* 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]
          OKAY, FRIENDS, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED WITH JUST AUDIO. 
          UM, AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN DID RON COURAGE. 
          WE CAN SEE YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, JUST FINE. 
          UH, JUST WAVE EVERYBODY TO WAVE TO THEM, LET THEM KNOW, JUST, UH, BUT FOR SOME REASON WE'RE HAVING AUDIO DIFFICULTIES ON THIS. 
          WE'RE DOING GOOD. 
          UM, IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU GUYS CAN SEE US. 
          SO I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER. 
          UH, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR, UH, FOR JOINING US, UH, IN THIS ROOM. 
          THE, THE COLDEST ROOM IN THE ENTIRE YEAR, , UH, IN THE ENTIRE, UH, ALL THE FACILITIES OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          UM, WE HAD A MEETING ON NOVEMBER 23RD, 2021. 
          THERE ARE MINUTES TO, UH, PARDON ME. 
          OH, WE SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE ROLL, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. 
          LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          COUNCILWOMAN VRAN. 
          COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COURAGE CHAIR ELIAS, HERE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, 
          [Approval of Minutes
 ]
UH, MINUTES TO APPROVE. 
          AND I HAVE A FEELING THAT COUNCILWOMAN  GARCIA, READ THEM TWICE. 
          UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK I DID? I, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND AND FOR OUR FRIENDS ON VIDEO, IF YOU CAN JUST, UH, INDICATE YOUR APPROVAL, UM, WITH RAISED HANDS. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          WELL, THREE OF THEM, THREE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE THERE. 
          AND, ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE, WE'RE APPROVING THE MINUTES. 
          FRIENDS. 
          JOHN KUR, YOU'RE IN FAVOR AND COUNCILMAN VIA GRAND. 
          SHE'S IN FAVOR, TOO. 
          TERRIFIC. 
          THEY SAID. 
          RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A, A BRIEFING ON THE PROPOSED OPENING OF A NEXT, UH, OF A SECOND, AN XT LEVEL YOUTH OPPORTUNITY CENTER. 
          ALEX? YES. 
          MAYBE THEY JUST TOOK ATTEND. 
          MELANIE WOOSLEY FROM OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AND REBECCA FLORES, ALSO FROM, FROM HUMAN SERVICES, ARE GONNA BE DOING THIS PRESENTATION AND UPDATE FOR US TODAY. 
          AND I BELIEVE THEY'RE ON, THEY'RE ONLINE. 
          MEL, CAN YOU HEAR US? MELODY, CAN YOU HEAR US IN CHAMBER? REBECCA, MAYBE THEY SHOULD ALL GIVE US A PHONE NUMBER. 
          WE SHOULD CALL IN. 
          CAN THEY HEAR US OR JUST SEE US? YES. 
          MELODY. 
          MELODY. 
          CAN YOU HEAR US WELL? IF THEY COULD HEAR US. 
          I THINK ADRIANA MIGHT SEND ME A LITTLE MESSAGE. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          NO, THEY SAID, CAN YOU HEAR US? NO, NO, NO, NO. 
           SHOULD WE CALL THE WEBEX NUMBER? THERE'S NO, RIGHT. 
          I THINK THAT WOULD JUST GET US BACK HERE. 
          YEAH. 
          TO THIS ONE. 
          THAT'S TRUE. 
          THEY NEED, UH, THEY NEED TO TURN ON THE CONFERENCE THERE FOR OUR FRIENDS. 
          ONLINE TECHNICAL. 
          SO Y'ALL WILL CONNECT TO EACH OTHER, BUT NOT US. 
          FIX THEM ON THIS. 
          YEAH, THEY'RE GOING TO CONNECT US TO A SPIDER LINE. 
          HANG TIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          , I TOLD HIM YES. 
          WE'LL, HOLD ON. 
          SCHEDULED PROGRAM. 
          UH, ALEX, YOU WERE GONNA BRIEF 
          [Briefing and Possible Action on the following items
 ]
US ON ITEM NUMBER TWO. 
          OKAY. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE MELODY WOOSLEY THAT'S GONNA BE PRESENTING. 
          OKAY. 
          I WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. 
          SO, UH, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, UM, MELODY WOOSLEY, HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR, AND I WANT TO PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE NEXT LEVEL YOUTH OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM. 
          BUT THEN TURN IT OVER TO REBECCA FLORES, WHO'S OUR HUMAN SERVICES EDUCATION PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR IN 2018. 
          AND, EXCUSE ME, 2019. 
          REBECCA LED A WORKING GROUP OF CITY STAFF, MUNICIPAL COURTS, PARKS, METRO HEALTH AND ECONOMIC 
          [00:05:01]
DEVELOPMENT TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THE NEXT LEVEL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH CENTER. 
          AND SHE CONTINUES TO HAVE OVERSIGHT OF THAT PROGRAM TODAY. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          TODAY'S ITEM IS A BRIEFING ON THE PROPOSED EXPANSION OF THE NEXT LEVEL YOUTH OPPORTUNITY CENTER TO NORTHSIDE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          NEXT LEVEL SERVES YOUTH AGES 16 TO 24, WHO ARE DISCONNECTED FROM EDUCATION, WORK, AND MAJOR SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS. 
          LAST FALL, NORTHSIDE APPROACHED HUMAN SERVICES ABOUT OPENING A NEXT LEVEL CENTER, WHICH THEY WOULD FUND WITH THE DISTRICT'S ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS, WHICH ARE COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS ESSER. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AND SO, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AND ALLOCATED THE FUNDING FOR NEXT LEVEL IN THE FIRST, IN FISCAL YEAR 2019, TO ADDRESS INCREASING NUMBERS OF DISCONNECTED YOUTH, WHICH WE ALSO CALL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH. 
          WHEN THE NEXT LEVEL CENTER OPENED, THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED 34,000 OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITY YOUTH ROSE, UH, MORE THAN DOUBLING, REACHING AN ESTIMATED 77,000 ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF DALLAS DATA. 
          ALSO DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, ALTHOUGH 18 TO 24 YEAR OLDS ARE 10% OF THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY, THEY MADE UP 23% OF NEW UNEMPLOYMENT CA CLAIMS, AND NEXT LEVEL REACHED ITS ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. 
          JUST AS THE, UH, PANDEMIC BEGAN TO AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY, WE SAW A 6% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS WHO EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC. 
          AND PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE NEAR HOMELESS, UH, MAYBE STAYING WITH FRIENDS WERE ASKED TO LEAVE AS FAMILIES WERE ONLY ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR IMMEDIATE DEPENDENTS. 
          THERE WAS ALSO AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS LEAVING THE SCHOOLS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE 11TH GRADE, TO ASSIST IN SUPPORTING THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE LOSING JOBS AT A RECORD NUMBER. 
          AND DISTRICTS, NOT ONLY IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT STUDENT LOSSES TO THE PANDEMIC NORTH SIDE. 
          THE FOURTH LA FOURTH LARGEST DISTRICT IN TEXAS EXPERIENCED AN UNPRECEDENTED ENROLLMENT DECREASE LOSING MORE THAN 5,400 STUDENTS. 
          AS A RESULT, NORTHSIDE IS PROPOSING THE CITY PROVIDE YOUTH OPPORTUNITY SERVICES WITHIN THE, UM, NORTHSIDE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AREA, AND HAS ALLOCATED ALMOST 1.5 MILLION IN ESSER FUNDS OVER THREE YEARS TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS. 
          AND SO NOW I WANNA TURN IT OVER TO REBECCA TO PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT THE PROGRAM IN THE PROPOSED NEW CENTER. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. 
          UM, I KNOW A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE HERE WHEN, UH, WE FIRST PROPOSED THE NEXT LEVEL YOUTH, UH, OPPORTUNITY YOUTH ENGAGEMENT CENTER IN 2019, AS A WAY FOR US TO HAVE AN ASSET BASE, UH, RESPONSE TO OUR YOUTH CURFEW. 
          UM, SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN BUSY AT NURSE COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AND GOODWILL. 
          UM, AND SINCE THAT TIME ALSO, UNITED WAY HAS ALSO PROVIDED FUNDING FOR OUR INITIATIVE, AND IT REALLY IS A TRUE COLLAB, UH, COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVE. 
          AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN GAINING NATIONAL ATTENTION. 
          UM, THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, THEY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE ONLY, UM, COLLABORATION BETWEEN A CITY AND A SCHOOL DISTRICT USING ESSER FUNDS TO CREATE A CENTER. 
          UM, SO THEY'RE VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN US BEING THE MODEL FOR OTHER CITIES. 
          UM, THE ASPEN INSTITUTE, AS IS A PRESTIGIOUS THINK TANK BASED OUTTA WASHINGTON D C, UM, AWARDED NEXT LEVEL, NOT ONLY WITH THE PLANNING GRANT, UM, BUT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION GRANT TO EXPAND OUR PATHWAYS SO THAT OUR YOUNG ADULTS WHO DO NEED A SECOND CHANCE HAVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION EITHER INTO THE WORKFORCE, INTO THE WORKFORCE, UM, OR BACK INTO SCHOOL. 
          AND MOST RECENTLY, THE N E K C FOUNDATION HAS IDENTIFIED SIX, UH, YOUTH REENGAGEMENT CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, UM, AND HAS SELECTED NEXT LEVEL TO BE A PART OF THIS NATIONAL EVALUATION. 
          UH, WE ARE THE YOUNGEST COLLABORATIVE TO BE A PART OF THIS, AND I'M JUST EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT EVEN DURING THE PANDEMIC, EVEN DURING ALL OF WHAT OUR KIDS AND STAFF WENT THROUGH, UM, WE WERE WORKING HARD AND DEFINITELY WE'RE STILL GETTING NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DOING IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          WHEN WE HAD FIRST PROPOSED NEXT LEVEL, UH, YOU KNOW, WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT WE REALLY WERE GOING TO FOCUS ON OUR MOST AT-RISK YOUTH. 
          UM, UP UNTIL THAT POINT, A LOT OF THE STUDIES INVESTMENTS ON AT-RISK YOUTH WERE EITHER THOSE THAT WE, UH, QUALIFIED AS ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED OR AT RISK YOUTH THAT WERE CURRENTLY ATTENDING SCHOOLS. 
          SO FOR ALL OF THE 34,000 YOUTH 
          [00:10:01]
AND NOW, YOU KNOW, ESTIMATED 77,000 YOUTH WHO ARE NOT IN SCHOOL, UM, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR THEM. 
          AND YET THEY WERE STILL APPEARING IN OUR MUNICIPAL COURTS, STILL APPEARING IN OUR PARKS. 
          OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS STILL, UH, ENGAGING WITH THEM, PARTICULARLY OUR SAFE OFFICERS. 
          UM, AND SO WE HAVE INTENTIONALLY RECRUITED AND GONE OUT FOR OUR MOST AT RISK VULNERABLE YOUTH. 
          UM, HERE'S JUST A PROFILE OF KIND OF CURRENTLY OUR AVERAGE NEXT LEVEL PARTICIPANT. 
          UM, 47% ARE DROPPED OUT OF, UH, HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE THEY COMPLETED 10TH GRADE. 
          UM, OVER 60% OF OUR, UH, PARTICIPANTS DO NOT HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL CREDENTIALS. 
          SO THAT'S VERY HIGH COMPARED TO THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY AT LARGE. 
          63% HAVE AN ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EQUITY SCORES. 
          YOU KNOW, THE ACES, I KNOW, UM, DR. 
          BRIDGER HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM, ACES AND THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS. 
          AND 63, AGAIN, 63% OF OUR PARTIC PARTICIPANTS HAVE A, A SCORE OF FOUR OR MORE COMPARED TO 60% OF THE GENERAL POPULATION. 
          UH, 45% OF OUR PARTICIPANTS ARE HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS LESS THAN $10,000. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO THE PROPOSED, UH, NEXT LEVEL NORTHSIDE, I S D, THE MAP IS KIND OF SMALL, BUT, UM, WE, IT IS IN NORTHSIDE, I S D, AND IT'S AT THEIR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT CENTER. 
          IT'S SOMEWHAT BETWEEN JOHN JAY HIGH SCHOOL AND HOLMES HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS THEIR, UH, PART OF NORTHSIDE I, SS D THAT HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITY YOUTH. 
          UM, AND THOSE TWO AREAS, AGAIN, HAVE, UM, EQUITY SCORES OF NINE OR 10. 
          UM, AND THE REASON THAT WE TOOK THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT CENTER IN NORTHSIDE, WELL, ONE IS 'CAUSE THEY ALSO CURRENTLY HAVE WRAPAROUND, THEY HAVE A FOOD PANTRY, THEY HAVE A CLOTHING, THEY HAVE A COMPUTER LAB. 
          UM, AND IT'S KIND OF FARTHER WEST THAN WE WOULD LIKE. 
          UM, BUT AT THIS MOMENT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, IT'S A PERFECT, UH, PLACE WITH OFFICES. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE COMMITTED TO, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE DATA AND SEEING IF, YOU KNOW, IN A YEAR FROM NOW, IF WE'RE NOT GETTING THE FOOD TRAFFIC THERE, UM, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT OTHER PLACES. 
          BUT AS OF NOW, THIS IS OUR BEST, UH, RESOURCE IN TERMS OF WHERE TO LOCATE THIS. 
          AND AGAIN, IT IS PRETTY IN PROXIMITY TO JOHN JAY HIGH SCHOOL AND HOLMES HIGH SCHOOL. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THE OUTCOMES AND WHY DID NORTHSIDE I STATE COME TO US? YOU KNOW, AS MELODY SAID, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THERE WAS ACTUALLY EVEN AN ARTICLE TO, UM, ON SUNDAY'S EXPRESS NEWS ON THE COVER, UM, JUST ABOUT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT ATTENDING SCHOOL. 
          UM, THEY'RE BECOMING DISENGAGED WITH VIRTUAL LEARNING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, COVID HAPPENS, THEIR CLASSROOM GETS SHUT DOWN. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING WITH OUR YOUTH RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, AND SO CURRENTLY OUR NEXT LEVEL IS LOCATED IN, UH, THE FRANK GARRETT MULTI, UH, MULTI COMMUNITY CENTER IN, UM, DISTRICT ONE. 
          UM, IT IS IN THE OH SEVEN ZIP CODE. 
          UM, AND HERE'S SOME OF OUR JUST STATS OF WHAT, AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR MOST AT RISK KIDS. 
          I ALWAYS LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, OPPORTUNITY YOUTH AS EQUIVALENT TO OUR CHRONICALLY HOMELESS. 
          THESE ARE REALLY OUR YOUNG ADULTS WHO MANY, MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED BY LIFE. 
          UM, AND SO THEY ARE OUR MOST AT RISK, UM, AND MOST DIFFICULT TO SERVE WHEN IT COMES TO YOUTH. 
          UM, THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, THEY ESTIMATE THAT IF YOU HAVE A HUNDRED OPPORTUNITY YOUTH THAT YOU FIRST TARGET FOR EVERY STEP IN YOUR PROCESS AND IN YOUR PROGRAM, YOU'RE GONNA LOSE ABOUT 50%. 
          SO IF YOU START UP WITH A HUNDRED, ONLY 50% ARE GONNA SAY, YES, SIGN ME UP. 
          AND THEN OUT OF THAT 50%, ONLY 25 ARE GONNA SAY, OKAY, I'M READY FOR AN EDUCATION OR CAREER GOAL. 
          UM, AND THEN IT DROPS FROM THERE. 
          SO OUR PROGRAM, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE, UH, WE HAVEN'T EVEN CELEBRATED OUR THIRD YEAR ANNIVERSARY, OUR STATISTICS ARE ACTUALLY ON PAR WITH, UH, REENGAGEMENT CENTERS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES. 
          UM, BOSTON, WASHINGTON, DC, UM, SEATTLE. 
          SO WE ARE REALLY PROUD. 
          AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE FORMER EDUCATORS, YOU KNOW HOW THERE'S ALWAYS THAT ONE STORY THAT ONE STUDENT THAT JUST MAKES IT ALL THE WORTHWHILE. 
          AND SO I'M GONNA BRAG ABOUT ONE OF OUR STUDENTS WHO'S PART OF OUR ALAMO PROMISE SCHOLARS PROGRAM. 
          UM, THIS YOUNG LADY HAD DROPPED OUTTA S A I S D, TEEN MOM, UM, AND WAS NOW FACED WITH, UH, AN ISSUE WITH OUR MUNICIPAL COURT. 
          AND BASICALLY, THE JUDGE GAVE HER TWO OPTIONS. 
          SHE COULD GO 
          [00:15:01]
ONE OPTION OR SHE COULD GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL. 
          SO SHE CAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL. 
          WE IMMEDIATELY SIGNED HER COACHES, WE STARTED WORKING ON HER SELF-ESTEEM. 
          WE GOT HER CHILDCARE, SHE GOT HER G E D, WE STARTED BUILDING HER UP. 
          AND GUESS WHAT? SHE'S ENROLLED IN ALAMO COLLEGES, AND SHE MADE THE PRESIDENT'S LIST. 
          UM, AND SO WE ARE JUST SO PROUD OF HER. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS WAS A PARTNERSHIP. 
          WE, SHE WAS REFERRED TO US BY THE MUNICIPAL COURT, AND SHE CONTINUALLY TELLS US, I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I COULD DO THIS. 
          Y'ALL WERE THE FIRST PERSON. 
          AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT JUDGE TO GIVE THAT YOUNG LADY A SECOND OPPORTUNITY, WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THAT SUCCESS STORY. 
          AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO. 
          AND I'M JUST SO PROUD OF NOT ONLY HER, BUT THE COUNTLESS OF YOUNG ADULTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN SERVING AT NEXT LEVEL. 
          NEXT SLIDE, JUST AS WE DID WITH OUR NEXT LEVEL AT FRANK GARRETT. 
          UM, WE STARTED BY WORKING AND SERVING IN, UM, DOING FOCUS GROUPS WITH OPPORTUNITY YOUTH THAT RESIDE WITHIN NORTHSIDE I S D AT ANY ONE TIME IN OUR PROGRAM. 
          AND THIS IS ACTUALLY MORE THAN WE HAD THOUGHT, BUT EVEN THOUGH THE NEXT LEVEL AT FRANK GARRETT IS NOT IN NORTHSIDE, I SS D AND QUITE FAR, ACTUALLY FROM SOME OF, UH, THEIR SCHOOLS, UM, TIME, WE HAVE ABOUT 10 TO 15% OF OUR YOUTH WHO HAVE A N I S D, UM, ADDRESS. 
          AND SO WE HAD A SIZABLE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT HAD BEEN IN NORTHSIDE, I S D. 
          SOME HAD DROPPED OUT, UM, SOME ACTUALLY HAD GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF PARLAY THAT INTO ANY POST-SECONDARY OPTIONS. 
          AND SO WE WANTED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH NORTHSIDE I, SS D AND THE YOUTH, AND BASICALLY FIND OUT LIKE, IF WE HAD A CENTER CLOSER TO YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? UM, NO SURPRISE, MENTAL HEALTH CAME UP AS ONE OF THE BIG, BIG, UH, AREAS THAT THE YOUTH SAID THAT THEY NEEDED MORE ASSISTANCE WITH. 
          UM, WHICH IS INTERESTING GIVEN THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS HAS JUST DECLARED MENTAL HEALTH KIND OF A NATIONAL CRISIS, UM, FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH. 
          AND AGAIN, WE HEARD THIS AGAIN WITH OUR FOCUS GROUPS. 
          UM, THEY TALKED ABOUT CAREER EXPLORATION, NOT JUST COLLEGE. 
          THEY REALLY WANNA KIND OF HAVE A BROAD RANGE OF WHAT OPTIONS ARE FOR THEM, TRANSPORTATION AND JUST ACCESSIBILITY. 
          A LOT OF THEM HAD HEARD ABOUT NEXT LEVEL, UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, THEY WERE NOT NECESSARILY ABLE TO GET TO NEXT LEVEL. 
          UM, AND SAID THAT IF THEY HAD ONE CLOSER, THAT THEY WOULD NOT ONLY ATTEND, BUT THEY WOULD ALSO INVITE THEIR FRIENDS TOO. 
          SO WE ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH, AGAIN, STARTING WITH THE VOICES OF NORTHSIDE I S D YOUTH, AND WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT YOUTH VOICE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PROGRAM. 
          AND WHY IS THAT SO IMPORTANT? WHEN WE STARTED TALKING TO NOR OUR, OUR YOUTH, AND WE CONTINUE TO TALK TO OUR YOUTH THAT ARE AT FRANK GARRETT, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS. 
          THEY'RE JUST SUCH A BIG PART OF WHAT THE YOUTH IN THAT PART OF TOWN NEEDS THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT OUR KIDS IN NORTHSIDE, I S D, THEY'RE NOT FACING, UM, THE HOUSING CHALLENGES AS OUR YOUTH AND OTHERS. 
          SO AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE KIND OF HAVE LIKE THAT H E B MODEL THAT EVERY GROCERY STORE IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS KIND OF SPECIFIC TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          THAT'S THE APPROACH THAT WE ARE TAKING WITH OUR, UH, NEXT LEVEL CENTERS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO HERE'S OUR RECOMMENDED, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR OUR TIMELINE. 
          UM, IF Y'ALL APPROVE, UM, THIS REQUEST WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL ON JANUARY 27TH. 
          UM, THEN WE WILL BE WORKING WITH NORTHSIDE, I S D, UM, TO PASS AND, UM, GET THE INTER-LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT ASSIGNED. 
          UM, WE WILL BE WORKING, UM, BY DECEMBER 22. 
          BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE SIX COACHES HIRED. 
          UM, AND WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH TWO. 
          UM, AND BECAUSE WE WANNA GET THE, YOU KNOW, FEET ON THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY, WE'RE ACTUALLY PLANNING ON MOVING A COACHING PAIR THAT WE HAVE AT FRANK GARRETT TO NORTHSIDE, AND THEN HIRING TWO NEW FOR FRANK GARRETT. 
          UM, SO THAT WAY WE CAN BUILD UP THE MODEL THAT WAY. 
          UM, WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH NORTHSIDE, I S D, UM, KIDS WHO RESIDE WITHIN NORTH NORTHSIDE, I S D THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UM, RECEIVING SERVICES FOR NEXT LEVEL, IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UM, TRANSFERRING TO THE OTHER CENTER. 
          UM, AND A FEW OF THEM HAD SAID YES, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT WOULD JUST BE CLOSER TO THEM. 
          UM, AND THEN BY DECEMBER 22, THIS IS WHEN WE THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO HIRE THE 
          [00:20:01]
FULL, UH, THREE COACHES, UH, TEAM. 
          SO IN TOTAL OF SIX COACHES. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LIKE IT'S ALWAYS, UH, WORRISOME IN THE AGE OF COVID, OF PUTTING OUT NUMBERS OF HOW MANY YOU'RE GOING TO DO OUTREACH WHEN THINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING. 
          UM, BUT AS OF NOW, THIS IS KIND OF OUR, UH, BEST ESTIMATE THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP, THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO OUTREACH TO 345, UH, YOUTH WITHIN NORTHSIDE, I S D THAT OUR OPPORTUNITY YOUTH, UM, 275 OF THOSE WILL ENROLL IN OUR PROGRAM AND BE ASSIGNED COACHES TO RECEIVE THAT INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT, NOT ONLY ON THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE FROM OUR PARTNER AT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO ON THE EDUCATION AND CAREER SIDE FROM GOODWILL. 
          UM, AND THEN FROM THE 2 75, UM, AGAIN, THE TRAJECTORY IS THE SAME AS OUR NEXT LEVEL AT FRANK GARRETT. 
          ABOUT 130 OF THOSE YOUTH, UH, WILL BE ENROLLED IN AN EDUCATION WORKFORCE PROGRAM OR EMPLOYED, UM, BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING AT NEXT LEVEL IN NORTHSIDE, I S D. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO WORK ON NOW THAT WE REALLY HOPE TO IMPLEMENT IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UM, WE ARE HAVING DISCUSSIONS NOW OF OPENING AN A NEXT LEVEL IN THE EAST SIDE. 
          WE HAVE ABOUT 10% OF OF OUR PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE COMING FROM, UM, THE FAR EAST SIDE. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW, GOODWILL DOES HAVE A GRANT PROPOSAL OUT TO BEXAR COUNTY ASKING FOR FUNDS, UM, FOR US TO OPEN UP AN EAST SIDE NEXT LEVEL. 
          THEY HAVE NOT HEARD BACK AND AGAIN, UNITED WAY IS ALSO VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW, UH, WE CAN EXPAND OUR SERVICES TO THE EAST SIDE. 
          UM, WE'RE ALSO VERY MUCH INTO OUR, OUR STRATEGIC OUTREACH PLAN TO TARGET THE MOST VULNERABLE. 
          AS I SAID, WE MADE A COMMITMENT WHEN WE FIRST OPENED NEXT LEVEL TO TARGET AND REALLY SERVE OUR MOST VULNERABLE AT RISK YOUTH, AND WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THRIVE. 
          UH, WE'VE BEEN, ALL OF OUR COACHES HAVE HAD, UH, TRAINING FROM LGBTQ PLUS, SAME ZONE. 
          UM, WE ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THEIR PREFERRED PRONOUNS WHEN THEY COME IN. 
          UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY FOSTERING FOR EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS AND PALS AND REALLY TARGETING KIDDOS THAT ARE AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND HOW WE CAN BE THAT SUPPORT FOR THEM TO GO, UM, INTO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD. 
          UM, WE ACTUALLY PROVIDED, UM, DORM PACKETS WITH TOWELS AND SHEETS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT, UH, MOST OF US WERE FORTUNATE THAT OUR PARENTS COULD PROVIDE, UH, FOR ABOUT 25 FOSTER YOUTH THAT HAD AGED OUT OF THE SYSTEM AND THAT WERE ATTENDING, UM, U T S A IN THE FALL. 
          UM, AND THAT PARTNERSHIP HAS CONTINUED, AGAIN, FOCUSING ON OUR MOST AT RISK, FOCUSING ON OUR HOMELESS KIDS WITH ROY MOSS FOCUSING OUR LGBTQ PLUS. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, THOSE AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. 
          WE ALSO ARE WORKING TO EXPAND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SAN ANTONIO MUNICIPAL COURT. 
          UM, PRESIDING JUDGE CARLO BLATO IN OCTOBER STARTED A SPECIALTY DOCKET WHERE SHE'S FOCUSING ON YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE, UM, TRAFFIC OFFENSES. 
          SOMETIMES IT COULD BE MINOR DRIVING WITHOUT A DRIVER'S LICENSE, RAN A STOP SIGN. 
          UM, BUT WE HAVE HAD STAFF, UM, COME TO THE MUNICIPAL COURTS, UM, WHILE THEY HAVE THE SPECIALTY COURT SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUTH. 
          AND BASICALLY WE'RE THERE TO PROVIDE, AGAIN, AN ASSET-BASED OPTION FOR THE JUDGES FOR THOSE YOUNG ADULTS. 
          WE FIND OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T GO TO HIGH SCHOOL, DIDN'T GRADUATE, UM, WE'RE THERE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THAT INFORMATION AND IMMEDIATELY GET THEM, UM, INVOLVED WITH NEXT LEVEL. 
          AND SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT PARTNERSHIP TO SEE IF THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN BE IMPACTFUL, UM, TO ALL OF THE JUDGES. 
          UM, BUT FOR SURE, THIS IS A GOOD FIRST START. 
          AND, UM, JUDGE, YOU KNOW, PRESIDING JUDGE ODO IS VERY SATISFIED RIGHT NOW WITH KIND OF HOW THIS PARTNERSHIP IS TURNING OUT. 
          UM, AND PROBABLY THIS IS OUR MOST DIFFICULT PART OF KIND OF GOING TO THAT NEXT LEVEL IN TERMS OF OUR SUPPORT OF OPPORTUNITY YOUTH. 
          AND IT REALLY IS IMPROVING OUR DATA REPORTING AND COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY PARK PROVIDERS. 
          UM, WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CHARLES BUTT FOUNDATION, THE ASPEN INSTITUTE, UM, JP MORGAN CHASE, UM, WE HAVE 
          [00:25:01]
ENTERED INTO AN UP PARTNERSHIP. 
          UM, WE HAVE ENTERED INTO A COLLABORATION WITH THE RAY MARSHALL CENTER OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. 
          UM, RAY MARSHALL, JUST BY VIRTUE OF THEM BEING AT UT AUSTIN, THEY HAVE A SPECIAL AGREEMENT WITH THAT. 
          THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE HAS GIVEN THEM BASICALLY ACCESS TO ALL THE STATE DATABASES. 
          SO IF WE WANNA FIND A KID WHO WENT TO SS A I S D, WE CAN FIND THEM. 
          IF WE WANNA FIND SOMEBODY WHO'S RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, THEY CAN FIND THEM. 
          UM, AND SO WE'RE IN OUR INITIAL TALKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RAY MARSHALL, BUT WHAT THEY'RE GONNA HELP US DO IS BASICALLY BENCHMARK WHAT IMPACT ARE WE HAVING WITH OUR OPPORTUNITY AND SEEING LONG-TERM DID WE HAVE WHAT, YOU KNOW, DID THEY FINISH SCHOOL, THAT WHEN THEY WENT BACK AND GOT A JOB, DID THEIR, UH, SALARIES INCREASE? AND AGAIN, THIS IS GONNA HELP US KIND OF FEED THAT LOOP BACK IN. 
          UM, AND SOME OF THEIR, UH, REPORTS TO US WILL ALSO BE THEM TALKING TO, UM, OPPORTUNITY YOUTH THAT WE HAVE SERVED. 
          UM, AGAIN, THAT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF WHERE WE ARE GOING WITH NEXT LEVEL AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, OUR RESOURCES AND THE SUPPORT WE'RE PROVIDING YOUTH REALLY IS, UM, HAVING AN IMPACT ON OUR YOUNG ADULTS IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO AT THIS TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, MELODY AND I ARE, UM, AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT WE ARE REQUESTING APPROVAL FROM THIS, UH, COMMITTEE TO MOVE THIS ITEM FORWARD TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          WE, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO, WE'RE GONNA GO AROUND, UH, THE HORN, THE HORN, AND WE'RE GONNA START WITH OUR FRIENDS ONLINE. 
          UH, AND SO I'M GONNA INVITE, I'M GONNA INVITE COUNCILMAN BE A, TO JUMP IN IF SHE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          I, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. 
          SO, UM, ARE WE TRACKING THE COLLEGE GRADUATION RATES FROM THE PARTICIPANTS? REBECCA? YES, WE HAVE. 
          UM, AND SO AGAIN, THIS IS GONNA BE AN, IT, IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT. 
          I'M GONNA BE VERY FRANK. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UM, THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH THE REPORTING DATA WITHOUT A, UH, THEIR APPROVAL. 
          UM, BUT THIS IS WHY WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH RAY MARSHALL TO HELP US GET THAT INFORMATION. 
          WE'RE LITERALLY GOING TO GIVE THEM A COHORT OF KIDS WITH THEIR, UH, WITH THEIR INFORMATION, WITH THEIR APPROVAL. 
          AND RAY MARSHALL IS GONNA TRACK THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR TRAJECTORY. 
          AND, AND, AND THE REASON I ASK IS, UH, COLLEGE ISN'T FOR EVERYONE EITHER OR IT COMES AT A LATER DATE. 
          SO I, I WANNA BE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, BUT I WANT THEM TO FEEL LIKE IF THEY DO THIS PROGRAM AND 15 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL THAT THEY CONTACT YOU GUYS AND, AND LET THEM KNOW, HEY, I, I DID FINALLY MAKE IT BACK TO SCHOOL. 
          UH, SO, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          THE OTHER IS, UH, IN, WHEN YOU GAVE THAT STAT THAT THEY MAKE LESS THAN 10,000, UM, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE MEDIUM INCOME OF PARTICIPANTS AFTER THEY WERE, THEY ENTER THE WORKFORCE PROGRAM THAT I DON'T HAVE. 
          SO I WILL HAVE TO WORK WITH GOODWILL TO GET THAT FOR YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THE, AND THE OTHER THING I WANNA MAKE SURE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD IS THOSE, THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES, UH, AND, AND ALSO TRACKING THOSE THAT ARE PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE CARING FOR THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT DATA AND THAT INFORMATION. 
          BUT I, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS. 
          I FEEL LIKE IT'S, IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM. 
          I FEEL LIKE IT'S A STEP. 
          WE, I, AND I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COMING TO US AND, AND SHARING THIS WITH US. 
          SO THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS. 
          AND, UM, THANK, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          UH, THE NUMBERS REALLY, UH, THEY WORRY ME THAT THERE ARE SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT 35,000, AND THEN DURING THE PANDEMIC AT THE HEIGHT, WE DOUBLED THAT TO OVER 70,000. 
          UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED THE NEXT LEVEL, AND, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE 1% OF, OF THOSE, BUT 99%, FOR WHATEVER REASON WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, UH, ABLE TO GET INTO ANY KIND OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, OR AT LEAST NOT THROUGH OUR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
          UH, AND, YOU KNOW, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, WELL, IS THIS WORTH THE MONEY? BUT THEN I STARTED THINKING, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY ISN'T THE IMPORTANT THING. 
          THE MONEY, THE IMPORTANT THING IS HELPING AS MANY OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. 
          SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO 
          [00:30:01]
DOUBLE THE NUMBER OR TRIPLE THE NUMBER GO FROM 1% TO 2% TO 3% OR MORE SO THAT WE HAVE A MEANINGFUL LONG-TERM IMPACT ON THE PROBLEMS THESE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE HAVING. 
          NOW, I CAN SEE EXPANDING IT INTO NORTH SIDE, UH, IS ONE WAY OF EXPANDING THAT. 
          AND I WOULD, I WOULD ALSO BELIEVE EXPANDING IT OVER INTO THE NORTHEAST AREA WOULD BE, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, THE EAST SIDE WOULD BE ANOTHER WAY OF EXPANDING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO SEE SOME SUCCESSFUL RESULTS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SAID WE HAD 35, 300 PEOPLE SIGN UP OR INVOLVED, THEN WE, WE BROKE IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE LESS THAN A HUNDRED WHO ACTUALLY GOT A JOB OR, OR GOT THEIR G E D OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S A REALLY, REALLY BIG CHALLENGE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THIS. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THERE'LL BE TO IMPROVE, EXPAND, OR ADD TO THE PROGRAM THAT WILL ENTICE MORE PARTICIPATION. 
          UH, BUT FOR NOW, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S SOMETHING WE DO NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. 
          BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK WE NEED TO HELP, UH, EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS MORE SO THAT THEY START REFERRING PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW, BUT ALSO SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO GET THE SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM. 
          BECAUSE I, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT IF THEY JUST LOOK AT THE MONEY AND THEY LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF KIDS AFFECTED, THEY'RE GONNA SAY, THIS ISN'T WORTH IT. 
          WE'RE SPENDING MILLIONS AND WE'RE NOT GETTING MUCH OUT OF IT. 
          SO I THINK IF WE CAN HELP THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS AND EXPAND THIS PROGRAM AND EDUCATE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE HELP THAT ONE YOUNG WOMAN WHO'S NOW GONE ON TO GO TO COLLEGE AND MAY IMPROVE THE LIFE OF HER FAMILY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A WORTHWHILE PROGRAM. 
          BUT I THINK PEOPLE EXPECT US TO HELP NOT JUST ONE OR A HUNDRED, BUT THOUSANDS OVER THE COURSE OF THIS. 
          SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE WHAT, WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM, TO ADD TO IT, TO BRING MORE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO NEED THAT HELP INTO THE PROGRAM AND, UH, TO GET MORE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR IT AS WE GO FORWARD. 
          SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN AND COUNCILMAN. 
          ENCOURAGE COUNCIL. 
          COUNCIL RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE ASPEN INSTITUTE, AND IT DOES EXACTLY WHAT RAY TALKING. 
          I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SHORTAGE. 
          SHORTAGE AND YOUNG ADULTS, ADULTS WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM PROGRAM LIKE NEXT LEVEL. 
          UM, MY QUESTION IS SEEKING TO EXPAND THROUGHOUT EACH DISTRICT IN SAN ANTONIO, DISTRICT, ANTONIO, UM, I, I THINK THIS IS A MUCH NEEDED PROGRAM. 
          UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, ARE WE LOOKING, LOOKING, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURTS. 
          ARE WE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ACADEMY OR, UM, JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICERS TO CONNECT STUDENTS OR YOUTH TO THIS PROGRAM? WE ARE, AND, AND WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE, UM, EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO OTHER AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ESPECIALLY HAVE, UM, LOW INCOME, VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT STRUGGLE WITH TRANSPORTATION. 
          UM, WE'RE LEVERAGING PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UM, THE UNITED WAY, WITH, UH, OTHER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS. 
          AND THEN REBECCA, UM, I'LL LET YOU SPEAK TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM INTERACTIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING. 
          SO I'LL BE HONEST, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT BEFORE COVID HAPPENED, I MEAN, ONE, WE WANTED TO GET OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          'CAUSE WE ALSO, WE RECEIVED REFERRALS WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ON, ON OUR MUNICIPAL COURT, FIRST AND FOREMOST. 
          UM, UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE COVID, WE WERE EXPANDING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH BEXAR COUNTY. 
          AND UNFORTUNATELY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, UM, WE, WE HAVE TO START THAT UP AGAIN. 
          BUT, UH, THEY DO REFERRALS TO US. 
          SO WE DO HAVE SOME STUDENTS COMING TO US, OUR YOUNG ADULTS. 
          UM, BUT FOR SURE THERE'S AREAS FOR OUR, THAT'S AN AREA FOR US TO CONTINUE TO GROW. 
          I THINK THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE HAVING NOW IS, UH, IT GOES TO WHAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE SAID, BUT WE HAVE A WAIT LIST. 
          UM, IT IS TAKING US LONGER, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF THESE YOUNG ADULTS. 
          SO IT'S TAKING US LONGER TO GET THEM, UM, READY SO THAT WHEN THEY DO GO OUT AND APPLY FOR A JOB, THAT THEY GET IT. 
          UM, AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S, WE'RE IN THIS A KIND OF GRAY AREA OF HAVING, DO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REALLY GO AND, AND ADD MORE PARTNERSHIPS WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE A WAIT LIST? AND THAT'S OUR CHALLENGE. 
          'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND THEN WE TELL THEM, OH, WE 
          [00:35:01]
CAN'T SEE YOU FOR TWO TO THREE MONTHS. 
          UM, SO RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, OUR HOMELESS, UM, OUR FOSTER KIDS, THOSE TWO HAVE BEEN OUR TWO AREAS OF, OF WORKING AND PRIORITIZING. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT I APPRECIATE, UH, THE TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH THAT THIS PROGRAM USES, AND I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION TO, UH, REBECCA AND MELODY. 
          UM, DISTRICT FOUR STUDENTS, UH, ARE PART OF NORTHSIDE, I S D. 
          SO I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THEM WILL BENEFIT FROM IT BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE JOHN JAY HIGH SCHOOL AREA. 
          AND SO A LOT OF THE STUDENTS THAT LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR ATTEND JOHN JAY HIGH SCHOOL. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UM, CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THE STUDENTS IN NORTHSIDE, I S D WHO ALSO NEED THIS, THIS SUPPORT. 
          UM, THE COLLABORATION WITH THE RAY MARSHALL CENTER, UM, AT UT AUSTIN REALLY, UM, MAKES ME HAPPY. 
          AND I WAS ABLE TO, UM, TO WORK WITH THEM WHEN I WAS WORKING ON MY PHD IN U AT UT. 
          AND SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD ME SOLD, I WAS LIKE, OKAY, YAY. 
          PERFECT. 
          WE HAVE VALIDATED INFORMATION RIGHT? COMING FROM THE CENTER, SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT THOUGH, UM, ON THE AGENDA BRIEFING MEMO YOU HAVE THAT THERE WAS ONLY 18 STUDENTS THAT WERE ABLE TO, UM, ENROLL INTO THE ALMO PROMISE PROGRAM. 
          AND I'M WONDERING IF ANY OF YOU ALL KNOW WHY THERE WAS ONLY 18 STUDENTS. 
          AND THE WAY THAT I UNDERSTAND THE AAL, THE ALMO PROMISE PROGRAM WORKED IS THAT EVERYBODY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR IT. 
          SO CAN SOMEBODY TELL ME MAYBE WHY THE OTHERS WORKED? SO COUNCILWOMAN, UM, OUR STUDENT RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN BE A PART OF ALAMO PROMISE IF YOU GRADUATE FROM A SELECTED HIGH SCHOOL AND GO DIRECTLY INTO ALAMO COLLEGES. 
          THAT IS NOT OUR KIDS. 
          OUR KIDS DID NOT GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL. 
          THEY HAVE GEDS. 
          THEY TOOK A YEAR OR TWO OFF. 
          UM, AT THIS TIME, WE ARE THE ONLY NON-TRADITIONAL PATHWAY FOR YOUTH TO BE A PART OF ALAMO PROMISE. 
          AND IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER, UM, THE TWO YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, UM, WE RECEIVED FUNDS THROUGH JP MORGAN CHASE, UM, TO HAVE UP TO 20 STUDENTS TO BE A PART OF ALAMO PROMISE. 
          UM, AND RIGHT NOW WE DID HAVE A MEETING, UM, WITH THE CHANCELLOR AND, UM, ALEX LOPEZ WAS THERE AND MELODY, AND WE'VE MADE A COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE THIS PARTNERSHIP. 
          BUT A LOT OF THOSE NUMBERS DID STEM FROM, UM, JUST THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE HAD. 
          GREG, THANK YOU, REBECCA. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU REBECCA. 
          AND SO, AND AGAIN, THAT WAS ONE OF MY WORRIES THAT ONLY THE 18, BUT IF WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CHANCELLOR AND MAKING SURE THAT, UH, WE PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THIS YOUTH, I KNOW THAT, UM, EVEN WITH THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM, WE'VE MADE CHANGES, RIGHT? TO MAKE EXCEPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN OUT, UH, WHO MAYBE DIDN'T OR KIND OF STOPPED ATTENDING SCHOOL. 
          UM, SO, SO AGAIN, SOMETHING TO REALLY CONSIDER HERE. 
          AND THEN ALSO, YOU MENTIONED THE N L C, UH, WAS USING THIS OR WAS PLANNING ON USE THIS AS A MODEL PROG PROGRAM. 
          UM, I AM ON THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 
          I'M VICE CHAIR THIS YEAR. 
          AND I WOULD LOVE TO, UM, SEE WHAT COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTED IT, BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN, I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN THROUGH THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, BUT I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE. 
          SO, UM, I, I'D LOVE TO KIND OF LIKE CROSS, UH, CROSS REFERENCE AND MAKE SURE THAT MY COLLEAGUES AT THE N L C ON THE COMMITTEE THAT I'M ON ALSO ARE AWARE OF THIS PROGRAM. 
          SO, UM, BUT THAT'LL BE AN OFFLINE CONVERSATION. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND THEN, UM, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO SAID, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TAG ONTO THAT. 
          THAT'S, UM, I, I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS PROBABLY MORE APPARENT, IMPORTANT, UH, NOW THAN EVER BEFORE. 
          UH, AND EVEN BEFORE IT WAS VITALLY IMPORTANT. 
          I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THE DATES, AND IN 2018, WE VOTED TO INCLUDE THIS MILLION DOLLARS INTO OUR 2019 BUDGET, UH, TO START THIS PROCESS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LIKED TELLING PEOPLE, UM, WE ON CITY COUNCIL ARE SO SMART AND ALL THAT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE INFORMATION WE HAD, UM, AT HAND. 
          AND IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE WE WERE PRESCIENT IN, IN THIS INSTANCE. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I, I THINK WE, WE REALLY STARTED SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS, IS, UM, IT'S GONNA BE VERY, A VERY HELPFUL TOOL IN HELPING US RECOVER FROM THE CRISIS CREATED BY THIS, BY THIS PANDEMIC. 
          I'M, UH, THIS IS AN, THIS IS A, UH, AN ACTION ITEM. 
          AND SO, UH, YOU'RE GONNA NEED APPROVAL SO THAT WE CAN SEND THIS OFF TO THE FULL COUNCIL. 
          SO THIS, THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT CAN BE, UM, CAN BE APPROVED, RIGHT? YES, SIR. 
          GREAT. 
          AND SO I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION IN A SECOND. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, WHAT DO YOU THINK I MOVE TO MOVE THIS 
          [00:40:01]
ITEM TO CITY COUNCIL? FULL CITY COUNCIL? I THINK I HAVE TO ABSTAIN BECAUSE THE SUBCONTRACTS WITH COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AND I'M ON THEIR BOARD. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING TO MY OTHER TWO COLLEAGUES. 
          YOUR COLLEAGUES. 
          WE GOT A SECOND FROM COUNCIL. 
          GOT A SECOND FROM COUNCIL. 
          YEAH, WE GOT A SECOND FROM COUNCIL. 
          COUNCIL. 
          WE GOT A SECOND FROM COUNCIL IRAN AND THE THIRD, THIRD FROM COUNCIL. 
          SOME COURAGE, IT SEEMS. SO, UM, SO WE'LL TAKE THE VOTE. 
          UH, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          YES. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AND IT'S UNANIMOUS. 
          IT'S UNANIMOUS. 
          SO, UH, AND THEN WE'VE GOT AN ABSTENTION FROM COUNCILWOMAN, UM, ROCHA GARCIA. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOLKS. 
          NEXT ITEM, ALEX. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THE NEXT ITEM IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE AN UPDATE ON OUR LOAN INTEREST BY DOWN PROGRAM, WHICH IS, UM, A, A PART AND AN OFFERING THAT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, HAS PROVIDED FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOR, I BELIEVE IT'S FIVE YEARS NOW. 
          ANA BRADSHAW, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WILL BE DOING THE PRESENTATION. 
          MORNING CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UM, ANNA BRADSHAW, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT LOAN INTEREST BUYDOWN TODAY. 
          IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, OF ALL OUR PROGRAMS, IT'S HARD TO PICK YOUR FAVORITE CHILD. 
          WELL, THIS ONE IS PRETTY CLOSE UP THERE FOR ME. 
          SO, UM, JUST BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT IT HAS ON OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. 
          SO ACTUALLY FIRST, UH, FEATURED ON THIS FIRST SLIDE IS, UH, SUSANNA, OR SORRY, SUSAN GOMEZ, MALDONADO OWNER OF, UH, FIESTA COUTURE, WHICH IS LOCATED OUT IN D SIX, AND THEY'RE A 2020 PARTICIPANT OF THE PROGRAM. 
          SO SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROGRAM IN 2016, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH LIFTFUND, UM, AND WANTED TO RECOGNIZE, I'M SORRY, UH, JANIE, UH, BARRETA FOR JOINING US TODAY IN BRAVING THE COLD ROOM. 
          UH, BUT THEY'VE BEEN A PARTNER ALL ALONG IN THIS PROGRAM. 
          UM, AND AS A C D F I, LYFT WORKS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS TO CAPITAL THROUGH TRADITIONAL, UH, LENDERS. 
          SO, UH, THEY FILL A, A CRITICAL HOLE IN THE, IN THE ECOSYSTEM, WHICH IS THOSE WHO COULDN'T SEEK THAT FLEXIBLE CAPITAL THROUGH TRADITIONAL LENDERS. 
          SO, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAM. 
          SO THIS PROGRAM HELPS OUR, OUR SMALL MINORITY WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES START OR EXPAND, UM, BY ACCESS TO THAT CAPITAL THAT CAN BE USED FOR PROPERTY, INVENTORY, EQUIPMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, ACQUIRING A BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 
          UM, SO WHAT IT DOES IS THE CITY ESSENTIALLY COVERS THE COST OF THEIR INTEREST. 
          SO THEY ARE ONLY LEFT TO PAYBACK THE PRINCIPLE ON LOANS BETWEEN $550,000. 
          AND SO OUR BUDGET FOR THIS PROGRAM YEAR OVER YEAR IS $250,000. 
          UH, WE TYPICALLY SPEND IT WITHIN SIX MONTHS. 
          UM, I KNOW, UH, THIS LAST YEAR WE, UM, EXHAUSTED ALL OF OUR FUNDING, UM, BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, BUT LIKE I SAID, THE, THE MAJORITY OF IT WAS EXPENDED BY THE END OF AUGUST. 
          AND SO HERE'S A BREAKDOWN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM OF, UM, THOSE LOANS BY DISTRICT. 
          AND SO, UM, WE'VE AWARDED A TOTAL OF 161 LOANS THAT, THAT THEIR INTEREST IS BOUGHT DOWN. 
          UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THE DISTRIBUTION HERE ON THIS SLIDE. 
          AND, AND FOR ME, THIS IS A REAL CRITICAL INDICATOR THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR OUTREACH. 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT'S KEEPING SMALL BUSINESSES IN DISTRICTS THREE, FOUR, UH, SIX, AND EVEN LOOKING AT DISTRICT NINE FROM HAVING OR KNOWING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND, AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE IT TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESSES. 
          AND THEN AGAIN, LOOKING BY DISTRICT, SO THIS IS DOLLARS. 
          SO THE DARKER BLUE BAR REPRESENTS THE TOTAL DOLLARS IN LOANS THAT HAVE GONE TO THESE DISTRICTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM. 
          AND THEN THE LIGHTER BLUE BAR REPRESENTS THE INTEREST BOUGHT DOWN THROUGH THE PROGRAM. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN A LARGE AMOUNT OF, OF CAPITAL THAT'S BEEN, UM, INFUSED INTO OUR SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMY, UM, THAT ALLOWS THESE BUSINESSES TO GROW. 
          AND THE CITY IS COVERING THE COST OF THAT INTEREST OVER THE LIFE OF THE LOAN. 
          AND THEN LOOKING AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS, AGAIN, THE TARGET REALLY BEING THOSE SMALL, MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES. 
          SO, LOOKING AT THE PARTICIPANTS, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT 81% OF THE LOAN RECIPIENTS HAVE BEEN MINORITIES, 40% HAVE BEEN WOMEN. 
          UM, AND THEN WE'VE CREATED 404, UH, FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT JOBS. 
          AND 512 JOBS HAVE BEEN RETAINED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, NOW MORE AND EVER CREATING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE JOBS AND RETAIN THEM IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT. 
          AND AGAIN, ADDS TO WHY THIS PROGRAM IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. 
          AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL LENDING, UM, AMOUNT, AGAIN, ALMOST $4 MILLION BEING, UM, PROVIDED AS CAPITAL TO THESE SMALL BUSINESSES WITH THE CITY COVERING $1.2 MILLION IN THAT INTEREST. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE THE AVERAGE LOAN SIDE, SO LESS THAN $25,000. 
          SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT, I MEAN, IN THE WORLD OF SMALL BUSINESS LOANS, THAT'S A, THAT'S A SMALL AMOUNT. 
          UM, BUT THE IMPACT IT CAN HAVE AND THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT, THAT'S COMING BACK INTO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. 
          [00:45:01]
AND SO THEN JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE OUTCOMES FROM THE LAST FISCAL YEAR. 
          SO AGAIN, 35 LOANS ADMINISTERED, TOTALING OVER $800,000. 
          UM, TWO THIRDS OF THEM GOING INTO, UM, TWO, UH, LOCATIONS WITHIN, UM, WITH AN EQUITY ATLAS SCORE OF SEVEN OR GREATER. 
          AND AGAIN, CREATING THOSE JOBS AND RETAINING THEM, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO THEN AS WE LOOK AT THE OUTCOMES, SO WE DO HAVE SOME ASPIRATIONAL GOALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM. 
          UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THE, IN 2021, OUR, OUR GOALS THERE LISTED AND THEN THE ACTUAL, SO AGAIN, WE'RE PROUD THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT HAVE GONE TO SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          UM, LAST YEAR ALMOST 90% WENT TO MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES. 
          UM, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE REALLY CLOSE ON AFRICAN AMERICAN, UM, BUSINESSES RECEIVING THEM, EXCEEDED A LITTLE BIT ON ASIAN AMERICAN BUSINESSES, AND, UM, EXCEEDED BOTH IN HISPANIC, UM, AND VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES. 
          AND, AND WE HAVE A LITTLE WORK TO MAKE UP IN WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES FROM LAST YEAR. 
          BUT AGAIN, OVERALL WE'VE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL AT REACHING THOSE WOMEN, UH, OWNED BUSINESSES. 
          BUT, SO THAT LED US TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS GOING INTO THIS YEAR, UM, TO INCREASE THE GOALS BASED ON OUR ACTUAL EXPERIENCE. 
          SO WE WANNA KEEP ASPIRING TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS. 
          AND SO WE'VE INCREASED THE GOALS IN 2022 FOR MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES, HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESSES AND VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES BASED ON THAT EXPERIENCE THAT WE'RE SEEING THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND ON OUR OUTREACH. 
          SO AGAIN, WE, WE DO HAVE A, A ROBUST OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT LOOKS AT THE DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL MEANS OF DISSEMINATING THE MESSAGE ON THE PROGRAM. 
          UM, WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK ADS TARGETED INTO THOSE AREAS WITH THE, UM, HIGHEST EQUITY SCORES. 
          AND THEN WORKING WITH THE WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER, UM, THAT'S CO-LOCATED WITH LAUNCHES A, UM, THAT HAS BEEN, THAT'S BEEN OPERATING VIRTUALLY FOR THE LAST, UM, YEAR AND A HALF. 
          BUT WE WILL LOOK TO TAKE BACK TO, UM, IN-PERSON PRESENCE BACK AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY COMING THIS SPRING. 
          UM, BUT THEN ALSO WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS OUT THERE. 
          UM, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS SOUTH SIDE FIRST PROSPER WEST, UM, SAGE AND THE CHAMBERS OF COMM COMMERCE. 
          WE'RE REALLY JUST TRYING TO BE AS ROBUST AS POSSIBLE IN GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT ON THIS PROGRAM, WORKING THEN WITH YOUR COUNCIL OFFICES TO INCLUDE IT IN, UM, NEWSLETTERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 
          AND THEN US UTILIZING TESTIMONIALS, WHICH I'LL SHOW YOU TOO IN JUST A MINUTE, UM, TO PUT OUT THE WORD THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST A PROGRAM THAT'S OUT THERE, BUT IT'S A PROGRAM THAT HAS A REAL IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, BUT THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA PRESENT TOMORROW AT OUR SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION. 
          SO WE HAVE OUR, OUR NEXT, UH, MEETING, AND WE WANNA PRESENT THIS TO THEM AS WELL, AND GET THEIR IDEAS ON OUTREACH AND MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES TO EXIST SINCE THEY REPRESENT THOSE SMALL BUSINESS, UM, OWNERS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND MAY HAVE NEW IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO REACH THOSE, THOSE AREAS WHERE PERHAPS WE'RE NOT DOING AS, AS WELL AS WE CAN. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, JUST A, UH, TESTIMONIALS TO LEAVE YOU WITH SOME GOOD NEWS STORIES. 
          SO THE FIRST ONE IS IT'S TSYS BLENDS. 
          AND SO THEY SPECIALIZE IN HANDMADE TEAS AND YA, UM, SHE, SHE LOST A LARGE PORTION OF HER BUSINESS DUE TO C OVID 19, BUT WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH LIFT FUND, UM, TO ACQUIRE THAT CAPITAL AND REGISTER FOR CLASSES. 
          SO AGAIN, IT'S VERY HOLISTIC PROGRAM THAT NOT ONLY PROVIDES ACCESS TO THE CAPITAL, BUT THE RESOURCES TO, UM, IMPROVE THEIR, THEIR FINANCIAL POSITION. 
          UM, BUT SHE IS ACTUALLY A NEIGHBOR, UH, NATIVE OF CHINA WHO GREW UP IN A MOUNTAIN VILLAGE THAT, UM, WHERE MANY FAMILIES IN THE REGION, TEA FARMING IS A SOURCE OF SUSTENANCE AND CULTURAL TRADITION. 
          AND SO WHEN SHE MOVED TO THE UNITED STATES, SHE WANTED TO BRING THAT HERE. 
          AND, UM, RECOGNIZING THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY SOUGHT, SOUGHT THE PROGRAM AND, UM, HAS, HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN, IN OFFERING IT. 
          AND THEN OUR SECOND SUCCESS STORY. 
          SO WE HAVE MOCK ONE SERVICES AND MOCK ONE'S LOCATED IN DISTRICT TWO. 
          UM, AND RUBEN AL IS A VETERAN, AND AGAIN, LIVES IN DISTRICT TWO. 
          AND HE DEVELOPED A ROADSIDE APP, UM, THAT IS WHAT HE CALLS, UM, UBER TECHNOLOGY MEETS AAA SERVICE. 
          SO PROVIDING, UM, VERY FAST SERVICE TO THOSE STRANDED OUT THERE. 
          HE CONNECTED ACTUALLY WITH LAUNCH SA, WHICH THEN REFERRED HIM TO, TO LIFTFUND TO, TO RECEIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, HIS, HIS LOAN FOR THE PROGRAM. 
          AND HIS LAUNCH APP LAUNCHED IN JANUARY, 2020 JUST BEFORE COVID HIT. 
          UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN PEOPLE STARTED STAYING HOME, THEIR NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF SERVICE DECLINE, BUT HE TOOK IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETOOL MARKETING, LOOK AT ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, UM, AND HE'S ACTUALLY DOING QUITE WELL. 
          SO WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY THAT THIS TYPE OF LOAN WAS ABLE TO KEEP HIS BUSINESS AFLOAT DURING C O V I D, BUT THAT HE'S ALSO LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW IN THE STARTUP COMMUNITY, UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEF PRESENTATION. 
          UM, JANIE AND I ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, LET'S START IN REVERSE ORDER. 
          COUNCILMAN ROCHE GARCIA? NO QUESTIONS. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          COUNCILMAN CASTILLA. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          UM, AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS, UM, A GREAT RESOURCE FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. 
          UM, I WANNA CONTINUE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ON HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR MICRO BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY 
          [00:50:01]
THOSE THAT ARE WITHIN, UH, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE NETWORK, UM, AND, UH, HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND ATTENDING SOME OF THE, UH, BUSINESS COMMITTEE MEETINGS, RIGHT? WE'RE HEARING A NEED FOR, UM, COMMERCIAL RENTAL ASSISTANCE. 
          UH, SO, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT. 
          UM, BUT DO WE TRACK WHO'S REFERRING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES TO THE LIFT FUND? DO WE COLLECT IF IT'S PROSPER WEST? IF IT, IF IT'S THE COUNCIL OFFICE, ARE WE TRACKING THAT? SO WE TYPICALLY HAD NOT TRACKED REFERRALS. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE INCLUDED IN OUR PARTNER AGREEMENTS NEW FOR THIS YEAR IS, UM, TRACKING, YOU KNOW, THOSE REFERRALS, RECOGNIZING THAT, THAT THE ASSIST IS SOMETIMES JUST AS IMPORTANT AS, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THE SERVICE AT THE END OF THE DAY. 
          SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO UTILIZE THAT DATA TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, NOT ONLY ARE WE SHARING THE INFORMATION WITH OUR PARTNERS, BUT THEN IT'S REACHING THOSE, THOSE, UM, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO CAN BE GOING TO THOSE LOCATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE. 
          OKAY. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          COUNCILMAN, COURAGE. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? ? YES, THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          UH, I'D LIKE JUST SOME GENERAL INFORMATION. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT WE'VE BEEN HELPING, UH, ARE PRODUCT BASED? IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE MAKING A PRODUCT. 
          UH, HOW MANY ARE SERVICE BASED AND THEY JUST PROVIDE A SERVICE? UH, HOW MANY ARE RETAIL? HOW MANY ARE RESTAURANTS? DO WE HAVE, HAVE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION ON, ON THE BUSINESSES THAT LYFT FUND'S BEEN HELPING? UM, WE COULD DEFINITELY WORK WITH IT. 
          DEFINITELY WORK TO PULL THAT DATA. 
          YEAH, I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT AND UNDERSTAND OVERALL THE, UH, IMPACT IT HAS ON THE COMMUNITY BASED ON THE KIND OF BUSINESSES IT'S HELPING. 
          AND, UH, ONE THING THOUGH THAT THEY MAY KNOW NOW, HOW MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT WE'VE GIVEN LOANS TO, UH, HAVE PERMANENTLY GONE OUT OF BUSINESS, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT WHATEVER, DO WE HAVE ANY, 'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FIVE YEAR HISTORY HERE. 
          UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY DATA, UH, RIGHT NOW ON THE, THE LONG TERM, BUT THAT WAS ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE WERE DISCUSSING INTERNALLY ON NOW THAT THE PROGRAM IS FIVE YEARS OLD, DOING A, A REVISIT WITH SOME OF THOSE EARLY RECIPIENTS TO SEE DID THEY SUCCESSFULLY PAY OFF THEIR LOAN? HAVE THEY BEEN A ABLE TO ACCESS LENDING VIA TRADITIONAL LENDER NOW? UM, AND, AND SEE IF THEY'RE STILL IN OPERATION. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE LOOK TO DO THIS YEAR HERE. 
          WELL, I'M SURPRISED THAT YOU COME TO US AND YOU DON'T KNOW THAT YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ME. 
          IF, IF WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE A PROGRAM THAT'S FIVE YEARS OLD, WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THAT PROGRAM A LITTLE BIT BETTER. 
          I MEAN, YOU'VE TOLD US NUMBERS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HELPED BUSINESSES AND THIS AND THAT AND SOME EXAMPLES, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I I I WOULD EXPECT THAT WE'D KNOW IF 10% OF THE BUSINESSES ARE, 1% OF THE BUSINESSES NO LONGER EXIST, AND IF, UH, YOU KNOW, 80% HAVE PAID BACK THEIR LOANS AND 20% ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS. 
          UH, SO I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION TO GIVE US TODAY. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE RIGHT NOW, BUT I HOPE TO GET THOSE ANSWERS PRETTY QUICKLY. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          UH, COUNCILWOMAN VIRE, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMENTS? YES, I DO. 
          SO, UH, 35 LOANS, 14 OF THOSE LOANS WENT TO DISTRICT ONE. 
          IN DISTRICT TWO, ABOUT 14 OF THOSE LOANS WENT TO DISTRICT ONE IN DISTRICT TWO. 
          SO OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, IT'S 161 LOANS AND 34 HAVE GONE TO DISTRICT ONE AND 33 TO DISTRICT TWO, TWO. 
          AND CAN I, CAN I GET A LIST OF THE LOANS THAT WENT TO DISTRICT THREE AND WHO THEY WENT TO? 'CAUSE WITH 35 LOANS GRANTED THIS YEAR, THAT'S LIKE THREE LOANS BECAUSE THERE, THERE, THERE IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE WITH OUTREACH. 
          AND I WILL, I WILL BE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT, UH, PART OF IT IS MY SOUTH SIDE FIRST. 
          AND, AND, UM, AND GETTING THAT AND THEM BEING UNDERSTAFFED IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY. 
          I MEAN, WE LOOK AT DISTRICT TWO AND THEY HAVE SAGE. 
          WE LOOK AT DISTRICT ONE AND IT'S DISTRICT ONE. 
          SO THAT, THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUTREACH AND THE REASON WE CAN'T GET IT IS 'CAUSE I'VE GOT, I HAD THREE PEOPLE WHO I'VE LOST AND ONE WAS SOUTH, UH, AND ON SOUTH SIDE FIRST TRYING TO, TO PROMOTE THIS PROGRAM. 
          SO I AGREE THAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ISSUES. 
          I WOULD LIKE WHO RECEIVED LOANS FROM DISTRICT THREE. 
          THAT WAY I CAN LOOK AT APPOINTING THEM TO, TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHERE BUSINESS IS CONCERNED OR SUBCOMMITTEES. 
          AND THE OTHER ASPECT I WANNA LOOK AT IS, AGAIN, THO THE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES, US KEEPING TRACK AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON, ON HOW WE ARE, UM, ASSISTING THOSE. 
          AND I, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE THAT WE NEED TO SEE IF THESE LOANS ARE HELPFUL 
          [00:55:01]
AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          THE ONE THING I WANT, AND I KNOW BUSINESSES FAIL, I I UNDERSTAND THAT MY FAMILY OWNED A SMALL BUSINESS. 
          I, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO SHUTTER BUSINESSES, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, WE ARE DOING, UH, THE BEST BY OUR RESIDENTS WITH THIS PROGRAM. 
          SO IF I COULD GET, UH, THE WHO GOT LOANS FROM DISTRICT THREE AND IF WE COULD TALK ABOUT, OR LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE GOING TO, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH COUNTING THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES, AND OF COURSE IT'LL BE VOLUNTARY, BUT HOW WE, HOW WE, UM, INCLUDE THEM IN THIS COUNT, UM, OF, OF HELPING OTHERS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THIS IS, UM, IT'S A LOT TO THINK ABOUT, RIGHT? AND THE, THE TOTAL NUMBERS OF LOANS REPAID OR INTEREST BOUGHT DOWN, RIGHT? AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LOANS, THAT'S AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBER. 
          AND IT SHOULDN'T BE IGNORED, BUT I AM ALSO ALARMED AT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE SOMEHOW NOT HITTING CERTAIN DISTRICTS, UH, WITH THE SAME SUCCESS THAT WE'RE HITTING OTHERS, RIGHT? AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SOLVE FOR THAT OTHER THAN, UM, MAYBE WE, UH, SIT DOWN AT SOME POINT AND COME UP WITH A PLAN BECAUSE WHATEVER, WHATEVER WE GOT HERE ISN'T WORKING FOR LIKE, LET'S SAY, SAY DISTRICT FOUR, IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. 
          AND FOR DISTRICT THREE, UM, AND WE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT IN DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT TWO THAT WE'RE NOT DOING IN DISTRICT THREE OR FOUR, BUT I, I THINK ALL OF US YOU'RE HEARING IS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE NOT HITTING, YOU KNOW, WITH EQUAL, UM, WITH EQUAL, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVENESS IN THOSE DISTRICTS. 
          AND SO IS THAT SOMETHING YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR TOO? YES. 
          AND AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MEETING WITH, WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION TOMORROW AND, AND WANNA BRING IT TO THEM, BUT THEN ALSO WE MEET, UM, BIMONTHLY WITH, WITH OUR PARTNERS, AND I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS GOING TO BE FRONT AND CENTER MOVING FORWARD IS UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW ARE WE DIFFERENTLY DISSEMINATING INFORMATION AND HOW BEST CAN WE BEST CAN REACH THOSE WHO PERHAPS AREN'T USING, USING IT. 
          SO WE WANNA LEAN ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO, TO HELP US, UM, RETOOL AND, AND HOPEFULLY REACH THOSE FOLKS THAT WE AREN'T HITTING TODAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, NEXT ITEM, ALEX. 
          THE NEXT ITEM, THE NEXT ITEM IS ACTUALLY, ACTUALLY JUST A, I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE'S AN ACTUAL PRESENTATION ASSOCIATED WITH IT, UM, BUT IT'S JUST AN UPDATE FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR REGARDING THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION. 
          UM, AND, UM, THE FACT THAT THE ORDINANCE OR THE RESOLUTION THAT CREATED THAT COMMITTEE, UM, IT ALSO INCLUDES SOME AT LARGE APPOINTMENTS THAT WERE TO BE REVIEWED AND INTERVIEWED BY THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE. 
          UM, SO BRENDA'S GONNA GIVE US JUST A VERY, VERY QUICK UPDATE ON, UM, THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED AND INCLUDE A RECOMMENDATION. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, BRENDA HICKS, SORENSON, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. 
          UH, AS WAS MENTIONED, UH, THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION HAS MET FOUR TIMES. 
          THEY WILL BE MEETING AGAIN TOMORROW. 
          WE STILL HAVE FOUR AT LARGE SEATS. 
          WE HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBER SEATS THAT NEED TO BE APPOINTED YET, HOWEVER, DISTRICT TWO DOES HAVE THEIR RECOMMENDATION, UM, PROVIDED AS OUTLINED IN THE MEMO. 
          AND SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE FOUR AT LARGE SEATS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE OR A SUBCOMMITTEE, EXCUSE ME, TO BE SET UP FROM E W D C TO REVIEW THE 31 APPLICATIONS FOR THOSE SEATS. 
          AND THEN, UH, IDEALLY AT THE FEBRUARY E W D C MEETING, BE ABLE TO INTERVIEW THOSE CANDIDATES THAT WERE SELECTED. 
          SO, UM, LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS ON THIS IN CASE THERE ARE ANY COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, ANY . 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          NOW, COUNCILWOMAN GERRAN. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, SO MIKE, I I NEED TO, I, I WILL NEED TO APPOINT SOMEONE NEW. 
          AND I, I HAVE THAT IN THE WORKS, BUT THE, THE CRITERIA OF APPOINTING SOMEONE TO THE BOARD, UH, IT HAS TO BE WORKING WITH A NONPROFIT OR A BUSINESS THAT HAS OVER HOW MANY EMPLOYEES? THE, WE STILL HAVE, WE STILL HAVE LOCATIONS OR POSITIONS OPEN FOR THE 10 TO 50 50. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UH, WHAT, WHAT'S THE OTHER CRITERIA? UM, THE COMMUNITY PARTNER. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, THANKS. 
          AND AT THE, AT LARGE, WHAT, WHAT'S THE CRITERIA FOR THE 
          [01:00:01]
AT LARGE INDIVIDUALS? WELL, SO WE, SO THE, WE, SO THE COMMISSION HAS, HAS THE, THE 15 TOTAL APPOINTMENTS, AND THEN IT DOES HAVE THE CATEGORIES BROKEN OUT. 
          SO WE WERE ACTUALLY HOLDING OFF ON THE, AT-LARGE FOR THE 10 APPOINTMENTS TO BE MADE, EXCUSE ME, 11 APPOINTMENTS TO BE MADE FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL. 
          SO THEN THE FOUR AT LARGE COULD REALLY KIND OF FILL THOSE POSITIONS THAT, THOSE CATEGORIES THAT HAD NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. 
          HOWEVER, GIVEN THE, THE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SS A C, WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE AT LARGE APPOINTMENTS. 
          AND, AND WHO'S GONNA SIT ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE? IS IT GONNA BE ANYBODY FROM THIS, UH, COMMITTEE? ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS? YES. 
          UH, THE, THE, THE PLAN WAS, UH, AND I THINK WHAT STAFF IS RECOMMENDING US TO DO IS, UH, TO CREATE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF, OF E W D C TO, UM, INTERVIEW THE, THE 31 CANDIDATES AND THEN COME FORWARD WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          UM, I'D, I'D ASKED, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ROCHA GARCIA, IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHE CAN HELP US WITH. 
          AND SHE'S AGREED TO SERVE ON THAT SUBCOMMITTEE. 
          AND, UM, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING COUNCILMAN VILLA GRANT IS THAT, UM, AN INVITATION WAS EXTENDED TO YOU, BUT THAT WE WERE STILL WAITING TO HEAR WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANTED TO DO THAT ANSWER'S A YES. 
          MY ANSWER'S A YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ADD. 
          I WAS GONNA VOLUNTEER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT TO WHAT, YOU KNOW, FORMALITIES ARE REQUIRED FOR ME TO APPOINT, UM, THESE TWO, UH, THESE TWO COLLEAGUES OF MINE TO SERVE ON THAT SUBCOMMITTEE. 
          BUT, UM, DID I JUST DO IT? OKAY. 
          UM, THERE'S OUR SUBCOMMITTEE. 
          UM, THANK YOU BOTH FOR, FOR AGREEING TO SERVE AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, THE WORK, YOU'RE, THE RESULTS OF THE WORK YOU'RE GONNA DO. 
          UM, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ITEM, ALEX? SO WE WOULD NEED A VOTE NO TO START THIS. 
          I, I'M SO SORRY. 
          WE WOULD, WE NEED A VOTE TO START THE, TO, TO, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, ALEX, IS THAT RIGHT? DO WE NEED A VOTE TO START THE WORK OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE? NO, JUST SO, SO IF THE COMMITTEE AGREES TO, TO CREATE THE SUBCOMMITTEE, WE JUST NEED TO HAVE A VOTE ON THAT, THAT THEY MO THAT YOU WANT THAT COMMITTEE CREATED AND THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, ANYBODY WANNA MAKE THAT MOTION? I MOVE TO ESTABLISH E A SUBCOMMITTEE WITH DR. 
          ROCHA AND COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THIS . 
          AND WE GOT A SECOND. 
          ALL THOSE ALL FROM, UH, COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          A. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WE'VE GOT UNANIMITY. 
          THANK YOU EVERYBODY. 
          UH, WE'VE GOT, I BELIEVE ONE MORE ITEM, ALEX? YES, SIR. 
          OUR FINAL ITEM IS AN UPDATE, UM, ALSO FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR REGARDING THE ECONOMIC, UH, INCENTIVE GUIDELINES. 
          YEAH. 
          THIS INITIATIVE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE PAST YEAR, AND SHE'S HERE TO GIVE US AN UPDATE AND A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT. 
          AGAIN, GOOD MORNING, BRENDA HICKS, SORENSON, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. 
          JUST A REALLY QUICK OVERVIEW ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AND AGAIN, WHAT OUR PRIORITIES WERE AND WHAT WE WERE LOOKING TO BALANCE. 
          AND THAT IS REALLY THE NEED TO COMPETE, RETAIN, AND REINVEST, AS WELL AS THE NET POSITIVE ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT ON ANY, UM, FOR ANY PROJECT THAT WE WOULD INCENTIVIZE, AS WELL AS THAT NEED TO SERVE THE BROADER COMMUNITY EQUITABLY AND SUSTAINABLY. 
          SO THAT'S REALLY THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE WERE UTILIZING AS WE UNDERTOOK THIS PROCESS. 
          UM, I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE REAL QUICKLY KIND OF MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY ON INCENTIVES. 
          AND THAT IS THAT IF WE, IF I DID NOT HAVE TO EVER DO A DEAL, AN INCENTIVE DEAL IN THIS MY CAREER, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC. 
          SO REALLY ONE OF THE EMPHASIS THAT WE LOOK AT WHEN WE'RE DOING POLICIES IS HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT A, A STRONG INVESTMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT REALLY SERVES KIND OF LONG-TERM. 
          I ALWAYS LOOK AT INCENTIVE POLICIES AS YOUR INVESTMENT STRATEGY. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AS WELL, IS WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AND INCORPORATED INTO THAT. 
          SO AGAIN, OUR INCENTIVE THEMES, HOW DO WE COMPETE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY, THE IMPORTANCE OF PLACE EQUITY AND CLARITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          AND THEN HOW DOES IT FIT WITHIN THAT BROADER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY? SO AGAIN, ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IS WE HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT YOU JUST HEARD OF. 
          SOME ONE, ANOTHER ONE, THE LOAN INTEREST BUYDOWN THAT WE DO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN. 
          AND SO AS WE UNDERTOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND AS I CAME ON BOARD IN AUGUST, END OF JULY AND STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS, IT'S REALLY HOW DOES THE INCENTIVE POLICY FIT IN WITH ALL OF THE OTHER POLICIES AND ALIGN AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF KIND OF BACKGROUND 
          [01:05:01]
TO HELP IDENTIFY HOW WE GOT HERE TODAY. 
          SO AGAIN, HOW WE GOT HERE SO FAR. 
          BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2020, THE COUNCIL DID APPROVE THE 20 21, 20 22 TAX ABATEMENT AND GUIDELINES, UH, UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE I G A. 
          AGAIN, TAX ABATEMENTS ARE STATUTORILY REQUIRED TO BE UPDATED EVERY TWO YEARS PER THE STATE OF TEXAS FEBRUARY, 2021. 
          WE ENGAGED A CONSULTANT TO ASSIST WITH UP UPDATING THOSE INCENTIVES IN MARCH. 
          UH, CONDUCTED RESEARCH IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH A NUMBER OF PARTNERS, BOTH LOCALLY ACROSS THE AND ACROSS THE STATE. 
          ALSO IN APRIL CONDUCTED FO FOCUS GROUPS WITH STAKEHOLDERS HERE LOCALLY. 
          THEN IN MAY, THERE WAS A BRIEFING HERE TO E W D C, UM, REVIEWED THE INTERVIEW AND FOCUS GROUPS FEEDBACK, THEN PROCEEDED IN JUNE WITH ANOTHER UPDATE TO E W D C AND THE B SESSION WITH COUNSEL. 
          FOLLOWING THAT B SESSION, THERE WAS ONGOING REVIEW OF THE DRAFT GUIDELINES AGAIN IN JULY. 
          I CAME ON BOARD THE END OF JULY, SO STARTED ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND, UM, WANTED TO GO OUT AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF THOSE STAKEHOLDERS, THE PARTNERS, THE CONSULTANTS THAT WERE BROUGHT ON BOARD AS WELL. 
          A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH ALEX, FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT THE CONTEXT AND, AND HOW WE WERE WHERE WE WERE AT. 
          THEN IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, WE ALSO UNDERTOOK ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS, DID PRESENTATIONS TO A NUMBER OF GROUPS WE DID. 
          THEN IN OCTOBER, ALSO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION HERE TO E W D C REGARDING THE STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE. 
          JUST AS A REFRESHER FOR THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVE, AGAIN, WE WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT ROLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE PLAYING, UH, IS PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF C OVID 19. 
          SO AGAIN, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON BOLSTERING ALL NEIGHBORHOODS AND REALLY FOCUSING ON ECONOMIC HEALING. 
          WE TALK A LOT IN OUR OFFICE ABOUT RESILIENT RESILIENCY, RESILIENT GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITIES. 
          SO AGAIN, HOW DO WE POSITION THE CITY ON THAT PATH GOING FORWARD, AS WELL AS DRIVE THAT INVESTMENT AND GROWTH IN ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, INCREASE TAX BASE AND THE WEALTH OF RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES, AGAIN, IN AN EQUITABLE MANNER. 
          AND THEN EMPHASIS IS GOING TO BE PLACED ON, AGAIN, WHAT THOSE METRICS ARE. 
          AND THEN IN WITH AN EQUITY LENS. 
          SO WE PRESENTED THAT IN OCTOBER AS WE'VE CONTINUED TO GO ALONG WITH THIS, THE INCENTIVE POLICY, WE, UM, HAVE MOVED FORWARD WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. 
          WE ACTUALLY ARE GOING TO BE MEETING TOMORROW FOR THE, UM, REVIEW COMMITTEE. 
          AND THEN NEXT WEEK HAVING INTERVIEWS WITH THE CONSULTANTS. 
          WE PLAN TO BRIEF E W D C MEMBERS WITH THAT SELECTED CONSULTANT. 
          YET THIS MONTH, EARLY FEBRUARY, SO THE NATION FORWARD TO COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY. 
          THEN IN MARCH WE WOULD HOPE TO LAUNCH THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORT EFFORT WITH PRELIMINARY STRATEGIC PLANNING INFORMATION PRESENTED TO BOTH E W D C AND CITY COUNCIL. 
          IN MAY AND JUNE. 
          IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, WE WOULD PRESENT THE FINAL REPORT BOTH TO THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL AT THAT TIME. 
          WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING THAT WE BRING FORWARD THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE POLICY. 
          WE WOULD LIKE TO HOLD ON THE POLICY SO THAT WE CAN ALIGN IT WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, MAKE SURE WE'RE, AGAIN, GETTING ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK, DO A MUCH BROADER STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. 
          ONE OF THE EMPHASIS WE HAD IN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORT WAS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN EMPHASIZING TO THE CONSULTANTS THROUGH THE R F P PROCESS. 
          SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO HAVE MUCH MORE IN DEPTH, FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THE POLICIES. 
          AGAIN, REALLY LOOK AT IT AS AN INVESTMENT STRATEGY AND HOW THAT ALIGNS WITH ALL OF THE OTHER TOOLS AND RESOURCES. 
          WE LOOK AT THIS AS ONE TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE TOOLS ARE ALIGNED. 
          SO THEN WE WOULD BRING FORWARD THE, AGAIN, GO THROUGH THE STAKEHOLDER REVIEW OF THAT DRAFT INCENTIVE POLICY, PROVIDE PRESENTATIONS IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER FOR FINAL APPROVAL IN DECEMBER OF 2022. 
          SO THAT'S OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO HOLD OFF AND AGAIN, ALIGN IT WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN, COURAGE QUESTIONS, CUMMINS. 
          WELL, WHAT WILL BE THE PROCESS, UH, THAT REMAINS IN PLACE OR THAT WE USE TODAY GOING THROUGH, UH, TILL THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN WE FINALIZE THIS? YEAH, SO THE CURRENT POLICY IS, 
          [01:10:01]
UM, VALID THROUGH THE END OF 2022. 
          IT EXPIRES THE END OF, UH, DECEMBER, 2022. 
          SO WE WOULD CONTINUE TO USE THE EXISTING POLICY. 
          WE WOULD MAKE SURE, UM, IF THIS IS SUPPORTED BY THE COMMITTEE, WE WOULD REACH OUT TO ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS WHO HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS, MAKING SURE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE UNDER THE EXISTING POLICY, UM, UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          AND, AND AGAIN, REALLY LET THEM KNOW THIS TIMELINE. 
          DO YOU FORESEE ANY, UH, PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT POLICY THAT'S, THAT'S MOVING US IN THE DIRECTION OF THE NEW ONE THAT WE MAY HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN THE INTERIM? SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO NECESSARILY DEAL WITH ANYTHING IN THE INTERIM. 
          I CERTAINLY HAVE SOME, SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME CONCERNS. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED A LOT ON THE POLICY, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT PROCESS. 
          SO, UM, SO REALLY NOT NECESSARILY DOING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, BUT THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DIGGING INTO. 
          UM, NOT JUST WAITING FOR THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, BUT CURRENTLY IN PLACE JUST AS I CONTINUE MY ONBOARDING, UH, ARE WE LOOKING AT, UH, A LARGE, UH, NUMBERS OF GROUPS THAT ARE EXPRESSING INTEREST IN COMING INTO THE CITY RIGHT NOW THAT, UH, ARE HAVING ANY PROBLEMS WITH OUR CURRENT POLICIES? SO OUR, OUR PIPELINE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS RIGHT NOW IN OUR PIPELINE, OF COURSE, AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS ON THOSE. 
          UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE BEEN HAVING, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERS IS DO OUR INCENTIVES IMPACT OUR CURRENT DEAL FLOW? MEANING IS THERE A PERCEPTION OUT THERE ABOUT OUR INCENTIVE POLICY THAT MAYBE IS PRECLUDING PEOPLE FROM EVEN EXPRESSING AN INTEREST? THAT'S SOMETHING I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET CLARITY ON. 
          SO THAT'S, WE INCLUDED THAT IN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. 
          UM, A LOT OF TIMES IN THE INDUSTRY IT'S CALLED A PERCEPTION SURVEY OR A PERCEPTION STUDY. 
          SO DEFINITELY WANT TO UNDERTAKE THAT AND PURSUE THAT. 
          AND THEN AS WE'RE LOOKING AT PROJECTS THAT, UM, ARE NOT CHOOSING SAN ANTONIO, WHO WERE IN THAT, THAT DEAL FLOW, THAT PIPELINE AT SOME POINT IN TIME, AGAIN, REACHING OUT AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DID NOT, IF THEY CHOSE NOT TO, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SAN ANTONIO. 
          WHY THAT IS NOT, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO IMPROVE THAT. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ALWAYS REALLY GET INFORMATION WE NEED YOU, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'D BE USEFUL FOR US AS A COMMITTEE TO HEAR WHAT YOUR FINDINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO MAYBE MAKE ANY INTERIM, UH, ADJUSTMENTS THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED AS WE'RE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP THE POLICY, WHICH DICTATES THE PROCESS. 
          SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND AS YOU'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE PIPELINE NOW, OR PEOPLE WHO'VE KIND OF SAID NO, UH, RECENTLY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT THAT PROBLEM MAY BE. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN VRAN? YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, BRENDAN, I'M SORRY, BRENDAN, UH, I'M SORRY. 
          SO THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE NO SURPRISE TO YOU. 
          UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STAKEHOLDERS AND WE TALK ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, WE DO NEED TO TALK THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE AND HOW HARD IT WAS, UH, IN SOME AREAS TO, TO GET THE INTERNET SERVICE. 
          SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDERS, I THINK WE NEED TO ASK VERY DIRECT QUESTIONS ON THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE SPIKES IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE TO GO VIRTUAL LIKE THIS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGY IS THERE, BUT AS WE LEARN TODAY, IT TAKES TIME TO GET US BACK ALL ON IT. 
          UM, SO I, I LIKE EVERYTHING I HEAR IN TERMS OF, UH, THE ECONOMIC HEALING. 
          I THINK WE HAVE A, A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US TO DO. 
          AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDERS, WE TALK ABOUT THOSE ADVOCATING FOR, UM, DIGITAL INCLUSION AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, BROADBAND AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE IS CITYWIDE IS, IS ALSO PART OF THE CONVERSATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          AND THANK YOU BRENDA, FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UH, I, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, DEVELOPING THE INCENTIVE GUIDELINES TO ALIGN THEM WITH CURRENT CONVERSATIONS AND NEEDS SUCH AS SUSTAINABILITY AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LONE STAR DEVELOPMENT AND THAT INCENTIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, OVER $24 MILLION IN, UH, ABATEMENT, UH, WHICH IS MORE THAN OUR HOUSING PRESERVATION REPAIR FUND. 
          UM, SO I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR 
          [01:15:01]
US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION TO REALIGN THAT AND SEE WHERE WE CAN MEET THAT COMMUNITY NEED, UH, IN EXCHANGE FOR THE INCENTIVE. 
          UM, BUT MY QUESTION IS, UM, DOES THIS INCENTIVE POLICY ONLY APPLY TO THREE 12 AND THREE 80 AGREEMENTS, OR IS IT ALL CITY AGREEMENTS RELATED TO THIS? YEAH, THIS, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS THE 3 12, 3 80. 
          UM, AND THEN WITHIN THAT WE ALSO HAVE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FUND. 
          UH, SO VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON THE, THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          THIS IS ALEX. 
          I, I JUST WOULD ADD VERY QUICKLY ALSO THAT, UM, SOME OF THE HOUSING RELATED PROJECTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ONE THAT YOU REFERENCED, IT, IT IS, UM, OPERATIONALIZED VIA THREE 80, UM, TYPE OF AGREEMENT, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY GOVERNED UNDER THESE GUIDELINES. 
          THERE'S A, THERE'S A SEPARATE PROCESS AND, AND, UM, PROGRAM THAT THE HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DEPARTMENT USES TO EVALUATE THOSE PROJECTS. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          IT'S STRICTLY JOB CREATION, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. 
          THAT'S WHAT, WHAT THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON. 
          YEAH. 
          'CAUSE WHAT THAT THIS CONVERSATION REMINDS ME OF IS, UM, DISPERSE FACILITY AND HOW WE HAD CONVERSATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, WE SECURED LIVABLE WAGES, UH, AND GOOD JOBS. 
          UM, BUT, UH, SINCE THE LAST TIME THIS WAS, UH, LOOKED AT, I WASN'T ON COUNCIL. 
          SO IF I CAN HAVE MEETINGS AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS PROCESS, I'D APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          CAN YOU HELP ME, UM, UNDERSTAND HOW WE'VE INCORPORATED SOME OF THE READY TO WORK REQUIREMENTS INTO THE, UM, INTO THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, PLEASE? SURE. 
          SO, UM, A NUMBER OF THE RECENT PROJECTS THAT WE'VE EITHER BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH OR HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD, WE DID, UM, MEET WITH MIKE RAMSEY AND OUR COLLEAGUES OVER IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTIFIED AT WHAT POINT IN TIME WHAT MAKES SENSE WE'RE READY TO WORK. 
          AND, UH, SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET COMMITMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM THE COMMIT, UM, FROM THE COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VARIOUS BUSINESS ROUND TABLES, UH, PARTICIPATE IN DEVELOPING THE CRITERIA, UH, THE SKILL SETS THAT ARE NEEDED. 
          SO TO REALLY BE ACTIVE IN THAT CONVERSATION. 
          UH, WE'VE ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF COMPANIES THAT WE'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH, AGAIN, LOOKING AT DEAL FLOW RIGHT NOW. 
          AND, UM, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE CONTINUED TO TALK TO MIKE AND OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COLLEAGUES ON WHAT MAKES SENSE, WHAT'S THE TIMING FOR PERHAPS SOME OF THE READY TO WORK PARTICIPANTS TO THEN BE EMPLOYABLE. 
          'CAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S GOING TO BE A TIMELINE THERE. 
          UM, AND IN SOME CASES A LAG GIVEN TWO TO FOUR YEARS. 
          AND SO REALLY, UM, DEPENDING UPON THE SPECIFIC SKILL SETS THAT THE COMPANY IS LOOKING AT, WE DO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH MIKE AND THE TEAM ON WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE. 
          GOT IT. 
          AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I'VE, I'VE SAID AT LEAST THREE TIMES IS THE FOCUS ON APPRENTICESHIPS, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, I I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER LEVERAGING POINT THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE CONSIDERING, RIGHT? SO EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT EMPLOYABLE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR CERTIFICATION, ARE THEY ABLE TO DO SOME SORT OF AN INTERNSHIP, UH, EXTERNSHIP, APPRENTICESHIP SOMETHING, RIGHT. 
          AND WE KNOW THERE'S MONEY FOR APPRENTICESHIPS ON THE WAGE REQUIREMENTS, INCREASING INITIAL WAGE REQUIREMENTS. 
          CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT THE WAGE REQUIREMENT IS? SURE. 
          WE UTILIZE THE LIVING WAGE CURRENT POLICY IS 12. 
          I'D HAVE TO GIVE YOU, IT'S LIKE 1274. 
          UM, AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT, UM, THE WAGES FOR THE, THE SPECIFIC POSITIONS AS WELL, THE ALL COMMUNITY WAGES. 
          GOT IT. 
          AND SO THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT'S NINE IN LINE WITH THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM, WHICH IS $15. 
          AND SO, UM, IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? WELL, SO THE POLICY AGAIN, WAS, WAS APPROVED, WE'RE USING THE OLD POLICY. 
          UM, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING ON THE DRAFT AND WHAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING WAS THE 1560 AS THE MINIMUM, WHICH ACTUALLY ALIGNS WITH THE CITY POLICY, UM, WAS WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT. 
          UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY, THAT WILL BE A CONVERSATION. 
          IN FACT, UM, MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OR HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH, THE WAGES ARE ACTUALLY HIGHER. 
          UH, AND SO THAT IS DEFINITELY A CONVERSATION THAT WE'LL NEED TO BE HAVING DURING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AS TO, AGAIN, WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES? UH, AND SO GETTING INTO WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE APPROPRIATE WAGES? WHAT ARE WE REALLY WANTING TO INCENTIVIZE? SURE. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S HOW WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE, RIGHT? BUT ALSO THEY REMAIN COMPETITIVE, SO THEY MIGHT BE LOSING OUT, UM, TO OTHER COMPANIES WHO ARE EMPLOYING AT A HIGHER WAGE LEVEL. 
          SO LOOKING AT FROM, FROM BOTH SIDES, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE COULD MOVE THE NEEDLE FASTER IN PARTICULAR ON THE WAGE PORTION? OR DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR ALL OF THE GUIDELINES TO BE CHANGED? WELL, I MEAN, ANYTIME WE BRING A PROJECT FORWARD, WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE WAGES. 
          I MEAN, AGAIN, IDEALLY, UH, WE'RE ALREADY REALLY TRYING 
          [01:20:01]
TO EMPHASIZE SOME OF THOSE HIGHER WAGES AS WE'RE TALKING TO THE COMPANIES TAKING THAT LOOK. 
          SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT IN THE CURRENT INCENTIVE POLICY, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING AND LOOKING AT AND WOULD BRING IT FORWARD, UM, TO COUNCIL WHEN WE HAVE ANY OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A PARTICULAR INCENTIVIZED PROJECT. 
          AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE PRIVY TO SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS E W D C AND THEN EVEN AS COUNCIL, AS WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN. 
          BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, CLEAR TO OUR, UH, OUR AUDIENCE THAT, UH, I, I THINK THAT WE GET BASHED RIGHT EVERY TIME THAT WE GIVE AN INCENTIVE THAT WE DIDN'T TRY HARD ENOUGH. 
          AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALIZE THAT JUST BECAUSE THE GUIDELINES SAY THIS, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MEET THAT LIVABLE WAGE OR THAT BEYOND, RIGHT, BEYOND AT LEAST THE $15 FROM READY TO WORK, FOR INSTANCE. 
          SO, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS SPECIFICALLY ASKING THIS. 
          AND THEN ANOTHER THING THAT CONCERNS ME. 
          UM, SO, UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE Y W C A ON GENDER PAY, UM, PARITY PRACTICES. 
          AND, UH, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD ASKED ABOUT INITIALLY IS LOOKING AT HOW ARE WE DETERMINING THAT THERE ARE NO PARITY, UH, ISSUES? BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED INITIALLY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I WAS TOLD, WELL, THEY'RE ABLE TO SHARE IF THEY WANT TO, BUT WE CAN'T FORCE THEM TO SHARE. 
          SO HOW DO WE SOLVE FOR THAT PROBLEM IF WE NOW HAVE IT IN THE GUIDELINES INCORPORATING GENDER PAY, UH, PRACTICES, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION? SURE. 
          SO THE WAY WE WERE OPERATIONALIZING THAT WAS BY ASKING THEM FOR WHAT THEIR PLAN WAS AND FOR, FOR PROVIDING THE DETAILS. 
          SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE THESE KINDS OF ITEMS IN YOUR INCENTIVE POLICIES, YOU DO GIVE THE COMPANIES 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS, A CERTAIN WINDOW OF TIME TO PROVIDE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION. 
          GOT IT. 
          AND THAT INFORMATION, UM, IF THEY'RE APPLYING FOR AN INCENTIVE, THEN BECOMES PUBLIC RECORD, OR ARE WE STILL ABLE TO WITHHOLD SOME OF THAT INFORMATION? SO THAT'S USUALLY WHEN WE HAVE A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, THAT'S THE KIND OF DATA AND KIND OF INFORMATION THAT'S USUALLY SENT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. 
          WE, UM, A LOT OF TIMES COMPANIES WILL ARGUE THAT THAT'S, UM, CLASSIFIED INFORMATION OR THEY WANNA KEEP IT CONFIDENTIAL. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER IF YEAH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR, UH, UM, THOSE COMMENTS, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO, I GOTTA CHECK AND MAKE SURE IF THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS. 
          COUNCILMAN VERAN, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? NO, THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, YOU OKAY? ALL RIGHT. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY VERY QUICKLY THAT THE ITEMS THAT YOU REFERENCED REGARDING GENDER PAY PARITY AND BEST PRACTICES THAT BUSINESSES MAY BE FOLLOWING AND, AND US ASKING ABOUT THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN WE REVISE THEM, BUT IT'S NOT IN OUR CURRENT POLICY, SO WE STILL ASK A LOT MORE QUESTIONS THAN WHAT IS ACTUALLY IN THE GUIDELINES. 
          SO JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THERE RIGHT NOW, SIMILAR TO THE WAGES SITUATION, EVEN THOUGH THE BAR MAY BE AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A PARTICULAR PROJECT, WE STILL LOOK, UM, AT A LOT OF THOSE PERSPECTIVES AND GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN. 
          UM, I THINK THE THOUGHT WITH THE, WITH REVISING THE GUIDELINES WAS REALLY, IF WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THEM, LET'S CHANGE IT ONCE AND LET'S COMMUNICATE IT TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED ONE TIME WITH CLARITY VERSUS MAKING SOME MORE TWEAKS NOW AND THEN MAYBE SOME MORE CHANGES IN A COUPLE MONTHS. 
          BUT THERE'S NOTHING THAT STOPS US FROM DOING IT. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          THAT'S, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND AS, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, UM, I, I WAS IN THE ROOM WHEN, UH, WHEN WE NEGOTIATED AND ACTUALLY WHEN WE DE DESIGNED AND THEN NEGOTIATED THE, UH, STARBRITE AGREEMENT, UM, WAY BACK IN 2002, 2003, WE, UM, AND, AND, AND I ALWAYS WONDER WHETHER OR NOT THIS EXERCISE THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW WOULD'VE RESULTED IN THE SAME MIRACLE THAT WAS THE TOYOTA PROJECT. 
          UM, AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU GUYS ARE ASKING YOURSELVES THAT QUESTION, RIGHT? I MEAN, IS IS ARE WE SCRUBBING SO HARD TO WHERE WE, IF WE HAD TO DO STARBRITE ALL OVER AGAIN, UH, WHAT WOULD THE RESULT BE? I MEAN, AND I KNOW IT'S A THOUGHT EXERCISE, BUT I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE, BRENDA. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          SO ANY, MY RECOMMENDATION IS ANYTIME YOU DO A POLICY REVISION, YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT THE PROJECTS THAT YOU WANNA DO AND YOU KIND OF DO A, A TOUCH POINT ON WOULD THIS, WOULD WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS UNDER THIS POLICY? IF THE ANSWER IS NO, THEN YOU PROBABLY NEED TO MAKE SOME TWEAKS TO THAT, THAT REVISED POLICY. 
          UM, AGAIN, AT THE SAME TIME, WHAT ARE SOME POS OR PROJECTS THAT WE DID THAT MAYBE WE DON'T WANT TO DO GOING FORWARD AND DOING THE SAME ANALYSIS ON THAT AS WELL? SO AGAIN, REALLY WHAT ARE THOSE PROJECTS WE WANT TO DO? MAKING SURE THAT THE POLICY ALLOWS YOU TO DO THOSE, THOSE POLICIES YOU'RE LESS THAN EXCITED ABOUT NOW, KIND 
          [01:25:01]
OF IN HINDSIGHT, MAKING SURE THAT THE POLICY, A GOOD POLICY SHOULD GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY NO AS WELL. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THEN THE, THE SECOND THING IS, YOU, YOU DID SAY TO COUNCILMAN COURAGE THAT THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT AS FAR AS UNDERSTANDING OUR PERCEPTION SCORES. 
          UM, WHAT ARE THOSE? WELL, SO WE HAVEN'T DONE A PERCEPTION STUDY. 
          I'VE CONFIRMED WITH A NUMBER OF OUR PARTNERS AS WE'VE DONE OTHER STRATEGIC PLANS, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY THERE'S A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLANS FOR THE REGION. 
          UH, SO AS I DUG INTO SOME OF THOSE AND ASKED, WE HAVEN'T DONE A PERCEPTION STUDY, SO WE HAVEN'T GONE OUT TO CORPORATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO BE DOING SITE SEARCHES THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND ASKED THEM IF SAN ANTONIO WAS ON THE RADAR. 
          UM, AND JUST GO THROUGH A SERIES OF QUESTIONS. 
          LIKEWISE, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT WITH SITE CONSULTANTS, SO A LOT OF TIMES, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE HUNDRED SITE CONSULTANTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE PRETTY WELL KNOWN FOR THE PROJECTS THAT THEY DO. 
          THEY WORK WITH A LOT OF THE LARGE CORPORATIONS. 
          AND SO DOING THAT PERCEPTION SURVEY WITH THEM, ASKING THEM AGAIN, WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS HAVE THEY DONE? HAS SAN ANTONIO BEEN ON THEIR RADAR? HAVE THEY LOOKED AT SAN ANTONIO? WHAT WAS THE DECISION MAKING AROUND THAT? AND THEN GETTING INTO THE FACTORS OF WHY OR WHY NOT. 
          WE MAY NOT, WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN ON THE LIST. 
          UM, AND SO JUST REALLY DIGGING INTO THAT. 
          AND THEN YOU GET INTO, AGAIN, IF THE ANSWER IS WHY NOT? WHAT WAS IT? WAS IT THE INCENTIVES? AND SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S A PERCEPTION ISSUE. 
          IT'S A COMMUNICATION OPPORTUNITY FOR US. 
          UM, AND THEN OTHER TIMES THERE'S REAL IDENTITY IS LIKE, I'VE WORKED IN A COMMUNITY WHERE PERMITTING WAS A NIGHTMARE AND THE CONSULTANTS THAT HAD GOTTEN OUT THERE THAT PERMITTING WAS A NIGHTMARE. 
          AND SO IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVES WE OFFERED, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANNA DEAL WITH THAT PROCESS. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE IT GOES TO UNDERSTANDING OUR PROCESSES AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES AROUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. 
          BUT, SO WE DEFINITELY WANNA DO THAT SURVEY WHEN, UH, THAT'LL BE PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. 
          SO WE'RE, UM, ON PAPER, WE HAVE IT IDENTIFIED FOR MARCH, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE WANNA DIG INTO WITH THE CONSULTANTS. 
          COUNCILWOMAN. 
          YEAH. 
          SORRY, I FORGOT A, A QUESTION REALLY FAST. 
          BRENDA, YOU HAVE ON HERE JANUARY, FEBRUARY AS THE, UM, BRIEFINGS REGARDING THE CONSULTANT SELECTION. 
          SO IS THE R REMIND P ALREADY OPEN? IS IT A POSTED? IT'S OKAY. 
          OPEN AND CLOSED. 
          IT'S, IT'S GONE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT'S ALREADY GONE THROUGH. 
          SO WE, UH, ACTUALLY THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE MEETS TOMORROW. 
          PERFECT. 
          OKAY. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH, Y'ALL, THIS IS, UM, THIS IS GOOD. 
          THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. 
          NO, YES. 
          IT'S NOT AN ACTION ITEM. 
          IT WAS MORE OF AN UPDATE ABOUT, UM, THE STATUS OF THE INCENTIVE GUIDELINES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND, UH, THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF ANOTHER MEETING AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY SHOWING UP, UM, AND PUTTING UP WITH THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AGAIN TO MY FRIENDS ON, ON THE ONLINE. 
          Y'ALL WERE VERY PATIENT AND KIND. 
          BYE EVERYBODY. 
          WE'D ADJOURNED.
* 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.