* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:09] I LIKE AUSTIN, BUT I LOVE SANTO LOVE DANCING IN, AND I GROOVE THEN HEAD BACK DOWN THE ROAD. SO I LIKE, BUT I LOVE SANTON AND IF WE'RE PLACE TO GO. SO I, BUT I LOVE SAN ANTONIO. IN SAN ANTONIO, PONTO. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. [ PROCEDURAL  ] WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL A SESSION AGENDA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE. THE TIME IS 9:25 AM ON THIS 12TH DAY OF MAY, 2022. MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DEVE HDA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER BEIS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY IS HERE REMOTELY. PERRY MAYOR BERG HERE. MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UM, AND UH, WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS. WE HAVE A BUSY AGENDA TODAY AND SEVERAL FOLKS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE. BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA TO WELCOME OUR INDICATOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO PASTOR RICK HUDSON. RICK HUDSON HAS BEEN THE PASTOR OF LACKLAND BAPTIST CHURCH FOR 12 YEARS. DURING HIS TENURE, THE CHURCH HAS SEEN MANY, MANY CHANGES. ALL OF THE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN UPDATED OR RENOVATED, INCLUDING A NEW WORSHIP CENTER AND ATTENDANCE. ATTENDANCE HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY. DURING HIS SAME TIME PERIOD. PASTOR RICK HAS SERVED THE SAN ANTONIO BAPTIST ASSOCIATION AS VICE MODERATOR, MODERATOR, AND NOW LEADS THE GLOBAL EXPANSION TEAM. IN 2015, HE EARNED HIS PHD AND PASTORAL MINISTRY FROM NEWBURGH SCHOOL OF THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. PASTOR AND HIS WIFE JANET, HAVE FIVE GROWN CHILDREN, 17 GRANDCHILDREN, AND ARE THE VERY PROUD PARENTS OF THEIR SON. 10 YEAR OLD CHARLIE. PASTOR RICK AND THE BIBLE TEACHER IS A BIBLE TEACHER FOR A WEEKLY RADIO BROADCAST ON K S L R RADIO FOR FOUR YEARS ENTITLED RESTORATION ROAD. HE PREACHES EACH WEEK AT LACKLAND AND HAS TRAVELED INTERNATIONALLY PREACHING TO MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE IN 2019 IN PLACES AS ADA INDIA, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, AND ALSO TAUGHT IN ISRAEL AT THE JORDAN RIVER. PASTOR RICK IS AN ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIAN SERVING FOR 14 YEARS AS MINISTER OF MUSIC IN TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO. BEFORE ENTERING A 24 YEAR CAREER IN THE FUNERAL INDUSTRY. HE LEFT THE FUNERAL BUSINESS TO BECOME THE PASTOR AT LACKLAND IN FEBRUARY OF 2010. PLEASE HELP ME, WES. WE WELCOME PASTOR HUDSON AND THE FLOOR IS YOUR PASTOR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. WOULD YOU PRAY WITH ME PLEASE? OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE HUMBLY BOW BEFORE YOU TODAY AND REMEMBER THAT THE MERCY OF THE LORD IS FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING. TO THOSE WHO FEAR YOU, WE BRING THANKS TO YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING AND SERVING IN THIS GREAT CITY. REMIND US OFTEN THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE ARE THE PEOPLE, ARE YOUR PEOPLE, AND THAT WE ARE YOUR STEWARDS. WE PRAY YOU BLESS OUR MAYOR AND OUR CITY COUNCIL AND ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY, AND GIVE THEM PEACE AND GRACE, WISDOM AND PATIENCE IN DEALING WITH THE BUSINESS OVER WHICH YOU'VE SET THEM. PROTECT THOSE WHO GO OUT TO PROTECT US. WATCH OVER ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND KEEP THEM SAFE. THANK YOU LORD FOR OUR MILITARY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND AROUND THE WORLD AS THEY PROTECT US. HELP US TO HONOR YOU BY OUR ACTIONS AND OUR ATTITUDES AND OUR AGENDAS. AND MAY ALL THAT SAID THIS DAY, BE PLEA PLEASING IN YOUR SIGHT AND MAY RIGHTEOUSNESS [00:05:01] AND JUSTICE PREVAIL IN EVERY MATTER SO THAT EVERY CITIZEN OF THIS CITY WILL BE BLESSED BECAUSE OF THE WORK DONE HERE TODAY. AND SO THAT JESUS WILL BE EXALTED EVEN AS WE PRAY IN HIS NAME. AMEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PASTOR. BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR AGENDA TODAY, UH, THERE ARE MANY FOLKS THAT WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE, [POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE  ] UH, TODAY IN CHA IN CHAMBERS AND CELEBRATE. UH, BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THE CELEBRATIONS, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, OUR COMMUNITY LOST A VERY TREASURED HERO, UH, PHILANTHROPIST AND PUBLIC SERVANT, UH, OVER THE LAST WEEK. AND THAT WAS, UH, HELEN KLEBERG GROVES, WHO MANY OF YOU KNEW, UH, AS SOMEONE WHO WAS FOUNDATIONAL TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND MANY OTHER ASPECTS OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO ARE AND HER FAMILY. AND SO TO RECOGNIZE HER PROPERLY, LEMME TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU MAYOR. ON MAY 6TH, 2022, A LIFE FILLED WITH INTRICATE SKILL, CURIOSITY, AND INTELLECT CAME TO A CLOSE FOR HELEN. HELEN CLEAVER GROWS HELEN SKILLS AS A WRITER, WON HER CHAMPIONSHIP BUCKLES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HER DETERMINATION RESULTED IN HER BEING KNOWN AS THE FIRST LADY OF CUTTING, AND SHE WAS LATER INDUCTED INTO THE COWGIRL HALL OF FAME IN 1998. HETA WAS A LIFELONG LEARNER. SHE ENJOYED LUNCHING WITH MANY PROMINENT SCIENTISTS FROM INSTITUTIONS SHE SUPPORTED AND WAS DEVOTED TO HER STRONG CORE OF MONDAY NIGHT LADIES WHO ARE KNOWN TO BE THE CATALYST FOR MUCH OF THE IMPORTANT CHARITABLE AND POLITICAL WORK DONE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND SHE WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY PHILANTHROPIST. SHE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE ROBERT J AND HELEN J KLEBERG FOUNDATION UNTIL 2020 AND FAITHFULLY SERVED ON THE BOARD UNTIL HER DEATH. WITH THE DEATH OF HELEN, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS LOST A VALUABLE ASSET TO ITS PAST, ITS PRESENT, AND ITS FUTURE. THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL TODAY WILL EXTEND THE FAMILY SINCERE SYMPATHY ON THE LOSS OF THEIR LOVED ONE. AND WE OFFER HOPE THAT THEY WILL BE CONSOLED BY THE PRECIOUS MEMORIES OF HELEN'S EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND DISTINGUISHED ACCOMPLISHMENTS. A COPY OF TODAY'S RESOLUTION WILL BE PRESENTED TO LEN'S FAMILY AS A TOKEN OF OUR HEARTFELT SYMPATHY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA AND OUR, UM, PRAYERS AND BEST WISHES AND AND SYMPATHIES WITH THE KLEBERG GROVES FAMILY. ALRIGHT, IT'S NOT HARD TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TOP GUNS IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. VERY SHARP DRESSED MAN JOINING US WITH US, UH, TODAY. AND SO IT IS MY HONOR TO WELCOME THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE TODAY LOCATED IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1884 AS AN ADVANCED COURSE OF PROFESSIONAL DUTY OF NAVAL OFFICERS. THE SCHOOL CURRENTLY EDUCATES AND DEVELOPS OFFICERS FROM ALL SERVICES, US GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND INTERNATIONAL A NAVIES. THESE NAVAL COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE THE TOP OFFICERS IN THEIR NATIONS. NAS AND THEIR SELECTION TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL WAS EARNED AFTER A RIGOROUS SCREENING PROCESS. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE PROGRAMS ARE CONDUCTED AT THE GRADUATE LEVEL WITH MANY OF THEIR WORKS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN MILITARY AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL TRADE JOURNALS. THEIR COURSE OF INSTRUCTION IS WELL BEYOND THE REACHES OF MILITARY SERVICE AND INCLUDES A FOCUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, LAW OF WAR, INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY, US GOVERNMENT, INSTITUTIONS, POLITICAL PROCESSES, NEW JUDICIAL SYSTEM, FREE MARKET SYSTEM, MEDIA EDUCATION, HEALTH EDUCATION, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND DIVERSITY IN AMERICAN LIFE. THE CLASSES HERE AS PART OF THEIR FIELD STUDIES PROGRAM, WHICH IS A SERIES OF US GOVERNMENT SPONSORED TRIPS AROUND THE UNITED STATES, AIMED AT ENSURING THESE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS GAINING A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE VIEW THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENTS, MILITARIES, AND THE PROTECTION, PRESERVATION AND RESPECT OF THE RIGHTS OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL. SINCE 1956, THE US NAVAL WAR COLLEGE HAS GRADUATED OVER 5,000 MILITARY OFFICERS FROM 137 COUNTRIES OF THESE OFFICERS, 1,672 HAVE MADE IT TO THE RANK OF ADMIRAL OR GENERAL, AND 425 OF THESE OFFICERS HAVE GONE ON TO LEAD THEIR RESPECTIVE NATIONS NAVIES IN OUR CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS TODAY ARE OFFICERS REPRESENT REPRESENTING 49 DIFFERENT NATIONS. MANY WILL BECOME SENIOR LEADERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE NATIONS, MILITARIES, GOVERNMENTS, AND BUSINESSES. TODAY, THERE ARE CURRENTLY MORE THAN 40 US NAVAL WAR COLLEGE ALUMNI WHO ARE SERVING AS THEIR COUNTRY'S, UH, IN THE SENIOR OFFICES SENIOR OFFICER IN THEIR COUNTRY'S NAVIES. AKIN TO OUR CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS. EARLIER [00:10:01] THIS MORNING, THE CLASS RECEIVED A BRIEF ON CIVIL MILITARY RELATIONS IN THE US AND SPECIFICALLY THE STRONG RELATIONSHIP OUR CITY HAS WITH THE UNITED STATES MILITARY. THE BRIEF WAS GIVEN BY A 1999 GRADUATE OF THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, OUR VERY OWN DIRECTOR OF MILITARY AND VETERAN AFFAIRS, JUAN AALA. I WAS ABLE TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THE GROUP THIS MORNING AND, UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME RECOGNIZE AND WELCOME THE NAVAL COMMAND COLLEGE CLASS OF 2022 TO CITY COUNCIL AND TO SAN ANTONIO. PLEASE STAND UP AND REM MECHANIZE GUYS AT EASE. GENTLEMEN, I ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY THAT TO A GROUP OF, UH, NAVY GUYS. UH, EARLIER THIS MORNING, I PRESENTED THE AMBASSADOR OF GOODWILL CEREMONIAL CERTIFICATES OF THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES NAVAL COMMAND COLLEGE CLASS OF 2022. IN ADDITION, I ALSO PRESENTED THE CERTIFICATE TO THE CLASS LEADERS, UH, CAPTAIN JOSE EMILIO REGA GOMEZ, WHO IS FROM SPAIN AND IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NAVAL COMMAND COLLEGE CLASS OF 2022. UH, RECEIVED THE LCDE CERTIFICATE, CAPTAIN SALAAM SAUD, WHO IS FROM OMAN AND IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CLASS, UH, RECEIVED OUR HONORARY CITIZEN CEREMONIAL CERTIFICATE, UH, AND THEY ARE HERE JOINING US AT THE PODIUM TODAY. AGAIN, UH, I WELCOME YOU TO THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY AND TO MILITARY CITY U S A. IT'S MY HOPE THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG CIVIL MILITARY RELATIONSHIP IS ONE OF THE LESSONS THAT YOU TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR TIME HERE IN OUR WORLD CLASS CITY. WE ALWAYS WELCOME YOU BACK. SO, GENTLEMEN PODIUM IS YOURS. IF THE COUNCIL WOULD ALLOW, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE CAPTAIN MIKE KWAN, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE NAVAL COMMAND COLLEGE AND THESE FINE STUDENTS, CAPTAIN. GOOD MORNING MAYOR. GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS. I HAVE THE HONOR TO BE THE 33RD DIRECTOR OF THE NAVAL COMMAND COLLEGE AT THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE. THERE ARE TWO MISSIONS FOR THE NAVAL COMMAND COLLEGE. FIRST OF ALL, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, WE BRING OFFICERS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD TO JOIN US AND THEIR US COUNTERPARTS TO STUDY AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE ART OF WAR, AS WE SAY AT THE WAR COLLEGE. SECOND, THESE OFFICERS COME MOST OF OF WHICH WITH THEIR FAMILIES, UH, THEIR SPOUSES AND CHILDREN, AND THEY SPEND THE ENTIRE YEAR WITH US IN NEWPORT. UH, THE SECOND MISSION, UH, WE, WE, WE CHANGE CULTURES, UH, BETWEEN THE US AND BETWEEN EACH OTHER. SO WE GO ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UH, THIS IS OUR SIXTH TRIP, OUR LAST CITY, WE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST. UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, WE HAVE DINNERS TOGETHER. WE, WE HAVE SOCIAL PARTIES. WE, WE, WE GIVE THEM OUR AMERICAN CULTURE IN EXCHANGE, WE LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER, AND IN DOING SO, WE BECOME BETTER ALLIES AND PARTNERS. UH, THE PROGRAM WAS, UH, BROUGHT UP IN 1956, AND THIS IS THE 65TH CLASS OF THE NAVAL COMMAND COLLEGE ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AS PART OF THE NAVAL COMMAND COLLEGE OF CLASS 2022. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING US HERE. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. WE DO HAVE A NAVY MAN UP HERE ON THE DAIS. THAT IS OUR CITY ATTORNEY. UH, ANDY SEGO OVER THERE. SO ANDY, UM, I DON'T SEE YOU TURNING ON YOUR MIC, SO I'LL I'LL I'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE. WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR. NO, I, I, I, IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO, WHAT I PROBABLY SERVED IN THE NAVY FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS. I THINK THAT THEY STILL HAD SALES BACK THEN, BUT , UM, I WAS VERY PROUD TO SERVE IN THE NAVY, AND, UH, FORTUNATE TO HAVE TWO CHILDREN ALSO SERVING IN THE NAVY RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANKS, ABBY. COUNCIL MEMBER REPLIES. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS GENTLEMEN, AND WELCOME TO SAN ANTONIO. I HOPE THAT YOU'RE ENJOYING YOUR TIME HERE. UH, THE ONE THING WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN IS, UH, NUMBER ONE BEING, UH, EXCELLENT HOSTS TO MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF VISITORS EVERY YEAR, BUT ALSO, UM, BEING THE, THE HOST TO, UH, OUR MILITARY COMMUNITY AND MILITARY FAMILIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. UH, I WANTED TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS IS A REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE DO, UM, IN OUR INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH. UM, SHERRY, MARTHA, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, GENERAL AALA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. BUT, UM, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE FOMENTING, UM, ACTIVITIES AND CREATING MORE AND MORE RELATIONSHIPS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. UH, MAYOR, UH, YOU WERE THE CHAIRMAN OF, UM, SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL. THE WORK THAT, UH, YOU'VE DONE, UM, TO SPREAD SAN ANTONIO'S STORY AROUND THE WORLD IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT ONE GENTLEMAN IN PARTICULAR WHO I HAD THE PLEASURE OF TALKING TO THIS MORNING, AND THAT IS, UM, CAPTAIN ATE GUZMAN FROM COLOMBIA. UM, AND I SHARED WITH HIM THE, UH, HELLO CAPTAIN. UH, I SHARED WITH HIM THE, UH, THE GOOD NEWS THAT WE ARE MAKING, UH, OUR FIRST EFFORTS, UH, IN OCTOBER, UH, TO GO VISIT HIS COUNTRY, UM, [00:15:01] AND TO GO SAY HELLO AND TELL YOU, UH, AND, AND ALL OF YOUR COMPATRIOTS DOWN THERE, ALL THE ADVICE THAT, UH, WE LOVE YOU GUYS AND THAT WE WANT TO BE PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT WE WANT YOU TO BE PART OF OURS. AND THIS VISIT TODAY PROVES TO US THAT, UM, OUR EFFORTS AROUND THE WORLD, UM, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS ARE WORKING. AND SO, UH, WE'RE NOT JUST EXPORTING CULTURE AND WE'RE NOT JUST EXPORTING LESSONS ABOUT HOW TO BE A BETTER FIGHTING FORCE, UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO EXPORTING, UH, SAN ANTONIO'S, UM, HOSPITALITY. AND WE HOPE THAT YOU GUYS REMEMBER SAN ANTONIO FOR A LONG TIME TO COME. AND WE HOPE THAT THIS WON'T BE THE LAST VISIT. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, UH, SOON AND OFTEN. BI BONITOS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PALAIS. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AS THE PROUD DAUGHTER OF UNITED STATES NAVY VETERAN, I'M EXTREMELY HONORED TO BE IN THIS SPACE AND SHARE THE CHAMBERS WITH YOU ALL. UH, AND I WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU ALL ON THE WORK THAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO DO. UM, AND THE VALUES THAT MY FATHER LEARNED IN THE MILITARY ARE WHAT, UM, GUIDE A LOT OF THE WORK THAT I DO UP HERE ON THE, THE DIOCESE. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT Y'ALL DO, UM, AND EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE IN THIS ROOM WITH YOU ALL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US HERE, UH, WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY AND WE DO HOPE YOU MAKE YOUR, UH, SAN ANTONIO VISIT MORE OFTEN, ESPECIALLY TO PART OF THE PROGRAM. SO THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE, UH, SOME FOLKS WHO I THINK ARE STILL WAITING IN THE WINGS BACK THERE, BUT, UH, IT IS NATIONAL BIKE MONTH HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO IT'S MY HONOR TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS DURING THE MONTH OF MAY, 2022, THE ALAMO AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION'S ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WE'LL OBSERVE MAY AS NATIONAL BIKE MONTH AND HO AND HOST BIKE TO WORK DAY ON MAY 20TH, 2022 TO RAISE AWARENESS OF PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE MOBILITY, SAFETY, ACCESS, AND CONVENIENCE. AND WHEREAS WALKING, BIKE RIDING AND USING PUBLIC TRANSIT ARE HEALTHY MODES OF TRANSPORTATION THAT CAN HELP REDUCE TRAFFIC CONGESTION, SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVE AIR QUALITY, PROMOTE PUBLIC HEALTH, AND ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RECOGNIZES THE USE OF BICYCLES AS A VIABLE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION THAT PROMOTES HEALTH AND FITNESS, REDUCES COMMUTING AND PARKING COSTS AND BENEFITS BOTH EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS. AND WHEREAS THROUGH THE VISION ZERO INITIATIVE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS COMMITTED TO ENHANCING THE SAFETY OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR GROWING OUR COMMUNITY AND TO ELIMINATE TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES. AND WHEREAS THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATION INCLUDES THE FIFTH ANNUAL BA BIKE TO WORK DAY ENERGIZER STATIONS, WHILE PARTICIPANTS CAN VISIT TO PICK UP BICYCLE BICYCLIST RESOURCES, BREAKFAST ITEMS, AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN PRIZES ON THEIR MORNING COMMUTE. NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NUREMBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IN RECOGNITION THEREOF, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY, 2022 TO BE NATIONAL BIKE MONTH IN, IN AND MAY 20TH, 2022 TO BE BIKE TO WORKDAY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. WELCOME GUYS, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, JOEY. UM, PODIUM'S YOURS. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS JOEY POLIC. I'M THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLANNER AT THE ALAMO AIR M P O MAYOR BERG COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL BIKE MONTH AND BYTE. THE ALAMO AREA M P SINCERELY APPRECIATES THE CITY'S PARTICIPATION IN, IN SUPPORT OF OUR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE MPOS TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD AND OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED THE 1956 NATIONAL BIKE MONTH IS A CHANCE TO SHOWCASE THE MANY BENEFITS OF BICYCLING AND ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GIVE BIKING A TRY. THE BICYCLE IS A FORM OF JOY AND TRANSPORTATION FOR MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS IT HELPS US TO GET TO AND FROM WORK, SCHOOL, GROCERY STORE, AND MANY MORE PLACES. OUR HOPE, IT'S FOR MANY MORE PEOPLE TO REALIZE THE POWER AND ABILITY OF THE BICYCLE TO TAKE THEM ALL ACROSS OUR CITY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO PARTNER ON BUILDING A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE REGIONAL BITE NETWORK. WE HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING A NATIONAL BITE MONTH THROUGH VARIOUS EVENTS ACROSS THE ALAMO AREA N P O STUDY AREA. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL THE EVENTS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY BITE TO WORKDAY ON MAY 20TH, THERE'LL BE SIX BIKE TO WORKDAY ENERGY JERSEY STATIONS IN THE IMMEDIATE SAN ANTONIO AREA. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, FOR THEIR SUPPORT FOR ALL, ALL NATIONAL BITE MONTH EVENTS IN OUR AREA. WITHOUT THEIR HELP AND SUPPORT, NATIONAL BITE MONTH IN SAN ANTONIO WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. THE ALAMO AREA PO IN OUR PARTNERS. UH, HOPE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES ITS COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT THE SAFETY OF BICYCLISTS, UH, THROUGH SAFE AND COMFORTABLE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL AS BIKE PROGRAMS. WE ALSO HOPE ALL OF YOU HOP ON A BIKE FOR MANY BIKE RIDES THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NATIONAL BIKE MONTH OR BIKE MONTH CHALLENGE, OUR BIKE MONTH PASSPORTS AND OUR BIKE MONTH EVENTS CALENDAR, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITES, ALAMO AREA PO.ORG/BITE MONTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOEY. UH, AND TO THE WHOLE, UH, COMMUNITY OF BICYCLISTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH WE KNOW IS GROWING EVERY DAY, WE, UH, HAVE YOUR BACK AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE OF IMPROVING A SAFE, UH, BICYCLE SYSTEM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL COLLEAGUES WHO WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU AS WELL. SO LEMME TURN IT FIRST TO COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. [00:20:02] THANK YOU MAYOR, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON, UH, BIKE MONTH. UH, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE CYCLING, UH, COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO PROMOTE CYCLING AND CYCLING SAFETY. AND I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU THAT I MET WITH ACTIVATE SA ON TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK, UM, TO DISCUSS ANY, UM, ANY INITIATIVES WE COULD DO RIGHT HERE IN DISTRICT ONE FOR BIKE SAFETY. AND I MADE A COMMITMENT FOR A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS, SO WE COULD START A PROJECT NOW, AND I'M GONNA BE DEPUTIZING ACT ACTIVATE SA TO GO OUT INTO THE CYCLING COMMUNITY AND SHOP SOME IDEAS AROUND AND, AND GET YOUR INPUT ON WHAT DIRECTION WE SHOULD GO IN. SO I'M EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, JOEY, WILLIAM, AND TWO WOMEN WHO I HAVEN'T HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING YET. WELCOME. UH, YOU ARE WITH BCYCLE. UM, EXCELLENT. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERY YEAR COMING FORWARD AND, AND DOING THIS. IF YOU RECALL, LAST YEAR, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT FOUR OF US RODE OUR BICYCLES IN THIS YEAR FOR, UH, OBVIOUS REASONS. I DECIDED NOT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE, UH, IN TODAY. BUT, UH, THANK YOU PLENTY MORE TIMES TO DO IT. , , THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I ALSO, I, I LOVE, UH, ALL THE THINGS THAT THE PROCLAMATION HIGHLIGHTED THE BENEFITS OF, OF CYCLING, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL, YOU KNOW, MAY OR MAY 20TH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE, UH, OF THOSE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE BIKE MASTER PLAN THAT WE'LL BE DEVELOPING AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'LL BE MAKING WITH THAT. AND THIS IS JUST A SPECIAL CALL OUT TO ALL DRIVERS. PLEASE BE CAREFUL, UH, WITH OUR CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS, THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT CLEAN, UH, AND GETTING EXERCISE. SO PLEASE, LET'S JUST BE CAREFUL WITH THEM ON THE ROAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER PALLIA. UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, UH, THE, THE, THE ON STREET BICYCLE COMMUNITY TO ME IS, UH, I LOVE YOU GUYS. UM, THE OFF STREET BICYCLE COMMUNITY, THE TRAIL, UH, BIKE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY OUR FRIENDS AT STORM. I LOVE YOU GUYS A LOT, AND THAT'S BECAUSE I'M A MEMBER OF THAT COMMUNITY. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ON OUR LINEAR TRAILS AND THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ALL HELPED US PROMOTE THAT AS A MODALITY TO GET AROUND TOWN, NOT JUST FOR HEALTH AND FUN, BUT ALSO TO GET TO WORK. UM, IT IS RIDICULOUS HOW JEALOUS YOU GUYS ARE OF JEFF COYLE'S BIKE. UM, AND, UH, BUT I MEAN, IT'S A BADASS BIKE. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, JEFF IS ALSO OUR LOCAL IN-HOUSE, UM, CHAMPION AND AMBASSADOR OF THE BIKE COMMUNITY. AND SO ON YOUR WAY OUT, MAKE SURE TO GIVE HIM A HIGH FIVE BECAUSE HE WHISPERS IN ALL OF OUR EARS AND REMINDS US OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY, UM, TO WATCH OUT FOR CYCLISTS. ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, JOEY, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE A CHAMPION, BUT, UH, WILLIAM, YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST, UH, SQUEAKY WHEELS IN THE CITY. YOU'RE SO ANNOYING, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO REMINDING ME ABOUT HOW, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO ALWAYS REMIND, UH, YOU KNOW, TO ALWAYS TALK ABOUT BIKES. AND I LOVE YOU FOR IT, AND I THANK YOU AND I, I WANT YOU TO CONTINUE BEING AS SQUEAKY AS YOU ARE. THANKS GUYS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PAEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL CONTINUED TO DO IN ENSURING THAT OUR CYCLISTS ARE PROTECTED AND ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN PEDESTRIAN, UM, FRIENDLY PROJECTS. RIGHT? UH, FOR THE LONGEST TIME I WAS A PUBLIC TRANSIT DEPENDENT, RELYING PRIMARILY ON VIA AND MY BICYCLE. UM, AND I WILL TAKE Y'ALL UP ON THAT AND WILL BE RIDING MY BIKE TO WORK. UM, AND HOPEFULLY WE COULD SET SOMETHING UP AND WE COULD RIDE A CITY HALL TOGETHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GR THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU B CYCLE, YOU ARE ALL UP AND DOWN THE MISSION REACH, AND I TOTALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND I AM SO EXCITED THAT WE HAVE PASSED THIS BOND AND WE ARE GOING TO GET OUR TRAILS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF SAN ANTONIO. I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE HUGE. I WANT PEOPLE TO GO OUTDOORS THEY DID DURING THE PANDEMIC. I WANT THEM TO STAY OUTDOORS, AND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB TO HELP. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING TO GET THAT PASSPORT, UH, WITH ITS STAMP. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON, THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. AND, UH, BE SAFE OUT THERE. THANK YOU. ONE MORE FOR ME. UH, AND WE DO HAVE OUR WHOLE ARMY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM HERE AT THE CITY WITH US. AND SO I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK. UH, EVERY WEEK IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK, BUT EVEN MORE SO THIS WEEK WHERE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S PROUD TO STAND IN OBSERVANCE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND TO, TO HIGHLIGHT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK, WHICH IS MAY 9TH THROUGH 13TH 2022, TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS AND THEIR IMPACT ON EXPANDING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND MAKING LIVES BETTER FOR ALL. AND WHEREAS ESTABLISHED IN 2001, THE INTER, THE INTERNAL [00:25:01] ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IS THE LARGEST PROFESSIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION SERVING ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS TO STIMULATE AND FACILITATE ENTREPRENEURISM TO HELP ESTABLISH THE NEXT GENERATION OF NEW BUSINESSES, THE HALLMARK OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. AND WHEREAS FROM PUBLIC TO PRIVATE, RURAL TO URBAN AND LOCAL TO INTERNATIONAL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS ARE ENGAGED IN A WIDE RANGE OF INSTITUTIONS WHERE THEY PROMOTE ECONOMIC WELLBEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITIES BY CREATING, RETAINING AND EXPANDING HIGH QUALITY JOBS THAT FACILITATE GROWTH, SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES TO GROW AND THRIVE, AND LEADING GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS SUCH AS DELEGATIONS AND MISSIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS. AND WHEREAS THE COLLABORATIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN SAN ANTONIO INCLUDE PARTNERS SUCH AS GREATER S A T X, SAN ANTONIO FOR GROWTH ON THE EAST SIDE, SOUTH SIDE, FIRST PROSPER, WEST MAESTRO ENTREPRENEUR CENTER, AND LIFT FUND AMONG MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. AND WHEREAS THE MISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS TO FOSTER ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE GROWING POPULATION OF 2 MILLION SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY RESIDENTS THROUGH COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION FOR THE CONTINUED PROSPERITY OF OUR COMMUNITY. NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NUREMBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND RECOGNITION THEREOF, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF MAY 9TH THROUGH 13TH 2022 TO BE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. AND, UM, DO WE HAVE, UH, OUR FOLKS HERE TO INTRODUCE THE, IS THERE A VIDEO THAT WE'RE PLAYING? NO. WELL, HOW ABOUT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM? COME ON UP, BRENDA. I'LL JUST QUICKLY NOTE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS FREQUENTLY REFERRED TO AS A TEAM SPORT, AND WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT THOSE PARTNERS. SO A LOT OF THE FOLKS YOU SEE HERE IN ADDITION TO THE STAFF, ARE ALSO THOSE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WHO DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH US EVERY DAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BRENDA. THANK YOU. THE WHOLE TEAM. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. UM, LET ME NOW RECOGNIZE, UM, A JOINT EFFORT HERE FOR MENTAL HEALTH MONTH, AND THAT IS DISTRICT FOUR COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, DISTRICT SIX, COUNCIL MEMBER MELISSA GAA, HDA AND DISTRICT SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBER ANAS SANDOVAL. THANK. READY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M WARREN GREEN TODAY IN HONOR OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, BECAUSE MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, BUT IT ISN'T NEARLY ENOUGH. THE DEEP EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE PANDEMIC, THE FEAR, ANXIETY, AND ISOLATION THAT AFFECTED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. MENTAL HEALTH IS PART OF MORE AND MORE OF OUR CONVERSATIONS. WE'VE LEARNED THAT MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH AND SUPPORT IS URGENTLY NEEDED, AND THAT INNOVATIVE OUTREACH METHODS ARE KEY. THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE TO ADDRESS THE VERY SIGNIFICANT STIGMA, TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, TO EDUCATE OUR NEIGHBORS, AND TO CREATE POLICIES THAT REFLECT WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH. IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, MUCH OF THE ATTENTION HAS BEEN PLACED ON PUBLIC SAFETY, ON COMMUNITY POLICING, AND AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT DISCUSSION. CENTERS ON MENTAL HEALTH HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. WE'VE TAKEN THE LESSONS LEARNED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS AND APPLIED THEM TO THE ONGOING WORK OF THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S MENTAL HEALTH UNIT. IT'S ONGOING BECAUSE IT OPERATES FROM THE IDEA THAT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER. I'D LIKE TO INVITE CHIEF WILLIAM AT MADNESS TO THE MICROPHONE SO HE CAN GIVE US A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO HIS DEPARTMENT'S MENTAL HEALTH UNIT. HI, CHIEF. THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION COUNCIL MEMBER. YES, SIR. UH, THE 19 MEMBERS AND PLUS SUPERVISORS IN THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT HAVE WORKED LONG AND HARD SINCE, ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE IT WAS 2008 WHEN WE STARTED OUT WITH TWO MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS. AND TODAY WE'VE EXPANDED TO 19, UH, IMPROVED OUR TRAINING. AND, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED TO PROVIDE MORE THAN A, JUST A ONE DIMENSIONAL RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, UM, WITH A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION AND, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND CONTINUE TO DO GOOD. THANK YOU, CHIEF. YES, MA'AM. AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT, THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY. MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH WORKS BEST WHEN IT'S DONE THROUGH A PEER-TO-PEER MODEL. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS EMPHASIZED BY A MEMBER OF OUR DISTRICT SIX VETERANS ADVISORY BOARD, WHERE PEER-TO-PEER MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESS. SUCCESSFUL COUNCILWOMAN DR. GARCIA IS GOING TO SPEAK MORE ABOUT PEER-TO-PEER MODEL, THE PEER-TO-PEER MODEL. BUT BEFORE I PASS THE MICROPHONE, I INVITE YOU ALL TO DISTRICT SIX, WHERE WE WILL HOST A MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS RESOURCE FAIR AT TOM SLICK PARK OFF HIGHWAY 1 51 ON SUNDAY, MAY 29TH, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION AS THAT EVENT GROWS. WE THINK NOW IS THE BEST TIME BEING THAT IT'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. AND NOW THAT WE'VE STARTED TALKING MORE OPENLY ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, TO HAVE [00:30:01] A MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE FAIR WHERE FAMILIES COME ACROSS FROM ACROSS THE CITY CAN GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE FROM MANY ORGANIZATIONS DOING INCREDIBLE WORK THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. SO, MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR MAY 29TH. THERE'LL BE MUCH MORE INFORMATION TO COME. COUNCILWOMAN DR. ROT GARCIA. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. AS WE RECOGNIZE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH IN MAY, WE WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO'S JOINING US TODAY, REPRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE WORK FOCUSES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND THE PEOPLE WHO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. I'D ALSO LIKE TO PERSONALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE DISCUSSIONS AT BOTH COUNCILWOMAN AN SANDOVAL AS CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE, AND COUNCILWOMAN MELISSA CAVEO VARDA CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ARE LEADING WITH INPUT FROM SEVERAL OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. ALTHOUGH I DON'T FORM A PART OF THESE COMMITTEES, I KNOW EACH OF OUR RESPECTIVE CONSTITUENCIES HAVE VOICED THE NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AS WE MAKE MORE INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH. TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH IS THE ONLY WAY WE ARE GOING TO CLEAR UP MISCONCEPTIONS AND ERASE THE STIGMA. SUFFERING IN SILENCE SHOULD NOT AND IS NO LONGER THE ONLY OPTION. CHANGING THE NARRATIVE BEGINS WITH OPENLY DISCUSSING HOW MENTAL HEALTH IS A VITAL PART OF OUR LIVES, AND WE ARE ALL IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER. IMPACTED. OVER THE YEARS, I'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET WITH RESIDENTS WHO FACE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. AND I HAVE TO ADMIT, THEY ARE SOME OF THE STRONGEST INDIVIDUALS THAT I'VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, I'VE ALSO MET PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES AND STILL MOURN THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES. WE KNOW THAT TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES AND ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR HEALTH, AND THESE EFFECTS EXTEND BEYOND THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND AFFECT OUR MENTAL WELLBEING. THE REALITY IS THAT MENTAL ILLNESS CAN AFFECT US ALL AT ANY POINT OF OUR LIVES. YOU MAY OR MAY NOT REALIZE THAT SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS SUFFERING AN INTERNAL BATTLE, AND THE NETWORK OF SUPPORT CAN BE LIFESAVING. THIS NETWORK OF SUPPORT INCLUDES ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE MADE UP OF DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS, EARNING THE TRUST OF PEOPLE, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, AND EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR LIVES. I WANNA TAKE THIS MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE FORM COMMUNITIES AND THEIR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM. THE ESSAY CLUBHOUSE, WOO , THE ORGANIZATION'S NAME, UH, UNIQUELY DESCRIBES WHAT THEY DO BEST, FORMING COMMUNITIES OF WELLBEING. OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, THE SAN ANTONIO CLUBHOUSE HAS BECOME THE LARGEST CLUBHOUSE MOVEMENT ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS. THE CLUBHOUSE IS A TRANSFORMATIVE MEMBER DRIVEN COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING MENTAL ILLNESS BASED ON INTERNATIONAL PROVEN MODELS WITH IDENTIFIED STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE. THEY UTILIZE BELONGING AND PURPOSE AS MENTAL HEALTH TOOLS, MEMBERS ARE INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS OF RUNNING THE CLUBHOUSE, FROM COOKING TO DATA ENTRY, TO GROWING HYDROPONIC PRO PRODUCE THAT GETS DISTRIBUTED FOR FREE TO OTHER MEMBERS AND PARTNER NONPROFITS. BY THE WAY THEY GROW ADRIANA LETTUCE, THAT'S REALLY A THING. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER. IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, THEY TRAINED 105 MENTAL HEALTH PEER SPECIALIST FOR TEXAS. IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, THEIR TEAM OF PEER SPECIALISTS AS A CONNECTION CENTER AT THE CONNECTION CENTER SERVED MORE THAN 600 PEOPLE WITH A VARIETY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. OUR WORK AS A COMPASSIONATE CITY IS FAR FROM OVER AND WILL REQUIRE A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WE SIT HERE IN THE CHAMBERS, SEVERAL OF THE FOREIGN COMMUNITIES, PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS ARE DELIVERING THE VERY FIRST SE, THE VERY FIRST OF SEVERAL PEER SUPPORT AND TRAINING SESSIONS IN COLLABORATION WITH SA METRO HEALTH. ALTHOUGH THEY CAN'T BE WITH US TODAY, THEY ARE DOING THE INCREDIBLE WORK WORTHY OF THIS RECOGNITION. NOW IT'S MY HONOR TO TURN THE MIC OVER TO ERIC ESTRADA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FORM COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN. UM, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN SANDAL AND, UH, SANDAL AND ROTO GARCIA FOR, UH, THE MENTAL HEALTH MONTH RECOGNITION. I'M SORRY, THE NAVY FOLKS LEFT. I WAS GONNA SAY GO AIR FORCE AND NAVY. THAT'S MY OBLIGATION AS AN AIR FORCE ACADEMY GUY, UH, TO PICK ON THEM WHEREVER THEY ARE. SO, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, FOR THIS. YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO BE HERE AS AN ORGANIZATION. WE THANK THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR. WE'RE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT A FORM COMMUNITIES AND THE SAN ANTONIO CLUBHOUSE. YOU KNOW, WE ARE A UNIQUE MODEL, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE IDEA THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE NEEDED AS HUMAN BEINGS. IT'S CENTRAL TO BEING WELL, THAT YOU ARE PART OF A COMMUNITY, THAT YOU HAVE A SENSE OF PURPOSE. IT'S WHAT WE DO. UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE AS AN ORGANIZATION, THRIVE, RIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION OF HUMAN CONNECTION, PURPOSE, AND WELLBEING. UM, WE HAVE WITH US TODAY A HANDFUL OF FOLKS REPRESENTING A COUPLE OF OUR PROGRAMS. SO, PAT, SEAN, WHAT'S THAT? I DUNNO WHAT, WHAT, SEAN, GO ON. OH, IT'S OKAY. UM, WE, WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF FOLKS WITH US TODAY FROM, UH, SEVERAL OF OUR PROGRAMS, INCLUDING OUR PEER ACADEMY, WHICH IS TRAINING THE WORKFORCE ACROSS TEXAS, OUR PEER FORCE TEAM, WHICH IS BUILDING THE WORKFORCE AND RECRUITING PEERS ACROSS TEXAS. WE'RE THANKFUL TO HAVE OUR BOARD CHAIR TERRY CORDLESS HERE WITH US TODAY. SOME OF Y'ALL MAY KNOW WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE AN ENTREPRENEUR AND A BOLD VISIONARY LEADER OF THE CITY THAT LEADS OUR ORGANIZATION AND HELPS [00:35:01] US THINK BIG ABOUT HOW WE CAN ADDRESS MAJOR ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING. AND, UM, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE WHO IS HERE TODAY TO JOIN US TOMORROW FOR OUR ANNUAL MENTAL HEALTH RALLY. IT'S HAPPENING FROM 10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM AT THE SAN ANTONIO CLUBHOUSE. AND YEAH, ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US AND EVERYONE THAT WE SERVE ACROSS TEXAS AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAVE A GOOD DAY, Y'ALL. ALL RIGHT. UM, THANK YOU, UH, ERIC AND ALL THE MEMBERS FROM THE CLUBHOUSE. UM, I'M GOING TO ADD ON JUST A FEW MORE COMMENTS. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UH, COUNCILWOMAN CAB HDA AND COUNCILWOMAN DR. ROCHA GARCIA. UM, IT IS, UH, ILLUMINATING TO HEAR WHAT WORK IS BEING DONE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY. UH, BUT IT'S ALSO EXTREMELY SOBERING TO COMPARE THAT TO THE NEED THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE. UM, OUR NEIGHBORS ARE STRUGGLING. UH, ONE IN FOUR INDIVIDUALS WILL EXPERIENCE A MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER THIS YEAR ALONE IN THE UNITED STATES, IN BEXAR COUNTY. THAT MAKES OVER HALF A MILLION PEOPLE. UH, IT'S ESPECIALLY SALIENT IN TODAY'S ERA, GIVEN THAT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC WE'RE EXPERIENCING. AND IT IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY LARGER PART OF WHAT WE CALL THE BURDEN OF DISEASE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE MUST TREAT THAT WITH THE SAME URGENCY THAT WE DEAL WITH OTHER DISEASES. OUR OWN CITY'S MENTAL HEALTH. UH, METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AS ONE OF SIX PRIORITIES. IN OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WAS INTRODUCED LAST MONTH, OUR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS TAKING A TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH TO IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE BY ENHANCING THE COORDINATION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS MUCH NEEDED. TWO EFFORTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN LAUNCHED, AND I'M, UH, EXCITED TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU. UH, ONE OF THEM IS THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY OUTREACH RESILIENCE EFFORT, WHICH RESPONDS TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY WITH OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS. THAT IS WHAT, UH, CHIEF MCMAHON IS REFERRED TO AS OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM. SO THAT'S SA CORE. UH, WE ARE IN THE PILOT PHASE FOR THAT, AND I ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL SEE GREAT SUCCESS AND BE ABLE TO, UM, TO SPREAD THAT THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. UH, IN ADDITION, UH, THE CITY ESTABLISHED THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE TO, UH, TRAIN AND CERTIFY CITY STAFF IN TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE. UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO TAKE CONSTITUENT CALLS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS VERY HARD, UM, ON ALL OF OUR, ON ALL OF OUR STAFF, UH, OF COURSE, MUCH HARDER ON THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS EXPERIENCING THAT. UH, ONE OTHER ACHIEVEMENT I'D LIKE TO ADD IS THE WORK OF OUR SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION. UM, THESE YOUNG INDIVIDUALS AND FUTURE LEADERS HAVE PRIORITIZED MENTAL HEALTH IN THE YOUTH, UH, COMMUNITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. UH, THE C D C, THE ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, AS WELL AS THE SURGEON GENERAL, HAVE ALL DECLARED MENTAL HEALTH. THE MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN IN ADOLESCENTS, A NATIONAL CRISIS AT THIS POINT. SO, UM, METRO HEALTH, UM, SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION, SA CORE, WE ARE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE, UH, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND, UH, THE BETTER HEALTH THAT YOU WILL BRING TO OUR COMMUNITY, UH, NOW THAT, UH, THESE PROGRAMS ARE STARTED. SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE. AND THEN I MOVE ON TO MY NEXT POINT OF, UH, OF PRIVILEGE. UM, SO MOVING ON. UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A GROUP OF VISITORS, UH, THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY. UH, THEY ARE FROM THE HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL. UH, WE HAVE A TEAM OF COME ON FORWARD JUST SO WE CAN ALL TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT YOU. A TEAM OF HARVARD, M B A STUDENTS, UM, A GROUP OF, UM, THERE ARE, THESE AREN'T THE ONLY HARVARD M B A STUDENTS, UH, RUNNING AROUND SAN ANTONIO THIS WEEK. THERE ARE 72 OF THEM, UM, WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE FIELD IMMERSION PROGRAM. THE FIELD IMMERSION PROGRAM IS A REQUIRED COURSE FOR ALL FIRST YEAR M B A STUDENTS. AND THE PROGRAM SENDS STUDENTS TO A VARIETY OF CITIES TO WORK WITH BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, UH, AS WELL AS GOVERNMENTS ON DESIGN [00:40:01] THINKING PROJECTS. UM, NORMALLY, OR MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IN THE, IN THE PAST, THE STUDENTS WERE SENT ALL OVER THE WORLD TO DIFFERENT CITIES. BUT THE ONE SILVER LINING OF THE PANDEMIC IS THAT THIS YEAR THEY'RE WORKING IN US CITIES. AND SAN ANTONIO WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF THOSE CITIES BY YOUR FACULTY. SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. UM, I HAVE SPONSORED THIS GROUP OF STUDENTS TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ON A PROJECT THAT YOU MAY, UH, HAVE HEARD ME MENTION, UH, MANY TIMES, UH, TEXAS PACE. SO THE PROPERTY ASSESSED CLEAN ENERGY PROGRAM THAT WE ADOPTED IN 2020. AND I, I DO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, I DUNNO IF HE'S STILL HERE. UH, MICHAEL SINDEN WITH THE ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE THAT SHEPHERDED THAT THROUGH, UH, FOR ADOPTION. SO WE ADOPTED THIS PROGRAM IN MARCH, 2020. UH, ACOG AND THE TEXAS PACE AUTHORITY HAVE BEEN DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB OF OUTREACH, BUT IT IS STILL A VERY DIFFICULT PROGRAM TO GET CLIENTS FOR. YOU'VE GOT TO GET CONTRACTORS, YOU'VE GOT TO GET, UH, THE, THE PERSON BUILDING THE PROJECT, AND OF COURSE, THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS A COST NEUTRAL FINANCING MECHANISM FOR ENERGY, FOR CLEAN ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY. UM, MANY CITIES HAVE ADOPTED THIS PROGRAM BEFORE TEXAS DID, AND THEY ALSO HAVE A SLOW START, MAYBE ONE TO TWO PROJECTS. IT TAKES A FEW YEARS TO GET THOSE OFF THE GROUND. UH, WE THINK WE CAN DO BETTER. AND NOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, THIS HARVARD TEAM WITH US, THEY WILL BE GIVING US SOME, UH, GREAT IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO ACCELERATE THAT PROGRAM. UM, SO I AM GOING TO INVITE, UH, THE SPEAKER FROM H V S TO GO AHEAD AND JUST SHARE A FEW WORDS ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE ON THAT. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN. UM, MY NAME IS JENNIFER MEE. I'M REPRESENTING THE FACULTY AND THE 72 STUDENTS WHO ARE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TODAY. THE CITY, ITS RESIDENTS, ITS COMPANIES AND NONPROFITS, UH, INCLUDING CENTRO AND HEMISPHERE, HAVE BEEN SO WELCOMING TO US. WE'RE HERE TO LEARN ABOUT HOW CITIES WORK AND HOW, UM, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND RESIDENTS. UM, SO FAR WE HAVE, WE'VE JUST HAD AN AMAZING WEEK AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR WORKING ON THIS PROJECT. I KNOW YOU'VE SPENT SOME TIME LEARNING ABOUT IT ALREADY, BUT NOW YOU'RE READY TO ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES. SO, UH, WELCOME TO SAN ANTONIO. WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU AND WE'LL SEE YOU, UH, WHEN YOU PRESENT THE RESULTS. SO THANKS A LOT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, UH, AND ROCHE GARCIA AND CAB HDA ON THE MENTAL HEALTH MONTH. UM, LET ME NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBERS, ROCHA GARCIA, CASTILLO, ELAS, AND PERRY FOR, UM, INVITING SOME OF OUR STUDENTS IN SAN ANTONIO FOR SPECIAL RECOGNITION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL KICK IT OFF. UM, I'LL TELL YOU THAT THIS YEAR, THE 12TH ANNUAL CORONA PAELLA CHA, I'M SORRY, THE CORONA PAELLA CHALLENGE, UM, WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS. UH, JOHNNY HERNANDEZ IS HERE. HE'S THE ORGANIZER. JOHNNY, WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU? UM, AND COME ON UP. UH, 3,500 PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO EAT PAELLA PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS A TRADITION THAT YOU'VE CARRIED ON NOW FOR 12 YEARS. UH, MANY OF US UP HERE HAVE PARTICIPATED AT DIFFERENT TIMES DURING THE PAELLA CHALLENGE. IT IS JUST A FANTASTIC WAY OF HIGHLIGHTING WHAT SAN ANTONIO DOES BEST, WHICH IS COOK UP DELICIOUS FOOD, AND THEN PARTY. WE, UM, AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE AN EXCELLENT AMBASSADOR. I REMEMBER GOING TO SPAIN WITH YOU A FEW TIMES WHERE WE GOT TO TASTE TEST, UH, SOME PA AND I'VE NEVER HAD BETTER PAELLA THAN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, I, I DO WANNA MENTION THAT THE REASON JOHNNY DOES THIS THOUGH IS TO HIGHLIGHT AND ENCOURAGE THE PROGRAMS AT ALL THE DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS THAT HAVE CULINARY PROGRAMS. AND TODAY WE'RE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE STUDENTS, UH, WHO SERVED ON THE TEAMS FROM MACARTHUR HIGH SCHOOL. COME ON UP, GUYS. UM, AND BRECKENRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL. UM, THESE STUDENTS ARE, UH, DEDICATING. I MEAN, THEY'RE JUST POURING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF HOURS EACH OF EFFORT AND TIME AND BLOOD AND SWEAT. UH, BUT PLEASE DON'T PUT BLOOD OR SWEAT INTO THE PIE YET 'CAUSE THAT'S GROSS. UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, INTO, UM, BECOMING SAN ANTONIO'S BEST CHEFS. NOW MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE STUDENTS WHO WON THIS GET TO GO TO NEW YORK. UH, AND THEY GET TO LEARN FROM THE BEST OF THE BEST AT THE, UH, AT THE C I A. NOW, MY FRIEND COUNCILMAN PERRY, UH, WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE, BUT HE WANTED TO CALL OUT IN PARTICULAR, UM, THE, UH, THE STUDENTS FROM MACARTHUR, WHO I UNDERSTAND HAVE DEFENDED THIS TITLE TWO YEARS IN A ROW. UH, AND SO CONGRATULATIONS, Y'ALL, ANISA ALTA ALEX DE ALBA. UM, YEAH, HOW ABOUT THAT? LET'S DO THAT. [00:45:02] AND, UM, LIN RA, THE BE BELLA FELICIANO AND HARA, CONGRATULATIONS Y'ALL, TO OUR FRIENDS AT BRACKENRIDGE CONGRAT, CONGRATULATIONS. UM, AND I, IF Y'ALL LOOK AT THE SCREENS AS, AS WE'RE MAKING OUR COMMENTS, YOU'LL SEE PICTURES UP THERE. UH, ONE OF THOSE INCLUDES, UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG WITH HIS ARM AROUND MY MOM, WHO ALSO COMPETED THIS YEAR AND WAS ROBBED, UH, OF THE TROPHY. UH, BUT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, GORILLA CATERING, UH, REALLY DID DESERVE, UH, THE PRIZE. THEY DID, THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB, COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BELI. AND COUNCILMAN FORGOT TO MENTION THAT HE WAS HIS, HIS MOM'S, UH, LOVELY ASSISTANT AND THE FAA. AND SO, AND IT WAS DELICIOUS. I TRIED IT FOR ALL OF YOU ALL. UM, AS A MEMBER OF THE KITCHEN CAMPUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, I'M PROUD OF ALL THE STUDENTS WHO TOOK PART IN THE 10TH ANNUAL H E B HIGH SCHOOL PE CHALLENGE HOSTED BY CHEF JOHNNY. THIS IS THE THIRD 13TH ANNUAL PE CHALLENGE, BUT FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION, IT IS THE 10TH. THIS YEAR'S EVENT WAS MADE POSSIBLE WITH SUPPORT FROM A HOST OF SPONSORS. UM, BUT THE EVENT TOOK PLACE MARCH 20TH, AND THE STUDENTS LEFT QUITE AN IMPRESSION. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZED THE PARTICIPANTS BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND I KNOW THERE'S STAR TESTING GOING ON, AND SO WE HAD TO KIND OF WORK WITH SCHEDULES, BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR'S WINNERS. AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE MIGHTY TEAM OVER AT KITCHEN CAMPUS, WHICH ORGANIZES THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION. I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT IT'S A WHOLE TEAM OF ABOUT TWO. SO ESTABLISHED IN 2014, KITCHEN CAMPUS IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A MISSION TO CONNECT TODAY'S YOUTH TO CULINARY OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION, RESOURCES, AND ADVOCACY. KITCHEN CAMPUS IS AN OUTOF SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL AGED STUDENTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT FOOD, NUTRITION AND COOKING WHILE EXPLORING CAREERS IN THE CULINARY INDUSTRY. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE HANDS-ON COOKING EXPERIENCES, LECTURES, FIELD TRIPS, AND GUEST, UM, FACULTY OR GUEST CHEF WORKSHOPS. AS AN EDUCATOR AND AS A LIFELONG LEARNER, I SUPPORT INITIATIVES THAT HELP ELIMINATE BARRIERS FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EXPLORE A VARIETY OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES OR WHO LACK ACCESS TO MENTORS AND CAREERS THAT INTERESTED THEM. I'VE GOTTEN TO ATTEND THE NEW YORK TRIP WITH A GROUP FROM EAST CENTRAL AND ALL GIRLS GROUP WHO WON THE PAYA CHALLENGE A FEW YEARS AGO. AND IT'S JUST FASCINATING TO SEE HOW THEY GET TO LEARN FROM, FROM CHEFS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UM, AND I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT I KNOW WE'RE USUALLY KNOWN AS THE BEST BREAKFAST TACOS AND THE BEST, UH, TEX-MEX FOOD IN SAN ANTONIO. BUT IT'S CLEAR THAT WITH THE PA COMPETITION, SAN ANTONIO JUST KNOWS FOOD PERIOD AND THE CITY OF ASTRONOMY, RIGHT? BUT ACCESS TO MENTORSHIPS, APPRENTICESHIPS, THIS IS IMPORTANT. THIS IS THE FUTURE. CULINARY HAS A, A STRONG CAREER PATH, AND SO PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN THE CULINARY ARTS. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR INSPIRING THE STUDENTS. UM, OUR DESIGNATION AS A UNESCO CREATIVE CITY OF GASTRONOMY IS OVERSEEN, OF COURSE, BY A WORLD HERITAGE OFFICE, AND IT'S PROOF THAT WE HAVE PASSIONATE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CULINARY ARTS IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I WOULDN'T BE DOING MY JOB AS A BOARD MEMBER OF KITCHEN CAMPUS UNLESS I INVITED YOU TO AN EVENT THAT'S TAKING PLACE SATURDAY. UM, WELL ACTUALLY, UH, ON THE 19TH OF MAY, SAN ANTONIO, CHEF AMBASSADOR JESSE KIRK, UM, CHEF KIRK AND ROBERTO SOLIS WILL, UM, BE COOKING ALONGSIDE THE LANIER HIGH SCHOOL CULINARY ARTS STUDENTS. SO HOPEFULLY COUNCILMAN CAN MAKE IT ENJOY THEIR PA. BUT THEN ON SATURDAY, MAY 21ST, THE COMMUNITY IS INVITED TO JOIN CHEF ROBERTO SOLIS AND CHEF JOHNNY FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM FROM MS. DEL MAIS. UH, AND THAT WOULD BE AT KITCHEN CAMPUS, WHICH IS LOCATED IN DISTRICT FIVE. UM, INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON OUR UNESCO CREATIVE CITY OF GASTRONOMY FACEBOOK PAGE. UM, BUT WE WE'RE READY, AS YOU CAN TELL, TO CELEBRATE YOU, TO CELEBRATE, UM, YOUR, YOUR CULINARY SKILLS. AND I DO HAVE TO POINT OUT THAT WE WERE HOSTED AND COUNCILMAN VIA GRAND'S DISTRICT AND IN DISTRICT THREE, AND SHE MIGHT WANNA CHIME IN HERE IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO THE PAELLA WINNERS. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN TO SAY THANK YOU, CHEF JOHNNY FOR BEING A GREAT DISTRICT THREE RESIDENT, BRINGING THE PAELLA CHALLENGE TO DISTRICT THREE. I WANNA THANK MY COUNTY COLLEAGUES THAT MAKE MISSION COUNTY PARK AVAILABLE. YOU GUYS DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB. IT WAS DELICIOUS, ALL YOUR HARD WORK PAID OFF. I WANT YOU TO COME BACK MANY TIMES TO THE DISTRICT AND SHOW OFF YOUR CULINARY TALENTS AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING. SO YES, WELCOME. I'M GLAD YOU WERE THERE AT DISTRICT THREE. I KEEP ON SAYING THIS IS SAN ANTONIO HAS NO DISTRICT BORDERS IN DISTRICT THREE. EVERYBODY'S WELCOME AND IT'S EVERYBODY'S PLACE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WANNA THANK JEFF, UH, JOHNNY HERNANDEZ AND OUR LOCAL CULINARY ARTISTS AND ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE FAYA CHALLENGE. THERE WERE THREE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE COMPETITION FROM DISTRICT FIVE, AND I'M SO PROUD OF EVERY SINGLE ONE THAT PARTICIPATED. I WANNA SHOUT OUT MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL AND THE YEAR FOR COMPETING, BUT I'M EXTREMELY PROUD AS WELL FOR DISTRICT FIVE'S, BRACKENRIDGE EAGLE FOR [00:50:01] EAGLES FOR LENDING THEIR EXPERTISE AND CREATIVITY TO THE COMPETITION. I MET WITH THE STUDENTS BACK IN MARCH TO PRESENT THEM WITH SOME CERTIFICATES OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR PLACING SECOND IN THE COMPETITION. YOU'RE MAKING DISTRICT FIVE EXTREMELY PROUD. IT WAS A LONG DAY OF COMPETITION FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT SUCH A GREAT AND TASTY EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY FOR ME. I'D NEVER TRIED IT. AND I WILL DEFINITELY BE GOING BACK NEXT YEAR TO TASTE TEST EVERYTHING AGAIN. ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS ABOUT THE COMPETITION, UH, AND COMPETITIONS LIKE THIS, IS THAT WE GET TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING AS DR. ROCHA GARCIA MENTIONED, AND THE IMPORTANT PRO PROGRAMMING THAT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALSO ENGAGE IN. SO I WANNA THANK THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AT BRACKENRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL FOR REMINDING US THAT LEARNING HOW TO COOK IS NOT ONLY AN INVALUABLE SKILL, BUT AN ART AND A TASTY ONE AT THAT. SO AGAIN, I'M JUST SO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF YOU ALL FOR GIVING IT YOUR ALL. AND I WANNA ALSO QUICKLY, UH, WISH YOU ALL GOOD LUCK AND REMIND YOU TO TAKE IT EASY AFTER THE STAR TESTING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WELL, I AM AVAILABLE TODAY AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I MADE THIS PARTICULAR, UM, UH, EVENT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE TEAMS THAT, THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. BUT I'M GONNA SAY A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MACARTHUR. NOT ONLY ARE THEY THE WINNERS THIS LAST TIME, BUT THAT'S TWO YEARS IN A ROW, SO ABSOLUTELY. I'M GONNA JUST GO AHEAD AND DO IT. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. THAT'S ALL I'LL DO. BUT CONGRATULATIONS, MACARTHUR BRAAS, HATS OFF TO Y'ALL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, PERRY ROCHA GARCIA, UM, ELIAS AND CASTILLO FOR THE RECOGNITION AND REALLY FROM THE ENTIRE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CAME OUT IN DROVES. THAT WAS AN INDIC EARLY INDICATION THAT FIESTA WAS GONNA KNOCK THE ROOF OFF THIS CITY, AND IT SURE DID, BUT IT ALL STARTED WITH THE PAELLA CHALLENGE. THANK YOU, JOHNNY, FOR CONTINUING TO DO IT, FOR BELIEVING IN SAN ANTONIO AND FOR THESE BELIEVING IN THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AS WELL. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU. YES, MAYOR, I'LL JUST, I REALLY WANNA JUST SHARE WITH YOU THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITMENT THAT WE HAVE AT KITCHEN CAMPUSES. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF, UH, WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE INVEST OUR TIME AND OUR RESOURCES. I, I, AND I ALSO DO WANNA ANNOUNCE, UH, TODAY I LEARNED THAT BRACKENRIDGE HAD WON SECOND PLACE TWO YEARS IN A ROW, THIS SAME TEAM. AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE MARGINS BETWEEN FIRST PLACE AND SECOND PLACE, OUR RAZOR RAZOR THIN. SO, YOU KNOW, AS FROM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PERMISSION FROM MY BOARD MEMBER, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEND BRACKENRIDGE, UH, WHO PLACED SECOND ALSO TO, UH, TO THE TRIP TO NEW YORK. SO, YES, SO WOW. YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT TRIP CHANGES LIVES. YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN I LEFT SAN ANTONIO AT 18 YEARS OLD TO NEW YORK, MY WORLD CHANGED, MY PERSPECTIVE CHANGED. SO WE SEE STUDENTS THAT, THAT, THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMPETITION AND TRAVEL TO NEW YORK, AND IT OPENS A WORLD FOR THEM. AND, AND THAT'S OUR MISSION, RIGHT? TO, TO HELP NURTURE THESE YOUNG MINDS AND, AND DEVELOP THEM. SO, GRACIAS. THANK YOU. WOW. UH, YOU'RE GOING TO NEW YORK. WOW. THANK YOU, JOHNNY. UM, THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING. AND, UM, I THINK WE NEED A, A BATTLE FOR THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY TOO, BETWEEN THESE TWO SCHOOLS THAT WE CAN ALL ENJOY AND EVERYBODY'S A WINNER. COUNCIL MEMBER. PALIUS. YEAH. ONE, ONE LAST CLARIFICATION HERE AND, AND MAYBE THE, THE CLERICAL NOTED IN THE MINUTES FOR NEXT MEETING. UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE, MY MOM'S NOT GOING TO NEW YORK THOUGH, RIGHT? . I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT, YOU REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE HER, RIGHT? JUST THANKS JOHNNY. NO, JUST MAKING SURE JOHNNY, THANKS . AWESOME. WELL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE RESULTS OF THE COMPETITION. GREAT. GREAT JOB, EVERYBODY. LET ME, UM, WE'VE JUST GOT A COUPLE MORE AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING VERY PATIENT AS WE GET TO CLOSER TO OUR AGENDA TODAY. BUT LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GROUND WITH A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT THE, UM, WE'VE HAD SUCH A GREAT DAY OF POINTS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. BUT I DID WANT TO, UM, ECHO SOMETHING MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN PERRY BROUGHT UP, IS THAT THIS MONTH MAY IS MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH DESIGNATED BY CONGRESS IN 1999, THE PRESIDENT ISSUES AND ANNUAL PROCLAMATION. BUT OF COURSE, AS MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE FOUND OUT, I LIKE TO USE OUR POINTS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE GROUPS WITHIN SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE GIVING BACK. SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT SUBSTANTIALLY OUR MILITARY MEMBERS CONTINUE THEIR HERITAGE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY BY FORMING AND SERVING IN THEIR [00:55:01] VFWS LOCAL POST. SO TODAY I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE A FEW GROUPS, BUT THE FIRST TO BEGIN WITH IS I WANNA THANK MY DISTRICT THREE VFWS POST 91 86 8 3 7, POST 8 48 15, BECAUSE THEY DO SUCH WONDERFUL WORK. AND I AM HONORED TODAY THAT PRESIDENT IN THE AUDIENCE, WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE COMMANDER ROGER GOMEZ AND HIS WIFE MARIA, IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND. UH, COMMANDER GOMEZ SERVED IN THE US ARMY FOR 27 YEARS. HE SERVED TWO TOURS IN VIETNAM AND TWO TOURS IN IRAQ. THE LAST 10 YEARS, HE HAS WORKED FOR THE V F W POST 48 15, AND HAS BEEN A COMMANDER THE LAST THREE YEARS. DURING THIS PANDEMIC, I WANNA THANK THE COMMANDER AND MARIA FOR BEING SO GOOD TO DISTRICT THREE THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC TIME. THEY HOST BINGOS. THEY HELPED GIVE AWAY TURKEYS THIS THANKSGIVING, AND THEY DO A TOY DRIVE FOR THE CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS IS JUST THEM GIVING BACK. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING AND BEING HERE TODAY. AND HE, THIS IS ONE OF MANY GROUPS THAT OFFER SUPPORT TO OUR MILITARY FAMILIES, THE O THE MIL, LIKE THE OFFICE OF MILITARY AND VETERAN AFFAIRS UNDER MAJOR GENERAL, UM, JUAN AALA, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER OPERATIONS GIVING TO OUR VETERANS. WE HAVE OPERATION TRIAGE AND ADOPTIVE VE WHO I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH THIS YEAR, MY FIRST YEAR ON COUNCIL. THESE ARE TWO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE HOME REMODELING TO DISABLED VETERANS AND VETERANS IN NEED. BY COLLABORATE, COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNI CONSTRUCTION PER PARTNERS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MAKING, UH, OUR HOMES AFFORDABLE, THEY ARE HELPING IN THIS PROCESS WITH OUR VETERANS. SO I WANNA THANK DANIEL E. VARGAS, TECHNICAL SERGEANT FROM THE AIR FORCE, WHO'S THE PRO PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF OPERATION TRIAGE. ON FEBRUARY 8TH, HE HANDED OVER THE KEYS TO VIETNAM VETERAN JESSE HERRERA AND HIS DAUGHTER BRIANNA, TO THEIR NEW HOME LOCATED IN DISTRICT THREE. MR. VARGAS COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE HE'S TRAVELING ON THURSDAY TO PICK UP A DONATED WHEELCHAIR FOR A VETERAN. I ALSO WANNA THANK MICHAEL AND ROXANNE TEGA, DIRECTOR OF ADAPTIVE ED, IF Y'ALL COULD PLEASE STAND. ALSO, I VISITED, UM, A HOME THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON IN DISTRICT THREE ON MARCH 1ST, 2022. AND BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, IT'S TAKEN A LITTLE TIME, BUT WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO, UM, THE, THE UNVEILING DAY. IT'S GONNA BE VERY MUCH LIKE AN, UH, A, A SHOW ON THE H HOME NETWORKS. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. UM, THIS IS FOR AIR FORCE VETERAN, MR. ENRIQUE ALVAR ALVARADO. AND HE HAS, HE HAS BEEN LIVING FOR FOUR YEARS, NOT IN HIS HOME BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS. AND MICHAEL AND ROXANNE SAW A NEED AND THEY CAME IN AND THEY HAVE BEEN SO HELPFUL. AND, UM, HIS WIFE HAS BEEN LIVING WITH HIS DAUGHTER AND SHE'S READY TO GET BACK HOME AND I'M READY TO SEE THEM, UM, SEE THEM THERE AND SEE THEM CELEBRATE WITH THEIR GRANDCHILDREN. SO IF YOU ARE A MIL, REMEMBER THAT MILITARY CITY U SS A IS WHO WE ARE. AND THIS IS HOW WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS. AND I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE TODAY THAT, UM, NEXT MARCH 29TH INSPIRED BY MY VETERANS MARCH 29TH, IS VIETNAM, A VETERANS NATIONAL VIETNAM VETERANS DAY. AND I AM ASKING MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO JOIN IN ME TO REALLY MAKE THAT A CELEBRATION FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MILITARY CITY U S A, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY CELEBRATING THEM YEAR LONG, AND WE NEED TO DO THAT NEXT YEAR. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. LET'S REMEMBER, MAY IS MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY A MONTH, BUT WE WANNA CELEBRATE OUR MILITARY ALL YEAR LONG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. AND FINALLY, UH, LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WITH A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK OUR SOLID DEPARTMENT AND THE HAVEN FOR HOPE AMBASSADORS PROGRAM FOR ASSIGNING US AND ASSISTING OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE CLEANUP TWO WEEKS AGO IN THE QUINTANA NEIGHBORHOOD, IT WAS TRULY SPECIAL AS WE WORKED COLLECTIVELY TO TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE HAVEN FOR HOPE AMBASSADORS, WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN THE JAIL OUTREACH PROGRAM AND INTEGRATED TREATMENT PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES A REGI RESIDENTIAL SHELTER AT THE HAVEN FOR HOPE CAMPUS TO MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF ADULTS WHO ARE AT RISK FOR OF HOMELESSNESS OR WERE ONCE RELEASED FROM JAIL. THE PROGRAM WORKS TO CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO MEDICAL CARE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES, TO PREVENT THE CHANCE OF RECIDIVISM AND OR HOMELESSNESS. [01:00:01] ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT FOR ITS SERVICE TO DISTRICT FIVE SOLID WASTE. BROUGHT A DIAL THE TRAILER TO THE SOUTH SAND COMMUNITY CENTER TO PROVIDE OUR CONSTITUENTS WITH MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DUMP THE TRASH, BULKY ITEMS AND THE BRUSH TO HELP MITIGATE ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND SOME OF THE PHOTOS WAS, UH, SOME OF THE VOLUNTEERS THAT WERE OUR OFFICE, OUR OFFICE, THE QUINTANA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND THE AMBASSADORS ASSISTED CONS, CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE DIFFERENTLY ABLED IN POVERTY AND OR SENIORS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO BRING THEIR YARDS UP TO CODE. WE HELPED REMOVE BRUSH AND LARGE JUNK BULK ITEMS. WE LANDSCAPED TWO HOUSES, CLEANED UP AREAS THAT HAD ACCUMULATED A LOT OF LITTER AND HAULED AWAY OVER SEVEN TONS OF TRASH. SO THANK YOU. ASHLEY MONES, GILBERT DELAROSA, JESSE CRUZ, MICHAEL RIVERA, RAUL PEREZ, AND THE ENTIRE SOLID WASTE TEAM, THE QUINTANA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE HAVEN FOR HOPE AMBASSADORS FOR ALL THAT THEY DO. AND OUR AS OUR D H SS OUTREACH WORKER. NIKITA SAYS, EAT TRASH LIVE FAST. THANK YOU, MAYOR . THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, UH, A VERY WORTHY RECOMMENDATION OR RECOGNITION OF OUR, OF OUR CITY CREWS. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO OUR AGENDA TODAY. WE HAVE ONE ITEM LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. THAT'S ITEM NUMBER THREE. THE REST OF THE ITEMS ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO AT [CONSENT AGENDA  ] THIS TIME, LET ME ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION BESIDES ITEM THREE. OKAY. AND FOR THE RECORD, ITEM 17 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN AND WILL NOT BE HEARD TODAY. ANY OTHER ITEMS TO PULL OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA? IF THERE ARE NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. I MOVE THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA BE APPROVED. OKAY. THERE WAS A MOTION, DID I HEAR? SECOND. SECOND. UM, MOTION BY COURAGE. SECOND BY CASTILLO. UH, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. AND I HAVE A COUPLE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON CONSENT AGENDA. START WITH JACK FINGER. JACK, YOU'RE SPEAKING ON ITEMS 13, 14, 15, 16, AND 20. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LISA SANTOS. WELL, MAYOR NURENBERG, ANOTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. NOW, THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS ON THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA THAT I DO WISH TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION. AND, UH, I WISH, ACTUALLY, WISH YOU HAD PULLED 'EM FOR DELIBERATION ITEMS, UH, 13, 14, AND 15 ARE LAWSUITS THAT YOU WANT TO SETTLE OUT OF COURT. THEY BASICALLY IN INVOLVE CITY EMPLOYEES WHO, UH, CAUSED AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS. OKAY. WELL, IF THOSE, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES WERE SO MUCH AT FAULT, MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU EVER SPANK THESE PEOPLE FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO OUR CITY? THE FACT THAT THEY'RE CAUSING US TO PAY OUT, SHELL OUT, UH, MONEY FOR, FOR THEIR, UH, INDISCRETIONS, THEIR, THEIR CAUSES FOR THESE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. I'D LIKE TO, I MEAN, IN INQUIRING, CITIZENS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO, TO THIS. UH, INSTEAD OF US HAVING TO SHELL OUT FOR THEM, WHY DON'T YOU MAKE THEM PAY THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR INDISCRETIONS? THAT'S 13, 14, AND 15. NUMBER 16, UH, RESOLUTION AFFIRMING THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY AND DESIGNING THE AREA IN FRONT OF THE CITY HALL AS INCLUSION CIRCLE AND PLAZA ARMAS. YES. I THINK, UH, MR. PALAS, I THINK YOU, UH, HAD OFFERED THAT TO RESOLUTION, SIR. AND I NOTICE, SIR, MR. PAPA, MR. IN FRONT OF THE, UH, CITY HALL, THERE ARE QUITE A NUMBER OF CITATIONS AND MONUMENTS AND PLAQUES, UH, HONORING VARIOUS MINORITIES ALL AROUND OUR CITY. ONE, THE ONE BIG ONE THERE. IT'S ALREADY THERE. IT SAYS HONORING THE HISPANIC IN TEXAS. RIGHT FRONT AND CENTER, RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE. WE ALSO HAVE OUR RAMPS FOR THE HANDICAPPED THAT TRY, TRY TO ACCESS OUR CITY. IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO INCLUDE SUCH PEOPLE IN THE CAUSE OF GOVERNMENT. EXCUSE ME. ALSO, I, I NOTICED MR. PALAS AND YOUR, YOUR RESOLUTION, IT'S [01:05:01] ONE OF THE WAREHOUSES IT MENTIONS IS QUITE TOP HEAVY WITH REFERENCES TO HOW WE TRY TO BEND OVER BACKWARDS FOR THE HOMOSEXUAL COMMUNITY. YES. HOW MANY MORE CITATIONS DO WE NEED FOR THAT, SIR? HMM. AND FINALLY, THE, UH, ONE THING I WISH TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION. ITEM NUMBER 20, THE, UH, RESOLUTION, SUPPORTING THE FREEDOM TO READ AND ACCESS INFORMATION TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES. WELL, PLEASE UNDERSTAND FOLKS THAT, UH, PARENTS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT MATERIAL THEIR CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO AND WHEN IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. LISA SANTOS. LISA SANTOS. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS LAKE SANTOS, PRESIDENT OF THE 1718 SAN ANTONIO FOUNDING FAMILIES AND DESCENDANTS OF 5 0 1 C THREE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. FOUNDED AUGUST 11TH, 2017, INNOVATION AND PROPER DISSEMINATION OF THE HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO, WHICH BEGAN MAY 1ST, 1718, WITH THE FOUNDING OF SAN ANTONIO MISSION, THE RO THE ALAMO, AND MAY 5TH, 1718, WITH THE FOUNDING OF THE PRESIDIO, SAN ANTONIO, THE BEAR AND VIA DE BEAR, THE PRESIDIO KNOWN AS PLAZA ARMAS, WAS ESTABLISHED AS THE CENTER OF GOVERNMENT TO DEFEND THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLA AND THE MISSIONS. OVER 130 YEARS LATER, A CITY HALL WAS PLACED NEAR THE SPANISH GOVERNOR'S PALACE. THE CITY HALL BECAME THE CENTER OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT. THE ANCESTORS OF THE PRESIDIO SOLDIERS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE VARIOUS TRIBES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THE MISSIONS ARE ALL INCLUSIVE AS THEIR DESCENDANTS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 300 YEARS. AFTER LEARNING THAT THE CITY WANTED TO MAKE NAME CHANGES TO THE PLAZA, THE 1718 GROUP WERE OPPOSED. THE CITY LISTENED TO THE HISTORICAL GROUPS AND THEIR MEMBERS THAT EXPRESSED THEIR OPINION ON THE PROPOSED NAME CHANGE. AND IN WORKING WITH THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO HAVE ALL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF SAN ANTONIO BE SERVED IN AN EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE MANNER, AND TREATED EQUALLY WITH DIGNITY, 1718 AGREES AND THEREBY DOES NOT OPPOSE THE DESIGNATION OF THE AREA IN FRONT OF CITY HALL AS INCLUSION CIRCLE IN PLAZA TO AMIS. AS SUCH, WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THE CITY IN MAKING CHANGES TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE AS IT DOES NOT REFLECT THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE PLAZA AND THE 17, 18 PRESIDIO SOLDIERS AND FAMILIES WHO RISK THEIR LIVES TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO AND START A NEW AND START A NEW COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. SANTOS. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW. THAT'S EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. LET ME START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER LIA. THANKS. I, I, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THIS, UH, THIS ITEM WE JUST HEARD ABOUT FROM MS. SANTOS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING UP, MA'AM. UM, I, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE, UH, FREDDIE BUSILLO AND STEVE CHICANO IN THE ROOM, WHO'VE ALSO EXPRESSED AN INTEREST AND HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN, UH, NAVIGATING THIS, UH, DESIGNATION OF THE CIRCLE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF PLACE. AMASS, UH, AS INCLUSION CIRCLE AT PLACE. AMASS. THE GENESIS OF THIS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WAS OUR FRIEND GORDON HARTMAN, UM, WHO WAS ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THE, UH, MAKING THE, UM, THE CITY HALL AT, AT, DURING OUR RENOVATION, UM, ACCESSIBLE, ULTRA ACCESSIBLE TO, UH, ALL SAN ANTONIANS, PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAVE, UM, MOBILITY LIMITATIONS. AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET INTO CITY HALL IF YOU WERE IN A WHEELCHAIR OR IF YOU HAD MOBILITY CHALLENGES. NOW IT IS VERY, VERY EASY, UH, AND I, I WANT TO CELEBRATE. AND, AND GORDON HARTMAN WANTED TO CELEBRATE. AND COUNCILMAN BRAVO, YOUR PREDECESSOR, WANTED TO, WANTED TO CELEBRATE. AND HE, HE PUSHED IT VERY HARD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT WE DEDICATE THE FRONT OF CITY HALL. UM, AS WITH THE, UM, WITH THE INCLUSION NOTER SO THAT WE CAN REMIND FOLKS, BECAUSE THIS IS HOW WE SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC. WE SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC BY WAY OF HOW WE NAME OUR STREETS, HOW WE NAME OUR LIBRARIES, HOW WE NAME OUR PARKS, AND ALSO HOW WE NAME PLAZAS, RIGHT? AND WE SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC TODAY BY LETTING THEM KNOW [01:10:01] THAT THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE. AND WHETHER OR NOT THOSE PEOPLE, UH, COME INTO THEIR HOUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WALKING ON, UM, WALKING ON BOTH LEGS OR WITH A CRUTCH, OR WITH PROSTHETICS OR ON WHEELCHAIRS. THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S PLAZA WHERE WE ALL GATHER. AND I THINK OUR CANARY ISLANDERS FOREFATHERS, UH, WHO, UH, WHO CAME 300 PLUS YEARS AGO WOULD BE PROUD OF TODAY. AND I WANT TO THANK THE CANARY ISLANDERS, AND I WANNA THANK THE ADVOCATES OF, UH, MAINTAINING THE MEMORY OF OUR FOUNDERS AND OUR CULTURE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR BEING PART OF THIS. AND LATER IN A FEW WEEKS, WE'LL HAVE A, A RIBBON CUTTING WHEN WE HAVE A NICE SIGN, UH, TO, UM, TO COMMEMORATE TODAY AND THE NAMING OF THIS CIRCLE AT PLACE. AAMAS. THANK YOU EVERYBODY, AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL SUPPORT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THERE ARE TWO ITEMS I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ON THE AGENDA. ONE OF THEM IS TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT FOR DRAINAGE AND SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN PARTICULAR IN THE, IN INNER CITY. UH, WE ARE APPROVING AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH BEXAR COUNTY FOR PHASE FOUR OF THE CEILING CHANNEL DRAINAGE PROJECT. I WANT TO THANK THE ENTIRE, UH, COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND ESPECIALLY PRECINCT TWO, COMMISSIONER JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ FOR, UH, WORKING WITH US TO, UM, TO HELP COMPLETE THE COST OF THIS PROJECT. UM, AND THIS WILL ALLEVIATE A NUMBER OF HOMES FROM THE FLOODPLAIN AND KEEP OUR STREETS, UM, MORE RESILIENT. AS YOU KNOW, THEY, UM, THEY GET IN REALLY BAD CONDITION WHEN IT RAINS A LOT. . UH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 20 A RESOLUTION, SUPPORTING THE FREEDOM TO READ AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, IF SOME OF YOU SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE, BUT IN HIGH SCHOOL WE READ WHAT, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A FRIGHTENING BOOK AT THE TIME. IT WAS FAHRENHEIT 4 51 BY RAY BRADBERRY. AND, UH, IT SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING, UH, SO FANTASTICAL THAT COULD NEVER HAPPEN IN OUR LIFETIMES. YET HERE WE ARE, UH, WITH THE FIGURATIVE BURNING OF BOOKS, UH, EFFORTS TO CENSOR LIBRARY MATERIALS HAVE INTENSIFIED ACROSS THE NATION AND EVEN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO, WHEN OUR COMMITTEE, COMMUNITY HEALTH ENVIRONMENT, AND CULTURE RECEIVED AN UPDATE FROM RAMIRO REGARDING THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, WE WERE CONVINCED THAT THE CITY NEEDED TO MAKE A STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE FREEDOM TO READ. THE FIRST AMENDMENT GUARANTEES ALL INDIVIDUALS THE FREEDOM TO EXPRESS THEIR IDEAS. AND THIS RESOLUTION WOULD ENSHRINE THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO ENSURING INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY READ AND FORM THEIR OWN OPINION. I WANNA THANK, OH, SORRY. THAT HAD TO DO WITH PUBLIC HEALTH. . UH, SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE A COMMUNITY-WIDE RESOURCE, AND THEIR MISSION IS TO ENRICH OUR LIVES THROUGH THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF INFORMATION, IMAGINATION, AND IDEAS AND EFFORTS TO RESTRICT INFORMATION AND BOOKS WITH DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OR PERSPECTIVES THAT DON'T ALIGN WITH OURS, UNDERMINE THE DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT AND IDEAS THAT LIBRARIES HAVE BEEN KNOWN FOR, FOR MILLENNIA, IF ADOPTED, THE RESOLUTION WILL AFFIRM COUN CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT OF SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY'S EFFORTS TO OPPOSE THOSE WHO MAY ATTEMPT TO RESTRICT THE FREEDOM TO READ THROUGH, BANNING, REMOVING, OR OTHER FORMS OF RESTRICTING ACCESS TO BOOKS AND LIBRARY MATERIALS, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE MATERIALS ARE INCONSISTENT WITH THEIR VIEWPOINT. SO, I WANNA THANK RAMIRO AND MR. DAVID MCCAREY FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU TOO. UM, I THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DID WANT TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT INCLUSION PLAZA AND HOW, UM, EXCITING IT IS THAT SYMBOLS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND FOR MANY, THEY'RE MEANINGFUL. AND INCLUSION PLAZA MEANS THAT EVERY RACE, GENDER, EXPRESSION, IDENTITY, OR ANY OF THE REASONS THAT WE MAY EXPERIENCE MARGINALIZATION, REGARDLESS OF ANY OF THAT, WE ARE WELCOME AT CITY HALL. IT IS YOUR HALL AND MR. FINGER, UM, THE GIRLS, THE GAYS, AND THE GAYS. WE'RE NOT GOING NOWHERE. SO, EXPERIENCE THE ANGER ALL YOU WANT. BUT THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ADVOCATED FOR THIS, INCLUDING COUNCILMAN TREVINO, COUNCILMAN PAL, ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER GRA. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT A FEW ITEMS THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY BROUGHT UP. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ENTERED INTO THE RECORD IS THE CANARY ISLANDER DESCENDANTS ASSOCIATION LETTER, UM, SUPPORTING [01:15:01] THE, UM, THE, THE NAMING OF INCLUSION CIRCLE. I AM SO EXCITED THAT THEY HAVE COME OUT AND, UH, HAVE SUPPORTED THIS. I THINK THIS IS, UM, THE RIGHT MOVE IN TERMS OF TELLING US THAT WE ARE A COMPASSIONATE CITY, THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE A COMPASSIONATE CITY, THAT WE CONTINUE TO WANT TO INCLUDE OTHERS AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS. SO I'M, I'M VERY EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS TODAY. THE OTHER THING IS, I, I'M PART OF THAT CHECK COMMITTEE WITH COUNCILMAN, WITH CHAIR SAND DEVAL, AND I AM SO GLAD THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, THIS FREEDOM TO READ. PARENTS GO INTO THE LIBRARIES WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND THEY WANT CHOICES, BUT CHILDREN ALSO GO INTO THE LIBRARIES LOOKING TO EXPAND THEIR MINDS, LEARN MORE AND, AND KIND OF EXPLORE. AND I DON'T WANT TO, UM, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT, AND I'M SO GLAD THAT WE ARE MOVING THAT FORWARD. THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS NOT, IS NOT AS MAYBE GLAMOROUS AS THE OTHER TWO IS, UH, ITEM SEVEN, WHICH IS AN ORDINANCE TO ACCEPT THE BID TO FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ROOSEVELT. THIS IS A BOND PROJECT. THIS IS, COMES IN A PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO. THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE BICYCLE FACILITIES, NEW SIDEWALK DRIVEWAY APPROACHES, AND A D A EXCESS UNDER THE UNION PACIFIC BRIDGE FROM EAGLE LAND DRIVE TO US HIGHWAY 90. IT SPANS BETWEEN DISTRICT FIVE AND DISTRICT THREE. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BEGIN IN MAY, 2022, AND IS ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETED BY MAY, 2023. ROOSEVELT AVENUE IS A SIGNIFICANT CORRIDOR WITHIN THE WORLD HERITAGE AREA AND PART OF THE WORLD HERITAGE TRAIL LEADING MOTOR MOTORISTS TO THE WORLD HERITAGE MISSIONS FROM THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS AREA IS THE NEIGHBORS IN ROOSEVELT ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SAFE, THAT IT'S APPEALING FOR OTHERS. AND I THINK THAT AS WE START WITH THIS CONSTRUCTION, IT'S GOING TO BE THAT GOOD FOR FIRST STEP TO JUST ACTIVATE THAT AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE SOUTH SIDE IS STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS. I DO WANT US TO JUST BE MINDFUL THAT AS WE DO THESE BOND PROJECTS WITH CONSTRUCTION, THAT WE KEEP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN MIND AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE GETTING ALL THE HELP THEY WANT. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO PASSING THIS CONSENT AGENDA TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. UH, AND THAT IS, UH, THE BALANCE OF OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. AGAIN, UH, THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. PLEASE VOTE. AND AGAIN, TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD, ITEM 17 HAS BEEN PULLED AND IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED. IF HE, HE'S, YEAH. ALRIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. [ACTION ITEMS FOR STAFF BRIEFING] OKAY. WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER THREE. YEAH. ITEM NUMBER THREE IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION FOR A PERIOD TO COMMENCE UPON CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026. ALRIGHT, ITEM NUMBER THREE, I THINK WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, MARIA VIE GOMEZ, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY IS, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION. UH, BEFORE I BEGIN MY PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE BARGAINING TEAMS THAT ARE BRINGING THIS, UH, TENTATIVE AGREEMENT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. SO LET ME START WITH, UH, RECOGNIZING THE, UM, ASSOCIATIONS TEAM WE HAVE HERE WITH US. UH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, UH, DANNY DIAZ. UH, IN TERMS OF THE TEAM THAT NEGOTIATING THE AGREEMENT, WE HAVE THE LEAD NEGOTIATOR, CHRISTOPHER LUTTON, OUR SERGEANT CHRISTOPHER LUTTON, UH, SERGEANT RACHEL BARNES, SERGEANT SANDRA MCCORMICK. DETECTIVE JESSE SOTELO, DETECTIVE JASON SANCHEZ, OFFICER TROY RAGLIN, OFFICER CLIFF BURNS, OFFICER DANIEL RAMIREZ, [01:20:02] AND OFFICER CYNTHIA LINLEY ON THE CITY TEAM. UH, WE HAVE OUR FIRST CITY ATTORNEY, LIZ PROVENCIO, OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, RENEE FRIDA, LIEUTENANT MICHELLE RAMOS, CAPTAIN JESSE SALOME, AND CAPTAIN JASON QUIST. I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND Y GOVIA AND CHIEF MCMANUS FOR THEIR EXPERT ASSISTANCE DURING THIS PROCESS. AND OUR CITY MANAGER, ERIC WALSH, FOR HIS DIRECTION AND HIS SUPPORT DURING THIS MONTHS OF NEGOTIATION. SO, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA START WITH, UH, THE PRESENTATION AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING THE COUNCIL TODAY IS TO CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION. THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE EFFECTIVE UPON APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 20, 26. BEFORE I GO INTO THE ACTUAL, UH, BACKGROUND OR THE NEGOTIATIONS, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PARAMETERS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS. SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, UH, ARE THOSE, UH, THREE GOVERNING, UH, BODIES THAT WE HAVE. UH, STARTING WITH THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, UH, CHAPTER 1 43, UH, THE SETS, UH, CIVIL SERVICE AND THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT, UH, FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS. WE ALSO HAVE, UH, CHAPTER 1 74 THAT, UH, PROVIDES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS TO OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO BARGAIN WITH THE CITY. AND THEN FINALLY, THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A NEGOTIATING INSTRUMENT THAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY. AND THIS, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT ALLOWS US TO OVERRIDE, UH, IF, UH, THERE'S CONSENSUS CONSENSUS BETWEEN TWO PARTIES, CHAPTER 1 43 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE. SO SOME BACKGROUND ABOUT THE, THE NEGOTIATIONS, UH, THE CONTRACT THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING FOR APPROVAL. THE CURRENT CONTRACT EXPIRE ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021, AND CONTINUES UNDER EVERGREEN. WE STARTED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CITY, UH, PRIORITIES FOR THE CONTRACT IN JUNE OF 2020. UH, YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE HAVE, UH, LISTENING SESSIONS IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND THE COMMUNITY DEMANDED CHANGES TO THE DISCIPLINARY PROCESS. IN NOVEMBER OF 2020, THE CITY COUNCIL TOOK ACTION TO PLACE A POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY AT THE TOP OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE 87 TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND THE CONTRACT THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY ADDRESSES MOST OF THOSE, UH, PRIORITIES THAT WE HAD ATTEMPTED TO TAKE CARE AT THE STATE LEVEL ON JANUARY, 2020. CITY STAFF PRESENTED, UH, THE RECOMMENDED, UH, PRIORITIES FOR THE UPCOMING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. IT SHOULD BE JANUARY, 2021, UM, BEFORE THE, THE NEGOTIATION STARTED. AND THE THREE, UH, PRIORITIES THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL WAS DISCIPLINE AND TRANSPARENCY, OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND ENSURING THAT PUBLIC SAFETY SPENDING WILL REMAIN BELOW 66% OF THE GENERAL FUND. THE CITY AND THE ASSOCIATION BEGAN NEGOTIATIONS IN FEBRUARY, 2021, AND WE HELD A TOTAL OF 33 PUBLIC NEGOTIATIONS AS SESSIONS THROUGH MARCH, 2022. THE CITY AND THE ASSOCIATION REACHED A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT ON ALL ISSUES. ON MARCH 2ND, 2022, THE ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP RATIFY THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT, UH, AND THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO ACHIEVE A MINIMUM OF 51% OF THE VOTING MEMBERS. AND THEY REPORTED AN 86% APPROVAL VOTE ON MARCH ON APRIL, UH, OF 2022. ALL OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS WERE TRANSPARENT TO THE PUBLIC. UH, ALL THE MEETINGS WERE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THEY WERE LIVE STREAM AND RECORDED. WE CREATED A WEBPAGE WITHIN THE CITY'S WEBSITE TO RECORD OR TO PROVIDE ALL THE VIDEOS OF THE, OF THE MEETINGS. UH, WE ALSO PROVIDED ALL THE MATERIALS THAT WERE EXCHANGED BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE ASSOCIATION, AS WELL AS NOTICES OF THE MEETINGS. SO THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU TODAY ACHIEVES THE CITY'S PRIORITIES THAT WE, UH, PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL, UH, BACK IN JANUARY OF 2021. NUMBER ONE, IT REBALANCES THE DISCIPLINARY PROCESS FOR OFFICERS REFLECTING THE COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATIONS THAT OFFICERS WHOSE ACTIONS UNDERMINE COMMUNITY TRUST ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, ENSURES THAT [01:25:01] OUR OFFICERS ARE COMPETITIVELY PAID FOR THE WORK THAT THEY PERFORM FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND FINALLY MAINTAINS PUBLIC SAFETY SPENDING BELOW 66% OF THE GENERAL FUND WITHIN OUR CITY'S FINANCIAL POLICIES. SO THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES THAT ARE MADE WITH THIS CONTRACT. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE PRIORITIES THAT WE PROVIDED TO THE COUNCIL AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST CALENDAR YEAR. SO IN TERMS OF DISCIPLINE AND TRANSPARENCY, THE TOP PRIORITY OF THE CITY WAS TO CHANGE THE JURISDICTION OF THE ARBITRATOR. THE STABLE HERE REFLECTS, UH, THE CURRENT CONTRACT AS IT IS TODAY, AND, UH, ALSO THE, THE CHANGES OUTLINED IN THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT THAT THAT IS BEFORE YOU FOR FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. SO, IN TERMS OF THE JURISDICTION OF THE ARBITRATOR, WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE A CONSENSUS WITH, WITH THE ASSOCIATION AS TO WHERE THE THIRD PARTY ARBITRATOR, WHEN AN EMPLOYEE APPEALS, A DISCIPLINE MAY NOT OVERTURN THE CHIEF'S DECISION TO FIRE AN OFFICER UNLESS THE CHIEF FAILS TO PROVE THAT THE MISCONDUCT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE DEPARTMENT OR DOESN'T MEET COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS. THIS WILL RESOLVE, UH, THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE FACED IN THE PAST WHERE AN ARBITRATOR USED TO SUBSTITUTE THEIR JUDGMENT FOR THAT OF THE CHIEF, UH, AND, UH, AND, AND BRING THE EMPLOYEE BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT, OR DECREASE THE DISCIPLINE. IN TERMS OF PRIOR DISCIPLINE, THERE WAS ANOTHER PRIORITY TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY OF THE, UH, EMPLOYEES, UH, RECORD. THE CURRENT CONTRACT HAD LIMITATIONS ON PAST CONDUCT, UH, 10, FIVE AND TWO YEARS DEPENDING ON THE MISCONDUCT. NOW, WITH THE STANDARD OF AGREEMENT, IT WILL ALLOW THE ALL THE OFFICERS PAST DISCIPLINE FOR CONSIDERATION WHEN THE CHIEF IS DISCIPLINE IN THE EMPLOYEE, THE TIME LIMITATION TO IMPOSE DISCIPLINE OR WHAT IS KNOWN AS A 180 DAY RULE. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO CHANGE THAT WITH THIS AGREEMENT. AND NOW WE, THE CHIEF CAN DISCIPLINE THE EMPLOYEE 180 DAYS FROM WHEN THE CHIEF KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. AND THIS DISCIPLINE MUST BE ISSUED WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THE INCIDENT AS OPPOSED TO WHERE TODAY IS 180 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT. MOVING ON TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS WITH WHICH ANOTHER OF OUR PRIORITIES, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THE TIMELINES OF THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS, REDUCING THE 48 HOUR NOTIFICATION OF A PENDING INTERVIEW WITH INTERNAL AFFAIRS TO 24 HOURS, UH, REQUIRING THAT ALL QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED AT INTERNAL AFFAIRS BY THE OFFICERS. SO THE EMPLOYEE CAN NO LONGER TAKE HOME INTERROGATORIES. IT ALSO, UM, PROHIBITS OFFICERS FROM VIEWING, VIEWING STATEMENTS FROM OTHER OFFICES ARE BEING ACCUSED OF THE SAME INCIDENT, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT RESTRICTED TODAY. AND THEN FINALLY, ALLOWING INTERNAL AFFAIRS TO QUESTION OFFICERS FOR A TOTAL OF EIGHT HOURS AS OPPOSED TO SIX HOURS IN THE CURRENT CONTRACT. SO THE NEXT PRIORITY OF THE CITY WAS TO MAKE SOME OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS. UH, WITHIN THIS CONTRACT, UH, ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE IS TO INCREASE THE TRAINING HOURS, UH, FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS FROM 80 HOURS A YEAR TODAY TO UP TO 120 HOURS PER YEAR. ANOTHER POINT THAT THE ASSOCIATION BROUGHT FORWARD IS INCREASING THE RESIDENCY POINTS FOR CADET APPLICANTS THAT LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO FROM ONE POINT TO FIVE POINTS. WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING, UH, THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT LEAVE IN SAN ANTONIO AND WORK FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE ASSOCIATION ALSO PROPOSED A NEW FAMILY, UH, LEAVE BENEFIT THAT WE, UM, ARE INCLUDING IN THE TE AGREEMENT AND IS UP TO 160 HOURS OF FAMILY LEAVE AFTER THE BIRTH OF A CHILD ADOPTION OR FOSTER OF A CHILD. THE OTHER TOPIC WAS LEAVE UPON SEPARATION. UH, AND WITH THIS TE AGREEMENT, THE CHIEF HAS THE ABILITY TO APPROVE OR DENY LEAVE BASED ON OPERATIONAL NECESSITY, UM, BEFORE THE EMPLOYEE SEPARATES. AND ALSO THE EMPLOYEE HAS THE ABILITY TO CONTRIBUTE SOME OF THE LEAVE INTO THE FOR COMPENSATION INSTEAD OF A LUMP SUM PAYMENT AT THE END OF THEIR CAREERS AND THEIR OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS. AND THE OFF-DUTY EMPLOYMENT OFFICE. YOU MAY RECALL THAT OUR CITY AUDITOR HAS AUDITED THAT OFFICE A COUPLE OF TIMES AND RECOMMENDED THAT WE CIVILIANIZED SOME OF THOSE EMPLOYEES. SO WE HAVE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF UNIFORMS THAT ARE, UM, UH, IN THAT UNIT FROM SEVEN TO A MINIMUM OF THREE AND A MAXIMUM OF FIVE DEPENDING, UH, ON THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS AND AS [01:30:01] DETERMINED BY THE CHIEF. AND FINALLY, ON VEHICLE MILEAGE, UH, WE ARE REPLACING VEHICLES AT 85,000 MILES TODAY. WITH THIS CONTRACT, WE'LL HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO REPLACE THEM BEYOND 85,000 MILES, UH, DUE TO SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, UH, THAT WE ARE FACING IN OUR, IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY. NOW, IN TERMS OF COMPETITIVE WAGES IN HEALTHCARE, UH, WHAT WE HAVE WELL BEFORE TO YOU TODAY IS, UH, A TOTAL, UH, COMPENSATION PACKAGE OF 17%. UH, PAY INCREASE. A 2% OF THAT IS A LUMP SUM, A ONE-TIME PAYMENT EFFECTIVE, UH, THE RATIFICATION OF THIS CONTRACT BY THE COUNCIL AND THE RECURRING WAGES OF 15%, THE COST IS $92.7 MILLION. THAT IS THE CUMULATIVE COST OF THE CONTRACT, UH, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF THE GENERAL FUND STAYS BELOW 66% AS PRESENTED BY OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR YESTERDAY AS PART OF THE FINANCIAL FORECAST. IN TERMS OF HEALTHCARE, WE ARE MAINTAINING THE ESCALATOR THAT INCREASES THE PREMIUMS PAY BY THOSE, UM, OFFICERS THAT PAY PREMIUMS BY 10% EACH YEAR. AND WE'LL ALSO INTRODUCING A PHARMACY VALUE FORMULARY. SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER BACK TO THE CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU, MARIA. UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, BEFORE WE HAND IT BACK OVER TO YOU, I WANT TO, UM, JUST RECAP THAT THIS, UH, WAS A, AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THE CONTEXT THAT MARIA PROVIDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SLIDE PRESENTATION. UM, A VERY INTENTIONAL EFFORT ON OUR PART TO BE VERY CLEAR AND APPROACH THIS, UM, AGREEMENT AND NEGOTIATIONS IN A, UH, VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD PROFESSIONAL MANNER. UM, THAT BEGAN, UH, IN THE SUMMER OF 2020. UM, AND FRANKLY, ISSUES THAT WE HAD SEEN SINCE THE LAST CONTRACT AND HAVE BEEN HERE THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THE PAST. UM, UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, OUR, OUR APPROACH AND MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF THE, OF THE UNION PRESIDENT ON THE SECOND ROW, UH, OUR APPROACH WAS THAT, UM, WE WERE DEALING WITH 2,500 OF OUR EMPLOYEES, CITY EMPLOYEES, UH, FIRST NOT UNION MEMBERS. THEY'RE, THEY'RE UNION MEMBERS, FIRST TO DANNY, THEY'RE CITY EMPLOYEES TO ME, UH, AND MARIA AND THE ENTIRE TEAM. UH, WE APPROACHED IT IN A PROFESSIONAL PREPARED MANNER, AND, UH, WE WERE VERY CLEAR AND CONSISTENT IN OUR DESIRED OBJECTIVES. GOING BACK TO CONVERSATIONS WE HAD IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, UH, THAT THE MAYOR AND I HAD WITH THE ASSOCIATION AT THE TIME, THE LISTENING SESSIONS THAT WERE FACILITATED BY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN HARA, UH, AND HELD IN THIS, IN THIS CHAMBER, UH, TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE MULTIPLE PUBLIC SESSIONS THAT WE HAD, UM, THE, THE, THE THREE OBJECTIVES WERE MET. WE, UH, UM, AS PROPOSED TO YOU BEFORE TODAY, AND THAT APPROVED BY THE OFFICERS WE'RE ENSURING THAT OFFICERS, UH, CONTINUE TO BE COMPETITIVELY PAID. UM, AS OF MONDAY THIS WEEK, WE HAD 14 VACANCIES OF, OUT OF OUR 2,500, UM, CLOSE TO 2,500, UH, OFFICERS. UH, IF ANYBODY WENT TO THE MEMORIAL LAST, UH, FRIDAY, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DID, UH, YOU SAW OVER A HUNDRED CADETS, UH, OUT THERE. UM, SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO TRAIN, RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND ULTIMATELY WANNA RETAIN OFFICERS, UH, FOR THE BALANCE OF THEIR CAREER. NUMBER TWO, UH, WE REBALANCED THE DISCIPLINARY PROCESS, WHICH WAS OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE, UM, THAT, UH, WE'VE PROBABLY MADE, WE HAVE MADE, UM, AS PROPOSED TO YOU TODAY, MORE ADJUSTMENTS IN HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS THAN, UH, EVER BEFORE, UH, AND EVER NEGOTIATED BEFORE. UM, AND THIRDLY, UH, WE MAINTAINED PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, BELOW OUR 66% OF OUR GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS, UM, ONE OF OUR MAJOR FINANCIAL POLICIES, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL AFFIRM EVERY YEAR AND IS CRITICAL TO HOW WE DEAL WITH THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATION AND THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF SERVICES THAT ARE ULTIMATELY NEEDED. UM, I WANT TO THANK, UM, DANNY AND HIS TEAM AND THEIR APPROACH AS WELL. UM, THEY APPROACHED IT IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER. UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME, THERE WERE PROBABLY A NUMBER OF LONG DAYS. WELL, THERE WERE A LONG DAYS BECAUSE I'D SEE MARIA AND GET THE DOWNLOAD. UM, AND, AND THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, UM, IN MAKING SURE THAT WE NEGOTIATE, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S FAIR TO BOTH PARTIES. UM, I WANNA THANK, UM, MARIA VILLA GOMEZ AND, UM, UH, LIZ PO PROVENCIO AND RENEE FRIDA, UH, AND, UH, LIEUTENANT MICHELLE RAMOS AND CAPTAIN JASON ENQUIST. AND, AND, UH, CAPTAIN, UH, JESSE SOLAME, UH, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE CITY'S NEGOTIATING TEAM. AND, UM, I, UH, I, I DON'T WANNA NEGOTIATE AGAINST MARIA, LIZ, OR RENEE. SO THAT'S A PRETTY FORMIDABLE [01:35:01] TEAM. UM, AND THANK ANDY FOR HIS CONTINUED GUIDANCE. 'CAUSE WE APPROACHED THIS AS A TEAM AND, UH, WE ARE, UM, STRONGLY RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THAT, OF THE ITEM TODAY. THANKS, MAYOR. THANK YOU, ERIC. AND, UH, THANK YOU MARIA FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME, UH, SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, PRESIDENT DANNY DIAZ. FORWARD NOW OUR NEGOTIATING PARTY. DANNY. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. COUNSEL, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY. UH, SECONDLY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ERIC WALSH, MARIA VIA GOMEZ, LIZ PROVINCIO, THE CITY BARGAINING TEAM, UM, FOR THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND THEIR PROFESSIONALISM. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY BARGAINING TEAM, SERGEANT CHRIS LUTTON, AND THE REMAINING MEMBERS OF THE BARGAINING TEAM, UH, FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND, AND PREPARATION WITH THIS, UH, WITH THIS CONTRACT. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I DID BRING TO, UM, YOU, MR. MAYOR, AND, AND, AND TO ERIC AND AND OTHER CITY LEADERS WHEN I FIRST TOOK OFFICE, WAS, UH, WE ARE COMING, UH, TO NOT BE A HINDRANCE. WE ARE COMING TO WORK AND IT'S TIME TO CHANGE. AND WITH THAT CHANGE, WE HAVE TO SIT AND HAVE A DIALOGUE AND, AND BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE TO WORK THOSE THINGS OUT AND, AND NOT BE, UH, AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER. THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED. UH, THAT IS WHAT WE STRIVE TO DO. WE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE MAKE CHANGES THAT NOT ONLY WERE BENEFICIAL TO MY MEMBERS, UH, BUT ALSO BENEFICIAL TO THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. SO, WITH THAT, ON BEHALF OF THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION MEMBERS, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU, ERIC MARIA, AND THE REST OF THE BARGAINING TEAM FOR THEIR DUE DILIGENCE IN GETTING THIS CONTRACT DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DANNY. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE, UH, FIRST INTO PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE START OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION. UH, SO I'LL CALL FOLKS IN ORDER OF SIGNUP AND I'LL CALL THE NEXT, UH, PERSON ON THE LIST IF YOU CAN BE PREPARED TO COME FORWARD. UH, AGAIN, INDIVIDUALS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. GROUPS WILL HAVE UP TO NINE. UH, WE'LL START WITH ANANDA THOMAS, FOLLOWED BY JANE WARSAW. MY NAME IS ANANDA THOMAS, AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ACT FOR SA AND A CONSTITUENT TO DISTRICT SEVEN. LAST YEAR, THE PROP BEAD INITIATIVE PUSHED RECORD BREAKING VOTER TURNOUT WITH MORE VOTERS VOTING FOR IT AS THE LAST THING ON THE BALLOT THAN THE FIRST THING THE MAYORAL RACE. IT SPLIT ALMOST EVERY DISTRICT OR WON OUTRIGHT WITH THE LOWEST FAVORABILITY BEING 41%. THE ANSWER WAS CLEAR. SAN ANTONIO IS READY TO SEE A NEW CONTRACT THAT VALUED DISCIPLINE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TRANSPARENCY. YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT CHANGE AND THE BEST CONTRACT THEY CAN POSSIBLY HAVE. TWO NEW MEMBERS WERE VOTED TO THE DAAS, WHO OPENLY AND VOCALLY SUPPORTED PROP B, SHOWING THE PUBLIC'S WILL AND WANT FOR CHANGE. AND THE DEMANDS LAID FORTH BY THE COMMUNITY BEFORE AND DURING THAT CAMPAIGN LITERALLY LAID OUT THE TERMS FOR OUR POLICE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, NOT ONLY HERE, BUT ACROSS THE STATES. AND THE PRESSURE WE CREATED ON THE POLICE UNION THEN, AND THE CONTINUED PRESSURE NOW IS WHY THEY WERE WILLING TO COMPROMISE SO MUCH AT THE NEGOTIATION TABLE. THAT PRESSURE CONTINUES TODAY AND WILL CONTINUE SHOULD THE CONTRACT HEAD BACK TO THE NEGOTIATION TABLE. WE HAVE YOUR BACK. IT IS TIME TO HAVE OURS. WE MADE MAJOR WINS IN POLICE DISCIPLINE, BUT WE'RE STILL MISSING THE MARK ON TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. POLICE BRUTALITY AND MISCONDUCT CANNOT BE PROTECTED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. AND A RECURRING THEME YOU'VE HEARD IN THE PAST FEW YEARS IS THAT FOLKS WANNA BE MORE INVOLVED IN SHAPING WHAT POLICING LOOKS LIKE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THAT IS WHY YOU CANNOT PASS THIS CONTRACT TODAY. WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE WEAKEST CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT SYSTEM IN THE STATE. A FACT THAT YOU ARE WELL AWARE OF YOU, MR. MAYOR, WERE QUOTED IN AN EXPRESSED NEWS ARTICLE SPEAKING ON THIS VERY ISSUE, SAYING THAT A PRIORITY WAS TO REVISE THE CARB, BUT IT HAS FALLEN OFF THE LIST OF PRIORITIES. OUR CARB IS STILL DICTATED BY THIS CONTRACT AND HAS NO MEASURE OF INDEPENDENCE. IT IS NO POWER TO ALLOW WE THE PEOPLE TO MAKE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS. WE HAVE NO ABILITY TO RUN INDEPENDENT AUDITS OR INVESTIGATIONS. WE DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO THE POLICING OF OUR COMMUNITY. S A P D IS ONLY ONE OF 62 DEPARTMENTS IN OUR COUNTY, BUT IT IS BY FAR THE LARGEST AND HAS THE LARGEST IMPACT. YET WE HAVE LITTLE TO NO SAY OVER [01:40:01] WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. YOU CAN CHANGE THAT BY VOTING NO ON A CONTRACT UNTIL WE ADDRESS THE FACT THAT WE NEED INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN REVIEW AND THAT OFFICERS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE VACATION DAYS FOR UNPAID SUSPENSIONS. WE HAVE THE LONGEST CONTRACT IN THE STATE WITH A FIVE YEAR TERM AND EIGHT YEAR EVERGREEN CLAUSE, AND YOU NEED TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN VOTING TODAY. VOTE NO ON OUR CONTRACT TODAY, NOT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE MADE, BUT BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT WE DESERVE BETTER AND WE ONLY GET ONCE A DECADE TO MAKE CHANGES. THANK YOU. YOU THANK YOU MS. THOMAS. NOW GO TO JANE WARSAW, MS. WAR WAR, MS. WARSAW, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY TRISTAN IAN. MY NAME IS JANE WARSAW. I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH ACT FOR SA. I LIVE IN DISTRICT EIGHT. MANNY PAL IS' DISTRICT. I'M TESTIFYING TODAY ON MY OWN BEHALF. I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT TO ADDRESS CERTAIN CONCERNS THAT THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY HAS RAISED A NUMBER OF TIMES ABOUT THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT OFFICERS HAVE TO THE PEOPLE. THE MOMENT IS NOW, BECAUSE IT'S LIKELY THAT MANY OF YOU WILL NOT BE ON THE COUNCIL WHEN THE NEXT POLICE CONTRACT IS NEGOTIATED. WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NEGOTIATE ANOTHER CONTRACT FOR YEARS, PERHAPS A DECADE. I'M ASKING THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL NOT TO VOTE ON A CONTRACT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE ADDED TO IT. WE NEED INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT, REVISE CARB, REMOVE IT FROM POLICE UNION INFLUENCE, AND TO CREATE AN INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT TEAM LIKE AUSTIN'S OFFICE OF THE POLICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, HOUSTON, DALLAS, AUSTIN, AND FORT WORTH ALL HAVE INDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARDS. SO SHOULD WE, ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT FROM THE KINDER INSTITUTE FOR URBAN RESEARCH AT RICE, IT FOUND THAT SAN ANTONIO'S BOARD IS THE LEAST TRANSPARENT AND HAS NO PUBLIC OUTREACH ROLE. MEMBERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK WITH THE MEDIA OR REVEAL THEIR FINDINGS. SAN ANTONIO POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD LACKS THE AUTHORITY, INVESTIGATIVE POWERS AND FUNDING TO EFFECTIVELY REVIEW CITIZEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT OFFICERS, OR BRING ABOUT ANY CHANGES TO THE DEPARTMENT. ACCORDING TO THE RICE UNIVERSITY STUDY, REDUCE THE EVERGREEN CLAUSE, WHICH KEEPS THE TERMS OF THE CURRENT POLICE CONTRACT EIGHT YEARS AFTER IT EXPIRES. IF A NEW DEAL IS NOT REACHED TO ME, THIS POLICY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE UNFAIR TO POLICE OFFICERS AND TO ANTONIO, THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY. INCLUDE LANGUAGE TO PROTECT THE NAMES OF THE ACCUSERS FROM OFFICERS FACING ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT, AND PREVENT OFFICERS FROM USING DISCRETIONARY TIME, HOLIDAY VACATION, OR BONUS DAYS TO PAY THEMSELVES WHILE ON UNPAID SUSPENSION FOR MISCONDUCT. AND FINALLY, EXTEND MAJOR MISCONDUCT TIMELINE FOR OFFICERS TO BE DISCIPLINED BEYOND TWO YEARS AFTER THE INCIDENT. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU. MS. WARSAW, TRISTAN, IAN, TRISTAN, IAN. OKAY. VALERIE ERT. MS. REEFER, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY EJ PINOC. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS VALERIE ERT. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RADICAL REGISTRARS. I AM ALS, I'M ALSO A BORN AND RAISED SAN ANTONIO. I WAS BORN AT B M C HOSPITAL TO ARMY PARENTS, AND I'M A GRADUATE OF MADISON HIGH SCHOOL. I URGE YOU ALL TO VOTE NO ON THE PROPOSED POLICE CONTRACT. YOU ARE ALL ONCE REGULAR CITIZENS WHO SAW AN ISSUE AND WANTED TO GET INVOLVED. AND I FEEL LIKE THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO DESERVE AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARD SEPARATE OF KOA AND SS A P D. WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR ISN'T NEW, IT ISN'T INNOVATIVE. IT'S RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHAT THE OTHER MAJOR CITIES ARE DOING IN OUR STATE. AND WHILE SAN ANTONIO STILL LEADS THE NATION AND REHIRING FIRED OFFICERS AT A RATE OF OVER 70%, I BELIEVE IT'S THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS HAVE A TRUE CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD. A NO ON THE CONTRACT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE OTHER IMPORTANT AGREEMENTS AND REFORMS IN A CONTRACT, SIMPLY THAT, YOU KNOW, A KEY PIECE WAS MISSED. WE ALSO KNOW A VOTE NO WILL NOT TAKE AWAY ANY FUNDING OR BENEFITS FROM SS A P D. WE WANT TRANSPARENCY FROM THE PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING AND SERVING US. THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY AND DEFINITELY NO TRANSPARENCY WITHOUT AN INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD. AND I KNOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU GUYS TO START CAMPAIGNING AGAIN. I FEEL LIKE Y'ALL'S [01:45:01] TERMS ARE TOO SHORT, BUT WE ALSO KNOW SPOA HAS DEEP POCKETS AND ARE READY TO REWARD THOSE FOR YES VOTES. PLEASE HAVE OUR BACKS AS A CITIZENS AND GIVE US THIS INDEPENDENT CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD. THANKS. THANK YOU, MS. RIFER, EJ PENNOCK, MR. PENNOCK COULD BE FOLLOWED BY BRIELLE INSULAR . UH, THAT'S MY ACTUAL NAME. UH, SO, UH, JUST TO GO BACK IN 1988, OH, IS IT TIME ALREADY RUNNING OR, YEAH, IT'S OKAY. ME TO RESET THAT CLOCK TO THREE. OH, I WAS LIKE, WOW, THAT'S GONNA CLICK OKAY. , YOU CAN GO BACK AND START THE USER. OKAY. OKAY. SO IN 1988, UH, SAN ANTONIO'S THEN MAYOR GIFTED THE POLICE UNION A CONTRACT FILLED WITH GIVEAWAYS ON A HOST OF ISSUES IN EXCHANGE FOR THE UNION'S HELP WINNING AN ELECTION. UH, IN FACT, THIS CONTRACT WAS SO BAD THAT THE MAYOR'S OWN STAFF TRIED TO RELEASE A REPORT ON THE DANGERS OF THIS CONTRACT, BUT WERE BLOCKED. AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE PRESSURED BY THE UNION AND THE MAYOR TO QUICKLY APPROVE OF THIS TERRIBLE DEAL. AND THE STATE LAW BARRED THE PUBLIC FROM STOPPING ANY OF THIS FOR THE LAST 34 YEARS. THIS WILL BECOME THE PLAYBOOK BY WHICH CONTRACTS ARE NEGOTIATED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. POLITICIANS EITHER COURT OR SUCCUMB TO THE POLITICAL POWER OF THE UNION WHO USE STATE LAWS, CREATE CONTRACTS THAT ALLOW THEM TO AVOID ANY REAL ACCOUNTABILITY. THE END RESULT IS THAT OUR CITY IS RANKED DEAD LAST WHEN IT COMES TO OFFICER ACCOUNTABILITY AND CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT IN 2020, FIXED SS A P D SET OUT TO RESHAPE HOW THESE CONTRACTS ARE FORMED AND GIVE CITIZENS THE POWER THEY NEEDED 34 YEARS AGO. THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET KIND OF STRANGE . WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, ERIC WALSH, AND HE FLOATED THE IDEA AND HE WAS FLOATING THE IDEA TO LOCAL GROUPS OF THE, OF REPEALING CHAPTER 1 43. UH, ULTIMATELY WE DECIDED NOT TO GO WITH JUST 1 43, BUT TO ALSO FOCUS ON CHAPTER 1 74. AS THIS WOULD ACTUALLY ALLOW CITIZENS TO ULTIMATELY GET A CHANCE TO VOTE ON THE CONTRACT WITH ITS REPEAL ALL THROUGH THE SUMMER OF 2020, THE MAYOR RON EHRENBERG AND HIS OFFICE PRESSURED US TO GO OUT AND IMMEDIATELY START COLLECTING SIGNATURES FOR PROP PROPOSITION B AND REPEAL 1 43. UH, YOU CAN SHAKE YOUR HEAD, BUT WE BOTH KNOW IT'S TRUE. UM, OKAY. ONCE WE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE WILL NOT START COLLECTING SIGNATURES RIGHT AWAY DUE TO COVID V I D AND WOULD WAIT TILL THE FALL AND COLLECT DURING THE ELECTION, THE MAYORS AND HIS OFFICE, UH, THINGS KIND OF CHANGED. THEY TOOK, THEY TOOK A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TONE TO US. HE START HAVING OFF RECORD MEETINGS WITH THE UNION, AND WE KNOW FOR CERTAINLY ADVISE LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, AND LEADERS AGAINST ASSISTING OUR CAMPAIGN. WHY? SIMPLE BY COLLECTING IN LATE IN FALL, WE WOULD MOVE OUR ELECTION. TO ME, HIS OWN ELECTION, HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT HIS REELECTION. THAT'S WHY HE, HE KIND OF SHIFTED HIS VIEWS ON PROPOSITION B AND THE REPEAL OF 1 74 AND THIS PATTERN. AND BASICALLY IT SHOWS THAT THE SAME PATTERN FROM 1988 STILL HOLDS TRUE 34 YEARS LATER. YOU HAVE SELF-SERVING POLITICIANS WHO WORK WITH THE UNIONS TO PLACE TO CREATE CONTRACTS THAT ARE BEST FOR THEM AND NOT BEST FOR THE PUBLIC. WHICH IS WHY WE ASK THAT WE MOVE AWAY FROM A SYSTEM WHERE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ARE, AND THE UNION MEMBERS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN VOTE ON THESE CONTRACTS AND MOVE OVER TO A SYSTEM WHERE THE PUBLIC GETS A CHANCE TO VOTE ON THIS. IT'S THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S ON THE UP AND UP. UH, THANK YOU FROM, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. THANK YOU, MR. PINOC. BRI INSULAR, FOLLOWED BY MOHAMMED RASUL. HELLO. AND THANK YOU. UH, YOU'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE MY VOICE. I JUST GOT OVER A COLD. AND WHILE MY TAX DOLLARS FUND POLICE OFFICERS CADILLAC LEVEL BENEFITS, I MYSELF DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. SO, EXCUSE ME. UM, I'M HERE TO ASK Y'ALL TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND HAVE SOME DEEPER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE POLICE CONTRACT. WE'VE SEEN HOW LONG THESE NEGOTIATIONS CAN TAKE, AND THERE'S STILL TIME TO GET IT RIGHT. THE COMMUNITY IS HERE TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE NOT COMPLETE, AND THIS CONVERSATION IS NOT OVER. WE'VE SEEN YEARS GO BY IN THE CITY WHILE THE POLICE UNION DEMANDED THOSE CADILLAC BENEFITS AND PUSHED TO POLITICIZE AND PROFITED OFF NEGA NEGOTIATIONS STALLED. WE KNOW SAPO WILL DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO GET CITY COUNCIL ON THEIR SIDE USING ENDORSEMENTS, FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, SUPPORT OF OPPONENTS, AND EVEN BILLBOARDS TO BUY VOTES. I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR CITY NEGOTIATORS FOR THEIR WORK. AND WHILE WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE EFFORTS AND THE PROGRESS THEY MADE, THERE'S STILL SOME MAJOR STICKING POINTS TO ADDRESS WITH IT BEING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. UM, SORRY, I LOST MY PLACE. UH, WITH IT BEING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE SEVERE NEED TO KEEP POLICE AT [01:50:01] MENTAL HEALTH INCIDENTS, WHATEVER POSSIBLE, AND THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE NEED TO REVISIT. BUT THE TANGIBLE AND ATTAINABLE ISSUE I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON IS THE CARB, THE CHIEF'S COMPLAINT AND ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW BOARD. OUR ONLY CURRENT OPTION FOR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT. SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN RANKED AS HAVING THE LEAST TRANSPARENT CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS, AND IS THE ONLY CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD OF THE CITIES THAT DOES NOT OPERATE INDEPEND INDEPENDENTLY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE'VE SEEN AUSTIN VOTE DOWN THE POLICE CONTRACT TO TAKE THE TIME TO GET THIS VERY ISSUE RIGHT, AND WE CAN DO THE SAME. OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE PRESSED INTEREST IN CHANGING THE BOARD MAKEUP NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT FOR SOME REASON, IT'S THE ONLY THING, THE ONLY THING THAT CAME UP DURING NEGOTIATIONS WAS A NAME CHANGE. WHY WAS IT NOT ON THE LIST? IN JUNE OF 2020? OTHER URGING AND MAYOR NUREMBERG CITY OFFICIALS SAID ONE PRIORITY IN THE UPCOMING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE POLICE UNION WOULD BE A CHANGE IN CHOOSING MEMBERS OF THE OVERSIGHT BOARD. THIS PAST NOVEMBER, OUR PUBLIC, UH, SAFETY COMMITTEE, CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER C HOVERER BROUGHT THAT UP AS WELL, UM, AS SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS. AND OUR CHIEF NEGOTIATORS EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD, SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS IF WE WANTED MAKE CHANGES. IT WAS ON AN EARLIEST OF POSSIBLE ITEMS TO DISCUSS. BUT WHAT HAPPENED? WHERE ALONG THE WAY DID THE CITY DECIDE THAT INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT AND TRANSPARENCY, TRANSPARENCY WERE NEGOTIABLE WITH THE POLICE UNION BOSS SHARING FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT CHANGES MADE TO THE ARBITRATION PROCESS? AFTER SPENDING UPWARDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LYING ABOUT PROP B, WE ARE WONDERING HOW AND WHY CITY OFFICIALS COULD JUST SIT BACK AND ALLOW THEM TO DECEIVE THE PUBLIC. WHAT CHANCE DO WE HAVE AT A FAIR CONTRACT IF WE CAN'T COUNT ON OUR CITY STAFF OR CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE OUR BACK AND OPERATE WITH TRANSPARENCY? THERE'S STILL TIME TO FIX THIS, AND THE TIME IS NOW. PLEASE SHOW YOUR COMMITMENT TO BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND HOLDING POLICE ACCOUNTABLE BY VOTING NO TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. INSULAR. MOHAMED RASUL. HI, MY NAME IS MOHAMMED RASUL. I'M A RESIDENT OF SAN ANTONIO DISTRICT TWO. HOW YOU DOING JAYLEN? UM, I'M COMING HERE IN PEACE. I'M NOT HERE TO TELL YOU GUYS HOW TO VOTE. UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK ONE MORE PERSON SAYING TO VOTE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AT THIS POINT IN TIME AFTER ALL THIS TIME, IS GONNA CHANGE SOMEBODY'S VOTE ON D. UM, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW THROUGH EXPERIENCES, UM, FOR REASONS THAT YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW, UM, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, DOING THE RIGHT THING AND HAVING INTEGRITY IS NOT ALWAYS REWARDED, RIGHT? ESPECIALLY IN ELECTIONS. YOU CAN DEFINITELY GET VOTED OUT FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. BUT LEMME BE THAT ANNOYING REMINDER THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS SEAT OF PUBLIC SERVICE, ALL YOU'RE TAKING WITH YOU IS YOUR REPUTATION. THE VOTES YOU VOTED FOR, THE THINGS YOU VOTED AGAINST, THE BATTLES YOU TOOK UP, AND THE TIMES YOU CHOSE TO SIT DOWN INSTEAD OF STANDING UP FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND I WANT TO ASK YOU ONE QUESTION. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS SEAT AND YOU HAVE YOUR RESUME, RIGHT, YOUR RESUME'S A STORY THAT YOU GUYS ARE WRITING FOR YOURSELVES. WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A LINE THAT SAYS YOU WERE A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR EIGHT YEARS OF CITY OF SAN ANTONIO? OR WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A LINE THAT SAYS YOU WERE ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES TO ENSURE THAT A POLICE OFFICER CAN NO LONGER FEED A FECES SANDWICH TO A HOUSE'S RESIDENT AND MAINTAIN THEIR JOB ON THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE FORCE? UM, THE LAST THING I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH, UM, IS THIS IS A 17TH NEGOTIATION PROCESS WITH SAO AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. IF I HAVE THAT CORRECT, IF AT THE 16TH TRIES, YOU KNOW, THE CE SANDWICH STILL STOOD, UM, I KNOW IT MIGHT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE THINGS AFTER 16 TRIES. UM, BUT IMPOSSIBILITY STARTS WITH A SINGLE PERSON SAYING SOMETHING CAN'T BE DONE. BUT LUCKILY FOR US, IMPOSSIBILITY ENDS WHEN A SINGLE PERSON BELIEVES SOMETHING IS POSSIBLE. ELA IS, YOU BROUGHT UP THE, YOU KNOW, INCLUSION CIRCLE OF CITY HALL BEING RENOVATED. MARIO BRAVOS PREDECESSOR, ROBERTO TINO FOUGHT LONG AND HARD FOR THAT. WHEN HE BROUGHT THAT TO THE CITY, THE CITY PUSHED BACK AGAINST HIM, TOLD HIM IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO REDO CITY HALL TO BE INCLUSIVE IN THE FRONT STEPS. THEY PUSHED AGAINST HIM. HE REACHED OUT TO GORDON HARTMAN, FOUGHT TO GET THE RESOURCES TO INITIATE THAT CONTEST, TO GET THAT DONE. AND WE'RE SITTING HERE TODAY APPLAUDING THAT WORK WHEN HE'S NO LONGER ON THE DICE. SO YOU CAN DO THINGS THAT ARE BEING CALLED IMPOSSIBLE TODAY. MAKE CHANGE TODAY TO LAST TOMORROW, AND WE'LL SALVAGE YOUR REPUTATION MOVING FORWARD, LEAVING THIS JOB. UM, LAST THING IS, ALL I CAN ASK YOU IS TO BELIEVE IN A CITY WHERE INNOCENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEVER HAVE TO FEAR THE POLICE. AND WHERE JUSTICE IS SERVED EQUALLY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE WORK OR WHO WE ARE, PLEASE VOTE YOUR CONSCIOUS TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SUL. ALRIGHT. UH, BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION, NOW, UH, JACK, OH, I'M SORRY. JACK FINGER? YES. UH, MAYOR NURENBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. [01:55:01] YEAH. UH, I LOOKED AT THE, UH, ALL THE COMMENTARIES ON THE POLICE CONTRACT. I LOOKED AT THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS FOR IT AND ALL THE VARIOUS POINTS BEING NEGOTIATED. AND UH, I GUESS THE BIG ONE THAT REALLY ONLY STANDS OUT FOR ME IS THE ONE DEALING WITH, WELL, MATERNITY LEAVE. UH, THE CONTRACT ALLOWS UP TO, WHAT IS IT, 160 HOURS, THAT'S UP TO ABOUT FOUR WEEKS OF MATERNITY LEAVE FOR OFFICE OFFICERS, UM, MEN AND WOMEN. UH, TO ME THAT'S QUITE EXCESSIVE. FOUR WEEKS THAT A, A, UH, A POLICEMAN WILL HAVE TO STAY HOME WITH HIS NEWBORN CHILD. UH, I DUNNO, YOU TELL ME. WHAT DOES THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAVE AS ITS STANDARD FOR SUCH OR ANY PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION? FOUR WEEKS, YOU MAY SAY, UH, WELL, JACK, WHAT ABOUT, UH, A POLICE WOMAN WHO BECOMES PREGNANT, GIVES BIRTH? HOW MANY DON'T YOU THINK SHE NEEDS FOUR WEEKS? WELL, YOU TELL ME. YOU KNOW, THIS, THE, UH, A POLICE WOMAN'S DE DECISION TO BECOME A, AN OFFICER, THAT'S HER DECISION, NOT OURS. SHE DECIDED TO HAVE A CHILD BECOME PREGNANT, GIVE BIRTH. THAT'S NOT OURS. THE IDEA IS TO HOW MANY WEEKS DOES SHE NEED FOR A MATERNITY LEAVE? FOR REAL? HOW MANY WEEKS DOES THE PRIVATE SECTOR GIVE SUCH WOMEN? I JUST THINK FOUR WEEKS IS QUITE EXCESSIVE, AND WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PICK UP THE TAB ON THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. FINGER. BEFORE WE GO TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION, NOW, LET ME ASK FOR A MOTION, UH, SO WE CAN BEGIN OUR DISCUSSION. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION. DID I HEAR A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER THREE. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION NOW. UH, AND LEMME JUST SAY, UH, NUMBER ONE, WE, UH, UH, THIS PROCESS STARTED YEARS AGO. UM, AND THE DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGES OF THIS CONTRACTOR ARE NO, NOT NEW TO ANYBODY. UH, I'VE SAT HERE NOW TWICE FOR RATIFICATION OF A CITY COUNCIL, UH, A CITY COUNCIL RATIFICATION OF A CONTRACT. AND LET ME TELL YOU THAT THIS IS A VASTLY DIFFERENT SCENARIO THAN WHAT WE EXPERIENCED BEFORE. AND I WANT TO THANK OUR NEGOTIATING TEAM, SPECIFICALLY MARIA, UM, LIZ, ANDY, UH, THE REST OF THE FOLKS THAT REPRESENTED THE CITY'S INTERESTS IN THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE, AND THEN ALSO OUR POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION NEGOTIATING REPRESENTATION. THE ASK WAS GOOD FAITH, AND WE DID HAVE SOME EARLY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES THAT THE CITY WAS SEEKING TO ACHIEVE, UH, THAT, AGAIN, ARE NOT NEW. UH, THIS CITY HAS HAD AN EXAMPLE OF, UH, POOR CONTRACT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE WERE SPECIFICALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS, UH, THROUGH, UM, UH, THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATION, UH, CHIEFLY AMONG THEM. WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE PERSONNEL OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT IF THERE WAS A DISCIPLINARY ACTION TAKEN BY OUR POLICE CHIEF FOR AN EGREGIOUS, UH, ACT OF MISCONDUCT, THAT THAT DECISION WOULD BE, THAT WOULD STICK, IT WOULD STICK, AND IT WOULD NOT BE UNDERMINED IN THE ARBITRATION PROCESS. I AM CONFIDENT, UH, TODAY WITH THE, UH, NARROWING OF THE ARBITRATOR'S JURISDICTION, UH, AS WELL AS THE MEASURES TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THERE IS PROPER, UH, USE AND VIEW OF PRIOR DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED THAT MARK, UH, YEARS AGO, WE ALSO MADE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY A PRIORITY. AND IN FACT, I REMEMBER DURING THE EARLY DISCUSSIONS OF THE LEGACY TASK FORCE, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE IDENTIFIED WAS THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGETS, UH, WE'RE GROWING TWO AND A HALF TIMES FASTER THAN CITY REVENUES. AND THAT'S WHEN WE DECIDED WE NEEDED TO MARK, UH, A, A LINE IN OUR BUDGET, UH, AT 66%, WHICH IS WHERE IT WAS AT THAT TIME, THAT WE CAN'T EXCEED OR ELSE WE'RE GONNA CROWD OUT ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR US TO FRANKLY PREVENT CRIME. UH, AND WE HAVE DONE THAT TODAY. UH, THERE ARE SOME MINUTIA IN THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS [02:00:01] THAT HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE MAJOR MILESTONES OF TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, IT'S THINGS LIKE THE 180 DAY RULE, THE 48 HOUR RULE, UH, THE ARBITRATION PROCESS, ET CETERA. THIS CONTRACT AND THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS THAT WAS COMPLETED IN GOOD FAITH IN THE PUBLIC, WITH OUR PRIORITIES CLEARLY ARTICULATED WITH PUBLIC INPUT, THIS CONTRACT ACHIEVES THOSE MARKS. SO I WANNA THANK OUR NEGOTIATING TEAM AGAIN. UH, I WANNA THANK OUR COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT TO SPEAK OUT, UH, AT DOZENS OF MEETINGS ON THIS PROCESS. AND I WANNA THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ALSO FOR EXHIBITING A LEVEL OF DISCIPLINE I THINK HAS BEEN LACKING IN THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES WHEN WE'VE HAD CONTRACTS THAT DIDN'T ACHIEVE THOSE MARKS. UH, YOU SAW A CITY AND, AND A COMMUNITY WORK TOGETHER, UH, ALONG WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION TO ACHIEVE WHAT I THINK WILL NOW BE, UH, A SOLID CONTRACT THAT REPRESENTS THE INTERESTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THAT TAKES CARE OF ITS MEMBERS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ENSURES THE EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY AND AUTHORITY OF OUR POLICE CHIEF AND THE COMMAND, UH, THE COMMAND STAFF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THE CONTRACT TODAY. AND LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA, WHO IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY CHAIR, UH, TO BEGIN OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION. THANK YOU MAYOR MARIA AND LIZ AND YOUR TEAM. YOU WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS AGREEMENT, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR POISE THROUGH THE, THIS VERY, UH, STRESSFUL PROCESS. UH, THANKS TO OLA LEADERSHIP FOR YOUR, FOR ADVOCATING AND, AND REPRESENTING YOUR, UH, THE INTERESTS OF YOUR MEMBERSHIPS. AND FINALLY, THANKS TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE FOR YOUR VOICE AND YOUR THOUGHTFUL IDEAS, AND INDEED THE PRESSURE THAT, THAT YOU PUT ON, ON ALL OF US, THIS ISN'T AN EASY ACHIEVEMENT ACHIEVEMENT. DANNY, YOU SAID IT BEST. YOU SAID IT'S TIME TO CHANGE. AND I THINK THAT EVERYBODY HERE UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT REGARDING THIS AGREEMENT. ONE IS THE FACT THAT BOTH SIDES OF THE NEGOTIATION ACTED IN GOOD FAITH. ANOTHER IS THE FACT THAT OUR GOOD FAITH WAS FOCUSED ON MAKING SAN ANTONIO A SAFE AND ACCOUNTABLE CITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSION TODAY ABOUT PRIORITIES, AND I, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, SOME PRIORITIES HAVE CHANGED. UM, BUT OVERALL, I THINK IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S TOWARDS ACCOUNTABILITY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT EVERYONE AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE IS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY. CITY STAFF POLICE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS ARE BUILDING THEIR LIVES AND RAISING THEIR FAMILIES HERE, JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. WE ALL WANT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. AND THE AGREEMENT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT FACT. IT ISN'T, IT ISN'T PERFECT. NEITHER SIDE GOT EVERYTHING ON THEIR WISHLIST. BUT AGAIN, IT WAS A GOOD FAITH EFFORT. AND, UH, I, I BELIEVE THAT THE GOAL OF COMPROMISE WAS REACHED. THERE ARE IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE POWER OF ARBITRATION AND LEVELS OF DISCIPLINE. AS WAS MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION, ANNUAL TRAINING HOURS WILL INCREASE FROM 80 TO 120, UM, HOURS. AND A NEW FAMILY LEAVE BENEFIT WILL ALLOW UP TO 160 HOURS OF FAMILY LEAVE AFTER THE BIRTH ADOPTION OR SIGNIFICANTLY THE FOSTERING OF A CHILD. THE GOOD FAITH GOAL WAS THAT THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY WOULD ULTIMATELY BENEFIT. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE. OUR JOB DOESN'T END WITH THIS AGREEMENT. WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR POLICE EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING. WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH FOR ALL OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. WE SHOULD ALSO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE TRAINING AND LISTENING TO OUR COMMUNITY REGARDING WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE FROM OUR POLICE. LET'S USE THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT AND IT'S COMMON GOAL TO FIND NEW WAYS TO MAKE OUR CITY SAFER FOR ALL SAN ANTONIANS CITIZENS AND POLICE OFFICERS ALIKE. MAYOR, I WAS GONNA MOVE TO APPROVE, UM, , BUT I THINK THAT ALREADY HAPPENED. . YEAH. IF YOU COULD , UM, MO TO APPROVE THE COLLECTING BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION FOR A PERIOD TO COMMENCE UPON CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER PALS. SO, UM, ERIC AND ANDY, YOU GUYS MIGHT BE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER VINCE LOMBARDI, UH, REMEMBER HIM. UM, AND MY GRANDFATHER USED TO QUOTE, GIMME A QUOTE. HE'D SAY, PERFECTION IS NOT ATTAINABLE. BUT IF WE CHASE PERFECTION, WE CAN CATCH EXCELLENCE. AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT MY GRANDFATHER WAS THE SMARTEST MAN IN THE WORLD UNTIL I REALIZED HE WAS PLAGIARIZING VINCE LOMBARDI. UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT VINCE LOMBARDI IS THAT HE WAS A GREAT COACH, AND HE'S NOT WRONG. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CATCH EXCELLENCE IF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE CHASING PERFECTION. BUT VINCE LOMBARDI WASN'T IN PUBLIC POLICY. UH, VINCE LOMBARDI WASN'T IN GOVERNMENT, AND VINCE LOMBARDI DIDN'T HAVE TO NEGOTIATE LABOR CONTRACTS. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ANANDA, YOU'RE UP HERE. I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR. I YOU MAY THINK I DON'T, BUT I READ EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT YOU SEND OUR WAY, AND I READ YOUR EMAILS, UM, AND I, I AGREE WITH YOU, UM, IN A LOT OF THINGS. AND [02:05:01] THEN YOU AND I DISAGREE ON OTHERS, AND WE HAVE A, UM, AND, AND I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID TODAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DELIVER THE BEST CONTRACT OUR CITIZENS COULD POSSIBLY HAVE. I WROTE THAT DOWN. THOSE ARE YOUR WORDS, AND I AGREE WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, AND THE KEY WORD IN THAT PHRASE IS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? AND I'VE COMMENTED A NUMBER OF TIMES FROM THIS DAIS THAT POLICY IS THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE. UM, AND THAT PRAGMATISM AND BALANCING OF INTEREST IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE BEST THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY DELIVER TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. UM, AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE WISH THAT WE WOULD GET PERFECTION, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S NAIVE OF US TO ASSUME THAT WE'LL EVER GET THERE, RIGHT? AND I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DELIVER THE BEST POSSIBLE RESULT. UM, AND SO REMEMBER, THE BEST POSSIBLE RESULT IN LABOR IS WHAT IS A FUNCTION OF LAW. AND THAT LAW REQUIRES NEGOTIATION AND CONSENSUS WITH OUR FRIENDS AT SPOA. AND A CONSENSUS DOCUMENT, ANDY, I MEAN, I I, YOU, YOU USED TO WORK ON THESE CONSENSUS LABOR AGREEMENTS WITH THE U A W AT GM. UM, YOU KNOW, ERIC, YOU, YOU'VE DONE PLENTY OF NEGOTIATIONS, UH, DURING YOUR 40 YEARS AT CITY COUNCIL. UH, AND, YOU KNOW, NEVER HAVE ANYBODY ON, UH, THAT A LABOR AGREEMENT HAS LEFT THAT BARGAINING TABLE WITH SIGNATURES, UM, AND SAID, THIS WAS AN IDEAL DOCUMENT. THIS WAS A COMPLETE VICTORY AND VINDICATION OF OUR, YOU KNOW, OF, OF OUR ASKS. THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED. INSTEAD, THEY ALL GO BACK, UH, ONCE A DEAL IS REACHED, THEY GO BACK TO THEIR DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS OR CLIENTS OR MEMBERS AND SAY, THIS IS THE BEST DEAL WE CAN POSSIBLY REACH WITH THE FACTS IN FRONT OF US. AND SO, I'M VOTING TO THIS, TO, TO APPROVE THIS AGREEMENT, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WITH ALL THE FACTS IN FRONT OF US AND WITH ALL THE CONSTRAINTS, UM, THAT THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE AGREEMENT WE CAN REACH AT THIS TIME. I'M ALSO VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WEAR THIS BADGE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, DANNY DIAZ LEADS, THEY VOTED FOR IT BY LARGE MARGINS AS WELL. YOU, YOU DIDN'T GET UNANIMITY EITHER, DANNY. UM, AND, BUT BY LARGE MARGINS, THE MEN AND WOMEN, UM, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR UNION SAID YOU GOT THE GREEN LIGHT. I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF YOUR, THE MEMBERS OF YOUR UNION, A LOT OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO WEAR THE BADGE. A LOT OF 'EM OVER THE PAST, YOU KNOW, FEW WEEKS WHO'VE TELL ME, THIS IS NOT A PERFECT DOCUMENT. WE ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, COMP, YOU KNOW, DOING VICTORY LAPS AND SPIKING THE BALL HERE BECAUSE, UH, IT'S AN IDEAL DOCUMENT. BUT EVEN THEY SAY, THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE, IS THE BEST POSSIBLE DOCUMENT WE CAN REACH CONSIDERING ALL OF THE FACTS THAT WE FACE. I'M VOTING FOR, I'M, I'M VOTING TO SAY YES ON THIS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FOR ME, AND FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM MY CONSTITUENTS, IS THAT THERE'S A RECOGNITION THAT HAVING FEWER OFFICERS ON THE STREET MEANS SLOWER 9 1 1 RESPONSE TIMES WHEN YOUR POPULATION IS GROWING. CHIEF MCMANUS AND I HAVE SPOKEN, I MEAN, HE'S ASSURED ME THAT THIS IS TRUE, THAT IT'S NOT UP FOR DEBATE, RIGHT? THAT PEOPLE NEED FAST 9 1 1 TIMES, AND THAT OUR FAST 9 1 1 TIME GETS LESS FAST IF WE HAVE FEWER OFFICERS PATROLLING. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LABOR SHORTAGE RIGHT NOW IN THE MARKET AS IT APPLIES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. FEWER MEN AND WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES ARE CHOOSING LAW ENFORCEMENT AS AN OPTION FOR A CAREER. THAT MEANS THAT THE POOL OF TALENT IS GETTING SMALLER. AND WE DO MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE DO COMPETE WITH OTHER CITIES WHEN IT COMES TO TALENT, AND WE WANT BEST IN CLASS OFFICERS IN THIS CITY. IT'S GETTING HARDER WITH EACH YEAR THAT PASSES. I BELIEVE THIS CONTRACT IS GOING TO RESULT IN MAKING IT A LITTLE LESS DIFFICULT FOR US, UH, TO RECRUIT OFFICERS BECAUSE OF THE PAY AND BENEFITS. LASTLY, UH, I'LL REMIND YOU THAT AS IT RELATES TO ARBITRATION, UM, I'M, I'M AN ARBITRATOR AND I WANT TO THANK ANDREW BARTON OVER AT THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION FROM DOING A LOT OF WORK OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS AT GROWING THE BODY OF ARBITRATORS IN THIS CITY. UM, AND PARTICULARLY LABOR ARBITRATORS. UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE A WELL-TRAINED ARBITRATOR WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING DELIVERS BETTER RESULTS FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS. UM, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NATURE OF ARBITRATION IS THAT THERE'S UTTER FINALITY RIGHT TO THE, TO THE DECISIONS, AND THAT THEY'RE NOT APPEALABLE. BUT WHAT I AM COMFORTABLE WITH IS THE TWEAKS THAT WE'RE MAKING HERE TO THE ARBITRATION AGREEMENT THAT DON'T JUST PROVIDE UTTER FINALITY, BUT ALSO PUT GUARDRAILS AROUND THE AUTHORITY OF THAT ARBITRATOR, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE PUBLIC ASKED FOR. UM, AND WE'RE DELIVERING ON THAT. LASTLY, I BELIEVE THAT THE FIXES THAT WE'VE DONE TO THE ARBITRATION AGREEMENT ARE GONNA REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DECISIONS THAT ARE CONSIDERED IDIOSYNCRATIC WITH, UH, OR JUST A VIOLATION OF, OF PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS. UM, AND [02:10:01] YOU KNOW, DANNY, YOU KNOW, AND YOU AND I HAVE TALKED, UM, THERE'S A BUNCH OF KNUCKLEHEADS OUT THERE WHO'VE MADE SOME INCREDIBLY STUPID DECISIONS, UH, WHILE THEY WERE WEARING THE BADGE THAT SHOULD, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULD RESULT IN THEM NOT WEARING THE BADGE EVER AGAIN. AND, YOU KNOW, AND YET, SOMETIMES WE HAVE ARBITRATORS RETURNING THEM TO WORK. AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN YOU GUYS, I KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, HAVE FOR YOU BROUGHT SOME EMBARRA A DEGREE OF EMBARRASSMENT, UM, BECAUSE THEY SULLY THE REPUTATION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OF ALL THE OTHER THOUSANDS OF OFFICERS WHO SHOW UP TO WORK AND PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD AND WHO DO AN EXCELLENT JOB. AND SO, UM, YOU'RE GONNA GET A YES FROM ME TODAY, UH, AND IT'S GONNA END UP TICKING OFF, UH, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN PORTION OF THE POPULATION. BUT I FEEL LIKE MY RESUMES GONNA BE JUST FINE. AND, UH, MY CONSCIENCE TONIGHT IS CLEAN. UH, THAT SAID, EXPECT DISAGREEMENT ON THIS DAIS. THIS IS WHAT DELIBERATIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M CONFIDENT THAT MY VOTE TODAY IS THE RIGHT ONE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PALAI. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WHEN OFFERED TO SERVE IN THIS OFFICE, I MADE THREE VERY SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY ON WHAT, WHAT REFORMS MUST BE ACHIEVED IN ORDER FOR ME TO SUPPORT A NEW POLICE CONTRACT. THIS CONTRACT COMPLETELY MEETS ONE OF THOSE COMMITMENTS, BUT ONLY HALFWAY MEETS THE OTHER TWO. FURTHERMORE, I COMMITTED TO DISTRICT ONE CONSTITUENTS THAT I WOULD BE YOUR VOICE AT CITY HALL. YOU SPOKE, AND I HEARD YOU. MY OFFICE RECEIVED COUNTLESS EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS ASKING ME TO NOT SUPPORT THIS CONTRACT. AND OUT OF 123,169 RESIDENTS WHO I REPRESENT, NOT ONE, SENT A LETTER EMAIL, OR MADE A PHONE CALL TO MY OFFICE ASKING ME TO SUPPORT THIS CONTRACT. TODAY, I WILL BE HONORING MY COMMITMENTS BY VOTING NO ON THIS CONTRACT PROPOSAL. YESTERDAY, I MET WITH A CONSTITUENT WHO HAD A BULLET CRASH THROUGH HER HOUSE LAST WEEKEND, LIKE TOO MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS, SHE TOLD ME THAT GUNSHOTS ARE A REGULAR OCCURRENCE IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SHE WANTS TO CALL THE POLICE TO CATCH THE SHOOTERS, BUT SHE'S ALSO SCARED TO CALL THE POLICE BECAUSE OF HOW SHE OR HER NEIGHBORS MIGHT BE TREATED. WHAT WE'RE SEEKING TO, TO DO TODAY IS NOT JUST CREATE A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY AND OUR POLICE EMPLOYEES, BUT ALSO IMPROVE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY. I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT THIS CONTRACT MOVES IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT IT FALLS SHORT OF WHERE WE NEED TO BE TO RE, TO REPAIR BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILD THE TRUST THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS SO THAT EVERYONE FEELS SAFE. I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS CONTRACT WILL LIKELY PASS TODAY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS IN MAKING OUR CITY AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON OUR DAAS AND FINDING OTHER WAYS TO HOLISTICALLY ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY AND REDUCE CRIME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR, IF YOU'D GIVE ME JUST ONE SECOND MM-HMM. UNTIL THE SCREEN DECIDES IT'S GOING TO TAKE THE, TAKE, WHAT MY FINGER IS TELLING IT TO DO. UM, OKAY. UM, FIRST OFF, UM, IN MY SPEAKING POINTS IS A THANK YOU TO MARIA, LIZ AND RENEE AND ALL WOMAN TEAM FOR THEIR WORK. UM, I DO WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE BARGAINING TEAM AS ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BARGAINING TEAM AS WELL. I THINK THIS WAS A, UM, A, A MUCH LESS, UH, DIVISIVE PROCESS THAN WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST. UM, EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT HERE FOR THE LAST NEGOTIATIONS, I WAS HERE, UH, WHEN THE PREVIOUS, UH, LEADERSHIP WAS IN PLACE. AND IT WAS, IT WAS A CONTINUOUS BATTLE, AND IT WAS EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT. AND, UH, AND THAT IS NOT WHERE, WHERE WE ARE TODAY. UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK THE CITY STAFF FOR ENSURING THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND STREAMED AND RECORDED. UM, MY RESIDENTS HAVE EXPRESSED TO ME THAT NUMBER ONE, PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL SAFE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, [02:15:01] AND THAT THAT ISN'T JUST ABOUT POLICING. THAT THAT IS ALSO ABOUT LIGHTING, SIDEWALKS ACCESS TO JOB, AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS. UM, AND THAT THE CITY, UM, SHOULD SET, SHOULD PROVIDE ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES THE BEST TOOLS TO DO THEIR JOB. AND THAT MEANS THAT WHEN THE POLICE RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES, THAT IT SHOULDN'T JUST BE POLICE OFFICERS. UH, IN FACT, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME IN THE AUDIENCE WHO FEEL MAYBE POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED AT ALL IN, IN THAT RESPONSE. UM, AND LASTLY, MY RESIDENTS HAVE TOLD ME THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. AND THAT INCLUDES POLICE OFFICERS WHO HAVE ABUSED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. UH, MARIA, LIZ, UH, RENEE. THIS CONTRACT MAKES STRIDES IN EACH OF THOSE AREAS. UM, LIKE MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILWOMAN EO HDA SAID, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS CONTRACT IS PERFECT BY NO MEANS. UM, OFTEN, UH, I HAVE WISHED THAT WE COULD JUST START ALL OVER AGAIN. UM, BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO AS LONG AS 1 43 AND 1 74 ARE ON THE BOOKS. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS A VERY, UM, IT'S A SLOW PATH, RIGHT? BUT WE ARE WORKING OUR WAY FROM WHAT HAPPENED IN 1988 AS, UM, AS THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, MENTIONED. UH, EVERY, THAT'S THE, I GUESS THAT'S THE PIECE THAT WE'RE STARTING WITH, AND WE HAVE TO MOVE FROM THERE. AND WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM A TIME BEFORE WE HAD ACT FOUR S A BEFORE WE HAD SUCH AN ENGAGED CITIZENRY THAT IS RIGHTFULLY PUSHING US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I WANT TO THANK YOU WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK, NOT JUST TODAY, BUT YESTERDAY, AND SO MANY TIMES, UM, FOR YOUR VOICE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, UH, THAT ARE NOT HERE TODAY. UM, SO I WANNA THANK THEM. UH, ANANDA, I WANNA THANK YOU. UM, IN CASE YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW IT, ANANDA AND I ARE PRACTICALLY NEIGHBORS, . UM, AND I, I AM PROUD TO HAVE YOU BE A DISTRICT SEVEN RESIDENT. THANK YOU. UM, I KNOW WE WANNA PUSH THE ENVELOPE FARTHER, UM, BUT I, I FEEL THAT ANY ADDITIONAL ASK OR NEGOTIATION, UM, AT THIS POINT WOULD REQUIRE THE SACRIFICE OF SOME PROGRESS THAT WE'VE ALREADY MADE. UM, AND THAT IF WE DO, IF WE ALSO GO BACK TO NEGOTIATIONS, THAT WE WILL ALSO, UH, DELAY THE, THE IMPLEMENTATION. UM, I'LL TELL YOU, I RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR A SHORTER EVERGREEN. I, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT WE HAVE AN EVERGREEN PERIOD THAT'S LONGER THAN THE CONTRACT ITSELF. UM, AND I ALSO RECOGNIZE THE NEED, UH, TO REVISIT THE CITIZENS ADVISORY, UH, REVIEW BOARD. UM, ACTUALLY, COULD I ASK A QUESTION, UH, ABOUT THAT TO LIZ OR MARIA? CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THESE OTHER CITIES THAT DO HAVE, UH, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF REVIEW BOARD, AND HOW, HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THERE AND NOT HERE? I KNOW THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT 1988 CONTRACT THAT, THAT WE HAD, BUT COULD, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT PLEASE? UM, SURE. COUNCILMAN AND ALICE LIST TO ASSIST WITH THAT AS WELL. BUT, UM, OF THE CITIES THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT, UH, CITIES THAT HAVE CHAPTER 1 43 LIKE WE DO, THAT AGAIN, ESTABLISHES THOSE, UM, CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS, CITIES SUCH AS, UH, FORT WORTH, UH, AND, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WHAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE TODAY WAS NEGOTIATED WITH, WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR ASSOCIATION. SO, UM, THEY HAVE MEET AND CONFER. THEY DON'T HAVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, BUT NONETHELESS, UH, WHAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE IS WHAT IS ALLOWED THROUGH, THROUGH THOSE NEGOTIATIONS. SO THEY DO NOT HAVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BECAUSE THEY DID NOT ADOPT 74 CHAPTER 1 74. CORRECT. BUT THEY HAVE 1 43. OKAY. SO THEY ONLY HAVE MEET AND CONFER. IS THAT SIMILAR TO WHAT AFSCME HAS? IT'S A LITTLE BIT, IT'S, IT'S DIFFERENT COUNCILWOMAN, IT'S A SPECIFIC MEET AND CONFER, UM, STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR, UM, PUBLIC [02:20:01] SAFETY. SO IT'S, IT'S NOT COMPARABLE TO WHAT AFSCME HAS. THE IS STILL HARD IS IS THAT, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN SO WE CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATION UP HERE AT THE DA AND ON THE PODIUM. THANK YOU. IS THAT, UH, SO THAT'S THE SAME CASE IN AUSTIN, SO, CORRECT. OKAY. MM-HMM. , UM, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF THIS CONTRACT FOR, UM, SOME SORT OF PUBLIC CONVERSATION AROUND DISCIPLINE ON A REGULAR BASIS, IF ANY? SO, JUST TO KIND OF ORIENT WHAT WE DO HAVE, UM, AS A RESULT OF OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO COME TO AGREEMENT WITH THE ASSOCIATION, AND OVER WIDE ONE 40 THREES RESTRICTIONS ON, UM, CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, OUR CITIZENRY THAT PARTICIPATES IN CARB. SO THE 14 MEMBERS THAT SIT SEVEN AT A TIME THAT PARTICIPATE EVERY OTHER WEEK IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS, UM, CARB MEETINGS ACTUALLY REVIEW THE INVESTIGATIVE FILE, AND THEY ASK QUESTIONS, AND THEN THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHIEF BASED ON THE TOTALITY OF THE INVESTIGATION AS TO WHAT DISCIPLINE SHOULD OCCUR. SO OUR CITIZENS, OUR CIVILIANS HAVE THAT AS A RESULT OF OUR ABILITY TO, TO BE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THAT WITH THE ASSOCIATION. SO THE QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT, WHAT CAN WE DO? SO IT, IT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THINGS THAT WE HAVE UNILATERAL POWER TO DO THAT DON'T INVOLVE CONFIDENTIAL FILES THAT DON'T INVOLVE THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS AND THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES THAT ARE NECESSARILY COVERED BY 1 43. SO IN THE OTHER CITIES MENTIONED CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONNEL FILES ARE SHARED PUBLICLY. WELL, IN THE CASE OF AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE POLICE, UM, OVERSIGHT, AND I DON'T KNOW THE INTRICACIES OF ALL THE OTHER CITIES OTHER THAN WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE, UM, THAT'S SORT OF, UM, WRITTEN DOWN. UH, THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME SORT OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION THAT WE DO. THEY HAVE A PERSON, THEY HAVE AN OFFICE THAT PARTICIPANTS, BUT IS SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED FROM BEING ABLE TO BE PART OF THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS. SO IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT MODEL. THANK YOU. UM, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE, , RIGHT? NOW, UH, ONE OTHER THING I DO WANNA ASK YOU ABOUT BEFORE I RUN OUT OF TIME IS, UM, AND I, I MENTIONED THIS TO, TO THE MAYOR, AND, AND WE HAVE, HE HAS HIS THOUGHTS, I HAVE MY THOUGHTS ON IT, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO ENGAGING THE PUBLIC OR ALLOWING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO WEIGH IN OR PROVIDE INPUT ON HOW THE DEPARTMENT OPERATES, UH, THIS IS ONE DEPARTMENT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON. UH, WE HAVE ADVISORY FOR THE ARTS, WE HAVE ADVISORY FOR SMALL BUSINESS FOR SUB BETA. UM, BUT FOR SOME REASON WE DON'T HAVE A, A COUNCIL APPOINTED ONE FOR, UH, FOR POLICE SERVICES. UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY CONTRACT KTO AND THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A COMMITTEE? UM, AND I GUESS WE PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC SAFETY ALL THE TIME, SO IT, THAT SORT OF FEELS LIKE THE COMPONENT THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING FOR PURPOSES OF, OF THAT TOUCHPOINT. AND, AND THE PRIORITIES ARE DICTATED BY, BY THE CHAIR. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, BY, FOR PURPOSES OF BEING ABLE TO SET UP OTHER WAYS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T FALL INTO THE CATEGORIES THAT REQUI SPECIFICALLY WOULD REQUIRE OVERRIDE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S FLEXIBILITY IN THAT AREA. UM, MAYOR, JUST THANK YOU. I'M SORRY, ONE SENTENCE TO, TO WRAP THIS UP. ALL RIGHT. GO AHEAD AND CLOSE IT. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU. I JUST, UH, SORRY. I WAS GONNA SAY, UM, SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A PUBLIC FORUM, FOR A PUBLIC DIALOGUE FOR INPUT ON POLICE SERVICES THAT WOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH THIS CONTRACT. THAT IS CORRECT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL. UH, ERIC, DID YOU WANNA WEIGH IN ON ANYTHING? NO, I, I THINK, I THINK LIZ DID A GOOD JOB OF DISTINGUISHING, AT LEAST WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT AUSTIN HAS. ULTIMATELY, I THINK THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS IT'S GOTTA BE IN THAT CONTRACT, UM, BECAUSE, UM, UH, THAT'S THE BIGGEST DISTINCTION. UM, AND, AND I'LL JUST ECHO WHAT, UH, I THINK YOUR LAST QUESTION WAS TO LIZ. CERTAINLY, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE RE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY THAT THE POLICE CHIEF HAS UNDER STATE LAW AND UNDER THE CHARTER, SURE. THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY [02:25:01] TO HAVE SOME SORT OF PUBLIC DIALOGUE. THE CHIEF HAS EMPANELED A GROUP OF FOLKS IN THE PAST TO ADVISE, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T GO OUTSIDE THOSE BOUNDARIES. GREAT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, UH, SOME PEOPLE MAY KNOW THIS, BUT A LOT MAY NOT. I'M A FORMER MILITARY POLICE OFFICER. UH, I WORE A BADGE AND CARRIED A GUN AND PROTECTED LIVES AND PROPERTY WHILE I WAS IN THE MILITARY. SO I, I HAVE A MAYBE MORE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THIS THAN SOME OTHERS MAY HAVE, BUT PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE MOST CHALLENGING AND DANGEROUS JOB IN THE CITY FOR BOTH POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS. BUT IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT SERVICE THAT THIS CITY PROVIDES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THESE ROLES THAT THESE MEN AND WOMEN CHOOSE TO TAKE ON REQUIRE COURAGE, INTEGRITY, AND EMPATHY. AND THE PUBLIC EXPECTS THE BEST FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE AS A COUNCIL SHOULD STRIVE FOR THE BEST. BUT THIS PROCESS IN INCLUDES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITIZENS SAID THEY WANTED TO HAVE MANY YEARS AGO. AND SO, IT'S A NEGOTIATION. IT'S A NEGOTIATION IN GOOD FAITH. WE'RE ALL HUMAN BEINGS. NONE OF US ARE PERFECT, AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. DO I STILL HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THIS CONTRACT? WELL, YES. YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRIVACY ISSUES REGARDING PROTECTING WITNESSES WHO PROVIDE STATEMENTS ABOUT ALLEGED POLICE MISCONDUCT. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHIEF'S COMPLAINT AND ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW BOARD, AND THAT THEY COULD BE STRONGER. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE 60 DAY TIMELINE FOR RELEASING VIDEOS FROM THE POLICE, UH, WOR CAMERAS. UH, AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE REDUCED. I KNOW WE'VE ADDED TRAINING, AND I HOPE THAT THAT WILL REALLY FOCUS ON CITIZENS' RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS THESE AND OTHER FUTURE CONCERNS TO STRIVE FOR BETTER PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT I THINK THIS AGREEMENT REALLY HITS ABOUT 95% OF WHAT WE HAD SET OUT AS A COUNCIL OVER TWO YEARS AGO TO ACCOMPLISH BETTER DISCIPLINE, FAIR WAGES, BETTER PUBLIC SAFETY. AND SO TODAY, I'LL VOTE TO APPROVE IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED, WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED, UH, OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND OF COURSE TO THE MAJORITY WOMEN LED, UM, TEAM OF NEGOTIATORS THAT, THAT CARRIED US THROUGH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I ALSO, SINCE I'M ON THAT REFERENCE, THANK YOU, UM, TO UHA FOR, UH, WHOEVER IT WAS THAT ADJUSTED, THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED AND REFERENCES IN THE DOCUMENT THAT ONLY HAD A REFERENCE TO HE OR HIS, AND YOU ALL FIXED IT. AND SO, UM, YAH. THE, THE SHE HE COMPONENT. SO, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, I, I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, AND IT'S JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. UM, ON PAGE 29 OF THE DOCUMENT, UM, IT TALKS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A SUPERVISORY LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ALL CANDIDATES FOR PROMOTION. CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT LEADERSHIP TRAINING INCLUDES? MORNING, EVERYBODY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, I BELIEVE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE L P O TRAINING THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN, UH, PUTTING ON FOR ABOUT THE LAST TWO YEARS. WE TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF, A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK DURING COVID I, BUT THAT THE, UH, L P O TRAINING, LEADERSHIP TRAINING IS THE, THE GOLD STANDARD, IF YOU WILL, AS UM, STATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHIEFS OF POLICE. AND WE OFFER THAT TRAINING. IT'S A, IT'S A THREE WEEK COURSE BROKEN DOWN BY ONE WEEK IN ONE WEEK INTERVALS. UM, WE OFFER IT TO, UH, EVERYONE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SWORN AND CIVILIAN. AND WE'VE HAD FULL CLASSES EVER SINCE WE'VE STARTED. UM, BASICALLY WHAT IT DOES, IT PUTS EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND WHAT LEADERSHIP IS SUPPOSED TO DO, UH, AS IT GOES UP AND DOWN THE, UH, THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. SO, UH, IT'S BEEN A GOOD PROGRAM. IT'S BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED, AND THE INSTRUCTORS THAT WE HAVE ARE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT, OF THE [02:30:01] COMMAND STAFF THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT. AND, UH, IT'S GOING VERY WELL. THANK YOU, CHIEF. AND IT, THE NEXT QUESTION, IT RELATES TO, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR ALL NEW SUPERVISORS WHO, UM, IS OVERSEEING THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. WHAT KIND OF ITEMS ARE DISCUSSED? THE, THE, THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR NEW SUPERVISORS? YES, CORRECT. AND SO IT'S ON THE SECTION WHERE IT'S TALKING ABOUT, UM, SERGEANT ASSESSMENTS SPECIFICALLY, AND IT'S PROMOTIONAL RELATED. THE, THE, UH, IT, IT VARIES THROUGH THE DIFFERENT RANKS. SO THE, THE, UH, CAPTAINS, UH, WHEN THEY'RE PROMOTED, NEWLY PROMOTED, THEY HAVE A, UM, UM, A 30 DAY TRAINING PERIOD, AND THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY REQUIRED BY THE, BY THE CONTRACT. UM, AND, UH, WHEN SERGEANTS ARE PROMOTED, UM, THEY ARE, THEY RECEIVE A, UH, A WEEK'S TRAINING OVER AT THE POLICE ACADEMY. I TYPICALLY ADDRESS THOSE FOLKS AND, UH, UH, TALK ABOUT EXPECTATIONS, TALK ABOUT RESPONSIBILITIES, UM, TO BOTH THE, THE FOLKS THAT THEY'LL BE SUPERVISING AND TO THE COMMUNITY. OKAY. THANK YOU, CHIEF. AND THEN I HAVE A QUESTION, AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY, I THINK IT MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR RENEE, UM, BUT IT'S, UH, CHAPTER ONE AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY ABOUT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND IN INELIGIBILITY OF A CHILD DUE TO AGE. UM, AND THEN IT ALSO, WE DELETED A PART THAT SAYS, OR CHANGE IN STUDENT STATUS. IS IT, CAN YOU JUST HELP ME EXPLAIN WHY THAT PART WAS DELETED? PRIOR TO THE, PRIOR TO THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, IN ORDER, IN ORDER FOR A CHILD WHO WAS IN COLLEGE TO CONTINUE ON HEALTH INSURANCE, THEY HAD TO PROVIDE PROOF OF ENROLLMENT. NOW ALL CHILDREN ARE ELIGIBLE TO AGE 26. 26. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, I SAW ANOTHER ONE IN THERE THAT REFERENCED A 19, SO I WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED, BUT THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN MY CONFUSION. UM, ON PAGE 15, WE HAVE DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP AS DEFINED, UH, IN A COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO ADULTS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX OR SAME SEX, UM, IN WHICH PARTNERS, AND THEN WE HAVE A, A FULL DEFINITION, UM, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT ADDITION. BUT ON CHAPTER SEVEN, WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT EXCLUSIONS, HOW DID WE CHOOSE TO EXCLUDE SOME OF THOSE? AND THAT WOULD BE PAGE 32 OF CHAPTER SEVEN EXCLUSIONS. AND IS IS, IS IT COMPARABLE TO OUR CIVILIAN FLAG? YES, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY. SO WHAT WE DID, COUNCILWOMAN, IS WHEN WE, UM, WHEN THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE LAST COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, WHICH WAS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2016 BY JAN, RIGHT AFTER THAT, WE APPROVED A NEW THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR HEALTHCARE BENEFITS. SO OUR PLAN CHANGE, SO WE UPDATED WHAT WE CALL THE MASTER CONTRACT, WHICH IS YOU'RE REFERENCING ON THE DEFINITIONS AND THE TYPE OF BENEFITS TO, UM, MIRROR WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY OFFERING TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OUR CIVILIANS SINCE WE HAVE THE SAME THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR. SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE, UM, CORRECTIONS ARE. SO THE EXCLUSIONS AND THE DEFINITIONS ARE CONSISTENT WITH CIVILIANS AND FIREFIGHTERS. THANK YOU, MARIA. AND IF YOU, YOU, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. I THINK IT'S FOR YOU. I SAW, AND I CAN'T FIND THE, THE PLACE WHERE I MADE THE NOTE NOW, BUT, UM, THE ELIMINATION OF ME TOO CLAUSE. YES. THAT IS IN, UH, ARTICLE 16 FOR WAGES THAT WAS ELIMINATED, AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY PROPOSED BY THE ASSOCIATION. OKAY. UM, AND WELL, I GUESS I CAN'T TALK ABOUT FIREFIGHTERS RIGHT NOW. NEVERMIND. SO WE'LL SWITCH THAT, UH, 'CAUSE ANDY WILL, WILL GET AFTER ME. UM, BUT THEN ALSO A QUESTION ON THE, UM, ITEM, AND IT WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE, THE, THE CARB, UH, OR ACTUALLY NOT CARB RELATED. IT WAS THE, AN, UM, ANONYMITY OF COMPLAINTS FROM OFFICER TO OFFICER. DOES THAT HAPPEN? ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS, UH, OFFICER TO OFFICER COMPLAINTS? ARE THOSE ANONYMOUS? NOT, NO, NOT NECESSARILY. I MEAN, WE DO GET ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS THAT ARE INVESTIGATED, UM, BUT NOT NECESSARILY COUNCILMAN. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN, UM, MY FINAL QUESTION IS, UH, ARE CARD MEMBERS ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO THE MEDIA? THEY ARE, THEY CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE INFORMATION THAT THEY REVIEW THAT IS CONFIDENTIAL BECAUSE OF CHAPTER 1 43. SO THOSE ARE THE RESTRICTIONS THAT APPLY TO THEM IN TERMS OF NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THE INVESTIGATION. WHEN THE INVESTIGATION IS CONCLUDED, IF A RESULTS IN DISCIPLINE, THEN THOSE RECORDS ARE PUBLIC. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE GET MONTHLY OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS FOR THE DISCIPLINE RECORDS. GOT IT. CHIEF, ARE YOU GONNA ADD SOMETHING? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER, THE, THE OFFICERS CAN ANONYMOUSLY COMPLAIN [02:35:01] IF, IF THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING IS SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH AND THEY CAN BE FOLLOWED UP ON, THEN WE'LL DO THAT. BUT IF, IF NOT, THEN IT, IT, IT DROPS OFF. OKAY. BUT YES, THEY CAN. OKAY. THANK YOU, CHIEF. UM, WELL, UH, THANK YOU. I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW. I I DO, UM, WANT TO SAY AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL WHO PARTICIPATED. I THINK THAT, UM, THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION HAVE NEGOTIATED WITH THEIR, UM, THEIR ORGANIZATION, UM, FAIRLY WELL. I, I, I LIKE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS COMMUNICATION. I THINK THAT THIS REBALANCES OBVIOUSLY THE DISCIPLINARY PROCESS FOR OFFICERS. UM, I THINK IT ALSO TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THAT OFFICERS WHOSE ACTIONS UNDERMINE THE COMMUNITY TRUST WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT CHIEF HAS, UM, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL WEIGHT TO BE ABLE TO DISCIPLINE OFFICERS WHO HAVE VIOLATED DEPARTMENT POLICIES. AND I DO THINK THAT, UM, THE, UH, SPOA IS, UM, UH, WAS, WAS ADVOCATING FOR FOR THAT AS WELL. I DO ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT AN ARBITRATOR CANNOT OVERTURN THE CHIEF'S DECISION UNLESS CHIEF FAILS TO, UM, PROVE THAT THE MISCONDUCT IS, UH, DETRIMENTAL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THAT. I, UH, WILL BE MOVING TO, OR I'M SORRY, I WILL BE APPROVING OR VOTING YES ON THIS. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA FIRST RECOGNIZE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO GAVE PUBLIC COMMENT TO EXPRESS, UM, THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED C B A. UM, I KNOW IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT, RIGHT? IT'S DURING A WORKDAY, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARE, ARE HERE, UM, VOICING THAT. AND I KNOW THAT THIS CONTRACT FALLS SHORT ON SEVERAL ITEMS. UH, BUT BETWEEN HOW THIS CONTRACT WAS NEGOTIAT NEGOTIATED AND HOW CLOSE PROP B WAS, YOUR INFLUENCE ON PUBLIC SAFETY POLICY CONTINUES TO GROW. SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO MEET WITH CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE ASKING FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY CONTINUE TO BE HEARD. IT TOOK 20, UH, TILL 2013 TO PASS THE NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE. AND THE FIGHT FOR REFORM SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THAT SLOW, BUT THE END RESULT WAS WORTH IT. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK OF MARIA AND LIZ. THEY DESERVE PRAISE FOR SKILLFULLY NEGOTIATING THIS CONTRACT. AND I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT THIS NEGOTIATION PROCESS HAS BEEN THIS ACRIMONIOUS BETWEEN THE CITY AND SEOT AND OTHERS. SO, UH, THANK YOU DANNY, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. OUR POLICING, C B A NEEDS SO MUCH WORK. AND I WANT TO COMMEND BOTH OF YOU AND YOUR TEAMS FOR STARTING DOWN A PATH TO PROGRESS ON SEVERAL KEY AREAS RELATED TO DISCIPLINE, DISCIPLINE AND TRANSPARENCY. I WAS HOPEFUL THAT THERE WOULD BE CONSENSUS FROM COUNCIL ON MORE OF THE ISSUES COMMUNITY HAD BEEN ADVOCATING BEFORE, BECAUSE I KNOW MARIA AND LIZ WOULD'VE DELIVERED, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ADVANCED MENTAL HEALTH PEACE OFFICER TRAINING AND CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING. OUR MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS RECEIVE FOSTER BETTER TRUST AND LEAD TO POSITIVE RESULTS WITHOUT THE NEED FOR HANDCUFFS. HOWEVER, NON-MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS CURRENTLY AREN'T OFFERED THIS TRAINING. FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN AND HEARD FROM COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY HOUSELESS MEMBERS. UM, OUR FEW MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS ARE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING MUST HAVE A PLACE IN POLICING. I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, MARIA. UM, I UNDERSTAND THE CURRICULUM FOR THE IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR SS A P D OFFICERS IS NOT PART OF THE C B A, BUT COULD YOU PLEASE CONFIRM, UH, WHETHER THE ADVANCED MENTAL HEALTH PEACE OFFICER OF TRAINING AND CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING WILL BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF THE IN-SERVICE TRAINING? SURE. AND JUST TO HAVE SOME CONTEXT TO, TO YOUR, TO MY RESPONSE COUNCILWOMAN, UM, ONE OF THE CHANGES CHIEF MCGUINESS MADE IN 2010 IS TO REQUIRE THAT ALL OFFICERS GO THROUGH CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING, WHICH IS, UH, PERFORMED BY, BY OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT. ALL OF OUR, UM, CADETS GO THROUGH 40 HOURS OF CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM THERE AS THERE IS AN ADVANCE, UH, TRAINING THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT GOES THROUGH, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING. AND IN CONVERSATION WITH CHIEF MCMANUS, AS WE EXTEND THE NUMBER OF HOURS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE, UM, INCORPORATED INTO THE CURRICULUM OF THE, OF THE TRAINING FOR THE ANNUAL INSERVICE. GREAT. THANK YOU, MARIA. I APPRECIATE THAT. RIGHT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CITY'S NEGOTIATING TEAM CREATES THEIR STRATEGY BASED ON THE DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL. UM, ONE OF THE AREAS I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE ADDRESSED IN THIS CONTRACT WAS THE ELIMINATION OF THE PROVISIONS THAT REVEALED THE NAMES OF ACCUSERS TO POLICE CHARGE WITH WRONGDOING. BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WE'RE RESTRICTED BY THE STATE ON THAT PIECE. IS THAT CORRECT? SO, COUNCILWOMAN, YES. BY, UM, STATE LAW, THEY ARE, UM, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO KNOW WHO THE COMPLAINT IS BY NOW. BEAR IN MIND, WE DO HAVE PROVISIONS CURRENTLY THAT DO ALLOW FOR ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS AS, AS WHAT, HOW THE CHIEF DESCRIBES. [02:40:01] NOW, IT DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF COMPLAINT AND WHETHER IT CAN BE CORROBORATED OUTSIDE OF WHO'S EVER COMPLAINING. UM, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT FORWARD, UM, WITH SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE AS WE ENTER CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, WILL AMENDING THAT BE A PRIORITY OF THE CITY COUNCIL? COUNCILMAN? WE, UH, SORRY, ERIC, YOU WENT IN. I WAS GONNA SAY THAT IT'S A CONVERSATION WE'LL HAVE WITH THE FULL COUNCIL IN TERMS OF WHAT PRIORITIES YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AT THE LEGISLATION OR THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UM, INCORPORATE AS PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE ENTIRE BODY. YES. THANK YOU. 'CAUSE I KNOW THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS THAT IT HAS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR OUR OFFICE. UM, AND I WOULD BE, I WOULD HOPE THAT I, MOVING FORWARD WITH THE C B A, WE WOULD ALREADY HAVE A CONSENSUS TO PRIORITIZE THAT ON THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, BUT THANK YOU, MARIA. UM, NEXT I, I BELIEVE THAT OUR OFFICERS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO USE THEIR PAID HOLIDAYS WHEN THEY ARE PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FOR MISCONDUCT OR WRONGDOING. AND I WANNA ALSO EMPHASIZE WHAT OTHER FOLKS HAVE TOUCHED ON, THAT THE LENGTH OF AN EVERGREEN, UH, AND CONTRACT IN GENERAL IS ALSO CONCERNING AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. AN EIGHT YEAR EVERGREEN MEANS ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS UP HERE CAN TERM OUT BEFORE A CONTRACT IS NEGOTIATED, WHICH MAKES THIS PROCESS INHERENTLY POLITICAL. AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT FIVE YEAR CONTRACTS MAY PROVIDE STABILITY FOR THE CITY, UM, OR A SENSE OF STABILITY RATHER. BUT I BELIEVE THE C B A NEEDS TO BE NEGOTIATED EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS. I FEEL THAT THIS WOULD BENEFIT THE, UH, BOTH SIDES OF THE CITY, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO BALANCE OUR BUDGETS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO ADJUST PUBLIC SAFETY TO MARKET CONDITIONS MORE RAPIDLY. JUST LOOK AT THE FIRE C B A, IT WAS NEGOTIATED RIGHT BEFORE THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, AND THEIR JOBS HAVE EVOLVED SO MUCH SINCE THEN. A TWO TO THREE YEAR CONTRACT TERM ALLOWS FOR BETTER ADJUSTMENTS TO WORKING IN MARKET CONDITIONS. AND I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT WE MAY EXCEED THE 66% WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE C B A. AND I'M CONCERNED THAT WE WILL BE HEADING TOWARDS AN AUSTERITY CITY WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES HAVING TO CUT, UH, BASIC, SIMPLE SERVICES IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN, UH, THAT INCREASING, UH, BUDGET FOR PD. WE ALSO NEED TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE TIME IT TAKES TO RELEASE BODY CAM FOOTAGE. 60 DAYS DOES NOT EXACTLY PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY. AND I KNOW THAT THIS CAN BE DONE OUTSIDE OF THE C B A AND I HOPE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET MOVEMENT ON, UH, AS A CITY COUNCIL. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF MY CONCERNS AND MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED WITHIN THE CONTRACT WITH MORE SUPPORT. BUT HERE WE ARE, RIGHT? MY FEELING IS THAT WHILE OUR NEGOTIATION TEAM PERFORMED TREMENDOUSLY WITH THE DIRECTION THEY WERE GIVEN, THIS CONTRACT IS NOT NEAR A POINT WHERE I FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING. YES, I WANNA THANK THE COMMUNITY CITY STAFF AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR TIME ON THIS EFFORT. AND A BETTER SAN ANTONIO IS POSSIBLE AND A BETTER C B A PRO, UM, CONTRACT IS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AMEN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. I APPRECIATE IT. UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS, UH, NEGOTIATION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE OVER THE LAST YEAR. UH, WE WERE KEPT ABREAST OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON AND FULLY BRIEFED DURING THAT PROCESS. AND, UH, I'M HAPPY WITH THIS PROCESS. AND AGAIN, IT'S A NEGOTIATION. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD BE EXPECTING TO GET 100% OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT. UH, WITH BOTH SIDES HAPPY, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT STEP FORWARD. UH, OR IF BOTH SIDES WERE UNHAPPY, UH, THAT THAT'S ALL PART OF THE NEGOTIATION. AND, UM, I I WANNA SAY THAT, UH, I REALLY ADMIRE THE CITY STAFF ON, ON PRESSING FORWARD TO THIS AS, AS WELL AS THE SUPPOSED STAFF, UM, WORKING TOGETHER. UM, IT, IT SEEMED LIKE IT WENT WELL. YEAH. DID IT TAKE A YEAR? BUT THAT, THAT'S FINE. UH, I THINK IT WAS DONE PROFESSIONALLY AND SINCERELY AND NEGOTIATED IN GOOD FAITH. AND THAT IS THE KEY TO ANY NEGOTIATION IS THAT YOU SIT DOWN AND YOU NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. UH, WILL IT MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY? UM, PROBABLY NOT, AND THAT'S FINE. BUT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THIS IS A SUCCESS. IT, IT'S A GOOD DEAL FOR THE CITY, FOR OUR POLICEMEN AND FOR ANYBODY THAT'S, UH, CONCERNED OR TAXPAYER, UH, FOR THIS, FOR THIS COMMUNITY. SO I'M, I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS AND I'LL BE VOTING FOR IT. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WANNA BEGIN BY THANKING THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO WHO CONTINUE TO IN FIGHT, TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY EXISTS WITHIN OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS. ACT FOR US, SAY BLACK FREEDOM FACTORY, RADICAL REGISTRAR, REGISTRARS, AND MANY OTHERS. IF IT WERE NOT FOR YOU, CHALLENGING OUR CITY, SHOWING UP TO TESTIFY AND PUSHING US, AND SOMETIMES SCREAMING AT US [02:45:01] TO DO BETTER, WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE POLITICAL WILL TO DEMAND MORE ACCOUNTABILITY IN THIS CONTRACT. AND SO NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPACT OF YOUR PEOPLE POWER. LAST YEAR FIXED SS A P D LAUNCHED AN IMPRESSIVE AND RIGOROUS CAMPAIGN TO REPEAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT. CODE 1 74, LATER KNOWN AS PROP B AT THE POLLS, SAN ANTONIO'S DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY WANTED MORE TO BE DONE TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION COULD NOT PROTECT DANGEROUS OFFICERS. MY DISTRICT VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY FOR PROP B, AND THAT MESSAGE INFORMED MY ASSIGNMENT. WITHOUT THE EFFORTS OF FIXED S A P D AND THE THOUSANDS OF VOTERS WHO SUPPORTED POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, I DON'T BELIEVE WE WOULD BE HERE DISCUSSING THIS POLICE CONTRACT WITH INCREASED MEASURES OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY. FOR THAT, I'M THANKFUL TO MARI MARIA VILLA GOMEZ, LIZ PROVINCIO, AND THEIR TEAMS FOR THEIR WORK TO INCORPORATE CHANGES INTO THIS CONTRACT. I ALSO REALIZED THAT IN A NEGOTIATION, WE DO NOT GET EVERYTHING WE ASK FOR. HOWEVER, LET ME BE CLEAR THAT THIS CONTRACT STILL MISSES THE MARK IN ADDRESSING SOME OF THE CORE DEMAND THE COMMUNITY IS SEEKING TO ENSURE OUR SAFETY. POLICE BRUTALITY AND MISCONDUCT CANNOT BE PROTECTED IN ANY WAY, WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM IN THIS CONTRACT FALLS SHORT IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS. ONE, OFFICERS CAN STILL USE VACATION DAYS OR DISCRETIONARY DAYS IN PLACE OF UNPAID SUSPENSIONS. UNPAID SUSPENSIONS ARE MEANT TO SERVE AS PUNISHMENT FOR MISCONDUCT, AND THIS PROVISION EFFECTIVELY ALLOWS OFFICERS TO TAKE PAID VACATION INSTEAD. TWO, THE EVERGREEN CLAUSE REMAINS AT EIGHT YEARS. IN CONTRAST, THE BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT EVERGREEN CLAUSE IS AT TWO YEARS, AND WE SHOULD AIM TO LAND CLOSER TO THIS STANDARD. IT IS NOT GOOD BUSINESS ON EITHER OF OUR ENDS TO MAINTAIN A CONTRACT FOR EIGHT YEARS. I DON'T CARE WHO THINKS THEY BENEFIT FROM IT. THE ADVISORY THREE, THE ADVISORY BOARD CHARGED WITH REVIEWING POLICE MISCONDUCT KNOWN AS THE CARB, IS STILL DICTATED BY THIS CONTRACT AND HAS NO MEASURE OF INDEPENDENCE. THE KINDER INSTITUTE AT RICE UNIVERSITY NAMED SAN ANTONIO'S CARB AS THE WEAKEST OF CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT SYSTEMS ACROSS FIVE MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS. THE REPORT STATES THAT IMPROVED, COMPETENT AND WELL-STAFFED POLICE OVERSIGHT AGENCIES ACTUALLY HELP LEGITIMIZE POLICE OFFICERS AND DECREASE ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST POLICE. WHEN I WAS NEWLY ELECTED, THE CITY HAD ALREADY BEGUN NEGOTIATIONS AND SET FORTH THEIR PRIORITIES, AND WE RECEIVED UPDATES AND HELD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS. BUT MY CONCERNS WERE RARELY REFLECTED IN THE NEGOTIATION LIST OF PRIORITIES. AND THE CARB IS ONE EXAMPLE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED. THE REVISION OF THE CARB WAS MENTIONED BY BOTH FIXED S A P D COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND EVEN SOME OF MY OWN COLLEAGUES IN SUMMER OF 2020 LEADING UP TO NEGOTIATIONS. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT ADDRESSED. AND LASTLY, THE SCHEDULE PAY INCREASES IN THE PROPOSED CONTRACT PUT US IN A FI FISCALLY PRECARIOUS SITUATION WITH 15% PAY INCREASES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OF THE CONTRACT, PLUS AN INSTANTANEOUS 2% BONUS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THIS CONTRACT, WE ARE MAKING FINANCIAL AWARDS WITHOUT METRICS. AND TO ADD FURTHER CONCERN, WE HEARD YESTERDAY THAT CITY STAFF PLANS TO ADD 50 MORE OFFICERS IN 20 23, 25, MORE OFFICERS IN 2024, AND THEN ADDITIONAL OFFICERS TO STAFF TWO NEW SUBSTATIONS WITH THESE INCREASES. HOW ARE WE GOING TO REMAIN UNDER THE 60 CENT PERCENT BUDGET THRESHOLD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY WITHOUT AFFECTING OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS OF OUR BUDGET, SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH, HOUSING AND SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS? HB 1900 WILL PENALIZE US IF WE EVER LOWER OUR POLICING BUDGET BECAUSE WE DESPERATELY NEED FUNDS IN OTHER AREAS. EVERY INCREASE THAT WE MAKE IS PERMANENT AND MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. WE STILL DO NOT KNOW OR ARE GUARANTEED WHAT OUR REVENUES WILL BE IN EACH OF THOSE FUTURE FISCAL YEARS. FOR ONE, WE'RE PROVIDING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. AND SECONDLY, WITHOUT THE BUDGET NUMBERS FOR THOSE YEARS, WE CANNOT BE A HUNDRED PERCENT CERTAIN THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN THIS FINANCIALLY. AND IT JUST DOES NOT ADD UP. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS CONTRACT WILL LIKELY HAVE SUPPORT FROM A MAJORITY OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. THEY HAVE THEIR REASONS, AND I HAVE MINE. OLA HAS PROVEN ITSELF TO BE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL POLICE ASSOCIATIONS IN THE COUNTRY, AND THEY'VE DEDICATED THEIR CAPITAL IN VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS TO ENSURE THEIR VOICE IS HEARD. AND WE'VE ALL RECEIVED THE ATTACK MAILERS. YET THERE ARE OTHER VOICES WHO CARRY THE STORIES, THE HEARTBREAK, AND THE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM A LIVED EXPERIENCE OF OVER-POLICING AND FATAL INTERACTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE THE KEY TO SHOWING US THE WAY TO PROVIDE PUBLIC SAFETY WITHOUT ABUSING POWER. THEIR NAMES ARE MARQUIS JONES, ANTHONY SCOTT, CHARLES ROUNDTREE, DARRYL ZAMAR, ZAMAL SR. GILBERT FLORES, JESSE AGUIRE, NORMAN COOPER, AND DOZENS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE FACED VIOLENCE AND HARM CAUSED BY INTERACTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SAN ANTONIO. TODAY, I WILL CAST MY VOTE IN THEIR HONOR, AND TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILIES, WE WILL FIGHT TO KEEP HOPE ALIVE SO THAT ONE DAY WE'LL BE TRULY ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT, AND SAFE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. I'LL STATE I'M NOT UNREASONABLE AND I WON'T HOLD IMPOSSIBLE STANDARDS. MY MY NO VOTE IS IN THE HOPES THAT WE CAN GO BACK TO THE BARGAINING TABLE WITH ALL OF THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS [02:50:01] THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED PRIOR TO THIS VOTE. AND IF WE CAN ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT I'VE OUTLINED PRIOR, UM, THEN WHEN WE COME BACK TO THE DIOCESE, I WILL VOTE YES IF TODAY THE CONTRACT PASSES. MY EXPECTATION THEN IS THAT WE BE MINDFUL OF THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS CONTRACT AND THAT FIVE YEARS FROM NOW WE TACKLE THE CONCERNS RAISED TODAY AT THE BARE MINIMUM. AND AS WELL, I WANNA SAY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, IF YOU WANT TO REVIVE THE MISSION OF FIXED S A P D, KNOW THAT I'M HERE WITH YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ. I'M NOT DONE. I'M NOT DONE YET. I'M NOT DONE. THANK YOU. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN 2020, UM, WE SET FORTH TO, UM, PART OF OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WAS GOING TO BE PROPOSED CHANGES TO STATE AND FEDERAL LAW PERTAINING TO THE POWERS OF PUBLIC SAFETY UNIONS, TRANSPARENCY OF OFFICER PERSONNEL RECORDS AND QUALIFIED IMMUNITY FOR POLICE OFFICERS. CAN SOMEONE LET ME KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL WERE WE AND WHAT WERE THE METRICS? THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. WE HAD, UM, SIMILAR PRIORITIES IN THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WITH REGARD TO CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS, THE, UM, JURISDICTION OF A ARBITRATOR, UH, THE TIMELINE FOR DISCIPLINE, UM, SO THAT IT WAS A DISCOVERY RULE FOR THE 180 DAYS AS WELL AS RESIDENCY POINTS. AND, UM, WE DID GET, UM, THE RESIDENCY POINTS IN THIS CONTRACT AS PROPOSED BY SPOA. UM, BUT WITH REGARD TO THE OTHER LEGISLATIVE ITEMS, WHICH, UM, WERE ALSO CAPTURED, UM, IN THE C B A AS PROGRESS DURING THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THREE OF THOSE OUT OF COMMITTEE. UM, AND THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THOSE FORWARD. SO WE JUST GOT THEM OUT OF THE I G R COMMITTEE AS NO SIR. IT WAS A WR AFFAIRS. OH, GOT YOU. OH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GOTCHA. YOU AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE. YES, SIR. AND THAT WAS AS FAR AS THEY WENT. CORRECT. SO WE WERE NOT THAT AS SUCCESSFUL. UM, WITH THE CARB, I DO WANNA STATE, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THE WEBSITE DOESN'T LIST, UM, WHICH DISTRICT EACH OF THE MEMBERS REPRESENT, UM, OR WHERE THEY COME FROM OR LIVE IN. I WILL STATE WE DID VOTE ON THE CARB EIGHT OF THE 14, UH, CARB MEMBERS ARE FROM DISTRICTS EIGHT, NINE, AND 10. NONE ARE FROM DISTRICTS ONE, FIVE OR SEVEN. ONE IS FROM D TWO, ONE IS FROM D THREE, ONE IS FROM D FOUR, AND THREE ARE FROM D SIX. BUT A VAST MAJORITY ARE FROM THE NORTH SIDE, NOTORIOUSLY NOT OVERPOLICED. I ALSO WANT TO, I I, I WANNA TRY TO CONVINCE EVERYONE WHO'S HERE, I'M GONNA VOTE NO, BUT I WANNA TRY TO CONVINCE A FEW OF YOU TO COME ALONG WITH ME. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN ESTABLISH ANY WAY OUTSIDE OF THE C B A THAT WE CAN ESTABLISH A SEPARATE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE OR OFFICE? SO I THINK THE CONVERSATION WE HAD EARLIER WITH COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL AND, AND THE DISCUSSION, UH, WITH COUNCILWOMAN CAVEDA REFLECTED THAT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE, THE COMMITTEE'S CHARGE IS. NOW, IF THERE'S ANYTHING DEALING WITH DISCIPLINE AND THE LIMITS THAT ARE IMPOSED UPON US BY SECTION 1 43, THOSE WILL NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE COMPONENTS SUCH AS OUR CARB, WHICH THEY ARE INTIMATELY INVOLVED. OUR CIVILIANS REVIEW THE INVESTIGATIVE FILES. SO AS A RESULT, THAT HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS INCLUDED IN OUR AGREEMENT, AND WE HAVE TO REACH CONSENSUS WITH THE ASSOCIATION IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT ABILITY. SO IT DEPENDS ON THE, UM, THE CHARGE OF THE COMMITTEE. I ONLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME LEFT, BUT THE ANSWER IS NO, ESSENTIALLY. NO, I, MY ANSWER WAS YES TO COUNCILWOMAN SONAL DEPENDING ON WHAT IS EFFECTIVELY THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE. COUNCILWOMAN, THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS NO, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT WITH INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITY. YES. THE ANSWER'S NO OUTSIDE THE CONTRACT. YES. SO THE ANSWER IS NO. WHAT I HEARD OF COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S QUESTION WAS CAN WE HAVE A CONVERSATION OF PUBLIC DIALOGUE ABOUT DISCIPLINE? WE CAN ALL HAVE PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS AND DIALOGUES AND HOST TOWN HALLS AND DO THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER, BUT WE CANNOT, OUTSIDE OF THIS CONTRACT, ESTABLISH A SEPARATE OVERSIGHT, UH, COMMITTEE OR OFFICE. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO SEE IF WE, IF, IF WE CAN VOTE NO, THAT IS A, IF WE WANT JAYLEN TO VOTE, YES, THAT'S GONNA BE, THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE THINGS. UM, I'D ALSO, UH, ANANDA AND EJ, IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THE LAST 30 SECONDS, I KNOW YOU HAVE MAYBE A RESPONSE, SOMETHING REAL QUICK TO THE MIC. TO THE MIC. RON, RON, RON, A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S POSSIBLE, WHAT'S IMPOSSIBLE, WHAT WE COULD ACTUALLY DO. THE LAW'S VERY CLEAR WITHIN THE CONTRACT UNDER 1 74, YOU CAN BASICALLY OVERRIDE 1 43 AND 1 74 USING THAT CONTRACT. YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL TO DO IT. THAT'S WHAT WE LIKE. IT'S NOT LIKE, OH NO, THE LAWS ARE SO, NO, THEY'RE NOT THAT [02:55:01] COMPLICATED. IT'S A MATTER OF POLITICAL WILL WILL. I'M LOOKING AT ONE OF OUR EARLY FIXED SS A P D, UH, FOUNDERS, RON NUREMBERG HERE WITH US. HE LACKS A POLITICAL WILL. THAT'S ALL I ASK OF YOU. THE ONLY QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL TO GET THIS DONE? THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER GRO. OKAY. I'M GONNA MAINTAIN ORDER IN THIS CHAMBERS, SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU AGAIN. PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN. COUNCIL MEMBER VIA THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO START WITH THIS STORY. I WAS IN, AT PALO ALTO IN A CRIMINAL JUSTICE CLASS. I WAS OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND A SAO A MEMBER CAME TO SPEAK TO THE CLASS. SO TIMELINE, IT WAS AFTER 1988, BUT NOT QUITE TOO FAR AFTER 1988. AND HE TALKED ABOUT THE CONTRACT AND HE SAID IT WAS TOO GOOD, AND HE KNEW IT WOULD BE A STRUGGLE FROM THAT POINT FORWARD. AND EVEN THEN, AS A YOUNG PERSON, I KNEW IT WAS TOO GOOD. LITTLE DID I KNOW I WOULD BE SITTING HERE TODAY, BUT, UH, I WANT TO SAY THAT ONE THING HE COMMUNICATED AND AND HOW I GOT HERE TODAY IS HE COMMUNICATED, BUT BEFORE THE CONTRACT, BEFORE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, THERE WAS A HEIGHT REQUIREMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GET ON THE DEPARTMENT. UM, WHICH MEANT SHORT LATINO MEN NO GO. THERE WAS NO WOMEN ON THE DEPARTMENT THAT THE CHIEF COULD HIRE AND FIRE. SO ONE DAY A DEPUTY CHIEF COULD WALK IN WHO WAS HIS COUSIN OR HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW. THAT IS WHAT WE HAD BEFORE THE CONTRACT. AND WHEN I STARTED TO CAMPAIGN, UH, I TOLD EVERYONE, THIS IS A LABOR ISSUE. THIS IS A UNION ISSUE, AN A F L C I O, WHICH CAME IN AND SAID, THESE ARE WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE WHEN YOU ARE NEGOTIATING THESE CONTRACTS, WHICH IS WHAT I COMMUNICATED WHEN I GOT IN. AND LIZ AND MARIA UNDERSTOOD AND WENT TO LOOK FOR ON IN THIS CONTRACT. AND I FEEL YOU GOT THAT DONE. AND I AM COMPLETELY FAMILIAR BECAUSE I WORKED FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS A CIVILIAN, THAT THEY ARE NOT PERFECT. THEY ARE AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS SOME QUIRKS. BUT WHEN I CAMPAIGNED, I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WERE VOTING FOR PROP B AND I ASKED THEM WHY. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR RESPONSE WAS? BECAUSE THEY FORGOT THEIR ROOTS. THEY FORGOT WHERE THEY CAME FROM. THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ANYMORE. AND I HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE UNION WHEN THEY INTERVIEWED ME AND DIDN'T ENDORSE ME. AND WHAT I SAW AFTER THAT IS BLUE CARES GETTING MORE ACTIVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND OFFICERS COMING UP TO ME AFTER I GET ELECTED AND TELLING ME THEIR STORIES THAT THEY WENT TO SOUTH SAN OR THEY WENT TO BURBANK AND NOW THEY'RE POLICING THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THIS IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY. THIS PROCESS DIDN'T JUST BEGIN FOR ME AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WHEN WE WERE CAMPAIGNING, OR I GOT MY FIRST BRIEFING WITH MARIA AND LIZ. IT BEGAN WITH CADET GRADUATION SHOWING UP, KNOWING THAT I'M THERE AS YOUR ELECTED OFFICIAL GOING TO THE WOMEN IN POLICING, KNOWING THAT BEFORE 1973, WOMEN HAD A HARD TIME HERE AND THEY CONTINUE TO, TO STRUGGLE. AND BEING AT THAT EVENT AND SEEING WOMEN OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES THERE BEING ENCOURAGED TO COME ON, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THIS, YOU WANNA CHANGE A SYSTEM, YOU WANNA CHANGE THE DEPARTMENT. YOU GET MORE WOMEN ON THE DEPARTMENT AND IN LEADERSHIP ROLES. AND IT ALSO BEGAN WITH THE CARB APPOINTEES. I WENT OUT AND DIRECTED PE-PEOPLE AND THE TEAM TO GO OUT TO THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND MAKE SURE IT WAS PUBLICIZED. SO I HAVE A DISTRICT THREE APPOINTEE ON CARB THAT ALSO SERVES ON MY PARKS AND REC BECAUSE SHE'S READY TO SERVE. SO THIS DIDN'T, THIS PROCESS, THERE WERE THINGS WE COULD HAVE DONE THE ENTIRE TIME TO GET TO A CONTRACT THAT MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES COULD AGREE IN. I AM NOT SURPRISED BY ANY LEVEL OF WHERE THIS VOTE IS FALLING TODAY. BUT I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND LET PEOPLE PRETEND LIKE THESE TWO SIDES DIDN'T WORK EXTREMELY HARD AND MAKE COMPROMISES TO GET HERE BECAUSE YOU DID. I AM NOT GONNA PRETEND THAT THE ASKS THAT ARE I'VE GOT VIA EMAIL ARE NOT ANTI-LABOR. BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO WITH THEIR SICK DAYS AND WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO WITH MATERNITY LEAVE, THAT IS ANTI-LABOR AND ANTI-UNION. SO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WORKS, LOCAL AUTHORITY WORKS THE SYSTEM. WE HA WE NEED TO GIVE THE CARB MEMBERS THAT WE'VE APPOINTED A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY MAKE CHANGE. [03:00:01] THE RESIDENTS HAVE SPOKEN AND THEY CONTINUE TO SPEAK. THEY DID THE SURVEY. AND THE SURVEY WAS, WE WANNA SEE MORE PATROL PATROL. WE HAD A TOWN HALL IN DISTRICT THREE, AND I KNOW OTHER RESIDENTS HAVE HAD A TOWN HALL AND WHAT WAS IT? WE WANNA SEE, UH, WE WANT A SUBSTATION, WE WANT ADDITIONAL PATROL, AND WE WANNA TALK TO THE DA ABOUT PR BONDS. THAT WAS WHAT MY CITIZENS TOLD ME. I DIDN'T GO BASE SIMPLY ON EMAILS. I WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND I TALKED TO THEM. THAT IS HOW I GOT TO THIS POINT. SS A P D IS THE LARGEST PROFESSIONAL POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY, AND THEY DO MOST OF THE WORK. AND WE HAVE COME AND WE HAVE ASKED THEM AND WE'VE NEGOTIATED WITH THEM IN GOOD FAITH AND THEY'RE HANDLING ALL THESE CALLS. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ARE GONNA GO BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND EXPLAIN THAT HOW A VOTE NO WASN'T A VOTE TO DEFUND. SO THIS IS, THIS HAS BEEN ECHOED IN TOWN HALLS AND THIS IS WHAT IS RIGHT TO DO TO MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD. THANK YOU AGAIN. I'LL REMIND EVERYONE WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN ORDER IN THIS CHAMBERS, AND IF YOU CAN'T HELP US WITH THAT, YOU'LL BE ESCORTED OUT. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER PIAS. THANKS. I I I THINK IT ALSO IS WORTH MENTIONING DANNY, UM, YOU AND YOUR, AND, AND THE LEADERSHIP ON, ON YOUR TEAM, TOTALLY DIFFERENT FACES, UH, DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES, DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP APPROACH. I THINK TODAY'S CONTRACT, UM, IS A PRODUCT OF Y'ALL'S A A A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO AND A WILLINGNESS TO NEGOTIATE. UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT IS WORTHY OF MENTION BECAUSE I THINK THIS WOULD'VE BEEN HARDER HAD WE'D HAD A DIFFERENT SET OF PERSONALITIES AT THE TABLE. UH, AND I SAW YOU GUYS MAKE SACRIFICES. I REALLY DID. UM, LIZ, I YOU'RE A CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT, RIGHT? I KNOW MARIA. UH, YOU'RE A DISTRICT EIGHT RESIDENT. I KNOW THAT, UH, EVERYBODY WHO WAS ON THE NEGOTIATING SIDE WAS ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, YOU GUYS WANT YOU GUYS DIAL 9 1 1 WHENEVER YOU'RE IN TROUBLE AND WHENEVER YOU HAVE EMERGENCIES AND YOU WANT A SAFER SAN ANTONIO, UH, AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, HARMONY AND EQUITY AND YOU KNOW, FAIRNESS ACROSS THE BOARD. AND SO YOU'RE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, PAID EMISSARIES OF THE COUNCIL, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS FOR YOUR FAMILIES TOO. AND I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, RIGHT? THAT THE PEOPLE WHO SAT AT THE TABLE NEGOTIATING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT'S POINTS WERE REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE THEY ARE THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO TOO. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS, UH, PUTTING YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS ONE. GOD KNOWS, LIZ, YOU CAN MAKE A LOT MORE MONEY AT ANOTHER LAW FIRM. UH, YOU KNOW, AND YOU COULD BE A VERY, VERY WEALTHY WOMAN, BUT YOU CONTINUE TO SHOW UP TO WORK HERE TODAY JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THE OTHER THING IS, UM, COUNCILWOMAN GRO. AMEN. UH, THIS IS A LABOR AGREEMENT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS. WE'RE OBLIGATED BY LAW TO COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN WHAT IS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ANDY, I MEAN, CONTRARY TO DECLARATIONS, TO THE, TO THE CONTRARY AT THE PODIUM, ARE WE ALLOWED TO WAIVE OR CONSIDER 1 43 AND 1 74 OPTIONAL? NO, WE CAN'T. I MEAN, THE ONLY WAY WE COULD REPEAL THAT IS THROUGH A VOTE OF THE PUBLIC. UM, CONCEPTUALLY YOU CAN NEGOTIATE ANYTHING COUNCILMAN, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT HAS TO BE TEMPERED BY WHAT THE OTHER PARTY WOULD BE AGREEABLE TO DO. 'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS A NEGOTIATION, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. AND, AND WE HAD A VOTE AND PROPOSITION B DIDN'T WIN THE DAY, AND WE ARE STILL BOUND BY 1 43 AND 1 74. THAT'S, THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT WE ARE LIVING THROUGH IN THIS REALITY. I MEAN, SOME OF US WISH WE LIVED IN ANOTHER. AND, YOU KNOW, MC SCREAMY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DESPITE THE SCREAMING, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE REALITY THAT WE ARE FACING TODAY, WHICH IS WE ARE OBLIGATED TO FOLLOW THE LAW. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US TOOK AN OATH TO UPHOLD THE LAW, AND NO MA AND WE DIDN'T TAKE AN OATH TO IGNORE IT WHEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S POLITICALLY CONVENIENT. RIGHT? AND, UM, THERE'S PLENTY OF INSTANCES WHERE I WISH WE COULD IGNORE STATE LAW. I MEAN, STATE LAW IS SOMETIMES WRITTEN BY CYNICAL PEOPLE WHO ARE WRONG, WHO ARE NOT CLOSE TO THE, TO THE FACTS ON THE GROUND. BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT WE ARE BOUND BY THE LAW. SO WE HAVE A, UM, I THINK WE GOT A GOOD CONTRACT. UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU TO, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, YOUR, OUR COUNTERPARTS ON THE NEGOTIATION TEAM. [03:05:01] I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU GUYS. AND, UM, A SHOUT OUT TO MY, UH, MY FRIENDS AND MY FAMILY, UH, OVER AT THE PRU ROAD SUBSTATION. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE, UH, THEY MAKE, THEY MAKE MY COMMUNITY SAFER. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT AND MY NEIGHBORHOODS ALL KNOW, RIGHT? THEY DON'T FEEL SAFER. THEY KNOW THEY'RE SAFER WITH A WELL-STAFFED PRO ROAD, UH, SUBSTATION. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO ADDING OFFICERS THERE, CHIEF MCMANUS. UH, AND I'M ALSO HAPPY THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS A CHIEF NAMED CHIEF MCMANUS. UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT YOU'RE THE RIGHT GUY FOR THE JOB, UH, IN 2022, AND YOU'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB. THANK YOU FOR LEADING THIS DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PALAI. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, MARIA LES, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH HOUSE BILL 1 9 0 0 COUNCILWOMAN? GIVE ME GIVE ME MORE CONTEXT. IT'S HOUSE BILL, THE BILL THAT RESTRICTS CITIES FROM DIVESTING FROM THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND WHAT'S YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION? IF YOU COULD GIVE ME THE CONTEXT OF HOUSE BILL 1, 9 0 0 AND WHAT IT ALLOWS AND DOES NOT ALLOW, SO IS A CITY TO DECREASE THEIR BUDGET TO THE EX OF A POLICE BUDGET IF WE DON'T DECREASE THE ENTIRE CITY BUDGET. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, OR THE, THE GENERAL FUND IN THIS CASE THAT ALLOWS TO MAKE INCREASES, UH, TO THE POLICE BUDGET, IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT, FOR INSTANCE, UM, WHAT WE CALL ONE-TIME CAPITAL PURCHASES AND GRANTS WHEN WE DO THE CALCULATION. UM, SO I DUNNO IF I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION. YES, MARIA. THANK YOU. UM, HOUSE BILL 1 9 0 0 DOES NOT ALLOW MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO DEFUND OR DIVEST OR LOWER THE INVESTMENT IN THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENTS. SO I ENCOURAGE, SO I ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUE TO READ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. I TOO WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN, UM, JUST BECAUSE OF THE MISREPRESENTATION OF WHAT THIS VOTE IS. AND I THINK IT'S EASY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU'LL GET A LITTLE MEDIA IF YOU SAY THE WORD DEFUND. UM, I HOPE THAT WASN'T THE, THE CAUSE IN THIS CASE. UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE CARB, THERE'S NO, UH, IMPLICATIONS ON THE CITY BUDGET. UM, NOT DEFUNDING THE POLICE, THE USE OF VACATION DAYS DURING UNPAID SUSPENSION. I DON'T THINK THAT MEANS DEFUNDING THE POLICE. UM, THE REDUCTION OF THE EVERGREEN CLAUSE, I DON'T THINK THAT, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S DEFUNDING THE POLICE EITHER. AND THEN PAY INCREASES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE BUDGET BY, I GET ME, DON'T GET ME WRONG, I DON'T THINK IT'S DEFUNDING THE POLICE. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. THIS IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS ABOUT CALLS TO ACTION THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAVE ASKED FOR. SOME OF US REPRESENT DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES, SOME OF US REPRESENT DIFFERENT GROUPS. UM, I WILL ALWAYS BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT TWO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. UH, AND THAT IS THE BALANCE OF OUR, I'M SORRY. YOU WANT COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, ONE THING I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS OFFICE IS THAT IT'S A NONPARTISAN SEAT AND THAT WE CAN TRY AND WORK WITH EVERYBODY. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WATCH NATIONAL NEWS, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR NATION BEING TORN APART. UM, AND SOMETIMES THAT TRICK, THE, THOSE DIVISIONS TRICKLE DOWN TO THE LOCAL LEVEL. AND I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY BE CAREFUL IN OUR NATION RIGHT NOW ABOUT, UM, PROMOTING FALSE NARRATIVES AND DIVISIVE RHETORIC. AND, UM, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT WE DISCUSSED TODAY THAT FAINTLY REPRESENTED DEFUND THE POLICE. AND I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD. UM, I, I STAND IN THE POSITION WHERE I WANT TO PROMOTE PUBLIC SAFETY. SOMETIMES PUBLIC SAFETY UH, INCLUDES, UH, MORE POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS. SOMETIMES IT INCLUDES HANDCUFFS AND JAILS TO GET, GET, UH, DANGEROUS PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS. SOMETIMES PUBLIC SAFETY IS THINKING HOLISTICALLY, UH, ABOUT HOW CAN WE PREVENT CRIME? HOW CAN WE GIVE PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO WELL IN THEIR LIFE? HOW CAN WE GET PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT PATH? UM, AND THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT. ONE OF THEM, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS WOMAN, UH, WHO HAD THE BULLET FLY THROUGH HER, HER HOUSE, WHO I MET WITH YESTERDAY, UH, SHE ASKED, CAN WE SOME STREETS THAT MIGHT MAKE US SAFER IF WE CLOSE SOME STREETS TO THE HIGHWAY, MAYBE THAT COULD BE A COMPONENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. [03:10:01] I'M NOT SURE. I'M NOT AN ACTUAL EXPERT ON THIS. UM, THAT'S WHY I TOLD COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ THAT I, YOU KNOW, THAT I WOULD SUPPORT AN OFFICE OF, UH, CRIME AND RECIDIVISM SO WE CAN LEARN FROM EXPERTS ABOUT HOW WE CAN HOLISTICALLY SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY. UM, AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GONNA TRUST EXPERTS AND I'M GONNA LOOK AT RESEARCH AND I MET WITH SPOA BE WHEN I RAN FOR THIS OFFICE AND I TOLD THEM I WILL ALWAYS BE ACCESSIBLE TO THEM AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I WILL WORK WITH THEM. AND IF THEY EVER BRING ME A PROPOSAL THAT SHOWS, HERE'S SOME RESEARCH THAT SAYS THIS IS GONNA MAKE YOUR COMMUNITY MORE SAFER, IF YOU IMPLEMENT THAT, I WILL GET BEHIND THAT, UH, RESEARCH BACKED PROPOSAL. AND I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT. I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US AND TRY AND WORK WITH EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO. ALRIGHT. UM, THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS, OUR NEGOTIATING TEAMS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE DAIS. UH, AGAIN, UH, THIS IS A VOTE ON A CONTRACT THAT I BELIEVE IS A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE TO WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST 30, 35 YEARS. UH, AND CLOSE IS A CHAPTER IN WHICH I THINK THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADDRESS SINCE THEN. UH, A CONTRACT THAT IS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, THAT IS TRANSPARENT AND THAT IS ACCOUNTABLE AND ALLOWS OUR CHIEF OF POLICE TO DO HIS JOB AND MAKE SURE HE IS COMMANDING AN EXCELLENT POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, AND ONE THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE CONVERSATION. UH, IT'S TIME TO VOTE, SO PLEASE VOTE. YEAH. UH, PERRY WILL BE PERRY'S AND I MA MAYOR. YES. UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, IF YOU COULD, WE NEED THAT. WE NEED THAT AUDIBLE. YAY. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU ALL. ALRIGHT, THAT IS THE BALANCE OF OUR AGENDA TODAY. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. [City Manager's Report  ] UH, IS THERE A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT? YES, SIR. MAYOR, UM, UH, THREE ITEMS. UH, ONE I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE, UH, COUNCIL THAT, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, OUR VERY OWN TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR, TAMIKA MONVILLE, WAS NAMED THE 2021, UM, WOMAN OF THE YEAR BY THE SAN ANTONIO REGION CHAPTER, UH, OF WOMEN'S TRANSPORTATION. AND, UM, THE, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATION IS AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION, UH, DEDICATED TO SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION. UM, TAMIKA WAS NOT ONLY THE RECOGNITION FOR THE CITY, BUT WAS, WAS NOT THE ONLY RECOGNITION FOR THE CITY, BUT ALSO JULIA MURPHY AND, UH, HARLEY HUBBARD FROM OUR OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THREE OF THEM FOR THEIR RECOGNITION. UM, SECONDLY, UM, THE, UH, TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND PUBLISHES ANNUALLY A PARK SCORE INDEX. UH, AND IT'S A MEASURE OF PARK SYSTEMS ACROSS THE HUNDRED LARGEST, UH, CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WITH THE SAN WITH THAT THE SAN ANTONIO PARK SCORE FOR 2022 INCREASED, UH, FROM 49TH OUT OF THE HUNDRED CITIES TO AN INCREASE OF 20 TO 79TH. UM, AND, UM, SO A LOT OF, UH, THE SCORES THAT THAT WE DO, AND YOU'VE HEARD HOMEWORK TALK ABOUT THE, THE, UM, ACCESS TO PARKS AND WHY THAT'S CRITICAL, IMPORTANT, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO, UH, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. UM, YOU WILL SEE ALSO LATER IN THE SUMMER AS WE DEVELOP, UH, BOTH THE 23 BUDGET AND, UH, LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM, UH, TO CONTINUE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT AREA. AND THEN LASTLY, THE VIDEO TODAY REALLY HIGHLIGHTS, UH, WHAT, UH, YOU POINTED OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, UH, CELEBRATION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK. UH, WE HAVE, UH, TWO NEW, RELATIVELY NEW EMPLOYEES HIGHLIGHTED IN THE VIDEO. UH, SO LET'S, UH, LET'S ROLL THE VIDEO. MY NAME IS ALUM RAMIREZ. I AM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR FOR THE INDUSTRY DIVISION OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM. SO IN MY ROLE, I GET TO COLLABORATE WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT, AND WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS ON DRIVING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FORWARD DEVELOPMENT. I SUPPORT SAN ANTONIO'S INTERNATIONAL INTERESTS THROUGH COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH CONSULAR CORPS, UH, AS WELL AS OUR SISTER CITIES AND OTHER OFFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS. HAVING A TEAM THAT IS FUNCTIONING WELL AND IS SUPPORTIVE OF ONE ANOTHER IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE CITY AS AN ORGANIZATION BECAUSE WE ARE BETTER ABLE TO DO OUR JOBS. TO PUT SAN ANTONIO ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE WHERE IT BELONGS. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT TOUCHES SO MANY PARTS OF OUR LIVES. IT'S ABOUT CREATING A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN. [03:15:01] IT'S ABOUT CREATING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE THRIVING. IT'S ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO NOW AND MAY CHOOSE TO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO IN THE FUTURE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I VERY MUCH ENJOY ABOUT WORKING WITH THE CITY IS THAT I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME MISSION. LIKE WE ALL WANT TO HAVE AN IMPACT. WE ALL WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD FOR OTHERS AND THAT BENEFITS OTHERS IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. WE HAVE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE TEAM IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HERE AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WHO ARE SOME OF THE MOST PASSIONATE, INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS WHO TRULY CARE DEEPLY ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY DO, AND REALLY ONLY WANNA SEE WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MOVING FORWARD. THAT'S IT, MAYOR. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ERIC. UM, WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY. SO THE TIME IS NOW 12:39 PM ON THURSDAY, MAY 12TH, 2022. THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. I'LL NOW MEET AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 IN THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND DELIBERATE OR DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO 5 5 1 0.087 SECTION, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO TEXAS SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 TO DISCUSS THE 2022 EVALUATION TIMELINE PROCESS FOR THE CITY MANAGER, CITY AUDITOR, CITY CLERK, AND PRESIDING MUNICIPAL JUDGE UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.074. AND FOR PERSONNEL MATTERS IN ANY RELATED LEGAL MATTERS UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.071. CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ISSUES OR ADVICE RELATED TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY AND C OVID 19 PREPAREDNESS UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 AND DELIBERATION AS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, COUNCIL AIDES CORPORATION RELATED TO PERSONNEL MATTERS OF THE CORPORATION EMPLOYEES UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0 7 4 AND ANY RELATED LEGAL ISSUES UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0 7 1. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. THE TIME IS 3:10 PM ON THIS. WHAT DAY IS IT ? FIFTH DAY. NO, I'M SORRY. 12TH. 12TH DAY OF MAY, 2022. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS RECONVENE FROM ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION. NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN. OUR MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.