* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:04] GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE OF MONDAY, OCTOBER THE 17TH. WE'LL START WITH ROLL CALL COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER RHA GARCIA. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. HERE. COMMISSIONER BARNARD. HERE. COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. CHAIR PALIS IS HERE. VIRTUALLY IS. AND BECAUSE HE'S VIRTUAL COUNCIL MEMBER, ROCHA GARCIA WILL BE THE CHAIR FOR THIS MEETING. WE HAVE A QUORUM. [Approval of Minutes  ] THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK. WE'LL START WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER THE 14TH OF THE I G R MEETING. IS THERE A, A MOTION TO APPROVE? YES. SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? CAN WE GET A VOICE VOTE FROM COUNCILMAN PAL? CAN YOU HEAR ME? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [The Bexar County members of the IGR are excused from the meeting for the City Council members of the IGR to discuss item 2 and will reconvene for the remainder of the meeting.] MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS BRIEFING AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE CITY STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND THAT'S GONNA BE PRESENTED BY JEFF COYLE. JEFF, THE FLOOR IS YOURS OR IS IT JEFF? OH, IT'S SALLY. SALLY OF THE FLOOR IS YOURS. GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN AND I G R COMMITTEE MEMBERS CHAIRMAN PALIS, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE BEFORE YOU. ONE MORE TIME WITH THE DRAFT STATE 88TH LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM. AS WE'VE SHARED BEFORE, UH, THE GUIDE FOR THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM PROVIDES DIRECTION TO THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS STAFF AND OUR CONSULTANTS DURING THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN FRONT OF THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND WITH STATE AGENCIES. THESE WILL LOOK FAMILIAR TO YOU BEFORE. WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY SHARED THAT THE STATE PROGRAM IS COMPRISED OF FOUR LEGISLATIVE PILLARS. UH, THE ONES THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU HERE TODAY ARE PROTECTION OF COMMUNITY INTERESTS, ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY. FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION, I WILL PROVIDE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE OVERARCHING PRIORITIES UNDER EACH OF THE PILLARS. AND IN THE FORTHCOMING SLIDES, I WILL ALSO PRESENT TO YOU THE INDIVIDUAL POSITION STATEMENTS AND WILL SKIMM THROUGH THEM SWIFTLY, BUT WE'LL PAUSE FOR THOSE STAFF RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CONSIDER THOSE AND, UH, ARE ABLE TO REVIEW THOSE CAREFULLY. PILLAR NUMBER ONE, PROTECTION OF COMMUNITY INTERESTS. WE AIM TO PROTECT MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY AND INDEPENDENCE REGARDING ORDINANCES DEVELOPMENT AND REVENUE GENERATION PROTECT MUNICIPAL UTILITY MODELS IN COORDINATION WITH OUR PARTNERS AT SAWS AND C P S SUPPORT MILITARY MISSIONS THROUGH INCREASED FUNDING AND ORDINANCES. HERE WE ARE SPECIFICALLY SUPPORTING, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN THE STATE BUDGET FOR THE D A GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT FOR DEFENSE COMMUNITIES. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE COMPLETE POSITION STATEMENTS UNDER LOCAL GOVERNANCE. PLEASE NOTE, UH, THAT THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THESE TWO POSITION STATEMENTS. ADDITIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S POSITION STATEMENTS IN FULL, NO ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS HERE. MUNICIPAL UTILITIES WILL ALSO REMAIN THE SAME. MILITARY CITY U SS A FOR OUR MILITARY PROTECTIONS, NO CHANGES HERE EITHER. PILLAR NUMBER TWO, ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THIS OVERVIEW IS TO SUPPORT INCREASED ACCESS TO MEANINGFUL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, UH, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INCREASED SUPPORT, FUNDING AND INCENTIVES TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH FOR THE CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORT INVESTMENT IN JOB PROGRAMS AND SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION SYSTEM FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD TO HIGHER ED. THIS INCLUDES OUR ESSAY READY TO WORK PROGRAMMING PLUS SUPPORT FOR OUR EDUCATION FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD TO HIGHER ED. A QUICK NOTE UNDER THE SUPPORT FOR MEANINGFUL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, WE HAVE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR AND WE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY [00:05:02] PRIORITY. AND FOR THE COUNCIL, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT TARGETED PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ASIDE FROM WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS APPROVED, AND YOU'VE HEARD THESE BEFORE. STATE SURPLUS FUNDING FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND, AND, AND TAX SUPPORT FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SUPPORT FOR OUR LEGACY HOMEOWNERS AND SUPPORT OF A FLAT TAX HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION INSTEAD OF A PERCENTAGE IN SUPPORT FOR LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME RESIDENTS. NO CHANGE TO THE FIRST POSITION STATEMENT. THE SECOND ONE IS SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT EMPOWERS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO REMOVE BARRIERS FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AND EXPAND THE LOCAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK. STAFF IS RECOMMENDING AN EXPANSION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPTURE ALL THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRIORITIES IN OUR SHIP HOUSING PROGRAM AND PLAN TO ALSO INCLUDE, UM, AND ABSORB THE THE RENTER'S PROTECTIONS. NO CHANGE TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STATEMENTS HERE. THESE ARE YOUR WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION STATEMENTS THAT WILL ALSO REMAIN THE SAME. THE THIRD PILLAR HERE IS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY SUPPORT AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE FAMILY AND MENTAL HEALTHCARE AS DIRECTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL SUPPORT FOR MEDICAID EXPANSION SUPPORT FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS THAT WORK TOWARDS FOOD SECURITY IN COORDINATION WITH THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK AND OTHER PARTNERS. SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP AND THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF OUR RESIDENTS AND PETS AS BROUGHT FORWARD BY OUR A C S TEAM. SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE FIREARM SAFETY POLICIES. AND LASTLY, SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO MITIGATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND IMPROVE PROTECTION FOR SURVIVORS. THIS IS A CARRYOVER ITEM FROM THE PREVIOUS SESSION. MOVING ON TO HEALTHCARE AND NUTRITION, I WILL PAUSE HERE TO HIGHLIGHT OUR RECOMMENDATION TO INCLUDE SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN. SO IT WILL READ SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT IMPROVES ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE. PROVIDES SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN AND ELIMINATES BARRIERS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR ALL SAN ANTONIONS. NO CHANGES TO THE MEDICAID EXPANSION POSITION. MOVING ON TO HEALTHCARE NUTRITION. SECOND SLIDE. NO CHANGES NOTED HERE EITHER VIOLENCE PREVENTION WILL REMAIN THE SAME. AND FINALLY, THE LAST PILLAR. INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESILIENCY SUPPORT, FUNDING AND EXPANSION OF INFRASTRUCTURE. INCREASED CONNECTIVITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICE TO HELP ADDRESS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. SUPPORT FAIR ALLOCATION OF STATE TRANSPORTATION FUNDS AND ENHANCEMENT OF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY MEASURES, UH, SUCH AS OUR VISION ZERO INITIATIVES. SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE UTILITY AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS THE EV CHARGING NETWORK. NO CHANGE TO DIGITAL INCLUSION, SAME FOR TRANSPORTATION. AND LASTLY, NO CHANGE TO SUSTAINABILITY. THIS BRINGS US TO THE END OF THE FULL POSITION STATEMENTS AND NOW WE WILL LOOK AT OUR PARTNERSHIPS. IF YOU CAN BRING UP THIS SLIDE IF . ONE MORE. OUR PARTNERSHIPS, UM, ARE A GROUP OF OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE BEEN WITH US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT. THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU WILL SEE A LIST OF SOME OF THE PARTNERS, UH, THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, THROUGHOUT THESE MANY MONTHS, AND THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, UH, DURING THE CAPITOL. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT, UH, AN ALL-INCLUSIVE LIST. I WILL NAME A FEW AND RECOGNIZE THEIR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. C P S ENERGY, SAS, ACOG, BEAR COUNTY, BROOKS, OUR LOCAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, JOINT BASE, SAN ANTONIO SMALL BUSINESSES, MAJOR EMPLOYERS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, PORTES SE, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTNERS, OUR HOUSING PARTNERS, OUR BROADBAND PARTNERS, SA FOOD BANK, OUR TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS, THE RIVER AUTHORITY, AND B S A. WHAT'S NEXT? UPCOMING MILESTONES. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OCTOBER 19TH FULL COUNCIL [00:10:01] BRIEFING DURING B SESSION ON NOVEMBER 3RD. THAT WILL BE THE FULL COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAM. DECEMBER 13TH, THE STATE DELEGATION BRIEFING WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL. AND THE FIRST DAY OF SESSION IS JANUARY 20TH. THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO RECOGNIZE THE CITY DEPARTMENT'S, DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND THE STAFF THAT WERE WITH US THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE MULTI-MONTH PROCESS THAT HAS INCORPORATED A LOT OF WORK, A LOT OF FEEDBACK AND RESEARCH. UH, PLUS OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, SEVERAL OF THEM ARE HERE WITH US TODAY. WE ALSO HAVE CONSULTANTS JOINING US VIRTUALLY FROM, UM, OUR FOCUS ADVOCACY TEAM, MARK RODRIGUEZ AND JESSE AND SARAH PLUS MANY THANKS TO THE GA TEAM, UH, THAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP US ROUND OUT THE PROGRAM AS WE BRING IT TO YOU. UH, TODAY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION DURING THE, UM, COMMITTEE MEETING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SALLY. AND BEFORE WE START DISCUSSION, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE MEETING TO ACT ON THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE 88TH STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. MOTION. NOPE. I MOVE. I MOVE OR SECOND IN CASE THERE WASN'T ONE OR THE OTHER. IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY. WE ARE MOVING FORWARD FOR DISCUSSION. WE'LL START WITH PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. AND THAT'S, UH, JACK FINGER. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE RECORD. MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER AND I BELIEVE I HAVE THREE MINUTES. THREE. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. UM, FOLKS, UH, LOOKING AT THE, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE HERE, I HAVE, UH, A SLIGHTLY OLDER VERSION OF THE DOCUMENTS YOU WERE PRESENTED THIS MORNING, BUT THEY, THEY, THEY'LL WORK ANYWAY. UM, WHAT I HAVE NOTICED, READING THROUGH THE, UH, THE WORDINGS ON THESE, THESE VARIOUS, UH, PROPOSALS HERE, THE WORDING IS VERY VAGUE, HEAVY ON GENERALITIES AND KIND OF LOW ON SPECIFICS. MAYBE THAT'S BY DESIGN, I DON'T KNOW. BUT, UH, A LOT OF US, UH, ARE NOT, I'LL GO SO FAR AS TO SAY A LOT OF US ARE NOT FOOLED BY THAT. MR. VIS MAN, PUT THAT UP THERE. WOULD YOU, JUST SO YOU CAN SEE FOR YOU AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO SEE THIS, THIS IS THE, UH, UH, ONE OF THE PROPOSALS. AND YOU MIGHT LOOK AT THE UNDERLINED AREA THERE, IF YOU CAN SEE IT. SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT IMPROVES ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE AND ELIMINATES BARRIERS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR ALL SAN ANTONIOS. THANK YOU. RE RE RETURN THE CAMERA TO THE PODIUM, IF YOU WOULD. YEAH. THE, UH, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO YOU HAD A BIG CONTROVERSY HERE AT CITY HALL. YOU, YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL, WHAT WENT SO FAR AS TO, UH, HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING JUST FOR ADVOCATING, UH, UH, ABORTION. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT YOU DID. HALF THE POPULATION DOES NOT LIKE THAT. YOU HAD A COUNCIL CHAMBERS FILLED WITH PEOPLE. 80 PEOPLE CAME UP TO SPEAK, 40 OF THEM, COUNT 'EM, 40 OF 'EM SAID, NO, DO NOT GO THAT DIRECTION. NOW YOU SPEND ABOUT, I LOOKED AT THE BUDGET OVER $1,000,007 FOR GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS. HOW MUCH OF THAT IS SPENT ON ADVOCACY AT THE LEGISLATURE? LOBBYING? I DON'T KNOW, BUT, UH, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, WE DON'T WANT ANY OF OUR DOLLARS GOING TO THAT. NO. WE HAVE LAWS NOW THAT SAYING THAT YOU SHALL NOT, UH, PROMOTE ABORTION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, MUCH LESS THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS. I CAN'T HELP IT IF WE HAVE A LOCAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY WHO, UH, WANTS TO, UH, IGNORE THAT AND PRETENDS HE, HE'S GOING TO, UH, UH, LI LITIGATE THAT, UH, PUTTING IT ON HIS LOW PRIORITY LIST, BUT I'M SORRY. WE DON'T WANT THAT. AND QUITE FRANKLY, SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE THE, UH, A MOTION FOR AN AMENDMENT SAY, SAYING, NO, DON'T DO THAT. YEAH. ALSO, ONCE AGAIN, PUT [00:15:01] THAT UP THERE. MR. ORIGINAL MAN OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? RESPONSIBLE FIREARM SAFETY POLICIES. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UH, GUN BA BUYBACKS, UH, UH, RAISING THE AGE OF GUN OWNERSHIP AT 21. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. WE'LL CONTINUE WITH DISCUSSION AND, UM, WE WILL START WITH COUNCILMAN PELE SINCE HE'S, UH, THE CHAIR. COUNCILMAN THE FLOOR'S. YOURS. UH, THANK YOU. I THINK THIS IS A FAITHFUL, UM, UH, LIST OF PRIORITIES. UH, AND BY FAITHFUL, I MEAN, UM, YOU KNOW, FAITHFUL TO ALL THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THROUGHOUT ALL PAST MEETINGS. AND I THINK IT'S A DISTILLATION OF ALL OF THE PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORTH BY COUNCIL THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE ON. AND, UH, I THINK THIS IS, UH, WORDED WITH AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AS POSSIBLE TO PERMIT THE LOBBYISTS. UM, AND SALLY'S TEAM, THE, UH, THE WIGGLE ROOM THEY NEED TO, TO OPERATE IN AUSTIN. UH, AND, UM, JUST LIKE THE ONE THAT WE'VE GOT, UM, IN THE FEDERAL AGENDA, UH, WORDED WITH ENOUGH, WI ENOUGH WIGGLE ROOM TO, UH, REACT IN REAL TIME TO WHAT IS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. WE ALL KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS MOVE VERY QUICKLY UP THERE. UH, POSITIONS CHANGE. AND THIS IS A, UM, THIS IS AN, AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR, UH, FOR OUR TEAM THAT, UH, IN THE PAST HAS WORKED OUT QUITE WELL. AND I HAVE ALL THE CONFIDENCE IT'S GONNA WORK OUT WELL THIS TIME. THANK YOU, SALLY. THANK YOU, CHRISTINE, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. AND WE WILL CONTINUE ON WITH DISCUSSION. COMMISSIONER? YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? NO. GOT IT. EVERYONE CAN HEAR ME NOW. THANK YOU. UH, JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. UH, MR. FINGER, I AGREE THAT THIS IS VERY VAGUE, AND WHEN YOU HAVE, AND I'M A FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER, SO WORDS MEAN THINGS. AND WHEN YOU ARE VERY VAGUE IN STATEMENTS, IT MAKES ANYONE, UM, WHO, WHO REALLY LOOKS AT IT, PONDER WHAT DOES THIS REALLY MEAN? AND PROBABLY IT IS TO AVOID A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, TO YOUR POINT. UM, AND SO I THINK WE'VE, I'LL TRY TO MAKE THIS SHORT, BUT I LOOK AT THIS AGENDA AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT LEVELS. ONE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TAX ISSUES AND HOW MUCH TAXES ARE COST, UH, COSTING PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT HELPING ONLY A CERTAIN GROUP AND NOT ANOTHER GROUP AS OPPOSED TO BRINGING THE TAX RATE DOWN. UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I LOOK AT THE HEALTHCARE ISSUE, THE SAME EXACT THING, SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY, BUT SAN ANTONIO IS ONE OF THE POOREST URBAN COUNTIES IN THE NATION. AND WE KNOW THAT. AND ONE OF THE WAYS TO HELP THAT IS TO WISELY USE THE TAXES AND TO NOT ENABLE PEOPLE. UM, IN DOING, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING TO GROW, YOU FEED THAT. IF YOU DON'T WANT IT TO GROW, YOU DON'T FEED THAT. AND THE VAGUENESS IN THIS, I UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS OF IT, UH, BUT I CANNOT SEE WHERE YOU GO FORWARD WITH SOMETHING THIS VAGUE, PARTICULARLY IN THIS CITY, AND CERTAINLY IN THIS COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UM, THIS, THIS AGENDA, IN FACT, I DON'T KNOW, UH, SALLY, HAVE WE EVER HAD AN AGENDA THIS LONG BEFORE? COME ON UP. I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU. SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES. UH, THERE ARE VARIOUS, MANY CARRYOVER ITEMS, COUNCILMEN, THAT WERE PART OF THE, UM, PREVIOUS STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT ARE REFLECTED HERE. OKAY. UH, I WOULD'VE LIKED, I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION BEFORE, BUT TO SAY WHICH ONES ARE CARRYOVERS AND WHICH ONES ARE NEW, UH, FOR THIS LEGISLATIVE SLASH SESSION, UH, COMPARED TO WHAT WE DID LAST TIME OR THE PREVIOUS, UH, ON THOSE CARRYOVERS. 'CAUSE I, I ASKED A SPECIFIC QUESTION THE LAST TIME TO OUR LOBBYISTS, WHICH ONES ARE WINNERS AND WHICH ONES ARE LOSERS. AND WE GOT SOME VERY GOOD COMMENTS BACK FROM THE LOBBYISTS, BUT STILL, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, KIND OF FORCE FEEDING THIS THING INTO THE SYSTEM WITH THE SAME LOSERS THAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD, I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T BACK OFF ON THOSE ITEMS THAT WE'RE REALLY WANTING IN THIS CITY, BUT YOU GOTTA FACE REALITY ALSO. WHAT ARE THOSE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE PUSHING AT THE LEGISLATURE THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON? AND NOT JUST [00:20:01] POKE THE STATE IN THE EYE SAYING, WE KNOW THIS IS A LOSER, BUT WE'RE GONNA POKE YOU IN THE EYE WITH THIS ANYWAY. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A PROBLEM. WOW. I GOT A BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT. UM, I, I'D LIKE TO, AND SINCE IT'S BEEN MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES NOW, UM, SLIDE NUMBER 14. CAN YOU TELL ME, OR CAN ANYBODY TELL ME, UH, WHAT BARRIERS WE HAVE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN AND HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO ALL? DO WE HAVE ANY BARRIERS? ANY SO COUNCILMAN, UM, AS I SHARED BEFORE, DURING THE, UH, SEPTEMBER MEETING, THE RECOMMENDED AGENDA REFLECTS SOME, UH, FLUID APPROACH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PIVOT QUICKLY DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UM, SO TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE STATEMENTS BEING GENERAL, UM, THAT WAS INTENTIONAL, AND WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE IN PREVIOUS SESSIONS. REGARDING YOUR QUESTION, UH, TO THE BARRIERS, THERE WERE, UM, SOME ITEMS, UM, IN PARTICULAR ONE BROUGHT UP WITH, UH, ON OUR ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH OTHER NON I G R, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE PROTECTIONS, UM, EMBEDDED INTO THIS PARTICULAR STATEMENT IN THIS PILLAR, UH, FOR THE PROTECTION OF, OF MOTHERS, UM, AND CHILDREN. OKAY. BUT IS, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT UNIVERSE IS. WHAT, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT BARRIERS DO WE HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR ANY, ANYONE TO GET HEALTHCARE SERVICES? SURE. ONE PARTICULAR ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT UP BY, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE WERE THE SAFE HAVEN BABY BOXES. AND SO WE WANTED TO ENSURE TO INCORPORATE LANGUAGE THAT WOULD GIVE US THE FLEXIBILITY TO SUPPORT POTENTIAL LEGISLATION FOR SAFE HAVEN, UH, LEGISLATION SUCH AS THE ONE IN TEXAS CALLED, UH, BABY MOSES SAFE HAVEN LEGISLATE NEW LANGUAGE COUNCILMAN INCORPORATES, UH, THE FLU FLUIDITY TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, BARRIERS FOR THE SAFETY OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN, IN PARTICULAR, THE SAFE HAVEN BABY MOSES LAW IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. COUNCILMAN, MAY I INTERJECT FOR A SECOND? YEAH. I DON'T SEE OUR METRO HEALTH FOLKS HERE, UNFORTUNATELY, UNLESS THERE'S ANYBODY HERE THAT I'M MISSING. UM, BUT GENERALLY WE ARE IN A STATE WHERE THERE'S A LARGE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION WITHOUT, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE. UH, PART OF THE REASON WE SUPPORT THE MEDICAID EXPANSION IS TO ENSURE MANY PEOPLE WHO AREN'T CURRENTLY INSURED. THERE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF HEALTHCARE BILLS THAT COME UP EVERY SESSION THAT, UH, WE SUPPORT THAT GENERALLY THE METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT WORKS WITH OTHER HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE, IDENTIFIES THOSE ISSUES FOR US, AND WE REGISTER SUPPORT FOR THEM. BUT THE LARGEST BARRIER OF AS, AS A NON-HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW IS THE COST OF INSURANCE. AND WE'RE EXPRESSING, ESSENTIALLY, OUR SUPPORT FOR MORE PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN OUR STATE COMING OUTTA THE PANDEMIC. UH, PUBLIC HEALTH IS A MAJOR PRIORITY OF THIS CITY, AND THAT'S ALL THAT STATEMENT MEANS. YEAH. AND JEFF, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU KIND OF COVERED THAT IN YOUR SECOND BULLET THERE. I'M FOCUSING IN ON THAT FIRST BULLET. WHAT BARRIERS DO WE HAVE? I MEAN, MY GOODNESS, WE, WE'VE PLUSED UP OUR, UM, CITY BUDGET HERE, MULTI-FOLD, UH, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL HEALTHCARE, HEALTHCARE SERVICES, SERVICES ACROSS THE CITY. SO I I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF BARRIERS WE'RE TALKING FOR. AND, AND, AND IN FACT, THOSE FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, THEY CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THE, TO THE COUNTY HEALTH SERVICE, UM, UH, HEALTH SERVICES AND GET THOSE SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE. SO I, I, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. I, AND THERE WAS A RESOLUTION BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE CITY ABOUT, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, AND THE WHOLE THING WAS GEARED TOWARDS ABORTION. AND THAT'S WHAT THAT RESOLUTION WAS IN SUPPORT OF. I VOTED AGAINST THAT, AND I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO VOTE AGAINST THAT. UM, THIS, THAT'S WHAT THIS, TO ME, THAT'S WHAT, UH, THIS WHOLE ITEM IS GEARED TOWARDS, AND I STILL DON'T SUPPORT THAT. SO, UM, YEAH, THIS, THIS IS GEARED TOWARDS IT. I MEAN, WE GOT SOME GREAT ITEMS IN HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, SUPPORTING OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK. I'VE BEEN PUSHING VERY, VERY HARD THROUGH THE, UH, OUR M P O ABOUT GETTING ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDS, TXDOT FUNDS FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. IT'S BEEN, WE'VE [00:25:01] BEEN LAST FOR 40 YEARS, 40 YEARS OUT OF THE OTHER METRO AREAS. AND I SEE VIC BOYER OUT HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, FROM SAMCO, AND, AND I KEEP PREACHING THIS, THIS, THIS SHOULD BE, UH, TOP AND TOP OF OUR LIST ABOUT GOING AFTER ADDITIONAL RESOURCES HERE AT THE STATE, PARTICULARLY THROUGH TXDOT. AND, UM, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT. SO WHEN I SEE THINGS LIKE THIS, UM, THAT I HAVEN'T SUPPORTED IN THE PAST, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT IT HERE EITHER. SO, UM, YEAH, I, I, I'VE GOT PROBLEMS WITH THAT PARTICULAR SLIDE AND, UH, THE REST OF IT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, THERE'S A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS IN HERE AND I, I, I AGREE. AND JEFF, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, WELL, HERE'S SOME SPECIFICS AND MAYBE WE DO NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC IN THIS LIST THAN WHAT WE ARE RIGHT, RIGHT NOW. SO, UM, YEAH, I'M, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME SUPPORTING MOVING THIS FORWARD AT THIS POINT. THAT'S ALL, MA'AM. THANK YOU, CHAIR. DO YOU WANT ME TO ADDRESS THAT? YES, GO AHEAD. UM, COUNCILMAN AND COMMISSIONER, YOU'RE RIGHT. THE LANGUAGE IS GENERAL ON MANY OF THESE STATEMENTS, AND IT IS INTENTIONAL. AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE 7,000 PLUS BILLS THAT GET FILED. THEY COME IN ALL DIFFERENT VARIETIES. AND, AND IN FACT, EVEN AN INDIVIDUAL BILL CHANGES MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT THE SESSION. THE MORE NARROW WE MAKE OUR LANGUAGE, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT IS FOR OUR US TO DO OUR JOB, BECAUSE WE'RE UP THERE WITHOUT DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL ON THE POSITIONS WE SHOULD TAKE. UH, WE PRE PRESENT TO YOU ESSENTIALLY GENERAL POSITION STATEMENTS ON WHAT THE CITY STANDS FOR, AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER PUTS ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA A REGULAR STANDING ITEM FOR LEGISLATIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE SESSION. SO SALLY'S BACK FROM AUSTIN, STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU ALL ON THURSDAY MORNINGS, TELLING YOU WHAT BILLS HAVE BEEN FILED, WHAT'S COMING UP FOR A HEARING, WHAT'S MOVING, THAT SORT OF THING. SO THAT'S THE INTENT. THE, UH, THE REPRODUCTIVE LANGUAGE, UH, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION COUNCILMAN AND, AND UNDERSTAND IT ENTIRELY. IT'S TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY COUNCIL, WHICH SAID THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO INTENDS TO PRIORITIZE THE PROTECTION OF REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. SO VERY SIMPLY, WE CUT AND PASTED THE EXACT LANGUAGE THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY PASSED. UH, AND THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE PROGRAM. THE LA THE LANGUAGE AT THE END OF THAT STATEMENT ABOUT BARRIERS TO HEALTHCARE IS MORE A REFLECTION OF HAVING COME OUTTA THE PANDEMIC AND SPENT TWO YEARS TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACTS, UH, ON LOWER INCOME RESIDENTS AND MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES. AND SO WE HAVE A STATEMENT IN THERE TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT HELPS REMOVE ANY OF THOSE BARRIERS TO PROVIDE OUR RESIDENTS THE HEALTHCARE THEY NEED. THANK YOU SO MUCH, JEFF. UM, LET ME MAKE MY COMMENTS AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THE SECOND GO AROUND. UM, I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE ON THE LINE, AND WE HAVE MARK RODRIGUEZ AND, AND JESSE AND SARAH, AND, AND MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT RECOGNIZING YOU ALL EARLIER. AND I THINK WE HAVE A FEW MORE CONSULTANTS ALSO THAT HAVE JOINED US, THE FOCUSED ADVOCACY GROUP, SNAPPER CAR, KURT SITZ, AND, UH, LINLEY WALLACE. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE ON VIRTUALLY, SO IF YOU'RE THERE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO THEY'RE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS, AND AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL GO AGAIN A A SECOND ROUND HERE IN JUST A SECOND. I WANTED TO, UM, STRESS SOME OF THE PROTECTION OF COMMUNITY INTEREST THAT IS BEING BROUGHT FORTH FOR, FOR DISCUSSION, UM, WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL IN, IN THE NEXT FEW, UM, WEEKS, HOPEFULLY. BUT, UH, LOCAL GOVERNANCE IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WE JUST ATTENDED THE T M L CONFERENCE, AND WE TALKED TO SEVERAL OTHER CITIES, SMALL AND LARGE, AND ON THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENTS, UH, GOVERNMENTS TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL CONTROL AND TO OPPOSE LEGISLATION OF ANYTHING THAT WOODY ERODE THAT MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY. SO I WANTED TO ALSO THANK OUR, OUR PARTNERS OVER AT T M L FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE. UH, MILITARY CITY, U S A, SAN ANTONIO'S, MILITARY CITY, U S A, SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE DAG. UH, I KNOW WORKING TOGETHER WITH ACOG AND I, I, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY, OR MAYBE I'M MISSING PEOPLE FROM, FROM ACOG IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT. SO, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS. AND THEN OF COURSE, MUNICIPAL UTILITIES, AN IMPORTANT, UM, ITEM THAT CONTINUES TO, TO, TO COME UP WILL, OUR CONTINUED WORK WITH SAWS AND WITH C P S ENERGY WILL BE CRITICAL UNDER THE ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AREA. I AM HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE WILL BE SUPPORTING THE SAN, THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, QUALITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND CHOICE. UM, ALSO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THAT. I KNOW THAT THERE IS A PRESS CONFERENCE GOING ON RIGHT NOW, UH, SAYING THAT WE HAVE REACHED A MILESTONE, BUT THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT WE CAN STILL DO AT THE STATE LEVEL. AND THEN, OF COURSE, UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TEXAS IS, IS GROWING AND IS POST FOR FUTURE [00:30:01] GROWTH, AND WE CONTINUE INVESTING IN THAT UNDER THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. UM, THIS WEEKEND, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I AND, UH, ONE OF OUR OTHER COLLEAGUES WERE AT THE SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD AND TISSUE CENTER, RED AND WHITE BALL. AND, UM, A A GENTLEMAN TOLD A HEARTBREAKING STORY ABOUT HIS WIFE, AND IT'S NOT JUST HIM, IT'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS, BUT ONE IN 83 WOMEN IN 2022 DIED OF A HEMORRHAGE AT BIRTH, GIVING BIRTH. AND SO THAT IS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER CAUSE OF DEATH, AS I UNDERSTOOD FROM WHAT THEY TOLD US THAT NIGHT. AND SO, I DO BELIEVE THAT ACCESS IS IMPORTANT. HEALTHCARE ACCESS, THE RESIDENTS THAT I REPRESENT HAVE DIABETES. AND SO EVERYTHING GETS COMPLICATED. SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS AND SUPPORT THE ADDITIONAL HEALTHCARE, UH, I I WILL BE IN FAVOR OF ONE OTHER THING THAT COMES UP REGULARLY IS, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING TO INVEST IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESILIENCY. UM, I WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TODAY. I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN DC AT COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS IS DOING A GREAT JOB OF ADVOCATING FOR MENTAL HEALTH. THEY NEED ABOUT $25 MILLION ADDITIONALLY THIS YEAR FROM THE STATE ALONE, OR THIS COMING YEAR TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT ALL OF THE SCHOOLS THAT NEED HELP. UM, BUT THE REASON THAT I'M HERE IS BECAUSE TODAY I'M ATTENDING, UM, A ROSARY FOR ONE OF MY STUDENTS WHO WAS KILLED BY A DRUNK DRIVER. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT, IN PARTICULAR IN INFRASTRUCTURE IS, UM, HOW TO MAKE OUR ROADWAYS MORE SAFE FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE DRIVING DRUNK. AND SO, UM, IT, IT'S SAD THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, LOSE YOUNG LIVES AND CONTINUE USING LIVES, UH, LOSING LIVES, AND THAT WE HAVEN'T INVESTED, I THINK, ENOUGH IN, IN, IN ALERTING PEOPLE, UM, UH, OF THE DANGERS OF, OF DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED. UM, AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO, UH, ALSO WORK WITH OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THIS MORNING, UM, I WAS IN CONTACT WITH ALMO COLLEGES, AND, UH, THEY WILL BE SUBMITTING THEIR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM TO US, UH, LATER WHEN THEY APPROVE IT, I BELIEVE THEY SAID IN DECEMBER. UM, BUT ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER, WE ALL HAVE OUR SPECIAL NEEDS, UM, ARE OUR SPECIAL INTENTIONS. AND I THINK THAT BRINGING THIS TOGETHER AND BRINGING IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION IS DEFINITELY VERY IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED. AGAIN, THIS, UM, UH, ITEM IF MOVED FORWARD TODAY WILL BE FOR THE FULL COUNSEL TO DISCUSS, MAKE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS, POSSIBLY EVEN, UM, GIVE SOME, SOME CLEAR DEFINITIONS ON, ON SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED. BUT THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS FOR TODAY, AND I WILL ENTERTAIN THE SECOND MOTION OR THE SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. AND, UM, COUNCILMAN S I DIDN'T SEE, BUT WAS YOUR HAND UP FOR A SECOND. GO AROUND AT THIS. GO AHEAD, COUNCILMAN. I, I, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PAST 20 YEARS I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES, AND THIS IS A TOPIC THAT'S DISCUSSED QUITE OFTEN, UM, THROUGHOUT, UM, WHAT THAT SECTOR OF THE N G O, UM, WORLD. AND BECAUSE FAMILY VIOLENCE AND, UH, ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE FOR WOMEN IS SOMETHING THAT IS JUST INEXTRICABLY TIED, RIGHT? AND WE, WE KNOW, UM, THAT WOMEN AS OPPOSED TO MEN ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO HEALTHCARE COSTS MORE SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THE POVERTY RATE FOR FAMILIES, UM, WITH CHILDREN, UM, IN HOUSEHOLDS HEADED BY WOMEN IS HIGHER, UM, THAN THOSE, UM, WITH MOM AND DAD IN, UM, IN THE FAMILY. UM, WE KNOW THAT, THAT TO STAY FINANCIALLY SECURE, WOMEN WILL ROUTINELY FOREGO NEEDED CARE. AND IN TEXAS, ONE IN FOUR WOMEN REPORT THAT THEY DELAYED OR WENT WITHOUT CARE DUE TO COSTS. UM, AND LOW-INCOME WOMEN ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO CITE PROBLEMS TAKING TIME OFF FROM WORK, UM, FINDING CHAIR CHILDCARE, TRANSPORTATIONS, UM, THAT LEAD TO THEM NOT OBTAINING THIS CARE. AND IN TEXAS, THIS IS PARTICULARLY POIGNANT BECAUSE, UH, 30% OF LOW-INCOME WOMEN AREN'T UNINSURED. AND, UM, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS NOT EXPANDED MEDICAID AS MOST OTHER STATES HAVE. AND OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A, A NUMBER OF CHANGES IN THE STATE AFFECTING, UH, WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE. UM, THIS IS FOR TWO REASONS. ONE, UM, MEN WHO DON'T EXPERIENCE ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE THE ONES MAKING THESE DECISIONS. UM, TWO, UM, TEXAS HAS, UH, PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO FAIL DOWNWARDS, UM, [00:35:01] WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING VULNERABLE PEOPLE LIKE THIS. UM, BUT ALSO, UH, BECAUSE OF THIS DECISION TO ELIMINATE FEDERALLY, UH, SUPPORTED MEDICARE, I'M SORRY, MEDICAID FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS AND REPLACE IT WITH A REALLY, REALLY NARROW STATUTE FUNDED PROGRAM. AND SO, UM, YES, UH, PART OF THIS AGENDA IS INFORMED BY THE RESOLUTION THAT CITY COUNCIL, UH, VOTED ON REGARDING ABORTION. BUT NO, UH, THAT IS NOT THE SOLE PURPOSE OF INCLUDING THIS SLIDE. UM, THIS HAS BEEN A CITY, CITY COUNCIL THAT FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, HAS, UM, SPOKEN A LOT ABOUT EQUITY, UH, A CITY COUNCIL THAT DURING THE TIME WHEN FEMALES, UH, OUTNUMBERED MALES ON THE DAIS, UH, WE MADE, UM, FEMALE EMPOWERMENT AND WE MADE, UM, FEMALE, UH, ACCESS TO ALL SERVICES A PRIORITY. I THINK THIS IS IN SPIRIT, UM, A CONTINUATION OF THAT CONVERSATION AND ONE THAT, UM, I THINK ALL OF US NEED TO GET BEHIND. UH, I UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLE TO VOTE, UH, AGAINST THIS IF THE, UH, ABORTION PROVISION IS INCLUDED IN THERE. BUT, UM, I THINK AS A GREATER, UM, UH, UMBRELLA ITEM, UM, YOU KNOW, OR UMBRELLA TOPIC HEALTHCARE COSTS THAT THREATEN THE HEALTH OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, UM, AND THE INABILITY OF THESE FOLKS TO ACCESS THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS WORTHY OF A CONVERSATION HERE AND IN AUSTIN AND IN DC. SO THAT'S WHY I'LL BE VOTING YESTERDAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BELAYS. COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UM, TO THAT POINT, I, AGAIN, I ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT BARRIERS, WHAT HEALTHCARE BARRIERS DO WE HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO OR THE COUNTY? IT GOES HAND IN HAND. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY BARRIERS OTHER THAN THE STATE, UM, LAWS WHICH WERE ENACTED ABOUT ABORTION. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER BARRIERS OUT THERE, AND NOBODY CAN TELL ME WHAT THOSE BARRIERS ARE THAT WE'VE PUT IN HERE ON SLIDE 14 AND ELIMINATES BARRIERS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR ALL SAN ANTONIO. YOU KNOW, I, I, I'M NOT HEARING THAT. SO, UM, YEAH, THAT, I THINK THAT'S GEARED TOWARDS THE ONE ISSUE AND THE ONE ISSUE ONLY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DID SUPPORT A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORTING ABORTION RIGHTS. AND I VOTED AGAINST THAT, AND I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO VOTE AGAINST THAT. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I STAND ON THIS AGENDA AND, UM, THIS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT'S GOING FORWARD. LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD PARTS IN THIS THING. I DON'T WANT TO DISREGARD ALL OF THAT, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS A LIGHTNING ROD, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS CITY HAS TO CONTINUE TO HOLD ON TO LIGHTNING RODS THAT WE'RE GONNA GET SHOCKED, YOU KNOW, AND WE SPEND THOSE SILVER BULLETS OUT THERE FOR NOTHING. SO, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S MY COMMENTS ON THAT. THANK YOU, MA'AM. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY. COMMISSIONER GARDNER? YES. UM, THANK YOU. UH, FIRST, OVERALL, I AM A BELIEVER IN GIVING, TEACHING PEOPLE TO FISH AS OPPOSED TO ALWAYS GIVING THEM A FISH. NOW, I DON'T KNOW ANOTHER HUMAN ALIVE WHO ISN'T ABOUT HELPING THE DISABLED, THE, THE HANDICAP PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING SERIOUS PROBLEMS. BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THIS AGENDA, TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILMAN, UH, WHAT REALLY PUTTING YOUR EFFORTS, UH, ON THESE TOPICS AT THE LEGISLATURE, MANY OF THESE ARE SEEM TO BE A BUST. IT'S JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN WITH THIS LEGISLATURE. SO FROM A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, IT WOULD SEEM THAT YOU WOULD HONE IN ON SPECIFIC AREAS, SUCH AS WE TALKED ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADS, BECAUSE THAT BRINGS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND ANOTHER ISSUE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE THAT IS SORT OF RAISING THE, THE BOAT, RAISING IT FOR EVERYONE, AND PUSHING FOR EDUCATION. FORMER SCHOOL TEACHER, ALWAYS GOOD FOR EDUCATION, BUT EDUCATION, AND, AND I AM PRO HEALTHCARE. I WILL OBVIOUSLY, TEACHING PEOPLE TO FISH, TEACHING THEM TO WORK TOWARD GETTING THEIR OWN HEALTHCARE. YES, WE GIVE IT TO 'EM WHEN THEY'RE NEEDED IMMEDIATELY AS A FISH. BUT WE NEED TO TEACH PEOPLE AND INCENTIVIZE THEM, NOT JUST TEACH INCENTIVIZE PROGRAMS TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE. THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I AM AS, AS, UH, NOT ONLY A COMMISSIONER, BUT AS A TEACHER, MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER. AND I'M SEEING, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WHEN I HEAR ABOUT ALL HOW HIGH THE TAXES ARE FROM SO MANY PEOPLE, WHERE ARE WE PUTTING OUR MONEY? THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW DON'T WANT THEIR MONEY JUST GIVING HANDOUTS. THEY WANT TO TEACH PEOPLE TO FISH. AND TO THAT POINT, YES, I AM PRO-LIFE, OBVIOUSLY, AS WELL. AND I THINK OUR LEGISLATURE IS, AND THAT [00:40:01] WOULD NOT BE AN EFFECTIVE USE OF, UM, I THINK I WAS GONNA SAY, MANPOWER, MAN AND WOMAN POWER, UH, AT THE LEGISLATURE. SO, UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UH, THAT CONCLUDES OUR DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM. SO WE WILL, UM, GO AHEAD AND, UH, TAKE A VOTE, UH, TO MOVE THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR THE 80TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE NEXT AVAILABLE A SESSION. SO, SORRY, MOVE TO APPROVE. OH, IT'S A CITY COUN. SORRY. THIS ONE WILL, UH, CITY COUNCIL VOTE ONLY. GOT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU, MS. KIM. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AND ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES. THANK, CORRECT. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS A BRIEFING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ON THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW THAT WILL ALSO BE PRESENTED BY SALLY. OKAY, SALLY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN. UH, SWITCHING GEARS HERE TO A FEDERAL UPDATE. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING ONGOING BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW UPDATES IN, IN VARIOUS OF OUR PAST I G R MEETINGS. QUICK OVERVIEW, UM, OF MY PRESENTATION TODAY, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE INPUT BEFORE YOU, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ACTIVITY SINCE MY LAST BILL UPDATE TO YOU. UH, WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU THE DETAILS OF THE RECENTLY SUBMITTED, UH, GRANT APPLICATIONS, NOT JUST FROM THE CITY, BUT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AS WELL AS UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING AND MONITORING. A QUICK LOOK HERE, UM, WE HAVE BEEN ADHERING TO OUR GUIDING STRATEGY TO MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES TO SECURE FUNDING THROUGH OUR GRANT PROGRAM ANALYSIS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS FOR THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM, AS WELL AS WITH OUR, UH, FEDERAL CONSULTANTS TO REVIEW ANY NEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THE FEDERAL AGENCIES. WORK WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OUR PARTNERS IN PROJECT IDENTIFICATION. THERE GOES INTO EXTENSIVE COORDINATION WITH ALL THESE PARTNERS, INPUT FROM THE I G R COMMITTEE AND, AND COUNCIL INPUT AS WELL, UH, AS WELL AS OUTREACH TO OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS. A LOOK HERE, WE SUBMITTED A SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL YOU WILL RECALL, THE TAMIKA AND TEAM WORKED, UH, COLLECTIVELY TO SUBMIT A $5.5 MILLION REQUEST TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, UH, FOR EIGHT MIDBLOCK CROSSINGS IN A, UH, SAFETY CAMPAIGN, UM, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS, UM, AT BEAR COUNTY SUBMITTED A PLANNING GRANT AS WELL FOR S SS FOUR A. THAT WAS A $2 MILLION REQUEST. SO BOTH OF THESE APPLICATIONS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION CURRENTLY, UH, WITH U S D O T, ANOTHER LOOK AT, UH, FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITY, ALSO UNDER THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. THIS IS THE RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION PROGRAM, UH, RAZZIE AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE, UH, AUSTIN RAIL DIVISION UNDER TXDOT AND SUBMITTED A, UH, GRANT APPLICATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $42.3 MILLION, UH, FOR THE RMAN ROAD GRADE SEPARATION PROJECT. UM, THIS ONE IS ALSO UNDER REVIEW CURRENTLY, UH, BY F R A UNDER D O T A LOOK HERE AT OUR RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES, UH, GRANT SUBMISSIONS AS WELL. OUR PARTNERS OVER AT VIA SUBMITTED, UM, A PLANNING GRANT FOR THE MULTIMODAL TRANSIT CONNECTIVITY PROJECT. OUR PARTNERS AT U T S A ALSO SUBMITTED A PLANNING GRANT, UH, FOR 1.6 MILLION, UH, TO CONNECT, UH, THE WEST SIDE INTO THE DOWNTOWN, UM, NEW INFRASTRUCTURE. ADDITIONALLY FOR THE RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES, THIS IS THE, UH, CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, GRANT, UH, APPLICATION THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY PORT SAN ANTONIO IN THE AMOUNT OF $27.7 MILLION. UM, THIS IS A COLLECTIVE, UM, EFFORT, UM, THAT THE COMMUNITY STANDS BEHIND, AND WE LOOK FORWARD, UM, TO, TO SEEING THE RESULTS OF, OF ALL THESE APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS. A QUICK LOOK OF WHAT'S, UM, COMING IN, IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. AS FAR AS SUBMISSIONS, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THROUGH THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS TEAM, HAD BEEN CLOSELY TRACKING THE BRICK GRANT APPLICATION. THERE'S $200 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR F [00:45:01] Y 22 FOR PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY RESILIENCY, AGAIN, NATURAL DISASTERS, AND TO MITIGATE DAMAGE. UH, OUR EMERGENCY OPS TEAM IS WORKING WITH, UH, PARTNERS, UH, TO ENHANCE THIS APPLICATION THAT IS DUE TO FEMA, UH, UNDER HOMELAND SECURITY ON JANUARY 27TH. UH, THE AIRPORT TEAM IS ALSO WORKING ON THE AIRPORT TERMINAL GRANT PROGRAM. THERE ARE $1 BILLION IN F Y 23, UM, 14, UH, I'M SORRY, 145.5 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR SPECIFICALLY A MEDIUM HUB AIRPORTS. AND THIS WILL ARE SPECIFICALLY FUNDS FOR PROJECTS FOR TERMINAL RELOCATION, REPLACEMENT OF AGING FACILITIES, INCREASING CAPACITY, IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND IMPROVING ACCESS, UH, FOR PARTNERS WITH DISABILITY. THOSE ARE YOUR A D A PRIORITIES AND DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS. THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE, UM, IS LOOMING ON OCTOBER, UH, 24TH, AND OUR AIRPORT TEAM IS WORKING TO, UH, PREPARE THIS APPLICATION FOR SUBMISSION NEXT WEEK. LASTLY, I WANTED TO PUT THIS, UM, ON YOUR RADAR. THE THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM IS A COORDINATION EFFORT BETWEEN, UM, THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. HUD IT'S $25 MILLION, UM, AVAILABLE FOR, FOR TWO BUCKETS. THE FIRST ONE IS FOR, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OR TA TO BUILD CAPACITY AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES. UM, SUPPORT FOR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES WILL BE A FOCUS FOR, FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. THOSE APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NOVEMBER 22ND. AND THEN THE SECOND BUCKET SPECIFICALLY WILL PROVIDE TWO YEARS, UH, UH, IN DEPTH, A DEEP, DEEP DIVE IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, UM, TO RECIPIENTS, UH, OF THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM TO INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO PLAN AND DEVELOP, UH, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS. SO, UM, WHAT D O T AND HUD ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE IS TO PROVIDE, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH A, UM, WIDE, UH, BENCH OF, OF EXPERTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITIES, SPECIFICALLY THOSE WITH, WITH DISADVANTAGED, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS AND RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO PREPARE, UM, AND COMPETE NATIONALLY FOR, FOR FEDERAL FUNDING, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, OR TRADITIONAL FUNDING. THIS WAS THE BRIEF PRESENTATION ON THE BILL UPDATE. WE ALSO HAVE DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PRESENTATION AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SALLY. WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE EFFORT THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS. WE'LL START AGAIN WITH COUNCILMAN PELLAS. UH, NOTHING OTHER THAN TO TELL YOU TO GO GET THE MONEY. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UM, SALLY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. UH, DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU, THOUGH, ON ALL OF THESE GRANTS, UM, PARTICULARLY ON THE TRANSPORTATION ONES, UM, AND ACCESS AND WALKWAYS AND, AND CONNECTIVITY AND ALL THAT. ARE ALL OF THESE GONNA BE, UM, ROUTED THROUGH SOME COMMITTEE HERE IN THE CITY? FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE? 'CAUSE NONE OF THIS HAS COME THROUGH OUR TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AS OF YET. SO, UH, YES, COUNCILMAN. SO THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL, UH, WAS TAKEN, I BELIEVE, AT LEAST A COUPLE OF TIMES TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. THIS WAS A TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT THAT TAMIKA, UH, PRESENTED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM TRANSPORTATION TEAM HERE THAT CAN, UM, EXPAND ON, ON THOSE PRESENTATIONS. BUT I AM AWARE, UM, THAT THERE WERE PRESENTATIONS MADE TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. OKAY. 'CAUSE I'M LOOKING HERE, ONE OF THE TRANSPORTATION, WELL, CAN'T FIND IT NOW, RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES AND, AND, UH, UM, THE DUE DATES FOR THESE, AND THEY'RE GETTING KIND OF SHORT. AND I GUESS, UH, WE NEED TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THIS INFORMATION AT THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE FOR THOSE THAT DO DEAL WITH TRANSPORTATION HERE AT, IN THE CITY. UM, THE, UM, AIRPORT ONE. I SEE JESUS THERE. UM, UM, 1 BILLION AVAILABLE IN F Y 23. THIS IS DUE OCTOBER 24TH. THAT'S WHAT, NEXT WEEK, WEEK AND A HALF, CORRECT. DO WE HAVE THESE PACKAGES DONE? READY TO GO AND HAVE JESUS, WOULD YOU MIND MM-HMM. ? YEAH, IF YOU, UH, THANK YOU. YES, SIR. GLAD YOU'RE HERE THIS MORNING. GLAD TO BE HERE. UH, YOU [00:50:01] KNOW, THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE IN 23. WHAT, WHAT PACKAGES DO WE HAVE THAT ARE READY TO GO? YEAH, SO, UM, AS WE TALK SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THERE IS A TOTAL OF A BILLION DOLLARS THAT'S AVAILABLE OVER FIVE YEARS. THE 145 MILLION THAT SHE REFERENCED THERE IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE F Y 2023 DISTRIBUTION. SO THERE'S SPECIFIC CRITERIA THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY RELEASED. UH, WE'VE BEEN, UH, PREPARING ALL OF OUR MATERIALS IN ALIGNMENT WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING. WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SUBMITTING FOR. UM, ONE WILL BE SPECIFIC TO STINSON, WHICH WILL BE A TOTAL OF $3 MILLION, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME, UH, ROOF AND H V A C WORK TO STINSON. AND THEN IN THE EFFORTS OF CONTINUING TO GROW OUR CAPACITY AS IT RELATES TO THE NUMBER OF GATES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AS WE PREPARE, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF COMPLETING OUR AIRPORT, UH, OUR OVERALL ADVANCED TERMINAL PLANNING EXERCISE THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT SINCE, SINCE, UH, THE SUMMERTIME, EARLY SUMMER OF THIS YEAR. UM, SO AS WE COMPLETE ALL OF THAT, WE'VE GOTTA GET READY FOR ADDITIONAL GATES. WE'LL BE OPENING THREE NEW GATES, UH, TWO INTERNAL B ONE INTERNAL A, THAT'S GONNA PROVIDE US SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, SO THAT'S GREAT. HOWEVER, WE KNOW AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE LOOK AT THE PROJECTIONS THAT WE'RE FORECASTING, WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE GATES. SO IN THE 2023 BUDGET THIS YEAR, WE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL AND IDENTIFIED 25 MILLION FOR, UH, AN ADDITIONAL GROUND LOADING FACILITY ADJACENT TO TERMINAL A FOR, UH, THE PREPARATION OF AN ENABLING PROJECT FOR TURMOIL SEA, JUST BECAUSE WE NEED ADDITIONAL GATES. SO THAT WILL BE THE NUMBER ONE PROJECT THAT WILL BE RELEASED. WE'VE, WE'RE PUTTING THE PAPERWORK TOGETHER WITH THAT. UM, WE WILL BE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AS WELL. SO WE WILL BE BRINGING THAT FORTHCOMING TO, I BELIEVE THAT'S ON THE 19TH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. UH, 19TH IS THIS WEDNESDAY, BUTRAN, WE'VE TALKED WITH CHAIRMAN, UH, HARVARD UP. THE, UM, THE WINDOW WAS SO TIGHT ON THIS AIRPORT GRANT, FOUR MONTH, FOUR WEEKS THAT, UH, WE'VE TALKED HER ABOUT COMING BACK AND PRESENTING AFTER THE, THE DUE DATE. BUT, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION HERE, UH, PRIOR TO THAT. AND WE WILL, WE'LL BRIEF HER COMMITTEE AFTERWARDS. OKAY. UM, SO 3 MILLION FOR STINSON? YES, SIR. AND HOW MUCH FOR THE AIRPORT? IT'S A $25 MILLION REQUEST. SO I, I HAVE TO REMIND EVERYBODY, WHEN YOU SEE THE, THE 1 BILLION, THAT'S OVER FIVE YEARS, AND THAT'S A, THERE'S A PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN FOR LARGE HUBS, MEDIUM HUBS, AND SMALL HUBS, OF WHICH MEDIUM HUBS ARE ONLY ELIGIBLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 145 TO 150 MILLION PER YEAR. SO WE WILL BE COMPETING WITH ALL MEDIUM HUB AIRPORTS FOR THE 145 MILLION. AND OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, IS GONNA BE SUBMITTED WITH THE TERMINAL, A EXPANSION OF THE GROUND LOADING FACILITY THAT WAS INPUT INTO OUR F Y 2023 BUDGET FOR 25 MILLION. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE SUBMITTING IN OUR, UM, B I L REQUEST FOR F Y 2023. YEAH, I, I'VE GOT A LOT OF SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. BUT THE 25 MILLION, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT GONNA GET US? IT'S GONNA GET US AN ADDITIONAL THREE TO FIVE GATES ON THE GROUND LOADING FACILITY TO EXPAND TURMOIL. A, UH, AND THAT WILL BE FOR DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL SERVICE. OKAY. AS WE HAVE PLANS TO CONTINUE TO GROW, UH, AND INCREASE OUR OVERALL, UH, NONSTOP AIR SERVICE, UH, REACHES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND GLOBE. OKAY. AND THAT'S 25 MILLION. 25 MILLION. THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG CHUNK OF THE 145 MILLION. WHAT'S OUR EXPECTATION? WE'RE GONNA GET THAT 25 MILLION. AND IF WE DON'T, WHAT'S THE NEXT FALLBACK? OUR HOPES IS TO GET, UM, A GOOD AMOUNT OF THAT 25 MILLION. UH, SO WE'RE GONNA SUBMIT IT. WE, WE HAVE THE CRITERIA HONED DOWN. UH, I CAN PROVIDE YOU A COMPLETE SHEET THAT SHOWS THE ENTIRE FRAMEWORK OF HOW WE HAVE WORKED, UH, ENDLESSLY TO ENSURE THAT THE CRITERIA THAT WE'RE SUBMITTING FOR MEETS SPECIFICALLY THE CRITERIA THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING FOR. SO THAT WAY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PUT OURSELVES IN A GOOD POSITION. SO THE 25 MILLION IS, THAT'S WHAT WE REQUIRE. WE DON'T HAVE LIKE, OPTIONS IN THERE IF WE DON'T GET THE 25, IF WE ONLY ONLY GET FIVE, THERE'S TWO THERE, THERE ARE TWO OR THREE OTHERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY SUBMITTING AS WELL. UM, BUT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT TERM A PROJECT. WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT AND THANKS FOR, FOR THAT INFORMATION. BUT YES, I'D LIKE LIKE TO SIT DOWN AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT PRIOR TO THE SUBMISSION. I WILL GET YOU THOSE DOCUMENTS TODAY, COUNCIL MEMBER. GREAT. I APPRECIATE THAT. YES, SIR. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY. COMMISSIONER CHAIR REAL QUICK. I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER. I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT. UM, THE, UH, WE WERE JUST DOING SOME SCRAMBLING TO GO BACK AND LOOK. THE AUGUST, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETINGS HAD [00:55:01] BRIEFINGS ON BOTH RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES AND THE RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION GRANT, THE U T S A RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES PLANNING GRANT, WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT LAST WEEK, UH, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT. UM, BUT THAT WAS A, A, A RECENT REVELATION TO US. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SHARING IT HERE TODAY. BUT IS THAT GONNA COME TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE? THE U T SS A PORTION? WE CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS IT IF THE CHAIR WOULD LIKE THE, THE DUE DATE WAS LAST WEEK. SO U T S A AND VIA HAVE BOTH SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATIONS TO, UH, TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. YEAH. SEE, I, THAT'S BACKWARDS TO ME. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE BEFORE THE SUBMITTAL. IT, IT WAS IN AUGUST. UH, THE PORT PROJECT WAS WHEN WE KNEW ABOUT THE PORT PROJECT. YEAH. UH, WAS PRESENTED, UH, IN AUGUST TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE U T S A APPLICATION UNTIL LAST WEEK. YEAH. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT JEFF, AND, AND I'LL DISCUSS THAT FURTHER WITH ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. BUT THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, US NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OTHER SUBMITTALS, UH, THAT AFFECT OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. SO THAT, UM, THAT'S STILL A CONCERN OF MINE. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JEFF. COMMISSIONER VERNA. THANK YOU. UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS, PARTICULARLY THE AIRPORT ASPECT. AND I REMEMBER WHEN YOU PRESENTED IT PREVIOUSLY, AND WE HAD, I DID SEE THAT, UH, MUCH NEEDED FOR A VERY LONG TIME, ESPECIALLY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOP OF THIS COMMUNITY. WHILE OUR POPULATION GROWS, WE HAVE GOT TO HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT IS A KEY COMPONENT SO THAT WE CAN HELP EVERYONE, UM, IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO OTHER THAN THAT, I'M JUST, UM, IMPRESSED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. AND I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. AND, AND FIRST, THE THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM. THAT APPLICATION IS DUE NOVEMBER 22ND. UM, CAN YOU HELP ME MAYBE LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF THAT GRANT? SURE. UM, SO COUNCILWOMAN, AS I SHARED, THE THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM IS SPECIFICALLY A PROGRAM FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. THIS IS A COMBINED EFFORT BETWEEN D O T AND THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, IDENTIFY UP TO 30 COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, THAT SPECIFICALLY HAVE A FOCUSED, UM, COMMUNITY EFFORT TO, UH, ASSIST COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT ARE DISADVANTAGED. THEY HAVE A DISADVANTAGED POPULATION. THIS IS A FEDERAL EFFORT TO TRY AND RAMP UP, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE ABILITY TO PREPARE QUALITY APPLICATIONS, UM, WHEN COMPETING FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. SO THERE ARE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT SOME DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES. A LOT OF THESE POTENTIAL, UH, FUNDING RESOURCES ARE NEW. UH, AND SO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, SPECIFICALLY THESE TWO AGENCIES ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE THIS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH A BENCH OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES SO THAT WHEN COMMUNITIES, SPECIFICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, ARE SUBMITTING AND COMPETING NATIONALLY FOR THESE APPLICATIONS, UM, OUR QUALITY APPLICATIONS. AND SALLY, WHAT, UH, OTHER COMMITTEE WILL THAT BE GOING TO? SO IT'S COMING HERE RIGHT NOW, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TEAM IS LOOKING AT THIS, SO IT WILL LIKELY BE GOING TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AS WELL COMES. OKAY, GOOD. I WAS HOPING THAT MM-HMM. . AND THEN WHAT ABOUT THE BRICK? WHERE IS THAT GOING? SO THIS IS PUBLIC SAFETY. OKAY. THIS FALLS UNDER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM, SO THAT'LL LIKELY BE PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL. AND THEN IT'LL RETURN TO I G R AS WELL. DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S, UM, A CONSIDERATION FOR THE RESILIENCY HUBS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN THAT? I BELIEVE SO. SO CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, THE EMERGENCY OPS TEAM IS LOOKING AT, UM, THE, THE LONG LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH ONES ALIGN BEST FOR THIS PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITY. DO YOU ALSO KNOW IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MICROGRIDS TO BE CONSIDERED THERE? I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT ONE. WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK IN, UH, TO THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND GET, GET BACK TO YOU. THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. I'VE BEEN ASKING ABOUT THAT FOR ABOUT A YEAR, JUST IN, IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE. UM, AND I SHARED, AND I'LL, I'LL HAVE MY STAFF SEND IT TO YOU, SALLY, BUT THERE WAS A REPORT DONE BY, UM, ONE OF OUR I C M FELLOWS THROUGH TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY, AND I THOUGHT THAT, THAT THEY DID A, A PHENOMENAL JOB. AND I WAS WONDERING IF WE MIGHT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO LOOK AT THAT, MAYBE EVEN WITH C P S SYNERGY. AND THEN ALSO I APPRECIATE THE TRAIL CONNECTION AT PORT SAN ANTONIO, THE, UM, PATH TO THE FUTURE THAT, THAT IS PROPOSED. NANCY QUIN, ANTONIO FLORES HERE TODAY. THANK YOU JUAN ANTONIO FOR BEING HERE, UM, WITH THE COMPLETE STREETS AND THE TRAIL CONNECTION. [01:00:01] I THINK THAT ALSO LEADS TO MULTIMODAL, RIGHT? SO ALWAYS CONSIDERING THE SOUTHWEST PART OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, IS THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE COMPLETED TRAILS. SO I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. SO THANK YOU. I HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS. JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. I'LL LOOK AROUND TO MY COLLEAGUES TO SEE IF THERE'S A SECOND, UH, GO AROUND THAT THEY WANT. OKAY. WONDERFUL. WELL, THANK YOU. AND I BELIEVE THAT ONE WAS JUST A BRIEFING. SO WE, UM, HAVE COME TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA. SO, UH, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 1108. THANKS EVERYONE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.