Aug 16, 2022 City Council Special Session on 2022-08-16 2:00 PM

TESTING 1, 2, 3.

1, 2, 3.

I THINK WE'RE GETTING THE AUDIO FROM PHYLLIS PHYLLIS RIGHT NOW.

WE DON'T NEED TO BE DOING THAT AT THE MOMENT.

JUST TURN PHIL OFF.

ASK YOU TO MUTE.

PHYLLIS, CAN YOU HEAR US? CAN YOU HEAR US? YES.

I WAS ON MUTE, BUT I CAN STILL HEAR THE ECHO.

OH, ALL PHYLLIS, COULD YOU TRY MUTING? TRY MUTING.

I I'M ON MUTE.

NO, BECAUSE WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.

NO, WE CAN HEAR YOU .

NO.

CHECK ONE, TWO.

NOW WE'RE STILL GETTING THE ECHO RESCHEDULE.

HANG TIGHT.

WE HAVEN'T OFFICIALLY STARTED YET, SO WE'RE STILL EARLY.

I PERFECT.

HEAR YOU.

I I CAN TURN ONT V S A ON ANOTHER.

UM, OH, NO, YOU'RE GOOD.

WE'RE GOOD NOW.

WE'RE GOOD.

RESOLVE THE ECHO, JOHN.

SO WE'RE GOOD TO GO.

TESTING, ONE, TWO.

TESTING, 1, 3, 3.

YOU GIVE US SOME AND SEE WHAT WE'LL GET.

WE'LL NEED TO PULL THAT UP WHEN SHE'S ON.

COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.

THE TIME IS SEVEN, OR EXCUSE ME, 1210 2:12 PM UH, WE'LL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.

MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE.

PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER VILLA GROAN IS HERE VIRTUALLY.

COUNCIL

[00:05:01]

MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.

COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.

COUNCIL MEMBER CAVEDA.

COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.

COUNCIL MEMBER PAZ.

COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.

[ ITEMS ]

WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TODAY.

UH, ACTUALLY WE HAVE TWO ITEMS. WE ARE GOING TO SWEAR IN OUR NEW MAYOR, PRO TEM.

UH, SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, IF YOU COULD APPROACH THE PODIUM WITH OUR CLERK, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.

I, TERRY CASTILLO, IN THE NAME AND IN THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, I, TERRY CASTILLO, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY, THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF, EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO TIMM, THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO TIMM, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FROM AUGUST 16TH, 2022, FROM AUGUST 16TH, 2022 THROUGH OCTOBER 24TH, 2022 THROUGH AUGUST, OCTOBER, OCTOBER 24TH, 2022.

THE STATE OF TEXAS.

THE STATE OF TEXAS AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS, THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, AND OF THIS STATE, OF THE UNITED STATES, AND OF THIS STATE.

UM, WE, WE DO HAVE ONE PRESENTATION TODAY THAT WILL KICK OFF THE START OF OUR 2023 BUDGET CONVERSATION.

SO LEMME TURN IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

SO, AS MAYOR MENTIONED, WE HAVE ONE TOPIC ON TODAY'S BUDGET WORK SESSION, AND IT'S ON THE C P S CUSTOMER ENERGY CREDIT ISSUE THAT, UM, WAS INCLUDED IN LAST WEEK'S PROPOSED BUDGET.

TROY IS GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND THE DETAILS THIS AFTERNOON.

AND RUDY, UH, IS HERE FROM C P S, AND WE'LL SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS TO SET UP, UH, THE AFTERNOON'S, UH, DISCUSSION.

I DO WANT TO, UH, REITERATE, UH, WHAT I SAID LAST WEEK.

THE STAFF AND I WENT THROUGH A RE DELIBERATE INTERNAL PROCESS TO EVALUATE THE MATTER IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE GAVE YOU LAST WEEK.

UM, AND OUR RECOMMENDATION TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE, THE, THE SOURCE OF THOSE FUNDS.

UM, AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A CRITICAL ASPECT AS, AS YOU, UM, HEARD LAST WEEK AND AS PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND UNDOUBTEDLY WILL BE PART OF, UH, YOUR CONVERSATION TODAY.

UM, THOSE CONVERSATIONS INTERNALLY WITH US, AS WELL AS, UH, WITH C P S WAS TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE, UH, ANY ALTERNATIVE THAT WE PRO PROPOSED TO THE COUNCIL TREATED C P SS CUSTOMERS EQUALLY AND UNIFORM, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH, UM, STATE LAW AND THOSE ALTERNATIVES.

UM, UH, WERE ALSO DEVELOPED IN THE RECOMMENDATION TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT THAT C P S OPERATES UNDER, UH, WITHIN, AND THAT THE COUNCIL, UM, HAS RATE MAKING AUTHORITY IN.

SO, WITH THAT CONTEXT, WE'LL KICK IT OVER TO TROY TO GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.

TROY, UH, THANK YOU AND GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR.

CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME'S TROY ELLIOT, I'M THE DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, AND I HAVE THE DISTINCT PLEASURE TO KICK OFF THESE BUDGET WORKSHOPS WITH BEING THE FIRST ONE OUTTA THE GATE, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THE CUSTOMER ENERGY CREDIT FOR PURPOSES OF THE PRESENTATION, UM, OVERVIEW PLAN ON REALLY HITTING KIND OF THREE PRIMARY AREAS, FOCUS ON WHY WE HAVE THE UNUSUALLY HIGH CITY PAYMENT REVENUES.

I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH A SERIES OF SLIDES THAT FOCUS ON FISCAL YEAR 2022, KIND OF GIVING YOU A LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE WITH THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND WHERE WE ENDED UP BASED ON OUR FORECAST AND HOW WE GOT THERE.

ALSO, TAKING YOU BACK AND LOOKING AT KIND OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR 2022 FORECAST.

LOOKING BACK HISTORICALLY, HOW WE COMPARE TO TRY TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT FOCUS.

THEN KIND OF TURNING OVER TO FOCUSING ON OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE ARRIVED AT THIS RECOMMENDATION, SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT WE CONSIDERED AND HOW WE'RE GONNA ALLOCATE IT.

AND ALSO GIVE YOU AN END, UH, A DEEPER LOOK INTO THE RESIDENTIAL CREDIT, HOW THAT'S BEING ALLOCATED, AS WELL AS THE COMMERCIAL CREDIT AS WELL.

AND THEN WRAPPING UP WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION AND THOSE FACTORS THAT WE CONSIDERED IN PUTTING THIS RECOMMENDATION TOGETHER.

SO THIS FIRST SLIDE, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S GONNA FOCUS ON FISCAL YEAR 2022.

LAST SEPTEMBER, UM, WE PRESENTED AND THE COUNCIL ADOPTED A, A BUDGET FOR C P S IN THE TUNE OF $361 MILLION.

SO IN LOOKING AT THIS CHART, YOU HAVE REALLY THREE LINE LINE GRAPHS.

THE ADOPTED BUDGET IS GONNA BE REPRESENTED IN BLUE.

OUR TRIAL BUDGET'S GONNA BE REPRESENTED IN THE ORANGE LINE.

THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE UPPER ONE, WHICH IS A BLACK LINE THAT'S GONNA REPRESENT THE, THE, UM, SUMMER UPDATE OR THE RELOOK.

[00:10:01]

WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, WE LOOK AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS IN COMING UP WITH OUR ESTIMATE.

WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, PAST WEATHER PATTERNS AND CAN, AND ALSO ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE NORMAL THROUGHOUT THE FUTURE.

WHEN WE DEVELOP OUR ADOPTED BUDGET, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT HISTORICAL FUEL PRICES AND WHERE THEY WERE.

AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THIS BUDGET, WE LOOKED AT SOMEWHERE BELOW $4, UH, ROUGHLY $3 AND 52 CENTS AVERAGE PER M M B T U IN DEVELOPING THIS ADOPTED BUDGET OF $361 MILLION.

WE ALSO WORK WITH C P S.

WE LOOK AT THEIR GENERATION FORECAST, FUEL TYPE AND UTILIZATION, AND ALSO SYSTEM GROWTH.

SO WHEN LOOKING AT THE ADOPTED BUDGET OF 361 MILLION, JUST FOCUSING ON THAT BOTTOM LINE FOR A SECOND, EACH ONE OF THOSE DOTS FOR EACH OF THE MONTHS IS GONNA REPRESENT OUR EXPECTATION WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA END UP IN TERMS OF A CITY PAYMENT, LOOKING, MOVING TO THE YELLOW LINE OR THE ORANGE LINE.

WHEN WE LOOKED AT OUR TRIAL BUDGET COME MARCH, WE HAD SIX MONTHS OF HISTORY BEHIND US.

BUT AT THAT TIME, FUEL PRICES WERE ALSO INCREASING.

WE ALSO HAD THE INVASION OF RUSSIA INTO UKRAINE, WHICH INFLUENCED THOSE FUEL PRICES AS WELL.

SO WE STARTED SEEING THAT INCREASE AND WE REDID OUR ESTIMATE AT THAT POINT IN TIME, LOOKING AT THOSE INCREASED FUEL PRICES.

UM, AND LOOKING AT THE FIRST SIX MONTHS AND WHERE WE THOUGHT WE'RE GONNA END UP IN THE FORECAST.

FOLLOWING THAT NORMAL TREND LINE THROUGH SEPTEMBER, WE WERE EXPECTING AN ADDITIONAL $35 MILLION COME JUNE.

AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2023, WE TOOK ANOTHER LOOK.

UM, FUEL PRICES CONTINUED TO ESCALATE, AND ALSO WE HAD SOME OF THE HOTTEST MONTHS ON RECORD IN TERMS OF WEATHER.

IN TERMS OF HEAT BEING KIND OF THE MAY, JUNE, AND JULY TIMEFRAME, EXPERIENCING AN EXCESS OF 50 DAYS OF NEAR A HUNDRED OR OVER A HUNDRED DEGREE WEATHER.

UM, COMBINE THAT WITH FUEL, UM, BASED ON OUR PROJECTIONS THROUGH SEPTEMBER, UM, ACTUALS, POTENTIALLY THROUGH JUNE, ANOTHER 40 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF 75 MILLION OVER AND ABOVE OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR A TOTAL OF $436 MILLION, SHOWING A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LOOK.

LOOKING AT, UM, THE F Y 22 UPDATE, WHICH IS THAT SECOND BAR FROM THE RIGHT, THE 436 MILLION IS WHAT I JUST PRESENTED AS FAR AS OUR FORECAST.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT HISTORICALLY FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS THROUGH 2017, IN TERMS OF THE CITY PAYMENT, THE CITY PAYMENT FOR THOSE PAST FIVE YEARS WAS PRETTY MUCH IN LINE.

UM, THE ANOMALY IS 2022 BASED ON WHAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT.

WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO THOSE HISTORICAL AVERAGES OR THOSE HISTORICAL REVENUES, UM, WE ARE ABOUT 83 MILLION, FOR EXAMPLE, ABOVE 2021.

SO JUST BY LOOKING AT THIS VISUALLY, THE $436 MILLION IS UNUSUAL AND EXTRAORDINARY IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF, UH, PAYMENT THAT WE RECEIVED AS A RESULT OF OUR 14% FOR 2022.

ALSO WANTED TO SHOW YOU FOR COMPARISON, OUR PROJECTIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 PROPOSED BUDGET WE'RE ESTIMATING $391.8 MILLION THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED, SIMILAR TO WHAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT, UM, DEVELOPING THE 2022 BUDGET LAST SEPTEMBER.

LOOKING AT THOSE SAME FACTORS, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, UH, WEATHER WILL NORMALIZE.

UH, FUEL PRICES WILL REMAIN HIGH, BUT COME DOWN SLIGHTLY, UM, IN DEVELOPING THAT $391.8 MILLION PROPOSED BUDGET.

I THINK THIS NEXT SLIDE, THIS NEXT SLIDE REALLY KIND OF SHOWS WHERE WE EXPERIENCE THE INCREASE IN OUR PAYMENTS.

THIS IS GOING TO SHOW OUR SUMMARY, SUMMER MONTHLY CITY PAYMENT COMPARISON.

THIS IS TAKING A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL AVERAGE.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FIVE YEAR HISTORICAL AVERAGE BY MONTH.

SO THAT FIRST BARS TO LEFT FOR MAY.

THE HISTORICAL AVERAGE FOR MAY, LOOKING AT 20 THE LAST FIVE YEARS FROM 2017 IS $25 MILLION.

COMPARING THAT TO THE AMOUNT THAT WE RECEIVED, THIS MAY DUE TO THE HEAT AND FUEL PRICES, IT INCREASES $8 MILLION TO $33 MILLION, LIKEWISE, JUNE AND JULY.

UH, COMPARATIVELY BASED ON THE HISTORICAL AVERAGE OR A $13 MILLION ABOVE AND BEYOND THE HISTORICAL AVERAGE, AUGUST IS 10 MILLIONS ABOVE THAT AVERAGE, AND WE'RE EXPECTING 9 MILLION FOR SEPTEMBER.

SO ROUGHLY 53 MILLION OF THE SURPLUS THAT WE RECEIVED IS COMING THROUGH MAY THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR BASED ON THE ACTUALS WE RECEIVED AS WELL AS THE FORECAST.

SO I THINK THIS KIND OF REITERATES DUE TO THE HIGH HEAT, HIGH TEMPERATURES, UM, THIS IS TRULY AN ANOMALY IN A SURPLUS AND, UM, WASN'T REALLY INTENDED TO BE A WINDFALL FOR THE CITY IN TERMS OF EXCESS REVENUE.

THIS SLIDE YOU SAW AS PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

KIND OF SWITCHING GEARS RIGHT NOW, UM, FOCUSING ON OUR PROPOSED BUDGET RECOMMENDATION AND PUTTING TOGETHER, UH, THE 50 MILLION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, 5 MILLION OF THAT WOULD GO TO ASSIST OUR ELIGIBLE LOW INCOME RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS IN BEING PLACED INTO THE REAP PROGRAM, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE RESIDENTIAL ENERGY ASSISTANCE PARTNERSHIP.

AND JUST KIND

[00:15:01]

OF FOCUSING ON THAT PROGRAM FOR, FOR A MINUTE OR TWO.

THE, UH, REAP PROGRAM BASICALLY HELPS OUR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE MOST IN NEED, THOSE LOW INCOME RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, AT OR BELOW 125%, BUT MAY ALSO BE A SENIOR, UM, ELDERLY DISABLED.

THEY MAY HAVE SMALL CHILDREN OR THEY MAY ALSO HAVE CRITICAL, UM, EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP RUNNING DURING THE SUMMER, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY STAY HEALTHY.

IT'S FROM A PROGRAM STAND, UH, PROGRAM STANDPOINT.

UM, THIS RE RESULTS IN TWO CREDITS ON A BILL UP TO $400, UM, FOR THE REAP PROGRAM AND A MAXIMUM OF $400 PER YEAR.

THE LAST ITEM I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES AND EXPAND UPON IS THE $45 MILLION THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING AS FAR AS A CREDIT TO ALL C P S ENERGY CUSTOMERS AND THAT ALL C P S ENERGY CUSTOMERS.

I'M TALKING ABOUT RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INSIDE THE CITY AND OUTSIDE THE CITY.

SO HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THE ALLOCATION? UM, WHAT WAS OUR METHODOLOGY? ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONAL PIECES WE LOOKED AT IS WE WANTED TO DETERMINE A WAY THAT FAIRLY CREDITED BACK BASED ON THE WAY IT WAS EARNED, BASED ON THE WAY WE EARNED IT, AND BASED ON THE WAY THE CUSTOMERS PAID IT.

SO, LOOKING AT, AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, MAY, JUNE AND JULY ARE SOME OF OUR HOTTEST MONTHS.

JULY BILL USAGE BEING ONE OF THE HIGHEST UTILIZATIONS, WE'RE GONNA RETURN THIS AND ALLOCATE BASED ON THAT JULY BILL UTILIZATION, WHICH PROVIDES OUR BASIS FOR THE CREDIT AND THE ALLOCATION.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT JULY BILL USAGE AND YOU LOOK AT RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL, THE RESIDENTIAL CREDIT IS GONNA APPROXIMATE, APPROXIMATE ABOUT 26 MILLION, ROUGHLY 55.6% OF THE ENTIRE CREDIT OF $45 MILLION.

AND THE COMMERCIAL CREDIT ROUGHLY ESTIMATES OR APPROXIMATES ABOUT 19 MILLION OR 44, 44 0.4% FOR A TOTAL OF THE 45 MILLION WE WERE, WE WERE PROPOSING THAT THIS CREDIT BE APPLIED TO OUR CUSTOMERS' BILLS IN OCTOBER.

UM, TO DO THAT, WE'D HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION FAIRLY SOON.

WE'D HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE C P S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY PROGRAM THEIR SYSTEMS TO BE, TO BE ABLE TO CREDIT THIS BILL BACK ON THE OCTOBER BILLS AND PREPARE FOR THAT.

AS I MENTIONED, THIS INCLUDES ALL C P S ENERGY ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS, UH, BEING INSIDE THE CITY, OUTSIDE THE CITY RESIDENTIAL, AND AS WELL, UM, OUR COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL GIVING YOU A LITTLE DIFFERENT LOOK IN OR GIVING YOU A DEEPER LOOK INTO THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE PREPARED, UM, THREE TIERS TO KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT THE AVERAGE CREDIT WOULD BE BASED ON THE JULY USAGE IN TERMS OF KILOWATT HOURS.

SO, AS I MENTIONED, THE TOTAL RESIDENTIAL CREDIT'S ABOUT $26 MILLION OR 55.6%.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLS IN THIS RESIDENTIAL CLASS IS 834,000.

UM, THIS WOULD RESULT IN A AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL BILL CREDIT OF $31 FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

SO, JUST WALKING THROUGH THE TABLE REAL QUICK, LOOKING AT, FOR EXAMPLE, STARTING ON THE LEFT WITH THE JULY USAGE IN TERMS OF KILOWATT HOURS, WALKING THROUGH THE RANGES, IF YOU HAVE A MAXIMUM OF A THOUSAND KILOWATT HOUR UTILIZATION, YOUR JULY TOTAL BILL, UM, WOULD ESTIMATE APPROXIMATE $141, YOU GET A MAXIMUM CREDIT OF $19.

THIS REPRESENTS APPROXIMATELY 30 13.4% OF THE BILL FOR JULY.

AND 27.3, UH, PERCENT OF THE BILLS ARE 228,000 CUSTOMERS GOING TO THE NEXT TIER IN INCREMENTS OF A THOUSAND.

UM, IF YOU HAD A USAGE OF A THOUSAND TO 2000, YOU WOULD HAVE A JULY TOTAL BILL RANGE OF 141 TO $285.

THIS RESULT IN A CREDIT RANGE OF 19 TO $38.

AND AGAIN, 13% CREDIT OF THE JULY BILL, OR 42.3% OF THE BILLS REPRESENTING THE MAJORITY, OR 353,000 OF THE RESIDE RESIDENTIAL BILLS.

THE LAST TIER WE AGGREGATED IN TERMS OF, UM, ADDITIONAL 2000 IN TERMS OF RANGE FOR KILOWATT HOURS FROM 2000 TO 4,000, YOUR JULY BILL TOTAL BILL, AS FAR AS A RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY ABOUT $285 TO $574 FROM A MAXIMUM WOULD RESULT IN A CREDIT AT THE LOW END OF $38, AND THE HIGH END OF $76 AS FAR AS A MAXIMUM, AGAIN, 13% OF YOUR JULY BILL AND APPROXIMATELY 232,000 CUSTOMERS.

MOVING ON TO THE COMMERCIAL CLASS, AND I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS FROM A VARIETY OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UH, THE CREDIT HAS A PERCENTAGE.

JULY BILL AMONGST ALL CLASSES IS GONNA APPROXIMATE ABOUT 13% IN THIS CASE, 13.3% FOR THE COMMERCIAL CLASS.

LOOKING AT EACH OF THE VARIETY OF CLASSES, THE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE SMALL COMMERCIAL CLASS APPROXIMATES 85 OR 86,000 BILLS.

BASED ON THOSE BILLS, THEY WOULD RECEIVE AN AVERAGE, HAVE AN AVERAGE BILL OF $849, WOULD HAVE AN AVERAGE CREDIT OF $113.

BASED ON, AS YOU MOVE DOWN THE COMMERCIAL CLASSES, THESE ARE GONNA BE YOUR LARGER USERS FROM LARGE LIGHTING, EXTRA POWER, SUPER LARGE, AND THE LARGE POWER TIME OF USE,

[00:20:01]

UH, GOING TO LARGE LIGHTING, THE NUMBER OF BILLS DROP SUBSTANTIALLY, BUT THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE, UM, HIGHER DEMAND AND HIGHER UTILIZATION HAVE 101,837 BILLS, ROUGHLY AN AVERAGE BILL OF $16,410.

AS THEIR BILL GOES UP, THEIR PERCENTAGE OF THAT BILL IS GONNA GO UP AND THEY'RE GONNA GET LARGER CREDITS.

SO IN THIS CASE, IF YOU GET APPROXIMATELY AN AVERAGE CREDIT OF $2,188, AGAIN, ALL THE WAY 13% ACROSS THE BOARD, AVERAGE CREDIT OF THE JULY BILLS.

AS YOU MOVE TO THE EXTRA LARGE AND SUPER LARGE POWERS, THE NUMBER OF BILLS CONTINUE TO DECREASE.

THE AVERAGE BILLS ARE GONNA GO UP SUBSTANTIALLY BASED ON THEIR USAGE OF POWER, AND THEIR AVERAGE CREDIT IS GONNA INCREASE FROM $17,452 OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BASED ON THE SIZE OF THEIR AVERAGE, UH, BILL IN JULY.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS AT STAFF AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, YOU KNOW, WE CONSIDERED SEVERAL FACTORS.

UM, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, IT WAS NEVER EXPECTED THAT AS A CITY, BASED ON OUR ADOPTED BUDGET THAT WE WOULD EXPERIENCE AT HIGH HEAT, UM, AND ALSO THE, UM, INCREASE IN THE FUEL, FUEL PRICES BASED ON THOSE CHARTS I, UH, SHOWED YOU AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION.

THIS TRULY IS UNUSUAL.

UM, IT'S ONE TIME IN NATURE AND SHOULD BE SPENT ON ONE TIME THINGS.

AND, UM, BASED ON THAT ONE TIME IN NATURE, UH, WE FELT THAT, UM, THIS SHOULD GO BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO SPENT THE MONEY IN JULY AND THE WAY WE COLLECTED IT.

WE ALSO CONSIDER THE CURRENT HIGH INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT, UH, BASED ON EVERYBODY IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES GOING TO THE PUMP.

IT'S COSTING THEM MORE FOR GAS.

IT HAS GONE DOWN A LITTLE BIT AT THE PUMP, BUT STILL HIGHER THE AMOUNT THAT WE PAY FOR GROCERIES AND THE AMOUNT THAT WE PAY ON OUR ELECTRIC BILL.

SO BASED ON THE CURRENT HIGH INFLATION ENVIRONMENT, ALL THOUGHT WAS TO GIVE SOME OF THIS MONEY BACK IN TERMS OF A CREDIT TO ASSIST WITH THAT.

AS I MENTIONED, WE HAD THE HIGH NATURAL GAS PRICES AND EXTREME HEAT IMPACTING ALL C P S ENERGY CUSTOMERS PROVIDING ASSISTANCE FOR LOW INCOME RATE PAYERS TO THE TWO TO $5 MILLION TO THE REAP PROGRAM.

AND THEN ONE OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE CONSIDERED IS REALLY THE BOUNDARIES THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITHIN IN TERMS OF A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.

AND BASED ON THOSE BOUNDARIES AND BASED ON THOSE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, UM, THAT ALL, UH, RATE PAYERS HAVE TO BE TREATED EQUALLY IN UNIFORM.

ONE, TO DETERMINE A WAY THAT WE COULD FAIRLY CREDIT BACK TO ALL THOSE C P S ENERGY CUSTOMERS IN THE SAME WAY IT WAS COLLECTED AND WHAT AND UNIFORM AND EQUALLY TO ALL INSIDE THE COUNTY, UH, OUTSIDE, OUTSIDE THE CITY, BEING THE COUNTY INSIDE THE CITY, AND OUR SUBURBAN, UM, SUBURBAN MUTUALITIES MUNICIPALITIES, AS WELL AS OUR RESIDENTIAL AND OUR COMMERCIAL CONSUMERS.

AND ALSO, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TODAY TO BE IN A CURRENT POSITION.

UM, IF WE'RE NOT IN THAT FI UH, FAVORABLE FINANCIAL POSITION, WE MAY BE, UH, PROVIDING A DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATION, UM, HERE TODAY.

SO, IN SUMMARY, UM, AS I STARTED THE PRESENTATION, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO PROVIDE A CUSTOMER ENERGY CREDIT, UH, $45 MILLION TO ALL C P SS ELECTRIC ENERGY CUSTOMERS.

ALSO PROVIDE THE CONTRIBUTION OF $5 MILLION TO THE REAP PROGRAM TO ASSIST OUR LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS.

AND ALSO WITH THE ADDITION OF THAT $5 MILLION, ALSO REVISE THE GUIDELINES THAT I MENTIONED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY FOR LOW-INCOME CUSTOMERS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THESE FUNDS POTENTIALLY MORE THAN TWICE A YEAR OR ABOVE AND BEYOND THE $400, UH, MAXIMUM, UH, LIMIT.

AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, IN WRAPPING UP, I THINK AT THE COUNCIL MEETING LAST, UM, LAST WEEK, SEVERAL, YOU DISCUSSED THE NEED FOR LOOKING AT A GUIDELINES FOR AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT'D BE SOMETHING ELSE THAT POTENTIALLY WE CAN LOOK AT.

THAT'D BE QUITE COMPLEX.

MAYOR, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO RUDY GARZA TO, UM, FOLLOWING.

THANK YOU TROY.

AND THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR, UH, INVITING US TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONVERSATION TODAY.

UH, I WANNA START OFF BY, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE COVERAGE, UH, ON THIS CONVERSATION OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, 24 HOURS OR SO.

UH, I WANT TO, I WANT TO BEGIN BY ENSURING YOU THAT, UH, ERIC AND I HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THESE FUNDS FROM THE GET-GO.

UH, HE HAS SOUGHT OUR INPUT AND WE'VE GIVEN IT, UH, AS TO, YOU KNOW, THE OPTIONS AND HOW TO, YOU KNOW, PUT TOGETHER A PROGRAM THAT'S MEANINGFUL.

UH, I DO BELIEVE THAT ERIC IS, IS FOCUSED ON IN THE RIGHT SPACE OF CREATING, UH, EQUITY AND, YOU KNOW, GIVING, UH, ALL CUSTOMERS, YOU KNOW, THE SAME BENEFIT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS, THESE DOLLARS WERE, WERE, WERE BROUGHT IN.

SO, UH, THE ALIGNMENT IS THERE, AND I APPRECIATE ERIC GIVING US A CHANCE TO, TO WEIGH IN, UH, AS THE THESE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED.

A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS, UH, THAT HAVE COME OUT.

YOU KNOW, I, I WAS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE LAST COUNCIL SESSION, AND I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS.

ULTIMATELY, THESE ARE CITY REVENUES, UM, THAT, THAT WERE DERIVED

[00:25:01]

FROM C P S ENERGY.

BUT COUNCIL'S IN A, YOU KNOW, IT IS DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW, TO WADE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S RIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF HOW THESE DOLLARS ARE SPENT.

AND I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS THAT, THAT THIS BODY HAS HAS WEIGHED IN ON THIS.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD OUR OWN DIFFICULT CREDIT, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE AFTER, UH, YURI, BUT I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE, WHEN, WHEN, IN TALKING TO ERIC A ABOUT THIS IDEA, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO EXPLAIN TO CUSTOMERS THAT WE'RE GIVING IT BACK, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S GIVING IT BACK THE WAY, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT THE REVENUES WERE DERIVED AND, YOU KNOW, C P S ENERGY ULTIMATELY IN THAT SCENARIO, UH, WOULD BE, WOULD BE THE INSTRUMENT TO DO THAT.

UH, AND, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT, UH, OUR INVOLVEMENT IS, UH, IS APPROPRIATE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO OUR PART TO BE GOOD PARTNERS AS, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT US, UH, TO BE.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS THAT I APPRECIATE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE SPENT SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT ARE THE REGULATORY IMPLICATIONS OF, UH, OF HOW, YOU KNOW, THESE FUNDS ARE DEALT WITH TO ENSURE THAT THE PROTECTION OF CPS ENERGY'S PUBLIC POWER BUSINESS MODEL.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO THINK ABOUT.

YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL CUSTOMERS, YOU KNOW, INSIDE CITY, OUTSIDE THE CITY THAT ARE IN OUR SERVICE TERRITORY, YOU KNOW, FEEL LIKE THEY, YOU KNOW, WERE PART OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, THE BENEFITS OF THESE, OF THESE DOLLARS, UH, ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE BRING ABOUT TO, TO THE COMMUNITY.

UH, AND SO I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT I THINK, UH, IT'S CERTAINLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT OUR, OUR BUSINESS MODEL HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IS PROTECTED.

AND I, I KNOW IT'S EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THE THE REVENUES THAT I'M RESPONSIBLE, UH, TO DELIVERING BACK TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, ARE, ARE, ARE IMPORTANT.

UH, AND I, I TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY.

UH, I THINK THIS IS, UH, AS TROY HAS, HAS EXPLAINED, IS AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR, UH, IN TERMS OF THE, THE VOLATILITY WE'VE SEEN IN THE GAS MARKET, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE BY AND LARGE ARE DRIVING, UH, THESE REVENUES.

UH, BUT, BUT AGAIN, C P SS ENERGY'S HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

UH, WE'RE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, PARTNERS IN WHATEVER THE SOLUTION IS.

UH, AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, TO, TO ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS TODAY.

WHICH IS ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WEATHERIZATION, WE WILL START THE PROCESS OF, UH, OF, UH, CREATING OUR, OUR NEW KIND OF INNOVATION PROGRAMS, UM, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, TROY.

UH, AND THANK YOU RUDY AND C P S FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

UM, BASED ON PRIOR CONVERSATIONS, I THINK AS MUCH, UH, BACK AND FORTH AS THERE HAS BEEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS, ONE THING IS VERY CLEAR AND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO DO THE MOST GOOD, UH, FOR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING AND HAVE BEEN HIT HARD BY HIGH ENERGY COSTS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.

WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH THE MAIL AND THEIR C P S ENERGY BILL, OR THAT'S AT THE PUMP, OR ANY OTHER, UH, OF THE MANY WAYS THAT INFLATION HAS IMPACTED THEM, HOW WE GET THERE.

OF COURSE, UH, WE'LL BE FLESHED OUT BOTH TODAY AND IN THE COMING WEEKS AS WE DIVE INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS.

UH, LET'S ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT IT HAS BEEN, UH, A VERY WARM SUMMER, A SWELTERING SUMMER, AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT OUR ENDEAVORS, BOTH IN SUSTAINABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY, ARE FULLY SUPPORTED BY THE PATH THAT WE CHOOSE TO CREATE, UH, FOR THIS ADDITIONAL C P S REVENUE.

THAT SAID, UH, I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT I SUPPORT CONTINUALLY INVESTING IN RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES WHILE WE'RE RESPECTING THE FACT THAT THE ULTIMATE OWNER OF OUR ENERGY UTILITY IS OUR SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC.

UH, SO ON THAT NOTE, UH, I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.

UM, THE FIRST IS, UH, AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY MOST APPROPRIATE FOR YOU, RUDY.

UM, THE CITY COUNCIL GAVE ITS, UM, THUMBS UP AS WELL AS THIS, UH, C P S ENERGY BOARD TO THE NEW STEP PROGRAM.

UH, JUST, UH, A MONTH OR SO AGO, WHEN DO WE EXPECT THE INITIAL $75 MILLION, UH, THAT THE COUNCIL JUST APPROVED TO BE DEPLETED? SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE AT THE VERY, YOU KNOW, EARLY STAGES OF TRYING TO GET ALL THOSE PROGRAMS TOGETHER.

UM, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE HAD TO PUT ALL OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESSES ON HOLD, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE GOT, YOU KNOW, A, A, A POSITIVE OUTCOME OF, OF THE, OF THE BOARD AND COUNCIL VOTE.

AND THAT WAS NOT AN EASY CONVERSATION.

UH, LAST, UH, BOARD MEETING, UH, WE GOT THE, THE BOARD TO APPROVE OUR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONTRACTS, UH, THAT ALLOW US TO, TO GET THOSE GOING.

UH, THIS BOARD MEETING, WE'RE GONNA ASK OUR BOARD, UH, FOR AN EXTENSION OF OUR EXISTING CONTRACT FOR A YEAR ON OUR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM SO WE CAN KEEP, UH, THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS GOING WHILE WE RESTRUCTURE, UH, THOSE PROGRAMS. RIGHT NOW, IT'S KIND OF A EXTERNAL VENDOR THAT, THAT MARKETS AND ADMINISTERS THE PROGRAM FOR US.

OUR BOARD IS FOCUSED ON TAKING THOSE, UM, UH, SUBCONTRACTORS TO OUR VENDOR AND MAKING THEM PRIME CONTRACTORS TO C P S ENERGY AS A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND, YOU KNOW, JOB CREATION OPPORTUNITY.

SO IT THAT, THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF DOING, AND WE GOT A LOT OF PROCUREMENT WORK TO DO, UH, THERE.

UH, AND, AND ONCE WE GET KIND OF THE BASELINE OF OUR, UM, OF OUR STEP PROGRAM,

[00:30:01]

MAYOR, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I, I WANNA REITERATE TO COUNSEL THAT I HEARD EVERY ONE OF YOU ON THE EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT YOU, UH, WANT C P S ENERGY TO DO IN APPROACHING OUR NEW PROGRAM.

WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BRING IN VENDORS.

WE'RE GONNA BRING IN CUSTOMERS, UH, WE'RE GONNA BRING IN FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED, FOR INSTANCE, IN, UM, IN COMMUNITY SOLAR.

AND WE'RE GONNA ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO HELP US, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UH, PACKAGE SOME OF THESE NEW PROGRAMS SO THAT WE GET IT RIGHT, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN THINK WE KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS WANT.

WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY PUT SOME FOCUS GROUPS TOGETHER AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, CREATING THESE NEW PROGRAMS. SO I AM HOPEFUL THAT THAT WORK, UH, WILL HAPPEN THIS FALL.

AND THAT PROBABLY, UM, IN THE NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME, I'M THINKING WE'LL TALK TO COUNCIL TO CHAIRMAN COURAGE AND MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY COMMITTEE.

BUT I'M HOPEFUL TO GET AN UPDATE, UH, TO THE COUNCIL ONCE WE GET SOME OF THESE INITIAL PROCUREMENT ITEMS THROUGH THE BOARD.

UH, AND THEN WE START THE PRO THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE NEW PROGRAMS TOGETHER.

GREAT.

UM, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RESPECT THE FACT THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PAIN, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAS RESULTED IN THIS SOURCE OF REVENUE, AND WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FACT IN, IN, IN WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TO DO WITH THAT MONEY.

I THINK THERE'S BEEN GREAT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, RESILIENCY AND HELP MAKING SURE THAT WE BAKE THAT INTO OUR PROCESSES GOING FORWARD.

UM, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO RELIEVING THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT, THERE'S ALSO BEEN, UH, IMPORTANT, APPROPRIATE DISCUSSION ABOUT EQUITY AND HOW WE, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS MONEY CAME FROM RATE PAYERS.

HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT IT GOES BACK TO RATE PAYERS, UH, WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, DERIVING THIS, THIS REVENUE? AND, AND AS MUCH AS WE CAN POSSIBLY DO THAT IN AN EQUITABLE MANNER, GIVEN OUR, OUR REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, UH, AND I KNOW THAT CAN BE TRICKY, BUT CAN SOMEONE SPEAK TO HOW WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, ALLOCATE A PORTION OF THIS REVENUE, THE $5 MILLION TO REAP, UM, SO THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CONTRIBUTE, UM, TO A PROGRAM THAT HELPS TARGETED TOWARDS LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS? UM, MAYOR, I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN CHOICE ON THE SIDE OF THE PILLAR, BUT THE REASON WHY, UM, WE RECOMMENDED THE $5 MILLION ALLOCATION OF REAP WAS BECAUSE REAP IS ALREADY AN ESTABLISHED PROGRAM THAT EXISTS, THAT HAS GUIDELINES.

UM, AND, AND WE FELT LIKE, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT PROVIDED THAT BASIS FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION RATHER THAN CREATING NEW PROGRAMS. UM, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STILL OPERATED WITHIN, UH, THAT, THAT FRAMEWORK THAT ALREADY EXISTS.

SO THAT WAS THE BASIS OF THAT RECOMMENDATION.

THEM OR, OR WOULD CHOOSE TO BE PART OF A PROGRAM IN WHICH THEY WERE HELPING THOSE WHO NEEDED IT THE MOST.

WELL, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO ADD TO THAT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, WITH THE GESTURE, IF THIS BODY, UH, ULTIMATELY VOTES TO, TO, TO DO THAT, UH, C P S ENERGY IS ALSO GONNA SET ASIDE SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUES, UH, TO, TO MAKE A DONATION OF OUR OWN, TO REAP, YOU KNOW, I, UH, IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, IN, UH, NEW REVENUES COMING IN TO HELP THOSE MOST IN NEED, UH, HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH, WE'RE GONNA PRESENT AN ITEM TO THE REAP BOARD, UH, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY MADE UP OF MYSELF, YOURSELF AND, UH, JUDGE WOLF, UH, AND, AND ASK FOR, UH, THE ABILITY TO DO AN ADDITIONAL, UH, UH, PAYMENT TO, UH, THOSE ELIGIBLE FOR REAP SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO CUT INTO THOSE PAST DUE BALANCES TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT, EXTENT POSSIBLE.

THAT'D BE KIND OF A ONE TIME EXEMPTION THAT WE'RE GONNA ASK THE REIT BOARD FOR.

BUT WE BELIEVE THAT'LL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS HELPING THOSE WHO ARE STILL BEHIND.

WELL, AND, AND LET'S BE CLEAR THAT THE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE ADDITIONAL BILL PAYMENT, UM, IS NOW SITTING IN THE FORM OF GAS PROFITS THAT WON'T BE RETURNED BACK TO CUSTOMERS.

REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DECIDE TODAY, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT IS PART OF THE 14% INCREMENT THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RECEIVES.

AND I, I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR ANYONE AROUND THIS DIOCESE, BUT WE'VE HAD ENOUGH CONVERSATIONS NOW ABOUT EQUITY AND ABOUT THE, THE HARDEST HIT CUSTOMERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

UH, THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE IN ARREARS, WHO, WHO FRANKLY WITHOUT SOME FORM OF ASSISTANCE, WILL NEVER GET BACK TO PAR.

IF THERE WAS A WAY WITHIN THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK THAT WE COULD PROVIDE TARGETED RELIEF, UH, TO THEM FIRST, WE WOULD DO THAT.

BUT WE ARE WORKING WITHIN AN EXISTING FRAMEWORK.

SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO EXPLORE AND WHAT I, THE, WHAT I THINK WOULD HELP SOLVE THAT ISSUE, UH, 'CAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WHO IF THIS REBATE COMES BACK TO THEM, WE'LL SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T NEED IT AS MUCH AS OUR RESIDENTS.

I DON'T NEED IT AS MUCH AS, YOU KNOW, OTHER FOLKS DO.

WOULD CHOOSE TO GIVE IT, UH, OVER TO

[00:35:01]

IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF PROVIDING AN OPT-OUT FOR THE REBATE SO THAT IT COULD GO INTO A REAP PROGRAM OR SOMETHING SIMILAR? MAYOR, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS YES.

UH, THE, THE LOGISTICS OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN, WE'VE GOTTA WORK THROUGH AND THE TIMING OF IT.

'CAUSE THERE'S, UH, IT'S A FAIRLY MANUAL PROCESS FOR US TO DO THAT.

BUT IN THEORY, THE WAY IT WOULD WORK IS WE'D ISSUE THE CREDIT.

UH, WE WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH THE CUSTOMERS THAT THERE'S AN OPTION TO OPT OUT AND, UH, AND REDIRECT THOSE, THOSE FUNDS TO REAP.

UH, AND THEN WE WOULD GO THROUGH MANUALLY CUSTOMER BY CUSTOMER WHO MAKES THAT DECISION AND, UH, AND MAKE, BASICALLY MAKE THAT DEBIT, UH, OVER TO THE REAP PROGRAM.

SO WE CAN DO IT.

IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME WORK, BUT MY TEAM IS COMMITTED TO FIGURING IT OUT.

WELL, I KNOW I'VE, YOU'VE SOLVED TOUGHER CHALLENGES IN THAT, SO I HAVE FAITH THAT YOU CAN COME TO A, A SOLUTION ON THAT.

SO LET ME JUST SUMMARIZE WHERE, WHERE I AM IN THIS, UM, IN A COUPLE OF WAYS.

UM, WE'RE A BODY OF 11 PEOPLE.

I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY 20 IDEAS ON, ON THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE AT THIS POINT.

UM, WHERE I START ON THIS IS THAT THIS WAS A WINDFALL DERIVED FROM EXTREMELY HIGH ENERGY COSTS THAT WERE BORN ONTO THE RATE PAYERS OR RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO.

THEY NEED TO BE CONSIDERED BECAUSE IT'S THEIR MONEY, UH, IN WHAT WE DO WITH THAT REVENUE.

UH, THAT'S WHY I HAVE SUPPORTED THIS REBATE.

MY PROBLEMS, UH, MY CHALLENGES WITH THE REBATE THOUGH, OF COURSE, ARE THAT IT'S REALLY NOT TARGETED TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THAT ASSISTANCE THE MOST.

SO IF WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, RUDY, I THINK THAT THAT WILL HELP WITH THAT SITUATION BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS OUT THERE WHO FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THIS.

THE OTHER ISSUE, UH, THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL FOLKS HAVE SPOKEN, UM, VERY ELOQUENTLY ABOUT, IS THE FACT THAT THIS IS NOT FROM A WEATHER STANDPOINT, FROM A CLIMATE STANDPOINT, THIS IS NOT AN ANOMALY.

WE HAVE TO EXPECT THESE KINDS OF WEATHER EVENTS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY RESULT IN THE HIGH GAS PRICES, ET CETERA, WE DON'T KNOW.

BUT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN JUST FORGET ABOUT IN A COUPLE YEARS, AND IT'S GONE IN DISTANT MEMORY.

SO HOW DO WE PROGRAM OURSELVES TO DEAL WITH ISSUES OF RESILIENCY IN A BETTER, MORE COMPREHENSIVE WAY THAN WE'VE DONE BEFORE? I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK TO COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL'S PROPOSAL, THAT'S FOR ANOTHER DAY.

UM, BUT THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT HAVING AN ONGOING DEDICATED SOURCE OF REVENUE.

IF WE ARE IN A CLIMATE EMERGENCY, AS FOLKS HAVE SAID, AND AS I HAVE SAID, THEN WE NEED TO CONSIDER IT PART OF THE OPERATIONS THAT WE DEAL WITH, THAT ONE TIME SOURCES OF REVENUE ARE NOT GONNA SOLVE OUR CHALLENGE.

SO, UM, ANYWAY, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.

UM, AND LET ME, UH, LET ME START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER.

BRAVO.

I HOPE EVERYONE CAN HEAR ME.

UM, I'M GLAD WE HAVE THIS AS OUR FIRST CONVERSATION.

UM, IS THERE ANY WAY WE, IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A CREDIT, SOME SORT OF FORWARD OF SOME SORT OF CREDIT, CAN IT BE DONE IN DECEMBER INSTEAD OF OCTOBER IF WE PUSH IT DOWN THE LINE? UH, YES MA'AM.

UH, YES MA'AM.

THAT WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR HOT DAYS AND WE NEED TO PRE PREPARE FOR FREEZING WINTERS.

SO THERE'S NO REASON WE HAVE TO DO IT IN OCTOBER? NO, THE, UM, SEPTEMBER DATE, SEPTEMBER 1ST DATE I GAVE COUNSEL LAST WEEK WAS BECAUSE OF THE OCTOBER PROPOSED CREDIT DATE.

OH, OKAY.

I THINK, I THINK DECEMBER WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME IF, IF WE DO DECIDE TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION.

UH, HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS.

UH, THIS IS THE BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, NOT THE BUDGET FOR THE RATE PAYERS OF THE, OF C P S ENERGY.

UM, THE OTHER THING IS, WHILE 26 MILLION WILL BE GOING TO HOUSEHOLDS, THE 19 MILLION THAT WILL BE GOING TO COMMERCIAL AND THE BUSINESS CLASS, I'M, I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, BECAUSE AS A CITY WHERE WE PRIORITIZE LIVING WAGES AND EQUITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I SEE AT LEAST 40 BUSINESSES GETTING OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.

BUT YET WE DON'T KNOW WHO THOSE BUSINESSES ARE.

IF THEY'D RATHER, IF THEY WOULD SELF-IDENTIFY AS WHO THEY ARE GETTING THAT, BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND IF THEY PROVIDE LIVABLE WAGES AND IF THEY, IF THEY BELIEVE IN EQUITY AND, UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THEIR DIVERSITY INCLUSION 'CAUSE THOSE ARE OUR PRIORITIES, AND WE HAVE A BUDGET.

UH, AND WHILE THIS IS A WINDFALL, I DO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN BRAVO IN THAT WE NEEDED TO PREDICT OR FORECAST BETTER.

UM, AND WE DON'T NEED TO GO INTO WHY THE SHORTFALL WAS 75.1 MILLION, BUT, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND

[00:40:01]

AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? UM, C P S DID, C P S ENERGY DID WHAT C P S ENERGY, UH, WAS CREATED TO DO, WHICH IS THEY PARTICIPATED IN THIS TEXAS MARKET THAT'S UNREGULATED, AND WE MADE QUITE A BIT OF MONEY, UH, UH, AND THIS, AND SAN ANTONIO BENEFITED FROM THAT.

UM, SO I AM, I AM VERY INTERESTED IN COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL AND COUNCIL, UH, MAN BRAVO'S PROPOSALS.

UM, AGAIN, I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE OTHER IDEAS.

I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET AS A WHOLE FIRST, UH, BEFORE WE TAKE THIS OUT TO THE CITIZENS AND TELL THEM, BECAUSE I KNOW IF YOU TOLD MY CITIZENS, YOU CAN EITHER GET A $29 BECAUSE MY RESIDENTS WILL ONLY GET MAX $29, NOT THE 31.

AND THAT, AND THAT'LL PROBABLY PAY FOR THEIR SOLID WASTE FEES, ENVIRONMENTAL FEES THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR, FOR OTHER, OTHER THINGS.

SO IF I TELL MY, MY DISTRICT RESIDENTS THAT YOU CAN EITHER GET A $29 RATE, UH, A REBATE FROM SAS, OR YOU CAN GET ANOTHER A C S OFFICER, THAT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER CONVERSATION.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO GET OUT TO OUR BUDGET SURVEYS BEFORE WE MAKE THIS, UH, OUR, OUR BUDGET TOWN HALLS BEFORE WE MAKE THIS DECISION.

I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET, UH, AND HAVE THE DEPARTMENTS PRESENT BEFORE WE MAKE THIS DECISION.

AND I DO NOT SEE THAT THERE'S ANY RUSH WHERE WE HAVE TO DO THIS NOW IF WE CAN GIVE THEM THEIR REBATE IN DECEMBER.

UM, SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.

I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM MY, UH, COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.

AND AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, UH, I'VE GOT OVER 2000 CUSTOMERS ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTION.

MY MY PRIORITY IS TRYING TO HELP THEM, AND I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE CREW TEAM AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM, AND I HOPE, RUDY, THAT WITH WHATEVER PROFITS YOU MADE FROM THIS, THAT YOU ARE COMPENSATING THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES OUT THERE TRYING TO GET OUR RESIDENTS ON PAYMENT PLANS AND TRYING TO GET THEM HELP.

SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.

COUNCIL MEMBER IRAN.

COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.

SOME OTHER PEOPLE, HOW, HOW CAN WE STAND OUT? AND SO WITH THIS PROPOSAL, WE CAN STAND OUT AND WE CAN SHOW WE'RE DOING THE WORK.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I UNDERST WHEN I GOT THE NEWS THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE A SURPLUS OF AN ADDITIONAL 50 MILLION THAT WAS NOT ALREADY ALLOCATED INTO THE, THE BUDGET PROPOSAL, THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT IS, HOW DO WE HELP SAVE PEOPLE MONEY BASED ON THIS? AND THE OTHER THING I THINK ABOUT IS HOW DO WE IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY LONG TERM? AND I'VE ACTUALLY STARTED MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THEIR VISION FOR THEIR CITY IS, WHAT IS THEIR VISION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR CITY? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE MATTERS.

YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE, IF, IF OUR KIDS GROW UP AND GO OFF TO COLLEGE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING IN OUR CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WANT TO MOVE BACK HERE? WHAT KIND OF QUALITY OF LIFE ARE WE OFFERING? WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING? YOU KNOW, WE'RE AFTER THE PANDEMIC.

IT'S ALSO A NEW NORMAL, RIGHT? WHERE PEOPLE CAN WORK REMOTELY AND OR, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE YOUNG AND TALENTED AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO WORK ANYWHERE THEY WANT IN THE WORLD.

AND SO WHY ARE THEY CHOOSING SAN ANTONIO? WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE A WORLD-CLASS CITY THAT'S GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE WITH A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE? AND ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS I HAD WAS WITH JENNA CETO WITH, UH, GREATER S A T X, WHICH USED TO BE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION HERE FOR SAN ANTONIO.

AND SHE SAID, IF WE INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE AND OUR PLACE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SECURE TOP QUALITY JOBS.

AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MY ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL THAT I'VE PUT FORWARD REALLY INVEST IN OUR PLACE LONG TERM.

UM, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME, THERE'VE BEEN SOME GREAT IDEAS THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER, UH, THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE PUT FORWARD.

COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL PUT TOGETHER AN IDEA.

AND I, WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT HER PROPOSAL WAS THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JUST PASSED THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.

THAT'S $700 BILLION.

AND WHAT IS GONNA MAKE US COMPETITIVE TO GO AFTER A LOT OF THOSE FUNDS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH RESILIENCY, THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

AND, AND ONE IS ONE THING WHAT YOU KNOW AND ACT, I'VE ACTUALLY, OVER THE WEEKEND, I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND I WAS TOLD THAT ONE THING THAT MAKES US COMPETITIVE IS SHOWING THAT WE'RE DOING THE WORK OURSELVES AND SHOWING THAT WE'RE GOING IN, THAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT

[00:45:01]

UM, BUT IT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ALSO WERE GONNA NEED IS WE'RE GONNA NEED MATCHING FUNDS.

AND THESE FUNDS CAN BE USED TO LEVERAGE AS MATCHING FUNDS FOR THOSE GRANTS THAT WE CAN GO AFTER FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

SO I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, INVESTING THESE DOLLARS IN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT I, I HEAR FROM PEOPLE ABOUT WANTING THEIR SIDEWALKS REPLACED.

I HEAR FROM THEM ABOUT NOT HAVING SIDEWALKS AND WANTING SIDEWALKS.

I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE THIS MORNING FROM A WOMAN IN MY DISTRICT WHO, UH, WANTS TO KNOW WHEN HER STREETS ARE GONNA BE REPAIRED AND, AND I HEAR YOU.

UM, BUT WE JUST PASSED A $1.2 BILLION INFRASTRUCTURE BOND.

AND THOSE PROJECTS WERE THE PRIORITY PROJECTS, RIGHT? SO THE CITY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE, WE, UH, WE APPOINTED CITIZENS TO DIFFERENT COMMITTEES, AND THEY LOOKED AT EACH OF THESE PROJECTS AND THEY MADE CHANGES TO 'EM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY'S PRIORITY PROJECTS WERE WHAT WE WERE PUTTING FORWARD.

SO IF WE WERE TO GO AND SPEND 50 MILLION NOW ON ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WE'RE GONNA JUMP THE LINE.

WE'RE GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THOSE ONE, THAT 1.2 BILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT THE COMMUNITY SAID, WERE PRIORITIES.

WE'RE GONNA PUT OTHER PROJECTS IN FRONT OF THOSE AND WE'RE GONNA PUSH SOME OF THOSE BACK.

WE'RE GONNA DELAY THEM, AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WITH INFLATION, THOSE PROJECTS ARE GONNA SHRINK BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THESE PROJECTS NOW.

AND I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO JUMP THE LINE.

FURTHERMORE, I REALLY WANT TO SEE, I MEAN, THE REASON THE MAYOR SAID MENTIONED NATURAL GAS PRICES, YES, NATURAL GAS, GAS PRICES ARE TWICE WHAT THEY WERE LAST YEAR.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY PEOPLE'S ENERGY BILLS HAVE BEEN SO HIGH.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR JUNE BILL AND THEIR JUNE BILL, IF YOU LOOK AT BILLS WERE UP EXACTLY 50% OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND 41% OF THAT PRICE INCREASE, THAT COST INCREASE OF THAT BILL WAS BECAUSE NATURAL GAS PRICES WERE TWICE AS HIGH, BUT EVEN MORE, 49% WAS BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE USING MORE ENERGY.

AND SO, AGAIN, I, I DISAGREE WITH TROY.

I I DISAGREE WITH, WITH OUR CITY MANAGER RESPECTFULLY, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT AN ANOMALY.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS.

IT MIGHT NOT BE QUITE AS BAD NEXT YEAR, IT MIGHT BE MUCH WORSE, BUT WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE OF THIS.

AND I WOULD BE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THESE FUNDS IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE FACT THAT WE HAD SUCH A SEVERE SUMMER.

AND WE SHOULD INVEST THESE TO PROTECT, UH, B C P SS ENERGY CUSTOMERS FROM HIGH BILLS AND TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.

CAN I ASK YOU ALL TO BRING UP THE, UH, THE POSTER ON HEAT? CAN WE QUEUE UP THAT I HAD SUBMITTED? YOU DON'T HAVE IT.

AND SO IF THE NEXT RATE IS THAT RIGHT, RUDY? OH THREE, I'M SORRY, I APOLOGIZE.

WELL, I'M GONNA READ IT.

DOES THE, EVERY, EVERY, UH, SAN CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, EMPLOYEE GOT THIS EMAIL THIS MORNING.

IT SAYS, KEEP COOL AND STAY HYDRATED.

SPOT THE SIGNS OF HEAT STRESS, HEAT STROKE, INABILITY TO THINK, LACK OF SWEAT PASSING OUT, CALL 9 1 9 1 1 IMMEDIATELY.

THESE ARE ALL THE SIGNS OF HEAT STROKE AND HEAT EXHAUSTION.

THIS, THIS IS WHAT OUR CITY IS MESSAGING TO US TODAY, AND THIS IS THE NEW NORMAL FOR OUR SUMMERS, AND WE REALLY NEED TO PROTECT, UM, C P SS ENERGY CUSTOMERS FROM EXTREME WEATHER.

AND, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M PROPOSING.

UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THIS GO BACK TO RATE PAYERS? IF WE HELP THE, IF WE HELP LOW INCOME RATE, UM, RATE PAYERS WITH WEATHERIZATION, THAT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT WE, OUR PEAK ENERGY DEMAND FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THAT THEN ALLOWS US TO GO SELL MORE ENERGY ON THE, ON THE TEXAS GRID, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN VIRON WAS TALKING ABOUT.

IF WE DO THAT, WE CAN PROFIT OFF OF HIGH PRICES.

AND IF WE DO THAT, THAT MEANS IT'S LESS LIKELY THAT C P SS ENERGY IS GONNA COME BACK TO US AND ASK FOR ANOTHER RATE INCREASE.

AND SO EVERYBODY SAVES, RIGHT? BECAUSE C P S ENERGY TOLD US WHEN WE APPROVED THE LAST RATE INCREASE, THEY DIDN'T SAY, THIS IS JUST ONE RATE INCREASE THAT WE'RE COMING TO YOU WITH.

THEY SAID, WE'RE COMING TO YOU WITH FOUR RATE INCREASES OVER TWO YEARS.

RIGHT?

[00:50:01]

THREE RATE INCREASES OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

SO WE'VE DONE 1 6 0 6, SORRY.

ANYWAY, MY NUMBERS AREN'T RIGHT, BUT THEY DID SAY THAT THEY'RE COMING TO US WITH THREE RATE INCREASES.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE NEXT RATE INCREASE WAS GONNA BE FOR $3 AND WE PREVENT THEM FROM DOING THAT, THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN SAVE EVERYBODY $3 A MONTH GOING FORWARD.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH EACH, THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL RATE PAYER IS GONNA GET, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHEST THAT ANY OF ANY COUNCIL DISTRICT, 'CAUSE WE SAW THE BREAKDOWN IS, IS I THINK COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE, THE $34 IN THEIR FIRST YEAR, IF WE, IF WE CAN AVOID A $3 RATE INCREASE IN THEIR FIRST YEAR, THEY WILL SAVE MORE THAN THAT $34 AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO SAVE EVERY YEAR GOING FORWARD.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD AVOID JUST WHEN WE, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY, HOW DO THEY BENEFIT FROM THIS? WE SHOULD AVOID INSTANT GRATIFICATION BY GIVING A ONE-TIME REBATE ON ONE BILL AND THINK ABOUT LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS THAT MOVE THE NEEDLE ON ADDRESSING A PROBLEM THAT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY SHARES.

MONEY FOR BOND PROJECTS, THE REALITY IS THAT WE PROBABLY ARE, UH, GOING TO BE OVER, I'M SORRY, UNDER BUDGET.

COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.

COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

AND, UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, C P S ENERGY BEING HERE TODAY.

I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD START OFF WITH QUESTIONS TO THEM.

AND, UM, RUDY, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE, WE'RE GONNA MAKE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT, IT SOUNDS LIKE IN THE REPROGRAM YOURSELVES.

WHAT IS THAT, UH, OVERAGE THAT YOU'RE PROJECTED TO MAKE? WHAT IS YOUR SURPLUS? WELL, SO RE REMEMBER, OUR BUDGET YEAR GOES FROM FEB ONE TO JANUARY 31, AND WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR BUDGET YEAR.

40% OF OUR REVENUES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS ARE DERIVED FROM THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, SO YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, LOWER REVENUES IN THE SHOULDER MONTHS, YOU KNOW, MORE REVENUES IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ACTUALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR WHOLESALE REVENUES VERSUS OUR RETAIL REVENUES, WE'RE KIND OF ON TARGET.

YOU KNOW, C P S ENERGY DOESN'T MAKE PROFIT.

WE PAY FOR OUR OPERATIONS, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO S TO RETURN.

UM, SO, UH, SO YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, OUT OF THE $240 MILLION OR SO THAT WE'VE BROUGHT IN ABOVE PROJECTIONS, UH, 200 MILLION OF THAT IS FUEL.

SO RIGHT NOW IT'S ABOUT $40 MILLION.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I GOTTA, YOU KNOW, OUR PLANTS, IT'S BEEN A TOUGH SUMMER RUN SEASON FOR OUR POWER PLANTS.

WE'VE HAD ISSUES HERE AND THERE JUST FROM THE EXTREME HEAT, UH, AND, AND MECHANICAL ISSUES THAT POP UP WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING YOUR POWER PLANTS MORE THAN YOU'RE ANTICIPATING.

SO I'VE GOTTA TAKE SOME OF THESE REVENUES AND INVEST THEM IN THE, IN THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CAN START WORKING ON 'EM AGAIN, UH, TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE READY FOR THE WINTER.

SO PROBABLY THE LAST QUARTER OF THE YEAR, WHICH FOR US IS, YOU KNOW, JANUARY, DECEMBER, NOVEMBER, PROBABLY IN OCTOBER, WE'LL KIND OF HAVE A BETTER HANDLE OF WHERE WE ARE ON A ANNUAL ANNUALIZED BASIS.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABOUT $40 MILLION UP ON, ON, UH, REV RETAIL REVENUES.

BUT WE'RE DOWN ON THE WHOLESALE SIDE BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'VE HAD, WE HAVE, WE HAVE HAD SOME PLANT AVAILABILITY ISSUES AS WE'VE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WORKED THROUGH THE SUMMER.

AND THEN REMIND ME, HOW MUCH DID YOU SAY YOU WERE GONNA INVEST IN REAP? DID YOU GIVE AN AMOUNT YET? YEAH, I MEAN, OUR, OUR GOAL IS A MILLION, YOU KNOW, IS A MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT FOR US.

WE DI WE TYPICALLY, UH, UH, MAKE A, A $1 MILLION DONATION TO REAP EVERY YEAR.

UH, AND SO WE'D BE DOUBLING YOU OUR ANNUAL INVESTMENT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND AGAIN, WE'LL, I'LL TALK TO THE TEAM IF, IF, IF WE CAN DO MORE, UH, THEN WE'LL TRY TO DO SOME MORE.

THANK YOU, RUDY.

AND, UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL SENT OVER THE, UM, ANTICIPATED BILL CREDIT PER COUNCIL DISTRICT, MY RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT FOUR, IT LOOKS LIKE WOULD GET THE SECOND HIGHEST BENEFIT.

SO THAT WOULD BE ON AVERAGE, UH, $32 A BILL.

AND SO FOR, FROM MY RESIDENTS, THAT'S IMPORTANT.

AND I'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM MY RESIDENTS THAT THEY WANT THAT MONEY BACK.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO DELAY, UH, GRATIFICATION AND, AND NOT LOOK AT INSTANT GRATIFICATION, BUT MY RESIDENTS ARE JUST A FEW SHORT DOLLARS AWAY SOMETIMES FROM BECOMING HOMELESS OR FROM LOSING THE ABILITY TO, TO PAY FOR UTILITIES, ET CETERA.

SO I'M REALLY TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS THAT, THAT WE COULD LOOK AT, UH, LEVERAGING SPECIFICALLY, BUT I HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF MY RESIDENTS WHO ON AVERAGE, UM, MAKE $18,500.

AND SO A LOT DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCIL DISTRICT'S, UH, INCOMES.

AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON.

I DO THINK THAT, UM, WE WILL NEED SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR, UH, FOR PROJECTS BASED ON INFLATION ALONE.

SO EVEN, UH, AS YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO WEATHERIZE YOUR, YOUR AREA, RIGHT? SO, UM, FOR POSSIBLE, UH, OR FOR, WE KNOW FOR, FOR THE UPCOMING WINTERS, ET CETERA, UH, WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE INVESTING A LITTLE BIT MORE IN INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND I DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.

UM, AS WE'RE THINKING THAT WE DON'T NEED ADDITIONAL

[00:55:01]

SO, UM, SO I, I DON'T WANNA LOSE FOCUS ON THAT, AND IT'S, I JUST WANTED TO, TO REMIND YOU ALL AS WELL AS YOU THOUGHT OF THAT, I DO NOT KNOW, UM, THAT WE ARE EQUIPPED AND I THINK THAT THE CONVERSATION HAS TO BE HAD ABOUT A POLICY ABOUT WHEN THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, IS IT WE TAKE A PERCENTAGE OF THE FUNDS AND WE INVEST IT IN THE TOP THREE THINGS THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAYING THAT YEAR.

IS THAT A POLICY THAT THE COUNCIL DIRECTS AND SAYS, IF AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS, AGAIN, WE ALREADY HAVE A GAME PLAN TO SPEND THIS ADDITIONAL SURPLUS BUDGET.

WE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR THIS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN.

I HAD ALWAYS, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A PLAN B, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, WHILE I'M READY TO SUPPORT ERIC'S DECISION ON GIVING THIS BACK AND THE CREDIT TO THE RESIDENTS, UM, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FOCUSED ALSO ON THOSE TOP THREE NEEDS.

AND MY RESIDENT SAID A PART OF IT WAS INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THAT'S WHY I WORKED WITH, UM, COUNCILMAN PERION.

IF THIS DOESN'T, LET'S THINK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

BUT I ALSO DO THINK THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BENEFIT AND MAYBE WORK TOGETHER WITH YOU ALL SPECIFICALLY WITH WHAT HAPPENED TODAY, UM, AND, AND THE BENEFITS THAT, UM, THE, THE, THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS, LITERALLY LESS THAN AN HOUR, UM, GIVEN US, RIGHT? AFFORDED US.

SO JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

BUT AGAIN, UM, AND I, I'D LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION WITH THE, UH, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT TIME AND HAVING THAT PLAN BE SO THAT WE'RE NOT STUCK IN THIS POSITION AGAIN.

BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.

UM, RUDY, SO THANK YOU.

I, I APPRECIATE IT.

I DO ALSO THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER RESILIENCY HUBS IN THIS.

WE, UM, DON'T NECESSARILY THINK ABOUT RESILIENCY IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE EITHER, BUT RESILIENCY HUBS, HOW WE CAN MAYBE INCORPORATE THAT AS, AS WE KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE MORE DAYS OF A HUNDRED DEGREE PLUS BY 2050, ET CETERA.

SO THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW, MAYOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.

AND IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT, I THINK, FOR ALL OF US TO HEAR THE DIFFERENT SUGGESTIONS OR THOUGHTS THAT WE'RE HAVING ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

I WANT TO THANK, UM, RUDY FOR, UH, ONE OF THE QUOTES HE GAVE.

ULTIMATELY, THESE ARE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO REVENUES.

DO WE REALLY WANNA GIVE CITY REVENUES TO, UH, INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THE COUNTY? AND THAT'S WHAT THE PROPOSAL WE HAVE BEFORE US RIGHT NOW.

NOW WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ROUGHLY 70 MILLION, BUT I WANT TO KNOW, AND RUDY, MAYBE YOU CAN TELL US THIS, UH, COULD BE A LITTLE, UH, DIFFERENT BECAUSE AUGUST RIGHT NOW IS A LITTLE COOLER THAN IT'S BEEN.

AND MAYBE SEPTEMBER MIGHT BE, COULD THAT REVENUE BE LESS THAN 70 MILLION OR EVEN MORE THAN 70 MILLION? COUNCILMAN? WE'RE, WE'RE MONITORING THAT CLOSELY AS PART OF OUR ASSUMPTIONS.

WE ARE BEING MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE, YOU KNOW, AS WE ALWAYS ARE.

AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.

WE HAVE TWO MONTHS TO GO.

COULD IT BE A LITTLE LESS? IT COULD BE, BUT UM, I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, RIGHT? OKAY.

NOW, LET ME ASK YOU THIS, TROY, LAST YEAR WE MADE $11 MILLION MORE, UH, THAN WE HAD PROJECTED IN OUR BUDGET, I BELIEVE.

UH, AND HOW WAS THAT SPENT? THAT WAS SPENT BY A DECISION OF THE COUNCIL, RIGHT? 11 MILLION.

YES, SIR.

DID THAT, UH, TRIGGER SOME KIND OF RATE ISSUE BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL SPENT THAT $11 MILLION AND UH, IT WAS MONEY THAT CAME FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVED OUTSIDE THE CITY? NO, SIR.

TO ADMIT PEOPLE WANT OR VALUE MONEY MUCH MORE THAN, THAN THEY DO IN OCTOBER OR MARCH, OR JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR.

BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT'S A CONCERN THAT IF WE DO SOMETHING WITH THIS MONEY, WE NEED TO DO IT FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN BEXAR COUNTY AND BUSINESSES THAT EXIST.

UH, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE NEED TO DO THAT BECAUSE THIS IS CITY MONEY AND WE DECIDE HOW WE CAN BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS AND THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO BY USING THIS MONEY.

UM, SO I DON'T THINK HOW WE GIVE THIS, UH, REVENUE SHOULD BE A RATE ISSUE, PARTICULARLY IF WE DON'T JUST GIVE IT BACK THROUGH C P S, THEN, THEN MAYBE IT COULD BE A RATE ISSUE.

BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE HAVING C P S GIVE MONEY, UH, AND IF WE ONLY LIMITED IT TO PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO, I COULD SEE WHERE IT MIGHT BE A RATE ISSUE.

BUT WHAT IF THE CITY GIVES IT BACK DIRECTLY OUTSIDE OF C P S? SO WE'RE SIMPLY GIVING BACK OUR REVENUE TO OUR CITIZENS.

AND WHAT IF WE DID IT IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER, RIGHT BEFORE THE HOLIDAY SEASON, WHEN YOU HAVE

[01:00:01]

NOW, GRANTED, IF WE ISSUED THOSE, THOSE FUNDS TO PEOPLE, UH, AND LET'S SAY MY PROPOSAL IS $75 TO EVERYBODY IN THE CITY WHO PAYS A, WHO HAS PAID A C P S BILL, IF WE DO THAT, THERE'S GONNA BE A COST TO US.

MIGHT COST US A MILLION DOLLARS TO SEND OUT CHECKS TO 570,000 PEOPLE.

BUT STILL THAT MONEY GOES TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A CITY WHO NEED IT AND CAN USE IT.

AND AT A PRETTY USEFUL PART, UH, OF THE YEAR.

UM, NOW PART OF MY, MY ESTIMATE WAS WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND GIVE CITY RESIDENTS $75.

AND THAT WOULD COME TO, WITH ABOUT 570,000 RESIDENTS THAT PAY INTO C P S, UH, ABOUT 42 MILLION.

LITTLE MORE THAN THAT, THAT WOULD STILL LEAVE SEVEN OR 8 MILLION THAT COULD GO INTO REAP AND IT COULD BENEFIT THE REAP PROGRAM OR COULD GO INTO THE, UH, TO THE, UH, C P SS PROGRAM ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND HELP MORE HOMES BE MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT IN THE FUTURE.

UH, BUT I REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM GIVING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BACK TO 40 BUSINESSES, OR 17,000 PLUS BACK TO 130 BUSINESSES, OR NEARLY $2,200 BACK TO ALMOST 2000 BUSINESSES.

AND IN SOME CASES, $19 TO SOMEBODY OR $34 TO SOMEBODY ELSE.

WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE BUSINESSES ARE IN BUSINESS TO DO BUSINESS, TO MAKE MONEY, AND ALL OF THEIR EXPENSES ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE, BUT THE INDIVIDUAL WHO GETS THE MONEY BACK BECAUSE THEY'RE A RESIDENT OF THE CITY, IT'S NOT A TAX SITUATION FOR THEM.

IT COULD BE A MATTER OF PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE OR BUYING A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

SO I THINK THE VALUE OF THAT MONEY TO OUR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS IS MUCH GREATER THAN THE VALUE TO THAT MONEY OF THAT MONEY TO OTHER RESIDENTS.

BUT IF WE DO END UP HAVING, UH, SOME MONEY LEFT OVER SEVEN OR $8 MILLION, AND WE PUT THAT INTO THE REAP PROGRAM, I UNDERSTAND THE REAP PROGRAM HELPS ANYBODY IN THE COUNTY.

IT'S NOT JUST CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

SO INDEED OTHERS OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY WHO HAVE THE GREATEST NEED WOULD GET A BENEFIT FROM SOME OF THAT FUNDING.

BUT IT WOULD BE BECAUSE THE CITY PAYS IT TO REAP AND NOT BECAUSE C P S RECONFIGURES HOW IT BILLS PEOPLE.

AND SO IT SHOULDN'T BE A RATE ISSUE.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT IS THE MOST VALUE TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.

AND YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO $20, $25, $30, IT COULD MEAN A LOT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN A, A TOUGH SITUATION.

BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD SAY, OH, I DON'T WANT $75.

AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD WASTE IT.

I THINK ALMOST ANYBODY IN OUR CITY WOULD, WOULD FEEL THAT'S A, A VALUABLE RETURN TO ME IN A DIFFICULT PERIOD OF TIME THAT THEY'RE ALL FACING.

WE CAN'T REDUCE THEIR ENERGY COSTS.

EVEN IF WE DE DEDUCTED 13% OR $34 FROM OCTOBER'S, BILL DOESN'T MAKE UP FOR ALL THE OTHER MONTHS.

BUT WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS WE COULD TAKE $50 MILLION AND LOOK AT HOW WE CAN RETURN IT TO PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT THEY'LL GET A BENEFIT FROM IT THAT IS OF VALUE TO THEM.

AND AND WHY ARE WE ONLY TALKING ABOUT 50 MILLION MR. CITY MANAGER? WE'RE MAKING $75 MILLION BY YOUR ESTIMATE.

SO WHY AREN'T WE SAYING LET'S RETURN 70 MILLION? WHY IS IT ONLY 50? UH, AND AND COULD WE BE GIVING EVERYBODY A HUNDRED DOLLARS COME NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, WHO'S A RESIDENT AND PAYS A, A UTILITY BILL IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO? SO BASICALLY, I'M, I'M JUST SAYING I THINK THESE NEED TO BE CONSIDERED A LITTLE BIT MORE AND WE NEED MORE TIME TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS AND LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE DILIGENTLY AT, AT ALL OF THE, UH, POSSIBILITIES.

THAT WE ARE TWO, THREE, MAYBE 4% OVER BUDGET, AND THAT HELPS US ADHERE TO THE FINANCIAL POLICY THAT THIS COUNCIL'S HAD FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS TO MAINTAIN A TWO YEAR BALANCED BUDGET.

COUNCIL, LET ME JUST, UH, RESPOND TO A COUPLE OF THE POINTS YOU MADE JUST FOR CONTEXT.

'CAUSE I KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG CONVERSATION THAT MAY GO BEYOND TODAY'S, UH, MEETING.

UM, YOU KNOW, THAT OUR, UH, C P S REVENUE IS, UH, ONE OF THE MOST ERRATIC REVENUE SOURCES, UH, OR MAJOR CATEGORIES.

AND SO, UM, WE ARE CAREFUL ON HOW WE BUDGET AND, AND WE BUDGET WITH THE ANTICIPATION AND THE HOPE THAT AS WE DO THAT,

[01:05:01]

THAT THAT EFFORT.

UH, SO WHEN WE COMPARE TO PREVIOUS YEARS, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY OTHER YEAR EVER WHERE WE ARE 21% OVER BUDGET.

SO THAT'S WHAT DISTINGUISHES THIS YEAR FROM PREVIOUS YEARS GENERALLY, THAT, THAT THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, THOSE OVERAGES ON C P S, AGAIN, THE POLICY IS, UM, THAT AT THE CITY IS THAT WE UTILIZE THAT INVESTMENT IN ONE TIME SOURCES SO THAT WE'RE NOT BUILDING, WE'RE NOT USING THOSE, THOSE, UH, UH, PEAKS TO PAY FOR POLICE OFFICERS OR PUBLIC WORKS IN THAT RECURRING OPERATING EXPENSE.

SO, UM, AND THAT'S WHY LAST WEEK, I DO THINK, AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT, AND I THINK COUNCILMAN ROACH GARCIA MENTIONED IT, THERE DOES NEED TO BE SOME SORT OF POLICY LEVEL SETTING FOR US AT SOME POINT TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT AND PROVIDE SOME SORT OF ROADMAP.

AGAIN, WE ARE BETTING WE'RE TWO, THREE 4% ABOVE.

UM, WE'RE NOT BETTING, UM, THAT WE'RE 15, 16, 20 1% ABOVE.

UM, SECONDLY, UM, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, AND, AND TROY AND RUDY MENTIONED THE, THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT THAT C P SS OPERATES IN, UM, AND, AND THE RATE MAKING AUTHORITY THAT THE COUNCIL HAS, UM, IS, IS NOT JUST FOR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, IT IS FOR C P S CUSTOMERS.

AND SO UNDER THAT, UNDER THAT THOUGHT AND BELIEF AND REALITY, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION I MADE WAS FOR ALL C P S CUSTOMERS.

AND I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY TALK MORE ABOUT THE REALITIES OF THAT SITUATION.

WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.

UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES, I MEAN, I'LL REITERATE FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, YOU MENTIONED THE REST OF THE BALANCE, $75 MILLION IS PROJECTED TO BE OVER.

THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO USE $50 MILLION ON THE TOPIC BEFORE YOU TODAY, THE OTHER $25 MILLION IS SPENT IN THREE AREAS.

ONE, NOT ISSUING DEBT ON EDWARD'S AQUIFER NEXT YEAR, AND CASH FUNDING THE CONTINUATION OF THAT PROGRAM AT $10 MILLION.

TWO, UM, INVESTING $9 MILLION IN AN ALL HAZARDS FACILITY, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE SOME INVENTORY IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY, WHICH WAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME OUT OF THE COMMU THE, UM, UH, COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND THREE, A $6 MILLION INFUSION ON SIDEWALKS.

IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND, AND AMEND THIS, THIS PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU, THEN, THEN THAT'S THE, THAT'S BEFORE YOU.

UM, BUT THAT WAS THE LOGIC IN MY HEAD WAS THAT INFRASTRUCTURE WAS A, A PRIORITY.

WE HAD AN OUTSTANDING RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMUNITY PANEL ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

UM, AND WE HAVE A COMMITMENT THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY MADE WHEN YOU CREATED THE MUNICIPAL FACILITIES CORPORATION TO CONTINUE THE EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION PROGRAM AND MAYBE NOT ISSUE DEBT NEXT YEAR AND JUST CASH FUNDED, WHICH WAS ALLOWED, UM, AND INCLUDED IN THE POLICY THE COUNCIL APPROVED ABOUT, UH, TWO YEARS AGO.

COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

RUDY, DID YOU SAY YOU ANNUALLY ALLOCATE A MILLION TO THE RE PROGRAM? IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S ABOUT 800,000 COUNCILMEN.

YES, MA'AM.

ABOUT HOW MANY CUSTOMERS DOES THAT HELP? WE CAN GET THE NUMBERS OUT.

I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE, BUT WE'LL GET THOSE NUMBERS FOR YOU, MA'AM.

IT IS, THE BENEFIT IS $400 UP TO $400 ANNUALLY, SO WE CAN DO THE MATH AND BACK INTO IT, BUT I MEAN, WE MAXIMIZE THE UTILIZATION OF THAT REPROGRAM EVERY YEAR.

WE GOT SOME, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FREQUENT FLYERS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GO TO AND HELP, YOU KNOW, PRETTY, PRETTY REGULARLY.

AND THEY CAN COME TO YOU AS MANY TIMES AS THEY NEED TO, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T GO OVER THE FOUR, TWICE A YEAR UP TO $400, RIGHT? YEAH, UP TO $400, YES, MA'AM.

TOTAL.

AND THAT'S THE, THE EXEMPTION FOR THIS YEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO WAIVE AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING IS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND ONE MORE PAYMENT, UH, TO HELP 'EM IN THE FALL.

SO POTENTIALLY WITH, UH, WITH ANOTHER 5 MILLION, YOU COULD INCREASE THE AMOUNT.

YES, MA'AM.

OR AT LEAST THE YES MA'AM.

UH, FREQUENCY WITH WHICH WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE MATH, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, YES, THAT'S, THAT'S THE IDEA.

THE, THE GOAL WOULD BE TO INCREASE THAT PIPELINE, UM, ON THAT PROGRAM, COUNCILWOMAN.

THE, UH, THE 50 MILLION, IS THAT BASED, WELL, IT'S MORE THAN THE 50.

I KNOW, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 50 MILLION.

IS THAT BASED ON ACTUAL REVENUE THAT THAT'S LIKE IN THE BANK RIGHT NOW? OR ARE YOU COUNTING ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE? I MEAN, IS THAT A GUARANTEED, THE MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY'S GONNA BE IN THE BANK.

WE DO HAVE SOME ESTIMATES BUILT IN THROUGH THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

AND SO, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY IS IN THE BANK CURRENTLY.

ABOUT HOW WE CAN WITH, WHEN IT COMES TO EXTREME WEATHER, WE CAN ONLY CLAIM TO BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD ONCE AND, UM, AFTER THE WINTER STORM AND THE HEAT, THE EXTREME HEAT OF THIS SUMMER, UH, OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE EXPECTING US TO ACT.

I WOULD LIKE, UM, I WAS TALKING TO PATRICK BACK HERE ON THE, UH, THE REAP PROGRAM.

AND JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT, THE REAP PROGRAM ASSISTS ABOUT 12,000 HOUSEHOLDS ANNUALLY.

12,000.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, I'VE TALKED BEFORE

[01:10:01]

EXTREME WEATHER HAS BECOME A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE IN OUR CITY.

I NEVER THOUGHT THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD SAY BEING, UM, BORN AND RAISED IN, IN THIS CITY.

I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD HAVE THIS EXTREME WEATHER.

ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF LIVING IN THIS ARE PART OF THE WORLD IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UM, HISTORICALLY THIS, THIS TYPE OF WEATHER.

SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE APPROACHING, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WE'VE JUST NEVER REALLY HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT MUCH.

BUT, UM, I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING WITH THE GOOD PEOPLE I REPRESENT ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.

AND, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.

AND I WILL SAY THAT OVER HALF SUPPORT, UH, PUTTING THE MONEY TOWARDS WEATHERIZING HOMES, UM, THE OTHER HALF OR THE, THE OTHER 45% OR SO REQUESTED THE REBATE.

THERE WAS NO, UH, SUPPORT FOR ANY OTHER IDEA.

IT WAS, IT WAS ONE OR THE OTHER.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, WEATHERIZATION OBVIOUSLY REDUCES ENERGY.

COST EASES THE DEMAND ON OUR ENERGY GRID.

AND BY SOME ESTIMATES, WEATHERIZATION CAN REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS BY ONE TON PER WEATHERIZED HOUSEHOLD.

THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS WHOSE HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIRE THAT THEIR HOUSE STAY COOLER IN THE SUMMER AND WARMER IN THE WINTER.

THE COMMUNITY ACTION CORPORATION OF SOUTH TEXAS HAS BEEN WEATHERIZING HOMES FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

THEY ESTIMATED SAVINGS OF $413 FOR EACH WEATHERIZED HOME.

SO I, I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT RE BECAUSE I WONDER IF THAT SAME 12,000 IS ABOUT THE NUMBER, UM, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, OR AT LEAST THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO POTENTIALLY WEATHERIZING THEIR HOMES.

UM, THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT GO INTO THAT.

I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CONDITION OF THEIR HOMES IN GENERAL.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S WORTHWHILE.

I THINK IT'S WORTH, UH, EXPLORING.

I, I WANNA SAY, AS A CAVEAT, IF WE AS A COUNCIL DECIDE AGAINST DIRECTING FUNDS TOWARDS A WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, I WOULD SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDED REBATE.

UH, I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA AT ALL WORTHWHILE CAUSES THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BROUGHT UP, BUT I DON'T, I THINK THAT THESE FUNDS NEED TO STAY IN THE ENERGY LANE, UH, EITHER TOWARDS ENERGY EFFICIENCY OR BACK TO THE CONSUMER.

I DON'T, REAL QUICKLY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BENEFIT.

IF WE GO THE ROUTE OF, UM, REATING TO THE, TO THE CONSUMER, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BENEFIT OF DELAYING THEIR PAYMENT.

IF WE DECIDE TO GIVE FOLKS A REBATE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD DELAY IT TO DECEMBER OR, UM, EVEN NOVEMBER.

I TRUST THE COMMUNITY TO USE THEIR POTENTIAL RATE REBATE AS THEY SEE FIT.

UM, NOT MAKE THEM WAIT BECAUSE A HOLIDAY IS COMING UP.

UM, SOME OF WHOM DON'T EVEN CELEBRATE THAT HOLIDAY, BY THE WAY.

SO I, I MEAN, I JUST THINK THAT IF WE GO THAT ROUTE, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD DO IT UPFRONT, BE EXPEDIENT ABOUT IT.

UM, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT GOING BACK TO THE WEATHERIZATION, UM, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN LEVERAGE, UH, SOME OF THIS FUNDING AS WELL, AND GOING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ACTION CORPORATION OF SOUTH TEXAS AND SEE HOW WE CAN WORK WITH THEM TO POTENTIALLY, UM, MAKE A, A BIGGER IMPACT OF THE SURPLUS FUNDS.

COUNCILS MEMBER COBE, HDA COUNCILS MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.

AND NOT DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE.

UM, I'LL START OFF BY SAYING WHAT I WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF.

SO I WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF A SUBSTANTIAL TARGETED INVESTMENT THAT IS ROOTED IN EQUITY AND JUSTICE.

AND RIGHT NOW I'M INCLINED TO BELIEVE THAT THAT MEANS FOCUSED INVESTMENT IN SUSTAINABILITY AND HELPING RESIDENTS WHO WILL BE IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE FOR YEARS TO COME, WITH NO OPPORTUNITY FOR RELIEF IN SIGHT.

UM, I'VE SPOKEN TO MANY CONSTITUENTS WHO SUPPORT WEATHERIZATION OR SUPPORT, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HEARD ON THE DAAS AS ALTERNATIVES TO THE REBATE.

AND THE CONSTITUENTS THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH ABOUT THE REBATE, WHO THOUGHT THEY'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT, DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY WOULD GET BACK, AND THEY FOUND IT LAUGHABLE WHEN I DID TELL THEM HOW MUCH IT WAS.

MANY OF THEM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS CAME FROM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY READ IT.

UM, BUT THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY MIGHT GET THE EQUIVALENT OF A FULL BILL LIKE THE MONTH OF THE MONTH OF JUNE.

THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL, SOME SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY, AND IT IS NOT THE CASE.

AND SO FOR RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT SUPPORTING THIS REBATE.

UM, I HAVE A FEW ISSUES WITH THE CURRENT PROPOSED PLAN, AND IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ENDS UP HAPPENING, THEN I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE, THESE ISSUES ADDRESS.

SO FIRST, THE AMOUNT PROPOSED FOR THE AVERAGE RATE PAYER IS MINIMAL.

AND FOR MANY, NOT IMPACTFUL, GIVEN THE EXORBITANT SPIKE BILL SPIKES THEY'VE SEEN THIS SUMMER.

UM, PARTICULARLY THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT DIRECT, DIRECT, UM, RELIEF.

THEY CANNOT CHOOSE HOW THEY'RE GONNA SPEND THIS MONEY.

THIS MONEY IS BASICALLY ENSURING C P S GETS, ITS, GETS ITS BILLS PAID.

THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.

THIS IS NOT TARGETED RELIEF FOR THOSE THAT NEED IT THE MOST.

EVERYONE WILL GET A REBATE, INCLUDING THOSE NOT COST BURDENED AND LARGE BUSINESSES.

SO THE TOP 40 USERS OF ELECTRICITY IN JULY WOULD RECEIVE AN AVERAGE OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH.

AND WE SHOULDN'T REALLY BE REWARDING THIS BEHAVIOR.

INDIVIDUALS WHO USED MORE ELECTRICITY AND DID NOT CONSERVE ENERGY OVER THE SUMMER WOULD BE REWARDED WITH A HIGHER REBATE.

AND I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS HERE.

UM, FURTHER, THIS IS A CREDIT

[01:15:01]

THIS ENSURES THE MONEY WILL GO BACK TO C P SS ENERGY AS OPPOSED TO THE RATE PAYERS WHO WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THIS FOR ANYTHING LIKE GAS, GROCERIES OR OTHER EXPENDITURES.

AND SO IF THEIR OCTOBER BILL IS HIGHER THAN IT WAS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THEY'RE ONLY GONNA SEE A SLIGHTLY LESS, LESS OF AN INCREASE IN THEIR BILL.

THEY'RE NOT GONNA SEE A REAL REDUCTION IN THEIR BILL OR HOW MUCH THEY'RE PAYING THIS YEAR.

UM, I ALSO WONDER, THIS WOULD ENSURE THAT ALL $50 MILLION GOES BACK TO C P SS ENERGY.

AND I WANNA KNOW WHAT WOULD C P S DO WITH THIS FUNDING? YOU CAN, A, YOU CAN ANSWER THAT AFTER I'M DONE WITH MY SERIES OF THINGS.

UM, THIS PLAN WAS CONCEIVED WITHOUT, I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE FACT THAT THIS PLAN WAS CONCEIVED WITHOUT THE INPUT OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

AND I AGREE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A POLICY DISCUSSION ON WHENEVER THERE IS A MAJOR SURPLUS OF THIS MAGNITUDE COUNCIL.

AND OUR CONSTITUENCIES SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO PROCESS THAT AND DETERMINE HOW WE NEED THESE FUNDS REINVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, INVESTING IN WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS SUCH AS ROOF REPAIR, AIR SEALING, INSULATION ENHANCEMENTS, WINDOW REPAIR, AC REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT, AND OTHER IMPACTFUL TACTICS WOULD PROVIDE FOR LONG-TERM BILL REDUCTION FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS.

AND I WOULD RATHER REDUCE A BILL BY 31 ON $31 ON AVERAGE EVERY MONTH MOVING FORWARD THAN DO A ONE-TIME PAYMENT, WHICH WOULD REALISTICALLY BE A DROP IN THE BUCKET.

BILLS ARE ALREADY AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH.

AND ALL THIS PROPOSED REBATE WOULD MEAN IS A SLIGHTLY LOWER BILL FOR ONE MONTH WHEN WE CAN AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERING AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS HOW ENERGY IS CONSERVED AND HOW WE INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR ONGOING CLIMATE EFFECTS.

UM, I ALREADY, UH, MENTIONED THE 40 U USERS WHO WILL BE RECEIVING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR MORE.

I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN VERAN.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE OR ENTITIES.

UM, AND THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF INEQUITABLE IMPACTS.

WHEN WE DO NOT IMPLEMENT EQUITY OR JUSTICE BUDGETING THE CITY HANDS OVER MORE MONEY TO THE WEALTHY AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.

AND THAT IS THIS IS THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR, I VOTED AGAINST THE RATE INCREASE.

AND ONE COULD ARGUE THAT THIS SURPLUS ESSENTIALLY SHOWS THAT WE DID NOT NEED TO APPROVE FUTURE INCREASES.

AND OUR CONSTITUENTS CAN KEEP THESE FUNDS IN THEIR POCKETS WHERE THEY'RE MOST NEEDED.

WE'RE CURRENTLY EXISTING WITHIN THE EFFECTS OF THE ONGOING CLIMATE CRISES.

AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS RECORD BREAKING SUMMER WILL PRO WILL BE THE COOLEST SUMMER FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES.

THAT IS A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY.

WINTER STORM URI WAS TRAUMATIC FOR MANY, AND I DON'T NEED TO REMIND EVERYONE HOW PAINFUL AND TERRIFYING THAT TIME WAS.

AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE THESE MAJOR FLUCTUATIONS IN TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SO WE MUST BE CONSIDERED OF PROTECTING OUR EARTH AND OUR COMMUNITIES.

UM, A FEW QUESTIONS.

SO ONE IS, HOW MUCH TOTAL REVENUE WAS COLLECTED BY C P S ENERGY FOR THESE MONTHS? AND HOW MUCH OF IT WAS DUE TO THE RATE INCREASE? SECOND, THE AVERAGE RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO WILL BE RECEIVING A CREDIT OF $29.

UM, AND THAT'S AN AVERAGE, BUT I WOULD BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE IF YOU COULD PROVIDE US WITH THE MEDIAN FOR EACH DISTRICT.

AND WITH MEDIANS, YOU GET A BETTER SENSE.

UM, WITHOUT THE DATA BEING SKEWED BY ANY OUTLIERS OR EXTREME VARIATION, YOU GET A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT A MAJORITY OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WILL BE GETTING.

UM, 'CAUSE IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL BE GETTING LESS THAN $10 CREDITS, LESS THAN $5 CREDITS, AND THEY MIGHT BE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE MONEY THE MOST.

I ALSO WONDER IF WE DO A REBATE, DO WE HAVE TO GIVE THOSE 40 BUSINESSES A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH? AND COULD WE LIMIT COMMERCIAL CLASS REBATES TO SMALL COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES? UM, I'M ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN THE STATE OF C P S AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE RATE INCREASE COUNCIL APPROVED EARLIER THIS YEAR.

AND MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS WANT TO KNOW IS CAN THEY STILL BE EXPECT, UM, CAN THEY STILL EXPECT TO BE ASKED FOR A RATE INCREASE AGAIN IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? AND SEVERAL MORE FOLLOWING THAT.

UM, AND LASTLY, MESSAGE TO MY CONSTITUENTS, UH, PLEASE BRING YOUR JULY BILLS TO OUR BUDGET TOWN HALL, AND WE WILL FIGURE, EX FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH YOU CAN EXPECT, UM, IF WE DO CHOOSE TO DO THIS REBATE, AND MAYBE WE CAN HAVE SOME, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT IDEAS FOR BETTER USES.

UM, BUT FOR NOW, I WOULD LOVE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I JUST ASKED COUNCILMAN.

THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK THERE.

SO WE'RE, I'M GOING TO, W WHAT I'M GONNA GENERALLY DO IS, IS WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO YOU AND, AND WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH, WITH YOUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.

I DO WANNA, UH, TACKLE THE, UM, RATE INCREASE CONVERSATION BECAUSE ON, ON AVERAGE, UH, AS WE SAID THAT 3.85% FOR MOST RESIDENTS IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THREE, $3 AND 85 CENTS ISH, UH, MAYBE FOUR BUCKS.

UH, AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, THE RATE INCREASE PROBABLY IS GONNA BE ABOUT $50, UH, IMPACT, UH, THAT REGULATORY ASSET DOLLAR 26.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER MAYBE 12 BUCKS, UH, ON THE REGULATORY ASSET.

SO BY AND LARGE, THE, AS WE'VE COMMUNICATED OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO THE PUBLIC, THE DRIVERS OF THE INCREASE IN REVENUE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE INCREASE IN NATURAL GAS COSTS COUPLED WITH THE EXTREME HEAT WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, AND YOU SAID IT ON RECORD, THE HIGHEST MAY THE HIGHEST, JUNE THE HIGHEST JULY.

UH, AND EVERY TIME I HAVE, UH, ADDRESSED THE PUBLIC, UH, I HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE KNOW

[01:20:01]

THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT, DIFFICULT SUMMER, UH, FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.

SO, UH, IT IS NOT THE RATE INCREASE, UH, IT'S IN ITS OF ITSELF THAT HAS DRIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IMPACT.

IT'S, IT'S BEEN THE EXTREME HEAT AND IT'S BEEN THE NATURAL GAS PRICES.

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT.

SO THE QUESTION IS MORE SO KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW NOW, AND LOOKING AT THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, WAS THE RATE INCREASE NECESSARY? ABSOLUTELY.

THAT, THAT $75 MILLION, UH, GIVE OR TAKE, THAT, THAT WE EXPECT HAS, IS ALL GOING BACK INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, THE PEOPLE, THE GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HASN'T SLOWED DOWN ALL OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S GIVEN US JUST ENOUGH BREATHING ROOM TO REFOCUS OURSELVES ON, ON MAKING OUR SYSTEM MORE RESILIENT.

SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THAT THAT RATE INCREASE WAS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IN THE MOMENT, AND WE WERE PUTTING IT TO USE THE WAY IN EXACTLY THE WAY WE TOLD YOU WE WERE GONNA PUT IT TO USE.

SO, SO, YES, IT WOULD, IT WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN NECESSARY.

I GOTTA BRING YOU OUT TO SOME NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, SO YOU CAN EXPLAIN THAT.

YES, SIR.

COUNCILMAN, THE, THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT, AND, AND, UH, WE STARTED OUT AT, UH, THE DISTRICT 10, UH, TOWN HALL LAST NIGHT.

C P S AND SAWS HAVE BEEN THERE IN ALL THE TOWN HALLS, AND THEY HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO BE THERE BECAUSE I, THERE'RE GONNA BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I, I DID WANT TO, UM, ECHO WHAT RUDY SAID FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

UM, THE CHART THAT TROY, UH, STARTED OFF SHOWING YOU, UM, IN THE PRESENTATION SHOWS THAT OUR REVENUE STARTED ESCALATING REALLY IN MAY AND AND ACCELERATING IN JUNE AND JULY.

AND, AND THAT WAS INDEPENDENT OF RATES OR ANY ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE MADE EARLIER IN THE YEAR THAT WAS PURELY DRIVEN BY THE PRICE OF FUEL AND ADDITIONAL DEMAND ON THE, ON THE, ON THE UTILITY SYSTEM, WHICH, WHICH HAD THAT IMPACT.

I GUESS ONE OF THE BIGGER QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED THAT HASN'T BEEN ANSWERED YET IS THAT IF WE DO A REBATE, DO WE HAVE TO GIVE, UM, LIKE COULD WE LIMIT IT TO THE SMALL COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES RATHER THAN THE LARGER ONES THAT WILL BE GETTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS? COUNCILMAN DOES ANYBODY, IF I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND INTERJECT HERE JUST BECAUSE THAT STARTS TO, UM, LEAD TO LEGAL IMPLICATIONS, AND SO WE CAN HAVE A, A BROADER DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT IN EXEC SESSION.

I WOULD GREATLY WELCOMED THAT AND I WOULD'VE GREATLY WELCOMED IT PRIOR TO, PRIOR TO THIS.

THE LOCAL ARTICLES, UH, HIGHLIGHTING THE CONCENTRATION OF HEAT ISLANDS IN DISTRICT FIVE AND THE INNER CITY IN PARTICULAR.

COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

THANK YOU RUDY AND TROY FOR THE PRESENTATION.

AND I ALSO WANNA EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR ELI R C P S, UH, OUTREACH COORDINATOR, WHO'S BEEN, UH, ASSISTING OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES OFFICE IN CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO THE MUCH NEEDED UTILITY ASSISTANCE.

UM, AS WELL AS TO RACHEL WHO, UM, HER SPECIALTY IS HOUSING AND UTILITIES WITH OUR OFFICE.

UM, YOU KNOW, TODAY IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE FAIRLY CREDITED BACK BASED ON THE WAY IT WAS EARNED, RIGHT? BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WAY IT WAS COLLECTED ON AN INEQUITABLE RATE STRUCTURE, THAT'S FAR FROM EQUITABLE, AND THAT'S FAR FROM JUST AS FOLKS HAVE EXPRESSED IN, UH, EXPRESSED AND, UM, SHOWED THAT OVER HOW MANY BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO RECEIVE OVER $110,000 IN A REBATE ABOUT 40.

UM, AND WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MANY OF THESE HIGH ENERGY USERS HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED A SWEETHEART DEAL.

UM, SO THEY WOULD BE RECEIVING A HIGHER REBATE THAN THEY'VE BEEN PAYING INTO.

SO I WANNA BE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT SEVERAL OF THESE CENSUS TRACKS WITH THE HIGHEST RESIDENTIAL C P SS BILL DEBT ARE DISTRICT THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE.

AND WHEN WE LOOK AT DISTRICT FIVE IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT A ESTIMATED $28 REBATE, RIGHT? AND I WANNA ENSURE THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT $28, THIS IS $28, RIGHT? FOLKS HAVE ALREADY PAID THEIR UTILITY BILL.

SO WE WANNA ENSURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY IMPACTFUL AND INTENTIONAL WITH THIS REVENUE TO ENSURE THAT WE HELP EVERYONE LONG TERM.

AND I KNOW A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE PUT FORWARD THESE VERY INNOVATIVE IDEAS ON HOW TO USE THIS REVENUE.

AND WHEN I LISTENED TO MY DISTRICT FIVE CONSTITUENCY, THE PRIORITIES CONTINUE TO CENTER AROUND IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.

AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES AND WAYS TO USE THE 50 TO 75 MILLION TO ENSURE THAT WE BOTH PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY.

AND AS WE KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE OUR HOUSING BRIEFINGS ACCORDING TO U T S A AND OTHER ENERGY MODELING, UH, RESIDENTIAL WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS LIKE MINOR REHAB UNDER ONE ROOF CAN SAVE A FAMILY UP TO 30 TO 65 TIMES MORE THAN $31 IN THE LONG RUN AND REDUCING THEIR ENERGY BILL.

SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WORTH INVESTING IN.

UM, AT THE ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BRINGING BACK OPERATION FACELIFT AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SECURED FUNDING BACK AND THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ALSO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, KEEP THEIR ENERGY COSTS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE AS WELL.

AND THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING WORTH INVESTING IN.

SO, I, I, I KNOW, UH, FOLKS HAVE MAYBE SEEN THE, THE NATIONAL AND

[01:25:01]

AND I WANTED TO QUOTE THE NEW YORK TIMES TO SHARE A A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT FOLKS ARE EXPERIENCING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, SO ONE OF THE EXCERPTS IS NOT ONLY CAN SHE MS. CRUZ PEREZ NOT AFFORD AIR CONDITIONING DURING THE HARDEST, HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY.

SHE LIVES IN THE WEST SIDE, ONE OF SEVERAL PARTS OF SAN ANTONIO, NEARLY ALL OF THEM WORKING CLASS OR POOR NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE ARE FEW TREES TO PROVIDE SHADE.

SIMPLE THINGS LIKE VENTURING OUT INTO THE BACKYARD, WALKING TO THE STORE, OR WAITING FOR A BUS CAN BE DANGEROUS.

THE HEAT IS INESCAPABLE IN THE CITY'S HISTORIC WEST SIDE WHERE THE RATIO OF ASPHALT AND GREEN SPACE, ALONG WITH OLD STRUCTURES, FRIGHT, TRAINS, AND ABUNDANCE AND CONCRETE CREATES THE KIND OF HEAT ISLAND EFFECT THAT IS KNOWN TO LEAD TO HIGH ENERGY CONSUMPTION, MORE POLLUTION, AND A GREATER RISK OF RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS. BUT SOME RESIDENTS IN THE WEST SIDE HAVE TO TAKE THE BUS TO GET TO COOLING CENTERS.

AND WITH LITTLE SHADE WAITING FOR THE BUS CAN OFTEN BE AN EXCRUCIATING EXPERIENCE.

SO THIS IS THE EXPERIENCE OF FOLKS OUT ON THE GROUND HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND NOT AN EXPERIENCE LIMITED TO FOLKS IN DISTRICT FIVE.

AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME DUAL INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, RIGHT, WHO MAY MAKE A FAIR AMOUNT, BUT THEY HAVE MEDICAL DEBT, STUDENT LOAN DEBT, AND THEN THE, UH, INCREASING RISE OF INFLATION ALL AROUND THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THIS AS WELL.

UM, SO I I WANNA BE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR MOST VULNERABLE, UM, THOUGH WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RATE STRUCTURE AND HOW WE'VE ACCRUED, UM, THE FUNDING, IT, IT IS INEQUITABLE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MITIGATE SOME OF THESE IMPACTS BY INVESTING MORE INTO TREE PLANTING, BUILDING SHADE IN NEIGHBORHOODS AT BUS STOPS, AND ALONG MAJOR CORRIDORS, UH, IN ADDITION TO WEATHERIZING OUR HOMES AND INVESTING IN PROGRAMS LIKE UNDER ONE ROOF.

UM, RIGHT.

AND WE'LL NOT ONLY HELP OUR RESIDENTS USE LESS ENERGY AND MAYBE RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT WE CAN ALSO SAVE LIVES, RIGHT? UM, AS POINTED, RIGHT, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SENT OUT, UH, UH, UH, UM, UM, EMAIL LETTING FOLKS KNOW WHAT HEAT EXHAUSTION LOOKS LIKE.

SO WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT FOLKS POTENTIALLY DYING FROM THIS HEAT IN THEIR HOMES.

AND FROM MY CONSTITUENCY, FOLKS WHO ARE AFRAID TO TURN ON THEIR AC UNIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE ON WHAT'S A PRIORITY FOOD MEDICATION OR HAVING THE AIR FAN ON.

SO AT ONE POINT THIS YEAR, THE 7 8 2 0 7 ZIP CODE, UH, HAS, UH, OVER 1,500 ACCOUNTS WE'RE BEHIND AN AVERAGE OF $1,150.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A $28 REBATE, UM, THAT INDICATES THAT IT'S NOT REALLY GOING TO HELP MY CONSTITUENCY CATCH UP.

UM, AND RUDY, I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION.

WITH THE REAP PROGRAM ONLINE, IT SAYS THAT IT'S A ONE-TIME, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR 45 $400 ASSISTANCE RATHER.

SO IS IT TWICE OR ONCE CAN SOMEONE APPLY? IT'S, IT'S TWO, IT'S TYPICALLY, UH, TWO PAYMENTS OF TWO UP TO $200 EACH, SO $400 TOTAL ANNUALLY.

AND, UH, YOU STATED THAT C P S, UH, PRIORITIZES, UH, $800,000, UH, FOR THE REAP PROGRAM.

EXCUSE ME, MA'AM.

I'M SORRY.

I WAS, I WAS VALIDATING THAT, UH, THAT, UH, THAT I GOT IT RIGHT.

WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION? YEAH, SO WHEN, FIRST QUESTION WAS, UH, ANYA'S WIFE WEBSITE, IT SAYS YOUR MAXIMUM ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE REAP PROGRAM IS $400 PER YEAR.

UM, BUT EARLIER YOU STATED THAT IT WAS TWICE THAT AN APPLICANT CAN APPLY FOR THIS FUNDING.

SO WAS IT ONCE OR TWICE OR TWO? IT'S TWICE.

I'M SORRY.

YEAH, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS IT'S TWO PAYMENTS OF UP TO 400 OF UP TO $400.

IT'S NOT 200.

US, YOU KNOW, TO COME TOGETHER TO, TO DO MORE.

SO, YOU KNOW, MY CONCERN WITH THAT IS THAT IF WE LOOK AT THE $800,000 THAT C P S ON Y'ALL'S END DEDICATE TOWARDS THE RE PROGRAM, THAT'S ONLY 2000 FAMILIES.

IF IT'S A ONE-TIME ASSISTANCE OF $400, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT ONE ZIP CODE AND DISTRICT FIVE IN PARTICULAR 7 8 2 0 7, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE ZIP CODE COULD POTENTIALLY ABSORB THE MAJORITY OF THAT FUNDING.

SO MY HOPE IS THAT, UM, I, I HEARD YOUR COMMITMENT ABOUT NEARLY DOUBLING THE AMOUNT INTO THE REAP PROGRAM.

I WOULD HOPE ON Y'ALL'S END THAT Y'ALL COULD INCREASE THAT FUNDING AND SUPPORT AS WELL.

UM, AGAIN, YOUR TEAM'S DOING A GREAT JOB AT CONNECTING OUR CONSTITUENTS TO THAT FUNDING, BUT WE HAVE SO MANY FAMILIES AT RISK OF BEING DISCONNECTED, AND THESE ARE ALSO FAMILIES THAT HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, CRITICAL CARE NEEDS.

UM, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, CAN WE POTENTIALLY LOOK AT, UH, CLEARING THE DEBT, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE BEHIND ON THEIR C P S BILL THAT ARE AT RISK OF DISCONNECTIONS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE EXPLORED OR CAN POTENTIALLY LOOK TO SEE, UM, OR POTENTIALLY LOOK AT THOSE ON THE CRITICAL CARE LIST WHO ARE AT RISK OF DISCONNECTION? DO WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS? UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS HANDY.

I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN GET 'EM TO YOU.

LET ME JUST MAKE A POINT ABOUT REAP, UH, THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

UM, REAP IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN US, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.

UH, COUNTY PUTS MONEY IN, UH, THAT MONEY, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY GOES TO, YOU KNOW, UH, OUTSIDE CITY, UH, UH, CUSTOMERS CITY PUTS MONEY IN CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND THE MONEY C PSS ENERGY PUTS IN GOES TO EVERYBODY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S AVAILABLE.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF

[01:30:01]

AND WE'LL, WE WILL TALK TO OUR PARTNERS ABOUT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, AND WE WILL GET YOU, UH, THE INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER OF CRITICAL CARE CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, UH, FOR DISCONNECT.

SO, I, I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS HANDY, BUT WE CAN GET THAT.

OH, DO YOU DO, OH, EXCUSE ME.

MY TEAM HAS THE NUMBERS.

SORRY.

HELLO, DEANNA HARDWICK.

UH, SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE, THIS IS AS OF THE END OF JUNE.

WE'RE STILL RUNNING, UH, JULY NUMBERS, BUT AS OF THE END OF, UH, JUNE, FOR CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE, UH, SOME TYPE OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, SO THAT'S LOW INCOME MEDICAL OR SENIOR CITIZENS, WE HAD ABOUT 5 50, 700 ACCOUNTS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT AROUND $7 MILLION.

AND WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO GET AN ESTIMATION OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO SETTLE THOSE, THE, THE, THE BALANCE THAT THEY HAVE THAT'S PUTTING THAT RISK OF DISCONNECTION? WOULD IT, UH, BE 800,000? WOULD IT BE 1 MILLION, 5 MILLION? WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? TO, TO, YES.

IN TOTAL IT'S $6.8 MILLION, $6.8 MILLION TO CLEAR OUT THE, THE DEBT.

I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD 5 MILLION AND C P SS IS LOOKING AT INCREASING THE AMOUNT.

I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EXCEED THE $400 TO ENSURE THAT WE ALLOW FOLKS TO, TO, UM, A, A ADDRESS THEIR BALANCE, RIGHT? BECAUSE AGAIN, FOR DISTRICT FIVE IN PARTICULAR, $28 IS NOT GOING TO SETTLE THAT BALANCE.

AND IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE AMOUNT THAT YOU JUST STATED, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAR IT OUT AND ALLOW THAT WE CAN CATCH, OUR CONSTITUENTS CAN CATCH UP.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SUFFERED AGAIN THROUGH WINTER STORM URI RATE INCREASES, AND THIS HOT SUMMER, EVERYBODY'S IN THE SAME BOAT.

COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.

ERIC, YOU WANNA JUMP IN? I JUST, UM, THE, THE LINE OF QUESTIONING FROM COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO WILL WORK WITH THE C P SS STAFF BECAUSE I THINK, UH, ALSO THE, THE, THE SUGGESTION YOU MADE ABOUT THE CRITICAL CARE CUSTOMERS IS ALSO IMPORTANT, UM, BECAUSE AS WE COLLECT THAT, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH C P SS TO COLLECT THAT AT THE, AT THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, AND AS RUDY MENTIONED AT THE, DURING HIS, UH, PART OF THE PRESENTATION AND, AND THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AMENDING THE GUIDELINES FOR REAP WHATEVER THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS, AMENDING THE GUIDELINE FOR REAP TO DO MORE.

AND, UH, WE WILL, UM, WORK WITH C P S TO FOLLOW UP ON THE, ON THE POINTS YOU MADE, UM, AND, UH, PROVIDE SOME SORT OF REPORT BACK TO THE COUNCIL.

THANKS, ERIC.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

I HAVE NOBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE, BUT I KNOW THIS ISN'T THE END OF THE DISCUSSION.

SO, UM, TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVEN'T SPOKEN YET, CAN YOU GET, CAN YOU, UH, SIGNAL ME, JUST COLOR ME? SURPRISED IF THERE'S NO HANDS.

INTERESTING.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, SIR.

I THOUGHT LADIES FIRST, BUT OKAY, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TAKE THAT.

ALRIGHT.

UM, I, I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO HERE IS, AND, AND IN THIS PRESENTATION REALLY DIDN'T SHOW IT, UM, TROY, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT $50 MILLION.

IT'S A TOTAL OF $75 MILLION.

AND I GUESS I WOULD'VE LIKED TO SEEN, UH, THIS PRESENTATION BASED ON $75 MILLION ON GIVING, BECAUSE THAT, THAT, THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE OPTION, GIVE BACK A REBATE TO THE CUSTOMERS.

AND THAT, TO ME, THE $75 MILLION SHOULD HAVE BEEN, FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU COULD HAVE BROKEN IT DOWN SAYING, OKAY, WE HAVE THESE OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, AND IT'S ONLY 50 MILLION WITH US DOING THESE OTHER REQUIREMENTS.

BUT I WOULD'VE LIKED TO SEEN THE FIGURES AS LAID OUT IN THE PROPOSAL FOR 50 MILLION FOR THE FULL 75 MILLION AND, UM, SEE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE.

UM, SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS LAID OUT IN THESE CHARTS BECAUSE IT IS, IT, IT IS GONNA BE MORE THAN THE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD $28, $31, THAT KIND OF THING.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THE INPUT THAT I'VE GOTTEN IS PEOPLE WANT THEIR MONEY BACK.

YOU KNOW, WINTER STORM URI GOING FOR DAYS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY AND THEN GETTING CHARGED FOR THE MAKEUP ON THAT, PLUS A RATE INCREASE, PLUS THIS HEAT WAVE THAT WE'RE HAVING.

AND WITH THE ELEVATED BILLS OUT THERE, THERE WERE, THEY'RE BEING OVERCHARGED.

I MEAN, I LOOK AT IT LIKE THIS.

IF I GO INTO A STORE AND I GET OVERCHARGED SOMETHING AND I SEE IT ON MY BILL, I'M GONNA GO BACK AND GET MY MONEY BACK.

PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THIS JUST LIKE THAT.

THEY OVERPAID AND THEY WANT THEIR MONEY BACK ACROSS THE CITY.

AND NO, NO DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND THE, THE INTERNAL CITIES WITHIN THE CITY, UH, BUSINESSES,

[01:35:02]

NOBODY'S EXEMPT.

EVERYBODY IS FEELING THAT PAIN AND HAS FELT THAT PAIN IN THE PAST.

I'M, I'M FOR GIVING THE FULL REBATE BACK TO THE CUSTOMERS SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THEM.

I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I CRINGE EVERY TIME I HEAR, WELL, LET'S SPEND IT ON THIS, LET'S SPEND IT ON THAT.

I HAD A COMMUNITY MEETING LAST NIGHT AND JUST BY PEOPLE NODDING THEIR HEADS, AND WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE THERE, LIKE, ERIC DID A GREAT PRESENTATION LAST NIGHT, UM, SO GET READY.

HE, HE DOES A GREAT JOB ON PUTTING THAT BUDGET OUT THERE.

BUT THE PEOPLE'S HEADS WERE NODDING, DO YOU WANT A, A REBATE BACK OR DO YOU WANT THE CITY TO SPEND IT? AND LOOKING ACROSS THAT COMMUNITY OUT THERE, PEOPLE WANTED THEIR MONEY BACK.

DOES IT SOUND LIKE A LOT OF MONEY? I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS UNTIL I SEE WHAT THAT FULL $75 MILLION IS.

UH, I, I WON'T KNOW THAT.

BUT THAT TO ME IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AT THIS POINT IN TIME FOR OUR RATE PAYERS FOR C P S.

RUDY, I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALSO.

UM, YOU KNOW, I SAW ON, UM, AN EXPRESS NEWS ARTICLE THAT YOU SAID, NO, YOU SHOULDN'T GIVE THE MONEY BACK TO FOLKS, WE SHOULD BE DOING OTHER THINGS WITH THAT MONEY.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? THERE WERE SOME, WERE SOME PRETTY POINTED QUESTIONS AT THE EDITORIAL BOARD, UH, YESTERDAY.

UH, I, YOU KNOW, MY EXPERIENCE WITH OUR BILL CREDIT PROGRAM, UH, WAS THAT CUSTOMERS, YOU KNOW, UH, GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT REACT NEGATIVE, YOU KNOW, POSITIVELY TO A $35 OR AN $8 IN OUR CASE BILL CREDIT.

AND I UNDERSTAND WHY.

UH, BUT AGAIN, IT WITH THE LOGIC THAT ERIC IS USING HERE, GIVING IT BACK THE WAY YOU GOT IT, THAT I CAN EXPLAIN.

UH, AND SO, UH, AGAIN, IT'S THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL ULTIMATELY ON WHAT WE DO HERE.

UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE STILL AT C P S ENERGY GOING THROUGH A BIT OF P T S D ON WINTER STORM URI.

AND, AND MY, MY FEELINGS ABOUT A CREDIT ARE BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE, WHICH, WHICH WAS NOT REAL POSITIVE.

COUNCILMAN.

WELL, I I, I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT.

IT SAYS THAT YOU SAID THAT, UH, THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO UTILIZE THAT MONEY THAN A CREDIT, BUT IT'S NOT MY CALL.

AND YEAH, IT'S UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

YES, SIR.

BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? WHY? WELL, I, NOT GIVING THAT CREDIT BACK TO THE CUSTOMERS, I, THEY ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT SIX DIFFERENT WAYS, AND I TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, TAP DANCE AROUND THEM.

UM, THE, THE, THE, THERE ARE MANY WAYS YOU ALL CAN CHOOSE TO SPEND THIS MONEY.

NONE OF 'EM ANY LESS OR MORE, YOU KNOW, NOBLE THAN OTHERS.

IF COUNCIL DECIDES THAT A CREDIT IS APPROPRIATE, UH, WE WILL PROGRAM THAT CREDIT TO THE EXTENT YOU WANT US TO DO THAT.

SO, UH, AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S JUST A A WAY, THE WAY THEY CHARACTERIZED IT MAY NOT HAVE REFLECTED THE ACTUAL CONVERSATION, SIR.

AND, UH, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM C P S IS WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR BUDGET? WHAT DID YOU APPROVE THE BUDGET AS? HOW MUCH REVENUE YOU'VE GOTTEN AND WHERE DID THAT GO TO AGAINST THAT BUDGET? AND IS THERE GONNA BE ANY REVENUE LEFT OVER AT THE END OF THE, AT THE END OF THE DAY? I KNOW YOU SAID YOU'RE ONLY ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH, AND THAT'S STILL YES, SIR, BUT YOU SAID RIGHT NOW YOU'RE ABOUT 40 MILLION.

LEMME JUST CLARIFY.

YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET IS A COST, YOU KNOW, A COST BASED BUDGET.

SO, UH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A BILLION AND ABOUT A BILLION AND A HALF OF OUR BUDGET, IT'S NON-FUEL REVENUE.

SO THAT GOES TO PAY OUR PEOPLE TO DO THE MAINTENANCE WHEN STORMS COME IN AND DO PREVENTIVE, YOU KNOW, STUFF AT THE POWER PLANTS.

AND WE HAVE ABOUT A SEVEN, $800 MILLION CAPITAL PROGRAM THAT WE DO TO EXTEND SERVICE TO NEW AREAS, TO REPLACE POLES, YOU KNOW, TO STRING IN NEW WIRE WHEN THE CITY HAS A PROJECT, UH, A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, WE GOTTA MOVE OUR STUFF.

AND SO THAT PAYS FOR THAT.

SO ABOUT A BILLION AND A HALF IS JUST DIRECT EXPENSE TO RUN C P S ENERGY.

ABOUT A HALF A BILLION GOES TO DEBT, DEBT, DEBT, UH, INTEREST COSTS ON OUR DEBT.

AND THE OTHER BILLION IS FUEL, WHICH WE EARNED ZERO, 0% ON.

WELL, A WHILE AGO YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE ABOUT $40 MILLION AHEAD, UH, AT THIS POINT, BUT YOU STILL GOT ANOTHER HALF YEAR TO GO, RIGHT? YEAH.

AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED AT, WHAT THE REVENUE HAS COME IN AT TO PAY OFF THAT BUDGET.

AND, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PAY, THE MAINTENANCE AND ALL THAT, THAT SHOULD ALL BEEN BUILT INTO

[01:40:01]

YOUR BUDGET ALREADY.

WELL, AGAIN, SIR, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL GET COREY UP HERE TO, TO WALK YOU THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PAY OUR EXPENSES.

WE, WE HAVE A, A CAPITAL ACCOUNT THAT PAYS THE EQUITY PORTION OF OUR, OF OUR C I P PROGRAM.

BASICALLY IT'S, YOU KNOW, DEBT EQUITY, WE BORROW SOME AND WE PAY SOME OUT OF, OUT OF OUR, OUT OF OUR, OUR, OUR FUND.

UH, WE PAY OUR DEBT, OUR OUR DEBT EXPENSE, AND THEN THE CITY GETS THERE 14%.

ANYTHING THAT'S LEFT OVER GOES BACK INTO THAT, WHAT WE CALL OUR, OUR R R ACCOUNT THAT IS OUR CAPITAL FUND.

SO THERE'S NO MONEY LEFT OVER.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE GOT A BANK ACCOUNT THAT PAYS FOR INVESTMENT AND WE PAY OUR EXPENSES, AND THAT'S ALL WE DO WITH THE MONEY.

WELL, I, I REFER BACK TO THAT $40 MILLION AGAIN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I, I'D LIKE TO SEE AT THE END OF YOUR BUDGET YEAR, WHERE DID YOU END UP? AND WAS THAT $40 MILLION, UH, CARRIED OVER OR ADDED TO SOME OTHER ACCOUNT ABOVE AND BEYOND YOUR BUDGET? AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT MONEY ALSO NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT TO GIVE BACK TO THE CUSTOMERS HERE IN C P SS.

SO I, I'M SAYING THE $75 MILLION HERE, THAT'S ABOVE OUR BUDGET.

AND ANYTHING THAT'S ABOVE ON YOUR BUDGET, SO I JUST WANNA SEE, SEE YOUR BUDGET.

OUR, OUR BUDGET WORKS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE CITY, SIR, AND WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THAT.

I I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

YOU HAVE TO WALK YOU THROUGH THAT, AND I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT ALSO.

FAIR ENOUGH ON WHERE YOU ARE.

THANK YOU, SIR.

APPRECIATE IT.

UM, SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, MY RECOMMENDATION IS LET'S GIVE THE CUSTOMERS A BREAK, THE FULL $75 MILLION, AND LET'S NOT JUST LOOK AT WAYS TO SPEND THIS MONEY.

IT'S NOT OUR MONEY, IT'S THE CUSTOMER'S MONEY THAT OVERPAID, LIKE I SAID, AND THAT I DIDN'T THINK THIS UP.

THIS WAS TOLD ME LAST NIGHT.

HE SAID, HEY, IF I OVERPAY SOMETHING, I EXPECT A REBATE BACK AT ANY STORE OR RESTAURANT OR WHATEVER.

I WANT MY MONEY BACK.

AND THAT'S THE WAY OUR CUSTOMERS ARE LOOKING AT THIS, AT LEAST MINE ARE UP IN DISTRICT 10.

SO WITH THAT, THAT'S MY COMMENT, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.

UM, AND THANKS TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THEIR IDEAS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION, UH, TO TODAY'S CONVERSATION.

AND COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, I THINK I HAVE A VERY GOOD FEELING OF WHAT THAT DISTRICT 10 RESIDENT IS LIKE.

EVERY TIME YOU YOU TELL US WHAT THEY THINK.

UM, SO I, UH, I WANNA START WITH, UM, A DISCUSSION ON, ON THE REAP PROGRAM, IF THAT'S OKAY.

WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO PROVIDE US A PROFILE OF WHAT THAT CUSTOMER LOOKS LIKE OR A BREAKDOWN? UM, AND THE REASON I ASK IS, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT MOSTLY, UH, SINGLE FAMILY RATE PAYERS OR MULTI-FAMILY RATE PAYERS? I THINK, YEAH, I THINK WE CAN BREAK THAT DOWN FOR YOU.

WE WILL GIVE YOU SOME STATISTICS ON KIND OF WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, WHAT THE PERSONA OF, OF, OF SOMEBODY WHO USES REAP, YOU KNOW, LOOKS LIKE.

AND IS, DO YOU HAVE A LINK RIGHT NOW BETWEEN THE R THE REAP, UH, CUSTOMER AND THE STEP PROGRAM? ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.

CUSTOMERS WOULD QUALIFY FOR ANY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AUTOMATICALLY.

WE, YOU KNOW, WE RUN 'EM THROUGH STEP TO SEE IF THEY QUALIFY.

SO ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS WORK TOGETHER.

THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR.

SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE SINGLE FAMILY CUSTOMER DOESN'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE REIT PROGRAM? I, I, I THINK TYPICALLY THE, THE, EVEN IF THEY GET WEATHERIZATION, THEY STILL COULD NEED ASSISTANCE.

AND AS FAR AS THEY'RE, THEY'RE QUALIFIED FROM AN INCOME BASIS, WHICH IS 125% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY, UH, GUIDELINE, THEN THEY'LL, THEN THEY, THEN THEY HAVE ACCESS TO REAP WHETHER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY GET WEATHERIZED OR NOT.

THE, YOU DON'T GET WEATHERIZED AND THEN GET BUMPED OUT OF THE PROGRAM, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.

NO, NO, I'M SORRY.

NO, I WAS JUST HOPING IT WOULD REDUCE THEIR, THEIR ENERGY BURDEN AND, UH, OH, WELL, I'M SURE IF THEY GET WEATHERIZED, THEIR BILLS WILL GO DOWN, YOU KNOW, BY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN UP TO 25, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IF, IF IT'S AIR CONDITIONING, IF IT'S VENTILATION, I MEAN, YOU MAY SEE SOME, YOU KNOW, OVER 30% DROPS IN, IN, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN BILLS.

UM, BUT YOU STILL HAVE PEOPLE WHO, WHO ARE GONNA NEED THE HELP.

ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S, IN TODAY'S, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENT WHERE COSTS ARE GOING UP ACROSS THE BOARD.

I THINK COUNCILMAN BRAVO BROUGHT THIS UP.

RUDY.

IS, IS THERE A WAY TO, UH, TO SEE THE PROFILE OF THAT CUSTOMER AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE ONES WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REAP, SORT OF WHAT THE OUT, SORRY FOR STEP, WHAT THE OUTCOMES OF THAT ARE AND MAYBE SOME OF THE BARRIERS YOU'RE HITTING IN WEATHERIZING, SOME OF THOSE HOMES, SO THAT WE, WELL, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO YES, MA'AM, TO HELP WITH THAT? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS PART OF A RECAST, UH, WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM IS TO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE YOUR STANDARD ABOUT $4,500, YOU KNOW, A HOUSEHOLD PROGRAM THAT WILL PAY FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT DURING THE STEP CONVERSATION WAS, YOU KNOW,

[01:45:01]

WHAT IF THERE ARE REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO THE HOME TO MAKE THEM WEATHERIZATION ELIGIBLE? UH, AND SO I, I THINK FOR, UH, WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER HIGH UTILITY BURDEN CUSTOMERS, THAT'S CUSTOMERS OVER 10% OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS GOING TOWARDS ENERGY.

UH, WE'D LIKE TO DO MORE THAN THE 4,500.

AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE TWEAKS THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MAKE TO WEATHERIZATION, UH, GOING FORWARD, IS TO BE ABLE TO SPEND MORE DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S NECESSARY TO, TO GET A HOME WEATHERIZED.

SO, UH, I THINK THAT'S ONE, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THAT, THAT REALLY CAME FROM THIS BODY.

AND I KNOW I'M NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO COME UP WITH THIS ABOUT LINKING THE STEP, THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM WITH OUR MINOR HOME REPAIR OR MAJOR HOME REPAIR OR UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM.

SO IS THAT ALREADY IN THE WORKS OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, TO HELP? I'M GONNA PHONE A FRIEND INDIANA HERE.

OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM IS WORKING WITH THE CITY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO LINK THAT, UH, THOSE PROGRAMS. WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN ALSO TO AUTO-ENROLL.

SO IF WE QUALIFY, UH, D H SS AND I, AND, AND OUR TEAMS WORK VERY CLOSELY TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, DO AUTO QUALIFICATION.

SO I KNOW THE PROGRAM THAT JUST LAUNCHED ON, UH, AUGUST 2ND, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS YOUR CREW MEMBERS ARE PROBABLY TALKING TO, UH, YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT.

AND WE CONTINUE AS MANY PROGRAMS AS WE CAN FIND.

WE WILL CONNECT THEM ALL AT THE SAME TIME WHENEVER WE WORK WITH THEM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, MS. HARTWICK, AND, UH, IT'D BE GREAT TO, TO HEAR ABOUT THAT AT OUR, UM, MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE MEETING AT SOME POINT CHAIR.

UM, I ALSO WANNA ECHO SOME OF THE COMMENTS BROUGHT FORWARD BY COUNCILWOMAN CUSTODY.

I THINK, UM, ESPECIALLY, UH, ABOUT THE, THE DEBT THAT SOME OF THE CUSTOMERS CARRY AND WAYS THAT WE CAN RESOLVE THAT IS, IS THAT WHAT THE ARPA FUNDS? UM, I'M SORRY.

CAN THE ARBA FUNDS BE USED FOR THAT? SO WE'VE, I, WE'VE PRETTY MUCH, WE HAVEN'T GOT, THERE'S A PROCESS TO GO THROUGH TO ACTUALLY GET THE PAYMENTS APPLIED.

UM, SO WE'RE ABOUT 12 MILLION IN TO ACTUALLY GETTING PAYMENTS APPLIED.

UH, BUT WE'VE GOT THE WHOLE $20 MILLION SPOKEN FOR, UH, INDIANA.

I SPEAK OUTTA TURN, PLEASE, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, BUMP ME OUTTA THE WAY HERE.

UM, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED A NEED PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THE DOLLARS WERE AVAILABLE, WE COULD PROBABLY SPEND A HUNDRED ANOTHER 19 MILLION.

NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE US A WHILE TO GET ALL THAT THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT, UH, THE NEED IS OUT THERE AND THE $20 MILLION THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN HAS SPOKEN FOR.

THE PROPOSAL THAT, THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD.

THANK YOU, UH, VERY MUCH.

UM, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THE IDEA OF A POLICY FOR WHEN THERE IS EXCESS REVENUE.

I, I DID ALSO MENTION THIS LAST TIME, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHE GARCIA HAS MENTIONED IT, OF COURSE.

UM, SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHEN WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO THAT, BUT I I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LET TO MUCH TIME GO FORWARD BEFORE, UM, WE DISCUSS THAT WHILE IT'S FRESH IN OUR MINDS.

UM, I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS TO CHOOSE FROM, INCLUDING ALL THOSE BUDGETS THAT WE HAD LAST, UH, SEPTEMBER OR AUGUST, THAT, THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE, INTO THE BUDGET.

UM, BUT I THINK WE ALSO WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT HOW WE FORECAST THOSE REVENUES, AND THAT THAT IS ALSO AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, UH, IN TERMS OF THE, THE EXCESS, UH, REVENUE THAT WE HAVE.

UH, THIS TIME, I, I THINK IT'S REALLY HARD ONCE YOU, ONCE YOU TELL THE PUBLIC THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM SOME MONEY TO SAY YOU'RE NOT GONNA GIVE THEM THAT MONEY ANYMORE.

UM, BUT AS SOMEONE WHO, UM, WHO HAS BEEN CALLED THE CLIMATE ACTIVIST BY THE MAYOR, THE CLIMATE ACTIVIST ON THE COUNCIL BY THE MAYOR, UH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO, TO, I THINK I SAID SCIENTIST, YOU CORRECTED ME.

OH, THANK YOU.

UM, , UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO, WHO HAS WORKED IN THIS FIELD PRIOR TO COMING TO COUNCIL.

UM, IT IS MUSIC TO MY EARS TO HEAR OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TALKING ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, EVEN COUNCILMAN PARENTING.

I'M JUST KIDDING ABOUT, UH, ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND PROTECTING OUR RESIDENTS FROM THE WORST IMPACTS OF IT.

BUT, BUT IT IS ALSO, UM, SOBERING BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT THE IMPACTS ARE SO SERIOUS NOW THAT THEY ARE, THEY'RE REALLY, UM, PART OF OUR DAILY SPOKEN LANGUAGE, UH, HERE.

UM, THAT SAID, UH, I THINK, I THINK $50 MILLION INVESTING, $50 MILLION IN CLIMATE, UH, PROTECTION, UH, EFFORTS, WHETHER IT'S WEATHERIZATION TO COMPLIMENT THE STEP PROGRAM OR, OR OTHER THINGS WOULD BE A SEA CHANGE IN SAN ANTONIO.

IT WOULD, UH, ABSOLUTELY BE A CATALYST.

UH, BUT LIKE I SAID, I, I JUST DON'T THINK WE CAN DO THAT TO THE RATE PAYERS AFTER WE'VE TOLD THEM WE'RE GONNA GIVE THEM THAT MONEY.

I'M, I'M EXTREMELY TORN, UH, ABOUT THAT, BUT I DO ABSOLUTELY RESPECT, UM, THE, THE SENTIMENT AND THE DI THE POLICY DIRECTION THAT THE COUNCILMAN HAS, HAS PROPOSED.

UM, AND, UH, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION ABOUT

[01:50:01]

SO I WOULD LIKE A MOMENT JUST TO, TO CLARIFY, UM, I AM NOT PROPOSING TO USE THE EXCESS REVENUE, UH, THE F SORRY, THE, THE MONEY SLATED AT THIS POINT FOR A REBATE.

UM, LIKE I SAID, IF, IF THE CUSTOMERS HAVE ALREADY HEARD THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET THAT MONEY, IT, IT'S REALLY HARD TO, TO TAKE IT AWAY OR TO REDUCE IT.

UM, WHAT I AM PROPOSING IS THAT BEGINNING THIS BUDGET YEAR AND GOING FORWARD, WE SET ASIDE, UM, THAT 14% THAT COMES FROM THE STEP REVENUE AND THAT WE DEDICATE THAT TO RESILIENCY, ENERGY EFFICIENCIES, SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES.

UM, AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, I, I WOULD, I WANT TO ESTABLISH THIS, I HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD ESTABLISH THIS AS AN ONGOING FUND AND, UH, AND THAT WE CONSIDER IT A FLOOR, UH, NOT A CEILING TO OUR INVESTMENTS IN, UM, IN THESE AREAS.

UM, I DID SEND YOU A QUICK UPDATE BECAUSE ERIC POINTED OUT TO ME SOME THINGS THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE IN MY IN MY PROPOSAL OR SOME, SOMETHING I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.

AND THAT'S THAT IF WE WANT TO START DOING THIS, THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE, THE FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY BUDGETING FOR, THAT MEANS NOT WAITING FOR THE NEXT STEP PROGRAM TO BEGIN.

I KNOW I'M, I'M, I'M PROBABLY CONFUSING THINGS EVEN MORE, BUT BASICALLY IT MEANS, UM, PULLING THE REVENUE FROM THAT'S ALREADY BEING COLLECTED FROM, FROM STEP RUDY, THERE'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY.

WELL, IT IT, AND IT GETS A LITTLE CONFUSING AND I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO NOT GET, DON'T.

WELL, UM, THE CURRENT, THE NEW STEP PROGRAM REALLY WON'T COME INTO PLAY UNTIL THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

UM, SO ERIC AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT WHEN THE FUNDS WOULD ACTUALLY START GETTING COLLECTED.

AND RUDY, THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN WAS TALKING ABOUT.

IS, IS ADJUSTING FOR THAT BECAUSE I SHARED WITH HER THE CONVERSATION WE HAD ABOUT THE TIMELINE, OF NEW STEP VERSUS OLD STEP.

SO I THINK SHE'S IN HER REVISED PROPOSAL.

SHE'S ACCOMMODATED THAT.

GOT IT.

AT LEAST I CLARIFY THAT 'CAUSE I, MY PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION.

RIGHT.

UM, THAT'S THE AUDIENCE THAT I'M CLARIFYING THIS FOR, ACTUALLY, AND, AND TWO, I HAD ORIGINALLY PROPOSED A, A PILOT PROGRAM.

UM, I'M GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE BOLD AND SAY, LET'S DO THIS, UM, IN FOR THE LIFE OF, OF THIS STEP PROGRAM.

WOW.

TIME TO THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.

COUNCILS MEMBER PALAI IS, YEAH.

UH, WITH REGARDS TO THE OPINION OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.

I THINK ALL OF US HAVE A PRETTY GOOD, UM, FEEL FOR WHAT THAT IS.

BUT, UM, ERIC, YOU KNOW, AND JEFF, I WONDER WHETHER OR NOT IT'S ASKING TOO MUCH FOR US TO ACTUALLY ASK THE QUESTION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE WAY THAT WE ASK THE QUESTION OF THE PUBLIC.

WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAVE A BUDGET RIGHT, TO DECIDE, IS THERE, HOW FAST WOULD IT TAKE TO DEPLOY A SURVEY WHERE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC AND SAY, THESE ARE THE CHOICES AVAILABLE TO US, AND WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO TELL US WHICH ONE YOU WANT.

BECAUSE I MEAN, UM, I, ON THE ONE HAND, I'M HEARING TWO OR THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY, MY PUB, YOU KNOW, MY CONSTITUENTS DON'T WANT $31.

AND THEN ON THE OTHER, I'M HEARING FROM ONE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER SAYING THAT HIS CONSTITUENTS WOULD LIKE THEIR MONEY BACK.

AND SO, I MEAN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $50 MILLION HERE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, SEA CHANGE MONEY, UM, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO ASK THE PUBLIC, UH, CERTAINLY COUNCILMAN, WE COULD, WE COULD, UH, COME UP WITH A SURVEY TO GIVE THE, THE PUBLIC, UM, UH, OPTIONS TO WEIGH IN ON IT.

WE COULD DO THAT.

HOW FAST COULD WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WE'LL NEED TO COME BACK TO YOU WITH A PLAN.

YOU KNOW, UH, THAT THE, FOR RETIREES WHO ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR, IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER.

UM, I MEAN, I, I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING WHAT THE ANSWER IS, UH, AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT ANSWER, YOU KNOW, JIVES WITH WHAT I THINK, UM, THE ANSWER IS.

AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PRETTY GOOD AT ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR OPINIONS.

AND, YOU KNOW, UM, IF IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, AS A MATTER OF COURSE, BECAUSE ESSAY SPEAK UP IS UP AND RUNNING AT ALL TIMES, THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, I'D, I'D INVITE MY COLLEAGUES TO, TO EXPRESS WHETHER OR NOT THEY'D LIKE TO GO TO THE PUBLIC AND ASK THEM FOR PERMISSION TO SPEND THEIR MONEY IN THIS WAY OR THAT WAY.

I THINK IT'D BE IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING, UM, THE PUBLIC, UM, OPTIONS THAT ARE REAL UNDER THE, UM, THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN.

SO WE COULD WORK ON THAT AND, UH, DEVELOP A PLAN PRETTY QUICKLY, OR GIVE YOU A REPORT LATER ON THE WEEK.

SO, UM, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT, UH, POVERTY IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I WAS, I WAS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, OUR PLACES IT RANKS IN, UM, AS COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE UNITED STATES.

AND I, I WAS, I WAS SAD TO LEARN THAT THE MEDIAN BANK ACCOUNT BALANCE FOR AMERICAN LATINOS IS $2,000.

UM, AND FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS, IT'S $1,500.

UM, YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT,

[01:55:01]

UM, AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT EDUCATION LEVELS, THOSE AMERICANS WITHOUT HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS OR WHO HAVE JUST REACHED THE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA LEVEL, UM, HAVE A MEDIAN BANK ACCOUNT OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT $31 COULD BE A COPAY FOR LIFESAVING MEDICINE, AND $31 COULD BE A COPAY FOR A DOCTOR'S VISIT, UM, I'M NOT, I I FIND IT REALLY HARD TO HEAR PEOPLE CALL A, YOU KNOW, A RETURN OF $31 TO ANYBODY IN THAT SITUATION.

INSTANT GRATIFICATION, I THINK PLAYING FAST AND LOOSE.

AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THOSE WORDS, UH, WOE BE TO THE ELECTED OFFICIAL WHO DISMISSES PEOPLE'S PAIN LIKE THAT.

UM, AND, UM, WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO BEEN TALKING ABOUT INSULIN COPAYS.

YOU KNOW, INSULIN COPAYS ON AVERAGE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE $54, RIGHT? WITHOUT YOUR INSULIN INJECTION, YOU DIE.

UM, AND THE PEOPLE IN DISTRICT EIGHT, THEY CAN AFFORD, UH, INSULIN.

UM, AND FOR MAYBE THEM $31 IS NOT A BIG DEAL.

UM, AND CONSIDERING THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON AT THIS TABLE WHO IS AN ELECT, WHO'S AN ELECTED OFFICIAL MAKES ABOUT $45,000 FROM THE CITY IN A SALARY, $31 IS REALLY PROBABLY NOT A BIG DEAL TO US.

WHEN YOU ALSO CONSIDER THAT THE MAJORITY OF US SUBSIDIZE THAT SALARY WITH WHATEVER OUR SPOUSES EARN, OR THE NIGHT WORK THAT WE DO AT OUR LADY OF THE LAKE, OR, YOU KNOW, AT OUR LAW PRACTICES.

AND SO WE, UM, YOU KNOW, 31, 30 $1 IS NOT A BIG DEAL, UM, MAYBE TO US ON THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LADIES UPSTAIRS WHO ARE CLEANING OUR OFFICES AS WE SPEAK, FOR WHOM $31 MAY BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GETTING INSULIN OR GETTING THEIR KID, UH, TO THE DOCTOR.

AND SO, UM, I'M, I'M CERTAINLY NOT GONNA GO AND, UH, CHARACTERIZE THIS AS INSTANT GRATIFICATION TO ANY SAN ANTONIO WHO IS FACING THIS.

AND, UM, ANYWAY, I THINK THOSE WORDS ARE GROSS.

UM, SO I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I, I'M GENERALLY IN SUPPORT OF GIVING THE PEOPLE'S MONEY BACK TO THE PEOPLE, UM, SINCE IT'S THEIR MONEY.

UH, BUT AGAIN, I'LL REITERATE, WE'VE GOT A VERY SERIOUS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM IN SAN ANTONIO THAT WE HAVE YET TO ADEQUATELY FUND.

UM, AND, UM, WE HAVE WOMEN AND KIDS WHO ARE BEING KILLED AND ASSASSINATED, UM, MORE THAN IS ACCEPTABLE, ONE IS MORE THAN IS ACCEPTABLE, BUT WE'RE SEEING THEM IN BY THE DOZENS EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

UM, WE HAVE NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM.

WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT.

WE'VE DEDICATED SOME ARPA MONEY TO IT, BUT, UM, WE'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO, UM, MAKE A SEA CHANGE INVESTMENT, UM, IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

I'M SAD THAT I'M NOT HEARING ANYBODY, UM, STAND UP FOR THOSE VICTIMS, BUT MAYBE THAT, HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE ANOTHER DAY WHEN WE CAN DO THAT.

UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.

THANKS, MAYOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER PAL.

COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, CLOSE MY, MY COMMENTS OUT.

UM, I'M ACTUALLY NOT THAT GOOD AT TIMING IT WITH THE TIMER.

THAT WAS A, I WASN'T QUITE DONE.

UM, SO REGARDING THE, THE PROPOSAL THAT I HAVE FOR NEXT YEAR'S REVENUES, NOT THE REVENUES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN, UH, COLLECTED, UH, THERE IS A SMALL PROBLEM IN THAT, UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT MONEY IS GOING TO COME FROM RIGHT NOW, SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FOUND SOMEWHERE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

UM, I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH, UH, WITH ERIC, UH, TO SOME EXTENT, AND I HAVE ASKED HIM TO HELP ME COME UP WITH SOME OPTIONS THAT THEY WOULD VET AND THAT I WOULD, UM, HAVE TO COME AND BRING FORWARD TO, TO THE COUNCIL.

SO, UM, OR I'M GONNA ASK HIM NOW, ACTUALLY.

? YES, MA'AM.

WE'RE NOT, UM, BURNING UP.

UM, AND JUST TO REITERATE WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS, UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT JUST FEEL GOOD MONEY FOR CLIMATE.

IT IS, UM, UH, WHAT COUNCILMAN BRAVO SAID, LEVERAGING FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, SMALL GRANTS TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, HOPEFULLY IN ALL IN ALL DISTRICTS.

AND, UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, URBAN HEAT ISLAND, UH, MITIGATION, WHICH IS OF COURSE DRIVING UP, UM, SOME OF OUR BILLS.

UH, IN FACT, UM, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THIS HOT IN, IN SAN ANTONIO AND THIS PAST SUMMER OR THE SUMMER THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING, I, I KIND OF FELT LIKE A PRISONER IN MY OWN HOME BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SO HOT OUTSIDE.

AND, UM, SO I, I HOPE THAT'S NOT EVERY YEAR GOING, GOING FORWARD.

AND, UM, AND YEAH, WHERE I LIVE, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A TREE ON MY PROPERTY, AND THERE'S NOT, UM, THAT'S NOT MY FAULT, THAT'S THE FAULT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED THERE 20 YEARS BEFORE ME .

BUT THERE'S, UH, UH, AND ALSO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PAVEMENT.

FORTUNATELY, MY ROOF IS WHITE.

IT WOULD BE A LOT WORSE IF, IF IT WEREN'T, BUT, UM, BUT I DO HOPE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE MY CHILD ON A WALK SOMEDAY WHEN, WHEN

[02:00:01]

SO, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.

I THINK WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED AROUND THIS MEETING.

UH, AND OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THIS SOME MORE BEFORE WE COME TO ANY KIND OF FINAL DECISION, BUT I JUST WANT TO STAND BY MY, MY REAL STRONG BELIEF THAT THIS IS CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FUNDS ALREADY.

WE'VE GOT MOST OF IT IN THE BANK, AND I HAVE A HARD TIME GIVING SAN ANTONIO REVENUE DOLLARS TO BUSINESSES OR INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

I, I JUST CAN'T JUSTIFY THAT MYSELF.

UH, AND SO I HOPE THAT AS WE LOOK AT THIS, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE ANY BENEFIT THAT'S RECEIVED FROM THE CITY GIVING ITS RESOURCES IS GOING TO GO TO CITY RESIDENTS.

UH, AND AND I SAY TOO, I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO GO TO BUSINESSES.

BUSINESSES WRITE THAT OFF.

IT IS A TAX DEDUCTION.

IT REDU IT'S PART OF THEIR EXPENSE FOR PROVIDING WHATEVER SERVICE THEY HAVE.

AND JUST THE THOUGHT OF GIVING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO 20, OR 30 OR 40,000 BUS 40 BUSINESSES, EXCUSE ME, UH, OR A COUPLE OF THOUSAND OTHER BUSINESSES GETTING HUNDREDS OR A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH, UH, WILL NOT SIT WELL, I THINK WITH PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT OR WITH, WITH PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.

UH, I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON PUTTING THIS MONEY TO THE BEST USE FOR THE RESIDENTS, UH, AND THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO.

I, I LIKE THE IDEAS THAT, THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED ABOUT TRYING TO USE MORE OF THIS MONEY, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, TO HELP WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THERE BEING MONEY IN THE STEP PROGRAM FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BETWEEN 40 AND 45 MILLION IN OUR BOND PROGRAM THAT'S GONNA GO TO REHAB EXISTING BUILDINGS.

WE NEED TO PUT THOSE TWO TOGETHER AND MAYBE PART OF, UH, FOUR OR $5 MILLION, UH, CAN GO FROM THE CITY TO ADD TO THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR MAKING THESE REHAB JOBS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE TARGETING IT FROM TWO WAYS WITH C P S FUNDS, WITH MONEY THAT WE MAY PROVIDE OUT OF THIS LARGE S IF I CAN CALL IT THAT, AND WITH MONEY THAT'S GONNA BE IN THE BOND PROGRAM.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK WE CAN STILL PROVIDE DIRECT, UH, FUNDING TO THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MY, MY COLLEAGUE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GONNA WANT THEIR MONEY BACK.

THEY PAID FOR IT.

WELL, UH, VALERO IS MAKING BILLIONS OFF OF PROFITS, AND THE COST OF GAS HAS GONE WAY UP.

OUR CUSTOMER, WERE CUSTOMERS OVERPAID.

I DON'T KNOW, YOU HAVE TO ASK VALERO, BUT I DON'T THINK THE CUSTOMERS EXPECT VALERO TO GIVE THEM BACK SOME OF THAT MONEY.

SO WHY WOULD WE EXPECT THAT WE WOULD GIVE CUSTOMERS BACK SOME OF THAT MONEY, PARTICULARLY IF THEY DON'T EVEN LIVE IN THE SAN CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE TO EXPLORE, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE US EXPLORE IT MORE.

BUT I REALLY BELIEVE IF YOU GIVE SOMEONE $75 AS OPPOSED TO 10 OR 12 OR 19 OR 24, THAT'S THE AVERAGE IN THEIR DISTRICT, OR 50, I THINK THEY APPRECIATE AND HAVE MUCH MORE USE FOR THAT MONEY THAN WE CAN EVEN DISCUSS.

AND SO I THINK THE MORE THAT WE CAN PUT BACK INTO OUR CITIZENS' POCKETS OUT OF THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDING, THE BETTER WE SERVE THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

ELECTRICITY BILL, THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO THIS EQUATION.

COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.

THANK YOU, SIR.

YEAH, , UH, OH, JUST HAVE TO PUSH BACK ON MY COLLEAGUE A LITTLE BIT.

UM, BUSINESSES ARE RATE PAYERS ALSO, THEY HAVE SUFFERED JUST AS MUCH AS RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

AND I, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES, YEAH, THERE ARE TAX WRITE-OFFS OUT THERE, BUT UTILITY BILLS ARE NOT WRITE-OFFS.

THEY PAY THAT AND THEY PASS THAT BILL ON THE CUSTOMERS, WHICH ARE US PURCHASING WHATEVER GOODS ARE AND SERVICES THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING.

SO I, I THINK, UH, UH, I, I'M SPEAKING UP FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

THEY, THEY ARE A RATE PAYER, UM, JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS CITY AND SURROUNDING, UH, COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS CITIES WITHIN OUR CITY, HOLLYWOOD PARK, UM, UH, ALAMO HEIGHTS, TAROT HEIGHTS, YOU KNOW, GOES ON AND ON AND ON.

SO I THINK, AGAIN, WE NEED TO LOOK AT EVERYBODY AS CUSTOMERS.

IF THEY'RE PAYING AN

[02:05:01]

BUT THIS EQUATION, AS I MENTIONED AT THE VERY BEGINNING, DIDN'T SHOW THE FULL STORY.

AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT WITH THAT IS, UH, WITH THAT FULL STORY WITH, UH, 75 MILLION AND THEN GO FROM THERE.

SO, UM, YEAH, I, I, I JUST, I, I JUST THINK EVERYBODY THAT HAS BEEN PAYING INTO THIS OVERPAYMENT SHOULD GET THEIR FAIR SHARE BACK.

WHAT, UM, WHATEVER THAT, WHATEVER THAT MIX IS GOING BACK TO BUSINESSES AND THE COMMUNITIES.

THAT'S ALL, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCILS MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.

I, FOR ONE, AM SHOCKED THAT NONE OF US AGREE.

UM, , I, I WILL ACTUALLY, UM, I SUPPORT THE IDEA OF DOING A SURVEY OF SORTS, AND I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA USE SOME OF MY OWN RESOURCES TO DO A SURVEY OF SORTS.

UH, AND SO IF WE CAN NOT DO THAT AND THE CITY WILL DO IT, I WILL GLADLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.

BUT I WAS VERY CRITICAL OF OUR SURVEY, OF OUR BUDGET SURVEY PROCESS, AND I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT WE NEED TO ASK THE QUESTION IN THE REALEST WAYS POSSIBLE.

AND SO I THINK THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, SOMETHING LIKE AN INTERACTIVE ELEMENT WHERE THEY CAN INPUT THE AMOUNT OF THEIR JULY BILL AND FIND OUT HOW MUCH THEY'D RECEIVE BACK.

I WOULD BE RECEPTIVE TO THAT BECAUSE THEN EVERY PERSON IS MAKING A DECISION BASED OFF OF THEIR REALITY, NOT BASED OF SOME POSSIBILITY THAT THEY COULD GET $50 OR $70 BACK WHEN REALLY THEY'RE GETTING EIGHT.

UM, I JUST DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS OF THE PUBLIC AND ONLY GIVE THEM SOME INFORMATION.

I WOULD ALSO, LIKE, BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO HAVE, UM, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION SO WE CAN DETERMINE WHAT ALL OF OUR OPTIONS ARE AND INCLUDE THAT IN THE SURVEY.

BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE TO GIVE $4 MILLION TO THE LARGEST, TO THE 40 LARGEST USERS, THAT IS A HUGE IMPACT.

AND THAT COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE FEELING COMFORTABLE WITH A REBATE VERSUS NOT.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE US TO, UH, EXPLORE WHETHER OR NOT DIRECT ASSISTANCE AS POSSIBLE.

I'M STILL NOT SOLD ON A C P S CREDIT, AND I FEEL IF PEOPLE ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT THEY WILL WITH THAT $31, $40, HOWEVER MUCH IT IS, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.

THAT IS ALL.

COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CULTURE CHANGED OVER THERE AND PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND YOU SEE MOVEMENT OVER THERE.

DAVE, CAN YOU TRY AND PULL UP THAT, UH, SIGNS OF HEAT STRESS POSTER? UM, LET ME, LET ME SAY THAT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO BE ACCURATE IN HOW WE DISCUSS THIS.

AND, UM, I MEAN, COUNCILMAN PERRY TALKED ABOUT THAT CUSTOMERS OVERPAID RUDY, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CUS C P SS ENERGY CUSTOMERS OVERBUILD THIS SUMMER.

ABSOLUTELY NOT, SIR.

I MEAN, WE, OUR RATES ARE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE, WE COLLECT REVENUE TO RUN OUR SYSTEM.

FUEL IS PART OF THAT, WHICH WE HAVE TO PROVE UP TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC UTILITY OFFICE EVERY MONTH BEFORE IT'S ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RATES ARE CHANGED.

WE COLLECT THE MONEY, WE SEND THE CITY UP, THEY'RE UP TO 14%.

SO CUSTOMERS WERE, WEREN'T OVERCHARGED, THEY WERE CHARGED THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT PER OUR RATES, RIGHT? I, SO I SAW THE PRESENTATION, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS MAYBE IN THE JULY C P SS ENERGY BOARD MEETING, LOOKING AT THE JUNE BILLS AND THE JUNE 22 BILLS ON AVERAGE WERE 50% HIGHER THAN THE JUNE, 2021 BILLS, RIGHT? IT, IT DEPENDS.

I MEAN, MINE WERE WAS 30% HIGHER, BUT IT'S 30 TO 50%.

IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT RIGHT.

WELL, IN THE PRESENTATION I SAW THEY WERE, ON AVERAGE THE RESIDENTIAL BILLS WERE 50% HIGHER.

AND I SAW THAT EXACTLY 50% OF THAT RATE INCREASE WAS DUE TO PEOPLE USING MORE ENERGY, RIGHT? AND SO, LIKE, IF YOU'RE A SAS CUSTOMER AND YOU PUT YOUR WATER SPRINKLER ON AND YOU GO OUTTA TOWN FOR A MONTH AND YOU COME BACK, YOU'RE GONNA BE BILLED MORE BECAUSE YOU USED MORE, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.

IF COUNCILMAN PERRY GOES TO RUTH CHRIS FOR DINNER AND HE ORDERS TWO STEAKS, HE CAN'T GO BACK AND SAY, HEY, I, I'M ONLY ONE PERSON.

YOU CAN ONLY CHARGE ME FOR ONE DINNER.

IF YOU ATE TWO STEAKS, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE BILL, YOU'RE GONNA, IF YOU USE MORE, YOU PAY MORE.

AND SO IT'S, YES, PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING, YES, THE BILLS ARE HIGHER, BUT PE THAT DOESN'T MEAN PEOPLE WERE OVERBUILT.

AND WE NEED TO GET THIS UNDER CONTROL SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO USE SO MUCH ENERGY TO MAINTAIN THEIR, THEIR HOMES AT A COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT HERE.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE WARNING PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, IF YOU GO OUTSIDE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE INABILITY TO, TO THINK CLEARLY.

WE'RE WORRIED THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA DIE OF HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE, AND THIS IS THE NEW NORMAL, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.

I MEAN, I LOOK AT, I LOOK AT HOUSTON, THE OIL AND GAS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AND THEY WEREN'T TAKING THESE ISSUES SERIOUSLY.

AND THEN THEY GOT HIT BY HURRICANE HARVEY

[02:10:01]

AND SO WE'VE SEEN THIS SUMMER AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO TAKE REAL ACTION AND NOT JUST SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT A GUARANTEED REVENUE STREAM AND IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT, AND WE'RE GONNA START TO DO SOMETHING.

WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S CATALYTIC.

WE NEED TO TAKE A BIG STEP NOW, A BIG SHOT IN THE ARM BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE BACK HERE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION THE NEXT SUMMER AND THE NEXT SUMMER AND THE NEXT SUMMER SAYING, WELL, WHAT DO WE DO? WE COULD GIVE EVERYBODY $30 BACK AFTER WE KICKED THEM IN THE TEETH WITH THEIR BILLS.

I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN.

I WANT TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY NOW AND I WANT TO START PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY.

COUNCILS MEMBER CASTILLO.

COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.

UM, I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WHEN WE, THAT WE EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INFLATION AND THE COST OF FUEL, THAT, UH, IT'S PRIMARILY CORPORATE GREED, RIGHT? EXXON, VALERO HAVE RECEIVED, UH, RECORD PROFITS OF OVER $25 BILLION.

THAT'S NOT INFLATION, THAT IS GREED.

UM, AND I THINK WHEN WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUITABLE RATES AND RECOGNIZING, AND THANK YOU RUDY FOR CLARIFYING THAT OUR C P S CUSTOMERS HAVE NOT BEEN OVERPAYING, RIGHT? THEY'RE, THEY'RE PAYING THE RATES THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND THEY'RE NOT BEING OVERCHARGED.

THIS BODY APPROVED THAT RATE TO CHARGE THEM MORE.

AND HERE WE ARE WITH THESE EXCESS FEES.

UM, MY, MY REQUEST IS THAT I WOULD HOPE TO SEE THE 5 MILLION FOR REAP INCREASE TO 6.7 TO SETTLE THOSE CRITICAL CARE ACCOUNTS AND THOSE FOLKS WHO, WHO ARE AT RISK OF BEING DISCONNECTED.

UM, WITH THAT, UM, IF THERE IS A SURVEY PUT FORWARD, MY REQUEST IS THAT THE CITY PROVIDES MY OFFICE WITH TABLETS TO GO DOOR TO DOOR TO SURVEY MY CONSTITUENTS.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ESSAY, SPEAK UP FOR THE 2023 BUDGET SURVEY, THE MAJORITY OF THE, UH, SENIOR CONSTITUENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, WERE PRIMARILY THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE WERE WHITE PARTICIPANTS WHEN WE'RE A MAJORITY LATINO CITY.

SO THERE ARE SOME DISCREPANCIES, AND I THINK WE CAN IMPROVE THE PROCESS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THE QUESTIONS BEING PUT FORWARD TO THE PUBLIC BEFORE WE GO PUBLIC WITH A SURVEY.

UM, BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, DIGITAL DIVIDE EXISTS.

UM, AND I WANNA BE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING EVERYONE'S INPUT IN THE PROCESS.

UM, AND, AND AGAIN, RIGHT? I THINK WHEN WE ENTER THE THE BUDGET CONVERSATION, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO, TO INVEST IN RESILIENCY, WEATHERIZATION, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THE REQUEST OF ANA, UH, AND MARIO AS WE ENTER THOSE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THAT NEED.

SO WITH THAT, I THINK, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO EXEC.

COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.

WE ARE GONNA HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.

UM, AND I KNOW WE DO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS TOPIC BEFORE, UH, WE GO TO THE BUDGET.

SO, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION.

BUT LET ME JUST, UM, SUM UP IN A FEW REFLECTIONS.

UM, I WON'T TRY TO SUMMARIZE ANYONE'S CON UH, DISCUSSION THEMSELVES, BUT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THIS CONVERSATION DID NOT START AS A RESULT OF THIS WINDFALL.

THE, THE NEED TO DEAL WITH THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE AND HOW THEY IMPACT INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES WITH REGARD TO WEATHERIZATION, WITH REGARD TO CLIMATE IMPACTS, GENERALLY.

I MEAN, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY STEP BEGAN OVER 10 YEARS AGO, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS PRECISELY WHY STEP HAS CONTINUED BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS AT COUNCIL.

SO WITH RESPECT TO THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT, UH, HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN F Y 22 AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASED COSTS OF ENERGY DURING THE SUMMER, THIS IS NOT THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSATION, NOR DO I THINK IT'S THE END OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE SOLUTION TO THOSE ISSUES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.

THE SECOND IS, I DO ALSO TAKE ISSUE WITH THE FACT THAT THIS MIGHT BE CHARACTERIZED BY SOME AS OVERCHARGING.

IT'S NOT.

C P S ENERGY IS A COST OF SERVICE BUSINESS.

WHAT IS RECEIVED IS PROGRAMMED, UH, WHAT IS NEEDED FOR REVENUE IS WHAT IS PROGRAMMED.

UM, THE ADDITION OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THAT 14% INCREMENT THAT THE CITY RECEIVES AS OWNER.

THAT 14% IS IN LIEU OF TAXES.

SO WE CAN DO PAVING OF STREETS, SIDEWALKS, PARKS, UH, THAT MONEY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND EVERY OTHER ONE OF THE CORE SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT FROM THE CITY.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT HERE IN THIS, IN THIS SITUATION IS THAT WE BUDGETED AND WE PASSED, AND WE HAVE PROGRAMMED AND IMPLEMENTED A F Y 22 BUDGET.

THAT'S WHAT'S HERE DURING THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, THIS SUMMER, THERE WAS A WINDFALL IN THAT 14% BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF

[02:15:01]

ENERGY.

SO GOING INTO F Y 23, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FUND BALANCE RELATED TO THAT C P SS ENERGY.

DOES THAT MEAN OUR, OUR RESIDENTS EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT THEY WANT FROM THE CITY HAS CHANGED? I DON'T THINK SO.

THEY DIDN'T JUST START EXPECTING US TO DEAL WITH, WITH CLIMATE, OTHERWISE WE WOULDN'T HAVE PASSED STEP OTHERWISE WE WOULDN'T HAVE, UH, COMMITTED OURSELVES TO A CAP.

IT COULD BE ARGUED AND, AND I I'M FIRST TO STATE THAT WE ARE NOT GOING FAST ENOUGH IN OUR CLIMATE GOALS AND, AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS ACCELERATING SOME OF THOSE, UH, OBJECTIVES.

IS THE SOLUTION TO THAT MORE REVENUE? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

UM, THAT WAS MY FIRST QUESTION TO YOU, RUDY, ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE FUNDING CAN WE PUSH THROUGH THE WEATHERIZATION PIPE TO MAKE IT MORE BENEFICIAL TO OUR CUSTOMERS? ARE WE LACKING FOR FUNDING IN THAT DEPARTMENT? IS THAT WHY YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER? I'M ASKING RHETORICALLY, UM, IS MORE MONEY THE SOLUTION TO THAT ISSUE? IF YOU ASK ME TODAY FROM WHERE I'M SITTING, I DON'T THINK THE ANSWER IS YES.

THERE'S A WHOLE SLEW OF ISSUES RELATED TO MAKING OUR OUR HOMES MORE CLIMATE RESILIENT.

I MEAN, FRANKLY, IF WE HAD, IF WE HAD SURPLUS REVENUE, I THINK THAT THE, THE PROGRAMS RELATED TO HOME IMPROVEMENT, HOME REPAIR FOR SOME OF OUR LOWER INCOME RESIDENTS IN, IN THOSE HOMES THAT ARE ON THE VERGE OF CODE ENFORCED DEMOLITION, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S POINT IS A GREAT PLACE TO LOOK.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING TODAY.

IT'S ABOUT, UH, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE, THE C P SS REVENUE WINDFALL? SO IN MY ESTIMATION, UM, AND I'M, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE CONVERSATION WITH RESPECT TO HOW WE HAVE BUDGETED AND WE WILL BUDGET THE F Y 23, UM, YEAR, ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS EXPECTING SOMETHING DIFFERENT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE REVENUE? UM, I DON'T THINK THE ANSWER IS YES.

I THINK THE, ONE OF THE KEYS TO THE SOLUTION OR ONE OF THE KEYS TO US ADDRESSING MORE COMPREHENSIVELY THE CLIMATE IMPACTS THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT AND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS FOR, UH, RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO COPE DURING EXTREME HEAT AND AND COLD, UH, RELATES TO ENSURING WE CHANGE THE STATUS QUO.

WHICH IS WHY I, I BELIEVE STRONGLY IN, IN THE PROPOSAL THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL HAS PUT FORWARD, NOT AS A WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS C P S ISSUE IN ISOLATION, BUT HOW WE DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF MAKING OURSELVES MORE RESILIENT MOVING FORWARD.

THAT IS A OPERATIONAL CHANGE THAT IS A CHANGE OF STATUS QUO.

IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR SEA CHANGE, WE CHANGE THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS.

AND THAT'S THE, A CHANGE IN WAY WE DO BUSINESS.

IT'S NOT JUST SIMPLY ONE TIME SOURCE OF REVENUE.

SO AGAIN, JUST SUMMARIZING MY REFLECTIONS.

I THINK FOR ME, THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT EXCESS, I WON'T EVEN SAY EXCESS, THE ADDITIONAL INCREMENT THAT THE CITY HAS RECEIVED BECAUSE OF HIGH ENERGY COST DURING THE SUMMER, IF THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO EFFECTIVELY AND AS EQUITABLY AS POSSIBLE, RELIEVE THE PAIN THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE FELT, OF COURSE, WITHIN THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.

SO THAT'S WHERE I'M GONNA END UP ON THIS, I BELIEVE, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FOR AS AN EFFECTIVE AND FAIR WAY TO GET THAT SURPLUS REVENUE BACK TO THE RESIDENTS WHO GENERATED IT.

UM, AND I HOPE THAT THAT'S THE CONSIDER THE, THE CONVERSATION THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE.

UM,

[EXECUTIVE SESSION At any time during the meeting, the City Council may recess into executive session to consult with the City Attorney's Office (Texas Government Code Section 551.071) and deliberate or discuss any of the following: ]

THE TIME IS 4:26 PM ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 2022.

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.