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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
[Approval of Minutes ]
BUSINESS IS GONNA BE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, RIGHT URA.UM, AND USUALLY MY FRIEND, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHE GARCIA, READS THEM THREE OR FOUR TIMES BEFORE WE GET HERE, WHAT DO YOU THINK, COUNCILWOMAN? I THINK I SHOULD MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF APRIL 26TH.
SECOND, A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
[Briefing and Possible Action on the following items ]
BUSINESS IS GONNA BE TAKING UP ALEX, UM, AND YOUR DEPARTMENTS.UH, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT ARPA.
UM, THE FIRST PRESENTATION TODAY IS GONNA BE ABOUT OUR SMALL BUSINESS PLAN, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH ARPA FUNDS AND ANNA BRADSHAW, OUR, UM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WILL BE MAKING THAT PRESENTATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE, THE COMMITTEE.
UM, PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT OUR RECOMMENDED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE ARPA SMALL BUSINESS FUNDING.
UM, IT'S REALLY BEEN, UM, A PROCESS THAT WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY ON WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION, AND WANTED TO TAKE A QUICK MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THOUGH THAT THOSE THAT ARE HERE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS GOING BACK TO THE FALL WITH OUR, UM, LISTENING SESSIONS, AND THEN JUST WORKING WITH, WITH THE COMMISSION TO UNDERSTAND THEIR PRIORITIES AND BUILDING A PLAN THAT WE THINK IS REALLY GOING TO MOVE OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO, AGAIN, A REMINDER ON THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE WERE, UM, ASKED TO IDENTIFY COVID IMPACTS, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN OUR PRESENTATION THAT WE IDENTIFIED THOSE IMPACTS AND USE THAT TO DEVELOP PRIORITIES.
AND THEN FROM THOSE PRIORITIES, IDENTIFYING PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES, UH, TO BENEFIT THOSE IMPACTED BY, BY C O V I D.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN LACED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS IS TALKING ABOUT OUTCOMES AND, AND WHAT OUTCOMES DO WE WANNA ACHIEVE WITH THIS FUNDING UNDERSTANDING IT MAY BE THE LAST FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVE RELATED TO COVID.
UM, AND SO HOW CAN WE LOOK TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE NEEDS, BUT ALSO BEING TRANSFORMATIONAL WITH THE FUNDING? AND, OF COURSE, UM, PLANNING TO SPEND THOSE FUNDINGS WITHIN THE ALLOTTED TIMES, AMOUNT, TIME AMOUNTS ALLOCATED WITHIN ARPA.
SO BEFORE I JUMP INTO THE, OUR, OUR RECOMMENDED PLAN WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW CITIES WHO HAVE ALREADY ALLOCATED THEIR ARPA FUNDING.
SO YOU'LL NOTE THAT THEY'VE ALLOCATED A LITTLE OVER $10 MILLION TOWARDS BUS BUSINESS RECOVERY.
AS A REMINDER, SMALL BUSINESS, UM, COUNCIL ALLOCATED $30.9 MILLION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT THEY'VE ALLOCATED THAT FUNDING INTO FOUR PRIMARY AREAS, UM, WITH 5 MILLION GOING TOWARDS BUSINESS GRANTS.
AND I'LL GO OVER THOSE ON MY NEXT SLIDE.
2 MILLION FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORT, WHICH INCLUDES THE PURCHASE OF A, OF A FACILITY TO SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURS, UM, IN A SIMILAR VEIN TO OUR LAUNCH SA, UM, THEN SUPPORT FOR DOWNTOWN TOURISM, UH, AND VACANT RETAIL ACTIVATIONS.
AND THEN A SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM NAVIGATORS, AGAIN, LOOKING TO PROVIDE THAT TECHNICAL AND ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ON DENVER'S BUSINESS IMPACT OPPORTUNITY FUND.
SO THROUGH THEIR PROGRAM, THEY'RE LOOKING TO AWARD GRANTS RANGING FROM SEVEN, UM, $7,500 TO $15,000 BASED ON GROSS ANNUAL REVENUE.
SO BUSINESSES EARNING LESS THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE $7,500 GRANT.
AND THOSE EARNING MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOU, UM, THOUSAND, A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN REVENUE BEING ELIGIBLE FOR THE $15,000 GRANT.
AND SO THEY BROKE THAT OUT INTO THREE PRIMARY AREAS BEING STABILIZATION, ACTIVIS ACTIVATION, AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT STABILIZATION BEING ADDRESSING THOSE BUSINESSES NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY C O V I D, WITH A, UM, A LOSS IN REVENUE ACTIVATION, SEEKING TO ACTIVATE SPACES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED AND WITHIN, UM, CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN ANTI DISPLACEMENT, UH, TO HELP THOSE BUSINESSES BEING IMPACTED BY CITY LED CONSTRUCTION, UM, OR DISPLACEMENT BY OTHER REASONS.
AND SO, UM, THEY MUST, IN ORDER TO QUALIFY, YOU HAVE TO BE LOCATED IN A PRE-QUALIFIED AREA OR IN AN INDUSTRY EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF MORE THAN 8% EMPLOYMENT FROM PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
AND, UM, ALSO THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BEING LAYERED IN TO ASSIST PEOPLE WITH APPLYING.
BUT ALSO ONCE THAT GRANT IS, IS, UM, AWARDED, PROVIDING THAT ONGOING ASSISTANCE TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.
AND THESE, THESE FACTORS, UM, HAVE, HAVE DEFINITELY INFLUENCED OUR THINKING AS WE, AS WE WORK.
UM, AND, AND SOME GREAT EXAMPLES THERE FROM IN DENVER.
AND THEN A FEW EXAMPLES FROM OTHER CITIES, UM, THAT HAVE ALSO INFLUENCED OUR, OUR PROPOSED PLAN, UM, CHICAGO, WITH THEIR, UH, COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVATION PROGRAM, REALLY FOCUSING ON PLACE-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOW CAN THEY, UH, ASSIST THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS
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THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID I IN AUSTIN WITH THEIR NAVIGATOR PROGRAM.AGAIN, PROVIDING THAT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING, RECOGNIZING THAT IT'S THOSE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT SMALL BUSINESSES NEED TO, TO, UM, GROW OUT OF THE PANDEMIC IN SAN JOSE WITH THEIR TARGETED LATINO BUSINESS FOUNDATION PROGRAM.
AGAIN, LOOKING AT THOSE AREAS WHO HAVE BEEN HARDEST HIT AND SUPPORTING THEM.
AND THEN IN SOUTH DAKOTA, THEIR FAST LAUNCH GRANTS EMPHASIZING GROWTH AND UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, WHILE RECOVERY IS NEEDED, FUTURE GROWTH IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT AREA TO INVEST THOSE ARPA DOLLARS.
SO WHAT DOES OUR PRO PROPOSED PLAN LOOK LIKE AT A HIGH LEVEL? SO, UH, GOING BACK INTO THE FALL, SPAC IDENTIFIED FIVE PRIORITY AREAS, AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS THOSE FIVE PRIORITY AREAS ALONG WITH THE RECOMMENDED ALLOCATIONS.
NOW, AGAIN, THE ARPA UH, SPENDING GUIDELINES DICTATE THAT FUNDING HAS TO BE ALLOCATED BY THE END OF 20 20, 24, AND SPENT BY THE 2026 END OF 2026.
AND SO IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'LL GO INTO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE OVER THE COURSE OF TIME? BUT, UH, FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SLIDE, WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT OVERVIEW ON SPENDING.
AND THEN YOU'LL NOTE AT THE BOTTOM THAT, UM, WITH SPACS RECOMMENDATION AND STAFF, THAT, UM, THERE'S RECOMMENDED AN ALLOCATION OF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR STAFF, UM, E D D STAFF SUPPORT TO, UH, ADMINISTER THESE PROGRAMS. SO WHILE WE WOULD SEEK TO HAVE PARTNERS TO ADMINISTER MANY OF THEM, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE RESOURCES ARE NEEDED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT TO MANAGE EVERYTHING FROM CONTRACTS TO DATA TO ENSURE THAT THE SERVICE DELIVERY IS BEING MET ON THESE PROGRAMS. SO, THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS WITH SPAC, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHAT DOES OUR PORTFOLIO LOOK LIKE OF INVESTMENTS WITH THIS FUNDING? UM, AND, AND YOU'LL SEE WITH THIS CHART HERE THAT NEARLY HALF OF IT WOULD GO TO ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE SAN ANTONIO SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS FOR, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY LATINO AND BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, IS ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
UM, AND SO THAT HAS BEEN A PRIORITY THROUGHOUT.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT WITHIN CAPACITY AND THE ECOSYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS, THOSE REALLY WORK HAND IN HAND BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE ECOSYSTEM ARE THOSE, THOSE SERVICE PROVIDERS, THAT SAFETY NET, THAT PROVIDE THE CAPACITY BUILDING THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE INDIVIDUAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
SO, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE COUPLED, IT'S NEARLY A QUARTER OF THE SPEND GOING TOWARDS THAT AREA.
THEN WITH, UM, AN INVESTMENT IN LOCALISM OR, OR ENCOURAGING OUR DOLLARS TO BE SPENT LOCALLY.
AND WE'LL DISCUSS THAT MORE, UM, ON A FUTURE SLIDE.
AND THEN THE GEOGRAPHIC PLACEMAKING, WHICH IS THAT PLACE-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WHILE IT HAS A A LONGER TIME HORIZON, HAS THE IMPACT, UH, THE POTENTIAL TO BE TRANSFORMATIONAL AND SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO INVEST ARPA FUNDING IN.
SO THIS IS, UM, YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THIS MATRIX, IT'S BEING, UH, SHOWN ACROSS ARPA BUCKETS, BUT, UH, WANTED TO FOCUS ON MORE ON HOW WE, WE DESIGNED IT, REALLY IDENTIFYING THOSE IMPACTS.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST OF THREE SLIDES TO GO THROUGH THAT, UM, AND LOOKING AT THOSE IMPACTS, THEN ADDRESSING THE, UM, SPAC PRIORITY AND STRATEGY ALIGNED TO THAT.
THEN WITHIN THERE, THE PROGRAM, WHICH YOU SEE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING ACROSS VARIOUS STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP THE PROGRAMS, AND THEN THOSE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES.
WHERE DO WE WANNA BE AT THE END OF THE DAY IN 2027 WHEN WE'RE DOTTING ALL THE I'S AND CROSSING ALL THE T'S AND FINDING, WRITING OUR FINAL REPORTS TO SAY, THIS IS THE NEEDLE THAT WE'VE MOVED WITH.
THE UNDERSTANDING THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS WE WANT A STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT ECONOMY.
COVID HAS WREAKED HAVOC ON OUR ECONOMY, UNLIKE PROBABLY WE'VE SEEN IN SEVERAL GENERATIONS, BUT WE KNOW SMALL ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN ALONG THE WAY.
SO WHILE WE WANNA ADDRESS THE BIG ONE, WE ALSO WANT TO GROW THAT CAPACITY SO THAT WHEN, WHEN THE NEXT SMALL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN HAPPENS, OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ARE POISED TO NOT ONLY SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE THROUGH THOSE.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THOSE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
SO THESE, UM, ARE INCLUDED A NUMBER OF THE ONES WE TRADITIONALLY ME MEASURE, LIKE JOBS, CREATED, JOBS, RETAIN REVENUE, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.
WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT CAPITAL DEMAND BECAUSE A THRIVING ECONOMY HAS A DEMAND FOR CAPITAL AMONGST MOST BUSINESS OWNERS BECAUSE THEY'RE GROWING AND THRIVING.
UM, ALSO LOOKING AT INVESTMENTS IN OUR CORRIDORS, UM, BUS, UH, BUSINESS FAILURE RATES.
AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE CAN TRACK THROUGH, UH, VARIOUS REPORTING.
AND SO AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THE, THE SECOND OF THREE SLIDES, IDENTIFYING THOSE, THOSE IMPACTS AS WELL AS THE, THE STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, OUTCOMES, AND IN INDICATORS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE WOULD LOOK TO REPORT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, OF COURSE, THROUGHOUT THE WAY TO IDENTIFY, UM, OUR PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THESE INITIATIVES.
SO NOW GOING INTO THE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS WITHIN EACH, UM, WITH, IN EACH PRIORITY AREA.
SO IN THE AREA OF ACCESS TO CAPITAL, AGAIN, HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THAT NEED FOR FIN UH, FLEXIBLE CAPITAL
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AT THE VARIOUS STAGES OF A SMALL BUSINESS'S LIFE? SO HERE WE ARE REPRE, UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THREE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. THE FIRST ONE YOU'LL SEE ARE GRANTS FOR HARD HIT INDUSTRIES.UM, AGAIN, LEARNING THE LESSON FROM DENVER, WHERE THEY FOCUSED IT ON INDUSTRIES THAT ARE ARE HARD HIT.
STEVE NIVEN TO IDENTIFY THOSE INDUSTRIES THAT HAVE BEEN HARDEST HIT HERE IN SAN, UH, SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO OUR PLAN IS TO DEVELOP THAT RECOMMENDATION FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM AND PRESENT TO THIS COMMITTEE ON JUNE THE 10TH.
THEN, LOOKING FORWARD, AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME BUSINESSES MAY BE POISED EITHER NOW OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO GROW, WE WANTED TO ALLOCATE $3 MILLION FOR A GROWTH FUND.
THIS IS WHERE WE COULD INCLUDE POTENTIAL INITIATIVES, UM, LIKE PROGRAMMING FOR THOSE SECOND STAGE COMPANIES, THE TEENAGE COMPANIES, UM, WHO AGAIN, RIGHT NOW MAYBE NEED TO STABILIZE, BUT MAYBE IN A POSITION IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO GROW.
AND, AND WITH THIS FUNDING, WE WOULD LOOK TO PROVIDE POTENTIALLY THAT CAPITAL ASSISTANCE AS WELL AS THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT COULD GO ALONG WITH IT.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IN ESTABLISHING AN EMERGENCY FUND.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED AND HEARD FROM SEVERAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WAS THEY WERE ONE, ONE BROKEN AIR CONDITION, ONE SET OF BUSTED WINDOWS AWAY FROM HAVING TO SHUT THEIR DOORS PERMANENTLY BECAUSE THEY HAD DEPLETED ALL OF THEIR RESERVES.
SO WITH THIS, WE WOULD LOOK TO ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY FUND THAT COULD POTENTIALLY SERVE AS EITHER A GRANT OR A LOAN PROGRAM THAT WOULD SERVE AS EITHER A BRIDGE TO INSURANCE IF A CLAIM NEEDED TO BE FILED, OR JUST A SMALL SHORT TERM, AGAIN, EITHER LOAN OR GRANT TO HELP KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN, UM, THROUGHOUT THAT EMERGENCY AND, AND HELP THEM RECOVER.
SO AS FAR AS GRANT DESIGN, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE DETAILS OF DEVELOPING THAT GRANT PROGRAM, BUT WITH THE PRIORITIES OF IT BEING EQUITY FOCUSED, HOW ARE WE IDENTIFYING THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HARDEST HIT BY COVID AND, AND ADDRESSING THE NEEDS THERE, UM, TARGETED AND THEN, UH, EMPHASIZING BUSINESS VIABILITY.
WHILE, WHILE WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN BUSINESSES THAT UNFORTUNATELY WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HELP, HOW CAN WE IDENTIFY THOSE THAT ARE VIABLE AND NEED THIS, THIS SUPPORT JUST TO KEEP THEM AFLOAT MOVING FORWARD? UM, WE'VE HEARD, AGAIN, WE LEARNED THE LESSONS THROUGH THE FIRST GRANT PROCESS AND THE NEED TO HAVE A SIMPLE APPLICATION PROCESS, UM, IDENTIFYING THE DATA THAT A SMALL BUSINESS MIGHT ALREADY HAVE, AND ALIGNING THAT WITH THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE GRANT AWARDS.
AND THEN PROVIDING THOSE WRAPAROUND SERVICES WITH THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING, AGAIN, NOT JUST TO GET THEM TO THE POINT OF BEING RECEIVING A GRANT, BUT GOING FORWARD, DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE, UM, THE, THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO HELP THEM BUILD CREDIT, REPAIR CREDIT, UM, YOU KNOW, SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THAT HELP YOUR FINANCIAL STAB STABILITY.
UM, AND AGAIN, UM, WE WOULD LOOK TO BRING THAT CRITERIA HERE TO THIS COMMITTEE, UM, TO BE APPROVED WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN THE AREA OF CAPACITY BUILDING.
UM, AGAIN, WITH THE GOAL OF SMALL BUSINESSES GROWING TO THEIR GREATEST POTENTIAL, WE WOULD LOOK TO, AGAIN, MAKE, UH, HAVE THREE BUCKETS WITHIN THERE.
UM, ONE IS ALLOCATING FUNDING FOR LAUNCH S SA.
SO LAUNCH SA IS, IS A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, THAT THE DEPARTMENT MANAGES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LIFTFUND, UM, DOWN AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
AND WE'RE HAPPY THAT THEY HAVE, UM, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REOPENING TO, UH, FOOT TRAFFIC THERE AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
UH, BUT WE KNOW WE'VE LEARNED A LOT DURING COVID IN TERMS OF THEIR TECHNOLOGY NEEDS.
SO HOW CAN WE INVEST A LITTLE BIT IN THAT FACILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IT MEETS THE NEEDS OF BUSINESS OWNERS TODAY? AGAIN, IT WAS, IT'S BEEN OPEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT, BUT IT'S TIME TO REINVEST AND, AND RELAUNCH LAUNCH IN SOME WAYS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THE NEED FOR A BACK OFFICE SUPPORT PROGRAM.
SO, AGAIN, IT, IT, IT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH, WITH THE ASSISTANCE AND THE GRANTS, BUT HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE THE BACK OFFICE SUPPORT THEY NEED? UM, WE KNOW THERE ARE TONS OF, OF GREAT RESTAURATEURS AND, AND CRAFTS PERSONS OUT THERE, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE BUSINESS EXPERTISE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR BUSINESS IS, IS, UH, WELL RUNNING.
SO HOW CAN WE PROVIDE SUPPORT IN THAT AREA, UM, WITH A PARTNER AND THEN THE, UH, A WEB PRESENCE PROGRAM.
UM, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, WELL, THEY JUST NEED A WEBSITE, BUT IT'S REALLY FINDING THE RIGHT WEB TOOL FOR WHAT THEY NEED, WHETHER IT'S GOOGLE MY BUSINESS, INSTAGRAM, UM, E-COMMERCE SITE WEB ORDERING, BUT DEVELOPING A PROGRAM THAT HELPS GET THE RIGHT TOOL AND GIVE THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, UM, THE CAPACITY TO UPDATE IT GOING FORWARD WITHIN OUR SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM.
UM, THIS IS ONE WHERE WE REALLY SEE THERE BEING A MULTIPLIER EFFECT IN INVESTING IN THIS AREA.
SO, UM, YOU'LL SEE THE PHOTO THERE, THE COVER OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT.
AND IF YOU'LL RECALL, LILA POWER FROM LISC, UH, PRESENTED AN UPDATE A FEW MONTHS AGO.
AND, AND THIS IS REALLY IN A LOT OF WAYS, THE PLAYBOOK.
SO WE KNOW A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WERE EXACERBATED BY, BY C O V I D, UM, HAVE EXISTED FOR A LONG TIME IN THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND, AND THAT ASSESSMENT REALLY OUT, LAYS OUT A GREAT FRAMEWORK FOR ADDRESSING IT MOVING FORWARD.
SO WITH THIS INVESTMENT, WE LOOK TO, TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE THAT THEY COULD SOLVE FOR, AND
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IN TURN, THE CITY WOULD FUND IT MOVING FORWARD WITH AN IDEA TO LEVERAGING PARTNERSHIPS AND OTHER FUNDING SOURCES.SO HOW CAN WE TAKE THIS $6 MILLION AND LEVERAGE IT AND REALLY BUILD OUT THAT SAFETY NET THAT EXISTS, AND THAT WORKS WITH THE OTHER INVESTMENT, WHICH IS IN THE ECOSYSTEM MAPPING.
SO WE'VE UNDERTAKEN THIS EFFORT IN A NUMBER OF WAYS IN THE PAST, BUT I THINK WE RECOGNIZE EVEN MORE SO THE IMPORTANCE NOW OF HAVING THAT MAPPING.
SO TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHETHER YOU WALK IN INTO LAUNCHES A BUT YOU REALLY NEED HELP FROM, FROM SAGE, WHATEVER THAT IS, UNDERSTANDING WHO ARE ALL THE PLAYERS, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WHO DOES WHAT WELL, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT SEAMLESS MOVEMENT WITHIN OUR ECOSYSTEM THAT GETS THE SERVICES TO THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW WHO TO GO TO JUST TO GO SOMEWHERE, AND YOU GET THAT ASSISTANCE THEN IN THE LOCALISM AREA, UM, AGAINST, WE, UM, HAVE ENGAGED WITH A NATIONALLY KNOWN CONSULTANT WHO HAS BEEN WORKING ON AN ASSESSMENT OF OUR BILOCAL PROGRAMMING.
SO, UM, IN THE PAST, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS, HAS ENGAGED WITH MAESTRO ENTREPRENEUR CENTER TO DO SOME WORK IN THE LOCALISM AREA.
UM, AND WE HAVE DRAFT REPORT FINDINGS FROM THE CONSULTANTS THAT GIVE US A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO GROW THIS OUT.
THIS IS ONE WAY WHERE YOU GENERATE THAT INTERNAL DEMAND, AND AGAIN, WHEN THOSE FORCES HAPPEN, IT JUST PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT OF STABILITY.
SO WE'D LIKE TO FUND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT GOING FORWARD, AS WELL AS ONGOING SUPPORT SO THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY HAVING THAT BILOCAL BUZZ HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S REALLY, IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN A MARKETING PLAN.
IT'S DEVELOPING, AGAIN, THAT LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY, UM, TOWARDS THE LOCALISM MOVEMENT.
THEN IN THE PLACEMENT MAKING, AGAIN, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY THE AREA TO BE TRANSFORMATIONAL.
UM, AND WE WOULD LOOK TO HAVE THREE INITIATIVES THERE.
THE FIRST BEING, UM, WHAT I'VE GOING OPERATION FACELIFT 2.0.
SO THIS WOULD BE A FACADE STOREFRONT GRANT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
SO WE'VE HAD A PREVIOUS INCARNATION OF THIS PROGRAM.
IT WAS FUNDED BY PRIMARILY HUD DOLLARS, BUT WE'D LOOK TO ALLOCATE ARPA DOLLARS TO BRING THIS PROGRAM.
UM, WE KNOW THAT A SAGE HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT PARTNER AND IMPLEMENTED A STOREFRONT GRANT, UH, PROGRAM ON THE EAST SIDE, AND WE WOULD LOOK TO EXPAND THIS TO MORE OF A CITYWIDE IMPACT.
UM, AND THEN WITH OUR OUTDOOR SPACES PROGRAM, UM, WE KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S NOT CHANGING AS A RESULT OF, OF COVID IS THE DESIRE FOR OUTDOOR SPACES.
UH, THERE WAS AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE IN THE EXPRESS NEWS THE OTHER DAY TALKING ABOUT, UH, FOLKS WANTING TO SIT OUTSIDE IN THE 90, 90 PLUS DEGREE HEAT ON MOTHER'S DAY TO EAT OUTSIDE.
UH, THE, THE DEMAND, THE DESIRE FOR OUTDOOR SPACES IS NOT GOING AWAY.
SO ALLOCATING FUNDING, NOT ONLY TO SUPPORT THE, THE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED IN THE AREA, BUT ALSO WITH AN IDEA OF INTENTIONALLY WORKING WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO PERHAPS STREAMLINE SOME OF THOSE PROCESSES TO MAKE IT LESS CUMBERSOME FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO WANT TO EXPAND THEIR OUTDOOR FOOTPRINT BECAUSE THE DEMAND'S NOT GOING AWAY.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE, UM, A CORRIDOR PILOT PROGRAM.
SO WE WOULD LOOK TO IDENTIFY, UH, TWO POTENTIAL CORRIDORS TO, TO REDEVELOP THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, THIS IS ONE, AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE IT PUSHED OUT A LITTLE BIT, UM, BECAUSE WE NEED TO, TO WORK THROUGH IT AND, AND UNDERSTAND WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES LIE.
WHERE ARE THOSE NODES OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE COMMUNITY? AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AS WELL, IS IDENTIFYING WHERE ARE THOSE CORRIDORS? AND WE'D ALSO LOOK TO TAKE A, A, A DATA INFORMED APPROACH IN IDENTIFYING BASED ON THE VARIOUS DATA SETS OUT THERE ON WHERE ARE THE, THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES, AND SEEING THIS AS REALLY BEING A TRUE PILOT WHERE IF WE CAN, CAN REFINE THE PROCESS.
IT'S SERVING AS PROOF OF CONCEPT TO CONTINUE THIS MOVING FORWARD.
SO I WENT THROUGH THAT ALL IN A NUTSHELL.
UM, AND PRESENTED THIS, UH, VERY SIMILAR PRESENTATION TO THIS, TO SBAC ON MAY THE 10TH.
UM, THE, UH, THE CURRENT PROPOSAL FOR, UH, REFLECTS THAT FEEDBACK.
SO ONE OF THE ITEMS WE HAD TAKEN TO THE, THE COMMISSION WAS THE IDEA FOR TWO, UH, GRANT PROGRAMS. ONE BEING FOR HARD HIT INDUSTRIES, THE OTHER SPECIFICALLY CALLING OUT RESTAURANTS.
UM, THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED THAT WE COMBINE THEM INTO ONE HARD HIT INDUSTRIES UNDERSTANDING RESTAURANTS WILL FALL IN THERE.
BUT I THINK WITHIN THE MIND THAT, UM, STREAMLINING, UH, PROCESSES AND MAKING IT SIMPLER TO UNDERSTAND, THEY RECOMMENDED COMBINING THE TWO.
UM, SO WE, WE REFLECT THAT, REFLECTED THAT WE INCLUDED ONLY $500,000 FOR ADMINISTRATION.
AND, UM, THE, THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED INCREASING IT.
AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING THE NEED TO COLLECT THAT DATA TO, TO REALLY HAVE A VERY HANDS-ON APPROACH TO THIS.
AND, AND FOR THE EXPEDIENCY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, A VERY SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM, BUT UNDERSTANDING JUST THE ENORMITY OF THIS, THEY MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WE INCLUDED HERE.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER OPTIONS WITHIN ARPA, UH, TO, TO FUND THAT ADMINISTRATIVE PORTION.
BUT, UM, AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, WE'VE LEFT IT IN OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, AND I'M VERY PROUD TO REPORT THAT THE, THE COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO SUPPORT STAFF'S PROPOSAL WITH THOSE RECOMMENDED CHANGES.
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UNANIMOUSLY VOTED FOR COUNCIL, UM, TO RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL PRIORITIZE ALLOCATION OF THE GRANT FUNDING.AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT THOSE IMMEDIATE NEEDS ARE STILL THERE IN, IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S REALLY BEEN, UM, A, A GREAT PROCESS WORKING WITH SBA C AND ARRIVING AT THIS POINT, UM, AND BEING ABLE HERE TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU TODAY.
AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, SO, UM, STAFF AND SBAC RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PROCESS, UM, WE WOULD LOOK TO, AGAIN, BRING BACK THAT GRANT CRITERIA ON JUNE 10TH, UM, WITH AN ID, UH, WITH THE IDEA OF TAKING IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL ON JUNE 23RD FOR BOTH THE, UM, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND THE GRANT ELIGIBILITY AND CRITERIA.
UM, SO THEN WE COULD IMMEDIATELY JUMP INTO GRANT IMPLEMENTATION MODE, UM, WITH THE IDEA OF GETTING THOSE FUNDS OUT, UM, EITHER TOWARDS THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR OR EARLY IN FISCAL YEAR 2023.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UM, OF COURSE, WE'RE HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I BELIEVE, ALEX, YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING AT THE END OF THIS? YES, SIR.
AND THIS IS JUST A QUICK UPDATE.
SORRY, ANNA, I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO, TO SHARE WITH YOU IN ADVANCE, BUT WE DO REALIZE THE, THE, UM, FUNDING THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED FOR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION OR FOR OVERALL ADMINISTRATION THAT'S GONNA BE NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT SO MUCH OF THIS WORK, WE REALIZE THAT THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL SMALL BUSINESSES OR, OR SUPPLEMENT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE GONNA WORK COLLECTIVELY, UM, TO SEE HOW WE CAN STILL ADDRESS THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE NEEDS THAT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, WE HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED, UM, THROUGH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, STILL THROUGH ARPA FUNDING, BUT NOT NECESSARILY FROM THIS SMALL BUSINESS, UM, CATEGORY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
AND, UH, WHAT I, I WANTED TO DO WAS CLEAR THE PRESENTATION FIRST.
GO THROUGH IT FIRST, AND THEN INVITE OUR SPEAKERS UP, UM, AND SO THAT THEY CAN REACT TO WHAT WE JUST HEARD.
AND SO, ALDO'S GONNA BE READING OFF THE NAMES OF OUR SPEAKERS, JEREMY ROBERTS.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES.
HOW YOU GUYS DOING? UH, MY NAME IS JEREMY ROBERTS.
I'M THE CHAIR FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION, REPRESENTED ALSO BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SS A C.
UM, I DIDN'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PRESENTATION AGAIN, THAT WOULD'VE TAKEN A LOT OF TIME HERE TODAY, BUT I WANT TO DO IS JUST EMPHASIZE THE TWO MAIN THINGS THAT WE FOCUSED ON.
ONE WAS THE FACT THAT IT TOOK US A WHILE TO GET TO WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, BUT THOSE MODALITIES WERE ALL AGREED UPON BY THE COMMISSION, AND THEY'RE, WE, WE FEEL THAT THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT AS, AS THE CHAIR SAID IN THE LAST MEETING, WE CAN'T HELP EVERYBODY, BUT WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP THOSE IN NEED TODAY.
WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS LET ANOTHER ONE THIRD OF SMALL BUSINESSES CLOSE WITHOUT GIVING THAT FUNDING.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, THAT WE PUSH THOSE MODALITIES AS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
THE SECOND THING TO REITERATE IS THE SPEED, RIGHT? WE CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
WE CANNOT WAIT UNTIL ANOTHER, UH, YEAR TO COME AROUND JUST TO GET THOSE IN PLACE.
SO WE ECHO THE CITY STAFF AND THANK YOU TO THE CITY STAFF AGAIN FOR WORKING WITH US TO BE ABLE TO GET THESE DONE.
BUT FOR ME, MY EMPHASIS IS JUST TO REALLY SAY WE NEED TO GET THIS DONE.
IF WE WAIT, IT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER SAD STORY WITH ANOTHER ONE THIRD OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY CLOSING.
DEAR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE COMMITTEE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
MY NAME IS BO LIM, MY SISTER DONNA LIM KNICKERBOCKER, AND MY MOTHER, Y LIM ARE ALSO IN ATTENDANCE TODAY.
MY FAMILY OWNS THE GOLDEN STAR CAFE AT 8 21 WEST COMMERCE, WHICH HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS THE SAN ANTONIO LEGACY BUSINESS.
WE HAVE SERVED THE SAN ANTONIO SAN, WE HAVE SERVED SAN ANTONIO'S, PARTICULARLY THE WEST SIDE COMMUNITY FOR 90 YEARS.
WE ARE AN ASIAN BUSINESS WITHIN A WEST SIDE COMMUNITY, BUT FEEL NO DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY.
I'M HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN EXPLORING OPTIONS FOR RELIEF FOR OUR STRUGGLING BUSINESS, WHICH IS STILL RECOVERING FROM THE PANDEMIC, THAT TO THIS DAY CONTINUES TO IMPACT OUR RESTAURANT.
WE'VE HAD TO ENDURE OBSTACLES SUCH AS MANDATORY LOCKDOWN, DECREASED SERVICES, LIMITED TO TAKEOUT ONLY WITHOUT OPTIONS TO DRIVE THROUGH WITH LIKE A DRIVE-THROUGH THAT KEPT OTHER BUSINESSES AFLOAT AND LIMITATIONS IMPOSED DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING.
TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WE WERE REDUCED FROM 31 TABLES TO 19 TABLES.
WE EMPLOY 16 EMPLOYEES WHO DEPEND ON US TO PROVIDE THEM EMPLOYMENT.
AND OUR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE PRIMARILY WORKING CLASS ARE DEPENDENT ON GETTING QUALITY MEALS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES.
ANOTHER FACTOR, SEVERE CITIES CLOSURE OF WEST COMMERCE STREET FOR LONG-TERM CONSTRUCTION.
WEST COMMERCE SERVES AS A PRIMARY ARTERY TO THE WEST SIDE, AND ALSO SERVES AS AN ENTRANCE TO OUR RESTAURANT.
AND COUNTLESS CUSTOMERS EQUATE THE STREET
[00:25:01]
CLOSURE TO THE RESTAURANT BEING CLOSED.THE LACK OF ADEQUATE SIGNAGE AND DETOURS HAVE CREATED OBSTACLES FOR CUSTOMERS ATTEMPTING TO COME TO OUR BUSINESS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU EXAMPLES OF WHAT CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD TO ENCOUNTER, AND I'VE GIVEN YOU A PACKET WITH SOME PHOTOS.
THE CITY'S ALTERNATE, ALTERNATE DETOUR TO OUR BUSINESS IS HOUSTON STREET, WHICH HAS BEEN CLOSED TO ONE LANE WITH SIGNAGE THAT IS CONFUSING AND IS NOT A PRODUCTIVE DETOUR SOLUTION.
ADDING TO THIS IS THE COUNTLESS LOITERS WHO LINED THE SIDEWALKS AND CONGREGATE IN THE STREET, CAUSING A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND A MENACING PRESENCE.
I'VE ALSO BROUGHT A COPY OF ONE CUSTOMER WHO SHARED HER EXPERIENCE ABOUT THE PUBLIC SPACES SURROUNDING OUR PROPERTY.
THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS, SUSPECT SIMILAR VIEWS REGARDING SAFETY.
SINCE THE WEST COMMERCE STREET CLOSURE IN JANUARY, WE HAVE SUFFERED A DECREASE IN EXCESS.
WAITSTAFF, DEPENDENT ON GRATUITIES HAVE ALSO FELT THE IMPACT ON THEIR INCOME.
THE EXTRAORDINARY RISE IN FOOD COSTS.
THE RETENTION OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE LOSS OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAS FORCED US TO USE OUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS TO SUSTAIN OUR BUSINESS.
THE GOLDEN STAR CAFE HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING PART OF THE WEST SIDE TAPESTRY.
WE'VE OVERCOME MANY HARDSHIPS THROUGH THE, THROUGHOUT THE DECADES, BUT THE RECENT PANDEMIC AND WEST COMMERCE STREET CLOSURE ARE UNPRECEDENTED, UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES.
OUR FAMILY EMPLOYEES WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY ASSISTANCE FOR OUR BUSINESS.
THIS WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO, FOR US TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY WITH QUALITY FOOD AT AFFORDABLE PRICES, AS WELL AS PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR LONG TERM EMPLOYEES BEYOND THE 90 YEARS WE HAVE DONE SO FAR.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU AND YOU, AND, AND SEEK YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND HOW WE CAN GET SUPPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE IN THIS MATTER.
JUA CARELLO, FOLLOWED BY JANE GONZALEZ.
AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK, UM, THE SQUEAKY WHEELS HERE, RIGHT? UM, MORE THAN ANYTHING, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ARE HAPPY THAT ARPA IS COMING TO BE, UH, DISCUSSED TODAY AND RECOMMENDED FOR YOU GUYS.
WE HAVE WORKED HARD WITH THE STAFF TO HELP US GET TO WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT, IT'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY.
WE KNOW IT'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY, AND THERE'S NOT ANY RELIEF THAT'S AVAILABLE TODAY, AS YOU CAN HEAR THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT'S IN HERE, THAT'S, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN POINT 'EM TO, RIGHT? THAT, TO ME, IS SOMETHING THAT STILL SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT I KNOW WE'RE ALL TALKING ARPA TODAY, BUT I WANT YOU TO START PLANNING AND THINKING BEYOND ARPA WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON YOUR GENERAL BUDGET TO CREATE A LINE ITEM FOR SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND TALK ABOUT CAPACITY BUILDING OF THOSE BUSINESSES, UH, PLACE MAKING FOR THOSE BUSINESSES.
AND WHAT I LIKE TO SEE IS THAT IN THE AREAS OF HIGH POVERTY, THE EAST SIDE, THE WEST SIDE, THE SOUTH SIDE, THAT SHOULD BE THE FOCUS, RIGHT? THOSE ARE THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE HURTING THE MOST AND THAT DON'T HAVE RESERVES TO HELP THEM.
AND I REALLY, I JUST WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT THE CONVERSATIONS NEED TO START NOW, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE GONNA BE PLANNING FOR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, AND I ASK YOU TO DO THAT.
JANE GONZALEZ, FOLLOWED BY JENNY BAR, JANE BARRERA.
MY NAME'S JANE GONZALEZ, AND I AM THE OWNER OF A COMPANY BY THE NAME AMED WILLS INCORPORATED.
AND I AM ON SBAC APPOINTED BY, UH, PHYLLIS, UH,
AND I JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT THE CITY WAS SAYING EARLIER, AND I REALLY WANNA CELEBRATE TODAY.
TODAY'S A DAY FOR CELEBRATION.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING WITH PAC AND WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE WERE MOVING FAST ENOUGH, AND WE FINALLY WORKED TOGETHER, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, WE REALLY, UH, WERE ABLE TO, UH, TAKE YOUR ADVICE.
WE GOT TOGETHER WITH OUR MEETINGS, WE CAME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THIS IS A DAY TO CELEBRATE BECAUSE THIS IS THE WAY THAT WE CAN SOLVE PROBLEMS. AND NOW, I AM SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT GOLDEN STAR.
MY, I I'M GONNA SHOW THIS VERY QUICKLY, BUT WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED, MY GRANDPARENTS USED TO BE RIGHT NEAR THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
AND AS A LITTLE GIRL, WE'VE ALWAYS GONE TO GOLDEN STAR.
AND IT'S AN EXAMPLE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF COMPANIES, RIGHT? WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE BABIES, THE MICROS, AND THE TEENAGE COMPANIES.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF A TEENAGE COMPANY THAT'S HURTING.
I WANT Y'ALL TO THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A SECOND.
HOW MANY TEENAGE COMPANIES, IF IN FACT, WE DON'T GIVE THEM A LIFELINE, SUDDENLY ARE NOT ABLE
[00:30:01]
TO SURVIVE? WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE IMPACT? BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT THAN JUST HAVING A MICRO COMPANY WHERE YOU ONLY HAVE ONE EMPLOYEE.WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPANIES THAT HAVE 10, 15, 20 EMPLOYEES.
SO, AND I WANT ECHO WHAT, UH, ELISA WAS SAYING IS THAT WE REALLY, UH, ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE GOING TO BE THE NEXT STEPS.
I OWN MY BUSINESS, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT WORKING IN MY BUSINESS BECAUSE I'M HERE WORKING FOR BUSINESSES, REPRESENTING THEM.
BUT I FEEL THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO COME HERE AND SPEAK UP ON THEIR BEHALF.
AND I, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
I AND I, I KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE TEENAGERS, HOW WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER, HOW IS IT THAT WE CAN SCALE OUR LOCAL COMPANIES? HOW CAN WE SAVE COMPANIES THAT ARE HURTING? SO, AND I'M, I'M HERE TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, AND I WANT TO THANK OUR CHAIRMAN, UH, JEREMY ROBERTS, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, FOR THIS, UH, COMMISSION, BECAUSE I THINK WE, AS LONG AS WE KEEP WORKING TOGETHER, LISTENING TO EACH OTHER, SOLVING PROBLEMS, AT THE END, OUR COMMUNITY IS GONNA BE A LOT BETTER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING.
BUT I WANNA BRING UP A COUPLE OF THINGS.
YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND IF WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING THESE GRANTS OUT, UM, I RECOMMEND THAT YOU GO TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND MAKE SURE THAT WE EXPEDITE THESE THINGS.
UH, AS WE ALL KNOW, WE WORKED TOGETHER LAST YEAR ON THAT.
SO I'M HOPING IT'S NOT GONNA GO NECESSARILY THROUGH AN R F P PROCESS, BUT THROUGH, UM, AN EXPERIENCE PROCESS.
THE OTHER PIECE IS, HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE THESE FUNDS? UH, I ALSO RECOMMEND THAT WE TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE GET THE BANKS INVOLVED? HOW DO WE GET THE FOUNDATIONS INVOLVED? HOW DO WE BRING OTHER MONEY IN ADDITION TO THE ARPA MONEY? AND THEN AS WE PUT TOGETHER THE CRITERIA FOR THESE GRANTS, LET'S LOOK ALSO ABOUT GROWTH VERSUS NET.
BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY MAKES A MILLION DOLLARS, THAT'S GREAT, BUT LET'S PUT THE NET PART IN THERE, RIGHT? HOW MUCH DID THEY SPEND? BECAUSE MAYBE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY ONLY HAD $25,000.
UM, IN TERMS OF ACTUAL INCOME.
AND THEN IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THE RESERVES, WE JUST HEARD FROM GOLDEN STAR, IF PEOPLE HAVE RESERVES, THAT'S GREAT, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY RUN OUT? SO THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE CRITERIA AS WELL.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT DIVING INTO ALL OF THOSE, UM, RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE.
AND THEN, UM, LET'S COUPLE IT ALSO WITH MATCHING FUND, EXCUSE ME, WITH THE INTEREST BUYDOWN INFORMATION.
UH, REMEMBER THAT THE CITY IS SUPPORTING AND WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU ALL INCREASE INTEREST BUYDOWN FOR, UM, FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
LET'S COUPLE BOTH OF THOSE TOGETHER TO MAKE A GREATER IMPACT.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, LET'S ALSO, UM, LOOK AT ALL BUSINESSES.
LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TEENAGE BUSINESSES AS WELL AS THE MICRO BUSINESSES, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE EMPLOYING MORE PEOPLE.
MICRO DOES GREAT WORK, BUT THEY MAY ONLY BE WORKING ONE OR TWO EMPLOYEES.
BUT THE LARGER PEOPLE ARE, OR BUSINESSES THAT NEED THE HELP, THEY NEED THE HELP AS WELL.
SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THE COMMITTEES ARE DOING, AND YOU ALL ARE DOING.
AND JUST KNOW THAT LIFTFUND IS HERE TO SUPPORT WHICHEVER DECISIONS YOU ALL MAKE.
AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US.
YOU'VE HEARD IT ECHO THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS ON WHERE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE CURRENTLY EXISTING AND HOW TO MINIMIZE AND REDUCE ANY FURTHER ACTIONS AS CLOSING DOORS.
WE HAVE EXAMPLES, NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE COME.
WE'VE HAD OTHER MOMENTS WHERE WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY WHERE FIT, FITNESS, ART CLASSES, AND A WIDE RANGE OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE BETTER WAY TO SAY IT, BEGGING FOR HELP.
THESE ARE BUSINESSES THAT SHOULDN'T BE BEGGING.
WE HAVE SEVERAL LEVELS OF BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE ASKING, AND I KNOW THESE ARE ONLY RECOMMENDATIONS, AND YOU'LL MAKE THE FINAL DECISION.
BUT TO ADDRESS SOME OF IMMEDIATE AREAS SUCH AS IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION, MAYBE, PERHAPS EVEN THOUGH SPAC HAS COME TO A UNANIMOUS, YOU KNOW, DECISION TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED, WHAT WE'RE ASKING ALSO, IN ADDITION, IS TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, PERHAPS GENERAL FUNDS THAT ARE MAYBE BE ALLOCATED FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION UNTIL WE DO HAVE RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, OUR UPPER FUNDS AND WE HAVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THAT'S COMING IN.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER SOLUTIONS.
THESE ARE MERELY RECOMMENDATIONS,
[00:35:01]
AND WE KNOW THAT YOU'LL MAKE THE FINAL DECISIONS.BUT AS A BUSINESS OWNER, AS A MINORITY WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS, AND AS A COM PART OF THE COMMISSION THAT SUPPORTS BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMING UP HERE, TESTIFYING, TAKING OUT A TIME.
AND IF YOU'LL TAKE A LOOK AT JUST WHAT THE BREAKDOWN IS FROM A SMALL BUSINESS TAKING TIME FROM THEIR, FROM THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, IT CAN SOMETIMES JEOPARDIZE CLOSING THAT DOOR JUST WITH A MOMENT TAKEN AWAY FROM THEIR DOOR.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AS SUCH.
BUT I DO ASK, AND I DO CHALLENGE TO BE EVEN MORE CREATIVE FOR IMMEDIATE, OUR FOCUS IS FOR JUNE TO BE ADDRESSED AND MAKE THE DECISION JULY, POTENTIALLY IN AUGUST.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE GAPS BETWEEN NOW AND AUGUST? DO WE NOT HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WERE CARRIED OVER? CAN WE NOT DO CREATE A GRANT RIGHT NOW AS LIFT FUND HAS IDENTIFIED THEY'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, WE CURRENTLY HAVE FUNDS THERE.
CAN WE NOT ADDRESS IT IMMEDIATELY? AND TODAY, AND I GUESS MAYBE THAT'S BEING A LITTLE BIT AMBITIOUS SAYING TODAY, BUT YOU'RE HEARING THE PLEAS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS, YOU'RE HEARING THE PLEAS OF OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
SEVERAL OF US DO NOT TAKE PART IN THESE TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THEM BECAUSE WE'RE HERE TO ADVOCATE AND BE THE VOICE THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE AT THE TIME DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE SMALL BUSINESSES AND AREN'T ABLE TO BE HERE AND TESTIFY FOR THEMSELVES.
BUT MY MAJOR QUICK REQUEST FROM YOU IS, AS WE BROUGHT THE RECOMMENDATIONS, IS BE MORE INTENTIONAL AND BE MORE CREATIVE, BECAUSE IN THE NEXT 30 TO 60 DAYS IS GONNA BE EXTREMELY VITAL FOR SOME OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND SO NOW, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL START WITH, UM, COMMENTS FROM, UM, FROM THE DIOCESE AND, AND I JUST TO SET THE SCENE, I, UH, I, I DID WANNA MAKE EMPHASIS 'CAUSE IT CANNOT BE STATED OR IT CAN'T BE OVERSTATED THAT WE GOT UNANIMITY FROM THE SBACK.
THAT UNANIMITY, I THINK IS A CAPITAL U, RIGHT? BECAUSE, UM, ISSA AND JEREMY AND JANIE AND OTHER MEMBERS, I WAS IN THE ROOM AND THERE WAS, UH, PASSIONATE DEBATE, RIGHT? AND, UH, THERE WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT POINTS OF, OF, OF YOU BEING EXPRESSED.
AND EACH OF YOU IS, UH, AN ALPHA DOG IN MANY WAYS.
AND RARELY DO YOU SEE ALPHA DOGS COMING TO CONSENSUS
UM, AND, AND THAT WAS ONE OF MY FEARS WHEN WE PUT THE SS BACK TOGETHER, WAS THAT WE'D HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST INDIVIDUALLY FORCES OF NATURE, RIGHT? UH, RUBBING UP AGAINST EACH OTHER.
AND, UM, I, I WAS ALWAYS WONDERED WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD GET A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
I WASN'T EVEN HOPING FOR A UNANIMOUS VOTE, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
I WAS HOPING FOR SOME SORT OF MAJORITY CONSENSUS.
UH, BUT THAT WE GOT UNANIMITY OUTTA YOUR COMMITTEE WAS, WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
AND IT'S POWERFUL BECAUSE, UM, NOBODY ON THIS COUNCIL, ANY OF MY COUNCIL MEMBERS, ME INCLUDED, WILL EVER BE ACCUSED OF, OF BEING SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN SMALL BUSINESS.
RIGHT? WHICH IS WHY WE IMPANELED YOUR GROUP, UH, AND RECRUITED ALL OF YOU TO TEACH US, AND, AND TO, TO REALLY SPEAK TO US AND, AND, AND SYNTHESIZE WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE FOR US, UH, TO, TO UNDERSTAND AND MAKE SOME POLICY HERE.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, I'LL, I'LL GO AROUND THE HORN AND, UM, START WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
UM, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT MAYBE, UH, COULD BE CLARIFIED.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT, UH, EARLY ON, UH, GIVING LOANS OR GRANTS, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE KIND OF CRITERIA THAT WOULD SEPARATE A LOAN FROM A GRANT? IS THERE, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME WAY WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THIS? YES.
AND, AND FOR, FOR THE LOANS, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE REGULATIONS WITHIN ARPA.
SO THERE IS SOME LANGUAGE THAT DOES ALLOW FOR IT, BUT WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WHATEVER PROCESS WE DESIGN ALSO WORKS WITHIN THERE IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE RECAPTURE THE FUNDING.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE PRIORITIZING THE ROLLING OUT OF THE GRANT PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN LOOK FOR THAT.
WE KNOW IN SOME CASES THAT A SHORT TERM LOAN, AGAIN, AS A, AS A BRIDGE TO LIKE AN INSURANCE CLAIM, UM, CAN BE PRODUCTIVE.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T NEED THE TERM, THE, THE FUNDING LONG TERM.
IT'S JUST A SHORT TERM BRIDGE.
SO THAT MAYBE THE MOST APPROPRIATE USE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WANNA IDENTIFY A PARTNER AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WHATEVER WE DESIGN IS WITHIN THE REGULATIONS, UH, TO PICK THE RIGHT TOOL.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW MUCH WOULD BE A REC RECOMMENDED FOR A LOAN OR A GRANT, OR ARE THERE SOME KIND OF PARAMETERS FOR LOANS OR GRANTS THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED? SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'VE, WE'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT YET, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD INFLUENCE WHETHER WE GO LOAN OR GRANT.
AGAIN, FOR THE FIRST HARD HIT INDUSTRIES GRANTS, WE ARE LOOKING AT PURE GRANT FUNDING THERE.
IT'S JUST FOR THE EMERGENCY FUND AND THE GROWTH FUND THAT WE WOULD LOOK TO SEE WHICH TOOL WORKS BEST.
YEAH, I SAW THE DENVER RECOMMENDATION AND IT WAS $7,500 TO 15,000, BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SET ON AT THIS TIME.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LOOK TO PRESENT ON JUNE 10TH.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM,
[00:40:02]
AND I'M WONDERING IF WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS AGENCIES OR ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE FUNDING RESOURCES.FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE GOT LIFT FUND, BUT I ALSO KNOW WE HAVE PROSPER WEST.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE EAST SIDE, SOUTH SIDE GROUPS.
SO HOW WOULD WE BE USING THAT SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM IN THE DISSEMINATION OF THESE FUNDS? SO IN, IN TERMS OF LIKE GETTING THE GRANT FUNDING OUT, WE WOULD DEFINITELY LOOK TO OUR, WHOMEVER WE WORK WITH TO ADMINISTER THE GRANTS TO DEVELOP A PROCESS THAT WE COULD U USE FOR OUTREACH AND LEVERAGING OUR DIFFERENT PARTNERS.
UM, WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE LOOKING TO WHOMEVER THAT TO BE, TO DESIGN THAT FOR US.
UM, IS THAT ANSWERING, UH, WILL IT BE ONE AGENCY OR MULTIPLE AGENCIES FOR THE, THE GRANT AWARDS? FOR GRANTS OR LOANS? UM, WE WOULD PROBABLY LOOK TO HAVE ONE AGENCY AGAIN, FOR SIMPLICITY AND EXPEDIENCY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD TALKED ABOUT WAS BACK OFFICE SUPPORT MM-HMM.
AND ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, HELPING A BUSINESS, UH, ACQUIRE QUICKBOOKS OR HARDWARE, COMPUTERS, THINGS LIKE THAT? YES.
SO TRADITIONALLY IN YOUR BACK OFFICE, IT'S ALL OF YOUR, YOUR FINANCE, YOUR BUDGET, YOUR HUMAN RESOURCES IN SOME CASES, UM, RISK MANAGEMENT, JUST THOSE, THOSE THINGS THAT HAPPEN BEHIND THE SCENES.
AND A LOT OF THAT WOULD INCLUDE PROBABLY TRAINING AS WELL AS JUST THE SOFTWARE, THE HARDWARE.
IT CAN'T JUST BE THE, THE, THE THING ITSELF, BUT HOW TO, THE KNOWHOW, HOW TO USE IT AND WHERE YOU CAN GET SUPPORT.
BUT THAT, TO ME, IT ALSO BRINGS OUT THE CONCERN ABOUT SOUND.
AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HELPING BUSINESSES TO CREATE OUTDOOR SPACES, WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM LOCAL NEIGHBORS ABOUT THOSE OUTDOOR SPACES AND A LOT OF SOUND PROBLEMS. UH, SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF, IF THAT'S REALLY A CRITICAL INTEREST IN BUSINESSES, OR MAYBE THAT'S JUST, UH, A NICE ADD-ON.
BUT IF WE'RE TRYING TO HELP BUSINESSES STAY IN BUSINESS, UH, I'M RELUCTANT TO SEE US, YOU KNOW, GET INTO SOME OF THOSE EXTRA ITEMS, SO TO SPEAK, UM, BECAUSE OF OTHER DIFFICULTIES THAT COME UP IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST HOPE THAT'LL BE PART OF WHAT IS THOUGHT ABOUT AND CONSIDERED AS WE LOOK AT THOSE KINDS OF, UH, AWARDS OR GRANTS.
CERTAINLY, UM, FACELIFTS FOR THE FRONT OF BUSINESSES OR THEIR PARKING AREAS OR THINGS LIKE THAT IS GOING TO ENHANCE THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO THOSE BUSINESSES.
BUT, UM, THAT WAS JUST ONE CONCERN I HAD THAT I WANTED TO THROW OUT THERE.
ANYWAY, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AS WELL AS TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT IN, IN SHAPING, UH, THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WHAT I HEAR FROM THE DISTRICT FIVE SMALL BUSINESSES IS THE URGENCY OF NEEDING TO GET THESE FUNDS OUT.
AND FOR THE SAKE OF CONTINUITY, I BELIEVE THAT THE LIFT FUND RIGHT, HAS THAT FRAMEWORK AND THEY'VE, UM, DISPERSED THESE FUNDS BEFORE.
UM, AND WHEN I LOOK AT SLIDE 18 WITH NEXT STEPS, AND I SEE JULY THROUGH NOVEMBER FOR GRANT PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION, UH, IT GIVES ME SOME CONCERN, RIGHT? UM, WHEN WE HEAR FROM OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT THEY'RE AT RISK OF POTENTIALLY CLOSING THEIR DOORS, AND WHEN IT'S COUPLED WITH THE, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, WE KNOW THERE'S A BACKLOG ON THAT.
UM, BECAUSE OF C O V I D, UM, AND IT GIVES ME EXTREME CONCERN THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY JULY OR NOVEMBER, UM, SIMILAR TO THE ARTS CONVERSATION WHERE WE MOVE THE GRANT COMPONENT OF THE ARPA DOLLARS FORWARD.
UM, IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MOVE THE, THE ARPA SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS FORWARD OUTSIDE OF THIS FRAMEWORK, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE ARTS? UM, SO WE, OUR PLAN IS TO EXPEDITE THE GRANT PROGRAM, SORRY, I JUST KIND OF JUMPED IN HERE.
BUT OUR PLAN IS TO EXPEDITE THE GRANT, UH, PORTION OF THE OVERALL SMALL BUSINESS, UH, PLAN THAT'S BEING PRESENTED.
UM, SO WHEN WE WOULD, UH, SEEK COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THAT PLAN, WE WOULD ALSO BE SEEKING COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE CRITERIA FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM, KNOWING THAT THE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT YOU SAW IN MORE DETAIL ON THE TABLES, THOSE MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO BUILD OUT, BUT WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GRANT PROGRAM ALREADY.
AND I WANNA THANK, UH, THE OWNERS OF GOLDEN STAR FOR COMING OUT HERE.
UM, GOLDEN STAR DEFINITELY IS A STAPLE IN THE WEST SIDE COMMUNITY, AND IF ANYTHING WERE TO HAPPEN IN GOLDEN STAR, THERE WOULD BE A COMMUNITY UPRISING, UH, POTENTIALLY LED BY MY MOM, WHO'S ONE OF Y'ALLS REGULARS,
UM, SO, UM, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US EXPEDITE THAT PROCESS.
SO I, I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT STAFF AND THE COMMITTEE HAVE RECOMMENDED PUSHING THIS FORWARD AS SOON AS WE CAN, UH, WITH THE PLACEMAKING PIECE AND OPERATION FACELIFT.
I KNOW, UM, BEGINNING IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2022,
[00:45:01]
THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF, UH, THE DISTRICT FIVE PRIORITIES IS ENSURING THAT WE INVEST IN OPERATION FACELIFT, NOT ONLY SO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND COME UP TO CODE.UM, BUT IT ALSO, UM, CAN SERVE AS A CATALYST FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT.
SO I'M EXTREMELY PLEASED TO SEE, UM, THAT, UH, THE COMMITTEE HAS ALSO IDENTIFIED OPERATION FACELIFT AND INVESTING IN STOREFRONT GRANTS AS A PRIORITY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT COMPONENTS, UM, SCALED UP A BIT, RIGHT? FOR EXAMPLE, GOING FROM 3 MILLION TO 5 MILLION, WOULD GI GIVE EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT ROUGHLY $500,000, UM, TO HELP THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN EACH OF THEIR DISTRICTS, UM, BRING THEIR, THEIR BUILDINGS UP TO CODE? UM, SO I AM LOOKING AT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE RATHER ABOUT THE PILLAR FOR IMPLEMENTATION OR GROWTH, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME OVERLAP WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER PIECES.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO POTENTIALLY SEE A LINE ITEM BREAKDOWN, UM, FOR THAT PILLAR ON WHERE EXACTLY THAT MONEY WOULD BE GOING.
UM, BECAUSE 6 MILLION IS A GOOD CHUNK, RIGHT? THAT'S 20%.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UM, EACH PILLAR BROKEN DOWN, RIGHT? WHERE IS THAT 6 MILLION GOING TO GO? EXACTLY.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE DEVELOPED? WE
SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY.
OUR PLAN IS TO PUT AN R F P OUT.
'CAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN OF THE PILLARS, THERE DOES SEEM TO BE SOME OVERLAP.
SO I WANNA SEE, UM, ON PAPER, RIGHT, WHERE THAT OVERLAP IS AND WHY.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU CAN, UH, HAVE A BRIEFING ON THAT.
UH, MOVING FORWARD, I'M PLEASED TO SEE THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE, UM, INVESTMENT IN POTENTIAL CORRIDORS.
I KNOW IN DISTRICT FIVE SPECIFICALLY, RIGHT? WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY IS A POTENTIAL INVESTMENT IN THE GENERAL MCMULLEN CORRIDOR, BRAS CORRIDOR, AS WELL AS SA SAMORA, RIGHT? SOME OF THESE ALREADY HAVE BOND FUNDING ALLOCATED, UH, WITH THEM, AND THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE THAT FUNDING AND INVESTMENT FOR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE RECENTLY HAD A COMMUNITY FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET LATIKA, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND WE ASKED OUR CONSTITUENTS, WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT DISTRICT FIVE? AND WHERE DO YOU ENVISION US IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, RIGHT? AND WHAT SOME CONSTITUENTS WROTE ON THE LEAFS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE WROTE ON THE LEAF WHAT WE ENVISIONED IN DISTRICT FIVE, SOME RESIDENTS HAD IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC CORRIDORS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE RECEIVED SOME LOVE.
SO USING THAT, I WOULD LIKE, UM, TO GIVE THAT DIRECTION, UH, FOR SPECIFIC CORRIDORS IN DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, AGAIN, RIGHT? UH, GOING BASED OFF OF THE EXPERTISE OF THOSE WHO GAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES TO SCALE UP, UM, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME, UM, AND ARE AT RISK OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS AND OR BEING DISPLACED FROM, UM, THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LOCALISM, RIGHT, MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN GET CREATIVE ON WHEREVER ADVERTISING THE GRANTS, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, AT, UH, FOOD SUPPLY STORES OR WHERE ARE SMALL BUSINESSES AT, RIGHT? UH, WHERE ARE THEY GETTING RESOURCES? WHERE ARE THEY PURCHASING THEIR PRODUCT? AND IF WE COULD, UH, DO OUR OUTREACH AT, WITHIN THOSE SPACES IS A DIRECTION I'D GIVE.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW.
AND, UM, I, I THINK IT'S, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE SAID, BUT I'LL SAY IT, THAT THE MISSION OF THIS, UM, COMMITTEE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF OUR MOTHERS ARE EVER UPSET.
UH, AND SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF YOUR MOM, COUNSEL, THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR, YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES.
AND I'VE GOTTA SAY THAT I AGREE WITH YOU, JANE.
UM, AND ONE, ONE OF MY, I THINK THIS WAS THE SECOND C C R I EVER FILED, WAS FOR THE CREATION OF A SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSION.
AND I HAD THE SUPPORT OF A LOT OF THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I ENVISIONED, RIGHT, IS THAT WE HAVE YOU ALL AT THE TABLE BEFORE ANY POLICY DECISIONS ARE MADE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, UH, PATIENCE WITH US, BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS, UH, A BIT OF A ROUGH TIME DURING COVID FOR THE ADVISORY COMMISSION TO, TO FINALLY MEET, BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE DESIGNED TO DO.
SO, SO CONGRATULATIONS ON ACHIEVING THAT WORK.
UM, HAPPY THAT YOU GET TO WEIGH IN DIRECTLY.
AND FIRST, I THINK ALEX STOLE MY THUNDER BECAUSE THIS MORNING I WAS SO EXCITED BECAUSE I SAW, UM, THAT, UM, UH, OR I, I, I CLARIFIED WITH ERIC AND MARIA WHO'S HERE THAT WE POSTED FOR AN ARPA EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
AND, UM, THAT IS A SALARY RANGE OF 84,000 TO 144,000
[00:50:01]
ANNUALLY.WE KNOW WE ONLY DO ABOUT 20,000, SO ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND SALARY.
UM, THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE MAYBE FOUR PEOPLE UNDER THAT PERSON.
UM, SO I WOULD ONLY ANTICIPATE USING HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AT MOST.
AND IN HERE WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION OF $1 MILLION FOR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.
DO WE STILL NEED THAT FULL MILLION DOLLARS OR CAN WE MOVE THAT TO ACCESS TO CAPITAL? BECAUSE I THINK THAT IF WE ALREADY HAVE IT PROGRAMMED UNDER SOMETHING ELSE, IF WE'RE ABLE TO ADD THAT TO ACCESS TO CAPITAL, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE, THE FIRST REQUEST.
THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE R P A PROGRAM WILL BE CHARGED TO WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL ALREADY APPROVED, WHICH IS A RESPONSE TO C OVID 19.
THAT INCLUDED OUR CONTINUED RESPONSE PLUS THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE GRANTS.
SO THAT $1 MILLION WILL BE PUT BACK INTO THE ARPA ALLOCATION FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND NOT FOR CITY ADMINISTRATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT IT BE PUT TO DIRECTLY INTO ACCESS TO CAPITAL THEN, UM, JUST BECAUSE WE, OUR, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAD THE CHANCE TO, TO SEE THAT OR, UM, BUT, UM, I HAVE A COPY OF THE ARPA EXECUTIVE OFFICER, UM, JOB DESCRIPTION TODAY.
SO I FIGURED, AND THANK YOU MARIA, AND THANK YOU ERIC, FOR, FOR THAT.
Y'ALL GAVE A MILLION DOLLARS BACK TO, TO SMALL BUSINESS, SO, YAY.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS HARD HIT INDUSTRY GRANTS.
HOW ARE WE DEFINING HARD HIT INDUSTRY? SO THAT'S, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH DR.
STEVE NIVEN, UM, TO LOOK AT THE DATA THAT EXISTS.
SO WITHIN THE ECOSYSTEM REPORT, INITIALLY IT HAD IDENTIFIED SOME INDUSTRIES BASED ON, UM, THE NAS CODES THAT, UM, WERE, UH, SAFE, THEN HAD SOME POTENTIAL, AND THEN THOSE HARDEST HITS.
SO WE'VE ASKED HIM TO UPDATE THAT.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT EMPLOYMENT DATA, UM, AND OTHER INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE THROUGH NUMBER OF SERVICES TO IDENTIFY THOSE, THOSE INDUSTRIES.
UM, ANNA, CAN THIS BE EXPANDED TO MICRO BUSINESSES? AND SPECIFICALLY I'M LOOKING TO SEE IF WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE ADDITIONAL PREFERENCE POINTS YES.
TO THE HARD HIT INDUSTRIES, BUT SPECIFICALLY WITHIN BLACK OR, OR LATINO OWNED BUSINESSES.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS WE'RE EVALUATING RIGHT NOW AS WE DEVELOP THE CRITERIA.
TRYING TO FIND THAT, THAT RIGHT BALANCE.
WE'VE DEFINITELY LEARNED A LOT FROM THE INITIAL RECOVERY GRANTS PROGRAM TO THE HOSPITALITY GRANTS PROGRAM.
AND NOW WITH THIS, UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE, THOSE FACTORS ACROSS THE BOARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT'S THE RIGHT MIX IN TERMS OF WHO WE WOULD LOOK TO AWARD TO.
AND ONE THING THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN USE FOR FUTURE IS ALSO MAKING, UM, LOOKING AT SPECIFICALLY, UM, POINTS WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT TIMEFRAMES.
SO, UH, HOW MANY MICRO BUSINESSES WE'RE STILL, WE'LL STILL BE IN OPERATION AFTER THESE GRANTS FOUR YEARS LATER.
UM, SO THE FOLLOW THROUGH, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL DO A, A GOOD JOB OF THAT ON THE GROWTH FUND LOAN.
IS THERE A REASON THAT WE HAVE IT DESIGNATED AS A LOAN INSTEAD OF A GRANT? UH, WE JUST WANTED TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF IT BEING A, A, AGAIN, A LOAN.
IT COULD BE A LOW INTEREST LOAN, A NO INTEREST LOAN, A FORGIVABLE LOAN, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT FACTORS.
SO IF YOU'RE WORKING WITH A BUSINESS WHO'S WANTING TO BUILD THEIR CREDIT, SOMETIMES RECEIVING A LOAN AND SUCCESSFULLY REPAYING THAT LOAN HAS A BETTER BENEFIT TO THEIR CREDIT AND FINANCIAL FUTURE THAN JUST A GRANT AWARD.
SO WE AGAIN, WANNA EVALUATE WHICH TOOL TO USE AND IDENTIFY A PARTNER WHO COULD HELP US ADMINISTER IT TO FIGURE OUT WHICH IS BEST.
THE OTHER QUESTION, AND IT WAS SIMILAR TO MY COLLEAGUE, UM, ON THE ECOSYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS, I THINK THAT $6.2 MILLION IS TOO MUCH.
UM, AND SO I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND, I, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BREAKDOWN SPECIFICALLY OF, OF WHAT THAT DOES, BECAUSE I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I THINK ECO MAP ECOSYSTEM MAPPING IS A FUNCTION OF OUR CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SHOULD NOT USE ARPA FUNDING.
AND SO I WOULD RATHER PUT THAT MONEY BACK INTO OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, AND SPECIFICALLY IN ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME ECOSYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS THAT WERE REFERENCED.
THERE'S NOTHING SOLID IN THAT REPORT THOUGH, THAT TELLS US HOW WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THAT ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
IT'S, UM, MORE OF A OBSERVATIONAL, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT IS REALLY DIRECTIONAL ABOUT THAT.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA WASTE ANY MORE TIME, AND THAT'S AGAIN, $6.2 MILLION.
SO I'M JUST WORRIED THAT WE ARE NOT, UM, MAKING THE BEST USE OF THAT MONEY SPECIFICALLY ON THERE.
SO I, I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
I ALSO WANTED TO SEE HOW THAT FIGURE WAS DEVELOPED.
WAS IT A COMPARABLE CITY OR REGION THAT WE WERE DOING THIS OR, OR THAT WE ARE COMPARING? OR WAS IT MORE, UM, IN GENERAL, AND THIS IS REGARDING THE ECOSYSTEM REPORT, AND I'LL GO BACK AND, AND I'LL LOOK AT IT 'CAUSE MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT I SEE ANYTHING THAT, THAT TALKED ABOUT THAT.
BUT THEN I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE NEED AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING
[00:55:01]
AND CONTINUE TO FACE WHAT FEELS LIKE TO ME, INSURMOUNTABLE CHALLENGES.SO WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE NOW, I DIDN'T SEE IN THE RESILIENCY OR IN THE SUPPORT PLAN FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, A SUPPORT PLAN IN PLACE IN THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE ARE ALREADY HERE AT THE PARTY A LITTLE TOO LATE, UM, AND WE CAN'T LET ONE MORE BUSINESS CLOSE DOWN.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT IT'S THE TIMING THAT WE NEED TO ALL AGREE ON.
THERE'S NO DOUBT WE HAVE TO HELP PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY'S SAYING.
WE NEED HELP, BUT WE NEED HELP.
NOW, OUR, MY, OUR MICRO BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY OUR SMALL MOM AND POP BUSINESSES, HAVE ALREADY STRUGGLED TO GET OFF THE GROUND BACK INTO, UH, OR AFTER COVID PANDEMIC.
AND THEY NEED THIS ASSISTANT MORE THAN EVER.
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF PERIODS OF UNCERTAINTY AND A LOT OF TURMOIL, AND I KNOW THAT AS INFORMATIONAL AS THAT REPORT IS, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW.
AND CARES AND ARPA FUNDING ARE ONCE IN A GENERATION FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT SHOULD ALLOW OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO ACCESS TO CAPITAL THROUGH DIRECT RENTS, NOT LOANS, NOT LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS, UH, OR OUR PLAN.
AND IF WE REALLY LOVE OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WE SHOULD BE PROVIDING THEM WITH MORE DIRECT RELIEF NOW AND THE RESOURCES TO KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THIS.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE FUNDING.
WE ALREADY FOUND AN EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS.
WE ALREADY SEE THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO DOWN.
AND I'VE HEARD FROM AT LEAST ONE COLLEAGUE ALREADY THAT THERE'S PILLARS THAT MIGHT, UM, BE REPETITIVE.
AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT, UM, ARPA FUNDING SHOULD BE USED FOR ECOSYSTEM MAPPING WHEN I THINK IT'S PART OF OUR JOB THAT WE SHOULD DO OUT A GENERAL FUND, UM, BUDGET DOLLARS.
AND I DO BELIEVE ALSO THAT WE, UM, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE SOME SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE ASAP.
SO, UM, WITH THAT SAID, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING UNTIL JUNE 10TH AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT NEXT STEPS WOULD BE OR HOW FAST YOU COULD GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION, BUT I KNOW I'M STILL WAITING ON SOME INFORMATION FROM THE LAST MEETING.
AND I'M WONDERING WHO ON YOUR STAFF IS GOING TO BE THE DESIGNATED CONTACT FOR FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? SO, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH WHATEVER IS STILL PENDING FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING, BUT WHAT I WILL ASSURE YOU ALSO WILL SEND OVER IS, UM, THE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS BECAUSE EACH OF THOSE PILLARS HAD SPECIFIC, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, IT'S REALLY MORE ABOUT BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE SAW DURING THE PANDEMIC WEREN'T NECESSARILY AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE WANT THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO BE READY TO JUMP IN PROVIDING BACK OFFICE SUPPORT, PROVIDING ALL THOSE THINGS.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THEY ALSO NEED CAPACITY BUILDING THEMSELVES.
SO THAT'S SOME OF THE TYPE OF, OF THE WORK THAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT.
I'LL MAKE SURE TO GET YOU THE FULL REPORT, BUT THEN ALSO THE SUMMARY SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH WHATEVER WAS PENDING FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING AS WELL.
AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD UP THEIR CAPACITY, BUT WE COULD ALSO BE USING THAT MONEY TO PLUG RIGHT BACK INTO SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND SO THEY ALREADY HAVE THE, THE CAPACITY.
AND I THINK I HEARD JANIE SPEAK EARLIER WITH LIFT FUND, AND SO ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO TO BE CREATIVE OR JUST, UM, MOVE A LITTLE BIT FASTER THAN, THAN USUAL SPEED OF GOVERNMENT.
UM, I'LL START WITH ACCESS TO CAPITAL, UM, GRANTS FOR HARD HIT INDUSTRIES.
UH, I'D NEED MORE EXPLANATION ON EMERGENCY FUNDS.
I'M NOT SURE WHY WE DON'T HAVE AN EMERGENCY FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT FOR OUR C OVID 19.
OUR BUSINESSES, LIKE, UM, LIKE THE, THAT THAT PRESENTED THAT THERE'S CONSTRUCTION AND THEN C OVID 19.
I KNOW THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES I KNOW BROADWAY'S BUSINESS, AUGGIE'S BARBECUE.
THERE ARE OTHERS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BECAUSE WE ALL ALONG HOUSTON STREET, YOU CAN DRIVE ANYWHERE DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS THAT WERE IMPACTED BECAUSE OF C OVID 19 BECAUSE THEY COULD REOPEN WITH ONLY 19 TABLES.
AND THEN WE AS A CITY DECIDED TO DO, OR C P S OR SAWS DECIDED TO DO CONSTRUCTION.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, WEIGHT THEM A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY AND PUT THEM ON MAYBE AN EMERGENCY FUND OR, OR GIVE A CATEGORY TO THEM THAT WE'RE HARD, HARDEST HIT, UH, BECAUSE WE EXASPERATE EXACERBATED THE SITUATION WITH OUR CONSTRUCTION.
UM, WHEN AS SEEN ON THE SLIDES IN THE BEGINNING WHEN YOU PRESENTED, I LIKE SOME MORE DETAILS ON, UM, ENTREPRE WHERE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT FIT INTO THESE CATEGORIES.
I THINK, UH, SPAC DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
[01:00:01]
MY NOTES FROM LAST TIME WAS GO BACK, TALK TO SPAC, BRING ME SUGGESTIONS, AND YOU DID.SO DON'T GET ME WRONG, I AM REALLY EXCITED, BUT LIKE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE A LITTLE FASTER.
UM, THE OTHER PLACE WHERE I THINK WE HAVE DOLLARS THAT ARE POSSIBLE IS ON CAPACITY BUILDING THIS WEB PRESENCE PROGRAM.
I NEED, THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A DEEP DIVE BECAUSE WHAT I DON'T WANNA DO IS GIVE MONEY TO SOMETHING THAT CAUSES A BILL FOR, UM, FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND I AM NOT AS MUCH AS I AM COMMITTED TO BRIDGING THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE, THERE'S $6 MILLION THERE THAT IF IT'S NOT THOUGHTFULLY SPENT, I'M WILLING TO MOVE OVER TO LOOK FUTURE FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND THEIR DIGITAL.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT GIVING THEM AN EXTRA BILL WITH THIS WEB PRESENCE PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S GONNA NEED TO BE THOUGHT OUT.
UM, SO MAYBE WE CAN TAKE DOLLARS FROM THERE.
LIKE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PILLARS IDENTIFIED, JUST TO SEE ALSO WHEN WE LOOK FUTURE BUDGET-WISE, WHAT, WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK FOR OUR CITY BUDGET IN THE FUTURE.
IF WE NEED TO MAKE ROOM FOR, UM, THE, THE ECOSYSTEM REPORT, THE OTHER ECOSYSTEM MAPPING.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY THE, UM, OUR, UM, OUR ECONOMIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SHOULD DO.
I LIKE THE BUY LOCAL, UM, UH, COMPONENT OF IT.
AND I REALLY WANT US TO STRESS THAT TRAVEL AND TOURISM, THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS AN INDUSTRY HERE.
OUR VISIT SAN ANTONIO BOARD, WHICH ADRIANA AND I BOTH SIT ON, ARE STRESSING LOCAL WHEN THEY DO THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS ALSO.
AND THEN GEOGRAPHIC PLACEMAKING.
I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO.
THERE ARE CORRIDORS THERE THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
AND I THINK THAT WE, UM, THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO START.
I THINK Y'ALL HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.
I JUST REALLY, IF, IF WE HAVE TO TAKE ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND DO THAT SEPARATELY TO MOVE THIS A LITTLE FASTER, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE TO TAKE THIS TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
I WOULD BE ALL FOR DOING THAT AND SUPPORTING THAT, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE CAN GET SOMETHING MIDSUMMER, UH, OUT TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
UM, SO BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT I'VE HEARD, UM, I I, I THINK YOU'RE HEARING CONSENSUS HERE, ALEX.
YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT SUPPORT, RIGHT? UM, THE THEME HERE IS URGENCY, RIGHT? AND GET, GET THIS OUT.
I, I DO WANT TO, UM, THROW IN THERE A A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, YOUR SUGGESTION, COUNCILMAN ROCHA GARCIA, I THINK WAS A GOOD ONE, WHICH WAS TO TAKE THOSE SAVINGS AND, UH, PUT THEM TOWARDS ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? UM, I DIDN'T HEAR CONSENSUS FROM, UM, FROM THE, UM, FROM THIS COMMITTEE BECAUSE, UH, IT DIDN'T COME UP AGAIN.
BUT I, I DO WANT TO INVITE MY, MY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SPEAK ON THAT.
'CAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT IDEA, RIGHT? AND EITHER, EITHER WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT IT OR WE WON'T.
BUT I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T LEAVE YOUR QUESTION OUT THERE WITHOUT AN ANSWER.
UM, THIS, THE OTHER THING I WANNA TELL YOU IS, BRENDA, I THINK IT'S SO SMART OF Y'ALL TO HAVE LOOKED OUTSIDE OF TEXAS FOR EXAMPLES OF CITIES THAT ARE DOING IT RIGHT.
UM, I ALL TOO OFTEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO AUSTIN, DALLAS, AND HOUSTON.
AND IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE ON PAR OR DOING BETTER, THEN WE PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I WILL TELL YOU ALL TOO OFTEN, DALLAS, AUSTIN, AND HOUSTON ARE WAY BEHIND WHAT OTHER, UH, FORWARD-THINKING CITIES ARE DOING AROUND AMERICA.
AND SO, UH, DENVER'S A CITY THAT A LOT OF US ON THIS COUNCIL, I BELIEVE, LOOK TO, UH, FOR SOME, YOU KNOW, INNOVATIVE IDEAS, OFTENTIMES THEY'RE WAY AHEAD OF ANYBODY ELSE.
UH, AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM IN PLAGIARIZING WHAT THEY DO, UH, BECAUSE SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES THEY GET IT RIGHT.
AND, UM, IN THIS INSTANCE, I THINK THERE'S SOME REALLY INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AS FAR AS, UM, COVID RECOVERY COMING OUTTA DENVER THAT ARE WORTH, WORTH STUDYING.
THE, I I I, I DO WANNA STOP HERE AND, AND ASK IF ANYBODY ELSE THINKS IT'S IRONIC THAT WE'RE DOING A BUY LOCAL PROGRAM WITH A CONSULTANT FROM OUT OF TOWN.
UH, AND THAT, THAT TROUBLED ME A LITTLE BIT, BUT I KNOW THERE'S A GOOD REASON FOR THAT.
AND, AND THE REASON I HEARD WAS 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT JUST A MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
YOU GUYS WERE LOOKING FOR EXPERTS ON CAMPAIGNS LIKE THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE PUBLIC'S GONNA SAY, WAIT A SECOND, HOW THAT'S CUTE.
RIGHT? UH, YOU GUYS USED AN OUT OF TOWNER TO HELP YOU GUYS WITH A A BY LOCAL CAMPAIGN.
CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH THAT? SURE.
SO WE WERE FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH, UM, JAMIE HALEY AND, UM, ELLEN SHEPHERD.
SO JAMIE HALEY HILL'S FROM, UM, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, WHERE SHE CREATED
[01:05:01]
PRETTY MUCH FROM HER OWN FORCE, WHAT IS KNOWN AS LOW COUNTRY LOCAL FIRST.SO IT IS ONE OF THE PREEMINENT LOCAL FIRST MOVEMENTS, UM, WOULD ENCOURAGE THE, THE COMMITTEE TO TAKE A LOOK AT AT THEIR WEBSITE.
UM, SHE BUILT IT FROM THE GROUND UP, AND SO IS IS HAS CAME TO SAN ANTONIO HAS MET WITH A LOT OF OUR BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND REALLY GETTING A FEEL FOR WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE IN SAN ANTONIO.
I KNOW JUST IN A, A SHORT CONVERSATION WITH HER, SHE'S ABLE TO REFERENCE ALL OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS, UM, INCLUDING ONE SHE, SHE ENCOURAGED US TO LOOK AT, WHICH IS THE STATE OF ARIZONA'S, UH,
AND, AND REALLY TOOK A DEEP DIVE LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE, THE ASSETS WE HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY A, A PROGRAM LOOK LIKE? OR WHAT SHOULD WE IDENTIFY AS PRIORITIES IN CREATING A, A REAL LOCAL FIRST CAMPAIGN HERE? UM, ELLEN SHEPHERD IS OUT OF CHICAGO, UH, ILLINOIS, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE ANDERSONVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH, UM, IF YOU KNOW CHICAGO, IT'S, IT'S EVERYTHING IS NEIGHBORHOODS THERE.
AND, UH, ANDERSONVILLE, UM, WHICH I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TO IS, IS AMAZING WHERE IT'S, IT'S THE QUINTESSENTIAL MAIN STREET, UM, WITH LOCAL SHOPS, EVERYTHING LOCAL FOCUSED.
SO WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THEM, LEARN FROM THEM, BUT ALSO, UM, REQUIRED OF THEM THAT THEY HAVE A RESPECT FOR SAN ANTONIO AND, AND THE ASSETS WE HAVE HERE, AND REALLY HELP US BUILD SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR US.
AND THAT'S THE EXPLANATION WE NEEDED.
UH, THANK YOU ON, ON THAT TOPIC.
THE OTHER THING TOO IS, UM, OUR FRIENDS FROM, UM, GOLDEN STAR CAFE, UH, MENTIONED, RIGHT, THAT THE CONSTRUCTION THAT TOOK PLACE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE COVID CRISIS, AND THERE'S STILL TAKING PLACE, UM, WAS COMPOUNDED RIGHT? ALL THE SUFFERING THAT A LOT OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES HAD.
AND SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I'D, I'D LIKE TO HEAR THIS COMMITTEE REACT TO IS THE IDEA THAT WAS BROUGHT UP DURING OUR, UH, LAST FULL COUNCIL SESSION WHERE WE DISCUSSED, UM, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY PRIORITIZING THOSE COMPANIES, UH, THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, WHO QUALIFY, UH, AND AFTER THEY, AFTER, AFTER THEY QUALIFY FOR THESE GRANTS OR THESE PROGRAMS, THEN PRIORITIZING THEM, UM, AND BUMPING UP TO THE TOP THOSE BUSINESSES THAT WERE PARTICULARLY HIT HARDER BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND SO I, I LEAVE THAT OUT THERE AS A QUESTION, RIGHT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT CONSTRUCTION, UM, IS US VISITING MORE US THE MUNICIPALITY VISITING MORE PAIN ON THESE BUSINESSES THAN THEY WERE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, UH, EXPERIENCING.
SO I THINK, I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST, IT WOULD BE A MORAL FAILING ON OUR PART IF WE DIDN'T RESPOND TO THAT PAIN BY, UM, BY PRIORITIZING THESE BUSINESSES, UM, UNDER THESE PROGRAMS. THE, AND LASTLY, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT CORRIDORS.
UM, THIS IS, I BELIEVE THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD AN ASIAN BUSINESS COME AND ADVOCATE, UM, FOR ASIAN BUSINESSES, UM, DURING THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I FREQUENTLY VISIT WITH JUST 'CAUSE OF MY, MY DAY JOB IS ASIAN BUSINESS OWNERS, RIGHT? AND MANY OF THEM DON'T STEP UP AND PARTICIPATE IN SMALL BUSINESS ADMINIS, YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMISSIONS AND CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND ALL THAT, BECAUSE THESE ARE MOM AND POP SHOPS, AND LITERALLY MOM AND POP ARE WORKING THE CASHIER, RIGHT? AND LITERALLY THEY'RE WORKING THE FRONT DESK OF THEIR MICRO HOTELS, AND THESE FOLKS ARE BUSY SURVIVING AS OPPOSED TO ATTEND, YOU KNOW, WITH A LUXURY OF, OF BEING ABLE TO BREAK OFF AND GO TO MEETINGS AND COME TO CITY COUNCIL AND SPEAK.
AND SO, UM, I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE IS AN ASIAN CORRIDOR, UM, UH, WHICH IS WURZBACH LEADING INTO THE MEDICAL CENTER, RIGHT? UM, AND I THINK THAT, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THOSE FAMILIES.
BUT TWO, AS WE'RE GOING OUT AND SPEAKING TO THESE, THESE DIFFERENT ADVOCACY GROUPS, LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE ASIAN ALLIANCE AND THE ASIAN CHAMBER AND THE CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE FILIPINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ALL THESE OTHER BUSINESSES WHO ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT OFTENTIMES WE DON'T VISIT WITH, UH, AND THAT, THAT WE OUGHT TO, UH, I'LL STOP THERE AND I'LL INVITE, COMMENT ON PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED, BUT ALSO SPECIFICALLY I'M INVITING COMMENT ON THE QUESTION.
COUNCILWOMAN ROCHE GARCIA ASKED ABOUT, UH, ALLOCATING THOSE, THOSE SAVED FUNDS, UH, TO ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE ABOUT CONSTRUCTION.
SO, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, I WAS GLAD TO HEAR, UH, THE COUNCILMAN BRING THAT UP AND THAT THE, UH, CITY IS READY TO GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE IT INTO OUR NORMAL OPERATING PROCEDURES AS OPPOSED TO ESTABLISHING ANOTHER OVERSIGHT OR MANAGEMENT OPERATION.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT MILLION DEFINITELY PUT INTO, UH, BEING AVAILABLE FOR BUSINESSES RIGHT AWAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A A, AN AGREEMENT I HAVE WITH OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE CONSTRUCTION TOPIC.
WELL, YEAH, THAT'S ALWAYS A PROBLEM.
AND I HATE THE CONSTRUCTION AROUND CITY HALL.
I MEAN, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO FACE IT.
UH, AND YEAH, I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T TARGET
[01:10:01]
VERY WELL, IS HOW DO YOU HELP BUSINESSES GET THROUGH THESE PERIODS OF TIME? WHAT'S HAPPENING IS ONE BUSINESS IS BUILDING ITSELF UP A BRAND NEW BUSINESS, A HOTEL OR, OR A BIG OFFICE BUILDING AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER BUSINESSES AROUND IT.UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE INHERENT IN THE COST OF DEVELOPMENT FOR THE NEW BUS BUSINESS GOING IN, OR IF IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY SHOULD TAKE A LITTLE MORE RESPONSIBILITY ON.
I THINK IT'S WORTH DEBATING AND TRYING TO DETERMINE, UH, WHO SHARES IN THAT COST.
BUT DEFINITELY THE, UH, BUSINESSES ALONG THE ROADWAYS THAT ARE, ARE HAVING TO SUFFER A LOSS OF BUSINESS BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION, WHETHER IT'S ROADS OR ANOTHER BUSINESS MOVING IN NEXT DOOR, THEY NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF COMPENSATION.
UM, I, I ECHO, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION MADE BY COUNCILMAN DR.
ROCHA GARCIA, AND I BELIEVE THE LAST, UH, W UH, THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAN PROPOSED THE IDEA OF CREATING A FUND FOR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY CONSTRUCTION AND OR THE DELAY OF CONSTRUCTION.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
UM, IN REGARDS TO THE SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS, I DO BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE A POINT IN THE CRITERIA, UM, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE, UH, HAD, UH, A, A NUMBER, HAVE A NUMBER OF ISSUES, RIGHT? UH, THAT THEY BEING IMPACTED BY COVID, ONE BEING CONSTRUCTION.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN MY COMMUNITY WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVEN'T SEEN, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION MOVE FORWARD, BUT THE STREETS CLOSED, RIGHT? AND THAT'S A BUSINESS THAT THEY'RE LOSING, AND THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WAIT TILL THAT PROJECT'S COMPLETED.
SO YES, I, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A POINT SYSTEM WITHIN THE CRITERIA TO PRIORITIZE BUSINESSES THAT, UM, ARE BEING IMPACTED BY CONSTRUCTION OR THE DELAY OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
COUNCILOR MOCHE GARCIA, ANY CLOSING COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT NOW? I AGREE, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT CONSTRUCTION.
SO I, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IDEAS, AND I DO WANNA TAKE, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, ALEX, I FOUND THE CALL TO ACTION AND, UH, IN THE REPORT, UM, IT WAS ORGANIZED, A COALITION OF FUNDERS, BUT I STILL THINK THAT'S GONNA TAKE A LONG TIME.
I IDENTIFY ECOSYSTEM BUILDERS, WHICH WE'VE DONE FORMALIZE AN ADVISORY COUNCIL, WHICH WE'VE DONE, AND THEN TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION ON ANY LOW HANGING FRUIT, WHICH I THINK THAT WE COULD DO TODAY WITH THE GRANTS.
I AM CONCERNED THOUGH, UM, THAT THE SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM ADVISORY COUNCIL, UH, REALLY DIDN'T HAVE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER REPRESENTATION.
SO I SEE SOUTH CHAMBER WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, ALAMO, CHASE BANK, THE NORTH CHAMBER, FROST BANK, LISC LIFTFUND, WHICH I UNDERSTAND REPRESENTS SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT, UM, I THINK NEXT TIME MAYBE WE CAN HAVE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AS, AS PART OF THAT.
SO WELLS FARGO IS REPRESENTED.
WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF OTHERS.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD JUST BE MY, MY OTHER OTHER ADDED RECOMMENDATION.
AND COUNCILWOMAN
ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UM, I, I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM, RIGHT, ALEX? IT IS.
I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT, UM, COMM COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANTING MORE DETAILS ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA TAKE, IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO HAVE THESE NEXT TWO WEEKS TO HAVE, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL BRIEFINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THIS ONE.
I UNDERSTAND IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT, UM, THAT WE, THE, THE COMMITTEE AND THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING FOR THIS.
UM, IF, IF THE COMMITTEE'S READY TO TAKE ACTION AT THAT HIGH LEVEL CATEGORIES, WE WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
AND THEN OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, WE'LL FOCUS ON THE GRANT CRITERIA.
IF YOU WANT TO HOLD OFF ON ALL OF IT, THEN WE WILL, WE'LL TRY TO COME BACK, UM, IN TWO WEEKS TO ALSO PROVIDE THE DETAILS IN SOME OF THOSE OTHER CATEGORIES WHERE THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS.
WHAT I WANNA BRING UP IS, ON THE SLIDES, YOU'LL SEE THAT MOST OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE, THAT ARE RECOMMENDED AS PART OF THIS PORTFOLIO, WE'D LIKE, WE'RE CALLING IT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE HAVE RFPS MM-HMM.
SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE ASKING, WE WOULD BE ADDRESSING THOSE AND TAKING YOUR FEEDBACK AS WE'RE BUILDING THAT R F P TO IDENTIFY THE IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER FOR THAT PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A HIGH LEVEL APPROVAL HERE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE KIND OF GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND SO WE CAN KEEP MOVING FROM THERE.
SO, COUNCILMAN COURAGE GAVE ME THE SIGN.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION, SIR? WELL, I WAS, I WAS GOING TO GO AHEAD AND KIND OF FOLLOW UP WITH WHAT SHE JUST SAID.
I THINK THIS COMMITTEE IS PROBABLY PREPARED TO CONCEPTUALLY, UH, ENDORSE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SPAC THAT HAD BEEN PRESENTED WITH THE PROVISO THAT THERE WERE A FEW FEATURES THAT WE, WE TALKED ABOUT, AND THAT I'M, I THINK I'M HEARING FROM ADMINISTRATION THAT YES, WE WANNA WORK ON THOSE THINGS.
WILL THIS COME BEFORE COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL? YES, SIR.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE AT THAT TIME WHERE SOME OF THESE, UH, EXTRA ITEMS THAT WE'RE ASKING BE ADDRESSED, BE INCLUDED SO THAT THE FINAL APPROVAL WOULD REST WITH COUNCIL AND HOPEFULLY ADDING SOME OF THESE ADDITIONAL CONCERNS THAT WE'VE EXPRESSED.
SO ALONG THOSE LINES, I, I WOULD, UH, MOVE THAT
[01:15:01]
WE ENDORSE THE CONCEPT THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TODAY IN THE PRESENTATION MADE BY, UH, CITY STAFF, UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE A FEW TWEAKS THAT ARE GONNA BE BROUGHT FORWARD, UH, BEFORE IT'S PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL.WE GOT A MOTION LOOKING FOR A SECOND.
WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND, AND A CELEBRATORY HONK OUTSIDE.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A QUESTION, COUNCILMAN RO GARCIA? NO, THAT WAS GOOD.
SO WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE, IT'S A CONCEPTUAL, SO WE'RE STILL HAVING DISCUSSION FOR THE $6.2 MILLION, BASICALLY, OR WE'LL STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CUT THAT OFF A LITTLE BIT, BASICALLY.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR IS APPROVAL FOR THE, THE CONCEPTS AND THE FUNDING IN THOSE CATEGORIES THAT WERE RECOMMENDED.
IF THERE'S AN INTEREST IN HOLDING OFF ON ANY PARTICULAR ONES UNTIL FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE CAN DO THAT.
ALL THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE GONNA BE COMING BACK TO VET THOSE RFPS AND TO MAKE SURE WE'RE KIND OF MAKING, KEEPING THIS COMMITTEE INFORMED OF HOW WE'RE DEVELOPING THOSE PROGRAMS. YEAH.
THE ONLY ONE THAT I'M NOT COMFORTABLE IS A 6.2.
SO IF, UH, I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH EVERYTHING ELSE AND THEN A RECONSIDERATION OF THAT 6.2, BUT THAT WOULD JUST BE ME.
I, I HAVE A SIMILAR, UM, CONCERN, RIGHT? WOULD WE STILL HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY WITH THAT 6.2 MILLION TO MAKE CHANGES TO IT? CAN WE GET YOUR MICROPHONE ON COUNCILMAN? THANK, WOULD WE STILL HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY, UM, TO ADJUST THE 6 MILLION? IT COULD STILL BE ADJUSTED.
AND FOR THE SPENDING FOR THAT, THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON WHY WE ALSO INCLUDED THE TABLE, SO THAT YOU COULD SEE THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING GET KICKED OFF UNTIL NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE UNTIL THE FALL.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I, I, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU COUNCILMAN, UM, COURAGE AND, UH, AND MY, THE MEMBERS HERE.
I THINK THAT IF WE DON'T VOTE FOR SOMETHING TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, WE, WE ACTUALLY DO DISHONOR TO THE, THE URGENCY THAT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT ON US TODAY AND THAT WE'RE HEARING LOUD AND CLEAR.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP.
UM, WE WILL SEE YOU GUYS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
NOW WE HAVE A SECOND TOPIC TODAY ON THE AGENDA.
UH, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP THE, UM, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE PORTION OF THIS OR YOUTH.
WHICH ONE? WHICH ONE DID YOU HAVE PLANNED? MELODY, I THINK YOU WERE STANDING UP FOR YOUTH.
SO ARE YOU TURNING THE, OH, THERE IT IS.
SO GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MELODY WOOSLEY, HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
AND SO THIS BRIEFING PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THE ARPA YOUTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AND SO AS PART OF THAT, I WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF PRELIMINARY POLICY GUIDANCE, A BRIEFING ON COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK FOR C OVID 19 IMPACT STRATEGIES AND OUTCOMES.
AND I'LL REVIEW THE PROPOSED TIMELINE FOR THE PLAN.
AND SO, AS A REMINDER, INITIAL POLICY DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL AND ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE ENCOURAGED FUNDING OF PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES THAT ARE FOCUSED TOWARD WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS AND EDUCATION, INCLUDING WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR FOSTER YOUTH SERVICES, CONNECTING OPPORTUNITY YOUTH TO EDUCATION AND WORK SUMMER AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AND GANG INTERVENTION PROGRAMS. SO BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK LAST MONTH AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT, WE ARE DEVELOPING DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WITH STRATEGIES, OUTCOMES, METRICS, AND FUNDING.
WE HELD STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WITH AN ARRAY OF LOCAL YOUTH SERVING PROVIDERS AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO GAIN THEIR INPUT REGARDING THOSE, UM, IMPACTS AND STRATEGIES AND THE WAYS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THEM FOR YOUTH.
WE ALSO HEARD YOUR REQUEST FOR MORE STAKEHOLDER IMPACT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FROM YOUTH THEMSELVES SELVES.
AND SO WE HELD FOUR MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND YOUTH PROVIDERS IN ORDER TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE WORK WE WERE PROPOSING, AS WELL AS NEW IDEAS THAT MAYBE WE HADN'T THOUGHT OF.
WE HAD GREAT TURNOUT AND ROBUST CONVERSATIONS.
OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, WE WILL HOLD CONVERSATIONS WITH DIVERSE YOUTH GROUPS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE IMPACT OF C OVID 19 FIRSTHAND.
THOSE INCLUDE THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION, METRO HEALTH TEEN
[01:20:01]
AMBASSADORS CENTER FOR YOUNG MINDS YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL OUT OF THE ECUMENICAL CENTER, THE SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD.AND ALONG WITH, UH, THRIVE YOUTH PARTICIPANTS, JUSTICE INVOLVED YOUTH AS WELL AS FAITH-BASED, FAITH-BASED BASED YOUTH PROGRAMS AND MINISTRIES.
THIS SLIDE SUMMARIZES THE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVE THROUGH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
TO DATE, COVID IMPACTS IDENTIFIED INCLUDE PROGRAM ATTENDANCE RATE, THAT RATES THAT HAVE DECLINED, AND DROPOUT RATES THAT HAVE INCREASED PROGRAM STAFF ARE FATIGUED, AND RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IS DIFFICULT.
AT THE SAME TIME, VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION HAS DROPPED.
UM, YOUTH PARTICIPANTS ARE TWO OR MORE YEARS BEHIND ACADEMICALLY AND GANG ACTIVITY IS MORE SEVERE.
THEY ALSO PROVIDED IDEAS TO ADDRESS THESE IMPACTS, UM, INCLUDING IMPROVING AWARENESS OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO CONNECT YOUTH TO SCHOOL, PROVIDING INCENTIVES, UM, TO ENCOURAGE RETENTION OF THE YOUTH AND PROGRAMS SUCH AS FINANCIAL INCENTIVES THAT WOULD HELP WITH CELL PHONES, HOTSPOTS AND COMPUTERS.
MATCHING YOUTH WITH MENTORS AND COACHES TO IMPROVE PROGRAM AND SCHOOL RETENTION, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND CAREER EXPLORATION.
SIMILARLY, PROVIDING RETENTION BONUSES FOR STAFF AND, UM, VOLUNTEERS AND INCENTIVES TO HELP WITH GAS OR MEALS TO IMPROVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
ADOPTING TWO GENERATION MODELS THAT WORK WITH BOTH THE YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND, UH, PROVIDING SUPPORT TO STABILIZE FOSTER AND POTENTIAL FOSTER FAMILIES IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER AND QUALITY OF PLACEMENTS.
STAKEHOLDERS ALSO EXPRESSED THAT YOUTH PREFER IN-PERSON SERVICES, AND THERE IS NOW A HIGHER NEED FOR STAFF THAT CAN GO INTO THE COMMUNITY TO SERVE YOUTH WHERE THEY ARE.
WE ALSO ASKED STAKEHOLDERS FOR INPUT ON THE CITY'S R F P PROCESSES, SPECIFICALLY HUMAN SERVICES.
THEY PROVIDED GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE, WE AGREE, CAN STREAMLINE THE PROCESS AND IMPROVE, UM, EFFICIENCIES.
THEY ASK US TO STAGGER R F P DEADLINES TO GIVE AGENCIES APPLYING IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES MORE TIME.
WE ARE PROPOSING TWO R F P TIMELINES, THE FIRST FOR IMMIGRATION SERVICES TO GET THOSE DOLLARS OUT TO THOSE, UM, AGENCIES THAT WILL LAUNCH IN JUNE.
AND WE ARE PROPOSING A COMBINED R F P TO AWARD ARPA YOUTH SENIOR SERVICES AND NONPROFIT FUNDING, UM, WHICH WOULD LAUNCH IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER.
WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE THE CONTRACT AND MONITORING PROCESSES, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL AND LOCAL REQUIREMENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE HEARD OFTEN ABOUT THE CITY'S INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THAT FEEDBACK TO RISK MANAGEMENT AND SIT DOWN AND WORK OUT A BETTER, UM, POLICY FOR THIS PROCESS.
R F P PROCESSES WILL BE COORDINATED SO THAT AN AGENCY ONLY HAS TO SUBMIT FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS AND IN ASSURANCES, UM, ONCE EVEN IF THEY ARE SUBMITTING MULTIPLE PROGRAMS. WE AGREE THAT WE SHOULD IMPROVE AWARENESS OF CSSA PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT FAMILIES, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL ONGOING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THAT MARKETING.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE PROPOSALS ALWAYS, AND WE INCENTIVIZE INNOVATION, COLLABORATION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND EVEN PAY PAR PARITY THROUGH PROPOSAL SCORING CRITERIA.
STAKEHOLDERS SUGGESTED WE OFFER MORE CSA BUILDINGS FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING AND, UH, COLLABORATION CO-LOCATION IS A KEY MODEL FOR D H S, AND WE ARE OPEN TO EXPANDING THAT FURTHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AN EXAMPLE ARE THERE ARE SENIOR CENTERS.
WE HAVE MULTIPLE PROVIDERS THAT THAT WORK WITH US IN THOSE CENTERS.
THE Y M C A WELLMED, UM, BILL HOUSE ARTS, OASIS OATS, UM, AND MOST RECENTLY SENIORS IN PLAY.
THE LAST ONE REQUESTS MORE FLEXIBILITY WHEN ENROLLED YOUTH WHO ARE PARTICIPANTS IN PROGRAMS MOVE OUT OF THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA THAT THE AGENCY IS FUNDED TO SERVE.
AND THAT DOES HAPPEN QUITE OFTEN.
UM, WE ARE CLARIFYING ISSUE BECAUSE WE REALIZE THAT VULNERABLE AND DISCONNECTED YOUTH HAVE HIGH MOBILITY RATES AND CONTINUITY OF SERVICES IS ESSENTIAL TO, UM, HELP THEM MAKE PROGRESS.
[01:25:03]
AND SO, IN ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND UPCOMING YOUTH MEETINGS, D H S STAFF ARE COMPILING DATA INTERVIEWS AND RESEARCH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF COVID ON YOUTH SUBPOPULATIONS.AND BY THE END OF JUNE, WE WILL HAVE, UM, UH, REPORTS ISSUED ON FOSTER YOUTH WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF THE SYSTEM AND STRATEGIES TO BETTER SUPPORT POST-SECONDARY OPTIONS FOR THEM.
WE'LL HAVE THE RESULTS OF THE TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, YOUTH IN COORDINATION WITH METRO HEALTH, AND WE WILL, UM, ISSUE AN INVENTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES IN SAN ANTONIO AREA SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO, IN SUMMARY, WE WILL COMPLETE THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT PROCESS IN JUNE AND FINALIZE THE PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN JULY.
WE ARE WORKING TO ACCELERATE THAT TIMELINE.
UM, IDEALLY, UM, IDEALLY WE CAN BRING TO YOU IN EARLY AUGUST THE, UM, FINAL PLAN.
UM, ALSO TAKE IT TO FULL CITY COUNCIL WITH YOUR APPROVAL BY THE END OF AUGUST AND ISSUE THE, UM, R F P AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THOSE, THOSE PLANS ARE, UH, APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
THE COMBINED R F P FOR ARPA, ARPA, YOUTH SENIOR SERVICES, AS WELL AS NONPROFIT SUPPORT WOULD BE RELEASED, UM, AND EVALUATED THROUGH SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
APPLICATIONS, UM, WOULD BE, UH, SENT TO COUNCIL OR RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE SENT TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, UM, BY THE END OF OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.
UM, LIKE I SAID, WE ARE WORKING ON OR LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN ACCELERATE IT.
WE KNOW THAT THERE IS IS GREAT NEED.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR FEEDBACK AND HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WITH THAT, UM, I AM GONNA INVITE OUR, UH, SPEAKERS TO, UH, SPEND, SPEND SOME TIME AT THE PODIUM, UH, ADORA, WHO'S OUR FIRST SPEAKER? CHRISTINA CASTELLA.
I'M CHRISTINA CA, INTERIM C E O FOR SA YOUTH.
AND WE HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS ARPA JOURNEY ADVOCATING FOR THE YOUTH WE SERVE SINCE THE VERY FIRST TOWN HALL BACK IN NOVEMBER.
UM, THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE D H SS TEAM THAT HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO MEET WITH OUR SECTOR STAKEHOLDERS TO LEARN JUST HOW IMPACTFUL THESE FUNDS WOULD BE FOR THE YOUTH THAT WE SERVE.
SA YOUTH WORKS WITH HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING, AS WELL AS TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT AND ARE SEEKING AN ALTERNATIVE PATH TO THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
SA YOUTH WORKS TO PREVENT STUDENTS FROM DROPPING OUT WHILE ALSO WORKING TO RECOVER.
OUR PROGRAMS ARE LED BY A DEVOTED AND DEDICATED TEAM THAT CONTINUES TO SEE THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON OUR YOUTH ON A DAILY BASIS.
SOON WE WILL ALL SEE THE EFFECTS OF COVID ON OUR CITY'S YOUTH, AND FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
FUNDING FROM ARPA WILL ALLOW US TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED STAFF, GROW OUR PROGRAMMING TO SERVE MORE YOUTH AND CORRECT THE COURSE.
COVID HAS FORCED OUR STUDENTS ON, ON BEHALF OF THE SA YOUTH TEAM, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION ON HOW TO BEST DISPERSE THESE FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND ALSO JUST WANT TO ADVOCATE THAT LIKE, SMALL BUSINESS, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS DISPERSE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.
UM, MS. PER CRUZ, NOT IN THE ROOM.
SO, UH, LET'S, LET'S, UH, I THINK WE GOT A LOT OF COMMENTS ON THIS ONE, SO LET'S JUST JUMP INTO IT.
COUNCILWOMAN GERRAN, YOU'RE UP FIRST.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK.
I WOULD LIKE A LIST OF THE AGENCIES THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS CONVERSATION.
THIS FEELS LIKE IT'S A LOT OF DOWNSTREAM ISSUES AND NOT A LOT OF, AND ISSUES THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD.
AND I'M, I KNOW THAT THEY WERE AMPLIFIED BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT SPECIFIC C OVID 19 IMPACTS.
AND THE, THE ONE THAT I KNOW OF IS THAT IT HAS BEEN HARD FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO KEEP STAFF BECAUSE OF THE PAY.
AND I DON'T REALLY SEE THAT HERE OTHER THAN, UM, I GUESS THE RATIO THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON.
SO I REALLY, WE'RE SITTING IN ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE NOT SITTING IN MENTAL HEALTH.
[01:30:01]
SO INTERVENTION FOR GANG, UM, USING THE SENIOR CENTERS AS AFTERSCHOOL CENTERS, WHICH I KNOW MY SENIORS WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.'CAUSE IT CHANGES THE WHOLE DYNAMIC.
SO, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE A SENIOR CENTER, UM, IS SOMETHING WE'D HAVE TO TAKE OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO I'D LIKE TO GET A LIST OF THE AGENCIES THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS.
I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE ABOUT THE RATIO ON THIS.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD START, BUT I THINK THAT IT IS NOT DEALING SPECIFICALLY WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS THAT WE'RE SEEING AMONG THE YOUTH.
SO I'M VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING THE, UM, INFORMATION FROM THE SURVEY.
WE KNOW NATIONALLY IT'S AN ISSUE, UM, AND THAT SUICIDE RATES ARE UP AMONG OUR YOUNG.
SO I DON'T SEE THAT BEING ADDRESSED HERE.
BUT I, I DO APPRECIATE THE, UM, INCREASE THE INCREASED FAMILY SUPPORT AND THE STAFF TO YOUTH RATIO.
I THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DEFINITELY IMPACTED.
SO THO THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.
UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THAT LIST OF THE AGENCIES INVOLVED AND THE RESULT OF THE, THE MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING, THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEARS APPROACHING, IS THERE ANY WAY TO EXTEND THE INPUT SESSION OR MAYBE DEVELOP A SURVEY, LIKE THE MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY? UM, AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, WE HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS ALREADY THAT CAN BE FUNDED IMMEDIATELY FROM THAT MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY.
BUT, UM, I'M TRYING TO SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST, UH, GET SOME INCREASED ENGAGEMENT.
SO THE SCHOOL YEAR IS ALMOST ENDING.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THE, UH, MEETINGS PLANNED NEXT WEEK AND OR IN THE NEXT TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS IS BECAUSE WE'RE, THEY'RE GETTING THROUGH FINALS AND PROM AND GRADUATIONS.
AND SO WE'LL WORK WITH THE YOUTH WHEN, WHEN THEY GET OUT.
BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT EXPANDING THE GROUPS WE'RE TALKING TO AND, AND PUTTING OUT, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF A BRIEF SURVEY TO GET MORE INFORMATION.
WELL, SPECIFICALLY I WAS LOOKING TO SEE IF WE COULD FIND EXTRA SUPPORT OR INFORMATION ON ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR, UM, THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR FOSTER YOUTH, OR ANY CHILDREN WHO HAVE HAD, UM, ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT AND I WAS LOOKING AT IT FROM, UM, THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE CLIENT THEMSELVES.
YEAH, I THINK WE'LL GET A LOT OF THAT AT THE NEXT ROUND OF, UM, MEETINGS AND WE'LL FILL IN WHERE WE NEED TO.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING I HAD ASKED LAST ME AT LAST MEETING FOR A DROPOUT RATE FOR EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND MAYBE A GEOGRAPHICAL BREAKDOWN OF WHERE OPPORTUNITY YOUTH LIVED BEFORE THE COVID PANDEMIC AND, AND ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE AFTER.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO LOOK AT THAT.
I WAS ALSO LOOKING FOR GRADUATION RATES AT THE TIME.
AND THEN THE LAST THING, UM, THAT I HAVE A QUESTION ON IS THE OVERALL BUDGET FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS. HOW MUCH OF IT GOES DIRECTLY TO YOUTH? SO TO YOUTH RESIDENTS, WE WOULD, UH, ISSUE AN R F P CONTRACTS.
UM, WE'LL INCLUDE SOME ADMINISTRATION FOR THE AGENCIES, UM, BUT IT SHOULD BE LESS THAN 10%.
THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, CHAIR.
THANK YOU MELODY FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE LAYOUT OF THE OUTREACH THAT YOU ALL INTEND TO DO WITH OUR YOUTH.
UH, PARTICULARLY, UM, YOUTH WHO'S BEEN IMPACTED BY THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
UM, ONE OF MY PRIMARY ASK IS THAT WE ALLOCATE ARPA FUNDING TOWARDS THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION, ROUGHLY 50,000 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, SO THAT WAY THE YOUTH COMMISSION RIGHT, CAN BEST, UH, DIRECT THOSE FUNDS TO WHERE THEY BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE SPENT.
UM, MY ASK IS, IS THERE ANYTHING PREVENTING THIS COMMITTEE FROM ALLOCATING FUNDING TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION? SO THE YOUTH COMMISSION DOESN'T HAVE A BUDGET MM-HMM.
BUT WE COULD CERTAINLY GIVE THEM THE AMOUNT AND WORK WITH THEM ON, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY WOULD SPEND THOSE DOLLARS, UM, PUTTING TOGETHER THE JUSTIFICATION, THE OUTCOMES, THE METRICS, UM, AND THEN BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, AND ACTUALLY MAYBE ASK THEM TO BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS
[01:35:01]
TO CITY COUNCIL SO IT WOULDN'T ACTUALLY INVOLVE A FINANCIAL TRANSFER.UM, BUT CERTAINLY THEY WOULD GIVE THEM CONTROL OVER HOW THE, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE FUNDING BE SPENT.
AND I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT, TO MM-HMM.
AND THEY CAN DIRECT US TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS.
UM, THAT'S, UH, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, UH, PROCESS ROLLING OUT.
UM, I, I ALSO HAVE THE SAME QUESTION WITH THE, THE DELEGATE AGENCIES, OR THE AGENCIES RATHER, THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
I'D LIKE TO SEE A LIST OF WHO THOSE ARE, UM, AND, UH, GO FROM THERE.
BUT I APPRECIATE THE OUTREACH THAT YOU ALL HAVE LAID OUT AS WELL AS THE TIMELINE.
UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION CONVERSATION EVOLVING.
UM, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH THE CITY IS DEDICATING TOWARD, UM, SUPPORTING YOUTH JUST BASED ON OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
CAN ANYBODY GIVE ME A, A BALLPARK FIGURE ON THAT? EXCUSE ME.
WE HAVE PUT THAT TOGETHER AND DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT IN THE AGE GROUP YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 18 TO 30 MILLION.
SO IF YOU INCLUDE PRE-K FOR ESSAY, IT'S EVEN MORE.
SO MAYBE MORE THAN 30 MILLION ANNUALLY? I DON'T REMEMBER.
I, OR AT LEAST AROUND THAT FIGURE TO GO BACK AND LOOK.
I DON'T WANNA TO GIVE YOU A BACK NUMBER.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION RECENTLY THAT WE'RE SPENDING $70 MILLION ON HOMELESS, AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY FEWER HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAN THERE ARE YOUTH IN POVERTY OR IN VERY TRYING SITUATIONS.
I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE GOT THIS 10 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDING THAT'S GOING TO ADD ON TO THAT, THAT 30 MILLION.
BUT THAT'S, BUT THIS IS GONNA BE SPREAD OUT OVER HOW MANY YEARS? IT WOULD BE THROUGH 2025.
SO WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT MAYBE ANOTHER THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, TOWARD THESE YOUTH PROGRAMS. UH, AND, AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, I GREW UP POOR.
I GREW UP WITH MY MOTHER, UH, TAKING CARE OF ME BY HERSELF.
MY FATHER DIED WHEN I WAS YOUNG.
BUT I REMEMBER GROWING UP AND GOING TO THE Y M C A AND THE BOYS CLUB AND THE LOCAL PARKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT A LOT OF CHILDREN TODAY STILL NEED THOSE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ISN'T MORE THAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO PROVIDE MORE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE A PARK PROGRAM GOING ON THIS SUMMER, AND THAT WE HAVE SOME AFTERSCHOOL, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE SUPPORT.
BUT I WAS JUST TALKING WITH NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT THE OTHER DAY, AND WE WANTED TO DO SOME SUMMER PROGRAMS IN THEIR SCHOOL, BUT WE'RE ONLY DOING IT AT FOUR SCHOOLS IN NORTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT THIS SUMMER.
SO THAT MEANS THE OTHER 40 SCHOOLS IN THEIR DISTRICT DON'T HAVE ANY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM.
I GUESS MY POINT IS THIS, 10 MILLION'S IMPORTANT AND THE OTHER 30 MILLION'S IMPORTANT MM-HMM.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS CITY IS NOT INVESTING ENOUGH MONEY IN THE YOUTH IN THE CITY.
AND I THINK WE'RE ALL VERY WELL AWARE OF THE HUGE YOUTH CRIME PROBLEM THAT WE'RE FACING.
IT COMES BACK AND SOMETIMES IT'S WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.
SO I HOPE AS WE START LOOKING AT THE NEXT BUDGET, WHICH WE WILL BE LOOKING AT, WE KIND OF REPRIORITIZE SOME OF OUR SPENDING TO PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT, HEALTHY SUPPORT FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I THINK YOU'RE HEARING THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE ATTACK THE, SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH SUCH LIMITED RESOURCES MM-HMM.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE HARD WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY EN ENVYS US FOR THAT.
I, I WILL TELL YOU, I I HAVE BEEN WITH, WITH THIS COMMITTEE'S JOB OF ADMINISTERING THIS TRANCHE OF DOLLARS.
I HAVE BEEN VISITING WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WHO I THINK FIT WITHIN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
UM, I, I WONDER OUT LOUD IF KITCHEN CAMPUS SHOULD BE BAKED INTO THIS, UH, VERSUS THE SMALL BUSINESS, UH, OPPONENT.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING FOR THIS COMPANY TO CONSIDER.
UH, 'CAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME, HAVING SEEN THAT, THAT IT'S MORE APPROPRIATE FOR KITCHEN CAMPUS TO GET, YOU KNOW, UH, FUNDED FROM THIS PILE THAN THE OTHER.
BUT THEN AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THE FLAVOR OF THE MONEY.
UM, THE, THE SECOND THING IS, UM,
[01:40:01]
I, I ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO VISIT WITH, UH, NIKISHA BAKER OVER AT SAM MINISTRIES.THEY'VE GOT A, UH, A YOUTH DROP-IN CENTER, UM, THAT IS SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, ABOUT GETTING KIDS TO COME HANG OUT WITH, UH, POTENTIAL ROLE MODELS AND, YOU KNOW, AND COUNSELORS, UH, WHILE THEY PLAY SPORTS AND WHILE THEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE A COHORT OF OTHER KIDS SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES AND THEY DO JOB OPPORTUNITY COUNSELING THERE AS WELL.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO THE ME MELODY, THEN THAT'S IT.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT FITS WITHIN WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO TALK TO US ABOUT.
AND LASTLY, RIGHT, WE'LL, WE'LL INCLUDE THEM.
THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE YOUTH ACT, UH, ADVISORY BOARD FOR, UH, SARAH.
THAT'S PART, THAT'S THE, UM, THE NEW YOUTH DROP-IN CENTER CAME OUT OF THE YOUTH ADVISORY GRANT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND THEN, UM, SECOND TO LAST, UH, I'D INVITE ALL OF YOU TO SPEAK ALSO WITH RENEE DOMINGUEZ WHEN YOU HAVE A MOMENT.
THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A PROGRAM THEY HAVE OUT THERE THAT IS STEM FOCUSED ON, UH, CAREER, UH, AWARENESS FOCUSED FOR, UH, A LOT OF THE KIDS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, FROM UNDERSERVED HIGH SCHOOLS TO BE ABLE TO REALLY START FOCUSING ON AND ENVISIONING WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO BE IN A STEM CAREER, UM, AND AN INNOVATION CAREER, UM, WHEN NOBODY ELSE IS REALLY TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A POWERFUL PROGRAM.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE IDEA THAT YOU HAD COUNCILWOMAN ABOUT, UM, SETTING ASIDE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE YOUTH COMMISSION TO, UM, TO DEBATE AMONG THEMSELVES AND SUGGEST TO US HOW WE, UH, ADMINISTER THOSE FUNDS.
VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT ASPECT JUST DID FOR US.
SO ANYWAY, GREAT CONVERSATION.
I DON'T THINK YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A VOTE ON THIS ONE JUST YET.
THERE WAS ONE THING I WANTED TO MENTION.
UM, ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS I THINK WE'VE HAD IS THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF, UH, FACILITIES THAT ARE USED BY SENIORS, AND MANY OF THOSE ARE LIMITED TO CERTAIN HOURS.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, THERE, MANY OF THEM ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT I'VE HEARD, SOME OF THAT IS BECAUSE, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE FUNDING FOR JANITORS OR CUSTODIANS TO STAY AFTER HOURS, OR WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY IN THERE TO PAY THE EXTRA ELECTRICITY OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE US AS A COUNCIL KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDING INTO, I WOULD PRESUME EITHER D H SS OR PARKS AND RECREATIONS TO HAVE THE AMOUNT OF, UH, SUPPORT AVAILABLE.
SO THESE FACILITIES CAN BE OPEN AFTER THE SENIORS GO HOME.
SO THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, A SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD DO TUTORING OR, UH, THE Y M C A OR THE Y W C A COULD HAVE SOME AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS OR THINGS OF THAT FACILITY, UH, OF, OF THAT NATURE.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING I MAY BRING UP A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT I THINK IT FALLS INTO PROVIDING MORE SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED IN, UH, LATER IN THE DAY OR ON WEEKENDS.
SO, JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP, SIR.
AND SO I, I, I WILL, UM, END UP IN THE DOGHOUSE AND MAYBE THE EMERGENCY ROOM IF I DON'T MENTION ALSO, UM, THAT THE JEWISH, UH, FAMILY SERVICES AND, UM, CHILD ADVOCATES OF SAN ANTONIO HAVE PARTNERED UP FOR MOBILE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH NAVIGATORS FOR, FOR YOUTH, UM, TO GO WHERE THEY ARE.
THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ONE ALSO.
AND, UM, I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO, TO VISIT WITH THAT ORGANIZATION.
UH, OUR NEXT ONE IS GOING TO BE ROUNDING IT OUT ON THE, UH, DIGITAL DIVIDE SUBJECT.
UM, I'LL DO THE MICRO MACHINE SPEED TALK AGAIN TODAY, I THINK.
UM, BUT, UH, PLEASE, UH, DEFINITELY HOLD FOR ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU LIKE.
UM, SO YES, I'LL BE SPEAKING ON DIGITAL INCLUSION LITERACY TODAY.
UH, OBVIOUSLY BEEN A PRIORITY, UH, SINCE COVID HIT.
UH, UH, AS FAR AS THE, THE OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, OBVIOUSLY SOLID SOLIDIFYING ON COUNCIL PRIORITIES, TALKING ABOUT CURRENT EFFORTS THAT ARE GOING ON, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO RECOMMENDATIONS AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER ON SOME GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UH, SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES.
YOU'LL SEE THE DISTRICT'S OUTLINE THERE, DISTRICT 1, 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE.
UH, THOSE OUTLINED WITH OUR, UH, EQUITY ATLAS MAP, BUT ALSO OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION SURVEY AND ASSESSMENT THAT WE EXECUTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
UH, STILL FOCUSING ON THOSE THREE, UM, THOSE THREE PRIORITY COMMUNITY, SENIORS, YOUTH AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND FOCUSING AGAIN ON OUR THREE LEGS OF THAT DIGITAL INCLUSION STOOL.
UH, AS FAR AS CURRENT EFFORTS, AND I'VE GOT A COUPLE SLIDES, I'LL DIG INTO THOSE FIRST TWO, THE A C P AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE EMERGENCY CONNECTIVITY FUND.
UH, BUT ALSO WE'VE BEEN CONTINUING OUR MEETINGS WITH OUR I S P PARTNERS.
[01:45:01]
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR IT, UH, DEPARTMENT AS FAR AS CREATING THAT G I S MAP WITH EQUITY AND DIGITAL DIVIDE LAYERS.UH, WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING STRONG WITH BEXAR COUNTY AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THESE EFFORTS AND IDENTIFY HOW WE WOULD BUILD THIS OUT AND ONCE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE.
UH, AND UH, ALSO THE DIGITAL EQUITY ROADMAP IS STILL SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'RE SHARING ALIGNMENT WITH.
THAT IS THE WORK WE DID WITH SS A DIGITAL CONNECTS, UH, OVER THE PAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF.
UH, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST IS OUR TEXAS COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATION.
SO THIS, UH, ORGANIZATION ACTUALLY REP REPRESENTS ABOUT 67% OF THE POPULATION OF TEXAS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN CONTINUOUSLY COMMUNICATING WITH THEM.
WE HAVE A DIRECT LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE STATE LEVEL.
UH, THIS IS REALLY WHERE WE LEARN OUR LESSONS AND ALSO WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO ADVISE THOSE OTHER CITIES ON THE WORK WE ARE DOING.
UH, AS FAR AS THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE FIRST BULLET THERE.
SO THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES A DISCOUNT OF UP, UP TO $30 PER MONTH TOWARDS CELL PHONE AND OR HOUSEHOLD INTERNET SERVICE FOR ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.
ALSO, YOU'LL NOTICE THERE IS A DISCOUNT OPPORTUNITY FOR A HUNDRED DOLLARS TO PURCHASE A LAPTOP, DESKTOP, OR TABLET.
UH, BUT MOST NOTABLY, AS OF RECENT, AS OF MAY 9TH, THREE LOCAL PROVIDERS AT AND T SPECTRUM AND ASTOUND, FORMERLY KNOWN AS GRANDE, ARE OFFERING A C P ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS INTERNET PLANS AT $30 A MONTH, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER.
UH, SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING ON THAT IS CREATING AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, BECAUSE WHAT THIS FUNDING DID NOT COME WITH WAS A, UM, UH, ANY KIND OF MARKETING FUNDING.
SO CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS TAKEN LEAD ON DOING THAT.
THAT'S BEEN CONVERSATION WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH YOU ALL.
UH, WE'RE TARGETING THAT BY ZIP CODES AS WE GET INFORMATION IN FROM THE F C C WHO ACTUALLY PROVIDES THIS PROGRAM.
THAT WAY WE KNOW THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOT REGISTERING AND WE'RE TARGETING THEM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN A LITTLE STRONGER.
UH, YOU'LL SEE UP HERE SOME OF THE STRATEGIES CURRENTLY BEING DEPLOYED.
IF YOU GO INTO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY RIGHT NOW, YOU'LL SEE THESE FLYERS DISTRIBUTED.
UH, THOSE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU SEE UP THERE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH SA DIGITAL CONNECTS, AGAIN, WITH THEIR 200 PLUS PARTNERS TO DISTRIBUTE THOSE AS WELL.
MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THIS PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GETTING FOLKS REGISTERED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
AS FAR AS THE EMERGENCY CONNECTIVITY FUND, I WANT TO THANK DISTRICT THREE, COUNCILWOMAN GRO FOR POINTING THIS OUT TO US.
UM, THIS CAME UP VERY QUICKLY ON APRIL 28TH AND CLOSED OUT WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
WE WERE ABLE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY AS WELL AS OUR IT DEPARTMENT TO BUILD OUT ON STRATEGY OF WHAT WE COULD PROPOSE AND WHAT WE COULDN'T, OR EXCUSE ME, WHAT WE COULD SUBMIT AS A REQUEST AND WHAT WE COULDN'T.
UH, WE ENDED UP WITH A LITTLE OVER 150,000 TO SUSTAIN THE WORK BEING DONE WITH OATS AND OASIS FOCUSING IN ON OUR, ON OUR, A OLDER ADULTS, UH, WITHIN THOSE PROGRAMS. SO, UH, WE WILL LOOK TO HAVE THAT, THAT RESPONSE SOON.
UH, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY NOTIFY YOU AND WE DO GET IT.
AS FAR AS RECOMMENDATIONS MOVING FORWARD, UH, WE'VE GOT TWO PROGRAMS THAT I'M GONNA OUTLINE VERY QUICKLY HERE WITH YOU.
ONE IS THE MIDDLE MILE GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH FALLS UNDERNEATH THAT DIGITAL EQUITY ACT FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UH, AND THE SECOND IS THE BEAD PROGRAM, WHICH I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT BEFORE AS FAR AS THE MIDDLE MILE GRANT PROGRAM.
THIS REALLY EXPANDS THAT MIDDLE MILE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO YOU HAVE YOUR BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY.
AND THEN YOU GOT YOUR, BASICALLY YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR, YOUR LAST MILE, THAT CONNECTIVITY TO THE HOME.
WHAT THIS WILL PROVIDE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO RECEIVE FUNDING TO BUILD OUT THAT MIDDLE MILE.
UM, I'LL JUMP TO THE, I'M GOING TO TAG ONTO THAT.
ELIGIBLE ENTITIES MUST PROVIDE AT LEAST 30% MATCH, BUT THAT'LL ALSO TOUCH ON THAT ON THIS SLIDE.
UH, SO THE FUNDING TIMELINE APPLICATIONS DUE, UH, BY SEPTEMBER 30TH.
NOW, THAT DATE IS VERY, UM, VERY STAUNCH IN COMPARISON TO THE BEAD PROGRAM, WHICH WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT DEADLINE IS FOR APPLICATIONS TO BE DUE BECAUSE THE FEDERAL LEVEL HASN'T DETERMINED THAT YET.
UH, SELECTIONS BY FEBRUARY 16TH OF NEXT YEAR, FUNDS WILL COME DIRECTLY TO THE CITY, BUT WITH A 13% MATCHING REQUIREMENT, WHICH MEANS IF WE TAKE OUR 6.9, WE COULD LEVERAGE IT INTO 23 MILLION FOR MIDDLE MILE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS A GREAT NUMBER FOR US TO OPERATE OFF OF AS A CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
TIMELINE, OF COURSE, UH, IS NO LATER THAN FIVE YEARS AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH AMOUNTS FROM THE GRANT ARE MADE AVAILABLE.
UH, CONSIDERATION IS, DO WE HOLD THAT 6.9 FOR THIS MIDDLE MILE GRANT PROGRAM MATCHING THE NEXT, THE NEXT PROGRAM I MENTIONED IS BEAD.
UH, YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
UH, THE REALLY KEY FEATURES OF THIS IS ABOUT THE QUALITY REQUIREMENTS, THE MATCHING REQUIREMENT, AND A LOW COST PLAN REQUIREMENT FOR OUR ISPS.
THAT IS TO BE DETERMINED BY N T A AT N T I A.
THAT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED YET.
AS FAR AS THE BEAD PROGRAM, THE NOFO TIMELINE IS TO BE DETERMINED, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT LATE 2023 OR EARLY 2024 ON THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UH, FUNDS GO TO THE STATE'S BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE INSTEAD OF THE CITY, AND WE WOULD APPLY TO THE STATE.
SO THAT IS THE, THE BIG, UH, DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO PROGRAMS. THIS IS A 25% MATCHING REQUIREMENT, WHICH WILL TAKE THAT 6.9 AND TAKE IT TO 27 MILLION.
SO THAT IS THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION OR ONE OF THOSE TWO.
UH, AS FAR AS KIND OF THE OUTLINE OF THIS PLAN, JUST PLAN COMPONENTS FOR THE DISCUSSION.
UM, MIDDLE MILE GRANTS, THAT FIRST LINE BEAT IS THE SECOND.
[01:50:01]
INDICATOR IS HERE FOR THE FIRST ONE, IT'S THE NUMBER OF MIDDLE MILE INFRASTRUCTURE.UH, HOW MANY MILES DO WE ACTUALLY CREATE OFF OF THAT NUMBER OF I S P PARTNERSHIPS AND THEN THE COST REDUCTION FOR THAT LAST MILE.
IF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS ABLE TO BUILD THAT OUT WITH ISPS, HOW MUCH ARE WE REDUCING FOR THAT LAST MILE CONNECTION TO HOME? UH, THE SECOND CONSIDERATION IS NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS CONNECTED, NUMBER OF I SS P PARTNERSHIPS, NUMBER OF CITIES FACILITIES CONNECTED, AND THEN ALSO OF COURSE, NUMBER OF ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS CONNECTED THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS ALONG THE WAY.
NEXT STEPS WILL BE TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU, IDENTIFY THE DIRECTION WE SHOULD BE GOING WITH THOSE TWO OPTIONS.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO TODAY.
UM, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE F C C A C P PROGRAM YES, SIR.
WOULD THAT BE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE AND ANYWHERE IN SAN ANTONIO OR, YES, SIR.
SO IT DOESN'T DEPEND ON WHERE THE ISPS HAVE BUILT OUT ALREADY.
UH, IT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.
UH, I'M SURE THERE WOULD BE SOME STIPULATIONS BASED ON THE HOUSEHOLD WHERE THEY'RE CONNECTED OR NOT.
UM, THAT'S ALWAYS A CONSIDERATION.
SO, BUT BASICALLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS WHEN IT COMES TO INCOME LEVELS, BUT AREN'T WE STILL TALKING ABOUT AREAS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN BUILT OUT WITH ANY INFRASTRUCTURE TO WHERE THEY THEY COULDN'T QUALIFY? ABSOLUTELY.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'LL HIGHLIGHT THOSE DARK AREAS WHEN WE TALK TO OUR, OUR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS.
SO IF I HAVE A HOUSEHOLD THAT'S REGISTERED AND THEY HAVE THE MONEY IN HAND, WHY ARE THEY STILL NOT CONNECTED? I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO ASK.
AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO ASK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, HAVE WE DONE ANYTHING LIKE PUTTING OUT A, A REQUEST FOR QUOTES OR RFIS THAT WOULD ASK IF YOU WERE TO COMPLETELY, UH, PUT OUT YOUR PRODUCTS AVAILABILITY EVERYWHERE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OR WITHIN BEXAR COUNTY, WHAT WOULD BE THE COST OF THAT SO THAT WE CAN EVALUATE WOULD ONE PARTNER BE BETTER THAN ANOTHER? IS THERE A WAY WE CAN ADD TO THAT, THE AVAILABILITY EVERYWHERE? YES, SIR.
SO OUR IT DIRECTOR, CRAIG HOPKINS, IS ACTUALLY LEAD OVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN R F I R F Q.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW.
WE'LL OBVIOUSLY BE BRINGING THAT TO COUNCIL ONCE THAT'S DEVELOPED, BUT WE ARE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP THERE.
AGAIN, UH, THE TWO PROPOSALS YOU WERE, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE ONE THAT I THINK I FEEL BEST ABOUT IS THE MIDDLE MILE.
UH, AND IT, I THINK YOU SAID THAT COMES DIRECTLY TO THE CITY, IT DOESN'T GO THROUGH THE STATE.
AND, UH, WHAT WOULD BE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE WOULD GET, UH, IF WE MATCHED THAT 6.9 IN THE MIDDLE MILE? I BELIEVE IT WAS 22.
AND, BUT IF WE GO THROUGH THE STATE AND, UH, 6.9 IS 25% INSTEAD OF 30, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? 27 MILLION? YEAH.
SO IT'D BE $4 MILLION DIFFERENCE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT IN LETTING THE STATE GIVE US ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY'VE NOT DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF RECOGNIZING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
IF WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON THE STATE TO SAY, YES, WE'LL GIVE YOU MONEY.
I THINK WE'RE WASTING TIME IF THAT MIDDLE MILE PROGRAM IS GONNA BE AVAILABLE SOONER AND IS GONNA GIVE US IMMEDIATE FUNDING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP AS, AS MY THOUGHT ON THAT ISSUE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, WORK ON THIS PRESENTATION AND ALSO ASSISTING OUR OFFICE WITH, UH, THE U T SS A EPIC STUDY.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR WORK ON THAT.
UM, I KNOW I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, DISTRICT FIVE AND MANY IN OF THE INNER CITY DISTRICTS, UM, BEAR THE BRUNT WHEN IT COMES TO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
UM, AND I, I KNOW THERE'S A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING THAT WE NEED TO MAXIMIZE THESE DOLLARS TO ENSURE THAT WE, UH, DO WHAT WE CAN WITH THESE LIMITED FUNDS TO CLOSE THAT, THAT DIVIDE.
UM, SO I GUESS MY ASK IS WITH THE MIDDLE MILE AND BEAD, WHICH OF THESE OPTIONS DO YOU BELIEVE WOULD BE, UM, THE BEST TOOL TO SERVE THESE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES? UH, RIGHT NOW FROM OUR ASSESSMENT? YES.
MIDDLE MILE GRANT IS REALLY THE BEST PROGRAM CHOICE TO GO WITH RIGHT NOW.
UM, BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, THE BEAD PROGRAM DOESN'T HAVE A NOFO OUT, SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT DETAILED INFORMATION.
UH, BUT AT THE SPEED OF MOVEMENT THAT MIDDLE MILE IS MOVING AT AND THE AMOUNT OF CONTROL, IT ALLOWS US TO KIND OF CONTRIBUTE TO THAT MM-HMM.
UM, BUT ALSO THE EXECUTION OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND BY WHEN, UH, SHOULD THIS COMMITTEE OR THE FULL CANCEL COUNCIL DECIDE ON WHICH OPTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO SELECT? WELL, OUR APPLICATION WILL BE DUE IN SEPTEMBER.
SEPTEMBER, SO WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO, UH, TO WORK ON THAT.
BUT I, I THINK WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTION A LITTLE BIT.
UM, MAYBE, PROBABLY WITHIN NOW, AND WE SHOULD START DISCUSSING THAT KIND OF LOCKING IN OUR DIRECTION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I WOULD, BUT I'LL LOOK TO CITY MANAGEMENT FOR THAT GUIDANCE.
[01:55:01]
THERE'S A, A STUDY THAT THE TEXAS CLIMATE JOBS PROJECT PUT OUT, AND IT LOOKS AT POPULAR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS AND, UH, A NUMBER OF FAIR LABOR STANDARD VIOLATIONS THAT, THAT, UH, HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED.AND IT LOOKS AT AUSTIN AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO USING OUR PERMIT RECORDS.
AND WHAT THEY FOUND IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A LOT OF VIOLATIONS.
SO LIKE NO DOUBT WE KNOW THAT COMMUNICATION WORKERS ARE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING, UH, THIS PROJECT.
SO ONE OF MY ASK IS THAT, UM, WITHIN THIS EFFORT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO INCLUDE COMMUNICATION WORKERS IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS? RIGHT.
WELL, WE'VE CONTINUED THAT CONVERSATION, C W A'S ACTUALLY HERE.
UM, WE'VE CONTINUED THAT CONVERSATION THROUGH SA DIGITAL CONNECTS, BUT ALSO JUST TALKING TO OUR ISPS.
BUT OUR I F I, OUR I F P, UH, PROCESS ALSO INCLUDES THOSE MEASURES AS WE BUILD THOSE OUT.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S FOREMOST IN OUR MINDS, BUT YES,
AND, UH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MORE DETAILED CONVERSATION ON HOW, UH, MOVING FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS THAT WE CAN INCLUDE, UH, OUR COMMUNICATION WORKERS IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
UM, AND I'LL SEND OVER THAT STUDY, IT'S PRETTY DAMNING, RIGHT? 'CAUSE IT, IT CITES OUR, OUR CITY YES, MA'AM.
UM, AND OUR, OUR DATA ON THOSE VIOLATIONS.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
AND THANK YOU, BRIAN, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IS THERE A WAY TO TRACK THE EFFECTIVENESS AND THE AWARENESS OF THE CAMPAIGN? YES, MA'AM.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE WILL BE DOING, UH, THROUGH F C C WITH THOSE A C P NUMBERS COMING IN.
SO THEY WILL BE REPORTING THAT DATA OF ZIP CODES THAT ARE BEING REGISTERED IN FOR, FOR THE PROGRAM.
SO I, I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE'LL HAVE THE DATA TO SHOW HOW MANY RESIDENTS ARE BENEFITING.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO WHAT ABOUT JUST, UH, SO THE MARKETING OF IT, AND I, I UNDERSTAND YOU WILL HAVE DOOR HANGERS AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU, UH, SAID, SO I APPRECIATE IT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE, UM, I GUESS, IS THERE A DEADLINE SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU ALL ARE KIND OF LOOKING AT TO WHERE IF SOME, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HAVEN'T APPLIED, WE'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A PUSH? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH OUR, OUR COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS CITY MANAGEMENT.
UH, BUT IT WILL BE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE PIVOTING BASED ON THE RE THOSE RETURNS FROM A C P AND THOSE ZIP CODES.
SO JUST AS WE DID WITH OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION SURVEY, AND WE PIVOTED WEEK TO WEEK ALMOST, UH, WE'LL BE TAKING THAT SAME APPROACH HERE AND, AND WE'LL BE UPDATING YOU ALL ON THOSE NUMBERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND BY THE WAY, UM, MY TEAM HAS SHARED IT TODAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA ALREADY, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, ON THE MIDDLE MILE GRANT PROGRAM, WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES? UH, AS FAR AS ELIGIBLE ENTITIES IN GENERAL, SO FOLKS THAT CAN APPLY FOR THAT MIDDLE MILE UHHUH GRANT PROGRAM, UH, REALLY IT'S MUNICIPALITIES.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO APPLY BY SEPTEMBER 30TH, BUT WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THIS FUNDING WILL BE AWARDED? I'M KIND OF LIKE COUNCILMAN COURAGE, RIGHT? AND SO I'M JUST HESITANT, UM, THAT WE WILL RECEIVE ANY OF THE FUNDING.
SO WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD, OR, OR WHO'S WORKING ON THIS, DO WE HAVE, UM, SA DIGITAL CONNECTS ENGAGED? SHOULD BE, WE BE WRITING LETTERS TO OUR, UM, DELEGATION.
LIKE WHAT CAN WE DO? UH, I WOULD SAY ALL THE ABOVE.
UM, BUT WE ARE OF COURSE, WORKING WITH OUR GOVERNMENT, UH, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICE TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AS I MENTIONED, THE CONVERSATIONS WITH FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS ARE VERY TIGHT WITH US.
UH, ACTUALLY, CAN LAURA MENDOZA, OUR DIGITAL INCLUSION ADMINISTRATOR, HAS BEEN CONSTANT CONVERSATION WITH THEIR NEW DIGITAL EQUITY DIRECTOR AT N T I A.
UH, SHE'S ACTUALLY HAD LUNCH WITH HER THIS SATURDAY, SO, WHICH IS EXCITING.
UM, BUT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE CONTINUE TO REMAIN STRONG WITH US.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE BEST LEVERAGE.
UH, BUT YES, LETTERS FROM Y'ALL WOULD BE VERY, UH, ENCOURAGED.
WHAT'S A 30% MATCH? WHO'S THAT FROM? IS IT FROM MY L J A OR FROM CSA? FROM CSA.
AND THEN, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL ADD ONTO THAT.
I BELIEVE THERE IS SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE OTHER, I FORGET WHAT THEY'RE CALLED, BUT OTHER PARTNERS TO JOIN IN ON THAT FUNDING.
UH, SO WE'LL, WE'RE EXPLORING THAT AS WELL.
AGAIN, THIS NOFO JUST WAS JUST RELEASED, SO WE'RE STILL DIGGING INTO THE DETAILS AND ASKING THOSE, UH, DETAILED QUESTIONS.
AND THEN FOR THE BEAD SPECIFICALLY, SO MY QUESTION WAS GONNA BE THE SAME, LIKE, SHOULD WE BE WRITING LETTERS, ET CETERA, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, DO WE, SHOULD WE BE MEETING WITH OUR DELEGATION TO FIND OUT IF THE STATE IS GOING TO HAVE SEPARATE PRIORITY GUIDELINES? AND SO WE'VE HEARD OF COURSE, THAT THERE MIGHT BE MORE OF A FOCUS ON THE RURAL AREAS INSTEAD OF URBAN AREAS.
SO, UM, ANY KIND OF UPDATE ON THAT OR ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE HEARING HIGHLY ENCOURAGE IT? UH, WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANY UPDATES ON THOSE PRIORITIES.
UM, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT RURAL WOOD WILL BE A PRIORITY, BUT WE'VE HEARD THAT FOR MONTHS NOW, SO, YES, MA'AM.
HOW DID, UM, AND I'M MOVING ON TO NOW, THE LIBRARY.
ONE, THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU ALL SUBMITTED FOR $150,404 FOR
[02:00:01]
OATS AND OASIS, HOW DID STAFF REACH THE FIGURE? HOW DID WE REACH THAT NUMBER? UHHUHUH, BUT REALIZING THAT WE'VE GOT SOME PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS THAT WE NEED TO ABIDE BY WHEN IT COMES TO INTERNET PROVIDERS, UH, BUT ALSO JUST THAT CAPACITY ON THE BACK END.
SO IF WE ASK FOR A 1.6 MILLION, IT'S IN CAPITAL COSTS.
IT'S WHEN THE LIBRARY GETS, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND MORE TABLETS IN.
THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE STAFF TO DISTRIBUTE THOSE AND MAINTAIN THEM.
UH, SO THAT WAS A CONSIDERATION THAT NEEDED TO GO INTO IT, NOT TO MENTION A LOT OF IT STRUCTURAL NEEDS.
SO YOU, UM, ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS, WHICH WAS ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FOR ANY OF THE PROGRAMS. DO WE KNOW IF ANY LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ALSO APPLIED TO THE PROGRAM? AND DO WE HAVE BREAKDOWNS OF THE PROPOSALS THAT THEY SUBMITTED? I CAN FIND OUT FOR YOU.
AND THEN IS, UH, NEXT SA DIGITAL CONNECTS MEETING THIS THURSDAY STILL? UH, I BELIEVE.
YES, THAT MEETING IS, SORRY, BUT THERE IS ALSO A COMMUNITY VIS ADVISORY GROUP TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, TOMORROW.
AND THEN, UM, LAST TIME I ASKED FOR A ZIP CODE OR DISTRICT BREAKDOWN FOR A C P, UM, I DON'T THINK I'VE GOTTEN IT UNLESS YOU ALL SENT IT TO STAFF.
WE'RE PULLING IT FROM A C P RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN ALSO, I WAS LOOKING TO SEE A MAP OF WHERE THE LEAST RELIABLE INTERNET SERVICE WAS, UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE GOTTEN A CHANCE TO DO THAT EITHER, SO.
ALEX, DOES THIS MATCHING FUNDS NEED TO COME FROM ARPA OR CAN WE GET IT FROM OUR GENERAL BUDGET? UH, THERE IS OPTIONS FOR THAT.
THE RECOMMENDATION RIGHT NOW IS FOR, UM, AR BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S SO CLOSELY TIED TO WHAT WAS INTENDED, INTENDED USE FOR THE ARPA FUNDING.
UM, THIS IS HOW WE THINK WE COULD LEVERAGE IT BEST.
UM, HAS SA DIGITAL CONNECTS, I KNOW MARINA'S HERE HAS SA DIGITAL CONNECTS WEIGHED IN ON WHETHER WE SHOULD DO ARPA OR, UH, IF WE SHOULD TAKE THIS FROM OUR GENERAL BUDGET FUND AND MAYBE GO TO 10 MILLION OR 12 MILLION AND DO 6 MILLION EACH? UM, YEAH.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, THANKS FOR BRINGING UP AN R F I, I THINK THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE, THE CITY OF SAN ATTORNEY'S INNOVATION TEAM AND, AND THE TECHNOLOGY OFFICE TO LOOK AT THAT R F I, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT AND GET INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY FROM THE ISPS, WE CAN USE THAT INFORMATION TO APPLY FOR, UH, THE STATE FUNDING AND FEDERAL FUNDING.
I FEEL LIKE WE'LL HAVE A, A MEDIA PITCH IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, BECAUSE I THINK, AS YOU ALL ALLUDED TO, IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO GET, UH, MONEY FROM THE STATE WHEN WE'RE COMPETING WITH AUSTIN, HOUSTON, AND DALLAS.
AND SO I THINK IF THERE'S THE BEST WAY WE CAN SET OURSELF UP FOR THAT, WE NEED TO BE DOING THAT.
AND I, AND I, I DO THINK, AND AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, IS WHEN WE'RE PUSHING FOR AN R F I AND GETTING THAT INFORMATION, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO ACTIVATE QUICKER.
I THINK, AND I THINK I EXPRESSED MY, MY FRUSTRATION THAT WE CUT THE ARPA DIGITAL BUDGET, UH, FROM, FROM WHAT IT WAS, AND WE GOT, AND AND THIS IS, THIS ISN'T DISTINCT ARPA MONEY.
THIS IS REALLY CARESS MONEY LEFTOVER THAT WAS PART OF THAT DIGITAL PACKAGE.
SO I THINK IF WE ARE GOING TO BE SERIOUS AS A COUNCIL AND AS THE COMMITTEE, AND AS WE LOOK AT, HEY, WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, THAT WE NEED TO ADD TO THIS SIX POINT MILLION, BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY GO FOR BOTH, BOTH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL.
BECAUSE IF WE JUST GO FOR ONE, I FEEL, I FEEL, UM, THE FEDERAL'S GONNA GO, WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK FOR THE STATE? AND THEN THIS STATE? AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE NEED A LOT FOR HIM NOT TO LIKE US IS GOING TO BE LIKE, WELL, YOU DIDN'T EVEN ASK.
SO I WANT TO, I WANT US TO HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT TO GO FORWARD AND MOVE FORWARD AND TO LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR I S P PROVIDERS.
I THINK WE AS A COMMITTEE, IF WE'RE GONNA CHAMPION THIS CAUSE NEED A LOT MORE INFORMATION.
I THINK WE NEED MORE ZIP CODES.
UM, REALLY LOOKING AT THAT MIDDLE MILE FROM THE I S P PROVIDERS, I THINK WE NEED THE INFORMATION.
UM, AND I KNOW THEY JUST DID AN ARTICLE TOO, WHERE GOOGLE FIBER NOT USING LABOR, UH, IS, IS SEEING SOME PROBLEMS IN THEIR BUILD.
SO I THINK WE NEED ALL THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD ON BOTH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT, AND THIS IS HOW MUCH WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO ADVANCE, BECAUSE WE AS A CITY ARE GOING TO NEED TO PUT
[02:05:01]
NOT JUST CARES DOLLARS LEFT OVER, BUT REAL DOLLARS REAL COMMITMENT TO THIS IN OUR BUDGET IF WE WANT TO, UM, REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS DIGITAL DIVIDE.AND I, I'M GONNA ENCOURAGE YOU, MARINA AND SA DIGITAL CONNECTS TO MAKE SURE YOUR BOARD IS FILLED UP THAT YOU HAVE LABOR REPRESENTATION ON THERE.
BRIAN, I'M GONNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET ALL THE MAPS AND DATA WE NEED BECAUSE WE DO WANT THEM TO CONNECT.
AND, UM, ONE THING I SAW IS THEY HAVE DEVICES.
SOME OF MY SENIORS, THEY ALL HAVE PHONES.
THEY'RE THE RELUCTANCY IS THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO CONNECT TO THEM OR THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE.
AND SO, I'M, I'M THANK I, I WANNA THANK THE LIBRARY AND, UH, I T S FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT PROPOSAL.
I THINK THAT WAS A, A GREAT MOVE AND WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE PEOPLE CONNECTED.
AND I THINK THE OTHER THING IS WE NEED TO HAVE WIDER CONVERSATIONS TO SEE IF OUR, OUR BIG THREE, UM, GRANDE SPECTRUM AT AND T WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
AND IF THEY DON'T WANNA DO IT, ARE THEY OKAY WITH US BRINGING SOMEBODY ELSE IN TO DO IT AS LONG AS WE'RE, WE'RE USING, UH, UNION LABOR.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT, BUT ALEX, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, THERE'S SOME IN OUR GENERAL BUDGET, SO WE'RE NOT JUST GOING WITH THIS 6.9, UH, BUT IF WE CAN, AND IF WE DO, IT'S LIKE 6.9, AND THEN IF WE GET BOTH, WE FIND MONEY FOR THE OTHER 6.9.
BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE A MORE, A MORE ROUND NUMBER, LIKE 10 MILLION AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS.
UM, IS THERE NOT STILL SOME STATE MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE NOW THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET? UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN TEXAS? UH, SO THEY DID ALLOCATE FUNDS.
NOW THAT IS, UH, A LOT OF RURAL FUNDING.
UH, THEY HAVE NOT PROVIDED NOFO FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT.
BUT WE ARE AWAITING THEIR NOTIFICATION OF THAT UNLESS WE'VE GOTTEN ANY, NO, SORRY.
SO WE MAY GET SOMETHING, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE STATE CONVERSATION AGAIN.
UM, WOULD I BE, WOULD I BE RIGHT IN PRESUMING THAT IF WE PUT OUT AN R F I OR AN R F Q AMONG OUR, OUR PROVIDERS, THAT WE WOULD SAY, WE WOULD IDENTIFY, THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE KNOW THERE IS NO COVERAGE.
SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HELP US PROVIDE THIS COVERAGE, THEY WOULD KNOW THE AREAS THAT ARE EMPTY AND THEY COULD PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD INCORPORATE BRINGING ALL THOSE INTO THE SYSTEM.
THAT IS THE ASSUMPTION AND INTENT.
UM, ALSO, ARE WE CONSIDERING, UH, REACHING OUT TO, UH, STARLINK SATELLITE AS A PROVIDER? I KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'VE JUST PROVIDED, UH, COVERAGE IN UKRAINE AFTER UKRAINE LOST ITS COVERAGE BECAUSE OF ITS WAR.
SO, UH, AND I THINK HE'S LAUNCHED THOUSANDS OF COMMUNICATION SATELLITES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO I HEAR IT'S A SERVICE THAT THAT'S OUT THERE.
SO, UH, I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF THAT WOULD BE A RELIABLE PARTNER TO LOOK TO.
IT HAS BEEN SOMETHING IN OUR PORTFOLIO OF EXPLORATORY ITEMS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE.
SO, UM, I, UH, I MADE THE MISTAKE OF NOT CALLING ON OUR, UM, SIGNED UP SPEAKERS.
UH, AND THEY, THEY CAME ALL THIS WAY AND PARKED DOWNTOWN AND SAT THROUGH, UH, OTHER PRESENTATIONS.
AND, UH, IT'S YOUR TURN, FELLAS.
AND SO I, WHO DO WE HAVE? THE FIRST SPEAKER IS RA AND APOLOGIES.
MR. COUNCILMAN? UH, MY NAME IS JEROME MAGAR AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATION WORKERS OF AMERICA, LOCAL 61 43.
HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, C W A, UH, OUR MEMBERS ARE EMPLOYED NEARLY EVERY ASPECT OF TELECOM SECTOR, WHICH INCLUDES FIBER, BUILD OUT MAIN MAINTENANCE, MOBILITY, AND WIRELESS SERVICES AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT.
THE PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE URGENT NEED TO EXPAND HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND ACCESS TO OUR, UH, UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
UH, FOR, UH, FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES, C W A HAS ADVOCATED FOR AFFORDABLE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET, ALONG WITH PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET TO THE UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE EXPAND OUR CITY'S BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE IN A WAY, UH, IN A WAY THAT WILL CREATE MORE GOOD JOBS LOCALLY, AND THAT WILL PROVIDE RELIABLE INTERNET ACCESS FOR YEARS TO COME.
OUR CITY CAN ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS BY INVESTING IN THE LAST MILE FIBER OPTIC CONNECTION TO THE PREMISE, AND IMPLEMENTING LABOR STANDARDS THAT WILL DEPLOY A WELL-TRAINED WORKFORCE AND CREATE MORTGAGE JOBS LOCALLY.
JUST A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, UH, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED RULES OF GUIDELINES OF FEDERAL
[02:10:01]
BROADBAND EQUITY ACCESS AND DEPLOYMENT, WHICH IS CALLED BEAD THE PROGRAM, WHICH, UH, WILL ALLOCATE 45 42 0.5 BILLION TO THE STATES OF, UH, FOR BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT.UH, C W A WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO ADOPT ROLES THAT WILL ENSURE HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTIONS TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD AND THE UNITED STATES, WHILE CREATING HIGH QUALITY JOBS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
A HISTORIC FIRST, UH, FOR FEDERAL BROADBAND FUNDING, THE B PROGRAM RULES RECOGNIZE THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT THE BROADBAND PROVIDERS AND CONTRACTORS THAT RECEIVE THESE FUNDS MUST HAVE PROACTIVE PLANS IN PLACE TO ENSURE LABOR COMPLIANCE AND HIGH QUALITY TRAINING.
IN FACT, FAIR LABOR PRACTICES ARE AMONG THE PRIMARY CRITERIA OF PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS TO ENSURE BROADBAND FUNDS ARE USED TO CREATE MORE GOOD JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES LOCALLY IN OUR CITY.
THE FEDERAL RULES ALSO REQUIRE STATES TO CONSULT WITH LABOR UNIONS AS THEY DEVELOP THEIR BEAD, UH, FUNDING PROPOSALS, WHICH MEANS FRONTLINE WORKERS WILL BE, UH, AT THE TABLE TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE.
IN, IN CLOSING, THE BEAD PROGRAM, PRIORI PRIORITIZES LAST MILE HIGH SPEED FIBER CONNECTION DIRECTLY TO THE HOMES, UH, OF THE UNSERVED, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, AND THE UNDERSERVED WITH LABOR STANDARDS THAT WILL HELP CREATE MORE GOOD JOBS LOCALLY.
THIS PROGRAM COMBINED WITH THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM, THE A C P IS DEPRIVED LOW TO NO COST ACCESS, AND CURRENTLY THE BEST TOOL AVAILABLE TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN SAN ANTONIO, C W A ASKS THAT THE CITY PARTICIPATE AND TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE BE PROGRAM TO EFFECTIVELY BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BETWEEN THE SER UH, THE SERVED AND UNDERSERVED.
C W A ALSO ASKS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO ADOPT SIMILAR LABOR STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FROM THE BE PROGRAM INTO OUR CITY'S PROCUREMENT PROCESS WHEN DISTRIBUTED FUNDS FOR OUR BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
THAT'S OUR ASK, AND WE THANK Y'ALL.
KRISTIN VERA CRUZ, MS. VERA CRUZ IS NOT HERE.
SO, UH, ROUNDING OUT OUR CONVERSATION.
UM, THERE IS ALSO A SENSE OF URGENCY FOR THIS ONE, BRIAN.
UM, AND SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO REMOVE OBSTACLES SO THAT THESE RFIS GO OUT SOONER THAN LATER? UH, I, I THINK WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THE REAL CONVERSATION IS AROUND THE, THE BIG BUCKETS OF FEDERAL LEVELS.
UM, I, I'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU AT THE NEXT E W D C MEETING ABOUT THE R F I R F Q PROCESS.
BUT I THINK THAT'S IN ALL REAL HOUSE RIGHT NOW.
WHEN, WHEN IS THAT, ALEX? WHEN, WHEN IS THE NEXT MEETING? JUNE 10TH.
YEAH, WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF AROUND THE CORNER.
AND SO I'M, I'M, I'M GIVING YOU A, A A, A PREVIEW OF THE MOVIE.
I'M GONNA BE PUSHING YOU REALLY HARD TO GET THESE OUT IN LIGHT SPEED.
I MEAN, WE, WE NEED TO DEPLOY, RIGHT? UM, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE COUNTY WANTS TO PARTNER WITH US IN, IN THIS, AND SO, UM, WE CAN'T BE PERCEIVED AS, AS BEING SLOWER THAN THEM IN THIS RESPONSE.
RIGHT? AND SO, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SIGNALING TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT, THAT THERE'S VITAMIN B 12 HERE THAT WE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE BURNING JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE GET THIS DONE.
UM, THE OTHER THING I I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS I, I SPENT THE, UH, I SPENT THIS WEEKEND AT THE REGION ONE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, UH, CONFERENCE DOWN IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, UM, SPEAKING TO SUPERINTENDENTS AND, UM, AND TRUSTEES FROM EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, IN THE VALLEY.
AND WE, UM, AND, AND I'M, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT OUR, YOUR EFFORTS, BRIAN, UM, AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE LIGHTING UP, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HOMES OF, OF, OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AT THESE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND THE SOUTH OF SAN ANTONIO, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR MORE VULNERABLE ONES HAS BEEN NOTICED.
I WAS PRESENTING TO THEM AND, UM, THEY, THEY INVITED ME TO COME TALK TO THEM ABOUT THIS.
AND THEY'RE WANTING TO EMULATE A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE DONE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE POCKETS OF SAN ANTONIO THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE BIGGEST CONNECTIVITY PROBLEMS, BUT IF YOU REALLY WANNA LOOK AT THE BIGGEST CONNECTIVITY PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU JUST GOTTA GO TO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY.
UH, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE WANTING TO DO, UM, THEY WANNA DO IT THE SAN ANTONIO WAY.
AND SO MARINA PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE EXPECTING A LOT OUT OF US.
SO, UH, COUNCILMAN MC CASTILLO.
UM, ONE THING THAT I FAILED TO, TO ARTICULATE, RIGHT, WHEN I MENTIONED THE VIOLATIONS THAT THE CLIMATE JOBS PROJECT HIGHLIGHTED, UM, THEY WERE PRIMARILY FAIR LABOR STANDARD VIOLATIONS, RIGHT? THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND AUSTIN.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK OUR, UM, UH, THE C W A PRESIDENT FOR GIVING PUBLIC COMMENT TO HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT PIECE WITHIN THIS PROCESS, RIGHT? SO THAT WAY, RIGHT, THERE'S NOT A FOLLOW UP STORY TO, TO HIGHLIGHTING THOSE POOR LABOR PRACTICES, UM, BUT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING FAIR LABOR STANDARDS, RIGHT? AND I KNOW IT IS WHAT WE DO, UM, HOWEVER, TO ENSURE THAT IT IS PRIORITIZED.
[02:15:01]
WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO HEAR FROM THIS COMMITTEE OR CITY COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THE C W A IS A STAKEHOLDER, UH, IN THIS CONVERSATION? UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT TAKE? UH, I, I NEED TO DISCUSS WITH MY LEADERSHIP.UM, SO I, I NEED TO DISCUSS WITH MY LEADERSHIP, BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, C W A REPRESENTS AT AND T TELECOMMUNICATIONS WORKERS.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO THAT IF, IF I'M HAVING AN OPEN CONVERSATION, UNDERSTAND ABOUT REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A CONVENING OF OTHER ENTITIES AS WELL, THAT WASTES THE BALANCED CONVERSATION.
THAT IS NOT TO EXCLUDE C W A OR ELIMINATE THAT CONVERSATION.
IT'S JUST I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO NEEDS TO ALSO BE IN THAT CONVERSATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND I, I WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON THAT, RIGHT? AND IT COULD BE COMMUNICATION WORKERS IN GENERAL.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE C W A FOR BEING HERE.
AND, UM, UH, I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, UH, AND COUNCILWOMAN ADRIANA ROCHE GARCIA, I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE C W A IS AT THE TABLE AT EVERY TURN, UH, DURING THIS CONVERSATION.
AND, AND BRIAN, I, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD IT FROM THIS D AND IN THE BACK ROOMS, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING, UM, THAT NOTHING MOVES FORWARD UNLESS WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT THE, THE, THE WORKFORCE ON THE GROUND, RIGHT.
UM, WHO'S WALKING LOCKSTEP WITH US AND SOMO, UM, NOBODY'S FORGOTTEN, UH, AND THE PROMISE THAT WE MADE YOU ALL A LONG TIME AGO.
SO THANKS FOR BEING HERE, GUYS.
UH, THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF THIS MEETING.
WE, UM, MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK, ALEX? JUST FROM A TIMING PERSPECTIVE, I KNOW WE'RE OVER OUR, OUR BUDGETED TIME FOR THIS.
WE CAN, WE CAN POSTPONE IT AND HAVE IT NEXT.
I, I THINK THAT'S, I, I THINK THAT'S BEST.
AND SO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT BRINGS US TO THE END.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR JOINING US.
UM, I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A, A TERRIFIC WEEK.