[00:00:04]
[ PROCEDURAL ]
MORNING EVERYONE.WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
THE TIME IS 9:22 AM ON THE FIRST DAY OF DECEMBER, 2022.
WE'LL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, IF I CAN ASK EVERYONE TO QUIET THEIR CONVERSATIONS AND TAKE THEIR SEATS IF THEY HAVE ONE.
WE'LL GET OUR MEETING STARTED.
MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
COUNCIL MEMBER MA MCKEE RODRIGUEZ IS HERE VIRTUALLY.
COUNCIL MEMBER PIZ IS HERE VIRTUALLY.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
ALRIGHT, WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, AND WELCOME TO OUR GUESTS WHO ARE IN THE CHAMBERS TODAY TO GET US STARTED.
UH, IT'S MY HONOR TO WELCOME TO OUR CHAMBERS, SOMEONE WHO IS NOT NEW TO THE CHAMBERS, BUT WHO WILL BE GIVING US AN INVOCATION.
JAMIE NIETO WAS BORN IN EL PASO, TEXAS AT A YOUNG AGE, SHE MOVED TO SAN ANTONIO.
SHE'S LIVED IN ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO FOR THE PAST 34 YEARS.
DURING THAT TIME, SHE SERVED IN THE MINISTRY IN DIFFERENT ROLES, WHICH INCLUDE MISSIONARY WORK IN MEXICO, LEADING PRAISE AND WORSHIP, TEACHING THE CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL, AND COORDINATING VATICAN BIBLE VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL FOR THE COMMUNITY.
CURRENTLY, MRS. NIETOS SERVES AS YOUTH LEADER AT THE SHEPHERD'S FLOCK CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
SHE ENJOYS MINISTERING TO THE TEENAGERS AND TEACHING THEM TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY.
THE YOUTH GROUP STRIVES TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND LEAVE GOD'S IMPRINT INSTEAD OF THEIR OWN.
JAMIE NIETO RECEIVED HER UNDERGRADUATE IN GRADUATE EDUCATION AT ST.
SHE GRADUATED WITH A BACHELOR'S OF ARTS DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND A MASTER'S OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DEGREE.
MS. NIETO HAS BEEN WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SINCE 2007 AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT WITH THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK.
JAMIE HAS ENJOYED HER DIFFERENT ROLES WITH THE CITY ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT ANALYST WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AS A CONTRACT COORDINATOR WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND A COMPLIANCE LEAD ANALYST WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
MRS. NATO AND HER HUSBAND FRED, HAVE TWO CHILDREN NAMED ETHAN AND NATALIE.
AND IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU AT THE PODIUM.
LORD, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO GATHER HERE TODAY.
I PRAY THAT YOU PROVIDE THE MAYOR AND EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WITH THE UNDERSTANDING AND WISDOM THAT THEY NEED TO COMPLETE THE TASK BEFORE THEM.
AS WE NEAR THE END OF THE YEAR, I PRAY THAT YOU RENEW THEIR STRENGTH SO THAT THEY CAN FINISH STRONG.
I PRAY FOR FAVOR UPON THEIR POSITION AND BLESSINGS UPON THEIR FAMILY.
ALRIGHT, OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS OF NOVEMBER 1ST, SECOND, THIRD, NINTH, 10TH, AND 14TH.
THESE ARE IN YOUR AGENDA PACKETS.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE MOVE TO APPROVE.
SECOND, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THOSE MINUTES IN THE AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE AND I'LL ASK FOR
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VOICE VOTE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.BEFORE WE GET TO OUR, UH, INDIVIDUAL ITEM ALONG WITH OUR CEREMONIALS, I'M
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
GONNA TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA.ALL ITEMS FROM FIVE TO 20, EXCUSE ME, FIVE THROUGH 34 ARE ON CONSENT.
UH, WE HAVE ITEM FOUR LISTED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
LET ME ASK MY COLLEAGUES NOW IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
IF THERE ARE NONE, THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
MOTION IS SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR FOUR AND 28.
ALRIGHT, WE DO HAVE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE ITEMS THAT ARE REMAINING ON CONSENT.
SO I'LL CALL FOLKS UP NOW WHO HAVE, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ONE PERSON FOR THOSE ITEMS. JACK, FINGER AND JACK, YOU'RE SPEAKING ON ITEMS 22 AND 26.
WELL, MAYOR NURENBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M.
FINGER, ONE OR TWO ITEMS I WISH TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT YOU HAVEN'T, UH, PULLED FOR DELIBERATION.
ONE OF 'EM IS, UH, ITEM 26, AND BASICALLY IT'S ABOUT, UH, EXPANDING A CONTRACT WITH VARIOUS, UH, HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS, ABOUT, UH, BASICALLY EXPANDING H I V PREVENTION SERVICES RELATING TO THE ENDING THE H I V EPIDEMIC.
I EMPHASIZE THE PHRASE ENDING THE H I V EPIDEMIC.
THAT'S THE, UH, TITLE OF A NEW LATEST PROGRAM YOU HAVE FOR DEALING WITH THE AIDS EPIDEMIC.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, UH, AIDS DISEASE FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS NOW.
AND, UH, YEAH, WE, THE VICTIMS ARE NOT DROPPING LIKE FLIES, LIKE THEY, THEY DID AT THE BEGINNING, BUT, UH, UH, SADLY, THEY, THEY STILL ARE BEING AFFLICTED AND THEN SOME OF 'EM ARE STILL ARE DYING.
UM, THE VACCINES HAVE HELPED, BUT, UH, NOT REALLY.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT, UH, REALLY, UH, WORKS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME IS SOMETHING CALLED VERY OLD FASHIONED TECHNIQUE.
I MEAN, THE IDEA OF REFRAINING FROM SEX OUTSIDE OF THE BONDS OF, UH, ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN MARRIAGE THERE.
UH, BUT THE, UH, THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS YOU HAVE INVOLVED WITH THIS, THE, UH, INCLUDING ONE OF 'EM, THE, WHAT'S IT CALLED, THE, UH, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.
IT, UH, AMONG ITS THINGS, IT'S, UH, THE THINGS IT'S CONTRACTING FOR IS THE FOLLOWING THERE.
MR. MANN PUT THAT, UH, RIGHT THERE.
SO WE CAN SEE THE UNDERLINED AREA THERE.
WHAT, WHAT IS IT, WHAT IS IT THEY ASKING THEM TO DO THERE? IF YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE BLEEP BLEED IS INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY LGBTQ PLUS R SS T U V W X Y Z.
WE WANT TO GET 'EM ALL IN THERE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOUTH AS CO-DESIGNERS AND COORS.
WE RETURN THE CAMERA TO THE PODIUM.
IF YOU WOULD, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION, WHO ARE THE STUDENTS AND WHO ARE THE TEACHERS HERE? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SADLY, UH, WE KEEP TRYING TO BE, PLAY NICE WITH, WITH THOSE WHO HAVE THIS AFFLICTION INSTEAD OF, UH, EMPHASIZING AT THE APP THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY WORKS AND THAT'S ABSTINENCE.
BUT, UH, WE KEEP THROWING MONEY AT, UH, THE WRONG THINGS HERE.
MY QUESTION IS, WHEN ARE YOU GUYS GONNA GET SERIOUS ABOUT THIS? THANK YOU, MR. FINGER.
ALRIGHT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
NOW, UM, I DON'T HAVE A QUEUE UP, SO IF YOU CAN JUST SIGNAL ME IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[00:10:01]
THANK YOU.I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, TWO ITEMS THIS MORNING.
THE FIRST IS ITEM NINE, WHICH IS, UH, THE WORLD HERITAGE OFFICE AND PUBLIC WORKS TEAM DESERVE THE THANKS BECAUSE WE ARE MOVING TO THAT POINT WHERE WE ARE GOING TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONSTRUCTION.
AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
THE NEW WORLD HERITAGE CENTER WILL SERVE AS A GATEWAY TO THE SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS AND A GATHERING PLACE FOR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
NOT ONLY WILL IT PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, BUT IT'LL TELL THE STORIES OF GENERATIONS.
AND I WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND THOSE ON THE SCREEN TOO, THAT FOLLOWING TODAY'S APPROVAL OF THE CONTRACT, WE INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US FOR GROUNDBREAKING ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13TH, 2022 AT 9:00 AM BECAUSE AS I CONTINUE TO STATE AND AS MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WHO VISITED, UH, THE MISSION MARQUEE AND THE AREA, THE WORLD HERITAGE SITES, THIS BELONGS TO THE CITY.
IT ISN'T JUST A DISTRICT THREE.
UM, WELL, IT'S LOCATED IN DISTRICT THREE, IT BECOMES, BELONGS TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
THE OTHER ITEM, WHICH I DON'T, I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT BECAUSE IT'LL ALLOW ME TO TALK ABOUT I P W IS THE, UH, ITEM 21, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE S A T PI.
AND I WANNA THANK PATRICIA MU, ALEX LOPEZ, UH, VISIT SAN ANTONIO AND THE SS A T PI BOARD FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK IN GETTING PEOPLE HERE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE GET OUR VISITORS BACK TO SAN ANTONIO AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, AS I'VE MENTIONED A NUMBER OF TIMES TO CELEBRATE OUR CITY WITH I P CITY WITH I P W HERE IN MAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER VIA GR, COUNCIL MEMBER ROTO GARCIA.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, A FEW APPOINTMENTS.
ADELIN LOPEZ RODRIGUEZ TO THE BUILDING STANDARDS BOARD.
THAT'S A PHYSICIAN THAT, UM, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE REPRESENTATION ON ANOTHER WOMAN BEING APPOINTED TO THE DISTRICT FOR, UH, TO THE C OF SAN ANTONIO'S COMMISSION ON EDUCATION IS, UM, ELIZABETH, UH, ESCOVEDO AND THEN A REAPPOINTMENT OF ANDREA SANCHEZ MUS CASE TO THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEES.
UM, AND WE'RE CONTIN HER CONTINUED SERVICE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT FOUR.
I JUST WANTED TO OFFICIALLY THANK THEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR FOUR AND 28.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
[POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE ]
BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR BUSINESS AGENDA, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE A FEW FOLKS, UH, WHO ARE HERE IN OUR MIDST TODAY.AND LET ME START, UH, BY SAYING THAT, UM, FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF MASINI, A 2022 YEAR OLD WOMAN FROM THE KURDISH PROVINCE OF IRAN, WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED BY THE MORALITY POLICE FOR ALLEGEDLY NOT WEARING THE CORRECT HIJAB, THE WOMEN LIFE AND FREEDOM REVOLUTION WAS SPARKED LARGELY BY WOMEN IN GENERATION Z ACROSS THE COUNTRY, RISKING LIFE AND DEATH FOR THEIR FREEDOMS. IF I ASK FOLKS, UM, WHO ARE EXITING TO PLEASE KEEP THEIR VOLUME DOWN, PLEASE.
UM, WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE A NUMBER OF THE IRANIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HERE IN OUR CHAMBERS.
AND, UH, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT SAN ANTONIO STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEM AND WITH THE IRANIAN PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD FIGHTING FOR THEIR BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.
WE HAVE DONE THAT, AND WITHIN OUR CITY, WE WILL ALWAYS DO THAT.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER NOW TO OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER AYAS, FOR A FEW BRIEF REMARKS, AND THEN INVITE MOGEN, UH, PANA TO SAY A FEW WORDS ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY HERE.
UH, AND FEEL FREE, UH, MJ TO BRING UP ANYBODY YOU'D LIKE TO.
UM, I, UH, I ACCEPTED MOJANG'S AND OUR IRANIAN PERSIAN FRIENDS' INVITATION TO BRING THIS TOPIC TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION TODAY.
[00:15:01]
AND TALK ABOUT WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT, NOT JUST TO IRAN, BUT ALSO TO SAN ANTONIO.UM, AND THEN EVEN ON A MORE GRANULAR LEVEL TO DISTRICT EIGHT.
UM, IN DISTRICT EIGHT, UM, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, UM, THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF FAMILIES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, FROM ASIA, FROM AFRICA, THEY CALL DISTRICT EIGHT, THEIR HOME RIGHT NOW.
UM, MANY OF THOSE FAMILIES ARE HORRIFIED AND WAKE UP EVERY MORNING WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT THEIR LOVED ONES BACK HOME ARE ALIVE.
UM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF A TYRANNICAL, UM, GOVERNMENT WHO, UM, KILLS ITS CITIZENS IF THEY DON'T WEAR THE RIGHT CLOTHES, UH, IF THEY DON'T LOVE THE RIGHT PERSON OR THE RIGHT WAY.
UM, IF THEY DON'T SAY THE RIGHT WORDS, IF, UM, THEY DON'T, UM, YOU KNOW, WORSHIP THE SAME LEADERS THAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES, OR FOR THAT MATTER, EVEN IF THEY JUST COMPLAIN AND DO WHAT AMERICANS TAKE FOR GRANTED, WHICH IS SEEK REDRESS FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT, UM, OR JUST EXERCISE THEIR MOST BASIC RIGHT OF EXPRESSING THEMSELVES, THAT IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT BACK IN NOVEMBER 10TH WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL TOOK A, A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE CRYSTAL KNOCKED.
UM, AND WHAT WE SAID ON THAT DAY, MAYOR, AND, UH, WHAT I HEARD FROM THE DAIS WAS THAT WE, WHENEVER WE SEE THAT KIND OF OPPRESSION MUST SPEAK OUT IMMEDIATELY, WE MUST NAME IT.
WE MUST, UM, KNOW, UH, CONDEMN IT.
AND, UH, WE MUST, UH, WITHOUT FILTERS, UM, AND AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE, UM, DECLARE OUR VALUES AND STAND WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING CRUSHED, RIGHT? UM, PEOPLE SAT BY AND DID NOTHING ON CRYSTAL KNOCKS.
UM, MANY OF US IN THE UNITED STATES STAND BY AND DO NOTHING.
WHEN WE SEE OPPRESSION LIKE THAT IN IRAN AND NORTH KOREA NOW IN UKRAINE, UM, I'M VERY HAPPY THAT I GET TO SERVE WITH A COUNCIL, UM, WHO DOES NOT STAND BY AND WHO LEADS OUT FRONT AND WHO LEADS OUT LOUD.
UH, WHEN WE SEE THINGS LIKE THIS, THE REASON IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO CALL THIS OUT MAYOR, IS BECAUSE WE, UM, IF YOU DON'T CALL IT OUT, THEN YOU NORMALIZE AND YOU, UM, AND YOU, WHEN, WHEN YOU ALLOW THIS KIND OF OPPRESSION AND THIS OBSCENITY, UH, TO BE UNNAMED AND NOT SHINE THE LIGHT ON IT, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS BASICALLY MAKING IT EASIER FOR THE NEXT GROUP OF FOLKS TO COME ALONG AND DO THE SAME THING AND EVEN ESCALATE IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THAT THERE SHOULD BE A LESSON HERE FOR ALL OF US, UM, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS, WATCHING THIS AND, YOU KNOW, SHAKING OUR HEADS AND LAMENTING THAT THIS IS HAPPENING SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY, BUT THIS IS ALSO A LESSON TO, UM, MONITOR HOW THE, HOW IT IS THAT WE SPEAK AND HOW WE ACT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, RIGHT? UM, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES WHO WOULD FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE SERVING AS THE MORALITY POLICE, UM, AND DOING WHAT SOME OF THESE, UM, MORALITY, POLICE, UH, CRIMINALS ARE DOING ELSEWHERE.
UM, WE HEARD FROM THE GENTLEMAN JUST NOW AT THE PODIUM.
I THINK HE'D BE, FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, HURTING FOLKS WHO DON'T AGREE WITH HIS WORLDVIEW.
UM, AND I'VE ALWAYS CALLED OUT AND I ALWAYS WILL CONTINUE TO CALL OUT THAT KIND OF UGLINESS.
UM, I'M VERY, I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT I, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES WILL JOIN ME IN THE SENTIMENT, UM, AND THAT FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, AS WE ALWAYS HAVE IN THE PAST, WE WILL NOT LET OUR GUARD DOWN.
THANK YOU MOJANG, FOR WHAT YOU DO.
AND I INVITE YOU TO THE PODIUM TO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
AM I IN THE RIGHT PLACE? I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.
THANK YOU, SHAZA, DO AND THANK YOU TO THE IRANIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I AM AN IMMIGRANT, AND I HAVE BEEN IN SAN ANTONIO SINCE THE AGE OF SIX.
COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR ME, AND I STRIVE TO NOT JUST BE A REPRESENTATIVE, BUT BE THE, BE THE VOICE FOR MY COMMUNITY.
I THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY HERE TODAY.
I FLIPPED THROUGH MANY BOOKS AND THOUGHTS, AND I KEPT COMING BACK TO ONE WORD, FREEDOM.
[00:20:01]
SHOULD NOT BE AN ILLUSION, IT SHOULD BE A REALITY.EVERYTHING IS DEPENDENT ON FREEDOM, FATE, LOVE, SUCCESS, PROGRESS, INVENTION, AND LIFE ITSELF.
PERSIANS, OR AS WE ARE KNOWN TODAY, IRANIANS HAVE BEEN EVERYWHERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN HISTORY, IN BOOKS, IN THE THOUGHTS OF GREAT MINDS LIKE EMERSON, OUS, OUR FOUNDING FATHERS, AND ON THE FOREFRONT OF CIVILIZATION.
OUR ANCESTORS THRIVED IN FREEDOM AND EVENTUALLY SUCCUMBEDED TO UNWANTED CHANGE, CHANGE, WHICH CAME CENTURIES AGO IN THE FORM OF RELIGION, ISLAM.
AND YET THEY ADAPTED AND THRIVED AGAIN.
I BELIEVE RELIGION CAN GUIDE MANKIND, GROUND US, UNITE US.
RELIGION CAN TEACH US KINDNESS, BUT RELIGION CANNOT RULE SOCIETY.
RELIGION SHOULD NOT PROCEED ETHNICITY WHEN IDENTIFYING A COUNTRY'S PEOPLE.
WE ARE IRANIAN BEFORE WE ARE ANY RELIGION BECAUSE WE ARE A PEOPLE OF DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS.
RELIGION SHOULD NOT BE ABUSED AS IT HAS BEEN BY THE ISLAMIC REGIME OF IRAN.
FOR THE PAST NEARLY 44 YEARS IN THE NAME OF RELIGION, THEY HAVE RAPED, MURDERED, STONED, OPPRESSED, AND HELD BACK A NATION OF 85 MILLION PEOPLE FROM BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE NAME OF RELIGION.
THEY HAVE CREATED INEQUALITY, INJUSTICE, AND A SOCIETY WHICH BELITTLES WOMEN TODAY.
AND FOR THE PAST 77 DAYS, THE ISLAMIC REGIME OF IRAN HAS AGAIN CHOSEN THEMSELVES OVER THEIR COMMUNITY, OVER THEIR CITIZENS.
TODAY, IN THE NAME OF GOD, THEY TORTURE PEOPLE WHO SING, TALK, THINK, DRESS, OR ACT FREELY.
THE WOMAN LIFE FREEDOM REVOLUTION BEING LED BY BRAVE IRANIAN WOMAN AND THE YOUNGER GENERATION BEGAN AS OPPOSITION TO THE COMPULSORY HIJAB, BUT HAS SINCE EVOLVED INTO A FREEDOM FOR ALL IRANIANS OF ALL FAITHS ARE AGAINST THE REPRESSIVE NATURE OF IRAN'S GOVERNMENT, NOT RELIGION.
WE CONDEMN THEIR USE OF ISLAM TO OPPRESS THOSE WHO ARE NOT CONSIDERED FERVENT DEVOTEES OF THE THEOLOGY.
TODAY, I HAVE THIS PLATFORM HERE IN THIS CITY BECAUSE I AM FREE AND BECAUSE WE ARE ALL ONE COMMUNITY, WE ASK YOU OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH IRANIANS, CONDEMN THE VILE ACTS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN, SIGN PETITIONS, AND BE OUR VOICE.
UNTIL FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY HAVE BEEN ATTAINED THIS YEAR ALONE, THERE HAVE BEEN 368 EXECUTIONS IN IRAN, SEVEN THIS WEEK ALONE SINCE SEPTEMBER 16TH, AND THE RISE OF THE WOMAN LIFE FREEDOM REVOLUTION, THERE HAVE BEEN 448 DEATHS, 18,000 ARRESTS, OF WHICH ONLY 3000 OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
THESE FIGURES INCLUDE CHILDREN, JOURNALISTS, PHILANTHROPISTS, ARTISTS, AND ETHNIC MINORITIES.
I ADMIT, I HAVE QUESTIONED OUR PERSISTENCE FOR AWARENESS.
I'VE QUESTIONED IS THERE HOPE, INSIGHT I, AND WHEN I DOUBT
I REMEMBER VICTIMS SUCH AS MA GINA AMNI AND HAMID RUHI, AND I READ YOU THIS QUOTE BY
ZAN ZENY, AZADI WOMAN, LIFE FREEDOM, WOMEN'S LIFE FREEDOM.
ALRIGHT, UM, I'M GONNA SHIFT GEARS JUST A LITTLE BIT HERE, UM, AND DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE MUSIC THAT WAS PLAYING, UH, RIGHT BEFORE
[00:25:01]
THE COUNCIL MEETING STARTED.UH, AND THE ARTIST OF THAT MUSIC IS ACTUALLY WITH US TODAY.
AND THAT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THE GREAT WORK OF OUR LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT PROGRAM BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
WE CONTINUE TO FEATURE LOCAL MUSICIANS AT THE BEGINNING OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
ONT V S A, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED, YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM@SANANTONIO.GOV SLASH ARTS AND BY FOLLOWING AT GET CREATIVE ESSAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
TODAY, OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OPENED WITH A HOLIDAY TUNE BY GILBERT VELASQUEZ CALLED CHRISTMAS DAY, WHICH ALSO FEATURES SINGER AND AND WRITER HENRY LEE PARILLA.
IT'S OUR HONOR TO FEATURE GILBERT AND HIS TALENT, AND AS HE HAD MADE NUMEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY AND OUR SAN ANTONIO MUSIC COMMUNITY.
IN TEJANO MUSIC, GILBERT IS A GUITARIST, SONGWRITER, PRODUCER, RANGER, RECORDING ENGINEER, AND A BUSINESS OWNER.
AND HE IS BEEN AN ACTIVE MUSICIAN IN SAN ANTONIO FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS.
HE STARTED IN 1969 BY PLAYING GUITAR IN HIS PARISH CHURCH.
LITTLE FLOWER GILBERT HAS PRODUCED, MIXED, ARRANGED AND MASTERED HIT AFTER HIT FOR VARIOUS AWARD-WINNING GROUPS SUCH AS THE LATIN BREED, DAVID LEE GARZA AND I LOS MU SELENA GROUP, GROUPO LI UH, LA RUPA, F AND LA MAFIA TO NAME JUST A FEW.
WHAT ELSE HAS THIS THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE ACHIEVED? NOT ONLY WAS HE RECOGNIZED WITH THE GIBSON GUITAR SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR HIS WORK IN TEX-MEX MUSIC, BUT HE IS ALSO RECEIVED 16 GRAMMY AND LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS THIS PAST WEEKEND.
HIS ALREADY I IMPRESSIVE RESUME EXPANDED, AND BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ART OF TEJANA MUSIC, THE TEJANA MUSIC AWARDS, HONORED GILBERT WITH THIS PRESTIGIOUS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.
AND WITH THIS TIMELY HONOR, IT'S ONLY FITTING THAT WE RECOGNIZE GILBERT HERE IN OUR CITY WITH THE OPENING SONG TO OUR MEETING, AS WELL AS A CERTIFICATE OF COMMENDATION RECORDED IN OUR CITY, WHICH IS HEREBY PRESENTED OFFICIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO GILBERT VELASQUEZ IN RECOGNITION OF RECEIVING THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT THE 42ND ANNUAL TEJANO MUSIC AWARDS ON NOVEMBER 26TH, 2022, THROUGH YOUR TEJANO SOUND AND VARIOUS PROJECTS YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A TOTAL OF 14 GRAMMY AND LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS FOR YOUR WORK AS A PRODUCER ENGINEER, ALONG WITH A TOTAL OF NINE TEJANO AWARDS, THREE TEJANO ACADEMY AWARDS, ONE TEMO AWARD, AND BEING INDUCTED INTO HANO ROOTS HALL OF FAME SINCE THE 1970S.
FROM YOUR START, AS A GUITARIST WITH THE ROYAL JESTERS TO ESTABLISHING VELASQUEZ PRODUCTION, YOU'RE PROVIDED THE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC INDUSTRY WITH NUMEROUS WORKS OF ARTS AND PRODUCTIONS ACROSS THE GENRE OF D DIFFERENT GENRES OF MUSIC.
YOUR RESPECTABLE SKILLS HAVE ALSO ALLOWED YOU TO WORK WITH GROUP GROUPS AND ARTISTS.
FROM LA MAFIA TO J PRE PEREZ TO OUR BELOVEDS EL.
YOUR NAME HAS BECOME A STAPLE IN THE HANO MUSIC HISTORY, AND WE WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS AND COMMAND YOU WITH PROVIDING THE WORLD WITH YOUR GIFT OF MUSIC.
FOR OVER 50 YEARS, THE MAYOR AND THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EXTEND GRATEFUL RECOGNITION TO YOU FOR YOUR WORK, YOUR COMMITMENT, AND YOUR DEDICATION TO MUSIC, AND TO HANO CULTURE, AND FOR CALLING SAN ANTONIO A HOME.
CONGRATULATIONS, UH, SIGN THIS DAY.
CONGRATULATIONS GILBERT, AND WELCOME SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
UM, I CONSIDER MYSELF A MAN OF A FEW WORDS, BUT THOSE, UH, THAT KNOW ME WELL MIGHT THINK OTHERWISE, RIGHT? BUT IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO BE HERE.
AND, UM, AS I HAVE BEEN VERY BLESSED TO HAVE GARNERED A NUMBER OF AWARDS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL, THIS HERE WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT TO GET RECOGNIZED IN YOUR OWN KIND OF BACKYARD HERE FOR WHAT IT IS I DO, I'D HAVE TO SAY THANK GOD FOR GIVING ME THE GIFT OF MUSIC.
AND I SHARED WITH THOSE AROUND ME.
UH, I WANNA SAY SPECIAL THANKS, GOSH, TO MY PARENTS.
YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THEM, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAPPEN.
THOSE, MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY FRIENDS WHO ARE HERE TODAY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FROM THE RECORDING ACADEMY, FROM THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE, AND OF COURSE THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE WHO FACILITATED THIS HERE THIS MORNING, MANY THANKS AND APPRECIATION, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE VERY, VERY DEAR TO MY HEART.
GOSH, WHAT CAN I SAY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GILBERT.
WE KNOW THAT YOUR GUITAR WILL DO THE REST OF THE TALKING
ALRIGHT, UH, NOW I'D LIKE TO TURN THE FLOOR TO COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, UH, WITH A PER POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AND RECOGNITION OF WORLD AIDS DAY.
THIS MORNING I'M PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY PASTOR JOSEPH GARRETT
[00:30:02]
OF THE NEW LIVING SPIRITUAL CENTER, ALONGSIDE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE WOODLAWN POINT CENTER FOR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING MR. GILBERT LOPEZ, CHAIR OF WOODLAWN, POINT, MARK HERNANDEZ, PRESIDENT OF LIVING POSITIVE, AND MS. TERESA LOPEZ, A MEMBER OF FIESTA YOUTH.ALL ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UH, THAT LIVE AND THRIVE AT THE WOODLAWN POINT CENTER.
PASTOR JOSEPH HAS BEEN A PART OF SAN ANTONIO'S ANNUAL WORLD AIDS DAY INTERFAITH SERVICE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.
AND WOODLAWN POINT HAS BEEN HOSTING THE INTERFAITH SERVICE SINCE 2017.
EACH YEAR, THE SERVICE BRINGS MANY DIFFERENT FAITH EXPRESSIONS TO UNITE IN REMEMBRANCE AND HOPE AND RECOMMIT TO ENDING H I V AND AIDS.
THIS YEAR'S THEME AS SET BY THE UN, IS EQUALIZE EQUALIZE QUALITY OF TREATMENT, TESTING, AND PREVENTION.
THE INTERFAITH SERVICE WILL TAKE PLACE TONIGHT AT WOODLAWN POINT AT 7:00 PM THAT'S ON DONALDSON ENCAMPMENT NOT FAR FROM MY HOUSE.
THANKS FOR CHOOSING THAT LOCATION, UH, WOODLAWN POINT AT 7:00 PM THIS WILL BEGIN SEVEN DAYS OF EVENTS IN HONOR OF WORLD AIDS DAY, INCLUDING MUSICAL PERFORMANCES, A PHOTO SHOOT BY THE NO HATE CAMPAIGN, A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY TELEVISION PERSONALITY, SANDRA BERNHARDT AND CLOSING AND AWARD CEREMONY PRESENTED BY LIVING POSITIVE ON WEDNESDAY.
IN ADDITION, FIESTA YOUTH HAS ONCE AGAIN BROUGHT IN 11 SELECTED PIECES OF THE NATIONAL AIDS MEMORIAL, WHICH WILL BE ON DISPLAY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
I WANNA THANK YOU ALL SINCERELY, UH, FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS.
UM, IT'S, I'VE BEEN TO THE SERVICE, UH, JUST ABOUT EVERY YEAR.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND, UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING THERE AGAIN TO TONIGHT.
UM, MAYOR, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE PROCLAMATION.
UH, IT'S MY HONOR TO PRODU PRESENT THE PROCLAMATION, UH, FOR WORLD AIR AIDS DAY HERE, WHEREAS SAN ANTONIO WORLD'S AIDS DAY INTERFAITH SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE AND HOPE WILL BE HELD DECEMBER 1ST THROUGH SEVENTH, 2022 AT WOODLAWN POINT COMMUNITY CENTER TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES TO AIDS RELATED ILLNESSES WORLDWIDE, AND TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, DIGNITY AND COMPASSION TO THOSE LIVING WITH H HIV AIDS.
AND WHEREAS THE US GOVERNMENT THEME FOR WORLD AIDS DAY 2022 IS PUTTING OURSELVES TO THE TEST ACHIEVING EQUITY TO END H I V TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF H I V TESTING AND FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW THEIR STATUS AS WE STRIVE TOWARDS IMPROVING ACCESS TO H I V TESTING, PREVENTION, CARE, TREATMENT AND RESEARCH.
AND WHEREAS AN ESTIMATED 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE LIVING WITH HIV AIDS MAKING ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES IN RECORDED HISTORY, DESPITE RECENT IMPROVED ACCESS TO CARE AND TREATMENT, THE H I V EPIDEMIC CLAIMS AND ESTIMATED 680,000 LIVES ANNUALLY.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ABOUT HIV AIDS IS VITAL IN COMMUNITY TO COMBAT STIGMA AND INCREASE AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TRANSMISSION AND TREATMENT.
AND WHEREAS THIS WEEK LONG OBSERVANCE WILL INCLUDE THE NATIONAL AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT EXHIBIT, INTERFAITH SERVICE AND CONCERT COMMUNITY FAIR AND CLOSING REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY, ALL FOR THE ENTIRE AND FAMILY TO ENJOY.
NOW, THEREFORE, I RON NURENBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IN RECOGNITION THEREOF, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 1ST THROUGH 7 20 22 TO BE WORLD AIDS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND HOPE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND OFFER BEST WISHES TO FIESTA YOUTH LIVING POSITIVE SAN ANTONIO AND WOODLAWN POINT COMMUNITY CENTER FOR A SUCCESSFUL COMMEMORATIVE EVENT.
I MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE PASTOR JOSEPH GARRETT AND, AND THE GROUP WE CALLED OUT TO COME FORWARD FOR A MINUTE IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE, UH, A FEW BRIEF WORDS.
THANK YOU, UH, MS. SANDOVAL AND THANK YOU MAYOR, UH, FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, UH, FOR THIS EVENT.
AT SOMETIMES I THINK THAT, UM, THE DRUGS HAVE IMPROVED, UH, H I V AND AIDS IS NO LONGER A LIFE SENTENCE.
AND WHY DO WE STILL HAVE THIS? UH, AFTER, SINCE 1988, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS INTERFAITH SERVICE, UH, ALWAYS ON DECEMBER THE FIRST AROUND THE WORLD.
UH, THEN I ENCOUNTER PEOPLE LIKE WE HEARD EARLIER, AND REMEMBER THAT WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO AS LONG AS YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CONTRACTING THIS DISEASE.
AS LONG AS THERE IS NOT EQUAL TREATMENT, UH, THERE IS NOT EQUAL TESTING, UH, AROUND THE GLOBE, THEN WE WILL STILL BE HERE AND WE WILL STILL KEEP GOING AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO RECOGNIZE WORLD AIDS DAY, UH, EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
[00:35:01]
THANK YOU.COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, NOW COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO WITH POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
I WANNA INVITE ALL OF OUR DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS OUT TO OUR SECOND ANNUAL.
OH, WHAT FUN WITH DISTRICT ONE HOLIDAY PARTY.
UH, OUR ACTIVITIES ARE GONNA INCLUDE HOLIDAY THEMED ARTS AND CRAFTS WHERE YOU MAKE YOUR OWN ARTS AND CRAFTS, AND THAT WAS A GREAT HIT LAST YEAR.
BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE A PHOTO BOOTH, DJ HOT CHOCOLATE FACE PAINTING, MARIACHI PERFORMANCE, AND I'M HEARING THERE'S GONNA BE A 100% CHANCE OF SNOW FLURRIES THROUGHOUT THAT EVENING.
UM, SO WE ALSO ARE GONNA BE ASKING YOU ALL TO BRING, UH, TO BRING NEW OR GENTLY USED COATS, WINTER HATS, SCARVES, AND GLOVES TO DONATE FOR OUR SECOND ANNUAL SHARE, THE WARMTH COAT DRIVE, BENEFITING CORDONE MINISTRIES, CAM AND HARPER'S CHAPEL.
WHILE YOU'RE AT THE EVENT, IF YOU AREN'T GONNA JOIN US, BUT YOU STILL WANT TO DONATE, OUR COAT DRIVE WILL RUN FROM DECEMBER 2ND THROUGH JANUARY 9TH, AND DONATIONS CAN BE DROPPED OFF AT THE DISTRICT ONE FIELD OFFICE OR THE FOLLOWING PUBLIC LIBRARIES, CENTRAL LAND, SAN PEDRO AND WESTFALL.
UM, AND YOU CAN ALSO, UH, SIGN UP AN R S V P TO, UH, BE ABLE TO GET ANY GIVEAWAYS THAT WE'LL HAVE THERE.
BUT, UH, PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR MORE, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THAT EVENT, WHICH IS GONNA BE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, SIX TO 8:00 PM AT CROCKETT PARK.
COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ WITH THE POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
I CAME TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THE IDEA TO ESTABLISH A PROGRAM THAT WOULD CONNECT YOUTH ON THE EAST SIDE WITH ALAMO CITY STUDIOS, A PROFESSIONAL FILM STUDIO ALSO ON THE EAST SIDE, THE SAME STUDIO WHERE MISS CONGENIALITY EIGHT SECONDS AND SELENA WERE FILMED.
AND THE FUNDING CAME FROM THE INNER CITY TOURS AND HAS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROJECTS TO COME FROM, THAT THE STUDENTS WRAPPED UP THE PROGRAM JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO WITH A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL RED CARPET PREMIER.
AND IT BROUGHT SO MUCH JOY TO MY HEART TO SEE THE STUDENTS BE EMBRACED WITH LOVE AND EXCITEMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I HAVE SOMETHING EXCITING THAT'S GONNA BE COMING UP IN A SECOND, BUT THE EAST SIDE PRO, THE EAST SIDE CONTENT CREATOR PROGRAM TAUGHT MORE THAN 20 STUDENTS HOW TO WRITE, EDIT, FILM, AND PRODUCE SIX SHORT FILMS OVER THE COURSE OF SIX WEEKS WITH PROFESSIONALS FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY, TEACHING THEM SKILLS IN THESE RESPECTIVE FIELDS.
STUDENTS WERE ALSO GIVEN MEDIA TRAINING, GRAPHIC DESIGN TRAINING, AND LEARN HOW TO UTILIZE HIGH-END CONTENT CREATIVE PROGRAMS SUCH AS ADOBE, PHOTOSHOP, PREMIER, AND MANY OTHERS.
THEY USE THE SAME EQUIPMENT USED IN OUR FAVORITE MOVIES, THE CAMERAS, THE, THE COMPUTERS, ALL OF IT.
AND OUR COMMUNITY IS PROUD OF WHAT THESE KIDS HAVE ACHIEVED AND LEARNED OVER THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM PROGRAM.
AND I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE WHAT FUTURE ENDEAVORS THEY EMBARK ON AND HOW WE AS A CITY CAN BEST SUPPORT THEM.
AS OF TWO WEEKS AGO, ONE OF THE STUDENTS WAS RECRUITED FOR AN INTERNSHIP.
ONE STUDENT WAS SIGNED TO AN AGENCY AND ONE OF THE FILMS IS ALREADY TO BE SHOWN AT A FILM FESTIVAL.
AND THIS UPCOMING YEAR, WE EXPECT EVEN MORE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FILMS THE STUDENTS CREATED.
AND THIS IS PROOF THAT WHEN YOU GIVE OUR STUDENTS THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO SUCCEED, THEY CAN CREATE BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVED WHEN I WAS TEACHING MATH AT SAM HOUSTON AND MADISON HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE TODAY.
AND WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO THANK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FOR APPROVING THIS ITEM WHEN IT CAME TO SESSION.
I'D LIKE TO THANK ALAMO CITY STUDIOS, UM, WHO RECEIVED THIS IDEA SO BEAUTIFULLY AND EXECUTED IT FLAWLESSLY AND ALL OF THE AMAZING INSTRUCTORS, MANY OF WHICH ARE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE PARENTS OF THE KIDS.
AND LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE KIDS IN THE PROGRAM WHO WENT OUTTA THEIR WAY TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, TO STEP OUTTA THEIR COMFORT ZONE, TO ACT AND TO DIRECT AND TO LAY THEIR CREATIVITY OUT FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.
AND ALL THAT BEING SAID, I'D FINALLY LOVE TO SHOW YOU TWO VERY SHORT FILMS THAT WERE MADE BY THESE KIDS.
I'D TRULY WISH I COULD SHOW YOU ALL OF THEM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO HAVE THE LONGEST POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE THIS YEAR.
UM, AND WHILE WE QUEUE THE VIDEOS UP, I'D LIKE TO INVITE CARRIE AND THE TEAM OF INSTRUCTORS UP TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND MAYBE INTRODUCE THE, THE TWO FILMS. CAMERA SPEEDS.
[00:40:01]
GABRIEL.ARE YOU READY? I'VE BEEN WAITING ALL DAY.
ARE YOU READY? HURRY UP THE SINUS INTERVIEW, TAKE 1, 3, 2, 1.
WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND TELL US YOUR NAME.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LIKE LIVING UNDER A ROCK, I'M KNOWN AS THE SHINING SUPERHERO.
EXTRAORDINARY, THE SHINING JEWEL OF QUEENS, THE STRONGEST NOSE OF ALL NEW YORK, AND FORMER ASSISTANT OF THE GREATEST SUPERHERO TEAM ULTRA FORCE.
WHAT'S YOUR ACTUAL NAME? WHY DO YOU NEED TO KNOW MY REAL NAME? THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
THE PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW THE SINUS, BUT NOW THEY WANNA KNOW THE REAL YOU, THE PERSON BEHIND THE MASK KEANA KNOWS.
WHO INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A SUPERHERO? WELL, BEYONCE, OF COURSE, SHE'S MY INSPIRATION.
SHE'S LITERALLY THE DEFINITION OF GIRL POWER.
WHAT'S THAT? OH, THIS, THIS IS MY MAJOR COMBAT.
I'VE BEEN TRACKING A NEW VILLAIN IN THE QUEEN'S AREA, CALLS HERSELF VENOM, SPIKE, THE USUAL ROBBER, MAYHEM, MURDER.
BUT THIS SONG, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS ONE.
CAN YOU TELL THE AUDIENCE WHAT WE'RE DOING OUT IN THIS ALLEY? YOU DIDN'T HEAR THAT BIG CRASH.
I'M LOOKING FOR THE PERSON WHO DID IT, AND I'VE GOT A FEELING IT WAS BENNOM SPIKE.
WE RUN THIS MOTHER, THIS MOTHER RUN.
DON'T TELL ME BIG SI THAT YOU DIDN'T FIGURE IT OUT WITH YOUR KEY INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS THAT IT WAS I ALL ALONE.
OUR BATTLE SHALL LEGENDARY GIRL, MOTHER GROSS.
WHATCHA ARE YOU GOING DO ABOUT IT? GET BACK HERE, GABRIEL.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE FILMS THAT WE SHOT OUT OF SIX FILMS. THE KIDS, UM, IN THE PROGRAM, LIKE COUNCILMAN SAID, THIS WAS THEIR IDEA.
THEY WROTE IT, UH, THEY EDITED IT AND THEY ALSO SHOT IT.
AND THEY WERE ALSO THE ACTORS AND ACTRESSES.
WE AS A COLLECTIVE OF, UH, LOCAL FILMMAKERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO ALL CAME TOGETHER, SOME OF US MEETING EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME TO COME TOGETHER AND GIVE THIS PROGRAM FOR THE CHILDREN OF SAN ANTONIO ON THE EAST SIDE THAT MAY HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE EXPOSED TO ANY OF THIS.
AND AS HE SAID, THEY USED THE REAL CAMERAS, THE THE REAL SOUND EQUIPMENT AND CAME UP WITH SIX AMAZING SHORT FILMS. AND OUT OF THAT FOR ME, AND I THINK MAYBE I SPEAK FOR MY WHOLE GROUP HERE, WAS WATCHING THE KIDS BLOSSOM.
IT WASN'T JUST ABOUT FILMMAKING, THAT'S KIND OF FOOFY, RIGHT? LIKE, OH, WE'RE GONNA GIVE THEM FILMMAKING.
[00:45:01]
WAS ABOUT SELF-ESTEEM, LEARNING SOMETHING NEW, AND THE KIDS BEING, UM, EXPOSED TO THIS INDUSTRY AND KNOWING THAT THERE MAY BE A JOB THAT THEY CAN DO LATER IN THE FUTURE BY CREATING CONTENT.AND WE REALLY WANNA THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO WITH THE CHILDREN.
AND YOU'LL GET TO WATCH THE NEXT FILM.
IT IS CALLED MR. MORTAL, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIAL E UH, EFFECTS THERE.
THIS IS CARRIE DERMO FROM ALAMO CITY STUDIOS, AND I JUST WANT HIM TO SAY JUST A FEW WORDS.
I MEAN, ONCE AGAIN, UH, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE WAS ALL DONE BY THE STUDENTS.
THEY CREATED THEIR CONCEPTS, THEY LEARNED HOW TO ACT, THEY LEARNED HOW TO EDIT, THEY LEARNED HOW TO DIRECT.
UM, AND SO EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE WATCHING HERE IS DONE FROM AGES BETWEEN 12 TO 16 YEARS OLD.
UH, AND SOME OF THESE, UH, STUDENTS HAVE NEVER HELD A CAMERA BEFORE.
THEY'D NEVER DONE EDITING EQUIPMENT BEFORE.
UH, AND SO JUST THE BEING ABLE TO GIVE THEM THIS POSSIBILITY, UH, TO, UH, TO HAVE THESE, UH, SHORT FILMS HAS JUST BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
AND MY ALSO, I, I DON'T WANNA LEAVE ANYBODY OUT, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME, BUT THIS IS DAIN D WAYNE.
HE'S ALSO A, A LOCAL FILMMAKER.
SHE IS WITH TRIFECTA, TRIFECTA ACTING STUDIOS.
AND AGAIN, TOGETHER WITH OTHER LOCAL FILMMAKERS, WE CAME TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO YOU THESE AMAZING FILMS FROM THE STUDENTS OF THE EAST SIDE.
HOPEFULLY THIS INTERVIEW WILL GO BETTER THAN THE OTHERS.
I HATE HAVING TO DO WITH TROLLS.
UH, WHAT IS YOUR NAME AGAIN? UH, MY NAME IS PRETTY LONG AND ENTREPRENEUR.
YOU WANNA HEAR IT? OH, DON'T WORRIES.
PROBABLY NOT THAT LONG ANYWAYS.
OKAY, WELL, IF YOU SAY SO, MY NAME IS TYRONE DEMARCUS III.
MYSTIC BOG UNDERSCORE LUKEY TANNER
SO, UM, LET'S JUST CALL YOU MR. BOB.
IT SOUNDS COMMON, LIKE A LOCAL ATTITUDE.
LOOK, I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR INSULTS.
IF YOU WANNA JOKE AROUND, YOU CAN LEAVE OR YOU CAN JOIN YOUR MOTHER IN THE GRAVE.
BUT LET'S JUST MOVE ON TO YOUR HISTORY.
WELL, MY FAVORITE COUSIN IS LINGLING DINGLEBERRY.
AND WHENEVER I GO TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE, I CAN EAT MY POOP.
AND THEN I GO TO THE STORE AND I DRINK LEMONADE.
AND WHENEVER I DRINK THAT LEMONADE, I LIKE TO GO HOME INTO MY BASEMENT.
AND THEN I GO HOME, HOME IN MY BASEMENT AND I READ MAGAZINES.
THEN I GO TO BEAT, GONNA GO TO SLEEP AND GO TO DREAMLAND.
AND WHEN I MEET BARBIE, SHE TELLS ME TO GO BACK TO THE STORE SO I CAN GO HOME.
AND WHEN I GO BACK TO THE STORE AND GO HOME, I GET HUNGRY.
OKAY, WELL LET'S JUST GO DOWN TOGETHER NOW.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING SLOW DOWN.
BUT LET'S START WITH SOMETHING EASY.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR TALENTS? UH, LET'S SEE.
AND I WENT TO GO EAT SOME COCKROACHES.
AND WHEN I WENT TO THE BEACH, THE BARBIES WERE STILL THERE, SO I WENT AND GOT SOME DRINKS TO GRAB.
AND SO WHEN I WENT TO GET THE DRINKS, I WAS SO HUNGRY THAT I ATE SOME FOOD, BUT WHEN I ATE THE FOOD, I TELEPORTED INTO A RIVER AND I CAN CONTROL THE AIR CIRCULATION THAT CLOSE TO MY TOES.
DID I START YESTERDAY? OUT? OUT? HEY, BOSS.
YOU ALL RIGHT? SEEM A LITTLE STRESSED DEALING WITH ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE TROLLS.
I TOLD YOU TO GET SOMEBODY TO HIRE SOMEBODY NEW.
I DID, BUT IT WAS ANOTHER TROLL.
I SHOULD JUST QUIT MY JOB AND TRY TO LOOK FOR NEW, IF YOU SAY SO.
[00:50:01]
ALSO, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB, HERE'S A FRIEND OF MINE'S BUSINESS CARD.DO YOU HAVE ANY POSITIONS AVAILABLE? WE HAVE NO POSITIONS RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, BUT WE COULD HAVE SOME TOMORROW.
TRYING TO GET AN INTERVIEW HERE.
UH, ALSO IF YOU'RE ANOTHER TROLL
SO WHAT IS YOUR NAME? YO, MY NAME IS WONDERER MCFLURRY.
TANNER WOODBERRY, FOUR SHALLOW MALS CHICKEN FEET WITH A SIDE OF BARBECUE SAUCE.
OKAY, THAT WAS A LITTLE FUNNY, BUT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO BE AN ANNOYING CHILD, I WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO KICK YOU OUT.
ARE YOU MR. BOB? BECAUSE IF YOU OH, I SWEAR I'LL RUIN YOUR REPUTATION.
WELL, ACTUALLY I WAS MR. BOB TWO DAYS AGO.
IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL, SIR.
HEY, DID YOU MOVE OUT OR DO YOU NEED HELP? OH, I JUST MOVED OUT.
TELL EVERYONE I MISSED THEM ALREADY.
WHERE ARE YOU? ANYWAYS, I'M IN THE BATHROOM RIGHT NOW.
BUT YEAH, HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON.
ALSO, MAKE SURE THEY GIVE YOU MY SPOT, MR. BALL.
HEY, YO, WHAT'S UP MAN? I GOT A NEW JOB AND I RUN GIFTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR, UH, YOUR PRODUCTIONS AND YOUR WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.
UH, LET ME TURN IT FINALLY TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WITH A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
TODAY WE HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS WITH US IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, THE KENNEDY ROCKETS.
SO, UM, COACH BENAVIDEZ, IF YOU AND A COUPLE OF PLAYERS CAN MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, BACK IN NOVEMBER, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND EDGEWOOD I SGS SAL BOWL, WHICH IS A GAME BETWEEN MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL AND KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL OVER AT THE EDGEWOOD VETERANS STADIUM.
IT'S THE, IT WAS THE 14TH ANNUAL SAL BOWL.
AND FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND ATTENDEES THAT AREN'T IN THE KNOW, THE SALUS BOWL FEATURES TWO DISTRICT FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS.
AGAIN, MEMORIAL AND KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS. BUT BECAUSE BOTH HIGH SCHOOLS ARE IN MY DISTRICT, I WAS SURE TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR BOTH TEAMS, RIGHT? I DIDN'T PICK ONE OVER THE OTHER.
UM, BUT I WAS SURE TO ATTEND THAT GAME.
UH, NOT ONLY WAS IT A GREAT GAME, UH, BUT THERE WAS A GREAT MUSIC FROM THE BAND AND GREAT PERFORMANCES FROM THE DANCE TEAM.
UH, AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALL GIVE THE KENNEDY ROCKETS A ROUND OF APPLAUSE BECAUSE THEY WON BY A SCORE OF 28 TO SEVEN THIS YEAR.
SO LET'S GIVE 'EM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, YOU KNOW? AND AS SOMEONE WHO WORKED IN OUR DISTRICT FIVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS FOR SIX YEARS PRIOR TO BEING IN OFFICE, IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING WHEN WE CAN BRING OUR YOUTH INTO THE POLICY MAKING PROCESS AND EVEN BETTER WHEN WE COULD BRING YWA INTO THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
SO WITH THAT, I WANTED TO GIVE COACH BENAVIDEZ AND THE PLAYERS A COUPLE OF, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SHARE A COUPLE OF WORDS.
UH, MAYOR BERG, ON BEHALF OF EDGEWOOD, I S D AND, UH, ENTIRE JOHN F. KENNEDY, UH, COMMUNITY, WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR HONORING US TODAY.
UH, THESE GUYS RIGHT HERE THAT I HAVE UP FRONT ARE FOUR YEAR GUYS ARE SENIORS, THEY'RE GONNA GRADUATE.
UH, A FEW OF THESE GUYS ARE GONNA GO ON.
THEY'VE COMMITTED THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF, OF, UH, THEIR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER TO, TO US.
AND THEN SOME ARE GONNA BE COMMITTING FOUR MORE YEARS TO PLAY AT THE NEXT LEVEL.
SO, UH, I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THEM AND THE HARD WORK THEY'VE PUT IN.
UH, BUT WE WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR HONOR US TODAY.
IT'S A, IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN.
IT WAS SOMETHING FOR US TO, TO SHOWCASE OUR, OUR DISTRICT AND OUR SCHOOL.
AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO FOR US HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
[00:55:01]
YOU SO MUCH.I SS G YOU ALL ARE TRULY DOING PHENOMENAL THINGS.
YESTERDAY I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY OF ATTENDING A RIBBON CUTTING OVER AT ROOSEVELT, UM, FOR THE BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AND HONORING INDIVIDUALS LIKE EM, YUKA AND THEIR HALLWAYS.
SO IT'S REALLY INSTRUMENTAL, UM, THE WORK, UH, AND THE CLASSES THAT YOU'RE TAKING OVER AT KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT AND GOOD LUCK WITH NEXT SEASON.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE KENNEDY ROCKETS.
THEY ALSO HAVE THE BEST HAIR IN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, I THINK, TOO, SO, GREAT JOB GUYS.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE'RE NOW GONNA GET INTO OUR BUSINESS AGENDA.
WE'VE GOT TWO ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION TODAY, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE STAFF HERE, UH, WHO DON'T NEED TO BE HERE FOR THE ITEM FOUR, WHICH WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
[Miscellaneous ]
ITEM 28.ITEM NUMBER 28 IS AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS OF CITY COMMISSION ON VETERANS AFFAIRS.
OKAY, IS THERE A PRESENTATION ON ITEM 28? OKAY, LET ME TURN THE FLOOR TO, UH, WELL ACTUALLY WE HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM 28, SO, UH, LET ME CALL.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
UM, I WANTED TO PULL THIS ITEM BECAUSE I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT.
I'LL START OFF BY RECOGNIZING, UH, OUR CHAIR, AND THAT WOULD BE RICHARD DELGADO OF BOEING, AND HE'S HERE REPRESENTING, UM, TODAY, VERY PROUD, ALSO CO-CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION, UM, OUR DISTRICT FOR APPOINTEE.
UM, HER ENERGY AND HER HANDS ON EFFORT DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED.
I WANTED JUST TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT YOU, THAT YOU ALL WERE ACKNOWLEDGED BECAUSE THIS WAS WORK THAT TOOK THREE YEARS, UM, OR PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND SO THIS HADN'T BEEN REVIEWED.
THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT HADN'T BEEN, UH, REVIEWED IN 21 YEARS.
AND SO, UM, I WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO PULL THIS SO THAT WE COULD FORMALLY THANK YOU ALL AND THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE, AND THEN ALSO TO THANK GENERAL JUAN AND, UH, DEBBIE CLARK AND, UH, TIM WALLER AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THE UPDATE TO THE BYLAWS.
I THINK THAT THIS DEFINITELY REFLECTS THE CURRENT MISSION AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE COMMISSION.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
THE MISSION OF THE VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION IS TO SERVE THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY ON ISSUES OF COMMON CONCERN AFFECTING THE CITY'S MILITARY VETERAN POPULATION AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES.
THE V A C SERVES AS A CITY'S LIAISON TO THE VETERAN COMMUNITY.
THE COMMISSION ADVOCATES ON BEHALF OF VETERANS TO MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VETERAN FOCUSED IMPROVEMENTS TO CITY SERVICES.
I KNOW I CALL ON MY, UM, MY APPOINTEE ALL OF THE TIME FOR VETERANS AFFAIRS.
IN SAN ANTONIO, THERE'S MORE THAN 250,000 VETERANS WHO CHOOSE TO CALL MILITARY CITY U S A, THEIR HOME.
I APPLAUD THE V A C FOR SERVING A VITAL ROAD IN OUR, IN, UH, ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING REPRESENTATION FOR THE RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS AT VARIOUS MILITARY AND VETERAN ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.
IN THIS ROLE, THE V A C SERVES THEIR PRIMARY PURPOSE, SERVING AS THE VOICE AND LIAISON FOR THEIR DISTRICT STAFF ON ISSUES OF CONCERN AND COMMON CONCERN AMONGST VETERANS.
SO, I'D LIKE TO CALL UP AT THIS TIME, UH, THE CHAIR, RICHARD DELGADO, SO THAT HE COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS.
THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCILWOMAN.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND, AND FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, AS MENTIONED, MY NAME IS RICHARD DELGADO JR.
AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS THE MAYOR'S APPOINTEE SINCE 2017.
AND THE ELECTED CHAIR OF THE CITY COMMISSION ON VETERAN AFFAIRS.
THE VAC WAS FOUNDED IN 2001 AS MENTIONED, AND OUR BYLAWS HAD NEVER BEEN UPDATED.
SO IN 2017, WHEN WE GAINED REGAINED A FULL COMMISSION, WE DOVE RIGHT IN.
WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MAKING THE MOST IMPACT.
AND THAT STARTED BY UPDATING OUR BYLAWS AS A VAC.
BOTH PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERS HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME REDLINING, ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON HOW WE COULD APPROVE THE SUPPORT TO YOU, YOUR STAFF, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR MILITARY AND VETERAN COMMUNITY.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE VOLUNTEERS.
MOST OF US HAVE FULL-TIME CAREERS, AND THIS TOOK A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT.
WE OWE A HUGE THANK YOU TO MISS DEBBIE CLARK IN THE MILITARY AND VETERAN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
CAM, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, UH, THIS ONE OF OUR CITY ATTORNEYS IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR ALL THE SUPPORT IN GETTING US TO THE FINISH LINE.
AND BOY, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WALK THROUGH WITH US TO GET THIS DONE.
SO, SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES WE'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS A NAME CHANGE FROM THE COMMISSION ON VETERAN AFFAIRS TO THE VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION.
THIS MAKES IT EASIER AND MORE TRANSPARENT, SO OUR COMMUNITY
[01:00:01]
KNOWS OUR ROLE IN THIS PROCESS.THE NEXT ONE IS THE ADDITION TO EACH DISTRICT AND THE MAYOR, A COMMUNITY LIAISON POSITION, WHICH WE WILL ASK YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH HELPING US FIND THIS WILL HELP SUPPORT US YOUR CURRENT APPOINTEES WITH ALL THE WORK THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US.
WHILE THE LIAISON WILL NOT HAVE VOTING RIGHTS, NOR CAN FILL IN FOR AN ABSENT MEMBER, THIS WILL ALLOW CONTINUITY.
AND WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT WILL ALLOW YOU TO PROVIDE AN EASY SUCCESSOR TO FILL A VACANCY.
THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THE WORK WILL CONTINUE WITHOUT SKIPPING A BEAT.
WE HAVE ALSO STARTED WORKING ON A STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WILL TAKE US INTO THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
NOW WE HAVE FIVE SUBCOMMITTEES, WHICH INCLUDES A HIDDEN HERO CITY, OUR VETERANS DAY 23, AND HOUSING SUPPORT.
THE LAST REQUEST IS PLEASE ENSURE YOU AND YOUR STAFF ARE MEETING WITH YOUR VAC REPRESENTATIVES AND HAVE PASSED YOUR COMMUNITY LIAISON AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH.
THIS IS VITAL FOR US TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT MISSING ANY CONCERNS OR ISSUES.
AS YOUR OFFICE GETS THE CALLS FROM OUR COMMUNITY, YOU'LL ALL BE RECEIVING AN INVITE TO STOP BY OUR DECEMBER MEETING ON THE 12TH.
AS WE CELEBRATE THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE.
SO, TO MY FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ARMS, WE WILL SOON HAVE SOME OPEN POSITIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED YOU TO FILL IF APPROVED.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE REACH OUT.
WE HAVE MOVED ALL OUR MEETINGS TO THE EVENING, WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE MOVE THEM THROUGHOUT EACH DISTRICT IN HOPING TO GET MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ATTEND.
YOU CAN FIND ALL THIS INFORMATION AND TIMES ALONG WITH POINTS OF CONTACT FOR OUR CURRENT VAC MEMBERS ON THE MILITARY AND AND VETERAN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.
SO LASTLY, ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE COMMISSION, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT YOU PROVIDE TO EACH OF US AS WE SUPPORT OUR MILITARY AND VETERAN COMMUNITY.
AND I, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, RICHARD AND, AND JUANITA AND THE ENTIRE, UH, COMMITTEE MAYOR I MOVE TO APPROVE.
OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 28, THOSE BYLAW CHANGES FOR THE VETERAN AFFAIR, NEW VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
UH, AND I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE, UH, THE THANKS TO YOU, RICHARD, AND TO THE ENTIRE TEAM AT THE COMMISSION FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THAT WORK EVEN MORE FULLY.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM 28? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL, PLEASE VOTE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ RODRIGUEZ AYE.
[ITEM ]
MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE INTERVIEWING OF FINAL CANDIDATES TO FILL THE DISTRICT 10 CITY COUNCIL TEMPORARY VACANCY AND POSSIBLE ACTION FOR FINAL SELECTION.
OKAY, AS FO FOLKS FILTER OUT, UM, JUST A BRIEF NOTE ON PROCEDURE.
WE HAVE OUR THREE FINALISTS AS WAS SELECTED YESTERDAY, UM, IN THAT ORDER.
AND WE WILL TAKE THEM, UH, IN THIS ORDER FOR INTERVIEWS.
UH, MICHAEL GALLAGHER, JOE GARCIA, AND PAULINE RUBIO.
UH, THESE ARE THE APPLICANTS FOR, UH, THE TEMPORARY VACANCY IN DISTRICT 10.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR, UH, TWO MINUTE OPENING STATEMENTS FROM EACH APPLICANT.
AND THEN WE'LL GO AROUND WITH ANY QUESTIONS FROM OUR CITY COUNCIL, UH, AT WHICH TIME WE WILL THEN BREAK INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR DELIBERATION, UH, AND THEN COME OUT FOR DISCUSSION AND VOTE.
UH, AT THAT TIME, WE WILL, UH, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, SWEAR IN OUR, UM, NEW MEMBER TO THE CITY COUNCIL WHO WILL TAKE, UH, HIS OR HER SEAT IMMEDIATELY.
UH, IF THERE IS EIGHT VOTES AND IF THERE ARE ANY FEWER, UH, THEN PROCEDURALLY WE WILL MOVE ON FROM THERE.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, TWO CITIZENS, ACTUALLY THREE CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UH, SO I'M GONNA TAKE THOSE FOLKS NOW AND THEN WE'LL GET ON WITH OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS.
BEFORE WE DO THAT THOUGH, LET ME ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON PROCESS.
UH, CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM FOUR.
WE'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO DO SO.
MR. MERKEL, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JOHN CLAMP.
UM, I'LL REPEAT MYSELF SLIGHTLY, UM, BECAUSE, UM,
[01:05:02]
UH, I, I, I HEARD THE DELIBERATIVE PROCESS YESTERDAY.THE, THE, UM, AND, AND I WAS ACTUALLY EXPECTING TO, UH, SPEAK AFTER THE, THE THREE PRESENTERS.
UM, AND SO I'M JUST GONNA GO WITH, UM, UH, WHAT MY COMMENTS, UM, IS THAT, IS THAT THE CANDIDATES SHOULD REPRESENT, UH, DISTRICT 10 SENSIBILITIES, WHICH I PERCEIVE AS LARGELY CONSERVATIVE IN A SMALL SEA OF LIBERALISM IN BEXAR COUNTY, UH, JUST BASED UPON COUNTYWIDE, UM, NOVEMBER 8TH ELECTION RESULTS.
UM, AND THEN THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO WORK WELL WITH ESSENTIALLY ALL VIEWPOINTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THAT, AND THAT THE, UM, UH, THAT, THAT THE, THAT THE PERSON SELECTED SHOULD NOT REPRESENT THE LIBERAL BIAS.
JOHN CLAMP, FOLLOWED BY JOE ALEXANDER.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER WALSH.
UM, FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, MIKE HAS REPRESENTED, UH, WHAT DISTRICT 10 IS ALL ABOUT.
HE REPRESENTS THE HEART OF WHAT DISTRICT 10 IS HARDWORKING CONSTITUENTS, TRADITIONAL VALUES, COMMON SENSE GOVERNMENT, AND A STATESMAN'S APPROACH TO SOLVING OUR EVERYDAY ISSUES.
HE'S BEEN ONE OF THE LONGEST SERVING MEMBERS OF HIS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AS PRESIDENT NORTHERN HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
HE FOUGHT HARD BACK IN THE DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GOLF COURSE AT NORTHERN HILLS REMAINED A GOLF COURSE AND NOT APARTMENTS.
UM, AND HE'S BEEN A SOUNDING BOARD FOR PAST COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I'M SURE HE WILL BE FOR FUTURE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.
SERVED, UH, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER HOW LONG BECAUSE WE'VE SWEPT, UH, WE'VE SWAPPED, UH, SO MANY TIMES AS PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, AN ALLIANCE OF ALMOST 90 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
UH, OFTEN WE GATHER AT GYMS OR ANOTHER RESTAURANT AND TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE LEADERSHIP OF DISTRICT 10 AND OUR CITY.
AND WE DO TALK ABOUT NEW LEADERS.
THIS, HOWEVER, IS NOT THE TIME FOR NEW LEADERSHIP.
THIS IS THE TIME FOR MIKE GALLAGHER'S, PROVEN LEADERSHIP, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MIKE HAS MY ENDORSEMENT TO REPRESENT THE DISTRICT FOR AS LONG AS NEEDED.
HE HAS SERVED OUR COUNTRY, OUR CITY, AND OUR DISTRICT HONORABLY.
AND I HOPE YOU CONSIDER HIM STRONGLY FOR THIS POSITION.
JOE ALEXANDER, I WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW JOHN.
YOU KNOW, HE'S SUCH A SPEAKER.
I'VE LIVED IN, UH, DISTRICT 10 FOR 45 YEARS, AND I'M A SENIOR, AS YOU CAN TELL.
SO THIS MORNING THEY ASKED ME IF I WOULD SAY A FEW WORDS AND I SAID YES, ALTHOUGH I TALK TOO MUCH, BUT I CAN LIMIT IT TO A FEW WORDS 'CAUSE IT'S JUST COMMON SENSE TO ME.
WE NEED SOMEBODY TO FILL THAT CHAIR ON A TEMPORARY BASIS AND WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO TRAIN SOMEBODY TO FILL THAT CHAIR.
MIKE GALLAGHER'S TRAINED, HE'S FILLED IT BEFORE.
HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT DISTRICT 10 THAN ANYONE I KNOW HE HASN'T DONE THIS FOR HIS OWN GOOD, BUT HE'S SERVED HIS COUNTRY, HE SERVED US.
HE'S THE PERFECT PERSON TO FILL THAT CHAIR.
WE DON'T NEED SOMEONE TO COME IN THAT WE, IF THEY WANT.
I, I DON'T KNOW THE OTHER TWO PEOPLE.
AND I, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN THEM.
I'M SURE THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM AT DISTRICT 10 MEETINGS.
I, I, I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM AT N N A MEETINGS.
IF YOU WANNA FILL THAT CHAIR, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND DISTRICT 10.
AND MIKE GALLAGHER UNDERSTANDS DISTRICT 10 ALSO.
U S A, MAYBE THE OTHER TWO ARE ALSO.
BUT, UH, I WORKED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR 40 YEARS AND I SAW 'EM FIELD JOBS AND IF SOMEONE WAS EQUALLY TALENTED OR FOR A, A JOB, BUT ONE OF 'EM WAS A VETERAN AND THE OTHERS WEREN'T.
I'VE NEVER, I'VE NEVER SEEN A BAD VETERAN THAT WE HIRED THAT DIDN'T DO THE JOB.
'CAUSE THEY DON'T COMPLAIN AND CRY AND ALL OF THAT SO I'M NOT ALONE IN, IN
[01:10:01]
MY VERSION.YOU CAN ASK A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN DISTRICT 10, BUT HE IS, HE IS THE ONE TO FILL THAT SEAT, AND IT'S NOTHING AGAINST ANYONE ELSE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO TRAIN OR GIVE SOMEBODY PUBLICITY FOR RUNNING, AND MIKE IS NOT GONNA RUN FOR THAT JOB IN THE NEXT ELECTION.
SO, TO BE FAIR TO EVERYONE, IT'S MIKE GALLAGHER.
UH, I FAILED TO MENTION THAT THE CANDIDATES WHO ARE NOT BEING INTERVIEWED ACTIVELY WILL BE WAITING, UH, THEY WILL NOT BE, UH, LISTENING TO, UH, THE ACTIVE INTERVIEW AT THE TIME WILL DO THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY.
SO, AS THE OTHER INTERVIEWS WAIT IN THE HOLDING AREA, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL UP MICHAEL GALLAGHER.
MIKE, UH, WE, WE HEARD, UH, YOUR OPENING STATEMENT YESTERDAY, SO YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TODAY, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON WITH QUESTIONS FROM DAIS.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, THIS CAN, UH, THIS CAN BE A DIFFICULT ISSUE IN A LOT OF WAYS, AND AGAIN, I'D JUST LIKE TO REITERATE, WE JUST HOPE OUR, UH, COUNCILMAN CLAYTON PERRY, UH, HAS A REHAB THAT'S SUCCESSFUL AND THAT HE GETS BACK ON THE JOB AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN THE MILITARY, WE WOULD CALL SUCH AN ASSIGNMENT, A T D Y TEMPORARY DUTY.
AND THAT'S, UH, WHY I'M HERE TODAY TO FILL IN WHILE, UH, WE HOPE THAT CLAYTON GETS REHABBED AND BACK IN BUSINESS AGAIN ON COUNCIL.
I'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO THANK THE FOLKS THAT TURNED OUT TODAY IN SUPPORT OF ME.
UH, COUNCILMAN CLAMP, UH, TOOK AWAY ALL MY THUNDER, SO I WON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY ABOUT IT OTHER THAN I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, BEING A MEMBER OF THE ALLIANCE, WE HAVE TO HAVE A MEETING EVERY MONTH WITH ALL OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS.
AND, UH, WHAT, UH, PAUL JIMENEZ AND THE DISTRICT 10 STAFF HAS MADE ME DO IS ALSO FILL IN WHEN WE HAVE THE DISTRICT 10 OR THE ALLIANCE MEETINGS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TALKING TO ALL OF THESE LEADERS IN HEARING THEIR FEEDBACK ABOUT THE, THE THINGS WHICH ARE CITY ISSUES, THAT THEY WANT US TO MAKE SURE AND DO WHAT WE CAN ON COUNCIL TO TRY TO GET APPROVED AND SUPPORTED WITH THAT.
MAYOR, I'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M GONNA USE THE Q SYSTEM, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL TO, UH, ASK QUESTIONS.
SO LET ME CALL COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA WITH QUESTIONS.
UH, COLONEL GALLAGHER, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR WILLINGNESS.
IT'S, IT'S, I THINK, FAIRLY EASY, BUT HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS, UM, OR BELIEFS, FIRST WITH YOUR RESIDENTS AND SECOND WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES? UH, I'M SORRY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS OR BELIEFS? OH, WELL, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT'S JUST A PART OF DOING OUR JOB, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO, AS WE'VE HEARD OTHER PEOPLE SAY, YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO LISTEN, AND A LOT OF TIMES SOMETHING WILL COME UP WHICH COULD AFFECT THAT DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
AND YOU TAKE THE SAME APPROACH WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND YOUR COLLEAGUES, OR WOULD YOU APPROACH DIFFERENTLY? NO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND WITH, UH, WITH BOTH GROUPS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA.
UM, AND THANKS FOR OF COURSE, FOR APPLYING AND BEING HERE TODAY.
IF, UM, WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE PRIORITIES FOR DISTRICT 10? AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THEY ALIGN WITH DISTRICT, UH, TEN'S, CONSTITUENTS, TOP PRIORITIES? OH, WITHOUT QUESTION, THEY'RE EXACTLY THE SAME.
UH, NUMBER ONE, OF COURSE HAS TO BE, UH, OUR SECURITY.
AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF, UH, OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THEY ARE SUPPORTED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THEY CAN HANDLE THE PROBLEMS, THE ISSUES THAT ARE, UH, BROUGHT BEFORE THEM.
AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO DO THAT.
SECOND ONE, OF COURSE, AND I GET THIS FEEDBACK, AND I'M SURE ALL OF YOU DO TOO, IS INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'VE GOTTA DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO KEEP THE PROCESS GOING, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE UPGRADE AND WE REPAIR THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE, AND THIS IS MORE NEIGHBORHOOD RELATED, AND I KNOW ALL OF YOU'VE GOT NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THAT IS WE'VE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB OF SUPPORTING CODE ENFORCEMENT.
THE, I'VE HEARD THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS.
LET'S GET SOME MORE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS OUT THERE, AND LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN TO FUND, UH, UH, CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT SO THAT WE REALLY KEEP THOSE, UH,
[01:15:01]
NEIGHBORHOODS AT A HIGHER LEVEL.MAYOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND FILLING IN THE GAP, UH, WANTING TO DO THIS.
SO YOU SERVED IN THE POST PANDEMIC AREA ERA, AND YOU WILL BE SERVING IN THE PRE PANDEMIC AREA ERA OF CITY COUNCIL.
SO, YEAH, NO, PRE LEMME GET PRE AND POST.
SO, UM, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'VE SEEN AS A NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE LEADER THAT YOU THINK CAN, YOU CAN BRING AND HELP CONTRIBUTE AS WE GET OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC? WELL, I THINK NUMBER, UH, ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE THINGS THAT, UH, HAS DRIVEN ME, AND THAT IS WE'VE GOT TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO GET PEOPLE BACK TOGETHER FOR INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION.
I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
I SEE A DETERIORATION IN ALL KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE PEOPLE NO LONGER WANT TO ATTEND MEETINGS TO BE A PART OF ANY KIND OF SITUA ORGANIZATION IN WHICH THEY WOULD GET TOGETHER.
SO, UH, POST PANDEMIC, I'LL TELL YOU, WE'VE GOT TO DO ALL OF US AS NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, WHATEVER WE CAN TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE MORE INVOLVED IN ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
I WANNA SEE US HAVE, UH, PEOPLE VOLUNTEER.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE ONE THING I MUST SAY ABOUT THE, WHEN WE HAD, WHAT WAS IT A TOTAL OF 18 PEOPLE TURN OUT TO FOR THIS PO POSITION? IT MADE ME PROUD.
AND SO I HAVE TO SAY THANKS TO ALL OF THOSE WHO DID SHOW UP AND FROM THE CITY CLERK'S PERSPECTIVE TO FILL OUT ALL THAT PAPERWORK WE HAD TO FILL OUT AGAIN.
COUNCIL MEMBER VIRON, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
THANKS MIKE, FOR PUTTING YOUR NAME FORWARD, BEING WILLING TO STEP IN.
THIS IS A CRITICAL POSITION FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, AND I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT.
UH, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE WELL ACQUAINTED WITH THE COUNCILMAN AND HIS STAFF, UH, AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU'VE MET WITH THEM AND MAYBE THEY'VE IDENTIFIED TWO OR THREE ISSUES THAT THEY'D REALLY RECOMMEND YOU TRY AND COMPLETE THAT THE COUNCILMAN HAD BEEN WORKING ON.
ARE THERE TWO OR THREE THINGS THAT YOU WANNA MAKE SURE GET DONE THAT, THAT MAYBE HE INITIATED OR THE COMMUNITY HAD ASKED ABOUT? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT, UH, WE'VE HAD AN OPEN COMMUNICATION, UH, PAUL AND I, I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO PAUL.
AND SO WE REALLY DO, UH, ARE INTERRELATED ON THOSE ISSUES.
AND, UH, SOME OF 'EM, SOME OF 'EM JUST ARE ZONING ISSUES, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT, UH, ONE OF 'EM THAT, UH, I KNOW CLAYTON'S BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, AND THAT IS SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, UH, WE LOOK AT, UH, ONE WE GET A LOT OF, AND HE'S WORKING ON IS LIGHTING ON SOME OF THE STREET, THE, UH, STREETS, THE INTERSECTIONS, THE DANGEROUS AREAS THAT, UH, WE HAVE.
IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT, UH, HE HAS PUT FORWARD AND HE'S GOT A GOOD LAUNDRY LIST.
AND I WILL CERTAINLY BE IN SUPPORT OF ALL OF THEM.
UH, THANK YOU MR. GALLAGHER FOR APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION.
UH, YOU WERE LAST ELECTED IN 2015.
DO YOU REMEMBER BY WHAT PERCENTAGE, UH, YOU WON THAT ELECTION? UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT WAS IN THE OVER 80%, SO MM-HMM.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR APPLICANT? GALLAGHER, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, I'M GONNA SHOW OFF A LITTLE HERE AND RE TELL PEOPLE THAT I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SERVING WITH YOU FOR THREE FULL WEEKS ON THIS COUNCIL.
THAT'S RIGHT BEFORE COUNCILMAN, UH, PERRY CAME ON.
SO, UM, I AM DELIGHTED AT THE PROSPECT OF, OF WORKING WITH YOU AGAIN.
UH, AND I DO WANNA THANK YOU FOR, FOR STEPPING FORWARD.
AND, UH, AND LIKE YOU SAID, I, I WAS ALSO GLAD TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE OF VOLUNTEER, AND I THINK THEY ALL HAVE, UH, WONDERFUL, UH, THINGS TO BRING TO BRING FORWARD.
UM, BUT LET ME ASK YOU, UH, ABOUT WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE STAFF, UM, HOW FAMILIAR YOU DID MENTION PAUL.
UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUES, UH, THE CONSTITUENTS, UH, AT LEAST IN 2017 WERE, WERE EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF THE WORK YOU WERE DOING.
BUT HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF INTERACTING WITH THE STAFF? WOULD YOU KEEP THE SAME STAFF? WOULD YOU, UM, JUST IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THAT.
AND I, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE I WANT THAT MENTIONED.
I WILL RETAIN THE ENTIRE D 10 STAFF.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT
[01:20:01]
A TEMPORARY, UH, HOLDER OF AN OFFICE SHOULD BE DOING IS RATTLING THE CAGE OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT IT'S BEEN FLOWING DOWN SMOOTHLY.AND TO CHANGE THAT WOULD BE A TOTAL DISASTER.
WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS AND ALL OF THE APPOINTMENTS AND EVERYTHING, UH, CONTINUE THE WAY THEY ARE.
AND SO I HOPE THAT, UH, WE CAN DO THAT.
AND I WILL WORK, UH, CLOSELY WITH THE STAFF.
AND I HAVE TO REITERATE THE POINT I MADE EARLIER, THOUGH, UH, FOR THE MAY ELECTION, I WILL NOT BE A CANDIDATE.
AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO BE WELL AWARE OF THAT.
THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN.
I I ALSO THINK IT'S, UM, WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IN THE APPOINTMENT IS HOW SMOOTH CAN THE TRANSITION BE? YEAH.
SO THAT WE HONOR THE WISHES OF THE ELECTORATE IN 2021, UH, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY WHEN THEY THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
WHEN THEY SELECTED, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
UM, SO I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF YOUR SERVICE TO THE DISTRICT AND WHAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO DO.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE CITYWIDE ISSUES THAT YOU'VE BEEN MONITORING THIS COUNCIL, UH, ON THIS COUNCIL? 'CAUSE I IMAGINE YOU HAVE, UM, AND WHERE YOU SEE US GOING.
JUST ANY COMMENTARY ON THAT? YEAH, THANK YOU.
WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE MAIN ONES THAT ALL OF US, UH, NEED TO LOOK AT IS THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, BUT THE ONE THING WE SHOULDN'T DO AS A CITY IS SAY THAT IT'S JUST OUR PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT, THIS IS A PROBLEM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE AIMING OUR, UH, LOOK AT, UH, BOTH AT THE STATE LEVEL AND AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL TOO, FOR ASSISTANCE IN THAT.
UH, WE, THAT REALLY, UH, STANDS OUT THERE AS A COUNTRYWIDE ISSUE.
AND I JUST HOPE THAT WE AS A CITY CAN DO OUR PART TO TRY TO HELP RESOLVE IT.
AND THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUES OF, UH, HOUSING AND, UH, JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT, UH, COME UP.
SO I HOPE ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE ONES WE CAN SUPPORT, BUT AGAIN, WE NEED TO BE TALKING TO OUR LEGISLATURES, BOTH AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL TO DO THEIR PART WITH THIS NATIONAL ISSUE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, THROWING YOUR HAT IN THE RING.
UM, MY QUESTION IS GONNA BE THE SAME FOR ALL THROUGH CANDIDATES, AND THE ROOT OF MY QUESTION IS TO GAUGE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIVERSE DEEDS OF THE DISTRICT.
I THINK DISTRICT 10 IS MUCH MORE DIVERSE THAN IT'S GIVEN CREDIT FOR.
UM, AND I'LL, YOU KNOW, I'LL ALSO NAME DISTRICT TWO HAS ADDED ITS FAIR SHARE OF APPOINTMENTS, UH, DELOITTE LOT, KEITH, TONY, ART HALL, AND CITYWIDE.
THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN OTHERS IN 2020.
DISTRICT 10 VOTED 53% FOR BIDEN THIS PAST NOVEMBER.
DISTRICT 10 VOTED 53.6% FOR BETO O'ROURKE OVER GREG ABBOTT, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT MUNICIPAL VOTERS MIGHT DECIDE.
AND SO, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT ANY OF YOUR POLITICAL BELIEFS.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ALL OF YOUR RESIDENTS.
AND SO I ALSO WANNA LAY THAT OUT FOR ALL OF THE DISTRICT 10 RESIDENTS IN THE AUDIENCE.
DISTRICT 10 IS ALSO ABOUT 60% PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND HAS BEEN A DISTRICT COMPOSED OF AT LEAST 50% PEOPLE OF COLOR FOR THE PAST DECADE AND LONGER.
DISTRICT 10 IS A CHANGING COMMUNITY.
AND MANY MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY REFER TO THE NORTHEAST AS THE NEW EAST SIDE.
IT'S THE DISTRICT WITH THE SECOND HIGHEST BLACK COMMUNITY, AND MANY ARE MOVING FROM THE EAST SIDE IN MY DISTRICT TO THE NORTHEAST SIDE, BOTH IN MY DISTRICT AND IN DISTRICT 10.
I, I ACTUALLY ALSO USED TO TEACH IN MADISON HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRICT 10, WHERE MY STUDENTS HAD ISSUES SEPARATE, BUT NOT ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM MY STUDENTS AT SAM HOUSTON.
SO I'M GONNA LAY OUT THE QUESTION IN DISTRICT TWO.
I WOULD DESCRIBE AREAS SUCH AS THE NEAR EAST SIDE, CLOSER TO DOWNTOWN, THE EAST SIDE, STRETCHING OUT BEFORE CHINA GROVE AND THE NORTHEAST SIDE NEAR CONVERSE AND WINDCREST VERY DIFFERENTLY.
AND THE ISSUES THAT MATTER, MOST OF THEM ARE DIFFERENT.
SO, COULD YOU PLEASE BREAK DOWN YOUR DISTRICT FOR ME AND DESCRIBE THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO DIFFERENT AREAS AND DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS IN DISTRICT 10? UH, IRONICALLY, I THINK, UH, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
IT'S AMAZING HOW THAT, UM, WE ACTUALLY HEAR THE SAME SORT OF ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, BUT ALSO NOW THIS IS A SHOCKER FOR YOU.
BUT THE NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE INCLUDES A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOODS FROM DISTRICT TWO AS WELL AS DISTRICT NINE.
BUT, UH, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE VOICE OF JUST, UH, SOME INDIVIDUALS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE AREA IN THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN, AND IT'S AMAZING.
AND I'M ALWAYS AMAZED WHEN I GET TOGETHER WITH THEM TO HEAR HOW MUCH EVERYBODY'S GOT THE EXACT SAME TO-DO LIST THAT WE ALL GOTTA BE WORKING ON.
[01:25:01]
RODRIGUEZ.COUNCIL MEMBER S UM, MR. GALLAGHER, THANKS FOR THROWING YOUR HAT IN THE RING.
I, TOO, UM, ECHO COUNCILMAN MCGEE RODRIGUEZ'S SENTIMENT, I, I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR POLITICS, AND I, I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHETHER YOU REPRESENT, WAS IT THE CONSERVATIVE TILT OR THE LIBERAL TILT, WHATEVER WE HEARD EARLIER.
I ONLY CARE ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO, UH, HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, UM, AND, UH, REPRESENT, UM, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU EXPAND A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT CLICK, IF YOU WILL, ON YOUR WORK WITH THE NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE.
UM, WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM? UH, HOW DID THAT RELATIONSHIP DEVELOP? AND CAN YOU GIMME SOME HIGHLIGHTS? YEAH.
UH, THE REASON THAT THE, UH, NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ALLIANCE WAS FORMED IN, I WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS FOR IT WAS JUST THE IDEA THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE A LARGER VOICE WHEN IT CAME TO, UH, CITY HALL ACTIVITIES.
AND SO I, IT REALLY MADE ME VERY, VERY PROUD THAT SO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS RIGHT AWAY SCRAMBLED TO BE A PART OF THE ALLIANCE.
THEY REALLY WANTED, UH, TO HAVE A GREATER VOICE.
AND SO, WITH THAT IN MIND, WE HAVE TO LISTEN.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE A GOOD LEADER, HEARING LIKE WE HEARD BEFORE FROM SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS THAT WERE UP HERE, IS PROBABLY THE MOST, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES.
YOU CAN'T JUST BE CHARGING OFF WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT ALL OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE TO SAY.
SO I MUST SAY THAT ALLIANCE HAS BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR, AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IRONIC THAT, UM, UH, WHAT THE WAY WE HAVE OUR MEETINGS IS, UH, EVERY OTHER MONTH, IT'S A DISTRICT 10 MEETING, BUT IT'S ALL THE SAME FOLKS THAT ARE THERE.
IT'S THE LEADERS OF ALL OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE DISTRICT TWO AND DISTRICT NINE FOLKS ALSO SHOW UP FOR THESE DISTRICT 10 MEETINGS.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SIGN SIGN.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLYS, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER GALLAGHER? ALL RIGHT, I'LL, I'LL ASK ONE, MIKE.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE MY OWN, UM, I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE DISTRICT 10 STAFF, UM, AND I KNOW YOU ASSEMBLED PART OF THAT STAFF AT LEAST.
UM, SO THERE'S NO DOUBT YOU'RE CAPABLE, YOU'RE COMPETENT, YOU CAN DO THE JOB.
UM, BUT BECAUSE YOU'VE MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES, I DO WANT TO ASK THIS.
I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSTATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE VACANCY.
THIS IS AN ACTIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, ARE YOU READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO SERVE HOWEVER LONG THIS, THIS, UH, VACANCY MIGHT TAKE PLACE? WHETHER THAT'S A FEW MONTHS, OR WHETHER THAT'S THE ENTIRE REST OF THE TERM, ARE YOU ABLE TO SERVE FOR THAT PERIOD? YES, SIR.
UH, WHEN THIS CAME UP, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ISSUES THAT CAME UP, IS HOW LONG IS THIS PROCESS GOING TO TAKE? AND SO I WOULD DEFINITELY SERVE UNTIL MAY IF REQUIRED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. GALLAGHER.
AM I ALLOWED IN THE ROOM FOR THE HEAR THE REST OF THE INTERVIEWS? UM, IN ALL FAIRNESS TO EVERYBODY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE YOU WAIT IN THE SAME HOLDING AREA.
OKAY, UH, NEXT ON OUR ORDER OF CA UH, APPLICANTS, WE HAVE MR. JOE GARCIA.
MR. GARCIA, UH, WE'LL TAKE A TWO MINUTE OPENING STATEMENT, THEN WE'LL GO AROUND WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE DIOCESE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, MY NAME IS JOE GARCIA.
I'M A LONGTIME RESIDENT, BORN AND RAISED IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, EMPLOYED BY AT AND T FOR 31 YEARS, UH, IN THE CAPACITY OF MARKETING AND REVENUE MANAGEMENT, UH, EDUCATED IN SAN ANTONIO, THOMAS GIBSON, GRAD OF ST.
MARY'S UNIVERSITY, SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE.
UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR ACCEPTING ME AT THIS POINT.
I CONSIDERED AN HONOR, AND I'M JUST READY TO GO AND EXCITED.
SO BEING SAID, GO AHEAD AND ASK ME WHATEVER YOU LIKE.
WE'LL USE THE SAME DAIS, UM, QUEUE.
SO IF YOU CAN JUST RETAP IN IF YOU'D LIKE TO START.
UH, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
I'M GOING TO, UH, ASK YOU QUESTION THAT I'VE ASKED THE, UH, PREVIOUS APPLICANT, AND I'LL ASK THE NEXT ONE.
AND THAT IS REGARDING, UH, WHAT YOU MAY KNOW BASED ON ANY OF YOUR CONVERSATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE CURRENT STAFF, UH, THAT EXISTS IN DISTRICT 10, HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH THEM TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT AS TO, UH, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CURRENT ISSUES THAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, WITH
[01:30:01]
COUNCILMAN PERRY? WHAT DO THEY THINK THE PRIORITY SHOULD BE THAT NEED TO BE FINISHED OR CONTINUED? UH, SO HAVE YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT? I HAVE NOT, UH, MR. COURAGE.UM, I WAS, THAT WAS EXACTLY ONE OF THE THINGS I PUT IN MY LETTER THAT I DID NOT WANT TO HAVE ANY CHANGES IN THE STAFF.
IF ANYBODY KNOWS HOW TO RUN THAT DISTRICT AND THE ACTIVITY BETWEEN THE OTHER COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR'S GOALS WOULD BE THEM, UH, I'M GONNA RELY ON THEM TO GIVE ME WHAT THE GOALS WERE, WHAT WE HAD IMPLEMENTED, IMPLEMENTED, UH, TO ACHIEVE IT.
I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT ANY, UM, ITEMS THAT FEEL THAT WILL BE DETERRENT TO THE CITY OR, OR THE STAFF, BUT, UM, I WOULD HAVE SOME SAY SO ON.
AND IF I, WE MIGHT HAVE SOME MODIFICATIONS IF WE DO.
UH, I WANNA DO AN CONTINUITY OF THE PRESENT, UM, GOALS OF THAT DISTRICT.
UH, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME WAS GONNA BE HERE WITH ME HERE, OR, UH, THE RETURN OF OUR PRESENT, UH, COUNCILMAN THAT WE HAVE.
AND STILL, THERE'S STILL, THAT STILL REMAINS TO BE SEEN, BUT I JUST WANNA CONTINUE ON THE CONTINUITY WITH THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL'S WISHES AND OUR DISTRICT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. GARCIA, FOR YOUR INTEREST.
MY QUESTION IS TWO PART, UM, THE FIRST PART IS REGARDING CONSTITUENTS.
THE SECOND IS REGARDING YOUR, YOUR FUTURE COLLEAGUES.
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS OR BELIEFS WITH EACH OF THOSE GROUPS? WELL, AS FAR AS MY, UH, THE CONSTITUENTS AND SO FORTH, I, I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL ISSUES.
UM, THAT HAS TO BE APPOINTED, UH, ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS.
UH, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LIVE IN, UH, MORNING GLEN IS A GREAT RETIRED GROUP OF PEOPLE, OLDER PEOPLE, SENIORS AS MYSELF.
UM, WE LOOK FOR ISSUES THAT ARE AT HAND, UH, AND ADDRESSING THEM.
NOW, AGAIN, THE SECOND QUESTION WAS, IT WOULD BE DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS WITHIN YOUR COLLEAGUES.
OH, WELL, EVERYBODY HAS AN OPINION, AND I WELCOME TO HEAR AND LISTEN WHAT IT IS.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE HERE FOR, AND THE MAYOR AND SO FORTH.
IT WOULD BE ON HOW WE CAN ADDRESS AND CONTINUE ON THAT PATH.
UH, THAT'S WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT BEING AN AMERICAN, UH, AND, UH, TEXAN, THAT WE ARE HERE TO EMBRACE WHAT HAVE OPINIONS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THOSE ARE GOOD IDEAS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN BROUGHT ACROSS.
SO I WELCOME THAT AND, AND WANNA CONTINUE WITH THAT CONTINUITY AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE NO PROBLEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR APPLICATION.
AND I WAS PLEASED TO HEAR WHEN YOU HAD SAID THAT YOU HAD ALSO SERVED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, IN THE PAST, AND THAT THAT WAS A BIG HONOR FOR YOU.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION.
UH, ON THAT POINT, I WAS, UM, WHEN I GOT ELECTED, I MADE A TOTAL COMMITMENT.
UH, I HAD TO GO WITH MY EMPLOYER PERMISSION TO SPEND TIME TO DO THAT AT THAT TIME.
UM, AND, UH, I GOT REELECTED AGAIN.
BUT, UH, I HAD ISSUES AND GOALS.
ONE OF THEM WAS RE ACCEPTED, BUT IT TOOK YEARS ALONG.
BUT AGAIN, IT WAS THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS WITH SEVERAL AGENCIES, STATE LEGISLATURE, FUNDING, UH, FOR A BRIDGE OVER THE RAILROAD SYSTEM.
SO I WAS VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THAT FINALLY IMPLEMENTED IN VICTORIA.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE? YES, I HAVE.
UM, WELL, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN DO THAT IN TWO MONTHS TIME.
SO FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, YOU KNOW, UH, SO MY QUESTION, SIR, UM, HAVE TO DO WITH, AND AND YOU'VE KIND OF ADDRESSED ONE OF THEM, IS HOW WILL YOU BE, UH, WORKING WITH THE STAFF? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THEM? HAVE YOU, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY SORT OF RELATIONSHIP ALREADY WITH THE STAFF? HOW WILL YOU DEAL IF YOU DON'T, HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH THAT WHEN YOU CAME ON BOARD? AND DO YOU PLAN TO KEEP THEM? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, I WELCOME THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UH, I HAVE NOT MET THE STAFF OR TALKED WITH ANYONE, ANY OF THEM.
UM, BUT THE, THE WAY I WOULD APPROACH IT WOULD HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM SO
[01:35:01]
FORTH.UM, INTRODUCE MYSELF AND THEIR BACKGROUND, WHAT, WHAT THEY HAVE GOING IN THE, UM, PERSONAL LIVES, JUST KIND OF HAVE A FEEL FOR 'EM.
UH, BUT ALSO THE TARGET ISSUES AT HAND FOR DISTRICT 10.
I KNOW IT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED AND SO FORTH.
AND, AND I WANT TO HEAR THEIR INPUT.
UM, AND IF IT'S MEETS WITH THE REQUIREMENTS AND CONTINUITY WITH THE REST OF YEAR COUNCIL PEOPLE AND THE MAYOR, UH, THAT'S HOW I'LL BASE MY DECISION ON WHAT TO, TO FOLLOW.
THEY'RE GONNA BE THE CORE OF DISTRICT 10, AND I EMBRACE THEIR HELP.
UH, I KNOW I COULD HANDLE THIS JOB.
AND, UM, I'M JUST EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO EMBRACE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UH, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
THE PREVIOUS CANDIDATE ADDRESSED THIS.
IF THE SEAT SHOULD BECOME, UM, OPEN OR, UM, SORRY, IF, UM, WOULD YOU CONSIDER RUNNING FOR OFFICE IN 2023? WHEN I APPLIED FOR THIS POSITION IN MY OPENING LETTER, I DID STATE THAT I HAVE NO ASPIRATIONS OF BEING A CITY COUNCILMAN, MAYOR, COUNTY JUDGE, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
I'M HERE SOLELY TO OFFER MY SERVICES AND MY, MY KNOWLEDGE AND SOME OF GOVERNMENT ISSUES TO MAKE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND LET THE VOTERS DECIDE OF WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE GOING.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW CLOSELY YOU'VE BEEN MONITORING THE WORK OF CITY COUNCIL OVER THE, THE PAST YEAR OR SO.
CAN YOU TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR ISSUES THAT YOU THINK WE'RE WORKING ON AND WHERE YOU MIGHT STAND ON SOME OF THEM? THIS IS A VERY BROAD AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTION.
THE I 35 CORRIDOR, OUR DISTRICT COVERS PART OF THAT.
AND, UM, WE RECENTLY CAME BACK FROM HOUSTON COMING DOWN I 35, AND OH MY GOD, IT'S JUST A NIGHTMARE.
IT, IT'S LIKE AUSTIN 24 7 THAT YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE TRAFFIC AND SO FORTH IS A PROBLEM.
THOSE MY EXPOSURE ON THE VIA BOARD, I HAVE SOME IDEAS THAT I LIKE TO SHARE WITH Y'ALL AND SO FORTH, UH, THAT MAYBE WE CAN WORK, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE WORK AND HELP WITH OUR LEGISLATORS, UH, OUR CITY AND COUNTY.
AND THEN THE, YOU SAID TWO QUESTIONS.
WHAT WAS, UM, OH NO, THE CITYWIDE ISSUES.
THAT ONE THAT WE'VE BEEN, THAT WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING HERE AT THIS COUNCIL.
JUST MAYBE YOUR THOUGHTS OR POSITIONS ON SOME OF THOSE.
I STAYED AFTER THE, UM, ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY HOW THE COUNCIL, THE COUNTY, UH, AND EVERYONE WORKED IN THEIR DISTRICT WITH HOUSING THAT HAD TO BE ADDRESSED.
THAT WAS ONE OF MY ISSUES, UM, THAT THEY COULD PULL TOGETHER THROUGH COMMUNICATION AND COME UP WITH THIS MONEY, NOT A LOT, BUT ADDRESS THE BEST HELP THEY COULD, UH, APP, UH, PROVIDE FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
I JUST, I WISH EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT AND I COMMEND YOU COUNCIL FOR HAVING THESE ISSUES ADDRESSED.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING, MR. GARCIA.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE PRI PRIORITIES FOR DISTRICT 10? AND HOW DO YOU THINK THEY ALIGN WITH THE PRIORITIES OF THE DISTRICT 10 CONSTITUENTS? WELL, WHAT ARE GONNA BE TRAFFIC, WHATEVER, UM, WE NEED TO, THEY'RE DOING A, WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
Y'ALL ARE DOING A GOOD JOB ON THAT.
UH, I 35 OTHER LOU FORD 10 WARS BLOCK PARKWAY.
THEY'RE IN THE HEART OF OF 10.
UM, UH, IT'S, IT'S JUST THAT, IT JUST SEEMS THE GROWTH IS SO RAPID.
AND BY THE TIME WE CATCH UP, IT'S ALREADY OBSOLETE.
SO LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, HOUSING WAS THE OTHER ISSUE THAT, UH, WAS GONNA BE BROUGHT UP WITH ME.
AND ONE THAT'S KIND OF TOUCHY RIGHT NOW IS, UH, I WAS TALKING WITH SHERIFF JAVIER AT A FUNCTION ON THE PROBLEM OF PEOPLE DRIVING THE WRONG
[01:40:01]
WAY IN THE EVENING AND KILLING INNOCENT FAMILIES.I STOPPED TRAINING BIKE RIDING.
UH, I HAD TOO MANY CLOSE INSTANCES.
BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, THE BIKE RIDERS HAVE SHOWN RESPECT FOR THE VEHICLES, UH, THE, UH, DRIVERS.
YOU CAN'T TAKE TWO OR THREE LANES.
YOU HAVE TO ARRIVE IN SINGLE FILE AND PAY ATTENTION.
UH, BUT TO HAVE LOST SEVERAL FRIENDS, BIKERS, UM, TO THIS EFFECT.
I WISH TO WORK WITH OUR LEGISLATURES, OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WITH A JUDGE ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT THESE INNOCENT PEOPLE LIVES LOST.
UM, THE SHERIFF SAID THAT THEY DID A SURVEY ON THE LARGER CITIES, UH, DALLAS AND HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO.
WE WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT HAD THIS MAJOR PROBLEM.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THIS.
SO I WOULD, YOU COULD SAY I'M FAD, NOT MAD, MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVERS, BUT FAMILIES AGAINST DRUNK DRIVERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. GARCIA.
COUNCIL MEMBER KIO HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
I WAS INTRIGUED WHEN I SAW THAT.
NOW, YOU HAD PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS A COUNCIL PERSON, UM, DISTRICT TWO WAS AT ITS FAIR SHARE OF APPOINTMENTS.
UM, DELORE DES LA KEITH, TONY, ART HALL, AND CITYWIDE.
IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING WHAT EACH COUNCIL HAS LOOKED FOR IN AN APPOINTMENT.
AND I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN DISTRICT 10, BECAUSE THEY'RE MY DISTRICT'S NEIGHBORS.
AND SO MY QUESTION'S BEEN THE SAME, OR IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME FOR ALL THREE CANDIDATES.
AND THE ROOT OF MY QUESTION IS TO GAUGE KNOWLEDGE OF THE, THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT, BECAUSE DISTRICT 10 IS MUCH MORE DIVERSE THAN IS GIVEN CREDIT FOR.
AND SO I'M GONNA LAY OUT A FEW LITTLE PIECES OF INFORMATION.
IN 2020, DISTRICT 10 VOTED 53% FOR BIDEN.
THIS PAST NOVEMBER, DISTRICT 10 VOTED 53.6% FOR BETO, UH, OVER GREG ABBOTT, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT MUNICIPAL VOTERS WOULD DO, 54% VOTED FOR COUNCILMAN PERRY.
AND I SAY THAT TO SAY THAT I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT ANY OF YOUR POLITICAL BELIEFS.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ALL OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO MAY SHARE NOTHING IN COMMON.
BUT A DISTRICT NUMBER DESCENT IS ALSO ABOUT 60% PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND HAS BEEN A DISTRICT COMPOSED OF, YOU KNOW, 50% OF COLOR FOR THE PAST DEC DECADE OR LONGER.
DISTRICT 10 IS A CHANGING COMMUNITY.
AND MANY MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY REFER TO THE NORTHEAST AS THE NEW EAST SIDE.
IT'S THE DISTRICT WITH THE SECOND HIGHEST BLACK COMMUNITY, AND MANY ARE MOVING FROM THE EAST SIDE TO THE NORTHEAST SIDE, BOTH IN DISTRICT TWO AND IN DISTRICT 10.
AND I USED TO TEACH AT MADISON HIGH SCHOOL WHERE MY STUDENTS HAD ISSUES SEPARATE, BUT NOT ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM MY STUDENTS AS SAM HOUSTON.
AND IN DISTRICT TWO, THERE ARE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
AND SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO DESCRIBE YOURS THE SAME IN A SIMILAR WAY.
I WOULD DESCRIBE AREAS SUCH AS THE NORTHEAST SIDE, CLOSER TO THE NEAR OR THE NEAR EAST SIDE, CLOSER TO DOWNTOWN, THE EAST SIDE, STRETCHING OUT BEFORE YOU REACH CHINA GROVE.
AND THE NORTHEAST SIDE NEAR CONVERSE AND WINDCREST ALL VARY DIFFERENTLY.
AND THE ISSUES THAT MATTER, MOST OF THEM ARE DIFFERENT.
SO I'M WANTING YOU TO PLEASE BREAK DOWN YOUR DISTRICT FOR ME AND DESCRIBE THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO DIFFERENT AREAS AND DEM DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS IN DISTRICT 10.
WELL, UH, WHAT'S HELPED ON THAT IS BEING A MEMBER OF THE NORTHEAST ALLIANCE, WHICH ENCUMBRANCES OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND ISSUES THAT HAVE TO BE HEARD.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES, WOULD WELCOME YOURSELF AND, UH, MEMBERS OF, UH, THE EAST SIDE COMMUNITY, YOUR DISTRICT, SIR, UM, TO HEAR THOSE ISSUES.
AND, AND UNLESS WE VOICE OUR, OUR OPINIONS AND CONCERNS THAT AFFECT US BOTH, THE CONTINUITY IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND I THINK MR. GALLAGHER'S DONE WELL SERVING OUR AREA AND, UM, OUR REP, OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND BEING INVOLVED IN THAT NORTHEAST UH, ALLIANCE, WHICH I THINK IS GONNA HELP US HOPEFULLY FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WHAT WE NEED NOT TO DO.
AND I WELCOME THAT OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S, IT'S AN ISSUE DOWN THROUGH THE EAST SIDE.
THE EAST SIDE HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB WITH ST.
PAUL SQUARE AND ALL THAT AREA.
AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST ANSWER I COULD GIVE YOU AT THIS POINT.
COUNCILMAN, UM, THAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU AND, UM, THE STAFF.
[01:45:01]
THANK YOU.COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING, I WAS PLEASED THAT WE HAD SO MANY APPLICANTS AND THANK YOU FOR COMING IN FOR THIS INTERVIEW.
SO, THE ONE THING ABOUT BEING ON CITY COUNCIL IS YOU DON'T JUST REPRESENT DISTRICT 10.
YOU REPRESENT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO CAN YOU SHARE WITH ME, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'VE DONE THAT HAVE, UM, BEEN CITYWIDE AND WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS IN PARTICULAR, THEIR STREETS AND THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE? MM-HMM.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT, UM, LUCKY WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF RAIN UNTIL RECENTLY, BUT, UH, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THEM.
UH, I AM, UH, PERSONALLY A VOLUNTEER AT THE NORTHEAST SENIOR CENTER.
UH, WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR, UH, SENIORS, UM, ON OTHER DISTRICTS.
I KNOW HOUSING WAS A BIG ISSUE FOR EVERYTHING.
THE DRIVING ISSUE, UH, THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
I BELIEVE, OH, WELL, ANYWAY, I, UH, I WAS A VOLUNTEER IN VICTORIA AND HERE FOR THE SALVATION ARMY, WHICH I SUPPORT AS A BELL RINGER.
UM, I WAS A BIKE RIDER FOR THE MS ONE 50, BIKED TO THE BEACH BACK WHEN H E B HAD IT.
I DID IT THREE YEARS IN A ROW, AND THEN I DID TO THE DIABETES BIKE RIDE.
AND AT THAT TIME, I HAD CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH VEHICLES THAT I, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY TO GET REAL CLOSE TO A BIKE RIDER.
UH, SO I GREW RESPECT, AND THAT'S WHY I GAVE UP DOING THAT.
UM, I WAS A, UH, EL LOUISE SANTA.
I, I WAS DRIVEN AROUND AND GIVEN GIFTS TO, UH, CHILDREN, WHICH I FOUND VERY, VERY REWARDING.
I TOOK MY DAUGHTERS WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG, UM, TO GIFT WRAP, TO LEARN HOW LUCKY YOU ARE.
WE ARE THAT ARE, AND FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET SOMETHING UNDER THE TREE.
AND, UH, THEY GREW UP APPRECIATING THAT.
UM, LET'S SEE, OTHER THAN THAT, I, I'VE GOT QUITE A, I, OH, I WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF, EXCUSE ME, THE ALAMO AREA RAPE CRISIS CENTER.
I WAS AN ADVOCATE FOR ONE YEAR.
OH, UM, MY FAMILY ARE ALL VETERANS.
MY TWO BROTHERS, THEIR WIVES, UH, ARMY, MARINES.
MARY'S UNIVERSITY TAKING R O T C, GET 'EM READY TO GO TO FORT BENNING, GEORGIA, GET MY COMMISSION.
UH, WHEN THE LOTTERY CAME OUT, I DID NOT HAVE TO GO 'CAUSE I HAD A HIGH NUMBER.
I WAS FORTUNATE BEING THAT I WAS PUTTING MYSELF TO SCHOOL, AND IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE AT THAT TIME.
AND SO I WAS, UH, WITH A HIGH NUMBER, LOTTERY NUMBER.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO SERVE, BUT I KEPT IN TOUCH WITH MY FELLOW, UH, VETERANS AND COS THAT I WAS WITH.
AND, UM, MY DAD, UH, WAS IN THE ARMY AT AGE 16.
HE, UH, WAS IN THE NINTH ARMORED DIVISION UNDER GENERAL PATTON.
AND, WELL, WE LOST MY FATHER, UM, RECENTLY TO STOMACH CANCER.
BUT WE'RE A PROUD FAMILY OF VETERANS, AND I SUPPORT THE VETERANS 100%.
COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR APPLICANT? GARCIA? I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION, UH, MR. GARCIA, AND THAT IS, UH, RELATED TO YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE CONSTITUENCIES OF DISTRICT 10.
COULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OUTREACH AND YOUR COMMUNICATIONS AND YOUR WORK WITHIN THE DISTRICT 10 COMMUNITY AT LARGE? WELL, I HAVE ATTENDED SOME MEETINGS, EXCUSE ME.
I HAVE ATTENDED SOME MEETINGS.
I WANTED TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, I DID ATTEND THE, THE LAST ONE I ATTENDED WAS, UM, THE CANDIDATES, UH, FORUM THAT THEY HAD, THEY WERE RUNNING FOR ELECTED OFFICIAL, UH, POSITIONS.
UM, I, I REALLY NEED TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN THAT.
I'LL HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WE NEED TO KNOW A LITTLE CLOSER, BECAUSE I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN TODAY OR AT THIS POINT.
BUT I WILL BE AN ADVOCATE TO FIND OUT WHAT ISSUES ARE, AS I MENTIONED
[01:50:01]
EARLIER, WHICH I WELCOME AND SEE IF I CAN ADDRESS AND, UH, THOSE ISSUES.THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. GARCIA.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE WILL NOW ESCORT MR. GARCIA BACK TO THE HOLDING AREA, AND WE'LL BRING OUT OUR THIRD AND FINAL APPLICANT.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE, UH, TWO, TWO MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT THAT WE'LL GO AROUND THE DIOCESE WITH QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING ME BACK HERE TODAY.
I CAN'T TELL YOU, UM, HOW ELATED I WAS, UM, LAST NIGHT.
UM, IT'S JUST A VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME, I'D LIKE TO, UH, UH, FOLLOW UP WITH A FEW THINGS AS TO WHY I AM, UH, CHOOSING TO GO DOWN THIS ROUTE.
UM, I HAVE JUST HAD A DAUGHTER ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, AND I REALLY, REALLY WANT HER TO STAY IN SAN ANTONIO.
I REALLY WANT HER TO BE PROUD OF THE DISTRICT THAT SHE GREW UP IN.
AND I, I WANT HER TO STAY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT, UM, FOR A LEADERSHIP TOO.
REMEMBER THEIR OWN PERSONAL STORIES.
UM, I, I AM, UH, A VERY PROUD, UH, BELIEVER.
AND, UH, IT'S ONE OF MY CORE BELIEFS IN, IN EMPATHY.
AND WHAT COMES NATURALLY FOR ME, BECAUSE, UH, I VALUE EMPATHY, IS, UH, COMPASSION.
AND WITH CONSTITUENT SERVICES, WHICH IS MY DRIVING FORCE FOR HOLDING DOWN THE FORT, SO TO SPEAK WITH DISTRICT 10, IS TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE CONSTITUENTS WHO WERE PERHAPS NOT ABLE TO VOTE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT ARE HEARD.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE'S A, UM, PROBABLY AN UNDERSTANDING THAT HOAS ARE THE, UM, STRONGEST VOICE IN THE DISTRICT, BUT WE NEED TO REMEMBER ALL THE OTHER CONSTITUENTS THAT LIVE IN DISTRICT 10.
AND THERE ARE A LOT, AND I DO BELIEVE MYSELF TO AMPLIFY THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE PEOPLE SINCE THE LATE 1970S WHERE THE DISTRICT WAS FORMED.
IT HAS BEEN, UM, ONLY, UH, MALES, WHITE MALES WHO HAVE BEEN IN THIS OFFICE.
I ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR A JOB WITH JOHN CLAMP RIGHT OUTSIDE OF COLLEGE.
SO I WANT TO WORK FOR D 10 SINCE I WAS 21 YEARS OLD.
AND I JUST AM SO HAPPY TO BE HERE AGAIN TODAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. RUBIO.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA.
UM, MS. REVEAL FOR YOUR INTEREST AND FOR YOUR, UM, PASSION TO DISTRICT 10.
SO THE FIRST ONE WE'LL FOCUS ON RESIDENTS, AND THE SECOND WE'LL FOCUS ON YOUR WORK WITH, WITH YOUR FUTURE COLLEAGUES, IF YOU WERE TO GET THIS POSITION.
SO HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS OR BELIEFS WITH EITHER GROUP? WITH EITHER GROUP IN THE RESIDENTS, RIGHT? SO FIRST WITH RESIDENTS, AND THEN IF YOU CAN ANSWER WITH, WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES.
SO, UM, IN, WELL, WITH MY RESIDENTS, UM, WE, THE, I AM BLESSED TO BE IN A, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND POLITICAL BELIEFS THAT ARE NEIGHBORS.
AND I THINK WHAT COMES FIRST, FOR FOREMOST, I LIVE IN A CUL-DE-SAC, IS, UM, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS INSIDE OUR HOMES WHEN WE COME OUT TO BE WITH EACH OTHER, IT REALLY IS IN SUPPORT OF EACH OTHER'S BODIES, MINDS, AND SOULS.
AND SO WE LIKE TO KEEP, UM, WE LIKE TO, UM, UH, REINFORCE ENCOURAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT NO ONE IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE ABLE TO VOICE THEIR OPINION.
AND, UM, I JUST THINK THAT IT, LISTENING, BEING EMPATHETIC IS IMPORTANT AND NOT NECESSARILY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO BE THE MEDIATOR EVERY TIME, BUT TO LET SOMEONE, UH, KNOW THAT YOU ARE AN OPEN LISTENER AND ENGAGED LISTENER MAKES OTHERS, UM, MORE ATTRACTED TO YOU.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY HOW YOU BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, EVEN WHEN THERE COULD BE DISAGREEMENTS.
THE SAME THING GOES WITH, UM, IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT.
I, UM, WORKED FOR A LAW FIRM WHERE THE CLIENTS WERE COMING TO YOU IN THE MOST DIRE NEED, AND A LOT UNDER THE DISTRESS MAY COME A LOT OF NEGATIVITY, ESPECIALLY IN FAMILY LAW WHEN THERE'S DIVORCE AND, AND CHILDREN INVOLVED.
AND SO AT TIMES, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE, UM, PRAGMATIC, TO BE, TO HAVE LOGIC AND TO ALSO HAVE PASSION.
UM, BUT TO KNOW, BUT TO BE FORTHCOMING WITH YOUR WORDS AND YOUR CHOICE OF WORDS AND YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF ACCEPTANCE IN THE CHOICE OF WORDS, OF YOUR COLLEAGUES AND YOUR NEIGHBORS.
AND TO ME, THAT IS WHAT WORKING TOGETHER MEANS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER RIDGE.
UM, I'M GONNA ASK YOU A QUESTION THAT I'VE ASKED THE OTHERS AS WELL.
[01:55:01]
UH, STAFF HAS OBVIOUSLY WORKED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WITH CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER.AND, UM, I'M LIKE TO KNOW, HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH THEM TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PRIORITIES WERE THE COUNCILMAN PERRY HAD BEEN WORKING ON, UH, TO KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA IF YOU COULD, UH, CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE, MAKE SURE THEY, THEY GO THROUGH.
BUT IF YOU MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO VISIT WITH THEM, UH, WHAT ABOUT WITH, UH, THE DISTRICT 10 NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE? HAVE YOU BEEN THERE TO HEAR WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE SO THAT AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, YOU CAN CARRY THOSE FORWARD? RIGHT, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
I SEE MYSELF AS AN EXTENSION OF, UM, COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I AM HERE TO, UH, REMAIN TO NOT ONLY SAFEGUARD HIS STAFF AND, AND, AND WORK WITH THEM AND TREASURE THEIR INPUT, BUT LIKE I SAID, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I MAY HAVE, UM, DIFFERENT, UH, PERSPECTIVES AND WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES, BUT OUR SAME GOAL IS FOR THE, UM, SAFETY AND WELFARE CONCERNS, UH, UH, FOR THE ISSUES OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND I, I'M GLAD THAT YOU MENTIONED THE HOAS.
I HAVE NOT GONE TO THE ALLIANCE MEETINGS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, JUST REITERATE WHAT I'M COMING FORWARD WITH IS THAT DISTRICT 10 IS NOT ONLY MADE UP OF HOAS, THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT WHO PERHAPS DON'T HAVE THE MEANS OF, UM, UH, COHESIVENESS AND AN ALLIANCE WHERE THEY CAN COME TO THEIR COUNCILMEN.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO HERE.
SO I WANT TO GO OUT INTO THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES, NUTRITION CENTERS, UM, RETIREMENT HOMES, APARTMENTS, UM, UH, ATHLETIC FIELDS AND, AND GATHER INFORMATION FOR COUNCILMAN PERRY OR FOR THE NEXT PERSON WHO SUCCEEDS HIM, UM, TO, TO, TO GIVE HIM THE PERSPECTIVE OF OTHERS AND NOT THOSE WHO WERE ABLE TO VOTE.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A ALSO A MISCONCEPTION THAT THEREFORE THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED COUNCILMAN PERRY INTO OFFICE ARE THE ONLY ONES BEING REPRESENTED, AND THAT IS 100% NOT TRUE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO REPRESENT THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO, UM, WERE, HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, ABLE TO, UH, VOICE THEIR OPINIONS AND OR HAVE A MOUTHPIECE.
UH, BUT I WASN'T CLEAR HAD YOU VISITED WITH ANY OF HIS STAFF? I HAVE THAT, I THINK I MENTIONED THAT.
OH, HIS STAFF, EXCUSE ME, HIS STAFF.
I HAVE WORKED WITH PAUL BEFORE.
I HAVE NOT VISITED WITH HIS STAFF.
AND AS BEING A FORMER STAFF MEMBER MYSELF, I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO APPROACH THE STAFF.
UM, UH, I AM A, I AM WELL VERSED AND, UH, I'M A RESEARCH PERSON.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A VERY LONG LEARNING CURVE TO KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THE STAFF TO CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK ON THE ISSUES AND THE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE WORKING WITH THEM ON THOSE ISSUES.
I'M LOOKING FOR MORE OF, UM, GIRTH AND INFORMATION FROM OTHER CONSTITUENTS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
MS. RUBIO, WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE PRIORITIES FOR DISTRICT 10 AND HOW DO YOU THINK THEY ALIGN WITH THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE DISTRICT 10 CONSTITUENTS IN TERMS OF POLICY? UM, ANY, ANYTHING, ANY PRIORITIES YOU THINK? YEAH, OKAY.
I THINK, UM, THERE, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS.
ONE, ONE THING IS THAT FROM THE, FROM THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO WHO ARE ALSO VOTERS, BUT WHO MAY ALSO NOT BE MEMBERS OF, I'M FORTUNATE TO BE MEMBERS OF HOAS AND I THINK DEVELOPING MORE CLEAR FORMAL LINES OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH THOSE CONSTITUENTS IS GOING TO BE MY FIRST PRIORITY.
AND NOT JUST ALLOWING FOR THERE TO BE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY, BUT TO KNOW THAT THEIR LEADER IS ACTUALLY COMING TO THEM TO HEAR FROM, TO HEAR FROM THEM, TO HAVE, MAKE SURE THAT ACCESS IS NOT ONLY ACCESSIBILITY ONE WAY, THERE IS GOING TO BE AVID, UM, ACTION ACCESS TO, TO OTHER CONSTITUENTS AND TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS AND BUSINESSES IN THAT COMMUNITY.
UM, MY SECOND GOAL WOULD TO BE IS TO, IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, I HAVE BEEN A PROUD, UM, I'M, I'M A, I WAS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE BEXAR COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION.
I WAS APPOINTED BY JUDGE WOLF AND WHICH HAS NOW BEEN ASSIMILATED INTO THE TOBIN.
I THINK IT'S, I BROUGHT A, I HELPED BRING A PROGRAM HERE CALLED THE WOLF TRAP PROGRAM, WHICH IS NOW, HAS BEEN, UM, INSTALLED IN ALL OF, UH, PRE-K FOUR SA AND INCLUDING OTHER, UH, NORTH SIDE, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY.
WE HAVE, UM, THESPIANS TEACH, UM, UH, TEACHERS, UM, ESPECIALLY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, HOW TO INCORPORATE THE ARTS INTO THEIR CURRICULUM, BECAUSE AS YOU ALL MIGHT REMEMBER, WE LEARNED THE ABCS BY
[02:00:01]
SINGING THEM.AND SO THAT IS ANOTHER PRIORITY OF MINE IS TO, UM, GO INTO THE SCHOOLS AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY INPUT FROM THE TEACHERS THAT, AND THE STAFF AND THE PARENTS THAT HAVE, UM, SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO, UM, HOW TO WORK WITH US ON IMPROVEMENT OF, UM, SCHOOL NEEDS.
AND I THINK THAT I WAS, UM, A, AN IMPERATIVE, UM, PERSON WHO, UH, HELPED BRING IN A PRO A PROGRAM THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND THAT WOULD BE MY SECOND GOAL, WOULD TO BE GO OUT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
UH, THIRD GOAL FOR ME WOULD BE TO, I KNOW THAT, UM, C P S IS, UM, SEPARATE FROM THE GRID, BUT WE DO HAVE WINTER COMING UP, AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, KNOW FROM C P S WHAT ARE THE SAFEGUARDS FOR OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE DURING THE LAST BIG STORM, UH, THE NORTHEAST SIDE, DISTRICT 10 DID HAVE A LOT OF OUTAGE.
AND SO I THINK, AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M A VERY PREPARED PERSON.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT, UM, STRONG WINTER THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING TO HAPPEN.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY VIA, UM, THE INTERNET, BUT MORE PERSONAL AND ONE-ON-ONE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT THAT MAY NOT HAVE, UH, NECESSARILY, UM, CONTACT WITH THE, WHAT YOU WOULD SAY NORMAL, UH, COMMUNICATIONS.
I'M VERY PROUD AND HAPPY THAT E M S, THAT C P S IS EMAILING US WITH NOTICES, BUT I THINK THERE'S A, A FOR DISTRICT 10, THERE'S ANOTHER WAY, UM, THAT, UH, COMMUNICATIONS CAN COME FORTH.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN PREPARATION FOR OUR NEXT WINTER SEASON AND HOW WE CAN GET THE WORD OUT TO, UM, OTHER CONSTITUENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER COWA HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
I, I THINK I'M GONNA END UP ASKING YOU TWO QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST QUESTION I'VE ASKED TO ALL THREE FOLK.
THIS ONE, UM, I WANTED TO ASK, BUT I FORGOT.
UM, AND SO IT MAY OR MAY NOT WEIGH IN TOO MUCH INTO THE DECISION MAKING, UM, BUT DISTRICT TWO HAS HAD ITS FAIR SHARE OF APPOINTMENTS, UH, DOLORES LAT, KEITH, TONY ART HALL, AND CITYWIDE.
IT'S ALWAYS SO INTERESTING WHAT EACH COUNCIL HAS LOOKED FOR IN AN APPOINTMENT.
AND I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN DISTRICT 10 BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MY DISTRICT'S NEIGHBORS.
MY QUESTION IS, AS I SAID, THE SAME FOR ALL THREE CANDIDATES.
AND THE ROOT OF IT IS TO GAUGE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIVERSITY AND THE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT.
UM, AND ITS DIVERSE POPULATIONS BECAUSE DISTRICT 10, AS YOU'VE SAID, IS MORE DIVERSE THAN IT'S GIVEN CREDIT FOR.
IN 2020, DISTRICT 10 VOTED 53% FOR BIDEN, THIS PAST NOVEMBER, DISTRICT 10 VOTED 53.6% FOR BETO, UM, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT MUNICIPAL VOTERS WOULD DO.
UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I SAY THAT TO SAY THAT I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR POLITICAL IDEOLOGY OR BELIEFS.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO SERVE ALL OF THE CONSTITUENTS WHO MAY SHARE NOTHING IN COMMON, BUT A DISTRICT NUMBER, UM, BUT MAY ALSO HAVE DIFFERENT POLITICAL BELIEFS THAN YOUR OWN.
DISTRICT 10 IS ALSO 60% PEOPLE OF COLOR AND HAS BEEN A DISTRICT COMPOSED OF AT LEAST 50% OF COLOR FOR THE PAST DECADE AND LONGER.
DISTRICT 10 IS CHANGING VERY RAPIDLY.
AND MANY MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY REFER TO THE NORTHEAST AS A NEW, AS THE NEW EAST SIDE.
IT'S THE DISTRICT WITH THE SECOND HIGHEST BLACK COMMUNITY, AND MANY ARE MOVING FROM THE EAST SIDE TO THE NORTHEAST, BOTH THE NORTHEAST OF DISTRICT TWO AND IN DISTRICT 10.
AND I USED TO TEACH AT MADISON HIGH SCHOOL WHERE MY STUDENTS HAD ISSUES SEPARATE, BUT NOT ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM MY STUDENTS AT SAM HOUSTON.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM REPRESENTED IN DISTRICT TWO.
UM, THIS IS THE FRAME OF THE QUESTION.
SO IN DISTRICT TWO, THERE ARE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
I WOULD DESCRIBE AREAS SUCH AS THE NEAR EAST SIDE, CLOSER TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THE EAST SIDE, STRETCHING OUT BEFORE YOU GET TO CHINA GROVE AND THE COUNTY AND THE NORTHEAST SIDE NEAR CONVERSE IN WINDCREST, I WOULD DESCRIBE ALL OF THOSE AREAS AND OTHER AREAS VERY DIFFERENTLY.
AND THE ISSUES THAT MATTER MOST TO THEM MIGHT BE SIMILAR, BUT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THEIR UNIQUE CONCERNS.
AND SO IN THE WAY THAT I JUST BROKE DOWN MY DISTRICT, WOULD YOU MIND BREAKING DOWN DISTRICT 10 FOR ME AND DESCRIBE THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO DIFFERENT AREAS IN DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS IN DISTRICT 10? AND THEN I'LL HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION I LIVE NEAR.
THAT WAS A VERY WELL-ROUNDED PUT QUESTION FOR SPECIFIC ANSWERS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND I HOPE I CAN DO MY BEST TO ANSWER YOU IN THE AREA THAT I LIVE IN.
IT IS, UH, ON THE CUSP OF YOUR, UM, YOUR DISTRICT, WHICH IS AROUND THE FORT SAM HOUSTON AREA.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LOT, UH, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE, UM, HOUSING AROUND THAT AREA, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE QUALITY HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INFLUXING THAT BELONG TO THE MILITARY.
UM, THEY NOT ALL LIVE ON BASE.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE QUALITY HOUSING FOR THOSE WHO ARE EITHER IN THE MILITARY OR WORK WITH THE MILITARY AS CONTRACTS TO, UM, BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE A, A CHOICE IN THE QUALITY OF HOUSING THAT THEY LIVE IN, IN THAT AREA ON THE THERE.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT, OF THE GROWING POPULATION ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, UM, AM, AM DRAWN TO, WHICH IS, UM, UM, TRANSPORTATION
[02:05:01]
QUALITY, UM, WATER QUALITY, UM, ON TRANSPORTATION.THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON IN THIS DISTRICT UP ON 35 DOWN WHERE I LIVE IN D EVEN IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, REMEMBER THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THAT USE PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM AND THAT THEY TOO ARE, UH, TREATED HUMANELY.
AND I THINK THAT THE CITY, UM, IN MY DISTRICT CAN DO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM THE BUDGET TO, UM, THE COMFORT OF THOSE WHO USE, UH, PUBLIC TRANSIT.
IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO SEE THEM OUT IN A 105 DEGREE WEATHER WITHOUT ANY KIND OF SHADE OR THE SAME DIFFERENCE FOR WHEN IT'S VERY COLD.
I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S SOME MORE EMPATHETIC WAYS THAT WE CAN TREAT, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO, UM, USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN MY AREA AS YOU GO NORTH UPS, LOTTO CREEK.
UM, SO WE START DOWN NEAR AROUND FORT SAM.
ACTUALLY, THERE'S A LITTLE SNUG THAT KIND OF COMES AROUND ALAMO HEIGHTS AREA THAT ALSO TOUCHES INTO YOUR DISTRICT, UM, IN AROUND THE MANKEY PARK AREA.
QUALITY HOUSING THERE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS WELL, BECAUSE WE HAVE WORKFORCE, PEOPLE COMING IN FROM CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK AND, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SAN ANTONIO IS AN ATTRACTIVE, UM, PLACE FOR THEM.
AND SO I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF, IF THE, IF THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND LITTLE NORTH OF DOWNTOWN AREA IS ATTRACTIVE FOR THEM, THAT THEY WANT TO STAY THERE AND NOT JUST, UM, BRING THEIR WORK MINDS AND LEAVE THEIR BEDROOMS, UM, IN CALIFORNIA, AND, AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A HIGH AREA OF INTEREST GOING UPSALA CREEK.
I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE THE DEVELOPMENT OF, UM, OUR NATURAL RESOURCES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CYCLISTS IN OUR AREA.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME MORE EFFORTS ON THE, UM, TRANSPORTATION AND HOW WE CAN BENEFIT OUR CYCLISTS AND KEEP THEM SAFE.
UM, BUT GOING UP IN OUR NATURAL AREAS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE THINK OF WILDLIFE AS WELL TOO.
AND THE ENCROACHMENT THAT WE HAVE COMING IN ON THEM AND THE POWER THAT CAN, THAT, UM, CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES AND THOSE THAT BUY OUT LARGE AREAS, UM, NOT, NOT NEGATE THE, THE, UH, THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT OUR CITY HAS.
GOING UP THOSE AREAS UP NORTH TOWARDS, UM, SELMA.
AND THAT WE DEVELOPED MORE OF THOSE TRANSPORTATION EFFORTS, UM, FOR PEOPLE NOT ONLY TO TO INCOME FROM WORK, BUT FOR, UM, PLEASURE.
SO THE, THE BIKE LANES, THE, UM, NATURE ROUTES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR CHILDREN ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE, UM, ABILITIES AS OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE HAD THOSE, UM, UM, UH, HAVE HAD THOSE ACCESS IN IN OTHER DISTRICTS WHO ARE VERY INTERESTED IN IT AND, AND DO NEED ACCESSIBILITY TO THOSE TYPES OF, UM, OF THOSE PLEASURES.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF MILITARY IN OUR FA IN, IN OUR DISTRICT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, SOCIOECONOMIC, UM, LOWER MIDDLE INCOME, SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL, UM, FAMILIES, A LOT OF MULTIFAMILY COMPLEXES THAT I THINK DESERVE A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION FROM THE LEADERSHIP.
AND, UH, AS YOU GO UP NORTH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, RESIDENTS WHO HAVE LARGER, UM, AREAS OF THEIR HOMES, LARGER ACREAGE, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO, UH, RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND, AND THE, UM, THE ENCROACHMENT THAT WE HAVE, UM, COMING IN ON THEM.
UM, THE ROOT OF MY NEXT QUESTION IS THAT VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES AND IDENTITIES ARE IMPORTANT IN REPRESENTATION AND IT'S ALSO GONNA JUDGE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THIS COUNCIL A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT COUNCIL AS IT EXISTS RIGHT NOW WITH ONE OPEN SEAT, WHAT VOICE IS MISSING AND WHAT PERSPECTIVE WOULD YOU PROVIDE? WELL, THE VOICE THAT'S MISSING IS COUNCILMAN PERRY'S.
AND ALTHOUGH THIS IS A NON-PARTISAN GOVERNMENT GROUP, IT IS KNOWN IN THAT, UM, MEDICAL VIEWS.
AND I, I AM WELL AWARE THAT THIS COUNCIL VERY MUCH APPRECIATES THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN THAT HE PRESENTS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS VERY MUCH IN IMPORTANT AND ALL KINDS IN, IN LIFE AND IN PROFESSIONS.
UM, I THINK THAT, AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO REITERATE THAT I SIMPLY SEE MYSELF AS AN EXTENSION OF HIM.
HE WAS THE ELECTED LEADER AND, AND IT, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT, UM, THAT HE BRINGS, HE BRINGS TO THE TABLE ISSUES, UM, THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO HIM.
MILITARY ISSUES, I THINK EACH ONE OF Y'ALL HAVE LITTLE NICHES, UM, THAT ARE NOT JUST PERSONAL TO YOU, BUT PERSONAL TO THE PEOPLE THAT YOU REPRESENT.
AND THAT, UM, THERE IS A DIVERSE DIVERSITY HERE, UM, THAT DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF WORKING WELL TOGETHER.
I DO LIKE THAT OUR MAYOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO SHUFFLE AROUND THE COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS SO THAT EACH OF YOU CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO, UM, EITHER LEARN OR PROVE YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN THE SUBJECTS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS, THAT INTEGRATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY FOR
[02:10:01]
YOU ALL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND SUPPORT FROM THE MAYOR TO, UM, MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS, UM, WHEN NEEDED.I THINK COMMITTEE WORK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
AND THANK YOU FOR APPLYING AND PUTTING YOUR NAME FORWARD.
I THINK MY ONE QUESTION, AND YOU MENTIONED SOME OF IT IS ABOUT HOUSING.
ON MAY 7TH, 2022 VOTERS APPROVED SIX PROPOSITIONS FOR THE CITY'S 20 17 20 22 BOND PROGRAM.
WE PROGRAM, WE JUST PASSED PHASE ONE OF THE R F P PROCESS.
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO GO OUT TO THE MEMBERS OF DISTRICT 10 AND PROMOTE, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH HOUSING THIS BOND SO THAT WE CAN GET IT IN THE NEXT BOND? THANK YOU.
SO WHEN THE, WHEN I WORKED FOR CONGRESSMAN C RODRIGUEZ, WE HAD JUST PASSED THE HEALTHCARE REFORMATION ACT, AND I WAS SO PLEASED WITH THE INFORMATION THAT, UM, HIS STAFF HAD DONE IN PREPARING SPECIFICS, UH, FOR SPECIFIC ANALYTICAL DATA TO THE DIFFERENT REGIONS OF HIS DISTRICT.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GATHER SPECIFIC, UM, ANALYTICAL DATA FROM THE DISTRICT AND BE ABLE TO, UM, SET UP COFFEES, SET UP PUBLIC, UH, FORUMS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN EDUCATE THOSE THAT ATTEND AND, AND, AND GIVE THEM PRINT MATERIAL THAT THEY CAN HAND OUT TO THEIR NEIGHBORS TO NOT SIMPLY RELY ON, UM, ELECTRONIC MEANS OF INFORMATION, UM, PASSAGE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THAT ANALYTICAL INFORMATION IS SPECIFIC TO THE AREA.
UM, I KNOW IT MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME, BUT I THINK THE, THE MORE DETAILS THAT YOU CAN HAVE ON THE CONSTITUENTS SINCE, AND, AND, AND I THINK THEY'LL APPRECIATE NOT BEING ALL LUMPED INTO ONE, UM, KIND OF MINDSET AND THOUGHT.
I THINK THAT THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND THAT'S HOW I WOULD, UH, APPROACH THE COMMUNITY IS I REALLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE, UM, WE DISPERSE THE DATA THAT SPECIFIC TO THE AREAS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR CANDIDATE? RUBIO? COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PUTTING YOUR APPLICATION FORWARD.
UH, NEEDLESS TO SAY, MANY OF US WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER, UH, THE DISTRICT, WHETHER IN AN INTERIM APPOINTMENT OR WHETHER AS, UH, AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
I CAN, I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT ME TO STAY INTERIM.
UH, AS A CHILD, I, I'VE BEEN ENCOURAGED AS A YOUNG PERSON TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
UM, I STUDIED AND HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT IN MY STUDIES AND IN MY PROFESSION.
I STUDIED GOVERNMENT AND I STUDIED POLICY.
I STUDIED THE CREATION OF POLICY.
THAT'S WHY THIS PARTICULAR TIME IS IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF, THIS OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE I DO NOT INTEND TO RUN, BUT I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNCIL TO HAVE INPUT, TO HAVE INPUT THAT'S NOT THROUGH THE POLITICAL PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE A NON-PARTISAN GROUP.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME INTERRUPT YOU.
UM, I AM ALSO OF THE MIND AS MANY PEOPLE IN YOUR PAST HAVE BEEN THAT YOU WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.
AND, AND THAT IS WHY, THAT IS WHY I SAY THAT.
I DID NOT GO TO SCHOOL FOR CAMPAIGNING, UM, EITHER
UM, SOMEBODY, I THINK COUNCILMAN COURAGE ALREADY ASKED YOU IF YOU'D HAD ANY INTERACTION WITH THE STAFF OF DISTRICT 10.
YOU, YOU DID MENTION, UH, THE EXTENT OF THAT.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW IS HOW YOU WOULD, UM, ADDRESS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STAFF IF YOU WERE SELECTED COMING IN.
SO THIS BRINGS ME BACK TO MY ROOTS.
I HAVE ALWAYS, I HAVE, UM, I ENJOY BEING SUPPORT.
I THRIVE ON BEING SUPPORT STAFF, UM, IN ALL OF MY EMPLOYMENTS.
I, UM, THAT HAS BEEN MY NICHE.
AND SO IF I MAY, ALTHOUGH ON PAPER I MAY BE THE INTERIM APPOINTED LEADER, I DO SEE MYSELF AS, UM, EQUAL TO THEM.
AND I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO LOOK TO THEM FOR THEIR EXPERTISE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN IN THIS DISTRICT AND IN THE CONSTANT COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS AND RESIDENTS.
AND SO, UM, I AM A DECISIVE PERSON.
I'M, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE DECISIONS, BUT I AM HOPING THAT THEY WILL WELCOME ME AS, AS ONE OF THEM.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO BEING ONE OF THEM.
I THINK THAT, THAT THE CONSTITUENCY MIGHT SEE, UM, SOME APPRECIATION IN THAT I DON'T SEE MYSELF ONLY AS A, UM, DECISIVE MOUTHPIECE.
I AM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING FROM PAUL.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING FROM HIS OTHER, THE OTHER STAFF
[02:15:01]
MEMBERS I HAVE HEARD.AND, UM, AND JUST SO PROUD OF THEM FOR, UM, BEING CONSTANTLY, UM, TOLD BUT PRAISED THAT THEY ARE KIND NATURED, THEY'RE GOOD LISTENERS, THEY FOLLOW THROUGH.
THAT IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME IN CONSTITUENT SERVICES.
AND IT WOULD BE AN HONOR FOR MYSELF TO NOT ONLY LEARN FROM AND WORK FROM YOU ALL, BUT TO LEARN FROM HIS STAFF.
ESPECIALLY SINCE I SEE MYSELF AS A CONTI, UH, A, A CONTINUATION OF COUNCILMAN PERRY.
AND THEY, THEY, THEY KNOW HIM SO WELL.
I THINK THAT THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO, UM, IF I MAY CONCLUDE, YOU ARE, UH, WILLING TO KEEP ON ALL THE STAFF THAT COUNCIL? OH, YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AND, UH, MY SECOND QUESTION THAT I'VE ASKED THE OTHER CANDIDATES IS, UH, AND, AND TO A GREAT EXTENT YOU HAVE ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS, BUT I DO WANNA FORWARD YOU THE SAME OPPORTUNITY, IS HAVE YOU BEEN MONITORING THIS COUNCIL OVER THE PAST MONTHS OR YEAR? AND CAN YOU SPEAK TO ANY OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN, THAT WE HAVE ADDRESSED AS A COUNCIL AND YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS OR YOUR TAKES ON THOSE? AND THIS IS A VERY BROAD AND OPEN QUESTION.
I JUST WANNA GET A SENSE OF, UM, OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING AND WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
I THINK THAT, I THINK WHAT MIGHT JUMP TO MOST PEOPLE'S MINDS IS THE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN COME TO LIGHT, UM, HERE AT COUNCIL.
I THINK THAT, THAT, UM, A LOT OF YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN SO INVOLVED WITH, UM, THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH THE CHAMBERS, UM, OR YOUR OWN COMMUNITY ACTIVISM.
I THINK THAT THERE HAS, THAT, THERE WAS DEFINITELY, UM, SOME SOCIAL CLIQUES.
AND I THINK THAT NOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE OFFICIAL POSITIONS, I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT YOU ALL HAVE TAKEN ON THOSE OFFICIAL POSITIONS AND ARE ABLE TO PUT ASIDE YOUR, UM, PERSONAL INTERACTIONS.
I THINK THAT, UM, THAT SHOWS A LOT ABOUT YOU.
AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT I EMPATHIZE WHEN THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY HIDE YOUR EMOTIONS AND, AND, UM, AND THERE'S ALWAYS A PLACE AND A TIME.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN VERY PROFESSIONAL AND IT WOULD BE AN HONOR FOR ME, UH, TO NOT ONLY SUPPORT YOU AGAIN, AS I ONCE DID DR.
ROCHE GARCIA, UM, UH, TO, TO, TO LEARN FROM YOU IN TERMS OF, OF, OF, OF, UH, ISSUES THAT HA THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN, UM, TOUCHED ON.
I KNOW, UM, AIRPORT IS, IS A, HAS BEEN, UM, VERY POPULAR.
AND I THINK THAT THE DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY PRODUCTIVE, ESPECIALLY NOT ONLY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THE AIRPORT, BUT ALSO, UM, THE PASSION THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOR IN SEEING THE, UM, SOME MORE DIRECT FLIGHTS LIKE TO WASHINGTON, DC WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE NEED A DIRECT FLIGHT TO WASHINGTON, DC BUT, UM, ALSO THAT, UM, YOU ALL ARE MAKING EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER, UM, AIRLINES AND, UH, CITIES TO KNOW WHAT THEIR, UM, WHAT THEIR, UH, PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN FOR THEIR AIRPORTS, AND THAT YOU ALL ARE ACTIVELY, UM, UH, UM, TRYING TO BRING IN, UH, A NEW WORKFORCE AND, AND USE THE AIRPORT AS A, A HIGHLIGHT OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, FOR A WORKFORCE WHO DEPENDS ON TRAVEL.
AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS PROBABLY THE, THE ONE ISSUE THAT HAS MEANT A LOT TO ME.
I KNOW TRANSPORTATION HAS BEEN COMING UP.
WATER, OF COURSE, ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, WE HAVE INNER ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONS.
THAT'S MY, THAT'S SOMETHING OF MY PERSONAL INTEREST.
BUT, UM, I'M GOING TO, UM, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT, I THINK THE AIRPORT HAS BEEN A BIG, UM, MY MOST, UM, HAPPINESS WITH YOU ALL.
UM, I, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO, UH, RESIDENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO, UM, A REPRESENTATIVE, AN ADVOCATE AT AN H O A, UH, IN THE DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT, WE HAVE, UM, VAST SWABS OF, UH, RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT DO NOT HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR, UM, OR AN H O A.
AND WE HAVE, UH, GONE THROUGH GREAT LENGTHS TO ENSURE, UM, THAT, THAT WE TRY OUR BEST TO GET THEIR INPUT IN IN SOME WAY.
UM, SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT YOU BRING THAT FORWARD.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU WANNA BE PERRY PLUS.
PLUS ALL THOSE OTHER, OTHER PEOPLE.
UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW YOU FEEL THEY HAVEN'T BEEN REPRESENTED? LIKE WHAT HAVE THEY, PERHAPS,
[02:20:01]
WHAT OPPORTUNITIES MAY THEY HAVE MISSED OUT ON? THE OPPORTUNITIES QUESTION IS A VERY GOOD ONE AND GONNA BE A BIT DIFFICULT FOR ME.AND I MEAN, ALL OF, ALL OF MY COMMENTS ARE WITHIN THE UTMOST RESPECT.
I AM REVERENT TO MY ELDERS, TO MY ANCESTORS.
AND SO I HOPE THAT, UM, ANYTHING THAT I DO SAY IS NOT MISCONSTRUED.
BUT THERE IS A CONNOTATION AROUND DISTRICT 10 THAT THE HOAS TEND TO RUN THE, THE, THE DISTRICT.
AND AS I HAVE ALREADY, UH, STATED BEFORE, THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES THAT LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
THEY MIGHT BE THE ONES WHO HAVE THE ADVANTAGE IN BEING ABLE TO VOTE, AND, BUT THEY'RE, I THINK THAT THEY TOO MAY FORGET ABOUT, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE THE VOICE THAT THEY DO.
AND THEY'RE SO BLESSED TO HAVE THAT VOICE.
YOU HAD ASKED, UM, AND, AND YOU SAY THIS AS AN H O A PRESIDENT YOURSELF.
OH, YOU'RE NOT? NO, NO, NO, NO.
I, I, I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE HOAS, UM, HAVE A MEANS OF BEING HERE TODAY.
AND I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THEY SEE THEMSELVES OF AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR GOVERNMENT.
BUT I THINK THAT IF THERE'S WAYS TO ENGAGE CONSTITUENTS IN MORE ACTIVENESS IN GOVERNMENT, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS THE COMPASSION LIKE I DO, TO BRING THEM OUT OF THEIR SHELLS TO SHOW THEM THAT THE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT JUST ONE WAY AND THAT, UM, AND THAT THEY SHOULD FEEL CONFIDENT IN THEIR GOVERNMENT.
THEY SHOULDN'T SHY AWAY FROM IT AND KNOW THAT THEY RIGHT NOW HAVE AN INTERIM LEADER AND A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO WILL SPEAK FOR THEM AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME TO SESSIONS.
MAY I JUMP IN? SO, SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE WORKING AND NOT HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO TAKE TIME OFF DAY WORKING AND NOT HAVING DURING THE DAY FLEXIBILITY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, RETIREMENT HOMES, SO NECESSARY THOSE, YOU KNOW, AND HAVE A WAY OF GETTING CORRECT, CORRECT.
NOT A WAY OF GETTING, UH, NOT A WAY OF GETTING HERE.
WE DO HAVE A LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC, UH, POCKETS WITHIN THE AREA THAT, AGAIN, CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM, FROM HOME OR THEIR FAMILIES, UH, THEIR CARETAKERS OF THEIR, OF THEIR PARENTS OR OF THEIR CHILDREN MM-HMM.
SANDAL, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATE APPLICANT? UM, RUBIO? YES.
UM, WE HAVE 10 MINUTES FOR QUESTION ANSWERS, SO LET ME ASK ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO CHIME IN AND THEN, THEN I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES IF NECESSARY.
IS IT TRUE THAT SHE CAN TAKE 10 MINUTES FROM SOMEONE WHO HASN'T ASKED? SHE CAN ASK FOR THOSE 10 MINUTES.
I KNOW IN THE STATE COUNCIL MEMBER SAN
UM, THE OTHER CANDIDATES THAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD ARE RETIRED, AND YOU ARE NOT, AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, AND, AND MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS AND SERVE AS WELL.
SO I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO US ABOUT HOW TO, HOW TO BALANCE, HOW, HOW YOU PLAN TO BALANCE THAT IF SELECTED.
UH, I AM A, UH, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, SO I AM PART-TIME AND I ALSO HAVE A TODDLER.
UM, AND I TEACH ONLINE AND I THOROUGHLY ENJOY TEACHING ONLINE.
AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO TEACH IN PERSON, I THINK THAT I BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE OF, OF A NEW ENERGY TO THE STUDENTS WHO PRIMARILY LEARN A HIGHER EDUCATION ONLINE.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE MY WORK.
UM, SO, BUT TO SAY IS THAT IT DOES NOT TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE I AM A, I AM PRIVILEGED AND ALLOWED TO WORK FROM HOME AND HAVE THE INTERACTIONS WITH MY STUDENTS VIA, UM, THE ELECTRONICS.
UM, WORKING HERE AT CITY COUNCIL IS, I DON'T SEE THERE BEING A HINDER OR A DETRIMENT TO THE STUDENTS.
I SHOULD, UH, MORE OF MY PERSONAL TIME BE DEVOTED TO THE COUNCIL AND, AND IF NEED BE, I DO HAVE A WONDERFUL BOSS AT PALO ALTO COLLEGE, AND IF I NEED TO TAKE A, A, A LIE OF ABSENCE MYSELF FROM THE COURSES THAT I TEACH THIS NEXT SEMESTER, I, I THINK THAT HE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO, UH, WORK WITH ME IN THAT REGARD.
BUT, BUT I, UM, I AM A STAY AT HOME MOM.
MY CHILD, UM, DOES GO TO A FULL SPANISH IMMERSION SCHOOL, AND SHE LOVES IT.
SHE DOESN'T EVEN LOOK BACK AT ME WHEN I LET, WHEN SHE GOES.
AND SO I AM ALSO VERY BLESSED TO HAVE A CHILD THAT IS, UM, I'M BLESSED TO HAVE A CHILD THAT IS NOT TOO, UM, CLINGY WITH ME.
UM, I, I DO WANT TO GO BACK TO THE TOPIC.
UH, WE WERE AT, WHEN THE, WHEN THE BELL CHIMED, AND, AND I, FOR ME, THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT IN, IN MY DECISION MAKING, IS EVEN IF YOU ARE ABLE TO, UH, REACH OUT TO CONSTITUENTS THAT
[02:25:01]
PREVIOUSLY HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, INVOLVED OR TRADITIONALLY INVOLVED, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE HOAS AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS? CAN THEY EXPECT THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE FROM THE OFFICE? THAT'S, THAT'S, I, I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.IF ANYTHING, I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING TO THEM TO SHOW ME HOW THEY COMMUNICATE WITH, UH, HOW THEY, HOW THEY PUSH FOR THEIR ISSUES, HOW THEY GIVE THEIR, THEIR POINTS, HOW DO THEY COMMUNICATE WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY.
BUT I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING TO THEM AS, AND, AND OBSERVING THEM AS TO HOW DO THEY TREAT THEIR, THEIR MEMBERSHIPS, HOW DO THEY GATHER INFORMATION FROM THEIR MEMBERS WITHIN THE HOAS? I THINK THAT WHATEVER STRUCTURE THEY HAVE IMPLEMENTED IN THEMSELVES IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY SUCCESSFUL.
SO I THINK THAT I, I, I KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO BE, UH, LOOKING AND LEARNING FROM THEM BECAUSE WHATEVER STRUCTURE THEY HAVE IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HOPE CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND NON-PROFITS IN THE AREA.
SO THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL AND I WANT TO, UH, CONTINUE THEIR SUCCESS AND I WANT TO DEEPEN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, UM, AND LEARN FROM THEM MOST DEFINITELY, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING, UH, TO SAY ABOUT HOW SUCCESSFUL THEY ARE.
UM, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANT RUBIO? UH, ONE BRIEF QUESTION, IF YOU CAN ANSWER BRIEFLY, MS. RUBIO, YOU'VE MENTIONED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES WITHIN DISTRICT 10.
COULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FAMILIARITY IN YOUR, YOUR CURRENT OUTREACH TO THEM? WHAT THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITHIN THE DISTRICT 10, UH, COMMUNITY SPECIFIC TO DISTRICT 10? I HAVE BEEN, UH, I WAS A PRECINCT CHAIR WHEN I WAS, UH, IN MY EARLY TWENTIES, AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS, UM, IMPORTANT THAT I HAD SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE OF ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS TO SUPPORT ME IN THAT ENDEAVOR.
BUT, UM, THROUGH THE CHAMBERS, I HAVE LEARNED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF OUTREACH EFFORTS TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND LARGE BUSINESSES, BOTH OF WHICH ARE FLOURISH IN DISTRICT 10.
AND I'M SO VERY HAPPY FOR THEM IN THAT REGARD.
I HAVE NOT GONE OUT LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO BOOST MYSELF BE TO BE A, UH, SOMEONE ELECTED INTO OFFICE.
SO I I I, I AM, I'M NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE, BUT IF YOU ARE, ARE GOING TO DISMISS ME BECAUSE I HAVE NOT YET GONE PHYSICALLY OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE, UM, A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE, UM, I AM A GO-GETTER AND AS A FORMER STAFF MEMBER, I DID NOT THINK IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO CONTACT THE STAFF, UM, AND LEARN INFORMATION TO BETTER MYSELF AS A CANDIDATE.
I SEE MYSELF AS AN INTERIM PLACEHOLDER, UH, AND, AND NOT SOMEONE WHO'S AGGRESSIVELY GOING OUT, UM, AND, AND CONTACTING THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN A MEANS THAT WOULD BE SELF-SERVING.
NOT THAT YOU'RE ASKING THAT, BUT THAT'S MY ANSWER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. RUBIO.
UM, WE HAVE HEARD NOW FROM ALL THREE OF OUR APPLICANTS FOR THE DISTRICT 10 TEMPORARY VACANCY.
[Executive Session At any time during the meeting, the City Council may recess into executive session in the B Room to consult with the City Attorney's Office (Texas Government Code Section 551.071) and deliberate or discuss any of the following: ]
SO AT THIS TIME, UH, COUNSEL WILL BREAK INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR DISCUSSION.THE TIME IS NOW 11:49 AM ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1ST, 2022.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOW MEET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND DELIBERATE DISCUSS THE FALLING ITEMS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.087, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.072, CONSULTATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ISSUES OR ADVICE RELATED TO LITIGATION INVOLVING THE CITY AND C OVID 19 PREPAREDNESS UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0.071.
AND TO DELIBERATE AND DEC AND EVALUATE THE APPLICANT'S FOR THE TEMPORARY DISTRICT 10 CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS, AND TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
THE TIME IS 12:30 PM ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1ST, 2022.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW RECONVENE AND, AND FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION AND OPEN SESSION, NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION YESTERDAY.
WE SELECTED THREE CANDIDATES, MICHAEL R. GALLAGHER, JOSE F. GARCIA, AND PAULINE, A RUBIO TO FILL, TO INTERVIEW TO FILL THE DISTRICT 10 CITY COUNCIL SEAT, UH, DURING THE TEMPORARY LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
UM, SO AT THIS TIME, CAN I GET A MOTION TO OPEN THE SUBJECT UP FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER, COURAGE MAYOR, IN RESPECT TO THE MATTER OF FILLING THE TEMPORARY VACANCY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 SEAT, I MOVE THAT WE SELECT MICHAEL R. GALLAGHER
[02:30:01]
SECOND.OKAY, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE SELECTION OF MICHAEL GALLAGHER, UH, TO THE TEMPORARY DISTRICT 10 VACANCY.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, CONGRATULATIONS.
UH, WHAT HAPPENS WITH, UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE 18 PEOPLE WHO APPLIED AND PUT THEMSELVES OUT THERE.
I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO DO THAT AND PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO BE, UM, JUDGED OR CRITIQUED.
UM, AND WE WERE IMPRESSED BY ALL OF YOU.
UH, IT WAS REALLY HARD TO NARROW DOWN TO EVEN JUST THE THREE.
AND SO TO GET TO THE ONE, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND, TOOK, UM, ALL OF COUNCIL NEEDING TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THIS SEAT? AND, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, MICHAEL, YOU GALLAGHER WILL BE THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS, UH, COUNCILMAN GALLAGHER.
AND I WANNA THANK, UH, THE OTHER TWO, UH, CANDIDATES FOR, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE AND GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND I, I DO WANNA TELL YOU, I THINK, UH, I LEARNED SOMETHING FROM HEARING BOTH OF YOU TALK, AND THAT'S GOING TO HELP ME, UH, GOVERN AND GOING TO HELP ME DURING OUR INTRO OF, WITH, WITH COUNCILMAN GALLAGHER.
I MIGHT BUG HIM ABOUT CERTAIN ISSUES,
UH, BUT I, I DO FEEL IT, UH, IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN, UH, HOW I MADE MY SELECTION AND SOME OF THE THINGS I TOOK INTO ACCOUNT FOR THE SAKE OF TRANSPARENCY.
UM, FOR ME, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT WE BEST SERVED THE DISTRICT 10 RESIDENTS, AND THAT ENSURING THEIR SERVICE, THAT SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS CONTINUES AS SEAMLESSLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UH, FOR THAT, I WANTED TO KNOW WHICH CANDIDATE SEEMED TO BE MOST FAMILIAR WITH THE WORK, THE CURRENT WORK OF THE COUNCIL OFFICE, UM, OR WHO COULD COME UP TO SPEED, YOU KNOW, THE FASTEST, UH, WHICH CANDIDATE KNEW BEST, THE CONSTITUENCY, UH, WHO WAS MOST LIKELY TO WORK WELL WITH THE STAFF, UM, AND WHO'S ALSO FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY OPERATIONS BECAUSE, UM, UH, LET ME TELL YOU, IT WASN'T AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE,
THERE'S A LOT OF, OF NUANCES, RIGHT? AND, AND, UM, WORKAROUNDS THAT, THAT DEVELOP OVER TIME.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT IF YOU WANNA GET THINGS DONE, UH, QUICKLY.
AND, UH, AND IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME TO KNOW THAT, UH, NONE OF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR COUNCIL, UH, IN THE NEXT ELECTION OR AN ELECTION AFTER THAT, BECAUSE I REALLY DON'T THINK IT'S MY JOB TO TIP THE SCALES OF THE ELECTION, UH, AND IN FAVOR OF, UH, OF A POTENTIAL IN INCUMBENT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO I REALLY FEEL THAT IT'S MY JOB TO RESPECT WHAT THE CONSTITUENTS, UH, HAVE CHOSEN IN THE PAST.
AND, UM, WHEN THEY VOTED IN 2021, AND APPARENTLY IN 2017 WHEN THEY OVERWHELMINGLY CHOSE, UH, MIKE GALLAGHER, UM, AND TO DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO GET WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE VOTING FOR AT, AT THAT TIME.
UM, THAT SAID, UM, THERE IS ALWAYS TIME FOR CHANGE, AND, SORRY, THERE IS ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE, AND THEY MAY NOT BE DURING THE INTERIM APPOINTMENT, UM, BUT DURING AN ELECTION TIME, AND, UH, I SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU CONSIDER RUNNING FOR OFFICE AT THAT TIME.
I THINK YOU HAVE, UM, A LOT TO OFFER OUR, OUR DISTRICT OR OUR CITY AND, UH, POTENTIALLY DISTRICT 10.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
YOU KNOW, I OFTEN SAY AS THE DISTRICT ONE COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH TALENT IN DISTRICT ONE.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, SUCH ENGAGED CITIZENS IN DISTRICT ONE, AND I'M SO PROUD TO, TO REPRESENT DISTRICT ONE.
BUT, UM, THESE LAST TWO DAYS HAVE SHOWN US THAT THERE'S A LOT OF TALENT AND A LOT OF GREAT PUBLIC SERVANTS IN DISTRICT 10 AS WELL.
WE HAD A LOT OF REALLY GOOD APPLICANTS.
UM, WHAT I HAVE REALLY FOCUSED ON IS WHO CAN SEAMLESSLY REPRESENT DISTRICT 10? AND I REFLECT BACK TO WHEN I FIRST WAS ELECTED TO DISTRICT ONE.
I SPENT MONTHS MEETING WITH CONSTITUENTS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF BUSINESSES, NON-PROFITS, NONSTOP.
THEY WERE KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR, CALLING OUR OFFICE, EMAILING THEY WANT, THEY JUST WANTED AN INTRODUCTION MEETING.
THEY WANTED TO GET TO KNOW ME, THEY WANTED ME TO GET TO KNOW THEM, WHAT THEIR ISSUES WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD, UM, ESTABLISH SOME KIND OF FORM OF HOW WE WERE GONNA STAY IN COMMUNICATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT THERE'S ONE PERSON WHO STANDS ABOVE ALL OF THE OTHER TALENTED PEOPLE, UM, IN DISTRICT 10, WHO CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING SEAMLESSLY, UM, AND SERVE THE DISTRICT.
AND, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK YOU, ONE THING I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SERVE
[02:35:01]
IN CITY COUNCILS, IT'S A NONPARTISAN SEAT.AND I LOOK AT, THERE'S SO MUCH DIVISION IN OUR STATE, THERE'S SO MUCH DIVISION IN OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT HOW IN SERVING, IN A NONPARTISAN ROLE, HOW YOU CAN WORK WITH EVERYBODY AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
AND SO MY JOB AS A COUNCIL MEMBER SERVING IN DISTRICT ONE, I DON'T FEEL LIKE IS TO PICK SOMEBODY WHO REPRESENTS MY, MY VALUES EXACTLY, OR REPRESENTS MY POLITICAL LEANINGS.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S, I SHOULD, YOU KNOW, IF I WANNA BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT DISTRICT 10 HAS SOMEBODY WHO REFLECTS THEIR POLITICAL LEANINGS.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE, THE ONE PERSON THAT I KNOW CAN IS SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN DISTRICT 10 IN THE PAST.
AND SO I'M GONNA BE SUPPORTING, UM, COUNCILMAN MIKE GALLAGHER.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ALRIGHT, I'LL JUST, UH, CLOSE BY SAYING, UH, TO, UH, MS. RUBIO AND MR. GARCIA, YOU, YOU BOTH PRESENTED YOURSELVES VERY IMPRESSIVELY, UH, AND I DO HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO PURSUE, UH, SERVICE TO OUR CITY IN WHATEVER CAPACITY THAT MIGHT BE.
UH, TO THE OTHER REMAINING CANDIDATES, UH, WHO APPLIED FOR THE POSITION, UH, SAME AS WELL.
UH, WE HAD A DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE, UH, IN FILLING THIS VACANCY.
UH, AND I DO HOPE EVERYONE CONSIDERS, UH, HOW THEY MIGHT BEST SERVE THE COMMUNITY GOING FORWARD.
UH, THAT SAID, I, I DO HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT, UM, MIKE GALLAGHER WILL FILL THE ROLE ABLELY AS HE HAS DONE BEFORE.
UH, AND SO LAST TIME I TALKED TO YOU, MIKE, YOU HAD RETIRED TO CARPENTRY.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO PUT DOWN YOUR TOOLS AND JOIN US BACK UP HERE.
WITH THAT, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE, EXCUSE ME, A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVING THE TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF MICHAEL GALLAGHER TO SERVE THE DISTRICT 10, SERVE AS THE DISTRICT 10 COUNCIL MEMBER, PLEASE VOTE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
MIKE, IF YOU CAN APPROACH THE PODIUM, WE'LL GET YOU SWORN IN.
CAN YOU RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME? YES, MA'AM.
IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, NAME, AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, I, MICHAEL GALLAGHER MICHAEL GALLAGHER, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE, THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, THE OFFICE OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT 10, FOR DISTRICT 10, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES, PRESERVE, PRESERVE, PROTECT, PROTECT, AND DEFEND AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
OF THE UNITED STATES, AND OF THIS STATE.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE ARE NOT ADJOURNED.
UH, SO WE'LL HAVE THE COUNCILMAN TAKE A SEAT.
UH, JUST TO NOTE, WE ARE GONNA BE BACK AT THIS DAIS AT TWO O'CLOCK TODAY FOR A ZONING MEETING.
I'M SURE HE IS GONNA BE TALKING WITH HIS STAFF MOMENTARILY, UH, MAKE SURE HE IS READY FOR THAT.
[City Manager's Report ]
DO WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER'S REPORT? WE DO.MAYOR, UH, FOUR ITEMS. I WANTED TO GIVE THE COUNCIL A BRIEFING ON, UH, UH, AND AN UPDATE ON THE AIRPORT AND THE ACTIVITY OVER THE LAST WEEK.
OVERALL, LAST WEEK, UM, AIR AIRPORT OPERATIONS WENT VERY SMOOTHLY.
UH, BASED ON THE T SS A THROUGHPUT NUMBERS, NEARLY 350,000 PASSENGERS EITHER DEPARTED OR ARRIVED THROUGH SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL BETWEEN FRIDAY, UH, BEFORE THANKSGIVING AND THE MONDAY AFTER.
[02:40:01]
4% INCREASE OVER OUR 2019, UM, RECORD SETTING YEAR.UH, TO DATE THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'VE SEEN A 7% INCREASE IN PASSENGERS OUTTA SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL.
UM, AND THAT, UH, OVER OUR 2019, UH, STATS, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS DOWN 6.5%.
AND THEN, UM, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, AND JESUS AND THE AIRPORT TEAM MADE A, UH, A NUMBER OF ADJUSTMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE FOR PARKING NEEDS OUT AT THE AIRPORT.
UM, AND THE EXPANDED VALET PARKING AND THE ADDED TWO NEW OVERFLOW LOTS AT THE AIRPORT, UM, WERE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE AND WE WERE ABLE TO MANAGE THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
UH, THE ACTIVITY CONTINUES ON THE FRONT OF THE AIRPORT.
SPIRIT AIRLINES ALSO, UH, LAUNCHED, UH, WITH SERVICE TO ORLANDO AND LAS VEGAS ON NOVEMBER 17TH, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WILL, UM, EXPAND, UM, FLIGHTS TO BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON, AND FORT LAUDERDALE.
FORT LAUDERDALE WILL BE OUR 41ST DIRECT FLIGHT OUTTA SAN ANTONIO.
AND THEN, UM, IN KEEPING WITH THE AIRPORT, GOOD NEWS, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL DID, UM, UH, UM, RECOGNIZE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AS ONE OF THE, UM, UM, BEST MID-SIZED AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY, RANKED FOURTH.
UM, AND, UH, FRANKLY, OUR SCORE WAS BETTER THAN MANY OF THE TOP SCORING LARGE AIRPORTS.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF WORK, UH, AND HAVE A NUMBER OF BRIEFINGS FOR YOU IN THE FALL AS WE, OR AS IN THE SPRING AS WE CONTINUE THAT WORK.
UM, SECONDLY, UM, WE WERE NOTIFIED IN NOVEMBER BEFORE THANKSGIVING THAT, UM, FROM THE BOND BUYER, UH, ABOUT A NUMBER OF, UH, NATIONAL RECOGNITIONS, UH, SPECIFICALLY THE, UH, 2022 TRAILBLAZING, UH, WOMEN OF PUBLIC FINANCE.
UM, THERE WERE, THERE WERE 12 NOMINEES, SIX FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND SIX FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
AND I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT, UH, OUR VERY OWN VERONICA CARRILLO ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR, UM, WAS SELECTED AS, UM, A TRAILBLAZING WOMAN IN PUBLIC FINANCE.
SO THAT'S, UM, VERONICA'S BEEN, UH, WITH THE CITY FOR, UH, OVER 25 YEARS.
UM, YOU RECOGNIZED HER BECAUSE SHE ALSO SPENT, UM, A LOT OF TIME ON THE ARPA AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT, AND WE WERE LAUGHING IN THE BACK.
IT WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE SHE SPENT SO MUCH TIME ON ARPA AND, AND, UH, HAD TO BE SO ENGAGED.
BUT NEVERTHELESS, VERONICA HAS BEEN A VERY CRITICAL PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
AND, UH, IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE THAT, UH, SHE'LL BE RECOGNIZED AT A CEREMONY IN NEW YORK CITY NEXT WEEK.
UM, NEXT MAYOR, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS AND ADVISORS, UM, UH, AWARDED A NUMBER OF, UM, OF, UH, RECOGNITIONS TO, UM, OUR T V S A AND COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, LAST WEEK.
UM, AND SPECIFICALLY WE RECEIVED THREE FIRST PLACE, UM, AWARDS, TWO SECOND PLACE AWARDS, AND ONE THIRD PLACE AWARD.
I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF OUR FIRST PLACE AWARDS WAS BECAUSE OF THE EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT VIDEO THAT WE DO ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE C AND E TEAM FOR WHAT THEY DO IN THOSE AREAS.
AND THEN, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, TODAY'S EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT, UH, IDENTIFIES, UH, AND REALLY, UH, HIGHLIGHTS, UH, OUR RECENT EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION EVENT THAT WE HELD AT THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO.
UM, EVERY YEAR WE DO SOMETHING, UM, AND WE CELEBRATE, UM, AN, UH, EMPLOYEES WHO HAD ANNIVERSARIES OF 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAD 45 YEAR EMPLOYEES THIS YEAR.
UM, WE HAD, UH, UM, ALMOST 2000 EMPLOYEES THAT WERE RECOGNIZED AT THE EVENT AT THE ZOO.
UM, 20 OF THOSE HONOREES HAD 10 TENURE OF OVER 35 YEARS.
UM, IT IS, UH, IT'S A GREAT EVENT AND I WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, UH, ATTENDED, UH, AND THE MAYOR, UM, BECAUSE, UH, EMPLOYEES CAN GO OUT THERE WITH THEIR FAMILIES ALL DAY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, UH, FRANKLY, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ALL SEE EACH OTHER.
AND, UH, I REALLY WANT TO THANK, UM, HR, UH, FOR THE, THE, UM, THE WORK AND ORGANIZING AND THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO.
THEY DID A GREAT JOB HOSTING US ALL DAY OUT THERE.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR 20 YEARS WORKING FOR C C D O.
I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR THE CITY FOR FIVE YEARS, AND I WORK FOR THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I'M A CALL TAKER.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR 20 YEARS.
I'M A OPERATIONS SUPERINTENDENT.
[02:45:01]
20 YEARS I'VE BEEN WITH PUBLIC WORKS THE WHOLE TIME.MY NAME IS JUAN
UH, IT'S A GREAT TIME FOR A LOT OF EMPLOYEES TO COME OUT AND MEET EACH OTHER FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND BRINGING THE FAMILY OF ALL, ALL THESE, UH, EMPLOYEES FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO JUST MEANS A LOT TO THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES.
AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT, IT'S A GREAT IDEA JUST TO BRING US OUT HERE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.
IT'S VERY MEANINGFUL BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT THE CITY HAS APPRECIATION FOR ITS EMPLOYEES JUST BY CLOSING OUT THE ZOO FOR CITY EMPLOYEES AND JUST HAVING TIME FOR US TO SPEND TIME WITH OUR FAMILIES AND JUST MAKE IT MEMORABLE FOR A ONE DAY THING, A ONE DAY EVENT THAT'S VERY MEANINGFUL, SHOWS THAT THE CITY CARES ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYEES.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT BRINGS EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND MAYBE MEET SOME NEW PEOPLE AND HOPEFULLY IN THE SAME DEPARTMENT SHOW UP AND JUST GET TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CITY PUTS ON AN EVENT LIKE THIS TO SHOW THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, IT MEANS A LOT TO ME.
IT, IT TELLS ME THAT THE CITY WANTS TO SHOW US THAT THEY APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK WE'VE PUT INTO IT.
AND, AND WE REALLY LOVE IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE BRING THE KIDS, THE FAMILY OUT.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH ERIC.
AND, UH, WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST COLLEAGUE.
WE ARE GOING TO NOW ADJOURN AND WE'LL BE BACK HERE AT TWO O'CLOCK FOR OUR ZONING AGENDA.
SO THE TIME IS 12:48 PM ACTUALLY, UH, COUNCILMAN GALLAGHER, DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS YOUR COLLEAGUES BEFORE WE BREAK? WELL, JUST LET ME SAY THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ALL OF YOU HERE.
THANKS FOR THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT THERE.
I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT, UH, TURNED OUT TODAY.
I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE KIND REMARKS FROM, UM, MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU SPENT ON THESE DECISIONS.
THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH AND A BIG SHOUT OUT TO, UH, OUR STAFF FOR EVERYTHING THEY'VE DONE IN SUPPORT AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, THE TIME IS 12:49 PM ON THE FIRST DAY OF DECEMBER, 2022, AND WE ARE ADJOURNED AND WE WILL RECONVENE AT TWO O'CLOCK FOR ZONING.