSPECTIVE, UM, ALL OF THOSE HOMES ARE IN THE COUNTY AS WELL.
AND THAT FEEDBACK LOOP IS GOING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
SO OUR PROJECT LIST WILL ALSO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE, THE COUNTY AS WELL.
UM, UH, WITH THE, LOOKING AT THE TOURS FUNDING TO POTENTIALLY SUPPORT PROJECTS, UM, WHAT KIND OF OPTIONS WOULD WE BE GIVING TOUR, UH, COMMITTEES THAT DON'T HAVE MUCH MONEY? WELL, THAT, THAT'S THE ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS WE'D HAVE TO DO.
SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THOSE TOUR, THOSE CITY INITIATED TOURS, UM, ARE IN A BETTER POSITION FINANCIALLY.
THE, THE, THE BROOKS TURS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT, WHAT LORI EXPLAINED IS, IS HOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BROOKS.
WE WORK WITH THEM TO ISSUE DEBT, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE IMPROVING THEIR STREETS OUT THERE.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY TAKING THAT BROOKS MODEL AND APPLYING IT WHERE, WHERE POSSIBLE, AND YOU'LL SEE ON THE, ON THE PROJECT
[01:30:01]
LISTING, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LARGE PROJECTS THAT LIVE AND RESIDE, UH, WITHIN THOSE TURS BOUNDARIES, OR ARE CONTIGUOUS, WHICH MAKE THEM ELIGIBLE.AND SO, WE'LL, I THINK WE'LL NEED TO, TO, OBVIOUSLY IF THERE ISN'T CAPACITY WITHIN THE TURFS, THEN, THEN WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD FOR WITH THAT ONE.
BUT, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE, CERTAINLY HAVE THE CAPACITY.
AND JUST, UH, I WOULD JUST LASTLY ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M IN SUPPORT OF A C S GETTING THAT FUNDING.
I THINK EVERYONE HERE IS, UM, BUT JUST NOTED THAT WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THAT, UM, PROPOSED ON THE BOND.
UH, FIRST I'LL ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ASKED OF US.
I, I'D LIKE TO SEE, I'D LIKE TO INCREASE PUBLIC ART FUNDING THE 2%.
I THINK PUBLIC ART IS SEN ESSENTIAL TO DISPLAY THE CULTURE OF OUR CITY, AND WE SURE CAN'T LET OTHER TEXAS CITIES TAKE ALL THE PUBLIC ART CRED.
UM, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, WHAT'S THE CONSEQUENCE? ARE WE AT THE POINT YET WHERE WE SEE, UM, WHERE WE WOULD DECREASE THE BOND BY 12 MILLION IF WE, IF WE WENT TO 2%? DO WE KNOW THAT YET? UH, NO MA'AM.
WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE TAKE THAT WITHIN THE 1.2 BILLION.
WE WOULD NOT REDUCE THE OH, I SEE.
YEAH, IT WOULD COME OUT OF THAT TOTAL.
AND I THINK A COMPELLING POINT WAS MADE ABOUT OUR CITY'S ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND SPENDING THE MONEY ON OTHER NEEDS.
HOWEVER, I MAINTAIN THAT PUBLIC ART CAN REALLY UPLIFT OUR CITY.
AND, UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AS LONG AS THE ART IS REFLECTIVE OF THE CULTURE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I'M FINDING, UM, WHICH I THINK THE CITY STRIVES TO DO, I FIND THAT THERE'S A REAL SENSE OF PRIDE AND APPRECIATION FOR THE ART.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, NOT TO MENTION THE 4.8 BILLION, UM, ECONOMIC, UH, VALUE TO THE CITY, BUT I, SO I IMPORT THE SUPPORT, THE INCREASE TO 2%.
UM, ROD ASKED US A QUESTION ABOUT DISTRICT SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
THE ANSWER TO IS YES, YES, YES.
I THINK WE NEED THE 600 MILLION FOR THOSE DISTRICT PROJECTS.
UH, THAT'S MY NUMBER ONE JOB HERE, IS MAKING SURE THAT DISTRICT SIX HAS, ITS WHAT IT NEEDS.
AND MY CONSTITUENTS DEMAND BETTER DRAINAGE STREETS, UM, AND BETTER PARKS.
SO I ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORT THAT.
UH, I'M ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF THE 250 MILLION FOR HOUSING AND THE ANIMAL CARE HOSPITAL.
UH, A C S IS IN DISTRICT SIX, BUT OF COURSE, IT SERVES THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, INCREASED SERVICES.
AND, UM, SPECIFICALLY AT THE HOSPITAL, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, IT'S COMING FROM THE RESIDENTS, A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS WHO WERE ON COMMITTEES IN THE 2017 PROCESS, WHO'VE ASKED HOW WE CAN IMPROVE HOW WE MEMORIALIZE FINAL PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS, UH, BEFORE THE BALLOTS CREATED.
I'VE HEARD MANY TIMES, I'M SURE A LOT OF US HAVE HEARD FROM MANY FOLKS, QUOTE, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE COMMITTEE AGREED TO.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN REFERENCE TO FINAL PROJECT OUTCOMES.
SOMETIMES THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GETTING, UH, WHAT THEY AGREED TO.
SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE PROCESS TO MINIMIZE THAT EFFECT? UM, WHEN AND WHEN A PROJECT HAS TO EVOLVE FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ITS PUREST FORM AT COMMITTEE, HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT WITH BOND COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND, AND THEN THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL? SO THAT'S A CRITICAL PIECE.
UM, AND, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN PLY WAS TALKING ABOUT THE WORDS THAT WE USE.
UM, AND, AND, UM, SO AS WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UM, WALK A FINE LINE IN TERMS OF PROJECT DESCRIPTION THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO BE FLEXIBLE, DEPENDING ON PRICES OR CHANGES, BUT, BUT GIVES A LEVEL OF CERTAINTY TO THE VOTERS ON WHAT THE PROJECT IS.
UM, AND, AND WE WORK VERY HARD ON THOSE DESCRIPTIONS.
WE WORK, WE WORK VERY HARD AT THOSE DESCRIPTIONS AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL, AT THE BOND COMMITTEE LEVEL, SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND, UM, AND, AND ULTIMATELY, UH, PRODUCE A, A, A BOOKLET THAT I HAVE UP HERE FROM 2017 THAT IS SHARED WITH THE, WITH THE VOTERS.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S OUR INTENT AS WE GO THROUGH THAT, THAT THERE NOT BE ANY MYSTERY ABOUT WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE BOND PROGRAM OR, OR WITHIN THE PROJECTS WITH THE, WITHIN THE PROPOSITION.
UM, SOMETIMES THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT WHAT IT SHOULD BE, UM, BUT, BUT, UH, AS I THINK THROUGH THE 2017 BOND PROGRAM, THERE MAY BE DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT WHAT IT'S, WHAT IT'S INCLUDED, BUT THAT HAS NOT STOPPED US FROM MOVING FORWARD ON ANY PROJECT.
THE ONLY PROJECT I CAN THINK OF IS A D FOUR PROJECT THAT DEALT WITH A SCOPING ISSUE.
UM, SO WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING AS TRANSPARENT AND DESCRIPTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK MY, MY DISCONNECT AND WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THE DISCONNECT IS AFTER IT'S ALL BEEN VOTED ON, AFTER THAT ENTIRE PROCESS AND THE BOOKLETS ARE MADE, AND, UM, THEN THE PROJECT COMES TO FRUITION AND PEOPLE COME OUT AND SPEAK AT COUNCIL AND TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT, UM, THEY UNDERSTOOD.
SO I, I DON'T DUNNO IF IT'S A COMMUNICATION ISSUE OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE THAT.
WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY WORK TO IMPROVE THAT.
'CAUSE THERE'S CERTAIN, THERE, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY DISPUTE OR, OR QUESTION.
AND, AND IF THERE HAS BEEN IN THE PAST, THEN WE'LL, UH, WE'LL
[01:35:01]
WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN THIS TIME AROUND.UM, FINALLY, I WANNA JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, PROFESS MY SUPPORT FOR, UH, SENIOR CENTER IN ON THE EDGEWOOD COMMUNITY.
WE, UM, WE'RE THE EDGEWOOD COMMUNITY STRADDLES, UH, DISTRICTS FIVE AND SIX, AND I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS NO MATTER WHERE THE SENIOR CENTER ITSELF PHYSICALLY ENDS UP.
UM, THERE'S NO BOUNDARIES IN REAL LIFE.
SO THE SENIORS IN THIS COMMUNITY DESERVE, UH, YOU KNOW, A A A SOLID SENIOR CENTER.
AND IN MY, UH, CONSTITUENCY, WHAT I HEAR A LOT, AND ESPECIALLY FROM THE EDGEWOOD COMMUNITY, IS THE CLOSEST SENIOR CENTER IS, UM, THE RAVINO, UM, SENIOR CENTER ON
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FAR FROM THE EDGEWOOD COMMUNITY AND, UM, WITH TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AND SOMETIMES HEALTH ISSUES, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO, TO GET TO THE SENIOR CENTER AND DISTRICT SIX.
SO I, I SUPPORT, UM, IN THAT AREA, A SENIOR CENTER.
I'M EAGER TO WORK WITH COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO ON THIS, AND THAT'S ALL.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT SEVEN AND STEWARD OF OUR COMMUNITY'S HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS, UH, MY PRIORITY MUST BE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING AND, UH, WHAT WE WOULD CALL A JUST SHARE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT SEVEN BUSINESS OWNERS AND WORKERS OF, OF THE DISTRICT.
ONE OF MY BIGGEST PRIORITIES WILL CONTINUE TO BE ALLEVIATING THE FLOODING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND IN HOMES IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE DISTRICT WITH THE MOST STRUCTURES IN, IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
UH, MY OTHER PRIORITY WILL CONTINUE TO BE STREETS.
UM, AND I MUST REMIND US THAT, UM, MANY OF THE ROADS IN THE INNER CITY ARE BUILT OVER CLAY AND ARE CONTINUAL, ARE CONTINUALLY IN DISREPAIR BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE SOIL.
AND I WOULDN'T, AND I WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY REMISS IF I DIDN'T REMIND US ALL, AS I HAVE SEVERAL TIMES THAT IN THE 2017 BOND, THIS COUNCIL, OR THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL ALLOTTED ABOUT $444 MILLION TO THE STREETS INITIATIVE, OF WHICH 11 MILLION WERE DIRECTED TO DISTRICT SEVEN.
UM, SO THAT IS, UH, LESS THAN 10%, IN FACT, LESS THAN, UH, 5% IF I'M DOING THE MATH RIGHT.
AND MY RESIDENTS ARE, ARE EXPECTING THAT WE'LL DO A BETTER JOB THIS TIME WITH THEIR STREETS.
THIS BOND, WE HOPE, UH, WILL ACCOMPLISH A LOT, UH, INCLUDING MITIGATING FLOOD RISK, MAKING A RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY, A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY, PROVIDING DECENT, SAFE STREETS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, PROVIDING AMENITIES LIKE COMMUNITY CENTERS AND PUBLIC ART.
I'LL REMIND YOU ALL, UH, FOR THOSE OF US GENERATION, WE PROBABLY WATCHED DEAD POET SOCIETY ABOUT 10 TIMES.
AND IF YOU, IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT ROBIN WILLIAMS SAID WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, BRIDGES, ROADS, WE NEED THOSE THINGS TO LIVE.
BUT ART, THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE LIVE LIFE FOR.
SO WHAT KIND OF A COMMUNITY WOULD WE BE IF WE DIDN'T OFFER SOME OF THESE AMENITIES TO OUR RESIDENTS? UH, IN ADDITION, WE ALSO SEEK TO RECTIFY OR TO ATTEMPT TO RECTIFY HISTORIC DISINVESTMENT IN PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE, IN, IN OUR CASE, THE THE INNER WEST SIDE.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO POSE SOME QUESTIONS TO STAFF THAT, UM, WILL HOPE, I HOPE WILL HELP US GET TO THAT END, TO ACHIEVE THAT IN OUR, IN OUR BOND PROCESS.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE TIME TO GET ANSWERS TO ALL OF THESE.
SO I HOPE THAT, UH, WE CAN DISCUSS THE ANSWERS IN A FOLLOW-UP MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL ONLY HAVE ONE, ONE DISCUSSION ON THIS BEFORE WE VOTE.
IS THAT CORRECT OR NO? WE'LL HAVE OTHERS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I, UM, I ECHO THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE NEED TO BE ABSOLUTELY CRYSTAL CLEAR ABOUT THE SCORING CRITERIA.
IN FACT, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF YOU COULD WALK US THROUGH SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF HOW PROJECTS WILL BE SCORED ACCORDING TO THE FOUR CRITERIA YOU DESCRIBED.
IN ADDITION, I WOULD APPRECIATE VERY SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A CITYWIDE PROJECT VERSUS A REGIONAL, VERSUS A BY DISTRICT PROJECT.
I WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE AN ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON NON-CITY ENTITIES THAT ARE REQUESTING BOND FUNDING ON NON-CITY PROPERTY, ON NON-PUBLIC PROPERTY.
AND WE NEED TO HAVE A VERY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE WILL REQUIRE OF THOSE FACILITIES WHEN WE ENTRUST THEM WITH OUR RESIDENTS HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS.
I HAVE A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS.
UH, I CALL IT THE, THE INFINITE LOOP OF TRANSPORTATION SPENDING.
THE MORE YOU SPEND ON ROADS, THE MORE PEOPLE USE, THE MORE CARS
[01:40:01]
USE THEM, AND THE MORE WEAR AND TEAR WE HAVE ON THEM, AND THE MORE WE HAVE TO SPEND ON THEM.AND I BELIEVE IT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT WE, UH, CREATE SOME KIND OF CARROT FOR ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION IN PLACES WHERE WE ARE, UH, MAKING A LOT OF ROAD INVESTMENTS, SUCH AS, LET'S SAY, FOR INSTANCE, THE MEDICAL CENTER OR BROOKS PLACES THAT DRAW LOTS OF, DID YOU JUST LOOK AT YOUR WATCH COUNCIL
UM, WE ALSO, I BELIEVE, NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT EQUITY MEANS.
UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER HOW MUCH OF THESE, HOW MUCH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE RECEIVED IN PREVIOUS BOND FUNDING ROUNDS.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, I HEAR FROM MANY OF MY RESIDENTS THAT THE LAST BOND WAS HEAVILY WEIGHTED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
WHILE THOSE PROJECTS WERE CALLED WERE CALLED CITYWIDE.
MY RESIDENTS DO NOT ALWAYS PARTAKE OF, OF USING THEM.
SO THEY DO HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THAT, UM, THAT ISSUE.
UM, I KNOW MANY PROJECTS THAT WE, THAT WE MAY END UP PUTTING FORWARD THIS TIME AROUND WILL ALSO BE DONE IN ONE GO.
I DO WANNA REMIND YOU ALL THAT WHEN IT COMES TO SOMETHING LIKE THE CEILING CHANNEL, WE HAVE TO DO IT IN PHASES.
IT IS SO A IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
UM, BUT THE DRAINAGE NEED DOESN'T GO AWAY JUST BECAUSE WE DO, UH, ONE PHASE.
AND, UH, I, I JUST WANNA CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR, FOR DRAINAGE.
UM, I PROMISE I'LL KEEP IT TO 10 MINUTES REGARDING RESILIENCY.
UH, ERIC, I BELIEVE I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE ABOUT SARAH'S OFFER TO COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY TO REVIEW PROJECTS AND IDENTIFY RESILIENCY IMPROVEMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY HAVE MULTIPLE BENEFITS, SUCH AS A PARK THAT COULD POSSIBLY DOUBLE AS DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE.
I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE CONVERSATION WILL BE GOING ON WILL BE OCCURRING BETWEEN, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND SARAH, THANK YOU.
UM, ONE THING THAT I AM A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN IS, UH, HOW WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH THE COUNTY.
I ALSO REVIEWED THE $600 MILLION PROPOSAL OF CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I DID NOT SEE A SINGLE DRAINAGE ISSUE, A DRAINAGE PROJECT IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE HAVE A BARE QUALITY WATER, UH, REGIONAL MANAGEMENT, UH, GROUP THAT'S AN, THAT'S AN INTER-AGENCY GROUP.
SO I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED SOME OF, WELL, NOT JUST MY PRIORITIES, BUT THE CITY'S PRIORITY IS TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROJECT.
CAN YOU REMIND ME WHO IS ACTUALLY THE FLOODPLAIN MANAGER FOR OUR AREA? WHICH GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY IS THAT? AS NEPHI'S COMING UP TO THE PODIUM? UM, THE COUNTY IS, UM, AND I'LL LET NEFI EXPLAIN.
REAL QUICK FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THE FLOOD PLAIN ADMINISTRATOR, ADMINISTRATOR IS THE CITY IN THE UNINCORPORATED ADMINISTRATOR IS BEXAR COUNTY.
SO WE WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH THEM AS A PART OF THE B R W M BEAR REGIONAL WATERSHED.
ON MY TAX BILL, IF I'M NOT MISREMEMBERING, THERE'S A ROAD AND FLOOD ASSESSMENT BY THE COUNTY.
WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GET SPENT? THEY USE, THEY USE THAT MONEY TO DO IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT, UH, THE COUNTY AND IN THE CITIES IN THE DIFFERENT SUBURBAN CITIES, THERE'S A PORTION THAT IS FOR FLOOD CONTROL THAT IS ALSO, THAT IS ALSO USED FOR DRAINAGE PROJECTS, NOT ONLY IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE OTHER SUBURBAN CITIES.
AT SOME POINT I'D LIKE TO ASSESS HOW MUCH WE PAY INTO THAT AND HOW MUCH WE ARE RECEIVING.
WE'LL, I, I, I, I'M ACTUALLY CURIOUS HOW MUCH OF THAT IS SPENT WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BASED ON THOSE QUESTIONS AS WELL.
UH, WHEN WE DISCUSS ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF FUNDING, AND YOU MENTIONED TSS, I WANNA MAKE SURE I FULLY UNDERSTAND.
CAN, CAN YOU TELL ME, ERIC, THIS DEBT PAYMENT, ONCE WE ACQUIRE THE DEBT, WHERE DOES THE DEBT PAYMENT COME FROM? SO THERE'S PROBABLY TWO DIFFERENT, AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE COULD DO THIS.
THEY WOULD EITHER BE PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE AUTHORIZED BY THE TURS AND FUNDED BY THE TURS.
REMEMBER THOSE CITY INITIATED TOURS PROJECTS ULTIMATELY RECEIVED THE APPROVAL OF THE COUNCIL.
UM, THE SECOND ALTERNATIVE, UH, WOULD BE, AND THIS, THIS WOULD REQUIRE A LOT OF COORDINATION, UM, BUT, UM, UH, AS TOURS, UM, AS THEIR LIFE ENDS, IT WOULDN'T BE EXTENDING THEM AND BRINGING THAT INCREMENT.
BUT, UH, I THINK, I THINK IF THE COUNCIL'S INTERESTED IN US LOOKING AT THAT AS AN ALTERNATIVE, WE NEED TO WORK PROBABLY TWO OR THREE OPTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL.
BUT, BUT EVEN IF THE TURS DID IT THEMSELVES, THE PROJECT, ULTIMATELY THE
[01:45:01]
COUNCIL WOULD APPROVE THAT BECAUSE IT COMES TO YOU.SO LET ME ASK YOU, IF I PAY 55 CENTS ON, IS IT A HUNDRED DOLLARS ON MY, ON MY ASSESSMENT TO THE CITY? ROUGHLY? YES MA'AM.
HOW MUCH, HOW MANY OF THOSE CENTS WILL BE PAYING THIS BOND OFF? UH, DEPENDS PROBABLY ON THE TURS.
IN FACT, I'LL REMIND YOU, THERE ARE NO TURS IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
OH, SO YOUR QUESTION IS JUST IN GENERAL? MM-HMM.
WELL, IF YOU'RE NOT IN A TURS, THEN, THEN NONE OF THAT IS GOING TO THE TURS.
SO IN TERMS OF SOMEONE WHO'S NOT IN A TURS, WHAT DO THEY PAY? GO AHEAD, BEN.
ON IN DEBT REPAYMENT, GOOD AFTERNOON.
UH, COUNCILMAN, THE, THE TAX RATE THAT YOU SET WITH THE ADOPTED BUDGET THIS YEAR FOR DEBT SERVICE IS 21 CENTS OF THAT 55 CENTS.
SO IF I'M, IF I AM IN AUR, SO LET'S COMPARE, HOW MUCH WOULD I PAY? SO IN AURS, THE, UM, THE TAX RATE IS THE SAME, BUT THE INCREMENT THAT WE'RE COLLECTING ABOVE THE BASE GOES INTO THE TURS AND DOESN'T COME TO THE CITY.
SO THEY'RE ASSESSED VALUE, THEY'RE FULLY ASSESSED VALUE.
AND THE, AND THE TAX RATE ON THAT IS NOT FULLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEBT PAYMENT OF THIS BOND THEN? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, BEN, WHY DON'T YOU COME ON BACK UP HERE.
UH, I'VE GOT A SLIDE HERE THAT, UH, YOU PUT TOGETHER, YOU AND TROY PUT TOGETHER THAT, UH, UH, WAS ABOUT THE TOTAL BOND CAPA.
HERE IT IS, UH, THE OVERLAPPING DEBT.
UH, RIGHT NOW YOU'RE SHOWING 2.185 BILLION FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, WOULD THIS BOND, IF IT GOES THROUGH AT 1.2 BILLION, IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THAT 2.185? OH, YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THAT 2.185 IS WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
AND SO WE ADD ANOTHER 1.2 BILLION ON THAT.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 5.7 BILLION THAT SAN ANTONIOS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY BACK.
BUT REMEMBER, THE 1.2 BILLION WILL BE PAID BACK OVER ROUGHLY 20 YEARS FROM ISSUANCE.
RIGHT? SO WE'LL BE PAYING A LOT OF THIS DOWN.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, OUR BOND PROGRAM BEING VERY STRONG IN TERMS OF ITS PAY DOWN OF PRINCIPLE.
BUT WHY DID WE LAND ON 1.2 BILLION? I MEAN, AT ONE TIME ERIC WAS TALKING ABOUT 600 TO 700 MILLION FOR THIS BOND AND ALL OF A SUDDEN POW RIGHT OUT OF THE AIR WE GOT 1.2 BILLION.
WHERE'D THAT COME FROM? UH, GREAT QUESTION.
UH, COUNCILMAN, I'M HAPPY TO EXPLAIN.
THE, THE DEBT PLAN THAT WE DO FOR PROPERTY TAX SUPPORTED DEBT AND ALL OF OUR DEBT, WE UPDATE AT LEAST ANNUALLY, SOMETIMES MORE OFTEN THAN ANNUALLY.
SO AT THE TIME, UM, WHEN WE DID THE PROJECTION OF AROUND, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS 650, 670 5 MILLION, THAT WAS WHEN THE PANDEMIC HAD STARTED.
WE WERE HAVING A LOT OF DIFFICULTY PROJECTING WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE ON OUR REVENUES AND PARTICULAR PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAXES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT, OUR THOUGHT AT THAT TIME WAS WE WERE GOING TO SEE A DECLINE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUES.
AND SO WHEN WE UPDATED THAT DEBT PLAN, UM, NOT THIS PAST SUMMER OR THE SUMMER BEFORE, WHEN WE BUILT THAT ASSUMPTION, AND THAT HAS A BIG IMPACT 'CAUSE IT'S IN THE NEAR TERM, IT'S A, IT'S A DOWNTURN.
WE ACTUALLY SHOWED NEGATIVE GROWTH IN PROPERTY TAX VALUE.
SO THAT DROPPED OUR CAPACITY DOWN TO 675 MILLION.
AS YOU KNOW, AS WE WENT THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR, UM, UH, THINGS HAVE RECOVERED IN TERMS OF SOME OF THOSE REVENUES MUCH MORE QUICKLY.
AND WE DIDN'T SEE THAT DOWNTURN IN OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUES ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO AS WE UPDATED THAT PLAN AND SHIFTED FROM WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE GONNA BE DECLINING REVENUES TO NOW GROWTH, THAT ALLOWED THAT CAPACITY TO RESTORE.
AND JUST TO KIND OF KEEP IN MIND, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, OUR FORECAST FOR THE 2022 BOND WAS AROUND NINE, I THINK IT WAS 9 59, 9 50 MILLION, NINE 75 MILLION, PROBABLY TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S A CONSTANT UPDATE OF ASSESS VALUES, INTEREST RATE, ASSUMPTIONS, HOW FAST WE PAY OUR DEBT DOWN, HOW MUCH SHORT TERM DEBT WE ISSUE, ALL THOSE KINDS OF FACTORS THAT WE'RE GOING IN AND LOOKING AT.
UM, YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAXES AND EVERYTHING IS GOING UP.
THAT'S ALLOWED US TO PUT, UH, AN ADDITIONAL, UH, OR ADDITIONAL MONEY TOWARDS THIS BOND.
AND, AND THE PROPERTY TAXES JUST THIS NEXT YEAR WAS AN ADDITIONAL $20 MILLION.
AND I'LL RAISE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FLAG.
AGAIN, WE COULDN'T AFFORD $5.7 MILLION OUTTA THAT $20 MILLION INCREASE FOR A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
SO I'M GONNA KEEP, I'M GONNA KEEP RINGING THAT BELL EVERY OPPORTUNITY
[01:50:01]
I GET.UM, ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO, THANK YOU, BEN.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SINCE 2017, AND WE HAVE INCREASED, UH, THE BUDGET FOR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.
UH, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON, IT WAS AROUND 60 MILLION.
WE INCREASED IT OVER TO, UH, OVER A HUNDRED MILLION OR CLOSE TO A HUNDRED MILLION.
LOOK AT THIS NUMBER, $2.4 BILLION IN REQUIREMENTS FOR STREETS.
AND TO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS HERE, WHAT, HOW ARE WE GONNA GET OUTTA THIS HOLE? ARE WE EVER GONNA GET OUTTA THIS HOLE, RAZZIE? I MEAN, IT, I I DON'T THINK SO.
NOT AT THE SPEND RATE THAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
WE'RE ONLY GONNA GET FURTHER BEHIND AND I WANT TO SEE MORE INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS PUT TOWARDS THIS BOND.
TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN, EVERY ONE OF MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, HO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, HOAS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, MY DISTRICT 10 MEETINGS, OUR NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE MEETINGS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET OUR STREETS FIXED? WHEN ARE WE GONNA CO CORRECT THESE, UH, DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE ACROSS THE DISTRICT? I, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY, I, I THINK WE'RE PUTTING, UH, NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES TOWARDS THOSE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE SPELLED OUT IN THE CITY CHARTER, YOU KNOW, TO THAT IS OUR JOB.
AND, AND SENDING MORE MONEY TOWARDS THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET THERE, FOLKS.
AND, AND WE GO TO SLIDE, UH, UM, UM, WELL LET'S JUST GO TO SLIDE 10.
UM,
WE'VE GOT A REQUIREMENT ON F STREETS A REQUIREMENT, $915 MILLION.
WE'RE PUTTING A HUNDRED MILLION TO THAT.
BUT WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE OF NOT GETTING FUNDED IN THIS BOND? F STREETS.
PEOPLE ARE LIVING, DRIVING ON THESE FAILED STREETS OUT THERE ASKING WHEN THEY'RE GONNA GET THEIR F STREETS FIXED.
WELL, ACCORDING TO THIS, WE'RE ONLY GONNA PUT A HUNDRED MILLION AGAINST 900 MILLION AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT POSSIBLY UP TO ANOTHER 10 YEARS.
ARE WE SERIOUS? WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THOSE PEOPLE SIT THERE AND WAIT ANOTHER 10 YEARS BY THE TIME THE NEXT BOND CYCLE GETS HERE.
WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA, UH, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE EVEN DOUBLE THE REQUIREMENT OF WHAT'S ON THE BOOKS TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THOSE F STREETS.
WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING FOLKS.
WE'VE GOTTA PUT MORE RESOURCES TOWARDS OUR STREETS.
AND WITH THAT, NOPE, I DON'T SUPPORT THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I THINK THAT'S TOO MUCH AT THIS POINT.
LOOKING AT ALL THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE THAT PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY ARE ASKING FOR, UH, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I'VE ASKED MY NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND FOLKS WHERE, WHAT, WHAT ARE THEIR PRIORITIES? THEY WANT GOOD STREETS.
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE STORE.
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO WORK.
UH, AND NOT KNOCKING THE ALIGNMENT OUT ON THEIR CAR EVERY TIME THEY GO DOWN THESE STREETS.
SO I, I DON'T, UM, UH, I I JUST DON'T SEE HOW WE'RE EVER GONNA GET THERE AND, AND MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WITHOUT PUTTING MORE INVESTMENT TOWARDS OUR STREETS, WHICH ARE IN A LOT OF PLACES, CRAPPY, I MEAN REALLY CRAPPY STREETS.
BUT YET WE'RE SITTING HERE SAYING, OH, WELL WE CAN ONLY PUT A HUNDRED MILLION TOWARDS OUT OF A TWO, WHAT IS IT? $1.2 BILLION PROGRAM? 1.2 BILLION.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION FOR OUR SS STREETS AGAINST A $900 MILLION REQUIREMENT.
WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, WELL YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS TO THE NEXT BOND CYCLE, UH, TO BE ENDING POSSIBLY TO GET YOUR STREETS DONE.
'CAUSE WE CERTAINLY CAN'T AFFORD IT IN OUR YEARLY GENERAL MAINTENANCE FUND.
AND WE CERTAINLY HAVEN'T DONE A LOT IN OUR YEARLY GENERAL MAINTENANCE FUND.
SO I, I'M PROPOSING OR ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR OUR ROADS AND STREETS AND DRAINAGE, THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WELL.
AND, UM, I, I DON'T SUPPORT USING TURS FUNDS BECAUSE THAT'S TO, UH, SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE TURS AREAS.
NOT TO GO FIXING STREETS AND SIDEWALKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[01:55:01]
AND TO THE HOUSING THING.LORI, YOU MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, I SEE YOUR FOUR PIECES OF THE PIE THERE.
UH, THE JOB TRAINING, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IN ALL THE ADVERTISEMENT ABOUT THE JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS HERE, WE, WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT 40,000 PEOPLE BEING TRAINED AND GETTING UPGRADED AND HIGHER SALARIES AND ALL THIS STUFF.
WHERE'S THIS 23 7 98 COMING FROM? THAT IS THE, THE GOAL THAT WE HAVE OUT OF THAT 95,000 COST BURDEN NUMBER, THAT'S THE GOAL THAT WE WANT TO ASSIST IN GETTING JOB TRAINING TO INCREASE THEIR INCOME.
SO THE JOB TRAINING PROGRAM HAS A GOAL OF 37,000 OVER FIVE YEARS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS 40,000, BUT OKAY.
AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE FOCUS ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COST BURDEN MAKING 50% A M I BELOW THAT ARE SPENDING MORE THAN THEIR 30% OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING TO GET THEM JOB TRAINING, INCREASE THEIR INCOME.
17, YOU GOT AN ASTERISK ON THAT.
WHAT DOES THAT ASTERISK MEAN? IT MUST BE, IT'S COVERED UP.
IT'S A THOUSAND OF THOSE UNITS ARE FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
A THOUSAND OF THOSE UNITS ARE TO BE USED TO, TO BE, TO DEVELOP PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UM, WELL I'M ALMOST OUTTA TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UM, I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT THE FAILED STREET FUNDING.
UM, SO IF A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IS ALLOCATED FOR FAILED STREET FUNDING, HOW MANY MILES DO WE THINK THIS WILL ADDRESS? 50 MILE OR SO CONCERT MAN COST TWO.
AND HOW WILL THAT BE ALLOCATED? WILL IT BE USE A LENS OF EQUITY? WE ARE GOING TO USE THE SAME METHOD WE HAVE BEEN USING ON PREVIOUS SS M P BASED ON THE SIZE AND CONS AND THE CONDITION OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICT.
P C I, ANY COUNCIL HAS A MORE ROADWAY TO MAINTAIN AND LOWER P C I.
THEY WILL GET MORE MONEY AS THEY HAVE BEEN GETTING ON OUR SS M P AND ANY COUNCIL DISTRICT HAS LESSER ROADWAY TO MAINTAIN AND BETTER P C I, THEY WILL GET LESSER DOLLAR.
UM, THE NEXT PART IS GONNA BE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT ON THE SA SPEAKUP SURVEY DISTRICT TWO WAS I THINK THE ONLY DISTRICT THAT INCLUDED AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS ONE OF THE TOP THREE PRIORITIES.
BUT ALAS, IT IS STILL A, IT IS A GREAT NEED.
UM, I'M WONDERING DOLLARS WISE, HOW MUCH IS OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEED? 'CAUSE I NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE OTHER NEEDS HAD DOLLARS AMOUNTS TIED.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S AVAILABLE OR ESTIMATED? UM, IT'S HARD TO QUANTIFY.
UM, WHAT WE CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE HAVE 95,000 HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE COST BURDEN.
HOW WE HELP THEM IS A VARIETY OF WAYS.
AND SO, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE COULD INCREASE THEIR INCOME OR WE CAN DECREASE AFFORDABILITY, DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF THEIR HOUSING COSTS.
SO, AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS THAT ARE LEVERAGED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LARGER NUMBER, BUT IT'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY TOUCH THAT FUNDING.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING.
I COULD PROBABLY BREAK IT OUT TO YOU BY, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO PRESERVE SOMETHING LIKE 5,000, UM, HOMEOWNER UNITS FOR INDIVIDUAL AT 30% A M I OR BELOW, I COULD TELL YOU HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST.
AND SO WE HOPE TO HAVE A FINANCE PLAN DEVELOPED IN THE, IN THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AND THAT'S WHY WE DON'T WANT THE HOUSING COMMITTEE FOR THE BOND TO MEET UNTIL THE SHIP IS PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
AND THAT WILL GUIDE HOW WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE THAT $250 MILLION.
UM, I THINK I'VE HAD, I'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHAT THAT MEANS.
AND OFTEN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS AND WE'RE SAYING WE WANT THINGS FOR ZERO TO 30% A M I OR 30 TO 50, 50 TO 60, THE CHALLENGE THAT EXISTS WITH DEVELOPERS IS THAT, UM, IT'S A LOT MORE CHALLENGING TO BUILD THOSE AND MAKE A PROFIT.
IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T FEEL SUSTAINABLE.
UM, AND SO I FEEL LIKE THE BOND IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD WHAT IS CURRENTLY NOT BEING BUILT.
SO I DON'T KNOW, UM, NECESSARILY IF I AGREE WITH THE 80 TO 120% A M I FOR
[02:00:01]
BUILDING HOMES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME, UH, SOME BELOW THAT 80.THAT 80% A M I AND MAYBE NOT THAT A HUNDRED TO 120.
I STILL HAVE A MINUTE, 40 SECONDS.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF MY SUGGESTIONS.
AND ONE OF MY HOPES IS THAT WE U WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THESE KINDS OF DOLLARS, IF YOU CANNOT BUILD THE KIND OF HOUSING THAT WE NEED AND MEET THE LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY THAT WE NEED, THEN YOU DON'T NEED BOND DOLLARS.
YOU DON'T NEED TURS DOLLARS, YOU DON'T NEED ANY OF OUR, YOU DON'T NEED ANY OF OUR TAX DOLLARS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE DIRECTION I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GO AS IT RELATES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, I ALSO, THIS IS JUST A GENERAL, THIS IS ABOUT THE RUBRIC AGAIN.
UM, AT WHAT POINT DOES THE RUBRIC COME INTO PLAY? 'CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT SLIDE 27 WHERE IT HAS THE TIMELINE AND IT, I DON'T NECESSARILY, SO IF THE BOND COMMITTEE IS DISCUSSING THE PROJECTS, ARE THEY BEING, YOU KNOW, ADVISED TO UTILIZE THAT WHEN THEY'RE RANKING PROJECTS? ARE WE BEING, OR IS IT A REQUIREMENT? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IF WE HAD A RUBRIC, THERE'S SOME SORT OF MATHEMATICAL EQUATION THAT WOULD ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, I JUST WONDER WHEN IT COMES INTO PLAY, THE ACTUAL LISTINGS COUNCILMAN.
SO THE, SO THE FOUR PRIORITIES, THE FOUR THINGS THAT THE RUBRIC YES.
TOUCHES ON THOSE FOUR QUALIFICATIONS OR WHATEVER YOU WOULD CALL, UM, AT, AT WHAT POINT DOES THAT COME INTO PLAY? LIKE, IS THAT A, IS IT, WHAT POINT IS THAT FORMALIZED VERSUS JUST AN INFORMAL? SO YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE NEXT TIME WE COME BACK.
'CAUSE THAT'LL BE THE BASIS BY WHICH IN TODAY'S CONVERSATION, THE BASIS BY WHICH WE WILL PROPOSE TO YOU WHAT THOSE AMOUNTS ARE.
UM, THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION TODAY, THE FOCUS ON WHETHER IT'S HOUSING OR BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, THE NEXT TIME WE, WE GATHER, UH, THANK YOU.
REAL QUICK, HOW MANY DISCUSSIONS ON THE BOND ARE WE GONNA HAVE AS A COUNCIL? WE, WE HAVE A, A B SESSION SCHEDULED ON OCTOBER 13TH.
WE'VE GOT A HOLD ON, A POTENTIAL NOVEMBER DATE.
BUT THE BOND COMMITTEES WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, WE'LL HAVE, UH, DISCUSSIONS IN JANUARY AND IN FEBRUARY.
MY QUESTION FOR, UH, MAYOR RON IS IF IT IS, IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR ONE OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS TO BE FORM UH, UH, STRUCTURED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY SO THAT MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE ONE 10 MINUTE BLOCK WHERE WE TRY TO FIT IN ALL OF OUR THINGS AND THEN ONE FIVE MINUTE BLOCK, BUT MAYBE TWO MINUTE BLOCK, MULTIPLE TWO MINUTE BLOCKS.
THAT WAY WE, WE CAN ENCOURAGE MORE DISCUSSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UH, I JUST WENT TO FOLLOW UP ON, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO'S, UM, BUILDING OF PRODUCTIONS OF HOMES.
SO THE ONE THING I'D LIKE TO SEE AND MAKE SURE IS, UH, I KNOW HABITAT FOR HUMANITY DOES THIS WELL, SO IF WE COULD GET INFORMATION FROM THAT.
THE OTHER THING IS, I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING HOMES FOR 60, 80, 80% AND BELOW, I REALLY WANT TO SEE A MOVE CONNECTED WITH THAT JOB TRAINING AND MOVING PEOPLE INTO, UH, MORE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO, EVEN WITH SENIORS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR HOMES.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE DEVELOPERS OUT THERE THAT ARE GONNA SAY, YES, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE TINY HOMES.
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT BUILDS THE WEALTH THAT, THAT COUNCILMAN CASTILLO IS TALKING ABOUT.
SO IF WE COULD LOOK MORE INTO THAT, BECAUSE AS MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME OF THAT PRODUCTION, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE IF WE'RE DOING THAT, WE'RE WE'RE PROVIDING THOSE RESIDENTS ALL THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO STAY IN THEIR HOME AND BUILD THAT WEALTH.
AND SO I, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THAT, UH, INPUT, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING OF THE MUNICIPAL FACILITIES, AND I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE IMPROVEMENTS.
ERIC, ARE WE GOING, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT ON THE RATING, ARE WE GONNA TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FIBER BROADBAND WIFI? IS THAT PART OF THAT IMPROVEMENTS AND BUILDS WITHIN POTENTIAL NEW FACILITIES? YES.
WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, WHERE WE CAN, OKAY.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE STILL MOVING TO KIND OF, UH, CLOSE THAT, UH, DIGITAL DIVIDE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAYBE BE CLEAR 'CAUSE I WASN'T SURE.
I, I WANTED AGENCIES THAT RECEIVED BUDGET DOLLARS AND CARES DOLLARS THAT ARE NOW ON THE BOND ALSO.
COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRA AND COUNCILMAN BRAVO.
UM, CAN, I'D LIKE TO ASK ON, ON STREETS WITH THE, WE ARE LOOKING AT F STREETS AND THERE'S GONNA BE SOME KIND OF A, A, AN EQUITY
[02:05:01]
METHOD LOOKING AT THE P C I FOR HOW THAT, HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED.DOES THAT GO, DOES THAT COUNT AGAINST DISTRICT SPECIFIC, UH, THE, IN THE DISTRICT SPECIFIC PROJECT CATEGORY? YES.
SO IN THE DISTRICT CATEGORY, YOU HAVE STREETS, YOU HAVE DRAINAGE, AND YOU HAVE PARKS.
AND, AND I'M WONDERING IF IT SHOULD, AND I'M, I'M WONDERING, WHEN ARE WE GONNA BE DOING REDISTRICTING? NEXT WEEK? WE ACTUALLY HAVE A B SESSION ON THAT NEXT WEDNESDAY.
UM, AND ANDY, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? UH, I DON'T, I DON'T NEED SPECIFICS, SO I'M JUST WONDERING.
I MEAN, UH, DISTRICT ONE, WE HAVE THE SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF F STREETS.
AND SO WHAT IF, UH, WE'RE ALLOTTED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THIS BOND FOR OUR F STREETS AND THEN WE REDISTRICT.
AND THEN WHAT IF A LOT OF THOSE F STREETS FROM DISTRICT ONE END UP IN DISTRICT FIVE OR END UP IN DISTRICT SEVEN? WELL, THE, THE, THE F STREET, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IF IT'S AN F STREET, IT NEEDS TO BE WORKED.
IT REALLY SHOULDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.
NUMBER ONE, THAT'S MY POINT NUMBER TWO.
NUMBER TWO, THE, THE, THE, THE METHOD BY WHICH WE ARE PROPOSING IS THAT IT WOULD BE AN FTT STREET ALLOCATION BY DISTRICT.
THAT THAT IS SET BY THE FORMULA THAT RAZZIE JUST EXPLAINED.
AND SO THOSE PROJECTS WOULD BE IDENTIFIED DURING THE FIVE-YEAR TERM, NOT NECESSARILY ON THE FRONT END.
UH, KIND, KIND OF LIKE, UM, THE, UH, THE SIDEWALK, UM, PROJECTS THAT, THAT WERE IN THE 2017 BOND PROGRAM WHERE WE IDENTIFIED THE GAPS WORK TO PRIORITIZE THEM DURING THE FIVE-YEAR TERM.
THE F STREET WOULD WORK VERY, VERY SIMILAR, BUT, BUT IT WOULD STILL COUNT AGAINST DISTRICT PROJECTS, LIKE DISTRICT PROJECT FUNDING.
I GUESS I DON'T SEE IT AS COUNTING AGAINST, BECAUSE NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE IN TERM OF DISTRICT LINES BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN IT GOES TO THE VOTERS IN MAY OF 2022.
UM, I SEE COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT ABOUT THAT, THE HUGE FUNDING GAPS, I GUESS, FOR, UH, STREET SIDEWALKS, BRIDGES DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL AND, AND, UM, HOW IT CAN FEEL LIKE WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET THERE WITHOUT A DOUBT.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT CHALLENGE IS HOW WE'RE, THAT WE'RE A SPRAWLING CITY THAT'S SO SPREAD OUT THAT I THINK PART OF THAT CHALLENGE ALSO IS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT WE, UM, HAVE CREATED.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD I GREW UP IN, WE NEVER HAD FLOODING.
AND UH, THEN PE SOME DEVELOPERS BUILT A NEIGHBORHOOD UPHILL FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE ALL HAD FLOODING.
WELL, NOT ALL OF US, BUT MANY PEOPLE HAD FLOODING, EXPERIENCED FLOODING AFTER THAT.
AND, UM, I'M CONCERNED, LIKE COUNCILMAN PALAIS MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE HARVEY TOOK A TURN AT THE LAST MINUTE, BUT WE, IT WAS HEADED HERE.
AND SO I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UM, WE'RE THE, I WANNA ASK THE COUNCIL TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL WHEN WE LOOK AT DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE INVESTING ADEQUATELY IN, IN DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THAT WE WANT TO, I WANT TO ASK CITY STAFF TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN FRONT LOAD SOME OF THAT, UM, THOSE PROJECTS.
BECAUSE I WOULD HATE FOR US TO BE, YOU KNOW, HIT WITH A, A MAJOR RAIN EVENT IN 2023.
AND WE HAD, YOU KNOW, SOME DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT SCHEDULED TO START IN A FEW MONTHS AND HOW THAT COULD IMPACT US IN TERMS OF ALL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND SO I, I JUST WANT US TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
UM, AND I, I GOT A, UH, AN ORGANIZATION GAVE A PRESENTATION TO ME AND MY OFFICE RECENT, YESTERDAY, I THINK IT WAS, UH, WITH SOME, UH, AI SCANNING TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD SCAN OUR ROADS AND HELP US, UM, LOOK AT THE DETERIORATION IN THE ROADS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND POTENTIALLY, UM, WELL HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE OUR INVESTMENTS TO PRESERVE OUR ROADS.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT COULD HELP US, IF WE LOOK AT TECHNOLOGY LIKE THAT, MAYBE THAT COULD HELP US TO BE ABLE TO PRESERVE OUR ROADS AND, AND HELP US CLIMB OUTTA THIS HOLE.
BUT I DO, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE SPENDING MORE ON ROADS.
YOU KNOW, BONDS ARE ABOUT, LARGELY ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THAT MAY FREE UP OTHER REVENUE IN OUR FISCAL REGULAR FISCAL YEAR BUDGETS THAT WOULD BE MORE FLEXIBLE THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO APPLY TO OTHER PROJECTS.
UM, AND THEN I'M ALSO REALLY INTERESTED IN, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION HERE AND NOW, BUT I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR HOUSING PROJECTS FOR THIS BOND, UM, HOW WE CAN DO HOUSING THAT, HOW WE CAN ENABLE PEOPLE TO OWN HOMES, BECAUSE THAT HELPS WITH GENERATIONAL WEALTH.
[02:10:01]
AND SO I, I'M GONNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF PROJECTS AND THAT ARE IN THAT DIRECTION.UH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP, UH, AGAIN, UM, I, I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT WHAT LEVEL OR UH, FUNDING LEVEL FOR THE HOUSING, BUT AGAIN, I, I, I THINK WE NEED TO PUT MORE MONEY TOWARDS OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, WHEREVER IT COMES FROM.
AND, UH, HAVING SAID THAT, I CERTAINLY DON'T, UH, I DON'T SUPPORT THIS, UH, INCREASING PUBLIC ART RIGHT NOW.
THIS LAST BOND WE HAD $850 MILLION.
THAT MEANS WE HAD ABOUT, WHAT, DEBBIE? ABOUT 1 1 10 $0.5 MILLION, RIGHT? OH EIGHT.
I'M THINKING DIFFERENT NUMBERS HERE.
I GOT SO MANY NUMBERS GOING ON.
UH, BUT LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 1%.
WE'RE GETTING AN ADDITIONAL $4 MILLION.
WE'RE UP TO $12 MILLION WITH THIS $1.2 BILLION BOND.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO INCREASE THAT.
WE'RE ALREADY GETTING AN INCREASE OF, UH, THAT AMOUNT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE HUGE BUDGETS COMPARED TO OURS.
THEY'RE MORE WEALTHY IN THOSE CITIES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS A BIG INCREASE THE WAY IT IS.
WE DON'T NEED TO PUT MORE IN THAT, THAT MONEY SHOULD BE GOING INTO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, POTS AS WELL.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT 24 MILLION OR AN ADDITIONAL, UH, THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY COMES STRAIGHT OFF OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE COULD BE FUNDING.
LIKE MORE STREETS, MORE F STREETS, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO WE REALLY DON'T NEED TO BE INCREASING THAT, UH, ON THIS BOND.
AND I, I REALLY TAKE, UH, I'M, I'M VERY SUSPECT OF THAT REPORT FROM DAVID NIVEN SAYING, WE'RE GONNA GET $4.8 BILLION IN ADDITIONAL, WE'RE ALREADY THE NUMBER ONE TOURIST ATTRACTION HERE IN TEXAS, UH, WITH THE ALAMO.
SO HOW MUCH MORE ARE WE REALLY, ARE WE REALLY, IN MY MIND, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN GET AN ADDITIONAL $4.8 BILLION, UH, OUTTA TOURISM HERE IN TEXAS.
SO ANYWAY, THAT, THAT WAS MY COMMENT ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR STUDY.
BUT AGAIN, THIS COMES STRAIGHT OFF THE TOP.
EVERYBODY'S TALKING, YEAH, WE NEED MORE DRAINAGE, WE NEED MORE, MORE, UH, STREETS.
BUT HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF, WE'RE GONNA PULL OUT MORE MONEY FOR ART, WHEREAS WE'RE ALREADY GETTING MORE BECAUSE IT'S 1% OF $1.2 BILLION.
SO WE'RE, WE ARE GETTING MORE FOR THE ART PROJECTS.
UM, I HAD A COUPLE OTHER CHARTS TO THOSE.
OKAY, YEAH, SHOW ME THE OVERALL, THIS IS WHAT I WAS KNOWN FOR ON THE, UH, BOND COMMITTEE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS COMMITTEE LAST TIME THEY CALLED ME CHART.
WHAT DID Y'ALL CALL ME? OZZIE CHART PERRY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BAR CHART PERRY, WE, WE CALLED YOU, WE CALLED YOU MR. PERRY
BUT, UH, AND ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL TALKED ABOUT TOTAL FUNDING.
EACH DISTRICT, THIS IS WHAT YOU GOT IN STREETS BY DISTRICT ON THE LAST BOND.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDING WENT WAS DOWNTOWN HERE.
UH, I THINK THE TERMINOLOGY WAS DECADE OF DOWNTOWN.
WELL, I THINK THE DECADE IS OVER WITH FOR DOWNTOWN.
AND WE NEED TO GET MORE OF THAT MONEY OUT, OUT INTO THESE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT LAGGED BEHIND, PARTICULARLY IN STREETS.
NOW, THERE'S ANOTHER, THERE'S ANOTHER CHART.
HERE'S THE OVERALL BOND FUNDING.
UM, LAST TIME, AND AGAIN, THIS WAS, THIS IS ALL PROJECTS.
UM, AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE MAJORITY WENT.
AND LOOK AT THOSE THAT ARE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, 5, 6, 7, 10.
WELL, ALL OF 'EM ARE MINUSCULE COMPARED TO DOWNTOWN.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH THESE PROJECTS OF WHERE, UH, FUNDING NEEDS TO GO BASED ON THE LAST BOND ON PEOPLE HAVING TO WAIT, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS FOR STREETS OR DRAINAGE OR ANY OTHER PROJECT COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS.
SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE TAKING A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK I COVERED EVERYTHING HERE.
UM, AND I, I DIDN'T DO THIS LAST TIME, BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK.
I KNOW
UM, GETTING ALL THESE PRESENTATIONS
[02:15:01]
TOGETHER.UH, I THINK THERE MAY BE RAZZI IF, IF WE HAVEN'T CHECKED YET SOME POSSIBLE OVERLAP IN THE, IN ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT, UH, REQUESTING SOURCES, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW YES.
THEY, THEY COULD BE OVERLAPPING.
I'M SURE SOME OF, UH, MY REQUESTS OVERLAP WITH WHAT WAS IN THE HAZARD MITIGATION, UH, PLAN, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, I WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF, OF FUNDING.
UM, LOOKING AT MY NOTES HERE, UH, ONE OF, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THE, UH, OUTSIDE AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY PARTNER REQUESTS.
AND SOME OF THESE ARE FACILITIES THAT ARE NOT OWNED BY THE CITY, BUT OF COURSE THEY'RE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I BELIEVE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS MAY BE, UH, MAY BE SUPPORTED TO SOME EXTENT BY OUR NEW, UH, PACE LENDING PROGRAM, WHICH IS A NO COST LOAN.
THE PROPERTY ASSESSED CLEAN ENERGY, UH, THAT DOES, UH, THAT HELPS FINANCE UPGRADES IN, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICITY UPGRADES AND, AND WATER, UH, CONSERVATION UPGRADES.
SO I, I THINK IT BEHOOVES US TO ENSURE THAT THESE ENTITIES KNOW THAT THAT FUNDING IS A RESOURCE FOR THEM BEFORE WE BEGIN TAKING IT FROM, FROM THE BOND.
UM, IN FACT, IN FACT, I WOULD NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF ANYTHING THAT'S ELIGIBLE FOR PACE FUNDING IF THEY ARE NOT ACCESSING THAT FUNDING FIRST.
UM, SECONDLY, I DO WANT TO BE ON THE RECORD FOR EXPRESSING, UH, SUPPORT FOR INCREASED ART INVESTMENT.
WE KNOW THAT THE ARTS HAD A VERY DIFFICULT, UH, TIME, UH, RECOVERING FROM OR DURING THE, THE PANDEMIC.
SO, UM, I, I DO SUPPORT AN INCREASE OF, UH, 1.5 TO 2%.
UM, AND LASTLY, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UH, I SERVE ON THE M P O WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, AND WE RE WE RECENTLY WENT THROUGH A ROUND OF FEDERAL FUNDING DISTRIBUTION ALLOCATIONS.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE SUBMIT A BUNCH OF PROJECTS, WE HOPE THAT WE GET THEM, AND THERE'LL BE ANOTHER ROUND OF FUNDING IN TWO YEARS.
SO, UH, THE BROADWAY PROJECT RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUNDING IN THAT PROJECT CALL, AND THEY, OF COURSE, RECEIVED FUNDING IN, UH, IN THE LAST BOND.
SO I JUST WANT US TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN WE PRIORITIZE WHAT, UM, WHAT DOES GO FORWARD.
I KNOW THAT WE WERE HOPING THAT THE RA ROAD, UH, CORRIDOR PROJECT WOULD, WOULD GET FUNDED, BUT IT, IT DIDN'T MAKE IT THAT TIME AROUND.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THE OTHER FUNDING OF SOURCES.
IT'S, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS BENEFIT FROM OTHER PUBLIC DOLLAR SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT THEY BENEFIT FROM.
AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, UM, CHAR MILLER, WHO USED TO BE HERE IN IN SAN ANTONIO, YOU MIGHT, YOU GUYS MIGHT, UH, ALREADY KNOW THAT HE PUBLISHED THIS BOOK AND RECENTLY AKRE HAD A, UH, TALK WITH HIM.
AND IT'S, YOU CAN SEE IT ONLINE NOW.
UH, SARAH ZAHA GOLD, UH, FACILITATED THE CONVERSATION.
SO, UH, JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE'RE ALLOCATING OUR, UM, OUR BOND DOLLARS.
IT'S CALLED WEST SIDE RISING HOUSE SAN ANTONIO'S 1921 FLOOD DEVASTATED A CITY AND SPARKED A LATINO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, RAZZIE, I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE STREETS.
MY FRIEND, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT HOW WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN THIS BOND ISSU INTO F STREETS.
DO YOU HAVE A RECORD OF HOW MANY F STREETS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED SIMPLY THROUGH THE, THE MONEY THAT WE DEDICATE EVERY, UH, YEAR TO STREETS? HOW MANY F STREETS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OVER ABOUT THE LAST FIVE YEARS? WE DO HAVE RECORD, USUALLY WE DO 20 MILLION ROUGHLY EVERY YEAR.
THE ONE OF THE CHALLENGE WE ARE HAVING, COUNCILMAN, AS WE REPAIRED F STREET, SOME OF THE D STREET OR C STREET FALLS TO BE F STREET BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET ON ALL OF THEM.
LAST YEAR WE HAD ONLY 10% OF OUR ROADWAY WAS F STREET.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS YEAR'S 11% IS GROWN BECAUSE IT IS GOING DETERIORATING MORE THAN WE ARE FIXING.
THAT'S THE CHALLENGE WE ARE HAVING.
WELL, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT IF WE, UH, YOU KNOW, ATTACK THE D STREETS AND THE F STREETS AND THE C STREETS, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THAT MANY FALLING BACK DOWN IN THERE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE A AND B, DO YOU? THE PROBLEM IS THAT MAINTAINING A AND B IS MUCH, MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE.
IF WE DON'T MAINTAIN THOSE, THEN THEY FALL TO BE IN NEXT FEW YEARS TO BE C STREET AND BEFORE, YOU KNOW, D N F STREET.
[02:20:01]
AND MORE RECOMMENDED BY INDUSTRY TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE HAVE THOSE CRACK DEVELOPED ON THE ROADWAY SEAL, THOSE CRACK, WHICH IS LESS EXPENSIVE, AVOID WATER PENETRATING AND DAMAGING THAT BASE.WE JUST CANNOT CONCENTRATE ONLY ON D N A AND IGNORE ANYTHING ABOVE, BECAUSE IT'LL BE EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE, LIKE NOT GOING TO A DOCTOR, THEN YOU DON'T FEEL GOOD, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO EMERGENCY ROOM.
OKAY? BUT WE HAVE BEEN, UH, HANDLING STER TO HERE, WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, REHABILITATED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND SO IT'S, AND WE'LL KEEP REHABILITATING OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS BESIDES THIS 100 MILLION, RIGHT? NO, THI THIS 100 MILLION IS SUBSTITUTING WHAT WE WERE DOING PREVIOUSLY.
IF YOU REMEMBER THE IDEA ABOUT 20 MILLION GO FROM THE SS M P BUDGET FOR VISION ZERO, AND THIS IS REPLACING THAT 20 MILION.
SO, SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT DOING ANY FRE IF WE DON'T PASS THIS BOND.
WE, WE, WE WILL ALWAYS NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, RIGHT? IF, IF FOR SOME REASON THE COUNCIL DECIDES NOT TO DO THIS FRE, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO INCLUDE THAT WITHIN OUR TWO YEAR BALANCE BUDGET.
BUT JUST FOR CONTEXT TO YOUR QUESTION, OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS IN STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, THE CITY HAS SPENT OVER $2.2 BILLION.
THAT'S THE OH SEVEN, THE 12, AND THE 17 BOND PROGRAM.
OUR ANNUAL BUDGETS, OUR A T D BUDGET, UM, UM, AND, AND, AND ALL THOSE OTHER FACTORS.
SO JUST IN THE LAST 15 YEARS ON STREETS, WE'VE SPENT ALMOST $2.3 BILLION.
UH, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION WAS ON THE SHIP PLAN.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, UH, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO, UH, VERONICA SOTO AND OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT $250 MILLION FOR HOUSING, I WANNA SEE WHEN YOU COME BACK TO THIS COUNCIL TO ASK US TO APPROVE 250 MILLION AS A GOAL TO PRESENT TO THE BOND COMMITTEE.
I WANNA SEE HOW WE WANNA SPEND THAT MONEY.
YOU KNOW, I WANNA KNOW HOW MANY HOUSES ARE GONNA BE BUILT, HOW MANY APARTMENTS ARE GONNA BE BUILT, HOW MANY HOMES ARE GONNA BE RENOVATED? HOW MANY, HOW MANY HOMES ARE GONNA HAVE MINOR REPAIRS? HOW MANY, HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS CAN WE DO FOR THE HOMELESS? I MEAN, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO BREAK THAT DOWN AT AT LEAST TO WHERE THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN SAY, OKAY, IT'S NOT $250 MILLION DOWN A BLACK HOLE.
WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEED IS.
HERE ARE THE 95,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING A HARDSHIP.
HERE ARE THE 28,000 WHO, UH, ARE REALLY HAVING A HARD TIME.
AND THIS IS HOW WE CAN HOUSE THEM WITH THIS MONEY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I REALLY SAY THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT BEFORE YOU ASK US AS A COUNCIL TO SAY, YEAH, WE OUGHT SPEND $250 MILLION ON HOUSING.
AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL FOR THE BOOK.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CHIME BACK IN TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF, YOU KNOW, RIGHTING SOME OF THESE WRONGS.
UM, SO I DON'T RUN OUTTA BREATH
UM, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, AGAIN, TO GET SOME OF THIS RIGHT.
AND I WANNA EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO HIGHLIGHT HOW THIS INTERSECTS WITH HOUSING.
IF WE FAIL TO INVEST IN DRAINAGE, UM, IT'S GOING TO CREATE FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES TO OUR HOMEOWNERS AND OUR MOM AND POP LANDLORDS THAT'S GOING TO CREATE STRUCTURAL ISSUES THAT'S GOING TO ADD THEM TO THAT HOUSE, TO THAT NEED, THAT'S GOING TO NEED MINOR HOME REHAB ASSISTANCE THAT'S GOING TO NEED SUPPORT FROM THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PRODUCE, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO PRODUCE OUT OF OUR WAY OUT OF THE HOUSING CRISIS, RIGHT? WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, STAGNANT WAGES OUTPACING INCREASING PROPERTY TAXES AND TAXES ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO RISE.
UM, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WE'RE GOING TO BUILD OUR WAY OUT OF.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE INVEST IN, UH, THE, THE, THE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT IT WOULD TAKE ROUGHLY 100 MILLION TO ADDRESS ALL THE FAILED STREETS IN DISTRICT FIVE.
AND UNLIKE TODAY, UM, DISTRICT FIVE'S A VERY OLD NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPED, THERE WEREN'T ANY SURVEY REQUIREMENTS OR A LOT OF THE ZONING CODES THAT WE HAVE NOW.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THESE NEEDS, AND I CERTAINLY AGREE THAT WE DO NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM THIS DOWNTOWN CENTRIC MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT THAT LEAVES THE FAR WEST SIDE, FAR SOUTH SIDE OF MY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, WAITING ON BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT BOND FUNDING AND FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT WE MUST PRIORITIZE PUBLIC SPACES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE REQUESTS FROM PUBLIC ENTITIES FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
[02:25:01]
BOND DOLLARS, BUT OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE PAYING THE TAXES HAVE BEEN WAITING.AND, AND, AND I, I DON'T, I, I WILL NOT ALLOW FOR US TO HAVE MY CONSTITUENCY, ANY WORKING FAMILY OF DISTRICT FIVE, WHERE SAN ANTONIO CONTINUED TO WAIT WHILE WE CONTINUE TO GIVE OUR PUBLIC MONEY TO FOR-PROFIT INTERESTS FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, MUCH OF THIS WORKING PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO, ANTONIO CANNOT AFFORD TO, TO ACCESS.
SO AGAIN, JUST EMPHASIZING THOSE POINTS THAT OUR PUBLIC MONEY SHOULD WORK FOR THE WORKING FAMILIES, THE TAXPAYERS OF SAN ANTONIO AND, YOU KNOW, NOT SHOULD BE SOMETHING RESTRICTED TO OUR ESTABLISHED COMMUNITIES.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW CITYWIDE THERE ARE 1,648 SIDEWALK GAP MILES, AND, YOU KNOW, EMPHASIZING THAT SIDEWALKS ARE ALSO TRANSPORTATION.
UM, WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, GIVE A BROADER EXAMINATION AND WE LOOK AT THE, THE, THE, THE HEALTH DISPARITIES WITHIN SAN ANTONIO, YOU KNOW, IN MY COMMUNITY, WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE SIDEWALKS.
AND THAT'S A BRIEFING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND UNDERSTANDING, SINCE IT IS AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD, THE SIDEWALKS ARE SMALLER.
SO LIKE, HOW DOES THAT FACTOR IN? SOME OF THEM ARE IN DECENT CONDITION, BUT THEY ARE VERY SMALL.
LIKE, YOU CAN'T GO DOWN WITH A WHEELCHAIR OR A WALKER.
SO WHERE DO THOSE FALL ON THE A THROUGH F CATEGORIES? WHAT I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST WANTED TO CHIME BACK IN TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE INVESTING IN, IN THE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT BUILDING ON CRUMBLING IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT CREATING MORE PROBLEMS ADDING TO THE BURDEN, ADDING TO THE NEED FOR THE MINOR REHAB PROGRAM, ADDING TO THE BURDEN FOR THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM.
UM, AND WE DO THAT BY, BY FIXING THE FOUNDATION, BY, BY GETTING IT RIGHT.
UM, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD FIRST DISCUSSION.
SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHY THE COMPUTER'S NOT REGISTERING.
UH, JEFF, UH, COYLE AND I WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT, UM, BIKE, UM, TRAILS AND WE TALK ABOUT IT OFTEN.
UM, NOT TODAY, JEFF, YOU, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO REMEMBER WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT WE TALK ABOUT IT AS OFTEN AS WE CAN WHENEVER WE GET TOGETHER.
'CAUSE HE AND I LOVE, LOVE CYCLING AND, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SIDEWALKS ARE TRANSPORTATION AND IT'S, IT'S NOT SAFE IN MANY NEIGHBORHOODS TO, YOU KNOW, RIDE YOUR BIKE ON THE STREETS AND SOMETIMES SIDEWALKS IS EXACTLY HOW YOU GET AROUND THE CITY.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING ABOUT STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, I HAVEN'T HEARD BICYCLES TODAY, UM, OR AT LEAST ENOUGH.
UH, AND, AND I WANNA REMIND STAFF THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US GETS CALLS FROM THE BICYCLE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND EVERY, EVERY ONE OF US HAS CONSTITUENTS OUT THERE WHO ARE PUT THEIR LIVES AT RISK EVERY SINGLE DAY,
AND SO I THINK I, I, I THINK THAT I, I'D LIKE TO HEAR HOW THIS BOND IS MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT SIDEWALKS THAN, THAN, UH, THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.
AND IF IT ISN'T, THEN HOW CAN WE MAKE IT MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT, UH, ABOUT BICYCLES THAN, THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST? THE OTHER THING TOO IS, ERIC, A QUESTION, UM, MONEY THAT'S LEFT OVER FROM BOND PROJECTS THAT HAPPENS, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE, WE TAKE THAT MONEY AND DO WHAT WITH IT? UH, IS IT, ARE WE MARRIED TO JUST THAT PROJECT AND HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW RETURN THAT MONEY? OR CAN WE BAKE IT INTO FUTURE BOND PROJECTS? UM, MOST TIMES COUNCILMEN, UM, IF THERE'S, UH, AVAILABLE FUNDING, THEN WE WILL ADD IT TO.
'CAUSE INVARIABLY, INVARIABLY THERE'S A BOND PROJECT THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF BIDDING OR PRICES HAS AN ESCALATION.
SO, UM, THOSE PROPOSITION, THAT FUNDING HAS TO STAY WITHIN THE PROPOSITION.
SO IF, IF WE HAVE A STREET PROJECT THAT HAS LEFTOVER MONEY IN THE STREETS PROPOSITION, THEN WE CAN MOVE IT TO ANOTHER STREETS PROJECT THAN NEED.
UH, BUT WE, WE CHECK THAT ANNUALLY AS WE GO THROUGH THE ANNUAL BUDGET TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE RARE OCCASIONS THAT IF IT'S, UH, IF IT NEEDS TO MOVE FROM ONE PROPOSITION TO THE OTHER, I'M LOOKING AT ANDY, I, I THINK THAT HAS TO GO BACK TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL TO MOVE, SAY FROM A STREETS CATEGORY TO A PARKS CATEGORY.
I MEAN, THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF FLEXIBILITY AS LONG AS IT STAYS IN THE SAME CATEGORY, BUT IF IT DOESN'T, HAS TO COME BACK.
AND IS THERE A TIME WHERE, IS THAT DURING MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS? UM, WHEN WE COUNT HOW MUCH OF THIS MONEY WE GOT LEFT OVER AND REDEDICATE IT TO OTHER PROJECTS, UM, WE, WE WOULD DO THAT AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET COUNCILMAN.
UM, AND, AND OUR ANNUAL CAPITAL BUDGET THAT WE PRESENT TO THE, TO THE COUNCIL.
AND THEN, UH, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL MENTIONED HOW IMPORTANT IT'S THAT WE ACTIVATE PACE, UM, AND THAT WE NOT DRAW DOWN FROM OUR BOND CAPACITY UNTIL WE'RE SURE THAT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE EXHAUSTED THEIR PACE,
[02:30:01]
UH, POTENTIAL.UH, YOU'RE GONNA BE REALLY PROUD OF ALEX LOPEZ AND MYSELF AND, UM, SOME OTHER STAFF WHEN WE BRING YOU A PROJECT IN THE MEDICAL CENTER THAT IS CURRENTLY GETTING BUILT, UH, CURRENTLY GETTING DESIGNED, UM, WITH A VERY SIGNIFICANT PACE, UH, UH, INVESTMENT.
AND SO, UM, AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION, AND, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST RHETORICAL AND, AND SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
THE QUESTION I THINK THAT ALL OF US NEED TO UNDERSTAND, 'CAUSE I CERTAINLY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT AS WELL AS I SHOULD, IS HOW CAN WE MAKE INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC ART MORE IMPACTFUL? AND, YOU KNOW, AND DEFINE THE WORD IMPACTFUL HOWEVER YOU WANT, RIGHT? ECONOMICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND I, I'D I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AT SOME POINT, ERIC, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THOUGHTFUL WE'RE BEING ABOUT, UM, NOT JUST PLACING BEAUTIFUL ART AROUND PLACES, YOU KNOW, AROUND DIFFERENT SPOTS AROUND SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE, WHAT ADDITIONAL BENEFITS ARE PRODUCED FROM THE PLACEMENT, FROM THE TYPE OF ART, UH, AND THE CHOICES THAT WE MAKE.
AND SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SAT THROUGH A PRESENTATION LIKE THAT, BUT WHEN, WHEN WE DO TALK ABOUT STEVE NIBINS REPORT ABOUT THIS ART ECONOMY BEING ONE OF $4.8 BILLION, RIGHT? THAT ADDS TO THE, UM, TOTAL ECONOMIC, UM, ECONOMY THAT WE, SORRY, THE GENERAL ECONOMY.
UM, I, I, I THINK IT'S, WE FIGURE OUT WHY AND HOW WE CAN MAKE IT $8.8 BILLION, IF YOU WILL, RIGHT? UH, AND SO THAT, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I, I HOPE THAT WE CAN DO AT SOME POINT, ERIC AND, UM, HAVE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONVERSATION AND THE IMPACT OF ART CONVERSATION.
AND THEN DEBBIE ROCK, IF YOU GOT, IF YOU GOT THAT STEVE NIVEN REPORT SOMEWHERE, UH, HANDY.
UH, AND IF YOU'VE GOT A MOMENT, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WORTH SHARING WITH THE COUNCIL, UH, AS WE'RE DISCUSSING, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S, IT'S A GOOD THING TO REVIEW FROM TIME TO TIME THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW IMPORTANT THIS COMMUNITY IS TO, UH, THE CITY'S ABILITY TO ECONOMICALLY BE A THRIVING COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PAL.
UM, OKAY, SO LET ME WRAP UP HERE.
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT FIRST DISCUSSION.
A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK, UH, AND REFLECTION.
LET ME JUST DO A LITTLE BIT TO CLOSE HERE.
UM, THE FIRST IS THAT THE CITY HAS GOTTEN A REPUTATION IN A GOOD WAY, UH, FOR COMPLETING ITS BOND PROGRAMS ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.
SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF OUR CONVERSATION.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING OURSELVES IN A POSITION FOR SUCCESS? ERIC, I BELIEVE YOU TOLD ME THAT WE'RE, UH, WE'LL BE ON SCHEDULE, UH, FOR THE 2022 BOND COMPLETE OR 2017 BOND COMPLETION.
UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, NEXT YEAR WE ARE ON TRACK.
WE'RE AT 80% COMPLETED OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
AND BY THE TIME THIS GOES TO THE VOTERS, WE'LL BE AT 97%.
OKAY? AND THAT GIVES THE THE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE THAT WHEN THEY GO OUT AND VOTE FOR A, A LIST OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WE'LL DO OUR JOBS IN GETTING IT DELIVERED, UH, IN THE EFFECTIVE MANNER.
SO, UH, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THIS WHOLE COUNTRY, UH, HAS FAILED TO INVEST IN ITS INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THERE'S SUCH A EX EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PUSH GOING ON FOR AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
BUT AS JEFF KNOWS, WE'VE BEEN UP, UH, IN DC FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS AS LOCAL COMMUNITIES ASKING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT.
AND HOPEFULLY WE FINALLY GET SOME, UH, MOST OF THE MAJOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, WITH REGARD TO TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS ARE DONE IN CONCERT WITH OTHER ENTITIES.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE'VE SEEN THINGS OVER THE YEARS, LIKE OUR TURNBACK PROPOSAL THAT HAS ONLY ADDED TO OUR LIABILITY, BUT HASN'T ADDED TO OUR ABILITY TO PAY.
SO WE'RE FIXING THAT, AND WE ARE, UM, I WOULD SAY DOING A GOOD JOB IN TERMS OF INVESTING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WHICH IS WHY I POINTED OUT SLIDE FOUR.
WE'RE MANAGING WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL CAPACITY, BUT WE'RE ALSO INVESTING IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AT A VERY HEALTHY RATE.
NOW, UM, GREAT DISCUSSION ON STREETS.
UM, WHEN I WALKED INTO COUNCIL, I CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT THIS.
WE WERE SPENDING $34 MILLION A YEAR ON STREET MAINTENANCE.
UM, WE ALSO HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OF OUR OWN FACILITIES.
UM, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THEN, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT NOW, WE CAN PUT, PUT THE ENTIRE BOND PACKAGE INTO STREETS AND WE'D ONLY GET HALFWAY THERE.
AND WHILE WE'RE ONLY GETTING HALFWAY THERE, WE'D FALL BEHIND BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TOUCHING ANY DRAINAGE PROJECTS, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING ON RESILIENCE.
WE'RE NOT MAINTAINING THE FACILITIES THAT WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ON.
WE'RE NOT, UH, ADDING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES AND WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT DOING ANYTHING ON PARKS, WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE MOST, UM, DESIRABLE PART OF THE CITY FOR MOST VOTERS.
SO WE'VE GOTTA FIND A BALANCE, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS DISCUSSION'S ALL ABOUT.
AND I, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE HEALTHY DISCUSSION.
A FEW THINGS I WANNA TAKE AWAY, UM, AS I THINK POINTS OF CONSENSUS AND THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK ON.
NUMBER ONE, I THINK THERE'S BEEN BROAD DISCUSSION ABOUT LEVERAGING PROJECTS, BOTH
[02:35:01]
THE COUNTY, UM, THE PROJECTS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ON OUR BOOKS THAT ARE MAYBE PHASED PROJECTS.THERE'S EVEN A GREAT DISCUSSION ABOUT PACE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET MORE IMPACT FOR THE DOLLARS ON THE BOND.
FIRST THING, UH, THE SECOND ONE I THINK IS THAT THERE WAS GREAT, UH, CONSENSUS AROUND THE CRITERIA, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SCORING THESE PROJECTS, BUT WE NEED SOME MORE DEFINITION, SOME MORE MEAT ON THE BONES, AND MAYBE DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE DEFINE THINGS LIKE RESILIENCE.
I THINK THAT'S AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT POINT.
UM, THIRD BROAD DISCUSSION AND AGREEMENT THAT I HEARD ON THE LEVEL OF HOUSING FUNDING ON THE PROPOSITION.
OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO GET UNDERNEATH THAT NUMBER AND TALK ABOUT HOW THAT FUNDING IS GONNA BE ALLOCATED.
BUT BROAD, UH, CONSENSUS ON THE, ON THE HOUSING NUMBER.
UM, I HEARD GENERAL AGREEMENT ON PUBLIC ART, AND I THINK WE NEED TO EXPLORE WHAT THAT LEVEL ACTUALLY IS AT THE END OF THE DAY.
BUT, UM, I THINK THERE'S A GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT WE WANT TO DO MORE ON PUBLIC ART.
FINALLY, ON THE, ON THE EQUITY ISSUE, UM, WE NEED TO FURTHER EXPLORE HOW WE CAN GET MORE, UM, IMPACT ON THE EQUITY, UM, OUTCOMES OF OUR DISTRICT SPECIFIC FUNDING.
UH, AND I'D ENCOURAGE US NOT TO THINK JUST ABOUT THE LEVEL, THE DOLLAR LEVEL, BUT ALSO THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS, WHETHER IT'S DRAINAGE OR STREETS OR EVEN LINEAR MILES.
BUT LET'S THINK ABOUT AND DIG INTO THE, THE EQUITY, UM, COMPONENT OF OUR DISTRICT SPECIFIC PROJECTS SO WE CAN BEGIN TO CATCH UP, EVEN THOUGH I THINK WE ARE CATCHING UP, UM, MAYBE ACCELERATE, UH, OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT A BIT.
BUT, UH, GREAT F FIRST DISCUSSION.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING INTO THE HEART OF THIS WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND AGAIN, DON'T FORGET, UH, FOR FOLKS LISTENING, UH, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GONNA BE SEEKING APPOINTMENTS, UH, FOR THESE COMMITTEES TO REALLY HELP US BEST REPRESENT, UH, THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS AND WANTS ON THE NEXT 2022 BOND.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BRIEF ONE.SO, UM, LET ME GO AHEAD AND CONVENE THAT NOW.
THE TIME IS 4:46 PM ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2021.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 AND DELIBERATE OR DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.087, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE RELEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.072, CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ISSUES OR ADVICE RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY C OVID 19 PREPAREDNESS AND HOUSING PROGRAMS UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.071.
AND FOR ANYBODY WHO'S ARRIVING FOR OUR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.
UH, PLEASE NOTE THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION FIRST.
WE'RE LIKELY TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE LATE, MAYBE 20 MINUTES OR SO IS MY ESTIMATE, BUT PLEASE BE PATIENT.
THE TIME IS 5:50 PM ON THIS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2021.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION.
NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ITEMS NOT REACHED OR COMPLETED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
TODAY WILL BE CARRIED OVER TO THE SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021 CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
TODAY'S MEETING IS NOW IN RECESS AND WE ARE GOING TO RESUME OUR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, UH, WHAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR 5:00 PM.
WE THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE AT.