* 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] FOCUS ON THE HERE AND NOW. ANTONIO. ANTONIO, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE. UM, WE KNOW THAT THE TRAVEL TIME FOR FOLKS IS A LITTLE BIT EXTENDED TODAY BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. THE TIME IS NOW 9:31 AM ON THIS THIRD DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2022, AND WE CALL OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION ORDER. 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. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KEO VARDA. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER PALIS. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. MAYOR NIERENBERG. HERE. MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT, AND AGAIN, GOOD MORNING [ PROCEDURAL  ] EVERYONE. UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR WHO HAVE, UH, STAYED WITH US HERE AS WE'VE GOTTEN STARTED. AND ALSO THANK YOU FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE GALLERY FOR OBSERVING OUR C O PROTOCOLS. WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD. STARTED NOW WITH AN INVOCATION GUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR LEVY. JOHNNY GRIFFIN IS A SENIOR PASTOR OF EXPANSE BIBLE CHURCH ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. HE IS A LICENSED MINISTER AND HAS PRIEST PREACHED JESUS CRUCIFIED IN THE CHURCHES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. HIS BIBLE STUDIES AND PODCASTS HAVE REACHED ACROSS CONTINENTS AND HAVE TOUCHED PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RACES, CREEDS AND IDEOLOGIES. HE STARTED AS A YOUTH PASTOR AND DEVELOPED A LOVE FOR OUT OUTREACH. ONE MAJOR PASSION FOR JOHNNY IS REACHING THE LOST, WHICH THE BIBLE DEFINES AS THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE SAVING GRACE OF JESUS CHRIST. THIS PASSION IS WHAT DROVE HIM AND HIS WIFE, MRS. GRIFFIN, TO FOUND EXPANSE BIBLE CHURCH IN 2021. EXPANSE BIBLE CHURCH SOLE MISSION, ITS SOLE MISSION IS TO PLANT CHURCHES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD THAT PREACH AND TEACH JESUS CRUCIFIED. JOHNNY IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INCARNATE WORD AND HEADS A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IN THEOLOGY, WHICH HE TEACHES ON THE WEEKENDS AT EXPANSE BIBLE CHURCHES, SCHOOL OF MINISTRY. JOHNNY LOVES HIS FAMILY, GOD'S PEOPLE'S MINISTRY, AND ABOVE ALL LOVES GOD. AWESOME. IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE. THANK YOU GUYS FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND A FEW MOMENTS WITH YOU. THANKS TO THE MAYOR, THANKS TO THE PEOPLE. LET'S PRAY. LORD GOD, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE. AND PHILIPPIANS, IT TELLS US BEFORE WE ASK FOR ANYTHING, LORD GOD, THAT WE SHOULD GIVE THANKS. SO I GIVE THANKS LORD GOD, THAT EVERYONE MADE IT HERE SAFELY. I GIVE THANKS, LORD GOD, THAT OUR HEART IS BEATING. I GIVE THANKS THAT OUR LEGS ARE WORKING, THAT WE'RE IN OUR RIGHT MIND. LORD GOD, YOU HAVE BLESSED US LORD GOD. IF WE HAVE A DOLLAR IN THE BANK, LORD GOD, WE ARE BLESSED. WE'RE A MORE BLESSED NATION THAN MANY OTHER NATIONS, LORD GOD. SO YOU FAVOR US AND WE WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THIS LORD GOD, I ASK LORD GOD, THAT YOU'RE YOUR SPIRIT. BE IN THE PLACE, LORD GOD. I ASK THAT AS WE WORK THROUGH ISSUES AND WORK THROUGH PROBLEMS, LORD GOD, THAT YOU JUST GIVE US CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS, LORD GOD, AND THAT WE PUT YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE ABOVE ALL THINGS, LORD GOD, THAT WE PUT IT ABOVE POLITICS BEFORE WE PUT 'EM ABOVE POLICY, LORD GOD, AND THAT WE JUST SEEK TO SERVE YOUR WILL LORD GOD, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR OUR CITY. LORD GOD, WE, WE DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY, LORD GOD, THAT WE ARE STILL STANDING, THAT WE ARE STILL STRONG AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER CITIES THAT ARE NOT FATHER. SO WE WANNA JUST GLORIFY YOU FOR THAT. LORD GOD, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. LORD GOD, I JUST ASK AS WE LEAVE THIS PLACE, LORD GOD, THAT WE MAKE IT HOME SAFELY. THAT WE MAKE IT THROUGH THIS WINTER STORM, THIS WEEKEND, LORD GOD INTACT. LORD GOD, WE GIVE YOU GLORY FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN [00:05:10] REPUBLIC JUSTICE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PASTOR GRIFFIN. ALRIGHT, THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS TODAY, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF JANUARY 12TH, 2022. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE MINUTES. ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION. DID I HEAR A SECOND? ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION BY ROCHA GARCIA, SECOND BY MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WE DO HAVE A [POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE  ] COUPLE OF POINTS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. LET ME START, UH, BY RECOGNIZING BLACK HI HISTORY MONTH TODAY IN SAN ANTONIO AND WE'RE PLEASED TO RECOGNIZE THIS IMPORTANT INVITATION TO CELEBRATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR BLACK COMMUNITY. WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE AN INSTITUTION IN OUR CITY WHOSE MISSION IS TO TRACK AND RECORD OUR REGION'S BLACK HISTORY, GETTING US CLOSER TO ACCOUNT FOR OUR COMPLETE HISTORY AND TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO LEARN AND GROW FROM THAT HISTORY. SO IN HONOR OF THAT, IN BLACK HISTORY MONTH, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME DEBORAH JARMIN OMO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN ANTONIO AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY ARCHIVE AND MUSEUM TO ADDRESS US TODAY. WELCOME, DEBORAH. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN JALEN AND ALSO OUR OTHER ESTEEMED COUNCIL MEMBERS OF SAN ANTONIO. BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY. SAN ANTONIO'S BLACK HISTORY IS SAN ANTONIO'S HISTORY. IT IS A STORY OF ESTA. HE WAS BROUGHT HERE AS AN ENSLAVED PERSON WITH THE SPANIARDS, AND HE NAVIGATED, HE INTERPRETED FOR THE SPANIARDS WITH THE NATIVES THAT LIVED HERE. IT'S THE STORY OF JOE WHO WAS ENSLAVED BY TRAVIS AND LEAVES ONE OF THE ONLY LIVING EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO. IT'S THE STORY OF EMILY WEST. YES. THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS, WHO LOOKED A LOT LIKE ME. THE STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH WHO SAID IN 1917 IN THE SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS THAT YES, INDEED THE ALAMO WAS A SLAVE MARKET. IT'S ALSO A TRIUMPHANT STORY. IT'S A STORY OF THE WILCOX RANCH THAT HAS BEEN IN THEIR FAMILY FOR 150 YEARS, NOT MORE THAN 40 MILES FROM WHERE WE LIVE IN A FREEDMAN'S COLONY OUTSIDE OF SEINEN. IT'S THE STORY OF ELLIS GRIFFIN WHO HAD OVER A HUNDRED ACRES OFF OF WETMORE ROAD, WHICH IS HOW SECHE CAME TO HAVE OUR ANNUAL BLUES FESTIVAL, WHICH YOU ALL HAVE THE FIESTA MEDAL THAT WAS ON YOUR CHAIR OF OUR BLUES FESTIVAL. IT'S THE STORY OF HEROES. MYRA DAVIS HEMMINGS, WHO WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF DELTA THETA, DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, WHO HAS DONE SO MUCH, NOT JUST IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT ACROSS THE NATION, INCLUDING BEING ONE OF THE SPEARHEADS OF OUR NATIONAL HEAD START PROGRAM. THE STORY OF HATTIE BRISCOE, WHO AS A COSMETOLOGY TEACHER AT PHYLLIS WHEATLEY HIGH SCHOOL, LOST HER JOB AND DECIDED, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GOING TO FIGHT FOR MY JOB. AND IN DOING THAT, SHE GOT A NEW CAREER AS A LAWYER AND THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE ATTORNEY IN BEXAR COUNTY. IT'S THE STORY OF SAN ANTONIO GOVERNMENT. REVEREND SS A JAMES WHO IN 1965, WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CITY COUNCIL PERSON HERE IN SAN ANTONIO OR IVY TAYLOR, THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE MAYOR OF A CITY THAT HAD OVER 1 MILLION RESIDENTS. AND OUR OWN COUNCILMAN, JALEN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, THE FIRST BLACK OPENLY GAY COUNCIL PERSON IN SAN ANTONIO. IT'S THE STORY OF FIESTA. IT'S THE STORY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE CELEBRATED, IF YOU READ THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION, PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT [00:10:01] WEREN'T EVEN CONSIDERED CITIZENS. IT'S A, IT'S THE STORY OF ELLIS GRIFFIN, AS I TALKED ABOUT, WHO PLAYED THE FIDDLE FOR HIS NEIGHBORS OUT ON WETMORE ROAD EVERY NIGHT AND EVERYONE CAME TO PARTY. WE ARE CELEBRATING HEALTH AND WELLNESS AS THE NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY THEME. SO IT'S THE STORY OF OUR LOCAL HEROES LIKE DR. DIANA BURNS, BANKS LOCAL LIVING HEROES, OR TIFFANY JONES SMITH, THE C E O OF THE TEXAS KIDNEY FOUNDATION, OUR OWN CLAUDE JACOBS, THE NEW, UM, DIRECTOR OF METRO HEALTH. IT'S ALSO THE, THE HISTORIC STORIES OF THE FIRST BLACK SURGEON, DR. GREEN STERNS, DR. RUTH BELLINGER, DR. CHARLES ANDREW, SENIOR, DR. ROBERT LMM, HILLIARD RUTH DEDRICK EDWARDS, A BIOCHEMIST, CALVIN KENNEDY SENIOR, A BIOCHEMIST. SO I WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE COUNCIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CITY FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, LOOKING AT OUR POLICIES THROUGH AN EQUITABLE LENS, CELEBRATING SAN ANTONIO CULTURES, OF COURSE, SUPPORTING SE A M AND ITS PROGRAMMING AND INCLUDING OUR ARCHIVE GROWTH AT THE TEXAS A AND M SAN ANTONIO, OUR EXHIBIT SPACE, AND HOPEFULLY OUR EXPANSION MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER WALSH, OUR RIVERBOAT TOURS, OUR FILM SERIES PRESERVING LOCAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN CEMETERIES AND INCLUDING SATURDAY'S EVENT AT THE ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE WE ARE CELEBRATING BLACK COWBOYS. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, ANGLO COW WORKERS WERE CALLED COW HANDS. SO THE TERM COWBOYS WAS USED FOR BLACK AND NATIVE COW HANDS, JUST SO YOU KNOW THAT. BUT SEE, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT IF YOU DIDN'T READ HISTORY. SO I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU, UNTIL EVERY CHILD IN SAN ANTONIO CAN SEE THEIRSELVES REPRESENTED IN SAN ANTONIO HISTORY, UNTIL EVERY CHILD IN SAN ANTONIO CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE HISTORY MAKERS, WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO. SO LET ME LEAVE YOU WITH ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS. IT'S A PRAYER, THE THIRD STANZA OF LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING THAT WAS WRITTEN BY JAMES WELDON JOHNSON, THAT IN MY COMMUNITY IS THE NEGRO NATIONAL ANTHEM. BUT I WANT YOU TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND PRAY THIS WITH ME. GOD OF OUR WEARY EARS, GOD OF OUR SILENT TEARS, THOU WHO HAS BROUGHT US THUS FAR ON THE WAY, THOU WHO HAS BY YOUR MIGHT LET US INTO THE LIGHT, KEEP US FOREVER IN THE PATH WE PRAY, LEST OUR FEET STRAY FROM THE PLACES OUR GOD WHERE WE MET YOU, LEST OUR HEART DRUNK WITH THE WINE OF THE WORLD, WE FORGOT YOU SHADOWED BENEATH YOUR HAND. MAY WE FOREVER STAND TRUE TO OUR GOD, TRUE TO OUR NATIVE LAND? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DEBORAH. UH, AND THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE TEAM, UH, AT SAY A M UM, DEBORAH, I THINK I'M A BELIEVER IN THAT MOMENTS MAKE PEOPLE, BUT IN THIS CASE, I THINK PEOPLE WERE MADE FOR MOMENTS. AND I THINK YOU WERE THE ABSOLUTE RIGHT PERSON TO BE IN OUR COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT ACAM WAS ESTABLISHED. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, UM, AND TO, UM, CONTINUE AND GIVE FOCUS AND INVITE OUR COMMUNITY TO OUR BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATION AND RECOGNITIONS. LET ME TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU DEBORAH, UM, AND ALL WHO ARE WITH YOU. UM, SO SAY CAM SAN ANTONIO, AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ARCH ARCHIVE. ARCH ARCHIVE AND MUSEUM IS SO CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT, UH, IN PRESERVING THE HISTORY, THE BLACK HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT THEM. UM, AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR CALLING US INTO THE MOMENT HISTORICALLY AND WITH A VISION FOR WHAT WE CAN BECOME. MY OFFICE IS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH SAY, CAM, TO KICK OFF BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH AN EVENT TAKING PLACE THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH AT 1:00 PM AT THE HISTORIC ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER, FEBRUARY 5TH, THIS SATURDAY AT 1:00 PM PLEASE COME OUT, JOIN US FOR A FREE MATINEE MOVIE, COMMEMORATING THE BLACK COWBOY. WE WILL HAVE A POPUP EXHIBIT, AS WELL AS DEMONSTRATIONS BY THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS ON ROPING, COWBOY COOKING AND HORSEBACK RIDING. [00:15:01] WE INVITE OUR ENTIRE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY TO JOIN US BLACK HISTORY MONTH IS A TIME WHEN WE GROUND OURSELVES IN THE STORIES OF OUR BLACK COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO A TIME TO REFLECT ON OUR ACTIONS AND HOW WE ARE HONORING THE STRUGGLE AND EVEN THE VERY EXISTENCE OF BLACK LIVES. I'M REMINDED OF A QUOTE BY A TRANSFORMATIVE AUTHOR AND PHILOSOPHER JAMES BALDWIN. HE SAID, I BEGAN TO BE BUGGED BY THE TEACHING OF AMERICAN HISTORY BECAUSE IT SEEMED THAT HISTORY HAD BEEN TAUGHT WITHOUT THE COGNIZANCE OF MY PRESENCE. AND MAY ALL OUR ACTIONS AS A COUNCIL DEMONSTRATE THE BLACK LIVES MATTER, AND ALSO CELEBRATE BLACK JOY AND HONOR THE VERY EXISTENCE OF BLACK LIVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, UH, WITH A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. NOW LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, THIS MORNING I WANTED JUST TO SHARE SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS. UM, COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS. SAN ANTONIO HAS RECEIVED A HISTORIC AND UNPRECEDENTED GIFT, AGAIN THIS MORNING OF $7 MILLION TO HELP MORE KIDS THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND SO THIS IS THE SINGLE LARGEST DONATION IN THE ORGANIZATION'S HISTORY, UM, OF 36 YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND IT'S A PART OF A TRANSFORMATIVE NATIONAL $133.5 MILLION DONATION FROM PHILANTHROPIST MACKENZIE SCOTT TO THE COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS NETWORK, UM, AND THE NATIONAL OFFICE. AND SO I'VE GOTTA SAY THAT MY, UM, PREDECESSOR, UH, COUNCILMAN RE SALDANA IS NOW THE C E O OF COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS NATIONAL. SO I'M SUPER PROUD OF HIM. SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING ALSO MY, MY FORMER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, BUT THEN ALSO AS AN ALUM AND AS A BOARD MEMBER FOR COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS. THIS JUST GIVES ME GREAT JOY. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MENTION THIS, THIS MORNING BECAUSE MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS BENEFIT. SO FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY COLLEAGUE, UM, EAST CENTRAL, I S D, EDGEWOOD, I S D HARLANDALE, I S D, NORTHEAST, I S D, NORTHSIDE, I S D SAN ANTONIO, I S D SOMERSET, I S D, SOUTH SAN I S D, AND SOUTHWEST I S D WILL ALL BENEFIT. SO IT, UM, IT IS A CAUSE FOR A GREAT JOY THIS MORNING. AND PLEASE, IF YOU SEE ANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS STAFF ANYWHERE AROUND TODAY, CONGRATULATED ON THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING ON BEHALF OF KIDS LIKE ME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE WITH A COMMENT FOR OUR GUESTS. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ME OKAY. UH, I DO WANNA MAKE A, UH, TWO COMMENTS, REALLY. UH, FIRST LET ME JUST SAY THAT, UH, IT WAS, UH, OVER A YEAR AGO THAT PEOPLE CAME BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL AND ASKED THE CITY COUNCIL TO SHOW THAT THEY STAND WITH, UH, AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY. AND I WAS PROUD AT THAT, AT THAT TIME, TO SAY, BLACK LIVES MATTER. AND I SAY THAT AGAIN TODAY, AND I HOPE ALL OF US RECOGNIZE THAT. THE OTHER COMMENT I WANNA MAKE IS RELATED TO WHAT WE JUST HEARD WITH COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS. THEY'RE SUCH AN OUTSTANDING ORGANIZATION. A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW I WAS A TEACHER FOR 27 YEARS, BUT BEFORE I STARTED MY FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING FOR SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, I ACTUALLY WORKED FOR COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AND, UH, AM VERY PROUD OF, OF THAT RELATIONSHIP AND THE CONTINUED WORK THEY DO FOR OUR, OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. ALL RIGHT. UH, WE'RE GONNA MOVE NOW INTO OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY. UH, WE DO HAVE ONE ITEM, UH, FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. THAT IS ITEM FOUR, AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS SIGN UP FOR THAT. BUT BEFORE WE GO TO ITEM FOUR, I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUES [CONSENT AGENDA  ] IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. IF THERE ARE NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR ITEM FOUR. YEAH, DID I HEAR A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS FIVE THROUGH 14? ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION, A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. UM, JUST ONE SECOND. WE DO HAVE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS THAT ARE REMAINING ON CONSENT. SEVERAL. UH, SO I WILL CALL THEM UP NOW IN ORDER OF SIGN UP AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION. SO LET ME START WITH FELTON COOPER, MR. COOPER SPEAKING ON ITEM FIVE, SPEAKING ON. OKAY. UM, GOOD [00:20:01] MORNING, AND, AND YOU CAN SPEAK ON ANY ITEM REMAINING ON CONSENT. WE'RE GONNA SAVE ITEM FOUR FOR AFTERWARDS. OKAY. I UNDERSTAND. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS FELTON COOPER, AND I'D LIKE TO YIELD MY TIME, THE REST OF MY TIME TO ROBERT VIN. ALRIGHT. YEAH. OKAY. WE'LL YIELD, WE, WE'LL YIELD OUR TIME, YOUR YIELDING TIME? YES, ROBERT. OKAY. 'CAUSE I HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR FOUR ALSO. OKAY. IS THAT, ARE WE, WE'RE NOT ON FOUR RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? NO. OKAY. SO, SO YOU, NOBODY WANTS TO SPEAK ON FOUR. OKAY. SO LET ME JUST, UH, IF YOU CAN JUST WAVE TO ME, IF I CALL YOUR NAME, JUST TELL ME YOU'RE, YOU'RE MOVING ON. UM, I'VE GOT, UH, VO KUPE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, FELTON AND VO, I GOT YOU ON ITEM SIX AS WELL. ACTUALLY, I, I'VE GOT YOU FOR ALL THE RE REMAINING ITEMS. SO MOVING ON TO ITEM FOUR. OKAY. UM, JACK FINGER ITEM 14. YOU GUYS ARE GOOD. I'LL CALL YOU UP AT IN ITEM FOUR. ITEM FOUR. WELL, MAYOR NURNBERG, ANOTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER, ONE ITEM I WISH TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA, THE CONSENT AGENDA, ONE THAT'S GOING TO, AS YOU SAY, JUST SAIL RIGHT ON THROUGH, IS ABOUT, IS ITEM NUMBER 14. AND BASICALLY IT'S ABOUT, UH, WHAT I CALL, UH, SAYING NO OBJECTION TO WHAT I CALL WELFARE HOUSING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS THAT, UH, KIND OF ILLUSTRATE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THERE. YEAH, MR. DIVISION, MAN, PUT THAT UP THERE. LOOK AT THE CIRCLED AREAS THERE, IF YOU CAN LOOK AT IT. YEAH. IT SAYS RE BASICALLY A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION. A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION TO WHAT AFFORDABLE MULTI-FAMILY RENTAL HOUSING. YES. THAT'S WHAT I CALL WELFARE HOUSING, IS WHAT'S WHAT'S PROVEN TO BE HERE IN OUR, OUR CITY. AND IF YOU DON'T, UH, BELIEVE THAT, UH, MR. AVISION MAN, TURN IT AROUND TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE AND LOOK AT THE, LOOK, SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM PART. THERE WAS A SHOW THERE, MONTHLY RENT FOR THIS PROPOSED, UH, COMPLEX HERE. UH, ONE BEDROOM, WHAT IS IT? A MERE $362 FOR A MONTH, A MONTHLY RENT, 360 2 WHEN THE, UH, UH, THE, THE GOING RATE IS IS ABOUT, UH, SEVERAL TIMES HIGHER THAN THAT. YEAH. NOW, MS. UH, ROCHE GARCIA, THIS IS IN YOUR DISTRICT. NOW, MS. GARCIA, DO YOU REALLY WANT MORE OF THIS KIND OF HOUSING CAUSING A DETER DETERIORATION OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN THAT AREA? I MEAN, REALLY, I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER A HALF CENTURY OF THE, UH, OF THE GREAT SOCIETY. IT'S, IT'S PROVEN THAT PEOPLE WHO VIEWS WELFARE IN HOUSING, I'M SORRY, THEY, UH, THEY DON'T TAKE AS MUCH PRIDE IN THEIR HOUSING AS PEOPLE WHO PAY FOR THEIR OWN. THIS IS PROVEN. AND YET YOU WANT, YOU ARE LEADING THE EFFORT IN SAYING, NO, WE, WE NEED TO FOR FURTHER DETERIORATE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HERE. WHY? I'M SORRY. UH, IT, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. YOU, YOU REALLY, REALLY NEED TO CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE ON THIS AND LET THE FREE MARKET DETERMINE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE INSTEAD OF LETTING PEOPLE, WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE THEIR, THEIR PROPERTY VALUES GOING DOWN BECAUSE OF IT. THEY DON'T LIKE THE EXTRA CRIME THAT RESULTS FROM IT. I'M SORRY. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. IT'S THE RESEARCH TELLS US. THANK YOU MR. FINGER. WE'RE GONNA GO INTO COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW. UH, LET ME START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GROT. THANK YOU. UH, AND I AM GOING TO GET BACK ON TOPIC, BUT THANK YOU DEBORAH, FOR MAKING ME REALIZE I SIT NEXT TO HISTORY ON THE DAAS 'CAUSE I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. UM, BUT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, NUMBER 12, THE APPROVING OF JANE ES GONZALEZ TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION. UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW JANE, SHE HAS HAD QUITE A YEAR AND, UM, HAD [00:25:01] SOME HEALTH ISSUES IS BACK. AND I AM SO EXCITED THAT SHE'S READY TO SERVE, UH, ON THIS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT ITEM BECAUSE I THINK, UH, WE HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS COMMISSION THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP. AND I'M GLAD SHE'S GONNA BE A PART OF IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. UM, AND THAT IS ALL OF OUR DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'LL JUST ADD MY VOICE. WELCOME BACK, JANE. WE MISSED YOU. UM, SO WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION ON CONSENT, PLEASE VOTE. WE HAVE COURAGE IN, UH, KEO H WITH AYE. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, WE NOW WILL MOVE TO ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A LENGTHY CONVERSATION. ACTUALLY, BEFORE I DO THAT, I FAIL TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WITH A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ON SUNDAY, DISTRICT FIVE CELEBRATED THE 1938 PECAN SHELLER STRIKE. SUNDAY WAS THE 84TH ANNIVERSARY. WE JOINED WITH COMMUNITY AND LABOR AT GASO PARK TO HAVE A TEACH-IN TO EDUCATE ABOUT THE STRIKE AND THE STRUGGLES OF THE PECAN SHELLERS. MANY WEST SIDE RESIDENTS, MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN, FOUND SEASONAL WORK AS PECAN SHELLERS. CONDITIONS WERE TERRIBLE. PECAN DUST WOULD HANG IN THE AIR IN ROOMS FILLED WITH NO WINDOWS. DUST WOULD FILL THE LUNGS OF THE SHELLERS. MANY SHELLERS RETOLD STORIES OF SEEING A BROWN HAZE IN THE AIR. AT THE END OF EACH DAY, SHELLERS WORKED OFF A FLAT BENCH WITH NO BACKING ONE TOILET FOR THOUSANDS OF WORKERS. THE RATE OF TUBERCULOSIS AMONG THOSE WORKERS WAS THREE TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE PAY WAS TIED TO THE AMOUNT OF PECAN MEAT DUG OUT OF THE SHELL, AND AFTER PAY WAS REDUCED BY A PENNY, AN IMPROMPTU STRIKE TOOK AWAY AS A LEADER OF THE STRIKE. EMMA TAN YUGA WAS CALLED A COMMUNIST, A PAID PAID AGITATOR, AND WAS OFTEN TIED AND DISMISSED AS NOT MEXICAN, RATHER AS A COMMUNIST FROM RUSSIA ON THE PICKET LINE, STRIKERS WERE OFTEN BEAT BY POLICE AND WITH AXE HANDLES TEAR GASSED AND MANY WERE JAILED. THE STRIKE ENDED THREE MONTHS LATER, GUARANTEEING WORKERS THE MINIMUM WAGE OF 25 CENTS AND SET FORTH A NEWLY PASSED FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT. I WANT TO THANK DR. CARMEN TAFOYA, AS WELL AS CHERYL THECA FOR ATTENDING AND SHARING THE HISTORY OF THE STRIKE AND THE IMPACTS. FOLLOWING IT, DR. TAFOYA AND CHERYL ARE THE CO-AUTHORS OF THE CHILDREN'S BOOK. THAT'S NOT FAIR, EMMA TANIKA STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE. I ALSO WANT TO THANK RICK LEVY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS A F L C I O, ALEJANDRA LOPEZ, SECOND GRADE TEACHER AND PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO ALLIANCE, AND THE SAN ANTONIO D SS, A FOR SPEAKING TO CURRENT WORKER STRUGGLES, INCLUDING PRESENT DAY ONES IN SAN ANTONIO WITH THEIR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES CONTINUING TO FIGHT FOR SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS IN THE MIDST OF COVID, AS WELL AS THE SAN ANTONIO MUSICIANS, A F M LOCAL 23 WHO HAVE BEEN ON STRIKE SINCE SEPTEMBER 27TH AFTER THE SYMPHONY ANNOUNCED REDUCING ITS ORCHESTRA FROM 72 FULL-TIME MUSICIANS TO 42 CORE MUSICIANS PROPOSING A SHORTER SEASON CUTTING WAGES, BENEFITS TO THE 26 PART-TIME POSITIONS. HIGHLIGHTING THE STRUGGLE OF THE PECAN SHELLERS CONTINUE TO SHOW US THAT THE WORKERS STRUGGLE FOR WORKPLACE JUSTICE, BETTER WAGES AND BENEFITS AND WORKING CONDITIONS NEVER END. AND WE MUST CONTINUE TO STAND WITH WORKERS IN THEIR LABORS FOR IN, IN THEIR STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE. DISTRICT FIVE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO BUILD TOWARDS A CITY CITYWIDE EVENT, CELEBRATING THE HISTORY OF THE PECAN SHELLER STRIKE TONKA, WHILE ALSO HIGHLIGHTING THE CURRENT STRUGGLES OF PRESENT DAY WORKERS. I WANT TO END BY QUOTING THE GREAT EMMA DEGA HERSELF IN HOPES THAT WE ARE LESS FEARFUL WHEN FIGHTING FOR A JUST CITY. I WAS ARRESTED A NUMBER OF TIMES. I NEVER THOUGHT OF TERMS OF FEAR, I THOUGHT IN TERMS OF JUSTICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GET INTO ITEM FOUR NOW. AND [ACTION ITEMS FOR STAFF BRIEFING] SO, UM, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE CAPTION? ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR THE ALLOCATION OF ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE FOUR $400 MILLION IN LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS RECEIVED UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT AND RE REALLOCATING 13 100 MILLION FUNDS FROM THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PROGRAM FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE PROGRAM FOR 212 500 MILLION. THE ORDINANCE ALSO AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AGREEMENTS APPROPRIATE, FUND APPROPRIATE FUNDS, REVISED BUDGETS, AND APPROVE EXPENDITURES TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS, GRANT PROGRAMS AND PRIORITIES [00:30:01] WITHIN THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK. ALRIGHT, ERIC, YOU WANNA KICK US OFF? YES, SIR. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, MAYOR COUNCIL THIS MORNING. UM, UM, YOU'LL SEE ON THE FIRST SLIDE THERE, UH, FROM LAST WEEK'S PRESENTATION THAT OUTLINED THE PROCESS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT BEGAN LAST SUMMER. I WANNA THANK THE, THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL FOR THE TIME SPENT ON THIS ISSUE. UH, BOTH, UH, AT THE DISCUSSION HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, THE SESSIONS WE HAD LAST FALL, BUT ALSO, UH, THE COUNCIL'S, PRESIDENTS, AND THE TOWN HALLS THAT WE HAD, UH, LAST, UH, FALL TO GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY. I ALSO WANNA THANK, UM, ALL THE STAFF THAT WERE ENGAGED IN THIS, UH, PRETTY INTENSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH EFFORT, UH, THAT THAT STARTED, UH, LAST FALL. THE, THE PROCESS, AS WE SAID LAST WEEK, UM, IS, UM, IS JUST, IS NOT DONE. WE STILL HAVE, UH, QUITE A BIT OF WORK TO DO. I'LL REMIND THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC THAT, UM, THIS IS A FOUR YEAR FUNDING PLAN, UM, AND WE WILL NEED TO, AS WE'VE RECOMMENDED LAST WEEK, UH, REVIEW THIS PLAN TWICE A YEAR TO MAKE ANY NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS. UM, WHAT YOU'RE APPROVING TODAY IS, UH, SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR OUR ARPA DOLLARS, OUR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN DOLLARS. SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CHANGED FROM, UH, LAST WEEK'S, UH, CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL, IF YOU SAW IN THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING A MARCH B SESSION BEFORE ANY COMMITTEE WORK, COUNCIL COMMITTEE WORK BEGINS, UH, SO THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KINDA WEIGH IN ON, ON WHAT THOSE, UM, WHAT THOSE DE UH, DESIRED OUTCOMES SHOULD BE BEFORE COMMITTEE, UH, BEGINS. AND VERONICA WILL COVER THAT PROCESS. UH, ONCE, UH, SHE STARTS THE PRESENTATION, UM, AFTER THAT COMMITTEE WORK, UH, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL WILL COME BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL. SO, UM, AS I DESCRIBED IT THE OTHER DAY, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE DO OUR PRES SOLICITATION AND POSTS SOLICITATION BRIEFINGS FOR HIGH RISK CONTRACTS. SO WE'LL ALLOW THE, WE, WE ENCOURAGE THE, THE FULL COUNCIL TO BE PART OF THAT DISCUSSION ON THE FRONT END COMMITTEE WORK AND THEN BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL. UM, WE'VE MADE A COUPLE OF OTHER ADJUSTMENTS, UH, THAT, UH, FROM LAST WEEK'S CONVERSATION. VERONICA WILL GO OVER THOSE WITH YOU, UH, IN THE PRESENTATION. AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU BEFORE WE, UH, BEGIN THE CONVERSATION. VERONICA. THANK YOU, ERIC. OKAY. WE WILL START WITH AN OUTLINE OF THE 212 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR FRAMEWORK. AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE HIGHLIGHTS THE FOUR ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, MADE BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED LAST WEEK. THE FIRST IS THE PROGRAMS FUNDED THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR 22 BUDGET. STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT FUNDING BEYOND FISCAL YEARS 22 AND 23 BE INCLUDED IN THE FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST, AND THAT IT REMAIN A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY. THERE ARE NO RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE C OVID 19 RESPONSE AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AT THE, UH, $50 MILLION. WE ARE MAKING A RECOMMENDED ADJUSTMENT TO THE SMALL BUSINESS AND NONPROFIT ALLOCATION BY TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR A TOTAL ALLOCATION OF 33 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ALLOCATION REMAINS AT $10 MILLION. THIS WILL ALLOW THE EHA PROGRAM TO CONTINUE AND THEN TRANSITION OVER TO THE RISK MITIGATION FUND ON MARCH 1ST. WE ALSO HAVE THE $26 MILLION ALLOCATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH THAT WILL REMAIN THE SAME, AS WELL AS THE CITY INFRASTRUCTURE ALLOCATION OF $13.8 MILLION. THIS INCLUDES $10 MILLION FOR F STREETS AND ALLOWS FOR THE REALLOCATION OF 3.8 MILLION TO THE BRIDGE PROGRAM TO RESTORE THE ARTS AT 1.5%. WE ARE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO ADJUST THE MORGAN'S WONDERLAND ALLOCATION TO $15 MILLION. IN ADDITION, WE ARE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE THE EDUCATOR ALLOCATION TO A TOTAL OF $7 MILLION. THE TEXAS BIOMED YOUTH DIGITAL LITERACY ARTS SENIORS, AND EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS RETENTION PLAN. THOSE ALLOCATIONS ALSO REMAIN THE SAME FOR A TOTAL OF 212 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. NOW, THERE ARE SOME CATEGORIES THAT REQUIRE COUNCIL COMMITTEE WORK. THIS PROCESS WILL BEGIN AFTER THE APPROVAL OF THE FRAMEWORK. WE WILL START WITH A POLICY DISCUSSION IN MARCH, AND THEN THE COMMITTEE WORK WILL BEGIN. WE WILL [00:35:01] ASK THAT THE COMMITTEE'S REVIEW, THE COMMUNITY INPUT, ESTABLISH DESIRED OUTCOMES, CITY STAFF WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ASSISTANCE. AND THEN WE ASK THAT AS YOU DEVELOP THE PROGRAM THAT WE LOOK AT THE FUNDING OVER A FOUR YEAR TIMEFRAME. AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE FUNDING MUST BE ALLOCATED BY 2024 AND SPENT BY 2026. NOW, ONCE THE PROGRAMS ARE READY, THEY, THE PROGRAMMATIC DETAILS AND FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE BROUGHT FORTH TO COUNCIL IN AN A SESSION. NOW THESE ARE THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS AND THE PROPOSED CATEGORIES ALIGN WITH THE MAYOR'S CHARGE FOR THE COMMITTEES. NOW, ONCE THE FRAMEWORK IS APPROVED, THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK. AS I JUST MENTIONED, WE WILL, UH, CONDUCT A POLICY DIRECTION SESSION IN MARCH, AND ONCE THE PROGRAMS ARE APPROVED, THEN WE WILL BE PROVIDING QUARTERLY UPDATES. MAYOR AND COUNSEL, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO ERIC AND I'M GONNA HAND IT BACK TO YOU, MAYOR. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS COME OUT TODAY. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE MANY FOLKS WHO HAVE ATTENDED THE TOWN HALLS THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, DURING THE INTERVENING MONTHS. UM, PLEASE BE PATIENT AS WE ARE GONNA TRY TO GET EVERYBODY UP HERE WHO'S SIGNED UP, AND INDIVIDUALS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. UH, GROUPS CAN HAVE UP TO NINE MINUTES, AND I WILL CALL THE FIRST NAME IN ORDER OF SIGNUP. THEN I'LL CALL THE NEXT NAME ON THE LIST IF YOU CAN BE PREPARED TO COME FORWARD AT THAT TIME SO WE CAN KEEP EVERYBODY MOVING ALONG. UH, I DO HAVE A, A GROUP AT FIRST, UH, AND IT GROUPS, UH, SO Y'ALL HAVE A, A NINE MINUTES, I THINK IT'S SAGE. SO, UM, ROBERT, IF YOU WANNA COME UP AND THE GROUP IS WELCOME TO COME UP, BUT I'VE GOT YOU DOWN FOR NINE MINUTES. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT I WAS OUT OF ORDER, BUT THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ME ON THE SPOT. I'M HERE REPRESENTING SAGE, UH, WHICH IS SAN ANTONIO FOR GROWTH ON THE EAST SIDE. WE REPRESENT EVERYTHING EAST OF SAN ANTONIO AS IT APPLIES TO ECONOMIC GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, AND VITALITY. WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO LIVE IN A CITY THAT HAS COMMITTED TO A STRONG AND EQUITABLE RECOVERY. WE ARE ENERGIZED BY THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARPA FUNDS PROVIDE TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC FALLOUT CAUSED BY C OVID 19 AND HELP SAN ANTONIANS OVERCOME THIS PANDEMIC. WE ARE HERE TO KEEP TOP OF MIND. SAN ANTONIO'S EAST SIDE. EAST SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT FAR BEYOND COVID, AND WE ARE ALL AWARE WHY EAST SAN ANTONIO'S SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THE LACK OF EQUITY DUE TO FACTORS THAT ARE BEYOND TODAY'S DISCUSSION. HOWEVER, WE DO KNOW THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ACCOUNT FOR 98% OF THE JOBS IN OUR COUNTRY. THEY ARE THE NUMBER ONE EMPLOYER IN OUR COUNTRY. AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR RECOGNIZING THAT AND YOUR ALLOCATION FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. THE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE RESOURCES IS CRITICAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF OUR BUSINESSES IN EAST SAN ANTONIO. I HAVE BROUGHT WITH ME TODAY SOME OF THOSE BUSINESSES TO SHARE THEIR STORY. MR. LADAY, GOOD MORNING. I'M RUSSELL LADAY, UH, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT SAGE. AND FOR MANY YEARS, SAGE HAS STOOD IN THE GAP FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES ON THE EAST SIDE, AND WE WISH TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND WE BELIEVE THAT SAGE HAS DEMONSTRATED OUR ABILITY. WE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY ON SEVERAL, UH, MATTERS. IN FACT, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN ENSURING THAT SMALL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS RECEIVE FUNDING TO HELP, UH, WITH THEIR, UH, BUSINESS OPERATIONS. UH, THE P P P PROGRAM, THE P P E PROGRAM, AND JUST OUR BACK OFFICE PROGRAM HAS BEEN REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN ASSISTING THESE SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, WITH, UH, IMPROVING THEIR OPERATIONS. AND WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND BE A MAJOR PART OF THE SARPA PROGRAM. JOSH, HELLO, I'M JOSH ST. JULIAN. I'M A NEW RESIDENT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. I WAS RECRUITED BY ROBERT MELVIN LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO. I'M HEAVILY INVESTED NOW, UH, AS A REAL ESTATE INVESTOR IN EAST SIDE. UM, A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT ME. I'M A FORMER GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTEE. UH, I CAME OUT OF HOUSTON AS A, [00:40:01] UH, I'M A FORMER, UM, BOARD MEMBER THERE, UH, 10 YEARS FOR A MAJOR TIER IN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, WHICH ENCOMPASSES THE MEDICAL CENTER MUSEUM DISTRICT AND HISTORICAL THIRD WARD, WHICH IS AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY THERE. UM, I TELL Y'ALL THAT BECAUSE WHAT I SAY, I WANTED TO RESONATE. WHEN YOU ALLOCATE URBAN REV REVITALIZATION FUNDS TO A CULTURAL COMMUNITY, IT'S SIEMENS TO CULTURE. IT ENRICHES IT AND IT MAKES IT A MAJOR ATTRACTION TO THE CITY. AND FOR PEOPLE ALL ALIKE WHO COME TO THIS CITY. UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT GENERATES MAJOR TAX INCOME, UH, A MULTIPLE OF FIVE TIMES WHAT IT IS NOW AS IT GROWS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO THE STATE, CITY, AND THE COUNTY DUE TO THE TIME CONSTRAINTS. I'M, I'M GONNA HAVE TO JUMP IN. I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE MORE THAN NINE MINUTES, BUT I WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF THE COUNCIL. THESE ARE ALL REPRESENTATIVE OF BUSINESSES OF THE EAST SIDE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT AN ORGANIZATION ABOUT WORDS. WE'RE AN ORGANIZATION ABOUT ACTION. WE'VE NOT BEEN BEFORE THE COUNCIL REPEATEDLY BEGGING OR, OR ASKING. WE ARE, WE'RE NOT PLAYING TO OUR DEFICITS. WE PLAY TO OUR ASSETS. AND THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS AN ASSET FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE ENGAGED IN. A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY IN 2020, SAGE LS, A BOOTS ON THE GROUND MESSAGING EFFORT TO GET THE COVID AID AND THE INFORMATION AND THE RESOURCES IN THE HANDS OF OUR CONSTITUENTS IN EAST SAN ANTONIO. WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS A DIGITAL DIVIDE, SO POSTING ONLINE WAS NOT GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT. WE KNEW THAT TEXT MESSAGING WAS NOT GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT, SO WE PUT, UH, WE ENGAGED IN AN OLD FASHIONED DOOR KNOCKING WE, WE, WE, WE HUNG FLYERS. WE PHONE BANKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE KNEW WHERE THE EMERGENCY COVID ASSISTANCE WAS BECOMING AVAILABLE. WE HELD P P E DRIVES. WE STAND PREPARED TO HELP INFORM HOW THESE FUNDS SHOULD BE OPTIMALLY DISTRIBUTED WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. SAGE HAS THE CAPACITY AND THE EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT YOU. WE NEED ONLY TO UNDERSTAND HOW, WHETHER IT BE YOUTH, MENTAL HEALTH, DIGITAL INCLUSION, WE STAND READY AS WE LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF WHAT HAS BEEN COINED. THE EAST SIDE, THERE ARE CLEAR DELINEATIONS THAT EXTEND FAR BACK IN OUR HISTORY THAT ARE TOO UGLY TO DISCUSS. WE HAVE BARRIERS TO RESOURCES, WE HAVE BARRIERS TO ACTIVITY, BUT WHAT WE ARE NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO IS TO ENGAGE IN A VERY PERSONAL LEVEL AND TOUCH OUR COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT, LET'S BE VERY FRANK, WE'VE BEEN FORGOTTEN ABOUT. WE NEED INTENTIONALITY WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE NEED INTENTIONALITY WHEN THE CITY MAKES DECISIONS THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY. WITHOUT THAT INTENTIONALITY, WE GET WHAT WE HAVE NOW. WE HAVE TWO STADIUMS IN OUR BACKYARD AND NOTHING THAT SUPPORTS THE, THE BUSINESSES ON EAST HOUSTON OR COMMERCE AS IT DELIVERS PEOPLE TO THE, THE WONDERFUL SPURS BASKETBALL GAMES. AND THEN AFTERWARDS, EVERYBODY LEAVES. SO WHERE IS THAT ECONOMIC EQUITY? SO AS WE ENGAGE IN THIS DIALOGUE, AS WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE A STEP BACK AND STOP TELLING COMMUNITIES WHAT THEY NEED. IT'S TIME TO OPEN UP OUR EARS AND LISTEN. OUR COMMUNITY IS THE, IS IS IDEAL FOR THE RICH TAPESTRY THAT IS OUR SAN ANTONIO CULTURE AND HERITAGE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER THAT AND THAT WE USE A, A SENSE OF URGENCY WHEN IT COMES TO REVITALIZATION AND RENEWAL. I'M GONNA YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. MELVIN. AND TO OUR SAGE LEADERS. ALRIGHT, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO NOW TO CECILY MONTAN C CECILY. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MELISSA SAK. DR. MATSON IS, UH, Y'ALL ARE ARE COMING UP AS A GROUP. YES. OKAY. UM, DR. CARL STEVENS. UM, DR. CYNTHIA TENTE, MATSON, MELISSA AND CECILY. YES. UNFORTUNATELY DR. WICK WAS NOT ABLE TO BE WITH US. OKAY, THAT'S FINE. Y'ALL HAVE NINE MINUTES. ALRIGHT. AND CRYSTAL CANTU, YOU'LL BE NEXT. MAY MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER WELSH AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER VILLA GOMEZ. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY ON A COLD AND CHILLY DAY LIKE TODAY. AS COALITION MEMBERS WORKING TOGETHER [00:45:01] WITH EARLY MATTERS SAN ANTONIO, WE'RE INCREASING ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE IN SAN ANTONIO. TEXAS A AND M IS DEDICATED TO SERVING AND BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION TO AID THE COMMUNITY. IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PANDEMIC, WE ASK FOR YOUR FULL SUPPORT TO INVEST IN THE CONSTRUCTION, THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF EDUCARE SAN ANTONIO WITH A ONE-TIME CITY ARPA INVESTMENT OF $7 MILLION, WHICH WILL CONSTRUCT EDUCARE FOR SAN ANTONIO AND WILL BE A RESPITE FOR THE SEVERE CHILDCARE SHORTAGES AND LACK OF QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION. OUR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THE EXPANSIVE CHILDCARE DESERTS THAT STRETCH ACROSS SAN ANTONIO. THEY'RE REPEATEDLY IDENTIFIED CHILDCARE AND MENTAL HEALTH AS COMMUNITY PRIORITIES AT THE PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS. THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ALSO, OR EXCUSE ME, THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, IDENTIFIED CHILDCARE AS A TOP PRIORITY FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY. EDUCARE IS GOING TO ENHANCE THE FUTURE OF OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS AGES SIX WEEK THROUGH KINDERGARTEN AND THEIR FAMILIES. EDUCARE WILL ALSO TRANSFORM THE EXTENSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SYSTEM AND INCREASE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. NO OTHER INVESTMENT OF ARPA DOLLARS IS GOING TO DO MORE TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS. THE POWER OF EDUCARE IS ALSO IN THE WRAPAROUND MODEL THAT LEVERAGES OUR EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS. THOSE WRAPAROUND SERVICES ARE IN MENTAL HEALTH AND COUNSELING AND HEALTH AND NUTRITION AND PARENT EDUCATION. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, UM, EDUCATIONAL INEQUITIES, ADDRESSING EDUCATIONAL INEQUITIES. WE'RE GOING TO LEVERAGE OUR GEOGRAPHY AND THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO A AND M SAN ANTONIO TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WE WILL ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF SERVICES THAT OTHER EXISTING CHILDCARE SERVICES OFFER AND STRENGTHEN THE BROADER WORKFORCE. FOR EXAMPLE, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL IN DISTRICT SEVEN, THERE ARE 28 LICENSED CHILDCARE CENTERS SERVING UP TO 28, ALMOST 2,900 CHILDREN BIRTH TO SCHOOL AGE. ONLY THREE OF THOSE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE STATE'S QUALITY IMPROVEMENT RATING SYSTEM AND ONLY ONE CENTER IS RATED AS FOUR STAR THIS PRO. SO THIS PROGRAM WILL ALLOW US TO GO BEYOND THE MINIMUM STANDARDS. EDUCARE CAN HELP IMPACT ALL OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS CURRENTLY WITH BY HELPING THEM RECEIVE HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT RATES, INCREASING THE QUALITY OF THE CARE THAT THEY'RE ALREADY PROVIDING, AND ALSO CERTIFYING AN ADDITIONAL NUMBER OF TEACHERS THAT ARE BENEFITING FROM THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. AND, AND EDUCARE PROVIDES THE TRAINING AND ALL OF THE RESOURCES AND ASSETS. SO WE IMAGINE EDUCARE BEING A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE TEXAS A AND M SYSTEM AND BEING PART OF THAT SIGNIFICANT PIPELINE THAT EDUCATES TRAINS AND GRADUATES PROFESSIONALS. I'M GONNA TURN TO DR. CARL SHAPIRO, WHO IS OUR DEAN, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NATIONAL MODEL AND THEN TO CECILY TO CLOSE THIS UP, MR. MAYOR, UM, COUNSEL, THE DEVELOPMENT OF VEGGIE CARE CAME OUT OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND, UH, VERY MUCH LIKE THE EARLY CHILDCARE DESERTS THAT WE SEE IN SAN ANTONIO, CHICAGO WAS FACING THE SAME ISSUE, UH, AS A RESULT OF WORK WITH THE BUFFETT FOUNDA FAMILY FOUNDATION. UH, EDUCARE WAS FORMED AND IT WASN'T ABOUT HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE SERVED IN A PARTICULAR CENTER. IT'S WHAT DOES EDUCARE DO FOR THE CITY AND HOW DOES IT TRAIN ADDITIONAL CHILDCARE PROVIDERS ACROSS, UM, THE AREA IN THE REGION. UH, THROUGH EDUCARE IN CHICAGO, THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE A TRANSFORMATION AND RAISE THE QUALITY OF, UH, CENTERS THROUGH THE TRAINING THAT EDUCARE DOES TO OTHER CENTERS AND PROVIDERS. SO AS WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, UM, THAT AN EDUCARE CENTER PROVIDES IN TERMS OF THE STUDENTS THAT COME INTO THAT FACILITY, IT IS REALLY, UM, UH, A, A SMALL PORTION, UH, OF WHAT THE IMPACT IS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT 255 STUDENTS PER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER, IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE TRAINING THAT GOES ON FOR ALL OF THE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AROUND, AROUND THE, THE CITY. SO THE NATIONAL MODEL HAS NOW PROLIFERATED THROUGH 27 OTHER AREAS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. UM, AGAIN, I WANNA REITERATE THAT THIS IS A COALITION AND NOT JUST A, UM, INITIATIVE BY TEXAS A AND M SAN ANTONIO. SO TOGETHER WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS HOW DO WE TAKE ALL OF THE ELEMENTS THAT DR. MATSON WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT AND TAKE THOSE TO CREATE A FACILITY THAT DOES TRAINING, THAT DOES INCUBATION FOR, UH, LEADERS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGHOUT THE FAC THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT DOES, UM, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE TEACHERS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD AND THEN EXPANDS AND HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT, UM, TO CHANGE THE RATING SCALES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CECILY AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CECILY MONTEYA AND I'M A DEVELOPMENT OFFICER [00:50:01] WITH THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AT A AND M SAN ANTONIO. BUT FIRST OF ALL, I AM A MOTHER OF A YOUNG TODDLER, FOUR YEAR OLD, AND SO I VALUE HIGH EDUC QUALITY EDUCATION. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO REPRESENT THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE INEQUITIES IN THE COMMUNITY. YOUNG MOTHERS LIKE MYSELF WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO CHILDCARE. AND SO WE HAD MANY INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD'VE LIKED TO BE WITH US THIS THIS MORNING. UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO BE WITH US. SO I'D LIKE TO TO SHARE ONE OF THE TESTIMONIES THAT WAS SHARED AT DISTRICT EIGHT BY, UH, CATHERINE ESPINOSA, WHO'S A MOTHER AND AN EDUCATOR. SHE SAYS, OUR SON ISAAC, WAS BORN A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN. I CALL HIM ONE OF THE FIRST CENTENNIALS. WE LIVE ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO AND SINCE WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO RETURN TO WORK IN PERSON, WE HAVE STRUGGLED TO FIND APPROPRIATE CHILDCARE FOR ISAAC. WE HAVE GONE TO NUMEROUS DAYCARES IN OUR AREA THAT DO NOT MEET OUR EXPECTATIONS REGARDING SAFE AND QUA QUALITY CARE. THE FAMILIES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO DESERVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDCARE EDUCATION. CHILDCARE IS NECESSARY AND ESSENTIAL FOR WORKING FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY LIKE MINE AND THOSE WHO I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THAT COULDN'T BE WITH US. AND I ASK YOU TO INVEST IN EDUC CARE AND THE FUTURE OF OUR FAMILIES AND IN AND YOUNG CHILDREN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO CRYSTAL CANTU. CRYSTAL CANTU. OKAY. UE PLAZA. MR. PLASA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY TIFFANY WALKER. GOOD MORNING MAYOR. GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JOSE PLAZA. I'M A LONG TIME SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT. I JUST GOT THROAT SURGERY, SO I APOLOGIZE IF I SOUND A LITTLE WEIRD. UM, I AM A SENIOR, UH, SOFTWARE DEVELOPER. I LEAD A TEAM FOR A TECH COMPANY DOWN HERE. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR. UH, I'LL MAKE THIS REALLY QUICK. UM, I'M JUST ASKING THE CITY TO RECONSIDER AND EVEN STRIKE OUT ANY FUNDING TO TEXAS BIOMEDICAL FUND. UH, COMPLETELY. I BELIEVE THAT THOSE FUNDS, UH, CAN BE USED, UM, FOR MUCH BETTER COMMUNITY NEEDS. UM, HERE'S SOME ALTERNATIVES THAT I BELIEVE THAT THOSE FUNDS CAN GO TOWARDS BETTER WATER AND SEWAGE UTILITIES, UH, FOR RESIDENTS. UH, ONE THAT I'M A PERSONAL BIG BELIEVER THAT THIS GENTLEMAN, UH, I BELIEVE MENTIONED, UH, BETTER BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE, BETTER DIGITAL INCLUSION. I'VE HIRED DEVELOPERS FROM AROUND THE CITY AND WE'VE STRUGGLED REMOTELY WITH, UM, SOMETIMES THEY JUST DO NOT HAVE RELIABLE BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE IN THEIR, UH, IN THEIR HOMES. AND THAT KIND OF FUNDING THAT WOULD BE GOING TO TEXAS BIOMED WOULD BE A GAME CHANGER IN DIGITAL INCLUSION FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THE SECOND REASON THAT, UM, I WANNA BRING UP WHY YOU SHOULD RECONSIDER NOT FUNDING TEXAS BIOMED IS THE SUFFERING THAT IT WILL CAUSE TO ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY TO REESES MONKEYS AND OTHER ANIMALS. THE, EXCUSE ME. THIS LAB HAS FAILED TO LOOK AFTER THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS IN ITS CARE, RESULTING IN DOCUMENTED DEATHS AND INJURIES OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS BY THEIR OWN DOCUMENTATION. UM, PETA HAS ASKED THE F B I TO INVESTIGATE THAT INSTITUTION, UH, BECAUSE OF 159 BABOONS IN ITS CAPTIVITY HAS SUFFERED FROM AMPUTATIONS FOR PHOSPHITE FROM LAST YEAR'S WINTER STORM. I MEAN, IT WAS A COLD MORNING TODAY. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THEY'RE DOING TODAY. UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MR. PLAZA. TIFFANY WALKER, TIFFANY WALKER, DR. JAMES RUBIN. DR. RUBIN, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY CATHERINE O'BRIEN. HAVE SOME, UH, MAYOR NURNBERG AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. OUR C E O LARRY SCHLESINGER CAN'T BE HERE THIS MORNING AS HE'S SUCCESSFULLY RECOVERING FROM A NON COVID RELATED MEDICAL ISSUE. MY NAME IS JAYMO RUBIN. I AM A LIFELONG MEMBER OF LIFELONG RESIDENT OF SAN ANTONIO AND A PHYSICIAN WHO PRACTICES AN ANESTHESIOLOGIST BEFORE A CAREER AS AN ENTREPRENEUR HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IN SEVERAL MEDICALLY RELATED BUSINESSES. I'VE HAD THE GREAT HONOR FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS TO SERVE AS THE BOARD CHAIR OF TEXAS BIOMEDICAL [00:55:01] RESEARCH INSTITUTE. THIS INSTITUTE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IS THE COUNTRY'S ONLY NOT-FOR-PROFIT, INDEPENDENT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FACILITY FOCUSED SOLELY ON INFECTIOUS DISEASE. THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED AT THIS INSTITUTE SAVES LIVES AND DOES SO ON A GLOBAL SCALE. THINK ABOUT THE MOST DEVASTATING DISEASES THAT AFFLICT MANKIND, MALARIA, PARASITIC INFECTIONS, TUBERCULOSIS, HEPATITIS AIDS AND COVID DISEASES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY CAUSED MILLIONS OF DEATHS EACH YEAR. AND RESEARCH CONDUCTED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AS ADVANCED TREATMENTS THAT ARE ROLLING BACK THESE DISEASES, SAVING LIVES AND CREATING BETTER HEALTH HEALTH OUTCOMES. BUT AS MUCH AS OUR RESEARCH HAS A GLOBAL IMPACT, THE INSTITUTE IS ALSO A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY FABRIC IN THIS COMMUNITY. YOU MIGHT RECALL LAST YEAR AN EVENT AT THE ALAMO DOME WHERE THEY WERE GIVING VACCINATIONS FOR COVID. I VOLUNTEERED DOWN THERE AS A PHYSICIAN TO ADMINISTER VACCINES AND IT WAS A MOMENT I WON'T FORGET. I COULD VOLUNTEER TO GIVE EITHER THE MODERNA VACCINE OR THE PFIZER VACCINE. I CHOSE TO GIVE THE PFIZER VACCINE TO THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE IT WAS ALMOST A YEAR BEFORE THAT THAT PFIZER IS A GLOBAL COMPANY, SOUGHT OUT ONE PLACE TO HELP THEM GET THAT VACCINE THROUGH THE F D A INTO THE HANDS OF PHYSICIANS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, IN THIS STATE, IN THIS COUNTRY, AND AROUND THE WORLD. RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IS WHERE PFIZER CHOSE. AND A YEAR LATER I WAS ADMINISTERING THAT VACCINE AT THE ALAMO DOME TO OUR CITIZENS. IT'S AMAZING HOW QUICKLY WE MOVED FROM RESEARCH ON THE WEST SIDE TO GETTING SHOTS INTO THE ARMS AT THE ALAMO DOME IN THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. NOW, TEXAS BIOMED HAS A 10 YEAR, $270 MILLION PLAN TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF OUR LIFESAVING RESEARCH TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT HEALTH CHALLENGE AND TO HA AND TO ENHANCE OUR RESILIENCY AND OUR ABILITY TO DEAL WITH EVENTS SUCH AS LAST WINTER STORM. THANK YOU DR. RUBIN. CATHERINE O'BRIEN. OKAY. THANK YOU. RITA. FREDERICK. RITA. FREDERICK. OH, I'M SORRY. I MISREAD THAT. RICK FREDERICK APOLOGIZE. . HI RICK. HI. UM, RICK, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DR. RICARDO CARION. OKAY. RENEE GARVINS HAS ALSO, UM, SIGNED UP FOR TIME AND HAS YIELDED TO ME. RENEE, COULD YOU WRITE? OKAY, GREAT. YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES, RICK. THANK YOU. WELL, GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG CITY COUNCIL AND UH, CITY MANAGER WALSH. MY NAME IS RICK FREDERICK AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF RESIDENT COMPANY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT THE TOBIN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. THE COVID PANDEMIC, UH, IT'S DELTA MAJOR BLOW TO THE ARTS IN SAN ANTONIO AND THE SIX RESIDENT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO CALL THE TOBIN CENTER HOME, INCLUDING THE YOUTH ORCHESTRAS OF SAN ANTONIO CLASSICAL MUSIC INSTITUTE, THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY BALLET, SAN ANTONIO OPERA, SAN ANTONIO AND THE CHILDREN'S COURSE OF SAN ANTONIO ARE NO DIFFERENT. NOW WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTY OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU, BUT WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF THE VERY REAL CRISIS OUR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE FACING. WHILE JOHN INNO HOSA HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF ADVOCATING FOR ARTS COMMUNITY THROUGH CAUSA, MANY SMALL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE ONLY JUST NOW HEARING ABOUT THE CITY'S ARPA PROCESS. AND THESE NONPROFITS AREN'T MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATIONS WITH FULL STAFF. THESE ARE SMALL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITH LEADERS WHO TAKE MULT ON MULTIPLE ROLES EVEN IN THE BEST OF TIMES, AND ARE NOW FOCUSED ON THE SURVIVAL OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. AMIDST OF THE OVERWHELMING IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE FINANCIAL LOSSES AMONGST SAN ANTONIO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS NOW TOTAL OVER $30 MILLION WITH AN IMPACT OF OVER $100 MILLION. THE ARTS ARE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO SAN ANTONIO'S ECONOMY EMPLOYING OVER 26,000 PEOPLE. THE ARTS MAKE SAN ANTONIO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE, WORK, AND VISIT, AND THE ARTS NEED YOUR SUPPORT. NOW. THE INPUT GATHERED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY PROCESS LAST FALL WAS OVERWHELMINGLY IN FAVOR OF PRIORIT AND IMMEDIATE NEED TO BE ADDRESSED [01:00:01] THROUGH THE ARPA FUNDING AND DIRECTLY, ASI ALIGNED WITH THE TREASURY GUIDANCE RELEASED IN MARCH OF 2021. AND YET LAST WEEK THE COUNCIL RECOMMENDED $5 MILLION ALLOCATION. THAT'S $4 MILLION TO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND $1 MILLION TO INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS. AND THAT'S WONDERFUL, BUT IT'S ONLY 2.5% OF FUNDING AVAILABLE. THE ALLOCATION OF $4 MILLION WOULD BE ALSO BE SPLIT BETWEEN AT LEAST 46 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE SUGGESTED ALLOCATIONS DO NOT REFLECT THE INPUT OF THE COMMUNITY. AS NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON SAID, A GREAT CITY IS BUILT ON THE CULTURE AND CREATIVITY. THE ARTS PROMOTE EXPRESSION AND CREATIVITY, PROVIDE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, LEAD HEALTHY AND THOUGHTFUL CULTURAL DISCUSSIONS, AND PROVIDE A REASON TO GATHER AS A COMMUNITY. THE ARTS PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN NORMALCY. AS WE RETURN TO GATHERING, WE CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS AS OUR COMMUNITY RECOVERS FROM THIS PANDEMIC. IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY ARTS OFFERING IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, YOU FELT IT. THE EXCITEMENT AND ENERGY THAT PERMEATES IS PALPABLE. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE CHILDREN AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARE AMONG THE HARDEST HIT. IT IS NOT JUST THE LOSS OF LEARNING THAT IS CONCERNING TO OUR CITY'S FUTURE, BUT THE LOSS OF SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILLS, ENGAGEMENT, LIFE EXPERIENCE. THE ARTS PROVIDE ALL OF THESE. I THINK WE CAN AGREE THAT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THE SAN ANTONIO CHILDREN SHOULD BE DEEMED AN IMMEDIATE AND CRITICAL NEED. AND THAT THE ROLE OF THE LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS PLAY IN THE RECOVERY OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH. WHETHER IT IS ATTENDING SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS, ARTS INTEGRATED CLASSES, FIELD TRIPS, PERFORMANCES, ARTISTS IN SCHOOLS, FAMILIES ATTENDING FREE ARTS FOCUSED EVENTS. OUR STUDENTS NEED SAN ANTONIO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. THE ARTS PLAY A VITAL ROLE FOR ALL. IMPROVING THE WELLBEING, BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL, ULTIMATELY CONTRIBUTING TO A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE. SAN ANTONIO NEEDS A THRIVING ARTS COMMUNITY NOW MORE THAN EVER. NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMUNITY AND ARTS PROGRAMS TO AID IN RECOVERY. THIS CULTURAL THREAD THAT RUNS THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY IS FRAYED. AND WE ASK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN YOUR CONSIDERATION IN INCREASING THE ALLOCATIONS FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. SAN ANTONIO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE, AND I QUOTE FROM THE OF TREASURY GUIDANCE BUSINESSES STRUGGLING WITH THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF PANDEMIC WHILE THEY ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN VITAL PUBLIC SERVICES, EVEN AMID DECLINES IN REVENUE RESULTING FROM THIS CRISIS, OUR LOCAL ARTS COMMUNITY IS POISED TO HELP BUILD A STRONG, RESILIENT AND EQUITABLE RECOVERY. ALLOCATING ARPA DOLLARS TO SAN ANTONIO'S ARTS COMMUNITY IS AN INVESTMENT IN THAT SUPPORTS LONG-TERM GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY AND QUOTE. THE REALITY IS THAT MANY ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WILL NOT COME BACK AT THE TOBIN CENTER. WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO INTEGRATE THE ARTS INTO SCHOOLS AND INTO THE LIVES OF PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO. WE SUPPORT OUR RESIDENT COMPANIES AS THEY CAN CONTINUE SO THEY CAN CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING TO THE CITY, BUT IT'S ARPA FUNDING THAT WILL ALLOW PROGRAMS TO ENDURE. WE IMPLORE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO PROVIDE A QUICK AND SIMPLE PROCESS TO FUNNEL ARTS ALLOCATED ARPA DOLLARS TO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE STRUGGLING. AND PLEASE DO THIS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT A COMPLICATED OR ARDUOUS APPLICATION PROCESS. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL AND CITY LEADERSHIP TO OPEN THE PROCESS TO ALL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WITH AN ACTIVE 5 0 1 C RATHER THAN LIMITING THE PROCESS ONLY TO ORGANIZATIONS CURRENTLY FUNDED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU MR. FREDERICK. OKAY, WE'LL GO NOW TO DR. RICARDO CARON. DR. CARONE, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY PAM FOCH. APPRECIATE IT. MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. MY NAME IS RICARDO CARDON JR. I GREW UP ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, OFF OF SOUTH FLORIST AND BIGFOOT STREET. I GRADUATED FROM CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, RECEIVED A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE FROM ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY, A MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE FROM A UNIVERSITY OF INCARNATE WORD, AND A PHD FROM THE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER. I WITNESSED A TRANSFORMATION OF THIS CITY INTO A POWERHOUSE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. THIS TRANSFORMATION HAS LED DIRECTLY TO IMPROVEMENTS IN HUMAN HEALTH. NOT ONLY IMPACTING THE LIVES OF THOSE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY. TEXAS BIOME HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO WORK THERE FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW. MY RESEARCH FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON EMERGING VIRUSES AND WE BEEN ABLE [01:05:01] TO TEAM WITH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE PARTNERS TO DEVELOP THE FIRST EBOLA VIRUS VACCINE AND CONTRIBUTED TO JANSSEN'S EBOLA VACCINE AS WELL. AND OUR EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPING THESE VACCINES TO VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS HAS ACTUALLY ALLOWED US TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PANDEMIC. WE CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH THE PFIZER VACCINE AS WELL AS REGENERON EARLY C OVID 19 ANTIBODY COCKTAIL. AND WE CONTINUE NOW TO WORK TOWARDS THE NEXT GENERATION OF VACCINES. TEXAS BIOME HAS OVER AN 80 YEAR COMMITMENT TO ADVANCING TECHNOLOGIES. I'M ABOUT TO SHARE WITH YOU A VERY PERSONAL STORY. GO AHEAD AND SHOW THAT SLIDE. SO 12 YEARS AGO, MY SON WAS BORN AT 24 WEEKS GESTATION. HE WEIGHED ONLY ONE POUND, 15 OUNCES. HE ACT ACTUALLY COULD HOLD HIM IN THE PALM OF MY HAND. AND I REMEMBER THE DOCTORS TELLING ME, YOUR BOY HAS A 50% CHANCE TO SURVIVE. AND ALL OF US WHO ARE PARENTS CAN IMAGINE SOMEONE TELLING YOU THAT YOUR LOVE OF YOUR LIFE CAN DIE IN THE NEXT MINUTE. SO THAT, THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US. BUT THROUGH THE ACTIONS OF THE NURSES AND DOCTORS AT SANTA ROSA AND THE USE OF A HIGH FREQUENCY VENTILATOR, THAT VENTILATOR WAS DEVELOPED AT TEXAS BIO BED BACK IN THE NINETIES. MY SON WAS ABLE TO SURVIVE. HE HAS NO ISSUES WITH THE PREMATURITY. HE ONLY SUFFERS ONE, ONE AILMENT. YOU CAN SHOW THE NEXT SLIDE. AND THAT'S GAMER'S THUMB FROM TOO MUCH XBOX. OTHER THAN THAT, HE'S A PERFECTLY HEALTHY CHILD. NOW, THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO SPEAK AND I URGE YOU TO PLEASE SUPPORT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN IN OUR COMMUNITY AS IT TRANSLATES TO BETTER HEALTH, NOT ONLY FOR SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO FOR OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DR. CARONE. PAM FCH, FOLLOWED BY HEATHER HANSON. JUST TO SHARE AS WELL. GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE COUNSEL. MY NAME IS PAM FCH. I'M A MOTHER OF TWO BOYS WIFE TO A TALENTED HUSBAND. I'M AN ACCOUNTANT. I LOVE BASEBALL AND I TEND TO BE FUNNY, BUT MOSTLY ON SUNDAYS. 16 YEARS AGO AFTER HAVING PROPER PRENATAL CARE AND THREE ULTRASOUNDS, I PREPARED FOR A NORMAL BIRTH TO WELCOME MY SECOND SON. OWEN ARRIVED THAT AFTERNOON AND WHEN THE DOCTOR TURNED HIM FACE UP, WE DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD BEEN BORN WITH A CLEFT LIP AND PALATE. OWEN'S DAD WAS ALSO BORN WITH A CLEFT LIP AND PALATE. SO AFTER THE INITIAL SHOCK, WE DECIDED WE GOT THIS. NOT LONG AFTER WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE FURTHER CONCERNS, A PEDIATRICIAN WAS CALLED IN ASSESS THE SITUATION AND TOLD US THAT THERE WOULD BE A LIFETIME OF CHALLENGES AHEAD. MY NORMAL BIRTHING EXPERIENCE ENDED WITH HAVING MY SON SWEPT OFF IN AN AMBULANCE TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, LEAVING ME ALONE WITH THE WORDS SPINA BIFIDA. SPINA BIFIDA AFFECTS THE SPINE AND SPINAL CORD AND CAN LEAD TO A LARGE, LARGE, UH, RANGE OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES. NOW, 16 YEARS LATER, I AM HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT MY OWEN IS THRIVING. YOU CAN SHARE A PHOTO IF YOU LIKE. HE LOVES VIDEO GAMING, ALSO HANGING WITH HIS FRIENDS. HE'S PREPARING TO TAKE THE A C T FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HE HAS A KILLER NOOSE SMILE. I'M NOT GONNA LIE, WE'VE HAD MANY DAYS WHERE WE THOUGHT WE DO NOT GOT THIS. BUT OUR FAMILY, OUR FAITH AND A WHOLE SLEW OF DOCTORS AND NURSES HAVE HELPED US TO SUPPORT AND RAISE OWEN TO BE ONE HECK OF A HUMAN BEING. MANY OF THOSE DOCTORS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN MEDICAL RESEARCH. MANY YEARS AGO, I WENT TO WORK AT A PEDIATRIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE, AND IT WAS THEN THAT I BECAME AWARE OF WHAT IT TAKES TO PERFECT SURGICAL TECHNIQUES, TO MANUFACTURE MEDICAL DEVICES AND TO BRING SAFE MEDICATIONS TO MARKET. OWEN HAS HAD OVER 17 SURGERIES. HE'S USED MANY DEVICES AND HAS TAKEN MANY MEDICATIONS. ALL OF THESE HAVE ENABLED HIM TO REMAIN HEALTHY, AND I'M CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH, INCLUDING ANIMAL RESEARCH. I KNOW FOR CERTAIN HIS LAST MAJOR SURGERY WAS SUCCESSFUL. IN PART DUE TO ANIMAL RESEARCH, A PRENATAL SURGERY EXISTS THAT REDUCES COMPLICATIONS FROM SPINA BIFIDA. THIS SURGERY WAS FIRST TESTED IN ANIMALS AND WAS FAIRLY NEW AT THE TIME OWEN WAS BORN. HAD WE KNOWN HIS DIAGNOSIS PRIOR TO HIS BIRTH, WE WOULD'VE SIGNED UP FOR MANY FAMILIES. THIS SURGERY IS TO QUOTE A PREVIOUS SPEAKER, A GAME CHANGER. I'M HERE TODAY TO SAY THAT RESEARCH HAPPENING AT TEXAS BIOMED, INCLUDING ANIMAL RESEARCH, IS IMPERATIVE TO CONTINUE IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF ALL CHILDREN AND ADULTS. THE NEED FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH IS NOT DISCRIMINATING UNTIL WE WERE FLUNG INTO IT WITH OUR NEW CHALLENGE, WE DID NOT KNOW HOW WE WOULD BENEFIT FROM RESEARCH. THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THE WORK BEING DONE AT TEXAS [01:10:01] BIOMED AND FOR STANDING WITH SCIENCE TODAY. THANK YOU, MS. FUDGE, HEATHER HANSSEN. MS. HANSSEN, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JIM NEWMAN. MEMBERS THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE INVESTMENT OF $10 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS IN THE TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE. MY NAME IS HEATHER HANSSEN AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF BIOMED, A, A NONPROFIT THAT SERVES AS THE HUB OF THE LIFE SCIENCES IN SAN ANTONIO. OUR MISSION IS TO ACCELERATE THE GROWTH OF THE LOCAL HEALTHCARE AND BIOSCIENCE SECTOR, CREATE REGIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT, AND IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEYOND. OUR LOCAL LIFE SCIENCES ECOSYSTEM EMPLOYS OVER 187,000 RESIDENTS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO AND HAS AN ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $42 BILLION. SINCE BIOMED ASA WAS FOUNDED IN 2005, TEXAS BIOMED HAS BEEN A KEY PARTNER IN OUR EFFORT TO CATALYZE INNOVATION TO SOLVE SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST COMPLEX HEALTH CHALLENGES. TEXAS BIOMED IS A UNIQUE BIOMEDICAL ASSET HOME TO THE NATION'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT MEDICAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF BIOSAFETY LABS AND A NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTER. THE TALENT TEXAS BIOME TRACKS THE RESEARCH THEY CONDUCT AND THE PARTNERSHIPS THEY CREATE HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR HEALTHCARE AND BIOSCIENCE SECTOR. THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED AT TEXAS BIOMED HAS SAVED LIVES AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. VACCINES AND THERAPIES FOR SARS, ANTHRAX, EBOLA, DIABETES, HEART DISEASE, HEPATITIS C H I V, NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND MUCH MORE HAVE ADVANCED BECAUSE OF THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED AT TEXAS BIOMED. MOST RECENTLY, TEXAS BIOMED CONDUCTED CRITICAL TESTING THAT ALLOWED THE PFIZER COVID COVID VACCINE AND REGENERON MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY TO MOVE FORWARD. THE WORK AT TEXAS. BIOMED ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION'S DECISION TO ISSUE AN EMERGENCY USE LISTING FOR THE NOVAVAX VACCINE. A REAL GAME CHANGER FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD BECAUSE OF ITS, UM, STABILITY WITH STANDARD REFRIGERATION. AND YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN MEDIA COVERAGE THESE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS ABOUT HOW TEXAS BIOMED IS PARTNERING WITH TI PHARMACEUTICALS ON A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY COCKTAIL THAT IS BROADLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST OMICRON AND OTHER C OVID 19 VARIANTS. THIS IS RESEARCH THAT DRAWS GLOBAL ATTENTION TO SAN ANTONIO AS A CITY OF SCIENCE AND HEALTH, AND THAT CREATES CAREER PATHS FOR OUR REGIONS HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS TO HIGHLY SKILLED, HIGH PAYING AND RESILIENT JOBS. THE ARPA FUNDS TEXAS BIOMED SEEKS WILL ALLOW THE INSTITUTE TO INCREASE THE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY OF A FACILITY THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS DESIGNATED AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR ENTIRE NATION. NOT ONLY IS THIS AN APPROPRIATE USE OF ARPA FUNDING, IT IS ALSO ONE THAT WILL PAY HUGE DIVIDENDS TO OUR REGION IN THE FORM OF ECONOMIC IMPACT, BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES AND LIVES SAVED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. HANSSEN. JIM NEWMAN, FOLLOWED BY DR. FARAZ SINI MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JIM NEWMAN AND I REPRESENT THE NATIONAL, UH, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, AMERICANS FOR MEDICAL PROGRESS. OUR ORGANIZATION SUPPORTS THE ADVANCEMENT OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL MEDICINE THROUGH RESPONSIBLE AND HIGHLY REGULATED ANIMAL RESEARCH. I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THE PHRASE ANIMAL MEDICINE BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF, UH, BREAKTHROUGHS IN VETERINARY MEDICINE ALSO OCCUR THROUGH ANIMAL RESEARCH. AND WHILE I REPRESENT A NONPROFIT MEDICAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, I'D BRIEFLY LIKE TO MENTION SOME OF MY PAST WORK OVER THE PAST DECADE. UH, I DE I ORIGINALLY, UM, I DIRECTED EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY. THIS IS AN INSTITUTION THAT RUNS TWO MAJOR HOSPITALS, INCLUDING A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. AND THAT SAME LIKE EVERY OTHER UNIVERSITY THAT CONDUCTS HEALTH RESEARCH PERFORMS STUDIES IN ANIMALS. IN THE MOST RECENT PAST, I DIRECTED EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER IN HOUSTON, AND THIS INSTITUTION, LIKE EVERY OTHER CANCER INSTITUTE, ALSO CONDUCTS RESEARCH IN VARIOUS ANIMALS. RESEARCH THAT IS THEN TRANSLATED INTO LIFE-SAVING THERAPIES. IN FACT, ONE TREATMENT DURING MY TIME AT MD ANDERSON ACTUALLY WON A NOBEL PRIZE, AND THAT TREATMENT WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH ANIMAL STUDIES. I WANTED TO MENTION THESE PAST WORK EXPERIENCES BECAUSE THEY GAVE ME A FRONT ROW SEAT AS TO HOW RESEARCH WORKS AND HOW ANIMALS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE, AND I'VE LEARNED A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT THINGS FROM, FROM THOSE EXPERIENCES. FIRST, ANIMAL RESEARCH IS ENTIRELY NECESSARY. STUDIES IN ANIMALS TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO THE APPROVAL OF NEW MEDICATIONS AND TREATMENTS. HOWEVER, SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK ACTUALLY OCCURS [01:15:01] LONG BEFORE A DRUG OR THERAPY IS DEVELOPED. HEALTH STUDIES AND ANIMALS AT INCREDIBLE FACILITIES LIKE TEXAS BIOMED HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW LIVING SYSTEMS WORK. THESE STUDIES IDENTIFY THE CAUSES AND HOPEFULLY THE WEAKNESSES OF THE DISEASES THAT WE'RE STUDYING SO THAT WE CAN COMBAT THEM. AND WHILE WORKING IN HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH SETTINGS, I'VE OFTEN HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF SPEAKING WITH CANCER PATIENTS, AND IN SOME CASES, I'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE TOLD THEY WILL NOT LIKELY SURVIVE MUCH LONGER. AND I'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO'VE TOLD, TOLD ME ABOUT THEIR PLANS FOR THEIR FUNERALS. I'VE ACTUALLY HAD SEVERAL EXPERIENCES WITH, WITH INDIVIDUALS LIKE THAT WHERE THEY WERE GIVEN A TEST MEDICATION THROUGH A CLINICAL TRIAL, A MEDICATION THAT WAS DEVELOPED IN ANIMAL RESEARCH, AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE ALIVE AND WELL TODAY. AND I'VE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE SEVERAL TIMES IN MY LIFE. THE SECOND THING I LEARNED WHILE WORKING AT, UH, BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS IS THAT PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR ANIMALS, UH, SPEND A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT DOING THAT. UH, WHEN I LIVED IN OREGON, PEOPLE SLEPT ON THE FLOOR DURING SNOWSTORMS, AND I KNOW THE SAME TYPE OF THING TOOK PLACE AT TEXAS BIOMED LAST YEAR. AND IF THE WEATHER GETS BAD THIS WEEK, I'M SURE THAT'LL HAPPEN AGAIN. FINALLY, THOSE WHO HAVE LOUDLY AND REPEATEDLY STATED THE CONTINUED NEED FOR ANIMAL STUDIES, THERE'S A VERY, VERY LONG LIST. AND HERE'S A FEW. THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION, THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION, THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. I COULD LITERALLY GO ON AND ON. AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO END MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME. THANK YOU, MR. NEWMAN. DR. FERRAZ SINI, DR. HARINI, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LIZ TULLIS. GOOD MORNING CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR. I'M DR. FROST SINI. I'M A BIOMEDICAL SCIENTIST AND I WORK IN A BIOPHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY. WE DEVELOP, UH, THERAPEUTICS FOR CANCERS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INCLUDING C OVID 19. THEREFORE, I'M FAMILIAR WITH BIOPHARMA, BUSINESS ASSOCIATED COSTS AND ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION. AS A BIOMEDICAL EXPERT AND A RESIDENT OF TEXAS, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO WARN YOU AND EXPLAIN WHY FUNDING TEXAS BIOMASS ANIMAL RESEARCH IS A HIGH RISK, LOW RETURN INVESTMENT FROM A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE, HIGH RISK, LOW RETURN. FIRST, IT'S A THREAT TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. REMEMBER WHEN TEXAS BIOME ALMOST STARTED A PANDEMIC WHEN PRIMATES ESCAPED THEIR FACILITY IN 2012 AND AGAIN IN 2018? WELL, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT TIME WHEN A PRIMATE INFECTED WITH A CONTAGIOUS AND DEADLY VIRUS COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT, WITH YOU, WITH YOUR CHILDREN? STATISTICALLY, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. AND IN FACT, THE U S D A HAS FINED TEXAS BIOME FOR THREE VIOLATIONS OF THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT DUE TO THEIR FAILURE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM THE ANIMAL ESCAPES. SECOND PRIMATES HAVE A DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT IMMUNE SYSTEM THAN US. THEREFORE, ANIMAL TESTING IS INEFFECTIVE AND A WASTE OF MONEY AT BEST AND MISLEADING AND FATAL TO HUMANS. AT WORST, ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION IS BAD SCIENCE. IF TEXAS PYRAMID CARESS ABOUT SCIENCE AND PEOPLE, THEY SHOULD PURSUE MORE ADVANCED AND ROBUST TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE TO US. RIGHT NOW, MANY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND EVEN THE N I H ARE PHASING OUT VARIOUS FORMS OF ANIMAL TESTING. I WANT OUR COUNTRY AND OUR STATE TO BE A PIONEER IN MEDICAL RESEARCH. INSTEAD OF FUNDING AN OBSOLETE PRACTICE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WOULD YOU FIND A BLOODLETTING OR A LOBOTOMY CENTER? JUST LIKE LOBOTOMY, ANIMAL TESTING WILL BE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE MOST SHAMEFUL AND TRAGIC EVENTS IN MEDICAL HISTORY BY PUBLIC AND MEDICAL EXPERTS. TEXAS BIOMED HAS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH BETTER ALTERNATIVES THAT WILL SAVE MORE LIVES, AN OPPORTUNITY THAT'S LOST IF THEIR ANIMAL RESEARCH PROGRAM GETS FUNDED. THIRD, THIS IS A WASTE OF MONEY AND RESOURCES. THIS COMPANY IS VERY WELL FUNDED, AND THEY PAID THEIR C E O $650,000 IN 2019. SO CLEARLY THERE IS NO LACK OF FUNDS HERE, AND THEY STILL HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR, YOU AND I WANT THE SAME THING. WE WANT ADVANCEMENT OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AND SAVING LIVES AND ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION IS NOT THE WAY TO GO. SO FOR THESE REASONS, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU DENY TEXAS FIREMAN'S REQUEST FOR THIS FUNDING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DR. ARSI. LIZ TELLIS. LIZ TELLIS. OKAY, LAUREN LOY. MS. LOY, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ERNEST BROMLEY. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR BERGEN. COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS LAUREN LONEY. I'M A LICENSED ATTORNEY IN TEXAS, AS WELL AS THE TEXAS STATE DIRECTOR FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES. I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF MY ORGANIZATION AND THE THOUSANDS OF SAN ANTONIO SUPPORTERS THAT, UH, WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO STRONGLY OPPOSE THE RECOMMENDATION [01:20:01] TO ALLOCATE $10 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDING TO TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE. AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, FROM THE WEEKS OF PUBLIC OPPOSITION TO TEXAS BIOMED'S BOND FUNDING REQUEST, TEXAS BIOMED IS A NOTORIOUS ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION FACILITY WITH A DECADES LONG TRACK RECORD OF WASTING PUBLIC RESOURCES, MISLEADING PUBLIC OFFICIALS, AND TREATING ANIMALS WITH CRUELTY AND NEGLECT. MEIR NUREMBERG AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU ARE ALREADY AWARE OF YOUR COMMUNITY'S OPPOSITION TO ALLOCATING PUBLIC FUNDS TO ANIMAL TESTING, AND YET, HERE WE ARE AGAIN, AND WHETHER THERE IS A LEGAL LOOPHOLE IN THE ARPA RULE TO ALLOW THE CITY TO DO THIS, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT ALLOCATING $10 MILLION TO A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION WITH OVER $200 MILLION IN ASSETS AND WHICH ONLY EXPERIENCED GROWTH DURING THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC IS NEITHER AN APPROPRIATE NOR AN EFFECTIVE USE OF THIS FUNDING. I WAS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ATTORNEY PRIOR TO JOINING THE H S U S, AND I KNOW THAT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES STRUGGLE EVERY DAY TO PAY RENT, AND THAT THERE ARE ONLY 30 AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE UNITS OF RENTAL HOUSING FOR EVERY 100 EXTREMELY LOW INCOME RENTAL FAMILIES IN THIS CITY. SO I'M ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER, IS IT ACTUALLY JUSTIFIABLE THAT THIS CITY IS PROPOSING TO ALLOCATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY TO EMERGENCY RENTAL AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE AS YOU ARE PLANNING TO ALLOCATE TO A COMPANY WORTH HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS? AND THAT IS FUNDED BY FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE. LIKE PFIZER, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, TEXAS BIOMED ONLY USED 30% OF THEIR CURRENT PRIMATE POPULATION FOR EXPERIMENTS IN 2020 WITH THE REST OF THOSE ANIMALS BEING WAREHOUSED AND USED FOR BREEDING PURPOSES. AND MUCH, MUCH OF THEIR RESEARCH ISN'T EVEN REQUIRED BY THE F D A, BUT IS EXPLORATORY IN NATURE ONLY. FINALLY, THE CITY'S LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND EFFORT TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC THROUGH A NORMAL PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS PUT ALL OF US IN THE POSITION TODAY OF HAVING TO BE HERE DURING A SEVERE WINTER WEATHER WARNING IN ORDER TO EXPRESS OUR OPPOSITION. FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T YET, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO END, UH, BY ENCOURAGING YOU TO CHECK OUT THE SAN ANTONIO SPEAK UP PAGE WHERE DOZENS AND DOZENS AND DOZENS OF RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR OPPOSITION TO THIS PROJECT. SO ON THAT, UH, WE REQUEST THAT YOU PLEASE, UH, REJECT TEXAS BIOMEDS FUNDING PROPOSAL AND INSTEAD ALLOCATE THIS MONEY TO SOMETHING THAT IS ACTUALLY A COMMUNITY-BASED NEED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. LONEY. ERNEST BROMLEY. ALL RIGHT. I'M GONNA ASK FOLKS TO PLEASE KEEP THEIR APPLAUSE TO A MINIMUM SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NEXT IN LINE CAN HEAR THEIR NAME BEING CALLED ERNEST BROMLEY, FOLLOWED BY BENNY PRICE. GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS WELL. UH, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUNDATION. I AM THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE FOUNDATION. WE ARE A 5 0 1 C THREE AND BASICALLY THE FUNDRAISING ARM FOR THE DISTRICT TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND RECENT GRADUATES THRIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE FUNDS THAT WE HAD RECEIVED FROM ARPA. UH, WE DID APPLY FOR A TEST LAST YEAR FOR ABOUT 130,000, AND THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT MUCH OF THE DISTRICT STUDENTS AND HOUSEHOLDS LIVE IN POVERTY. IN FACT, 90% OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, AND WE SERVE AND EDUCATE THE FIVE POOREST DISTRICTS IN OUR CITY. ALSO, NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT COVID SEVERELY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF US IN POVERTY. AND SO WE LAUNCHED A PROGRAM BECAUSE WHEN COVID STARTED IN 20, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS HAD GRADUATED IN 2020 CLASS, NO JOBS. THEY DIDN'T HAVE, THEY WERE A HOME. SO WE APPLIED FOR A PILOT PROGRAM THAT SET UP NAVIGATORS. SO WE GOT LIFE COACHES, SO TO SPEAK, TO GO OUT AND GET THESE YOUNG FOLKS AND PUT 'EM INTO WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS OR ENCOURAGE THEM INTO WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS AND SO FORTH. IT'S A PRETTY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM. UM, WE ENROLLED ABOUT 101 STUDENTS FROM THE CLASS OF 20, UH, INTO THE ALAMO COLLEGE DISTRICT. WE ALSO [01:25:02] REFERRED OVER 500 OF STUDENTS BACK IN THE 20 CLASS TO PROGRAMS LIKE NEXT LEVEL. AND, UH, AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROGRAM, AND SO WE'RE ASKING TO, UM, REFUND US. UH, BASICALLY, UH, WE WOULD LIKE, WE HAVE, UH, MY, MY PRESIDENT OF THE FOUNDATION WILL BE TALKING MORE SPECIFICALLY ON SOME OF THE NUMBERS. WE ALSO BRING A STUDENT THAT'S BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS. THIS IS SOMETHING WE FEEL IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, AND WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO, TO MEET THE COVID CHALLENGE AND ENSURE THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THRIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BROMLEY. JUDY, YOU'RE ON THE LIST. ARE ARE YOU GUYS COMING UP IN A GROUP? WE ARE HERE. THERE'S, THERE'S THREE OF US ALL TOGETHER. OKAY. FOR EACH INDIVIDUALLY ON THE LIST, THEY SAID WE COULD COME UP AT THE SAME TIME. OKAY. UH, JUDY AND WHO ELSE? CHARLENE GUZMAN. OH, OKAY. WHY DON'T Y'ALL GO AHEAD AND COME UP AND YOU'LL HAVE SIX MORE MINUTES. ALRIGHT, GREAT. UM, THANK YOU. JUDY GEL, UM, S A I S D FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. UM, AND WE ARE ASKING AGAIN FOR THE FUNDING FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF A PILOT PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. THE DISTRICT, UM, IN SAN ANTONIO, I S D HAS MADE STRONG GAINS TO HELP STUDENTS CREATE PLANS FOR POST-SECONDARY, UM, ENGAGEMENT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL FOR COLLEGE AND WORKFORCE. UM, PRE PANDEMIC, WE ACTUALLY HAD INCREASED TO 52% OF OUR STUDENTS ENROLLING IN, IN COLLEGE, UM, IMMEDIATELY AFTER GRADUATION. THAT'S 1300 STUDENTS EVERY YEAR. UM, AND, AND THAT BUILDS ON THE PROGRAMS HAPPENING IN OUR P-TECH GROWTH AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN SAN ANTONIO, I S D AROUND HIGH WAGE, HIGH DEMAND JOBS. AND THESE ARE CRITICAL TO, UM, HELPING SAN ANTONIO BE A COMPETITIVE CITY. UM, BUT WHEN COVID HIT OVER A THOUSAND OF OUR STUDENTS, UM, THEY HAD TO CHANGE THEIR PLANS AND MEET THE IMMEDIATE FINANCIAL CRISIS IN THEIR FAMILY. AS A PUBLIC CHARITY. WE SUPPORT, UM, THIS THIRD LARGEST THE STUDENTS, ALL THE STUDENTS IN THE THIRD LARGEST DISTRICT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND IT TOUCHES FIVE OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS HERE, AS WELL AS THE SCHOOLS THAT, UM, RECRUIT FROM ALL OVER, UM, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. UH, WE WANTED TO BE A PART OF MITIGATING, UM, THE LOSS IN THE PANDEMIC, AND THAT'S WHY WE WORKED WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS TO LAUNCH THIS PROGRAM FOR POST-SECONDARY NAVIGATORS. UH, WE HIRED FOUR FULL-TIME POST-SECONDARY NAVIGATORS WHO, UH, ONE OF 'EM ARE HERE WITH US TODAY. FOLKS LIKE OUR RETIRED PRINCIPAL, UM, WHO WE GRABBED TO HELP, UM, POUND THE PAVEMENT AND GET OUR STUDENTS WHERE THEY HAD WANTED TO BE. UM, JUST IMMEDIATELY AFTER, UM, THEY WERE HIRED IN, IN THIS SUMMER WHEN THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A HUNDRED STUDENTS FROM THE CLASS OF 2020, UH, BACK IN, ENROLLED IN COLLEGE, BACK ON THEIR TRACK ON THEIR PLAN, AND 300 FROM THE CLASS OF 20 21, 700 IN TOTAL FROM 2020 AND 2021. GOT IT. REFERRED TO NEXT LEVEL WORKFORCE TRAINING AND RECEIVED ADDITIONAL SOCIAL SERVICES FROM, FROM THE DISTRICT. BUT THAT TAKES A LOT OF POUNDING THE PAVEMENT, AND AS CHARLENE WILL TELL YOU, A LOT OF KNOCKS AND CALLS ON HER DOOR. UM, WE SEE THE LIVES CHANGING FOR STUDENTS. WE SEE THEIR TRAJECTORY CHANGING ALL OF THE TIME EVERY DAY. JUST IN DECEMBER, WE HAVE A STUDENT LIKE LUCE, WHOSE MOM DIDN'T GRADUATE, WHO LEFT, UH, WHO HAD A SIXTH GRADE EDUCATION. HER FATHER, UH, NEVER GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, AND SHE BECAME THE FIRST IN HER FAMILY TO GRADUATE OUT OF TEXAS A AND M COLLEGE STATION AND MANUFACTURE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, AND IS NOW WORKING IN SUPPLY CHAIN. UH, WE ALL KNOW WE NEED SUPPLY CHAIN WORKERS. UM, SO IT IS THIS, UM, KIND OF OPPORTUNITY THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET OUR STUDENTS BACK ON TRACK TO WHERE THEY WANTED TO BE. UM, FUNDING THIS PROGRAM IS A SMALL FUND AND ASK FROM ARPA FUNDS, BUT IT LEVERAGES INCREDIBLE THINGS HAPPENING THROUGH PUBLIC PARTNER, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FROM SAN ANTONIO ID LOCAL AND STATE FUNDS, AS WELL AS VALERO ENERGY'S MAJOR INVESTMENT, LANDMARK GIFT, UM, IN POST-SECONDARY ED, UM, FOR STUDENTS IN SAN ANTONIO, I S D. UM, SO UTILIZING THE ARPA FUNDING FOR THIS PURPOSE, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BREAK, UH, DEEP CYCLES OF GENERATIONAL POVERTY, A SMALL INVESTMENT TO YIELD A LIFETIME IMPACT. WE, UH, ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER SUPPORTING IT AS A PART OF THIS PROGRAM. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, LET ME INTRODUCE TO YOU SHERILYN CHARLYN. I SAID THAT WRONG. HELLO? OH, SORRY. . HELLO, MAYOR ARIAN CITY COUNCIL. UM, MY NAME IS CHARLENE GUZMAN. I GRADUATED FROM SAM HOUSTON IN 2021. I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT. I DIDN'T HAVE ADULT FIGURE, UH, BECAUSE MY PARENTS WERE DEPORTED DURING THE PANDEMIC. UH, SO OBVIOUSLY I JUST HAD TO WORK. UM, MY NAVIGATOR, PATTY CARVAL HALL WE'RE HERE, OFFERED TO HELP ME GET INTO COLLEGE AT FIRST. SHE DID [01:30:01] REACH OUT TO ME SEVERAL TIMES, HOWEVER, I IGNORED HER . UM, AFTER ME DECIDING THAT I WANTED TO PURSUE COLLEGE, WE ZOOMED AND TALKED ABOUT, UM, ALL THE OPTIONS WE HAD. UH, WE ENDED UP GOING TO SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE FOR THE ROCK AND ROLL EVENT TOGETHER. UH, MS. CARVALHO OFFERED TRANSPORTATION TO THE ROCK AND ROLL EVENT, THE T S I TESTING, THE REST OF REGISTRATION AND THE DEVICE PICKUP, AND NOW I'M ATTENDING SAC TO BECOME A SOCIAL WORKER. THE REASON I'M PURSUING A CAREER LIKE THAT IS I LOVE TO HELP THOSE IN NEED. UH, THE FEELING OF HELPING SOMEONE IS A FULFILLMENT THAT NO MONEY COULD HAVE PAY OFF, AND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HELPED ME, SO I WANTED TO HELP OTHERS TO SHOW THEM THAT THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE, THAT THERE'S ALWAYS HELP. UM, COVID MADE THINGS REALLY HARD TO GET INTO COLLEGE. YEAH, I'M EXTREMELY THANKFUL THERE'S NAVIGATORS TO HELP KIDS THAT DUNNO WHAT TO DO NEXT IN LIFE. AND I'M EXTREMELY THANKFUL EVEN MORE BECAUSE I GOT AN AMAZING NAVIGATOR, MS. PATTY CARAL, AND, UH, WHICH IS WHY I ASK TO KEEP HELPING FUND THE POST-SECONDARY NAVIGATORS LIKE MS. PATTY. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. JUST THE LAST PIECE I WANTED TO ADD IS, UM, FOR US, WHAT WE REALIZED IN THIS PILOT, IT IS, IT WAS A MISSING PIECE. IT WAS A MISSING LINK. IT'S THOSE STUDENTS WHO AFTER GRADUATION HAS OCCURRED AND OUR GRADUATION RATES ARE HIGHER THAN EVER BEFORE, PRE PRE PANDEMIC, BUT AFTER GRADUATION, WHO'S TRACKING, FOLLOWING AND GRABBING OUR STUDENTS, UM, WHO NEED THAT NEXT STEP. UM, AND SO WE FEEL THAT THIS FILLS A REALLY IMPORTANT GAP. SO THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, UH, BENNY PRICE AND MR. PRICE, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MARIE VANDER STRATTON. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. UM, THE FIRST THING I WANNA SAY IS THAT THE CITY IS DOING A GREAT JOB. UM, YEAH. UM, BIG MAMA SAFE HOUSE. UH, I'M THE C E O, WE ARE SAFE HOUSE ON THE EAST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. UM, THE QUESTION I WOULD ASK IS, DO Y'ALL KNOW THE PERCENTAGE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SAN ANTONIO? I ONCE ASKED THIS QUESTION AND I GOT AN ANSWER MAYBE 12, 13 OR 14, AND I SAID, MAYBE 15, 16, 17. WELL, WE WERE NOWHERE NEAR THE NUMBER. THEY'RE SAYING IT'S 7%. WITH 7% AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THIS GREAT CITY, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE A PROBLEM TAKING CARE OF, OF ANY PROBLEMS THAT 7% OF THE CITY CITIZENS HAVE. I WOULD LIKE FOR SOME OF THESE FUNDS TO BE PROVIDED AND MADE AVAILABLE TO THE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS FOR COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. UM, OTHER STATES AND CITIES, UM, JUST RIGHT UP IN AUSTIN AND RIGHT DOWN THE STREET IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, THEY HAVE COMMITTED FUNDS TO COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION. WE'RE ASKING FOR AT LEAST 2% OR 3% OF ALL OF THESE FUNDS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO FIGHT THE COMMUNITY CRIME INTERVENTION. WE ALL KNOW, UM, THAT CRIME VIOLENT CRIMES IS RISING. UM, EVERY DAY WE SEE THESE MURDERS. UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SMALL ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT ARE ON THE FRONT LINES THAT ARE PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE. UM, MY PHONE RINGS MORE THAN THE CHIEF OF POLICES WHEN IT COMES TO MURDERS ON THE EAST SIDE. MY PHONE RINGS MORE THAN THE CITY COUNCILMAN'S OFFICE WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING TO MEDIATE GUN AND GANG VIOLENCE. ANOTHER THING, BIG MAMA SAFE HOUSE, UM, HAD A GREAT CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE. IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR NUMBERS, BIG MAMA SAFE HOUSE IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF EXISTENCE HAD THE BEST NUMBERS OF ANY ORGANIZATION IN THE CITY. THAT'S WITHOUT NO FUNDING, THAT'S WITHOUT, THAT'S WITH ITS CITIZENS VOLUNTEERING TO DO THE WORK. STILL, MY PHONE RINGS AFTER THE CONTRACT ENDED. STILL, MY PHONE RINGS JUST LIKE IT WAS RINGING, LIKE WE HAD A CONTRACT. EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE IS STILL NEEDED. THAT'S ONE WAY THAT YOU, IT'S BEEN THE BEST PROGRAM THE CITY HAS EVER HAD IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE IT HAS AFFECTED THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT THE MOST, MOST. ALSO, UM, MY PHONE'S BEEN RINGING THESE [01:35:01] LAST FEW DAYS ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING MONEY THAT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO. SO I'M ASKING THE MAYOR AND THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY MONEY GIVEN OUT TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PRICE. MARIE VANDER STRATTON. MARIE VANDER STRATTON. OKAY. DON'T SIT DOWN. CHARLES, YOU'RE UP. MR. SAD WHITE. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MARIELA. UNA. HI, EVERYBODY. DAWN, UH, MR. WASH MAYOR, UH, DISTRICT TWO. UM, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE TIME TO COME OUT AND, UM, LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE THE FUNDS THAT WE WAS GIVEN FOR THE, UH, 25,000. WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING SOME GREAT THINGS WITH THAT. WE ARE DOING A TEEN SUMMIT, AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER EVENTS, UH, AS WELL. BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT CRIME RATE IS REAL HIGH RIGHT NOW ON THE EAST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. WE ARE GRASSROOTS, BUT WE ARE DOING MORE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND, UH, WE NEED YOUR HELP. WE, UH, WE WOULD LOVE FOR, UH, Y'ALL TO TAKE AT LEAST 2% OF THEIR FUNDS THAT ARE BEING MADE FOR THESE, UH, CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE DOING ON THE EAST SIDE. WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL LEAGUE BACK UP, BUT IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE BASKETBALL. WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING ICE PROGRAMS. WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, UH, GETTING OUR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL, UH, FOR, WE COULD FIGHT CRIMES IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND, UH, WE NEED Y'ALL HELP ON THIS. UH, ALSO MY PHONE HAS BEEN RINGING ABOUT, UH, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GETTING FUNDS THAT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, AS WELL. SO I SAY THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS, BUT, UH, MAINLY WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A UNIT TO, UH, BE ABLE TO STOP THE CRIME THAT'S GOING ON IN THE EAST SIDE. WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC RIGHT NOW, AND, UM, BUT WE ALSO WATCHING EVERY, EVERY DAY WE WATCH THE NEWS, WE SEEING SOMEBODY GETTING SHOT, SOMEBODY GETTING STABBED, HOUSE, GETTING BROKEN IN. WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE TO, UH, PREVENT A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT'S, UH, TAKING ON, TAKING ON ANY OF THE COMMUNITIES. AND, UH, ONCE AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO JUST COME TO SAY THANK Y'ALL FOR THE 25,000 THAT WE'RE RECEIVING, BUT THAT WOULD JUST PUT THE, UH, GAS IN THE CAR. NOW WE NEED TO GET MOVING AS A UNIT TO, UH, REALLY, UH, TACKLE THIS, UH, CRIME RATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SATTERWHITE. MARIELA. OZUNA, MS. OZUNA, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY SHAUNA DELGADO. GOOD MORNING, MR. MARIAN. COUNSEL I SEAT BY TIME TO MR. ROL SYKES. MR. SYKES, UM, HOLD ON. ONE, DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY ELSE SEATING TIME TO YOU? NO. OKAY. UM, MARIELA, OZUNA, UH, YOU'LL BE, YOU'LL FOLLOW MR. SYKES. ONE, ONE SECOND. MR. SYKES, LEMME LOCATE YOU ON THIS LIST. NO, WE DON'T HAVE YOU ON THE LIST, MR. SYKES, BUT GO, GO AHEAD AND, UH, TAKE YOUR THREE MINUTES. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AS EVERYONE HAS STATED ALREADY TODAY, SAGE IS A VITAL PART OF THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. UH, THEY'VE HELPED MY ORGANIZATION IN SEVERAL WAYS. UH, WE HAVE A CODING ACADEMY FOR THE YOUTH. UM, WE PLACE EMPHASIS ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND MAKING SURE THAT THE YOUNG, YOUNG FOLKS IN AMERICA AND SAN ANTONIO IN PARTICULAR ARE ABLE TO, UM, FEND FOR THEMSELVES IN, IN, IN THE, UH, JOB MARKET. EVERYTHING IS GOING TECHNOLOGY, OKAY? UH, WE'VE GOT ASIANS AND ALL COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD THAT ARE TRAINING KIDS FROM THE AGE OF FIVE. THEY'RE STARTING AS, AS EARLY AS FIVE TO GET THEIR KIDS INVOLVED. WE NEED TO DO THE SAME. SAGE HAS HELPED, UH, OUR ORGANIZATION WITH, UM, GUIDANCE ON FUNDING AND HOW TO MAINTAIN AND, AND REACH THAT EAST SIDE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS VERY, VERY, UM, AND, AND AT, UH, YOU KNOW, AT RISK OF BEING LEFT BEHIND, IF NOT GIVEN THESE TYPES OF, UH, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. UM, IT'S, IT'S OBVIOUS. I MEAN, I, I FEEL LIKE I'M, I'M RESTATING THE OBVIOUS BY STANDING HERE AND EXPLAINING TO ANYONE THAT TECHNOLOGY IS SO KEY TO OUR, OUR YOUTH AND TO THE COMMUNITY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO, SAGE IS AT THE HEART OF THAT. I MEAN, MOST BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE TO GO TO FOR THAT TYPE OF GUIDANCE AND THAT TYPE OF HELP AND FUNDING AND UNDERSTANDING HOW TO REACH OUT TO THAT, THAT, THAT DEMOGRAPHIC. SO [01:40:01] WE HOPE THAT, UH, THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR SEES THE SAME AND THAT YOU WILL REACH OUT AND HELP, HELP SAGE IN THIS EFFORT. SO I YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR. SYKES. IS SHANNA DELGADO HERE? MS. DELGADO, YOU BE FOLLOWED BY ALAN HUERTA. GOOD MORNING. HE'S ACTUALLY RIGHT BEHIND ME. I'M SORRY. I CAN'T HEAR YOU. WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK TOGETHER. IS THAT OKAY? HE'LL, ARE YOU MR. HUERTA? YES. OKAY, GO AHEAD. YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES. UM, GOOD MORNING. WE'RE HERE TO, UM, JUST SPEAK JUST, AND I APOLOGIZE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SPEAKING. IT'S A PERSONAL STORY THAT WE HAVE WITH, WE'RE ASKING FOR MORE ASSISTANCE IN THE HOUSING. UM, IT MADE US VERY UPSET THAT THESE COMPANIES THAT HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ALREADY ARE ASKING FOR MORE MONEY OR GIVING MORE MONEY. OUR PERSONAL STORY IS WE LOST OUR JOBS 'CAUSE OF COVID EVERY TIME THAT WE, EVERY TIME THAT WE TRIED TO GET UP BACK ON OUR FEET, THERE WAS ANOTHER SURGE AND MEANING WE COULDN'T GO TO WORK. MEANING WE COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, PAY THE MORTGAGE OR EVEN WITH C P S AND SAW US DELAYING OUR PAYMENTS. IT, YOU KNOW, IT ALL CAME TO AN END. WE KEPT ON DIGGING OURSELVES INTO A BIGGER AND BIGGER HOLE. IT'S HARD TO COME OUT OF. AND WE'RE NOT THE ONLY FAMILY. WE HAVE NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE TRYING TO GET HELP AND IT'S SUPER HARD TO GET AHOLD OF THE CITY FOR ASSISTANCE. I KNOW YOU KEEP ON SAYING THAT THERE'S FUNDING OUT THERE, BUT IT'S HARD TO REACH IT. AND THEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GO TO WORK, MAKE UP THAT MONEY THAT YOU HAVE LOST, AND YOU HAVE TO CALL DURING WORK HOURS. AND THAT'S LONG WAIT TIMES. SO THEN YOU'RE FACED WITH ARE, DO YOU WAIT ON THE LINE OR NOT WORK? AND IT'S JUST A WHOLE THAT EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO COME OUT OF. IT'S OUR PERSONAL STORY. IT'S OUR NEIGHBORHOOD STORY. PEOPLE ARE GETTING FRUSTRATED. UM, WHEN THIS MONEY WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP OUT OUR COMMUNITY AND THEY SAW THESE, YOU KNOW, AN AMUSEMENT PARK THAT'S GETTING MONEY AND BIOMED THAT'S GETTING MONEY. YOU KNOW, IS ANYBODY LOOKING AT US? THESE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TOO AFRAID TO COME AND SPEAK. UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN'T COME DURING WORK HOURS. SO I NEED YOU GUYS TO REALLY SEE US AND SEE THAT THIS IS REAL FAMILIES BEING AFFECTED THAT NEED MONEY AND HELP THEM GET THE MONEY. DON'T JUST PUT IT ONLINE. DON'T JUST MAKE PHONE CALL. YOU KNOW, TRY TO GET A HOTLINE. 'CAUSE THEN YOU HAVE TO WAIT, WAIT FOR A CALLBACK, THERE'S A STRUGGLE THERE, AND YOU JUST PUT MORE MONEY INTO HOUSING. THAT'S IT. ALRIGHT, HOW ARE Y'ALL? UH, SO FIRST TIME DOING THIS. I'M GLAD TO BE UP HERE. I WANTED TO SPEAK ON, JUST CONTINUE ON WHAT MY WIFE WAS TALKING ABOUT. AS FAR AS OUR SITUATION GOES, WE DO NEED HELP. THE COMMUNITY NEEDS HELP. THEY DO NEED MORE FUNDS, THEY NEED MORE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE INFORMATION. THERE'S A LOT OF SENIORS THAT NEED MEDICAL HELP. THERE'S A LOT OF UNDERPRIVILEGED PEOPLE THAT DO NEED HELP. AND THE CITY, I SEE THEM DISPERSING ALL THESE FUNDS, WANTING TO SEND MONEY HERE, SEND MONEY THERE. BUT YOU'RE SENDING IT TO, OR THINKING ABOUT SENDING IT TO ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ALREADY HAVE, THEY'RE SITTING PRETTY, PEOPLE ARE GETTING PAID AT THESE ORGANIZATIONS, THESE INSTITUTIONS. I DON'T THINK THAT'S HELPING THEM. WHY WOULD WE KEEP POURING MONEY INTO SOMEBODY THAT ALREADY HAS EVERYTHING GOING FOR THEM AS AN INSTITUTION, AS AN AMUSEMENT PARK. ALSO, IF YOU'RE SUPPORTING THE BIOMED INSTITUTE, YOU'RE SUPPORTING CRUELTY. I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS HEALTHCARE ADVANCEMENTS. EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE PEOPLE GET BETTER. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'RE KILLING PEOPLE. THEY ARE PEOPLE. THESE ANIMALS ARE PEOPLE. THEY HAVE FEELINGS, THEY HAVE EMOTIONS. THEY'RE SENTIENT. THEY FEEL PAIN JUST LIKE YOU, JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS ROOM. THEY HAVE FAMILIES. THEY HAVE THE [01:45:01] ABILITY TO HAVE FAMILIES. THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THEM. IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S NOT WORTH THE COST OF TAKING LIVES. AND ALSO THE MONEY NEEDS TO GO INTO THE PEOPLE, INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT MAKE THIS CITY. THAT'S WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. IT NEEDS TO COME BACK INTO THE CITY. YOU NOT INTO, NOT INTO NEW PROJECTS. NOT INTO NEW PLACES. LIKE FOR PEOPLE TO GO NEW TREND, NEW TRENDY PLACES. NO. INTO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING THIS CITY WHAT IT IS. THAT'S WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY WORK, GO TO WORK EVERY DAY AND THEY GO TO WORK, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH. PEOPLE NEED ASSISTANCE. THEY NEED TO BE HELPED. AND NOT JUST, NOT JUST THROUGH TV COMMERCIALS OR NEWS SEGMENTS. NO. THEY NEED PHYSICAL HELP. THEY NEED PEOPLE TO COME OUT THERE AND ACTUALLY CHECK ON THEM. THEY NEED THAT. PEOPLE NEED HELP. THEY REALLY DO. AND I WISH THAT Y'ALL CAN REALLY CONSIDER THAT AND POUR IT INTO THE COMMUNITY, INTO THE HEALTHCARE, INTO THE HOUSING, ESPECIALLY THE HOUSING. PEOPLE ARE LOSING HOMES EVERY DAY. AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THEIR FAULT. IT'S BECAUSE THE SYSTEM, THE WAY IT'S WIRED, MAKES IT THAT MUCH HARDER FOR THEM TO GET HELP. SO THAT IS IT. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ZACHARY CLAXTON. ZACHARY CLAXTON. AGAIN. I'LL ASK FOLKS TO PLEASE, UH, KEEP THE VOLUME DOWN SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR THEIR NAME CALLED AFTER ZACHARY CLAXTON. WE HAVE STEVEN LUCKY. ALRIGHT, MY NAME IS ZACH AND I'M A COLLEGE STUDENT, A VOTER, AND A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR. I'M JUST SO DISAPPOINTED IN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT. THE YOUNG GENERATION IS COUNTING UP AGGRESSIVE, FORWARD SEEKING THINKING CITIES LIKE OURS TO LEAD IN GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY AND ENGAGEMENT. YET THE ONLY WAY I COULD COME AND, AND SPEAK UP ON AN ISSUE THAT REALLY MATTERS TO ME IS TO COME DOWN HERE AND RISK MY SAFETY. DRIVING DOWN HERE TO BEG YOU TO PLEASE NOT TO GIVE MONEY TO TEXAS BIOMED. WE DID EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO TELL YOU THAT WE DID NOT WANT THIS AND WOULD NOT VOTE FOR THE BOND IF IT WAS INCLUDED. RATHER THAN ENGAGE WITH US, THE CITY HAS GONE AND PUT THE AR FUNDING, THE R P A FUNDINGS PROPOSAL AND BYPASS OUR CONCERNS. , I HAVE COME TO EXPECT LOCAL VOICES TO BE DROWN OUT BY THE STATE, BUT NOT BY OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. IS THIS WHAT IT'S ABOUT? IGNORING THE PEOPLE TO FOCUS ON POWERFUL SPECIAL INTERESTS. IF I WANNA BELIEVE THAT OUR COMMUNITY MATTERS AND THAT YOU WILL LISTEN TO OUR SINCERE OPPOSITION TO THIS PROJECT, I'M GLAD TO BE HERE. THERE ARE MORE VIABLE ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL TESTING THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT IF WE ARE TRULY TO PROGRESS SCIENCE AND MEDICINE. AND LET ME ASK YOU, DOES A SALARY OF $650,000 IN 2019 FOR THE TEXAS BIOMED C E O SOUND LIKE A NONPROFIT? THIS TAXPAYER MONEY DESERVES TO GO TO RECIPIENTS WHO ARE DUE FAR MORE TANGIBLE GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAN TO GOING TO AN ALREADY WELL-FUNDED ESTABLISHMENT THAT HAS ITS FLAWS, EMERGENCY FUNDING OR EMERGENCY HOUSING FUNDING FOR PEOPLE IN ACTUAL NEED OR MORE MONEY TO THE ALREADY FLAWED AND WELL-FUNDED ORGANIZATION. PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE TEXAS BIOMED AND A R P A FUNDING YOUR CITIZENS. DO NOT WANT IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MR. CLAXTON. STEVEN LUCKY, FOLLOWED BY ROSEMARY WILLIAMS. UH, GOOD MORNING MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGEMENT. I SPOKE LAST NIGHT, SO SORRY IF SOME OF THIS IS REDUNDANT. I WANNA SPEAK ON TWO THINGS. ONE BEING FOOD AND THE SECOND BEING TRANSPARENCY. IN REGARDS TO FOOD, THE SAN ANTONIANS ARE OVERFED. YEAH, MALNOURISHED SEEMS LIKE A OXYMORON TO ME. 66% OF SAN ANTONIO ADULTS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. 20% OF CHILDREN ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. 16% OF RESIDENTS ARE FOOD INSECURE. THE C D C SAYS HASHTAG HAVING OBESITY INCREASES THE RISK OF SEVERE ILLNESS FROM C OVID 19. HAVING OBESITY MAY TRIPLE THE RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION DUE TO C OVID 19 INFECTION. THE STANDARD AMERICAN DIET HAS LED TO AN EPIDEMIC AND EXACERBATED THE PANDEMIC. THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET FOR THE PANDEMIC. WE MUST FOCUS ON TRUE WEALTH, WHICH IS OUR HEALTH. WE MUST FIX THE FOOD SYSTEM TO IMPROVE THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH. THERE'S A SAYING THAT 1% OF AMERICANS FEED THE NATION AND 1% PROTECTS THE NATION. THAT MEANS THAT 90 PERC, 99% OF AMERICANS HAVE LITTLE TO NO CONNECTION WITH THE FOOD THAT NOURISHES THEIR BODY EACH AND EVERY DAY. I REMEMBER THE EMPTY SHELVES AT H E B I REMEMBER THE ENDLESS CAR LINES AT THE MEGAFOOD DISTRIBUTIONS. I REMEMBER MAKING NATIONAL HEADLINES ON M S N B C BECAUSE 120,000 OF OUR NEIGHBORS COULDN'T PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE. THE FACT THAT OUT OF $212 MILLION, THERE IS NO MENTION OF FOOD SECURITY ACCESS OR JUSTICE IS APPALLING. I STRONGLY URGE THE COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER THIS BUDGET. REALLOCATING $3 MILLION OF FUNDS, POSSIBLY FROM TEXAS BIOMED TO CREATE A FOOD SECURE [01:50:01] CATEGORY, CULTIVATING A ROBUST LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM THAT SOLIDIFIES A NASCENT COALITION READY TO CREATE COLLECTIVE IMPACT. WHEN YOU INVEST IN MILLION DOLLARS IN FOOD BOXES IS GONE FOREVER DOWN THE TOILET WHEN YOU INVEST IN LAND TRACTORS, EDUCATION, AND GREENHOUSES. THE R O I OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AS AT LEAST A MULTIPLIER OF TWO BASED ON AN OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY REPORT IN 2021. THE CREATION OF JOBS, FOOD LIFE SKILLS, AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IS EXPONENTIALLY GREATER THAN ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN SUPPORT. FOOD IS THE FOUNDATION OF MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS IMPACTING OUR PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH. THERE'S AN OLD ADJECTIVE SAYS YOU CAN PAY THE FARMER NOW OR THE DOCTOR LATER. I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. YOU CAN PAY THE FARMER NOW OR THE DOCTOR LATER. AND I GUARANTEE THAT A TRIP TO THE FARM IS WAY MORE AFFORDABLE THAN A TRIP TO THE DOCTOR. I WANNA BRING UP TRANSPARENCY AS WELL. A FEW ORGANIZATIONS WERE HAND-SELECTED TO RECEIVE IMPACTFUL INVESTMENTS WHILE THE REST OF US WERE LEFT IN THE DARK. WHEN I INTENDED TOWN HALL AT ELLA AUSTIN, I SAW A SLIDE THAT SAID UNSOLICITED REQUESTS. SO IF THE CITY IS TAKING UNSOLICITED REQUESTS FOR ARPA, THEN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PUBLIC NOTICE. I'M NOT HERE TO PICK FAVORITES, BUT EVERYONE EATS. SO IF YOUTH, SENIORS, ARTISTS, MENTAL HEALTH AND DIGITAL INCLUSION HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS, WELL THEN WE SHOULD ALL GO THROUGH THAT. UH, LASTLY, NO ONE WILL BE UPSET IF A PORTION OF THEIR FUNDS GOES TOWARDS BOLSTERING LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING BECAUSE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM. WE FEED THE KIDS, WE FEED THE SENIORS, WE FEED THE STARVING ARTISTS. EVERYBODY EATS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I HAVE ONE MORE THING. IF YOU SUPPORT FOOD SECURITY, FOOD PROCESSING, FOOD PRODUCTION OVER TEXAS BIOMED, PLEASE STAND UP FOR ME. THANK YOU MR. LUCKY. THANK YOU, STEVEN. OH, I'M SORRY. UH, ROSEMARY WILLIAMS. ROSEMARY WILLIAMS. ALRIGHT. STEVEN VERSTEEG. MR. VERSTEEG, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DEBT COLE. UM, GOOD MORNING. UH, STILL MORNING, RIGHT? UM, QUICKTRIP CHANGED MY LIFE IS SOMETHING I'VE SAID RECENTLY, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY TRUE. UM, PEOPLE IN PROCESS CHANGED MY LIFE. THE PEOPLE WERE MY NEIGHBORS. THE PROCESS WAS THE CITY PROCESS OF INPUT. UM, IT'S HARD IF IT'S HARD FOR ME, IT'S HARD FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY HARD. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, BUY 'EM A DEVIATED FROM THIS PROCESS LIKE THAT. LIKE IT WAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. THERE WAS BIG BACKLASH AT THE BOND MEETINGS AND THEY WITHDREW AND SOMEHOW THEY SNUCK BACK IN AND THEY WEREN'T IN THESE MEETINGS SINCE JUNE, LIKE THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, SOMEHOW THEY'RE JUST BACK IN THERE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, A NONPROFIT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THOSE IN FAVOR AREN'T BENEFITING FROM THIS MONETARILY. UM, BIOMED SERVES A NATIONAL AND GLOBAL PURPOSE AND SHOULD BE FUNDED THAT WAY. THERE IS LOTS OF MONEY OUT THERE FOR SCIENCE IN THIS COUNTRY AND IN THE WORLD. AND THIS ARPA MONEY WAS GIVEN TO US NOT, NOT TO FIX NATIONAL ISSUES. IT WAS GIVEN TO CHOOSE WHAT WE NEED HERE. AND JUST, YOU KNOW, BIOME GREAT. THEY'RE HERE, WE'RE PROUD OF IT, BUT THIS MONEY IS NOT FOR THEM. AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS ISN'T A VOTE FOR OR AGAINST SCIENCE. THIS IS FOR PROPER PUBLIC INPUT. UH, YOU WERE ELECTED NOT TO MAKE PERSONAL DECISIONS. YOU WERE ELECTED TO GIVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS A VOICE. AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE HERE. WE, WE NEED, WE NEED TO HAVE ALL THE VOICES. PEOPLE, PEOPLE CAN'T GET DOWN HERE TODAY. I MEAN, AND PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THAT THEY'RE, THIS, THIS ISN'T RIGHT. SO YOU NEED TO GIVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS A VOICE AND THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THIS BIOMED THING. SO PLEASE JUST DO THAT. GIVE THEM A VOICE. THANK YOU MR. VERSTEEG. D COLE. MS. COLE, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY NICOLE FOY. GOOD MORNING COUNSEL. MY NAME IS DIA COLE. I'M A PROUD DISTRICT TWO RESIDENT AND A PROUD DISTRICT 10 SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. RECENTLY I SERVED ON THE FACILITIES BOND COMMITTEE REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO. THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, OUR COMMITTEE OF 30 CITYWIDE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES AND TWO FACILITATORS REVIEWED PROPOSED PROPOSED FACILITIES BOND PROJECTS FOR BOND INCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY ENGAGING AND INVOLVED PROCESS, AND OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS [01:55:01] WORKED REALLY HARD ON BEHALF OF EACH OF OUR DISTRICTS IN THIS CITY. TWO OF OUR MEETING SESSIONS WERE DEDICATED TO HEARING THE LARGE TURNOUT OF CITIZENS WHO HAD COME TO SPEAK UP AND OUT ON THE PROPOSED FACILITIES BOND PROJECTS. OVERWHELMINGLY, THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS WERE OPPOSED TO THE TEXAS BIOMED CORPORATION WHO WAS REQUESTING 11 MILLION CITY BOND DOLLARS. AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WE WERE ASKED TO GO BACK TO OUR DISTRICTS AND BE ACTIVE LISTENERS, HEAR WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS AND FELLOW D TWO CITIZENS WANTED NEEDED, AND ASK US TO SPEAK FOR THESE IN FACILITIES BONDS AT OUR STANDING ROOM ONLY. D TWO BOND TOWN HALL, OVERWHELMINGLY NEIGHBORS AND FELLOW D TWO CITIZENS WANTED THE ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER TO HAVE FACILITY UPDATES WITH WORKING AC AND HEAT AND PROVIDE MORE PROGRAMS FOR PRESCHOOL KIDS, TEENS, AND THE ELDERLY. THEY WANTED THE HISTORIC HARBOR LIBRARY TO GET THE NEEDED EXPANSION AND UPDATES THAT IT HASN'T HAD IN OVER 40 YEARS. THEY WANTED HELP WITH THE ROAMING NEGLECTED STRAY ANIMAL PROBLEMS AND ACCESS TO SPAY, NEUTER AND VACCINATIONS. OVERWHELMINGLY, THEY SAID NO TO ANY CITY FUNDING DOLLARS GOING TO BIOMED CORPORATION WHEN THE NEED IS SO GREAT FOR SO MANY. EVERY DOLLAR IS IMPORTANT AND COUNTS, WHETHER IT'S CITY BOND DOLLARS OR ARPA DOLLARS, EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS, EVERY VOTE COUNTS. TRANSPARENCY AND INCLUSION ARE IMPORTANT. THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO NEED TO HAVE A VOICE IN THE VETTING AND INCLUSION OF PROJECTS AND HOW THEIR MONIES ARE SPENT. CITY COUNCIL HAS TO STAND UP FOR ITS CITIZENRY AND HAVE AN OPEN AND PUBLIC PROCESS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF EVERY AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT DOLLAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU, MS. COLE. NICOLE FOY, FOLLOWED BY GRACIELA SANCHEZ. GOOD MORNING MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER AND CITY STAFF. UM, I COME HERE TODAY AS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR TEXAS BIOMED. AND, UM, THANK YOU TO SO MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE SPENT TIME DURING THIS PROCESS GETTING TO KNOW US, UM, TAKING TOURS OF THE INSTITUTE AND WE CONTINUE, UM, ASKING YOU TO COME, COME AND LEARN AND COME AND SEE ABOUT THE LIFESAVING WORK THAT WE DO. I'M READING A LETTER TODAY FROM FORMER SAN ANTONIO MAYORS HENRY CISNEROS, FORMER HUD SECRETARY. HE'S PART OF OUR BOARD AND HE COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY AND ASK ME TO READ THIS. DEAR MAYOR NUREMBERG AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, MY NAME IS HENRY CISNEROS. I CANNOT BE PRESENT TODAY BECAUSE I AM IN QUARANTINE. HAVING TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID TWO DAYS AGO, LIKE MANY OTHER AMERICANS, MY LIFE AND WORK HAS BEEN DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS PANDEMIC. AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, I AM PROUD OF THE LIFE-SAVING ROLE THAT TEXAS BIO HAS PLAYED IN THE TRULY DEVELOPMENT IMPRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF VACCINES. I AM PROUD OF THE INSTITUTE'S PIONEERING WORK IN PRODUCING COVID ANTIBODY THERAPIES. ON A PERSONAL NOTE, BECAUSE OF TEXAS BIOMED'S CRITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PFIZER VACCINE, MY CURRENT BOUT OF COVID, I WILL NOT BE AS SEVERE OR LIFE-THREATENING AS IT OTHERWISE WOULD'VE BEEN. SIMPLY STATED, I SAY WITH PRIDE THAT TEXAS BIOMED IS SAN ANTONIO'S MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPANT IN THE GLOBAL FIGHT TO CONTROL THE DEADLY VIRUS. I RESPECTFULLY PROPOSED TO YOU THAT THE LOGIC OF TODAY'S DECISION IS STRAIGHTFORWARD. FIRST, TEXAS BIOMED HAS UNIQUE CAPABILITIES TO CONTINUE ITS WORK, FIGHTING INFECTIOUS DISEASES, WHICH OUR WORLD WILL UNDOUBTEDLY SEE AGAIN. SECOND ARPA FUNDING IS INTENDED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SAVING LIVES AND IN SUPPORTING THOSE WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN DISRUPTED BY THIS INFECTIOUS DISEASE. THEREFORE, ARPA FUNDING FOR TEXAS BIOMED IS WORTHY, WORTHY, LEGITIMATE, COMPASSIONATE, COST-EFFECTIVE AND NECESSARY. I KNOW THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THE USE OF PRIMATES IN RESEARCH, AND WE ALL WANT TO BE HUMANE IN THE TRIALS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO SAVE HUMAN LIVES AROUND THE WORLD. IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS FUNDING WILL BE USED IN LARGE MEASURE TO CREATE EVERMORE HUMANE, MORE GENTLE, LIFE-AFFIRMING AND MORE RESPONSIBLE CONDITIONS FOR THESE ESSENTIAL PRIMATES. IT IS ALSO THE CASE THAT THIS FUNDING WILL SUPPORT THE WORK SETTING FOR THE HUMAN TALENT THAT CONDUCTS THE LIFE SAVING RESEARCH. IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, I HAVE MADE THE CASE THAT THE BIOSCIENCES IN SAN ANTONIO ARE THE MOST POWERFUL AGGREGATION OF TALENT, EMPLOYMENT, INCOMES, AND CAPITAL FOR OUR, IN THE COURSE OF RESEARCHING THAT [02:00:01] CASE, I HAVE REPEATEDLY DISCOVERED THAT TEXAS BIOMED IS THE MOST RESPECTED BIOMEDICAL INSTITUTION IN SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU, MS. FOY. THANK YOU. AND WE CAN TAKE THE LETTER TO PUT IN THE RECORD FROM, UH, MARI CISNEROS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GRACIELA SANCHEZ, FOLLOWED BY CJ JOHNSON. BUENO. YES. I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE ANGRY AND DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE ARPA FUNDING PROCESS AND TODAY'S FUNDING PROPOSALS. THE PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN TRANSPARENT OR FAIR. BACKROOM SWEETHEART DEALS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT DID NOT GO THROUGH THE SAME PUBLIC PROCESS THAT THE REST OF US WERE TOLD TO ENGAGE WITH. I ATTENDED THE FIRST OF THESE ARPA MEETINGS WHERE CITY STAFF MADE THEIR PRESENTATIONS AND TOLD US THAT THE ONLY THING WE COULD DO WAS ASK QUESTIONS. THEN WE WERE GIVEN SURVEYS ASKING US TO RANK HOW WE WANTED TO SEE ARPA FUNDS ALLOCATED. BUT THE SURVEY WAS LIMITED TO THE FEW OPTIONS THAT STAFF HAD DEFINED. THEY DIDN'T ALLOW FOR PUBLIC, FOR THE PUBLIC TO DISCUSS OTHER NEEDS AND CONCERNS. WE WEREN'T ASKED ABOUT HOW OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES WERE AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC. WE WEREN'T ASKED WHAT WE NEEDED TO RECOVER. MOST OF US LEFT THAT MEETING VERY FRUSTRATED KNOWING THAT OUR VOICES WEREN'T HEARD. THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THE CITY AND BUSINESS INSIDERS HAVE ACTED AS IF THE ARPA FUNDS WERE JUST THE BIG WINDFALL THAT THEY WINDFALL THAT THEY COULD USE FOR THEIR FAVORITE PROJECTS. AND ON JANUARY 6TH, THE FEDERAL TREASURY OF THIS YEAR, THIS TREASURY DEPARTMENT DEFINED THE USES OF WHICH THIS MONEY SHOULD BE COMMITTED TO, TO SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITURES RELATED TO THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC, INCLUDING, UH, ADDRESSING NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS CAUSED BY THE PUBLIC HEALTH, REPLACED LOST PUBLIC SECTOR REVENUE, PROVIDE PREMIUM PAY FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, AND INVEST IN WATER, SEWER, AND BROAD BREAD INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT HERE WE ARE TODAY, LISTENING TO PRESENTATIONS ON HOW $32 MILLION OR 34% OF THE IMPACTFUL DOLLARS OR 15% OF THE ENTIRE $212.5 MILLION ARPA FUNDS WILL BE GIVEN TO THE TEXAS BIOMED MORGANS WONDERLAND AND EDU CARE SAN ANTONIO. HOW DID THESE THREE ENTITIES MEET THE FEDERAL CRITERIA? HOW DID THEY JUMP TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE WHEN CITY COUNCIL AND STEPH NEVER OFFERED THE REST OF THE RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWN THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO NEGOTIATE SUCH SWEETHEART DEALS? WHERE IS THE TRANSPARENCY? THE REST OF THE FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, THE ARTS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, MENTAL HEALTH, SENIORS, YOUTH, AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE WILL BE DEDICATE DELIBERATED AND DEFINED BY YOUR COUNCIL COMMITTEES. BUT THESE THREE GROUPS WON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME SCRUTINY THAT THE REST OF US HAVE TO. WE KNOW THE BIOME WAS ORIGINALLY SLATED FOR THE 2022 BOND AND OTHERS HAVE SAID THEY WERE PUSHED OUT. IF BIOMED WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR PUBLIC APPROVAL, WHY WOULD THE CITY COUNCIL ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMVENT THE PUBLIC TRUST BY PUSHING THEM THROUGH AND GIVING THEIR ORGANIZATION SPECIAL TREATMENT OVER OTHERS? AS OTHERS HAVE SAID, SPEAK OUT. JUST READ IT. IF YOU HAVE TIME, 60 OR 70 OTHER COMMENTS SAYING NO TO TEXAS MAYO BET WE ARE STILL. THANK YOU MS. SANCHES. THE WORST PANDEMIC OF THE MODERN YEAR ERA. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T GET TO INVITE YOU ALL TO COME TO MY SPACE AND GO. THANK YOU MS. SANCHEZ. STOP THE EMERGENT. CJ JOHNSON, THE SWEETHEART DEALS AND BE TRANSPARENT. SANCHEZ, WE TAKE YOUR ENGAGEMENT COMMENTS AND PLACE THEM INTO THE RECORD. IF YOU'D LIKE TO DISTRIBUTE THAT, COUNSEL THE COMMENTS. THE COUNCIL WILL MAKE SURE IT'S PUT IN THE RECORD. YES, EVERY INDIVIDUAL GETS THREE MINUTES GROUPS. GET UP TO NINE. I'LL CALL CJ JOHNSON. NEXT, CJ JOHNSON. MR. JOHNSON, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DEVIN SCHO. HELLO. UM, SHE HER PRONOUNS. UM, MR. MAYOR AND COUNSEL, I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION THIS MORNING. UM, I'M CJ JOHNSON, A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN DISTRICT ONE. ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF RIGHTEOUS PAWS RESCUE, A LOCAL ORGANIZATION THAT RESCUES STRAY ANIMALS AS WELL AS HELPS OUT THE SHELTER, UM, WHEN THEY'RE IN NEED. I'VE LISTENED TO COUNTLESS OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS AS OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. YOU'VE REMINDED US TIME AND AGAIN HOW IMPORTANT THE CONCERNS OF YOUR CITIZENS ARE TO YOU AND OUR REPRESENTATION OF THIS CITY. THE OTHER COMMUNITY SOLUTION BASED ORGANIZATIONS ASKING FOR INVESTMENT TODAY WE'RE REPRESENTED IN MASS DURING THOSE EIGHT PUBLIC ARPA MEETINGS. YET NOT ONCE DID [02:05:01] A SINGLE CITIZEN DURING THOSE EIGHT MEETINGS MENTIONED THEIR SUPPORT FOR TEXAS BIOMED. YOUR COMMUNITY WASN'T GIVEN THE CHANCE TO SHOW UP AND MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD. SO WE ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO DO THAT TO TODAY. THIS FACILITY, THROUGH THEY'RE RICH AND POWERFUL, REPRESENTS THE VERY WORST OF OUR SOCIETY. IN A NOT SO DISTANT FUTURE, WE WILL ALL LOOK BACK IN HORROR OVER WHAT WE'VE DONE TO OTHER BEINGS WITH THE CAPACITY TO FEEL PAIN, LOVE THEIR FAMILIES, DESIRE, FREEDOM, AND KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THEM IS NOT RIGHT. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY MOMENTS IN HISTORY THAT WE NOW LOOK BACK UPON AND ASK OURSELVES, WHY DID THOSE IN POWER ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE? WE ARE IN THAT MOMENT NOW, AND YOU AS LEADERS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL MAKE A DECISION THAT HISTORY WILL REFLECT UPON TODAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO THE FACTS PRESENTED TO YOU AND THINK OF THOSE THOUSANDS OF NON-CONSENTING INDIVIDUAL. CURRENTLY INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY BEHIND BARS WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS, WHO'S DONE NOTHING WRONG, COMMITTED NO CRIME EXCEPT TO BE BORN A DIFFERENT SPECIES. WE AS A SPECIES CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT. AND I HOPE YOU'LL REMOVE TEXAS BIOMED FROM CONSIDERATION FOR OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. JOHNSON. DEVIN SHOW, MS SHOW YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DIANA BLIN. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS DEVIN SHOWY. I AM A SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT LIVING IN DISTRICT 10. I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AGAINST AWARDING ARPA FUNDING TO THE TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE. I ALSO HAVE A MASTER'S IN PRIMATE CONSERVATION AND HAVE WORKED FOR THE BORN FREE U SS A PRIMATE SANCTUARY FOR FIVE YEARS. WE ARE A 175 ACRE SANCTUARY JUST SOUTH OF SAN ANTONIO THAT TAKES IN PRIMATES RESCUED FROM, AMONG OTHER THINGS, BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. WE OPERATE ON A BUDGET OF $800,000 ANNUALLY, AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WITH THESE LIMITED RESOURCES, WE CONSISTENTLY PRIORITIZE THE WELLBEING OF THE HUNDREDS OF ANIMALS IN OUR CARE. WE DID NOT SUFFER ONE LOSS DURING THE EXTREME WINTER STORM OF LAST YEAR AND CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE OPTIMAL CARE FOR OUR PRIMATES DURING THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE FACED WITH THE CONTINUED TEMPERATURE LOWS THIS YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, AMONG THESE CHALLENGES, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUR TIME AND RESOURCES ARE DEDICATED TO RESOLVING THE MYRIAD OF HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL ISSUES THE PRIMATES USED IN RESEARCH CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH EVEN AFTER RETIREMENT, OFTEN FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. SINCE THERE WAS NO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FOR CITIZENS TO DISCUSS GIVING ARPA FUNDING TO TEXAS BIOMED, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WHAT BOND COMMITTEE MEMBERS LEARNED ABOUT THIS PRIVATE ORGANIZATION'S FUNDING THAT CONVINCED THE MAJORITY OF YOUR APPOINTEES TO REJECT THEIR REQUEST FOR CITY FUNDING. IN DECEMBER, TEXAS BIOMED ALREADY RECEIVES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDING. THEY RECEIVED MORE THAN 120 MILLION TAXPAYER DOLLARS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH JUST SINCE 2018. ACCORDING TO THEIR TAX FILINGS, TEXAS BIOMED PROFITED IN THE PANDEMIC WITH THEIR TOTAL ASSETS INCREASING BY ABOUT $14 MILLION. CURRENTLY, THIS PRIVATE ORGANIZATION IS WORTH MORE THAN $225 MILLION. WHILE THE COMMUNITY SPOKE LOUD AND CLEAR DURING THE BOND PROCESS, WE DIDN'T HAVE $10,000 TO PURCHASE A SUPPORTIVE COLUMN IN THE SAN ANTONIO REPORT. THE COMMUNITY DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO HIRE A POWERFUL LOBBYIST ON OUR BEHALF. WE DON'T HAVE A MEMBERS ONLY LUXURY CLUB IN ALAMO HEIGHTS TO RAISE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. WE DON'T HAVE A PR EXECUTIVE OR A POWERFUL BOARD OF DIRECTORS. INSTEAD, IT TOOK US HOURS TO FIND EMAIL ADDRESSES THAT WE HOPED WOULD REACH YOU. WE SIMPLY DID AS WE WERE TOLD AND SHOWED UP. WE WROTE IN, WE CALLED, WE ARE HERE AGAIN TODAY, TAKING OFF WORK AND TRAVELING TO CITY COUNCIL IN THE FREEZING RAIN, ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY AND REMOVE TEXAS BIOMED FROM ARPA FUNDING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. JOEY. DIANA BLIN. MS. BLIN, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ROBERTA DAMI. OKAY. HI, MY NAME IS DI DR. DIANA BLY. I HAVE AN MD AND ALSO AN M P H AND I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THE TEXAS BIOMED. UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU FOUR POINTS, JUST CONTRAST AND COMPARE BIOMED. YEAH, BIOMED SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANNA EXPAND THEIR FACILITIES AND OKAY. UM, AND EXPAND BREEDING. HOWEVER, JUST TAKE THE WHOLE GREAT BRITAIN FOR YOUR, UM, COMPARISON GROUP. THEY'RE ONLY USING 0.1% OF 2000 PRIMATES. GREAT BRITAIN IS JUST AS GREAT A COUNTRY IN MEDICINE AS WE ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE DISEASE. AS FAR AS MONKEYS, THEY'RE USING ONLY 0.01% AND ONLY 208 TOTAL, WHICH IS A HUGE REDUCTION APPROACH. NOW, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE COVID VACCINE, THE [02:10:01] TUBERCULOSIS VACCINE, BUT THE TRUE CROSS TO BENEFIT IS CONVINCINGLY INVALID FOR THE COVID VACCINE. CHECK YOUR STATS. UM, HOW CONTROVERSIAL IS THIS? N I H IS SAYING STATED THAT MOST OF THE PRIMATE STUDIES ARE UNSUCCESSFUL IN ANIMAL MODELS, NOT NECESSARILY GOOD SCIENCE. I'M NOT SAYING TEXAS BIOME MEDICINE THE GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD. I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE TYPE OF EXPERIMENTS THEY USE ARE PROBABLY EASIER BECAUSE THEY'RE MONKEYS. THEY'RE WELL ESTABLISHED AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ETHICS PART OF IT. UM, IN 2011, THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE BEGAN TO PHASE OUT RESEARCH IN CHIMPS AND JOHN HOPKINS SAID BLINDLY GOING TOWARDS THE MONKEY, THINGS NOT SCIENTIFICALLY VALID. UM, THIS IS JUST ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WHAT THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS. NOW, MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, STATISTICS ASIDE, I WANNA PLEAD ON BEHALF OF THE ANIMALS, LET ME BE THEIR VOICE TO YOU GUYS TO, AND THIS IS TO EVERYBODY. UM, IF THEY COULD SPEAK, THIS IS WHAT THEY WOULD SAY. WE DIDN'T GIVE CONSENT. YOU SACRIFICED AN EXPERIMENT ON OUR CHILDREN BECAUSE WE CANNOT SPEAK OR FIGHT FOR OURSELVES. WE LIVE OUR ENTIRE EXISTENCE SUBJECTED TO EXPERIMENTAL TORTURE WHILE WE ARE STILL ALIVE, TILL YOU NO LONGER NEED US, AND THEN IT'S TIME TO DIE. YOU ARE SPECIAL. WE AGREE BECAUSE UNLIKE ANY OTHER SPECIES, YOU SEEM WAY TOO SURE OF YOURSELF THAT YOU'RE FULLY JUSTIFIED TO CAUSE HARM TO AND DISREGARD TO ONE AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER TWO TEXAS BIOMED. I AM NOT IN OPPOSITION WITH YOU. I WANT, I THINK COMPROMISE IS THE BEST WAY. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. MAYBE REDUCE THE NUMBERS. DO DR. BLIN, IF YOU COULD PLEASE ADDRESS THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU. DO, UH, UM, DO SINGLE ANIMAL STUDIES AND DON'T USE CONTROL GROUPS? TAKE STEPS TO REDUCE THE NUMBERS AND SHOW GREAT MERCY. UM, EVERY ONE OF THEM COUNTS. EVERY ONE OF THEM IS SOMEONE'S CHILD. EVERY ONE OF THEM IS SOMEONE'S CHILD. AND THAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE. I'M NOT SO MUCH ADDRESSING CITY COUNCIL. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, CITY COUNCIL LOVES YOUR PLAN. THEY'RE GONNA GET $3.2 BILLION. THANK YOU DR. BLIN, FOR FROM, THEY THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE, THEY'RE GONNA BE PLAYING GOD ROBERTA VACCINE. AND I'M ROBERTA TOMMY INTO THE ECONOMY. SO TO THEM, THEY'RE HEROES. ROBERTA, NO OFFENSE, TOMMY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, BUT JUST REMEMBER THERE'S SOMEONES TOO. MS. TAMMI, COME ON UP. UH, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. UH, I'M A RETIRED LAWYER WHO, UM, MOVED TO SAN ANTONIO ABOUT 10 OR 12 YEARS AGO. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S CLEAR TO ME IS THAT THE CITY HAS, HAS CARED ABOUT ANIMALS. THE NO KILL POLICY THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED A WHILE AGO MADE NATIONAL NEWS BECAUSE SAN ANTONIO WAS THE LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, UH, TO HAVE THAT POLICY FOR ITS SHELTERS. THE ANIMAL TESTING THAT WILL GO ON HERE IS DIRECTLY CONTRARY TO THAT KIND OF CARING FOR ANIMALS. I ALSO THINK THAT ALTHOUGH THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BENEFITED MEDICALLY, UM, THAT'S NOT THE POINT HERE. THE POINT IS WHAT A R P A WAS MEANT TO DO, WHICH IS TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE OR BUSINESSES THAT WERE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC MED BIOMED HAS NOT SHOWN THAT AT ALL. THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED. THEY, IN FACT, THEY MADE MONEY DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND THEY'RE SO HAPPY ABOUT THEIR PFIZER VACCINE. HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE THEY MADE FROM THAT? SO ARPA REALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BIOMED. UH, AS FOR ANIMAL SHELTER, UH, ANIMAL TESTING, AN INCREASING NUMBER OF DOCTORS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS BELIEVE IT'S REALLY NOT NECESSARY THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS THESE DAYS, UH, TO REPLACE ANIMAL TESTING. I'D ALSO POINT OUT THAT FOR ANIMAL TESTING, THERE'S A LOT OF REPETITION. THERE'S A LOT OF UNNECESSARY TESTING, AND NOT TO MENTION THE CRUELTY THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT. UM, I HAVE A PICTURE HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE IT, OF WHAT ANIMAL TESTING REALLY MEANS. I'M, OH, I'M TOLD THAT BIOMED DOESN'T DO THIS KIND OF TESTING, BUT IS THAT TRUE? UM, EVEN IF THEY DON'T, YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHETHER THEY WILL IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT ANIMAL TESTING MEANS. AND I WOULD, AND ALSO THAT THE POPULATION OF SAN ANTONIO IN REJECTING THE BOND ISSUE, I THINK HAS CLEARLY SPOKEN [02:15:01] ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS ON THIS POINT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. DMI. JACK FINGER, MR. FINGER. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JOHN HERE. WELL, MAYOR NURENBERG, ANOTHER MEMBERS OF OUR WONDERFUL SAN SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AWARDS LOCAL ENTITIES LIKE YOU GUYS. UM, UH, ESSENTIALLY A BLANK CHECK. UH, YOU USE IT FOR ALL YOUR WISHLIST OF, UH, PORK FILLED PROJECTS HERE. YEAH. YEAH. WELL SEE, WHEN I THINK OF EMERGENCY RECOVERY, I, I, I THINK OF, UH, OF, UH, MEDICINES, I THINK OF MATERIALS, MEDICAL MATERIALS AND SO FORTH. I, I, I DON'T THINK OF, UH, UH, UH, ROLLERCOASTER RIDE. MR. HARTMAN. YES. UM, SO I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY IS IN THIS THING? WELL, I, MR. ION, MAY I PUT THAT UP THERE? LET'S SEE WHAT, LET'S GO DOWN THE LIST A BIT HERE. LET'S SEE. IT SAYS, UH, YEAH, BLOW THAT UP AS MUCH AS, UH, 54 MILLION FOR WHAT? MENTAL HEALTH. YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE, THE SHUTDOWN THING THAT CAUSED A LOT OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT YOU GOT ABOUT AS MUCH AS, UH, WHAT IS IT TO, TO 20 MILLION THERE. 26 MILLION YOUTH, YOUTH HARDLY GET THIS DISEASE, AND YET YOU'RE SPENDING 10 MILLION ON THEM. DIGITAL INCLUSION. LITERACY. WELL, A PERSON CAN GO TO LOCAL LIBRARY AND USE A COMPUTER THERE. YOU DON'T NEED A, WHAT IS IT? UH, EIGHT, EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION THERE. OH, YEAH. AND MY FAVORITE, THE ARTS. THE ARTS, YES. UH, LIKE THE ARTS ARE REALLY GOING TO HELP US, UH, GET, GET, RECOVER FROM A DISEASE HERE. YES. YOU KNOW, IT WAS A CITIZENS BOND COMMITTEE THAT, THAT SAID, UH, THAT, THAT LOWERED THE PRIORITY WHEN IT CAME TO PUBLIC ART. WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? YOU, YOU'RE MAKING IT A SHELL GAME HERE. I MEAN, YOU'RE GETTING MY MONEY FROM THE FEDS AND PUTTING IT RIGHT IN. MR. , GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, IF YOU WOULD. SEE WHAT THAT, WHAT DOES THAT ONE SAYS? OKAY. YES. YEAH. MORGAN'S WONDERLAND. YEAH. YEAH. SIX AND A HALF MILLION FOR A NEW PEDIATRIC CARE CENTER CALLED MORGAN'S BUTTERFLY LANDING. YEAH. AND MY FAVORITE THERE. YES. UH, IS IT TWO AND A HALF MILLION? FOUR? WHAT IS IT? UH, A SIMULATED ROLLER COASTER RIDE , ALONG WITH OTHER PARK ENHANCEMENTS. AND I, YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS THERE, LIKE, UH, TEXAS BIOMEDICAL, IT, IT'S HAD PLACES MORE EMPHASIS ON OTHER THINGS OTHER THAN THE COVID, UH, THE VACCINE THING. AND, UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE TEXAS A AND M RE, UH, OFFERING, UM, UH, WHAT IS IT TO BI BILINGUAL EDUCATION. OKAY. TURN, RETURN THE CAMERA HERE. YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T YOU DO SOMETHING FOR US THAT REALLY MATTERS, LIKE, UH, GIVING IT TO, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE REALLY, THEY ARE IN THE, IN THE FRONT, FRONT LINES OF THIS THING. THEY NEED THE MONEY MORE THAN ANY, ANYBODY ELSE ON THIS LIST HERE? OR IF YOU'RE GONNA JUST GO TO INCONSEQUENTIAL THINGS LIKE YOU HAVE THERE. I HAVE AN EVEN BETTER THING. USE THE INCONSEQUENTIAL THING. WELL CALLED, UH, TAX CUT FOR ALL OF US WHO HAVE TO PAY THE FREIGHT FOR YOUR LARGE YES. HERE. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. JOHN HEENER. MR. HEENER, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LAURA PETERSON. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. UH, I'M JOHN HEENER, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER FOR TEXAS BIOMED. AND I'M GONNA READ A LETTER FROM, UH, DR. SCHLESINGER, OUR PRESIDENT, WILLIAM HENDRICK, PRESIDENT OF UT HEALTH. TAYLOR EIME, PRESIDENT U T S A AND ADAM HAMILTON, PRESIDENT OF SOUTHWEST RESEARCH. THE, THE ENTREPRENEURIAL AND COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT HAS A STRONG, FULL, FULL, EXCUSE ME, FOOTHOLD IN THE CITY'S BIOSCIENCE SECTOR. THIS IS WHAT WE CAPITALIZE ON WHEN WE'RE DECIDING TO COME TOGETHER AND CREATE THE VACCINE DEVELOPMENT CENTER. AND MORE RECENTLY, THE SAN ANTONIO PARTNERSHIP FOR PRECISION THERAPEUTICS. THESE ENTERPRISES ARE COMPRISED OF SOUTHWEST RESEARCH, TEXAS BIOMED, UT HEALTH, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO. THEY AIM TO ADVANCE VACCINE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVE MEDICINE BY DELIVERING THERAPIES FASTER, WITH SHORTER RECOVERY TIMES AND LIFESAVING OPTIONS TAILORED TO INDIVIDUAL POPULATIONS AS PRESIDENTS OF THE INSTITUTIONS IN THIS ORGANIZ. IN THIS GROUP, WE STAND FIRMLY IN SUPPORT OF TEXAS BIOMED'S REQUEST FOR CITY AND COUNT [02:20:01] COUNTY FUNDING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. THIS INVESTMENT WOULD MODERNIZE TEXAS BIOMED'S AGING CAMPUS AND STRENGTHEN OUR ABILITY THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE UNIVERSAL VACCINES, QUICKLY GET LIFESAVING THERAPIES TO MARKET AND PRECISION MEDICINE. WE SEE IT AS IMPERATIVE THAT THIS MODERNIZATION TAKE PLACE SO WE CAN CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER TO EXPEND WHAT IS NOW A $40 BILLION LOCAL BIOSCIENCES INDUSTRY. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE VISION OF SAN ANTONIO AS A WORLD CLASS HUB FOR QUALITY RESEARCH AND INVO INDIVIDUALIZED HEALTHCARE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. HEENER. LAURA PETERSON, FOLLOWED BY DEEPAK AL. UM, UH, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS LAURA PETERSON, AND I AM A SCIENCE WRITER WITH TEXAS BIOMED. TODAY I WILL BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF CHERISE ROHR EGRIN, THE C E O OF THE SAN ANTONIO AIDS FOUNDATION, WHO WANTED TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT CANNOT MAKE IT. SO I WILL READ HER LETTER. . SHE WRITES, IN SAN ANTONIO, WE HAVE AN INSTITUTION FOR DECADES THAT HAS CONDUCTED GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH, OFTEN UNNOTICED BY OUR COMMUNITY. IN 2001, TEXAS BIOMED BROUGHT ME TO SAN ANTONIO AS A NEW POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW TO STUDY MALARIA. THOUGH I HAVE SINCE LEFT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGIST FOR METRO HEALTH AND D SS H S LATER AS A SAN ANTONIO RESEARCH DIRECTOR FOR THE IMMUNIZATION PARTNERSHIP, AND NOW AS C E O OF THE SAN ANTONIO AIDS FOUNDATION, I HAVE RELIED UPON THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONDUCTED AT TEXAS BIOMED TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE I SERVE. TEXAS BIOMED NOT ONLY BRINGS SCIENTISTS TO SAN ANTONIO, IT BRINGS NEW RESIDENTS, NEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SET DOWN ROOTS AND INTEGRATE AND CONTRIBUTE TO LOCAL LIFE. I DIDN'T INTEND TO STAY IN SAN ANTONIO WHEN I CAME TO WORK FOR TEXAS BIOMED, BUT 21 YEARS LATER, I AND MY FAMILY ARE VERY MUCH A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. SAN ANTONIO DESERVES A WORLD-CLASS INSTITUTION LIKE TEXAS BIOMED, AND IS UNIQUELY POISED TO AID IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE BY COMMITTING AR RPA FUNDS. 21 YEARS AGO, MY OFFICE, THERE WAS AN OLD TRAILER WITH SLOPING FLOORS THROUGH IMPROVEMENTS. THOUGH IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO BE A WORLD-CLASS SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION, TEXAS BIOMED IS IN NEED OF SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. I CAME TO TEXAS BIOMED TO STUDIES THE A DISEASE IMPACTING PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD, AND I STAYED IN SAN ANTONIO TO WORK ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY. THIS CURRENT PANDEMIC HAS TAUGHT US THAT GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH ARE INTERTWINED. THE RESEARCH AT TEXAS BIOMED SUPPORTS US ALL. NOW, MORE THAN EVER, A COMMITMENT TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS CRITICAL. MORE EPIDEMICS WILL COME SO TOO WILL ANOTHER PANDEMIC. BY INVESTING IN A RESEARCH FACILITY LIKE TEXAS BIOMED, OUR CITY WILL NOT ONLY BE INVESTING IN OURSELVES, BUT THE WORLD OF GLOBAL HEALTH. OUR MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAVE BEEN LEADERS IN THE COVID PANDEMIC, NOT JUST IN THE CITY, BUT IN OUR STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SAN ANTONIO HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CEMENT OUR ROLE AS LEADERS AND PUBLIC HEALTH BY COMMITTING ARPA FUNDS TO TEXAS BIOMED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. PETERSON. DEEPAK KAL, FOLLOWED BY MATT MAJORS. GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE MAYOR, AND HONORABLE, UM, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I THINK IT IS STILL MORNING BY A COUPLE OF MINUTES. I'M DEEPAK KAL, UH, REPRESENTING TEXAS BIOME, BUT I WILL BE READING OUT A LETTER FROM JENNA STO HERRERA, PRESIDENT AND C E O OF GREATER S A T X, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS TO ATTRACT NEW COMPANIES TO SAN ANTONIO AND SURROUNDING AREAS, FACILITATE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS, AND GROW OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY. WHEN I GO OUT TO TALK BIOTECH, UH, WITH SCIENCE-MINDED COMPANIES ABOUT WHY THEY SHOULD COME TO SAN ANTONIO, WHAT SAN ANTONIO REALLY BRINGS TO THE TABLE, I TELL THEM ABOUT OUR TOP TIER UNIVERSITIES, MILITARY MEDICINE, AND I ALSO TELL THEM ABOUT OUR ONE OF A KIND WORLD CLASS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, TEXAS BIOMED. I LOVE SHARING THAT. SAN ANTONIO IS WHERE PFIZER CHOSE TO TEST. ITS C OVID 19 VACCINE, ONE THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND HAS SAVED LIVES BECAUSE TEXAS BIOMED HAD THE FACILITIES AND THE TRUSTED AND NEEDED EXPERTISE. REGENERON, GILEAD NOVAVAX, THE [02:25:01] MILITARY, EXCUSE ME, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY. THEY ALL SEEK OUT TEXAS BIOMED AS A CRITICAL RESEARCH PARTNER, AND WE CAN BE INCREDIBLY PROUD BECAUSE THAT MEANS SAN ANTONIO IS HAVING A DIRECT INFLUENCE ON SAVING HUMAN LIVES. BUT TEXAS BIOMED DOES MORE THAN THAT. IT PUTS SAN ANTONIO ON THE MAP. IT MAKES OUR REGION COMPETITIVE WITH THE BOSTON SAN DIEGOS, UH, SINGAPORES, AND EVEN HOUSTONS OF THE WORLD. WE ARE EXTREMELY LUCKY TO HAVE SAN ANT, UH, UH, TO TO HAVE TEXAS BIOMED AS PART OF THE SAN ANTONIO BIOSCIENCE ECOSYSTEM. OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND WORKFORCE BENEFIT GREATLY. BIOMED OFFERS HIGH SKILL JOBS THAT ATTRACT TOP TALENT TO LIVE HERE. IT PROVIDES VETERANS A PLACE TO TAKE THEIR TRAINING AND SKILLS AS THEY TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN CAREERS. WE HAVE MANY VETERANS HERE WHO ARE SENIOR OFFICERS OF TEXAS BIOMEDS, SOME OF WHOM ARE PRESENT HERE IN THE ROOM TODAY, AND I LOVE THAT TEXAS BIOMEDS OUTREACH PROGRAM INSPIRE OUR CHILDREN TO PURSUE STEM CAREERS AND PROVIDE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT RIGHT HERE AT HOME. WHILE TEXAS BIOMED IS SET TO GROW AND BRING EVEN MORE JOBS AND PARTNERSHIPS TO THE REGION, EVEN, UH, WITH AN, UH, ESTIMATED $3.2 BILLION IMPACT TO OUR CITY'S ECONOMY OVER THE LAST, OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS. BUT IT IS NOT A CORPORATION. IT IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT IS 80 YEARS OLD. WE HAVE DECAYING FACILITIES THAT NEED INVESTMENT, ESPECIALLY OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT IS THE SORT OF INVESTMENT WHERE PUBLIC DOLLARS CAN AND WILL MAKE A LASTING DIFFERENCE. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE Y YESTERDAY TO INVEST IN THIS LOCAL ASSET. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAJORS. THANK YOU MR. MAJORS. LISA CRUZ. OH, I'M SORRY. UM, THANK YOU, MR. KOEL. UM, MR. UH, MATT MAJORS IS NEXT. APOLOGIZE, AND LISA CRUZ, YOU'LL BE NEXT. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MATT MAJORS. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AT TEXAS BIOMED. THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL TODAY. AS THE HEAD OF OPERATIONS AT TEXAS BIOMED, I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF LEADING THE TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO WILL OVERSEE THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURES AND THE GROUNDS OF THE INSTITUTE, WHICH IS MISSION CRITICAL. AND THIS TEAM HAS DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB OF KEEPING OUR ANIMALS SAFE, OUR LABORATORIES AS UP-TO-DATE AS POSSIBLE, AND OUR HIGH CONTAINMENT LABORATORIES EXTREMELY SAFE TO OPERATE A TIME WHEN THE WORLD HAS NEEDED THESE STRUCTURES THE MOST. BUT LIKE MANY OF YOU KNOW, LIKE, SORRY, BUT LIKE MANY OF YOU WHO WERE HERE LAST YEAR, KNOW WE EXPERIENCED AN UNPRECEDENTED WINTER STORM, ONE THAT WOULD MAKE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES FOR THE CHAOS AND STRESS THAT CAUSED US ALL DAYS AHEAD OF THE STORM. WE WATCHED WEATHER REPORTS AND OUR TEAM PREPARED FOR THE COLD AS WE DO EVERY YEAR FOR THESE SHORT STINTS OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES. WE ADDED HEATERS, MOVED ANIMALS INDOORS, CHECKED BACKUP GENERATORS, AND MADE SURE WE HAD ON-CALL STAFF READY. WHAT WE DID NOT EXPECT WAS DAYS OF UNRELENTING COLD WEATHER THAT WOULD CAUSE MORE THAN 400 WATER LEAKS ACROSS OUR AGED CAMPUS POWER OUTAGE, POWER OUTAGES THAT LASTED FOR HOURS, CAUSING BACKUP GENERATORS TO STRESS AND LOSE EFFICIENCY, AND DAYS OF COLD WEATHER THAT CAUSED ANIMALS TO GET RESTLESS AND MOVE BETWEEN THEIR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR CAGING. WHILE THIS WAS UNEXPECTED, IT WAS OUR PEOPLE WHO SAVED THE DAY. MORE THAN 50 STAFF MEMBERS RISKED THEIR OWN SAFETY TO GET TO CAMPUS AND TO HELP KEEP ANIMALS WARM, FIX BROKEN PIPES, AND ENSURE POWERS STAYED ON AND LABORATORIES KEPT RUNNING WHILE PEOPLE ACROSS TEXAS WERE HUDDLED TOGETHER IN THEIR HOMES WITH THEIR FAMILIES. OUR TEAM MEMBERS WERE HUDDLED TOGETHER AT THE INSTITUTE TO ENSURE WE STAYED OPERATIONAL. WHAT THE WINTER STORMS SHOWED US IS THAT OUR 10 YEAR MASTER PLAN DEVELOPED IN 2018, WHICH INCLUDED RENOVATIONS OF CAMPUS INFRASTRUCTURE MUST BE EXPEDITED. WE CAN NO LONGER WAIT FOR PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS OR LIMITED FEDERAL GRANT DOLLARS TO COME OUR WAY. WE NEED TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN THE AREAS OF INFRASTRUCTURE TODAY, THIS SPECIFIC INVESTMENT THAT YOU, YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT AND WILL BE INCLUDED, UH, PART OF ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT COMING FROM, AGAIN, OTHER SOURCES, AND WE WILL BE RENOVATING AND IMPROVING OUR ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR BACKUP POWER SEWAGE, UH, AND MANY OTHER AREAS OF THE CAMPUS TO ENSURE CONTINUED LAB OPERATIONS. OUR TEAM MEMBERS ARE RES OUR RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY JUST LIKE ALL OF YOU, AND THEY RISK THEIR OWN HEALTH AND SAFETY TO ENSURE THAT OUR MISSION CAN CONTINUE AND THAT OUR ANIMALS ARE SAFE. WE KNOW THEIR EFFORTS ARE NOT IN VAIN, [02:30:01] AND WE ARE ASKING FOR THESE FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THE SAFEST OF STATE-OF-THE-ART WORK ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE AS WE GROW SCIENCE IN SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAJORS. LISA CRUZ. MS. CRUZ, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY BRUCE EDWARDS. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, UH, TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU. UM, IT, I THINK IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE AFTERNOON. UM, MY NAME IS LISA CRUZ AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 10 AND NATIVE OF SAN ANTONIO. I'M ALSO THE HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR TEXAS BIOMED. I MENTIONED THAT I'M A NATIVE OF SAN ANTONIO FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST, AT THE INSTITUTE, WE OFTEN GET ASKED IF WE HIRE LOCALLY. I'M A WALKING EXAMPLE OF A LOCAL HIRE. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE, AND I'M A PRODUCT OF THE SAN ANTONIO'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. I LOVED BOTH SCIENCE AND ENGLISH, BUT NEVER IMAGINED THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO MARRY THOSE INTERESTS INTO A CAREER IN MY HOMETOWN. TEXAS BIOMED HAS GIVEN ME THAT OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW MY PASSIONS. I GET TO LEARN ABOUT THE AMAZING SCIENCE THAT HAPPENS THERE EVERY DAY WHILE WRITING ABOUT IT AND SHARING IT WITH OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. PART OF MY WORK INVOLVES HELPING INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM LEADERS AS PART OF OUR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT REACHES NEARLY 10,000 STUDENTS FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADUATE SCHOOL. STUDENTS IN EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT ACROSS THE CITY PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS AND GET TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THE DIVERSE FACES OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS. WE AIM TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM EVEN MORE AS PART OF THAT 10 YEAR STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN, A PLAN THAT WILL BE BE MADE POSSIBLE WITH THESE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS. SECOND, I'M ALSO REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS COMMUNITY AS ARE THE NEARLY 400 TEXAS BIOMED EMPLOYEES. WE CELEBRATE FIESTA IN THE RODEO. WE SHOP AT H E B. WE RAISE OUR FAMILIES. HERE WE ARE EVERYDAY CITIZENS, TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD AND OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH SOLID, TRUSTED SCIENCE RESEARCH THAT IS BACKED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, CANCER SOCIETY, DIABETES ASSOCIATION, AND COUNTLESS OTHER HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS. I AM WITNESS TO THE HUNDREDS OF DISCOVERIES THAT ARE HELPING PEOPLE LIVE LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES, AS WELL AS THE INCREDIBLE DEDICATION OF OUR NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTER TEAM TO THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR ANIMALS. BOTH THE ANIMAL AND HUMAN HEALTH RESEARCH WE DO MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. THAT WAS MADE ALL THE MORE EVIDENT AS WE TESTED AND CONFIRMED THE PFIZER VACCINE THAT WE WORKED ON IN THE SUMMER OF 2020 WHEN THE C OVID 19 VACCINES WERE FIRST ROLLING OUT, A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE WAS AMONG THAT FIRST GROUP OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO RECEIVE THE PFIZER VACCINE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SHE TEXTED ME THE PICTURE OF HER GETTING HER FIRST SHOT, AND I STILL CHOKE UP NOW, KNOWING THAT OUR SCIENTISTS MADE THAT POSSIBLE AND KEPT HER SAFE AS SHE SAVED OTHERS. MY FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES ARE HERE BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF OUR SCIENCE AND ANIMAL CARE TEAMS. I COULDN'T ASK TO BE PART OF A MORE MEANINGFUL ORGANIZATION. ULTIMATELY, THIS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT SUPPORTS THE LIFE-SAVING SCIENCE BEING DONE AT TEXAS BIOMED APPROVAL OF TEXAS BIOMED'S ARPA FUNDING REQUEST. IT'S ABOUT INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF HUMAN HEALTH AND INVESTING IN OUR SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. CRUZ BRUCE EDWARDS, FOLLOWED BY ANANDA THOMAS. HELLO, MY NAME'S BRUCE EDWARDS, AND I AM THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT TEXAS BIOMED. I APPRECIATE THE TIME TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL TODAY. AFTER MAKING A FEW BRIEF COMMENTS, I'LL END BY READING A STATEMENT FROM OUR C E O DR. LARRY ZENER, WHO, AS YOU HEARD, IS UNABLE TO BE WITH US TODAY. MY ROLE AS C F O IS TO OVERSEE THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF TEXAS BIOMED, AND I KNOW OUR FINANCIAL DETAILS MORE CLOSELY THAN ANYONE, AND I CAN PROMISE YOU IF WE HAD THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO COVER OUR FUNDING NEEDS, OUR ARPA REQUESTS WOULD NOT BE BEFORE YOU DATE. AS IS THE CASE WITH MOST NONPROFITS, WE STRUGGLE TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET AND ACHIEVE BREAKEVEN RESULTS IN ANY GIVEN YEAR. THIS IS EVEN MORE CHALLENGING FOR US DUE TO OUR RESEARCH, WHICH REQUIRES VERY COSTLY HIGH CONTAINMENT LABORATORY FACILITIES. WE HAVE HEARD SOME SUGGEST THAT WE DO NOT NEED FUNDING POINTING TO THE VALUE OF OUR TOTAL ASSETS. BUT SUCH A POSITION IS ILL-INFORMED AS TOTAL ASSETS FOR A NONPROFIT DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT LIABILITIES LIKE DEBT OF WHICH WE HAVE 65 MILLION, OR THE FACT THAT MUCH OF OUR ASSETS REPRESENT BUILDINGS OR PERMANENTLY RESTRICTED DONATIONS THAT MUST BE HELD IN PERPETUITY. THERE IS NO HIDDEN POT OF GOLD. WE HAVE PLANS TO INVEST AROUND 270 MILLION IN A MUCH NEEDED COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF OUR CAMPUS, AS YOU'VE HEARD. BUT ALL OF THAT FUNDING HAS TO BE RAISED. WE ARE LOOKING UNDER EVERY ROCK TO FIND THAT FUNDING. BUT INFRASTRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL WATER, NATURAL GAS, SEWER SYSTEMS, UM, THOSE ARE NOT THE KIND OF THINGS THAT DONORS ARE LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS. THAT IS WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. INVESTMENT BY THE CITY, LEVERAGED BY WHAT WE WILL RAISE FROM OTHER SOURCES WILL PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT RETURNS. DR. STEVEN NEVIN MODELED THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF REALIZING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN VISION TO BE IN EXCESS OF $3.2 BILLION [02:35:01] LOCALLY AND NOW FROM DR. SCHLESINGER, HE STATES, AS OUR COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD CONFRONT THE LATEST VARIANTS OF THE COVID TO 19 PANDEMIC, WE ALL REALIZE WE ARE LIVING THROUGH AN EXTRAORDINARY PERIOD OF HISTORY. WHEN THERE HAVE BEEN BRIGHT SPOTS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THEY HAVE COME FROM THE SCIENTIFIC WORLD. SCIENCE HAS BROUGHT FORWARD VACCINES AND THERAPIES THAT OFFER THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE THE TRAUMAS OF THE PANDEMIC. NOW IS THE TIME TO STAND WITH SCIENCE AT THE GLOBAL, NATIONAL, AND LOCAL LEVELS. HOW CAN WE DO THAT? HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WE ARE ASKING THE CITY TO HELP TEXAS BIOMED MAKE A TRANSFORMATIONAL INVESTMENT IN HEALTH AND SCIENCE THAT WILL BENEFIT NOT ONLY THE INSTITUTE, BUT ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH, LOCAL STEM EDUCATION, AND THE REGIONAL ECONOMY. ARPA FUNDING SUPPORT WILL BE USED TO LEVERAGE OTHER FUNDS WE RAISE AS PART OF A $270 MILLION PLAN TO UPGRADE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE INSTITUTE'S MORE THAN 80 YEAR OLD CAMPUS. THESE COLLECTIVE INVESTMENTS WILL ALLOW THE INSTITUTE TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND LIFESAVING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH HERE AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE ARE ASKING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO STAND WITH SCIENCE AND CONTINUE THE IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE INSTITUTE AND OUR COMMUNITY. THE STRATEGIC INVESTMENT OF ARPA FUNDS WILL PAY TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC AND HEALTH BENEFITS WELL INTO THE FUTURE AND KEEP SAN ANTONIO ON THE FOREFRONT OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. EDWARDS. ANANDA THOMAS, FOLLOWED BY RENEE DOMINGUEZ. GOOD MORNING OR AFTERNOON. UH, TODAY I'M SPEAKING TO YOU AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SEVEN AND AN ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY. EVERY DECISION AT CITY COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY FUNDING DECISIONS SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT, FAIR, AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. THERE ARE THREE PROJECTS OUTLINED TO RECEIVE FUNDING DURING TODAY'S VOTE. TEXAS BIOMED ED CARE AND MORGAN'S WONDERLAND THAT ARE SKIPPING, GOING THROUGH THE SAME PUBLIC PROCESS AS ALL THE OTHER NONPROFITS BEING CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING. I BELIEVE IN THE WORK OF ED CARE AND MORGAN'S WONDERLAND. I BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD RECEIVE FUNDING, BUT I BELIEVE THEY NEED TO GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS THROUGH THESE COMMITTEES THAT ALL OF THESE OTHER NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS HERE HAVE TO DO. AT LEAST I CAN SAY FOR MORGAN'S WONDERLAND THAT I SAW THEM AT THE ARPA TOWN HALLS. I CANNOT SAY THE SAME FOR BIOMED. BIOMED WAS ORIGINALLY SLATED TO BE IN THE BOND, BUT DUE TO PUBLIC OUTRAGE AND CRITICISM, THEY HAD TO WITHDRAW THEIR APPLICATION, LIKELY BECAUSE THEY WOULD'VE BEEN REMOVED BY THE BOND COMMITTEE. IF BIOMED IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR PUBLIC APPROVAL, WHY WOULD THE CITY COUNCIL ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMVENT PUBLIC TRUST BY PUSHING THEM AHEAD ON THE HOPPER, BY GIVING THEM FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT LOCAL NONPROFIT FITS HERE? DO NOT HAVE TEXAS BIOMED IS WORTH OVER $200 MILLION. AS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A NONPROFIT, THAT IS A DREAM AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR ME. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE IMPACTS THAT I CAN MAKE. WE ARE STILL IN THE WORST PANDEMIC SEEN IN MODERN ERA. FAMILIES ARE HURTING SMALL BUSINESSES AND LOCAL NONPROFITS ARE HURTING. YET WE ARE GIVING FUNDING, MORE FUNDING TO A SINGLE ORGANIZATION THAN THE ENTIRETY OF THE EMERGENCY HOUSING FUNDS. HOW CAN YOU APPROVE SUCH A LINE ITEM AND STILL LOOK A CONSTITUENT IN THE FACE WHO IS STRUGGLING ON, ON THE VERGE OF LOSING HOUSING AND SAY THAT YOU GAVE, DID THEM JUSTICE, THAT YOU WERE THINKING OF THEM IN THIS VOTE? HOW CAN YOU SPEAK TO ANY OF THE HUNDREDS OF NONPROFITS THAT ARE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY, BEGGING FOR MONEY, LITERALLY ABOUT TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS AND SAY THAT YOU WERE THINKING OF THEM IN YOUR VOTE, THAT THE PROCESS FOR ARPA FUNDING WAS FAIR AND EQUITABLE? YOU CAN'T TO REITERATE, NO SINGLE ORGANIZATION SHOULD RECEIVE OUTRIGHT FUNDING TODAY AND SHOULD AT LEAST GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AS ALL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ASKING FOR ARPA FUNDING. I ALSO WANT TO REPEAT THAT NO SINGLE ORGANIZATION SHOULD BE RECEIVING MORE FUNDING THAN CRITICAL AREAS SUCH AS EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE DURING AN ONGOING PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY TEXAS BIOMED, A CONTROVERSIAL ORGANIZATION THAT ONCE AGAIN HAS MANY AVENUES FOR FUNDING THAT OUR LOCAL NONPROFITS STRUGGLING TO KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN. DO NOT HAVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MS. THOMAS. RENEE DOMINGUEZ, FOLLOWED BY MARIAH SMITH. GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL. MAYOR. I KNOW BREVITY IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED, SO I'LL BE SHORT. I'M THE PRESIDENT AND C O O OF THE TEXAS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION, OR T R T F FOR SHORT, OR NONPROFIT FOUNDATION AND ORGANIZ ORGANIZATION WAS CREATED NEARLY 40 YEARS AGO, UH, TO REALLY LEVERAGE, PROMOTE, [02:40:01] AND SUPPORT THE BIOSCIENCE ASSETS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. OVER 40 YEARS AGO, COMMUNITY CIVIC LEADERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF LEVERAGING AND, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATION AND SCIENCE IN THIS COMMUNITY. THAT IMPORTANCE CONTINUES TODAY AND IT REMAINS SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TEXAS BIOMED, UT HEALTH, SWRI U T SS A IS CRITICAL TO THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF THIS COMMUNITY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE RESEARCH THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING AND DOING REALLY IS A GAME CHANGER IN TERMS OF, UH, CREATING VACCINES AND IMPACTING HUMANITY. THINK ABOUT THE CRITICAL WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF C O V I D AND OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES. IT'S INSPIRING. THE RESEARCH THEY'RE PERFORMING ALSO CREATES HUGE AMOUNTS OF WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS TO THIS COMMUNITY. THIS IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUE. THESE CREATE GOOD PAYING JOBS FOR OUR RESIDENTS. I'LL SAY IN CLOSING THAT T R T F STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE ARPA FUNDING FOR TEXAS BIOMED FOR INNOVATION AND RESEARCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. DOMINGUEZ. MARIAH SMITH. MS. SMITH, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY RYAN ALIA HOLLEN. GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MARIAH SMITH. I'M 19 YEARS OLD AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX THAT DID EVERYTHING I WAS ENCOURAGED TO DO TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS LAID OUT BY THE CITY GOVERNMENT. I JUST, MY WORK SCHEDULE AND SHOWED UP IN PERSON TO EVERY SINGLE BOND MEETING ALONG WITH DOZENS OF OTHER CITIZENS TO VOICE MY OPPOSITION TO FUNDING THE PRIVATE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ORGANIZATION, TEXAS BIOMED. IN EACH MEETING, THOSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HEARD ABOUT THE DISGRACEFUL RECORD OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AT THIS FACILITY. THEY HEARD ABOUT THE TENS OF MILLIONS THEY'RE ALREADY RECEIVING AND FUNDING FROM OTHER SOURCES. IN FACT, THE PROPOSAL TO FUND CRUEL ANIMAL TESTING IN OUR CITY WAS THE MOST CONTESTED ITEM OF THE ENTIRE BOND PROCESS SO CONTROVERSIAL THAT TEXAS BIOMED PULLED THEIR PROPOSAL JUST HOURS BEFORE THE FINAL MEETING RATHER THAN LOSING THE VOTE THAT DAY OF ALL THE CITIZEN COMMENTS DURING THE BOND PROCESS, MORE THAN 75% OF THEM WERE AGAINST GIVING MONEY TO TEXAS BIOMED. I'M BACK HERE ONE MONTH LATER TO LEARN THAT THE CITY IS AGAIN, INSISTING ON FUNDING THIS PRIVATE COMPANY WITH FEDERAL FUNDS FUNDING $10 MILLION TO ANIMAL CRUELTY RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON ISSUES OF HOUSING, SMALL BUSINESSES, THOSE IMMENSELY HURT BY THE PANDEMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT DESPERATELY NEED YOUR ATTENTION. IT FEELS THIS TIME CITIZENS DIDN'T GET THE CHANCE TO WEIGH IN. IN FACT, IT SEEMS THE CITY INTENTIONALLY BYPASS THEIR OWN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND ARE GOING TO GREENLIGHT THIS PROJECT KNOWING IT DOESN'T HAVE THE SUPPORT OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. IF THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS WERE TRULY BASED ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AS THEY SAID LAST WEEK, WHERE IN THOSE EIGHT PUBLIC ARPA MEETINGS DID IT SUGGEST THE COMMUNITY WANTS THIS PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD? NOT ONCE WAS IT EVEN MENTIONED. THIS WAS MY FIRST REAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, AND I HAVE TO SAY I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED. MISMANAGED FUNDS, NO PUBLIC INPUT, NO VETTING PROCESS OR REVIEW. WHEN A $225 MILLION ORGANIZATION WITH AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF ANIMAL WELFARE VIOLATIONS ATTEMPTS A MONEY GRAB, EMERGENCY FUNDS BELONG TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PRIVATE ORGANIZATION THAT'S PROFITING GREATLY RIGHT NOW. ON BEHALF OF THE HUNDREDS OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS THAT VOCALLY TOLD YOU THEY DON'T WANT THIS, PLEASE REMOVE TEXAS BIOMED FROM ARPA CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MS. SMITH, AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. MS. SMITH. RYAN LOG, HOLLAND. OKAY. MYRA OPOLIS. MAYRA BE FOLLOWED BY DENISE HERNANDEZ. UH, MY NAME IS MYRA OPIA. I'M WITH APIS FOR JUSTICE AS CITIES ACROSS THE NATION PROCESS, ARPA FUNDING, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, I JUST LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE TO CONSIDER THAT THE ALLOCATIONS THAT SAN ANTONIO AS A CITY WILL FINALIZE. WE'LL DEFINE WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE AS A CITY. WE WILL REMEMBER THIS. THIS [02:45:01] IS FUNDING THAT ALL CITIES ACROSS THE NATION ARE RECEIVING. AND, AND IT'S SIGNIFICANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHATEVER DECISIONS WE MAKE MOVING FORWARD AFTER TODAY WILL BE REMEMBERED. IGNORING PUBLIC INPUT, INCLUDING INPUT BY THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE INTEGRATED WITH THE VERY PEOPLE THAT THEY SERVE, AND NOT JUST SEEING OUR PEOPLE AS CONSUMERS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL, AS BIOMEDICAL INDUSTRY WILL BE REMEMBERED. IT'S IMPORTANT TO GO BACK TO WHAT ARPA FUNDING IS TRULY FOR. IT IS FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DILIGENTLY ATTENDING MEETINGS AND, AND MEETINGS AFTER MEETINGS, WILLING TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS FOR THE SELECTION. ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BIOMED HAVE OTHER FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THEM, NOT JUST ARPA FUNDING. I SAY THAT AS SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES IN SCIENCE, WHO HAVE RECEIVED VACCINES, BUT ALSO AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SPENT ALMOST TWO DECADES AS A GRANT MANAGER. THERE IS OTHER FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TEXAS BIOMED. THE ARPA FUNDING IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL STRUGGLE WITHOUT IT. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, AGAIN, FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ATTENDING MEETING AFTER MEETING DILIGENTLY, GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. NOT FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE PROMISES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. I ASK FOR TRANSPARENCY, BUT REALLY, THE TRANSPARENCY IS REALLY JUST A REQUEST TO BE ETHICAL AND RATIONAL. AGAIN, THIS DECISION FOR ARPA ALLOCATION WILL BE REMEMBERED BY SAN ANTONIO AND WILL DEFINE WHO WE ARE AS A CITY. PLEASE SHOW THE FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS, SENIORS, YOUTH, AND HOUSELESS PERSONS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT OUR VOICE MATTERS. BY ENSURING THAT ALL ORGANIZATIONS, UH, DEDICATED, UH, ALLOCATED FUNDING WILL GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS. PLEASE SHOW US THAT WE, THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO, YOUR CONSTITUENTS, THAT WE ARE THE IMPACTFUL INVESTMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. DELOS. DENISE HERNANDEZ. IT'S DENISE HERNANDEZ. UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL. UH, DENISE HAD ASKED ME TO COME SPEAK ON HER BEHALF 'CAUSE SHE WAS HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH THE WEATHER. IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? UH, MAYOR TREVINO? UM, NORMALLY, NO, BUT I'M BEING A LITTLE, UM, LOOSE HERE BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME SITUATION. SO, UM, STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SURE. AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, JR TREVINO, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE SAN ANTONIO HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD A LOT TODAY, UH, BUT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD A LOT FROM SMALL BUSINESS. AND THAT IS, UH, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT I'M HERE FOR AS A CHAIR ELECT FOR THE SAN ANTONIO, SAN UH, SAN ANTONIO HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. YOU KNOW, WHAT I'VE HEARD TODAY WAS THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP, AND THE PEOPLE AREN'T LOOKING FOR A HANDOUT. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A HAND UP. AND I WOULD SAY THAT USING SMALL BUSINESSES IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO WORK AND WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY. WITH THAT, OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR MOTTO FOR THE YEAR IS ACCELERATE SA AND I'M HOPING THAT WITH SAN ANTONIO COUNCIL'S, UH, DEDICATION TO THE 33 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE CAN WORK WITH Y'ALL AND ACCELERATE SAN ANTONIO BUSINESSES TOGETHER. THANK Y'ALL. GREAT. THANK YOU. MR. TREVINO. MOVE NOW TO RICK MAGINI. IS RICK MAGINI HERE? MM-HMM. . OKAY. ELIZABETH LAOS. ELIZABETH LAOS. ALL RIGHT. OUR FINAL SPEAKERS SIGNED UP. OUR GROUP. WHO IS IT? JACKIE SIGNED UP. OKAY. OKAY. JACKIE LORDS. IS THAT, IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I ONLY HAVE ONE MORE PERSON ON THE LIST. UH, AND THAT IS A GROUP. SO IF YOU, IF YOU THINK YOU SIGNED UP, PLEASE. UM, PLEASE SEE [02:50:01] OUR CLERK. ALL OF THESE, YOUR HONOR. OKAY. ONE SECOND. ALL RIGHT. UH, JACKIE LORD WARD, W A R D. ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD. HI. UM, THANKS FOR HAVING ME AT MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. UM, I'M JACKIE WARD. I'M A VETERINARY RESEARCH TECHNICIAN AT TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE. I WORKED IN THIS POSITION FOR ONLY A YEAR, BUT I FEEL VERY ACCOMPLISHED PERSONALLY AND WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO EVERY DAY. I'M ALSO A 2020 GRADUATE OF THE PALO ALTO VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM. UM, WITH THAT, I GOT AN ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE IN VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY AT ONE OF, IT'S ONE OF THE ALAMO COLLEGES. UM, TO FURTHER BECOME CREDENTIALED LICENSED TECHNICIAN, I PASSED STATE BOARD AND NATIONAL EXAMS AFTER GRADUATION. IN MY SECOND TO LAST SEMESTER OF SCHOOL AT PALO ALTO, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE A SUMMER INTERNSHIP IN 2019 AT THE INSTITUTE FOR OUR INTERNSHIPS, WE WERE REQUIRED TO SPEND 320 HOURS ON CAMPUS TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE TYPE OF WORK THAT IS DONE AT THE INSTITUTE. BEING ABLE TO PERSONALLY SEE THE TECHNICIANS, CARE STAFF VETERINARIANS WORK WITH OUR ANIMALS DAY-TO-DAY SOLIDIFIED MY PERSONAL CHOICE. THAT RESEARCH WAS SOMETHING I WANTED TO DO AFTER I COMPLETED MY DEGREE. MOST OF THE PROJECTS THAT I'M CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO, UM, RIGHT NOW IS DEVELOPING THERAPIES AND VACCINES FOR C OVID 19 AND PERTUSSIS, ALSO KNOWN AS WHOOPING C AND, UM, YOUNGER PEOPLE. ALSO, WE KNOW SAN ANTONIO HAS PLAYED A LARGE PART IN THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE PFIZER VACCINE FOR COVID. IT IS HELPING US TO PHYSICALLY BE HERE TODAY, AND I TRULY DO BELIEVE WE WOULD NOT BE, NOT BE HERE WITHOUT THE LABORATORIES AT TEXAS BIOMED. WHILE NOW BEING EMPLOYED AT THE INSTITUTE, WE ARE OFFERED MULTIPLE APPROACHES TO FURTHER OUR EDUCATION, SELF-DEVELOPMENT, AND TECHNICAL SKILLS. IT IS TOP PRIORITY FOR OUR TECHNICIANS TO REFINE AND LEARN NEW SKILLS CONSISTENTLY. TEXAS BIOMEDICAL IN THE PRIMATE CENTER ON CAMPUS WANT THE BEST CARE STAFF FOR OUR ANIMALS, AND THERE IS PROOF THROUGH MANY ON-CAMPUS TRAINING SESSIONS, ACCESS TO FURTHER CREDENTIALS WITHIN, WITHIN LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE AND THE AVAIL AVAILABILITY TO ALLOW INTERNSHIPS AND STEM PROGRAMS TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT OUR WORK. THE ANIMALS WE WORK WITH HAVE PROVED TO TO BE OUR LIFELINE, AND IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY, AND I TOOK AN OATH TO IT TO AID ANIMALS AND SOCIETY TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT CARE AND SERVICES FOR ANIMALS AND BY PROMOTING PUBLIC HEALTH. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK AND FOR THEM. THANK YOU, JACKIE. UM, ONE SECOND. I DID LOCATE THE LIST OF FOLKS THAT DROPPED OFF THE DIGITAL LIST, SO LET ME CHECK IT AND, UM, WE'LL RESUME PUBLIC COMMENT. JUST ONE SECOND. ALRIGHT. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE, RICHARD. GROSS. ARE YOU HERE? MR. GROSS? COMING UP, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MARINA GONZALEZ. MR. MAYOR, HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS RICHARD GROSS. RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE HAVE REAL ESTATE AND BUSINESS INTERESTS IN ALMOST ALL THE OTHER DISTRICTS. I AM HERE TODAY TO SPEAK AGAINST THE ALLOCATION OF APR FUNDS FOR TEXAS BIOMED. A PRIVATE COMPANY SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED APA FUNDS TO FUEL THEIR EXPANSION. MANY PROGRAMS FOR EDUCATION, FOR ARTS, AND ESPECIALLY COMMUNITY PROGRAM AND HOUSING FOR THE CITY'S EVER-GROWING HOMELESS POPULATION WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER RECIPIENT FOR THESE FUNDS THAN AN ALREADY WELL-FUNDED PRIVATE, UH, CORPORATION. WITH INTEREST RATES AT HISTORIC LOWS, TEXAS BIOMED HAS EASY ACCESS TO FAVORABLE LOANS TO FUEL THEIR EXPANSION WITHOUT THE WINDFALL OF RECEIVING THESE FUNDS. OF COURSE, THE FACT THAT THE [02:55:01] FACILITY IS WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR CRUEL AND INHUMANE TESTING ON ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY PRIMATES, IS AN ADDITIONAL REASON TO DENY THE PROPOSED FUNDING. MAHATMA GANDHI OBSERVED THAT THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND ITS MORAL PROGRESS CAN BE JUDGED BY THE WAY ITS ANIMALS ARE TREATED. MANY DOCTORS AND RESEARCHERS HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THIS RESEARCH. I THINK IT'S QUITE TELLING THAT ALL OF THESE SPEAKERS HAVE A DIRECT INTEREST IN RECEIVING THESE FUNDS, WHETHER AS EMPLOYEES OF TEXAS BIOMED OR RESEARCHERS AFFILIATED WITH THEM. BUT I'M HERE TO SAY, NO MATTER THE CAUSE OR THE WORTHINESS OF THE RESEARCH THAT BENEFITS OUR SOCIETY, MISTREATMENT OF THE DEFENSELESS CAN NEVER BE JUSTIFIED. THIS IS NOT THE VENUE TO DEBATE ON THE ETHICS OF WHY IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR PRIVATE CITIZEN TO MISTREAT ANIMALS, BUT IT IS NOT ILLEGAL FOR A RESEARCH LABORATORY TO DO SO. I JUST HOPE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL WEIGH THE MORALITY OF FUNDING ANIMAL CRUELTY, AND IN THE WORDS OF GANDHI, MAKE A DECISION TRULY WORTHY OF A GREAT CITY IN SEEKING TO REDUCE THE SUFFERING OF THOSE THAT ARE COMPLETELY UNDER ONE'S DOMINATION. IT IS ONLY THEN THAT WE CAN BE SEEN AS A TRULY CIVILIZED SOCIETY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. THANK YOU, MR. GROSS MARINA GONZALEZ. AGAIN, FOLKS, PLEASE GIMME THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE NEXT NAME AND FOR FOLKS, FOLKS TO HEAR THAT NAME. MARINA GONZALEZ. ALRIGHT, MOVING ON. UH, LU THIS JACQUES, MS. JACQUE, COME ON UP. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES HAMILTON. ALL RIGHT, MS. YAK. OKAY. JAMES HAMILTON. JAMES, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY DARIUS COLEMAN. UH, THE, THE REASON WHY I COME HERE TO TALK TO CITY COUNCIL TODAY IS BECAUSE CITY COUNCIL'S SUPPOSED TO BE TRANSPARENT, FAIR, OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. BUT I NOTICED THAT THERE'S PEOPLE HERE THAT DON'T WANNA PLAY BY THE SAME RULES AS EVERYONE ELSE. UH, BIOMED, UH, WANT ALL THIS MONEY TO BUILD CAGES FOR ANIMALS, RIGHT? A SLAUGHTERHOUSE. AND, UH, MORGAN'S WONDERLAND WANTS CERTAIN MONEY AS WELL, BUT DON'T WANNA STAND IN LINE A ORGANIZATION IN WHICH, UH, STRESSES THAT EVERYBODY'S INCLUDED, BUT YET WANNA SKIP AROUND THE LINE. DON'T WANNA PLAY BY THE SAME RULES AS EVERYONE ELSE. YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT'S NOT RECEIVING MONEY, AND, AND THEY GOTTA WAIT. THEY GOTTA PLAY BY THE SAME RULES AS EVERYONE ELSE, EXCEPT FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS SPECIALLY PICKED OUT BY THE MAYOR. AND I'M ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO NOT LET THE MAYOR DO IT. YOU KNOW, UH, 400 YEARS AGO, UH, BLACK PEOPLE WERE EXPERIMENTED ON JUST LIKE THESE ANIMALS THEY GOT IN CAGES. YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. YOU KNOW, FOR EVERY ADVANCEMENT THEY GET FOR TORTURING THESE ANIMALS, THERE'S A LOT OF SUFFERING THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT. AND, UH, WITH MORGAN'S WONDERLAND, IF, UH, YOU WANNA BE INCLUSIVE, IF EVERYONE'S INCLUDED, THESE ORGANIZATIONS NEED A FAIR CHANCE AT FUNDING AS WELL. AND I'M ASKING, UH, THE FOUNDER OF MORGAN'S WONDERLAND TO, TO TURN DOWN ANY APA FUNDS THAT'S VOTED FOR HIM, BECAUSE IF HE TRULY BELIEVE IN BEING INCLUSIVE, THINK ABOUT THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HE CHEATED OUTTA FUNDING BY STEPPING AROUND THE LINE AND, AND MAKING BACK ALLEY DEALS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. DARIUS COLEMAN, MR. COLEMAN, MS. JACQUE, THAT IS YOU. OKAY. YOU'LL BE, YOU'LL, YOU'LL BE RIGHT AFTER. MR. COLEMAN. UH, I'M DARIUS COLEMAN. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE. AND TODAY, UM, I JUST, I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT, UH, UH, THE VIOLATIONS OF TEXAS [03:00:01] BIOMED BY ON THE FEDERAL WELFARE ACT, AND I CAN'T EVEN, IT, IT IS SO MANY OF 'EM. I CAN'T EVEN COVER MY, COVER 'EM ALL IN THREE MINUTES, AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER 'EM, MEMORIZE 'EM ALL. UH, AND I THINK IT'S ONLY RIGHT THAT FOLK KNOW WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY MONEY GO. UH, ONE OF THE, THE ONE OF THE TOP ONES I'VE SEEN IS THEY WILL FINE NORTH OF $25,000 FOR REPEATEDLY ALLOWING PRIMATES TO GET OUT THEIR CAGES, INJURE THEMSELVES AND OTHERS, INCLUDING HUMAN BEINGS. YOU ON EMPLOYEES, UH, AN UNPRECEDENTED, AN UNPRECEDENTED SLAP ON A WRIST FOR A NATIONAL PRO, FOR A PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTER. UH, CRITICAL VIOLATION OF TWO MALE MACCO INJURED WHEN THEY INJURED EACH OTHER, WHEN THE CARETAKER FAILED TO PROPERLY SECURE THE DIVIDER LATCH ON THE, UH, ON, ON THE BETWEEN THE CAGES. ANOTHER THAT WAS IN 2018, UH, AND THE FIRST ONE WAS IN 2011. THE THIRD ONE IS VIOLATION. FOUR VIOLATION FOR INADEQUATE CARE OF A YOUNG MALE BABOON IDENTIFIED ONLY AS NUMBER 3 0 9 3 8. HE DIED AT, AS A RESULT OF THE TRAUMA OF WOUNDS AS WELL AS SEPSIS. HE HAD BEEN PUT IN A NEW CAGE WITH MANY MALE BABOONS THREE WEEKS PRIOR. AND WHILE OBSERVATION FORMS SAID NOTHING ABOUT HIS INJURIES AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, IT WAS NOTED THAT HE WAS EMACIATED, HAD MULTIPLE SCABS FROM BITE WOUNDS ON HIS BODY, AND HAD A LARGE ABSCESS ON HIS LEG AND ANKLE. HE NEVER RECEIVED TREATMENT FOR ANY OF THESE INJURIES. THAT'S IN 2014. IN 2017, ANOTHER CRITICAL VIOLATION, A MALE BABOON SUSTAINED SECOND DEGREE BURNS ON HIS HAND, HANDS AND FEET AFTER CONTACTING A HEATER PIPE RUNNING THROUGH AN ANIMAL ENCLOSURE. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT THAT DON'T SOUND LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT DON'T SOUND LIKE GOOD ANIMAL WELFARE OF ME. JUST SAYING, UH, ALSO VIOLATION FOR NOT FOLLOWING PROTOCOLS. IN 2016, SPECIFICALLY ON TWO PROTOCOLS WHERE EXPERIMENTERS USED MORE ANIMALS THAN THEY WERE APPROVED TO USE, AND ON ANOTHER, THE CRITERIA FOR EUTHANASIA WAS NOT APPROVED IN 2016 AS WELL, THEY HAD VIOLATIONS FOR FAILING A REPORT EXEMPTIONS TO THE ANIMAL ANIMAL WELFARE ACT, INCLUDING ONLY FEEDING PREGNANT ANIMALS, 70% OF THEIR NORMAL DIET, SANITIZING PRIMATE CAGES, HALF AS OFTEN AS REQUIRED, AND NOT REPORTING A CORRECT NUMBER OF ANIMALS USED IN PAINFUL EXPERIMENTS WITHOUT ANY PAIN RELIEF. IN 2014, A VIOLATION OF FO OF FOLLOWING A JUVENILE BABOON BEING KILLED WHEN A GUILLOTINE DOOR BECAME DISLODGED AND FELL ON HIM AND FELL ON THEM IN 2014 AS WELL, A REPEAT VIOLATION FOR NOT ACCURATELY REPORTING HOW MANY ANIMALS WERE USING PAINFUL EXPERIMENTS WITHOUT ANY PAIN RELIEF. THERE ARE SO MANY MORE, MR. COLEMAN. THANK YOU, MR. COLEMAN. LURE THIS JOCK, FOLLOWED BY STACEY SUTTON KIRBY HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS. HE'S HONOR THE MAJOR. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK AGAINST THE ALLOCATION OF 10 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR TEXAS BIOMED. A R P FUNDS ARE NOT, ARE SUPPOSED TO BE USED BY COMMUNITIES TO RECOVER FROM THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF THE PANDEMIC. I OWN REAL ESTATE IN EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT TODAY. I'M A BUSINESS OWNER, DIRECTLY IMPACTED, BUT NOT IN THE WAYS THAT THEY'VE SPOKEN. I'VE BEEN IMPACTED BY SEEING THE HOMELESSNESS RISE IN MY COMMUNITIES, IN MY, THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. THERE'S THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CITY HAS HOMELESSNESS, THE, THE WITTY GOVERNMENT HILL, ALL SEEING EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS SEEN AN INCREASE ON HOMELESSNESS. WE SHOULD NOT FUND PRIVATE, UH, UM, PRIVATE, PRIVATE, UM, COMPANIES THAT HAVE ACCESS TO FUNDS THAT WE NEED SO MUCH DIRECTLY IN OUR COMMUNITY. I ALSO HAVE A, A PERSONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, INSTANCE THAT I EXPERIENCED MYSELF. I CALLED THE POLICE, UH, TO HELP ME WITH A, UH, ASSAULT IN ONE OF MY PROPERTIES. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY NEVER CAME. THEY WERE OVERWHELMED WITH TAKING CARE OF ALL THE, THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE THROUGH OUR CITY. UH, I'VE ALSO EXPERIENCED MYSELF THE LOSS OF, UH, FUNDS FOR HOUSING FOR DIFFERENT TENANTS. SO, ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, I THINK THERE'S OTHER URGENT MATTERS THAT MATTER MORE TO US CITY RESIDENTS IN SAN ANTONIO. AND I URGE THE COUNCIL TO FIND MORE WORTHY PROGRAMS AND FUND PROGRAMS IN APPRENTICE PROGRAMS FOR THE HOMELESS, LOW INCOME HOUSING AND DRUG REHABILITATION CENTERS, AN EFFORT TO HELP THOSE MOST, LIKE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OF COVID. I THINK WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH TODAY OF WHY, UM, BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE SHOULD NOT BE FUNDED, AND THOSE FUNDS SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO OUR TEACHERS THAT HAVE, WE HAVE LOST SO MANY TEACHERS, UH, BY THE WAY, DUE TO THE STRESS AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. SO I URGE THE [03:05:01] COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UM, OUR HONORABLE MA MAYOR TO FIND MORE NOTABLE CAL CAUSES TO FUND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MS. JACQUES. STACY SUTTON KIRBY, FOLLOWED BY A GROUP. UM, AND THAT WILL BE JAY PKI, ADRIAN MENDOZA, AND RYAN MURKOWSKI. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS STACY SUTTON KIRBY. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AT THE TEXAS HUMANE LEGISLATION NETWORK. WE ARE A 45 YEAR OLD NON-PROFIT ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION. WE'RE TEXAS BASED. WE FOCUSED EXCLUSIVELY ON POLICY THAT AFFECTS ANIMALS IN TEXAS AND THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY RESIDE. LESS THAN A DECADE AGO, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PULLED ALL FUNDING FOR EXPERIMENTS ON CHIMPANZEES. THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE DECLARED THAT THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE AREA OF HUMAN HEALTH RESEARCH FOR, WITH, FOR WHICH CHIMPANZEES WERE NECESSARY. YET TEXAS BIOMED FOUGHT THAT DECISION UNTIL THE BITTER END. THEY ULTIMATELY LOST. NOW THE FACILITY IS TRYING TO HOLD ON TO FEDERAL FUNDING TO CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS ON ANIMALS WHO WERE EVEN LESS GENETICALLY SIMILAR TO HUMANS. IN 2013, HARVARD UNIVERSITY CLOSED THEIR PRIMATE TESTING FACILITY BECAUSE IT WAS VIEWED AS A BAD NON-STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN 2022. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AGAIN REEVALUATING THE NEED TO USE ANIMALS IN RESEARCH. SENATORS CORY BOOKER AND RAND PAUL FROM DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE AISLE HAVE ALSO, EXCUSE ME, HAVE CO-AUTHORED A BILL, THE F D A MODERNIZATION ACT, WHICH HAS GAINED TRACTION IN THE HOUSE AS WELL. DOZENS OF SPONSORS, INCLUDING SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS DELEGATION REPRESENTATIVES, RAD FALL, FALLON FLETCHER GOODEN, AND, UH, REPRESENTATIVE SESSIONS. A RECENT FORBES HEADLINE DESCRIBED THIS EFFORT AS AN ACT TWO LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO ACCELERATE DRUG DISCOVERY AND SAVE MILLIONS OF ANIMALS. ANIMAL TESTING IS NOT ONLY INHUMANE, IT'S ALSO UNNECESSARY. 95% OF THE DRUGS THAT PROVE SAFE IN ANIMALS FAIL IN HUMAN CLINICAL TRIALS. HUMANS RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO DRUGS THAN DOGS, RATS, AND PRIMATES. WHEN THE NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTERS, OF WHICH TEXAS BIOMED IS ONE, ASKED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR $30 MILLION IN THE LAST APPROPRIATIONS BILL, THE SENATE STRIPPED THAT MONEY AND DENIED THE FUNDING A STATE BILL AT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE DURING THE 2021 SESSION, WHICH WOULD'VE ALLOCATED FUNDS TO TEXAS BIOMED WAS AL ALSO FAILED TO PASS. YET THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS CONSIDERING TAKING FEDERAL RELIEF MONEY AND GIVING IT TO THIS PRIVATE ORGANIZATION. IF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TRULY WANTS TO BRING INNOVATIVE SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES TO THE CITY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU INSTEAD TO PIVOT TO HUMAN-CENTERED NON-ANIMAL RESEARCH METHODS, NOT TEXAS BIOMED, AN ORGANIZATION WITH A WELL-DOCUMENTED RECORD OF ANIMAL CRUELTY THAT RELIES ON OUTDATED ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. KIRBY. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A GROUP NOW. UM, THAT IS JAY PKI, ADRIAN MENDOZA AND RYAN KOSKI. AND YOU ALL HAVE NINE MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ADRIAN MENDOZA. I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR SOUTH TEXAS FLOOD AND TISSUE. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR NUREMBERG, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY MANAGER WALSH. SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD AND TISSUE IS A NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTER THAT PROVIDES BLOOD, PLATELETS, PLASMA, AND OTHER BLOOD COMPONENTS TO MORE THAN 100 HOSPITALS. IN 48, TEXAS COUNTY DOZENS PROVIDE HEALTHCARE TO MILLIONS OF CITY, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. AND WITH AT LEAST FIVE MORE COMING INTO THE CITY, WE HAVE REQUESTED ARPA FUNDING TO SUPPORT OUR WORK, ENSURING ESSENTIAL AND CRITICAL HEALTH, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE IS MET FOR SAN ANTONIO. BLOOD TRANSFUSION IS THE MOST COMMON MEDICAL PROCEDURE PERFORMED IN THE US HOSPITALS. WITH MORE THAN 21 MILLION TRANSFUSIONS PERFORMED ANNUALLY, THE BLOOD USED FOR THESE PATIENTS MUST COME FROM VOLUNTARY DONORS TO MEET SAFETY STANDARDS. FOR TRANSFUSION MEDICINE, THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR HUMAN BLOOD. IT IS A PERISHABLE SUPPLY. PLATELETS HAVE A SHELF LIFE OF JUST SEVEN DAYS WITH RED BLOOD CELLS LESS THAN 40 DAYS. THIS MAKES THE NEED FOR BLOOD DONORS CONTINUOUS AND EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS, WINTER STORMS, AND EVEN HOLIDAYS. A PANDEMIC IS DEVASTATING. OVER THE LAST 23 MONTHS, THE ACCESS TO AND RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTARY DONORS HAVE BEEN GRAVELY IMPACTED FOR THE MOST. FOR MOST FIRST TIME DONORS LEARN ABOUT BLOOD DRIVES THROUGH THE PLACES THEY FREQUENTLY VISIT, THEIR WORKPLACE, THEIR SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY, THEIR CHURCH, AND THE COMMUNITY CENTER. THE PANDEMIC SHIFTED TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL LEARNING, REMOTE WORK, AND A DECREASE IN PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY EVENTS. THESE SHIFTS HAVE BEEN THE SOURCE OF THE DECLINING PARTICIPATION OF NEW FIRST TIME DONORS. [03:10:01] THE LIMITED ACCESS TO NEW DONORS HAS NECESSITATED A RELIANCE ON MORE EXISTING DONORS WHO HAVE LONG SUPPORTED BLOOD DONATION TO COME GIVE MORE FREQUENTLY IN OUR COMMUNITY, BRICK AND MORTAR DONOR CENTERS. ONE STAGGERING STATISTIC IS THE NUMBER OF DONORS WHO ARE UNDER 25 YEARS OLD. PRE PANDEMIC. THIS AGE GROUP REFLECTED 34% OF DONORS, BUT SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, THIS DECREASED TO JUST 16%. THIS BOILS DOWN TO A FRIGHTENING REALITY. THE NUMBER OF FIRST TIME DONORS IN 2020 AND 2021 WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN OUR BLOOD SUPPLY IN THE YEARS AHEAD UNLESS WE WORK TOGETHER. NOW, THE CHALLENGES I HIGHLIGHT HERE TODAY ARE NOT UNIQUE TO SAN ANTONIO, BUT WITH OUR GROWING COMMUNITY AND AGING POPULATION IN SAN ANTONIO. THE CHALLENGES ESPECI ACUTE HERE, MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THAT OUR COUNTRY IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING A NATIONAL BLOOD CRISIS. BLOOD SUPPLY LEVELS ARE AT AN ALL TIME LOW ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PUTTING THE ONGOING HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY AT GREAT RISK. WE WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ARE ELECTED LEADERS FOR HOSTING BLOOD DRIVES AND PROMOTING THE NECESSITY FOR BLOOD DONATION. DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME, WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, LIVES WOULD'VE BEEN IMPACTED, LIVES WOULD'VE BEEN LOST. WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN OUR COMMUNITY BLOOD SUPPLY, INCLUDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW DONOR CENTERS. TO SUPPORT OUR GROWING REGION. WE HAVE FUNDAMENTALLY SHIFTED OUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES AND DONOR EDUCATION MODELS. AND THIS WORK IS ONGOING AND CHALLENGING. AND WHILE WE FACE A CONSTANT BATTLE TO RECRUIT ENOUGH BLOOD DONORS, WE ALSO FACE A CHALLENGE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO COLLECT AND PROCESS THE ESSENTIAL BLOOD PRODUCTS. OUR PERSONNEL ARE FRONTLINE ESSENTIAL WORKERS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES TIRELESSLY WORKING TO SAVE LIVES THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC. JUST AS THEIR COLLEAGUES IN OTHER HEALTHCARE FIELDS, THERE IS FATIGUE AND BURNOUT CAUSING ATTRITION. THE REALITY IS WE MUST MAKE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN OUR DONOR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS AND IN OUR OPERATIONS, ESPECIALLY EQUIPMENT AND STAFFING FOR OUR DONOR CENTERS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR MOBILE BLOOD DRIVE FLEET, WE MUST DO MORE. DOING MORE IS AN ENDEAVOR THAT COMES WITH A HEFTY PRICE TAG. OUR A R P OF FUNDING REQUEST TO ADDRESS OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUTREACH NEEDS TO INCREASE CAPACITY AND DONOR RECRUITMENT WILL BRING AS MUCH AS 15% MORE DONATIONS TO THIS AREA. OUR EXPERT, UH, EXPENSES ARE A DIRECT INVESTMENT IN THE QUALITY OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE. ALTHOUGH WE UNDERSTAND YOU ARE NOT VOTING ON THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TO SPECIFIC COMMUNITY PARTNERS TODAY, SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD AND TISSUE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION AS AS FUNDING DECISIONS, UH, DISCUSSIONS MOVE TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEES. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ENSURE THERE IS AN APPROPRIATE CATEGORY FOR LIFE-SAVING HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS OURS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE FUNDING CONVERSATION. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, UM, FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR EFFORTS TO INCLUDE NONPROFITS IN THIS PROCESS. AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK COUNCILWOMAN ROCHE GARCIA FOR THE CONTINUED FRIENDSHIP AND ADVOCACY. WE NEED YOUR HELP BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS OUR HELP. BLOOD DONATIONS SAVES LIVES EVERY DAY. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO RYAN. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS RYAN JAMES MURKOWSKI, AND IN MANY WAYS, THE STORY OF MY LIFE BEGINS JUST ONE YEAR AGO WHEN MY DAUGHTER AMY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LEUKEMIA. SHE WAS TWO YEARS OLD AT THAT TIME. HAVING A CHILD WITH CANCER IS AS FRIGHTENING AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE IT TO BE. AND THE UNCERTAINTY THERE IS MADE ALL THE MORE COMPLEX WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS A RARE BLOOD TYPE O NEGATIVE AND CAN ONLY RECEIVE THAT TYPE OF BLOOD. THE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD AND TISSUE CENTER HAVE BEEN VERY GENEROUS AND ALLOWED ME INTO THEIR FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS SO THAT WE MAY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN. I'VE SEEN THE COLD STORAGE AND IT'S SMALLER THAN I EXPECTED. I'VE SEEN THE BLOOD SUPPLY. IT'S LESS THAN I THOUGHT. I HAVE SEEN THE SMALL PINT SIZED BAGS OF O NEGATIVE BLOOD, OF WHICH THERE WERE A MERE NINE IN TOTAL IS EXACTLY AS I FEARED IT TO BE. THAT BLOOD IS A LIFELINE FOR MY DAUGHTER. CANCER PATIENTS LIKE HER TRAUMA VICTIMS, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE IN DIRE NEED. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY POINTS THROUGHOUT AMY'S TREATMENT PROCESS WHERE SHE'S NEEDED A BLOOD TRANSFUSION. DESPITE THE HIGHLY TRAINED TECHNICAL TALENTS OF HER VERY QUALIFIED ONCOLOGY TEAM, THEY WERE LITERALLY BROUGHT TO A HALT AND COULD NOT CONTINUE AMY'S LIFESAVING TREATMENT BECAUSE THE QUALITY OF HER BLOOD WAS NOT SUFFICIENT [03:15:01] TO CONTINUE. UNFORTUNATELY, FOR ALL OF OUR LOVED ONES, THIS SITUATION IS NOT UNIQUE TO AMY. WE, AT THIS MOMENT ARE BEING PRESENTED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP FURTHER THE ABILITY OF THE SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD AND TISSUE CENTER TO RENDER SERVICES NECESSARY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF OUR MOST PRECIOUS GIFT LIFE. THE LIFE OF MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN SAVED BY THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD AND TISSUE CENTER. YOU MAY NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF THAT STATEMENT BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT HAVE HAD YOUR BEAUTIFUL NEW, AN INNOCENT CHILD DIAGNOSED WITH A POTENTIALLY DEADLY DISEASE. BUT IT IS MY GREATEST HOPE THAT I CAN TRANSFER A BETTER FRACTION OF MY GRATITUDE AND A SENSE OF URGENCY THAT WE MAKE THE CHOICE TO ACT TODAY. I DO HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL HOPE FOR YOU ALL. DON'T BE LIKE ME. DON'T WAIT FOR DISASTER TO STRIKE AT THE HEART OF YOUR FAMILY. TO BE REMINDED THAT WE ALL LIVE HERE TOGETHER AND THAT WE MAY HAVE TO RELY ON THE GENEROSITY OF PEOPLE WE WILL NEVER MEET FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO CONTINUE TO LIVE. MY HOPE TODAY IS THAT IN A BETTER AND BRIGHTER FUTURE, WE REMINISCE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY AND OUR MIND OURSELVES THAT WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO HELP THOSE WHO CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES, WE SAID YES. WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO PROVIDE AID TO AN ORGANIZATION WHOSE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO COLLECT AND DISTRIBUTE LIFE-SAVING RESOURCES, WE SAID YES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW. UH, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR. I, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER FOUR. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL ITEM FOUR. SO WE'LL BEGIN OUR DISCUSSION. UH, AND LEMME JUST SAY FIRST, UH, THIS IS THE, UM, MIDPOINT OF A MONTHS LONG PROCESS, AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO'S COME OUT TO THE MEETINGS, UH, STARTING BACK IN THE SUMMER, UH, THE TOWN HALLS, THE COUNCIL MEETINGS, THE B SESSIONS, ET CETERA. AND THERE'S GONNA BE, UH, QUITE A BIT OF DELIBERATION AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THIS FUNDING CONTINUES TO WORK THROUGH COUNCIL COMMITTEE. SO BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR, ERIC, COULD YOU DESCRIBE AGAIN, THE TIMELINE AND THE PROCESS FOR THOSE, UH, DELIBERATIONS? UH, YES, SIR. WE ARE SCHEDULING A B SESSION IN MARCH FOR THE COUNCIL TO HAVE THE FULL COUNCIL TO HAVE, UH, A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, THOSE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ASSIGNED, UM, AND GOING TO COMMITTEES. UM, COUNCILWOMAN RICHARD GARCIA LAST WEEK MADE THE POINT THAT NOT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, OBVIOUSLY IS REPRESENTED ON THOSE COMMITTEES. AND SO, UM, THAT WILL OCCUR IN MARCH. UH, NO COMMITTEE WORK WILL HAPPEN UNTIL THAT SESSION. UM, I SUSPECT THAT ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU ALL WILL HAVE IN THAT MARCH SESSION IS A, IS MAYBE A TIMELINE OR A GOAL FOR THE COMMITTEES TO DO THEIR WORK. UM, AND, UM, AND THEN COMMITTEE WORK WILL BEGUN AFTER THAT. UM, THEY, WE, WE EXPECT TO GET THE SECOND ALLOCATION FROM ARPA IN THE MONTH OF MAY. AND, UM, BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS IN MARCH, UM, AND THE THOUGHTS THAT, THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE ABOUT THE, THE ESTIMATED TIMELINE, WE'LL SCHEDULE THAT TO COME BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS. OKAY, GREAT. SO BEFORE, UH, BEFORE THESE TRANCHES OF FUNDS GET LAUNCHED THROUGH COMMITTEE, WE ARE GOING TO SPEAK, UH, AND DELIBERATE AS A COUNCIL AT A B SESSION IN MARCH. YES, SIR. OKAY, GREAT. UM, WELL, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO CAME OUT TODAY, UH, THROUGH THE WEATHER TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. UH, THESE FUNDS AND THE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN ONGOING SINCE THE CARESS ACT ARE REALLY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE TAKING CARE OF CRITICAL SERVICES, THE ESSENTIAL NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND IF YOU MAY REMEMBER BACK IN MARCH OF 2020, WE PUT EVERY RESOURCE OF THIS COMMUNITY ON THE TABLE TO ENSURE THAT IS THE CASE. UH, AND SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS PAST COUNCIL AND THIS COUNCIL, UH, FOR CREATING, UH, THE SAFETY NET FOR OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE ARE CONTINUING TO FUND TODAY. UH, ONE OF THE LARGEST EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN THE NATION THAT WILL CONTINUE AS WELL AS THE UTILITY ASSISTANCE FUNDED THROUGH ARPA THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED BY THE COUNCIL, UH, AND THE ONGOING RELIEF TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN ONE OF THE LARGEST SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF PROGRAMS FOR CITY OUR SIZE. SO AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN, UH, QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT. THE ARPA FUNDS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY, ONLY A PORTION OF THEM ARE CONTINUING THAT EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY GETTING OUR PEOPLE AND OUR ECONOMY BACK ON ITS FEET, BUT THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN A LONG-TERM SUSTAINED RECOVERY. SO THIS HAS NOT EASY WORK, UH, [03:20:01] HAS BEEN DIFFICULT DELIBERATIONS BY EVERYONE AROUND THIS DIOCESE, THROUGHOUT THIS COMMUNITY, BUT I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, THAT WORK THAT'S GONE INTO IT AND APPRECIATE THE STAFF AS WELL COMING WITH US, UH, COMING TO US WITH A SOUND RECOMMENDATION. SO LET ME START THE, UH, COUNCIL DELIBERATIONS NOW, AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GRA THANK YOU. I WANNA THANK CITY STAFF FOR THAT PRESENTATION. MARIA, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR MEETING AND TAKING MY CALLS AND HAVING DISCUSSIONS, UH, REGARDING THIS PROCESS. I WANNA STRESS THE NUMBERS THAT BRING US HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE ARE FAST. APPROACHING TWO YEARS OF PANDEMIC NATIONALLY, OVER 75 MILLION COVID CASES NATIONALLY, 888,000 DEATHS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, 80,000 DEATHS. AND HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY, OVER 5,000 WITH 15 NEW DEATHS THIS WEEK. WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDST OF THIS PANDEMIC, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK FOR THE FU TOWARDS THE FUTURE AND HOW WE MOVE OUT OF IT. THE ARPA INVESTMENT WILL PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED RELIEF TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, SMALL BUSINESSES AND LOCAL NONPROFITS WITH CAPITAL INVESTMENTS TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN MENTAL HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, DIGITAL CHILDCARE SERVICES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SENIORS, EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE, AND EMPLOYEE RETENTION. I HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN FOCUSED ON INVESTING ARPA FUNDS IN AN EQUITABLE AND COMMUNITY FOCUSED WAY, AND I WANT TO THANK THE CITY STAFF WHO WORK TO GET MEETINGS ORGANIZED LAST FALL, BECAUSE IT WAS THROUGH THIS DISTRICT SPECIFIC AND CITYWIDE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT CITY STAFF WAS ABLE TO TAKE FEEDBACK AND CREATE A SPENDING FRAMEWORK. I WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS. AND WHAT WE LEARNED IS THIS PANDEMIC AMPLIFIED PROBLEMS THAT WE ALREADY KNEW EXISTED HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. MY DISTRICT STAFF TOOK A LOOK AT OUR DISTRICT SPECIFIC IMPACTS, HOW C O V I IMPACT YOU, THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM DISTRICT THREE, DEATH IN FAMILY AND FRIENDS, LOSS OF WORK, MENTAL HEALTH, DIGITAL DIVIDE, EVEN CLEARER INFLATION AND PRODUCT AVAILABILITY, C O V I D AND WINTER STORM IMPACTS KIDS STRUGGLING WITH SCHOOL CHILDCARE. THIS IS THE INPUT THAT THEY GAVE US. THIS IS THE INPUT I SHARED WITH CITY STAFF, AND THEY CAME BACK WITH THIS FRAME FRAMEWORK. THIS IS IN SAN ANTONIO, ARE ASKING FOR HELP, AND WE NEED TO PROVIDE KEY INVESTMENTS THAT WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL INTO PRO IN PROMOTING LONG-TERM GROWTH THAT IS SUSTAINABLE AS WELL AS EQUITABLE. LAST WEEK, COUNCIL COUNCIL HAD A CONVERSATION ON HOW WE WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE $212.5 MILLION SPENDING FRAMEWORK. CITY STAFF DID TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OUR SPECIFIC ASKS AND CAME BACK WITH A FRAMEWORK THAT I AM PLEASED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TODAY. A FRAMEWORK THAT INCLUDES THREE PROJECTS THAT MEET THE ARPA REQUIREMENTS AND CITY AND COMMUNITY PRIORITIES. I AM VERY EXCITED FOR THE FULL INVESTMENT OF $7 MILLION IN EDUCARE. THE CHILDCARE SHORTAGE FOUND IN MANY PARTS OF THIS CITY WILL BE ADDRESSED WITH THIS INVESTMENT. THE LACK OF QUALITY, AFFORDABLE, EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE THAT WE FEEL SO MUCH ON THE SOUTH SIDE, BUT WE HAVE CITYWIDE WILL BE MET WITH EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND TRAINING FOR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. THIS IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUITY THAT WE STRIVE FOR WITH ALL THE IMPACTFUL PROJECTS, THE ISOLATION EXPERIENCED BY OUR SENIORS, AND THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE BEST OF TIMES. BUT DURING THE P PANDEMIC, WE SAW THE IMPACT ON SOME OF OUR MOST VIBRANT SENIORS AND OUTGOING SPECIAL NEEDS YOUNG PEOPLE. ONE OF MY OCTOBER'S EVENTS WAS WALKING IN THE ABILITY STRONG PARADE WITH D FOUR AND D SIX, AND FIESTA ESPEC ESPECIAL COURT WAS THERE, AND I'D SEEN THEM AT OTHER FIESTA EVENTS FULL OF LIFE, OUTGOING, AND I REMEMBER THINKING, THEY LOOK TIRED. WE ALL ARE SO TIRED. SO THE INVESTMENT INTO MORGAN'S WONDERLAND IS GOING TO HELP THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR CARETAKERS. IT WILL PROVIDE NECESSARY RESOURCES THAT WERE NOT THERE BEFORE THAT WILL HELP THEM SPECIFICALLY AND THEIR NEEDS OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC. THE $5 MILLION DESIGNATED FOR SENIORS, I AM SURE WILL BE A THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. THE SENIORS HAVE LOST AND MISSED SO MUCH DURING THIS TIME. I BELIEVE THAT WE COULD CARVE [03:25:01] OUT SENIOR SPECIFIC DOLLARS IN EACH CATEGORY. MARIA ACTUALLY PRESENTED ON ARPA TO THE SENIORS AT SOUTH SIDE LIONS, AND SOME OF THEIR ASKS WERE BETTER SENIOR PROGRAMMING INFRASTRUCTURE, SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT VERY SPECIFIC SMALL BUSINESSES IS. SO I THINK OUR DESIGNATION AFFIRMS THAT THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO OUR SENIORS. THE DIGITAL ACCESS AND LITERACY OF $8.4 MILLION IS A GOOD START, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING MORE SPECIFICALLY AND HEARING WHAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO PRIORITIZE. I WILL ALWAYS PUT BEST VALUE FIRST AND ABOVE ALL. I AM PLEASED TO SEE AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE SMALL BUSINESS CATEGORY AND THE INCLUSION OF NONPROFITS THAT WILL GIVE US A TOTAL OF $33.4 MILLION. LAUNCHING THE CITY OUT OF THE PANDEMIC WILL HELP HELP HAPPEN BECAUSE OUR SMALL BUSINESS OF, OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS EFFORTS, THE SMALL BUSINESS, YOUR EFFORTS IN GETTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK IS WHAT WILL GET US OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC AND MAKE US A LEADER. I WANT TO THANK THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMISSION AND THOSE THAT SHARED TODAY AND SENT LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THIS ARPA INVESTMENT. I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT AFTER WE VOTE TODAY, THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST TIME WE DISCUSS AR RPA FUNDING. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE COMMITTEE PROCESS AND WORK WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AS WE CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE FUNDS FOR PROJECTS THAT WILL MOVE OUR CITY OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND ADDRESS INEQUITIES. SINCE LAST JUNE, MY COMMITMENT ON HOW WE USED AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS HAS BEEN A TOP PRIORITY. ERIC CAME AND SAID, WE HAVE A TWO PHASE STRATEGY FOR THE USE OF THE DOLLARS PHASE ONE FOR THE BUDGET AND PHASE TWO TODAY, AND MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO ADDRESS THE VARIANCE, THIS TWO PHASE PROCESS AND THE CASE SPIKES THAT WE HAVE SEEN. WE WILL DEAL WITH THIS IN THE FUTURE, AND I FEEL LIKE OUR CITY TODAY WITH THIS PLAN, WITH THIS FRAMEWORK, IS WELL PREPARED TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES AHEAD AT THIS TIME. I DO HAVE A, A FEW QUESTIONS. MARIA, IN THE SMALL BUSINESS NONPROFIT CATEGORY, IS THE $2.5 MILLION GOING TO BE DESIGNATED FOR NONPROFITS? NO. COUNCILMAN, WHAT WE, UM, PROVIDED TO YOU AS A TOTAL OF $33.4 MILLION FOR THAT CATEGORY. THAT INCLUDES SMALL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS. WE, UH, DID NOT MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON A SPLIT ON THOSE TWO. AND THEN ON, ON THE MAY, 2022 IS WHEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THE FUNDS. DO WE HAVE A PLAN OF HOW WE WILL DISTRIBUTE IT TO, UM, THE, THE GROUPS THAT ARE APPROVED TODAY? SO YOU ARE CORRECT. THE SECOND ALLOCATION OF THE ARPA FUNDS IS SCHEDULED TO COME TO THE CITY IN MAY OF 2022. UM, ONCE WE GO THROUGH THAT COMMUNITY PROCESS AND COUNCIL SETS THOSE OUTCOMES AND AND DESIRE, UH, GOALS FOR THOSE DOLLARS, THEN THAT WILL DICTATE THE SCHEDULE ON HOW THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AFTER THE COMMITTEE WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS, OF COURSE FOR ERIC REGARDING PREMIUM PAY. UM, SO IN TERMS OF PREMIUM PAY, WE DON'T HAVE A SET D DEADLINE. ONCE YOU START MEETING WITH THE COMMITTEES, YOU CAN MOVE THE DEADLINES UP FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE THAT MONEY. WELL, AND AND I KNOW, I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S OF OF INTEREST OF, OF A NUMBER OF YOU WHAT, WHAT WE SAID LAST WEEK AND, AND, UM, UM, THE PATH THAT I'M AT LEAST RECOMMENDING TODAY IS THAT, UM, WE, WE WORK WITH THE EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND EMPLOYEE FOCUS GROUPS TO COME BACK WITH SUGGESTION, LET THE EMPLOYEE SUGGEST TO US WHAT TO DO WITH THAT MONEY. UM, MY MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE DO THAT AS WE GO INTO THE SUMMER, UH, FOR UPCOMING BUDGET BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING ON PAY PLAN AND MARKET ADJUSTMENTS AND OTHER THINGS. UM, BUT, BUT I SUSPECT THAT YOU AND MAYBE SOME OTHERS WILL TALK ABOUT THE TIMING OF THAT. I WOULD, I WOULD, UM, JUST REITERATE WHAT MARIA JUST SAID, UM, THAT SECOND TRANCHE OF MONEY FROM ARPA IS SCHEDULED TO, TO, TO BE DELIVERED TO CITIES AND COUNTIES IN MAY OF 2022. YEAH. SO I WOULD LIKE, IF WE COULD, IF YOU COULD START, IF WE COULD GET THOSE MEETINGS ON THE CALENDAR EARLIER. SO IF THEY'RE LIKE, WE NEED IT IN JUNE, UM, THEY CAN HAVE IT IN JUNE. OR IF THEY'RE LIKE, NO, WE NEED MORE DISCUSSION, WE WANT IT IN OCTOBER, OR WE WANT IT AFTER THAT, THAT THE, UM, THAT THE, UH, E M C COULD BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK, I THINK TIMING WILL CERTAINLY BE A PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS. YEAH. I I THINK I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE CITY'S INPUT ON, ON THE TIMELINE OF WHEN THEY'D LIKE TO RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS. UM, AGAIN, I APPLAUD THE CITY STAFF AND YOUR EFFORTS. THIS IS NOT EASY. THE FACT THAT WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE'VE LOST SO MANY IS, IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. BUT I DO, [03:30:01] I DO THINK YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB MAKING SURE THAT WE GOT THE MONEY AND NOTHING WAS TAKEN BACK FROM US. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU, THE, THE CITY AND OUR STAFF IS SUCCESSFUL IN THIS NEXT PHASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BERAN. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. LIKE YOU, I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE TODAY OR WHO WERE HERE TODAY TO SHARE THEIR OPINION AND THEIR INSIGHT ON, UH, TODAY'S ARPA ACTION. UM, WELL, NOT 100% SATISFIED WITH TODAY'S PROCESS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I AM GLAD TO SEE A NUMBER OF THINGS ON TODAY'S ACTION AND THAT I'M, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING ON. UM, ACTUALLY THERE'S A, A LOT OF THESE, UH, NUMBER ONE IS MORE FO MORE FUNDING FOR OUR COVID HEALTH RESPONSE. UH, MORE FUNDING FOR OUR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT. UH, DEFINITELY HEARD THAT IN OUR DISTRICT SEVEN, UH, MEETING. SO MR. HUERTA AND MS. OZUNA, IF YOU'RE STILL HERE, UM, PLEASE COME TALK TO US, UH, TO ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THE ASSISTANCE, UH, THAT, THAT YOU NEED FOR, FOR HOUSING. UM, I'M ALSO GLAD TO SEE THE FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT, OH, SORRY, I JUST MENTIONED THAT. AND ARTS. I DON'T KNOW IF OUR ARTS FOLKS ARE STILL HERE, BUT, UH, VERY GLAD TO, TO SEE THAT AS WELL. UH, THE FUNDING FOR SENIORS AND FOR YOUTH. UM, THE FUNDING FOR REPAIRING OUR WORST STREETS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND OF COURSE, UH, THE EMPLOYEE PREMIUM PAY. I'M VERY GLAD TO SEE THAT THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, I, UH, STATED THAT THE WAY THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED, I WAS CONCERNED THAT WE MIGHT BE LEAVING OUT NUMEROUS SOCIAL SERVICE SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS RIGHT NOW, SUCH AS THOSE PROVIDED BY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE BLOOD AND TISSUE CENTER, ACADEMIA, AMERICA, THE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION FOR IMMIGRANTS, AND MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC AND HAVE HAD A TOUGH TIME RECOVERING IN RESPONSE. AND I APPRECIATE THIS. STAFF ADDED TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO THE SMALL BUSINESS CATEGORY. UM, AS MARIA JUST STATED, RIGHT NOW, IT WOULDN'T BE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED FOR NONPROFITS, BUT A PART OF THE WHOLE BUNCH. I, AGAIN, I DO APPRECIATE THE, THE GESTURE, UM, BUT RIGHT NOW I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT THAT'S THE BEST PLACE FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO COMPETE FOR FUNDS. AND I AM ALSO NOT SURE THAT THAT IS, NO, I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY. SO AFTER SOME DISCUSSION WITH THE STAFF, I'M GOING TO, UH, PROPOSE THAT WE BRING THAT TOTAL TO 4 MILLION AND THAT WE SEPARATE THAT FUNDING FOR ITS OWN SOCIAL SERVICE NONPROFIT CATEGORY. UH, THAT'S OPEN TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE IN IN OTHER CATEGORIES. IF WE COULD GO TO SLIDE THREE, PLEASE. , SLIDE THREE SHOWS, UH, THE LIST OF, UH, CATEGORIES IN WHICH STAFF IS RECOMMENDING, UH, FUNDING. AND I KNOW NOBODY WANTS TO REDUCE ANY OF THESE CATEGORIES. WE ONLY WANT TO GROW THEM. UH, AND I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY BIG POT, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THAT WAS A VERY HIGH INTEREST TO OUR RESIDENTS AND TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, ERIC, CAN YOU REMIND US WHICH OF THESE CATEGORIES IS BEING FUNDED THROUGH DOLLARS? NOT COMING DIRECTLY THROUGH ARPA, BUT, BUT CAN BEING CARRIED FORWARD FROM THE FORMER, UH, RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN? YES, MA'AM. UH, MARIA WILL COVER THE TWO CATEGORIES. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. SO, UM, YOU MAY RECALL AT OUR LAST PRESENTATION, WE INDICATED THAT IT WAS $13.1 MILLION THAT WAS COMING FROM THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN. THOSE ARE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TODAY. UM, AND WE HAD, UM, ALLOCATED $8.4 MILLION TO DIGITAL ACCESS AND, UM, $4.5 MILLION TO THE, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES. SO THAT'S HOW WE, UH, DIVIDED THAT $13.1 MILLION. UM, SO THAT IS WHAT, WHAT IS AVAILABLE TODAY. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAD MENTIONED OF THE FIRST HALF IN, UM, OUR FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVE, WHAT WAS AVAILABLE WAS $35.9 MILLION AFTER THE ALLOCATIONS THAT WE MADE DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE. SO, UM, WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH THOSE $35.9 MILLION IS A RECOMMENDATION IS TO [03:35:01] ALLOCATE $10 MILLION TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RIGHT AWAY. SO THAT PROGRAM CAN CONTINUE UNTIL MARCH ONE. AND THEN THE BALANCE OF, UM, $25 MILLION, THAT WOULD BE FOR THE C OVID 19 RESPONSE THAT WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN, UM, IN, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. NOW, THE BALANCE, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE GONNA GET IN, UM, MAY, THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE OTHER CATEGORIES THAT I DID NOT COVER IN, IN MY, THE FIRST HALF OF MY RESPONSE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UH, THESE TWO CATEGORIES? ARE THERE OTHER POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, TO GROW THOSE TWO CATEGORIES OUTSIDE OF ARPA, OUTSIDE OF OUR BUDGET? AND, AND I'M SORRY, THE TWO CATEGORIES IS WOULD BE THE DIGITAL MM-HMM. . UH, WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED OTHER FUNDING SOURCES AT THIS POINT. COUNCIL WOMEN. UM, SO THOSE ARE THE, THE, THE FUNDS THAT WERE AVAILABLE OUT OF THE RECOVERY RESILIENCY THAT WE RECOMMENDED FOR CONSIDERATION. CA COUNCILWOMAN, THE, UM, UM, MAYBE MORE SO ON THE DIGITAL ACCESS AND LITERACY, BECAUSE THAT'S A BROAD CATEGORY, UH, EITHER THROUGH, UH, STATE ALLOCATION, UH, THAT THEY, THAT THE STATE DID THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE OR THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, BILL THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT IN CONGRESS. UH, THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL FUNDS AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL FOR THOSE TYPE, FOR THAT AREA IN PARTICULAR. I, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESS ONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. BUT THESE, THESE WERE MONIES THAT WERE NOT UTILIZED, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE, UM, PROGRAMMED IN THE RECOVERY RESILIENCY PLAN. THEY WERE THE, THE FOUR AND A HALF MILLION, THE, THE TRAIN FOR JOBS ENDED IN, AT THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR. MM-HMM. . UM, AND THEN ON THE, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECT PROGRAM, WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. UM, AND THEN THAT, THAT $8.4 MILLION WAS AVAILABLE. WE KEPT IT IN THE SAME CATEGORY, BUT, UM, BUT THERE, THERE MIGHT BE, THERE, THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, UM, IN THE AREAS OF LIKE THE DIGITAL EQUITY GRANT THAT'S AVAILABLE THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL TO PURSUE ADDITIONAL FUNDING. THANK YOU. UM, SO AT THIS POINT, I WILL MOVE TO AMEND THE MAIN MOTION BY REALLOCATING FROM THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK, $2.5 MILLION FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS AND NONPROFIT CATEGORY. THE 2.5 MILLION YOU GUYS HAD ADDED AND 1.5 MILLION FROM THE DIGITAL LITERACY CATEGORY TO PROVIDE FOR CUMULATIVE $4 MILLION TO A NEWLY CREATED CATEGORY FOR SOCIAL SERVICE NONPROFITS. OKAY. THERE IS A MOTION AS STATED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. DID I HEAR SECOND AND A SECOND? SO WE ARE GOING TO DELIBERATE ON THE AMENDMENT. UM, SO RATHER THAN CLEARING OUT THE QUEUE THAT I'VE ALREADY GOT ON THE MAY MOTION, IF YOU CAN JUST GIMME A, A HAND SIGNAL IF YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS. UM, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS. THANK YOU. UM, THE, THIS AMENDMENT I SUPPORT BECAUSE IT'S UMS A VERY REASONABLE ASK. AND, UM, MY VERY REASONABLE COUNCILWOMAN, UM, HAS MADE THE CASE FOR, UM, SHAVING OFF THESE FUNDS AND REDEDICATING THEM, UM, AND HAVING THAT IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. UH, IT COMES FROM, UH, TWO BUCKETS THAT, UH, ARE, AND, AND THAT COMING FROM THOSE BUCKETS IS GONNA DISAPPOINT SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO WERE COUNTING ON ALL THE FUNDING IN THOSE BUCKETS. UM, THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, UH, TO THOSE PEOPLE, UM, WHO ARE, UH, GONNA BE WORKING WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT AT SOME POINT DOWN THE ROAD WITHOUT ARPA FUNDS OR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE MAKING Y'ALL WHOLE, UH, WITH REGARDS TO THE DIGITAL FUNDING, UM, THAT ONE HURTS, UH, BUT I SEE IT AS NECESSARY, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EARLY IN MY TERM, MAYOR NIERENBERG CREATED AND EMPANELED THE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE. UM, IN MY ROLE, UM, AT, WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE AND WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE, WE FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL, UM, TO BEGIN THIS CONVERSATION AND BE AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE AS IT RELATES TO, UH, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, DIGITAL LITERACY, AND ACCESS TO, UH, DEVICES AND BROADBAND. UM, THAT HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS DRUM BEAT OF MINE. AND, AND THROUGHOUT, UM, MY SHORT CAREER UP HERE ON CITY COUNCIL, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE, UM, A DRUM BEAT, UH, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BEAT THE DRUM EVEN EVEN HARDER ON THAT ONE. UH, MARINA GTO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, BEING AN UNDERSTANDING PARTNER IN THIS. I KNOW THAT THIS IS DISAPPOINTING, BUT, UH, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, AND YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH JEFF COYLE AND HIS TEAM, UH, AND SALLY BASTO AND HER TEAM UP IN DC AND IN AUSTIN, UH, TO BRING DOWN MORE OF OUR FEDERAL AND STATE TAX DOLLARS BACK TO SAN ANTONIO SO THAT WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, INVEST IT IN DIGITAL DIVIDE. WE, UH, THERE'S, [03:40:01] THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME TO EMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS, BUT, UH, THAT SAID, UH, WHAT COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL JUST LAID OUT IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL, AND SHOULD NOT BE DISCOUNTED. AND I WISH THERE WAS MORE MONEY, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. UM, SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH YOU IN THIS ONE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. AND THEN I HAVE, UM, VERAN AND ROSA GARCIA IN THE QUEUE. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, WITH THE DIGITAL LITERACY BUCKET, I WAS REALLY PLEASED TO SEE, UH, INCREASE IN INVESTMENT THERE, AS I KNOW IT WILL, UH, DRASTICALLY SUPPORT, UH, OUR THOMPSON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AREA, AS WELL AS QUINTANA NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES OF DISTRICT FIVE, AS WELL AS THE EDGEWOOD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH, UM, MANY OF THE STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITH, UH, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. UM, BUT I DO TRUST, UH, THE PROCESS WITHIN THE COMMITTEE, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO FURTHER VET, UM, WHAT'S BEING PUT FORWARD. AND I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THE AMENDMENT. UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE OFFER, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS A FAIR CHANCE OF ADVOCATING FOR THEMSELVES TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO RECEIVE SOME OF THESE FUNDING, UM, FROM ARPA. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, ACADEMICA AMERICA IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION HOUSED IN DISTRICT FIVE, AND THEY ARE AT CAPACITY, THEY'VE BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY C O I D, AND THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO FUNDRAISE IN THE WAY THAT THEY DID PRE C O V I, UM, RIGHT. THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO COME TO EVERY ARPA MEETING TO ASK FOR FUNDING. THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY, UM, TO COME AND GIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS. SO I WANNA BE SURE THAT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, UH, ACADEMIC AND MEDICA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ARPA FUNDING. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. UM, CONTINUING ON THE AMENDMENT. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN, THANK YOU. I, BECAUSE THE 2.50 FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS IS GOING SPECIFICALLY TO NON-PROFITS. IF WE MOVE IT THIS WAY, I'M FOR MOVING THE 2.5. IT'S THE DIGITAL ACCESS AND LITERACY. I AM, UH, AND I'M NOT GONNA SUGGEST F STREETS AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT'LL GET A BIG NO, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN'T TAKE THIS FROM MEN. THE, THE LARGER BUCKET, WHICH IS THAT MENTAL HEALTH BUCKET, UM, IS IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T PART OF THE, IS IS THERE AN OPTION FOR US TO TAKE IT FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH BUCKET, MARIA, THE 1.5, OR ERIC? WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S UP TO YOU GUYS. UM, UM, YOU, YOU CAN TAKE IT FROM ANY OF THE BUCKETS YOU WANT. UM, SO THAT'S THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, . OKAY. 'CAUSE I, I JUST, 8.4 IS, IS A BEGINNING FOR DIGITAL LITERACY. IT, IT'S NOT THE, UM, IT'S NOT NEAR WHAT WE NEED. AND I KNOW THAT, THAT YOU ARE GOING TO WORK, AND I'M GONNA WORK TO TRY AND GET IT, BUT MY RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN WAITING A VERY LONG TIME. AND AS I MENTIONED IN WHAT THEY SAID, THIS, THIS DIVIDE WAS ONLY AMPLIFIED. AND I WILL SAY AGAIN, SOUTHSIDE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT COMPLETELY IGNORED IN THE FIRST ROUND OF, OF IT WHERE TOYOTA HAD TO STEP IN. SO WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF OF WORK TO DO IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR WHERE THAT'S CONCERNED. UM, SO THAT, THAT'S, I, I'M STRUGGLING. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ON THIS ISSUE. UH, MAYOR, CAN I JUST, UH, RESPOND TO AT LEAST A PART OF THAT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, THE, THE PLAN THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED IN JUNE OF 2020 RELIED UPON OUR FIBER NETWORK TO DO, FOR LACK OF A BETTER DESCRIPTION, WIRELESS WIFI NETWORKS IN, IN SPECIAL NEIGHBORHOOD OR SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, OUR, OUR FIBER NETWORK THAT CONNECTS OUR 1800 TRAFFIC SIGNALS IS NOT EVERYWHERE. AND THAT'S WHY SOUTH SIDE FOUND THEMSELVES IN THAT POSITION. UM, NUMBER TWO, SA DIGITAL CONNECTS WAS CREATED AND FUNDED BY THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO HELP ADVOCATE AT AUSTIN AND WASHINGTON DC TO GET BROADBAND MONEY HERE. UM, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO PARTNER WITH THE PROVIDERS AT AND T OR SPECTRUM OR GOOGLE FIBER, UM, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TACKLE SOME OF THE AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT, THAT NEED BETTER ACCESS AND AFFORDABLE SERVICE. AND SO, UM, UM, THE, THE $8.4 MILLION, EVEN IF IT WAS $84.4 MILLION, I'M NOT SURE IT WOULD SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS. WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT A GOOD PLAN THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED AHEAD OF TIME. WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE, UM, AND LEVERAGE AS MUCH LOCAL MONEY AS POSSIBLE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE STATE SEES THAT WE'RE PREPARED. I'M HEARING MORE AND I'M HEARING I NEED MORE TRAFFIC LIGHTS. THAT'S WHAT I HEARD. OKAY. THANK YOU, . THANK, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. UH, WE'LL CONTINUE ON THE AMENDMENT, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA. SORRY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT'S OKAY. UM, AND I'M VERY CONFLICTED ON, ON THIS, AND I'LL START OFF BY SAYING THAT, UM, YESTERDAY [03:45:01] I WENT DOOR TO DOOR, UH, AND MY STAFF ALSO WENT TO DOOR, DOOR TO DOOR. IN FACT, UM, I WANNA PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE TO TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES BECAUSE I MISSED MEETINGS WITH THEM, D THREE AND D SIX, BECAUSE I WAS WALKING DOOR TO DOOR, NOT WITH BLOCK WALK LIST, BUT LITERALLY DOOR TO DOOR, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE KNEW THAT THERE WAS THIS WINTER STORM COMING, AND SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE, UM, A GUIDELINE AS TO WHAT TO PREPARE WITHIN A FEW HOURS, BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID THAT THEY DIDN'T GET THIS INFORMATION. A LOT OF THEM WERE ELDERLY RESIDENTS THAT WE VISITED. UM, AND I, I, I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE MISSED MOST OF ANOTHER MEETING AS WELL, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT AND MY STAFF THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT, AND WE CLEARED EVERYTHING OUT. AND THEN I APOLOGIZED DEEPLY TO MY COLLEAGUES , FOR LEADING, FOR LEAVING THEM, UM, BECAUSE I FELT THAT I HAD TO DO THIS. UM, WE DID NOT HAVE, UH, UH, THE FLYERS AND TIME TO BE ABLE TO MAIL THEM OUT EARLIER. THAT'S THE WAY THAT MY RESIDENTS GET A LOT OF THEIR INFORMATION. IN ADDITION, I WAS SO WORRIED THAT I HAD ONLY GOTTEN MYSELF TO ABOUT A HUNDRED DIFFERENT DOORS, AND MY STAFF PROBABLY GOT TO, TO, UH, A LOT MORE BECAUSE THEY HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME. UM, BUT I MADE SURE THAT WE SENT OUT ROBOCALLS THAT WILL BE, UM, COVERED OUT OF OUR CITY COUNCIL D FOUR FUND, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF. UM, AND SO, UM, I, UH, THE REASON THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED OR THAT I'M, I'M WORRIED AND, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, BUT I CAN NO LONGER, UM, ACCEPT A MAYBE OR LATER. UM, AND I, I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE. AND TODAY I WILL BE VOTING AGAINST THIS, UM, THIS AMENDMENT. BECAUSE DIGITAL EQUITY AND ACCESS IS FOUNDATIONAL TO REDUCING SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES AND DRIVING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOCIETAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO, UM, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT I REPRESENT. THIS EXPANDS OPPORTUNITIES AND REDUCES INEQUITIES BY INCREASING ACCESS TO EDUCATION, JOB OPPORTUNITIES, AND UNLOCKING GREATER SOCIETAL INCLUSION. IT INCREASES ECONOMIC POTENTIAL AS STUDENTS WITH ACCESS MAKE $2 MILLION MORE OVER THEIR LIFETIME. IT UNLOCKS BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY, TO, AS THE SOCIETY BY INCREASING TELEHEALTH ACCESS, EXPANDING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT, AND SUPPORTING A HYBRID JUSTICE SYSTEM ADDITIONALLY TO THE ECONOMY. AND I KNOW MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE FROM DETON ISN'T HERE TODAY, BUT HE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THIS. IT GENERATES A POSITIVE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THE ECONOMY. IT CREATES $2 AND 40 CENTS OF A SOCIETAL R O I FOR EVERY $1 THAT WE INVEST IN DIGITAL ACCESS. AND THE PRESENCE OF ULTRA FAST BROADBAND LEADS TO 3% AVERAGE INCREASES IN NEW BUSINESS FORMATION. SO EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TODAY, THE THINGS THAT OUR FOLKS ARE HERE ADVOCATING FOR TODAY, AND BY THE WAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT, THAT THAT MADE IT HERE TODAY. UM, IN, IN THIS STORM, THE INVESTMENT IN DIGITAL GENERATES A POSITIVE SOCIETAL R O I, ALSO, WITHIN ONE TO TWO YEARS AND ANNUAL G D P BENEFITS, THIS IS A TIMELY OPPORTUNITY. IN THE WAKE OF C OVID 19, WE ARE IN A UNIQUE MOMENT TO HAVE AN OUTSIZED IMPACT TOWARD CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. C O HAS ONLY HEIGHTENED THE URGENCY TO ACT AS DIGITAL ACCESS MATTERS. NOW, MORE THAN EVER, COVID HAS INCREASED INEQUITIES BETWEEN THOSE WITH AND WITHOUT DIGITAL ACCESS. IT HAS ACCELERATED THE RATE OF JOBS THAT REQUIRE DIGITAL SKILLS. IT HAS INCREASED DEMAND FOR DIGITAL ACROSS SECTORS, INCLUDING EDUCATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HEALTHCARE, AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. AND IT HAS ESTABLISHED A NEED FOR DIGITAL THAT IS ONLY EXPECTED TO GROW POST PANDEMIC. AND YES, I'M SHAKING TODAY BECAUSE THIS SHAKES ME TO MY CORE, BUT IF WE DO NOT ACT NOW AND WITHOUT CERTAINTY, LIKE THIS MAY BE LATER ON, I DO NOT THINK THAT I CAN SUPPORT THIS. WE COULD FACE SIGNIFICANT DELAYS DUE TO RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS, NOT ONLY IN IN CAPABILITIES, BUT ALSO OBVIOUSLY IN RAW MATERIALS THAT WE SEE, UM, ACROSS THE WORLD. BY, BY SUPPLY CHAIN, UM, UH, IMPACTS AN ESTIMATED INVESTMENT OF $600 MILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. AND $90 MILLION ANNUALLY IS NEEDED TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. THIS IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH. THOSE EXPENSES WOULD INCLUDE ONE-TIME, FIVERR, UM, TECH DEPLOYMENT MAINTENANCE, OF COURSE. AND I CAN'T, I, I KNOW THAT ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONED, UM, OR I THINK MAYBE IT WAS ERIC WALSH THAT MENTIONED THIS, THAT WE WOULD STILL NEED A WHOLE LOT MORE. BUT MY RESIDENTS CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT. DISTRICT FOUR HAS 11,000 HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT INTERNET. THAT'S 23% OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS. THE HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT DIVID DEVICES ARE ANOTHER 6,000. THAT'S 12% OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS. AND I'M TIRED OF LEAVING THEM BEHIND. AND AGAIN, I CANNOT BE GUARANTEED THAT WE'RE GONNA GET AN ALLOCATION THROUGH THE STATE. I CANNOT BE GUARANTEED THAT WE'RE GONNA GET AN ALLOCATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE TODAY, BECAUSE WE CAN'T PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. [03:50:01] WE CAN'T PLAN THE VOTES OF THE FUTURE. SO TODAY I WILL BE, UM, I, I AM LIKE MY COLLEAGUE IN DISTRICT EIGHT SAID THAT MARINA GARAVITO WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED. I'M DISAPPOINTED TOO, AND I WILL BE VOTING AGAINST THIS AMENDMENT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. THANK YOU. AND CAN I GET AN EXPLANATION OF WHERE THIS MONEY WOULD GO? BECAUSE I WASN'T PRIVY TO CONVERSATIONS PRIOR TO THIS. THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS, I POINTED OUT THAT AS DESIGNED THE FRAMEWORK RISKS, LEAVING OUT NUMEROUS SOCIAL SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY ABSOLUTELY NEEDS RIGHT NOW. MANY OF THOSE ARE ON THE LIST PROVIDED TO US BY STAFF. UH, EXAMPLES INCLUDE ACADEMICA, AMERICA AND AMERICAN ORGANIZATION FOR IMMIGRANTS, THE SOUTHWEST BLOOD AND TISSUE CENTER, PERHAPS EVEN CENTRAL MED. THERE IS NO CATEGORY DESIGNED FOR THIS TYPE OF ORGANIZATIONS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY WOULD BE COMPETITIVE IN A SMALL BUSINESS POT THAT IS AIMING TO KEEP EMPLOYEES ON PAYROLL VERSUS ORGANIZATIONS LIKE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION FOR IMMIGRANTS. THAT HELPS PEOPLE LIKE MY PARENTS, UH, LIKE MANY PEOPLE THAT MY PARENTS KNOW, LIKE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO IS ALSO AN IMMIGRANT, UH, ADAPT AND, UH, BASICALLY HAVE A LIFE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. WE DON'T, WE DON'T, WE HAVE ONE PERSON IN THIS WHOLE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DEDICATED TO IMMIGRANT SERVICES. ONE PERSON. WE SHOULDN'T JUST FUND THESE ORGANIZATIONS AT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS. WE SHOULD BE FUNDING A WHOLE DEPARTMENT TO HELP IMMIGRANTS, A CITY OUR SIZE, THIS CLOSE TO THE BORDER WITH ALL WE TOUT ABOUT INTERNATIONALISM AND ALL THAT WE INVEST IN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IT IS A SHAME. IT IS AN EMBARRASSMENT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A DEPARTMENT FOR IMMIGRANTS. AND AS THE ONLY PERSON NOT BORN IN THE US ON THIS COUNCIL, I ABSOLUTELY ADVOCATE FOR THAT. AND THIS IS SUPPOSEDLY OUR MOONSHOT. IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE HOW WE DO THAT NOW, WHEN ARE WE GONNA DO IT? I'M NOT GONNA WAIT EITHER. THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE IT MIGHT BE GOING. I SUPPORT THE INTENT, UH, OF, UH, THIS AMENDMENT AND ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT WHERE, WHERE THIS WOULD BE GOING. UH, WHAT I DON'T SUPPORT IS I GUESS WHERE MONEY HAS BEEN LOOKED FOR. WHO, WHO CAN WE TAKE AWAY FROM? AND, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT AND SAYING, OKAY, WHO, WHO ARE THE EASIEST, UM, VICTIMS FOR, FOR, UH, LACK OF A BETTER WORD, OF WHO CAN WE TAKE THAT FUNDING AWAY FROM? CAN WE TAKE IT AWAY FROM MENTAL HEALTH? I'VE HEARD THAT PROPOSED MULTIPLE TIMES. WHEN I HEARD THAT PROPOSED THE OTHER DAY, I SAID, NOT ONLY NO, MY ANSWER IS, HELL NO. DON'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM MENTAL HEALTH. THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER PLACES THAT WE CAN BE TAKING, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKING MONEY FROM ON FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT DIGITAL INCLUSION, I THINK BACK TO A RECENT, UH, PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD WHERE WE SAW HOW WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY DISTRIBUTING EMERGENCY HOUSING FUNDS, AND WE LOOKED AT WHAT HAS THE DISTRIBUTION BEEN LIKE TO DATE? AND I SAW HOW THERE THERE'S BEEN MORE DISTRIBUTION OF EMERGENCY HOUSING FUNDS TO THE NORTH SIDE THAN THERE HAS BEEN TO THE SOUTH SIDE, THAN THERE HAS BEEN TO THE WEST SIDE. AND IT MAKES ME WONDER, YOU KNOW, ARE WE NOT ABLE TO, TO, UM, GET THE WORD OUT TO PEOPLE ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND THE WEST SIDE, THAT WE HAVE THESE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THEM? ARE WE NOT ABLE TO HEAR FROM THEM BECAUSE OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE? AND SO THAT, THAT'S THE PART THAT I STRUGGLE WITH RIGHT THERE. IN ADDITION, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO DIGITAL DIVIDE, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK ONE THING WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO TALK TO OUR FEDERAL, UM, UH, OUR, OUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES, BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, THE UNITED STATES HAS THE HIGHEST WE PAY THE MOST FOR, UH, IN THE WORLD, FOR THE SLOWEST HIGH-SPEED INTERNET. AND I THINK THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS, AND WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF THAT IN MAKING IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR, UH, PEOPLE ALL THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I WANNA SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, AMENDMENT. I REMEMBER RECEIVING A LIST OF WHAT WE CLASSIFIED AS A UNSOLICITED, UH, ASKS FOR FUNDING FROM [03:55:01] ARPA. IT WAS A LONG LIST. A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS ON THAT LIST WERE NONPROFITS WHO REALLY PROVIDE A LOT OF SERVICES TO MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THE CITY CAN PROVIDE EVERYTHING TO EVERYBODY. AND SO WE DO RELY ON CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER NONPROFITS TO PROVIDE A LOT OF SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE. UH, AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER HOW WE CAN ENABLE THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR ROLES IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I RECOGNIZE, THOUGH, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN HURTING THAT, THAT ARE EITHER HAVE GONE OUTTA BUSINESS OR ARE TEETERING ON THE EDGE OF THAT. AND SO I RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING $30 MILLION INTO SMALL BUSINESSES IS, IS A BIG INVESTMENT. AND I HOPE THAT WILL HELP KEEP A LOT OF THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES AFLOAT. BUT I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO HELP KEEP A LOT OF THOSE, UH, THOSE INDEPENDENT GROUPS, THOSE NONPROFITS AFLOAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, SO THAT TOGETHER WE CAN ALL SERVE THE NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY. THEREFORE, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. UM, LET ME MAKE A FEW COMMENTS, THEN WE'LL CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION. LET, LET ME TELL YOU, UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THIS DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW DIFFICULT THIS WORK IS. NONE OF THESE SUBJECTS ARE, UM, EXPENDABLE. WE'VE GOTTA DO ALL OF THIS. UM, BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHY I WILL SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT, WHY I THINK IT'S A SOUND REQUEST. NUMBER ONE, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGY IS A $600 MILLION STRATEGY FOR THIS CITY THAT HAS BEEN POURED OVER AND MAPPED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE MAPPED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. UH, WE JUST RETURNED FROM DC UH, WHERE WE MET WITH THE OFFICE OF INTERNET CONNECTIVITY. THERE'RE THEY HAVE TO BE A PARTNER, AS THE COUNTY WILL BE, AS THE STATE MUST BE FOR US TO COMPLETE THAT PLAN WITH REGARD TO THE ARPA FUNDING AND HOW WE'RE LEVERAGING ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT FUNDS. UM, I AGREE, AND I'VE MADE THAT STATEMENT VERY CLEAR. LAST, UH, MEETING. I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT WE HAVE NONPROFITS THAT WOULD BE FORCED TO COMPETE ESSENTIALLY FOR THE SAME FUNDS THAT SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE. THESE ARE TWO SPECIES OF REQUESTS AND NEED BOTH IMPORTANT, BUT I THINK IT'S DESERVING TO HAVE TWO POTS THAT THAT WOULD BE, UH, AVAILABLE TO TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF REQUESTS. UH, AGAIN, BOTH IMPORTANT, BUT, AND I UNDERSTAND THE HESITANCE TO SHIFT FUNDING FROM THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PROGRAM. UH, BUT THE REASON WHY I SUPPORT THE REQUEST, AND I THINK IT'S SOUND, IS THAT PART OF OUR CHARGE UP HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THIS IS, IS THAT IMPACTFUL IMMEDIATELY IS POSSIBLE. AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS THAT'S DEVOTED TO OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION STRATEGY, WHICH IS AGAIN, A $600 MILLION STRATEGY, AND THAT MONEY REMAINS PARKED, UH, BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN UTILIZED SINCE IT WAS ALLOCATED OVER A YEAR AGO, I THINK WE CAN DEPLOY THAT MONEY TO THE NONPROFITS WHO HAVE BEEN ON THAT LONG LIST THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET THROUGH AND GET THROUGH QUICKLY. SO, I'LL SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT. UH, I THINK IT'S SOUND, I THINK IT KEEPS, UH, TO THE EXTENT REASONABLE AND EXPECTED, UH, ALL THESE OTHER POTS OF, OF MONEY THAT NEED TO GO TO VERY IMPORTANT PLACES, WHETHER IT'S MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING, UM, OR IT'S, UM, THE SMALL BUSINESS FUNDING, ET CETERA. UH, I THINK WE ARE KEEPING ALL THOSE FUNDS INTACT. THE STAFF HAS DONE REALLY, UH, INCREDIBLE WORK TO FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE THESE FUNDING AT THESE AMOUNTS OF FUNDING AT DIFFERENT TIMES SO THAT EVERYBODY IS, UH, MAKING USE, UH, TO THE MAXIMUM, UH, POSSIBILITY. SO, I UNDERSTAND THE CONSTERNATION, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN, I SHARE IT, BUT I THINK THIS IS A REASONABLE REQUEST THAT COVERS ALL OF THOSE CONCERNS, UH, IN, IN A, IN A TIMELY MANNER. SO I'LL SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT. I, I KNOW OTHER FOLKS DO WANT TO TALK. SO LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO VOTE ON THIS AT THE MOMENT, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, SO WHAT I HEARD JUST NOW IS THAT NONPROFITS ARE GOING TO BE, ANY NONPROFIT IS GOING TO BE APPLYING AND COMPETING IN THAT ONE BUCKET FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND NONPROFITS. DOES THAT MEAN THAT FOR MENTAL HEALTH, THEY CAN'T BE A PART OF THAT BUCKET? SO THAT, LIKE, THE MENTAL HEALTH BUCKET IS JUST GOING TO BE, UM, CITY PROGRAMS AND, UH, YOUTH IS JUST GONNA BE CITY PROGRAMS? SO COUNCILMAN, I THINK THAT PROBABLY, UH, AND THIS MAY BE PART OF, I, I MEAN, I, WE'VE [04:00:01] TALKED INTERNALLY. I THINK THERE, THERE COULD BE ELEMENTS OF, OF THE YOUTH BUCKET, THE SENIOR BUCKET, MENTAL HEALTH, UM, WHERE, UH, NONPROFITS COULD PLAY A ROLE. I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE OUTCOME, THE COMMITTEE OR THE COUNCIL'S TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH THOSE CATEGORIES. THOSE CATEGORIES. UM, SO THE ANSWER IS YES, POSSIBLY. I, I THINK AS I UNDERSTAND THE AMENDMENT, THAT'S A LITTLE, UH, UH, A LITTLE, UH, A LITTLE MORE, UH, WIDE IN TERMS OF, OF INTAKE AND PURPOSE, WHERE WHAT I'M DESCRIBING WOULD HAVE TO ALIGN WITH WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO WITHIN THOSE, WITHIN THOSE BUCKETS. THANK YOU, THEN. THANK YOU. THEN I THINK WHEN WE, UM, ARE THINKING ABOUT THE LIST OF UNSOLICITED REQUESTS AND ALL OF THOSE WHO MAYBE THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO MAYBE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS WAS A POSSIBILITY AND THAT IT WAS A WAY IN, UM, I THINK THEY COULD APPLY TO SOME OF THOSE CATEGORIES. AND SO MAYBE THEY'RE NOT ALL FIGHTING FOR THAT SAME 33 MILLION OR 30 MILLION AT THIS POINT. I DO ALSO THINK IT'S A, AND I'M INCLINED TO SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT. THE QUESTION IN THE GIANT ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS THAT THERE ARE THREE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE NOW HEARD COMMUNITY MEMBERS CALL OUT AS NOT ON THEIR FAULT. IT'S NOT THE FAULT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, IT'S OUR FAULT AS A CITY THAT WE ALLOWED THEM TO SKIP THE LINE AND CREATE THIS IMAGE OF WHAT A PROCESS IS. WHILE WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS UP HERE SHAKING AND CRYING AND ANGRY BECAUSE THERE'S NEEDS BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM BUCKETS THAT WE'RE ALLOCATING, WHEN WE CONTROL THAT ALLOCATION, WE LITERALLY ADDED 4.5 MILLION TO MORGAN'S WONDERLAND. WHO'S TO SAY THAT COULD NOT HAVE GONE TO THIS, THIS AMENDMENT? THAT'S A PROBLEM. SO, I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M VOTING, BUT I'M INCLINED TO SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS A, UH, QUEUE JUST FOR THE AMENDMENT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION POINTS ON THE AMENDMENT? IF NOT, I'LL UM, GO AHEAD AND COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. SO, AND THE REASON, AND I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THE MENTAL HEALTH BUCKET, UM, BECAUSE I THINK IF WE TAKE THE 1.5 FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH BUCKET, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NONPROFIT AND SOCIAL SERVICES, IT'S GONNA SIT THERE MORE THAN IT'S GOING TO SIT IN DIGITAL LITERACY ACCESS. SO IF THIS DOESN'T PASS, I, I AM STILL FOR NONPROFITS, UH, A NONPROFIT SPECIFIC $4 MILLION BUCKET. I JUST THINK THAT 1.5 NEEDS TO COME FROM MENTAL HEALTH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN. OKAY. UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT? HEARING NONE, UH, THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN MADE, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THERE WAS A SECOND CLERK. OKAY. AND, UM, OKAY, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT. PLEASE VOTE. OKAY. WE REGISTER I FOR COURAGE AND KEO HDA. MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL CONTINUE NOW WITH THE MAIN MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR. UM, AND LET ME GO BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL Q COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU TO, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND OF COURSE, EVERYONE THAT'S THAT, THAT EACH COMMUNITY MEMBER THAT, UH, SPOKE TODAY. I DO HAVE A QUICK, UH, FEW QUICK QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GONNA RESERVE THEM FOR THE END AND JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE THESE, THIS ARPA DOLLARS. UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE AN ALLOCATED THE SPIRIT OF ARPA IS RESCUING RECOVERY IS RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY. OUR COMMUNITY SPOKE AND WE'RE FUNDING BASED ON THOSE RESPONSES, THE PROJECTS THAT RECEIVE FUNDING MUST HAVE A, A CITYWIDE IMPACT, ESTABLISHING THE CONDITIONS WHERE ALL SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES CAN CONTINUE TO GROW AND COMPETE IN THE, IN THE POST PANDEMIC ECONOMY. WE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION HERE TODAY IS, UM, HOW MUCH NEED IS OUT THERE. UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE ITEMS I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IS, UM, MORGAN'S WONDERLAND. I HAPPEN TO READ AN ARTICLE THIS MORNING ABOUT THE MOST FASCINATING FACTS IN EACH STATE. AND THE AUTHOR CHOSE MORGAN'S WONDERLAND AS THE MOST FASCINATING THING ABOUT TEXAS. IT'S ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING. BUT MORE THAN THAT, OUR CITY NEEDS MORTGAGE WONDERLAND. I GOTTA TELL YOU, I I TOOK GREAT OFFENSE TO FOLKS TODAY WHO SAY THAT THIS IS JUST A ROLLERCOASTER OR AN AMUSEMENT PARK. IT'S MUCH MORE THAN A ROLLERCOASTER. ALTHOUGH OUR SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY DESERVES TO HAVE, UH, FUN AND ENJOY THEIR LIVES JUST AS MUCH AS ANYBODY ELSE, BUT FULLY FUNDING MORTGAGE WONDERLAND IS AN INVESTMENT TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. MORGAN'S WONDERLANDS FUTURE PLANS INCLUDE A MULTICARE CENTER TO HELP NOT ONLY OUR SPECIAL [04:05:01] NEEDS CITIZENS, BUT ALSO THEIR FAMILIES WHO NEED AND DESERVE RESPITE FROM THE CONTINUAL CARE THEIR LOVED ONES REQUIRE. THE FACILITY WILL ENHANCE CENTRAL AND SOUTH TEXAS. UH, SOUTH SAN ANTONIO'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CARING FOR THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, UH, FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE IS SOMETHING I LEARNED EARLY ON IN MY LIFE. AND IT BECAME A PART OF MY PROFESSIONAL, UH, PROFESSIONAL LIFE AS A DISABILITY ATTORNEY. AND SO I SEE THAT SAME CARE AND COMPASSION IN EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH MORTGAGE WONDERLAND AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTED. AGAIN, THIS IS VERY, VERY MUCH ABOUT RECOVERY, ABOUT RESILIENCE, BUT ALSO ABOUT COMPASSION. IN THAT SAME VEIN, I'M SURE WE'LL ALL REMEMBER THE LONG LINES OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS. THIS PAST NOVEMBER, COUNCILWOMAN, DR. GARCIA AND I HOSTED A THANKSGIVING FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOR OUR RESIDENTS. WE HAD HUNDREDS OF CARS LINED UP WAITING, AND THAT IS THE CASE WITH EVERY DISTRIBUTION. THE FOOD BANK HOSTS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC. AND NOW SAN ANTONIO MADE NATIONAL HEADLINES FOR THOSE LONG LINES. AND, UM, SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT WE SUPPORT, I VERY STRONGLY SUPPORT PROVIDING THE FIVE AND A HALF MILLION TO THE FOOD BANK SO THEY CAN CONTINUE THE WORK THAT'S GREATLY NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WORK THAT TEXAS BIOMED HAS DONE DURING THE PANDEMIC TO HELP PEOPLE RETURN TO NORMALCY VIA COVID 19 VACCINES AND ANTIBODY ANTIBODY RESEARCH. AS CHAIR OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN THE DISCUSSION ON THE FULL 26 MILLION FOR MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THOSE OF YOU TODAY WHO ARE SAYING THAT WE SHOULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT. THIS WAS IN OUR CALL. THIS WAS THE COMMUNITY CRYING OUT. AND AFTER THE PANDEMIC STARTED, IF YOU RECALL, AS CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WE HAD LISTENING SESSIONS, HOURS AND HOURS OF PEOPLE TALKING AND SPEAKING TO US ABOUT WHAT THEY WANNA SEE. AND, AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR CITY AND MENTAL HEALTH WAS TOP EVERY SINGLE PERSON MENTIONED, MENTIONED, EVERY SINGLE GROUP MENTIONED MENTAL HEALTH. SO REDUCING THAT AMOUNT IS GOING AGAINST, UH, THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE CRIES OF OUR COMMUNITY. I WANNA ALSO CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO HELP OUR CITIZENS RECEIVE PROPER MENTAL HEALTH CARE, AND ALSO SUPPORTING OUR, OUR OFFICERS, UH, WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. WE'LL TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT IN THESE, IN THESE C IN OUR COMMITTEE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AT ALTERNATIVES TO FIRST RESPONDERS WHEN HELPING WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND THEIR FAMILIES, WE'LL CONSIDER THE ROLE OF TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE IN OUR RESPONSE TO THE HOUSELESS, INCLUDING, UH, OUR FOSTER CARE YOUTH WHO MANY TIMES ARE HOUSELESS AND, UM, AND, AND WORSE. YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S A PIPELINE TO SEX TRAFFICKING AS WELL. WE WILL CONSIDER SPECIALLY TRAINED CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAMS RATHER THAN ARMED POLICE AS A RESPONSE TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THIS PUTS MENTAL HEALTH AT THE CENTER OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY DISCUSSION. IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR HELPING OUR SAN ANTONIO SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS. THESE DESIGNATED ARPA FUNDS WILL HELP US RECOVER SOME OF THE GROUND LOST TO THE PANDEMIC, WILL HELP US RESTORE OUR WORK TOWARD ESTABLISHING COMMUNITY POLICING PRACTICES, AND WILL HELP REBUILD THE MOMENTUM WE'VE GAINED BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. THE FUNDS WILL GO TO SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT WILL HELP US TO RECOVER, TO REBUILD, AND TO RESTORE OUR COMMUNITY SAFETY IN A RENEWED WAY. SO, UH, MAYOR, I'M EXCITED TO GET TO WORK. JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. AND ACTUALLY IT'S REGARDING, UH, I THINK, UM, NOT TO BE TOO REPETITIVE, BUT ABOUT PREMIUM PAY. DID I HEAR YOU SAY, ERIC, THAT, UH, WHEN IS THE EARLIEST THAT FUNDS CAN BE DISTRIBUTED TO OUR, TO OUR, SORRY, COUNCIL. SORRY. UM, SO THE EARLIEST, UM, MY, MY ESTIMATION WOULD BE AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER, MID-SUMMER WOULD BE THE EARLIEST. UM, UH, PART OF THAT IS TO, UH, COORDINATE WITH THE E M C, HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE INCORPORATE THAT IN THE EMPLOYEE FOCUS GROUP CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW ANYWAY. UM, AND, UH, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, WAIT FOR THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF, UH, ARPA FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO ASSUMING THAT STAYS ON TRACK AND WE GET THAT IN MAY, UM, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE DO THAT AS PART OF THE SUMMER, UH, BUDGET. I SU I SUSPECT YOU THE COUNCILMAN GRO JUST MADE THIS POINT ALSO ABOUT, UH, SOONER IS BETTER. UM, IT CAN'T BE ANY SOONER THAN JUNE THOUGH, BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA DO THE WORK AND WE'VE GOTTA HAVE THE MONEY. OKAY, SO I GUESS WE'LL, WE'LL CHECK BACK IN JUNE. UM, BUT ARE THEY GOING, ARE THE CITY EMPLOYEES GOING TO RECEIVE A DIRECT DISTRIBUTION, UH, IN THE FORM OF A, A CHECK OR A DIRECT DEPOSIT? WELL, THAT, THAT'S THE QUESTION. I MEAN, THAT, THAT WAS PART OF THE PRESENTATION LAST WEEK. I MEAN, I, I, I'VE SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME, SEVERAL OF US HAVE SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING TO EMPLOYEES. WHAT I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE EMPLOYEES IS WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANNA SEE, UH, A DIRECT ALLOCATION POTENTIALLY IN TERMS OF A, A ONE-TIME, UH, PAYMENT FOR PREMIUM AND, UH, A, UH, UH, HAZARD PAY TYPE SITUATION. I'VE HEARD FROM EMPLOYEES ABOUT, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS TO HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND FLEXIBLE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS. I'VE HEARD FROM EMPLOYEES ABOUT POSSIBLY, UM, ADDING OR CHANGING A, [04:10:01] A HEALTH BENEFIT OR LOWERING OUR EMPLOYEE PREMIUM FOR, UM, THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. UM, SO I, I'VE HEARD, I'VE HEARD A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS. THAT'S, THAT'S FRANKLY WHY I'VE MADE THE RECOMMENDATION LAST WEEK THAT, UM, WE FORMALIZE THAT, GET SOME, SOME DIRECT FEEDBACK FROM, FROM A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEE GROUPS BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF EMPLOYEES. UM, MY UNDERLYING, UM, UM, FOUNDATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE TREAT ALL EMPLOYEES, UH, AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE, THE SAME. I DON'T WANNA DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ANYBODY, UM, BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE ENOUGH, WE HAVE ENOUGH. UM, SOMETIMES THERE D THERE'S DIFFERENCES BETWEEN UNIFORMS AND CIVILIANS. THEY'RE ALREADY ON DIFFERENT UNI ON DIFFERENT, UH, HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS. THERE SHOULD BE THERE, THERE ARE SOME NATURAL DISTINCTIONS, BUT, UH, I THINK EVERYBODY HAS WORKED, UH, TIRELESSLY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE INCLUDE EVERYBODY IN THAT CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. AND OF COURSE, I'LL DEFER TO CITY EMPLOYEES WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. BUT, UH, IN THE SPIRIT OF, UH, OF ARPA DOLLARS, I THINK THAT IF, IF YOU WERE ABLE TO GIVE THEM A DIRECT DISTRIBUTION, IT'S, IT'S SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, CLIMB OUT OF THE PANDEMIC HOLE AS IT WERE. UM, RIGHT. I THINK THAT THAT PROBABLY, UH, A DIRECT ALLOCATION WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL IN THE, UH, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM. UM, AND WITH THAT, I, I, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS ITEM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. I'M GOING TO SHOCK EVERYONE WITH WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY. AND, UM, I KNOW YOU'VE NEVER HEARD ME BRING THIS TOPIC UP BEFORE, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOVE A DISTRICT TWO SENIOR CENTER. UM, DISTRICT TWO SENIOR CENTER CURRENTLY IS A VERY HUMBLE FACILITY SHARED WITH AN AUTO INSURANCE AGENCY AND AN ELECTRIC SUPPLY STORE. THE SENIORS THERE PARTICIPATE IN BINGO LINE DANCING. THEY PLAY POKER AND POOL, AND THEY'VE SHARED STORIES WITH ME. AND MOST RECENTLY, THESE STORIES HAVE CENTERED THE LONELINESS THAT THEY'VE EXPERIENCED THESE PAST FEW YEARS AS THEY'VE BEEN ISOLATED FROM FAMILY, FRIENDS, COMMUNITY, AND LOVED ONES. AND WHILE I'M GRATEFUL THAT THEY HAVE A SPACE AT ALL, AS HUMBLE AS IT MAY BE, THEY DESERVE MORE. SENIORS ARE NOT ONLY GOOD FOR STORIES AND WHAT THEY'VE CONTRIBUTED IN THE PAST, BUT THEY DESERVE A FUTURE AND THE ABILITY TO CREATE NEW MEMORIES. AND I BELIEVE A, A STANDALONE DISTRICT TWO SENIOR CENTER CAN BE A PART OF THAT. I ACT. I ACTUALLY RECENTLY SAW THE RENDERINGS FOR D NINE SENIOR CENTER, AND THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. THE SENIORS OVER THERE DESERVE THAT NEW FACILITY, AND I'M SO EXCITED FOR THEM. AND THE SENIORS IN MY DISTRICT DESERVE A BRAND NEW FACILITY. IDEALLY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO SHARE IT WITH AN AUTO INSURANCE OR AN ELECTRIC SUPPLY STORE. BUT THIS YEAR I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COMPLETE STUDY FOR A NEW CENTER LOCATION AND DESIGN. AND THIS COULD BE SUPPORTED BY ARPA. I VIEW ARPA AS A CHANCE TO RECOVER AND RESCUE AND TO BUILD A STRONG PATH FORWARD FOR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE HISTORICALLY NEGLECTED. AND I WANNA CONTINUE TO EXPRESS MY DESIRE FOR A STANDALONE D TWO SENIOR CENTER, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT OUR SENIORS DESERVE. NOW, FOR MORE PREDICTABLE , UM, I DON'T FEEL THAT THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST ACCESSIBLE, TRANSPARENT PROCESS. AND IF I, AS A PART OF THIS ESTABLISHMENT, AS A PART OF THIS BODY, DO NOT FEEL IT'S BEEN TRANSPARENT, HOW DO I EXPECT MY CONSTITUENTS, OUR CONSTITUENTS, TO BELIEVE IN THE TRANSPARENCY OF THIS PROCESS OR ANY DECISION MADE HERE? I'LL TALK ABOUT THE THREE ORGANIZATIONS. MORGAN'S WONDERLAND WAS AT A LOT OF TOWN HALLS. THEIR EMPLOYEES WERE HERE AT THE LAST TWO MEETINGS, CHEERING AND APPLAUDING THE COUNCIL WHEN WE MENTIONED SUPPORTING THEM. BUT WE'RE FUNDING THEM AT AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN EAP, A CITY RESOURCE THAT SOMEONE CALLED EARLIER, THE BEST PROGRAM THE CITY'S EVER COME UP WITH, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO SUSTAIN. GORDON HARTMAN IS WELL CONNECTED, AND MANY OF YOU LAST WEEK DESCRIBED HIM AS A FRIEND. HE KNOWS HOW TO GET IN AND AROUND THE SYSTEM, BUT MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS DO NOT. EDUCARE, I LOVE WHAT I'VE HEARD, AND I CAN'T SAY I'M UNSUPPORTIVE. I AM ABSOLUTELY SUPPORTIVE, BUT I LITERALLY DO NOT KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM AND HOW THEY ENDED UP IN THE THREE ORGANIZATIONS. AND I'VE HEARD FROM A FEW OTHER COLLEAGUES THE SAME THING. AND IF I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION, WHO'S TO SAY THAT THERE AREN'T MORE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WOULD DEEM JUST AS WORTHY AS THAT $7 MILLION. ANOTHER EDUCATOR COULD BE SOMEWHERE IN DISTRICT TWO RIGHT NOW, AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACCESS US. BIOMED IS PROBABLY THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL OF ALL, AND IT WAS SLATED TO BE REJECTED FROM THE BOND. I'M TELLING YOU, I HAD BEEN THERE, THEY WERE GOING TO BE REJECTED, AND THEY WITHDREW, WITHDREW. AND IF I WAS ON THEIR TEAM, I ABSOLUTELY WOULD'VE RECOMMENDED THAT THEY WITHDRAW, UH, BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT BEING WELL RECEIVED. BUT THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ON A VERY SHORT LIST, RECEIVING $10 MILLION IN ARPA MONEY. AND HOW CAN WE STAND UP HERE AND SAY THAT IT DOESN'T SEEM SHADY AND THAT IT DOESN'T CAST DOUBT ON AND DISCREDIT THE VERY REAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT WE DID CONDUCT WHEN IT COMES TO HIGH PROFILE CONTRACTS AND THESE HUGE AMOUNTS, THERE WOULD USUALLY BE BLACKOUT PERIODS ON LOBBYING. AND WE HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN LOBBIED. SO THIS PROCESS FEELS LIKE A LOOPHOLE SINCE THE LAST MEETING. WE [04:15:01] ALSO SAW INCREASES OF OVER $5 MILLION TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS. AND IT WILL NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME THAT WHEN WE ASK FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR OUR MOST MARGINALIZED, JUST AS WAS JUST DONE. AND IN PREVIOUS, UH, MEETINGS WE'RE ASKED, WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET THAT MONEY FROM? BUT , WHENEVER WE NEVER STRUGGLE TO FIND MORE MONEY FOR LOBBYISTS AND THESE LARGE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WELL CONNECTED, WE NEVER STRUGGLE. AND I BELIEVE THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD GO THROUGH A PROCESS JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM. I BELIEVE EACH OF THEM PROPERLY HAS THE SUPPORT OF NINE OR 10 MEMBERS, IF NOT THE WHOLE COUNCIL. AND IF EACH OF THEM CAN STAND ON THEIR OWN MERIT, THEY DO NOT NEED THIS SHORTCUT. AND I THINK THAT WOULD BUILD PUBLIC TRUST AGAIN. SO IN AN EFFORT TO RESTORE PUBLIC TRUST IN THIS PROCESS, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION. I'M MAYOR. I MOVE TO SEPARATE THE FOLLOWING PRO PROJECTS FROM THE PROPOSED SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY, ONE TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH PROJECT, A PROPOSED 10 MILLION ALLOCATION, TWO EDUCARE, TEXAS A AND M PROJECT, A PROPOSED 6 MILLION ALLOCATION AND THREE MORGAN'S WONDERLAND PROJECT, A PROPOSED $15 MILLION ALLOCATION. OKAY, THERE WAS A MOTION MADE. DID I HEAR A SECOND HERE? JUST A CLARIFICATION. UH, COUNCILMAN, YOU SAID EDUCATOR AT 6 MILLION. IT'S AT 7 MILLION. 7 MILLION. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THERE WAS A MOTION MADE TO SEPARATE THOSE ITEMS FROM ITEM FOUR. WAS THERE A SECOND? HEARING NONE SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A SECOND. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS THE AMENDMENT MADE. ALL RIGHT, SO THE DISCUSSION WILL BE ON SEPARATING, UM, THE THREE RE THREE REQUESTS OR THE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS. EDUCARE, UH, TEXAS BIOMED AND MORGAN'S WONDERLAND OUT OF, UM, ITEM FOUR. ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT. I VOTE NO. COUNCIL, LIKE COURAGE. OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER. COURAGE ON THE AMENDMENT. COURAGE ON THE AMENDMENT. NO, I, I I'LL JUST VOTE. NO, I'M SORRY. LET ME, UM, LET ME PULL UP THE VOTE FOR THE FOLKS IN THE, ON THE DIOCESE, AND THEN I'LL, I'LL ASK, UH, FOR A, UH, HAND VOTE IN JUST A SECOND. AND AGAIN, AN I VOTE IS TO SEPARATE THOSE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ITEM FOUR. A NAY IS TO CONTINUE WITH THE MAIN MOTION. ONE SECOND. SECOND BY BRAVO. ALL RIGHT. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. I'M NAY. COUNCIL MEMBER KEO. HDA. HDA NAYYY. NAY. NAY. OKAY. MOTION FAILS. WE'LL CONTINUE ON WITH THE DISCUSSION. NOW. UH, CAN I, CAN I USE THE REST OF MY TIME? I WON'T CHIME BACK IN. I JUST WANT TO LET IT BE DONE. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. SO I JUST WANT TO END BY SAYING THAT WE'RE IN A VERY SENSITIVE TIME RIGHT NOW. AND IN PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE 8,691 INDIVIDUALS AT RISK OF EVICTION AND HOUSELESSNESS AND OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE ABOUT 4,053 INDIVIDUALS AT RISK OF EVICTION AND HOUSELESSNESS. THAT'S ROUGHLY $4.6 MILLION IN NEED AS OF A FEW DAYS AGO. OUR CURRENT PLAN DOES NOT EXPLICITLY SEEK TO STABILIZE, HELP US RECOVER OR STOP THE IMPENDING EVICTION. IN HOUSELESS CRISIS, WE HAVE AN 88.5% LIVE RELEASE RATE OF ALL ANIMALS. AND THE NUMBER OF STRAY ANIMALS WE SEE IS INCREASING. THIS ARPA FRAMEWORK DOES NOT ADDRESS THE WELLBEING OF ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SOME WOULD SAY THAT IT ACTUALLY HARMS THEM, NOR DOES IT HELP THEM GET SPAYED, RESCUED, OR NEUTERED. WE'VE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO QUALITY, AFFORDABLE FOOD. AND DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE SAW WHO GOES WITHOUT, WHICH COMMUNITIES GO WITHOUT. BUT OUR ARPA SPENDING FRAMEWORK DOES NOT ADEQUATELY, ADEQUATELY OR EXPLICITLY ADDRESS THAT. AND I DO NOT SEE A PATH FOR IT. AND I KNOW THAT WHEN NONPROFITS RECEIVE C CITY FUNDING AND OTHER PROCESSES, EAST SIDE ORGANIZATIONS DO NOT HAVE E EQUAL OR EQUITABLE ACCESS. AND THIS FURTHER DEMONSTRATES THAT. AND THE SPEAKERS EARLIER WHO CAME DEMONSTRATED THAT I WILL BE VOTING NOW TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. UM, AND SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT. THIS IS KIND OF [04:20:01] LIKE PICKING YOUR FAVORITE CHILD. LUCKILY, I'M AN ONLY CHILD, UH, AND I ONLY HAVE ONE CHILD. UM, SO I'M SO SORRY. UM, I, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT, THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AFTERWARDS THOUGH, IN THE COUNCIL COMMITTEES. UM, WHEN, WHEN I WENT BACK AND I LOOKED AT THE PRIORITIES FOR DISTRICT FOUR, UH, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WAS HOUSING. UM, AND SO, UH, SO, SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE WILL BE HAVING THAT, UM, SMALL BUSINESS CAME UP IN, IN THE PRIORITIES AS WELL AND IN THE RANKING. SO I'M, I'M ALSO GRATEFUL THAT WE WILL HAVE THAT. UTILITIES ASSISTANCE WAS ANOTHER ONE. UM, I, I, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. WHAT HAPPENS, ERIC, I, I KNOW WHAT YOUR ANSWER'S GONNA BE, I THINK, BUT I WANNA KNOW. SO WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T KNOW, IF WE DON'T USE THE $50 MILLION A ALLOCATED FOR COVID, UH, SPECIFICALLY COVID RESPONSE? WELL, SO REMEMBER I MENTIONED EARLIER, I SAID LAST WEEK, AND I REMINDED THE COUNCIL AGAIN THE DAY THIS, THIS PLAN, THIS FOUR YEAR FUNDING PLAN FRAMEWORK, WE SHOULD VISIT TWICE A YEAR AT A MINIMUM. UM, AND THE $50 MILLION, UH, FOR COVID, UH, EXPENSES AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. UM, I THINK, AND I THINK THE MAYOR AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS SAID LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T USE THE 50 MILLION, GOD WILLING, WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND THAT ON COVID ANYMORE. THEN, THEN UNDER THE CATEGORY OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, IT'S AVAILABLE A LOT OF HAZARD MITIGATION ISSUES, AND WE, YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF THOSE. THE COUNCIL'S WELL AWARE OF THOSE. UM, ULTIMATELY, UM, IN THE FUTURE, IF, IF IT'S NOT UTILIZED OR NEEDED, THEN, THEN WE CAN ALLOCATE IT TO OTHER NEEDS. I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BEAUTY OF THE FRAMEWORK, UM, THAT THAT'S BEFORE YOU BEF TODAY, IS THAT IT GIVES US THE LATITUDE TO CONTINUE TO ADJUST AS CONDITIONS CHANGE. AND, AND THAT'S, THAT CERTAINLY IS A CONDITION THAT COULD CHANGE. THANK YOU, ERIC. AND WILLING. UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS, CAN YOU HELP ME FIND, UM, I WASN'T ABLE TO FIND, I, I'VE BEEN, UM, REFERENCING THE FINAL RULE ON EVERYTHING, UH, THAT, AND, AND IT'S, I THINK YOU KNOW, WHICH ONE I'M TALKING ABOUT. IT'S A 33 PAGE DOCUMENT. WE HAVE IT LINKED ON OUR WEBSITE. UM, ONE OF THE PROJECTS WE'RE LOOKING AT AS IN TERMS OF REVENUE REPLACEMENT, BUT I CAN'T FIND THE RULES ASSOCIATED WITH REVENUE REPLACEMENT. SO IF, IF YOU CAN JUST HELP ME FIND THAT, BECAUSE I CAN'T FIND IT ONLINE, BUT I KNOW I HAVE TWO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN, IN MY DISTRICT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE BEEN UP FOR ARPA FUNDING, AND I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO APPROPRIATELY JUSTIFY, UM, WHY, WHY THEY DIDN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO, TO COMPETE. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WELL, I, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO ALSO TALK TO THOSE GROUPS AS WELL. OKAY. UM, AND I'LL ASK, UM, EITHER MARIA OR ANDY, LET, LET'S START WITH MARIA AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE, THE, THE ARPA GUIDELINES AND THE APPLICATION OF THE RULES. 'CAUSE I THINK THERE, EARLIER THIS WEEK, THERE WAS A, A LOT OF, UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS READING IT, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. IT IS A, IT IS A COMPLEX DOCUMENT THAT IN SOME WAYS IS VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND. SO MARIA GOT IT. SURE. UH, THANK YOU ERIC AND COUNCILWOMAN. UM, WITH THE USE OF THE ARPA DOLLARS, WE HAVE WHAT I WOULD CALL TWO TRACKS IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN FUND PROJECTS. ONE, UH, TRACK IS, UM, GOING THROUGH THE PROGRAMMATIC, UM, UM, GUIDELINES OF ARPA THAT SPECIFICALLY, UH, INDICATE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THOSE NEEDS OR, OR THOSE, UH, PARTS OF THE CITY THAT WERE IMPACTED BY C OVID 19, AND WE'RE ADDRESSING THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF C OVID 19. UM, THEY'RE VERY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES ON THE IMPACTED POPULATIONS, UM, IN, IN THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE. NOW, THERE'S ANOTHER AREA THAT CITIES CAN BENEFIT FROM, WHICH IS, UH, THE REVENUE LOSS RECOVERY, UH, PORTION OF THE ARPA. SO AN ORGANIZATION OF THE SIZE OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. WHEN WE APPLY THE FORMULA THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE US TREASURY, ALL OF OUR ALLOCATION IS ELIGIBLE TO BE UTILIZED FOR, UH, RECOVERY OF REVENUE LOSS UNDER THEIR, UH, RECOVERY OR REVENUE LOSS. UH, THE, THE LAW INDICATES WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IT SAYS THAT WE, WE CANNOT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS NOT AN ALLOWED EXPENSE OR TO, UH, REPLENISH FINANCIAL RESERVES. THAT'S ANOTHER USE THAT IS NOT ELIGIBLE. HOWEVER, IT GIVES US FLEXIBILITY THAT AS LONG AS WE APPLY THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE EXTENT OF THE PROVISION OF GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES, SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR QUESTION, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF THOSE SERVICES THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PROVIDES. THEN THAT'S AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE. STREET MAINTENANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ANOTHER ELIGIBLE EXPENSE UNDER THE PROVISION OF GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES. GOT IT. AND THEN ACTUALLY, AND I KNOW ANDY WANTS TO JUMP IN, BUT BEFORE HE JUMPS IN, I DO HAVE ANOTHER, UH, A QUESTION THAT HE'S GONNA HAVE TO ANSWER ANYWAY. UM, AND SO, [04:25:01] UH, I, I READ EARLIER IN THE NEWSPAPER, THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION, UM, WHO, UH, HAS CERTAIN QUESTIONS TO RAISE CERTAIN QUESTIONS TO THE DIRECT TREASURY DEPARTMENT, UM, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT MERIT AN INVESTIGATION AT THE TIME. LIKE, LET'S SAY THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION THAT'S RAISED, WHAT HAPPENS DO, DO THE ORGANIZATION THAT WE ALLOCATED FUNDS TO THAT MAYBE, LIKE, IF, IF THE FINDING IS, IF IT'S TRUE, UM, WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT TO THOSE FUNDS DO THEY HAVE TO PAY BACK? HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT, ANDY. I I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT AT ALL. UH, HOLD ON. COUNCILWOMAN, CAN WE PUT A HOLD ON MY TIMER. SORRY. FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA CONFIRM WHAT MARIA SAID, AND SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND WHAT'S ELIGIBLE AND WHAT'S NOT COUNCILWOMAN. AND TO ANSWER FIRST YOUR QUESTION, NO, IT DOES NOT MERIT AN INVESTIGATION. OKAY. UH, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THEORETICALLY, CONCEPTUALLY IS THERE WOULD BE A CLAWBACK OF THOSE FUNDS. GOT IT. OKAY. BUT WE, BUT I, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU YES, THAT, UH, THE PROPOSALS THAT WE HAVE BEFORE THE COUNCIL ALL ARE COMPLIANT WITH ARPA. OKAY. UNEQUIVOCALLY. OKAY. SURE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, ANDY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I GOT THAT FROM THE ATTORNEY. UH, SO THANK YOU. AND THEN, UM, ALSO THE, ERIC, UM, WHEN I, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU, AND YOU MENTIONED THE $26 MILLION IN, UM, THE PUBLIC OR THE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH BUCKET. UM, I TRY TO GET SOME INFORMATION TO SEE WHAT THE $26 MILLION WERE GOING TO BE SPENT FOR, BUT I DIDN'T GET THE CLEAR, SO CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT $26 MILLION WOULD GO TO? BECAUSE, UM, WHEN, WHEN I ASKED ERIC, HE SAID IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE AGREED TO WITH THE COUNTY, OR IT WAS SOMETHING THROUGH THE COUNTY, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER THAT AT ALL. AND SO I WENT TO MY CHECK CHAIR AND I ASKED HER AS WELL, AND, AND, AND SHE WASN'T ABLE TO, TO THINK, TO, SHE COULDN'T REMEMBER THAT EITHER. AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CLARIFY THAT. LET, LET ME FRAME THAT. OKAY. FIRST PART OF THAT, AND THEN MARIE, YOU WILL FILL IT IN. OKAY. UM, WHAT I SAID LAST WEEK WAS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN U H SS CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND THE COUNTY ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. GOT IT. UH, MENTAL HEALTH, AS COUNCILWOMAN HARE POINTED OUT, WAS THE NUMBER ONE CATEGORY WE HEARD BACK FROM THE, FROM THE PUBLIC WHEN WE DID THE SURVEYS LAST, LAST YEAR. UM, THERE IS NO PROGRAM, THERE'S BEEN NO COMMITMENT. OKAY. THERE'S NOT A CHECKLIST OF THINGS WE'RE GONNA BUY. GOT IT. UM, THERE'S NOTHING BUT CONVERSATION. AND MARIA WILL COVER THE FOUR BROAD AREAS THAT LIKELY WILL BE THE ONGOING CONVERSATION THAT'LL HAPPEN THROUGH COUNCILWOMAN HRA AND THE REST OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND ULTIMATELY PROBABLY THE COUNCIL IN MARCH AS WE HAVE THAT B SESSION. MARIA. THANK YOU, ERIC. UH, SO COUNCILWOMAN, A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE WITH THIS ALLOCATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH. ONE, UH, TO ELABORATE TO WHAT ERIC MENTIONED IN OUR CONVERSATIONS, WE ACTUALLY HAD EARLY THIS, THIS, UM, CALENDAR YEAR WITH THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, UM, BEXAR COUNTY UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEMS TRACK, WHICH REPRESENTS THE HOSPITALS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO TALK ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN SAN ANTONIO, A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH. UM, AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE A CRISIS, PRE-CRISIS, DURING THE CRISIS, AND AFTER A CRISIS. WE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, ARE VERY INVOLVED DURING A CRISIS. SOMEBODY CALLS 9 1 1, WE RESPOND. AND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR ADDRESSES THE CRISIS. HOWEVER, IN THIS CONVERSATION, WHAT CAN PREVENT THOSE CRISIS FROM HAPPENING TO BEGIN WITH? SO, SOME OF, SOME OF THE WORK, SOME OF SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD WAS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING OUR PRE-CRISIS LANDSCAPE AND POTENTIALLY WHAT CAN BE DONE NOW AFTER THE CRISIS IS DONE, THAT INDIVIDUAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE, AND THAT'S THE AFTER CRISIS SERVICES THAT ARE, THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT PERHAPS THAT WE CAN ENHANCE. SO THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD TO, AGAIN, TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH AND LOOK AT THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN SAN ANTONIO. SO THAT'S ONE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE. SO THE $26 MILLION IS JUST A, A STAFF RECOMMENDATION. IT WASN'T BASED ON ANY COST ESTIMATES OR ANYTHING. IT WAS JUST LIKE 26 MILLION SOUNDS GOOD. AND INSTEAD OF 25 MILLION, OR INSTEAD OF 24 MILLION, WELL, WE DIDN'T DO IT LIKE THAT. OKAY. OKAY. SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT. BUT IT WAS THE NUMBER ONE CATEGORY. ABSOLUTELY. AND THE MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE WORK THAT THE COUNTY AND CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES DID LAST SUMMER, CAME UP WITH A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT TOTAL 62 OR $65 MILLION. SO, I MEAN, WE TRIED TO ALLOCATE IN THE RE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, UM, ACCORDINGLY, UM, I'M HOPING, AND, AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS SCHEDULING, UH, A SECOND CONVERSATION FOR HE AND I TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE JUDGE AND DAVID SMITH, BECAUSE ON FEBRUARY 8TH, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT IS GONNA TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. [04:30:01] UM, I'M HOPING AS PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THAT THEY ALLOCATE AS MUCH, IF NOT, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE $26 MILLION, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE PART OF THIS SYSTEM AS WELL. UM, AND, AND, AND THEN THAT GIVES US LATITUDE THROUGH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT PRE-CRISIS AND POST-CRISIS, WHICH WE REALLY DON'T DEAL WITH. WE'RE ONLY DEALING WITH THE CRISIS PART. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL CHIME BACK IN LATER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK, UH, THE CONVERSATION WE JUST HEARD BRINGS UP A VERY VALID POINT, AND THAT IS THAT THE, THE STAFF WORKING WITH, UH, INPUT FROM COUNCIL AND INPUT FROM COMMUNITY OVER THE LONG PERIOD KIND OF ASSESSED WHAT, WHAT WERE THE BUCKETS? WHAT COULD THE CITY SET ASIDE OUT OF THIS ENTIRE AMOUNT? BUT A LOT OF THE ACTUAL DISSEMINATION OF THAT FUNDING IS GONNA GO THROUGH COMMITTEES THAT ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, THAT'S GOING TO HEAR TESTIMONY FROM, UH, NONPROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANNA DELIVER THESE SERVICES, WHETHER THEY'RE MENTAL HEALTH OR WHETHER IT'S, UH, DIGITAL ACCESS OR LITERACY, OR SENIORS OR ARTS. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE, AND THERE'S STILL A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE INPUT. YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK THAT A LOT OF THESE ARE DONE DEALS. NOW, WE GOT A TOTAL OF, I BELIEVE IT WAS $326 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN ARPA FUNDING. AND THREE OF THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT TODAY ARE REGARDING ABOUT 10% OF THAT ENTIRE AMOUNT OF MONEY NOW, OVER A HUNDRED THOU, A HUNDRED MILLION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DESIGNATED TO MEET OUR, OUR FINANCIAL NEEDS FOR THE YEAR. AND THE REST IS, IS OUT THERE AVAILABLE FOR MORE COMMUNITY INPUT AND MORE COMMUNITY DECISIONS, AND MORE COUNCIL DECISIONS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ALLOCATE, UH, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS $212 MILLION. UH, I'LL TELL YOU, WHEN I VOTE, A LOT OF TIMES I VOTE ON ISSUES BASED ON WHAT I HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT I, UH, LEARN MYSELF FROM, UH, DOING MY OWN RESEARCH AND HAVING THE STAFF DO RESEARCH AND LISTENING TO PROFESSIONALS, WHETHER THEY'RE IN THE FIELD OR OUR CITY PROFESSIONALS. AND FROM THERE, I MAKE WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A REASONABLE AND RESPONSIBLE DECISION. UH, AND WHEN I LOOK AT THIS ISSUE TODAY, THE THREE ITEMS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT MOST, OR THAT WE'VE HEARD MOST FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, I HAVE IN MY OWN MIND WHAT MY DECISION IS ON THOSE. AND IT'S BASED ON WHAT I'VE JUST SAID ABOUT PUBLIC INPUT, BUT ALSO BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE AND BASED ON HEARING FROM PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THESE THINGS. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MORGAN'S WONDERLAND, I HAVE TO SAY I WAS A TEACHER FOR 27 YEARS, AND MORE THAN 20 OF THOSE YEARS, I TAUGHT SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS. I, I TAUGHT STUDENTS WHO WERE LEARNING DISABLED, BUT ALSO HAD PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DISABILITIES AS WELL. I THINK MORGAN'S WONDERLAND IS ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS CITY TO HELP THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES. IN SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHEN I WAS THERE, MORE THAN 12% OF THE STUDENTS WERE SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS. THAT'S TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. AND WE KNOW THROUGHOUT THIS COMMUNITY, ALL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS EXPERIENCE VERY SIMILAR NUMBERS. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GEM FOR THIS CITY, AND IT DOES SO MUCH NOT JUST FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS IN THE DISABILITY AREA, BUT EVEN WITH ALL OF THE REST OF US WHO WANNA BRING THEIR LITTLE CHILDREN OUT THERE, OR THE GRANDCHILDREN. SO I, I'M READY TO VOTE FOR THAT. THAT'S JUST A GREAT INVESTMENT. AND THEN I LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, TEXAS BIOMED, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR SO MANY CONCERNS ABOUT IT, AND MOSTLY ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE, YOU KNOW, BUT WE HEAR A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE, ABOUT A C S, WE HAVE A LOT OF CRITICISM, BY THE WAY, THE CITY DEALS WITH DOGS AND CATS AND OTHER ANIMALS. AND I HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE CRITICIZE WHAT WE DO ABOUT DEER IN OUR COMMUNITY IN THE NORTH SIDE. SO YEAH, THERE ARE A LOT OF ANIMAL LOVERS AND PEOPLE WHO REALLY, REALLY FEEL THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE TO PROTECT ANIMALS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BIG EPIDEMIC, AND PEOPLE ARE STILL DYING, AND PEOPLE ARE STILL SICK, AND PEOPLE STILL REFUSE TO TAKE THE VACCINE AND STILL REFUSE TO WEAR [04:35:01] THE MASKS. AND THOSE OF US WHO DO UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS, SERIOUSNESS OF THIS, WHAT DO WE SAY? WE SAY WE FOLLOW THE SCIENCE. WELL, THAT'S WHAT TEXAS BIOMED IS. THEY ARE PART OF THE SCIENCE THAT HAS TRIED TO LEAD US IN THE DIRECTION OF PROTECTING OUR HEALTH AND OUR SAFETY, UH, FOR OUR FAMILIES AND FOR ONE ANOTHER. AND NOW WE'RE SAYING, WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS SCIENCE, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA SUPPORT THIS SCIENCE. WELL, MY MIND'S MADE UP. I'M FOR THE SCIENCE, YOU KNOW, AND THE, AND THE FINAL THING ABOUT EDUCARE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE DID IN THIS CITY WAS GO AHEAD AND PASS PRE-K FOR SA. AND YES, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO STILL DON'T THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE, BUT AGAIN, AS AN EDUCATOR, I KNOW THE VALUE OF THAT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. AND RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY AND HELP FAMILIES GET BACK TO WORK. AND IF WE DON'T HAVE DAYCARE CENTERS OPERATING OR EARLY CHILDCARE CENTERS OPERATING EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, THEN PEOPLE CAN'T GET BACK TO WORK. AND EDUCARE WANTS TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN A FACILITY, AND MAYBE IT'S ONLY GOING TO TAKE IN 250 KIDS, BUT THEIR PROJECT IS ALSO TO GO INTO HUNDREDS OF FACILITIES AROUND THE CITY AND TRY AND HELP THEM RAISE FUNDING, RAISE THE EDUCATION LEVEL OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE TO HELP OUR CHILDREN SUCCEED. AND SO, I'M SOLD ON THAT, AND I WANT ALL THREE OF THESE THINGS TO STAY IN THIS CURRENT PROJECT, IN THIS CURRENT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PRESENTATION, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THEY'RE TOTALLY RIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. UH, BUT THAT'S JUST ME. I'M JUST ONE OUT OF 11 VOTES, BUT THAT'S WHERE MY VOTE WILL STAND. SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER EZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THE LAST TIME WE ALL SPOKE, I, UM, I CHALLENGED MY, MY COLLEAGUES TO SPEAK UP ON THE ISSUE OF ONE PARTICULAR NONPROFIT WHO REALLY HADN'T LOBBIED ANY OF US, UM, THE NONPROFIT THAT HAD ASKED FOR THE VERY, VERY LEAST AMOUNT, UM, OF FUNDING THAT WAS THE CHILD'S BEREAVEMENT CENTER. UH, I HIGHLIGHTED THEM BECAUSE I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SPEAK TO WHY IT IS WE'RE EVEN HERE TODAY. UM, WE'RE HERE BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE C O D CRISIS IN A PANDEMIC THAT KILLED A LOT OF PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO. UH, AND WE'RE HERE TODAY, UM, BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, IS RESPONDING TO THAT CRISIS. AND I, I THINK WE WOULD BE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO'VE PASSED AWAY, AND THE CHILDREN WHO LOST MOM AND DADS IF WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THEM FIRST, UM, AND KEEP THEM IN MIND. AND SO THE CHALLENGE WAS, YOU KNOW, CAN WE TREAT, UM, THE CHILD'S BEREAVEMENT CENTER SMALL FUNDING REQUEST OF $50,000 AND PUT THEM IN THE EXACT SAME POSITION ON THE LIST AS BIOMED MORGAN'S WONDERLAND, AND EDUCARE? AND ERIC, I THINK YOU HEARD SOME CONSENSUS UP HERE. I HOPE YOU DID. WHAT, WHAT'D YOU END UP DOING? I EXECUTED AN AGREEMENT WITH, UH, WITH THE CENTER. THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. TODAY, WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT, THE VERY FIRST ONE, UM, WITH, UM, FROM THIS LIST, UM, FOR THE CHILD BEREAVEMENT CENTER. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE SMARTEST MONEY WE'RE GONNA SPEND TODAY. UH, THANK YOU, ERIC. UM, SOMEONE EARLIER FROM THE DAIS ASKED TWO POINTED QUESTIONS, EXCELLENT QUESTIONS, UM, AND I WROTE 'EM DOWN. IS THIS ACTUALLY JUSTIFIABLE? IS THIS ACTUALLY A COMMUNITY BASED NEED? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING UP HERE WHILE I'VE BEEN, UH, LISTENING TO ALL THE PRESENTATIONS AND ALL THE COMMENTS. AND I, I WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO, UH, MY MOM. SOME OF YOU KNOW HER, SOME OF YOU DON'T. BUT MY MOM ALMOST DIED ON US THREE TIMES, UM, FROM PULMONARY EMBOLISMS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SHE IS KEPT ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE OF A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT DRUG THAT, UM, KEEPS HER BLOOD THINNER, UH, THAN EVERYBODY ELSE'S. UM, SO THAT IT DOESN'T COAGULATE. MY DAD IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, UH, WAS HOSPITALIZED AND ALMOST DIED. AND WE WERE, WE WERE PRETTY CERTAIN HE WAS GONNA DIE. UM, AND MY DAD TODAY IS KEPT ALIVE BY A VERY, VERY LONG LIST OF PILLS AND INJECTIONS. UM, AND MY FATHER-IN-LAW ALMOST DIED ON US IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. UM, MY FATHER-IN-LAW TODAY IS VERY HEALTHY BECAUSE OF THE MEDICAL CARE THAT HE RECEIVED. I'LL CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF, UH, SURVIVORS FROM THE SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, UM, MASS SHOOTING WHO WERE SENT TO SAN ANTONIO IN AMBULANCES, AND WERE TREATED AT BAM C AND THEY ALL RECEIVED BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS AND LIFE-SAVING MEDICINE. THERE ARE KIDS IN SAN ANTONIO, MOSTLY KIDS OF COLOR, POOR KIDS THAT WITHOUT FREE ALBUTEROL INHALERS, UM, AND THESE KIDS SUFFER FROM ASTHMA WITHOUT THOSE INHALERS. [04:40:01] THOSE ARE DEATHS, PERFECTLY FORESEEABLE AND PERFECTLY PREVENTABLE DEATHS THAT WE'VE ALL DISCUSSED HERE ON, YOU KNOW, ON THIS DAIS OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM, UH, WITH, UH, YOUNG MOMS WHO DON'T REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, GOOD HEALTHCARE AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOLID INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BREASTFEEDING, FOR EXAMPLE. RIGHT? AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MOMS OUT THERE THAT CAN'T, FOR WHATEVER REASONS, UM, YOU KNOW, BREASTFEED, AND THEY RELY ON, UH, SPECIALLY SPECIAL FORMULAS, UH, FOR THEIR BABIES, UH, TO FEED THEM. WE HAVE, UH, WORKING CLASS HISPANICS IN THE CITY WHO INDEX HIGHER THAN ANYBODY ELSE FOR DI DIABETES. AND WITHOUT LIFESAVING INSULIN, THEY DIE. UM, AND WITHOUT OTHER DRUGS LIKE METFORMIN AND BELS, THEY DIE. UM, WE HAVE SAN ANTONIANS TODAY, UM, AND WE HEARD FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, MISS ALLEG GREENE, WHO CARRY THE H I V VIRUS IN THEIR, IN THEIR BODIES AND THEIR BLOOD, BUT WHO NOW LIVE LONG LIVES BECAUSE OF DRUGS LIKE, UM, BIK, CT AVY, AND OTHER ANTIRETROVIRAL MEDICINES. WE NOW KNOW THAT, UM, ONE IN FIVE OF US WILL END UP DEVELOPING DEMENTIA AT SOME POINT. UM, AND ST I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ALL CELEBRATED UP HERE WHEN SAN ANTONIO WAS NAMED, UM, AN A, A LEADER IN THE CITY OF DISTINCTION WHEN IT COMES TO ALZHEIMER'S TREATMENT. AND ALZHEIMER'S RE UM, RESEARCH. IT'S THE NUMBER SIX LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES. HOWEVER, WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WE'VE ALREADY, UH, DISCOVERED, AND SCIENTISTS ARE TODAY, THIS VERY MOMENT WORKING ON, UM, CAPITALIZING OFF THE DISCOVERY OF THESE NEUROTOXIC PLAQUES, THIS MATERIAL THAT ACCUMULATES IN BLOOD VESSELS IN OUR BRAIN THAT IS DIRECTLY TIED TO MEMORY LOSS. AND WE'RE DEVELOPING DRUGS TODAY TO EVENTUALLY CURE ALZHEIMER'S. UM, AND TODAY BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT TEXAS BIOMED IS DOING, PEOPLE ARE NOT DYING FROM CANCER, HEPATITIS, CYSTIC FIBROSIS, EBOLA, MALARIA, POLIO, SMALLPOX, AND SO ON, AND SO ON AND SO ON. UM, I HAVE A LITTLE BOY IN MIND NAMED BRANDON. BRANDON IS MY NEPHEW. UH, MY KID'S COUSIN BRANDON, WHEN HE WAS A BABY, WAS A PREEMIE, TINY, TINY, TINY LITTLE THING THAT FIT IN THE PALM OF OUR HANDS. HIS MOM WASN'T ABLE TO, UM, HOLD HIM WHEN HE WAS BORN. THEY RUSHED HIM STRAIGHT TO NICU, AND THEN BRANDON SURVIVED THAT WITH THE HELP OF A LOT OF LIFESAVING MEDICINES. UM, AND THEN BRANDON, UH, WHEN HE WAS ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OLD, WE DISCOVERED HE HAD LEUKEMIA. BRANDON ALMOST DIED ON US, AND WE RUSHED HIM OFF TO ST. JUDE. AND THERE WAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF NONPROFITS OUT THERE THAT REALLY, REALLY HELPED OUT BRANDON'S PARENTS, UM, PAY FOR THE, UH, VERY EXPENSIVE MEDICINES AND TREATMENTS. BRANDON IS ALIVE TODAY, BUT BRANDON, YOU KNOW, AT ANY MOMENT COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, REGRESS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP LEUKEMIA SYMPTOMS AGAIN, AND THE DISEASE COULD ALWAYS KILL HIM. AND BRANDON'S CHILDREN ARE GOING TO HAVE A MUCH HIGHER RISK OF LEUKEMIA. UM, AND SO BRANDON IS ALIVE TODAY. MY CHILDREN'S COUSIN IS ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE HE WAS, UH, THE BENEFICIARY OF SOME VERY SAFE AND EFFECTIVE DRUGS. THOSE DRUGS ARE EFFECTIVE AND SAFE BECAUSE OF THE TESTING THAT IS DONE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND THE TESTING THAT'S DONE AT BIOMED. SO, I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GONNA GO HOME TONIGHT AND LOOK AT BRANDON'S PARENTS IN THE EYE AND TELL 'EM THAT WHEN I HAD THE CHOICE TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CURES FOR LEUKEMIA, FOR KIDS LIKE BRANDON, THAT I LACK THE COURAGE TO DO IT. UM, AND I KNOW THAT IF I WERE TO EVER ASK BRANDON AND HIS PARENTS, IS THIS ACTUALLY JUSTIFIABLE? AND IS THIS ACTUALLY A COMMUNITY-BASED NEED? THEIR ANSWER IS YES. AND SO TODAY I'M GONNA BE VOTING YES WITH THEIR YES. UM, AND THE YES FOR EVERY SINGLE CHILD. UM, I'M, AND FOR EVERY SINGLE PARENT WHO GOES TO SLEEP TERRIFIED THAT TOMORROW THEY MAY NOT BE ALIVE, BUT, UM, WHO FEELS A LITTLE BETTER KNOWING THAT THEY'RE TAKING SOME DRUGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL PREVENT THAT TRAGEDY. SO, UM, I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE. UH, GORDON HARTMAN'S HERE. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP. I GOT A TOUR OF THIS FACILITY. I, I DON'T THINK ENOUGH IS BEING SAID ABOUT WHAT IT IS. YOU'RE BUILDING A FULL BLOWN HOSPITAL OUT THERE. UM, AND THAT'S GONNA BE OUR ST. JUDE, THAT'S THE MOONSHOT THAT, UH, WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE. UH, WHEN WE GO TO DC AND WE MEET WITH CABINET SECRETARIES, THEY TOLD US, THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF THE ARPA FUNDS. TAKE YOUR MOONSHOT. UM, DON'T DO WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE, WHICH IS SPLIT IT UP INTO TINY, TINY PIECES, SPREAD IT AROUND, AND NOT REALLY MAKE AS SIGNIFICANT AN IMPACT AS YOU CAN. UM, THIS 200 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS IS NOT GONNA BOIL THE OCEAN. WE CAN'T BOIL THE OCEAN. WE HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE. SOMEBODY'S GONNA BE DISAPPOINTED, SOMEBODY'S NOT. BUT IN THIS INSTANCE, I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO [04:45:01] BENEFIT IMMENSELY FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING OVER AT MORGAN'S. UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST A HOSPITAL, BUT GORDON GOT TO WALK ME THROUGH IT. AND THERE IS A ROOM. IT IS A CAVERNOUS ROOM THAT IS GOING TO CONTAIN AN OCEAN OF CUBICLES, AND EACH CUBICLE IS GOING TO BE ASSIGNED, GIVEN TO NONPROFITS AND THE CITY, AND THE COUNTY, AND METRO HEALTH AND OTHER FOLKS FOR WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR THE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES THAT ARE GONNA BE SERVED THERE. THAT IS A FORCE MULTIPLIER. I'M, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF IT. GORDON. LASTLY, HAVING, UH, WORKED AT A NONPROFIT, UM, MULTIPLE NONPROFITS FOR YEARS, AND HAVING REPRESENTED THEM AND DONE A LOT OF THEIR LEGAL AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WORK, I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT AIN'T EASY. AND THE WORK THAT, UH, NONPROFITS DO, AND THE FUNDING COMES FROM LOBBYING, UM, I LOVE THAT NONPROFITS COME AND LOBBY ME. UM, I'VE BEEN LOBBIED TODAY. I AM GONNA GET LOBBIED TOMORROW. I'M DELIGHTED THAT THEY COME. AND LOBBYING IS A PEJORATIVE WORD, AND IT'S USED PEJORATIVELY. UH, IT REALLY IS. WHEN NONPROFITS DO IT, THEY COME AND THEY EDUCATE US, AND THEY GIVE US INFORMATION, AND THEY JUSTIFY, UH, THE BUSINESS CASE WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN THEM. AND I'VE BEEN LOBBIED BY A LOT OF NONPROFITS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. I'VE BEEN LOBBIED BY NONPROFITS WITH REGARDS TO THIS FUNDING PACKAGE, AND I INVITE ALL THE NONPROFITS IN SAN ANTONIO TO COME LOBBY ME SOME MORE. AND I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN TO THE LOBBYING OF THE NONPROFITS WHO DO SUCH GOOD WORK FOR, UM, OUR AGENCIES, UM, AND FOR OUR PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO, THANKS, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PAL. INCREDIBLE SIGN. SIR, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO SIT DOWN. OKAY, SIR, IF YOU CANNOT KEEP ORDER IN THE ROOM, I'M GONNA HAVE YOU ESCORT IT OUT. WE GAVE YOU A REASONABLE PROPOSAL. I'LL ASK YOU ONE MORE TIME, SIR, TO TAKE A SEAT AND QUIET DOWN SO WE CAN CONTINUE OUR BUSINESS. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL BE ESCORTED OUT. ALL STOP. CAN WE HAVE, UM, SOME ORDER RESTORED? PLEASE STOP. THE, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON. STOP THE, STOP THE, LET'S CONTINUE NOW WITH COUNCILS MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. FIRST, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO'S WORKED ON THE ARPA PROPOSAL, UM, CITY STAFF AS WELL AS LAURA FOR FACILITATING THOSE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS THROUGH EVERY DISTRICT. I'M SURE THAT WAS A LARGE TASK, AND YOU TACKLED THAT. UM, WITH THE MILLION DOLLAR CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE, NARROWING DOWN THE LIST IS NOT AN EASY TASK. UH, I WANNA BE SURE THAT I GROUND US IN, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT OF C OVID 19. THERE HAVE BEEN NEARLY HALF A MILLION CASES, OVER 5,000 LIVES FOREVER LOST OVER 20,000 EVICTIONS FILED, AND OVER 40% OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CLOSED THEIR DOORS FOR GOOD. BUT THIS VIRUS HAS NOT DETERRED COMMUNITY. WE KNOW, AND THROUGH EFFORTS OF MUTUAL AID, THAT ALL WE HAVE IS EACH OTHER. SOMETIMES I, I WANNA BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, THAT NOW'S THE TIME TO USE ARPA DOLLARS TO TAKE CARE OF COMMUNITY. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THE ONGOING CONVERSATION OF BIOMED, I DON'T THINK IT'S A CONVERSATION OF SCIENCE VERSUS NOT SCIENCE. I THINK IT'S A CONVERSATION ABOUT A, FOR A PRIVATE COMPANY RECEIVING JUST AS MUCH AS THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHEN WE'RE SEEING RECORD EVICTIONS MORE THAN AUSTIN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHEN WE'RE STRUGGLING TO PRODUCE DEEP AFFORDABILITY AND LACK GAP FUNDING FOR DEEP AFFORDABILITY, WE'VE DECIDED TO GIVE JUST AS MUCH TO A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT'S BEEN HIGHLY REJECTED THROUGH THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS. SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S THE OPPOSITION, BUT I DIGRESS. SO I WANNA SHIFT TO THE PROJECTS THAT I FULLY SUP UPON SU SUPPORT, RATHER. UM, I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF MORE THAN 33 MILLION FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES. UH, I THINK THAT'S, IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING, ENSURING THAT FOLKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR JOBS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WANT TO THANK, UH, MY COLLEAGUES IN THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE, UM, SHOWN UP TO ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTS COMMUNITY, RIGHT? NOT FOR ONE SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION, BUT TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER AS A COLLECTIVE, ALL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, NOT JUST ONE. SO I WANNA THANK THE CITY FOR THEIR COM CONTINUED COMMITMENT FOR MAINTAINING THE VIBRANT ARTS SECTOR. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK CRYSTAL JONES OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT WHO SUPPORTED THIS ASK. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WANT TO, UM, THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, OUR FAVORITE MATH TEACHER, AS WELL AS ANOVA FOR, UH, PUTTING FORWARD THIS FORMULA TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR F STREETS. I ADMIRE Y'ALL Y'ALL'S WORK, AND THANK Y'ALL FOR PUTTING THIS FORMULA FORWARD. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE [04:50:01] MADE SINCE OUR LAST ARPA DISCUSSION. THERE WAS 8 MILLION THAT WAS REMOVED FROM SUPPORTING THE MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS. THE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM INCLUDES THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM AND THE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS FOR THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER. AND THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM INCLUDES HOMELESS HOUSING AND SENIOR SERVICE NAVIGATORS. WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED RESTORING SOME OF THOSE LOST FUNDS AS PART AS THE NEXT BUDGET, A A RECOMMENDATION IS NOT A REPLACEMENT OF FINANCIAL COMMITMENT. SO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF COVID, AND I THINK NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED THESE SERVICES. AND I'M NOT SUPPORTIVE OF DEFUNDING OUR SENIOR CENTER, OUR, OUR JUNIOR, OUR SENIOR SERVICES. AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR REFERENCE, THERE WERE OVER 20,000 NAMES LISTED IN THE LOCAL HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM IN 2019. AND ONLY 15% OF THOSE FOLKS, UH, ACCESS SOME FORM OF HOUSING. AND I'M SURE MY OFFICE ISN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT CONTINUES TO RECEIVE PHONE CALLS, UM, OF FOLKS WHO NEED ASSISTANCE FOR, FOR HOUSING AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. AND, AND I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, UH, TAKING FROM DEFUNDING THESE SENIOR PROGRAMS, MENTAL HEALTH AND THE HOUSE LIST DURING A PANDEMIC AND FUNDING BIG TICKET ITEMS INSTEAD OF IN THE NAME OF, OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO, SO AGAIN, IT'S THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL $8 MILLION THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, I, I HAVE SOME CONCERN AND PAUSE WITH TAKING FROM MENTAL HEALTH TO SUPPORT THOSE BIG TICKET ITEMS. AGAIN, THESE NAVIGATORS AND OUTREACH SERVICES, SERVICES AND WORKERS ARE CRITICAL TO SERVING EVERYONE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. DISTRICT FIVE HAS ONE, UH, OUTREACH COORDINATORS THAT WE SHARE WITH OTHER DISTRICTS. ONE, WE KNOW WE HAVE A STARK ISSUE WITH OUR, WITH FOLKS STRUGGLING TO FIND HOUSING. AND WE HAVE ONE THAT WE SHARE WITH, WITH MULTIPLE DISTRICTS. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY SENIORS, LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND HOUSELESS FOLKS WHO CAME TO MY OFFICE BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ACCESS THE EXISTING PROGRAMS. SO THEY'RE JUST WAITING AND GROWING AND GROWING MORE FRUSTRATED. BUT MOVING ON, I, I WANNA THANK CITY STAFF FOR IDENTIFYING AND SECURING $10 MILLION FOR OUR WORKERS. I WANNA GIVE THANKS TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE WORKING SO HARD ACROSS, ACROSS THE CITY. I, I'M NOT QUITE SURE THOUGH, HOW WE GOT AWAY FROM CALLING IT, UH, PREMIUM OR HAZARD PAY. UM, BUT I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE COMMITMENT FROM FOLKS ON THE DICE TO ENSURE THAT OUR WORKERS RECEIVE THEIR FAIR, UH, HAZARD PAY. UM, SOONER THAN LATER, IT'S BEEN SAID THAT THE PLAN IS TO PRESENT BOTH PAY PLAN 2.0 AND THE 10 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND I HAVE CONCERNS WITH WAITING FOR THE BUDGET PROCESS, BECAUSE AS I'VE STATED MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE D IN ARPA DISCUSSIONS, CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE ALREADY EARNED THIS PAY BY RISKING THEIR LIVES AND HEALTH SINCE 2020 TO WORK IN PERSON. SOME EMPLOYEES HAVE ALREADY DIED FROM COVID AND WERE NEVER COMPENSATED FOR THE INCREASED RISK THAT THEY TOOK. I'M CONFIDENT IF GIVEN THE CHARGE, THE EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE COULD PUT TOGETHER A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW THE DIRECT COMPENSATION IS STRUCTURED. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE PROPOSED PLAN DOES NOT MANDATE DIRECT DISBURSEMENT OF COMPENSATION FOR EMPLOYEES. AGAIN, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYEES TOOK ON THE RISK AND THE DIRECT DISBURSEMENT OF MOST IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO PUT MONEY IN WORKERS' POCKETS. AND I HEAR, UM, YOUR FEEDBACK, ERIC, UH, ABOUT EMPLOYEES WANTING TO PUT THEIR PREMIUM PAY INTO PRE-TAX SAVING ACCOUNTS. AND I BELIEVE WE CAN ACCOMMODATE IT IF EMPLOYEES HAVE THE OPTION TO DEPOSIT THEIR COMPENSATION IN A PRE-TAX ACCOUNT, LIKE A HEALTH SAVINGS OR FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT, OR RECEIVE IT AS PART OF THEIR PAYCHECK. I SUPPORT PLACING THIS WELL-DESERVED COMPENSATION DIRECTLY IN THE HANDS OF WORKERS IMMEDIATELY. AND WITH THAT, AND WITH CONVERSATION WITH ERIC, I MOVE THAT JUNE 1ST, 2022, THE 10 MILLION FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION BENEFITS AND RETENTION PROGRAM IN THE ARPA PLAN SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED AS DIRECT PAYMENT TO CITY EMPLOYEES, UNLESS AN INDIVIDUAL OPTS TO HAVE THAT PAYMENT DEPOSITED INTO A PRETT TAXING SAVINGS ACCOUNT, SUCH AS AN F SS A OR A H SS A ACCOUNT. AND AGAIN, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE ARPA PLANNING PROCESS. ALRIGHT. UM, THERE HAS BEEN A MOTION ON AN AMENDMENT, UH, MADE AND A SECOND, ERIC, GO AHEAD, COUNCILMAN. I, I WOULD, UM, ASK FOR A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY, UH, WITH THAT AMENDMENT POTENTIALLY. UM, DON'T, PLEASE DON'T TIE IT TO JUNE 1ST, BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THAT FITS IN TERMS OF OUR PAY. UM, SECONDLY, UM, WHILE I DO APPRECIATE THE, THE FLEXIBILITY OF POTENTIALLY A, UH, A CONTRIBUTION TO THE F SS A OR H SS A, UH, FRANKLY, I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE EMPLOYEES ABOUT, UH, MAYBE OTHER OPTIONS. AND, UM, UM, BUT IT'S YOUR AMENDMENT, [04:55:01] AND IF THAT'S THE AMENDMENT FOR THE COUNCIL, AND IT'S GONNA BE LIMITED TO THOSE TWO THINGS. UM, THAT'S NOT CONSISTENT WITH MY RECOMMENDATION. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR. THANK YOU, ERIC. UM, SO WE'LL DISCUSS THE AMENDMENT NOW. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, CAN YOU RESTATE WHAT YOUR AMENDMENT WAS? YES, I MOVE THAT JUNE 1ST, 2022, THE 10 MILLION FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION BENEFITS AND RETENTION PROGRAM IN THE ARPA PLAN SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED AS DIRECT PAYMENT TO CITY EMPLOYEES, UNLESS AN INDIVIDUAL OPTS TO HAVE THE PAYMENT DEPOSITED INTO A PRE-TAX SAVINGS ACCOUNT, SUCH AS AN F SS A OR H S A ACCOUNT. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, SO WE WILL, UH, THAT MOTION ON THE AMENDMENT IS ON THE FLOOR, SO WE WILL DISCUSS THAT. NOW, UM, WITHOUT GOING TO A BRAND NEW QUEUE, JUST SHOW ME A HAND IF YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THE AMENDMENT BEFORE THE VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS FOLLOWED BY SANDOVAL. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH, UH, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, COUNCILWOMAN. I THINK THAT, UH, I, I THINK IT'S VERY WELL INTENTIONED AND, UM, AND I CERTAINLY THINK THAT OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE THE RECOGNITION FOR BEING ON THE FRONT LINE. MANY OF THEM STAYED, YOU KNOW, WHILE THEIR FAMILIES STAYED HOME SCARED AND ANXIOUS DURING THE COVID CRISIS HAD ITS HEIGHT. THEY WERE OUT THERE INTERFACING WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE POTENTIALLY SICK, UM, AND POSSIBLY BRINGING HOME, UH, THAT VIRUS. AND SO, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'VE, THERE'S A WAY TO EVER THANK YOU GUYS ENOUGH FOR THAT. UH, THE REASON I'M, I'M GONNA VOTE NO ON THIS ONE ISN'T BECAUSE OF THAT THOUGH. IT'S BECAUSE I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE EMP 13,000 EMPLOYEES, UM, AS TO HOW IT IS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THIS STRUCTURED AND MAYBE, MAYBE THEY GOT BETTER IDEAS THAN WE DO ON THIS COUNCIL AS FAR AS HOW IT IS THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT MONEY IMPLEMENTED FOR THEIR BENEFIT. UM, AND I'D RATHER GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES MORE CHOICES THAN JUST LOCK THEM INTO TWO, UH, WHICH IS, UH, WHAT, WHAT THIS AMENDMENT DOES. AND SO, ANYWAY, I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO DECIDE TODAY. AND, AND THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PALAI. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, ERIC, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU FIRST TOLD ME THAT YOU WERE CONSIDERING TAKING THIS TO EMPLOYEES TO GET INPUT AND HAVE FOCUS GROUPS, UH, I REALLY, REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING FOCUS GROUPS AND TALKING ABOUT COMPENSATION AND HOW WE CAN, UH, IMPROVE THAT TO BETTER RESPOND TO WHAT THE, THE EMPLOYEES WANT. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DONE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE, WE HAVE THESE FUNDS. SO I, I COMMEND YOU FOR, FOR THAT IDEA. UH, BUT I WILL, I, I DO SUPPORT THE, THE SPIRIT OF THE AMENDMENT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD, UH, THE MEMBERS OF AFSCME, UH, COME SEE US. UH, THEY ATTENDED, AS FAR AS I KNOW, ALL CERTAINLY THE DISTRICT SEVEN, UM, MEETING WHEN IT CAME TO, UH, HOW WE WOULD DISTRIBUTE THE APA FUNDINGS AND THE ARPA FUNDING. AND THEY WERE VERY VOCAL THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU SAW THEM AT, AT YOUR MEETINGS, BUT JUST LIKE MORGAN'S WONDERLAND, THEY, THEY WERE STRONG. THEY WERE THERE, THEY WERE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THEY WANTED. TODAY, UH, WE WILL BE FUNDING MORGAN, OR WE WILL BE TAKING A VOTE ON FUNDING MORGAN'S WONDERLAND, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. AND I THINK AFSCME, UH, DESERVES THE, THE SAME, THERE ARE EMPLOYEES. THEY, UM, THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUTTING THEIR LIVES AT RISK. UM, A NUMBER OF THEM, LIKE THE COUNCILWOMAN SAID, HAVE ALREADY PASSED. I THINK THE NUMBER IS, UH, WHAT WAS THE LAST REPORTED NUMBER YOU GAVE TO US, ERIC? 17. OKAY. AND MANY MORE HAVE BEEN ILL OR, OR HAD OTHER HARDSHIP BECAUSE OF THAT. NOW, I, I DO ALSO UNDERSTAND YOUR REQUEST FOR FLEXIBILITY. HEY, WE ALL WANNA BE ABLE TO, TO BE FLEXIBLE WITH, WITH THINGS IN THE FUTURE. BUT, UM, WHAT ABOUT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN? WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO A JULY ONE DATE? CUN? WELL, CAN, LET ME JUST MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR. THE, THE TIMING, I THINK IS THAT THE COUNT THAT COUNCILMAN CASTILLO IS PROPOSING IS DOABLE. THE JUNE TIMEFRAME, THAT'S DEFINITELY DOABLE. THE, THE FLEXIBILITY I'M LOOKING THAT I WAS SUGGESTING IS OPTIONS THAT THE EMPLOYEES WILL COME BACK. I MEAN, WE MAY HAVE, WE MAY HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT COME BACK AND, AND GIVE US, UM, REDUCTIONS. UM, [05:00:01] WE MAY HAVE EMPLOYEES COME BACK TO SAY, TAKE CARE, DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THE 17 FAMILIES OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT DIED. I, I DON'T KNOW. BUT THAT'S WHY I WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM. BUT TIMING WISE, JUNE, AS LONG AS WE, WE'LL GET THAT, THAT SECOND CHECK FROM THE AIR, FROM THE, NOT FROM THE AIRPORT, FROM THE, FROM ARPA IN, UH, IN MAY, WE CAN DELIVER THAT IN JUNE IN ADVANCE OF THE BUDGET. OKAY. I'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR THOSE, UH, SUGGESTIONS FROM THE EMPLOYEES NONETHELESS, FOR, FOR DURING OUR NEXT, UH, BUDGET DISCUSSION. UM, BUT I THINK FOR, FOR NOW, THE ORGANIZED ASK THAT WE HAVE HEARD HAS BEEN FOR A DIRECT PAYMENT. AND IT'S LIKE THE COUNCILMAN SAID, IT'S CALLED HAZARD OR PREMIUM PAY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO HONOR THAT, UM, THAT INTENT. UM, I, I DO ALSO APPRECIATE THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE F SS A OR, OR THE H S A, UH, BECAUSE THAT WILL, THAT COULD MAKE THEIR DOLLARS GO, GO FURTHER. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, SANDOVAL, I, SO WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OTHER FOLKS IN THE QUEUE. UM, I I WILL SAY, UM, THIS IS AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION, AND I DON'T THINK, UH, I'M HEARING MUCH OPPOSITION IN TERMS OF, UH, THE, UM, EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION OR BENEFIT PER SE. UH, BUT FOR CONSIDERATION, I WOULD JUST OFFER, UM, THE TIMELINE AND THE SPECIFICITY OR THE PRESCRIPTION OF THE BENEFIT ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS. UH, AND IF YOU MIGHT CONSIDER, UM, SEPARATING THOSE INTO THE TIMELINE BEING ONE MOTION AND THE PRESCRIPTION OF THE BENEFIT BEING A DIFFERENT ISSUE ALTOGETHER. UM, LET ME CONTINUE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CURRY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M, I'M REALLY, UH, PLEASED TO HEAR THE CITY MANAGER SAY HE FELT THE 1ST OF JUNE WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND ABOUT PAY DATES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS SAY AT THE FIRST PAYDAY IN JUNE, WHICH, WHICH MAKES IT A LITTLE MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, EASILY EASY FOR OUR, OUR STAFF TO DEAL WITH. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WAS DELAYING THIS UNTIL AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER OR SOMETHING, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THIS, THIS PAYMENT TO OUR CITY EMPLOYEES TO BE CONFUSED WITH THEIR EARNED COMPENSATION THE NEXT TIME AROUND. UH, I DON'T WANT STAFF TO, TO BE THINKING, WELL, THEY JUST GOT X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, SO WHAT DO WE, WHAT DO WE WANNA DO WITH THEIR PAY? WITH THEIR PAY? SO, I'M GLAD WE'RE GONNA ACT ON THIS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. AND, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF FLEXIBILITY, BUT, YOU KNOW, GIVING PEOPLE CASH IS ABOUT AS FLEXIBLE AS YOU CAN BE, AND THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY PERSONALLY WANT TO DO WITH THAT MONEY, BUT IT CERTAINLY WOULD MAKE IT A LOT EASIER FOR THE CITY TO SIMPLY SEND OUT CHECKS, AND THEN IF THEY WANNA PUT IT IN A LITTLE SAVINGS ACCOUNT OR IF THEY WANT TO USE IT, UH, TO SET ASIDE FOR HEALTHCARE, THEY CAN DO THAT. BUT ONCE WE START MAKING IT MORE COMPLEX BY SAYING, WELL, SOME PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE TO DO THIS AND SOME CAN CHOOSE TO DO THAT, UH, I, IT JUST MAKES IT, I THINK, MORE, MORE DIFFICULT, MORE COSTLY TO US THAN THAN JUST SAY, HEY, EVERYBODY GETS A CHECK, THE FIRST PAYDAY IN, IN, UH, JUNE BASED ON THE ALLOCATION THAT THE COUNCIL AGREES SHOULD GO OUT. AND I THINK THAT'S THE OTHER PART OF THIS. UH, WHAT WILL A CITY MANAGER RECOMMEND? WILL IT BE FOR EVERY, UH, CITY EMPLOYEE? WILL IT BE FOR EVERY NON-UNIFORM CITY EMPLOYEE? WILL IT ONLY BE FOR THOSE WHO ACTUALLY WORKED HAZARDOUS DUTY, SO TO SPEAK, UH, AS OPPOSED TO THOSE WHO JUST MAYBE HAD TO WORK AT HOME? UH, SO I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR SOME OF THAT ALSO. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GONNA GET INTO, UH, DIFFERENT GROUPS AND, UH, VISIT WITH THEM, UH, I THINK IT JUST MAKES IT MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT NEEDS TO BE. I JUST SAY, LET'S DECIDE ON HOW WE'RE GONNA ALLOCATE THE MONEY AND LET'S SEND EVERYBODY A CHECK. AND THEN, UH, LET'S LOOK AT THE REAL COMPENSATION NEEDS FOR THE LONG TERM. THIS IS JUST A, A RECOGNITION OF WORKING HARD DURING THE PANDEMIC AND GETTING, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME COMPENSATION FOR THAT EXTRA EFFORT THAT BEEN PUT IN. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT WAS INTENDED TO. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S HOW I'D LIKE TO SEE IT DONE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. THANK YOU. UH, I GUESS I DIFFER IN MY COLLEAGUES IN THAT I ACTUALLY DON'T SUPPORT THE REQUEST FOR, FOR, UM, THIS, UH, INCREASED PAY. AND IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T SEE, THINK IT'S A LEGITIMATE REQUEST. [05:05:01] IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T THINK THAT CITY EMPLOYEES DESERVE IT. YOU KNOW, I, I WANNA TAKE AS GOOD A CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES AS WE CAN, BUT ERIC WALSH MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WANTS TO GO TO THE EMPLOYEES AND ASK THEM, WELL, HOW DO THEY THINK THAT MONEY SHOULD U BE USED? DO, DO THEY, ONE OF THE OPTIONS HE THREW OUT IS, DO THEY WANT TO SEE THAT MONEY? SOME OF THAT MONEY GO TOWARDS THE 17 MEMBERS OF THE 17 CITY EMPLOYEES WHO'VE DIED FROM COVID AND TO THEIR FAMILIES AND TAKING CARE OF THEM. AND THAT BRINGS ME BACK TO, I LOOKED AT THE, THE EMAIL YOU SENT US YESTERDAY, ERIC, SO FAR IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE'VE HAD 5,130 PEOPLE DIE OF COVID IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE BEST USE THIS MONEY TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES, TO SUPPORT THE WAY THEY'VE BEEN IMPACTED, TO SUPPORT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO'S BEEN IMPACTED, NOT JUST OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IMPACTED IN A HUGE WAY. WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT IT, I MEAN, ASK ME, YOU HAVE A GREAT ASK AND, AND YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB ORGANIZING. I GET A LOT, I'VE GOTTEN MORE EMAILS FROM YOU ALL AND YOUR, YOUR MEMBERS THAN ANYBODY EASILY. UM, SO YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. UM, BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE FINDING RIGHT NOW IS $212 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT GOES REALLY QUICKLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW HEAVILY IMPACTED WE HAVE BEEN BY THIS PANDEMIC. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK TOO, I STUDIED HISTORY AS AN UNDERGRAD, AND I THINK BACK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER WORLD WAR I, SOLDIERS CAME BACK WITH WHAT PEOPLE WERE CALLING SHELL SHOCK, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD BEEN NEAR EXPLOSIONS. AND THEN OVER TIME, THEY FOUND OUT, NO, THERE WERE SOLDIERS THAT WERE EXPERIENCING THIS THAT HAD NOT BEEN NEAR EXPLOSIONS, AND THAT THEY HAD P T SS D. AND THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE NOW IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE EXPERIENCING P T S D IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS FROM THIS PANDEMIC THAT, THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT. UM, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE DIFFERENT STRESSORS, YOU KNOW, ILLNESS RELATED ANXIETIES. I MEAN, MY DAD RIGHT NOW, HE NEEDS A HEART STENT VALVE, RIGHT? BUT HE CAN'T GET ONE BECAUSE HE CAN'T GO TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF COVID AND BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A DEMAND ON OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM. AND HE'S BEEN WAITING OVER A YEAR NOW FOR A HEART STENT VALVE. AND, YOU KNOW, THESE WAVES KEEP COMING UP, AND THEN HE GETS SCHEDULED, AND THEN THE WAVES COME UP AGAIN. YOU KNOW? AND SO PE THERE ARE PEOPLE ALL ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT KINDS OF ANXIETY, ANXIETY, PARENTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING ANXIETY BECAUSE THEIR KIDS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL AND THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE THEIR SCHOOL'S NOT REQUIRING PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS OR, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT IS THE GOVERNOR GONNA, GOVERNOR GONNA ALLOW US TO MANDATE OR NOT MANDATE? UM, YOU KNOW, HOW SAFE IS IT THERE? UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO'VE LOST JOBS, YOU KNOW, UH, I, I WANT TO TAKE CARE OF AME, I WANNA TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T HAVE LOST THEIR JOB. THEY HAVE NO JOB. AND I WANT TO PUT THEM AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE WHEN I THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE DISTRIBUTING THIS MONEY. YOU KNOW, I, I JUST READ THAT, UH, FEMALE TEENAGE SUICIDE RATES ARE UP. I, I'VE HAD PEOPLE COMPLAIN TO ME ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME IN SAN ANTONIO. IT'S UP IN SAN ANTONIO. YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S UP NATIONWIDE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. AND SO I LOOK AT OUR SPENDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH, AND I THINK THAT THIS COUNCIL AS A BODY IS MAKING A MISTAKE BY NOT INVESTING ENOUGH IN MENTAL HEALTH. HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE ALWAYS UNDERINVESTED IN MENTAL HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE SEEN IT MANIFEST IN A LOT OF WAYS. WE ARE SPENDING MORE THAN WE EVER HAVE ON MENTAL HEALTH RIGHT NOW, BUT THE NEEDS ARE HIGHER THAN THEY HAVE EVER BEEN IN THE PAST. AND SO, WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, I, I GET CALLS AND EMAILS AND MY STAFF DO ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MORE PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREETS NOW, YOU KNOW? WELL, THAT'S A BIG MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, COUNCILMAN. WE ARE, WE'RE ON THE AMENDMENT. SO, UM, SO I'M, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PRIORITY, I THINK, SPENDING PRIORITY OVER THIS. UM, AND I GET, YOU KNOW, WE, PEOPLE CONTACT US AND THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, I, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME HIRING ENOUGH PEOPLE, AND, WELL, SOME PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO WORK BECAUSE OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. AND SO I THINK IT'S A HUGE MISS. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD ALSO BE INVESTING MORE IN, IN YOUTH, UH, PROGRAMS. I KNOW JACK FINGER ARGUED AGAINST IT THERE HAVING BEEN IMPACTED. YES, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. AND I THINK WE NEED TO TEST MORE PEOPLE FOR ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, AND THEN WE HAVE TO SUPPORT FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS THAT OFFER POSITIVE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES TO HELP THEM. AND SO, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THIS AMENDMENT, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANNA LOOK AT ALL THE PRIORITIES I, I CAN SEE, AND THIS IS, THIS DOESN'T RISE TO THE TOP AT THE MOMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. AND AGAIN, UM, CONVERSATION CONTINUES ON THE AMENDMENT. UM, AND I KNOW SOME FOLKS I THINK MAY HAVE QUEUED UP [05:10:01] IN THE SYSTEM FOR THE AMENDMENT, BUT IF YOU CAN GIVE A HAND, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE AMENDMENT, WE'LL START, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE ON WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. YEAH, I, I, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT FOLKS DON'T SEE THE, THE LABOR OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES AS A PRIORITY. UM, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, RIGHT, UM, I, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THE EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE PROCESS, AND THAT EMPLOYEES WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GIVE THEIR INPUT THE LANGUAGE, WOULD PROVIDE THE FLEXIBILITY FOR FOLKS TO RECEIVE THAT DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE, THE AFSCME WHO HAS HAD PRESENCE IN EVERY MEETING, MAKING THE ASK OF THE, THE WORKERS THAT THEY REPRESENT. SO THROUGH THEIR PRESIDENT AND THROUGH THE REPRESENTATION IN THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS, WORKERS ARE VOICING THEIR POSITION. SO I, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR. AND THERE IS $10 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION. SO I'M GLAD THAT CITY STAFF HAS SEEN THIS AS A PRIORITY, BUT THIS ASK IS ONE OF THE WORKERS. UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICE CREATED ON ITS OWN. IT'S TO SUPPORT OUR WORKERS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND WE CAN'T SAY WE'RE ABOUT LABOR IF WE'RE NOT GONNA BACK UP LABOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER VIA RON. THANK YOU. I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE TIMELINE, BUT AGAIN, I AM WITH GOING FOR THE E M C FIRST AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS A, AND ASK ME, YOU'VE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB, AND I HOPE THAT THE, THE EMPLOYEES OF SAN ANTONIO RECOGNIZE WHAT ADVOCATES YOU HAVE BEEN FOR THEM, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. AS, AS A FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE. I KNOW THAT FOR ME, WHILE I WAS THERE, I FELT LIKE DECISIONS WERE MAKING WERE BEING MADE WITHOUT THE EMC'S INPUT, AND THEN WE WERE JUST TAKING IT. SO I, I APPRECIATE THIS EFFORT OF YOU GOING TO THEM FIRST. UH, I DO WANT, THEN THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. WE GO TO THEM FIRST AND WE, WE PUSH THAT TIMELINE. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, ERIC, AND YOU KNOW THIS ALREADY, THAT IF IT'S, IF IT'S LOWS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT. BECAUSE I THINK THE SOONER YOU'RE GONNA MEET WITH THE E M C, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THEIR IDEAS AND, AND WE CAN GET IT DISTRIBUTED ONCE WE GET THAT CHECK IN OUR HANDS TO THEM. BUT I REALLY WANT THEM TO BE CONSIDERED. 'CAUSE FOR A LONG TIME, AND YOU KNOW, THIS, IT, THAT JUST WASN'T THE CASE HERE WITH OUR, WITH OUR, UH, OUR REPRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS. ANDY, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TWO QUESTIONS AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GONNA ANSWER THEM BECAUSE, UH, AND I THINK THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE HERE IS THAT YOU CAN'T ANSWER 'EM. UM, IS THIS LEGAL? UH, AND DO YOU SEE ANY PROBLEMS, UM, WITH COMPLIANCE WITH STATE OR FEDERAL LAW AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW? UM, AND DO YOU KNOW HOW THIS IS GONNA IMPACT TAXATION FOR OUR EMPLOYEES IF THEY GET A BONUS CHECK SEPARATE FROM THEIR REGULAR CHECK, OR IF THEY GET A CONTRIBUTION FROM THE EMPLOYER TO THEIR RETIREMENT ACCOUNT, UH, OR SOME DIFFERENT WAY OF, OF GIVING 'EM THE MONEY? I THINK THERE WERE 10 QUESTIONS THERE. ANSWER THE QUESTION, SIR. NOT, NOT TWO, COUNCILMAN. UH, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE FIR ACTUALLY THE FIRST OR THE SECOND BECAUSE OF, FRANKLY, WE HAVEN'T DONE THE FULL ANALYSIS. BUT WHAT I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU IS IT DOES GIVE ME PAUSE, RIGHT? WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CHARTER AND THE APPROPRIATE ROLE OF COUNCIL IN TERMS OF THE COUNCIL DICTATING TO THE CITY MANAGER, UH, WHEN HIS EMPLOYEES GET CHECKS, AND BY WHEN, UH, WHICH IS DIFFERENT AGAIN THAN THE COUNCIL, CONSIDERING FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT WHAT THE POOL WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR MERIT RAISES OR ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, THIS IS A BIT DIFFERENT THAN THAT. UH, I WOULD, I WOULD REQUIRE MORE TIME TO DO THE FULL ANALYSIS, BUT IT DOES GIMME SIGNIFICANT PAUSES TO WHETHER, UH, THIS ACTION, UH, IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY CHARTER. YEAH. SO, UM, I I'M ALSO CONCERNED FROM A CITY CHARTER PERSPECTIVE ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE LINE IS BETWEEN WHAT WE CAN DO AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, DIRECTING ERIC, UM, AND WHERE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DIRECT ERIC, RIGHT? AND WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE ON ONE SIDE OF THE LINE OR THE OTHER, I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER AND I'D WANT, I'D WANT THE ANSWER BEFORE WE GO THERE. AND THEN THE SECOND THING TOO IS I SEE, UH, SOME F L S A AND SOME ERISA ISSUES, UM, THAT I'D WANT YOUR EMPLOYEE LAWYERS TO, OR YOUR EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS TO HASH OUT FOR ME BEFORE. THE OTHER THING TOO IS, UH, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE GIVE, I, I, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE EMPLOYEES A BINARY CHOICE, WHICH IS, HERE'S A CHECK OR HERE'S A [05:15:01] CONTRIBUTION TO YOUR H SS A I, I'D LIKE THE EMPLOYEES TO ALSO CONSULT OR BE PROVIDED WITH SOME TAX COUNSEL. UM, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE, WE DO PROVIDE ERIC AND, UH, AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S SMART TO DO ONE OR THOSE OTHERS, OR IF THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS THAT MIGHT REDUCE THEIR TAX LIABILITIES SO THEY CAN ENJOY THE FULL BENEFITS OF THIS MONEY AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO SEND IT UP TO WASHINGTON DC FOR WHATEVER SILLINESS THEY SPEND ON. SO, UM, ANYWAY, THANKS FOR NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS, ANDY. I, I DO WANNA CLARIFY COUNCILMAN THAT IT'S A, A COMPLETELY APPROPRIATE UNDER ARPA TO, TO DEDICATE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FUNDS FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION. THAT WASN'T WHAT I WAS SAYING. NO, NO, NO. I TOTALLY AGREE. I I TOTALLY AGREE. I MEAN, ARPA, THIS IS THE PURPOSE, RIGHT? IT WAS TO MAKE CITIES WHOLE, TO BRING HAZARD PAY TO EMPLOYEES. UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN HERE TO, TO GIVE THE EMPLOYEES EVERYTHING THAT THEY DESERVE. UH, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO IT RIGHT AS, AS OPPOSED TO DOING IT QUICK. AND I UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET IT RIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS. UM, ERIC, UH, YOU'VE BEEN SIGNALING ME, UH, SO WE'LL, WE WILL GO TO YOU AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE DISCUSSION. GO AHEAD. WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD ONTO WHAT ANDY SAID. I MEAN, I, I, LOOK, IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT, UM, THAT AS WE WENT THROUGH THE TOWN HALLS, UM, THE AFSCME WAS, WAS, UM, CERTAINLY PRESENT THERE. AND, AND, AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND, BASED ON ALL THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THE COUNCIL, THAT IT IS A PRIORITY FOR, FOR YOU ALL, OR A MAJORITY OF YOU ALL. UM, AND, AND WE WILL MOVE QUICKLY. IT, IT, IT'S WHY WE MADE IT A PART OF OUR STAFF RECOMMENDATION. UM, I'M GONNA BE COMPLETELY HONEST. I FEEL LIKE WE'RE KIND OF JOSTLING FOR WHO'S IN, WHO'S GONNA, WHO'S GONNA PULL FOR THE EMPLOYEES. YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK WE ALL PULL FOR THE EMPLOYEES. NONE OF US GET OUR JOB DONE WITHOUT 12 AND A HALF THOUSAND EMPLOYEES. UM, WHAT I'M ASKING FOR AND, AND IS THAT, THAT WE CAN GET THIS DONE BEFORE JUNE. I'M ASKING FOR THE FLEXIBILITY TO ALLOW THE INPUT FROM THE EMPLOYEES AND THEN, AND THEN COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT I CAN GIVE BACK TO THE COUNCIL, SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING IT DOING WITH THE MONEY AND, AND DOING IT RIGHT. UM, I DON'T, I, I'D RATHER NOT BE HEMMED IN, UM, UH, WITH A BINARY CHOICE. UM, AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT WITH THE EMPLOYEES. THE FIRE MECHANICS UNION, WHICH IS PART OF THE E M C, DID NOT GO TO THE TOWN HALLS. UH, THE PARK AND AIRPORT POLICE UNION, UH, WHICH IS PART OF THE E M C, DID NOT GO TO THE TOWN HALLS. UM, THERE ARE ABOUT, UH, 6,200 OTHER CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES THAT AREN'T REPRESENTED BY EITHER ONE OF THOSE THAT DIDN'T GO TO THE TOWN HALLS. AND I'D LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FRANKLY GET SOME DIRECT FEEDBACK FROM THEM. UM, AND, UM, THAT'S MY ASK OF THE COUNSEL, BUT, UM, ULTIMATELY THAT'LL BE UP TO YOU. UM, AND I WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH ANDY IN THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, UH, WHAT WE DO DOESN'T CROSS ANY SORT OF LINE. THANK YOU, ERIC. UH, WE'LL CONTINUE WITH COUNCIL DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDAL. UM, I APPRECIATE THAT ANY C E O OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THEIR ORGANIZATION WANTS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO COMPENSATE THEIR EMPLOYEES AND HOW THEY WILL BEST WORK. UM, WHAT I WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE ANDY OR ERIC, IS THAT IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE AGAINST THE CHARTER, WILL YOU PLEASE LET US KNOW EARLIER INSTEAD OF EIGHT MONTHS INTO THE PROCESS? WE KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAZARD PAY. THAT THAT HAS BEEN, UH, A REQUEST THAT THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT. UM, AND HAVING BEEN, YOU KNOW, LOBBIED DIRECTLY BY, BY AFSCME AND HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH THEM AND POSSIBLY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DISCUSSING THIS. I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEHOOVED US TO KNOW THAT. UM, SO I'LL GO AHEAD. NO, UH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. 'CAUSE IT, IT ALLOWS ME TO CLARIFY. IT'S NOT, AGAIN, I WANNA EMPHASIZE, UM, WHAT WAS PROPOSED TO THE COUNCILS IS COMPLETELY CONSISTENT WITH ARPA. UM, AND THAT, UM, THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN, HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA ALLOCATE, AND THEN A PLAN AS TO HOW THAT'S GONNA BE DISTRIBUTED. WHAT, THE ONLY THING THAT'S GIVEN ME PAUSE AGAIN, IS THE, THE, THE NOTION OF CHECKS BY A CERTAIN DATE, UM, WITHOUT A PLAN ON HOW WE'RE GONNA DISTRIBUTE THAT. 'CAUSE AS COUNCILMAN LYAS NOTED, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT LEGAL ISSUES IN TERMS OF HOW WE DISTRIBUTE IT, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH ERIC AND, AND THE TEAM WITH, SO WE CAN IRON THOSE OUT. OKAY. SO ONLY THE DATE, NOT HOW THE MONEY IS USED. WELL, IT'S THE DATE AND, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HOW THE MONEY'S DISTRIBUTED, AGAIN, COUNCILWOMAN FIT FITS WITHIN THE CHARTER AND WITHIN STATE AND, AND SOME OF THE FEDERAL AND [05:20:01] TAX THINGS THAT, TAX ISSUES THAT COUNCILMAN APPLY HAS BROUGHT UP. OKAY. SO IF ARPA SAYS IT'S HAZARD PAY AND SOME OF US HERE ARE ADVOCATING FOR HAZARD PAY, THEN I, I GUESS I DON'T SEE THE, THE ISSUE WITH THAT. WHAT I'LL, I'LL JUST CLARIFY. LOOK, I THINK THIS IS FUNDAMENTALLY COMING DOWN TO ARPA ALLOWS IT FOR COMPENSATION, ARPA ALLOWS IT FOR HAZARD PAY. WHAT WE HAVE HEARD, WHAT I AM TRYING TO RESPOND TO IS TO USE IT AS HAZARD PAY. THAT'S THE SPIRIT I WANT TO, TO HONOR. I UNDERSTAND AFTER ERIC HAS THE, THE DISCUSSION WITH EMPLOYEES, UH, HE MAY DECIDE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET A HUNDRED PERCENT UNANIMITY ON THE EMPLOYEES, MAYBE EVEN WITHIN THE UNION. THERE'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT UNANIMITY. BUT WHAT I'VE HEARD IS THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE. WHAT, AND I KNOW THE E M C, THEY COME TO THE TABLE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S MANAGEMENT'S CALL. THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING THE WAY OUR OTHER UNIONS DO. THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T MAKE THAT CALL. WHATEVER ERIC DECIDES WILL BE THE BEST, THAT'LL BE THE DECISION. UM, I JUST WOULD RATHER SEE IT USED AS HAZARD PAY, UM, NOT LIKE SOME SORT OF PERFORMANCE BONUS OR, UH, SOME SORT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER THING THAT'S NOT TAKE HOME PAY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST WHAT I WANNA PUT ON THE RECORD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IF I MAY, UH, A COUNCILWOMAN AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO CAN CLARIFY, BUT I THINK THE MOTION WAS SIMPLY THAT CHECKS WOULD BE ISSUED BY A CERTAIN DATE, NOT THAT IT'D BE PREMIUM CATEGORIZED AS PREMIUM PAY UNDER ARPA. UM, BUT I WANT, I WOULD LIKE COUNCILMAN CASTILLO TO CLARIFY THAT WITH THE $10 MILLION ALLOCATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON TODAY FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, THE MOTION WAS THAT JUNE 1ST, 2020 TO THE 10 MILLION FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION BENEFITS AND RETENTION PROGRAM IN THE ARPA PLAN TO BE DISTRIBUTED AS DIRECT PAYMENT TO CITY EMPLOYEES, UNLESS AN INDIVIDUAL OPTS TO HAVE THE PAYMENT DEPOSITED INTO A PRE-TAX SAVING ACCOUNT SUCH AS A AN F S A OR H S A ACCOUNT. AND AGAIN, THIS WOULD STILL CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THE EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE PROCESS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. ANDY, DID YOU WANT TO, SO AGAIN, TO CLARIFY, MAYOR, THAT'S NOT HAZARD PAY UNDER ARPA, IT WAS DI IT WAS THE, THE 10 MILLION TO BE DISTRIBUTED BY A DATE CERTAIN RIGHT? COUNCILWOMAN. SO THE, THE 10 MILLION THAT WE WOULD BE VOTING ON TODAY HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AS HAZARD PAY. RIGHT. MY UNDERSTANDING, THROUGH EVERY ARPA CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION, THE CONSENSUS HAS BEEN FOR HAZARD PAY OR PREMIUM PAY, NOT JUST $10 MILLION FOR FOLKS TO DECIDE HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE ALLOCATED. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE CONVERSATION ON THE DAIS WAS HAZARD AND OR PREMIUM PAY. HAS THAT NOT BEEN THE CONSENSUS OR CONVERSATION GOING ON THE PAST FEW MONTHS? OR THE ASK FROM THE ? SO THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION LAST FALL, LAST WITH TWO B SESSIONS LAST FALL, LAST WEEK, I MADE A RECOMMENDATION OF THE $10 MILLION TO BE SET ASIDE FOR COMPENSATION BENEFITS AND RETENTION AND DO EMPLOYEE FOCUS GROUPS. WHAT I, I WALKED OUTTA LAST WEEK'S B SESSION THINKING THAT THERE WAS CONSENSUS FROM THE COUNCIL ON THAT. SO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH YOUR AMENDMENT, YOU'RE TAKING IT BACK TO HAZARD PAY OR THIS OPTION FOR A TAX DEFERRED CONTRIBUTION. YES. BACK TO HAZARD PAY. AND THAT, THAT HAD BEEN THE CONVERSATION LEADING UP TILL TODAY WAS HAZARD AND OR PREMIUM PAY UNDER THE ARPA GUIDELINES? NO, MY, MY RECOMMENDATION LAST WEEK WAS THAT WE, WE, WE LEAVE IT OPEN FOR POTENTIALLY HAZARD PAY, COMPENSATION, RETENTION OR BENEFITS. BENEFITS COULD BE A CONTRIBUTION TO AN H S A OR AN F S A. IT COULD BE A TWO YEAR BUYDOWN OF THE EMPLOYEE PREMIUM IF YOU'VE GOT A FAMILY OF FOUR OR WHATEVER. BUT, BUT IT WAS BROADER MM-HMM. AND, AND, UH, I, I, I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING LAST WEEK, SO MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT THERE WAS SOME CONSENSUS THERE, BUT, BUT THAT'S HOW WE, THAT'S HOW WE'RE, WE GOT TO WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS JUST NARROWING IT DOWN TO TWO OPTIONS AND THE E M C WOULD WORK THROUGH THOSE DETAILS. I, WELL, WE, I GUESS SO, BUT, BUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO THE EMPLOYEE FOCUS GROUPS ANYWAY, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT, WE'RE DOING PAY PLAN, WE'RE DOING MARKET ADJUSTMENTS. WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT REGARDLESS. UM, I GUESS THE, THE, THE QUESTION FOR THE EMPLOYEE FOCUS GROUPS IS, DO YOU WANT OPTION A AND OPTION B UNDER THIS POTENTIAL AMENDMENT? BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA ASK THEM WHAT OTHER THINGS DO YOU WANT IF THIS AMENDMENT PASSES. OKAY. BECAUSE IT'S LIMITING IN THAT FACTOR THAT THIS IS A CLARIFYING DIALOGUE. UH, WE DO HAVE THE MOTION LANGUAGE AS READ ON THE FLOOR. WE'LL CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION. SO, UH, LET'S GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. I JUST WANNA SHARE THAT LAST WEEK, [05:25:01] YOU KNOW, WE'D EACH ONLY HAVE A TOTAL OF 15 MINUTES TO SPEAK. WE ALL HAVE OUR PRIORITIES AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEAK ABOUT. AND IF SOMETHING IS FINE, USUALLY WE WON'T COMMENT ON IT. LAST WEEK WHEN EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND THAT CON THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AND PRESENTED, MY ASSUMPTION WAS, EVEN IF IT WAS AN INCORRECT ASSUMPTION, WAS THAT IT WAS HA UH, HAZARD OR PREMIUM PAY BECAUSE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD LEADING UP TO IT, AND THE FACT THAT IT FELT LIKE EVERY TIME WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS, WE HAD MULTIPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS MORE THAN SIX WHO SAID HAZARD OR PREMIUM PAY. UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCILMAN. UM, BUT, UH, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT LAST WEEK AND IT WASN'T PART OF THE SUMMARY. AND I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ANYBODY OTHER THAN A COUPLE OF, FROM QUESTIONS THAT COUNCILMAN CASTILLO HAS HAD A OVER THE LAST WEEK OVER THIS ISSUE. OKAY. I'LL EXPLAIN THAT. THAT'S WHY. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. UH, OKAY, JUST TO CLARIFY, WE DO HAVE THE AMENDMENT AS READ ON THE FLOOR, UM, WHICH PRESCRIBES THE JUNE 1ST DEADLINE TO GET ALL THIS DONE THROUGH THE COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE OPTION FOR, UM, THE EMPLOYEE TO EITHER DEPOSIT INTO TAX DEFERRED ACCOUNT, OR RECEIVE IT AS PAY. UM, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE DISCUSSING NOW. UM, SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT, UH, DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS. UM, I'VE GOT COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO AND SANDOVAL ALSO IN THE QUEUE. I, I THINK I'VE HEARD EVERYBODY EXCEPT FOR ONE COUNCIL MEMBER SAY THAT THEY WANT THESE EMPLOYEES TO GET COMPENSATED, UM, AND THAT THIS MONEY IS APPROPRIATE FOR, FOR THAT PURPOSE. WHAT I, I THINK WOULD BE, UM, NOT ADVISABLE IS FOR US TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE COLOR OF THE MONEY, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S CALLED HAZARD PAY OR PREMIUM PAY, OR SOME OTHER, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE EMPLOYEE'S MORTGAGE COMPANIES DON'T CARE WHETHER OR NOT THE DOLLAR THAT IS BEING PAID ON THEIR MORTGAGES WAS CALLED HAZARD OR WAS CALLED SOMETHING ELSE. I, MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS THAT IF WE WERE TO MAKE THIS DECISION TODAY, UH, AND DESIGNATE IT, WHATEVER NAME YOU WANNA DESIGNATE IT, THAT IT'LL HAVE TALK TAX CONSEQUENCES FOR THESE PEOPLE, UM, THAT WE HAVEN'T EXPLORED AND THAT WE, YOU KNOW, AND I, I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH 'EM ABOUT WHAT THAT CHOICE CREATES FOR THEM. UM, AND SO I, I THINK OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ADULTS AND, UH, OUR EMPLOYEES BENEFIT FROM US HAVING AN ADULT CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT THE WHOLE PANOPLY OF CHOICES AVAILABLE TO THEM. UM, AND I DON'T WANNA TREAT THEM LIKE CHILDREN BY SAYING, YOU CAN HAVE THIS OR THIS FROM THE CHILDREN'S MENU. UM, AND SO I'M, UM, AND, AND HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, HAVING DONE THIS EMPLOYMENT LAW THING FOR 20 YEARS, I, THERE'S PROBLEMS HERE, GUYS. UH, IF, IF WE LOCK OURSELVES INTO THIS WITHOUT GETTING THE OKAY FROM OUR LAWYERS AND AFSCME, YOU GUYS HAVE VERY CA CAPABLE LAWYERS. I WANNA HEAR FROM YOURS TOO. SO, UM, ANYWAY, UH, THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. COUNCILS MEMBER, ELA, COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. I'M GONNA, SORRY. THANK YOU. IF, IF WE ARE DEBATING ABOUT HOW, WHETHER IT SHOULD BE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE, UM, PUTTING HAZARDOUS WORK CONDITIONS OR NOT. I MEAN, I THINK THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO FACTOR IN. I, I WOULDN'T, I GUESS I WOULDN'T BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT. I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF IT BEING FOR ANY EMPLOYEE IN THAT REGARD. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK TO, UH, PEOPLE WHO, UH, WERE WORKING FROM HOME, THEY WERE WORKING REMOTELY. YEAH. THEY WEREN'T PUT IN HAZARDOUS WORK CONDITIONS, BUT THEY MIGHT'VE HAD THREE OR FOUR KIDS THERE WORKING AT HOME WITH THEM, AND THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF OTHER CHALLENGES. SO PEOPLE, PEOPLE WERE CHALLENGED IN DIFFERENT WAYS. AND SO IF WE'RE TRYING TO COMPENSATE THEM, THEN I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD. AND IF THIS IS SOMETHING TO, IF THIS IS, UH, A PRO-LABOR FOCUS, THEN I WOULD SUPPORT, UM, THIS GOING TO MAYBE THE, OUR, I, I DISAGREE WITH THE CITY MANAGER ON THIS. I KNOW CITY MANAGER'S NOT GONNA SEPARATE WHO GETS IT AND WHO DOESN'T. AND HE WANTS IT TO GO TO ALL EMPLOYEES. I KIND OF FEEL LIKE IT'S THE, THE EMPLOYEES WHO LIKE MAYBE THE BOTTOM HALF ARE, UH, WAGE EARNERS OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT MAYBE COULD BENEFIT MOST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. I HAVE NO ONE ELSE ON THE DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT. I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO TO RESTATE HER MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MOVE THAT 10 MILLION TO BE PAID AS HAZARD OR PREMIUM PAY TO ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES UNDER THE ARPA GUIDELINES BY JUNE 1ST. EITHER DIRECT PAYMENT UNLESS AN EMPLOYEE OR INDIVIDUAL OPTS TO HAVE THE PAYMENT DEPOSITED INTO A PRE-TAX SAVINGS ACCOUNT SUCH AS AN F S A OR H S A ACCOUNT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP THIS MOTION. I, LET ME JUST SAY I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE $10 MILLION LINE ITEM ON A HUNDRED PERCENT. UM, I DO HAVE TO SAY, AFTER HEARING [05:30:01] THE COMMENTS AROUND THE DAIS AND THE CONCERNS OF MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL AS ANDY AND ERIC, UH, I CAN'T SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT TODAY, BUT I DO SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S CHARGE OF HELPING OUR CITY'S LABOR, A S A P. UM, AND I DO WANT TO PUT ON THE RECORD THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK IS IN DISPUTE HERE IS THAT WE ARE NOW PLACING A DEADLINE ON THAT PROCESS, UH, THROUGH THE E M C OF JUNE 1ST. I KNOW WE'RE NOT MO I KNOW WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTION ON THAT DEADLINE, UH, BUT I HOPE WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEING MADE CLEAR IS THAT THERE'S VIRTUAL UNANIMITY THAT I CAN SEE ON MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS A SPEEDY PROCESS. SO, UM, I DO APPRECIATE THAT, THAT THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WE ARE GONNA CON BE CONSULTING WITH THE EMPLOYEES AND WITH THE LABOR OF THIS COMMUNITY, UH, BEFORE IT'S FINALIZED, ERIC. AND, AND, UM, THAT'S WHY I WON'T BE SUPPORTING THE AMENDMENT TODAY. SO WITH THAT, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, PULL UP THE MOTION ON THE AMENDMENT. PLEASE VOTE AND I'LL, I'LL, UH, LET ME CALL BY VOICE COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER MEMBER BEO. HDA NAY. OKAY. MOTION FAILS. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING ON THE MAIN MOTION NOW. UM, AND I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE FOLKS IN THE QUEUE, SO LET ME CALL COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA GIVE EVERYBODY A BREATHER. IT'S, UM, THREE O'CLOCK. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF AMENDMENTS, AND SO A LOT OF CUES HAVE BEEN POPPED UP. WE ARE NOT DONE WITH DISCUSSION, THOUGH, I KNOW THAT FOR SURE. 'CAUSE I ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO IN THE QUEUE. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, YOU'RE ON THE QUEUE ON THIS TOO. YOU'RE GOOD. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. THANK YOU. YOU SAID WE'RE GIVING, YOU'RE GIVING US A BREATHER. I THOUGHT WE WERE TAKING A RECESS FOR A SECOND THERE, . I WAS LIKE, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. YOU'RE NOT THAT FORTUNATE. YOU KNOW, UH, ONE OF THE, I GUESS ONE OF THE DRAWBACKS OF SERVING UP HERE WITH REALLY INTELLIGENT COUNCIL MEMBERS LIKE COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO IS SOMETIMES THEY, THEY SAY GREAT THINGS THAT YOU ARE THINKING BEFORE YOU GET A CHANCE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND SHE, SHE MENTIONED THAT, UM, IT'S NOT, WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT TEXAS BIOMED, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT SCIENCE OR, UM, I CARE ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE. I DON'T THINK I, I THINK THAT'S INACCURATE. I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT WE CAN FIND SOME KIND OF BALANCE HERE. UM, SO YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A WILD ANIMAL ORPHANAGE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. IT WAS JUST NORTH OF 1604 OFF LESLIE ROAD. AND, UH, THEY HAD A BUNCH OF MONKEYS THERE. I MEAN, THEY HAD ALL KINDS OF ANIMALS, BUT THEY HAD MONKEYS THAT, AND THEIR ANIMALS WERE EITHER, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN MON UH, ANIMALS THAT HAD BEEN IN MOVIES AND THEY WERE RETIRED FROM HOLLYWOOD, OR SOMEBODY TRIED TO OWN 'EM AND IT DIDN'T WORK OUT. UM, OR, AND SOME OF THEM WERE ACTUALLY FORMER, UH, ANIMALS FROM, UH, FROM, FROM MEDICAL TESTING. AND THEY HAD A, THEY HAD A BUNCH OF MONKEYS. AND IF YOU WORKED THERE EVERY DAY, I WORKED RIGHT NEXT TO THE MONKEY CAGES. YOU WOULD GET TO KNOW THEIR DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I REMEMBER SEEING HOW WHEN, WHEN A MONKEY, UH, WAS SICK OR NOT FEELING WELL, HOW THE OTHER, YOU WOULD SEE THE OTHER MONKEYS TEND TO THAT ONE. AND IT WAS REALLY COOL TO WATCH AND GET, TO GET TO KNOW THEM. I REMEMBER ONE DAY I APPROACHED THE MONKEY CAGE, AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHO REACHED THEIR HAND OUT FIRST, IF IT WAS ME OR THE MONKEY, BUT WE ENDED UP EXTENDING OUR HANDS AND HOLDING HANDS AND LOOKING INTO EACH OTHER'S EYES. AND IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE MOMENT BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THERE'S, THERE'S MORE IN COMMON BETWEEN US AND THOSE MONKEYS THAN WE GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR. AND THERE WAS SOME KIND OF A REALLY AUTHENTIC CONNECTION THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, SO I DO CARE ABOUT ANIMALS AND, AND I ACTUALLY CALLED RYAN MERKLEY, WHO, LET'S SEE, HE'S, UH, HE, HE'S, HE WORKS WITH, UH, IT'S A PHYSICIAN'S COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE. AND I, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM HIM, LIKE, WHAT ARE THESE ISSUES WITH TEXAS BIOMED? WHAT ARE THE ISSUES WITH, UM, MEDICAL RESEARCH? AND, YOU KNOW, I LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT CONVERSATION. AND THEN I CALLED DR. UH, LARRY SCHLESINGER, AND I ASKED HIM ABOUT A LOT OF THESE ISSUES, AND I ASKED HIM WHAT KIND OF WORK GOES ON THERE? AND, AND SO REALLY I'M LOOKING FOR SOME KIND [05:35:01] OF BALANCE BECAUSE I STAND FOR SCIENCE AND I ALSO CARE ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE. AND SO I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO ASK SOME, SOME QUESTIONS OF, UH, WELL, YOU, OH, LEMME TELL YOU THIS. ALSO, LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT STANDING FOR SCIENCE. UM, WHEN OUR CITY WAS STANDING UP THE MASS VACCINATION EVENT, UH, FOR COVID AT THE ALAMO DOME, I SPENT THE ENTIRE WEEKEND PRIOR TO THAT, I SAW, I SIGNED UP TO VOLUNTEER TO DISTRIBUTE THE VACCINE. AND I SAW THERE WAS A HUGE SHORTAGE OF VOLUNTEERS TO DISTRIBUTE THE VACCINE. AND SO I SIGNED UP AND I WAS THERE ON THE VERY FIRST DAY HANDING OUT THE PFIZER VACCINE. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS A RUNNER AND I WOULD TAKE, I WOULD GO FROM THE PHARMACY THAT THEY STOOD UP IN THE, IN THE ALAMO DOME, AND I WOULD GET, YOU KNOW, PILES OF THE VACCINE AND I WOULD RUN 'EM OUT TO THE DOCTORS AND THE NURSES OUT THERE WHO WERE DISTRIBUTING THEM. UM, BUT I, I DO WANT TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS OF TEXAS BIOMED, UM, BECAUSE I SAW, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I I LEARNED FROM RYAN MERKLEY WITH PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE MEDICINE IS THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A BILL THAT WAS INTRODUCED BY, AND, AND ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS SPOKE ABOUT IT TODAY. AND WE HAD GREAT COMMENTS, BY THE WAY, FROM PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP, UH, TO SPEAK TODAY OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS. I REALLY APPRECIATED HEARING A LOT OF THOSE COMMENTS. BUT I WANT TO HEAR FROM, FROM TEXAS FIRE ABOUT THIS BILL THAT'S BEEN PUT OUT BY CORY BOOKER, SENATOR CORY BOOKER, AND SENATOR, UH, PAUL RAND, THE, THE BIPARTISAN BILL AND, YOU KNOW, CALLING FOR A MOVEMENT. WELL CALL, I GUESS CALLING FOR AN END FROM THE F D A ON MANDATORY ANIMAL TESTING, WHATNOT NECESSARY. AND I REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL ON WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING TO HELP MOVE SCIENCE FORWARD SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANIMAL TESTING IN THE FUTURE? HONORABLE COUNCILMAN BRAVO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. THE DIRECTOR OF THE PRIMATE CENTER AT TEXAS BIOMED. UM, SO I'D LIKE TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANIMAL TESTING, BUT, UH, ALSO STATE THAT AS AT PRESENT, THE F D A WILL NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING OTHER THAN HIGHER ORDER ANIMAL TESTED PRODUCTS IN ORDER TO APPROVE THEM. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF EITHER THE PFIZER OR THE MODERNA VACCINES HAD NOT BEEN TESTED IN NON-HUMAN PRIMATES BETWEEN APRIL AND AUGUST OF 2020, AND THESE COMPANIES HAD NOT THEN PRESENTED THE SAFETY EFFICACY AND IMMUNOGENICITY DATA, THE EFFECTIVENESS DATA TO F D A, THEN THOSE INITIAL CLINICAL TRIALS WOULD NOT HAVE STARTED ON THESE VACCINES. UM, YOU MENTIONED DR. SCHLESINGER IS, UH, OUR C E O IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE LEADING INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCHERS IN THE COUNTRY, AND HE DOES REMARKABLE RESEARCH ON TUBERCULOSIS. AND HE HAS A DESIRE TO ELIMINATE THE ANIMAL TESTING ASPECT BY, UM, CREATING HIS STUDIES TUBERCULOSIS. AND HE CREATES IN, IN CELLULAR GRANULOMAS IN PETRI PLATES, VERY INTERESTING RESEARCH, BUT HE'S THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT WE ARE NOT THERE YET. THESE CELLULAR NON-ANIMAL MODELS DO NOT RECAPITULATE THE COMPLEXITY OF HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY THAT, UH, IN, IN BRAIN TISSUES, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEBODY MENTIONED ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH EARLIER, UM, AND, AND IN LUNGS AND, AND IN IN OTHER TISSUES, THESE FOR THE TIME BEING CAN ONLY BE CAPTURED IN COMPLEX ANIMAL SYSTEMS MANY A TIMES IN PRIMATES. AND THEREFORE, IT BECOMES REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TESTING IN THE, IN THESE MODELS. THERE IS A LOT OF EFFORT BEING, UM, BEING SPENT TO SEE IF WE CAN DEVELOP NON-ANIMAL MODELS. THERE IS ACTIVE RESEARCH THAT IS BEING FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. WE ARE SOME OF THE PEOPLE AT OUR INSURED THAT ARE DOING THAT RESEARCH, OTHERS ARE DOING THAT RESEARCH. IF IN FIVE OR 10 OR 15 YEARS THAT RESEARCH IS SUCCESSFUL, WE'D BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT WHEREVER POSSIBLE WE SHOULD ELIMINATE ANIMAL TESTING. WE ARE NOT FOR GENERALIZED ANIMAL TESTING IF OTHER ALTERNATIVES ARE AVAILABLE. IT'S JUST THAT THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE, I DON'T THINK. OKAY. AND SO WHAT ABOUT THESE MICROCHIP OR THESE CHIPS WHERE YOU CAN INSERT HUMAN ORGANS AND THEN YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, OR HUMAN ORGAN TISSUE AND MAYBE TAKE, UM, TAKE HUMAN ORGAN TISSUE FROM, FROM PEOPLE, DONOR ORGAN DONORS WHO'VE RECENTLY DIED, BE ABLE TO PUT 'EM INTO THOSE CHIPS AND TEST THEM. AND ARE YOU ALL DOING THAT? AND, AND HOW CAN WE ADVANCE THAT SO THAT WE CAN GET AWAY FROM ANIMAL TESTING? THERE IS A PROGRAM, UM, AND AN INTEREST IN TEXAS BIOMETRICS TO DO THAT. AS I MENTIONED, UH, MANY [05:40:01] OF THESE ORGANS ON CHIPS AT THE PRESENT TIME ARE UNABLE TO REFLECT THE COMPLEXITY OF THE HUMAN TISSUE, THE THREE DIMENSIONS, THE TYPES OF CELLS THAT ARE PRESENT IN THEIR RELATIVE FUNCTION AS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO AS A COMPLEX AT, AT PRESENT. WE ARE JUST NOT ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT ON, ON A TEST TUBE, UH, ON A SLIDE. BUT, UH, MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED, AND IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IN, IN 10 TO 15 YEARS, UM, MANY OF THESE ORGANS OF ON CHIPS WOULD BECOME RELEVANT. NOW, WHAT THESE ORGANS ON CHIPS ARE ABLE TO DO AT THIS POINT OF TIME, UH, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO MEASURE ONE PARTICULAR FUNCTION FOR WHICH THEY WERE CREATED. BUT THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ORGAN AND HOW IT REACTS TO DISEASE AS A WHOLE ON A SYSTEM-WIDE BASIS, UM, I'M SORRY TO SAY IT DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS POINT OF TIME. AND THAT IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED BY MEDICINE. AND YOU SAID THAT IT MAY BE IN FIVE OR 10 OR 15 YEARS WILL GET THERE WITH MORE RESEARCH. ARE YOU ALL DOING ANY RESEARCH TO HELP ADVANCE THAT SO THAT WE CAN GET AWAY FROM ANIMAL TESTING? YES. SO, UH, INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHERS CONDUCT RESEARCH THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN. AS I MENTIONED, DR. SCHLESINGER'S LAB IS ONE OF THE PIONEERS IN IN VITRO MODELS OF LUNG GRANULOMAS. UM, SO YES, THERE ARE RESEARCHERS AT TEXAS BIOMED AND THERE ARE OTHER RESEARCHERS NATIONWIDE WHO ARE CONDUCTING THIS RESEARCH. UM, WE, WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH SOME OF THE LEADERS. UM, UH, THERE'S A RESEARCHER, UH, IN, UM, UH, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE WHO IS LEADING RESEARCH INTO, UM, ORGANS ON CHIPS IN, IN, IN, IN THE HUMAN STOMACH. AND, UH, WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH THEM BECAUSE MANY OF THESE EXPERIMENTS NEED VALIDATION. SO INDEED, THIS KIND OF WORK IS BEING PERFORMED AND BEING HELPED BY TEXAS BIOMED. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I KNOW WE'RE COMING UP TO THE END OF OUR DISCUSSION. DO WE NEED A HOLD IF WE DON'T HAVE SIX PEOPLE AT THE DAAS? ARE WE GOOD? OH, WAIT, WE HAVE TWO ON SCREEN. GOOD. OKAY. THAT COUNTS. GREAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, SO I THINK WE'RE MOSTLY DONE WITH THE DISCUSSION, BUT THERE, THERE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THAT WERE SAID EARLIER. AND, UH, I KNOW MANY OF THE, THE PEOPLE WHO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO SAID THEM ARE, ARE NO LONGER HERE. UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO JUST SHARE SOMETHING WITH THEM IF THEY WERE HERE, OR MAYBE THEY'LL WATCH THIS LATER. SO I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT EARLIER IN THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT ARPA, UM, I DID MAKE, UH, SOME PUBLIC REQUESTS AT OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS. UM, I DID REQUEST THAT WE HAVE AN OPEN SOLICITATION FOR ARPA FUNDS. UH, I DID REQUEST THAT, UH, WE WORK WITH ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEES, SUCH AS THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN OR OUR DISABILITY ACCESS, UM, ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, TO ASK THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY ALSO FELT WAS NEEDED IN THE COMMUNITY. SO SIMILAR TO THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD OUT IN THE PUBLIC, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, VOICES FROM THE PUBLIC LINED UP AND AN INFRASTRUCTURE READY TO GO THAT I, UM, THAT I HAD SUGGESTED THAT WE REACH OUT TO. AND I ALSO REQUESTED AND ADVOCATED THAT ALL AGENCIES BEING AWARDED FUNDING BE HELD TO THE SAME PROCESS. UH, NONETHELESS, WE ARE HERE TODAY. UM, I HAVE LONG CHAMPIONED, UH, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, UM, AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO SO. UM, AND I'M VERY ENCOURAGED BY, UH, SOMETHING I HEARD FROM, UH, DR. MADSON, UH, ABOUT HOW SHE IS PROPOSING TO INTEGRATE, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HER, OF THE PROJECT AT, AT EDUCARE. UH, DR. MADSON, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? YES, MA'AM. WELL, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN ALL OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ALL THE PUBLIC OPENINGS, UH, CONVERSATIONS. WE'RE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MORE THAN 20 COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INCLUDING PRE-K FOR SA, THE CHARLES BUTT FOUNDATION, HOLT FOUNDATION, UNITED WAY EARLY MATTERS OF CE WORKFORCE SOLUTION. ALAMO HEAD START, UH, CAN GO ON SO MANY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT WE PARTNER WITH, AND THE INTEGRATION OF THE EDU CARE ALLIANCE, IT'S A NETWORK AT A AND M SAN ANTONIO, WILL ALLOW US TO ENSURE THAT EXISTING DAYCARE CENTERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM AND CHILDCARE CENTERS AS WELL, WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHILDCARE DEVELOPMENT, AND TO ENHANCE AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE CHILDCARE EXPERIENCE, WHICH WE KNOW WILL IN, WILL INFLUENCE THE ENTIRE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. THANK YOU. UH, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS EARLIER TO YOUR TEAM WAS, HOW IS THIS GOING TO AFFECT [05:45:01] THE CHILDREN IN DISTRICT SEVEN OR THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT SEVEN? UM, SEEING AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, UH, PRO THIS PROCESS AWARDING, UH, FEDERAL FUNDS THAT ARE IN OUR CARE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND YOUR CAMPUS, HOW CAN I ENSURE THAT MY RESIDENTS WILL HAVE A VOICE IN THIS PROCESS? ABSOLUTELY. AS I SHARED WITH YOU, UH, THERE ARE 28 LICENSED CHILDCARE CENTERS SERVING ALMOST 2,900 STUDENTS THAT ARE CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO SCHOOL AGE. ONLY THREE OF THOSE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE STATE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT RATING SYSTEM KNOWN AS Q R I S, AND ONLY ONE OF THOSE CENTERS HAS A FOUR STAR RATING. WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS IT'S A QUALITY SYSTEM, A QUALITY RATING. AND SO THE INTENT THROUGH THE PROGRAMMING AND THROUGH THE CURRICULUM IS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING THOSE CHILDCARE CENTERS IN THE EXISTING CHILDCARE CENTERS THAT ARE IN YOUR DISTRICT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS AND UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN RECEIVE HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT RATES THROUGH, UH, THE PROGRESSIVE ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE CHILDCARE CENTER, AND INCREASING THE QUALITY OF THE CARE THEY'RE PROVIDING TO THEIR CHILDREN. WE SEE ABOUT 200 OF THOSE TEACHERS, APPROXIMATELY. THESE ARE ALL APPROXIMATE NUMBERS, UM, AT THE CENTER BENEFITING FROM THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THE EDUC CARE PROVIDES. SO WE COULD HAVE GREATER CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE IN THE OUTREACH AND THROUGH THE CONNECTION WITH ALL OF THE OTHER PARTNERS. THANK YOU. UH, MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD, BUT I HEARD THAT YOU HAD OFFERED TO HOST, UH, AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MADE UP OF RES OF A REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH DISTRICT. OH, WELL, THAT, THAT IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION. SO YES. NO, NO, NO. YOU DIDN'T MISUNDERSTAND. WHAT, WHAT, UM, AS THE PROGRAM DEVELOPS, THIS WILL BECOME PART OF OUR ACADEMIC UNIT. UH, SO WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, WE DO INTEND TO CREATE AN ADVISORY BOARD TO HELP ADVISE THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT. AND YES, THERE COULD BE ROOM FOR MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIVES FROM D SEVEN AS WE DO WITH ADVISORY BOARDS ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY. NOW, I'M SORRY, I MISUNDERSTOOD YOUR QUESTION. I, I WAS BEING TOO VAGUE. I THOUGHT YOU COULD READ MY MIND. , UH, MAYOR, I KNOW I'M GONNA RUN OUT, BUT I'M, I'M GONNA CALL IN THE MINUTES I DIDN'T USE UP THE, THE FIRST TIME AROUND. SO, DR. MATSON, I'M REALLY INSPIRED BY THAT. I DO WANT TO ENSURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS AND, UH, VERY WELCOME INVESTMENT IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, UH, BENEFIT FROM IT. WHAT, WHAT I WOULD THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WHAT, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE OTHER, UH, TWO AGENCIES BEING FUNDED TODAY IS WHAT PLATFORM DO THEY HAVE, UH, OR WOULD THEY BE WILLING TO PROVIDE FOR DISTRICT, UM, COUNCIL DISTRICT, OR CITY RESIDENTS TO ALSO BE A PART OF YOUR PROCESS OR TO HAVE A, A VOICE WITH YOU, A A FORMAL FORUM FOR, FOR THAT? SO AS THEY COME UP, WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT FOR ALL OF THE COUNCIL REPS ADVISORY. OH, YES. NO, NO, I'M SORRY. THANK YOU, DR. MATSON. BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SANDOVAL, THE OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE BEING FUNDED TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UM, YOU'RE POSING THE QUESTION. OKAY. UM, COME ON UP, GORDON COUNCILWOMAN. UM, UH, IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION AND, AND SOMETHING THAT I WILL ANSWER EMPHATICALLY THAT WE'D BE VERY HAPPY TO WORK VERY CLOSELY, UH, AND, AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY ON HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. UM, WE DO THAT ON A PERIODIC BASIS ALREADY. THAT'S VERY MUCH PART OF WHAT WE DO. AND SO THERE WOULD BE NO REASON IN THIS CASE WHY WE WOULD NOT WANT TO DO THAT IN AN EXTENSIVE MANNER. THANK YOU. ERIC, COULD I ASK YOU TO FOLLOW UP COUNCIL MEMBER? UM, IF YOU CAN TAKE THAT OFFLINE, UM, GO AHEAD AND ASK YOUR QUESTION TO STAFF, AND THEN WE'VE GOTTA MOVE ON TO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AROUND. THANK YOU. I'M, I'M, I'M, YOU MAY NOT BE APPROVING, BUT I'M CASHING IN MY CHIPS FROM THE FIRST TIME AROUND WHEN I MADE MY, MY MO NOT HOW IT WORKS. BUT GO AHEAD. COUNCIL MEMBERS, . ERIC, I'D LIKE TO ASK IF YOU COULD PLEASE COORDINATE WITH, UH, MORGAN'S WONDERLAND ABOUT MAKING THAT HAPPEN SO THAT WE CAN EACH SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO, UM, TO ADVISE AND TO WORK WITH AND PROVIDE INPUT AND, AND FOR ED CARE AS WELL, WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DOCUMENT, UH, FOR, YEAH, FOR ED CARE AND IF BIOMED IS OPEN TO THAT AS WELL. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, SIR. AND, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, I'M THAT TIRED. I'M NOT PUTTING UP A FIGHT ON THE LOOSENESS OF THE ROBERT'S RULES AT THE MOMENT. PLEASE DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME, . UM, SO, UH, TO CLOSE NOW, UM, COUNCILMAN BRAVO. THANK YOU. UM, SO I'M NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR HOW WE GOT HERE, BUT I'M, I DON'T SUPPORT THE PROCESS THAT ALLOWS SOME PEOPLE, SOME ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ABLE TO GET FUNDING NOW VERSUS OTHERS COME THROUGH ANOTHER PROGRAM. UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS WITH THE CITY, WHICH IS WHY I SUPPORTED COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ'S AMENDMENT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SEPARATE THOSE VOTES. UM, AT THE SAME TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, [05:50:01] THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW WHO ARE STRUGGLING AND, UM, WHO NEED HELP. AND WE NEED TO GET THESE FEDERAL FUNDS OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED. AND SO, I'M GONNA BE VOTING, YES, I DO. UM, I, WE, I THINK IT'S ALSO A MATTER OF GETTING THIS DONE AND MOVING ON, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH WORK WE DO UP HERE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, WORK THAT, THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING ONTO TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MY COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. BRAVO. UH, AND BEFORE I CLOSE WITH SOME REMARKS, UM, ERIC, DID YOU WANT TO DISCUSS PROCESS A BIT? YEAH, THANKS, MAYOR. I, I'LL JUST, UM, LET ME DO A COUPLE THINGS. LET ME, UM, LET ME REITERATE MY THANKS TO THE COUNCIL FOR THE TIME AND COMMITMENT. UM, UH, WE, WE HAVE SPENT A, A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES, UM, MAJOR URBAN AREAS. YOU WANT TO, YOU WANNA PASS ALONG TO COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA, MAYOR? NO, SHE'LL TALK AFTER YOU. OKAY. . ALRIGHT. SO WE'VE LOOKED AT, WE'VE LOOKED AT HOW OTHER, UM, MAJOR URBAN AREAS ARE, ARE APPROACHING ARPA AND, AND, UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE NOT MANY CITIES THAT HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT HAVE BEEN AS DELIBERATIVE, UM, UM, AND GONE THROUGH, UH, THIS TYPE OF PROCESS, UH, TO SET A FUNDING FRAMEWORK OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, UM, AND HAVE IT TARGETED IN THE AREAS, UM, THAT THE CITY, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WHERE IT'S NEEDED. SO I WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL FOR THAT. I, I DO WANT TO, UM, ALSO, UM, THANK THE STAFF BECAUSE THIS PROCESS, UM, AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF COMMENTS MADE, UH, TODAY, UH, THAT, THAT, UM, THIS WASN'T TRANSPARENT, UH, THAT IT WAS NOT EQUITABLE. IT WAS NOT FAIR. UM, UM, THIS WAS A, A, A VERY TRANSPARENT PROCESS. UM, AND WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT. AND I GET THAT THERE ARE SOME THAT MAY NOT BE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT WASN'T TRANSPARENT AND THAT WE WEREN'T DELIBERATIVE, UM, AND THAT WE DIDN'T ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. NOT EVERYBODY'S GONNA AGREE. UM, AND THAT'S WHY, UH, WE PURPOSELY AND COUNCILMAN COURAGE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN OCTOBER WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST CONVERSATION. YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN COURAGE ASKED ME, HE SAID, YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? AND I SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING UNTIL WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS. AND WE STUCK BY THAT. UM, AND LET THE COUNCIL CONVERSATION IN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER, THE TOWN HALLS AND THE SURVEY, UH, DRIVE WHERE WE'RE AT. SO I DID WANT TO, UM, THANK THE STAFF, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THIS WAS A, UM, A VERY GOOD PROCESS AND CERTAINLY ONE THAT I WILL, UH, DEFEND, UH, TO THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ERIC. COUNCIL MEMBER RJA GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SORRY, I DON'T LIKE GOING ROGUE OR VIOLATING ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER AND JUST PUSHING. YOU'RE NOT THE MIC, SO, THANKS. UM, SO, UH, EDUCARE, AND I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE SOMETHING THAT, THAT ERIC SAID, EDUCARE WAS THERE FROM THE BEGINNING, AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM DECEMBER THE NINTH WAS A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL SESSION. AND, UM, EDUCARE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS, AND I JUST FAILED TO, TO RECOGNIZE THAT EARLIER. I, I WAS, UH, FOCUSED ON OTHER THINGS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, UM, LET MY COLLEAGUES KNOW. THERE, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THE, THERE, THERE WAS, UM, AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAD BEEN IN THE BOND INSTEAD AND NOW CAME OVER TO THIS PROCESS BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T FOUNDED. AND THE, UH, FOUNDED IN THE, I'M SORRY, FUNDED IN THE BOND. BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO REASSURE, UH, FOLKS THAT EDUCARE HAS BEEN HERE FROM THE BEGINNING, UM, AS WELL AS MORGAN S WONDERLAND. SO, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. UM, I'LL, I'LL CALL THE QUESTION HERE IN JUST A SECOND. UH, BUT I DID WANNA MAKE A FEW COMMENTS. FIRST IS JUST THANKS, UH, THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, THANK YOU TO THE STAFF. THIS HAS BEEN A, A VERY ARDUOUS PROCESS, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S NOT DONE, UH, NOT BY A LONG SHOT. UM, SO LET ME RECOGNIZE SOMEBODY, I DON'T THINK HIS NAME, HER NAME HAS BEEN CALLED YET TODAY, BUT VERONICA CASTILLO AND THE CITY STAFF HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB. CARILLO CARILLO, I'M SORRY, VERONICA. LONG DAY VERONICA HAVE DONE A TERRIFIC JOB WITH MARIA, ERIC, UH, THE WHOLE TEAM, UM, IN PUTTING TOGETHER A PROGRAM REALLY SINCE THE BEGINNING PANDEMIC BEGAN, WHICH, UH, WE'VE SAID BEFORE, BUT I THINK DESERVES REPEATING THAT THIS CITY IS CONTINUALLY RECOGNIZED, UH, IN WASHINGTON AND OTHER AREAS OF HAVING, UM, DESIGNED AND, AND IMPLEMENTED IN ACTIVE SENSE, UH, THE FEDERAL FUNDS, UH, IN A MOST APPROPRIATE, EFFICIENT, AND IMPACTFUL MANNER. AND WE STAND AMONG THE VERY BEST IN THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY [05:55:01] PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING TO GET OUR ECONOMY AND OUR PEOPLE BACK ON THEIR FEET. SO THAT'S NOT EASY WORK, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MYRIAD NEEDS, UH, THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND, UH, HOW MANY, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WE'VE HAD TO JUGGLE. UM, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, AND TO MY COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY SOME OF WHOM WERE IN THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL. AND, UH, I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER REBECCA VILLAGRA HERE. UH, I DO WANNA MENTION SOMETHING, UM, IN JUST A MINUTE THAT SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH THAT I THINK IS RELEVANT TO TODAY. UM, BUT AS FOR THE, THE FRAMEWORK, IT'S A, IT'S A SOUND RECOMMENDATION BASED ON A, A LOT OF FEEDBACK AND THE PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION OF OUR MANAGER AND HIS TEAM, UH, AND I WILL SUPPORT IT ALONG WITH THE AMENDMENT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN, UH, VOTED ON BY THE COUNCIL WITH SPECIFIC, WITH THOSE THREE SPECIFIC REQUESTS. UM, AND LEMME SPEAK ABOUT EACH ONE JUST FOR A MINUTE. UH, WE KNOW THAT THIS CITY IS BLESSED, UH, BY THE TEAM AND THE COMMUNITY OF MORGAN'S WONDERLAND. AND IT'S NO SECRET TO ANYBODY IN THE WORLD BECAUSE IT'S BEEN NAMED BY TIME MAGAZINE, ONE OF THE MOST, UH, ONE OF THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PLACES IN THE WORLD, THAT PEOPLE COME TO THIS COMMUNITY TO SEEK CARE BECAUSE OF THE INCLUSIVE VISION OF MORGAN'S WONDERLAND. AND SO I WILL JUMP AT THE CHANCE, UH, IN A BALANCED AND EQUITABLE MANNER TO SUPPORT THAT MISSION. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY BECAUSE IT IS A IMPACTFUL INVESTMENT THAT WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO NEED TO INVEST IN. WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO INVEST IN, AND WE NEED TO INVEST IN ON EDUCARE. UM, I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE, UH, PHILIS VERAN FOR, UH, BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION. WE KNOW THE PAINS THROUGH WHICH THIS COMMUNITY IS INVESTING IN, ENSURING THAT WE DON'T GO BACK TO THE OLD NORMAL, WHERE WE'VE HAD 60,000 PEOPLE IN THE FOOD BANK LINES PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC WHEN WE HAD THE BEST ECONOMY THAT WE'VE HAD IN A GENERATION. WE DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE. UM, AND ITS INVESTMENTS IN OUR WORKFORCE AND AG ACCESS TO EDUCATION THAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE PUBLIC'S CONSENT THAT MAKES THAT POSSIBLE AND ALLOWS US TO SAY THAT WITH CLARITY OF VISION, EDUCARE IS IN SUPPORT OF THAT MISSION BECAUSE IT WILL IMPACT HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES WHO WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS, TO GAIN ECONOMIC MOBILITY, TO BREAK CYCLES GENERATIONAL POVERTY, IF NOT FOR THE CHILDCARE THAT'S BEING PROVIDED IN AN AREA THAT IS A CHILDCARE DESERT. I WASN'T TOO AWARE OF THIS PROGRAM UNTIL COUNCIL MEMBER GRO BROUGHT IT UP, AND I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. ONTO TEXAS BIOMED, AND THIS IS WHERE COUNCIL MEMBER, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, VIA VIA GRAND COMES IN. THIS IS, UH, AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INSTITUTION, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT FOR THE WORLD. AND I REMEMBER BEING UP HERE ON THIS DAIS A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE CELEBRATING THE INVESTMENT IN THE BSL FOUR LAB, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST BIOCONTAINMENT SECURITY LAB. YOU CAN, YOU CAN HAVE WHERE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH IN MEDICINE IS BEING CONDUCTED. THE KIND OF RESEARCH THAT ENSURES THAT EBOLA DIDN'T BECOME THE KIND OF PANDEMIC THAT COVID HAS BECOME. UH, IT'S THROUGH RESEARCH LIKE THAT THAT HAS SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES. AND I WILL BE ONE OF THOSE THAT FOLLOWS THE SCIENCE. AND I KNOW WE ARE SENSITIVE AND WE ARE SEEKING TO BE AS HUMANE IN THAT RESEARCH AS POSSIBLE, WHICH IS ALSO WHY I SUPPORT THIS INVESTMENT TO SUGGEST THAT TEXAS BIOME DOES NOT DO THAT, I THINK IS AS FAR FROM THE TRUTH AS YOU CAN BE. THIS INVESTMENT WILL ENABLE BETTER CARE OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR THAT TESTING. AND IT'S NOT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT REGULATES THE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS IN, IN FEDERAL TESTING LABS. IT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND UNTIL THERE'S A DIFFERENT WAY, WHICH I THINK THEY'RE ALREADY INNOVATING AND RESEARCHING DIFFERENT WAYS UNTIL THERE IS A DIFFERENT WAY TO SAVE LIVES, UH, FROM VIRUSES LIKE COVID, THIS IS THE PATH THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE. AND THIS IS A SCIENCE THAT WILL FOLLOW. SO ON THESE THREE INVESTMENTS, THERE IS NOT A SHRED OF DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THEY'RE SOUND IMPACTFUL, AND THAT WILL HELP US IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH A STRONGER RECOVERY. AND I HEAR, I HEAR THE CONCERNS. THERE'S NOT AN END OF THE NEED AND WE COULD SHAVE THIS MONEY EVERY WHICH WAY. UM, THERE IS A NEED FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE, THERE'S A NEED FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE, THERE'S A NEED FOR EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, AND THERE'S NEED FOR YOU NAME IT. AND I CAN TELL YOU ALSO WITH FULL CONFIDENCE, THIS COUNCIL IS BALANCING THOSE NEEDS AND INVESTING IN THOSE NEEDS. THIS CITY HAS THE LARGEST EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN THE NATION, AND WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN DC FOR IT, AND WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, APPLIED TO IT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN EFFICIENT IN DOING THAT. [06:00:01] AND THE CITY MANAGER JUST SENT ANOTHER LETTER TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THOSE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN CLAWED BACK FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T DO THAT. SO WE'RE DOING ALL OF THIS, AND IT TAKES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF BALANCE, AND IT TAKES A, A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, STEAL, UH, TO, TO GET THROUGH SOME OF THE COMMENTS BECAUSE, UH, IT IS CHALLENGING AND, AND SOMETIMES WE CAN'T RESPOND TO IT ALL. BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU EVERY BIT OF INPUT IS BEING LISTENED TO AND ACCOUNTED FOR AND BEING TREATED SERIOUSLY. SO AGAIN, UM, WHERE I STARTED WAS, THANK YOU. OUR PROCESS IS NOT OVER. WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. UM, BUT SOME OF IT, UH, WE CAN PUT A PERIOD TO THE END OF THE SENTENCE AND GET ON WITH THE WORK THAT WE HAVEN'T STARTED YET. SO AGAIN, TO MY COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, GOOD JOB TO THE STAFF. UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND CALL UP THE QUESTION NOW. ITEM FOUR HAS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL WITH THE AMENDMENT AS ALREADY VOTED, PLEASE VOTE. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER COBE. HDA AYE. MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT. UM, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ITEMS PULLED FOR CONSIDERATION, SO WE'LL GO STRAIGHT TO CITY MANAGER'S REPORT. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, WE'LL HOLD CITY MANAGER'S REPORT FOR NEXT WEEK, BUT, UH, WHILE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DELIBERATING, UH, MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN THE EMAIL I WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF, UH, UH, WORSENING CONDITIONS ON SOME OF OUR ROADS. ON, ON, UH, UH, ON THE, ON THE NORTH SIDE, A NUMBER OF ROADS HAVE BEEN PROACTIVELY CLOSED, UH, INCLUDING 4 10, 2 81, UH, 1604 AND I 10 16 0 4, AND 2 81 I 10 WEST FROM U T S A TO BERNIE STAGE ROAD I 35 AT WEEDER AND SIX AND 1604 AT U T S A BOULEVARD, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH TEXDOT AND PUBLIC WORKS IMPLEMENTED OUR ICE PLAN. AND, UH, WE EXPECT THE CONDITIONS POTENTIALLY TO, UH, WORSEN AS THE DAY GOES ON. UM, WE ARE URGING SAN ANTONIONS AND WE'VE PUSHED THIS MESSAGE OUT. WE PUSHED IT OUT AT TWO 30, UH, TO STAY OFF THE ROADS UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. UH, TO THAT END, UH, AT TWO 30 TODAY, UM, I STARTED SENDING ALL NON-ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES HOME. UH, SO WE COULD START TO, UM, UH, EASE, UH, TRAFFIC. UM, WE HAVE AN EXISTING ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVE REGARDING IMPLEMENT WEATHER AND EACH OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, BEGAN EXECUTING THAT AN HOUR AGO. UM, OBVIOUSLY, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, FIRE POLICE, UH, ALL REMAINING IN OPERATION. UH, WE'LL BE UPDATING THE PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA A LITTLE BIT LATER ON THIS EVENING. UM, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY PRECIPITATION, UH, STARTS TO TAIL OFF, UM, UH, HERE THIS AFTERNOON. BUT IT WILL BE COLD TONIGHT. OUR WARMING CENTERS WILL BE OPEN AND, UM, WE'LL BE, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT UPDATE. WE'LL SEND THE, UH, EMAIL UPDATE TO THE COUNCIL, UH, HERE PROBABLY AROUND FIVE O'CLOCK SO THAT YOU'VE GOT THE LATEST INFORMATION AND KIND OF HELP, UH, PUSH THAT INFORMATION OUT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU ERIC. UM, ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OVER THE ORDER OTHER THAN ANDY? DO WE HAVE AN EXEC? NO MAYOR, NO EXEC. SWEET MERCIES. ALL RIGHT. THE TIME IS 3:33 PM ON THIS THIRD DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2022, AND OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON. * 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.