* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] CITY MANAGER, UH, WANTED TO MAKE EVERYBODY AWARE THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL WILL BE ATTENDING THIS MEETING. VIRTUALLY. MAYOR RON NIERENBERG HAS APPOINTED COUNCILWOMAN VIA GR AS CHAIR PRO TIM, UH, FOR THIS COMMITTEE WHILE COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL IS OUT OF OFFICE. SO, WELCOME, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, CHAIR PRO, TIM, I'VE GOTTA GET IT RIGHT, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, DAVID. UH, THE TIME IS NOW 2 0 8 AND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE COMMITTEE IS CALLED TO ORDER. CITY CLERK. MAY WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MICKEY RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CHAIR SANDOVAL. HERE. CHAIR PRO. TIM GRO HERE, CHAIR PRO. TIM, WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. FIRST ITEM [Approval of Minutes  ] ON TODAY'S AGENDA IS APPROVAL. THE MAY 10TH, 2022 MEETING MINUTES. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. UH, CAN WE HAVE A VOTE OR HAVE MOTION CARRIES? [Briefing and Possible Action on  ] MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE CAPTION? ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE CITY'S C OVID 19 RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS UP UPDATES BY METRO HEALTH STAFF. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. CLAUDE JACOB WITH THE METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT. ON THIS COVER SLIDE, UH, IS A PHOTO FROM OUR NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK ESSAY, FORWARD KICKOFF PRESS EVENT, WHICH OCCURRED THE LAST MONTH. SO I JUST WANNA SAY, AS I GIVE THIS MONTH'S COVID UPDATE, THAT THIS REPRESENTS OUR PIVOT AS A DEPARTMENT AND AS A COMMUNITY, AS WE DEAL WITH THE ONGOING IMPACTS OF THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC. SO, I DO WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE FOR YOUR ONGOING AMBASSADORSHIP AS WE ROLL OUT OUR, UH, ESSAY FORWARD PLAN AND TALK ABOUT OUR HEALTH, HEALTH PRIORITIES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM COVID. SO IN BROAD STROKES, UH, SOME, UH, QUICK SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE. THIS IS A CURRENT STATUS OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE ON THE GROUND. UM, AS OF FEBRUARY, UH, AS OF MAY 23RD, AND COVID YEARS, IT FEELS LIKE FEBRUARY, BUT AS OF MAY 23RD, WE NOW HAVE REPORTED, UH, OVER HALF A MILLION CASES, UH, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC BACK IN MARCH OF 2020. UH, THIS IS UP, UH, OVER 6,000 REPORTED CASES FROM LAST MONTH. UH, WE CURRENTLY SHOW 5,326 DEATHS. THAT'S SIX MORE DEATHS SINCE MY LAST REPORT TO THIS COMMITTEE. OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE HAS GONE UP, UH, TO 3 37 FROM ONE 16 FROM LAST MONTH. NOW, LOOKING AT THE VACCINATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY CURRENTLY, UH, THERE HAS NOT BEEN MUCH CHANGE IN THE OVERALL NUMBER OF THOSE VACCINATED JUST NOW INCREMENTALLY, WE SHOW, UH, OVER 77% OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION, MEANING THOSE FIVE YEARS AND OLDER THAT ARE FULLY VACCINATED. UH, WE CURRENTLY SHOW OF ABOUT A 36% OF THOSE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A BOOSTER, HAVE RECEIVED ONE TO DATE. UH, WE CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT EACH OF OUR, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT THE VACCINE IS THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM SEVERE ILLNESS, HOSPITALIZATION, AND DEATH. AND AS I SHARED LAST MONTH, THE TEAM, UH, HAS REVIEWED THE INDICATORS FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION AND, UH, TO DETERMINE, UH, RISK LEVEL HERE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. AND I'LL WALK THROUGH SOME OF THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. SO, TO YOU ALL JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF HOSPITALIZATIONS. UM, JUST KNOW THAT, UH, IN THE DARK BLUE, UH, WE SHOW 95 IN THE HOSPITAL UP FROM 58, UH, JUST A MONTH AGO, UH, WITH 71% OF THOSE IN THE HOSPITAL, NOT VACCINATED AGAINST C OVID 19 IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT. THAT YELLOW LINE, UH, WE SHOW 30 A MONTH AGO IT WAS 13. AND ON VENTILATORS, UH, WE CURRENTLY SHOW 13, WHICH IS THAT LIGHT BLUE LINE. A MONTH AGO THAT [00:05:01] FIGURE WAS 16. SO WHY ARE WE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS? AGAIN? WE HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THE IMPACTS ON OUR LOCAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. THE C D C SHARED AND PROVIDED THESE THREE INDICATORS TO DETERMINE OUR OVERALL C OVID 19 COMMUNITY RISK LEVEL. SO, IN BROAD STROKES, IT'S ORGANIZED IN THREE CATEGORIES. LOOKING AT PA CASES PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION IN THE SEVEN DAY TOTAL, NEW C OVID 19 ADMISSIONS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION, AS WELL AS THE PERCENT OF STAFF OF INPATIENT BEDS IN USE BY PATIENTS WITH CONFIRMED C OVID 19. SO WHAT WE HAVE BEEN REPORTING OUT OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE C D C, UM, AND WE SHOW THESE RATES, UM, THIS CU CUMULATIVE CASE RATES FOR THE PAST SEVEN DAYS. SO I WANTED TO AT LEAST BRING UP TO SPEED ABOUT WHAT WE SEE EACH WEEK AND AS WE COMMUNICATE OUR OVERALL COMMUNITY RISK LEVEL. UM, AND WE USE THIS RUBRIC, UH, SHARED AGAIN BY OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS TO DETERMINE THAT LEVEL. IT STARTS WITH THE NEW C OVID 19 CASE RATE. IF THE NEW CASE RATES IS 200 OR LESS THAN 200,000 PER HUNDRED POPULATION, 200 PER HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION, THEN WE FOLLOW THE INFORMATION IN THE MAROON BOX, WHICH MIGHT BE A LITTLE HARD TO READ, BUT WHERE IT READS FEWER THAN 200, WE, UM, UH, FOR THE, AND WE FOLLOW THAT. AND THEN FOR THE OTHER TWO INDICATORS, WE DETERMINE WHETHER THE ACTIVITY IS LOW, MEDIUM, OR UM, OR HIGH. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW WE ARE LESS THAN 200. UM, WE SHOW NEW COVID ADMISSIONS, THE RATE IS LESS THAN 10, AND THE PERCENT OF STAFF BEDS IS LESS THAN 10%. THEREFORE, OUR OVERALL COMMUNITY LEVEL IS LOW. IF THE NEW CASE RATE IS ABOVE 200 PER HUNDRED THOUSAND, THEN WE FOLLOW THE GREEN BOX AND YOU FOLLOW THAT ACROSS. SO WE TRY TO KEEP, UH, FOLKS INFORMED OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF OVERALL COMMUNITY RISK LEVEL, WHILE WE'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE GLOBE. THE COMMUTATIVE CASE RATE, UH, PER HUNDRED THOUSAND. RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 1 0 9 PER HUNDRED THOUSAND SLIGHTLY UP FROM LAST WEEK. OUR HOSPITALIZATION HAS INCREASED TO 6.4, WHICH IS AGAIN, UH, SLIGHTLY UP, UM, FROM LAST WEEK. AND THE PERCENT OF, UH, STAFF INPATIENT BEDS OF C OVID 19 INCREASED TO 2%, UH, FROM 2% TO 2.4% BASED ON THE NEW INDICATORS FROM THE PAST WEEK. WE REMAIN IN A LOW RISK LEVEL, YET THE INDICATORS ARE WORSENING, AND WE SHOW THAT FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. SO WE DO NEED TO REMAIN VIGILANT AND REMIND OUR COMMUNITY TO GET VACCINATED AND BOOSTED. ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL SUMMARIZE THE ACTIONS TO TAKE AT EACH LEVEL. AND AS A REMINDER, AT ALL LEVELS, INDIVIDUALS CAN CHOOSE TO WEAR A MASK BASED ON THEIR PERSONAL PREFERENCE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR ARE ROUTINELY AROUND OTHERS WITH UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THIS MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO READ. SO LET ME JUST DO THIS IN BROAD STROKES. THE TABLE OUTLINES THE VARIOUS INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD LEVEL PROTECTION BEHAVIORS AND THE COMMUNITY LEVEL PREVENTION STRATEGIES THAT ARE TO BE FOLLOWED BASED ON THAT REPORTED RISK LEVEL. EACH LEVEL HAS THE, THE ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES AND BEHAVIORS THAT ARE FOLLOWED AT THE NEXT LEVEL. UH, AT THE LOW LEVEL, THE PREVENTION MEASURES FOCUS ON WHAT WE HAVE BEEN, UH, SHARING THROUGH THIS WHOLE PANDEMIC. AND YOU WILL HEAR ME SAY A FEW TIMES DURING THIS PRESENTATION THAT THE INDIVIDUAL PREVENTION MEASURES INCLUDE EVERYONE GETTING, UH, VACCINATED BOOSTED TO TEST IF, UH, CONTACT OR, OR, UM, UH, EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS, UH, HAVING, UH, ACCESS TO GOOD INDOOR VENTILATION AND FOLLOWING ISOLATION AND RECOMMENDED QUARANTINE. AND I WILL CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FOOTNOTE AT THE BOTTOM. AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO AT LEAST SHARE THIS WITH FOLKS THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN CHOOSE TO WEAR A MASK BASED ON THEIR PERSONAL PREFERENCE, UM, INFORMED BY PERSONAL LEVEL OF RISK, UM, PERSONS WITH SYMPTOMS OR POSITIVE TESTS OR EXPOSURE TO SOMEONE. C OVID 19 SHOULD WEAR A MASK. AGAIN, THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS, AND FOR THOSE THAT SPEND SU SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TIME WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT SUFFER FROM UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? UM, I'VE SHARED HERE IN THIS FORUM THAT OUR PERSONAL DECISIONS DO HAVE COMMUNITY IMPACT. WE KEEP REMINDING FOLKS TO VAX UP, BOOST UP, AND WHEN IN DOUBT MASK UP. SO WITH THIS, BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW YOU AS COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN CONTINUE TO BE OUR BEST AMBASSADORS ON THE GROUND IN OUR EFFORT TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF C OVID 19 IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THE COUNCIL CAN HELP SPREAD THE MESSAGES TO YOUR RESPECTIVE CONSTITUENTS, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW TO HELP US MOVE THE LEGAL, UM, ON HOW, UM, UH, AS WE ARE SEEING, UH, SOME OF THESE CASES IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU CAN HELP US GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO REMIND INDIVIDUALS TO GET TESTED IF THEY ARE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS, AND REMIND YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT A THIRD ROUND OF FREE, UM, HOME TESTS ARE AVAILABLE, UH, FROM COVID TESTS.GOV. UH, ONE TOOL THAT WE NOW HAVE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE IN THE PAST IS TREATMENT, WHICH NEEDS TO BE INITIATED WITHIN FIVE DAYS OF SYMPTOMS ONSET. AND INDIVIDUALS CAN CALL 3 1 1 [00:10:01] FOR MORE INFORMATION. AND SHORTLY, I'LL SHOW YOU SOME DATA ON VACCINATION BY AGE GROUP. AND WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO GET THEIR CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY THOSE FIVE TO 11 YEARS OF AGE TO GET VACCINATED, AS WELL AS REMINDING INDIVIDUALS ABOUT GETTING THEIR BOOSTER DOSES. FINALLY, UH, THIS BODY CAN ENCOURAGE MASK WEARING DURING INDOOR MEETINGS AND, UM, WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH WHOM YOU DO, UH, DO NOT INTERACT WITH ON A DAILY BASIS OR MAYBE UNCERTAIN ABOUT THEIR VACCINATION STATUS. SO, SYMPTOMS IN BROAD STROKES, AGAIN, IT'S BEEN A LONG, A COUPLE YEARS. WE'VE NOW NO MORE THAN WE DID AT THE OUTSET OF THIS TWO YEARS AGO. SYMPTOMS CAN RANGE, UH, FROM MILD TO SEVERE ILLNESS AND APPEAR TWO TO FOUR DAYS AFTER YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES C OVID 19. UM, THESE VARY FROM SIM FROM PERSON TO PERSON. SO YOU'LL HEAR REFERENCE TO BRAIN FOG, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, CHRONIC COUGH RACING, HEART FATIGUE, HEADACHES FROM DIZZINESS, ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION OR SLEEP, UH, UH, PROBLEMS. UM, THERE HAS BEEN A QUESTION ABOUT THE IMPACTS, THE ONGOING IMPACTS OF COVID OR LONG COVID. UH, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, PAYING ATTENTION TO OUR PARTNERS AT UT HEALTH AND UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM. THEY'RE THE LOCAL LEADERS IN THIS AREA IN THIS RESEARCH. UM, WE WILL CIRCULATE, UH, RESOURCE FOR FOLKS RECOVER COVID.ORG. AGAIN, THIS IS A NATIONAL STUDY, RECOVER C.ORG. UM, THEY'RE LOOKING AT CLINICAL TRIALS FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF POST-ACUTE SEQUELAE OF SARS COV TO TWO INFECTION. CLEARLY, THE IMPACTS OF LONG COVID I D IS REAL. UH, THE SYMPTOMS MAY BE DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE. UM, THESE ARE ONGOING STUDIES BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. WE DO HAVE OUR PARTNERS, OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS LOCALLY HERE AT UT HEALTH AND UNIVERSITY HEALTH. AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS CIRCULATE FACT SHEETS THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE, UH, AT THIS WEBSITE, AGAIN@RECOVERCOVID.ORG. SO, WITH REGARD TO PERCENT OF, UM, THOSE VA OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION THAT'S BEEN VACCINATED, THIS SLIDE DEMONSTRATES THE PERCENT OF FULLY VACCINATED BY AGE GROUP ON THE LEFT. UM, WHETHER THAT'S MAROON OR RED, JUST KNOW THAT ON THE LEFT, UM, UM, THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE, THOSE BAR GRAPHS. I WOULD LIKE TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FIVE TO 11 YEARS. THOSE FIVE TO 11 YEARS OF AGE, ONLY 25% HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED AS OF LAST WEEK. UH, YOU'VE HEARD ME EARLIER SHARE THAT WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO GET THEIR CHILDREN, UH, FULLY VACCINATED. ON THE RIGHT IS A PERCENT OF THOSE, UH, BOOSTED THAT HAVE RECEIVED THEIR BOOSTER SHOTS BY AGE GROUP. AND THOUGH THE 65, UH, THOSE 65 AND OLDER ARE, ARE DOING VERY WELL AT OVER 68 PER AT ABOUT 68%, WE STILL NEED TO REMIND INDIVIDUALS TO GET THEIR BOOSTER SHOTS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ADDITIONAL PROTECTION. AGAIN, GENERALLY BEING UP TO DATE WITH YOUR VACCINATION REQUIRES AT LEAST ONE BOOSTER. SO, WITH THAT, JUST A GENTLE REMINDER, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES AT THE C D C MET, UH, LAST WEEK AND EXPANDED THE ELIGIBILITY OF C OVID 19 VACCINE BOOSTER DOSES TO EVERYONE FIVE YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER. THE C D C NOW RECOMMENDS THAT CHILDREN AGES FIVE THROUGH 11 SHOULD RECEIVE A BOOSTER, UH, SHOT FIVE MONTHS AFTER THEIR INITIAL, UM, VACCINATION SERIES. AS CASES INCREASE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, A BOOSTER DOSE WILL SAFELY HELP RESTORE AND ENHANCE THE PROTECTION AGAINST SEVERE DISEASE. DURING THIS MEETING LAST WEEK, THE C D C ALSO STRENGTHENED ITS RECOMMENDATION THAT THOSE 12 YEARS AND OLDER WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AND THOSE 50 YEARS AND OLDER SHOULD RECEIVE A SECOND BOOSTER DOSE AT LEAST FOUR MONTHS AFTER THEIR FIRST. SO, WITH REGARDS TO INCENTIVIZING AND GETTING THE WORD OUT, UH, YOU MAY RECALL LAST FALL, WE DID RECEIVE APPROVAL FROM OUR FEDERAL FUNDER TO PURCHASE 10,000 GIFT CARDS. TO DATE, WE'VE, UH, DISTRIBUTED OVER 9,500. THE TOP FIVE ZIP CODES WHERE WE'VE ISSUED THESE CARDS ARE 7 8 2 0 7 7 8 2 4 5 7 8 2 2 3 7 8 2 2 8, AND 7 8 2, 1 0. UH, SO THOSE ARE THE TOP, UH, FIVE ZIP CODES WHERE WE, UH, CONTINUE TO DISTRIBUTE THESE H E B GIFT CARDS. THEY'RE AT A HUNDRED DOLLARS A POP. AND, UM, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, AGAIN, SPREADING THE WORD. AND, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO SHARE THIS AS AN INCENTIVE FOR FOLKS TO GET, UM, THEIR VACCINES SCENES, UH, JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR SUMMER WAVE AND JUST MAKING SURE, UH, SUMMER SPLASH, I SHOULD SAY. UM, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THE WORD OUT FOR FOLKS. UH, THE C OVID 19 TESTING CAMPAIGN REMINDS INDIVIDUALS THAT THE CITY IS OFFERING A NO COST C OVID 19 TESTING AND TREATMENT SITE. UH, THIS CAMPAIGN INCLUDES OUTDOOR BILLBOARDS, SOCIAL MEDIA, ENGLISH, AND SPANISH RADIO SPOTS, UH, FLYER DISTRIBUTION, AND SHARED INFORMATION WITH OUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS ON THE GROUND. THE SITE PROVIDES TESTING, EXAMINATION, AND TREATMENT. THERE'S NO COST FOR THIS, NO INSURANCE NEEDED. THE SITE IS FOR SYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS. AGAIN, THE SITE IS FOR SYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS. [00:15:01] AGAIN, NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED. WE'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THE MESSAGING AROUND PROTECTING YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES. SO, THE HOW STRONG IS YOUR C OVID 19 PROTECTION CAMPAIGN RUNS FROM MAY THROUGH THE END OF JULY. THIS CAMPAIGN INCLUDES BILLBOARDS, SOCIAL MEDIA, ENGLISH, AND SPANISH RADIO FLYERS AND POSTERS. WE'RE DISPLAYING THIS AT PARKS LIBRARY SENIOR CENTERS. THE CAMPAIGN REMINDS INDIVIDUALS THAT THE BEST PROTECTION IS TO GET VACCINATED AND BOOSTED IN TERMS OF KEY, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGING. AGAIN, JUST PUSHING THE WORD OUT, AND YOU CAN HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THIS AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD MESSAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA INCLUDE WEEKLY POSTS OF NO COST VACCINE LOCATIONS EVERY FRIDAY IN THE REAL TALK WITH REAL PROVIDERS, UH, WHICH IS A, UH, SERIES THAT WAS TAPED, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, ADDRESSING VACCINE HESITANCY AND APATHY. SO WITH REGARD TO ONGOING SOCIAL MEDIA AND WEBSITE MESSAGING, JUST KNOW THAT THIS FOCUSES ON THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS. UH, WE KNOW THAT THIS BUG LOVES COMPANY, SO WE'VE PAID ATTENTION TO WHAT HAPPENS WITH THESE LARGE GATHERINGS. SO WE DO WANNA REMIND FOLKS TO CELEBRATE, BUT CELEBRATE SAFELY. UM, SO JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS ONGOING AS PART OF OUR CAMPAIGN TO REMIND FOLKS TO GET VACCINATED, UM, TO WASH THEIR HANDS, TO STAY HOME IF THEY'RE SICK, AND TO WEAR A MASK INDOORS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE UNCERTAIN ABOUT THOSE AROUND THEM AND THEIR VACCINATION STATUS. SO, WITH THAT, THIS IS A PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS, AND THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE. THIS IS REALLY, UM, IN DRAFT FORM. WE'RE TRYING TO ENGAGE WITH YOUNGER AUDIENCES, AND SO EACH ONE OF YOU CAN GET YOUR OWN STICKER AND DECAL, AND YOU CAN PUT IT ON YOUR REFRIGERATORS, BUT JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS ENGAGING WITH THE, UH, YOUNGER AUDIENCES BY INTRODUCING SAN ANTONIO'S SUPERHEROES. WHILE, UH, OUR TEAM AT METRO HEALTH AND OUR PARTNERS OUT ON THE GROUND, WE'VE BEEN REALLY AT IT TO FIGHT AGAINST C OVID 19. WE HAVE ON THE LEFT THERE PUBLIC HEALTH PETE, UH, WHO CREATES AWARENESS OF PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES AND REMINDS OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WAYS TO STAY SAFE AGAINST C OVID 19, UH, AND PUBLIC HEALTH. PETE'S COUNTERPART IS LENA LINKS, UH, WHO CONNECTS INDIVIDUALS AND RESOURCES AND DIRECTS THEM TO THE BEST PLACE TO GET HELP. AGAIN, WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC, IT'S THE CHALLENGE OF NOT ONLY THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, BUT ALSO THE INFO DEMIC, THE INFORMATION OVERLOAD OUT THERE. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO A BETTER JOB, BE VERY CREATIVE WITH GETTING TO TARGETED AUDIENCES. SO THERE ARE ACTIVITY BOOKS, STICKERS, AND MERCHANDISE THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT VARIOUS OUTREACH EVENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. REALLY JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO PROVIDE THIS UPDATE ON BEHALF OF OUR FANTASTIC TEAM AT METRO HEALTH. WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK DILIGENTLY THROUGH THE SUMMER AT ENSURING THAT APPROPRIATE MESSAGING AND OUR RESPONSE IS BEING MET THROUGH ANY POSSIBLE SURGE. THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK. ARE THERE ANY CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? THERE WERE NO CITIZENS SIGNED UP FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. OKAY. I'LL OPEN UP DISCUSSION BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, EACH MEMBER WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES. UH, DO WE WANNA BEGIN WITH COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL? COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL? THANK YOU, CHAIR. UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? UM, THIS IS, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET USED TO THIS. IT'S HARD TO, TO TALK WHEN I CAN'T SEE YOUR FACES. UH, SO FIRST OF ALL, CLAUDE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, I KNOW WE HAD A, A REALLY, UM, FRUITFUL CONVERSATION NOT LONG AGO ABOUT WHAT RESOURCES WE CAN SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL REGARDING, UH, WHAT THEY SHOULD DO IN THEIR WORKPLACE, IN OUR FIELD OFFICES WHEN WE HOST EVENTS. SO I THINK THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDED TODAY IS EXACTLY WHAT, UH, WHAT WE NEEDED TO HEAR. UH, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR SHARING THAT WITH US. AND, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE, THE SUPERHEROES. AND, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR. I WILL HAVE TO, UH, EXCUSE MYSELF IN A, IN A FEW MINUTES FOR A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU CHAIR. THANKS, CLAUDE, FOR THE PRESENTATION. UH, ARE THE SPIKES THAT WE'RE SEEING UNIQUE TO SAN ANTONIO, OR IS THERE A NATIONAL TREND THAT WE'RE SEEING? UM, AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. YES, WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING FROM COAST TO COAST, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHEAST REGION. SO WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. WE'RE PAYING OBVIOUSLY CLOSER ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY AND ACROSS THE STATE. SO IT'S NOT UNIQUE TO SAN ANTONIO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. UM, WHICH IS WHY WE REMAIN VIGILANT. AND JUST NOTE TO DATE, OUR OVERALL COMMUNITY RISK LEVEL REMAINS LOW. THANK YOU. AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT JOB THAT, UH, YOUR DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO DO WITH OUTREACH AND THE CAMPAIGN TO CONNECT FOLKS TO RESOURCES AND THE BOOSTER AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. UH, YESTERDAY I WAS AT ELINOR PARK. I TOOK MY LITTLE NEPHEW TO GO FEED THE BIRDS, AND, UH, WE DID A LAP AROUND THE PARK AND AT THE PLAYGROUND THERE WERE SO MANY KIDS, RIGHT? AND IT WAS A, A WEDNESDAY, RIGHT? UM, HAVE YOU ALL CONSIDERED [00:20:01] A POP-UP IN THE PARK WITH POTENTIALLY PAIRED WITH PAASS IN THE PARK, UM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEMONSTRATING, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH, PETE, UH, AND CONNECTING FOLKS TO THAT BOOSTER. UM, HAVE Y'ALL EXPLORED SOME POP-UPS LIKE THAT? UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT SUGGESTION. I APPRECIATE THAT. I'LL TAKE THAT BACK TO THE TEAM. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, EACH WEEK, EACH FRIDAY, WE SEND OUT THE SCHEDULE, NOT JUST WITH METRO HEALTH, BUT WITH OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS. YES. WE ARE LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT VENUES FOR OUTREACH EVENTS TO PUBLICIZE PUBLIC HEALTH, PETE AND, UH, LENA LINKS. YEAH. SO WE'LL MAKE SURE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. AND I DO WANT TO THANK YOU. EARLIER IN THE YEAR, YOU HAD SUGGESTED THAT WE GO TO SOME OF THE, UH, LOCAL MARKETS. SO WE TRY TO AT LEAST ADJUST OUR ROUTINE EACH WEEK, EACH MONTH. UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT SUGGESTION. I'LL TAKE THAT BACK TO THE TEAM. GREAT, THANK YOU. AND YOUR COMMS, UH, IS DOING A GREAT JOB. LIKE, I LOVE THE GRAPHICS AND THE COLORS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING YOU WANNA READ, RIGHT? AND A KID WOULD WANNA PICK UP AND GO THROUGH. SO, GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. COUNCILMAN BRAVO. THANK YOU, CLAUDE, FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE ABOUT, UM, PETE AND LENA, IF WE COULD GET THEM OUT THERE, UH, JUST REMIND THEM THAT WE WANT THEM TO GET THE COVID TO 19 BOOSTERS, OF COURSE, BUT WE ALSO NEED THEM TO GET ALL THE REGULAR VACCINES FOR BACK TO SCHOOL. SO I THINK KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT BRIEFING ON THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HAVE A SAFE SUMMER, MADAM CLERK. CAN WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM? ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, ARPA SPENDING FRAMEWORK, IMPACTFUL INVESTMENTS FOR NONPROFITS AND SOCIAL SERVICES RELATED TO IMMIGRATION SERVICES. AND I BELIEVE THERE'S A STAFF PRESENTATION. YES. GREAT. SO, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, MELODY WOOSLEY, HUMAN SERVICES, UH, DIRECTOR. SO TODAY I AM PRESENTING ON OUR PROPOSED PHASE ONE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR ARPA, NONPROFIT AND SOCIAL SERVICES INVESTMENTS. AND THIS ITEM REQUEST, UM, CHECK APPROVAL TO MOVE THE PHASE ONE PLAN FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION. ON JUNE THE SECOND, PHASE ONE WENT $5 MILLION FROM THE NONPROFIT AND SOCIAL SERVICES FUNDING CATEGORY TO SUPPORT IMMIGRATION SERVICES. UM, THIS PHASE ONE PLAN INCLUDES PROPOSED FUNDING PRIORITIES, THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS AND IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE. THE PLAN WAS BUILT ON CITY COUNCIL AND CHECK COMMITTEE GUIDANCE, AS WELL AS TARGETED IMMIGRATION IMMIGRANT STAKEHOLDER AND SERVICE PROVIDER FEEDBACK FROM THREE SESSIONS HELD IN MAY, MAY 6TH, MAY 9TH, AND MAY 20TH. AND SINCE WE LAST PRESENTED ON MAY THE 10TH, WE HAVE USED CHECK INPUT AND STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK TO IDENTIFY PROPOSED PROGRAMS, STRATEGIES, OUTCOMES, AND METRICS. UM, TO ADDRESS THOSE C OVID 19 IMPACTS ON NON-CITIZEN COMMUNITIES WHO ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC, WE ARE PROPOSING TO FOCUS ON TWO PRIMARY C OVID 19 IMPACTS DECREASED ECONOMIC SECURITY, AS WELL AS DECREASED ACCESS TO PATHWAYS FOR LEGAL CITIZENSHIP IDENTIFIED PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES WORK TOWARDS CREATING A SAFETY NET TO SUPPORT FAMILY STABILITY AND LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY AND EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEGAL CITIZENSHIP. ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK RELATED TO TO INCREASED NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES COULD BE ADDRESSED THROUGH A PLAN DEVELOPED IN CONCERT WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE. AND SO, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, WE ARE PROPOSING COMPETITIVE FUNDING PROCESS WITH A PLAN TWO YEAR CONTRACT TERM. OUR GOAL WITH YOUR APPROVAL IS TO REQUEST CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THIS PLAN ON JUNE THE SECOND, AND RELEASE AN R F P FOR IMMIGRATION SERVICES ON JUNE THE SIXTH. WE WOULD USE JUNE AND JULY TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS WITH PROPOSED APPLICANTS AND APPLICATIONS WOULD BE DUE ON JULY THE EIGHTH. OUR PROPOSED VALUATION WOULD INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UM, IMMIGRANT LI LIAISON, TINO, UH, BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, UNITED WAY OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY. SPECIFICALLY THE, THEY ARE THE LOCAL, UM, EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER ADMIN, UH, ADMINISTRATOR FOR SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY, THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION, AS WELL AS BEXAR COUNTY. UM, THESE RECOMMENDED AWARDS WILL BE PRE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION [00:25:01] IN EARLY AUGUST WITH A CONTRACT START DATE BY SEPTEMBER 1ST. AND SO, IN TERMS OF THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS, WE ARE RECOMMENDING TWO SEPARATE, THOSE TWO SEPARATE PROCESSES, ONE FOR IMMIGRATION SERVICES AND A SEPARATE PROCESS FOR THE BALANCE OF NONPROFIT FUNDING. THIS, THESE REMAINING NONPROFIT FUNDS WOULD BE IN COM, ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN A COMBINED R F P TO INCLUDE SENIOR SERVICES AND YOUTH SERVICES. WE ARE ALSO PROPOSING AN ABBREVIATED NON-COMMUNICATION PERIOD. UM, FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT WOULD BE BEGIN WHEN THE RFPS ARE, UM, SUBMITTED AND END WHEN THE ITEM IS POSTED TO THE AGENDA FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION. NON-COMMUNICATION FOR CITY STAFF WOULD FOLLOW THE USUAL TIMELINE BEGINNING WHEN THE R F P IS RELEASED AND ENDING WHEN THE ITEM IS POSTED TO THE A SESSION AGENDA. AND WE PLAN TO USE A SIMPLIFIED ONLINE APPLICATION FOR RESPONSES, AND WE WILL PROVIDE, UM, ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH TECHNOLOGY FOR ANY ORGANIZATION THAT NEEDS IT AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY. AND SO FOR AWARDS, WE ARE RECOMMENDING A MINIMUM AWARD OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OVER A TWO YEAR TERM. WITH INCREASED FUNDING FLEXIBILITY, WE WANT TO ALLOW AN ADMINISTRATIVE RATE UP TO 30% IN ORDER TO HELP AGENCIES RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC. AND SO, IN SUMMARY, UM, WE'RE REQUESTING YOUR APPROVAL TODAY TO MOVE THIS ITEM. UM, THE PROPOSED PHASE ONE PLAN FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION, AND THAT WOULD HAPPEN ON JUNE THE SECOND. THE R F P WOULD BE RELEASED ON JUNE THE SIXTH AND CLOSE ON JULY 8TH. AND WE WILL EVALUATE PROPOSALS, DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH THE MONTH OF JULY WITH, UM, A REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL, UM, A CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDED AWARDS IN EARLY AUGUST. AND THAT DOES CONCLUDE MY FORMAL PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MELODY. EMILY, WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE TWO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE. THE FIRST CITIZEN SIGNED UP IS JILL RIPS. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M JILL RIPS. I'M WITH THE CENTER FOR REFUGEE SERVICES. UH, THE CENTER FOR REFUGEE SERVICES, OR C R S WAS ESTABLISHED 12 YEARS AGO, AND WE'RE LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE REFUGEE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. C R S PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT TO LEGALLY RESETTLED REFUGEES FROM ASIA, AFRICA, AND THE MIDDLE EAST. WE USED TO SERVE ABOUT A THOUSAND ACTIVE CLIENT FAMILIES PER YEAR WITH ONLY TWO PAID STAFF MEMBERS AND A CADRE OF WELL-TRAINED VOLUNTEERS. FOLLOWING THE FALL OF KABUL, WHICH WAS AUGUST 15TH, 2021 THROUGH FEBRUARY 20 SEC, 22 OF THIS YEAR, C R SS HAS WELCOMED TO OUR OFFICE OVER 2,600 AFGHAN HUMANITARIAN PAROLEES TO SAN ANTONIO, PROVIDING THEM WITH BEDDING, TOWELS, TOILETRY DIAPERS, FEMININE HYGIENE, AND FOOD. AFTER THEIR INITIAL WELCOME VISIT, C R SS HAS ASSISTED THEM WITH FOOD STAMPS, MEDICAID, CARELINK, ENROLLMENT, JOB PLACEMENT, AND MANY OTHER NEEDS. THROUGH OUR VOLUNTEER NETWORK, WE HAVE PROVIDED THE NEW ARRIVALS IN THEIR RENTAL APARTMENTS WITH BEDS, BASIC FURNITURE, ESSENTIAL HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, WITH AN IN-KIND VALUE OF $1.4 MILLION. LATE 2022, EARLY 2020, UH, SORRY, LATE 2021 AND EARLY 2022, WE NEEDED TO HIRE ADDITIONAL SHORT TERM STAFFING FOR CASE MANAGEMENT, HEALTHCARE AND SNAP ENROLLMENT INTERPRETERS TO ADEQUATELY ASSIST THE NEW ARRIVALS ONGOING NEEDS. OUR ACTIVE CLIENTS HAVE INCREASED FOURFOLD FROM A THOUSAND TO OVER 3,600 FOR THE FIRST WAVE. WE'RE NOW REGISTERING SECONDARY AFGHAN PAROLEES WHO ORIGINALLY RESETTLED IN OTHER US CITIES AND ARE COMING TO SAN ANTONIO. AND WE ANTICIPATE AN ADDITIONAL A THOUSAND AFGHAN HUMANITARIAN PAROLEES MUST APPLY FOR ASYLUM WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THEIR ARRIVAL TO MAINTAIN THEIR LEGAL STATUS IN THE US. AND WITH BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CHANGES IN REFUGEE QUOTAS, C R SS EXPECTS AN ADDITIONAL 1000 LEGAL REFUGEES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES NEEDING CR S'S HELP. OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, LARGER RESETTLEMENT AND IMMIGRATION NONPROFITS WHO ARE OFTEN PART OF STATEWIDE OR EVEN NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, HAVE ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND LARGER SOURCES OF FUNDING. [00:30:01] SMALLER NONPROFITS LIKE C R S OFTEN DO THE LION'S SHARE OF SERVICES FOR REFUGEES BEYOND INITIAL RESETTLEMENT, BUT HAVE MORE LIMITED ACCESS TO CRITICALLY NEEDED FUNDED C R S NEEDS AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT FUNDING FOR IMMIGRANT NONPROFITS OF 150,000 A YEAR FOR TWO YEARS TO SUPPORT NEEDED STAFF, INCLUDING INTERPRETERS. C R S ALSO SUPPORTS THE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION FOR IMMIGRANTS REQUEST FOR RECOVERY ACT FUNDING TO SUPPORT TIMELY ASYLUM APPLICATIONS FOR THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN HUMANITARIAN PAROLEES. AND WE WILL PROVIDE SPACE IN OUR OFFICE FOR THEIR INTERVIEWS, C R S HOPES WE CAN RELY ON THIS COMMITTEE AND CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT FOR RECOVERY ACT FUNDING TO CONTINUE TO MEET THE REFUGEE COMMUNITIES, OTHERWISE UNMET CRITICAL NEEDS. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU MR. RIPS. UH, NEXT IS FREDENBERG. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M, UH, FREDENBERG AND I'M ONE OF THE DIRECTORS OF THE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION FOR IMMIGRANTS. AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL ON THIS COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE ABOUT SUPPORT FOR THE IMMIGRATION ISSUES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AMERICAN ORGANIZATION FOR IMMIGRANTS IS LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED TODAY, A NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON PROVIDING IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES AT NO OR AT LOW COST. WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS. OUR OFFICE IS AT 7 0 2 DONALDSON ACROSS THE STREET FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL. TODAY I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO TWO ISSUES. ONE, A PETITION FOR SUPPORT FOR A O I AND TWO, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. FUNDING FOR NONPROFITS THAT PROVIDE IMMIGRATION SERVICES. WHILE OUR FOCUS IS ON LEGAL SERVICES, WE FIND THAT OFTEN WE SERVE AS AN ENTRYWAY FOR OUR CLIENTS TO FIND EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, TO REGISTER THEIR CHILDREN IN SCHOOL, TO REPORT TO THE US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT OFFICE, AND NAVIGATE THE PROCESSES FOR IMMIGRATION COURT. THESE ACTIVITIES REFLECT OUR VISION AND VALUES TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THOSE SEEKING LEGAL, PERMANENT RESIDENT AND CITIZENSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES. WITH THE UNITED STATES DEPARTURE FROM AFGHANISTAN AND THE SURGE OF ARRIVALS OF THE US TO THE US BORDER, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM VENEZUELA, CENTRAL AMERICA, CUBA, AND HAITI. HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO MERITED LEGAL, UH, IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE IN SAN ANTONIO EXPLODED ACCORDING TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IMMIGRATION LIAISON OFFICES OVER 90,000 IMMIGRANTS MIGRANTS PASSED THROUGH SAN ANTONIO IN 2021. THIS FAR, THIS FAR THIS YEAR, IT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ABATED IN 2021, WE CONTINUED OUR ACTIVITIES. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC, WE HELPED SOME 200 CLIENTS ALMOST DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF 2020. AND BY OUR ROUGH ESTIMATE, WE ESTIMATE THAT WE IMPACTED THE LIVES OF SOME THOUSAND PEOPLE. THE INCREASES STEMMED FROM THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM OR SEEKING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS, AND THE CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PETITIONS FILED FOR LAWFUL RESIDENTS OR CITIZENSHIP. MANY OF THOSE ARE IN ANTICIPATION OF POSSIBLE CHANGES TO US IMMIGRATION POLICY UNDER PRESIDENT BIDEN. WE'VE ALSO CORROBORATED WITH OTHER NONPROFITS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO OFFER PRO BONO OR LOW COST LEGAL SERVICES. FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE JILL WAS JUST TALKING ON THE CENTER FOR REFUGEE SERVICES. WE'VE RECEIVED SOME OF OUR CLIENTS AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH ACADEMIA AMERICA. ONE OF OUR MOST SATISFYING SUCCESSES WAS THE CASE OF A CLIENT WHO ARRIVED TO THE UNITED STATES IN 2018. SHE LOST HER HUSBAND IN 2019, WHO WAS KILLED BY A YOUTH IN A STOLEN CAR BY THE POLICE IN HOT PURSUIT. LET ME FINISH THIS STORY 'CAUSE IT'S A GOOD STORY. HE CRASHED INTO OUR CLIENT'S HUSBAND'S CAR AND KILLED HIM. OUR CLIENT, WHO WAS FIVE MONTHS PREGNANT AT THE TIME, LEARNED OF HER HUSBAND'S DEATH WHEN A LOCAL TV STATION SHOWED UP TO INTERVIEW HER. WE HELPED HER WITH HER ASYLUM APPLICATION AND DEFINED EMPLOYMENT. AND REALLY JUST BY BEING THERE FOR HER, SHE WAS GRANTED ASYLUM AFTER HER HEARING IN 2021. WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF MORE, UH, CASES LIKE THAT WHERE U S C I SS WENT TO AN INDIVIDUAL'S HOUSE. HE WAS VERY ILL, INTERVIEWED HIM AND CAME BACK WITHIN TWO HOURS AND GRANTED HIS CITIZENSHIP. THE GENTLEMAN KIND OF REALIZED THAT HE HAD FULFILLED HIS MISSION AND [00:35:01] HE EXPIRED, BUT BEFORE HE DIED, HE WAS ABLE TO GET BENEFITS FOR HIS FAMILY TO US BENEFITS. THESE ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS THAT SMALL NGOS LIKE US THAT WE CAN DO. IF INDEED THIS, UH, GOES FORWARD, A O I, WE WILL SUPPO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL, AND I'M LOOKING TO RESPOND TO THE R F P, AND WE'LL BE ASKING FOR SOMETHING LIKE A $230,000 OVER THAT TWO YEAR PERIOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I WILL LEAVE A A COPY OF MY PREPARED REMARKS FOR THE RECORD. THANK YOU, MR. SHEINBERG. AND THANK YOU FOR THE HANDOUTS. MM-HMM. , YOU, YOU BOTH PROVIDED. THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SPEAK TODAY. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE THE ITEM FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL? A SESSION ON JUNE 2ND, 2022. MOTION TO MOVE THE ITEM FORWARD. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND I'LL OPEN UP FOR COUNCIL COMMENTS. WE'LL START WITH, UH, THE PERSON THAT MADE THE MOTION. COUNCILMAN BRAVO. YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU, CHAIR. YOU KNOW, AS I, UH, WATCHED THE PRESENTATION AND HEARD THE COMMENTS, I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT, UH, THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION AND HOW WE ARE IN NATION OF IMMIGRANTS AND HOW IMMIGRANTS MAKE US GREAT. AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CONTINUE TO PAVE THE, THE, THE WAY FOR IMMIGRANTS TO CONTINUE TO COME TO OUR COUNTRY AND BE SUCCESSFUL AND TAKE CARE OF THEM IN ANY WAY NEEDED WHEN THEY GET HERE. I AM, UH, IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM. AND, UM, PLEASE SEND MY REGARDS TO MARGARET CONSTANTINO, WHO IS A, UH, A LIFELONG HERO OF MINE, AND, UM, WHO, UH, WHEN I WAS A CHILD, DIDN'T MAKE ME PAY FOR HITTING A BASEBALL THROUGH HER FRONT WINDOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BRAVO. UH, COUNCILMAN MINKE RODRIGUEZ? NO. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU CHAIR. UH, I WANNA THANK CITY STAFF FOR WORKING ON THIS ITEM TO ENSURE THAT WE GET RESOURCES, UH, OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY AS SOON AS WE CAN. UM, AND THANK YOU MELODY FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR SHARING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU. AND I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, WHO, UH, WAS THE ONE THAT MADE THE MOTION, THAT MADE SURE WE MADE THIS PRIORITY. I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, GETTING THAT R F P DONE. AND MELODY, I'VE SAID BEFORE THAT WE ASKED THE QUESTIONS OF HOW THEY PIVOTED DURING THE PANDEMIC, HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO SERVICE, UH, INDIVIDUALS, WHAT SORT OF EFFORTS THEY MADE TO KEEP THEIR STAFF. AND I THINK WITH ALL THAT INFORMATION, UH, AND ESPECIALLY FOR VOLUNTEER ORIENTED, UM, AGENCIES, WE WILL GET SOME GOOD APPLICATIONS THAT'LL HELP, UH, HELP US GET OUTTA THIS PANDEMIC. SO THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. ANYONE. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE ITEM, PLEASE VOTE USING THE SYSTEM. MOTION CARRIES. AND NEXT, THE NEXT ITEM, UH, CAN YOU READ THE CAPTION? ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERRED PURCHASING POLICY. MADAM CHAIR AND, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, DOUG MELNICK, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER, UH, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US A FEW MINUTES TO PROVIDE THIS BRIEFING ON, UH, THE CITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, PREFERABLE PURCHASING POLICY. UM, THIS WAS A, A, A REQUEST FROM COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, UM, TO, UH, PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF, UH, CURRENT POLICY, SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES IN IN OTHER CITIES, AND SOME STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, AS A PART OF THE SA CLIMATE READY PLAN, UH, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS. UM, AND ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE AS A, AS A CITY IS, UH, WE HAVE DOLLARS THAT WE SPEND ON, ON MATERIALS, UH, AND EQUIPMENT. AND SO ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO REALLY DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO WHAT WE'RE PURCHASING AND WHAT, UM, SOME OF THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS ARE. UM, FOR THOSE, UH, THOSE MATERIALS. I'M GONNA INTRODUCE SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA WALK THROUGH THE PRESENTATION. HE'S OUR, OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT. UH, MURRAY MEYERS IS, UH, OUR SUSTAINABLE MUNICIPAL SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER AND, AND OUR EXPERT ON THIS. AND SO, MURRAY, PLEASE COME ON UP. THANK YOU, DOUG. AND THANK YOU AGAIN, MADAM CHAIR, PRO TIM, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. SO THIS AFTERNOON WE'LL JUMP AROUND NORTH AMERICA AND LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES, REVIEW LOCAL POLICIES, AND DISCUSS NEXT STEPS. AND IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR, SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT POLICIES ARE OFTEN AN UNDERUTILIZED [00:40:01] TOOL TO DRIVE POSITIVE CHANGE. THERE ARE SEVERAL POLICIES OUT THERE, UM, BUT THEY'RE VERY RARELY EFFECTIVE. UM, AND WHAT MAKES THE PURCHASING POLICY EFFECTIVE OR IMPACTFUL? WE DIDN'T JUST BASE THIS DEFINITION ON INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS. WE LOOKED AT NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES AND THE SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING LEADERSHIP COUNCIL PROVIDES A MODEL POLICY BASED ON 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH 180 MEMBERS, UH, REPRESENTING OVER $300 BILLION IN COLLECTIVE PURCHASING POWER. SO, LOOKING AT THEIR MODEL POLICY, YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE KEY COMPONENTS, UH, RESOURCES. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU NEED DEDICATED STAFF, A LEAD DEPARTMENT THAT CAN ACT AS A PROCUREMENT FILTER FACILITATOR AND EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENT IS ALWAYS KEY. INTERDEPARTMENTAL SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES ARE, ARE VERY HELPFUL. AND YOU ALSO NEED TO ANALYZE YOUR SPENDING TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CURRENT AND FUTURE SPENDING PATTERNS ARE. AND LIKE MOST PROGRAMS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UM, YOU HAVE TO TRACK PROGRESS AND REPORT ON RESULTS. SO THESE ARE ALL KEY COMPONENTS TO A SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT POLICY AND PROGRAM. SO LET'S START NORTH. IN MISSISSAUGA, YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT THAT MISSISSAUGA'S PROGRAM ALIGNS WITH THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL'S MODEL POLICY. THEY HAVE AT LEAST ONE POSITION DEDICATED TO THE POLICY, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SMALLER CITY OF ABOUT 800,000 RESIDENTS. NOW, ONE POSITION DOESN'T MEAN THEY DO A VARIETY OF THINGS WITHIN PROCUREMENT, SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT IS ALL THEY DO, AND IT'S ALL THEY'RE FOCUSED ON. SO MISSISSAUGA ALSO HAS, HAS TRAINING GOALS. THEY HAVE VARIOUS SPEND ANALYSES AND ANNUAL REPORTING. AND ONE FUN FACTOR OR KEY WIN FROM THEIR POLICY IS THEY TOOK A LOOK AT THE TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP WHEN PROCURING VEHICLES. AND THEY SAVED ABOUT $110,000 BY PROCURING 10 HYBRID VEHICLES. NOW, LOOKING UP NORTH, NORTHWEST AND PORTLAND, IT MAY NOT BE A SURPRISE THAT THEY'VE HAD A POLICY FOR SEVERAL YEARS. UM, IT HAS BEEN UPDATED RECENTLY. YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT HOW THEIR ACTIONS AND POLICY COMPONENTS ALIGN WITH THE MODEL POLICY. AND WHAT THEY DO BEST IS EDUCATION AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT. THEY HAVE A VARIETY OF OPTIONS, UH, WHETHER IT'S NEWSLETTERS, HIGHLIGHTING KEY DEPARTMENTS TO ONLINE TRAINING, TO LANGUAGE LIBRARIES WITH CUT AND PASTE PROCUREMENT TEXT. AND THEY ALSO HAVE A SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS TO FIND HIGH IMPACT CATEGORIES. UM, ADDING ON TO THAT, THEY ALSO DO CASE STUDIES ON MATERIALS IN THOSE HIGH IMPACT CATEGORIES TO TEST LOW CARBON ALTERNATIVES. A ONE WIN FOR THEM IS THAT THEY'RE NOW USING LOW CARBON CONCRETE FOR ALL OF THEIR SIDEWALK CURBS, WHICH ENDS UP BEING COST NEUTRAL. UM, AND THEY REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS BY ABOUT 11, UM, 1100 TONS PER YEAR. MOVING COUNTERCLOCKWISE. WE'LL LOOK AT SAN FRANCISCO'S PROGRAM. THEY DO HAVE A BIT OF AN OUTLIER WITH FOUR FULL-TIME POSITIONS DEDICATED TO SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT, AND THEY ALSO HAVE ONE OF THE BEST WEBSITES THAT YOU'LL FIND. IT'S SEARCHABLE. IT'S A GREAT SOURCE OF INFORMATION. IT'S DESIGNED TO HELP EMPLOYEES AND ALSO RESIDENTS TO FIND THE BEST GREEN ALTERNATIVES IN THEIR REGION. NOW FINALLY, ON THE EAST COAST, WASHINGTON D C ALSO HAS A BEST PRACTICE. YOU CAN SEE ONE FULL-TIME POSITION. THEIR TRAINING IS ACTUALLY MANDATORY FOR CITY STAFF. THEY DO AN ANALYSIS ON THE TOTAL SPEND IN PROCUREMENT, AND RECENTLY THEY AMENDED THEIR POLICY TO ADD GREEN FOOD WITH THE GOAL OF REDUCING G H G EMISSIONS BY 25%. SO IN SUMMARY, SUCCESSFUL AND EFFECTIVE POLICIES HAVE AT LEAST ONE FULL-TIME POSITION DEDICATED TO SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT. THEY HAVE MANDATORY OR ONGOING TRAINING. THEY HAVE GREEN SPIN METRICS TO TRACK PROGRESS OVER TIME, AND THEY HAVE PUBLIC REPORTS, WHICH HELPS WITH ACCOUNTABILITY. NOW TRAVELING BACK TO TEXAS, WE HAVE TALKED WITH AUSTIN MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND RECENTLY IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, THEY'RE IN A SIMILAR POSITION AS US. UM, THEY DO NOT HAVE DEDICATED STAFF FOR THEIR POLICY. AND SO THEIR EFFORTS ARE DEPENDENT ON AVAILABLE STAFF TIME, AND THEY'VE ADMITTED THAT COMES AND GOES. UM, THEY AREN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING, CONSIST CONSISTENTLY TRACK GREEN SPEND METRICS, AND THEREFORE PUTTING TOGETHER AN ANNUAL REPORT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. AND AS YOU MAY BE AWARE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, OUR POLICY WAS PASSED IN 2010 RIGHT AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THE MISSION VERDE PLAN. IT'S A GOOD POLICY. IT SERVES AS THE OFFICIAL GUIDE FOR ALL CITY PURCHASING, AND IT INCLUDES ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN PURCHASING PRODUCTS. IT ALSO CREATES ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR DIRECTORS, FINANCE, AND THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY. HOWEVER, IT IS VOLUNTARY, UM, EMPLOYEES DO NOT HAVE TO USE THIS GUIDE, AND THE POLICY WAS PASSED WITHOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT COULD CARRY OUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES IN THIS POLICY. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT REFLECTED ON THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, UH, BECAUSE OF SHORT STAFFING, YOU KNOW, ONGOING EMPLOYEE TRAINING IS DIFFICULT TO DO, AND ANALYZING EXPENDITURES IS USUALLY DONE ON A [00:45:01] DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT BASIS. UM, THERE'S ALSO NO ANNUAL REPORT OR ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION WITH THIRD PARTY GREEN CERTIFICATIONS, BUT WE'RE WORKING TO FIX THAT. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT BY CREATING OUR OWN BEST PRACTICE HERE. UM, WE CAN SET THE, THE EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE NATION AND FOR MUNICIPALITIES ALL ACROSS THE STATE. BUT DOING IT, UM, IN A PHASED APPROACH IS WHAT WILL WORK BEST. SO FIRST, AS AN INTERIM FIX TO MAKE THE CURRENT POLICY MORE EFFECTIVE, FINANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY WILL BE DEVELOPING A LIST OF THIRD PARTY GREEN LABELS FOR, FOR PROCUREMENT SPECIALISTS. AND THEY'LL BE TRAINED ON WHEN TO LOOK FOR THESE GREEN LABELS TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE FINANCE WILL PRODUCE A GREEN SPIN REPORT. THAT WAY WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE EACH DEPARTMENT IS AT LOOKING LONG TERM AND TAKING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE FOR A MINUTE. SUPPLY CHAIN EMISSIONS ARE A HUGE PROBLEM. UM, COMPANIES ARE DOING WELL IF THEY HAVE SCOPE ONE AND SCOPE TWO G H G INVENTORIES, AND THEY'RE DOING GREAT IF THEY HAVE A FEASIBLE OR LEGITIMATE PLAN TO REDUCE THOSE EMISSIONS. BUT THERE'S VERY FEW ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WORLD THAT ACTUALLY KNOW THE IMPACT OF THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN OR SCOPE THREE EMISSIONS. SO FOR US, CONDUCTING A SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS FOR ONE FISCAL YEAR OF EXPENDITURES WILL QUANTIFY THE GREENHOUSE GASES ASSOCIATED WITH EXPENDITURES SUCH AS CONSTRUCTION AND VEHICLE EQUIPMENT. AND THIS TYPE OF ANALYSIS WILL PUT A PUT US AHEAD OF MOST MUNICIPALITIES AND IN AN ELITE CLASS. UM, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT PROVIDES THE CITY WITH A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH. INSTEAD OF UPDATING THE POLICY AND LOOKING AT EVERY PURCHASING CATEGORY, WHICH CAN BE OVERWHELMING AND TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS, WE'LL HAVE THE DATA TO FOCUS ON THE CATEGORIES WITH THE HIGHEST IMPACT OF GHGS. AND IT HELPS US FOCUS OUR LIMITED RESOURCES WHERE THEY CAN MAKE THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE. SO WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE'D LIKE TO INITIATE A SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR. IN MOST CASES, IT TAKES THREE TO SIX MONTHS AND COULD COST A CITY OF OUR SIZE AROUND 50,000. UH, WE'LL COME BACK TO BRIEF CHECK ON THE RESULTS AND NEXT STEPS FOR UPDATING THE SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT POLICY. AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION FOR TODAY, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UH, DO WE HAVE ANY, WE HAVE NO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM ONE. THANK YOU. AND THIS IS FOR BRIEFING PURPOSES ONLY, BUT I WILL ENTERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBER'S COMMENTS. WE'LL OPEN IT UP. AND THE LIST IS, LET ME SEE, IT'S STILL JAYLEN . NO. DID YOU WANNA SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE? MARIO? COUNCILMAN BRAVO. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, THANK YOU. UH, THIS IS A GREAT PRESENTATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORK THAT YOU ALL, UM, CONTINUE TO DO. RIGHT? I KNOW, UH, THE CITY OF BOSTON HAS, UH, A SENIOR ADVISOR FOR A BOSTON GREEN NEW DEAL, AND I THINK THIS IS ONE PIECE TO THAT PLAN WITHOUT PUTTING THE TITLE ON IT, RIGHT? UM, AND I KNOW WHEN WE LOOK AT POTENTIALLY DOING THE SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS, UM, ONE THING THAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO LOOK AT IS, UM, UH, DECONSTRUCTION VERSUS DEMOLITION, RIGHT? A CITY INITIATED, UH, DEMOLITION THAT, UH, WE'RE CONTRACTING THE ABATEMENT. I THINK THAT'D BE A GOOD, UH, PIECE TO LOOK AT AND SEE WHAT WE FIND. UM, BUT THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS AND I THINK THIS IS, UH, A FASCINATING APPROACH AND I LOOK FORWARD, UH, TO YOU ALL, UH, CONTINUING THIS WORK. THANK YOU, CHAIR. ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. SORRY, I WAS A LITTLE THROWN OFF. UM, MY FIRST QUESTION, I GUESS WOULD BE IS DO WE ALREADY HAVE A PRE-APPROVAL LIST OF VENDORS WHO MEET THESE STANDARDS OF SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT? WE DO HAVE, UM, A VARIETY OF VENDORS THAT PROVIDE THIRD PARTY VERIFIED LIKE GREEN, UM, GREEN PRODUCTS. UM, WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE IS A COMPREHENSIVE LIST BROKEN DOWN BY CATEGORY WHERE SOMEONE COULD EASILY FIND THAT MM-HMM. , I GUESS THE REASON, SO I'M WONDERING IF WE, WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM FINANCE THAT'S HERE TO COUNCILMAN TO ANSWER THAT. WONDERFUL. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ANGELICA MATA AND I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR THAT OVERSEES THE PURCHASING, UH, DIVISION. WE DO NOT HAVE A LIST OF VENDORS THAT, UM, CAN PROVIDE THESE TYPE OF SERVICES, UM, WHAT WE CALL GREEN. NOW, WE DO INCLUDE LANGUAGE IN OUR SOLICITATION ON A, A CASE BY CASE BASIS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, OUR BIGGEST PRODUCTS WOULD BE LIKE PAPER. WE DO REQUIRE AT LEAST 30% TO BE RECYCLED, UM, 50%. SO WE DO HAVE THOSE REQUIREMENTS. THE OTHER REQUIREMENT WOULD BE, UH, TONERS. UH, WE HAVE, UH, CURRENTLY, UM, HAVE AN ANNUAL [00:50:01] CONTRACT THAT REQUIRES THE TONER TO BE REMANUFACTURED INSTEAD OF BRAND NEW PRODUCTS. UM, SO AS, AS THE NEEDS ARISE, WE WILL INCLUDE THOSE REQUIREMENTS IN THE SOLICITATION, AND THEN THOSE VENDORS THAT CAN PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES WILL RESPOND. OKAY. I GUESS I'M WONDERING IF WE ARE SEEKING LOCAL VENDORS WHO MEET THE, WHO MEET THE STANDARDS AND IF THERE ARE NOT, SO I DID KIND OF THINK THAT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION WOULD BE DIFFERENT. I'M WONDERING, UM, IS THERE THE POSSIBILITY OF AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN OR OTHER ASSISTANTS TO HELP, UM, LOCAL VENDORS WHO MAY NOT MEET CERTAIN STANDARDS, UM, SO THAT THEY COULD LATER ON PARTICIPATE AND RECEIVE BUSINESS OR WHATEVER, IF THERE WERE BONUS POINTS ESTABLISHED, THINGS LIKE THAT. MM-HMM. IS THERE, THAT IS A POSSIBILITY. AND I BELIEVE MORE, UH, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE, THE BRANDING OR THE, UM, LABELS, UH, THAT WE CAN SEEK, UM, VENDORS THAT CAN PROVIDE THAT LIKE ENERGY SAVINGS. UM, DO YOU WANNA MENTION A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? ABOUT THE LABELS? CAN I, CAN I CHIME IN A LITTLE? I THINK COUNCILMAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'LL HAPPEN IS WITH THEM WANTING TO TAKE INVENTORY ON WHAT WE DO NOW AND WHAT WE'RE SPENDING IT ON, THEN ONCE THAT INVENTORY COMES BACK, THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE HOW MANY VENDORS ARE IMPACTED BY THOSE THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST RETURN ON GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO. I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S NOT MANDATED IS TO MAKE CERTAIN, UH, TODAY THAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO STILL SUBMIT SOMETHING, UH, TO THE CITY ON BEHALF OF AN AGREEMENT OR AN R F P RESPONSE, THAT THEY CAN STILL PARTICIPATE. MM-HMM. , WHEN WE DO THE RESEARCH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE CERTAIN WE'RE NOT DESIGNING IT TO ELIMINATE ANYONE FROM COMPETING. SO WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL. FOR SURE. I APPRECIATE THAT. I, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS BRIEFING WAS ASKED, WAS REQUESTED, UM, BY COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL AND AT THE END IT MENTIONS A BUDGET REQUEST OF $50,000. IS THAT FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, THAT'S GONNA BE A REQUEST THAT YES, IT WILL BE THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT THEY WILL ASK. OKAY. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING FOR THIS, FOR THIS COMING YEAR, FY 2023. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANKS. COUNCILMAN BRAVO. THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST WANTED TO REGISTER MY SUPPORT FOR THIS POLICY. THANKS. I THANK YOU AND I, I, UH, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE AND YOU'RE, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE GOING TO TRY TO BE EQUITABLE IN THIS PROCESS. I THINK I, IF YOU CAN LOOK AT THINGS, HOW WE AS COUNCIL OFFICES CAN SET THE EXAMPLE FOR OUR USE, UM, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL ALSO. I KNOW, I KNOW I LIKE PAPER AND I LIKE TO PRINT A LOT, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE MY STAFF TO KNOW WHAT, WHEN TO PRINT, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW WE CAN KIND OF REDUCE OUR, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE USING IT ALSO. SO THANK YOU FOR THIS BRIEFING AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE. AND, UM, WITH THAT, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS, THE TIME IS 3 0 1 AND THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.