* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:08]
          WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST. 
          WE HAVE A LOT TO COVER THIS MORNING. 
          WE'LL GET STARTED. 
          WE'RE STILL WAITING ON ONE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER OR COMMITTEE MEMBER THAT'S ON ON HIS WAY. 
          ON HIS WAY. 
          UH, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ROLE COUNCIL MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN HERE. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER HERE. 
          SHE'S HERE VIRTUALLY. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, CHAIR. 
          GAO KADA HERE, MA'AM, WE HAVE A QUORUM. 
          THANK YOU MADAM CLERK. 
          AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. 
          IN ADDITION TO THE APPROVAL 
          [Approval of Minutes
 ]
OF, UH, LAST ME MEETINGS MINUTES, THERE'S ONE ITEM FOR BRIEFING AND A POSSIBLE ACTION, AND ONE ITEM FOR BRIEFING PURPOSES ONLY. 
          MEMBERS. 
          TODAY, YOU'LL HAVE 10 MINUTES TO SPEAK, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ROUND FOR THREE IF YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS. 
          TODAY, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR ARPA FUNDS FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH CATEGORY. 
          WE'LL ALSO BE RECEIVING A BRIEFING FROM OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY GONZALEZ ON THE BEXAR COUNTY CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES, AND THE WAYS THE OFFICE IS FOCUSING ON VIOLENT CRIME PROSECUTION. 
          WE ALSO HAVE OUR, OUR OWN MUNICIPAL, UH, CHIEF JUDGE CARLA OLER HERE IN CASE WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          SO THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM OUR JUNE 21ST MEETING. 
          DO I HAVE A MOTION? SECOND. 
          I HAVE A, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? AYE. 
          UH, ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. 
          WE'LL 
          [Public Comment
 ]
NOW BEGIN WITH PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, OF, OF, UM, CITIZENS, UH, CAME TO SPEAK TODAY. 
          A QUICK REMINDER THAT COMMENTS ARE TWO MINUTES. 
          UNLESS SOMEONE SEEDS THEIR TIME TO YOU AND ANYONE THERE SEES AT SEEDS, THEIR TIME MUST BE LISTED AS A SPEAKER. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START. 
          OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DOUG BEACH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE HAVE TWO MINUTES. 
          YES, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          MY NAME IS DOUG BEACH. 
          I'M THE BOARD PRESIDENT FOR NAMI SAN ANTONIO. 
          THAT'S NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS. 
          WE'VE WORKED IN SAN ANTONIO SINCE 1984, AND OUR MISSION IS TO EDUCATE, ADVOCATE, AND PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE IMPACTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS. 
          AND THIS INCLUDES PEOPLE LIVING WITH THE DIAGNOSIS AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILY OR CAREGIVERS. 
          AND MY FAMILY IS ONE OF THOSE FAMILIES. 
          I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR SUPPORT FOR BRIDGES TO CARE SAN ANTONIO. 
          THIS IS A GRASSROOTS PROGRAM THAT BEGAN, UH, IN EARLY 2000, AND PROVIDES EDUCATION AND SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. 
          WE BEGAN JUST OVER, UH, 18 MONTHS AGO, AND BY YEAR END, WE HAVE EDUCATED OVER 800 PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND HELPED EQUIP THEM TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO ARE AT RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. 
          WE BEGAN BY WORKING IN FAITH COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND WE NOW WORK WITH OVER 60 CONGREGATIONS AND 20 OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. 
          THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND CONGREGATIONS WORK IN GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER IN COHORTS OF SIX TO 10, UH, GROUP SIX TO 10 CONGREGATIONS. 
          WE'VE PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED BUDGET INFORMATION TO THE CITY, UH, TO CITY STAFF. 
          OUR PROGRAMS DIRECTLY ADDRESS UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. 
          IT ADDRESSES MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND THE NEEDS THAT HAVE ARISE FROM THE PANDEMIC AND PROVIDES DIRECT SERVICES TO PEOPLE THAT NEED SERVICES. 
          WE ADVOCATE FOR FUNDS PROVIDED BY ARPA TO BE SPENT ON DIRECT SERVICES AND NOT ON SETTING UP ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SYSTEMS. FUNDS NEED TO GO DIRECTLY TO LOCAL COMMUNITY AGENCIES DOING THE WORK. 
          WE THINK THE ORGANIZATION BEING PUT IN PLACE BY THE SAN ANTONIO METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT WITH THE NEW CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH OFFICER IS A GOOD STEP IN THIS DIRECTION. 
          WE ALSO VERY MUCH SUPPORT THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN BEXAR COUNTY AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND WE THINK THIS IS ESSENTIAL TO BUILDING A MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT IMPROVES COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          RICHARD DAVIDSON. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M RICHARD DAVIDSON WITH FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          WE'VE BEEN SERVING PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO SINCE 1903. 
          I JUST WANTED TO MAKE BRIEF THREE BRIEFLY. 
          THREE OBSERVATIONS. 
          NUMBER ONE, I THINK THIS CITY DOES ONE OF THE BEST JOBS I'VE EVER SEEN, AND I'VE LIVED IN LIKE 22 CITIES AND REALLY GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT AND WHEN THEY'VE SET PRIORITIES, WHEN THEY LOOK AT FUNDING, UM, STRATEGIES, WHEN THEY LOOK AT ADDITIONAL SERVICE STRATEGY EXPANSION. 
          I, I PERSONALLY HAVE NEVER SEEN A CITY THAT DOES SUCH A GREAT JOB AS OUR, AS SAN ANTONIO DOES IN DOING THAT. 
          SECOND, 
          [00:05:01]
I REALLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUTH. 
          UM, WE SERVE A LOT OF CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS AND THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO SHARE AS AN OBSERVATION IS WHEN YOU ACTUALLY EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOU PARTNER WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, THE DEMAND FOR SERVICES IS OVERWHELMING. 
          FOR 26 YEARS, I'VE SERVED IN MULTIPLE COMMITTEES IN OUR COMMUNITY LOOKING AT MENTAL HEALTH IMPACTS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          AND AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, STIGMA HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE AND IT IS AN ISSUE. 
          I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT, BUT WHAT I REALLY THINK WE FOUND BY PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN SCHOOLS IS ITS ACCESS. 
          THAT'S BEEN THE PRIMARY ISSUE. 
          WHEN YOU PROVIDE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, THE COMMUNITY ACCESSES THOSE SERVICES. 
          OUR PARTNERS AND US WERE FUNDED TO SERVE 450 YOUTH THIS LAST YEAR. 
          WE SERVED 877 DOUBLE WHAT WE WERE FUNDED. 
          SO THE DEMAND IS DEFINITELY THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I REALLY THINK THE CITY LOOKING AT A BROADER AND DIVERSE WAY OF FUNDING SERVICES TO ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THE THIRD THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS ACTUALLY SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. 
          WHEN COMMUNITY AGENCIES PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS, NOT ONLY DO WE STRENGTHEN SCHOOLS AND ENABLE SCHOOLS TO FUNCTION AND FOCUS ON WHAT THEY NEED TO FOCUS ON, IT STRENGTHENS THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THE NEXT SPEAKER, I DON'T HAVE A LAST NAME. 
          IT SAYS RYAN WITH UP PARTNERSHIP. 
          HI. 
          OH, HELLO SIR. 
          HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. 
          GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY. 
          I'LL BE QUICK. 
          I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. 
          UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE MENTAL HEALTH INVESTMENT WILL BE A DIRECT REFLECTION OF THE COMMUNITY INPUT AND FOCUS ON UPSTREAM INVESTMENTS. 
          JOB WELL DONE. 
          UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. 
          FOR THE LAST 40 PLUS YEARS, UM, OUR COUNTRY HAS HAD THE HIGHEST INCARCERATION RATE IN THE WORLD WITH SOME NEIGHBORHOODS HAVING MORE PEOPLE LOCKED UP THE ENTIRE COUNTRIES. 
          BIG REASON FOR THAT IS WE HAVEN'T INVESTED IN THE NEXT GENERATION. 
          WE HAVEN'T HAD A COMMITMENT TO NOT LETTING THE NEXT GENERATION GET INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEM, AND ALSO WE HAVEN'T INVESTED IN THOSE PLACES, IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT NEED IT MOST. 
          YOUR PRIORITIES THAT YOU'VE SET FORTH IN THIS, UH, COUNTER BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. 
          AND SO BOTH FOLLOW, UH, WHAT I THINK OUR BEST PRACTICES FOR HOW WE REALLY ENSURE LONG-TERM INTERGENERATIONAL SAFETY FOR OUR COMMUNITY BY INVESTING IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH AND ALSO, UH, BY LISTENING TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS TOLD YOU. 
          SO I'M JUST HERE TO SAY THANK YOU AND REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP ON, ON THIS FRAMEWORK. 
          AND MY LAST NAME IS LUHA RYAN WITH UP PARTNERSHIP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, RYAN. 
          JULIA DOKEY. 
          UH, MY NAME IS JULIA DOKEY. 
          I'M 15 YEARS OLD AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION. 
          I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE AND I FILL A MAYOR ORAL SEAT ON THE COMMISSION. 
          I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY. 
          OUR COMMISSION CONDUCTED THIS PAST SPRING PRIMARILY OPENED DURING APRIL, OUR COMMISSION WHEN WE GOT TO TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WE THOUGHT WERE FACING YOUTH PREDOMINANTLY IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND THAT WE SAW WAS MENTAL HEALTH, BOTH IN OUR FRIENDS, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, OURSELVES, BUT WE WANTED TO TAKE IT TO A CITYWIDE SCALE. 
          WE RELEASED THIS SURVEY AND WE HAD OVER A THOUSAND RESPONDENTS TALKING ABOUT YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH. 
          I'M GONNA SHARE SOME OF THAT DATA, AND LATER ON ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL SHARE SOME OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          OUR SURVEY KIND OF PROVED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOING ON. 
          THERE IS A TEEN MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          39% OF OUR SURVEY RESPONDERS SAID THAT THEY WERE HAVING MORE BAD DAYS THAN GOOD DAYS, AND THAT'S A LOT. 
          UM, AND THEN GOING INTO THOSE WERE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE RECOGNIZING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH IS MAYBE YOU DON'T QUITE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          SO WE WENT INTO SOME OF THE INDICATORS. 
          OUR TWO LARGE INDICATORS WERE EATING OR SLEEPING TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE, WHICH WAS AROUND 69%. 
          AND HAVING LOW OR NO ENERGY, ABOUT 66%. 
          BUT ONE OF THE MOST SHOCKING PIECES OF DATA IS THAT 240 OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ON THIS SURVEY RESPONDED THAT THEY THEMSELVES, OR A FRIEND THEY KNEW WELL, HAD EXPERIENCED SUICIDAL IDEATION IN OUR YOUTH. 
          THESE ARE PEOPLE AGING FROM 12 TO 19. 
          THEY'RE NOT THAT FAR INTO THEIR LIFE, BUT TO HAVE ALREADY HAD THAT EXPERIENCE IS REALLY TOUGH. 
          AND IT SHOWS THAT THIS MENTAL HEALTH IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE IN OUR YOUTH. 
          THE TOP MENTAL HEALTH STRESSORS, WERE BOTH COVID TO 19 AND SCHOOL. 
          SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES GO INTO OUR SCHOOLS. 
          IN ADDITION, OUR SURVEY REVEALED THAT GENDER DIVERSE AND OTHER LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITIES WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY THESE RATES ON AVERAGE, HAVING HIGHER RATES OF MANY OF THE THINGS MENTIONED. 
          I'M HERE TODAY PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE OUR YOUTH NEED HELP AND YOU GUYS ARE THE PEOPLE THAT CAN HELP US, AND THE ARCA FUNDS WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          MY COLLEAGUE WILL BE SPEAKING ON RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          LOURDES MENDOZA. 
          [00:10:02]
GOOD MORNING. 
          I'M LOURDES MENDOZA. 
          I'M SERVING ON THE YOUTH COMMISSION AS DISTRICT SEVEN REPRESENTATIVE. 
          I WANNA THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC AND FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO ASSIST THE YOUTH OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          TODAY, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHIP AWAY THE STIGMA OF MENTAL HEALTH. 
          LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND EVERYONE ON THE GENDER SPECTRUM. 
          WE ARE NOT SCULPTING WITH MARBLE AND BRONZE, BOTH A, BUT A NEW HEALTHIER GENERATION. 
          BUILT IT ON THE PHILOSOPHY THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS PHYSICAL HEALTH. 
          THE QUESTION IS HOW, HOW CAN THESE TOOLS HELP CARVE OUT A BETTER FUTURE FOR TODAY'S YOUNG PEOPLE? AFTER REVIEWING HUNDREDS OF OUR PEERS, UH, AFTER REVIEWING WHAT HUNDREDS OF OUR PEERS SHARED WITH US, THESE ARE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION HAS COME UP WITH OFFERING MORE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AT SCHOOL. 
          THE REASON BEHIND THIS IS MOST YOUTH SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME AT SCHOOL. 
          SO SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE INCLUDING THE NUMBER OF MOBILE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS CLINICS FOR, UH, AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS, INCLUDING THE NUMBER OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS. 
          THIS WAY, STUDENTS CAN CONNECT TO SERVICES WITHOUT FEELING, UH, OF THE STIGMA. 
          IF I GO TO THE CLINIC OR THE COUNSELOR, EVERYONE WILL KNOW I'M SEEING A COUNSELOR MAKING, UH, TEEN MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING AVAILABLE AT ALL OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND LIBRARIES SINCE IT'S CALMLY KNOWN THAT STUDENTS GO TO THEIR FRIENDS FIRST. 
          THIS WOULD HELP US KNOW WHICH RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE, WHETHER IT'S DURING SCHOOL HOURS AT NIGHT, ARE ON THE WEEKENDS. 
          SINCE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES DO NOT WORK ON A NORMAL BUSINESS SCHEDULE, THERE ARE STILL SIGNIFICANT GENERATIONAL CULTURAL AND FINANCIAL BARRIERS FOR THE YOUTH SEEKING SERVICES. 
          WE HAVE HEARD FROM MANY OF OUR PEERS THAT TALK ABOUT HOW THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS, UH, TALK ABOUT HOW THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND. 
          AND SO WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT RESOURCES WE CAN USE WITHOUT INSURANCE OR IN THOSE SITUATIONS THAT PARENTS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE SEVERITY OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WILLIAM TUTT. 
          UH, MY NAME IS WILLIAM TUT. 
          I'M THE FOUNDER AND THE DIRECTOR OF COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIOR REDIRECTION CENTER. 
          AND IN MY, UH, CENTER, WHAT WE SPECIALIZE IN, MR. TUTT, IF, IF YOU'LL GO BACK TO THE MICROPHONE BEFORE THE, THE CAMERAS, SORRY. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          , SO THE PEOPLE WATCHING CAN HEAR YOU. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          UH, ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS WILLIAM TUT. 
          I'M THE DIRECT AND FOUNDER OF COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIOR REDIRECTION CENTER. 
          HERE AT MY UH, CENTER, WE HAVE TWO PROGRAMS THAT WE SPECIALIZE IN. 
          ONE IS URBAN PSYCHOTHERAPY, LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING, WHERE WE TRAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUDICIAL PERSONNEL TO BETTER UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY COME IN CONTACT WITH ON A DAILY BASIS DUE TO THEIR NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR. 
          AND THE OTHER ONE THAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS THE GRIP PROGRAM GANG REHABILITATION IN PROGRESS. 
          WHAT MY ORGANIZATION IS ASKING FOR IS ONE POINT $201,250,000 TO CHANGE 100 LIVES. 
          AND THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY. 
          WE CAN CHANGE AN INDIVIDUAL'S APPEARANCE, WE CAN DO REGENTRIFICATION AND BUILD NEW HOUSES, BUT IF WE DO NOT CHANGE THE WAY THAT THEY PROCESS INFORMATION, THEN WE'RE NOT CHANGING THEIR BEHAVIORS. 
          THE NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR CYCLES WILL CONTINUE. 
          AND WHAT I HAVE IS A TWO YEAR OUTLOOK ON A HUNDRED GANG MEMBERS TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES. 
          NOW, WHAT ARE THE MAIN FACTORS THAT INDIVIDUALS, WHEN THEY GET OUTTA PRISON OR CONTINUE TO PRODUCE CRIME AND GET INVOLVED IN CRIME ONE IS HOUSING, CLOTHING, TRANSPORTATION. 
          SO IN MY PROGRAM, IF WE ELIMINATE THOSE FACTORS, THEN INDIVIDUALS CAN CONCENTRATE ON CHAINING THEIR MENTAL PERCEPTION OF HOW THEY VIEW THEMSELVES IN THEIR COMMUNITY. 
          I HAVE OVER 22 YEARS OF RESEARCH IN URBAN PSYCHOTHERAPY. 
          NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE HAVE WINDCREST RIGHT HERE AND TWO MILES DOWN THE ROAD, WE HAVE SUNRISE. 
          TWO TOTAL DIFFERENT BELIEF SYSTEMS, TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAYS OF POLICING, TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THE ENVIRONMENT DICTATES A BEHAVIORAL OUTCOME. 
          SO WE CAN ELIMINATE SOME OF THE NEGATIVE THINGS THAT INDIVIDUALS GET INVOLVED IN THAT WE CAN TRY TO CHANGE THE THOUGHT PROCESS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          BILL NEELY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I'M BILL NEELY. 
          I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY, ALSO KNOWN AS SACRED.ORG. 
          THAT'S S A C R D.ORG. 
          UM, I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND EACH OF US WORKING ON DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING THESE VALUABLE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THAT A KEY COMPONENT OF ANY ECOSYSTEM OF COMPASSIONATE CARE CARE IS INFORMATION DISSEMINATION AND THE, AND ASSISTANCE FINDING THESE PROGRAMS. IN SAN ANTONIO, WE HAVE A NETWORK OF RESOURCING SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDE 3 1 1 2 1 1, AND US SACRED.ORG. 
          [00:15:02]
EACH OF THESE SERVICES HAS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, EACH SERVE AS SIMILAR BUT DISTINCT CONSTITUENCY. 
          AND THEY'RE ALL FOCUSED ON CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS WITH A NEED AND TO INDIVIDUALS WITH A NEED TO A PLACE THAT HAS THE CAPACITY TO MEET THAT NEED. 
          SACRED.ORG HAS ALREADY DEVELOPED A PORTAL TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT INCLUDES ABOUT 1400 PROGRAMS, UH, ALL THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO. 
          AND FILTERS THAT ALLOW USER TO SEARCH BASED ON THEIR SPECIFIC NEED, LOCATION, PAYMENT OPTIONS, LANGUAGE, UH, NEEDS, LANGUAGE PREFERENCES, AND MORE BEYOND MENTAL HEALTH. 
          SACRED.ORG ALSO LISTS ABOUT 7,500 PROGRAMS AND ABOUT A HUNDRED DIVERSE CATEGORIES IN THE BROAD SPECTRUM OF HUMAN NEEDS. 
          UM, WE CURRENTLY SERVE ABOUT 27,000 VISITORS A MONTH ON THE SIDE, AND WE ARE USED DAILY BY CITY EMPLOYEES, NON-PROFIT CASE MANAGERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, AND FAITH COMMUNITY EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO AS THEIR PRIMARY SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON WHERE TO FIND ASSISTANCE. 
          SO I'LL END WITH THIS SIMPLE REQUEST. 
          AS THE CITY MOVES FORWARD WITH THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TO CREATE NEW PROGRAMS AND TO SUPPORT EXISTING SERVICES, KEEP IN MIND THE COMMON NEED FOR INDIVIDUALS AND PROFESSIONALS TO BE ABLE TO LOCATE THOSE SERVICES AND TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE THEIR CLIENTS AND, AND, AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO THEM. 
          RESOURCE DIRECTORIES AND INFORMATION SERVICES LIKE SACRED.ORG ARE A KEY PART OF ANY PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS ECOSYSTEM, AND REQUIRE FUNDS AND SUPPORT TO MAINTAIN A HIGH QUALITY OF SERVICES. 
          SACRED.ORG IS LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN WHATEVER PROGRAMS AND AND SERVICES ARE DEVELOPED AS AS THE RESULT OF THIS INVESTMENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          JESSICA WEAVER. 
          GOOD MOR. 
          MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. 
          MY NAME IS JESSICA WEAVER, AND I'M THE C E O FOR COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS. 
          MISSION IS TO SURROUND STUDENTS WITH A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, EMPOWERING THEM TO STAY IN SCHOOL AND SUCCEED IN LIFE. 
          SINCE 1985, C I S HAS EMBEDDED WRAPAROUND SERVICES, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INTO SCHOOL CAMPUSES TO ENSURE ACCESS TO SERVICES FOR THOSE FAMILIES THAT HAVE STRUGGLED WITH ACCESS DUE TO TRANSPORTATION OR RESOURCES. 
          OUR MODEL IS DESIGNED TO TAKE THOSE BARRIERS AWAY AND FOR STUDENTS TO RECEIVE THE SERVICES THEY NEED, WHERE THEY ARE EVERY DAY. 
          THE NEED IN GROWING DEMAND FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES HAS BEEN REPORTED TO YOU IN SEVERAL REPORTS AND STATISTICS TO THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, I CAN ATTEST THAT THE GROWING DEMAND FOR ACCESSIBLE SERVICES HAS BEEN ON THE RISE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND THE LAST 30 YEARS. 
          THE DEMAND FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FROM OUR AGENCY HAS CONTINUED TO GROW. 
          BEGINNING IN FOUR SCHOOLS IN ONE DISTRICT, OUR COMPREHENSIVE STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES IS NOW SERVING OVER 160 CAMPUSES IN 13 DISTRICTS. 
          IN ADDITION, THE GROWTH IN OUR MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS TO SUPPORT THE WORK IN SCHOOLS HAS GROWN FROM A TEAM OF ONE TO A TEAM OF 40 IN IN ABOUT 10 YEARS. 
          IN ADDITION TO OUR OWN STAFF, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER AGENCIES TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED SUPPORT OR TO BUILD CAPACITY. 
          WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE COUNCIL FOR ELEVATING THE PRIORITY OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH FOR YOUTH. 
          MY REQUEST WOULD BE TO CONSIDER MODELS THAT HAVE PROVEN AC PROVEN ACCESS AND ALLOW FOR PARTNERSHIPS THAT CAN HELP BUILD CAPACITY OR EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT YOUTH AT THE STAGES OF NEED THAT THEY FACE. 
          IN ADDITION, PLEASE CONSIDER WRAPAROUND SERVICES AS PART OF SUPPORT SUPPORTING THE OVERALL NEEDS OF YOUTH. 
          WE CANNOT OVERLOOK THE CRITICAL ROLE IN THE UPSTREAM IDENTIFICATION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. 
          OUR SITE COORDINATORS ARE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO SEE STUDENTS EVERY DAY AND ARE OFTEN THE FIRST TO IDENTIFY WHERE A GREATER NEED EXISTS. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT FOR YOUTH, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE PARTNERS IN THE WORK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MAUREEN GALIN. 
          HI, MY NAME'S MAUREEN GALINDA. 
          I'M A COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGIST AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. 
          Y'ALL KNOW, I USUALLY SHOW UP WHEN I THINK THAT COMMUNITY INPUT IS BEING APPROPRIATED OR MISUSED. 
          SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE TWO ARPA MEETINGS THAT I ATTENDED. 
          THE FIRST ONE WAS VERY LACKLUSTER. 
          THERE WAS THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, THEN THERE WAS QUESTIONS FROM MANY SERVICE PROVIDERS, WHICH SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING FROM PEOPLE WITH FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS. 
          UM, ONE QUESTION I DO WANNA SAY THAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT IS, ARE ONLY LARGE NONPROFITS GONNA GET MOST OF THE MONEY? AND TO LEAVE THE SMALLER ONES TO DRY? I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER. 
          UM, SO OF COURSE I ASKED, UM, HOW ARE WE GOING TO INCORPORATE THE VOICES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS? SO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THE STUDENTS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE OVERSEEING THE PROGRAMS? THE ELDERLY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE OVERSEEING THE PROGRAMS FOR THEM. 
          THE HOMELESS ARE THE ONES OVERSEEING THOSE PROGRAMS. THIS ASSURES THAT OUR MONEY IS USED EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. 
          IT OVERSEES THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE. 
          UM, I ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS. 
          SEVERAL NONPROFIT PEOPLE CAME UP TO ME AFTERWARD, LIKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          WE NEED THIS. 
          I ASSUME IT'S BECAUSE THEY CAN'T ASK THESE QUESTIONS. 
          'CAUSE THEN THEY RISK LOSING FUNDS OR CONTRACTS. 
          SO I GUESS SOMEBODY HEARD WHAT I WAS SAYING. 
          AND AT THE SECOND MEETING, THERE WAS LIKE AT LEAST 30 
          [00:20:01]
FIRSTHAND TESTIMONIES OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS. 
          IT WAS THE BEST COMMUNITY MEETING THAT I HAD BEEN TO. 
          SADLY, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THIS PRESENTATION. 
          AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I ASKED, WHEN WILL WE SEE HOW ALL OF THIS INFORMATION GOT BROUGHT IN? OR HOW DO WE GET THIS DATA FROM THIS MEETING BACK TO THE PEOPLE SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IT FULLY REPRESENTS WHAT WAS HEARD AT THAT MEETING? AND I WAS TOLD IT'LL BE OUT AUGUST 12TH, YOU CAN SEE IT THEN. 
          WE DIDN'T EVEN RECEIVE IT. 
          NO, EVERYBODY WHO'S SPEAKING RIGHT NOW, NOBODY'S EVEN SEEN THE UPDATED PRESENTATION. 
          THAT'S LIKE, THAT'S THE MOST BASIC COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION. 
          UM, SO I JUST ASK YOU ALL TO BE MORE CONSIDERATE ABOUT HOW THESE FUNDS ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED AND BRINGING INVOICES OF THOSE WHO NEED TO BE MOST HEARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          KIMBERLY ABERNATHY. 
          WOW. 
          I'M NOT USUALLY CALLED KIMBERLY EXCEPT BY MY MOM. 
           WHEN I'M BAD . 
          UM, I'M KIM ABERNATHY. 
          I'M THE C E O OF CHILD SAFE. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T SIGN UP BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE THAT. 
          UM, THIS, THIS IN 2021, THE C P S NUMBERS JUST CAME OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A REALLY LONG TIME. 
          WE HAD MORE, UH, CASES OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE THAN CHILD THAN PHYSICAL ABUSE, WHICH, UM, THE MOST CHILD SAFE SERVES, PRIMARY SERVES, PHYSICAL ABUSE AND SEXUAL ABUSE. 
          BUT MOST OF OUR CASES ARE SEXUAL ABUSE. 
          WE ALSO WORK WITH CHILDREN WHO ARE SUFFERING TRAUMA FROM WITNESSING VIOLENT CRIMES AND HOMICIDE. 
          UM, SO, AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT ONLY ONE IN 10 CHILDREN WILL EVER TELL. 
          SO IF WE TAKE THAT, THEN THERE'S OVER 57, 5,710 CHILDREN WHO WERE SEXUALLY ABUSED THIS, THIS PAST YEAR. 
          UM, AND WE, AND THE NUMBERS ARE JUST GOING UP. 
          WE ALSO, IN THIS, OUR FISCAL YEAR THAT JUST ENDED IN, IN JUNE, WE SERVE SIX, 6,392 CLIENTS, PROVIDED THEM OVER 25,000, UM, INSTANCES OF SER OF SERVICE WHERE THE, WHERE WE'RE THE FIR WE'RE THE SECOND, UM, AGENCY IN SAN ANTONIO TO BE, UH, SELECTED AS A TRAUMA-INFORMED ONE, UH, CARE FACILITY JUST AFTER, UH, MH UM, MENTAL HEALTH, UH, MINISTRIES WE'RE ALSO, UM, WE'RE ALSO DOING SOME REALLY UPSTREAM STUFF. 
          WE'VE BEEN SELECTED TO WORK WITH METRO HEALTH FOR THESE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS. 
          UM, AND SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH MH UH, MENTAL HEALTH CARE MYSTERIES BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING ON A NEW PROGRAM WHERE WE CAN ERADICATE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. 
          AND, UH, SAN ANTONIO WILL BE THE FIRST PILOT FOR THAT. 
          SO WE NEED FUNDING. 
          . 
          THANK YOU. 
          KIM. 
          SEEMS TO BE A COMMON THEME TODAY. 
          THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR, FOR COMING TO SPEAK WITH US TODAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE ORGANIZATIONS, ALL OF YOU OUT THERE, UM, THAT ARE BOTH HERE AND, AND NOT HERE, AND SOME THAT, THAT ARE HERE THAT I SEE THE CLUBHOUSE HERE THAT DIDN'T SPEAK TODAY. 
          BUT THANK YOU FOR THE VERY IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITIES. 
          UM, ALSO THANK YOU TO THE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT, THAT CAME TO SPEAK TODAY, SPECIFICALLY OUR YOUNG, UM, COUPLE OF YOUNG INDIVIDUALS. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TAKING THE TIME. 
          AND, UM, IT, IT'S VERY IMPACTFUL THAT, THAT YOU TOOK TIME TO BE HERE TODAY, ALL OF YOU. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER TODAY. 
          UM, WE'RE GONNA START 
          [Briefing]
WITH ITEM THREE, UH, OVERVIEW BY OUR BEXAR COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOE GONZALEZ OF THE BEXAR COUNTY CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES AND WAYS THE OFFICE IS FOCUSING ON VIOLENT CRIME PROSECUTION. 
          WELL, GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, GOOD MORNING TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE TIME TO ADDRESS YOU. 
          UH, I JUST WANNA TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF YOUR TIME TO DISCUSS, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE DA'S OFFICE AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US. 
          YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY MOST PRESSING CONCERNS AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS, OF COURSE, VIOLENT CRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY, WE MUST FOCUS ON RESOURCES TO ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME AND PROSECUTION, UTILIZE TOOLS TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM RATES, AND OF COURSE, DEVELOP AND FUND CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES WHERE APPROPRIATE. 
          MOST OF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH OUR SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM, WHERE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AT THEIR ABSOLUTE DISCRETION HAVE THE ABILITY TO ISSUE CITATIONS INSTEAD OF ARRESTING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COMMITTED CERTAIN LOW LEVEL OFFENSES LIKE, UH, MINOR AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA, MISDEMEANOR AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA, UH, MISDEMEANOR THEFT, UH, DRIVING WHILE LICENSE, INVALID AND CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. 
          AFTER THE CITATION IS ISSUED BY THE OFFICER, THEN MY OFFICE, UH, 
          [00:25:01]
UH, EVALUATES THE CHARGE. 
          WHEN THAT PERSON IS REVIEWED TO THE SITE AND RELEASE CENTER, UH, I'M SORRY, THE REENTRY CENTER AND EITHER ACCEPTS THE INDIVIDUAL INTO THAT DIVERSION PROGRAM, REJECTS THE CHARGE, OR SENDS IT TO COURT, PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE THE CITATION THAT IS ISSUED BY THE OFFICER INSTEAD OF BEING ARRESTED AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE ASSIGNED PROGRAMS ALSO BENEFIT BY OBVIOUSLY AVOIDING THAT ARREST, UH, AND WILL NOT HAVE THE CITATION APPEAR ON THEIR CRIMINAL RECORD, MAKING IT EASIER FOR THEM TO FIND AND TO KEEP A JOB TO GET INTO SCHOOL. 
          AND IF THEY ALREADY ARE IN SCHOOL, NOT TO LOSE WHATEVER, UH, FINANCIAL AID THEY MAY HAVE. 
          AND, UH, MAINTAIN STEADY HOUSING OFFICERS WHEN THEY WRITE A CITATION, ARE ABLE TO RETURN BACK TO DUTY INSIG SIGNIFICANTLY LESS TIME THAN IT TAKES FOR HIM TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE ARREST. 
          WE KNOW THAT ISSUING THESE CITATIONS INSTEAD OF BRINGING PEOPLE TO JAIL, HAS ALREADY SAVED BEXAR COUNTY, UH, THOU MILLIONS, UH, IN TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN BOOKING COSTS ALONE, WHICH ARE THE COST TO PROCESS SOMEONE INTO JAIL AND TO DETAIN THEM. 
          SO WHY DID WE REVAMP THIS PROGRAM WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE? UH, AND THAT IS BECAUSE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT ARRESTING AND INCARCERATING PEOPLE FOR MINOR OFFENSES DOES NOT MAKE US SAFER. 
          INSTEAD, IT CAUSES PEOPLE TO LOSE JOBS AND INCOME HOUSING AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT, UH, WOULD FURTHER DESTABILIZE THEIR LIVES, LEAVING THEM AND THE COMMUNITY. 
          WORSE OFF STUDIES HAVE HAVE SHOWN, FOR EXAMPLE, IN BOSTON AND BALTIMORE THAT DECLINING TO PROSECUTE LOW LEVEL OFFENSES, UH, DO NOT LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN CRIME. 
          BUT WE NOW HAVE OUR OWN DATA, UH, THAT, UH, PROVES THAT THIS PROGRAM WORKS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO IN 2018, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COUNTY COMMISSION THEY STUDY THAT SHOWS A 38% RECIDIVISM RATE IN BEXAR COUNTY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHEN THEY ARE ARRESTED AND RELEASED FROM JAIL. 
          BASED ON THE DATA TAKEN FROM 2019 TO 2022, WE KNOW THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THEIR ASSIGNED DIVERSION PROGRAM ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS LIKELY TO RE-OFFEND, UH, RE RECIDIVISM. 
          RATES FOR DIVERSION PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE 7.9% FOR THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM THAT I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED, IN ADDITION TO THAT, 9% FOR MISDEMEANOR PRETRIAL DIVERSION, AND ONLY 8% FOR FELONY PRETRIAL DIVERSION. 
          SO CLEARLY THAT MEANS THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING, UH, BECAUSE THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING RECIDIVISM. 
          IN ADDITION, IN THE LAST QUARTER, I'M SORRY, IN THE LAST QUARTER, ACCORDING TO SAP'S OWN SITE AND RELEASE DASHBOARD, WHEN THE OFFICERS ON THE STREET EXERCISE THEIR OWN DISCRETION AND SITE AN INDIVIDUAL INSTEAD OF ARRESTING THEM, THEY ARE DOING THAT AT, UH, 89% OF THE TIME. 
          SO THE POINT IS, SITE AND RELEASE WORKS. 
          IT KEEPS PEOPLE OUT OF JAIL WHO DON'T NEED TO BE THERE. 
          IT FREES UP JAIL STAFF WHO ARE ALREADY OVERWORKED AND WITH TASKS AND TASK WITH HANDLING VERY SERIOUS ISSUES IN THE JAIL. 
          AND IT SAVES US MONEY. 
          IT ALSO FREES UP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND PROSECUTORS TO HANDLE THE MORE SERIOUS OFFENSES. 
          I'D LIKE TO MOVE NOW TO TALKING ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME. 
          OBVIOUSLY, I COULDN'T TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DO IN THE OFFENSE WITHOUT ADDRESSING VIOLENT CRIME. 
          AND IT IS TRUE, LIKE WE, WE, LIKE THE REST OF THE NATION SAW A MARKED INCREASE IN HOMICIDES IN 2021, BUT OVERALL, VIOLENT CRIME WENT DOWN BY 9.1% IN THE LAST YEAR, FROM 2020 TO 2021. 
          THIS INCLUDES A 22% DECREASE IN BOTH SEXUAL ASSAULT AND ROBBERIES, AND A DECLINE IN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND BURGLARIES. 
          WHY DID HOMICIDES GO GO UP? THE MOST OBVIOUS REASONS FOR THE INCREASE ARE A RISE IN GUN VIOLENCE DUE TO A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN GUN SALES. 
          AND THE DESTABILIZING EFFECTS OF C O V I D. 
          GUN SALES HAVE EXPLODED SINCE 2020 THAT YEAR. 
          GUN SALES EXCEEDED 2019 SALES BY 64%. 
          2021 HAD THE SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF FIREARM SALES IN DECADES. 
          AND RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE MORE, MORE GUNS, I'M SORRY, THE MORE THAT GUNS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY, THE GREATER THE RISK OF HOMICIDE. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, THE PANDEMIC DESTABILIZED CRITICAL ASPECTS OF PEOPLE'S LIVES BY DISRUPTING THEIR SOCIAL NETWORKS, THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND ACCESS TO EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND NECESSARY TREATMENT. 
          ECONOMIC FACTORS LIKE RISING INFLATION AND THE INCREASED COST OF LIVING ARE CAUSING FINANCIAL STRESS. 
          IN ADDITION, ISOLATION 
          [00:30:01]
THAT WE SAW DURING THE PANDEMIC ALSO LED TO INCREASED PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. 
          AND AS A NATION, WE HAVE SEEN A GREAT DEAL OF SOCIAL UNREST AND DISTRUST IN THE WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD. 
          ALL OF THESE LOSSES, THESE STRESSORS AND LIMITATIONS, CREATED THE PERFECT STORM FOR AN INCREASE IN GUN VIOLENCE. 
          SO WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME IN THE DA'S OFFICE? WE KNOW THAT BEXAR COUNTY HAS A FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM. 
          AS AN OFFICE, WE HAVE SHIFTED AND ADDED RESOURCES TO PRIORITIZE FAMILY VIOLENCE PROSECUTION. 
          WE'VE DOUBLED THE SIZE OF OUR FAMILY VIOLENCE DIVISION AND INCREASED THE NUMBER OF MISDEMEANOR COURTS HANDLING THESE FAMILY VIOLENCE CASES. 
          MY OFFICE HAS ALSO PRIORITIZED GUN VIOLENCE PROSECUTION. 
          WE ARE FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION AND OUR RESOURCES ON PURSUING THOSE VERY SERIOUS CASES AND SUPPORTING THE VICTIMS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE MOST HARM. 
          IF YOU PICK UP A GUN AND CAUSE HARM IN BEAR COUNTY, YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY MY OFFICE. 
          AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE ABLE TO FOCUS OUR TIME ON COMBATING VIOLENT CRIME. 
          BECAUSE WE ARE NOT SPENDING PRECIOUS LIMITED RESOURCES ON PROSECUTING PEOPLE FOR HAVING A LITTLE MARIJUANA IN THEIR POCKET, IN THE AREA OF VICTIM SERVICES, WE ARE ALSO COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT OUR VICTIMS ARE SUPPORTED NOT ONLY BY THOSE HOLDING THOSE, THOSE NOT ONLY BY HOLDING THOSE ACCOUNTABLE WHO COMMIT THIS HARM, BUT ALSO BY CONNECTING THEM TO THE LONG TERM COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED HELP, UH, TO, TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET. 
          THAT IS WHY LAST DECEMBER, I WENT TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND SECURED AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION IN FUNDING THAT WE USED IN PART TO HIRE MORE FAMILY VIOLENCE VICTIM ASSISTANT STAFF. 
          THAT STAFF CONNECTS VICTIMS TO RESOURCES AND HELPS THEM THROUGH THE OFTEN COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED CRIMINAL PROCESS. 
          WE'VE PRIORITIZED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, WHICH HOUSES THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S PROTECTIVE ORDER UNIT. 
          THAT CENTER PROVIDES WRAPAROUND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SERVICES, INCLUDING COUNSELING AND OTHER SUPPORT THAT HELP, UH, VICTIMS FILL MANY OF THEIR UNMET NET UNMET NEEDS. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          WHEN PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HARM, THEY DON'T JUST NEED PROSECUTION TO FEEL SAFE. 
          MANY NEED MEDICAL CARE OR COUNSELING. 
          SOME NEED ASSISTANCE WITH RELOCATION EXPENSES SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE LIVING IN THE SAME SPACE WHERE THEY EXPERIENCED THIS HARM. 
          SOME NEED HELP FINDING A NEW JOB BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOST THEIRS WHILE THEY WERE ON MEDICAL LEAVE. 
          OTHER PEOPLE JUST NEED FOOD ASSISTANCE. 
          PROVIDING THESE SERVICES FOR DOMESTIC VICTIMS IS NOT ONLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO. 
          IT IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN REDUCING FUTURE VIOLENCE. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE WHO ARE VICTIMS OF SERIOUS CRIME, ESPECIALLY GUN VIOLENCE, ARE AT AN ELEVATED RISK OF COMMITTING A VIOLENT CRIME IN THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY A RETALIATORY ONE. 
          THEY MAY ALSO DECIDE TO CARRY A GUN BECAUSE UNDERSTANDABLY, THEY DO NOT FEEL SAFE. 
          BUT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WHEN WE PROVIDE VICTIMS WITH THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED WITH TRAUMA COUNSELING AND HEALTHCARE ASSISTANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN BREAK THAT CYCLE. 
          MY OFFICE IS WORKING ON PARTNERING AND SUPPORTING PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE THIS CRITICAL INTERVENTION. 
          FINALLY, CRIME PREVENTION STARTS WITH HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. 
          WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER WITH CITY COUNCIL ON INITIATIVES TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY STRONGER. 
          CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS ARE INHERENTLY REACTIVE AND ONLY HAPPEN ONCE HARM HAS ALREADY OCCURRED. 
          WE ALSO NEED TARGETED INTERVENTIONS TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE BEFORE IT HAPPENS. 
          WE NEED VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION PROGRAMS THAT IDENTIFY AND OFFER HELP. 
          TO THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE MOST AT RISK OF BEING VICTIMS OF WITNESSING OR ENGAGING IN GUN VIOLENCE. 
          WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO INVEST IN HOSPITAL BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS LIKE STANDUP SA THAT PROVIDE OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE. 
          IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE FROM CONTINUING, WE NEED TO PUT RESOURCES INTO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT CRIME IS CONCENTRATED IN THESE PLACES WITH HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY, POOR SCHOOLS, LOW ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND HIGH FORECLOSURE RATES, AND SOME WE HAVE TO INVEST IN TRANSFORMING OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE 
          [00:35:01]
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES ARE SAFE COMMUNITIES. 
          THE CITY HAS RECENTLY ALLOCATED FUNDS FROM ARPA TO GO TOWARD, UH, YOUTH PROGRAMMING, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS. THIS IS A GREAT START. 
          WE MUST CONTINUE MAKING THESE TYPES OF INVESTMENTS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY SAFETY. 
          MY OFFICE HAS ROLLED OUT THE SECOND CHANCE FOR SUCCESS PROGRAM, WHICH REMOVES BARRIERS THAT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, FROM ACCESSING HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS, ASSISTANCE, SOCIAL SERVICES AND RESOURCES BY WORKING TO EXPUNGE AND MITIGATE OLD MINOR CONVICTIONS. 
          I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT THESE PEOPLE DO NOT PRESENT A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK, AND OFTEN DECADES OLD CONVICTIONS ARE PREVENTING THEM FROM GETTING THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED TO STABILIZE THEIR LIVES. 
          SO, IN CONCLUSION, WE ARE EXCITED TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH CITY COUNCIL TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES, UH, PROVEN TO PREVENT, UH, VIOLENCE IN THE FUTURE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND, UH, I'M, UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, JOE. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW WE CAN EXPAND THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM? WELL, THE STATUTES THAT, THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SITE RELEASE ALREADY EXIST. 
          UH, THEY'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 2007. 
          AGAIN, UH, UH, IT IS, UM, UP TO THE DISCRETION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ISSUE THE CITATIONS, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY, THEY'RE CERTAINLY FREE TO ISSUE CITATION IN THAT THE ENTIRE LITANY OF THE CASES. 
          AND I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW WHAT THEY ARE SINCE YOU ASKED, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, THAT IS THE POSSESSION OF, UH, MISDEMEANOR AMOUNTS OF DRUGS THAT, THAT'S LESS THAN ANNOUNCED THAT I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT. 
          UH, IN ADDITION, UH, CRIMINAL MISCHIEF, UH, UH, CLASS B THEFT, CLASS B, THEFT OF SERVICE, UH, DRIVING WHILE LICENSE INVALID, UH, GRAFFITI AND, UH, THE, UH, CONTRABAND IN A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE, THE OFFENSES THAT ARE IN ENUMERATED. 
          AND AGAIN, IT'S UP TO LAW ENFORCEMENT TO DECIDE WHEN AND WHERE APPROPRIATE. 
          UH, IF THEY MAKE THE, UH, THE CITATION, IF THEY REFER THOSE CASES TO OUR OFFICE, WE WILL REVIEW IT, UH, TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE PROGRAM. 
          SO, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND CONSIDER, UH, REFER, UH, ANY OF THOSE OFFENSES TO OUR OFFICE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOE. 
          UM, REMINDER TO THE COMMITTEE, WE HAVE 10 MINUTES FOR THE FIRST ROUND AND THREE FOR ANY FOLLOW UP. 
          AND, UH, PLEASE USE THE, UM, COMPUTER TO LOG IN OR TO SIGN IN. 
          UH, WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN MC RODRIGUEZ. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          UM, THANK YOU, DA. 
          UM, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP. 
          IT'S, UM, DIFFICULT TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN, UM, UPHOLDING THE LAW AND ALSO BEING CAREFUL NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FURTHER CRIMINALIZATION OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 
          IN PARTICULAR, THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO BE OVERPOLICED AND OVERREPRESENTED IN OUR JAILS. 
          UM, ESPECIALLY BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND IM IMMIGRANT, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS REGARDING SITE AND RELEASE. 
          UM, 'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE THAT I HEARD YOU SAY THIS, BUT I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER. 
          UM, WHAT IS THE RATE OF RECIDIVISM FOR THOSE WHO ARE CITED RATHER THAN I, I BELIEVE I SAID IT WAS, UM, I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THE AMOUNT IS. 
          7.9%. 
          WOW. 
          SO MOST PEOPLE THAT'S, I'M SORRY. 
          NO, KEEP GOING. 
          I SAID COMPARE TO, TO THE 38% FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS ARRESTED AND, AND GOING TO THE, TO THE COURT SYSTEM, THAT'S A SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE. 
          UH, SO AGAIN, THAT, THAT'S A MEASURE OF SUCCESS, WE BELIEVE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          SO THAT PREVENTS RECIDIVISM PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM PARTICIPATING IN A CRIME AGAIN. 
          UM, HAS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE BEING, UM, ARRESTED BY POLICE AND SEEN BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE RETURNED TO PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS? WELL, I MEAN, I THINK WE SAW A, UH, I, I THINK THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, IS WE ARE SEEING AN, AN INCREASE IN, IN REFERRALS. 
          I THINK WE SAW DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT THERE WAS LESS, UH, INTERACTION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THOSE THAT WERE ON THE STREET. 
          BUT I DO, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN ALSO THIS ONE'S ABOUT THE, THE JAIL. 
          WHAT IS THE CAPACITY OF THE BEX COUNTY JAIL, AND HOW CLOSE TO CAPACITY ARE WE ON AVERAGE? WELL, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH THERE. 
          I MEAN, I THINK, UH, ON AN AVERAGE WE'RE SEEING ABOUT 4,700. 
          UH, I THINK THE CAPACITY IS PROBABLY AT ABOUT 4,900. 
          IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? YEAH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, SO WE WE'RE, WE'RE NEAR CAPACITY. 
          I MEAN, WE HEAR IT FROM THE SHERIFF ALL THE TIME. 
          HOW, UH, THEY'RE IN A CRISIS SITUATION OVER AT THE, AT THE BEAR COUNTY JAIL. 
          IMAGINE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS PROGRAM, IMAGINE HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE TAKING UP A BED SPACE FOR, UH, A SMALL AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA THAT COULD BE USED FOR SOMEONE THAT IS, UH, ACCUSED OF COMMITTING MURDER OR, OR SE SERIOUS SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
          SO THAT'S ANOTHER INSTANCE WHERE THIS PROGRAM IS A HUGE BENEFIT TO US HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND I'LL, I'LL TAKE THAT QUESTION A 
          [00:40:01]
STEP FURTHER. 
          WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DO REACH CAPACITY? WELL,  THAT THAT'S, THAT MEANS WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO WORK HARDER AT TRYING TO RESOLVE THESE CASES, UH, SOONER THAN LATER. 
          UH, WE ARE WORKING AND WE HAVE A, A, A TASK FORCE, UH, THAT MEETS ON A REGULAR BASIS, UH, NOT ONLY THE JAIL PERSONNEL, BUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE DA'S OFFICE, AND THE COURT PERSONNEL TO TRY AND REVIEW CASES, UH, AND, AND, UH, MOVE THEM, UH, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
          SO IT IS, UH, WE'RE DEALING THAT EVEN AS WE SPEAK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN, UM, THIS NEXT BIT'S ABOUT BAIL. 
          UM, YOU WERE AT OUR CRIME TOWN HALL, OUR CRIME PREVENTION SUMMIT, AND THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT BAIL. 
          ARE THERE GUIDELINES ON BAIL THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW BASED ON THE OFFENSE? SOMEONE IS ARRESTED FOR NOT GUIDELINES, UH, THAT ARE IMPOSED, UH, ON US IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. 
          UH, HISTORICALLY THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, GUIDELINES THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, IMPOSED, UH, UH, BY OTHER ELECTED DAS. 
          UH, WE ASK OUR PROSECUTORS TO, TO USE THEIR DISCRETION. 
          I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE A POLICY, UH, OF RECOMMENDING, UH, UH, PR BONDS WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR LOW LEVEL NONVIOLENT OFFENSES. 
          IF AN IN INDIVIDUAL IS NOT A RISK TO THE COMMUNITY, THEN WE OPERATE WITH A PRESUMPTION OF RELEASE. 
          UH, AND, AND WE ASK OUR PROSECUTORS TO RECOMMEND, UM, A PR BOND. 
          AND, UH, AND THIS IS A, A MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, WHAT WE DO IN THE DA'S OFFICE AND WHEN WE HAVE PROSECUTORS IN THE MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE IS WE RECOMMEND A BOND THAT WE BELIEVE IS APPROPRIATE, BUT IT'S UP TO THE MAGISTRATE JUDGE TO SET THE BOND. 
          UH, SO, UH, AGAIN, WE ARE, WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, PR BONDS WHERE WE BELIEVE THEY'RE APPROPRIATE FOR SURE. 
          UM, AND THEN I DID HEAR YOU JUST MENTION RISK ASSESSMENT. 
          IS THERE A RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL? THE, THE, THE JUDGES HAVE A, A, A RISK ASSESSMENT, UH, PACKAGE WHERE THEY SHOULD BE, UH, IT SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE, UH, TO THEM. 
          UH, PRETRIAL SERVICES IS, IS THE AGENCY THAT, UH, TASK WITH, WITH PROVIDING AS MUCH INFORMATION TO THE JUDGES WHEN THEY MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT, UH, WHERE TO SET THE BOND. 
          SO THERE IS, THERE IS AT LEAST SOME, UM, UH, BACKGROUND AND SOME INFORMATION THAT ARE GIVING TO THESE JUDGES AS FAR AS AN ACTUAL TOOL THAT THE JUDGES USE, I'M NOT, UH, FAMILIAR WITH ANYTHING, UH, THAT'S SPECIFIC. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          UM, THIS LAST ONE'S A LITTLE BIT FOR PERSONAL REASONS, UM, BUT WANT TO PICK YOUR BRAIN AS A PROFESSIONAL IN THE FIELD. 
          UM, LAST YEAR I PROPOSED AN OFFICE OF CRIME AND RECIDIVISM PREVENTION TO WORK ALONGSIDE, BUT SEPARATE FROM POLICE, UM, TO ADD DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY-WIDE STRATEGIES TO PREVENT CRIME AND RECIDIVISM. 
          WHAT WOULD BE YOUR THOUGHTS ON SUCH AN OFFICE? I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE, UH, AN OFFICE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO TRACK THE RECIDIVISM RATES AND, AND, AND BRING SOME METRICS TO THE TABLE. 
          SO I, I, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO, TO DEMONSTRATE SUCCESS IS A POSITIVE, UH, STEP IN, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 
          SO I, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING, UH, ALONG THOSE LINES. 
          THANK YOU, THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          I WANT A QUICK FOLLOW UP ON THAT. 
          IS, IS IT POSSIBLE JUST THINKING OUT LOUD, BUT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF JOINT COUNTY, UM, CITY OFFICE? UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE SHARING FUNDS AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE SHARING INFORMATION, UH, THAT IS A, UM, UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT QUESTION. 
          IT'S ABOVE MY PAY RATE, BUT I CERTAINLY WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          UM, AND JUST A REMINDER, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, OUR MUNICIPAL CHIEF JUDGE HERE, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON, ON BONDS OR ANYTHING. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS? OKAY, COUNCILMAN, UH, PERRY. 
          GOOD MORNING, SIR. 
          AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, UH, TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT, WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE GOING IN THE FUTURE. 
          I, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. 
          AND WE, WE JUST HAD A COMMUNITY MEETING LAST NIGHT, AND, UH, I CAN TELL YOU IN DISTRICT 10, PEOPLE WERE UPSET. 
          THEY'RE FED UP, THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE. 
          UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SEEING, UM, FELONS RELEASED WITH MULTIPLE WARRANTS, MULTIPLE ARRESTS, AND BEING RELEASED TO THE STREETS. 
          AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY UNHAPPY ABOUT THIS. 
          AND I, I, I ACTUALLY NEED TO INVITE YOU BACK TO ONE OF OUR MEETINGS AND, AND, UH, TALK ABOUT THAT PROCESS JUST LIKE YOU WERE TODAY. 
          BUT, UM, ON, ON THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE READING IN THE PAPER WHERE, UH, PEOPLE COMMITTING VIOLENT CRIMES HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF, OF ARREST OUTSTANDING WARRANTS. 
          UM, HOW MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVE WARRANTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ARRESTED? WELL, 
          [00:45:01]
THAT, THAT'S A QUESTION THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ABOUT, BECAUSE YOU'RE ASKING, UH, WARRANTS THAT, THAT'S A GLOBAL QUESTION. 
          WARRANTS FOR WHAT TRAFFIC WARRANTS, WARRANTS FOR MISDEMEANOR WARRANTS, UH, PAROLE VIOLATIONS. 
          IT, IT, IT VARIES. 
          I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN OUR PROSECUTORS MAKE BOND RECOMMENDATIONS, WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S AN ACTIVE WARRANT. 
          UH, AGAIN, I CAN'T, UH, OVEREMPHASIZE THAT WHAT WE DO IS MAKE BOND RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          ULTIMATELY, THE MAGISTRATE JUDGES ARE THE ONES THAT SET THE BONDS, BUT THEY ALSO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE RECKLESSLY SETTING, UH, UH, BONDS THAT ALLOW VIOLENT CRIMINAL CRIMINALS BACK ON THE STREET. 
          BUT WE ALL HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THAT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM PROVIDES FOR ANYONE THAT IS ACCUSED OF A CRIME, SHORT OF CAPITAL MURDER TO BOND OUT. 
          UH, THAT'S WHY I'M A PROPONENT OF A, A RISK-BASED SYSTEM INSTEAD OF A CASH BOND SYSTEM. 
          BECAUSE IF SOMEONE COMMITS A, A MURDER, SIR, AND THE, AND THE BOND IS SET AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND, BUT THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS 10,000 IN HIS BANK ACCOUNT, HE'S WALKING OUT THE FRONT DOOR IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. 
          AND UNTIL THAT SYSTEM'S CHANGED, THERE'S NOTHING THE DA'S OFFICE CAN DO TO, TO PREVENT THAT. 
          UH, ALL WE CAN DO IS RECOMMEND THIS HIGH BOND AS THAT WE THINK IS APPROPRIATE, BUT UNTIL THE SYSTEM CHANGES, EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO, UH, TO A BOND OTHER THAN A CAPITAL MURDER. 
          UH, OKAY. 
          I, I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          BUT, UH, IN, IN THOSE CASES WHERE YOU HAVE MULTIPLE ARRESTS, UM, AND A RECORD, ARE, ARE THOSE THINGS SET ASIDE AND JUST LET'S SAY THEY HAVE SIX PRIORS. 
          UH, ARE THOSE ALL SET ASIDE AND JUST ONE OR TWO, UM, ISSUES TAKEN THAT IS BEING EVALUATED OUT OF THOSE SIX, ONE OR TWO ITEMS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT? WELL, AGAIN, IT, IT, IT, IT'S, IT HAS TO BE CASE SPECIFIC. 
          IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SOMEONE THAT, THAT IS, UH, UM, COMES IN ON A MISDEMEANOR, UM, I DON'T KNOW, CRIMINAL, UH, MISCHIEF CASE, AND HE HAS PRIOR CRIMINAL MISCHIEFS, AND THEY'RE ALL MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES, THEN, THEN OUR PROSECUTORS ARE, ARE GONNA RECOMMEND A BOND THAT THAT'S APPROPRIATE. 
          BUT IF THAT INDIVIDUAL IS A HABITUAL OFFENDER, THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS BEEN TO PRISON FOR AGGRAVATED ROBBERY OR MURDER, AND IT IS SUBSTANTIAL PRISON SENTENCE, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION IN RECOMMENDING A BOND. 
          SO UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S CASE SPECIFIC. 
          I'M, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU IF, IF YOU KNOW OF ANY CASES THAT, THAT CAUSE YOU SOME, UH, SOME CONCERN ABOUT HOW WE HANDLE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          BUT AGAIN, UH, MY DICTATE TO OUR PROSECUTORS IS TO ALWAYS KEEP THE, THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC IN MIND. 
          SO, UM, ON THOSE THAT ARE ARRESTED WITH MULTIPLE CHARGES, DO YOU KEEP TRACK OF HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE DISMISSED? YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BONDED OUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF DATA POINTS SO THAT WE CAN SEE THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE MAKING THE RIGHT ARRESTS AND THEY ARE BEING PROSECUTED IN THE SYSTEM. 
          DO YOU HAVE ALL THAT DATA THAT WE COULD COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, WE, WE'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE DATA POINTS? WE HAVE, UH, WE, WE HAVE RECORDS OF DISPOSITIONS. 
          WHEN SOMEONE IS ACCUSED OF A CRIME AND THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION, WE HAVE TO RELY ON LAW, LAW ENFORCEMENT TO COMPLETE A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION, FILE THAT CASE WITH US, AND THEN WE MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN PROVE A CASE BEYOND THE REASONABLE DOUBT. 
          IF THE CASE GOES THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND THERE IS, UH, A DISPOSITION, YES, WE DO HAVE METRICS THAT WE CAN POINT TO, UH, AS TO WHY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE, UH, RECOMMENDED, UH, COMMUNITY SUPERVISION, WHY WE DISMISSED A CASE, WHY WE RECOMMENDED A SUBSTANTIAL SENTENCE. 
          AND YOU BROUGHT UP GUNS A WHILE AGO, AND, UH, YEP. 
          GUN SALES ARE UP. 
          UM, BUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE BROUGHT IN WITH GUN RELATED CRIMES, HOW MANY ARE DISMISSED OR PLEAD, PLED OUT, UH, WHEN THEY'RE BROUGHT IN ARRESTED? WELL, AGAIN, UM, IF, IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR SPECIFIC, UH, NUMBERS, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO GET BACK WITH YOU LATER AND GIVE YOU SPECIFIC, BUT, BUT THE, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS WE HAVE TO TAKE EACH QUESTION INDIVIDUALLY, UH, UH, CASE, I'M SORRY, INDIVIDUALLY, TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN PROVE THAT CASE. 
          AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, UH, RECENTLY, AND, AND CERTAINLY SINCE VALDI IS WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A POLICY TO MOVE, TO DESTROY EVERY WEAPON THAT'S USED IN CONNECTION WITH A CRIME. 
          BEFORE THAT, BEFORE I CAME INTO OFFICE, A PROSECUTOR WAS ALWAYS, UH, UH, ABLE TO MOVE TO FORFEIT A WEAPON. 
          BUT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS TRYING TO GET THOSE GUNS OFF THE STREET BY HAVING THEM DESTROYED. 
          AGAIN, IT'S UP TO THE JUDGE TO GRANT THAT REQUEST, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE MOVING TO, TO DESTROY THOSE WEAPONS, ESPECIALLY ASSAULT WEAPONS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE, UH, SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM. 
          AND YOU QUOTED, YOU KNOW, SAVING MILLIONS 
          [00:50:01]
OF DOLLARS IN, IN THIS PROGRAM. 
          UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY FOUND A STUDY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S COSTING THE CITY AND THIS AREA UP TO $3 BILLION WITH THIS PROGRAM ON. 
          UM, AND THERE'S 10 DIFFERENT AREAS THAT, UH, WE DO THE SITE AND RELEASE, AND IT INCLUDES THEFT UP UP TO $750. 
          UM, IT'S, UH, SHOPLIFTING, THEFT OF SERVICE, UM, UH, DRIVING WHILE, UH, LICENSE LICENSES, INVALID GRAFFITI. 
          UH, THERE'S, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A LIST OF 10 THINGS. 
          IT'S NOT JUST A SIMPLE, AN OUNCE OF MARIJUANA. 
          IT'S A LOT OF OTHER CASES IN THERE ALSO. 
          AND YEAH, IT'S COSTING THE CITY UP TO $3 BILLION. 
          AND, UM, YEAH, WE'RE SAVING 4 MILLION, BUT IS THAT COST WORTH IT? AND I'LL, I'LL BE TALKING TO THE CHIEF ALSO ABOUT, UM, THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM AND, AND WHAT ARE THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS HAVE WE DONE ON THIS IN YOUR OFFICE AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ON WHETHER, UH, WE'RE REALLY PROTECTING OUR CITIZENS? AGAIN, I'M GETTING FEEDBACK FROM OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT US? WHAT ABOUT THE VICTIMS? IN, IN ALL OF THESE CRIMES, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CERTAINLY TRYING ALL THESE PROGRAMS TO HELP THE OFFENDER, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE VICTIMS? THEY'RE GETTING THE BRUNT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT IN THE FIELD BY THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM, AND WITH THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM, HOW MANY ACTUALLY SHOW UP? WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY SHOWING UP FOR THIS DIVERSION PROGRAM? DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION? I DO. 
          AND, AND ACTUALLY, IF I CAN INVITE YOU TO GO TO OUR, OUR DASHBOARD, WE HAVE A SPECIFIC DASHBOARD ON OUR WEBSITE, BEAR.ORG/DA, THAT, THAT, UH, WILL EXPLAIN ALL THOSE METRICS. 
          BUT I WILL TELL YOU, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE MIXING APPLES AND ORANGES, THERE IS NO VICTIM ON A POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA CASE. 
          UH, IF SOMEBODY IS PULLED OVER BECAUSE THEY HAVE MARIJUANA IN, IN THEIR POCKET, THERE IS NO VICTIM TO THAT. 
          NOW, IF THERE IS A CONNECTION TO, UH, UH, THERE IS A NO VICTIM OF CRIME, UM, TO, TO THAT OFFENSE, IF THERE'S A CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT INDIVIDUAL, UH, AND, UH, COMMITTING, UH, A CONCURRENT CRIME OR, OR AN ADDITIONAL CRIME, THEN WE TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT IN, IN DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO EVEN CONSIDER THAT PERSON FOR SITE AND RELEASE. 
          IN FACT, OFTEN THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT EVEN ELIGIBLE THAT 65% OF THE CASES THAT WE REFER TO OUR OFFICE BY S A P D WE'RE FOR POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA. 
          KEEP IN MIND, THE LARGEST CUSTOMER IN, IN BEXAR COUNTY FORESIGHT AND RELEASE IS SS A P D. 
          AND SO THEY'RE MAKING THAT DECISION ON THE STREET, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE, UH, MISCONCEPTIONS, PEOPLE CALL IT CATCH AND RELEASE, UH, UH, IMPLYING THAT THEY MAKE THE ARREST, THEY BRING IT TO US, AND THEN WE MAKE THE DECISION. 
          THE WAY IT HAPPENS IS THE OFFICERS OUT THERE ON THE, THE STREET ARE UTILIZING THEIR DISCRETION TO MAKE THAT CALL. 
          AND AGAIN, 65% OF THAT IS FOR, FOR MARIJUANA. 
          YOU MENTIONED GRAFFITI. 
          IN THE TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM, THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN THREE REFERRALS FOR GRAFFITI AND NEITHER, NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE EVEN QUALIFIED FORSIGHT AND RELEASE. 
          SO AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS FOR MISDEMEANOR MARIJUANA CASES. 
          OKAY. 
          FAIR ENOUGH. 
          I, AND, AND I, AND, AND I, I'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE DATA POINTS, UH, FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE 10, 10, UM, AREAS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, SIR, I'M GETTING FEEDBACK FROM MY DISTRICT, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE DISTRICTS HERE IN THE CITY, BUT IN MY DISTRICT, PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED. 
          THEY'RE NOT SEEING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ARRESTS AND THE CONVICTIONS OF PEOPLE DOING, UH, HARM TO THEM AND THEIR PROPERTY AND THEFT OF SERVICE ON AND ON AND ON. 
          UM, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED WITH. 
          SO MA'AM, I MIGHT CHIME BACK IN. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          UM, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SHARE THAT STUDY WITH THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE? SURE. 
          IS IT, UM, UH, SAN ANTONIO BASED ON SAN ANTONIO? YEP. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL, WE'LL GET IT, WE'LL GET IT. 
          COOL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'LL GET THAT TO THE COMMITTEE. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. 
          UH, GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO, UM, TO JOIN THE MEETING REMOTELY. 
          UH, THANK YOU CHAIR AND, UH, TO STAFF FOR, FOR SETTING THIS UP. 
          I DIDN'T REALIZE WE COULD DO IN THIS ROOM, SO IT'S GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, MR. DA, I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO ASK YOU SOMETHING THAT YOU TOUCHED ON IN RESPONSE TO COUNCILMAN PERRY REGARDING THE METRICS FOR THE CASES THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO PROSECUTE WHEN YOU DO HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE, AND THEN THE OUTCOME OF THOSE CASES. 
          UM, ARE THOSE CONTAIN, YOU SAID, IS THAT ON YOUR WEBSITE? WE ALSO HAVE HAVE DASHBOARDS, UH, ON OUR WEBSITE, UH, ON SOME OF THOSE DISPOSITIONS. 
          [00:55:01]
UM, YOU, WE HAVE A, A, A, UH, A DASHBOARD ON THE MAGISTRATION SYSTEM. 
          IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF DISPOSITIONS OR THE TYPES OF CASES, UH, WE CAN MAKE THOSE AVAILABLE TO YOU AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING THOSE FOR, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, IN PARTICULAR INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE. 
          IF SOMEONE ON YOUR TEAM COULD, UH, COULD SHARE THOSE WITH US. 
          AND IN TERMS OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH EVIDENCE, IS THAT A MATTER OF, UM, THE PARTICULARS OF A CASE? OR IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ASSIST WE, UH, SS A P D TO, TO MAKE THOSE PROS, YOU KNOW, ABLE TO BE PROSECUTED? WELL, UH, CERTAINLY IT'S, IT IS ALWAYS, UH, MORE BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE A, A COMPLETE INVESTIGATION. 
          UH, AND SOMETIMES WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS, UH, NOT TO GO FORWARD, UH, IS BECAUSE, UH, WITNESSES ARE MISSING OR, OR, UM, VICTIMS ARE UNCOOPERATIVE. 
          SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. 
          AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT, UH, MADE UNTIL THE VERY LAST MINUTE WHEN THE JURY IS OUT IN THE HALLWAY AND OUR VICTIM DOESN'T SHOW UP OR A WITNESS, UH, IS UNAVAILABLE. 
          BUT CERTAINLY, UH, WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT MAKES EVERY EFFORT, UH, AND, AND KEEP IN MIND, UH, ALL OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN OUR AREA, S A P D, BEAR COUNTY SHERIFFS AND ALL THE OTHER SURROUNDING COUNTIES DO DO A GOOD JOB IN INVESTIGATING CASES. 
          BUT, BUT THE MORE SERIOUS CASES, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, WE'RE CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE THE TYPE OF EVIDENCE THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVE THESE CASES, UH, IN A COURT, UH, WITH THE EVIDENCE THAT'S REQUIRED. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, JOE, THANK YOU, UH, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL, UH, COUNCILWOMAN . 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, I WANNA START WITH WHERE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE LEFT OFF WITH THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BECAUSE, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE AWARE, UH, DE GONZALEZ, BUT I DID THIS FOR SEVEN YEARS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          I FOLLOWED UP ON FAMILY VIOLENCE CASES. 
          I WAS A CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM, UM, MEMBER, CIVILIAN WORKER. 
          SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THEY NEED MORE THAN PROSECUTION, BUT I AM GOING TO STRESS THAT WE NEED PROSECUTION BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF OFFENDERS I FOUND HAD MULTIPLE VICTIMS. WOMEN, THEY, THEY, THEY ABUSE NOT JUST THE WIFE. 
          THEY MOVE ON TO THE GIRLFRIEND AND THEN THEIR CHILDREN. 
          SO I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY AS WE COME IN. 
          AND, AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT SITE AND RELEASE IS, AND I KNOW IT'S TO OFFICER'S DISCRETION, AND, AND WE WORK, UH, ON THE ADVOCACY SIDE TO LET THEM KNOW SOMETIMES THAT POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA, IF THAT'S THE ONLY THING THEY CAN TAKE, UH, HABITUAL ABUSER ON A REPEAT ABUSER ON, THEN TAKE THEM IN ON THAT, BECAUSE THAT KEEPS, THAT, THAT GIVES THE VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AN AFTERNOON BY HERSELF TO DECIDE IS SHE GONNA STAY IN THIS RELATIONSHIP OR NOT. 
          SO I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RATES, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, WE, THE OFFICERS NEED TO HAVE THAT, UH, DISCRETION AND THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT IF THEY BRING A MISDEMEANOR WITH, WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF, UM, FELONY FAMILY VIOLENCE OR, OR, UM, OR, OR JUST TERRORISTIC THREATS THAT THEY ARE GETTING, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE. 
          BECAUSE I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          UH, SO WHEN YOU SAID THE MISDEMEANORS, YOU MENTIONED, UH, MARIJUANA, ARE THERE ANY OTHER DRUGS ON THAT LIST THAT ARE PART OF SITE AND RELEASE, OR IS IT JUST MARIJUANA? WELL, IT'S, UH, POSSESSION OF PG TWO A DRUGS, WHICH BASICALLY IS SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA. 
          OKAY. 
          IS INCLUDED IN THAT, UH, IN THAT LIST OF CASES. 
          AND I THINK, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND, AND I'M GONNA HAVE MY TEAM GO ON THE BA DASHBOARD TO SEE HOW MANY OF THE, THOSE THAT AREN'T BEING RELEASED, BUT ACTUALLY COMING IN, UH, HOW MANY OF THOSE CASES ARE, ARE BEING REJECTED? 'CAUSE I KNOW, UH, AND, AND RO EVA IS HERE, IS THAT NOW WE HAVE, WE HAVE IT GO THROUGH THE CITY'S MAG SYSTEM AND THEN IT, IT CAN CHANGE MIDSTREAM IN THE, UM, IN THE COUNTY COURT SYSTEM. 
          UM, I, I, I APPRECIATE IN SOME, UH, EFFORTS THAT IT BECOMES ABOUT THE PERPETRATOR AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND PERPETRATOR, UH, THEIR MOTIVATIONS AND GETTING THEM OUT OF THAT. 
          BUT I FEEL IN SOME CASES, THE VICTIM IS THEN FORGOTTEN. 
          AND I APPRECIATE YOU GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I THINK ONCE YOU GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND YOU VISIT THE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU'RE GONNA GET DIFFERENT VIBES FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE PRIORITIZED. 
          [01:00:01]
I THINK ABOUT HIGHLAND PARK AND, UM, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY SEEM VICTIMLESS BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA, BUT THEY'RE SMOKING OUT IN THE PARK OR THEY'RE USING OUT IN THE PARK, AND THEY FEEL IMPACTED BY THAT. 
          SO, UH, HIGHLAND PARK IS ONE THAT I THINK WILL HAVE, WOULD WANNA SAY WE WANNA SEE MORE ARREST, UM, OF THOSE WITH DRUGS, DRUG POSSESSIONS OR USING, I THINK, UM, I THINK, UH, HIGHLAND HILLS AND, AND THE MISSION, MISSION SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU'D GET A DIFFERENT VIBE ABOUT WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE. 
          SO, UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS UM, IN THE VIOLENT CRIMES STATS, DO WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THOSE NON-REPORTING CRIMES? DO Y'ALL HAVE LIKE A METHOD TO TAKE IN AS, UM, UH, KIM MENTIONED THAT ONLY ONE OUT OF 10 WOULD, WOULD, UH, REPORT SEXUAL CHILD ABUSE. 
          DO WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THERE ARE OTHER VICTIMS THAT AREN'T SPEAKING OUT? WELL, THE PROBLEM IS, IF THEY'RE NOT SPEAKING OUT, THEN HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE VICTIMS? THAT, THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT WHOLE PROBLEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TWO SHIPS IN THE NIGHT. 
          HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, IT EXISTS UNLESS WE HAVE SOME, SOME, UM, INDICATION THAT IT HAPPENED? AGAIN, WE MAKE EVERY EFFORT IN OUR OFFICE TO, TO, TO CONSIDER THE CRIMINAL HISTORY OF AN INDIVIDUAL. 
          UH, AND NOT ONLY CASES THAT ARE ULTIMATELY FILED AND INDICTED, BUT THOSE CASES WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE ARRESTED. 
          UH, AND, UH, YES, WHEREVER WE CAN, WE, WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. 
          YEAH. 
          AND JUST, JUST BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO SEXUAL ABUSE, WHETHER IT'S RAPE OR SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD, I KNOW IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A SERIAL PERPETRATOR WHO, WHO ACTUALLY COMES FORWARD, AND THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS THAT OUT ARE OUT THERE IS, IS A LOT DIFFERENT. 
          AND I KNOW ACADEMIC STUDIES HAVE BEEN DONE BY THAT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, TO TAKE CARE THERE. 
          AND CAN YOU TALK TO ME, WHAT ABOUT CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY? HOW IS THAT GOING IN YOUR OFFICE AND THAT PRIORITIZED? WE ACTUALLY RECENTLY, UH, GOT FUNDING FOR, UH, A PROSECUTOR WHO'S DEDICATED, UH, TO ELDER FRAUD ABUSE AND CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY. 
          AND, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE TO ONE OF THE SENIOR CENTERS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. 
          BUT, UH, WE'VE INCREASED, UH, AND FOCUSED OUR PROSECUTION OF, UH, ON CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY. 
          SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE ARE MAKING THAT A PRIORITY. 
          UH, IF I CAN RESPOND TO IT. 
          'CAUSE YOU SAID SO MANY THINGS, COUNCILMAN. 
          UH, I WANTED TO AT LEAST TOUCH TWO ON TWO THINGS. 
          FIRST OF ALL, I AM AWARE OF THE DEDICATION THAT YOU HAD IN THE PAST TO FIGHTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. 
          AND, AND FOR THAT, UH, I THANK YOU. 
          BUT, UH, THAT IS WHY WE MADE, UH, UH, COMBATING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE A PRIORITY IN, IN OUR OFFICE. 
          WHEN I WALKED INTO THIS JOB, UH, WE, WE REVAMPED THAT, UH, THAT UNIT. 
          WE PULLED IT OUT OF A UNIT WHERE IT WAS TUCKED INTO SOME OTHER DIVISION. 
          UH, WE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF PROSECUTORS FROM 22 TO OVER. 
          I THINK WE NOW HAVE 37. 
          WE HAVE, UH, IMPROVED THE, UH, REVIEW AND INTAKE TO WHERE WE MAKE DECISIONS, UH, WITHIN WEEKS AS OPPOSED TO BEFORE IT TOOK MONTHS AND SOMETIMES YEARS. 
          I'LL TELL YOU, WHEN I WALKED IN, THERE WERE LITERALLY BOXES UPON BOXES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES. 
          UH, AND KIM PROBABLY KNOWS ABOUT THIS. 
          WE HAD 2000 CASES, UH, SEXUAL ASSAULT WHERE, UH, RAPE KITS HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED WHERE, UH, CASES HAD NOT BEEN FILED. 
          IT TOOK, UH, MELLY POWERS IN OUR DIVISION OVER A YEAR TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF THOSE 2000 CASES, UH, TO SINGLE DIGITS. 
          SO WE ARE MAKING, AND WE HAVE MADE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE A PRIORITY, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT ON THE ISSUE OF, UH, OF, UM, WHEN SOMEBODY IS, WHEN AN OFFICER IS RESPONDING TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL, THEY OUGHT NOT TO BE EVEN THINKING ABOUT SITE AND RELEASE. 
          IF THAT INDIVIDUAL IS, UH, IS A PERPETRATOR OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALLGAME. 
          UH, AND, AND WE HOPE THAT THEY MAKE THAT KIND OF A, A CALL OUT THERE. 
          BUT EVEN WHERE WE HAVE POLICIES, UH, THERE, WE HAVE WHAT IS CALLED A PUBLIC SAFETY EXCEPTION TO OUR POLICIES. 
          SO EVEN AS YOU MENTIONED, IF SOMEBODY IS IN A PARK AND THEY MAY HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA OR SOME OTHER DRUG THAT MAY FALL WITHIN ONE OF OUR EXCEPTIONS, BUT THE OFFICER TELLS US, LOOK, THIS HAS GOT SOMEONE WHO'S A SUSPECT ON A CAPITAL MURDER CASE OR IS A GANG MEMBER THAT WE BELIEVE IS CAUSING SOME REAL HARM IN THE COMMUNITY, WE WILL MAKE THE EXCEPTION AND WE WILL ACCEPT THAT CASE. 
          YEAH, NO, IT'S, IT, IT'S NOT A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE. 
          I BELIEVE WE ARE. 
          THE CITY COUNCIL HAS MADE IT COMPLETELY CLEAR TO THE OFFICERS THAT IF IT, IF THEY, IF THEY ARE RESPONDING TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE, TO THE PRIORITY IS TO KEEP THAT WOMAN SAFE. 
          THIS IS THOSE INCIDENCES WHERE, UM, MAYBE THEY DO A TRAFFIC STOP OR, OR THEY DO, UH, THEY COME INTO A SITUATION AND HE'S THERE WITH HIS SIGNIFICANT OTHER AND ALL THERE, THERE'S NO SIGN OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. 
          BUT THE OFFICER HAS RUN, RUN THE CRIMINAL HISTORY, AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A, UM, THEY HAVE 
          [01:05:01]
A, UM, HISTORY OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN OR VIOLENCE AGAINST THIS SPECIFIC, UM, THE SPECIFIC WOMEN THEY'RE WITH. 
          AND, AND THAT THAT'S THE SITUATION WHERE SOMETIMES THEY TAKE IT IN. 
          AND THESE ARE, THESE ARE OFFICERS THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE KIND OF IN THE, THE, UM, THE HOUSING FACILITIES WHERE THERE'S REGULAR CALLS, BUT SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT CALLED FOR THAT. 
          THEY'RE JUST CALLED FOR A POSSESSION OR LOUD MUSIC OR THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO IT, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICERS WORK REALLY HARD AND, UH, THIS IS JUST IN TERMS OF THEIR DISCRETION, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY PRIORITIZE AND, UM, THOSE WITH A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, WHEN YOU KNOW THAT WE, WE PRIORITIZE KEEPING THOSE FAMILIES SAFE. 
          SO, UH, WHATEVER THEY CAN DO. 
          BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS AN EFFORT THAT WE'VE GOT. 
          WE'VE GOT THE POLICE, WE'VE GOT THE DA, WE'VE GOT CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES, AND HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS? THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN GERRAN AND COUNCILMAN PERRY. 
          THANK YOU, MA'AM. 
          AND THANKS AGAIN, SIR, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          I, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF TOUGH SITUATIONS OUT THERE THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND, AND, UH, UM, I'M PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THE ARREST HISTORY OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SYSTEM MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY'RE STILL OUT ON THE STREET. 
          AND THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN. 
          WE, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER, I DON'T KNOW IF PAUL, DO WE HAVE THAT ARTICLE YET, BUT I THINK HIS NAME WAS MR. GONZALEZ, WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED, UM, UH, NUMBER OF TIMES, NO RELATION, RIGHT? NO , NO ARRESTED A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IMPLICATIONS. 
          AND, UM, HE, HE WAS ACTUALLY CHASED BY THE POLICE AND SHOT A POLICEMAN IN THE ARM. 
          AND THIS WAS A CASE OF BEING LET GO MULTIPLE TIMES ON DOMESTIC ABUSE. 
          AND HE WAS STILL OUT ON THE STREET WITH A GUN AND, AND SHOT ONE OF OUR POLICEMEN. 
          AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT WE NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO ON PRIOR ARRESTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE FOLKS ARE NOT OUT ON THE STREET. 
          YOU KNOW? AND, AND IT STARTS, AND I, ANYBODY CAN TELL YOU THAT IT STARTS WITH THESE LITTLE BITTY, LITTLE BITTY CRIMES, AND THEY KEEP BUILDING AND BUILDING AND BUILDING BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY CONSEQUENCES FOR SOMEBODY GOING OUT THERE BREAKING THE LAW. 
          AND THAT'S THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS CITY HAS ON OUR PROCESS, OUR LEGAL PROCESS, THAT YOU CAN KEEP COMMITTING AS MANY CRIMES AS YOU WANT. 
          YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GO TO JAIL AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET PROSECUTED. 
          AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE, THESE COSTS BUILD UP ON THE, ON THE $3 BILLION SIDE OF IT, WHAT'S COSTING THIS CITY. 
          UH, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE'S NO ROOM IN THE JAIL. 
          IS THE JAIL COMPLETELY FILLED UP RIGHT NOW? WELL, I THINK THE, I THINK CAPACITY IS 5,000 AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE 4700, 4800. 
          SO I MEAN, WE'RE THERE, UH, OKAY. 
          AND DEPENDING ON THE, THE, THE DAY OF THE WEEK THAT YOU TALK TO THE SHERIFF, HE MAY TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS. OKAY. 
          WELL, UH, I KNOW IN THE PAST WE'VE ACTUALLY CONTRACTED WITH SURROUNDING COUNTIES. 
          UH, IS THAT AN OPTION OUT THERE TO DO THAT AGAIN NOW? WELL, AGAIN, THAT, THAT, THAT'S, UH, OUTSIDE MY, MY LANE, BUT I, I, I CERTAINLY THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT IS, UH, THE ABILITY TO HOUSE, UH, INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY VIOLENT CRIMINALS. 
          AND, AND I'M GONNA, IF I MAY COUNCILMAN, I'M GONNA PUSH BACK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT PEOPLE SAYING THAT PEOPLE ARE COMMITTING CRIMES AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND THEY'RE BEING LET OUT AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF CRIME, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          BECAUSE WE HANDLE 60,000 CASES A YEAR, WE HAVE, WHEN WE'RE FULLY STAFFED, 250 PROSECUTORS, WE'RE LOSING OUR PROSECUTORS 'CAUSE WE CAN'T PAY THEM WHAT THEY'RE WORTH. 
          SO WE HAVE ABOUT 230, IT MAKES SENSE THAT THEY FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD, ON SEXUAL ASSAULT, OF AN, OF AN ADULT VICTIM ON AGGRAVATED ROBBERIES, SOMEBODY THAT GETS, UH, A GUN TO THEIR HEAD VERSUS A SMALL AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION ON. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU SIR. 
          MA'AM, I, YOU KNOW, JUST AN OBSERVATION AND, AND I'D LIKE TO, UH, DISCUSS THIS FURTHER WITH YOU AND THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING BITS AND PIECES OF THIS PROCESS, THE SYSTEM, THE DA, THE, THE, OUR CHIEF HERE, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A FORUM WITH THE DA, THE PROS, I MEAN, THE, UH, UH, MAGISTRATES, THE SHERIFF, THEY'RE ALL PART OF THE PROCESS. 
          AND I, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR EVERYBODY TO BE SITTING AROUND THE TABLE DISCUSSING THESE ISSUES, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE ON WHAT THE RIGHT DATA IS, WHAT THE RIGHT PROCESSES SHOULD BE, AND SEE WHERE THE WEAK LINKS ARE SO THAT WE CAN EMPHASIZE 
          [01:10:01]
AND REALLY, REALLY PRESS AHEAD ON THAT. 
          COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. 
          I MEAN, EVERYBODY HAS A ROLE IN THIS PROCESS, BUT WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT BITS AND PIECES HERE. 
          SO THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION. 
          THANK YOU, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          AND WE ACTUALLY ARE WORKING ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT SPECIFICALLY. 
          IT WAS FORESIGHT AND RELEASE TO KIND OF WALK US THROUGH A PROCESS, BUT, UM, WE CAN EXPAND IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN MKE RODRIGUEZ. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I JUST WANTED TO, UM, VERBALIZE AGAIN MY SUPPORT FOR SIGN RELEASE AND, UH, MY GRATITUDE THAT YOU, UH, GO AS FAR AS YOU DO WITH IT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, OUR CITY HAS A COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, AND WE HAVEN'T USED IT IN THIS WAY, BUT EQUITY IS A REVERSAL OF WRONGDOING. 
          IT'S AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, AND IT IS ACTIVE STEPS TO TRY TO UNDO DECADES AND DECADES OF WRONGDOING. 
          AND IN THIS INSTANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT CAN'T BE DENIED THAT BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TARGETED FOR DECADES, DECADES, BEEN VICTIMS OF, UM, RACISM AND PREJUDICE AND BIAS WHEN IT IN OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. 
          AND WE SEE THEM BEING TARGETED, AND THEY HAVE BEEN TARGETED FOR DECADES, AGAIN, FOR MARIJUANA, FOR OTHER BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH POVERTY. 
          AND SO WHEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDO THAT, I THINK WE SHOULD. 
          AND WHAT I HEAR TODAY IS THAT EVERY SINGLE CASE IS ITS OWN CASE. 
          IT'S NOT A BLANKET. 
          EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO, UM, IS FOUND WITH MARIJUANA IS GONNA GET CITED. 
          THAT'S NOT THE CASE. 
          UM, AND CHIEF, I HATE TO CALL YOU, BRING, CALL YOU ON THE SPOT FOR A QUESTION. 
          UM, SHOULD BE FAIRLY SIMPLE. 
          IF SOMEONE HAS A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, PARTICULARLY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ARE THEY LIKELY AND THEN THEY'RE FOUND WITH ANY, THEY'RE MET WITH ANY OF THE CITABLE OFFENSES, ARE THEY LIKELY TO BE CITED OR ARRESTED? YES. 
          ARE YOU ASKING ME THE CHIEF, CHIEF? I'M SORRY. 
          YOU SAID CHIEF. 
          I DON'T THINK THAT THE FAMILY HISTORY HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE OFFICER'S DECISION TO CITE OR TO CITE OR ARREST. 
          SO, BUT, BUT THAT'S A QUESTION THAT, UH, I CAN'T ANSWER WITH ANY DEGREE OF ACCURACY. 
          I'LL BE MORE SPECIFIC. 
          SO IF SOMEONE, IF YOU KNOW, SOMEONE HAS COMMITTED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVIOUSLY AND THEY'RE ARRESTED AND THEY'RE, UH, STOPPED BY AN OFFICER IN ANY WAY, ARE THEY, ARE THEY LIKELY TO BE CITED FOR ONE OF THE CITABLE OFFENSES PREVIOUSLY? AGAIN, IT, IT, IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT THE OFFICER'S THOUGHT PROCESS IS. 
          IF THERE'S A, A, A, A LONG HISTORY OF, UM, ARRESTS, PROBABLY NOT. 
          HAVE YOU HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, I MEAN, I IMAGINE YOU HAVE, UM, SINCE SITE AND RELEASE HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED AS A POLICY, HAVE YOU HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, YOUR DEPARTMENT AND ALL OF THE FOLK, EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY WHO COMES IN, ARE YOU GUYS HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF SITE AND RELEASE AND ITS PURPOSE SO THAT THERE'S NOT A WHOLE RANGE OF THINGS HAPPENING AND YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, IT'S SOMEWHAT STANDARD. 
          EVERY, EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE NATURE AND THE PURPOSE OF SITE AND RELEASE. 
          AND, AND AS I HAVE SAID, AND THAT, AND I'LL GO OFF THAT SPECIFIC TOPIC FOR ONE SECOND, AS I'VE SAID IN THE PAST, FOR ME IT'S ABOUT DISCRETION. 
          IF I'M OKAY WITH SITE AND RELEASE, AS LONG AS THE OFFICER HAS COMPLETE DISCRETION. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT TODAY, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. 
          SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, WOMAN RA, THANK YOU FOR BEING, UH, I THINK I, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. 
          I LIKE THE IDEA THAT COUNCILMAN PERRY, UM, HAD ABOUT BRINGING EVERYTHING TO THE TABLE BECAUSE I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT THOSE, WE GET INPUT FROM THE OFFICERS IN THE DAY TO DAY, AND THAT THEY REALLY EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS OF, OF WHETHER OR NOT TH THIS, WHAT'S PLAYING A MOTIVATION AND HOW THEY'RE FEELING ABOUT THIS. 
          'CAUSE I THINK ONCE WE BRING THEM INTO THE CONVERSATION, IT'S GONNA BE, UH, VERY INSIGHTFUL. 
          SO YEAH, I, I, LET'S DO A SURVEY  TO ASK THE OFFICERS, LET'S, LET'S, UH, LET'S ALL BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER, ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER, AND THAT, UH, ALL OF YOU SPEAKERS, I THINK Y'ALL HAVE SOME INSIGHT. 
          UH, ALSO BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT THE HESITANCY IS, IF SOMEONE HAS EXPERIENCED OR HAS EXPERIENCED A TRAUMA LIKE SEXUAL ABUSE OR PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, WHAT THE HESITANCY ARE, ARE FOR THEM FOR TALKING ABOUT IT OR MOVING FORWARD. 
          AND WE NEED TO BRING THAT INTO, TO THE LIGHT ALSO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. 
          I I JUST WANNA WRAP UP, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN, JOE, FOR BEING HERE. 
          I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, UH, ANY KIND OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS NOT A SITE CITABLE OFFENSE, RIGHT? IT'S 
          [01:15:01]
NOT IN WITHIN THE REALM OF BEING, UM, UNDER THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND I ACTUALLY JUST WANNA VERY QUICKLY INVITE, UH, CHIEF JUDGE ODO UP JUST TO REAL QUICKLY, BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT, UM, JUST BONDS. 
          I THINK THERE'S SOME QUESTION ABOUT, ABOUT BONDS. 
          SO IF YOU DON'T MIND COMING UP, UH, JUDGE, UM, MAY I BE EXCUSED OR, OH, YES, SIR. 
          YES. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          YEAH, I KNOW YOU GOT PLACED TO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR INVITING ME THIS MORNING. 
          TAKE DAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOE. 
          APPRECIATE YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          DID, DID YOU HAVE, I JUST WANTED YOU TO SPEAK BRIEFLY ON, ON JUST KIND OF THE, THE BONDING, UH, PROCESS. 
          THERE'S A LITTLE CONFUSION I THINK ABOUT, ABOUT WHO SETS THE BONDS AND, UM, OKAY. 
          UH, WHAT WE ARE DOING AT THE, AT, WITH THE CITY JUDGES IS WE ARE, UH, MAGISTRATE ALL ONSITE AR RILLA ARRESTS FOR SS A P D D P, SS, AIRPORT POLICE, PARK POLICE. 
          UM, THOSE ARE ALL THE AGENCIES THAT WE ARE SERVICING RIGHT NOW. 
          WE ARE, UM, MAGISTRATE THEM, WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE MAKING A FINDING OF PROBABLE CAUSE AND, AND THEN WE ARE COMMITTING THEM TO JAIL. 
          WE ARE ALSO SIGNING ANY, UM, APPLICATIONS FOR EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE ORDERS, BLOOD DRAW WARRANTS, UM, BUT IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE OFFICERS IN THOSE AGENCIES TO COME DROP OFF THEIR ARRESTED, DROP OFF THE ARRESTED INDIVIDUALS, TURN IN A REPORT, AND GET BACK OUT ON THE STREET AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, CHIEF. 
          SO, JUDGE, UM, THANKS. 
          I JUST WANTED YOU TO GO OVER IT REAL QUICKLY. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON. 
          MOVE ON TO ITEM, 
          [Briefing and Possible Action on
 ]
UH, TWO, BACKWARDS TO ITEM TWO. 
          THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT TOPIC. 
          I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF RUNNING OUTTA TIME HERE. 
          I DON'T WANT TO, UM, I WANNA TAKE ALL THE TIME WE NEED TODAY. 
          UM, BUT I WANNA BE MINDFUL OF EVERYBODY'S TIME. 
          SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS, MARIA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AND GOOD MORNING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. 
          SO OUR PRESENTATION TODAY IS ON A RECOMMENDED, UM, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE USE OF $26 MILLION OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FOR MENTAL HEALTH. 
          AND AS A WAY OF BACKGROUND, UM, WE CAME TO YOU IN THE MONTH OF JUNE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ON, UM, A DRAFT RECOMMENDED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
          WE ALSO, UH, MENTIONED THAT WE WOULD BE DOING SOME STAKEHOLDER INPUT TO GATHER FEEDBACK ON THAT DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
          SO WHAT I'M GONNA PRESENT TO YOU TODAY INCORPORATES, UH, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVE, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY IN SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PRESENTATION. 
          SO IF WE MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, I'LL START WITH THE TIMELINE OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE HELD. 
          WE HAD A TOTAL OF, UH, SEVEN MEETINGS. 
          UH, WE HAD TWO MEETINGS WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS IN ALSO TWO MEETINGS WITH, UH, FAITH, UH, LEADERS IN ONE MEETING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO RECEIVE THEIR FEEDBACK. 
          NOW, FROM ON THE NEXT SLIDE, FROM THE MEETINGS THAT WE HELD WITH OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AS WELL AS WITH, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 101 COMMENTS AND 139, UH, SUGGESTIONS INCLUDED WITHIN THOSE COMMENTS. 
          UM, THE REPORT WAS PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE YESTERDAY, AND IT'S ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S, UH, WEBSITE UNDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AGENDA FOR TODAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THIS FOLLOWING, FOLLOWING SLIDE SHOWS SOME OF THOSE, UH, CATEGORIES OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED. 
          SO I WILL CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LARGEST, UM, PORTION OF THE COMMENTS THAT RELATED TO FOCUS ON, UH, ON UPSTREAM EFFORTS. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOCUSES ON PROGRAMS THAT WILL ASSIST THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH A MENTAL HEALTH, UM, ILLNESS UPSTREAM, UM, FOCUSING ON YOUTH, SENIORS AND ALSO OUR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. 
          WE ALSO, UM, HEARD THAT THERE WAS A DESIRE TO EXPAND ACCESS TO PROVIDERS. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE THAT REFLECTED ON A RECOMMENDED, UH, SPENDING FRAMEWORK. 
          UM, THERE'S, THERE WERE ALSO RECOMMENDATIONS TO FUND SPECIFIC AGENCIES. 
          WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING TO FUND ANY SPECIFIC AGENCIES TODAY, BUT WE, WE ARE PROPOSING IS A R F P PROCESS, A COMPETITIVE PROCESS TO HAVE THESE, UH, ENTITIES THAT HAVE PROVIDED THEIR FEEDBACK PARTICIPATE IN THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES. 
          SO THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, AND THIS ALSO WAS, UH, PROVIDED TO THE COUNCIL, UH, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, AND IS POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE UNDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, IS, UM, COMPLIES WITH THE 
          [01:20:01]
FOUR, UH, ELEMENTS THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING OR INCLUDING ON ALL THE IMPLEMENTATION PLANS RELATED TO ARPA, IDENTIFYING A COVID IMPACT, DEVELOPING, UH, STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          WE HAVE SOME, UM, METRICS AND OUTCOMES ALREADY OUTLINED IN THE, IN THE PLAN. 
          HOWEVER, AS WE GO THROUGH THE REQUESTS FOR APPLICATION PROCESS, THOSE, UH, METRICS WILL BE, UM, FINALIZED. 
          SO WHEN WE BRING THE CONTRACTS BACK TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, THOSE, UH, METRICS WILL BE SOLIDIFIED WITH THE, WITH THE IMP OF THE PROVIDERS. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS A TWO YEAR PLAN THAT WILL START JANUARY OF 2023 AND END DECEMBER OF 2024. 
          SO, AT A HIGH LEVEL, THIS PARTICULAR CHART PROVIDES THE RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
          UM, THE AREAS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON INCLUDE, UH, YOUTH, OLDER ADULTS, UM, CHRONIC HOMELESS, AND, UH, COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNERS. 
          IF YOU LOOK, UH, NEXT TO THE, TO THE AREA THAT, THAT I JUST MENTIONED, YOU SEE THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS. WE ALSO HAVE A, UM, DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR THOSE AREAS WHERE THE CITY IS RECOMMENDING TO EXPAND SOME OF OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS. NEXT TO THAT IS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO PUT THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS, AND THEN THE TOTAL AMOUNT ALLOCATED TO THAT, UM, UH, SECTION. 
          SO FOR INSTANCE, FOR YOUTH, THE RECOMMENDATION IS 15 MILLION OLDER ADULTS IS 5 MILLION, UH, CHRONIC HOMELESS, $5 MILLION, AND FOR COLLABORATION, $1 MILLION. 
          ALSO, UH, WHAT THE CITY'S RECOMMENDING IS TO EXPAND EXISTING PROGRAMS TO THE TUNE OF $3.25 MILLION WITH ONE-TIME FUNDING. 
          AND THEN THE BALANCE OF 22.75 MILLION WILL BE PUT ON A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. 
          NOW, THIS REFLECTS, UM, UH, SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, THEY RECOMMENDED THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS WE PUT OUT AT A COMPETITIVE PROCESS, RATHER THAN CD PROGRAMS. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU, THEY ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT FOR CURRENTLY HOMELESS, CHRONIC HOMELESS, WE EXPAND BEYOND, UH, VETERANS. 
          UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE ALSO INCLUDE THE YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER SYSTEM TO THAT CATEGORY. 
          AND ALSO WE HEARD THAT THERE WAS, UM, NO DESIRE TO ADD ANY TYPE OF ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS TO THE PROPOSAL. 
          SO THE COLLABORATION THAT WE HAD OR ORIGINALLY PROPOSED, WE ARE DOING THAT PRIMARILY THROUGH IN KIND SERVICES, UH, WITH STAFF MEMBERS FROM METRO HEALTH. 
          SO, GETTING INTO THE, SOME OF THE DETAILS, UH, OF THE, OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR YOUTH, UH, THERE ARE THREE STRATEGIES THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED. 
          ONE IS, UH, EXPANDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE ACCESS FOR YOUTH AGES 12 TO 19. 
          AS YOU HEARD FROM SOME OF A COUPLE OF MEMBERS FROM OUR YOUTH COMMISSION, I MET WITH THE YOUTH COMMISSION BACK IN MAY AND GOT THEIR FEEDBACK TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THIS, UH, PROPOSED PLAN. 
          UM, SO, SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE. 
          UH, BEFORE YOU, WE ARE PROPOSING THAT WE TARGET THE POPULATION, UH, WHERE THERE'S A CONCENTRATION IN OUR CENSUS TRACKS, THAT THERE'S HIGH MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITALIZATIONS, UH, 9 1 1 CALLS, AND ALSO USING OUR EQUITY ATLAS FOR THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE A SCORE OF SIX AND HIGHER, THE R F P, WHEN WE PUT THAT OUT ON THE STREET, IF THIS PLAN IS APPROVED, WE'LL CALL FOR PARTICIPATION OF OUR PROVIDERS TO TARGET, UH, THOSE, UM, INDIVIDUALS, UH, WITHIN THOSE, UH, CENSUS TRACKS. 
          WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING THAT WE EXPAND THE EXISTING, UH, METRO HEALTH PROGRAMS FOR PROJECT, UH, W TEEN AMBASSADORS AND STANDUP SA, UH, FOR YOUTHS AGES 12 TO 19. 
          AND THE FINAL CATEGORY IS TO, UM, PROVIDE SOME FUNDING FOR DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES AND FAMILY PLAN DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOR CHILDREN UP TO THE AGE OF SIX. 
          AND OUR AREA OF CONCENTRATION WILL BE THOSE CENSUS TRACKS WITH INEQUITY ATLAS SCORE OF SIX OR HIGHER IN TERMS OF OLDER ADULTS. 
          UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE HEARD FROM, FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS IS, AS WE CONSIDER ADDRESSING THE INCREASED, UH, SOCIAL ISOLATION, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN OLDER ADULTS, UH, ONE TO EXPAND NAVIGATION PROGRAMS. SO, UM, OLDER ADULTS CAN BE CONNECTED TO SERVICES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO INCREASE SOCIAL INTERACTION ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS. SO WITHIN THIS, UH, RECOMMENDATION, WE ARE PROPOSING TO EXPAND, UH, 
          [01:25:01]
THE HOURS IN OUR CITY, COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS. 
          WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 11 ACROSS THE CITY TODAY, UH, AND ALL OF OUR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS. 
          AND THERE'S ONE MORE THAT WILL BE COMPLETED IN FISCAL YEAR 23 IN, UM, DISTRICT FOUR. 
          SO THE HOURS OF OPERATION TODAY ARE FROM 7:00 AM TO 4:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. 
          THIS PROPOSAL WILL EXPAND THE OPENING HOURS TILL 7:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. 
          THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM FOR TWO YEARS. 
          UH, SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UH, GET FEEDBACK FROM, UM, UH, THE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING AND SEE IF PERHAPS THE CITY WANTS TO CONSIDER, UH, A, A PERMANENT EXPANSION OF OURS, UH, AT THE COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, THE LAST, UH, STRATEGY IS TO PROVIDE, UH, SERVICES AND COACHING TO THE CAREGIVERS OF OLDER ADULTS, UH, FACING MENTAL ILLNESSES. 
          AND WE'LL FOCUS ON THOSE, UM, AREAS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE AN EQUITY ATLAS SCORE OF SIX AND HIGHER. 
          AND FINALLY, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR HOMELESS POPULATION, UH, TWO STRATEGIES THAT, THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING. 
          ONE IS CONNECTING CHRONIC AND UNSHELTERED VETERAN HOMELESS TO MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND HOUSING RESOURCES ALREADY OFFERED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, THIS DEMOGRAPHIC. 
          SO OUR RECOMMENDATION WILL BE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE OUTREACH, UH, WORKERS, AND AGAIN, THIS WILL BE PUT OUT FOR AN R F P. 
          SO THIS IS DONE AN EXTENSION OF A CITY PROGRAM, UH, BUT THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THOSE, UH, ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF SERVICE TO HELP US WITH THAT EFFORT. 
          AND FINALLY, OUTREACH AND SERVICES TO YOUTH AGING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. 
          UM, AS WE HAVE, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT THERE, THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO BECOME HOMELESS IF THERE'S NOT AN OUTREACH AND SERVICES PROVIDED TO THEM. 
          NOW, THE LAST PIECE OF THE, UH, MENTAL, UM, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR MENTAL HEALTH IS COLLABORATION. 
          SO THIS IS AN AREA THAT I HAD, UH, WE HAD INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT WE, THE CITY BELIEVE IS, IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, BURKE COUNTY CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, AND ALL THE NONPROFIT PROVIDERS IN THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO SERVE AND ALIGN UPSTREAM SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO BETTER SERVICE OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UH, WE ARE ALSO, UM, PROPOSING THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM TO IDENTIFY A CENTRAL PHONE NUMBER TO RESPOND TO PRE-CRISIS CALLS FROM INDIVIDUALS NEEDING SUPPORT AND NAVIGATION. 
          SO THERE'S NO DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE TWO STRATEGIES. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL BE WORKING AGAIN WITH OTHER, UH, ENTITIES AND PROVIDERS. 
          NOW, FOR AREAS THREE AND FOUR, WHICH IS, UH, CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE HAD INITIALLY PROPOSED, IS TO HAVE AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA. 
          THIS IS AN AREA THAT, UH, BERK COUNTY IS ALSO INTERESTED IN, IN, UH, ADDRESSING AND ALSO ALSO WORKING WITH BE COUNTY AND, AND THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES. 
          WE WOULD LIKE TO EVALUATE THE RECENTLY DEPLOYED 9 8 8 LINE FOR MENTAL HEALTH. 
          THE IDEA IS, UM, UH, FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE IS THAT IF THERE'S ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GET ASSISTANCE WITHOUT HAVING TO CALL 9 1 1, THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY AN AREA. 
          BUT IF NOT, THEN WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE ADDING A MENTAL HEALTH OPTION WITHIN THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM. 
          UM, WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION A $1 MILLION ALLOCATION OVER TWO YEARS FOR THOSE TWO EFFORTS. 
          UH, AND AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE STILL NEED TO, UH, FINALIZE WORKING WITH, UH, BEXAR COUNTY AND THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES. 
          SO, MOVING ON TO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, UH, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS THE ELIGIBILITY AND THE SCORING CRITERIA. 
          THIS IS, UH, VERY CONSISTENT TO WHAT WE DO WITH OUR CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS FOR, UH, DELEGATE AGENCIES. 
          UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING, UM, IN THE SCORING CRITERIA IS UNDER THE PROPOSED PLAN TO GIVE, UM, ADDITIONAL POINTS TO THOSE MORE EXPERIENCED AGENCIES, THE PARTNER WITH THOSE AGENCIES THAT PERHAPS DON'T HAVE THE MINIMUM, UH, OF TWO YEARS IN OPERATION, OR PERHAPS THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BID IN, IN A LARGER SCALE, UH, PROPOSAL. 
          SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE, UH, UH, ALLOCATE POINTS, UH, FOR THOSE ENTITIES THAT PARTNER WITH ENTITIES WITH LESS EXPERIENCE. 
          SO, SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS, THIS IS THE PROPOSED, UH, 
          [01:30:01]
TIMELINE. 
          UH, IF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UM, ALLOWS US TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, WE WILL BRING THIS TO CITY COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER THE FIRST FOR APPROVAL ON SEPTEMBER 6TH AND THE EIGHTH. 
          WE WILL HOST, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANT WORKSHOPS TO ASSIST THOSE AGENCIES ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE R F P BEFORE WE PUT IT OUT ON THE STREET ON SEPTEMBER THE NINTH. 
          WE WILL RELEASE THE R F P, DO A PRE-SUBMIT SUBMITTAL CONFERENCE ON THE 16TH. 
          AND THEN, UH, SEPTEMBER 19 WILL BE THE LAST DAY FOR US FOR INDIVIDUALS TO, UH, SUBMIT QUESTIONS. 
          AND THEN WE'LL CLOSE THE R F P ON OCTOBER THE 10TH, AND BRING IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION IN LATE NOVEMBER, EARLY DECEMBER. 
          AND, UH, WITH THE GOAL OF BEGINNING CONTRACTS ON JANUARY, THE ONE. 
          SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TODAY IS TO, UM, MOVE THIS ITEM FORWARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE SEPTEMBER 1ST A SESSION. 
          UM, BEFORE I OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE TEAM MEMBERS HERE WITH ME TODAY. 
          I HAVE REBECCA FLORES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, WHO'S OUR YOUTH COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY, WHO'S BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. 
          UM, ALSO FROM METRO HEALTH, WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR, UH, CLAUDE, UH, JACOB, UM, WHO'S BEEN HELPING IN THIS PROCESS. 
          AND JESSE HIGGINS, WHO'S A NEW ADDITION TO OUR TEAM, WHO IS OUR CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATOR FOR, FOR THE CITY. 
          SO WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS, EXCUSE ME, TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. 
          THANK YOU, MARIA. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND THANKS YOU, UH, TO YOUR STAFF FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK SPECIFICALLY. 
          UM, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, CLAUDE, REBECCA, AND JESSE, AND, AND ALL OF THEIR TEAMS FOR PUTTING THIS PLAN TOGETHER. 
          THIS COMMITTEE HAS PROVIDED A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND I FEEL THAT THIS PLAN IS REFLECTING MOSTLY, UH, OUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITIES AS WE TALK ABOUT YOUTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. 
          WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. 
          AND, UM, MARIA, YOU BROUGHT UP, UM, TRANSPORTATION CHILDREN FINDING THEIR WAY TO THESE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, PROVIDERS AND WHO THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING TO. 
          I THINK, UM, ONE OF THE OUTCOMES FROM THE, THE YOUTH GROUP WAS TO PROVIDE, UH, ACCESS TO TEXTING, UM, SO THAT IT'S MORE PRIVATE. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT YOU BRINGING THAT INTO IT AS WELL. 
          AND, UM, I'LL JUST MAKE A QUICK NOTE. 
          I THINK OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, UM, IN MOST PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT TRAINED NORMALLY TO BE SOCIAL WORKERS. 
          THEY, THEY DO A LOT OF TESTING AND, AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT, UNFORTUNATELY IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT A LOT OF THE CURRICULUM HAS TO BE DRIVEN TOWARDS, UH, STANDARDIZED TESTING. 
          SO I THINK OUR COUNSELORS, UM, ARE HAVING TO FOCUS ON THAT. 
          AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, RIGHT NOW IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ADEQUATE MENTAL HEALTH. 
          SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON, ON OUR YOUTH. 
          MY, MY PERSONAL MANTRA, UM, NOT ONLY IN, IN MY ROLE HERE AS COUNSEL, BUT IN, AS AN ATTORNEY, AS JUST A PERSON, AS I TRY TO FIND THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND ADVOCATE FOR THEM. 
          I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. 
          WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, SENIORS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, VETERANS WHO ARE HOUSELESS, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, FOSTER CHILDREN, UH, AMONG OTHER, OTHER VERY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT PROJECT WORTH AND STANDUP ESSAY. 
          DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY YOUTH ARE CURRENTLY BEING, UH, SERVED BY THOSE PROGRAM? I'M GONNA ASK APPLAUD JACOB TO ADDRESS THAT QUESTION. 
          GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE UPDATES ABOUT THE PROGRAMMING, THE EXCITING PROGRAMMING AT METRO HEALTH. 
          UM, SO PROJECT WORTH, JUST A REMINDER, THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A COUPLE DECADES, AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE OUR TEEN AMBASSADORS WHO ARE, UM, RESOURCES ON THE GROUND TO CONTINUE TO CONNECT AND BE THE BEST CONNECTORS TO THEIR PEERS. 
          SO, IN BROAD STROKES, THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT CONNECTS TEENS, UM, UH, IN GRADE SEVENTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE. 
          UH, THE PROGRAM WORKS CLOSELY WITH STAFF ON INITIATIVES THAT BRING AWARENESS TO VARIOUS TEEN HEALTH RELATED ISSUES WHILE GAINING IMPORTANT SKILLS THAT THEY USE IN, IN GOING INTO THE WORKFORCE OR INTO COLLEGE. 
          UM, SO OVER THE COURSE OF EACH YEAR, THERE ARE OVER 1600 NO COST BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COUNSELING SESSIONS THAT ARE PROVIDED THROUGH THIS OUTLET. 
          AND WE HAVE YOUTH WHO CAN ACCESS AS MANY COUNSELING SESSIONS AS THEY REQUEST. 
          THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED IN SCHOOL OR ON CAMPUS, AND AT THE TEEN CLINIC. 
          SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THE CAPACITY AND THE REACH OF THE PROGRAM. 
          UH, WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THROUGH THE, UH, YOUTH COMMISSION. 
          WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM OUR STAFF THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD, UH, AGAIN, ANOTHER DIMENSION, ANOTHER COMPONENT, AND EXPAND OUR REACH. 
          SO, BOTTOM LINE, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, BUILD A PROGRAM, AND WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THIS FUNDING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ABOUT HOW MANY YOUTH WOULD YOU SAY THESE TWO PROGRAMS SERVE RIGHT NOW? UH, WELL, PROJECT WORTH IS FOCUSED ON THE TEAMS. UM, UH, THE OTHER PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ABOUT IS STANDUP SA AND THAT'S BEEN FOCUSED ON ADULTS. 
          SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO 
          [01:35:01]
AT LEAST, UH, DEVELOP A, A JUNIOR COMPONENT TO STANDUP SA. 
          UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, IN TERMS OF THE VOLUME OF THE PROJECT WORTH, UH, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF COUNSELING SESSIONS, BUT I'LL, I'LL AT LEAST CIRCLE BACK AND LET YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF THE VOLUME AND THE REACH AND, AND ARE THERE, THEY'RE CITYWIDE PROGRAMS, RIGHT? SO IT WOULD TOUCH EVERY, THESE ARE, THESE ARE CITYWIDE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE DEDICATED STAFF WHO CONNECT WITH, UH, DIFFERENT PARTNERS, ESPECIALLY ANCHORED TO THE SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS IN THE AREA NONPROFITS. 
          UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS ISN'T A COMPONENT THAT WE'RE BUILDING ANCHORED TO OUR, UH, OUR MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES HERE IN THE CITY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, CLAUDE. 
          YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. 
          I'M GONNA SHIFT OVER TO OUR SENIORS. 
          UM, WE KNOW A LOT OF US THAT, UH, WE HAVE CITY SENIOR CENTERS OF COURSE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF CHURCHES OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL HAVE NUTRITION CENTERS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          THEY'RE REALLY EFFECTIVE. 
          UM, CLAUDE MENTIONED CONNECTORS IS, UH, A LOT OF TIMES THE SENIORS WILL LISTEN TO THEIR PASTORS AND, AND GO AND SEEK, UM, UH, SERVICES THAT WAY. 
          SO I'M CURIOUS IF SENIOR CENTERS THAT ARE NOT, UH, CITY SENIOR CENTERS, IF THEY MIGHT RECEIVE SOME FUNDING UNDER THIS PLAN. 
          UM, AT THIS POINT, COUNCILMAN, WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING EXPANSION OF OURS OTHER THAN FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS. 
          HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE IN THE PLAN FOR OLDER ADULTS NAVIGATION PROGRAMS, AND WE ARE, UM, ASKING, UM, DELEGATE AGENCIES TO HELP US PROMOTE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE NOT ATTENDING OUR SENIOR CENTERS, THAT PERHAPS TO YOUR POINT, MAY BE GOING TO THEIR CHURCHES OR OTHER FACILITIES TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME TO THE COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS AND PROVIDE 'EM SERVICES. 
          AND NOT ONLY THOSE CONNECTIONS TO THE COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTER, BUT OTHER, TO OTHER, ALSO TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT THEY MAY NEED. 
          SO THAT IS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, MARIA. 
          UM, REMINDER TO OUR COUN COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO USE A COMPUTER TO BUZZ IN, SO I CAN SEE EVERYBODY. 
          UM, AND WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THE FIRST THING I WANNA FLAG BEFORE MY TIME STARTS IS ON SLIDE SEVEN, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IN OLDER ADULT THERE'S AN EXTRA 0.3 THERE, SO IT MAKES IT TO WHERE THE TOTAL IN MILLIONS IS 26.3 MILLION. 
          UM, I WANTED TO FLAG THAT SO THAT SOMEONE CAN FIGURE OUT WHERE ARE WE CUTTING THE 0.3 FROM, UM, TO MAKE WAY FOR THE CAREGIVER PROGRAM. 
          UM, ASIDE FROM THAT, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO MARIA VILLA GOMEZ AND CLAUDE JACOB FOR HOSTING SO MANY OUTREACH EVENTS. 
          UM, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE EVENT AT THE DISTRICT TWO SENIOR CENTER, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE, AND ARE ALWAYS HIGHLY ENGAGED. 
          AND I'M SURE THEY PROVIDED, UH, IMPORTANT FEEDBACK THAT ULTIMATELY WAS INCORPORATED IN TODAY'S FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          UM, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE OUR EAST SIDE COMMUNITY ON, UM, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I SEE THE GREAT NEED THAT EXISTS, NOT ONLY NOW, BUT THE, THE NEED THAT EXISTED WAY BEFORE THE COVID PANDEMIC EVEN BEGAN. 
          AND SO I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON IMPACTED ZIP CODES AND CENSUS TRACKS SO THAT PEOPLE WHO NEED IT MOST ARE GETTING THE RESOURCES. 
          UM, I WANTED TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS. 
          NUMBER ONE, UM, SINCE FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE ELIGIBLE, AND WE JUST HAD THIS, UH, VERY CRAZY MEETING WHERE A LOT OF, UH, FUND PEOPLE SHOWED UP, UM, HOW ARE WE ENSURING THE PROGRAM RHETORIC IS NOT PROBLEMATIC OR HARMFUL TO L B T Q YOUTH? SO, IF A, I WILL, I WILL LET YOU INTERPRET THAT. 
          AS YOU MAY, , WE DON'T WANNA SEE ANYTHING LIKE PRAY THE GAY AWAY OR ANYTHING THAT'S, UM, OR REQUIREMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RELIGIOUS ACTS. 
          SURE. 
          AND, AND I'LL ADDRESS THE QUESTION MORE GLOBALLY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          SO AS PART OF OUR, UM, R F P PROCESS AND AS PART OF THE CONTRACT, THERE ARE CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS AND, UM, THAT WE ASK THOSE AGENCIES, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH, UH, FOR THE CONTRACT WITH THE CITY ORGANIZATION AND WHAT YOU ARE DESCRIBING AS INCORPORATED, UH, IN THERE AS WELL, IN, IN A MUCH BROADER TERM. 
          UH, IN, IN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, SPECIFICALLY WITH ARPA, IS THAT WE WANNA REACH OUT TO OUR LT LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE PROVIDED WITH THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED, AS WE KNOW THAT THAT, UH, POPULATION WAS HEAVILY IMPACTED BY C OVID 19. 
          SO THAT IS ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES THAT WILL BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF THE, UM, R F P PROCESS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, AND JUST TO BE, I'M GONNA SHIFT A LITTLE BIT TO THE, UM, THE, SO WE'RE GONNA BE USING NINE ONE ONE CALL DATA, THE EQUITY ATLAS AND THE THREE YEAR AVERAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL HOSPITALIZATIONS TO GUIDE THE APPLICANTS FOR FUNDING IN THE YOUTH CATEGORY. 
          UM, WHAT ABOUT THE SENIORS CATEGORY? ARE WE GONNA BE APPLYING IT THERE AS WELL? MM-HMM. 
          , UH, WE ARE NOT PLANNING TO DO THAT, COUNCILMAN. 
          'CAUSE SINCE WE ARE PROPOSING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO EXPAND THE HOURS AT ALL OF THE, UM, UH, SENIOR CENTERS, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE, UM, SENIORS TO BE MORE ACTIVE, UH, TO GET OUT OF 
          [01:40:01]
THEIR ISOLATION STATUS. 
          WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION THAT WE USED TO HAVE PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. 
          SO THAT PROGRAM IS OPEN CITYWIDE FOR, AGAIN, ALL OF OUR SENIORS AND TO ALL OF OUR SENIOR CENTERS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ELIGIBILITY. 
          SO, UM, IT MENTIONS THAT AN ORGANIZATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN OPERATIONAL FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. 
          UM, SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE ESTABLISHED UP TO AUGUST OF 2020 ARE ELIGIBLE? CORRECT. 
          SO THIS WILL BE, WELL, THIS WILL BE FOR ENTITIES AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION. 
          SO IF YOU WERE IN BUSINESS, UH, IN 20 19, 20 19, UM, TO 20, I'M SORRY, 2020 TO 2022 WILL BE THOSE TWO YEARS. 
          SO IT'LL BE EFFECTIVE, UM, SEPTEMBER NINE WHEN WE OPEN THE THE R F P. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT BECAUSE THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS, UM, IN MY DISTRICT THAT WERE FOUNDED BECAUSE THEY, THEY SAW THE NEED THAT EXISTS IN THE COMMUNITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC MM-HMM. 
          . 
          AND SO IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT MANY OF THEM WILL BE INCLUDED, UM, IN THESE REQUIREMENTS. 
          MY EXPECTATION IS THAT THERE WILL BE MANY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON SEPTEMBER 6TH AND EIGHTH. 
          UM, I'M GRATEFUL THAT, UM, YOU HAVE THOSE TWO DATES THERE, UM, ALREADY READY. 
          UM, AND AS A RESULT, MY HOPE IS THAT MANY WILL RECEIVE FUNDING. 
          UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT THERE IS THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS TO PARTNER WITH SOME OF THE LARGER, MORE ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONS. 
          AND IF ANY LARGER ORGANIZATIONS WANT TO BE CONNECTED TO ANY SMALL ORGANIZATIONS IN MY DISTRICT, I CAN CONNECT YOU AND I WOULD BE VERY, VERY HAPPY TO DO SO. 
          AND I KNOW MANY WHO ARE SEEKING THAT KIND OF PARTNERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP IN, IN A SENSE. 
          UM, IS IT POSSIBLE, SO, HMM. 
          RELATING TO THE HOMELESS, UH, STRATEGY SPECIFICALLY, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT THERE WAS A CONVERSATION YESTERDAY WITH, UM, OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM. 
          WHAT WERE SOME OF THE, WHAT WAS SOME OF THE FEEDBACK? AND I'LL, I'LL PREFACE THAT BY SAYING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE MOST IMPACTFUL WHEN WE ASK THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE GROUND WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND WHAT THEY'RE SEEING. 
          AND WE MEET THOSE NEEDS THAT THEY EXPRESS. 
          AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT FOLLOWING YESTERDAY'S MEETING, THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF UNDERSTANDING OF THAT. 
          SURE. 
          UM, SO OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR, MELODY WOOSLEY, AND, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, LAURIE HOUSTON, MET WITH OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH COORDINATORS. 
          AND, UM, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO ARPA, UM, THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY RECEIVE IS THAT THERE IS A NEED TO HAVE OUTREACH, MORE OUTREACH TO OUR HOMELESS POPULATION TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT THEM TO SERVICES. 
          SO THEY WELCOME THE, THE ADDITION, UH, THAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS PLAN. 
          WITH THAT SAID, THEY IDENTIFIED THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO, INTO EITHER A, A INPATIENT BED OR HOUSING RESOURCES. 
          SO TO THAT EFFECT, UM, WE ARE GONNA BE HAVING DISCUSSIONS WE HAVE WITH THE COUNCIL FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. 
          ARPA ALLOCATED $20 MILLION SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT. 
          AND, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, OUR HOUSING IN DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING ON TO BRING A RECOMMENDATION THAT IS IMPACTFUL AND SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG TERM. 
          UM, SO THAT'S THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM, FROM THE, UM, HOMELESS COORDINATORS YESTERDAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AND I'M THINKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT, UM, IS, IS, AND I THINK, UM, MAUREEN HAD MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, UM, I WANT TO ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY, AND IS IT POSSIBLE, THERE'S JUST AN IDEA THAT CAME TO ME. 
          IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT BOARD, UM, THAT FOLLOWS ALONG WITH ARPA FOR THOSE TWO YEARS, AND IT WOULD BE TEMPORARY IN NATURE, BUT IS THERE ANY WAY TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? 'CAUSE IT IS LARGE SUMS OF MONEY THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE BOARD. 
          SURE. 
          UM, WHAT I WOULD OFFER, AND WE CAN HAVE THE DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, IS THAT WE CAN COME BACK AND REPORT TO THIS BODY, UM, ON THE APPLICATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PLAN. 
          UH, WE ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO PROVIDE REPORTS TO THE US TREASURY ON A QUARTERLY BASIS AND ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. 
          UH, SO WE CAN PRESENT THOSE REPORTS, UH, TO THIS COMMITTEE AS IT RELATES TO MENTAL HEALTH. 
          UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD OFFER. 
          THE MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. 
          THAT'S WHAT WHAT I, WHAT COMES TO MIND TO, TO ADDRESS YOUR REQUEST. 
          IF THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, WE CAN DEFINITELY HAVE SOME DISCUSSION TO THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I I WOULD VERY MUCH WELCOME THAT DISCUSSION. 
          UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN, I JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING ELSE. 
          YOU 
          [01:45:01]
KNOW, THE, THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT WE ENGAGE, LIKE THE YOUTH COMMISSION FOR EXAMPLE, WE COULD PROVIDE REPORTS THROUGH THAT EXISTING COMMITTEE. 
          UH, FOR OLDER ADULTS, WE HAVE AN ELDERLY AFFAIRS COMMISSION, CITY AND COUNTY. 
          SO ON THE, THE AREA OF OLDER ADULTS, WE CAN REPORT TO THEM AND OBTAIN THEIR, THEIR FEEDBACK AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION USING THE EXISTING STRUCTURES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I WOULD ALSO MAKE THE REQUEST THAT, UM, ONCE ALL OF THE RFPS ARE OUT AND THE SOLICITATIONS ARE IN AND OR THE SOLICITATIONS ARE FINALIZED, UM, I WOULD LOVE FOR THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION THAT COUNCIL VOTES ON TO BE SENT TO ALL OF THE FOLK WHO SIGNED UP AT THOSE, UM, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. 
          SO EVERYONE WHO SIGNED IN, UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ALREADY PLANNED. 
          BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO, UH, MARIA, TO CLAUDE, AND TO CITY STAFF FOR CAPTURING THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT AND TO ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS WHO TURNED OUT TO PUBLIC HEARINGS ACROSS THE CITY. 
          UM, AND WE'VE BEEN HAVING ARPA DISCUSSIONS FOR A VERY LONG TIME. 
          SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS MANAGED TO STAY ENGAGED. 
          UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO SAGE FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD AND TO ORGANIZATIONS WHO PROVIDE YOUTH SERVICES AND TO UP PARTNERSHIP AND WANNA SEND A LOT OF THI THANKS AND PRAISE AND GRATITUDE AND ALL COMMENDATION, ALL OF IT. 
          UM, WITHOUT EACH OF YOU, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH THIS PLAN, WHICH HAS GREAT PROMISE TO MAKE AN INCREDIBLE IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF SO MANY FAMILIES ACROSS SAN ANTONIO. 
          AND SO I MOVE TO ADVANCE THIS PROPOSAL FOR FULL CONSIDERATION BY THE CITY COUNCIL. 
          SECOND. 
          THANK YOU, MAN. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION, MARIA. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          UM, LET'S GO BACK TO THE SENIOR CENTERS A LITTLE BIT. 
          YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, A REVISED SCHEDULE MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, NOT CLO OR CLOSED, I GUESS ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. 
          UH, DID WE GO OUT WITH ANY KIND OF SURVEY TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE NOW USING THE SENIOR CENTERS TO GET THEIR INPUT ON? WOULD THEY RATHER SEE IT, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, OPEN, OPEN LATER IN THE DAY, STAY OPEN LATER IN THE EVENING, OR, UH, ADD A DAY TO IT LIKE ON SATURDAYS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME? DID WE GIVE, DID WE HAVE ANY KIND OF SURVEY GIVING DIFFERENT OPTIONS? UM, THE INSURANCE ANSWER IS YES. 
          AND LET ME GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT. 
          SO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES HAS A COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR PLAN, AND THIS PLAN WAS, UM, FINALIZED PRIOR 2000 TO 2020, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE, BUT AS PART OF THAT STRATEGIC PLAN THAT TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE FEEDBACK FROM SENIORS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, THERE'S A RECOMMENDATIONS TO EXPAND THE HOURS OF THE SENIOR CENTERS BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WAS OBTAINED BACK THEN FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS FROM, AS I MENTIONED, THEY'RE OPEN TODAY FROM 7:00 AM TO 4:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. 
          THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO EXPAND THE HOURS, UH, TO 8:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. 
          UM, THE REASON WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING ONLY TO DO IT FOUR DAYS OF THE WEEK AND ONLY THREE HOURS TO 7:00 PM RATHER THAN TO 8:00 PM IS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT FUNDING ALSO TO DO THE PROGRAMMING. 
          SO IT'S A FINANCIAL CALL THAT WE'RE MAKING WITH THIS PLAN. 
          UH, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR, YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION, THAT WAS FEEDBACK FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS WHEN THAT STRATEGIC PLAN WAS, UM, COMPLETED. 
          AND, UH, MELODY WOOSLEY ALSO, AND I'M GONNA ASK HER TO COME TO THE PODIUM, SHE HAD A MEETING WITH THE ELDERLY AT FIRST COMMISSION FOR PURPOSES OF THIS PLAN. 
          SO I'LL ASK HER IF THAT WAS ADDRESSED IN THAT MOST RECENT MEETING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED NOW. 
          AND THEN I GUESS DURING THE JOINT COMMISSION MEETINGS WHEN WE DID THE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, UM, IT WAS, IT WASN'T A COMMENT THAT CAME UP A REQUEST, BUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS GETTING THE YOUNGER SENIOR POPULATION TO START USING THE SENIOR CENTER AND STAYING OPEN LATER HOURS ALLOWS PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL WORKING TO MAYBE USE THE CENTER FOR FITNESS AFTER WORK. 
          UM, IT ALLOWS, UH, GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE TAKING CARE OF THEIR GRANDCHILDREN TO USE THE CENTER MAYBE AFTER THE, THE CHILDREN GO HOME FOR THE EVENING. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT RECOMMENDATION IS COMING FROM. 
          BUT IT WAS BASED ON, WE DID A, UH, COMMUNITY-WIDE SURVEY AND THAT WAS PART OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT THERE. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT I, I, I WOULD RECOMMEND COMMEND TAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE SENIORS AND SAY, HEY, DO Y'ALL AGREE WITH THIS? OR GET ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK. 
          I, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT CLOSING IT ON FRIDAYS, UH, CLOSING 
          [01:50:01]
IT DOWN. 
          SO, SO, SO IT WON'T BE CLOSED. 
          IT'LL STILL BE OPEN FROM 7:00 AM TO 4:00 PM OH, OKAY. 
          BUT WE WOULDN'T HAVE EXTENDED HOURS ON FRIDAYS. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          TO SEE EXTENDED HOURS. 
          I WAS, YES, SIR. 
          I WAS MISUNDERSTANDING YOU ON THAT. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, BUT I, I HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE NORTHEAST SENIOR CENTER ABOUT OPENING A PERIOD OF TIME ON SATURDAYS. 
          SO, UM, I'D, I'D SURE LIKE TO GO BACK AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING AND GET THEIR BUY-IN SAYING YES. 
          UM, WE, WE, WE, WE LOVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND, UH, TO GET THAT FEEDBACK. 
          GREAT. 
          UH, SLIDE 12. 
          UM, THIS IS THE ACTUAL ELIGIBILITY AND SCORING AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE R F P IS IF THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS, THAT THIS IS ONLY TWO YEAR FUNDING, RIGHT? CORRECT. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND WHAT IS THEIR PLAN GONNA BE AFTER THAT FUNDING ON THESE PROGRAMS? BECAUSE ONCE THE TWO YEARS IS OVER, THAT FUNDING IS GONE. 
          WHAT IS THEIR FOLLOW ON PLAN TO REPLACE THAT FUNDING IF IT'S CONTINUING THOSE PROGRAMS, WHATEVER IT IS, WHAT IS THEIR PLAN MOVING FORWARD AFTER THIS FUNDING IS GONE? WELL, WE'LL DO THAT. 
          I, I REALLY WANNA SEE THAT IN THE R F P SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THIS IS ONLY TWO YEAR FUNDING AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN THAT CARRIES THAT FORWARD. 
          WHAT IS THAT PLAN? HOW ARE THEY GONNA CARRY THOSE PROGRAMS FORWARD? OR ARE THEY JUST GONNA STOP 'EM AFTER TWO YEARS BECAUSE THE FUNDING GOES AWAY? SO I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT IN THE R F P AS WELL. 
          UM, SLIDE 13, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING, WE'RE GIVING THEM ABOUT A MONTH TO PUT THIS PROPOSAL TOGETHER. 
          AND THIS IS SOMETHING NEW, UM, WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT STUFF IN IT. 
          I, I'M, I'M SAYING, I, I'M THINKING THAT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TIME TO PUT A PROPOSAL TOGETHER. 
          WE'RE TAKING ALMOST THREE MONTHS TO EVALUATE IT, AND WE'RE ONLY GIVING THEM ONE MONTH TO PUT THE THING TOGETHER. 
          UH, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN EXTEND THAT R F P TIMELINE A LITTLE BIT FOR THEM, GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT A REALLY GOOD PROPOSAL TOGETHER AND LOOK AT, UH, UH, WHAT I'M ALL FOR OPPORTUNITIES WITH OTHER, LIKE, ORGANIZATIONS THAT COME TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE WHATEVER SERVICE THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING OTHERWISE ON A SHORT, ON A SHORT TIMEFRAME, SHORT FUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF FORCES, UH, ORGANIZATIONS TO GO ON THEIR OWN AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO. 
          I'D, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, UM, WORK ON IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. 
          SO IF YOU COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT MARIA AND EXTEND THAT R F P PROCESS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON GIVING THEM A LONGER, UH, TIMEFRAME TO PUT THE PROPOSAL TOGETHER. 
          AND DO WE MENTION THAT ANYWHERE IN THE R F P ABOUT TEAMING WITH, WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? IS THAT ACTUALLY IN THE R F P? YES. 
          WE WILL INCORPORATE THAT IN THE R F P AND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WILL GET ADDITIONAL POINTS THAT THEY TEAM UP WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS LESS EXPERIENCE TO KINDA BE THAT MENTOR, IF YOU WILL, TO THAT YOUNGER ORGANIZATION IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 
          PLUS THE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE TO BE ADDED TO THIS R F P, WHICH ARE, UM, ANOTHER THING THAT THEY HAVE TO ADDRESS DURING THE CONTRACT. 
          SO YES, THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL POINTS FOR THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          GREAT. 
          GREAT. 
          WELL, IF YOU CAN ADJUST THAT TIMELINE TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME UPFRONT TO PUT A PROPOSAL TOGETHER, I'D SURE APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          I, I'M CURIOUS, MARIA, IF WE PUSH THE TIMEFRAME BACK A LITTLE BIT, UM, DOES THAT AFFECT WHEN WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR KIND OF, OUR REPORT OR OUR PLANS INTO THE GOVERNMENT FOR THIS MONEY? NO. 
          WHAT I'M THINKING IS THAT WE WILL, UM, REDUCE THE EVALUATION AND SCORING WINDOW FOR US. 
          WE HAD GIVEN OURSELVES ABOUT A MONTH TO DO THAT. 
          UH, WE DO AND, AND I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THIS 'CAUSE IT'S ANOTHER AREA THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. 
          THOSE EVALUATION TEAMS WILL INCORPORATE INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES ON MENTAL HEALTH TO KIND OF HELP US, UM, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PROVIDERS. 
          SO WE CAN SHORTEN THAT WINDOW AND THEN WE, WE'LL BRING IT TO COUNCIL IN DECEMBER. 
          SO THAT WAY WE, SO NOVEMBER START OF THE QUESTION FOR ACT COUNCIL ACTION, AND THEN WE WILL BRING IT PROBABLY THE FIRST OR SECOND WEEK IN DECEMBER 
          [01:55:01]
AND STILL MAKE OUR JANUARY 1ST, 2023. 
          SO WE'LL ADD ABOUT A COUPLE OF MORE WEEKS TO THE, TO THE R F P SUBMITTAL WINDOW. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, MARIA. 
          I THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY. 
          COUNCILWOMAN . 
          THANK YOU, MARIA. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS. 
          UM, SO ON PAGE SEVEN, WHEN WE TALK TO ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH, DO, DO WE HAVE IN THE WORKSHOP, ARE WE GONNA KIND OF HAVE EXAMPLES? 'CAUSE IN THE, UM, COMMENTS, THE, UM, THEY HAD SOME GREAT IDEAS WITH THE MOBILE AND THE, UM, THE ANIMALS AND, AND I THINK THEY HAD A LOT OF CREATIVE IDEAS ON THAT. 
          SO IF WE COULD, UM, OR I, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SPECIFIC ASKS OR IF IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, PART OF THEIR INNOVATION IDEAS IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT SORT OF THEY, WHAT, WHAT SORT OF IDEAS THEY MAY HAVE. 
          UM, AND I LIKE THE IDEA OF, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UM, WORKING WITH, UM, THE SCHOOLS. 
          I AM CONCERNED THAT WE DID NOT GET FEEDBACK FROM SOUTHSIDE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT IS IN MY DISTRICT, AND THEY ARE DOING LOTS OF WORK THERE. 
          SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HIT THAT. 
          EAST CENTRAL MENTIONED BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS. 
          AND THEN HARLANDALE DID HAVE THE, I WANNA SEE A MOBILE HEALTH CLINIC, UM, IN THEIR SCHOOL. 
          UM, SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPHASIZED THE UNIVERSITIES. 
          UM, AND I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT, WHAT UNIVERSITIES AND HOW ARE THEY WILLING TO HELP, UM, WITH S A I S D. 
          AND THEN, UM, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, HOTLINE AND, UH, SACRED CAME UP AND TALKED, I WOULD LIKE TO GET, UH, WHERE WE LOOK IF MAKING SURE THE INFORMATION IS CURRENT THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, UH, THOSE THAT CALL IT'S VERIFIED THAT IT'S A REPUTABLE SOURCE, AND THAT, UM, WE GET AN IDEA OF TIME OF SERVICE. 
          BECAUSE THE ONE THING WE HEARD IS THERE'S A LOT OF WAITING, UH, FOR PARENTS. 
          AND, AND THAT WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT ESPECIALLY WHERE THE YOUTH IS CONCERNED, THAT'S A CAREGIVER THAT MAY NOT BE A PARENT. 
          AND HOW DO WE HELP THEM, ESPECIALLY THE GRANDPARENTS, BECAUSE AS THE YOUTH WERE TALKING THAT GENERATIONAL DIVIDE, AND I THINK ABOUT MY GRANDMOTHER IN PARTICULAR, IF YOU HAD A PROBLEM SHE WANTED TO FEED YOU, THAT WAS HER SOLUTION. 
          SO I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KIND OF HAVE GROUPS THAT UNDERSTAND THAT THE CA CAREGIVER MAYBE ISN'T THAT PARENT, OR IF THE PARENT'S IN THE PICTURE, THEY MAY HAVE THREE OR FOUR JOBS AND, AND MAYBE THEIR GO-TO IS AN AUNT OR A GRANDMOTHER. 
          AND HOW DO WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION? I WANNA THANK REBECCA, CLAUDE AND JESSE FOR BEING PART OF THIS PROCESS. 
          UM, I THINK EACH OF Y'ALL BRING SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC TO IT, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DEALING WITH THOSE UPSTREAM ISSUES, BUT ALSO DEALING WITH THE, THE, THE PROBLEMS AT HAND THAT WE, WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND THE CARVE OUT FOR THE YOUTH SPECIFICALLY WAS BECAUSE WE ALL SAW, I THINK IT WAS NAMI THAT DID THE STUDY THAT 70% OF YOUTH IN STATE AND LOCAL JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS HAVE A MENTAL ILLNESS. 
          SO HELPING THAT, UM, THAT SUICIDE IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR AGES 10 TO 24. 
          THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE WITH THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY. 
          AND THE FACT THAT WE CARVED OUT FOR OUR VETERANS IS THAT OVER, UM, 30,000 SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS HAVE DIED BY SUICIDE. 
          AND SO WE WANTED THAT CARVE OUT TO GET TO, TO HELP THAT. 
          AND WHILE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE THAN THE 1 MILLION, I KNOW IT'S FINITE, AND I REALLY WANT US TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COORDINATING NOW THAT THE PAC ACT HAS PASSED WITH, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          AND IF, IF OUR WORKERS OR OUR ORGANIZATIONS RUN INTO, UM, VETERANS THAT SIT IN THAT TIMELINE AND MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO AGENT ORANGE, THAT WE, WE REALLY KNOW WHERE WE'RE GETTING THEM, UM, THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED. 
          UM, SO IN ADDITION, ON PAGE NUMBER 12, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE R F P PROCESS, I BELIEVE TEAMING IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT. 
          AND I'VE, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO ANY, UH, NONPROFITS ABOUT, UM, IF Y'ALL WANNA REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE FOR ANY IDEAS, I THINK TEAMING IS, IS PROBABLY THE WAY TO GO. 
          [02:00:01]
UM, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW ARE WE GOING TO FUND THIS PAST THESE TWO YEARS. 
          AND THAT, UM, PART OF IT IS GETTING, ALSO GETTING THE GRANT AND, AND DOING THE PROGRAMMING, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S WITH THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION OR GRANTS COMING DOWN ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, THEM CONNECTED TO THAT. 
          AND AGAIN, WITH THE INNOVATION AND THE CAREGIVERS, AND I KNOW WE CARVED THAT OUT FOR THE SENIORS, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, THOSE, THOSE WHO ARE THE CAREGIVERS AND WHY I LIKED THE YOUTH COMING UP AND TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, THEIR EXPERIENCE IN THE SCHOOLS IS THAT SOMETIMES THE YOUTH THERE, ADULT, THEIR GO-TO ADULT IS A TEACHER. 
          UH, NOT A SCHOOL COUNSELOR, BUT A TEACHER AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT, THAT WE PREPARE THEM. 
          UM, I LIKE THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE SENIORS, AND I JUST WANTED TO END WITH THAT IN TERMS OF, THAT IS WHY I BROUGHT UP WITH THE DA, UH, CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY, BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT BRING THEM OUT OF ISOLATION OR WE DO NOT KEEP TRACK OF THEM, OUR SENIORS ARE VULNERABLE TO BAD ACTORS WHO ARE GOING TO EXPLOIT THEM. 
          SO I THINK I, I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR SENIOR CENTERS AND WHAT THEY DO. 
          SO I'M, I'M GLAD WE'RE STARTING WITH THE, UM, THE, UH, OUR SENIOR CENTERS, BUT LET'S LOOK AT HOW WE MOVE THIS IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO DO. 
          AND SO I'M EXCITED. 
          I, I AGREE WITH, UM, COUNCILMAN PERRY'S REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, EXTENDING THAT TIMELINE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING THIS FORWARD TO THE FULL COUNCIL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILWOMAN , COUNCILWOMAN SANDAL. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU MARIA, FOR, UH, THE PRESENTATION AND FOR THE ADVANCED BRIEFING. 
          BUT I ALSO REALLY WANNA THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO CAME OUT AND, UH, SHARED INPUT. 
          RYAN, UH, MR. BEACH, AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MS. RES MENDOZA, WHO IS THE DISTRICT SEVEN APPOINTEE TO THE SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COMMISSION. 
          UM, I CONTINUE TO BE IMPRESSED BY THE WORK OF THE YOUTH COMMISSION OF OUR TEEN AMBASSADORS AND OF COURSE OF PROJECT WORTH. 
          UM, I'D LIKE TO START WITH, UM, THE OLDER ADULTS SECTION, MARIA. 
          UM, IT'S EXTREMELY EX EXPANSIVE, SO I'M VERY GLAD TO SEE THAT. 
          UH, I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF EXTENDING THE HOURS OF OUR SENIOR CENTER. 
          I THINK THAT'S BRILLIANT. 
          UM, BUT I, I DO HAVE TO SAY SOME OF THE LONELIEST TIMES, UH, FOR, FOR PEOPLE MIGHT BE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY EVENINGS WHEN, UH, , WHEN WE KNOW THAT SOMEONE'S OUT THERE HAVING FUN, OR EVEN SATURDAYS WHEN PEOPLE DO THINGS WITH THEIR FAMILY. 
          SO, UM, JUST A JUST A POINT I WANTED TO MAKE. 
          UM, I ALSO WAS INTERESTED, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN, UH, FINDING A WAY TO HELP SENIORS ENGAGE AND SENIORS WHO ARE NOT LIKELY TO COME TO OUR SENIOR CENTERS. 
          SO I'M WONDERING, UH, DOES THAT FUNDING CATEGORY ALLOW FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION BEYOND OUR SENIOR CENTERS OR BEYOND CITY FACILITIES? SO RIGHT NOW, COUNCILWOMAN, THE SOCIAL INTERACTION IS ONLY, WELL, A COUPLE OF THINGS IS FOR OUR FACILITIES AND ALSO, UM, IS OPEN TO PERHAPS WITH THE PROVIDERS PROVIDE SERVICES. 
          SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, I'M GONNA PICK THE Y M C A. 
          IF THEY HAD SENIOR ACTIVITIES, UM, THEY COULD APPLY IT UNDER THIS FUNDING CATEGORY. 
          GREAT. 
          THAT'S, UH, THAT'S VERY GOOD TO HEAR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, UH, WHAT ABOUT SOMETHING SPECIFIC FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS? UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF THOSE IN, UH, SOME OF THEM DO COME TO OUR SENIOR CENTERS, BUT SOME OF THEM, UH, WON'T. 
          SO WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT GET POINTS OR, OR HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE THAT AS WELL? SURE. 
          SO AS PART OF THE PROGRAMMING AS PART OF THE R F P, WE ARE GONNA BE ASKING FOR, UM, SPANISH PROGRAMMING, IF YOU WILL. 
          UM, AND ALSO IN THE FIRST AREA, WHICH IS EXPANDED THE NAVIGATION PROGRAMS THAT WILL ALSO, THERE, THERE'LL BE PART OF THE R F P TO INCLUDE, UM, SPANISH, UM, INFORMATION OR PROGRAMS FOR THAT SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION. 
          SO YES, IT WILL BE INCORPORATED AND ALSO ON THE CAREGIVER PROGRAM AS COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRANT MENTIONED, SOME OF THE CAREGIVERS MAY BE GRANDMAS AND GRANDPAS THAT ARE TAKING CARE OF PERHAPS, UM, KIDS WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES THAT WE PROVIDE THOSE IN SPANISH. 
          SO THE ENTIRE PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS WILL INCORPORATE THAT. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MARIA. 
          AND HI COUNCILMAN PERRY. 
          I THINK YOU WERE LOOKING OVER AT ME JUST A MINUTE AGO. 
          [02:05:01]
UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MOVE ON TO THE YOUTH CATEGORY. 
          UM, I THINK THE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IS, I'M SO GLAD TO SEE THAT BE A LARGE CATEGORY, AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. 
          UH, EVEN FOR ADULTS WHO MAY HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES IS NOT EASY. 
          SO I WOULD BE EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF A MOBILE CLINIC AS AN INTERVENTION, OR LOTS OF MOBILE CLINICS AS AN INTERVENTION OR, UH, IN SCHOOL ACCESS. 
          UM, I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE PROJECT WORTH AND STANDUP SA, UH, IN THE PLAN. 
          UM, I THINK THEY DO TREMENDOUS WORK AND, UH, THAT'LL BE A GREAT BENEFIT TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UM, ACTUALLY GOING BACK TO, I THINK THIS COULD BE SENIORS, UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT, I THINK SOMEBODY MENTIONED SUICIDE, UH, NOT LONG AGO, UH, IN THEIR, IN THEIR COMMENTS. 
          UM, AS A, AS A SIDE NOTE, WE DO KNOW THAT GUN OWNERSHIP IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER SUICIDE RATES. 
          UM, IT'S REALLY JUST A MATTER OF IF THE, IF THE TOOL IS THERE, YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO, TO USE IT, RIGHT? AND, AND HAVE A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO A VERY TEMPORARY PROBLEM. 
          I'M WONDERING IF THAT WOULD BE INTEGRATED IN ANY WAY TO, UH, TO ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS. WE CAN INCORPORATE IT COUNCILWOMAN. 
          THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED INTERNALLY, BUT WE, IT CAN DEFINITELY BE ADDED. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          OKAY, THANKS. 
          THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A, A NUMBER, I MEAN, THAT'S THE WORST OUTCOME FOR A MENTAL HEALTH, UM, ILLNESS, RIGHT? IS, IS SUICIDE. 
          SO THERE, THERE'S A NUMBER OF STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY THE, THE THING THAT PEOPLE CAN COMMIT SUICIDE WITH, THE RATES GO DOWN. 
          SO, UM, I THINK IT WAS WEAPONS FOR ISRAELI SOLDIERS. 
          THEY DIDN'T TAKE THEM HOME ON THE WEEKENDS, AND THEN THEIR SUICIDE RATES, UH, WENT DOWN OR THEY DIDN'T TAKE 'EM HOME AT NIGHT, AND THEIR SUICIDE RATES WENT DOWN. 
          THE SAME FOR, UM, I THINK IT WAS GAS OVENS OR SOMETHING IN THE UK. 
          UM, UH, AND SUICIDE RATES COMING DOWN AS WELL. 
          SO IF, IF WE COULD CONSIDER THAT FOR GUN OWNERSHIP. 
          UM, THE, UH, THE LAST THING I WANTED TO, TO TALK ABOUT WAS THE UPSTREAM INTERVENTION. 
          I, I THINK YOU HAD, YOU DID A TREMENDOUS JOB WITH STAKEHOLDER INPUT, AND I LOVE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A FOCUS ON UPSTREAM INITIATIVES. 
          I'M REALLY HOPEFUL ABOUT THE COLLABORATION, UH, PORTION, ESPECIALLY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FRAMEWORK. 
          UM, I AM, UH, CURIOUS, HAS THE NINE EIGHT EIGHT PHONE LINE, IT, IT'S ALREADY OPERATIONAL. 
          IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE WITH US ABOUT HOW IT'S BEEN WORKING? IT IS OPERATIONAL COUNCILWOMAN. 
          I DON'T HAVE ANY DETAILS, BUT, UM, CHAIRWOMAN KADRA REQUESTED THAT WE INCORPORATE THAT AS ONE OF OUR TOPICS FOR FUTURE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEES. 
          SO I WILL MAKE SURE THAT I BRING THE, THE RIGHT TEAM THAT INCLUDES OUR CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, UM, AND PERHAPS OTHER ENTITIES TO PRESENT THAT TO THE COUNCIL, BUT I HAVE SPECIFICS TO SHARE WITH YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT PORTION OF THIS PROPOSAL IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. 
          I THINK WHAT, WHAT WE WANNA SEE MOSTLY IS THE ARPA FUNDING DOLLARS AT WORK AND, AND HELPING PEOPLE. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR MOVING ON THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, THE, THE STIGMA IS, IS REAL. 
          IT'S HUGE. 
          IT'S A, IT'S A TREMENDOUS BARRIER TO PEOPLE LIVING THE FULL LIFE THAT THEY CAN LIVE, UM, UH, WITH MANAGED, UH, MENTAL ILLNESS OR FREE OF MENTAL ILLNESS. 
          UH, ARE THERE ANY EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL ANTI-STIGMA CAMPAIGNS, UH, THAT THE TEAM HAS SEEN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY? UM, COUNCILWOMAN, I DON'T HAVE ANY, BUT I'M LOOKING AT METRO HEALTH TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY EXAMPLES. 
          IT'S PART OF OUR RESEARCH AND THERE'S NOT HEALTH. 
          IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE RESEARCHING AT COUNCILWOMAN, SO WE'LL FOLLOW UP AND PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES TO THE COMMITTEE. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THOSE ARE, UM, MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW OR MY COMMENTS FOR, FOR NOW. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU, MARIA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SANDOVAL. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY? YEAH, I JUST, JUST, UM, UH, I, I JUST HEARD A COMMENT ABOUT GUN OWNERSHIP AND, AND OLD PEOPLE. 
          I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT, UH, I HOPE I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE R F P CONCERNING THAT, BECAUSE THAT GETS INTO A WHOLE NOTHER REALM OF DISCUSSIONS AND ISSUES. 
          UM, MAN, UM, I'D HATE TO GO AND TAKE SOME OLD PERSON'S GUN AWAY FROM 'EM. 
          UM, I, IT, I, I'M JUST, AND MAYBE THAT'S PUSHING IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, BUT, UM, I HOPE THERE'S 
          [02:10:01]
NOTHING IN THERE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER WHOLE ISSUE THAT IF WE WANT TO GET INTO THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE THOROUGHLY FLESHED OUT ON WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO, UH, LEGALLY UNDERSTOOD. 
          COUNCILMAN. 
          AND THE WAY THAT I AM INTERPRETING THE REQUEST FROM COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL IS, UH, SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGIES THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF OUR WORK PLAN. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN PERRY. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN MAKI RODRIGUEZ, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST TAKE THE $26 MILLION AND FUND AS MUCH CHAOS AND HAVOC AS POSSIBLE. 
          ? UM, NO, I DID WANT TO, NOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, IF WE COULD GO TO SLIDE SEVEN. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THAT 300 K IS GOING TO BE SUBTRACTED FROM. 
          SURE. 
          SO, SO, SO THAT TOTAL THE, ON THE CARE ON THE CAREGIVER PROGRAM, COUNCILMAN? SO THE TOTAL RIGHT NOW ADDS UP TO TWO AND A HALF, 5 MILLION, 300,000. 
          SO WE'LL REDUCE THE CAREGIVER PROGRAM AND THE SOCIAL INTERACTION, I THINK WHEN I ROUNDED UP THE NUMBERS FOR THE POWERPOINT AND THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
          SO I'LL MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT AND BRING IT BACK AND, AND SEND IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO TO CLARIFY, IT'LL BE $1.7 MILLION FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION THROUGH THE R F P AND THEN 0.3 FOR CAREGIVER PROGRAM? CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN HERE, RODRIGUEZ, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND I DID NOT MEAN TO, UH, TO I GUESS CONCERN, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY, UH, THAT I WAS GONNA PROPOSE TAKING AWAY GUNS, UH, FOR EVERYONE WITH A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE. 
          I THINK IT'S AS SIMPLE AS, UM, JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A GUN AND, AND BEING AWARE OF THAT AND TALKING TO PEOPLE. 
          THERE'S PLENTY OF, UH, INTERVENTION PROGRAMS, UH, ABOUT THAT. 
          SO, UM, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN, SANDAL COUNCILWOMAN BE A GUN. 
          YES. 
          NOW THAT WE BROUGHT UP, UH, GUN SAFETY, UH, I THINK THAT THAT'S A, A WIDER CONVERSATION. 
          WE, WE NEED TO HAVE AND, AND ACTUALLY BRING IN, UH, THE STAKEHOLDERS, MANY OF THOSE WHO WERE TODAY ABOUT HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS FOR SUI SUICIDE PREVENTION AND ACCESS. 
          UH, THE OTHER IS, UM, I, BECAUSE SUICIDE PREVENTION IS GONNA BE PART OF IT, BUT WE WANNA HIT THOSE UPSTREAM ISSUES. 
          AND AGAIN, UM, JUST LOOK AT, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STATS OF, OF SUICIDES THAT HAVE, AND I, AND I BROUGHT UP THE TWO WHICH WERE WITH OUR, OUR, UH, VETERANS, OUR, OUR SERVICEMEN AND, UM, OUR YOUTH. 
          I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW, HOW IS THIS HAPPENING? UM, BY WHAT MEANS IS ARE THEY, ARE THEY, UH, ATTEMPTING OR COMMITTING SUICIDE? AND WHAT CAN WE DO AND BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IT. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S A LARGER CONVERSATION, BUT WE DO KNOW GUNS IS ONE. 
          SO , LET'S, LET'S LOOK AT THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. 
          I JUST WANNA TAKE A QUICK MOMENT. 
          UM, I, UM, MY OTHER DAY JOB, I'M A DISABILITY ATTORNEY, AND ALL DAY, EVERY DAY I SEE PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM MENTAL HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS, UH, GET PUSHED TO THE SIDE. 
          LIKE IT'S NOT A REAL IMPAIRMENT. 
          I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MAIN, UM, SILVER LININGS, UH, FROM THE PANDEMIC, IF, IF, UH, 'CAUSE I'M A PERSON THAT LOOKS FOR, FOR THE SILVER LINING, IS THAT WE ALL ARE NOW TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. 
          SO I'M REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATED TO THE CITY FOR BEING OPEN TO THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION, UM, REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS. 
          AND, AND REALLY THERE'S, THE WORK IS ALREADY BEING DONE OUT THERE. 
          SO I'M EXCITED TO HEAR BACK THROUGH THE R F P PROCESS FROM THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          UM, LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW, HOW I CAN HELP OUTSIDE OF ARPA FUNDING, BUT, UM, REALLY GIVE, MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, NOT ONLY REALLY GETTING IN THERE AND HELPING PEOPLE, UH, WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT WE'RE ALL CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT IT TO MAKE IT OKAY FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK THAT HELP AND GO TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND, UM, AND NOT FEEL ASHAMED OF, OF SEEKING THAT HELP. 
          SO I REALLY DO THANK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM THAT'S WORKED TOWARDS THIS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, WELL, LET'S TAKE A VOTE AND THEN HOPEFULLY LOOK FORWARD TO , UH, SENDING IT TO FULL COUNSEL. 
          SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO SEND THIS IMPLEMENTATION OF ARPA FUNDS TO FULL COUNSEL FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE, AT THE NEXT AVAILABLE COUNCIL MEETING. 
          I, I BELIEVE YOU SAID IT WAS SEPTEMBER 1ST, OR SHOULD I LEAVE IT OPEN SEPTEMBER ONE. 
          SEPTEMBER 1ST. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          [02:15:01]
AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? OPPOSED. 
          MOTION CARRIES. 
          AND THANK YOU TO THIS COMMITTEE FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, MEETING YOU NEXT MONTH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.