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WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION.
THE TIME IS 2:08 PM ON THIS 31ST DAY OF AUGUST, 2022.
UH, CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
HOW CAN I CALL IT HERE? MAYOR NIERENBERG.
UM, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
WE HAVE A FEW ITEMS TODAY, SO WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER, ERIC WALSH, AFTERNOON
[ ITEMS ]
MAYOR AND COUNCIL.SO THREE BUDGET WORK SESSIONS, UH, THIS AFTERNOON, ONE BUDGET WORK SESSION, THREE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE'LL START OFF WITH THE LIBRARY.
WE'LL TRANSITION TO NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES AND THEN END WITH, UH, HUMAN SERVICES.
SO RAMIRO HERE WILL KICK US OFF.
I WILL BE SHARING WITH YOU HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROPOSED 2023 BUDGET FOR THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
UH, I WILL SHARE WITH YOU, OF COURSE, THE BUDGET, HISTORY, SOME PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT EXCITING NEWS OF HOW THE LIBRARY WILL NOW BE ABLE TO RESPOND MORE APPROPRIATELY TO DEMANDS BY THE PUBLIC FOR BOOKS AND, UH, RESOURCES.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE ABOUT FACILITIES AND A LITTLE ABOUT GOING FORWARD.
AND THEN I'LL INTRODUCE OUR SHARE OF, UH, OUR LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES I'LL FORMERLY INTRODUCING AS SOON AS I'M DONE WITH MY PRESENTATION.
SO HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S AN 11% INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS BUDGET, UH, WHICH IS $5 MILLION MORE.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE MORE WITH, DO MORE WITH THE RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED.
WE THANK THE OUR CITY MANAGER FOR, UH, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR RESOURCES FOR THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
HERE'S THE GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION.
AGAIN, IT'S A $5 MILLION INCREASE.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND ACKNOWLEDGE OUR UNDER GRANTS.
THAT'S WHERE WE RECEIVED SOME FUNDS, PRIVATE DOLLARS FROM THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION AND THE FRIENDS OF THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY.
SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE TWO KEY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
UH, THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION PROVIDES APPROXIMATELY ABOUT $500,000 A YEAR FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS.
UH, SOME OF THEM ARE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THE FRIENDS, UH, AVERAGE ABOUT $50,000 A A YEAR.
THOUGH I DO NEED TO ADMIT BECAUSE OF COVID, THEY'RE STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO, TO HELP 'EM COME ALONG AND GET PAST THE PANDEMIC PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
OBVIOUSLY, TALKING ABOUT THE PANDEMIC, IT HAD A GREAT EFFECT ON OUR USAGE.
UH, AS YOU MAY RECALL, WHEN WE HAD TO CLOSE THE DOORS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, WE REALLY FOCUSED ON PROMOTING ACCESS TO DIGITAL RESOURCES AS WELL AS ACCESS TO WIFI SO THAT OUR, UH, PUBLIC COULD ACCESS SOME RESOURCES TO THE LIBRARY.
SO, USAGE INCREASE IN THE AREA OF, UH, DIGITAL SERVICES WE'RE, THE GOOD NEWS IS NOW WE'RE TRENDING UPWARDS.
YOU'LL SEE THE LIBRARY CIRCULATION.
UM, BY THE WAY, 2019 PRE PANDEMIC, WE WERE AVERAGING 8 MILLION, UH, CHECKOUTS.
UH, WE'RE NOW TARGETING AVERAGING ABOUT, UH, 6.57 MILLION, AND THE TARGET FOR NEXT YEAR IS A LITTLE OVER 8 MILLION.
AND WE'RE HOPING NOW WITH THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS THAT MIGHT BE EVEN, UH, A BIGGER NUMBER.
AND SO WE'RE FOCUSING ON THAT IN TERMS OF VISITS TO THE LIBRARY.
WE'RE LAGGING BEHIND, AND PART OF IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SU SUSPEND, UM, IN-HOUSE SERVICES, UH, ONSITE PROGRAMMING, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN.
SINCE CHILDREN DID NOT HAVE ACCESS OR WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GET THE, THE VACCINE, WE HAD TO SUSPEND PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN FOR A WHILE.
BUT NOW WE'RE COMING BACK AND I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO TREND UPWARD.
SO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE VERY EXCITED, UH, THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES $1.5 MILLION FOR BOOKS AND MATERIALS.
UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE HAD PROPOSED A, A PLAN TO THE CITY MANAGER, UH, BECAUSE WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE HAVING A DIFFICULTY RESPONDING TO THE, UH, DEMANDS OF THE PUBLIC.
UH, PEOPLE WERE WAITING ANYWHERE UP TO EIGHT WEEKS, TWO MONTHS FOR POPULAR AND NEW MATERIALS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE DIGITAL AND PRINT.
AND SO WE PROPOSED A FIVE YEAR PLAN TO, UH, INCREASE THE BOOK BUDGET
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AT LEAST TO THE MEDIUM OF OTHER PEER LIBRARIES, WHICH IS $3 AND 20 CENTS.I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSING NOT, NOT ONLY GETTING TO THAT GOAL, BUT A LITTLE BEYOND.
UH, IT INCLUDES $500,000 MORE BEYOND THAT GOAL.
SO AGAIN, WHAT THIS WILL DO WILL SHORTEN WAIT TIMES.
PEOPLE WON'T HAVE TO WAIT, UH, AS LONG TO GET, UH, TO HAVE ACCESS TO NEW AND POPULAR MATERIALS.
AND OF COURSE, OUR COMMUNITY'S GROWING, SO WE NEED TO RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.
SO I'M PRETTY, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
I'M GONNA SPEND A LITTLE TIME TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE TANA TANA COLLECTION LOCATED AT CENTRAL LIBRARY AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY ON THE SIXTH FLOOR.
THIS IS A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP.
UH, THE CITY WILL BE CONTRIBUTING, UH, $700,000 FROM THE SEVEN, UH, 2017 BOND PROGRAM, UH, $600,000 FROM THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM, AND $500,000 FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR THROUGH THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
THIS WILL BE A STATE OF THE ART, UH, COLLECTION.
THIS COLLECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SAN ANTONIO.
IT PRESERVES OUR LOCAL HISTORY.
IT ALSO PROVIDES ACCESS TO GENEALOGY.
UH, AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, WE WILL BE ADDING TWO CER, TWO FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS, BUT WE'RE EXPANDING THE SPACE.
WE'RE DOUBLING THE SPACE OF THE TANA COLLECTION.
WE EXPECT THIS PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED, AND WE WILL BE OPENING SEPTEMBER OCTOBER, 2023.
IF I MAY, I'M JUST GONNA SHARE WITH YOU A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BROCHURE FROM THE TANA COLLECTION.
IT OFFERS NEWSPAPERS THAT GO BACK TO THE 1960S CITY DIRECTORIES.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT REMEMBER CITY DIRECTORIES THAT GO BACK TO 1877, OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR GOV GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, COLLECTIONS THERE.
WE HAVE RARE ACCESS TO RARE MAPS, UH, CENSUS RECORDS, MILITARY RECORDS, AND I'M PROUD TO ALSO SHARE WITH YOU THAT THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY, AT LEAST IN TEXAS, PROBABLY IN THE, IN THE COUNTRY, UM, HOLDS THE ONLY COLLECTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FUNERAL PROGRAMS. IT'S, UH, APPROXIMATELY 5,000 ITEMS THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S HOUSED IN THE TE SANTA COLLECTION.
THIS TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT WILL CREATE AN EXCITING SPACE FOR OUR USERS.
WE'LL MAKE, UH, MAKE OUR COLLECTION MORE ACCESSIBLE.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED, UH, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS PROJECT.
EXCUSE ME, I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT FACILITIES.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE STRUGGLED DURING THE SUMMER WITH THE HEAT, EXTREME HEAT.
UH, IT, IT JUST EMPHASIZED THE, THE, THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE UPGRADING AND MAKING SURE OUR, UM, H V A C SYSTEMS ARE PERFORMING TO THE HIGHEST PROFICIENCY.
SO THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES A TOTAL OF $3.2 MILLION FOR VARIOUS FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS, UH, FOR HEATING AND VENTILATION H V A C SYSTEMS. WE HAVE THE PENN AMERICAN BRANCH LIBRARY AT GETTING $200,000 FOR, FOR THAT PROJECT, THE JOHNSTON BRANCH, AS WELL AS AS THE JOHN IGO BRANCH, $400,000, UH, FOR OTHER FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS, THE GURA BRANCH LIBRARY WILL BE ALLOCATED $600,000.
THE MAVERICK BRANCH, $395,000 IN THE GREAT NORTHWEST 213, UM, THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE'RE EXCITED THAT THE PARKING LOT, THAT THE BROOK HOLLOW BRANCH LIBRARY WILL BE EXPANDED.
AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES $300,000 TO REPLACE THE MEMORIAL BRANCH LI, UH, ROOF OF THE MEMORIAL BRANCH LIBRARY.
THE SIX YEAR CAPITAL BUDGET PLAN INCLUDES THE $23.8 MILLION APPROVED BY THE VOTERS AS PART OF THE 2022 BOND PROGRAM.
IT WILL PROVIDE $12.5 MILLION FOR THE CARVER BRANCH LIBRARY.
THIS WILL ALLOW US TO DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE CARVER BRANCH LIBRARY TO TRANSFORM THE CARVER BRANCH LIBRARY LIBRARY SO THAT WE CAN SHOWCASE THE VARIOUS COLLECTIONS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE CARVER BRANCH LIBRARY.
CREATE SPACES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO MEET, TO ENGAGE AND PARTICIPATE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
UH, TO ENLARGE THE MEETING ROOM AGAIN, TO PROVIDE A SPACE FOR, UH, THE COMMUNITY AND, AND STAKEHOLDER GROUPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE A PLACE TO, TO MEET.
ONCE THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETED, WILL BE THE LARGEST BRANCH LIBRARY IN THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, UH, THE LAS PALMAS BRANCH LIBRARY RENOVATION PROJECT.
UM, FROM THAT $5.3 MILLION APPROVED BY THE VOTERS, APPROXIMATELY TWO TO $2.5 MILLION WILL BE EARMARK FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE LAS PALMAS BRANCH LIBRARY.
UH, YOU'LL SEE A, YOU SEE A PICTURE ON THE SCREEN OF THE LAS PALMAS BRANCH LIBRARY WITH, WITH THE FUNDS ALLOCATED, WE WILL BE ABLE TO ENCLOSE
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THAT PLAZA THAT YOU SEE.UH, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN REQUESTING.
UH, THEY WANT TO USE THAT SPACE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE PROGRAMMING TO HOLD COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE CAN'T, IT'S NOT A ROOF THAT YOU SEE ON TOP OF IT.
UH, SO IT'S EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS.
THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW US TO ENCLOSE IT, PROVIDE A ROOF, AND WE WILL, WE WILL BE BETTER ABLE TO UTILIZE THE SPACE FOR PROGRAMMING AND OTHER LIBRARY SERVICES.
THE 2022 BOND PROG, UH, PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDES $6 MILLION FOR THE CENTRAL LIBRARY SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO TRANSFORM THE SPACES WITHIN THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
I MENTIONED THE ANA BRAND, ANA COLLECTION RATHER ON THE SIXTH FLOOR.
WE'RE CURRENTLY TRANSFORMING THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, AS WELL AS THE CHILDREN'S, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
SO, MOVING FORWARD, SO AS WE ARE GETTING, TRYING TO GET PAST THE PANDEMIC AND MY STAFF, CORRECT ME, WE'RE NOT YET PAST THE PANDEMIC, BUT, UM, LIKE TO BE OPTIMISTIC, WE'RE LOOKING AT BETTER TIMES.
SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM? WELL, WE'RE LOOKING AT A, UH, FINISHING A STRATEGIC PLAN.
IN ORDER TO MAKE, UH, STRATEGIC, STRATEGIC DECISIONS.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GO THROUGH STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
AND THEN WE HAVE A PLAN THAT SPEAKS TO STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO SERVING THE COMMUNITY, TO BUILDING COLLECTIONS.
UH, SO WE STARTED A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS JUST BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
SOME OF YOU, MAYBE MOST OF YOU WERE INTERVIEWED BY, UH, THE CONSULTING GROUP THAT WE HIRED TO HELP US DEVELOP THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THE FIRST PHASE OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
UM, TO GET STAKEHOLDER INPUT, WE GOT INPUT FROM YOU, FROM OUR CITY MANAGER.
WE WENT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CONSULTANT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE REACHED ALL PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE USED TACTICS THAT INCLUDED, UH, BLOCK WALKING, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, UH, JOIN US IN SOME OF THE BLOCK WALKING, UH, DOOR HANG DOOR HANGERS.
WE INCLUDED DOOR DOOR HANGERS.
UH, THE CONSULTANTS SHOWED UP IN ILLA, RIAS, UM, GROCERY STORES, UH, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE, UH, CONVENE, UH, TO ASK FOR THEIR FEEDBACK REGARDING THEIR EXPECTATIONS OF THE LIBRARY, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, FOR THE LIBRARY TO OFFER FOR THEM.
AND SO WE REALLY DID A VERY EXTENSIVE, UH, EXTENSIVE WORK IN GETTING COMMUNITY IN INPUT AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
AND THIS WILL INFORM THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS WE GO FORWARD.
WE PLAN TO COMPLETE THE STRATEGIC PLAN EARLY NEXT YEAR.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE FOCUS IS THE, UH, SERVING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY, UNDERSTANDING THE BARRIERS OF VARIOUS COMMUNITIES.
WE'RE LOOKING AT METRICS, UH, WHY SOME CERTAIN COMMUNITIES ARE NOT FULLY UTILIZING BASED ON THE METRICS THAT WE KEEP RIGHT NOW, OUR LIBRARY RESOURCES AND SERVICES SO THAT WE CAN ADAPT AND WE CAN, UH, FIGURE OUT STRATEGIES AND TACTICS TO, TO REACH OUT TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S PART OF EQUITY, OUR FOCUS ON EQUITY AND OUR COMMITMENT TO, TO EQUITY.
SO LASTLY, GOING FORWARD, PART OF OUR FOCUS WILL BE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
WE WANT PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME INTO OUR LIBRARIES TO FEEL WELCOME, TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE INCLUDED IN OUR COLLECTIONS AND THEY'RE WELL REPRESENTED IN OUR COLLECTIONS AND PROGRAMS. UH, SO IT'S ALL ABOUT CUSTOMER, THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
SO WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON THAT ASPECT OF LIBRARY SERVICES.
WELL, IT WAS FASTER THAN I THOUGHT.
SO THE THE LAST SLIDE IS FOR ME TO INTRODUCE OUR, UH, CHAIR OF OUR LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, PAUL STAHL.
AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY CHARTER CREATES THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
IT PROVIDES FOR THE LIBRARY BOARD TO HAVE A ROLE IN THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
UH, THE BOARD IS ENGAGED WITH LI, UH, WITH, UH, LIBRARY STAFF.
UH, THEY INFORM THE LIBRARY STAFF AND AS IT PERTAINS TO PRIORITIES.
UH, AND I'D LIKE TO AT THIS TIME INVITE MR. PAUL STALL TO THE PODIUM TO DELIVER A BUDGET MESSAGE FROM THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
PAUL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ROMERO.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES HEADED BY MYSELF.
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, I MEAN, WE'RE JUST SO PROUD OF OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM.
I MEAN, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD NOW GOING ON 13 YEARS, 14 YEARS.
UH, WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO SAY THAT WE WERE UP WITH OUR PEERS IN, IN THE, THE PEER LIBRARIES THAT WE MEASURE OURSELVES WITH.
UM, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED, RIGHT? WE'VE, WE'VE, WE AS A BOARD AND CERTAINLY WITH OUR STAFF WHO'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF, LED BY ROMERO AND, AND THE REST OF THE LIBRARY LEADERSHIP TEAM, ALL
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THE WAY DOWN TO THE LIBRARIANS THAT DEAL WITH, UH, THE CITIZENS ON A DAILY BASIS.THERE'S BEEN A CONCERTED EFFORT, UM, AND ENVISIONED OURSELVES AS BEING A TOP TIER LIBRARY, NOT JUST IN TEXAS, BUT IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF'S COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE IS CLEAR.
IT'S DEMONSTRATED EVERY DAY AS THEY PROVIDE THE SERVICES, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, JUST SO PLEASED NUMBER ONE, PLEASED TO BE HERE, AND THANKS FOR GIVING ME JUST A FEW MOMENTS.
UM, BUT WE'RE JUST SO PLEASED WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, UH, WE REALLY THINK IT'S GONNA GIVE US THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES WE PROVIDED, AS WELL AS TO, UH, REACT AND RESPOND TO THE ANTICIPATED SERVICES AND THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING.
UM, AND AS RAMIRO SO BEAUTIFULLY PUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH HAS BEEN VERY HOLISTIC.
IT'S BEEN VERY, UH, GRASSROOTS ORIENTED.
UH, CERTAINLY, UH, FROM THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE BEEN VERY IN DEPTH AND, UH, AND, AND VERY, UH, MUCH INVOLVED IN EVERY STEP OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, SO REALLY I'M UP HERE TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, AND TO, UH, ENCOURAGE, UH, THE SUPPORT OF THIS.
WE REALLY ARE THANKFUL FOR THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION FOR THE LIBRARY.
UM, WE'VE TRIED TO ACT LIKE WE'RE THE BEST LIBRARY SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY, AND I THINK WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY TO, TO GETTING THERE.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY TODAY.
SO I THANK YOU'ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
NOW IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE MY COLLEAGUE VERONICA GARCIA, HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DIRECTOR WHO WILL PRESENT THE NEXT, MAKE THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, VERONICA GONZALEZ.
SHE HAS HELPED, UH, IMMENSELY ALONG WITH OUR ENTIRE N H S D TEAM.
YOU CAN SEE SOME OF 'EM ARE HERE TODAY.
REALLY DOES TAKE A WHOLE TEAM TO PUT THIS BUDGET TOGETHER AND HELP, UH, OFFER ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THIS AFTERNOON, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SHARE WITH YOU OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THIS COMING YEAR, WHICH INCLUDES OUR PROPOSED INITIATIVES.
AND WE VIEW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE INVESTMENTS AS A CHANCE TO FULFILL THE COMMITMENTS MADE THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
WHEN WE ALL ADOPTED, WHEN MAYOR AND COUNCIL ADOPTED THE SHIP, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, IT REPRESENTED A COMMITMENT FOR THE CITY AND OUR PARTNERS TO PRIORITIZE SERVING HOUSEHOLDS WITH THE LOWEST INCOMES.
OF THE 28,000 HOMES WE SEEK TO BUILD OR PRESERVE OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, HALF OF OUR FAMILIES, BELOW 30% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, WHICH IS ABOUT $22,000 IN OUR CITY.
THE SHIP ALSO SHIFTS OUR FOCUS TOWARDS PRESERVATION.
AND OVER HALF OF OUR GOAL IS PRESERVATION FOCUSED THROUGH HOME, THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE OUR HOME REHAB.
WE ARE ALSO THIS YEAR, TAKING A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO INVESTMENTS IN THE WAY THAT WE DELIVER OUR SERVICES.
ONE EXAMPLE IS ENSURING THAT HOMEOWNERS WHO GO THROUGH OUR REHAB PROGRAMS HAVE, UM, THE RESOURCES THEY NEED AND THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO KEEP UP WITH THOSE HOME MAINTENANCE NEEDS.
SO TO CONTINUE TO PRESERVE THEIR ASSET AND PASS IT ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
OUR DEPARTMENT BUDGET NEXT YEAR IS PROPOSED AT APPROXIMATELY $150 MILLION.
THIS DOES INCLUDE, UH, ALMOST A $5 MILLION INCREASE IN GENERAL FUNDS.
THAT IS DUE TO THE REORGANIZATION OF THE CITY FEE WAIVER PROGRAM, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY IN THE CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S NOW MOVED OVER TO N H S D, AS WELL AS SOME STAFF THAT WAS, UH, REORGED WITH THIS, WITH THIS AMOUNT.
THAT ALSO INCLUDES OUR PROPOSED BUDGET INITIATIVES.
YOU, OUR FEDERAL GRANTS, UH, HAVE A SLIGHT DECREASE, UM, THAT IS IN LINE WITH WHAT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY OTHER, UH, CITIES HAVE SEEN, WHICH IS A REDUCTION IN C D B G FUNDS.
AND THEN OUR FEDERAL COVID GRANTS ARE ALSO RUNNING OUT NEXT YEAR, AND WE WILL BE UTILIZING, UM, DIRECTING OTHER GRANTS AS WELL AS OUR GENERAL FUND TO CONTINUE SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS. OUR DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO PROPOSED TO ADD 16 POSITIONS WITH THIS, UH, NEW BUDGET CYCLE.
12 OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND.
AND THE OTHER FOUR POSITIONS ARE TO RIGHT SIZE OUR DEPARTMENT AND ENHANCE OUR SERVICES.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE LAST THREE FISCAL YEARS SHOW THE GROWTH OF THE DEPARTMENT AND OUR CITY'S GROWING FOCUS ON HOUSING STABILITY AND PRESERVATION.
SINCE 2020, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS ADMINISTERED THE COVID GRANT FUNDING TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE HOUSING SECURITY NEEDS AND KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES WITH THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING.
THIS FUNDING DID HELP PREVENT EVICTION AND HOMELESSNESS AND FOCUSES ON STABILIZING HOUSEHOLDS.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN OFFER SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS NEXT YEAR.
AND OUR DEPARTMENT BUDGET IS PROPOSED AT $156 MILLION NEXT YEAR.
THIS INCLUDES NEARLY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS AS
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WE BEGIN ADMINISTRATION OF OUR 2022 HOUSING BOND.AND AS THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY FUNDS RUN OUT, WE ARE SHIFTING OUR FOCUS TO CREATION OF NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE PRESERVATION OF OUR ALREADY NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH OUR CITY STRATEGY TO MAKE INVESTMENTS THAT SUPPORT LONG-TERM OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES.
OUR, UH, WE'VE DONE EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AS HAS, UH, THE CITY, AS WE'VE DONE TOWN HALLS, AND WE'VE BEEN THERE AT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF 'EM, AND ALL THAT WE HEARD.
AND THROUGH OUR OWN OUTREACH EFFORTS, AS WE, UH, HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND, EVERYTHING HAS REINFORCED HOW ESSENTIAL HOUSING IS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR 2023 AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND IS $136 MILLION, WHICH WE'LL LEVERAGE OUR HOUSING BOND TO HELP ACHIEVE OUR SHIP GOALS THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT INITIATIVES.
THE FIRST IS WE HAVE TOGETHER ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO PROVIDE LEVERAGED FUNDING AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTI-FAMILY AFFORDABLE RESIDENCES.
WE HAVE ABOUT $26 MILLION FOR HOUSING PRESERVATION AND REHAB, WHICH WILL ASSIST LOW TO MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES WITH PRESERVING AND STAYING IN THEIR HOMES.
WE WILL CONTINUE OUR INVESTMENT IN HELPING PEOPLE REALIZE THE DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP THROUGH OUR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR OUR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL SERVICES THAT WE OFFER, THE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, AS WELL AS CONTINUATION OF THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND THEN OUR BUDGET NEXT YEAR MAINTAINS FUNDING AT $1.3 MILLION TO CONTINUE IMPROVING COORDINATION AMONG OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARTNERS.
NEXT YEAR, I'M EXCITED TO SAY WE'LL ALSO BE LAUNCHING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOCATOR TOOL, WHICH WILL PROVIDE ONLINE RESOURCES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO LOCATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS IN THEIR AREA.
COMBINED, OUR GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR INCLUDE THE PRESERVATION OF 1300 HOMES AND THE PRODUCTION OF 1200 NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO TO ACHIEVE THESE EFFORTS, TAKES, UH, TAKES A TEAM, TAKES A VILLAGE, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL DIVISIONS THAT ARE WORKING TOWARDS THESE INITIATIVES.
OUR HOUSING STABILITY TEAM HELPS BOTH HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS ALIKE.
WE HAVE STAFF THAT ARE DEDICATED TO PROVIDING FAIR HOUSING RESOURCES AND THE COMMUNITY HELPING PEOPLE KNOW HOW, UM, IF THEY'RE FACING FORECLOSURE, WHAT THEY CAN DO, PROVIDING FINANCIAL COUNSELING TO THEM.
WE ALSO OFFER, UM, RESOURCES TO ANYONE WHO'S HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR LAND, HOW WE CAN HELP AND WHAT CAN BE DONE.
WE CONTINUE TO OFFER ALL OF OUR RELOCATION AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. THEN WE HAVE OUR HOUSING POLICY TEAM, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
THIS IS ALSO THE TEAM THAT CONTINUOUSLY LOOKS AT OTHER CITIES BEST PRACTICES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY INNOVATIVE IN OUR APPROACH TO ADDRESS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
I THINK EVERYONE HERE KNOWS OUR HOME REHAB TEAM VERY WELL.
THIS IS THE TEAM THAT CONTINUES TO OFFER OUR MAJOR REHAB AND MINOR REPAIR PROGRAMS. THEN WE HAVE OUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE PRODUCTION OF NEW UNITS.
THIS IS THE TEAM THAT OVERSEES OUR FEE WAIVER PROGRAM AND OUR INCENTIVES, AS WELL AS PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOPERS WHO ARE TRYING TO BUILD THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND AS THEY COME UP WITH ISSUES, OUR TEAM IS THERE TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE CITY PROCESS AND BRING THOSE HOMES TO COMPLETION.
OUR GRANTS MONITORING TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSIGHT OF THE $26 MILLION HUD FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVE THIS COMING YEAR.
THEY ALSO ARE THE TEAM THAT OVERSEES AND ENSURES THAT WE ARE SEEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF OUR FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.
AND THAT GOES OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, ALL THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT WE PROVIDE, INCENTIVES THAT TEAM HELPS AND GOES AND HELPS AND GOES, AND HELPS MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE, UM, MONITORED AND REVIEWED EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A TEAM THAT, UH, SERVICES, I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THIS, ABOUT 3000 LOANS THAT WE HAVE.
SO WE'RE LIKE A LITTLE MINI BANK THAT OVER CONTINUES TO PROCESS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SEEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF OUR HOMEOWNER AGREEMENTS.
THEN WE HAVE OUR HOUSING BOND TEAM, WHICH IS PROPOSED TO GROW LARGER NEXT YEAR SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THAT EFFORT.
AND EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS GROUNDED IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAVE A NEW TEAM THAT ALSO HELPS US, SO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CONTINUOUS OUTREACH EFFORTS AND THAT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AND POLICIES WE BRING BEFORE YOU ARE IN LINE WITH THE TRUE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SPEAKING OF HOUSING STABILITY, UH, OUR TEAM HAS BEEN VERY DEDICATED TO RESPONDING TO THE COVID CRISIS.
AND FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE ADMINISTERED OVER $200 MILLION THROUGH THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT'S HELPED ABOUT 66,000 HOUSEHOLDS.
DURING THAT TIME IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, THE EAP TRANSITIONED INTO THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE HOUSING AND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES.
NEARLY 3000 FAMILIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASSISTED UNDER THE HAP PROGRAM THIS YEAR.
SO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET PROPOSES
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CONTINUING THE HAT PROGRAM.OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL AND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE WILL BE OFFERED SOLELY THROUGH GRANT FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND SO THAT ALLOWS US TO REDIRECT OUR GENERAL FUNDS TO THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO OFFER THAT SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY WITH ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES.
UM, IN THE PAST, WE WERE UTILIZING A LOT OF FISCAL TEMPS, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF FISCAL TEMPS THAT HELP PROCESS ALL OF THESE CHECKS AND PAYMENTS.
AND AS OUR SERVICES CONTINUED TO GROW AND BECOME MORE LONG-TERM IN NATURE, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE ADDITION OF TWO POSITIONS, SO WE CAN RIGHT SIZE THAT FISCAL TEAM.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN ASKED TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN HELP HOMEOWNERS THAT HAVE CODE VIOLATIONS AND HOW WE CAN HELP PROVIDE THEM MORE RESOURCES AND ASSISTANCE WITH ADDRESSING THOSE CODE VIOLATIONS THAT CAN HELP THEM STAY IN THEIR HOME.
SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING TWO ADDITIONAL HOUSING NAVIGATORS TO SUPPORT THAT EFFORT.
SPEAKING OF HOME REHAB, THIS YEAR WE HAVE PROPOSED $26 MILLION FOR OUR PROGRAMS. AND THIS IS THE LARGEST BUDGET WE'LL HAVE EVER FOR THESE PROGRAMS. AND THE DEMAND IS GREAT.
WE HAVE OUR ONLINE APPLICATION OPEN NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 19TH.
WE HAVE OVER 3000 APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED IN THE QUEUE, AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR INTAKE IN-PERSON EVENTS AND OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE SHOW UP IN EACH AND EVERY ONE.
UM, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY AT A GREATER LEVEL NEXT YEAR.
WE, UM, ARE ALSO IN ADDITION TO CONTINUING TO REHAB HOMES TO OUR MAIN MINOR REPAIR, MAJOR REHAB, AND UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAMS, WE'RE GONNA EXPAND OUR SERVICES TO REALLY TAKE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH AND NOT JUST FOCUS ON HOW CAN WE REHAB THE HOME, WHAT DOES THE HOME NEED, BUT ALSO LOOK AT HOW CAN WE HELP THE HOMEOWNER AND MAKE SURE THEY GET WHAT'S NEEDED AS WELL.
SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT IN SEVERAL WAYS.
WE'LL BE PARTNERING WITH LISC SAN ANTONIO TO LAUNCH A HOMEOWNER MAINTENANCE CLASSES.
THESE CLASSES WILL BE OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE TO EVERYONE WHO GOES THROUGH OUR HOMEOWNER REHAB PROGRAMS. THIS WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED IN-PERSON, DEMONSTRATIONS, EVERYTHING THEY NEED SO THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THEIR NEWLY REHABBED HOME.
UH, WE'LL ALSO BE OFFERING FINANCIAL COUNSELING SERVICES TO THEM AS WELL AS HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND ESTATE PLANNING SO THEY KNOW HOW TO PASS THAT ASSET ON TO FUTURE FAM TO THEIR FAMILY.
AND THE HOUSING COUNSELING IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE SOME OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE NEVER HAD TO BUDGET FOR HOME MAINTENANCE, SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE, UM, AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO DO THAT.
UM, IN ADDITION, SOME FAMILIES, UH, HAVE TITLE CLEARANCE AS AN EFFORT, AS A BARRIER TO PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE PARTNERING WITH SOME LOCAL NONPROFITS THAT ALREADY WORK IN THIS SPACE, LEVERAGING WHAT THEY DO SO THAT WE CAN HELP MORE HOMEOWNERS GET CLEAR TITLE TO THEIR, TO THEIR PROPERTY.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE'LL HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT WILL SERVE AS HOUSING NAVIGATORS STRICTLY ON THE HOME REHAB TEAM, AND THEY WILL WORK WITH OUR HOMEOWNERS TO REALLY PROVIDE THEM THOSE WRAPAROUND SERVICES, SEE WHAT ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THEY MAY QUALIFY FOR, AND HELP THEM GET THOSE SERVICES.
ON THE PRODUCTION SIDE, OUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING HARD, AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE RESTORE OUR CITY FEE WAIVER PROGRAM TO TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS THE SAME LEVEL THAT IT WAS PRE PANDEMIC.
THIS PROGRAM OFFERS CITY FEE WAIVERS TO ELIGIBLE PROJECTS IN FOUR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
UH, MOST OF THE FUNDING IS DEDICATED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE, UH, OR IS A SET ASIDE ALSO FOR HISTORIC REHAB, AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND ALREADY IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO WANNA EXPAND AND GROW THEIR BUSINESS, WE CAN HELP THEM WITH FEE WAIVERS.
AND THEN WE HAVE FUNDS SET ASIDE EACH YEAR TO HELP, UH, ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES AND HIGH PAYING JOBS TO SAN ANTONIO.
WE ARE ALSO RECOMMENDING RESTORING OUR INNER CITY INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
THE ISA FUND, UH, PROVIDES TARGETED DEVELOPMENT IN THE INNER CITY BY PROVIDING LEVERAGED FUNDS FOR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, INFILL AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND IT, IT'S EVEN ELIGIBLE FOR BUSINESS RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT IN THE INNER CITY.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING RESTORING THAT THIS COMING YEAR, AND IT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT SINCE WE HAVE SEVERAL RFPS FOR HOUSING BOND DOLLARS, THIS CAN USE TO LEVERAGE SOME PROJECTS THAT HAVE ADDITIONAL GAP TO FILL AS WE, UM, HAVE DONE A LOT.
OUR WHOLE CITY TEAM HAS DONE A LOT OF OUTREACH AND HAD BUDGET TOWN HALLS MEETINGS, AND THE ESSAY SPEAKUP SURVEY.
AND THE NUMBER ONE COMMUNITY PROJECT PRIORITY IS HELP WITH PROPERTY TAXES.
SO OUR DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING, UH, $250,000 IMPROVEMENT SO THAT WE CAN UNDERTAKE A COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN AND EMPOWER RESIDENTS WITH RESOURCES AND INFORMATION SO THEY CAN COMBAT RISING PROPERTY TAXES.
THIS WILL INCLUDE, UH, FREE LEGAL AID, LEGAL AID ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL COORDINATE AND CONDUCT IN-PERSON COMMUNITY-BASED SEMINARS, HELPING
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PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HOW THEY CAN PROTEST THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, PROVIDING ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY FILE THOSE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, SENIOR EXEMPTIONS, WHATEVER THEY MAY QUALIFY FOR.WE'LL ALSO PROVIDE, UH, BILINGUAL VIRTUAL SESSIONS.
SO IF YOU DON'T WANNA COME IN PERSON, YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
THEY'LL BE ONLINE SESSIONS THAT PEOPLE CAN ATTEND, GET THE SAME INFORMATION WITH Q AND A, AND THEN THEY'LL BE RECORDED SO THEY CAN COME BACK AND WATCH IT WHENEVER THEY WANT.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A STRONG OUTREACH EFFORT SO THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT WE'RE HAVING THESE SEMINARS IN THE SPRING AND REALLY DO A STRONG PUSH SO PEOPLE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO IMPLEMENT OUR $150 MILLION AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND NEXT YEAR, AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING ADDING 12 STAFF TO SUPPORT THIS BOND IMPLEMENTATION.
EIGHT OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE DEDICATED TO THE HOME REHAB PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER AND SCALING UP ON THOSE SERVICES.
AND THEN FOUR POSITIONS ARE HELPING FACILITATE THE NEW SINGLE FAMILY AND RENTAL HOUSING THAT THE BOND WILL PRODUCE.
THAT WILL INVOLVE EVERYTHING FROM CONSTRUCTION MONITORING OVERSIGHT OF THE R F P PROCESS, CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS HELPING FACILITATE, UH, MOVING THOSE PROJECTS ALONG TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR.
WHILE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL TAKE A LOOK AND UNDERSTAND OUR GOALS, I REALLY WANNA EMPHASIZE THE QUALITATIVE IMPACTS OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
OUR TEAM'S WORK, WE KNOW FUNDAMENTALLY ADDRESSES HOW FAMILIES LIVE, AND WE REALLY DO HAVE A LEVEL OF CARE AND RESPONSIBILITY IN WHAT WE DO.
SO I WANNA THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, UM, BECAUSE WE TAKE THIS WORK VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND NEXT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE MELODY WOOLSEY, OUR DIRECTOR FOR, UH, FOR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, I'M MELODY WOOSLEY, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AND TODAY I AM PRESENTING OUR FISCAL YEAR 23 HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET.
BEFORE I GET STARTED, I DO WANNA INTRODUCE A COUPLE OF MY TEAM MEMBERS THAT ARE WITH ME TODAY.
PATRICK STACK, ASSISTANT, UH, HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR, AND ANA CANTU, OUR DEPARTMENT FISCAL ADMINISTRATOR.
ALSO AMANDA REYNA, ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR.
AND SO YOUR HUMAN SERVICES TEAM OF MORE THAN 400 EMPLOYEES COLLABORATES WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS, NONPROFITS, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE, LIFE FOR VULNERABLE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS.
DURING TODAY'S SESSION, I WILL RE, UH, REVIEW OUR PROPOSED BUDGET AND OUR FIVE-YEAR BUDGET HISTORY, AS WELL AS, UM, DEPARTMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS TO ENHANCE HOMELESSNESS AND SERVICES TO OLDER ADULTS.
AND I'LL ALSO HIGHLIGHT FISCAL YEAR 2023 INITIATIVES AND RECOMMEND DELEGATE AGENCY INVESTMENTS.
SO THE HUMAN SERVICES PROPOSED BUDGET TOTALS $208 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 25 MILLION OVER THE FISCAL YEAR 22 ADOPTED BUDGET FROM ALL SOURCES.
50.4 MILLION IS PROPOSED FROM THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS A 4.4 MILLION INCREASE OVER F Y 22.
117 MILLION IS FROM OUR TRADITIONAL STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS.
AND 20 MILLION IS FROM COVID GRANTS CARES AND ARPA.
THIS BUDGET SUPPORTS A PERSONNEL COMPLIMENT OF 441 POSITIONS, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 19 OVER THE CURRENT BUDGET.
SO OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, D H SS BUDGET HAS GROWN BY 59% FROM 131 MILLION TO THE 208 MILLION PROPOSED FOR FISCAL YEAR.
15% OF THIS GROWTH IS IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND THE THE REMAINDER 85% IS FROM NEW OR ADDED GRANT FUNDING.
SO THE F Y 23 BUDGET INCLUDES A TOTAL OF $17 MILLION IN THE D H S AND DELEGATE AGENCY BUDGETS IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN AND INCLUDES 2.6 MILLION IN F Y 23 NEW IMPROVEMENTS.
HALF OF THIS FUNDING IS ALLOCATED.
THE 17 MILLION IS ALLOCATED TO HAVEN FOR HOPE AND CAMPUS PARTNERS.
AND ONE THIRD PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY HOMELESS SERVICES PROVIDER PARTNERS SUCH AS SAM MINISTRY, CORONE MINISTRIES, CAM AND THRIVE, AND AS WELL AS ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE SERVING PEOPLE LIVING WITH H I V AND AIDS.
2.9 MILLION IS ALLOCATED TO THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HOMELESS SERVICES DIVISION FOR SYSTEM COORDINATION AND DIRECT
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SERVICES, INCLUDING STREET OUTREACH, THE HOMELESS HOTLINE, ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH, AND THE CITY'S ESTIMATED INVESTMENT IN HOMELESSNESS INCLUDES THE COST OF FIRE DEPARTMENT'S, E M S RESPONSE, SAP'S INTERACTION WITH UNSHELTERED INVI INDIVIDUALS, SOLID WASTE ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP COSTS, AS WELL AS COSTS, UM, BORN BY PUBLIC WORKSAND SO, UM, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE, WE RECEIVE INVESTMENTS INTO OUR COMMUNITY FROM STATE AND FEDERAL RESOURCES FOR F Y 23.
THE TOTAL INVESTMENTS IN HOMELESSNESS FROM LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL SOURCES IS ESTIMATED AT $77 MILLION, AND THAT WILL SERVE APPROXIMATELY 8,000, UH, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
HOMELESSNESS IMPROVEMENTS ARE PROPOSED TO CONTINUE INITIATIVES IMPLEMENTED DURING THE PANDEMIC TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF COVID ON UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS.
STREET OUTREACH TEAMS ENGAGE UNSHELTERED CLIENTS TO BUILD RAPPORT AND MAKE CONNECTIONS TO SHELTER, HOUSING ID RECOVERY, MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER SERVICES.
$482,000 IS INCLUDED TO CONTINUE STREET OUTREACH CITYWIDE.
THIS CONVERTS SIX CURRENT POSITIONS FROM LIMITED E S G CARES GRANTS TO THE GENERAL FUND.
THIS ACT, THIS ACTION WILL ALSO, UM, HELP WITH OUR RECRUITMENT AND REDUCE TURNOVER IN THAT TEAM.
AND 177,000 IS ADDED TO CONTINUE PARTNER OUTREACH POSITIONS AND SHOWER SERVICES THAT ARE ALSO CURRENTLY FUNDED, FUNDED BY E S G CARES.
1.3 MILLION IS INCLUDED TO CONTINUE LEASE AND OPERATIONS OF THE HIGH ACUITY EMERGENCY SHELTER OPERATED BY SAM MINISTRIES AT A DOWNTOWN HOTEL.
THIS FUNDING SUPPORTS THE SHELTER FOR AN ADDITIONAL SIX MONTHS WHILE WE WORK WITH OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY MORE EFFICIENT OPTIONS TO SERVE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT DO WELL OR MAY NOT BE MEET ELIGIBILITY FOR TRADITIONAL CONGREGATE SHELTER.
AND 640,000 OF THE HOMELESS IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUES THE HOMELESS HOTLINE TO CONNECT LITERALLY AND NEAR HOMELESS RESIDENTS, UM, TO RESOURCES TO IMPROVE THEIR UM, SITUATION.
THIS GOVERNMENT, THIS IMPROVEMENT CONVERTS SEVEN CURRENT POSITIONS FUNDED FROM E S G CARES TO THE GENERAL FUND.
200,000 OF THE FUNDING PROVIDES A FLEXIBLE DIVERSION FUND TO PREVENT CLIENTS FROM NEEDING TO ENTER SHELTER.
THE HOTLINE HAS BECOME A KEY ENTRY POINT TO, INTO THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING AND REFERRALS TO HELP THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS WHO ARE SEEKING HELP TO EXIT HOMELESSNESS OR TO KEEP FROM BECOMING HOMELESS.
THE PROPOSED, UM, F Y 23 SENIOR SERVICES TOTAL BUDGET IS 17.6 MILLION FROM GENERAL FUNDING GRANTS.
AND THIS CON CONTINUES SERVICES AT 11 COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS AND 40 PART-TIME NUTRITION SITES.
THIS BUDGET INCLUDES 1.4 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND IMPROVEMENTS.
NEW FUNDING PROVIDES 816,000 FOR STAFF AND OPERATIONS AT THE NEW HERITAGE PARK MULTI-GENERATIONAL CENTER IN DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH IS PLANNED TO OPEN IN APRIL OF 2023.
THE SITE WILL PROVIDE PROGRAMMING FOR BOTH OLDER ADULTS AND YOUTH, AND WILL BE JOINTLY OPERATED BY HUMAN SERVICES AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT GENERAL FUND IMPROVEMENTS, ALSO CONTINUE FUNDING OF 500,000 TO OATS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO VULNERABLE HOME BOUND OLDER ADULTS THROUGH ACCESS TO DEVICES, CONNECTIVITY, AND DIGITAL LITERACY CLASSES.
AND EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE ENTERED INTO A PARTNERSHIP TO HOST SENIORS IN PLAY A NONPROFIT ESTABLISHED AND LED BY ACTOR AND DIRECTOR TONY PLANA TO INTRODUCE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMMING IN FOUR CITY SENIOR CENTERS.
THIS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT FOR F Y 23 WILL EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO FOUR NEW CENTERS, SERVING 10 SENIORS AT EACH SITE IN THE 48 WEEK PROGRAM.
I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THREE MAJOR D H S FACILITIES, PROJECTS, THE CITY MANAGER'S.
PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES 1.6 MILLION FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AT THE FRANK GARRETT COMMUNITY CENTER, LOCATED IN DISTRICT ONE WEST END PARK.
AND THE PROJECT INCLUDES REPLACEMENT OF A CHILLER SYSTEM,
[00:40:01]
WHICH IS BEYOND ITS USEFUL LIFE, AND IT IS A MASSIVE ROOM SIZED, UH, SYSTEM, AS WELL AS RESTROOM RENOVATIONS AND A D A IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FACILITY.THE 2022 BOND FUNDS A MULTI-GENERATIONAL CENTER IN COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE THROUGH EXPANSION OF THE WEST END SENIOR CENTER, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE FRANK GARRETT CENTER AND THE 2022 BOND.
ALSO, UM, ALONG WITH INNER CITY TOURIST FUNDING PROVIDES 23 MILLION TO REDESIGN AND COMPLETELY RESIDENT RENOVATE THE 63,000 SQUARE FOOT.
ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER IN DISTRICT TWO PUBLIC WORKS HAS ENGAGED IN ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT INCLUDES ASSESSMENT OF THE PROPERTY, THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, AND A RICH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
THIS STUDY WILL BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER AND WILL DRIVE DESIGN OF THE FACILITY.
THE PROPOSED 2023 BUDGET REPRESENTS THE SECOND YEAR OF THE TWO YEAR CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS FOR HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATIONS CONTINUE FISCAL YEAR 2022, INVESTMENTS WITH ADJUSTMENTS RELATED TO GRANT CHANGES.
THESE RECOMMENDATIONS SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EQUITY BASED FUNDING STRATEGY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE CITY'S MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
SPECIFICALLY, DELEGATE AGENCY INVESTMENTS WILL FUND 47 AGENCIES AND 79 PROGRAMS IN FISCAL YEAR 23 TO SUPPORT THE LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH SUCCESS.
INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY FINANCIAL STABILITY, REDUCED HOMELESSNESS AND OLDER ADULTS.
AGING WELL IN EARLY 2023, UH, HUMAN SERVICES WILL INITIATE THE NEXT TWO YEAR CONSOLIDATED FUNDING CYCLE.
THIS PROCESS WILL START IN JANUARY WITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT OF, WITH RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY NEW CHALLENGES, GAPS AND RESOURCES.
IN MARCH, HUMAN SERVICES WILL WORK WITH CITY COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH FUNDING PRIORITIES BASED ON COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
ONCE COUNCIL PRIORITIES ARE FINALIZED, WE WILL HOLD ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY TO GATHER INPUT ON THE, UH, COUNCIL IDENTIFIED FUNDING PRIORITIES AND THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
THIS INPUT WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, WHICH WILL BE RELEASED NO LATER THAN JUNE 1ST WITH RECOMMENDATIONS PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE FISCAL YEAR 24 PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND THE SECOND YEAR OF FUNDING IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 WOULD BE BASED ON PERFORMANCE AND FUNDING AVAILABILITY.
AND SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
ROMERO, VERONICA AND I ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UH, MELODY, VERONICA, AND RAMIRO FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
IT'S A LOT, UH, BUT MOSTLY GOOD NEWS, I THINK.
SO LET'S GET RIGHT INTO THE DISCUSSION.
UM, LET ME GO AHEAD AND START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU TO, UH, MY APPOINTEE TO THE LIBRARY BOARD.
I CAN'T TAKE THE CREDIT FOR FINDING HIM BECAUSE HE WAS ON THERE LONG BEFORE I WAS, UH, I WAS ON COUNSEL, BUT, UH, BUT HE HAS STAYED ON.
I'LL START WITH THE, WITH THE LIBRARY.
I HEARD ONE OF YOU ON T P R THE OTHER DAY ABOUT, UH, WAS THAT YOU DALE, NICE WORK ABOUT, UH, THE FREEDOM TO READ.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CONTINUING ON THAT, UH, ON THAT ROAD.
IT'S TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT AND IT, IT MUST BE VERY DIFFICULT, YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
RIGHT? WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS RIGHT NOW.
UM, I, UH, I AM GLAD TO SEE THE PURCHASE OF NEW LIBRARY BOOKS AND MATERIALS.
AND I, I DO WANT US TO BE THE BEST IN THE, IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT, UM, YEAH,
UM, WILL THAT INCLUDE ANY OF THE BOOKS ON LIBBY FOR AUDIO OR, UM, DIGITAL READING? YES.
IT INCLUDES, UH, DIGITAL CONTENT, WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, UH, EBOOKS, AS WELL AS PHYSICAL ITEMS. MM-HMM.
AND WE OFFER OTHER PHYSICAL ITEMS, UH, AS WELL.
I'VE, UH, BECOME A FAN OF THE AUDIO ABILITY ON, ON LIBBY, SO I GET THROUGH A LOT MORE
UM, I, UH, PREVIOUSLY COUNCILWOMAN GUILLO HAD MADE A REQUEST TO EXTEND LIBRARY HOURS.
[00:45:01]
UM, IS THAT, UH, A PART OF THIS BUDGET? NO, IT'S NOT.WE WILL BE REVISITING, UM, OUR HOURS.
UH, WE EXPECT, UH, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPAND HOURS THAT, THAT WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED THIS, THE WORK.
WELL, I WOULD, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT TOO.
UM, I DIDN'T MEAN TO THROW YOUR NAME AROUND LIKE THAT, TERRY, BUT I, I DIDN'T WANNA TAKE CREDIT FOR THE IDEA EITHER.
UM, I, I WILL JUST, UH, MENTION, OH, I'M VERY GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, I THINK I MUST HAVE BEEN OUT WHEN THE INTERVIEWS WERE, WERE HAPPENING.
UM, BUT, UH, WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE RESULTS.
WE CAN CIRCLE BACK AND MAKE SURE, I'LL JUST SEE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAID.
AND YOU CAN, UM, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE, WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR AN UPDATE AT OUR COMMITTEE.
WHENEVER YOU, WHENEVER YOU HAVE A GOOD MILESTONE, UH, POINT.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, YOUR LIBRARY, THE LI OUR LIBRARIES HAVE SERVED AS COOLING CENTERS ON ON HOT DAYS, AND I KNOW SOMETIMES, UH, HOT DAYS LAND ON MONDAYS, AND SOMETIMES LIBRARIES MAY NOT BE OPEN ON A SUNDAY OR A MONDAY.
SO ONE THING THAT, UH, THAT I'M PROPOSING IN THIS, UH, $10 MILLION, UH, AMENDMENT FOR, UM, RESILIENCY IS THAT WE SET ASIDE SOME MONEY TO, TO PAY STAFF TO BE OPEN ON THOSE DAYS SO THAT THE LIBRARY CAN BE OPEN ON THOSE DAYS.
UH, WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT LATER AND SEE IF THAT'S EVEN A POSS POSSIBILITY.
AND, UM, I, I DID JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN REGARDING, UH, SO FOREST HILLS HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR A WHILE, UH, BECAUSE THE BOND IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE, AND THEN WE HAD THE WINTER STORM, RIGHT? UM, THE, THE, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR OPENING THE SATELLITE, UH, KIOSK.
UH, BUT WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT WE'RE, WE'VE ALSO HAD MEMORIAL BRANCH LIBRARY CLOSED, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST ONE THERE.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO AT SOME POINT HAD WESTFALL BRANCH CLOSED.
SO FOR, UM, AND I THINK AT ONE POINT EVEN BAAN WAS, UH, TEMPORARILY YEAH.
SO THOSE ARE BASICALLY THE WEST SIDE BRANCHES.
THEY'RE STILL A BADASS, OF COURSE, BUT THOSE ARE THE WEST SIDE BRANCHES.
AND, AND WE SAW WHEN WE WERE SETTING UP COOLING CENTERS THAT WE HAD A GAP.
UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WENT BACK AND, AND FIXED THAT.
OUR STAFF WENT BACK AND FIXED THAT.
UM, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE USERS.
IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN SCHEDULE THAT SO THAT WE STILL HAVE SERVICE LIBRARY SERVICES IN THE WEST SIDE? WELL, I SHARE YOUR CONCERN.
SOME OF THE CLOSURES WERE UNEXPECTED AND UNPREDICTABLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, FOREST HILLS BRANCH LIBRARY, WE HAD COMPLETELY RENOVATED THAT BRANCH LIBRARY.
WE WERE READY TO REOPEN, AND THEN THE WINTER STORM HIT AND DAMAGED, UH, ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS WE HAD MADE.
SO THAT ONE WE COULDN'T AVOID.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE, UH, TO AVOID ANY CLOSURES.
AND WE ASK, YOU KNOW, VOTING'S IMPORTANT, SO WE AVOID, AVOID CLOSING BRANCHES FOR RENOVATIONS, UH, VOTING, SUMMER READING PROGRAM.
AND SO WE WORK VERY HARD AND IT'S, IT'S A BALANCING ACT, QUITE FRANKLY.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO STAY FOCUSED.
WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE, UH, TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO, TO DO THAT AND WORK WITH THE RESPECTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S PUBLIC WORKS, RIGHT? THAT MANAGES PROJECTS.
SOME PROJECTS ARE MANAGED BY PUBLIC WORKS, UH, PRIMARILY BOND DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
GENERALLY, THOSE ARE PRIMARILY HANDLED BY, UH, THE LIBRARY TEAM.
AND SPEAKING OF THE LIBRARY TEAM, AND LET, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T, UH, INTRODUCE KATHY DONNELLAN, WHO'S OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR SUPPORT SERVICES, AND DALE MCNEIL, WHO'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR PUBLIC SERVICES.
I MAY ASK HIM TO HELP ME IF I CAN'T
AND, UH, MAYBE ERIC, YOU AND I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS LATER.
I, I THINK, UM, WE DON'T WANNA SEE BOTH MEMORIAL AND FOREST HILLS CLOSED AGAIN AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, REGARDING, UM, N H SS D, UH, LET'S SEE.
I'M VERY GLAD TO SEE THE, THE 250,000 SETA ASIDE FOR, UH, PROPERTY TAX VALUATIONS AND HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS.
UH, WHO WILL ACTUALLY DO THE, THE WORK, THE INTERACTION WITH THE CLIENT? YES.
SO WE'RE TALKING TO A COUPLE OF, UH, LEGAL AID PROVIDERS.
ONE OF 'EM IS TEXAS RIO GRANDE LEGAL ASSOCIATION.
UH, WE'VE ALSO HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH ST.
SO, UH, WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED ANY AGREEMENTS YET PENDING, UH, APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET.
BUT WE'VE HAD SOME COORDINATION DISCUSSIONS ON POTENTIAL PARTNERS WHO CAN ASSIST US WITH THAT.
I THINK, UM, I THINK YOU'LL DO A GREAT JOB.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, ANDREW ON, ON MY STAFF SAYS IT SHOULD BE ALMOST LIKE THE VITA SERVICES MM-HMM.
[00:50:01]
FOR TAXES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE.THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE A CERTAIN SEASON, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL OVER THE CITY.
SO SOMETHING THAT'S AS RECOGNIZABLE AS THAT WOULD BE.
UM, I THINK EVENTUALLY WE CAN GET THERE.
UH, BUT I ALSO THINK WE CAN, UH, LEVERAGE FUNDS WITH, UH, SOME OF OUR OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES THAT, UH, ALSO CHARGE TAXES.
HAS THAT EFFORT BEEN MADE? UH, WE'VE DISCUSSED, WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSIONS, UH, WITH THE COUNTY AS WELL, BECAUSE THIS PAST YEAR THEY DID SOME EDUCATION, SO WE'RE TALKING TO THEM, HOW CAN WE PARTNER? OKAY.
AND, UM, THOUGHTS YET ON HOW RESIDENTS WILL BE TARGETED FOR, UM, FOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS TO HELP THEM, YOU KNOW, FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK? SURE.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON A STRATEGY FOR THAT, BUT, UH, WHAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH OUR HOME REHAB, UH, GETTING THE WORD OUT WAS LOOKING AT AREAS THAT HAD HISTORIC DISINVESTMENT.
WE ACTUALLY GOT A VENDOR TO DO A, A BIG DATA ANALYSIS.
SO WE HAVE A PRETTY LONG LIST OF ABOUT 30,000 HOUSEHOLDS THAT NEED THIS TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.
AND WHAT WE DID WITH THE HOME REHAB AS WE DID POSTCARDS AND DOOR HANGERS, AND WE'VE HAD A HUGE RESPONSE TO THAT EFFORT.
SO LESSONS LEARNED, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DRAW ON THE DATA THAT WE HAVE TO SEE, HOW CAN WE BEST TARGET.
AND OF COURSE, WE'LL ALSO USE SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, IT WAS ACROSS EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT HAD THIS AS A CONCERN, AS A REQUEST.
SO WE'LL MAKE THE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY.
UM, THE, UH, DURING OUR GOAL SETTING SESSION, I HAD, UH, TALKED ABOUT SOME SORT OF, UH, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR EITHER TENANTS, UM, UH, WHO WERE RENTING FROM, YOU KNOW, SMALL LANDLORDS, NOT MM-HMM.
WERE YOU ABLE TO, UM, TO FIND ANY, ANY MODELS AND WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THEM? SO WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THAT.
UH, PART OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUDGET INCLUDES, UH, $2 MILLION FROM HUD FOR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT.
AND WE'RE USING THAT AS PART OF OUR HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND IT'S ALSO FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, RENTAL REHAB.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNERS, LIKE THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION TO LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF MODELS, HOW CAN WE USE THOSE FUNDS SINCE THEIR GRANT FUNDS AND CREATE A PROGRAM.
UM, IN SOME OF OUR BOND OUTREACH, WE HEARD THAT AS WELL.
SMALLER LANDLORDS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA APPLY TO AN R F P PROCESS.
SO HOW CAN CREATE A PROGRAM, UM, THAT CAN SPECIFICALLY TARGET, LIKE WE DO WITH, WITH OUR, WITH OUR OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB.
SO HOW CAN WE DO THAT FOR THE SMALL LANDLORDS? SO WE'RE STILL IN THE, THE REVIEW PROCESS.
WE HAVEN'T CONFIRMED A PROGRAM YET, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, THE HOUSING NAVIGATORS, UH, FOR THAT FALLS IN YOUR DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT FOR, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING CODE COMPLIANCE ISSUES MM-HMM.
BEYOND THAT, SO, UH, AT WHAT POINT WILL THOSE, UH, EMPLOYEES ENTER THE CODE COMPLIANCE PROCESS? LIKE, WHEN DO THEY GET BROUGHT IN? YEAH, WE'RE TALKING, UH, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH MICHAEL SHANNON AND HIS TEAM NOW IN ANTICIPATION OF THESE ADDITIONAL STAFF.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS SOON AS THERE IS A CODE VIOLATION, AND, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S TRASH, THERE'S NO NEED OF A HOUSING NAVIGATOR NECESSARILY, BUT IF IT'S A FOUNDATION ISSUE OR HOME REHAB ISSUE, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW AS SOON AS THAT VIOLATION IS ISSUED, UM, OR EVEN SOMETIMES THEY DON'T ISSUE THE VIOLATION, IT'S MORE OF A, OF A NOTICE.
HOW CAN WE HAVE OUR NAVIGATOR WORK WITH THAT FAMILY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE? WE DON'T WANT NECESSARILY THAT VIOLATION AND THEN THE CLOCK STARTS, CAN WE START BEFORE THAT? UM, AND THEN EVEN IF OUR STAFF COULD DO SOME PROACTIVE OUTREACH AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS NOW A SERVICE AND THAT WE CAN CONNECT THEM WITH RESOURCES, SO SOONER THE BETTER.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
AND THANK YOU, UH, TO EVERYBODY WHO PRESENTED TODAY.
I'LL START OFF WITH N H SS D, BUT I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO CHIME IN FOR, UM, FOR THE OTHER TWO.
BUT ON SLIDE THREE, WE SEE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN COVID GRANTS.
IS THAT BECAUSE THERE'S FEWER THAT ARE BEING OFFERED, OR ARE WE SEEKING FEWER GRANTS? AND THEN WHAT ARE THE GRANTS USED FOR? UM, IS IT FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE? SO THE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE ARE, UM, WE'RE SEEING A FEW, A REDUCTION IN OUR C D B G FEDERAL FUNDS.
SO THAT DOES INCLUDE OUR ENTIRE HUD BUDGET, UM, THAT SOME OF IT GOES TO N H S D, SOME OF IT GOES TO D H SS.
SO THAT INCLUDES THE N H S D PORTIONS OF C D B G AND HOME.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A GRANT FROM HUD OR T D H C A, AND THAT HELPS WITH OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL AND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.
THE BUDGET HISTORY LOOKS GOOD ON SLIDE FOUR, BUT THE INCREASE IS MAINLY DUE TO THE HOUSING BOND.
AND SO CAN YOU CLARIFY THE GRAPH, THE, SPECIFICALLY THE AMOUNTS FOR A FISCAL YEAR 22? IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TELL, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE RESTRICTED FUNDS
[00:55:01]
ARE.AND, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT NOW, YOU COULD ALWAYS SEND IT TO ME LATER.
BUT I, I JUST HOPE THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO GROW THE GENERAL FUND ALLOCATION TO N H S D SOME MORE.
THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION, I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, THIS ONE, THE RESTRICTED FUNDS AMOUNT.
SO COUNCILWOMAN, MY NAME'S JUSTINA TATE, I'M THE BUDGET DIRECTOR.
SO THE INCREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND BETWEEN 2022 AND 2023 IS ABOUT $5 MILLION.
UM, IT, AND IT HAS SLIGHTLY INCREASED OVER THESE FIVE YEARS.
UH, SO IT'S ABOUT 12.5 IN 2019, ABOUT 12.8 IN 2020.
UH, 2021 WAS 17.3, AND THEN IT INCREASES TO IN 2022 TO 18.6.
AND THEN 2023, IT'S ABOUT 23.4 MILLION.
UM, OUR RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WE HAVE 3.4 ALLOCATED.
HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO FISCAL YEAR 22? AND THEN IS, UM, THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM INCLUDED IN THAT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE? SURE.
SO THE, UH, AMOUNT SET ASIDE FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS A PORTION OF THE HAP.
SO HAP IS, WE THINK OF IT AS THREE COMPONENTS, BOTH THE RE RENTAL ASSISTANCE, RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, AND THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL IS KIND OF A COMPONENT OF THAT.
SO IN TOTAL, THAT WHOLE BUDGET IS ALMOST $7 MILLION.
SO THIS PREVIOUS YEAR, OH YEAH, SLIDE SEVEN.
SO THIS PREVIOUS YEAR, UM, IT, IT, THERE IS THE COMPARISON, BUT WE HAD ABOUT $50 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THE EAP THAT WENT TOWARDS THAT.
SO, UM, ALL OF THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS ARE, ARE WINDING DOWN.
WE CONTINUE TO REQUEST REALLOCATION AS WE BECOME AVAILABLE ON NEXT WEEK'S COUNCIL AGENDA, YOU'LL SEE AN ITEM, UH, ASKING FOR $3.8 MILLION.
THE ACCEPTANCE OF THOSE FUNDS, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TOWARDS, UH, THE HAP APPLICATIONS WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE QUEUE.
UM, AND WE HAD SUCH A STRONG DEMAND WHEN THE HAP WAS OPEN FOR ABOUT A SIX WEEK PERIOD.
WE ARE STILL PROCESSING THOSE.
SO EVERY TIME WHEN DOES IT REOPEN, BY THE WAY? SORRY.
UH, IT WILL, WITH THIS PASSAGE OF THIS FUNDING WOULD REOPEN OCTOBER ONE.
AND THAT WOULD BE FUNDING FOR PROBABLY ABOUT TWO MONTHS.
AND THEN, UM, HOW MANY DID FAMILIES DO WE EXPECT TO HELP WITH A $2.2 MILLION IN RELOCATION? UH, THAT CAN PROBABLY, I'LL ASK MY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR AN ESTIMATE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, SO FAR THIS YEAR, WE'VE HELPED ABOUT 400 FAMILIES WITH RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.
AND I APPRECIATE THE HUMAN-CENTRIC APPROACH TO THE DELIVERY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AND RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY IN, IN ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE FORWARD FACING.
AND I JUST, UM, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONSIDER THE EFFECTS OF POVERTY, SYSTEMIC INSTITUTIONAL RACISM, THE DISENFRANCHISEMENT, PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES THAT HAVE AFFECTED ALL THESE LIVES.
AND I WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE HEAR EVERY SINGLE DAY IN DISTRICT FOUR.
AND I WANTED TO SHARE SOME STORIES THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND, UM, MY QUESTION AFTER YOU ALL HEAR THESE STORIES, IS, FOR EVERY EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER IN HERE AND EVERY DIRECTOR, UM, TO CONSIDER OR TO TRY TO GO AND LOOK THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE E A P OR FOR THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM AND SEE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS.
BUT I'LL START WITH JOAQUIN AND LOLA.
THEY DID NOT SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION BEFORE THE PORTAL CLOSED IN JUNE.
AND BOTH RESIDENTS ARE SENIOR CITIZENS, BOTH HAVE A HEART CONDITION.
HE IS DISABLED AND UNABLE TO WORK.
AND LOLO WORKS TWO JOBS, BUSING TABLES, AND AT A STADIUM TWO WEEKS AGO, SHE STARTED TAKING NITROGLYCERIN PILLS.
THEY'RE TERRIFIED THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO LIVE ON THE STREET.
LITERALLY, MY, MY, UM, COUNSEL A TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE CONSIDERING LIVING IN THEIR, IN THEIR CAR LAST WEEK.
UM, THEY'RE TERRIFIED THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO LIVE ON THE STREET, LIKE I SAID, BUT RENT IS 10, UH, $1,040 A MONTH, AND HE RECEIVES $940 FROM DISABILITY, GAS, FOOD, MEDICATION, INSURANCE, AND ALL OTHER NECESSITIES ARE COVERED BY HER EARNINGS.
WE WERE ABLE TO PREVENT EVICTION IN JULY, BUT IT REQUIRED HELP FROM THREE DIFFERENT AGENCIES, INCLUDING N H S D.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VERONICA AND TEAM, WITH NO ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE FROM N H S D, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE IF ST.
VINCENT DE PAUL CAN HELP A FINAL MONTH OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN APPROPRIATE OPTION GIVEN THE HEALTH OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AND THEY RECEIVED $11,000 TOTAL IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE FROM N H SS D.
THEN WE HAVE MR. CORBIN AND HIS PARTNER STACY.
THEY'RE BEHIND ON THEIR C P S ENERGY BILL, AND THE RENT IS BECOMING AN ISSUE.
HE'S UNABLE TO WORK, AND HIS PARTNER IS WORKING AS A TECHNICIAN AT A DENTIST OFFICE.
THEIR EIGHT YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAS BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL TWICE THIS YEAR, WHICH CUT INTO THEIR TOTAL TAKE.
HOME PAY RENT IS $1,400 A MONTH AND HE RECEIVES $1,290 FROM HIS VA, BENEFITS, DISABILITY, COMPENSATION, GAS, CAR INSURANCE, DAYCARE, AND ALL OTHER NECESSITIES ARE COVERED
[01:00:01]
BY HER EARNINGS.UM, MY STAFF REFERRED THE COUPLE TO ACOG FOR AS ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR RENT.
THIRD PERSON I WANNA BRING UP IS MAE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER BEING EVICTED.
SHE WAS ABLE TO STAY AT A SMALL MOTEL NEAR THE AIRPORT.
HER DAUGHTER WORKS THERE AND WAS ABLE TO GET HER ROOM AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE WITH THEIR 16, WITH HER 16 YEAR OLD SON.
SHE CALLED OUR OFFICE LOOKING FOR HELP.
FINDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WE HELPED HER SIGN UP FOR RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.
SHE'S IN CRISIS, HAS SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND WILL REQUIRE TWO SURGERIES SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE IN OCTOBER.
SHE NEEDS A SAFE PLACE TO RECOVER.
HER SON WAS ABLE TO GET A JOB AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT.
THEY HAVE MONEY COMING IN NOW THANKS TO HER SON, AND SHE HAS APPLIED FOR S S SS D I THANKS TO THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK.
SHE'S STILL LOOKING FOR HOUSING AND WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT COMPASSIONATELY TOOK THE COSA PROMISSORY NOTE FOR RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.
RECENTLY, THE APARTMENT COMPLEX CONFIRMED THEY WILL HAVE A FIRST FLOOR APARTMENT, TWO BEDROOM AVAILABLE FOR $1,100.
IN MID-SEPTEMBER, SHE'LL HAVE ACCESS TO THE FIRST FLOOR AND A PLACE TO RECOVER FROM SURGERY BECAUSE SHE USES A WHEELCHAIR.
HER DAUGHTER WAS UNABLE TO COVER THE COST OF THEIR MOTEL BEYOND A FEW WEEKS UNTIL MID-SEPTEMBER, THEY WILL BE SLEEPING IN THEIR CAR.
DISTRICT FOUR STAFF IS WORKING ON FINDING THEM TEMPORARY LODGING.
FOURTH IS JANIE A WIDOW MOTHER OF FIVE CHILDREN.
SHE LOST HER HUSBAND TO COVID IN 2019.
IN 2020, SHE STRUGGLED TO KEEP HER CHILDREN TOGETHER.
TWO OF HER CHILDREN ARE FROM HER HUSBAND'S PREVIOUS MARRIAGE, AND NOW SHE HAS FULL CUSTODY.
IN 2022, SHE WAS HIT BY A CAR CROSSING THE STREET AND NOW REQUIRES PHYSICAL THERAPY.
SINCE HER HUSBAND'S DEATH, SHE HAS STRUGGLED TO PAY HER RENT AND LIVING EXPENSES WHILE TAKING CARE OF HER CHILDREN.
HER LANDLORD GAVE HER A FEW MONTHS TO TRY AND CATCH UP ON PAST DUE RENT, BUT AS THE MONTHS WENT ON, SHE FELL FURTHER BEHIND.
SHE'S ENROLLED OR SHE WAS ENROLLED IN THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM.
SHE COULD GET A BETTER PAYING JOB.
SHE NOW HAS A BETTER PAYING JOB, BUT SHE FELL SO FAR BEHIND THAT SHE JUST COULDN'T CATCH UP.
HER LANDLORD RELUCTANTLY FILED FOR EVICTION.
SHE CAME TO OUR FIELD OFFICE IN THE HOPES THAT SHE COULD RECEIVE ASSISTANCE.
N H SS D WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, AND ALLOWED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE HER SOME STABILITY.
AFTER THREE VERY DIFFICULT YEARS SINCE HER HUSBAND PASSED, SHE CAN BREATHE AT LEAST A SIGH OF RELIEF FOR NOW.
NEXT IS MARY, WHO CALLED HER OFFICE BECAUSE HER SON WAS VERY ILL AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHY SHE WAS KICKED OUT.
WHAT HE WAS WAS WHY HE WAS KICKED OUTTA THE HOSPITAL.
TURNS OUT HE DISCHARGED HIMSELF AND WALKED HOME IN THE RAIN AND HIS CONDITION WORSENED SIGNIFICANTLY WHILE TALKING ABOUT HER SON.
WE FOUND OUT THAT HER HUSBAND AND HER ARE SENIOR CITIZENS ON A FIXED LOW INCOME.
SHE HAS TWO ADULT SONS WHO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES BECAUSE OF LONG-TERM DRUG USE AND HER UNABLE TO WORK.
THEY DO NOT RECEIVE DISABILITY ASSISTANCE.
SHE HAS VERY LITTLE FOOD IN HER HOME.
SHE DOES NOT HAVE FAMILY THAT CAN DRIVE HER AROUND FROM MEDICAL VISITS OR TO GET GROCERIES.
SHE WASN'T EVEN ABLE TO GET A FAMILY MEMBER TO TAKE HER SON TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND WAS FORCED TO CALL AN AMBULANCE FOR HER SON.
ANOTHER UNEXPECTED COST FOR HER TO PAY.
SHE RECEIVES SUITE ASSISTANCE.
SHE TAKES THE BUS TO A T B TO GET FOOD THAT DOESN'T LAST FOR FOUR PEOPLE AND ONLY ON ONE INCOME.
SHE CONTINUED TO FALL BEHIND HER RENT IN AUGUST.
HER LANDLORD INFORMED HER THAT HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO EVICT HER AND HER FAMILY.
SHE CALLED OUR OFFICE AGAIN ASKING FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, BUT IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
IT'S DISHEARTENING AND IT DEMONSTRATES HOW MUCH RESIDENTS ARE STRUGGLING, AND THIS IS THE ONE OF THE TOUGHEST THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO TELL OUR RESIDENTS WHO CALL LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE THAT WE CAN'T HELP THEM REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES.
WE OFFERED HER RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, BUT SHE COULDN'T FIND ANYONE TO TAKE A SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER, UH, OR THE COSA PROMISSORY NOTE.
SHE WENT TO HAVEN FOR HOPE COUNTRY YARD AND, UH, UH, COUNTRY, UH, SORRY, UH, COURTYARD.
AND SHE FELT HER LUCKY TO GET THAT.
I'LL BE TOURING TONIGHT HAVEN FOR HOPE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE DOUBLED THE YOUNG FAMILIES TONIGHT STAYING THERE THAN WE DID IN NOVEMBER.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, BUT I WANTED TO JUST REMIND MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NEIGHBORS, WE HAVE RESIDENTS THAT ARE REALLY IN NEED OF THE SUPPORT.
AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP N H SS D AND THEIR ADVOCACY, I'M ALL IN FOR.
AND COUNCILWOMAN, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THAT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, $2.2 MILLION UP ABOUT 785 FAMILIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, AND APPRECIATE THE, UM, THE STORIES THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVE LIFE TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE AND, AND ALSO YOUR, YOUR PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE YOUNG FAMILIES AND, AND KNOW THAT WE'LL BE LEANING IN ON THAT WORK WITH YOU.
UH, LET'S MOVE NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HDA.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE LIBBY APP.
UM, I'M LIKE A COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL.
I LISTEN TO THE AUDIO BOOKS, BUT, UM, IT'S A REALLY EFFICIENT AND EASY WAY TO GET ACCESS TO ALL THE BOOKS WE WANNA READ.
ARE THERE FUNDS INCLUDED TO GROW OUR EBOOK CIRCULATION, OR IS THAT PART OF THE FIVE 6.7 MILLION?
[01:05:01]
PART OF THE $1.5 MILLION? OH, 1.5.WHICH WILL INCREASE THE LIBRARY'S BUDGET BY 30% BOOK BUDGET.
SO I WAS THINKING IT WAS UNDER BOOKS AND MATERIALS, BUT IT'S, IS THAT PART OF IT, MAYBE THE, THE TOTAL, UH, BOOK MATERIAL, UH, BUDGET IS 6.7 MILLION.
SO WE INCREASED IT FROM 5.2 MILLION OKAY.
SO IS THE, THE EBOOK, IS THAT THE ONE AND A HALF THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? OKAY.
YEAH, BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE WAITING FROM MY BOOKS.
THAT'S THE THING THING, RIGHT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE TO REDUCING WAIT TIME IN THE BANK.
UM, AND, UH, I'M VERY GLAD TO SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS AT GTA AND GREAT NORTHWEST LIBRARIES.
G AND W IS THE LIBRARY OF MY YOUTH.
IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BUT IT'S ALSO THE CLOSEST LIBRARY FOR A LOT OF SAN ANTONIANS, UM, ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN.
AND, AND ALSO NOT SANTON, SO LIKE A COUNTY THEY COME FROM, UH, DOWN FROM 4 71, AND I SEE THEM AT THE LIBRARY ALL THE TIME.
SO THAT'S A, AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE.
PETRANKO HAS TAKEN SOME OF THAT PRESSURE OFF, BUT IT'S, THEY, IT'S EASIER FOR THEM JUST TO GO DOWN, UM, COLLIBRA AND, AND GO TO FOR, UM, TO GREAT NORTHWEST.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT GTA HAS HAD AC ISSUES THIS SUMMER ALSO, SO I'M HOPING THAT, THAT SOME OF THESE FUNDS WILL GO TO REMEDY THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS OF COURSE GETTING COMPLAINTS THAT WERE THE COOLING CENTER AND THEN WE DIDN'T, THEY WEREN'T COOL THERE, BUT ABSOLUTELY.
I ALSO, I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO, UH, CAR AND LAS PALMAS.
A LOT OF MY RESIDENTS USE LAS PALMAS, OF COURSE, IT'S, UM, JUST ACROSS THE, THE, THE BORDER THERE.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE ALSO WELL USED LIBRARIES THAT I THINK ARE IN DIRE NEED OF IMPROVEMENT.
UH, THE EDGEWOOD COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ASKING FOR A LIBRARY AND A SENIOR CENTER FOR A LONG TIME NOW.
ARE THERE, IS THERE ANY PART OF A PLAN THAT MIGHT INCLUDE THAT AREA? IT'S RIGHT IN BETWEEN DISTRICTS FIVE AND SIX.
WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, UH, REGARDING THE WEST SIDE EDUCATIONAL LEARNING CENTER.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT.
UH, FOR THE FUTURE, WE, UH, AS SOON AS THE OOK COLLEGE DISTRICT FINISHES OUT THEIR PROJECT, WE, THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LIBRARY TO HAVE SOME PRESENCE THERE THAT HASN'T BEEN DEFINED YET.
THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAD FOR YOU, SIR.
UM, FOR N H S, UM, ARE THERE ANY INCOME ASSISTANCE BASED PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE JUST ABOVE THE POVERTY LEVEL? UM, UH, YES.
SOME OF, MANY OF OUR, EVEN OUR HOME REHAB PROGRAMS GOES UP TO 80% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, AND MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE UP TO THAT LEVEL.
OUR HOME OWNERSHIP, UH, ASSISTANCE GOES UP TO 120% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
SO WE DO HELP A DIVERSITY OF FAMILIES AT SEVERAL INCOME LEVELS.
I'D LIKE TO, I'LL TAKE IT OFFLINE, BUT I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, UM, KIND OF WHAT'S THE, UH, RANGE, YOU KNOW, THE INCOME LEVEL AT THAT YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND ARE THERE ANY PROGRAMS THAT ARE AIMED AT HELPING TEACHERS OR OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS TO, TO GET INTO HOMES LIKE FIRST TIME HOMES? SO, UH, NOT SPECIFICALLY TEACHERS, BUT WE DO ADMINISTER TWO PROGRAMS THAT ARE CITY EMPLOYEES.
SO, YOU KNOW, CIVILIANS AND WE HAVE A SET, WE HAVE ONE, THE HOPE PROGRAM THAT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR CIVILIAN CITY EMPLOYEES WANTING TO BUY THEIR HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE HAVE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, AND THEN WE HAVE A SECOND PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS TO HELP.
IS THERE A WAY, UH, WE CAN EXTEND THAT TO INCLUDE TEACHERS? UH, WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT THAT COULD LOOK.
WE DO HAVE OUR HIP ONE 20, WHICH IS A FUNDED WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS.
SO AS LONG AS THEY MEET OUR INCOME REQUIREMENTS, AND WE HAVE ONE THAT GOES UP TO 80% A M I AND A SEPARATE ONE THAT GOES UP TO 120%.
SO WE CAN CERTAINLY DO AN OUTREACH EFFORT WITH TEACHERS SO THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THAT PROGRAM.
AND THAT PROVIDES, SORRY, DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE UP TO $30,000 UP TO, OKAY.
UM, SO WANNA I QUICKLY, THANKS, UH, THANKS TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL FOR BRINGING THIS NEXT ISSUE TO MY ATTENTION.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A BACKLOG OF HOMES THAT ARE IN LINE FOR WEATHERIZATION, BUT THEY CAN'T MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE THOSE HOUSES NEED REPAIRS TO GET THEM TO A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN BE WEATHERIZED.
IS THERE IS ANY, IS IS YOUR DEPARTMENT WORKING WITH, UM, C P S TO FIND THOSE, TO IDENTIFY THOSE GAPS? YES.
AT THE DIRECTION OF, I THINK YOU WERE ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, COUNCILMAN BRAVO.
THERE WERE SEVERAL, UH, THAT HAVE BROUGHT UP THE QUESTION ABOUT C P S ENERGY COORDINATION.
SO WE'VE CO WE'VE CONTACTED THEM.
WE'VE HAD A REALLY GOOD COUPLE MEETINGS.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A RECIPROCAL REFERRAL PROGRAM, SO WHERE WE, UM, CAN GET THEIR BACKLOG OF FAMILIES THAT NEED HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE AND HOME REHAB ASSISTANCE.
WE'LL BE RESERVING SOME SLOTS OUT OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, SPECIFICALLY TO HELP THOSE
[01:10:01]
WHO ARE INTERESTED IN GOING THROUGH THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.AND THEN ON OUR END, AS WE REHAB THE HOMES, WE'LL REFER THEM TO THE C P S ENERGY.
UM, THAT'LL HELP STRETCH OUR BUDGET FURTHER SO THAT C P S CAN TAKE CARE OF THE WEATHERIZATION, SMART THERMOSTATS, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO WE'LL HAVE A, WE'LL HAVE AN EXCHANGE.
SO I UNDERSTAND THERE'S ALREADY 20,000 HOMES THAT QUALIFIED FOR THE WEATHERIZATION, BUT COULDN'T, COULDN'T GET THE WEATHERIZATION MM-HMM.
SO, UM, I MEAN, YOU HAVE A PLACE TO START ALREADY.
UM, I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, CASA, THE, THE CASA RE PROGRAM COULD HELP THERE, UM, COULD ALL WORK TOWARDS THAT COMMON GOAL.
THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR YOU.
AND FOR MEL, UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE FOSTER YOUTH ARE, ARE HELP THROUGH, UH, HUMAN SERVICES OR OUR, OUR DE IS IT IN OUR, UNDER OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES IN THIS BUDGET? IT'S, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL PLACES.
SO, FIRST, OUR NEXT LEVEL PROGRAM, UM, WHICH IS DESIGNED FOR OPPORTUNITY YOUTH WHO ARE NOT WORKING ON IN SCHOOL.
A NUMBER OF THEM ARE FOSTER YOUTH.
WE ALSO HAVE A HOMELESSNESS GRANT FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE HOUSING AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH WHO COME FORWARD AND ARE EXPERIENCING OR NEAR EXPERIENCING HOMELESS.
AGAIN, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THEM THAT ARE FOSTER YOUTH, HAVE AGED OUTTA THE SYSTEM.
ARE ARE YOU YOU ACTIVELY SEEKING THE, THE FOSTER YOUTH? OR IS IT JUST THAT THEY HAPPEN TO, TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM? I THINK IT'S LITTLE OF BOTH.
WE GET A LOT OF REFERRALS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE GET A LOT OF REFERRALS FROM, UM, THE MUNICIPAL COURTS, JUDGE ALEDO, AND WE WORK WITH HER QUITE A BIT.
AND THEN MARIE, I THINK YOU WANTS TO TALK ABOUT ARPA, OR I CAN, OF COURSE.
SO, AND THEN ALSO THE ARPA PROCESS MM-HMM.
AND IN MENTAL HEALTH ALSO, THERE'LL BE OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE A, A STRONG SUPPORT FOR OUR FOSTER YOUTH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, CHILDREN AGING OUTTA THE SYSTEM.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WORKING WITH THE OTHER AGENCIES YOU MENTIONED AND, AND ALSO, BUT ALSO WORKING WITH OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES MM-HMM.
AGENCIES THAT MIGHT REFER TO THESE, TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
IT'D BE A PRIORITY IN THE CONSOLIDATED FUNDING.
SO, SPEAKING OF, OF MENTAL HEALTH, OF COURSE, THERE'S A BIG CONVERSATION NOW HAPPENING, UM, FOR OUR, OUR ARPA DOLLARS AND MM-HMM.
AND I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE, THE SILVER LININGS THAT CAME OUTTA THE PANDEMIC IS THAT WE'RE ALL REALLY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, AND AS WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ARPA ALLOCATIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH, I THINK ONE THING BECAME VERY CLEAR THAT WE AS A CITY NEED TO CON CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
I JUST WANNA MAKE A, A BRIEF COMMENT ABOUT, UH, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICERS, TEACHERS, CHILDREN, SENIORS, UH, SPECIAL NEEDS.
A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE, ARE NEEDING MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE.
AND YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY A LOT OF TIMES THAT THERE'S NO BOUNDARIES IN REAL LIFE.
UM, BUT, BUT I MEAN, PART OF THAT IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO CLOSELY CONNECTED.
THAT INCLUDES LOOKING INTO HOW WE CAN SUPPLEMENT FEDERAL AND STATE MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE.
SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION.
ONE POINT I JUST WANTED TO PUT ON THE COUNCIL'S RADAR SCREEN.
UM, COUNCILMAN HAVRE WAS TALKING ABOUT ACCESS TO LIBRARIES FROM, UM, MORE THAN JUST RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT AND IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY.
SO WE'LL BE NEGOTIATING A NEW AND A LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY.
THEY PAY US, UH, TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR ACCESS OF OTHERS.
AND SO THAT'LL BE AN ISSUE THAT WE WILL BE NEGOTIATING NEXT YEAR WITH THE COUNTY FOR A NEW FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT.
AND I JUST WANNA, AND TRYING TO PUSH THAT NUMBER UP, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
AND WE, WE, THE, THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE THE COUNTY, UH, IN MY DISTRICT, I MENTIONED THE PETRANKO, UH, LIBRARY.
WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH Y M C A, UH, AND THE, THE, THE BRANCH IS ACTUALLY EMBEDDED IN THE Y M C A FACILITY.
AND, UM, IT'S A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY DOING THAT AT THE WET SEA AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER KIO HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER MICKEY RODRIGUEZ.
AND THERE'S QUITE A FEW DEPARTMENTS.
I'M GONNA TRY TO BE ORGANIZED AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I'LL START OFF WITH THE LIBRARY.
UM, I AM SUPER, SUPER, SUPER EXCITED FOR THE CARVER LIBRARY RENOVATION AND THE EXPANSION.
UM, WANNA SEND MY THANKS TO THE STAFF AT CARVER, THE FRIENDS OF THE CARVER CARVER LIBRARY, UM, AND OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEMBER MS. JOANNE HARRIS, AS WELL AS CITY
[01:15:01]
STAFF.UM, I'LL START WITH THIS QUESTION.
SO OUR COMMUNITY UTILIZE THE COMPUTERS FOR, UH, JOB APPLICATIONS, FOR LEISURE, FOR SCHOOLWORK AMONGST MANY OTHER USES.
AND THE LIBRARY IS A COMMUNITY CENTER FOR ALL.
UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT MANY PEOPLE RELY ON FOR TECHNOLOGY AND WIFI DUE TO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
UM, I HAD MANY STUDENTS WHO USE LIBRARIES, UH, TO FINISH ASSIGNMENTS FOR OTHER CLASSES.
AND SO I'M WONDERING HOW OFTEN ARE COMPUTERS AND OTHER TECH EQUIPMENT REPLACED? AND IF IT'S AN EASIER QUESTION, UH, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE COMPUTERS AND TECH AT THE CARVER WERE UPGRADED? AND MIGHT THAT BE ELIGIBLE? UH, BOND EXPENDITURES.
UH,
I KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC COMPUTERS ARE, UH, REPLACED ON THE ROTATION, AND WE HAVE DOLLARS IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THAT.
UM, LET ME ASK KATHY TO HELP ME WITH THIS.
HI, I AM KATHY DONO, AND I'M ONE OF THE ASSISTANT LIBRARY DIRECTORS.
SO WE HAVE A PC REPLACEMENT FUND, AND WE REPLACE THE PUBLIC COMPUTERS EVERY FOUR YEARS.
UM, CARVER, THE REPLACEMENT OF ALL THE COMPUTERS IN THAT COMPUTER LAB WOULD BE PART OF THE BOND PROJECT.
UM, AND THIS WAS A, A QUESTION SOME MEMBERS OF MY, UH, MY STAFF HAD.
CAN THE LIBRARY CREATE SOME MERCH LIKE OTHER CITIES DO, UM, TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE ENCHILADA LIBRARY IS AN ICONIC BUILDING IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I KNOW MANY RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, UM, WOULD LOVE TO PURCHASE ITEMS SUCH AS SHIRT, BOOKMARKS, LAPTOP STICKERS, ET CETERA.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD DO? I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
LOOK AT THAT MAGIC HAPPENING IN PARTNERSHIP, PERHAPS WITH THE FRIEND TO THE FOUNDATION.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE, IN THE 21ST CENTURY, LIBRARIES ARE BECOMING SOMEWHAT LIKE, UM, OR THE, THEY'RE ALMOST LIKE THE INTROVERT COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, WHICH TIES WHICH TIES, UM, I THINK THE FACILITIES, UM, USES.
SO I THINK THAT, I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTERS LIKE, UM, CLAUDE BLACK, UM, LIKE ELLA, AUSTIN, OTHER FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE A GREATER LIBRARY PRESENCE THERE? IS THERE A WAY TO INTEGRATE, UM, IS THERE A WAY TO CREATE BETTER COLLABORATION? YES.
WE BELIEVE IN COLLABORATION, AND WE ARE DOING THAT.
BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AND HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN OR INCREASE THAT.
SO YES, I, I AGREE WITH YOU FOR SURE.
AND I'LL GO, I'LL CIRCLE BACK TO THE CARVER LIBRARY, UH, WHENEVER IT'S TIME TO START HAVING THOSE, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS.
I KNOW I HAVE BEEN ASKED A NUMBER OF TIMES BY THE FRIENDS OF THE CARVER LIBRARY, UM, WHEN THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND I WOULD LOVE, I HAVE AN IDEA.
I HAVE AN IDEA, AND THIS ALSO GOES TO ELLA AUSTIN FOR, UH, MY FRIENDS AT D H SS IMAGINE CON LIKE, UH, CREATOR STUDIOS IN THESE SPACES.
SO NOT JUST THE RECEIVING OF INFORMATION IN LIBRARY FORM, BUT HOW PEOPLE SHARE INFORMATION AND ATTRACT YOUNGER PEOPLE TO OUR LIBRARY SPACES.
I WANT TO PLANT THAT SEED FOR ALL FUTURE PROJECTS.
UM, BUT HAD TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
THE NEXT, UH, I'LL TALK NEXT TO, UM, D H S.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD TRANSITION POINT.
AND IF I'M ACCURATE IN WHAT I READ, UM, BECAUSE I HAD INTERPRETED THIS DIFFERENTLY, UM, THERE ARE NO NEW HOMELESS OUT HOTLINE POSITIONS OR CITY OUTREACH, UH, STREET OUTREACH POSITIONS.
OH, I REALLY STRUGGLE WITH THAT.
I REALLY, REALLY STRUGGLE WITH THAT.
UM, MAN, I, I THINK I SAID, UH, I'VE, I'VE MENTIONED THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM A LOT, AND THE NEED THAT EXISTS THERE, AND, YOU KNOW, MY FEELINGS ON THAT, I GUESS COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, IF IT IS AS MUCH A SHOCK TO YOU AS IT IS TO ME, 'CAUSE I HAD INTERPRETED IT DIFFERENTLY, AND THAT'S MY PROBLEM, NOT YOURS.
THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS THAT'S COMING UP.
UM, THAT'S CERTAINLY PART OF THE SCOPE OF WORK IS OUTREACH AND, UH, HOMELESS SERVICES.
AND SO THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AGENCIES TO APPLY FOR THAT FOR SURE.
UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS, AND I'VE HEARD THIS IN OTHER DISTRICTS AS WELL, UM, THERE'S A SHIFT IN, UH, THE WAY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOUSES AND THIS AS AN ISSUE.
AND, UM, THEY SEE THE SOLUTION IN A MORE, UH, COMPASSIONATE WAY.
AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT SHIFT.
AND WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SHIFT IN UNDERSTANDING, UM, AND EMPATHETIC EMPATHIC ATTITUDES TOWARD PEOPLE FACING, UH, HOUSELESSNESS.
AND WE SHOULD BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT POVERTY AND HOUSELESSNESS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMICS, UM, AND SHOULD COMBAT EACH AS SUCH WITH, UM, THE MOST ROBUST AND
[01:20:01]
ACCURATE, UH, INFORMATION.SO I'M WONDERING, DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON DATA RELATED TO UNSHELTERED HOUSELESSNESS, UM, THOSE LIVING IN VEHICLES, THOSE LIVING WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS, THOSE WHO ARE DISABLED AND HOUSELESS OR UNSHELTERED, ET CETERA? AND DOES THE POINT IN TIME COUNT INCLUDE THOSE WHO ARE INCARCERATED? UM, IT DOES NOT INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED IN THE COUNT.
UM, IT DOES INCLUDE THE KIND OF DATA THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR BASED ON A SURVEY OF THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS ON THE NIGHT OF THE COUNT.
SO WE CAN BREAK THAT DOWN BY FAMILIES, CHILDREN, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED, PEOPLE WHO SELF-IDENTIFY AS HAVING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
SO THERE'S SOME DATA FROM THAT.
AND WE CAN SEND YOU THAT REPORT.
AND I, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE ALSO CRITICAL OF THE DATA THAT WE DO RECEIVE.
SO THE INFORMATION YOU SEND TO ME, I'M GOING TO BE TRYING TO PICK AT, AND I HOPE THAT YOU DO THE SAME, AND I TRUST THAT YOU DO.
UM, BECAUSE WE CAN'T SOLVE A PROBLEM IF WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FULL SCOPE OF IT.
AND DATA CAN BE USED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
AND IT'S, IT CAN BE PRESENTED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS AS WELL, AND NOT OFTEN.
UH, IS IT TRULY ACCURATE? UH, I WON'T SAY NOT OFTEN.
UH, BUT SOMETIMES WE ALSO PROVIDE MILLIONS IN FUNDING TO HAVEN FOR HOPE.
AND ONE OF MY STRUGGLES WITH THEIR MODEL IS THAT THEY EXCLUDE THOSE WHO QUALIFY FOR LOW BARRIER SHELTER AND THOSE WHO CANNOT PERFORM, UM, ACTIVITIES FOR DAILY LIVING.
AND SO THE AGENCIES THAT WE DO FUND TO FILL THESE GAPS, UM, I'M WONDERING HOW MUCH OF THAT, UH, WHAT WAS IT, 5.6 MILLION, HOW MUCH OF THOSE OTHER AGENCIES MEET THAT NEED? AND HOW MANY HAVE THOSE SAME GAPS? SO SERVING THAT POPULATION THAT CAN'T MEET THEIR ADLS CONTINUES TO BE A CHALLENGE AND SOMEWHAT OF A GAP.
AND THE WHOLE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM HAVEN FOR HOPE IS LOOKING AT THE POTENTIALLY BEING ABLE TO SERVE, UM, MORE OF THOSE CLIENTS INSTEAD OF, UM, TURNING THEM AWAY AT INTAKE.
BUT IT RE IT REQUIRES A DIFFERENT, UH, RATIO OF STAFF TO PEOPLE.
IT REQUIRES, UM, A DIFFERENT SKILL LEVEL.
SOMETIMES NURSING, UH, THE SAM, UM, EMERGENCY SHELTER AT THE HOTEL TAKES A LITTLE BIT HIGHER LEVEL.
AND SO THAT IS A, A GAP THAT OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO WORK ON.
AND, UM, POTENTIALLY PART OF P S H.
AND WHAT I HEARD ALSO FOR THE FIRST TIME JUST NOW IS THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE HAVEN FOR HOPE IS, UM, AT LEAST, UH, SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN CHANGING THE WAY THAT THEY OPERATE.
AND IF THEY'RE, UM, TRULY INTERESTED IN DOING THAT, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION PROBABLY MORE INTIMATELY SIMILAR TO HOW, UH, WE HAD A MEETING MONTHS AGO WITH SEVERAL, UH, PARTNERS MM-HMM.
UM, I'M ALSO WONDERING HOW MUCH MONEY GOES TOWARDS ENCAMPMENT ABATEMENTS, AND HOW CAN WE SHIFT THESE FUNDS TO SAY, SHELTER OR HARM REDUCTION AND OTHER BASIC NEED, UH, NEED RESPONSES LIKE PORTABLE RESTROOM, SHOWERS AND FOOD.
SO, UM, ALONG WITH SOLID WASTE AND, UM, PUBLIC WORKS, WHEN STORM WATER IS INVOLVED, THE, WE SPEND ABOUT 400,000 A YEAR.
IS THAT CORRECT? I DID SEE IN 21 IT WAS 400, 3000.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT IS RESPONDING TO, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLAINTS OF TRASH AND DEBRIS.
UM, WE'RE RESPONDING TO, THE VAST MAJORITY ARE IN DRAINAGE AREAS, STORM WATER AREAS.
AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THE, UH, HEALTH OF THE, THE COMMUNITY SYSTEM TO PREVENT FLOODING AND, AND DAMAGING THE WATER.
AND I WONDER RUNOFF, UH, YOU DID JUST BRING UP SOLID WASTE AND I, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO DISCUSS CREATIVE WAYS OF COLLABORATING TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS IN, UM, AN INCREASINGLY HUMANE, UH, AND DIGNIFIED WAY THAT ALSO MAKES, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD'S HAPPY.
UM, I'LL END WITH THIS, THIS SEGMENT WITH, UM, WE HAD A VERY, UH, CHALLENGING TIME WITH THE GARDEN IN, UH, PROPOSAL OR IDEA.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE KEY PROBLEMS THERE WAS THAT I DON'T THINK, UM, SUFFICIENT OUTREACH HAS BEEN DONE, UH, WITH COMMUNITIES AS THEY EXIST RIGHT NOW.
WE KNOW THAT WE GET A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT HOUSELESSNESS, AND WE KNOW WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.
I'M THINKING THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR TOWN HALL DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR STREET OUTREACH TEAM WHO CAN DISCUSS WHAT IT IS THAT THEY SEE.
PEOPLE CAN EXPRESS WHAT THEIR PROBLEMS ARE, AND THEY NEED TO HEAR THAT THE SOLUTION IS NOT GONNA BE ARRESTING.
THEY NEED TO HEAR THAT THE SOLUTION IS NOT GONNA BE CONTINUED ABATEMENT.
[01:25:01]
BE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND THEY NEED TO BUY INTO THAT.COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UM, LET ME START OFF WITH, UH, LIBRARIES.
UH, I HEARD US TALK ABOUT, UH, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, HOW ABOUT HAVING OUR OWN DIGITAL LIBRARY? WHAT IF WE LOOKED AT THAT AND CREATING OUR OWN RESOURCE? WE ALREADY HAVE A DIGITAL LIBRARY.
AND IT'S, UH, MUCH MORE ROBUST, IF I MAY SAY MY, SHARE MY OWN OPINION THAN THE COUNTY LIBRARY.
I GUESS I NEVER HEARD YOU MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT THAT IN A PRESENTATION.
IT, IT'S PART OF OUR, OF OUR ENTIRE COLLECTION, AND WE DO REFER TO IT INTERNALLY AS A DIGITAL LIBRARY, AND WE PROMOTE IT, BUT IT'S PART OF MANY OTHER SERVICES THE LIBRARY HAS TO PROVIDE AS WELL.
SO IT DOESN'T GET LOST, BUT IT, IT'S PART OF A MULTI, UH, SERVICES APPROACH THAT WE PROVIDE.
I GUESS I DIDN'T PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION, BUT IS IT WELL KNOWN AMONG, UH, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY? HOW, HOW WELL IS IT USED COMPARED TO BOOKS BEING CHECKED OUT? IT'S, UH, VERY WELL USED.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S HERE, BUT I WANTED TO THANK MARCY ENTZ, MY MEMBER FROM DISTRICT NINE WHO SERVES ON THE BOARD.
IS SHE HERE TODAY? SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, SHE'S HELPED ME WITH A LOT OF THINGS WITH THE LIBRARIES.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A NEW PLAYGROUND GOING IN AND AT THE ENCINO BRANCH LIBRARY THAT'S GONNA BE OPENING PRETTY SOON.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COOPERATION OF THE LIBRARY TO PUT THAT IN THERE.
WE'VE GOT THE NEW PARKING LOT GOING IN AT BROOK HOLLOW LIBRARY, BY THE WAY, UH, WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS.
I HOPE WE CAN PUT SOME SHADE COVER AND MAYBE SOLAR PANELS OVER THERE WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
UM, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, AT PARMAN LIBRARY, WE'RE ADDING A NEW TRAIL HEAD AND PANTHER SPRINGS PARK, UH, TO THE PANTHER SPRINGS PARK.
AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE COOPERATION FROM THE LIBRARY TO, YOU KNOW, CONVERT PART OF THEIR PARKING LOT TO BE ABLE TO USE FOR THAT.
UH, AND WE ALSO USE THE OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATER THERE, AND IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S GREAT, UH, AT PARMAN LIBRARY.
AND I THINK THESE ARE JUST, UM, GREAT EXAMPLES OF WHAT THOSE, WHAT LIBRARIES ARE TO US.
THEY ARE NOT JUST, UH, AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE, BUT THEY'RE A COMMUNITY RESOURCE.
AND, UH, I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THE COOPERATION THAT THE LIBRARY OFFERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S JUST AN EXTENSION OF A VALUABLE CITY FACILITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
UH, I'M ALSO GONNA TALK ABOUT HUMAN SERVICES RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND WHAT I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, UH, EXTENDING THE USE OF VALUABLE CITY UTILITIES BRINGS UP THE POINT I WANNA MAKE RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND, UM, I THINK THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR SENIOR CENTERS.
AND ONE OF THE POINTS I'D LIKE TO MAKE UP, UH, I'LL BRING UP IS THAT, UH, MOST OF YOU WOULD PROBABLY SEE IF YOU DROVE BY ONE OF YOUR 11 COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS, THAT IF YOU GO BY AFTER FIVE IN THE AFTERNOON OR ON THE WEEKENDS OR ON THE HOLIDAYS, THEY'RE EMPTY.
BUT THEY'RE WONDERFUL FACILITIES.
AND I THINK ALL OF US APPRECIATE WHAT THEY ARE FOR OUR SENIORS, AND THAT'S THEIR FIRST AND FOREMOST BENEFIT TO THOSE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, DO MORE, WE NEED TO EXTEND THE USE OF THOSE FACILITIES.
AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT IN THE BUDGET.
AND I THINK I'VE MENTIONED IT TO THE CITY MANAGER, AND I'VE, I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
I THINK WE NEED TO, UM, ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO EACH OF THOSE SENIOR CENTERS.
UH, PROBABLY ABOUT $50,000 ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR EACH OF THOSE CENTERS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES THERE IN THE EVENINGS AND THE WEEKENDS.
UH, UH, EVEN, UH, OTHER SPECIAL, SPECIAL OCCASIONS WHEN IT DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH WHAT GOES ON, UH, WITH THE SENIOR ACTIVITIES THAT ARE THERE.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD MORE ACTIVITIES, YOU'D HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE COST OF STAFF AND MAINTENANCE AND UTILITIES AND MAYBE SECURITY.
SO I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THOSE WOULD PROBABLY BE PART OF THE COST FOR ADDING ACTIVITIES THERE.
BUT THEN AGAIN, WE COULD HAVE A LOT OF ADDITIONAL RECREATIONAL EDUCATION, COMMUNITY SERVICES, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES AT THOSE FACILITIES AND, AND MAKE THEM A LOT MORE VALUABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAN THEY ARE TODAY.
[01:30:02]
AND SO I RECOMMEND, LIKE I SAID, INCREASING EACH OF THE 11 COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTER BUDGETS BY $50,000 A YEAR.I THINK THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE TAKING CARE OF ALL OF THOSE EXTRA EXPENSES.
UM, I THINK IT'S A POINT OF DISCUSSION I'D LIKE TO SEE BROUGHT UP AND HAVE THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF LOOK AT.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THERE'S AN O OPPORTUNITY FOR A CITY COUNCIL PERSON TO SCHEDULE A USE OF THAT, ANY OF THOSE FACILITIES FOR MUNICIPAL BUSINESS WHENEVER WE WANT.
AND I CERTAINLY WANT THAT TO INCREASE, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE USE WE COULD PUT TO IT.
AND, UM, I, I SEE MARIA STEPPED UP.
WERE YOU GONNA ADDRESS THIS, MARIA? YES, SIR.
UH, COUNCILMAN, YOU'LL BE PLEASED TO HEAR TOMORROW, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IS RECOMMENDING AS FAR AS PART OF THE MENTAL HEALTH PLAN THAT WE ARE GONNA PRESENT TO THE FULL COUNCIL TOMORROW TO EXTEND THE HOURS OF THE SENIOR, THE COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS, OR ALL OF THE 11 PLUS THE ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE OPENING IN DISTRICT FOUR TODAY.
THEY'RE OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 7:00 AM TO 4:00 PM WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE EXTEND THE HOURS TO 7:00 PM FOUR DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION INITIALLY WAS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
COUNCILMAN PERRY CHALLENGED US TO DO A SURVEY AND AS THE SENIORS, WHAT THEY THOUGHT, AND PERHAPS TO DO FRIDAY INSTEAD OF MONDAY.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT, BUT THERE'S FUNDING TO DO BOTH PROGRAMMING AND EXTEND THE HOURS AND THE RECOMMENDATION YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE TOMORROW.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK IT GOES FAR ENOUGH.
IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXTENDING THEM TILL SEVEN O'CLOCK ONLY FOR SENIORS, THEN IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OR, OR, UM, GROUPS OR ANY OTHER ACTIVITIES TO START, LIKE AT SEVEN 30 AFTER ALL THE SENIORS LEAVE, IT LIMITS THE AVAILABILITY FOR OTHER GROUPS.
AND I KNOW BEING A SENIOR MYSELF, A LOT OF SENIORS DON'T PARTICULARLY WANT TO BE OUT AFTER DARK.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP TILL SEVEN O'CLOCK, AT LEAST FOUR MONTHS OR FIVE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE OUT THAT LATE IN THE DARK, YOU KNOW, FIVE O'CLOCK, YOU KNOW, FOUR O'CLOCK OR FIVE O'CLOCK, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA SEE A LOT OF SENIORS WANNA STAY OUT THAT MUCH LONGER TILL SEVEN.
SO OTHER THAN MY, MY FRIEND COUNCILMAN PERRY HERE, UH, I THINK THAT WE, WE OUGHT TO CONTINUE TO VISIT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO SURVEY OUR SENIORS AND SEE WHAT NUMBERS WOULD WANNA STAY AT A SENIOR CENTER TILL SEVEN AND LOOK AT WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, COULD BENEFIT FROM BEING ABLE TO GET IN THERE AND USE THOSE FACILITIES MORE.
SO ANYWAY, I'VE MADE MY, I MADE MY PITCH ON THAT FOR NOW.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION I, I HAVE IS ABOUT DELEGATE AGENCIES.
AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW, UM, WHAT DELEGATE AGE, UH, ARE THERE ANY SECOND YEAR FUNDING CHANGES WITH OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES? SO WE RECEIVED AN, THE ANSWER IS YES.
WE RECEIVED AN INCREASE IN OUR, UM, HOPWA GRANT FROM HUD, AND SO THAT WE HAVE THREE AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
AND SO WE, UM, ARE SPREADING THOSE DOLLARS TO THOSE THREE AGENCIES SINCE WE HAVE APPLICATIONS.
UM, WE ALSO HAD, UH, THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES WAS FUNDED THROUGH, PARTIALLY FUNDED THROUGH E S G CARES.
AND SO, UM, WE MOVED DOLLARS AROUND, THEY WON'T BE COMPLETELY AT THE SAME LEVEL THEY WERE AT IN FISCAL YEAR 22.
AND SO WHERE WE CAN, IN CLOSING OUT OUR E S G CARES DOLLARS, WE, WE WILL PROVIDE MORE FUNDING.
BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY A NEGOTIATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN ON HOW MANY PEOPLE MM-HMM.
THEY'VE BEEN UNDER SERVING RIGHT.
I JUST ASK IF YOU COULD SEND US THOSE CHANGES SURE.
UH, SO THAT WE HAVE TIME TO LOOK AT 'EM AND UNDERSTAND WHERE THOSE CHANGES ARE WITH CERTAIN AGENCIES.
UH, I NOTICE WE TALK ABOUT THE HOTLINE THAT WE HAVE, UH, AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE CALLING ABOUT HOUSING, UH, HOW SUCCESSFUL ARE, OR EXCUSE ME, NOT HOUSING, WHEN PEOPLE ARE CALLING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, HOW SUCCESSFUL ARE WE IN FINDING HOUSING OR SERVICES FOR PEOPLE CALLING THE HOTLINE? UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND DO WE NEED TO ADD PEOPLE FOR THAT SERVICES? DO YOU HAVE SOME METRICS, UH, THAT CAN SHOW US THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HOTLINE? WE DO, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN PROVIDE IN A,
[01:35:01]
A ONE PAGER FOLLOW UP.WE'VE RECEIVED, UM, ABOUT 18,000 CALLS MM-HMM.
UM, 35% OF THEM ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO, UM, GET OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND ANOTHER 30% ARE PEOPLE WHO, UM, ARE TRYING TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DIVERT QUITE A FEW, BUT WE'LL GET YOU THOSE NUMBERS.
UH, AND THANK YOU ALL TO RAMIRO, UH, MELODY AND VERONICA FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
I WANTED TO START OFF WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN HAS FOUND THAT WE NEED TO INVEST ABOUT 300 MILLION OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS INTO HOME REHABILITATION.
SO THAT'S ROUGHLY, UH, 30 MILLION, UH, EACH YEAR FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
UM, SO I, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE BEEN INCREASING THE GENERAL FUND OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT MY ASK WOULD BE THAT WE GROW THE GENERAL FUND FOR, UM, THE HOME REHABILITATION PROGRAMMING.
UH, AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT Y'ALL ARE RECOMMENDING ABOUT $26 MILLION OF GENERAL FUNDS, UM, BUT I WANNA BE SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK TO MEET THAT SHIP TARGET.
UH, AND THAT WE DON'T FALL BEHIND.
UH, ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT, YES, WE DO HAVE THE BOND DOLLARS, BUT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SCALE UP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK, UH, TO MEET THOSE GOALS WITHIN 10 YEARS.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN PLENTY OF DISCUSSION AROUND THE C P S REVENUE TO INCREASE WEATHERIZATION FUNDS.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT, THAT WE CAN SCALE UP, UH, HOMEOWNER REHAB PROGRAMMING AND WEATHERIZATION.
IF WE LOOK TO THOSE FUNDS, OF COURSE, THIS IS MORE THAN JUST ENVIRONMENTAL AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
UM, BUT THERE'S MULTIPLE BENEFITS INCLUDING WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES.
AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO POINT TO, UH, THE READY TO WORK ESSAY DATA THAT SHOWS, UH, GI ROME ONE IS IN THE TOP 10 EMPLOYERS WITH THAT PROGRAMMING AND THEIR ROLE IS, UH, DEMOLITION AND POTENTIALLY DECONSTRUCTION.
SO HIGHLIGHTING THAT PARALLEL IS IMPORTANT.
ROCHA FOR SHINING A LIGHT ON THOSE STORIES OF FOLKS WHO ARE AT RISK OF BEING EVICTION.
UM, I KNOW I MENTIONED THIS DURING THE, THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS WELL, THAT MY CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAM OFTEN FIELDS THESE CALLS OF FOLKS THAT ARE AT RISK OF BEING HOMELESS OR ARE HOMELESS ARE CURRENTLY IN A SHELTER AND THEIR TERMS EXPIRING.
UM, THESE ARE VERY REAL AND HEAVY EXPERIENCES THAT PEOPLE ARE WALKING AROUND WITH.
AND I'VE SHARED THAT MY TEAM HAS VOTED CALLS WHERE WE HAVE CONSTITUENTS SAYING THAT THEY WANNA END THEIR LIFE.
UM, AND I KNOW YOU CONNECTED ME TO SERVICES AND TRAINING TO PROVIDE THAT TO MY TEAM, BUT THAT'S THE REALITY ON THE GROUND IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE KNOW THAT EVICTION FILINGS HAVE NEARLY DOUBLED IN 2021.
UH, ANI FROM THE HOUSING TRUST SHARED A STUDY WITH, UH, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND IT'S A STUDY THAT, UM, HIGHLIGHTS MUNICIPAL POLICY TO ADDRESS, UH, HEALTH AND EQUITY IN HOUSING.
AND IT HIGHLIGHTS THAT EVICTIONS IN HAVE THEIR OWN HEALTH RELATED HARMS AS THEY INCREASE THE PROBABILITY OF HOSPITALIZATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION, THE NUMBER OF EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, SUBSTANCE USE, RELAPSE, THE LIKELIHOOD OF MATERNAL DEPRESSION AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON SELF-REPORTED MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.
AND THIS IS NOT ONLY DUE TO THE STRESS OF POSSIBLE DISPLACEMENT, BUT WE KNOW EVICTIONS OFTEN LEAD TO SUBSTANDARD HOUSING CONDITIONS AND OR HOMELESSNESS.
UM, SO I WANNA BE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION IN A PUBLIC SETTING AROUND, UH, HOMELESSNESS, THAT AS CITY STAFF, WE CHALLENGE, UH, THE IDEA AND THE BLANKET CRIMINALIZATION OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY FACTORS TO WHY PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR STREET.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T PASS THE BUCK TO ELECTED OFFICIALS IN A DIFFERENT ENTITY.
UM, AND WE TAKE OWNERSHIP AND POINT TO THE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE SHOULD BE INVESTING AND IMPROVING, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET MORE FOLKS OFF THE STREET.
SO MY ASK IS FOR RENTAL AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE THAT WE DOUBLE THAT.
UM, BUT CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PIPELINE WAITING TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM, UM, THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM? SURE.
WE HAVE ABOUT 2000 FAMILIES IN THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PIPELINE, AND WE HAVE, UM, ARE STILL PROCESSING THOSE.
SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROCESS BASED ON THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
AND, AND I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT ON OCTOBER 1ST THAT IT'S GOING TO OPEN AGAIN.
UM, THERE'S STILL COVID RESTRICTIONS WITH SOME OF OUR, OUR SHELTERS AND DELICATE AGENCIES.
MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE BEING STRATEGIC AND INCREASING THAT GENERAL FUND INVESTMENT, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES AND AGENT PLACE IF THEY WANT TO, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, AND WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SCALE THAT UP.
UM, SO AGAIN, I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.
WE KNOW THAT IT PREVENTS NINE OUTTA 10 TENANTS FROM BEING PUT OUT ON THE STREETS.
SO THAT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, UH, THAT N H SS D HAS, UH, IMPLEMENTED AND HAS
[01:40:01]
TAKEN ON.AND I ALWAYS HIGHLIGHT THAT Y'ALL'S TEAM IS A SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM.
AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, I BELIEVE SARAH WAMSLEY, A CONSTITUENT TOLD ME THAT HER HOME CAUGHT ON FIRE AND SARAH SHOWED UP WITH CLOTHES FOR HER.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS IN THE PERSONAL CAPACITY OR CAPACITY, UH, WITH N H S D, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S VERY REFLECTIVE OF, I BELIEVE, THE ETHIC AND THE COMPASSION THAT THE FOLKS WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS.
SO, SO THANK Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL'S WORK, AND THANK Y'ALL FOR CONNECTING, UH, THE TENANT WITH, WITH CLOTHING, UH, THAT SHE LOST IN THE FIRE.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE NOT HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE DEMOLITION MITIGATION PILOT PROGRAM, BUT I DO WANNA POINT TO THE, THAT MODEL, UM, THAT MIKE CORONA AND LIZ HAVE IMPLEMENTED.
IT'S A SOCIAL WORK MODEL, VERY HUMAN-CENTRIC, AND I'VE MET WITH THE FIRST FAMILY THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING CONNECTED TO READY TO WORK, THEY'RE GETTING CONNECTED TO TITLE CLEARANCE PROGRAMMING, AND IT'S THOSE IMPORTANT PIECES TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T BECOME THE NEXT EAST AUSTIN IN DISTRICT FIVE.
SO I, I APPRECIATE AND VALUE THE WORK OF MARK LIZ AND N H SS D AGAIN.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT OUR TEAM CONTINUALLY RECEIVES CALLS ABOUT IS MODIFICATIONS FOR THE HOME FOR, UH, DIFFERENTLY ABLED INDIVIDUALS.
UM, DO WE KNOW IF ANY OF OUR DELEGATE AGENCY PARTNERS, UH, CURRENTLY DO THAT WORK? AND IF SO, IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UH, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM SO THAT WAY WE CAN HELP MORE SENIORS AND DISABLED INDIVIDUALS, UH, GET RAMPS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UH, WE, WHEN WE HAVE THOSE FAMILIES, WE TRY AND HELP THEM THROUGH OUR MINOR REPAIR PROGRAM.
IF, IF THERE'S AVAILABILITY AND THEY QUALIFY.
WE'VE ALSO REFERRED FAMILIES TO, UH, MERCED HOUSING.
THEY TOO, UH, ARE SUB RECIPIENTS OF, AND THEY DO HELP US WITH MINOR REPAIRS.
SO WHEN WE CAN'T HELP THEM, ORRC SAID, CAN HELP THEM.
AND WE'VE JUST STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER NONPROFITS, UM, SUCH AS OPERATION, UH, UH, ADAPTIVE ED IS ONE OF THEM, AND THERE'S SOME OTHER VETERAN FOCUSED NONPROFITS THAT WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH IN CHURCHES AS WELL.
UM, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE SHIP GOALS, AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY'RE VERY LARGE GOALS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I EMPHASIZE THAT THERE'S NO WAY THE CITY CAN MEET THOSE GOALS ON OUR OWN.
SO PARTNERSHIP, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF HOW WE WILL MEET THOSE GOALS.
AND SO, UM, PART OF OUR EFFORTS, UM, THERE IS A TON OF NEED FOR HOME REHAB IN THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S, IT'S LITTLE REHABS, LIKE HELPING INDIVIDUALS WHO MAYBE HAD A SURGERY IN A DIFFERENT STAGE OF THEIR LIFE, AND NOW THEY NEED THAT.
UM, SO WE HELP THEM OR WE CONNECT THEM WITH OUR NONPROFITS.
AND THERE ARE MANY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING HOW WE CAN INCREASE OUR SUPPORT TO THOSE NONPROFITS SO THEY CAN LEVERAGE UP WHAT THEY DO.
AND THAT STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IS KEY, RIGHT? WHEN WE, I THINK ABOUT HOUSING, HOUSING POLICY, UH, I THINK OF OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND HEALTHCARE POLICY IN THAT WE HAVE THIS HUGE GAPING WOUND, UM, THAT'S THERE BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF A PUBLIC PARTNER, RIGHT? AND I THINK OF OPPORTUNITY HOME AND THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO LEVERAGE THAT PARTNERSHIP TO REALLY CHIP AWAY AT THESE SHIP GOALS, UM, I THINK WE COULD POTENTIALLY ACCELERATE GETTING TO THOSE GOALS BY, UH, PARTNERING WITH OPPORTUNITY HOME.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE, UM, MY, MY LAST QUESTION IS REGARDING THE HOUSING NAVIGATORS.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, IS PUTTING FORTH CASE MANAGERS TO HELP, UM, CONSTITUENTS VULNERABLE TO CODE COMPLIANCE VIOLATIONS MM-HMM.
UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT CODE IS GOING TO WORK WITH N H N H SS D.
CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT RELATIONSHIP'S GOING TO, TO TAKE PLACE AND THE ROLE OF N H S D? YES.
SO WE ARE PROPOSING WITH THIS IMPROVEMENT SEVEN HOUSING NAVIGATORS THAT WILL WORK, UM, SIDE BY SIDE WITH CODE COMPLIANCE.
THEY WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL THIRD EMPLOYEE, UM, THAT WILL BE ON THE CODE SIDE, KIND OF MANAGING THE COORDINATION BETWEEN OUR TEAM AND THEIR TEAM.
AND SO WE WILL INTERVENE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WE'VE ALREADY BEEN MEETING WITH D S D TEAM ON HOW THAT PARTNERSHIP COULD LOOK AND TALKING ABOUT HAVING, YOU KNOW, WEEKLY MEETINGS AT FIRST, SEEING HOW OFTEN WE NEED TO, SO WE CAN ENSURE THAT FAMILIES THAT ARE FACING, UM, NOTIFICATIONS OF POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS ARE CONNECTED WITH OUR HOUSING NAVIGATORS.
AND A LOT OF IT IS BASED ON THE MODEL YOU TALKED ABOUT AS WE'VE WORKED WITH A CONSULTANT, UH, THROUGH THE, UH, DEMO DIVERSION PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S WHAT SHE'S BEEN DOING, IS CONNECTING THE HOMEOWNERS, GIVING THAT WRAPAROUND SERVICE.
SO THESE TWO POSITIONS, UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO MORE BEYOND THESE TWO HOUSING NAVIGATORS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL ACTION APPROVING OUR HUD BUDGET EARLIER THIS MONTH, IT ALREADY APPROVED TWO HOUSING NAVIGATORS.
SO IT'LL BE ACTUALLY A TOTAL OF FOUR THAT WILL HELP WITH THAT EFFORT.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT AND EXCITING NEWS.
UH, THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR N H SS D I HAVE ONE MINUTE.
I'LL CHIME BACK IN AND GO, GO FOR IT.
UM, SO I
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY
[01:45:01]
TIME'S UP.NO, YOU'RE THE SENIOR AND THE SENIOR COUNCILMAN I MIGHT ADD.
SO, UM, NOW LET, LET'S START WITH THE LIBRARY.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, BUT I WANNA MAKE A COMMENT HERE.
I JUST HAD A PHONE CALL A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THIS MEETING FROM LINDA NAREN.
SHE'S, UH, RESIGNING FROM THE, UH, LIBRARY BOARD.
I PUBLICLY WANT TO THANK HER FOR 10 YEARS, OVER 10 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE LIBRARY BOARD.
SO, UH, SHE'S BEEN VERY VALUABLE TO THE BOARD, SIR.
UM, ON PAGE 360 OF THE BIG THICK BOOK HERE, UM, YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT THE PRE COVID I AREA, UH, UH, NUMBER OF ANNUAL LIBRARY CIRCULATION WAS UP OVER, UH, I GUESS 9 MILLION YOU'D MENTIONED THAT WAS THE NUMBER CLOSE TO 9 MILLION.
SO, UH, UH, AND THEN I LOOKED DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, UH, ASKING FOR TWO MORE POSITIONS, UM, WITH, WITH STILL NOT EVEN THAT MANY TARGETED VISITS FOR 2023.
SO I'M SAYING, WHY DO YOU NEED MORE MANPOWER AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UM, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, UM, WHERE YOU'RE NOT EVEN MEETING THE 2019 NUMBERS PRE COVID NUMBERS? ALRIGHT, SO I REPORTED TWO THINGS.
ONE, THERE'S A TREND UPWARD AND WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GETTING TO PRE COVID NUMBERS IN TERMS OF CIRCULATION IN-HOUSE VISITS.
THE TWO POSITIONS ARE FOR THE ANA COLLECTION RESOURCE CENTER, WHICH IS BEING EXPANDED, UH, WILL DOUBLE IN SIZE.
AND AS WE INCREASE THE SIZE TO, WELL, 21,000 SQUARE FEET, WE NEED ADDITIONAL STAFF TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO THAT VALUABLE COLLECTION FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S, UH, LOCAL HISTORY AND GENEALOGY.
THE TWO FTES IS FOR THAT PARTICULAR INITIATIVE.
UM, YEAH, AND I'M NOT, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT, UM, YOU HAD AN INCREASE OF OVER 4 MILLION FROM 21 TO 22, AND NOW YOU'RE ASKING FOR ANOTHER 6 MILLION, UH, FROM 22 TO 23.
I, I, I JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THESE INCREASES ARE GOING OR WHY YOU NEED THOSE, THOSE LARGE OF AN INCREASE.
I'M NOT SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION IS HERE.
PAGE 360 OF THE BIG THICK BOOK.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER, THE INCREASES THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN 2020, FROM 2021 TO 2022 AND 2023, CIVILIAN COMPENSATION IS A LARGE PORTION OF THAT.
UM, IN 2022, IT'S, UM, FOR, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023, THE CIVILIAN COMPENSATION INCREASE ABOUT 2.4 MILLION.
THE OTHER COMPONENTS ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE IN 2022 AND THEN 2023 TO INCLUDE THE INCREASE IN THE LIBRARY, UH, BOOK MATERIAL BUDGET, AS WELL AS SOME TECHNOLOGY COSTS AND SECURITY COSTS THAT, THAT ARE INCREASING IN 2023.
SO THAT, THAT, UH, PERSONNEL INCREASE IS ALL PART OF THAT $50 MILLION INCREASE IN OVERALL, UM, YES, SIR.
UM, IF, IF YOU COULD JUST LAY THAT OUT FOR ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ON WHAT, WHAT THOSE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE OFFERING.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT NOW, BUT JUST SEND ME A LIST OF, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE OFFERING, THIS IS WHAT OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS GONNA BE FOR THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING GOING INTO THE 23 BUDGET.
N H SS D UM, KIND OF THE SAME THING.
UH, IN THE BIG THICK BOOK HERE, PAGE 3 71, YOU'VE GOT, UH, 12 ADDITIONAL POSITIONS GOING FROM 21 TO 22, AND THEN FOUR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS GOING FROM 22 TO 23.
UH, AND, AND, UH, SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN THE TOTAL BUDGET WHERE, WHY? SO THE 12 ADDITIONAL POSITIONS ARE RECOMMENDED TO IMPLEMENT THE HOUSING BOND.
EIGHT OF THOSE ARE DEDICATED FOR THE HOME REHAB TEAM, AND WE ARE INVESTING ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN THE HOME REHAB PROGRAMS JUST, JUST FROM THE BOND ALONE NEXT YEAR.
AND THE OTHER FOUR OF THOSE BOND POSITIONS ARE RECOMMENDED TO HELP START THE, UH, RENTAL AS THE RENTAL PROGRAM, THE NEW RENTAL PRODUCTION, SINGLE FAMILY PRODUCTION, SO ALL OF THAT TO START IMPLEMENTING OUR HOUSING
[01:50:01]
BOND.THE OTHER, UM, SO THAT'S 12 OF THE POSITIONS.
THE OTHER FOUR POSITIONS ARE TO RIGHT-SIZE.
OUR FISCAL TEAM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN USING A LOT DOZENS OF FISCAL TEMPS.
AND AS THESE PROGRAMS ARE TRANSITIONING FROM PANDEMIC RELIEF TO PERMANENT PROGRAMS, UH, WE DO NEED THE FISCAL STAFF TO SUPPORT ALL OF THIS.
UM, BUT I, TO EXECUTE THE BOND PROGRAM, I THOUGHT WE'RE BRINGING ON ADDITIONAL PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS TO EXECUTE THE HOUSING BOND PROGRAM.
ARE WE DOUBLE COUNTING HERE OR, NO, NOT PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS.
PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS TO DEAL WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT, BUT WE ARE BRINGING ON, WE ARE RECOMMENDING WE BRING ON ADDITIONAL FOLKS IN NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES TO OVERSEE AND DELIVER THE $150 MILLION AFFORDABLE, UM, HOUSING PROPOSITION.
BUT I THOUGHT I REMEMBERED ON PUBLIC WORKS, THEY ALSO HAVE SOME MANPOWER BUILT INTO THE HOUSING BOND.
OVERALL, WE'RE ADDING PUBLIC WORKS AND NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES FOR THE BOND PROGRAM, BUT WE'RE NOT PUTTING HOUSING FOLKS OVER IN PUBLIC WORKS.
WE'RE PUTTING 'EM WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES.
WE'LL, WE'LL RECAP IN THE FOLLOW-UP MEMO WHERE THOSE POSITIONS ARE GOING, UM, IN THAT, IN THAT OVERALL, UM, PLAN.
SO THE, UM, LET'S SEE, AN OVERALL CHANGE I'M SHOWING ON SLIDE THREE IS PLUS UP 16 ON THAT SAME, SAME, UH, SLIDE THE COVID GRANTS ONCE, ONCE THOSE ARE GONE, WHERE, WHERE'S THOSE, WHERE ARE THOSE FUNDS GONNA BE MADE UP BY? OR HOW ARE THOSE FUNDS GONNA BE MADE UP BY? SO, UH, THE COVID GRANTS ARE MOSTLY FUNDING OUR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND WE WILL INSTEAD HAVE GRANTS FROM THE STATE T D H C A TO PAY FOR OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL AND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING NEXT YEAR.
AND WE ARE ALSO RECOMMENDING $3.4 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND, UM, TO GO AHEAD AND COVER THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, IN THE GENERAL FUND, HOW, AND I'M, I'M JUST NOT SEEING IT, WHAT KIND OF INCREASE ARE WE HAVING IN OUR GENERAL FUND OVERALL FOR THIS, UH, $400,000.
AND THE REST IS COMING FROM, UH, IT WAS PREVIOUSLY IN RELOCATION AND RIGHT TO COUNSEL.
SO SINCE WE HAVE GRANT FUNDS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS, WE'RE REDIRECTING THE ENTIRE AMOUNT TO, UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
YOU, YOU MENTIONED A, A SHORTFALL OF 28,000 HOMES HERE IN, IN, ACCORDING TO THE SHIP.
AND AGAIN, I SEE THAT THERE'S, UM, MORE THAN HALF GOING TO PRESERVATION AND I I'M NOT, YOU DON'T SHOW THE BREAKOUT FOR INDIVIDUAL HOMES VERSUS, UM, THE 1200 PRODUCTION THERE, A LARGE PORTION OF THAT GOING TO APARTMENTS.
AND THAT'S WHERE I GOT A HANGUP.
WE'RE NOT GETTING CLOSER TO THAT 28,000 SHORTFALL BY, UH, RENOVATIONS AND, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL HOMES VERSUS THE, THE LARGE COMPLEXES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY BUILDING AS AFFORDABLE HO HOUSING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO I STILL GOTTA HANG UP WITH THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'LL EVER GET OVER THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING MORE ON, ON THOSE INSTEAD OF ON THE, THOSE LARGE COMPLEXES THAT WE CAN HOUSE MORE PEOPLE.
THAT'S THE END GOAL IS, I THOUGHT WHEN THIS WHOLE PROGRAM WAS BEING PUT TOGETHER, I'M, I'M SURE LORI WILL HAVE MORE TO ADD, BUT THOSE, UH, THAT 28,000 IS MADE UP OF BOTH PRESERVATION AND PRODUCTION.
UM, THE GOAL FOR, UH, PRODUCTION ALONE IS ABOUT 12,000 UNITS.
SO WE ARE, UM, CHIPPING AWAY AT THAT.
AND THAT IS A COLLECTIVE GOAL BETWEEN CITY COUNTY INCENTIVIZES THEIR OWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
WE HAVE OTHER NON-PROFITS THAT DO THIS WORK THROUGH SOLELY STATE TAX CREDIT.
SO IT'S A COLLECTIVE GOAL THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING TOWARDS MEETING, AND THIS IS JUST LOOKING AT ONE PIECE OF HOW WE'RE GONNA MEET THAT GOAL.
AND I'M JUST SAYING IF WE DIVERTED ALL THOSE OTHER FUNDS FROM THOSE OTHER PROGRAMS INTO THE PRODUCTION OF THESE LARGE COMPLEXES, WE WOULD GET CLOSER TO THAT OVERALL SHORTFALL MUCH QUICKER THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
JUST MY HANGUP WITH THIS WHOLE PROGRAM.
UM, I'VE SAID THAT MANY TIMES.
UH, SLIDE NUMBER SIX ON, ON YOUR OVERVIEW, THAT'S GREAT.
SHOWING THE OVERVIEW, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDED IN HERE, HOW MANY POSITIONS IN EACH ONE OF THOSE BOXES.
AND ALSO HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE PUTTING INTO THOSE BOXES, BECAUSE THE MORE MONEY YOU PUT IN THESE BOXES, THE LESS HOUSING
[01:55:01]
MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THE INDIVIDUALS OUT THERE.SO THAT'S, I'D REALLY LIKE THAT ADDED ONTO THIS CHART.
UM, AND, UH, I'M GLAD TO SEE THE VERONICA, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT, UM, BUDGET ITEM FOR, UM, EDUCATION AND ASSISTANCE ON, ON, UH, PROPERTY TAX PROTESTING AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
I WANNA POINT TO MY BUDGET ASK FROM LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS FOR 500,000, IT WAS PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE.
AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION IN TERMS OF HOW THIS IS EXECUTED.
SO WHAT I HAD WAS FUNDING FOR CONTRACT SERVICES TO PROVIDE PROACTIVE OUTREACH IN LOWER INCOME AREAS TO ASSIST IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED, LIMITED TO DOOR-TO-DOOR CANVASSING, MASS TEXT MESSAGING AND TELEPHONE TOWN HALLS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
SO A CORE PART OF THAT TO MAKE THAT EFFECTIVE, I THINK IS BEING PROACTIVE.
I KNOW MY OFFICE HAS REACHED OUT TO, UM, MICHAEL AMITA IN WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT, AND HE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH A LIST OF PEOPLE THAT THEY BELIEVE ARE LIKELY, UM, HOMEOWNERS WHO LIVE IN THEIR HOMES BUT DO NOT HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
AND I, I'D LIKE TO SEE US BE ABLE TO DO SOME, SOME, UH, TARGETED OUTREACH TOWARDS THEM WITH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE CONTRACTING WITH SOME TRUSTED, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UM, AND WHAT I HAD LISTED FOR TARGET FOR TARGETED RESIDENTS WAS, UH, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN A HOME THEY OWN, BUT DO NOT HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WHERE OUTREACH EFFORTS WOULD, WOULD FOCUS ON A ASSISTING RESIDENTS AND OBTAINING A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
BUT THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, RESIDENTS WHO HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AND ARE 64 YEARS OF AGE, UM, OUTREACH EFFORTS WOULD FOCUS ON ASSISTING THOSE RESIDENTS IN PROTESTING THEIR BCA PROPERTY VALUATION, UH, PRIOR TO WHEN THEY TURN 65 AND REF AND RECEIVE A PROPERTY TAX FREE.
SO WE CAN HELP THEM TO PROTEST THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, BRING IT DOWN TO A LOWER LEVEL RIGHT BEFORE IT FREEZES.
UM, I'LL CONTINUE ON WITH THE, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS STILL FOR N H S D AND THEN I'LL GO ON TO THE OTHER ONES.
AND I FULLY SUPPORT THE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN FOR THE PROPERTY TAX PROTESTS.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF US STEPPING UP AND DOING OUR PART ON THE TOOL AVAILABLE.
UH, TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS ON SLIDE 11 AND 12.
ARE THOSE NEW POSITIONS AND ARE THEY FUNDED THROUGH THE BOND? YES.
THOSE ARE ALL NEW FUNDED, BOND FUNDED POSITIONS.
DO YOU BY ANY CHANCE HAVE ANY DETAILS OR BACKUP SLIDES ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND? ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND? MM-HMM.
WE'LL SKIP THE FUND BALANCE AND WHAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO IT.
AND THEN ALSO ON SLIDE NINE, UH, IT WAS INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S FEE WAIVER PROGRAM.
SO THAT IS ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
IT'S ADMINISTERED BY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS RIGHT NOW TO UPDATE THEIR INCENTIVE POLICY.
THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, VERONICA.
UM, OH, WAIT, ACTUALLY I'M SO SORRY.
WELL, I THINK IT, IT MIGHT BE A COMBINATION 'CAUSE I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE COULD POSSIBLY ADD ADDITIONAL, UM, HOMELESS OUTREACH COORDINATORS.
AND SO I MENTIONED HOW THE SOUTH SIDE HAD BEEN, UM, GONE WITHOUT A HOMELESSNESS RESOURCE COORDINATOR.
ROGELIO NVAS STARTS ON, NO, ON SEPTEMBER THE 12TH.
SO I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE GONNA ON BOARD.
UM, BUT I STILL THINK THAT THE, THE SOUTH SIDE IS, UH, A LITTLE BIGGER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS.
DISTRICTS ARE THE FIRST AND SECOND LARGEST.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION TO ADD ADDITIONAL POSITIONS.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A TAG TEAM BETWEEN YOU AND MEL.
UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MCKEE RODRIGUEZ ABOUT THEIR CONSOLIDATED FUNDING BEING AN OPPORTUNITY.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY ADD, UM, NEXT YEAR.
BUT WHAT I FORGOT TO MENTION WAS THAT I THINK, UM, TOMORROW YOU'LL SEE THAT AS A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ARPA MENTAL HEALTH DOLLARS IS ADDING MORE RE UH, OUTREACH FOR CHRONIC AND VETERAN HOMELESS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO AUGMENT
[02:00:01]
THAT, THAT GROUP.AND THEN I'M ALSO WORRIED IF IT'S ARPA FUNDING THAT EVENTUALLY IT RUNS OUT.
AND SO, BUT I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT AT THAT POINT WE WOULD HAVE A PLAN TO KIND OF KEEP THAT IN PLACE.
AND THEN, MEL, WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF, UM, THE, ON SLIDE FIVE, YOU EXPLAIN WHAT MAKES UP THE TOTAL COMMUNITY INVESTMENT OF THE $77 MILLION.
AND SO CAN YOU JUST THROW ABOUT SOME OF THE, UM, PROGRAMS THAT, THAT ARE IN HERE? SURE.
IT'S ABOUT 14 DIFFERENT FEDERAL AND STATE PROGRAMS. AND SO IT'S, UM, H H SS C FUNDING FROM THE STATE T D H C A FUNDING FROM THE STATE AND FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THEN ALSO THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY FROM THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION FOR VOUCHERS AND CASE MANAGEMENT.
AND THEN, UM, I'LL SKIP OVER TO SLIDE SIX.
AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF ADDITIONAL LOW BARRIER SHELTERS THAT ARE, SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED, I THINK.
BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED MORE, UM, CONSTRUCTION BEYOND DOWNTOWN.
AND SO I HAVE A HANDY DANDY MAP LIKE I ALWAYS DO.
AND, UM, I, I THINK WE NEED SOME ADDITIONAL, THEY'RE ALL CONCENTRATED AGAIN, AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA, SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, UM, MAYBE TO LOOK AT A LIST OF PROPERTIES.
AND I, I'VE SPOKEN WITH LORI HOUSTON ABOUT THIS ALREADY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF PUBLICLY VOICE THAT AGAIN.
UM, AND THEN ON SLIDE EIGHT, YOU ALL HAVE THE HERITAGE PARK MULTI-GEN CENTER, UM, LISTED SOUTH OF 90.
IT'S ACTUALLY, UM, NORTH, SO JUST FOR NEXT TIME FOR THAT CORRECTION.
AND THEN I'LL GO ON TO THE LIBRARY.
AND SO, UH, RAMIRO AND, AND PAUL AND DALE AND, UM, KATHY AND JESSICA, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING ABLE TO, TO HELP US.
I KNOW WHEN WE HAD THE AC BROKEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, YOU ALL LET US KNOW RIGHT AWAY.
AND YOU ALL HAD A PLAN FOR THAT.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE AIMING FOR GREATER VISITS TO OUR LIBRARY.
I THINK THAT IT HAD BEEN DIFFICULT DURING C O D.
I APPRECIATE THAT DIGITAL, UM, ASPECT THAT YOU ALL HAVE AND, AND REACHING OUT DURING THAT TIME AS WELL.
BETWEEN THIS FISCAL YEAR AND 23, I'M ALSO PLEASED TO SAY THAT, UM, THE FOUR TWO LIBRARIES ARE GONNA HAVE SOME, UH, HVAC SYSTEM UPDATES.
SO OUR RESIDENTS ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE GET CALLS RIGHT AWAY IF SOMETHING IS DOWN BECAUSE IT, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF HOT IN THERE.
UM, MAN, I HAD AN INQUIRY MADE TO OUR OFFICE BY A RESIDENT REGARDING COPIES AT OUR LIBRARIES.
AND I BELIEVE THAT DURING COVID WE HAD ALLOWED THE PUBLIC TO PRINT AND MAKE COPIES FREE OF CHARGE.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN BRING SOME ASPECT OF THAT BACK? I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CHARGE A LOT FOR THIS SERVICE, BUT FOR OUR RESIDENTS, EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS.
WE WILL EXPLORE THAT, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF.
COUNCIL MEMBER RJA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
I WAS, UH, INTERESTED IN, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGES POINTS ABOUT USE OF SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTERS, UM, LATER IN THE DAY.
UM, I WAS A PART OF THE COMMITTEE THAT, UM, SUPPORTED INCREASING HOURS FOR THE SENIOR CENTERS.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT NOW HOW WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE TO ENGAGE YOUTH, PARTICULARLY ON FRIDAY NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS.
AND COULD WE PROVIDE A SPACE AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS AND SENIOR CENTERS, UM, FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO PROGRAM EVENTS LIKE MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, SO I'LL JUST EXPRESS MY SUPPORT THERE AND I WANT TO DROP THAT IDEA OUT LOUD.
UM, I ALSO, I'LL MOVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TO NOW.
UM, I, I COUNCILMAN, UH, ROCHA GARCIA JUST BROUGHT UP SHELTERS OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLEAR THE NEED IS EVERYWHERE, BUT THE INNER CITY IS LARGELY WHERE A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF OUR, UM, ENCAMPMENTS ARE LOCATED.
AND SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN, UM, MAYBE A LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE OF LOCATIONS IN, IN THE DOWNTOWN AND INNER CITY AREA, BUT ALSO PERHAPS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY.
AND, UM, WHERE DO YOU SEE THE GREATEST NEED AND HOW WOULD YOU PRIORITIZE THOSE IN THE, IN THE PROCESS? YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER RIGHT NOW, BUT DO YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT? NO, I DON'T HAVE EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT WE'RE AWARE THAT, UM, PROVIDING SHELTER OPTIONS WHERE PEOPLE ARE AT EXACTLY.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT AS A POTENTIAL BEST PRACTICE.
AND AGAIN, DISCUSSING IT WITH THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, WHICH WE DO WITH THESE, UM, ITEMS BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ISSUE, IT'S THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
AND I'LL, I'LL ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT POINT THAT YOU JUST MADE.
I'M SO HA I'M HAPPY TO HEAR YOU, UH, MENTION THAT AS A BEST PRACTICE, UM, IT ISN'T A VERY COMFORTABLE IDEA TO ASK PEOPLE TO LEAVE WHERE MIGHT BE THEIR HOME.
THEY MIGHT BE FROM THE EAST SIDE, AND THEY DON'T NEED TO BE MOVED TO, AND I'LL USE THIS AS AN EXAMPLE 'CAUSE MY RESIDENTS WERE LIKE, WHY DON'T WE SEND, WHY DON'T WE BUILD THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN STONE OAK? IF MY RE IF THE MY HOUSES CONSTITUENTS
[02:05:01]
ARE NOT LIVING IN STONE OAK OR FAMILIAR WITH STONE OAK, IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO SEND THEM TO STONE OAK.SO I, THAT MAYBE MIGHT BE A PART OF YOUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AS WELL AS COMMUNICATING THAT.
UM, I ALSO, I I DO WANT TO, NOW THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE N H S D, UM, IT'S VERY COSTLY TO BE EVICTED.
UM, AND EVICTIONS ON RECORDS CAUSE EVEN MORE BARRIERS FOR THOSE SEEKING LIMITED HOUSING.
AND OUR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAS BEEN DEPLETED FAIRLY QUICKLY THIS YEAR.
AND I WAS GOING TO ASK, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THIS PROGRAM IN 2023? I KNOW THE ANSWER IS NO, AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE NO FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND SO I DO WANNA SUPPORT COUNCILMAN CASTILLO'S, UH, RE REQUEST TO INCREASE THAT FROM 3.5 TO 7 MILLION.
UM, THAT IS ALSO, LIKE, I HEAR IT CONSISTENTLY FROM MY CONSTITUENTS THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST PROG, THAT'S ONE OF THE BEST PROGRAMS WE HAVE IN THE CITY.
AND SO WHY WE WOULDN'T MAKE THAT A, A, A BIG PRIORITY FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
UM, I ALSO SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.
I'M, AND I'M WONDERING, I HOPE YOU HAVE THIS ANSWER FOR ME.
HOW MANY EVICTIONS HAVE BEEN AVOIDED DUE TO THIS PROGRAM? MM, YES.
AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE ONGOING, THE FUNDING FOR THE HAT PROGRAM, EVERY TIME THAT WE HAVE A, UH, REQUEST FOR REALLOCATED FUNDS FROM OTHER CITIES, AND WE'VE HAD THREE SUCCESSFUL REALLOCATION FOR US TREASURIES DOLLARS, SO FAR WE HAVE, OOH, WE'VE BEEN LUCKY.
AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER ASK IN RIGHT NOW THAT WE HOPE TO HEAR BACK IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
AND THAT ASK, I'M THROW OUT A BIG NUMBER.
'CAUSE WE ASKED FOR A BIG NUMBER, $44 MILLION.
WE DON'T ALWAYS GET EVERYTHING WE ASK.
UM, BUT WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH EVERY SINGLE REALLOCATION REQUEST OF ABOUT, UH, $4 MILLION COMING BACK TO SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT WE SHARED ON OUR EAP AND HAP, UH, KEEP IN MIND, THOSE ARE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOME FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY.
SO WE ARE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
AND THEY TOO ARE ASKING FOR REALLOCATED FUNDS.
WE'RE THE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE FUND BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A STRONG PROGRAM.
UM, SO WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY.
SO EVERY TIME THEY GET REALLOCATED FUNDS, THEY GIVE THEM TO US.
AND, AND YOU ALL ALWAYS THANK YOU.
UM, AND THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH, 1200 DISMISSALS OF EVICTIONS.
I'M GONNA ASK A FEW, I'M GONNA ASK A FEW QUESTIONS, UH, 'CAUSE I WANNA TRY TO GET IT OUT BEFORE TIME.
COUNSELOR, CAN I JUST INTERRUPT REAL QUICK IF I CAN GET MY TIME?
WE USUALLY GET 10% OF OUR ASKS, SO OKAY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING ABOUT 4 MILLION THAT'S GOING TO COUNCIL NEXT WEEK.
WE HAD ASKED FOR 40 MILLION, SO WE USUALLY GET A MUCH SMALLER AMOUNT.
CAN I CONTINUE? ASK IT, ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN.
UM, SO WHEN RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR EVICTION PREVENTION ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED, WE'D LIKE TO SEE AN AGREEMENT TO ENSURE THAT, UM, LANDLORDS WILL NOT EVICT A FAMILY AFTER THEY RECEIVE FUNDS FROM THE CITY.
AND WE HAVE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF CALLS THAT SURE EVICTIONS DO PROCEED EVEN AFTER LANDLORDS ARE PAID.
SO IS THAT INCORPORATED INTO THE PROCESS? UM, THE NEXT BIT IS I RECEIVED A, UH, KIND OF ALARMING NEWS FROM ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS WHO WAS APPLYING FOR, UM, THE HOME REHAB PROGRAMS. AND THEY HAD MENTIONED THAT IT'S TECHNICALLY A 15 YEAR FORGIVABLE LOAN.
AND IF THEY PASS BEFORE THE 15 YEARS IS UP, THEN THAT LOAN IS NOT FORGIVEN FOR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT INHERIT THAT PROPERTY AND OR, AND THAT DEBT IS PASSED ON TO THE FAMILY.
SO I WANNA KNOW, IS THAT ACCURATE AND HOW CAN WE PREVENT THAT? SURE.
SO ON THE HOME REHAB QUESTION, IT IS A FORGIVABLE LOAN AND IT'S FORGIVEN AT THE SAME AMOUNT EVERY YEAR.
SO IF THEY LIVED IN THE HOME FOR 10 OUTTA THE 15 YEARS, THE AMOUNT THAT'S UNFORGIVEN IS THAT LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND WHAT WE DO WHEN WE WORK WITH THE FAMILY THAT'S INHERITING THE PROPERTY, IF THEY HAVE, UH, ONE OF THE HEIRS OR IF THEY HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN INCOME QUALIFY AND STAY IN THE HOME, THE LOAN CONTINUES TO BE FORGIVEN AS LONG AS A QUALIFIED FAMILY REMAINS IN IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UM, TWO QUESTIONS, UH, UH, FROM MEL, UH, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE SAM SHELTER HIGH EQUITY SHELTER? UH, AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO, UM, THE STREET OUTREACH TEAMS THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH CARES WHEN THAT MONEY RUNS OUT.
SO THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, WILL TAKE CARE, WELL, WILL MOVE THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM POSITIONS FROM E S G CARES TO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THAT TEAM WILL BE FULLY, UH, FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND AS FAR AS THE SAM, UM, HIGH ACUITY SHELTER, THAT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS.
AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, SAM MINISTRIES HAS I, UH, DEVELOPED OR RECEIVED ABOUT $600,000
[02:10:01]
IN GRANTS, AND THEY CONTINUE TO APPLY FOR ADDITIONAL GRANTS TO HELP KEEP THAT GOING.AND SO WE'RE FUNDED FOR SIX MONTHS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPTIONS, UM, THAT ARE MORE EFFICIENT, MAYBE MORE COST EFFECTIVE, ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS.
UM, ARE YOU SEEING THAT THE STREET OUTREACH TEAM IS BIG ENOUGH WITH JUST SIX PEOPLE? OR DO YOU FEEL THAT, UH, YOU'D HAVE BETTER FOLLOW UP WITH MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THAT? IT'S ACTUALLY A TOTAL OF 12.
SO ONLY SIX OF THE POSITIONS WERE ORIGINALLY FUNDED FROM E S G CARES.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE POSITIONS WE'RE MOVING.
BUT THERE'S 10 OUTREACH ONE FOR EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, AN ADDITIONAL ONE FOR DOWNTOWN, AND THEN OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH MANAGER.
UH, COULD YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT SENIORS IN PLAY? UH, DO THE PARTNER AGENCIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAMMING AND ARE THERE MATCHING FUNDS COMING IN AND AND HOW MANY SENIORS GET SERVED BY THAT? SO THE, THE FIRST ROUND, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR WAS FUNDED BY GONZABA AND BEXAR COUNTY AND, UM, THIS NEXT ROUND, AND IT SERVED FOUR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SENIOR CENTERS, AND THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER, UM, GONZABA AND BEXAR COUNTY SITES.
UH, WE'RE PROPOSING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO ADD FOUR ADDITIONAL SITES.
AND THAT WOULD BE, LET ME THINK THROUGH NORTHEAST SENIOR CENTER DISTRICT TWO.
I'M, I'M GONNA RUN OUT OF TIME BEFORE YOU CAN ANSWER MY QUESTION.
IT'S, UM, A 48 WEEK PROGRAM THAT LASTS THE WHOLE YEAR WITH A COHORT OF 10 SENIORS PER CENTER.
YOU MENTIONED 1300 HOMES THAT WE HOPE TO DO PRESERVATION ON AND 1200, THAT WOULD BE NEW.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT 10% OF 2,800.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ELSE IS IN THE BUDGET TO MEET ANY, ANY MORE OF THAT NEED.
SO THOSE ARE, ARE JUST OUR CITY GOALS.
AND WE ARE PARTNERING WITH NON-PROFIT ENTITIES.
AND WE'RE ALSO IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH BEXAR COUNTY.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN HOME PRESERVATION PROGRAM.
SO WE'LL BE TRACKING WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR EFFORTS.
THEY ALSO DO, UM, INCENTIVES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO WE'LL BE SURE TO CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH OUR PARTNERS WHO WORK IN THIS SPACE.
THE HOUSING TRUST DOES PROJECTS, UM, MANY TIMES THEY HAVE CITY INCENTIVES, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.
THEY'RE GOING, AS, AS YOU MAY KNOW, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS TO SEE HOW MANY UNITS THEY CAN PRODUCE WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR WORK.
UM, SO IT'S TRULY A PARTNERSHIP, THESE GOALS.
AND, UM, I THINK WE HAVE VERY AGGRESSIVE GOALS OF HOW WE CITY CAN HELP MEET THE SHIP GOALS.
BUT IT, IT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE THROUGH COLLABORATION.
I, I UNDERSTAND ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR MAJOR REPAIR OR OR REHAB IS THE HOMEOWNER HAS TO HAVE INSURANCE, HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE.
ON OUR MAJOR REHAB, UH, BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE INVESTMENT THAT WE ARE MAKING IN THE HOME IS PRESERVED.
AND MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE DONE THROUGH FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND THOSE ARE A REQUIREMENT OF USING FEDERAL FUNDS AS WELL.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE UP TO DATE ON THEIR TAXES TOO.
IT'S ABOUT, THOSE ARE INVESTMENT, THOSE ARE BARRIERS FOR A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN THE BOTTOM PART OF THE ECONOMIC SCALE AND ARE LIVING IN AN OLDER HOUSE THAT NEEDS THESE THINGS.
WE CAN, UM, OUR BOND FUNDS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE, SO WE CAN LOOK AT HOMEOWNERS THAT DON'T MEET THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.
MAYBE THE BOND FUNDS IS THE WAY TO HELP THEM.
UH, I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE FUNDING THE HOMELESS OUTREACH COORDINATORS THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND.
I THINK THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING THE HOUSE, UH, THE, THE CRISIS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING OUT ON OUR STREETS.
SO PLEASED TO SEE THAT THERE'S THOSE COMMITTED GENERAL FUNDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I AM A NERD AND I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UH, BUDGET MEETINGS WHILE ON THE TREADMILL.
AND, UH, WHAT I HEARD IN DISTRICT TWO FROM THE C E O OF BIG MAMA'S HOUSE IS THAT EAP IS ONE OF THE GREATEST CITY PROGRAMS. RIGHT.
AND KEEP IN MIND THAT BIG MAMA'S HOUSE IS ABOUT, UM, CRIME REDUCTION, RIGHT? SO
[02:15:01]
ABSOLUTELY.HOUSING'S HEALTHCARE, HOUSING'S PUBLIC HEALTH AND HOUSING IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, BENNY, RIGHT? IS HIS NAME FROM YEAH.
AND, UM, IT WAS INTERESTING TO HEAR HIM, YOU KNOW, PRAISE THAT PROGRAM.
SO AGAIN, THANKS TO N H SS D FOR THAT WORK, UM, WITH THE UPDATES TO THE STREET OUTREACH TEAM, WELL, THAT ALSO INVOLVED, UH, QUA QUALITY OF LIFE UPDATES AND CHECK-INS WITH THE TEAM.
UM, I KNOW, UM, THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THERE'S GAPS THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING, UH, WHEN OUT ON THE FIELD, UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE GAPS? SO THAT WAY WHILE WE'RE HAVING THIS BUDGET CONVERSATION, WE COULD POINT TO THOSE BUCKETS THAT WOULD HELP SUC, UH, HELP THE OUTREACH WORKER BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE AT ANY ONE TIME AVERAGING ABOUT, UM, INTENSIVE CASE MANAGE WITH MANAGEMENT WITH ABOUT 200 OF THE, THE PEOPLE OUT THERE.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, SINCE THE FISCAL YEAR STARTED ENROLL 500, UM, PEOPLE FULLY INTO H M I S, WHICH TAKES QUITE A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS AND CHECK-INS.
AND THAT IS, SO THAT IS PART OF THE HOMELESS OUTREACH STRATEGY, IS CONTINUAL CHECK-INS WITH THE INDIVIDUALS TO PIECE TOGETHER THAT ENROLLMENT AND, AND GET THEM INTO THE SYSTEM.
ONCE YOU'RE IN THE SYSTEM, YOU COULD BE ENTERED FOR HOUSING AND ASSESSED FOR, UM, OTHER TYPES OF SERVICES.
I KNOW I BROUGHT UP THE MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH UNIT AND THAT POTENTIAL STATE FUNDING THAT, UH, WE MAY NOT BE RECEIVING.
HAVE WE IDENTIFIED THE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THAT UNIT? WE HAVE NOT COUNCILWOMAN.
UH, THAT'S, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
AND THAT THAT'S A REALLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
AND THEY PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED SERVICES OUT TO FOLKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, NOT JUST IN DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, SO MY HOPE IS THAT IF WE DON'T IDENTIFY THAT FUNDING, THAT WE FIND, UM, A WAY TO SUPPORT THE MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH UNIT, UH, WHICH IS TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE AND, UH, HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES THAT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT'S MUCH NEEDED WORK THAT I, THAT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, UH, AS WELL AS N H SS D IS WHAT I WOULD ARGUE.
UM, I WANTED TO PIVOT TO LIBRARIES.
I DO HAVE MORE FOR D H S, BUT I WANTED TO, UH, THANK RAMIRO FOR HIS CONTINUED WORK, UH, WITH OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
UM, I KNOW DISTRICT VIBE CONSTITUENTS ARE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE BOND IMPROVEMENTS AT MEMORIAL AND NAMAS, UH, ESPECIALLY THE FRIENDS OF NAMAS LIBRARY AND THE FRIENDS OF MEMORIAL LIBRARY, UM, ARE VERY ACTIVE AND ENGAGED AND REALLY EXCITED TO SEE, UM, THOSE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, COMPLETED.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE, RIGHT? I KNOW THERE'S SOME CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIALLY, UH, ONE LIBRARY OR BOTH LIBRARIES BEING CLOSED DURING THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.
CAN YOU JUST WALK US THROUGH HOW THE, THAT PROCESS AND HOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE? SURE.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS REPORTED THAT COMMISSIONER'S COURT THAT YEAH, UH, MEMORIAL BRANCH LIBRARY WOULD BE OPEN FOR VOTING IN LAS LAS PALMAS.
WE CORRECTED THAT MEMORIAL BRANCH LIBRARY IS STILL UNDERGOING RENOVATION.
SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER.
IT WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR, UH, FALL VOTING, THE LAS PALMAS BRANCH LIBRARY.
WE WILL NOT START THE RENOVATION PROJECT UNTIL WE'LL FINISH MEMORIAL.
THEREFORE, THAT BRANCH WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR VOTING IF SELECTED AS A VOTING SIDE BY ELECTIONS, UH, COUNTY ELECTIONS.
THANK YOU, AMI, UM, THAT'S, UM, HELPFUL TO HAVE THE CLARIFICATION FOR FOLKS MAY BE WATCHING.
UM, I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THE SLIGHT INCREASE IN GENERAL FUNDING FOR OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THEN LOOKING AT THE C P S REVENUE THAT POTENTIALLY $50 MILLION CAN SUPPORT A WHOLE OTHER SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM.
SO I, I THINK FOR THE ROLE THAT YOU ALL PLAY IN COMMUNITY AS RESILIENCY HUBS, I WOULD ARGUE, 'CAUSE WE SAW IT DURING THE PANDEMIC FOLKS GOING IN THERE TO COMPLETE THEIR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE APPLICATION.
FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS TO, TO GO BACK OUT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILY, THEY'RE GOING TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
UM, AND GIVEN THAT Y'ALL TRACK THAT DATA OF HOW LONG FOLKS ARE USING THE INTERNET, UM, I, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ALSO HOPE TO SEE THAT WE EXPLORE EXTENDING THE LIBRARY HOURS.
I KNOW, UH, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL BROUGHT THAT UP.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, I WOULD LIKE TO IDENTIFY FUNDING TO EXTEND OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY HOURS, UM, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STAFF IS COMFORTABLE WITH, LIBRARY STAFF, LIKE LIBRARIAN STAFF
MAYOR, ARE WE ALLOWED THREE TIMES THIS TIME OR JUST TWO? WELL, WE HAVE, I'M, I'M KEEPING AN EYE ON THE CLOCK 'CAUSE WE GOT A FIVE O'CLOCK HEARING.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF, IF, UH, WE WRAP UP HERE AND WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER HANGING CHADS, WE CAN GET TO THOSE.
UM, MELODY, UM, ON PAGE 354, THE BIG THICK BOOK, I KEEP CALLING IT THAT,
[02:20:01]
UM, THE OUTCOMES ON, ON YOUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES THERE, I'D REALLY LIKE TO GO OVER THOSE.I, I, SOME OF THESE ARE NOT, IN MY OPINION, OUTCOMES ON WHAT, WHAT WE'RE REALLY GETTING FOR THE, THESE DOLLARS.
SO I'D, I'D REALLY LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT MORE, UH, WITH YOU.
AND THEN DOWN AT THE BOTTOM IT SAYS, UM, UH, PLUS 23 POSITIONS IN THE 21 TO 22 AND ANOTHER 19.
NOW IN 22 TO 23, THE BUDGET GOING UP TO, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER $5 MILLION AND NOW $6 MILLION GOING UP.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR THAT? SO THE, UH, STARTING WITH THE BUDGET QUESTION, WE ARE ADDING THE HOMELESS, UM, IMPROVEMENTS, THE SENIOR IMPROVEMENTS, THAT'S ABOUT 4 MILLION FOR, FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REMAINDER OF THE INCREASE, WHICH IS 4.4 MILLION, UM, FROM FISCAL YEAR 22 TO 23, ADOPTED BUDGET IS, UM, PERSONNEL COSTS AND YOU KNOW, JUST A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT COSTS ABOUT 400,000.
YEAH, I'D, I'D LIKE TO GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THAT WITH YOU IF WE COULD.
UM, GOING THEN TO YOUR BRIEFING SLIDES ON SLIDE NUMBER THREE, JUST, JUST FOR GRINS, WHAT WAS OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS IN, UH, F Y 21? YOU, YOU GOT 22 THERE, YOU GOT 23, WHICH SHOWS ABOUT $5 MILLION INCREASES BETWEEN, BETWEEN THOSE AND NOW WE'RE, UM, 23, ANOTHER 10% INCREASE IN THAT.
SO THE, UM, FISCAL YEAR 2021 ADOPTED BUDGET FOR D H SS WAS ABOUT $24 MILLION.
SO, UH, A HUGE INCREASE TO 22.
AND WHAT WAS THAT BASED ON? I'M SORRY? UM, FROM 20, UH, FROM 21 YOU SAID IT'S 24 MILLION.
UM, GOSH, WHAT IS THAT? ALRIGHT, IT'S ABOUT 41 MILLION.
I GAVE YOU JUST SO BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT ABOUT $5 MILLION PER YEAR INCREASES, UH, IN THAT.
SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THEN WHEN YOU GET TO, UH, SLIDE NUMBER FIVE, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT ABOUT WHAT OUR TOTAL INVESTMENT IS FOR OUR HOMELESS POPULATION HERE, YOU 8,000, UH, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT 8,000 REALLY WAS BECAUSE WE HAVE A POINT IN TIME COUNT AND WHAT, WHAT HAS THAT POINT IN TIME COUNT DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS? SO THE POINT IN TIME COUNT HAS REMAINED PRETTY MUCH STEADY OVER THE LAST TIME, BUT THAT IS A ONE NIGHT SNAPSHOT, RIGHT.
THAT TELLS US HOW MANY PEOPLE WE CAN FIND.
IN, IN ONE NIGHT, THE $8,000 IS ACTUAL DATA FROM OUR HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.
IT SHOWS HOW MANY UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS ARE SERVED ANNUALLY.
UM, BUT WHAT DO WE USE THAT POINT IN TIME COUNT FOR? I MEAN, IS THAT A STANDARD ACROSS THE US OR JUST FOR HERE IT IS.
AND SO THE IDEA FROM HUD IS THAT EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE COUNTRY IS COUNTING THEIR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO IT'S BEEN RELATIVELY FLAT THEN.
BUT YES, OUR FUNDING, OUR FUNDING HAS THAT 77 MILLION.
I'VE HEARD ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO $80 MILLION OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, BUT I THINK IT'S CLOSER TO $80 MILLION THAT WE'VE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT IN FUNDING YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
BUT THE, THE NUMBERS OF THE HOMELESS REALLY STAY KIND OF CONSTANT ACROSS THERE.
AND, AND I'M SAYING WHAT ARE, WHAT CAN WE DO DIFFERENTLY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING THIS YEAR AFTER YEAR AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE MAKING ANY IMPROVEMENTS ON THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
SO MOST OF THOSE TRADITIONAL HUD AND VETERAN GRANTS HAVE STAYED PRETTY LEVEL, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, DRAW DOWN ADDITIONAL CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDS FROM HUD BASED ON OUR PERFORMANCE AS A COMMUNITY.
SO THAT THAT GRANT HAS CONTINUED TO GO UP, BUT MOST OF THEM HAVE STAYED PRETTY CONSISTENT.
THE CITY'S, UM, CONTRIBUTION HAS INCREASED OVER TIME.
WELL, AGAIN, I I KEEP SAYING WHAT ARE WE NOT DOING OR WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER TO USE THIS $77 MILLION FOR THE 2,900 PEOPLE OR 8,000 OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS TO GET IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'RE NOT IMPROVING IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
IT'S STAYING RELATIVELY CONSTANT.
[02:25:01]
YOU.UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, YOU HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS BEFORE I WRAP UP.
GO, JUST GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE TIME.
UH, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
WITH THE SENIOR CENTER PROGRAMMING WITH THE EXTENDED HOURS, WILL THAT MEAN POTENTIAL INCREASE IN FITNESS PROGRAMMING? I DIDN'T DO THE ANSWER.
SO THEY EXTEND A, THEY EXTEND, WE'RE GONNA EXTEND THE HOURS, BUT ALSO WE'RE GONNA DO AN R F P FOR PROGRAMMING.
SO THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE TARGET IN THAT PROGRAMMING.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM OUR SENIORS IS MORE FITNESS PROGRAMMING, UH, AT THE CENTERS.
AND WITH THE 1.2 MILLION, UH, MATCH FOR SENIOR NUTRITION, DOES THAT MEAN THAT FOLKS WHO MAY FALL OUT OF THE CURRENT PARAMETERS WILL POTENTIALLY QUALIFY? UM, BECAUSE I KNOW I HAD QUESTIONS AROUND, UM, SENIORS THAT GO TO THE NORMAL SENIOR CENTER THAT DON'T QUALIFY, LIKE BARELY FOR THE FOOD BANK SUPPORT.
WILL, WILL THIS INCLUDE THEM OR PROVIDE SUPPORT? UM, NOT NECESSARILY.
SO THE MATCH DOLLARS ARE A REQUIREMENT OF THE FEDERAL GRANT.
AND WE HAVE TO SHOW THAT WE'RE SPENDING THAT, UM, IN ORDER TO DRAW DOWN THE FEDERAL GRANT DOLLARS.
LET, LET ME UM, WRAP UP JUST WITH A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, AND ACTUALLY PIGGYBACK ON SOMETHING COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY SAID, I I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT ORIENTATION ON THE ISSUE, BUT IT'S A FAIR QUESTION, WHICH IS WE CONTINUE TO PUT MORE RESOURCES INTO HOMELESSNESS SERVICES.
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS? I KNOW THERE THAT IS A VERY SIMPLISTIC WAY OF LOOKING AT IT, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD REMINDER THAT WE GOTTA STAY FOCUSED ON OUTCOMES.
ROCHA GARCIA IS PARTICULARLY, UH, FOCUSING IN ON YOUNG FAMILIES AND WE WANNA SEE SOME, UM, CHANGES IN THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S GOING THE WRONG WAY OBVIOUSLY FOR A LOT OF, A LOT OF REASONS, BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD REMINDER, NUMBER ONE, BUT WE ACTUALLY DO NEED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
SO IT MIGHT NOT BE ANSWERABLE IN THIS FORUM, BUT IF WE CAN GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THAT AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT, UH, MAKING DECLARATIONS THAT ARE UNSU SUBSTANTIVE IN, IS THAT A WORD COUNCILMAN? LET ME ASK THE DOCTOR
UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
SO IF, IF YOU, IF WE CAN BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT THAT, THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD, UM, AND ALSO THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
MY MAIN CONCERN WITH REGARD TO WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE HOUSING SPACE, PARTICULARLY WITH THE N H SS D BUDGET, IS THAT WE STAY ON TARGET.
UH, WE STAY ON TARGET NOT ONLY FOR THE UNITS PRESERVED AND PRODUCED, UH, BUT THAT WE'RE ALSO PUTTING THE NECESSARY RESOURCES BEHIND THAT TO ACHIEVE OUR TARGET.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A FUNDING PLAN BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, I THINK THE $300 MILLION IN REPAIR PROGRAMMING, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT $30 MILLION EVERY YEAR.
SO CAN WE SEE THAT ON A 10 YEAR TIMELINE WHAT WE ANTICIPATE SO WE CAN BEGIN TO FORECAST? SURE.
OUR SHIP, UH, DOES HAVE, UM, A HIGH LEVEL FUNDING PLAN, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL BECAUSE WE KNOW IT CHANGES FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT AS WELL.
AND, AND, AND THAT WILL ALSO HELP US LOOK AT HOW THE, THE UNITS ARE CHANGING BECAUSE WE'VE INCREASED THE TARGETS, ET CETERA.
SO FROM OUR STANDPOINT, FROM MY STANDPOINT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN THE BUDGET CYCLE KEEPS US ON TARGET.
AND OUR, UH, JUST LIKE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DOES WITH THEIR BOND, OUR, UH, HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND ON THE PRESERVATION, THE HOME REHAB, IT DOES SCALE UP IN YEAR TWO AND THREE.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW, BUT IT'S ALSO HELPFUL FOR HELPFUL FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO FORECAST A LITTLE BIT FARTHER IN ADVANCE AND NOT GET TOO ALARMED IF ONE BALANCE IS A LITTLE BIT LOW ON THE AVERAGE, ET CETERA.
UM, AND I ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE, UH, GONNA BE LOOKING AT THIS FROM A PUBLIC FACING STANDPOINT.
WE ARE ONE OF 22 CITIES THAT ARE PART OF THE INAUGURAL CITY DATA ALLIANCE COHORT IN WHICH WE'RE WORKING WITH BLOOMBERG AND JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TO DEVELOP SOME, UH, BETTER TOOLS TO UTILIZE DATA INTERNALLY, BUT BETTER WAYS THAT WE CAN TELL OUR STORY EXTERNALLY AND KEEP US ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC, UH, AND TO OURSELVES.
BUT IF WE CAN THINK ABOUT THOSE QUESTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF HOW WE PLUG THOSE IN, UH, TO THE CITY DATA ALLIANCE WORK AS WELL, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THE LAST THING IS, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE WORK OF THE REMOVING BARRIERS SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
A LOT OF WHAT I'M HEARING THAT'S COMING UP ARE NOT NECESSARILY MONEY
[02:30:01]
ISSUES, THEY'RE POLICY ISSUES AND THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT POLICY ISSUE OR SEVERAL THAT ARE COMING UP THROUGH THE U D C PROCESS, INCLUDING HOW DO WE HANDLE ALTERNATIVE DWELLING UNITS.UM, IF WE DON'T GET THAT RIGHT, WE'RE NOT GONNA MEET OUR, OUR HOUSING GOALS AND THERE'S GONNA BE PUSHBACK AND THERE'S GONNA BE FRICTION IN THE BUREAUCRACY BECAUSE OF IT.
UH, BUT WE'VE GOTTA STAY ON TARGET AND FRANKLY, NOT EVERYBODY'S GONNA AGREE, BUT WE'VE GOTTA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT OR ELSE WE ARE GONNA BE IN DIRE STRAITS FROM, WITH REGARD TO THE HOUSING ECOSYSTEM AND THE MOST VULNERABLE ARE GONNA BE THE MOST IMPACTED.
SO THOSE ARE THE ISSUES I THINK WE NEED TO BE FORTHRIGHT ABOUT SO WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO FOLKS WHO ARE GONNA BE AFFECTED BY IT.
THEY CAN WEIGH IN, BUT ULTIMATELY, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS.
SOME HEAVY STUFF, UH, BUT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
IT'S 4:38 PM ON THIS 31ST DAY OF AUGUST, 2022.
WE HAVE A 5:00 PM ERIC, DID YOU WANNA HERE? I THINK DEBBIE'S GONNA SAY YEAH, WE'RE, WE HAVE A 5:00 PM HEARING.
IT'S GONNA BE IN THIS ROOM BECAUSE APPARENTLY WE'RE HAVING SOME REPAIR ISSUES ACROSS THE STREET.
SO WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY BACK AT FIVE.