* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] START. SO, AURORA, IF YOU CAN DO ME A FAVOR AND TAKE ROLL. YES. CHAIR. UM, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER R GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. HE'S HERE. COMMISSIONER DEBERRY. PRESIDENT. PRESIDENT. YOU GOTTA SAY PRESIDENT. PRESIDENT. YEAH, SIR. WE HAVE A QUORUM. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, WE HAVE, UH, FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS. UH, IS, UM, HEY, SIR, HOW YOU DOING? I'M HERE. GOOD, THANK YOU. FIRST [1. Approval of minutes from the September 17, 2021 meeting of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee.] ORDER OF BUSINESS IS, UH, OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2021 MEETING. I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MEETINGS OF THE MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 17TH MEETING. SECOND. SECOND. WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. HEARING NO OPPOSITION. THEY ARE APPROVED. WE'VE GOT, UM, SOME PRETTY, UH, INTERESTING DEEP DIVES TODAY INTO, INTO THREE ITEMS. I WANNA WELCOME SOME OF OUR GUESTS. RANDY HERRICK. I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE. RENE DOMINGUEZ, WELCOME BACK TO CITY HALL. UH, HAPPY YOU'RE HERE. UH, AND SO WHO'S [2. U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021.] GONNA START US OFF WITH THE, UM, COMPETITION GRANT? UH, MR. CHAIRMAN SALLY IS, I'LL JUST SET IT UP VERY BRIEFLY BY SAYING THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING WE WANTED TO PUT ON THE COMMITTEE'S RADAR AS A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR SAN ANTONIO DOWN THE ROAD. UH, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT RIGHT NOW CONGRESS IS BOGGED DOWN WITH A LOT OF, UH, REALLY IMPORTANT MUST PASS THINGS THAT, UH, THAT HAVEN'T HAPPENED YET, SUCH AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND THE FEDERAL BUDGET, AND THE DEBT CEILING, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. UM, THIS IS IN LINE AFTER ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THE EXPECTATIONS ARE SET APPROPRIATELY. BUT, UM, THERE IS SOME OPPORTUNITY HERE. THIS IS THE US INNOVATION AND COMPETITION ACT OF 2021. OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAD ASKED US TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT, AND SOME OF OUR OUTSIDE PARTNERS, AND INCLUDING THE FOLKS YOU JUST MENTIONED ARE, UH, VERY ACTIVELY WATCHING THIS AND, AND ENGAGING ON IT. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE UP TO SPEED. SALLY, TAKE IT AWAY. THANK YOU, JEFF. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN. UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS. WITH YOUR PERMISSION, LET'S TALK INNOVATION. AS JEFF SAID, UH, I WILL BE PROVIDING A BRIEFING THIS MORNING ON THE U S INNOVATION AND COMPETITION ACT, OR U S I C A. UH, THE U S I C A IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE SENATE EARLIER THIS SUMMER. AFTER OVER A YEAR'S WORK, THE FOUNDING LEGISLATION FOR U S I C A WAS THE ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT. THAT WAS THE ORIGINATING BILL, UM, THAT ENDED UP AS U S I C A. UH, THIS SIGNIFICANT AND HISTORIC BILL PROMISES TO DELIVER BILLIONS, WHETHER IT BE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING. A BRIEF OVERVIEW HERE. THIS IS CONGRESS'S RESPONSE TO PROTECT US INNOVATION AND STRENGTHEN NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AND PUT THE US UM, AS A TOP LEADERS, UM, ACROSS THE WORLD. IT EMPOWERS FUNDS, A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF IT INTO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION TO AWARD GRANTS IN TAR IN TARGETING, UH, CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES. A PIECE THAT WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN, UM, ON THE LOCAL FRONT, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS HAVE IDENTIFIED CERTAIN PRIORITY PIECES OF THIS VERY LARGE 2,400 P UH, UH, PAGE BILL. AND, UM, THE AREAS OF INTEREST ARE TECHNOLOGY HUBS AS WELL AS DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING OF SEMICONDUCTORS. UH, MORE ON THAT IN A MINUTE. OKAY. SO SOME FUNDING HIGHLIGHTS OF INTEREST HERE. THE BILL PROMISES TO DELIVER $81 BILLION INTO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. THIS MORE THAN DOUBLES THE CURRENT AGENCY'S BUDGET. SO THIS WOULD BE A VERY BIG BOOST FOR THE ACTIVITIES AND GRANTS DEPARTMENT AND DIRECTORATE FOR N S F 17 BILLION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, MOSTLY FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, OR R AND D 10 BILLION FOR REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY HUBS. THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST, UM, AREAS OF INTEREST FOR, UM, THE CITY AND, UH, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THIS, UH, TRACK OF FUNDING WOULD BE MANAGED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE THROUGH E D A. WHAT E D A WOULD DO IS THAT THEY WOULD DESIGNATE UP TO THREE NEW TECHNOLOGY HUBS WITHIN THE US IN EACH OF THEIR SIX, UH, REGIONAL DISTRICTS. SO WE ARE IN, UH, THE DISTRICT THAT BELONGS WITH TEXAS, LA, OKLAHOMA, UH, AND NEW MEXICO. SO WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE COMPETING WITH, [00:05:01] UH, OTHER STATES, NOT NECESSARILY THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. SO THAT WOULD BE, UM, A GOOD CARVE OUT FOR THIS DISTRICT. UM, ON THE INNOVATION CENTERS, UH, 9.5 BILLION. THIS MONEY WOULD BE SLATED FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH CENTERS, AND A VERY IMPORTANT ONE, 2 BILLION FOR SEMICONDUCTOR INCENTIVES. THIS POT OF MONEY WOULD HELP INCENTIVIZE AND GROW COMPANIES IN THIS AREA TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE RELIANCE ON THE PRODUCTION OF FOREIGN SEMICONDUCTORS, AS WELL AS HELP WITH NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS. UH, THIS 2 BILLION AMOUNT IS JUST A DROP IN THE BUCKET. THERE ARE OTHER BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS BILL, UM, THAT WOULD GO TO THE RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION OF SEMICONDUCTOR INCENTIVES. SO ONTO THE WORK ON THE HOUSE. SO THE HOUSE RESPONDED KIND OF ON A PARALLEL TRACK. THEY PASSED TWO SEPARATE BILLS. THE FIRST ONE IS HR 2225, THE N SS F FOR THE FUTURE ACT. SO THIS PARTICULAR BILL, UH, ALSO ALLOWS FOR 11 BILLION IN FUNDING FOR F Y 22, AND THEN IT WOULD, UH, INCREMENTALLY INCREASE TO 14.5 BILLION, UH, IN F Y 2026. IT ALSO ESTABLISHES A SCIENCE AND IN NEARING DIRECTORATE OR DIVISION WITHIN N S F, AND IT CREATES GRANT PROGRAMS FOR STEM AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION. THE NEXT BILL THAT THE HOUSE PASSED, UM, ON JUNE 28TH, IS THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SCIENCE FOR THE FUTURE ACT. IT ALSO AUTHORIZES 8.7 BILLION IN FUNDING, INCREMENTING THAT IN 2022 AND RISING TO 11 BILLION, UH, IN F Y 26 FOR THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE. THIS WOULD GIVE A VERY ROBUST FUNDING FOR THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE UNDER D O E IT ESTABLISHES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, UM, WITHIN THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE, AND IT WILL SUPPORT LARGE SCALE RESEARCH PROJECTS IN CLIMATE BIOSCIENCES AND ENERGY. AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE SOME LEGISLATIVE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE U S I C A AND THE TWO COMPANION LEGISLATIVE PACKAGES THAT THE HOUSE, UH, PASSED AS WELL IN THE SUMMER. SO WHAT WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN IS THAT THE HOUSE AND SENATE MUST CONFERENCE AND RECONCILE THEIR DIFFERENCES, UH, BEFORE THE FINAL PASSAGE OF THIS BILL. SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? I MENTIONED THE HOUSE AND SENATE CONFERENCE. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THESE BILLS ARE BIPARTISAN. SO THERE ARE NEGOTIATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED WHEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE PASSED THEIR BILLS. SO IT'LL BE VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP TRACK OF THIS AND WE LET OUR DELEGATION KNOW, INCLUDING OUR SENATE AND HOUSE MEMBERS, HOW IMPORTANT, UM, THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS. CONGRESSIONAL PASSAGE IS WHAT SUPPORTERS ARE HOPING WILL HAPPEN BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE AUTHOR AND THE LARGEST, UH, CHAMPION OF THIS LEGISLATION IS A SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER OF NEW YORK, AND HE HAS, UM, COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT THIS LEGISLATION, UH, PASSES BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. WE ARE ALSO HEARING THAT HE IS WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO INCLUDE, UH, APPROXIMATELY 80 OR $85 BILLION OUT OF THE N S F PIECE INTO THE RECONCILIATION BILL. SO THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE WOULD BE A DIFFERENT VEHICLE FOR A GOOD CHUNK OF THIS FUNDING UNDER N S F. SO WE'RE TRACKING THAT CLOSELY. I'VE SEEN VARIOUS NUMBERS, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOT OF DESIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THESE ACTIVITIES AND ALL THESE PRIORITIES PASS EITHER THROUGH THE INNOVATION ACT AFTER RECONCILIATION, OR THROUGH RECONCILIATION BILL. WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRACK, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU THIS INFORMATION THIS MORNING. UH, IT'S, IT'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT BILL AND WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT IT'LL BRING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TO THIS CITY. UH, RENEE DOMINGUEZ WITH US HERE TODAY. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BILL SINCE THE SUMMER, AND WE KNOW THAT THIS WILL HAVE TO BE APPROACHED IN A CONSORTIUM APPROACH, MEANING, UH, THE PARTNERSHIPS WILL HAVE TO INCLUDE LOCAL, STATE, OR REGIONAL PRIVATE PUBLIC IN ORDER TO BE NATIONALLY COMPETITIVE. SO, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I'M AVAILABLE FOR, FOR QUESTIONS. AND WE HAVE RENEE DOMINGUEZ AND MR. RANDY HERRICK HERE IF, UM, THEY HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH YOU. YEAH, SO CAN WE, CAN WE, SORRY, I'VE GOT A QUE SO CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND BRING RENEE AND RANDY UP? BECAUSE I, I WANNA KNOW, I MEAN, THIS IS, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY OR WHATEVER, BUT I'M TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE SPECIFIC IMPACT OR POTENTIAL IMPACT TO SAN ANTONIO AND BEAR COUNTY? SURE. ABSOLUTELY. [00:10:01] COMMISSIONER RENEE. SORRY. SPOKE OUTTA TURN. WELL, THIS BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR SURE. , THANK YOU FOR, UM, ASKING FOR OUR FEEDBACK ON THIS. AND I WANNA THANK SALLY AND JEFF. WE APPROACHED THE CITY BACK IN JULY TO SEE IF MAYBE YOU ALL WOULD PUT THIS ON YOUR, UM, FEDERAL AGENDA, UH, THIS ACT. AND, UH, BOTH SALLY AND JEFF SAID, HEY, IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. WE GOT A LONG WAYS TO GO. UM, BUT WE IDENTIFIED THE POTENTIAL THIS HAS IN TERMS OF KIND OF A PRETTY CATALYTIC, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACT ON THE, ON THE CITY. UM, THE, THE BIG TAKEAWAY FOR US AT LEAST, ARE TWO PORTIONS OF THE ACT. AND THAT IS THE INNOVATION CENTER AND THE REGIONAL HUB, UH, MONEY THAT'S, THAT'S BEING, UH, DISCUSSED FOR US, IT REALLY MEANS INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS REALLY KIND OF CONNECT THE DOTS AND THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX AND COME UP WITH SORT OF THE, THE BIG IDEA. I THINK SAN ANTONIO DESERVES SOME OF THIS FUNDING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU, UH, CONSIDER THE ROLE MILITARY RESEARCH PLAYS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO, UH, OUR APPROACH IS TO, UM, REALLY LEVERAGE OUR COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS, MILITARY RESEARCH AND, UH, UH, APPROACH SOME OF THIS FUNDING TO CREATE A REGIONAL HUB, A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. MM-HMM. , WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS GONNA TAKE, UM, KIND OF A COMMUNITY APPROACH, A CONSORTIUM APPROACH. SO WE HAVE APPROACHED U T S A AS WELL. AND I, I THINK IF YOU CAN JUST STAND BACK AND THINK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL, UH, WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IS WITH WHAT'S GOING ON DOWNTOWN IN TERMS OF DATA ANALYTICS AND CYBER WITH U T S A AND WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE EAST SIDE IN TERMS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY AND REDEVELOPMENT, AND OUR ULTIMATE DESIRE TO GET MILITARY RESEARCH ON OUR CAMPUS. YOU CAN SEE THAT WE SHOULD BE A POSTER CHILD FOR THIS, UH, FUNDING IN TERMS OF CREATING A, A REGIONAL HUB OF EXCELLENCE AROUND, UH, BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ALL THE ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE NEEDED TO ADVANCE INNOVATION LIKE CYBER AND LIKE DATA ANALYTICS. SO WE'VE BEEN TRACKING IT. IT'S GONNA BE EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE. UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS SUPPORT FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR LEVERAGE FUNDS. THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR PARTNERSHIPS. AND SO THAT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER. NOW. I HAVE DISCUSSED WITH E D D HERE AT THE STAFF LEVEL, PUTTING TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP THAT THEY WERE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SIT ON ONCE WE GET ORGANIZED. GREAT. THANKS. AND, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, UH, I, I, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING UP THERE AND YOU LOOK GREAT BEHIND THAT PODIUM, , THE, UH, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, RANDY, IT'S RARE THAT WE GET YOU MM-HMM. , UM, IN THE ROOM. YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING? YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN RANDY HAD A LOT MORE HAIR WHEN HE STARTED WORKING ON THIS. UM, AND YOU'VE BEEN, I MEAN, YOU'VE DEDICATED MOST OF YOUR LIFE TO THIS. YEAH. THIS IS DEFINITELY A PASSION FOR US, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK. BUT I THINK THE THING I'D LIKE TO EXPAND ON A LITTLE BIT FROM WHAT RENEE'S TALKING ABOUT IS, UH, WE HAD A VISION FROM THE BEGINNING OF AN INNOVATION DISTRICT AND, AND CREATING, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY WITHIN WHAT IS APPROXIMATELY 180 ACRE AREA BETWEEN THE DOME 35, 2 81 AND CHERRY STREET. AND WE'VE ACTIVELY PURSUED THAT. UH, WE CONTINUE TO, UH, EXPAND OUR CAMPUS, UH, TO BE THE DRIVERS IN THAT. BUT WE'RE NOW AT A POINT WHERE, UH, WE'RE STARTING TO BRING IN PARTNERS. WE'RE STARTING TO THINK MORE STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THE THINGS THAT RENEE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT. BUT I THINK BY THE FACT THAT WE'VE, UH, IDENTIFIED THIS ACREAGE, UM, AND LET ME BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING THING IN AMERICA FOR ABOUT THE LAST DECADE WHERE WE'RE MOVING FROM. SCIENCE USED TO BE DONE IN THESE LITTLE PLACES, WAY OUT TOWN, AND THEY'D CLUSTER TOGETHER AND THEY'D DO THINGS IN THE LAST DECADE. THAT MOVEMENT HAS REALLY MOVED TO USUALLY, UH, LESS BUILT OUT AREAS OF A, OF AN URBAN CAMPUS, IF YOU WILL. AND, UH, SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OTHERS AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND WE ARE WELL POSITIONED TO TELL THE STORY WITH THE HELP OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO WIN THAT. UH, ONE OF, I THINK IT'S 13 CAMPUSES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT THEY'RE GONNA AWARD MONEY TO. AND WE FEEL WITH US WORKING TOGETHER, WE REALLY SHOULD BE RIGHT AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAT. SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION, AND I CAN THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING. THANKS, RANDY. UH, COMMISSIONER, ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATIONS, UM, RANDY HAVE YOU HAD WITH DAVID MARQUEZ AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OVER THE COUNTY? I JUST [00:15:01] WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRACKING THAT, OBVIOUSLY. UM, WE HAVE, AND SECONDLY, THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, OTHER PLACES, I MEAN, ARE YOU BENCHMARKING AGAINST ANYBODY RELATIVE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? YEAH, I'LL LET RENEE, BECAUSE HE'S, YOU WANNA, DO YOU WANNA ANSWER THE COUNTY QUESTION FIRST? WE ARE REGULAR CONVERSATIONS WITH DAVID AND HIS GROUP. OKAY. YEAH. WE, AND WE'VE BEEN VERY, UH, THANKFUL OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE COUNTY'S INVOLVEMENT IN WHAT WE'RE DOING. YOU GUYS HAVE, UH, WHEN WE'VE ASKED FOR IT, YOU STEPPED UP RIGHT AWAY, SO, OKAY. THANK YOU. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. PERFECT. THANK YOU, RENEE. YEAH, THE ONLY THING I'D ADD IS, UM, WE ARE CONDUCTING A FORMAL STUDY, UH, USING THE ECONOMIC PLANNING SYSTEMS GROUP OUT OF DENVER THAT HAVE BENCHMARKED OUR DEVELOPMENT AND OUR STRATEGY AROUND THE COUNTRY. AND WE'RE, WE'RE IDENTIFYING BEST PRACTICES OF AROUND SIX TO SEVEN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE TIME, UH, AROUND INNOVATION AND BIOTECHNOLOGY. WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE IS THAT, IS THAT MILITARY PIECE. UH, IN FACT, WE'LL BE GOING UP TO, UH, ONE OF THE LEADING INNOVATION DISTRICTS IN ST. LOUIS, IT'S CALLED CORTEX ON NOVEMBER 2ND. WE EXTEND INVITATIONS OUT TO THOSE WHO WANT TO JOIN US. UM, AND, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO LEARN TO SERVE BEST PRACTICES. THEY HAVE A, A VERY, VERY AGGRESSIVE STRATEGY THAT INVOLVES THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, UH, DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, UH, AS OF RIGHT INCENTIVES, UM, AND, AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ALL WRAPPED UP INTO THAT STRATEGY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE WE'RE IN KIND OF PHASE ONE AND THEY'RE IN PHASE THREE. SO WE, WE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO LEARN QUITE A BIT. SO AGAIN, ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US ON THAT TRIP, PLEASE, UH, LET US KNOW. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? NOTHING PROFOUND. GREAT. . OKAY. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS, YEAH, PERRY, OH YEAH. COUNCILMAN PERRY, YOU GOT ANYTHING? OKAY. OKAY. UM, NO, NO. OKAY. UM, SO A, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, NEED TO BE, NEED TO BE MENTIONED IS THAT THESE TWO BILLS, THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND THIS INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVE ACT, THEY'RE MOVING SORT OF PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER. AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL HAS GOTTEN ALL THE ATTENTION, RIGHT? BUT THIS ONE IS JUST AS, IF NOT MORE, YOU KNOW, IF NOT MORE IMPORTANT IN MANY INSTANCES, RIGHT. FOR LONG-TERM JOB CREATION. CORRECT. UM, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, RANDY. I MEAN, THESE, THESE, THE SCIENCE AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT USED TO ALL HAPPEN, WAS IT ALONG THE COASTS, RIGHT? UM, AND THE CENTER OF THE UNITED STATES RARELY GOT ANY OF THIS KIND OF INVESTMENT. UH, I'D LOOKED AT IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS CONVERSATION. I'D LOOKED AT THE, HAD LOOKED AT THE INNOVATION ACT AND SORT OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE WHEN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE WERE CONSIDERING IT. AND I, I'M REALLY ENTHUSED THAT THERE WAS A RECOGNITION THAT, YOU KNOW, STATES LIKE TEXAS HAD JUST AS MUCH POTENTIAL, UM, AS, YOU KNOW, CORNELL AND, YOU KNOW, UNI IN, IN UNIVERSITIES IN NEW YORK, AND, YOU KNOW, SILICON VALLEY AND ALL THAT. AND SO, UM, THE, UH, THE OTHER THING TOO IS I THINK THERE WAS A RECOGNITION, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, DISCUSSION IN DC DURING THE DEBATES WHEN, YOU KNOW, REGARDING, UM, HOW THOSE CLUSTERS ON THE EAST COAST AND ON THE WEST COAST DID NOTHING FOR COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT HAVE LARGE CONCENTRATIONS OF MINORITIES. UM, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS GONNA BE A REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, EFFORT TO CREATE A POSITIVE MULTIPLIER EFFECT FOR, YOU KNOW, MINORITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, RESEARCHERS AND SCIENTISTS, AND DEVELOP OUT STEM OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO, UH, I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER TEAM TO HELP US SPEARHEAD THIS THAN T R T F. AND, AND YOU, RANDY. AND, UH, THANK YOU. UH, WE'LL, UM, THE, THE TRIP ON NOVEMBER 2ND SOUNDS INTRIGUING, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO EXTEND THAT INVITATION TO SOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO MAY WANNA YEAH. WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A FUN TRIP. UH, THEY REALLY HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB. YEAH. AND, AND IT'S EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE. THEY'RE IN AN AREA TOWN THAT WAS SERIOUSLY UNDERDEVELOPED. THEY HAVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, THEY HAVE EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS. THEY, THEY'VE GOT ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE NOW. THEY, THEY, THEY CAN SHOW US WHAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK LIKE. AND RANDY, YOU CAME TO GERMANY WITH US FOUR YEARS AGO, RIGHT? YEAH. SO WHEN RANDY AND I WERE THERE, WE, WE GOT TO GO LOOK AT, UH, WITH ADAM, UH, OVER AT SWRI AND WITH PAUL GOLD WILLIAMS AND SOME OTHER FOLKS, UH, YOU KNOW, A PARTICLE ACCELERATOR AND THEIR NASA PROJECTS AND ALL THIS INNOVATION INVESTMENT THAT'S GOING ON IN DTO AND THE FRANKFURT AREA. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SOON WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME OF THAT TECHNOLOGY COMING TO SAN ANTONIO. UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE QUANTUM SCIENCES REALM, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY HAD A, A, A CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE SENIOR MEMBERS THAT WE MET AT MERCK. YEAH. GERMAN MERCK. YEAH. UH, INVITED HIM HERE WHEN WE WERE IN TEMPORARY OFFICES. AND, [00:20:01] 'CAUSE HE WAS LOOKING AT AUSTIN AND WE SAID, YOU REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE BUILDING. IT'S NOW TIME TO GO BACK TO HIM AND INVITE HIM BACK TO SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE THERE'S ENOUGH CRITICAL MASS NOW THAT PEOPLE CAN START TO SEE THE VISION. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. ALEX, YOU GOT, YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING? GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. I'M ALEX LOPEZ, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. THERE'S JUST A, AN, UH, THERE'S SO MUCH EXCITING, UH, SO MANY EXCITING COMPONENTS TO THIS LEGISLATION. UM, THE PART THAT I, I REALLY WANNA EMPHASIZE ALSO THOUGH, IS THE, UM, THE CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL INCENTIVES FOR DOMESTIC SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING. UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOCAL MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS THAT HAVE HAD TO SUSPEND PRODUCTION BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SEMICONDUCTORS. AND SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S AN ITEM IN, IN THIS LEGISLATION THAT IS ALSO, UM, IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. COMMISSIONER. ONE MORE QUESTION. UM, RANDY, RENEE, YOU MIGHT WANNA COME UP. SO I'M JUST WONDERING, I MEAN, WE'VE HEARD A LOT, OBVIOUSLY, UM, I'VE LAID ABOUT ELON MUSK AND A POTENTIAL FOR AN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IS THERE THE POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND ELON MUSK? I MEAN, HAVE YOU BROACHED THOSE CONVERSATIONS? UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING CONCEPT. UM, OUR ENTIRE STRATEGY IS BUILT ON KIND OF THE TRIPLE HELIX, UH, INCLUDING THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHERE, AND AND MANUFACTURING. SO ABSOLUTELY PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS IN TERMS OF BRINGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO OUR DEVELOPMENT AND CREATING SPACE FOR INNOVATION. UM, THE, THE OTHER TWO KIND OF STRANDS OF THAT, OF COURSE, ARE THE, THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND ACADEMIA. SO IT'S REALLY LEVERAGING ALL THREE OF THOSE SECTORS. AND THE STRONGEST VOICE IN THAT OFTENTIMES IS THE PRIVATE SECTOR. SO THAT IS A KEY COMPONENT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. HAVE WE TALKED TO, UM, TO THAT, TO THAT COMPANY? NO, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS YET WITH THEM ON THAT. THAT'S MAYBE SOMETHING THAT DAVID MARCUS NEEDS TO DO FOR US. YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, WE NEED, I TOTALLY AGREE. WE NEED AN INTRODUCTION BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT HE'LL BE INVOLVED IN TOMORROW. AND YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU. WE NEED TO BE, I MEAN, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION. SO, I MEAN, I THINK, YEAH. UH, THERE'S ANOTHER, MICHAEL DELL IS ANOTHER ONE. MM-HMM. THAT, UH, IF THERE'S EVER AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM. YEAH. UH, BOTH THOSE GUYS ARE PRETTY, UH, INNOVATIVE IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW. MM-HMM. , THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Y'ALL, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT TUNNEL, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA END UP BEING BUILT BETWEEN WALTER CERNER'S HOUSE AND CITY HALL . UH, SO ACTUALLY GONNA GO, IT'S GONNA GO FROM WALTER'S HOUSE TO THE AIRPORT, AND THEN FROM OUR AIRPORT TO BERGSTROM . ALL RIGHT, Y'ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, I APPRECIATE YOU SHOWING UP, RENEE, RANDY. UM, OUR NEXT ITEM [3. State 3 Special Session Update.] IS GOING TO BE ABOUT OUR THIRD SPECIAL SESSION. THAT'S RIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN. UH, CHRISTINE WRIGHT. OUR STATE, UH, LEGISLATIVE MANAGER'S GONNA GIVE A QUICK UPDATE. THINGS ARE HAPPENING, AS YOU MIGHT SUSPECT, VERY RAPIDLY. THERE WAS A HEARING ALL NIGHT, UH, FLOOR DEBATE ALL NIGHT ABOUT REDISTRICTING. SOME OF THE OTHER LEGISLATION THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN ON IS GETTING SET AS WE SPEAK. SO, UM, SHE'S ACTUALLY HAD TO TWEAK THE PRESENTATION ABOUT SIX TIMES IN THE LAST SIX HOURS. SO, , SHE'LL GIVE US THE VERY LATEST. GOOD MORNING. UM, MY NAME'S CHRISTINE WRIGHT. I'M STATE LEGISLATIVE MANAGER, UM, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS. UM, JUST, LET'S SEE HERE. LET'S START OFF. SO JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW. WE KNOW THAT IT STARTED ON MONDAY, OCTOBER, UM, SEPTEMBER 20TH. UM, FIVE ITEMS WERE ORIGINALLY INCLUDED ON THE CALL. THREE ITEMS HAVE BEEN ADDED SINCE THEN. YOU COULD SAY FOUR IF YOU COUNT VACCINE MANDATES TWICE. UM, AND THEN, UM, OF COURSE, THE BILLS CONSIDERED HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO BILLS, TO ITEMS INCLUDED ON THE GOVERNOR'S CALL. SO THEY PRETTY MUCH HAVE STUCK TO THAT. BUT THE THIRD SPECIAL SESSION ENDS ON TUESDAY, SO THAT'S SIX DAYS FROM NOW. SO THEY HAVE, UM, A LOT ON THEIR PLATE, UH, FOR SIX DAYS, BUT THEY SEEM TO BE MOVING VERY QUICKLY, AS JEFF SAID. UM, THEY, UH, ALSO, IT'S, IT'S BEEN NINE MONTHS. THE OTHER DAY IT WAS NINE MONTHS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF REGULAR SESSIONS. SO STAFF'S TIRED. MEMBERS ARE TIRED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST KIND OF READY FOR THEM TO, UM, I, I KNOW, I KNOW FOR SURE THE MEMBERS ARE READY TO GET OUT OF AUSTIN FOR A LITTLE BIT. UM, SO AGAIN, ITEMS ON THE CALL. THE FIRST FIVE ARE, WERE ON THE ORIGINAL CALL. AND THE LAST THREE WERE ON THE, HAVE BEEN ADDED SINCE THEN WITH, OF COURSE, VACCINES BEING ADDED AGAIN ON MONDAY, UM, WITH SOME TWEAKS TO THAT. SO WE'LL DISCUSS THAT IN A MINUTE. UM, BUT ALSO WANTED TO, UM, MENTION, UM, THAT NOT ONE OF THESE ITEMS HAS MADE IT TO THE FINISH LINE. SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, THEY HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THE NEXT SIX DAYS. UM, SO REDISTRICTING, UM, SO THERE'S FOUR MAPS. THEY'RE CONSIDERING TEXAS SENATES MAP, WHICH IS, UM, SSB FOUR. THAT MAP HAS PASSED [00:25:01] THE, UM, FULL SENATE AND THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON REDISTRICTING. UM, HB ONE, OF COURSE IS THE ONE THAT THEY HAD WHAT, UM, 14 HOURS OF DEBATE. UM, LAST NIGHT IT PASSED. UM, ENDED UP PASSING, UM, 83 63. UM, LARSSON WAS ONE OF THE TWO REPUBLICANS THAT DID VOTE, UM, AGAINST THE MAPS. UM, AND ALSO YOU'VE HEARD PROBABLY THE NEWS TODAY THAT HE IS NO LONGER, HE'S NOT GONNA RUN SEEK REELECTION. UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE TEXAS, TEXAS HOUSE MAPS GO, THEY, UM, MOSTLY FOCUSED ON BIGGEST CHANGES WERE ON HARRIS AND DALLAS COUNTIES. BEXAR COUNTY CAME OUT PRETTY, PRETTY WELL. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. AND I KNOW WE DID HAVE SOME SUCCESSFUL AMENDMENTS LAST NIGHT ON THE FLOOR. UM, REPRESENTATIVE BERNAL HAD ONE, AND THEN I THINK, UM, REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA, UM, BARBARA GERVIN HAWKINS, AND, UM, LIZ CAMPOS, UM, WORKED WITH REPRESENTATIVE JITON TO WORK ON SOME OF THEIR DISTRICTS. AND ALSO, UM, HB, UM, AND THE DISTRICT ONE 18 THAT HAD A LOT OF THE CHANGES TO IT. UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, I, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. WE DIDN'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE MEMBERS PITTING AGAINST EACH OTHER, UM, IN THE PRIMARIES, SO THAT'S HELPFUL. THERE WERE SOME, UM, UP, LIKE IN THE EL PASO AREA THAT DO HAVE THAT CONCERN. THEY DO HAVE TWO MEMBERS THAT WILL BE GOING AGAINST EACH OTHER IN THE PRIMARY. UM, SO THEN WE HAVE SSB SIX, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THAT ONE IS ACTUALLY, UM, SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING TODAY IN THE HOUSE, UM, REDISTRICTING. AND, UM, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS THE SAME AS THE TEXAS SENATE. IT'S PASSED THE SENATE AND, UM, HOUSE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE. I DO WANNA GO BACK AND SAY THAT ON THE HOUSE MAPS, THE TEXAS HOUSE MAPS, THEY ARE MOVING VERY QUICKLY. UM, IT WAS JUST PASSED AT LIKE THREE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING. IT'S ALREADY SET FOR A HEARING IN THE SENATE FOR FRIDAY. SO THEY'RE TRYING TO MOVE THOSE PRETTY FAST. UM, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT ONE. UM, SO THE STATE AL, SO FIRST THING WE COULD TALK ABOUT IS AR. NEXT THING IS ARPA FUNDING. UM, STATE ALLOCATION OF $16 BILLION. UM, THIS IS A DAY BY DAY ISSUE. IT'S CHANGING DAY BY DAY. IT'S NOT A SMALL FEAT. IT'S $16 BILLION. IT'S A LOT OF MONEY FOR THEM TO DO, AND PRETTY MUCH A SMALL PERIOD OF TIME. UM, AND ALONG WITH THAT, THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF PRESSURE FROM LEADERSHIP ON HOW THIS IS GOING TO BE ALLOCATED. AND OF COURSE, AS A COMMITTEE, WE TOOK, UM, WELL, I KNOW THE CITY, WE TOOK A, A POSITION TO, UM, MONITOR AND ADVOCATE FOR, UM, OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, UM, WHO SEEK THESE FUNDS. SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT DURING THIS SPECIAL SESSION. UM, WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING OUR PARTNERS WITH THEIR ASKS, UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. UM, SSB EIGHT PASSED. THE SENATE UNANIMOUSLY WENT OVER TO THE HOUSE. THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE SPLIT IT UP INTO THREE SEPARATE BILLS, WHICH IS THE NEW IT'S, WHICH IS ANOTHER, UM, WHICH IS A NEW SB EIGHT, HB ONE 60, AND HB 1 61. UM, WE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH OUR FINANCE MEMBER AND WITH OUR, AND WITH ACTUALLY THE ENTIRE, UH, APPROPRIATIONS, UM, COMMITTEE ON OUR SUPPORT, UM, FOR SOME OF OUR, FOR SOME OF OUR, UM, PARTNERS. BUT, SO THE HOUSE, SO THE ONES BEFORE US NOW ARE THE HOUSE ONES. 'CAUSE THOSE WILL NOW GO TO THE HOUSE FLOOR. SO JUST LIKE QUICK LITTLE BREAKDOWN, JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT, UM, RECEIVED FUNDING IN THE SENATE, BUT MAYBE AND HOW THEY WERE SPLIT IN THE HOUSE. SO, UM, UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION, WHICH OUR RECORD CLAIMS, THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF THE FUNDS WITH $7.2 BILLION OUT OF THE 16 BILLION THAT IS NOW IN, UM, THE, UH, SENATE BILL EIGHT. AND THAT FROM THE HOUSE, UM, WHICH HAS STAYED THE SAME BROADBAND, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE HAS STAYED THE SAME. UM, WHICH 75,000 OF THAT IS FOR POLE REPLACEMENT. UM, FOOD BANKS REMAIN THE SAME. UM, THAT'S GONNA GO TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AG. UM, THE NEXT GENERATION 9 1 1, THAT'S A TRANSITION, UM, TRANSITION TO, IT'S FOR A TRANSITION TO NEXT GENERATION 9 1 1. AND, UM, THOSE FUNDS WILL SUPPORT OUR BEAR, UH, METRO 9 1 1, WHICH, UM, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF OUR 9 1 1, UH, SUPPORT IN OUR REGION. SO THAT'S GOOD. AND WE SUPPORTED THAT ONE, UM, THAT WAS NOT IN THE SENATE VERSION, BUT IS NOW IN THE HOUSE. SO THAT'S A BRAND NEW ALLOCATION, SO THAT'S GOOD. UM, AND THEN UNIVERSITY CONSTRUCTION, THAT'S CAPITAL, UM, IMPROVE CAP CAPITAL PROJECTS AT SOME OF OUR HIGHER ED INSTITUTIONS. BUT, UM, NOTE THAT ONE IS CONTINGENT UPON A T R B A TEXAS REVENUE BOND. UM, BILL PASSING HB 1 59, WHICH HASN'T EVEN BEEN SET FOR A HEARING YET. AND THEN CONTINUED ON THE NEXT ONE. JUST A FEW THINGS. VICTIMS OF CRIME, UM, THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM ACCOUNT THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. UM, AND THEN THE CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION, [00:30:01] THOSE ARE NEW IN THE HOUSE. UM, THOSE ARE BOTH TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THOSE TWO RIGHT THERE. SEXUAL ASSAULT AND CRIME VICTIMS. UM, AND THE C OVID 19 SERVICES, THAT'S FOR HOSPITAL SURGE STAFFING. UM, IT WAS REDUCED A LITTLE BIT IN THE HOUSE BY 500 MILLION. UM, THE TATUM STATE OPERATIONS CENTER, THAT'S FOR, TO ACQUIRE LAND AND TO CONSTRUCT A BUILDING. UM, AND THEN THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES STAFFING, THAT WAS REDUCED BY A HUNDRED MILLION IN THE HOUSE. UM, AND THAT IS FOR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, BONUSES FOR STAFF. SO ITEMS THAT WERE REMOVED COMPLETELY FROM THE SENATE VERSION WAS THE, UM, TRAVEL, UH, TOURISM TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY RECOVERY. THAT IS A RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM THAT WAS COMPLETELY REMOVED IN THE HOUSE. THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES, THE TRUE PROGRAM. UM, THIS IS WHAT, UM, PRISCILLA CAMACHO CAME AND TALKED TO US ABOUT LAST TIME. AND, UM, THEY ASKED FOR ORIGINALLY 325 MILLION, I BELIEVE. AND SENATOR CREIGHTON GOT 15 MILLION IN THE SENATE BILL, UM, OUT OF THE 3 25, BUT 15 MILLION. BUT THE HOUSE STRIPPED IT. UM, THEY PROBABLY WILL DO AN AMENDMENT ON THE HOUSE FLOOR TO TRY AND GET THAT BACK IN. UM, AND THEN COMPENSATION FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES THAT SALARIES AND BENEFITS OF STATE EMPLOYEES INVOLVED DURING THE PANDEMIC, THAT WAS COMPLETELY, UH, TAKEN OUT $3.5 BILLION. AND ADDITIONALLY, JUST WANTED TO ADD A FEW OTHER ITEMS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED, OR HOUSING ASSISTANCE WASN'T INCLUDED IN ANY OF THE BILLS. UM, SAW SEEK SOME FUNDING FOR, UM, FOR BACKUP GENERATORS AND FOR, UH, ASSISTANCE TO LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. UM, THERE WEREN'T ANY GRANT, THERE WEREN'T, WASN'T ANY GRANT FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES PARKS. SO THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THAT WEREN'T, UM, FUNDED AT ALL, BUT WE MIGHT SEE SOME OF THOSE AMENDMENTS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. CHRISTINE, STOP THERE. 'CAUSE I THINK THE COMMISSIONER HAS SOME QUESTION. YEAH, I DO. QUICK QUESTION. SURE. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY AS WE TALK ABOUT REMOVAL, UM, AND FUNDING, THERE ARE SOME KEY PLACES FROM A REMOVAL STANDPOINT, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT HOW IT IMPACTS SAN ANTONIO NEW BEAR COUNTY, WE LOOK AT TOURISM, TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY RECOVERY. UM, WE LOOK AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND UPSKILLING THROUGH EDUCATION. UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY HAS BEEN VERY HARD AT WORK AT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM MM-HMM. , WHICH HAS, YOU KNOW, BEEN, UM, A KEY TENANT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. I'M JUST WONDERING, CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY INSIGHT ON WHAT WOULD THE ARGUMENT AGAINST THIS FUNDING OR WHY THEY PULLED IT? UM, I, WE DON'T KNOW THE REASONING THAT THE HOUSE PULLED IT. UM, THE ONLY THING COULD BE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED THE FUNDING FOR SOMETHING ELSE. I HAVE A FEELING THAT 3.5 BILLION IS GONNA BE USED, AND THIS IS JUST MY OPINION AND MAYBE JUST SOME OTHERS FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. UM, THAT'S OKAY. IT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, SO IT'S ALL RIGHT. YEAH. WE'LL TACKLE CRIMINAL JUSTICE IF WE CAN GET, I'M SO QUALIFI IF WE CAN GET PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, I'M GOOD. YEAH. SO, UM, THAT MIGHT BE WHERE THAT MONEY'S GOING. OKAY. UM, IT, IT'S, UH, I'M SURE SOME MEMBERS WILL ASK THOSE QUESTIONS ON THE FLOOR. OKAY. BECAUSE I BET SOME OF THESE AMENDMENTS WILL COME UP AGAIN ON THE FLOOR. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO THAT'S ARPA FUNDING. THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ENDED THAT, THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN CUT. BUT LIKE I SAID, IT CHANGES DAILY. IT WILL CHANGE AGAIN WHEN IT GOES ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. WE'LL LET Y'ALL KNOW HOW THAT LOOKS AT THE END OF THE DAY. UM, NEXT WE HAVE THE TRANSGENDER STUDENT ATHLETES. UM, HB 25 PASSED THIS, THE HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE. UM, AND IT, UM, WAS JUST SET THIS MORNING TO BE DEBATED TOMORROW ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. SO, UM, WE HAVE SHARED OUR RESOLUTION AND, UM, UH, AND WE OPPOSED HB 25 AND COMMITTEE THE CITY DID. UM, SO WE WILL HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT DEBATE GOES TOMORROW ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LET OUR DELEGATION KNOW THAT WE OPPOSE, UM, THAT THIS LEGISLATION. CHRISTINE, IF I, IF I COULD JUST ADD ONE NOTE ON THAT. THE BILL HAS 76 CO-AUTHORS, SO IT HAS THE VOTES IF YOU JUST TAKE THE CO-AUTHORS ALREADY TO PASS IT. UM, WE HAD BEEN HEARING THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO WERE SIGNED ON AS CO-AUTHORS WHO DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO HA TAKE THAT VOTE. UM, BUT IT GETTING SET TOMORROW, UH, SHOT THAT HOPE DOWN. I THINK SO. IT, IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD. THAT BILL IS LOOKING LIKE IT WILL PASS. THIS IS THE HOUSE VERSION. THE SENATE BILL WAS REFERRED TO A HOUSE COMMITTEE THAT HAS NOT MOVED ON IT. SO THE HOUSE MOVED HB 25 THROUGH A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE, AND NOW IT'S UP FOR A HOUSE VOTE WHERE IT WOULD THEN GO BACK TO THE SENATE AND LIKELY PASS. SO WE HAVE SIGNED ON TO TEXAS COMPETES. WE'VE MADE OUR OPINION KNOWN. MARK ANDERSON, UH, WAS UP TESTIFYING FOR ON BEHALF OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO AND THEIR CONCERNS, UM, BUT IT APPEARS TO BE FALLING ON DEAF EARS AT THIS POINT. SO TRANS, UM, SO LIKE JEFF SAID, HB 25 WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO TO THE SENATE. SO WE CAN SEE, ALTHOUGH, I MEAN, WE PROBABLY KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THERE, BUT IT JUST MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. UM, SO VACCINE MANDATES, [00:35:01] WE ALL KNOW ON MONDAY THAT THE GOVERNOR DID HIS NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER BANNING, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, APPLIES TO ANY ENTITY, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. UM, SO THERE NOW ARE TWO BILLS MOVING IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE THAT WILL GO ALONG WITH HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER. SO HE HAS SAID THAT IF THO IF AN, IF A BILL PASSES THAT IS IN LINE WITH HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER, HE WILL PULL DOWN HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER. SO THE FIRST ONE'S BEING HEARD TODAY, IT'S ON FAST TRACK, UM, AND WE ARE OPPOSING, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS GOING TO OPPOSE AND WE WILL SUBMIT A LETTER AND THEN WE WILL DO THE SAME WITH THE SENATE BILL TOMORROW. CAN I JUMP IN AGAIN REAL QUICKLY? CHRISTINE? THANK YOU. UM, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS WORKING ON A LETTER FOR US TODAY. AS YOU REMEMBER, THE, THE, THE, UH, NEEDLE THAT WE THREADED ON THIS ISSUE WAS THAT WE'RE NOT FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO MANDATE VACCINES ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT AS AN EMPLOYER TO MANDATE, UH, FOR OUR OWN EMPLOYEES. UH, AND CERTAINLY THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS SPEAKING UP AS WELL. THERE WAS A, A LETTER YESTERDAY FROM THE TEXAN FOR LAWSUIT REFORM SAYING, ON THE ONE HAND, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS MANDATED EMPLOYERS OF A CERTAIN SIZE TO REQUIRE IT. AND ON THE OTHER HAND, THE STATE IS SAYING, IF YOU REQUIRE IT, ANYBODY CAN SUE YOU. AND SO IT'S CREATED THIS UNTENABLE POSITION FOR, UH, A COMPANY THAT EMPLOYS PEOPLE. UM, WE EXPECT IT'S GONNA CHANGE. THERE'S GONNA BE A HEALTHY DEBATE ABOUT IT FOR SURE. BUT THE POSITION WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE HAVE 12,000 EMPLOYEES AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE THOSE KINDS OF REQUIREMENTS AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT WITHIN OUR OWN WORKPLACE, IF NOTHING ELSE. SO THAT'S TODAY, TOMORROW, SO WE'LL REPORT BACK HOW THAT GOES ON VACCINE MANDATES. UM, NEXT WE HAVE, UM, UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT OF A DOG. UM, THIS REMAINS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR CITY ORDINANCE. UM, IT'S PASSED THE SENATE AND HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS. WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR IT TO BE SET ON THE HOUSE CALENDAR, WHICH IT HAS NOT BEEN YET. IT'S KIND OF BEEN SITTING THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT. UM, IT'S PROBABLY NOT AT THE TOP OF THEIR LIST AT THIS POINT, BUT HOPEFULLY IT CAN GET SET. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE MUCH. UM, SINCE THE LEGISLATION WASN'T CLEAR ABOUT WHICH DOG IT WAS TALKING ABOUT, WE'VE SOUGHT AN AMENDMENT TO CLARIFY THAT. IT IS CHAIRMAN PALAIS DOG. YEAH. . AND THAT IS REALLY THE NAME OF IT. UNLAWFUL OVERSTRAIN OF A DOG. . I DID LOOK IT UP. UM, SO, UM, ONTO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, I OFFER MY DOG. OKAY. ONLY IF HE'S A SERVICE DOG. EXACTLY. IS HE ALLOWED . UM, SO, UM, PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, THIS IS ACTUALLY PRETTY INTERESTING BECAUSE, UM, THE SENATE PASSED SB ONE, WHICH KIND OF HAD A DIFFERENT TWIST. THEY WERE TAKING, UM, REDUCING SCHOOL M AND O. UH, IT WAS A, UM, TEMPORARY REDUCTION IN SCHOOL M AND O AND MOVING THAT MONEY TO, UM, TO THE, SO THE, THAT'S HOW THEY WERE GONNA GIVE THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF TO, UM, PROPERTY, UH, OWNERS. BUT THE, THE HOUSE COMPLETELY CHANGED IT. IT IS NOW, UM, IT'S NOW A TEMP. IT'S NOW, UM, TRY, THEY, THEY JUST RELEASED THIS THIS MORNING. SO I'M TRYING TO GET THIS TOGETHER. IT'S, UM, IT PROVIDES 3 MILLION OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF THROUGH ONE-TIME PAYMENTS, UM, FROM THE COMPTROLLER USING ARPA FUNDING, USING COVID RELIEF FUNDING. SO INSTEAD OF GOING THE SCHOOL ROUTE THAT THE SENATE'S DOING, THE HOUSE IS JUST USING, UM, COVID RELIEF FUNDING AND NOT, AND NOT DOING THE SCHOOL DOING IT DIRECTLY THROUGH THE COMPTROLLER. UM, SO, UM, THAT'S HOW IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK OUT. UM, BUT IT, THE HOUSE DID RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, THERE'S BEEN NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS BECAUSE OF C O TO CITIES, UM, AND TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE THAT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. SO THIS IS THE WAY THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT. IT'S STILL A LITTLE UNCLEAR HOW IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. LIKE I SAID, THIS, SOME OF THIS JUST CAME OUT THIS MORNING. UM, BUT WE, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. HMM. QUICK QUESTION. UH, SO NOTHING SUPER SPECIFIC, OBVIOUSLY TO GENUINE APPRAISAL REFORM, RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY. BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE COUNTY, WE, THERE WAS A SMALL TAX CUT, UM, BUT FOR APPRAISALS CONTINUE TO GO UP, THAT'S AN EFFECTIVE TAX INCREASE. SO ANYWAY, OBVIOUSLY THE CITY AND THE COUNTY I THINK HAVE WORK TO BE DONE REGARDING A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WHEN IT COMES TO APPRAISAL REFORM, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE LEDGE HAD A LOT TO TAKE UP, YOU KNOW, WITH ARPA, COVID, ET CETERA, WHATEVER. BUT, UM, THIS IS A HUGE BURDEN ON TAXPAYERS. SO ANYWAY, I HOPE THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER, UM, TO REALLY COMMIT TO WHAT DO WE LOOK AT REGARDING APPRAISAL REFORM. SO, THANK YOU. CAN I, CAN I OFFER SOMETHING TO SURE. COMMISSIONER, WOULD YOU DO IT AT A MIC? THANKS, MELISSA. SHANNON, GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR FOR BEXAR COUNTY. I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO BE A, A THREE ENTITY TEAM IN THAT, AND THAT WE NEED TO BRING THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT IN, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE, I FIND MYSELF AT ODDS WITH THEM AT THE STATE. YEAH, [00:40:01] TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. AND YOU HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE BARE APPRAISAL BOARD WHO ARE HERE WITH YOU TODAY, INCLUDING COUNCILWOMAN, , AND MYSELF. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UM, IT'S A BIG FOCUS FOR ME. SO, OR THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MELISSA. YES, THANK YOU. OH, MOVING ON. UH, JUST TWO LAST ONES REALLY QUICK. UH, ADDITIONAL BARREL FORM. UM, THIS NOT PASSED DURING THE REGULAR, DURING THE SECOND SPECIAL SESSION. UM, SO IT'S UP AGAIN TODAY. THIS IS, UM, FURTHER PROTECTION FROM ACCUSED CRIMINALS. UM, LIKE I SAID, IT PA IT FAILED ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. IT'S UP AGAIN ON THE HOUSE FLOOR TODAY. SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES. THEY DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE THE VOTES FOR IT THOUGH. UM, INCREASING PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL VOTING. ORIGINALLY IN, UM, THE ELECTIONS BILL FROM SENATE FROM SECOND SPECIAL, IT INCLUDED, UM, THE, THE PENALTY WAS A SECOND DEGREE FELONY, BUT DURING CONFERENCE IT WENT DOWN TO A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR. SO THE GOVERNOR WANTS THAT BACK UP TO, TO INCREASE THE PENALTY. SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DISCUSSING HERE. UM, THE SPEAKER BASICALLY HAS SAID HE DOESN'T REALLY HAVE AN APPETITE FOR THIS. SO, UM, IT'S PASSED THE SENATE, IT'S BEEN REFERRED TO A COMMITTEE. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT. SO LASTLY, WHAT'S NEXT? IF THEY CAN COMPETE, IF THEY CAN FINISH REDISTRICTING AND THE ALLOCATION. UM, A FOURTH SPECIAL SESSION THERE, THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT HE'S WILLING TO CALL US FOR SPECIAL SESSION IF NEEDED. IT WOULD PROBABLY START LIKE THE NEXT DAY AF SO WEDNESDAY MAYBE, UM, TO GET, UH, AT LEAST REDISTRICTING DONE. BUT IF THERE'S A FOUR SESSION, I MEAN, OTHER PRIORITIES COULD BE ADDED THAT DIDN'T PASS. UM, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT HE DECIDES TO DO IF WE DO GO TO A FOUR SESSION. BUT HE HAS, HE HAS, UM, SHARED THAT HE IS WILLING TO DO A FOUR SESSION IF THEY HAVE TO. AND THAT COMPLETES MY PRESENTATION. ALRIGHT. UH, LET'S JUST GO AROUND THE HORN. COUNCILMAN, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO, NOT THAT I KNOW. COUNSEL, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SURE. UH, JEFF, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO WEIGH IN HERE. SO, I MEAN, REALIZE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STATE REDISTRICTING, BUT THE COUNTY IS WORKING ON REDISTRICTING. WE'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK. THE CITY IS WORKING ON REDISTRICTING, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE YOU IN THAT PROCESS WHEN YOU EXPECT THAT THAT'S GONNA BE FINALIZED? UM, I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT MAPS ON A DAILY BASIS IN PRECINCT. SO ANYWAY, JUST A GENERAL UPDATE BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN TALK ABOUT STATE ALL WE WANT TO, BUT I THINK FROM A LOCAL GOVERNMENT STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING REGARDING REDISTRICTING IS IMPORTANT. SURE. UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT, COMMISSIONER. UM, WE ACTUALLY JUST HAD A B SESSION LAST WEEK. I WAS LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM TO SEE IF ANY OF THE RIGHT ATTORNEYS WERE HERE. 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DATES AND THE TIMELINE MEMORIZED, BUT, UH, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY CREATING A, A COMMITTEE, A TASK FORCE THAT'S GONNA CONSIDER MAPS AND ULTIMATELY PROPOSE THEM TO COUNCIL. UH, WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC PROCESS BUILT INTO THAT. WE'RE CONVERTING RIGHT NOW THE CITY COUNTY WEBSITE THAT WAS USED FOR THE, UM, CENSUS PROCESS TO NOW BE THE REDISTRICTING SITE WHERE WE'LL BE ABLE TO POST MAPS AND GATHER FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC. UH, BUT LIKE YOU, OUR PROCESS IS JUST, JUST GETTING OFF THE GROUND NOW AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WILL BE OCCURRING OVER THE COMING MONTHS. OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, CHRISTINE. AND, UM, ALSO THANK YOU FOR, FOR SENDING EMAILS. AS THINGS CHANGE, I KNOW THEY CHANGE REALLY FAST AND, UM, YOU TRY TO SEND UPDATES. SO AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE REASON THAT MARK ANDERSON WAS ABLE TO ATTEND TO TESTIFY LAST WEEK WAS BECAUSE YOU SENT AN EMAIL. UM, AND I WAS ON A, ON A CONFERENCE CALL WITH HIM, AND I IMMEDIATELY FORWARDED TO HIM AND I SAID, WAIT, SOMETHING JUST CAME IN. AND HE REARRANGED HIS ENTIRE SCHEDULE TO GO AND DO THAT. SO, UM, I WAS VERY HAPPY THAT HE WAS ABLE TO DO, AND IT WAS THANKS TO YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE KINDA ON TOP OF IT. SO THANK YOU, CHRISTINE. UM, UH, I'M, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THE TOURISM RECOVERY ITEM HAS, HAS BEEN REMOVED, OF COURSE, UH, BECAUSE I SENT ON THE V S A BOARD AND YESTERDAY WE HAD THIS INCREDIBLE PRESENTATION ABOUT THE POWER OF RECOVERY. AND SO ARPA FUNDING WAS INTENDED FOR RECOVERY. AND SO I, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW THAT MISSED THAT MARK, BUT IF YOU DO FIND OUT, I'D LOVE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT MY, MY B S A, UH, UH, BOARD DIRECTORS THAT I SIT WITH ARE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE THAT QUESTION. DO YOU KNOW WHAT, CHIME IN. SURE. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. BEFORE YOU GO ON FURTHER, UM, WE, WE SHOULD, WITH YOUR DIRECTION OR IN AGREEMENT, UM, MAKE A REAL PUSH ON THAT. 'CAUSE IT'S NOT DONE YET. I MEAN, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE OF THE BILL THAT CAME OUT. THEY STRUCK IT FROM THE SENATE VERSION. IT STILL HAS TO GO TO THE HOUSE FLOOR. WE SENT AN EMAIL TO THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE AS RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY. I BELIEVE MAYBE THE DAY BEFORE THAT HAD SIX OR EIGHT ITEMS. BUT, UM, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S RISING TO THE TOP OF IMPORTANCE, WE'LL GET TOGETHER WITH V S A AND COLLECTIVELY MAKE A REAL PUSH HERE TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING ADJUSTED ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. WELL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AND I SENT, UM, THE CHAIR AND, AND I THINK I COPIED YOU SEVERAL BUSINESS FOLKS WHO WERE VERY WORRIED, UM, EVEN ABOUT THE TRANSGENDER BILL. BUT SO, SO THERE'S [00:45:01] A CONCERN VERY, VERY, VERY WELL, UH, ROOTED IN DATA, RIGHT? UM, THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE PUSHING FOR THIS. SO I'M SURE THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF E S A WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A SAY IN THIS. SO ANYTHING THAT, THAT I CAN DO ALSO TO LEVERAGE THAT, PLEASE COUNT ME IN. UM, AND THEN THE CO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES ONE. SO, UM, I, I KNOW THAT PRISCILLA CAMACHO CAME LAST TIME, AND THEN SHE SPOKE ABOUT THIS. SO ALSO, IS THERE SOME SORT OF PROCESS LIKE POLICY, UM, HELP ME UNDERSTAND. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD ALSO GET CUT. IS IT BECAUSE THE LOGIC IS THAT IT COULD BE REPLACED BY THE UNIVERSITY FUNDING THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, OR NO, NOTHING AT ALL. OH. 'CAUSE THAT WAS ACTUALLY, SO I JUST REMINDED THAT'S BUILDING SPECIFICS, SO NEVERMIND. YEAH. OKAY. SO I ANSWERED MY OWN QUESTION. AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION, WHERE WOULD THE TEEM GO? THAT, UH, THE, THE TEXAS, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OPERATION CENTER, I BELIEVE IT'S IN AUSTIN. I THINK IT'S IN AUSTIN. OKAY. SO, SO THEY'RE DOING ENOUGH THE THIRD CENTER. YEAH. OKAY. SO IT, IT'S NOT LIKE IT WOULD MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE OR JUST, IT JUST NO, THIS IS FUNDING TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY AND CREATE ONE, ACTUALLY BUILD A NEW EMERGENCY OPS CENTER. BUT YOU, BUT, BUT THERE'S NO CHANCE THAT IT WOULD MOVE ANYWHERE. IT'S IN AUSTIN. JUST, OKAY. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW. I CAN, I CAN CONFIRM THAT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S GONNA BE IN AUSTIN. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEIR MAIN SURE. SORRY. COURSE. OKAY. ON THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S QUESTION, I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF IT NOT BEING A HIGH ENOUGH PRIORITY, UNFORTUNATELY. MM-HMM. , UM, THE, THE, AS YOU HEARD PRISCILLA LAST MONTH, THERE WAS LEGISLATION PASSED THAT CREATED THIS PROGRAM, AS IS OFTEN THE CASE. IT WASN'T FUNDED. SO THE HOPE WAS THAT THE FUNDING WOULD COME FROM ARPA TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT. AND IT'S ONLY, IT'S ONLY THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF, UM, SENATOR CREIGHTON AND, AND WHOEVER HE'S WORKED WITH TO BE ABLE TO GET A SMALL PIECE. BUT EVEN THAT WAS 15 MILLION, THEY WERE ASKING FOR 3 25. SO, AND I, AT THIS POINT, IT JUST HAS NOT, UM, BEEN A BIG ENOUGH PRIORITY. AND I BELIEVE THEIR AMENDMENT THERE, THEY WILL FOR SURE HAVE AN AMENDMENT ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. UM, AND I POSSIBLY FOR MORE THAN THE 15 MILLION, SO. OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, CHAIR. THANK YOU. THANK VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER. UM, MELISSA, MAYBE YOU CAN COME UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT THIS. UM, I REALIZE IT'S A VERY WARM AND HUMID DAY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, WHICH IS A FAR CRY FROM WHAT HAPPENED, UM, IN FEBRUARY. UM, THERE WAS TALK ABOUT A SESSION TO ADDRESS ENERGY, UM, AND ERCOT, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S THE CAPACITY OR THE ENERGY OR THE WILL TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING FROM A STATUS STANDPOINT, UM, WHEN ALLEGED, YOU KNOW, IS PREPARED TO ADDRESS THAT. BECAUSE I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY ARE SUFFERING FROM REPERCUSSIONS EVEN NOW HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO, SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTING THAT THAT HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN UP. YEAH, MY ASSUMPTION COMMISSIONER IS, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M INCORRECT IN THIS, CHRISTINE, BUT MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE STATE THINKS THAT THEY'VE PRETTY WELL TAKEN CARE OF THE ISSUE. I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER YOU WANTED TO HEAR, BUT IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW. AND, UM, I, I DO BELIEVE THEY THINK THAT THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED, AND NOW THEY'RE WORKING ON INTERNAL PROCESSES AND GETTING THEIR BOARDS BACK SET STRAIGHT AND YES. OKAY. WELL, THANKS FOR THE UPDATE. YOU HEARD ME DROP MY PEN, SO I KNOW. HAPPY. I'M SORRY, BUT, SO COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU. UM, COULD YOU GO A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT THE, UH, THE BAIL REFORM AND WHAT ITS PURPOSE WAS, AND THEN WHAT ITS ACTUAL IMPACT WOULD BE? THAT MIGHT BE A MELISSA ONE TOO. UM, THEY FOLLOWED THIS ONE VERY CLOSELY DURING THE SESSION AND THE SPECIAL SESSION. UM, THIS IS THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, UM, THAT WOULD ALLOW, UM, MAGISTRATES TO THE DISCRETION TO DENY BAIL, BAIL FOR CERTAIN CRIMES, SUCH AS, UM, VIOLENT, UM, SEXUAL OR TRAFFICKING OFFENSES. BUT I, DO YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ELSE TO THAT? WE, AS THE COUNTY, HAVE BEEN VERY PERPLEXED AT THE INTENT OF THESE BILLS. WHAT IT SHAKES OUT TO BE IS, I'M SORRY, , UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SORRY. UM, THE, UM, WHAT IT SHAKES OUT TO BE IS THAT IT'S REQUIRING US TO HOST MORE INDIVIDUALS IN OUR ADULT DETENTION CENTER WHO DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE THERE. WE DO AGREE THAT VIOLENT OFFENDERS, THE REALLY BAD PEOPLE DO NOT NEED TO BE ON THE STREETS. UM, WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT SHERIFF COMMISSIONER'S COURT, EVERYONE. UM, HOWEVER, WHAT IS COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE IS IT'S REQUIRING US TO KEEP SOME LOW LEVEL OFFENDERS WHO MAY, SO ONE STORY THAT, OR A SCENARIO THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD, SAY A YOUNG PERSON, 18 YEARS OLD, UH, SOME, YOU KNOW, MINOR OFFENSE, BUT IT'S A VIOLENT OFFENSE. UM, NOW FAST FORWARD TO SOMEONE, MAYBE I DID THAT AS AN 18 YEAR OLD, AND NOW AT 53 YEARS OLD, I GET PICKED UP FOR SOMETHING AND I'VE GOT THAT VIOLENT OFFENSE ON MY RECORD. I'M GOING TO JAIL FOR, [00:50:01] UH, WHATEVER I'VE DONE NOW MAY NOT REQUIRE ME GOING TO JAIL, BUT BECAUSE THAT VIOLENT OFFENSE IS STILL ON MY RECORD, I'M GOING TO JAIL. MM-HMM. , UM, WHAT IF I'M SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE, I CAN'T, I DON'T HAVE THE MEANS TO GET MYSELF OUT OF JAIL. I CAN'T BAIL OUT. SO THEN THAT REQUIRES US TO HOST THEM EVEN LONGER. SO IT, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY DON'T, IT'S, IT'S A POLITICAL ISSUE. IT'S A PARTY LINE ISSUE. UH, A LOT OF WHAT THIS HAS BEEN. AND EVEN WITH, WE'RE VERY ACTIVE WITH THE FIVE LARGEST COUNTIES IN THE STATE. WE REPRESENT ABOUT 43% OF THE POPULATION OF THE STATE. SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER, ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE CITIES. UM, BUT WE'RE THE ONES THAT RUN THE JAIL. AND EVEN WITH, YOU KNOW, THE LARGE COUNTIES AND THEN WORKING WITH THE RURAL COUNTIES TRYING TO, UM, PLEAD THE CASE, WE STILL ARE NOT ABLE TO CONVINCE, UM, THE POWERS THAT BE. SO THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE GOING DOWN THIS ROAD. IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A RED MEAT POLITICAL ISSUE, AND THEY WANNA JUST LOCK 'EM UP AND BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WE LOCKED UP THE BAD GUYS. AND THAT'S NOT WHAT'S NECESSARILY SHAKING OUT. ABSOLUTELY. AND THIS WAS WHEN YOU SAID YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT IT'S, WHAT THE OUTCOME WILL BE COME TUESDAY, I GUESS. TODAY. TODAY WE, TODAY'S ON THE, UM, TODAY'S ON THE HOUSE FLOOR MM-HMM. . AND, UM, THEY'RE NOT SURE IF THEY, TODAY IT'S ON THE HOUSE FLOOR AND THEY'RE NOT SURE IF THEY HAVE THE VOTES FOR IT. IT FAILED, UM, THE HOUSE, ON THE HOUSE FLOOR LAST SPECIAL SESSION. SO SHOULD THERE BE A FOURTH SESSION? THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT COMES UP AGAIN. POSSIBLY. POSSIBLY, YES. UM, IS HAVE WE, HAS THE COMMISSION FORMALLY OR THE CITY, UH, FORMALLY OPPOSED? IT, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE, THE CITY DID NOT TAKE A POSITION ON BAIL. ON BAIL REFORM. UM, THAT WAS MOSTLY, UM, . YEAH. IF I GET RIGHT INTO IT. UM, COUNCILMAN, WE HAVE, UH, FELT VERY STRONGLY OBVIOUSLY REGARDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND BAIL REFORM, BECAUSE AS MELISSA TALKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE JAIL IS A PART OF OUR PURVIEW AND ADMINISTRATION, AND WE HAVE SOME ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH JAIL. UM, THERE WAS A RECENT STORY YESTERDAY ON T P R ABOUT, UM, A YOUNG MAN WHO HAD MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, WHO WAS IN THE JAIL FIVE MONTHS LONGER, FIVE MONTHS THAN HE PROBABLY NEEDED TO BE. SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN ADMINISTRATION, BUT CERTAINLY IT IS HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING FROM A COUNTY STANDPOINT AS HARD AS WE HAVE WORKED, UH, WITH THE DA'S OFFICE ON REALLY, UM, PROGRESSIVE MEASURES TO EASE THE BURDEN REGARDING THE POPULATION IN THE JAIL, YOU KNOW, AND GET PEOPLE OUT THAT DO NOT NEED TO BE LOCKED UP IN THERE. UM, THAT THE LEGISLATURE WOULD TAKE THIS KIND OF POSITION. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE BEEN LOBBYING VERY HEAVILY IN FAVOR OF JAIL REFORM. THE JUDGE HAS BEEN A HUGE ADVOCATE, UH, FOR JAIL REFORM. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUSH. GREAT. THANK YOU. JEFF COYLE, BREAKING NEWS, AS I MENTIONED, THINGS ARE CHANGING BY THE HOUR. OUR FRIENDS AT ALAMO COLLEGES, UH, TEXTED WHILE WE'RE SITTING HERE, THAT THE SENATE, UH, HIGHER ED COMMITTEE DID JUST SET A HEARING ON THE TUITION REVENUE BOND BILL FOR UNIVERSITY CONSTRUCTION. SO IF YOU REMEMBER THE NUMBER, IT WAS 325 MILLION. THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO BUILD ANYTHING ACROSS THE STATE, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S COST. IT'S INTENDED TO COVER COSTS SO THAT UNIVERSITIES CAN ISSUE BONDS THAT ARE BACKED BY THE TUITION REVENUES THEY GENERATE. SO THAT TUITION REVENUE BOND BILL, WHICH IS NECESSARY FOR THAT MONEY TO BE PUT INTO USE, UH, IS SET NOW FOR A SENATE HEARING. AND THERE'S STILL HOPE THERE TOMORROW. IT'S SET FOR. AND, AND JUST TO CLARIFY AGAIN, THERE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRICK AND MORTAR. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT UPSKILLING AND REINTEGRATING STUDENTS BACK? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THE, THE, OUR LOCAL UNIVERSITY PARTNERS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR TUITION REVENUE BOND AUTHORITY FOR SEVERAL SESSIONS, AND WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING WITH THEM FOR THAT. IT HASN'T HAPPENED DURING THE REGULAR SESSIONS. SO THIS IS HOPE THAT THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THIS SPECIAL TO, TO GET SOME OF THEIR FACILITY CONSTRUCTED. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, ALL I THINK YOU'VE, YOU'VE HEARD THE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS. UM, I CAN PILE ON AND, AND DO MINE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT'S WORRIED ME THE MOST IS SORT OF WATCHING THESE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS MOVE FORWARD AND THEY JUST FIND NEW WAYS TO NOT HELP VULNERABLE PEOPLE. UH, AND THEY GET REALLY CREATIVE, UH, IN NOT JUST NOT HELPING THEM, BUT IN HURTING THEM. AND, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY OUR TAXPAYERS, I MEAN, I COMMISSIONER I'LL BETCHA A FANCY PANTS LUNCH, YOU KNOW, ON WALTER, OF COURSE. UH, THE, UH, THAT THEY DON'T INCLUDE, THAT THEY WON'T INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, UH, APPRAISAL REFORM IN THE FOURTH LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA INCLUDE VOCA REFORM THAT YOU UNDER, YOU KNOW, THAT OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS MM-HMM. GOT KICKED IN. EXACTLY RIGHT. YEAH. WELL, WE'RE HOPING, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY TO GET YEAH. FUNDING RESTORED. YEAH. SO, SO, UM, I, YOU'RE DOING YEOMAN'S WORK UP THERE, CHRISTINE, I AUTHORIZE YOU TO TAKE A VACATION SOMETIME IN 2024. UH, THANKS Y'ALL. UH, LET'S, LET'S [4. 2021 Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) Application.] MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, UH, DAG. OKAY. UM, GREAT. THANK YOU CHAIRMAN. UH, GENERAL YALA IS GONNA GIVE A, A QUICK BRIEFING HERE FOR US. THE, UH, [00:55:01] DEFENSE ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENTS, ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE GRANTS, UH, ARE OUT, UH, FOR APPLICATION AGAIN, THERE'S A NOVEMBER DEADLINE. UM, WE'VE TYPICALLY EITHER COME HERE, ACTUALLY, LEMME BACK UP. WE'VE TYPICALLY GONE TO THE MILITARY TRANSFORMATION TASK FORCE THAT IS CO-CHAIRED BY THE CITY, COUNTY AND CHAMBER TO DISCUSS WHAT PROJECTS, UH, GET APPLIED FOR IN THIS CASE. UH, J B S A ASKED THE CITY TO PURSUE A, A, A SMALL ONE, FRANKLY, COMPARED TO WHAT WE'VE GONE AFTER IN THE PAST. SO, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, UH, WE WANTED TO BRING THIS HERE TO THIS COMMITTEE, BRIEF YOU ON IT, UM, AND HOPEFULLY WITH YOUR SUPPORT, UH, SUBMIT THAT APPLICATION BY THE NO NOVEMBER DEADLINE. OH, IS IT? NO. OH, THANK YOU. WELL, GOOD MORNING, UH, MR. CHAIR, I'LL BE REAL QUICK HERE. OVERVIEW ON THE D A, UH, ON OUR APPLICATION AND THEN, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME DETAILS. ON WHAT THE, UH, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO HAS ASKED US TO DO. UH, THE DAG ITSELF, UH, HAS A LONG HISTORY, ABOUT 10 YEARS, I THINK PROBABLY MORE THAN THAT. IT'S STATE FUNDED INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, PROGRAM. AND WHAT IT DOES, IT'S DESIGNED TO ASSIST DEFENSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE EITHER HAVE BEEN THROUGH A BRACK OR HAVE LOST MISSIONS OR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS THROUGH REGULAR CUTS IN, IN THE PENTAGON. WHEN I WAS IN THE PENTAGON, I REMEMBER WE HAD NORMAL CUTS ALL THE TIME THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DAG. SO WE KEEP AN EYE ON THOSE, AND THAT'S WHAT THE DAG THE STATE FUNDED THE GRANT IS SUPPOSED TO DO. UH, WHO'S ELIGIBLE, OF COURSE, LAND, MUNICIPALITIES OR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES, UH, DEFENSE, UM, COMMUNITIES, UH, AND, UH, PUBLIC COLLEGES. HOWEVER, OUR CONCERN IS HERE, UH, WITH OUR, UH, WITH OUR CITY, OUR MUNICIPALITY, UH, AT THE 87TH TEXAS, UH, LEGISLA, UH, LEGISLATURE. THEY FUNDED DAG THIS YEAR THAT THE STATE AT 30 MILLION. UH, I USUALLY ASK, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS MAYORS OF MILITARY COMMUNITIES. SO I REPRESENT THE 15 MAYORS IN THE 15 COMMUNITIES THAT HOST, UH, MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND I ALWAYS ASK FOR 50 TO 75,000, ALTHOUGH THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IF YOU ADD 'EM ALL TOGETHER. UH, OF ALL THE NECESSITY OF ALL THE NEEDS OUT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE USUALLY GET IN, UH, SAN ANTONIO, WE USUALLY GET ABOUT $5 MILLION. UM, GRANT, UH, MINIMUM IS A 50 K IN THE MAX IS FIVE, UH, 5 MILLION. UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WANNA MENTION ABOUT THE GRANT ITSELF IS THAT WHOEVER, IF WE DO, ARE AWARDED A GRANT, WE HAVE TO MATCH IT AT 50%. AND SO THAT'S THE LAW, OR THAT'S WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES. TWO APPLICATION PERIODS. UM, NOVEMBER AS, UH, JEFF HAD MENTIONED, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, NEXT MONTH TO PUT THIS APPLICATION IN, AND THEN SPRING OF 2022, UM, SINCE 19, UH, SINCE 97, THERE'S BEEN ABOUT 83 MILLION AWARDED. UH, IT WASN'T CALLED DAG BACK THEN, BUT IT WAS A STATE FUNDED, UH, PROGRAM. AND, UH, THIS, I'M NOT GONNA READ THIS TO YOU, BUT WE DO GET A LOT OF RETURN ON INVESTMENT. WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT DAG PROJECTS HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. UM, WATER CONNECTORS, ELECTRICAL GRIDS, UH, THESE KINDS OF THINGS, EASEMENTS, UH, TO PROTECT OUR MISSIONS. SO THIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM FOR US, AND IT'S STATE MONEY. UM, SO WHAT ARE WE APPLYING FOR HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO? UH, GENERAL MILLER, UH, BRI GENERAL CAROLINE MILLER CAME TO US WITH PRIORITIES. HER, UH, TOP PRIORITIES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT HER MISSION. AND THIS WAS ONE OF 'EM. THIS WAS HER NUMBER TWO PRIORITY. THIS IS THE ONE I THINK THAT'S, UH, EASIER TO DO, AND IT IS NOT AS AS EXPENSIVE AS HER FIRST PRIORITY. UH, BUT STORMWATER CREEKS ARE PUSHING DEBRIS AS THE RAIN COMES DOWN INTO THE FENCES, INTO THE FENCE LINES. UH, AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT CREATES GAPS IN THE FENCE LINES. THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, UH, OR THE, SINCE I HAVE BEEN HERE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GATE RUNNERS OR GATE JUMPERS THAT GO INTO THE INSTALLATION. WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF TIMES THAT THEY'VE GONE INTO INSTALLATIONS AND THEY'VE HAD WEAPONS ON 'EM. UH, I WAS LOCKED DOWN IN THE GYM AND, UH, FORT SAM FOR SIX HOURS, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAD TO LOCK THE BASE DOWN BECAUSE SOME KNUCKLEHEAD WENT IN AND HAD A, HAD A WEAPON. SO WHAT THAT DOES IS CREATE, AND HE WENT THROUGH ONE OF THOSE GAPS. SO THIS MITIGATES THAT KIND OF FORCE PROTECTION, UH, THAT IT, OR THAT KIND OF, UH, SECURITY OR MITIGATES THAT KIND OF THREAT THAT THE BASES GO THROUGH. UM, I ALWAYS GET ASKED, HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT THE CITY? HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT THE REGION? WELL, THERE'S ABOUT 80,000 EMPLOYEES AT OUR BASES HERE. UH, 85, UH, 80,000, 85% OF THEM LIVE OUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES. SO IT'S PROTECTING THEM. IT'S PROTECTING THE ASSETS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HAS. SO THIS IS GOOD, A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL PROJECT. UM, AND GENERAL MILLER SPENDS ABOUT 780 TO $800,000 A YEAR FIXING THESE FENCES. WHAT SHE'S PROPOSING, [01:00:01] IF WE DO THIS PROJECT, IT'LL BE A ONE-TIME FIX, AND WE WON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF YEARS. UM, THE APPLICATION ITSELF, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF A, A COMPLEX ISSUE HERE, BUT NOT REALLY. UH, THEY ASKED US, J B S A ASKED US A COUPLE YEARS AGO TO DO AN ENGINEERING STUDY. WE DID IT. OUR P W D DEPARTMENT DID IT. UH, SHE ASKED TO DO THAT ENGINEERING STUDY TO SEE HOW WE COULD FIX THE FORCE PROTECTION ISSUES, I E THE FENCES. SO THE RECOMMENDED FENCES CAME BACK FROM OUR, OUR OWN DEPARTMENT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR $600,000 TO FIX THE FENCES. THESE MULTIPLE FENCES AT BULLAS, UH, FORT SAM AND LACKLAND. AND ALL THEY ARE IS REINFORCED STEEL SECTIONS OF FENCE, UH, WITH SPECIAL DESIGNS IN ORDER TO TO, TO STOP ANYBODY FROM COMING INTO THE FENCE LINE. AND SO WHEN WE DID THE STUDY, THE APPLICATION, UH, TO THE STATE WAS, OR THE COST WAS $600,000, UM, NOW $600,000 TO FIX IT, UM, UH, WAS WHAT IT WOULD COST. AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU WHAT THE BREAKDOWN HERE OF HOW WE'RE GONNA, HOW WE'RE GONNA WORK THIS. SO THE STUDY ITSELF IS GONNA COUNT AS PART OF THE 50% MATCH. SO, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, THE ENGINEERING STUDY WAS 277,000. THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE. UH, AND THAT'S GONNA COUNT AS THE 50% MATCH THAT I TALKED ABOUT. UH, THE RECOMMENDED FIXES IS 600,000. SO THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS 877,000. UH, RAW NUMBERS, 50% MATCH IS 438,000. RIGHT THERE. WE'RE GETTING CREDIT FOR THE 200 AND, UH, 77. SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS YOUR APPROVAL FOR $161,500. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. AND SO THAT IS THE TOTAL COST. AND, UH, IF THAT IS APPROVED, THEN, UH, UH, WE'LL TAKE THAT TO COUNCIL. AND THEN WHAT WHAT'LL HAPPEN AT THAT POINT IS THEN WE'LL EXPLORE HOW TO FUND THAT. UH, YOU KNOW THAT 161,000 GO AHEAD, JEFF. CHAIRMAN, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR APPROVAL FOR FUNDING. WE'RE NOT DOING A BUDGET HERE. WHAT, WHAT ULTIMATELY, UH, WITH THE COMMITTEE'S PERMISSION, UH, THE OFFICE OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS WILL SUBMIT THE APPLICATION. IF IT IS AWARDED, AND WE EXPECT TO FIND OUT JANUARY TIMEFRAME, WE WOULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL, AS WE ALWAYS DO WITH AN ITEM TO ACCEPT GRANT MONIES. AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE WOULD IDENTIFY THE REMAINDER OF THE LOCAL MATCH THAT WOULD COME FROM THE CITY. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT MAKES SENSE. AND, AND I, I THINK IT MAKES BETTER SENSE IN MY HEAD. UM, OR THE WAY I WOULD EXPLAIN IT WOULD BE YOU ARE ASKING US FOR PERMISSION TO REPRESENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT THERE'S $161,000 THAT WE'RE WILLING TO MATCH. I IF WE GET THE GRANT RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S RIGHT. STATE GOVERNMENT. ALL RIGHT. YES. OKAY. IT'S A STATE YES. AND THEN WE'LL GO, WE WILL, WE WILL WORK IT FROM THERE TO GET THE FUNDING. GREAT. UM, THANK YOU. UH, GENERAL, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T WANNA INTERRUPT. IS THAT, IS THAT IT? THAT'S IT. WELL, THIS IS, UH, JUST A DEPICTION OF WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. UH, AND, UH, AND THEN THE WRAP UP. JUST GIVE A QUICK WRAP UP HERE. THAT'S THE FIRST APPLICATION DAG APPLICATION THAT WE IN THE CITY, UH, ARE GONNA SUBMIT. UH, IN THE PAST, THERE'S BEEN OTHERS THAT HAVE SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS. UM, AGAIN, THE ENGINEERING STUDY WAS CONSIDERED IN KIND SHORES UP ANTI-TERRORISM FORCE PROTECTION, AND IT SAVES J B S A COST AVOIDANCE. I KNOW, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY'S ON THE CALL, HE ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT COUNT COST AVOIDANCE. HERE'S THE COST AVOIDANCE. AND, UH, SO AGAIN, UH, AS I MISSTATED AND JEFF CORRECTLY STATED, WE'RE ASKING FOR, UH, PERMISSION OR WE'RE ASKING FOR APPROVAL, UH, TO TAKE THIS FORWARD, UH, AND THEN SEEK THE FUNDING AT, UH, IF IT'S ONCE IT'S APPROVED. GREAT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILWOMAN? YEAH, SURE. THANK YOU. AND, UM, COMMISSIONER DEBERRY AND COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I SIT ON ACOG. AND SO I, MY, MY QUESTION IS JUST, SO USUALLY WE GET THESE THROUGH ACOG, AND I'M WONDERING, UH, IS THERE A STRATEGY, DID ACOG ALREADY KIND OF OUT APPLY? UH, AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING SO THAT I CAN BE FULLY PREPARED ALSO FOR, FOR THE ACOG MEETING, UH, AT THE MILITARY TRANSFORMATION TASK FORCE, UH, THESE COME UP, UH, AND ACOG IS REPRESENTED AS IS THE COUNTY, UH, AS C P S SAWS, ALL THE ENTITIES THAT HAVE DONE THESE IN THE PAST. UH, AND SO THIS PARTICULAR ONE, UH, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, WE REACT TO WHAT THE MILITARY ASKED, UH, ASKED US TO, TO DO THIS ONE. OKAY. BUT THEY ARE REPRESENTED, I MEAN, THESE, THESE ARE ALL BROUGHT UP AT THE MILITARY TRANSFORMATION TASK FORCE, AND DIANE WRATH IS AT ALL OF THOSE. UH, COUNCILMAN IF I COULD I, 'CAUSE I KIND OF SET UP THE PROCESS DISCUSSION AT THE BEGINNING. SO THERE'S NOT REALLY A FORMAL PROCESS TO DECIDE WHO GOES AFTER DA. IN THE PAST, WE'VE HAD POTENTIAL CONFLICTS WHERE THE PORT WANTED TO APPLY, THE COUNTY WANTED TO APPLY, WHAT, WHAT HAVE YOU. SO WE'VE TYPICALLY HAD THE MILITARY TRANSFORMATION TASK FORCE DISCUSSIONS FOCUS ON ULTIMATELY WHAT JBS A'S PRIORITY IS. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ACTUALLY TAKE A VOTE, BUT THAT'S INTENDED TO BE A SORT OF AGREEMENT AMONG ALL THE PARTIES ABOUT WHO'S GOING FORWARD. SO [01:05:01] COUNTY APPLIED FOR, UH, MONEY AROUND TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY ROUND RANDOLPH SEVERAL YEARS AGO. SAWS APPLIED FOR THE ONE THAT CONNECTED THE BASES TO THE WATER SYSTEM. ACOG APPLIED FOR THE LAST ONE. THIS ONE, WHICH IS DECIDEDLY SMALLER THAN ALL OF THE PAST ONES, WAS JBS A'S REQUEST, UH, FOR THE CITY TO APPLY. AND SINCE IT'S A CITY, IT WOULD BE A CITY APPLICATION. THAT'S WHY WE THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE BRINGING IT TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE HERE AND HAVING THAT DISCUSSION. GREAT. COMMISSIONER, DOES THAT HELP? COMMENTS? NO. COUNSEL. YES. SO MY UNDERSTANDING, JUST, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY NOW. SO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIX THE FENCES ANNUALLY TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 780,000 EVERY YEAR. YEAH. UM, AND SO THE CITY HAS ALREADY DONE AN ENGINEERING STUDY THAT HAS COST 277,000, WHICH WILL, UH, COUNT TOWARDS THE MATCH. UM, BUT WE NEED 161,500 MORE. WHERE WOULD THAT COME FROM? IS IT ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE 2022 BUDGET, OR WOULD IT BE SOMETHING NEXT YEAR? UH, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SAY, JEFF, BUT GO AHEAD. WELL, NO, IT'S WHAT, WELL, IT ISN'T ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE BUDGET. UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH ROD AND, UH, BEN, UH, BEN GO OUR, UH, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, ROD OVER OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND SO FORTH. UM, AND, UH, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY BE A MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT CONVERSATION. WE DON'T KNOW YET WHETHER WE'RE GONNA GET THE GRANT, SO IT'S NOT BEEN BUDGETED. MM-HMM. FOR AT THIS POINT, IF WE FIND OUT THAT WE ARE, THEN WE WOULD COME BACK, UH, AS PART OF THE MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT. ANYTHING THAT, YEAH. RAZZI AT, UH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UH, KNOWS ALL ABOUT THIS. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HE, HE'S ANTICIPATING IT. SO, YEAH, WE, AGAIN, WE SAID THIS IS PROJECT IS A POSSIBILITY. OKAY. AND MAN, THERE WAS ANOTHER QUESTION WITH THAT ONE. IF, OH, DO WE NEED A, UH, DO WE NEED A MOTION? OKAY. I MOVE TO APPROVE YOU APPLYING FOR THE GRANT, IS THAT WE GOT A MOTION A SECOND. EVERYBODY IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. HEARING YOUR OPPOSITION GREEN LIGHT. THANK YOU. THANKS, GENERAL. IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU. UH, THAT BRINGS US TO AN END OF, UH, MOTION OR NO, 'CAUSE IT'S A BUDGETARY IMPLICATION. THE FULL COUNSEL ITEM WOULD BE POST-AWARD. PERFECT. SO YEAH, THAT IS THE INTENT. AND THAT WAY WHEN WE COME BACK, IF WE'RE AWARDED AND WE COME BACK IN JANUARY OR WHENEVER WITH THE ACCEPTANCE ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WE'LL NOTE THAT IT HAD BEEN BRIEFED AT, UH, I G R PRIOR TO APPLICATION. OH YEAH. COUNCIL PERRY, DID YOU VOTE ON THIS? YES, I DID VOTE I WANTED, UM, AND, UH, LEMME SEE. THERE IS A, UH, UH, A DC TRIP COMING UP. UH, MAYOR AND I ARE GONNA BE GOING UP THERE AND TALKING TO, UM, WHITE HOUSE. RIGHT. UM, D O T. YEAH. AND THAT'S, UH, SO THERE'LL BE A REPORT ON THAT, UM, FOLLOWING THE TRIP. AND THIS IS MY THIRD ATTEMPT AT TELLING STAFF HOW MUCH I ADMIRE YOU GUYS AND, AND, UH, FOR THE HARD WORK YOU'RE PUTTING INTO IT. AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS SPEND A LOT OF TIME AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILIES IN THE EVENING WORKING ON SOME OF THIS STUFF IN AUSTIN, UH, CHRISTINE AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PUTTING IN, UH, THE MIDNIGHT, UH, HOURS AS WELL. AND SO, UM, SERIOUSLY, I CAN'T THANK YOU GUYS ENOUGH FOR PUTTING IN THIS WORK. AND JEFF, UH, EXCELLENT WORK. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANKS. WE'RE ADJOURNED, COMMISSIONER. THANK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.