* 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. [00:00:01] ANTONIO. ANTONIO, SAN ANTONIO. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE. IF YOU CAN BEGIN TO QUIET THE CONVERSATION AND TAKE YOUR SEATS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. THE NINE THE TIME IS 9:18 AM WE'RE GONNA CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION AGENDA TO ORDER. UH, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO PRESENTE. COUNCIL MEMBER GAO BERDA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER BELI. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. HERE. MAYOR NIERENBERG. HERE. MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THE TIME IS 9:18 AM ON THIS 21ST DAY OF OCTOBER, 2021. OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS NOW IN ORDER. UH, AND, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD [1. Invocation] AND START. UH, LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER S TO WELCOME OUR IN VINDICATOR. THANKS, MAYOR. I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE. TODAY I'M PROUD TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MY FRIENDS, THE STUDENTS OF THE NISHAN ACADEMY, WHO ARE GONNA LEAD US IN PRAYER. THE NISHAN ACADEMY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2010 AS PART OF THE SIKH CENTER OF SAN ANTONIO AS A YOUTH CENTRIC PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES YEAR ROUND INSTRUCTION IN THE AREAS OF SEEK HISTORY, SEEK CULTURE, AND GA. THE THE MISSION OF THE ACADEMY IS TO EMBODY SIKH TEACHINGS AND THE VALUES OF GUANA WHILE NOURISHING THE MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF SIKHS. AND IT'S A PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOR TO HAVE THE STUDENTS HERE TODAY. I'M GONNA INTRODUCE YOU TO THE CHILDREN, ONE BY ONE, RA MANAT SGA AVNI SINGH. LIN KAUR, IKA CHUUK JALINE SGA ARAB KAUR SINE KAUR RI KAUR, JAIN, KAUR AND CHU. WELCOME KIDS. THIS SHOW'S YOURS. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. BEFORE WE BEGIN TODAY, LET US FOCUS INTERNALLY TO OUR JOKE, THE LIGHT THAT HAS BEEN PLACED WITHIN EACH OF US BY THE CREATOR . THERE IS ONE GUY, SATNAM, WHOSE NAME IS TRUTH, GAR UCK, THE CREATOR OF ALL KNIT BALL, BALL BEYOND FEAR, NI, BAD WITHOUT HATRED, A GMU, A TIMELESS AND FORMLESS. A, A JOURNEY OUTSIDE THE CYCLE OF BIRTH AND DEATH. SEVEN, SEVEN, SELF EXISTING GOOD PERSON, GOOD PERSON. LET US PRAY WITH THE GOODY'S BLESSING. WE START THIS PRAYER IN GRATITUDE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO TRUTH AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES, SO THAT WE MAY LIVE REALLY TODAY. THANK YOU FOR THE EARTH WE STAND ON, WHICH WAS ONCE THE TRIBAL LANDS OF THE KOWA [00:05:01] UA AND COUNTLESS OTHER UNNAMED FIRST PEOPLES. THANK YOU FOR THE CITY, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND FOR ALL THE DIVERSITY AND GOODNESS WITHIN IT. PLEASE GUIDE ALL THOSE IN THIS COUNCIL AND STAFF AS THE SERVANTS OF YOUR DIVINE WILL. AND BY YOUR GRACE, LET THEM WORK TOGETHER AS FELLOW TEXANS SO THEY CAN DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO. OUR PEOPLE. PLEASE GIVE THEM THE STRENGTH, ENERGY, AND GOODWILL TO PUT IN THEIR BEST EFFORT TO MAKE THIS A NOURISHING, EQUITABLE, AND SUCCESSFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL. AND GUIDE THEM WITH COMPASSION AS THEY WORK TODAY. MAY ALL PEOPLE BE LOVED AND RESPECTED AND GIVEN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING HEALTH, SAFETY, HAPPINESS, AND PROSPERITY, NOT ONLY TODAY, BUT FOR MANY FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COME. THANK YOU FOR BLESSING THIS ASSEMBLY WITH YOUR GRACE AND GUIDANCE. MAY ALL SPIRITS BE UPLIFTED AND EXALTED BY OUR NAME, WITH PRAYERS OF PEACE OF THE ENTIRE WORLD. WHY [2. Pledge of Allegiance] OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TWO WITCHES STANDS, ONE NATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KIDS. WELL DONE. ALRIGHT, OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY FOR ACTION IS THE CITY COUNCIL [3. Approval of minutes from City Council Meetings of September 9, 2021 and September 15, 2021.] MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 9TH AND 15TH, 2021. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE MINUTES. SO MOVED. SECOND. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. MINUTES SEPTEMBER NINE AND 15, 20 21. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE. I ALL MOTION CARRIES. BEFORE WE GET STARTED [Additional Item] TODAY, UH, ON OUR AGENDA, THERE ARE A FEW, UM, GUESTS THAT WE WANNA RECOGNIZE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. AND I'LL GO FIRST, UH, BY ASKING THE LEADERSHIP OF SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE TO PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. CONGRATULATIONS TO SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE, WHICH WAS RECENTLY NAMED THE NUMBER ONE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE NATION, HONORED WITH A $1 MILLION ASPEN PRIZE FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE EXCELLENCE. JOINING US, UH, FROM THE ALAMO COLLEGES, UH, IN OUR SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE LEADERSHIP, UH, OUR STAFF, UH, ALSO BOARD, UH, WE HAVE OUR, OUR, UH, CHAIRMAN, GENE SPRAGUE, OUR VICE CHAIR YVONNE KATZ, OUR BOARD MEMBER JOE ALDRETE. WE HAVE OUR PRESIDENT ROBERT VELA, AND WE HAVE THE ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE STAFF WHO HAVE JOINED US TODAY. AND, AND ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO UPLIFT, UH, ALL OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE ENTERING THE WORKFORCE. THIS AWARD IS JUST THE LATEST SUCCESS IN THE ALAMO COLLEGES WHO HAVE ACHIEVED, UH, RECOGNITION IN THE ASPEN PROGRAM. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE ASPEN PRIZE WAS AWARDED 2019 AND 2021. ONE OF THE, THE ALAMO COLLEGES HAS PLACED FIRST OR SECOND, AND MOST OF OUR COLLEGES HAVE BEEN IN THE TOP 10%. THESE RECOGNITIONS ARE A TESTAMENT TO THE ALAMO COLLEGE'S ACHIEVEMENT AND STUDENT SUCCESS. THE ASPEN PRIZE HONORS COMMUNITY COLLEGES WHO HAVE REACHED THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT IN SIX AREAS, TEACHING AND LEARNING, CERTIFICATE AND DEGREE COMPLETION TRANSFER, AND BACHELOR'S ATTAINMENT, WORKFORCE SUCCESS, EQUITY FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR AND STUDENTS FROM LOW INCOME BACKGROUNDS, AND FINALLY, LEADERSHIP AND INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE. SO ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, I'M PROUD TO PRESENT THE CITATION TO THE SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE IN HONOR OF WINNING YOUR 2021 ASPEN PRIZE FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE EXCELLENCE. THIS AWARD RECOGNIZES YOUR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THOSE SIX AREAS AND YOUR DEDICATION TO DRAMATICALLY IMPROVING DEGREE COMPLETION BY DEVELOPING A CARING CULTURE, UNDERGIRDED BY A ROBUST CULTURE OF INQUIRY AND ACTION IS TRULY WORTHY OF COMMENDATION. NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NURENBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF COUNCIL, PROUDLY EXTENDS SINCERE APPRECIATION OF THE SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE ON THIS OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENT [00:10:01] AND OFFER BEST WISHES FOR MANY MORE YEARS TO COME. CONGRATULATIONS EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. CONGRATULATIONS TO SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO TO TOP THAT NEXT YEAR, BUT WE EXPECT THAT THEY WILL. ALRIGHT, THANKS JOE. OKAY. UM, NOW I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ TO ALSO RECOGNIZE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS WE HAVE TODAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO UTILIZE THIS POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED FOR THEIR 20 PLUS YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE ADOPT A SPOT PROGRAM HOSTED BY OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE GROUP COLLECTED OVER A TON OF TRASH THAT'S OVER 2000 POUNDS, OVER 2000 POUNDS OF TRASH AND DEBRIS. AND IT'S DUE TO THE HARD WORK OF THE BROTHERS OF OMEGA SCI-FI THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS ABLE TO MORE EFFECTIVELY MAINTAIN EAST SIDE STREETS AND DRAINAGE AREAS DURING THE SCHEDULED MOWING AND STREET SWEEPING, AGAIN, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE BROTHERS OF OMEGA SCI-FI FOR OVER 20 YEARS OF HARD WORK AND SERVICE TO THE DISTRICT TWO COMMUNITY. WE VALUE YOU AND WE THANK YOU, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND. YES. PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. UH, NOW LET ME RECOGNIZE OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA FOR A POINT OF PERSON PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. TODAY I INVITE, UH, JUDGE PETER AKA TO COME UP TO THE, UM, THE PODIUM. PLEASE, UH, JUDGE PETER AKA WILL BE RETIRING FROM THE BENCH AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. JUDGE AKA HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY IN SOMETIMES QUIET ADVOCACY. HE HAS HIS EFFORTS TO HELP VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND DAY-TO-DAY WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN OF OUR COMMUNITY. DOESN'T ALWAYS GET THE HEADLINES, BUT IT ABSOLUTELY HAS CHANGED CHILDREN'S LIVES. JUDGE SAKA IS A LONGHORN, UH, GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY AT TEXAS , AND WENT TO LAW SCHOOL THERE AS WELL. FROM THE START OF HIS CAREER, HE'S BEEN A CHAMPION OF CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AND WELLBEING. IN 1981, HE WAS APPOINTED CHIEF OF THE JUVENILE SECTION OF THE DA'S OFFICE. 1995 WAS A 1995, WAS APPOINTED TO THE BEXAR COUNTY CHILDREN'S COURT, AND IN 2006, ELECTED TO THE 225TH DISTRICT COURT. HE'S BEEN REELECTED THREE TIMES IN THAT TIME. [00:15:01] HE'S LED WITH DETERMINATION AND NEW IDEAS TO END CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT TO END FAMILY VIOLENCE. AND THAT'S BEEN HIS GREATEST IMPACT, CHALLENGING US AS A COMMUNITY TO FIND NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO HELP CHILDREN AND KEEP THEIR FAMILIES TOGETHER. WE'VE ALL SEEN THE RESULT OF HIS WORK, A CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES BUILDING, THE BEXAR COUNTY CHILDREN'S COURT TO BE A MODEL FOR THE NATION, THE INNOVATIVE FAMILY DRUG TREATMENT COURT, AND THE OUTSIDE THE BOX FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCING PROJECT THAT PROVIDES FAMILY WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR HEALING. NOT TOO LONG AGO, HE DEVELOPED THE INFANTS AND TODDLERS COURT, WHICH WE CALL BABY COURT THAT LOOKS OUT FOR BABIES AND THEIR FAMILIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR LIVES. HE'S BEEN A STALWART FIGHTER AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ESTABLISHING THE COLLABORATIVE COMMISSION ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THE LIST OF AWARDS HE'S RECEIVED IS JUST AS LONG WITH LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL RECOGNITIONS. THERE'S ONE THING I WANT TO BRING TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION BECAUSE IT'S AN ISSUE THAT I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT. JUDGE AKA'S WORK HAS INCLUDED PRESIDING OVER CASES OF FOSTER CHILDREN WITHOUT PLACEMENT, AND HE RECENTLY BROUGHT FOSTER KIDS DIRE NEEDS TO OUR ATTENTION. WE'VE HEARD ABOUT, UH, FOSTER KIDS SLEEPING IN CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES OFFICE OFFICES BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. JUDGE. THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM ISN'T IN THE CITY'S DIRECT PURVIEW, BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP THE LIVES OF FOSTER CHILDREN WITHOUT CHILDREN, WITHOUT PLACEMENT. AND I'VE BEEN INSPIRED BY JUDGE AKA'S WORK AND WANTED TO HELP CONTINUE THAT AS MUCH AS I CAN FROM MY SEAT ON THIS DAIS. JUDGE AKA IS WITH US THIS MORNING, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIFE RACHEL. NO, SHE NOT HERE. OH, OKAY. I'M SORRY. WE'LL, HI, RACHEL, WHEREVER YOU ARE, AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE JUDGE WITH US. RACHEL, THANK YOU, JUDGE, FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS. OFFER, UM, INVITE YOU TO SAY A FEW WORDS IF I, IF I MAKE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL TAKE OFF THE MASK. I KNOW THAT MAY BE BAD PROFILE, BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO THESE MASKS. AND SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I'M BREACHING PROTOCOL IN YOUR HOLLOWED CITY COUNCIL. UH, FIRST OF ALL, COUNCILWOMAN, HAVE THANK YOU FOR, FOR THIS RECOGNITION AND MAYOR CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU. BUT I, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, I GOTTA TELL YOU, ONLY MANNY ELAS WOULD BRING THESE KIDS UP. AND YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE HAD TO LEARN OVER THESE YEARS AND THIS GRAY HAIR, THESE KIDS ARE ALREADY SAYING IT. SO YOU KNOW, MAN, YOU, YOU'VE UPSTAGED ME AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE KIDS. BUT, BUT ONE THING I WANT CITY COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND IN OUR COMMUNITY IS WHAT IS SO SIGNIFICANT WHEN WE HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE COMING UP IN OUR COMMUNITY, ABLE TO EXPRESS THE VALUES OF WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR ALAMO COLLEGE DISTRICT TRAINING, EDUCATING, WE HAVE YOU AS CITY COUNCIL LEADING THE CITY. WE ARE IN GOOD HANDS. AND EVEN THOUGH I MAY BE STEPPING DOWN, I THINK I'M GOING ON A NEW PATH. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS. I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN MY CAREER, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE BACKSTORIES COUNCILWOMAN, IS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SERVE ON YOUR MUNICIPAL COURT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AND I'VE SERVED WITH COUNCILWOMAN HDA, COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, AND I'M PROUD TO TELL YOU THAT ALONG WITH MYSELF, AND I THINK IT'S JUDGE KATHY STAHL, ANOTHER DISTRICT COURT BENCH. I WANT TO TELL YOU, YOU HAVE A STRONG, DIVERSE JUDICIARY REPRESENTING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD THAT Y'ALL HAVE PUT THAT FAITH INTO THAT DEDICATION TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR JUDICIARY IS REFLECTIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY. I'M ALSO THANKFUL TO ERIC WALSH AND HIS STAFF MARIA VILLAGOMEZ AND FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF COLLEEN BRIDGER, DR. BRIDGER, ON HELPING ME ESTABLISH THE CLOUD OF COMMISSION ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. I THINK, ERIC, IF YOU'D REMEMBER IT JUST STARTED THE FACT WE WERE AT A LUNCHEON WITH MARTHA ELIAS, MANNY'S MOM SAYING, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GONNA DO ABOUT IT? AND WE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE GOT TO COME TOGETHER. AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE FEW INITIATIVES. I KNOW SOMETIMES CITY COUNTY DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK WELL, OR SOMETIMES THERE'S A LACK OF COMMUNICATION OR LACK OF COORDINATION, COLLABORATION. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS COLLABORATIVE COMMISSION ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I KNOW THE NUMBERS AREN'T GOOD. WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE SEEING A REPORT THAT DEATHS AS REGARDS TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE GOING TO HIT ANOTHER PEAK, WHICH TELLS US THAT WE STILL HAVE MUCH MORE WORK TO DO. BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS STEPPED UP. Y'ALL PUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS A PRIORITY, AND YOU PUT THE MONEY WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE. AND I WILL TELL YOU [00:20:01] THAT FROM BEING A JUDGE IN A COURTHOUSE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET HERE, IT WILL, THIS IS THE TYPE OF WORK THAT IS NECESSARY TO MOVE A COMMUNITY TO A BETTER PLACE. THAT WE REALLY LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES AND THE CHILDREN. THAT'S REALLY WHY I RECOGNIZE THOSE CHILDREN HERE TODAY, THIS MORNING. THEY'RE OUR FUTURE. AND I WILL TELL YOU, IF THOSE ARE THE KIDS THAT ARE GONNA LEAD, WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. SO, COUNCILWOMAN COUNCIL, MAYOR, ALL OF YOU, THANK YOU FOR THIS RECOGNITION. I'VE TRIED TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY WELL AND, UH, I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND I WISH EVERYONE WELL, GOD BLESS Y'ALL. THANK YOU. GOTTA GET BACK TO WORK. OKAY. SORRY. BEFORE YOU LEAVE, JUDGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS, THANKS, UM, JUDGE, YOU'VE GOT THE BROADEST SHOULDERS IN ALL OF SAN ANTONIO. UH, I, I'VE SEEN YOU MAKE SOME OF THE MOST PAINFUL DECISIONS. UM, AND I, I'VE SEEN YOU AGONIZE OVER THOSE DECISIONS. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I GO HOME AND, YOU KNOW, I COMPLAIN TO, TO MY FAMILY AND MY MOTHER. MAN, WE HAD TO MAKE SOME REAL HARD DECISIONS TODAY. AND, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE BURDEN OF CITY COUNCIL IS, YOU KNOW, MAKES MY BACK HURT, RIGHT? AND, UH, OH MY GOSH, IT WAS AGONIZING. AND MY MOM IS ALWAYS QUICK TO REMIND ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS CHILD'S PLAY COMPARED TO THE STUFF THAT COMES BEFORE YOU. UM, AND THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR SO MANY YEARS. UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT YOU KNOW, THINK YOU'VE HAD A TOUGH DAY, JUDGE SAKA SEES FAMILY AFTER FAMILY, AFTER FAMILY AFTER FAMILY, DOZENS OF THEM A DAY AT THEIR WORST, UM, AT THEIR LOWEST AT THEIR, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH THEIR UGLIEST CRISES. AND HIS JOB IS TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE A WAY FORWARD TOWARDS A PLACE OF DIGNITY AND SAFETY. AND HE HAS TO DEAL AND DECIDE WITH WHERE CHILDREN GO FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU LEAVE THEM IN A BETTER PLACE. I, I GOTTA ALSO TELL YOU THAT, UM, YOU ARE A MENTOR TO ME, UH, AND THAT I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT, THAT YOU'VE EVER TOLD ME AND THE GOOD ADVICE. BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WATCH TV AND, AND ARE PAYING ATTENTION, MY FRIEND ALEX BEAM HAS A, HAS AN AD OUT WHERE HE CALLS HIMSELF THE LAW GIANT. AND APPARENTLY FOR, HE FORGOT THAT YOU'RE THE REAL LAW GIANT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, YOU REALLY ARE. YOU'RE A, A GIANT IN, UH, IN, IN, IN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN SAN ANTONIO'S LEGAL COMMUNITY. UM, AND YOU, UH, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT YOU LIVE IN MY MOM'S HOUSE. UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME WE GO OVER, THERE'S AN EMPTY SEAT AT THE DINNER TABLE, AND YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE SITTING IN IT BECAUSE THE ONLY THING THAT SHE EVER TALKS ABOUT IS JUDGE SAKA SAID THIS. JUDGE SAKAI SAID THAT. AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, SHE ISSUES ORDERS OF CONTEMPT IN YOUR NAME, RIGHT? AND SHE THREATENS TO FIND, YOU KNOW, TO CALL JUDGE AKA AND HAVE HIM ISSUE AN ORDER OF COURT. YOU KNOW, SO I, I SHOW UP LATE FOR DINNER CONTEMPT, UH, YOU KNOW, I FORGOT TO CALL MY GRANDMOTHER CONTEMPT, RIGHT? UM, SO I, I GOTTA TELL YOU, THIS COURTHOUSE IS, UM, GONNA HAVE A HARD TIME, YOU KNOW, UH, BRINGING IN SOMEBODY WITH THE, WITH THE GRAVITAS WITH, UH, THAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE. AND I, I KNOW THAT THEY'LL EVENTUALLY FIND SOMEBODY, BUT OOH, THAT PERSON'S GONNA HAVE A BIG, BIG, BIG TIME TRYING TO GET OUT FROM UNDER THE SHADOW OF, OF JUDGE SAKAI. SO I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE. UM, AND, UM, NO EXAGGERATION. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER APLA JUDGE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LIFETIME OF SERVICE, UH, TO SUPPORT FAMILIES IN SAN ANTONIO. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU, UH, AND WE ARE CERTAINLY GRATEFUL FOR THE WHOLE COLLABORATIVE COMMISSION, WHICH YOU HELPED ESTABLISH. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, [00:25:01] JUDGE. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. ALRIGHT, UH, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR AGENDA TODAY AND, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE AND WATCHING, UH, LET ME JUST, UM, GO OVER A FEW THINGS. WE DO HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. I'LL PULL MY AGENDA UP. UH, THOSE ARE ITEMS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN. UH, WE DO HAVE A CONSENT AGENDA IN ADDITION TO A TIME CERTAIN 2:00 PM ZONING AGENDA. UH, SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA ASK MY [Consent Agenda] COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, TO BE HEARD FOR INDIVIDUALLY IN ADDITION TO THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY LISTED. 24 MAYOR. OKAY. ITEM 24, 16. 16. ANY OTHERS? OKAY, IF THERE ARE NONE, UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 19. OKAY, WE'LL, UH, YOU CAN DO THAT WHEN WE DISCUSS THE CONSENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO MOVED. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAY FOR ONE, EXCUSE ME, FOUR THROUGH SEVEN, 10, EXCUSE ME, FOUR THROUGH SEVEN, 16, AND 24. AND THEN THE 2:00 PM ZONING AGENDA. UM, ALRIGHT. THERE ARE NO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS THAT ARE REMAINING ON CONSENT. UH, SO WE'LL GO STRAIGHT INTO, UH, COUNCIL DISCUSSION. AND, UH, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO QUEUE UP ON THAT CONSENT AGENDA HIGHLIGHTED ITEM SO I CAN MAKE SURE KEEP TRACK OF THE Q BE SEPARATE. UH, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY CURRENTLY, BUT I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WANTS TO SPEAK ON 27 AN ITEM OR TWO ON CONSENT. SO DIDN'T, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, WHY DON'T YOU START US OFF? YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, SEVERAL OF DISTRICT FIVE APPOINTEES. UM, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE ROLAND MOOKA TO THE HISTORIC DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION, UH, AND COMMEND HIM FOR HIS COMMITMENT IN, UH, PRESERVE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES WITHIN DISTRICT FIVE AND HIS ADVOCACY AROUND HOUSING AND COMMUNITY, UH, MITIGATING COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT RATHER. UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE VELMA BEYA, WHO'S BEEN APPOINTED TO THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMISSION. UM, SHE HAS A, A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO UPLIFTING COMM COMMUNITIES AND HAS TAKEN THE LEADERSHIP POSITION WITH THE WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION'S COALITION. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH HER. I'D ALSO LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, JEREMY NO, UH, NIN, UH, FOR THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES. UM, THAT'S A VERY, UM, INTERESTING BOARD THAT OUR DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS ALWAYS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ALONGSIDE JEREMY TO ENSURE THAT DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS HAVE THE APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATION REGARDING WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, IN THAT BOARD AS WELL AS MARK GARCIA, WHO'S GOING TO SERVE ON THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SO, LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN THAT COMMITTEE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE QUEUED UP FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, SO IF, IF THAT IS TRUE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE QUESTION. IF NOT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. OKAY. HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S APPROVAL OF ALL ITEMS, SAY FOR FOUR THROUGH SEVEN 16, AND THEN 24. ALL RIGHT, MOTION CARRIES. ALL [4. Ordinance reappointing Carla Obledo as Municipal Court Presiding Judge for the remainder of a two year term expiring April 30, 2023. [Andy Segovia, City Attorney]] RIGHT, WE'LL GO NOW TO OUR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. START WITH ITEM NUMBER FOUR. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE, UH, ORDINANCE THAT WILL REAPPOINT JUDGE ODO AS A MUNICIPAL COURT PRESIDING JUDGE. WE'RE PLEASED TO PUT THAT BEFORE, UH, THE, THE, UH, COUNCIL THIS MORNING. UM, THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE SELECTION WAS RECOMMENDED WAS MANAGED THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL COURT, UH, COMMITTEE THAT WAS, THAT IS CHAIRED BY, UH, COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN CAVERA. AND SO I'M GONNA PASS IT TO HER TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE NOMINATION. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. THANK [00:30:01] YOU, ANDY. UH, I INVITE, UH, JUDGE BLETHER TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM TODAY. WE ARE CONSIDERING A REAPPOINTMENT TO JUDGE CARLO BLEO AS OUR, OUR MUNICIPAL COURT PRESIDING JUDGE. THE POSITION COMES WITH A RESPONSIBILITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT OVER OUR MUNICIPAL COURTS. HERE'S SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE IN A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO YEARS. AM I RIGHT THAT, UM, SINCE WE FIRST APPOINTED HER TO THE COURT, UM, JUDGE BLATHER HELPED US REIMAGINE AND STREAMLINE THE MUNICIPAL COURT PROCESS WITH AN ONLINE DASHBOARD, UH, DASHBOARD THAT WAS KEY TO THE COURT OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC. THE STREAMLINING ALSO HELPED IMPROVE COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THE MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM. IN A FEW WEEKS, THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER MUNICIPAL COURT KIOSKS, WHICH TAKES THE STREAMLINING PROCESS TO A HIGHER LEVEL THROUGH AUTOMATION, ACCESSIBILITY, AND TIME SAVINGS. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION IN NOVEMBER, AND I REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT PARTICULAR, UM, UH, ISSUE AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT JUDGE OLOW HAS DONE TO HELP BRING THE COURTS INTO THE COMMUNITY. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, DURING THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO PEOPLE, FOR PEOPLE TO GET THEIR COURTS, UM, THEIR BUSINESS DONE WITH OUR MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM. AND SO YOU REALLY WERE, UM, YOU MADE THE COURTS AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE, AND I APPRECIATE CONTINUING TO SEE THAT, UM, ON THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND AND BEYOND. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO JUDGE BLAS STEWARDSHIP OF, OF THAT PROCESS. SHE HAS VAST EXPERIENCE IN HER 20 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM. HER KNOWLEDGE OF TRIAL PROCESSES AND SPECIALTY COURTS AND PROCEEDINGS FROM SEARCH WARRANTS TO ANIMAL SEIZURE WARRANTS AND D P S HEARINGS ARE A VALUED ASSET. SO, UM, AT THAT, I MOVE TO APPROVE, UM, ITEM FOUR SECOND. ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR. UM, ALL RIGHT, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PAL. THANKS, CARLA. JUDGE, I, I ADMIRE YOU VERY MUCH, AND I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. I, I THINK YOU, I KNOW YOU THINK IT TOO, 2020 AND 2021 HAVE REALLY BEEN A KICK TO THE GUT, UH, EVERYTHING THAT ALL OF US DO. AND, AND I KNOW THAT YOU AND MUNICIPAL COURT HAVE DONE YOUR BEST AT TRYING TO INNOVATE WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT SERVICES OVER THERE AREN'T INTERRUPTED. I, I DID WANNA TAKE THIS ADVANTAGE, ADVANTAGE OF THIS MOMENT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I SEE MUNICIPAL COURT AS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT JUST TO BRING FOLKS IN AND ADJUDICATE THEIR, THEIR CASES, BUT I SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LEAVE PEOPLE IN A BETTER PLACE. UH, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE A MONTH COME THROUGH YOUR DOORS OVER THERE, RIGHT? AND I'M WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE ENGAGING AND TOUCHING THEM IN THE WAYS THAT MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL. DOES EVERY PERSON WHO, I'M SORRY FOLKS, IT'S REALLY HARD TO HEAR IN THE ROOM WHEN ALL OF YOU GUYS ARE TALKING OVER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. CAN YOU PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN? UM, AND I WONDER IF, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY PERSON WHO WALKS THROUGH THOSE DOORS GETS VITAL INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER CITY SERVICES AS PART OF THEIR PAPERWORK. UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. IS EVERY PERSON RECEIVING A SHEET OF PAPER TALKING ABOUT SERVICES REGARDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? RIGHT? DOES EVERYBODY, IS DOES EVERYBODY GET TOLD? YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE, OR IF YOU KNOW OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM, DO YOU HAVE, UH, ACCESS TO, YOU KNOW, OR YOU DO HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES, YOU'RE NOT ALONE. WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. DOES EVERY PERSON HAVE THAT WHEN WE KNOW THAT ONE IN THREE WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO HAVE OR WILL HAVE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STORY TO TELL? I I, I'M TELLING YOU, I KNOW THAT THAT DOESN'T, UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE. IT, IT, IT WOULDN'T COST ANYTHING FOR US TO ENGAGE THEM JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DIFFERENT WAYS. AND SO, I'M, I'M GONNA, THAT'S MY CHALLENGE FOR YOU FOR THIS NEXT, UH, YOU KNOW, NEXT CYCLE IS TO COME BACK TO US AND TELL US ALL THE WAYS THAT YOU'VE ENGAGED THEM IN DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, THAT HELP US, RIGHT? UM, IN, IN DOING WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. AND SO, ANYWAY, GOOD LUCK. I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA SUCCEED. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. AND JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW, AND ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, I, UM, ENCOURAGE I'D, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ATTEND ANY, TO MEET YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND ADDRESS THEM, AND ALSO TO LEARN FROM THEM, UM, HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THEIR COURT EXPERIENCE. SO, UM, AT ANY TIME I OR ANY OF THE JUDGES WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE HELPING TO SHAPE THE COURT BECAUSE IT IS THEIR COURT AS WELL. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. PIA, UH, JUDGE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE COURT. UM, UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO TRANSITION OUT OF, UM, A PRESIDING JUDGE WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR SO LONG, BUT YOU'VE DONE AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB. THANK YOU, UH, THROUGH THAT TRANSITION AND DEALING WITH, AS COUNCIL MEMBER PLY, UH, MENTIONED A A LOT OF CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT NO ONE WOULD'VE ANTICIPATED. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE, UH, YOUR DEDICATION TO THE COURT AND TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND I, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK COUNCILMAN KABE HDA FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT ON THE NEW MUNICIPAL [00:35:01] COURT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND COLLABORATING WITH YOU TO, UM, HELP BRING AWARENESS AND SOLUTIONS TO ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO THIS COUNCIL, AND ALSO TO THE COURT. SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT COLLABORATION. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, JUDGE. UH, WITH THAT THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR, HEARING. NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT, NOT UPDATING. THANK YOU. THE VOTE COUNT FOR SOME REASON'S NOT POPPING UP ON THE SCREEN AS IT USED TO. IT'S GOING UP ON THE PUBLIC MONITOR THOUGH, WHICH IS FINE. UM, ALRIGHT, UH, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE REQUEST. OKAY. UM, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE HAVING SOME TROUBLE WITH THE, UH, SPEAKER QUEUE AS WELL. IN, IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE, WHILE WE FIGURE THE TECH PART OUT, I'M GONNA ASK FOLKS TO GO AHEAD AND SIGNAL ME VISUALLY, UH, TO GET IN THE QUEUE, UH, IN THE MEANTIME. SO LET'S [5. Resolution approving the appointment of Marilu Reyna to the San Antonio Water System Board of Trustees (Southeast Quadrant) for the remainder of an unexpired term of office ending May 31, 2025 [Debbie RaccaSittre, Interim City Clerk]] MOVE TO ITEM FIVE. ITEM FIVE IS A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE APPOINTMENT OF MARY LORENA TO THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES SOUTHEAST QUADRANT FOR THE REMAINDER OF AN UNEXPIRED TERM OF OFFICE ENDING MAY 31ST, 2022. MAYOR, THERE WAS, THIS IS A CORRECTION. UH, THE AGENDA HAD SAID 2025, BUT WE ARE CORRECTING THAT FOR THE MINUTE TO 2022. OKAY. ALRIGHT. LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, UH, FOR MOTION AND DISCUSSION. SURE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, SO I WANTED TO START OFF BY THANKING ALL OF THE APPLICANTS. THERE WAS SEVEN APPLICANTS, UH, TO THE BOARD, AND I, I SIT ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. SO WE DID THE INTERVIEWS FOR SIX OF THESE APPLICANTS. ONE OF THEM, UM, WAS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US, BUT, UM, ERIC ELIZONDO AND, UH, JIM SMILE, AND BRENDA PACHECO AND SANDY WOLF AND KRISTI VILLANUEVA AND LAWRENCE, UH, WONG, UM, WOULD'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB, ANY OF THEM. AND SO IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT. I DO WANNA LET, UM, THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT INITIALLY WE ONLY HAD FIVE APPLICANTS AND MY COLLEAGUES, WE ONLY HAD FIVE APPLICANTS, AND WE DIDN'T THINK THAT, UH, WE SHOULD, UH, JUST INTERVIEW THE FIVE APPLICANTS. I WENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH TIME TO POST THAT PEOPLE WERE AWARE OF THE PROCESS AND THAT IF THEY WERE INTERESTED, THAT THEY COULD APPLY. AND THEN WE ONLY GOT TWO EXTRA APPLICANTS AFTER THAT. AND SO WE INTERVIEWED THE SECOND SET OF APPLICANTS DURING OUR GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. AND SO THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AREA, UH, FOR ME. IT'S THIS SOUTHEAST QUADRANT, AND SO I ALWAYS HAVE TO THINK OF THE RESIDENTS THAT, THAT I REPRESENT. AND, UM, SO I SPOKE WITH, UH, THE FOLKS WHO DID REACH OUT TO ME, UH, SPECIFICALLY TO REQUEST SOME TIME. AND SO, UM, I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO, TO MOST OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY. AND SO, UM, MR. SMILE, UH, BROUGHT SOME EXCELLENT POINTS WITH WATER, UH, EXPERTISE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE'S SHARED SEVERAL ARTICLES THAT I THINK THAT WE COULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM IN WORKING TOGETHER THE FUTURE. UM, MS. MS. BRENDA PACHECO, WHO WAS HERE, HAS, UH, A LONG HISTORY OF WORKING IN HER COMMUNITY AS, AS WELL. AND, AND, UM, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE THAT EVERYONE OF THESE FOLKS WOULD'VE BROUGHT EXCELLENT, UM, THINGS TO THE TABLE. SANDY WOLF, WHO WE'VE KNOWN, UM, HAS BEEN INVOLVED, UH, FOR A LONG TIME. AND KRISTI VILLANUEVA, WHO CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE FOR ISSUES, UM, IN HER AREA. HOWEVER, I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE REASONS THAT, UM, THAT, THAT I THINK THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I DECIDED TO, UM, SUBMIT MARILU FOR CONSIDERATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL. AND SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, I DO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT MARILU'S A PORT SAN ANTONIO BOARD MEMBER, AND I WAS WORRIED, UH, THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO LOSE HER ON PORT SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE IF SHE TOOK UP THE SASS APPOINTMENT, I WAS WORRIED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, ET CETERA. SO I HAD TO, UM, WORK EVEN TILL YESTERDAY TO CONFIRM WITH ANDY THAT, THAT THAT WASN'T GONNA HAPPEN. UM, SHE'S BEEN ON THE BOARD OVERSIGHT COMMISSION. UH, SHE HAS SERVED ON THE FACILITIES BOND COMMITTEE. UM, SHE HAS A MAJOR IN SOCIOLOGY AND A MINOR IN COMMUNICATIONS. SHE'S FORMERLY, UH, WORKED AT TEXAS A AND M, SAN ANTONIO, A BIG PART OF, UH, DISTRICT THREE. WE SHARE THAT WITH DISTRICT FOUR. UM, SHE HAS A CERTIFICATION AND REPUTATION RISK MANAGEMENT AS WELL, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE CRITICAL TO THIS POSITION. UM, AND I THINK THAT THE, THE ONE THAT I WAS REALLY, UH, HAPPY ABOUT ALSO IS THAT, UH, SHE HAS, UM, UH, RECEIVED, UH, TRAINING FROM THE L B J SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY FROM THE GOVERNOR CENTER FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT. SO I'M, UM, HOPEFUL THAT SHE COULD BRING SOME ADDITIONAL COACHING, IF YOU WILL, TO, TO THE STAFF OVER THERE. UM, BUT I WANTED TO, TO JUST KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HIGH LEVEL HIGHLIGHTS. UM, I HEARD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, HER BEING A PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONER. I SEE HER MORE AS A CRISIS COMMUNICATION [00:40:01] PRACTITIONER. UM, AND FOR SOME REASON PEOPLE ALWAYS THINK PR PEOPLE ARE BAD. AND LIKE, IT'S JUST WEIRD. BY THE WAY, I HAVE A PUBLIC RELATIONS DEGREE AS WELL. AND SO IT HURTS MY FEELINGS WHEN PEOPLE SAY, OH, PR PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, BUT SORRY THAT I, I TOTALLY WENT OFF ON THE TANGENT THERE. UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRENGTHS. I DID TALK WITH HER INDIVIDUALLY, AND SHE HAS, UH, UH, COMMITTED TO, TO HELPING WITH THE RISK MITIGATION PLAN THAT I HAVE FLAGGED TODAY. AND I WILL BRING UP AGAIN ON ITEM NUMBER 24. UH, AND SO CAN'T WAIT TO WORK, UM, WITH HER AND WITH THE REST OF, OF THE FOLKS. AND, UM, MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF MARILU REYNA TO THE SA BOARD OF, UH, TRUSTEES FOR THE REMAINING TERM TO EXPIRE MAY 31ST, 2022 FOR THE SAPPIES QUADRANT. I SECOND. ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. MOVE, UH, TO DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU EVERYONE. I, THIS PROCESS FOR ME BEGAN DURING CAMPAIGN WHEN I LEARNED THAT OUR, UH, LETICIA UNA WOULD BE RUNNING FOR THE, UH, SCHOOL BOARD. SO THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS. I TRUSTED IN THE PROCESS, I TRUSTED IN MY GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, AND I WANNA THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UM, MELISSA KEO, HDA, UH, COUNCILMAN KEO, HDA, COUNCILMAN PALAI, AND COUNCILMAN, UH, ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, AND, UH, JOHN COURAGE AND, UH, COUNCIL, OUR, OUR LEADER, MAYOR RON NURNBERG, FOR BEING SO THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THIS PROCESS, WE NEEDED TO GET IT RIGHT. WE HAVE OVER 25,000 PEOPLE IN THE CITY AT, WITH SASS FACING DISCONNECTIONS. SAS HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB TRYING TO GET AT LEAST HALF OF THAT ON A PAYMENT PLAN. BUT I, TODAY IS THE DAY THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION. WE CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER. THE RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER FOR THIS DECISION TO BE MADE. I UNDERSTAND THAT. I HAVE COUNSEL, COLLEAGUES THAT WANT TO PROLONG THIS PROCESS, BUT WE CAN DO THAT IN A C C R AND LOOK AT HOW WE CAN CHANGE COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE PROCESS. TODAY, I NEED A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT AND THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT THREE. SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE ABOUT HOW I KNOW MARY LOU RENA, 17 YEARS AGO, HER DAUGHTER CARNA WALKED INTO MY FOURTH GRADE CLASS. AND THAT BEGAN OUR RELATIONSHIP, A SINGLE MOM ACTIVE AT THE SCHOOL. 17 YEARS AGO, THIS NEVER WOULD'VE HAPPENED. SHE NEVER WOULD'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE APPOINTED TO A SAWS BOARD, BECAUSE LET'S BE HONEST, THE SAWS BOARD LOOKED WHITE. SO HERE WE ARE TODAY, AND SHE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. A SINGLE MOM, UH, A GRANDMA, AN AUNT, A SISTER, A RATE PAYER, STEPPING UP TO SERVE HER COMMUNITY. AND YOU, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WE DISCUSSED IT. SHE KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES, AND SHE IS A COLLABORATOR. SHE DOES COLLABORATE, AND SHE WILL LISTEN, AND SHE DOES HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SERVE. SHE IS THE BEST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE OF THOSE THAT CAME FORWARD TO MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD AND OUT OF THIS CRISIS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE ARE IN A CRISIS. SHE'S AN EDUCATING, SHE CHAMPIONS, EDUCATION CHAMPION, SOCIAL SERVICES. THIS IS WHAT I NEED ON THE BOARD. THIS IS THE DIVERSITY WE NEED ON THE BOARD. DIVERSITY ON THE SAS BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME. AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYERS, WE HAVE THE BANKERS, WE HAVE THE BUSINESS PEOPLE. I NEED, WE NEED THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. NEED SOMEONE THAT CAN GO IN AND TALK TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY ARE A RATE PAYER. THEY UNDERSTAND THE FAMILY DYNAMIC. SO SHE'S, SHE'S MADE THIS DECISION TO SERVE. WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HER SERVICE ON THE PORT BOARD AND IF IT'LL BE POSSIBLE, AND SHE'S, SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT IF THE DUTIES GET TOO INTENSE, THAT SHE WILL ROLL OFF. AND WE'LL, WE'LL WORK ON THAT. BUT I'M A STRONG BELIEVER IN COLLABORATION, AND I AM DELIGHTED THAT MARY LOU HAS STEPPED UP TO SERVE THIS CITY IN THIS WAY. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT JUST A WIN FOR THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT. THIS IS A WIN FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE SAS BOARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. COUNCIL MEMBER PAL. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA. AND I KNOW THAT THE JOKES ABOUT PR PEOPLE AND MARKETING PEOPLE HURT YOUR FEELINGS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER TALKED TO ANDY SEGOVIA AND MELISSA ABOUT [00:45:01] ALL THE LAWYER JOKES THEY HAVE TO HEAR, UH, AND ENDURE THE, UH, MARI LORENA, YOU AND I MET, UH, MANY YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WERE REPRESENTING AN IMPORTANT ENGINEERING FIRM HERE IN THIS, UH, IN TOWN. AND, UH, I, I REMEMBER TALKING TO YOU ABOUT IT. YOU EXCEL AT YOUR ABILITY TO, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND BUSINESS ISSUES. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY IMPRESSED ME THE FIRST TIME I GOT TO MEET WITH YOU. AND, UM, I THINK THAT YOUR TRANSITION OVER TO HIGHER EDUCATION, UH, REALLY HELPS US. UM, AND, AND I THINK SAWS, UH, UNDERSTAND A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, INSTITUTIONS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY BUSINESS. AND NOW YOU IN THE RESILIENCY BUSINESS OVER AT B C F S, THAT YOU HAVE BECOME STEEPED IN THE ISSUES OF POVERTY AND PULLING PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY AND RESCUING PEOPLE FROM CONTINUED SUFFERING AND TRIAGING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HURTING. I, I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN MISSING FROM THIS BOARD FOR A LONG TIME, THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE AND THAT PERSPECTIVE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE, UH, SOMETHING THAT SOME OF MY OTHER APPOINTEES, THE SAWS DON'T HAVE, RIGHT? WHICH IS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE IN CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS. UH, I LOVE DAVID MCGEE, BUT I'M NOT GONNA PUT 'EM IN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF MY NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE HE SPEAKS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, RIGHT? I, I LOVE EDUARDO PARA AND AMY HARDBERGER, BUT I'M NOT GONNA PUT THEM IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT I THINK YOU'RE MORE ADEPT AT TALKING ABOUT THAN THEY ARE. UM, AND THAT ISN'T TO TAKE AWAY ANYTHING, UH, FROM THOSE FOLKS. BUT I, I DO NEED A, UM, A COMMUNICATOR AND SOMEBODY WHO'S GOT THAT EXPERTISE TO HELP MY FRIEND ROBERT PUENTE. UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT HEAVY BURDEN, THAT'S ONE OF THE JOBS, ROBERT, IS TO, TO DO COMMUNICATIONS TO NEIGHBORHOODS AND RATE PAYERS. AND I, I THINK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ALWAYS DONE IT WELL, BUT I THINK THAT YOU NEED WIND IN THE SAILS, UH, ON THE BOARD LEVEL, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO IT BETTER. AND I THINK THAT MARY LOU'S GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, SIT NEXT TO YOU AND GIVE YOU TIPS ON, UH, AND, AND PROVIDE YOU, UH, ENCOURAGEMENT AND, AND SOME GUIDANCE IN THAT REGARD. UM, AND, AND I KNOW HAVING SPOKEN TO YOU THAT YOU WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE HER SERVE ON THIS BOARD. ANYWAY, I'VE GOT FAITH IN YOU. UM, AND THEN ONE LAST THING. I THINK THAT ALL TOO OFTEN, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM THE NORTH SIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO TELL MEMBERS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE SOUTH SIDE WHAT THEY NEED. UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT SMACKS OF, OF PATERNALISM, AND IT'S PATRONIZING. AND, AND I, I DON'T DARE DO THAT. AND I'VE, I'VE TOLD AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE SOUTH SIDE THAT WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS AS FAR AS REPRESENTATION FOR SOUTHEAST AND WEST, UM, THAT I TRY MY BEST TO BE OBJECTIVE AND PUT MYSELVES IN Y'ALL'S SHOES AND, AND LISTEN TO WHAT YOU NEED. AND COUNCILWOMAN IS, IS, UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, SHE DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB AT TELLING PEOPLE WHAT HER NEIGHBORHOODS NEED. UH, AND IN, IN THIS INSTANCE, I THINK THAT WE MEET THOSE NEEDS BY, BY APPOINTING YOU. SO THANKS FOR THROWING YOUR HAT IN THE RING, AND WELCOME TO THE BIG SHOW. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PAL. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND THANKS MANNY FOR, UH, SCOLDING US FOR TRYING TO MAKE OUR, OUR BEST DECISIONS HERE. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GERRAN, I'M VERY GLAD THAT THE CANDIDATE COMING FORWARD IS SOMEBODY THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH AND THAT YOU FEEL REPRESENTS YOUR DISTRICT. I KNOW THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO, UM, TO YOUR PREDECESSOR, YOUR SISTER. UM, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, OR GOSH YEARS NOW. WE ACTUALLY, IT WAS DURING THE PANDEMIC, I RECALL. WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND WE HAD SOME EXCELLENTLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES COME FORWARD. AT THAT TIME, I WAS ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, AND I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU INTERVIEW, AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE A DISCUSSION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION, MS. DANA. BUT, UM, I WILL BE FRANK, I AM VERY CONFUSED WHEN I'VE GONE BACK TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW. UH, BASED ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU GOT AND SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE RESPONSES THAT WERE GIVEN, I WAS VERY CONFUSED WITH WHAT CAME OUT OF GOVERNANCE. THAT IS NOT TO SAY YOU WOULD NOT BE A GREAT SERVANT, UH, ON A BOARD OR COMMISSION. CLEARLY RIGHT NOW, YOU, YOU'RE ON THE PORT AND, UM, CHRIS RETE, WHO'S MY APPOINTEE, APPRECIATES, UH, YOUR SERVICE, MS. SHANA. UM, I HEARD QUESTIONS ABOUT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. I HEARD, UM, I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT WE CAN'T BE TALKING ABOUT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER IN 20 YEARS. THOSE TWO THINGS ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNING TO ME. SO, UM, WHAT ONE THING I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST WAS TO GIVE THE [00:50:01] CANDIDATE AND THE OTHERS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GO AHEAD AND INTERVIEW, UH, AGAIN, OR TO HAVE A FURTHER DIALOGUE WITH THE COUNCIL. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE'S NOT AN APPETITE FOR THAT, UM, ON THE COUNCIL. I, I WILL JUST POSE THAT OUT THERE. BUT AT THIS POINT, MS. SHAYNA, I'M VERY, UM, IT, IT IS, UH, NOTHING PERSONAL. I TOTALLY APOLOGIZE. UM, BUT I, I REALLY CAN'T SUPPORT THAT. WE HAD THREE, THREE EXCELLENT CANDIDATES LAST TIME WE HAD MADE OUR DECISION WHEN IT CAME TO FULL COUNCIL, THERE WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER ON THIS DAIS WHO SAID, I'M NOT SUPPORTING WHAT GOVERNANCE SAYS, I'M GONNA PUT FORWARD THE CANDIDATE THAT I KNOW. AND THEN THAT WHOLE, THAT WHOLE PROCESS REALLY BECAME CHAOTIC. UNFORTUNATELY, MR. POTTS CAME BACK FOR A SECOND TIME, AND WE THOUGHT WE HAD THE SUPPORT FOR HIM, AND WE DIDN'T YET AGAIN. UM, WE ENDED UP WITH SOMEONE WHO'S ALSO, UH, ALSO VERY GOOD. BUT I THINK WE ARE SHORT CHA, WE, WE MAY BE SHORT CHANGING SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS IF WE DON'T TAKE INTO SERIOUS CONSIDERATION SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE EXPERTS, UM, WHO ARE, WHO ARE IN OUR MIDST, AND, UM, AND TO HAVE THEM SERVE AND, AND PROVIDE US THEIR, THEIR GUIDANCE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE BOARD CHAIR LAST TIME WOULD ACTUALLY REACH OUT TO THOSE THREE EXCELLENT CANDIDATES, UM, AND WOULD, UH, RELY ON THEIR EXPERTISE. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THAT NEVER HAPPENED. UM, SO, UH, I JUST, UM, I, I WOULD APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO PERHAPS KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION . UH, BUT I UNDERSTAND I'M NOT PRIVY TO THAT AS I'M NO LONGER ON THAT COMMITTEE. BUT, UM, AT THIS POINT, I, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO, TO SUPPORT THE CANDIDATE BASED ON, UH, SOME OF THOSE, UH, THOSE VERY CONCERNING ISSUES THAT I HEARD. UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY SURPRISE I RAN AS A CANDIDATE WHO CARES ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. SO WHEN SOMEONE, UM, MAKES COMMENTS LIKE THAT ABOUT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, SIMPLY CAN'T. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I BELIEVE THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD ERR IN MOVING THIS CANDIDATE FORWARD, NOT BECAUSE SHE IS IN A FINE CANDIDATE AND A FINE CITIZEN AND WOULDN'T DO A GREAT JOB IN A LOT OF OTHER AREAS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM SAWS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE OF THE LIFE BLOODS OF THIS COMMUNITY, AND THERE WAS A CANDIDATE WHO HAD ALL OF THE CREDENTIALS. I THINK THAT ANYONE LOOKING AT IT, UH, FROM THE OUTSIDE WOULD SAY, HEY, THAT CANDIDATE IS REALLY QUALIFIED TO ADDRESS WATER ISSUES AND SET WATER POLICY FOR THIS CITY. UH, AND I THINK THAT, UH, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CANDIDATE THAT CAME FORWARD. AND I THINK THAT IF A MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL HAD AN OPPOR, IF ALL OF THE COUNCIL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IN THOSE INTERVIEWS AND TO ASK QUESTIONS AND HEAR THE ANSWERS, IT WOULD'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR TO THE MAJORITY OF THIS COUNCIL THAT THERE WAS ONE CANDIDATE WHO WAS MOST QUALIFIED FOR THIS. I DO, UH, I, I AM GONNA COMMENT ABOUT WHAT ONE OF MY FELLOW COUNCILMEN SAID, AND THAT THIS TO ME IS NOT THE NORTH SIDE TRYING TO TELL ANY OTHER PART OF THE CITY WHAT TO DO. IT'S AS I KNOW HE DOES, IN MANY CASES, USING HIS KNOWLEDGE AND HIS EXPERTISE ABOUT EXPERTISE MATTERS TO SAY THERE SHOULD BE SOMEBODY WHO'S AN EXPERT INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE SITUATION WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. AND I AM GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TABLE THIS DECISION, AND THAT THE FULL COUNCIL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW ALL OF THE CANDIDATES. AND I BELIEVE THEN WE WILL HAVE A MUCH BETTER, UH, DECISION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN, IF I MAY, UM, THE, THE MOTION TO DELAY IS APPROPRIATE. YES. UM, BUT UNDER THE CITY CODE, THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE DOES VET CANDIDATES FOR THIS POSITION. SO THEREFORE, UH, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU MAKE A MOTION TO DELAY THE ITEM, WHICH WOULD THEN GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AND THE OTHER COUNCILMAN TO PROVIDE INPUT OR TALK ABOUT PROCESS. BUT THE APPROPRIATE MOTION IS TO DELAY THE ITEM TO A DATE CERTAIN. THANK YOU. I WOULD, UH, THEN AMEND WHAT I SAID TO SAY, I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND DELAY ACTION ON THIS MOTION UNTIL THE LAST MEETING IN NOVEMBER, WHICH I THINK IS NOVEMBER 18TH. COUNCILMAN. SO, UH, THE MOTION IS TO DELAY THE ITEM UNTIL THE COUNCIL MEETING OF NOVEMBER 18TH. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. THERE WAS A MOTION MADE. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A SECOND FOR A [00:55:01] DELAY TO THE LAST MEETING IN NOVEMBER. UM, ANDY, WHICH ONE'S PRIMARY DO WE TAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE FIRST? THE PRIMARY MOTION IS THE MOTION TO DELAY, MAYOR. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO DELAY ITEM FIVE. SO THAT IS THE DISCUSSION, UH, AT THIS POINT. SO, UH, ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MAIN MOTION IS, IS, UH, ENDED UNTIL WE TAKE UP THE MOTION TO DELAY. SO, UH, I NEED TO, WE'VE GOT A QUEUE ALREADY FOR THE MAIN MOTION. SO LET ME SEE A HAND IF YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THE MOTION TO DELAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. THANK YOU. UM, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN GRO, I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT HAVE REPRESENTATION. AND I, I WANNA REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE SOUTHEAST QUAD SAW SOUTHEAST QUADRANT ALSO OVERLAPS WITH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT TWO, CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE, AND CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF US WERE CONSULTED PRIOR TO THE SELECTION OF THIS CANDIDATE. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING WITH MARTY LORENA YESTERDAY, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A GREAT INTERVIEW. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE A LOT OF, UM, QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR BACKGROUND, I THINK YOU BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE. UM, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION. WE LOST ERIC. ALRIGHT. ERIC, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US, UM, WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL'S ESTABLISHED CRITERIA IS FOR MEASURING THE CANDIDATES FOR THE SAWS? UM, BOARD, I, I HAVEN'T SEEN A COPY OF THAT. MARY LOU. UM, IF, IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND THERE, , YOU'RE NOT BEING CALLED UP, THAT'S FINE. COUNCILMAN. I, I THINK THAT'S UP TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL AS YOUR PREROGATIVE. UM, UH, AND THE ESTABLISHED CRITERIA MANY TIMES, UM, GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION EXPERTISE, UH, DIVERSITY ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN ESTABLISHED CRITERIA BY WHICH COUNCIL MEMBERS MEASURE THE SELECTION OF, UH, APPOINTEES TO BOARDS LIKE THIS. SO WE HAVEN'T COME TOGETHER AS A BODY TO DRAFT UP. HERE'S THE CRITERIA IN WHICH WE'RE GONNA MEASURE EACH CANDIDATE AND MAKE OUR DECISION FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY. UM, I, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF COUNCILMAN. OKAY. UM, I THINK WITHOUT THAT CRITERIA ESTABLISHED, AND THAT WE HAVEN'T COME TO A CONSENSUS AS A GROUP ON HOW WE'RE GONNA MEASURE EACH CANDIDATE, THAT MAKES THIS PROCESS MORE MESSY. AND WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT THE CRITERIA THAT WE MEASURE THEM AGAINST CHANGES EVERY TIME SOMEBODY COMES BEFORE US. AND SO SOMETIMES I HEAR WHETHER IT'S FOR SAW OR C P S ENERGY, OH, WHAT WE REALLY NEED RIGHT NOW IS SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS CYBERSECURITY OR WHAT WE REALLY NEED RIGHT NOW IS SOMEBODY WHO CAN DO CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS. WHAT WE REALLY NEED RIGHT NOW IS SOMEBODY WHO HAS MANAGED LARGE BUDGETS AND HAS DEMONSTRATED FISCAL CONSERVATISM. AND I FEEL LIKE THE GOALPOST MOVE DEPENDING ON WHO THE FAVORED CANDIDATE MIGHT BE, AND THE PROCESS HAS BEEN MESSY. AND WITH THE PRE, WITH A, WITH A MESSY PROCESS, SOMETIMES WE END UP WITH LESS QUALITY APPLICANTS. PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE THE BEST APPLICANT IN THE CITY MIGHT NOT STEP FORWARD AND, AND, UM, AND APPLY. AND SO I THINK WE NEED A MORE STRUCTURED, CLEANER PROCESS, AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA HELP US TO HAVE MORE, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD COMPLAINTS ABOUT, OH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO OPEN THE PROCESS UP AGAIN. WE DIDN'T GET ENOUGH AND WE WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE WANNA FIND MORE, MORE APPLICANTS. UM, SO I THINK THAT WOULD HELP. I I THINK THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AND INCLUSIVE AS AS POSSIBLE. I, I DON'T, I THINK WE COULD DO BETTER. UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO DEMONSTRATE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING TO ENSURE THAT, THAT WE'RE PUTTING THE BACK FORWARD, THE ABSOLUTE BEST CANDIDATE. UM, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'VE DONE THIS RIGHT NOW. I'M NOT CONVINCED OF THAT YET. AND SO I SUPPORT, UM, COUNCILMAN COURAGES MOTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. AGAIN, WE ARE DISCUSSING THE DELAY, NOT THE MAIN MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'LL REITERATE THAT, UM, THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT DOES OVERLAP WITH MY DISTRICT, AND I HAVE A VERY VESTED INTEREST IN ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE BEST REPRESENTATIVE POSSIBLE. UM, I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU, MS. REYNA, FOR APPLYING. AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS, UM, [01:00:01] YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY PUBLIC JOB INTERVIEW AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, AN INVITATION TO BE SCRUTINIZED. AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S CHALLENGING. AND SO I THANK YOU FOR, UM, STEPPING UP WHEN CALLED UPON TO SERVE. AND SHE'S DONE THAT A NUM A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND SHE'S SERVED ON, UM, THE PORT SAN ANTONIO BOARD BOND OVERSIGHT. UM, AND SHE SERVED WITHIN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. AND SO I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF BOARDS COMMISSIONED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO SERVE. AND I, AND BASED ON OUR CONVERSATION, I KNOW THAT YOU WOULD STEP UP FOR ANY OF THEM IF YOU WERE CALLED UPON AND ASKED TO SERVE, AND I THINK YOU WOULD DO YOUR BEST. UM, I AM NOT ENTIRELY CONVINCED. UM, AND I WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LAY, AND WHAT MY ASK WOULD BE WOULD BE THAT, UH, MAYBE GOVERNANCE RECONSIDER THE TOP TWO CANDIDATES. AND IF YOU COME BACK AND DECIDE IT'S, UH, MS. REYNA, THEN SO BE IT. IF YOU DECIDE IT'S SOMEONE ELSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL BE ANOTHER DISCUSSION. BUT I WILL BE SUPPORTING, UM, THE DELAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MC, KEY RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. THANK YOU. ANDY, CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT WE'RE DELAYING? WE'RE DE, WE'RE DELAYING COUNCILWOMAN ITEM FIVE, WHICH IS AGAIN, THE, UH, THE APPOINTMENT OF MS. REYNA TO THE SAWS BOARD. UH, SO AGAIN, IT'S THAT ITEM THAT IS BEING DELAYED. UM, AND SO IT'S NOT, UH, PUTTING FORTH ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL CANDIDATE. IT'S SIMPLY DELAYING THE DECISION ON THIS PARTICULAR CANDIDATE. OBVIOUSLY, THAT GIVES TIME FOR THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE IF THEY ELECTED TO DO SO. UH, TO REVISIT THE PROCESS. BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, ALL WE'RE DELAYING IS THE CONSIDERATION OF MS. REYNA FOR THE SAWS BOARD. SO I, I WANT IT TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT GOING BACK AND INTERVIEWING ANYBODY RIGHT NOW. WE ARE JUST DELAYING THIS VOTE. WE ARE GOING TO EVENTUALLY HAVE TO TAKE THIS VOTE, UH, AT THE END OF THE MONTH, NOT WITH ANY NEW CANDIDATES, JUST THIS VOTE UNLESS GOVERNANCE COMES BACK AND WHICH THEY'VE ALREADY DELAYED IT ONCE BEFORE TO DO, UH, I, I, I HEAR MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, BUT THE ONE THING I WANNA STRESS IS LETICIA ZUNO WAS ELECTED TO SCHOOL BOARD IN, UH, MAY OF THIS YEAR. WE, AS CANDIDATES KNEW THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FILL THIS SPOT. WHEN I GOT INTO OFFICE, THE APPLICATION PROCESS WAS STILL OPEN. I AM, I AM SO CONFUSED ABOUT WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY AND SAYING WE WANT MORE TIME. I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE GONNA KEEP ON DELAYING THIS AND PUSHING IT AND PUSHING IT. AND THERE IS NOT GONNA BE A CONSENSUS. THIS DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S GONNA COME TO A CONSENSUS. I, I, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO CALL TO QUESTION THIS. VOTE ON THE DELAY. I, I CALL TO QUESTION THIS VOTE. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. UM, SO IF YOU'RE CALLING THE QUESTION FOR THE DELAY TO END DISCUSSION, IT DOES REQUIRE TWO THIRDS VOTE. IT DOES REQUIRE A SECOND FOR THAT AS WELL. AND IF I UNDERSTAND ANDY, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. MAYOR, JUST, WE JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF OF ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. LET LEMME GO AHEAD. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UM, THANK YOU. UH, I HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT THE MOTION. ANDY. UM, BOTH COUNCILMAN, COURAGE AND I TALKED ABOUT HAVING THE CANDIDATES COME FORWARD AND DO AN INTERVIEW AND HEAR, AND THEN THERE WAS TALK ABOUT IT GOING TO GOVERNANCE. I JUST WANT TO BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT, UM, THE, THE DISCUSSION YOU AND I HAD EARLIER, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT PER CITY CODE GOVERNANCE VETS AT LARGE, QUOTE AT LARGE CANDIDATES, I DON'T FULLY AGREE THIS IS AN AT LARGE CANDIDATE, BUT AT LARGE CANDIDATES, BUT WE ARE SO YOU ARE SAYING THIS IS A CITYWIDE CANDIDATE THEN A CITYWIDE APPOINTMENT? IT IS NOT A QUADRANT APPOINTMENT IS WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME. WHAT, WHAT I'M TELLING YOU COUNCILMAN IS, IS THE WAY THE CODE IS WRITTEN, UH, IT'S AN AT LARGE IF IT'S NOT A, A SIMPLY A DISTRICT APPOINTMENT. OKAY. SO IF IT DOESN'T FALL IN THAT CATEGORY, IT, IT COMES UNDER THE AD LODGE. SURE. NOW THAT'S YOUR INTERPRETATION, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S NOT SPECIFIED IN THE CODE, BUT THAT'S FAIR. ABSOLUTELY FAIR. UM, SOMETIMES WE WAIVE REQUIREMENTS IN THE CODE. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, I MEAN, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR, FOR THE MOTION TO SAY AND WAIVE THE CODE REQUIREMENT TO LIMIT THIS INTERVIEW PROCESS FOR GOVERNANCE AND BRING IT TO FULL COUNSEL FOR AN INTERVIEW? IS THAT POSSIBLE? IT IS POSSIBLE, BUT NOT AT THIS MEETING, COUNCILWOMAN, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA. THAT'D BE A CHANGE IN PROCESS THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE VOTED ON BY COUNCIL. OKAY. SO THAT, 'CAUSE IT'S POSSIBLY OCCUR BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING, BUT THAT COULD POSSIBLY OCCUR BETWEEN, OKAY. THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION. THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. WHICH IS WHY I RECOMMENDED THE MOTION TO DELAY. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ANDY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. [01:05:01] THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I GUESS I JUST WANNA REITERATE TO ALL OF US THAT THIS IS A FULL COUNCIL DECISION. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT UP TO THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO DECIDE WHO HAS THAT JOB. IT IS A FULL COUNCIL DECISION AND I SIT ON THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AND I HAVE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT HOW I THOUGHT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE DID, UH, A REASONABLE JOB. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION, BUT IT'S ONLY A RECOMMENDATION. AND I FEEL LIKE BEFORE I WOULD WANT THE FULL COUNSEL TO VOTE ON WHO IS GOING TO SIT IN THAT SEAT. THEY ALL SHOULD HAVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CANDIDATES SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. IT'S ONE THING TO LOOK AT THINGS ON PAPER. IT'S EVEN MORE TO TALK WITH SOMEBODY AND ASK THEIR INSIGHT, THEIR KNOWLEDGE, THEIR UNDERSTANDING, AND THEIR POINT OF VIEW WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SITTING ON A, A BOARD, ESPECIALLY ONE AS IMPORTANT AS THE SAWS BOARD. AND I, I DID NOT AGREE WITH THE DECISION AT, AT THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, AND I'VE TOLD THE MAYOR THAT. AND, UH, I REALLY BELIEVE THE FULL COUNCIL SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE QUALIFICATIONS AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE A DECISION. 'CAUSE IT IS A FULL COUNCIL VOTE AND WE'RE NOT BOUND BY WHAT COMES OUT OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. AND I THINK THAT WE CAN GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF, UH, BRINGING BEFORE THIS COUNCIL IF IT'S SO DESIRES, UH, A MOTION TO WAIVE THE REQUIREMENT, UH, THAT IT ONLY GO THROUGH THE GOVERNANCE AND THAT WE, UH, SAY WE WANNA HAVE A, A FULL SET OF INTERVIEWS. UH, AND SO WE'VE GOT TIME TO CONSIDER THAT AT A FUTURE MEETING BEFORE WE GET TO NOVEMBER. SO ANYWAY, THOSE ARE MY FINAL COMMENTS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. UH, AND LET ME REMIND, UH, COUNSEL, UH, THAT THE CANDIDATE IS HERE. UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS TO THE CANDIDATE, UH, SHE IS HERE TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, DISTRICT FIVE, UH, FALLS WITHIN THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT AND, UH, I APPRECIATE MARY LOU COMING BY THE DISTRICT FIVE OFFICE, UH, FOR AN INTERVIEW TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS THAT I HAD. UM, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WHEN WE PLAY IDENTITY POLITICS, WE ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT PICKING AND CHOOSING WHICH BOARDS WE'RE DOING THAT WITH. UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, RIGHT? WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS NEED, AND I'M SURE THE MAJORITY OF SAN ANTONIO RATE PAYERS NEED, IS A FAIR SAW PAY RATE STRUCTURE. UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAT PAY RATE STRUCTURE AND HOW IT IMPACTS RESIDENTIAL USERS. UM, SO I, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I'M IN FAVOR OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING A FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THE PROCESS ON HOW WE IDENTIFY CANDIDATES, UM, HAVING MY DISTRICT FALL WITHIN THE QUADRANT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PART OF THE PROCESS THAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WITHIN THAT, THAT QUADRANT BE CONSULTED IN THE PROCESS WHEN IDENTIFYING CANDIDATES. UM, BUT, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION. ANDY. UH, CAN THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, UH, RECOMMEND MULTIPLE CANDIDATES TO THE FULL COUNCIL? IS, OR IS IT LIMITED BY THE CITY CHARTER? THE, UH, IT, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S BY ORDINANCE COUNCILWOMAN. OKAY. AND I DON'T THINK IT GETS INTO THAT SPECIFIC DETAIL, AS COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL POINTED OUT, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE DETAIL TO ANSWER THAT. I WILL TELL YOU THAT BY PRACTICE, USUALLY IT'S ONE CANDIDATE BY THAT IS SUBMITTED BY GOVERNANCE TO THE FULL COUNCIL. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, SO I'M IN FAVOR OF, UM, HAVING A LONGER CONVERSATION, UH, AND LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES. I, I DO THINK, BASED OFF THE INTERVIEWS THAT THERE ARE CANDIDATES WHO DO HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF MULTIPLE CRISES, ENVIRONMENTALISM BEING ONE. UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO HAVE THAT LENS AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SAS PAY PAY RATE STRUCTURE RATHER, AND THE WAYS WHICH IT IMPACTS OUR MOST VULNERABLE RATE PAYERS. UM, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER KIO. HDA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION, BUT I HEAR A LOT OF SPECULATION ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE HAD ALL OF THESE CANDIDATES AT COUNCIL. WHAT WOULD HAP WHAT HAPPENED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? AND, AND IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT. WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOVERNANCE HERE AND, AND WE'RE, YOU'RE BASING A LOT OF THIS ON SPECULATION. MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS IS WHY IT'S HAPPENING TODAY, FRANKLY. UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HERE HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY. EVERYBODY HERE IS INVITED TO GOVERNANCE. EVERYBODY IN THE THE CITY CAN WATCH IT ON, ON, UM, ON TV WITH OTHER COMMITTEES THAT I'M ON, THAT I CHAIR. Y'ALL COME TO ME AND SAY, HEY, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS. WHY? I MEAN, I HEARD FROM TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS. I HEARD FROM COUNCILMAN MKI RODRIGUEZ AND VRAN. [01:10:01] UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THAT THIS IS THEIR QUADRANT. I MEAN, THAT'S ALWAYS OPEN. I, I'M, I'M JUST CONFUSED ABOUT WHY, UH, TODAY WE'RE BRINGING IT UP, WHEN WE'RE, WE VERY MUCH NEED, AND WE'RE LISTENING TO THE, UM, PEOPLE WHOSE QUADRANT THIS IS OVER. WE VERY MUCH NEED A REPRESENTATIVE. UM, THE OTHER THING IS, UH, SO LAST TIME AROUND, WE WENT THROUGH C P SS, UM, UH, APPOINTMENT. I WAS NOT ON GOVERNANCE, AND I HAD THE SAME CONCERN. SO, I MEAN, I'M NOT, I'M OPEN TO A DISCUSSION ON THE PROCESS. ABSOLUTELY. BUT TODAY WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE FOLLOWING A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE, THE, THE PROCESS IS MESSY. I THINK THE, UH, THE BOARD CONSIDERATION HAS TO BE FLUID. WE HAVE TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES. I MEAN, IF WE WERE LOOKING AT THE SAME CRITERIA WE HAD 20 YEARS AGO, WE WOULDN'T EVEN BE TALKING TO SOME OF THESE CANDIDATES AND SOME OF THE ONES THAT WERE IN OUR GOVERNANCE, UM, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING. I THINK IT HAS TO BE FLUID. AND I THINK IT'S, FRANKLY, I THINK THIS IS MESSY. I THINK IT'S MESSY TO DO IT HERE TODAY. I THINK IT'S MESSY TO DO IT, UM, WHEN WE HAVE IT, WHEN WE FOLLOWED A PROCESS THAT, THAT WE HAVE IN THE CHARTER, WE HAVE, I'M SORRY, WE HAVE IN, IN THE, IN THE, UM, UH, ON THE CODE. AND IF WE WANNA CHANGE THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. SO, I'M, I'M JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED WHY I DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT THIS FROM ANYBODY, BUT TWO PEOPLE, UM, BEFORE THIS TODAY AND, AND WHY THESE CONCERNS WEREN'T BROUGHT UP, WHY WE COULDN'T FOLLOW THIS PROCESS BEFORE GOVERNANCE. AND THESE, UH, AND, AND PEOPLE THAT ADDRESS HAVE THESE CONCERNS, COULDN'T HAVE ATTENDED GOVERNANCE AND TALK TO US ABOUT IT. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KEO. HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I GET, I HAVE A QUESTION, AND I, I WANNA START OFF BY SAYING THAT, NUMBER ONE, I WISH THAT TO BEGIN WITH WE HAD MORE THAN FIVE APPLICANTS, AND THAT IT DIDN'T HAVE TO GET EXTENDED. I WISH THAT THERE WAS THOUGHTFUL RECRUITMENT OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES THAT WERE DIVERSE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HAD EXPERIENCE AND PASSION. UM, AND THEN I THINK MAYBE WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. BUT BECAUSE OF THAT INITIAL MISSTEP, WE ARE HERE TODAY DISCUSSING THIS. UM, IF IT IS NOT DELAYED, I DO BELIEVE MY VOTE IS GONNA BE A NO. AND SO I'M WONDERING IF THE, SAY SIX PEOPLE VOTED NO, DOES THAT PREVENT MS. REYNA FROM BEING CONSIDERED AGAIN? UM, IF GOVERNANCE WERE TO CHOOSE THE TOP TWO AND SHE AND SOMEONE ELSE WOULD BE THAT IF THE, UH, QUESTION IS ON THE MOTION TO DELAY, COUNCILMAN? NO, THAT WOULD NOT, YES. JUST FILE FIRE AT ALL. OKAY. I'LL ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN LATER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER PEL, I, I, I THINK , UH, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ONE QUESTION THAT THIS ENTIRE DISCUSSION BEGS IS, DOES ANYBODY REALLY HERE THINK THAT GOVERNANCE IS GONNA CHANGE ITS MIND? I MEAN, YOU, YOU JUST HEARD THE MAJORITY OF GOVERNANCE MEMBERS, EXCEPT FOR MY PAL OVER HERE, SAY THAT THAT'S THEIR PICK. I MEAN, DO YOU THINK THAT INTERVIEWING SOMEBODY A SECOND TIME IS GONNA, YOU KNOW, IMPACT HOW WE'RE GONNA VOTE? I THINK ALL OF US DID A PRETTY THOROUGH JOB AT ASKING THE QUESTIONS WE WERE GONNA ASK. WE ASKED THE EXACT SAME QUESTIONS OF EVERY SINGLE CANDIDATE. I, UM, IT'S, I, I, I KNOW NOBODY ON THIS COUNCIL'S NAIVE. UH, SO THEN IT BEGS THE QUESTION, THEN, WHY IS IT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE KICKING THIS BACK TO GOVERNANCE FOR A REPEAT, UH, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY? SO, I, I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY TELL US THAT THIS LADY IS DISQUALIFIED OR LACKS THE QUALIFICATIONS. I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HEARD A RESOUNDING, UH, CONSENSUS, MARY LOU, THAT YOUR QUALIFICATIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST FINE AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, COMING UP WITH A COLOR BY NUMBERS STANDARD FOR HALF THE SAWS OR C P S. THOSE TWO BOARDS ARE DIFFERENT. AND THOSE TWO BOARDS HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS AT ANY GIVEN DIFFERENT TIME. AND SO WE HAVE, UM, IT'S NEVER GONNA BE A COLORED BY NUMBERS. UH, AND IT'S NEVER GONNA BE A STANDARDIZED PROCESS OR A STANDARDIZED SET OF QUESTIONS. AND THEN LASTLY, I KNOW THAT MY CHIEF OF STAFF AND EVERYBODY ELSE'S CHIEF OF STAFF HAVE TALKED. AND, UH, TODAY WAS THE VERY FIRST DAY EVER ANYBODY, UH, TALKED ABOUT A MOTION TO DELAY. AND AS FAR AS I'VE CHECKED, MY CELL PHONE'S BEEN ON FOR THE PAST, YOU KNOW, FEW MONTHS. AND, UH, AND, AND FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS SINCE WE'VE HAD BEEN HAVING THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT MS. REYNA'S APPOINTMENT, I NEVER GOT A CALL. I KNOW THAT MY CHIEF OF STAFF NEVER GOT A CALL ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A MOTION TO DELAY. THIS WAS SPRUNG ON US TODAY. UH, AND SO THIS IS NOT A MISSTEP. THIS IS JUST A FAILURE TO, YOU KNOW, FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. AND, [01:15:01] YOU KNOW, QUITE HONESTLY, I THINK, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN DO, WE CAN DO BETTER. AND MISS, MISS RENA, YOU DESERVE BETTER, UH, THAN, UH, YOU KNOW, THAN A LAST MINUTE SCRAMBLE AT BRINKSMANSHIP WITH A, YOU KNOW, WITH A VOTE. SO ANYWAY, MY, MY VOTE REMAINS THE SAME. YOU'RE, YOU'VE GOT MY SUPPORT TODAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PALAI. COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. SO, MY, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ARE CORRECT TO SAY THAT, UM, ALL OF US HERE, THE FULL COUNCIL, WE'RE ALLOWED TO ATTEND A GOVERNANCE MEETING. WE'RE ALL ALLOWED TO WATCH THE GOVERNANCE MEETING, WATCH THE INTERVIEWS. UM, BUT WE WERE ELECTED TO OFFICE. AND SO WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO GOVERNANCE AND ASK QUESTIONS OF ALL THE APPLICANTS. RIGHT? OKAY. WELL, WE CAN GO. THE, THE REASON FOR THAT, COUNCILMAN, IS THAT WE HAVE THE COMMITTEES, OBVIOUSLY, THAT ARE LESS THAN A, UM, SIX MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO QUORUM RIGHT. OF COUNSEL FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. RIGHT? SO, SO, SO MY ROLE WOULD BE LIMITED TO THAT OF AN UNELECTED OFFICIAL, JUST YOUR, YOUR TYPICAL CITIZEN. THEN IF I WERE TO ATTEND ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS, ACTUALLY, I COULDN'T EVEN DO THAT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I'M STILL AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IN TERMS OF YES, YOU CAN ATTEND AS LONG AS THERE'S NOT ACTIVE PARTICIPATION, COUNCILMAN? UM, THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. 'CAUSE MANNY WAS TRYING TO DISAGREE WITH ME OVER THERE. UM, SO COUNCILMAN IMPLIES IS ALSO INSISTING THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE CONSISTING THAT GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE GETS TO PICK FOR US, BECAUSE HE'S SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA CHANGE THEIR MIND. SO THEY'RE GONNA PICK FOUR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL HERE. UM, AND I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING TO, UH, MAYOR ED GARZA A COUPLE WEEKENDS AGO, AND, UH, HE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT IT USED TO BE THAT THE FULL COUNT, FULL COUNCIL WOULD BRING ALL SAWS BOARD APPLICANTS BEFORE THE FULL COUNSEL AND INTERVIEWED THEM ALL TOGETHER. UM, THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'D BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH. UM, AND IF THAT MAKE, IF THAT WOULD REQUIRE TO WAIVE THE CODE OR, OR MAKE SOME KIND OF CHANGE, I'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH DOING THAT BEFORE OUR NOVEMBER 18. IS IT NOVEMBER 18TH MEETING THAT THE MOTION IS TO MOVE THIS TO? YEAH. UM, FURTHERMORE, UH, COUNCILMAN IMPLIES, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE HAVE THE SAME CRITERIA THAT WE ESTABLISH FOR SAWS AND C P S, UH, BOARD NOMINEES. I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SOME KIND OF WRITTEN, ESTABLISHED CRITERIA THAT WE CAN MEASURE THE CANDIDATES AGAINST. AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE HELPFUL. UM, AND SO I, I CONTINUE TO REMAIN SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGES MOTION. AND, AND I ALSO, I REALLY WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO OUR NOMINEE TODAY. UM, MARIA REINA, YOU, YOU DON'T DESERVE THIS. UH, I KNOW THIS IS, HAS TO BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR YOU. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, NOBODY DESERVES THIS. UM, AND THIS, THIS MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO GET APPLICANTS IN THE FUTURE, I THINK. AND, UH, IT'S NOT THAT YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED AT ALL. IT'S, I, I HAVE TO BE CONVINCED THAT WHOEVER WE BRING, PUSH, MOVE FORWARD IS THE BEST PERSON. I MEAN, SAWS AND C P SS ENERGY, THOSE ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, UH, OR ORGANIZATIONS TO OUR CITY. AND I, I NEED TO BE ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT IT'S THE BEST PERSON. AND I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE TO MY CONSTITUENTS THAT THE APPLICANT IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST. AND WITHOUT INTERVIEWING THE OTHER APPLICANTS, I CAN'T, I CAN'T, I'M NOT CAPABLE OF DOING THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. I THOUGHT I WAS FINISHED, BUT I'M NOT, BECAUSE I WANTED TO MENTION, UH, SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER, THIS IS ON THE DELAY. I'M, KEEP PLEASE, I'M TRYING TO OFFER THE UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TWO, WHICH IS RELEVANT TO THIS, AND THAT IS THAT THE C P S BOARD IS THE BOARD DECIDED WHO THE CANDIDATE IS THAT THEY ARE RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY. AND IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH GOVERNANCE, IT WENT DIRECTLY TO US. THAT'S THE PROCESS FOR C P SS, THE SAWS. IT'S DIFFERENT. THEIR BOARD DOESN'T MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION. IT'S WIDE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. AND THIS COUNCIL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE ON THAT. BUT IT DOES GO THROUGH GOVERNANCE. SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. WHY SHOULD SAS GO THROUGH GOVERNANCE? WHY CAN'T IT JUST COME TO THE FULL BOARD? THAT'S THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE. I CAN ANSWER THAT, COUNCILMAN. IT'S ALSO BY ORDINANCE, RIGHT? THAT THE C P S BOARD PUTS FORTH BEFORE THE COUNCIL, THE CANDIDATE. RIGHT? AND I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M TRYING TO POINT OUT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PROCESS. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THE BOARD SHOULD BE MORE INVOLVED IN UNDERSTANDING WHO THOSE CANDIDATES ARE. THE OTHER PART IS THAT COUNCILWOMAN, UH, KABE HDA [01:20:01] FIVE PEOPLE COULDN'T COME TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THIS. 'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE A WALKING QUORUM, AND IT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS LAW. SO YOU, SO NONE OF US WHO SAT ON THAT BOARD COULD EXPECT FIVE COUNCILMEN WHO WEREN'T THERE TO COME SAY, WELL, WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT? SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED IN THIS PROCESS. THANK YOU TO, TO CLARIFY, COUNCILMAN, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT DOES NOT PROHIBIT DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN COUNCIL MEMBERS. WHAT IT DOES PROHIBIT IS PEOPLE GOING TO DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS ASKING TO SUPPORT A PARTICULAR ITEM IN TERMS OF A VOTE. IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S, IT'S THE COLLECTION OF VOTES THAT IS PROHIBITED, NOT DISCUSSIONS. WELL, I'VE THOUGHT I'VE HEARD, IF YOU GO TALK TO FIVE OTHER PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE GONNA ASSUME THAT YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS. MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT. AND I APPRECIATE THAT EDUCATION, BUT I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T DO IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. OKAY, LET ME, LET ME CLOSE THIS. 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE VOTE ON THE, ON THE DELAY. UM, WERE YOU IN? YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT SHOWING UP ON MY QUEUE HERE. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. AND YEAH, UM, I DIDN'T PUSH THE BUTTON. SO ANYWAY, BUT WE ARE GONNA PUSH BUTTONS, AND THAT'S THE POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE HERE. UM, THIS IS A VERY HEALTHY DISCUSSION, AND, UM, I THINK IT'S WARRANTED FOR US TO MAKE THESE COMMENTS AND DISCUSSIONS AT THIS POINT IN TIME. YEAH, THERE'S DIFFERENT PROCESSES HERE FOR, UH, DIFFERENT BOARDS, AND I AM, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A STICKLER FOR THE PROCESS GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. DID WE DO THAT? UM, I, I LOOK AT THIS. NUMBER ONE, I DON'T THINK THAT ADVOCATES, WHEN IT COMES TO THE FULL COUNSEL, THAT THERE ISN'T MORE DISCUSSION WARRANTED. UM, UH, HOW LONG HAS, WHEN DID THIS POSITION COME UP ORIGINALLY? WHEN WAS THAT THE FIRST, THE GOVERNANCE MEETING? WELL, TO, TO FILL THIS POSITION? YEAH. JUNE, JULY. JULY. JULY. OKAY. SO WE'VE KIND OF KICKED THE BALL DOWN THE ROAD ALREADY. UM, AND I, I GUESS THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM. IF SOMETHING COMES FROM A COMMITTEE UP TO COUNCIL, IT'S REALLY UP TO THE COUNCIL TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AT THAT POINT. I'M HEARING A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT. AND IT'S NOT ABOUT THE, UM, IT'S ABOUT THE PROCESS. AND, AND IS IT THE CORRECT PROCESS? WELL, I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN SET UP, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO. UM, I'M KIND OF TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF MY MOUTH BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS A IMPORTANT DECISION. I'D LIKE TO MAKE THIS DECISION TODAY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE UP HERE FOR. YOU KNOW, HEARING ALL THIS DIALOGUE GOING BACK AND FORTH. IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A COUNCIL IS SPLIT IN HALF ABOUT WHAT SHOULD WE DO. BUT THAT'S WHAT WHERE OUR DECISION COMES DOWN TO RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW, AND ABOUT PUSHING THAT BUTTON. THAT'S WHERE YOU COME OUT. THAT'S WHAT OUR PROCESS IS TO APPROVE OR DISPROVE THIS PARTICULAR CANDIDATE. UH, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH BOTH OF 'EM. I THINK THEY'RE BOTH QUALIFIED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. AND, UM, UH, I, I, I SUPPORT BOTH OF THEM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO MAKE ONE DECISION FOR ONE POSITION. UM, THERE, I, IT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THIS TURNS OUT, EVEN FOR THE DELAY. AND SINCE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS, SINCE YOU SAID JULY, YOU KNOW, INITIALLY I SAID, WELL, WHAT'S, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ANOTHER MONTH? BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT IT, IS IT GONNA CHANGE ANYTHING? IS IT REALLY GONNA CHANGE ANYTHING? STICKING WITH THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH? AND THEN I SAY, WELL, IF WE MAKE THIS, THIS CHANGE, AND WE SEND IT BACK SAYING, LET'S DO THIS AGAIN AND SEE ABOUT GETTING ADDITIONAL APPLICANTS, DO WE DO THAT FOR EVERY COMMITTEE THAT WE HAVE? WHICH COMMITTEE IN THIS CITY IS NOT VERY IMPORTANT? I'M TALKING ABOUT BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES. ARE WE GONNA TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO INTERVIEW FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE COMMITTEES? I'M NOT GONNA SINGLE OUT ANY BOARD, COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE OUT THERE THAT SAYS, YOU'RE NOT IMPORTANT. YOUR POSITION IS NOT IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, THEY'RE PUT ON THOSE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO GO THROUGH [01:25:02] ALL OF THAT AND INTERVIEW FOR EVERY POSITION ON EVERY BOARD AND COMMISSION HERE IN TOWN. SO YOU HAVE THIS PROCESS THAT WE'VE SET UP HERE IN THIS CITY TO MOVE PEOPLE NOMINEES THROUGH THE SYSTEM. AND THIS IS VERY, A VERY IMPORTANT POSITION WITH SAS. WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE FOR C P S TODAY, BUT DELAYING THIS, I, I'M, I'M REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THIS BECAUSE WE GOT THIS PROCESS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TODAY. DO I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUTTA GOVERNANCE? HECK NO. I DON'T AGREE WITH EVERYTHING, AND I THINK I'VE PROVEN THAT, AND I'VE SAID I DON'T AGREE, AND I VOTE APPROPRIATELY. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL UP HERE TODAY. THAT'S WHY WE WERE ELECTED TO MAKE THESE TOUGH DECISIONS. SO, UM, I I, I'M, I'M REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THIS. I, I HEAR A LOT OF PUSHBACK SAYING, WE NEED TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK. BUT THAT'S NOT OUR PROCESS. IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE, WE COULD PUSH BACK AND SAY, NO. AND WE'RE CERTAINLY HEARING A LOT OF THAT TODAY. WE DON'T AGREE WITH THE PROCESS, LET'S DELAY IT. BUT I'M, I'M, I'M STRUGGLING WITH THAT, WHETHER WE WOULD GET AN ADDITIONAL CANDIDATE OR TWO. I DON'T, I I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS WOULD BE AFTER THIS TO TRY TO GET ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES TO COME FORWARD. I THINK WE HAD, WE HAD GREAT CANDIDATES ALREADY, AND THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION, AND IT'S UP TO EVERYBODY ON THIS STAGE TO SAY, YES, I AGREE WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL, OR NO, I DON'T. UH, YEAH, THIS IS A GOOD ONE. GOOD DISCUSSION. IT'S WHERE WE SHOULD BE HERE AT THIS TIME FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY HERE. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE WHAT COMES UP WITH THESE VOTES. . ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. LET ME HAVE YOU COUNSEL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. ALL RIGHT. WE WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS QUESTION, UH, ON THE DELAY. SO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, THE VOTE IS ON THE DELAY. ALRIGHT. THE SYSTEM IS WORKING. SO IN FAVOR OF A DELAY OR AGAINST A DELAY, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION FAILS. OKAY. WE'LL TAKE UP THE MAIN MOTION NOW. SO IF YOU ARE STILL Q OR ACTUALLY NOBODY'S QUEUED IN ANYMORE. SO THE QUE THE QUESTION ON THE FLOOR IS THE APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. UM, AND I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, ANY QUESTIONS? UM, UM, DO WE HAVE COUNCIL CUED? GO AHEAD. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. I HEARD A COMMENT EARLIER AND I WANTED TO, UM, IT WAS ABOUT WOULD GOVERNANCE CHANGE THEIR MIND? AND I HOPE THAT HEARING FROM THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, UP HERE TODAY WHO ARE CONCERNED, I HOPE THEY WOULD CONSIDER IT AT LEAST. UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD BE, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ELECTED TO DO. MY QUESTION WAS, IF IT'S A NO VOTE TODAY, UM, GOVERNANCE WOULD HAVE TO CONVENE AGAIN. WOULD THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, POTENTIALLY SELECT, UH, MS. REYNA? AGAIN, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, THE APPLICATION WOULD STILL BE ACTIVE. SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES. OKAY. SO I WILL BE VOTING NO. AND I HOPE THAT IF, IF NO ENDS UP BEING, IF THE ANSWER ENDS UP BEING NO, THAT SHE IS STILL RECONSIDERED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. I DON'T HAVE AN ACTIVE QUEUE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PIAS, COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. THANK YOU. I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ ON THIS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I I FEEL LIKE, UM, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT GOVERNANCE MADE THE DECISION FOR US, AND THAT'S IT. AND SO WE WE'RE EXPECTED TO, TO ACCEPT THAT. AND, UH, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SHOW, TO DEMONSTRATE, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE PICKING THE BEST CANDIDATE POSSIBLE. UM, [01:30:04] SORRY, I'M JUST TRYING TO REMEMBER MY LAST POINT HERE. UM, BASED ON SOMETHING THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY SAID. I LOST IT. SORRY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER LIA. THANK YOU. I, UH, MARY LOU, EVERY, EVERY TIME I RUN FOR OFFICE, I HAVE TO ASK MY MOTHER-IN-LAW PERMISSION TO DO IT. UM, AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TELL FOLKS I WORK FOR HER. AND, UH, I THINK EVERY ONE OF US HAS IN OUR LIFE A BOSS, RIGHT? AND WE ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GAIN CONSENSUS. IN THIS INSTANCE, YOU HAVE A LITERAL BOSS. YOU HAVE, UH, A FELLOW BY THE NAME OF, UH, KEVIN, WHO'S THEIR C E O, RIGHT? UH, KEVIN DENON. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE LEADERSHIP OVER AT B C F SS HAS OKAYED YOUR SERVING ON THIS, UH, ON THIS BOARD. AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A REALIZATION OVER AT THE C-SUITE IN B C F SS THAT THERE IS A ROLE FOR AN ORGANIZATION LIKE B C F S TO HAVE A VOICE AT, UM, AT, AT SAWS. AND THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT VOICE. AND, UM, I, I, I WANTED TO TAKE THIS ONE MINUTE TO THANK MR. DENIN AND THANK, UH, EVERYBODY OVER AT B C F S FOR LENDING YOU TO US AND, UH, FOR PARTICIPATING IN SAN ANTONIO AND YET ANOTHER WAY. AND SO I, UM, I, I DON'T DUNNO IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT YOU, YOU, YOU'VE GOT MY SUPPORT TODAY. SURPRISE, THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PALAZ. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU. UM, NOW THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING, UH, THE CANDIDATE, I WILL GO AHEAD AND ASK THE CANDIDATE A FEW QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MS. SHANA. UM, MS. JAYNA, DURING YOUR INTERVIEW WITH THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, YOU WERE ASKED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR A SAWS RATE INCREASE. YOUR RESPONSE WAS THAT SAWS NEEDED TO EMPHASIZE WHAT RATE PAYERS WOULD GET AS A RESULT OF THE RATE INCREASE. UM, COULD YOU, AND THEN I THINK THERE WAS ALSO A DISCUSSION ABOUT RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEES AS WELL. COULD YOU, UM, WHAT CAME ACROSS WAS THAT, ACTUALLY, I'LL, I'LL ASK YOU NOW. WHAT, UM, HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH THE, COULD YOU EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER TO THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE QUESTION? THANK YOU. BASICALLY, UM, SO WHEN I, UH, WAS ASKED ABOUT THE RATE HIKE, I BELIEVE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE RATE INCREASE THAT MAYBE MM-HMM. IS FORTHCOMING. PEOPLE ARE THINKING IT'S FORTHCOMING. UM, I, I TALKED ABOUT, UM, MAKING SURE, AND I, I TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, WITH SEVERAL OF YOU WHEN I TALKED ABOUT IT. UH, YOU KNOW, YOU PAY A LOT FOR YOUR CABLE BILL. YOU PAY A LOT FOR YOUR CELL PHONE BILL. A LOT OF THE FAMILIES THAT ARE LIVING IN POVERTY, I KNOW YOU SEE THEM. THEY HAVE CELL PHONES, THEY HAVE, UH, CABLE. AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THEY'RE PAYING FOR THESE ITEMS AND THEY'RE GETTING SOMETHING BACK FOR IT. AND I WAS THINKING THAT IF THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO LOOK AT A PAY INCREASE, IF INDEED THAT COMES, AND THAT WOULD BE A A AND ALSO A DIFFERENT PROCESS, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GETTING FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, I READ THE SNOW REPORT, THE, YOU KNOW, THE SNOWSTORM REPORT. UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE BASICALLY, THE SAWS CREW BECAME FIRST RESPONDERS. THEY WERE OUT IN THE STREETS. THEY WEREN'T SLEEPING FOR 24, 48 HOURS. UH, AND SO I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF, UH, THE DIVERSIFICATION OF THE WATER. THEY'RE GETTING ALL OF THESE THINGS FOR THEIR RATE, UH, THAT THEY'RE PAYING. AND I MEAN, I SEE, AND OF COURSE, I'VE, I'VE HAD JUST A VERY SHORT TIME TO LEARN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT SASS, BUT I SEE THEY'RE MAKING VERY CONCERTED EFFORTS TO ALWAYS IMPROVE SERVICE. AND SO I, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SAY, OH, I GET FIVE PHONES FOR, YOU KNOW, A, A SALE, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GETTING WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'RE PAYING YOUR SAS BILL? AND WHAT IS SAS DOING FOR ME? SO MS. AS A RATE PAYER, UH, MS. JAYNA, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE. UM, I, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR PREMISE YES. REGARDING, UM, THE GENERAL POPULATION HAVING ACCESS TO, UH, SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT MAYBE YOU CONSIDER, UM, UH, OPTIONAL. UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT CELL PHONES, UM, ARE, ARE A CONNECTION, ARE ARE A LIFELINE. SO I, I CERTAINLY DON'T CONSIDER THEM OPTIONAL. AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE CABLE. SO I GUESS, WHAT IS YOUR, WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT TO THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THE OPTION OF HAVING CABLE? AND, YOU KNOW, I TALKED ABOUT THAT AS WELL. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A PR PERSON THAT I FOCUS ON IS COMMUNICATION. SO, WHEN I SAW MARY BAILEY WITH SAWS HAS A GREAT, UH, PLAN OUTLINE TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE WATER CUTOFF THAT WE'RE GONNA START THIS WEEK. UH, AND SHE SAID, OH, WE STARTED TEXTING. WE STARTED, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE, YOU CAN SIGN [01:35:01] UP. AND I SAID, WELL, HEY, WHAT ABOUT IN MY HEAD? I HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY IDEAS WITH ANYONE, UH, TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN. BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE CELL PHONES? WHAT ABOUT ARE YOU, I MEAN, I ALMOST WANTED TO DO DOOR TO DOOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS HAPPENING? UH, AND, AND MR. PUENTE TOLD ME THAT AT SOME POINT THEY DID GO DOOR TO DOOR WITH DISTRICT FIVE, UH, PREVIOUS CITY COUNCILWOMAN WITH LAPTOPS SIGNING PEOPLE UP FOR SERVICES. UH, SO NO, I'M NOT, I'M NOT BLIND TO THE FACT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE I KNOW MS. GARCIA, MY NEIGHBOR, UH, HE'S 84 YEARS OLD, EVEN WHEN HE HAS HIS CELL PHONE, HE ONLY HAS A COUPLE OF NUMBERS PROGRAMMED IN IT FOR HIS KIDS. UH, I KNOW THAT HE'S NOT GONNA SIGN UP FOR A PROGRAM. UH, I KNOW THAT, THAT OUR, MY COMMUNITY, THE SOUTHEAST SIDE, I MEAN, THAT IS, THAT IS OUR DEMOGRAPHIC. UH, SO NO, I KNOW, I WAS JUST, I WAS COMPARING IT TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT BASIC, LIKE WATER BASIC NEEDS, UM, ARE GETTING SOME OF THOSE, UH, PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR THEM. AND I JUST THOUGHT, AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD GO BACK TO WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GONNA HAVE A RATE INCREASE. SO, GOING BACK TO THAT PIECE. OKAY. SO CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR ANSWER TO THE RATE ADVISORY QUESTION? SO THEY, I BELIEVE THAT THEY ASKED, UM, IF WE WOULD HAVE A RATE ADVISORY, UH, CONSULTANT COME IN. AND I TALKED ABOUT, UM, AGAIN, I WOULD USE THAT INFORMATION. I THINK THAT'S VALUABLE, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE THE ONLY SOURCE THAT WOULD HELP ME MAKE MY DECISION ON A RATE INCREASE OR, OR RATES IN GENERAL. UM, WE TALKED ABOUT, I TALKED TO ONE OF THE CANDIDATES ABOUT A STUDY THAT A TRINITY PROFESSOR DID AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT HE UNCOVERED. DID HE INTERVIEW PEOPLE? WAS HE ON THE STREETS? AGAIN, KIND OF FACE-TO-FACE AND USING SOME OF THAT DATA. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE DATA THAT SAWS PROBABLY HAS, UM, AND WILL GET OUT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR RESEARCH TEAM ON HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT BEEN SINCE THERE'S BEEN A RATE INCREASE, AND WHAT PERCENTAGE, YOU KNOW, IS, IS THE RATE INCREASE, WHAT CAN THEY, WHAT CAN THEY DO, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE FACING, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, POVERTY LEVEL AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, NO, I, I TALKED ABOUT THE RATE, UH, ADVISORY AS A SMALL PIECE OF WHAT DATA I WOULD NEED. I THINK MR. P, YOU, YOU POSTED THAT QUESTION, WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO SEE FROM SAS AND MR. PUENTE TO MAKE A DECISION ON A RATE INCREASE? AND I JUST SAID THAT WOULD BE ONE PIECE. OKAY. I'M SORRY. I THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. OH, YES. AND I, I DID SAY THAT TOO, THAT THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS, UM, IS IT IN PLACE? I MEAN, YOU'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT PROCESSES TODAY, AND IF THE RATE ADVISORY IS A PART OF THE PROCESS, HAVING THAT TEAM ON BOARD, AND YOU, I BELIEVE YOU ALL SELECT WHO SERVES ON THAT COMMITTEE, THAT WE WOULD TAKE THEIR INPUT AS WELL. AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT PROCESSES. I WOULDN'T WANNA FLIP SOMETHING ON A DIME, UM, BECAUSE OF THEIR OPINION, WHAT, WHAT THEY BRING, IF THEY WERE APPOINTED TO THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE ARE APPOINTED. AND, UH, THEY BRING THAT TO THE SAS BOARD. WE WOULD LISTEN AS A PIECE OF ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH RATES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MARY LOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, KARENNA YOUR PATIENCE. ALSO, YOU'LL BE HERE IN A FEW YEARS, I'M SURE. UM, SO, UM, YOU'VE, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF CONVERSATION, UM, AND YOU'VE ASKED THE, UH, AND YOU'VE HEARD THE QUESTIONS, BUT I WANNA GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, AND I, I WANTED TO ASK, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE SOUTHEAST SIDE, I MEAN, IN TERMS OF DISTRICT THREE, YOU KNOW, HARLANDALE, YOU KNOW, BROOKS, YOU KNOW, UH, THE HIGHLAND HILLS AREA. WHAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE, AND I, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, OTHER PARTS OF TOWN BECAUSE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND JUST LIFE EXPERIENCE. SO WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MAIN STRUGGLE RIGHT NOW FOR OUR RATE PAYERS? IS IT, SO WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MAIN STRUGGLE FOR OUR RATE PAYERS? WELL, I, I THINK, AGAIN, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO MY, TO MY, UM, MY INITIAL, UM, CONCERN. AND WHAT I DID AGREE. I MEAN, WHEN THE COUNCILWOMAN ASKED ME TO CONSIDER THIS, IT WAS COMMUNICATING TO OUR RATE PAYERS. UM, I THINK A LOT OF OUR FOLKS LIVING IN POVERTY, PEOPLE LIVING ALONE, I COULD GO BACK A FEW YEARS AND TALK ABOUT MY PARENTS. THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE OPENED THE DOOR FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S COMING FROM SAS, UH, TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT RAPE PROGRAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I THINK REACHING THEM, UM, ON THEIR LEVEL. I MEAN, WE HAVE FOLKS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SPANISH SPEAKING, MAYBE RURAL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS THAT I THINK ARE CHALLENGING TO COMMUNICATE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT, UM, I'M GUILTY OF NOT EVEN OPENING MY WATER BILL. OKAY. AND IN THAT WATER BILL, WHICH I HAVE OPENED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS IN IT, THERE'S AMAZING PROGRAMS IN THERE. OKAY. SO WHAT, WHY ISN'T, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MS. GARCIA, OR [01:40:01] YOU KNOW, MR. SMITH, YOU KNOW, WHO LIVES WAY OUT IN THE, YOU KNOW, OUT IN THE SUBURBS OF SOUTH SAN ANTONIO. UM, IS HE READING THAT? IS HE GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT? SO I THINK REACHING THEM ON THEIR LEVEL, UH, COUNCILWOMAN VIETNAM, UM, IS HUGE. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF FOLKS IN OUR SOUTHEAST QUADRANT THAT ARE TAKING THE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HELPING THEM. I TALKED ABOUT, UM, DOING INNOVATIVE THINGS WITH THEM. UM, I KNOW ROBERT AND, UH, THE FOLKS AT SAS DO THAT AMAZING EVENT IN THEIR PARKING LOT AT SAS TO GET ZERO SCAPING PLANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WELL, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO MY NEIGHBOR, HE'S NOT GONNA GET IN THE BUS AND TAKE THE BUS TO THE SAS HEADQUARTERS AND BRING ALL THE PLANTS BACK ON A, ON THE VIA BUS. UM, MAYBE WE CAN BRING THAT TO THEM. AGAIN, I, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE CREATIVE. I WAS LOOKING AT WAYS TO BRING THINGS THAT THEY NEED. WE WANT THEM TO CHECK OFF THESE BOXES. THEY'RE SAVING WATER, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WATERING ON CERTAIN DAYS, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT HOW ARE WE GONNA GET IT TO THEM? I THINK THAT WAS MISSING FOR OUR SOUTHWEST QUADRANT, OUR RATE PAYERS. THANK YOU. AND I'LL JUST REITERATE, I THINK WE HAVE A SAWS BOARD THAT IS WORKING VERY HARD. MM-HMM. , I THINK, UH, MARY LOU REYNA WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT ADDITION TO THIS, BECAUSE SHE WOULD BRING A NEW PERSPECTIVE THAT, AND I WILL ATTEST, LIKE, UM, COUNCILMAN CAVEO HAVD, UH, SAID THAT 20 YEARS AGO, WE WOULDN'T EVEN BE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS. SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING YOU, AND I'M, I'M EXCITED THAT WE COULD GET TO THIS POINT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRIND. AND I'LL CLOSE, UH, THE DISCUSSION HERE. UH, JUST, BUT YOU'RE IN THE QUEUE. I'LL SEE YOU IN THERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND THANK YOU MARY LOU. UM, I'D LIKE TO RE-ASK THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED YESTERDAY DURING OUR ONE-ON-ONE MM-HMM. , UM, AS IT STANDS, WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THE SOURCE PAY RATE STRUCTURE, UM, COMES AT A COST TO THE RESIDENTIAL, UM, PAYER IN COMPARISON TO LARGE BUSINESSES WHO PROFIT OFF OF WATER USAGE. I UNDERSTAND BUSINESSES PROVIDE JOBS, BUT WHAT'S YOUR POSITION ON THAT STRUCTURE? DO YOU THINK IT'S EQUITABLE? UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOKED BACK AND, AND THOUGHT ABOUT IT AFTER I LEFT YOU YESTERDAY. AND I'M LOOKING AT THE BIG BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, ALAMO COLLEGES, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE CAMPUSES THAT ARE PROBABLY BIG WATER USERS, OR, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, WITH ALL THE CAMPUSES THAT THEY HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR LARGER BUSINESSES. AGAIN, UM, I HAVE NO, UH, DATA ON THIS, BUT I'M GONNA GUESS, UH, YOUR U S A A, YOU KNOW, THESE HAVE ACRES AND ACRES OF LAND, UM, AND THEY DO PROVIDE JOBS, BUT THEY HAVE VOLUME AS WELL. AND SO I WOULD LOOK AT THAT. IS IT FAIR? IS IT EQUITABLE? UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO COSTCO, THAT'S HOW COSTCO EXISTS, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU BUY IN BULK AND YOU GET THINGS A LITTLE CHEAPER. UH, THAT'S THE IDEA. BUT DOES COSTCO REALLY WORK? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T HAVE A MEMBERSHIP TO COSTCO. BUT IF THAT'S THE CONCEPT BEHIND SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES GETTING A BETTER RATE BECAUSE THEY USE MORE, UM, THEY DO PROVIDE JOBS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE, THE, UM, THINGS THAT I MENTIONED. BUT IF THEY'RE USING MORE AND THEY'RE PROVIDING SERVICES, THIS IS PROBABLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR COLLEGE CAMPUSES. UH, BUT IF IT'S NOT EQUITABLE, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT. I MEAN, IS IT, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY PAYING 50% MORE? ARE THEY PAYING 2% MORE? I'M NOT SURE. UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT. AND I THINK THE CITIZENS WANNA SEE THAT, YOU KNOW? THANK YOU. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT BUSINESSES SHOULD PAY A LOWER RATE THAN RESIDENTIAL USERS? YES OR NO? UM, I BELIEVE THE FOLKS THAT ARE USING THE MOST SHOULD PAY A, A LARGER, UH, PROBABLY GET SOME KIND OF, UH, REPRIEVE FOR THE QUANTITY THAT THEY'RE USING. IF THAT IS A BUSINESS, THEN YES, BUT I BELIEVE THAT FOR THE SAME FOR OTHERS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OPEN TO IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THAT, THAT'S TWO ROUNDS, UH, ON THE MAIN MOTION ALREADY. SO I'M GONNA CLOSE THE DISCUSSION. WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE VOTE. UH, MS. RAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION FOR STEPPING FORWARD. I, I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES CURRENT AND PREVIOUS HAVE APPOINTED YOU TO MANY THINGS. AND TO ME, THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AND, AND, AND HAVE DONE SO IN, IN, IN, IN QUITE AN ESTEEMED MANNER, UH, WITH YOUR SERVICE AT TEXAS A AND M. UH, AND AT B C F SS. UH, I WILL TELL YOU, THERE, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES, UH, IN THE POOL. UH, A VERY SMALL POOL BY MIND YOU OF, OF CANDIDATES, UH, FOR THIS APPLICATION. AND, AND, UM, I'LL ALSO TELL YOU, I WAS DISAPPOINTED WHEN, UH, LETICIA UNA THREW HER HAT IN FOR ANY I S D BECAUSE SHE WAS TAKING SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WE NEEDED AT THE BOARD AT THE TIME, WHICH IS EXPERTISE IN CYBERSECURITY. BUT I THINK FOR ME, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS DISCUSSION OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS ABOUT YOUR SERVICE ON THE SAWS BOARD, IS THAT WE HAVE JUST FACED, UH, AN UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF CRISES IN [01:45:01] OUR COMMUNITY WITH REGARD TO OUR UTILITIES ON TWO PRIMARY FRONTS. FIRST, UH, A PANDEMIC, UH, THAT HAS CAUSED EXTREME ECONOMIC HARDSHIP ON THE PART OF ALL OF OUR RATE PAYERS. AND TWO, A WINTER STORM THAT HAS BROUGHT, UH, VIRTUALLY EVERY UTILITY IN TEXAS TO ITS KNEES, WATER, AND ELECTRICITY. AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, AT B C F SS AND AT TEXAS A AND M SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS, I BELIEVE THAT IS WHY YOU'RE GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS FIT IN THIS ERA OF SAWS. UH, AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, ENDURING, UH, A, A PUBLIC INTERVIEW IN THIS MANNER. UH, I DO HOPE, UH, FOR THOSE OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE CHANCE TO, TO, UH, VISIT WITH YOU OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, UH, THAT YOU'VE BEEN OUR NOMINEE, UH, WE'LL TAKE THE TIME TO DO THAT. AND I THINK THEY WILL BE EQUALLY IMPRESSED, UH, WITH THE SERVICE YOU'VE PROVIDED THIS COMMUNITY AND THE SERVICE YOU WILL PROVIDE ON THE SAWS BOARD. SO I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT YOUR NOMINATION. UH, AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE QUESTION NOW. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM FIVE, WHICH IS THE APPOINTMENT OF MARY LOU RENA TO THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES. UM, IT'S NOT PULLING UP JUST YET, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MARY LOU. LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU. UH, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER SIX. [6. Resolution confirming the nomination of Dr. Francine Romero by the CPS Energy Board of Trustees to serve as a Trustee of the Northwest Quadrant on the CPS Energy Board of Trustees for a term commencing upon the completion of Edward B. Kelley’s term, which shall be no later than February 1, 2022 and expiring January 31, 2027. [Debbie RaccaSittre, Interim City Clerk]] ITEM NUMBER SIX IS A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE NOMINATION OF DR. FRANCINE ROMERO BY THE C P SS BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO SERVE AS A TRUSTEE OF THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT ON THE C P SS ENERGY BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR A TERM COMMENCING UPON THE COMPLETION OF EDWARD B KELLY'S TERM, WHICH SHALL BE NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 1ST, 2022, AND EXPIRING JANUARY 31ST, 2027. OKAY. UH, COUNCILS MEMBER PALS, THANK YOU, FRANCINE, COME ON UP, PLEASE, WHEREVER IT IS YOU ARE. YEAH, I, I WANTED YOU STANDING UP THERE AND LOOKING AT ME WHEN I, WHEN I SAID THE WORDS, I MOVE TO APPROVE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. OKAY, THERE, THERE, THERE'S A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SIX. WAS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. A SECOND. OKAY. UH, WE DO HAVE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM SIX, AND THEN WE'LL, WE WILL, UH, RESUME WITH THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND I'LL BRING IT BACK TO COUNCILMAN MCLI TO START US OFF. UH, WE HAVE A FEW CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. I'LL CALL THE FIRST NAME IN THE LIST. I'LL CALL THE NAME, UH, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, IF YOU CAN BE PREPARED TO COME FORWARD. WE'LL START WITH ANAQUA GARCIA WE'LL, AND, UH, WE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY HALLIS SHANTU. HELLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. UH, I REPRESENT SOUTHWEST WORKERS UNION AND CLIMATE ACTION SAN ANTONIO. AND WE ARE HERE TO CALL FOR BOLD LEADERSHIP AT C P S. THAT IS WHY MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES, WE CANNOT IN GOOD FAITH WEBER STAMP THE NOMINATION OF FRANCINE ROMERO FOR THE C P S ENERGY TRUSTEES FOR THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT. THE MOMENT WE ARE IN TODAY CALLS FOR US TO ENACT, ADJUST AN EQUITABLE RESTRUCTURING OF THE WAY C P SS ENERGY OPERATES AND DOES BUSINESS WITH THE COMMUNITY. IN 2020, OUR COALITION SPOKE TO 16,000 C P S CUSTOMERS AND VOTERS WHO WERE NOT CONTENT WITH C P SS AND WANTED STRUCTURAL CHANGE. OUR RECENT FAIRFAX POLL REVEALED THE EXACT SAME. AND ONE OF ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS IN THE COM CONCERNS IN THE COMMUNITY IS THAT OF C P S ENERGY'S GOVERNANCE. THIS IS THE SAME GOVERNANCE THAT LEFT SOME OF US IN THE COLD, BUT NOT OTHERS. THE SAME GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE WAS BUSY, DR. BUSY DRAFTING LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THEMSELVES WHILE THE REST OF US SCRAMBLED TO STAY WARM A FEW MONTHS AGO, ED KELLY SPOKE OF THE TIME BEING NOW FOR PEOPLE TO, AND QUOTE, PULL THEMSELVES UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS IN REFERENCE TO MORE, TO THE MORE THAN 70,000 CUSTOMERS AT RISK OF DISCONNECTIONS. IT IS THIS CALLOUSNESS AND INHUMANITY THAT BRINGS US HERE TODAY TO PLEAD [01:50:01] WITH YOU THAT YOU SELECT A TRUSTEE THAT WILL PUT THE PEOPLE AND THE CLIMATE. FIRST, WE CALL ON YOU TO CONSIDER A HEALTH SCIENCE ADVOCATE AND A WOMAN WHO COULD HELP US LEAD THE CITY INTO A CLIMATE READY FUTURE. AND THAT IS DR. TU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. UH, HULI KTU, FOLLOWED BY ANTONIA TAYLOR. GOOD MORNING. UM, I'M WITH, I'M CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE SOUTHWEST WORKERS UNION, AND I'M AN ALUMNI OF, UH, MOVE TEXAS. SO, I MEAN, I TALK TO, UH, PEOPLE ON A DAILY, UM, ABOUT THEIR BILLS AND LIKE JUST THEIR RELATION TO GOVERNANCE, WHETHER IT'S EXISTENT AT ALL. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO START, UH, CITY COUNCIL MUST COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACTS. C P SS ENERGY HAS A BIAS LENS, AND THEIR PUBLICIZED INFORMATION DOES NOT REFLECT THEIR ILL PREPARATION FOR THE 75 K RESIDENT RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY DISCONNECTIONS, UM, MAKING SAN ANTONIO TANTALIZING TO BUSINESSES EVERYWHERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOME MEMBERS PRIORITIES IN THEIR VOTES. HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T ERASE THE LIVES OF RESIDENTS WHO WORK DOUBLE SHIFTS, WHO CALL AND SPEND HOURS WAITING FOR C P S TO ANSWER THEIR PHONES, WHICH THEY'RE NOT. WE'VE GOTTEN MULTIPLE, UM, ACCOUNTS OF THAT. UM, THERE CAN BE NO EQUITABLE OPTION FOR RATE PAYERS UNTIL THERE ARE CHANGES TO SAN ANTONIO'S RATE STRUCTURE. UM, AND C P SS HASN'T GOTTEN, HAS GOTTEN ITSELF INTO DEBT, UM, THESE PAST FEW YEARS, LIKE MAKING, UH, INVESTMENTS INTO THE COAL PLANTS ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING TO CLOSE IN WET, LESS THAN 10 YEARS. IF WE WANT ZERO CARBON EMISSION, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE POSSIBLE IF WE CONTINUE WITH THIS CURRENT BOARD'S DECISION MAKING. AND YEAH, YOU CAN IGNORE THIS AS LONG AS YOU WANT, BUT THAT MEANS PUSHING THIS ISSUE DOWN THE LINE AND FORCING RESIDENTS INTO HORRIBLE CONDITIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE. UM, NOW, UM, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE HAD MULTIPLE, UM, CANDIDATES AND WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, THE ONLY OPTION GOING FORWARD IS, UH, APPROVING DR. ELIDA CANTU, NO RELATION, UM, TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR C P S. AND, UH, WE ASK FOR HER CONSIDERATION PLEASE, AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. CONTU ANTONIA TAYLOR. MS. TAYLOR, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LILLIAN WHITE. GOOD MORNING. I COME HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF SUNRISE SAN ANTONIO TO CONVEY CONCERN ABOUT C P S AND THE APPOINTMENT OF THE VACANT BOARD OF TRUSTEES POSITION. SAN ANTONIO DESERVES BOARD MEMBERS THAT WILL STAND FOR US IN THE MIDST OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. WE DESERVE BOARD MEMBERS THAT WILL SEE US AS INVALUABLE HUMAN BEINGS, RATHER THAN A 10 DIGIT ACCOUNT NUMBER AND DISPOSABLE INCOME. ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2021, C P SS C P S RESUMED DISCONNECTIONS. DESPITE THE DISMAY OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AND MEMBERS, THESE, THE DISCONNECTIONS AND RAIN HIKES, HER VULNERABLE POPULATIONS SUCH AS OUR BLACK AND INDIGENOUS, HISPANIC, LOW INCOME, ELDERLY, AND THE TECHNOLOGICALLY DISADVANTAGED PEOPLES ENERGY IS A HUMAN RIGHT. CLEAN ENERGY IS A HUMAN RIGHT. AND TO DENY THAT IS A DISSERVICE TO THOSE YOU ARE EXPECTED TO SERVE AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THIS YEAR, WINTER AND MU DEVASTATED OUR COMMUNITY AND LEFT MILLIONS WITHOUT POWER. THE UNRELIABILITY OF THE SPRUCE POWER PLANT AND C P S ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVER 700 DEATHS OF TEXANS. DUTY ENERGY FOUND AT THE SPRUCE POWER PLANT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY, AS POLLUTION HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS HEALTH CON CONDITIONS SUCH AS ASTHMA AND BRONCHITIS. C P S ARE MAYOR AND IS, CONSTITUENTS HAVE REMAINED SILENT ON THE DEADLY EFFECTS OF THE POWER POLLUTION. AT THE DISMAY OF SAN ANTONIONS, DR. ALTA CANTU DEN A CANDIDATE TO FILL THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES VACANCY. AS AN EDUCATOR AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, DR. CANTU UNDERSTANDS HOW ENERGY USAGE CAN AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY. SHE WILL USE THE EXPERTISE IN PUBLIC SERVICE TO GUIDE C P S TOWARDS CLEAN AND SAFE ENERGY USAGE. DR. CANTU WILL ENSURE HER CONSTITUENTS ARE HEARD AND REPRESENTED AS WE FACE AN EVER-CHANGING CLIMATE. MAYOR BERG AND SAN ANTONIO, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, SEEM TO PRIDE THEMSELVES AND SAN ANTONIO'S RICH HISPANIC HERITAGE, AND YET FAILED TO PROTECT SAID COMMUNITY MEMBERS. HISPANIC COMMUNITIES ARE DIS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY HIGHER RATES, DEAD AND POLLUTION, AND WILL FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES. YOU ALL HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE A CLEAN AND BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SAN ANTONIO'S RESIDENTS, BUT CHOOSE TO PRIORITIZE DIRTY ENERGY AND CONTINUOUS PROFITS AT THE EXPENSE OF UTILITY PAYERS AND THE UTILITY PAYERS HEALTH AND WELLBEING. WE IS BOARD OF TRUSTEES THAT WILL PROPERLY REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS CITY COUNCIL, AND THE MAYOR MUST LIVE [01:55:01] UP TO THEIR PROMISES. DR. ALITA CANTU IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THIS CHOICE WILL ENSURE YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE PROPERLY REPRESENTED AND TAKEN CARE OF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. TAYLOR, LILLIAN WHITE, HOWDY. I'M HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM SUNRISE MOVEMENT SAN ANTONIO TO ADVOCATE FOR DR. ALITA CANTU AS THE JUST CHOICE FOR THE OPENING ON C P S ENERGY'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES. C P S ENERGY'S. RECENT RESUMPTION OF UTILITY DISCONNECTIONS DURING A PANDEMIC WAS INHUMANE. MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES STRUGGLED DAILY IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO, TO RECOVER FROM THE SOCIOECONOMIC REPERCUSSIONS OF C OVID 19. NO ONE SHOULD BE FORCED TO WITHHOLD BASIC NEEDS FROM THEIR FAMILY IN ORDER TO PAY OFF DEBT ACCRUED DUE TO LOSS OF INCOME DURING A PANDEMIC. UNFORTUNATELY, THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS AFFECTED WILL ONLY INCREASE WITH THE FAST APPROACHING UNETHICAL RATE HIKE. AS UTILITY BILLS RISE AND LOWER INCOME RESIDENTS ARE FORCED TO SUBSIDIZE THE ENERGY COSTS OF HEAVY USING BUSINESSES. MORE HOUSEHOLDS WILL STRUGGLE WITH UTILITY DEBT AND THUS FACE DISCONNECTIONS. CONSIDERING THE SUFFERING AND LOSS OF LIFE AFTER LAST FEBRUARY'S WINTER STORM, THESE DISCONNECTIONS WILL HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY DEADLY RESULTS. THE SPRUCE COAL PLANT FAILED US DURING STORM URI. IT IS UNRELIABLE AND DANGEROUS. IT IS THE LEADING SOURCE OF ASTHMA, EXACERBATING POLLUTION IN BEAR COUNTY. AS A TEACHER, I SEE THE HARM THIS CAUSES IN THE CHILDREN OF SAN ANTONIO. EVERY DAY. OVER 80% OF THE POPULATION IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS SURROUNDING THE SPRUCE COAL PLANT COAL PLANT ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND AT LEAST 23% ARE LIVING IN POVERTY. LAST AUGUST, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DECLARED RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, YET AFTER PAYING LIP SERVICE TO THE CAUSE, RON NIERENBERG, OUR MAYOR, HAS BEEN QUITE COMFORTABLE DOING NOTHING TO ADDRESS THIS MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO HEALTH ISSUES OF BIPO COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE HOPE THAT YOU, OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION REGARDING THE BOARD NOMINEE. THE C P S ENERGY BOARD OF TRUSTEES NEEDS STRONG, COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP AS AN EDUCATOR AND A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. DR. CANTU UNDERSTANDS THE TRUE MEANING OF PUBLIC SERVICE. SHE HAS THE EXPERTISE NECESSARY TO LEND AN INVALUABLE PERSPECTIVE TO THE DECISIONS BEING MADE AT C P S ENERGY AND THE FACE OF OUR CHANGING CLIMATE. IN ADDITION, DR. CANTU'S BRILLIANT TRACK RECORD OF SERVING ON AND EVEN LEADING VARIOUS BOARDS PROVES THAT SHE'S CAPABLE AND DRIVEN IN SERVICE TO HER COMMUNITY. SHE IS NOT SOMEONE WHO WILL BE BOUGHT AS A BOARD MEMBER, NOR WILL SHE BE BULLIED INTO COMPLIANCE AS C P SS. ENERGY IS MUNICIPALLY OWNED. THE CITY DESERVES A BOARD MEMBER THAT ACTUALLY CONSIDERS OUR NEEDS. IT IS TIME FOR SOMEONE ON THE C P SS ENERGY BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO FINALLY ADHERE TO THE SLOGAN OF PEOPLE FIRST. IT IS ALSO TIME FOR A CITY COUNCIL THAT LIVES UP TO THE ENDORSEMENTS THEY RAN ON. REPRESENT THE PEOPLE THAT PUT YOU IN THESE SEATS. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ELECT SOMEONE LIKE DR. ALITA CANTU, AND NOT JUST WHOMEVER THE UTILITY COMPANY HAS PLACED IN FRONT OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MS. WHITE, THAT'S EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER APPLI. THANKS, FRANCINE. COME ON BACK UP. I'M SORRY FOR, FOR MAKING YOU DO THIS TWICE. UH, FRANCINE, WHEN WHEN I APPROACHED YOU AND ASKED YOU TO, TO APPLY FOR THIS SEAT, I, UH, I TOLD YOU THAT IT WAS GONNA BE A WILD RIDE. AND, AND I HOPE THAT, UM, YOU, I HOPE THAT YOU'LL SAY THAT I'VE DELIVERED ON THAT PROMISE. UH, UM, IT, IT WASN'T TOO WILD. A RIDE. UM, ACTUALLY, I'VE, I'VE ENJOYED IT. I, I LEARNED A LOT. UM, I, YOU KNOW, I'M A PROFESSOR, BUT I'M STILL A STUDENT, AND I HAVE, UH, USED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, GO OUT AND MEET WITH PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC. I, I MET WITH THE, THE CLIMATE ACTION GROUP, UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT. I'VE MET WITH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. UM, BASICALLY ANYBODY WHO WOULD TAKE MY CALL, I HAVE MET WITH THEM, AND I LEARNED A LOT. I ALSO LEARNED A LOT ABOUT COMMONALITIES THAT I DIDN'T, I WASN'T AWARE OF FROM, FROM GROUPS ON ON DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM. UM, THE, UH, THE C P S INTERVIEWS WERE EXHAUSTIVE. UH, THE, THE FIRST ROUND, UM, WAS A LITTLE BIT EASIER. THE SECOND ROUND WAS, UM, I, I WOULD SAY A GRUELING INTERVIEW. AND, AND IN A GOOD WAY WHEN IT WAS OVER WITH, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY IN DEPTH INTERVIEW. SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A SOMEWHAT ENJOYABLE RIDE, ACTUALLY. I'VE LEARNED QUITE A BIT. AND, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY AND ALL OF YOU, UH, WHO AGREED TO SPEAK WITH ME IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. WELL, THE, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU WHY, WHY IT IS, AND THAT, THAT I'M SUPPORTING YOU TODAY. AND, UM, AND I THINK THAT YOU'RE THE RIGHT PICK FOR THIS ONE. WHEN I TOOK A, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSUME THE ROLE IN THIS SEAT, YOU WERE ALREADY THE ZONING COMMISSIONER AS APPOINTED BY, UM, THEN COUNCILMAN NIERENBERG. [02:00:01] UM, AND WATCHING YOU WORK WITH THE FOLKS WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND WATCHING YOU WORK WITH, UH, BUILDERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS AND CITY STAFF, AND WATCHING YOU WORK WITH YOUR, YOUR COLLEAGUES UP THERE. I, THERE'S NO WAY WILD HORSES COULDN'T GET ME TO, YOU KNOW, UM, DRAG ME TO, TO REAPPOINT SOME OR APPOINT SOMEBODY ELSE. I, I THINK, I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB. WHAT I REALLY ADMIRED ABOUT YOU, AND I THOUGHT THAT YOU MADE YOU IDEAL FOR THIS, IS THAT, UM, YOU COME FROM ACADEMIA, AND I THINK THAT YOU SPEAK TO AND SPEAK FOR THAT, UM, THAT NEXT GENERATION. AND I THINK THAT YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OVER THE YEARS ADVOCATING, UH, FOR, FOR, UM, HONEST AND DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS INVOLVING, UM, THE NEXT GENERATION OF SAN ANTONIANS. AND, AND I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED YOU APPROACHING THOSE WITH A LOT OF OBJECTIVITY IN CANDOR. THE SECOND THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD FROM, UM, A LOT OF BUSINESS FOLKS OUT THERE WHO SAID, UH, SO FRUSTRATING FOR US BECAUSE SHE'S NOT ONE OF US, RIGHT? AND, UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S PERFECT. UH, I'VE SEEN YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, GRANT A LOT OF THEIR REQUESTS WHEN IT COMES TO ZONING ISSUES, AND I'VE ALSO SEEN YOU BREAK THEIR HEART. AND, AND I'VE SEEN YOU DO THAT, UH, IN A VERY MEASURED AND MATURE WAY. AND, UM, I ALSO AD ADMIRED THE WAY THAT, UM, YOU TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY A LOT OF THESE HARD DECISIONS. UH, THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR WORK ON THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, UH, PROTECTION PROGRAM, UH, SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO CAN EVER QUESTION YOUR DEDICATION TO, UH, SAN ANTONIO'S ENVIRONMENT AND OUR MISSION OF SUSTAINABILITY. UM, I THINK THAT YOU ARE ONE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ON NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE CITY THAT, UM, IT DOES NOT RECEIVE THE THANKS THAT, THAT YOU OUGHT TO RECEIVE AS OFTEN AS YOU MERIT IT. AND SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M, I'M, I'M PROUD TO MAKE THAT MOTION, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU GOT A SECOND. AND I, I, I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE FOLKS WHO'S SERVING ON YOUR BOARD WITH YOU. UH, JANIE GONZALEZ. UH, I, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU AND HER ARE, UM, ARE TWO OF THE BRAINIEST PEOPLE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, IN SAN ANTONIO. AND THIS BOARD'S GONNA BE LUCKY TO HAVE TWO FOLKS WITH SUCH ENORMOUS FRONTAL LOBES, UH, AT THE TABLE MAKING SOME IMPORTANT DECISIONS. BUT I, I, I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF. AND, AND, AND I HAVE TO SAY IT, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, WE'VE HEARD MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, FOLKS THAT I RESPECT COME OUT AND SAY, MY GOSH, YOU KNOW, IF WE APPOINT FRANCINE, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. AND NOBODY ON THERE IS GONNA BE ABLE TO READ A BALANCE SHEET. NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT FINANCE AND NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. AND TO THOSE FOLKS, I'D SAY, YOU GUYS OWE JANIE GONZALEZ A BIG APOLOGY. UM, THAT LADY IS A SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRE. UM, SHE IS A BOOTSTRAP STORY. SHE DID NOT INHERIT HER PRIVILEGE. UH, AND SHE'S HAD TO FIGHT FOR EVERYTHING THAT SHE'S EVER ACCOMPLISHED. AND APPARENTLY SHE'S GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT PEOPLE NOT THINKING THAT SHE'S A ULTIMATE EXPERT IN BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL, UM, DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE AND HARD, YOU KNOW, MATH DECISIONS THAT COME WITH RUNNING A UTILITY. UM, SERIOUSLY, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WHO SAID THAT, THAT THERE'S GONNA BE NO BUSINESS PERSON AT, AT THE BOARD, MAN, I'M SO DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR, UH, YOU FOLKS SAY THAT. BUT FRANCINE, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA DO GREAT. AND I WANT TO END ON, UM, YOU KNOW, ON A POSITIVE NOTE HERE, I'M PROUD OF YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT AND SPENDING ALL THOSE HOURS AND ALL THOSE DAYS SPEAKING TO FOLKS. UM, AND SOMETIMES YOU HAD TO INVITE YOURSELF TO THE ROOM. UH, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE FOLKS THAT WEREN'T REACHING OUT TO YOU, AND, UH, AND I SAW YOU DO IT. AND, UM, YOU'RE VERY BRAVE FOR WALKING INTO SOME OF THOSE ROOMS. BUT I ALSO HEARD FROM THOSE FOLKS, HUH? SHE'S, UH, SHE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED US. SHE WASN'T WHAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, UH, THE FOLKS, SHE WASN'T THE PERSON THAT WAS BEING DESCRIBED TO ME IN THE MEDIA, RIGHT? SHE WAS ACTUALLY SOMEBODY WHO, UH, WITH WHOM, UH, I, I SHARE MORE IN COMMON THAN LESS. AND SO, ANYWAY, I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU UP THERE. PROUD OF YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PALA. OKAY. MY, UH, QUEUE DISAPPEARED, BUT I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. OH, OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, DR. ROMERO FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK. UM, I WANNA START OFF BY SAYING THAT MY DISTRICT IS NOT VERY PLEASED WITH C P S. UM, AND SO IT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT OF ME AND I WOULDN'T BE, UM, REPRESENTING MY DISTRICT IF I DID RUBBER STAMP. AND SO, UM, IT, I DID MAKE IT A POINT TO ASK QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS OF MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND ASK QUESTIONS OF YOU. AND, UM, I WAS PLEASED. UM, I WAS PLEASED WITH A LOT OF THE ANSWER, A LOT OF THE ANSWERS THAT YOU GAVE TO MY QUESTIONS. I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, YOU HAVE THE COMMUNITY'S BEST INTEREST AT HEART. I BELIEVE THAT, UM, YOU'RE GONNA WORK HARD. AND WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT THE CLIMATE ADVOCACY COMMUNITY, AND YOU SAID THAT YOU [02:05:01] ACTIVELY SOUGHT OUT, UM, SOME MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW YOU IN AN EXPRESSED NEWS ARTICLE. I, I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF PROACTIVITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. I DO HAVE CONCERNS THAT, UM, JUST ABOUT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF C P S, AND I KNOW THAT YOU WERE REACHED OUT TO, AND, UM, IN OUR CONVERSATION, YOU WERE OPEN WITH ME THAT YOU WERE LEARNING ABOUT ISSUES AND YOU WERE TRYING TO, UM, DEVELOP YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND DEVELOP YOUR, PER YOUR, UM, YOUR PERS YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT, OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND SO, I'M A LITTLE, I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. UM, I'VE THOUGHT LAR LOT, I'VE THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT WHAT WE NEEDED AN APPOINTEE. AND WHAT, WHAT I'VE SAID TO, UM, OTHER APPOINTEES IS THAT IN OTHER BOARDS IS THAT THERE'S NO LACK OF REPRESENTATION FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. THEY CAN GO, THEY HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS EARS, THEY HAVE CPSS EARS. THEY CAN GO INTO ANY ROOM THAT THEY WANT. BUT THE PEOPLE WHO COME UP HERE TODAY AND SPEAK TO COUNCIL AND ARE MET WITH GLOSSED OVER EYES, UM, THEY'RE IGNORED AND THEY'RE TREATED AS A NUISANCE. AND SO MY REQUEST OF YOU IS THAT YOU NEVER TREAT THE COMMUNITY IN THAT WAY, AND THAT YOU ACTIVELY SEEK OUT PERSPECTIVES THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, MAYBE THAT OTHERS ARE IGNORING. AND THAT WOULD, THAT'S MY BIGGEST REQUEST OF YOU I DO HAVE A CONCERN, UM, AGAIN, ABOUT PROCESS. CAN SOMEONE EX, CAN SOMEONE DESCRIBE TO ME WHAT HAS BEEN FROM THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS TO NOW THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO VOTE? WHAT OPPORTUNITIES HAVE THERE BEEN FOR PUBLIC, UH, HEARING OR PUBLIC COMMENT? DO WE HAVE? UH, SO I WILL DESCRIBE TO YOU THE PROCESS THAT SS OR THAT, UH, C P SS GOES THROUGH. UH, THERE IS A APPLICATION PERIOD THAT GOES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. UH, APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED, UH, BY THE CITY CLERK AS WELL AS THROUGH C P S ENERGY. UH, THERE IS A, UM, A, UH, FIRST ROUND, UH, INTERVIEW PROCESS ON PAPER AND WITH THE, UH, CHAIR DR. MACKEY, UH, WITH THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE TO NARROW DOWN CANDIDATES TO BRING BACK TO INTERVIEW. UH, AND THERE IS A PUBLIC HEARING. UH, DR. MACKEY, DO YOU WANT TO DESCRIBE, UH, KIND OF THE PROCESS THAT YOU WENT THROUGH? YES, MAYOR. UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I WAS ON THAT COMMITTEE, UH, FOR, UH, THE, THE SELECTION COMMITTEE. I WAS NOT THE CHAIR. UH, MR. ED KELLY. KELLY IS THE NOMINATION CHAIR. I'M A TRUSTEE ON THAT. ON THAT COMMITTEE, WE CONDUCTED A ROBOT ROBUST OUTREACH EFFORTS TO CREATE AWARENESS FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THE CAMPAIGN BEGAN WITH A NEWS RELEASE ON JULY THE 13TH AND LASTED SEVEN WEEKS. OUTREACH WAS CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. WE USED TRADITIONAL OUTREACH LIKE NEWSPAPER ADS AND ALSO DIGITAL COMMUNICATION. WE HAD A GREAT SUPPORT FROM OUR PARTNERS OF THE CITY. AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE NEWS ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AS WELL. OUR OUTREACH WAS SUCCESSFUL, RESULTED IN 26 APPLICANTS. WE INTERVIEWED FOR THREE DAYS. UH, MR. KELLY AND I INTERVIEWED 26, UH, NOT 26, 'CAUSE I THINK TWO DROPPED OUT. BUT WE INTERVIEWED FOR THREE DAYS, A THURSDAY, A FRIDAY AND A MONDAY. AND, UH, WE SELECTED, WE STARTED OUT WITH, UM, AND WE CAME DOWN TO 11, UH, 11 PEOPLE THAT WE, UH, PERSONALLY INTERVIEWED. WE, WE HAD A TOUGH TIME BECAUSE THEY WERE GREAT APPLICANTS, ALL OF THEM. THEY WERE GREAT APPLICANTS AND DID A WONDERFUL JOB. UH, THE COM COMMITTEE SELECTED, WE STARTED OUT, WE SELECTED SIX APPLICANTS, AND WE DISCUSSED THE SIX APPLICANTS. AND WE NAR IT WAS SO CLOSE BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MANY GOOD APPLICANTS. WE COULD HAVE PUT ALL SIX ON THE BOARD BECAUSE THEY WERE THAT GOOD. BUT WE CAME DOWN TO THE, WE TOOK TO THE FULL BOARD FOUR APPLICANTS. FOLLOWING THE INTERVIEWS, UH, WE SELECTED AND VOTED FOR DR. FRANCINE ROMERO. IT WAS A HARD CHOICE, AND WHEN I LOOK BACK AT IT, I THOUGHT ABOUT TWO OR THREE QUESTIONS THAT I PROPOSED TO MYSELF AS AN EDUCATOR AND DR. FRANCINE'S AS AN EDUCATOR, BUT NO ONE KNEW. I WORKED FOR THE GAS PHYLLIS PETROLEUM GAS COMPANY. I WORKED FOR THE CITY OF LULING ELECTRIC COMPANY. I WORKED FOR THICK PENS ELECTRIC COMPANY. MY FAMILY HAS 60 YEARS OF ELECTRICITY, MANAGING ELECTRICITY BUSINESS WITH FAMILY MEMBERS. I KNOW ALL ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION AND THE DEMAND. THE BIGGEST PORTION THAT I'M DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW AND LEARNING ABOUT IS THE GENERATION ASPECT OF IT, THE VOLTAGE, KEEPING IT UP, AND MAKING SURE THAT THE WINTER STORM DOESN'T [02:10:01] HAPPEN IN SAN ANTONIO. AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING ERCOT IS SO MUCH TO THIS, I DON'T CARE WHO YOU SELECT, IT'S GONNA TAKE TWO YEARS TO LEARN THIS PROCESS. AND I'VE BEEN IN IT ALL MY LIFE, ELECTRICITY, ALL MY LIFE, FROM WIRING HOUSES, FROM RUNNING THE BOOM TRUCK, FROM BUILDING TRANSFORMER BANKS, FROM WORKING ON GAS SUBSTATIONS. AND THIS WAS A LEARNING PROCESS FOR ME BECAUSE IT'S SO LARGE. SO TO PUT DR. FRANCINE ON IT, LIKE ANY APPLICANT THAT UNDERSTAND THIS BUSINESS, NO, IT'S GONNA TAKE TWO TO THREE YEARS TO COME DOWN TO LEARNING THE PROCESS. BUT I LOOKED AT AN ASPECT OF TRUE THINGS, AND I ASKED HER, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CULTURE, ETHNICITY, AND RACE? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT BECAUSE OF SELECTING AN APPLICANT? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT SELECTING? I'M GONNA, I'M ASK THAT, UH, YOU PAUSE, HAVE ABOUT THREE MINUTES AND 20 SECONDS. OH, I'M SORRY. . BUT, BUT THE, THE BIG THING THAT I WANTED GET TO IS WHEN WAS THE PUBLIC HEARING? THE PUBLIC HEARING? I DON'T, NOW. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING, A PUBLIC HEARING. I THINK WE, WE, WE PUT OUT THE APPLICANT'S, THE POOL AND ALL THAT, BUT JUST THE PUBLIC HEARING, NO, I, I DON'T REMEMBER THAT. THANK YOU. I DON'T REMEMBER BEING A PART OF THAT. , THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, MY ASK IS THAT, BECAUSE THIS TERM WOULDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME. I WOULD LIKE FOR CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN A VOTE. UM, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE A PUBLIC, WOULD THIS BE POSSIBLE TO SCHEDULE ONE BEFORE THE NEXT, UM, A SESSION, A PUBLIC HEARING? AGAIN, UH, COUNCILMAN THE PROCESS OUTLINED BY ORDINANCES THAT THE C P S BOARD PUTS FORTH BEFORE THE COUNCIL NOMINEE. IF THE NOMINEE IS REJECTED, IT GOES BACK TO THE C P S, AND, AND THERE'S NO DETAIL AS TO WHETHER, UM, THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING OR NOT. SO WE COULD NOT TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. IT IS NOT PROHIBITED. BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S ONE WHERE THIS NOMINATION IS NOW BEFORE THE COUNCIL. UM, AND SO, UH, THE COUNCIL HAS TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, UP OR DOWN WHETHER THIS, THEY, THEY WANT TO NOT, UH, APPOINT THIS NOMINEE OR NOT. THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE I, I'M CONSIDERING MOTIONING TO DELAY THE VOTE UNTIL WE CAN HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. AND I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE THE NEXT DAY SESSION. SO IF IT, AFTER THE NEXT B SESSION, IF IT IS POSSIBLE, WE COULD DO ONE THAT IS KIND OF THE DECIDING FACTOR OF, UH, AS WITH THE PREVIOUS, UM, APPOINTMENT, COUNCILMAN, THE, THE APPROPRIATE MOTION WOULD BE TO DELAY MM-HMM. CONSIDERATION OF THIS NOMINEE UNTIL A DATE CERTAIN IN NOVEMBER, WHICH AGAIN, ALLOWS TIME FOR YOU AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT PROCESS. OKAY. SO, ASSUMING THAT A CONVERSATION WOULD BE HAD ABOUT PROCESS AND THAT WE WOULD SOLICIT PUBLIC COMMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO, UM, DELAY UNTIL, IS THE NEXT, IS THE NEXT NOVEMBER 18TH, COUNCILMAN, IS THAT POSSIBLE THOUGH? THAT DAY? YES. OKAY. NOVEMBER 18TH. BUT BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR MOTION, COUNCILMAN MEMBER, LET ME OFFER, UM, TO, UH, TO THE DAIS, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO ASK QUESTIONS IN THE PUBLIC OF DR. ROMERO. IF YOU'D LIKE TO DO THAT, THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO, BUT, UM, PLEASE PROCEED. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO. I, I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH DR. ROMERO, ASSUMING THE PUBLIC IS COMFORTABLE WITH DR. ROMERO. AND SO I WANT TO HEAR THAT. AND I JUST HEARD FOUR PEOPLE, THE ONLY FOUR PEOPLE WHO SPOKE ON THIS ITEM WERE NOT SUPPORTIVE NECESSARILY. AND SO I WANT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE GIVEN. SO MY MOTION IS, I STILL MOVE TO DELAY UNTIL NOVEMBER 18TH. SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO DELAY. ITEM NUMBER TO NOVEMBER 18TH. AGAIN, UH, WE WILL TAKE UP THAT MOTION, WHICH IS ON THE FLOOR PRIMARY. SO THE DISCUSSION NOW WILL BE ON DELAY OF ITEM SIX. UM, SO ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? LET ME SEE HANDS SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE AN EXISTING QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER, POLITE. FRANCINE, WELCOME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. UM, UH, ARE, DO YOU HAVE TIME RIGHT NOW FOR QUESTIONS FROM CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS? I DO. OKAY, THANKS. OKAY. AND, AND AGAIN, UH, THE DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL RIGHT NOW WILL BE ON, ON DELAYING, UH, THE ITEM. SO, UH, ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, DISCUSSION HERE, AGAIN, I NEED, I NEED HANDS SINCE WE'VE GOT AN EXISTING QUEUE ON THE MAIN MOTION. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE DELAY? COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. THANK YOU. UH, YOU, YOU CAN SIT DOWN RIGHT NOW, DR. DR. ROMERO. AND, UM, I'LL, I'LL BE ABLE TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS LATER, I THINK. UM, [02:15:02] SO BEFORE I, I, UH, CAME TO COUNCIL. I SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STAKEHOLDERS. SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT MEET WITH C P S ENERGY. WE WOULD MEET QUARTERLY WITH C P S ENERGY SENIOR STAFF. AND, UH, I ENDED UP RESIGNING FROM THAT POSITION. AND I'M GONNA READ, UH, A PORTION OF MY RESIGNATION LETTER. THIS IS FROM JANUARY 27TH, 2020. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I NEED TO ASK YOU TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION TO A DELAY ON ITEM SIX, PLEASE. I'M ON, THIS IS, THIS IS WHY I THINK WE NEED A DELAY. UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS MY RESIGNATION LETTER FROM JANUARY 27TH, 2020. FOR TOO MANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE TRIED TO WORK WITH C P SS ENERGY TRUST IS BROKEN. RATHER THAN APPROACHING STAKEHOLDERS AS POSSIBLE PARTNERS TO WORK WITH SEEKING SOLUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY'S CHALLENGES, SENIOR STAFF HAVE CONSISTENTLY TREATED US AS ADVERSARIES TO BE UNDERMINED. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH DOZENS OF C P S ENERGY STAFF MEMBERS, AND THERE ARE MANY GREAT PEOPLE HERE WHO CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND DO IMPRESSIVE WORK. BY NO MEANS DO I MEAN TO CAST A WIDE NET AND CRITICIZE THE ENTIRE TEAM. THERE ARE MANY EMPLOYEES AT C P SS ENERGY WHO I ADMIRE AND EVEN CONSIDER FRIENDS. I'LL ALSO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE NO DESIRE TO TEAR C P S ENERGY DOWN OR NEGATIVELY IMPACT YOUR BOTTOM LINE. SAN ANTONIO WAS MY HOME. AND C P S ENERGY IS MY PUBLIC UTILITY. I, I WANT US TO BE THE BEST PUBLIC UTILITY IN THE NATION, SERVING AS A MODEL FOR OTHERS TO SEE AND FOLLOW. WHEN A GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS BRING FORWARD IDEAS ON HOW TO IMPROVE OUR UTILITY, I WANT THEM TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. I BELIEVE THAT IF WE PUT ALL OUR MINDS TOGETHER AND CHALLENGE EACH OTHER'S IDEAS IN A PRODUCTIVE AND RESPECTFUL MANNER, WE CAN OVERCOME OUR BIGGEST OBSTACLES AND ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS. HOWEVER, I'M NO LONGER WILLING TO SPEND MY TIME IN CLOSED-DOOR, CAT AND MOUSE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, AND I THEREFORE SUBMIT MY RESIGNATION TODAY. SO, MY EXPERIENCE WITH C P S ENERGY HAS BEEN NOT THAT OF A PUBLIC UTILITY. I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY. I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED MORE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT. I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT MY ROLE AS THE CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STAKEHOLDERS GROUP WA ENABLED ENVIRONMENTAL STAKEHOLDERS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PUBLIC INPUT. AND I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE MORE PUBLIC INPUT IN THIS, IN THIS SITUATION. UH, I HEARD IN THE PREVIOUS, FOR THE PREVIOUS, UM, APPOINTMENT, THE CONCERN THAT, OKAY, THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN OPEN FOR A LONG TIME. THAT SEAT IS VACANT. WE'RE NOT IN THAT SITUATION RIGHT NOW. WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE THIS SEAT DOESN'T, IT WON'T BE FILLED UNTIL FEBRUARY. AND SO FOR THAT REASON, WE WE'RE NOT PRESSED FOR TIME. I THINK WE DO HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE PUBLIC INPUT. I, I THINK DR. ROMERO, I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH HER, UH, WHEN WE INTERVIEWED. I THINK SHE'S A FINE CANDIDATE. UM, BUT I DO THINK PUBLIC INPUT IS WARRANTED, AND C P S ENERGY DOESN'T HAVE A GOOD RECORD OF DOING ENOUGH OF THAT. AND I THINK THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY. SO I SUPPORT THE MOTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. UH, ANYONE ELSE ON DISCUSSION ON DELAY? COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND, AND THANK YOU, PROFESSOR. UM, I APPRECIATED THE CONVERSATION AND THE INTERVIEW THAT WE HAD AND, UH, REACHING OUT ON, UM, THIS APPLICATION PROCESS. UM, AND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I ALSO SHARED WITH THE S APPOINTEE. UM, TWO YEARS AGO, DR. MCGARRY WENT TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION TO TALK ABOUT THE SAS PAY RATE STRUCTURE, FOLLOWED BY, THAT WAS A CONVERSATION BY DR. ANO ABOUT, UH, UTILITIES AS A WHOLE, AND THE WAYS IN WHICH, UH, THEY DRASTICALLY IMPACT LOWER INCOME AREAS, PRIMARILY DISTRICT FIVE. AND WHAT HIS RESEARCH FOUND WAS THAT DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS ARE TAKING OUT PAYDAY LOANS TO PAY THEIR UTILITIES. UM, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HUGE CHUNK OF OUR PAY THAT'S SUPER PREDATORY. AND I WANNA ENSURE THAT THERE'S A PUBLIC PROCESS FOR MY CONSTITUENTS TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROCESS. UM, I, I, I THINK YOU ARE A GREAT CANDIDATE, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN ISSUE OF PROCESS AND ENSURING THAT THE PUBLIC HAS INPUT, UM, AND, AND TASK QUESTIONS AND GIVE GUIDANCE ON WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE IS WITH THE UTILITY. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AT PROCESS AND TRANSPARENCY, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR UTILITIES. UM, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE ZONING COMMISSION GIVES ME GREAT PAUSE AND HOW THAT HAS IMPACTED DISTRICT FIVE. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT IMPACTS HOUSING AND HOW ALL OF THESE UTILITIES AND BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS INTERSECT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHEN THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT CAN RIPPLE INTO DISPLACEMENT, IT, IT GIVES ME PAUSE BECAUSE THESE UTILITIES, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, WHETHER IT'S HOUSING, UH, SAWS OR C P S, THESE IMPACT PEOPLE, UM, THESE IMPACT TAXPAYERS OR NEIGHBORS. AND I WANT TO ENSURE THAT IN THE CONVERSATION, [02:20:02] UM, PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS PUT AT THE FOREFRONT, RIGHT? UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S MECHANICS IN THE WORKS, BUT WE ALWAYS NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING ON HOW OUR, OUR, OUR ACTIONS ARE GOING TO IMPACT COMMUNITIES. AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SPECIFIC PARAMETERS IN WHICH WE WORK WITHIN. HOWEVER, THERE, THERE'S RIGHT AND WRONG. UM, AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUT COMMUNITY FIRST. UM, DESPITE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH THE ZONING IN PARTICULAR, WHEN COMMUNITIES ARE GOING TO BE DISPLACED, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. UM, IT'S NOT AS BLACK AND WHITE, BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GRANT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO TALK. MAYOR AND FRANCINE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE IN THIS REALLY QUICK DELAY. BUT, UH, THE ONE THING I, I AM ALL FOR LOOKING AND EXAMINING THE PROCESS. I, AND ANDY, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU MAYBE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON HOW WE CAN DO THAT. UM, MR. MACKEY, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, YOU HAD A LOT OF CANDIDATES THAT YOU COULD HAVE PUT ON THE BOARD. I WISH YOU COULD HAVE PUT ALL THOSE CANDIDATES ON THE BOARD. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A LARGER C P S BOARD. WELL, WE ARE HERE TODAY, AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, MOVE THIS CANDIDATE FORWARD. AND, UM, I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THIS MOTION TO DELAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR DELAY OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, I, I'M, YOU KNOW, KIND OF INCLINED TO SAY, YEAH, MAYBE WE SHOULD DELAY THIS AS WELL. WHAT I, WHAT I'M NOT SURE OF IS WHAT THE DELAY WOULD BE ABOUT. BECAUSE IN THE PRIOR ISSUE, IT WAS A DELAY THAT MAYBE THE COUNCIL COULD LEARN MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ALL THE CANDIDATES. BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A DELAY IN ORDER TO HAVE PUBLIC INPUT ON THE CANDIDATE. UH, I, AND SO I'M HAVING TROUBLE TRYING TO VISION. DOES THAT MEAN THAT, THAT THAT CANDIDATE WOULD GO TO EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT AND HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT? OR WOULD THERE BE ONE MAIN PUBLIC HEARING THAT WOULD BE HELD FOR ALL THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS? AND THIS PERSON IS BEING SELECTED TO REPRESENT THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF THE CITY ON THAT BOARD. HOWEVER, I THINK THAT ANYONE WHO SITS ON THAT BOARD REALLY DOES REPRESENT THE ENTIRE CITY, JUST LIKE WE DO AS COUNCIL PEOPLE. WE REPRESENT OUR DISTRICT, BUT WE REPRESENT THE ENTIRE CITY. SO I'M, I JUST HAVE A HARD TIME SAYING, YEAH, I'LL SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE I SUPPORT THAT CONCEPT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A DIFFERENT PROCESS WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND, UH, I, I WOULD NOT REALLY WANT TO ASK THE CANDIDATE TO GO TO 10 DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO, YOU KNOW, PRESENT THEMSELVES TO 10 DIFFERENT PUBLIC MEETINGS. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RO, I WANNA BE CLEAR, WHEN WE'VE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING, IT'S BEEN, SAY THE B SAY, WE HAD THE BUDGET. PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT'S RIGHT HERE AT FIVE O'CLOCK OR SIX O'CLOCK ON THE DIOCESE IS ONE PUBLIC HEARING SESSION. AND MY HOPE IS THAT BEFORE WE MAKE ANY DECISION, ANY DECISION EVER, I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT EVERY COUNCIL PERSON WEIGHS PUBLIC INPUT. I TRULY WANT TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A PRO. THIS RIGHT NOW, WE WERE JUST NOW WILLING TO POTENTIALLY DELAY A VOTE OF A SEAT THAT IS VACANT. THIS ONE ISN'T GONNA BE FILLED UNTIL NEXT YEAR. WE HAVE TIME TO INCLUDE PUBLIC INPUT. AND SO, WHAT A HEARING WOULD DO IS BEFORE A SESSION, WE WOULD HEAR THE PUBLIC AND WE COULD MAKE AN INFORMED VOTE ON ALL THE THINGS THAT, ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE ASKED AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND SO, I WOULD ASK FOR ONE SESSION, AND I WOULD ASK FOR US TO INCLUDE THAT IN OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS. THANK YOU. COUNT. THANK YOU. COUNCILS MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ, ACCOUNTS MEMBER BRAVO. I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW. C P S ENERGY'S 2021 BUDGET. IT'S $2.75 BILLION. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING SOMEBODY ON THE BOARD THAT WOULD BE ONE OF FIVE VOTES TO OVERSEE C P S ENERGY AND AN APPROXIMATELY $2.75 BILLION BUDGET OF THAT $2.75 BILLION THEY WOULD GIVE ON, ON AVERAGE, THEY'LL, THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S GENERAL FUND. THEY, ON AVERAGE MAYBE CONTRIBUTE WHAT, WHAT THEY OFTEN DESCRIBE AS A MILLION DOLLARS A DAY, BUT MAYBE ABOUT 330 TO $350 MILLION TO OUR BUDGET. NOW, LET'S COMPARE THAT TO THE ARPA FUNDS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, DISCUSSING THAT. WE JUST BEGAN DISCUSSING YESTERDAY, ERIC, HOW MUCH IN ARPA FUNDS DO WE GET TO, TO WHAT WAS IN THAT BUDGET THAT WE'RE GONNA GET TO SPEND? UM, THE BALANCE WAS ABOUT 2 27, 2 26, 226, 220 [02:25:04] $7 MILLION. AND WE'RE GONNA DO HOW MANY PUBLIC HEARINGS? UH, NINE, NINE PUBLIC HEARINGS. SO NOW WE'RE ABOUT TO APPOINT SOMEBODY TO THE C P S ENERGY BOARD, AND WE COUNT ON THEM, NOT 'CAUSE THIS IS, THE ARPA FUNDS IS A ONE YEAR THING. THIS IS 330 TO $350 MILLION, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR GOING FORWARD FOR A FIVE YEAR TERM. UM, SO I, I THINK IT DEFINITELY WARRANTS, UM, CONSIDERATION OF MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. ALRIGHT, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND, UH, FOR DELAY OF ITEM SIX. UM, AGAIN, A YES TO DELAY THE ITEM TO NOVEMBER 18TH OR NO, TO CONTINUE DEBATE ON THE, ON THE RATIFICATION OF THE NOMINEE, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION FAILS. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF ITEM SIX AND THE RATIFICATION OF THE, UH, C P S ENERGY BOARD OF TRUSTEES NOMINEE, UH, DR. FRANCINE ROMERO. I, I DO NOT HAVE A QUEUE AGAIN. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU, DR. ROMERO. IF YOU CAN COME UP, UH, YOU, YOU WILL BE REPRESENTING A, A SPECIFIC QUADRANT, UM, THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT. SO AGAIN, SIMILAR TO THE QUESTION FOR, UH, MS. REYNA, WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING THE RATE PAYERS RIGHT NOW IN YOUR QUADRANT? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ARE GENERALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE CITY. UM, I THINK FOR THE RATE PAYERS, THE MOST IMMEDIATE CONCERN, OF COURSE, IS THE WINTER, UH, BECAUSE THE NORTH SIDE DID GET HIT HARD FROM THE STORM. UH, SO THAT IS THE, THE BIGGEST THING I HEAR FROM INDIVIDUALS IS HOW ARE WE PROTECTED GOING INTO THIS WINTER? I KNOW THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF CONCERN FROM RATE PAYERS AS WELL. SO PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED RATE INCREASE, AND I KNOW THEY WANT MORE INFORMATION. THEY WANNA HAVE A LOT OF INPUT INTO THAT, AND I'M DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN THAT. MORE BROADLY, PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN DECARBONIZATION AND MOVING FORWARD, UM, WITH A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE CLIMATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR SHARING. AND I, I DO FEEL LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME ASPECTS THAT ARE UNIVERSAL. UM, YOU KNOW, FOR US, DISTRICT THREE SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES THAT CAUSE OUR, OUR RATES TO BE A LITTLE HIGHER. AND WE HAVE THE HEAT INDEX. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THAT. BUT I DO TRUST MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FROM THE, UH, THE NORTHWEST SIDE THAT HAVE PUTS YOU FORWARD. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BERAN. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU DR. ROMERO FOR PUTTING YOUR NAME IN THE HAT. I KNOW IT WAS NOT AN EASY DECISION FOR YOU AND THAT IT'S BEEN, UM, INTERESTING. AND, AND HERE YOU ARE. UM, BEFORE I GO INTO YOUR ACCOLADES, UH, I DID MENTION THIS TO YOU BEFORE. I WANTED TO ALSO THANK A, UH, ANOTHER APPLICANT. UM, DR. ALTA CANTU IS A DECADES LONG, IS A DECADES LONG DISTRICT SEVEN RESIDENT. UH, SHE IS MY APPOINTEE TO THE C P S CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, WITH WHICH ON WHICH SHE HAS SERVED WITH TREMENDOUS DEDICATION. AND SHE IS ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE CITY'S EQUITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN. UH, UNDER MY REQUEST AS HER COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE, UH, DR. OU DID SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR THIS POSITION AS WELL. UH, SO THANK YOU, DR. KPU FOR, FOR YOUR APPLICATION. UM, SHE UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT MAKE THE SHORT LIST, UH, SELECTED BY DR. MACKEY. AND MR. ED KELLY AND I, I DO LAMENT THAT SHE DID NOT GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE INTERVIEWED BY THE FULL C P SS BOARD, BECAUSE I THINK SHE, SHE ALSO HAS A LOT, UH, TO OFFER. IN FACT, I'LL TELL YOU, DR. CANTU TAUGHT ME WHAT A POVERTY SIMULATION WAS. SHE'S FACULTY AT UT HEALTH, UH, SCHOOL OF NURSING, AND TWICE A YEAR THEY HAVE THIS POVERTY SIMULATION WHERE YOU, YOU PLAY DIFFERENT ROLES AND YOU LEARN WHAT IT'S LIKE NOT TO HAVE ENOUGH INCOME TO, AND HOW DO YOU PAY YOUR BILLS AND TAKE YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL. SHE ALSO TOLD ME HOW TO DO A WINDSHIELD SURVEY IN A COMMUNITY, HOW YOU CAN LEARN, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON JUST BY DRIVING DOWN THE STREET. AND SHE AND I WORKED TOGETHER ON A GOOD, UH, ON A GRANT, UH, EDUCATING HIGH SCHOOL KIDS ON SCIENCE AT THE GOOD SAMARITAN COMMUNITY CENTER IN DISTRICT FIVE. SO, UM, DR. CANTU, NOT THIS TIME, BUT MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, UH, I HOPE WE WILL FIND [02:30:01] ANOTHER, UH, POSITION FOR YOU. AND I DO HOPE THAT AT SOME POINT, ALL MY COLLEAGUES GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH DR. CANTU, UM, REGARDING, UH, DR. ROMERO. UM, YOU ARE AN ACADEMIC AND, YOU KNOW, THAT TOUCHES A SOFT SPOT IN MY HEART. SO I'M, I'M ALSO VERY EXCITED ABOUT YOU BRINGING THAT PERSPECTIVE TO, TO THIS, UH, POSITION. UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF, OF THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME IN THIS APPOINTMENT, UH, THAT I'LL BRING FORWARD IS QUESTIONS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AT LARGE OR BY QUADRANT APPOINTMENT, UH, 'CAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS ALL CONFUSING, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THIS QUADRANT OF C P S DOES INCLUDE, UM, MORE THAN HALF OF DISTRICT SEVEN IN IT. UM, I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN, IN THE DISCUSSIONS THE SAME WAY THE MAYOR AND, UH, AND MANNY WERE. BUT, UM, I AM NOW. SO, THANK YOU. UH, HERE WE GO. UM, NUMBER ONE, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR DISTRICT SEVEN RESIDENTS TO MEET THEIR NEW QUADRANT REPRESENTATIVE. UM, WE NEVER REALLY SAW MR. ED KELLY IN THE PUBLIC. UM, CAN I HAVE YOUR COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH ME IN PREPARING AND PARTICIPATING IN SUCH AN EVENT BETWEEN NOW AND MAYBE EARLY NEXT YEAR? YES, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. UM, CURRENTLY, THE C P S RATE STRUCTURE DOES NOT HAVE A SEPARATE, DOES NOT HAVE SEPARATE CATEGORIES IN THE RESIDENTIAL CLASS FOR MULTI-FAMILY UNITS VERSUS SINGLE FAMILY STRUCTURES. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT MULTI-FAMILY RATE PAYERS ARE SUBSIDIZING THE FIXED COST OF THE SYSTEM FOR SINGLE FAMILY RATE PAYERS. UNLESS WE DO AN ANALYSIS, WE DON'T KNOW, AS WE KNOW IN SAN ANTONIO, MULTI-FAMILY DWELLERS ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO BE RENT BURDENED PAYING OVER A THIRD OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT. THE CURRENT RATE STRUCTURE MAY BE CREATING A FURTHER INEQUITABLE BURDEN ON THEM. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, DO I HAVE YOUR COMMITMENT TO CONSIDER AND REVIEW, NOT TO SAY YES TO IT, BUT TO CONSIDER AND REVIEW A RESTRUCTURE OF THE FIXED COST RATE STRUCTURE IN THE RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY PRIOR TO RECOMMENDING A RATE INCREASE TO CITY COUNCIL? YES. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER AND REVIEW THAT. SO YOU DO HAVE MY COMMITMENT ON CONSIDERING AND REVIEWING THAT. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR. ROMERO. UH, MY NEXT QUESTION IS, WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ROLE? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ROLE OF ENERGY UTILITIES IN PARTICULAR C P S, UH, AND FOSSIL FUEL USAGE DURING THIS CLIMATE CRISIS? AND WHAT IS YOUR POSITION, OH, SORRY, I'LL STOP THERE. AND HOW WOULD THAT INFLUENCE YOUR WORK AND THE DIRECTION YOU PROVIDE TO C P S? WELL, DECARBONIZATION IS CLEARLY THE FUTURE FOR EVERY CITY, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE THE OVERARCHING DISCUSSION, IN MY OPINION. I BELIEVE C P S HAS ALREADY STARTED DISCUSSING THIS, BUT I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMMUNITY FEELS THERE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH TRANSPARENCY ON THIS. BUT MOVING TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION IS A GIVEN WITH ALL THE EVIDENCE GLOBALLY. UH, THE QUESTION HERE IS WHEN AND HOW WE DO THAT. AND I AM COMMITTED TO GATHERING AS MUCH EVIDENCE, CONTRIBUTING AS MUCH AS I CAN TO THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE RESPONSIBLY MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION. SO I'M ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO THAT. DO I HAVE YOUR COMMITMENT TO EXPLORE THE MOST QUICK, THE MOST FEASIBLE AND QUICK CLOSURE TO THE SPRUCE PLANT? YES. I, I WANNA, I'VE BEEN READING A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THIS. UM, COUNCILMAN BRAVO AND I HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS. I KNOW THERE'S DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT THERE OUT THERE, AND I DON'T FEEL SATISFIED, CERTAINLY THAT I'VE LEARNED ENOUGH. LIKE DR. MACKEY WAS SAYING, THIS, THIS IS DIFFICULT. IT TAKES A LONG TIME. BUT, UM, YES, UH, I AM ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO EXPLORING THE EVIDENCE ON THE DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES AND WHICH ONE MAKES THE MOST SENSE. YES. AND FINDING THE ONE THAT LETS US SHUT IT DOWN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. YES. AND AS, UH, FEASIBLY AS AS POSSIBLE. YES, I AGREE WITH THAT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND THEN MY, MY LAST QUESTION WOULD BE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION REGARDING, UH, LACK OF PUBLIC TRUST IN OUR UTILITY RIGHT NOW. UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, UH, IF YOU'RE APPOINTED, HOW WOULD YOU TACKLE THAT? WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO TRY TO RECOVER PUBLIC TRUST IN THIS UTILITY? WELL, AND I ALREADY BROUGHT THIS UP A LITTLE BIT IN MY FIRST, UH, MEETING AT C P S WHEN I TALKED ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE COMMONALITIES THAT I HEARD FROM, SAY, FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY. THE ONE THAT STOOD OUT THE MOST TO ME, UH, WAS [02:35:01] THE LACK OF FULL COMMUNICATION AND THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I, I DO HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE IN. AND, UM, E EVEN WITHIN OUR CITY OF, OF PUSHING, UH, ENTITIES TO, TO BE BETTER AT PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, MORE EFFECTIVE. AND I THINK I'VE SAID THIS TO A LOT OF YOU, UM, EFFECTIVE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION DOES NOT MEAN INVITING PEOPLE TO A MEETING AND SHOWING THEM A POWERPOINT. AND, YOU KNOW, GIVING STICKERS AND SAYING, WHICH IDEA DO YOU LIKE THE BEST? UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING I REALLY WANNA PUSH ON, UM, IS JUST BASIC COMMUNICATION. BUT THEN IN TERMS OF WHAT IS BEING COMMUNICATED, I THINK, UH, I, I THINK THE PUBLIC WANTS TO GET MORE HARD INFORMATION. I THINK SOMETIMES WE DISCOUNT WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS. THEY, THEY DON'T WANT STATEMENTS, THEY WANT, THEY DON'T WANT PLATITUDES. THEY WANT, THEY WANT DATA AND EVIDENCE, JUST LIKE WE ALL DO. AND I THINK IT'S TIME TO, TO, TO IMPROVE THOSE MESSAGES, UM, INCREASE THE SUBSTANCE, THE SUBSTANTIVE VALUE OF THOSE MESSAGES TO PEOPLE. SO INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING, DON'T WORRY, THINGS ARE GONNA, THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER OR THINGS ARE GETTING ALL RIGHT, I THINK WE, PEOPLE DESERVE EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION ON HOW THINGS ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU, DR. ROMERO. I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU, UM, MORE ON THAT STATEMENT. WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT THAT DIRECTION IS SET FROM THE TOP. AND WE KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE A TRANSITION IN THAT. AND I, I GUESS I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WILL BE INVOLVED IN SELECTING THE NEXT C E O. UM, SO PERHAPS THIS IS A QUESTION FOR DR. MACKEY IS, UM, I, I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE IF THIS IS RELEVANT TO TODAY'S APPOINTMENT, BUT, UM, ACTUALLY IT IS. I'LL MAKE IT RELEVANT. . UM, HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT I CAN HEAR YOU GUYS OVER HERE, HOW CAN WE ENSURE, DO YOU GUYS WANT THE MIC? HOW CAN WE IN, I THINK, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY WANTS TO YES. COUNCILMAN THE, THE SELECTION OF THE C E O IS NOT PERTINENT TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE NOMINEE FOR, I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID TRUSTEES, SHOULDN SAID THAT OUT LOUD. RIGHT. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR IDEAS. I AM VERY SORRY YOU WILL NOT BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS, BUT I DO HOPE THAT DR. MACKEY HAS, UH, AND THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE HEARD WHAT HAS BEEN SAID. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS TRIED TO JUMP IN THE QUEUE. I DO SEE COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. SO, UH, CASTILLO IS NEXT. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, I KNOW WHERE, I KNOW WHERE THIS VOTE IS GOING. UM, I'M STILL UNSURE WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. UM, I DO WANT TO ASK FIRST, UM, WHAT ROLE DO YOU BELIEVE C P S PLAYS IN CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY AND WHAT ROLE COULD IT PLAY? WELL, I THINK IT'S, IN TERMS OF MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION. SO IN TERMS OF MITIGATION, UM, C P SS ENERGY PLAYS THE SAME ROLE THAT EVERY UTILITY PLAYS. UM, THEY NEED TO MOVE TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION. AND UNTIL THEY DO, THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS IN, IN SOME WAY. UM, THAT'S JUST A GIVEN. I'M NOT SAYING C P SS IS WORSE OR DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE, THAT'S JUST HOW IT WORKS. UH, SO IN TERMS OF MITIGATION, UM, BUT IN TERMS OF ADAPTATION, UH, I THINK C P S PLAYS A ROLE AS WELL. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CONSIDER WITH THE RATE STRUCTURE WITH EQUITY. UH, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MORE BURDENED BY ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE, UM, HEAT ISLANDS, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT AND DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER. I THINK WE'RE ALREADY CONSIDERING EQUITY IN THE RATE STRUCTURE, BUT EQUITY ALSO HAS TO CONSIDER COMMUNITIES BEING MORE, UM, HARSHLY IMPACTED BY THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, NOT JUST INCOME. ALTHOUGH THOSE TWO THINGS FREQUENTLY GO TOGETHER. THANK YOU. SO WHAT I HEARD, WHAT I HEARD WAS THAT YOU DO AGREE THAT C P S HAS A COMMITMENT TO, UM, MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND, UM, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITIES, UM, AND RECOGNIZING THE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED. I, THAT'S A PART OF WHAT I HEARD. THAT IS WHAT I SAID. YES. I, I CAN'T SAY C P S AS A WHOLE IS COMMITTED TO MY IDEAS, BUT THOSE WERE MY IDEAS. YES. BUT THAT YOU WOULD BE, THANK YOU. YES. UM, IF CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T APPROVE A RATE INCREASE, WHAT'S THE PATH FORWARD AFTER THAT? IF CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT APPROVE A RATE INCREASE? YEAH. WELL, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING RIGHT NOW, THERE WILL BE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT. BUT I NEED TO WORK WITH THE RATE COMMITTEE WITH, WITH THE OTHER TRUSTEES, WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF C P SS. I COULD NOT ANSWER YOU RIGHT NOW WHAT [02:40:01] THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT WOULD BE. HOW WOULD YOU, UM, WHAT ROLE WOULD YOU PLAY IN, UM, MAYBE PREVENTING A NO VOTE ON RATE INCREASES? WHAT ROLE WOULD I PLAY IN PREVENTING A NO VOTE CITY FROM COUNCIL ON RADIO BUILDING BUY-IN? MM-HMM. . OKAY. UM, WELL, THE, THE, THE FOUNDATION, AND I'M NOT JUST REPEATING WHAT'S IN THE POWERPOINTS 'CAUSE I JUST SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. UH, THE FOUNDATION OF C P SS ENERGY IS, IS FISCAL SU SUSTAINABILITY. AND IF THAT IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE UTILITY FINANCIALLY, THEN EVERYTHING STARTS TO COME APART. EVERYTHING STARTS TO COME UNGLUED. SO, AGAIN, TO ME, I WOULD HAVE TO DO MY JOB TO HELP TO EDUCATE EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING COUNCIL ON THE RAMIFICATIONS OF A NO VOTE FOR A RATE INCREASE. UM, AND HOW WOULD YOU ENGAGE JUST BOLD IDEAS, MAYBE HOW WOULD YOU ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY? I ALSO WANNA HEAR FROM EXPERTS ON THIS. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK WHEN PEOPLE COME OUT AND SAY, WELL, I'M GONNA ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY 'CAUSE I'M JUST GOING TO GO OUT AND HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND I'LL SAY THAT I, I HAVE, I'LL HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS IN ANY DISTRICT, BUT YOU NEED EXPERTS ON DIFFERENT GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THE, AND THE BEST WAY TO REACH OUT TO THOSE GROUPS, AND NOT TO TALK AT THEM, BUT TO DO A REALLY GOOD JOB OF HEARING WHAT THEY NEED TO TELL YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, I, I REALLY STUDY STRUCTURE AND HOW THAT IMPACTS OUTCOMES. AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE PRACTICE OF ALWAYS HAVING PEOPLE FROM A CITY DEPARTMENT LEAD A MEETING WHERE THEY WERE ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR INPUT IS PROBABLY NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS GETTING COMMUNITY LEADERS TO ACTUALLY HAVE MORE OF A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THAT MEETING ITSELF. MM-HMM. . AND THAT, THAT IS ALWAYS A GOOD WAY TO GET MORE INPUT FROM, FROM PEOPLE. THANK YOU. I'LL, I'LL, UM, I'M DONE ASKING QUESTIONS FOR NOW. I'LL SAY THAT BECAUSE THERE IS AT LEAST ONE DISTRICT TWO RESIDENT HERE WHO, UM, SPOKE IN IN FAVOR OF SOMEONE ELSE. UM, I'M STILL STRUGGLING IF I VOTE. NO, IT IS LARGELY BECAUSE I DO WISH THAT THERE WAS, UH, A MORE BROAD PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, A YES VOTE FOR THOSE, UM, WATCHING AT HOME AND FOR THE CONSTITUENTS HERE IS BECAUSE I AM, I WAS HAPPY TO SEE, UM, YOUR PREDECESSOR VOTE AGAINST YOU. AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SIGN. UM, AND I DO, AND I REALLY APPRECIATED OUR CONVERSATION. I APPRECIATE, UM, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND THAT'S THE, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU SAY ARE BEAUTIFUL WORDS, AND I HOPE THEY TURN INTO BEAUTIFUL ACTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. I, I DO HAVE, UH, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS JUMPING IN FOR THE FIRST TIME. SO LET ME GO TO PERRY AND THEN I GOT YOU NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, SIR. UH, HI, FRANZI. HELLO. UH, IT WAS A PLEASURE SITTING DOWN AND TALKING WITH YOU ABOUT YOUR, YOUR EXPERIENCES, YOUR BACKGROUND AND, AND WHAT YOUR, UM, WHAT YOUR VISION, IF YOU WILL, FOR C P S. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, DURING THE CONVERSATIONS, I, I TOLD YOU WHAT MY CONCERNS WERE ABOUT, AND ESPECIALLY TOWARDS, UH, THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, TAKING A LOOK AT THAT PLAN, THERE'S A LOT OF IMPACTS ON C P SS, OF COURSE. UH, WOULD YOU RE-LOOK AT THAT PLAN AND, AND, UM, SEE IF THERE'S AREAS THAT YOU AGREE WITH OR DISAGREE WITH, OR TRY TO MAKE CHANGES TO THAT PLAN AT SOME POINT IN TIME? YES, ABSOLUTELY. IT'S SOME, ONE OF THE THINGS ON, ON MY LIST OF THINGS TO DO, BUT ALSO TO, TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT'S, WHAT MIGHT NOT BE WORKABLE IN THAT PLAN. AND AGAIN, I I THINK THERE'S, UM, THERE MAY BE SOME SURPRISING AGREEMENTS FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS ON ASPECTS OF THAT PLAN. UH, BUT YES, ABSOLUTELY LOOKING AT THAT. OKAY, GOOD. GOOD. THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR. I, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN SAYING SINCE THE GET GO OF THIS, THERE'S, IN THAT PLAN, IT TALKS ABOUT WHAT THE COST WOULD BE, NOT TO DO ANYTHING, BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE ABOUT WHAT IS THE COST TO DO SOMETHING. MM-HMM. . AND I THINK THAT'S STILL A BIG FLAW IN THAT PLAN. AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT HERE IN THE FUTURE ON, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S SIT DOWN AND FIGURE THAT OUT. AND PLUS, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A LOT HERE LOCALLY ALREADY. UM, AND THE, THERE'S A PARTICULAR GRAPH IN THERE THAT SHOWS THAT WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD MUCH PROGRESS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT GRAPH [02:45:01] GOES DOWN WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO HERE TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF CHANGES WITHOUT MASSIVE, AND I MEAN, MASSIVE INFUSION OF DOLLARS. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ALSO. WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE COST OF ANYTHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO DO TO AFFECT, UH, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE WHETHER LOCALLY OR FOR THE WORLD. SO, UH, THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT OUT THERE ALSO, IN MY OPINION. SO, UH, I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT. UM, I, I, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE OUR CONVERSATION. LOOK FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS. UH, I'LL BE SUPPORTING YOU FOR THIS POSITION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU. MAYOR. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HAVING CITY HALL KEEP THE THERMOSTAT AT 75 ? IT'S LIKE, IT'S SO COLD IN HERE. I LITERALLY HAVE LIKE A BLANKET ON MY LAP. . UM, UM, UM, SO THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY HAS SET 2030 AS THE DEADLINE TO CUT GLOBAL EMISSIONS BY MORE THAN HALF. OUR CITY CLIMATE PLAN SETS OUR GOAL AS 41 TO 55%. UH, BUT C P S ENERGY, OUR REGION'S LARGEST CLIMATE POLLUTER, HAS NOT AGREED TO MEETING THE CITY'S GOALS. UM, EVEN THOUGH ITS OWN BOARD ADOPTED THE PLAN. AS A TRUSTEE, WILL YOU COMMIT TO MEETING THE REDUCTION TARGET OF C PS AT C P S RATHER? I BELIEVE THAT I CAN COMMIT TO CONTRIBUTING TO THAT. OKAY. OKAY. SO I JUST DIDN'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. I, I, I UNDERSTAND. SO, SO RIGHT NOW, RIGHT, WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL RATE INCREASE. UM, WHAT WILL YOU DO TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE PROGRAMS OFFERED TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES TO, UH, MITIGATE THAT INCREASE? WHAT DOES OUTREACH LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? UM, ENSURING THAT ONE, WE MITIGATE COMMUNITY DISCONNECTIONS. I KNOW C P SS IS DOING A LOT OF WORK RIGHT NOW AROUND THAT. UM, BUT WHAT'S YOUR POSITION ON, UH, DISCONNECTIONS? WELL, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND HOW THEY WORK. UH, I THINK I MENTIONED TO SEVERAL OF YOU, UM, ONE OF MY FIRST QUESTIONS TO C P S AND I, I GOT SOME ANSWERS, I'M GETTING SOME BACK, IS THE CRITICAL CARE LIST AND, AND HOW THAT WORKS AND HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO, TO DISCONNECTIONS ARE ON THAT LIST. UH, AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MUCH MORE SYSTEMATIC. I THINK IT NEEDS TO INVOLVE OUTREACH TO PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND THE SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ON THAT LIST. UM, I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT JUST, JUST IN GENERAL, THAT IT'S EASY ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO GET ON THESE LISTS. I WAS SAYING, I, I CALLED THE NUMBER, UH, FOR, FOR HELP IF THAT, THAT YOU GET WITH YOUR BILL, WHERE YOU CALL THE NUMBER IF YOU NEED HELP WITH PAYING YOUR BILL. AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT IT WASN'T A DEDICATED NUMBER, IT'S JUST THE GENERAL C P SS NUMBER, AND YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF WAIT AND PRESS. UM, AND I TALKED TO STAFF AND THEY WERE, UH, THEY ACTUALLY LISTENED AND SAID THEY WOULD LOOK INTO THAT. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A DEDICATED NUMBER, WHICH I THINK IS, I KNOW, IS JUST A REALLY MINOR STEP. BUT I THINK, UM, BEING ABLE TO SEE IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PEOPLE WHO MOST NEED HELP AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO JUST SORT OF TURN THE MIRROR AROUND AND, AND THINK FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, I BELIEVE WILL OPEN UP SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED. AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S, IT'S NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO BE ON THE LIST TO GET ON THE LIST. UM, BUT I, I DON'T THINK C P SS IS DOING ENOUGH TO NECESSARILY GET THE GOOD HELP TO PEOPLE WHO NEED IT. AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY CAN HELP WITH THAT. THANK YOU. YES. AND IT'S A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE. UM, DURING THE EVENT THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN ANNA SANDOVAL HAD IN HER DISTRICT, UH, I, I SAT ALONGSIDE, UH, TRELLA WHO WAS ASSISTING WITH SOME APPLICATIONS AND WENT TABLE TO TABLE, UM, UH, WALKING FAMILIES THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND, UH, THERE WAS THIS, UH, ONE GUY WAS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE APPLICATION. SO I SIT DOWN AND, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO LEARN WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE PROCESS. HE'S LIKE, WELL, THEY NEED MY PHONE NUMBER AND AN EMAIL AND MY PHONE'S OFF BECAUSE I TURNED MY PHONE OFF IN ORDER TO BUY FOOD. AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, HOW CAN WE PUT IN A PHONE NUMBER? UM, AND THEN WE'RE, WELL, RATHER, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONNECT TO THE ST. MARY'S WIFI. AND HE, HE COULDN'T, AND, AND HE WAS IN THIS, THIS PANIC AND HE IS LIKE, I JUST WANNA GO HOME AND I'LL LIVE WITH MY LIGHTS TURNED OFF NO WATER. I'M LIKE, NO, THAT'S A CODE VIOLATION. LIKE, WE NEED TO FIGURE THIS OUT. UM, SO WE FIGURED IT OUT, RIGHT. BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THESE EVENTS TO HAVE FOLKS WALK THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS. SO I, I'M PLEASED TO HEAR THAT, UH, YOU AGREE THAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. [02:51:07] TIME. UH, I SIT AS CHAIR THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE NOW, AND WE'LL BE ASKING QUESTIONS OF BOARD MEMBERS AND OF, UH, THE UTILITY STAFF AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND I HOPE WE'LL BE ABLE TO COOPERATE WELL, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MY SUPPORT, UH, FOR THIS SEAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER PALS, I FORGOT TO MENTION, UM, YOU ALSO HAVE A BOSS AND TAYLOR, AMY, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT WE CHECKED IN WITH HIM AND HE WAS VERY GENEROUS, UH, IN ALLOWING YOU TO TAKE THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS. AND HE'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY GENEROUS IN ALLOWING YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE, THE ZONING COMMISSION. AND SO, UH, I DON'T WANT 'EM TO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T APPRECIATE THAT. THE SECOND THING IS, I'VE LOST COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES YOU AND I HAVE, UH, BOTH APPEARED IN FRONT OF LARGE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, UH, TO EXPLAIN THE ZONING PROCESS, TO EXPLAIN, UH, THE, THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, UH, PROTECTION. UM, AND, UH, REALLY TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. I, UH, I HAVE TO CONFESS TO YOU, UH, THAT WE DO SATISFACTION SURVEYS AFTER THOSE, AND WE CHECK IN WITH PEOPLE, WOULD YOU THINK, AND YOU ARE WAY MORE POPULAR A SPEAKER THAN THEIR OWN COUNCILMEN. IN FACT, THEY, THEY KEEP SAYING, JUST SEND HER, DON'T SEND HIM FROM NOW ON. AND, UH, I'M OKAY WITH THAT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. UM, AND YOU'VE NEVER SAID NO. AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I GOTTA TELL YOU, UM, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE IS THAT YOU, UH, ALWAYS TOOK THE TIME AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY TO DO IT RIGHT. UM, AND YOU WERE THERE LATE AT NIGHT. UH, AND SO I'VE NEVER HEARD YOU SAY NO TO AN INVITATION TO SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC. AND MY CHALLENGE TO YOU IS FOR YOU TO DOUBLE THAT EFFORT BECAUSE NOW YOU REPRESENT A MUCH LARGER SECTION, OR YOU WILL REPRESENT A MUCH LARGER SECTION OF SAN ANTONIO THAN, UM, THAN EVER BEFORE. UH, GOOD JOB ON, ON HELPING ME, YOU KNOW, BE IN CONTACT AND, AND TOUCH CONSTITUENTS IN A, IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PIA? UM, I DON'T SEE COUNCILMEMBER BRAVO. THANK YOU, DR. ROMERO. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT, UH, PRIOR TO THIS VOTE, I MADE IT A POINT TO MEET WITH OR TO REACH OUT TO EVERY SINGLE C P SS ENERGY APPOINTED BOARD MEMBER. UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THEY DID MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TO ME. AND I WANTED TO ASK IF YOU WOULD, IN THE FUTURE, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD, IF YOU, IF YOU ARE, UH, SEATED, YES, OF COURSE. GREAT. UM, SO IN MY OPINION, I THINK WHAT, YOU KNOW, I YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN SO FAR FROM JUST, UH, WATCHING ME UP HERE, JUST TODAY, YOU SEE THAT I, UH, I'M NOT AFRAID TO ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS. I'M NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK UP. I, UM, AND I LIKE TO OFFER CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY VALUABLE IN A BOARD MEMBER, UH, FOR C P SS ENERGY. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK THAT YOU BRING? YES. UM, I THINK IF YOU ASKED ANY STAFF AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, I ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS AT THE ZONING COMMISSION AND ALSO ON CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD. I ASK PROBABLY WAY MORE QUESTIONS. UM, YEAH, I I, I WON'T STOP IF I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, I GAVE UP LONG AGO THINKING I'M NOT GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION 'CAUSE EVERYBODY WILL THINK I'M STUPID. UH, I ASK WHATEVER QUESTION I NEED TO ASK. UM, I DON'T WANNA DO A GOTCHA THING ON STAFF. UM, AND SOMETIMES IT MEANS, UH, TELLING STAFF AHEAD OF TIME, YOU KNOW, LOOK, YOU, YOU MAY NEED TO LOOK THIS UP 'CAUSE I'M GONNA ASK YOU SOME, A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS. UM, BUT YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I, I DEFINITELY WANT TO UNDERSTAND AND I WILL, I WILL PROD AND I WILL, I WILL ASK QUESTIONS UNTIL I FEEL LIKE I HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION I NEED. GREAT. AND I DON'T HAVE ANY GOTCHA QUESTIONS FOR YOU TODAY. I, UH, [02:55:01] THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, TO INTERVIEW WITH ME PRIOR TO YOU BEING SELECTED ACTUALLY BY THE C P S ENERGY BOARD AS THEIR NOMINEE. UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A GREAT INTERACTION THAT WE HAD. UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. SO THIS IS, UM, OUR FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET FOR THE CITY. THAT'S $3.1 BILLION. THIS WAS THE PROPOSED C P S ENERGY BUDGET, $2.75 BILLION. THIS IS 25 PAGES, THIS IS 452 PAGES. AND I WOULD WANNA KNOW, WOULD YOU ASK TO SEE MORE FROM C P S ENERGY BEFORE YOU APPROVE A $2.7 BILLION BUDGET? YES, I WOULD. I, I HAVE HAD SOME EXPERIENCE, UH, ON DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS GOING THROUGH THE CITY BUDGET, AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO SEE THE, THE BIGGER PICTURE. SO YES, I WOULD ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION THAN THAT. THANK YOU. UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US, UM, IF, IF C B SS ENERGY'S CONTRIBUTING 330 TO $350 MILLION A YEAR TO OUR BUDGET, IF WE AREN'T RECEIVING THOSE FUNDS, THEN WE EITHER HAVE TO CUT SERVICES TO OUR, TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, OR WE HAVE TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES. I DON'T THINK EITHER ONE OF THOSE ARE POPULAR. UM, I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING WHETHER YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO CHAMPION TYING C P S ENERGY STAFF BONUSES TO CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS. AND BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT, LET ME TELL YOU THAT THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION FOR YEARS. I CAN SAY THERE'S A UTILITY IN ATLANTA THAT ALREADY DOES THAT. UH, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL DOES THAT. CHEVRON DOES THAT. BP DOES THAT, AND THEY HAVE FOR YEARS NOW. AND SOME OF THEM DO THAT WITH JUST THEIR EXECUTIVE STAFF, AND SOME OF THEM DO THEM WITH THE RANK AND FILE AS WELL. UH, BUT IT'S A MODEL THAT EXISTS IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY. IT'S SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO SEE HERE. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO CHAMPION AT C P S ENERGY. IT, IT'S AN INTRIGUING IDEA. I, I THINK I WOULD BE WILLING TO CHAMPION IT, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION. THAT'S FAIR. OKAY. OKAY. UM, YEAH, I READ MY LETTER RESIGNATION EARLIER, AND, UM, WHEN I WAS CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, ONE OF THE TACTICS THAT I EMPLOYED, BECAUSE I MENTIONED THAT I WAS TIRED OF PLAYING THE CAT AND MOUSE GAMES. AND I GUESS WHAT FRUSTRATED ME IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION, UH, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STAKEHOLDERS WOULD WITH C P S ENERGY SENIOR STAFF, AND THEN AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING IT, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD PRESENT TO THE BOARD WHAT SEEMED TO US LIKE, UH, PURPOSEFUL, PURPOSEFULLY MISLEADING REPRESENTATIONS OF WHAT HAPPENED IN OUR MEETINGS. AND I DIDN'T APPRECIATE THAT. SO WHAT I, THE TACTIC THAT I EMPLOYED IS I STARTED ASKING C P S ENERGY BOARD MEMBERS, WILL YOU ATTEND OUR STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS? BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO SEE AND HEAR FOR YOURSELF WHAT IS GOING ON THERE. SO NOW WE HAVE RATED A RATED ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE PURPOSE OF THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS TWOFOLD. IT'S, ONE IS TO LOOK AT RATE STRUCTURE, BUT IT'S ALSO TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE OUR ENERGY GENERATION ASSETS AND WHAT WOULD WE LIKE THEM TO LOOK LIKE, LIKE GOING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MEET OUR ENERGY DEMAND. UM, AND SO WHAT, YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN TWO BOARD MEMBERS ATTEND BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE A QUORUM. UH, BUT YOU CAN HAVE TWO. AND SO WE ASKED TWO BOARD MEMBERS IF THEY WOULD ATTEND EACH MEETING, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO ROTATE WITH BOARD MEMBERS AND ATTEND THOSE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND BE ABLE TO HEAR STRAIGHT FROM THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I, I WOULDN'T REALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING IF I HAD NOT ATTENDED SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS. THANK YOU. UM, SO IF YOU ASK C P S ENERGY, I'M GONNA HAVE TO CLOCK IN AGAIN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. OH, ACTUALLY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER. WE DO HAVE ONE. UH, SOMEONE WHO HASN'T CHIMED IN YET, JUST CHIME IN. SO COUNCIL MEMBER RSO GARCIA, AND I'LL COME BACK TO SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, THANK YOU, DR. ROMERO. I REALIZED THAT I, I'M SORRY I WAS, UH, DEALING WITH BOTH A LITERAL AND, AND A FIGURATIVE FIRE. SO MY APOLOGIES TO YOU. UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT, THAT YOU TOOK TO REACH OUT AND TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME. I THINK THAT I TOLD YOU, UM, HOW, UH, OUR RESIDENTS IN, IN DISTRICT FOUR FEEL ABOUT, UM, SOMETIMES NOT BEING, UH, ABLE TO CONNECT A LITTLE BIT QUICKER WITH C P SS, AND SOMETIMES THEY FEEL DISENFRANCHISED, ET CETERA. UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE IT. I ALSO WANT TO, UM, COMMEND YOU FOR WANTING TO DO THIS, UH, SITTING THROUGH ALMOST FOUR HOURS, UM, AND SEEING WHAT HAPPENED WITH, WITH THE OTHER APPOINTMENT AND STILL WANTING TO BE HERE. SO I JUST, UH, HAD TO CHIME IN AND SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. THAT'S MY ONLY POINT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, GOING TO ONE OF COUNCILMAN BRAVO'S QUESTIONS. I THINK IT'S ALMOST FUNNY THAT YOU ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD BE WILLING TO CRITIQUE, BECAUSE THAT IS YOUR JOB. AS A, AS A PROFESSOR, IS TO ASK QUESTIONS, PROVIDE CRITIQUES AND EVALUATION. SO THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS I'M, I'M, UM, I'M THRILLED THAT, THAT [03:00:01] YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD IN THIS. UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION, UM, ALSO PROMPTED BY, BY THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUE IS, UM, THERE'S A DILEMMA, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE DEPEND SO MUCH ON THAT FUNDING SOURCE FOR, FOR OUR BUDGET. UM, BUT WE ALSO WANT PEOPLE TO CONSERVE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SUCH A HIGH DEPENDENCY ON, ON FOSSIL FUELS AND, UH, SO FOR OTHER REASONS AS WELL. SO I, I GUESS I'D ALSO JUST LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT'S SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, IS THAT AS A BOARD MEMBER, YOU CONSIDER WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN, UM, BASICALLY BALANCE THOSE TWO FORCES. UH, I KNOW I'VE SAID THIS TO BEN PROBABLY LIKE FOUR TIMES, AND HE IS TIRED OF HEARING ME SAY IT, BUT, UM, IN OTHER LOCATIONS, THERE'S A, THERE'S A TECHNIQUE CALLED DECOUPLING THAT IS, YOU MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH IT. MM-HMM. , I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S VIABLE HERE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET YOUR, UH, THOUGHTS ON IT ONCE YOU, I MEAN, YOU CAN SPEAK TO IT NOW OR ONCE YOU'VE BEEN ON, ONCE YOU'RE ON, WHENEVER YOU'RE COMFORTABLE. WELL, I DID JUST WANNA SAY, UM, I WAS MADE AWARE OF IT, UH, BY SOME CONTEXT AT THE SIERRA CLUB, AND THEY GAVE ME, UH, SOME INFORMATION ON IT. AND I'M READING UP ON THAT. I'M, I'M USUALLY, WHEN I READ SOMETHING, IT LEADS ME TO READ SOME, TO READ SOMETHING ELSE. UM, SO YEAH, IT'S INTERESTING. I, I WASN'T REALLY AWARE OF IT BEFORE. UM, BUT YES, I AM GETTING EDUCATED ON DECOUPLING, UH, THE, THE FIXED RATES FROM THE VARIABLE RATES. YES. YEAH. THE, THE OTHER REASON I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN DECOUPLING IS THAT IT PROVIDES SOME STABILITY FOR HOUSEHOLDS THAT MAY HAVE SPIKES IN THEIR, IN THEIR BILLS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS OR DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. SO IT, IT HAS MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE BENEFITS. SO, SO THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT. UM, I DIDN'T MENTION THIS EARLIER, BUT I, I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS WORK ON, ON THE CAB. UH, I KNOW THAT YOU'LL BE LEAVING THAT POSITION TO, TO SERVE ON THIS, BUT THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL OF THAT WORK. UM, MY LAST QUESTION'S FOR ANDY, SO THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, ANDY, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, AND, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A, DON'T THINK THAT I'M TRYING TO SCREW UP THIS PROCESS WHEN I ASK THIS QUESTION, BUT ANDY, YOU SAID EARLIER, UH, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE SAWS PROCESS AND THE C P SS PROCESS, THAT BY ORDINANCE WE HAVE AUTHOR OR THIS BODY AT SOME POINT AUTHORIZED THE C P SS BOARD TO DO THE VETTING FOR THE CANDIDATE AND BRING ONE CANDIDATE FORWARD. SO THAT IS, SO IF WE WANTED TO CHANGE THAT FOR FUTURE APPOINTMENTS, IT WOULD JUST BE A VOTE OF THIS BODY TO DO THAT, CORRECT? CORRECT. COUNCILWOMAN, IT'S AN ORDINANCE, THEREFORE, YES, WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE, UH, TO CHANGE THE PROCESS FOR THAT. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT FOUR YEARS AGO, , I WOULD'VE PUSHED FOR THAT A LONG, LONG TIME AGO. SO JUST PLANTED MY FLAG IN THE, IN THE GROUND HERE THAT I WANT US TO EXPLORE THAT IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU, DR. ROMERO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, UH, I THINK THAT IS THE DURATION ABOUT, YOU'VE BEEN IN TWICE ALREADY, COUNCILMEMBER TWICE ON THE MAIN MOTION AND, AND TWICE ON THE, ON THE DELAY. YOU, YOU OFFERED FOR ME TO, I MEAN, YOU THOUGHT I WAS IN THE QUEUE, BUT I WASN'T. IT WAS LEFT OVER FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE AND I DIDN'T TALK THEN. SO I'VE ONLY SPOKEN ONCE ON THIS ONE. THAT'S NOT WHAT I RECALL. BUT GO AHEAD, COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU'LL HAVE, UH, ANOTHER ROUND. THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME, MAYOR. UM, I, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONFUSION BECAUSE I WAS JUST LEFT OVER FROM THE PREVIOUS QUEUE. UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, DR. ROMEO. UH, SO CURRENTLY ONE THING THAT I'VE REALLY BEEN CONFUSED BY IS WHEN I TALK TO, UM, SENIOR STAFF AT C P SS ENERGY, THEY'LL SAY WE'RE ENERGY AGNOSTIC SOMETIMES. AND THEN WHEN YOU PRESS THEM ON SOME OF THEIR POLICIES, THEY'LL SAY, WELL, AT OUR CORE WE'RE A NATURAL GAS COMPANY. SO I'M NOT SURE WHICH IT IS. UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY SUBSIDIZE NATURAL GAS. AND SO THEY, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY HAS A ELECTRIC WATER HEATER IN THEIR HOME, C P S ENERGY WILL PAY YOU TO TAKE, GET RID OF THAT ELECTRIC WATER HEATER AND PUT IN A NATURAL GAS WATER HEATER. IF YOU HAVE AN ELECTRIC STOVE, THEY'LL PAY YOU TO DISPOSE OF THAT STOVE AND PUT IN A NATURAL GAS STOVE SUBSIDIZING THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY. AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF CA CITIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE MOVING TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION AND THEY'RE MOVING AWAY FROM NATURAL GAS. WE ARE INSTEAD, UM, SUBSIDIZING NATURAL GAS. UH, I ALSO HEARD C P S ENERGY STAFF COME TO THIS BODY BACK IN 2018 AND SAY THAT THEY SEE THEIR NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION NETWORK AS A OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS GROWTH. AND SO THAT FITS IN LINE WITH THOSE SUBSIDIES. I THINK I HAVE YET TO SEE THEM WALK THAT BACK SINCE WE'VE PASSED A CLIMATE PLAN, EVEN THOUGH THE C P S ENERGY BOARD OF TRUSTEES SAID VOTED TO SUPPORT THE GOALS OF THE CITY'S CLIMATE PLAN. UM, AND SPECIFICALLY NOW WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN C P S ENERGY IS, IS SHORT ON FUNDS AND WANTING TO COME AND ASK FOR A RATE INCREASE, I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT THEY'RE GIVING AWAY OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS [03:05:01] EVERY FOUR YEARS PAYING PEOPLE TO INSTALL NATURAL GAS APPLIANCES. UH, WOULD YOU SUPPORT DOING AWAY WITH THAT POLICY? I WOULD SUPPORT LOOKING INTO THE POLICY BECAUSE I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE OR FACTS RIGHT NOW. TO REALLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN A WAY WITH INTEGRITY. OKAY. UM, FURTHERMORE, UH, I CAN SAY THAT, UH, FOR, AS PART OF MY WORK, I USED TO, UM, WORK, I USED TO WORK WITH MAPPING OF NATURAL GAS LEAKS, RIGHT? AND SO WE WERE WORKING WITH A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES MAPS, AN APP WITH MAPS FOR PEOPLE. SO WHEN THEY WANT TO GO FROM PLACE A TO PLACE B, THEY CAN OPEN UP THEIR PHONE AND THEY FIND, AND THEY CAN MAP THAT. SO THERE ARE CARS THAT DRIVE AROUND AND MAP CITIES AS PART OF THAT, UM, SERVICE. AND, UH, THEY TAKE PICTURES OF ALL THE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. AND SO WE WORKED WITH THEM TO PUT NATURAL GAS LEAK DETECTORS ON THOSE CARS. SO WHEN THEY DRIVE AROUND AND MAP A CITY, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY GET A MAP OF WHERE ALL THE NATURAL GAS LEAKS ARE. UM, AND SO I ENCOURAGE C P S ENERGY TO WORK WITH THAT, UM, TO, TO, I TOLD THEM, LOOK, WE CAN BRING SOME OF THOSE CARS DOWN HERE AND MAP YOUR TERRITORY. AND THEY SAID, NO, NO, NO, WE'RE GONNA DO IT OURSELVES. AND THEY BOUGHT THEIR OWN CAR. AND SO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN TECHNOLOGY TO DO THIS. UH, BUT EIGHT MONTHS AFTER DEBUTING IT, THEY STILL HADN'T HIRED A DRIVER TO, TO USE IT TO THIS. IT'S BEEN YEARS NOW, AND THEY HAVE YET TO SHARE ANY DATA ON THE NATURAL GAS LEAKS THAT THEY FOUND AND HOW MANY THEY'VE FIXED. WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE THEM TO SHARE THAT DATA WITH THE PUBLIC TO LET US KNOW, BECAUSE THAT WAS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF TECHNOLOGY, AND LET US KNOW WHAT HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF, OF USING THAT TECHNOLOGY AND HOW MANY GAS LEAKS HAVE YOU HAVE YOU FIXED? YES. I THINK IF THERE'S PUBLIC QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, THEN THAT'S DEFINITELY A FAIR QUESTION TO C P S AND I'LL ASK IT TOO. GREAT. UM, SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING, HAVING, EXPERIENCING CHALLENGES, BEING ABLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS. UM, ONE WAY THAT I THINK WE CAN HELP THEM IS IF PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE PAYING THEIR BILLS. SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE LOW INCOME. SOME, SOME OF THEM, UM, MAY HAVE HOUSES THAT DON'T HAVE A LOT OF INSULATION THAT, UM, THAT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT WEATHERIZED, THEY COULD BE LEAKY HOMES. WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU SUPPORT A, UH, POLICY OF PROACTIVELY APPROACHING THOSE CUSTOMERS AND SEEING IF THEY QUALIFY FOR HAVING THEIR HOMES INSULATED OR HAVING THEIR HOUSES WEATHERIZED SO THAT THEY CAN, WE CAN REDUCE THEIR, THEIR, UM, ENERGY BILL BURDEN IN THE FUTURE? YES, I WOULD. THANK YOU. UM, I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR THE MOMENT. THANK, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS THE END OF OUR DISCUSSION. I WILL, UH, CLOSE AND I'LL, I'LL BE BRIEF, BUT I DID WANT TO FI SAY A COUPLE THINGS. UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, DR. ROMERO, THANK YOU FOR GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION. I, I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST PREPARED BOARD MEMBERS. WE HAVE, WE HAVE APPOINTED, UH, TO ANY BOARD AND COMMISSION. I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT YOUR SERVICE. UM, I MET YOU, YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER THIS, UH, AS YOU WERE APPOINTED TO, UH, THE SA 2020 STEERING COMMITTEE, I WAS AT A PROFESSIONAL AT THE ANNENBERG PUBLIC POLICY CENTER JUST BEFORE THAT, WORKING IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN DIFFERENT CITIES. AND YOU HAD ME ON A PANEL TALKING ABOUT HOW WE COULD INCREASE CIVIC PARTICIPATION IN SAN ANTONIO. AND THAT'S HOW, THAT WAS MY INTRODUCTION TO YOU. SO IT WAS A GREAT PLEASURE TO WATCH YOU AS A MULTIPLE TIME APPOINTEE, NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT, UH, MY, MY PREDECESSOR. NOW, UH, MY SUCCESSOR IN DISTRICT EIGHT, YOU'RE PERFORMED ADMIRABLY. UH, I WILL SAY, UH, AS A, AS MY PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBER AND AS WELL AS, UH, A ZONING COMMISSION, I DO WANT TO MAKE ONE STATEMENT JUST TO BE CLEAR TO EVERYBODY. YOU ARE A, A RESIDENT OF THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT. THE C P S BOARD OF TRUSTEES DO NOT REPRESENT QUADRANTS, THOUGH THEY REPRESENT THE ENTITY AS A WHOLE. SO YOU'RE REQUIRED TO BE A RESIDENT OF THE QUADRANT, BUT YOU REPRESENT OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. UM, BUT WITH RESPECT TO YOUR, YOUR, UM, WHAT YOU ARE BRINGING TO THIS BOARD, I THINK IT'S BEEN WELL DEMONSTRATED ALREADY. BUT I WILL SAY THE THING THAT IMPRESSES ME MOST ABOUT YOUR SERVICE WAS, UH, AND I WON'T GO INTO ANY, UM, GREAT DETAILS, BUT THE TIMES AS MY APPOINTEE, YOU WOULD CHALLENGE MY OWN ASSUMPTIONS. UH, YOU WOULD CHALLENGE MY OWN BELIEFS. YOU WOULD BRING AND, AND DEMAND FACTS AND EVIDENCE AS YOU'VE CREATED SOME TENSION WITH SOME OF THE ANSWERS YOU'VE GIVEN HERE. BECAUSE YOU WANT DATA, YOU WANT FACTS, YOU WANT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. THAT'S WHAT I ADMIRE MOST. AND TO CHALLENGE, UH, OUR OWN ASSUMPTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, UH, ON THE RIGHT PATH FOR OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS IMPRESSIVE, TAKES A HIGH DEGREE OF INTEGRITY. AND THAT THAT'S WHAT I, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR SERVICE, UH, MOST ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FRANCINE FOR GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, UH, I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS, UH, THAT YOU'RE GONNA SERVE VERY WELL. SO, UH, WITH THAT, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM SIX. [03:10:01] PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT, UH, WE WILL GO NOW TO, UH, AND CONGRATULATIONS DR. ROMERO. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR SERVICE. UH, [7. Resolution reappointing Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Juanita (Janie) Gonzalez, John T. Steen and Paula GoldWilliams to the SA Energy Acquisition Public Facility Corporation Board of Directors for a term of office commencing on February 1, 2022 and expiring on January 31, 2024 and appointing Dr. Francine Romero for a term commencing upon the end of Edward B. Kelley’s term, which shall be no later than February 1, 2022, and expiring January 31, 2024. [Debbie RaccaSittre, Interim City Clerk]] WE'LL GO NOW TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS A RESOLUTION APPOINTING MAYOR RON NIERENBERG, JUANITA JANIE GONZALEZ, JOHN T STEEN, AND PAULA GOLD WILLIAMS TO THE SA ENERGY ACQUISITION PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A TERM OF OFFICE COM, COMMENCING ON FEBRUARY 1ST, 2022 AND EXPIRING ON JANUARY 31ST, 2024. AND APPOINTING DR. FRANCINE ROMERO FOR A TERM COMMENCING UPON THE END OF EDWARD B KELLY'S TERM, WHICH SHALL BE NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 1ST, 2022, AND EXPIRING JANUARY 31ST, 2024. OKAY. UM, THIS ITEM WAS LISTED INDIVIDUALLY, BUT I UNDERSTAND THERE IS NO PRESENTATION. UH, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. LAW ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, I MOTION TO APPROVE. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION THAT I HEAR SECOND. OKAY. SECOND BY ROCHA GARCIA, ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER. I LOST MY INDIVIDUAL ITEM. [16. Ordinance approving the application and acceptance of grants in an amount up to $196,000 from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for Regional Solid Waste PassThrough Grants for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023 through the Alamo Area Council of Governments to fund a number of strategies supporting a local deconstruction program including a Reuse Innovation Center. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Shanon Miller, Director, Office of Historic Preservation]] I THINK IT'S 16. 16. 16. ITEM 16. AND THAT WAS YOUR, YEAH. ITEM NUMBER 16 IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE APPLICATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANTS IN AN AMOUNT UP TO $196,000 FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR REGIONAL SOLID WASTE PASS THROUGH GRANTS FOR FISCAL YEARS 2022 AND 2023 THROUGH THE ALAMO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS TO FUND A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES SUPPORTING A LOCAL DECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM, INCLUDING A REUSE INNOVATION CENTER. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. I THINK WE GOT A STAFF PRESENTATION HERE. OKAY. A MOTION TO START DISCUSSION. I, I'M, YES. MOTION FIRST. GOOD AFTERNOON, I GUESS IT IS NOW, UNFORTUNATELY. OKAY. YEAH. AND GO AHEAD. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS, BUT I WANT TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS. RIGHT. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION A SECOND. AND SO WE WILL NOW ENTERTAIN IN DISCUSSION. WE'LL, WE'LL START WITH THE PRESENTATION. OKAY. YEAH. WELL, THANK YOU. UM, SO I, I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, AND SO, UM, YOU SHOULD, YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION, BUT I'LL WALK THROUGH WHAT THE APP ACTUAL APPLICATION IS. UM, WE ARE APPLYING FOR AN ACOG SOLID WASTE PASS THROUGH GRANT, WHICH IS FOR THE 20 22 20 23 BIENNIUM. UM, WE'RE, WE'RE COMPETING FOR UP TO $196,000, UM, IN FUNDING OVER THOSE TWO YEARS. AND THIS APPLICATION IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. UM, TODAY'S ITEM IS A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD ALLOW US, AUTHORIZE US TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT FUNDING AND THEN ACCEPT IT IF IT'S AWARDED. UM, THERE'S NO MATCH REQUIREMENT, AND IT REALLY IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF TEST THE WATERS WITH DECONSTRUCTION IN THIS INNOVATION REUSE CENTER WITHOUT SPENDING CITY FUNDS. UM, THE FUNDING IS PROVIDED BY, UM, THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR PROJECTS AND PURCHASES THAT MEET THE REGION'S SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN, SPECIFICALLY TO REDUCE LANDFILL WASTE AND INCREASE REUSE AND RECYCLING ACTIVITY. UM, IT IS FUNDED BY STATE DISPOSAL FEES, AND IT REQUIRES THAT WE APPLY AT ONE TIME FOR THE TWO YEAR, UM, THE SECOND YEAR. THERE IS SOME FLEXIBILITY IN HOW THIS FUNDING IS SPENT BECAUSE IT IS SO FAR OUT. UM, IF AWARDED THE FUNDING WOULD SUPPORT OUR DECONSTRUCTION INITIATIVE, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REUSE INNOVATION CENTER, AND ALSO SOME PROJECT ASSISTANCE, UM, FOR INITIAL DECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY. UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE COMPLETED THE DECONSTRUCTION STRATEGIC PLAN CALLED TREASURE IN THE WALLS, UM, WHICH GENERATED DATA ON THE ECONOMIC RETAIL WORKFORCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE DECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM. AND THIS, THIS STUDY WAS ACTUALLY FUNDED BY THE SAME GRANT SOURCE, AND IT DETERMINED THAT, UH, A LOCAL DECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DIVERT UP TO 20,000 TONS OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE ANNUALLY FROM LOCAL LANDFILLS FOR REUSE, RECYCLING AND, UM, RESALE AND, AND TRANSFORMATION. UM, IT [03:15:01] ALSO ADVANCES GOALS OF THIS, OF CITY PLANS RELATED TO HOUSING, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EQUITY. UM, SO THE CENTER ITSELF WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, REGIONALLY WE'RE CAPTURING SUCH A SMALL FRACTION OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION MATERIALS THAT ARE, THAT EVENTUALLY END UP IN THE LANDFILL. AND SO THE IDEA IS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO THIS REUSABLE MATERIAL, ESPECIALLY DURING THE CURRENT SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS THAT WE'RE ALL IN THE MIDDLE OF. UM, IT'S DEFINITELY AN EQUITY ISSUE THAT ALLOWS FOR GREATER ACCESS TO THAT POTENTIALLY HIGHER QUALITY MATERIAL. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT MATERIAL THAT WOULD, AGAIN, WOULD OTHERWISE, OTHERWISE BE GOING TO THE LANDFILL. SO IT'S MATERIAL THAT, UM, OTHER, UH, LIKE REUSED RETAIL KIND OF ESTABLISHMENTS AREN'T TAKING OR AREN'T HAVING ACCESS TO. AND WE KNOW FROM, UM, DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT IF THEY HAD A PLACE TO TAKE THE MATERIAL THAT THEY WOULD, UM, INCREASE THEIR DECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES VOLUNTARILY. UM, THERE REALLY IS A NEED AT PRESENT TO, TO JUST PROVIDE A PHYSICAL SPACE FOR THAT INCREASED VOLUME OF MATERIAL. AND IT WOULD, IT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EXISTING RETAILERS, UM, IN THIS MARKETPLACE TO, UM, SCALE UP. UM, A LOT OF THEM HAVE TOLD US THROUGH OUR DECONSTRUCTION TASK FORCE THAT THEY NEED ADDITIONAL SPACE THAT, UM, THEY NEED ACCESS TO INVENTORY AND TOOL SHARES. AND SO SOME OF THE GRANT FUNDING WOULD GO TOWARDS PURCHASING THINGS LIKE TRAILERS AND DE NAILERS AND A FORKLIFT AND, UM, TOOLS THAT WOULD HELP US TO MANAGE THE MATERIAL THAT COMES, THAT WE RECEIVE AS A RESULT OF DECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES. UM, WE ALSO ENVISION THAT THE MATERIAL WOULD BE AVAILABLE AT NO COST FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS SO THAT WE COULD HELP REDUCE THE, THE COST OF MATERIALS GOING INTO THOSE PROJECTS. UM, IT, I I, I WANNA BE CLEAR BASED ON, ON QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW COUNCILMAN PERRY HAS THAT THE INTENT IS NOT FOR THE CITY TO RUN A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT. SO THE IDEA IS NOT FOR IT TO BE IN COMPETITION WITH EXISTING RETAILERS. IN FACT, UM, THERE'S A SIMILAR, UH, REUSE CENTER, UM, RUN BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THEY HAVE BEEN IN, IN PLACE FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY ISSUES IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, BECAUSE REALLY WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS THEY'RE SORT OF THE LAST STOP BEFORE THE LANDFILL. THEY'RE TAKING THE MATERIALS THAT THE OTHER RETAILERS ARE NOT, UM, INTERESTED IN OR ABLE TO RESELL. AND SO, UM, AGAIN, THE FIRST YEAR FUNDING WOULD BE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON EQUIPMENT AND, AND, UM, TOOLS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD HELP US DEAL WITH THE MATERIAL AND MAKE THEM READY FOR REUSE DE NAILERS AS AN EXAMPLE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. AND THEN THE SECOND YEAR, UM, AFTER, AFTER WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH THE DECONSTRUCTION TASK FORCE, WE WOULD MAKE ADDITIONAL DECISIONS LIKE, UM, FINISH OUT FOR SPACE SHELVING, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS TO MAKE, UM, TO MAKE US BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE VOLUME OF MATERIAL. AND I THINK WITH THAT, I'M, WELL, OF COURSE WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ITEM SO THAT WE CAN APPLY FOR THE, THE GRANT FUNDING. AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. GREAT. THANK YOU, SHANNON. UM, AND YES, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM, UH, MOVING INTO A DIRECTION OF COMPETING WITH EXISTING BUSINESSES HERE AND TALKING WITH EXISTING BUSINESSES HERE. UH, THEY WERE MORE OF THE OPINION, HEY, INSTEAD OF GOING LAUNCHING THIS DIFFERENT PROGRAM, HOW ABOUT GIVING THEM THE SUPPORT DIRECTLY? AND I, I SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN IN GIVING THEM THE, UM, UH, GRANTS OR, OR LOANS OR WHATEVER, UH, TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS TO SUPPORT THIS INSTEAD OF THE CITY SETTING UP ANOTHER, UH, SYSTEM HERE THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE BUSINESS. SO I, I, I STILL HAVE THAT QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON INSTEAD OF SETTING SOMETHING UP SEPARATE FOR THE, FOR THE CITY HERE AND, AND GET WITH ACOG OR WHOMEVER TO SEE IF THAT FLEXIBILITY IS THERE. AND I SIT ON THE ACOG BOARD, SO I I, I CAN, UH, HELP OUT IN THAT AREA ALSO, BUT YEAH, I, I JUST DON'T WANNA SEE US IN ANY FASHION GETTING, GETTING INTO SOME KIND OF A COMPETITION, IF YOU WILL, WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THIS. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO THAT AS WELL. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE INTENT TO COMPETE WITH ANYONE, IT'S REALLY TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THAT, THAT WHOLE KIND OF REUSE ECOSYSTEM IN OUR COMMUNITY AND TO HELP THOSE BUSINESSES SCALE UP WHERE THEY WANT TO OR INVITE NEW PEOPLE INTO THE MARKET. BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE INTENT FOR, UM, FOR THE CITY TO RUN LIKE A REUSE, [03:20:01] UH, RETAIL OPERATION IN COMPETITION WITH ANYONE. OKAY. WELL, YEAH, AND YOU STILL HIT ON A POINT THERE IS INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES, WHICH INCLUDES COMPETITION WITH THE EXISTING BUSINESSES. SO THAT'S WHERE MY CONCERN IS, SHANNON. I MEAN, I'LL, I'LL SUPPORT THE GRANT PROGRAM, BUT A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS, UH, STILL GO BACK TO, WE NEVER GOT THIS THROUGH A COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE AND ASK ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND GET 'EM ALL FLESHED OUT BEFORE WE LAUNCH INTO A PROGRAM. I STILL THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND, UH, I STILL HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT IT TOTAL COST AND, AND THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE MOVING HERE IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, AND THEN SEEING WHAT THE, THAT BENCHMARKING DATA IS WITH THESE OTHER CITIES AND SEE WHAT THE COST IS, SEE WHAT THE RETURNS ARE, THAT KIND OF THING. SO I, I, I STILL THINK WE NEED TO RUN THIS THROUGH THE COMMITTEE AND SURE. AND, AND, AND TO THAT POINT, UM, WE ARE PLANNING TO GO TO THE COMMITTEE THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, UH, CHAIRS IN DECEMBER TO DISCUSS DECONSTRUCTION POLICY IN GREATER DETAIL, UM, AND THE, AND THE POTENTIAL ORDINANCE. AND, UM, AND WE OF COURSE INVITE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. GREAT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, I'VE MADE A MOTION, SIR. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. GOOD MORNING, SHANNON. THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. UM, ACTUALLY I WAS GOING TO, TO SAY IF IT HADN'T GONE TO COMMITTEE, I'D ABSOLUTELY OFFER UP MY, UM, MY AREA. WE DEAL WITH, UH, SOLID WASTE, UH, GOALS IN THE CAP. UM, I GUESS, UH, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU GO TO COMMITTEE OR IS THAT, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, I DIDN'T THANK YOU FOR YOUR BRIEFING THAT, THAT YOU GAVE US, BUT, UM, BUT AGAIN, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS, UH, HAPPENING UNTIL AFTER I SAW IT ON, ON THE AGENDA. UM, SO THE REASON THAT THIS ITEM WE'VE ALWAYS INTENDED, I MEAN, THE DECONSTRUCTION POLICY ITSELF HAS BEEN TO COUNCIL COMMITTEE SEVERAL TIMES ACTUALLY. BUT MANY OF TWO OF THOSE OCCURRED PRIOR TO COVID. OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS KIND OF PUT ON HOLD AS A RESULT OF CO, OF COVID. AND SO, UM, ONCE WE DECIDED, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE DETERMINED THAT IT WAS TIME TO PICK THE POLICY BACK UP AND WE'VE SCHEDULED A DECONSTRUCTION TASK FORCE MEETING TO RECONVENE AND WORK WITH THOSE STAKEHOLDERS, UM, IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN, UM, WE WOULD GO TO COUNCIL COMMITTEE IN DECEMBER. IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THE ACOG GRANT DEADLINE TURNAROUND WAS SUCH THAT WE, WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE A COUNCIL RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE US TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT BEFORE NOVEMBER 1ST. AND SO THAT'S WHY THE TIMING OF THIS, AND THAT'S WHY WE DID INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL BRIEFINGS RATHER THAN TAKING THIS PARTICULAR ITEM TO A COUNCIL COMMITTEE. UM, BUT THE DECONSTRUCTION POLICY ITSELF WILL ABSOLUTELY GO TO COMMITTEE, AND IN FACT, WE COMMITTED TO YOUR STAFF THAT WE WOULD COME TO YOUR COMMITTEE AS WELL. UM, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT AND WE, WE ABSOLUTELY INVITE THE, THE CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THAT POLICY SHOULD UNFOLD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, AND AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR THE TREMENDOUS WORK ON THIS, UH, PROMOTING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY. AND IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE COMMITTED TO IN OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, UH, THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN AROUND TO YET. SO I AM VERY GLAD TO SEE THIS, UH, MOVING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU. YES, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M SORRY, CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND THANK YOU SHANNON, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR, UH, WINNING THE, THE BUSH SCHOOL 2021 OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS AWARD. THANK YOU. UH, CONGRATULATIONS. UM, I WANNA EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THIS PROGRAM. WE JUST HAD A INTERESTING CONVERSATION ABOUT UTILITIES AND, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. SO I, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR US TO GROUND OURSELVES AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF MULTIPLE CRISES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC HOUSING. UM, AND WITH A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS A CITY TO BE CATALYTIC. AND ONE, IT WOULD CREATE GREEN JOBS THROUGH APPRENTICESHIPS AND CREATING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THIS CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM, DECONSTRUCTION RATHER PROGRAM, UH, TOO, RIGHT? IT WOULD ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO WE HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD AND ALSO TOUCH ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT WHEN, UM, WE HAVE, WHEN WE DEMO BUILDINGS, THE, THE POTENTIAL ASBESTOS, THE LEAD WITHIN THE, THE MATERIAL, UH, CAN GO INTO THE AIR IMPACTING THE HEALTH OF OUR NEIGHBORS. SO I, I THINK THIS IS A, A GREAT PROGRAM. UH, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE , THE DECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM WITHIN DISTRICT FIVE, THE, THE, THE AREA WHERE WE'RE GOING TO STORE THE MATERIAL IN D FIVE, BUT I THINK THE PORT IS A GREAT PLAN B, UM, , BUT I JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN, UM, AND SAY, I SUPPORT THIS AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. [03:25:01] THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, SHANNON, I KNOW THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESELLS A PRODUCT THAT IT DOESN'T USE IN ITS BUILDINGS. AND I KNOW OF COURSE, GOODWILL, UH, OFFERS A LOT OF PRODUCTS THAT, UH, PEOPLE DON'T WANT ANYMORE. UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR APPROACH TO BOTH OF THEM ABOUT POSSIBLY PARTNERING WITH US? THEY HAVE FACILITIES, THEY HAVE STAFF. IF WE CAN SUPPLY ALMOST $200,000 TO HELP THEM MOVE THIS PROGRAM FORWARD, I, I CAN'T SEE WHY THEY WOULDN'T BE INTERESTED. UM, SO WE ARE, WE ABSOLUTELY WILL CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. WHEN WE INITIALLY DISCUSSED WITH HABITAT, THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT'S, IT, WE THOUGHT WE HAD THE SAME THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD. AND, AND THE CONCERN IS, AND I THINK THE EXPERIENCE IN HOUSTON IS PROBABLY VALUABLE. 'CAUSE WHAT THEY'VE TOLD US IS LIKE, OFTENTIMES THE MATERIAL THAT THEY GET AT THEIR CITY FACILITY IS MATERIAL THAT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY TRIED TO TAKE TO HABITAT OR OTHER SIMILAR ENTITIES THAT DON'T, AREN'T WILLING TO TAKE THEM. AND SOMETIMES IT'S BECAUSE IT'S MATERIAL, THEY DON'T THINK THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SELL. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE TRYING TO, TO MAKE MONEY AND RUN THE WAREHOUSE. AND SO, UM, AGAIN, THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY NOT INTENDED TO BE A CONFLICT WITH ANY OF THOSE BUSINESSES. AND I THINK NOW THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT, WE WOULD HAVE, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, AND THEY'RE INVOLVED IN OUR DECONSTRUCTION TASK FORCE. SO THEY'LL BE MEETING WITH US IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS TO TALK ABOUT THIS IN MORE DETAIL. UM, I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT THE, THE ACOG THE FUNDING, UM, BECAUSE IT COMES IN THAT TWO YEAR CHUNK, LIKE I THINK EVERYONE RECOGNIZES THAT IT'S SOMETIMES HARD TO ANTICIPATE EXACTLY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE SECOND YEAR. SO, LIKE OUR EXPERIENCE LAST YEAR WAS, THEY, THEY WERE VERY GOOD TO WORK WITH US. UM, WE HAD ORIGINALLY THOUGHT WE WOULD DO IN-PERSON HANDS-ON DECONSTRUCTION TRAINING WITH SOME OF THE GRANT FUNDING, WHICH WASN'T REALLY FEASIBLE DUE TO COVID AND OTHER REASONS. AND SO IT ENABLED US TO PRODUCE THOSE DECONSTRUCTION VIDEOS THAT SEVERAL, I KNOW SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE SEEN. SO, UM, WE KNOW THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY AND THAT THEY WILL WORK WITH US AS WE KIND OF CONTINUE TO EVOLVE THIS CONCEPT WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS. WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING TO SET THIS UP, IF IT'S SET UP INDEPENDENT OF, OF ANYTHING ELSE? SO WE ARE, THE FUNDING IS NOT TIED TO A SPECIFIC LOCATION, BUT AS, AS YOU KIND OF HEARD ALLUDED, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL LOCATIONS THAT HAVE KIND OF, THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING. UM, ONE IS THE BUNGALOW COLONY AT PORT SA, WHICH IS CURRENTLY VACANT HISTORIC BUILDING STOCK, WHICH WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR BOTH, UM, WAREHOUSE SPACE, BUT THEN ALSO THE LIVING HERITAGE TRADES ACADEMY BECAUSE, UM, THE APPRENTICES WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THE MATERIAL THAT WE AC ACCUMULATE AND USE THAT TO PUT BACK INTO, UM, REPAIRING THOSE HISTORIC BUNGALOWS WHILE ALSO, OF COURSE, LEARNING THOSE SKILLED TRADES. AND SO IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE, THE GREEN JOBS AS, UM, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO MENTIONED. WHAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING WOULD GO INTO THIS BESIDES THE $196,000 GRANT? SO THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING IDENTIFIED IT. WE WOULD, I MEAN, EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD ACCOMPLISH THROUGH THIS GRANT WOULD BE FUNDED BY THE GRANT AND THROUGH PARTNER, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE PARTNERSHIPS. SO, UM, IF, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH PORT SA FOR EXAMPLE, THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE WOULD BE IMPROVING THEIR PROPERTY. THEY WOULD WORK WITH US IN TERMS OF MATERIAL COSTS AND SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, BUT WE'D BE PAYING THEM RENT TO BE OUT THERE. UM, THAT IT, IT IS, THE CONVERSATION IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THAT FAR ALONG. WELL, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE EITHER, UH, A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH WHOEVER WE GO FORWARD WITH, OF COURSE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT WHY, UH, GOODWILL OR, UH, HABITAT SAY NO. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT EXPLANATION BECAUSE IT JUST SEEMS TO ME A MUCH BETTER FIT. BUT THAT'S, THAT'S MY OPINION. THANK YOU. YES. AND, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO REVISIT THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND, AND, AND PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK TO YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SHANNON, FOR THE PRESENTATION BEFORE AND TODAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING IT, UH, IN COMMITTEE, UH, AS A DISTRICT THAT HAS MANY OLD HOMES THAT NEED REHAB. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION AT COMMITTEE AND, AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE THINGS FREE. UH, SO , WE'RE, WE'LL WORK ON THAT IN COMMITTEE THOUGH. AND I DO WANNA INVITE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UM, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, CHIME, CHIME IN BEFORE THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS. UH, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. AND WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE AND, AND HELP KIND OF DIRECT IT SO WHEN WE GET HERE, THIS PROCESS RUNS SMOOTHLY. BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. UH, I, I'M HOPING THAT IT [03:30:01] CAN CONTINUE AND IT'S SUCCESSFUL, BUT I THINK THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE DEPENDENT ON GETTING THE WORD OUT. SO IF GPA'S IN THE HOUSE, GETTING THE WORD OUT TO OUR RESIDENTS. SO ONCE THIS IS OUT THERE ABOUT HOW THEY CAN USE THESE SERVICES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN. ALL RIGHT. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SHANNON, FOR THE, UH, WORK AND FOR THE PRESENTATION. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 16 HEARING. NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. [24. Resolution adopting the City of San Antonio Hazard Mitigation Action Plan. [María Villagómez, Deputy City Manager; Charles N. Hood, Fire Chief]] GO NOW TO ITEM, I BELIEVE IT'S 24, 24. ITEM NUMBER 24 IS A RESOLUTION ADOPTED THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, HAZARD MITIGATION ACTION PLAN. ALRIGHT, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ROCHA GARCIA HAS THE FLOOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, SO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN THAT WE'RE ASKING COUNCIL, UH, TO ADOPT TO A RESOLUTION. SO THIS PARTICULAR PLAN IS REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL DISASTER MITIGATION ACT OF 2000, UM, THE AGENCY KNOWN AS FEMA. AND THIS PARTICULAR PLAN IS NEEDED TO QUALIFY FOR PRE-DISASTER AND POST-DISASTER FEDERAL FUNDING FOR MITIGATION PURPOSES, SPECIFICALLY AS WE GO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN. AND THE CITY IDENTIFIES, UH, MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN THE EVENT OF A DISASTER. THOSE PARTICULAR MITIGATION ACTIONS, UH, WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANT FUNDING. SO, UH, FEMA REQUIRES THAT THIS PLAN BE UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS. UM, SO THE CITY, UH, APPROVED THE FIRST, UH, MITIGATION PLAN IN 2015, AND WE UPDATED THIS PLAN IN 2020, SUBMITTED IT TO FEMA IN 2021, AND THEY HAVE, UH, APPROVED THE PLAN AND IS READY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. SO, JUST A QUICK TIMELINE AGAIN, TO SUMMARIZE. THE PLAN WAS UPDATED IN, UH, 2020, SUBMITTED TO FEMA AND THE TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN JANUARY 21. AND I WANNA ADDRESS THAT THIS HAPPENED BEFORE A WINTER STORM URI. UH, WE RECEIVE APPROVAL FROM FEMA IN JUNE, AND THIS IS READY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THE FORMAL ADOPTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS A FINAL STEP IN THIS PROCESS REQUIRED BY, BY FEMA. NOW, ONE POINT THAT I WANNA MAKE IS, AS WE WENT THROUGH, UM, THE PROCESS OF HAVING OUR CITY RESPONSE TO, UH, STORM URI AND THE COMMITTEE, THE, UH, PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE THAT WAS FORMED BY THE MAYOR, ONE OF THE RECOMMEND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE MADE WAS FOR THE CITY TO UPDATE THIS PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDED AN EVENT LIKE, UH, THE WINTER STORM, UH, URI. SO, UH, WE CONSULTED WITH FEMA AND WHAT THEY'VE RECOMMENDED IS FOR US TO CONCLUDE THE PROCESS THAT WE STARTED WITH THEM IN EARLY 2021 TO HAVE THE FORMAL PLAN, APPROVE AND FILE WITH FEMA, UH, AND THEN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF THE AMENDMENT. SO WE HAVE A TIMELINE THAT WE WANNA SHARE WITH YOU TODAY, HOW WE GONNA DO THAT? WE ALSO, UM, DISCUSSING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WE MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT COULD BE INCLUDED, SUCH AS FEEDBACK FROM THE RESILIENCY ANALYSIS STUDY THAT WE'LL BE CONDUCTING IN FISCAL YEAR 2022. SO JUST AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. SO THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN IS INTENDED TO IDENTIFY, UH, HAZARDS THAT OCCUR IN A CERTAIN AREA. IN THIS CASE, FOR SAN ANTONIO, THERE'S 17 HAZARDS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. THERE'S A SECTION FOR EACH OF THIS HAZARD, AND IT PROVIDES SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION IN TERMS OF OCCURRENCES, UH, HERE IN OUR, IN OUR CITY, AS WELL AS ANY KNOWN, UM, FINANCIAL DAMAGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THOSE EVENTS. SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN ARE THOSE 17 HAZARDS. NOW, AS PART OF THE MITIGATION PLAN PROCESS, UH, CITIES ARE ALSO ASKED TO IDENTIFY, UH, MITIGATION ACTIONS. SO THOSE ARE INCLUDED IN [03:35:01] THE PLAN, AND THERE'S A TOTAL OF 131. AND WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS A BREAKDOWN OF, OF THOSE MITIGATION STRATEGIES. NOW, BASED ON THE HISTORY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO OF THE DIFFERENT HAZARDS, FLOODING IS THE MOST COMMON IN, IN THE HAZARD THAT, UH, UP TO THE POINT THAT WE, WE DID THE PLAN, UM, CAUSED THE MOST, MOST FINANCIAL DAMAGE, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO, AS A RESULT OF THAT, YOU SEE ON THE MITIGATION ACTIONS THAT DRAINAGE PROJECTS IS THE LARGEST, UH, PORTION OF THOSE MITIGATION ACTIONS. AND AS YOU, UH, PROBABLY MAY RECALL AS PART OF THE 20, UM, 22 BOND DISCUSSION, WE RECOMMENDED SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS TO BE INCLUDED. UH, AROUND $80 MILLION IS INCLUDED RIGHT NOW IN, IN, IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND THAT IS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE MITIGATION ACTIONS. NOW, WE CANNOT ADDRESS ALL OF THE ACTIONS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN, UH, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FEMA TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THEM. SO IF THERE'S A DISASTER, AGAIN, WE'RE ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT THOSE PROJECTS FOR, UH, FEMA REIMBURSEMENT AND CONSIDERATION. SO NOW I'M GONNA SWITCH TO OUR PROPOSED, UH, TIMELINE TO AMEND THE PLAN. SO, UH, SHOULD COUNCIL APPROVE THE, THE PLAN TODAY, UH, OCTOBER 21, WE WILL SUBMIT THAT TO FEMA. AND AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STATE. UH, THEY WILL APPROVE THE PLAN. THEY ALREADY REVIEWED IT, BUT THEY NEED THIS AS A FINAL STEP. UM, SO WE WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF THAT AMENDMENT, AND WE WILL BRING THE PLAN TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN JANUARY. UM, SPEAKING WITH THE CHAIR, WE ARE GONNA DO A SERIES OF ITEMS RELATED TO EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AT THAT MEETING. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A, AN, AN AMENDMENT TO THE PLAN, UH, READY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, GOING FIRST TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND THEN TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN MARCH. NOW, THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT TIMELINE IS FOCUSED ON ADDING TO THE DOCUMENT THAT WE SHARE WITH YOU, A, AN EVENT, UH, SIMILAR TO WINTER STORM URI. I WANT TO ASSURE TO THE COUNCIL THAT WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THIS TIMELINE TO BEGIN, FOR US TO START PREPARING FOR ANOTHER EVENT LIKE THAT. WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED THE PROCESS. WE HAVE BEEN IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH SAUCE AND C P S ADDRESSING THE AREAS OF JOINT COMMUNICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE'VE MADE PROGRESS THERE. WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH C P S IN TERMS OF, UM, THE, THE, THE WAY THAT THEY PLAN. AND THEY, THEY ROLL OUT THEIR, UM, OUTAGES THAT, THAT, THAT HAPPENED DURING, UH, UH, WINTER STORM YURI, WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE EXPERIENCED, UH, EARLIER THIS CALENDAR YEAR DOESN'T REPEAT AGAIN. SO WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN THOSE AREAS AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. AND WE'LL BE REPORTING THAT PROGRESS TO OUR MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE AND ALSO TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AS WE CONTINUE WITH THAT PROCESS. NOW, THE LAST PIECE OF MY PRESENTATION IS THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PLAN. SO, UM, THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING TEAM THAT IS COMPRISED OF MEMBERS OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS STAKEHOLDERS LIKE SA AND C P SS, TRACK, UH, OTHER OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE H E B, FOR EXAMPLE. UH, WE ARE GONNA BE REVIEWING THIS PLAN ON, UM, UH, TWICE A YEAR. WE WILL BRING AN ANNUAL REVIEW TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN JUNE, AND THEN TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, AS WE WILL CONTINUE TO REQUEST, UH, FUNDING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE MITIGATION ACTIONS. SO THE TIMING WORKS BEST AS WE, IF WE ADD IT AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. NOW, AFTER THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF THE PLAN ADOPTION, THERE WILL BE A THOROUGH REVIEW, VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH IN 2020, UH, TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ACTIONS THAT NEED TO BE UPDATED, UM, AND ANY CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE. AND THEN WE'LL BRING THIS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS WELL. SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND WE, UH, RECOMMEND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE THIS PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED TO FEMA FOR FINAL APPROVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. MARIA, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 24, AND THEN WE'LL GO ON TO DISCUSSION. SO MOVED SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 24. WE'LL START, UH, COUNCIL DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND THANK YOU MARIA, FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND I JUST, UM, FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY COLLEAGUES, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO, THEY COULD BORROW MY BOOK, WHICH HAS A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THEIR RISK MITIGATION PLAN. COUNCILMAN, COURAGE. I'LL LET YOUR STAFF TAKE IT. DON'T WORRY. UM, BUT I WAS JUST, UH, REALLY WORRIED ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THERE. UH, AND, AND MARIA, DON'T WORRY HALF OF THEM, UH, OR ACTUALLY ABOUT A THIRD. 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT MORE [03:40:01] QUESTIONS YOU'VE ALREADY COVERED. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, BUT I, I'VE WANTED TO START OFF JUST BY SAYING THAT THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT, UH, OTHER THAN BUDGET, UM, THAT WE WILL EVER GET BEFORE US, AND WE GET IT BEFORE US EVERY FIVE YEARS. AND THE LAST GO AROUND, UM, WHOEVER MY COLLEAGUES WERE THAT WERE HERE, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THEY TOOK A BIG DIVE INTO IT. AND SO I THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT COME FORWARD IN A B SESSION SO THAT WE COULD HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS. SO, FOR THE BENEFIT OF, OF MY COLLEAGUES, I'M JUST GONNA START WITH LIKE HIGH LEVEL THINGS, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS MOST CONCERNED WITH IN HERE, UM, WAS, UH, FOR INSTANCE, UM, THE LACK OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. THERE WAS ONLY THREE MEETINGS THAT WERE HELD. UM, ONE ON THE, THE 10TH OF SEPTEMBER WENT ON THE 17TH, AND WHEN THE 24TH, THAT'S A TOTAL OF 20 PEOPLE WHO GAVE INPUT INTO THIS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT DISTRICTS THEY WERE FROM. UM, BUT THAT WAS, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS. AND SO WE KNOW THAT COVID POSED, UM, SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME CHANGES. AND SO WE HAD TO HAVE THIS NOT IN A PUBLIC SETTING, BUT IT WAS VIRTUALLY. UM, AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE HAPPENED. UM, BUT THEN ALSO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE ALSO TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THAT THERE'S SOME ITEMS ON HERE, LIKE ON SECTION FIVE, ON PAGE EIGHT, THERE'S A TABLE FOR POTENTIAL ANNUALIZED LOSSES FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. UM, THERE'S NO COST ASSOCIATED. AND I, I THOUGHT, WELL, I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT THERE'S GOTTA BE COST ASSOCIATED, BUT THERE'S NO DATA AVAILABLE ON THAT HAZARD IN PARTICULAR. THAT'S AGAIN, TO NO FAR FAULT OF OURS, BUT STILL, LIKE WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE PLANNING. AND SO I, I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY ALWAYS SAYS IS, WELL, WE'VE GOTTA PLAN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO FUND IT, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, WHAT I SEE IN THIS DOCUMENT IS THE SAME THING. HOWEVER, THIS DOCUMENT WOULD SAVE LIVES. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY COLLEAGUES REALIZE THAT WE HAVE A, A WONDERFUL PLAN AND THERE'S NO MONEY FOR IT. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE SCARIEST PART ABOUT IT IN GENERAL. BUT THEN ALSO, LIKE MARIA REFERENCED ON PAGE 11 OF SECTION TWO, THERE'S A LISTING OF STAKEHOLDERS WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE INVITED OR WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS. AND IN PARTICULAR, I NOTICED THAT J J B S A PORT SAN ANTONIO STRUCK, AND THOSE ARE ALL IN MY DISTRICT. UM, AND THEN, BUT VIA AND H E B DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE WORKING GROUP. AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHY, BECAUSE, AND I HAPPEN TO THINK THAT H E B ALWAYS SAVES THE DAY IN SOME FASHION, RIGHT? SO, UM, I, I, MY, MY QUESTION WAS, WERE, WERE THEY JUST GIVEN AN OPTION OF NOT BEING, THERE WERE, WAS THEIR SCHEDULE WORKED WITH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THEM ALL THERE? VIA IS ANOTHER ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALWAYS COMES IN AND IT HELPS AT THE END. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE THERE AND J J B SS A, I MEAN, CAN I SAY ANYMORE STRAC, WHO COORDINATES OUR REGIONAL RESPONSE, UH, FOR EMERGENCIES. AND SO I WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT THEY WEREN'T THERE. SO I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE INVITED, BUT MY QUESTION WAS, WELL, IF THEY COULDN'T MAKE IT, AND IF THESE KEY PARTNERS COULDN'T MAKE IT, SHOULD WE HAVE MOVED THE DATE OF THAT MEETING, FOR INSTANCE? UM, AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE, C P SS AND SAS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL ADVISORY PLANNING COMMITTEE, UH, PLANNING TEAM FOR 2021. NOW, THEY DID ATTEND WORKSHOPS, BUT THEY WERE NOT, UH, A PART OF THE PLANNING TEAM. AND TO ME, THAT'S CRITICAL. SO WE JUST WENT THROUGH A REALLY LONG, UM, PROCESS OF APPOINTING OUR NEW SAAS AND C P S BOARD MEMBERS. UM, AND I, I WAS, I WAS GIVEN THE ANSWER THAT THEY WERE IDENTIFIED AS PARTNERS, BUT, UM, THAT WAS THE WAY THAT THEY WERE ORGANIZED AS A WORKING GROUP ORIGINALLY IN THE FIRST HAZARD, UH, MITIGATION ACTION PLAN, WHICH I DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR THAT WAS. THAT'S THE WAY IT STAYED. AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BRING THEM IN AND, AND I THINK I HAVE MARIA'S COMMITMENT THAT THEY WILL NOW BE A PART OF THE, UH, ADVISORY AND THE EXECUTIVE TEAM EVEN. BUT I DO THINK THAT THEY NEED TO BE INCLUDED. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE, MAKE YOU ALL AWARE THAT THESE ENTITIES WERE NOT REPRESENTED NECESSARILY IN, IN THE PLANNING. UM, AND THEN ANOTHER THING IS THAT, AND THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAUSED, UH, ME, OR JUST GAVE ME, GAVE ME SOME, SOME PAUSE, WAS THAT, UM, ONLY FOUR OF THE RISK MITIGATION PLANS THAT WERE REFERENCED IN 2015 WERE COMPLETED. AND SO I WANNA, AND, AND MARIA SENT ME THIS BECAUSE IT'S A REALLY BIG DOCUMENT. AND SO MY STAFF DID A GREAT JOB AND PRINTING IT IN, IN A LITTLE BIT BIGGER SIZE FOR ME. AND SO WE TRIED TO SORT THROUGH IT. AND SO THERE WAS ONLY FOUR ITEMS THAT WERE COMPLETED. UM, OUT OF THE 92 THAT WERE REFERENCED, THAT'S 4% OF OUR 2015 PLAN THAT WAS COMPETED, COMPLETED. NOW, I DID GET ANOTHER DOCUMENT IN THAT SAME SPREADSHEET, AND IT SAID THAT 26 ACTIONS WERE COMPLETED OUT OF THE 105. SO AT BEST WE DID 19%. WE COMPLETED 19% OF THE ACTIONS ON THAT PLAN. SO THAT WORRIES ME. AND THEN WE'RE CARRYING OVER 120 FOR THE NEXT, FOR THIS YEAR, BUT ONLY 105 WERE NOT COMPLETED. SO THEN THE MATH'S WRONG ON THAT. SO I'M, THERE'S JUST SEVERAL THINGS THAT DON'T ADD UP FOR ME. AND SO NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER 131 MITIGATION EFFORTS [03:45:01] THAT ARE IDENTIFIED, BUT HOW MANY CAN WE REALLY FUND? AND SO THEN I ASKED FOR A, A MAP SPECIFICALLY BY COUNCIL DISTRICT ON, UM, THESE DIFFERENT, UH, MITIGATION ACTIONS. AND, AND IN COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, COUNCILMAN BRAVO, YOU HAVE NINE. UM, AND COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO, COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ HAS 14 IN DISTRICT THREE 10. MY DISTRICT HAS SIX, DISTRICT FIVE HAS SEVEN, DISTRICT SIX HAS EIGHT, DISTRICT SEVEN HAS 10, DISTRICT EIGHT HAS 10. DISTRICT NINE HAS TWO, AND DISTRICT 10 HAS 12. I DON'T KNOW THAT MY FELLOW COUNCIL COLLEAGUES KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE WOULD STAY ON TOP OF IT, RIGHT? AND SO, AND EVEN AS I REFERENCED THROUGH THE, THE SHEET, IT WAS STILL A LITTLE CONFUSING, UM, TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO I PRIORITIZE NOW THAT WITH MY BOND COMMITTEES, RIGHT? WITH MY BOND APPOINTEES, AND LET THEM KNOW THIS IS IMPORTANT. THIS SAVES LIVES. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THIS, RIGHT? AND SO THE PRIORITIES, UH, IN THE BOND AS WE THINK ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT LAYS AHEAD FOR US. AND THEN ALSO, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS VETTED BEFORE THROUGH SOME COMMITTEE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT WAS VETTED THROUGH SOME COMMITTEE. AND WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST GO AROUND. WE, UM, MENTIONED THAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UPDATED ONCE A YEAR. I HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE COUNCIL FOR TWO YEARS AND I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE STARTED THE DISCUSSION OF, OKAY, IF WE HAVE THESE PLANS, LET'S MAKE SURE WE BRING THEM UP. UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO KIND OF BRING THAT CONVERSATION UP AGAINST, AGAIN, FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY NEW COLLEAGUES, UM, BECAUSE WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE THAT EXTREME MEASURE AND READ THROUGH SOME OF THESE ACTION ITEMS, PARTICULARLY IN OUR DISTRICT SO THAT WE ALL HAVE AN EQUAL SHARE OF KEEPING TABS ON THIS DOCUMENT. RIGHT? AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO BY BRINGING UP THE CONVERSATION TODAY. AND THEN, UM, QUESTION, I'M NOT SURE WHO THE NEW E O C DIRECTOR IS. IT USED TO BE CHIEF ZEPEDA, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE APPOINTED SOMEONE JUST YET. UM, IF MARIA, CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THAT, PLEASE? UH, SURE. COUNCILMAN, WE HAVE AN INTERIM EMERGENCY OPERATION COORDINATOR, AND THAT IS, UH, CHIEF MARK TREVINO. UH, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IS UNDER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO, UH, CHIEF CHARLES HOOD IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS AVAILABLE IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES OR CONCERNS. WONDERFUL. AND OF COURSE, MYSELF AND THE CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU. UM, AND YES, AND THANK YOU, MARIA. 'CAUSE 'CAUSE YOU ALREADY SPENT, UH, UH, UH, SOME TIME WITH ME ON THE QUESTIONS AND I'LL, I'LL SEND THE REST. THERE WAS JUST A WHOLE LOT, THERE WAS SOME ITEMS THAT WERE IN THERE IDENTIFIED THAT WE SUBMITTED TO FEMA THAT SAY, COMPLETE IT, BUT ALSO SAY DEFER ACTION. AND SO THAT WAS THE REASON FOR ME ASKING FOR THE SPREADSHEET SO THAT WE COULD CLARIFY, WAIT, DID THEY COMPLETE IT OR DID WE REALLY DEFER THE ACTION? AND SO THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE OF THESE, THESE THINGS THAT I NOTICED, UM, IN THE PLAN THAT, THAT HAD ME WORRIED, RIGHT? THERE WAS AN ACTION THAT WAS ENTIRELY DELETED FROM THE PLAN, FROM THE LAST MIS RISK MITIGATION PLAN. UM, AND I, I, IT SAID DELETED. AND SO MY QUESTION WAS, WAIT, WHY WAS IT DELETED? THEN? I WAS TOLD NO, IT WAS COMPLETED. IT WAS NOT DELETED. AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANYONE THAT'S PAYING, UM, PARTICULAR, OR THAT HAS BEEN, I'LL CORRECT THAT BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT NOW WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S DEDICATED TO THIS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THIS, RIGHT? AND SO, AND BY THE WAY, THERE'S PET PEEVES, RIGHT? SO THERE'S LIKE AN ALL MAN STAFF, AND I WAS LIKE, WAIT A SECOND, IT SHOULD JUST BE STAFF. WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY ALL MEN, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? SO YES, ABSOLUTELY THERE'S SOME, UM, THAT ARE JUST, JUST KIND OF PET PEEVES AND MISSPELLED WORDS AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT'S NOT WHAT MOST OF THESE FLAGS ARE. MOST OF THESE FLAGS ARE, ARE LITERALLY RED FLAGS THAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING FOR, UH, IN PARTICULAR. AND, UM, I THINK THAT ARE ARE CONSISTENT EVEN WITH SOME OF COUNCILWOMAN, UH, CASTILLO'S QUESTIONS, UH, AND COUNCILMAN PERRY'S QUESTIONS IN REGARD TO FLOODING. AND SO I JUST DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, UM, APPROVING A PLAN THAT HAD, UH, REALLY NO, NO BACKUP, IF YOU WILL, IN TERMS OF MONEY TO FUND IT. AND I WAS WORRIED THAT NOW WE'RE GONNA ADD THE YURI STUFF, WHICH IS GREAT, I THINK, AND, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. BUT NOW IF WE'RE ADDING ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YURI, IS THERE A PLAN? BECAUSE MOST OF THE ONES THAT ARE FLAGGED ORANGE, BY THE WAY, SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA COMPLETE THEM IN A YEAR, BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE MONEY, HOW ARE WE GONNA COMPLETE THOSE IN A YEAR? AND SO I DID NOT WANT TO SUBMIT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SOMETHING. NOW I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE KEEPING TABS, UM, ON THIS, ON WHETHER WE COMPLETE THIS OR NOT. UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE VERY AWARE THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE NEED. WE HAD ALREADY SAID THAT WE WOULD PUT IT IN THE LAST BOND. IT DIDN'T GO IN THE LAST BOND. AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERED. AND THEN FINALLY, UM, I'LL IN BY SAYING THAT THERE WAS, SO THIS, THE PUBLIC SURVEY RESULTS, AND I THINK THERE WAS 131, UM, FOLKS THAT PARTICIPATED, I'M SORRY, 174 SURVEYS THAT WERE COLLECTED. AND SO WE HAVE THEM REFERENCED IN, IN APPENDIX B, UM, BUT I COULDN'T NECESSARILY TELL, UH, IN PARTICULAR, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WHICH, WHICH AREAS ALSO WERE, UM, REPRESENTED DISTRICT. [03:50:01] SO THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND THANK YOU, MARIA. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. UH, ALRIGHT, I'M PULLING THE QUEUE BACK UP. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MARIA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MEETING WITH ME, UH, EARLIER THIS WEEK. UM, UH, JUST REAL QUICK, COULD WE DISCUSS THE, THE TIMELINE AND THE RE I GUESS THE, ANY SORT OF TIME CRUNCH THAT WE'RE UNDER TO SUBMIT THIS DOCUMENT? UH, YES, COUNCILWOMAN. SO, UM, THE STATE HAS INDICATED THAT WE NEED TO SUBMIT THIS TO THEM, UM, BY NOVEMBER THE FOURTH OF 2021. , I WAS GONNA SAY WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME. UH, NOVEMBER THE FOURTH OF 2021. SO THIS IS, THERE WOULD ONLY BE ONE MORE COUNCIL MEETING AFTER THAT. IS THAT CORRECT? BETWEEN, ACTUALLY NOW OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOVEMBER THE FOURTH. OKAY. SO, AND WHAT HAPPENS IF WE WERE NOT TO SUBMIT IT? UH, THE RISK THAT WE RUN, COUNCILMAN, IF THERE'S A DISASTER IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THERE'S NOT A PLAN, WE WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE FOR, UM, FEMA FUNDING FOR THE, FOR THAT DISASTER. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE BEYOND THE TIMELINE FOR PROVIDING THE UPDATE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN IN, UH, OF RECORD WITH THEM IN TERMS OF THE 2015 PLAN. THAT PLAN IS NOT WITH THEM ON RECORD. SO THE 2015 HAS TECHNICALLY EXPIRED. THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO HAVE THE 2021. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LETTING ME KNOW. SO THEREFORE, I DON'T REALLY THINK WE HAVE AN OPTION ABOUT DE DELAYING THIS AT, AT THIS POINT. UM, NONETHELESS, WHEN, UM, I'LL BE, UM, I'LL SHARE MY CONCERNS AGAIN. UH, WHEN WE MET, UH, I HAD THREE MAJOR CONCERNS WITH THE CONTENT OF THE PLAN. UH, ONE OF THEM WAS THE LACK OF CLARITY ON THE TIMELINE AND COMPLETION AND, UH, WE BOTH AGREED THAT IT WASN'T PERFECTLY CLEAR THE WAY IT WAS PRESENTED AND THAT THERE ARE WAYS TO IMPROVE THAT. UM, SECONDLY, IT WAS ALSO, UH, THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC IN PARTICIPATING IN THIS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT CHECKS THE BOX AS FAR AS FEMA IS CONCERNED, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE LIKE THESE HIGHER EXPECTATIONS, , I'M, UH, SO, UM, I THINK WE BOTH AGREED ON THAT AS WELL. AND LASTLY, BUT MOST CONCERNING, UH, TO ME IS THE LACK OF, UM, I GUESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF WHAT ROLE CLIMATE CHANGE MIGHT PLAY IN THESE HAZARDS. AS I'VE GONE THROUGH SOME OF THE SECTIONS DESCRIBING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAZARDS, WHEN I GET INTO THE WEATHER RELATED HAZARDS, THERE IS A SPECIFIC RELIANCE ON THE WEATHER OF RECORD, WHICH WE KNOW IS NOT HAPPENING IN THE, IN THE CASE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, IF ANYTHING. OH, I THINK, SORRY, I WROTE DOWN A LINE THAT I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THIS AND IF, UM, IF ANYTHING, WE KNOW THAT CLIMATE CHANGE MAKES, UM, OUR WEATHER, UH, MORE EXTREME, UH, MORE FREQUENT OR EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS MORE FREQUENT, BUT IT ALSO MAKES THEM LESS PREDICTABLE. UM, SO I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY DANGEROUS TO HAVE A HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN THAT DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND, UH, TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT IN THE PLANNING. UM, THAT SAID, THAT WILL NOT MAKE IT INTO THE, THIS ROUND. UNDERSTOOD. UM, WE ALREADY MOVED TO APPROVE, RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO I'D LIKE TO, I GUESS, UM, AMEND THAT MOTION. UM, OR I, I'M SURE ANDY WILL STOP ME AT SOME POINT IF I'M SAYING SOMETHING WRONG. UM, AND SAY WE GO AHEAD AND, AND WE APPROVE THIS, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD SCHEDULE A DATE CERTAIN, NOT JUST FOR A COMMITTEE, BUT PERHAPS FOR THE FULL COUNCIL, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS VERY, VERY, IM IMPORTANT THAT IT DESERVES THE INPUT OF THE FULL COUNCIL TO COME TOGETHER AND DISCUSS, UH, WELL, NUMBER ONE, TO REVIEW THE PLAN, I THINK, SO THAT WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT AS A GROUP. UM, MAYBE NOT EVERYBODY PUT IN AS MANY TABS AS THE COUNCILWOMAN DID, BUT I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE PART OF MY DISTRICT THAT'S IN THE PLAN. UM, BUT I, I WOULD ALSO, UM, LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT WHAT AMENDMENTS WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE IN THE NEXT ROUND, AND THEN ESTABLISH A DATE AND A TIMELINE CERTAIN FOR WHEN THOSE AMENDMENTS ARE GOING TO GO IN, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE URGENT AMENDMENTS INCLUDING, UM, A BRAINSTORM OR A POTENTIAL COMMITMENT ON WHERE FUTURE FUNDING SOURCES MAY, MAY COME FROM. BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, IF WE DON'T COMMIT TO, TO LOOKING FOR THAT FUNDING, THEN WE'RE NOT REALLY COMMITTING TO MITIGATING THE HAZARDS. UM, SO, UM, LASTLY I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UM, THE TEXAS STATE CLIMATOLOGIST, UH, HOLLY HARD, UH, SAYS THAT TEXAS WEATHER IS CHANGING IN A WAY THAT WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO DEAL WITH EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND MORE EXPENSIVE TO RECOVER FROM THEM. AND PREPARATION AND RESILIENCE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO, UM, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO AMEND THE MOTION, UH, WITH A COMMITMENT TO ESTABLISH A B SESSION, [03:55:01] UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, I, I, I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS WE CAN FOR US. I THINK, UH, MARIA DID, UH, OUTLINE A TIMELINE, UH, FOR AMENDMENTS. UM, SO I THINK THE COMMITMENT'S THERE IN THE PRESENTATION, SO WE CAN SAY, UH, THE MOTION IS TO PROVE AS PRESENTED THAT WAY THE TIMELINE IS INCORPORATED. SORRY, MY COMPUTER'S NOT SHOWING ME THAT SLIDE. SORRY. NO PROBLEM. COUNSEL, COULD YOU PUT THAT SLIDE OUT? SURE. IS SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN? UM, YES. SO, BUT THAT'S AS PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND I'M REQUESTING A B SESSION, UH, UNDERSTOOD, COUNCILMAN. SO WHAT I HAD IN THERE WAS PRESENTED TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE SLASH UH, COUNCIL APPROVAL. SO WE CAN DEFINITELY, UM, SHOULD THE COUNCIL DE DESIRE, WE CAN DO A B SESSION, UM, INSTEAD OF GOING JUST TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. THANK YOU. NO OFFENSE, COUNCILWOMAN. UM, AND, UH, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, I'VE, I'VE HEARD YOU MAKE A COMMITMENT TO, UH, INCLUDING SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM YURI, UH, BUT I'M NOT HEARING THE COMMITMENTS ON THE OTHER THINGS AS WELL. SO I, I REALLY DON'T WANNA WAIT TILL IT COMES TO A VOTE AND TRY TO GET SIX VOTES TO APPROVE THAT. LIKE, I, I'M GONNA GIVE DIRECTION THAT THAT STAFF SHOULD INCLUDE THAT NOW. SURE. AND, AND IF I MAY, COUNCIL INCLUDE WHAT? COUNCILWOMAN, LET'S, ALRIGHT, LET ME REVIEW MY CONCERNS WITH THE PLAN , HERE WE GO. UM, NUMBER ONE, THE LACK OF CLARITY ON THE TIMELINE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECTS IDENTIFIED. UM, NUMBER TWO, THE, I GUESS THE PROCESS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND HOW THAT WILL BE CONDUCTED. WE CHECKED THE BOX FOR FEMA. UH, WE DID NOT LIVE UP TO THE STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED FOR THIS, UH, FOR THIS ORGANIZATION. AND NUMBER THREE, THE LACK OF, UH, THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE CONSIDERATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE WEATHER RELATED HAZARDS. UH, LASTLY MENTIONED BY COUNCILWOMAN, UM, ROCHA GARCIA WAS TO CONSIDER, UM, IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR, UM, ADDRESSING THE, THE HAZARDS. THOSE FOUR ITEMS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM ADDRESSED IN SOME FASHION IN THE AMENDMENTS. AND, AND IF I MAY, UM, TO CLARIFY WHAT I PRESENTED ON SLIDE SEVEN WAS SPECIFIC TO MAKING AN AMENDMENT FOR AN EVENT SIMILAR TO THE WINTER STORM THAT WE HAD EARLIER THIS CALENDAR YEAR. WE BEGAN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STATE, UM, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THOSE ITEMS, COUNCILWOMAN, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ADD THOSE AS WELL. I DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT, ESPECIALLY ON THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. UM, FEMA DOESN'T REQUIRE THAT WE INCORPORATE THAT. HOWEVER, THEY DO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO DO THAT, AND WE CAN EITHER DO IT ON EACH OF THE HAZARDS, AND I JUST NEED TO GET WORK WITH MY TEAM TO FIGURE OUT HOW LONG IT'LL TAKE US TO DO THAT, UH, FOR EACH OF THE HAZARDS. SO WHAT I WILL COMMIT TO DO IS TO PROVIDE THAT TO THE COUNCIL AND A SUB SUBSEQUENT CORRESPONDENCE, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT, UH, 30 DAYS OR LESS, AS SOON AS WE CAN GET THAT CONFIRMATION TO GIVE YOU A FULL, UM, TIMELINE NOT ONLY FOR THE AMENDMENT THAT IS RIGHT NOW, UM, ON THIS PRESENTATION, WHICH IS STORM YURI, BUT ALSO TO INCORPORATE COUNCILWOMAN THE CLIMATE, UH, ACTION PLAN, THE COMMUNITY INPUT PROCESS. WE ARE COMMITTED TO, UH, MAKE THOSE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS BEGINNING WITH THE STORM URI. SO WE WILL DO THAT AND CLARIFY THE MITIGATION ACTIONS AS WELL. SO THAT IS PART OF THIS TIMELINE. BUT ON THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, I JUST NEED, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL TIME TO FIGURE, TO GIVE YOU A BETTER TIMELINE. OKAY. THANK YOU, MADIA. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, THEY'VE, THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF STUDIES AND CONTRACTED WITH A NUMBER OF RESEARCHERS TO, I MEAN, WE DID THE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT. THERE WERE SOME, UH, CLIMATE SCENARIOS. UM, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO PREDICT A SPECIFIC THING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE. I THINK WHAT WE WANNA BE CLEAR IS THAT THE RISKS IS BIGGER AND NOT CONFINED TO THE PAST HISTORICAL RECORD. UM, AND WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT. BUT, BUT YOU BRING UP, UM, ANOTHER POINT. UM, I, I THINK I'VE HEARD CLIMATE CHANGE COME UP, NOT JUST BY ME , BUT BY SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, IN A NUMBER OF THE TOPICS WE'VE DISCUSSED TODAY AND IN OTHER DAYS. AND I, I GUESS I, I JUST WANNA MAKE AN OBSERVATION, UM, THAT I, I REALLY HOPE, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE CRISIS AS A CITY, THAT MAYBE WE CAN CONNECT THOSE DOTS BEFORE IT GETS TO, TO THE COUNCIL. THE, THE TRUTH IS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ADDRESSING IT IS NOT LIMITED TO A SINGLE OFFICE OR DEPARTMENT IN THIS CITY. IF WE WANNA MAKE SOME SERIOUS, UH, PROGRESS, IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S EMBEDDED IN EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT THIS, UH, CITY DOES, THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT WORKS ON. WHATEVER FUEL YOUR TRUCKS RUN ON, UH, HOW BIG THE KITCHENS ARE, THE, THE FLOOD PROJECTS THAT YOU CHOOSE TO COME FORWARD, HOW WE HOST MEETINGS. IT IS IN EVERYTHING. [04:00:01] AND SOMETIMES I THINK IT'S, NO, I KNOW IT'S GETTING LOST. SO I GUESS IT'S A REQUEST TO YOU AND TO ERIC. UM, COULD YOU FIND A WAY TO FURTHER INTEGRATE THAT, UM, IN, IN THE WORK THAT WE DO? THANK YOU. YEAH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN MAY BE A, MAYBE A, A HELPFUL OBSERVATION. UM, ALSO, UM, AND MARIA MENTIONED IT DURING THE PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO WITH THE RESILIENCY ANALYSIS THAT WE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AND THE MONEY WE SET ASIDE IN THE BUDGET. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING ALSO IS IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF, UM, OF THAT WORK. AND SO, UH, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A, UM, A COUNCIL B SESSION ON, ON THAT SOLICITATION AND, AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE SCOPE OF SERVICES. 'CAUSE AS WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST, AS WE TALKED IN THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, THE RESILIENCY ANALYSIS AND THE SCOPE COULD BE VERY, UH, NARROW. IT COULD BE VERY BROAD. AND I THINK, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A REALLY GOOD PARALLEL VEHICLE TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE THINGS. THE, UM, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO, UH, DOWNPLAY THE, THE FEMA REQUIRED HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. IT, IT'S THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET FEMA REIMBURSED. IT'S THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS. UM, AND, BUT I THINK THE VEHICLE, UH, MIGHT ALSO BE THAT RESILIENCY ANALYSIS, WHICH GIVES US THE ABILITY TO HAVE THAT DEEPER ANALYSIS AND, AND SO WE'LL WORK TO MAKE SURE WE SCHEDULE THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER PAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, UH, I, I BELIEVE THAT COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA OWNS THE COMPANY THAT MANUFACTURES RED PENS IN THOSE LITTLE STICKERS THAT SHE STICKS ON ON HER BOOK, . UM, I, I, I USE A PIECE OF SOFTWARE AT OUR, AT OUR OFFICE, UH, CALLED HAIL STRIKE AND ANOTHER ONE CALLED HAIL RECON. AND MARIA, I, WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE DOCUMENT, WE NOTICED HAIL JUMP OUT OFF THE PAGE AT US, AND THAT WAS REALLY SMART. UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE TALK ABOUT RAIN EVENTS AND FLOOD EVENTS AND ALL, AND THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I DO THINK THAT NOT ENOUGH, UH, A ATTENTION IS PAID TO A HAIL EVENT, RIGHT? AND IN 2016, 2017, THERE WERE A PAIR OF STORMS THAT FLEW THROUGH TEXAS AND CAUSED $5.5 BILLION IN PROPERTY CLAIMS. THUS FAR, THE CLAIMS ARE STILL BEING MADE. UM, AND IN SAN ANTONIO, THAT WAS A $2.2 BILLION BILL THAT INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE STILL FIGHTING OVER. AND SO, UM, IF I WERE TO TELL YOU TOMORROW, THERE WILL BE A, A, YOU KNOW, A WEATHER EVENT THAT WILL CAUSE TWO POINT BILLION, $2.2 BILLION IN PROPERTY DAMAGE, YOU KNOW, UM, HOPE IS THAT Y'ALL WOULD SOUND THE ALARM AND SAY, WHAT CAN WE DO? RIGHT? UM, I I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'VE EVER TAKEN HAIL AS SERIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE OR AS SERIOUSLY AS WE SHOULD DO. BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME WHEN I SAY THAT, PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHAT CAN WE DO? HAILS GONNA HAPPEN, RIGHT? UM, AND MAYBE WE DON'T PREVENT THE DAMAGE, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS RESPOND AFTER, RIGHT? UM, AND DO, AND HELP PEOPLE TRIAGE WHAT THEY NEED, RIGHT? AND I THINK THERE'S A ROLE HERE FOR, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING. I THINK THERE'S A ROLE HERE FOR JEFF'S DEPARTMENT OVER A G P A RIGHT? TO BE ABLE TO TELL PEOPLE, HEY, IT JUST HAILED RIGHT? AND, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THE DOOR WHEN SOMEBODY KNOCKS ON THE DOOR SELLING YOU, YOU KNOW, HAIL RESPONSE. 'CAUSE USUALLY IT'S A SCAM, RIGHT? YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THE PHONE, RIGHT? UH, AND TAKES SOMEONE'S CALL OR SIGN ANY DOCUMENTS, UH, FROM PEOPLE CLAIMING TO BE A ROOFER. 'CAUSE NINE TIMES OUTTA 10, THEY'RE NOT LICENSED, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF PRE, YOU KNOW, PREDATION ON, ON FOLKS. AND, AND I'LL TELL YOU, ANDY, MY, YOU KNOW, ON YOUR SIDE OF TOWN IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THOSE PEOPLE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY BUY INSURANCE POLICIES FOR AND THEY KNOW HOW TO ACTIVATE THEM AND THEY KNOW HOW TO PUSH BACK ON THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY. BUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS REPRESENTED ON THAT SIDE OF THE DAIS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S POOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTENTIMES DENIED AND PREYED UPON. IT'S THE ELDERLY AND IT'S PEOPLE OF COLOR AND IT'S NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. AND I MEAN, IF EVER THERE WAS A DOUBT, ERIC, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PAY THE COST FOR HAIL DAMAGE. I MEAN, JUST REMIND ME HOW MUCH WE PAID FOR THE ROOF REPLACEMENT AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, RIGHT? UM, THERE'S REAL DOLLARS HERE THAT, UM, THAT, THAT WE PAY. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'VE EVER TAKEN THAT AS SERIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE. AND, UM, AND MAYBE IT'S JUST A LACK OF IMAGINATION ON OUR PART AS FAR AS WHAT WE CAN DO, RIGHT? TO, TO HELP, UM, AMELIORATE THE, THE, THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGES, RIGHT. UM, THAT PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE. I, UM, I I, I, I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT I READ THE ENTIRE PLAN LIKE COUNCILMAN UH, ROCHA GARCIA HAS, BUT, UH, I, I TRUST IN HER ASSESSMENT AND THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU GAVE TO ME WAS VERY HELPFUL. I'VE GOT MY TEAM UPSTAIRS, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, THE BIG, BIG, BIG DOCUMENT THAT YOU DROPPED OFF. AND ALL [04:05:01] I KEEP HEARING IS, COUNCILMAN, WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN POKE HOLES AT. IN FACT, THEY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A GOTCHA MOMENT. THEY'RE LIKE, THEY LEFT OUT HURRICANE YURI, BUT YOU DIDN'T, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, AND YOU CAN NEVER REALLY DO A GOTCHA ON MARIA VILLAGOMEZ AND HER TEAM. SO CHIEF HOOD, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU. THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR COMING OUT AND, UM, DOING WHAT YOU DO. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ELAS. COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU MA'AM. UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, MARIA. IS THIS, IS THIS A STANDARD TEMPLATE THAT, UH, THE STATE PUT TOGETHER THAT WE JUST FILL IN THE BLANKS? OR DID WE DO THIS WHOLE PLAN FROM SCRATCH? NO, THEY PROVIDE GUIDANCE. UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE E O C. IS THERE A TEMPLATE OR JUST THE GUIDANCE, CHRIS? WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CONTRACT , SO WE GET THE GUIDANCE FROM FEMA COUNCILMAN. OKAY. AND WE DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT? THAT WE HIRED A CONTRACTOR TO PUT TOGETHER THIS, THIS YES. PACKAGE YES. OF INFORMATION. H TWO O WAS A, UM, CONSULTANT TO HELP US PUT IT TOGETHER. AND OBVIOUSLY THIS HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE STATE BEFORE, SO THEY ACCEPTED THIS, UH, FORMAT AND EVERYTHING. YES. OKAY. UH, AND YOU KIND OF SORTA OF ANSWERED IT ALREADY THAT, UH, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DIDN'T SUBMIT IT ON TIME, THAT THERE'S A RISK FOR FEMA FUNDING, THAT KIND OF THING, IF WE HAD AN EVENT HERE. BUT HAVE WE ACTUALLY ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION FROM THE STATE TO GO BACK AND REDO THIS BASED ON THESE RECENT EVENTS, UH, THAT WE EXPERIENCED HERE? SO, SO WE DID COUNCILMAN, WE HAD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, AMENDING IT TO INCLUDE, UH, STORM URI AND WHAT THE STATE TOLD US WAS TO COMPLETE THIS PROCESS. 'CAUSE THEY ALREADY REVIEWED WHAT WAS SUBMITTED PRIOR TO URI. AND THEN AFTER THAT, DO AN AMENDMENT. OKAY. AND HOW LONG WILL IT BE TO PUT AN AMENDMENT TOGETHER TO ANSWER ALL THESE, THESE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA HAD? ? YES. UH, SO WHAT WE PRESENTED TODAY, UH, COUNCILMAN, WE WOULD HAVE THAT COMPLETED BY MARCH OF 2022. OKAY. AND THIS IS GONNA BE DUE AGAIN IN FIVE YEARS, RIGHT? YES. HOWEVER, AS I MENTIONED THERE, THERE WILL BE ANNUAL REVIEWS AND THEN A COMPLETE THOROUGH REVIEW IN 2025. OKAY. AND BASED ON WHAT WE'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE, ARE WE SETTING ASIDE IN THIS, THIS BOND? SURE. SO WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS $80 MILLION IN DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT WOULD ADDRESS, UH, SOME OF THE MITIGATION ACTIONS INCLUDED IN THIS PLAN. ALSO, THE OPERATING BUDGET THAT YOU APPROVE INCLUDES EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION FOR THE RESILIENCY HUBS, UH, TO PURCHASE GENERATORS, UH, FOR SOME OF OUR FACILITIES, TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES. SO THAT'S WHAT IS INCLUDED BOTH IN THE OPERATING BUDGET AND IN THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE BOND PROGRAM. OKAY. AND HOW MUCH IS THE TOTAL BOND PROGRAM FOR DRAINAGE? YOU'RE GONNA GET A MEMO THIS AFTERNOON ON A REVISED AMOUNT. AH, OKAY. YEP. ALRIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO HOW MUCH WE'RE PUTTING IN THE BOND FOR THE DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN, IN THIS, IN THIS PLAN. SURE. WHAT, WHAT WE PRESENTED, UM, TO THE COUNCIL AT B SESSION, THAT THAT LIST OF PROJECTS HAD $80 MILLION INCLUDED IN DRAINAGE PROJECTS. THAT IS SO MITIGATION ACTIONS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING TODAY. OKAY. BUT IT WAS MORE THAN $80 MILLION IN THE FIRST FIRST PROPOSAL. IN THE FIRST PROPOSAL, UH, COUNCILMAN IT WAS $150 MILLION IN DRAINAGE, 80 OF WHICH WERE THE HAZARD MITIGATION PROJECTS THAT MARIA'S TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. AND I'M JUST TRYING TO GET, GET A FEEL FOR WHERE'S THE DISCONNECT IF WE IDENTIFIED THIS AMOUNT. BUT THERE WERE, UH, THERE WERE OTHER PROJECTS, IF YOU'LL RECALL, UM, COUNCILMEN THAT WERE, UM, CONTINUATION OF 2017 PROGRAM PROJECTS. OKAY. UM, AND THEN THERE WERE, UH, TWO OR THREE, UM, PROJECTS THAT WERE, UM, NEW PROJECTS. AND THEN IF YOU'LL ALSO RECALL, WE ARE PROPOSING IN THE BOND PROGRAM TO, UH, LEVERAGE STORMWATER OPERATING DOLLARS TO, UH, STRETCH THOSE BOND DOLLARS FURTHER. SO THERE WERE, THERE WERE FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES WITHIN THAT DRAINAGE CATEGORY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. GREAT. UM, SOUNDS LIKE WE GOTTA GO, GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT THIS THING AND, AND GET IT IN. THERE'S NOT, TO ME, THERE'S, [04:10:01] IF WE'RE, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US TO DO FROM THE STATE LEVEL AND WE'RE BUSY DOING THE AMENDMENT TO GET IT OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE FOR US TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT, UM, I, I REALLY DON'T SEE ANOTHER OPTION AT THIS POINT. SO, UH, ALRIGHT, GREAT. LOOK FORWARD TO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OUT THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY. COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, I JUST WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND SINCE I, I MADE THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO MAKE SURE THAT A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WILL BE COVERED BY THE FURTHER ACTION ON THIS. SO WE'RE SAYING THAT WE WE'RE GOING TO SUBMIT THIS TO FEMA, UH, BY THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER. WE HAVE A NOVEMBER 4TH DEADLINE. THAT'S CORRECT. CORRECT. COUNCILMAN. OKAY. UH, BUT THEN THE CITY STAFF WAS GOING TO BE LOOKING AT, UH, STORM URI, UH, AND TRYING TO INCORPORATE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THAT PLAN. UH, AND I SEE ON YOUR, UH, SCHEDULE THAT YOU WERE SAYING IN JANUARY, YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD HAVE THAT PLANNED TOGETHER AND THAT YOU WOULD THEN PRESENT IT, UH, TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. BUT I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, UH, STORM URI AND, YOU KNOW, THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY COMMITTEE IS WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH SAS AND C P SS AND THE CITY WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THE, UH, COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. SO I HOPE THAT SECTION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND FOR AMENDMENT CAN BE PRESENTED TO, TO THAT COMMITTEE AS WELL, SO WE CAN SEE HOW IT'S FITTING WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE UTILITIES. YES, COUNCILMAN, WE CAN DO THAT. YEAH. AND, AND I THINK I'M HEARING THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, AND I'M WONDERING, SINCE THE COMMITTEES ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT IT IN JANUARY, BUT YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PRESENTING IT UNTIL MARCH FOR FINAL COMMITTEE APPROVAL, IF WE CAN SCHEDULE PUBLIC HEARING OR TWO ABOUT THE PLAN SO THAT WE GET MORE PUBLIC INPUT AND THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR ANY FINAL AMENDMENTS OR ADJUSTMENTS. AND AT THE SAME TIME, UH, I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO, UH, FOLLOW UP ON, ON WHAT COUNCILWOMAN HAS SUGGESTED OR CONCERNS AND MAYBE, UH, ERIC, YOUR OFFICE WOULD BE ACCEPTING QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM ANY OF OUR COUNCIL OFFICES, UH, IN THE WAY OF OTHER THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CLARIFIED AND THEREFORE MAYBE NEED TO BE AMENDED IN THE WAY OF WORDING IN THAT, SO THAT WHEN IT FINALLY COMES TO THE COUNCIL IN MARCH, IT'LL HAVE MORE INPUT FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MORE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, IN ORDER TO COME UP WITH A FINISHED PRODUCT THAT WE WOULD THEN GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON. DO YOU THINK THAT THAT'S WORKABLE WITHOUT CREATING ANY KIND OF PROBLEM WITH THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD, UH, AND GETTING TO FEMA AND THEN BEING AMENDED IN APPROPRIATE WAY? THAT'S DOABLE, COUNCILMAN, AND I WANNA SAY IN TERMS OF, UM, EDUCATION TO THE PUBLIC, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 22 IS TO BE WORKING WITH, WITH ALL THE, THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND, AND OUR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, NOT ONLY TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THIS HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW WE CAN HELP 'EM BE PREPARED TO, UM, IN CASE THERE IS A ONE OF THOSE HAZARDS THAT THEY, THEY EXPERIENCE. SO, SO THAT'S A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE IN THE, IN THE PLANNING PHASES. BUT YES, IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION. WELL, IN THAT CASE, I'D LIKE TO AMEND MY ORIGINAL MOTION, UH, THAT WE APPROVE THE CURRENT PLAN AS PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL TO BE SUBMITTED TO FEMA, BUT WITH THE CAVEAT THAT IT WILL BE AMENDED BY THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CITY STAFF REGARDING, UH, WINTER STORM URI AND THAT ADDITIONAL PUBLIC, UH, INPUT SESSIONS WILL BE HELD. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA SET A CERTAIN NUMBER, BUT I THINK WE CAN LEAVE IT UP TO CITY STAFF TO ENSURE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE INPUT AND THAT BOTH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE ON UTILITIES WILL BOTH HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE AMENDMENTS REGARDING, UH, WINDSTORM URI AND THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO FINISH THEIR REVIEWS AND SEND COMMENTS AND GET QUESTIONS ANSWERED THAT COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO A FEW OTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN BEFORE IT COMES TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL IMPROVEMENT IN MARCH. IF I MAY, UH, UH, CLARIFY ONE THING IN TERMS OF YOUR MOTION, COUNCILMAN, IS YOU, YOU CAN'T AGREE NOW TO AMEND SOMETHING, THERE'LL BE AN AMENDMENT PROCESS, RIGHT. AND AT THAT POINT, THE COUNCIL WILL AMEND IT. BUT, UH, EVERYTHING IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IN THE PROCESS, THAT'S THAT'S FINE. [04:15:01] IN TERMS OF A MOTION. RIGHT. AND, AND I SHOULD BE SAYING A PROCESS THAT MAY PEN, UH, MAY LEAD TO PENDING AMENDMENTS. I SECOND AGREE TO THAT SECOND. I SECOND. YES, HE DOES. I GOT YOUR BACK. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. UH, COUNCILMAN VO. HI, MARIA. UM, I WANT TO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL THAT WE'RE IN A POINT IN TIME WHERE WE CAN NO LONGER USE PAST WEATHER TO PREDICT THE INTENSITY AND FREQUENCY OF FUTURE STORMS. AND SO I WANT TO ASK IS, HAS, HAVE WE SOUGHT THE INPUT AT ALL FROM THE TEXAS STATE CLIMATOLOGIST, UM, AND LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE? TAKE A BREAK. ME TOO. I'M LOOKING TO THE TEAM BEHIND ME. DID WE NE YEAH. OKAY. YES, SIR. UH, COUNCILMAN, WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF THINGS AND, AND I, I LIKE TO POINT OUT THE FACT THAT IN 2019, WE ADOPTED A NEW RAINFALL STANDARD CALLED ATLAS 14. AND WHAT THAT DID IS IT LOOKED AT, IT DID LOOK AT HISTORICAL EVENTS, IT UPDATED OUR RAINFALL STANDARD, AND THAT HAS A BIG IMPLICATION ON THE CITY, ON HOW WE BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE, HOW WE MAINTAIN IT. WE, WE REACHED OUT TO THE STATE CLIMATOLOGIST BECAUSE ATLAS 14 PREDICTED THAT WE WOULD HAVE GREATER AMOUNT OF RAINFALL TOTALS. AND IN SO DOING, WE ALSO VISITED WITH U T S A, OUR, OUR OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND, AND, UH, AND, UH, HAS A CONTRACT WITH THEM THAT THEY DID AN, UH, A NUMBER OF ANALYSIS MM-HMM. THAT INCLUDED LOOKING AT HOW CLIMATE PREDICTION MODELS WOULD IMPACT OUR RAINFALL PATTERNS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TIME STEP AND THE, AND THE SHAPES THAT THEY USE TO DO THOSE PREDICTIONS ARE SO LARGE THAT IT ENCOMPASSES MORE THAN JUST OUR COUNTY. SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE TECHNOLOGY HASN'T GOTTEN TO TELL US EXACTLY WITHIN OUR CITY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE CHANGES? SO WHAT I ASKED IS, LOOK AT THE RATE OF CHANGE THAT IT PREDICTS. AND WHILE WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY USING THE MODEL TO PREDICT FUTURE RAINFALL, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE RATE OF HOW THEY HAVE CHANGED IN THE PAST YEARS. AND THAT INCLINE AND THAT INCREASE IS, IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND HOW WE ARE MEASURING. ONCE TECHNOLOGY CATCHES UP AND IS ABLE TO GIVE US A SMALLER PIECE, I THINK WE'LL BE BETTER ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT. FOR THAT REASON, WE'VE INCORPORATED, UH, FACTORS OF SAFETY INTO OUR RAINFALL, AND THAT'S WHY TODAY IT, THE RAINFALL HAS INCREASED. OUR DESIGN RAINFALL HAS INCREASED BY 30% TO AC TO ACCOMPLISH, UH, SOME OF THOSE, UH, DISCREPANCIES. OKAY. AND THEN, HOLD ON. UM, SO HAVE WE, AND THAT'S A GREAT EXPLANATION. I APPRECIATE IT. WHAT HAVE WE LOOKED AT, UM, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE HARVEY WAS ON A TRAJECTORY HEADED TOWARDS SAN ANTONIO AND THEN TURNED OFF. HAS ANYBODY MODELED IF HURRICANE HARVEY AT THAT TIME HAD COME TO SAN ANTONIO, WHAT THAT RAINFALL WOULD'VE LOOKED LIKE AND WHAT, WHAT PARTS OF OUR CITY WOULD'VE BEEN UNDERWATER? YES, COUNCILMAN, AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, INTERESTING YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION, UH, MAYBE ABOUT A FEW MONTHS AFTER THAT EVENT, UH, WE WERE ASKED THAT, THAT VERY SAME QUESTION, AND WE CREATED A, WE WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS WITH THE RIVER AUTHORITY IN THE COUNTY TO DEVELOP A COMPUTERIZED MODEL OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. UH, WE TOOK THAT STORM AND WE LAID IT DIRECTLY OVER SAN ANTONIO TO SEE THE RESULTS OF THAT. AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE FINAL RESULT WAS. WE PLACED IT IMMEDIATELY UPSTREAM OF ALMOST DAM. AND ALMOST DAM TO THIS DAY, HAS NEVER, OVERTOPPED WATER HAS NEVER GONE OVER THE DAM. UH, IT WAS DESIGNED DURING THE ANALYSIS OF HURRICANE HARVEY HITTING SAN ANTONIO. THE MODEL PREDICTED IT WOULD HAVE SIX FEET OF WATER OVER THE DAM CAUSING ALL KINDS OF, OF CHALLENGES AND, AND, UH, TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AND TO NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SO IT WAS CATASTROPHIC EVENT HAD IT HIT, UH, IN THAT, IN THAT AREA. BUT THAT'S WHAT OUR MODELS PREDICTED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER PALAIS. THANKS. AND I, UM, I FORGOT THAT I STARTED OFF BY MENTIONING THESE, THESE, UH, TWO PIECES OF SOFTWARE, AND I DIDN'T TELL YOU WHY I WAS MENTIONING 'EM. UH, THE, UH, HAIL STRIKE AND, AND HAIL RECON REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING PIECES OF SOFTWARE. UM, AND, AND WE KEEP, UM, AT OUR OFFICE, WE KEEP A METEOROLOGIST ON RETAINER AFTER THESE BIG STORMS. WE, WE, THEY TELL US, WE REALLY DO. THEY TELL US WHERE IT OCCURRED AND WHY. AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, ROOFERS SHOULD BE OUT THERE KNOCKING ON DOORS AND WHERE THEY WOULD BE WASTING THEIR TIME. AND, UH, BUT PREDICTIVE SOFT, BUT, BUT COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL IS A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT AND SO IS COUNCILMAN BRAVO. AND THAT IS, WE ARE USING HISTORICAL DATA TO DO THIS, WHEREAS [04:20:01] INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE USING PREDICTIVE DATA TO DO THIS, RIGHT. AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE ALL GOT PIECES OF SOFTWARE. ONE OF 'EM IS CALLED SWIM, UM, WHERE YOU CAN DO, UM, TAILOR-MADE REPORTS WHERE, UM, THEY WILL TELL YOU WHAT DAMAGE YOU SHOULD ANTICIPATE IN WHAT ZONE, I MEAN DOWN TO THE ZIP CODE. UH, AND WHAT IS THE, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT YOU SHOULD ANTICIPATE AS FAR AS CALL FREQUENCY FROM YOUR CUSTOMERS. UH, AND THEY'LL DO, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPACT ANALYSES AND DAMAGE FORECASTING DAYS BEFORE THE STORMS EVEN HIT. UM, AND IT'S NOT THAT EXOTIC ANYMORE. IN FACT, UH, U S A A HAS THEIR VERY, VERY OWN, AND I MEAN, IF ANYBODY'S CURIOUS ABOUT IT, GO TALK TO, UH, MARINA GTO. UM, SHE AT, AT THE INNOVATION CENTER FOR U S A A. WE'RE SHOWING OFF SOME OF THIS SOFTWARE AND IT'S PRETTY BRILLIANT AND 'CAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO MANAGE WHERE TO DEPLOY RESOURCES AND HOW TO ANTICIPATE THIS STUFF. AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE THERE'S A PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY WITH OUR LOCAL U S A A TO SAY, LOOK, THIS IS HOW WE DO IT. WELCOME TO THE THE TABLETOP EXERCISE. CAN WE TAKE OUT YOUR SOFTWARE FOR A SPIN TO LEARN SOMETHING? RIGHT. AND, UH, IF YOU NEED HELP DOING THAT, I THINK THEY'RE IN DISTRICT EIGHT LAST TIME I CHECKED MARIA. AND, UH, HAPPY TO, HAPPY TO REACH OUT AND SEE IF WE CAN SET UP SOMETHING WITH THEM. SURE. THANKS, MAYOR. MAY I MAKE SOME QUICK COMMENT? UM, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING, THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE. I JUST WANTED TO, UH, SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL THAT THIS PLAN THAT IS REQUIRED BY FEMA, THEY REQUIRE THAT WE USE THIS HISTORICAL EVENTS. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS MODELING FUTURE, UM, EVENTS, PERHAPS WITHIN THOSE HAZARDS. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT LIKE WE DID WITH, UM, UH, HURRICANE HARVEY, AND WE DID A B SESSION WHERE NEFI AND THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY PRESENTED A WHAT IF SCENARIO, WHAT IF THAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. WE'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THAT AND BE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR INPUT AND MEET WITH YOU INDIVIDUALLY SO WE CAN DO SOME TYPE OF MODELING. UH, AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT WILL BE OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THIS HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, WHICH IS A REQUIREMENT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PAL. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. YEAH. THANK YOU, MARIA. JUST REAL QUICK, UH, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, FOR THE NEXT REVISION, ACTUALLY, UH, PUTTING THAT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE REPORT AS AN ANNEX INTO THIS, THIS, AND IT, TO ME, IT WOULD STAY THERE UNTIL WE EITHER ADDRESS ALL OF, ALL OF THOSE ITEMS. I FORGET HOW MANY IT WAS 60 SOMETHING, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. CORRECT. UM, UH, UNTIL WE ADDRESS ALL OF 'EM. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS TAKE THAT ANNEX OUT IN THE FUTURE ONCE IT'S ALL BEEN ADDRESSED. SO I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT ADDED INTO THE REPORT AS WELL. THANK YOU. WE'LL DO COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. UH, ALL RIGHT. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND, UH, FOR APPROVAL. ITEM 24. GO AHEAD AND PLEASE VOTE. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL GO NOW TO, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER'S [City Manager's Report] REPORT. GREAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TWO ITEMS, UH, TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY. UM, ONE OF THESE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, BUT, UM, UM, AS WE HAVE OUR SAN ANTONIO CLIMATE ACTION PLAN A, A ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN, UH, PART OF OUR EFFORT INTERNALLY TO THE ORGANIZATION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT A MULTI-PRONGED TRAINING PROGRAM FOR OUR OVER, UH, 12, 12 AND A HALF THOUSAND EMPLOYEES. AND OUR PLATFORM IS CALLED THE SA, CLIMATE READY MUNICIPAL EDUCATION PLATFORM. AND SO I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL THAT THE TEXAS CHAPTER, THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION, HAS AWARDED THE CITY, UM, A RECIPIENT OF THEIR 2021 ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, UH, AT THE GOLD LEVEL FOR THAT EDUCATION PLATFORM THAT WE UTILIZE, UH, INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM AND TO THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO UTILIZE IT. AND THEN, UM, SECONDLY, UH, OUR EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT VIDEO, UM, HIGHLIGHTS, UH, THE WORK OF SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES AT LATA. UM, LA VITA HAS, UM, UH, CERTAINLY ONE OF OUR, UH, HISTORIC AND CULTURAL, CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF DOWNTOWN. UM, BUT IT'S ALSO, UH, RUN BY THE CITY AND, UH, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE, THE, UH, SHOP OWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS IN THAT AREA. SO LET'S RUN THE, UH, LET'S RUN THE VIDEO. [04:25:09] HI, I'M SARAH YATES AND I'M A SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT. I HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY SINCE 2005 AND I'VE BEEN HERE AT LATA SINCE 2019. UM, TOOK THIS AS A INTERIM POSITION AND STARTED, UM, AS A PERMANENT ROLE IN FEBRUARY. KINDA LIKE HAVING A DAUGHTER OR NIECE BACK. OH, YOU CAN RELY ON HER TO BE AROUND AND TO BE WATCHING. YOU HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL, I GUESS. AND SHE'S WORKING HARD TO MAKE THE VILLAGE BETTER. THIS IS MY FIRST ROLE AS MORE OF A FACILITY MANAGEMENT STYLE. SO THERE'S BEEN ALL KINDS OF THINGS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT, UH, SEWER LINES AND ROOFTOP REPLACEMENT AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS. IT HAS HAD ITS CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR FOR OUR TENANTS. WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND I HELP THEM WITH SOME OF SOME GRANTS THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO THEM, HELPING THEM SCAN DOCUMENTS OR SOCIAL MEDIA, GETTING THE WORD OUT TO OUR LOCALS TO COME VISIT AND JUST KIND OF BOOST BUSINESS. HOWEVER I CAN, THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A ONE PERSON OPERATION. IT'S A HUGE VILLAGE. WE HAVE ABOUT 25 BUILDINGS AND WE HAVE SEVEN VENUES HERE. IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE TO KEEP THIS PLACE GOING, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF UNIQUE BUSINESSES. THERE'S THINGS THAT YOU WOULDN'T FIND IN OTHER PLACES IN SAN ANTONIO. WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW, YOU KNOW, OPEN AIR TYPE BUSINESSES WHERE YOU COULD COME AND, AND YOU COULD FEEL SAFE AND YOU CAN ROAM AROUND WITHOUT BEING ENCLOSED. SO SARAH AND THE ENTIRE TEAM DO A GREAT JOB OUT THERE AND HAVE BEEN, UM, UH, CRITICAL TO, UH, KEEPING OUR CONNECTION WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THERE OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS. AND JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, WE DO HAVE AN UPCOMING EVENT, THE DIA DELIS MUTOS, UH, CELEBRATION AT LA VITA ON OCTOBER 29TH THROUGH THE 31ST, THE RIVER PARADE ON OCTOBER 29TH AT SEVEN 30. UM, AND SO A LOT OF THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SELECTIONS WILL BE FROM LOCAL CHEFS. SO THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ERIC. UM, WE DO HAVE A 2:00 PM UH, ZONING AGENDA. UH, WE DO NOT HAVE, UH, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY. UH, SO THE TIME IS 1:43 PM ON THIS 21ST DAY OF OCTOBER, 2021, AND OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS NOW, UM, RECESSED UNTIL OUR 2:00 PM ZONING AGENDA. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THE TIME IS NOW [Items 30 - 34, 36 - 40, 42, 43, & 45] 2 0 4 AND WE WILL CONVENE FOR OUR PROPOSED, UH, ZONING AGENDA OF OCTOBER 21ST, 2021. INDIVIDUAL ZONING. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION WILL BE ITEM 35, ITEM 41, AND ITEM 44 PULLED FROM THE AGENDA ARE ITEM 33 AND ITEM 45. ARE WE GOOD? IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? IS IT, UM, UH, LET, LET'S START WITH THE CONSENT ROLL CALL. OH, I'M SORRY. ROLL CALL. WE COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAO HDA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER ELIAS. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY HERE. MAYOR EMM. WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. SO, UM, WE WILL START WITH THE CONSENT ZONING ITEMS. AND AGAIN, THE ITEMS INDIVIDUALLY LISTED CONSIDERATION ARE 35, 41 AND 44. PULLED FROM THE AGENDA ARE 33 AND 45. WE'LL START WITH ASKING MY COLLEAGUES, IS THERE ANY ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT YOU'D LIKE TO PULL BEING AS THERE IS NONE? MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, MA'AM? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO, DID YOU SAY, DID YOU SAY THE ORIGINAL ITEMS THAT WERE ALREADY PULLED? YES, I SAID YOURS. I'M SORRY. I APOLOGIZE. IT'S OKAY. AND WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON THAT HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, BUT THEY'RE NOT SHOWING UP IN OUR SYSTEM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO CLARIFY WHAT ITEM THEY'RE SPEAKING FOR. PERFECT. OKAY, I MOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA SECOND. YOU HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND WE'RE VERIFYING THE PERSON THAT'S SCHEDULED TO SPEAK. ASHLEY FAIRMONT FOR ITEM NUMBER 37. WE'RE TAKING UP THE CONSENT TO AGENDA NOW. THANK YOU ASHLEY. SORRY [04:30:01] I HAD SOME CHALLENGES SIGNING UP. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL. ASHLEY FAIRMAN KILLING GRIFFIN AND FAIRMAN. I JUST WANNA INTRODUCE BOBBY CAVENDER REALLY QUICK. WE HAVE A ZONING CASE IN COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO AND HE'D LIKE TO MAKE A FEW REMARKS. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY AND I REPRESENT THE CAVENDER FAMILY AND WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IN DISTRICT TWO RIGHT NOW IS TO BUY A PIECE OF PROPERTY. I THINK MAYBE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT. IT'S SPLASH TOWN. THE OWNER HAS DECIDED TO RETIRE. WE, UH, HAVE BOUGHT A FORD DEALERSHIP, GRANDE FORD. WE'LL PLAN ON MOVING IT, CREATING A REALLY GREAT OPERATION THERE. HIRING PROBABLY TRIPLING OUR STAFF THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE RIGHT NOW. WE DO WORK WITH ST. PHILIPS AND OTHER TECHNICAL SCHOOLS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. WE LOOK TO THEM TO HELP US PROVIDE THE STAFFING THAT WE NEED FOR THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY. SO, UH, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL. THANK YOU MR. CAVENDER. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE FOR APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA. CAN WE PLEASE VOTE? THE MOTION WAS BY COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND THE SECOND WAS BY COUNCILMAN. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE ITEM IF POSSIBLE. YEAH, GO AHEAD COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. UM, THE ITEM IS, UH, 37, WHICH WAS JUST JUST DISCUSSED BY MR. CAVENDER. UM, I WILL SAY THAT I'M SAD TO SEE SPLASH TOWN GO, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW ECONOMIC BOOST, UM, THAT THE NEW FORD DEALERSHIP WILL OFFER TO THE DISTRICT. UM, CAVENDER IN GENERAL MOTORS ARE PARTNERING WITH ST. PHILLIPS AND ALAMO COLLEGES TO PROVIDE HANDS-ON TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND HIRING PATHWAYS FOR GRADUATES. I APPRECIATE AND COMMEND THE WORK OF THE APPLICANT AND THE REPRESENTATIVE IN ENSURING THEIR DEVELOPMENT GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ? ISN'T THERE? IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE QUEUED? I DON'T SEE A QUEUE. OKAY. CAN WE TAKE THE, UH, VOTE UP PLEASE? DO I VOTE HERE. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. UH, THE NEXT ITEM WE'LL [35. ZONING CASE Z202110700217 (Council District 2): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "R4 MLOD3 MLR2 AHOD" Residential SingleFamily Martindale Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District to "R3 MLOD3 MLR2 AHOD" Residential SingleFamily Martindale Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 2 Airport Hazard Overlay District on Lot 9, Block 3, NCB 3393, located at 1431 East Crockett Street. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval.] TAKE UP IS AN INDIVIDUAL ZONING ITEM. ITEM NUMBER 35, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 35 IS A REZONING FROM R FORD R THREE, LOCATED AT 1431 EAST CROCKETT STREET. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 33 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR AND ZERO OPPOSED. COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ. SO I HAVE, UM, MY STAFF AND I HAVE COMMITTED THAT, UM, WE'RE NO LONGER GONNA TAKE NO RESPONSE FROM NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS A, AS AN ANSWER. UM, WHAT I WOULD EXPECT AND WHAT I DO ASK IS THAT THE APPLICANT MAKE, UM, A STRONGER ATTEMPT AT REACHING OUT TO THE 200 FEET COMMUNITY AND, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. UM, THIS IS AN EXPECTATION I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO HOLD DEVELOPERS TO MOVING FORWARD. SO I MOVE TO CONTINUE THE CASE FOR ONE MONTH SO THE APPLICANT CAN WORK ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH. THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. ANY OTHER MY COLLEAGUES NEED TO. OKAY. UH, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT [41. ZONING CASE Z202110700210 CD (Council District 6): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C2 MLOD2 MLR1 AHOD" Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 1 Airport Hazard Overlay District, "R6 MLOD2 MLR1 AHOD" Residential SingleFamily Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 1 Airport and “R6 CD MLOD2 MLR1 AHOD” Residential SingleFamily Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 1 Airport Hazard Overlay District with a Conditional Use for 2 residential units to "C2 CD MLOD2 MLR1 AHOD" Commercial Lackland Military Lighting Overlay Military Lighting Region 1 Airport Hazard Overlay District with a Conditional] ON THE INDIVIDUAL ZONING ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 41. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 41 IS A REZONING FROM C TWO R SIX TO C TWO CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR WAREHOUSE LOCATED AT SOUTHWEST 39TH STREET AND CASTROVILLE ROAD STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. 34 NOTICES MAILED. ZERO IN FAVOR, ONE OPPOSED LOS HERNANDEZ, LOS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CAVEDA. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE LOS ENA NE AS THE LOS JEZ NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS MET WITH THE APPLICANT AS IS AND IS IN SUPPORT AND THE ZONING COMMISSION IS RECOMMENDED APPROVAL AS WELL. THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. COURAGE. I CAN'T DO IT. ANY OTHER, UH, IS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS? OKAY, PERFECT. PLEASE TAKE A VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM NUMBER [44. ZONING CASE Z202110700129 ERZD (Council District 10): Ordinance amending the Zoning District Boundary from "C3R AHOD ERZD" General Commercial Restrictive Alcoholic Sales Airport Hazard Overlay Edwards Recharge Zone District and "C3R AHOD" General Commercial Restrictive Alcoholic Sales Airport Hazard Overlay District to "MF18 AHOD" Limited Density MultiFamily Airport Hazard Overlay Edwards Recharge Zone District and "MF18 AHOD ERZD" Limited Density MultiFamily Airport Hazard Overlay District on 4.73 acres out of NCB 17726, generally located in the 5000 Block of North Loop 1604 East. Staff and Zoning Commission recommend Approval. (Continued from October 7, 2021)] 44, AGENDA. ITEM NUMBER 44 IS A REZONING FROM C THREE R TO MF 18. GENERALLY LOCATED IN THE 5,000 BLOCK OF NORTH LOOP 1604 EAST STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. 41 NOTICES MAILED. ZERO IN FAVOR. ZERO OPPOSED. [04:35:01] THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY? YES, WE WANT TO, UH, POSTPONE THIS AND, UM, PUSH IT OFF TO A FUTURE MEETING. I, I'M, I DON'T REMEMBER THE DATE. WE WERE SHOWING A DATE OF NOVEMBER 4TH. OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO CONTINUE TO NOVEMBER THE FOURTH. IS THERE A SECOND? A SECOND. THERE'S A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN COURAGE. ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ONE? PERFECT. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS THE BALANCE OF OUR AGENDA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, THE TIME IS TIL TWO 12 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. THAT'S IT. WE'RE GOOD. * 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.