[00:00:07]
GOOD MORNING OR GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL V SESSION.
OUR WORK SESSION TIME IS 2:09 PM ON THIS 24TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2022.
WE'LL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
[ ITEMS ]
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS, UH, DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS.SO TURN IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH TO GET US STARTED.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, BEFORE, SO TWO COUNCIL WORK SESSIONS TODAY, UH, TOPICS.
THE FIRST, UH, RENEE WILL PRESENT HR AND EMPLOY SPECIFICALLY EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, WHICH IS YOU RECALL FROM THE ORIGINAL BUDGET PRESENTATION.
UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR INITIATIVES IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND THEN, UM, CLAUDE WILL LAY OUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 23 FOR METRO HEALTH.
UM, BEFORE I HAND IT OVER TO RENEE.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY, UM, UM, FORTUITOUS THAT THIS HAPPENED TODAY.
UM, EARLIER TODAY IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT, UH, FORBES HAD NAMED THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AS ONE OF, UM, THE, THE STATE'S BEST EMPLOYERS.
UM, THE, UH, AMERICA'S BEST IN STATE EMPLOYERS.
SO I I, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE A BIGGER DEAL WHEN I, WHEN YOU HEAR THESE OTHER PARTS, IS THAT, THAT THERE IS, UM, THERE'S ONLY ONE OTHER CITY IN THE STATE THAT WAS ON THAT LIST, UH, FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS AND IT WAS THE CITY OF PLANO, OR RATHER THE TOWN OF PLANO.
UM, THERE ARE, UM, THE FORBES DOES THIS ANNUALLY.
I WANTED TO ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE EVALUATION IS BASED ON DIRECT AND INDIRECT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EMPLOYEES, AND I CAN COMMIT THAT I DID NOT HAVE BEN HITTING ENTER ON MULTIPLE
UM, WE ALL GOT, THIS IS A SURPRISE TO US AND I THINK IS A CREDIT OBVIOUSLY TO THE, TO THE EMPLOYEES, BUT ALSO A CREDIT, UH, TO THE COUNCIL AND THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND, AND HOW WE LEAD OTHER SAN ANTONIO CO COMPANIES LISTED ON THE, ON THE FORBES LIST.
UH, H E B U SS A, A FROST UT HEALTH, U T S A BAPTIST HEALTH SYSTEM WHO THE MAYOR AND I MET WITH EARLIER TODAY AND NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO CERTAINLY A PROUD, PROUD ACHIEVEMENT.
AND, UM, NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA STAY ON THE LIST.
ERIC, IS THIS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE BEEN ON THAT LIST? YES, SIR.
ALRIGHT, LET'S STAY ON THE LIST.
MY NAME IS RENEE FRIDA AND I'M THE CITY'S HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR.
AND TODAY I'LL BE PRESENTING THE PROPOSED BUDGET ON CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS, WHETHER WE'RE BUILDING STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, FOSTERING COMMUNITY HEALTH, IMPROVING OUR PARKS, OR EXPANDING OUR AIRPORT.
OUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYEES ARE THE ONES DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR DELIVERING ON OUR MISSION OF PROVIDING QUALITY CITY SERVICES.
OUR PRO PROPOSED BUDGET TODAY SEEKS TO RECOGNIZE THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS CHANGES AIMED AT ATTRACTING AND RETAINING EMPLOYEES.
TODAY, I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THOSE CHANGES AS WELL AS PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE ADDITIONAL RECRUITMENT EFFORTS WE'VE DEPLOYED THIS YEAR IN RESPONSE TO A VERY CHALLENGING LABOR MARKET.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF OUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WORKFORCE.
THE F Y 23 BUDGET AUTHORIZES 13,362 POSITIONS.
AROUND 4,300 OF THOSE ARE UNIFORMED WITH THE REMAINDER BEING CIVILIAN.
5,400 OF OUR CIVILIAN POSITIONS ARE IN OUR STEP PAY PLAN MADE UP OF INDIVIDUALS IN MAINTENANCE, SKILLED CRAFT TECHNICIAN, AND CLERICAL ROLES.
ANOTHER 3,500 POSITIONS ARE PERFORMANCE PAY ELIGIBLE AND INCLUDE MANAGERS, PROFESSIONALS, AND EXECUTIVES.
FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY PRESENTATION, I'M GONNA FOCUS ON THESE CIVILIAN POSITIONS.
OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, SAN ANTONIO HAS EXPERIENCED A WAGE RATE GROWTH OF 8.1%, OUTPACING BOTH STATE AND NATIONAL TRAIN GAINS.
AS YOU DRIVE ABOUT TOWN, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT, BUT NOTICE THAT EVERYBODY STILL HAS THEIR HELP.
WANTED SIGN OUT YET OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO SITS SLIGHTLY UNDER THE ALREADY LOW TEXAS AVERAGE OF 4%.
AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE HIGHER THAN
[00:05:01]
AVERAGE JOB GROWTH HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.WE SURPASSED PRE PANDEMIC JOB LEVELS, UH, WITHIN OUR CITY EARLIER THIS YEAR.
WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE A 9.7% VACANCY RATE AND THAT VACANCY RATE COUPLED WITH A 57% DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF OF APPLICATIONS WE RECEIVED PER JOB POSTING.
AND A THIRD QUARTER VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE HIGHER THAN AT ANY TIME IN THE PAST SIX YEARS.
SIGNALS A NEED TO ADDRESS OUR MARKET COMPETITIVENESS AND UP OUR RECRUITMENT GAME.
IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, WE IMPLEMENTED THE FIRST OF OUR MARKET SALARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR 106 OF OUR HARDEST FILL, HARDEST TO FILL POSITIONS, IMPACTING MORE THAN 2000 OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE APPLICATIONS PER POSITION.
WE'VE ALSO HAD A FEW OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO'D LEFT THE CITY APPLY TO RETURN.
IN FACT, FIVE EMPLOYEES RETURNED TO HARD TO FILL POSITIONS WITHIN SOLID WASTE AS C D L DRIVERS, BUT WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT MORE TO BE DONE.
THIS YEAR, WE ROLLED OUT OUR, WE HAVE A JOB FOR YOU HIRING CAMPAIGN, RUNNING RADIO, TELEVISION, AND PRINT ADS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH TO ATTRACT APPLICANTS, WHILE ALSO RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF SOME OF OUR VALUED COSA TEAM MEMBERS LIKE SOLID WASTE SENIOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, ASHLEY MONTEZ, SENIOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES INSPECTOR MICHAEL BENNETT, AND HEALTH PROGRAM SPECIALIST RENEE RIEL.
WE'VE HOSTED NUMEROUS HIRING EVENTS, MAKING SAME DAY OFFERS, PILOTED OUR FIRST EMPLOYEE REFERRAL PROGRAMS AND EXPANDED UPON OUR APPRENTICE PROGRAMS WITH THE DECLINING IN QUALIFIED APPLICANTS.
THESE PROGRAMS ALLOWED APPLICANTS TO GET ON THE JOB TRAINING TO ACHIEVE A C D L GARNER, THE REQUIRED EXPERIENCE TO BECOME AN ANIMAL CARE OFFICER, OR RECEIVE THE CERTIFICATION NECESSARY TO SERVE AS A LIFEGUARD THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. CANDIDATES LIKE JOHNNY RUBIO WE'RE ABLE TO COME ON BOARD AND OBTAIN A C D L AND PROMOTE TO POSITIONS LIKE SIDE LOAD EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WITHIN THE FIRST SIX TO NINE MONTHS.
WE'VE ALSO INTRODUCED HIRING INCENTIVES FOR POSITIONS SUCH AS CIVILIAN PEACE OFFICERS, LIFEGUARDS, AND MORE RECENTLY VETERINARIANS.
AND WE PARTNERED WITH TRAIN FOR JOBS SA TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS LIKE AMANDA, AMANDA ABEL SHEPHERD TO APPLY FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.
AMANDA CALLED 3 1 1 WAS CONNECTED WITH TRAIN FOR JOBS, OBTAINED HER HR CERTIFICATION FROM U T S A AND NOW WORKS IN THE CITY'S RECRUITMENT DIVISION.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE SOUGHT FEEDBACK FROM OUR EMPLOYEES THROUGH A BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION SURVEY.
5,000 OF OUR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, NEARLY 70% RESPONDED.
THEY TOLD US THAT THEY WANTED US TO FILL OUR VACANCIES AND HIRE THEM SOME HELP.
THEY TOLD US THAT AFFORDABLE BENEFITS ARE A HIGH PRIORITY FOR THEM.
AND FINALLY, 67% SHARED THAT THEY WERE NOT CONFIDENT THAT THEY WERE RECEIVING MARKET COMPETITIVE WAGES.
WE HEARD THEM AND OUR PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES COMPENSATION INCREASES AIMED AT RESTORING THEIR COMPETENCE.
THE CITY'S $15 PER HOUR ENTRY WAGE WAS IMPLEMENTED IN FY 2019 AND ROSE TO 1560 IN THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.
THIS YEAR WE PROPOSED TO MOVE TO 1750, AND I'M PLEASED TO SHARE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN F Y 23, THE ENTRY WAGE, WHICH HAS HISTORICALLY APPLIED ONLY TO OUR FULL AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, WILL ALSO BE EXTENDED TO OUR TEMP, TEMPORARY AND SEASONAL AND EVENT DRIVEN EMPLOYEES.
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2008 THIS YEAR, WE ALSO CONDUCTED A MARKET REVIEW OF OUR MORE THAN 960 JOB TITLES.
BASED ON THAT REVIEW, ALL FULL AND PART-TIME CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES WILL RECEIVE A MARKET INCREASE OF BETWEEN TWO AND 15%.
MARKET REVIEWS ARE BASED ON PUBLISHED SALARY DATA.
WE PRIMARILY RELIED ON THE MERCER BENCHMARK DATABASE, ONE OF THE NATION'S LARGEST, AND IT WAS PUBLISHED IN AUGUST OF 21.
GIVEN THE GROWTH IN WAGES OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS SINCE THAT DATA WAS COLLECTED AND ACROSS THE BOARD, INCREASE IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR SALARY RANGES RELATIVE TO THE GROWING MARKET.
THEREFORE, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES A 5% ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES BASED ON OUR MARKET REVIEW.
IN ADDITION TO THAT 5% ACROSS THE BOARD, APPROXIMATELY TWO THIRDS OF OUR EMPLOYEES WILL RECEIVE A 2% MARKET ADJUSTMENT.
APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER THIRD WILL RECEIVE BETWEEN A TWO AND 7%, AND AROUND 244 OF OUR EMPLOYEES WILL RECEIVE AN INCREASE GREATER THAN 7% WITH NO EMPLOYEE RECEIVING MORE THAN A 15% MARKET ADJUSTMENT.
[00:10:01]
TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT TYPES OF POSITIONS FALL WITHIN EACH OF THESE BANDS, UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT IN EXAMPLES OF EMPLOYEES RECEIVING BETWEEN A TWO AND 7% INCREASE, INCLUDE SOLID WASTE COLLECTORS, VET TECHS, AND LVNS.AND WITHIN THE HIGHEST SEVEN TO 15% RANGE WE'VE EMPLOYEES SUCH AS WELDERS, HEALTH PROGRAM SPECIALISTS, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES, HOMELESS, OUTREACH SPECIALISTS AND COORDINATORS.
AND HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR OUR MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENTS, YOU WOULD'VE ALSO SEEN HERE CIVILIAN PEACE OFFICERS TRADES AND ANIMAL ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT EMPLOYEES ARE LOOKING FOR BOTH COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION AND ATTRACTIVE BENEFITS.
WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN OFFERING AN ARRAY OF BENEFITS TO SUPPORT EMPLOYEES IN FURTHERING THEIR EDUCATION, TAKING CARE OF THEIR HEALTH, SPENDING TIME WITH THEIR FAMILY, AND PREPARING FOR THEIR RETIREMENT.
IN JANUARY OF 2009, THE CITY IMPLEMENTED A TWO-TIERED PREMIUM STRUCTURE WITH THOSE HIRED AFTER THAT DATE, PAYING HIGHER BENEFIT PREMIUMS IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE MORE AFFORDABLE BENEFITS PACKAGES.
THIS BUDGET INCLUDES A 20% REDUCTION TO THE POST 2009 BENEFIT PREMIUMS AND NO INCREASE TO THE PRE 2009 PREMIUMS. THIS IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY OUR EMPLOYEES PRACTICING HEALTHCARE CONSUMERISM.
WHILE MEDICAL CLAIMS CONTINUE TO TREND UP, WE ARE SEEING THE BENEFIT OF EMPLOYEES BEING MORE CONSCIENTIOUS OF THEIR BENEFITS AND THE ASSOCIATED COSTS.
THIS SLIDE REFLECTS THE CURRENT AND PROPOSED PREMIUMS FOR EMPLOYEES IN EACH OF OUR THREE PLANS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR POST OH NINE PREMIUMS REDUCED FROM BETWEEN $8 AND $159 A MONTH.
DEPENDING ON WHICH PLAN OUR EMPLOYEES CHOOSE NOW MORE THAN EVER, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR EMPLOYEES FEEL VALUED AND HEARD.
THANKS FOR HELPING US TO SEND THAT VERY MESSAGE TO OUR COSA TEAM.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CLAUDE.
ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.
THIS AFTERNOON I WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF METRO HEALTH'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR F Y 23.
THIS BUDGET REFLECTS A VARIETY OF FUNDING STREAMS ANCHORED TO THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH DEMONSTRATES THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO ADVANCING A ROBUST PUBLIC HEALTH AGENDA WHILE IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
UH, FOR SAN ANTONIOS AND RESIDENTS OF BEXAR COUNTY.
I'M NOW IN MY SECOND YEAR, UH, AT METRO HEALTH AND CONTINUE TO BE IMPRESSED BY THE TALENT, DEDICATION AND INNOVATION OF OUR STAFF AND THE LONGSTANDING, UH, LINKAGES TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UH, THIS AFTERNOON I'M JOINED BY MEMBERS OF MY SENIOR STAFF AS WELL AS COLLEAGUES FROM UT HEALTH, UM, FOR THIS, UH, UM, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
AND SO LET ME DIVE RIGHT IN AND, UH, JUST SAY THANKS TO FOR SUPPORTING OUR TEAM.
SO OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'LL HIGHLIGHT HOW, UM, WE'RE ORGANIZED AND WALK THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT'S PRIORITIES AND HIGHLIGHT THE INITIATIVES ANCHORED TO OUR ESSAY FORWARD PLAN AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF ALL THOSE WHO LIVE, LEARN, WORK, AND PLAY HERE IN THE CITY.
UH, SO METRO HEALTH, WE'RE A LEADING INNOVATIVE MODEL, HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, THIS BUDGET REFLECTS OUR ONGOING COVID O PIVOT.
IN THE MIDST OF THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC NOW COMPOUNDED BY NEW EMERGING PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS, IT SHOWS OUR CONTINUED AGENCY GROWTH THAT'S BEEN ACCELERATED BY GRANTS AND IT'S ON THE GROUND.
WE'RE MANAGING FATIGUE WHILE ANCHORING TO EXCITING PARTNERSHIPS LIKE UT HEALTH AND U T S A.
SO FOR F Y 23, UH, UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, CALL FOR UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENTS.
SO JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS A SNAPSHOT THAT SHOWS THE GENERAL FUND AT 34.7 MIL, UM, FOR F Y 23, AND IT REPRESENTS A THIRD OF OUR TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET.
IT'S AN INCREASE OF 9.5 MIL FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, UH, OR AN INCREASE OF 38%, WHICH INCLUDES THE IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS MADE TO THE OPERATIONS OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
IN TERMS OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, IT'S 3.8 MIL TO MOVE SA FORWARD, UH, IN YEAR TWO.
UM, AND WE'RE TRANSITIONING, UH, SOME, UH, POSITIONS TO THE GENERAL FUND, AND IT ALSO REFLECTS, UH, $2 MILLION WITH THE UT HEALTH CONTRACT FOR ESTABLISHING THE NEW SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAN ANTONIO.
I'LL ELABORATE ABOUT THESE INVESTMENTS IN THE WORK IN THE NEXT SEGMENTS OF THIS PRESENTATION AND PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN OF THE ALLOCATIONS THAT WILL SUPPORT THE ACTIVITIES FOR YEAR TWO OF OUR ESSAY FORWARD ROLLOUT.
JUST KNOW THAT AS A REMINDER, BY CONTRAST, OUR GRANTS REPRESENT, UH, TWO THIRDS OF OUR, UH, TOTAL BUDGET.
AND SO FOR NEXT YEAR, WE'LL LOOK AT AN INCREASE OF 19.5 MIL FROM THE PRIOR YEAR OR AN INCREASE OF 37%.
JUST KNOW THAT THE MIX OF OUR GRANTS REFLECT OUR OPERATING GRANTS.
UH, WE HAVE SOME FUNDING FROM ARPA FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, AS WELL AS OUR ONGOING
[00:15:01]
SUPPORT FOR THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC AND THOSE GRANTS.AND THESE ARE FEDERAL, FEDERAL GRANTS.
JUST KNOW THAT, UM, UH, WE HAVE 644, UM, UH, AUTHORIZED POSITIONS DUE TO ORDINANCE ADJUSTMENTS AND, UH, WHICH WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE CLOSING ORDINANCE.
UM, SO WE SHOW, UH, FLAT, UH, UM, SUPPORT FOR F Y 23.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS A FIVE YEAR SNAPSHOT OF THE GROWTH OF OUR DEPARTMENT TO INCLUDE, UM, THE F Y 23 PROJECTIONS.
JUST KNOW AGAIN THAT THE, UH, LION SHARE OF OUR SUPPORT COMES FROM GRANTS, UM, AND THE BALANCE FROM THE GENERAL FUND, UH, CONSISTENTLY OVER THESE FIVE YEARS, WE SHOW THAT THE GRANTS TO THE GENERAL FUND HAVE BEEN A TWO TO ONE RATIO.
UH, GRANTS HAVE GROWN FROM 25.5 MILLION TO OVER 70 MILLION, UH, SINCE, UH, FFY 21 AND THE INCREASE OF NEARLY $50 MILLION THE LAST TWO YEARS ALONE.
BY CONTRAST, THE GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS HAVE GROWN FROM 14 MILLION TO THE 34 MILLION PROPOSED IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, AN INCREASE OF $20 MILLION, UH, SINCE F Y 19, WHICH AGAIN, IS A TRUE TESTAMENT TO THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH ENTERPRISE IN THE MIDST OF THIS ONGOING GLOBAL DISRUPTIONS OR SOMETHING FROM C OVID 19.
SO LASTLY, I SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS COMPOSITE ONLY REFLECTS DOLLARS THAT ARE IN HAND FOR F Y 23, DOES NOT REFLECT GRANT APPLICATIONS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW THAT INCLUDE THE C D C INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT, UH, THAT WILL, THAT WAS SUBMITTED EARLIER THIS MONTH, UH, WHICH PROVIDES, AGAIN, ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR SA FORWARD AND OUR CORE DEPARTMENTAL FUNCTIONS.
SO, QUICK SNAPSHOT, AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE, BUT I WANTED TO REMIND US ALL OF HOW WE'RE ORGANIZED.
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE THREE FORMAL DIVISIONS AT METRO HEALTH, ALONG WITH, UH, STARTUP UNITS THAT INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH, ACCESS TO CARE, AND THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF OUR INFORMATICS PORTFOLIO.
UM, THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE EXTENT OF THE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSIBILITIES THAT REFLECT THE THREE PS OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, PREVENT, PROMOTE, PROTECT.
SO KEEP IN MIND THAT EACH OF THESE DIVISIONS ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE, UM, AND IN THEIR DESIGN, BUT THEY STRUCTURE THE WORK OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, THE COMMUNICAL DISEASE DIVISION, WHICH IS LED BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DR.
ANITA, IAN, AND HELPS PROTECT THE, THE PUBLIC FROM THE SPREAD OF COMMUNICAL DISEASES THROUGH EDUCATION, REPORTING AND TRACKING OF, OF COMMUNICAL DISEASES NOTIFICATION AND RESPONSE AND MANAGEMENT OF OUTBREAKS.
UM, THESE DAYS, THE TEAM IS FOCUSED NOT ONLY ON C OVID 19, BUT ALSO ON M P V MONKEYPOX VIRUS, WHICH AGAIN, THIS IS PART OF OUR CORE SURVEILLANCE FUNCTIONS AT THE DEPARTMENT.
THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY DIVISION IS CURRENTLY LED BY KATHY SHIELDS, WHO IS SERVED AS INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
THIS DIVISION PROMOTES HEALTHY BEHAVIORS, NOT JUST THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, BUT THROUGH POLICY SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES THAT HAVE A POPULATION LEVEL IMPACT.
THIS DIVISION INCLUDES A CHRONIC DISEASE PORTFOLIO, HEALTH EQUITY, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST SECTIONS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND OPERATIONS DIVISION IS LED BY MAR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MARIO, UH, MARTINEZ, AND HELPS TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY AGAINST HEALTH HAZARDS AND OVERSEES THE DEPARTMENT'S OPERATIONS.
THIS DIVISION INCLUDES FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AIR QUALITY OPERATIONS, PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT AND ACCREDITATION, AS WELL AS OUR NEWLY, UH, ESTABLISHED FUNCTION IN TERMS OF TRANSFORMATION AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES TO SHAPE THE CULTURE OF AN, OF INCREASED ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE DEPARTMENT AS WE POSITION OURSELVES TO BE ITS DEPARTMENT OF THE 21ST CENTURY.
LASTLY, THE NEWEST UNIT THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED THIS PAST YEAR PERTAINS TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE PORTFOLIO.
UH, THIS EFFORT IS LED BY JESSE INGIN, WHO JOINED US EARLIER THIS SUMMER AS THE INAUGURAL CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH OFFICER.
THIS NEWLY ESTABLISHED ROLE WORKS ON ENHANCING COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS TO BRING MENTAL HEALTH, WELLNESS AND ASPECTS OF REDUCING THE STIGMA SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH TO THE FOREFRONT, WORKING IN CLOSE CONCERT WITH MANY COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION.
THIS UNIT WORKS TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY'S INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE COUNTY AS WELL AS AREA SERVICE PROVIDERS.
SO QUICK SNAPSHOT BY THE NUMBERS IS SHARING THE WORK OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHILE THE FOCUS OF THIS PRESENTATION IS AROUND ESSAY FORWARD, BUT JUST KNOW THAT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE OTHER WORK THAT'S ONGOING AT OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO, FOOD ESTABLISHED INSPECTIONS, UH, WE'VE SHOWN IN, IN F Y 21, WE HAD, UM, OVER, UH, 10,000 INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED THIS PAST YEAR.
WE SHOW OVER 11,000 INSPECTIONS IN TERMS OF THE ALMO DOME.
THAT CLINIC, UM, OPENED IN JANUARY OF 2021 AND CLOSED THIS PAST SPRING IN MARCH.
UM, DURING THAT TIME, THE THANKS TO OUR FANTASTIC PARTNERS AT THE, AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR TEAM AT MENTOR HEALTH, WE HAD ADMINISTERED OVER 226,000 VACCINATIONS TO THOSE WHO NEEDED THEM.
OUR S T D OUTREACH TEAM CONDUCTS ABOUT 150 TO 200 EVENTS AND SCREENS APPROXIMATELY 2,500 TO 3000 CLIENTS EACH YEAR.
IN ADDITION, THE S T D CLINIC WOULD SEE 10 TO 12,000 INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR, UH, BEFORE COVID.
AND SINCE THE PANDEMIC, WE'VE SEEN A SLIGHT DROP.
BUT JUST KNOW THAT THIS CALENDAR YEAR, UM, OUR LAB CONTINUES TO CHURN AND, AND SUPPORT
[00:20:01]
OUR SURVEILLANCE FUNCTIONS BY CONDUCTING, UH, PROCESSING OVER 79,000 UH, TESTS, UH, AS PART OF OUR CORE FUNCTION OF MONITORING DISEASE PATTERNS HERE IN THE CITY.LASTLY, IN TERMS OF HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS, JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE PROUD OF OUR, OUR, OUR WORK ON THE GROUND.
IT PROVIDES A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES TO ATTEND TEACHING GARDENS, UM, THROUGHOUT THEIR TARGET AREAS.
AND, UH, THERE ARE CURRENTLY PLANS FOR ADDITIONAL GARDENS, UM, AT THE SALINAS WIX SITE.
AND, UH, ONE, UH, IN TERMS OF AWARDS, JUST KNOW THAT NATIONALLY, OUR TB TEAM, UM, THE TB TEAM WAS RECOGNIZED FOR THE SIXTH YEAR IN A ROW, UH, BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT BY ACCIDENT.
WE HAVE A FANTASTIC CREW AND THAT TEAM, UM, UH, HAS EARNED THAT DESIGNATION.
IT'S A MULTI-CITY COLLABORATIVE, UM, ANCHORED TO UT TYLER AND THE HEARTLAND NATIONAL TB CENTER, THE TEXAS CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE, UH, TEXAS, D E H H D S H S, UH, REGION EIGHT, UH, CENTRAL MED, AND THE SAN ANTONIO, UH, AIDS FOUNDATION.
SO JUST KNOW THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY.
AND JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, UM, UH, METRO HEALTH WAS RECOGNI THAT WAS SELECTED AS A 2020, UH, UH, INNOVATIVE, UH, PRACTICE GOLD AWARDEE BY N THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY AND CITY HEALTH OFFICIALS.
AGAIN, THIS DEMONSTRATES THE, UM, INCREDIBLE WORK BY PARTNERS ON THE GROUND THROUGH A PEER REVIEW PROCESS.
UH, WE WERE ONE OF FOUR, UH, CITIES NATIONWIDE THAT EARNED THE GOLD DESIGNATION, AND THERE WERE, UH, TWO DOZEN, UM, AWARDS GIVEN NATIONWIDE.
SO, JUST KNOW THAT, UH, PART OF OUR WORK, WE TALK ABOUT DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND THE DISEASE, DISEASE PATTERNS ON THE GROUND.
THIS FRAMEWORK IS A QUICK SNAPSHOT THAT SHOWS UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM FACTORS.
JUST KNOW THAT WHILE THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE EMPHASIS ON RISK BEHAVIORS, UM, UH, DISEASE STATUS AND MORTALITY, WHICH IS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SLIDE, AND IT REFLECTS THE BIOMEDICAL MODEL, A LOT OF TALK THESE DAYS IS ABOUT THE ONGOING IMPACTS OF COVID I AND THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL, OR UPSTREAM FACTORS AND CONDITIONS.
AND SO IT EMPHASIZES LIVING CONDITIONS, UH, TALKS ABOUT SOCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL INEQUITIES, AND OUR STRATEGIES HAVE BECOME MORE INTENTIONAL TO ADDRESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THOSE HERE IN OUR CITY.
UM, JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN THIS NATIONAL DIALOGUE AROUND ONGOING PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES.
BACK IN DECEMBER, PUBLIC HEALTH FORWARD WAS RELEASED, UM, IN MODERNIZING THE US PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM, LED BY THE POLICY OF THE BIPARTISAN POLICY CENTER.
UM, MAYOR BERG HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING ON THE NATIONAL TASK FORCE, AND I HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING AS ONE OF THE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY GROUP.
THIS PLAN IS A FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT WAS ROLLED OUT.
UM, THE DIALOGUE TALKS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF HEALTH DEPARTMENTS FROM COAST TO COAST, ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE, WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM? WHAT ARE THE BEST ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH? UH, WHAT ARE THE INNOVATIONS THAT WE CAN ANCHOR TO PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY AND PRACTICE, AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO BETTER SUPPORT OUR WORKFORCE? SO I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WE'VE BEEN AHEAD OF THE GAME, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE, WHILE WE'VE BEEN MANAGING FATIGUE ON THE GROUND FOR STAFF, WE'RE ALSO APPLYING LESSONS LEARNED AND APPLYING AND IMPLEMENTING OUR ESSAY FORWARD PLAN, WHICH DOVETAILS WITH PUBLIC HEALTH FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, THE EXCITING PART OF OUR, UH, UH, BUDGET FOR F Y 23 THIS AFTERNOON, UH, BEING JOINED BY DR.
JENNIFER POTTER FROM UT HEALTH.
SHE'S THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH AND PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SCIENCES AT UT HEALTH, AS WELL AS GILBERT LORETTO VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS AT UT HEALTH.
AND THIS IS REALLY A TESTAMENT TO THE ONGOING COLLABORATIONS.
THIS INVESTMENT IS A, UM, DEMONSTRATES AT THE DEMONSTRATES THAT THE CITY HAS, UH, HAS THIS COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHEN THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THIS FINANCIAL COMMITMENT IS, UH, IN THE AMOUNT OF $10 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO INVEST IN HUMAN AND INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL TO LEAD THE SCHOOL AND ITS RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS. I HAD THE HONOR OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF SERGI SERVING ON THE NATIONAL SEARCH COMMITTEE THAT RECRUITED THE FOUNDING DEAN FOR THE INAUGURAL, UH, SCHOOL, UH, DR.
WE'LL BE STARTING ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, AND WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT COLLABORATION.
AND THROUGH THIS COLLABORATION WITH UT HEALTH AND U T S A, UH, FACULTY CAN PROVIDE EXPERT ADVISORY AND INTELLECTUAL ADVANCEMENT TO SUPPORT OUR ESSAY FORWARD GOALS TO IMPROVE, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTCOMES.
SO AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN, UH, QUITE A JOURNEY THIS PAST YEAR, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE SO EXCITED NOW ENTERING INTO YEAR TWO OF SA FORWARD.
SO IN OUR F Y 23 BUDGET, IT ADDS $3.8 MILLION OF FUNDING.
IT CONTINUES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN.
IT TRACKS PROGRESS OVER SIX, ACROSS SIX PRIORITY AREAS THAT INCLUDE ACCESS TO CARE DATA AND TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, FOOD INSECURITY AND NUTRITION, HEALTH EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND BALANCE PREVENTION.
[00:25:01]
THE LION'S SHARE OF THE $20 MILLION BUDGET THAT SUPPORTS THE ROLLOUT OF THIS MULTI-YEAR PLAN IS ANCHORED TO FEDERAL GRANTS.THE BALANCE, OBVIOUSLY IS SUPPORTED THEN THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER ACTIVITIES ACROSS ALL 10 DISTRICTS.
SO JUST KNOW THAT, UM, OUR WHILE ESSAY FORWARD AS A PLAN WAS, UH, OUR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN UNDERWAY SINCE THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR BACK IN OCTOBER.
UH, WE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED THIS PAST, UM, APRIL, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS WERE AWARE OF THIS MULTI-YEAR PLAN.
AND I'LL GIVE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE COVERED THIS PAST YEAR AND A PREVIEW OF WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE IN YEAR TWO.
SO AS I WALK THROUGH, THE GOAL OF ACCESS TO CARE IS TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO PATIENT-CENTERED CARE.
THIS EFFORT IS LED BY, UH, DR.
JUDA WU, WHO'S OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY.
THE FIVE-YEAR GOAL IS TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE SERVED BY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, DEMONSTRATE GAINS IN PUBLIC HEALTH KNOWLEDGE BY BEAR COUNTY MEDICAL PROVIDERS, AND CONDUCT TWO COMPREHENSIVE ACCESS TO CARE ASSESSMENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE, UH, THE PLAN THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 2026.
THIS PAST YEAR, UH, OUR TEAM TRAINED 108 COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO, UM, UH, MENTAL HEALTH PEER SUPPORT, PROVIDED SMALLER TRAININGS ON C OVID 19 COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS AND PATIENT NAVIGATION.
WE PROVIDED SCHOLARSHIPS TO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FOR RECEIVING THEIR CERTIFICATION THROUGH A COLLABORATION THAT WE HAVE AT NORTHWEST VISTA COLLEGE.
AND THIS PAST YEAR, OUR CLINICIAN AMBASSADORS EDUCATED ALMOST, UH, 500 MEDICAL PROVIDERS ON TOPICS THAT INCLUDED, UH, SS T I TREATMENT GUIDELINES, UH, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS, UM, SYPHILIS, UH, RESPECTFUL HEALTHCARE, UH, TAKING A SEXUAL HISTORY PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS FOR H I V OR PREP, UH, COVID VACCINATION.
AND EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED A GRANT AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $80,000 FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY AND CITY HEALTH OFFICIALS TO TRAIN PEDIATRIC PROVIDERS ON POSITIVE AND ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES.
IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, WE'RE LOOKING AT TRAINING ADDITIONAL, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES, UM, AND TO SUPPORT, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH CLUBS ON THE EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE, AND SOUTH SIDE, USING CURRICULA, UH, FROM UT HEALTH.
AND WE LOOK TO REACH, UH, AN ADDITIONAL 300 PROVIDERS, UH, THROUGH ADDITIONAL TOPICS AND TRAINING 10 PEDIATRIC OFFICES ON POSITIVE AND ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES.
UH, THE GOAL HERE IS TO UPDATE OUR TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENSURE A STRONG, UH, FOUNDATIONAL WORKFORCE, UH, THROUGH ADVANCED, UH, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES, UH, SOFTWARE AND EQUIPMENT.
GORE AGA, WHO IS OUR CHIEF OF INFORMATICS, AS WELL AS DR.
RITA ESPINOZA, WHO'S OUR CHIEF OF EPIDEMIOLOGY.
THE INFORMATICS TEAM COMPLETED AND PRESENTED THE EXTERNAL FACING SA FORWARD DASHBOARD.
A NUMBER OF YOU PROBABLY SAW THAT BACK IN THE SPRING WHEN WE, UH, LAUNCHED THIS INITIATIVE.
IT'S A COMMUNITY FACING PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS ACCESS TO GRANULAR DATA IN A MANNER THAT IS TAILORED TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.
THIS YEAR, WE SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED THE CONTRACT TO EXPAND THE SAMPLE SIZE FOR THE BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SURVEY, B R F SS S.
UH, FOR OUR COUNTY, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE ACCESS TO TIMELY AND GRANULAR DATA.
UH, IN ADDITION, INTERNAL TO OUR DEPARTMENT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ACROSS DIFFERENT TEAMS TO STANDARDIZE AND STREAMLINE THE WAY THAT WE COLLECT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, UM, AMONGST EXTERNAL FACING PROGRAMS. SO WE'VE, UH, WE'RE ONGOING WITH OUR INTERNAL PILOTS.
AND FOR NEXT YEAR, THE PLAN IS TO PROVIDE UPDATES TO THE ESSAY FORWARD INITIATIVES, UM, UH, BY POPULATING OUR DASHBOARD, IT ALSO CALLS FOR, UM, GATHERING DATA COLLECTED BY THE STATE'S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND BEGIN ANALYZING THAT INFORMATION TO ADDRESS, UH, AND ASSESS OUR RACIAL AND SOCIAL DISPARITIES AND HEALTH OUTCOMES.
UM, AND LASTLY, WE WILL INCLUDE ASSESSING THE CHALLENGES OF OUR PILOT PROJECTS TO DEVELOP MORE EFFICIENT, UM, EFFORTS AND PRODUCTS ON THE GROUND.
SO THIS EFFORT IS SPEARHEADED BY A MYRIAD OF STAFF FROM OUR CHRONIC DISEASE SECTION, UM, AS WELL AS OUR NEWLY ESTABLISHED OFFICE OF POLICY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
THE DIABETES TEAM HAS IMPLEMENTED AND COMPLETED A TOTAL OF 24 21 DIABETES PREVENTION, SELF-MANAGEMENT, AND, UH, UM, HEALTH AND WELLNESS WORKSHOPS ACROSS DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH SEVEN WITH A TOTAL OF OVER 300 PARTICIPANTS.
THIS YEAR, OUR STAFF ESTABLISHED AN INTERNAL FOOD INSECURITY AND NUTRITION, UM, UM, UH, PLANNING TEAM.
THE GROUP IS IN THE PROCESS OF CONDUCTING KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS TO INFORM THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING A MORE ROBUST WORK GROUP ACROSS THE CITY, UM, WHICH WILL, UH, HELP US, UH, CONDUCT A CITYWIDE, UH, INS A FOOD INSECURITY ASSESSMENT WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE FOOD BANK FOR NEXT YEAR.
OUR PLAN IS TO, UM, IS FOR THE DIABETES TEAM TO IMPLEMENT AND COMPLETE 42 DIABETES PREVENTION, SELF-MANAGEMENT AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS WORKSHOPS, AND TWO DOZEN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS.
AGAIN, ACROSS THESE SAME DISTRICTS, UH, DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH SEVEN, IN PARTICULAR, THE AMOUNT OF DIABETES RELATED WORKSHOPS, UH, THE NUMBER OF THESE CONDUCTED IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, FOCUS ON THE AREAS OF HIGHEST DISPARITIES ACROSS THE CITY.
AND, UH, WE ARE BUILDING CAPACITY WITH OUR
[00:30:01]
DIABETES TEAM TO HAVE A MORE TARGETED APPROACH THROUGH THESE WORKSHOPS.UH, LASTLY, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING THE DIABETES GARAGE, UH, UH, UH, CURRICULUM, UH, WHICH IS FOCUSING ON MEN WHO HAVE DIABETES.
UH, AGAIN, WE'RE FOCUSING ON DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH SEVEN.
IN PARTICULAR, THIS CURRICULUM HAS BEEN APPROVED BY OUR STATE, UH, AGENCY, UM, HASN'T BEEN, AND HAS SHOWN TO EFFECTIVELY RECRUIT MORE MEN INTO DIABETES WORKSHOPS, ESPECIALLY TO REACH HISPANIC MALES WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR THE MOST SEVERE DIABETES RELATED COMPLICATIONS.
THE FACT IS, THE MEN, THEY TEND TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THEIR CARS THAN THEIR BODIES.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO LEAN IN A BIT MORE.
UH, A NUMBER OF YOU KNOW ABOUT THE, UH, THAT PROGRAM.
WE ARE EXPANDING PUR VITA IN THE NEXT YEAR.
CURRENTLY, IT INCLUDES 11 RESTAURANTS AND A NUMBER OF WORK SITES.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT A 2.0 VERSION WHERE WE'LL HAVE A DESIGNATION OF, UH, BRONZE, SILVER, AND GOLD, UM, FOR THESE AREA REST ESTABLISHMENTS.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT PARTNERS, IN PARTICULAR, SOUTHEAST AND WEST SIDES OF THE CITY.
AGAIN, THIS IS A PRIORITY, WHICH IS, UH, ANCHORED TO OUR OFFICE OF HEALTH EQUITY.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO STRENGTHEN THE CITY'S ECOSYSTEM BY ADDRESSING STRUCTURAL RACISM AND FACTORS THAT IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE, UH, ADDRESSED, UM, BY OUR SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
IT'S CO-LED BY CARLOS RODRIGUEZ AT OUR OFFICE OF, UH, HEALTH EQUITY AND SEAN GREEN, WHO OVERSEES OUR OFFICE OF POLICY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
THIS PAST YEAR WHILE THE OFFICE OF HEALTH EQUITY HAS BEEN HERE, UH, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, IT WAS EXPANDED, UH, SO THAT WE HAVE NOW AN AN ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, WE HAVE A HEALTH EQUITY COORDINATOR AND AN EQUITY VACCINE OFFICER.
UH, IN ADDITION, THIS PROVIDES ADDED CAPACITY FOR IMPLEMENTING OUR EQUITY ACTION PLAN AND COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY'S OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
UH, THIS PAST YEAR, WE ALSO ESTABLISHED THE OFFICE OF POLICY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW, STAFF ARE HELPING TO IMPLEMENT AN ANTI REX, UH, RACIST PRACTICES AND POLICIES FOR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS AND BEST PRACTICES OF RESEARCH FOR NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE ARE, UM, ANCHORING OUR WORK TO, UM, UH, THE GRANT FUNDING FROM OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL EQUITY TRAINING CAPACITY, UM, AND TO, UH, CONTINUE APPLYING AN EQUITY LENS IN OUR ONGOING COVID VACCINATION EFFORTS.
IN ADDITION, STAFF ARE HELPING TO FRAME A HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES FRAMEWORK HERE IN THE CITY.
SO, AGAIN, THE NEWEST UNIT IN THE AREA OF FOCUS LED BY JESSE HIGGINS, WHO I MENTIONED BEFORE.
UH, OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, UH, SINCE JESSE'S BEEN WITH US, UH, SHE'S BEEN ORIENTING THE DEPARTMENT TO, UH, UM, ORIENTING TO DIFFERENT PROJECTS AT OUR DEPARTMENT THAT INCLUDE PROJECT WORTH, THE TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE CONSORTIUM, UM, AND OUR WORK WITH SA CORE.
UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, THE ONGOING COLLABORATIONS, UH, SHE'S BEEN HELPING US TO NAVIGATE WITH EFFORTS, UH, LIKE THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE WITH PATHWAYS TO HOPE, UH, THE ONGOING, UH, ROLLOUT OF SA CORE AND OUR MOBILE MENTAL WELLNESS COLLABORATIVE, ENHANCING OUR SCHOOL-BASED EFFORTS, UM, WHICH ARE BEING ANCHORED TO, UH, THE PORTFOLIO OF FUNDING, UH, THAT WE ARE ALSO ROLLING OUT TIED TO ARPA.
SO WE DO HAVE AN EARMARK, AND YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, UM, FROM OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, UM, UH, LAST WEEK, UM, THAT AND HER UPDATE TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UM, DURING NEXT WEEK'S A SESSION, I'LL BE WALKING THROUGH THE TIMELINE, THE PROPOSED FUNDING CATEGORIES, UM, AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE HAVEN'T TOUCH POINT IN AN ANCHOR TO OUR TEAM AT METRO HEALTH IN CONCERT WITH OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE'RE ALSO, UM, UH, POSITIONING THE DEPARTMENT TO, UM, NOT ONLY, UH, LOOK AT THE SA CORE ROLLOUT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT ENHANCING OUR SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES, UM, AS WELL AS ENHANCING THE SUPPORT FOR OUR TEEN, UH, PROJECT WORTH AND OUR TEEN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
SO, LASTLY, UM, AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO THE COMMITMENT BY THE CITY.
WE DO HAVE OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS LED BY ERICA HALL, STEVE HALLER STEVENSON, WHO JOINED US EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, THIS IS ERICA'S SECOND TOUR DUTY AT OUR DEPARTMENT, FOLLOWING A STINT MANY MOONS AGO WHEN SHE WORKED ON COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING ANCHORED TO THE SAME DIVISION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY.
UH, SHE'S A SEASONED, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTITIONER HELPING US TO UPGRADE A MYRIAD OF INITIATIVES FOR ONE OF OUR LARGEST SECTIONS AT THE DEPARTMENT.
AND AS A RESULT OF RESTRUCTURING EFFORTS, THE TRANSFER OF POSITIONS A COUPLE YEARS AGO FROM SS A P D, AS WELL AS THE INFLUX OF GRANTS AND ONGOING SUPPORT FROM THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, WE'VE BEEN AT LEAST, UH, MOVING TO THE 2.0 VERSION OF OUR EFFORTS.
SO THIS PAST YEAR, WE INCREASED SERVICE HOURS FOR OUR DV, UH, PREVENTION PROGRAM.
UH, WE EXTENDED HOURS, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT LAUNCHING AT SAP'S EAST, UH, SUBSTATION, UH, VERY SOON, UH, USING AFTER HOURS, UH, SERVICE LINE THAT ROUTES DIRECTLY TO CRISIS ADVOCATES.
UM, IN ADDITION, THE, UH, PROGRAM IS ADDED A FULL COMPLIMENT OF CASE MANAGERS, UM, THIS PAST YEAR AND INCREASING THE TEAM'S CAPACITY TO PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
UH, NEXT YEAR'S EFFORTS, UM, INCLUDE NOT ONLY THE ONGOING WORK
[00:35:01]
WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BUT ALSO DELIVERING THE TRIPLE P UM, PARENTING COURSE TO PARENTS INVOLVED IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.UM, OUR TEAM IS WORKING IN CONCERT WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY DETENTION CENTER AND THE BEXAR COUNTY REENTRY CENTER.
AGAIN, WE ARE LOOKING AT THESE COLLABORATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN OFFER THESE RESOURCES, UM, UH, TO CLIENTELE.
AND THE TRIPLE P CURRICULUM USES PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS TO RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS FOR THESE CLASSES IN ORDER TO, UM, UM, PROVIDE THE SUPPORT, UM, UH, UM, TO THIS CLIENT PATEL, AND ESPECIALLY THESE INMATES.
UH, LASTLY, UH, THERE HAS BEEN INTEREST IN TERMS OF OUR ONGOING WORK AROUND, UH, BALANCE AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CONCEPTUALIZING A, UH, PILOT PROJECT THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AS WELL AS EXPANDING THE STANDUP, UH, UH, ESSAY PROGRAM, WHICH IS OUR VIOLENCE INTERRUPTER PROGRAM, THE COMPLEMENT TO EXPANDING, UH, STANDUP ESSAY.
IT'S ABOUT USING, UH, SOME, UM, UH, PROPOSED ARPA FUNDING TO COLLABORATE WITH MY BROTHER'S KEEPER TO PARTICIPATE IN A PARTNERSHIP, UM, ACROSS THE CITY, UH, SUPPORTING, UH, THIS POLY PROJECT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS IN PARTICULAR.
UH, MY BROTHER'S KEEPER IS ALREADY WORKING WITH THE SEVERAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND THIS WILL, UH, ALLOW US TO, UM, UH, HAVE ADDED, UH, CAPACITY ON THE GROUND.
SO, IN CLOSING, UH, JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT'S HAPPENING WITH PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, WE ARE ALL CONNECTED TO THIS WORK, UM, AND WE AS A DEPARTMENT, UH, DEPEND ON THE ONGOING COLLABORATIONS.
AND SO JUST KNOW THAT THE SUPPORT FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THIS, UH, DEMONSTRATES THE INVESTMENT BY THE CITY.
AND I CAN'T THANK THE CITY MANAGER ENOUGH FOR HIS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO OUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, I CAN'T THANK THE TEAM ENOUGH FOR THEIR SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY THIS PAST YEAR.
UH, THIS DOES POSITION THE CITY TO BE, TO CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO THE ONGOING IMPACT OF C OVID 19, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PIVOTING TO ADDRESS THE ONGOING BURDEN OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM, EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, AND CHRONIC DISEASES.
THIS ALSO SHOWS THAT WE APPLY LESSONS LEARNED IN REAL TIME, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS OVER THE LAST, UH, COUPLE OF DECADES.
BUT JUST KNOW THAT THE VALUE OF THE COLLABORATIONS AND THE NEW COLLABORATIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ILLUSTRATE THAT WE ARE, UH, READY.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN RESPONSIVE, UH, WE ARE RESILIENT, UM, AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EXCITING CHAPTER IN THE SEASON AHEAD.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CLAUDE, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, RENEE FROM THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.
I, I'LL START WITH YOU, CLAUDE.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS.
I, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE, UH, BRIEFINGS FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S YOUR DEPARTMENT IN WHICH WE SEE THE, THE RELATIVE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UH, TO DELIVER SERVICES FOR OUR CITY.
SO, UH, IN A FUTURE BRIEFING, UM, NOT TODAY, OBVIOUSLY, AND NOT ONLY AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, I'D LIKE TO GET US, UH, WITH SOME UPDATED UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR GOALS ARE, WHAT OUR METRICS THAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR ACROSS, UH, THE PUBLIC HEALTH EQUITY SPECTRUM.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE'RE INVESTING, AND THE POINT HAS BEEN MADE, MANY TIMES WHEN WE'RE INVESTING IN HOUSING, WHEN WE'RE INVESTING IN TRANSPORTATION, WHEN WE'RE INVESTING IN ECONOMIC MOBILITY, WHERE WE WANT TO SEE THOSE PAY OFF IS THAT WE HAVE A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO MEASURE THAT, UNDERSTAND THAT, AND SEE THE RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WHERE I THINK WE'RE AFTER SEVERAL THAT I THINK WE'RE COMING INTO THE FISCAL YEAR AND WE'RE LANDING ON TWO FEET IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, UH, CLAWED.
SO KNOCKING ON WOOD, I SEE A NUMBER OF YOUR LEADERSHIP UP THERE.
SO IN RECOGNITION OF ALL THEIR WORK, I'D LIKE FOR ALL OF THEM TO STAND UP SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE ALL THEIR INCREDIBLE WORK OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
UH, I KNOW THE TOUGH WORK'S NOT OVER, UH, BUT I DO KNOW THEY'VE BEEN WORKING, UH, TRIPLE TIME FOR MOST OF THE, THESE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
AGAIN, I'M SO PROUD OF THE WORK OF THE TEAM.
UM, THEY WORK TIRELESSLY, UH, BUT WE'RE, AGAIN, WE ARE CONNECTED TO ALL PARTS OF THE COASTAL ENTERPRISE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
UM, SO, UH, JUST LET US KNOW WHAT YOU NEED.
UH, DID WANT TO ASK ONE SPECIFIC, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT YESTERDAY.
CAN YOU GIVE ME A, A BETTER SENSE, UM, OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH STANDUP SA? THAT THE CURE VIOLENCE MODEL, I THINK HAS BECOME MORE OF A KNOWN QUANTITY AS WE'VE, UH, ENDURED THE PANDEMIC CURE VIOLENCE, AGAIN, IS, IS IN A SENSE, UH, TREATING, UH, VIOLENCE AS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND, AND A, AND A DISEASE THAT WE CAN INTERRUPT IF WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT STANDUP IS, SAY, IS, IS ATTEMPTING TO DO.
IS THERE, UH, THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT? HOW DO WE DO THAT? UH, IS IT A QUESTION OF RESOURCES? WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR VIEW OF IT RIGHT NOW? THANK YOU.
UM, IF WE COULD JUST PULL UP SLIDE, UH, 43
[00:40:01]
AGAIN, JUST SO WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.UM, STANDUP ESSAY, AGAIN, THIS IS THE ONLY PROGRAM IN TEXAS THAT I KNOW OF THAT'S BASED ON THE CURE VIOLENCE MODEL.
UM, WE ARE HERE, WE'VE BEEN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO NOW FOR EIGHT YEARS.
THIS ORIGINALLY WAS CALLED CEASEFIRE.
UM, IT'S AN EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE-BASED MODEL THAT'S ADOPTED ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND NOW ACROSS 12 OTHER COUNTRIES.
UH, THE NAME, OFFICIAL NAME NOW IS CURE VIOLENCE GLOBAL.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO AT LEAST THANK AND ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE TEAM THAT'S ON THE GROUND.
AND I DID WANT TO AT LEAST, UH, ZERO BACK AND, AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE TIED TO THE WORK OF CURE VIOLENCE.
UM, WE ARE ORGANIZED, IT'S TWO DOZEN STAFF.
MOST FOLKS DON'T SEE THEIR WORK BECAUSE THEY ARE ON THE OFF HOURS, SO IT'S NOT A NINE TO FIVE JOB.
THEIR SHIFTS START AT TWO IN THE AFTERNOON AND RUN TILL 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE WORK, AND THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF WHAT THEY'VE SIGNED UP FOR.
UM, IF I CAN GO TO SLIDE 42, THIS WILL JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK SNAPSHOT.
UM, SO THIS IS PART OF, UH, AN INTERNATIONAL MODEL.
NOW, UM, UH, WHAT THEY DO AS A MODEL IS TO, UH, DETECT AND INTERRUPT, UH, POTENTIALLY VIOLENT SITUATIONS.
WE DO HAVE TWO TEAMS ANCHORED EAST AND WEST.
UH, THEY IDENTIFY AND, AND LOOK AT THE, SOME OF THE BEHAVIORS OF HIGH RISK RISKS.
AND, UM, UM, THEY'RE LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN INFLUENCE SOME OF THE NORMS BY SOME OF THE RELATIONSHIPS THEY HAVE ON THE GROUND.
SO IN F Y 21, THERE WERE 156 CONFLICTS THAT WERE MEDIATED, UM, UH, THIS, UH, UH, CURRENT YEAR, UM, ON, UM, THERE WERE 150 CONFLICTS THAT WERE MEDIATED, AND 98 PEOPLE ACCEPTED LONG-TERM SUPPORT OFFERED BY THE TEAMS. UM, THE STANDUP TEAM SUPPORTS, UH, COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
AND FOR NEXT YEAR, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THAT THIS MODEL IN INTERRUPTING AND BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE, UM, WHICH IS WHY I REFERENCED THE PILOT PROJECT, UM, WITH, UH, MY BROTHER'S KEEPER AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO ENHANCE, UH, THE CAPACITY OF, UH, THESE, THESE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD AMBASSADORS ON THE GROUND.
I, I'VE, I'VE MET WITH THIS CREW.
UH, THIS IS THE TEAM THAT'S ANCHORED TO OUR, UH, VIOLENCE PREVENTION SECTION, OVERSEEN BY, UH, ERICA HELLERS AND STEVENSON.
UH, THIS TEAM IN PARTICULAR IS LED BY DEREK TAYLOR, WHO'S BEEN WITH US SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED.
UM, I HAD THE HONOR YEARS AGO ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO WHEN THIS WAS FIRST A CONCEPT.
I'VE SEEN THIS MODEL BROUGHT TO THE CITY OF BALTIMORE, UH, WHILE I WAS THERE, UM, UH, WORKING AS A BUREAU CHIEF, AND I'VE WATCHED IT EVOLVE.
UM, IT IS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO LEAN IN.
UH, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S ABOUT A CONFLICT MEDIATION.
UM, THEY'RE ON THE GROUND, THEY'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THE EAST AND WEST PARTS OF THE CITY, AND IT'S BY DESIGN, IT'S ANALOGOUS TO BREAKING THE, THE CYCLE OF, UH, UH, UH, UH, OF INFECTIONS.
BUT THIS IS LITERALLY LOOKING AT BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.
AND, AND FOR THOSE, UH, WHO ARE NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH IT, IT WAS PILOTED BY DR.
GARY SLUTKIN, UH, WHO YOU KNOW WELL, UH, AND WHO I'VE SPENT SOME TIME WITH.
AND HE'S A EXPERT FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION WHO IS GOING INTO COMMUNITIES TO BREAK, UH, CHAINS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN, IN LARGELY THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES.
AND TAKING THAT SAME APPROACH TO VIOLENT CRIME IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF CHICAGO, I THINK THIS IS AN, AN INCREDIBLE, UM, GROUP.
UH, I'VE SPENT SOME TIME WITH 'EM.
SAN ANTONIO, I BELIEVE, IS DOING SOMETHING THAT OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS FOR SURE ARE NOT DOING.
AND I THINK IF WE LEAN INTO THIS, WE CAN BE A MODEL AND PERHAPS DEMONSTRATE IN OUR CRAZY MIX OF, OF LAWS AND CHALLENGES IN THIS STATE HOW WE CAN BREAK, UH, AND PREVENT VIOLENCE AND, AND COMMUNITIES USING THIS APPROACH.
SO JUST KNOW THAT I AM FULLY IN SUPPORT OF, OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE, CLAUDE, IF THERE ARE, ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON THIS AND EXPAND THIS WORK, THAT FOR ME IS HIGH ORDER PRIORITY.
UH, I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT WE, UH, SPEND SOME TIME WITH AWARENESS OF, OF THESE KINDS OF INTERVENTIONS AND MAYBE BRING DR.
SLUTKIN INTO SAN ANTONIO AND HAVE A ROUND TABLE.
I'M SURE HE WOULD BE WILLING AND, AND, AND, UH, VERY HAPPY TO DO THAT FOR US.
OH, YES, I, UH, KNOW, UH, GARY SLUTKIN, AGAIN, A COLLEAGUE.
I'M AN ALUM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
THAT'S WHERE HE HAS HIS FACULTY APPOINTMENT.
UM, AND THERE'S A NEW C E O WHO HAS JUST COME ON BOARD OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS WHO'S ALREADY REACHED OUT TO ME.
SUCKIN IS STILL ENGAGED, UM, AND THE NEW C E O DOES WANNA PAY A VISIT HERE IN SUNNY SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS AND MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS ON YOUR DANCE CARD.
WE HAVE LOCAL SAN ANTONIOS ARE ON THE BOARD OF CURE VIOLENCE, I BELIEVE.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT, OR YOUR STATEMENT ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM AS PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN OF THE USE OF ARPA FUNDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE APPROVE.
WE, UM, AND THIS WILL COME TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION ON EARLY
[00:45:01]
SEPTEMBER.UM, WE ARE EXPANDING THIS PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUTH, UH, FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WE WILL BE DOING THAT AS PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
UH, ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAVE, AND THIS IS TO, TO PUT A BOOKMARK IN.
IT WAS RELATED TO THE CONVERSATION WE HAD THIS MORNING, ERIC.
UM, WHAT ARE OUR NEXT OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSIST WITH THE GAP IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY? UH, WE HAD A, A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT FACILITIES, UH, PARTICULARLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, AND LOVE TO GET YOUR INPUT AND SEE WHERE WE CAN HELP AS A COUNCIL WITH THAT ISSUE.
ERIC, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT.
I WAS JUST GONNA, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT TALKED TO CLAUDE ABOUT THIS MORNING'S MEETING, SO I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO FEEL STUNTED OVER THERE.
UM, BUT, UH, TO YOUR POINT, MAYOR, I THINK THERE'S, UH, YOU'LL HEAR SOME OF THIS AS PART OF NEXT WEEK'S CONVERSATION WHEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS COME TO THE FULL COUNCIL, BUT ALSO BRINGING IN INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, UM, AND THE ECONOMIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, UM, AND COUNCILMAN APP ABOUT HOW, UH, WE SHOULD STRUCTURE THAT CONVERSATION.
AND IN JUST FOR THE REST OF THE, OF THE COUNCIL, THE CONVERSATION WAS HOW DO WE, HOW SHOULD WE WORK WITH OTHER HOSPITAL ENTITIES HERE IN TOWN, UM, TO ADVOCATE FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UM, UH, DURING THE STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UM, AND NOT TO, NOT TO JUST SAY WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING AND WE NEED THE STATE TO DO EVERYTHING, BUT THERE'S A LOT THAT'S BEING DONE, UH, LOCALLY BETWEEN THE COUNTY, THE CITY, THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS THEMSELVES, AND HOW DO WE COLLABORATE, UM, UM, WITH A, SOME SORT OF PLAN FOR SAN ANTONIO.
UH, ONLY LAST QUICK QUESTION, UH, FOR YOU ERIC OR RENE, RENEE OR CRYSTAL.
UM, I SEE THE ADJUSTMENTS ON MARKET AND STEP PLAY INCREASES WE WERE EXPERIENCING AS A RESULT OF THE HIGHER ENTRY WEIGHT, SOME COMPRESSION ISSUES.
ARE THESE, ARE THESE DEALING WITH THEM EFFECTIVELY? THE BUDGET DOES INCLUDE MONEY TO ADDRESS COMPRESSION AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASE TO THE ENTRY WAGE.
UM, THERE'S ADDITIONAL, UM, CHANGES THAT WE'D WANNA MAKE THROUGHOUT THE PAY RANGES AS A PART OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
THOSE ARE ALL PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
'CAUSE WE, WE, WE DID WANT TO, WE, WE DID WANNA MAKE THE, THE EXISTING COMPRESSION ISSUES WORSE, RIGHT? SO WE'VE, WE'VE MADE ALLOTMENTS IN THAT.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE, UM, UM, AS ISSUES COME UP OR MAY COME UP DURING THE YEAR, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO HANDLE 'EM BY JOB CATEGORIES.
I, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA HAS A SHORT, UM, TIMEFRAME TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
I'LL START WITH RENEE, WHILE YOU COME UP.
I SEE ALSO, UM, UH, WANDA AND CRYSTAL AND DAN.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE READY TO WORK, UH, FOR COLLABORATING AND, AND HELPING US PROMOTE THAT PROGRAM.
AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE AWARD.
WE'RE, WE'RE ONE OF SEVERAL CITIES, LARGE CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY PLANS.
WE HAD A GOAL, OR IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAD A TARGET OF 98.1 IN 2022, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A TARGET FOR 2023.
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND? SURE.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW, BASED ON THE, UH, 2010 CENSUS, WE ARE AT 98% OF OUR GOAL.
AS YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO EMPLOY, UH, FEMALES AND MINORITIES AT 80% OF THEIR AVAILABILITY IN THE RECRUITMENT AREA.
THAT AVAILABILITY IS UPDATED EACH TIME CENSUS.
THIS INFORMATION COMES OUT, THE 2020 CENSUS INFORMATION WAS RELEASED IN MARCH.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE AVAILABILITY SO WE CAN DETERMINE WHERE WE STAND ON OUR GOAL, AND WE'LL HAVE THAT EARLY ON IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN THERE WAS NOTHING IN HERE ON L G C, AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE AN ANDY QUESTION, RIGHT? I I DON'T KNOW IF WE WILL HAVE A SEPARATE, UM, MEETING TO DISCUSS L G C BUDGET, UH, TO THE EX, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, TO THE EXTENT YOU WANNA DISCUSS L G C IN TERMS OF SPECIFICS LIKE COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, ET CETERA.
THAT WOULD REQUIRE A MEETING OF THE L G C.
AND THEN, UM, CLAUDE, I, I, I HAVE SOME, SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE FOR, UH, FOOD ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHMENTS, UH, NATIONWIDE? UH, SO FOR PASSAGE RATES, I THINK WE HAVE LIKE AN 85%, WHAT IS IT? NATIONWIDE? IT'S ON SLIDE SIX.
WE WILL HAVE TO RESEARCH WHAT THE NATIONWIDE AVERAGE IS.
WE'RE SHARING WITH YOU AT LEAST OUR TARGET HERE LOCALLY.
AND WHERE ARE THE SCHOOL-BASED TEACHING GARDENS? DO YOU HAVE A MAP? OKAY.
NOT A MAP OF THE SCHOOL-BASED TEACHING GARDENS.
WE DO HAVE A MAP, UH, SHOWING OUR HEALTHY CORNER STORES, JUST SO YOU CAN SEE THE DISTRIBUTION.
CAN I HAVE A MAP OF THE SCHOOL ONE? THE, THE GARDENS? YES, THE GARDENS.
AND THEN ON SLIDE 11, I WANNA SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THE ACCESS TO CARE.
[00:50:01]
IT'S A GREAT IDEA ON SLIDE EIGHT, MORE THAN ONE IN FIVE EMPLOYEES RATE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AS FAIR OR POOR.AND THAT'S PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES OR PUBLIC HEALTH EMPLOYEES.
I WONDER IF YOU HAVE IN GENERAL PUBLIC SECTOR THOUGH.
THIS JUST A NOTE, A FOOTNOTE ABOUT THIS.
UH, THIS IS FROM A NATIONAL STUDY.
THERE WERE OVER 45,000, UH, HEALTHCARE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS, UH, LOCAL STATE, TRIBAL TERRITORIAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS WHO WERE SURVEYED.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THAT'S SHOWING.
THIS IS NOT SPECIFIC TO SAN ANTONIO OR METRO HEALTH.
DO WE HAVE THAT OR CAN WE GET THAT? OR EVEN FOR PUBLIC SECTOR? YES, WE WILL HAVE OUR, UM, METRO HEALTH SPECIFIC DATA AVAILABLE NEXT MONTH.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE DID ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THIS NATIONAL STUDY.
'CAUSE I, I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME.
I, I'D LOVE TO SEE WHAT AREAS ARE MOST UNDER STRESS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SERVANTS.
I LOVE THE DIABETES GARAGE CURRICULUM.
I NOTICED THAT YOU HAVE A FEW, UH, DATES COMING UP.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YOU ALL WERE DOING THIS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG Y'ALL BEEN DOING FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS.
UM, BUT YOU ALL HAVE WEDNESDAYS, UH, SEPTEMBER 7TH, FOURTH, 21ST, AND 28TH.
COMING UP FROM SIX TO EIGHT, I NOTICED THAT WE ONLY DO ENGLISH.
IS THERE A PLAN TO EXPAND TO SPANISH SO WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT? AND AGAIN, THIS IS A NEW CURRICULUM THAT WE'RE LAUNCHING.
BUT JUST KNOW THAT, UM, IT'S IN ENGLISH RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE TO TAKE THAT BACK TO THE STAFF.
'CAUSE EL PASO'S DOING IN SPANISH, AND I BELIEVE BROWNSVILLE IS DOING IN SPANISH.
AND I WANNA SAY THAT I, I LOVE THE WHOLE, UM, TAKE THAT.
THEY SAY IT'S MAINTAIN MAINTENANCE JUST LIKE YOUR CARS, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
SO I WANTED TO SEE HOW MUCH WAS BUDGETED FOR THIS.
AND EVERYBODY KNOWS MY DAD HAS DIABETES.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAD A SPELL THIS MORNING.
I HAD TO GO OVER THIS MORNING.
UM, BUT, UH, I'M WONDERING, LIKE, THIS IS GREAT MESSAGING, LIKE FOR SOMEONE, UM, LIKE MY DAD, RIGHT? AND SO I'M WONDERING HOW MUCH YOU'RE INVESTING SPECIFICALLY INTO THIS PROGRAM.
UM, SO WE WILL RESEARCH THAT FOR YOU, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
IT'S A PART OF OUR ROLLOUT FOR ESSAY FORWARD.
SO WE'LL GET YOU THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR THIS PER PREVIOUS CURRICULUM.
THE OTHER ONE IS ON GUN VIOLENCE INCIDENTS, UHHUH, AND THAT WAS A STANDUP PROGRAM.
WE HAD A TARGET OF 70% WE'RE ESTIMATED TO REACH 60% THIS YEAR.
DO YOU, CAN YOU TELL ME THE 10% DIFFERENCE OR WHY IT'S UNDER YES.
UM, SO AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN WE LOOKED AT OUR STATS AND WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT WE DID ON THE GROUND, LET ME AT LEAST GIVE YOU THE QUICK COMPOSITE OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN.
SO WE'VE ACTUALLY SHOWED A DATE THAT WE'RE AT 84%.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS THAT WE REPORTED RESPONDED TO THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS IN OUR DESIGN DESIGNATED TARGET AREAS.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE THAT CORRECTION, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE EXCEEDING OUR TARGET FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO MAYBE THIS WAS JUST AT THE TIME IT WAS PRINTED OR SOMETHING.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION IS, THE NUMBER OF ADULTS COMPLETING DIABETES PREVENTION WORKSHOPS WAS, UM, 305.
AND SO, UM, IS THAT STILL BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE HESITANT TO COME IN BECAUSE OF COVID OR WHAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE THE, AGAIN, YES.
TIED TO COVID STORM AND DISRUPTIONS, BUT WE ARE EXCEEDING OUR BENCHMARK.
SO JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S A LAG REFLECTED IN WHAT YOU SEE.
BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE MEETING OUR METRICS FOR THAT PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE THE PUSH FOR, UM, THE SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITY WHO IS MOSTLY AFFECTED BY, BY DIABETES AND, UM, THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY.
AND, UM, I, I, I THINK THAT THE PROGRAM, LIKE THE DIABETES GARAGE CURRICULUM WOULD BE GOOD, BUT IF WE DON'T OFFER IT IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
AND THEN ALSO I NOTICED IT'S WEDNESDAYS AND A LOT OF THE CONSTITUENTS IN MY AREA ATTEND WEDNESDAY NIGHT SERVICE FOR CHURCH.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PARTICIPATION LEVEL.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN PROBABLY WORK WITH, AND IT'S IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND IT'S, UM, WATCH DOGS, UH, DADS OF GREAT STUDENTS.
AND I THINK THAT MAYBE WE CAN HELP, WE CAN WORK WITH THEM TO KIND OF CROSS PROMOTE THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO.
AND, AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, I'LL START WITH YOU, CLAUDE, SINCE YOU'RE HERE.
UM, ON, ON SLIDE EIGHT, YOU, I THINK IT WAS SLIDE EIGHT, YOU SHARED THAT MORE THAN ONE IN FIVE EMPLOYEES RATE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AS FAIR OR POOR OUTSIDE OF THE, THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH EMPLOYEES OR WHAT WE'LL BE WE BE DOING OUTSIDE OF THE E A P MM-HMM.
SO INTERNAL, THE METRO HEALTH, I MEAN, WE HAVE, UM, UH, MORE INITIATIVES WHERE WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO JUST WORK-LIFE BALANCE, PACING, WORKLOAD.
BUT YOUR QUESTION IS SPECIFIC TO HR AND WHAT WE OFFER TO EMPLOYEES.
AGAIN, THESE ARE STAFF ANCHORED TO THE COASTAL ENTERPRISE.
[00:55:01]
SO, UM, OKAY.WELL, I MEAN, I'M, I'M KIND OF STRUCK BY THAT, THAT GRAPHIC HERE.
UM, JUST WONDERING IF MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD EXPLORE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, HELP SPECIFICALLY OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMPLOYEES, UM, THE PEOPLE ALL BEHIND YOU THAT STOOD UP.
I MEAN, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT Y'ALL HAVE ALL BEEN THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, EVEN BEYOND WHAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER.
UM, SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE EEP, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
YEAH, I MEAN, A, A LOT OF THIS IS, UM, AND THIS ALMOST SEEMS KIND OF, UM, CRAZY TO SAY, BUT I MEAN, I, AS I LOOK AT DR.
I MEAN, WE HAD TO, WE, WE FORCED THEM TO TAKE TIME OFF.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BAD THING TO SAY, BUT, BUT SHOWS THEIR DEDICATION, MAKING SURE THAT, I MEAN, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, UM, THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THE WORK AND, AND, UH, A LOT OF FOLKS WORK TIRELESSLY SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM, UM, UM, THE, THE MARKET ADJUSTMENTS AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE BEING COMPENSATED ARE CRITICAL.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES OR THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY AS WE LAUNCH INTO, CONTINUE TO LAUNCH INTO SA FORD WHEN, FRANKLY, I THINK, UH, AND CLAUDE MENTIONED IN HIS PRESENTATION, THERE'S SOME SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BENEFITS TO BOTH UT HEALTH AND NEW SCHOOL AND METRO HEALTH AND BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE THEM.
BUT NO QUESTION, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT THEM IS, IS, IS REALLY CRITICAL BECAUSE WE WANT THEM, THIS IS A NATIONWIDE ISSUE.
AND I AM EXCITED ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH UT'S SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT HOW, UM, LOGISTICALLY, HOW THE PARTNERSHIP'S GONNA WORK? I, I'M ALSO INTERESTED TO KNOW IF THERE'S A SOCIAL COMPONENT, A SOCIAL WORK COMPONENT TO THIS PROGRAM.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO, AGAIN, THIS IS AN ADVENTURE, UH, FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE ARE A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THIS WILL ALLOWS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN ACADEMIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
JENNIFER POTTER TO AT LEAST SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WE NOW HAVE IN PLAY AS PART OF THIS COLLABORATION.
JUST KNOW THAT THIS NATIONAL STUDY THAT WAS RELEASED LAST MONTH TALKED ABOUT THE FATIGUE AND THE WEAR AND TEAR FOR STAFF, BUT THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DEMONSTRATE HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THE WORKFORCE THROUGH THESE INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH ACADEMIC PARTNERS.
POTTER TO AT LEAST SHARE WITH YOU WHAT IS NOW QUEUED UP, UM, AS PART OF THIS COLLABORATION WITH THE NEW SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH AT UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO.
UH, BOTH PRESIDENTS OF U T S A AND UT HEALTH SAN ANTONIO ARE AT THE BOARD OF REGENTS MEETING, WHICH CO OCCURRED WITH THIS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT IN UT SYSTEM.
UT SYSTEM HAS A, A MOTTO CALLED UT IN SERVICE TO TEXAS.
AND, UM, IT'S A VERY INSPIRING THING TO THINK ABOUT HOW UNIVERSITIES, UH, CAN PLAY A ROLE IN TERMS OF SERVING PUBLIC HEALTH.
WHEN WE BEGAN CONCEPTUALIZING THIS, ONE OF THE FIRST GROUPS THAT WE REACHED OUT TO ALMOST 18 MONTHS AGO, UM, WAS YOUR CITY MANAGER.
AND, UH, TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS MIGHT WORK, THE IDEA OF EMBEDDING, UM, THE PHILOSOPHY, PRINCIPLES AND GOALS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT INTO HOW WE BAKE, HOW WE BUILD THIS SCHOOL IS INTEGRAL TO WHAT WE ENVISIONED, UM, FORTUNATELY, UM, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY INSPIRING TO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS BECAUSE OF ALL THAT WE JUST HEARD.
YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT PLANNING.
THE GOAL THAT WE HAVE IN DECIDING AND PROGRAMMING THIS SCHOOL, UM, IS TO HAVE A SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH THAT IS DRIVEN AND FOCUSED ON SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN DO THAT.
THE FIRST IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A FREESTANDING INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH LOCATED IN SAN ANTONIO THAT CAN TRAIN THE WORKFORCE.
UM, NOT EVEN JUST WITH MASTER'S OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEGREES, BUT ANY UPSKILLING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE, UM, TO BUILD CAREERS.
ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH IS YOU BUILD A CAREER.
UM, U T SS A HAS AN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM.
IT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST PROGRAMS THEY HAVE AT U T S A.
UM, AND THEN WITH THE MASTER'S PROGRAMS IN THE GRADUATE PROGRAM AS WELL AS THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM.
SO WE SEE THAT AS INTEGRAL, WE WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER AND PLAY A ROLE IN, IN THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT METRO HEALTH IS IDENTIFIED FOR, FOR THE WORKFORCE.
THE OTHER PLACE IS, UM, MAYOR NUREMBERG MENTIONED AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH TO ADDRESSING VIOLENCE.
WE NEED TO BE SKATING TO THE PUB PUCK WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND BE READY.
UH, THE SCIENCE THAT GOES ON IN A SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, IF IT'S FOCUSED ON THE HEALTH ISSUES OF OUR COMMUNITY, HELPS US BUILD THE EVIDENCE BASE FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS, FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS, AND HELPS US INNOVATE WITH OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN MIND.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, I HEARD SOMEONE MENTIONING IS SOMETHING TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH IMAGINE INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE EVIDENCE-BASED, THAT ARE BUILT
[01:00:01]
IN SPANISH TO BEGIN WITH SO THAT WE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE CULTURAL CONTEXT IN WHICH THESE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES EXIST.SO I HOPE THAT HELPS A LITTLE BIT WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND PART OF MY QUESTION WAS, IS THERE A SOCIAL WORK COMPONENT TO, SO U T S A HAS A SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK.
UM, AND THAT IS WITHIN, UM, THE UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF HEALTH COMMUNITY AND POLICY.
H CCAP IS A PARTNER, JUST LIKE U T S A IS IN OUR COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY THERE IS TO TAKE ALL OF THE CLINICAL SKILLS THAT SOCIAL WORKERS DEVELOP AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL.
THE POTENTIAL, AND I, WE HAVE NOT COMMITTED TO THIS, BUT ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IS AN M S W M P H PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO YOU GET BOTH THOSE DEGREES TO UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETAL CONTEXT IN A CLINICAL SERVICE ALONG WITH THE PROFESSIONAL POLICY DEGREES THAT COME OUT OF AN MPH H PROGRAM.
UM, I'M GONNA RACE THROUGH THE REST OF MY QUESTIONS.
I THINK THAT WAS A REALLY, WE NEEDED TO HEAR ALL OF THAT, BUT I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO BE SUCCINCT.
ACTUALLY, I'M NOT EVEN SURE I HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, AS WE RECOVER FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY FOCUS ON HOW WE CAN TAKE OUR CITY AND OUR PEOPLE TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
UM, THE PANDEMIC SHOWED US WHERE OUR CITY'S GAPS AND NEEDS ARE IN INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH, AND SAFETY.
UM, AND OF COURSE, IN MENTAL HEALTH, I THINK THIS A BIG OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO TAKE METRO HEALTH TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT YOU BEING AT THE HEAD OF THAT CLOT.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP.
UM, AND, UH, I THINK THE HUMAN SERVICES COMPONENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH OF GETTING BACK ON YOUR FEET IS, UM, A, A COMPONENT WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON.
I DO THINK IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL THAT WE HAVE A CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH OFFICER, UM, ACCORDING TO THE BEX COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT, BEXAR COUNTY HAD THE FOURTH HIGHEST PREVALENCE OF BOTH ADULTS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND CHILDREN WITH SERIOUS EMOTIONAL CONDITIONS AMONG ALL TEXAS COUNTIES.
SO, UM, I JUST THINK IT'S A REALLY INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR US, AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE FOR IT.
I'M GONNA MOVE OVER TO RENEE, AND THIS IS THE PART I MAY NEED TO RENEE.
UM, UH, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE THE POINT.
I SUPPORT OUR CITY WORKFORCE AT EVERY LEVEL, AND THE COMPENSATION INCREASE IS A STRONG AFFIRMATION OF THAT.
I ALSO STRONGLY SUPPORT AND APPRECIATE OUR LABOR UNIONS BECAUSE OF THE, UM, THE VALUE THAT THEY BRING TO OUR CITY'S WELLBEING.
SO I WANNA THANK AFSCME, UH, LOCAL 2021 FOR THEIR VOICE AND ADVOCACY OF OUR CIVILIAN WORKFORCE.
CAN YOU TELL ME, UM, IT, THERE'S AN 8.1% WAGE GROWTH, IF I SAW THAT CORRECTLY, AND AND IS IT TWO THIRDS OF CITY EMPLOYEES ARE RECEIVING A RAISE BETWEEN TWO AND 7%? IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.
SO TWO THIRDS OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE RECEIVING THE 5% MARKET AND THE, I MEAN THE 5% ACROSS THE BOARD AND THE 2% MARKET.
AND SO IF YOU'RE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, BOTH THE 4% MARKET THAT WE GAVE IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, PLUS THESE ADDITIONAL MARKETS, WE'RE KEEPING PACE WITH THAT.
AND WE CAN, DO YOU THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP PACE WITH THAT? I DO.
AND, AND AS PART OF OUR, UH, BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR HR, WE'VE ADDED, UM, SOME POSITIONS IN COMPENSATION TO DO ONGOING MARKET ANALYSIS.
SO I THINK WE'RE CATCHING UP WITH MARKET AND, AND WE'RE PUTTING THE THINGS IN PLAY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR POSITION.
AND WE ADDED, UH, THE MARKET ADJUSTMENTS FOR, UH, ABOUT 20, A LITTLE OVER 2300 EMPLOYEES, CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES IN THE BEGINNING OF APRIL.
UM, BUT IF THINGS CONTINUE, THEN THIS'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS INTO FISCAL YEAR, NEXT FISCAL YEAR FOR SURE.
COUNCILWOMAN, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE AVERAGE INCREASE FOR EMPLOYEES, UM, IF YOU CONSIDER THE, ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE MARKET, THE AVERAGE INCREASE, UM, IS AROUND 8%.
UM, SO REAL QUICKLY, UH, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THIS AT THE L G C, BUT, UM, I WANNA JUST SAY FOR THE RECORD, I SUPPORT THE REQUEST FOR INCREASING THE COUNCIL STAFF.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST, UM, IN THE PAST, UM, BY ONE F T E TO MAKE A TOTAL OF NINE.
AND OF COURSE, ALONG WITH THE SALARY THAT, THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
AND, AND CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE LOSING THE CELL PHONE ALLOWANCE? UM, WHAT LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT TYPICALLY HAS A CELL PHONE ALLOWANCE AND WHO'S I'LL I'LL ANSWER THAT.
ALL EXECUTIVES LOST THE CELL PHONE ALLOWANCE DURING THE PANDEMIC AND IT WAS NOT RESTORED.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A, A LOOSE COLLECTION OF, OF EMPLOYEES THAT ARE RECEIVING, UM, SOME DATA ONLY, UM, SOME SELL AND DATA AND SOME JUST SELL.
IT'S A, IT'S AN OLD ALLOWANCE THAT, UM, HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND HAS NEVER BEEN ADJUSTED.
AND, UH, WE THOUGHT THAT, UM, OR I, I PROPOSED THAT IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE, IN LIGHT OF THE MARKET ADJUSTMENTS IN THE, ACROSS THE BOARD AND THE PREMIUM DECREASE THAT WE ELIMINATE THAT
591 CITY EMPLOYEES, BUT THERE WERE NONE OF THOSE WERE EXECUTIVES.
'CAUSE THEY LOST THOSE TWO YEARS AGO.
[01:05:01]
THE COUNCIL.IT, I KNOW I'M OVERTIME, THERE'S HUNDRED 91 CITY EMPLOYEES AND 73 L G C EMPLOYEES WHO CURRENTLY THE CELL PHONE.
SO AS, AS PROPOSED, UM, ANDY'S LOOKING AT ME STERNLY, I'LL JUST SAY REAL QUICK, ANDY, BEFORE HE BREAKS HE, BUT, BUT THE L G C, UM, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UM, CORPORATION AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS THAT, UH, WE WILL HAVE CONSISTENCY IN, IN HOW WE DO WITH PERSONNEL.
I'M MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE BUILT THAT INTO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL BUDGETS.
I'LL JUST SORT QUICKLY ASK THAT CONVERSATION FOR L G C IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
IF WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE, AT THAT, AT THE L G C.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT AN L G C MEETING? I WILL SAY, I WILL START OFF BY SAYING I ALSO WANT AN EXTRA PERSON.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT COUNTS AS SPECIFICS WITHIN AN L G C, BUT IF WE COULD HAVE AN ADDITIONAL F T E, UM, FOR COUNCIL AIDS, I WOULD BE APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
I'LL START OFF WITH, UH, MS. RENEE.
UM, I'M EX I'M ECSTATIC ABOUT THE, THE WAGE INCREASE AND THE MARKET RATE ADJUSTMENT.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.
AND I KNOW THAT THE FOLK THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO AND AFSCME AND OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
UM, I'LL SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE HOUSELESS OUTREACH WORKERS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL OF THEM LEAVE FOR OTHER JOBS IN HIGHER PAY.
AND I, UM, AS I PREVIOUSLY ADVOCATED, I DO BELIEVE WE STILL NEED TO INCREASE THEIR BASE PAY.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING WHAT IS THE PAY FOR THE, AND IF YOU COULD FIND ME THIS, YOU CAN SAY IT LATER, BUT I WANNA KNOW THE LOWEST PAID OUTREACH WORKER AND THE HIGHEST PAID, NOT THEIR NAMES, BUT THEIR PAY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT HERE.
SO IN TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASE IN ORDER TO AFFORD A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT IN OUR METRO AREA, THE MINIMUM INCOME WOULD HAVE TO BE AT LEAST 21 TO 22 HOURS.
DO WE HAVE A FIVE OR 10 YEAR PLAN TO IMPLEMENT, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WAGE WAGES STAY IN ALIGNMENT TO COST OF LIVING INCREASES? AND DO WE HAVE TARGETS SAY THAT EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS IN CONVERSATION YET? WELL, I, I, I'LL TELL YOU THAT, THAT, UM, AND I SAID IT AT THE PROPOSED BUDGET PRESENTATION, AND, AND RENEE REITERATED IT, THE LAST TIME WE DID A MARKET STUDY OF CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES WAS 2008.
SO THAT CAN'T HAPPEN EVERY 15 YEARS.
UM, THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING MORE OFTEN.
UH, THAT WILL REQUIRE US TO, UM, DEDICATE MORE RESOURCES TO THAT WHEN WE GO THROUGH OUR ANNUAL BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET FAR BEHIND.
UM, IN TERMS OF AN OVERALL GOAL, A LOT OF THAT WILL DEPEND UPON THE LABOR MARKET.
UM, AND SO FROM AN, FROM THE EMPLOYER STANDPOINT, FROM MY STANDPOINT, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE.
UM, DOES THAT MEAN THAT, UM, THAT WE HAVE A SET GOAL AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA INCREASE A CERTAIN AMOUNT EVERY YEAR? NO, IT, IT MEANS THAT IN, IN SOME YEARS, WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE CAN AFFORD, HOPEFULLY IT'S, UH, CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY OF THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND, UH, WE STAY, WE STAY COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET.
UM, AND SO I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, FRANKLY, WITH THE COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE GOING OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UM, I KNOW WE NEED TO BE DOING MARKET ADJUSTMENTS MORE OFTEN.
I THINK, UM, YOU HAVE A CERTAIN, UH, VIEWPOINT AS IT RELATES TO REMAINING COMPETITIVE.
AND I, I SEE THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE VALUE OF COUNCIL AND OF, UM, THE CITY FOR A WHILE.
I'M INTERESTED NOT ONLY IN BEING COMPETITIVE, BECAUSE IF EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING LESS THAN WHAT'S NEEDED, THEN I WANT US TO BE DOING WHAT'S NEEDED.
I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT WHAT MAKES US COMPETITIVE WITH THEM.
YEAH, THAT'S EXCELLENT POINT, BECAUSE AS A MAJOR EMPLOYER, WE, WE DRIVE A PART OF THE MARKET ALSO MM-HMM.
SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT, UH, WE COULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON OTHERS.
UM, I'LL NOW MOVE ON TO METRO HEALTH.
SO I HAVE 45 QUESTIONS AND I DID NOT SEND THEM TO YOU IN ADVANCE, UH,
AND IT'S MOSTLY GONNA BE COMMENTS, BUT, UM, AS IT RELATES TO VIOLENCE PREVENTION, I'LL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR DEPARTMENT OVERSEES A LOT.
AND IF WE WERE TO THINK ABOUT ALL OF COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES, WHETHER IT'S HOUSING, ADDRESSING POVERTY, FOOD ACCESS, HEALTHCARE, CRIME PREVENTION, EDUCATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, CLIMATE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE CONSIDERED HEALTH ISSUES AND ARE OH, THAT'S SO ROUGH.
I KNOW, THAT MAKES ME SAD WHEN I HEAR THAT SOUND.
UM, I SAY THAT TO SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH METRO HEALTH WILL HAVE INITIATIVES THAT ARE THAT AIM TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THESE ISSUES, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY METRO HEALTH'S PLACE TO
[01:10:01]
BE, UM, THE LEADER ON, SAY, CRIME PREVENTION, FOR EXAMPLE, VIOLENCE PREVENTION.UM, BUT I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE INCREASING FUNDING FOR THE METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT BECAUSE AS I JUST SAID, YOU DO SO MUCH CRITICAL AND INTENSIVE WORK IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, YESTERDAY WE HAD A ZUMA CLASS AT LYONS FIELD, AND, UH, JULIUS HUNTER WAS THERE AND HE WAS TELLING US ABOUT THE DIABETES HEALTH FAIR THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON NOVEMBER 5TH.
UM, BUT I APPRECIATE THIS, THAT TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVITY.
UM, SO IN LIGHT OF THE CONVERSATION YESTERDAY THAT WE HAD ABOUT VIOLENCE PREVENTION, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT WHERE WE MOVE IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING A MORE COMMUNITY LEVEL APPROACH TO STOP THE SPREAD OF VIOLENCE AND NEW IN INSTANCES OF CRIME.
AND SO YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP STANDUP ESSAY, WHICH I'M A BIG FAN OF.
I'M WONDERING HOW WE CAN, UM, HOW WE CAN ENGAGE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN, AND I'LL USE DISTRICT TWO AS AN EXAMPLE 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALMOST REPLICATE THE, OR ATTEMPT TO REPLICATE THE WORK THAT STANDUP SA IS DOING.
AND SO HOW CAN WE ENGAGE THEM AND HOW CAN WE, UM, SOME OF THEM, THE CITY DOES PROVIDE SOME FUNDING TO, SO HOW CAN WE CONNECT THEM WITH THE EFFORTS THAT, THAT ARE EXISTING AND ONGOING WITH PROGRAMS THAT ARE WORKING REALLY WELL, LIKE STANDUP AS SAY, UM, I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR AN OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION OR MAYBE A COORDINATOR OF SORTS.
UH, JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
THE NEXT BIT IS CLIMATE IS CLIMATE.
UM, I MET WITH FOLKS WORKING ON CLIMATE JUSTICE ISSUES AND THE DIALOGUE UNDERGIRDED MY CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE CLIMATE CRISIS, AND I WANNA CALL ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT BEXAR COUNTY WAS MOVED FROM MARGIN MARGINAL NON-ATTAINMENT TO MODERATE NON-ATTAINMENT.
AND I'M, AND WE'RE ALL DEEPLY AWARE NOW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM THAT'S TAKEN PLACE IN OUR CITY, AND PARTICULARLY IN MY DISTRICT.
SO LIKE I PROPOSED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO REEXAMINE OUR EQUITY STANDARDS OF RESPONSE TO REFLECT THIS HISTORIC DISINVESTMENT.
UM, 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'VE MADE TANGIBLE STRIDES AS IT RELATES TO THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR DISTRICT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH ESPECIALLY, IS SEEN IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, REFLECT THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO TO ENSURE MY DISTRICT CAN BE HEALTHY AND THRIVE.
SO I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT.
I WONDER IF WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE NOT RECOGNIZED THAT WE'RE IN A CLIMATE CRISIS.
I THINK THE TIME TO DO THAT WOULD BE NOW.
AND SO I'M WONDERING, IN YOUR WORK WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DO YOU SEE AN INCREASE IN NEED FOR ACTION TO ADDRESS HEALTH RELATED ISSUES SUCH AS HEAT STROKE AND ASTHMA AS A RESULT OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS? AND MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN SOME, YOU HAVE SOME DATA FROM THESE PAST FEW MONTHS AS WE SAW RECORD HEAT.
AGAIN, PAYING ATTENTION TO THE CONDITIONS THAT IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF RESIDENTS, UM, I DID WANNA INVITE, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MARIO MARTINEZ TO AT LEAST TALK ABOUT THE CONSTELLATION OF WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN ENVIRONMENT IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION.
JUST KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE INITIATIVES THAT ANCHOR TO THIS WORK, BUT I WANTED TO HAVE MARIO JUST COMMENT IN SHORT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW TO AT LEAST EDUCATE, OH, SORRY.
CAN YOU DO THAT IN TWO MINUTES AND 47 SECONDS? BUT MY BIG QUESTION IS WE WAIT TILL THE, WE WANT US TO WAIT TILL THE END, RIGHT? YES.
WELL, MY, WELL MY BIG QUESTION IS, UM, DO YOU, HAVE YOU SEEN INCREASED NEED FOR ACTION RELATED TO HEAT RELATED ISSUES? UM, IT'S BEEN AN UNUSUAL SUMMER.
UM, I, THIS WAS MY FIRST FULL, FULL SUMMER, I BELIEVE WE'RE AT 59 DAYS.
I MEAN, THIS WHOLE A HUNDRED DEGREE THING IS NO JOKE, UM, HAILING FROM THE NORTHEAST.
THAT BEING SAID, YET WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION IN COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS ON THE GROUND.
WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
SO SPECIFIC CALL FOR ACTION, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE COULD COME BACK TO YOU IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS THE IMPACT.
UH, BUT WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, ALIGN OUR EFFORTS AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE IMPACT ON THE GROUND.
OUR DIRECTORS ARE VERY VERBOSE.
THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN ABOUT THAT.
UM, AS WHAT LONG COVID, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I BROUGHT UP IN SHEK A NUMBER OF TIMES.
AND, UM, IT'S ALREADY DISRUPTED THOUSANDS OF LIVES AND MORE PEOPLE ARE NOW CONSIDERED DISABLED AND HAVE FACED LOSS OF WORK, UM, THEREFORE LOSS OF HEALTHCARE AND GENERAL LOSS OF A QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND SO I, I THINK WE AS A COUNCIL NEED TO SET FORWARD A PLAN TO ASSIST THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SO I'M WONDERING, HAVE YOU BECOME MORE AWARE OF THE INCREASE OF LONG COVID DISABILITIES AND LACK IN HEALTHCARE AS A PART OF YOUR CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT WORK? AND IS THERE A PROGRAM OR ASSISTANCE METHOD IN THE WORKS TO ADDRESS LONG COVID? SHORT ANSWER, WE'RE WORKING WITH CLINICAL PARTNERS, ACADEMIC PARTNERS, LOOKING AT THE IMPACT OF LONG COVID.
THERE ARE ONGOING STUDIES NATIONALLY.
SO YES, WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION AND IT'S ANCHORED TO OUR WORK.
I'M GOING TO, I'LL PROBABLY CHIME BACK IN.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE ENOUGH TIME, BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER ANYTHING ELSE OR ADDRESS ANYTHING ELSE I'VE SAID THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
[01:15:03]
THANK YOU, MAYOR RENEE, WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR PRESENTATION, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A STANDING APPLAUSE, BUT NO ONE ELSE CLAP.SO I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I'LL, YOU CAN NOW.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITY STAFF, ERIC, MARINA, MARIA, MARIA, AND RENEE, UM, TO, TO FLEX THEIR MUSCLE.
AND I THINK WITH THIS EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, UH, PACKAGE AND BENEFITS, WE DEFINITELY SEE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AT ITS LIKE TOP PHYSIQUE TO WIN A COMPETITION.
SO I'M REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THE WORK THAT, UH, CITY STAFF AND ERIC HAVE PUT IN TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR CITY EMPLOYEES.
UH, NO DOUBT WE KNOW THAT OUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYEES HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND IN THE MIDST OF THIS PANDEMIC.
AND, UM, HAVING, I BELIEVE THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF SOLID WASTE EMPLOYEES WITHIN MY DISTRICT, UM, ENSURING THAT OUR EMPLOYEES RECEIVE THAT RAISE HAS BEEN A TOP PRIORITY.
AND IT'S WHY WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH AFSCME TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING THEIR FAIR SHARE AND PLEASED TO SEE THAT, UH, ERIC'S LISTENED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THIS, UM, THIS, UH, HUGE INCREASE IN EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
UM, BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE 9.7 VACANCIES, UH, HOW MANY POSITIONS IS THAT IN TOTAL? AND DO WE KNOW THE BREAKDOWN BY DEPARTMENT? AND WE COULD GET THAT OFFLINE, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS HOW MANY, UM, TOTAL EMPLOYEES AND THEN BY DEPARTMENT SURE.
WE HAVE, UM, AS FOLKS HAVE TOUCHED ON THE HOMELESS OUTREACH COORDINATORS RECEIVING THE INCREASE.
IS IT THE 7% OR IS THAT, DOES THAT DEPEND ON HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN WITH THE, THE, THE CITY? ALL OF THEM ARE GETTING AT LEAST A 7%.
UM, WHERE YOU FALL WITHIN THE SEVEN TO 15% DEPENDS ON YOUR LONGEVITY AND WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO THE MINIMUM.
AND, UM, THIS QUESTION RELATES TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES.
UM, THE METRO HEALTH PRESENTATION, UH, LEARNING THAT MORE THAN HALF OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMPLOYEES REPORT AT LEAST ONE SYMPTOM SYMPTOM OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.
UM, WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT, AND I KNOW SOMEONE ASKED THIS EARLIER, BUT CAN YOU REMIND ME THE TYPE OF SUPPORT THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT WITH OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH COORDINATORS, RIGHT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ONLY AN ISSUE OF PAY, RIGHT? IT'S OF THE ISSUE OF CONNECTING, UH, COMMUNITY TO THOSE RESOURCES THAT DON'T EXIST.
OR THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF MM-HMM.
UM, BUT WITH THAT ONE PIECE FOR THE, THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPACT THAT WE'RE SEEING ON OUR EMPLOYEES, WHAT RESOURCES, UM, ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR CITY EMPLOYEES RELATING TO, UM, MENTAL HEALTH? SURE.
YOU KNOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN DO FOR OUR EMPLOYEES IS, IS BE PRESENT WHERE THEY ARE AND LISTEN TO THEM.
YOU KNOW, I THINK CLAUDE, UM, DIDN'T BRAG ENOUGH ON HIMSELF THAT HE'S OUT IN THE FIELD WHERE PEOPLE ARE.
AND, AND WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT, YOU HAVE AN ABILITY TO RESPOND, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH THE E A P OR, UM, CONNECTING 'EM WITH RESOURCES WITHIN S A P D OR RESOURCES WITHIN HR.
UM, AND SO THAT'S OUR GOAL IS IT'S DIFFERENT.
THE, THE WAY WHAT WE CONNECT THEM TO IS DIFFERENT BASED ON THEIR NEED.
RENEE, TALK ABOUT WHAT THE E A P IS, RIGHT? YEAH.
THE E A P IS OUR EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WHERE EVERY EMPLOYEE GETS THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF FREE, UH, COUNSELING SESSIONS, FINANCIAL WELLNESS SESSIONS, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
JERRY, I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THAT.
UM, AND I KNOW ONE THING THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, AND I'M SURE OUR, UH, A C S APPOINTEES REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS SEEING THAT WE'RE ALSO INCREASING FROM TWO TO POTENTIALLY 7% ADJUSTMENT FOR VET TECHS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT IMPACT OUT IN COMMUNITY BY RETAINING THAT TALENT AND BEING COMPETITIVE WITH THOSE WAGES.
SO THAT'S ONE THAT I KNOW DISTRICT FIVE'S REALLY EXCITED TO SEE, UM, RECEIVE AN INCREASE, UH, ON ANOTHER NOTE, RIGHT? I AGAIN, WANNA THANK THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR INCREASING THOSE LIFEGUARD BONUSES.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, THAT I RECEIVED RE REGARDING THE PARKS HAS BEEN WHY ARE POSTS CLOSED? AND I ALWAYS MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE INCREASED THE WAGES, UM, THERE WAS EVEN A BONUS OFFERED.
SO PLEASED TO SEE THE EFFORTS THAT Y'ALL HAVE TAKEN AS WELL AS THE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS AND MAKING THOSE ONSITE OFFERS.
RIGHT? I KNOW FAMILIES ARE HURTING NOW, LOOKING FOR WORK NOW, AND HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH A AND BEING GIVEN, UM, OFFERED AN OPPORTUNITY ON THE SPOT HAS, I'M SURE BEEN VERY IMPACTFUL.
UM, ON ANOTHER NOTE, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, MOST DOWNTOWN CITY EMPLOYEES WILL NOW BE GIVEN A PASS TO PARK WHEREVER, UM, WITH A CITY PARKING SPOT.
UM, BUT MY ASK IS, IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE, UH, VIA B CYCLE, UM, FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO WANT TO BIKE TO WORK? UH, AND I ASK BECAUSE THAT COULD ALSO IMPACT THAT HEALTHCARE, RIGHT? AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT? AND IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO? SO I THINK SOME OF THOSE, UH, UH, OTHER INCENTIVES ARE BEING EXPLORED RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL BE ROLLED OUT IN THE FUTURE.
THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
[01:20:01]
TO METRO HEALTH, UH, CLAUDE, CAN YOU, UH, WALK ME A LITTLE THROUGH WHAT A COMMUNITY CLUB MODEL IS AND CAN WE GET A BREAKDOWN OF THE TYPES OF MEDICAL CLUBS THAT ARE, THAT CURRENTLY EXIST? UH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.WOO TO ELABORATE ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
THE, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CLUB MODEL IS MOSTLY USED OVERSEAS.
UM, BUT JASON ROSENFELD AT UT HEALTH HAS BEEN PIONEERING IT IN VARIOUS PLACES IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND IT IS, UM, TEACHING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO, TO, UM, ABOUT A HEALTH PROBLEM SO THAT THEY CAN TEACH OTHER MEMBERS OF THEIR HOUSEHOLDS AND PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT HOW TO ADDRESS A VARIETY OF HEALTH PROBLEMS. SO THEY, THEY, I THINK THE FIRST ONE THEY DID IN SAN ANTONIO WAS, UH, PRE PANDEMIC ABOUT ZIKA.
AND I ASKED BECAUSE THE ESSAY FORWARD PLAN, UM, MENTIONS THAT THREE OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WILL PROVIDE LINKAGES TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE RELEASED FROM BEXAR COUNTY JAIL.
AND, UH, YESTERDAY WE HAD A CONVERSATION WHERE I MENTIONED, UH, SOME OF MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE, UH, CONCERNS AND FOLKS BEING RELEASED FROM THE JAIL, NOT BEING, UH, NOT KNOWING WHERE TO CATCH THE BUS OR WHICH DIRECTION TO WALK TO GO TO THE PROPERTY ROOM.
IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR OFFICE TO WORK WITH, UM, WITH THOSE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, UH, TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHERE WE ARE SEEING FOLKS WHO ARE BEING RELEASED FROM JAIL THAT ARE IN NEED OF RESOURCES, BUT ALSO TO LET A COMMUNITY KNOW THAT THERE ARE RESOURCES AVAILABLE? UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO? YEAH.
SO THAT, THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CLUBS.
IT'S A SEPARATE PROJECT THAT IS ONCE IT IS OFF THE GROUND TO WHERE WE CAN SOLIDLY, UM, GIVE GOOD REFERRALS, WE'RE ALSO VETTING THE REFERRALS THAT WE'LL BE REFERRAL PLACES THAT WE'LL BE USING.
BUT ONCE THAT IS OFF THE GROUND, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, SO A, A QUESTION THAT I HAVE AND SOMEWHAT OF A CONCERN WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET.
UM, I, I KNOW WITH THE INCREASE IN GRANTS, AND I'M PLEASED TO SEE THAT WE'RE, WE ARE MAKING, UM, HUGE INVESTMENT IN METRO HEALTH, RIGHT? UM, BUT THE LARGE AMOUNT OF GRANTS, WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE FEDERAL GRANTS FROM, FROM ARPA, FOR EXAMPLE? SO MY, MY GUESS MY CONCERN IS THAT NEXT YEAR WE WON'T HAVE THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND ARE WE ALREADY IDENTIFYING, UM, PLACES TO FILL THAT GAP? SO THANK YOU FOR THE QUE.
SO OUR TWO THIRDS OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET IS, UH, SUPPORTED BY GRANTS.
SO I BELIEVE FOR THIS YEAR, TIED TO ARPA, WHAT WE SHOW, UH, GIMME JUST ONE SECOND.
IT'S OPERATING BUDGET, IT'S, UH, C OVID 19 GRANTS.
SO 30 MILLION FOR OUR OPERATING GRANTS.
UM, IT'S $28 MILLION FOR ARPA AND 13.8 MILLION IN TERMS OF COVID.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE ESSAY STANDUP PROGRAM AS WELL.
THERE'S A PICTURE OF, UM, MR.
AND WHEN WE CHECK IN WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS, OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAM, WHAT THEY'VE ASKED FOR MORE OF AND WHAT THEY'RE SEEING THAT'S HAVING A HUGE IMPACT IS THE, THE OUTREACH WORKERS WITH SA STANDUP.
SO MY CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAM HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ASK FOR MORE.
HOW CAN WE GET MORE OF THESE OUTREACH WORKERS IN OUR DISTRICT? AND I KNOW WE ALREADY HAVE, I BELIEVE, THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF THOSE OUTREACH WORKERS.
UM, SO I, I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD AND PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THERE'S A INTEREST IN SUPPORTING, UH, SA STANDUP EXPAND.
UM, YEAH, HE'S IN THE RIGHT CIRCLE IN THE BLUE SHIRT, AND THEY DO AWESOME WORK, COME OUT TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS.
AND AGAIN, RIGHT, THIS IS, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS AND THE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST.
UM, HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE? ONE MINUTE, 30 SECONDS.
UH, BRIEFLY, UH, I WANTED TO CHIME IN ABOUT THE SA CORE TEAM.
AND AS WE KNOW, SIMILAR TO SA STANDUP, RIGHT, THESE MODELS ARE IMPACTFUL.
UM, WE KNOW THAT LESS THAN 2% OF CORE INTERACTIONS HAVE RESULTED IN ARREST WHILE, UM, MOST WERE RESOLVED.
AND THEN THEY LED TO THE PERSON IN CRISIS FINDING A BED IN BEHAVIORAL, UH, IN A HOSPITAL, RATHER.
SO WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE, ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNITY, AND OF COURSE, RIGHT, AS AN ORGANIZATION, MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN MAKE A STRONG EFFORT TO ACCELERATE INVESTMENT AND SUPPORT FOR THESE INITIATIVES THAT YOU ARE, UM, IMPLEMENTING AND SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTING.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
I'LL CHIME IN 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA
UH, RENEE JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE THE BOOK TURNED TO THAT PAGE, SO
GOT A FEW QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, ON SLIDE NUMBER THREE, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS A COMPARISON CHART.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE 23 POSITIONS LISTED HERE, BUT WHAT, WHAT HAS BEEN OUR GROWTH OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS? HOW
[01:25:01]
MANY, HOW MANY HA POSITIONS HAVE WE ADDED AND ARE WE ASKING FOR IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE HAD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES? AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WHERE, WHERE ARE OUR VACANCIES AT IN EACH ONE OF THESE, IN EACH ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES ALSO.OKAY, SO WHAT'S THE GROWTH BEEN AND WHERE ARE OUR CURRENT CURRENT VACANCIES ON THAT? SO IF YOU COULD GET THAT TO ME SURE.
UNLESS YOU CAN TALK TO IT NOW, NOT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
YEAH, WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT.
UM, ON, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, ON SLIDE FOUR, UH, YOU TALK ABOUT THE VACANCY RATE, 57% DECLINE IN, UH, AVERAGE NUMBER OF APPLICA, UH, APPLICATIONS.
UH, WHAT IS IT FOR INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW? WHAT'S, WHAT DO THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE FOR THE REST OF SAN ANTONIO? IS IT ABOVE WHAT SAN ANTONIO IS EXPERIENCING OR BELOW OUR VACANCY RATE IS HIGHER.
I DON'T KNOW IF, REMEMBER WHAT, I'LL HAVE TO GET YOU THAT NUMBER BASED ON THE ECONOMIC INDICATORS, WHAT IT WAS FOR SAN ANTONIO.
YEAH, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT.
ARE WE AHEAD OF INDUSTRY OR BEHIND, OR WHERE ARE WE AT? BECAUSE THAT, THAT IS DRIVING, UH, THESE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND ON PAGE NUMBER 11, UM, AGAIN, YOU HAVE THESE LISTED OUT IN THESE DIFFERENT SECTIONS, BUT TELL ME WHERE, WHERE, WHERE ARE THE MAIN MAJOR VACANCIES OR WHERE ARE THE VACANCIES IN EACH ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES? SURE.
YOU KNOW, TO SHOW WHY WE'RE DOING THE SEVEN TO 15, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 2%, WHAT WHAT ARE WE TARGETING AND, AND, AND WHY.
UM, ON SLIDE 14, YOU, IT IS JUST A, UM, THAT'S FOR THE EMPLOYEE PREMIUMS, BUT OUT OF ALL OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS AND, AND WAGE INCREASES ACROSS WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING HERE FOR THE BUDGET, WHAT'S THE TOTAL IMPACT TO OUR BUDGET FOR 23? TOTAL IMPACT FOR THE WAGE INCREASES AND EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER MM-HMM.
AND THIS 54 MILLION, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S CARRYING FORWARD LIKE FOREVER.
UNLESS WE COME UP WITH ANOTHER INCREASE OR SOMETHING IN THE, IN THE FUTURE, THOSE ARE RECURRENT EXPENSES GOING FORWARD.
AND THE 53 MILLION IS ALL FUNDS, NOT JUST THE GENERAL FUND.
THE, THE 53 MILLION IS ALL OF OUR FUNDS, NOT JUST THE GENERAL FUND.
SO IT'S PART OF THAT IS SOLID WASTE.
PART OF THAT IS AIRPORT, PART OF THAT IS GENERAL FUND.
BUT IT'S A TOTAL OF 54 MILLION.
AND, AND IF YOU COULD GIVE ME THAT BREAKOUT, WHAT IS IT TO THE GENERAL FUND? IT'S 24 MILLION IN COMPENSATION FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN THE OTHER HALF IS COMING OUT OF ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND THAT KIND OF THING? YEAH.
UH, IF YOU COULD JUST GET ME THAT OTHER DATA, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND UH, I THINK YOU GOT ALMOST ALL THE WHOLE STAFF HERE TODAY, RIGHT? YEAH.
GREAT TO SEE ALL THOSE FACES OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE GETTING ADDITIONAL GRANTS, UH, FOR 23.
UH, WE'RE INCREASING THE GENERAL FUND, AND I WANT TO GO BACK TO PAGE 63 IN THE BIG THICK BOOK WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT ESSAY FORWARD.
AND IN THAT IT SAID THAT THE ESSAY FORWARD PLAN WAS TO BE FUNDED MAINLY THROUGH GRANTS AND THE HEALTH IMPLE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS, 22 AND 23, WITH THE GENERAL FUND FULLY FUNDING THE PLAN BY THE FIFTH YEAR, UH, HOWEVER, THE 23 PROPOSED BUDGET BEGINS TO TRANSITION FUNDING, ADDING 3.8 MILLION TO THE GENERAL FUND.
I, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN LIKE IN 25 AND 26.
WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE ACCELERATING AND BRINGING IT INTO THE 23 BUDGET ALREADY? SURE.
UH, COUNCILMAN, AS PART OF OUR TWO PHASE APPROACH FOR THE USE OF ARPA DOLLARS, WE ALLOCATED, OF THE 360 MILLION THAT WE GOT, WE ROUGHLY ALLOCATED 97 AND A HALF MILLION
[01:30:01]
IN THE 2022 BUDGET.A PORTION OF THAT THAT WENT TO THE GENERAL FUND WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SA FORWARD PLAN.
AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY WE'RE ABLE TO PICK UP THE $3.8 MILLION IN 2023, WHICH TO YOUR POINT, IS SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE THAN WHAT WE HAD PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL LAST YEAR.
ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IS, UM, BASED ON OUR ABILITY TO AFFORD THIS PROGRAMS, THAT'S HOW WE ARE GONNA TRANSITION THEM INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND I, I, I GUESS THAT'S WHERE I HAVE A CONCERN.
WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE ACCELERATING THAT AND ALREADY TAKING THAT OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND FOR 23? WHY, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT IN 25 AND 26, LIKE THE SA FORWARD PLAN CALLED FOR? SO COUNCILMAN, WE'RE WE ARE UTILIZING THOSE ARPA DOLLARS THAT WERE REVENUE RECOVERY IN THE GENERAL FUND TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND, AND THE, THE, THE ADOPTION OF THE PLAN LAST YEAR, AND THIS WAS A QUESTION THAT I THINK COUNCILMAN COURAGE ASKED ME THREE TIMES AT THE, UM, AT THE, UH, GOAL SETTINGS.
SO I WON'T, I DON'T FORGET IT, BUT THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD REVIEW THIS ANNUALLY AND ONLY DO IT IF WE CAN AFFORD IT.
UM, AND SO THIS, THIS PLAN EBBS AND FLOWS BASED ON OUR FINANCIAL CAPACITY SO THAT WE'RE NOT SETTING THAT, THAT MARKER.
UM, AND JUST WALKING INTO IT AND CREATING MANDATES FOR OURSELVES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DETERMINE ANNUALLY WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND SA FORD NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE PROPOSING WE CAN, BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE SOME OF THAT ARPA MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, WELL THIS STILL CONCERNS ME.
WE BROUGHT IN, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE WE BROUGHT ON? ARE THESE PERMANENT EMPLOYEES OVER A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.
UM, IN, IN THIS, THIS AREA, ARE, ARE THOSE FLEXIBLE IN THOSE EMPLOYEES SAYING, UH, IF WE CAN'T AFFORD IT THIS YEAR, WE GOTTA DROP IT DOWN, 50 EMPLOYEES OR WHATEVER, ARE WE GONNA BE KEEPING THESE EMPLOYEES ON? 'CAUSE THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF THE COST IN THIS PROGRAM.
I MEAN, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, IF THEY'RE GRANT FUNDED EMPLOYEES, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE OF EMPLOYMENT BEYOND THE END OF THE GRANT.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE TO MANAGE THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AS WELL.
AND, UM, I GUESS WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IN 25 AND 26, THE GRANTS ARE GONNA BE GOING AWAY OR THE, THE ARPA FUNDS AND ALL THAT STUFF IS GOING AWAY.
AND, UH, CLAUDE MENTIONED IN HIS PRESENTATION, UM, THE, UH, C D C GRANT THAT THEY SUBMITTED TO, UM, HERE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WILL BE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE IF AWARDED TO AVOID THAT EXPENSE AND CREATE KIND OF A LONGER ON-RAMP POTENTIALLY FOR US TO CONSIDER ON ANY LOCAL SPENDING.
UH, WE, WE WON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT GRANT UNTIL BY, WE'LL KNOW BY OCTOBER.
WELL, YOU SEE WHERE I'M LEADING UP TO IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE PICKING UP MORE AND MORE OF THIS COST TO THE GENERAL FUND IN THE OUT YEARS.
AND WHERE'S THAT MONEY GONNA COME FROM? WHAT ARE WE GONNA CUT TO COVER THIS AREA? OR ARE WE JUST GONNA SET THIS WHOLE PROGRAM TO THE SIDE? SO WE'RE GONNA EVALUATE IT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, AND IF WE CAN'T AFFORD IT IN A CERTAIN YEAR, THEN WE WILL DELAY IT.
UM, IF WE CAN'T AFFORD IT, UM, THE, THE COUNCIL, UH, THE COUNCIL DID NOT RUBBER STAMP AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
IT WAS, UM, BASED ON THE, THE WORK SESSION LAST YEAR, WE WOULD, WE WOULD ANNUALLY REVIEW IT AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
UM, AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT THE COMMITMENT IS.
WELL, UM, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THAT.
AND, AND AS YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M ALWAYS ABOUT PROTECTING THE GENERAL FUND, UM, FROM LOCKING OURSELVES INTO A, AN EXPENSE THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD IN THE FUTURE.
AND, UH, TAKING AWAY, UH, FUNDS FROM OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PARKS, LIBRARIES, AND ALL THAT KIND OF THING TO FUND, FUND THESE ADDITIONAL AREAS, UH, THAT HAS GROWN OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AND LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT.
UH, NUM, UH, SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN, YOUR DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE IN BAYER COUNTY.
WHAT, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THIS CHART AND IT SAYS, BAY AREA REGIONAL HEALTH INEQUITIES INITIATIVE.
DID THIS, WHAT DID THIS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YEAH, SO JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A FRAMEWORK, UM, ANCHORED TO OUR PARTNERS AT THE BAY AREA REGIONAL HEALTH INEQUITIES INITIATIVE.
SO THIS IS NOT ONLY A COMPOSITE FOR US, IT'S A FRAMEWORK THAT WE USE.
IT'S A POPULAR FRAMEWORK THAT ILLUSTRATES UPSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM.
SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE SCHEMATIC AND
[01:35:01]
NOT ABOUT WHO, WHO, WHOSE FRAMEWORK IS IT.ALRIGHT, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL CHIME BACK IN.
COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, SINCE YOU'RE THERE, YOU'RE A GOOD, FAIR ENOUGH.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WERE TALKING YESTERDAY, UH, ABOUT, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF PUBLIC SAFETY WITH, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT O OVER THEIR GOOD SAM APP AND HOW IT WAS HELPING THEM IDENTIFY, UH, SITUATIONS THAT THEY COULD RESOLVE OR MAKE REFERRALS TO OVER THE PHONE WITHOUT HAVING TO SHOW UP AND RESPOND.
UH, IS, IS THERE A SYSTEM LIKE THAT OR COULD THERE BE A SYSTEM LIKE THAT? UH, DO WE HAVE SOME KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINE THAT IS, IS HANDLING THOSE KINDS OF SITUATIONS FOR THE CITY SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HELP PEOPLE RESPOND TO WHAT COULD BE A SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT COULD USE OTHER DIRECTION TO HELP THEM ALONG? I HEARD TWO PARTS OF YOUR QUESTION ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND ABOUT HOTLINE.
AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE BOTH? DO WE HAVE EITHER HOW DO THEY WORK SEPARATELY OR TOGETHER? COUNCILMAN, YOU'LL SEE THAT WHEN WE PRESENT OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR MENTAL HEALTH USING ARPA DOLLARS, ONE OF OUR GOALS IS TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, BEAR COUNTY CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
'CAUSE THERE'S NOT ONE HEADLINE THAT PEOPLE CAN CALL TODAY.
AND EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY FOR US TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS.
AND COULD THAT BE AN APP ON A PHONE THAT PEOPLE COULD USE TO TIE INTO THAT KIND OF ADVICE AND SERVICE? IT COULD BE.
UH, WOULD THAT INCLUDE, LIKE IF PEOPLE HAD, UH, WELL, PREGNANCY OR CRISIS COUNSELING OR THINGS LIKE THAT? WE WERE FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON PRE-CRISIS FROM MENTAL HEALTH.
COUNCILMAN, WE HADN'T TALKED ABOUT THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS WE HEAR ABOUT CLAUDE IS MENTAL HEALTH IN THE JAIL.
AND THEY SAY THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN BEXAR COUNTY JAIL ARE THERE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. AND I WOULD VENTURE TO GUESS THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE JAIL ARE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PLAN WITHIN OUR STRUCTURE TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO SUPPORT PEOPLE IN THE JAIL? SO, IN SHORT, YOU SAW IN MY PRESENTATION ABOUT THE ACCESS TO CARE PROGRAM AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, AGAIN, THE LIAISON FUNCTION, BUT TO BE CLEAR, THE JURY, THE JAIL IS NOT PART OF OUR JURISDICTION.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONNECT FOLKS TO THE RESOURCES.
UM, SO JUST KNOW THAT THAT IS A PLAN FOR, UH, THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR IN TERMS OF THE ROLLOUT OF SA FORD.
WU TO AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONNECTIONS WE HAVE.
WU'S COMING THE, THE, UH, UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SYSTEM AND CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AT THE JAIL.
THEY, THEY HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS THERE.
U H S HAS LOTS OF PROGRAMS THERE.
UH, I WAS JUST WONDERING, UH, SINCE WE'RE HANDLING, UH, SITUATIONS, WE HOPE THAT'LL KEEP PEOPLE FROM NOT GOING INTO THE JAIL SYSTEM.
UH, I GUESS I, I'D HAVE TO FIND OUT FROM THE COUNTY HOW EXTENSIVE THEIR SERVICES ARE, BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO SEE IF WE TIE ANY, ANY OF THOSE.
LET ME GO AHEAD AND TALK TO RENEE, ASK HER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UH, I KNOW WE ALL APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS DONE LOOKING AT THE, THE PAY, THE COMPENSATION THAT WE RECEIVE HERE AND THAT ALL OF OUR, OUR PARTNERS DO.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE GONE UP IN THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
UM, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE IN THE CITY, WHAT, UH, WITH THESE FINANCIAL ADJUSTMENTS BEING CONSIDERED, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR A COSA EMPLOYEE? THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR A COSA EMPLOYEE IS ABOUT $54,000 FOR, FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.
UM, NOW WE'VE INTRODUCED A NEW STEP SALARY, RIGHT.
UH, NEW STEP SCALE, NEW ENTRY WAGE.
UH, DO YOU HAVE A SLIDE THAT CAN SHOW US WHAT THAT IS? COUNCILMAN, ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT THE ENTRY WAGE? WELL, WE HAVE A STEP PLAN TO PAYS PEOPLE.
WE HAVE A STEP PAY PLAN THAT PAYS PEOPLE, AND WE DID NOT INTRODUCE A REVISED STEP PAY PLAN THIS YEAR.
[01:40:01]
GROWTH IN MARKET, WE NEEDED TO SET SALARY RANGES RELEVANT TO MARKET BEFORE WE GO BACK AND EXPLORE ES ESTABLISHING THOSE STEPS.'CAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BEING WORKED ON, BUT WE'VE SET THAT ASIDE AND YEAH.
GIVEN THE GROWTH IN MARKET, WE NEEDED TO SET THAT ASIDE AND FOCUS FIRST ON MAKING SURE WE HAD MARKET COMPETITIVE PAY RANGES.
UH, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE THEN.
UM, WITH HR OVER 13,300 EMPLOYEES FOR A CITY OF OVER 1.5 MILLION, WHICH I BELIEVE IS AN UNDER COUNT.
UM, AND IS, IS, IS IMPRESSIVE BECAUSE THAT'S, WHAT IF WE BROKE IT DOWN 113, UM, 113 RESIDENTS OR CITIZENS PER EMPLOYEE THAT THEY WOULD BE MANAGING OR NAVIGATING IF WE USE THOSE TERMS. AND EVEN IF WE ARE NOT THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN THE CITY, WE ARE ONE OF THE LEADING EMPLOYERS IN THE CITY.
AND I'M PLEASED RENEE, TO SEE THE CHANGES LIKE ENTRY WAGE, SALARY, UH, ENTRY WAGES, SALARY INCREASES.
AND LAST NIGHT AT THE BUDGET TOWN HALL, THE REPRESENTATION WAS PLENTY FROM A VARIETY OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT WAS THAT EFFORT THAT I THINK CAUSES SA UH, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO BE ON THE FORBES 100 LIST AS AN EMPLOYER.
AND WHY WE, WE RISE TO THE TOP.
HOWEVER, I DO THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT, AND, AND THEY'RE NOT BIG THINGS, BUT THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION OR PLACE, UH, POINTS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND ONE THING IS IF WE COULD GET A BETTER DEFINITION FOR QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE POLLED THE EMPLOYEES, BUT SOMETIMES I HEAR THEY, THEY SAY MAYBE IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE SOMEONE WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
IT COULD BE SOMEONE WITH AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE FOR THIS JOB.
UM, THE OTHER IS TIME TO HIRE AS A FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE, AS A DAUGHTER OF A FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE, RETIRED, UH, CITY EMPLOYEE.
I KNOW FOR ME, WHEN I GOT HIRED ON, AND GRANTED IT WAS WITH PD, SO IT TOOK A LITTLE EFFORT.
IT W IT TOOK THREE MONTHS FROM THE TIME THAT THEY, THEY ASKED ME TO THE TIME THEY HIRED ME ON.
AND THAT, THAT IS THE CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND WHY I SUPPORT THE LG C'S EFFORTS FOR A FULL-TIME, EMPLOY ANOTHER FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW MY TEAM, AND IT'S EASIER FOR ME TO HIRE, I THINK MY TEAM IS GOING TO BE DOING THE WORK OF OUR, OUR OUTREACH COORDINATOR OR HELPING IN THAT CAPACITY UNTIL THAT THAT POSITION IS FULL.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE EMPLOYEE, UM, VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE AND REALLY SEE IF WE DON'T HAVE A PERSON THERE WHO'S, WHO'S COVERING.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S NOT JUST OTHER CITY STAFF, IT IS THE L G C EMPLOYEES.
UM, THE OTHER IS THE DISCIPLINARY, UH, PROCESS.
I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE THAT REALLY, UM, GET HONED DOWN TO THE TO TO WHO THEY GO TO.
AND MAYBE, AND I KNOW THE POLICE DO THIS AS KIND OF LIKE THAT PEER TO PEER CONVERSATION.
IF WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, DO WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES? YEAH.
UH, OUR, OUR CLASSIFIED CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES HAVE APPEAL RIGHTS TO THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, BUT WE HAVE LAYER LAYERS OF REVIEW BUILT IN.
UM, BUT I'M, NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT LIKE A PEER-TO-PEER TALK.
SO LIKE, IS THERE LIKE A PEER GROUP TO HELP IF THEY'RE HAVING DIFFICULTIES BEFORE THEY TAKE IT TO HR BEFORE THEY, THEY TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE THEY CAN MAYBE TALK TO A PEER GROUP THAT'S KIND OF BEEN TRAINED BY YOU TO KIND OF SAY, HEY, THIS MIGHT BE THE NEXT STEP YOU WANNA TAKE AS, AS FAR AS DISCIPLINE? IS THAT WHAT YOU YEAH.
IN TERM IN TERMS OF DISCIPLINE, YEAH.
THAT EXISTS WITHIN SOME DEPARTMENTS, BUT IT'S REALLY THE ROLE THAT OUR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS STAFF, UM, UH, PHIL, THEY ARE OUT AND, UM, ASSIGNED TO THEIR CLIENT DEPARTMENTS AND THEY'RE THERE TO WALK.
OUR PHILOSOPHY IS YOU TAKE THE LOWEST LEVEL OF ACTION EFFECTIVE IN CORRECTING SOMEONE'S BEHAVIOR.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT HAPPEN BEFORE WE EVER MOVE TO THE POSITION OF DISCIPLINE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO.
I, AND, AND BECAUSE AS, AS WE HAVE PEOPLE COME OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC MM-HMM.
AND WHAT CONCERNED ME IS THE, UM, IS THE NUMBERS OF THE NUMBERS ARE LOW AND EVEN THE TARGET TO GET EMPLOYEES TO INTERACT WITH AN ONSITE HEALTH COACHES.
AND I KNOW HEALTH COACHES ISN'T MENTAL, BUT I FIRMLY BELIEVE IF THEY'RE WORKING OUT OR THEY'RE ACTIVE, THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THIS PENT UP FRUSTRATION.
SO I'D REALLY LIKE US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIT THAT TARGET OR EXCEED IT.
SO, SO LAST YEAR WE ONLY HAD ONE HEALTH COACH.
[01:45:01]
UH, THEY WERE HAVING A HARD TIME FILLING THEIR POSITIONS AS WELL.WE WERE UP TO THREE HEALTH COACHES NOW.
AND SO WE EXPECT TO SURPASS THAT TARGET, ESPECIALLY WITH THE, UH, OPENING OF THE NEW CITY GYM.
AND, UH, YES, I THINK THAT THAT'S GONNA BE KEY.
UM, BECAUSE, AND ERIC SAID EARLIER TODAY, UM, AT A, AT A LUNCHEON THAT THIS CITY JOB FOR, I KNOW FOR THE MANAGERS AND, AND THE, UM, OUR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP THAT THIS IS, THIS IS NOT A NINE TO FIVE JOB, BUT A LOT OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES DON'T TAKE IT AS A NINE TO FIVE JOB EITHER.
AND I KNOW MY DAD WAS A SUPERVISOR WITH TRAFFIC AND WE COULD BE OUT ON THE WEEKEND AND HE'D SEE A TRAFFIC LIGHT OUT AND HE WOULD CALL IT IN.
SO I THINK THAT, THAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THEY'RE ALL COMMITTED TO MAKING US LOOK GOOD.
AND SO ON SLIDE 12 WITH THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, I REALLY LIKE WHAT I SEE, BUT I WOULD BE TOTALLY IN SUPPORT IF YOU GUYS CAME WITH SOME MORE CREATIVE IDEAS IN TERMS OF, UM, FLEX WORKING WITH SCHEDULES AND MAYBE EXTENDING THOSE SCHEDULES TO AFTER HOURS, HOW WE DO THAT, UH, DOING MORE WITH FRONTLINE IN TERMS OF, UH, EDUCATION IF WE, IF WE HAD SOME MORE, UH, ONLINE DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS THAT ARE FACING THE PUBLIC, SOMETIMES A VERY ANGRY PUBLIC AND, AND YOU GUYS WERE AT MY TOWN HALL YESTERDAY AND Y'ALL KNOW HOW SOME OF THEM GOT SO
UM, I, I JUST THINK THAT, AND, AND THAT'S HOW SOME OF MY, SOME OF THE SOLID WASTE WORKERS, METRO HEALTH WORKERS EXPERIENCED THAT.
SO I THINK WORKING WITH SCHEDULES, KIND OF EXTRA SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS, UH, REALLY WORKING WITH THEM, UH, WHEN THEY COME IN ABOUT THE GROWTH FOR ADVANCEMENT AND LETTING THEM UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S, IT, IT WILL, IT MAY TAKE THEM PURSUING A DEGREE OR A HIGHER DEGREE.
AND THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, UM, JUST A CONCENTRATED EFFORT.
AND I KNOW IT'S MAYBE NOT THE THE HIPPEST THING TO DO, BUT IN TERMS OF CHILDCARE, WE REALLY NEED TO KIND OF ADDRESS THAT.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE LEAVE AND FAMILY AND WELLNESS LEAVE, BUT, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT CHILDCARE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY OF TIME.
HOW DO WE, WE IF, IF WE CAN HELP WITH THAT AND IF WE CAN LEAD IN THAT AS ONE OF THE LEADING EMPLOYERS.
AND THEN I'LL CALL CLAUDE BACK UP FOR CLAUDE UP FOR JUST A LITTLE WHILE, UM, UNTIL MY TIME RUNS OUT.
UM, SO CLAUDE, I'M GLAD TO SEE THE PARTICIPATION WITH UT HEALTH.
I CANNOT TALK ENOUGH ABOUT METRO, METRO HEALTH AND IF THESE GRANTS EVER WANTED WENT AWAY, I WOULD WANT THE MONEY TO COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE YOUR TEAM IS ONE OF THOSE TEAMS THAT IS CONSTANTLY OUT THERE WITH THAT DIRECT SERVICE WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR CLIENTS.
AND I THINK WE CANNOT LOSE THAT.
MY BACK TO SCHOOL, UM, METRO HEALTH WAS LIKE THE PRESENCE THERE.
I THINK YOU SENT EVERY GRANT FUNDED PROGRAM TO MY BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT FROM THE DENTAL PROGRAM TO WIC.
AND, BUT WHEN WE TALK, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO BRING UP THE MAP WHILE WE HAVE THE TIME OF THE, UM, THE HEALTHY CORNER STORES.
AND WE HAVE A FOOD DESERT AND, AND FOOD INSECURITY IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR.
I HAVE THREE GROCERY STORES, TWO WALMARTS, TWO TARGETS.
UH, AND THEY DON'T ALL SIT WITHIN MY DISTRICT, I DON'T THINK.
BUT YOU SEE THAT AND YOU SEE WHERE WE NEEDED TO PUT THE HEALTHY CORNER STORES.
AND I'M NOT THE ONLY DISTRICT.
AND I THINK WHEN WE TALK DIABETES, WHICH IS A REAL PROBLEM, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT FOOD INSECURITY.
'CAUSE I MAY HAVE, UM, ONLY THREE GROCERY STORES, BUT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU I HAVE AT LEAST 20 FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS, UH, THAT INCLUDE A FRIED CHICKEN OR A CHICKEN STRIP DISH.
AND THAT IS WHAT THEY'RE, THAT THAT IS THE, THAT IS WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE GOING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE EATING BECAUSE IT'S QUICK AND IT'S EASY AND IN SOME CASES IT'S CHEAP.
AND HOW DO WE, WE KIND OF CURB THAT CULTURE IN THE DISTRICT IF, IF THEY DON'T HAVE HEALTHY OPTIONS.
SO, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIABETES, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
WE TALK ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY TOGETHER AND I'M SO PLEASED WITH YOUR, UM, WITH YOUR PROGRAMS. OUR DISTRICT DID HOST A DIABETES WORKSHOP IN OUR FIELD OFFICE.
WE'RE ABOUT TO START OUR SECOND.
AND I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE ALL THOSE OUT THERE TO, UM, AND MY COUNCIL
[01:50:01]
MEMBERS TO TRY AND HOST ONE.IT'LL BE THREE PEOPLE OR FOUR PEOPLE.
AND THE NEXT TIME A FEW MORE PEOPLE WILL COME BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE A MINDSET ON HOW THEY, HOW THEY LOOK AT FOOD AND HOW THEY, HOW THEY KEEP THEMSELVES HEALTHY.
AND I WANNA SAY FOR MY GROUP, IT WAS A MAJORITY SENIORS.
THE OVER THE, THE A A R P TYPE OVER 55, UH, WERE THERE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHO NEEDS IT ALSO.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET YOU INTO THE SCHOOLS AND OTHER THINGS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I'LL, I'LL CHIME BACK IN 'CAUSE I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS JUST ABOUT A FEW OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT THANK YOU.
UM, LET ME START OFF BY SAYING I DID, UH, ASK FOR AN L G C MEETING SIX DAYS AGO AND I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK.
I, I SUBMITTED THAT IN WRITING.
I HOPE WE CAN GET THAT GOING SOON.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EXPECTATIONS FOR THAT.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO CITY COUNCIL STAFF, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL STAFF ARE EXTREMELY VALUABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE TROUBLESHOOTERS FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS, OF OUR CITY.
THEY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY DEPARTMENTS.
AND SOMETIMES, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT DOESN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO, DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
OR MAYBE THEY GO TO CITY STAFF AND FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY MIGHT FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY THINGS COMING AT US, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND THEN THEY, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO CITY COUNCIL STAFF AND THEY CAN HELP THE, THEM, THE, THESE RESIDENTS NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM.
THEY CAN HELP THEM, UM, SEE, SEE THEIR PROBLEM THROUGH, UH, TO SUCCESS.
AND I THINK OUR CITY COUNCIL STAFF NEEDS TO GROW WITH THAT.
SO I SUPPORT MOVING TO NINE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES FOR EACH CITY COUNCIL OFFICE.
UH, I AM A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT SOME BENEFITS THAT MIGHT BE LOST BY SOME OF THE LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEES.
UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW IF, IF YOU DO LOSE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UM, UH, PARKING BENEFITS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, CELL PHONE COMPENSATION, AND THEN, BUT YOU DO GET THAT 7% INCREASE, THAT MAY NOT WORK OUT TOO MUCH OF AN INCREASE.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMP, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THOSE THAT ARE ON THE LOWER END OF THE SPECTRUM.
UM, CLAUDE CAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE OR NOT.
I SAW THAT YOU PUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ON YOUR, ON YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
I DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO A DEEP DIVE ON THAT AND ABLE TO MAYBE GIVE US ANY TIMELINE OF WHERE THAT STARTED AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, SO WHAT YOU SAW IN MY PRESENTATION IS JUST A PLACEHOLDER FOR LAUNCHING A PILOT PROJECT.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE LOCKED IN YET.
WE KNOW IT'S A YEAR TWO COMMITMENT, UM, AND IT'S ANCHORED TO STANDUP ESSAY AND OUR ONGOING COLLABORATIONS WITH MY BROTHER'S KEEPER.
SO IT IS, UH, IN DIALOGUE IN DESIGN, BUT, UM, WE'LL REPORT BACK IN TERMS OF PROGRESS FOR THAT.
YOU KNOW, UM, THIS MORNING I GOT TO MEET WITH, UH, SOME OF OUR DISTRICT JUDGES, AND WE WERE MEETING ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC.
AND, BUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CAME UP.
AND, UH, I KNOW NOT A, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IS.
UM, BUT WHAT IT IS, IN MY VIEW IS THAT A LOT OF THE JUSTICE THAT WE MET OUT IS PUNITIVE.
SOMEBODY BROKE THE LAW, SOMEBODY DID HARM TO THEIR COMMUNITY, AND SO WE'RE GONNA PUNISH YOU NOW.
AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE LOOKS, TAKES A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
AND THEY SAY YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE DAMAGED YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY BY BREAKING THIS LAW.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH YOU TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO RESTORE YOUR RES RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE GOOD WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA STAY INVOLVED IN YOUR LIFE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE FOOD TO EAT AT YOUR HOUSE, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SCHOOL, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED.
AND, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED HELP FINDING A JOB, WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU FIND A JOB AND TAKE THAT PERSON FROM BEING ON THE WRONG PATH AND GETTING THEM ON THE RIGHT PATH.
AND I FOUND THAT THE JUDGES WHO I WAS MEETING WITH THIS MORNING REALLY UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF THAT.
THEY KNOW WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK.
AND THEY SAID THEY'D BE HAPPY TO COME TO CITY COUNCIL AND TALK ABOUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE OF PUTTING RESOURCES BEHIND THAT.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP PUSH FOR MORE RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE CAN GROW THESE PILOT PROGRAMS AS AND SCALE THEM QUICKLY.
[01:55:01]
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.MY APOLOGIES FOR JOINING LATE.
UM, BUT I DID, UH, MANAGE TO WALK THROUGH THE PRESENTATIONS AND, UH, HEARD, UH, SOME OF YOUR PRESENTATIONS AS WELL.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, START WITH, UH, HR.
I JUST HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU, RENEE.
YOU LOOK REALLY TINY FROM, FROM OVER HERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE PRESENTATION.
I, I DO LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING OUR EMPLOYEES UP TO, TO MARKET RATE.
UH, THAT WILL BE, THAT'LL BE GREAT ALSO FOR RECRUITMENT, UM, PERFORMANCE AND MORALE, OF COURSE, IN, IN THE CITY.
UM, I, UH, I ALSO WENT TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THE ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBER FOR OUR COUNCIL OFFICES.
UH, I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF BEN'S THERE.
UM, YOU'RE ALSO VERY TINY FROM HERE, BEN.
UH, WE, UH,
EVERYBODY IS, WE HAD A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION WHEN WE WERE, UH, ESTABLISHING THE, THE SALARIES FOR THE COUNCIL AIDS ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
AND I, I WANNA SAY BEN LEARNED A FEW THINGS FROM, FROM TALKING TO US ABOUT WHAT, WHAT COUNCIL AIDS DO.
SO, UH, ABSOLUTELY EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THAT.
UM, SOMEBODY ASKED YOU ABOUT, UH, COMMUTE INCENTIVES.
I BELIEVE IT WAS COUNCILMAN CASTILLO.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE COMING ONLINE.
UH, REMIND ME, ARE THOSE GOING TO BE GRANT FUNDED OR ARE THOSE FUNDED? UH, THROUGH OUR OWN, UH, RESOURCES.
COUNCILWOMAN THO THOSE WILL BE FUND FUNDED PRIMARILY OUT OF OUR PARKING FUND.
SO WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THE CMAC BRAND.
ACTUALLY, IT'S CMAC IS IN THE PARKING.
THE C A GRANT FLOWS THROUGH THE PARKING FUND FOR THAT, FOR THAT ASPECT.
THE MATCH MATCH FOR THE GRANT, BE FROM THE, OKAY.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY WE, WE'LL CONTINUE IT ONCE THE CMAC GRANT RUNS OUT, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
UM, SO YOU MAY ALREADY BE CONSIDERING THIS, BUT, UH, AT A NUMBER OF OTHER, UM, PLACES, WHAT, WHAT WE'LL SEE IS A, A PARKING CASH OUT OPTION.
SO INSTEAD OF GIVING THE EMPLOYEE THE FREE PARKING IN A PAY LOT, RIGHT, THEY GET THE CASH INSTEAD.
UH, THAT MAY NOT BE AN INTENT OF ENOUGH HERE, UH, FOR US, BECAUSE, UH, PARKING IS, UM, RELATIVELY, IT'S NOT FREE, BUT IT'S RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE STILL.
SO THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE UPPED.
I, I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT BE CONSIDERED, UH, IN THE, IN THE COMMUTE, UM, POLICY.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, RENEE, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON, ON THAT, BUT I DO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THE HEALTH OR PHRASE ON THE HEALTH PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, CLAUDE, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, I WANNA SAY THAT I DO SUPPORT THE FULL FUNDING OF THE ESSAY FORWARD PLAN.
AND, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MARIA AND ERIC FOR, UH, PUTTING US IN THAT DIRECTION AND ENSURING THAT WE ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
UH, A FEW YEARS AGO, AS SOME OF YOU WILL REMEMBER, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUDGET WAS DOMINATED BY GRANTS.
AND WHAT THAT MEANT IS THAT THE WORK HAD TO FOLLOW WHAT THE GRANTS, UH, WERE ABOUT.
AND THAT WE COULDN'T REALLY, I LIKE TO SAY THAT WE COULDN'T CHOOSE OUR OWN DIRECTION, UH, ENTIRELY WHEN IT CAME TO WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID.
SO THIS GIVES US A LOT MORE FREEDOM TO FOCUS ON THE HEALTH NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, JUST NOT, NOT JUST THE HEALTH NEEDS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THESE GRANTS.
UM, SO I DO WANNA EXPRESS, UH, SUPPORT FOR THE USE OF GENERAL FUNDS FOR HEALTH WORK.
AND, UM, FOR ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING, UM, AT HOME, UH, HEALTH, THE HEALTH OF OUR INHABITANTS IS ACTUALLY A RESPONSIBILITY THAT'S LAID OUT IN OUR CITY CHARTER IN SECTION THREE, WHERE, UM, AND I PARAPHRASE BECAUSE IT'S A VERY LONG SENTENCE.
IT SAYS, THE CITY MAY CONTRACT, ORDAIN, ESTABLISH ORDINANCES AS SHALL BE NEEDED FOR THE INTEREST, WELFARE, HEALTH, UH, ET CETERA, AND CONVENIENCE OF ITS INHABITANTS.
SO THAT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS TOTALLY LEGITIMATE SPEND FROM THE, UH, GENERAL FUND.
UM, CLAUDE, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NACHO AWARD.
I KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET A, UH, BIG, UH, UM, PRESENTATION TOMORROW.
I'M, I'M CALLING IT THE NACHO AWARD.
RIGHT? THAT'S, UH, THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO SAY.
LONG, LONG A I KNOW I'M IN SAN YEAH.
BUT IT'S NACHO IN SAN ANTONIO.
[02:00:01]
CLAUDE, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, MR. DAVID MCCAREY AND ANDY, AND ANYBODY ELSE INVOLVED FOR THEIR WORK ON OUR FIRST ANNUAL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM.IT IS GOING TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 23RD.
UH, AND THIS IS A FOLLOW UP FROM OUR RESOLUTION ON, UH, HEALTH AS, UH, RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK IS, UH, IS THERE FUNDING FOR THE SECOND ANNUAL, UH, HEALTH EQUITY SYMPOSIUM IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET? UM, YES.
UM, UH, AND, UH, SECOND, UH, I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THE GROWTH IN THE BO VIDA PROGRAM.
UM, SO I, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING MORE RESTAURANTS PARTICIPATE.
UH, CLAUDE, WE HAD A VERY BRIEF CONVERSATION ABOUT POSSIBLY, UM, TALKING TO THE RESTAURANTS WHO RENT SPACE FROM THE CITY, UH, ON THE RIVERWALK, UH, AND ASKING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
UH, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, UH, EXPLORE? UH, YES.
WE CAN EXPLORE THAT AS PART OF THE EXPANSION OF OUR PROGRAM.
AND, UM, MY, MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, BEFORE YOU WERE, YOU WERE WITH US, CLAUDE, UM, MY COMMITTEE GOT A PRESENTATION ON THE, UM, SICK AND SAFE LEAVE VOLUNTARY PROGRAM THAT WAS BEING PROMOTED TO EMPLOYERS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR, OUR SAGA WITH THE PAID SICK LEAVE, UH, ORDINANCE PROPOSAL THAT, THAT CAME FORWARD AND, AND WAS NO LONGER IN ORDINANCE.
SO WE HAD A, A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM OUT OF METRO HEALTH TO EDUCATE EMPLOYERS ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND, UH, AND BASICALLY PROVIDE SOME LEVEL OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
UH, DO YOU KNOW IF THAT PROGRAM IS STILL OPERATIONAL? UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THAT, UH, PROGRAM STALLED FOR, UH, A NUMBER OF, UM, REASONS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UM, BUT WE'RE STILL INTERESTED, OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF EMPLOYEES.
AND SO WE JUST KNOW THE PAID SICK LEAVE PROGRAM AS FAR AS I, UH, HAVE SURMISED, IT'S, IT'S UNPAUSED, BUT, UM, WE'RE CONSTANTLY REVISITING THAT.
AND, AND SPEAKING OF QUALITY OF LIFE, I JUST WANNA ECHO, UM, COUNCILWOMAN VIA GRAND'S, UH, COMMENTS REGARDING OR INTEREST IN CHILDCARE? UM, I HAVE MUCH MORE OF AN INTEREST IN IT NOW.
UM, UH, FOR OBVIOUS, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
UH, BUT I, I THINK THAT THE NEW CITY TOWER IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY IF THERE IS SPACE FAIR THAT HAS NOT BEEN RENTED OUT, UH, TO PROVIDE THAT BENEFIT.
UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FREE, BUT TO PROVIDE IT TO OUR EMPLOYEES, UM, WHO COME TO WORK THERE.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH EMPLOYEES WHO WOULD USE IT, UM, I WOULD SUGGEST, UM, PARTNERING PERHAPS WITH SOME OF THE OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES DOWNTOWN, UM, THAT ARE WITHIN A, A CLOSE DISTANCE TO IT, SUCH AS THE COUNTY.
UM, I REALIZE THAT'S NOT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT, UH, BUT I DO THINK ONCE WE, UH, BRING OUR SALARIES, OUR EMPLOYEES SALARIES UP TO A REASONABLE LEVEL LIKE THAT IS, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE NEXT STEP, RIGHT? IN BEING A RE, UM, EMPLOYER OF CHOICE AND BEING THE, UH, JUST BEING ABLE TO RECRUIT, UM, BETTER TO RECRUIT.
THOSE ARE, WAIT, I SEE ERIC AND THE TEAM TALKING.
I KNOW THEY'RE ALREADY FIGURING OUT HOW TO HAVE A DAYCARE IN THE IN CITY TOWER.
ERIC, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANNA ANNOUNCE AND TELL US NOW? NO, MA'AM.
I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW DAYS TO WORK ON THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
I HAVE A PLETHORA OF NOTES, BUT I WILL, UM, I'LL START.
UH, SO WITH HR, ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHE'S MENTIONED THAT INTERESTS ME IS THE SURVEY, OR ACTUALLY IT WAS, UH, IT WAS MR. JACOBS WHO HAD MENTIONED THE SURVEY OF HEALTH WORKER, PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS.
AND I'M INTERESTED IN POTENTIALLY A SURVEY OF CITY STAFF, UM, MAYBE ANONYMOUS, MAYBE BY DEPARTMENT, MAYBE JUST IDENTIFYING DEPARTMENTS AND SEEING WHAT DATA WE CAN COLLECT REGARDING THE STATE OF OUR, OUR CITY EMPLOYEES AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
I ALSO THINK THAT DURING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AND WHEN, UH, DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE COMING TOGETHER AND PUTTING THESE PRESENTATIONS TOGETHER, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UM, DIRECTORS AND CITY CITY EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, UH, MEET WITH THE FOLK WHO ARE ON THE GROUND AND ASK THEM, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED AND WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES? IS IT ADDITIONAL STAFFING OR IS IT PAY,
[02:05:01]
OR IS IT, UM, WORK FROM HOME? AND I'VE MADE A LOT OF CHANGES TO THE WAY THAT MY OFFICE WORKS BECAUSE OF, UM, THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS I'VE ASKED OF MY STAFF AND WHAT THEY NEED TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE AND TO BE THEIR BEST SELVES FOR THEMSELVES.AND SO I THINK THAT WE WOULD BENEFIT AS A CITY IF WE DO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET A SURVEY OR SOMETHING OF THE SORT OUT, UM, OUR EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY IS COMING OUT THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND WE CAN INCLUDE THAT TYPE OF QUESTION.
KEEP ME IN THE, KEEP ME IN THE LOOP FOR THAT.
UM, CLAUDE, I AM JUST GOING TO EXPRESS MY INTEREST IN BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH, UM, FOOD ACCESS, CLIMATE CRIME PREVENTION, AS WE HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, THE INSULIN COST SHARE PROGRAM.
AND I HOPE THAT, OR INSULIN AND DIABETES EDUCATION AND PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES AND WHATNOT, AND KNOW THAT I HOPE TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH YOU AND MEMBERS OF MY TEAM TO SEE HOW WE CAN BEST UTILIZE THOSE RESOURCES.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE A NUMBER OF THE THINGS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET.
AND WHILE I WOULD ALWAYS HOPE TO SEE MORE, UM, I'M MOST INTERESTED IN HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND ACHIEVE SOME OF THE TARGETS THAT MAYBE I HAVEN'T EVEN IDENTIFIED YET.
AND SO I, I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE CON TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT NO DOUBT, RIGHT, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE OF NEED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S, UH, HOUSING, FOOD, UH, HEALTHCARE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND IT'S OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAMS IN OUR FIELD OFFICES THAT ARE, UM, FIELDING THOSE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
SO I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS SUPPORT OF INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES TO NINE TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN, UM, QUICKLY MEET THOSE CONSTITUENT NEEDS THAT ARE INCREASING AS THE CITY GROWS, AND AS FOLKS TRY TO NAVIGATE AND ADJUST TO INFLATION AND THE ONGOING PANDEMIC.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN A GREAT AND A STRONG SUPPORTER OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE.
UH, MY HOPE IS THAT WE HAVE THE STRONGEST REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE BENEFITS AND RESOURCES POSSIBLE, AND THE FREEDOM TO USE THOSE BENEFITS AS NEEDED.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO PIVOT TO METRO HEALTH AGAIN, UH, AND THINK THANK, THANK CLAUDE FOR, UH, HIS CONTINUED WORK.
I KNOW, UM, IT WAS TOUCHED ON EARLIER, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT THE HEALTH INDICATOR MAP SHOWS THAT THERE'S, UH, HARD, LARGE CONCENTRATION OF HEALTH DISPARITIES WITHIN THE EAST, WEST SIDE AND SOUTH SIDES.
AND NO DOUBT, WE KNOW THAT HEAT ONLY EXACERBATES MANY OF THE KNOWN HEALTH ISSUES, RIGHT? I WAS AT THE NORMAL SENIOR CENTER, AND, UH, THIS ONE WOMAN IS WOMAN, WOMAN WAS SHARING THAT THERE WASN'T A SHADE STRUCTURE.
AND SHE'S LIKE, MY MEDICATION, LIKE, I CAN'T BE OUT IN THE SUN TOO LONG.
RIGHT? AND WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO SENIORS.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS, HAS METRO HEALTH HAD ANY FISCAL 2023 INITIATIVES OR RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AND THE HEALTH IMPACTS THAT IT HAS ON OUR COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF COLOR? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THE IMPACT OF CONDITIONS AS THE IMPACT, THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF RESIDENTS.
UM, SO I'LL CIRCLE BACK IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC INITIATIVES TIED TO THE IMPACTS OF HEAT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CONSTELLATION OF CONDITIONS THAT HAVE WORSENED, ESPECIALLY THROUGH COVID.
SO THAT'S ANCHORED TO THE SA FORWARD PLAN AND OUR ONGOING WORK AT THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, UM, WITH METRO HEALTH AND CPSS CRITICAL CARE PROGRAM, IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP, UM, WHICH CONNECTS, UM, VULNERABLE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT TO RECEIVE SOME CARE? DO Y'ALL HAVE A RELATIONSHIP TO CONNECT CONSTITUENTS TO THAT PROGRAM? WE'RE AT RISK OF DISCONNECTIONS.
THAT DOES NOT RING A BELL, BUT I CAN LOOK INTO THAT WITH STAFF.
I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IF WE CAN BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP, UM, TO HAVE THE METRO TEAM CONNECT CONSTITUENTS TO THAT PROGRAM RIGHT THERE.
THE STIPULATION WITH IT IS THAT IT DOES REQUIRE THE CONSTITUENT OR RESIDENT TO HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, WHICH WE KNOW TEXAS AND FOLKS IN SAN ANTONIO DON'T HAVE HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.
BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WORTH THE LOOKING INTO AND CREATING THAT RELATIONSHIP TO SUPPORT MORE FAMILIES WHO HAVE, UH, MEDICAL DEVICES TO KEEP THEM ALIVE.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS IS, UM, WITH THE CHIEF, THE, THE SIMILAR TO THE CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER, WITH THE CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH OFFICER.
WHAT DOES THAT DAY-TO-DAY LOOK LIKE? OKAY, SO, UM, GOOD QUESTION.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT THOSE ARE TWO NEW FUNCTIONS.
THE CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER, UH, MARK CARMONA, AND NOW WITH JESSE HIGGINS HAS JOINED US AS CHIEF MENTAL HEALTH OFFICER.
UM, COMPARING NOTES, LOOKING AT CONDITIONS, UH, LOOKING AT SHARED TOPIC AREAS.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S SHARED SPACE IN TERMS OF HOUSING, THE ROLLOUT OF THE HOUSING, UH, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
UM, BUT I WOULD JUST SAY IN THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THIS.
YOU, YOU JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT, WHAT SHE DOES ON A NORMAL DAY.
ARE THERE ANY SIMILARITIES? LIKE SIMILAR TO LIKE MARK'S ROLE? NO.
[02:10:01]
MARK'S ROLE EVEN NECESSARILY CONTENT OF THE ROLE, BUT YEAH, NO, IT'S DIFFERENT.IT'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE, UM, AT, AT A MINIMUM, AND I'LL JUST, I'LL TRY TO HURRY HERE.
AT A MINIMUM, THERE WAS A FRAMEWORK, EVEN THOUGH MM-HMM.
SO, UM, JESSE'S GONNA TELL YOU WHAT HER NORMAL DAY IS FOR THE LAST THREE OR FOUR WEEKS.
IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO CHANGE AS WE BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
SOMETIMES I COME TO BUDGET MEETINGS
UM, SO YEAH, SO I'M TAKING ON SOME EXISTING CONTRACTS THAT THE CITY HAS ALREADY STARTED.
UM, THE SA CORE CONTRACTS COME UNDER ME.
WE'RE LOOKING AT TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE AND WHERE I CAN HELP INTERNALLY AND, AND, UH, METRO HEALTH IN SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT DO HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH PIECE AND HOW I CAN HELP THEM.
I'VE TAKEN PART OF SEVERAL COLLABORATIVES THAT ARE ONGOING, UM, WITH THE PATHWAYS TO HOPE CONFERENCE PLANNING.
SO,
AND JESSE AND CLAUDE AND THE HEALTH METRO HEALTH TEAM WILL BE OVERSEEING THAT.
THAT, THAT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING.
UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW, UH, WITH MARK'S ROLE, HE'S BEEN INSTRUMENTAL AND HAS BEEN DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB, AND I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY PARALLELS, UH, OR SIMILAR FRAMEWORK AND, UH, IMPLEMENTATION.
YES, CLAUDE, UH, JUST WANTED TO, UH, FOLLOW UP ON A COUPLE MORE PIECES HERE.
AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT, UH, UH, EXHIBIT ON, ON, UH, SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN HERE, WHERE IT WAS SAYING BAY AREA.
AND, UM, I, I HOPE YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU TITLE IT AS BAYER COUNTY, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS IS FROM BAYER COUNTY.
THIS IS FROM LIKE SAN FRANCISCO OR SOMEWHERE LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS INTENDED TO SHOW.
WELL, I, I, I, THAT JUST GETS ON MY NERVES ABOUT USING SOMEBODY ELSE'S.
LET'S, LET'S KEEP IT SAN ANTONIO COUNSEL, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO, COUNSEL, LET ME JUMP IN HERE.
I, I, I WANNA REITERATE THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT COPYING SAN FRANCISCO HERE.
THIS IS A FRAMEWORK AS ASHEL, AS CLAUDE HAS ANSWERED.
TH THIS FRAMEWORK APPLIES NATIONWIDE TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM.
SO IT IS BEXAR COUNTY AND IT IS IN LINE WITH THE S A FORD PLAN.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT, UM, BUT I WANNA REITERATE THAT WE'RE NOT DOING WHAT SAN FRANCISCO IS.
AND THE SAME THING FOR, UH, SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT IS, IS THIS, UM, IS THIS NATIONAL, UM, NATIONAL, RIGHT? THIS IS DATA, THESE ARE NATIONAL DATA.
WE PARTICIPATED IN A NATIONAL STUDY.
THEY ARE PUTTING TOGETHER OUR COMPOSITE FOR METRO HEALTH.
'CAUSE WE WERE ONE OF THE RESPONDENTS, THEY SURVEYED 45,000 FOLKS ACROSS HEALTH DEPARTMENTS JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF COVID.
SO THAT'S GIVING YOU THE MACRO, THE SNAPSHOT PLUS THE FIVE-YEAR BLUEPRINT THAT WAS RELEASED PUBLIC HEALTH FORWARD.
I DON'T LIKE SEEING NATIONAL STUFF.
I WANNA SEE WHAT'S HERE IN SAN ANTONIO
SO WITH THAT, UM, UM, LAST PART HERE ON SLIDE 10, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE THIS COMMENT IN THERE, ERIC, AND WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE GOAL IS TO FULLY FUND THIS, FUND, THIS PROGRAM BY YEAR FIVE OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
AND I, I'VE GOT CONCERNS ABOUT THAT, AGAIN, BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE'S THE MONEY GONNA COME FROM? WHAT ARE WE GONNA CUT TO FUND THIS PROGRAM? AND THIS ISN'T A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY.
UH, THIS, THAT REALLY CONCERNS ME THAT THAT'S THE GOAL, IS TO TRANSFER THIS WHOLE COST OR THE MAJORITY OF THE COST TO THE GENERAL FUND.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CUT SOMETHING OUT OF OUR PROGRAMS TO, TO FUND THIS.
SO, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, UH, AND AGAIN, I, I DON'T THINK THAT, UH, WE SHOULD BE TASKING ALL OF THIS OUT OF OUR, OUR GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND AGAIN, YOU EXPLAINED THE 3.8 MILLION OUT OF THE 23 PROGRAM.
UM, AND WE NEED TO HOLD A LINE THERE AND, AND NOT BE, UM, MOVING THAT MONEY FROM OTHER REQUIREMENTS, WHICH IN THE, UH, IN OUR CHARTER CITY CHARTER, THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK NOW, UM, THAT, IN THAT SECTION THREE, THERE'S ONE WORD IN THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT, UM, HEALTH.
AND IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THE REST OF THAT, THIS BOOK, IT TALKS ABOUT STREETS.
IT'S TALKING ABOUT ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE REQUIRED.
[02:15:01]
FOR THAT.AND THERE'S ONE WORD YES IN THIS BOOK THAT TALKS ABOUT THIS SECTION, BUT I SEE THIS GROWING EXPONENTIALLY, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
UH, AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE MAYOR THAT, UM, UM, I, UNLESS YOU HAVE 'EM DEVELOPED OR YOU'RE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP THEM, WE NEED SOME REALLY STRONG METRICS IN HERE.
I DON'T, AGAIN, IT'S NOT HOW MANY PEOPLE COME INTO THE PROGRAM, HOW MANY ARE BENEFITING AND GETTING THEIR LIFE BACK ON TRACK, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
I, THOSE ARE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT NUMBERS THAT WE NEED TO SEE.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE, I, I FORGET WHICH SLIDE IT WAS, WHERE IT SHOWED, WE SPENT SO MANY MILLIONS OR A MILLION AND A HALF OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT ACCEPTED THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN OUT OF THOSE TWO, DID THEY GET, DID THEY GET STRAIGHT AND GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEEDED? AND OUR ARE BACK, BACK ON TRACK HERE IN THE PUBLIC.
SO THAT'S THE KIND OF INFORMATION, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THOSE NUMBERS, NO, MAN, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY GOING FOR TWO PEOPLE, UH, ACROSS THE CITY HERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT, WANT TO SEE THE METRICS DEVELOPED ON HOW WE'RE GONNA MEASURE THE PRO PROGRAM AND OF THIS PROGRAM.
COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY, I, I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS I WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT, BUT LET ME GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN FIRST.
JANE, YOU, UH, SO AGAIN, I'LL JUST REINSTATE I, IF THIS NEEDS TO COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
UH, BUT HOWEVER YOU'RE DOING REALLY WELL WITH THE GRANT FUNDING, I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT THE ESSAY FORWARD PLAN.
I THINK THIS GOES BACK TO, UM, US ADDRESSING OUR ADDRESSING THE, THE WAYS OF THE PAST, WHICH WE, WE'VE ALL SEEN THAT RED LINE THAT CROSSES THE CITY.
AND IT'S WHY I THINK I HEARD MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES THAT THESE PROGRAMS WERE ONE THROUGH SEVEN, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE NEED IS.
SO I THINK THESE GOALS ARE, ARE REALLY, UM, ATTAINABLE.
AND I, UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ACCESS TO CARE, UM, I THINK THIS IS DOING A GREAT JOB IN, IN TERMS OF THE HEALTH DISPARITIES, THE DATA AND TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK THIS IS WHERE YOU, WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR ARE ADDRESSING THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE.
UH, ESPECIALLY FOR THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. UM, I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY, UM, AND THEN HEALTH EQUITY AND, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, I THINK IS JUST BAKED INTO THIS WHOLE PLAN, UH, TOGETHER.
SO, BUT WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY RE RESILIENCY, I WANTED TO CONNECT IT TO A COUPLE OF PROGRAMS THAT YOU ARE GETTING GRANTS FOR.
AND ONE IS THE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH BECAUSE OF THE STATE'S POSITION, UH, REGARDING BODILY AUTONOMY, I THINK ERIC, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO PURSUE LE, UM, AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT THEY PROVIDE MORE FUNDING FOR US AND OUR DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
UM, THE OTHER IS THE, UM, THE, THE OTHER IS THE, UH, KIND OF, UM, THAT S T D AND WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE, BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN CRISIS OR WHEN PEOPLE ARE, WE MAY SEE AN UPTICK, UPTICK IN THAT, UM, ENGAGING IN MORE RISKY BEHAVIOR WITH THEIR, THEIR PERSONAL LIFE.
UH, THE OTHER THING I WANNA ADDRESS WITH THE, THE, UH, THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION IS, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS YOUR, UM, GROUPS, UH, PARTICIPATE IN THAT, THAT WE HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS SPECIFICALLY TOWARDS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHERE WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH THE DA ABOUT HIS POSITION ON WHAT IT WAS.
BECAUSE WHEN HE WAS HERE FOR A COMMITTEE MEETING, HE, HE MENTIONED THAT THEY NEED MORE THAN PROSECUTION, BUT MY, MY RESPONSE IS, BUT HIS JOB AS PROSECUTION, OUR JOB AT METRO HEALTH AND AND OUR, OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES THAT YOU WORK WITH IS TO GET THEM ON THE HEALING ROAD.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO KIND, I NEED YOUR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO CHIME IN AND, AND LET HIM KNOW THAT HE CAN HANDLE THE PROSECUTION PART.
WE'LL HANDLE GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS, BECAUSE I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, TUNED TO THE, THE GROUPS THAT
[02:20:01]
HISTORICALLY DO THIS.SO THOSE WERE THE ONLY TWO, UH, PO.
OH, AND THE LAST ONE I WANTED TO DO IS THE TEXAS ASTHMA CONTROL PROGRAM, BECAUSE I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT C P SS IN WHATEVER METRO HEALTH IS DOING NEEDS TO KIND OF ENGAGE OR SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS IN, IN WHATEVER WE'RE DOING, UH, FOR THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE COAL PLAN.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONLY SUGGESTIONS I HAVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, I'LL JUST, UM, CLOSE, UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY COMMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY WAS TALKING ABOUT THE METRICS AND, AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY I THINK THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR EYE ON THE BALL AND PERHAPS REFINE THEM.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, DID YOU WANT BACK INTO THE DISCUSSION? OH, THE, OH, THE, WOW.
THERE'S MORE, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION.
UM, TIME IS FOR, ON THIS 24TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2022.
ERIC, DO YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I WAS JUST, I STARTED WITH IT, BUT I HAVE THE INFORMATION.
THERE WERE ONLY 18 CITIES IN THE COUNTRY IDENTIFIED, AND SAN ANTONIO WAS THE LARGEST IN TERMS OF EMPLOYERS.
SO, UM, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NOTE.
SO SINCE YOU SAID THAT, LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT IT IS THE, THE METRICS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT, CLAUDE, MAYBE WE CAN'T IDENTIFY DIRECT CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE OTHER DEPARTMENT OF
I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO WATCH THEM KEEP AN EYE ON THOSE METRICS IS THAT IT MAKES, UH, IT REAFFIRMS THE DIRECTION, THE OVERALL DIRECTION OF THE CITY.
WE WANT TO IMPROVE ON THESE DIFFICULT, UH, EQUITY ISSUES AND THE OVERALL HEALTH, UH, CHALLENGES THAT HAVE OUR CITY'S BEEN FACING FOR GENERATIONS.
UM, AND, AND WITH RESPECT TO THE BUDGET, I AGREE IF THERE ARE GRANT FUNDS THERE, ABSOLUTELY LET'S, LET'S USE THOSE GRANT FUNDS.
BUT THE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN ESSAY FORWARD IS THE BOTTOM LINE.
THE FOUNDATION OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO GRADE OURSELVES IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE PROVIDE, THAT WE PROVIDE THIS COMMUNITY.
SO ABSOLUTELY, MY PRIORITY IS GOING TO BE LET'S GET THAT PLAN WORKED THROUGH, LET'S EXECUTE.
UH, AND IN THE EVENT WE DON'T HAVE GRANT, FUNDER GRANT DOLLARS THAT PLUG INTO PARTS OF THAT PLAN.
WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED GENERAL FUND DOLLARS TO EXECUTE.
'CAUSE THEIR FAILURE ON THAT PLAN IS NOT AN OPTION BECAUSE IT'LL AFFECT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES.
UH, TIME IS 4:31 PM UH, ON THE 24TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2022.