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I'M, I'M SO HAPPY THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE.
OUR, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR DELEGATION, WE'VE GOT A SPACE FOR YOU AT OUR TABLE.
UM, AND, UH, WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN.
WE, UM, SENATOR MANEZ, IT'S SO NICE TO SEE YOU.
I DIDN'T NOTICE YOU WERE HERE.
WE'RE, UM, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INTERACTIVE MEETING.
UH, WE, UH, WE INVITED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO THIS MEETING, UM, AND, UH, JEFF COYLE AND I, UM, THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A SMART IDEA TO HAVE, UM, OUR, THE MEMBERS ON THE FRONT LINE OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, WHO ARE DOING ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR SAN ANTONIO, UH, TO TALK TO US.
AND WE HEAR FROM YOU, UH, ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, WHAT YOU THINK THE LEGISLATURE HAS IN STORE FOR US, UH, YOU KNOW, COMING UP.
AND ALSO, UM, FOR YOU GUYS TO, TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE AT CITY COUNCIL.
COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA IS ON HER WAY.
COUNCILMAN, UH, MCGEE RODRIGUEZ IS ON HIS WAY.
BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, I WANTED TO, UH, UH, UH, RECOGNIZE THE ATTENDANCE OF OUR, UH, PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS WHO WE HIRE.
UM, CARRIE SIMMONS, SNAPPER CARR, LINLEY WALLACE, RUSTY KELLY, CAROL MCGRAW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
WE'VE ALSO GOT, I SEE VIA, UH, IS HERE AND THEIR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM.
AND, UH, LENDING AN EAR, PARDON ME.
AND, OH, YEAH, WE SEE THE PORT.
UH, WE'VE GOT, UM, TAMIKA HERE.
UH, WE'VE GOT OUR PUBLIC WORKS, UH, DEPARTMENT HERE.
WE HAVE, UM, I, I DUNNO IF YOU'VE EVER HEARD HIM.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON PASSING THE BAR EXAM.
FINALLY, WALTER, UH, THE, UH,
AND, UH, WE, UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, JEFF COYLE AND HIS TEAM.
AND WE'VE GOT THE, I I, THE GR TEAM, UH, IN THE FORM OF MELISSA OVER HERE FOR THE COUNTY.
UH, JUST AS A, A WAY OF BACKGROUND, MAYOR NUREMBERG, UH, WHEN HE TOOK OFFICE, DECIDED, UH, TO APPROACH THE COUNTY AND ASK THAT THEY JOIN US AS ONE BODY, UH, TO DESIGN A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, AND THEN TO DO OUR DC AND AUSTIN ADVOCACY TOGETHER.
UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY PROVEN TO BE, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL SCRATCHING OUR HEADS ABOUT AS TO WHY WE HADN'T DONE THAT BEFORE.
IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY PRODUCED A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF DIVIDENDS FOR ALL OF US.
UM, ALSO, UH, I, I HOPE THAT Y'ALL FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, HAVING ONE, UH, ONE MESSAGE SYNTHESIZED THROUGH ONE BODY, UH, MAKES IT EASIER FOR YOU AS WELL.
AND SO, WITH THAT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE LU CONVOS, REPRESENTATIVE RAY LOPEZ, REPRESENTATIVE BERNAL, STEVE ALLISON, I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE.
SENATOR MENENDEZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
[Briefing and Possible Action on ]
I'M GOING TO PASS IT OFF TO SALLY BATO, UM, SO THAT SHE CAN GIVE US, UM, A, A BRIEF PRESENTATION AND THEN SET THE TONE FOR, FOR OUR CONVERSATION GOING FORWARD.THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S A, A COMING OF THE I G R COMMITTEE.
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF, OF PAST I G R CHAIRMAN, AND WE'RE WAITING FOR COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.
SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN ONE MORE.
SO THANKS TO E EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO GET YOUR, YOUR FEEDBACK, UM, AND YOUR GUIDANCE, UH, AS WE PREPARE, UH, FOR THE OUTLOOK OF THE, THE NEXT, UH, NEW SESSION.
SO, AS, UH, CHAIRMAN PALAI SAID, SALLY BATO, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT EMBARKING IN THE NEW SESSION AS I SHARED WITH REPRESENTATIVE ALLISON.
ALSO A LITTLE BIT SCARED, 'CAUSE I'VE GOT BIG SHOES TO FILL.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA LEAN A LOT ON, ON YOU AND YOUR STAFFS TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE US THROUGH THE NEW SESSION.
SO I'M GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF BECAUSE I WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR TIME AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY SHOWCASE, UH, YOUR THOUGHTS, UM, AND YOUR FEEDBACK FOR US THIS MORNING.
SO, JUST TO GET STARTED, UM, LET'S LOOK HERE AT THE, UH, OVERVIEW OF WHAT I WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY.
UH, OUR STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS, WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND AS WELL AS COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP A TIMELINE THAT WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU TODAY'S MILESTONES.
I WANTED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THE OUTREACH AND ALL THE WORK THAT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES WHEN PREPARING THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
IT IS A MULTI-MONTH, MULTI-WEEK PROCESS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THIS BODY OVERVIEWING AND GIVING US THEIR ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE TO BE ABLE TO GET, UM, OUR PROGRAM TO THE FINISH LINE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THOSE MILESTONES THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
TIMELINE OF SPECIAL NOTE, PLEASE NOTE THAT TODAY'S ISSUES AND INITIATIVES THAT I WILL BE SHARING, THAT WE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFYING WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, IS JUST SIMPLY A PREVIEW.
SO WE WANTED TO SET THE STAGE FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATION AND GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE ARE IDENTIFYING AS NEW PRIORITIES, UH, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN DISCUSSING, UM, IN THEIR PLATFORMS, AS WELL AS
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CARRYOVER ISSUES, UM, WHICH INCLUDES THOSE, UH, POTENTIAL CITY PRIORITIES.AND OF COURSE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, IS YOUR CONVERSATION TODAY, UM, WITH, UH, THE I G R COMMITTEE, UH, THE CHAIRMAN AND OTHER MEMBERS.
SO, A QUICK LOOK HERE, LET'S DIVE RIGHT IN.
WE BEGAN OUR PROCESS WITH OUR, UH, INTERNAL COLLABORATION WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS TO HAVE THEM IDENTIFY THOSE PRIORITY ISSUES FOR THE NEW SESSION FOR JANUARY, THAT KICKSTARTED, UM, AROUND MID-MAY.
UH, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PART OF OUR OUTREACH, UM, INCLUDED OUR, UH, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COUNTERPARTS ACROSS, UH, THE CITY WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
SO WE DID HOST AN I G R ROUNDTABLE WITH ALL OUR, UH, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COUNTERPARTS THAT, UH, PLEASE NOTE IS ALSO ONGOING IN JUNE.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS CONTINUED NOT JUST WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, BUT AS WELL AS OTHER CITIES, UM, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS LIKE T M L, UM, AND OTHER BIG CITIES, UH, LIKE SAN ANTONIO IN JULY.
IN THAT CON, THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING AS WELL.
WE HAVE FOLDED IN, UH, THOSE, THAT FEEDBACK AND CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR, UH, DEPARTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FINE TUNING THOSE ISSUES THAT THEY IDENTIFIED BACK IN, IN MAY AND THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
UM, THAT BRINGS US TO TODAY WITH YOU HERE, UM, UH, PRESENT TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN AUGUST, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CHAIRMAN PALIS JOINING US AT THE T M L MUNICIPAL POLICY SUMMIT.
UM, SO THAT'LL BE ESSENTIALLY KIND OF A, A ON SWITCH IN A, IN A KICKSTART, UH, TO BE ABLE TO START WORKING WITH T M L AND OTHER, LIKE, CITIES ON POTENTIAL CITY ISSUES THAT, THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE TO PREPARE AND EMBRACE FOR.
THAT LEADS US TO SEPTEMBER, UM, FOR THE I G R COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UH, TODAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK AND HEAR FROM OUR STATE DELEGATION MEMBERS, BUT THERE WILL BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU ONE-ON-ONE, TO BE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM YOU AND IDEAS ON WHAT YOU ENVISION FOR THE NEW STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, UH, ONE-ON-ONE.
AND WE'LL WORK TOWARDS THAT SEPTEMBER 14TH DATE TO BE ABLE TO BRING TO YOU A DRAFT STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, UH, AFTER MANY MONTHS OF WORK, UH, FOR YOUR REVIEW, CONSIDERATION, AND FINAL APPROVAL, UH, BEFORE IT GOES OFF TO THE FULL COUNCIL IN OCTOBER.
AND ULTIMATELY GETTING, UH, THE CITY, THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM APPROVED.
UM, OF COURSE, WE'RE AIMING FOR THAT, UH, FIRST DAY OF BILL FILING, AND THEN ON JANUARY 10TH, THE NEW LEGISLATURE BEGINS.
SO, UM, A QUICK LOOK HERE AT, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, SHORT LIST OF POTENTIAL PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED.
ASIDE FROM OUR OUTREACH AND CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN VERY CLOSELY MONITORING THE CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSPIRING FOR MONTHS NOW.
UM, AND SO THIS FOOTPRINT IN FRONT OF YOU, OF THESE, UH, ISSUES ARE THOSE AREAS THAT WE HAVE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH WILL INCLUDE PROPERTY, UH, TAX REFORM FOR US TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, JUST VERY KEENLY WITH, WITH, WITH A VERY FOCUSED LENS ON HOW WE CAN HELP, UH, RESIDENTS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, HIGHLY AFFECTED IN THIS AREA.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IN OUR WORK WITH OUR HOUSING TEAM, THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT WE EXPAND OUR BENCH OF TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THOSE INITIATIVES UNDER THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UMBRELLA.
UM, AS MOST OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION LAST WEEK, UM, IN SUPPORT OF, UH, INDIVIDUAL'S REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE TO HAVE, UM, AN OVERARCHING UMBRELLA ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE TO BE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THAT, UM, AS A PLATFORM FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UH, COORDINATE OUR RESOURCES WITH STATE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDERS.
WE KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE DISCUSSION, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT WE KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE BOTH SIDES OF, OF THE ISSUE.
UH, SO WE WILL BE TRACKING THIS VERY CLOSELY, BUT IT WILL BE A RECOMMENDED PRIORITY FOR OUR 88TH AGENDA.
UH, MOVING ON TO FIREARM POLICY, UM, AND SCHOOL SAFETY.
UM, I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION THAT WILL BE PART OF OUR RECOMMENDED AGENDA TO OUR CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR AS WELL.
AND THEN THE PROTECTION OF MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY EVERY YEAR, MORE AND MORE CITY BILLS THAT COULD AFFECT, UM, CITIES LARGE AND SMALL.
YOU KNOW, WE ANTICIPATE SEEING THAT AGAIN IN THE 88.
SO WE ARE GONNA BE TRACKING THESE AREAS CLOSELY TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT CITY'S REGULATIONS AND OUR ABILITY TO, UH, MANAGE OUR OPERATIONS ARE NOT IMPACTED, UM, BY THOSE BILLS.
SO WE ARE PREPARING FOR THAT, AND WE'LL BE, UM, WATCHING OUT FOR THOSE VERY CLOSELY.
A QUICK PIVOT TO, UH, SOME LEGISLATIVE CARRYOVERS THAT YOU'LL BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING OUR MILITARY ASSETS, UM, THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF GENERAL JUAN AALA.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH HIM CLOSELY AND JOINT BAY SAN ANTONIO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE PROTECTION OF MUNICIPAL INTEREST, UM, AND UTILITIES AS WELL.
[00:10:01]
UM, MOVING ON TO INVESTMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION.IT'S A BIG TOPIC, NOT JUST FOR THE STATE.
UM, THROUGH THEIR STATE FUNDING MECHANISMS, THEY HAVE RAMPED UP SOME OF THEIR, UM, INVESTMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION DUE TO THE FEDERAL BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION STAKEHOLDERS AND OUR TRANSPORTATION TEAM IN HOUSE TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION PORTFOLIO, UM, THAT CONNECTS WITH, UH, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, SUCH AS VISION ZERO INITIATIVES AND OTHER STATE HIGHWAY, UH, PROGRAMMING ON THE ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE FRONT.
WE'VE ALWAYS, UH, BEEN WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SAN ANTONIO AN ATTRACTIVE LOCATION, YOU KNOW, FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER ATTRACTING, UH, LARGE, UH, SPORTS, UM, CONTRACTS THAT, THAT WE CAN SHOWCASE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, AND THEY HAVE THEIR MARCHING ORDERS TO FIND WAYS AND TOOLS TO ENHANCE, UM, OUR LOCAL INVESTMENTS IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE EXPANSION OF JOBS AND WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES.
THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION IS A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, ITEM FOR THE CITY AND FOR OUR PARTNERS.
AND AS WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, COALITION HERE LOCALLY BETWEEN THE CITY, UM, AND BAYAR COUNTY AND OTHER PARTNERS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE AND WORK AS WELL WITH STATE STAKEHOLDERS TO BE ABLE TO TACKLE DOMESTIC, UH, VIOLENCE ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE ALL KNOW, UM, DRASTICALLY INCREASED, UM, AND PUT A VERY, UH, FOCUSED LENS, ESPECIALLY OVER COVID.
SO DEFINITELY WE'LL BE IN OUR CARRYOVERS, UM, AS A RECOMMENDED ITEM.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEF PRESENTATION.
UH, A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING MATTERS.
ONE, I'VE BEEN TOLD BY OUR IT FRIENDS THAT EVERY TIME WE SPEAK, WE GOTTA PRESS THE BUTTON ON, UH, ON OUR MICROPHONES.
OTHERWISE, UM, SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T, BUT, UH, THE, UH, THE OTHER THING IS, UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS AT THIS POINT, HEAR FROM OUR DELEGATES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PLEASE UNPACK WHATEVER IT IS YOU HEARD AND, AND REACT TO THAT.
BUT MOSTLY WE WE'RE INTERESTED IN HEARING WHAT YOU THINK IS GONNA LIKELY HAPPEN IN THE 88TH SESSION, UM, AND, UH, YOUR TOP ISSUES GOING INTO THIS SESSION.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, ANY FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE FOR US AS FAR AS HOW WE, HOW WE DID IN LAST SESSION, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'D LIKE OUR, UM, OUR PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS TO KNOW.
UH, BUT WE WILL START WITH THE, THE SENATOR.
UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING.
YOUR FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT DO WE THINK WILL HAPPEN NEXT SESSION? AND, AND, AND COUNCILMAN GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
UM, I, IF I KNEW, I I WOULD PROBABLY BE MAKING A LOT MORE MONEY.
BUT, UH, THIS, YOU KNOW, MY FIRST SESSION WAS OH ONE, AND THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT NEXT SESSION IS THAT EVERY SESSION HAS ITS OWN PERSONALITY.
SOMETIMES YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND THEN, UH, LIKE WE DID A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE GOT WINTER STORM URI, AND, UM, AND WE HAVE THINGS THAT WILL CHANGE.
SO, MY, MY, I NEVER WORRY TOO MUCH BECAUSE I ALSO KNOW THAT NOVEMBER CAN CHANGE A LOT, AND WHATEVER HAPPENS IN NOVEMBER, UH, CAN HAVE A SERIOUS IMPACT ON WHAT THE REALITIES ARE AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE AGENDA.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, UH, ADJUSTMENTS.
AND I, I JUST RECENTLY WENT TO A NATIONAL CLEAN ENERGY LEGISLATIVE ACADEMY, UH, WITH LEGISLATORS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND ONE OF THE PRESENTERS, UH, TALKED ABOUT MILITARY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, AND THEIR CONCERN WITH INTERRUPTIONS IN POWER.
UM, IF YOU'VE GOT AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER AND YOU'VE GOT JETS IN THE AIR, YOU CAN'T HAVE INTERRUPTIONS IN POWER.
IF YOU'VE GOT, YOU'RE FIGHTING CYBER SECURITY FOR THE NATION, YOU CAN'T HAVE INTERRUPTIONS IN POWER.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THEY ENVISION HAPPENING IN THE NEAR FUTURE THAT I THINK WE COULD GET AHEAD OF IS, IS HOW DO WE AS A STATE PROVIDE, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE ASKING FOR MICROGRIDS, FOR THE INSTALLATIONS, ON THE INSTALLATIONS.
AND, AND THE THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT HERE TO, FOR, UM, OUR MILITARY COMMANDERS, LOOK, THEY, THEY GO TO SCHOOL TO BE MILITARY COMMANDERS NOT TO UNDERSTAND ELECTRIC GRIDS.
AND SO WHAT I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE HAPPEN IS THAT THE PROVIDERS OF, OF ELECTRICITY ARE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD THOSE GRIDS ON THE BASIS AND OPERATE 'EM.
AND, AND, AND ALL IT IS ALL IN, IN MANY WAYS, I SEE THEM AS, AS BACKUP ENERGY.
AND, UH, IF WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE ERCOT REQUIRES, UH, A SHED LETTING SHEDDING OF LOAD, THAT
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YOU CAN CUT THEM OFF THE MAIN SYSTEM AND THEY CAN KEEP RUNNING, UM, I THINK THAT'S ONE WAY WE CAN PROTECT OUR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN THEIR, IN THEIR BASES.AND AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A BRACK.
WE DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH A BRACK.
THAT'S JUST A, AN OVERARCHING, UH, THE OBVIOUS THINGS.
I LOVE YOUR HEALTHCARE INITIATIVE, AND WHAT I LOVE THE MOST ABOUT IT IS THAT IT IN THAT HEALTHCARE, OBVIOUSLY, AND IT WAS, I WAS, I WAS SO GLAD THAT THAT IT WAS BROUGHT UP, IS WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE OBVIOUS ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM AND, AND PROTECTING, UH, WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND NOT MAKING THEM SECOND CLASS CITIZENS, UM, WHERE THEY, THEY DON'T GET TO DECIDE WHAT THEY DO, BUT ALSO HEALTHCARE, MENTAL HEALTHCARE, AND WHAT DO, HOW DO WE EXTEND MENTAL HEALTH CARE, UH, TO FOLKS WHO, WHO MAYBE CAN'T FIND IT? BECAUSE EVEN FOR PEOPLE WITH INSURANCE, IT'S HARD TO FIND.
SO IMAGINE IF, IF YOU HAVE ONE CAR IN YOUR FAMILY, UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TOLD THAT YOUR APPOINTMENT'S ON A TUESDAY AT ONE O'CLOCK, WELL, IT MIGHT AS WELL BE NEVER, BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THAT YOUR CHILD TO THAT APPOINTMENT.
SO I'D LIKE US TO SEE WHAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO TO BRING MENTAL HEALTHCARE INTO OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE, YOU KNOW, VALDI IS GONNA BRING SCHOOL SAFETY TO THE FOREFRONT.
UM, BUT SCHOOL SAFETY FOR ME IS NOT JUST ABOUT HARDENING SCHOOLS.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY NOT ABOUT METAL DETECTORS.
IT'S MORE ABOUT PREVENTION, UH, PREVENTING THAT CHILD TO GET SO DISCONNECTED THAT, THAT, THAT HE OR SHE EVER WANTS TO PICK UP A FIREARM AND COME INTO THE SCHOOL.
SO, IDENTIFICATION OF WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE EARLY ON.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE DO THAT IS BY BRINGING MORE ACTUAL COUNSELORS INTO THE SCHOOLS.
UH, WE HAVE A DEARTH, A DESERT OF COUNSELORS IN OUR SCHOOLS TODAY.
IT'S EMBARRASSING THAT A STATE, AS WEALTHY AS WE ARE, DOES NOT INVEST MORE IN, IN ITS MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCES.
UH, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S UNCONSCIONABLE TO ME THAT WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT SUCKING MORE MONEY OUT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE FORMS OF VOUCHERS OR SOMETHING ELSE WHEN WE HAVEN'T FULLY FUNDED THEM TO BEGIN WITH.
SO WE GOT A LOT TO WORK, UH, PRESERVING THE RIGHT TO VOTE, PROTECTING YOUR MELISSA'S RIGHTS TO REPRESENT YOUR COMMUNITY, TO HIRE WHO YOU NEED TO HIRE THE EXPERTS.
WE DON'T TELL YOU WHICH CITY MANAGER TO HIRE.
WE DON'T TELL YOU WHICH FIREFIGHTERS TO HIRE.
WHY SHOULD WE TELL YOU WHO TO ADVISE YOU ON HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF AND ADVOCATE FOR YOUR OWN POLICIES, WHETHER IT BE AT THE STATE OR AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? IT IS RIDICULOUS, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR, FOR, UH, A GOVERNMENT, A STATE GOVERNMENT THAT HAS BEEN FOR SO MANY YEARS, UM, FIGHTING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, TELLING IT WHAT TO DO, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF ABBOTT.
AND I THINK, UH, I THINK THAT COVERS A LOT OF WHAT WE ARE GONNA DO.
UM, WE, WE WILL, I LOVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIECE ON THE PIECE, ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIECE.
DON'T, LET'S NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THE HOMES SOLD LAST YEAR WERE SOLD TO WALL STREET FIRMS. AND LET'S THINK ABOUT HOW EVERYDAY, FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS COMPETING AGAINST WALL STREET ARE NOT GONNA HAVE A CHANCE IN WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER, UH, BECAUSE WE CAN'T NECESSARILY TAKE THE ABILITY FOR, UH, A FAMILY THAT, THAT, THAT HAS DECIDED TO SELL THEIR HOME, TO NOT SELL THEIR HOME.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY FROM ARTIFICIAL INFLATION OF PRICES, UH, DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT WALL STREET BRINGING IN HUGE SUMS OF MONEY, UH, TO BUY LARGE SWATHS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT AFFORDABILITY, UH, CAN BE LOOKED AT IN MANY DIFFERENT AREAS, OBVIOUSLY, UM, UTILITIES.
AND, AND FINALLY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT WINTER STORM URI IN TERMS OF THE FINANCIAL IMPACT, THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT IT COST TO STAY.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT TO THE MILITARY BASES AND THE BILLIONS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT THEY HAVE.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT IMPACT WERE THE OVER 700 LIVES THAT WERE LOST.
AND I, I WOULDN'T WANNA READ YOU THE EMAIL FROM THE PARENTS OF THE BABY, THE INFANT, THAT THEY WERE WORRIED WHETHER THEY WERE GONNA SUFFOCATE THE CHILD OR THE CHILD WOULD FREEZE TO DEATH IN THEIR HOME.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT CAN WE DO WORKING TOGETHER, CITIES, COUNTY, STATE, UH, TO IMPROVE THE GRID STRENGTH AND THE RELIANCE AND THE RESILIENCY OF THAT? A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT TEXAS HAS SOME OF THE MOST, UH, INEFFICIENT BUILDINGS IN THE NATION.
WE, WE LOSE ABOUT 62% OF THE POWER WE GENERATE NATIONWIDE IS NOT USED FOR THE PURPOSES IT WAS GENERATED.
AND SO, UM, WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS, MEANINGFUL ONES ARE IMPORTANT AND EVERYTHING WE CAN DO, UH, TO STRENGTHEN, UH, BECAUSE BY THE SAME TOKEN, THEN WE LOWER THE BILLS AND THE COST OF LIVING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPACTED THE MOST.
AND MANY PEOPLE WHO CAN AFFORD IT.
THEY MAY HAVE THE SPRAY IN FOAM, THEY MAY HAVE THE MOST,
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THE, THE SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR EVERYDAY CITIZENS.UH, THOSE ARE EXPENSIVE THINGS, AND, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD, UH, TO, TO, TO SHORE UP THE, THE, THE EFFICIENCY OF THEIR HOME.
BUT IN DOING SO, WE COULD ACTUALLY REDUCE THE DEMAND ON ENERGY, AND THAT WOULD BE THE MOST INEXPENSIVE FORM OF, UH, ENERGY WE COULD PROVIDE.
UM, YOU UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT AND YOU CAME PREPARED.
FROM, SO, UH, REPRESENTATIVE BERNAL, WHAT DO YOU THINK, UNPACK, UNPACK THAT, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, SCHOOL, PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE, ARE, UH, SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE CHAMPIONED AND, UM, I, I HAVE A FEELING YOU HAVE OPINIONS ON, ON THAT.
I THINK, I THINK THE, THE ENTIRE EXERCISE IS HARD FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH, AND ALL OF US AT THE TABLE HAVE A PHD IN TALKING BEYOND OUR TIME.
SO, UM, FIRST I THINK IT'S REALLY WISE FOR US TO ALL WORK TOGETHER.
AND I THINK STARTING WITH THESE TWO GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO EXPAND IT.
UM, IT'S SORT OF AN EXERCISE IN EXCITEMENT AND FRUSTRATION.
EXCITEMENT, BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE DON'T KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE, AND THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO BE.
UM, I GUESS TWO OR THREE SESSIONS AGO AFTER THE BATHROOM BILL SITUATION, THE HOUSE SHIFTED AND IT CREATED OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE THINGS.
I MEAN, THE, THE PARTISAN LEADERSHIP DIDN'T CHANGE, BUT THE ENVIRONMENT CHANGED.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THAT CHANGED, WHICH MEANS YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO GO, AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE SITTING ON 20 SOME ODD CLOSE TO 30 BILLION EXTRA DOLLARS.
SO BEING PREPARED TO ASK FOR HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE USED IS IMPORTANT.
UM, IT'S FRUSTRATION BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING, YOU'RE SHOWING ME THIS LIST, AND OF COURSE I'M THINKING, I HAVE A BILL FOR THAT.
AND AT THIS POINT, THOSE BILLS ARE THREE, FOUR SESSIONS OLD.
UM, WE CAN GET INTO THE WEEDS ON THOSE AT SOME POINT, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARY.
WHAT I WOULD SAY, IT'S BIG PICTURE, TWO THINGS.
THE FIRST IS, I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE CITY, THE STATE, THE COUNTY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ET CETERA, BECAUSE SO MUCH OF IT OVERLAPS.
AND THIS IDEA, I KNOW WE USE THE WORD SILOS IN THIS SITUATION A LOT, BUT, UM, USING THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS AN EXAMPLE, THERE'S NO PLACE WHERE ALL THESE ISSUES DON'T COLLIDE.
BUT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TRANSPORTATION, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, A RELIABLE GRID, UH, SCHOOL SAFETY, GUN SAFETY, WHICH IS PREVENTING IT FROM EVEN GETTING TO THE SCHOOLS, WORKING TOGETHER ON THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT'S CHALLENGING BECAUSE THERE'S 17 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY, 23 IN THE REGION, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH IT.
AND THEN THE OTHER BIG PICTURE THING, BEFORE I PASS IT OFF, OFF TO STEVE, IS THAT I THINK BEYOND A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, I I THINK THAT THE REGION, THE CITY NEEDS TO TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF SORT OF GENERATIONAL POVERTY.
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE PRIORITIES, MOST OF THEM LEAD BACK TO THAT.
AND AS A COMMUNITY, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD A REAL SORT OF COME TO JESUS MOMENT ABOUT OUR UNIFIED COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS IT IN A WAY THAT'S ALMOST FREE OF POLITICS, RIGHT? UM, AND ONCE WE DO THAT, I THINK THAT WE'LL HAVE A MORE UNIFIED LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND, AND LOCAL AGENDA ON DEALING WITH IT.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE SOCIAL SCIENCE SAYS THAT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO ACCELERATE SOCIAL MOBILITY, YOU DON'T CONTINUE TO PACK POVERTY UPON POVERTY.
AND YET, BOTH IN, IN AUSTIN AND IN THE CITY COUNCIL, IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUTSIDE OF THE AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY PACKED WITH POVERTY, RIGHT? UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE POLICY CHANGES THAT WE COULD MAKE TO MATCH OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, OUR OFFICIAL ACTIONS, AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCE THAT TELLS US THIS IS WHAT DOES AND DOESN'T WORK.
AND SO AT SOME POINT, I THINK IT'S WORTH ALMOST IN A, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN AN ESSAY 2020 SORT OF WAY FOR US TO HAVE A LONG, DEEP DIVE, HONEST, CRITICAL CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR PLACE AS THE POOREST MAJOR CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
AND, AND A REAL COMMITMENT TO PULL OURSELVES OUT OF THAT, ASIDE FROM SORT OF ONE OFF PIECES OF LEGISLATION.
BECAUSE THAT'S, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT'S NOT GOING TO HELP.
OF COURSE IT WILL, BUT WITHOUT SOMETHING COMPREHENSIVE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO FIND OURSELF AT THE BOTTOM OR THE TOP OF THESE LISTS, UM, DESPITE EVERYONE'S BEST EFFORTS, OF COURSE.
I LIKE NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN A WAY THAT'S ME JUST BEING HOPEFUL.
UM, BUT I, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT FOR US ALL TO SIT TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER AND HEAR FROM ONE ANOTHER.
THAT'S, I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT YOUR COMMENTS, THE, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU'RE ALWAYS VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THIS STUFF.
[00:25:01]
THAT'S A CHALLENGE.UH, MR. ALLISON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, WE HEARD, WE HEARD SOME POWERFUL STUFF, AND A LOT TO UNPACK THERE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, UH, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE OPTIMISTIC OR, OR SEEING SOME, UH, MORE COLLEGIALITY AND, AND KIND OF REMINISCENCE OF TWO SESSIONS AGO.
UH, AND I SEE, UH, AND, AND A LOT OF IT ADMITTEDLY, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE I'VE, UM, BEEN INVOLVED OR, OR FOCUSED, IS AROUND EDUCATION.
UH, IN THE BROAD SENSE, UH, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT TO DO.
AND I, AND I REALLY FEEL, FROM WHAT I'VE, UH, HEARD FROM COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMITTEE WORK I'VE BEEN DOING, AND JUST BEING AROUND THE DISTRICT AND TALKING TO OTHERS AROUND THE STATE, I, I REALLY FEEL IT'S, UH, COMING TOGETHER AROUND EDUCATION ISSUES.
AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA TAKE THE AIR OUT OF THE CHAMBERS AGAIN, THIS NEXT SESSION.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE TO DO MORE FOR OUR, OUR TEACHERS.
UH, I THINK THAT'S LONG OVERDUE.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE TO DO, UH, MORE FOR OUR RETIRED TEACHERS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MADE EFFORTS, UH, THE LAST, UH, SEVERAL SESSIONS, I GUESS, AND COME UP WITH A 13TH CHECK FOR 'EM.
BUT THAT, UH, DOESN'T STRIKE ME AS, AS GOING VERY FAR.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE THEM, UH, A COST OF LIVING INCREASE.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK HARD AT, UH, UH, THE BENEFIT PACKAGE, UH, SO TO SPEAK, UH, FOR OUR ACTIVE AND RETIRED TEACHERS, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE SUFFERING THROUGH, AND IT'S NOT JUST TEXAS.
UH, I, I HEARD A, A NEWS ACCOUNT YESTERDAY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE SO FOCUSED ON TEXAS AND THE TEACHER SHORTAGE AND THE LOSS OF TEACHERS.
WELL, IT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE NATION, UH, UH, THAT, THAT FURTHER IMPACTS OUR SITUATION.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THAT TO SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO, UH, NOT ONLY RETAIN, UH, OUR GOOD TEACHERS, BUT ATTRACT MORE TO COME INTO THE PROFESSION.
UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT SO IMPACTS OUR CHILDREN, OUR WORKFORCE, UH, EVERYTHING, UH, SCHOOL SAFETY, UH, HAS TO BE A, A PRIORITY.
AND, AND I KNOW WE'VE, UH, DONE A LOT OF TALK, UH, BUT NOTHING REALLY CONCRETE THAT'S COMING FORWARD YET THAT I'M, I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT THERE WILL BE, UH, SOMETHING VERY MEANINGFUL TO FURTHER SCHOOL SAFETY.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS THERE.
UH, I'M, UH, I'M, I'M DISAPPOINTED, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE SANTA FE SHOOTING, UH, IN 2018, UH, IN 2019, WE PASSED A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATION, UH, SENATE BILL 11, THAT HAS ALL THE FRAMEWORKS THERE, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH.
UH, SO WE, I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, PROVIDE FUNDING, UH, FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE TO, UH, HARDEN, IF WE WANT TO USE THAT WORD, OR WHATEVER, UH, UH, AND MAKE GOOD USE OF, OF THE SURPLUS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK AND HEAR A LOT ABOUT, OH, GREAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS TREMENDOUS SURPLUS, UH, MAYBE $30 BILLION GOING INTO THE SESSION.
UH, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS AND WISE HOW WE USE THAT SURPLUS AND MAKE SURE THAT ANY USE IS SUSTAINABLE, UH, AND, UH, NOT JUST CREATE A, AN UNFUNDED, UH, MANDATE OR, OR FURTHER BURDEN ON WHEREVER THAT MONEY GOES, UH, FOR FUTURE, UH, SESSIONS OR, OR FUTURE YEARS PAST THE BIENNIUM.
UH, SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK HARD AT, UH, WHERE THERE'S REALLY EFFECTIVE USES OF ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
UH, AND I THINK, UH, SOME OF THE EDUCATION AREAS ARE PRIME, UH, FOR THAT.
UH, IT FLOWS OVER INTO, UH, HEALTHCARE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S IMPACTING OUR SCHOOLS, OUR CHILDREN, OUR TEACHERS, UH, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF FOCUS.
UH, I SIT ON THE, UH, SELECT COMMITTEE ON YOUTH HEALTH AND SAFETY.
WE HAD A MEETING, UH, MONDAY DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, DEVOTED STRICTLY TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
AND INCLUDING, LIKE SENATOR MENENDEZ MENTIONED, ARE, UH, REALLY CRITICAL LACK OF COUNSELORS, UH, AND, AND NOT THE ACADEMIC COUNSELORS, BUT THE, UH, EMOTIONAL AND, AND, UH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH RELATED, UH, COUNSELORS.
UH, SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO A LOT THERE.
AND I THINK, AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE WE CAN USE SOME OF THESE FUNDS.
WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE COUNSELORS AVAILABLE, UH, ON OUR CAMPUSES FOR OUR CHILDREN, UH, AS A PREVENTIVE MAJOR, IF NOTHING ELSE, UH, TO IDENTIFY, UH, PROBLEM AREAS, UH, EARLY ON AND DEAL WITH THEM.
UH, AND I THINK WE CAN DO THAT BY MAKING, UH, THE AREA AND THE PROGRESSION MORE ATTRACTIVE.
UH, I THINK IT'S GONNA HAVE A FINANCIAL COMPONENT TOO, TO IT.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT THAT HAS TO BE A, A PRIORITY.
UH, AND THEN IN THE BROADER, UH, HEALTHCARE, AGAIN, MENTAL HEALTH IS JUST PERMEATING OUR SOCIETIES.
I THINK, UH, ANOTHER REASON WHY WE'VE GOTTA PUT MORE FOCUS ON, ON MENTAL HEALTH AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, ATTENTION TO, UH, WE HAVE AN OBVIOUS SHORTAGE OF PROVIDERS IN THE MENTAL HEALTH AREA, UH, AS WELL.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO SHORE THAT UP.
AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING STEPS IN THAT DIRECTION OR DOING A LOT OF TALK, BUT, UH, AGAIN, WE NEED SOME, SOME ACTION IN THAT AREA.
UH, I'M HEARING A LOT, UH, ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES.
[00:30:01]
IS STILL, UH, SHELLSHOCKED FROM THE APPRAISALS THAT CAME OUT.UH, AND I THINK WE NEED TO PROVIDE MORE REALLY MEANINGFUL RELIEF THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK THAT WE'VE, WE'VE PROVIDED, UH, PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
WELL, UH, IT'S BEEN PRETTY MINUSCULE, UH, IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS MORE AND DO SOMETHING THAT'S VERY, VERY MEANINGFUL.
UH, AND, AND AGAIN, BACK TO EDUCATION, THAT MAY BE THE PIECE, UH, IF WE CAN, UH, I THINK IN SIMPLISTIC TERMS, THE MORE WE PUT INTO PUBLIC EDUCATION, UH, IT, IT CAN BRING DOWN A PROPERTY TAXES, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW IT'S 50 TO 55% OF OUR TAX BILLS ARE EDUCATION.
UH, I KNOW THE GOVERNOR, UH, HAS TALKED ABOUT BUYING DOWN, UH, THE M AND O RATE, UH, FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES.
UH, I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FULL DETAILS OR, OR RAMIFICATIONS OF DOING THAT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, TO LOOK AT, AT THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, TO PROVIDE THAT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF WE WANT.
AND ALSO, UH, MORE ATTENTION TO, UH, EDUCATION, UH, HEALTHCARE, UH, UH, WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP MOVING, MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, UH, NOW AGAIN, NOT ONLY, UH, MENTAL HEALTH ADDRESS, BUT, UH, ACUTE, UH, HEALTHCARE NEEDS AND, AND COVERAGE, AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S MORE ACCESSIBLE.
AND, AND WE HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD JOB THERE.
UH, AND I THINK, UH, I'M, I'M SENSING AND, AND HOPING THAT I'M SEEING IT RIGHT, THAT I THINK THE MINDSET IS THERE COLLECTIVELY, UH, TO DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL THERE.
UH, DRUG COSTS, UH, ARE SEVERELY IMPACTING, UH, ALL OF US, PARTICULARLY ELDERLY.
UH, AND I THINK, UH, ALTHOUGH THAT'S PRIMARILY, I GUESS, A FEDERAL AREA, I THINK WE CAN DO SOMETHING THAT THERE AS WELL.
UH, I'VE, UH, AS OF THE LAST, UH, POINT, UH, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN, UH, UH, A STRONG PROPONENT OF LOCAL CONTROL.
UH, AND I THINK WE'VE, UH, LOST OUR WAY AT TIMES ON THAT.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S UNNECESSARY.
I THINK GOVERNMENT, UH, AND SERVICES FUNCTIONED BEST CLOSEST TO THE PEOPLE.
UH, AND I, AND I THINK WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO MAYBE REASSESS WHERE WE'VE GONE IN THE PAST AND, AND PROTECT THAT.
UH, UH, I EXPECT THAT, UH, UH, THE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYIST BILL THAT WAS UP, UH, TWO SESSIONS.
I THINK WE, WE SURVIVED AT THIS LAST SESSION, BUT I'M SENSING THAT IT'S COMING BACK, AND I THINK THAT'S JUST WRONG.
UH, AND I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO OPPOSE THAT, UH, AND PROTECT, UH, UH, LOCAL CONTROL ISSUES AND, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
UM, WELL, AS A, UM, FIRST, UM, TERM LEGISLATOR, IT DEFINITELY WAS HARD, UM, WITH THE RAINSTORM.
UM, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS NEXT SESSION, AS DIFFICULT AS IT MAY BE, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE DELEGATION AND FOR ALL OF YOU, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE REALLY GOOD.
UM, YOUR PRIORITIES ARE OUR PRIORITIES, AND I THINK WE ALL HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, OUR BILLS, YOU KNOW, READY TO, TO ROLL, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN NOVEMBER.
UM, IT'S, IT, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.
BUT, UM, TODAY, I WENT TO VISIT A SCHOOL, AND IT WAS, YOU COULD TELL THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS ARE VERY UNEASY.
SO HEALTHCARE IS, IS PRIORITY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF YOU, THE FACULTY, MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN ARE SAFE.
BUT THAT ALL FALLS INTO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS MENTAL HEALTH, YOU KNOW? SO, UM, I'M THANKFUL TO BE HERE AND TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU.
UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS IMPORTANT, SO AGAIN, YOUR PRIORITIES ARE OURS.
AND, UM, WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND, AND WORK TOGETHER AND, AND, UM, BE HOPEFUL FOR THE NEXT SESSION.
THANK YOU, UH, REPRESENTATIVE LOPEZ.
WELL, YEAH, THANKS FOR THE INVITATION, PULLING THIS TOGETHER.
I CAN SEE, UH, I G R IS STILL A VITAL COMPONENT OF THE CITY'S EFFORTS, UH, OF PULLING CITY AND COUNTY TOGETHER.
IT'S PROBABLY A SMART THING TO DO, UH, AS I SIT ON THIS SIDE NOW, UH, THAT IS A VERY SMART THING TO DO, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE LISTEN TO ALL THE CONSTITUENTS THAT COME UP.
AND IF THEY, IF OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT WE TYPICALLY SEE AS ONE UNIT COME AT US WITH DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, IT'S CONFUSING.
AND BELIEVE ME, YOU DON'T WANT TO ADD TO THE CONFUSION IN AUSTIN.
WE'RE CONFUSED ENOUGH AS IT IS.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, UH, THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PULLING THIS TOGETHER.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
I, I WON'T TOUCH ON THE THINGS THAT I'VE ALREADY BEEN TALKED ABOUT, EDUCATION, UH, ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED BY MY, MY COLLEAGUES, OTHER THAN TO SAY, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, IS PROBABLY TRUMPED BY THE FACT THAT, UH, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
[00:35:01]
UH, WE ALL WANT TO DO A LOT OF STUFF.WE JUST HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT EXACTLY HOW TO GET IT DONE.
AND THEREIN LIES THE ISSUE, THE HOW TO REALLY, WE NEED TO DEPEND ON OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO HELP US IMPLEMENT THAT.
UH, AND THAT CERTAINLY IS YOU GUYS.
UH, AND, UH, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STUFF THAT IT REALLY HAS JUST BEEN BRIEFLY TALKED ABOUT.
UH, LAST WEEK, UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MODERATE A, UM, A TOWN HALL, UH, WHERE CONTROLLER HAGER WAS THERE, AND HE WAS A SPEAKER, AND HE TALKED ABOUT STUFF.
AND, UM, AND HE GAVE A, YOU KNOW, A, A REASONABLY ROSY PICTURE OF, UH, SURPLUS AND HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA HAVE, AND QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL MONEY COMING, AND HOW ARE WE GONNA LEVERAGE ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF TOGETHER.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THE BEST WE CAN TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REAL SMART ABOUT LEVERAGING THOSE DOLLARS.
UH, ALTHOUGH HE SAID SOME THINGS THAT, THAT WERE CONCERN TO ME, UH, MAYBE THAT WILL COME UP IN THIS DISCUSSION OR WE LEAVE IT FOR ANOTHER DAY.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW AFTER SERVING, UH, ALMOST A DECADE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, ALMOST A DECADE HERE AT CITY HALL, AND NOW, UH, HEADING INTO MY, HOPEFULLY MY THIRD TERM ON, UH, IT BECOMES AN ISSUE OF NOT SO MUCH AS I SAID EARLIER, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT HOW YOU GO ABOUT DOING IT.
UH, AND I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WHENEVER WE HAVE A SURPLUS, WE ARGUE MORE ABOUT SURPLUSES THAN WE ARGUE ABOUT DEFICITS.
'CAUSE IN DEFICITS, YOU'RE IN A DEFENSIVE POSITION, AND THE OTHER ONE, YOU THINK THAT THERE'S PLENTY OF MONEY TO DO EVERYTHING, AND THERE ISN'T.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE, THESE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO BE EARMARKED IF FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR LACK OF ANOTHER TERM, EARMARKED INTO CERTAIN AREAS.
AND WHATEVER LEADERSHIP IS IN PLACE IS GOING TO BE CONTROLLING THAT DIRECTION.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED, UH, THE CONTROLLER WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA LEVERAGE SOME OF THIS STUFF THAT'S COMING, PARTICULARLY FROM TRANSPORTATION? MOST OF, YOU KNOW, UH, I SERVED A LOT OF, UH, FUNCTION, UH, TRANSPORTATION WISE, UH, FOR THE CITY WHILE I WAS HERE, UH, THE N P O AND SAMCO AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO I KIND OF UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
UH, AND I WAS WONDERING, UM, MORE THAN LIKELY, THERE'S GOING TO BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S COMING TO THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT ADDRESSES TRANSPORTATION.
AND MORE THAN LIKELY, IT IS GOING TO BE DIRECTED AT CERTAIN THINGS.
UH, THOSE CERTAIN THINGS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE IN THE SPIRIT OF MASS TRANSIT, PUBLIC TRANSIT.
WE DON'T HAVE A REAL GOOD HISTORY IN THIS STATE OF EMBRACING MASS TRANSIT AND PUBLIC TRANSIT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WOULD ARGUE THAT WE HAVE A VERY ONEROUS POSITION ON THAT.
AS WE KNOW, WHEN WE PASSED AGAIN, UH, PROPOSITION ONE IN SEVEN, THEY WERE PROHIBITED FROM SPENDING MONEY ON MASS TRANSIT ISSUES ON H O V LANES, ON TOLL ROADS, ON PROHIBITED.
WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU PROHIBIT ANY DOLLARS, THAT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO NOT BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE OTHER DOLLARS AND BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE AND LEVERAGE YOUR, YOUR INVESTMENT.
THAT'S WHAT CONCERNS ME ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING TO US, THAT WE WILL BE GIVEN WALLS, IF YOU WILL, AROUND WHERE WE CANNOT SPEND IT.
AND WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING IS ACCEPTING AS MUCH OF THAT FEDERAL DOLLAR IS COMING TO US, AND THEN LEAVING IT AS OPEN AS WE CAN, AND LET THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IN, IN PLACE, WHICH ARE THE NPOS, THE, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES, THOSE FOLKS THAT OWN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CONGESTION AND THE LIKE, THAT, YOU KNOW, TO COME UP WITH THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS AND IN MASS TRANSIT IS A PART OF THAT SOLUTION, WHICH MORE THAN LIKELY IS THAT WE SHOULD PURSUE IT.
I, I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT LEVEL OF SPIRIT IN, IN, IN, IN BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MANAGE THOSE DOLLARS.
SO TRANSPORTATION IS GONNA BE REAL IMPORTANT.
I, I DO NOT SIT ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, ALTHOUGH I'VE, I'VE ASKED FOR IT, UH, AND I'LL ASK FOR IT AGAIN.
UH, UM, AND, AND, AND IF I DO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT ON TRANSPORTATION, THAT WILL BE A BIG PUSH FOR ME, IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, UH, AND REALLY GO BACK TO THAT LOCAL CONTROL.
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO TELL US HOW TO SPEND THAT MONEY.
THE PASTOR ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE CLOSEST, UH, UH, CLOSEST TO THE, UH, TO THE EXPENDITURE.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT IS I, I, I ALSO, I SIT ON COUNTY AFFAIRS, UH, AND I ALSO SIT ON VETERANS AFFAIRS, RIGHT? MELISSA, ARE YOU THERE? THERE, THERE SHE IS.
BUT I DO SIT ON COUNTY AFFAIRS, UH, UH, AND, AND IT'S A PRETTY INTERESTING, WE'RE WE, WE'VE GOT A NEW CHAIRMAN, UH, CHAIRMAN COLEMAN, UH, RESIGNED, UH, DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES.
UH, HE WAS REPLACED BY OUR VICE CHAIR.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA BE THE CHAIR PERSON NEXT TIME.
UH, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE, A LOT OF STUFF COMES THROUGH OUR, OUR COMMITTEE THAT WE GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW.
AND I CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, GIVING ME I ADVICE ON THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE COMING FORWARD.
I KNOW THAT YOU WILL, I ALSO SIT ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS, UH, AND I WOULD EXPECT THAT SAN ANTONIO MILITARY CITY U S A, IS GOING TO HAVE A HANDFUL OF, OF RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, WITH THE MILITARY.
UM, UH, LAST SESSION, UH, THE GENERAL
[00:40:01]
BROUGHT THE BSE BILL, WHO WE REFERRED TO AS THE BAMSEY BILL, WHICH WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN BEING ABLE TO PASS AND GET SIGNED INTO, INTO LEGISLATION.MOST PEOPLE WENT LIKE, WELL, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT? AND THE REALITY IS, YOU KNOW, SEY HAS, UH, AN AGREEMENT TO TAKE OUR, UH, LEVEL ONE TRAUMA, UH, GUNSHOT AND, AND, AND BURN VICTIMS AND CARE FOR 'EM.
AND 85% OF THEIR CASELOAD IS THAT 85% OF THEIR CASELOAD IS NOT, I, I IS, IS CIVILIANS.
AND THEY NEED THAT LEVEL OF WORK TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR TROOPS AND SOLDIERS AND DOCTORS TO BE ABLE TO PRACTICE WHAT THEY DO, WHATEVER, IN CASE THEY GET DEPLOYED.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT PASSED.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THE, IN MY WORLD, IT WAS KIND OF A CLASSIC.
SO HOW DO I GET THIS PASSED? I, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE SENATOR, UH, AND HE SAID, AB ABSOLUTELY.
AND THEN WE KIND OF FIGURED, WELL, MAYBE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS GET SOMEBODY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE TO CARRY IT ON THE OTHER SIDE.
UM, AND I DID, I WAS ABLE TO REACH OUT TO, TO SENATOR CAMPBELL.
UH, SHE WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE, OBVIOUSLY, UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY WHAT THE, THE PROBLEM AND THE ISSUE IS.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT HAPPENS IN AUSTIN IS ANYTIME SOMETHING IS PIGEONHOLED AS A MEDICARE DEAL OR A TRANSPORTATION DEAL, OR A PUBLIC TRANSIT DEAL, IT IMMEDIATELY IS A NO.
AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET THINGS THROUGH COMMITTEE.
SO IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT NOW DURING THE, UH, YOU KNOW, INTERIM, THAT WE IDENTIFY THOSE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN INTERIM CHARGES AND DIG A LITTLE DEEPER THAN WE YOU NORMALLY DO, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES, WELL, THAT ONE SHOULD BE BE OKAY.
BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GONNA GET ATTACHED TO IT.
AND SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE TRACKING ALL OF THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, URBAN AFFAIRS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE DEALING WITH.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF URBAN AFFAIR MEMBERS HERE.
UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE CHAIR, UH, AT LEAST THIS TERM, UH, IN, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CORTEZ CHAIR OF URBAN AFFAIRS.
I THINK THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ARE WELL POSITIONED TO HAVE INPUT INTO HOW WE CRAFT LEGISLATION GOING FORWARD.
UH, THOSE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS, UM, RELATIVE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, MILITARY AND OUR VETERANS.
UH, I'M WORKING ON A BILL RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT, UH, I THINK IS KIND OF ONE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU HIT YOURSELF ON THE FOREHEAD AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT ALREADY.
UH, AND, AND, AND THEN YOU START TO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME FOLKS THAT MAYBE, UH, UH, FEEL THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING TOO MUCH.
AND THAT'S TO SUPPORT OUR MILITARY FORCES.
UH, I SERVED FOR 14 YEARS, A LONG TIME AGO.
I GOT OUTTA THE MILITARY IN 1984.
AND IT WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MILITARY.
IT WAS, IT WAS NOT A VOLUNTEER MILITARY AT THAT TIME.
NOW IT IS, UH, THE, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO, AND I THINK WE ALL IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE SOME SHORTCOMINGS IN THE WAY WE FUND AND SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, PARTICULARLY, UH, OPERATIONAL LONE STAR AT THE BORDER.
WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THAT OR NOT, THE REALITY IS, OUR TROOPS ARE OUT THERE ON A LEGAL ORDER, RIGHT? ISSUED BY THE GOVERNOR AND UNDER THE AUSPICES OF, UM, I THINK IT'S TITLE 32, I BELIEVE IT, WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT IS THAT FUNDS WHAT THEY DO AND THE BENEFITS.
AND IT'S A LITTLE SHORT, IT'S SHORT ON ITS BENEFIT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE PART OF THAT FORCE THAT ARE THERE UNDER TITLE 32, AND NOT GETTING THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED.
UH, UH, AND THE EXAMPLE THAT I WILL USE ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO WHEN THAT SOLDIER WAS TRYING TO RESCUE, UH, A FAMILY WAS COMING ACROSS DROWN.
AND THE STRUGGLE THAT HE WENT THROUGH AND THE REALIZATION THAT I CAME TO, THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE LEVEL OF BENEFITS, HAD HE, THAT SAME SOLDIER, THAT SAME ENLISTMENT, THAT SAME COMMITMENT TO PATRIOTISM, TO DEMOCRACY, HAD HE BEEN UNDER, I THINK IT'S TITLE 10, HAD HE BEEN UNDER A CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTIVE, THAT SAME SOLDIER WOULD'VE GOTTEN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SET OF, OF, OF, OF, UH, BENEFITS.
AND BY THE WAY, THAT SAME SOLDIER CAN CERTAINLY GO, UH, TO POLAND TO GO THE SUPPORT, THE, THE, THE UKRAINIAN WAR.
THEY NOW, WE KNOW, UH, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF TENSION IN THE SOUTHEAST AND TAIWAN AND OTHER, THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES WHERE THESE FOLKS CAN BE DEPLOYED.
AND IT'S THE SAME UNIFORM, IT'S THE SAME PERSON, IT'S THE SAME COMMITMENT, YET THEY HAVE TWO SETS OF BENEFIT PACKAGES.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE ANYBODY BEING AGAINST THAT, BUT I'M SURE THERE WILL BE A HANDFUL OF THOSE.
I'M WORKING ON THOSE KINDS OF BENEFITS.
SAN ANTONIO, I THINK REALLY BY VIRTUE OF OUR, OUR MONIKER OF MILITARY CITY, U S A OUGHT TO TAKE A VERY PROMINENT ROLE IN MAKING SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MILITARY, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF VETERANS.
UH, AND SO I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M HOPEFUL THAT THIS COMING, UH, SESSION AS, AS WE SAID, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S OPTIMISM, UH, MAYBE NOT AS OPTIMISTIC AS YOU WERE STATING IT, UH, UH, DIEGO, ON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE UNCERTAINTY DOES NOT GIVE ME CONFIDENCE.
IT GIVES ME ANXIETY, UH, UH, BECAUSE I ALSO KNOW THAT WHILE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO A LOT OF STUFF AT THE STATE LEVEL, THERE'S NOT
[00:45:01]
ALWAYS THE WILL TO DO IT.WE MAY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT, BUT THERE'S NOT A WILL TO DO IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE, AND I, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, SENATOR.
UH, NOVEMBER'S GONNA BE A VERY TELLING, UH, ELECTION.
SO WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, I, I THINK I'VE HIT ALL THE, THE NOTES THAT I JOTTED DOWN HERE.
'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, YOU COMMENTED ABOUT BEING PREPARED TO COME HERE.
I, I AM ONLY AS PREPARED AS MY STAFF WROTE ME, UH, UH, PREPARATION, UH, PREPARING NOTES, AND I DIDN'T GET ANY.
SO I FIGURED I'D HAVE TO KIND OF WING IT ON MY OWN.
SO, SO I'M LOOKING IN THE AUDIENCE.
I DON'T SEE ANY OF MY STAFFING.
SHE PROBABLY HAS 'EM WITH HER, AND SHE'S GONNA SAY, COUNCILMAN OR, UH, REPRESENTATIVE.
UH, I SENT 'EM TO YOU LAST NIGHT.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M GETTING READY TO LOOK TO SEE IF THEY'RE IN THERE, MR. CHAIR, BUT I HOPE I COVERED EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MR. CHAIRMAN COVER, MR. I DID.
UH, SO MANNY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PULLING THIS TOGETHER AND LEADING, UH, LEADING THE CITY IN, IN, IN THIS DIRECTION, SENATOR, I THINK MR. CHAIRMAN.
I'D JUST LIKE TO BUILD ON A POINT THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE MADE, AND, YOU KNOW, HE TALKED ABOUT THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE NEEDED TO PASS FOR BSS C AND WE, WE DISCUSSED IT AND I SAID, WELL, IT'S PROBABLY BEST THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE, SENATOR CAMPBELL IS GONNA GO THROUGH A COMMITTEE.
REPUBLICAN WILL MAKE IT MORE PLAUSIBLE TO GET THE BILL PASSED.
AS YOU MOVE FORWARD, BUILDING OUT, FILLING OUT YOUR PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF WHAT THESE THINGS COULD BE IN TERMS OF BILLS, MY RECOMMENDATION, AND I'M SURE THAT THE ABLE, UH, LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANTS THAT YOU'VE HIRED WILL ALSO IS TO REACH OUT TO FIND, UM, ALLIES AND BUILD COALITIONS MORE SO THAN JUST THE COUNTY, MORE SO THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION.
YOU'VE GOT SAMCO, BUT IT HAS TO BE MORE THAN JUST SAN ANTONIO BASED.
THE, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SUCCESS IN ANY OF THESE PRIORITIES, THE BIGGER THE COALITION, THE BETTER.
AND, AND THE MORE PEOPLE BEHIND IT, AND THE SOONER THE BETTER.
UM, BECAUSE LOOK, SOME OF YOUR PRIORITIES ARE GONNA NOT GO OVER REAL WELL WITH THE FOLKS IN LEADERSHIP RIGHT NOW.
BUT MY POINT IS, THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO GET DONE, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE PRIORITIES THAT NEED TO PASS, AND WE NEED TO PUT TOGETHER A STRATEGY TO MAKE SURE THAT AS MANY OF YOUR PRIORITIES GET PASSED, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, WE'RE GONNA STAND ON OUR COMMITMENT AND OUR VALUES, AND WE'RE GONNA REPRESENT THOSE VALUES AS YOU HAVE ABLELY.
AND I, AND I, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU ALL FOR ALWAYS BEING TRUE TO YOUR COMMUNITY, TO THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND BEING THERE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALSO HAVE TO GET THINGS DONE.
UH, WE'RE A TEAM THAT WORKS TOGETHER TO TRY TO GET, MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
AND, UH, WE, WE KNOW ALL OF THE FOLKS YOU'VE HIRED, THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE.
AND, UH, AND THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT A LOT OF THE FOLKS YOU HIRED IS THAT THEY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS THE AISLE.
AND SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL TRY TO PIGEONHOLE CITIES, ESPECIALLY SOME OF OUR MORE, OUR LARGER URBAN CITIES INTO THESE, THESE OUT OF TOUCH, UH, ULTRALIBERAL PLACES, WHICH YOU'RE THE ONES KNOCKING ON DOORS AND HAVING TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
YOU'RE THE ONES CLOSEST TO THE FOLKS.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE ONES SEEING AND TALKING TO FOLKS EVERY DAY.
AND, AND IF, IF, IF YOU'RE OUTTA TOUCH, THEN WHAT DOES THAT MAKE US? AND THE FOLKS IN DC SO I DISAGREE WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT.
I, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO MAKE THE PRIORITIES PASS.
UM, SO, UH, DIFFICULT PLACE TO, LOTS OF POINTS.
DIFFICULT PLACE TO SORT OF FIND A, A STARTING, UM, UH, JUMPING OFF POINT FOR, FOR A BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION HERE.
BUT THE, THE, THE BIGGER POINT, UM, ABOUT COALITIONS I'M INTERESTED IN, IN HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU TODAY OR, OR LATER, AND, AND EVEN OUR CONSULTANTS, YOU KNOW, UM, WHICH MEMBERS, UH, W WOULD BE THE ONES THAT WE SHOULD APPROACH FIRST.
UH, WHICH NON SAN ANTONIO NON-BEER COUNTY MEMBERS SHOULD BE THE ONES THAT WE, THAT WE TALK TO.
UM, I IMAGINE THAT OTHER CITIES WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE HAVE A VERY SIMILAR SLIDE DECK THAT OURS HAS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, JEFF AND SALLY, IT, IT, IT MIGHT BE WORTH, WELL, IT'S NOT, I, I, I'D LIKE TO SEE, AND I HAVE A FEELING MY, MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEIR SLIDE DECK TO SEE WHERE WE HAVE COMMONALITIES, UM, SO THAT WE CAN THEN APPROACH THEIR, UM, DELEGATIONS OR ASK, ASK THE SENATOR OR OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO APPROACH THEIR DELEGATIONS TO SAY, LET'S PARTNER UP ON THIS.
RIGHT? TWO, UM, ONE THING IS TO BE AN ALLY IN A COALITION, AND THE OTHER THING IS TO ACTUALLY GET TOGETHER AND BRING POSSIBLY THEM, UH, TO A, A SIMILAR MEETING LIKE THIS, OR FOR US TO TRAVEL TO WHERE THEY ARE SO THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN ACTUALLY MEET THEIR NEW FRIENDS, UH, AND THEIR, UM, COMRADES IN ARMS. UM, THE OTHER THING, UH, AND I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT A LOT, UH, TO UNPACK HERE, BUT, UM, I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I DON'T THINK IT'S LOST ON ANYBODY IN THIS BUILDING, UH, THAT LARGE CITIES WE'RE, WE'RE, SOMEBODY
[00:50:01]
DESCRIBED IT TO ME THE OTHER DAY THAT WE'RE LIKE A FEW LITTLE BLUEBERRIES FLOATING IN A BIG PUNCH OF RED KOOL-AID, RIGHT? UM, AND WE HAVE A, UH, AND THERE'S DIVIDENDS, POLITICAL DIVIDENDS THAT APPARENTLY PAY OFF TO, UM, SOME FOLKS UP IN AUSTIN TO BEAT UP ON CITIES AND CALL US ALL SORTS OF HORRIBLE THINGS AND, UM, AND ACCUSE US OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUE.UM, I, AND I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE DIDN'T INVENT THESE, UH, PRIORITIES.
THESE PRIORITIES COME FROM, UH, AN EXERCISE THAT WE GO THROUGH ANNUALLY THAT, THAT YOU USED TO GO THROUGH AND THAT YOU USED TO GO THROUGH WHEN YOU WERE ON CITY COUNCIL HERE.
UH, WHERE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC AND ASK, UH, VERY ROBUST, UH, WE, WE PUBLISH OUT A VERY ROBUST SET OF QUESTIONS, AND BY WAY OF SURVEYS, PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO ADVERTISE ON TV, RADIO, AND WE HANG THINGS ON PEOPLE'S DOORS, ASK 'EM TO PARTICIPATE.
WE GET SOME PRETTY GOOD PARTICIPATION ON THESE SURVEYS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIST OF THE SURVEY RESULTS THAT CAME OUT, WHEN DID THEY COME OUT? LIKE THIS PAST WEEK, THE BUDGET ONES WAS THIS WEEK, OR YEAH, WE, WE DID ONE FOR THE BUDGET.
PEOPLE ARE TELLING US, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PROPERTY TAX RELIEF NUMBER ONE ON THEIR MIND.
UM, NUMBER TWO, UH, I, I BELIEVE WAS PLEASE REMIND ME, DO YOU REMEMBER, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY? YEAH.
PUBLIC SAFETY WAS UP THERE, UM, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MENTAL HEALTH AND STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, RIGHT? SO PRETTY MUCH I, I WROTE DOWN ALL THE POINTS THAT Y'ALL, UM, YOU KNOW, LAID OUT FOR US, AND THEY MATCH WHAT THE PUBLIC HERE IS ASKING OF US, RIGHT? AND SO, UH, I I, I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE OUT OF TOUCH EITHER, UM, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE PICKING UP FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS, UM, WHAT THEY'RE LAYING OUT FOR US.
AND SO I, I WILL START WITH ONE QUESTION AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN ALL JUMP IN AS AS APPROPRIATE.
I, I DO KNOW THAT DAG IS ON YOUR MIND, UM, AND THAT IT MIGHT ACTUALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, BE WIND IN THE SAILS OF SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE MADE ABOUT MILITARY PREPAREDNESS AND, AND OUR MISSIONS HERE, AND MAYBE WE START THERE.
UM, DAG IS THE STATE GRANT PROGRAM THAT COMMUNITIES CAN APPLY FOR TO DO PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT THE MILITARY.
EVERY ONE OF THESE MEMBERS HAS FOUGHT VEHEMENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT PROGRAM IS FUNDED EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND, AND IT IS ONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT TENDS TO FIND SUPPORT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, UH, WHICH IS A HELPFUL THING.
UM, THE SENATOR'S SUGGESTION ABOUT A MICROGRID IS GREAT AND MAYBE SOMETHING WE CAN PURSUE, UH, PAST DAGS.
WE, UM, IT WAS ACTUALLY THE REVERSE.
THE, THE BASES HAD THEIR OWN WATER SUPPLIES THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE FORCED INTO STAGE FOUR RESTRICTIONS DURING DROUGHT.
AND SO ONE OF OUR PAST DAGS FUNDED CONNECTING THE SAWS SYSTEM TO ALL THE BASES AS A BACKUP SOURCE, UH, AND THEN THE DAG THAT WE JUST GOT THIS YEAR FOR 5 MILLION, UM, INCLUDED BUYING GENERATORS AND, AND PROVIDING BACKUP POWER AT SOME OF THE PUMPING STATIONS THAT SUPPORT THE BASES AND ABOUT 90,000 RESIDENTS AROUND THEM.
IT'S NOT QUITE THE MICROGRID MODEL, IT'S A LITTLE SHORTER TERM SOLUTION, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL TAKE BACK TO OUR MILITARY AFFAIRS OFFICE AND, AND THEY CAN BEGIN CONVERSATIONS WITH J B S A BETTER.
UM, I'VE BEEN HAVING A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH, UM, WITH ONE OR TWO DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT ARE NOW MANUFACTURING, UM, BATTERIES AT, YOU KNOW, AND ONE OF THESE BATTERIES THAT I GOT TO LOOK AT RECENTLY, 250 MEGAWATTS, AND IT FITS IN A PARKING SPACE.
UM, AND I MEAN, REMEMBER WHEN WE ALL DID A SOLAR DEAL FOR 400, 400 MEGAWATTS OR, UH, AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, A HUGE, HUGE FIELD.
UH, AND NOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY FIT ONE OF THESE THINGS IN A PARKING LOT AND THE INNOVATION'S OUT THERE, AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF US, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT TOGETHER WHICH ONE, WHICH ONES WORK BEST, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE SOLVING A PROBLEM FOR US.
AND IT, IT'S, UH, AND I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE REPRESENTING US AT THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS TRAINING FOR, UH, SUSTAINABILITY AND RE AND RESILIENCE, UH, FOR, FOR LEGISLATORS.
UM, COUNCILMAN MCGEE, RODRIGUEZ, COMMENTS, OBSERVATIONS.
FEARS, ANXIETIES,
UM, I'LL START OFF APOLOGIZING.
UM, I WAS STOPPED BY ONE OF THE MANY TRAINS THAT RUN THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF OUR CITY, UM, WHICH I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING ABOUT ON THE NEXT ITEM.
UM, I'M ALSO SUPER GLAD THAT YOU GUYS ARE HERE.
UM, UH, I WISH I KNEW SPECIFICALLY WHO WAS GONNA BE HERE PRIOR TO THIS.
I HAVE A 40 PAGE DOCUMENT AND 0.8 FONT WITH EVERYTHING I WANT YOU GUYS TO ACCOMPLISH NEXT YEAR.
I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR WORK ON THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
AND SO OFTEN WE'RE, UM, AS A CITY, AND MANY OF YOU CAN RELATE TO THIS, UM, OUR CITY'S ABILITIES ARE LIMITED, UM, TO IMPLEMENT POLICY BECAUSE MANY ISSUES ARE SPECIFICALLY TO THE STATE OR IMPLIED FUNCTIONS.
AND SO THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT ISSUES THAT ESCAPE OUR JURISDICTION.
THIS YEAR, SAN ANTONIO HAD, UM, THE HOTTEST JULY ON RECORD AND ALSO TIED FOR THE HOTTEST MONTH IN SAN ANTONIO'S, UM, RECORDED HISTORY.
AND THAT'S OF UNIQUE CONCERN TO ME BECAUSE I ONLY OWN TURTLENECKS,
[00:55:01]
I KID.UM, BUT WITH SUCH EXTREME TEMPERATURES NOW BECOMING THE NORM IN OUR CITY, WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION SOONER RATHER THAN LATER TO PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE, UM, RESIDENTS AND ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE, BOTH AT HOME AND WITHIN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
AND SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR CLIMATE TO BE ONE OF OUR, UM, TOP PRIORITIES.
UM, AND YEAH, I'LL, DO YOU READ THAT
FOR INSTANCE, UM, THE TEXAS CLIMATE ACTION ACT, UH, SPONSORED BY REPRESENTATIVE JAMES TYLER RICO, AND REPRESENTATIVE GINA OSA'S, UM, CLIMATE PLAN ARE BOTH WORTHY OF OUR SUPPORT.
UM, AND WHAT I BELIEVE WE CAN SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS TO CONNECT TO THE NATIONAL GRID.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY, STOPPING OUR RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS AND TO INVEST IN CLEAN AND RENE RENEWABLE ENERGY.
WE SHOULD ADVOCATE FOR STATE FUNDS TO PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES TO LOCAL SCHOOLS.
I KNOW THAT SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION SEEMS TO BE, JUST LISTENING TO YOU GUYS TALK SEEMS TO BE A PRIORITY, UM, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE OF US AND THE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW ARE YOU GONNA KEEP YOUR SCHOOLS SAFE, UM, AND AT THE CITY LEVEL, KNOWING THAT THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF OVERLAP THERE, I THINK CAMERAS ENTRY SYSTEM AT THE FRONT DESK, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT I THINK IT WAS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE ALLISON, YOU HAD MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T CREATE ANY MORE UNFUNDED MANDATES FOR SCHOOLS AND I I, OR UNFUNDED MANDATES.
YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT WORD, AND SO I'M TAKING IT AND APPLYING IT TO THIS SENTENCE.
THERE'S ALSO, UM, I THINK SOMEONE HAD MENTIONED INCREASED FUNDING OR RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOL OR FOR COUNSELORS IN SCHOOLS.
I THINK THAT WAS YOU, SENATOR MENENDEZ.
AND SO I THINK, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY AS MENTAL HEALTH.
I DON'T NECESSARILY SAY THAT UP THERE, BUT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A SPECIFIC TARGET ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE, BUT I THINK MENTAL HEALTH IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN, UM, INCREASINGLY PREVALENT AND, UM, A TOP PRIORITY FOR OUR COUNTRY AS, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, ALSO CALLS FOR COMMON SENSE GUN REFORM.
MANY INDI INDIVIDUALS AT OUR, AT OUR, UM, CRIME PREVENTION TOWN HALL INDICATED THEIR SUPPORT FOR COMMON SENSE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD RE REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THAT'S BEEN THE CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK WHAT I'VE ALMOST COME TO TERMS WITH, NOT QUITE YET, BUT WHAT I'VE ALMOST COME TO TERMS WITH IS THAT AT THE CITY LEVEL, A PRIORITY IS GOING TO BE RESPONDING TO CRIME.
AND SO WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS IS IN REDUCING THAT CRIME AND ACTIVELY, UH, PREVENTING IT.
AND THAT GOES TO, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THESE, YOU KNOW, GUN REFORM LAWS, BUT THEN ALSO, UM, ADDRESSING ROOT CAUSES LIKE POVERTY AS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE BERNAL HAD BROUGHT UP.
AND WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION, NOT MAYBE A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO ABOUT IT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, WE RECENTLY HAD OUR, UM, WE RECENTLY APPROVED OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I WAS INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED AS THE, AS TIME WENT ON, BECAUSE THERE WERE LITTLE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SEE THAT WE COULDN'T INCLUDE BECAUSE WE'D BE, UH, YOU KNOW, STATE LAW WOULD PROHIBIT IT, SUCH AS, UM, ACCESS TO BODY CAM FOOTAGE FOR OFFICERS.
WE CAN'T DO, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THAT.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, IN FIVE YEARS WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING THE POLICE CONTRACT AGAIN, HOW CAN WE, UM, UH, TARGET SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE AT THE STATE LEVEL OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE A, A PRIORITY FOR ME.
UM, I HAD ALREADY, I HEARD SOME FOLK MENTION PROPERTY TAX REFORM, UH, PROTECTING LEGACY HOMEOWNERS FROM BEING TAXED OUTTA THEIR HOMES.
AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THIS FALLS, BUT WE GET A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE UPSET THAT THEY ARE GETTING CALLS AND LETTERS, AND IT'S ALMOST PREDATORY PEOPLE TRYING TO BUY THEIR HOUSES.
THERE'S NOT REALLY ANYTHING I CAN DO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT SHAW'S CAPACITY IS FOR THAT, OR WHAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT FALLS, BUT IF SOMEBODY COULD ADDRESS THAT OR TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT, I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL.
UM, AND SPEAKING OF TAX REFORM AND WHATNOT, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED ALTERNATIVE AND ROBUST FUNDING FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS SO THAT BOTH OUR CHILDREN AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS CAN THRIVE.
WE SHOWED, UM, AS A PART OF OUR BUDGET SURVEY, AND AS A PART OF OUR BUDGET PRESENTATIONS AT OUR TOWN HALLS, WE SHOWED WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE YOUR TAXES GOING? AND PEOPLE AUTOMATICALLY SEE THAT 50% ARE GOING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND I DON'T WANT THE TARGET TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO REDUCE PUBLIC SCHOOL.
I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE, UM, THE TAKEAWAY FROM THAT.
BUT I, THE ARGUMENT FOR HOW TO DECREASE YOUR TAX BILLS, COUNCILMAN.
BUT THE BEAUTY OF THAT IS IF YOU TELL THEM, IF THE STATE PUTS MORE MONEY IN YOUR LOCAL TAXES, COME DOWN.
AND THAT IS WHY I WOULD LIKE THE STATE TO PUT MORE MONEY IN
UM, I ALSO IN, UH, I APPRECIATE THE INCLUSION OF INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.
AND, UM, THIS INCLUDES FOR ME, EXPANDING MEDICAID, UM, AND ALSO DEFENDING ACCESS TO, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, ABORTION, REPRODUCTIVE
[01:00:01]
HEALTHCARE AND CONTRACEPTION.UM, ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUE THAT WE SEE TIME AND TIME AGAIN IS THE DEFENSE OF OUR NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE.
UM, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATE THAT WE WILL OPPOSE ANY ATTEMPTS TO PREEMPT OUR CITY'S ABILITY TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS FROM DISCRIMINATION.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE OUR PRIORITIES OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA FIGHT FOR, BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DEVELOP OUR LIST OF THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ACTIVELY OPPOSE AND FIGHT AGAINST AND BE DEFENSIVE A LOT EARLIER.
I KNOW THAT THIS PAST, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HAD BEEN A LITTLE BIT AFTER I GOT ELECTED, WE HAD A, A MEETING, AND IT WAS MAYBE THE SIXTH OR SEVENTH
AND SO I WANT US TO DO THAT SIGNIFICANTLY SOONER.
UM, SO THAT FALLS INTO THE NEXT THING THAT MY, UH, THE NEXT BIT OF NOTES THAT MY TEAM PREPARED FOR ME, WHICH IS DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY.
AND I KNOW, UM, DRAG SHOWS HAVE BECOME A TARGET OF LEGISLATORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THE TRAGEDY OF VALDI, WE WERE ALL, UM, SHOCKED AND, UM, SCARED.
AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, SOME LEGISLATORS AROUND THE COUNTRY CAUGHT UP TO THAT SHOCK, BUT IT WAS TARGETED INSTEAD OF DRAG SHOWS.
AND I THINK THAT WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING IN TEXAS REGARDING THAT.
AND SO I WANT US TO BE PROACTIVE, UM, RESTRICTIVE VOTING LAWS.
I THINK AS WELL, WE SHOULD EARLY ON BE THINKING ABOUT THAT.
ASIDE FROM THAT, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AND HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU GUYS.
AND THANK YOU JEFF AND SALLY FOR YOUR WORK TO REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS AND BE OUR DEFENSE AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU, JUAN, ON OH ONE TO DISCUSS THESE FURTHER.
AS I MEET WITH, UM, DISTRICT TWO RESIDENTS, I'LL MAKE SURE TO CONVEY THEIR THOUGHTS AS WELL.
I ALSO, AND THIS IS A QUESTION, UM, ABOUT OUR LOBBYING EFFORTS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
DO WE KEEP A REPORT CARD OR SOME SORT OF EVALUATION OF HOW SUCCESSFUL WE ARE, UM, IN THESE EFFORTS? AND WHEN CAN WE, OR HOW CAN WE GO ABOUT ACCESSING SUCH A REPORT CARD? SURE, COUNCILMAN, GOOD QUESTION.
WE DO, WE, UM, AS PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OVERALL, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A, UM, A PERCENTAGE OF OUR BILLS THAT WE PLAYED OFFENSE ON THAT PASSED, AND WE HAVE A TARGET FOR THAT.
AND WE HAVE A, UM, PERCENTAGE OF BILLS THAT WE TOOK AN ACTIVE ROLE IN OPPOSING, AND WHAT OUR SUCCESS RATE WAS THERE TOO.
I'LL SAY THAT WE, UH, IT'S VERY FLUID.
OUR, OUR CONSULTANT TEAM IS BUILT TO HAVE EXPERTISE ALL OVER THE MAP.
WE HAVE MUNICIPAL EXPERTS, WE HAVE ENERGY EXPERTS, WE HAVE PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE IN THE SPEAKER'S OFFICE, GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
SO WE PULL AND WE PULL ON THEM, UH, REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THE SESSION IN PLACES THAT MAKE SENSE FOR THEM.
SO, IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT WE DON'T DO IS SAY, OKAY, CONSULTANT X, YOUR GOAL IS THIS ISSUE AND CONSULTANT Y, YOURS IS THIS ISSUE.
WE COLLECTIVELY UTILIZE THEM AND THEN HAVE AN OVERALL ACCOUNTING OF HOW WE, OF HOW WE DID OR DIDN'T DO EACH SESSION.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK WITH YOU ON THAT.
I, BUT THE, THE MAIN MEASURE ULTIMATELY IS THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVES WE MEASURE OURSELVES AGAINST AND, AND HOW WE DID ON ALL THE VARIOUS ISSUES THAT YOU DIRECTED US TO GO ADVOCATE FOR.
THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE GIST OF THE QUESTION.
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE REST OF YOU.
AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
UM, REPRESENTATIVE, UH, LOPEZ AND CAMPOS AND ALLISON AND NEL AND, AND SENATOR MENENDEZ.
I'M ON THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO BOARD, UH, AND WE HAD A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY OF SAN ANTONIO, HOPEFULLY PUTTING OURSELVES ON THE MAP FOR THE A LOS MUTOS THIS YEAR.
AND IT'S GONNA BE, UM, NATIONALLY BROADCAST.
UM, TO THAT POINT, I ALSO WANNA LET YOU KNOW WE HAVE I P W NEXT YEAR.
I WILL PROBABLY BE REACHING OUT TO YOU AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUE, PHYLLIS VRAN, WHO ALSO SITS ON THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO BOARD FOR SUPPORT FROM THE, UM, TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM OFFICE, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORT.
I THINK I MISSED, UH, REPRESENTATIVE ALLISON EARLIER.
UM, BUT MY, UH, MY FOCUS TODAY IS ON, ON SOME THINGS.
UM, AND MY STAFFS TOOK NOTES AS YOU ALL WERE SPEAKING WHILE I WAS ON MY WAY OVER HERE.
AND SENATOR, UM, MENENDEZ, MICROGRIDS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME.
I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MICROGRIDS IN MIDLAND, AND IT WAS SPECIFICALLY DURING A TEXAS LYCEUM CONFERENCE.
UM, AND THERE IS A FELLOW OUT OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY WHO PUT TOGETHER THAT'S THIS EXCELLENT.
UM, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ONE PAGER OF END OF BEING FOUR PAGES, BUT IT'S GREAT AND I'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'S THE WAY THAT WE SHOULD BE GOING.
AND I SIT ON THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE, AND I'VE BEEN MENTIONING THIS TO C P SS, THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT MICROGRIDS.
AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT MICROGRIDS SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU, WE CAN'T HAVE SOMETHING LIKE BRAC HAPPEN AGAIN,
[01:05:01]
THAT ALREADY HAPPENED.IT AFFECTED A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS THAT I REPRESENT.
I THINK YOU ALSO POINTED OUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND, UH, FOR FOLKS WHO, UM, HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO GET, I JUST GOT A REPORT YESTERDAY ABOUT HOW THE AVERAGE, UH, WAGE THAT SOMEONE IN T IN TEXAS NEEDS TO MAKE IN ORDER TO AFFORD A TWO BEDROOM HOME IS $22 AND 57 CENTS.
THE RESIDENTS THAT I REPRESENT ARE NOT MAKING THAT.
UM, IN FACT, A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS THAT EVERYBODY IN SAN ANTONIO REPRESENTS ARE NOT MAKING THAT EVEN ALREADY TO WORK PROGRAM IS NOT, UM, FOCUSED ON THAT LEVEL.
AND SO WE ARE ALREADY FALLING SHORT AND BEHIND.
AND SO, UM, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU ADVOCATE FOR THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
UH, ONE OTHER THING THAT YOU MENTIONED, SENATOR THE OTHER DAY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MENTIONED IT HERE, UH, BUT YOU MENTIONED THE OTHER DAY AT THE IMMIGRATION FORUM, WAS HIRING FOLKS WHO HAVE SERVED OUR MILITARY INTO OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS.
AND APPARENTLY RIGHT NOW THERE IS A REASON THAT THEY CAN'T BE HIRED AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER ONE THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO ME, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, ESPECIALLY, AND I THINK ALL OF YOU ALL REFERENCE THE SCHOOL SAFETY CONVERSATION.
AND SO WE NEED PEOPLE WHO, UM, WHO CAN, CAN PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.
AND, AND, AND WE NEED A, THEY ALREADY SERVED OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY ALREADY SERVED OUR COUNTRY, SO HOW COME THEY CAN'T SERVE OUR, OUR STATE? SO, SO ONE OTHER THING, UM, REPRESENTATIVE AL, I KNOW YOU THAT YOU'VE BEEN A LONG TIME ADVOCATE OF COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT.
I AM A PRODUCT OF COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AS WELL.
I SIT ON THE, THE, THE BOARD, THE, UM, BOARD AND, AND YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO US SINCE YOU'RE A PRODUCT AS WELL.
UM, THE RESPONDERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE THERE, BUT WE FORGET THAT THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER LEVEL OF RESPONDER THAT IS A FIRST RESPONDER, AND IT'S THOSE SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND THE COUNSELORS AT COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS WERE THERE AFTER THE UVALDE TRAGEDY.
AND THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, WITH THE TEACHERS, WITH THE STUDENTS, WITH THE PARENTS.
AND SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO ON THAT FRONT, PLEASE COUNT ME IN FOR THAT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR, YOUR ADVOCACY ON THAT.
THE SOCIAL MOBILITY ADVANCEMENT, UM, POINT THAT YOU HAD EARLIER WAS ALSO INTERESTING.
AGAIN, THE READY TO WORK, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE AT THE CITY CHAMPIONING IT, UM, WE PUT IT TOGETHER DURING A PANDEMIC.
UH, BUT WE ARE GETTING KIND OF POST PANDEMIC, HOPEFULLY, RIGHT? CROSS YOUR FINGERS.
I MEAN, THERE'S MONKEY POX NOW AND PROBABLY OTHER STUFF THAT WILL COME.
HOWEVER, WE, I THINK HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO FORTH AND MAKE THAT AND, AND IMPROVE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE SOCIAL MOBILITY THAT YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN THAT WE HAVE, UH, UH, WHAT'S, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE CAMPOS.
I KNOW YOU'RE THE ROOKIE, AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TO THE SCHOOLS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO YOUR COMMUNITIES AND YOUR TEAM, I THINK DOES A GREAT JOB, BY THE WAY, I, I, I KNOW THAT YOUR, YOUR REP, YOUR TEAM IS OUT THERE ALL OF THE TIME.
SO I APPRECIATE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY LEARNED, YOU CAN, YOU CAN HELP US WITH THIS, GO AROUND.
YOU AND I, I THINK HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME, UH, CONSTITUENTS.
SOME OF THE, THE SIMILAR NEEDS, I WOULD SAY.
AND THEN TO REPRESENTATIVE ALLISON, THE COLLEGIALITY, YOUR EDUCATION FOCUS, I THINK IS GOING TO BE, UH, CRITICAL.
THE SURPLUS BUDGET, I MEAN, WE'RE FIGHTING OVER IT TOO AT CITY COUNCIL.
WE MIGHT HAVE A SURPLUS BUDGET.
AND SO TOMORROW, OKAY, WELL, THERE'S NO FIGHTING, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE ADVOCATING STRONGLY FOR OUR POSITION.
SO I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT IDEAS COME TO FRUITION WITH THAT.
AND THEN, UH, REPRESENTATIVE LOPEZ, I APPRECIATE THE SENSE OF OPTIMISM AND ALSO, UM, YOUR FOCUS ON, ON THE SPENDING PRIORITIES, RIGHT? AND SO WE'VE GOTTA GET THIS RIGHT.
AND SO IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT PEOPLE HAVE SURPLUSES.
AND I DID HEAR, UM, UH, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I THINK IT WAS, UM, UH, OUR, OUR, UM, UH, WE, IT WAS AT A LUNCHEON AND I HEARD THAT THERE WAS, UH, GOING TO BE A VERY NICE SURPLUS.
AND I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU ALL RIGHT AWAY.
AND I THOUGHT, HOW CAN WE PARTNER TOGETHER? HOW CAN WE WORK SO THAT WE COULD REALLY MAKE, UM, SAN ANTONIO SHINE? WE, UM, ALSO, UM, DON'T, OUR MISSING COUNCILMAN PERRY, BUT HE HAD BEEN ASKING FOR THIS, SO I KIND OF FEEL BAD THAT HE'S NOT HERE.
BUT COUNCILMAN MIKI RODRIGUEZ, COUNCILMAN PERRY HAS BEEN ASKING, OR FOR A REPORT CARD.
AND SO WE DO GET IT, AND TOMORROW WE GET OUR BUDGET BOOK.
AND THERE'S, UH, GOALS IN THERE.
WE GOT FLAGS ALREADY READY TO GO, SO I CAN ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT, UH, IN THE BUDGET BOOK, IT ALSO SHOWS HOW OUR DEPARTMENTS DO.
AND SO THAT IS A REALLY GOOD MEASURE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SAW THAT IS MISSING, AND I I ASKED HAGAR ABOUT THIS, WAS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
UM, I DON'T SEE IT UP ON OUR POTENTIAL PRIORITIES, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALSO BE LOOKING AT, BECAUSE THAT IS A WAY TO GIVE THAT SOCIAL MOBILITY, RIGHT? THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, FOR OUR ENTIRE, UH, STATE DEPENDS ACTUALLY ON ACCESS TO, TO DIGITAL.
AND PEOPLE FORGET THAT THERE'S A LOT OF AREAS THAT HAVE NOT, UM, BEEN USING, UH, OR, OR HAVE NOT HAD ACCESS TO THAT.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M WONDERING WHAT YOU
[01:10:01]
ALL CAN JUST SHARE JUST GENERALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHO WANTS TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT DIGITAL DIVIDE AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THAT.AND THEN SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL MAKI RODRIGUEZ AND I HAD WORKED ON WAS INSULIN COST.
AND WE KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL, THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
I THINK IT WAS A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS YOU ALL MIGHT BE PUSHING FOR INSULIN COSTS.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT AFFECT MY RESIDENTS DIGITAL DIVIDE, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YES, INSULIN COSTS.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHO WANTS TO KIND OF TAKE THAT UP.
BURN OR REPRESENTATIVE BURNELL? WELL, WELL, WELL, ONE, WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT, UM, THERE WAS A PUSH TO LIMIT THE COST OF INSULIN FOR MEDICAID RECIPIENTS.
UH, AND SO THAT, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT HAPPENED THAT WAS GREAT.
ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH LEADERSHIP AND THEIR OWN SORT OF BROADBAND LEADERSHIP CONVERSATION THEY'VE HAD TO, THEY, THEY CLAIM TO CARE ABOUT IT QUITE A BIT, IS THAT, AND THIS IS GONNA MAKE SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM UNHAPPY, DEPENDING ON WHO ELSE THEY REPRESENT.
BUT THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE IS THAT LEGALLY WE TREAT INTERNET LIKE IT'S CABLE TELEVISION, LIKE IT'S EXTRA, WHEN IN FACT, IT'S MUCH MORE AT THIS POINT, LIKE ELECTRICITY AND WATER.
RIGHT? AND SO PART OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IS THAT DISTINCTION.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REGULATED COMPLETELY LIKE UTILITY, BUT IT IS TREATED ALMOST LIKE AN ENTERTAINMENT OPTION.
AND SO THERE HAS TO BE A SHIFT TO SOME DEGREE THAT GUARANTEES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY IN THE WAY THAT WATER AND ELECTRICITY ARE, ARE REGULATED.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'LL, IT WILL CONTINUE IF THERE'S NOT, IN OTHER WORDS, INTERNET IS MARKET DRIVEN, COMPANIES AREN'T GONNA GO TO A CERTAIN PLACE 'CAUSE THERE'S NOT A BOTTOM LINE FOR THEM, AS OPPOSED TO ELECTRICITY AND WATER WHERE THEY HAVE A ALMOST A MORAL, ETHICAL OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE SERVICES.
SO SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE SOMEWHERE IS A REGULATORY SCHEME THAT DOESN'T CREATE A GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED INTERNET, WHICH WOULD BE BAD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME CREATES AVENUES FOR ACCESS THAT ARE AN AS OF RIGHT ACCESS AS OPPOSED TO A CHERRY ON TOP EXTRA ACCESS.
UM, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE FRIENDS WITH WHO WORK FOR SOME OF THESE BIG COMPANIES DON'T LIKE THIS APPROACH.
UM, I I I THINK THAT'S PART OF IT, RIGHT? IS THAT SURE YOU CAN, YOU CAN DIG TRENCHES, APPLY FIBER, AND THEN HELP PEOPLE PAY FOR THE MARKET RATE AT THE SAME TIME.
THERE'S NOTHING THERE IF THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
SO GUARANTEEING THAT THERE'S A, SOMETHING THERE, I THINK IS THE SPACE WHERE GOVERNMENT AND, AND, UH, PRIVATE BUSINESS CAN WORK TOGETHER.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY'RE VILLAINS, I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A COLLABORATION THAT HAS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE WITHOUT IT, OBVIOUSLY IT HASN'T HAPPENED.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND I JUST WANNA, WHAT WANNA SAY THAT WE'LL NEED ALL OF YOUR HELP ON THE BROADBAND.
UM, SO ONCE THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL TRICKLES DOWN FROM TO THE STATE, WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A FOCUS ON RURAL COMMUNITIES, BUT FOR THE RESIDENTS, FOR INSTANCE, THAT I REPRESENT, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE LIVING IN A RURAL COMMUNITY, RIGHT? THEY HAVEN'T HAD ACCESS TO THIS.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT THERE.
UM, SO DEFINITELY, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S ABOUT $4 BILLION THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMING TO THE STATE FOR THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA BE A COMPETITIVE PROCESS, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED ALL OF YOU ALL TO HELP US CHAMPION THIS.
SO LAST SESSION WHEN, UM, SENATOR NICHOLS WAS PUSHING THE BROADBAND PLAN, AND THE REASON THAT WAS HAPPENING IS 'CAUSE WE KNEW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS GOING TO BE PUSHING FOR FEDERAL MONIES.
AND THEY WERE TELLING STATES, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE THE MONEY UNLESS YOU HAVE A PLAN.
SO I, WE, WE WORKED ON THAT, BUT WE WORKED ON IT, UH, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE FACT THAT RURAL AND INNER CITY OF OUR URBAN CITIES NEED TO BE LOOKED AT TOGETHER.
THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY AN ISSUE FOR SOME, IT'S A GEOGRAPHY ISSUE, BUT MOSTLY IT'S, IT'S A FINANCIAL ISSUE.
AND THERE ARE OTHER PLACES THAT WE CAN ALL MAKE A, AN IMPACT.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN TIE A LOT OF THESE ISSUES TOGETHER.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YES.
IS THE STRUCTURE ITSELF, BUT WITHOUT THE LIGHTS, THE WATER.
AND NOW WE'LL SAY THE BROADBAND.
WHAT, WHAT GOOD DOES IT DO? YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, LIVE WITHOUT THE LIGHTS IN THE WATER FOR SURE.
AND WE KNOW OUR KIDS CAN'T STUDY, YOU CAN'T APPLY FOR A JOB WITH, SO WHAT IF WE TIED SOME OF THESE APPLICATIONS THAT COME INTO ASKING FOR SUPPORT, EITHER AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL, AT THE STATE LEVEL, IN THE FORMS OF TAX CREDITS, AND SAID TO THEM, YOU NEED TO INCLUDE BROADBAND ACCESS AS A PART OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN INFLUENCE THE PROCESS AND HOW WE, AND THAT'S JUST A SMALL WAY, BUT I THINK IF WE DRAG MORE OF THAT BROADBAND OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES, INTO AREAS WHERE THEY AREN'T, THEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.
BECAUSE FOR SOME COMMUNITIES, IT'S JUST A MERE FACTOR THAT THE, THE, THE FIBER IS NOT THERE.
AND SO IF HOWEVER WE GET THE FIBER THERE, THEN THE ECONOMIC DECISION TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE OR NOT AVAILABLE IS, IS A LITTLE EASIER.
[01:15:01]
SO, UH, WE'RE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT TO GET, UH, TO GET THAT DONE ON, ON THE, UH, BROADBAND.AND I'M HOPING, I KNOW YOU'RE GETTING A BRIEFING ON THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AFTER THIS.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT ALSO WE CAN GET SOME STRINGS ATTACHED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL TO SOME OF THAT MONEY.
CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING? WE HAVE A B SESSION TODAY, AND I INVITE YOUR STAFF TO WATCH IT.
AND IT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR HOUSING PRIORITIES AND NOT R FPS THAT ARE COMING UP FROM THE HOUSING BOND.
AND MARK CARMONA, OUR CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER, IS HERE, AND WE ARE DOING THAT, WE'RE TYING IN, UM, POINTS, UH, TO THE RFPS BASED ON ACCESS TO BROADBAND.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO WHAT COMES OUT.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWERS AS WELL.
AND THE, THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO ADD IS, AS WE LOOK AT ALL OF THIS MONEY THAT'S GONNA BE COMING IN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE, AND I LOOKED AT YOUR SLIDE FIVE WHERE YOU HAD THE, THE CARRYOVERS, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPORT, THE MILITARY PROTECT UTILITIES, INVESTMENTS AND TRANSPORTATION, ECONOMIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORTATION IN MANY WAYS, AND ALMOST ALL OF THESE CAN BE INTERTWINED BECAUSE AS WE LOOK TO BRING UP PEOPLE WHO MAYBE ARE SUBCONTRACTORS ON, ON JOBS TODAY, IT'S GONNA RELY ON THE COUNTY AND THE CITY TO ENFORCE OR TO EVEN PUT INTO PLACE, UH, SWB MINORITY CONTRACT GOALS BECAUSE THE STATE'S NOT DOING IT.
YOU KNOW? AND SO WE NEED TO RELY ON YOU GUYS THAT AS THE MONEY'S COMING IN, THAT IT DOESN'T JUST GO TO THE SAME BIG CORPORATIONS THAT, THAT MAYBE WE FIND WAYS TO STAFF SOME SETA ASIDES TO BRING PEOPLE UP SO THAT WE CAN MAKE, KEEP US FROM BEING THE MOST POOR CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS I KEEP THINKING ABOUT AS I'M, I'M LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION UNFOLD IS, UH, WHAT WAS THE WORD? UH, RHIZOMATIC, RIGHT? WHERE EVERY, YOU KNOW, EVERY POINT IS AN EXIT POINT AND ENTRY POINT, RIGHT? AND EVERYTHING TOUCHES EVERYTHING ELSE.
UM, AND WHAT'S CLEAR IS THAT, YOU KNOW, BROADBAND, UH, TOUCHES OUR ABILITY TO HELP SCHOOLS.
BROADBAND TOUCHES OUR ABILITY TO, TO SOLVE FOR HOUSING, FOR HEALTH, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP PEOPLE HEALTHY AND EDUCATED AND INFORMED.
I'M TALKING ABOUT PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES TOO.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, MENTAL HEALTH IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
MENTAL HEALTH PLAYS OUT IN ITS MOST RAW TERMS, UM, AT SCHOOLS, RIGHT? UM, ANYWAY, YOU GET THE POINT.
AND ONE OF THOSE IMPORTANT CONNECTING POINTS, UM, I KNOW IT'S GONNA SOUND FUNNY, BUT I'M NOT TRYING TO BE FUNNY, IS WALTER SERNA, UH, THE, UH, IN, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, OUR ABILITY TO HELP YOU CONNECT THOSE DOTS AND COMMUNICATE, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, YOUR COLLEAGUES UP THERE AND MAKE THE CASE IS OUR, UM, OUR, OUR NINJAS THAT WE SENT UP TO AUSTIN EVERY TWO YEARS, UH, TO SUPPORT YOU, RIGHT? AND PROVIDE YOU WITH THE DATA, AND PROVIDE YOU WITH THE, ON THE GROUND STORIES, UH, OF HOW IT IS THAT THE STATE IS GONNA HURT US OR HELP US, RIGHT? UM, THAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT.
UH, IT, IT, IT'S CLEAR THAT, UM, LEADERSHIP IN IN AUSTIN HAS, AND, YOU KNOW, A HANKERING FOR, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM CITIES, UH, THAT IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ABILITY TO BRING HOME MUCH NEEDED FUNDS FOR SCHOOLS, FOR POLICE, UH, FOR FIRE, FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, AND I, I, I, I WANT TO HEAR, UM, AND, AND I, I'VE HEARD FROM ALL OF YOU THAT THE LOCAL CONTROL IS IMPORTANT, BUT I, I'M, I'M HOPING THAT YOU AGREE THAT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY LOCAL CONTROL, RIGHT? DIEGO? UH, JUST, JUST REAL QUICKLY, I THINK WHAT'S REALLY, WHAT IS DIFFERENT, REGARDLESS OF HOW NOVEMBER GOES, WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS SESSION IS THAT THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THAT YOU JOIN HANDS WITH THE AUSTINS AND HOUSTONS AND DALLAS OF THE, OF THE STATE.
BUT I THINK THERE'S TREMENDOUS OVERLAP AND TREMENDOUS COMMONALITY BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO AND RURAL COMMUNITIES RIGHT NOW ON ALL THESE THINGS.
UM, AND SO I, I, I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOUR COALITIONS THAT CREATE PRESSURE POINTS FOR LEADERSHIP WILL BE THERE, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING THE BIG CITIES ARE SEEN AS CARBON COPIES OF ONE ANOTHER, ESSENTIALLY.
BUT THERE'S TR, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, YOU AND FREDERICKSBURG, YOU AND THE PANHANDLE, YOU AND THE SMALL CITIES IN THE VALLEY, YOU IN NORTH TEXAS HAVE TREMENDOUS COMMONALITY.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK THOSE COALITIONS ARE GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE ISSUES IN COMMON, UM, WE CAN CALL IT LOCAL CONTROL.
THEY COULD, THEY JUST WANNA BE RESCUED, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT.
THE NOMENCLATURE IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN, THAN THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND IT'S, IT'S THERE THIS TIME.
RIGHT? BUT, UM, HE SAYS THE SAME THINGS THAT WE'RE SAYING, RIGHT? UM, HE'S TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES AND MENTAL HEALTH AND, UM, AND CRIME
[01:20:01]
RATES AND BROADBAND.AND SO, UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY REALLY, REALLY GOOD ADVICE, UH, FOR US TO KIND, UH, FOR US TO CONNECT WITH, WITH, UH, SMALLER, UH, SMALLER ENTITIES.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, IT'S NO OPEN SECRET, BUT PLEASE, YOU KNOW, DON'T TELL THE GOVERNOR, BUT JEFF AND I, WE GO TO DC OFTEN AND WE SPEAK TO SECRETARY LEVEL, YOU KNOW, LEADERS, UH, AND BEG THEM, UH, THAT AS THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THESE GRANT PROGRAMS, THAT THEY SEND THEM DIRECTLY TO CITIES, BECAUSE WE KNOW, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN WAY TOO OFTEN, THAT GRANTS INTENDED FOR, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS, POOR COMMUNITIES WITH TERRIBLE HEALTH OUTCOMES, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH RESILIENCY, PROBLEMS WITH SUSTAINABILITY, PROBLEMS WITH EDUCATION PROBLEMS, THAT FOR SOME REASON, THAT MONEY ENDS UP IN AUSTIN AND IT'S SENT TO, YOU KNOW, PLACES WHERE IT WASN'T INTENDED TO.
RIGHT? UM, EVEN UP TO AND INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, A, A BORDER WALL.
UH, SO WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE FOUND OURSELVES ACTIVELY ADVOCATING AGAINST
AND, AND WE'LL NEED YOUR HELP.
MAYBE WE'LL NEED YOUR HELP WHEN WE GO TO DC RIGHT, SENATOR? I MEAN, MAYBE, MAYBE YOU COME WITH US, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
WE REPRESENTATIVE ALLISON, MAYBE YOU COME WITH US MORE THAN HAPPY TO, BUT YOU, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE DEAL.
ONCE AGAIN, IT ALL GOES BACK TO COALITION BUILDING.
AND, AND WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ WAS TALKING ABOUT THE NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE ATTACKS, YOU KNOW, I FILED A, A, A COMPREHENSIVE NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE BILL FOR THE WHOLE STATE.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THEY LISTEN UNTIL THE BIG EMPLOYERS ARE ASKING THEM TO.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THESE ALLIANCES ARE NOT JUST OTHER CITIES, BUT ALSO LARGE EMPLOYERS, UH, BECAUSE BIG NATIONAL CORPORATIONS, THEY DON'T WANNA SEE ANYBODY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.
THEY DON'T WANNA BE IN A STATE WHERE THEY CAN'T RECRUIT PEOPLE TO COME HERE.
AND WHERE THEY'RE GETTING TO THAT PLACE, WE'RE GETTING TO THE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE EMPLOYERS ARE TELLING ME THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE WHEN THEY HAVE SOMEONE IN SAN FRANCISCO OR BOSTON OR LA OR NEW YORK, AND THEY SAY, WELL, WE WANT YOU TO MOVE TO TEXAS.
AND THEY'RE GOING, HMM, I'M NOT SO SURE.
WELL, WHY? WELL, HAVEN'T YOU BEEN READING THE NEWS, SEEING THE ATTACKS? I CAN'T RAISE MY KIDS.
I'M GONNA BE A CRIMINAL IF, IF I HAVE A KID, A CHILD WHO, WHO WANTS TO HAVE SOME GENDER AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE, THESE ARE REAL ISSUES AND THESE ARE REAL ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO WE NEED TO BE REACHING OUT.
UM, THESE ARE NOT JUST FEEL GOOD FUZZY ISSUES.
THEY'RE VERY REAL ISSUES THAT AFFECT US BRINGING HIGH PAYING JOBS AND DIVERSIFYING THE WORKFORCE IN OUR STATE.
AND, UH, WE CANNOT ALLOW FOR SOME FOLKS, UH, INDIVIDUAL, WHATEVER, THEOCRACY, TO GET ENGAGED IN HOLDING BACK OUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY AND THIS STATE THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE HIGHEST PAYING JOBS, THE BEST HEALTHCARE IN AN AFFORDABLE WAY.
AND, AND I, AND I THINK THAT IT REQUIRES ALL HANDS ON DECK, WHETHER IT'S US, THE FEDS, BUT ALSO WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THE BIG EMPLOYERS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED, THEY, THEY WANT THE BEST TALENT.
THEY DON'T CARE WHO, WHO YOU MARRY OR DON'T MARRY.
THEY JUST WANT YOU TO GET THE JOB DONE.
UM, LASTLY, I'M NOT DOING MY JOB AND I'LL GET SCOLDED.
UM, AND, UM, REPEATEDLY, IF I DON'T, IF I DON'T MENTION, I, I'LL GET SCOLDED AT HOME, UH, REPEATED IF I DON'T MENTION DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, WAS ON ONE OF THESE SLIDES.
ONE IN THREE WOMEN IN SAN ANTONIO, UM, HAVE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STORY TO TELL, OR WILL HAVE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STORY TO TELL.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS ARE THE FRONTLINE WHERE OFTENTIMES THEY SEE THE RED FLAGS.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT MASS SHOOTINGS ALL OVER THE NATION, THERE IS A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ELEMENT SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE HEALTH AND RESOURCES, I'M SORRY, HELP AND RESOURCES TO WOMEN SEEKING THAT HELP, UM, TRY GETTING THAT HELP WITHOUT INTERNET.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, AND IT'S A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
UM, IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.
I, I, UM, I'M VERY, VERY WORRIED, UM, THAT EVERY YEAR WASHINGTON AND AUSTIN SEEM TO FIND A WAY TO, UH, PASS UP OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE SHELTER SPACE, UH, INCREASE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CAPACITY OF, UH, CITIES AND NONPROFITS TO HIGHER ON COUNSELORS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS.
UH, WE HAVE ON AVERAGE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 40 WOMEN MURDERED EVERY YEAR JUST IN THIS CITY ALONE.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, THAT'S OBSCENE AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR I THINK WE HAD 15,000 WOMEN AND CHILDREN COME THROUGH OUR BATTERED WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER PROGRAMS. UM, THAT'S OBSCENE AND COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.
UM, I, WE NEED YOUR HELP DESPERATELY.
UH, THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME INITIATIVES COMING UP, UH, FROM THE TEXAS FAMILY VIOLENCE COUNCIL, UM, YOU KNOW, ASKING Y'ALL TO, TO LEAN IN.
[01:25:01]
PLEASE TAKE THOSE CALLS.UH, I KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, LIZ, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, RAY, AND, UM, BUT, UM, THAT'S WHERE WE NEED HELP.
I'M, I'M GONNA STOP THERE AND ASK MY TWO COLLEAGUES IF THEY WANT TO ADD ANYTHING, AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMMENTS.
NO, I DO WANNA CIRCLE BACK TO THE COALITION, UM, COMMENT.
'CAUSE I WOULD BE SO UPSET AT MYSELF IF I DIDN'T BRING THIS UP.
AND I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT EMPLOYERS AS A PART OF THE COALITION, RIGHT? BUT I'VE BEEN ASKED AND REQUESTED, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO THREE LARGE, UM, EMPLOYERS WHO WERE EITHER HAVING A CONFERENCE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO OR SEE, OR LOOKING AROUND AT PLACES.
AND FOLK WERE VERY, UM, HAD BROUGHT UP THE CONCERNS OF HAVING CONFERENCES IN TEXAS.
AND SO THEY WANTED ME TO SPEAK TO THEIR L G B T Q EMPLOYEES AND EXPLAIN ALL THE REASONS WHY SAN ANTONIO IS A SAFE PLACE.
AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
AND SO, UM, I JUST WANNA STRESS HOW, YOU KNOW, LET'S DO THAT.
LET'S, LET'S INCLUDE EMPLOYERS IN THE CONVERSATION.
IT'S ALSO, WE KNOW THAT ANTI L G B T Q LEGISLATION AFFECTS THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS AND LEADS TO INCREASED SUICIDE RATES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF.
I ALSO, AND WHAT I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO BRING UP ABOUT THE COALITION BRING, UH, MAKING, IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE, AND THIS IS, UH, WHAT GUIDES ME, IS THAT I BELIEVE IN PEOPLE POWER.
I BELIEVE PEOPLE POWER IS THE STRONGEST POWER.
AND THERE ARE ALREADY ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE APPLYING PRESSURE AND SHOWING UP AND BRINGING THAT PEOPLE POWER WHEN IT COMES TO A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE LISTED.
UM, WHETHER THAT'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR, UM, INTERNET ACCESS OR CLIMATE.
AND SO, I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE THAT POWER, SUCH AS SUNRISE, TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT, EQUALITY TEXAS, MOVE TEXAS, UM, OUR FRIENDS AT DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA, ALL OF THEM.
UM, AND LET'S, UH, I THINK WE'D MISS OUT ON AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE DONE IF WE DON'T COORDINATE AND COLLABORATE WITH A LOT OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE, THAT ALREADY HAVE THESE PRIORITIES AS A PART OF THEIR MISSION.
UM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT, THAT, UM, THAT ALMOST BRINGS US TO AN END OF THIS CONVERSATION.
WHAT I WANTED TO DO AS, AS OUR GUESTS, IS TO, TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CLOSING ARGUMENTS IF, UH, UNLESS YOU'RE SATISFIED WITH, UH, WITH THE WAY THE, UH, UH, I'M A LAWYER AND SO FORGIVE ME, I CAN'T HELP IT.
STEVE, UH, THE, UH, BUT IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, RAY, DO YOU WANNA MENTION, I'M BELLING UP TO, TO THE MIC HERE.
UH, YOU FOUND YOUR NOTES, STOP SERVING A LITTLE BIT HERE, BUT, UH, THIS SATURDAY, UH, THERE WILL BE, UH, A BEAR COUNTY SCHOOL SAFETY SUMMIT AT THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS HERE AT, UH, UH, U T S A DOWNTOWN CAMPUS.
UM, THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT IN FLUXX STILL AS TO, YOU KNOW, THE PROGRAM, UH, YOU RUN A SHOW, BUT I WILL BE MODERATING A TOWN HALL, YOU KNOW, FORUM, UH, RIGHT ALONG WITH, UH, SEVERAL HOURS OF DEBATE WITH SUPERINTENDENTS, UH, SCHOOL LEADERS AND THE LIKE.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT EDUCATION, AND WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS AND THE PLACE TO FIND THOSE SOLUTIONS.
A GRANULAR SOLUTION HAS TO COME FROM THE PROFESSIONALS, FROM THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IT EVERY DAY, NOT FROM THE POLITICIANS, POLITICIANS' OBLIGATION, I THINK, IS TO BE THERE AND TO LISTEN AND TO THEN MAKE ACTIONABLE THOSE THINGS THAT THEY'RE RECOMMENDING.
FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, WE NEED TO ADD MORE COUNSELORS.
I CAN TELL YOU MY, MY DAUGHTER WHO HAPPENS TO BE A SPECIAL ED COORDINATOR AT NORTHSIDE, SAYS, DAD, WE DON'T NEED MORE COUNSELORS.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS TWO THINGS.
ONE, TAKE SOME OF THE RIDICULOUS BURDEN OFF OF THE COUNSELORS THAT THEY HAVE TODAY, AND GIVE US COUNSELORS THAT HAVE THE EXPERTISE IN MENTAL HEALTH.
AND SHE GOES, THANKS, HONEY, LET ME WRITE THAT DOWN.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO, IS HAVE A, A SERIOUS DISCUSSION ABOUT WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT TO DO, WE JUST HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT EXACTLY HOW TO DO IT.
AND THEN ONCE WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THAT DONE, AND I BELIEVE THIS SATURDAY WILL BE A REAL GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FLUSH ALL THOSE THINGS OUT, PUT SOME ACTIONABLE ITEMS TOGETHER, AND THEN IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO EMBRACE 'EM AND THEN GO OUT, FIND, FIND FUNDING FOR IT.
UH, SO I WOULD TAKE THAT, UH, OKAY, THAT THE, UH, THAT OPPORTUNITY TO INVITE EVERYBODY FROM 10, I BELIEVE, TILL FROM 10 TO, TO THREE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, THREE PARKING.
AND SALLY, MAYBE, MAYBE WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION AND WE CAN BLAST IT OUT TO THE OTHER MEMBERS, UM, OF, OF COUNCIL, SO THAT THEY KNOW TO WHERE AND WHEN.
ANY ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA ADD? YES, I THINK IT WAS A GREAT IDEA, UM, THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT WE, YOU SHOULD REACH OUT TO OTHER LEGISLATORS AND GET AHEAD OF YOURSELF, RIGHT, WITH OUR PRIORITIES.
SO ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO HELP YOU, I WAS GRATEFUL TO, UH, BUILD A LOT OF GOOD RELATIONSHIPS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
SO ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO FOR ANY OF Y'ALL, UH, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF THESE MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN, UH, MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
THANK YOU, MR. ALLISON, YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ELSE? YOU RE THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.
I THINK IT'S BEEN A GREAT FORMAT AND A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
[01:30:01]
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT, UH, UH, WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.WE, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THINGS THAT REALLY HELP PEOPLE, UH, AND MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
UH, OFTEN TAKE THE, MAKE THE STATEMENT THAT DON'T BE A POSITION TAKER, BE A POLICYMAKER MM-HMM.
AND, AND, UH, I'LL SAY ON SOME THINGS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME ISSUES THAT JUST DON'T NEED TO BE LEGISLATED.
UH, AND I'M AFRAID WE'VE GONE DOWN THAT PATH AND, AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SERIOUS EFFORTS TO AVOID THAT.
THEY'RE JUST SOME THINGS, UH, WE NEED TO LET PEOPLE LIVE, LIVE THEIR LIVES, AND, UH, UH, LESS GOVERNMENT INFLUENCE AND INTERFERENCE, UH, IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT JUST DON'T REQUIRE LEGISLATION.
AND IT GETS US SIDETRACKED AND AWAY FROM THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I'M OPTIMISTIC, UH, CAUTIOUSLY SO THAT, UH, I THINK WE'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT THE THINGS MORE THAT WAY.
AND I'M OPTIMISTIC GOING TO THIS NEXT SESSION THAT WE'RE GONNA DO SOME THINGS THAT ARE VERY MEANINGFUL AND HELPFUL.
SO THANKS AGAIN FOR DOING THIS, REPRESENTATIVE BERNAL CLOSING ARGUMENTS.
NO, JUST, UM, IT'S GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY, AND THANKS FOR HAVING US.
APPRECIATE THE FORUM AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE, UH, GOOD THOUGHTS.
UH, I JUST LISTENING TO REPRESENTATIVE ALLISON, I THINK HE SOUNDS LIKE HE WANTS TO CARRY MY MEDICAL CANNABIS BILL NEXT SESSION, MAYBE MM-HMM.
I, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR ALL THIS.
UH, LET GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR BEDROOM, OUT OF OUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW, LET PEOPLE LIVE.
ALL KIDDING ASIDE, UH, NO, WE'RE HERE FOR Y'ALL.
WE'RE, WE REPRESENT THE SAME PEOPLE.
AND IT'S A SHAME THAT WE, WE CANNOT ALLOW, UH, THE POLITICS OF EVERYDAY, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE, THE LIFE AND LET PEOPLE PULL US INTO CORNERS.
WE JUST NEED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY, SOLVE PROBLEMS. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, CAN, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, AS I THOUGHT ABOUT THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THE ROOT CAUSES OF WHAT'S GETTING US THERE.
IS IT MENTAL HEALTH? IS IT POVERTY? IS IT DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE? IS IT A COMBINATION OF ALL THOSE THINGS? AT WHAT POINT IS IT A CYCLE THAT STARTED WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD AND YOU WITNESSED IT? YOU KNOW? AND, AND, AND HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER? OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM, BUT HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER TO MITIGATE THE ISSUES? AND I WANNA THANK YOU.
AND SO WE WERE IN A BREAK FOR FIVE MINUTES TO ALLOW ALL THE LOBBYISTS TO CONGRATULATE OUR, UH, UH, LEGISLATORS INDIVIDUALLY AS THEY EXITED.
BUT, UH, WE ARE TIGHT ON THE CLOCK HERE.
UH, FEEL FREE TO STICK AROUND.
WE'RE NOT, UH, WE'RE GONNA GET INTO SOME OTHER BUSINESS.
UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO SHOWED UP.
UH, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS, UH, UH, PUTTING UP WITH DOWNTOWN PARKING.
UH, JEFF, WHAT DO WE GOT NEXT? ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PIVOT QUICKLY TO FEDERAL.
UM, SALLY HAS UPDATES ON TWO BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW GRANT PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED SINCE OUR LAST DISCUSSION.
WE'VE GOT SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND, AND READY TO RECOMMEND FOR APPLYING FOR THOSE GRANTS.
AND SO I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE GET TO THAT, UH, HERE, HERE TODAY.
UM, DEBBIE, DO WE HAVE A, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM WITH WHICH, UH, WE CAN APPROVE THE MINUTES? YES, THE MINUTES VERY WELL.
AND SO WHAT DO YOU THINK COUNCILWOMAN? SO MOVED.
SO A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, MY COLLEAGUE AND, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.
UH, SALLY'S GONNA PRESENT ON THE TWO.
OH, WE DIDN'T HEAR THE VOICE VOTE, SO, UH, GREAT.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN GARCIA, A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ.
AND THE VOTE IS, IS UNANIMOUS OF ALL THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I AM NOW PIVOTING TO OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE WORK, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, SO I'M GOING TO ZOOM FAIRLY QUICKLY THROUGH THESE.
THE CHUNK OF THE TIME I WAS GOING TO AFFORD TO OUR CONSULTANT, KEVIN KELLY WITH CLARK HILL, UH, LAUREN LIPPEN IS ALSO HERE, AND OF COURSE, OUR LOCAL FEDERAL LIAISON, WALTER SERNA, IS HERE.
SO I ASKED HIM TO JOIN US AT THE MAIN TABLE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF TRUCK THROUGH THIS FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UM, SINCE WE LAST MET IN MAY, THERE WERE TWO HIGH PROFILE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT I'M GONNA ZOOM THROUGH TODAY, UM, AND DISCUSS SOME POTENTIAL PROJECTS, UM, THAT WE HAVE ARRIVED AT WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
AND THEN, UM, KEVIN KELLY WAS GOING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE F Y 23 APPROACHES AND A COUPLE OF OTHER KEY ISSUES.
WE MAY NOT HAVE TIME FOR THOSE, BUT YOU HAVE THE PRESENTATION AND KEVIN WILL BE AROUND AND LAUREN LIPIN TODAY AND TOMORROW.
SO, SO, SALLY, I'M GONNA INTERRUPT YOU.
UM, KEVIN FLEW ALL THE WAY DOWN FROM WASHINGTON, DC TO DO EXACTLY THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HE'S AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS
[01:35:01]
FROM THIS COMMITTEE.AND SO, UM, UNLESS MY, UH, UNLESS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE AN OBJECTION, UH, WE MAY STAY A LITTLE LONGER, UH, SO THAT KEVIN, KEVIN CAN GIVE US HIS PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN FOR THAT.
ONE OF THE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT BECAME AVAILABLE OVER THE SUMMER WAS A RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES PILOT PROGRAM.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT IS BEING HANDLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE WHITE HOUSE AS A PRIORITY PROJECT FOR THEM.
THERE'S 195 MILLION FOR F Y TWENTY TWO, A HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE FOR CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION, AND 50 MILLION FOR PLANNING.
SO I WILL SAY YOU'LL RECALL THAT, UM, THERE ARE MULTIPLE YEARS RELATED TO BILL FUNDING.
SO YOU'LL SEE AT THE SECOND TO THE LAST BULLET, THERE'S ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS, UM, WORTH OF FUNDING BETWEEN 22 AND 26.
UM, ON THE THIRD BULLET THERE, THE DETAILED REVIEW OF NOFO CRITERIA FOR PROJECT ALIGNMENT AND READINESS.
JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WHAT WE DID WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM IS WE CREATED A SPREADSHEET OR MATRIX THAT HAD THE CRITERIA THAT, UM, THE, UH, D O T TEAMS AND, UH, RATERS ARE GOING TO BE REVIEWING WHEN THEY RECEIVE THE, UH, APPLICATIONS FOR THE RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES.
WE PRETTY MUCH MIRRORED THAT CRITERIA, CREATED IT AS AN EXERCISE FOR THE, UM, CONTACTS FOR THE POTENTIAL PROJECTS.
THERE'S THREE THAT WE'RE GONNA SHOWCASE, UH, TO YOU TODAY, WOULD GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS IN THAT EXERCISE TO FILL IN THE CRITERIA TO SEE HOW THEIR PROJECTS ALIGNED AND HOW WELL THEY ALIGNED WITH THE CRITERIA.
SO, AGAIN, A REALLY HELPFUL EXERCISE, UM, IN OUR DISCUSSION, IN OUR ANALYSIS, OF THE THREE PROJECTS THAT WILL BE FORTHCOMING HERE, APPLICATIONS ARE DUE OCTOBER 13TH, SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT THAT TIME WILL DEFINITELY FLY BY VERY QUICKLY.
SO, UH, LET'S GO STRAIGHT INTO, UM, WE'VE BEEN COORDINATING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, ROSSI, UH, AND TEAM.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT WILL BE NATIONALLY COMPETITIVE FOR THE, UH, RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES PROJECT.
WE KNOW THIS IS A HIGH PROFILE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO HAVE A, A LINEUP OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS TO BE ABLE TO MATCH THOSE, UM, WITH THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, LOOKING AT IT QUICKLY, THE FIRST PROJECT THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, RAZ AND TEAM, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, UM, IS LOOKING AT A COSA MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY A LOOP AROUND DOWNTOWN, UH, TO IMPROVE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR THE EAST, WEST, AND SOUTH SIDES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, A LITTLE BIT CLEAR IN, UH, ON THE MAP.
UM, THIS WILL ESSENTIALLY EASE THE BARRIERS CREATED BY TRAFFIC VOLUME SPEEDS AND GREAT SEPARATIONS, UM, THROUGH SIDEWALKS, CROSSWALKS, SIGNAL UP, UPGRADES, BIKE FACILITIES, UM, LANDSCAPE AND HARDSCAPE.
UM, I WILL ALSO REMIND YOU THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS AIMING THROUGH THIS PROJECT TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS CREATED BY HIGHWAYS, UM, UH, RAILROAD, UH, CONSTRUCTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED OVER PAST DECADES THAT HAVE PREVENTED, UM, DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND THOSE RESIDENTS AND THOSE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES FROM ACCESSING AMENITIES SUCH AS JOBS, UH, EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES, UM, HEALTHCARE OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND SERVICES, AS WELL AS OTHER AMENITIES LIKE PARKS, GROCERY STORES, AND OTHER AMENITIES.
AND THE SCOPE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, OF COURSE, IS THE CORE OF DOWNTOWN AND ACCESS TO THAT.
THE NEXT PROJECT IS PORT SAN ANTONIO.
IT'S A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AS WELL, AND IT IS THE STREETSCAPES PROJECT.
YOU WILL RECALL THAT WE HAVE SHARED JUAN ANTONIO FLORES IS HERE WITH US TODAY.
AND, UM, THIS PROJECT RECEIVED $15 MILLION, UH, INCLUDED IN THE 2022 BOND.
SO THIS IS A GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY THAT, UH, THE PORT AND THE CITY AS A COMMUNITY CAN LEVERAGE TOWARDS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
UH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY $31 MILLION FOR THEIR PROJECT, BUT, UM, THAT IS A FLUID NUMBER FOR THIS PROJECT.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER POTENTIAL DESIGNS TO, TO HELP LEVERAGE THE SCOPE THAT THEY'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT.
AGAIN, GREEN STREET DESIGN, FUNCTIONAL LANDSCAPE, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ELEMENTS, AND OF COURSE, THIS WILL MEET THE CRITERIA TO AIM TO CONNECT THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE PORT.
THE THIRD PROJECT UNDER CONSIDERATION THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED COLLECTIVELY, UM, IS AN H PARK PROJECT.
UH, THIS WILL, UH, ESSENTIALLY ADDRESS, UH, THE STREET GRID, UM, THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE 1968 WORLDS FAIR.
IT DOES TARGET, SPECIFICALLY LABOR STREET AND EAST NEVA, THE EXTENSION IMPROVEMENTS.
AND AGAIN, TO TARGET THOSE, UH, NEAR DOWNTOWN, UH, COMMUNITIES, MINUS LA BACA AND KING WILLIAM.
OF COURSE, WE'RE LOOKING MORE TOWARDS THE EAST AND AND SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN THAT WILL MEET THE CRITERIA
[01:40:01]
FOR THE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND, AND NEIGHBORHOODS.SO THOSE ARE THE THREE PROJECTS.
UM, WE USE THAT CRITERIA MATRIX THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER TO ARRIVE AT THIS.
THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THESE PRO POTENTIAL PROJECTS, UM, AT THE ROUND TABLE, AND WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES HERE THAT ARE LEADING THE EFFORTS ON THESE PROJECTS TO ANSWER ANY PARTICULAR, UH, QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, A QUICK LOOK, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE LOOKING AT FIVE YEARS OF FUNDING.
SO THAT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UH, THAT THERE, UM, IS GOING TO BE, UH, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS A QUEUE OF PROJECTS.
IN A SENSE, THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED, UM, DURING THE I G R COMMITTEE AS WELL AS DURING THE BILL INFRASTRUCTURE B SESSIONS.
UH, IT WAS MENTIONED, I BELIEVE COUNCILMAN PERRY AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT, UH, STACKING PROJECTS AND IDENTIFYING VIABLE PROJECTS SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THE TIME TO ANALYZE, MERGE THE CRITERIA, LOOK AT THESE MORE CLOSELY.
AND AS WE'RE APPLYING FOR THESE, TAKE ADVANTAGE FOR WEBINARS, UH, AND, AND BE ABLE TO COLLECTIVELY LEVERAGE OUR RESOURCES.
AND ALL THESE PROJECTS, UH, AGAIN, WILL BE IN QUEUE RIGHT NOW, AS YOU SEE HERE ON THIS SLIDE.
WE WOULD AIM TO SUBMIT, UH, PORT SAN ANTONIO'S PROJECT IN 2022.
AND THEN NEXT SLATED IN 2023 WOULD BE, UH, THE COSA PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT FOR THE URBAN LOOP.
AND THEN IN 2024 HEMISPHERE, I WILL ADD, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, PORT SAN ANTONIO'S PROJECT, UM, SEEMED THE MOST VIABLE TO SUBMIT.
UH, IT'S ESSENTIALLY SHOVEL READY.
AND THEN WITH THE LOCAL INVESTMENT THROUGH THE BOND OF THE 15 MILLION, THAT IS, UM, SOMETHING DEFINITELY, UH, THAT WILL, THAT THE D O T UM, OFFICIALS WILL LOOK AT, UM, THAT THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT IS ALREADY THERE.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING TO, TO LEVERAGE THAT.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SUPPORT THAT PROJECT FOR 22.
UM, THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM CAN REALLY BENEFIT FROM, UM, BUILDING OUT AND AMPLIFYING THE URBAN LOOP PROJECT.
UM, THAT WAS IN THE FIRST SLIDE.
THIS WILL GIVE THEM A YEAR TO BE ABLE TO BUILD IT OUT, BUILD OUT THE SCOPE OF WORK, AND RAMP IT UP AND READY IT FOR 2023.
AS FAR AS THE HEMISPHERE PROJECT FOR 24, THERE'S A LOT OF CURRENT AND EXISTING CONSTRUCTION STILL GOING ON, UM, ON THE HEMISPHERE FOOTPRINT, AS WELL AS, UM, THE GREAT NEWS THAT WE HEARD ABOUT THE, UM, NCAA A WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR THAT'S COMING IN 25.
SO THE LAST THING WE NEED IS MORE CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE'RE, THAT'S ONE OF THE BENCHMARKS THAT WE TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE READY FOR THAT.
SO IF THEY SUBMIT IN 24, WE PROBABLY WON'T HEAR UNTIL 25, AND THAT'LL TAKE US BEYOND INTO THE FUTURE TO BE ABLE TO ALIGN WITH, WITH THE NEEDS OF HEMISPHERE AS WELL.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY OTHER POTENTIAL PROJECTS FOR 25 AND 26.
UM, I WILL SHARE THIS, THIS PROCESS IS FLUID.
WE'RE INTERESTED IN HEARING YOUR FEEDBACK AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET, UM, YOUR, UH, REMARKS AND YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR GUIDANCE ON, ON THESE PROJECTS.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS YOU HANDING IT OFF TO ME.
COUNCILMAN BEAR WITH ME HERE JUST FOR A COUPLE MORE MINUTES.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION PROGRAM.
THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THIS ONE IS THE T RAIL DIVISION REACHED OUT TO ZY.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
TDOT RAIL DIVISION IN AUSTIN WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT FOR TWO RAIL CROSSING GRADE SEPARATIONS, ONE AT RIMAN ROAD, AND THE OTHER ONE AT WALHAM ROAD.
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE OCTOBER 4TH.
SO ROSIE'S WORKING VERY CLOSELY ALONG WITH HIS TEAM AND THE TDOT TEAM, UH, T DOT WILL ULTIMATELY BE THE ONE SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION, UM, IN COORDINATION WITH, UH, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE BECAUSE TDOT HAS INFORMED US THAT THEY HAVE ONBOARD, UH, A GRANTS TEAM AND A TEAM OF CONSULTANTS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO HELP US DISSECT THE SOLICITATION.
IT'S OPENED NOW AND APPLICATIONS ARE DUE OCTOBER 4TH.
SO ESSENTIALLY, TDOT IS SUBMITTING ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR THESE TWO PROJECTS.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED, UM, FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS, AND WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE THREE RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES, PROJECTS, UH, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE.
SO, UH, ONE OBSERVATION, THEN ONE QUESTION.
WE HAVE A, UM, WE HAVE YET TO INVENT AN EFFICIENT WAY OF FIGURING OUT WHICH PROJECTS GET FUNDED AND WHICH ONES WON'T.
AND, UM, THERE'S NO MORE EFFICIENT WAY THAN JUST THROWING SPAGHETTI AT A WALL AND HOPING TO SEE WHAT STICKS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, THE DAY THAT WE INVENT ONE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY TO FIGURE THAT OUT IS THE DAY THAT WE, YOU KNOW, SHOULD ALL PLAY POWERBALL.
UH, SO WITH THAT SAID, I, I THINK THE BEST SOLUTION THAT WE'VE COME UP WITH IS JUST TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ONES ARE SHOVEL READY, WHICH ONES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT, WHICH ONES OUR COMMUNITIES ARE ASKING, UH, AND WHICH ONES CITY STAFF
[01:45:01]
THINKS, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE MOST LIKELY TO GET FUNDED.UM, AND SOMETIMES IT WORKS, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T.
UH, BUT WHEN IT WORKS, OH MY GOSH, UH, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
MY ONE AND ONLY QUESTION, UH, WAS THAT LAST SLIDE WITH REGARDS TO THE RAILROAD GREAT SEPARATION.
UM, WOULD UNION PACIFIC WRITE LETTERS OF SUPPORT AND MAKE CALLS FOR US? UM, SORRY, RAZZY, UM, SNAPPER, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
YES, UNION AND PACIFIC WILL BE SUPPORT US ACTUALLY, WHENEVER WE ELIMINATE EXISTING RAILROAD CROSSING.
THEY ALSO PROVIDE SOME FUNDING.
IN THE PAST, WE KNOW WE ARE DESIGNING ONE ANZA SOMER OVERPASS, AND THEY'RE, I BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING TO PROVIDE US SOME FUNDING AND WE'LL APPLY FOR THIS ONE.
ALSO, LUCKILY, TEXTILES, REALLY VERY PROACTIVE DATING THESE TWO PROJECT, WHICH IS HAPPENED TO BE IN CONCERT DISTRICT TOO.
WE HAVE DATING, WE HAVE VERY GOOD CHANCE OF GETTING AT LEAST ONE OF THESE PROJECT TO BE FUNDED.
AND THEY'RE HELPING US AND THEY HAVE DONE A LOT WORK PREVIOUSLY, AND THEY'RE HELPING US TO PREPARE OUR APPLICATION, EITHER SUBMIT ON OUR BEHALF OR PROVIDE LETTER OF SUPPORT IF WE WANNA SUBMIT ON OUR OWN.
AND THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE ADDITIONAL VITAMIN B 12 INJECTION THAT WE COULD GET, UH, IF WE CAN ACTIVATE THEIR, UH, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM TO ACTUALLY MAKE CALLS, UH, AND MAKE, MAKE SOME VISITS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING WE'VE EVER ASKED UP TO DO? UM, WELL ACTUALLY, I KNOW WE'VE ASKED UP TO DO THAT BACK IN 2003, 2004 WHEN WE WERE DOING RAIL SPUR WORK, UH, ON THE TOYOTA DEAL.
UM, AND THEY DID ACTIVATE THEIR, UM, THEIR, THEIR LOBBYISTS AND, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $573 MILLION HERE, SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A REASONABLE ASK TO, FOR THEM TO KNOCK ON SOME DOORS.
AND SO, I MEAN, I, I'M JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
BUT I, I'D LOVE TO SEE THEM BE OUR PARTNERS IN THIS, ASIDE FROM A LETTER, WHICH IS ALSO VERY HELPFUL.
CHAIRMAN, ONE OF THE GOOD POINT ABOUT THIS PROJECT, ESPECIALLY RICHMOND ROAD CROSSING.
DURING THE LAST YEAR BOND PROCESS, WE HAD SIGNIFICANT REQUESTS FROM COMMUNITY TO INCLUDE THIS PROJECT, PART OF THE BOND.
UNFORTUNATELY, BOND DIDN'T PICK IT UP.
WE HAD ALREADY COMMUNITY INPUT ALSO ON THIS PROJECT.
ALRIGHT, SALLY, YOU'RE PICKING UP WHAT? I'M LAYING DOWN.
I WAS JUST GONNA MENTION THERE, THERE WAS A PAST PROJECT, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO THAT TXDOT SUBMITTED FOR A SIMILAR GRANT, THE INFRA GRANT.
AND WE DID BUILD OUT A LARGE COALITION OF STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL PARTNERS.
AND, UH, UNION PACIFIC WAS DEFINITELY ON THAT LIST.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS REGARDING THIS.
I KNOW THERE ARE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THIS TABLE WHO ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY MM-HMM.
UM, I AM SUPER, AND, AND I WAS REALLY WAITING FOR THIS SLIDE FOR SLIDE EIGHT, IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THAT, BECAUSE THAT IS THE TRAIN THAT I WAS STOPPED BY.
AND, UM, IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR A LOT OF MY CONSTITUENTS AND IT'S A, A BURDEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR HELPING OUR D TWO FAMILIES TO BE SAFE BY PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN TO ELIMINATE THIS, UH, THIS RAILROAD CROSSING.
AND I MEAN, OTHER THAN THAT, I, I, IF I COULD SING, I WOULD BE SINGING YOUR PRAISES RIGHT NOW.
AND IT'LL BE QUICK BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MANNY GETS HANGRY ALSO.
UM, BUT THERE'S, I'M JUST EXCITED THAT FOR SAN ANTONIO STREETSCAPE PROJECT IS IN HERE AND, UH, THE $31 MILLION OVERALL THAT, THAT THEY NEEDED, AND WE PARTIALLY FUNDED IT THROUGH THE BOND.
I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALREADY HAVE PLANS, RIGHT? THEY HAVE THESE THINGS, AND I THINK THAT MAYBE THE COORDINATION JUST NEEDS TO CONTINUE EXISTING WITH THE CITY SO THAT WE'RE NOT THROWING SPAGHETTI ON THE WALL LIKE THE COUNCILMAN SAID.
BUT I THINK IT'S 'CAUSE HE'S HANGRY AGAIN.
SO I JUST HAD TO MAKE THAT REFERENCE.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE DATES.
UM, ON SLIDE SEVEN, IT DOES MENTION LIKE FISCAL YEAR 2022, WHICH SHOULD BE COMING TO A CLOSE COME OCTOBER.
UM, HOW DOES, WHAT ARE THE DATES LOOK LIKE ON FOR THIS? 'CAUSE IT SAYS, UH, PORT USA IS GONNA BE A PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2022, WHICH IS, AGAIN, COMING TO A CLOSE.
HOW DOES THAT, SO THE NOFO, THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY IS OP, OH, SORRY.
THE NOTICE, THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR 2022 THAT THE PORT WILL BE SUBMITTING FOR THAT CLOSES IN OCTOBER IS OPEN RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN WE ANTICIPATE THE D O T PROBABLY THE BEGINNING OF 23, WILL GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHEN THE 2023 ROUND WILL OPEN.
[01:50:01]
BEEN HANDLING THESE BILL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS IS THAT THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH THEM OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.UNLIKE TRADITIONAL GRANTS WHERE THEY WAIT A WHOLE 12 MONTHS TO PUSH THEM OUT, WE'RE SEEING THEIR INTEREST TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SHOVEL-READY, UH, PROJECTS TO BE ABLE TO GET THE MONEY OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE WEBINARS TO BE ABLE TO LEARN WHAT DOT'S LOOKING FOR.
SO THAT WE READY OUR PROJECT FOR 23 AS WELL.
SO, I GUESS TO SUMMARIZE WHAT I FEEL LIKE I'M HEARING, AND I APOLOGIZE, UM, I KNOW I FEEL LIKE WE'VE RECEIVED, UM, PRESENTATIONS ON THIS TOPIC MONTHLY FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER NOW.
UM, SO THE FISCAL YEAR INDICATES WHEN THAT APPLICATION IS OPEN, RIGHT? SO THE ONES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 WILL BE OPEN, WILL, UM, BEGIN IN OCTOBER AND CLOSE NEXT OCTOBER.
OR HOW IS THAT GONNA, THEY REALLY DON'T DO THAT.
UM, THEY HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO PUSH OUT THE GRANTS.
UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT CLOSELY IS JUST FOLLOWING DOT'S LEAD.
AND THEY'VE BEEN REALLY GOOD ABOUT COMMUNICATING.
UM, AS SOON AS THEY'VE GOT THEIR HANDS ON THE APPROPRIATIONS OR THE FUNDING THAT WILL FUND THE PROGRAMMING FOR THIS GRANT, THEY WILL MAKE THE GRANT NOTICE AVAILABLE, UM, AND KICKSTART THAT PROCESS.
KEVIN, YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING? YEAH.
UNLIKE REGULAR DISCRETIONARY APPROPRIATIONS, WE'LL SORT OF TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE LAW FUNDED FIVE YEARS OF FUNDING IN ONE LUMP SUM, BUT IT RELEASES IT IN INCREMENTS, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE.
SO THE MONEY'S ALREADY BEEN APPROPRIATED, IT'S IN THE TREASURY.
THEY APPORTION IT EVERY YEAR IN THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO AS SALLY SAID, THEY HAD TO CATCH UP BECAUSE THE BILL WAS PASSED LAST YEAR IN, AT THE END OF, UH, SUMMER.
AND THEN THEY RELEASED 22 OCTOBER ONE, OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER WHEN THEY GOT THE, UH, NOFA READY.
BUT NOW THAT THEY GO IT, THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GO FIRST QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 23, PROBABLY WITH THE RELEASE OF THE INSTRUCTION.
SO WE GOTTA BE IN THE QUEUE BECAUSE YOU'VE ONLY GOT FIVE YEARS AND IT'S HIGHLY COMPETITIVE.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR TOP REQUEST FROM THE PORT THIS YEAR WILL BE, IF THEY WON, IT WOULD BE ALMOST 10% OF THE NATIONAL TOTAL AVAILABLE.
SO IT'S GONNA BE A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PROGRAM.
I GUESS, UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE LAST TWO DAYS WHERE THERE'S 202 MILLION AVAILABLE IN 205 MILLION AVAILABLE, WILL WE STILL BE LOOKING FOR MORE PROJECTS? OR DO WE THINK THAT THOSE THREE ARE THE, LIKE I SAID, UH, COUNCILMAN THE PROCESS IS FLUID.
SO THE, THE COMMUNICATION AND THE INTERACTION CONTINUES TO TRY TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE THE ONES THAT WE FEEL ARE GONNA BE NATIONALLY COMPETITIVE.
SO IT'LL BE AN ONGOING PROCESS.
I THINK THAT'S ALL THAT CAN BE ANSWERED TODAY, THEN.
UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE CLEAR WHAT WE'RE DOING, OF COURSE HERE TODAY.
THE WHOLE, UH, PURPOSE OF THE PUTTING THIS INTERGOVERNMENTAL ROUND TABLE TOGETHER WAS TO TRY TO PREVENT OUR LOCAL PARTNERS FROM COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER MM-HMM.
WE HAD A GOOD PROBLEM IN THIS CASE, WHICH WAS THREE REALLY SOLID PROJECTS PRESENTED BY US AND OUR PARTNERS FOR THIS NEW PROGRAM THAT HONESTLY, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA PRIORITIZE AN AWARD YET.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE EVER DONE THIS.
BUT, SO WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS THIS STAGGERED APPROACH TO ALLOW EVERYBODY AT LEAST ONE SWING OF THE BAT HERE AND TRY TO LAND IT.
UM, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY APPROVING THAT.
'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PORT OR HEMISPHERE COULD APPLY IF THEY WANT TO RIGHT NOW.
BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SAY, HERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN TRY TO TACKLE ALL THESE THINGS.
UH, AND IF WE ALL AGREE THAT THIS IS THE ORDER WE GO IN, THEN WE WILL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL EACH GET A BITE OF THE APPLE, UM, ON THIS.
UH, WE MAY FIND OUT, UH, ULTIMATELY THAT DOWN THE ROAD, THAT ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS WAS NOT FUNDED, BUT WAS REALLY CLOSE, SCORED REALLY WELL, AND WE MAY DECIDE THAT WE WANT TO AGREE TO SUBMIT AGAIN AND, AND GIVE IT ANOTHER SHOT.
SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE TO BE DECIDED, BUT WE, WHAT WE WANTED TO PRESENT TO YOU WAS NOT ONE PROJECT THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING FOR THIS YEAR, BUT RATHER THE IDEA OF HOW WE MIGHT ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THEM.
AND, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THAT NECESSARILY, WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS AND, UM, AND, AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, TAKE THREE SWINGS OF THE BAT.
I'VE USED TWO METAPHORS THERE, SO.
REKY AND MICHAEL SCOTT, YOU MISS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE SHOTS YOU DON'T TAKE, RIGHT? YEAH.
WHAT'S UP? THANKS FOR COMING FROM DC KEVIN.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S, UH, WHO'S RUNNING THE SLIDES HERE.
THERE IS A LOT THAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN WASHINGTON.
AND FOR ALL OF YOU, AS YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE LINEUP OF PRIORITIES THAT WE WORK ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL ALIGNS VERY CAREFULLY.
YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT THE CARRYOVER ITEMS FROM THE STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF SIMILARITY THERE THAT, UH, WE, FRANKLY, UH, IT WORKS IN PARALLEL BECAUSE THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS OBVIOUSLY HAVE COMMON PROBLEMS TO
[01:55:01]
SOLVE ISSUES.UM, WE'RE KIND OF AT THE MIDWAY POINT OF THE SESSION IN WASHINGTON THIS YEAR, BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND, UM, SO WE'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON A HANDFUL OF THINGS.
YOU KNOW, THERE HAS, IT'S BEEN PRETTY BUSY IN WASHINGTON OVER THE LAST, UH, THREE MONTHS AFTER THEY THOUGHT THEY COULDN'T GET ANYTHING DONE.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING TO GET A NUMBER OF THINGS DONE, BUT THERE'S STILL A, FOR THINGS THAT REALLY MATTERED TO SAN ANTONIO A LOT, A LONG WAY TO GO.
SO THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS THAT CONTROLS ABOUT ONE AND A HALF TRILLION DOLLARS OF SPENDING BETWEEN THE DEFENSE AND NON-DEFENSE AREAS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THIS IS KIND OF, THIS SLIDE IS A VERY SIMPLE WAY.
IT'S LIKE GOING TO SCHOOL SINCE THE SCHOOL YEAR, STARTING AROUND HERE TODAY.
THIS IS KIND OF THE WAY THE BUDGET PROCESS, APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS WORKS.
UM, THAT'S THE TIMELINE AND THE SCHEDULE.
THIS IS THE BIG FIGHT, RIGHT? HOW MUCH THEY SPEND BETWEEN DEFENSE AND NON-DEFENSE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONFLICT ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE WORLD, AS IT IS, IS A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS PLACE WITH THE INVASION OF UKRAINE AND INFLATION BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO HIGH.
IT'S DRIVING COSTS UP FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST IN THE NON-DEFENSE WORLD, BUT CERTAINLY IN DEFENSE PAY FOR OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN, IN MILIT IN, UH, UNIFORM, AS WELL AS THINGS LIKE FUEL AND OTHER, UH, OTHER IDEAS.
SO THERE'S A BIG, BIG ISSUE IN APPROPRIATIONS.
WE FOCUS ON, UH, EARMARKS ARE BACK FOR THIS CONGRESS, AND WE HAD TWO REQUESTS THIS YEAR.
ONE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, COUNCILMAN, THAT'S A HIGH PRIORITY, OBVIOUSLY, FOR ALL OF YOU THAT WE SUBMITTED TO MR. CASTRO.
WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL SO FAR ON THAT PROCESS IN THE HOUSE.
UH, IT WAS NOT SUBMITTED IN THE SENATE BECAUSE NEITHER TEXAS SENATOR GETS INVOLVED IN THE EARMARK PROCESS.
THE SECOND ACTIVITY WAS TO FIGURE A WAY TO DO TAKING THE CITY'S INNOVATIVE READY TO WORK PROGRAM AND EXPANDING IT, UH, TO THOSE ON MILITARY BASES.
WE SUBMITTED THAT TO CONGRESSMAN GONZALEZ, BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE HIS LIST THIS YEAR.
THEY, UM, EACH CONGRESSMAN HAS A, IN THE HOUSE, HAS A VERY LIMITED NUMBER THAT THEY CAN SUBMIT.
SO WE DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT THIS YEAR, AND WE'LL EVALUATE WHETHER WE SUBMIT THAT AGAIN FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, THE DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, AND AS I SAID, THE, THE, THE, THE CONGRESS WANTS TO SPEND MORE MONEY THAN PRESIDENT BIDEN DOES ON DEFENSE, AND THAT'LL BE A BIG, BIG ISSUE, UH, FOR US BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR.
A COUPLE OF KEY THINGS ON THIS SLIDE HERE.
WE WON'T DWELL MUCH ABOUT ANY OF IT EXCEPT FOR TWO, ONE ON THIS SLIDE, WHICH IS THE CYBERSPACE.
AS YOU LOOK TO TAKE ON MORE ACTIVITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WITH, UH, CYBER COMMAND AND THE COMPONENTS OF IT THAT ARE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, INCLUDING AT THE AIR WITH THE AIR FORCE, UH, THERE'S A LOT MORE MONEY BEING DRIVEN TOWARDS THIS.
AND SO WE'LL BE LOOKING, WORKING WITH GENERAL AYELLA ON OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TO CAPITALIZE UPON THAT HERE.
AND ON THIS PAGE, ON THE SECOND PAGE AND THE HOUSE BILL, THERE'S A WHOLE PUSH ABOUT THE SPACE FORCE, AND THEY'RE STILL LOOKING AT HOW TO RESTRUCTURE THE SPACE FORCE AND WHETHER OR NOT, UH, IT'S GONNA BE HEADQUARTERED IN ALABAMA AS PRESIDENT TRUMP PROPOSED, OR WHETHER THERE'LL BE A FULL BLOWN REASSESSMENT OF THAT, WHERE SAN ANTONIO WAS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF SITES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT WAS IN THE RUNNING FOR THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS IN DEFENSE THAT ARE RELEVANT.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF KERFLUFFLE OVER THE LAST 10, 15 DAYS ABOUT THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, WHICH IS A USE OF BUDGET RECONCILIATION.
AND ON THIS SLIDE HERE, WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND ON THE HEALTHCARE SIDE OF THINGS THAT MATTER, BUT FOR THE, THE THINGS THAT MATTER TO SAN ANTONIO FOR THE, FOR THE CITY ITSELF, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS ABOUT EMISSION REDUCTIONS, CLEAN GOVERNMENT, CLEAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MICROGRID.
THERE'S A HUGE NUMBER OF THINGS ABOUT CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION, UH, PROCESSES AND INVESTING MORE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SUPREME COURT, SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN A LOT OF AUTHORITY THAT E P A HAD TO REGULATE GREENHOUSE GASES.
AND SO WHAT'S EMERGING NOW IS THAT IN THE CLIMATE SPACE AND ANYTHING WITH RESPECT TO RENEWABLE ENERGY, THE PLAN GOING FORWARD IS CARROTS NOT STICKS.
SO WITH RESPECT TO THE MICROGRID, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE THAT ARE EMERGING TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DISCUSSED HERE.
UH, AND SO THAT KIND OF SHOWS YOU THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE, UH, INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.
AND THAT, AND THE TOP LINE THERE, ENERGY SECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE UNPACKING FOR THE COUNCIL AND FOR THE MAYOR AND FOR, UM, THE CITY'S, UH, TEAM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE BEST TARGETS FOR YOU ALL TO GO AFTER IN THE MONTHS AHEAD AS THE AGENCIES THAT ARE INVOLVED, RELEASE THOSE FUNDS FOR SOLICITATION.
UH, THIS IS ANOTHER CROSSWALK ON THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THINGS LIKE FOREST CONSERVATION, AND THERE IS SOME MONEY FOR URBAN PLANNING.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS HERE WHERE, AS WE SAW FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, LAW, YOU HAVE TO STRIKE WHILE THE, IF THERE'S A TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY AND WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT WORK, YOU KNOW,
[02:00:01]
YOU'VE GOTTA GET IN THE GAME IN ORDER TO, UM, ACCRUE THE BENEFITS.AND THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BE KEY ON THIS AS WE GO FORWARD, INCLUDING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT WEATHERIZATION TO MAKE HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE BY MAKING IT MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT, THERE'S MONEY IN THERE FOR THAT AS WELL.
THE CHIPS ACT IS IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S A, THE, THE, THE NEXT PIECE OF LEGISLATION WE'LL TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT, BECAUSE IT INVOLVES THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY.
AND AS YOU THINK ABOUT TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TALK ABOUT INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY, ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT'S IN HERE, THERE'S MONEY FOR WORKFORCE EDUCATION FOR THAT INDUSTRY.
BUT THE BIG BUZZ IN WASHINGTON IS ABOUT A PHRASE CALLED THE MISSING MILLIONS.
REMEMBER THAT PHRASE, BECAUSE IT RE IT REFLECTS THE NUMBER OF WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN STEM FIELDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IS WAY, WAY UNDER WHAT THEIR POPULATION IS PROPORTIONATE TO THEIR TOTAL.
SO WOMEN, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE, UH, 50% OF OUR POPULATION.
THEY'RE 38% OF ALL STEM FIELDS.
SO YOU LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING IN THIS ACT, IN THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AREA, UH, AND IN THE CHIPS ACT IS INVESTMENTS IN PROGRAMS THAT WILL TRY AND CREATE A LADDER PROGRAM WHERE YOU'RE MOVING PEOPLE INTO THESE FIELDS AND WHERE THE, THE RESOURCES AND THE COMP, THE COMPETITIVE SELECTION, EMPHASIZES PROGRAMS THAT CAN DO THAT.
AND THERE ARE SOME IDEAS THAT I THINK, UM, THAT WILL BE PROPOSING, I THINK IN THE COMING MONTHS TO TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN CAPITALIZE UPON IT, BECAUSE IT IS A VERY NETTLESOME PROBLEM FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE SAN ANTONIO, WHICH HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE POOR, AND HOW DO YOU MOVE THEM INTO JOBS THAT MATTER, UH, IN SOME OF THESE HIGHER TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES.
AND YOU CERTAINLY HAVE THE ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS LIKE U T SS A, LIKE SWRI, LIKE OTHER PLACES LIKE THAT TO HELP DRIVE THAT, UM, A LOT OF MONEY HERE.
SO, AND THE CHIPS ACT 52 BILLION IN HARD DOLLARS.
A LOT OF THAT IS FOR CONSTRUCTION, THE MANUFACTURING INCENTIVES.
BUT THERE WILL BE A SERIES OF ANOTHER SET OF ACTIVITIES WHERE THERE WILL BE SUBSTANTIAL FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR COMPETITIVE ALLOCATION, UH, THAT FRANKLY, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE WORKING ON.
AND WHICH THE CITY, AGAIN, AS A CONVENER TO DRIVE INVESTMENT AND KIND OF WHAT PROJECTS SHOULD WE GO AFTER IN THIS CAN BE THE CATALYST AMONGST ALL THE ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS.
SO YOU GET AS CLOSE TO ONE VOICE PITCHING THESE THINGS OUT OF THE REGION AS IS POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S REALLY, I THINK, A, AN IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY FOR YOU, KIND OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE LAW TO TRY AND UNITE THE DISPARATE NUMBER OF ENTITIES THAT COULD BID ON THINGS.
HOW DO WE GET EVERYBODY IN LINE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHO'S THE FIRST CHAIR ON A PROJECT? WHO'S THE SECOND CHAIR, WHO'S THE THIRD CHAIR? AND THEN HOW DOES THAT CHANGE PROGRAM TO PROGRAM YEAR BY YEAR? BUT IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
LOTS OF OTHER PLACES ARE GONNA BE GOING FOR THIS, AND YOU HAVE THE NUCLEUS TO REALLY DRIVE, UM, TO DRIVE INVESTMENT HERE IN THE INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT.
THAT'S A BIG THING FOR YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, THAT COMMUNITY PRESSED THE MAYOR AND YOURSELVES TO PUSH FOR THAT, THAT IS ROBUSTLY FUNDED, UH, IN THE CHIPS ACT AS WELL.
UM, I, AND I CAN'T FINISH WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE ELECTIONS.
IT'S NOT A GOOD YEAR FOR DEMOCRATS OR IF YOU'RE AN INCUMBENT.
UH, PROBABLY THE WINDS HAVE MOVED BACK A LITTLE BIT OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS, BUT THE PRESIDENT'S STILL UNDERWATER AND THE DEMOCRATS ARE PROBABLY GONNA TAKE IT.
UM, HAVE A VERY TOUGH ELECTION NIGHT THIS NOVEMBER.
CERTAINLY IN THE HOUSE, THE SENATE IS NOT QUITE AS CLEAR.
UH, THE PRESIDENT'S NUMBERS ARE BEGINNING TO IMPROVE.
THE JULY NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE BETTER, BUT STILL THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO FROM, UH, FOR HIM TO ACTUALLY GET IT.
SO HE'S NOT SUCH A DRAG ON HIS PARTY IN THIS COMING YEAR'S ELECTION.
UH, THAT'S THE COMPOSITION TODAY.
IT'S A NINE SEAT MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE TODAY FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, FOR THE DEMOCRATS.
UM, THE REPUBLICANS, IF YOU LOOK HERE AT THE SPLIT ON THE SWING STATES, AND THE REAPPORTIONMENT OBVIOUSLY SHOWS YOU THE WINNERS AND THE LOSERS AND STATES THAT ARE BLUE HAVE BEEN LOSING, UH, STATES THAT ARE RED HAVE BEEN GAINING, OBVIOUSLY TEXAS GAINING A NUMBER OF SEATS, UH, THIS TIME AROUND.
AND THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY CHANGES THE ELECTORAL COUNT.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THERE THOSE PLACES WHERE, UH, HOW REPUBLICANS FRANKLY HAVE CAPITALIZED UPON THIS, NOT QUITE AS MUCH AS THE DEMOCRATS FEARED, BUT IT'S FRANKLY, THEY HAVE OBVIOUSLY DONE VERY WELL BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF STATES THAT THEY CONTROL AND THE POPULATION GROWTH IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WORTH, WORTH NOTING.
THIS OBVIOUSLY SHOWS YOU THE, THE, THE SEATS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLAY THAT, YOU KNOW, EITHER LEAN REPUBLICAN OR ARE LIKELY REPUBLICAN.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE, THE DEMOCRATS ARE UNDERWATER ALMOST COMPLETELY IF THEY LOSE ALL THOSE SEATS ON THE FAR RIGHT COLUMNS AND IN THE MIDDLE, THAT'S WHERE THE BATTLE WILL BE DETERMINED WHETHER THIS IS GONNA BE A WAVE ELECTION LIKE 2010, OR WHETHER IT WILL BE, UH,
[02:05:01]
SOMETHING THAT'S MORE MODEST, LIKE 2014.THE SENATE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THEY'RE DEFENDING, THEY HAVE A LOT OF OPEN SEATS.
UH, ONLY A COUPLE OF THOSE ARE IN BLUE STATES, AND, AND YET THE DEMOCRATS ARE HOLDING THEIR OWN, UH, CERTAINLY IN PENNSYLVANIA AND EVEN OHIO, SURPRISINGLY.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY, UM, SLIGHTLY AHEAD THERE NOW, BUT WE'LL SEE IF THEY HOLD ONTO IT.
AND SOME OF THE CANDIDATE ISSUES, UH, THAT THEY HAVE, UM, THE REPUBLICANS HAVE, ARE DEFINITELY, UM, AN ISSUE GOING FORWARD.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE PRESIDENT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS TRYING TO DO HERE.
HE IS TRYING, OBVIOUSLY TO KIND OF DIG HIMSELF OUT OF THE CELLAR.
UM, BUT WITH A, THERE'LL BE A LOT OF PUSH, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF CABINET MEMBERS AND A LOT OF FOLKS ON THE ROAD IN THE FALL TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND OBVIOUSLY WE'D LIKE TO GET AS MUCH ATTENTION ON SOUTH TEXAS AND SAN ANTONIO, UH, WITH THOSE PROGRAMS AS POSSIBLE.
SO IT'S A VOLATILE YEAR, IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR, UM, AND, UH, LOTS HAPPENING AND OBVIOUSLY A BUSY, BUSY, UH, SET OF MONTHS HERE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1ST AND, UH, THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN WE EXPECT THE, THE BUDGET PROCESS TO WRAP UP.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UM, NO, JUST THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
SORRY YOU HAD TO RUSH THROUGH IT, BUT, UM, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MAYBE ASKING SOME MORE QUESTIONS ONCE I DISSECT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND THEN, UM, JUST FOR PLANTING A SEED FOR FUTURE CONVERSATIONS, UH, MAYBE NOT AT THIS COM, WELL, MAYBE AT THIS COMMITTEE AND, UM, AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, UM, $52 BILLION IN THE CHIPS ACT FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING.
BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE MEGA SITES, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE WE DON'T IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ACADEMIC, RIGHT? AND SO WE DO NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION IN THE FUTURE ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING MEGA SITES AND PUTTING PARCELS TOGETHER TO, UM, AT LEAST HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER SEMICONDUCTORS AND OTHER MANUFACTURERS, UH, YOU KNOW, A WAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MONEY.
SO, WELL, THERE'S A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE PUSH IN MICROELECTRONICS WHERE BESIDES THE, THE CONS, THE ASSEMBLY OF THE CHIPS THEMSELVES, WHERE THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE ECOSYSTEM ESSENTIALLY FOR THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE BIG PARCELS, THE REALITY IS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY BUILD OUT INDUSTRIES, UH, IN CASE IN SOME CASES SMALL BUSINESSES AND CLUSTERS AROUND THE COM COUNTRY ARE LOOKING AT THAT AND HOW THEY WOULD COME TOGETHER TO ACTUALLY CAPITALIZE UPON SOME OF THIS INVESTMENT, NOT ONLY HERE, BUT IN THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AND SOME OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES WILL BE PLAYING IN THIS.
SO WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT OFFLINE.
SO, SO THAT RIGHT THERE, SALLY, IS, I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT JENNA AND ALEX LOPEZ AND BRENDA KNOW, RIGHT? THAT IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF MEGASITE AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN LAND SOME THIS SEMICONDUCTOR BUSINESS, BUT THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE, UH, IT'S THE OTHER COMPONENTS AND THE SMALLER PLAYERS THAT ARE JUST AS ATTRACTIVE TO US AND COULD, YOU KNOW, BENEFIT FROM THIS KIND OF FUNDING.
UM, IT, IT, IT'S IN AND WE'RE WORKING.
I MEAN, THERE'S, WE'RE WORKING A WHOLE THING BETWEEN ST.
UH, IT TAKES COOPERATION AND A LOT OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT LANE YOU CAN SWIM IN TO ACTUALLY BE NATIONALLY COMPETITIVE.
BUT THE REALITY IS, THERE ARE LANES TO GOING ON THIS, BECAUSE AGAIN, UM, THERE'RE GONNA BE SOME LIMITS TO WHAT, HOW MANY PLACES HAVE BIG PLANTS VERSUS THESE SMALLER PARTS THAT CAN BE JUST AS CRITICAL TO THE ECOSYSTEM, UH, OF THE WAY THESE CHIPS ARE MADE AND THE, THE GUTS OF THEM GOING FORWARD.
AND LIKE, THERE'S SECURITY PIECES AND THE SOFTWARE THAT GOES IN THEM.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE THING LIKE THIS AND YOUR CYBER CONNECTION HERE, RIGHT? BOTH WITH THE PROGRAMS YOU'VE GOT AT U T S A AND AT JOINT BASE, SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THERE'S, AND CYBER COMMAND.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL SHOULD BE, UM, THINKING ABOUT AND I THINK CAN PROBABLY PLAY INTO THIS ACCORDINGLY.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER.
THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT MEETING.
THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR BEING SO PATIENT WITH US.