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COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA HERE.
[Approval of Minutes ]
WE HAVE A QUORUM.OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING.
COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FOR FEBRUARY 22ND.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[Public Comments ]
APPROVED.UM, TODAY WE'VE GOT A LARGE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS, AND PRIOR TO TODAY'S MEETING, I'M SORRY, PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, OUR CLERK SAID, DO YOU WANT TO GIVE EACH OF OUR SPEAKERS A TWO MINUTE, YOU KNOW, SHOT CLOCK? UH, AND I SAID NO, UH, BECAUSE THEY'VE ALL GOT A LOT TO SAY.
AND SO, UH, PLEASE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CALL YOU, UM, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM, STEP INTO THE MICROPHONE, BUT, BUT ALSO, UH, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A SHOT CLOCK DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ARE INVITING YOU TO FILIBUSTER.
SO PLEASE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, REMEMBER THERE'S GONNA BE OTHER SPEAKERS, UH, BEHIND YOU AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER TODAY.
SO, UH, THE MORE SUCCINCT YOUR POINTS, UM, THE, THE BETTER.
SO WITH THAT, WE DO NOT HAVE A THREE MINUTE LIMIT.
UH, SO LET'S, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED AND AURORA WILL BE CALLING OUT THE SPEAKERS FIRST.
FIRST SPEAKER IS ERICA CARDENA.
MS. CARDENAS, WELL, SHE LIVES, I MADE A MISTAKE.
SO THAT WAS THE MARCH 22ND MINUTES.
HELLO, UM, MY NAME IS ERICA CARDEN.
UM, I'M HERE FOR RESTORE EDUCATION.
I AM CURRENTLY AN EMPLOYEE AT RESTORE EDUCATION, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I STARTED THERE AS A STUDENT.
I, UH, HAD TO GO BACK AND GET MY G E D I GRADUATED WHEN I WAS 16 YEARS OLD, 2002.
AND MY DIPLOMA WAS NEVER ACCREDITED.
I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD MY SON AT 18.
I WORKED AND WORKED AND WORKED.
COVID HAPPENED AND WE ALL, LIKE MOST OF US, LOST OUR JOB.
UM, THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY DIDN'T BRING ME BACK, SO I HAD TO EXPLORE OTHER OPTIONS.
MY INVALID DIPLOMA, UM, YOU KNOW, WAS FINALLY CATCHING UP TO ME AND I FOUND RESTORE EDUCATION.
I WENT THERE, GOT MY G E D I ENTERED INTO THE G E D NOW PROGRAM, WHICH WAS SOMETHING THROUGH THE CITY AS WELL.
AND I WAS ABLE TO GET MY G E D WITHIN A MONTH.
AND AFTER OBTAINING MY G E D I TOOK A BOOKKEEPING COURSE THROUGH RESTORE EDUCATION AS WELL.
AFTER THAT, I WAS ABLE TO ENROLL INTO COLLEGE ALSO WITH HELP FROM RESTORE EDUCATION.
THEY REALLY HAVE BEEN BY MY SIDE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
I AM GOING TO ALAMO COLLEGES NOW AS A BOOKKEEPING SPECIALIST.
AND I ALSO, LIKE I SAID, I'M EMPLOYED AT RESTORE.
THEY'VE STAYED BY MY SIDE THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS.
AND I DID JUST GET ANOTHER JOB, WHICH IS PAYING MORE THAN $20 AN HOUR.
UM, I HAVE AN 18 YEAR OLD SON WHO IS DOING AMAZING.
HE'S IN AN EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM.
UM, HE'S ON HIS WAY TO UT AUSTIN, SO I'M PLAYING CATCH UP TO HIM.
UM, I'LL CUT IT SHORT 'CAUSE I AM VERY NERVOUS, BUT I MEAN, I CAN'T THANK RESTORE EDUCATION ENOUGH FOR PROVIDING THIS AVENUE FOR ME AND MY SON.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU DO CONSIDER THEM IN YOUR FUNDING PURPOSES.
AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME,
MY NAME IS JUANITA VEDA AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE OF SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY, AS WELL AS THE CO-CHAIR FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION.
YOU ARE GONNA BE HEARING ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES SPEAK, WHICH IS JEREMY ROBERTS, WHO IS THE CURRENT CHAIR.
BUT I'M GONNA ECHO SEVERAL THINGS THAT MY COLLEAGUE HAS IS GOING TO BE HIGHLIGHTING.
ONE BEING IS THE COMMISSION REPRESENTS THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND STANDS AND UNDERSTANDS THE HARDSHIPS, THE TAKE ON DAILY, AND AS HAS SHOWED IN THE S S B A REPORTED ON THE THIRD QUARTER, 35% OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES CLOSE THOSE DOORS INDEFINITELY LAST YEAR WITH MANY MORE CONTINUING TO STRUGGLE AND HOPE THAT THEIR
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LEADERSHIP WILL AID WITH HELP JUST AS OUR SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE AIDED THEM AND REPRESENTED.OUR POSITION ON THIS COMMISSION IS AS COLLABORATORS, ADVISORS, AND ACTIVE MEDIATORS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
TODAY, I WANT TO REITERATE THE REPORT THAT E D D, WHICH EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES WHO ARE CALLED THE LIFEBLOOD OF OUR, OUR CITY, THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
IT WAS REPORTED THAT 97% OF OUR EMPLOYMENT WAS DUE TO SMALL BUSINESS, A MAJOR FACTOR THAT WE'RE HAVING TO CONSIDER TODAY.
THE SECOND TOPIC THAT I'D LIKE TO IMPACT IS THE VARIABLE INTEREST RATES AND THE EFFECTS THAT EVEN A 0.5% RAISE AS AN INTEREST RATE CAN HAVE ON A SMALL BUSINESS.
THE LAST TOPIC I WANNA FOCUS ON IS HOW THE FUNDS OF THE ARPA FUND WILL BE PUSHED OUT TO THOSE IN IMMEDIATE NEED.
I HIGHLY EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR A GRANT VERSUS A LOAN.
THIS IS A ONE-TIME DISTRIBUTION, AND IT'S A ONE-TIME DISTRIBUTION FOR THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES WHO HAVE NOT HAVE YET RECEIVED SUPPORT THAT WE GIVE AND PREPARE A PLAN AND APPROACHING FOR SPECIFICALLY IN THOSE AREAS AND HOPE THAT WE PROVIDE IN GRANT FORM SUPPORT TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
NOW, THESE ARE TOPICS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER CATEGORIES, BUT THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE IS HOW ARE YOU GETTING YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS? ARE YOU ACTUALLY FOCUSING ON THE POPULATION THAT ARE THE SMALL AND THE SECONDARY BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN DESPERATE NEED TO MAINTAIN THEIR DOORS OPEN TODAY? THANK YOU.
THE NEXT IS A JOINT GROUP OF SAGE, ROBERT MELVIN AND MICHELLE
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, ALLOWING US TO PARTICIPATE AND TO SPEAK, AND THANKING YOU ALL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
C OVID 19 IMPACT DURING THE PANDEMIC, ALONGSIDE OUR A HUNDRED PLUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS, SAN ANTONIO FOR GROWTH ON THE EAST SIDE, CONNECTED WITH OVER 2000 BUSINESSES TO ESSENTIAL RESOURCES AS THEY STRUGGLE TO ADAPTS.
SAGE HELPED FILE 50 P P P APPLICATIONS SECURING $500,000, 450 BEXAR COUNTY STRONG APPLICATIONS, SEEKING 6.3 MILLION, AND SECURING 1.7 MILLION 280 APPLICATIONS THROUGH OUR IN-HOUSE COUNTY FUNDED EMERGENCY FUND.
SECURING AN ADDITIONAL 314,000, ABOUT 600 SMALL BUSINESSES TOOK ADVANTAGE OF OUR BI, OUR RESOURCE HUB, WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO ACCESS TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWED FOR THEM TO ADDRESS THEIR DIGITAL NEEDS.
IN DECEMBER OF 2020, WE SURVEYED OVER 500 SMALL BUSINESSES AND 68% REPORTED FINANCIAL HARDSHIP DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.
WE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THOSE THAT MANAGED TO STAY OPEN, AND ESPECIALLY FROM THOSE THAT HAD TO SHUT THEIR DOORS, SUCH AS CAPACITY BUILDING, DIGITAL TRAINING TO LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY, BOOKKEEPING AND FINANCIAL LITERACY TOOLS, STRATEGIC GROWTH MANAGEMENT, ACCESS TO CAPITAL RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, FACADE AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, DIGITAL UPGRADES AND INTEGRATION, REVITALIZATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AND DEVELOPMENT THAT ALLOWED FOR US TO HIGHLIGHT THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR AND PLACE-BASED, UH, IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THEN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A DIVIDE.
THIS ALLOWS FOR US TO, ONE, UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN ASSIST OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY TO STREAMLINE THEIR OPERATIONS.
GIVEN THE HISTORY OF INEQUITABLE INVESTMENT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND AND REQUEST YOUR STRATEGIES SHOULD BE EQUITABLE.
SO FIRST, WE ASK THAT YOU IDENTIFY THE EAST SIDE AS A PRIORITY, GEO A PRIORITY GEOGRAPHIC AREA, AND EMBRACE PLACE BY PLACE.
THERE'S A LOT OF ACES IN THIS, AND EMBRACE PLACE-BASED STRATEGIES WITH RESPECT TO OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRIORITI PRIORITIZE STRATEGIES THAT LEAD TO SMALL BUSINESS STABILITY, MATURITY, AND RESILIENCE STRATEGIES THAT LEAD TO THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES, RIGHT SIZE, BUSINESS AND GROWTH PLANNING, SOUND FINANCIAL PRACTICES, EFFECTIVE AND ATTRACTIVE MARKETING AND BRANDING, MEANINGFUL DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGY AND INTEGRATION, EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, CUSTOMER RETENTION, SALES GROWTH, CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
LASTLY, SAGE SPECIFICALLY REQUESTS SUPPORT FOR OVER FOUR YEARS TO DEEPEN AND EXPAND OUR CURRENT COMMITMENT TO EAST SIDE SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT
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THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER COLLABORATIVE, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER COLLABORATIVE AND COORDINATING, UH, RESOURCES TO BEST SERVE OUR ECOSYSTEM OF BUSINESSES.WE WILL IMPLEMENT A PLACE-BASED APPROACH THAT INVENTORIES AND MAPS ALL THE SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN OUR GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES.
LAUNCHES AN EAST SIDE FOCUSED SMALL BUSINESS ACCELERATOR AND PARTNERSHIP WITH U T SS, A SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND OTHER CAPACITY BUILDING EDGE ENTITIES TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM THAT CAN EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR BUSINESS, EXPAND OUR IN-HOUSE RESOURCES, OUR STOREFRONT GRANT AND FACADE PROGRAMMING, UH, ESTABLISHING A DIGITAL STOREFRONT STOREFRONT FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UH, GROWING OUR BACK OFFICE PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO UTILIZE OUR SERVICES FOR THEIR FINANCIAL, UH, CLARITY AND FILING.
AND THEN PILOT THE CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION PROGRAM, WHICH WILL ENHANCE THE, THE BEAUTIFICATION OF OUR CORRIDORS THAT LEAD TO SOME OF OUR GREATEST ASSETS WITHIN THE CITY.
WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY.
IT IS TIME FOR US TO PAY SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE, AND THAT WE'VE TAKEN FOR GRANTED FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE THINK ABOUT SMOKESTACK CHASING.
WE THINK ABOUT TOYOTA, WE THINK ABOUT AT AND T, WE THINK ABOUT COCA-COLA, H E B, AMAZON, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
WHAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT ARE THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT AND THAT ACT AS THE LARGEST EMPLOYER WITHIN THIS CITY.
SO, WITH THAT, I CONCLUDE, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, JANE GONZALEZ.
UH, MY NAME IS JANE GONZALEZ AND I AM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, COINCIDENTALLY MILTON.
I'M LOCATED IN THE EAST SIDE, AND SO I REALLY, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THESE ARE EXTRAORDINARY TIMES THAT REALLY REQUIRE US TO ACT IN AN EXTRAORDINARY MANNER.
AND I'M HERE TO SAY TO YOU THAT I DON'T THINK THAT WE DO.
I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE HEADWINDS IN FRONT OF US FOR SMALL BUSINESS INTEREST RATES ARE GOING THROUGH THE ROOF.
SOME OF THESE SMALL COMPANIES, MAYBE ONES IN THE EAST SIDE, AS YOU ELOQUENTLY SAID, IF THEY HAD A MORTGAGE FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS, THAT MORTGAGE CAN GO UP TO MAYBE 300, $400 MORE A MONTH.
SO THE HEADWINDS ARE REALLY IN FRONT OF US, AND I'M HERE TO PROPOSE SOME SOLUTIONS THAT ARE SOMEWHAT UNIQUE TO SAN ANTONIO.
AS MILTON SAID EARLIER, UH, WE TEND TO FOCUS A LOT ON RECRUITMENT.
WE DON'T DO SUCH A GREAT JOB OF SCALING UP OUR LOCAL COMPANIES.
AND WHEN WE PROPOSE SOLUTIONS, WE LEAVE OUT A LOT OF THE TEENAGE COMPANIES.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS GIVE YOU A LITTLE EXPLANATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEPARATE SMALL COMPANIES FROM A MICRO, I REFER TO THEM AS INFANTS, EMBRYOS, STARTUPS, MICRO COMPANIES, VERSUS A TEENAGE COMPANY, WHICH, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK IT UP, SAN ANTONIO IS REALLY NEW TO THIS TERM, BUT I'M GONNA EDUCATE US, IS CALLED A SECOND STAGE COMPANY.
THE EDWARD LOWE FOUNDATION HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH TEENAGE COMPANIES.
IN THE WAY YOU DEFINE A TEENAGE COMPANY IS A COMPANY THAT'S BEEN IN BUSINESS BETWEEN ONE, UH, TO FIVE YEARS, A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS.
SO THEY, THEY'RE PROVEN BEYOND THE START OF PHASE, THEIR MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS, THEY GENERATE BETWEEN 1 MILLION TO 50 MILLION OF REVENUE.
UH, AND THEY TYPICALLY HAVE A MINIMUM OF 10 EMPLOYEES.
LISTEN TO THESE STATISTICS, GUYS.
TEENAGE COMPANIES REPRESENT ONE THIRD OF JOBS.
IT'S PROBABLY EVEN HIGHER NOW BECAUSE OF COVID.
THEY REPRESENT ONE THIRD OF OUR JOBS, BUT THEY GENERATE TWO THIRDS OF REVENUE AND TWO THIRDS OF JOBS.
WHAT AM I TELLING YOU? WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL US IS THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERED THE WORKHORSES OF THE US ECONOMY.
WE'VE GOT TEENAGE COMPANIES HERE IN THIS TOWN, BUT WE DON'T RECOGNIZE THEM.
WHAT WE DID WITH COVID IS THAT WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON LOANS.
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ON GRANTS.THAT'S ALL BALANCE SHEET STUFF.
WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO SCALE UP.
THERE WAS NOTHING TO SAY, GEE, LET'S TAKE THESE COMPANIES THAT ARE ALREADY CREATING JOBS.
WHAT CAN WE DO WITH A COMPANY LIKE MED WHEELS THAT IS IN THE EAST SIDE, A VERY DEPRESSED NEIGHBORHOOD? WHAT CAN WE DO TO SCALE UP THAT COMPANY FROM 1 MILLION TO 3 MILLION TO 5 MILLION? HOW MANY JOBS CAN THIS COMPANY CREATE IN A VERY SUPPRESSED NEIGHBORHOOD? AND SO, DON'T LISTEN TO MY WORDS ALONE.
LOUISIANA, CHRISTOPHER KASSAN AND I HAVE DONE REP, UH, REPRESENTATION ON THIS.
YOU CAN SEE US IN YOUTUBE IN LOUISIANA.
THEY TOOK 425 COMPANIES OUT OF THIS 425 COMPANIES, THEY GENERATED 15,000 JOBS.
THEY ADDED 3.3 BILLION WITH A B INTO THE ECONOMY.
WHAT THEY'VE DONE WITH THESE TEENAGE COMPANIES IN FLORIDA, FOR EVERY $1 THAT THEY INVESTED, THEY GOT BACK $9.
AND SO I REALLY, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I REALLY WOULD, UH, MY ASK IS FOR US TO REALLY START THINKING ABOUT INNOVATIVE IDEAS, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, UH, AND I'M GONNA BE, I'VE BEGUN VERY PUBLIC.
I JUST FINISHED MY CHEMO IN OCTOBER.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I WANT FOR ALL OF US TO KNOW HOW RESILIENT WE ARE.
WE'RE THE PASSION OF THIS TOWN.
AND ALL I'M ASKING IS FOR YOU GUYS TO DO SOMETHING BACK IN RETURN FOR US.
THOSE FAMILIES THAT YOU KNOW, ARE, MIGHT LOSE THEIR HOMES, THEY MIGHT LOSE, WHATEVER, GIVE US A CHANCE TO SKILL.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
SO BE BEFORE WE HAVE OUR NEXT SPEAKER, I, I'M GONNA JUST EXERCISE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE HERE.
UM, THIS LADY ALMOST DIED ON US.
UH, AND SHE, I'VE NEVER SEEN A HUMAN BEING FIGHT CANCER HARDER THAN HER.
AND, UH, JAMIE, I'M, YOU'RE, YOU'RE A JEWEL AND YOU'RE AN IMPORTANT ADVOCATE FOR BUSINESS IN SAN ANTONIO, AND WE'RE SO BLESSED THAT YOU'RE STILL HERE WITH US.
IT'S ALMOST NOT FAIR THAT I GET TO GO AFTER JANE, RIGHT? UM, SO ULISA CARELLO, I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
I'VE BEEN IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 25 YEARS.
UM, BUT I'VE BEEN A PART OF ADVOCATING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE SAME 25 YEARS.
UM, THE REASON I AM HERE IS BECAUSE I AM ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT, UH, COUNCIL TO DEVELOP A RECOVERY PLAN THAT'S GOING TO ADDRESS OUR SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS IN A WAY THAT WE CAN MEASURE, ADVANCE, AND BE ABLE TO PULL EACH OTHER UP.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE STRUGGLED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, UM, MORE THAN WE EVER DREAMED OF, RIGHT? AND WE DID IT IN A WAY THAT WE WERE LOOKING TO SURVIVE AS BEST AS WE COULD TO KEEP OUR BUSINESSES OPEN AND TO KEEP AS MANY JOBS AS WE COULD, UM, WORKING TO SERVE OUR CLIENTS.
WE ALSO KNOWN THAT DURING THAT PERIOD, WE DID NOT GROW OUR BUSINESS.
WE, WE WERE JUST TRYING TO KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN.
UM, TWO YEARS AGO, THE CITY COUNCIL IDENTIFIED TWO CRISIS, A HEALTH CRISIS THAT ADDRESSED THE VACCINE.
YOU GUYS DID AN AMAZING JOB SUPPORTING COMING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO BRING THE SUPPORT WE NEEDED TO GET IT.
BUT THE OTHER CRISIS WAS THE ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT WAS NOT ADDRESSED IN THE SAME FORMAT.
I AM ASKING YOU TO DO IT IN THE SAME FORMAT.
COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, WORK WITH THE COUNT CO COUNTY, UM, LEADERSHIP, WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, WORK WITH ALL OF US THAT WANT TO BE A PART OF RECOVERING THIS SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT NOBODY IS DOING IT.
AND WE WANT YOU TO DO IT WITH CAPACITY BUILDING.
WE WANT YOU TO DO IT WITH GRANTS.
WE WANT YOU TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS THAT WE ARE HAVING FOR MATERIALS THAT WE CAN'T GET FOR OUR, OUR JOBS, AND ALSO FOR OUR BUSINESSES.
WE CAN'T GET THE SUPPLIES WE USED TO.
WE ALSO DO NOT HAVE THE WORKFORCE THAT WE USED TO HAVE.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE OPTIONS TO PICK AND CHOOSE ANY EMPLOYEES.
WE DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO HIRE BECAUSE THERE'S NONE COMING TO THE DOOR.
UM, WE ARE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, BUT WE HAVE EXCLUDED SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WE'VE EXCLUDED SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AS IF THEY WEREN'T EMPLOYEES OF THEIR OWN COMPANIES.
THAT IS SOMETHING YOU GUYS CAN FIX.
IF YOU GUYS CHOOSE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, A SMALL PERCENTAGE CAN GO TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHOSEN A CAREER PATH TO BE BUSINESS OWNERS AND DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE SUPPORT THEY NEED.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY WITH ARFA WITH THE 30 MILLION.
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IS TOO MUCH.35% IS LIKE 15,000 BUSINESSES THAT HAVE SHUT DOWN IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND ARE WE GONNA WAIT TILL THE NEXT TIME THEY DO THE COUNT AND IT GOES TO 50%? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO ADDRESS THAT? THIS IS A REAL ISSUE.
IT'S REAL, AND WE'RE LIVING IT EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND WE NEED YOU TO COME VISIT US AND SEE WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, BECAUSE WE NEED YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS.
DEVELOP A PLAN, AND YOUR STAFF WORKS SUPER HARD, BUT THEY'RE NOT ENOUGH.
THEY NEED MORE SUPPORT, RIGHT? BUT WE'RE SERVING, I SERVE ON YOUR SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION.
WE ARE GIVING THE BEST ADVICE WE CAN, BUT IT'S NOT BEING ABSORBED AS QUICKLY AS WE NEED IT BECAUSE THERE'S NO RELIEF COMING YET.
VICKI WILLOUGHBY, I THINK I, HELLO EVERYONE.
I AM A MICRO BUSINESS OWNER ON THE WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, I HAVE A BUSINESS FORMERLY KNOWN AS BRAIN FREEZE IS NOW.
I'M CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO, UH, FOCUS MY INDUSTRY IN JUST MANUFACTURING.
AND WITH THAT COMES A LOT OF CHANGES.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO GET ELECTRICITY, RENOVATE THE PROPERTY AND MAKE IT LOOK NICE, MAKE IT LOOK PRESENTABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO, UM, I JUST WAS HERE TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS, UM, I MYSELF, UM, APPLIED AT ONE TIME FOR A PROGRAM THAT WAS CALLED, UM, IT WAS A FACELIFT PROGRAM THAT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND, UM, I DIDN'T GET, I WAS NOT A RECIPIENT OF IT.
I DIDN'T LINE UP MY CONTRACTORS, I GUESS, AND THEN THE PROGRAM WENT AWAY.
SO I WAS JUST HERE TO, UM, ASK IF Y'ALL WOULD CONSIDER, UM, BRINGING PROGRAMS SUCH AS THAT FOR OUR, UM, FOR FACELIFT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
UM, A LOT OF OUR COMMUN OUR, MY COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY ON THE WEST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, THEY NEED THAT.
UM, SOME OF THE BUSINESSES DO NOT LOOK AS, AS REPRE AS, AS REPRESENTABLE AS THEY SHOULD.
AND PERHAPS MAYBE THEY SERVE A GOOD PRODUCT OR SERVICE, BUT MAYBE PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT BECAUSE OF THE FACIAL, UM, YOU KNOW, FEATURES OF THE BUSINESS.
UM, SO PROGRAMS LIKE THE FACELIFT PROGRAM WAS A REALLY GOOD PROGRAM.
AND I'D LIKE TO ASK IF Y'ALL WOULD PLEASE CONSIDER THAT.
UM, ANOTHER THING WAS, UM, AS A, UM, I GUESS, UM, I, MYSELF WAS A RECIPIENT OF THE, UM, SMALL BUSINESS GRANT AT THAT TIME.
NOW I'M IN A DIFFERENT POSITION AND IT'S PLACE, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO PLEASE CONSIDER, UM, LIFTFUND DID A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH THAT.
UM, THEY MADE IT VERY FRIENDLY FOR ME TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND, UM, IT WAS EXTREMELY, UM, EASY.
IT WASN'T, UM, I GUESS A LOT OF RED TAPE.
AND WITH THAT IN MIND, AS A SMALL BUSINESS, AS A MICRO BUSINESS, UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO PLEASE CONSIDER LIFTFUND, UM, BEING, YOU KNOW, WORKING AGAIN WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THEN I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION, ALSO KNOWN AS SBA C.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE S A C THAT ALREADY CAME UP TO SPEAK ALREADY.
UH, JUANITA, ISSA, JANE, VICKI, AND I SEE OTHER MEMBERS IN HERE TOO, SARAH
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AND ALSO RYAN.UM, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON TODAY IS REALLY THE IMPACT OF SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE ARE NOT DOING THIS IN A SILO.
THIS IS NOT JUST A COMMISSION THAT JUST KIND OF LIVES ON ITS OWN.
FOR OUR OWN PURPOSES, WE REPRESENT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE ARE THE, THE EYES, THE EARS, AND THE VOICE OF THAT CITY.
AND I'D LIKE TO START BY HIGHLIGHTING THAT OUR COMMISSION REPRESENTS ALL OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THE HARDSHIPS THAT THEY TAKE ON TODAY.
WE TALKED ABOUT ONE THIRD OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CLOSED, RIGHT? AND WITH THE REST, THEY'RE HANGING ON BY A THREAD.
AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE COMING TO US AND THEY'RE BRINGING THAT VOICE TO OUR COMMISSION EVERY MONTH THAT WE SPEAK.
AND THEY'RE SAYING, HOW CAN YOU HELP US TODAY? NOT HOW CAN YOU HELP US THIS SUMMER, BUT HOW CAN YOU HELP US TODAY? AND ONE THING TO NOTE TOO, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT SUCCESS.
WE'VE BEEN UP AND RUNNINGS NOW FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BRENDA HICKS SORENSON AND ANNA BRADSHAW AND THE REST OF THE TEAM, AND IT'S BEEN GREAT AS WE'VE STARTED TO FORM OUT WHAT THE SPAC MEANS.
AND I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IT'LL BE IMPORTANT TO SEE WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
SO TODAY, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS GIVE YOU INSIGHT INTO FOUR KEY TOPICS THAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON WITH THE SBA C AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU GUYS TO UNDERSTAND.
AND IT'LL BE JUST A LITTLE SLIGHT, YOU KNOW, INSIGHT INTO EACH ONE.
I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO IT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING, JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
THIS IS SOMETHING FOR YOUR, YOUR, UH, COMMITTEE TO REALLY FOCUS ON.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS, DO WE HAVE AN A RECOVERY PLAN? I KNOW THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT THE STAFF HAS CREATED, BUT DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A RECOVERY PLAN? DO WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN START? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT'S ALSO FOCUSED ON SMALL BUSINESSES? AND IF NOT, LET'S CREATE.
RIGHT? AND IF, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, WE WANT TO HELP, WE, WE HAVE 10 DISTRICTS.
UH, WE, WE HAVE COMMISSION MEMBERS FOR 10 DISTRICTS, FOUR LARGE, AND ONE MERRILL POINTEE.
ALL OF US WILL WORK DAY AND NIGHT TO HELP YOU FIGURE THIS OUT, RIGHT? WE'RE ALREADY OUT THERE.
I KNOW EVEN, UH, JUANITA IS OUT THERE IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO TALKING TO SMALL BUSINESSES, ASKING THEM WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
SO IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, JUST ASK THE COMMISSION.
SO WE WANT TO HELP YOU GUYS, RIGHT? THE SECOND THING IS TO UNDERSTAND THE MODALITIES OF IN PLACE, OF HOW YOU'RE GONNA USE THOSE ARPA FUNDS, RIGHT? DO WE HAVE MODALITIES OF HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE ACTUALLY GONNA BE USED? AND WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS? AND FROM THAT, HOW DO WE HELP THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES? AND IF THERE'S NOT SOMETHING THERE WE WANT TO HELP.
THE THIRD IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACT OF VARIABLE INTEREST RATES.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THINK OF THE IMPACT OF A 0.5% OR A 1% INCREASE IN THOSE INTEREST RATES.
IF THAT HAPPENS, ALL THESE SMALL BUSINESSES WILL CRUMBLE AND DIE.
IT SOUNDS MORBID, BUT IT'S TRUE, RIGHT? I MEAN, I, I REMEMBER IN THE LAST, UM, IN THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING WE HAD, YOU KNOW, JANE TALKED ABOUT THAT PASSIONATELY.
AND, AND THERE'S NOT MORE WE CAN SAY IS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S WAIT TILL WE GET TO THIS MEETING AND LET'S TALK ABOUT IT IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS.
1% WILL KILL SMALL BUSINESSES, PROBABLY ANOTHER THIRD IN THIS CITY.
SO HOW CAN WE WORK ON THAT? WHAT IS OUR PLAN? DO WE HAVE A GAME PLAN FOR THAT? AND IF THERE'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO HELP, THE THIRD ONE IS TO HIGHLIGHT, ACTUALLY, THAT'S THE THIRD, THE FOURTH, WE WANNA TALK ABOUT ARPA, RIGHT? WITH ARPA, IT IS A ONE-TIME FUND, BUT ARE THERE GRANTS BEING PUSHED OUT? OR ARE THERE LOANS BEING PUSHED OUT? RIGHT? THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO AND THE EFFECT OF A GRANT VERSUS A LOAN HAS A DIFFERENT EFFECT ON THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO WE WANNA FOCUS ON THE IDEA THAT A GRANT REALLY MAKES A TRUE DIFFERENCE AND TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND IF THERE'S NOT SOMETHING THERE IN PLACE AND YOU NEED OUR INPUT, WE'RE HERE TO HELP.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO ALSO FOCUS ON IS THAT IT'S NOT, NOT EVERY SMALL BUSINESS IS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS EXACTLY THE SAME.
I SEE EVERYTHING AS FAR OF A, IN PART OF LIKE A 60, 30, 10 RULE, RIGHT? SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 60, 30, 10 RULE, 10% OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR CITY HAVE NO TROUBLE GETTING CONTRACTS.
THEY HAVE NO FEAR WALKING INTO A BANK.
THEY, THEY HAVE NO FEAR ASKING FOR A LOAN.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA MISUNDERSTAND HOW TO GET ACCESS TO HELP.
THEY ARE NOT OUR IMMEDIATE FOCUS.
THEN THERE'S A 30%, 30% OF THE OTHER BUSINESSES, THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROCESS OUT THERE.
THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS, BUT THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S HELP, RIGHT? THEY KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO GO IN, THEY NEED SOME SUPPORT, THEY NEED SOME GUIDANCE.
THEY'RE ALSO NOT OUR, OUR IMMEDIATE NEED BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW TO GET HELP.
BUT OVER TIME, THE REAL IMMEDIATE FOCUS IS THAT 60% OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT NEED HELP YESTERDAY.
SO THESE ARE THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT DEFINED BY THE S B A.
WE TALKED ABOUT MICRO BUSINESSES, MOM AND POPS, THEY NEED HELP, RIGHT? THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE NO ACCESS TO CAPITAL, NO PREPARED FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS, HOW TO WALK INTO A BANK.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY OR THE, THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION SOMETIMES.
AND MARINA GTO WOULD EVEN SAY, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET.
[00:30:01]
HOW DO YOU FILL AN APPLICATION IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET? IT'S KIND OF IMPOSSIBLE.SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS TO WHERE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO NEED THE MOST HELP TODAY, AND WE WANT TO HELP.
SO MY ROLE HERE TODAY IS TO FOCUS ON ALL THAT.
AND MY GOAL IS TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THESE ACTIONS.
SO WHAT I WANNA DO IS TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE HERE TO HELP.
JUST LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN, WE'D LOVE TO CONTINUE WORKING MORE WITH THE CITY STAFF TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
BUT THERE'S AN EMPHASIS ON TODAY.
IF FUNDS ARE COMING IN THIS SUMMER, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? WE CAN'T HAVE A PLANNING SESSION.
AND THEN HOPE THAT GOES OUT IN SEPTEMBER.
ONCE IT COMES IN, IT'S GOTTA GO RIGHT OUT THE DOOR THE NEXT DAY.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
UM, MY NAME IS TERESA CANALES.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE FRIENDLY FACES.
MR. WALSH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT KITCHEN CAMPUS, WHICH IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT.
AND I'M JUST GONNA USE IT AS A SEGUE TO TIE INTO SOME OF THESE GREATER ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO A KITCHEN CAMPUS IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE.
AND WE WILL SOON LAUNCH OUR FIRST INDUSTRY DRIVEN REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IN TEXAS, DEVELOPED BY THE CULINARY HOSPITALITY AND RESTAURANT INDUSTRY.
OUR EFFORTS ARE COLLABORATIVE WITH PARTNERS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVEL.
THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, SPECIFICALLY TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION AND COUNTY AND CITY ELECTED ELECT, ELECTED LOCAL OFFICIALS.
UM, SO WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE FOLLOWING.
WE ARE, UH, COMMITTED TO PROVIDING UPSCALE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMMING TO CURRENT INDUSTRY WORKERS IN SPECIFIC HIGH NEED AREAS.
THAT'S THINGS LIKE BUTCHERS, BAKERS, UH, COOKS, CHEFS.
AND WE WILL DO THIS IN ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION WITH SMALL BUSINESSES IN RESPONSE TO THE INDUSTRY'S DIRE NEED FOR PROPERLY SKILLED EMPLOYEES AND FOR CONTINUED TRAINING AND JOB GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO, TO PROVIDING SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT SMALL BUSINESSES VIA MOBILE TEACHING UNITS FOR BUSINESS LITERACY DEVELOPMENT.
SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOUCHED ON TODAY.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.
ACCOUNTING, FOOD COSTS, UM, ADMINISTRATION, HUMAN RESOURCES MARKETING, UM, BUSINESS LITERACY, DEVELOPMENT, BRAND DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT MEETING THE NEEDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES DIRECTLY IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE ARE ALSO, UM, COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING A REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM THAT ALIGNS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION AND ESSAY READY TO WORK STANDARDS AS WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THE UNIQUE CULTURAL CUISINE THAT IS A PART OF THE LEGACY OF SAN ANTONIO AND SOUTH TEXAS.
SO THAT'S OUR INTRODUCTION REGARDING KITCHEN CAMPUS.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR RESEARCH, UM, IN THE, UH, IN THE LOCAL RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, IS THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE CULINARY RESTAURANT INDUSTRY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CULINARY AND RESTAURANT INDUSTRY ARE BOTH REQUIRED.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE CULINARY AND RESTAURANT INDUSTRY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ARE BOTH REQUIRED, UM, FOR THE RESHAPING AND REBUILDING OF THE INDUSTRY, NOT ONE OR THE OTHER.
AND WE, WE THINK THAT THIS IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC AND GERMANE TO THESE INDUS TO THE INDUSTRY FOR LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR EMPLOYERS.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER WORD THAT WAS JUST BROUGHT UP, UM, EARLIER ON.
ENTREPRENEUR, EMPLOYERS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE AND CULINARY PROFESSIONALS TO CONTINUE SHAPING AND TEACHING FUTURE BAKERS, CHEFS, COOKS, HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONALS, AND CULINARIANS THE SAME APPRENTICESHIP SPIRIT WITH YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT AND TUTELAGE THAT IS CURRENTLY A PART OF THE THINK PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS.
THIS SAME APPRENTICESHIP SPIRIT WILL HAVE TO BE APPLIED TO THE RESTAURANT AND CULINARY INDUSTRY.
THIS WILL REQUIRE AN INVESTMENT IN AND A NEW PERSPECTIVE OF THE WORKER.
WE NEED TO SEE THE WORKER DIFFERENTLY IN THESE INDUSTRIES.
UM, I WILL REITERATE THE SHAPE OF THE CULINARY HOSPITALITY RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IN EUROPE.
FRANCE IN PARTICULAR, UM, WAS SHAPED BY THE DEDICATION TO AN ART FORM.
UM, THIS ART FORM WAS A REFINED ART FORM OF HOSPITALITY AND A CULINARY EXPERIENCE.
LET'S THINK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THAT SAME INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE ROOTS OF OUR HOSPITALITY AND RESTAURANT INDUSTRY ARE BASED IN A CASTE SYSTEM TO RESHAPE THE SYSTEM, WE ARE SHAPING THE SAME WAY INDIVIDUAL.
WE ARE RESHAPING THE WAY INDIVIDUALS APPROACH WORK AND THE WAY THE EMPLOYER AND THE PUBLIC SEE THE WORKER.
[00:35:01]
THIS MEANS SEEING THE WORKER AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A SYSTEM WITH A LIVING WAGE, APPROPRIATE TREATMENT AS A PROFESSIONAL, AND A DEDICATION OF NURTURING THE DEVELOPMENT AND REFINEMENT AS AN ART FORM.THIS WILL COME AT A PRICE TO THE EMPLOYER, WHICH WE ALREADY KNOW THAT IT HAS AND THE CONSUMER, BECAUSE THE PRICE OF HOSPITALITY AND THE REPUTATION OF THE CITY AS A UNESCO CITY OF CREATIVE GASTRONOMY HAVE BEEN BUILT LARGELY ON THE BACKS OF THE WORKERS IN THE PAST.
AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE, UH, EMPLOYER ENTREPRENEUR, THE RESHAPING OF THE INDUSTRY WILL REQUIRE AN INVESTMENT IN HUMAN CAPITAL WITH INCREASED AND SUPPLEMENTED BENEFITS AND PAY SCALES FOR VARYING LEVELS OF PROFESSIONALISM NOT PREVIOUSLY SEEN IN THIS INDUSTRY.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SHOULD BE A PART OF THIS REDEVELOPMENT AND REINVESTMENT IN HUMANS.
KITCHEN CAMPUS IS PREPARED TO DEVELOP AND GROW THE NEXT GENERATION OF CULINARY CREATIVES.
WE HOPE THE CITY WILL FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY, ITS PARTNERS AND THE SYSTEM REQUIRED, UH, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AS WE ALL EVOLVE TOGETHER.
I JUST WANTED TO JUST QUICKLY SAY, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR THE, THE FORM.
I'VE ALREADY LEARNED SO MANY THINGS ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS, AND I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF COLLABORATIVE, UH, EFFORTS.
SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH EVERY ORGANIZATION HERE.
WE'VE BEEN COMMITTED TO THIS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM NOW, PROBABLY SINCE 2014, KITCHEN CAMPUS.
AND OUR MISSION THERE HAS BEEN TO JUST ELEVATE OUR INDUSTRY AND RAISE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO, UH, THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, PRE PANDEMIC, UH, MISSION THAT OUR NONPROFIT HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO.
SO, GRACIA AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, WITH EVERYONE.
I REPRESENT THE CHILDREN'S REHABILITATION INSTITUTE, TELE LATON, S A, UH, BETTER KNOWN AS CRIT.
WE WERE ESTABLISHED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IN, UH, 2014.
CRIT SERVES MORE THAN 500 FAMILIES WITH DISABILITY.
AND I SAY FAMILIES BECAUSE WHEN DISABILITY STEPS IN, IT AFFECTS THE WHOLE FAMILY, NOT JUST ONE MEMBER.
AND THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE ENCOMPASS THE WHOLE FAMILY.
IT, UH, WE HAVE SERVICES FOR PARENTS AND FOR SIBLINGS TOO.
NO, UH, OUT OF THOSE 500, UH, FAMILIES WE SERVE A YEAR MORE.
ALMOST 300 ARE FROM SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE HAVE A HUGE WAITING LIST OF MORE THAN 1600.
NO, WE SERVE 500, AND WE HAVE A WAITING LIST OF MORE THAN 1600.
OUT OF THOSE, UH, OF ABOUT 200 OF THEM ARE FAMILIES FROM SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE IN OUR WAITING LIST.
UH, AND THE PANDEMIC WAS NO EVEN INCREASED, UH, THE WAITING LIST FOR, FOR SERVICES AT CRIT? NO.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ARE VERY UNIQUE.
WE'RE NOT THE ORDINARY, UH, REHABILITATION CENTER.
UM, BECAUSE USUALLY OUTPATIENT REHABILITATION JUST OFFERS PHYSICAL THERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY.
WE ARE THE ONLY CENTER THAT HAS EVERYTHING UNDER THE SAME ROOF AND MANAGED BY A PHYSICIAN, BY A PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION PHYSICIAN.
SO HAVING EVERYTHING UNDER THE SAME ROOF, PHYSICAL THERAPY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, SPEECH AND LANGUAGE, PM AND R SERVICES, UM, THE PHYSICIAN, UH, PSYCHOLOGY, COUNSELING, NUTRITION, GENETICS.
THEN THE RESULTS OF THE TEAM WORKING TOGETHER ARE FASTER AND BETTER.
SO WE HAVE FAMILIES THAT HAVE ALREADY, KIDS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN THERAPY IN OTHER PLACES, AND THEY COME AT WITH SIX YEARS, EIGHT YEARS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN, HAVE THEY HAD THERAPY DURING THE, THEIR WHOLE LIFE, AND THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WERE NEVER GONNA WALK OR THEY'RE NEVER GONNA SPEAK.
AND AFTER A YEAR OR TWO, THEY'RE WALKING, THEY'RE SPEAKING, THEY'RE RUNNING, THEY'RE, AND IT, IT'S NOT ALL THE CASES, IT'S, BUT IN ALL OF THE CASES, WE SEE AN IMPROVEMENT, AN INCREDIBLE IMPROVEMENT FROM WHAT THEY WERE RECEIVING.
AND WHEN THEY COME TO CRIT, BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING IS WORKING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, AND E EVERYTHING IS, EVERYONE IS WORKING AS A TEAM.
SO RESOURCES ARE REALLY YIELDING BETTER, BETTER RESULTS, YOU KNOW, OF THE FAMILIES WE SERVE, 50% OF THEM ARE BELOW POVERTY LINE 70, 74% ARE ON MEDICAID, AND 10% OF THEM ARE UNINSURED.
NO, WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE WE'RE A 5 0 1 C THREE, AND WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT NO MATTER WHAT, IF YOU'RE INSURED, UNDERINSURED OR UNINSURED, YOU CAN GET ALL THE
[00:40:01]
SERVICES YOU NEED AT CRIT.UM, BUT THE THING IS, WE ONLY GET REIMBURSED FOR 30% OF OUR OPERATIONAL COST.
NO, UH, IN ORDER, UH, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, IT'S TO EXPAND.
IT'S REALLY, IT IS, IT IS TOUCHING TO SEE HOW HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE IN THAT WAITING LIST.
AND IN OUR SAME BUILDING, WE COULD BE SERVICING MORE FAMILIES IF WE HAD MORE RESOURCES.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS TO REDUCE THE WAITING, THE WAITING LIST.
AND WE NEED TO SCALE UP BY HIRING ANOTHER TEAM OF A PHYSICAL THERAPIST, AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, AND A SPEECH AND LANGUAGE TO, WITH THAT TEAM OF THREE, WE CAN, WE CAN REDUCE THE WAITING LIST.
UH, AND, AND WE CAN BE UPSCALING IN THE SAME, THE COST, THE OPERATIONAL COST OF THE WHOLE CENTER.
IT'S GONNA REMAIN THE SAME JUST BY HIRING A, A, A TEAM OF THREE AND SERVICING MORE KIDS AND GETTING THEM OUT OF OUR WAITING LIST, YOU KNOW? SO I WOULD LIKE TO, FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THIS.
NO, WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES PUT IN PLACE, AND JUST BY A SMALL AMOUNT, UH, IN OF INCREASING OUR BUDGET, WE COULD BE REDUCING THAT WAITING LIST.
THE LAST SPEAKER IS STEVEN SILVER.
AREN'T YOU LUCKY? I'M THE LAST SPEAKER,
I SEE, UH, CO COUNCILMAN COURAGE HERE.
HE HAS BEEN TO OUR FACILITY, UM, YESTERDAY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN
I'M GONNA FOCUS ON SOMETHING THAT REALLY RELATES TO ARPA, SPECIFICALLY.
I'M THE GRANT WRITER FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
AND FUNDERS ARE ALWAYS ASKING, WHAT ARE THIS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THAT RINGS A BELL? I'M SURE THERE'S FIVE KEY DOMAINS.
ECONOMIC STABILITY, WHICH WE'VE TOUCHED ON.
EDUCATION, HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE.
NEIGHBORHOOD AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT, AND SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY CONTEXT.
OUR PATIENT AND FAMILY POPULATION MEETS ALL FIVE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, THUS PROVIDING REHAB SERVICES, SOCIAL WORK, COUNSELING, ALONG WITH SPIRITUAL COMPONENT.
AND THOSE ARE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES.
AND AS, UM, MS. ANO SAID, WE HAVE, UM, ALMOST AN EIGHT YEAR HISTORY OF PRODUCING THOSE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES.
AND, UH, AGAIN, UM, I WANT TO THANK THE, UH, THE ORGAN, THE, UM, UH, THE BODY FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK.
AND, UH, WE'D APPRECIATE, UH, SUPPORT, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
I, I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING OUT.
YOU TOOK TIME AWAY FROM YOUR SMALL BUSINESSES,
UM, YOU PARKED DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS, UH, A FEAT IN AND OF ITSELF.
UH, SOMETIMES, UH, AND YOU WEATHERED, UH, YOU WEATHERED THE TRAFFIC TO BE HERE.
IT'S NO SMALL THING THAT YOU CAME OUT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SADLY, WE DON'T GET THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, UH, WATCHING ON FACEBOOK OR ONT V S A, UH, FOR THESE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
BUT, UM, I'M SURE THAT, UH, ON BEHALF OF A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I CAN TELL YOU, I'M, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO.
[Briefing and Possible Action on the following items ]
THAT, UM, ALEX, UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRESENTATION FROM MARIA, RIGHT? YES, SIR.AND, UM, WE'VE GOT A FULL CONVERSATION OF ARPA SCHEDULED TODAY, BUT IT'S GONNA BE KICKED OFF BY, UM, SOME PRELIMINARY GUIDANCE THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THE, THE COMMITTEE IS AWARE OF, MARIA'S GONNA BE SHARING, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO EACH OF THE DIFFERENT SPENDING CATEGORIES THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THIS COMMITTEE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, THIS PRESENTATION THAT I'M GONNA GIVE TO YOU TODAY IS A VERY SIMILAR PRESENTATION THAT I'VE MADE TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE, AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEES, AS THEY HAVE BEGUN THEIR WORK AND THE ALLOCATION OF THE ARPA FUNDS.
AND THIS PRESENTATION IS TO SET THE STAGE AND JUST, JUST PROVIDE SOME, UH, HIGH LEVEL GUIDANCE AND ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMITTEE MAY HAVE AS IT RELATES TO THE GUIDANCE FROM THE US TREASURY.
SO THE CITY COUNCIL, AS YOU KNOW, APPROVED THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR THE USE
[00:45:01]
OF OUR ARPA DOLLARS ON FEBRUARY THE THIRD OF 2022.AND THERE WERE SEVEN SPENDING CATEGORIES THAT WERE SENT TO THREE OF OUR COMMITTEES FOR ADDITIONAL DIALOGUE IN, WITH THE GOAL OF DEVELOPING A PLAN THAT WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL BEFORE DOLLARS ARE DISPERSED FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UH, CATEGORIES.
SO SOME OF THE GENERAL GUIDELINES IS, UM, TO PUT SOME, SOME CONTEXT FROM THE US TREASURY, IS THAT THIS PARTICULAR FUNDS ARE TAILORED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ADDRESS THOSE THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO ADDRESS LONGSTANDING HEALTH AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND VERY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO BUILD A STRONG, RESILIENT AND EQUITABLE RECOVERY BY MAKING INVESTMENTS THAT SUPPORT LONG-TERM GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, UM, WE ALIGN THE SEVEN SPENDING CATEGORIES FROM THE CITY'S FRAMEWORK TO THE US TREASURY GUIDELINES AND THE CATEGORIES THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED FOR EXPENSES.
SO YOU SEE THE SEVEN AND SPECIFICALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE THREE THAT ARE COMMITTEE OR THAT YOU ARE GONNA DISCUSS TODAY.
UH, IF SOMEBODY WAS INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT WORKS AND THE, THE US TREASURY GUIDELINES, THOSE ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE INDICATED HOW THEY TIE TO THE GUIDELINES FOR, FROM THE US TREASURY.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING THE COMMITTEE TO DO TODAY, UH, IS TO PROVIDE POLICY DIRECTION TO THE CITY STAFF TO DEVELOP A PLAN.
THIS PLAN WILL IDENTIFY THE COVID IMPACT THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS WITH THE FUNDS ALLOCATED TO THIS COMMITTEE.
WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING, THE STAFF WILL WORK AND I, AND PROPOSE, UH, PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES THAT BENEFIT COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THAT IMPACT THAT YOU IDENTIFIED IN STEP NUMBER ONE OF THIS PROCESS.
UH, ALSO DEFINING DESIRE, EQUITABLE OUTCOMES, UH, AND METRICS TO MEASURE THOSE OUTCOMES IS WHAT WE WANT TO BE WORKING WITH A COMMUNITY, WITH A COMMITTEE.
AND FINALLY, TO PROVIDE A PLAN, UH, THAT DOESN'T EXCEED A FOUR YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS FUNDS, UH, SHOULD BE ALLOCATED BY DECEMBER, 2024 AND FULLY SPENT BY DECEMBER, 2026.
SO THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE WAS BUILT JUST TO BEGIN THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMITTEE.
THIS IS A MATRIX THAT WE HAVE CREATED THAT WE'RE USING WITH ALL THE COUNCIL COMMITTEES FOR US TO COMPLETE.
AND YOU HEAR FROM THE PRESENTERS TODAY ON SOME OF THE IMPACTS THAT THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED, FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL, FROM THE COUNCIL.
SO THAT WAY WE, THE STAFF WILL HAVE THIS COMPLETED AND BRING THIS BACK TO THE COMMITTEE FOR YOUR, UH, DISCUSSION BEFORE A PLAN IS COMPLETED.
SO THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS IS FOR THE COUNCIL COMMITTEES TO BEGIN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN.
THOSE PLANS WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL, AND WE'RE ASKING THE COMMITTEES TO DO SO, UH, BY THE FALL OF 2022, WITH DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR, UM, OTHER COMMITTEES, UH, VERY LIKELY THAT SOME OF THE EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES WILL BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE FALL OF 2022.
SO WE CAN BRING THOSE INDIVIDUAL PLANS BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO 'EM ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
SO FOR THIS PARTICULAR COMMITTEE, SINCE YOU HAVE THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, YOU COULD COMPLETE ONE OF THE THREE, BRING IT TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, AND THEN CONTINUE TO WORK ON, ON THE OTHER, UH, TWO.
BUT AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THIS, UM, PLANS APPROVED BY THE FULL COUNCIL IN THE FALL OF 2022.
ONCE THAT IS, UH, COMPLETED AND APPROVED BY THE FULL COUNCIL, CITY STAFF WILL BEGIN THE IMPLEMENTATION, AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES TO REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF THOSE PLANS WITH A GOAL, AGAIN, TO HAVING ALL THE EXPENSES, UM, OR ALL THE FUNDS SPENT BY SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER, 2026.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WE GAVE OURSELVES ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
AS I SAID, THE US TREASURY CALLS FOR DECEMBER, 2026, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE PAPERWORK AND ALL THE REPORTING NECESSARY.
SO WE ARE, UM, GIVING OURSELF THREE MONTHS TO, TO DO THAT.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEF, UH, PRESENTATION, AND I TURN IT OVER BACK TO YOU, UM, CHAIRMAN.
UM, ALEX, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO PRESENT BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THIS? NO, SIR.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE FIRST CATEGORY IF YOU'D LIKE.
LET ME, LET ME ASK THE, THE BOSS OVER HERE, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD TO THAT, UH, TO GIVE IT CONTEXT, OR ARE YOU OKAY WITH THE WAY IT WAS PRESENTED? UH, NO, I'M ABSOLUTELY THE WAY OKAY, WITH THE WAY MARIA PRESENTED THAT, UM, IT WAS ALSO CRITICAL.
AND SHE MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING,
[00:50:01]
THIS IS THE SAME CONVERSATION THAT HAPPENED.I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE ON THOSE OTHER TWO COMMITTEES, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THREE COMMITTEES, AS THEY ENTERED INTO THIS ARPA CONVERSATION, WERE ALL STARTING FROM THE SAME GROUND, UH, LEVEL.
SO THAT WAS THE, THE, UH, INTENT OF THAT PRESENTATION AS YOU GO INTO THE CONVERSATION, THE NEXT PHASE.
UM, SO LET, LET ME MAKE SOME, LEMME MAKE SOME OBSERVATIONS AND SOME COMMENTS, ASK SOME QUESTIONS, UM, TO GET US, GET US KICKED OFF HERE.
AND, UH, THERE'S NO SPECIFIC ASK OF, OF MY FOUR MEMBERS TODAY OTHER THAN JUST GIVE US YOUR IDEAS.
TODAY IS, UH, UH, IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STAFF, UH, TO HEAR YOUR PRIORITIES, TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, IN WHAT DIRECTION YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE FUNDS.
UM, AND THE, UH, AND, AND I GUARANTEE YOU THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS TODAY THAT YOU ASK, AND THE ANSWER FROM STAFF IS GONNA BE, WE DON'T KNOW YET.
UH, LET US GET BACK TO YOU, RIGHT? BUT, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE PLANTING SOME SEEDS TODAY.
AND SO IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE LOOSE AND CASUAL THAN, THAN, UH, IN OTHER INSTANCES BECAUSE, UM, THEY STAFF SHOWED UP TODAY TO LISTEN TO US.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU, I, AS I WAS LISTENING TO MARIA'S PRESENTATION, I LOOKED OVER AND I SAW JANIE GONZALEZ OVER THERE, AND, UM, SHE LOOKED A LITTLE DEFLATED AND FRUSTRATED AT THE TIMELINE, AT THIS TIMELINE, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS A FUNDING COMMITMENT, UM, TO BE MADE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT NEXT WEEK, RIGHT? UH, AND THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF SCRUBBING, UM, ON THIS AND A LOT OF VETTING.
UM, AND THAT DOESN'T SQUARE WITH THE, WITH THE URGENCY THAT WE HEARD FROM THESE, THESE FOLKS.
UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S POSSIBLE, I THINK THAT EVERY ONE OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT WE'VE GOT THE SAME SENSE OF URGENCY, UM, TO SHORTEN THE TIMELINE AS MUCH, AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UH, THAT SAID, UM, THIS IS A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY AND WE'RE SPENDING THE PEOPLE'S MONEY, RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MEASURE TWICE AND CUT ONCE, RIGHT? AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING TODAY.
UM, I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE'VE HEARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN DURING MY LIFETIME, AND I, AND I'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF, OF, OF DOING IT MYSELF, WHERE AS A THROWAWAY LINE, WE'LL SAY, SMALL BUSINESSES, THE BACKBONE OF, OF AMERICA, RIGHT? SMALL BUSINESS IS THE LIFEBLOOD.
AND OFTENTIMES YOU SAY IT SO MUCH THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S KIND OF CLICHE, RIGHT? UM, AND IF COVID PROVED ANYTHING TO US, IS THAT THERE'S, THAT IS NOT A CLICHE, RIGHT? THAT IT IS, IT IS A, A VERY IMPORTANT REALITY IN AMERICA, UM, THAT, THAT WE SHOULDN'T TAKE FOR GRANTED.
AND I THINK FOR MANY YEARS, THOSE OF US, DURING THE FAT TIMES OF OUR ECONOMY TOOK IT, TOOK IT FOR GRANTED.
UM, I PERSONALLY HAVE, UH, A LOT OF, UH, CLIENTS WHO ARE JUST BARELY MAKING IT.
UM, THEY, AFTER THEY PAY PAYROLL, AFTER THEY PAY, UM, TAXES, RENT ON THEIR STOREFRONTS OR THEIR HOTELS OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY'VE GOT, UM, AFTER THEY PAY, UM, UTILITIES, INSURANCE BENEFITS, THEY'RE LEFT WITH ZERO TO TAKE HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE EVEN LEFT UNDERWATER.
UM, AND, UH, THESE POOR FOLKS HAVE EITHER HAD TO LEARN HOW TO BREATHE UNDERWATER OR THEY GO INTO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DEBT.
UM, AND THAT DEBT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DIG YOUR WAY OUT OF.
AND SO, I, I DO UNDERSTAND, I, I WANNA WARN EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM, AND, AND MAYBE THIS IS SOME WHERE WE KICK IT OFF, UM, AND I'M LOOKING FOR IDEAS HERE ON HOW BEST TO APPROACH THIS DILEMMA THAT THIS COMMITTEE IS GONNA HAVE.
AND THE DILEMMA IS, UM, THE DILEMMA OF HAVING VERY LIMITED FUNDS, UH, VIS-A-VIS, UM, UNLIMITED NEED, RIGHT? AND SO WE'VE GOT SOME CHOICES.
WE CAN, UH, DEDICATE THIS MONEY AND SPREAD IT AROUND TO ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOWED UP.
AND, AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIDN'T SHOW UP BUT HAVE APPLIED OR WILL APPLY, UM, OR WE CAN DEDICATE IT TO A SMALL NUMBER OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME, SOME VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IMPACTS, UM, THROUGH THOSE VEHICLES.
I, THAT'S A CHOICE THIS COMMITTEE'S GONNA HAVE TO MAKE, RIGHT? UM, THE ONE THING THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN IS, UH, IS, IS TWO THINGS.
UH, ONE, UM, THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE PEOPLE DISAPPOINTED AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS THAT THEY ORGANIZATION PROBABLY DIDN'T GET WHAT THEY AS MUCH AS THEY WANTED OR ANYTHING AT ALL, RIGHT? AND TWO, UM, THE OTHER GUARANTEE IS THAT, UM, WE ARE SURROUNDED TODAY BY PEOPLE WHO ARE MUCH SMARTER THAN ANY OF US, UM, LUMINARIES IN SMALL, IN SMALL BUSINESS, UH, AND, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE.
AND, AND I EXPECT A LOT OF YOU TO KEEP SHOWING UP TO THESE MEETINGS TO HELP GUIDE US, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO I'LL, I'LL KICK IT OFF, UH, BY, UH, ASKING COUNCILMAN COURAGE, UM, COMMENTS, OBSERVATIONS, QUESTIONS.
UH, I THINK YOU TOUCHED ON WHAT, WHAT KIND OF WAS, WAS MY QUESTION.
HOW DO WE PROCEED? DO WE, FOR EXAMPLE, SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND HEAR
[00:55:01]
150 REQUESTS FOR INDIVIDUAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS FROM 150 OR 200 OR 300 ORGANIZATIONS? OR DO WE BREAK DOWN FINANCING IN EACH OF THESE AREAS INTO CATEGORIES, AND THEN MAYBE START, UH, ACCEPTING SOME KIND OF INFORMATION ABOUT INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THESE CATEGORIES, AND THEN START LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE BEST ONES TO REACH OUT TO? OR DO WE MAYBE SET UP SOME SUBCOMMITTEES TO WORK ON EACH OF THESE AND, AND BRING IN, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMUNITY, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMITTEE, CITY STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY HAVE? AND THEN WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE? IS IT THROUGH INDIVIDUAL, UH, YOU KNOW, GRANTS OR LOANS OR, YOU KNOW, THINGS OF THAT NATURE? SO I THINK, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD.AND SO I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A POINT OF DISCUSSION, UH, AND, AND TRY AND SET A GOAL EARLY ON OF, OF HOW TO LOOK AT THIS.
SO, SO THIS, I HAVE A FEELING, MARIA, IS THE SAME QUESTION ASKED OF THE PRIOR TWO COMMITTEES THAT TO WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU PRESENTED, AND, UH, HOW DID YOU RESPOND TO THAT? SO AS THE DISCUSSION CONTINUES WITH THE COMMITTEE, WE WOULD RECOMMEND A PROCESS, UH, COUNCILMAN.
SO THERE'S A COMPETITIVE PROCESS BY WHICH ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY FOR THIS FUNDING.
UH, WE HAVE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE COMMITTEES A DESIRE TO ENGAGE SPECIFIC GROUPS OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WE'RE DOING IN, IN THE ARTS AND THE SENIORS, UM, CATEGORIES.
AND WE'D BE DOING THAT IN MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL.
SO THAT COULD BE PART OF THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE DO.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, IN TERMS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE DOLLARS, WHAT WE HAVE RECOMMENDED IS A COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
YEAH, I, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH GROUPS OF ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEN WE GOT INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE NEED AS AN ORGANIZATION INDIVIDUALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I, I THINK WE OUGHT TO CONSIDER TRYING TO BREAK THIS DOWN INTO SOME KIND OF RESEARCH GROUPS THAT, THAT WE CAN ARRANGE OURSELVES AND EXPLORE THOSE NEEDS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
AND THEN IT MAY BE THAT WE START GIVING INDIVIDUAL, UH, YOU KNOW, RECOGNITION OF FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, BUT I STILL AREN'T, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL, AFTER HEARING EVERYBODY, I'M STILL NOT SURE WHAT'S THE BEST WAY.
THAT MEANS YOU'RE LISTENING AND YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH THE SAME THING.
I'M STRUGGLING WITH COUNCIL AND CASTILLO.
UH, ONE THING THAT I WANNA EMPHASIZE, SIMILAR TO THE ARTS GRANTS, RIGHT? AND LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, THAT THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, SIMILAR TO THE CONVERSATION WE HAD, UM, AROUND THE CONVERSATION FOR OUR ARTS, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AND THOSE SMALL GRANTS, UH, I HOPE THAT WE CAN, UH, MOVE THAT PIECE FORWARD, RIGHT? TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT IMMEDIATE HELP TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IS ONE THING THAT I WOULD EMPHASIZE.
AND I WOULD AGREE WITH, UM, COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND WITH, UH, MARIA.
SO I THINK THAT WE DEFINITELY DO NEED A COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SUBCOMMITTEES SO THAT WE COULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH WITH SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE MAKING ASKS.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO HAVE EMAILED US LETTERS REQUESTING DIFFERENT THINGS, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ASK THEM QUESTIONS, WE KIND OF DIG IN A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT THE LETTER SAYS.
UM, SO I, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
I ALSO, UM, WANTED TO SAY THAT THIS MORNING IN THE, UH, MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE, I MENTIONED THAT THE RESIDENTS THAT I REPRESENT, UM, AND IN THAT PARTICULAR REGARD, WE'RE ONE MINUTE AWAY FROM LOSING HOPE.
I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT I REPRESENT.
AND TODAY WE HAVE JUANITA HERE WHO'S MY REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT FOUR.
I'VE SEEN HER ALL OVER THE PLACE AND D FOUR AT LA BAKERY MOST RECENTLY.
AND SHE'S TRYING, SHE'S GOING OUT THERE AND SHE'S, SHE'S COMMUNICATING, BUT WE DO NEED HELP.
AND SHE, UM, REALIZES THAT THERE'S A LOT OF RED TAPE, AND THAT WAS THE SAME CONVERSATION THAT WE WERE HAVING THIS MORNING AT MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE.
HOW DO WE, UH, STILL OBVIOUSLY KEEP UP WITH ALL OF THE REGULATIONS, THE GUIDELINES, ET CETERA, BUT WE DO GIVE ACCESS TO THOSE MOST VULNERABLE, AND YES, MARINA'S IN THE ROOM, AND SHE'LL TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES DO NOT HAVE, UH, ACCESS, UH, TO, UH, UM, RELIABLE INTERNET CONNECTION, THEREFORE THEY CAN'T KEEP, UM, THEIR BOOKS IN LINE, ET CETERA.
SO I, I WOULD BE IN, IN FAVOR OF WHAT YOU WERE RECOMMENDING COUNCILMAN, BUT, UM, WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS, I THINK IT WAS MR. MELVIN THAT REQUESTED THAT WE ALSO LOOK AT GROWTH ON THE EAST SIDE.
UH, ONE OF THE REQUESTS THAT WAS MADE A COUPLE OF, OR ACTUALLY ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND I COMMITTED TO MY COUNCILMAN COLLEAGUE, UH, MAKI RODRIGUEZ, IS THAT NOBODY
[01:00:01]
IS HELPING HIM CHAMPION THE EAST SIDE.AND I COMMITTED TO HELP WITH THAT.
SO IF WE COULD PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THAT AS WELL, WE SAW, UM, THE STATE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, UH, IN THE CITY IS IN, HAS BEEN AND IS IN NEED OF ADDITIONAL ATTENTION.
SO THANK YOU MR. MELVIN FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
AND I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL AS WELL FOCUS AREAS WHERE WE SHOULD BE CONCENTRATED IN THAT WERE HIT THE MOST BY COVID.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I, I WANTED TO SAY THAT JEREMY ROBERTS AND MARK HERNANDEZ, NOT JOHNNY HERNANDEZ, UM, AND I, UH, WERE AT THE US SENATE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP MEETING WITH THEIR STAFF AT C AND THEY WERE IMPRESSED WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND HOW, UM, THEY HAD PIVOTED DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AND SO A LOT OF THE EXAMPLES THAT YOU ALL USED, SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TRIP UP THERE FOR ADVOCATING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
THEY DID SO WELL THAT, UM, WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY MIGHT BE INVITED TO COME AND TESTIFY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, UH, IN A FEW MONTHS.
ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP SUPPORT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
UM, SO I'VE LONG BEEN WAITING FOR THIS CONVERSATION, AND ALICE, ALEX AND I MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND I WAS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER THAT HAD TO SHUTTER, UH, BEFORE A PANDEMIC.
IT WAS BECAUSE OF ONLINE SALES.
SO HERE, HERE ARE MY ISSUES WITH THE COMMITTEE.
IF A COUNCIL COMMITTEE OR A COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE, I HAVE SBA AND I HAVE S BETA, CORRECT.
UH, JANE GONZALEZ IS MY APPOINTEE AND SHE BROUGHT UP THE SECOND STAGE.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF SUBS THAT COULD BE PRIMES, BUT HAVE A TWO YEAR NOW, PUSHED BACK TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED.
I THINK WE NEED TO LET OUR COMMITTEES DO THE JOB.
I THOUGHT WHEN WE INITIALLY DID THIS PRESENTATION THAT WE WERE GOING TO TAKE THIS TO OUR COMMITTEES AND THEY WERE GONNA BRING IT BACK TO OUR ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE GOT THIS IN OUR BUCKET IN ADDITION TO YOUTH AND, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION.
SO IT'S A BIG ASK FOR THIS COMMITTEE AND A COMMITTEE THAT IS NOT, NOT, UM, IS NOT ON A COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT BOOTS ON THE GROUND NECESSARILY EVERY DAY SEEING THE STRUGGLE AND THE QUESTIONS THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ASK, BUT I KNOW THAT MY SSS A C MEMBERS AND MY S BETA NUM MEMBERS KNOW HOW TO ASK IN TERMS OF FINANCIALLY, IF WE INVEST IN THIS SMALL BUSINESS, WILL IT BE THERE IN TWO YEARS? SO I THINK WE NEED TO LET, WE NEED TO GIVE DIRECTION TO OUR COMMITTEES TO GO OUT AND, AND FIND A WAY TO DISTRIBUTE THIS $30.9 MILLION, WHICH I KNOW IS NOT ENOUGH TO THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE GOING TO PIVOT OR SURVIVE.
BECAUSE I SAW SUBS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PRIMED THAT ARE, ARE STILL AT SUBS OR NOT, NOT GETTING CONTRACTS WITH US.
AND I SAW BUSINESSES HUSTLE RESTAURANTS, UH, AND I'M GLAD JOHNNY AND ESA CAME UP.
RESTAURANTS AND FOOD VENDORS THAT WENT FROM DRIVE THROUGH TO, TO DELIVERY TO, YOU KNOW, TAKING ORDERS.
I THINK IT WAS TRUE FLAVORS THAT HAD CATERING WHERE YOU COULD GO PICK IT UP.
I SAW THEM HUSTLE AND THOSE, THAT'S WHAT I NEED THE SAC TO GO OUT AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AND SEE HOW TO HELP THEM.
SO, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO, I HAVE MORE TO SAY ON YOUTH AND DIGITAL INCLUSION, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUSINESS, I WOULD LIKE AT LEAST MAYBE NOT ALL 30 MILLION COMMITTED, BUT I WOULD LIKE A PORTION COMMITTED WHEN WE GET THAT CHECK OF AN IDEA OF WHAT WE KNOW WE CAN DO FOR.
AND BECAUSE THE ARTS COMMITTEE AND TERRY SITS ON THAT COMMITTEE WITH ME, 'CAUSE THE ARTS COMMITTEE HAD SOMETHING IN PLACE ALREADY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF SBA WANTS TO COME BACK OR ED WANTS TO COME BACK AND SAY WHAT LIFTFUND DID, WHAT SAGE DID, WHAT WE DID WITH THE CARES ACT MONEY WE CAN DO HERE, OR WE CAN PIVOT AND ADJUST.
BECAUSE I FEEL IF WE TAKE THIS BACK TO SUBCOMMITTEES, IT IS GOING TO PUSH IT EVEN FURTHER DOWN THE LINE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US AT LEAST WITH HALF OF THAT MONEY, HAVE AN IDEA BEFORE WE GO TO BREAK IN JULY OF WHAT WE CAN DO.
GO AROUND AND JUMP INTO THE NEXT TWO SHORT QUESTIONS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE ALL THREE PRESENTATIONS QUEUED UP TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH SMALL BUSINESS.
[01:05:01]
OKAY.AND BRENDA'S GONNA BE DOING THAT PRESENTATION.
IT'S I'M BRENDA HICKS, SORENSON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS SO OFTEN SEEN AS LARGE CORPORATIONS AND BUSINESS ATTRACTION.
SO DOES WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I AM HERE THIS, THIS AFTERNOON TO DISCUSS SMALL BUSINESSES, SOMETHING THAT WE ARE SO ALL, ALL SO INCREDIBLY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
I WILL BE HIGH HIGHLIGHTING PRIOR AND ONGOING INVESTMENTS, AS WELL AS REVIEW PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION, FOLLOWING SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT SESSIONS AND GET INPUT FROM YOU ON DESIRED OUTCOMES.
WE ALL KNOW OF THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT COVID 19 HAD ON SMALL BUSINESSES, THE PANDEMIC ACCELERATED TRENDS AND EXASPERATED EXISTING CHALLENGES.
OOPS, I'M ONE SLIDE AHEAD, SORRY.
FOR EXAMPLE, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT DIDN'T HAVE PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENTS OR EXISTING LENDING RELATIONSHIPS WERE OFTEN UNABLE TO ACCESS FUNDING MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH FEDERAL PROGRAMS. ORGANIZATIONS ALSO STRUGGLED WITH HOW TO BEST SERVE THESE SMALL BUSINESSES VIA OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS THAT WAS FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE IMPACT VARIED BY INDUSTRY WITH HOSPITALITY AND FITNESS, JUST TO NAME A FEW, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED WHILE OTHER INDUSTRIES WERE ABLE TO ADJUST AND GROW.
IN SOME CASES, UNFORTUNATELY, DATA LAKE.
SO THE QUANTITATIVE IMPACT WON'T BE KNOWN FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR SO.
BUT AGAIN, ALL WE NEED TO DO IS LOOK AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL AREAS AND TALK TO OUR NEIGHBORS TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT, TO SUPPORT THOSE IMPACTED BUSINESSES.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO INVESTED $49.9 MILLION VIA THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN, WITH 46 MILLION IN GRANTS TO MICRO BUSINESSES AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
WHILE THE REMAINING FUNDS WERE USED FOR P P E DISTRIBUTION OUTREACH AND ON SMALL BUSINESS ON THE JOB TRAINING, ALL OF THIS WAS DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE LIFTFUND, MAESTRO SAGE, SOUTHSIDE FIRST AND PROSPER WEST, MANY OF WHOM WE HEARD FROM TODAY.
AS MENTIONED, 46 MILLION WAS PROVIDED IN CARES FUNDED GRANTS TO SMALL BUSINESSES AS WELL AS NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
WHILE THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ALSO PROVIDED SUPPORT VIA LOANS AND GRANTS.
THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE TOTAL AWARDED IN BOTH LOCAL AND FEDERAL FUNDS THROUGH JULY, 2021.
YOU'LL SEE HERE THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM LEVERAGED $3.4 BILLION, UM, FOR SMALL BUSINESSES BASED ON AN SS B A REPORT FROM LAST FALL, ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE SAN ANTONIO, UM, P P P LOANS HAD ALREADY BEEN FORGIVEN, COMPRISING ABOUT HALF OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT.
AND JUST EARLIER TODAY, WE HEARD FROM ONE LENDER WHO MENTIONED THAT NEARLY 95% OF THEIR P P P LOANS WERE IN FORGIVENESS.
AS WAS MENTIONED, A LOT OF THESE EFFORTS WERE DONE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES TO INVEST GENERAL FUNDS INTO A LOT OF THOSE PARTNERS AS WELL FOR SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMMING.
THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 INVESTMENTS INTO THOSE SMALL BUSINESS EFFORTS, INCLUDING THE EMBRACING ENTREPRENEURIAL EQUITY PILOT PROGRAM THAT CONCLUDED IN DECEMBER, 2021 AND THE SOON TO BE LAUNCH BONDING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FROM PA CITY COUNCIL.
DISCUSSIONS AROUND SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT, THREE THEMES EMERGED, RESILIENCY, LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES AND INVESTMENTS THAT ARE TRANSFORMATIONAL AND IMPACTFUL.
LIKEWISE, WE ALSO HEARD THAT ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES WERE A STRONG, MORE RESILIENT ECONOMY, MUCH OF WHAT WAS ECHOED HERE TODAY, AS WELL AS A MORE COORDINATED COMMUNICATIONS TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND OPPORTUNITIES WHILE THOSE DISCUSSIONS WERE TAKING PLACE.
SO TWO WERE CONVERSATIONS TAKING PLACE AMONG THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION, MANY OF WHOM YOU HEARD FROM TODAY, PEC SEVERAL TIMES LAST FALL, SPECIFICALLY HOSTING THREE SMALL BUSINESS LISTENING SESSIONS AND A PUBLIC FEEDBACK SURVEY.
FROM THE FEEDBACK, SBAC IDENTIFIED FIVE PRIORITIES, WHICH I WILL ADDRESS IN MORE DETAIL.
ACCESS TO CAPITAL, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, UM, PRIORITY THAT WE HAD HEARD ABOUT.
ACCESS TO CAPITAL CAN INCLUDE BOTH GRANTS AND LOANS, BOTH OF WHICH YOU HEARD ABOUT TODAY.
GRANTS TEND TO WORK BEST WITH A TARGETED FOCUS SUCH AS THOSE DIRECTED TOWARDS SHUTTERED VENUES AND THE RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION.
LOAN OR FUND, EXCUSE ME, LOANS CAN BE IN SEVERAL FORMS AND ALLOW SMALL BUSINESSES
[01:10:01]
TO BUILD CREDIT.ONE TIME CASH INFUSIONS CAN SERVE AS A BRIDGE AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS, SHOULD NOT BE, BUT SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS A PANACEA FOR ALL CHALLENGES.
WHICH LEADS TO THE OTHER FOUR PRIORITIES.
CAPACITY BUILDING IS CRITICAL TO SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE PREVIOUSLY TALKED ABOUT THE INABILITY OF MANY SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO ACCESS FUNDING ASSISTANCE PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED DUE TO THE LACK OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OR ACCESS.
FINANCIAL LITERACY IS ONE EXAMPLE OF CAPACITY BUILDING, BUT OTHERS CRITICAL TO SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS INCLUDE GENERAL BUSINESS PLANNING MARKETING.
AGAIN, JUST TO NAME A FEW HERE ON THIS SLIDE, WE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED SOME CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS. OKAY.
WE PREVIOUSLY HAD A PRESENTATION ON THE ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS THAT WAS COMPLETED IN 2020 BY NEXT STREET WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM JP MORGAN CHASE.
AGAIN, THE ECOSYSTEM IS A GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT, DEVELOP AND GROW OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE LOOK AT IT AS THAT SAFETY NET.
THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTED THAT LATINO AND BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES HARDEST HIT BY COVID WERE THE HARDEST HIT BY COVID, BUT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE ECOSYSTEM.
RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDED IMPROVING ACCESS IN NETWORKS, GROWING CAPACITY FOR BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS, AND COLLABORATING WITH LENDERS TO PROVIDE THAT ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
LOCALISM IS THE FOURTH PRIORITY IDENTIFIED BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT SUPPORTING LOCALLY MADE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
PROGRAMS CAN INCLUDE BUSINESS TO BUSINESS PROGRAMS, WHICH IS WHAT THE BILOCAL PROGRAM HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON, BUT IT CAN ALSO INCLUDE CONSUMER TO BUSINESS EFFORTS OR BUSINESS TO CONSUMER, I SHOULD SAY, WHICH IS WHAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW IS A FOCUS ON ADDITIONAL MARKETS TO FURTHER SUPPORT RESILIENCY.
THE FIFTH PRIORITY, SOMETHING WE'VE ALSO HEARD ABOUT TODAY IS GEOGRAPHIC PLACEMAKING.
WHEN WE HEARD THIS QUITE A BIT FROM THOSE SPEAKERS THAT PRESENTED AT THE VARIOUS SPAC LISTENING SESSIONS, THEY, THIS IS, UM, AN ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITY FOR INVESTMENTS INTO NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES AND QUARTERS, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS PLACE-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, AND TO SUPPORT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HISTORICALLY HAVE NOT SEEN INVESTMENT.
THIS IS NOT A SHORTTERM SOLUTION, BUT CAN PRODUCE LONG-TERM IMPACTS.
AS A FOLLOW UP TO IDENTIFYING THOSE FIVE PRIORITIES, RECENTLY, THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION IDENTIFIED FIVE RECOMMENDED GOALS ASSOCIATED WITH ARPA FUNDS.
YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THOSE WERE TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR BUSINESSES OF VARIOUS SIZE AND STAGES.
FOR EXAMPLE, MICROENTERPRISES AS WELL AS SECOND STAGE AND SO FORTH, PRIORITIZE A HOLISTIC FULL CIRCLE SERVICES ADDRESS DIGITAL INCLUSION, WHICH WE'LL HEAR ABOUT MORE LATER, LEVERAGE OTHER RESOURCES INCLUDING THAT GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE FUNDING, IMPROVED COMMUNICATION AND ACCESS TO RESOURCES.
THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION AROUND THE NEED TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE TO BUSINESSES STILL STRUGGLING, WHICH YOU HEARD ECHOED HERE TODAY.
ENSURE EQUITY IS EMBEDDED IN ALL OF THE PROCESSES AND ALLOCATE FUNDING OF STAFF RESOURCES TO SUPPORT AND MEASURE PROGRAMS. AS MARIA HIGHLIGHTED, THIS IS THE MATRIX THAT IS BEING UTILIZED BY ALL OF THE COMMITTEES FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES TODAY, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME OF THOSE C OVID 19 IMPACTS, AND AGAIN, WOULD LIKE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON THOSE DESIRED OUTCOMES.
MARIA HIGHLIGHTED THE OVERALL TIMELINE FOR THE PROGRAM.
HOWEVER, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE TAKE AN ACCELERATED APPROACH TO THIS TO FURTHER SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, AFTER FEEDBACK TODAY, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO FINALIZE THOSE DESIRED OUTCOMES AT THEIR MAIN MEETING, AND THEN BRING FORWARD AT THE JUNE E W D C MEETING A PLAN, UM, AS SUPPORTED BY SPAC AND PRESENT THAT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, AND THEN TAKE IT FOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
SO WITH THAT, AGAIN, WE ARE CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN GETTING SPECIFIC FEEDBACK ON THOSE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES AND OTHER PRIORITIES.
AND SO JUST, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, THE NEXT PRESENTATION WILL BE ON YOUTH OR DIGITAL LITERACY, AND THEN THE ONE AFTER THAT.
UM, ON, ON ONE OF THOSE TWO TOPICS AS WELL.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST STOP HERE BECAUSE I MEAN, WE'RE HAVING THREE CONVERSATIONS AT ONCE, RIGHT? I, AND, UH, MAYBE BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST HEARD, SEE IF, UH, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE, UH, REACTIONS TO THAT OR SUGGESTIONS OR, OR OBSERVATIONS.
AND, AND WE'LL START ON THIS END.
COUNCILMAN
[01:15:01]
I THINK THAT SPAC HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK ALREADY, AND I THINK OF THEIR, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OF THE FIVE PRIORITIES THAT THEY MENTIONED, THE FOUR, WHICH IS ACCESS TO CAPITAL CAPACITY BUILDING, SMALL BUSINESS IN ECOSYSTEM AND LOCALISM IS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF POSSIBLE NEXT MONTH OR IN OTHER BRIEFINGS RECOMMENDATIONS THEY HAVE ON HOWUM, BECAUSE I THINK, UM, SO I THINK WE, I'D LIKE TO SEE THEM GO AND DISCUSS THAT AND MAYBE LOOK AT TAKING, UM, TAKING THAT TO THE COMMUNITY IF THEY WANT OF THE 30 MILLION TO TRY AND DESIGNATE A PLAN FOR GEOGRAPHIC PLACEMAKING.
UH, FOR, FOR MY DISTRICT IN PARTICULAR, THAT IS GOING TO TAKE LONGER BECAUSE IT HAS TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY IN THE NEIGHBORS, UH, IN DISTRICT THREE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I MAKE ANY SORT OF DEVELOPMENT DO IS GO OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
BUT I THINK THEY HAVE A GOOD START.
AND I KNOW, BASED ON WHAT I HEARD TODAY, THEY, THEY SEEM TO HAVE REALLY GREAT IDEAS.
I WOULD JUST LOVE TO SEE IF YOU COULD BUILD CONSENSUS.
AND THE ONE THING, THE QUESTION THAT I'VE, I'VE ALWAYS ASKED IS, WOULD THIS BUSINESS HAVE SURVIVED IF THE CO IF COVID HADN'T HAPPENED OR WERE THEY, THEY WERE HEADED TO CLOSURE ANYWAY.
THE OTHER THING IS, PIVOT WISE, UM, IS THERE A WAY THAT THEY CAN PIVOT AND ARE THEY IN A LOCATION? AND I ALWAYS USE THE PEARL AS AN EXAMPLE, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT STARTED OUT IN THE PEARL QUICKLY FOUND THEY COULDN'T AFFORD IT.
ARE THEY IN A LOCATION WHERE THEY CAN, UM, CONTINUE TO GROW THERE? SO I THINK, I THINK THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THIS S A C, UH, THAT'S WHY I HAVE THOSE LEADERS THERE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET THEIR, UH, INPUT ON THOSE, THOSE FOUR IN PARTICULAR.
I THINK THE, THE FIFTH WOULD WOULD TAKE MORE CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS ON GEOGRAPHIC PLACEMAKING.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH THE EXPEDITED TIMELINE THAT YOU HAVE.
AND SO I STILL ALWAYS WISHFULLY THINKING ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IS IMPORTANT TO GET THAT REALLY TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
I LIKE THE BUCKETS THAT THE SPAC CAME UP WITH.
I APPRECIATE THE ACCESS TO CAPITAL, ESPECIALLY IN THE CAPACITY BUILDING, BUT I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE THE ONES THAT DESIGNATE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE FUNDING THEY'RE RECOMMENDING FOR US, UH, TO BE USED TOWARDS ACCESS TO CAPITAL CAPACITY BUILDING, ET CETERA.
I THINK ONCE THEY, UM, MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AS THE, THE, THE BUSINESS OWNERS THEMSELVES, THEN WE WOULD, UM, BASICALLY HAVE, UH, THAT INSIGHT THAT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
AND SO, AND THEN WE COULD GIVE SOME ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
I DO ALSO, UM, WANT TO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAD THIS DISCUSSION, BUT DID THEY ALREADY START TALKING ABOUT WHAT ENTITIES, WHAT PARTNERSHIPS ARE WORKING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER FUNDING AGAIN? OR MAYBE ENTITIES THAT WEREN'T AT, AT THE TABLE.
SO I KNOW, AM I ALLOWED TO CALL THEM UP CHAIR? CAN I, CAN I ASK, UH, MAYBE THE, THE PEC CHAIR, UH, CHAIR, MR. ROBERTS, CAN YOU, WOULD YOU, THANK YOU.
SO JUST HELP ME JUST TO-AND THE CONVERSATION WITH SPAC AND ANY PARTNERS THAT YOU THINK HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
TELL US TODAY YOU DON'T
UM, THE COMMISSION HAS AGREED ON SOME AREAS THAT WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD.
SO A LOT OF IT'S STILL UP FOR DISCUSSION.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE FOR OUR NEXT MEETING, THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN LOCK IN AND HAVE THE COMMISSION TO DECIDE ON WITH, WITH WORKING ALONGSIDE CITY STAFF, BECAUSE A LOT OF INFORMATION WE DON'T HAVE.
SO WE LOOK TO CITY STAFF TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION.
WE USE THAT IN OUR TIME TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THAT.
AND SO WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER, BUT WE DO HAVE A GUIDELINE OF WHAT TO GO AFTER.
AND WE DO HAVE A GUIDELINE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT DO WORK.
AND THE REASON THAT I WAS ASKING MR. ROBERTS IS, FOR INSTANCE, ACCESS TO, UH, CAPITAL, TO ME THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THESE, WE NEED TO DO THIS ASAP.
AND SO GRANTS LOANS, UM, ONE TIME CASH INFUSION SAID YOU ALL ARE RECOMMENDING, HOW CAN WE GET THOSE OUT ASAP? AND THAT'S WHY I WAS WONDERING IF IN THOSE BUCKETS YOU ALL HAD ALREADY ALSO DESIGNATED IN YOUR MINDS PERCENTAGES.
WE WE HAVE, WE HAVE A FRAMEWORK.
[01:20:01]
WE SEE THAT FRAMEWORK? I THINK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT I WAS GONNA ADD TO THIS PROCESS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, I THINK MARIA MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING WHEN WE WERE JUST KIND OF PROVIDING THE OVERALL GUIDANCE.UM, HOW MANY OF THESE STRATEGIES OR PROGRAMS DO WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH VERSUS HAVING AN OPEN COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE IMPORTANCE AND THE SENSE OF URGENCY, WE'RE GETTING THAT LOUD AND CLEAR, AND WE HEARD THAT FROM SPAC AS WELL.
WE JUST WANNA TRY TO GET SOME GUIDANCE RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS THAT, THAT COMPETING PRIORITY OF HAVING A COMPETITIVE PROCESS HERE AS WELL.
SO, AND I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
I DO THINK THAT WE COULD MERGE, UM, SOMETHING LIKE SOME, SOME OF THE, THE RESEARCH, IF YOU WILL, THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN COLLECTED.
AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE VICKI WILLOUGHBY, OUR DISTRICT FIVE APPOINTEE.
UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL AS, UH, JULISA ESA, UM, AND CHEF JOHNNY HERNANDEZ FOR BEING GREAT ADVOCATES FOR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY THOSE, UH, WITHIN THE WEST SIDE, UH, WHICH HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THIS PANDEMIC.
AND NO DOUBT, BASED OFF OF THE COMMENT THAT WE'VE HEARD, UH, THE IMPACTS ARE STILL ONGOING.
UM, AND, AND WITH THAT, RIGHT, WITH THE FIRST BUCKET, UM, THAT WE HAVE, UH, PRESENTED TO US WITH ACCESS TO CAPITAL, UM, BASED OFF OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITHIN THE SPAC, UH, AND WITHIN COMMITTEES, UM, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE, RIGHT? THAT ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS A, IS A PRIORITY.
UM, AND BASED OFF OF, UM, THE, THE PREVIOUS WORK WITH THE LIFT FUND, RIGHT? THE INFRASTRUCTURE ALREADY EXISTS TO DISPERSE THOSE FUNDS.
UM, SO I THINK, UH, I, I WOULD RECOMMEND, AND AGAIN, BASED OFF OF, UH, THE PUBLIC'S INPUT, IS SCALING THAT UP TO DISPERSE THOSE GRANTS, UM, TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AND MICRO BUSINESSES.
AND I LEARNED OF A NEW TERM TODAY, TEENAGE BUSINESSES.
IS THAT CORRECT,
UM, WHEN I REVIEW THE, THE, THE ELIGIBILITY FOR THE GRANTS, I, I'M, UH, IN AGREEMENT WITH THE 20 OR FEWER EMPLOYEES.
I, I BELIEVE THAT'S A CORRECT AND FAIR SIZE BASED OFF OF CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT IS A MICRO BUSINESS.
UM, BUT I, I DO HAVE QUESTIONS AROUND THE 2 MILLION AS THE, THE MAX REVENUE, UH, AND WHY NOT? WHY 1.5 MILLION MAYBE.
UM, BUT WE CAN ANSWER THAT OFFLINE.
I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, UH, WHY 2 MILLION.
UM, AND OF COURSE, WITH CAPACITY BUILDING, UH, NO DOUBT, RIGHT? DIGITAL, UH, IS KEY FOR US.
UH, DIGITAL MARKETING IN PARTICULAR FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN MY DISTRICT.
AND I KNOW, UH, MANY OF THOSE WITHIN, UH, LOWER INCOME AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, DIGITAL CONNECTION, UM, DIGITAL MARKETING AND THAT FINANCIAL LITERACY TO HELP FOLKS OVERCOME, RIGHT? UH, WHAT I ALSO HEARD, UM, BEING PRESENT IN SOME OF THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS IS THAT WE DON'T WANT A BANDAID ISSUE, RIGHT? WE WANNA HELP FOLKS GET BACK UP ON THEIR FEET AND CONTINUE TO THRIVE.
UM, WITH THAT, I HEARD ONE OF THE SAGE REPRESENTATIVES MENTION THE FACADE PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE, AND THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN MY COMMUNITY, UM, IS A, A LITTLE LOVE TO HELP BRING THEIR BUILDINGS UP TO CODE AND, YOU KNOW, IT'LL INCREASE WALKABILITY TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES ALONG WHATEVER THE CORRIDOR MAY BE.
AND, UH, IT'LL GIVE THAT SENSE OF PRIDE TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
UM, THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT, UM, I, I PULLED IT UP AND THERE'S AN INTERESTING RECOMMENDATION, UM, ON PAGE 20 OF THE, OF THE, THE PLAN.
AND IT MENTIONS COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, UM, THAT SEEMS MORE OF A LONG-TERM, UH, INITIATIVE, WHICH IS ONE I AM SUPPORTIVE OF.
AND, UH, WHAT I HAVE IN MIND, OR I, I IMAGINE YOU ALL HAVE IN MIND RATHER, IS SIMILAR TO A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST FOR COMMERCIAL, UH, TENANTS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU ALL HAVE IN MIND? SO THERE HASN'T SPECIFICALLY BEEN CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT LAND TRUST.
UM, HOWEVER, AS WE'RE TALKING THROUGH SOME OF THIS TIES INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN THAT'S CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE.
SO MORE CONVERSATIONS, UM, WILL OCCUR.
BUT, UM, WHAT WAS ASKED OF THAT IS ALSO TO LOOK AT OUR OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLBOX, UH, INCLUDING INCENTIVES AS WELL AS RESOURCES LIKE THE SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
SO THAT IS A CONVERSATION THAT IS TAKING PLACE UNDER THAT UMBRELLA.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, RIGHT, I'M PLEASED TO SEE PLACEMAKING IS A PRIORITY, AND THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT THE COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTED.
UH, BUT SIMILAR TO MY COLLEAGUE, UH, PLACEMAKING WOULD TAKE A LARGER COMMUNITY INPUT PROCESS, UH, WITH, WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I, I, I DO SEE, UM, WHY THAT IS A PRIORITY, BUT OF COURSE, RIGHT, THE SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS, I THINK SHOULD, UH, THAT IF WE CAN MOVE THAT PIECE FORWARD SOONER, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF.
UM, AND THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.
[01:25:01]
YOU, CHAIR.UH, I AGREE THAT SBA, UH, IS AN IMPORTANT PROCESS TO CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY INCORPORATE THOUGH THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVICE VARIOUS PARTS OF TOWN.
I THINK THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE LISTENING TO SAGE AND PROSPER WEST AND SOUTH SIDE FIRST AND, UH, OUR SMALL, UH, WOMEN AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS COUNCIL SO THAT THEY GET AS MUCH INPUT AS THEY CAN.
NOW, THEY MAY HAVE THOSE MEMBERS ON THEIR BOARD, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE COVERED.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR ARE NOT A COHESIVE, UH, UH, GROUP.
THAT YOU'VE GOT A RESTAURANT AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, WHICH CERTAINLY WE ALL RECOGNIZE HAS BEEN HURTING CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURING, VERY SIMILAR.
BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT SALES, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, A SMALL, OF A SMALL BUSINESS.
YOU'VE GOT SMALL BUSINESSES THAT PROVIDE SERVICES.
SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS.
AND SO I HOPE THAT SPAC REALLY DIGS INTO WHAT THE PARTICULARS ARE AND THE PARTICULAR NEEDS, AND THE WAY ALL OF THOSE GROUPS INDIVIDUALLY CAN BE SERVICED AND NOT HAVE ONE COLLECTIVE OUTLOOK ON ALL OF THAT.
BECAUSE WE'RE HEARING FROM A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES THAT FIT INTO ALL THESE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SMALL BUSINESS GROUPS.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND CAPACITY BUILDING ARE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
I THINK THE IMMEDIATE RESOURCE TO STRUGGLING BUSINESS IS ALSO ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
I HOPE THEY COME OUT WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON, ON THOSE IN PARTICULAR.
AND OVERALL, I THINK WE DO NEED TO HAVE A BETTER SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT SYSTEM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN INITIATE O OVER A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT, UH, CAPITAL CAPACITY BUILDING, UH, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS RETENTION IS WHAT WE, I THINK REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON, UH, THROUGH THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE.
AND I HOPE, UH, ANY OTHER PROCESSES COME FORWARD.
SO, UM, ALEX, UH, I'M, I'M HOPING THAT YOU GUYS ARE PICKING AND GLEANING SOME, SOME GUIDANCE FROM THIS.
ONE, I, I THINK THE SS A C IS IN UNDERUTILIZED RESOURCE AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN UNDERUTILIZED RESOURCE, UH, BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND, AND PRIOR CITY COUNCILS.
AND, UH, AND I, AND I'M VERY, VERY PLEASED WITH THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP THAT WE'VE GOT THERE.
UM, WHAT I HESITATE THOUGH IS IN, UM, TREATING SS A C LIKE A SELECTION SUBCOMMITTEE TO GUIDE, YOU KNOW, TO BASICALLY GIVE US A LIST OF HERE'S THE ORGANIZATIONS, THIS IS WHERE THE MONEY SHOULD GO.
I, I TRUST THAT THEY'D MAKE A BRILLIANT DECISION, RIGHT? BUT, UH, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, SARAH SHAQUILLE, RIGHT? UM, YOU HAVE A, UH, TOWING DISPATCH BUSINESS, RIGHT? I, I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO APPLY, UH, FOR SOME OF THESE GRANTS IF, IF THE GRANTS WERE HELPFUL TO YOU, RIGHT? UM, BUT WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO IS CREATE A SITUATION WHERE JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU'RE SERVING ON THE SS A C, YOU'VE CONFLICTED YOURSELF OUT FROM, FROM PARTICIPATING, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT I WANT IS ADVICE AND COUNSEL FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND GUIDANCE IN, IN, UM, SORT OF A MACRO WAY, RIGHT? GIVE US THE, GIVE US THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS IS THE PATH, RIGHT? BUT ULTIMATELY, COUNCILWOMAN VERAN IS, RIGHT, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE ARE, WE'VE BEEN CALLED UPON TO MAKE DECISIONS.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMITTEE IS GONNA END UP DOING.
THE SECOND THING I'LL POINT OUT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, I, I ALWAYS BRING THIS BACK TO, TO MY SMALL BUSINESS, RIGHT? MINE IS JUST A REAL NICHEY BUSINESS THAT REALLY ISN'T SUBJECT TO ECONOMIC FORCES AND VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
AND LAW PRACTICES ARE, AND, YOU KNOW, ARE JUST, JUST WEIRD AND DIFFERENT CREATURES.
I DON'T HAVE EXPERTISE IN RETAIL, RIGHT? OR MANUFACTURING OR CONSTRUCTION.
UM, I, I DON'T HAVE EXPERTISE IN INVENTORY CONTROL AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY SPAC IS, IS SO NECESSARY TO US TO, YOU KNOW, TO HELP US EXPLAIN FOR THE PRESSURES ON THESE BUSINESSES.
AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB.
WE, I MET WITH, UH, MR. MELVIN FROM SAGE LAST WEEK, AND, YOU KNOW, HE WAS, HE, HE OPENED MY EYES TO, TO AN INTERESTING REALITY.
AND THAT IS WHEN THEY INTERFACE WITH BUSINESSES, UM, AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU NEED? MANY OF THE BUSINESSES JUST SAY, I NEED A CHECK TODAY, RIGHT? SO THAT I CAN GO PAY FOR MORE ADVERTISING SO THAT I CAN GET MORE CUSTOMERS IN, SO THAT I CAN GET MORE MONEY IN THE CASHIER SO THAT I CAN,
[01:30:01]
YOU KNOW, PRODUCE MORE.AND THEN OFTENTIMES THE EXPERTS AT SAGE WILL SAY, ACTUALLY, THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU NEED, RIGHT? WHAT WE NEED IS WE NEED YOU TO, YOU KNOW, GET A CHECK SO THAT YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR BACK OFFICE OPERATIONS, RIGHT? SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY STOP COLLECTING RECEIPTS IN A TRASH BAG, UM, AND STOP WASTING ALL THAT TIME, UH, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, DIGGING THROUGH RECEIPTS AND NOT ACCOUNTING CORRECTLY FOR, YOU KNOW, EXPENDITURES AND TAXES WE NEED.
WE ACTUALLY NEED TO TEACH YOU, UH, JUST IN TIME PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS, UH, TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS RUN FASTER, CHEAPER, LEANER, SO THAT WHEN YOU DO GET THESE CUSTOMERS, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE A BETTER SERVICE, HIGHER QUALITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT FOR EVERY BUSINESS, BUT IT'S FOR A LOT OF THEM, RIGHT? AND SO, AND WHEN THEY HAVE THAT COUNSELING WITH THEM, MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES OWNERS SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE RIGHT.
RIGHT? I NEED TO BE, I NEED TO BE MORE RESILIENT.
IS IS REALLY THE MESSAGE HERE.
AND SO, FOR ME, THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THOSE BUCKETS THAT Y'ALL SET ASIDE, SPAC, UM, IT'S CAPACITY BUILDING, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, CAPACITY BUILDING WITH GUIDANCE FROM SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
IF, IF, IF WE AS A CITY COUNCIL JUST START HANDING OUT CHECKS TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND WE SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, JOHNNY HERNANDEZ, HERE'S A CHECK FOR LA GLORIA, GOOD LUCK.
RIGHT? I THINK THAT THAT MAY BE AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK FOR US, UM, AT, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM OUR OWN BACK OFFICE PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? OF MANAGING THE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS AND FIGURING OUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY HIT THEIR MARKS, RIGHT? I WOULD, I PERSONALLY WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE HAVING A TRUSTED, UM, ADVISOR AND CLEARINGHOUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A SAGE OR LIKE, YOU KNOW, PICK YOUR ORGANIZATION.
IT DOESN'T MATTER, RIGHT? TO ME, FOR PURPOSES OF THIS CONVERSATION, UH, TO HELP HOLD THE HAND OF THESE BUSINESSES AND GET THEM UP AND RUNNING AGAIN, UM, FOR ME, THAT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN US PAYING INTO, LET'S SAY, A BUY LOCAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN, RIGHT? UM, I MEAN, WE CAN DO THAT AT ANY TIME WITH ANY FUNDS, NOT NECESSARILY WITH EMERGENCY ARPA MONEY, BUT, UM, THAT, THAT'S WHERE I AM ON THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE MINDS WILL DISAGREE.
UH, BUT ANYWAY, LET'S, UH, LET'S LISTEN TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION.
I MEAN, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY COMMENTS, STOP.
UM, SO MR. ROBERTS REFERENCE IS 60 30 10 RULE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER ABOUT THAT IS THAT A LOT OF THE CURRENT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE ONES THAT WERE TASKED WITH HELPING OUR MOST VULNERABLE, UM, WEREN'T ABLE TO DO SO, UH, IN REALITY.
AND SO BEING COMPLETELY HONEST, SO IF WE DO GO BACK TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, WE HAVE TO BE BETTER ABOUT DEMANDING THAT THEY HELP MOM AND POPS, THAT THEY HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PREPARED WITH FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS TO WALK INTO THE BANK.
UM, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT NEED THE ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT THEY'VE DONE A, A GREAT JOB, BUT THEY NEED TO DO BETTER BECAUSE THE ONES THAT ARE DEPENDING ON US ARE THAT 60% THAT ARE GETTING LEFT BEHIND.
THERE'S 10% THAT WILL ALWAYS KNOW HOW TO ACCESS CAPITAL.
THE OTHER 30% WILL KNOW WHERE TO ASK AND THEN WILL EVENTUALLY DO IT, BUT 60% ARE BEING LEFT OUT 60%.
I COULD GUARANTEE YOU THE MAJORITY IS IN DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH HAD THE LEAST NUMBER OF P P P WITH HAD THE LEAST NUMBER OF P P E.
AND SO I AM TIRED OF THEM GETTING LEFT BEHIND.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR ORGANIZATIONS, I THINK WE SHOULD ALL COME TOGETHER TO THE TABLE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT THEM IN REACHING OUR CONSTITUENCIES THAT MOST NEED IT.
AND, AND I AGREE WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT THIS IS OUR MONEY AND THAT THERE'S AN ACCOUNTABILITY ASPECT TO IT.
SO IF WE COULD CLEARLY GET THAT ACCOUNTABILITY, BECAUSE THIS MAY BE SOMETHING, IF THE, IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GIVING US TOO MANY HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH FOR THIS 60%, THEN MAYBE WE AS A CITY NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT OUR BUDGET AND SEE WHAT WE DO IN ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDER CONSIDERATION THESE MOM AND POPS THAT MAYBE HAVEN'T FILED TAXES.
I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN WE TALKED IS THEY COULDN'T GET ACCESS TO CAPITAL BECAUSE THEY, THEY WEREN'T UP TO DATE ON THEIR TAXES.
SO I THINK IF WE CAN'T, THAT'S ANOTHER CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO THINK BIG PICTURE, WE HAVE THE ARPA DOLLARS, WELL, WE CAN DO THAT.
WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THAT NOW? AND THEN WHAT CAN WE DO WITHIN THE BUDGET TO HELP THESE GROUPS AND REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? AND, AND WHAT CAN THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK FOR, KIND OF, UM, BE A LITTLE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A LITTLE MORE LAX THAN OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLOWS US TO.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
COUNCILWOMAN TWO BITES AT THE APPLE COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO.
DO YOU, DO YOU WANT, UH, DO YOU WANT ANOTHER BITE OR YOU, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT.
UH, I, I KNOW THE, THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAS BEEN HIT VERY HARD.
UH, WHEN THE BOND PASSES, I LIKE SPEAKING THINGS INTO THE UNIVERSE.
UM, DO WE HAVE, UM, UH, WILL THIS COMMITTEE DISCUSS HOW TO CONNECT SMALL
[01:35:01]
BUSINESSES TO CONTRACT FOR THOSE PROJECTS? SORRY.SO THAT, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE A CONVERSATION, UM, THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
THE COUNCIL, THAT ACTUALLY A CONVERSATION THAT WOULD THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR PROCUREMENT PROGRAM, OUR SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, THAT WOULD BE
SO WE WOULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
AND, UH, YES, CHAIR, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF, I, I HEAR, UH, DR.
ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, AND FOR THIS
AND SO, UM, TO THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, SIDES OF TOWN, I'LL TELL YOU, BECAUSE I'M A BIG GEEK ABOUT OLD CARS.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE GREATEST FOUR CYLINDER ENGINE EVER BUILT WAS A HONDA K SERIES, AND IT, IT WAS JUST A PERFECT ENGINE WHERE EVERYTHING JUST WORKED, RIGHT? AND IN THAT ENGINE, UM, IF, IF YOU HAD ONE CYLINDER OFF, IT WAS JUST CATASTROPHIC, RIGHT? YOU WEREN'T GOING ANYWHERE AND YOUR, YOUR CAR WAS RUINED.
AND IN THIS INSTANCE, WE'VE GOT FOUR SIDES OF TOWN, RIGHT? UM, AND I, I, I CANNOT HONESTLY SAY THAT THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN IS HAVING AS BIG A PROBLEM AS THE SOUTH SIDE AND THE WEST SIDE AND THE EAST SIDE, RIGHT? WE'RE JUST NOT AT COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR BUSINESSES ARE HURTING, BUT THEY'RE NOT HURTING TO, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTREME EXTENT THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, UH, THREE QUADRANTS.
UM, AND I, I'M NOT ADVERSE, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, AND IN FACT, I'M, I'M ENTIRELY SUPPORTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, DEDICATING A LOT OF THIS ARPA MONEY, UM, TO THOSE SIDE OF TOWN THAT IS, THAT IS HURTING THE MOST, RIGHT? UM, THE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA STARTED BY SAYING, LOOK, GUYS, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONALLY THE EAST SIDE HAS BEEN THE ONE THAT HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED THE MOST, RIGHT? AND, UM, SHE'S NOT WRONG, RIGHT? AND AT THE SAME TIME SHE SAYS, YOU KNOW, BUT DISTRICT FOUR IS, YOU KNOW, HAS ALSO BEEN OVERLOOKED THE MOST.
AND, YOU KNOW, WEST SIDE HAS ALSO BEEN OVERLOOKED THE MOST, AND DISTRICT THREE HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED THE MOST.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WHITTLE DOWN EXACTLY, UH, WHERE TO SEND IT.
BECAUSE WHAT I WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM IS THE, THE DANGER OF US, UM, THE VERY TEMPTING DANGER OF US, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, PROPORTIONALITY, LET'S JUST SPLIT IT IN FOUR AND GO, AND GO THAT ROUTE.
I THINK THAT'S LAZY LEADERSHIP, RIGHT? UM, AND I THINK WE'RE BETTER THAN THAT.
UM, AND I, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHO'S HURTING THE MOST AND PULL THOSE PEOPLE OUT.
UM, AND, AND IT'S A TRIAGE SITUATION, AN EMERGENCY ROOM TRIAGE SITUATION.
SO I'M PICKING UP A TRI LANE DOWN COUNCILMAN, AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, MELODY WOOSLEY, HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
SORRY, WE'LL GET TO THE RIGHT ONE THOUGH.
IT SAYS, PRESENTATION PROVIDES A BRIEFING ON THE IMPACT OF C OVID 19 ON YOUTH PARTICIPANTS, AND ALSO, UM, INCLUDING THE RESULTS OF THE TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY, AN OVERVIEW OF CURRENT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO INVESTMENTS IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING, AND WE ARE ALSO REQUESTING YOUR FEEDBACK, ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE INPUT ON THE C OVID 19 IMPACT INVESTMENT PRIORITIES FOR, UM, ARPA YOUTH, AS WELL AS THE FUNDING SELECTION PROCESS THAT WAS DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT, UM, BEFORE THIS PRESENTATION.
AND SO, THE ARPA SPENDING FRAMEWORK WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY, FOLLOWING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND INPUT FROM CITY COUNCIL.
THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK CONTINUES THE CITY'S C OVID 19 RESPONSE AND SUPPORTS COMMUNITY PRIORITIES IN SEVEN SPENDING CATEGORIES, INCLUDING $10 MILLION TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF C OVID 19 ON VULNERABLE YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS.
C OVID 19 HAS CHANGED THE EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE.
AS OUR COMMUNITY SHIFTED TO VIRTUAL WORKING ENVIRONMENTS, SCHOOLS QUICKLY HAD TO ADJUST AND SHIFT TO A NEW WAY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING.
TEXAS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE RECORDS SHOWED A DEC DECREASE OF, UH, PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS OF ALMOST 5% ACROSS THE 13 SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT SERVE SAN ANTONIO, THE MAJORITY OF YOUTH THAT DID NOT APPEAR IN 2021.
PERFORMANCE REPORTS ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND MOST LIKELY DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL AND HAVE NOT RETURNED COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PARTICIPANTS ALSO DECLINED.
[01:40:01]
BANK OF DALLAS TELLS US THAT THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITY YOUTH THAT HAS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE MARCH OF 2020 TO 74,000.JUST AS BACKGROUND, THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR, OH, SORRY, WENT, WENT TOO FAR.
SO EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION AND PROJECT W TEEN AMBASSADORS LAUNCHED 18 MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY TO ASSESS THE CURRENT MENTAL HEALTH STATUS OF THEIR PEERS.
THE SURVEY CLOSED ON APRIL 10TH WITH 1049 RESPONSES AND PRELIMINARY RESULTS TRACKED WITH THE NATIONAL REPORTS ABOUT THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING LAST WEEK A C D C RE REPORT WAS ISSUED.
AND, UM, IT SHOWED THE, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT MENTAL DECLINE IN MENTAL HEALTH OF TEENS.
THE, THE REPORT'S NAME IS THE KIDS ARE NOT, ALL RIGHT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING ALSO.
APPROXIMATELY HALF OF OUR SURVEY PARTICIPANTS INDICATED THE PANDEMIC AND SCHOOL HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
40% SAID THEY HAVE MORE BAD DAYS THAN GOOD DAYS.
35% OF RESPONDENTS REPORTED THEY OR A FRIEND HAD SUICIDAL IDEATIONS, AND 30% HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT HARMING THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.
WHEN ASKED IF THEY HAD SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OR CHALLENGES, ONLY 12% SAID THAT THEY HAD A TRUSTED ADULT AT SCHOOL THAT THEY COULD TALK TO, AND 23% DID NOT FEEL COM, UH, COMFORTABLE TALKING TO ANYONE.
ABOUT HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SURVEY DID NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO TO FIND HELP, UM, OR MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES.
TEENS ALSO PROVIDED GOOD FEEDBACK ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP TO BETTER HELP TEENS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
UM, EXAMPLES ARE MORE IN SCHOOL RESOURCES, MORE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND COUNSELING AND GROUP COUNSELING AVAILABLE AT SCHOOLS.
AND SO, AS SOME AS BACKGROUND, THE CITY CURRENTLY, UM, IN THE FISCAL YEAR 22, ADOPTED BUDGET INVESTS 33.1 MILLION FOR YOUTH PROGRAMMING OVER FIVE DEPARTMENTS.
THE MAJORITY, ALMOST 90% IS GENERAL FUND.
THIS CHART SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF FUNDING BY DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS, UH, SLIDE GIVES A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON WHAT, WHAT EACH DEPARTMENT DOES.
HUMAN SERVICES, PARKS, METRO HEALTH LIBRARY, AND MUNICIPAL COURT DEPARTMENTS ALL PROVIDE TARGETED YOUTH PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE RELATED TO OUR CORE MISSIONS.
HUMAN SERVICES PROVIDES THE AMBASSADOR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND THE NEXT LEVEL, UM, YOUTH OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM.
AND THAT INCLUDES INTERNSHIPS, EDUCATION, AND WORK CONNECTIONS.
WE ALSO FUND AND COLLABORATE WITH MORE THAN 20, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO ENSURE YOUTH HAVE ACCESS TO OUT OF SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS, INTERNSHIPS, COLLEGE ACCESS, AND SCHOLARSHIPS, AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE SCHOOL SUCCESS AND LIFE SUCCESS, PARKS AND RECREATION OVERSEAS, SUMMER YOUTH AND COMMUNITY CENTER PROGRAMS, SWIMMING POOLS, FITNESS, DANCE CLASSES, AND ATHLETIC LEAGUES.
METRO HEALTH OFFERS THE PROJECT WORTH TEEN PREGNANCY AND TEEN AMBASSADORS PROGRAMS IN SCHOOL, NUTRITION EDUCATION, AND STANDUP SA VIOLENCE PROGRAM, AND THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY.
TEEN LIBRARIANS SERVE YOUTH AGES 13 TO 18 AT EVERY LIBRARY LOCATION.
AND THROUGH VITAL, UH, VIRTUAL PLATFORMS, MUNICIPAL CORP OVERSEES JUVENILE TRUANCY PROGRAMS, WHICH HERE CLASS C MISDEMEANOR CASES SUCH AS TRAFFIC OR TRUANCY, UM, CITATIONS.
AND THE PURPOSE IS TO HELP THEM FIND, HELP STUDENTS FIND ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF ENGAGING YOUTH IN SCHOOL, UM, OR IN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO, CITY COUNCIL IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES FOR YOUTH INVESTMENTS IN PREVIA ARPA ARPA FUNDING BRIEFINGS.
UM, THESE INCLUDED WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR YOUTH AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM SUPPORT SERVICES FOR OPPORTUNITY YOUTH TO ADDRESS THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAT OFFER POSITIVE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING MANY SUMMER AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND EXPANDING GANG PREVENTION PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS INCREASES IN GANG ACTIVITY AND ADDITION.
UM, TO YOUR ADDITION, WELL, TO, IN ADDITION TO YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY, WE WILL BRIEF AND GATHER INPUT FROM THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION, THE TEEN AMBASSADOR PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITY FUNDERS THAT, THAT FOCUS ON THE YOUTH POPULATION
[01:45:02]
AND STAKEHOLDERS THAT FOCUS ON POPULATIONS, SPECIAL POPULATIONS SUCH AS FOSTER YOUTH, HOMELESS YOUTH, AND L G B T Q YOUTH.SO TO SUMMARIZE, UM, WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR INPUT AND POLICY DIRECTION TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARPA YOUTH FUNDING PLAN, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, WHAT C OVID 19 IMPACTS ARE, UM, ARE WE TRYING TO ADDRESS, AND WHAT POLICY GUIDANCE DO YOU HAVE REGARDING THE FUNDING PROCESS FOR THESE, UH, DOLLARS? AND SO, WHEN COMPLETED, THE PLAN WILL IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE C OVID 19 IMPACTS ON YOUTH.
IT WILL RECOMMEND PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES THAT BENEFIT YOUTH AFFECTED BY THE IMPACTS AND PROMOTE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES AND POTENTIAL METRICS.
IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE A, NOT TO EXCEED FOUR YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND TIMELINE.
OUR GOAL IS TO FINALIZE THE PROPOSED PLAN FOR E W D C APPROVAL IN EARLY, IN LATE SUMMER, EARLY FALL, AND IMPLEMENT A FUNDING AWARD PROCESS BY FALL OF 2022.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEFING.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND, UM, TO TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? THEY TOOK YOUR MIC.
UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS A TEACHER FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND SO, UH, I, I'VE SEEN, UH, STUDENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN GOING THROUGH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS IN THE SCHOOL AND IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AROUND THE SCHOOLS.
SO I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING, UH, WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, I GOOD, I'M GLAD TO SEE YOUTH COMMISSIONS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, IT'S KIND OF SIMILAR TO WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
WE WANTED SPAC TO TAKE A, A, A STRONGER ROLE.
I THINK WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO YOUTH COMMISSIONS, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO TAKE A STRONGER ROLE ALONG WITH US IN RECOMMENDING PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS AND SERVICES THAT ARE GOING TO HELP.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE BRING THEM IN TO THE PROCESS.
UH, ARE THERE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE CAN DO THAT FROM CITY STAFF? YOU KNOW, I THINK WITH THE, THE YOUTH COMMISSION IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
THEY, UM, WORKED VERY HARD AND DILIGENTLY TO PUT THAT TEEN SURVEY OUT, AND THEY'RE VERY INVOLVED IN THE ANALYSIS AND THE REPORTING OF IT.
UM, THEY WILL BE WITH US WHEN IT'S PRESENTED, UM, AND I THINK WE WOULD FOLLOW A SIMILAR PATH WITH THIS PROCESS AS WELL.
AND I WOULD ALSO THINK AS FAR AS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS GO, HEARING FROM SOME OF THE SCHOOLS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WHICH, LIKE I SAID, AS A TEACHER, I SAW IT IN THE CLASSROOM AND I SAW IT OUTSIDE THE SCHOOLS.
AND SO I THINK THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS COULD PROBABLY GIVE US SOME IDEAS OF IMPORTANT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS AND STEPS WE CAN TAKE TO HELP YOUTH AS WELL.
SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUST BRING IN MORE INFORMATION TO GIVE US MORE DIRECTION ON WHERE WE NEED TO GO ON THIS.
COUNCILWOMAN, I WON'T BREAK OUT INTO KARAOKE, I PROMISE.
UM, THANK YOU MANDY, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I, I AGREE WITH THE COUNCILMAN COURAGE, BRINGING IN THE YOUTH COMMISSION TO HELP US DECIDE ON HOW TO BEST SPEND THESE DOLLARS.
UM, THE YOUTH COMMISSION HAS BEEN DOING GREAT WORK, UH, WITH THE SURVEY AND, UH, WITH THE DATA THAT WE FOUND, RIGHT? ONE IN THREE, UH, YOUTH ARE EXPERIENCING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND ONLY ONE OUT OF 10 FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE AN ADULT THAT THEY CAN LEAN ON FOR SUPPORT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS THAT STAFF PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION AMOUNT FOR THE YOUTH COMMISSION FOR THEM TO DECIDE BEST HOW TO ADDRESS THE, THE SURVEY RESULTS THAT THEY FOUND.
AND I BELIEVE 100,000 TO 250,000 WOULD GO A LONG WAY FOR THE YOUTH COMMISSION, UM, FOR THEM TO EXPLORE, UM, AND PROVIDE THOSE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO US.
UM, WITH THAT, I ALSO AGREE WITH LOOKING AT OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AND OUR ISVS.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT, UM, THE, I, THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT RECEIVED, UH, THE LEAST AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
FOR EXAMPLE, EDGEWOOD, I S D, AND I BELIEVE, UM, SOUTH SIDE I S D RECEIVE SOME OF THE, THE LEAST AMOUNT RIGHT AS DELEGATE AGENCY.
UH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN HOW WE CAN HELP THEM SCALE THAT UP FOR THOSE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, UH, WHETHER IT'S, UH, PROGRAMMING OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THEM, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, LOOKING AT PARKS PROGRAMMING FOR YOUTH SPECIFICALLY MM-HMM.
[01:50:01]
US TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS WE'RE SEEING.UM, AND THO THOSE ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THE TRUANCY OR DROPOUT RATE IS PER SCHOOL DISTRICT? I, WE CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
AND ALSO, UM, DO WE HAVE DEDICATED CITY PROGRAMS TO HELP YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES? SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER, UM, INCORPORATE, WELL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL OF COURSE, OPEN TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
BUT, UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, OUR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, WE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SLOTS TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, OUR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE THAT IN OTHER PROGRAMS, OUR HEAD START PROGRAM, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE COULD INCORPORATE ALSO INTO NEXT LEVEL AND OTHER PROGRAMS. THANK YOU.
AND, AND I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE THE YOUTH COMMISSION IMPACT.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF THE SURVEYS COULD ALSO GO TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SEE, UH, AS MUCH ENGAGEMENT AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN ALSO HOW MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE SERVED IN EACH OF THE CURRENT PROGRAMS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
SO ANYTHING FROM THE AMBASSADOR TO NEXT LEVEL.
UM, DO YOU HAVE BREAKDOWNS ON THAT? UH, FOR TOTAL YOUTH SERVE, AND THEN A BREAKDOWN BY DISTRICT.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN PUT TOGETHER.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE 228 YOUTH THIS YEAR.
UM, NEXT LEVEL HOVERS AROUND FIVE TO 600 STUDENTS AT A OR INDIVIDUALS AT A TIME.
SO YEAH, WE, THAT, THAT'S ALL INFORMATION WE TRACK AND BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
I APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT THIS WAS, UH, THAT THE YOUTH WAS IN ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT THIS IS OUR NEXT GENERATION OF WORKFORCE, SO IT MAKES SENSE ALSO.
BUT I THINK AS WE LOOK AND BRING OUR STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER, AND I'M GLAD TON WAS HERE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE GROUPS THAT WE NEED TO BRING TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD SUCCESS RATES IN, IN GETTING THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES TO INDEPENDENT LIVING.
AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT THESE UPSTREAM ISSUES.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF GIVING OUR YOUTH COMMISSION, UM, SOME FUNDING TO GET CREATIVE.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY DID REALLY WELL WITH THIS SURVEY.
UM, I WAS VERY SADDENED BY THE RESULTS OF THIS SURVEY BECAUSE WE ARE FACING A CRISIS AND WITH OUR YOUTH, AND WE HAVE COLLECTIVELY ALL BEEN THROUGH THIS, UM, THIS, THIS TRAGEDY, THIS CRISIS TOGETHER CALLED C OVID 19.
BUT YET WE ARE ADULTS AND WE'VE LOST LOVED ONES, AND WE'VE EXPERIENCED THINGS WITHIN OUR LIFE BEFORE THIS, THESE YOUTH GOING FROM A, A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL TO A SOPHOMORE IN COLLEGE, WHAT THEY'VE MISSED.
I CAN SEE WHY THEY'RE STRUGGLING SO MUCH.
AND SO I THINK THE YOUTH COMMISSION IS A GOOD PLACE TO START BECAUSE I THINK THEY CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, UM, AND, AND NORMALIZE IT.
SO IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE STIGMA.
AND SO I'M GLAD WE'RE HERE DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE, BUT I DO WANNA FOCUS ON UPSTREAM, AND I THINK WE DO NEED TO BRING OUR STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, EDUCATIONAL IMPACTS THAT TWO YEARS VIRTUAL HAS HAD ON THE STUDENTS, BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO THERE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF SMALLER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT ARE THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT MAY BE MAY, THEY MAY JUST NEED THE $100,000 OR $250,000.
SO LET'S LOOK TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAYBE HAVE A PROCESS WHERE THEY CAN APPLY AND, AND REALLY SHARE THEIR SUCCESSES.
UH, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT, I THINK WE DO CONTINUE TO NEED TO ASK THE QUESTIONS OF, IF YOU'RE GONNA PARTNER WITH US, IF YOU'RE GONNA TAKE ARPA DOLLARS, WHAT ARE YOU PAYING YOUR CASEWORKERS, YOUR AFTERSCHOOL WORKERS? BECAUSE WE WANT THE EQUITY LENS TO BE THERE ALSO.
SO, THANK YOU, UH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THE INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND THE YOUTH COMMISSION COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
SECOND TIME AT MATT WAS MENTIONING OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
IT, IT REMINDED ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE CAN BE REACHING
[01:55:01]
OUT TO.UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BOYS CLUBS, GIRLS CLUBS, Y M C A Y W C A, THEY'RE STAKEHOLDERS, WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO SAY? AND ALSO, WE'VE GOT ORGANIZATIONS, WE'VE GOT COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP, AND WE'VE GOT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THEMSELVES.
SO THERE ARE, SO, THERE ARE SO MUCH MORE INPUT THAT WE COULD GET THAT WOULD HELP US DEVISE A MORE EFFECTIVE PLAN FOR ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES THAT, UH, THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED FROM THAT SURVEY.
AND THAT WAS ONLY A THOUSAND OR 1100 OR SO, UH, OUT OF THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN.
UH, I HAD A CONVERSATION THE OTHER DAY WITH, UM, THE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT OF NORTHSIDE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE CITY PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS FOUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS SET FOR THE SUMMER IN N E I S D, BUT HOW MANY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE THERE ALL OVER THE CITY OR SUMMER PROGRAMS SCHEDULED ALL OVER THE CITY? UH, CAN WE BE DOING MORE OF THAT TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO FIND, UH, MORE ENJOYABLE FUNCTIONAL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES FOR THEMSELVES AND ALL SUMMER LONG? AND I DON'T KNOW IF ARPA WOULD BE THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THAT, OR IF WE JUST NEED TO PUT MORE IN OUR GENERAL FUND, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, TARGET THOSE LOCATIONS WHERE THERE ARE THOSE GREATEST NEEDS BECAUSE OF, OF VIOLENCE OR, OR BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN, UH, A LOT OF STUDENTS HAVING MENTAL, EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS AND, AND WE NEED TO BE PROVIDING MORE SERVICES IN MANY OF THOSE TARGETED AREAS, TOO.
SO IT, IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG EFFORT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THOSE THOUGHTS TOO.
UH, I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, UH, THE DIRECTION TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SUPPORTING AT-RISK YOUTH.
RIGHT? WE'VE SEEN THOSE NUMBERS NEARLY DOUBLE.
A LOT OF STUDENTS LEAVING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE CONNECTING THEM TOWARDS, UH, RECEIVING A G E D OR A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, UM, ARE WHERE OUR RESOURCES NEED TO GO.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, SA YOUTH, UM, IS TAKING THOSE AT-RISK YOUTH, UM, AND HELPING THEM GET THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, RIGHT? AND IF ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THAT DID NOT EXIST, YOU KNOW, WHERE WOULD THESE STUDENTS GO AND WHAT IMPACT WOULD THAT HAVE ON COMMUNITY AND THEIR FAMILIES? UM, SO THAT'S THE LAST DIRECTION I WANNA EMPHASIZE.
CONS, DIEGO? YOU OKAY? I'M GOOD.
THIS IS WHAT WE WERE HOPING THAT WE'D GET OUT OF TODAY.
UM, FOR ME, I, I, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE TAKING NOTES AND WONDERING WHAT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME, WE KNOW THAT C O V I D UM, MADE LIFE MORE COMPLICATED AND REALLY QUITE HORRIBLE FOR, UM, L G B T Q KIDS AS IT RELATES TO SUICIDE AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE.
UM, WE'VE REALLY NEVER LEANED IN, UM, VERY INTENTIONALLY IN INTO THAT TOPIC, RIGHT? AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING OUR HOMELESSNESS, UH, STUDY, RIGHT? AND I WAS, I WAS UNHAPPY WITH, WITH THE FACT THAT THAT STUDY REALLY IGNORED THAT POPULATION.
UM, AND YET WHEN YOU DO TALK TO THE EXPERTS, THAT POPULATION IS WHAT KEEPS THEM UP AT NIGHT.
UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO BE HOMELESS, RIGHT? UM, AND SO, UH, I I, I WOULD INVITE, YOU KNOW, A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE HELPING THOSE KIDS, RIGHT? THE SECOND THING IS, IS WE ALSO FOUND OUT, UH, THROUGH COVID THAT IT MADE THE ALREADY VULNERABLE FOSTER KIDS EVEN MORE VULNERABLE.
UM, AND MANY OF THESE KIDS, UH, WERE, UM, NOT RESCUED BY C P S.
UH, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT C P S ENERGY, CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND WERE LEFT IN HOMES WITH ABUSERS, UH, LOCKED AND QUARANTINED, UM, AND WERE, YOU KNOW, ABUSED, UM, WITH MORE FREQUENCY
UM, AND THE, THE THIRD ONE IS, UH, I GOT TO ATTEND, UH, OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE, UH, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARD CONFERENCE.
AND WHEN I TALK TO SUPERINTENDENTS AND TRUSTEES FROM ALL OVER TEXAS, THEY TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT I HEARD FROM THE TRUSTEES AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AT HARLANDALE, WHICH IS WHAT KEEPS THEM UP AT NIGHT, IS THESE KIDS THAT LEFT AND NEVER RETURNED TO SCHOOL.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A CRISIS IN FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIDS OFTENTIMES RELIED ON THE SCHOOL FOR FOOD, UM, AND JUST BASIC SHELTER DURING THE DAY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIDS ARE OUT THERE WITHOUT THESE RESOURCES AND NOBODY'S TOUCHING THEM.
AND WHAT WE'RE CREATING IS, UM, AN ARMY OF, OF KIDS, UM, THAT,
[02:00:01]
YOU KNOW, ARE GOING TO COME BACK AND KNOCK ON OUR DOOR WHEN THEY'RE ADULTS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE, PROBLEMS WITH HOMELESSNESS, PROBLEMS WITH LITERACY PROBLEMS, AND, UH, MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE CAUGHT BY COUNSELORS AND SOCIAL WORKERS AT THESE SCHOOLS.AND SO, FOR ME, THAT'S, THAT'S A CRISIS, RIGHT? AND I, AND I THINK THAT YOU'RE RIGHT AS A YOUTH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, AN IMPORTANT PARTNER IN THAT REGARD.
UH, SO ANYWAY, I THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR, FOR SITTING THROUGH THIS AND, AND THANK YOU MELODY FOR, FOR OPENING OUR EYES AND, UM, AND HELPING US, UM, HELPING SHEPHERD US THIS CONVERSATION.
I'M THE CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER.
UM, WITHIN MY OFFICE, WE'RE LEADING A DIGITAL INCLUSION EFFORT.
UH, YOU PROBABLY WELL KNOW, UM, WE'LL START OFF WITH, UH, KINDA THE IMPACT OF COVID 19, AS YOU'VE, UM, PROBABLY HEARD A MILLION TIMES FROM ME.
AND I THINK MARINA ALTE GATO IS IN THE ROOM AS WELL FROM SA DIGITAL CONNECT, SO I KNOW YOU'VE ALL BEEN VISITED BY HER AS WELL.
I'LL MOVE INTO OVERVIEW OF CITY'S, UH, THE CITY'S DIGITAL INCLUSION EFFORTS SO FAR, AND THEN JUST START DISCUSSING SOME POTENTIAL, POTENTIAL FUNDING ALIGNMENT FOR, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING.
IT'S GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MONEY THAT WE HAVE IN HAND FROM CITY FUNDS.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL OBVIOUSLY JUMP INTO THE COUNCIL INPUT.
UH, SO COVID 19 IMPACTS START OFF AT A NATIONAL LEVEL REALLY QUICK.
UH, LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT.
UM, SO IT'S NOT A SURPRISE THAT OUR MOST UNDERSERVED DEMOGRAPHICS HAVE BEEN, UH, HIT THE HARDEST WHEN IT COMES TO THIS EVEN PRE PANDEMIC.
UH, BUT DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE'VE SEEN THAT, UH, THEY WERE TWICE AS LIKELY TO CUT THEIR INTERNET SERVICE, UH, DUE TO THAT FINANCIAL STRAIN THAT WAS PUT UPON THEM.
UH, NOT TO MENTION YOU'VE HEARD THE HORROR STORIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC AND THROUGHOUT, AND WE'VE HEARD 'EM TODAY ABOUT SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN BEING DISCONNECTED.
WE HEARD ABOUT OUR OWN URBAN, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT, SS A I S D, UH, LOSING CONTACT WITH 25% OF THE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.
UH, THIS IS A REAL THREAT TO US, UH, AND TO OUR, UH, STUDENTS AT THAT, THAT EDUCATION LEVEL.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, THE HEALTH IMPACT OF, UH, THE LACK OF DIGITAL, DIGITAL INCLUSION.
UH, THAT WAS AN CONSISTENTLY ONE OF THE FACTORS CONNECTED WITH HIGHER RISK OF DEATH DUE TO C OVID 19 THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
UM, SORRY, I WANTED TO SAY NEXT SLIDE, BUT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD TO GO UP HERE.
UM, AS FAR AS DIGITAL BARRIERS, UH, I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON THESE TWO SLIDES AT A NATIONAL LEVEL.
AGAIN, I GOT TWO MORE AFTER THIS, BUT DIGITAL BARRIERS FOR K THROUGH 12.
UH, SO REALLY FOCUSING IN ON, UH, THE SCHOOLWORK ACCESS.
UM, IF YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THE LEGS OF DIGITAL INCLUSION STOOL, WE TALK ABOUT ACCESS TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO GETTING INTERNET ACCESS IN HOME ACCESS TO DEVICES, AS WELL AS DIGITAL LITERACY.
STUDENTS CAN'T DO THEIR HOMEWORK OFF THEIR CELL PHONE.
UH, THAT IS A BIG GAP THAT STILL REMAINS, AND WE WANT THAT TO BE ADDRESSED AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, SECONDLY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RELIABLE INTERNET CONNECTION, WHICH YOU'VE ALL VOICED COMPLAINTS ON, AND WE'VE HEARD IT FROM OUR RESIDENTS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO ACT ON, ON A NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL.
UM, I'LL JUMP OVER TO DIGITAL NEEDS BY DEMOGRAPHIC.
UH, THIS ONE REALLY STANDS OUT.
UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THOSE, THOSE DEMOGRAPHIC LEVELS, UH, HISPANIC ADULTS, COLLEGE GRADUATES AND ADULTS UNDER 50 WERE THE MOST, UM, MOST TO RESPOND AS INTERNET ACCESS BEING MOST ESSENTIAL TO THEM DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THAT IS NOT A CHANGE BEFORE PANDEMIC OR AFTER PANDEMIC.
IT IS ONLY BECOMING MORE RELIABLE OF A SOURCE.
WE ARE BECOMING MORE RELIABLE ON THAT SOURCE AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO DIGITAL ECONOMY, QUALITY AND AFFORDABILITY.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
NOT ONLY DOES THE ACCESS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE, BUT WE REALLY NEED QUALITY ACCESS TO THAT.
INTERNET SPEEDS AS WELL AS AFFORDABILITY.
I'VE PUT SOME STATISTICS THERE.
I WON'T DWELL ON THEM BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING LONG TIME.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA FOCUS ON THIS DIGITAL LITERACY PIECE.
SO AS WE CONNECT THOSE FOLKS AT HOME, AS WE PROVIDE THEM LAPTOPS OR OUR DESKTOP COMPUTERS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DIGITAL LITERACY RATES ARE GOING UP AS WELL AS DIGITAL ADOPTION RATES.
AS THAT AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED, EXECUTED, UH, WE'VE SEEN THOSE RATES OF ADOPTION HAVE NOT BUDGED HIGHER, HIGHER THAN, THAN WE EXPECTED.
UH, THAT IS DUE TO LACK OF INVESTMENT IN THAT AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM.
WHEN IT COMES TO PROMOTING THE PROGRAM, IT'S A BIG, BIG, UH, COMPONENT WE NEED TO FOCUS IN ON.
WE'LL JUMP TO THE LOCAL LEVEL HERE.
YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THESE, UH, STATISTICS BEFORE.
UH, OVER 20% OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS IN SAN ANTONIO AND GREATER BEAR COUNTY FACE BARRIERS.
THAT'S 130,000 HOUSEHOLDS WHEN YOU SEE THAT NUMBER MULTIPLIED BY THREE.
'CAUSE THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD WE'RE CALCULATING IS THREE PERSONS PER HOUSEHOLD.
THAT INCLUDES THOSE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, THAT INCLUDES SENIORS, AND THAT INCLUDES ADULTS.
THAT SHOULD BE EMBEDDED INTO OUR WORKFORCE.
UH, SOME ADDITIONAL STATISTICS THERE THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN A THOUSAND TIMES BY NOW.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THIS AT YOU READY.
UH, LET'S TALK ABOUT CURRENT AND PAST, AND I DON'T THINK THE SLIDE WAS UPDATED, BUT, UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT CURRENT AND PAST DIGITAL INCLUSION EFFORTS.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE HERE, WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT LONG-TERM SOLUTION THAT WE IMPLEMENTED, UH, WITH FUNDING THAT WAS PROVIDED BEFORE, WHICH IS CONNECTED BEYOND THE CLASSROOM PROJECT.
CONNECTING UP TO 9,800 OF OUR STUDENTS ACROSS EDGEWOOD,
[02:05:01]
DALE AND S A I S D.UH, WE'LL JUMP OVER TO, UH, PROVIDING HOTSPOTS.
UH, I BELIEVE WE PROVIDED, UH, OVER 1700 HOTSPOTS, UH, WE'RE DEPLOYED.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO WORK WITH OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ABOUT FIVE OF THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO LEVERAGE $420,000 OUTTA CITY FUNDS TO, TO ADD UP TO A TOTAL OF 840,000 COMING FROM T E A.
THAT MONEY WAS USED IN THEIR DIGITAL INCLUSION EFFORTS TO, TO CONNECT THEIR STUDENTS IN THAT SHORT TERM GOAL, UH, AS A PANDEMIC HIT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UPGRADING OUR PARKS AND, AND, UH, AND RECREATION CENTERS WIFI FOR EASY ACCESS AS FOLKS ARE GOING THERE FOR, UH, QUICK SERVICE.
UH, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE SUPPORTED SAHA WITH, UH, IMPROVING THEIR DIGITAL INCLUSION EFFORTS.
WE PROVIDED $180,000 TO SAHA, UH, TO DO THAT.
UM, I'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND YOU'LL SEE THEIR LOGO THERE.
WE ALSO PROVIDED FUNDING TO CREATE THIS ORGANIZATION AND ALSO DEVELOP THE ROADMAP WITH THEM THAT REALLY IDENTIFIES, OKAY, WE KNOW WHERE THE GAPS ARE NOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA SOLVE FOR THEM? UH, YOU'VE BEEN PRESENTED THIS ROADMAP BEFORE.
I KNOW COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA HAS READ IT THREE TIMES ALREADY.
UM, BUT THIS IS REALLY A PRIVATE PUBLIC COMMUNITY EFFORT, UH, TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE FOR ALL A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO AND GREATER BEAR COUNTY.
UH, SO STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING IS COMING AVAILABLE.
UH, HOUSE BILL FIVE ESTABLISHED A STATE BROADBAND OFFICE.
IT ALSO ESTABLISHED THAT STATE BROADBAND PLAN.
IT'S ESTABLISHING MAPS, UH, AND THEN IT'S ALSO ALLOCATING, I'M SORRY, SENATE BILL AL IS ALLOCATING 500 MILLION ARPA FUNDING TO, UH, THAT BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE TO DISTRIBUTE, UH, TO CITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UH, WE ARE IN CONSTANT CONVERSATION WITH THE STATE BROADBAND OFFICE.
UH, SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS GOING FORWARD, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT OVER AND OVER WE ARE BEING APPLAUDED AS BEING WAY AHEAD OF THE BALL WHEN IT COMES TO COMPARISON WITH OTHER CITIES.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
UH, NOW WE NEED TO IDENTIFY WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH FUNDING.
UH, TALK ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING.
$65 BILLION IN BROADBAND FUNDING FROM THE I H J A.
UM, WE'LL DRILL INTO SOME OF THESE FUNDING METHODS.
SO THE, UH, BROADBAND EQ, SORRY, THE BROADBAND EQUITY ACCESS AND DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM IS REALLY FOCUSED IN ON THOSE UNSERVED, UNDERSERVED AND COMMUNITY ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS 42 POINT A HALF BILLION DOLLARS DEVOTED TO THIS.
UM, YEAH, BRIAN, THAT'S YES, SIR.
I'M GONNA CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THAT BROADBAND EQUITY, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO THAT BEAD PROGRAM IS REALLY OFFERING ACCESS.
SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE MATCHING FUNDS EARLIER, AND CONSIDERING THAT 6.9 MILLION THAT WE'LL BEGIN TO DISCUSS, AND YOU ALL BEGIN TO DISCUSS HOW WE'RE GONNA DISTRIBUTE THAT, THERE IS A MATCHING REQUIREMENT FOR THAT FEDERAL FUNDING OF 25%.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PAYING DEEP ATTENTION TO AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE ONE BEFORE YOU WANT ME TO CONTROL IT OVER HERE, I CAN DO IT.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE RIGHT SIDE WHEN IT COMES TO THE MATCHING REQUIREMENT, THERE'S A DEEP CONVERSATION.
IF WE SPIN THAT 6.9 NOW, WE MAY BE AT RISK OF NOT HAVING A MATCHING AMOUNT LATER ON.
AND WHEN WE SAY LATER ON, WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE NO FOES, WHICH IS A NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES COMING FROM THE FEDERAL LEVELS, WE'VE BEEN ASKING THEM IF WE SPEND IT ON DIGITAL INCLUSION, CAN WE UTILIZE THAT EFFORT AS OUR MATCHING? AND THEY ARE ADVISING US.
WE'LL, NO MORE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, I THINK THE NOFO RELEASE OR THE FUNDING RELEASE WILL HAPPEN AROUND, UH, MAY OF THIS YEAR.
THAT'S THE CONVERSATION PIECE.
BUT AS FAR AS DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS, WE'RE LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR, MID TO LATE NEXT YEAR.
THIS WAS ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT FEDERAL LEVEL THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION EFFORTS.
UH, YOU'LL SEE KIND OF THREE BREAKDOWNS HERE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PLANNING GRANT.
SO THAT'S DISTRIBUTED TO STATE, TO IDENTIFY THE PLANS THAT WE'RE GONNA USE TO EXECUTE ON THE FUNDING THAT WILL COME LATER, UH, AS WELL AS CAPACITY GRANT PROGRAMS NOW THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT FIND THE NEED.
THAT'S NON-SCHOOL INSTITUTIONS, UH, NONPROFITS, UH, CORPORATIONS, ET CETERA, THAT ARE SOLVING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE EFFORT.
AND THEN THAT COMPETITIVE GRANT, OF COURSE, IS TO, TO, YOU CAN APPLY FOR GRANTS THROUGH THAT ONE.
UM, SORRY, I'M, I'M, I'M INTERFERING WITH YOU NOW.
UM, SO THIS LIST HERE, UM, WE WANTED TO PUT OUT SOME IDEATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD IN CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL, UH, FROM REFLECTIONS ON OUR DIGITAL EQUITY ROADMAP.
UH, THESE ARE BY NO MEANS OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
THESE ARE THINGS TO HAVE IN YOUR MIND AS YOU START TO, UH, IDEATE AND
[02:10:01]
WORKSHOP AROUND THIS FUNDING.AND AT THE BOTTOM THERE, YOU SEE THE $6.9 MILLION, UH, THAT YOU ALL ALLOCATED FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION AND LITERACY.
UM, YOU'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
I WON'T GO TOO FAR INTO IT, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT WE'RE PROVIDING YOU THIS INFORMATION AND IT IS ON Y'ALL AND US TO WORKSHOP TOGETHER AND IDENTIFY HOW WE IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS, US UTILIZING THAT FUNDING.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN RICHARD GARCIA'S.
UH, AND SO WHY DON'T WE START WITH YOU.
I, UM, WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE AN UPDATE, AND MAYBE THIS IS A MARINA QUESTION, OF HOW MANY SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN THE A C P? I KNOW THAT YOU HAD A ZIP CODE BREAKDOWN WHEN I ASKED, UH, LAST MONTH, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S BEEN ANY MOVEMENT ON THAT.
UH, I CAN GET YOU AN UPDATE THAT'S, WE HAVE IT AS OF A MONTH AGO, BUT I CAN GET YOU AN UPDATE.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO, DO WE HAVE MAPS SHOWING WHICH PARTS OF THE CITY HAVE THE LEAST RELIABLE INTERNET SERVICE? WE ARE WORKING ON THAT COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR ISPS.
UH, SO THAT IS PROPRIETARY INFORMATION THAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD, BUT WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH ISPS COLLECTIVELY TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
SO, AND WE DO HAVE COMMITMENT FROM ALL OF THE ISPS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS.
AND, UM, WE HAD A HISTORIC MEETING IN HERE WITH THE ISPS, UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
AND COUNCILMAN PALLE WAS, WAS THERE AS WELL.
SO, AND, UH, ERIC WALSH LED THAT EFFORT.
SO THANK YOU, ERIC, FOR BRINGING THEM ALL INTO THE ROOM AT THE SAME TIME WHEN WE MET WITH THE N T I A, UM, THEY WERE SURPRISED BECAUSE THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN ANY OTHER CITY.
SO, SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP THERE.
UM, I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, IS IT MORE A MATTER OF NOT HAVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OR AFFORDABILITY FROM THE RESEARCH THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOUND IN REGARDS TO WHICH PARTS OF THE CITY HAVE LESS RELIABLE, UH, IS ALL THE ABOVE? OKAY.
SO WE DO HAVE DIGITAL REDLINING WHEN IT COMES TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, BUT AFFORDABILITY IS STILL SOMETHING THAT WE'RE FACING CHALLENGES WITH.
SO EVEN IF A, A HOUSEHOLD ON THE SOUTH SIDE, WEST SIDE, EAST SIDE COULD AFFORD THE ACCESS, UH, THEY WILL STILL BE LOOKING AT COPPER INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY NOT AT THE LEVEL OF FIBER.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PREPARING FOR A FUTURE STATE WHEN IT COMES TO DIGITAL ECONOMY AND DIGITAL INCLUSION.
AND THEN, BESIDES OATS, ARE THERE OTHER DIGITAL LITERACY RESOURCES FOR SENIORS THAT YOU CAN GIVE ME EXAMPLES OF? YES, MA'AM.
SO IT'S OATS AND OASIS HAVE BEEN THE TWO THAT, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE HAS BEEN WORKING ON, SPECIFICALLY WITH A FOCUS ON SENIORS.
UH, BUT I MEAN, OUR, OUR SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS.
THEY HAVE PROGRAMMING SET UP CONTINUOUSLY.
UH, OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS, OUR SENIOR CENTERS, UH, BUT ALSO OUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OUR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES HAVE REALLY BEEN CHIPPING IN.
I'LL GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY.
WOULD WE BE ABLE TO FUND, UM, PERHAPS DEVICES TO SENIORS THAT ARE ISSUED AT THROUGH SENIOR CENTERS AS PART OF THIS? YES, MA'AM.
AND ACTUALLY D H SS, UH, THAT IS PART OF ONE OF THE PROGRAMS. OKAY.
THROUGH OSSA AND OASIS THAT THEY'RE DOING, INCLUDING THE TRAINING THAT'S ATTACHED TO THOSE DEVICES.
AND THAT'S AT THE SENIOR CENTERS? YES, MA'AM.
THESE WERE THE PRESENTATIONS I WENT TO FOR N L C.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT CITIES WERE COMPARED TO, BUT I KNOW WE'RE NOT UP TO OTHER CITIES, UH, LIKE CHICAGO OR LA AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
BUT OF COURSE, THEY'RE GOING INTO THE INTERNET BUSINESS, AND I DON'T WANNA SEE OUR CITY GO INTO THAT.
I APPRECIATE CONVERSATIONS WITH ISPS, BUT I HAVE YET TO HEAR A DOLLAR AMOUNT, SO I'D LIKE A DOLLAR AMOUNT, UH, WITH THIS 6.9 MILLION, WHICH IS SEVERELY A SMALL AMOUNT FOR THE GAP.
AND I, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THE PROBLEM IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
I'VE, I'VE GOT ONE SERVICE PROVIDER THAT CAN DELIVER WELL.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER IS, IS SPOTTY AT BEST.
AND I'VE MET WITH GOOGLE, I'VE MET WITH THE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND WE'RE 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD ON THEIR PROJECTS, UH, TO GET THERE.
SO AT THIS POINT, UNTIL I SEE SOMETHING MORE SPECIFIC, I AM LEANING TOWARDS WITH THIS $6.9 MILLION, IS MAYBE SEEING HOW DIGITALLY WE CAN, ONE, LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND TWO, UM, MAYBE HELP THE, UM, HELP THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT NEED THAT DIGITAL HELP BECAUSE THE AFFORDABILITY AND THE ACCESS ACCESSIBILITY.
I HAVE NOT SEEN A PROGRAM YET THAT ADDRESSES THAT.
SO I THINK WE, WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING AND IN TERMS OF THIS, UM, THIS DEEPER DIVE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DO, UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DO THAT BECAUSE I HAVE DEVELOPERS COMING IN THE SOUTH SIDE AND READY TO PUT IN FIBER AND DIGITAL.
AND I, AT THIS POINT, I'M LIKE, WELL,
[02:15:01]
IF THEY EXTEND IT TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD, MAYBE WE HELP THEM DO THAT.I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET CREATIVE BECAUSE, UM, WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE INTERNET SERVICE, I HAVEN'T HEARD A DOLLAR AMOUNT WHERE IT COMES TO THE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS GONNA TAKE OVER $20 MILLION.
AND IF WE TAKE THIS TO THE VOTERS, OR WE HAVE A LARGE, LARGER CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW WHAT, THE VOTERS ARE GONNA ASK FOR DRAINAGE STREETS.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA ASK FOR DIGITAL DIVIDES.
SO WE NEED TO START GETTING CREATIVE.
AND, UM, I JUST HOPE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT ARE COMPARISON CITIES, UH, WHAT'S THE INPUT, INPUT FROM THE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, THIS, THIS GAP IS REAL.
AND THERE'S A, A LOT OF ALTERNATIVES OF UNDER THERE.
THE OTHER THING IS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE STATE'S GOING RURAL, AND WE'RE NOT PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO I ALSO NEED INFORMATION ON WHAT THE COMMITMENT OF THE STATE IS BEFORE YOU ASK ME TO PUT $6 MILLION HERE AND ANOTHER, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE BUDGET ON THIS ISSUE.
CASTILLO, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
AND TEAM, UM, DO WE HAVE AN INVENTORY OF HOW MANY SCHOOLS OFFER THEIR STU LIKE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT OFFER THEIR STUDENTS, UH, ROUTERS TO TAKE HOME? UH, SO RIGHT NOW, BASED ON OUR PROGRAM, SO HOTSPOTS AND ROUTERS, SO ROUTERS THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, WE HAVE THREE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, EDGEWOOD, HARLANDALE, AND S A I S D.
UM, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF SUPPO SUPPORTING THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT MAY NOT HAVE A PROGRAM, AND THERE'S A NEED.
UM, I AM ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, WORKING WITH OUR SENIOR CENTERS.
UM, AS WELL AS, UM, LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN ALSO SUPPORT, UM, THOSE MICRO BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.
UH, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I SPEAK TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO DO NOT EVEN HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS.
UM, AND IT'S JUST, THEY'RE ONE RIGHT.
AND TWO, UM, THEY'RE MAKING ENOUGH TO STAY AFLOAT AND KEEP THE BUSINESS GOING 'CAUSE IT'S THEIR PASSION.
UM, SO I, I, I SEE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SUPPORT THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, WHETHER IT'S PROVIDING THEM A ROUTER.
UM, BUT, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING IN SUPPORTING THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY AND GETTING CONNECTED.
UM, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORK THAT Y'ALL CONTINUE TO DO.
COULD YOU TELL ME RIGHT NOW HOW MUCH CITY FUNDING OR RESOURCES AND OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES ARE STILL AVAILABLE AND ARE BEING EMPLOYED TODAY TO EXPAND ACROSS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN SAN ANTONIO? SO THAT IS THE 6.9 MILLION.
SO THE CITY'S EXPENDED ALL OF THE FUNDS THAT WE HAD ALLOCATED PREVIOUSLY.
SO, SO THE, THE FUNDING, SO WE HAD 6.9 LEFTOVER FROM THAT ORIGINAL AMOUNT.
WE CARRIED THAT OVER INTO THIS BUCKET WHERE THAT YOU SEE NOW.
SO THIS WAS FROM CITY FUNDING THAT WE ARE INCLUDING INTO THE ARPA DISCUSSION? YES.
UM, I, I HAVE THE SAME FEELING.
I THINK THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN VERAN HAS THAT THE STATE DOES NOT LOOK VERY FAVORABLE ON A LOT OF THE CITIES, AND WE DON'T KNOW IF OR WHEN WE MAY GET ANY FUNDING, BUT WHAT IS, WHAT IS YOUR GUT FEELING, BECAUSE YOU'VE PROBABLY BEEN TALKING WITH SOME PEOPLE IN AUSTIN ABOUT THIS.
RIGHT? UM, SO I MEAN, THE CONVERSATION IS THAT URBAN COMMUNITIES ARE PULLING TOGETHER TO RALLY THE STATE.
UH, I ALSO CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE STATE, UH, BUT THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING IS, YES, THERE IS A BIG EMPHASIS ON RURAL COMMUNITIES, UH, BUT AS A BROADBAND COALITION WITH HOUSTON, DALLAS, EL PASO, NUMBER OF CITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING DIRECTLY TO THAT STATE BROADBAND OFFICE, THE CONVERSATION IS GOING WELL, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET ZERO.
UH, BUT AGAIN, OUR CONCERN WHEN IT COMES TO THAT FEDERAL FUNDING IS DO WE SAVE IT FOR THE MATCH? DO WE SAVE THAT 6.9 FOR THE MATCH? DO WE SAVE A PIECE OF IT, OR DO WE SPEND IT NOW AND THEN IDENTIFY HOW WE'LL SPEND IT ONCE WE GET A LARGER BUCKET OF MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL LEVELS? RIGHT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY FEELING AS WELL.
I WAS HOPING IF WE WERE FAIRLY CERTAIN WE WERE GONNA GET STATE MONEY, THAT IF WE BROUGHT THAT IN, SOME OF THAT COULD BE SET ASIDE TO MATCH THE FEDERAL MONEY LATER ON DOWN THE LINE.
BUT SINCE WE ARE NOT LIKELY TO GET ANYTHING THAT WE KNOW OF ANYTIME SOON, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS, BUT WHAT DO WE ANTICIPATE IS THE LARGER PICTURE OF FEDERAL DOLLARS COMING IN AND WHAT KIND OF A MATCH WOULD THEY WANT? WOULD THEY WANT A 20% MATCH SO THAT 6 MILLION WOULD GET US 30 MILLION, OR WHAT DO YOU THINK? SO RIGHT NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE STATING 25% MATCH WITHIN THAT IGA.
SO SIX, 6.9 WOULD GET US 27 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SIR.
WELL, THAT, UH, I THINK IS A GREATER NEED.
[02:20:01]
UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE US HOLD THAT MONEY RIGHT NOW, AND WE'D KNOW BY MAY THAT STILL GIVES US TIME TO DO MORE WITH IT IF WE DECIDE TO IN JUNE OR JULY IF FEDERAL DOLLARS DON'T COME IN OR WE FIND SOME OTHER WAYS OF LOOKING AT IT.AND LET, LEMME CLARIFY THAT THAT 25% DOESN'T LIMIT US TO FOUR TIMES WHATEVER AMOUNT WE CONTRIBUTE.
IT'S THE AT LEAST 25% MATCH FOR WHATEVER IS OFFERED.
SO WE COULD PUT IN 6.9 AND, AND THREE POINT A LARGER 0.1 AND ASK FOR 40 MILLION, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT BROADBAND IN TEXAS, UH, WE HAVE TO SORT OF APPROACH THIS WITH A CERTAIN SENSE OF SOBRIETY, RIGHT? AND WHEN THAT, THAT SOBRIETY REMINDS ME OF THAT SOBRIETY PRAYER, RIGHT? WHERE YOU PRAY THAT, UH, GOD GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH TO ACCEPT THE THINGS WE CAN'T CHANGE, RIGHT? YES.
UM, AND, UH, THE COURAGE TO, TO CHANGE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN, WE, UM, IN THIS INSTANCE, WE WE'RE SPENDING ENERGY ON TRYING TO CHANGE THE STATE AND ITS ATTITUDE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BROADBAND, UH, AND WHERE IT MAKES THAT INVESTMENT, UM, IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO, RIGHT? BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO MANAGE OUR EXPECTATIONS, RIGHT? UM, AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE GOVERNOR AND FROM THE, UH, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IS THAT THEY'VE GOT THEIR KNIFE SHARPENED FOR CITIES.
UM, AND THAT RURAL VOTES AND RURAL AREAS ARE, ARE MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM, RIGHT? ESPECIALLY NOW DURING, UM, ELECTION SEASON AND CAMPAIGNING.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY EASY, UH, TO BEAT UP ON CITIES AND DENY CITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT, UH, IN THE SPIRIT OF, YOU KNOW, OWNING THE LIBS AND ALL THAT GARBAGE THAT COMES OUT OF THEM.
WE, UH, AND YET WE STILL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO, YOU KNOW, CONTROL THOSE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL.
AND SO, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE, UM, THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER FIVE YEARS AGO, UH, WHEN I, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THIS COUNCIL, WE WEREN'T HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, THERE WAS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT BROADBAND IN THIS ORGANIZATION, UH, FOR THE POOREST PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND WE WERE JUST SORT OF LEAVING EVERYBODY TO THEIR OWN DEVICES, RIGHT? AND, UM, IT WASN'T WORKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS I, LIKE MY FRIENDS OVER AT THE I S P, THEY WEREN'T SOLVING THIS PROBLEM.
UM, AND THEY, THEY WOULD COME TO YOU AND SAY, NO, BUT LOOK, WE'VE GOT THIS REALLY, REALLY GREAT AFFORDABLE PROGRAM, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, UM, PEOPLE CAN PAY $15 FOR THEIR, YOU KNOW, FOR THEIR WIFI.
AND, UM, AND THE, THE ISSUE WAS THEY WEREN'T ADVERTISING IT.
UM, AND THEY REALLY JUST TROTTED OUT EVERY SINGLE TIME GOVERNMENT WANTED TO GET INVOLVED IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
NOW, COVID O'S HAPPENED, AND EVERYBODY'S JUMPING ON BOARD HERE, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING, UM, THAT WE'RE FINALLY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION FIVE YEARS AGO.
UM, I THINK CRAIG HOPKINS AND I, OR YOU AND ME, BRIAN, WERE IN LOS ANGELES WHEN, WHEN WE, WHEN, YEAH, BOTH OF US, WE, WE SPOKE TO EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE UNITED STATES AND EVEN THE SMALL CITIES ABOUT WHAT SAN ANTONIO WAS GOING TO EMBARK UPON.
AND WE WERE JOINED BY THE, BY THE FED FROM DALLAS, UM, UP THERE ON, YOU KNOW, ON THAT PANEL TALKING ABOUT HOW WE ARE GONNA SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IN A WAY THAT HADN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE.
UM, AND THAT WE WERE GONNA USE THE EQUITY ATLAS AND THAT WE WERE GONNA REALLY APPROACH THIS, UM, IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UM, YEAH, SAN DIEGO AND CHICAGO AND LOS ANGELES AND OTHER FOLKS WERE ALREADY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WE THEN THE NEXT YEAR, UH, WHEN N L C WAS HOSTED HERE, UM, I THINK WE ALSO PUT TOGETHER A PANEL WHERE SAN ANTONIO WAS INVITED TO, UM, SHOW OFF EXACTLY WHERE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH WORK WE'D, WE'D DONE AND WHAT WE'D ACCOMPLISHED.
THE PROBLEM WITH THIS CONVERSATION IS THAT EVERYBODY WANTS US TO BOIL THE OCEAN ALL AT ONCE, AND WE CAN'T.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE PICKED, UH, CERTAIN REGIONS OF TOWN WHERE LOW HANGING FRUIT OPPORTUNITIES, RIGHT? WHERE THERE WAS ALREADY SOME INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE GROUND, UM, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PLUG IN SOME OF THESE DEVICES AND LIGHT UP, UM, THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND WE'VE HAD EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TOWN SAYING, WELL, WHY NOT ME? WHY NOT ME? WHY NOT ME? RIGHT? AND, UH, AND AGAIN, WE CAN'T BOIL THE OCEAN, AND THAT'S AN UNSATISFACTORY ANSWER TO THE PEOPLE WHO WANT, UH, THEIR PART OF THE OCEAN BOILED.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO GET BETTER.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE WERE, WAS ABSOLUTE CHAOS AND NOBODY BEING SERVED TODAY.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES WHO FINALLY HAVE, UM, HAVE, UH, CONNECTIVITY.
AND WE'RE TALKING ALSO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA BE GETTING MORE AND MORE CONNECTED, AS YOU KNOW, WITH EVERY YEAR THAT PASSES, I THINK WE'RE ON, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, AND AGAIN, YOU'RE PICKING UP A SENSE OF URGENCY, UH, FOR US TO GET THERE FASTER WITH THAT.
UM, I'LL, I'LL, UH, I'LL TELL YOU, WE HAVE A, UM, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF GOOD ORGANIZATIONS, UH, OUT THERE WHO ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, JOCKEYING TO RECEIVE EITHER ALL THE MONEY, UH, MOST OF THE MONEY, UH, OR SOME OF IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT? I, I WOULD LIKE A LIST, JOHN PATRIK, UH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE KEEPING THE MASTER LIST OF ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE ASKING FOR ARPA FUNDS.
[02:25:01]
I WOULD LIKE A LIST TO SEE IF, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS APPLIED THUS FAR, STEPPED UP AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO PUT THE CALL OUT TO THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WHO SHOULD BE APPLYING RIGHT FOR SOME OF THIS TO HELP US SOLVE IT.SO, UM, WITH THAT, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, WE'VE GOTTEN TWO BITES AT THE APPLE EVERY SINGLE TIME FOR THESE PRESENTATIONS, SO WANTED TO CHECK WITH MY COLLEAGUES, SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY OTHER OF THE COL COMMENTS.
ALRIGHT, THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF A MEETING, RIGHT ALEX? UM, WITH THAT SAID, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO SAT THROUGH THIS VERY PATIENTLY, UM, GO AND, UH, CONQUER AND SOLVE PROBLEMS. THANKS EVERYBODY.