* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:36] GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OF OCTOBER THE 18TH, 2018. COUNCIL MEMBER TRAVINO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER SHAW HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER VIE GRAND COUNCIL MEMBER SALANA HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER SAND DEVAL HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER PALS, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY. UH, HERE. AND MAYOR NURENBERG. HERE. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. GOOD MORNING. WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL AGENDA. THE TIME IS 9:08 AM I HAVE THE HONOR OF INTRODUCING OUR IN VINDICATOR THIS MORNING. AND SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY GUEST INDICATOR, THE REVEREND DR. CLAUDETTE ANDERSON COPELAND, ORIGINALLY FROM THE CHURCH OF GOD AND CHRIST IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK. SHE'S SERVED IN A VARIETY OF MINISTRY SETTINGS OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS, AND IS THE FOUNDER OF DESTINY MINISTRIES IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, A NATIONAL EMPOWERMENT GROUP FOR WOMEN. SHE'S A PUBLIC PUBLISHED AUTHOR, A POWERFUL PREACHER, A SERVANT, AND A LOVER OF ALL GOD'S PEOPLE. DR. COPELAND WAS ALSO COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN THE US AIR FORCE CHAPLAINCY. SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CLERGY COUPLE IN THE HISTORY OF THE US MILITARY CHAPLAINCY WHERE THEY SERVED WITH DISTINCTION BETWEEN BEFORE RETURNING TO CIVILIAN PASTORATE WITH HER HUSBAND, THE BISHOP DAVID MICHAEL COPELAND. SHE CO-FOUNDED THE NEW CREATION CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CHURCH JUST OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. CLAUDETTE IS A UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT ALUM. RECEIVED HER MASTER'S OF DIVINITY AT THE RA DENOMINATIONAL THEOLOGICAL CENTER IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, AND SHE EARNED THE DOCTORATE OF MINISTRY FROM THE UNITED THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN DAYTON, OHIO, AS WELL AS THE POST-DOCTORAL CERTIFICATE AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. WE'RE VERY PROUD TO WELCOME TODAY THE REVEREND DR. CLAUDETTE ANDERSON COPELAND TO THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL AS OUR GUEST IN VIATOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. LET US PRAY TO THE LORD. IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WOULD HUMBLE THEMSELVES, SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WAYS, THEN WILL I HEAR FROM HEAVEN? THEN WILL I HEAR FROM HEAVEN? THEN WILL I HEAR AND I WILL HEAL. I'LL HEAL THE LAND. GRACIOUS GOD, WE BLESS YOUR NAME THIS MORNING AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR ANOTHER DAY'S JOURNEY. WE'RE THANKFUL TO BE ON THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE. WE'RE THANKFUL TO STAND BEFORE YOU AS EMPTY PICTURES BEFORE A FULL FOUNTAIN. WE COME THIS MORNING THANKING YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVICE, THANKING YOU FOR SOUND, MINDS AND DEDICATED HEARTS. WE COME THIS MORNING THANKING YOU FOR THESE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEMSELVES FOR PUBLIC SERVICE. WE PRAY THIS MORNING FOR THESE LEADERS. WE THANK YOU FOR WISDOM THAT IS NOT THEIR OWN. WE THANK YOU FOR STRENGTH AND FORTITUDE WHEN THESE DAYS OF SERVICE ARE WEARYING. WE PRAY TODAY FOR THE POWER OF UNITY. FOR THERE YOU COMMANDED THE BLESSING. LET OUR CONTENTIONS END UP IN CREATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT OUR STRENGTH BE FROM HIM, WHOSE STRENGTH DOES NOT FAIL. AND WE PRAY TODAY FOR THESE WHO MUST MAKE HARD DECISIONS AND WHO STRUGGLE FOR THE GREATEST GOOD, FOR [00:05:01] THE GREATEST PEOPLE. BE WITH THIS MAYOR AND THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS. BE WITH THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY AND CAUSE OUR DECISIONS TO BE GOOD FOR THOSE YET UNBORN. WE GIVE YOU THE DAY NOW, HAVE YOUR OWN WAY, UNIFY OUR HEARTS. AND WHEN THE DAY IS DONE, WE'LL SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED. WE PRAY THIS IN YOUR NAME AND ALL THE PEOPLE SAID, AMEN AND AMEN. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH, REVEREND COPELAND. ALL RIGHT, OUR FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 19TH AND 20TH. SO MOVED. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 19 AND 20, 20 18. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE SWEARING IN OF OUR NEW PR MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCILMAN JOHN, COURAGE. GOOD MORNING. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME. I STATE YOUR NAME, I, JOHN COURAGE. DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR. DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF, OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO TEM MAYOR PRO TEM FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND, PRESERVE, PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION. THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, OF THE UNITED STATES, AND OF THE STATES AND OF THIS STATE. SO HELP ME GOD. SO HELP ME GOD. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. I SERVE WITH DISTINCTION, JOHN. THANK YOU. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO, UH, INTRODUCE MY WIFE TO ANY OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T MET HER, UH, MY PARTNER AND WITHOUT HER I WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. AND, UH, I'LL BE VERY PROUD, UH, TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE TO THE CITY WHEN CALLED UPON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, JOHN. ALRIGHT, I WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN SANA, FOR A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I WANT TO, UH, INVITE SOMEBODY UP IF THEY'LL JOIN US AT THE PODIUM. UH, HER NAME IS GINA MARTINEZ. AND, UH, THIS IS IN CELEBRATION OF A, OF A MUSIC FESTIVAL. AND AS SAN ANTONIO IS THE NEIGHBOR TO AUSTIN, WE'RE NOT WELL KNOWN FOR OUR MUSIC FESTIVALS, BUT WE HAVE ONE THAT IS BURGEONING AND, AND REALLY ATTRACTING SOME GREAT HEADLINES. IT'S MAAL LUNA MUSIC FESTIVAL, UH, AND IT'S PROUD TO CALL SAN ANTONIO HOME. UH, AND AMONG OTHER THINGS, I THINK, UH, GINA'S GONNA WALK US THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THAT PRESENTATION. I'M HONORED TO HAVE HER HERE, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH, BECAUSE MAAL LUNA BENEFITS, UH, NOT JUST THE ATTENDEES, BUT A FEW NONPROFITS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS CELEBRATING AND LIFTING THE VOICE OF LOCAL MUSICIANS AS WELL. SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO ALSO THANK XAVIER TIA AND VERONICA MORENA FOR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR MAKING THIS, UH, HAND IN GLOVE FOR AN OPPORTUNITY THAT SAN ANTONIANS YOUNG AND OLD, UH, GET TO ENJOY. SO, GINA? YEAH. THANK YOU SIR. SO VERY MUCH COUNCILMAN SALDANA AND COUNCILWOMAN AND MEN AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY. COME AND, UH, RECOGNIZE US. UH, MAAL LUNA HAS BEEN, UM, IN PROGRESS FOR THREE YEARS. WE'RE HEADING INTO OUR THIRD YEAR. OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE HOSTED OVER 80,000 PEOPLE. THE FIRST YEAR, UH, ATTENDANCE WAS AROUND 30,000. LAST YEAR WE GREW BY 60% AND HAD 50,000 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. UM, WE ARE HOPING TO CONTINUE ALONG THAT PATH. SOME OF OUR PERFORMERS HAVE BEEN INTERNATIONAL POP STARS, INCLUDING, UH, LIL WAYNE, WIZ KHALIFA, AND MIGOS. THIS YEAR WE HAVE TWO AWESOME ARTISTS INCLUDING, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA, QUEEN, CARDI B AND INTERNATIONAL STAR, UM, NIKKI JAM, WHO ALSO WAS THE, WHO HAD THE, UM, WORLD CUP SONG. SO WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE HIM. WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS [00:10:01] ON SOME OF THE SAN ANTONIO FLARE, INCLUDING FOOD VENDORS. UM, WE'VE HIRED OVER 500, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE FESTIVAL AND WILL HOPEFULLY LEARN FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE THERE AND GO ON TO DO GREAT THINGS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. WE'VE ALSO HAD, UM, A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVISION, INCLUDING THE BEAT AND LATINO MIX, 95.1. UM, AND THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS IN SUPPORTING US, AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE THIS GROWTH AND, UH, SHOWCASE THE INTERNATIONAL TALENT OR THE TALENT THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS. AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BECOME AN INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN FESTIVAL THROUGHOUT, UH, THE COUNTRY IN SOUTHWEST. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU AGAIN, GINA. AND, UH, THIS IS THE ONE THING THAT I THINK MAKES ME COOL TO MY TEENAGE YOUNGER BROTHER , AND I THINK IS, UH, THE ONE THING THAT I IS AS DR. TAYLOR. AMY IS HERE, WHERE YOU COULD SEE SOME U T S A STUDENTS WHO COME AND REALLY MAKE UP A BIG PART OF THE CROWD WHO IS AT, UH, WOLF STADIUM IS WHERE IT WILL BE AGAIN THIS YEAR. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, IT IS TAKING PLACE AT WOLF STADIUM ON, UM, OCTOBER 27TH AND 28TH. UM, AND IT'LL BE A TWO DAY FESTIVAL CELEBRATING KIND OF ALL GOOD THINGS. GREAT. WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH, GINA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN SAGIA. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE, UH, UH, ACTUALLY, LET'S DO OUR ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TRANSLATION SERVICES. I APOLOGIZE, INTERPRET. ALRIGHT, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC ITEMS 25 AND 26 HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE AGENDA BY STAFF AND WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED TODAY. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS, UH, SCHEDULED FOR INDIVIDUAL BRIEFING. THAT'S ITEMS FIVE AND SIX. THE REST OF THE ITEMS ON OUR MORNING AGENDA ARE ON CONSENT. SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS FROM WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. OKAY. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. THAT'S ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR FIVE, SIX, AND 25 AND 26. UM, I WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN SHAW FOR BRIEF COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE A, A INDIVIDUAL WHO WORKS IN OUR COURTHOUSE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AS A PRACTICING ATTORNEY. UM, HE DOES WONDERS IN THE, IN THE COURTROOM, AND HE'S NOW BEING APPOINTED AS A MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE TO, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. UM, HIS NAME IS KEN KENNETH BELL. I THINK HE'S HERE IN THE CROWD WITH HIS FAMILY. I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, MR. BELL, AND AFTER WE GO THROUGH THIS VOTE, WE CAN CALL YOU JUDGE BELL. BUT CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'VE, YOU'VE EARNED IT. I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR MANY YEARS. I'VE SEEN YOUR WORK ETHIC. I SEE THE WAY THAT YOU, YOU CARRY YOURSELF IN THE COURTROOM. YOU DEMAND RESPECT DURING TRIALS, THE WAY YOU WORK WITH CLIENTS. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT AS YOU WORK WITH THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO, THANK YOU AGAIN, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR APPLYING. THANK YOU AGAIN FROM ALL MY COLLEAGUES TO HELP SUPPORT THAT VOTE. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN SHAW. COUNCILMAN S I I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF, UH, HAVING BEEN AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT ST. MARY'S LAW WHEN MR. BELL WAS A, UH, A STUDENT AND I GOT TO WORK WITH HIM. HE, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, HE'S NOT JUST A SMART GUY WITH A GOOD WORK ETHIC. HE'S ONE OF THE PREEMINENT NATIONAL ADVOCATES, UH, ORAL ADVOCATES IN A COURTROOM. AND, UH, HE'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST BRAINS I'VE EVER MET. I I THINK WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE BETTER, UH, THAN APPOINTING MR. BELL. THE SECOND THING I WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT HE, I THEN BECAME AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR HIMSELF, TRAINING YOUNG STUDENTS, UH, TO BE ETHICAL AND, UH, STRONG ADVOCATES AS WELL. AND HE'S GOT A SERVANT'S HEART. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE TAKING THIS NEXT STEP TO BECOME A MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE, TO BRING THAT SERVICE TO BEAR AND HELP PEOPLE WHO COME BEFORE YOU. UM, THAT'S NO SMALL THING, AND THAT YOU'RE HERE WITH YOUR FAMILY, UM, IS, IS VERY, VERY NICE. AND THEY SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF YOU TODAY. IT'S A BIG, BIG DAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. WE DO HAVE A FEW CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS REMAINING ON CONSENT, SO I'LL CALL THEM NOW. UH, SEVERAL ITEMS OR SEVERAL CITIZENS HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SO WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL CALL YOU UP, I'LL CALL THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE. [00:15:01] IF YOU CAN PREPARE, BE PREPARED BY COMING TO STAND, UH, CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE PODIUM WHERE WE CAN KEEP EVERYTHING MOVING. WE'LL START WITH EDWARD HARDEMON ON, FOLLOWED BY STELLA GRENAGE. GOOD MORNING TO THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND THE, UM, CITY MANAGER, SCULLY. MY NAME IS EDWARD HARDMAN. I'M A ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIOS, E H H, ELECTRICAL SERVICES, L L C. BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 22 YEARS. BEFORE I GET STARTED, I'D LIKE TO, IF YOU, THE, UH, COUNCIL WOULD HAVE MY WIFE, WHICH IS MS. GREENWICH, TO RELINQUISH HER TIME TO ME. MS. GREENWICH, ARE YOU HERE? YES. OKAY. YOU'RE GIVING MR. ARTMAN YOUR TIME. OKAY. GO AHEAD, MR. THANK YOU. I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL FOR THE FIVE-YEAR EXTENSION FOR THE SWIMMING PROGRAM. I'VE PERSONALLY BEEN A BENEFACTOR OF THAT PROGRAM, BY WHICH I WORKED FOR A COUPLE OF CONTRACTORS HERE IN THE CITY ON CITY PROJECTS. UH, THE PROGRAM IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY. UH, WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME VERY GOOD THINGS WORKING ON DIFFERENT JOBS SUCH AS THE LIBRARIES IN CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, ALMA BASIN, UH, THE ALAMO DOME AND THE FIRE STATIONS HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. I COME TO YOU WITH SOME CONCERNS WITHIN THE MAKEUP OF THE SWIMMING PROGRAM. WE HAVE ISSUES CONCERNING THE CONTRACTORS NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH US WHEN THERE'S AN ISSUE SUCH AS CONVENIENCE. WE'RE BEING TERMINATED BECAUSE OF CONVENIENCE. THE WORK IS SATISFACTORY. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S APPROVED THE PROJECTS. THERE'S NO CONCERNS WHATSOEVER AS FAR AS THE PERFORMANCE OF US IN THE FIELD, BUT WE'RE BEING TERMINATED BECAUSE OF CONVENIENCE. THIS IS ONE OF THE ISSUES WE'RE ASKING THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO LOOK AT AND TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY THAT THAT CAN BE NULLIFIED. AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE TERMINATED, BE TERMINATED FOR CAUSE. THAT MEANS THAT YOUR WORK IS NOT PERFORMING IN THE CAPACITY THAT IT SHOULD BE OR THAT YOU'RE NOT COMING ON THE JOB. WHATEVER THOSE CONCERNS MAY BE THAT THEY'RE PUT IN WRITING AS OPPOSED TO JUST SAYING, WE TERMINATING YOU FOR CONVENIENCE. ALSO, EXCUSE ME, THIS IS A NEW ERROR. THE FIVE YEAR PROGRAM THAT WE WOULD, WE'VE HAD, HAS DONE SOME GREAT THINGS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CITY IS SUPPOSED TO HELP BUILD CAPACITY FOR MINORITY BUSINESS. WE CAN'T DO THAT IF THE COMPANIES THAT WE'RE WORKING FOR IS NOT, IS NOT WORKING IN OUR BEST INTEREST WHEN WE WERE ON THE JOB WORKING HARD ONLY TO BE TERMINATED FOR CONVENIENCE. AND A COMPANY COMES BEHIND US THAT IS HIRED AND WORK MORE, MAKE MORE MONEY THAN WE DO ON THOSE JOB SITES. WE ARE ASKING THE CITY IF THEY WILL LOOK INTO THOSE ISSUES AND COME BACK WITH SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP THE MINORITY CONTRACTORS THAT ARE WORKING OUT IN THE FIELD WITH GENERAL CONTRACTORS THAT THE CITY HAS UNDER THEIR UMBRELLA AT THIS PRESENT TIME. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THESE MATTERS. THESE ARE GREAT CONCERNS, AND THAT IF YOU APPROVE THIS FIVE-YEAR APPROVAL FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE PROGRAM, I THINK IT'LL BENEFIT SAN ATTORNEY IN A GREAT AND IMPORTANT WAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. EMMAN JANE GONZALEZ, FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER. GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND, UH, COUNCIL WOMEN AND MEN. MY NAME IS JANE GONZALEZ AND I OWN A MEDICAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY IN THE EAST SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. AND I'M HERE TO THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL SWIM BEE, ESPECIALLY THE DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN. AND I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, COUNCILMAN SIA, COUNCILWOMAN VIE GRAND COUNCILMAN CRUZ, COUNCILMAN VINNO, AND YOU MAYOR, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR LOCAL SWIM BES. I'D LIKE TO ALSO THANK, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, RENEE DOMINGUEZ AND MICHAEL SINAN, WHO HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH US, ALONG WITH TROY ELLIOTT AND, UH, NORBERT, UH, ZU BECAUSE THIS DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN WAS CREATED BY BLACKS, BY HISPANICS, BY ASIANS, BY WHITES, BY MEN, BY WOMEN THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR LOCAL SMALL COMPANIES AND OF OUR RESIDENTS. IT'S GOT TO BE, AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH, ONE OF THE MOST ROBUST, [00:20:01] AND I'M GONNA REPEAT THIS AGAIN BECAUSE SAN ANTONIO, WE REALLY NEED TO PUT OURSELVES ON A CHARTER. THIS DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN IS ONE OF THE MOST ROBUST IN THE UNITED STATES, AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONGRATULATE OURSELVES FOR WORKING AND COLLABORATING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. AND WHAT THIS PLAN HAS DONE IS THAT IT'S NOT ONLY A PLAN, BUT IT'S A PLAN OF ACTION BECAUSE IT HAS CREATED OUTCOMES. IN THE CASE OF MY COM COMPANY, MAYOR A YEAR AGO, UH, WHEN WE STOOD BEFORE YOU REGARDING MAKING SOME POLICY CHANGES, BECAUSE OF THOSE POLICY CHANGES, MY COMPANY HAS DOUBLED IN REVENUE. AND I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU FOR THIS TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUCCESS BEING CREATED HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. GONZALEZ. THANK YOU ALL. I I JUST WANNA DITO WHAT JANE SAY, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GUYS. THANK YOU ALL. JACK FINGER, FOLLOWED BY CHRIS HERRING. WELL, MAYOR NURENBERG AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M FINGER. WELL, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, MR. AUDIOVISUAL MAY, LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW PREPARATORY REMARKS. RETURN THE CAMERA TO, TO THE PODIUM IF YOU WOULD. ITEM, UH, A FEW ITEMS WISH TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION ON THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA HERE. ITEM 23, JUST FOR INFORMATION IS ABOUT A OH A C P S ENERGY TARIFF FOR A PILOTING PROGRAM. YES. I HAD LOOKED AT THIS AND I THINK REALLY FOLKS, IT'S, UH, IT'S ABOUT C P S WANTING TO FIND OUT JUST HOW MUCH ENERGY, HOW MUCH JUICE YOU USE TO CHARGE UP YOUR ELECTRIC CAR SO THEY WILL KNOW HOW TO, TO CHARGE YOU AND YOUR POCKETBOOK LATER ON. MAYBE YOU GUYS WANNA PULL THAT AND SAY NO TO IT, HUH? BUT THE BIG THING HERE IS ITEM 22, WHICH A COUPLE OF THE, UM, PROCEEDING, UH, SPEAKERS TALKED ABOUT. YES, IT IS ABOUT THE DIVERSITY PLAN. DIVERSITY PLAN, YES. WE'VE HAD A FIVE YEAR DIVERSITY PLAN, AND NOW, NOW YOU WANTED TO ESTABLISH A NEW FIVE YEAR D DIVERSITY PLAN. YES. OKAY. BUT YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAS BEEN, IS ABOUT 50 OR SO YEARS OLD NOW. UH, HOW, HOW MUCH LONGER DO WE HAVE TO KEEP GIVING PEOPLE A CRUTCH, A CRUTCH, BUT JUST MERELY BASED ON THEIR SKIN COLOR AND THEIR RACE? HUH. I LIKE TO KNOW THAT, UH, I MEAN, MY GOODNESS, I THOUGHT ALL PEOPLE WERE, WERE SUPPO SUPPOSEDLY CREATED EQUAL EQUAL. I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ACHIEVE ON OUR OWN BASED ON OUR OWN MERITS AND OUR, OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. NOT, NOT, NOT TO GET, TO HAVE SOMEBODY GIVE US EXTRA MONEY FOR THESE THINGS, BUT YES. AND IF YOU THINK IT'S, IT IS NOT, NOT A, UM, UM, A, A A A QUOTA SYSTEM. I, I BEG TO DIFFER. LOOK AT THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS, IF YOU WILL, MR. AUDIO VISUAL MAN. YES. THE UNDERLINED AREA WHERE THE LITTLE STAR IS THERE. YEAH. YEAH. IT SAYS, UH, A A B E S, IT STANDS FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. OUR ESTIMATE TO RECEIVE 4% OF ALL DOLLARS. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. OF ALL OF THE, UH, OF THE VARIOUS PROJECTS YOU HAVE EARMARKED FOR. UH, TURN THE PAGE IF THE NEXT PAGE, UH, LOOK FOR THE, THERE WE GO. THERE WE GO. YEAH. UH, ESPECIALLY WHERE, WHERE THE CIRCLES ARE. YEAH, THERE YOU GO. THAT'S THE WHERE THE BLUE LINES ARE. THAT'S THE LINES WHERE, WHERE YOU HAVE, UH, SUPPOSED, UH, EARMARKS FOR. YEAH. AND SO DO WE RE REACH 'EM OR NOT? WELL, THAT'S WHAT IT IS, 33%, 34%, 40 AND SO FORTH. AND THEN THE NEXT PAGE, MR. AUDIOVISUAL MAN. YES. OH, YOU KNOW, FRAUD CAN HAPPEN HERE. WHAT DOES IT SAY? UH, UH, CONDUCT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, ET CETERA, SUCH AS AN ADDITIONAL EFFORT. THE BUSINESS VETERANS, PEOPLE WILL DISABILITIES AND LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER. YES, THAT'S RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO REACH OUT TO THOSE GUYS. YOU KNOW, A PERSON CAN, WHO'S HETEROSEXUAL CAN SAY HE'S HOMOSEXUAL, AND YES, HE'LL GET MONEY FOR IT. THANK YOU, MR. FINGER . CHRIS HERRING, FOLLOWED BY GIANNI CASTILLO, MAYOR NUREMBERG COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER. UM, YOU JUST HEARD FROM MR. FINGER AND HIS WORDS, UM, HAVE DISTURBED ME BECAUSE TODAY ACTUALLY WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING THAT I KNOW EACH OF YOU HAVE THE WILLPOWER TO DO, WHICH IS TO PASS YET AGAIN, THE DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN. THE VERY FIRST DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN WAS PUT INTO PLACE BY MAYOR JULIAN CASTRO, AND I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE HIS APPOINTEE. AND SINCE 2013, [00:25:01] I'VE BEEN ABLE TO CHAIR THE DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN SUBCOMMITTEE, AND I'M REMINDED THAT WE HAD A, A GOOD PLAN THEN EVERYBODY SAY, GOOD. NOW, TODAY WE HAVE A GREAT PLAN, AND THE GREAT PLAN IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO NOW ADD INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES, TYPES THAT WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO REAL GOOD BUSINESS WITH BEFORE. SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN AND HOW WE'VE EXPANDED IT, MR. FINGER, TO INCLUDE OUR VETERANS IS A GOOD THING. AND ACTUALLY IT'S A GREAT THING WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR LARGEST DISABILITY GROUP IN AMERICA, WHICH IS THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DISABILITY. I'M REMINDED OF OUR PAST CHAIR OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY, JANE THOMAS, WHO WOULD COME EVERY MEETING IN A WHEELCHAIR TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO NEEDED A HELPING HAND. AND SO THIS DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN ADDRESSES PUTTING PEOPLE WHO NEED A SECOND OPPORTUNITY IN LIFE, IN SOME CASES, WHO CAN'T NECESSARILY GET EMPLOYMENT, BUT NEEDS TO CREATE A BUSINESS. AND SO THIS DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN INCLUDES THEM, AND MAYBE WE MAY, MAY NEED TO STUDY AND HAVE A DIVERSITY OR DISPARITY STUDY TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THAT DISPARITY IS FOR THE SUB BETA. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN HAS THE PROVISIONS TO INCLUDE THIS LARGE GROUP, THE LARGEST GROUP OF, OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DISCRIMINATED. AND THEN, YES, WE DO HAVE THE L G T Q AND AS WE LOOK AT THE CITY AND HOW THE CITY IS MAKING PROGRESS, WELL, PERHAPS THERE IS DISPARITY THERE, BUT IT HAS NEVER BEEN STUDIED. SO THE DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN IS REALLY THE LAUNCHING BOARD FOR THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT MORE. I WANNA SAY, WHILE I HAVE ONE MINUTE LEFT. THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO CAPITAL, UH, AND TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT FOR BEING FLEXIBLE, THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO THE LEADERS WHO HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY COMING FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS TO IMPROVE THE PLAN TO OUR LAST MAYOR WHO SAID, TEE IT UP. WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE PLAN TO OUR CURRENT MAYOR FOR SAYING, MOVE THE PLAN FORWARD. THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT, WE'RE FIVE YEARS LATER, AND WE STILL NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS IN THE, IN THE AREAS THAT WERE ANNOUNCED EARLIER. YOU KNOW, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS CONCERN IS A HEARTFELT PLACE THAT I KNOW AS A CHAIRMAN OF THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAIRMANS OF COMMERCE. I KNOW, AND I THANK THE CITY TOO FOR THE SUPPORT YOU GAVE US, UH, IN OUR CONFERENCE. BUT I WANNA SAY, AS A CHAIRMAN OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE THIS DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN APPROVED TODAY. LET'S TAKE THIS PLAN FROM GOOD TO GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR. HERRING GIANNA CASTILLO, FOLLOWED BY IRENE CHAVEZ. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR NUREMBERG, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER SCHOOLEY. MY NAME'S DAN CASTILLO, A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE. UM, TODAY I STAND ON BEHALF OF THE GLOBAL CHAMBER OF SAN ANTONIO. UM, OUR, OUR LEADERSHIP, UH, PRESIDENT CHRISTOPHER HERRING, WHO JUST SPOKE AND CHAIRWOMAN, UH, DR. CRYSTAL NARIO. WE UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF TODAY'S VOTE WITH THE REQUEST TO APPROVE THE REVISED DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN. WE ASK FOR YOU TO SUPPORT THE REVISED PLAN AND TO APPROVE IT INTO LAW. UM, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR LEADER AND ACTIVISTS OF MINORITY BUSINESSES. UM, MR. HERRING, WHO HAS SHARED THE CITY'S DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN SINCE INCEPTION IN 2013, UM, AND NOW OVERSEES THE CHAIRMAN, THE SMALL, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE. UM, THE, THE NEW PLAN WILL OPEN DOORS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS WITH DISABILITIES AND OUR VETERANS. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THE HARD WORK THAT THE CITY MANAGER, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, FINANCE AND TRANSPORTATION AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND MAKING THIS PROPOSED PLAN TRULY WORK LESS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MS. CASTILLO. IRENE CHAVEZ. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I AM IRENE CHAVEZ. I AM HONORED TO BE THE, THE D SEVEN APPOINTEE FOR THE SPAC COMMITTEE, AND I AM HONORED ALSO TO BE THE INCOMING CHAIR TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT CHRISTOPHER HERRING SINCE THE BEGINNING HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH. I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS STAFF BECAUSE, UH, AS A ONE-TIME STAFFER IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I UNDERSTAND THE WORK AND THE AMOUNT OF THOUGHTFUL AND, AND THOUGHTFUL WORK AND THE AMOUNT OF, UH, DEDICATION IT TAKES TO ACTUALLY HAVE A PROJECT LIKE THIS THAT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR OVER A YEAR. AND SO MY CONGRATULATIONS TO RE TO RENE DOMINGUEZ AND HIS TEAM, MICHAEL SENDEN, TANYA, AND TO SOCHI AND THE, AND THE GANG. SO FOR THE D I P I WANTED TO MENTION A COUPLE [00:30:01] THINGS THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH FOR THIS PLAN. IT REALLY GETS PEOPLE READY TO BID AND ENTREPRENEURS, AS YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE HEART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN OUR CITY. UM, THE D I P WILL WORK HAND IN HAND WITH SATED TO REMEDY DISPARITY. AND THE FOCUS, PARTICULARLY AS, AS THERE ARE A, A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS, IS MORE OUTREACH AND MARKETING, BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS OR KNOWS HOW TO BID WITH THE CITY, NOR DO THEY KNOW THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST. IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU'VE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF A BUYDOWN PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN ADMINISTERED THROUGH LIFTFUND. AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW MUCH THAT IMPACTS, UH, SMALL BUSINESS, LET ME TELL YOU THAT $1.5 MILLION HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN ALLOCATED IN THAT MANNER FOR LOANS AT 0% INTEREST, AND IT'S HELPED 70 SMALL BUSINESSES. SO THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THAT. AND I HOPE THAT THE, THE, UH, OBJECTIVE FOR TO CONTINUE THAT IS TO REALLY TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS SO THEY CAN CONTINUALLY ADDRESS THE DIFFERENT NEEDS THAT SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE JUST TO SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN ANAND, VAL, FOR CONTINUING TO PUT SMALL BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA TO ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO UTILIZE YOUR NEWSLETTERS AND YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, BECAUSE ED DOES A GREAT JOB OF HAVING VENDOR ORIENTATIONS AND DIFFERENT EVENTS. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT MORE THROUGHOUT THE, UH, DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND FOR PARTICIPATION OF EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THOSE VENDOR OUTREACH, BECAUSE IT DOES MATTER. SMALL BUSINESSES MATTER AND LEADING BY EXAMPLE, I'LL SAY THAT IN OUR RESEARCH, LOOKING AT CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OR I'LL SAY THE CITIES ACROSS THE STATE, SAN ANTONIO IS REALLY LEADING BY EXAMPLE. AND I'M HAPPY THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO THAT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT THIS D A P WILL DO FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. CHAVEZ, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A, SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE ITEMS ON CONSENT. UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, IRENE, FOR, FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION ON THIS, UH, ON THE GROUP AND PUTTING TOGETHER THIS PLAN. UM, IT'S THE SECOND PLAN THAT COMES FORWARD, SO I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT HISTORIC. AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT. IT'S, UH, YOU WENT FROM GOOD TO GREAT. SO THANK YOU TO, TO THE ENTIRE SBA COMMITTEE FOR, FOR THEIR WORK ON IT. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON ITEM, UM, SORRY, IS THIS AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO MAKE COMMENTS ON THE OTHER ITEMS ON CONSENT? MAYOR, THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL? NO. OH, GO AHEAD. UH, IS, ARE WE MAKING TAKING COMMENTS ON CONSENT ITEMS? YES. OKAY, GREAT. UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE, UH, THE TARIFF BEING PUT FORWARD BY, BY C P S. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF JOHN AL IS HERE, C P S HERE, YOU'RE, UH, JOHN, THANK YOU AND YOUR WHOLE TEAM FOR, FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. UM, I KNOW IT'S A PILOT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT EXPERIMENTAL, BUT I THINK IT OPENS THE DOOR FOR WHERE WE WANNA GO IN TERMS OF, UH, A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE. WITHOUT THIS, WE CAN'T REALLY GET THERE. UH, SO I THINK THAT'S HISTORIC TOO, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THE RESULTS THAT THAT'LL BRING. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS ALL ITEMS SAVED FOR 5 6 25 AND 26. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM NUMBER FIVE. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE SALE OF APPROXIMATELY 2.583 ACRES, LOCATED AT 5 0 6 DELAROSA AND 2.032 ACRES LOCATED AT 7 0 2 DELAROSA FOR AN AMOUNT, NOT LESS THAN $7,000,367, AND THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM TO SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO'S 10 YEAR DOWNTOWN VISION IN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS THE CONVEYANCE OF TWO CITY OWNED PARCELS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OF SAN ANTONIO IN THE AMOUNT OF $7.3 MILLION. THESE TWO PARCELS WILL HELP FACILITATE THE PHASE ONE OF THE DOWNTOWN UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OF SAN ANTONIO'S EXPANSION. HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE VISION FOR THAT EXPANSION IS PRESIDENT DR. TAYLOR, AMY MAYOR NURNBERG COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY STAFF, [00:35:01] CITIZENS OF THE GREAT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS A VERY PROFOUND MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF MY UNIVERSITY, AND I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CITY AND WHERE OUR TRAJECTORIES ARE GOING. AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I, I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPRESS UPON YOU THIS FACT THAT THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL MOMENT IN TIME TO DO SOMETHING BIG AND BOLD FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT CITY AND THIS GREAT UNIVERSITY. I'M A HUGE PROPONENT OF THIS NOTION THAT GREAT CITIES NEED GREAT UNIVERSITIES, AND GREAT UNIVERSITIES NEED GREAT CITIES, AND WE INTEND TO BE ONE OF YOUR GREAT UNIVERSITIES. LET ME DIVE INTO THE CONCEPT OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING. 'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD NEWS TO SHARE. WE ARE FOCUSED NOW FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS ON BEING AN EXEMPLAR FOR STUDENT SUCCESS NATIONALLY. WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO BECOMING A GREAT PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE STRATEGICALLY GROWING AND BECOMING MORE INNOVATIVE AS WE DRIVE TOWARDS EXCELLENCE. WHAT WILL WE LOOK LIKE IN 10 YEARS? WE'RE GONNA BE BIGGER. WE'RE GONNA BE AT AROUND 45,000 STUDENTS. WE 32,000 STUDENTS TODAY. WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE FACULTY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE TALENTED FACULTY. WE ALREADY HAVE VERY TALENTED FACULTY. WE WANT MORE OF THEM. WE'RE GOING TO BE MEETING NATIONAL METRICS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS. OUR BUDGET WILL BECOME A BILLION DOLLAR ENTERPRISE HERE IN THIS CITY. WE'RE GONNA BE ADDING CAPITAL PROJECTS ON ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES, AND WE ARE GOING TO GO FORWARD AND BE A, A DEEPLY COMMITTED PARTNER TO THIS CITY, ALL PARTS OF THIS CITY OVER THE, THE NEXT 500 YEARS. IT'S OUR PLAN. I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS A LITTLE BIT. IMAGINE 15,000 STUDENTS DOWNTOWN, A THOUSAND FACULTY, A THOUSAND STAFF, FOUR OR MORE COLLEGES DOWNTOWN, NEW SCHOOLS, NEW RESEARCH INSTITUTES A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT CONCEPT AROUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS. IMAGINE IF WE HAD A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON THE TRAJECTORY OF THE NEAR WEST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN, THE WEST SIDE, AND THE ENTIRE CITY. AS WE REALIZE THIS POTENTIAL. WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS. YOU MAY HAVE RECALL THAT WHEN I, UH, CELEBRATED OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR DOWNTOWN CAMPUS LAST FALL, I STARTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS, AND THE ARD REPORT IN THE BUSINESS JOURNAL HAVE BEEN COVERING MY DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS SINCE JANUARY. AND I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF CHATTING WITH MOST OF YOU ABOUT THESE VISIONS. UH, WE HAD A, AN URBAN LAND INSTITUTE IN, UH, VISIONING SESSION THIS JULY, WHERE WE LOOKED WITH ALL OF THE INSTITUTIONS IN THE NEAR WEST SIDE ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT WORK TOGETHER AS WE GO FORWARD TO DO THIS, WE HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS DOWNTOWN THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING IN CONCERT WITH SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL. COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, COUNCILMAN TREVINO. WE HAVE A LOT OF EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEGUN THIS PAST YEAR ABOUT, UH, REVITALIZING THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, BRINGING MORE SERVICES BACK, BRINGING MORE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS DOWNTOWN. THAT IS ALL UNDERWAY. THE CONCEPT THAT'S SHOWN UP ON THE SLIDES RIGHT NOW IS REALLY A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PROPERTIES RELATED TO, UH, UH, UH, WHERE WE'RE WE INTEND TO LOCATE OUR NEW SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE AND OUR NATIONAL SECURITY COLLABORATION CENTER. UH, WE, WE ALSO ARE GONNA BE, UH, VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON WHAT WE DO WITH CATTLEMAN SQUARE AS A RESIDENTIAL LOCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS. THE PROPERTIES THAT, THOSE ARE ALL SHOWN IN GREEN, THE PROPERTIES IN ORANGE, UH, OVER ON REO STREET ARE, ARE SORT OF A DOWNSTREAM FOCUS ON WHERE WE NEED TO GO AND THE FUTURE CONVERSATIONS WE WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU ABOUT GROWING THE CAMPUS AND MAKING USE OF THOSE PROPERTIES. THE SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE WILL BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN TEXAS AND PROBABLY NATIONALLY. WE HAVE, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE OBTAINED THE FUNDING FROM THE, THE REGIONS AND FROM A DONOR ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PROCEED WITH BUILDING 138,000 SQUARE FOOT, UH, UH, FACILITY FOR US THAT WOULD INVOLVE A NUMBER OF OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY ON CAMPUS. AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING GOING WITH THIS. WE ALSO HAVE THE FUNDING IN PLACE TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL SECURITY COLLABORATION CENTER DOWNTOWN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND MANY PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS NOTION OF AN ECOSYSTEM THAT INVOLVES DATA, INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CYBERSECURITY, UH, UH, INFORMATION SCIENCE GENERALLY, DATA SCIENCE GENERALLY. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEM FOR THE FUTURE, FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO. WE'RE ALSO UN IN, IN PROGRESS. WORK IS IN PROGRESS ABOUT, UH, UH, UH, REALIZING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR COLLEGE [00:40:01] OF BUSINESS DOWNTOWN. AND AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IF THIS ALL COMES TO FRUITION AS PLANNED, WE WILL HAVE THREE FOUNDATIONAL STRUCTURES IN THE, IN THE NEAR WEST SIDE, A SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY COLLABORATION CENTER, AND A COLLEGE OF BUSINESS DOWNTOWN, ALL CO-LOCATED DRIVING THAT ECOSYSTEM I JUST DESCRIBED. LET ME DIGRESS SLIGHTLY. IF WE ARE AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE CAN BE WITH THIS, WE ARE BRINGING COMPANIES TO DOWNTOWN THAT WILL BE CREATING JOBS, HIGH WAGE, PAYING HIGH SALARY JOBS. IF WE HAVE OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THOSE PROGRAMS, INTERNING IN THOSE THO THOSE, THOSE BUSINESSES THAT MIGRATE DOWNTOWN OR LOCATE DOWNTOWN. BECAUSE OF THIS, WE'RE CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT THAT MEANS HIGH PAYING JOBS, A WORKFORCE THAT'S WELL PREPARED, AND A WORKFORCE THAT STAYS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO INSIDE THIS ECOSYSTEM. THAT IS WHAT I REFER TO AS PROSPERITY. WE'RE ALSO ABOUT TO LAUNCH OUR R F Q R F P FOR DEVELOPING CATTLEMAN SQUARE. THAT'S TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF GETTING MORE OF OUR STUDENTS LIVING DOWNTOWN. REMEMBER, STUDENTS, UH, NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO, TO PAY MARKET RATES. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A STRATEGY TO GET MORE OF OUR STUDENTS DOWNTOWN IN THE, IN THE NEAR WEST SIDE AND, AND, AND, AND ACROSS THE CITY WHO HAVE ACCESS TO OUR DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, UH, WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND I, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A TEASER FOR SOMETHING THAT'S COMING UP, UH, RELATED TO OUR URBAN EDUCATION INSTITUTE WITHIN OUR COLLEGE OF EDUCATION. WE'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK WITH, UH, LEADERSHIP AT LANIER AND TEFOYA AND BRACKENRIDGE ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF ESTABLISHING A LABORATORY SCHOOL MODEL BETWEEN OUR COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND THOSE THREE NEIGHBORS OF OURS, UH, WHERE THEY ADOPT US AND WE ADOPT THEM AS WE GO FORWARD. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE SHARING AS A STORY SOON, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU NOW AS A, A GOOD NEWS, UH, UH, STORY ABOUT THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THE WEST SIDE OF, OF DOWNTOWN. IT'S IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE, WE PURSUE THIS WITH VIGOR. SO THANKS, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO QUESTIONS AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. THANK YOU, DR. AMY. IF DOCTORS AMY'S VISION IS IMPLEMENTED, THIS WOULD BE HUGE AND CATALYTIC FOR THIS AREA OF DOWNTOWN. HE IS PROPOSING TO GROW THE CAMPUS FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT, SO 15,000 STUDENTS AND 2000 MORE FACULTY AND STAFF IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA. IT'S CURRENTLY IN ABOUT 5,000 TODAY. THE THE PHASE ONE EXPANSION INCLUDES A $341 MILLION INVESTMENT THAT IS BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT. THEY ARE PROPOSING TO RETAIN THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, THE COLLEGE OF PUBLIC POLICY, AND THE COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AT THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, AND RELOCATE THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS TO THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS FROM THE MAIN CAMPUS. THEY'RE PROPOSING TO DEVELOP A NEW SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE THAT WE LOCATED DOWNTOWN IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COLLABORATION CENTER. ALSO DOWNTOWN. THEY ALSO ARE PROPOSING MUCH NEEDED STUDENT HOUSING AND WORKFORCE HOUSING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR STAFF AND FACULTY. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS A PARTNER IN THIS PHASE ONE EXPANSION. WE ARE PROPOSING THE CONVEYANCE OF TWO CITY-OWNED PARCELS, 5 0 6 DELAROSA AND 7 0 2 DELAROSA TO THE UT SYSTEM IN THE AMOUNT OF $7.3 MILLION. DR. AMY IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH JUDGE NELSON WOLFE ON THE CONVEYANCE OF THREE PARCELS OF PROPERTY WHERE THE FEDERAL DETENTION CENTER IS CURRENTLY LOCATED, AND THAT'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT IN THE COMING MONTHS. THESE FIVE PARCELS WILL BE THE LOCATION OF THE NEW SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE, THE NATIONAL SECURITY COLLABORATION CENTER, AND THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, AND THIS REPRESENTS $226 MILLION OF INVESTMENT. THE PHASE ONE TRANSACTION ALSO INCLUDES THE CONSTRUCTION OF MUCH NEEDED FACULTY AND STUDENT HOUSING. DR. AMY ALSO ALLUDED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 1500 BED STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT OVER AT THE CATTLEMAN SQUARE PROPERTY NEAR THEIR DOWNTOWN CAMPUS. AND WE'LL BE WORKING WITH DR. AMY AND U T SS A ON ISSUING AN R F P FOR THE CONTINENTAL HOTEL BUILDING. WE'LL BE ASKING DEVELOPERS TO SUBMIT PLANS FOR A MIXED USE AND MIXED INCOME PROJECT ON THAT SITE TO ACCOMMODATE FACULTY AND STAFF HOUSING NEEDS. WE DO HAVE A PHASE TWO OF THE DOWNTOWN EXPANSION, PHASE ONE FROM 2018 TO 2023, AND PHASE TWO IS FROM 2023 TO 2028. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, WE WORKING WITH U T SS A ON THE PHASE TWO EXPANSION, WHICH WILL INCLUDE [00:45:01] THREE CITY-OWNED PARCELS ON FREO STREET ACROSS FROM THEIR DOWNTOWN CAMPUS. THESE THREE PARCELS CURRENTLY HAVE THE FRANK VIEWING MUNICIPAL COURT, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FLEET CENTER, THE I T S D DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE'LL BE LOCATING TO THE FROST BANK TOWER AND AN SS A P D SUBSTATION. TODAY'S ACTION IS LIMITED TO THE TWO PROPERTIES IN PHASE ONE, HOWEVER, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH U T S A AND WILL RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL WITH A PROPOSAL FOR THOSE PHASE TWO PROPERTIES. HOWEVER, AT THE TIME OF THAT REQUEST, CITY STAFF WILL HAVE IDENTIFIED RELOCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE THREE OPERATIONS ON THOSE PROPERTIES AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR THOSE PROPERTIES. BUT WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL THAT IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, THE 5 0 6 OSA PROPERTY AND 7 0 2 DELAROSA PROPERTY ARE CURRENTLY BEING USED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. 5 0 6 DELAROSA IS THE LOCATION OF THE TEMPORARY MODULAR COMPLEX WHERE WE HAVE SEVERAL STAFF MEMBERS' OFFICE AS A RESULT OF THE CITY HALL RENOVATION. THAT MODULAR COMPLEX WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH FEBRUARY OF 2020, SORRY, TILL THROUGH NOVEMBER OF 2020 TO ACCOMMODATE THE RESTORATION OF CITY HALL AND THE RESTORATION AND, UM, OF FROST BANK TOWER. ONCE WE COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS, THAT SITE WILL BE VACATED AND U T SS A WILL HAVE CONTROL OF THAT SITE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT NOVEMBER OF 2020 FOR THAT SITE. 7 0 2 DELAROSA IS CURRENTLY BEING USED AS A SURFACE PARKING SPACE. SEVERAL OF OUR CITY STAFF PARK IN THAT LOT. WE WILL NOT BE SEATING CONTROL OF THAT LOT UNTIL THE FROST BANK TOWER HAS BEEN VACATED. AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE FROST BANK GARAGE, WHICH HAS 732 SPACES THAT WAY WE HAVE PARKING SPACES FOR THAT CITY STAFF THAT WILL HAVE TO VACATE THAT LOT. WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT VACATING THAT UNTIL OCTOBER, 2019, AND THAT'S DURING THE TIME THAT FROST BANK WILL BE VACATING THE TOWER THAT THE CITY CURRENTLY OWNS. WE HAVE ONE MORE ACTION THAT'LL COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL AT A LATER DATE, AND THAT IS A CLOSURE OF A STREET THAT BIFURCATES THE COUNTY'S PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT CURRENTLY HOUSES THE JAIL AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S SURFACE PARKING LOT. AND THAT IS A SMALL SLIVER, LAREDO STREET BETWEEN DELAROSA AND NEVA. IF TODAY'S ACTION IS APPROVED, WE'LL INITIATE THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS AND GO THROUGH THE REGULATORY PROCESS TO INCLUDE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL. IT IS A SMALL LOT THAT HAS, SEV HAS SEVERAL METERS. IT'S A SMALL STREET THAT HAS SEVERAL METERS ALONG IT, AND WE'LL DO THE APPROPRIATE NOTIFICATION PROCESS TO VACATE AND ABANDON THAT. THE FISCAL IMPACT OF THIS PROJECT IS HUGE. WE'VE ALREADY DONE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY FOR PHASE ONE. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS NORTH OF $150 MILLION. AS A RESULT OF THE CONSTRUCTION, U T S A WILL PURCHASE THE CITY PROPERTY FOR $7.3 MILLION, WHICH IS FAIR MARKET VALUE. THESE PROCEEDS WILL GO TO OFFSET THE DEBT NECESSARY TO DO THE RENOVATIONS OF THE FROST BANK TOWER, AND THAT WAS PART OF THE P THREE TRANSACTION THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVED IN 2015. U T S C A WILL ALSO BE DEVELOPING A PHASE ONE CAPITAL FUNDING REQUEST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AFTER THEY'VE DONE MORE DUE DILIGENCE ON THIS PHASE ONE EXPANSION. AND THAT CAPITAL FUNDING REQUEST WILL RE REQUEST FUNDING FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS UTILITY BURIAL, UTILITY CONNECTIONS, STREET IMPROVEMENTS, OR POTENTIAL CLEANUP. THEY'LL RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THAT DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET PROCESS. I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THANK YOU TO THE VOTERS APPROVED $80.9 MILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IN THE ZONE OF CULTURAL AND THE AREAS SURROUNDING U T S A. THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE COORDINATED WITH U T S A TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT FOR THE STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF, AND THE RESIDENTS OF OUR DOWNTOWN TO USE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THE CONVEYANCE OF TWO CITY OWNED PROPERTIES VALUED AT $7.3 MILLION. THAT TOTAL APPROXIMATELY 4.5 ACRES. AND WE'RE ALSO REQUESTING APPROVAL TO EXECUTE AFTER THE NEGOTIATION, A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM, AN AGREEMENT TO SUPPORT THEIR PHASE ONE EXPANSION. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. DR. AMY AND MYSELF ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, LORI, AND THANK YOU, DR. AMY. UH, WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, AND SO WE'LL BEGIN NOW WITH THOSE FOLKS. UH, I WILL CALL THE FIRST NAME UP [00:50:01] AND THEN I'LL CALL THE NEXT NAME. IN LINE, I WILL START WITH SECRETARY HENRY CISNEROS, FOLLOWED BY RICHARD PETTUS, MAYOR NUREMBERG, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE, CITY MANAGER, SCULLY AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY, EXECUTIVE STAFF, DR. AMY AND THE U C S A TEAM, INCLUDING A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS WHO WAS HERE WITH US THIS MORNING. UH, RAD WEAVER. THIS IS A VERY POWERFUL PLAN, AND DR. AMY HAS ASKED ME TO BE HERE THIS MORNING IN TWO CAPACITIES. FIRST, AS A FORMER HUD SECRETARY WHO OVERSAW A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES AND CITIES, AND PARTICULARLY UNIVERSITIES THAT HAVE DOWNTOWN CAMPUSES. AND SECONDLY, AS A RESIDENT OF A NEAR DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE WEST SIDE. LET ME JUST SAY A QUICK WORD ABOUT THE STUDY THAT WE DID. WHAT IT, WHAT WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO DO WAS FIND OUT WHAT ARE THE DRIVERS OF THE NEW AMERICAN ECONOMY. AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT IT WAS A, A DIFFERENT ECONOMY FUNDAMENTALLY THAN THE OLDER ECONOMY THAT WAS LARGELY MANUFACTURING. THERE WERE TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS AND ALL KINDS OF MANUFACTURERS IN MOST AMERICAN CITIES. THE NEW ECONOMY IS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, NEW MEDIA, MEDICAL CENTERS, UH, INTERNATIONAL, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY, HIGHER EDUCATION. YOU NAME ME, AN AMERICAN CITY, AND I WILL DESCRIBE TO YOU A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, THAT IS THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN MANY CASES. UM, A LARGE CONTRACTOR, A GENERATOR OF, UH, OF TRAFFIC, PEOPLE MOVEMENT, UH, AND A POWERFUL, POWERFUL FORCE IN GUIDING THE ECONOMY OF A CITY, ALMOST SEATTLE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, LOS ANGELES, AND U C L A AND U S C. WE COULD GO AROUND THE MAP, NEW YORK CITY, MULTIPLE INSTITUTIONS. AND WHEN THOSE INSTITUTIONS ARE DOWNTOWN, IT'S IMMENSELY DYNAMIC IN TERMS OF WHAT IF IT DOES FOR THE DOWNTOWN OF A CITY, A PLACE LIKE AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WHAT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEANS THERE. OR WASHINGTON DC WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, SAN FRANCISCO, THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IN SAN FRANCISCO AND NEW YORK, MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS THAT AROUND N Y U, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY OR COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PHOENIX, WHERE CITY MANAGER SCULLY HELP EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF ARIZONA STATE INTO THE DOWNTOWN OF PHOENIX WITH GREAT EFFECT. ONE OF THE BYPRODUCTS OF THIS WORK THAT WAS DONE IN THE 1990S WAS THE CREATION OF SEVERAL NONPROFIT GROUPS THAT FOCUS ON WHAT ARE CALLED ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS, INSTITUTIONS, THAT BY THEIR SCALE, BRING IMMENSE VOLUME OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND HIGHER EDUCATION IS CLEARLY ONE OF THOSE. NOW, WHEN YOU COMBINE A LARGE UNIVERSITY PRESENT PRESENCE WITH A FUTURE ORIENTED, UH, FIELD OF STUDY, SUCH AS THE CYBERSECURITY DATA SERVICES ACTIVITY, IT IS A TWOFER FOR SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS A TWO PLUS TWO EQUALS FOUR FIVE DYNAMIC THAT'S ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED. NOW LEMME SAY JUST A QUICK, A FEW QUICK WORDS. AS A RESIDENT OF THE WEST SIDE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE POINTS OF THE COMPASS AROUND THE DOWNTOWN, THEY'RE ALL DOING RELATIVELY WELL, EXCEPT FOR THE WEST SIDE. TO THE SOUTH IS KING WILLIAM AND, UH, BLUE STAR AND BIG TECHS. AND BEYOND THAT, THE MISSION'S REACH TO THE EAST IS THE NEW INVESTMENTS IN THE FREDERICK AND THE MERCHANTS AREA, AND THE CARVER AND, AND, AND OTHER DYNAMICS BEYOND, UH, THE, THE, THE DOME AND TO THE NORTH, OF COURSE, IS THE, THE SAC AREA WITH NEW RESIDENTIAL ACTIVITY AND THE PEARL, ET CETERA. THE WEST SIDE HAS SEVERAL DISADVANTAGES ASSOCIATED WITH A LONG TRADITION OF IH 35 BEING A BARRIER THAN THE RAILROAD TRACKS, THAN THE JAIL. MORE RECENTLY, SOME OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH A LARGE CONCENTRATION OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN HAVEN FOR HOPE. I LIVE IN THE AREA, I KNOW IT WELL. I LIVE THIS, THESE PROBLEMS. UH, BUT TO HAVE 15,000 STUDENTS, TO HAVE 2000 FACULTY TO HAVE A DYNAMIC OF, OF, OF INVESTMENT, OF CONTRACTING, UH, WILL INEVITABLY SHARE SOME OF THAT ECO ACTIVITY, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WITH A PORTION OF THE CITY HAS NOT, NOT HAD IT. COUNCILMAN TREVINO HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THIS ARENA, COUNCILWOMAN SHIRLEY GONZALEZ, AND MANY OTHERS OF YOU AS WELL, PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS TRANSFERENCE. IT IS A CLASSIC, UH, UH, PRIMING OF THE PUMP BY A CITY GOVERNMENT WITH ITS RESOURCES, PUBLIC RESOURCES TO MAKE POSSIBLE SOMETHING THAT, AS DR. AMY HAS APPROPRIATELY SAID, IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ACTIONS FOR THE DOWNTOWN AND FOR OUR CITY THAT I'VE WITNESSED IN THE LAST 30 YEARS. LET ME JUST CLOSE BY [00:55:01] SAYING I'VE BEEN AROUND HERE A LONG TIME. MY FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE, AND BY THE WAY, I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AS A FORMER GRADUATE OF TEXAS A AND M. SO THAT'S A BIG, BIG CONCESSION ON MY PART. BUT, UH, MY FIRST JOB WAS IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I WITNESSED WAS THE END OF HEMISPHERE IN 1968, AND IT WAS TOUTED AS THE SITE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO. OF COURSE, WE KNOW IT WENT TO ITS PRESENT SITE, BUT TO ADD NOW, UH, THIS KIND OF ECONOMIC GENERATOR IN THE, IN, IN THE DOWNTOWN AND IN THE NEAR WEST SIDE, REALLY SORT OF CLOSES THE LOOP ON ABOUT 50 YEARS OF HISTORY AND POTENTIAL. AND I ENCOURAGE YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR THE ACTION YOU WILL TAKE TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SECRETARY CISNEROS. RICHARD PEREZ, FOLLOWED BY RAD WEAVER. GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS RICHARD PEREZ. I'M PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE CONVEYANCE OF THE PROPERTY, T U T S A FOR THIS FANTASTIC PROJECT. I WILL TELL YOU, I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A GOOD DAY WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING. NO TRAFFIC GOT TO THE OFFICE REALLY QUICKLY, BUT TO HAVE TO FOLLOW HENRY CISNEROS AS A SPEAKER , IT'S GOING DOWN DOWNHILL FROM HERE. UM, BUT I WILL SAY, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, THIS IS A FANTASTIC PROJECT. THESE ARE THE KIND OF PROJECTS THAT AS A FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND AS NOW, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE OF THE CHAMBER, THE KIND OF PROJECTS THAT WE LOOK FOR, THE KIND OF PROJECTS THAT WE CRAVE THAT MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AND CHANGE LIVES OF PEOPLE, IT BRINGS PEOPLE UP. IT, IT, IT TURNS THINGS INTO ANOTHER THING THAT WE THOUGHT WAS NICE AND NOW IT'S GONNA BE GREAT. AND SO I THINK YOUR LEADERSHIP HERE TODAY IS AMAZING, CHERYL, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH DR. AMY AND THE UT BOARD OF REGENTS IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS RIGHT NOW, TODAY TO FURTHER THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE BEEN SEEING, AND THAT WE MUST CONTINUE IN ORDER FOR OUR CITIZENS TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF, OF WHAT THIS CITY IS. AND THAT IS A WELCOMING CITY THAT IS FULL OF OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. PEREZ RAD WEAVER, FOLLOWED BY LORENZO GOMEZ MORNING. I THINK LAST TIME I ADDRESSED YOU ALL, I GOT VERY EMOTIONAL AND, AND, UM, I MIGHT DO IT AGAIN TODAY. I, I SEEM TO KEEP FINDING THESE THINGS I'M COMPLETELY EMOTIONALLY INVESTED IN WHEN I GET UP TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF YOU. LOOK, I, I WANNA USE MY TIME TODAY, AND I'LL BE VERY BRIEF AND SEE MOST OF MY TIME TO LORENZO AND OTHERS BEHIND ME, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING CONTEXT TO A COUPLE OF ISSUES. UM, ONE IS THE SIZE OF THE COMMITMENT FROM, UH, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM, AND I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS IN OUR SYSTEM. LOOK, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY EVER TO GO AROUND FOR THE, FOR THE 14 SCHOOLS. THAT'S JUST SIMPLY THE, THE CASE. UM, THE $70 MILLION COMMITMENT HERE IN THIS PARTNERSHIP, UM, WITH, WITH THE CITY AND WITH, UM, THE PRIVATE SECTOR WITH GRAHAM, WHICH NEVER WOULD'VE HAPPENED WITHOUT ALL THE HARD WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CITY STAFF AND, AND GRAHAM AND LORENZO'S COMMITMENT, UM, IS MONUMENTAL, FRANKLY. UM, WE HAD, UH, ROUGHLY $90 MILLION IN PUFF FUNDS TO GIVE OUT FOR THE YEAR FOR ALL 14 INSTITUTIONS. 70 OF THAT CAME HERE. AND SO I THINK THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE COMMITMENT OF THE VISION THAT PRESIDENT AMY HAS AND THE COMMITMENT FROM, UH, YOU ALL THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. AND, UH, FROM LORENZO AND GRAHAM. UH, SECOND, I WANNA BRING A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORICAL CONTEXT, UH, HERE. SO IN, IN 1838, PRESIDENT LAMAR ADDRESSED THE THIRD CONGRESS TO THE REPUBLIC OF OF TEXAS, URGING THE CONGRESS TO ESTABLISH THE FOUNDATION FOR A VAST SYSTEM OF EDUCATION. IN 1839, THE REPUBLIC OF CONGRESS SET ASIDE 50 LEAGUES OF LAND, WHICH IS TODAY 220,000 ACRES OF LAND FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ENDOWMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. SO THAT WAS GRANT NUMBER ONE AND 1876 THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER GRANT OF A MILLION ACRES. AND IN 1883, FOLLOWED BY THE FINAL GRANT OF ONE MORE MILLION ACRES, 2.2 MILLION ACRES, THAT BY THE GRACE OF GOD HAPPENS TO BE ABOVE THE LARGEST OIL FIELD IN, IN THE WORLD. UM, IT WAS THAT VISION THAT OUR FOREFATHERS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS HAD THAT WE HAD VERY FEW FUNGIBLE ASSETS AT THAT TIME. WHAT WE DID HAVE WAS LAND, AND WE COMMITTED THAT LAND TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM. AND I ASK YOU TODAY, LOOK, I I GET IT. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN AROUND HERE ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THERE'S, THERE'S PERSONAL OPINIONS AND POLITICAL OPINIONS, AND, AND I THINK ALL THAT IS, IS GREAT IN, IN THE CONTEXT OF A GOOD GOVERNMENT. BUT I THINK THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE CAN FIND COMMON GROUND ON CERTAIN ISSUES, AND I JUST URGE YOU TODAY TO FIND COMMON GROUND AND, AND VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS CONVEYANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. WEAVER. LORENZO GOMEZ, FOLLOWED BY LEONARD RODRIGUEZ, MAYOR, COUNCIL CITY MANAGER. CHERYL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. MY NAME IS LORENZO GOMEZ AND I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF GEEKDOM, AND I'M ALSO THE CHAIRMAN OF GRAM WESTON'S 80 20 FOUNDATION. [01:00:02] I GREW UP IN SAN ANTONIO AND I WENT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AT THE FOIA MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH IS JUST A SHORT BIKE RIDE AWAY FROM THE U T S A DOWNTOWN CAMPUS. AND MY WHOLE LIFE, I GREW UP THINKING THAT THERE WAS NOT A PLACE FOR ME IN THE TECHNOLOGY WORLD THAT IN ORDER TO BE IN TECH, YOU NEEDED TO BE A STEVE JOBS TYPE CHARACTER, OR YOU NEEDED TO BE A SUPER GENIUS IN CALCULUS. AND THEN ONE DAY IN 2001, AUGUST 6TH, 2001, I GOT A JOB AT A COMPANY I NEVER HEARD OF CALLED RACKSPACE. AND THAT CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER. THIS CUTTING EDGE COMPANY CALLED RACKSPACE TOOK A CHANCE ON A 20 YEAR OLD KID FROM THE INNER CITY WITH NO COLLEGE DEGREE. AND THEY GAVE ME A CAREER, AND THEY GAVE ME SKILLS THAT I NEVER COULD HAVE FOUND BY MYSELF. THE U T S A SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY REASON I'M HERE TO SPEAK, IS GOING TO BECOME THE NEXT GREAT TALENT CREATION ENGINE FOR OUR CITY. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WHEN THE SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE IS AT FULL STRENGTH, THAT COMPANIES LIKE AMAZON, MICROSOFT, APPLE, AND FACEBOOK WILL BE FIGHTING EACH OTHER TO HIRE THESE GRADUATES EVEN BEFORE THEY'VE CROSSED THE GRADUATION STAGE. U T S A CURRENTLY SERVES 32,000 STUDENTS. OVER HALF OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE LOCAL SAN ANTONIO KIDS. THE SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE IS GONNA SHOW THOSE 16,000 STUDENTS THAT THERE IS A PLACE IN TECH FOR THEM. JUST THE WAY RACKSPACE SHOWED ME THAT THERE WAS A PLACE IN TECH FOR ME, ITS VERY PRESENCE DOWNTOWN AND ON THE NEAR WEST SIDE WILL SHOW EVERY KID AT THE FOIA THAT THERE IS A PLACE IN TECH FOR THEM. THE SKI, THE KIDS ON THE SOUTH SIDE WILL KNOW THAT THERE IS A PLACE IN TECH FOR THEM, AND THE KIDS ON THE EAST SIDE WILL KNOW THAT THERE IS A PLACE IN TECH FOR THEM. FOR ME, THIS IS THE REAL INSPIRING MISSION AND THE REASON THAT THE 80 20 FOUNDATION HAS PLEDGED $15 MILLION TO SUPPORT PRESIDENT TAYLOR AMY'S GRAND VISION. THE POWER OF THIS SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE AND ITS EFFECT WILL OUTLIVE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM. IT'LL OUTLIVE ME AND IT'LL OUTLIVE OUR TECH ECOSYSTEM. AND THAT IS AN INSPIRING MISSION WORTH GETTING BEHIND, AND I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US IN OUR EFFORT TO MAKE THIS CITY THE NEXT GREAT ECONOMIC ENGINE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU. MR. GOMEZ. LEONARD RODRIGUEZ, FOLLOWED BY GILA SHAHIDI, MAYOR NUREMBERG, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M LEONARD BRENNAN RODRIGUEZ, PRESIDENT AND C E O OF THE WEST SIDE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD, UH, WE ARE HERE TO EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT FOR ITEM FIVE, THE PRESENCE OF AN EXPANDED U T S A DOWNTOWN CAMPUS MEANS MANY THINGS. PERHAPS, PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT IS THE CYBERSECURITY CENTER AND SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCES. HAVING WORKED AT THE WHITE HOUSE DURING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, THIS NATIONAL SECURITY COLLABORATION CENTER IS AN ANCHOR IN ESTABLISHING WHAT SAN ANTONIO MIGHT BE KNOWN FOR IN THE PROFESSIONAL AND WHITE COLLAR MARKETPLACE. WITHOUT A DOUBT, THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR SAN ANTONIO, AND THAT IS TO ESTABLISH ITS WHITE COLLAR PROFESSION CALLING CARD, SOMETHING THE CITY HAS BEEN LACKING. AND WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE WEST SIDE IS IN DIRE NEED OF MORE PRIVATE SECTOR PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE UNEMPLOYMENT, HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATES AND NON-COLLEGE ATTAINMENT RATES OVER INDEX, INDEED UTSA'S EXPANSION WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES AND SOCIAL MOBILITY FOR OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS, NAMELY ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION, ACCESS TO JOBS ON CAMPUS, AND MOST EXCITING, THE MANY PROFESSIONAL CAREERS IN MILITARY DEFENSE, IT AND CYBERSECURITY PRESIDENT. AMY'S DISTRIBUTED CAMPUS MODEL VISION IS ALSO A GAME CHANGING PLANNING EFFORT TO RECONNECT THE WEST SIDE TO THE DOWNTOWN CORE. NOW, MORE THAN EVER, THE NEED AND REALIZATION TO WORK WITH LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS WITH U T S A CREATES DEMAND TO FURTHER OPEN THE CAMPUS TO THE COMMUNITY WITH EVENTS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND MOST CRITICAL LINKAGES AND CONNECTIVITY. THIS IS AN ALIGNMENT WITH COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, WITH WHAT SHE'S DOING WITH HER HISTORIC WEST SIDE GATEWAY INITIATIVE AND PROJECTS LIKE THE COMMERCE STREET BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS. THIS IS TO SAY THAT THE CAMPUS WILL LITERALLY SERVE AS A PHYSICAL CONNECTOR BETWEEN THE DOWNTOWN AND WEST SIDE, BUT NOT WITHOUT MORE INVESTMENT TO THE AREA. TO DATE, THE HIGHWAY CONTINUES TO SERVE AS A BARRIER BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND THE WEST SIDE. BUT YOU CAN OVERCOME THIS CHALLENGE. IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO ME THAT GIVEN A CITY COUNCIL WHO LOVES A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR WEALTHY COMMUNITY, LANDBRIDGE TO CONNECT A PARK, PERHAPS A MORE NOBLE, IMPACTFUL, AND EQUITABLE INVESTMENT IS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR UNDERPASS RENOVATION TO RESTORE GREATER CONNECTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE I 10 35 [01:05:01] UNDER PLA, UNDER UNDERPASS WITH WORLD CLASS ARTWORK, FARMERS AND MAKERS MARKETS, EVENT PROGRAMMING, PLACEMAKING AND SITE PROGRAMMING. THIS IS THE TYPE OF SUPPORT OUR WEST SIDE NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT A COMMUNITY THAT IS CALLED THIS AREA OF HOME DOES NOT FEEL ALIEN ALIENATED. WITH THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT, OUR ORGANIZATION IS THANKFUL TO THE CITY, THE COUNTY, AND U T S A, BECAUSE WITH THIS POSSIBILITY, MORE, MORE COME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. RODRIGUEZ. GILA SHAHIDI, FOLLOWED BY WARREN WILKINSON. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS GILA SHAHIDI. I AM CURRENTLY A UNDERGRADUATE SOPHOMORE STUDYING BOTH CYBERSECURITY AND COMPUTER SCIENCE. UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO REPRESENT NOT ONLY MY OWN ENTHUSIASM, BUT THE ENTHUSIASM OF FUTURE PERSPECTIVE STUDENTS WHO WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE PART OF SUCH AN INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITY IN A FAST DEVELOPING, INNOVATIVE WORLD. UM, I'M ORIGINALLY FROM AUSTIN, SO I WAS ACTUALLY GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PART OF THE CAP PROGRAM, WHICH I DID DECLINE BECAUSE I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH, AND I DID FIND THAT U T S A DID HARBOR THE NUMBER ONE CYBERSECURITY PROGRAM, AND I DID TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. UM, AND ALSO DURING MY SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT SAN ANTONIO WAS A HUB OF A PLETHORA OF RESOURCES FROM RESEARCH INSTITUTES TO, UH, INDUSTRY JOBS, AND TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT ALL FOCUS AROUND INFORMATION ASSURANCE, CYBERSECURITY, COMPUTER SCIENCE. AND TODAY, I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT I'VE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION TO LIVE AND TO STUDY IN A CITY THAT CAN PROVIDE SO MANY RESOURCES, UM, LIKE GEEKDOM THAT CAN PROVIDE MAYBE, UH, IDEAS AND, UH, THE MONEY FOR TECH STARTUPS FOR STUDENTS LIKE ME. UM, A FEW WEEKS BACK, I REMEMBER I WAS READING ABOUT THE, UH, PRESIDENT'S AMY'S DOWNTOWN PLAN, AND I COULDN'T FEEL MORE EXCITED. I REALLY WAS EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE, THE FUTURE OF U T S A, WHERE A LOT OF STUDENTS WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF A SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE, WHERE AN ENVIRONMENT, UM, THAT IS HORIZONTALLY INTEGRATED CAN WORK WITH, UH, BUSINESS STUDENTS, OTHER COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS, AND REALLY TAKE PART OF SOMETHING THAT I HOPEFULLY CAN TAKE PART IN WHEN I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE OR MY GRADUATE STUDIES IN THE SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE. SO I REALLY AM LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING A PART OF THE SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE, HOPEFULLY EITHER FOR MY MASTER'S OR PHD. UM, BUT I AM ALSO MORE EXCITED FOR THE SCHOOL OR FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, JUST LIKE AUSTIN'S GROWING INTO A HUGE TECH HUB. SAN ANTONIO WILL DEFINITELY BRING INTO THAT CYBERSECURITY ASPECT THAT A LOT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE CITIES AREN'T REALLY, UM, TAILORING TO RIGHT NOW. UM, BUT IN CLOSING, I AM REALLY HOPING THAT I CAN TAKE PART OF THIS, THIS PROGRAM, THE SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE, I CAN STUDY FOR MY GRADUATE, UH, STUDIES. AND I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS, AND I HOPE I CAN BE HERE FOR THAT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. SHAHIDI. WARREN WILKINSON, FOLLOWED BY YANA FLORES, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS MANAGER SCULLY. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UH, WITH YOU TODAY. I AM WARREN WILKINSON WITH CENTRO. UM, I CERTAINLY URGE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE, UH, TRANSFER OF THE LAND SALE OF THE LAND PARCELS TO U T S A. I CAN'T THINK, UH, A A LOT HAS BEEN SAID ALREADY, SO I WON'T REPEAT THAT. BUT ONE OF THE PAST SPEAKERS TALKING ABOUT THE CONNECTIVITY UNDER 35 AND INTERSTATE 10 IS JUST CRUCIAL. UH, YOU RECALL BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2015, THE STATE AND THE CITY CREATED Z OF AL, AND YOU THINK BACK WHAT THE, UH, ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THAT WAS, AND IT WAS TO VITALIZE, REVITALIZE, UH, THAT AREA, UM, FROM MAIN STREET OVER TO 35, AND THEN OVER TO TRIO AS PHASE TWO. THE, UH, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS A GAME CHANGER FOR Z OF CULTURAL I, IT WILL ACHIEVE WHEN IT'S BUILT. IT'LL ACHIEVE MANY OF THE GOALS BY, UH, ACTIVATING THAT, THAT WHOLE AREA. IT WILL ALSO, UM, CAPITALIZE ON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, UH, VESTA MILAN PARK. YOU CAN IMAGINE MILAN PARK NOW WITH ALL THESE STUDENTS AND FACULTY JUST A COUPLE OF BLOCKS AWAY. SO IT, IT DOES ACHIEVE SO MANY GOALS. I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT, UH, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. WILKINSON. YANETTE FLORES. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JEANNETTE RES AND, UM, ALWAYS AM FOREVER A ROADRUNNER THAT JUST FELT LIKE, UM, IT NEEDED TO BE SAID. UM, TODAY I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE [01:10:01] MEMBERS OF THE WEST SIDE PRESERVATION ALLIANCE AND THE ESPERANZA CENTER. WE REQUEST THAT THE ORDINANCE APPROVING THE CELL OF THE CITY OWNED LAND TO U T S A FOR THEIR DOWNTOWN EX EXPANSION PLAN BE DELAYED UNTIL U T S A CONDUCTS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS WITH THE RESIDENTS OF THE WEST SIDE. U T SS A PLANS TO EXPAND THEIR DOWNTOWN CAMPUS WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE WEST SIDE AND AN AREA THAT IS ALREADY FACING GENTRIFICATION PRESSURES FROM DEVELOPERS. AND TO DATE HAS BEEN ALMOST, AND TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN ALMOST NO, IF NOT, ZERO COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS ON THE PLANNED EXPANSION IF A COMMUNITY MEETING HAS BEEN HELD. NEITHER ESPERAN SUN NOR W P A, SO THE WEST SIDE PRESERVATION ALLIANCE, NOR THE HISTORIC WEST SIDE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION AND THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN INVITED TO MEETINGS BY U T S A. THESE ORGANIZATIONS WORK, LIVE AND PLAY IN THE WEST SIDE, AND MOST, IF NOT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN LEFT OUT OF A CONVERSATION THAT WILL DIRECTLY AFFECT OUR LIVES. ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE A SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPANSION TO USHER AND RAPID GENTRIFICATION IN THE WEST SIDE, AND RESIDENTS VOICES AND CONCERNS MUST BE HEARD BEFORE THE CITY AND UT U T S A DECIDE ON THE FUTURE OF THE WEST SIDE. WE WOULD HOPE THAT THE CITY AND U T S A WOULD UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY OF CREATING A PLAN TO PREVENT GENTRIFICATION IN THE WEST SIDE. BEFORE ANY LAND DEALS ARE APPROVED, WE HAVE WITNESSED LOW INCOME AND WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOODS DISPLACED BY UNIVERSITIES IN PLACES LIKE PHILADELPHIA, HARLEM, AND NEW HAVEN. WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE THE HISTORIC WEST SIDE BE A RACE BY WHAT MAY, BUT WHAT BY WHAT MIGHT ULTIMATELY BE A GOOD INTENTION FOR INCREASED STUDENT ENROLLMENT. WE MERELY ASK THAT U T S A ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY THEY WISH TO EXPAND INTO BEFORE MAKING DECISIONS THAT WILL IMPACT THE COMMUNITY TREMENDOUSLY. ONCE AGAIN, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT U T S A, UH, ONCE AGAIN, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT U T S A AND THIS ITEM BE DELAYED UNTIL FURTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS WITH THE WEST SIDE RESIDENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE, AND THAT THERE IS A PLAN TO PREVENT THE GENTRIFICATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. GRACIAS. THANK YOU, MS. FLORES. UH, FIRST I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, ALL THE FOLKS WHO HAVE COME OUT TO SPEAK, UH, MANY DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, UH, DR. AMY LORI, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, THIS IS CERTAINLY, AS WE ALL KNOW, WITH THE TWO ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA, A DAY OF TREMENDOUS GRAVITY, UH, IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY, WHEN WE'RE ALL LONG GONE, PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER THESE TWO VOTES, UH, FOR A VERY LONG TIME. SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE ARE GONNA GET INTO THE CONVERSATION AT COUNCIL AND BEGIN WITH COUNCILMAN TREVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK THAT THIS IS A BOLD, BOLD DAY, UM, OF BOLD DECISIONS AND, UM, TIMING IS EVERYTHING. AND I WANNA THANK DR. AMY FOR, FOR, UH, BEING SO BOLD, UH, SO EARLY ON IN HIS TENURE AT U T S A. UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE TO, TO CREATE THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, TO CREATE THAT DISCUSSION. AND I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ALSO SAYING IS THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SAY, UH, YOU TO, TO SEE, UH, YOUR INSTITUTION REALLY TAKE ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS, IS, UH, HISTORIC. AND, UH, WANT TO THANK YOU PUBLICLY FOR THAT. UH, WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT, UH, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE'VE HAD MANY PEOPLE COME AND SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT AND TALK ABOUT ITS IMPACT. UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS PROJECT, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS, UH, A MEANINGFUL GESTURE ON THE CITY'S BEHALF TO SAY THAT WE'RE PARTNERING, UH, WITH U T S A TO, TO BE INVOLVED WITH EDUCATION IN OUR CITY. AND I THINK THAT THAT SPEAKS LOUDLY AND CLEARLY WITH THIS VOTE. UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT WHAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF IS HOW WE'RE INVESTING INTO OUR WEST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN, AND HOW WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION FOR, FOR FUTURE GROWTH IN THE AREA. AS SECRETARY CIS COMMENTED, IT'S ABOUT TIME. UM, I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THIS GIVES US GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO GROW OUR CITY IN A VERY UNIQUE WAY, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, AS LEGACY ISSUES, UH, THAT MOST CITIES HAVE, QUITE FRANKLY, UH, WITH REGARDS TO HOUSING, ECONOMIC SEGREGATION, OPPORTUNITY, EDUCATION. I MEAN, THIS REALLY TACKLES A LOT OF THOSE, AND I'M EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THAT AND CERTAINLY COUNT ME AS A PARTNER [01:15:01] IN THAT EFFORT. UH, I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING TO HAVE AN INSTITUTION LIKE U T SS A, UH, LEADING THE CHARGE, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT MORE CAN WE ASK FOR, UM, TO THINK ABOUT THE 15,000 PLUS STUDENTS THAT WILL BE COMING TO DOWNTOWN IS, IS A, IS TO ME, IS A CALLING TO START LOOKING AT STRATEGIES THAT ARE GONNA HELP TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF HOUSING, ISSUES OF AFFORDABILITY, THAT, THAT CAN SET THE EXAMPLE. AND I THINK THESE PARTNERSHIPS ARE THE RIGHT MIX TO HELP PUSH THOSE KINDS OF STRATEGIES, THOSE KINDS OF SOLUTIONS FORWARD. UH, WE TALK ABOUT A HIGHWAY THAT HAS DIVIDED, CREATED A WHAT I WOULD CALL AN INVISIBLE BOUNDARY, UH, BETWEEN THE WEST SIDE AND DOWNTOWN. WE'RE GONNA ERASE THAT, WHETHER WE GO UNDER IT OR OVER IT. I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHATEVER THAT IS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT COULD BE SOMETHING QUITE EXCITING, WHAT THAT CONNECTION REALLY MEANS, BOTH TANGIBLY AND INTANGIBLY. AND MAYOR, YOU AND I EVEN SAW A WONDERFUL BRIDGE, UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE TRAVELED TO, TO ISRAEL, UH, CONNECTING A UNIVERSITY AND A TECH CENTER IN A VERY MEANINGFUL AND THOUGHTFUL WAY. UM, SO THIS IS, THIS IS BOTH A, A BRIDGE TANGIBLY, BUT A BRIDGE INTANGIBLY IN THAT IT'S BRIDGING THAT GAP. UH, I WANT TO THANK LORENZO GOMEZ AND THE 80 20 FOUNDATION AND GRAHAM WESSON FOR JUST THE, THE HEART AND BELIEF IN DOWNTOWN. YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE. IT'S NOT JUST THE PLACE, BUT IT'S THE, THE MAKING THAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE, AS YOU SO ELOQUENTLY SPOKE OF. THIS IS IT, THIS IS THE WAY YOU DO IT. SO, THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT RAD WEAVER, THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR YOUR STATEMENTS AND, AND YOUR BELIEF IN, IN HELPING TO CREATE THESE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR THE CITY. UH, I AM, I'M TRULY, TRULY, UH, HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO BE A PART OF, UH, SUCH A HISTORIC VOTE. UH, THEREFORE, I MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER FIVE. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE. COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA SAY THAT, UH, I'M REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT WE ARE FINALLY MOVING FORWARD WITH U T S A DOWNTOWN AND TO EXPAND IT INTO WHAT IT WAS HOPED TO BE YEARS AGO AS A, A MAJOR DOWNTOWN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. AND I REALLY AM SUPPORTIVE OF THAT DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT FIVE OR 10 YEARS, HOWEVER LONG IT MAY TAKE. I DO HAVE SOME, SOME QUALMS THOUGH, AND, AND BASICALLY IT'S THAT I THINK WE NEEDED, UM, MORE TIME TO GET BETTER INFORMED THROUGH, UH, THE PROCESS THAT WAS BEING INITIATED BY U T SS A AND BY OUR CITY STAFF ON WHAT ARE GOING TO BE THE CITY'S OBLIGATION IN SUPPORT OF THIS. WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE GONNA BE, UM, PROVIDING SOME PROPERTIES THAT ARE INDICATED. THE VALUE IS $7.4 MILLION. HOWEVER, THOSE PROPERTIES HAVEN'T BEEN REEVALUATED IN FIVE OR SIX YEARS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE MARKET VALUE IS. AND IF WE WERE SELLING THESE TO A COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE, A PROFIT MAKING ENTERPRISE, I'M SURE WE WOULD WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE MARKET VALUE AND MAKE THAT PART OF, UH, THE PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION THAT'S GIVEN TO US AS COUNCIL PEOPLE. UH, AND I KNOW WE'LL BE MAKING ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE. AND I FEEL RESPONSIBLE TO, UH, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY COME TO ME AND SAY, WELL, WHEN'S IT'S GOING TO COST US? UH, WHEN ARE THESE THINGS GOING TO BE DONE? UH, I FEEL RESPONSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM SOME REASONABLE ANSWERS. AND RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, WE WERE SHOWN THAT THE NEXT BUDGET IN 2020 IS GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE SOME OTHER AMOUNTS THAT ARE GONNA BE PUT INTO THAT BUDGET TO HELP SUPPORT THIS. BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE. WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE CALLED UPON IN A FEW YEARS TO SELL OTHER PROPERTY FOR THE EXPANSION, UH, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE COSTS MAY BE TO THE, TO THE CITY. UM, RELOCATING MUNICIPAL, UH, COURT, RELOCATING POLICE SUBSTATION, OTHER FACILITIES. AND IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT THE CITY IS USUALLY MORE DILIGENT IN THAT KIND OF LONG-TERM COMMITMENT AND PLANNING THAN WE'VE SEEN RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SO I HAVE TO TAKE PAUSE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THINK ABOUT THAT. UH, WHERE WILL WE BE OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS IN THE CITY'S COMMITMENTS? [01:20:01] UH, IT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID THAT THIS WILL ATTRACT MORE BUSINESS TO DOWNTOWN. UH, WELL, WHEN WE EXPAND THE COLLEGE DOWNTOWN, THE UNIVERSITY, AND WE HAVE MORE FACILITIES THAT THEY OWN, WELL, THAT TAKES PROPERTY OFF THE TAX ROLLS. IF NEW BUSINESSES ARE ATTRACTED BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, THE HISTORY IS THEY COME TO THE CITY AND THEY SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, WE NEED SOME INCENTIVES. AND DOES THAT MEAN MORE OF DOWNTOWN AND LOCAL AREAS WILL BE TAKEN OFF THE TAX ROLL FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME BECAUSE, UH, THEY'VE BEEN ENTICED TO COME DOWNTOWN? UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT PUTTING OUT IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL, AND WE'RE NOT PUTTING OUT IN FRONT OF, UH, THE PUBLIC. AND I'M SURE THERE WAS A LOT MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND MORE CITY COUNCIL ENGAGEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN TEXAS A AND M WAS BEING DEVELOPED THAN, THAN WE'VE HAD HERE. UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS A FIRST STEP. WE'RE SAYING, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND PROVIDE THESE TWO PIECES OF PROPERTY, BUT, YOU KNOW, A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH THAT FIRST STEP. AND, AND I'M CONCERNED THAT WE SHOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT'S IN STORE IN THOSE OTHER THOUSAND MILES. HOWEVER, UH, I, I REALLY DO KNOW THAT THIS WILL BE OF BENEFIT TO THE CITY. I JUST NEED TO KNOW, FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE CITY'S PARTNERSHIP RELATIONSHIP IN THIS IN THE LONG RUN. SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT IN HOPES THAT AS WE CONTINUE FORWARD, WE ARE BETTER EDUCATED AS A COUNCIL, WE'RE MORE INFORMED, UH, NO SURPRISES THAT WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT IT'S GONNA COST US 50 OR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OVER 10 YEARS TO BE A PARTNER IN THIS ENTERPRISE. SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, MAKE THOSE COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WHEN I HEARD THAT DR. OMO WAS RETIRING, UH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS SAD NEWS. I THINK THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAD MADE GREAT STRIDES. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT, AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS A VERY CRITICAL DECISION FOR OUR CITY. UM, AND SO WHEN I SAW DR. TAYLOR ENIG ME, I THOUGHT, WHO IS THIS? TAYLOR ENIG ME FROM TENNESSEE? UM, AND SO THE MORNING THAT WE WERE SCHEDULED TO MEET, UH, I GOT DRESSED AS I NORMALLY DO, PUTTING ON MY MAKEUP, TALKING TO MYSELF AS WE OFTEN DO, UH, WOMEN PUTTING OUR WAR PAINT ON IN THE MORNING. UH, AND I THOUGHT, I'M GONNA HAVE TO TELL THIS GUY EVERYTHING. HE DOESN'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE WEST SIDE. HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW WE STRUGGLED. HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW WE'VE BEEN DISENFRANCHISED. HE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE NEED FOR A CAMPUS IN THIS COMMUNITY. 20 YEARS AGO, PEOPLE FOUGHT VERY HARD TO GET A DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, AND IT HAS NEVER REALLY MATERIALIZED THE WAY THAT IT WAS INTENDED TO BE. AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO TELL HIM EVERYTHING. SO I GET DRESSED AND I GETTING DRESSED LIKE AN AITA. THAT'S SORT OF HOW I FELT THIS MORNING, PUTTING ON MY, UH, MY BULLETS ACROSS ONE SIDE AND MY BULLETS ACROSS THE OTHER SIDE, AND MY SWORDS READY TO BATTLE AND TELL HIM, UH, HOW HE NEEDED TO INVEST IN THE WEST SIDE. HE NEEDED TO MAKE THE CAMPUS THE WAY THAT IT WAS INTENDED. AND SO WE GOT TO HIS OFFICE AND WE START CHATTING THE PLEASANTRIES, AND I THOUGHT, OH, HE SEEMS NICE. UM, AND I THOUGHT, MAYBE I DON'T NEED THIS KNIFE. I'LL JUST PUT IT DOWN RIGHT HERE. AND WE GET TO TALKING AGAIN. AND I TELL HIM ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE WEST SIDE. I TELL HIM HOW WE'RE STILL WAY BEHIND THAN THE REST OF THE CITY IN INFRASTRUCTURE, IN EDUCATION, UH, IN, UH, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW, HIGH CRIME RATES, UM, THE JAIL AND HAVEN FOR HOPE AND ALL THESE SORT OF PROBLEMS. UM, AND HE SHOWS ME HIS PLANS FOR THE DISTRICT, FOR THE UNIVERSITY. AND HE TALKS ABOUT THIS URBAN UNIVERSITY SETTING. UH, HE DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION SO FAR ABOUT A DATA CENTER. ALL THOSE THINGS HAD NOT FULLY BEEN BAKED, OR AT LEAST AS HE PRESENTED IT TO ME THAT DAY. UH, AND, UH, I WAS SHOCKED. UM, AND I THOUGHT, WOW, DO I REALLY NOT NEED THESE BULLETS? DO I REALLY NOT NEED THESE? DO I REALLY NOT NEED TO FIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M GEARING UP FOR A LOT OF DAYS, UH, ON THIS COUNCIL. AND, [01:25:01] UH, ALL OF A SUDDEN I THOUGHT ALL THESE YEARS, UH, HERE, UM, ON THE WEST SIDE THAT WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING, KNOWING INTERNALLY, LIKE, WE HAVE TO DO THIS OURSELVES. WE ORGANICALLY ARE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD UP OUR BUSINESS. WE ORGANICALLY ARE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FAMILIES. WE HAVE TO DO IT OURSELVES. THAT'S WHY PROGRAMS LIKE THE ARE SO IMPORTANT, UH, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, BECAUSE THEY WORK FROM THE INSIDE OUT. UH, WE ARE, WE CANNOT RELY ON SOMEBODY TO COME IN. AND IT REMINDED ME OF A DOCUMENTARY I SAW MANY YEARS AGO, UH, ABOUT, UM, EDUCATION IN, IN THE UNITED STATES, SOME SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK, AND, UM, IT'S AN AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN. Y'ALL KNOW THIS STORY. UM, IT'S ESCAPING ME RIGHT NOW, THE NAME. AND HE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO SUPERMAN. NOBODY IS COMING TO SAVE US. WE'VE JUST GOTTA TAKE CARE OF IT OURSELVES, AND ARE SIT AROUND WAITING FOR THE DAY, UH, THAT SUPERMAN IS GOING TO COME TO SAVE YOU. UH, AND I THINK THAT THAT DAY HAS ARRIVED. WE HAVE A REAL LIFE IN THE FLESH, SUPERMAN, WHO'S GOING TO COME, UH, NOT ALONE WITH THE HELP OF, OF A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE TO MAKE THIS INSTITUTION THE WAY THAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE, TO WORK WITH LANIER AND THE FOIA AND BRACKEN RIDGE SCHOOLS THAT REALLY HAVE NOT SEEN ANY CHANGE. WE STILL HAVE THE SAME DROPOUT RATES IN LANIER THAT WE HAD 50 PLUS YEARS AGO. THERE WAS RUMORS THAT SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS WERE SCHEDULED TO CLOSE. UH, RODRIGUEZ ELEMENTARY CLOSE, UH, A LITTLE BIT FURTHER TO THIS, UH, WEST SIDE IS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE, UH, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR. UH, AND, AND MANY OF THE, THE MARKERS, UH, THAT WE SEE IN THE CITY THAT MAKE US, UM, THAT HIGH, UH, THAT ARE SOMETIMES IN THE FOREFRONT, ISSUES OF TEEN PREGNANCY AND CRIME RATES AND ILLNESSES, UH, STILL RIGHT THERE IN THE AREA THAT YOU ARE, UH, GOING TO COME AND HELP US REVITALIZE. UH, AND SO IT IS SUCH AN EXCITING MOMENT, UH, TO BE HERE WORKING IN COOPERATION, UH, WITH, UM, THE REGENTS. BECAUSE OF COURSE, AT THE END OF IT, WHEN DR. AMY'S TELLING ME ABOUT HIS PLANS, UH, THE WHOLE TIME I'M THINKING, BUT THERE'S NO MONEY. UH, WE ALL HAVE GREAT VISION, UH, ABOUT WHAT WE WANT OUR COMMUNITIES TO LOOK LIKE, BUT WITH NO MONEY THERE, JUST VISION. UH, BUT WHEN THE, UM, THE FUNDING CAME THROUGH FROM THE REGENTS, UH, I TALKED TO, UM, UH, RAD WEAVER AND ALSO TO, UM, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REGENTS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AT AN EVENT. AND, UM, HE, UH, TOLD ME, OH, NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT HAPPEN. UH, DR. TAYLOR, HE'S BEEN PUSHING HARD WITH THE REGENTS. WE'RE GONNA GET THAT FUNDING. UM, AND I THOUGHT, WELL, OKAY, I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT. WE'VE BEEN DISAPPOINTED A LOT OF TIMES, UM, UH, IN THE AREA. AND SO SURE ENOUGH, IT COMES FORWARD THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THE FUNDING. AND THEN VERY SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, GRAHAM WESTON, WHOM I DON'T KNOW, I'VE NEVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING HIM, COMES FORWARD WITH THIS OTHER $15 MILLION GIFT TO THE UNIVERSITY TO COMPLETE THE DATA CENTER. AND SO ALL THESE THINGS ARE FINALLY BECOMING A REALITY. AND THEN OUT OF NOWHERE, UH, I GET A RECOMMENDATION FOR A STAFF MEMBER, UM, DR. SAMANTHA HERNANDEZ, AND SHE COMES FORWARD WITH HER RESUME. SHE JUST FINISHED HER PHD AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, AND SHE HAS THIS GLOWING LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM DR. CROW AT A S U. AND I SAID, WHAT IS THIS? WHAT IS YOUR CONNECTION TO A S U AND THE, THE, UM, U T S A? AND SHE SAID, OH, I WAS A STUDENT LIAISON. I WAS DR. CROW'S STUDENT, UH, AS A PHD, MAKING SURE THAT THE VISION FOR THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS AND THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE STUDENTS ACTUALLY HAPPENED THERE. I DID ALL THAT. I WAS HIS, UH, RIGHT HAND STUDENT LIAISON TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY FELT LIKE THEY WERE PARTICIPATING. AND SHE COMES TO ME LOOKING FOR A JOB, AND I THOUGHT QUICKLY, QUICKLY SIGN HER UP BEFORE SHE FIGURES OUT WE HAVE NO MONEY TO PAY HER PROPERLY. UH, BUT SHE SIGNS ON BOARD, AND SHE'S BEEN WORKING NEARLY DAILY WITH THE UNIVERSITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS, THE ISSUES THAT ANNETTE FLORES ADDRESSED ARE RESOLVED. BECAUSE THAT IS A CONCERN. THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRUST IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH INSTITUTIONS. AND SO WE'RE GONNA, UH, MAKE SURE THAT ALL THAT GETS TAKEN CARE OF AS WE TAKE THE PROPER TIME NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE UNIVERSITY IS SUCCESSFUL. AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD UP THERE, YOUR IMAGINE, AND I WONDER IF, JUST FOR, UM, UH, FOR THE SAKE, UH, OF, OF ALL THE, THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE, CAN YOU BRING UP THAT SLIDE THAT TALKS ABOUT, IMAGINE, AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THEY HAVE, AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE DATA CENTER. HOPEFULLY IT'S IN YOUR SLIDE PRESENTATION, AND IT'S TITLED WITH IMAGINE. UM, AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, UM, MAYBE YOU CAN ELABORATE ON A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WE ARE CELEBRATING THIS. SO IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, IMAGINE THE LAB SCHOOL [01:30:01] WITH THE S A I S D, FINALLY COMING IN AND, UM, WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS. UM, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK, UM, WE CAN IMAGINE AS WE ARE, UH, SUPPORTING THIS EFFORT. SO IMAGINE AN AUTONOMOUS RESIDENTIAL CAMPUS, 15,000 STUDENTS, A THOUSAND FACULTY, A THOUSAND STAFF, FOUR COLLEGES, TWO NEW SCHOOLS, TWO NEW RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, UM, IN A FULLY DISTRIBUTED CAMPUS LIKE ARIZONA STATE, DOWNTOWN PHOENIX CAMPUS. UH, AND, UM, THESE ARE THINGS, OF COURSE, THAT I COULDN'T HAVE EVER IMAGINED, UH, IN MY LIFETIME. UH, AND THEN THAT I WOULD HAVE THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF SITTING HERE ON THE COUNCIL, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE THINGS ACTUALLY HAPPEN. I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A DEADLINE AND YOU HAVE SOME URGENCY. UM, I ONLY HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING, UH, ON THIS DAIS FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS IF THE PEOPLE WILL HAVE ME. AND, UH, I KNOW THAT I'M HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR VISION AND YOUR DREAM FOR THE UNIVERSITY, UH, IS A REALITY. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR BELIEVING IN US, UH, AND, AND TAKING THE RISK ON US TO THE REGENTS, UH, WHO SUPPORTED US TO GRAHAM WEST, AND ALSO FOR HIS GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION THAT I KNOW THAT THERE'S MEMBERS OF THE STATE HERE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER ISSUE. BUT WE NEED MORE FUNDING, UH, TO MAKE ALL THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. AND SO I HOPE THAT, UH, THEY WILL ALSO BE GENEROUS, UH, IN THEIR VISION AND IMAGINING OF THIS DISTRICT, OF THIS UNIVERSITY. UH, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING, UH, OUR SUPERMAN. SHIRLEY, UH, THANK YOU. I, I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL OF US IMAGINING WITH YOUR OFFICE AND YOUR FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY ON THE WEST SIDE AS WE THINK ABOUT ALL OF THIS GOING FORWARD. THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN GRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, TO START, DR. AMY, I NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ REFERS TO YOU AS HER HERO, BECAUSE HOW YOU HAVE COME IN AND REALLY, UM, TAKEN THAT, UM, THE REINS AND JUST BEEN SO FOCUSED AND VISIONARY. UM, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY, UH, I'M SORRY, ON TUESDAY, I HAD A STATE OF THE DISTRICT THREE ADDRESS AT, UH, ONE OF THE CHA AT THE SOUTH CHAMBER. AND IN MY REMARKS, I TALKED ABOUT HOW THE STATE OF DISTRICT THREE IS, IS STRONGER, IT IS BOLDER, IT IS BETTER, AND HOW WE NEEDED TO, IT TAKES BOLD NEW IDEAS AND BOLD NEW INVESTMENTS. AND HERE TODAY, LORI, UM, RAD WITH THE UT REGENTS, CHERYL, AND WITH THE 80 20 FOUNDATION, THESE ARE, THIS IS WHAT THE COORDINATION IN THE COOPERATION AND THE COLLABORATION LOOKS LIKE ALL HERE. AND I WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD WITH THIS FOR THE WEST SIDE. AND I THINK IT WAS ALSO VERY TELLING THAT WE HAD SECRETARIES ROS HERE WHO LIVES IN THE AREA, UM, AND WHO HAS WORKED IN THE WEST SIDE. AND WE, ALL OF US WHO KNOW WHO'VE BEEN AND RAISED, BORN AND RAISED IN SAN ANTONIO, KNOW WHERE WE CAN BRING OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY WI UP. AND I AM SO EXCITED BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER YES, FOR THIS AREA, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE REGION, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ATTRACT MORE FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES AND FILL THOSE JOBS WITH A LOCAL WORKFORCE THAT HAS BEEN TRAINED AND EDUCATED HERE IN OUR URBAN CORE, IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND IT'S SUCH A PROUD MOMENT TO BE HERE TO SEE THIS INVESTMENT, BUT IT TOOK BOLD LEADERSHIP AND THANK YOU, UM, FOR THAT LEADERSHIP, AND THANK YOU FOR THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT IT TOOK TO COME HERE TOGETHER AS WELL. UM, TWO THINGS I WANTED TO POINT OUT TO LORI AND, AND CHERYL, YOU KNOW, ALSO THE, UM, SUB AREA COMMUNITY PLANS AND THE NEAR WEST SIDE PLAN, THIS IS PART OF THAT. THIS IS GOING TO BE INCORPORATED WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SA TOMORROW. THIS IS ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF SA TOMORROW AND HOW WE'RE GONNA BUILD, UM, THAT PLAN TOGETHER. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. WONDERFUL, COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU. AND ANOTHER THING, I KNOW THAT MAYBE WE DIDN'T TOUCH ON IT HERE TODAY, BUT WHAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS TO YOU, DR. AMY AND LORI AND CHERYL, IS, UM, WITH THE GROWTH OF THE RESIDENTIAL TOWER AND WITH THIS FANTASTIC NEW INVESTMENTS THAT WE'LL BE DOING, UM, IS THE, THE, UM, AREA OF MARKET SQUARE. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I WAS, WE MOVE FORWARD THAT WE, UM, ENSURE THAT THERE IS NOT A RE-ENGINEERING OF THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF MARKET SQUARE, THAT IT IS STILL A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE IN AND AROUND THE COMMUNITY CAN GO AND GATHER WITH THEIR, UM, EVENTS, WITH THEIR, THE [01:35:01] HANO, WITH WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT ENGAGEMENT AS WELL. THAT'S CORRECT. UH, COUNCILWOMAN, AND IN FACT, AS WARREN SPOKE EARLIER, UH, FROM CENTRO, IT'S PART OF OUR OVERALL WEST SIDE STRATEGY WITH REGARD TO ZONE AND CULTURAL AND THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING THROUGH OUR VOTER APPROVED BOND PROGRAM IN 2017 WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. WE'RE GOING TO COORDINATE ALL OF THAT TO ENSURE THAT MARKET SQUARE CONTINUES WITH ITS HISTORY AND CULTURE, AND THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS COMPLEMENT THAT HISTORY. EXCELLENT. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND, UM, THIS IS A, AN INCREDIBLE, UM, OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY HAVE A PARADIGM SHIFT IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA AND OUR WEST SIDE AREA. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GRO. COUNCILMAN SALDANA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. DR. AMY. LORI RAD LORENZO. UM, I, I, I THINK THE FIRST THING TO SAY HERE IS THAT, UH, WE'RE ALL VERY OVERWHELMED, UH, WITH, WITH THE VISION, UH, AND THE PARTNERSHIP. AND, AND FRANKLY, WE'RE PROBABLY OVERWHELMED WITH, UH, WHAT'S POSSIBLE HERE. AND, AND I WANT TO MAYBE CHAT WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT, UH, SO WE CAN TALK BACK AND FORTH ABOUT HOW WE CAN TRY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, UNDERSTANDING HOW, UH, UH, GROUNDBREAKING THIS WILL BE FOR A PART OF OUR CITY. FIRST, THE DOWNTOWN. AND THEN, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE NEAR WEST SIDE. UH, I, I TELL FOLKS OFTEN THAT THE REASON I LOVE THIS JOB SO MUCH IS BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST LIKE A, A REAL LIFE VERSION OF THE GAME SIM CITY, UH, WHERE YOU GET TO BUILD YOUR CITY AND YOU GET TO DECIDE WHERE THE ROADS AND THE HIGHWAYS GO IN SOME CASES. AND IN THIS CASE, WE DEC WE'RE GETTING TO DECIDE, UH, WHERE THE UNIVERSITY, UH, GOES. SO JUST TO BACKTRACK A LITTLE FROM THAT POINT, UM, THERE WASN'T ALWAYS A TIME THAT THE DOWNTOWN WAS THE ATTRACTIVE PLACE FOR, UH, FOR THE UNIVERSITY. I, I BELIEVE THAT IN 1969, IF YOU READ THE HISTORY ON IT, UH, THERE WAS A TUSSLE AS TO WHETHER IT WOULD BE IN THE DOWNTOWN OR WHETHER IT WOULD BE IN THE FAR NORTH SIDE, WHERE NOTHING REALLY EXISTED. UM, AND THE NORTH SIDE WON OUT. AND SO SPILLING OVER IN THAT POSITIVE EFFECT, THE REASON IN THE GAME YOU'RE EXCITED ABOUT PUTTING THE UNIVERSITY DOWN IS BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE A LOT OF POSITIVE BENEFITS, UH, TO THE AREA AROUND IT, TO THE MARKET, TO COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. UH, SO TO SOME EXTENT THAT'S, THAT'S THE PREDICTION THAT I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TRY TO MAKE HERE. UH, WITH THE INVESTMENT, ANYTIME YOU INJECT CLOSE TO 70, $80 MILLION WORTH OF CAPITAL, UH, YOU'D BE A FOOL TO NOT THINK THAT THAT'S GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE AREA AROUND IT. SO, UH, DR. AMY, CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, IF YOU'LL TAKE THE MIC, UH, ABOUT WHAT KIND OF, UH, WHAT, WHAT KIND UNDERSTANDING THIS, UNDERSTANDING THE BEDROCK THAT, THAT THIS DECISION WILL SIT ON, WHICH IS A, A HISTORICALLY NEGLECTED, HISTORICALLY FORGOTTEN, UH, WEST SIDE. YOU CAN THROW A ROCK TO 7 8 2 0 7, UH, IN AN AREA WHERE THE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 20 YEARS DIFFERENT THAN AN AREA NORTH OF TOWN. UH, UNDERSTANDING ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT EXIST RIGHT IN YOUR BACKYARD. HOW, WHAT KIND OF ASSESSMENTS YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE A TREMENDOUS INTELLECTUAL STAFF OF ACADEMIA WHO STUDY URBAN PLANNING, WHO STUDY, STUDY PUBLIC POLICY. WHAT KIND OF INTENTIONAL, UH, UH, PLANS ARE YOU ALL PUTTING TOGETHER? BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT IN THE FOOTPRINT THAT IT IS SIT THAT IT SITS IN. BUT, UH, TELL ME ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE THOUGHT THROUGH ABOUT THE SPILLOVER. YEAH. UH, COUNCILMAN SALDANA, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. WE, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PARALLEL AND IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES THAT ARE UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW. YOU'RE, UH, I THINK I'VE SHARED THAT WE HAVE A CAMPUS MASTER PLANNING PROCESS UNDERWAY WIDE RIGHT NOW. THAT'S A, A, A YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF LONG PROCESS THAT LOOKS AT ALL OF OUR CAMPUS. BUT, BUT WE'LL VERY MUCH BE LOOKING AT WHAT WE DO WITH, WITH, WITH, UH, WITH, UH, OUR DOWNTOWN CAMPUS. AND THAT'S A VERY THOUGHTFUL PROCESS AND WILL INVOLVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR JUST THAT ASPECT OF, OF HOW YOU MOVE FORWARD. UM, I, I, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE VISIONING PROCESS. UM, I WAS, UH, VERY INTERESTED TO MAKE SURE AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, THAT WAS, IT WAS DONE VERY THOUGHTFULLY IN CONCERT WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT WOULD BE MAKING INVESTMENTS DOWNTOWN AND, UH, UH, IN THE NEAR WEST SIDE AND IN THE WEST SIDE. AND, AND THE THOUGHT WAS, WE OUGHT TO WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER NOW AND IN THE FUTURE TO REALIZE ALL OF THE POTENTIAL THAT COMES FROM ALL OF THE INVESTMENTS, WHETHER IT'S IN THE, IN THE WEST SIDE PROPER, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE RIVER AUTHORITY, FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, FROM THE COUNTY, FROM THE SAN PEDRO CREEK PROJECT, ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE TDOT AND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING. UM, IF WE'RE GONNA BE INVESTING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS DOWNTOWN AT OUR DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, WE OUGHT [01:40:01] TO BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THOSE PARTIES TO DO IT WELL. AND, UM, UH, BUT, BUT PART AND PARCEL TO IT, UH, ESPECIALLY AS WE THINK ABOUT PHASE TWO OF THIS PROJECT AND, AND DOING SOMETHING POTENTIALLY ON REO STREET, IF THAT ALL CAN BE FIGURED OUT, UH, WE OUGHT TO BE CHATTING NOW ABOUT HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, HOW WE THINK ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE WEST OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS. UH, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO WITH, UH, GUADALUPE AREA OF THE WEST SIDE? UH, UH, I, I WOULD USE OUR EXAMPLE OF OUR COLLABORATION WITH LANIER AND BRACKENRIDGE AND TAFOYA AS ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN TERMS OF HOW WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. AND, AND I KNOW THAT I'VE, I'VE BEEN CHATTING WITH SHIRLEY AND ROBERTO'S STAFF ABOUT HOW WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, HOW IT'S BROUGHT INTO THE, THE, THE PLANNING PROCESSES THAT THE CITY USES FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR MATTERS THAT ARE GONNA AFFECT THE WEST SIDE. ALL OF THIS IS A DISCUSSION THAT HAS TO HAPPEN. THEY'RE PREDICTING EXACTLY THE FUTURE, UM, IS NOT, NOT EASY. BUT I DO KNOW THIS, AND I'VE WORKED ON THESE KINDS OF THINGS A LOT. IF YOU CREATE THE RIGHT KIND OF ECOSYSTEM THAT LEONARD WAS REFERRING TO AROUND THE GENERATION OF, OF, OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND HAVING A WORKFORCE THAT'S PREPARED INSIDE THAT, JUST LIKE LORENZO'S STORY, IT'S, UH, WE, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A, A, A PROSPERITY ECOSYSTEM FOR THE DOWNTOWN THAT BENEFITS THE CITIZENS OF OUR CITY. AND HOW WE DO THAT WITHOUT, UH, BRINGING CONCERNS TO BEAR AND REALIZING ISSUES THAT WOULD COME FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE OF MY STUDENTS JUST CHATTED ABOUT THE, HER CONCERN AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONCERNS ABOUT GENTRIFICATION, HOW WE TACKLE THAT AND FIGURE THAT OUT TO, TO PREVENT THAT. AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY DRIVING THIS IDEA ABOUT THIS PROSPERITY FUNCTION THAT YOU CREATE FROM THIS ECOSYSTEM. I THINK WE HAVE TO WORK HARD OVER THAT. WE HAVE TIME TO WORK ON THIS AND FIGURE THIS OUT. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE PART OF OUR, OUR BIG PARTNERSHIP AS WE GO FORWARD. I, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REALIZE THE FUTURE OF U T S A OR THE FUTURE OF THE CITY WITHOUT WORKING WITH YOU AND WITH, WITH, WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE, THE, THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY AND, AND, AND THE, AND THE, THE, ALL OF THE, ALL THE ENTERPRISES THAT ARE HERE. IT'S, IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERYBODY DOING THIS TOGETHER. SO WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. I THINK WE HAVE TIME TO WORK ON RESOLVING THINGS AND BEING A LITTLE MORE PREDICTIVE AND GRANULAR ABOUT WHAT THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN YEARS 3, 5, 7, AND 10. WE CAN, WE CAN WORK ON THAT. WE'RE, WE'RE, IT, IT'S GONNA DEPEND ON OUR PLANNING PROCESSES, OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, AND, AND THESE THINGS THAT COME FORWARD AS WE WORK IN THIS GRAND VISION. SO, I, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT I, WE CAN WORK TOWARDS THOSE ANSWERS. WELL, DR. AMY, THANK YOU FOR TRYING YOUR BEST TO, TO GET TO ONE ANSWER, BUT MAYBE I CAN GET A COMMITMENT FROM YOU, UH, AROUND WHAT I BELIEVE IS, IS GOING TO BE A NECESSARY COMPONENT OF THE FUTURE. PROBABLY THE HIGHEST HURDLE YOU HAD TO JUMP WAS GETTING THE FUNDING FOR THIS KIND OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT INTO THE FUTURE OF WHAT WOULD BE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG STUDENTS. BUT ANOTHER HILL THAT I HOPE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CLIMB IS ONE, IN COLLABORATION WITH THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO, WHO WERE NEGLECTED 50 YEARS AGO WHEN THEY DECIDED THE UNIVERSITY WOULDN'T BE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY'VE GONE ON LIVING AND DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS AND CULTURES AND HISTORIES ON THE NEAR WEST SIDE. I, I HOPE THAT YOU'LL COMMIT TO, UH, WITH YOUR STAFF WORKING WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE BEEN PROPPING THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE FAMILIES UP. YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF TALENTED FOLKS AT THE UNIVERSITY WHO, WHO WORK ON THESE SUBJECTS EXACTLY. AND, AND ARE JUST AS PASSIONATE ABOUT IT AS OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND MY STUDENTS. UH, I, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE WELL POISED TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE WEST SIDE AND WITH THE CITY PROPER, AND THE COMMUNITIES HERE IN THE CITY AROUND WRESTLING WITH THIS ISSUE OF BALANCING PROSPERITY OPPORTUNITIES VERSUS CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, THE PROPERTY TAXES OR GENTRIFICATION. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TACKLE AND, AND, AND WORK CLOSELY ON. AND, AND I, I ENVISION THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD MORE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDIES AS WE DO THIS AND MORE SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT STUDIES AS WE DO THIS. AND WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THE OTHER PARALLEL EFFORTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE CITY AROUND HOUSING AND AROUND AROUND WHERE, WHERE THE CITY CORE GOES AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICTS AS WE GO FORWARD. GREAT. AND, AND ON TOP OF, ON TOP OF THAT, YOU'VE, YOU'VE GIVEN US AN EEC ECONOMIC IMPACT NUMBER ALREADY, WHICH IS CLOSE TO 150 MILLION. AND, AND IF YOU'LL ADD TO THAT, AN ATTACHMENT OR ADDENDUM, YOU HAVE SOME REALLY CAPABLE URBAN PLANNING AND PUBLIC POLICY, UH, ACADEMICIANS WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO A, A COMMUNITY IMPACT. AND, AND IF I COULD JUST MAYBE TAILOR THAT A LITTLE BIT, THINKING ABOUT, WE'VE DONE SOME, WHAT ARE AREAS AT HIGHEST RISK OF BEING, UH, AREAS THAT ARE FAST CHANGING DYNAMICALLY WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS CALL IT GENTRIFICATION, BUT YOU CAN ACTUALLY IDENTIFY WHETHER IT'S THE APARTMENT COMPLEX OR THE ROW OF HOMES, THAT MIGHT BE THE FIRST TO BE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF I'M, IF I'M MAKING PRIVATE INVESTMENTS AND I'M SPECULATING $70 MILLION AROUND THIS AREA IS [01:45:01] GOING TO BE WHERE I'M KNOCKING ON DOORS TRYING TO FIND FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO SELL PROPERTY TO ME. SO I THINK IT'S THAT KIND OF OF ASSESSMENT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE. YEAH. 'CAUSE AT SOME POINT, THE CITY WILL HAVE TO COME IN BECAUSE WE'LL BE CALLED UPON, UH, BUT IF U T S A AND, AND ITS FOLKS CAN DO THE SAME KIND OF WORK. YEAH. UH, UH, LET ME, UH, LET ME USE THIS AS, UH, MAYBE NOT A PERFECT EXAMPLE, BUT, UH, TWO DAYS AGO I WAS AT THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS IN CONCERT WITH, UH, A NUMBER OF FOLKS AND A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE OPPORTUNE OPPORTUNITY ZONE ISSUE. AND WE WERE HOSTING A DISCUSSION THAT INVOLVED, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM ALL OF THE SIX ZONES THAT HAVE BEEN DECLARED FOR SAN ANTONIO, AND ABOUT HOW TO PROCEED, HOW TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ZONES ARE, HOW TO, TO, TO BE SMART ABOUT REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, UH, UNDER THAT, THAT NEW CONSTRUCT. SO THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE, AS A UNIVERSITY AND THE TALENT THAT WE HAVE IS BROUGHT TO BEAR TO BRING THE COMMUNITY AND TO DISCUSS THESE THINGS IN CONCERT WITH THE CITY, WITH THE STATE, WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS WE HAVE TO DO. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DO HAVE, UH, UH, FACULTY AND STAFF AND STUDENTS WHO ARE VERY, VERY TALENTED WHO COULD TACKLE THIS ISSUE OF, OF, UH, COMMUNITY IMPACT AS WE GO FORWARD. I MAYBE HAVE BEEN USING A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TERM. I CALLED IT A SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY. I, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. AND, AND ONE ORGANIZATION WHO I, I REALLY TRUST HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE WEST SIDE IS, UH, THE NATIONAL NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO COMMUNITY ASSET BUILDERS, NCA, UH, FOLKS WHO HAVE REALLY STUDIED THE AREA AROUND. SO I HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL PARTNER WITH THEM IN DOING THAT. YEAH, I'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH SHIRLEY'S OFFICE AND WITH LEONARD'S OFFICE AND THE COMMUNITY TO, TO EXPLORE THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE, WE'D BE GLAD TO DO THAT. THANK YOU, DR. EE. THOSE ARE THE ONLY QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN SANA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DR. EE. AND, AND THE, UM, ONE THING I WILL SAY, WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE NEWS THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING, I, I WILL ADMIT THAT I WASN'T, I WASN'T TERRIBLY EXCITED BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW ALL OF THE DETAILS, BUT I WAS NAIVE IN THINKING THAT SOME OF THAT CITY OWNED LAND, UH, THAT WE DID HAD, THAT WE, WE HAD, THAT WE'RE CONVEYING TODAY MIGHT BE LAND BANKED, UH, FOR FUTURE, ANOTHER POLICY ISSUE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE, WHICH IS, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UH, AND IN MY MIND, WE, I ALWAYS, I'D ALWAYS FIGURED THAT ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUILD A, UH, YOU KNOW, A MIXED INCOME, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT. WHEN I HEARD THE DETAILS OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING, THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT CAME TOGETHER, UH, IT HELPED TO SOLVE ANOTHER POLICY ISSUE, WHICH WAS, UM, THE, THE, THE DYNAMISM OF THE GROWING U T SS A AS IT ACHIEVES TIER ONE. AND, AND IT'S HARD TO SAY NO TO, UH, $70 MILLION THAT IS COMING IN FROM THE OUTSIDE AND ANOTHER 15 MILLION, UH, TO LEVERAGE THAT. SO WE, WE STILL HAVE TO WORK ON OUR ISSUE AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE DON'T WANT THE DOWNTOWN, UH, ESPECIALLY EVEN AROUND THIS AREA, TO BE A, A GATED COMMUNITY, ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE WHO MAKE OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY. AND WE'LL STILL TRY TO TACKLE THAT ISSUE. UM, BUT, UH, DR. AMY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR VISION. UH, IT HELPS WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, LORENZO GOMEZ AND HIS BEARD AS WELL AS, UH, RAD WEAVER AND HIS SOUTHERN ACCENT, AND $70 MILLION FROM UT REGENTS HERE WITH YOU. UH, THERE'S A LOT TO LIKE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VERY CAUTIOUS AS WE'RE STEPPING INTO A HUGE INVESTMENT TO AN AREA THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE, UH, THE, THE DOG THAT CAUGHT THE, THE CAR. YOU KNOW, WE'VE WANTED A DOWNTOWN CAMPUS. WE'VE GOT IT NOW. UH, LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, WE MOVE SLOW IN ORDER TO GO FAST, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SALDANA. COUNCILMAN S THANK YOU, MAYOR. CONGRATULATIONS, DR. AMY. AND, AND CONGRATULATIONS, LORI. THIS IS A, A VERY BIG DEAL, AND IT'S, IT'S AN INTERESTING DAY. UM, ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, TWO IVY LEAGUERS HERE, YOU'VE GOT SOMEBODY FROM, YOU KNOW, M I T AND A STANFORD, UH, GRAD. AND I, AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, THIS IS THE SECRET. THEY, THEY COULDN'T GET INTO U T S A, THEY HAD TO GO FAR, FAR AWAY TO GET, YOU KNOW, TO GET THOSE DEGREES. UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY? THERE'S TWO BIG ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA, RIGHT? THERE'S UTSA'S FUTURE, AND THEN THERE'S HOW WE OBSERVE THE PAST, UH, AND HOW WE REVERE THE PAST. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PAST 300 YEARS HAS BROUGHT US TO THIS POINT. AND, UH, I, I, I, A SAYING THAT COMES TO MIND IS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T PREDICT OUR FUTURE, BUT WE SURE CAN CREATE IT, RIGHT? AND, UM, I BELIEVE, BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT I'VE SEEN, THAT PEOPLE WILL KNOW SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE OF THE ALAMO, RIGHT? AND BECAUSE OF OUR RIVER WALK AND BECAUSE OF OUR SPURS. BUT THEY WILL ALSO KNOW THE ALAMO FOR THIS ICONIC PROJECT THAT YOU'RE CREATING. I'M SORRY. THEY'LL, THEY'LL KNOW THE ALAMO CITY BECAUSE OF THIS ICONIC PROJECT THAT YOU'RE CREATING. UM, AND IT'LL BE UP THERE RIGHT ON, ON THE LIST OF THOSE THINGS THAT I JUST, UH, I JUST MENTIONED, UH, AS A REASON TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO. AND THERE'S A REASON TO MOVE TO SAN ANTONIO AND LIVE, WORK, PLAY THRIVE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. UM, I, I WILL ADDRESS ONE ISSUE, UH, FOR ANYBODY WHO'S CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE OF, WELL, WHAT DOES [01:50:01] THIS MEAN FOR THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS? AND, YOU KNOW, WILL THERE BE GENTRIFICATION? UH, THE PAST IS A, THE PAST IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT CAN GUIDE US. AND WHAT I'VE SEEN U T S A DO, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AND, AND COUNT. AND THEN COUNCILMAN NUREMBERG, UH, TODAY, OUR MAYOR, I THINK YOU'LL AGREE WITH ME THAT U T S A IS A VERY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN DISTRICT EIGHT. AND YOU GUYS ARE ALL UP IN OUR BUSINESS. UH, YOU KNOW ABOUT CRIME AND, UH, TRAFFIC AND MOBILITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WATER AND, UM, ISSUES THAT IMPACT OUR INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS. YOU ON YOUR CAMPUS HOST, COMMUNITY EVENTS, TOWN HALLS, UH, FIVE KS. UM, YOU DO THAT WITHOUT EVER EXPECTING REMUNERATION, UM, OR EVEN CREDIT FOR DOING IT. UM, PEOPLE AROUND U T S A OVER THERE FEEL LIKE YOU ARE NEIGHBORS, UH, WHO ADD VALUE. UM, AND YOU'VE CERTAINLY COMMUNICATED, YOU, TAYLOR, YOU'VE CERTAINLY COMMUNICATED AND MADE LOUD AND CLEAR AND CONVINCED ALL OF US THAT THIS IDEA OF URBAN GENOMICS, RIGHT, AND THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, IS PART OF YOUR MISSION, RIGHT? AND THAT YOU'RE MAKING THAT ONE OF THE IMPORTANT DRIVING ELEMENTS OF WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR FUTURE SUCCESS. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M BUYING INTO THIS. AND SO, BASED ON THAT PAST RIGHT, AND OUR EXPERIENCES WITH YOU, I'M SURE THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A SUCCESS. I'M SURE THE GENERATIONS TO COME ARE GOING TO BE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR DECISION TO MOVE DOWNTOWN. UM, AND SO TO THAT, I SAY, YOU KNOW, DEAR PAST, THANKS FOR THE LESSONS AND DEAR FUTURE. I'M READY. UH, AND DEAR TAYLOR, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU'VE IMPRESSED THE SOCKS OFF OF ALL OF US. I GUARANTEE YOU, NONE OF US ARE WEARING SOCKS BEHIND THIS DAIS. UH, AND, UH, I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHALLENGE THAT YOU'VE ISSUED TO ALL OF US TO RISE TO THIS OCCASION. AND, UM, I THINK ONLY GOOD THINGS ARE IN STORE. SO MAYOR, YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT ON THIS ONE, TOO. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLY, COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, LORI, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IF YOU CAN, UH, APPRECIATIVE OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT I WANT TO JUST DIG A LITTLE BIT INTO THE PROCESS, UM, BEFORE I OFFER MY COMMENTS ON, UM, THE OVERALL PLAN ITSELF. SO, UH, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHEN THE FIRST TIME THE FULL CITY COUNCIL WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS PROJECT, THE, THE DATE, TO YOUR BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE. THE FIRST TIME THE FULL COUNSEL WOULD'VE BEEN IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ABOUT THREE TO FOUR WEEKS AGO. OKAY. RIGHT. SO SOMEWHERE IN MID-SEPTEMBER, UH, WHETHER IT WAS, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE 18TH OR 19TH, SOMEWHERE RIGHT AROUND IN THERE, UM, THE FULL COUNCIL WAS NOTIFIED MAYBE THREE, FOUR DAYS BEFORE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE. UH, BUT UP UNTIL THAT POINT, THE COUNCIL WASN'T BRIEFED ON THIS IN ANY SETTING. CORRECT? NOT THE FULL COUNCIL. WE DID, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SHIRLEY GONZALEZ AND COUNCILMAN ROBERTO TREVINO AND MAYOR NURNBERG WERE ENGAGED IN PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS. OKAY. MY, UH, MY BIGGEST CONCERN I HAVE, UH, FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND THE COUNCIL IN GENERAL, IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN, IN THESE DECISIONS, HOWEVER, GREAT OR SMALL, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE THE MAYOR OR YOU'RE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT 6 1 5, EVERY VOTE IS AN EQUAL ON THIS COUNCIL. AND AT SOME POINT, THE STAFF NEEDS TO REMEMBER THAT THEY WORK FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THEY MUST BE INFORMED. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED, AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND, AND I'M, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY WAS THE COUNCIL NOT INCLUDED UNTIL FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE ACTUAL ANNOUNCEMENT? MAYOR, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, MAY I ADDRESS THIS? I DON'T. THAT'S FINE. YES, MA'AM. YES. UH, AND SO THERE WERE MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS NEGOTIATIONS GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME. UH, AND THERE WERE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS WITH U T S A AS WELL AS THE PRIVATE PARTICIPANTS, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROJECT AND NEGOTIATING. AND SO WHILE WE SPOKE WITH THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN WHOSE DISTRICTS, UH, THE PROJECT WAS LOCATED, UH, WE WERE BOUND TO THAT CONFIDENTIALITY WITHOUT ALL OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS COMING TOGETHER FOR APPROVAL, WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN UNTIL EARLY SEPTEMBER, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME FORWARD WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION. AND I WOULD LIKEN IT TO SOME OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT WE WORK ON. THERE ARE MULTIPLE PARTNERS THAT PARTICIPATE IN BRINGING THE PROJECT TOGETHER. AND WHEN WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS IN, UH, THE FORM TO BE ABLE TO [01:55:01] RECOMMEND IT TO COUNCIL, THEN WE BRING THAT FORWARD AND DISCUSS IT, UH, WITH COUNCIL, IF IT INVOLVES REAL ESTATE IN THIS CASE, UH, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION FIRST, AND THEN, UH, BRING IT FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. UH, I AM, I'M ELATED THAT THIS COULD EVEN HAPPEN WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME THAT IT DID. UH, DR. AMY BEGAN AS PRESIDENT JUST ONE YEAR AGO. UH, HE DESCRIBED HIS VISION TO US, UH, EARLY IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR AND BEGAN WORKING FEVERISHLY, UH, TO BRING ALL OF THESE PARTIES TOGETHER. AND, UH, THE BOARD OF REGENTS, UH, WHICH PROCESS, WHICH DR. AMY CAN SPEAK TO, UH, IS EXTENSIVE AS WELL. THERE WERE MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS AND MEETINGS, UH, WITH THAT BOARD. SO, UM, IT IS A PROCESS THAT IS VERY SIMILAR TO HOW WE HANDLE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. THANK YOU. AND, AND BEFORE YOU SPEAK, DR, I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT HER COMMENTS. UM, SO JUST SO THE COUNCIL, MY COLLEAGUES KNOW, I HAD REQUESTED FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS TO THE COUNCIL, TO THE FULL COUNCIL, WHEN WE FIRST BRIEFED ON THIS, I HAD ASKED IN WRITING, UH, FOR DOCUMENTATION ON SEPTEMBER 20TH ABOUT HOW THIS OCCURRED, WHERE IT CAME FROM PROFORMAS DATA INFORMATION. WHEN THIS CONVERSATION STARTED, UH, I RECEIVED NOTHING FOR 25 DAYS. UH, I RECEIVED SOME DOCUMENTATION YESTERDAY AT FOUR O'CLOCK ABOUT THE PROJECT. WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS THAT IF YOU WANT MY VOTE, AND MAYBE YOU DON'T, BUT IF YOU WANT MY VOTE, IT NEEDS TO BE EARNED. AND THAT MEANS INCLUSION AND BRINGING EVERY PARTY INTO THE PROCESS. YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CONFIDENTIALITY GOING AROUND, AND, AND IT'S HARD TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THESE PROJECTS. WELL, IN THE DOCUMENTATION I WAS GIVEN, THERE'S WELL OVER 25 PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS SINCE MARCH. SO HOW CONFIDENTIAL IS IT WHEN MANY PEOPLE, THE BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UTS, THE UT BOARD OF REGENTS, VOTED ON THIS IN JUNE? AND IN THAT PRESENTATION, IN THIS DOCUMENTATION THAT I RECEIVED FROM MY, MY RECORDS REQUEST, THE BOARD OF REGENTS VOTED ON THIS WITH THE PARCELS. AND I WANT MY COUNCIL TO BE THE, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO HEAR THIS. THEY VOTED ON THIS WITH THESE PARCELS IN THERE, NEGOTIATED BY LORI HOUSTON. THE BOARD OF REGENTS FOUND OUT ABOUT IT BEFORE THE FULL COUNCIL EVEN KNEW THE BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVED IT. AND THE COUNCIL STILL WAS UNAWARE, LIKE, WE STILL HAVE NO IDEA THAT THESE PARCELS ARE ALREADY NEGOTIATED, PRICED, AND PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS FOR APPROVAL. SO MA'AM, IF YOU SAID THERE'S CONFIDENTIALITY UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER, AND THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS FLUID, WHY WAS THE BOARD OF REGENTS VOTING ON SOMETHING THAT ARE PARCELS UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL WITHOUT US KNOWING TWO POINTS? FIRST, UH, THE LETTER THAT YOU MAY BE REFERRING TO, THEIR FINAL DECISION WAS NOT IN JUNE. IT CAME LATER. AND DR. AMY CAN SPEAK TO THAT. UH, AND THE LETTER CLEARLY STATES SUBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL, AS WE DO IN ALL OF OUR, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ON PROJECTS OF THIS NATURE. SECONDLY, WE DID BRIEF THE COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER, UH, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU DID NOT ATTEND THAT MEETING. WELL, I DON'T ATTEND THEM BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE INAPPROPRIATE AND MISHANDLED, AND THEY'RE OUT OF THE PUBLIC PURVIEW, AND THAT'S WHY I DON'T ATTEND 'EM. SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP. UM, I DON'T APPRECIATE THE BACK ROOM DEALS THAT OCCUR IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, I THOUGHT I BETTER SAY THAT. UM, BUT THE BOARD OF REGENTS WAS BRIEFED ON IT ON JUNE 26TH. THAT'S MY POINT. AND IT WAS THOROUGHLY NEGOTIATED AT THAT POINT AS WELL. THE POINT I'M TRYING TO GET ACROSS IS, AND, AND BY THE WAY, I'VE GOT A TIMELINE OF EVENTS WHERE TJ MAYS, JUDGE WOLF, BEN GOEL, MARISA BONO, DR. AMY ALBERT CODI, I MEAN, I CAN GO DOWN A LIST OF PEOPLE THAT ARE AWARE OF THIS AND NOT A ONE OF THEM IS A MEMBER OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL UNTIL MID-JUNE WHEN THEY FINALLY BROUGHT MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN TREVINO IN. MANY PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSION, AND THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE THE ULTIMATE VOTE ON THE, ON THE PHASE ONE SHARING OF THIS PROPERTY AREN'T EVEN INCLUDED. AND MY VOTE'S NOT A RUBBER STAMP. AND, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S VOTE HERE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RUBBER STAMP. I DON'T THINK YOU'RE SITTING THERE THINKING IT IS, DOCTOR. I MEAN, I THINK IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, YOU'RE A VICTIM OF WHAT'S BROKEN ABOUT THE PROCESS UP HERE ON OUR SIDE OF THE TABLE, YOUR SIDE OF IT. I THINK YOUR PROJECT AND COUNCILMAN SSD, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD NOW, AND WHEN HE SAID IT, I I I, I CONCEDE THAT HE'S EXACTLY RIGHT. IT'S HARD TO SAY NO TO SUCH A WONDERFUL IDEA AND PROJECT. I TOLD YOU THAT ON THE PHONE WHEN YOU REACHED OUT TO ME, WHICH I WAS VERY THANKFUL OUT OF ALL THIS. YOU KNOW WHAT THE SADDEST PART IS? YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON THAT REACHED OUT TO TRY TO EARN MY VOTE. NOBODY FROM THE MANAGER'S TEAM CONTACTED ME EVEN AFTER MY REQUEST ON SEPTEMBER 20TH. NOBODY [02:00:01] CONTACTED ME. I HAD TO GO THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY TO GET ANSWERS. SO YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT REACHED OUT TO ME. AND I, IN FACT, I TOLD YOU ON THE PHONE, I THINK IT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS AMAZING, AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF IT, AND IT'S TRANSFORMATIONAL. AND I, I WANTED YOU TO KNOW, AND I WANT ANYBODY AT U T S A WHO'S HERE TO REPRESENT THEM TODAY. THIS ISN'T MY, MY CRITICISM ARE NOT ABOUT U T S A. WE SHOULD ALL BE ON BOARD. HALF MY STAFF HAS, OR, OR U T SS A INTERNS AND GRADUATES. IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S MORE THAN HALF. BUT, BUT, AND YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THAT, AND, AND I THINK WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION. I TOLD YOU WHERE I WAS AND YOU RESPECTED THAT, AND I, NOW ULTIMATELY, I ULTIMATELY SUPPORT YOU JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR CALL, BECAUSE YOU REACHED OUT AND TALKED TO ME. BUT IF THIS PRO, IF THIS PROCESS IS NOT FIXED, WHERE PEOPLE ARE ON THE BODY ARE NOT INCLUDED, THIS IS BROKE AND IT STARTS AT THE TOP. INCLUDE US ALL. THERE'S A MEMO, THERE'S AN EMAIL IN HERE FROM A DEVELOPER CONTACTING THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT HIS EXPERTISE IN EARLY AUGUST ON THIS DEVELOPMENT, ON THE, HOW DOES A, HOW DOES A DEVELOPER FROM S KNOW ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND EMAIL THE CITY MANAGER ASKING TO BE A PART OF IT, TO WORK HIS EXPERTISE IN THE DEVELOPMENT. AND HOW DOES SOMEBODY FROM A, A GUY NAMED DUKE FROM ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY EMAILS THE MANAGER KNOWING ABOUT THE PROJECT IN AUGUST, AND NONE OF US DO. HOW, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? LORI, I, I DON'T HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW ALL THESE PLAYERS KNOW, BUT NO ONE THOUGHT TO STAND AND SAY WE SHOULD INCLUDE THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN BROCK LINE. I'M GONNA JUMP IN FOR A MINUTE HERE. UM, I LANDED HERE A YEAR AGO, ESSENTIALLY, AND I CAME HERE FOR A PURPOSE ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THIS UNIVERSITY AND THIS CITY TO COLLABORATE VERY CLOSELY, TO GO IN BIG AND REALIZE SOMETHING VERY BOLD. AND, UH, YOU MIGHT APPRECIATE THE, THE COMPLEXITY THAT WAS INVOLVED OF MY HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY. I, I WOULD RETURN TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ SAID WAS, SHOW ME AN IDEA, BUT HOW ARE YOU GONNA DO IT? AND BACK FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, WAS I STARTED TO CONCEIVE ALL OF THIS. AND, AND, AND THINK ABOUT IT, I HAD FOUR PARALLEL, VERY CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS THAT HAD TO BE HAPPENING WITH THE COUNTY, THE CITY, THE DONOR, AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM. AND MY, MY GREATEST CONCERN WAS TO HAVE PUT OUT AN IDEA THAT WAS WONDERFUL AND HAVE IT ALL BLOW UP BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE FOUR COMPONENTS WASN'T REALIZED. SO I WAS PRETTY ADAMANT WITH EVERYBODY THAT WE NEEDED TO KEEP THIS AS CONFIDENTIAL AS POSSIBLE AS WE WENT FORWARD. UH, I, I MAY HAVE ERRED IN, IN NOT RECOGNIZING SOME OF THE, THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF, OF SHARING AT, AT YOUR LEVEL HERE. BUT I, I WAS, I WAS IN LOCKDOWN MODE JUST BECAUSE I WAS VERY AFRAID OF OF, OF, OF, OF, OF HAVING A STORY, GET OUT, UH, AND THEN HAVE THAT CAUSE A RIPPLE EFFECT WHERE ONE OF THE FOUR PARTIES ENDED UP SAYING NO. SO, SO I WAS, I, I, I'D LIKE TO OWN THAT. AND, UH, I, IF I'VE HARMED ANYTHING IN ANY WAY, THAT'S MY, MY FAULT. UM, THE ARIZONA STATE MATTER, I, I TURN TO THEM OFTEN BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE WITH, UH, THEIR PROJECT DOWNTOWN. THEIR, UH, I'M VERY CLOSE TO PRESIDENT CROW THERE. AND THE INDIVIDUAL YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS HIS, UH, HIS EXPERT ON DOWNTOWN CAMPUS STUFF. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY BOTH GIVING A PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS, UH, NEXT MONTH IN AUSTIN ABOUT HOW TO DEVELOP DOWNTOWN CAMPUSES. HE'S A, HE'S NOT A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER. HE'S A, HE'S A ADMINISTRATOR JUST LIKE ME. SO NOW, DR. DAMIAN, I 100% APPRECIATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID. AND, AND AS I SAID ON OUR PHONE CALL, THERE'S NO ISSUE WHATSOEVER WITH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE, THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE PUSHING U T S A FORWARD. THAT'S NOT AT ALL MY CONCERN. AND IT, FRANKLY, I IT'S NOT ON YOU TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT. IT, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, REGARDLESS OF WHERE SOMEBODY THINKS SOMEONE'S GONNA GET LEAKED UP HERE OR WHATEVER WE ARE, I'M SORRY. WE SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN IT, LORI, AND AT, AT SOME POINT IT NEEDS TO COME TO US IF YOU, I MEAN, WE ALL HAVE A VOTE. SO, UH, LOOK, AND I, I DO HAVE SOME GRAVE CONCERNS LIKE HOW A DEVELOPER KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND IS PITCHING THEIR EXPERTISE. WE SHOULD ALL BE WORRIED ABOUT THAT DIRECTLY TO THE ACCESS TO HAVE THAT KIND OF ACCESS DIRECTLY TO THE CITY MANAGERS, A CONCERN DURING A, AN ALLEGEDLY AN ALLEGED PROCESS THAT HAS, THAT IS BEING PROTECTED. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS PERSON KNEW ABOUT IT. 'CAUSE IN THE EMAIL HE STATED, LORI, THAT HE WAS BRIEFED TO DR. AMY'S PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS PROJECT IN AUGUST, AUGUST 8TH. AND THIS PERSON FROM SUN, ERIC HELEN, IS EMAILING THE MANAGER ABOUT HELPING OUT, BUT YET THE COUNSEL DOESN'T KNOW WHAT PRESENTATION LORI'S ARE THEY REFERRING TO. IT'S SO COUNCILMAN BHA. UH, YOU MIGHT IMAGINE THAT [02:05:01] AS WE WERE WORKING INTERNALLY, UH, IN, IN OUR INSTITUTION ABOUT HOW WE BROUGHT THIS PROJECT FORWARD AND ALL THE MATERIALS THAT WE, WE HAD TO PREPARE FOR PRESENTATION TO THE COUNTY, THE CITY, THE DONOR, ESPECIALLY THE, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS. I HAD A NUMBER OF STAFF THAT WERE INVOLVED IN HELPING ME PREPARE THIS. UH, I AM NOT AWARE OF THE INDIVIDUAL THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. UH, IT JUST SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT I WAS, UH, QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT THESE MATTERS GETTING OUT. I HAD A LOCKDOWN PROCESS IN PLACE THAT OBVIOUSLY WASN'T SUCCESSFUL. UH, YES, SIR. WELL, IT SPEAKS TO THE, IT SPEAKS TO THE FACT, DR. AMY, THAT IT WAS OUT TO EVERYBODY, BUT THE MEMBERS, THERE'S ONE, THERE'S ONE MORE PIECE I'M CURIOUS ABOUT. UM, IN ANOTHER EMAIL, THERE'S A REFERENCING TO $10 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THE PROJECT, AND THE CITY MANAGER RESPON RESPONDS THAT SHE WILL SPEAK WITH THE BOND COUNCIL AND C F O BEN GOEL TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. $10 MILLION IN BOND FUNDING OR SOME SORT OF FUNDING. WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT $10 MILLION BE IN REFERENCED TO? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. I WILL, AGAIN, I, I GOT THIS AT FOUR O'CLOCK YESTERDAY, SO HATE TO HAVE TO DO THIS NOW, BUT I MEAN, IT IS WHAT IT IS TO TRY TO GET THE ANSWERS. SO THAT, THAT IS AN UNRELATED PROJECT, COUNCILMAN THAT IS RELATING TO THE VOTER APPROVED $10 MILLION FOR U T S A FACILITIES ON THE MAIN CAMPUS, AND DR. AMY. AND, UH, OUR STAFF ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE DEPLOYED TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT. SO IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS. OKAY. UM, I'LL WRAP UP, UM, WITH JUST A COUPLE OF KEY POINTS. UM, IT'S A WONDERFUL VISION, DR. AMY. NOBODY'S, I, I'M NOT DISPUTING THAT, BUT I ALSO HAVE A VISION WHERE EVERY MEMBER OF THIS BODY'S INCLUDED IN A DISCUSSION AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME. AND I HOPE THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND LORI, WHO HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATING FOR THIS FOR MONTH, I WISH THEY WOULD'VE SAID AT SOME POINT, WE HAVE TO TRUST THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE TO HAVE THIS KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION. AND IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY AND ALL THAT, AND YOU CAN'T TRUST THE MEMBERS WHO HAVE TO VOTE ON IT, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS, LORI. I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO INCLUDE US A LOT SOONER. AND I THINK IT'S EGREGIOUS AND ABSOLUTE OVERSIGHT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THAT WHEN I REQUESTED THIS INFORMATION, AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA PROBABLY WONDER, MAN, WHY IS THIS GUY GOING TO TOWN ON THIS? BUT WHEN I QUESTIONED AND I REQUESTED THE INFORMATION ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, I GOT CRICKETS. NOTHING. THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. I DIDN'T EVEN GET A PHONE CALL OR A BRIEFING OR, HEY, LET ME HELP YOU UNDERSTAND, OR WHAT CAN I GET FOR YOU? AND I'M NOT THE ONLY MEMBER THAT FEELS THIS WAY. I'M JUST THE ONLY ONE THAT'S SAYING IT RIGHT NOW THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE INCLUDED. AND YOU, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT. LORI AND I, AND AND MANAGER SCULLY, I HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE, PEOPLE CAN BE INCLUDED. THEY HAVE TO BE TRUSTED BECAUSE THEY'RE ELECTED AND THEY HAVE THE ULTIMATE VOTE. YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION TO MAKE A FAIR AND REASONABLE ASSESSMENT. THE MAYOR COMMITTED THAT TO ME YESTERDAY. UH, ANDY'S GOT A COMMENT. UM, UH, YES, COUNCILMAN, UH, UH, WE HAD AN INITIAL CONVERSATION ON YOUR REQUEST, UM, UH, TO CLARIFY SOME THINGS IN TERMS OF SCOPE. UH, I AM, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THE MAYOR STAFF AND MY COLLEAGUES ON THE CITY STAFF FELT THAT I HAD THE BATON ON THAT. UM, CLEARLY I DROPPED THAT TO THE EXTENT YOU DIDN'T GET THE INFORMATION, UH, IN A TIMELY MANNER. I BEAR THE BRUNT, IF NOT ALL OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. UM, AND, UH, IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU DO HAVE A REQUEST LIKE THAT, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE GIVE YOU UPDATES AND, AND, UH, GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU REQUESTED IN A TIMELY MANNER. A LOT OF, UM, LOT, A LOT OF PEOPLE FALLING ON THE SWORDS AROUND HERE. UM, IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT EITHER, ANDY, UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. WHEN A RECORDS REQUEST OCCURS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IT'S ON THE PERSON WHO THE INFORMATION IS REQUESTED OF. IT'S INCUMBENT ON THEM TO TURN OVER THE INFORMATION. IT'S NOT INCUMBENT ON YOU AS THE CITY ATTORNEY TO DO IT. IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THE PERSON THAT THEY DISCLOSE ALL INFORMATION. THAT'S THE RULE OF OPEN RECORDS IN THE TEXT, OPEN MEETING, ALL OF IT. YOU HAVE TO DISCLOSE. IT'S NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, SIR. THE FACT IS THAT NOBODY WANTED TO GIVE ME THE INFORMATION FOR WHATEVER REASON, TABLED BUSY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT YOU CAN'T MAKE FULL DECISIONS ON THIS. AND I'M THANKFUL AT THE END OF IT THAT YOU MADE THE PHONE CALL AND WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION AND YOU SPOKE TO A VISION, AND I'M APPRECIATIVE. I'LL VOTE ON THAT VISION. UM, BECAUSE YOU AND I HAVE, LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, I, I, YOU, YOU AND COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ IS EXACTLY RIGHT. YOU'RE BRINGING SOMETHING THAT'S AMAZING TO THE PROCESS, BUT THE AMAZING PROCESS ON THIS PART NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO OCCUR, AND THAT'S INCLUSION. AND I CALL ON THE MAYOR TO PLEASE INCLUDE EVERYBODY IN EVERY DECISION REGARDLESS OF THEIR BELIEFS OR OPPOSITION OR POLITICAL MEANS, OR WHATEVER IT IS. LIKE YOU SAID YESTERDAY, IT AIN'T POLITICS TO INCLUDE AND BE FAIR AND REASONABLE. WHAT IT IS, IT'S PROFESSIONAL AND IT'S LEADERSHIP. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. I WILL VOTE IN FAVOR AND SUPPORT OF YOU TODAY BECAUSE [02:10:01] YOU REACHED OUT TO ME, DR. AMY. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF, OF, UH, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO. I'M, I'M VERY PROUD, AND I WILL WORK HARD WITH YOU TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON HERE. I'M SORRY THIS HAD TO OCCUR AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, BUT GET ME THE INFORMATION EARLIER AND THIS PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAPPEN. SO I APPRECIATE YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. MEMBER BROADCAST. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BROCK, HOUSE, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WANNA THANK, UH, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED ON THIS, UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. UH, I WANNA THANK, UH, RAD WEAVER AND LEO GOMEZ FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, SITTING THROUGH THE WHOLE DISCUSSION. IT'S, UM, SOMETIMES IT'S FIREWORKS, BUT IT, IT'S STILL HISTORICAL. IT'S HAPPENING TODAY. AND DR. AMY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART BECAUSE YOU, UH, ARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER, AND, UH, THAT'S, UH, I KNOW YOU DON'T GET TO DO MUCH OF THAT ANYMORE RIGHT NOW. BUT, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS VISION, UH, FORWARD. I AM TREMENDOUSLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, IN, IN THE DOWNTOWN, BUT, SORRY, IT'S HARD TO JUMP INTO MY POSITIVE COMMENTS AFTER WE JUST HAD THIS DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW. SO I'M GONNA, UH, REFERENCE THAT, UH, JUST, JUST A LITTLE BIT. I THINK AT COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE. I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE CORRECT IN THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE A SLIGHTLY BETTER JOB. AND I, UM, AND I THINK ALL OF OUR PROCESS HERE IN THE CITY, ANYWHERE STAND, UH, CAN BENEFIT FROM, FROM IMPROVEMENT. UH, I'M GLAD THAT TODAY'S VOTE WILL NOT BE HELD UP BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THAT. UH, BUT I INVITE YOU AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL TO, UH, AND EVEN THE PUBLIC, OF COURSE, TO BRING FORWARD YOUR IDEAS FOR HOW WE CAN IMPROVE SOME OF THESE PROCESSES IN FEBRUARY. COUNCILMAN I, UH, I CAME TO YOU WITH THE C C R AND I ASKED YOU TO BE THE FIRST SIGNATURE ON THAT FOR ME. AND WHAT IT DID WAS ASK, UM, CITY STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESSES. AND WE TITLED IT, WE TITLED OUR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION, REQUEST ADVANCING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. UH, IT ASKED CITY STAFF OF FIVE THINGS, AND ONE OF THEM WAS TO LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES AND RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENTS. WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING THAT, THE NEXT STEPS ON THAT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AT MY COMMITTEE. AND I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS ISSUES PRECISELY LIKE THIS ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB, UH, AND MAYBE OTHER, OTHER THINGS AS WELL. SO I JUST, I WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE, THAT WHEN WE SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVEMENT FOR IMPROVEMENT, WE ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO BRING FORWARD THE SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO IMPROVE THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE DOING, UM, IN OUR DISCUSSION AT AT COMMITTEE MEETING. UM, SO AGAIN, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, WITH THIS DOWNTOWN CAMPUS. UM, SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, MENTIONED THE LONG, THE LONG DECADES OF, OF NEGLECT AND UNFORTUNATE, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT DID OR DIDN'T HAPPEN IN THE WEST SIDE. UM, DR. CHRISTINE RENAN GAVE US A, A GREAT PRESENTATION ABOUT SOME OF THAT HISTORIC STUFF THAT HAPPENED. AND I, I SEE TODAY AS, UH, AS A WAY TO BEGIN, UM, MAKING UP, UH, FOR THAT, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FREEWAY, UH, AND HOW IT REALLY DOES DIVIDE THE COMMUNITY THERE. THERE ARE DAYS WHEN I, AS A PROTEST FOR THAT FREEWAY BEING THERE, I CHOOSE NOT TO TAKE IT, AND I TAKE THE STREETS, UH, INSTEAD, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE THE FREEWAY GO AWAY, AND THAT DOESN'T UNIFY THE COMMUNITY. UH, BUT SOMETHING LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY DOES, UM, I THINK GEOGRAPHY IS, IS REALLY A CATALYST FOR WHAT WE WANNA SEE HAPPEN IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, AND THIS IS GEOGRAPHY THAT'S ACTUALLY WITHIN OUR POWER, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE CITY OWNS SOME OF THIS PROPERTY, AND THE REGIONS ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US ON THIS. UM, AND I THINK WHAT I'M PROBABLY MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE S A I SS D SCHOOLS THAT AREN'T, MAYBE, AREN'T PERFORMING RIGHT NOW. AND WHEN YOU PUT A CAMPUS THAT'S GONNA BE AN OPEN CAMPUS, RIGHT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A, A CLOSED, UH, GATE CAMPUS. WHEN YOU PUT THAT CAMPUS DOWNTOWN AND YOU OPEN IT TO THE COMMUNITY, IT IS GOING TO BE WITHIN SIGHT. AND WHEN SOMETHING IS WITHIN SIGHT, YOU BELIEVE THAT IT'S WITHIN REACH, AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH THE MINDS OF ALL THOSE STUDENTS THAT WILL BE, UM, STUDYING AT S A I S D SCHOOLS DOWNTOWN. UM, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION, AND I'M NOT, I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE IF THIS IS FOR STAFF OR OR FOR DR. AMY. UM, NOT TOO LONG AGO, WE ADOPTED A, UH, DOCUMENT PUT FORWARD BY THE MAYOR'S, UH, HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE. AND THERE WAS ONE ITEM IN THERE, AND I BELIEVE YOU'RE BEGINNING TO ADDRESS THIS ALREADY, AND [02:15:01] COUNCILMAN LANGE SPOKE TO IT. THERE'S ONE RECOMMENDATION IN THERE THAT I THOUGHT WAS, UH, WAS REALLY STRIKING IN THAT, IN THAT REPORT, AND IT WAS, UM, REQUIRE PUBLIC AGENCIES TO CONDUCT A DISPLACEMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE, YOU'RE WORKING ON ALREADY. AND THEN THERE IS ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT SETTING ASIDE FUNDS, SORT OF A RISK MITIGATION FUND TO ASSIST IN EVENTUAL AND WHAT MIGHT END UP BEING, UH, DISPLACEMENT. SO I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S IN THE, IN THE PLANS. NOW, IN THE DRAFT AGREEMENT THAT WE'VE ATTACHED TO THIS ITEM, THERE IS A REQUIREMENT THAT PRIOR TO U T S A MAKING THE FORMAL REQUEST FOR THOSE THREE PROPERTIES ON FREO, THEY MUST DO AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY AND A SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY THAT ADDRESSES THAT DISPLACEMENT CONCERN THAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE POLICY REPORT. AND THAT REPORT WILL IDENTIFY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT WE CAN MAKE TO AVOID SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS, AND DR. AMY CAN SPEAK TO THE FUNDING THAT MAY BE ATTACHED TO THAT REPORT. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, THE, UM, THIS GETS TO WHAT COUNCILMAN SALDANA WAS ASKING FOR, OBVIOUSLY, AND, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN, IN, IN, IN DOING. UH, WE, UH, SELF-FINANCE, HOW WE DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, IMPACT STUDIES, UH, WE DO THAT THROUGH OUR INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SUPPORT, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY. THERE MIGHT BE OTHER BETTER TERMS TO USE. AS I INDICATED EARLIER, WE WE'RE, WE, WE WILL WE'LL FINANCE THAT AND BRING THAT FORWARD AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO CONTINUE ALL OF THE VARIOUS CONVERSATIONS WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS. AND OBVIOUSLY, IT'S GONNA INTEGRATE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THE CITY IS WORKING ON. AND WE'RE VERY AWARE OF THE, THE, THE MAYOR'S HOUSING, UH, COMMISSION REPORT COMING OUT, AND WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT. AND SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE INTENDING TO, TO MARSHAL OUR FORCES TO WORK ON THAT. AND WE WON'T WAIT. WE'LL, THIS WILL BEGIN RIGHT AWAY, EVEN THOUGH THE REO STREET PROPERTIES ARE POTENTIALLY DOWNSTREAM AND THEY'RE NOT THERE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET ON WITH THIS ANYWAY. AND IT HAS TO DO WITH OUR WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ'S AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO'S OFFICES ABOUT HOW WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, SO I KNOW, UH, ALL THE FUTURE STEPS DEPEND ON TODAY'S VOTE AND TODAY'S VOTE IS, IS THE FIRST STEP. SO NOT A LOT, NOT EVERYTHING'S BEEN FIGURED OUT YET, UH, OBVIOUSLY, BUT, UM, I, I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT BOTH OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES ARE INVOLVED, BUT I'M WONDERING IF CITY STAFF WILL ALSO BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, AND DO WE HAVE THE RESOURCES FOR THAT AS WELL? UH, YES, WE WILL BE INVOLVED, AND IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, WE'LL COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL WITH A RECOMMENDED ACTION. BUT, UM, AT THIS TIME, WE THINK WE CAN HANDLE THAT. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN. ALL RIGHT, NO PROBLEM. WELL, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS VISION. UH, DR. AMY, IT WAS, IT'S A RECORD AMOUNT OF TIME GIVEN THAT YOU WERE JUST, UH, APPOINTED NOT TOO, NOT TOO LONG AGO, AND YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL. COUNCILWOMAN OR COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. UH, I, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, UH, SAY, DR. AMY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING BY THE OFFICE. I REALLY ENJOYED THAT VISIT TO EXPLAIN THIS WHOLE, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE FOR U T SS A DOWNTOWN. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE TO EXPRESS, UH, SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS FROM COUNCILMAN COURAGE AND COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE ABOUT THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS AND BEING BROUGHT IN THIS, RIGHT, RIGHT, LITERALLY RIGHT BEFORE THE, UH, PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THIS PROJECT. AND I, I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN THAT, BUT, UM, I, I CAN'T SAY NO TO THIS PROJECT BECAUSE OF THAT. I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS A GAME CHANGER FOR DOWNTOWN AND FOR THE WEST SIDE. SO, UH, UM, I'M JUST AGAIN, UH, DISAPPOINTED IN THE PROCESS AND HOW, HOW WE WERE BROUGHT INTO, INTO THIS PROJECT OVERALL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR U T S A, EVEN THOUGH I'M AN AGGIE. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DOING THIS AND, UM, UH, BRINGING THIS TO DOWNTOWN. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PERRY. UM, EVERYBODY HAS SPOKEN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UH, I'LL BE VERY BRIEF 'CAUSE EVERYTHING THAT, THAT I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THIS PROJECT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. UH, BUT DO, DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE GRAHAM WESTON AND HIS, UH, ETERNAL DEVOTION TO THE VISION OF OUR URBAN CORE, UH, WHICH IN REALITY OR BECOMES A REALITY WITH THIS PROJECT, IN MY MIND, A TRULY CATALYTIC ONE. UM, IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE A HIGHER AND BETTER USE OF THE PUBLIC'S LAND THAN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY, UH, TO ENSURE [02:20:01] THAT THE CHILDREN OF SAN ANTONIO CAN HARNESS THE FUTURE. AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS THAT WILL BE COMING TO THE URBAN CORE OF SAN ANTONIO, IT'S TRULY EXTRAORDINARY. UM, YOU TALK ABOUT THE 21ST CENTURY INDUSTRIES THAT ARE GERMINATING RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES, AND THE FACT THAT SAN ANTONIO IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY CAN NOW TAKE A LEADERSHIP POSITION GLOBALLY IN THOSE THINGS IS PHENOMENAL. UH, THE WORLD CLASS FACULTY THAT WILL BE, THAT WILL BE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO EXTRAORDINARY, THE KINDS OF EMPLOYERS WILL BE ATTRACTED TO THE TALENT PIPELINE THAT WILL BE, UH, RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE BECAUSE OF A U T S A DOWNTOWN CAMPUS THAT COLLABORATES WITH THE MILITARY AND PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR ASSETS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR VERY CITY RIGHT NOW. IT'S THE GLUE THAT COMBINES ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WANTING TO SEE IN OUR ECONOMY FOR SO LONG. AND IF WE DO IT RIGHT, AND I BELIEVE IN THIS COLLABORATION, WE ARE, UH, THAT IS TO THE BENEFIT OF EVERY SINGLE FAMILY IN SAN ANTONIO NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, DR. AMY, UH, FOR BEING DELIBERATE, UH, BEING CAREFUL, UH, BUT BEING BOLD WITH THE VISION THAT YOU CAME IN TO ACHIEVE, UH, AND IT'S EXTRAORDINARY THAT YOU'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN IN SUCH A, A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. UM, I, I DO WANNA ALSO, UH, SAY THANK YOU TO LORI AND TO OUR CITY STAFF FOR, UH, WORKING SO HARD ON THIS PARTICULAR, UM, TRANSACTION. IT IS COMPLICATED. UH, THE CLOSEST ANALOG WE CAN FIND, UH, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE DIOCESE WHO WERE HERE WHEN IT HAPPENED WAS THE FROST BANK TOWER, AND WE KNOW THAT HOW CATALYTIC THAT PROJECT IS AND WILL BE, UH, FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND FINALLY, I'LL JUST SAY, UM, THERE ARE MISTAKES THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO OUR COMMUNITY, MAKES OVER GENERATIONS. AND ONE OF THE MISTAKES THAT WAS MADE IN PLANNING CIRCLES YEARS AGO, DECADES AGO WAS, WAS REMARKED UPON BY FORMER MAYOR HENRY CISNEROS, WAS THE FACT THAT FACT THAT WE PASSED ON AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CITY. IT'S NOW LOCATED UP I 10 IN DISTRICT EIGHT AND IS DOING QUITE WELL, UH, WELL ENOUGH THAT I WOULD SAY THEY OVERCAME THE WEAKNESS OF NOT BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY. BUT THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO WRITE THAT SHIP AND TO HAVE A PREMIER RESEARCH INSTITUTION THAT WILL BE THE ENVY OF NOT ONLY THE BEST UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO UNIVERSITIES WORLDWIDE, IS SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF. UH, AND FINALLY, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, THANK YOU RAD. I THINK EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD KNOWS HOW TO MAKE HOOK 'EM HORNS, UH, BUT I HOPE THEY VERY SOON KNOW HOW TO SAY, UH, BIRDS UP. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE AND, UH, I'M HAPPY TO THAT THIS WILL MOVE FORWARD. TODAY WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. UH, COUNSEL, WE'LL RECONVENE NOW. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE. UM, AGAIN, I THINK WHEN WE'RE ALL DEAD AND GONE, THIS WILL BE A, A VERY REMARKABLE DAY THAT PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER. SO APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE. WE WILL, UM, NOW RECONVENE ON ITEM NUMBER SIX. ITEM NUMBER SIX IS AN ORDINANCE CLOSING, VACATING AND ABANDONING SECTIONS OF RIGHT OF WAY, LOCATED ON ALAMO STREET, ALAMO PLAZA, AND HOUSTON STREET, AND LIMITING SECTIONS OF RIGHT OF WAY LOCATED ON ALAMO STREET, ALAMO PLAZA, AND BLUM STREET, CROCKETT STREET, AND EAST HOUSTON STREET TO PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES, AND APPROVING A GROUND LEASE IN MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE FOR PROPERTY. LOCATED IN THE HISTORIC ALAMO MISSION, FOOTPRINT AND PROPERTY REQUIRED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PROPOSED ALAMO VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM, AND AUTHORIZING THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE RESTORATION AND RELOCATION OF THE SYNTA WITHIN THE ALAMO PLAZA AREA MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, NOW THAT IT IS AFTERNOON, THIS AFTERNOON, WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO APPROVE THE ALAMO PLAN. AND THIS ACTION IS ABOUT CLOSING AND VACATING A PORTION OF ALAMO STREET. UH, IT'S ALSO DESCRIBING THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO THE AREA. UH, IT IS APPROVING THE GROUND LEASE AND THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND AUTHORIZING THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF THE NECESSARY ACTIONS [02:25:01] TO RESTORE AND RELOCATE THE SUN T WITHIN ALAMO PLAZA. BEFORE WE BEGIN, UH, THIS AFTERNOON, I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE A COUPLE OF GUESTS THAT ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. THE TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER, GEORGE P. BUSH IS HERE, UH, COMMISSIONER BUSH, AS WELL AS CONGRESSMAN POE IS HERE FROM HOUSTON. UH, I KNOW THEY'LL BE SPEAKING IN A FEW MINUTES. I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UH, SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE ALAMO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, UH, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, UH, TO DEVELOP THIS RECOMMENDATION. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERTO TREVINO AND I REPRESENT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AS MEMBERS OF THE SIX MEMBER MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. OUR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AS WELL AS THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT, TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF THE THREE PARTIES. UH, HECTOR VY AND BRIAN PRESTON ARE HERE FROM THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND THE ALAMO DIRECTOR, DOUG MCDONALD, UH, IS HERE TODAY AS WELL. UH, LORI HOUSTON IS GOING TO REVIEW SEVERAL SLIDES WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON THAT DESCRIBED THE ALAMO PLAN. I KNOW THE COUNCIL HAS HAD MANY PRESENTATIONS ON THE ALAMO OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT, UH, FOR PURPOSES TODAY OF THE COUNCIL ACTION THAT IS REQUESTED, WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW THAT PLAN WITH YOU AS WELL AS, UH, THE ACTION WE'RE ASKING YOU TO TAKE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRESENTATION AND HEARING FROM THOSE WHO ARE, WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY. UM, I KNOW THE COMMISSIONER HAS JUST JOINED US, UH, GEORGE P. BUSH, SO WE WELCOME HIM AS WELL AS THE CONGRESSMAN, UH, TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LORI HOUSTON TO DESCRIBE THE ALAMO PLAN. THANK YOU, CHERYL, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL. I'M SO THRILLED TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT TO YOU ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SEVERAL ACTIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN MAY OF 2017. TODAY'S ACTION IS ALSO A CONTINUATION OF THE FOUR YEARS OF WORK TO DO A JOINT MASTER PLAN FOR THE ALAMO, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S A CONTINUATION OF OUR STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS TO INCLUDE THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT, WHICH WAS FORMALIZED IN A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT THAT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF 2015, ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO TODAY. AS A REMINDER, THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN HAD FIVE KEY CONCEPTS. THE FIRST KEY CONCEPT WAS TO RESTORE THE CHURCH IN LONG BARRACK. THE SECOND KEY CONCEPT WAS TO DELINEATE THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE SLIDE IN RED. THE THIRD WAS TO RECAPTURE THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT, THE FOURTH, REPURPOSING THEIR CROCKETT, WOOLWORTH, AND PALACE BUILDINGS INTO A WORLD CLASS VISITOR, CENTER AND MUSEUM. AND THE LAST, TO CREATE A SENSE OF PLACE ARRIVAL AND ENHANCE THE CONNECTIVITY TO AND FROM THE SITE. THE UNDERLYING ISSUE OF EACH OF THOSE CONCEPTS WAS WE MUST TELL ALL THE STORIES. WE MUST TELL THE MISSION STORY, THE PRE MISSION STORY, THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, AND THE TEXAS REVOLUTION, AND THE POST BATTLE AND THE URBANIZATION OF SAN ANTONIO. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE CULTURES THAT LIVED, FOUGHT AND DIED AT THE SITE, WHETHER THEY BE TEXAN, TEJANA, INDIGENOUS, OR THE DEFENDERS, THEY'RE RECOGNIZED AND THEIR STORY IS TOLD, AND THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF THIS PLAN. ON MAY 11TH, 2017, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THOSE FIVE KEY CONCEPTS WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN, AND THEY ALSO PROVIDED CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL, THE CLOSING OF PARTS OF THE STREETS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO RECAPTURE THE ALAMO FOOTPRINT. THEY PROVIDED CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL OF THE REPAIR AND RELOCATION OF THE SENATE TAF, AND THEY ALSO CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL OF A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT. FINALLY, CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED AN EXTENSION AT THAT COUNCIL MEETING TO EXTEND THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT THROUGH THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN, WHICH WE EXPECT TO BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED IN 2024. THE FIRST ORDER OF WORK AFTER COUNCIL ADOPTED THE MASTER PLAN WAS FOR THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, WHICH INCLUDES THE SIX MEMBERS THAT CITY MANAGER CHERYL SCULLEY MENTIONED. THEY WANTED TO HIRE A WORLD-CLASS TEAM TO DO AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN AND A DESIGN FOR THE ALAMO. IN DECEMBER OF 2017, THEY ANNOUNCED A SELECTION OF P G A V [02:30:01] DESTINATIONS, AND JOHN CASSMAN WITH P G A V DESTINATIONS IS HERE TODAY AND WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. P G A V HAS BEEN WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CULTURAL INNOVATIONS OUT OF LONDON AND REED HILDEBRAND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS OUT OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, TO DEVELOP A WORLD CLASS INTERPRETIVE PLAN AND SITE STRATEGIES THAT WILL CONTINUE THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN. LAST WEEK, CITY MANAGER, CHERYL SCULLEY, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERTO TREVINO AND ERIC KRAMER WITH REED HILDEBRAND, PRESENTED THE ALAMO SITE STRATEGIES AND THE ANIMAL PLAN TO CITY COUNCIL IN A B SESSION. WHAT YOU SAW LAST WEEK WAS A CULMINATION OF ALMOST FOUR YEARS OF WORK THAT INCLUDED SEVERAL PUBLIC MEETINGS AND A ROBUST PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. WE HAD OVER 200 PLUS STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, 50 PLUS PUBLICLY POSTED MEETINGS. WE HAD A WONDERFUL ARCHEOLOGICAL CAMPAIGN THAT HIGHLIGHTED OUR VERY OWN KAY HINES, WHO IS OUR CITY ARCHEOLOGIST AT NESTA ANDERSON WITH PAT DAWSON, WHERE THEY WOULD SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC WHAT THEY WERE FINDING IN THE ARCHEOLOGICAL DIGS ON A DAILY BASIS. AND WE HAD OVER 1000 PEOPLE TUNE IN TO THIS FACEBOOK LIVE POST. THIS CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN ROBUST. WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING, AND AS YOU SAW LAST WEEK, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF CHANGES. YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE GLASS WALLS HAVE BEEN REMOVED. THERE IS PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE PLAZA 24 HOURS A DAY. WE HAVE SOLEMN SPACE COMBINED WITH COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE. THERE IS MORE SHADE, THE SENATE HALF WILL BE REPAIRED, BUT IT'LL BE RELOCATED, BUT IT'LL STAY WITHIN THE ALAMO PLAZA. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE TRADITIONS THAT THE ALAMO PLAZA HAS HOSTED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE FIESTA COMMISSION AND THE PARADE ORGANIZERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THE TRADITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR PARADE, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE TEXAS CAVALIERS AND OTHER FIESTA COMMISSION PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE AND ACCOMMODATE THEIR IMPORTANT EVENTS, SUCH AS THE PILGRIMAGE AND THE INVESTITURE CEREMONY FOR THE TEXAS CAVALIERS. NOW, LAST WEEK'S PRESENTATION PROVIDED YOU AN ENTIRE VIEW OF THE ALAMO PLAN, WHICH INCLUDED FIVE STRIKE SITE STRATEGIES THAT WERE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE FIVE KEY CONCEPTS IN THE ALAMO PLAN. THE PRIMARY SITE STRATEGIES THAT I WANT TO REVIEW WITH THE COUNCIL TODAY INCLUDE THE STREET CLOSURES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO RECAPTURE THE HISTORIC MISSION PLAZA AND TO CREATE THAT SENSE OF ARRIVAL AND REVERENCE, THE REROUTING OF PARADES TO ACCOMMODATE TRADITIONS, BUT ALSO TO ENRICH THE EXPERIENCE AT THE PARADES, THE REPAIR AND RELOCATION OF THE CAF, ACCESS TO THE PLAZA AND THE REPURPOSING OF THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS SO WE CAN HAVE A WORLD-CLASS VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM. THE FIRST OF THESE STRATEGIES I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS IS THE CLOSING OF THE STREETS AND LIMITING SOME OF THOSE STREETS TO PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICULAR ACCESS. WHY DO WE WANT TO CLOSE THE STREETS? IT'S NECESSARY TO RECAPTURE AND DELINEATE THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT. IT ALLOWS US TO RESPECT THE MISSION FOOTPRINT AND THE BATTLEFIELD, AND HELP US CREATE THE SENSE OF PLACE AND REVERENCE THAT IS LACKING ON THE SITE TODAY. AND WE KNOW THROUGH TRAFFIC STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY P DAWSON THAT WE DO HAVE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES THAT CAN ABSORB THE CURRENT AND FUTURE TRAFFIC CAPACITY, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE VARIOUS BUSINESSES AND STAKEHOLDERS IN AND AROUND THOSE STREET CLOSURES TO CREATE A SERVICE AND DELIVERY PLAN THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE THEIR BUSINESS NEEDS. THE AREA HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE REPRESENTS THE SECTIONS OF ALAMO STREET, ALAMO PLAZA, AND HOUSTON STREET THAT WE ARE REQUESTING TO CLOSE, ABANDONED AND VACATE. AND THOSE ARE THE STREETS NECESSARY TO RECAPTURE THE ALAMO PLAZA FOOTPRINT. THE AREA IN RED ARE THE AREAS NECESSARY TO CREATE THAT SENSE OF ARRIVAL TO THE SITE, AND THOSE REPRESENT PORTIONS OF ALAMO STREET, ALAMO PLAZA, HOUSTON STREET, CROCKETT STREET, AND BLUM STREET. THE AREA IN RED WILL ALSO PROVIDE MORE COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE AND EXPAND THE COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE THAT WE HAVE TODAY. THIS IS A SITE OF THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT, AND YOU CAN SEE ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I MENTIONED THAT WE WANT TO CLOSE THESE STREETS IS TO REALLY RECAPTURE THE HISTORIC PLAZA. YOU CAN SEE THAT HOUSTON STREET AND ALAMO STREET BIFURCATE THE SITE, AND BY REMOVING THEM, WE'RE ABLE TO TELL ALL THE STORIES THAT WE WANT TO INTERPRET. THIS EXHIBIT SHOWS THE FADED AREA AND PINK, THE KNOWN BURIAL GROUNDS THAT WE HAVE ON THE SITE. THOSE ARE BOTH PRE MISSION AND CATHOLIC BURIAL GROUNDS. AND THE AREAS IN PINK [02:35:01] ARE AREAS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION. WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HIGHLIGHT THOSE THROUGH A NEW AND IMPROVED ALAMO EXPERIENCE AND INTERPRET ALL THOSE IMPORTANT STORIES OF ALL THE CULTURES THAT LIVED ON THE SITE. THE CLOSING OF THE STREETS ALLOWS US TO EXPAND THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT BY 60%. IT GOES FROM 4.2 ACRES TO 6.7 ACRES, BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO EXPAND OUR COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE GOING FROM 1.3 ACRES TO 5.9 ACRES. THE NEXT STRATEGY IS TO DEVELOP A NEW PARADE ROUTE THAT HONORS THE COMPLETE HISTORY. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE PARADES AS CURRENTLY PRESENTED TODAY DO HONOR THAT HISTORY, BUT WE WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE THAT. SO BY CLOSING THE STREETS AND REDEVELOPING AND REROUTING THE PARADES, WE'RE ABLE TO AVOID THOSE KNOWN BURIAL GROUNDS AND PROVIDE MORE RESPECT TO THE SITE. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HONOR THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO THROUGH THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADES, AND WILL CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE THROUGH THE FIESTA FLAMM BOW PARADE. WE ARE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE FLORAL TRIBUTE WITH THIS REROUTING, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO ENHANCE SEATING CAPACITY AND SHADE FOR SPECTATORS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE PROPOSED TWO ROUTES. WE PRESENTED TO THE PARADE ORGANIZERS. THE CURRENT ROUTE FOR THE PARADES, THEY GO DIRECTLY SOUTH ON ALAMO STREET. THEY STOP ON ALAMO STREET. IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH, THERE IS A CADET WHO WILL TAKE A FLORAL TRIBUTE AND WALK IT TO THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH. THERE ARE BLEACHERS ALL ALONG ALAMO STREET, SO MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THAT CEREMONY IS HAPPENING. THE PROPOSED OPTION TO REROUTE THESE TWO UM, PARADES WILL ALLOW US TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE CHURCH. SO WHETHER THEY TAKE LAS SOYA STREET OR BONUM STREET, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE CHURCH AND PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND WILL BE ABLE TO ENRICH, ENRICH THE PROCESSION EXPERIENCE AT THE ALAMO THROUGH THE BATTLE FLOWERS PARADES, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK BYRON THE FLOOR WITH THE FIESTA COMMISSION, AS WELL AS ANNA LAURA BLOCK WITH THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION AND HELP IN THIS EFFORT, AS WELL AS THE FLAMM PARADE ASSOCIATION. AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO COUNCILMAN ROBERTO TREVINO, WHO HELPED US WITH THIS PARTNERSHIP. THE THIRD STRATEGY IS TO REPAIR AND RELOCATE THE CTAF WITHIN ALIMA PLAZA. IF YOU RECALL, LAST YEAR, WE WERE PROPOSING TO RELOCATE THE CTA TO AN AREA AT THE RIVER AND MARKET STREET. WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC WAS THAT WAS TOO FAR AND IT KEPT THE CTA OUT OF CONTEXT. WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING NOW IS TO RELOCATE IT TO AN AREA THAT IS IN LINE WITH THE ORIGINAL LOCATION THAT KINI REQUESTED. BY RELOCATING, WE CAN CLARIFY PERIODS OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE. WE'RE UNABLE TO BETTER PROGRAM THE AREA AND EXPAND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES ON THE SITE. THE CAF WILL BE REPAIRED AND RELOCATED WITHIN A PLAZA. IT'LL REMAIN A PROMINENT FEATURE WITHIN THE PLAZA, AND IT WILL BE RELOCATED AND REPAIRED ON SITE. THIS EXHIBIT SHOWS THE CAF DOES BLOCK VIEWS OF THE LONG BARRACK AND THE CHURCH AND ITS LIMIT SPACES FOR PROGRAMMING. THIS SHOWS THE RELOCATION WILL ENABLE US TO DO MORE PROGRAMMING ON THE SITE, TO TELL ALL THE STORIES IN THAT RICH HISTORY OF THE ALAMO. THE NEXT THING IS IT ALLOWS US TO CLARIFY PERIODS OF SIGNIFICANCE. AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE PROPOSED LOCATION, WHICH IS 500 FEET FROM THE CURRENT LOCATION, IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL SITES KINI REQUESTED WHEN CONSTRUCTING THE SENATE TAF ABOVE THE SENATE TAF EVERYBODY, I I NEED TO ASK YOUR COURTESY AS THE PRESENTER IS SPEAKING, PLEASE KEEP YOUR CONVERSATIONS DOWN TO A MINIMUM, UH, SO WE CAN KEEP ORDER IN THE ROOM. THANK YOU. THE SYNTA WILL ALWAYS REMAIN A PROMINENT FEATURE IN ALAMO PLAZA, AND I WANNA STRESS THAT IT WILL BE REPAIRED, BUT IT WILL BE A CENTERPIECE FOR ALAMO PLAZA. THE NEXT STRATEGY IS TO ENCOURAGE A FORMAL POINT OF ENTRY TO THE ALAMO. THE ALAMO PLAZA CURRENTLY IS VERY, VERY POROUS. WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS PROVIDE A FORMAL POINT OF ENTRY TO HELP ENHANCE THAT VISITOR EXPERIENCE. THE PROPOSED PLAN WILL STILL ALLOW CONTINUOUS ACCESS 24 7 TO THE PLAZA. IT'LL ENHANCE A VISITOR EXPERIENCE TO INCLUDE THE EXPERIENCE FOR RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS. WE'LL HAVE TWO MORE ENTRY POINTS THAT CAN BE OPENED DURING TIMES OF HIGH PEDESTRIAN FLOW, AS WELL AS TIMES OF NO [02:40:01] PROGRAMMING. AND I'LL ALSO WANNA MENTION AND EMPHASIZE THAT IT WILL ALWAYS BE FREE TO WALK INTO THE ALAMO PLAZA. THE ALAMO CHURCH AND THE LONG BARRACK DURING TIMES OF NON-US MUSEUM HOURS WILL HAVE SIX POINTS OF ENTRY THAT WILL BE OPEN WHEN THE MUSEUM IS NOT OPEN. THIS EXHIBIT SHOWS THE WAY A VISITOR EXPERIENCES THE ALAMO. THE GREEN.IS THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH, AND THE BLUE.IS THE SIDE OF THE LONG BARRACK. THE MAJORITY OF VISITORS WHO GO TO THE ALAMO HEAD NORTH ON ALAMO STREET, AND THEY HAVE NO CLUE THEY'VE WALKED OVER A BATTLEFIELD WHEN THEY GET TO THE CHURCH. BY THE TIME THEY GET IN THE CHURCH, THEY'RE LEARNING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE MISSION AND THE BATTLEFIELD WANNA MAKE SURE THAT A VISITOR TO THE SITE UNDERSTANDS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GROUNDS THEY'RE STANDING ON. WE'RE PROPOSING THE PRIMARY ENTRY BE LOCATED ON THE WEST END OF THE PLAZA WALLS, WHICH IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CROCKETT BUILDING. AS SOON AS THEY STEP INTO THE PLAZA, THEY WILL KNOW THAT THEY ARE ON A HISTORIC MISSION FOOTPRINT. THEY'LL KNOW AND LEARN ABOUT THE MISSION ERA, THE BATTLE ERA, AND THE URBANIZATION OF SAN ANTONIO. AS MENTIONED, THERE'LL BE TWO ADDITIONAL SITES THAT CAN BE OPEN DURING TIMES WHEN THERE'S NO PROGRAMMING GOING ON IN THE PLAZA, OR TIMES WHEN THERE'S HIGH PEDESTRIAN FLOW. AND THEN DURING TIMES WHEN THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED, WHICH WE BELIEVE TO BE BEFORE 9:00 AM AND AFTER 6:00 PM THERE'LL BE SIX ACCESS POINTS IN AND OUT OF THE PLAZA. THE NEXT ONE IS TO DO AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ADAPTIVE REUSE POTENTIAL FOR THE THREE HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE PURCHASED. THIS INCLUDES THE CROCKETT PALACE AND WOOLWORTH BUILDING. THE ASSESSMENT WILL LOOK AT EACH OF THESE BUILDINGS AND ASSESS THEM BASED ON THEIR, UM, GUIDELINE, ASSESS THEM BASED ON THE BUILDING INDIVIDUALLY, LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE, THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, AND WILL BE IN LINE WITH THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR STANDARDS. IT'LL ALSO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES, HOW WE CAN CONNECT MULTIPLE FLOOR PLATES TO ACCOMMODATE A WORLD-CLASS VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM. DURING THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS, THEY DID REQUEST THAT THEY RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON THE ASSESSMENT PRIOR TO ANY RECOMMENDATION BEING MADE TO THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION. AND THAT IS A REQUIREMENT PRIOR TO MOVING FORWARD TO T H C. ADDITIONALLY, H D R C WILL BE ABLE TO REVIEW AND RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON THE ASSESSMENT PRIOR TO MOVING FORWARD TO T H C BEFORE CITY STAFF AND THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY INITIATED THE REGULATORY PROCESS NECESSARY TO APPROVE THE PLAN. P G A V DID A BRAND PERCEPTION STUDY TESTING SEVERAL OF THESE STRATEGIES. THEY INTERVIEWED OR SURVEYED OVER 2000 INDIVIDUALS. 1600 WERE FROM TEXAS, 268 WERE FROM SAN ANTONIO, AND 400 FROM OUR PRIMARY FEEDER MARKETS. ALL OF THE STRIKE STRATEGIES THEY TESTED, INCLUDING THE RELOCATION AND REPAIR OF THE SYNTA, AND CREATING A WOW FACTOR ENTRANCE TO THE SITE WERE AGREED UPON OR NEUTRAL ON BY MORE THAN 50%. THIS STUDY WAS PRESENTED TO THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN JUNE AND ALSO SENT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR THEIR REVIEW. THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECEIVED A BRIEFING ON THE ALAMO PLAN ON AUGUST 30TH. AFTER SEVERAL MEETINGS OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, THEY PASSED SEVEN RESOLUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE PLAN. FIVE OF THEM WERE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AND TWO OF THEM HAD OVER 90% APPROVAL. THOSE RESOLUTIONS VOTED ON EACH SITE STRATEGY, AND THEY ALSO PASSED A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE OVERALL PLAN, PROVIDED IT FOLLOW ALL APPLICABLE LAWS, INCLUDING THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE AND THE ANTIQUITIES CODE. AND THEY ALSO SUPPORTED THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ENTERING INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ALAMO PLAZA. ONCE THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE PASSED THESE RESOLUTIONS, THEY WERE SUBMITTED TO THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WHO ALSO PASSED AN APPROVING, UM, DOCUMENT FOR THE ALAMO PLAN. AND THEN OCTOBER 2ND, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE APPROVE THE ALAMO PLAN. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE INCLUDES TWO MEMBERS, AND THAT IS MAYOR RON NURNBERG AND COMMISSIONER GEORGE P. BUSH. WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE EXEC OF THE ALAMO PLAN, CITY COUNCIL AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE BEGAN TO FINALIZE DISCUSSIONS ON [02:45:01] A LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. THE LEASE AGREEMENT COVERS SEVERAL PARCELS OF PROPERTY, AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS EXHIBIT, WE HAVE PARCEL A AND PARCEL B. PARCEL A IS THE CURRENT PLAZA AND THE PASSE AT THE RIVER LEVEL. AND PARCEL B ARE THE STREET AREAS NECESSARY TO CLOSE TO RECAPTURE THE MISSION FOOTPRINT. WE'LL BE LEASING PARCEL A AND B TO THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, AND THEY WILL BE MANAGING THESE AREAS, THE AREA IN GREEN. THEY'LL BE CONTINUED TO BE OWNED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND USED AS OPEN SPACE, BUT THAT'S THE AREA WHERE WE'RE ASKING TO VACATE, I'M SORRY, TO LIMIT USE OF THE STREET TO PEDESTRIAN AND EMERGENCY ACCESS VEHICLES ONLY. AND THAT'LL ALLOW US TO CREATE THAT SENSE OF ARRIVAL AND SENSE OF PLACE WE WANT ON THE SITE. THE MASTER LEASE AGREEMENT HAS A TERM OF 50 YEARS WITH 2 25 YEAR EXTENSIONS. IT DOES ENSURE THAT THE PLAZA AREA WILL ALWAYS BE OPEN AND FREE OF CHARGE OF THE PUBLIC. IT PROVIDES FOR TWO ADDITIONAL ACCESS POINTS TO BE OPEN DURING TIMES OF HIGH PEDESTRIAN FLOW, AND THERE'S NO PROGRAMMING GOING ON IN THE PLAZA. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE NEGOTIATED SEVERAL DATES THAT WILL REQUIRE THOSE TWO ACCESS POINTS BE OPEN, AND THOSE DATES ARE TIMES WHEN WE KNOW THERE'LL BE HIGH PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY TO INCLUDE THE A, THE, UM, UM, SPRING BREAK POTENTIALLY WE HAVE THE FIESTA. SO THERE'S SEVERAL DATES, OVER 20 PLUS DATES THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UM, HIGH PEDESTRIAN FLOW, AND WE'LL BE OPENING THOSE TWO ADDITIONAL ACCESS POINTS. THE LEASE AGREEMENT ALSO ENSURES THAT THE DESIGN OF THE PLAN MUSEUM WILL GO TO H D R C FOR THEIR REVIEW PRIOR TO A FINAL RECOMMENDATION BEING MADE TO THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION AND ENSURES THE PLAN WILL RECOGNIZE AND INTERPRET THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. AND IT ALSO REQUIRES THAT THE G L O PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES THAT ENHANCE THE HISTORIC AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SITES, AND TELLS ALL THE STORIES OF PEOPLE AND CULTURES THAT CONTRIBUTED THE HISTORY. TO INCLUDE THE TEXAN, TEJANO AND INDIGENOUS CULTURES, IT REQUIRES THAT WE MAINTAIN AN ACCESSIBLE SCHEDULE, PUBLIC EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES. AND THE G L O HAS COMMITTED IN THE LEASE AGREEMENT. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO HOST THE MILITARY TRADITIONAL EVENTS THEY'VE HAD, THEY HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED ANNUALLY, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE EVENTS. THEY ALSO WILL ESTABLISH A PROCESS WHERE EDUCATIONAL OR NONPROFIT GROUPS CAN REQUEST TO HOLD EVENTS OR ACTIVITIES WITHIN AIMA PLAZA. AND THEY'VE COMMITTED TO ACCOMMODATE IMPORTANT FIESTA TRADITIONS AND EVENTS TO INCLUDE THE TWO PARADES, THE CAVALIER INVESTITURE CEREMONY AND THE PILGRIMAGE, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE TO ACCOMMODATE SEVERAL OTHER EVENTS AS IDENTIFIED IN THE FIESTA COMMISSION CONTRACT. THE NEXT STEP WAS TO MOVE FORWARD TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND H D R C. SO ON OCTOBER 10TH, H D R C AND PLANNING COMMISSION HAD A JOINT MEETING WHERE THEY TOOK ACTION ON THE RESPECTIVE ITEMS. PLANNING COMMISSION DID APPROVE TO RESTRICT VEHICULAR ACCESS TO CERTAIN SECTIONS ON ALAMO STREET, ALAMO PLAZA, HOUSTON STREET, CROCKETT STREET, AND BLUM STREET. THEY APPROVED TO CLOSE SECTIONS OF ALAMO STREET, ALAMO PLAZA AND HOUSTON STREET, AND THEY APPROVED THE GROUND LEASE AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. H G R C DID PROVIDE CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL OF THE AAMA PLAZA DESIGN AND THE POEO DESIGN, AND WILL RETURN WITH FINAL APPROVAL AS THE DESIGN CONTINUES AFTER TODAY'S ACTION. H G R C ALSO PROVIDED FINAL APPROVAL TO DISMANTLE, REPAIR AND REASSEMBLE THE CTA IN THE ALA PLAZA AT THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THE EXISTING BANDSTAND. IN ALAMO PLAZA, THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION MUST REVIEW AND APPROVE THE REPAIR AND RELOCATION PLAN OF THE CTA PRIOR TO ANY WORK COMMENCING, AS WELL AS THE T H C MUST PROVIDE THAT SAME APPROVAL. THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION WILL HAVE A BRIEFING ON THIS ITEM NEXT WEEK, OCTOBER 23RD. THEY WILL ONLY RECEIVE A BRIEFING, BUT IN A FUTURE DATE WHEN WE HAVE MORE DESIGN DETAILS, THEY'LL BE REQUIRED TO TAKE ACTION ON THE RELOCATION OF THE SAN, PROVIDE A PERMIT FOR THE TREATMENT OF THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND ANY OTHER AREAS AS IDENTIFIED. IN THIS BRIEFING, I WANNA STRESS THAT THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE CONTRACT [02:50:01] OR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DOES NOT EXEMPT THEM FROM THE LAWS. THEY WILL STILL PROVIDE AND ACCOMMODATE, UM, THE LAWS AS APPLICABLE, SUCH AS THE ANTIQUITIES CODE, THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 1 0 6, IF IT'S DETERMINED TO APPLY. AND THE U D C WHEN APPLICABLE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO STILL OWNS THE PLAZA. SO THE U D C REQUIREMENTS WILL STILL APPLY TO THIS SECTION OF THE PROPERTIES THAT THE CITY OWNS. H D R C WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FINAL APPROVAL OF THE PLAZA DESIGN PRIOR TO GETTING A BUILDING PERMIT TO START CONSTRUCTION. AND THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION WILL HAVE TO REVIEW THE TREATMENT OF ALL THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND THE SENATE. HALF. THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A ROLE IN OUR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT. THEY'RE IDENTIFIED ALONG WITH THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH IS 2024, THEY WILL SERVE IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY TO THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. THEY'LL DELIVER AND SUPPORT. THEY'LL, SORRY. THEY'LL, THEY'LL REVIEW THE DELIVERY AND SUPPORT PLAN FOR THE CLOSURES. THEY'LL REVIEW THE DESIGN PHASE. THEY'LL LOOK AT THE HISTORIC BUILDING ASSESSMENT AND PROVIDE COMMENTS FOR SUBMISSION TO THE T H C. THEY'LL ALSO LOOK AT PROGRAMMING AND OTHER IMPORTANT ELEMENTS NECESSARY TO MANAGE THE SITE. TODAY'S ACTION, WE'RE REQUESTING CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE CLOSING, VACATING AND ABANDONING SECTIONS OF RIGHT OF WAY, LOCATED ON ALAMO STREET AND A LA PLAZA AND HOUSTON STREET. WE'RE LIMITING SECTIONS OF THE RIGHT OF WAY LOCATED ON ALAMO PLAZA, ALAMO STREET, BLUM STREET, CROCKETT STREET, AND EAST HOUSTON STREET, PEDESTRIAN TO PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES. WE'RE REQUESTING THE APPROVAL OF A GROUND LEASE AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WE'RE REQUESTING THE ABILITY TO AUTHORIZE AND NEGOTIATE CONTRACTS NECESSARY RELATED TO THE RESTORATION AND RELOCATION OF THE SYNTA WITHIN THE ALAMO PLAZA. BEFORE I CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS PROJECT IS PARTIALLY FUNDED. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS DEDICATED $38 MILLION TO THIS PROJECT. 16 HAS COME FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 2016 CAPITAL BUDGET. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO 2017 BOND PROGRAM INCLUDED $21 MILLION. THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS APPROPRIATED $106 MILLION TO THE 2015 AND 2017 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT IS COMMITTED TO RAISING $200 MILLION. THIS FUNDING ALLOWS US TO BEGIN THE IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN AND THE SITE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE REQUESTING APPROVAL OF TODAY. I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERTO TREVINO AND THE MAYOR AND CHERYL SCULLEY FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON THIS PLAN. AND THERE WERE MEETINGS THAT WERE WEEKLY THAT THE COUNCIL ATTEND, UH, THAT CHERYL ATTENDED AND THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ATTENDED. WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, AND THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED EARLIER. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LORI. GREAT DAY FOR SAN ANTONIO AND, AND FOR TEXAS AND THE WORLD AS WELL. WE HAVE MANY, UH, CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, SO, UH, PER USUAL, I WILL CALL THE NAME, UH, THAT'S SCHEDULED TO SPEAK ALONG WITH THE NEXT NAME IN LINE. IF YOU CAN BEGIN TO APPROACH THE DIOCESE, AND WE'LL START WITH TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER GEORGE P. BUSH. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE'RE HERE TODAY IN THIS HISTORIC CITY AT A CRITICAL MOMENT IN OUR STATE'S HISTORY. FUTURE GENERATIONS OF TEXANS WILL NOTE THIS DAY AND THEY'LL REFLECT AND PONDER UPON OUR ACTION. DID WE COME TO THE DEFENSE OF THE ALAMO OR DID WE LET THIS ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITY FALL BETWEEN OUR HANDS? I WANNA THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN. AS YOU KNOW, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, WHENEVER YOU LEAVE, THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE'RE KNOWN FOR OUR INDEPENDENT SPIRIT, AND IT STARTS TRULY ON THE GROUNDS OF THE ALAMO PLAZA. YET REGRETFULLY, WHEN THE 2.1 MILLION VISITORS COME TO THE GROUNDS OF THE ALAMO, THEY'RE UNDERWHELMED. INSTEAD OF COMING ONTO A HISTORIC BATTLEFIELD OF VALOR, THEY'RE WELCOMED BY NOTHING BUT DISTRACTION. YOUR VOTE TODAY WILL CHANGE THIS. I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU BELIEVE IN THESE PRINCIPLES SINCE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO SUPPORT THAT AND TAKE THAT NEXT STEP, BUT YET WE BEGAN THIS HISTORIC EFFORT THREE YEARS AGO THROUGH A UNIQUE COOPERATIVE PLAN SIGNED BY THE CITY, BY THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND BY THE ENDOWMENT BOARD. [02:55:01] THERE HAVE BEEN PREVIOUS EFFORTS OVER THE GENERATIONS FOR SEVERAL DECADES TO GET TO THIS STEP, BUT NONE HAVE GOTTEN THIS FAR. NONE HAVE RESULTED IN THE CITY AND THE STATE COMING TOGETHER IN HISTORIC FASHION LIKE THIS, AND IT'S BEEN BACKED BY MONEY. THIS PLAN HAS BEEN BACKED AND FUNDED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, BY SPEAKER STRAUSS, BY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PATRICK, BY GOVERNOR ABBOTT ACROSS TWO LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS. EARLIER THIS MONTH, MAYOR AND I SIGNED A HISTORIC RESOLUTION THAT SIGNIFIES THIS UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP BUILT UPON THESE SIMPLE CONCEPTS THAT HAVE BEEN FOUNDED BY THESE THREE HARD YEARS OF WORK. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THIS PLAN IS THE MOST IMPORTANT HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROJECT, NOT ONLY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT IN THE, IN THE GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I CANNOT OVERSTATE THE IMPACT OF THE CITIZENS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE. ALL 29 MEMBERS COMPOSED THE SAN ANTONIANS COMING TOGETHER AND DEBATING THESE ISSUES OVER SEVERAL YEARS, OR HOW VALUABLE THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO HAVE BEEN AS PART OF THIS PROCESS TO MAKE THIS PLAN BETTER. IT'S CHANGED OVER TIME TO MAKE IT REFLECT WHERE THE ALAMO SHOULD BE AND THE THOUSANDS OF TEXANS WHO CAME TO THE ALAMO ROADSHOWS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS TO BE A PART OF PROVIDING THEIR FEEDBACK AND TO CONTRIBUTE FAMILY HEIRLOOMS TO THE COLLECTIONS AT THE ALAMO. OF COURSE, THIS PLAN WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK OF THE TALENTED STAFF HERE AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THE ENDOWMENT BOARD, AND OF COURSE THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE. BUT NOW WE REACH THIS DECISION POINT IN THE PROCESS. THE PLAN YOU CONSIDER TODAY IS THE PRODUCT OF OVER FOUR YEARS OF METHODICAL RESEARCH, OF PAINSTAKING NEGOTIATION AND WORK IN A HISTORIC PROCESS ACROSS STATE CITY, AND OF COURSE, THE BOARD THAT HAVE BEEN AGREED TO AND FOLLOW TO A T. THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT, OVER 200 STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS HELD HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND THE DESIGN HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED, INCLUDING BY YOUR APPOINTEES AT THE CITIZENS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SO LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO TRULY THINK ABOUT THIS DECISION AS ONE OF DAVEY CROCKETT'S DESCENDANTS, AAL FLANNERY RECENTLY WROTE, WE CANNOT FAIL THIS TIME. THIS IS OUR CHANCE. THIS VOTE IS A MILESTONE OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. WE CAN'T ALLOW THE ALAMO OF TOMORROW TO BE A DECLA DECAYING RELIC. THIS NEEDS TO BE A WORLD-CLASS SITE WITH A MUSEUM AND VISITOR CENTER THAT CAN SHOWCASE A TROVE OF ARTIFACTS THAT WILL INSPIRE SCHOLARSHIP AND INSPIRATION AND ASPIRATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF SAN ANTONIANS AND TEXANS. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. MAY GOD BLESS THE GREAT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND MAY GOD BLESS THE STATE OF TEXAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BUSH. CONGRESSMAN TED POPE BE FOLLOWED BY LIONEL SOSA. THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU MEMBERS OF, OF THE COUNCIL FOR LETTING ME, UH, BE HERE. UH, IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO GET OUTTA WASHINGTON, DC COME BACK AND SEE SOME NORMAL FOLKS IN TEXAS AND I APPRECIATE THE THE TIME. UH, THE ALAMO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE IN TEXAS AND IN TEXAS HISTORY. IT IS THE DEFINITION OF ALL THINGS OF WHO WE ARE AS TEXANS. IT IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE, THE TEXANS, THE TEJANOS WHO GAVE THEIR LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION TO A CAUSE GREATER THAN LIFE ITSELF. LIBERTY, IT IS ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF OUR NINE YEARS AS A SOVEREIGN REPUBLIC. IT'S A SYMBOL OF FIERCE, INDEPENDENT, AND AN INDEPENDENT STREAK THAT RUNS THROUGH OUR VEINS TILL THIS DAY, BEHIND THOSE CRUMBLING CHURCH WALLS THAT WERE A HUNDRED YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, IT HAS SHOWN FOREVER THE WORLD WHO WE ARE AS TEXANS, OUR CHARACTER, I BELIEVE A CHARACTER THAT IS DEFIANT, BOLD, FEARLESS, AND FIGHTERS FOR FREEDOM, INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM. I BELIEVE THE ALAMO STILL INSTILLS YET TODAY AN ALMOST MYSTICAL SPIRIT IN ALL TEXANS. NATIVE AND RECENT ARRIVALS TO OUR GREAT STATE DOWN THE STREET FROM US. VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEERS OF ALL RACES, FRONTIERSMEN LAWYERS, SHOPKEEPERS FARMERS, MEN FROM SPAIN, MEXICO, GERMANY, SCOTLAND, [03:00:01] ENGLAND, AND MOST OF THE STATES AND THE UNITED STATES ALL CAME HERE WITH OTHER NATIVE TEXANS WHO WERE LED BY MY PERSONAL HERO IN MY WHOLE LIFE. WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS, THE COMMANDER OF THE ALAMO, THEY STOOD IN RIGHTEOUS DEFIANCE AGAINST TYRANNY. CROCKETT ESPARZA, BONHAM, BOWIE GUERRERO. HE IS, AS YOU REMEMBER, THE MEXICAN SOLDIER WHO SWITCHED SIDES AND JOINED THE TEXAS REVOLUTION. AND KNOWING, AND DESPITE OF THE OVERWHELMING ODDS, THOSE TEXANS, THOSE SONOS FAILED TO THEIR DEATH RATHER THAN TO SUBMIT TO OPPRESSION. THEY EMBODIED THE PHRASE, THE PHRASE THAT WE NOW USE DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS. IT'S QUITE A REMARKABLE STORY IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THAT NO PEOPLE ANYWHERE ON EARTH HAVE SUCH A STORY TO TELL OF HOW THESE INDIVIDUALS GAVE IT ALL. UH, I AM A MEMBER OF THE, THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, UH, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. I TRAVEL TO A LOT OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING LOUISIANA AND, UH, YEAR OR SO AGO, I WAS IN THE COUNTRY OF MOLDOVA. UH, YOU'LL HAVE TO LOOK IT UP ON THE GOOGLE MAPS THERE TO TALK TO, UH, THOSE INDIVIDUALS ABOUT WHERE THEY WERE GOING AS A NATION BACK TO THE SOVIET CONCEPT OR TO THE WEST. ANYWAY, WHEN I MET THE FOREIGN MINISTER, I DO AS I ALWAYS DO, I, I TELL THE PERSON THAT I'M FROM TEXAS. I DON'T TELL 'EM I'M FROM UNITED STATES. I TELL 'EM I'M FROM TEXAS. AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE FROM TEXAS, THEY DO THE SAME THING. THEY ALWAYS SAY THEY'RE FROM TEXAS. ANYWAY, AS SOON AS I MET THE FOREIGN MINISTER TOLD HIM I WAS FROM TEXAS. HE SAID, TEXAS THE ALAMO. THAT'S WHAT HE KNEW ABOUT TEXAS. HE KNEW ABOUT WHAT TOOK PLACE JUST A FEW HUNDRED YARDS FROM WHERE WE ARE. THOSE FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF 80 18, 36, FROM THE ASHES OF THE BURNING ALAMO, THE PHOENIX OF A REPUBLIC OF TEXAS WAS BORN. SO THE ALAMO DESERVES NOTHING BUT TOP-NOTCH CARE AND PRESERVATION RESTORATION OF THE 80 18 36 BATTLEFIELD FOOTPRINT AND ACCOMPANY MUSEUM AND DISPLAY OF THE HUNDREDS OF A ALAMO ARTIFACTS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO US. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO AND ITS RELENTLESS DEFENDERS, ALL OF THEM IS ACCURATELY TOLD, INCLUDING THE FAMILIES THAT WERE IN THE ALAMO THAT STAYED WITH THEIR FATHERS AND WITH THEIR HUSBANDS AS A LIFELONG STUDENT OF OUR GREAT HISTORY, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE ALAMO AND ITS BATTLEFIELD RETURNED TO A MORE PROPER STATUS. I FIRST CAME TO THE ALAMO AS A KID WHEN I WAS A STUDENT IN MRS. WILSON'S TEXAS HISTORY CLASS THAT WE ALL HAVE TO TAKE A BIT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN. IT'S CHANGED A LOT SINCE 1836. THERE WAS NO FIVE AND 10 CENTS STORE WOOLWORTHS ACROSS THE STREET. COLONEL TRAVIS DIDN'T BUY A $54 COMBO TICKET AT RIPLEY'S. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EITHER THINGS HAVE CHANGED. IT'S TIME TO PUT THE ALAMO THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE. THE YEARS OF ENCROACHMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF SACRED GROUND WHERE THE BLOOD OF THE SONS OF TEXAS CONSECRATED THE LAND SHOULD BE A DEEP CONCERN FOR ALL TEXANS, NOT JUST THOSE FOLKS IN THIS GREAT CITY. IT'S MOST ENCOURAGING TO ME TO SEE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TAKE THE LEAD TO PRESERVE THE NATIONAL TREASURE, THIS NATIONAL TREASURE, OUR NATIONAL TREASURE, THE ALAMO, I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE COMMISSION, COMMISSIONER BUSH, THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND APPROVAL OF THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN TO MAKE SURE TEXANS AND THE WORLD VISITORS KNOW OUR HISTORY LIKE NO OTHER PLACE. BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE ALAMO AND IT'S HERE. TEXAS HERITAGE IS UNIQUE. IT'S BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE ARE UNIQUE. UH, THE ALAMO COMMANDER, WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS, UH, HAS INSPIRED MY ENTIRE LIFE. I'M A LAWYER BECAUSE HE WAS A LAWYER. UH, HIS LETTER IS ON MY WALL AT THE IN CONGRESS AND IT WAS ON MY WALL AS A JUDGE WHEN I WAS A JUDGE. IN, UH, HOUSTON. AT THE BOTTOM OF MY STATIONARY ARE THE WORDS I SHALL NEVER SURRENDER OR RETREAT, [03:05:01] AND MY FIRST GRANDSON IS NAMED BARRETT HOUSTON. I END ALL OF MY LETTERS WITH THAT FAMOUS PHRASE OF WILLIAM BARRETT, TRAVIS GOD IN TEXAS. SO THOSE OF YOU ON THIS COUNCIL HAVE THE PRIVILEGE, THE HONOR, THE DUTY TO PUT YOUR NAMES IN HISTORY AS THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ULTIMATELY HEARD THE REVERBERATING CALL. REMEMBER THE ALAMO, THAT BATTLE CRY TOOK ACTION, CROSSED THE LINE IN THE SAND TO KEEP THIS BEACON OF LIBERTY FOREVER SHINING IN THE PLACE WE CALL THE ALAMO OF TEXAS, GOD IN TEXAS. AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. CONGRESSMAN POE. LIONEL SOSA. IS MR. SOSA STILL HERE? OKAY. SUEANN PEMBERTON, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT TERRELL. K. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UH, MAYOR, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. HAVING HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE SINCE ITS INCEPTION, IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE AND AN ANGST AS WELL. I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN OUR THINKING AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE ALAMO AS A PLACE AND NOT A BUILDING. WE HAVE STARTED WITH ALAMO 1 0 1 AS I LIKE TO REFER TO IT, BECAUSE WE ALL GOT A VERY IN-DEPTH EDUCATION AT THE BEGINNING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD SEVERAL LAYERS OF HISTORY AND UNDERSTANDING THE LAYERS OF HISTORY AND THE BREADTH OF THAT HISTORY THAT IS AT IN THIS LOCATION. THROUGH OFTEN HEATED DISCUSSION, THE COMMITTEE DID CREATE THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES. THAT VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL. THE SCHEMATIC PLANS THAT YOU HAVE SEEN RECENTLY ARE IMAGES OF POSSIBILITIES REFLECTING THOSE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES. THE COMMITTEE, UH, HAS EVEN CHASTISED THE DESIGN FIRM FOR, UH, SOME OF THE, WE'VE QUESTIONED SOME OF THEIR DESIGN IDEAS AND MADE SURE THAT THEY HAVE INCORPORATED THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES INTO THE DESIGN MOVING FORWARD. UH, THE COMMITTEE MET IN AUGUST AND VOTED TO ENDORSE THE ISSUES THAT ARE BEFORE YOU TODAY. WE ALL HAVE MANY QUESTIONS AND THE DESIGN IS NOT PERFECT, BUT YET IT IS NOT FINISHED. THE DESIGN CAN ONLY REALLY BEGIN WITH YOUR ACTIONS TODAY, WITH THIS AGREEMENT THAT BE CREATES A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE STATE AND THE CLOSURES OF THE STREETS, I'M CONFIDENT THAT MANY OF MY CONCERNS WILL BE ADDRESSED AS DESIGN MOVES FORWARD. PUBLIC ACCESS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS, AND WE HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT PUBLIC ACCESS WILL CONTINUE. WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW IT HA HOW IT HAPPENS IS YET TO BE DESIGNED. I DRIVE THROUGH THE ALAMO ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS, YET I RECOGNIZE IT IS NOT A PLACE FOR VEHICLES. I THINK ABOUT THAT AS I DRIVE THROUGH. THAT IS SPACE THAT DESERVES SOMETHING DIFFERENT. PEDESTRIANS APPEAR OBLIVIOUS TO THE FACT THAT IT IS A STREET AT ALL AND WALK ACROSS NOT PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO STREETLIGHTS. THE CHURCH AND THE LONG BARRACKS ARE IN NEED OF RESTORATION. A TASK THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE G L O, THE REQUIRES RESTORATION THAT CAN HAPPEN AND WILL HAPPEN IN THIS PROPOSED PLAN. THE PLAZA NEEDS TO FUNCTION AS A PLAZA. THE BUILDINGS NEED TO BE REPURPOSED. ENTERING INTO THIS LEASE AGREEMENT AND CLOSING THIS PORTIONS OF THE STREETS ALLOWS FOR VISION TO BEGIN. IT ALLOWS OUR QUESTIONS TO BE RESOLVED. IT ALLOWS THE DESIGN TO BEGIN IN EARNEST, AND IT ALLOWS THE CITY AND THIS STATE TO MOVE FORWARD. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK BIG PICTURE AND TAKE THIS BIG STEP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. PEMBERTON. ROBERT RAKI, FOLLOWED BY RICHARD PEREZ. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ROBERT THL AND I'M REPRESENTING VISIT SAN ANTONIO BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THE ALAMO PLAN BEFORE YOU TODAY WILL REVITALIZE OUR CIVIC CENTER AND CLARIFY THE ALAMO HISTORIC SITE FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS AS WELL AS MILLIONS OF VISITORS PER YEAR. IT WILL CREATE A WORLD-CLASS MUSEUM THAT WILL FEATURE THE RENOWNED PHIL COLLINS COLLECTION, TELL THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO AND INCREASE THE VISITATION TO ALL THE SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS. THIS $450 MILLION PROJECT WOULD HELP ESTABLISH AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE FOR VISITORS AND [03:10:01] RESIDENTS. IT WILL POSITIVELY AFFECT VISITATION TO OUR DESTINATION AND ALLOW AN ADDITIONAL UNIQUE VENUE FOR EVENTS FURTHER IS PROJECTED TO CREATE MORE THAN 5,000 NEW JOBS FOR OUR INDUSTRY TODAY. WE ASK YOU TO SUPPORT THE AMMO PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. RECO. RICHARD PEREZ, FOLLOWED BY FOREST BIAS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS RICHARD PETTIS. I'M PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE ACTION BEFORE YOU. UH, THE CHAMBER TOOK ACTION AS A BOARD, UH, IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, SUPPORTING THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN AND THE, THE, THE MAGNITUDE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. AND IN FACT, IN 20 15, 1 OF THE CHAMBER'S PRIORITIES WAS TO GET THE SEED MONEY INITIALLY FROM THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. SO I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US TO MOVE ON. YOU'VE HEARD, UH, LOVELY HISTORIES OF WHERE WE'RE AT, WHO, WHO'S BEEN THERE, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE. AND I THINK IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON. UM, IT'S NOT A PERFECT PLAN. NOTHING IS A PERFECT PLAN, BUT IS A PLAN THAT COMES FORTH FROM THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO AND VISIONS, MANY VISIONS THAT TOGETHER ARE MAKING SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL FOR THIS COMMUNITY. SO VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER AT U T S A. THIS IS THAT OTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE THE PROGRESS OF THIS GREAT CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PEREZ. FORREST BIAS FOLLOWED BY SUSAN BEVIN. I'M GIVING MY TIME TO YOU, YVETTE. YVETTE, WHAT? WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME, RENA. MY NAME IS YVETTE REYNA. REYNA. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE SIGNED UP ON THIS? I BELIEVE NUMBER 28. 28. OKAY. GO AHEAD, MS. REYNA. HELLO, MY NAME IS YVETTE REYNA. I'M A DESCENDANT OF JOSE TIBIO LAS SOYA AND HIS HONOR, LAS SOYA STREET WAS NAMED AFTER HIM, AND HE ALSO HAS A STATUE ON LAS SOYA STREET. HE'S THE ONLY ALAMO DEFENDER WHO WAS BORN, RAISED, AND DIED ON THE ALAMO GROUNDS AT THE AGE OF 28. HIS LIFELESS BODY WAS ACTUALLY FOUND WITHIN THE ALAMO CHAPEL. HE WAS NOT ONLY DEFENDING THE ALAMO, HE WAS DEFENDING HIS NEIGHBORHOOD, HIS COMMUNITY, THE PLACE WHERE HE WORKED, SLEPT, ATE, AND PRAYED. REMNANTS OF THE WALLS FROM HIS TWO ROOM HOUSE WHERE HE LIVED WITH HIS FAMILY ARE STILL THERE TODAY, RIGHT ACROSS FROM WHERE THE ALAMO SITS. THROUGHOUT MY LIFETIME, I HAVE VISITED THE ALAMO GROUNDS MANY, MANY TIMES. AND NOW I TAKE MY CHILDREN AND AS SACRED AND PEACEFUL AS I EXPECT THE GROUNDS TO BE, MANY TIMES IT IS NOT. I'VE HAD TO QUICKLY LEAVE AND EXPLAIN TO MY CHILDREN WHAT A STREAKER IS, WHY THESE PEOPLE ARE YELLING AT THEM, WHO ARE THEY'RE PROTESTORS, SCREAMING AT, YELLING AT PEOPLE, PASSING BY. THESE GROUNDS SHOULD BE A PLACE OF REVERENCE AND SERENITY FOR NATIVE AMERICANS AND FOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND LOST THEIR LIVES HERE, THE LACK OF RESPECT WOULD NEVER BE TOLERATED AT THE ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY. THIS DESIGN PRE PRESENTED TO YOU AS THE LARGE MUSEUM AND ENHANCES THE ALAMO GROUNDS ARE BIG CHANGES. BUT IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO, THERE WERE PROBABLY MANY PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO LEAVE THE OLD HISTORIC PEARL BREWERY ALONE. AND LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS TODAY. A WORLD-CLASS AWARD-WINNING CULINARY DESTINATION. THE DESIGN THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU IS A BIG CHANGE FOR ALL OF US, BUT IT'S ONE YOU CAN BE VERY PROUD OF. UPON COMPLETION DESIGN, YOU WILL SEE MORE VISITORS TO THE CITY, SECURE MORE CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS, AND YOU'LL HAVE MORE REVENUE FOR OUR HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS SO THEY CAN HIRE MORE STAFF TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF TOURISM. ULTIMATELY, EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE WILL NOT MAKE 100% OF THE CITIZENS HAPPY, BUT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME. BUT THIS WILL BE THE MOST HISTORIC VOTE YOU WILL EVER MAKE DURING YOUR TIME ON THE CITY COUNCIL. AND I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOU TO APPROVE THIS BEAUTIFUL AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, REVERENT CHANGE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK THANK YOU, MS. REYNA. SUSAN BEVIN, THANK YOU, FOLLOWED BY ROSE MORAN. LETICIA DIAZ HAS GIVEN ME HER TIME. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. AND ONE SECOND. MS. BEVIN. WHO WAS THAT AGAIN? LETICIA DIAZ. LETICIA, RIGHT THERE. OKAY, THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. GREAT. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN. SUSAN BEVIN, PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO CONSERVATION SOCIETY. THE VOTE TODAY IS ABOUT FREEDOM. THIS ONGOING QUEST PERMEATES THE HISTORY OF ALAMO PLAZA. IT REACHES BOTH BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS IN TIME WHERE THE PIVOTAL 1836 BATTLE, STARTING WITH THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, A CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES HAS SHAPED OVER 300 YEARS OF ACTIVE CIVIC LIFE IN THIS CENTRAL SPACE. WE JOIN MAYOR NIERENBERG, COUNCILMAN TRIBUNAL, AND OTHERS IN THE SUPPORT FOR TELLING THE SITE'S COMPLETE STORY. HOWEVER, [03:15:01] WE CANNOT AGREE WITH THE PROPOSALS BEING VOTED ON TODAY. THEY DO NOT PROVIDE THE CITY WITH THE BEST MEANS OF TELLING THIS NARRATIVE FROM MISSION ERA TO THE MID 20TH CENTURY. THE ALAMO IS RECOGNIZED AS A SYMBOL OF FREEDOM ALL OVER THE WORLD. BUT THE PROPOSED LIMITATIONS ON ACCESS CONVEY THE OPPOSITE MESSAGE. LIKE COUNCILMAN PERRY, WE OPPOSE TURNING A MULTIFACETED HISTORIC SITE INTO ONE WHOSE EXPERIENCE IS TIGHTLY CONTROLLED AND MANAGED BY THE STATE. TO GATHER WITH THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS SAN ANTONIO, WE OPPOSE TRANSFORMING AN OPEN CIVIC SPACE INTO A PLACE WITH LIMITED CONNECTIVITY AND REDUCED ENTRY POINTS. WE UNDERSTAND THE CITY HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE USE OF THE STATE OWNED CROCKETT BLOCK, PALACE THEATER, AND WOOLWORTH BUILDINGS FOR THE ALAMO MUSEUM. THEREFORE, WE URGE CITY LEADERS TO LEVERAGE THE LEASE AGREEMENT TO SECURE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS. THE STATE IS ASKING THE CITY TO C CONSIDERABLE CONTROL OVER KEY AREAS OF PUBLIC PROPERTY. THE CITY SHOULD GET SOMETHING IN RETURN. CITY COUNCIL MUST BE ALLOWED TO KEEP THE COMMITMENT IT MADE TO THE PUBLIC IN THE 2017 MASTER PLAN TO PURSUE REUSE OF THOSE HISTORIC BUILDINGS. THESE CONCERNS INSPIRED THE SOCIETY'S SUMMER PETITION DRIVE. WE COLLECTED 7,600 SIGNATURES, GIVING VOICE TO MANY WHO SHARE OUR VIEW ON THE INTERPRETIVE PLANS SHORTCOMINGS. I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT THESE PETITIONS TO THE CITY CLERK AT THIS TIME. THESE BINDERS CONTAIN, THESE BINDERS CONTAIN DOCUMENTATION FOR BOTH WRITTEN AND ONLINE PETITIONS. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SHOULD NOT GIVE AWAY ONE OF ITS GREAT CIVIC SPACES WITHOUT KNOWING MORE PRECISELY WHAT THAT SPACE LOOK WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE. WE DO BELIEVE THAT A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE IS POSSIBLE, AND THIS IS NOT THE FRAMEWORK FOR IT. DO NOT AGREE TO THE CURRENT PROPOSAL AND DO NOT LET THE STATE DICTATE THAT THIS IS HOW WE WILL ACCESS AND EXPERIENCE THE ALAMO PLAZA FOR THE NEXT 50 TO A HUNDRED YEARS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. VERY QUICKLY, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR STAFF THAT IS HERE, AND WE'VE GOT SEVERAL THAT ARE HERE AND ALL OF THEIR EFFORTS IN COMBINING AND COALESCING ALL OF THE PETITIONS. OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VINCE MICHAEL, AND WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE AND RAISE YOUR HAND OR STAND UP. OKAY. AND REGULAR MEMBERS AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. PLEASE CONSIDER THANK YOU MS. BEVIN ROSE MORAN, FOLLOWED BY LIONEL SOA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. IN CONS, I DON'T HAVE A PREPARED STATEMENT FOR YOU BECAUSE I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU FROM MY HEART. AND I HOPE THAT THE DECISION YOU MAKE HERE TODAY COMES FROM YOUR HEART. YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS. I AM AGAIN, ROSE MORAN FROM DISTRICT SEVEN. AND YOU'RE SITTING ON THAT SEAT BECAUSE WE, THE CITIZENS PUT YOU THERE WHEN YOU TOOK YOUR OATH. YOU SIT, I WILL LISTEN TO YOU. I WILL DO WHAT YOU REQUEST. I AM REQUESTING THAT YOU VOTE NO, THAT YOU WILL NOT MOVE THE SENATE HALF, THAT YOU WILL NOT CLOSE THE STREETS. STOP AND THINK IF YOU'RE TRULY, TRULY A TEXAN. AND IF YOU'RE TRULY, TRULY A BORN AND RAISED SAN ANTONIO, YOU WOULD NOT APPROVE THIS PLAN UNTIL IT WAS MORE, THERE WAS MORE STUDY AND MORE DETAIL ON IT. YOU ARE PROVING SOMETHING THAT WE, THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO HAVE NOT GIVEN A CHOICE TO TELL YOU WHAT WE WANT. YOU HAVE NOT LISTENED TO US. AND YOU, UM, COUNCILMAN AL, YOU ARE MY REPRESENTATIVES. YOU PROBABLY DON'T EVEN REMEMBER ME, BUT YOU SAID IN MY KITCHEN TABLE, YOU DRANK WATER WITH MY HUSBAND DRINKING COFFEE AND I JOINING YOU WITH WATER AND MY TWO DOGS THAT ARE MY CHILDREN, YOU WERE THERE. YOU SAID, I WILL REPRESENT YOU. I WILL HEAR YOU. I WILL LISTEN TO WHAT YOU NEED. ME AND THE REST OF THE DISTRICT SEVEN BELIEVED YOU. SO I ASKED YOU, AND I BEG YOU THAT YOU TALK TO YOUR COLLEAGUES AND VOTE NO ON THIS PLAN. I KNOW THE PLAN HAS A LOT OF GOOD ON IT, BUT PLEASE DO NOT CLOSE ALAMO PLAZA. DO NOT MOVE THE SENATE AND LET US RESTORE THE BUILDINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. MARRAN. LIONEL SOSA, FOLLOWED BY CHARLES HANSSEN. THANK YOU VERY [03:20:01] MUCH, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE. AND HAVING WORKED THE LAST FEW MONTHS, UH, ON THE, AS ONE OF THE, UH, CO-CHAIRS OF THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE, I CAN ONLY ATTEST TO THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT WAS DONE BY THE COMMITTEE AND EVERYBODY THAT CAME TO THE PARTY TO NOT ONLY EXPRESS WHAT IT IS THAT THEY, UH, THAT THEY DID NOT WANT, BUT ALSO WHAT THEY WANTED. IT WAS, IN MY OPINION, DEMOCRACY AT WORK. THE CITIZENS AT WORK, NOBODY IS GOING TO GET EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANT HERE BECAUSE ALL OF US WANT A LITTLE SPECIAL SOMETHING. AND YET WE'RE WILLING TO GIVE UP SOME OF WHAT WE WANT FOR THE GREATER GOOD. AS I SAW THE PRESENTATION THIS MORNING BY U T S A AND HOW WONDERFUL THIS DEVELOPMENT OF A CITY THAT I'VE LIVED IN ALL MY LIFE AND HOW IT'S TRANSFORMED, IT'S NOT THE CITY THAT IT WAS WHEN I WAS A KID. IT IS A MUCH BRIGHTER, MORE COHESIVE CITY THAT IS, THAT IS FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE. AND THIS IS, UH, THE NEXT, UH, 300 YEARS OF WHAT, UH, SAN ANTONIO WILL BE LIKE. IT'S NOT ONLY U T S A, IT'S NOT ONLY SAN PEDRO CREEK OR THE NEW FROST BANK TOWER OR HEMISPHERE AND ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, BUT IT IS WHAT WE'LL ALL EXPERIENCE AS A CITY, AS A WHOLE, OUR CITIZENS, AND ALSO OUR VISITORS. UH, SO I ENDORSE THIS PLAN, UH, 100%. AND, UH, I WISH THAT ALL OF YOU WOULD, UH, DO, UH, THE SAME BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL ALL BE VERY, VERY PROUD OF FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. SOSA. CHARLES HANSSEN, FOLLOWED BY YOU'RE SEATING YOUR PAT YOUR TIME TO PATTY ZZ. OKAY. UH, MS. ZZ, I'LL CALL YOU UP WHEN YOUR WHEN YOUR NAME'S IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WADE DILLON, MR. DILLON WILL BE FOLLOWED BY CLAY HANKS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR NURENBERG, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND EVERYONE HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS WADE DILLON. UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER AND FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT I WORKED AT THE ALAMO AS A TOUR GUIDE AND SUPERVISOR UNTIL DECIDING TO PURSUE A CAREER IN ILLUSTRATION. OVER THOSE EIGHT YEARS, I WORKED THROUGH EVERY TRANSITION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE AT THE ALAMO. DURING MY TIME AT THE ALAMO, I WORKED WITH THE EDUCATION AND VISITOR SERVICES DEPARTMENTS TO ENGAGE WITH GUESTS DAILY ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO IN SAN ANTONIO. MEANWHILE, DEALING WITH SCREAMING STREET PREACHERS, VARIETIES OF PROTESTS, STREET PERFORMERS, VENDORS, AND CITYWIDE EVENTS. I HAVE WITNESSED COUNTLESS SEGUE AND SCOOTER ACCIDENTS, INCLUDING ONE POSSIBLE FATALITY ON ALAMO AND HOUSTON STREET. AND THERE WERE TIMES WHEN EITHER MYSELF OR MY FELLOW COWORKERS GAVE TOURS ON THE PLAZA WHILE ALL OF THAT WAS TAKING PLACE. AND EACH OF US AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER MENTIONED HOW ONE DAY WE WOULD WANT TO SEE ALAMO PLAZA IN A PEACEFUL SETTING WHERE VISITORS COULD WALK THE GROUNDS FREELY AND TRULY REFLECT NOT ONLY WHAT, WHAT OCCURRED IN 1836, BUT THE LAST 300 YEARS OF SAN ANTONIO IN TEXAS HISTORY. YOU HAVE THE REMARKABLE HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT THE ALAMO IS RESPECTED FOREVER. BY CLOSING THE STREETS THAT DELINEATE THE BATTLEFIELD, YOU OPEN UP THE SPACE NOT ONLY FOR CONTINUED INTERPRETATION OF THE TEXAS REVOLUTION, BUT OF THE ILLA TECANS OF THE CANARY ISLANDERS, THE SOLDIERS OF ALAMO DE PARAS, THE ENSLAVED PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE, THE VARIOUS MILITARY OCCUPATIONS, AS WELL AS THE OVERALL CULTURAL IMPACT THIS PLAZA HAS HAD. ACQUIRING A SPACE BIGGER THAN THE LONG BARRACK, SUCH AS THE CROCKETT BLOCK, TO INTERPRET THOSE STORIES IS BENEFICIAL IN TELLING THE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO AND THAT OF SAN ANTONIO. THE ALAMO HAS AND WILL ALWAYS REMAIN A LIFELONG PASSION OF MINE. I HAVE IT TATTOOED ON MY ARM. UH, MY FATHER AND I RENOVATED, UH, HIS CHILDHOOD HOME WITH THE ICONIC BELL-SHAPED PARAPET. IT'S WHERE I MET AND PROPOSED TO MY WIFE. THE ALAMO MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO EVERYONE, AND THAT IS WHAT DRIVES NEARLY 2 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR TO VISIT THIS PLACE, TO SOAK IN THE UNIQUE SITES, THE SOUNDS, THE HISTORY, UNLIKE ANYWHERE ELSE, NOT TO PURCHASE SNOW CONES, DODGE TRAFFIC BE BERATED BY STREET PREACHERS OR [03:25:01] PURCHASE WAX HANDS. I REMEMBER THE ALAMO BECAUSE OF THE MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE WHO CAME BEFORE ME AND THEIR STORIES, ALL OF WHOM DESERVE TO BE TOLD. NOW, MORE THAN EVER, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS THE CHANCE TO PROVE WHILE WE ARE DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS, BECAUSE THE HEART OF TEXAS IS RIGHT HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. DILLON. ALRIGHT. I KNOW THERE'S, UM, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PASSION ON BOTH SIDES HERE, SO I'M GONNA ASK EVERYONE TO KEEP THEIR APPLAUSE TO A MINIMUM OR ELSE WE'LL BE HERE TILL, UH, TOMORROW. UH, AND I KNOW THERE'S MEALS IN BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. SO CLAY HANKS IS UP NEXT, UH, FOLLOWED BY PAM ROSSER IS CLAY HANKS HERE, PAM ROSSER. MS. ROSSER WILL BE FOLLOWED BY LISA BY ACHIO. GOOD AFTERNOON. THERE'S A HANDOUT THAT MAYBE Y'ALL HAVE THE FOLDER. OKAY, GREAT. UM, I'VE BEEN THE CONSERVATOR AT THE ALAMO FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS. I'VE BEEN A CONSERVATOR IN PRIVATE PRACTICE PRIOR TO THAT. AND IF YOU COULD TAKE A MINUTE AND LOOK THROUGH THAT FOLDER. I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOU THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE REGARDING THE ALAMO. AND IF I GIVE THIS TO YOU, SORRY. THE FIRST IMAGE ON THE SCREEN THAT YOU SEE IS BLACK PAPER THAT I LAID DOWN 600 DAYS AGO. THAT PARTICULAR IMAGE IS IN THE BAPTISMAL. AND EACH MONTH I WOULD GO INTO THAT ROOM AND I WOULD PHOTOGRAPH EACH WALL AND MONITOR THE AMOUNT OF WALL LOSS. AT THE END OF THE 600 DAYS, I THEN MARKED OFF ONE FOOT SQUARES AND COLLECTED THE WALL LOSS AND WEIGHED IT. AND THEN FROM EACH FOOT, THEN I TOOK THAT DIMENSION, ADDED THEM ALL UP WITH THE WEIGHT, AND THAT GAVE ME THE AMOUNT OF GRAMS THAT HAD FALLEN FROM THE WALL, WHICH ENDED UP TURNING INTO POUNDS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE TAKE ONE WALL, LET'S SAY THAT PARTICULAR WALL, THAT'S THE WEST WALL THAT ENDED UP BEING 17 POUNDS IN 600 DAYS. IF YOU TAKE THAT AND MULTIPLY THAT TIMES 10, THAT WILL TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF WALL LOSS THAT WALL WILL HAVE IN 10 YEARS FROM TODAY, TIMES 20 TIMES 30. THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE WALL DETERIORATION HAPPENING ON THAT ONE PARTICULAR WALL. THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE SHOWING YOU IN THE CONFESSIONAL, UM, WHICH IS AN EXTERIOR WALL. YOU CAN SEE THE AMOUNT OF WALL LOSS THERE, WHICH INCLUDES STONE LOSS AS WELL AS MORTAR LOSS. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE STONE DETERIORATION THAT IS COVERED WITH VARIOUS STAGES OF SALTS, SALTS THAT HAVE CRYSTALLIZED, THAT ARE IN THE EFF FLUORESCENT STAGE THAT CAUSE THE STONE TO DETERIORATE ON THE OUTSIDE AS WELL AS THE INSIDE. AND WHEN I'M TALKING INSIDE, I'M SAYING INSIDE THE WALL THAT WE CAN'T SEE. SO AT THIS TIME, I HOPE YOU ALL WILL VOTE YES FOR THIS PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. ROSSER. LISA BARCIA, FOLLOWED BY MARCO BARROS. THANK YOU MAYOR. MARCO LEFT. SO I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON HIS BEHALF TOO. BUT GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS LISA CHE. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOTEL AND LOGIC ASSOCIATION, AND I AM HONORED TODAY TO REPRESENT MORE THAN 200 HOTELS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND MANY HUNDREDS OF FACES OF HOSPITALITY INDIVIDUALS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO PROVIDE WORLD-CLASS HOSPITALITY TO THE MORE THAN 18 MILLION VISITORS TO OUR CITY EACH YEAR. LIKE MANY SAN ANTONIANS, I HAVE FOUND MANY, I HAVE THOUGHT BACK AND REMEMBERED SO MANY FOND MEMORIES OF PASSING BY THE ALAMO, WHETHER ON A FUN RUN, A MARATHON, ON A PARADE WITH MY GIRL SCOUT TROOP OR, UH, MARCHING BA BY ON, UM, WITH THE BAND. AND [03:30:01] I CAN CONNECT TO THE MANY PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO WHO HAVE SUCH A STRONG CONNECTION WITH THE ALAMO. I CAN ALSO APPRECIATE THE DRAW. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO WANT TO TRAVEL TO SAN ANTONIO TO VISIT THE GEM THAT WE HAVE IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY. THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST INDUSTRIES IN SAN ANTONIO. WE ARE A $13 BILLION INDUSTRY. WE CONTRIBUTE APPROXIMATELY $375 MILLION TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE EMPLOY ONE IN EIGHT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE ALAMO IS THE TOP TOURIST DESTINATION IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS. AND THAT TITLE BRINGS WITH IT SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN JOBS TO OUR BELOVED CITY. THERE ARE ALMOST A HUNDRED HOTELS IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE. AT LEAST FIVE OF THOSE WILL BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROJECT. BUT ALL OF THEM WILL REALIZE A POSITIVE IMPACT AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL ALL SEE EXTENDED STAYS WITH A HEIGHTENED ALAMO EXPERIENCE. WHILE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A STUDY AND WORK TO BE DONE TO FINALIZE THE PLAN AT THE ALAMO, THE HOTEL ASSOCIATION STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE ALAMO PLAN AND ITS OPPORTUNITY TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A WORLD CLASS DESTINATION. AND AS I MENTIONED, MY COLLEAGUE MARCO COULDN'T, UM, STAY, HE HAD TO LEAVE. BUT I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. UM, THE COORDINATION OF DELIVERIES FOR THOSE BUSINESSES IMPACTED WITH THE CHANGES. AND UM, JUST AS WE WENT THROUGH THIS WONDERFUL THING THIS MORNING WITH THE INVESTMENT OF OUR FUTURE WITH U T S A, THIS IS DEFINITELY AN INVESTMENT IN PRESERVING OUR PAST WITH THIS ALAMO. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU MS. VATA. HERE, SHARON SEK SEK, FOLLOWED BY SHERRY DRISCOLL. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR NURNBERG, UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, CITY MANAGER SCULLY. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU TODAY. UM, I'M FIRST OF SIXTH GENERATION TEXAN. I'M ON THE ALAMO, UH, CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I'VE BEEN THERE FOR FOUR YEARS FROM ITS INCEPTION. AND, UM, I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALAMO MISSION CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE PUBLIC OF TEXAS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FROM 2011 TO 2017. UM, I'M A, A PRIOR EDUCATOR AND, UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THE ONLY THING I CAN REALLY ADD TO WHAT'S BEEN SAID SO FAR IS THAT I'M REAL CONCERNED ABOUT TEXAS HISTORY. UH, I DID SPEAK TO THE TECH, UH, STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, UH, JUST RECENTLY ABOUT CONCERNS OVER, UH, THEIR REMOVING THE TERMS HEROIC AND HERO AS DESCRIPTORS OF OUR ALAMO DEFENDERS. UM, MY PERSPECTIVE HAS CERTAINLY GROWN OVER THE YEARS AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE AFFIRMATIVE FOR THIS PLAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MS. ROACHE. SHERRY DRISCOLL, FOLLOWED BY LEE WHITE. THANK YOU. I AM THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AT THE ALAMO, AND I'VE BEEN THERE FOR APPROXIMATELY 14 YEARS. AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THE ALAMO DESERVES MORE. TODAY'S ALAMO PLAZA SOMETIMES RESEMBLES A THREE RING CIRCUS WITH ALL OF THE USUAL CIRCUS COMPONENTS. I HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN A MAN TIGHTROPE WALKING NEAR THE CITA, A MAN DOING MAGIC, AND OF COURSE, THE STREET PREACHERS WHO MIGHT BE LIKENED TO THE CIRCUS RINGMASTER. I HAVE WORKED AT THE ALAMO FOR A LONG TIME, AND IN THAT TIME I HAVE BEEN DISTURBED BY THE BEHAVIOR OF MY FELLOW HUMANS ON THIS HISTORIC FOOTPRINT. PERHAPS IF I WAS SIMPLY CONCERNED WITH MY OWN SAFETY AND PEACE OF MIND, I COULD MUDDLE THROUGH. BUT I AM A TEACHER AND AS THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO EVERY STUDENT AND EVERY EDUCATOR WHO VISITS OUR SITE. IT IS MY JOB TO INTERPRET THE SITE IN OVER 300 YEARS OF HISTORY IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE EDUCATION STANDARDS AS ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS. I MUST BE HONEST, THERE ARE DAYS WHEN I LOOK OUT AT THE GROUNDS AND WONDER HOW I'M GOING TO KEEP THE INTEREST AND ATTENTION OF 44TH GRADERS WHEN THE STREET PREACHER IS YELLING AT EVERYONE WHO WALKS BY. WHEN SEGUE SCOOTERS, SKATEBOARDS AND PETTY CABS CRISSCROSSED THE PLAZA WHILE SIDESHOW BARKERS YELL INSULTS AT STUDENTS AND ADULTS ALIKE. THIS IS NOT THE MAKINGS OF A CLASSROOM. [03:35:02] THIS ISN'T EVEN THE MAKINGS OF AN ENJOYABLE SUMMER VACATION. I HAVE TALKED TO ENOUGH VISITORS OVER THE YEARS TO KNOW THAT THEY DON'T APPRECIATE THE CURRENT ATMOSPHERE OF ALAMO PLAZA ANY MORE THAN I DO. THEY WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED HERE THAT MAKES IT SO IMPORTANT TO TEXAS. I OFTEN TAKE STUDENTS TO THE LOCATION THAT MARKS THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE FORT, THE SAME LOCATION WHERE WILLIAM BARRETT, TRAVIS AND JAMES BOWIE STOOD IN 1836, CONTEMPLATING THEIR OPTIONS. I ASKED STUDENTS TO KNEEL DOWN BEHIND THE WALL AND LOOK BACK TOWARDS THE LONG BARRACK ENS SHRINE. I WANT THEM TO PUT THEMSELVES IN THE SHOES OF THE ALAMO DEFENDERS. WHAT IS THEIR NEXT MOVE? CAN THEY SURVIVE? SHOULD THEY TRY TO MAKE A RUN FOR THE LONG BAR OR THE CHURCH? I ASK THEM TO IMAGINE THE SOUND OF ARTILLERY AND MUSKETS AND THE SOUND OF MEN DYING AROUND THEM, THE BUGLES AND DRUMS OF THE MEXICAN ARMY. WHEN I DO THIS, THE CHILDREN BECOME QUIET. THEY LOOK AT ME INTENTLY AND THEY GET IT. THIS IS THE MOMENT AT WHICH I KNOW THEY UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE AND HOW IMPORTANT THE GROUND THEY STAND, STAND ON IS TO TEXAS AND THE WORLD. I CHERISH THESE MOMENTS, BUT WHEN SHOULD THIS MOMENT HAPPEN? IN MY OPINION, IT SHOULD HAPPEN FOR EVERY VISITOR. THE MOMENT THEY STEP ON THE FOOTPRINT, THE MOMENT THEIR BUS PULLS UP TO THE CURB, THE MOMENT THEY COME AROUND THE CORNER AND SEE THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS. THIS IS THE ALAMO. IT DESERVES MORE. PLEASE MAKE THIS A REALITY FOR TEXAS SCHOOLCHILDREN. THANK YOU, MR. SCHOOL. THANK LEE WHITE, FOLLOWED BY DEBBIE ANDERLY. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU MANY, MANY TIMES. AND OF COURSE IT'S GONNA BE ON THE SYNTA AGAIN TODAY. UM, ALL THE THINGS MRS. DRISCOLL DESCRIBED ABOUT HATING ON THE PLAZA, I DO TOO. BUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO UNDER THIS PLAN IS MOVE IT ALL OVER IN FRONT OF THE MENGER HOTEL. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU WANT TO SHIFT THE SYNTA. THAT HAS BEEN OUR COMPLAINT. WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT MANY TIMES. AND AM I GONNA GO ANY FURTHER WITH THAT? BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT. I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF TEXANS, ONE OF YOUR ALAMO CITIZEN ADVISORY PERSONS. AND I HAD LUNCH AND WE DISCUSSED WHAT'S KIND OF MISSING IN THE PLAN. AND EVEN SHE SAID, IT BOTHERS ME THAT THE PLANNERS DON'T GET IT. THEY CAN'T SEEM TO EXPRESS THAT SPIRIT. THAT'S TEXAS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU EITHER GET IT OR YOU DON'T. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN, IN DESCRIBING THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS, SAID THE SPIRIT AND THE FEELINGS THAT WE HAVE FOR TEXAS NEARS A RELIGION THAT IS THE DEEP FEEL. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING WHERE OH, UH, YOU KNOW, DON'T GIVE 'EM WHAT THEY WANT. THEY'LL WHINE AND CRY A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA LEAVE. THAT'S NOT IT. THAT WON'T HAPPEN. THIS WON'T GO AWAY. AND I'M ASKING COUNCILMAN TREVINO, WHO HAD PUT FORTH SOME FALSE ALLEGATIONS TO SOME OF THE OTHER GROUPS, WHICH ARE NOT OUR GROUP, BUT THEY ALSO WANNA SAVE THE SENATE TAT ABOUT BEING CONCERNED FOR HIS SAFETY. 'CAUSE THERE WILL BE A DAY, THERE WILL BE A TIME THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONFRONT THIS. AND I DON'T WANT THE CITY POLICE TASERING OR KILLING ANY OF MY PEOPLE BECAUSE OF SOME TRUMPED UP SOMETHING. I'M WORRIED FOR MY LIFE. I DON'T NEED ANY MORE ALAMO DEFENDER BLOOD ON THAT SACRED GROUND. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS TEXAS. AND PLEASE REMEMBER THE ALAMO. THANK YOU, MS. WHITE. DEBBIE ANDERLY. HI, UM, I'M DEBBIE ANDERLY AND I'M FROM WACO. AND I'M HERE TO TELL Y'ALL THAT, UM, THESE FEELINGS ARE EXPRESSED ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS. THAT'S WHY I DROVE DOWN HERE EARLY THIS MORNING TO TELL YOU FACE TO FACE AND FOR THE RECORD. AND I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE PROUD OF BEING A TEXAN AS I AM TODAY, BECAUSE I'M STANDING UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT. IT IS WRONG TO MOVE THE SYNTA. IT IS WRONG TO MOVE A TOMBSTONE. THAT THAT MONUMENT WAS DEDICATED ON THAT SPOT FOR A REASON. THERE'S LEGISLATION COMING UP IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY THAT'S GONNA STOP YOU PEOPLE IF THEY CAN, BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN TEXAS DO NOT WANT THIS. EVEN IN THE UNITED STATES. I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE ON FACEBOOK PAGES ON TUCKER CARLSON. I HAD OVER 200 REACTIONS ON A, I TOLD THIS STORY, I TOLD 'EM WHAT Y'ALL WERE DOING. THEY WERE HORRIFIED. AND FIRST IT'S ALWAYS, THEY'RE HORRIFIED. AND THEN THEY ASK WHY. AND WHAT DO I TELL THEM? WHY? WHY IS BECAUSE THEY THINK IT WILL LOOK SOME BETTER, [03:40:01] BETTER SOMEPLACE ELSE. BUT IT'S NOT AN ORNAMENT. IT'S NOT AN ORNAMENT TO LOOK BETTER SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. ANDERLY. BYRON, THE FLOOR. BYRON THE FLOOR, FOLLOWED BY AKIA MCCLENNEY. UH, FRANK BERNIE, UH, LATER ON, ON THE LIST AS SEATED HIS TIME TO ME. FRANK. FRANK, ARE YOU HERE? HE'S NOT HERE. I GET IT. ANYWAY, YEAH, GO AHEAD. MY NAME IS BYRON LAFLEUR. I'M PRESIDENT OF THE, UH, FIESTA COMMISSION. THANK YOU FOR, FOR, UH, HAVING THIS HEARING TODAY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, THE FIESTA COMMISSION IS THE COORDINATING BODY FOR FIESTA AND A LOT OF FIESTA EVENTS TAKE PLACE. UH, AT THE ALAMO. WE'VE GOT A HUNDRED PARTICIPATING MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, AMONG THEM BEING THE BATTLE OF FLYERS, THE ORDER OF THE ALAMO CAVALIERS, UH, THE FLAMM BOW AND WHAT GOES ON AT AT THE ALAMO IS OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT TO THE FIESTA COMMISSION. UH, THE FIESTA COMMISSION IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY IN ORDER AND ITS PMOS IN ORDER TO PUT ON FIESTA EACH YEAR. AND WE'VE DONE THAT FOR THE PAST 60 YEARS. UH, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY IS GOVERNED BY A CONTRACT AND UNDER THAT CONTRACT, UH, THE FIESTA COMMISSION ON BEHALF OF ITS MEMBERS RECEIVES THE CITY STREETS, RECEIVES THE RIGHTS OF WAY, RECEIVE RIGHTS TO CITY PARKS DURING FIESTA SO THAT WE CAN COORDINATE, MAKE SURE THAT EVENTS DON'T CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER, UH, AND SO THAT WE CAN SANCTION ALL OF THE EVENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE CORRECT INSURANCE AND HAVE THE CORRECT FAMILY SPIRIT THAT, UH, WE ALL COME TO EXPECT IN FIESTA. AND AT THAT CONTRACT, UH, THAT, THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY, UH, GETS NEGOTIATED EVERY 10 YEARS. AND IT'S CURRENTLY UP FOR ITS, ITS NEXT RENEWAL. AND IT'LL BE COMING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, UH, BEFORE THE COUNCIL, UH, NEXT MONTH. AND WE'VE NEGOTIATED WITH, UH, CITY STAFF, UH, ALONG WITH AND IN COORDINATION WITH THE G L O, UH, AND THE CITY'S ATTORNEY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PROVISIONS IN OUR FIESTA COMMISSION CONTRACT THAT LAY OUT SPECIFICALLY HOW THINGS WILL WORK UNDER THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS AFTER, UH, THE PROPERTY IS LEASED TO THE G L O. UH, AS THE COUNCIL'S AWARE, THERE HAVE BEEN LONG DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW THE, UH, HOW THE PARADES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH, UH, AND AROUND THE AREAS THAT ARE, UH, GONNA BE LEASED TO THE G L O. UH, WE THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORTS OF THE, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND FOR THE, TO THE ALAMO MANAGEMENT, UH, ORGANIZATION TO ACCOMMODATE THE PARADES AND TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE OTHER EVENTS SUCH AS THE CAVALIER INVESTITURE CEREMONY THAT OCCUR AT THE ALAMO. SO AS PART OF PART OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS, WE HAVE ALSO, UH, ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED SOME SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT'S IN THE PROPOSED LEASE WITH THE G L O THAT'S BEING PRESENTED TO YOU, UH, TODAY. AND THAT LANGUAGE ADDRESSES THE FACT THAT THE LANGUAGE THAT IS, UH, IN THE LEASE SHOULD COORDINATE WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT'S IN OUR FIESTA COMMISSION CONTRACT. AND AS A RESULT, UH, WE ARE, UH, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE CITY CITY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH ITS WITH ALL OF, UH, THE PARTICIPATING MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE FIESTA COMMISSION ITSELF WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE UNDER THE NEW RELATIONSHIP IF THAT LANGUAGE IS IN THE PROPOSED LEASE AGREEMENT. AND PROVIDED THAT, UH, THAT THE LANGUAGE THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, HAS WORKED OUT WITH US IN OUR CONTRACT, UH, IS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL AND VOTED ON THANK YOU MAKIA MCCLENNEY, FOLLOWED BY MELODY HALL. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MISHA AND I'M THE EDUCATION SPECIALIST AT THE ALAMO. UM, I GET TO WORK WITH SHERRY EVERY DAY. SHE'S MY SUPERVISOR. ONE OF THE GREATEST JOYS OF MY JOB IS GETTING TO SHARE THE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO WITH STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND OTHERS WHO COME HERE WITH A DESIRE TO LEARN. AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT EXPERIENCE BETTER FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. OUR SITE HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER TIME, TO THE POINT THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR OUR GUESTS, INCLUDING THE MANY STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS TO DELINEATE BETWEEN THE BLURRED LINES THAT MAKE UP THE HISTORIC AND MODERN ASPECTS OF THE PLAZA. THE ICONIC FACADE OF THE ALAMO SHRINE HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH THE ALAMO ITSELF. AND WHILE RESTORING AND PRESERVING THIS JEWEL OF TEXAS HISTORY IS A VITAL IMPORTANCE, IT IS ONLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GREATER SCOPE OF THE SITE THAT WE ARE STRIVING TO PRESERVE. THE SITE TODAY IS A DIFFICULT [03:45:01] PLACE TO INTERPRET FOR OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. ATTEMPTING TO SHARE HISTORY IN A PLACE THAT HAS LOST ANY SEMBLANCE OF REVERENCE CREATES A DIFFICULT PATH FOR ANY EDUCATOR. FURTHERMORE, EVEN WITH THE BEST IMAGINATION, IT IS A CHALLENGE TO PICTURE MISSION SAN ANTONIO ERO OR THE ALAMO FORT. IT WOULD BECOME WITH THE INCONGRUOUS SURROUNDINGS. WHILE IT IS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THE WAY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EMBRACES THE ALAMO AND HAS MADE IT PART OF THE FABRIC OF THE CITY, WHEN I VISIT THE FOUR OTHER MISSIONS OF WHICH OUR CITY CAN PROUDLY BOAST, THE ATMOSPHERE IS STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT. YOU WALK THE GROUNDS AND HAVE LITTLE TROUBLE PICTURING THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE. THE SOUNDS YOU HEAR ARE SCHOOL GROUPS AND OTHER VISITORS AT THE ALAMO. WE ARE HAPPY TO HEAR THOSE SOUNDS, BUT WE MUST ALSO COMPETE WITH PROTESTORS, DISGRUNTLED CITIZENS, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS A GRIEVANCE TO AIR IN FRONT OF OUR HISTORIC LANDMARK. FURTHERMORE, THERE IS NO INDOOR SPACE DEVOTED TO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING. OUR OPTIONS FOR INTERACTING WITH STUDENTS BEYOND THE OUTDOOR SETTING ARE NON-EXISTENT. SO COLLABORATING WITH OUR STUDENTS OUT OF THE SUMMER, SUN, RAIN, OR OUR FEW COLD DAYS IS NOT AN OPTION. HAVING SPACES DEDICATED TO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IS A VITAL PART OF A MUSEUM AND AN EXCITING PART OF WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FUTURE. I GREW UP HEARING STORIES ABOUT THE ALAMO AND VISITING THE SITE WITH MY FAMILY, AND I CONSIDER IT SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO GET TO SHARE THOSE STORIES WITH OTHERS. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE WORK WE DO NOW WILL ENSURE THAT THE ALAMO IS HERE FOR THE MANY GENERATIONS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE YET TO COME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. MCCLENNEY. MELODY HALL, FOLLOWED BY DON DIXON. IS MELODY HULL HERE? ALRIGHT, DON DIXON. MR. DIXON, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY LINDA FISHER. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN COUNSEL. MY NAME IS DON DIXON. I'VE BEEN A BUSINESSMAN HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS, AND I'M ACTUALLY KIND OF FIGHTING FOR MY WIFE. SHE WAS A DAUGHTER, SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE ALAMO MISSION CHAPTER. SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE ALAMO ADVISOR AL ALAMO, UH, COMMITTEE THAT ACTUALLY MANAGED THE FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS. AND I HARDLY SAW HER FOR HARDLY AT ALL DURING THOSE TIMES. SHE WORKED 'CAUSE SHE, SHE WAS VOLUNTEERING FOR THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS. WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS THE CLOSING OF THE PLAZA AND THE CLOSING OF THE STREETS. AND ALSO URGED YOU URGE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO VOTE NO AGAINST THESE FOUR POINTS THAT THEY BROUGHT UP TODAY. I WANNA READ YOU THE DEEDED FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. THIS IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. AND IT BEING UNDERSTOOD THAT THE PROPERTY HERE BY, BY CONVEYED AND IS SO CONVEYED ON CONDITION THAT SHALL BE DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC USE AS AN OPEN SPACE AND BE PART MADE A PART OF AND WON WITH THE PLAZA ABOVE AND BELOW IT, NOW KNOWN AS ALAMO PLAZA AND PLAZA DE LA ERO. THIS WAS SIGNED IN JUNE 1ST, 1871 BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE BISHOP OF TEXAS, CM DUBUS. THIS PLAZA WAS DEDICATED FOR THE INTENT THAT IT WOULD ALWAYS BE AN OPEN PUBLIC PLAZA AS IT IS TODAY. YOU CAN HIRE ALL THE LAWYERS YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN FIGHT THIS, BUT THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THIS PLAZA SHOULD BE OPEN AS IT IS TODAY. THOSE STREETS SHOULD BE OPEN. TAXPAYERS PAID FOR THOSE STREETS. THEY HAVE A RIGHT FOR MOBILITY IN SAN ANTONIO. THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE BY THE, THE ALAMO AND SEE IT. THEY SHOULDN'T, THE PUBLIC AND THE WORLD SHOULD NOT BE CUT OFF FROM THE VISIBILITY AND THE ACCESS TO THE ALAMO. SO IF YOU LISTEN TO THE, UH, COMMISSION MEETING, LAST, UH, WEDNESDAY, ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION, UH, ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS SAID THE ALAMO PLAN WOULD CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE, IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE. IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE, DIGGING DOWN THE PLAZA, TAKING OUT THE TREES, TREES, TAKING OUT THE, THE FLAGSTONES. THIS IS IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE. YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THIS. I URGE YOU [03:50:01] TO VOTE NO ON THE FOUR POINTS THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE YOU TODAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS, FOR SAN ANTONIO, LIBERTY MINDED PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD. THANK YOU MR. DIXON. LINDA FISHER, MS. FISHER WILL BE FOLLOWED BY LIZETTE GUDO. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ROLE AS LEADERS IN OUR CITY. AND I KNOW THAT YOU KNEW THAT IT WASN'T ALWAYS GONNA BE EASY WHEN YOU AGREED TO TAKE THOSE ROLES. YOU'VE CONDUCTED YOURSELVES VERY PROFESSIONALLY. I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN EDUCATOR WHO HAS HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF VISITING THE ALAMO WITH HER SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS WHILE TEACHING TEXAS HISTORY IN TWO OF SAN ANTONIO'S MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS. I'M SURE WE CAN ALL RECALL FIELD TRIPS WE ATTENDED WHEN WE WERE IN SCHOOL. JUST THE SHEER JOY OF BEING OUT OF THE CLASSROOM WAS EXCITING, TO SAY THE LEAST. AND WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ALAMO. FROM AN ACADEMIC STANDPOINT, THOUGH, VISITING THE ALAMO FOUND MANY STUDENTS QUESTIONING THE LAYOUT IN GENERAL AS WELL AS THE ADDED DISTRACTIONS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT ENVIRONMENT LOCATED ACROSS FROM THE FRONT OF THE GROUNDS. GENERAL COMMENTS DURING EACH FIELD TRIP OVER THE YEARS WERE, WELL, IS THIS ALL THERE IS? WHY DOESN'T IT LOOK MORE LIKE THE PICTURES THAT ARE IN OUR CLASSROOM? AND MY FAVORITE ONE WAS ALWAYS, WELL, WHY CAN'T WE GO ACROSS THE STREET THAT OTHER CLASS GETS TO? AT TIMES, BEING A TEACHER AND ENGAGING THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS OF STUDENTS IS A LOT LIKE TRYING TO NAIL JELLO TO A WALL. WITH THAT SAID, VISITORS TO THE ALAMO ARE LEARNERS REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE. THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN WILL HELP TRANSFORM THE AUDIENCE'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE 300 YEARS OF HISTORY WITH MINIMAL DISTRACTIONS NEEDED REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS, AND A MUSEUM IN WHICH TO DISPLAY ARTIFACTS AND MEMORABILIA. THESE POSITIVE AND FORWARD THINKING STEPS WILL HOPEFULLY TRIGGER ATTRIBUTES OF RESPECT AND APPRECIATION OF HISTORY FROM ALL VISITORS. TO INCLUDE OUR CHILDREN OF TODAY, WHO WILL BE OUR LEADERS OF TOMORROW. MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PLAN, WE'LL ENGAGE THESE LEARNERS AND PRESERVE OUR BELOVED ALAMO FOR MANY FUTURE GENERATIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MS. FISHER LIZETTE GUDO, FOLLOWED BY PHIL BACKY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR BERG AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BENEFITS THE ALA WAS PROVIDED. MY SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS AT SA ROSS MIDDLE SCHOOL IN NORTHSIDE, I S D. MY NAME'S LIZETTE G***O. AND AS A SEVENTH GRADE TEXAS HISTORY TEACHER AND SAN ANTONIO NATIVE, I'VE ENJOYED CREATING MEMORIES WITH OUR STUDENTS WHEN VISITING THE ALAMO. FIELD TRIPS ARE WHAT MAKING SOCIAL STUDIES COME TO LIFE. VISITING THE ALAMO GIVES STUDENTS A TRUE ANSWER TO THEIR BIG QUESTION. WHY IS LEARNING HISTORY IMPORTANT? THIS CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT, UM, TO LEARN BEYOND THE STAR QUESTIONS. STUDENTS GET TO LEARN THE 300 YEARS OF HISTORY THAT THE ALAMO HOLDS BECOMING TRUE HISTORIANS AS THEY MAKE CONNECTIONS TO CURRENT EVENTS. SAW ROSS IS A TITLE ONE SCHOOL WITH STUDENTS WHO HAVE NEVER VISITED THE ALAMO, ALTHOUGH WE'RE ONLY COLLIBRA AWAY. UM, IT'S 20 MINUTES FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD. LAST YEAR, MY STUDENTS TOOK A WALK AROUND WHERE THE ACTUAL WALLS WOULD'VE BEEN AND SAID, IT'S JUST SO HARD TO IMAGINE THAT WE ALL THESE CARS AND BUSES RUN WERE WHERE THE NATIVES WERE LIVING AND CANNONS WERE FIRED. WE'RE CALLING THE MANY UNITS IN OUR CURRICULUM, WHICH INVOLVED THE ALAMO AS AN EDUCATOR. THE SAFETY OF MY STUDENTS COMES FIRST. SEEING HOW DR. DRIVERS ARE DISTRACTED, TAKING PICTURES AND ADMIRING THE SHRINE CONCERNS ME AS WE ANALYZE THE BATTLEGROUNDS. THE MASTER PLAN BRINGS ME HOPE THAT MY FUTURE STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO VISIT THE ALAMO WITH THE TRUE EXPERIENCE OF THE DIMENSIONS OF WHAT THE MISSION ONCE WAS WITHOUT COMMERCIAL INFLUENCE ON WHAT MANY WOULD CONSIDER SACRED GROUND. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUT THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS, TOURISTS, AND SAN ANTONIO CITIZENS ABOVE THE CONVENIENCE OF TAKING A PICTURE WHILE DRIVING. THANK YOU ALL FOR [03:55:01] ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF TEXAS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. WE ARE ALL STEWARDS OF WHAT THIS, THIS VERY PERSONAL HISTORY, WHICH OUR CITY SO PROUDLY CONSERVES. THANK YOU. BILL BACKIE, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM SANDS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER SCULLY, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU TODAY AND, UH, SHARE SOME OF MY OBSERVATIONS OF THE PROCESS THROUGH THE EYES OF AS A MEMBER OF THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. ONE OF MY BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM SERVING ON THE COMMITTEE IS THAT, UM, WHILE I WAS ALWAYS BEEN ENGROSSED IN MY OWN HISTORY OF TEXAS, MY FAMILY CAME IN EIGHTEEN TWENTY EIGHT, A HUNDRED NINETY YEARS AGO, UH, PLAYED A A NUMBER OF ROLES AND THE INDEPENDENCE OF TEXAS. I HAD NEVER REALLY APPRECIATED ALL OF THE OTHER HISTORIES, UH, IN OTHER CULTURES THAT PLAYED INTO THE, UM, TO THE ALAMO OVER ITS LONG HISTORY. SO THAT WAS A BIG TAKEAWAY FOR ME. BUT I'LL, I'LL LIKEN THE END OF THE PROCESS TO, UH, MORE OF A MEDIATION IN THAT, UH, ONE REASON I CAN MOVE FORWARD AND SUPPORT THE PLAN IS BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE LISTENED TO A VERY DIVERSE GROUP OF OTHER CITIZENS ON THAT COMMITTEE. UM, WE'VE HAD MANY, MANY HEATED DEBATES. UH, I DISAGREED STRONGLY WITH A NUMBER, ASPECTS OF THE PLAN. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY IN MEDIATION, NO ONE WALKS AWAY FROM THE TABLE WITH EVERYTHING THEY WANT. AND I THINK THAT'S VERY TRUE OF THIS PROCESS. THERE'S A LOT OF VERY UNHAPPY PEOPLE. UM, BUT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR THE FUTURE OF THE ALAMO, IT'S TIME TO PUT ALL THOSE DIFFERENCES ASIDE AND MOVE FORWARD AND DO SOMETHING THAT WILL SAVE AND PRESERVE THE ALAMO FOR THE NEXT GENERATIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. WILLIAM SANDS, FOLLOWED BY TOBY LAVERT. GOOD AFTERNOON TO THE MAYOR AND TO, UH, THE COUNCIL AND TO THE CITY. THANK YOU FOR THIS. THIS IS A, UH, TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY. AND INDEED IT IS LONG LIVED. HERE'S THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT. AS WAS MOVING INTO THE EARLY 18 HUNDREDS, THERE WAS A GROWING INTEREST IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE HERE IN SAN FERNANDO. FEWER SPANISH FOLKS, BUT A CONSIDERABLE INCREASE IN EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN FOLKS WERE MOVING INTO THE AREA. IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS A, IT WAS SIMPLE. LACI TEKAS WAS NOT LOOKING FOR SEPARATION FROM MEXICO, BUT HAD A GROWING URGE FOR LOCAL GOVERNANCE. THEY WANTED LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND TO BE SEPARATE FROM VINCI. LAILA SANTANA BECAME PRESIDENT IN 1833 AND 1834, HE DECLARED HIMSELF DICTATOR, DISSOLVED CONGRESS AND WAS BACKED BY THE MILITARY AND BECAME DICTATOR IN 1835. HE THEN REPEALED THE CONSTITUTION, WHICH WAS THE SEED FOR THE TEXAS REVOLUTION. TEXAS WANTED LOCAL GOVERNANCE AS ITS OWN PROVINCE. THAT WAS NOW IMPOSSIBLE. SANTANA DECLARED THAT ALL GOVERNANCE WOULD BE OUT OF MEXICO CITY. HOME RULE WAS THE ISSUE. UNFORTUNATELY FOR SANTA ANA, TEXAS HAD BEEN POPULATED BY LOTS OF AMERICANS, FRESH FROM THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WORLD, AND EUROPEANS FRESH FROM THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND EUROPEAN ENLIGHTENMENT INFLUENCES A CALL FOR INDEPENDENCE, BECAME THE BY WORD. I HAVE A COUSIN WHO DIED AT THE ALAMO. I HAVE AN UNCLE WHO DELIVERED THE TEXAS ANNEXATION PAPERS FROM PRESIDENT POLK TO NEW ORLEANS BY SHIP. SO THE QUESTION, DOES AUSTIN TAKE OVER THE ALAMO OR TO SAN ANTONIO V FOR HOME RULE? THE ALAMO IS SAN ANTONIO. IT IS THE MISSION SAN ANTONIO DERO. I STAND FOR THE PRESERVATION OF LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND HOME RULE. I STAND FOR KEEPING ALAMO PLAZA OPEN AND INTACT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. SANDS. [04:00:01] TOBY LAVERNE. TOBY LAVERNE, FOLLOWED BY BRANDON BURKHART. MR. LAVERNE, UH, WAS REQUIRED TO RETURN TO HIS CLASSROOM. I HOPE YOU'LL LET ME READ HIS COMMENTS. NO, WE CAN, UH, HAVE THEM INTO THE RECORD. OKAY. YOU CAN GIVE 'EM TO THE RECORD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BRANDON BURKHART, FOLLOWED BY PAUL G WELL, I'VE BEEN HERE MANY TIMES BEFORE, SPOKEN BEFORE YOU GUYS ABOUT THIS. OUR ORGANIZATION, THIS IS TEXAS FREEDOM FORCE. FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW ME, I AM THE PRESIDENT OF, THIS IS TEXAS FREEDOM FORCE. WE'VE TOLD YOU TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO LEAD THE SENATE TAP WHERE IT IS. THE BLOOD OF THE ALAMO DEFENDERS SOAKED INSIDE THE WALLS ON THAT GROUND. IT DIDN'T SOAK OUTSIDE BY THE BANDSTAND. IT DIDN'T SOAK DOWN THE STREET, DIDN'T SOAK, YOU KNOW, 20 MILES FROM HERE. IT SOAKED INSIDE THERE. AND THAT'S WHY THAT TOMB SITS THERE AS THEY WERE REMINDER OF WHAT THAT ALAMO STOOD FOR. NOW, AS FAR AS THE TOUR GUIDES AND TEACHERS THAT ARE CALLING ABOUT THE STREAKERS AND ALL THAT STUFF, WELL GUESS WHAT? THAT LIES ON Y'ALL. THE CITY OWNS THE CITY. THE UH, PLAZA, ALAMO PLAZA. WHY DON'T Y'ALL HAVE RANGERS OUT THERE OR SS A P D OUT THERE 24 7 TO STOP THAT KIND OF STUFF. THAT'S Y'ALL'S FAULT. ALSO, YOUR OWN REPORT FROM FOUR YEARS AGO FROM THE SYNAP STATES THAT THE SYNAP IS NOT IN AS BAD AS DAMAGE AS YOU'RE TELLING THE PUBLIC AND THE REST OF TEXANS. THAT SYNAP CAN BE REPAIRED IN SIGHT. IT CAN STAY RIGHT WHERE IT'S AT. WE'VE HAD ENGINEERS FROM TEXAS A AND M THAT HAVE LOOKED AT IT, LOOKED AT THE BLUEPRINTS, SAID IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE MOVED TO REPAIR, TO BE REPAIRED, BUT YET Y'ALL ARE JUST HELL BENT ON MOVING IT OVER TOWARDS THE BANDSTAND OR MOVING IT SOMEWHERE. AND A LOT OF IT IS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE DAMAGED BECAUSE MANY ENGINEERS, MANY ARCHITECTS HAVE SAID THE CHANCES OF PERMANENTLY DAMAGING THAT SYNAP, IF YOU MOVE IT IS LIKELY. AND IF IT GETS MOVED, GUESS WHERE IT'S GONNA BE? IT'S GONNA BE IN THE BASEMENT WHERE JUST LIKE THE TRAVIS PARK MONUMENT SITS TODAY, A YEAR MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER IT WAS TAKEN DOWN AND IT'S BROKEN. FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, MCDONALD RIGHT HERE, HE CLAIMS AND GEORGE P. BUSH AND MAYOR NURNBERG, OH, WE'VE GOT THE SUPPORT OF TEXANS AND THIS AND THAT. PROVE IT. PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE BY THE TEXANS. MAKE, GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY. LET THEM SHOW YOU THAT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT. BECAUSE I CAN GUARANTEE YOU WE'VE PRODUCED DIFFERENT PETITIONS. WE'VE TALKED TO TEXANS, WE'VE TALKED TO TOURISTS, WE'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE STATE AND VERY FEW SUPPORT THIS PLANT. SURE, WE DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SITTING ACROSS THE STREET, BUT WHEN YOU START TELLING THEM THAT YOU WANT TO REMOVE THE SENATE HALF AND MOVE IT TO ANOTHER LOCATION, THEY TELL US THAT THE CITY CAN GO TO HELL. THEY NEED TO LEAVE THE ALAMO ALONE. SO I'M JUST GONNA CLOSE WITH THIS. WHEN YOU GET READY TO VOTE TODAY, YES, EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS IS A HISTORICAL VOTE AND ALL IT IS, AND WHICH SIDE YOU CHOOSE IS, UH, IT'S BASICALLY GONNA SEAL YOUR FATE. IT'S, IT'S VERY CONVENIENT THAT TREVINO AND NUREMBERG ARE GONE BECAUSE WE'VE TOLD THEM IF THEY VOTE YES ON THIS, THEIR POLITICAL DAYS IN TEXAS ARE NUMBERED. AND YOU'VE SEEN, WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT REELECTED, GUARANTEED. THANK YOU MR. BURKHART. PAUL GEEL, FOLLOWED BY CHERYL GE. CHERYL'S GONNA YIELD FOR MINUTES TO ME AFTER THAT. IT WILL BE CARRIE HILLIER. I JUST PUT IT UP HERE FOR THEM TO LOOK AT. YEAH, I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU. I'M HOLD HER OUT UP HERE. THE ONES THAT KNOW. SO BACK AGAIN TO THIS ROUTINE, THIS UH, THIS RUBBER STAMP FAST VOTING. OF COURSE, I'M SURPRISED WE'RE EVEN HERE TO HAVE A VOTE TODAY. 'CAUSE UNDER MY, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AT ONE POINT HE, MAYOR NUREMBERG WASN'T GONNA ALLOW IT. AND I DO FIND IT INTERESTING THAT, WELL, WELCOME BACK MR. TREVINO. I WISH THE MAYOR WOULD COME AND SIT IN HIS RIGHTFUL CHAIR FOR ONCE. UM, WE'RE NOT REALLY GONNA ARGUE WITH THIS. WE ALREADY KNOW HOW THIS, THE SYSTEM IS GONNA PLAY OUT. YOU'RE GONNA GET YOUR YES VOTE ON MOVING THE SENATE AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST MISTAKE Y'ALL COULD MAKE RIGHT NOW. THIS CLOSE TO ELECTIONS AND THIS CLOSE TO THIS VOTE YES MOVEMENT, WHICH WE'VE GOT GOING, WHICH I HOPE ARE THAT ONCE VOTE YES PASSES, WE CAN GET A SENATE PETITION GOING AND MAYBE UNDO ALL OF THIS HORSE MESS THAT Y'ALL HAVE CAUSED. NOT ALL OF YOU, MR. PERRY. THANK YOU MR. COURAGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND MR. BROCK HOUSE. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR, ESPECIALLY WITH VOTE YES. I WANNA REITERATE THAT BECAUSE IT DOES TAKE SOME GUTS TO STAND UP [04:05:01] TO THAT FINALIST LUNATIC. UH, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THERE IS TO SAY ABOUT THIS. WE ALREADY KNOW YOU'VE HAD THESE MEETINGS. EVERY SINGLE MEETING YOU TELL A LESS AND LESS IN TELL LESS AND LESS INFORMATION ABOUT THE SENATE. HALF TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE THE, UH, MEETING AT MS. SANDOVAL'S DISTRICT WAS COMPLETELY DETRACTED. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THE MEETING WAS OVER THAT YOU EVEN ADDRESSED ANY QUESTIONS RELATING TO IT. AND OF COURSE, YES, WE KNOW MR. TREVINO, THAT YOU'VE CLAIMED THAT OUR ORGANIZATION HAS MADE DIRECT, DIRECT THREATS TO YOU. AND OF COURSE WE HAVE, UH, SCOTT HUDDLESTON AND BRIAN PRESTON AND FORREST BAAS AND, UH, THE ALAMO, C E O WHO ALL, UH, GO ONLINE AND CLAIM THAT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TROUBLEMAKERS AND WE'RE LIARS AND WE'RE JUST THE WRONG KIND OF INFLUENCE. WHEN IN REALITY WE GO OUT TO THE, THE, THE PLAZA, WE GO AROUND TEXAS TO THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS. WE ATTEND AND GET TEXANS VOICE AND WE ASK THEM HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THIS AND THEY'RE USUALLY AGAINST IT. AND I'LL ADMIT, I LIKE A LOT OF THIS PLAN. I REALLY DO. BUT IT BREAKS MY HEART WHEN I FIND OUT THAT THE SYNTA WAS NEVER CONSIDERED TO REMAIN. AND WE NEVER GET AN ISSUE ON A, A LEGITIMATE REASON AS TO WHY IT WAS NEVER ALLOWED TO REMAIN AND BE WORKED ON RIGHT THERE. BECAUSE FOUR YEARS AGO THAT WAS THE BEST RECOMMENDATION YOU HAD RATHER WE'RE GIVEN. IT'S IN THE WAY, IT'S IN THE VIEW WE'RE GIVING AN IMAGE IN YOUR PART OF YOUR PLAN THAT ACTUALLY MOVES THE SYNTA ALMOST A HUNDRED FEET FORWARD FROM WHERE IT ACTUALLY SITS TO THE POINT WHERE WHEN SOMEONE WHO'S ONLY BEEN TO THE ALAMO ONCE OR TWICE IN THEIR LIFE AND HAS REALLY NO IDEA WHERE THE SYNTA IS EXACTLY, WE LOOK AT IT AND SAY, YEAH, THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT. NO, YOU'RE LYING TO PEOPLE AND YOU'RE DOING IT IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. AND IF YOU'RE NOT LYING, YOU'RE JUST RETRACTING INFORMATION. IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL AND A MAYOR, ESPECIALLY A MAYOR THAT WAS VOTED ON A TRANSPARENT PLATFORM AND A NONPARTISAN ONE AT THAT TO, UH, CONSIDER ALL RATHER THAN WHERE CONSIDER WHERE THE MONEY FLOWS. 'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE, THE FOURTH MEETING IN JUNE, A LOT OF THE BATTLE OF THE FLOWERS PEOPLE SHOWED UP IN FULL IN, IN OPPOSITION. AND THEN MR. TREVINO AND MR. MCDONALD, I BELIEVE WERE THE TWO GENTLEMEN IN PARTICULAR THAT ESCORTED THOSE PEOPLE ON A PRIVATE TOUR. AND THEN THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A SEAT AT THE TABLE. BUT NEVER ONCE HAVE ANY OF THE SYNTA MOVEMENT OPPOSITION GROUPS BEEN OFFERED A SEAT AT THE TABLE. AND THAT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE WE ARE NOT RICH OR HAVE ANY REAL PULL LIKE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS DO. THIS MIGHT COME AS A BIG SURPRISE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING THIS, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THE NEWS WILL HAVE THIS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND WE'LL SEE HOW FAIR EACH NEWS ARTICLE IS. MAYBE THEY'LL BE FAIR AND BALANCED LIKE THE SA HERON IS. OR MAYBE THEY'LL SPEND THEIR OWN, PUT THEIR OWN SPIN ON IT LIKE THE FAILING EXPRESS NEWS DOES. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING LIKE 9% OF THE POPULATION SUBSCRIBES TO THAT MAGAZINE. I BET IT'S A LOT LOWER AS FAR AS THE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IT. BUT YEAH, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE AN ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL THAT VOICED THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE AND ONES THAT DIDN'T FALL IN LINE WHEN THEY'RE OFFERED A CHECK. I'M NOT REALLY SURE. THERE'S MUCH ELSE I CAN SAY ON THIS ISSUE. OH, WELCOME BACK MAYOR. IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK IN THE ROOM. YOU'VE MADE A LOT OF BATHROOM BREAKS AND COFFEE BREAKS AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE. MAYBE YOU SHOULD GIVE US A COFFEE MACHINE TO SIT HERE. THIS STARTED AT NINE O'CLOCK AND WE'RE HERE NOW AT WHAT? PUSHING TWO. YEAH, YOU LOVED WASTING TIME, BUT I THINK I'M JUST GONNA END IT THERE. THERE'S NOT MUCH I CAN SAY ANY FURTHER WITHOUT STARTING TO CURSE AT YOU PEOPLE, SO WE'LL SEE HOW THIS VOTE PLAYS OUT. THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. BROCK HOUSE. MISS MANNY. I HOPE I CAN TRUST YOU ON A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST THIS ISSUE, BUT FOR THE MOST PART I DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING UP TO OUR ORGANIZATION AND HAVING THE GUTS TO SPEAK TO US FACE TO FACE RATHER THAN GOING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER. AND THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. COURAGE AND MR. PERRY AGAIN, RONNIE, I'M SORRY I VOTED FOR YOU. MAYBE NEXT TIME I'LL DO SOME RESEARCH ON THE PEOPLE I VOTE FOR. YOU'LL HAVE A GOOD DAY. THANK YOU, MR. GUS. CARRIE HILLIER, FOLLOWED BY STELLA RIO DE LA GARZA. I'M CARRIE HILLIER AND I'M THE RESEARCH DIRECTOR FOR, THIS IS TEXAS FREEDOM FORCE AND I'VE BEEN TALKING TO YOU FOR A YEAR AND USUALLY I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE 18,000 MEMBERS AND AND SUPPORTERS OF THIS IS TEXAS FREEDOM FORCE. BUT TODAY I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU ONLY ON BEHALF OF ONE PERSON, AND THAT IS MY 92 YEAR OLD NEIGHBOR MRS. GARZA. SHE CAN'T COME HERE AND TALK TO YOU BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY HANDICAP PARKING, SO SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY WAY TO GET HERE TO WHERE SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO WALK OR BE PUSHED IN HER CHAIR FOR TWO BLOCKS. ON A GOOD DAY, I CAN PUT HER IN MY CAR AND TAKE HER FOR A DRIVE DOWNTOWN SO THAT SHE CAN DRIVE PAST AND SEE THE BELOVED ALAMO. [04:10:01] SHE WAS JUST A LITTLE GIRL WHEN THE SENATE HALF WAS ERECTED, BUT SHE STILL REMEMBERS THE PLAZA FULL OF PEOPLE AND SHE WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE THEM ERECTING THE CAF AT THAT TIME. AND THE FACT THAT YOU ALL, DESPITE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TEXANS VOICING THEIR OPPOSITION ARE GONNA FORGE AHEAD AND TAKE DOWN THE MONUMENT THAT HONORS THE DEFENDERS WHO FOUGHT FOR LIBERTY AND DIED ON THE GROUNDS OF THE ALAMO IS BREAKING HER HEART AND IT BREAKS MINE TOO. THE DEDICATION OF THE SENATE TAF THAT MRS. GARZA ATTENDED TOOK PLACE ON ARM TO STAY. IT WAS VERY EXCITING. THE CITIZENS KNEW THAT THERE WERE AMERICANS WHO HADN'T YET JOINED THE WAR, BUT STILL WERE FIGHTING OVERSEAS IN SUPPORT ON BEHALF OF GREAT BRITAIN. TO SEE THAT MONUMENT GO UP WHEN SHE WAS JUST A LITTLE GIRL AND TO SEE ALL THOSE PEOPLE IN THE PLAZA MADE AN IMPRESSION ON HER. AND WHEN YOU ALL FENCE OFF THE ALAMO AND I CAN'T PUT HER IN MY CAR AND LET HER DRIVE BY AND SEE THAT PRECIOUS MONUMENT OF TEXAS IS TOO SAD. AND I KNOW SHE'S NOT PART OF YOUR TAX BASE ANYMORE BECAUSE ALL OF HER MONEY GOES FOR THINGS THAT AREN'T TAXABLE LIKE FOOD AND MEDICINE, BUT HER MEMORIES ARE IMPORTANT TO HER. THANK YOU, MS. HILLIER. STELLA RIO DE LA GARZA, FOLLOWED BY ERNESTO RODRIGUEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MY NAME IS STELLA DERIO DE LA GARZA. I AM HERE TODAY TO VOICE MY OPPOSITION TO LEASING ALAMO PLAZA TO THE STATE OF TEXAS. IF YOU LOOK UP THE WORD PLAZA IN THE DICTIONARY, MOST OFTEN IT WILL SAY, OPEN URBAN PUBLIC SQUARES WHERE CROWDS GATHER TO ASSEMBLE FREELY WITHOUT PHYSICAL BARRIERS, SUCH AS FENCES AND WALLS, PLAZAS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, SUCH AS SANTA FE PLAZA, FARRAGUT SQUARE, AND WASHINGTON, DC AND MANY OTHERS DO NOT HAVE PHYSICAL BARRIERS THAT PREVENT YOU FROM WALKING OR STROLLING THROUGH THEM. YOU'LL SEE THE SLIDE UP THERE THAT I HAVE POSTED OR IS POSTED. SO THE SAME CAN BE SAID ABOUT ALAMO PLAZA AND THE ADJACENT STREETS. CURRENTLY, CITIZENS AND VISITORS CAN STROLL THROUGH THE PLAZA, LEISURELY START OR RUN, OR FINISH A RUN ANY TIME OF THE DAY IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO, ASSEMBLE PEACEFULLY FOR HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS AND ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS, HONOR THE FALLEN, LEASING THE STREETS AND THE SIDEWALKS OF OUR CITY FOR THE TERMS SPECIFIED IN THE LEASE WILL ALTER OUR FREEDOM TO ASSEMBLE AS CITIZENS AND TO TAKE PART IN SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES JUST MENTIONED AS A PRESERVATIONIST AND A FORMER EDUCATOR. AND I UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF RESTORING THE ALAMO AND MAKING SURE THAT THE CRADLE OF FREEDOM AND ITS GROUNDS ARE INTACT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO VISIT, BUT NOT AT THE COST OF CUTTING OFF ACCESS TO VISITORS IN CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. I ALSO SEE THE VALUE OF CREATING A MUSEUM THAT TELLS THE STORY FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES, BUT NOT AT THE COST OF RELOCATING THE CENO AND DEMOLISHING BUILDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE FABRIC OF ALAMO PLAZA FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HAVE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. AS A LIFELONG CITIZEN OF SAN ANTONIO, I UNDERSTAND HOW THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS CAN ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR CITY. BUT AGAIN, NOT AT THE COST OF WALLING OFF ALAMO PLAZA AND ITS ADJACENT STREETS. COUNCILMAN TINO, IN YOUR ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN THE EXPRESS NEWS LAST MONDAY, YOU SAID, AND I QUOTE, THIS SPACE BELONGS TO ALL OF US INDIGENOUS HANS TEXANS, MEXICANS, AND PRESENT DAY CITIZENS. I HAVE DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING HOW YOU CAN SAY THIS SPACE BELONGS TO ALL OF US WHEN YOU ARE SIGNING IT AWAY. ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO REPRESENT US, THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, NOT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO [04:15:01] DESIGNED THE PLAN OR WHO HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH IMPLEMENTING IT. SLIDE TWO. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT OR RESERVATIONS ABOUT LEASING ART PLAZA TO THE STATE, THEN PLEASE VOTE NO. THIS LONG-TERM ARRANGEMENT IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST AND ALAMO PLAZA SHOULD CONTINUE TO BELONG TO US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS. DE LA GARZA. ERNESTO RODRIGUEZ, FOLLOWED BY LAMAR HENRY. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ERNEST RODRIGUEZ. I COME TO YOU NOT ONLY AS A ALAMO EMPLOYEE THAT HAVE SERVED AT THE ALAMO FOR OVER 19 YEARS, BUT AS A PERSON FROM DISTRICT FIVE WHO WORKS IN DISTRICT ONE WHO WAS EDUCATED IN DISTRICT SEVEN. I COME TO YOU WITH ALL THESE HATS AND AS A MEMBER OF THE ALAMO ADVISORY COMMITTEE, I AM A HISTORIAN BY TRADE AND HAVE HAD THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH THE COLLECTION FOR THE PAST 19 YEARS. I HAD THE HONOR OF TALKING TO PHIL COLLINS WHEN HE DONATED THE COLLECTION TO THE ALAMO. AND THIS CONCEPT OF BRINGING THIS WORLD CLASS MUSEUM TO FRUITION THE CAF WAS, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT MONUMENT, REALLY DOES NEED TO BE PRESERVED AND IT NEEDS TO BE PLACED IN A LOCATION WHERE PEOPLE WILL SEE IT WHEN THEY ARRIVE. TOO MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN AT WORK WHEN SOMEONE WILL SAY, I HEARD THERE'S A MONUMENT HERE. AND YOU SAY, WHICH ONE IS IT? AND THEY SAY, THE SENATE HALF. WHERE IS IT? AND YOU POINT TO IT AND THEY GO, OH, I DIDN'T REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THAT WHEN I CAME THROUGH INTO THE ALAMO. I BELIEVE WE SHOULD MOVE IT. IT NEEDS TO BE RELOCATED BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE CARED FOR MANY TIMES, I WILL SAY IN MY CAREER, I HAVE GONE OUT THERE AND SCRUBBED GRAFFITI OFF OF IT BECAUSE IF YOU LEAVE ANYTHING ON IT, MORE WILL APPEAR THE STREET CLOSURES. TOO MANY TIMES I'VE SEEN PEOPLE ALMOST GET HIT BY CARS BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY DRIVE THROUGH THE PLAZA, THEY LOOK AROUND AND THEY DON'T NOTICE THAT THERE'S THIS LITTLE THING THAT'S YELLOW WITH THREE LIGHTS ON IT THAT'S RED AND THEY KEEP GOING STRAIGHT THROUGH. TOO MANY TIMES I'VE SEEN FAMILIES LOSE THEIR CHILDREN WHEN THEY START RUNNING ACROSS AND ALMOST GET HIT BY A CAR. I FULLY SUPPORT THIS PROPOSED PLAN PLAN BECAUSE I WAS SEEN EVERY ASPECT OF IT AND IT'S THE BEST WAY AND THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR CITIZENS AND THE STATE IN GENERAL. IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS BIGGER THAN TEXAS. AND WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT AS CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT STATE, WE ARE GIVING THEM SOMETHING MORE TO BE PROUD OF. SO ONCE AGAIN, I FULLY SUPPORT THIS PLAN. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MR. RODRIGUEZ LAMAR HENRY, FOLLOWED BY DENISE HOMER. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'VE BEEN COMING UP HERE FOR A YEAR. THIS WHOLE THING IS GETTING TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD. I'VE LISTENED TO THESE PEOPLE TALK, THEY SAY NOTHING BUT THE SAME THING. LIKE THEY'RE READING IT OUT OF A BOOK. THERE'S NO PASSION TO IT. IT'S JUST, IT'S RIDICULOUS. THEY, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, NONE OF THIS HAD TO HAPPEN. IF THERE'D BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF COMPROMISE ON THIS ENTIRE ALAMO PLAN, YOU KNOW, THE ONE MAIN THING THAT WE WERE ADAMANTLY AND STILL ADAMANTLY AGAINST IS MOVING THE SENATE, TAF I, WHETHER YOU CLOSE THE ROADS OR YOU DON'T, YOU TEAR THEM BUILDINGS DOWN ACROSS THE STREET. ALL OF THOSE THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST TALKED ABOUT, BUT Y'ALL WERE UNCOMPROMISING, COMPLETELY UNCOMPROMISING. WHEN IT COME TO THE SENATE TAB, THE ONE THING THAT SHOWS REVERENCE TO THE MEN THAT DIED IN THE ALAMO, THAT'S THE REASON IT SITS WHERE IT IS AT RIGHT NOW. IT SITS IN THE FRONT OF THE LOG BARRACKS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE DIED. AND THEY, THEY WERE BURNED, THEIR BODIES WERE BURNED OUTSIDE THERE. AND THAT'S WHY THE CTA THERE, IT'S THE EMPTY TOMB TO REPRESENT THOSE PEOPLE. AND THIS IDEA THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT CTA, YOU'RE GONNA SHOW IRE IRREVERENCE TO THOSE MEN THAT DIED IN ATTEMPT TO MOVE THAT THING, YOU CAN'T MOVE IT. IT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID THAT YOU CANNOT MOVE IT WITHOUT BREAKING IT. YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SPECIAL TRAINED PEOPLE TO DO IT. THE REPORT WAS MADE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO. YOU KNOW ABOUT IT. Y'ALL COULDN'T EVEN MOVE THE TRAVIS PARK MONUMENT WITHOUT BREAKING IT. JUST ONE LITTLE SOLID PIECE. AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING SOMETHING THAT'S MULTIS SEGMENTED LIKE THAT. I DON'T THINK YOU REALLY CARE IF YOU BREAK IT OR NOT. I DON'T THINK ORIGINALLY YOU JUST WANT TO GET RID OF IT ANYWAY. AND THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT YOU'RE GONNA MOVE IT, YOU KNOW, THREE BLOCKS DOWN THE ROAD, THEN YOU'RE GONNA MOVE IT 500 FEET. IT WOULDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE HOW FAR YOU MOVED IT. YOU'LL BREAK IT [04:20:01] IF YOU MOVED IT ONE INCH. THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE KEEP SAYING NOT ONE INCH. 'CAUSE IT DON'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE HOW FAR YOU TRY TO MOVE IT. YOU'RE GOING TO BREAK IT. YOUR ARROGANCE THINKING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT IS GOING TO MAKE YOU BREAK THAT C T. YOU JUST MARK MY WORDS FOR IT. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S ENTIRE THING. IT'S IT. IT'S KINDA LIKE PLAYING, UH, BLOCKS. YOU KNOW, YOU ALL THESE COMMITTEES AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE HAD AARON DAY, IT'S LIKE A TALKS TO B AND THEN B TALKS TO C AND C TO D. WELL, YOU KNOW, THE ONE YOU NEVER GET AROUND TO. THAT'S E E STANDS FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. EVERYBODY IN TEXAS, YOU NEVER TALK TO THEM. YOU NEVER INVITE THEM TO THESE COMMITTEES. THESE PEOPLE SIT AROUND AND THEY TALK TO EACH OTHER. IT'S LIKE A BROKEN RECORD. YOU KNOW, THEY NEVER TALK TO US. WE TALK TO THE PEOPLE OUT HERE, THEY DON'T TALK TO 'EM. THEY CAN DO THIS THOUSAND PERSON THING ON THE INTERNET. THAT WAS A JOKE. THANK YOU, MR. HENRY. DENISE HOMER, FOLLOWED BY JEFF ARNT. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, UH, CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT TWO. YOU'RE MY COUNCILMAN. I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE REGARDING MY OWN ISSUES WITH MY HISTORICAL NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, BUT I'M HERE TODAY TO, I'M KIND OF GOING THROUGH EVERYTHING. I'M LISTENING TO EVERYTHING. BUT I AM HERE NOT AS A CITIZEN. I'M NOT HERE AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE INDUSTRY OF BUILDER CONTRACTORS 'CAUSE I WAS PART OF THAT. BUT I'M HERE AS AN ARTIST. I'VE HEARD ALL THE COMMENTS. I'VE HEARD EVERYBODY SPEAK ABOUT THE SYNTA. I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THE ARTIST, MR. KINI. HE IS NOT HERE, BUT HE LEFT US A WONDERFUL GIFT. THAT MONUMENT NOT ONLY REPRESENTS THE HISTORY OF OUR FOREFATHERS OF TEXAS, BUT IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE TYPE OF WORK THAT MR. KINI OFFERED. NOT JUST HERE IN TEXAS BUT AROUND THE WORLD. HERE WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE IN AUSTIN, ANOTHER EXAMPLE WE HAVE HERE OF THE FOUNTAIN IN FRONT OF UT. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IN FRONT OF THE CAPITAL. ANOTHER EXAMPLE, GEORGE WASHINGTON IN FRONT OF OUR ACTUAL CAPITAL OF AUSTIN, OUR FOREFATHER. THIS SYNTA REPRESENTS OUR FOREFATHERS. THIS IS A MASTERPIECE. I'VE WORKED ON STATUES, I'VE WORKED IN RENOVATIONS, I'VE WORKED WITH CATHEDRALS. YOU CAN GO ON. I WOULD NEVER ATTEMPT TO TAKE ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE RIGHT NOW THAT I CAN, JUST LOOKING AT THIS INFORMATION, THAT THIS IS AN INTENTIONAL DESTRUCTION OF AN ART MASTERPIECE. MS. MS, THE CITY MANAGER'S GONE, BUT THE ATTORNEY, WHAT TYPE OF INSURANCE ARE THE CONTRACTORS GONNA GIVE YOU IF THEY DESTROY THE MASTERPIECE, WHAT TYPE OF SETTLEMENT ARE WE GONNA GET? WE DON'T WANT THE MONEY. THIS IS ART. THIS IS A GIFT THAT WE CANNOT REPRODUCE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY IN MUSEUMS AS SAMPLES OF HIS WORK. AND THIS IS THE ONE GIFT THAT WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO OF THIS QUALITY OF MASTERPIECE, OF, OF GRANITE HAND CARVED BY SOMEBODY WITH A REPUTATION KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD. AND YOU WANT TO DESTROY IT BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, IT CANNOT BE SAVED. IF IT'S REPRODUCED, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE QUALITY OF WHAT MR. KINI OFFERED THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. SO PLEASE CONSIDER IT AS A MASTERPIECE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, TO THE STATE OF TEXAS AND TO THE WORLD. DO NOT DO THIS TO THE FUTURE OF OUR CITIZENRY, TO THE STUDENTS TO GO AND LOOK AT IT AS ART. THANK YOU MS. HOMER. THANK YOU. JEFF ARNT. JEFF ARNT, PATTY ZIONS. MS. ZIONS, YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY PATRICIA SEIDENBERG. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR. MY COUNCILMAN ELIAS, HOW ARE YOU? MY NAME IS PATTY ZS 2 5 1 900 [04:25:01] SCREEN DISTRICT EIGHT. AS YOU KNOW, I AM A MEMBER OF THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, BUT I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THE CON CONSERVATION SOCIETY. I AM SPEAKING FOR MYSELF TODAY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU A LITTLE STORY ABOUT 12 WOMEN 94 YEARS AGO THAT CAME BEFORE WHAT WAS THEN THE MAYOR AND AN ALL MALE COMMISSION. AND I POINT OUT TO YOU THE VISUAL THAT'S ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW. YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE PLATELET CALLED THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG. THERE WERE 12 VERY FORWARD THINKING, INNOVATED, VERY ARTISTIC BECAUSE THEY MADE THESE LITTLE GUYS OUT OF RY PUPPETS. AND THEIR INTENT WAS VERY IMPORTANT. THAT VOTE THAT DAY WAS AS IMPORTANT AS THE VOTE THAT YOU HAVE TODAY. BECAUSE IN ESSENCE, IF THEY WOULD'VE VOTED NO, THE WHOLE COURSE OF OUR CITY WOULD HAVE CHANGED. WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT EVEN BE SITTING HERE LIKE THIS IN THESE GRAND MEETINGS AND HAVING THE BEAUTIFUL CITY THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE THE QUEST THAT DAY WAS TO CHANGE THE MIND OF THE COMMISSIONERS FROM PAVING OVER WHAT WE KNOW NOW IS THE RIVER WALK. SO I'M GONNA READ A FEW EXCERPTS FROM THAT PLATELET, BECAUSE AGAIN, IF THE VOTE WOULD'VE BEEN DIFFERENT ON THAT VERY DAY, WE WOULD NOT HAVE ONE OF THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS BESIDES THE ALAMO THAT DRAWS VISITORS TO SAN ANTONIO. SO YOU HAVE THE COMMISSIONERS, THE FOUR COMMISSIONERS. YOU HAVE THE MAYOR, THE FOLKS ON MY LEFT ARE MR. AND MRS. SAN ANTONIO. AND YOU HAVE A STAGE MANAGER AND YOU HAVE THE GOOSE MISS PECULIAR ERA TEAM. SO MRS. SAN ANTONIO SAYS, I'M MIGHTY GLAD WE OWN THIS GOOSE. SHE'S A PLAIN OLD GOOSE, BUT SHE HAS HER USE ALL THESE GOLDEN EGGS SHE LAYS EACH DAY, SAN ANTONIO HEART OF TEXAS. FOR HER RIVALS IN THEIR STRIFE, WROTE YOUR HISTORY WITH THEIR BLOOD, GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR YOUR LIFE. NOW DON'T FALL ME. THIS IS THE FAME OF OUR FAIR CITY. FOR THOSE BRAVE DEEDS OF OLD, WE TAKE IT IN LOVE AND PITY. TI A GIFT OF PURIST GOLD. MANY LOVED YOU FOR YOUR BEAUTY, FOR YOUR WINDING STREAM AND TREES, FOR YOUR SKIES OF DEEP, OF YOUR AND YOUR EVER WELCOME BREEZE. SO EACH BUILD STRONG TO HOLD YOU FIRST, THE MISSIONS GRAND AND BOLD IN A CITY OF SURPASSING BEAUTY. AND THIS GIFT TOO WAS GOLD. AND SO POETS SING ABOUT YOU AND IN HISTORY AND ROMANCE, YOU'RE BOLD LOVERS LIVE AGAIN TO FIGHT AND FEAST AND DANCE. AND AS THEY GO ON LIVING WHEREVER TALES ARE TOLD, SAN ANTONIO LIVES FOREVER. TIS OUR LEGACY OF GOLD. AND SO STRANGERS COME TO SEE YOU AND LEARN TO LOVE YOU TOO AND LEAVE BEHIND WITH US THEIR GIFT ALL SHINING AND NEW. AND THEN MR. SAN ANTONIO SAYS, GIVE ME THAT GOOSE. WHERE IS MY KNIFE? I'LL HAVE ALL MY EGGS, THOUGH IT WILL COST HER HER LIFE. MS. SAN ANTONIO SAYS, WHAT? KILL MY GOOSE. I LOVE MY GOOSEY DEAR. THAT'S JUST PART OF IT. PASTOR COPELAND SAID IN HER OPENING PRAYER TODAY, SHE WAS PRAYING FOR WISDOM AND YOUR DECISION MAKING FOR THOSE YET TO BE BORN. YOUR DECISION TO TODAY WILL IMPACT GENERATIONS TO COME. DON'T BE REMEMBERED AS A COUNCIL THAT MADE THE WRONG DECISION. 94 YEARS FROM NOW, SOMEONE MAY BE STANDING HERE. THE PLAZA MAY BE LONG TO THE STATE BEING SOLD, BE REMEMBERED FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR CITY. FENCES ARE EXCLUSIONARY, NOT WELCOMING OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY. CHANGING THE OPEN, WELCOMING, AND HISTORIC CHARACTER OF ALAMO PLAZA IS LIKE KILLING THE GOOSE. LEASING THE PLAZA TO THE STATE OF TEXAS IS LIKE GIVING AWAY THE FARM. THE CITY SHOULD RETAIN CONTROL OF THIS HISTORIC HEART OF THE CITY FOR THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL THOSE WHO LIVE HERE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. YOUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. THOSE OF US THAT ARE HERE NOW THAT ARE DESCENDANTS OF WHO WAS HERE 94 YEARS AGO, PLEASE DON'T KILL THE GOOSE BY GIVING AWAY THE FARM. [04:30:02] MS. GRO SAID TODAY THAT MARKET SQUARE SHOULD BE AFFORDED THE RESPECT THAT IT DESERVES. ALAMO PLAZA SHOULD BE AFFORDED THE RESPECT THAT IT DESERVES AS WELL. LEASING THIS PLAZA TO THE STATE DERIVES THE CITY OF CONTROL ON THE PLAZA. THERE ARE MANY WONDERFUL THINGS IN THIS PLAN, BUT GIVING IT AWAY TO THE STATE OF TEXAS, WELL, I'M GLAD YOU TRUST THEM. 'CAUSE I DON'T EXACTLY TRUST FOR YEARS TO COME. WHAT WILL HAPPEN COULD POSSIBLY BE A DETRIMENT IN KILLING OUR GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. ZZ. JEFF BARN. I'M SORRY, PATRICIA SEIDENBERG. I'M BRANDY HAYES. I SEE MY TIME TO PATRICIA SEIDENBERG. I'M SORRY, REPEAT YOUR NAME PLEASE. BRANDY HAYES. ONE SECOND. WHAT? WHAT NUMBER? OKAY, GOT IT. MS. SEIDENBERG, YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY VINCENT MICHAEL, THANK YOU. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR AND THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS PATRICIA SEIDENBERG. I'M HERE TO VOICE MY OPPOSITION TO THE LEASE AND THE ALAMO PLAN. I'M A SIXTH GENERATION TEXAN. I'M A DESCENDANT OF THE ORIGINAL 300, AND I'M A NATIVE BORN SAN ANTONIO AND A LONG LIFE, UH, MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR 13 DAYS FROM FEBRUARY THE 23RD TO MARCH THE SIXTH, 1836 IN SAN ANTONIO AT THE ALAMO. SO FEW FOUGHT AGAINST SO MANY UNWILLING TO SURRENDER, SACRIFICING THEIR LIVES FOR TEXAS FREEDOM AND LIBERTY. ONE OF THE REASONS THE TEXANS FOUGHT AGAINST SANTA ANA AND MEXICO WAS NO REPRESENTATION IN THE CENTRALIZED MEXICO GOVERNMENT. NOW, TODAY, SO FEW ARE SO DETERMINED TO SURRENDER THE ALAMO. AND AS HISTORY WOULD REPEAT ITSELF, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO ONCE AGAIN ARE NOT REPRESENTED IN THIS ALAMO PLAN. THE 50 TO 100 YEAR LEASE TO THE G L O EFFECTIVELY CLOSES OPEN ACCESS TO THE ALAMO AND ALAMO PLAZA, FENCES AND GATES WILL SURROUND THE ALAMO AND ALAMO PLAZA REQUIRING THE PURCHASE OF PAID TIME. TICKETS THROUGH THE G L O FOR ENTRY THROUGH THE MUSEUM ARE JUST TO BE ABLE TO SEE AND ENTER THE ALAMO SO MUCH FOR EXPERIENCING THE REVERENCE OF THE TEXAS CRADLE OF LIBERTY OF ONLY AFTER THE MUSEUM CLOSES WILL YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE ALAMO PLAZA. HOWEVER, YOU'LL ONLY BE ABLE TO VIEW THE ALAMO FROM BEHIND FENCES ALONGSIDE THE LONG BARRACK. WHY DO THIS? NO PLAZA IN THE WORLD HAS FENCES AND GATES. NO LONGER WILL YOU BE ABLE TO DRIVE PAST THE ALAMO AS SOUTH ALAMO STREET WILL BE CLOSED FOREVER, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER NEARBY STREETS TO THE PLAZA. AS A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL GUIDE, I LEAD BUS TOURS COMPRISE MOSTLY OF RETIRED SENIOR CITIZENS IN THEIR LATE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES WHO CANNOT WALK LONG DISTANCES. ACCORDING TO THE ALAMO PLAN, TOUR BUS VISITORS WILL BE LET OUT ON THE SOYA STREET IN ORDER TO SEE THE ALAMO. THIS WILL CAUSE UNDUE HARDSHIP IN GETTING TO THE ALAMO OR WILL PREVENT A VISIT AT ALL. AND WE ARE ALL GETTING OLDER NOW. AT LEAST WITH SAN ANTONIO ALAMO STREET OPEN ONE CAN DRIVE BY THE ALAMO AND STILL SEE IT, EVEN IF ONE CANNOT WALK TO THE ALAMO. THE FATE OF THE CITY DESIGNED HISTORIC BUILDINGS ACROSS FROM THE ALAMO, THE CROCKETT BLOCK, THE PALACE THEATER, AND THE ADJACENT WOOLWORTH BUILDING IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THESE HISTORIC BUILDINGS WILL BE RENOVATED FOR THE NEW MUSEUM ARE DEMOLISHED. WHO WILL MAKE THESE FINAL DECISIONS REGARDING THESE BUILDINGS AND WHAT ARE THE DECIDING FACTORS TO POINT OUT? CURRENTLY ALL OF THE CITY'S MUSEUMS ARE IN REPURPOSED BUILDINGS. WHY NOT THIS MUSEUM? THIS IS WHAT MAKES OUR CITY HISTORIC AND UNIQUE. CITY ORDINANCE OH 1 9 7 SIGNED ON SEPTEMBER THE 18TH, 1936, CREATED AND MANIFEST AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A SYN IN HONOR OF THE ALAMO HEROES ON THE MIDDLE PLOT OF THE ALAMO PLAZA. UPON COMPLETION OF THE SYNTA, THE TITLE PASSED TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WHO AGREED THAT THE PROPERTY SHALL BE USED [04:35:01] ONLY FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT IS INTENDED. THIS LEASE AND PLAN WILL IGNORE THE CITY ORDINANCE AND MOVE THE CAF 500 YARDS SOUTH IN FRONT OF THE MENGER HOTEL, WHICH HAS NO CONNECTION AT ALL TO THE MEMORIAL. IN ADDITION, MOVING THE ALAMO CTA RISK DAMAGE TO A PRICE OF MEMORIAL AND THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY THAT IT MIGHT BE DESTROYED IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DISMANTLED AND MOVED. KEEP THE SYNTA IN THE CURRENT PLACE ON THE SACRED GROUND WHERE DEFENDERS LOST THEIR LIVES DURING THE 1836 BATTLE OF THE ALAMO. I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO TO THE LEASE AND KEEP ALAMO PLAZA MANAGEMENT UNDER CITY CONTROL. WORK WITH THE STATE ON A NEW PLAN THAT IS NOT SO CONTROLLING AND RESTRICTIVE TO THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO AND OUR VISITORS, AND INVOLVE ALL THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO IN A PLAN KEEPING OPEN ACCESS TO THE ALAMO AND THE ALAMO PLAZA AS PART OF OUR HISTORY AND OUR TRADITION. AFTER ALL, THE ALAMO PLAZA BELONGS TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND NOT TO THE STATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. SEIDENBERG. VINCENT MICHAEL, FOLLOWED BY ALAN HUFFINES, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY STAFF. THANK YOU. UM, I LARGELY AGREED WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE PLAN THAT THIS, UH, BODY APPROVED IN MAY OF 2017. UM, AND I HAVE TO SAY, WHILE I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK FROM OTHER PLACES THAT THEY'RE UNDERWHELMED BY THE ALAMO, I CAN, UH, VIVIDLY REMEMBER TOURING AS A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT. I LOVED THE STORY OF THE HEROES. I THOUGHT IT WAS FANTASTIC. THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN PROCESS HAS BEEN DISTURBING AND DISAPPOINTING. HOWEVER, IF I GOOGLE ALAMO INTERPRETIVE PLAN, I GET A MOSAIC OF ALL THE ICKY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE. AND I'M WONDERING WHERE IS THE POSITIVE VISION? WHAT, WHAT ARE THE HALLS OR EXHIBITS OR GALLERIES OF THIS WORLD CLASS MUSEUM LOOK LIKE? AND WE'RE TOLD WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER YOU MAKE THIS DECISION TO SEE THAT THE ONLY VISION WE SEE IS SOME LIVING HISTORY, WHICH WAS A POPULAR AND PROFITABLE TYPE OF INTERPRETATION 40 AND 50 YEARS AGO. WE DON'T SEE TECHNOLOGY, WE DON'T SEE CURRENT ISSUES IN MUSEUMS IN THAT PLAN. SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THAT AS YOU TAKE THIS WEIGHTY DECISION. AND I'D ALSO ASK YOU TO THINK HOW CAN YOU CELEBRATE AND INTERPRET LIBERTY WITH FENCES AND GATES. THANK YOU, MR. MICHAEL ALLEN HUFFINES. MR. HUFFINES WILL BE FOLLOWED BY BOB BUCHANAN. OKAY, MR. DILLON, UM, MR. A FINDS YOU OF SIX MINUTES BLESSED, BELIEVE THE LORD MY STRENGTH, WHICH TEACHES MY FINGERS TO FIGHT AND MY HANDS TO WAR. MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, CITY STAFF, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. THIS IS DEMOCRACY IN ACTION AND IT'S UGLY. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING VERY AMERICAN IN THAT AND IT'S CERTAINLY CERTAIN, SOMETHING VERY TEXAN IN THAT, UM, PARDON ME, MY EYES HAVE GROWN WEARY IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. I ASK A BRIEF INDULGENCE. MY NAME IS ALAN HUFFINES. I'M RETIRED MILITARY. I'M A NINTH GENERATION TEXAN. MY FAMILY CAME HERE BEFORE THE OLD 300. THEY CA CAME TO FIGHT WITH SPAIN, FIGHT WITH MEXICO AGAINST SPAIN. MY COUSIN BEN MILAM WAS KILLED RIGHT OVER THERE. ANOTHER COUSIN HAD A MERCANTILE LATER ON IN THE 19TH CENTURY, RIGHT BEHIND THE SAN FERNANDO ON MAINE PLAZA. I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS. I'M A LIFE MEMBER OF THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS. I WAS THE MILITARY ADVISOR ON THE 2004 ALAMO MOVIE. UH, I HAVE FOUR BOOKS IN PRINT FROM REPUTABLE PUBLISHERS, ONE ON THE ALAMO IN PARTICULAR, AND ONE ON THE TEXAS REVOLUTION. I'M ALSO THE MILITARY EDITOR FOR TRUE WEST MAGAZINE. I'M A LIFE MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ENTRY ASSOCIATION IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY RANGER ASSOCIATION. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY ARTICLES I'VE WRITTEN ON THIS TOPIC, AND I'VE BEEN A TALKING HEAD ON MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, UH, TV DOCUMENTARIES ON THE CHANNELS BACK WHEN HISTORY CHANNEL USED TO PRODUCE TV DOCUMENTARIES. [04:40:02] I SEE ALL OF THIS WITHOUT PRIDE OF AUTHORSHIP. I'M JUST GIVING YOU MY BONAFIDE FOR BEING UP HERE TO TALK TODAY. THE HOUR IS LATE AND A MOMENTOUS WEIGHT HANGS FROM YOUR NECKS. DO YOU PRESERVE HISTORY? DO WE PROPERLY INTERPRET HISTORY? DO WE WANT TO RESTORE THE ALAMO TO ITS FORMER FOOTPRINT SO THAT WE CAN ALL BRING OUR CHILDREN HERE IN THE FUTURE AND SAY SOMETHING HAPPENED HERE FOR THEM TO TELL THEIR CHILDREN THE FATE OF UNBORN MILLIONS AND THE ALAMO IS ON YOUR HEAD AND SHOULDERS RIGHT NOW. OR DO WE WANT TRAFFIC, BARKERS PROTESTORS RED BULL EVENTS THAT CANCEL OUT LIVING HISTORY EVENTS AND, AND THE REST OF THE CHARACTERS THAT GO ON IN THE PLAZA? THAT IS, I'VE TOURED SO MANY GROUPS ON THE ALAMO BATTLEFIELD. I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW, BUT ONE GROUP WAS OF ABOUT 30 BRITISH OFFICERS. AND I GUESS I'M, I WAS NUMB TO IT BECAUSE I JUST KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WE GOT DOWN THERE. BUT THEIR FIRST COMMENTS WERE WHAT? THIS IS THE ALAMO. EXCEPT THEY SAID IT IN A BRITISH ACCENT, BUT THEY, UH, THEY JUST WERE IN SHOCK AND THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WERE DOING WHAT THEY WERE DOING. WE WOULDN'T TOLERATE THIS AT INDEPENDENCE HALL IN PHILADELPHIA. WE WOULDN'T TOLER TOLERATE THIS AT BUNKER HILL, LEXINGTON, OR CONCORD. IT'S TIME FOR IT TO GO AWAY HERE. DO WE FOLLOW HISTORY OR DO WE FOLLOW THE TRADITIONS OF MEN? A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HERE SEEM TO WANT THE ALAMO TO REMAIN LOOKING LIKE IT DID THE FIRST TIME THEY SAW IT AS A CHILD. I TOO LOOK AT THE ALAMO THROUGH CHILD'S EYES. I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN I VISITED THE ALAMO FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE VENTO DIDN'T HAVE A ROOF ON IT. THAT'S HOW LONG I'VE BEEN GOING TO IT. DO WE CROSS TWO LANES OF VERY DANGEROUS TRAFFIC WHERE IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A TOURIST, UH, AND WORSE A CHILD, UH, GETS INJURED CROSSING THE STREET JUST TO SEE THE OTHER PART OF THE ALAMO. AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, I'M NOT A CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORIAN, BUT WOOLWORTH'S HAS NO HISTORICAL MEASUREMENT. AND I KNOW PEOPLE THINK IT DOES, BUT IT DOESN'T. YOU KNOW IT TO ME, IT'S JONATHAN WINTER'S HEADQUARTERS IN THE MOVIE VEEVA MAX. THAT'S WHAT I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF WOOLWORTH'S. I THINK OF WOOLWORTH'S WHEN YOU HAD TO GO TO THE RESTROOM AND YOU VISITED THE ALAMO WHEN I WAS A CHILD, THE DAUGHTERS, THE CHAPEL HOSTESS WOULD SEND YOU ACROSS THE STREET TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC AT THE TIME TO GO TO THE RESTROOM IN WOOLWORTHS. THE CATH IS A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL MARKER. IT IS ABSOLUTE ART. ALL OF COE'S WORKS ARE FANTASTIC AND THERE'S A LOT OF UGLY MARKERS OUT THERE. UH, VISIT A FEW BATTLEFIELDS AND YOU'LL SEE PLENTY OF MONUMENTS AND MARKERS THAT WERE DONE WITH MAYBE NOT ENOUGH MONEY OR NOT ENOUGH ARTISTIC DESIGN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM HERE. IT IS UNIVERSALLY AGREED. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL MARKER. BUT THE ALAMO FOOTPRINT IS AN EXTREMELY LIMITED FOOTPRINT. NO BODIES WERE INMATED THERE. PEOPLE DIED ALL OVER THIS BATTLEFIELD. BY THE WAY, THIS BATTLEFIELD OF THE ALAMO EXTENDS FROM THE YURI HOUSE SANTA ANA'S HEADQUARTERS. THAT VACANT LOT RIGHT THERE. SANTA ANA'S ARTILLERY PARK WAS OVER HERE. AND THE MOKIS HOUSE WHERE SANTA ANA RELEASED THE NON-COMBATANTS IS ON THE, IS RIGHT BEHIND US AS WELL. AND THERE'S NOT EVEN A MARKER FOR THOSE. DO WE LET THE TRADITIONS OF MEN INTERFERE WITH OUR INTERPRETATION OF HISTORY? THE CTA IS NOT THE ALAMO. THE CTA WAS PUT UP AS A, AS A MEMORIAL, AS A HOLLOW TOMB TO THE MEN OF THE ALAMO. IN MY OPINION, IF IT'S GOING TO BE MOVED, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOVED OVER THE POWER, THE KNOWN POWER LOCATION. THANK YOU MR. HUFFINES. BOB BUCHANAN, FOLLOWED BY A GROUP INDIAN FIRST NATION. MY NAME IS BOB BUCHANAN, CITIZEN OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. COUNCILMAN, MANAGER SCULLY. UH, MY QUESTION IS, WHY, WHY DO THIS WHEN, [04:45:01] IF SAM HOUSTON HADN'T DEFEATED SANTA ANA AT SAN JACINTO, THERE WOULD BE NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON ALAMO PLAZA THAT COMMEMORATED THE ALAMO. PEOPLE WERE USING IT. IT WAS THE FIRST MISSION TO BE CLOSED. AND I BELIEVE 1791 PEOPLE WERE USING PARTS OF IT TO BUILD THEIR HOUSES ONLY WITH THE DEFEAT OF SANTA ANA, WHICH THEN I DO BELIEVE BECAME THE FIRST NAME OF FIESTA. IT WAS FIESTA SAN JACINTO. YOU DON'T HAVE THIS. WHY? THE EXPENSE OF RECREATING A FAILED MISSION WHEN YOU HAVE MISSION SAN JOSE FULLY RESTORED, OPERATIONAL AND WORKING, WHY RECREATE SOMETHING THAT MISSION SAN JUAN NOW WITH THE ADJACENT PROPERTY SHOWS THE CITIZENS THAT YOU HAVE THE CROPS THAT WERE GROWN AND USED BY THE FRIARS, BY THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE FOR THE SETTLEMENT AND SUCCESS OF THE MISSIONS. ALAMO PLAZA IS OWNED BY THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, NOT THE STATE OF TEXAS, NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WHY THIS IS EVEN BEING CONSIDERED WITHOUT A VOTE TO THE CITIZENS FOR A LEASE OF 100 YEARS WITH AN OPTION TO BUY AT THE END. GIVE ME A BREAK. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU ALL SHOULD VOTE AGAINST. THE PRESERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE ALAMO CHAPEL IS IN DIRE NEED OF SUPPORT. AND THAT SHOULD BE DONE. BUT THIS OTHER IS JUST NOT NECESSARY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. BUCHANAN. WE HAVE A GROUP INDIAN FIRST NATION, THAT'S SOPHIA TORRES AND EUGENE TORRES. Y'ALL HAVE SIX MINUTES. THANK YOU FIDEL. THANK YOU. THIS IS THE CHE INDIAN FIRST NATION FOR EVERYBODY THAT HERE IS PRESENT. WE ARE THE KWE TECA ORIGINAL INDIAN FIRST NATION. A I T DON'T HAVE THE BLOOD QUANTUM. WE HAVE IT. MY ELDER MOTHER OF THE COUNCIL CAN PROVE IT. WE HAVE ALL THE RECORDS AND WE WILL BE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE RIGHT NOW WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, MS. TORRES, YOU'RE ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL, MA'AM. SO AGAIN, AS I SAID, DON'T INTERRUPT ME, MAYOR, YOU WILL NOT BE ELECTED. AS I SAID TO IVY TAYLOR, SHE WILL NOT BE REELECTED. YOU WILL NOT BE REELECTED. I DON'T CARE. YOU HAVE HARBERGER BEHIND YOU AND NELSON WOLF. SHAME ON THEM. YOU HAVE AND CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS BY RA AND SECTION 1 0 6. THAT IS WHAT IT IS. THE ALAMO AND THE THE PLAZA WHO ARE MORE THAN A THOUSAND OF MY ANCESTORS DIE. I HAVE THE SANTOS TO READ TO YOU. THERE'S A CURSE. I'M TELLING YOU ALL OF YOU HERE CITY. THERE'S INDIAN CURSES AND WE NOT SUPERSTITIOUS ES I AM THE PRINCIPLE, NOT ONLY IN DESCRIPTION OF THE WAR, HERITAGE OF THE PFIZER AND ANTONIO MISSIONS. I AM THE AUTHORITY. AND AGAIN, THOSE TWO ORDINANCE DOES THE INTERTRIBAL AGREEMENT ASK YOU TO CEASE AND CEASE AND VOTING ON THIS CONVEYANCE OF THE GROUNDS WHERE MY ANCESTORS ARE BURIED, AS WELL AS THE CLOSING OF THE STREETS AND THE REMOVAL OF THE CTAP. YOU DO NOT REMOVE A CTAP WHERE THE BLOOD WAS SHED THERE. 10 OF THE ALAMO [04:50:01] DEFENDERS WERE NATIVE OF AMERICANS. THE BLOOD IS SUCKED THERE EVERYWHERE INSIDE OF THE WALLS. OUTSIDE OF THE WALLS. THE REASON I'M GONNA READ YOU THE SANTO SACRAMENTOS FOR ONCE IN WAR, THIS IS THE DOCTRINA, THE CHURCH WAS THE PLAZA. AND I WILL READ SOME PARTS. THIS IS A RECORD. YOU KNOW WHAT IS FOR, FOR THIS IS WHAT MORE PEOPLE WERE SUBJECTED FOR THE CASE. IT WAS WRITTEN BY BERNARDO GARCIA CATHOLIC CHURCH MURDERS AND RAPISTS TO THE THIS DAY, 500 YEARS, 1760 TO ALL AS NAES TO ALL THE NATIONS. 23 WE HEAR CHE AND AGAIN, 1760 AND THE RIOS, UH, GRANDE AND THE RIO SAN ANTONIO. YOU CANNOT ATTEST TO THIS. THE ORIGINAL IS IN THE AL UNIVERSITY SHAME AND GEORGE P. BUSH DISHONOR ME AND DISRESPECTING ME AND SHAME ON YOU LIONEL SALSA. WHEN I ASK YOU ABOUT THE ISSUES AND YOU SET THE WORD MEDA, SHAME ON YOU. YOU OWE ME AN APOLOGY, MS. TORRES AND I FINISH ONE MORE. I HAVE HERE THE SECRET SECRET FOR US. AND THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANNA PUT PEOPLE ASCA THROUGH THIS NEW DOCTRINA OF THIS REAL IMAGE. OKAY, ONE MORE. AS FOR RE CASADA. AS FOR ES, HOW CAN OUR PEOPLE COULD SURVIVE MENAI? MENAI. WE STILL HERE OR TYPO? I AM A TYPO AS WELL. TRIBAL HISTORICAL PRESERVATION OFFICER, AGAIN, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION ON NARA 2016 GEORGE P. BUSH PAY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THAT DIRT IS IMPREGNATED WITH BONES OF MY ANCESTORS. NOT ONLY CHE EDDIE PMI. YOU DON'T MOVE, YOU DON'T MOVE AND YOU DON'T REPLACE. JUAN RODRIGUEZ WAS ONE OF MY CHIEFS. EDDIE PBO AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER RICO PASS. HE GOES, , YOU WANNA PUT A CHIEF? YOU GONNA HAVE TO TALK TO ME AND I WILL TELL YOU WHICH CHIEFS WE HAVE THE NAMES THE SANTO SACRAMENTOS. AND HE SAYS, CLEARLY, DID YOU FORNICATE WITH A WOMAN? DID YOU FORNICATE WITH A DOG? THAT'S HOW THEY INDOCTRINATE THEM. IT WAS PAINFUL. IT'S STILL PAINFUL. I CAN STILL CRY WHEN I READ THIS MANUSCRIPT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE INDOCTRINATED LIKE THAT EVERY DAY AND GET IN THE KNEES? THEY DIE AGAIN IN ALAMO PLAZA, MORE THAN A THOUSAND. AND YOU HAVE FAILED TO HONOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS NARA. THAT'S WHAT IS NARA INDIGENOUS HUMAN RIGHTS. AND I ASK YOU TO STOP PERSECUTING HIS IITI. HE'S OUR PEOPLE AND ALSO HAS OTHER LINEAGES. OKAY? AND THIS IS FIDEL CASTILLO. STOP. HE HAS HIS DIFFICULTIES LIKE ANYBODY ELSE, BUT WE INDIGENOUS, WE TRAUMATIZE. THANK YOU MS. DORRIS. SO DON'T VOTE AGAINST DEATH. THANK YOU MR. FOR THE THREE PREPOSITIONS. A, B, AND C. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR BERG. MR. BRISCOE. THANK YOU RICK BRISCOE IS NEXT. MR. CASTILLO ALLOW FOR MR. BRISCOE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. NEXT. YOU'LL HAVE TO DEPART THE PODIUM, PLEASE. WELL, WE SAID THAT YOU WOULD CALL ME WITH US AS TO THE VIOLATION WE HAD REFERENCED TO WITH THE HISPANIC CHAMBER. AND I NEVER GOT THE MEETING. I MEAN, IF WE'RE GONNA VIOLATE THE PLEDGE OF THE MISSIONS, FIDEL, WE HAVE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. YOU'LL HAVE TO DEPART THE PODIUM, PLEASE. ALRIGHT, RIS BRISCOE, FOLLOWED BY SUSAN GREEN. MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF THINGS SAID ON BOTH SIDES REGARDING THIS PLAN. I'M GONNA CHANGE GEARS A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT THE ALAMO ITSELF. THE MISSION WE NOW REFER TO AS THE ALAMO AND POINT OF ACTUAL [04:55:01] FACT WAS AN INSIGNIFICANT, IF NOT OBSCURE MISSION, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN RAISED TO THE GROUND LONG AGO. AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT BE BEEN BUILT IN ITS PLACE. BUT FOR THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO AND THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE OTHER MISSIONS AROUND TOWN THAT HAVE BEEN RESTORED. BUT THE FOCUS OF THE ALAMO IS THE BATTLE. THE 13 DAYS JUST NOT FAR FROM HERE AT THE BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM IS THE EARLIEST KNOWN PHOTOGRAPH OF THE ALAMO. AN 1849 DE G**O TYPE. AND IT LIKE A PAINTING THAT ROBERT E. LEE DID IN THE 18 46, 18 47 TIMEFRAME DURING THE MEXICAN AMERICAN WAR SHOWS THE ALAMO WITH A DIRTY, DUSTY, DINGY AREA OUT IN FRONT OF IT. NO TREES, NO STRUCTURES, JUST VERY MUCH THE WAY IT WOULD'VE BEEN IN 1836. ARE WE TRYING TO BE HISTORICALLY ACCURATE? IF WE ARE, WE NEED A DUSTY, DIRTY PLAZA AND WE NEED TO FIRE ARTILLERY ATTIC FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND KEEP IT IN DEPLORABLE CONDITION. THE ONLY THING THAT'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT ABOUT IT IS NOT THE STRUCTURE ITSELF BECAUSE IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AS AN INDEFENSIBLE SMALL STRUCTURE AT THE TIME. IT'S THE MEN WHO FOUGHT AND DIED THERE IN THEIR MEMORY. AND THAT'S WHERE THE SUN TOP COMES IN. THE CENTENNIAL COMMISSION CAREFULLY SELECTED THE LOCATION OF THE SENATE TOP. IT IS A BATTLEFIELD MONUMENT AND BELONGS ON THE BATTLEFIELD WHERE IT IS. I URGE THE COUNCIL NUMBER ONE NOT TO MOVE THE SUN TOP. NUMBER TWO, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PLAN. IT'S REALLY NOT VERY WELL VETTED. UM, SOME OF THE PREMISES ARE SIMPLY NOT CREDIBLE ON THEIR FACE. THEY CLAIM TO CREATE 5,000 NEW PERMANENT JOBS BY THIS PROJECT. UH, THAT JUST DOESN'T PASS COMMON SENSE. THE TRAFFIC STUDY, ONCE AGAIN, IT, I, I'VE LISTENED TO THE PRESENTATION MULTIPLE TIMES. IT DOESN'T PASS COMMON SENSE. SHOULD YOU VOTE FOR THIS PLAN TODAY, YOU'RE VOTING FOR A BLANK CHECK, WHICH HAS SOLD THEM A GOOD IDEA. I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO TODAY AND TO LOOK AT WHAT CAN BE DONE BECAUSE TODAY IS NOT THE END OF IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BRISCOE. SUSAN GREEN. MS. GREEN, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY GEORGE CISNEROS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, DISPEL SOME MYTHS AS THE MAYOR HAD REQUESTED A RADIO STATION TO DO PREVIOUSLY PRIOR TO THIS VOTE. THE FIRST MYTH, UH, THAT HAS BEEN TOLD, UH, IS THAT THE PLAZA WILL REMAIN AN OPEN AND FREE CIVIC SPACE. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. UH, THERE WILL BE BARRIERS. THERE WILL BE ONLY ONE ENTRANCE DURING THE DAY AND THERE WILL ONLY BE SIX TOTAL AVAILABLE. AND THE LEASE IN SECTION 6 0 3 A ACTUALLY REFERENCES CHARGING A FEE TO ENTER THAT IS NOT AN FREE AND OPEN CIVIC SPACE. THE SECOND MYTH IS THAT MOVING THE CTA ACTUALLY HONORS THE HEROES BY RESTORING THE, UH, BATTLEFIELD. AND THIS TRUE IS ALSO NOT TRUE. IT MOVES THE CTA OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THE FORT AND OFF THE BLOOD SOAKED GROUND WHERE THE HEROES DIED. IT LOSES ALL MEANING AS THE SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE. IF IT IS NOT IN ITS CURRENT LOCATION, PUTTING IT IN A CORNER DOWN BY THE MALL IN FRONT OF THE MENGER WHERE IT WILL BE A HIGHLY COMMERCIALIZED AREA, IS NOT HONORING THE HEROES AS IT WAS INTENDED. THE BATTLEFIELD IS NOT BEING RESTORED TO THE WAY IT LOOKED IN 1836. IT WILL HAVE TREES AND NEW STATUES OF, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW. IT'S, IT WILL NOT LOOK LIKE A BATTLEFIELD. IT IS NOT GOING TO RESEMBLE ANYTHING LIKE THE 1836 BATTLEFIELD. IT DOES NOT HONOR THE HEROES OR EVOKE A MEMORY OF THE BATTLE OF 1836, WHICH IS WHAT THE SENATE HALF DOES. IT TELLS THE STORY AND MARKS THE SPOT OF THE SACRIFICE MADE BY THE DEFENDERS. AND THOSE DEFENDERS INCLUDED ALL MANNER OF PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. YOU'VE HEARD, UH, TEJANOS NATIVE AMERICANS, UH, YOU [05:00:01] WANNA TELL THE STORY, LEAVE THE SENATE HALF WHERE IT IS. YOU'RE REPRESENTING ALL THE GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT EVER RESIDED IN THAT AREA AND IT HONORS THEM AND THEY JOIN TOGETHER TO MAKE THAT ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. THE OTHER, UH, MYTH IS THAT YOU CAN DO ALL THIS WITHOUT DISTURBING INDIAN BURIAL GROUNDS AND NATIVE AMERICAN BURIAL GROUNDS. I BELIEVE THE, UH, PROPOSED ROUTE FOR THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS ON BOTTOM, UH, IS GOING TO ACTUALLY PASS VERY CLOSE, IF NOT OVER INDIAN BURIAL GROUNDS THAT YOU HAVE MARKED ON YOUR MAPS. YOU CANNOT DO THAT. THE, UH, ANOTHER MYTH IS THAT YOU WILL HAVE $450 MILLION TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE THIS PLAN. THAT IS NOT TRUE. THE, UM, IS THAT THE END OR, THANK YOU, MS. GREEN. OKAY. THANK YOU. GEORGE CISNEROS VOTE NO. GEORGE CISNEROS. OH, MR. CISNEROS HERE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY JACK FINGER. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO, UH, EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE THAT THE CITY HAD THIS COMMISSION AT ALL. I WAS A LATE COMER. I DIDN'T COME IN UNTIL FEBRUARY AND IT WAS AN HONOR WORKING WITH THE COUNCILWOMAN IN DEVELOPING HER PLANS AND HER THOUGHTS. AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS SHE, UH, TASKED ME WITH WAS TRY TO STAY OUT OF THE PUBLIC AND GO OUT AND DO RECON. SO WE MET WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE, UH, AND WENT OUT AND FOUND ALL THE VARIOUS GROUPS THAT WERE INVOLVED AND I MET WITH THEM. BUT MY FIRST QUESTION WA TO THE COUNCILWOMAN ON THE DAY WE MET WAS, IS THIS A DONE DEAL? UH, AM I WASTING MY TIME TAKING? 'CAUSE THE SPRING AND THE SUMMER HAVE BEEN MY MOST, UH, UH, CRITICAL TIMES. IS THIS A DONE DEAL? IS THE PLAN SOMETHING THAT'S IN PLACE ALREADY? AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH SOME KIND OF, OF CHARADE THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY A POSSIBILITY OF PUBLIC INPUT? UH, A FEW DAYS LATER, I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM DOUG, UH, SECRETARY JESSICA, AND HE INVITED ME TO HAVE BREAKFAST AT THE MANGER. AND I TOLD HIM, NO WAY, UH, PICK UP SOME, UH, BREAKFAST AT TACO HAVEN. COME TO MY STUDIO. AND HE ACTUALLY DID. AND THE FIRST WORDS OUTTA MY MOUTH TO HIM WERE, IS THIS A DONE DEAL? BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA WASTE MY TIME AND I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT TO BE WASTING THE TIME OF, OF ALL THESE VOLUNTEERS, THE 29 OF THEM THAT ARE COMING TOGETHER. HE SAID, NO, THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR INPUT. SO WE WENT ON AND IN SEVERAL PUBLIC, UH, SITUATIONS AND WE HEARD THE DIVISIVENESS THAT THE PLAN WAS CAUSING. AND IT CAME TO MY CONCLUSION THAT THIS IS PROBABLY JUST ALL A SMOKE SCREEN BECAUSE THE REAL ISSUE IS THE LEASE AND GOVERNANCE. WE WENT BACK TO THE COUNCILWOMAN, I MADE MY REPORT TO HER, HER STAFF, AND WE CAME DOWN TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LEASE, WE NEEDED TO HAVE A FEW LEGAL THINGS IN PLACE. STARTING IN APRIL, WE WERE REQUESTED, DO WE HAVE A CLEAR TITLE? ALAMO PLAZA IS EVERY SQUARE FOOT OF ALAMO PLAZA OWNED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. IT WASN'T UNTIL LAST WEEK THAT WE GOT A PHONE CALL THAT SAID A THIRD PARTY HAD LOOKED INTO THIS AND IT WAS CONSULTANTS AND LAWYERS AND THERE WAS A LEASE AND THAT ALL THE LAND WAS OWNED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. WE HAVE YET TO GET THE DOCUMENT TO THE COUNCILWOMAN THAT SHE REQUESTED THAT WE HAVE A CLEAN TITLE TO ALAMO PLAZA. THE SECOND THING WE REQUESTED WAS, IF WE HAVE A TITLE TO ANY PART OF ALAMO PLAZA, WHAT WAS THE INTENTION OF THE USE? AND THE FEW DOCUMENTS WE GOT FROM THE CHANCERY SAID THAT THIS WOULD BE A PUBLIC AND OPEN SPACE. WE REQUESTED A HEARING, A FINDING FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY. IT WASN'T UNTIL LAST WEEK AT THE H D R C THAT WE HEARD THAT HAVING GATES AND WALLS WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES' INTENTION. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF THIS. THANK YOU MR. CI. JACK FINGER. MR. FINGER, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY ANNA LAURA BLOCK MAYOR NURENBERG, ANOTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER, YOU THE CITY COUNCIL. YOU'VE MADE SOME VERY BAD DECISIONS OVER THE LAST 16 MONTHS THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN OFFICE. YOU TORE DOWN A STATUE HONORING THE CONFEDERATE WAR HEROES AND THE DEAD OF NIGHTS. THE DEAD OF NIGHTS GET THE LIGHT OF DAY WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS. YOU INSTALL A CROSSWALK HONORING THE HOMOSEXUAL COMMUNITY. [05:05:01] , YOU, YOU RAISE OUR WATER RATES, BUT YOU REFUSE TO LOWER OUR TAXES EVEN 1%. YOU PROVE YOU APPOINT AN ABORTIONIST TO A HEALTH AUTHORITY AND YOU EVEN THINK THAT MANMADE GLOBAL WARMING EXISTS. THEN YOU CRY OUT LOUD. WHEN YOU GET SPANKED BY A PETITION DRIVE THAT WILL PUT A LID ON YOUR POWER. THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE DO NOT TRUST YOU. THIS DEBATE PROVES IT. PEOPLE COME BY WEEK AFTER WEEK TELLING YOU TRUTH AFTER TRUTH, YET YOU IGNORE THEM BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. PLEASE GET A CAN OPENER AND OPEN UP YOUR EARS AND LISTEN ONE LAST TIME. MOVING THE SENATE IS A FIGHT AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. THEY DON'T WANT IT MOVED. CLOSING ALAMO STREET AND OTHER STREETS SHUTS OFF OUR CHANCE TO BE INSPIRED BY THOSE BRAVE MEN. OUR CHANCE AND THE CHANCE OF OTHER VISITORS WHO SEE IT AND SAY, SO THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. LET'S PARK OUR CAR AND GET A CLOSER LOOK. AND HAVING AN AGREEMENT WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. YES, THAT GENERAL LAND OFFICE HEADED UP BY THAT GEORGE P. BUSH, THAT'S THE SAME PERSON WHO HELD CLOSED DOOR MEETINGS, UNETHICALLY AND ALL LIKELIHOOD ILLEGALLY. ILLEGALLY. NO, THIS THING IS WRONG. DO NOT DO IT. PLEASE, AS THE SIGN SAYS, DON'T DO IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. FINGER ON LAURA BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY ELAINE VETER. HELLO. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. THANK YOU ROBERTO TREVINO ESPECIALLY THANK YOU FOR RECEIVING OUR EMAILS AND RESPONDING TO 'EM FOR LISTENING TO OUR HISTORY, OUR STORIES, AND OUR TRADITIONS. THANK YOU, UH, ROBERTO TREVINO FOR CREATING THE C A Z THE CEREMONIAL ACTIVITY ZONE. UM, WE HONOR THE FALLEN HEROES OF THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO AND SAN JACINTO. AND WITH THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. UM, WE ARE THE FOUNDING EVENT OF FIESTA CREATED IN 1891. AND WE'VE MADE, UH, FIESTA WHAT IT IS TODAY. WE WERE THE FIRST ONES AND WE'RE HAPPY THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO HONOR THE FALLEN HEROES. AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS LONG PROCESS. AND I KNOW WHEN WE STARTED OUT IT WAS LONG AND ARDUOUS, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU ALL LISTENING TO US AND BEING EDUCATED ON OUR HISTORY, AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR IDEAS AND ALL YOU'VE DONE TO HELP US. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. MS. BLOCK. ELAINE BETTER. SHE, ELAINE, HAD TO LEAVE MAYOR. OKAY. THANK YOU. LYNN BOBBITT. MS. BOBBITT, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY NORA WALKER. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER. I'M SPEAKING TODAY AS A CITIZEN, A NATIVE OF SAN ANTONIO, AND I WANTED TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION WITH YOU. I'M INTERESTED IN THE PLAZA AS AN EVOLVING URBAN SITE AND PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE CROCKETT BLOCK AND THE BUILDINGS ASSOCIATED WITH IT NEXT TO IT. UM, BACK IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES, THERE WAS A DIVISIVE FIGHT WHEN THE TEXAS THEATER WAS LOST. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, MAYOR CISNEROS SET UP A COMMISSION CALLED THE, UH, HISTORIC SITES AND STRUCTURES TASK FORCE. THERE WERE SEVEN OF US THAT WERE APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL AT THAT TIME, AND WE WORKED FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS. THERE WERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, FROM, UM, THE REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS FINANCIAL COMMUNITY. AND SO A A, AN INVENTORY AS WELL AS A REVISION OF THE HISTORIC STR UH, PRESERVATION ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED BEFORE CITY COUNCIL. THESE STRUCTURES ARE ON THAT LIST. SO I WOULD ASK RESPECTFULLY THAT YOU CONSIDER WHAT THAT INVENTORY MEANT TO THOSE OF US WHO WORKED VERY HARD ON IT. UM, THERE IS MORE TO THE PLAZA THAN JUST THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO AND IT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MS. BOBBIT. NORA WALKER, NORA WALKER, RUDY RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. MAYOR MEMBERS THE [05:10:01] COUNCIL MANAGER SCULLY. YEAH, LEMME START BY SAYING THAT, UH, I THINK TODAY WE'VE HEARD, UM, A VERY PASSIONATE GROUP OF PEOPLE, UH, CERTAINLY WITH THEIR OWN OPINIONS AND INTERESTS AND VIEWS ON A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE. UH, AND I THINK THAT WE HAD TO APPLAUD THEM FOR BEING HERE AND FOR CONSIDERING TO TAKE THE TIME TO, TO COME AND TO REALLY SHOW US, UH, THEIR LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO THEIR PARTICULAR PERSPECTIVE. BUT MAYOR, I WOULD SHARE WITH YOU AND ALL OF YOU THAT OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, IT HAS PROVIDED US A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THE PUBLIC AND DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AND LEVERAGE CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AND ACHIEVE A VISION THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF OPINION. I CAN TELL YOU, MAYOR, THAT OVER THE FIRST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, THE ALAMO PLAZA ADVISORY COMMITTEE HEARD FROM LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF INTERESTED CITIZENS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, HISTORIANS, ARCHEOLOGISTS, AND SPECIAL ISSUE STAKEHOLDERS. SOME OF THE MOST FANATIC THINGS THAT CAME FROM THAT WAS, I REMEMBER EARLY ON EVERYONE SAID, YOU'VE GOTTA REDEFINE THE MISSION FOOTPRINT. YOU'VE REALLY GOT TO BRING BACK A SENSE OF REVERENCE. YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO DELINEATE AND SHOW PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE WALKING ON THE CAMP. THESE WERE ALL THINGS THAT LITERALLY THE MAJORITY OF EV ALMOST EVERY PERSON IN FRONT OF US CAME WITH A VERY SIMILAR MESSAGE. THEY WANTED TO TRULY BE ABLE TO FIND A PLAN AND A PROGRAM THAT CREATED A SENSE OF PLACE AND SOMETHING THAT WOULD LET THE VISITOR, WHETHER A RESIDENT OR TOURIST ALIKE, LEAVE WITH A MUCH MORE PROFOUND EXPERIENCE FROM WHERE THEY HAD BEEN. AND THIS SITE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE SITE BEING, UM, A PLAZA AND SHOULD BE OPEN AND TO, TO THE MOST DEGREE IT IS OPEN AND WILL HAVE 24 7 ACCESS. BUT, BUT THE SITE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST YOUR TRADITIONAL PLAZA. IT'S A HISTORIC MISSION. IT'S A MILITARY FORTRESS. IT'S A SACRED BURIAL GROUND AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL. IT'S THE SIDE OF A BATTLE THAT WOULD GO ON TO CHANGE THE GEOGRAPHICAL AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF OUR COUNTRY. WITH THAT INFORMATION, UH, WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE ALAMO PLAZA ADVISORY COMMITTEE DISCUSSED OUR IMPRESSIONS OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED. AND THROUGH MANY ROBUST ENGAGEMENTS, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING FORWARD A COLLECTIVE POSITION MEMORIALIZED THROUGH THE ALAMO PLAZA GUIDING PRINCIPLES AS PART OF THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES. IT WAS RESOLUTE THAT WE THOUGHT THAT THE ALAMO STREET CLOSURE WAS A POSITIVE THING. WE BELIEVE THAT MOVING THE CTA FOR THE SAKE OF BETTER CREATING THE FOOTPRINT WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS. AND I'LL CLOSE MAYOR, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE PLAN AND COMMIT TO YOU THAT THROUGH THE PORTAL OF THE 1836 BATTLE, WE WILL DO, WE WILL FULFILL OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TELL THE ENTIRE STORY. MAYOR COUNCIL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MR. RODRIGUEZ. ALRIGHT, THAT IS EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. OH, WE HAVE ONE MORE. OKAY. UH, ANGEL CROCKETT. IS ANGEL CROCKETT HERE? YES, HE'S COMING. OKAY. SORRY SIR. THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR THE COUNCIL'S TIME TODAY. MY NAME IS ANGEL CROCKETT AND I AM THE FOURTH GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER OF DAVEY CROCKETT. THANK YOU. THE DISTANT COUSIN OF EARL WHO HAD HEARD P BUSH QUOTED TODAY. I ALSO OWN A BUSINESS, A BLOCK FROM THE ALAMO. I DEFEND OUR HOMELAND WITH CYBERSECURITY MEASURES. I HAVE TWO KIDS THAT GO TO N E I S D. I AM A CITIZEN OF SAN ANTONIO. I AM A TEXAN AND MY HEART IS BREAKING TO WITNESS THE MISTREATMENT OF THE ALAMO BATTLEFIELD EVERY DAY AS I GO TO WORK. IT IS UNFORTUNATE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS SAD TO TAKE MY CHILDREN TO GO AND OBSERVE. HOWEVER, I AM EXCITED TO SEE IT BECOME THE BEAUTIFUL AND RESPECTFUL SITE. IT SHOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN. THIS VOTE IS OUR ONCE AND A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO TREAT THE WHOLE ALAMO WITH THE RESPECT AND REVERENCE IT DESERVES. THE VOTE TODAY ENSURES THE ALAMO'S LEGEND CAN BE TOLD ON THE GRAVES OF THE MEN WHO DIED FOR IT WITH RESPECT AND WITH REMEMBERING THEM AS HEROES. I LOOK FORWARD TO DEFENDING OUR HISTORY AND PRESERVING IT FOR THESE GENERATIONS TO COME. IN [05:15:01] THE WORDS OF MY FOURTH GREAT-GRANDFATHER, MAKE SURE YOU ARE RIGHT AND THEN GO AHEAD. ON BEHALF OF THE DESCENDANTS OF DAVEY CROCKETT IN ALL TEXANS, PLEASE MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND DEFEND OUR HISTORY. AND PLEASE GO AHEAD AND VOTE. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. CROCKETT. ALRIGHT. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR COURTESY AND FOR YOUR PATIENCE. WE'LL BEGIN NOW WITH COUNCIL COMMENT AND QUESTIONS. WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN TREVINO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT IS TRULY A HISTORIC DAY HERE AT CITY HALL AND I REALLY WANNA FIRST START OFF WITH SOME THANK YOUS. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, FOR HELPING TO BRING THIS THROUGH YOU. YOU CHALLENGED OUR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO, TO BE AS THOROUGH AND AS THOUGHTFUL IN THE PROCESS AS POSSIBLE. AND I THINK WE DEMONSTRATED THAT. AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY TO MAKE THIS HISTORIC VOTE FOR ALL SAN ANTONIO AND ALL OF TEXAS. I'D LIKE TO THANK LAND COMMISSIONER GEORGE P. BUSH FOR, FOR BECOMING A PARTNER IN THIS PROCESS IN 2015. AND SOMETHING THAT IS NOT OFTEN UNDERSTOOD IS THAT THIS PROCESS BEGAN AS A CITY PROCESS. THE LAND COMMISSIONER CAME TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND ASKED TO BECOME A PARTNER. AND I THINK HE DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT DOING SOMETHING TOGETHER ALLOWS US TO, TO GO FURTHER WITH THIS PROJECT. AND SO, WHAT, WHAT I WANNA SAY IS, IS THANK YOU FOR THAT VISION. THANK YOU FOR THAT COLLABORATION AND IT REALLY HELPED TO ESTABLISH WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE, UH, THE PREVIOUS MAYORS THAT THAT HELPED TO ENGAGE THIS PROCESS AS WELL. THIS STARTED WITH MARY JULIAN CASTRO, WHO SET THIS UP IN MID 2014. AND OF COURSE MY PREDECESSOR, DIEGO BERNAN TOOK THE SEAT IN MY POSITION FOR A WHILE AS A TRI CHAIR OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SO I WANNA THANK THEM BOTH FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP ON THAT. AND OF COURSE, MAYOR IVY TAYLOR. I WANT TO THANK THE ALAMO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS CHERYL SCULLY. IT'S REALLY BEEN AN HONOR TO WORK WITH YOU ON THIS. WE HAVE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ON IT AND, UH, I'VE HEARD YOU SAY MANY TIMES. WE ADJUSTED OUR SCHEDULES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE AT THESE WEEKLY MEETINGS AND NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE GOT TOGETHER ON THIS PROJECT AND DISCUSSED MANY ITEMS ON THIS PROJECT. I'D LIKE TO THANK BRIAN PRESTON, WHO'S ALSO ON THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, WORKS FOR THE G L O. HE IS, HE IS, UH, A VERY, VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND OPTIMISTIC INDIVIDUAL. UM, HE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE, THE STATEWIDE TOUR THAT WE HAD WITH THIS PROJECT AND IT'S A REAL HONOR TO GET TO KNOW HIM AND TO BE A PARTNER WITH HIM ON THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. HECTOR VAL, WHO IS HERE TODAY, UH, HIS COMMITMENT REALLY SHINED THROUGH ON THIS. HE HAS BEEN A PART OF THIS PROCESS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. AND I REALLY, REALLY WANNA SAY I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BECOME FRIENDS THROUGH THIS AND I JUST APPRECIATE HIS WORK, HIS HARD WORK. ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. I'D LIKE TO THANK RAMONA BASS WHO REPRESENTED THE ALIMO ENDOWMENT. SHE WAS VERY COMMITTED TO THIS PROJECT AS WELL, EVEN THOUGH SHE LIVED IN FOR LIVES IN FORT WORTH. MADE A LOT OF THE MEETINGS TO THIS, TO THIS ALAMO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FOR THE ALAMO. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, GENE POWELL WHO CHAIRED THE COMMITTEE. I THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT WE, THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE TOOK ON A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY AS A CHAIR OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND REALLY HELPED TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT WAS INCLUSIVE, THAT WAS OPEN AND TRANSPARENT. AND THAT ALLOWED US TO MOVE FORWARD IN A VERY THOUGHTFUL, PRODUCTIVE WAY AND MADE SURE THAT THE MOMENTUM KEPT GOING ON THIS PROJECT. THANK YOU JEAN. I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO THANK THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 'CAUSE ONCE AGAIN, I WANNA POINT OUT THE CITY TOOK THE LEAD ON THIS. AND IN 2014 IT HELPED TO ESTABLISH THE ALAMO PLAZA ADVISORY COMMITTEE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, WHICH BY THE WAY, WERE ADOPTED IN OUR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, [05:20:01] EXHIBIT B IS AN ATTACHMENT OF THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES. I FIRST WANNA THANK MY TRI CHAIRS, MY FELLOW TRI CHAIRS. I'LL START WITH THANKING MAURICE MCDERMOTT, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY ON THIS PROJECT SINCE ITS INCEPTION. SHE HAD TO STEP OFF THE, THE COMMITTEE, BUT WE KNOW THAT SHE'S VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT AND WILL CONTINUE TO, TO HELP MOVE THE MOMENTUM OF THIS INCREDIBLE HISTORIC PROJECT FORWARD. I'D LIKE TO THANK SUEANN PEMBERTON, WHO IS ALSO THERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. SHE HAS BEEN AN AMAZING PARTNER TO WORK WITH. AND THEN OF COURSE LIONEL SOSA WHO JUST JOINED US. AND I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR APPOINTING SUCH A CAPABLE PERSON. HE REALLY TRULY HELPED US WITH OUR ENGAGEMENT. LIONEL, THANK YOU. SO I THINK I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND, AND LIST ALL THE NAMES. 'CAUSE I, WE HAVE SOME OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE, BUT I WANNA LIST ALL THE NAMES FOR THE RECORD 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S THAT KIND OF A DAY. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST HISTORIC VOTES WE'LL EVER TAKE ON CITY COUNCIL. NUMBER ONE. ANN MAGONE, WHO'S A MAYORAL APPOINTEE. RAMON VASQUEZ, WHO'S A MAYORAL APPOINTEE. DR. SHARON SBAR, WHO'S A MAYORAL APPOINTEE. FORREST BA BIAS, WHO'S A GENERAL LAND OFFICE APPOINTEE. MARK WOLF, GENERAL LAND OFFICE. SENECA MCADAMS, GENERAL LAND OFFICE. AARON PENA, GENERAL LAND OFFICE. NAOMI MILLER, GENERAL LAND OFFICE. AARON BOWMAN, GENERAL LAND OFFICE. MARTY ARSE, MAYOR APPOINTEE, FRANK RUTTENBERG, MAYOR APPOINTEE, DAVIS PHILLIPS, A MAYOR APPOINTEE, MY APPOINTEE FOR DISTRICT ONE, ROGER PEREZ, WHO BY THE WAY, WAS A PART OF THIS PROJECT IN 1994. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS PROJECT TO THIS POINT. ANTHONY EDWARDS FOR DISTRICT TWO. PATRICIA MEJIA FOR DISTRICT THREE. RUDY RODRIGUEZ FOR DISTRICT FOUR. GEORGE CISNEROS FOR DISTRICT FIVE. LEONARD RODRIGUEZ FOR DISTRICT SIX. MARCE MARCELO MARTINEZ FOR DISTRICT SEVEN. JOSE MARIA GONZALEZ FOR DISTRICT EIGHT. BILL BERE, BERELL FOR DISTRICT NINE. AND PHIL BACKING FOR DISTRICT 10. WE ALSO HAVE BYRON LAFLEUR, MARK BARROS, WARREN WILKINSON AND DAVE KONSKI. AND I THINK THAT THEY ALL DESERVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO THIS PROJECT. SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THIS. AND I, I, I WANT TO TRY TO BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY, BUT I WANNA POINT OUT WHAT'S AT THE HEART OF THIS. AND I HOPE EVERYBODY CAN DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE ALAMO ADVISORY VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ALAMO PLAZA. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT AND I WANT TO, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE DESIGN TEAM, BOTH THE INTERPRETIVE TEAM AND THE MASTER PLAN TEAM WHO HAVE REALLY TAKEN THIS DOCUMENT TO HEART. BUT SPECIFICALLY THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE ANIMAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. YOU'LL SEE THE DESIGN INTENT RIGHT HERE IN THE WORDS OF THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK IT ANSWERS A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS. AND OF COURSE, NO, NOTHING IS PERFECT, BUT NOTHING EVER WILL BE. BUT HAVING A VISION AND HAVING GUIDING PRINCIPLES, I THINK IS AS CLOSE TO PERFECT AS YOU GET. SO LET'S, I WANT TO GO, GO DOWN THE LIST QUICKLY. UM, WE DID TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CONTROVERSIAL ITEMS THAT WERE REMOVED, AND I WON'T GO OVER SOME OF THOSE AGAIN, BUT THEY WERE, THEY, THEY WERE ADDRESSED IN THIS PLAN, LIKE THE GLASS WALLS, LIKE MORE SHADE, LIKE THE FACT THAT THE CTAF WAS LOCATED IN A MUCH, MUCH FURTHER LOCATION. BUT I WANNA TALK ABOUT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT STREET CLOSURES. TO START, STREET CLOSURES IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS PROJECT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO RECLAIM AND RECAPTURE THE MISSION HISTORIC FOOTPRINT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE A DRIVE-THROUGH EXPERIENCE. AND AT THE HEART OF THAT IS WRITTEN RIGHT HERE IN THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES. THE FACT THAT THERE'S A STREET THAT GOES OVER SUCH AN IMPORTANT HISTORIC SITE IS KIND OF SURPRISING, BUT IT IS, IT ISN'T SURPRISING WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE LOOK AT THE HISTORY AT THE ALAMO, AND HOW MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE DON'T FULLY APPRECIATE OR UNDERSTAND ALL THE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TRYING TO TELL [05:25:01] A COMPLETE STORY AT THE ALAMO, AND THAT'S CRITICAL. THE HOPE IS THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO UNCOVER MORE OF THAT HISTORY SO THAT WE ALL BENEFIT, WE CAN ALL BENEFIT FROM THAT HISTORY. SO THE STREET CLOSURES IS AN, IS AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN THIS PLAN, OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ALSO KNOW THE PARADES WERE AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. AND AS YOU HEARD, THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS, FIESTA FLAMBE, THE TEXAS CAVALIERS, THE FIESTA COMMISSION, IN WORKING WITH THEM, WE SH WE, WE REALLY SHOWED THEM THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GET RID OF ANY TRADITIONS WHATSOEVER. WE'RE SIMPLY TRYING TO MAKE ROOM FOR MORE HISTORY. WE'RE TRYING TO REVEAL THAT HISTORY THAT'S BENEATH OUR FEET. I WANNA THANK THEM PERSONALLY AND, AND SPECIFICALLY, UH, ANNA, LAURA BLOCK THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS AND YOUR ENTIRE GROUP. I, I APPRECIATE THE PASSION. I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR HISTORY AND, AND, AND ATTACHMENT TO THE TRADITION OF THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS. AND I TOLD YOU THAT WE WOULD DO EVERYTHING WE COULD TO BE INCLUSIVE AND KEEP THE TRADITIONS ALIVE. AND I THINK WE'RE DOING THAT, AND I THINK WE'RE ENHANCING THAT. PHIL BACKY, THE TEXAS CAVALIERS, MAKING SURE THAT TRADITIONS LIKE THE INVESTITURE ARE SO CRITICALLY, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO WHAT SAN ANTONIO IS ABOUT. AND OF COURSE, THE ALAMO ITSELF. I WANNA THANK YOU AND WENDELL HALL FOR WORKING WITH ME ON MAKING SURE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER ON A SOLUTION THAT CAN GET US THERE BY LALO OF THE FIESTA COMMISSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR SPEARHEADING A LOT OF THE NEGOTIATION THAT IT HAD TO OCCUR TO, TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES OF THESE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS. AT THE HEART OF THAT, WE CREATED, WE DEMONSTRATED, I SHOULD SAY, THAT WORKING TOGETHER CAN HELP FORMULATE SOME GREAT SOLUTIONS FOR THE, FOR ALL OF US. WE CONCEPTUALLY CREATED A CER CEREMONY ACTIVITY ZONE. IT STILL HAS TO BE DESIGNED, BUT THAT'S PART OF OUR PROCESS. LIKE MANY THINGS, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS TOGETHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, FOR THE ALL YOUR PARADE FOLKS AND FIESTA COMMISSION, TEXAS CAVALIERS, AND OF COURSE FIESTA FLAMBEAU, THE SENATE HALF REPAIR AND RELOCATION. AGAIN, AT THE HEART OF THIS IS REVEALING AND TELLING AS MUCH OF THE HISTORY AS POSSIBLE. ACCORDING TO THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, THE SYN HALF ITSELF NEEDS REPAIR. AND THE BEST PRACTICE IS TO CREATE A NEW STRUCTURE AND PUT IT IN THAT LOCATION. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS TO SAY THAT THE SENATE HALF IS THE SPOT, THE BODIES ARE BURNED. THAT, UH, MANY THINGS HAPPEN IS JUST AN INACCURACY OF HISTORY. THE KIND OF THING WE WANT TO CORRECT. WE WANT TO DO THIS THOUGHTFULLY AND WITH ALL THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, HISTORIANS, ARCHEOLOGISTS, AND YES, WE WILL GET THE MOST QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE RELOCATE THE SYNAP, IT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF, RESTORED, REPAIRED, AND GIVEN NEW LIFE. THAT'S CRITICAL. PLAZA ACCESS. PLAZA ACCESS. IT'S BEEN SAID THAT WE'RE WALLING IT OFF. WE ARE NOT WALLING IT OFF. WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A SENSE OF ORIENTATION AND OVERALL CHANGE. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PLAZA, ALAMO PLAZA IS EXPANDED. IT'S MUCH MORE, AND IT'S NOW GONNA INCLUDE WHAT'S BEEN LEFT OUT ALL THESE YEARS. THAT'S THE STORIES THAT ARE RIGHT UNDERNEATH OUR FEET. MOST OF THEM WE KNOW, AND A LOT OF THEM WE DON'T. THE HOPE IS TO GET TO UNCOVER THAT AND WORK METHODICALLY TO GET US THERE. TO THINK THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A ALAMO PLAZA THAT IS MUCH, MUCH MORE EXPANSIVE AND HAVE A SPOT THAT, THAT DEMONSTRATES TO MANY PEOPLE WHO TODAY GO TO THE ALAMO AND DON'T EVEN REALIZE THEY'RE STANDING ON THE FOOTPRINT. IT'S NOT A BUILDING. IT'S A PLACE. I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT, THAT THE PLA THE, THE, THE WORD PLACE [05:30:01] DERIVES ITSELF FROM THE WORD PLAZA. IT'S OUR PLAZA AND IT'S OUR STORY. AND SO IT IS OPEN, IT IS GONNA BE ACCESSIBLE 24 7 DURING MUSEUM HOURS. WE'VE ASKED FOR A FORMAL POINT OF ENTRY. THIS WAS A COMPROMISE, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE COMPROMISED ON THIS BECAUSE WE GET TO TELL THIS BROADER STORY. WE GET TO DO WHAT'S IN THIS DOCUMENT IN PAGE TWO. IN FACT, DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO ORIENT VISITORS OF THE STORIES AND CONTEXT BEFORE THEY EXPERIENCE THE ALAMO COMPOUND. IT'S IN THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO ORIENT SOMEBODY TO THAT HISTORY, TO THE COMPLETE STORY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO AFTER MUSEUM HOURS. THE PLAZA IS OPEN, BUT IT'S ALWAYS FREE OF CHARGE. THERE'S MANY ELEMENT ELEMENTS OF THAT THAT STILL NEED TO BE DESIGNED AND WE'LL WORK METHODICALLY AND THOUGHTFULLY TO GET US THERE. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF TELLING A COMPLETE STORY. IT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT AND AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF WHAT THE ALAMO IS REALLY ABOUT. AND BY THE WAY, IT'S MISSION SAN ANTONIO DE VALERO ALAMO'S, A NICKNAME. THE TWO IMPORTANT ARTIFACTS ON THAT SITE ARE THE HISTORIC CHURCH AND LONG BARRACKS, WHICH WILL BEGIN RESTORATION. I BELIEVE IT'S NEXT MONTH, MAYBE, MAYBE SOONER. WE'RE EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THAT. AND OF COURSE, WE HOPE THAT IT'S, THIS PLAZA GETS TO ADD TO FA TO THE, TO THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND ALLOWS PEOPLE TO TRULY SEE HOW EXPANSIVE THE MISSION FOOTPRINT REALLY IS BECAUSE THE CITY HAS GROWN OVER IT. WE'VE GOT BUILDINGS FROM THE, FROM THE FEDERAL BUILDING TO THE NORTH, TO THE GIBBS HOTEL, TO THE CROCKETT BLOCK BUILDINGS. AND YES, WE COMPLETELY AGREE THAT TELLING THE LAYERS OF HISTORY AND EVEN THE MODERN ONES ARE IMPORTANT. ALL OF IT IS IMPORTANT. THAT LEADS ME TO THESE HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND THE MUSEUM PROPOSED. THE CROCKETT BLOCK BUILDINGS ARE LITERALLY ON TOP OF THE SITE ITSELF RIGHT NOW. BUT WE ARE NOT PRESCRIBING THE DEMOLITION OF THOSE BUILDINGS. WE'RE GONNA WORK DILIGENTLY TO FIND A WAY FORWARD THAT INCORPORATES SOME WAY WITH A, WITH A DESIGN, WITH A WORLD-CLASS DESIGN FOR A MUSEUM AND VISITOR CENTER. I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE RECEIVED 30 FOLD TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST QUALIFIED SCRATCH THAT THE BEST ARCHITECTS IN THE WORLD. IF ANYBODY CAN SOLVE THIS, IT'S THESE GUYS. AND WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA PICK ONE. AND THAT'S GONNA BE HARD. IT, WE ARE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THOUGHTFUL, WE'RE INCLUSIVE, AND WE ARE THOROUGH IN THE PROCESS LIKE WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN. WE HAVE NO PRESCRIPTION TO DEMOLISH HISTORY. IN FACT, WE HAVE A MISSION TO TELL ALL THAT HISTORY. AND I THINK WE'RE DOING THAT. I ALSO HEARD GIVING IT AWAY THE LEASE. HECTOR VA. CAN I ASK YOU TO COME UP? I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU FOR THE RECORD NOW. YOU, YOU, UH, ARE, UH, YOU WORKED FOR THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE? YES, SIR. AND YOU'RE ALSO ON THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE? YES, SIR. UH, YOU HEARD, UH, SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE LEASE AND THAT OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AFTER A HUNDRED YEARS, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A, AN OPTION TO BUY. HOW, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? UM, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CALLING ME UP AND THANK YOU TO CITY COUNCIL, TO THE MAYOR. UH, THE CITY IS VERY SPECIAL TO ME. I WAS, UH, WE USED TO LIVE HERE. MY BROTHER WAS BORN HERE. UH, BECAUSE OF LEADERS LIKE YOU, WE BECAME CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. SO THANK YOU. UH, BUT YES, ACCORDING TO THE LEASE, [05:35:01] WE, UH, HAVE TO COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL AND IT WOULD TAKE CITY COUNCIL ACTION TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW. SO IT'S A, IT'S IT'S IN THE FORM OF A MUTUAL AGREEMENT THEN. YES, SIR. FANTASTIC. SO A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW, IT MAY, IT MAY COME BACK AS A MUTUAL AGREEMENT. UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK YOU IS, IT'S, IT'S, I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MOTION IS HERE TODAY. SO CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THE RAMIFICATIONS IF ANY AMENDMENTS ARE PROPOSED TO TODAY'S MOTION TO APPROVE THE LEASE AGREEMENT TO THIS PLAN? YES, SIR. SO WE STARTED THIS PLAN BACK WHEN HOUSE BILL 29 68, WAS PASSED BY REPRESENTATIVE GUILLEN AND SENATOR MENENDEZ. AND IT, UH, BROUGHT TOGETHER THE STATE AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO WORK ON A PLAN TO, UH, COME TOGETHER AND WORK ON A MASTER PLAN. UM, TO DATE, WE HAVE FOLLOWED THIS LAW TO THE T WE ALL THREE PARTIES, THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT BOARD, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND THE STATE OF TEXAS, SIGNED A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND, UH, COMMITTED TO THIS TRANSPARENT PROCESS. WE ACTUALLY SIGNED THE, IN NOVEMBER 17TH, 2015. AND THEN AGAIN, THIS CITY COUNCIL, UH, AGAIN AMENDED IT AND AGREED TO CONTINUE THAT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IN MAY 11TH, 2017. THIS PLAN THAT IS BEFORE YOU TODAY IS A RESULT OF THREE YEARS OF PAINSTAKING NEGOTIATIONS OF TRANSPARENCY. WHETHER YOUR, UH, FELLOW COUNCILOR UH, MEN SAID THAT THIS PLAN AND THIS PROCESS HAS ACTUALLY BEEN INEFFICIENT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO TRANSPARENT AND APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS AND SO HAS INCLUDED CITY AND STAKEHOLDERS. IT HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED BY THE CITIZENS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AS EVIDENCED BY OUR, UH, STATEWIDE SURVEY THAT WE TAKE HAVE TAKEN UPON US. WE'VE, UH, PASSED THROUGH THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE ALL APPROVED THIS PLAN. ANY AMENDMENT TODAY OR ANY CHANGE TO THIS PLAN IS A PLAN THAT GOES OUTSIDE THIS PROCESS, THIS COMMITMENT THAT WAS MADE BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BY THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND BY THE ALAMO AND DIAMOND BOARD. ANY PLAN, ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OUTSIDE OF THIS PROCESS IS NOT A PLAN, IS NOT THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN, WHERE THE FUNDS, THE $25 MILLION THAT WAS PASSED IN, UM, THE 84TH LEG, UH, TEXAS LEGISLATURE, OR THE 85TH THAT GAVE US THE 75 MILLION, ARE TIED TO THIS ALAMO MASTER PLAN. AND THIS ALAMO MASTER PLAN HAS COME THROUGH THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND HAS FOLLOWED THIS TRANSPARENT PROCESS. SO TO CREATE A PLAN OUTSIDE THIS PROCESS VIOLATES THIS HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY, STATE, AND ALAMO ENDOWMENT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT ENDS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. THE STATE HAS UNDER, IS UNDER OBLIGATION TO MEET ITS OBLIGATIONS TO FILL COLLINS FOR THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF GIFTS THAT HE GAVE US FOR THE COLLECTION. A MUSEUM MUST BE IN SCHEMATIC DESIGN PHASE BY 2021. AND WE MUST COMPLETE THAT. AND THIS PLAN ALLOWS US TO STAY ON THIS TIMELINE. THIS IS THE PLAN THAT THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT BOARD AND PRIVATE FUNDRAISERS HAVE COMMITTED TO. THIS ONE HAS FOLLOWED THIS PROCESS, THIS TRANSPARENT PROCESS. PRIVATE DONORS HAVE COMMITTED TO RAISING OVER $200 MILLION FOR THIS PLAN. NOT ANY OTHER PLAN, BUT THIS PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. RYAN. I WOULD ALSO REFERENCE THAT THERE'S AN AMENDMENT TO THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AFTER THE MASTER PLAN WAS ADOPTED. AND I'LL SUBMIT THIS FOR THE RECORD BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE EXTENDED THE, THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT, UH, AS IT'S BEING DEVELOPED. AND THIS IS, THIS IS HELPFUL BECAUSE THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO BE ON THIS PROJECT. I'LL SUBMIT THAT TO THE CLERK. AND I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT, UH, ONCE AGAIN, HECTOR MENTIONED THE, THE, THE MUSEUM. AND I WANNA SUBMIT FOR THE RECORD, WE'VE HAD MANY, MANY SLIDES AND PRESENTATIONS, BUT I, I SPECIFICALLY PICKED OUT SOME SLIDES PRESENTING, UH, SOME, SOME OF THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN THAT IS TO BE DONE FOR, FOR THE MUSEUM. THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES HAS, HAS DRIVEN THIS PLAN. AND IT IS AN INCLUSIVE ONE. IT IS ONE THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE SEPARATE FACT FROM MYTH. OF COURSE, WE KNOW THE MYTH, BUT WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE HISTORY. AND I'M EXCITED TO, TO LEARN MORE. AND I CAN SAY THIS, IN THE FOUR YEARS THAT I'VE WORKED ON THIS PROJECT, I HAVE LEARNED QUITE A BIT ABOUT MISSION SAN ANTONIO VALERO THE ALAMO. [05:40:01] COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I HAD A QUIET DISCUSSION WITH MY UNCLE, WHOM I RESPECT VERY MUCH ABOUT THE ALAMO. AND I ASKED HIM WHAT HE UNDERSTOOD. AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, QUITE HONESTLY, VERY LITTLE. HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND. HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT'S CONNECTED TO SO MANY WORLD EVENTS, HAS CONNECTED TO MANY THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING ON THIS SIDE OF THE HEMISPHERE, AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO TELL THIS STORY. IT REALLY, REALLY, TRULY FORTIFIED MY RESOLVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON TELLING A COMPLETE STORY AT THE ALAMO. THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE VICTIMS TO HISTORY IS IF WE DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. THIS IS GONNA HELP US TO UNDERSTAND OUR HISTORY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. I WANNA THANK LAURA HOUSTON AS WELL. FOR ALL HER HARD WORK AND YOUR STAFF RAYA. UH, WE HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE, WE'RE SIMPLY, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST PUTTING OUT CONES SO THAT WE CAN GIVE TOURS. UH, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE WORN MANY HATS ON THIS. THANK YOU, ANDY SEGOVIA, YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE REALLY BEEN WORKING HARD ON THIS LEASE. I WANT TO THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN A, A TRUE ROCKSTAR AND WANNA APPRECIATE YOUR ABILITY TO, TO WORK THROUGH SOMETHING SO COMPLEX. UM, IT'S A REAL PLEASURE. LASTLY, I WANT TO THANK DOUG MCDONALD, C E O OF THE ALAMO, WHO HAS BEEN, UH, TREMENDOUS THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROJECT. HIM AND HIS STAFF ARE VERY ACCOMMODATING AND HAVE MET WITH MANY, MANY PEOPLE. SOME PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY HAVEN'T MET WITH US, THAT'S NOT SO WE'VE MET. WE MAY AG DISAGREE, BUT WE'VE MET. SO WITH THAT, WELL, FIRST I GOTTA SUBMIT THIS AS THE RECORD TO THE CITY CLERK, BUT WITH THAT, IT GIVES ME GREAT HONOR TO MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER SIX AS READ BY THE CITY CLERK SECOND. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION AND THEN A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER SIX. COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, I TOO WANT TO COMMEND THE ALAMO ADVISORY COMMISSIONERS, UH, WHO'VE WORKED SO HARD, SO DILIGENTLY ON RESTORING AND HONORING THE ALAMO. AND I ALSO WANNA, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMEND COUNCILMAN TREVINO. 'CAUSE I KNOW HE'S WORKED VERY HARD, VERY DEDICATED, VERY PASSIONATELY ABOUT THIS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK, SAY, THANKS TO ALL THE CONSTITUENTS AND CITIZENS, UH, WHO'VE WRITTEN ME, WHO'VE CALLED ME, WHO'VE EMAILED ME, AND WHO'VE SPOKEN AT CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, EXPRESSING THEIR, THEIR SINCERE INTERESTS, THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEIR CONCERNS. I TOO WANNA RESTORE AND HONOR THE ALAMO. I REALLY LIKE SOME OF THE FINAL PLAN. LIKE MANY OTHER SAN ANTONIANS, I HAVE MANY CONCERNS ABOUT CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN. NO DOUBT THE ALAMO, THE LONG BARRACK AND THE NEED RENOVATION AND RESTORATION. AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE ACTIONS. THEY CERTAINLY ARE LONG PAST DUE. I'M DELIGHTED THAT THE PLAN INCLUDES A MAJOR MUSEUM TO TELL THE FULL STORY OF THE ALAMO AND THE HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE AND THE CULTURE AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. I APPRECIATE THE CONCEPT OF EXCLUDING OR LIMITING ACTIVITIES AND FEATURES, INCLUDING STREET TRAFFIC AND, AND VENDORS THAT DIMINISH THE REVERENCE AND RESPECT THAT THE ALAMO BATTLE SITE DESERVES. KEEPING THE PLAZA A WALKABLE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA IS A VERY DESIRABLE IMPROVEMENT. AS A HISTORY TEACHER FOR OVER 20 YEARS IN SAN ANTONIO, HAVING MADE MANY FIELD TRIPS TO THE ALAMO, I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE THE PLAN TO HAVE MANY MORE INTERPRETIVE DEMONSTRATIONS AND REENACTMENTS WITHIN THE PLAZA. HOWEVER, I HAS, AS I HAVE SAID, I HAVE SEVERAL SERIOUS CONCERNS PROPOSED IN THE PLAN. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE PLAZA WILL BE LIMITED. IT IS NOTED THAT THIS WILL ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE FOR TOURISTS, CERTAINLY RESIDENTS, NOT SO MUCH. RATHER THAN ENHANCEMENTS, THE ENCLOSURE PROPOSED WILL CREATE A BARRIER TO THIS CITIZEN'S PUBLIC CIVIC SPACE. ANOTHER CONCERN IS THE [05:45:01] PROPOSED RELOCATION OF THE SYNTA. IN MY VIEW, THERE IS NO LEGITIMATE NEED TO MOVE THE SENATE TAF. THE PROPOSED PLAN TO CLOSE ALAMO STREET AND THE STREET IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO CHAPEL, AND THE LONG BARRACK, AND THE LOWERING AND LEVELING OF THE ENTIRE PLAZA, AND THE REMOVAL OF THE, UH, OF THE PARK AREA THAT'S RE THAT'S ALREADY ELEVATED. AND THE BANDSTAND, THOSE CHANGES WILL PROVIDE A HUGE AREA FOR FORMAL PROGRAMMING, ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND EXPANDED HISTORIC REENACTMENTS WITHOUT HAVING TO MOVE THE CENTER TAF. FINALLY, THE SECTION OF THE PROPOSED PLAN THAT PROVIDES FOR THE G L O TO OUTRIGHT PURCHASE THE ENTIRE ALAMO PLAZA PRESENTS THE POSSIBILITY OF A FUTURE CITY COUNCIL SELLING THE ALAMO PLAZA TO THE STATE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY WORRISOME TO ME AND TO MANY OTHER SAN ANTONIANS I'VE TALKED TO. IT WAS STATED BY MS. HOUSTON THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO OWN THE PLAZA. FOR HOW LONG? I'VE ASKED THE CITY MANAGER HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL CITY FUNDING WILL BE REQUIRED. BESIDES THE $38 MILLION NOW ALLOCATED FOR THIS PROJECT, WE'RE LOOKING AT CLOSING STREETS AND REDIRECTING TRAFFIC AND BUSINESSES. WE'RE LOOKING AT TURNING LOYA STREET FROM A ONE-WAY LOADED WITH BUSINESSES ON BOTH SIDES TO A TWO-WAY. AND HOW THAT, HOW IS THAT GONNA AFFECT BUSINESSES AND HOW MUCH WILL THAT COST? WE DON'T KNOW. I'VE NOT GOTTEN ANY KIND OF ESTIMATE. AND WHAT ELSE IS GOING TO BE ENCOMPASSED BY THESE CHANGES TO THE PLAZA? WE'VE HEARD ABOUT PEOPLE BEING UNDERWHELMED AND DISTRACTED WHEN THEY VISIT THE ALAMO. SURE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND RESTORE THE ALAMO. WE WANT, UH, BUILDING A MUSEUM, ADDING MORE REENACTMENTS. THESE THINGS WILL RESOLVE THAT UNDERWHELMING FEELING THAT PEOPLE HAVE BY THEMSELVES AND WITHOUT ANY OTHER CHANGES TO THE PLAZA. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THE CITY HAS ORDINANCE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE REREGULATE AND LICENSE ANY AND ALL DISTRACTIONS BY OR NEAR THE ALAMO BY ESTABLISHING, FOR EXAMPLE, A SPECIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT CAN RESTORE THE REVERENCE AND RESPECT TO THE BATTLE SITE THAT IT DESERVES WITHOUT SELLING THE PROPERTY OR HANDING THE MANAGEMENT OVER TO THE STATE. WE HAVE THE POWER OURSELVES TO DO THOSE THINGS. WE DO NOT NEED TO IMPOSE ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS IN THIS PROPOSAL TO DO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. YOU KNOW, SECTION 8 0 3 THAT TALKS ABOUT THE SENATE TAFT READS, G L O ACKNOWLEDGES THE CITY OWNS THE CENTER. TAFT LOCATED AT AMAL PLAZA, G L O, AND THE CITY SHALL WORK TOGETHER AND COORDINATE THE RESTORATION AND RELOCATION OF THE SENATE TAF CONSISTENT WITH THE ALAMO PLAN, SO THAT THE SENATE TAF RETAINS A PLACE OF PROMINENCE AND HONOR WITHIN ALAMO PLAZA. THE CITY SELMA SHALL MAINTAIN PARK POLICE PRESENCE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF ALAMO PLAZA TO MAINTAIN ITS SAFETY AND PROTECT THE SENATE TAF. I MOVE TO STRIKE THE WORDS AND RELOCATION AND CONSISTENT WITH THE ALAMO PLAN FROM THIS FIRST SENTENCE AND, AND IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF, FROM THE SECOND SENTENCE. AND INCLUDE, IF THE SYNTA WERE TO BE DAMAGED IN ANY WAY DURING ITS RESTORATION, IT MUST BE RESTORED FULLY TO ITS ORIGINAL DESIGN, LEAVING NO OPTION FOR RE-IMAGINING, REDESIGNING, OR REINTERPRETING IT TO ITS CURRENT LOCATION. COUNCILMAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MOVING TO AMEND THE LEASE AGREEMENT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. UH, THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN UH, PERRY TO AMEND THE LEASE AGREEMENT. UH, AS READ, WE'RE GONNA SUSPEND DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN MOTION, TAKE UP THE AMENDMENT NOW. UH, SO IF THERE ARE ANY, LET'S CLEAR THE QUEUE. IF THERE ARE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE MATTER OF THE AMENDMENT, PLEASE QUEUE IN. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ? [05:50:04] NO, MY COMMENTS ARE ABOUT THE, ON THE MAIN MOTION? YEAH. ON THE MAIN MOTION. OKAY. COUNCILMAN PERRY? SURE. I, I, UH, SUPPORT THAT MOTION. AND, UM, JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SENATE T UM, WITH THE PROPOSED RELOCATION OF THE CTA TO THE, IN FRONT OF THE MANGER, I THINK IT IS, UM, WHAT KIND OF SITE PREPARATION WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE? I MEAN, ARE THERE TREES EXISTING? THERE ARE, IS THERE ANY TREES GONNA BE TAKEN OUT BECAUSE OF THE RELOCATION? THAT WILL ALL STILL NEED TO BE DESIGNED, AND THAT'LL BE REVIEWED AS PART OF THE RELOCATION EFFORT, THE O H P, AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE RELOCATION AND REPAIR PLAN. NOW, THE ANIMAL PLAZA DESIGN WILL ALSO HAVE TO GO BACK TO H D R C FOR FINAL APPROVAL. SO IT HAS NOT BEEN DESIGNED YET, BUT THAT'LL TAKE PLACE AFTER CONSIDERATION OF THE SEPTEMBER. BUT I MEAN, UH, IN THE GENERAL LOCATION, AREN'T THERE SOME REALLY NICE MATURE TREES IN THAT AREA? ARE THEY GONNA BE ABLE TO STAY THERE OR ARE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME OUT, TAKE, BE TAKEN OUT? WE HAVE THAT. I DON'T KNOW. WE'LL, WE HAVE NOT DECIDED WHERE THE EXACT LOCATION IS. IT'LL BE IN THE AREA OF THE BANDSTAND, AND THAT'LL BE DESIGNED. HOWEVER, THERE IS A COMMITMENT THAT THERE'LL BE MORE TREES ON THE SITE THAN THERE ARE TODAY. WELL, BUT THE EXISTING TREES, THE EXISTING TREES, THERE IS ALSO A COMMITMENT, UM, THAT ANY TREES WILL EITHER BE RELOCATED OR REPLANTED ON SITE. OKAY. BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL WE DO MORE DUE DILIGENCE AND START THE DESIGN EFFORT. SO YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T KNOW THE EXACT SITE OF THIS SENATE TASK? NO. WHAT, WHAT'S, UM, H G R C APPROVED WAS THEY PROVIDED APPROVAL TO RELOCATE THE SENATE TAF IN THE AREA IN THE AREA OF THE BANDSTAND. THE EXACT LOCATION WILL BE DETERMINED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS. WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON THE REPAIR PLAN FOR THE SENATE TAF, I WANNA STRESS THAT THAT STILL HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION AND H D R C, ACTUALLY THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION HAS TO APPROVE THE REPAIR PLAN AND RELOCATION BEFORE ANY WORK COMMENCES. OKAY. UM, COUNCILMAN COURAGE, I CER CERTAINLY SUPPORT YOUR MOTION TO CHANGE THAT IN THE LEASE AGREEMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY. COUNCILMAN BHA? UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, LORI, I GOT ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU. AND THIS IS A PROCEDURAL QUESTION. AND COUNCILMAN, UH, MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN TRAVINO MAY WANT TO CHIME IN ON THIS. WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF, UM, ON OUR LEASE AGREEMENT AND WHERE FAR WE'VE COME IF THIS AMENDMENT WERE TO PASS? YOU WANNA TAKE THAT ONE, COUNCILMAN? YEAH, I'LL, I'LL TAKE IT. I YIELD THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. UM, AND AS, AS YOU HEARD, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE GENERAL AND OFFICE, HECTOR VA MENTIONED THAT THIS PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES THE RELOCATION OF THE SENATE ACT, IS PART OF A PLAN THAT CAME OUT OF A PROCESS VERY LONG PROCESS, A PROCESS THAT INCLUDED THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE THROUGH, UH, ARCHITECTS OF RECORD AND SELECTED SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO HELP GET US THERE. AND SO IT'S HAVE ANY AMENDMENT TO, TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO APPROVE THIS PLAN, ESSENTIALLY NEGATES THE OVERALL LEASE AGREEMENTS. I, I, I'M JUST, I'M, I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE. SO AS WE GO THROUGH, PROCEDURALLY, ANY AMENDMENT THAT PASSES NEGATES THE ENTIRE MAIN MOTION. THAT IS CORRECT. SO, I, I, I, I'M, I'M VERY RESPECTFUL OF, OBVIOUSLY, OF COUNCILMAN PERRY AND COUNCILMAN COURAGE. UM, I THINK THIS IS SUCH A CRITICAL MOMENT, AND I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL TO THE FOLKS WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR THE CAF. I CAME OUT EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS, IN CLEAR OBJECTION OF IT MOVING, UH, TO MARKET STREET OR SOMEWHERE ELSE. I WAS VERY VOCAL IN THAT. AND I THOUGHT THAT THE MOVEMENT AND THE COMPROMISE THAT DID OCCUR WAS ADMIRABLE. I MEAN, WE, YOU AND I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR TO THE FOLKS ON THE SENATE, HALF THE FOLKS THAT COME HERE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN. AND I, I RESPECT THAT. I RESPECT YOU STAND UP AND YOU COME HERE AND YOU, YOU LAY, YOU LAY YOUR THOUGHT DOWN AT THE, AT THE FRONT. YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT'S IN YOUR MIND. UM, BUT I DO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY, YOU, YOU'VE HAD A VICTORY. UM, AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE BROUGHT IT BACK TO WHERE IT'S STAYING IN THE PLAZA. I MEAN, ORIGINALLY THIS THING WAS GONNA DISAPPEAR INTO A CORNER AND YOU, YOU WEREN'T GONNA SEE IT. SO YOUR DILIGENCE HAS WORKED TREMENDOUSLY IN THIS POINT. I'M VERY, UM, UH, [05:55:01] YOU KNOW, HUMBLED TO SEE THE CITIZENS COME UP AND YOU FIGHT CITY HALL IN THAT MANNER, AND YOU'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. AND, AND THERE THERE IS A, A A, THERE'S A WIN IN THAT. I WANTED TO IDENTIFY THAT, BUT I HAVE TO, I DO TAKE SOME REAL CONCERN WITH COUNCILMAN KURT'S AMENDMENT. I THINK IT'S A POISON PILL, AND I OBJECT TO HIS AMENDMENT AT THIS TIME. UM, I'D LIKE TO CALL THAT WE, I'D LIKE TO FORMALLY MOVE THAT I OBJECT TO THE AMENDMENT CALL FOR MAJORITY VOTE TO NOT TAKE IT UP. 'CAUSE IT WILL DE IF, IF ANY AMENDMENT PASSES, I THINK IT DESTROYS THE ENTIRE CONTRACT. UM, I'D LIKE TO CONFER WITH THE ATTORNEY AND THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE THAT IF WE OBJECTED TO THE CALLING OF THE AMENDMENT, 'CAUSE IT IS A POISON PILL, THERE'S ISSUES WITH IT. CAN WE, IS THERE A METHOD OR METHODOLOGY BY WHICH WE CAN, UH, COUNCILMAN TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION PROCEDURALLY, IT, IT'S NOT THE PROCEDURE THAT, UH, WOULD BE THE POISON PILL, SO TO SPEAK. IT'S PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, UH, THE LEASE HAS BEEN HEAVILY NEGOTIATED. A LOT OF GIVE AND TAKE. AND IT IS THE POSITION OF THE G L O THAT IF THERE'S ANY SUB SUBSTANTIVE AMENDMENTS TO IT, WE BASICALLY, THEN IT'S A WALK, IT'S A WALKAWAY. SO IT'S FROM A, THAT PRACTICAL ASPECT THAT ANY AMENDMENT WOULD BE A DE DEAL KILLER, NOT PROCEDURALLY. THEREFORE, I, IF COUNCIL MEMBERS STILL WOULD WANNA PUT AN AMENDMENT, I THINK THE PROPER THING TO DO IS TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT. EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF IT. IT'S THE ARE THAT, ARE THAT UNDER, I'M JUST UNDER, I HAVE A LEVEL, LEVEL OF CONCERN UNDER, AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANT TO VOICE THAT. IT'S ONE THING TO DISAGREE WITH IT. RIGHT. AND, AND I'M WITH YOU, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD VOTE DOWN THE ENTIRE PROCESS AT THIS POINT. I, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO PROCEDURALLY GET THROUGH IT. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE PLAN AS A WHOLE. I JUST WANNA BE VERY CAREFUL. THIS, THIS SLOPE. WE GO DOWN TO MY COLLEAGUE IN DISTRICT NINE ABOUT, UM, PUTTING A VOTE DOWN ON SOMETHING. AND I JUST WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR. I MEAN, IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE HONOR OF THE VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION. I JUST, I, I'M, I GUESS IT'S MORE OF JUST A RECONSIDERATION PIECE. I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, YOU WANNA MAKE THE VOTE, BUT, UM, I THINK THE PROCESS HAS BEEN HONORED AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I TALKED MY POINTS ON IT AND DISCUSSED IT. AND IF YOU WANT TO VOTE IT, THAT'S FINE. AND I, IF ANDY ON THAT, ON THAT RECOMMENDATION. ALTHOUGH I THINK WE COULD DO, I THINK WE COULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT ON IT. BUT, UM, AT THIS POINT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I I, WHILE I'M APPRECIATIVE OF IT, I WON'T BE SUPPORTIVE. YOU TODAY, JOHN. I THINK THAT, UH, I THINK THE MOVEMENT IS, IS WELL WITHIN THE LARGER PLAN. AND I THINK IT HONORS EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. AND I'M HAPPY FOR THE SACRIFICE OF THE, THE TEAM AND, AND MY APPOINTEE AND THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ON IT. SO, UM, UNDERSTAND. BUT I'M NOT WITH YOU TODAY, BUT THANK YOU, JOHN. I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE. OKAY. THERE IS A MOTION FOR A SECOND FOR AMENDING, UH, THE LANGUAGE OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT, UH, WHICH IS THE MAIN MOTION. UM, CAN WE READ THE, UH, AMENDED LANGUAGE PROPOSED AMENDMENT LANGUAGE BY, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE BEFORE WE TAKE THAT UP? YES, MAYOR. THE PROPOSAL AMENDED LANGUAGES, G L O ACKNOWLEDGES THE CITY OWNS THE SENATE TAF LOCATED ON ALAMO PLAZA, G L O, AND THE CITY SHALL WORK TOGETHER AND COORDINATE THE RESTORATION OF THE SENATE TAF SO THAT THE SENATE TAF RETAINS A PLACE OF PROMINENCE AND HONOR WITHIN ALAMO PLAZA. THE CITY SHALL MAINTAIN A PARK POLICE PRESENCE IN ALAMO PLAZA TO MAINTAIN ITS SAFETY AND TO PROTECT THE SENATE TAF. OKAY. UM, AND JUST BEFORE WE TAKE THE VOTE, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO COMMENT, UM, THIS WHOLE PLAN IS BUILT ON PARTNERSHIP. AND WHILE PROCEDURALLY WE MAY BE, UH, WITHIN OUR LEGAL BOUNDS TO, UH, MAKE SUCH MOTIONS FROM THE DAIS, UH, THAT HAS NO BEARING ON THE EFFECT OF THE PARTNERSHIP ITSELF. AND I WOULD NOT WANT MY COLLEAGUES TO APPROVE THIS AMENDMENT AND SEE THE YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP DISSOLVE AS A RESULT. SO MY RECOMMENDATION AND MY VOTE WILL BE AGAINST THE AMENDMENT. SO WITH THAT, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR AN AMENDMENT. UH, AS WRITTEN AS READ BY COUNCILMAN COURAGE, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION FAILS. WE'LL GO BACK NOW TO THE MAIN MOTION. UM, AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH COUNCILMAN PERRY. THANK YOU, SIR. ALRIGHT. A LOT OF EMOTION IN THIS AND AS WELL, IT SHOULD BE, UH, A LOT OF, UH, COMMENTS BOTH FOR AND AGAINST. UH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, IN ALL OF MY, MY MEETINGS IN DISTRICT 10, I DIDN'T HAVE ONE PERSON [06:00:01] THAT WOULD COME THAT CAME UP AND SAID, HEY, WOW, WE WANT TO MOVE THAT CTA. WE AGREE WITH THAT. HEY, WOW, WE WANT TO CLOSE OFF THE PLAZA. WE WANT TO CLOSE THE STREETS, NOT ONE. SO THAT, THAT MAKES ME THINK, YOU KNOW, AM I LISTENING TO MY FOLKS IN DISTRICT 10? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU MY VOTE WILL REFLECT THAT ON THIS LEASE AGREEMENT, BUT I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. LET ME, LET ME ASK A FEW QUESTIONS. SO, LORI, I PROBABLY NEED TO COME ON UP. UM, DO WE KNOW WHAT KIND OF FENCE OR WALL OR BARRICADE THERE'S GONNA BE AROUND THIS, AROUND THE PLAZA? NO, ONCE AGAIN, THAT'LL BE PART OF THE DESIGN EFFORT. AND SO WHAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED IS THAT THERE'LL BE A 42 INCH RAILING. THE LOOK OF THAT RAILING HAS YET TO BE DESIGNED, AND THAT'LL GO BACK TO H D R C FOR FINAL APPROVAL PRIOR TO THE RECEIPT OF A BUILDING PERMIT. SO IT'LL BE SOMETHING YOU CAN SEE THROUGH, WE, WE DO NOT KNOW. SO ABOUT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE THROUGH 42 INCHES. THERE IS A COMMITMENT THAT YOU'LL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO SEE THE CHURCH, AND THAT'S THE 42 INCHES, THAT'S THREE AND A HALF FEET. BUT THEY'VE DISCUSSED LANDSCAPING, WE'VE DISCUSSED WIRING, WE'VE DISCUSSED SOMETHING CLEAR, WE DON'T KNOW. AND THAT'LL BE ALL DISCUSSED THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS AND VETTED THROUGH THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND BROUGHT TO H G R C FOR FINAL APPROVAL. OKAY. AND THEN WHAT KIND OF, WHAT KIND OF ENTRANCES OR GATES? SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF FENCE, BUT HAVE Y'ALL EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT GATES? NO, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE STILL A DESIGN ISSUE. AND THAT'LL BE DESIGNED, UM, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. AND AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL RETURN TO H D R C, BUT WE'LL BE VETTED BY THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. OKAY. AND, UM, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS GONNA BE TO THE CITY DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS ENTIRE PROJECT? WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE A STUDY. I DO NOT HAVE THE NUMBERS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UM, T X P OUT OF AUSTIN DID DO A STUDY THAT'S JOHN HAWKIN YO'S FIRM, AND THERE WAS A MAJOR ECONOMIC IMPACT. DOUG, DO YOU KNOW THE NUMBERS? I COULD LOOK IT UP IN A SECOND. WE'LL GET THAT AND, AND WE WILL RESPOND AS SOON AS WE CAN GET THOSE NUMBERS. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, UH, I, I'M STILL CONFUSED ABOUT THE ONE ENTRANCE DURING THE MUSEUM HOURS MM-HMM. , WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF HAVING THE ONE ENTRANCE AGAIN? WHY DO WE ONLY HAVE ONE ENTRANCE DURING MUSEUM HOURS? THE FOUNDATION OF THIS WHOLE PLAN IS TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE ENTIRE STORY. SO WE WANNA TELL A 300 YEARS PLUS STORY THAT OCCURRED ON THIS SITE. THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO BE ABLE TO ORIENT THE VISITOR, AND WE'RE PROPOSING A PRIMARY ENTRY TO BE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE WALL. THAT WAY WHEN SOMEONE WALKS INTO THE PLAZA, THEY IMMEDIATELY KNOW THEY'RE ON THE HISTORIC MISSION PLAZA OR THE BATTLEFIELD. RIGHT NOW, A VISITOR, WHETHER THEY'RE A TOURIST OR A RESIDENT, THEY GO STRAIGHT TO THE CHURCH TO ENTER WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE AS THE ALAMO. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE LOOK AT THE ALAMO AS A PLACE AND NOT A BUILDING. AND THAT PRIMARY ENTRY POINT WILL HELP US DO THAT. NOW, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT HAVING ADDITIONAL ENTRY POINTS WHEN THERE ARE TIMES OF HIGH TRAFFIC FLOW OR WHEN THERE'S NOT PROGRAMMING GOING ON. ADDITIONALLY, CITY MANAGER, CHERYL SCULLY AND ANDY SEGOVIA HAVE NEGOTIATED ADDITIONAL TIMES WHERE THE G L O IS COMMITTED TO HAVE THOSE THREE ACCESS POINTS OPEN. SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'LL BE TIMES OF HIGH PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY DURING THE ALAMO VARIABLE. WE KNOW THAT DURING FIESTA WE HAVE HIGH PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY. HOWEVER, THERE IS A CLAUSE IN THERE THAT ANY OTHER TIMES THAT WE DEEM NECESSARY, WE'LL WORK WITH THE G L O TO OPEN UP THOSE ADDITIONAL SITES. BUT THE PURPOSE FOR THAT PRIMARY ENTRY POINT IS TO BETTER ORIENT THE VISITOR SO WE CAN TELL ALL 300 YEARS OF HISTORY. OKAY. SO WHEN YOU'RE SAYING THAT, ARE YOU SAYING THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO INTO THE MUSEUM TO BE ORIENTED? THAT HAS NOT BEEN DESIGNED. UM, BUT THE, THE, WHAT IT IS, THE INTENTION IS THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ENTRY POINT WHERE THEY CAN GET INTO THE PLAZA. IT WILL, WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO CONNECT THE MUSEUM, AND THAT'LL BE UP TO THE MUSEUM ARCHITECT. BUT AS I'VE MENTIONED, THERE'LL NEVER BE A CHARGE TO ENTER INTO THE PLAZA AND THEN THERE BE A CHARGE ENTERING INTO THE CHURCH OR THE LONG BARRACK. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, YOU MADE AN INTERESTING COMMENT ON, I THINK IT WAS, I, I FORGET WHICH SLIDE IT WAS, BUT WHERE, WHERE DO THE MOST, WHERE TODAY, WHERE DO MOST OF THE PEOPLE COME [06:05:01] FROM? MOST PEOPLE WILL BE TRAVELING ON COMMERCE STREET, AND MOST LIKELY THEY COME FROM THE, UM, COME FROM COMMERCE OR MARKET STREET AREA AND ARE TRAVELING SOUTH ON ALAMO STREET. OKAY. SO IF I UNDERSTAND, SO UP THROUGH COMMERCE STREET MM-HMM. BETWEEN THOSE BUILDINGS MM-HMM. AND UP ONTO THE, UP ONTO THE ALAMO GROUNDS, WHERE WAS THE ORIGINAL MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE ALAMO? IT WAS IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF THE GAZEBO AREA. THAT'S WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE SOUTH GATE. UM, AND THERE IS SOME INTERPRETATION OF THE SOUTH GATE ON THE SITE. IT'S WHERE THE RAISED PLANT BEDS ARE, UM, THAT ARE, UM, SOUTH OF, I'M SORRY, NORTH OF THE BANDSTAND. SO I GUESS I'M CONFUSED. WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO REIMAGINE THAT WHOLE PLAZA WAY IT WAS BACK, BACK THEN, BUT YET WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE THE MAIN ENTRANCE THAT WAS ACTUALLY USED AS THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE PLAZA. I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. WELL, WE WILL ALL, WE ARE GOING TO INTERPRET THE MAIN ENTRANCE SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WAS THE PRIMARY ENTRANCE. SO WHY NOT? BUT IN PUBLIC FEEDBACK THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN BY MAKING THAT THE PRIMARY ENTRANCE, YOU'VE CUT THE TRAFFIC FLOOD GOING NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE PLAZA. SO NOW WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE CREATED THE PRIMARY ENTRY POINT OFF OF ALIMONY, THE CROCKETT BUILDING THAT'S WE'RE PROPOSING, BUT THAT'LL ALLOW TRAFFIC TO CONTINUE NORTH AND SOUTH FROM HOUSTON STREET TO CROCKETT STREET. SO THAT LOCATION WAS BASED ON PUBLIC INPUT THAT WE HEARD OVER THE PAST YEAR. OKAY. THAT, THAT, I, I GUESS I'M A LITTLE BIT SLOW, BUT I DIDN'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AT ALL ABOUT ALLOWING TRAFFIC TO CONTINUE BECAUSE BASICALLY, AGAIN, WE'RE CLOSING OFF THE ENTIRE PLAZA EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE ENTRANCE BY THE MUSEUM. SO WHY AREN'T WE USING THE ORIGINAL ENTRANCE COUNCILMAN TO THE PLAZA? UM, MAY I SUGGEST, UH, A MEMBER OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE? COUNCILMAN BEST ANSWER THAT QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY. YES SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO, YES, I, I THINK, I THINK AS, AS LORI WAS SAYING, THE THE SOUTH GATE WILL BE AN INTERPRETATION AND ALL THAT IS STILL BEING DESIGNED AND WORKED OUT AND PART OF A PROCESS WHEN, WHEN SHE TALKS ABOUT NORTH SOUTH TRAFFIC, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO GO, UH, TO ALL TO THE MISSION, HISTORIC FOOTPRINT WHATSOEVER, THEY, THEY'RE SIMPLY TRYING TO CUT THROUGH AND GET TO THE NORTH SIDE OF, OF THE PLAZA OR TO OTHER AREAS OF DOWNTOWN OR VICE VERSA. THERE IS A, A PATHWAY THERE, A VERY WIDE PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY WALKWAY THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO DO THAT. WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IS CREATE A FORMAL ENTRY POINT, AND LET'S JUST CALL IT A CONCEPTUAL THRESHOLD OF HOW SOMEBODY ENTERS INTO THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT. AGAIN, IT'S IN THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO SAY WE WANT TO ORIENT PEOPLE ONTO THE SITE. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO TELL YOU WHAT THAT DESIGN LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T EVEN SELECTED THE ARCHITECT, UH, THAT THAT'S GONNA BE DOING THAT. BUT WHAT, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE'LL BE FOLLOWING THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, WHICH WE HAVE TO THIS POINT. AND CREATING AN ENTRY POINT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT IS A DOORWAY. IT IS, IT'S AN, IT'S A FORMAL ENTRY, AND THAT MEANS WE'LL DESIGN IT FOR THE CAPACITY NEEDED. SO IT'S NOT ABOUT A DOORWAY OR A TURNSTILE, IT IS HOW PEOPLE GET ORIENTED ONTO THE SITE AND CAN THEN ENTER, UH, THE, THE PLAZA KNOWING THAT THEY'RE ENTERING THE MISSION HISTORIC FOOTPRINT, WHICH THEY DON'T KNOW NOW. YEAH, AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION, BUT AGAIN, I, IF I'M A VISITOR COMING IN, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO NOT INTERPRET, BUT ACTUALLY ENTER THROUGH THAT, THROUGH THAT GATE, UM, AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT, CHERYL. SO YES, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBER, THE ONLY THING I'D ADD TO WHAT, UH, LORI SAID ABOUT ORIENTATION AND WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER ADDED, IRONICALLY, UM, ORIGINALLY WE DID HAVE THE SOUTH GATE IS THE MAIN POINT OF ENTRY WHEN THERE WERE THE GLASS WALLS THAT HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. AND THE POINT WAS FOR ORIENTATION OF THE VISITOR. AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE MUSEUM WILL INCLUDE A VISITOR CENTER, NOT JUST THE MUSEUM. AND SO ANYONE ENTERING THE GROUNDS WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT FREE OF CHARGE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH A MUSEUM TO ENTER THE GROUNDS, BUT IT WILL PROVIDE FOR THAT ORIENTATION JUST AS IT DOES FOR MOST OF OUR NATIONAL MONUMENTS. AND THAT, THAT IS REALLY THE CONCEPT BEHIND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND WE HOPE TO USE THE CROCKETT BUILDING, UH, THAT AREA AS THAT ENTRY POINT INTO, UH, THE MAIN, THE PLAZA AREA IN FRONT OF, UH, THE HISTORIC CHURCH. SO IT IS FOR ORIENTATION, THERE IS NO CHARGE AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE [06:10:01] MUSEUM TO GET INTO THE PLAZA. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UM, UH, I, I'M JUST FROM WHAT I, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE COMING UP, UH, SOUTH ALAMO, UH, OFF OF COMMERCE GOING UP TOWARDS THAT, THAT PLAZA. AND AGAIN, THE SOUTH GATE WAS THE MAIN GATE, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA USE THAT AS A MAIN ENTRANCE. WE'RE GONNA FUNNEL EVERYBODY AROUND TO ANOTHER PORTION OF THE, OF THE AREA. AND I, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN'T USE THE SOUTH GATE AS A MAIN GATE. UM, WA WASN'T THERE SOMETHING IN THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ABOUT CONNECTIVITY? YES, THAT IS ONE OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO MAKE, MAKE SURE WE CONNECT PEOPLE TO AND FROM THE SITE. AND SO YOU'LL SEE SOME PEOS IN THE AREA. SO THE AREA, THE CITY'S GONNA CONTROL, BUT THE PORTION OF THE STREETS THAT WE'RE CLOSING A VEHICULAR ACCESS, THOSE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE STREET PEOS THAT LEAD PEOPLE TO THE ALAMO. BUT FOR THE ONE THAT TAKES YOU ALONG ALAMO STREET, IF YOU'RE HEADING FROM MARKET TO THE ALAMO, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED FROM THE ALAMO GOING TO LA VITA, FROM THE ALAMO GOING TO HEMISPHERE, BECAUSE THERE IS A RICH HISTORY THERE AS WELL. HEMISPHERE WAS THE ORIGINAL FARM FIELDS FOR THE MISSION. UM, LA VITA HAS A RICH HISTORY CONNECTED TO THE ALAMO, AND THEN ALSO CONNECTING PEOPLE TO MARKET SQUARE. AND SO SOME OF THESE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS WILL HELP ENHANCE THAT CONNECTIVITY, BUT IT'LL BE PART OF A WAYFINDING PACKAGE THAT'S YET TO BE DESIGNED. OKAY. UH, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN ENHANCE THE CONNECTIVITY AGAIN, WITH ONLY HAVING ONE ENTRANCE INTO THAT PLAZA DURING THE MUSEUM HOURS. I, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO ENHANCE THAT CONNECTIVITY. IN FACT, I, I JUST, THAT THAT JUST DOES NOT FIT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THAT WHOLE AREA WAS INTENDED TO BE. I MEAN, ANDY, CAN YOU READ THAT AGAIN OFF THE DEEDED? WHAT, WHAT I, I THINK IT WAS READ EARLIER TODAY, BUT CAN YOU READ AGAIN WHAT WHAT WAS SAID IN THE DEEDED? I'M TRYING TO HIT MY BUTTON HERE. COUNCIL. YES, I CAN READ THAT. THIS IS FROM THE 1871 DEEDED TO THAT PARCEL THAT'S WITHIN THE, UH, ALAMO PLAZA. UH, AND IT BEING UNDERSTOOD THAT THE PROPERTY HEREBY CONVEYED AND IS SO CONVEYED ON CONDITION THAT IT WILL BE DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC USE AS AN OPEN SPACE AND BE MADE A PART OF, AND ONE WITH THE PLAZAS ABOVE AND BELOW IT, NOW KNOWN AS THE ALAMO PLAZA AND THE PLAZA DEVAL LITTLE. YEAH. AND, AND, UH, I JUST, AGAIN, MAYBE, AND I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT THE WAY I LISTEN TO THAT, WE ARE NOT, WE'RE NOT HONORING THAT WITH THIS, TO ME, IT'S NOT AN OPEN SPACE. WE'RE CLOSING IT DOWN TO ONE ENTRANCE. ONE ENTRANCE. SO TO ME, WE ARE NOT HONORING WHAT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PUT THERE FOR. UM, OUR ATTORNEY WOULD LIKE TO WEIGH IN. UH, YES, IF I MAY, UH, AND COUNCILMAN, I CAN ASSURE YOU, I NEVER SAID ENOUGH NOVENAS TO FORESTALL A CLAIM FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, BUT, UH, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT, UH, THAT ALAMO PLAN AS, AS CONCEIVED AND, AND UH, WRITTEN IN THE LEASE, UH, IS FULLY COMPLIANT WITH THIS REQUIREMENT HERE IN THE, IN THE DEEDED. AND, AND AGAIN, I I, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A LAWYER'S DEFINITION THERE. I, AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT TO ME, WE'RE NOT HONORING WHAT THEY WANTED FOR THAT PLAZA TO BE AS AN OPEN SPACE. UM, A POROUS SPACE IS WHAT WE'RE HAVING, YOU KNOW, WITH ONE ENTRANCE DURING THE MUSEUM HOURS AND ADDITIONAL ENTRANCES AFTER THE MUSEUM HOURS. UM, BUT TO ME IT'S NOT OPEN. YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO MOVE AROUND THE ALAMO PLAZA IN ANY DIRECTION, AT ANY POINT IN THE THAT DAY WAS THE INTENT FOR THAT DEED ON GIVING IT TO THE CITY. IN FACT, MOST OF THE GREAT PLACES AROUND THE WORLD PARKS AND, AND VISITING SPACES ARE OPEN. THEY'RE NOT CLOSED. YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALLOWING FOR PEOPLE TO FREELY GO IN AND OUT AND, UH, VISITING AND ENJOYING THOSE SPACES. WE'RE BASICALLY, AND I'M ASSUMING IF WE'RE GONNA LIMIT THE ACCESS HERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING LIKE A T S A THERE, IS THAT CORRECT? A T S A TO NOT, NOT LITERALLY T S [06:15:01] A, BUT ARE WE GONNA HAVE SECURITY CHECKS AND ALL THAT STUFF GOING IN AND OUTTA THAT AREA? IS THAT THE CONCEPT? WE DON'T KNOW YET. THAT'LL STILL BE DESIGNED, BUT THEY WILL BE EQUIPPED TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE SECURITY IN THOSE TYPES OF CLEARANCES. OKAY. IS THERE GONNA BE A CHARGE TO GET IN THE MUSEUM? YES, THERE'LL BE A CHARGE TO GET IN THE MUSEUM. OKAY. BUT NOT IN THE PLAZA. AND THERE WILL NOT BE A CHARGE TO GET INTO THE CHURCH OR THE LONG BARRACK. SO THERE'S A MONEY FACTOR INVOLVED HERE. THE MUSEUM WILL BE A MONEY MAKER. THE MUSEUM WILL BE SIMILAR TO OTHER MUSEUMS IN THIS CITY WHERE YOU PAY A FEE TO ENTER THE MUSEUM. HMM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. GOT A FEW MORE QUESTIONS HERE, LORI. UM, LET'S SEE. PAGE OR SLIDE NUMBER. LEMME GET TO IT HERE. SLIDE NUMBER 12 OR 17. OKAY, SO THIS IS WHAT, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PARADE ROUTE. RELOCATING THE PARADE ROUTE. AND WHERE IS THIS PROPOSED FENCE OR BARRIER GONNA BE LOCATED AT? BETWEEN THAT FLOAT AND THE, AND THE CHAPEL? YES. OKAY. SO DEPENDING ON WHAT THAT FENCE IS, WHICH YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE SEE THROUGH MM-HMM. , HOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MISSING A VITAL ELEMENT HERE ON THAT DRAWING THAT SHOWS SOME KIND OF BARRIER. HOW ARE THEY GOING TO WALK UP AND DOWN AND PRESENT THE WREATHS, AND HOW ARE THEY GONNA SEE THE CHAPEL FROM THE FLOATS? THESE PEOPLE SITTING IN THE STANDS? I, I DON'T, YOU SAID WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF FENCE YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THROUGH IT. HOW, HOW IS THAT GONNA HAPPEN? WE'RE NOT SHOWING ANYTHING ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE. WE ARE SHOWING THE ACCESS. YOU CAN SEE THE BLEACHERS LINED UP. THERE WOULD BE A FENCE BEHIND WHERE THOSE BLEACHERS ARE, BUT THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE CHURCH DURING THIS PARADE. SO WE CAN OPEN UP THAT FENCE OR THAT GATE, BUT IT HAS YET TO BE DESIGNED, BUT WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THERE'S AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE CHURCH WHEN THESE FOUR, THE ALAMO DURING THE PARADES. WELL, UM, AGAIN, FOR I, THE OPEN ACCESS IS A NON-NEGOTIABLE TO ME AND I'LL, THERE WAS SOME QUOTES BY COLONEL TRAVIS AND, UH, DAVID CROCKETT. I'LL, I'LL USE ONE OF THOSE FROM COLONEL TRAVIS. THAT'S A LINE IN THE SAND FOR ME ON KEEPING THIS PLAZA OPEN AND NOT RESTRICTING IT TO VISITORS OR SAN ANTONIANS. UM, SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I WANT THIS SITE TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I WANT IT TO BE SOMETHING GREAT FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND SEE, BUT I DON'T WANNA LIMIT ACCESS. I DON'T AGREE WITH OTHER PARTS OF THIS PLAN. UM, BUT I WANT IT TO REMAIN OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC 24 7. UM, PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE FUNNELED INTO THE MUSEUM TO LEARN ABOUT THINGS THAT MAY NOT EVEN INTEREST 'EM. NOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT, HEY, WE NEED TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THIS OTHER HISTORY. I WANNA LEARN ABOUT IT TOO. I THINK THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S AWESOME TO BRING IN ALL THE UNKNOWNS ABOUT THAT AREA FOR THE PAST 300 YEARS. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO CLOSE OFF THE PLAZA. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT UP WALLS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOWER THAT WHOLE SITE, YOU KNOW, UP TO 30 INCHES. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT TO THAT ENTIRE SITE TO TELL THE STORY OF THE ENTIRE 300 YEARS THERE OF THE, OF THAT, THAT SITE. YOU KNOW, THERE, THIS WOULD BE INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, WE SAY THAT WE GOT A LOT OF INPUT FROM ACROSS THE STATE. IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW A VOTE WOULD GO, NOT ONLY, NOT ONLY FOR THE STATE, BUT FOR SAN ANTONIO. I MEAN, AND I MENTIONED THIS AT THE, UH, B SESSION THE OTHER DAY. THERE WAS A TELEPHONE POLL [06:20:01] TAKEN AND HAD OVER 1200 RESPONDENTS, AND I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST SAY 'EM AGAIN. UH, DISTRICT 10, WE HAD 565 CONNECTS, 64% DO NOT MOVE THE SENATE. HALF 56% DON'T MOVE, DON'T CLOSE THE STREETS AND CLOSE OFF THE PLAZA. DISTRICT DISTRICT SIX FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE CONNECTS 66% DON'T MOVE THE SENATE. HALF 60% DON'T CLOSE THE STREETS AND PLAZA DISTRICT ONE RIGHT DOWNTOWN HERE, 298 CONNECTS 63%. DON'T MOVE THE SENATE TAB. YEAH, 65%, 65% OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE DOWN AROUND THIS AREA DON'T CLOSE THE STREETS IN PLAZA. SO ARE WE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ARE WE REALLY LISTENING TO THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE REPRESENTING UP HERE? AND I WOULD CHALLENGE EVERYBODY ON THIS DAIS UP HERE. HAVE THEY REALLY REACHED OUT TO THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR CONSTITUENTS TO GET THEIR INPUT? AGAIN, I HAD NOBODY COME UP TO SAY, YES, LET'S MOVE THAT CTA. YES, LET'S CLOSE OFF DOWNTOWN, THE CITY OF OUR, THE CENTER OF OUR CITY, CLOSING IT OFF. I, I, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT AS A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE DO AS WELL. SO IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW AN ACTUAL VOTE WOULD GO. UM, WITH THAT, SIR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE MY OWN AMENDMENT UNDER SECTION 8.06, ACCESS TO THE PREMISES IN THE PROPOSED LEASE SECTION A SITES THE HISTORIC MISSION SPACE WILL HAVE SIX ACCESS POINTS AND WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 24 7 THROUGH THE MUSEUM ENTRIES AS DESCRIBED IN THE ALAMO PLAN. I MOVE TO AMEND SECTION 8.06 A TO READ THE ALAMO PLAN INCLUDES A NEW 2.5 ACRE OUTDOOR SPACE THAT RECAPTURES AND DELINEATES MOST OF THE ORIGINAL HISTORIC MISSION FOOTPRINT. PEDESTRIAN ACCESS SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO FEWER THAN SIX ACCESS POINTS AND SHALL REMAIN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 24 7 EXCEPT FOR CIRCUMSTANCES LISTED UNDER SECTION 6.02 A AND ALSO TO REMOVE SECTIONS 8.0, SIX B AND C AS THEY WOULD ESSENTIALLY NO LONGER BE NECESSARY WITH THIS AMENDMENT. SO THAT'S MY AMENDMENT ON THAT. AGAIN, I, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT HAS WORKED ON THIS. I, I STILL THINK WE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO. I DON'T AGREE WITH CLOSING OFF THE PLAZA. I DON'T AGREE WITH MOVING THE SENATE HALF. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. COURAGE. YOU KNOW, IT WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS A MENTION OF IT, UM, EARLIER TODAY THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE A PETITION DRIVE ON THIS. WELL, WE GOT AN ELECTION IN NOVEMBER HERE, UH, WOULD BE AN EASY, EASY WAY TO GET PETITIONS SIGNED. UH, THE WAY WE COUNCILMAN THERE'S A SECONDARY MOTION ON THE FLOOR. SO CONTINUE YOUR COMMENTS TO THAT MOTION, PLEASE. OKAY, WELL, ALRIGHT. I WILL SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, THERE WAS AGAIN A QUOTE BY DAVID CROCKETT. I'VE GOT ONE ALSO THAT PERTAINS TO THIS MOTION, SAYS, LET YOUR TONGUE SPEAK WHAT YOUR HEART THINKS. THAT WAS SAID BY DAVID CROCKETT, AND I'M SPEAKING FROM MY HEART FOR THIS PLAZA AND FOR THE, FOR THE RE-IMAGINATION OF THAT AREA. SO WITH THAT, THAT'S MY MOTION, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GREAT, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PERRY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR AN AMENDMENT AS READ BY COUNCILMAN PERRY. ANDY, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? UH, AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE COUNCIL, PRACTICALLY SPEAKING FROM WHAT, UH, THE POSITION ARTICULATED BY THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, UH, IF THERE'S AN AMENDMENT OF THAT NATURE TO EFFECTIVELY, UH, THE ALAMO PLAN WILL NOT GO FORWARD. I UNDERSTAND THAT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, SO WE WILL SUSPEND, UH, DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN MOTION AND TAKE UP THE AMENDMENT OFFERED BY COUNCILMAN PERRY. IF THERE ARE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE AMENDMENT. UH, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND, UH, QUEUE IN NOW. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT OFFERED BY COUNCILMAN PERRY? YES, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU. I JUST WANNA REITERATE MY, UH, ENDORSEMENT. [06:25:01] UH, AS I SAID EARLIER, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THE CURRENT PLAN REALLY CREATES A BARRIER TO THE AVERAGE EVERYDAY SAN ANTONIO CITIZEN ENJOYING THAT PLAZA, WHICH HAS BEEN THE HEART OF THIS CITY, THAT AS WELL AS MILITARY PLAZA FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. UH, AND I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, WHO FEEL THAT THAT IS THE WRONG DECISION. IT'S NOT NECESSARY IF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WANTS TO DO MORE TO MANAGE THAT PLAZA SO THAT IT HONORS, UH, THE HEROES OF THE ALAMO, WE CAN DO SO AS A CITY BYPASSING CITY ORDINANCES WITHOUT GIVING THE CONTROL OF THE PLAZA, UH, TO THE G L O AND WITHOUT EXCLUDING ACCESS TO THE AVERAGE EVERYDAY SAN ANTONIO CITIZEN. SO I SUPPORT THE MOTION. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. COUNCILMAN SHAW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I GUESS I'M GOING TAKE THIS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OR DIFFERENT ANGLE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD TWO MOTIONS ON THE FLOOR THIS AFTERNOON REGARDING THE LEASE. AND ANNIE, THIS QUESTION, THIS DIALOGUE IS FOR YOU BECAUSE WE'RE UN UNILATERALLY AMENDING THE MOTION, THEREFORE WE'RE DENYING THE, THE ORIGINAL LEASE. THAT'S CORRECT. PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, THAT'S CORRECT. COUNCILMAN, THE REASON I SAY PRACTICALLY SPEAKING IS THE, THE AMENDMENT LANGUAGE, UH, ON ITS FACE DOESN'T INVALIDATE IT, BUT PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, AGAIN FROM THE POSITION THAT G L O HAS TAKEN AN AMENDMENT EFFECTIVELY, UH, BUT EVEN LEGALLY SPEAKING, I'LL GO BACK TO CONTRACTS 1 0 1. IF YOU GIVE ME AN OFFER AND I, I WANT TO AMEND THAT OFFER, THEREFORE I'M REJECTING YOUR OFFER AND I'M GIVING YOU A COUNTER OFFER. CORRECT. SO THEREFORE MAKING THESE AMENDMENTS, WE'RE GIVING THE G L O A COUNTER OFFER. CORRECT. AND WE'RE AND WE'RE REJECTING THE ORIGINAL. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. YES. SO THEREFORE, WHY CAN'T WE JUST VOTE ON THE, THE LEASE AS IT IS UP OR DOWN? BECAUSE WE CONTINUE WITH ALL THESE MOTIONS AND ALL WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE REJECTING THE, THE ORIGINAL OFFER OFFERED TO US BY G L O. WE CANNOT MAKE AMENDMENTS TO THIS LEASE. THE, UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, COUNCILMAN. UH, THE REASON IS MY, MY VIEW OF THE PARLIAMENTARIAN RULES IS IF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT ON ITS FACE DOESN'T, UH, NULLIFY THE MAIN MOTION, THEN FROM A PROCEDURAL STANDPOINT IT CAN GO FORWARD. I BELIEVE IT DOES NULLIFY. I BELIEVE THAT THESE MOTIONS ARE MADE IN BAD FAITH BECAUSE IF THESE MOTIONS ARE, ARE SUCCESSFUL, THEN IT SHOOTS DOWN THE ENTIRE PROJECT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS, LET'S JUST VOTE ON THE, ON THE CURRENT LEASE. UH, THE, UH, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS, IS IF THE, UH, COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER THE MAIN MOTION NOW, UH, A MOTION CAN BE MADE, WHICH WOULD TAKE PRECEDENCES, UH, TO END THE DEBATE, BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE A TWO THIRDS VOTE BY THE COUNCIL. LET'S DO IT. MAYOR, MAYOR, YOU HAVE YOU YIELDED FLOOR? YES. COUNCILMAN SHAW. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SHAW. COUNCILMAN BROADCAST. UH, AS OF THIS MOMENT, I MOVE TO CALL THE QUESTION AND REQUEST A ROLL CALL VOTE. CALL THE QUESTION ON THE MAIN MOTION, PLEASE. UM, JUST, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, I THINK THE COUNCILMAN YOU'RE CALLING FOR THE END OF THE DEBATE I'M CALLING, WHAT I'M CALLING FOR IS THE END TO THE DEBATE. WE MOVE TO CALL THE CO THE, THE RIGHT, THE MAIN MOTION TO THE FLOOR FOR TWO THIRDS VOTE IN MY AND IS THAT A DEBATABLE MOTION IN THIS POINT? NO, THAT'S NOT A DEBATABLE MOTION, BUT, UH, IT, FOR TWO THIRDS VOTE THEN THE DEBATE WOULD END WITH THE TWO THIRDS VOTE OF THE COUNCIL AND THEN YOU WOULD VOTE. I THINK IT'S TIME WE CALL THE QUESTION. I MEAN, I, AND I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO A FLOOR VOTE TO SEE IF WE GET TO THE MAIN MOTION CORRECT. . OKAY. SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE'S MOTIONING TO END DEBATE AT THIS POINT. IN WHICH CASE WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO TAKE UP THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR, WHICH IS THE SECONDARY AMENDMENT. WELL LET MAYOR, GO AHEAD. UH, A MO A MOTION TO, WELL WE DO HAVE COUNCILMAN PERRY'S MOTION, BUT A MOTION TO END DEBATE, UH, TO ME WOULD TAKE PRECEDENT MAYOR, AND THAT'S NOT DEBATABLE, BUT IT REQUIRES A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF THE COUNCIL TO END DEBATE. AND ONCE DEBATE IS ENDED, THEN THE COUNCIL VOTES ON THE MAIN MOTION. RIGHT, BUT THERE'S ALREADY A MOTION MADE, UH, IN ORDER ON THE FLOOR. CORRECT. SO IF WE END DEBATE NOW, WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO TAKE UP COUNCILMAN PERRY'S MOTION. SO WE NEED TO KILL HIS MOTION FIRST BEFORE WE CAN CORRECT. THAT'S, I FORGET ABOUT THAT. IT'S JUST THIS TO MY COLLEAGUES. UH, THIS APPEARS TO BE THE LAST ATTEMPT TO MA UH, AMEND THE AMENDMENT. UH, SO I WOULD RECOMMEND MY COLLEAGUES, UH, THAT WE GO AHEAD AND DENY THE AMENDMENT NOW AND GO BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION AND, AND OUR COLLEAGUES CAN FINISH UP WITH THEIR COMMENTS ON THEIR SUPPORT OF, OF THE ALAMO PLAN BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE WORKED A LONG TIME TO GET THIS POINT. SO AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE REASONS STATED AND THE FACT THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO END [06:30:01] OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE, UH, AND HECTOR'S VERY CLEAR COMMENTARY ABOUT THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND MY COLLEAGUES AT IS AS IS MY POSITION ON THE AMENDMENT THAT WE REJECT THE AMENDMENT AT THIS TIME. SO THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR AN AMENDMENT AS READ BY COUNCILMAN PERRY. PLEASE VOTE. OKAY. MOTION FAILS. ALRIGHT, NOW WE WILL MOVE BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH AGAIN IS THE LEASE AGREEMENT WITH, UH, THE G L O AND WE WILL, UH, RESUME WITH COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ. OKAY. WE ARE BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION. OKAY. AND THAT'S APPROVAL OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US, RIGHT? UH, OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, MAYOR. SO, UH, YEAH, I'VE BEEN SPENDING SOME TIME THIS MORNING GOING THROUGH THE MANY AMENDMENTS AND LEASES SO FAR. SO, UM, CHERYL, I HOPE YOU CAN ANSWER, UH, HOW MUCH MONEY HAS THE CITY SPENT TO DATE, UH, WITH THE MULTIPLE PLANS? IT LOOKS LIKE THEY GO BACK TO 2014, UM, WITH A DIFFERENT GROUP OF FOLKS AND, UM, I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, SOME PRINTOUTS HERE BEFORE ME THAT I SUSPECT WERE, UM, QUITE EXPENSIVE. YOU KNOW, THERE, IT TALKS ABOUT THE, UM, WELL, OH, OH, I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE. UH, THIS WAS DONE BY FISHER HECK ARCHITECTS DATED JUNE, 2017. YES. SO COUNCILWOMAN THE CITY HAS NOT, UH, PAID FOR THOSE DESIGNS. THOSE WERE CONTRACTS THAT WERE ENTERED INTO BY THE G L O, UH, AFTER THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SELECTED, UH, THE MASTER PLAN TEAM, AS WELL AS THE INTERPRETIVE DESIGN TEAM. SO OF THE 38 MILLION THAT THE VOTERS AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAVE COMMITTED TO THE PROJECT, WE HAVE NOT PAID OR USED THAT MONEY YET. UH, SO THE EXPENSES TO DATE ARE JUST THE STAFF TIME THAT HAS BEEN INVESTED IN DEVELOPING THE PLANS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE G L O AS WELL AS THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT. AND SO SOFT COSTS WILL BE DETERMINED AFTER THIS VOTE HAS OCCURRED. THAT BECAUSE SINCE 2014, THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF ITERATIONS. WHEN, UH, THIS CONVERSATION WAS STARTED, IT WAS MENTIONED, THIS CONVERSATION WAS STARTED FOUR YEARS AGO. SO HAS THERE BEEN ANY OTHER SOFT COSTS SPENT TO DATE? NOT BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THE COSTS INCURRED TO DATE FOR ANY OF THE DESIGN PLANS, THE ACQUISITION OF THE BUILDINGS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ALAMO HAVE BEEN INCURRED BY THE STATE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, AND OF COURSE, A LOT OF, UM, SWEAT AND TEARS BY OUR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, WHERE WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR TIME. 'CAUSE THEY SERVE AS VOLUNTEERS. UM, SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEM, UH, FOR GIVING THEIR, UM, THEIR TIME. AND IT, IT WAS PRESENTED, UM, A NUMBER OF ITERATIONS OF THE PLAN. UH, AND THERE IS SOME DIALOGUE THAT, YOU KNOW, GREAT COMPROMISES WERE MADE, AND I WAS TRYING TO FIND SOME OF THE OLD ONES, UH, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE MOST OF THE ITEMS THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT FROM THE BEGINNING ARE THE SAME THAT WERE PRESENTED TODAY. VERY LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE IN TERMS OF COMPROMISE. VERY LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE. UH, I BELIEVE IN SOME OF THE CITY'S REQUESTS. I KNOW I FELT VERY STRONGLY THAT I ALSO HAD SOME NON-NEGOTIABLES THAT WAS CLOSING OF THE PLAZA, REMOVING OF THE BUILDINGS, UM, WANTING, UM, TO HAVE, UH, THE WHOLE STORY TOLD. THOSE WERE NON-NEGOTIABLES IN MY BOOKS. SOME OF THEM DID GET ADDRESSED. UH, THERE IS, AT LEAST NOW AT, UH, SOME DECISION TO SAVE THE BUILDINGS. UM, YOU KNOW, I I, I FEEL VERY QUESTIONABLE WHEN IT COMES BEFORE US THAT SOME THINGS ARE STILL TO BE DETERMINED. UM, I JUST KNOW THAT FROM MOST EXPERIENCE, IF AN ENTITY INTENDS TO SPEND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THEY HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO WITH THOSE SPACES, THAT IT'S NOT ALL UP FOR INTERPRETATION, BUT WE CAN ONLY GO WITH WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED BEFORE US AND WHAT'S BEEN TOLD ON US BY OUR PARTNERS. AND THAT'S THAT THEY WILL MAKE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT, UH, TO PRESERVE THE BUILDINGS, TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR USES WILL BE. UM, THAT THERE WILL BE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAMMING IS, UM, CONSISTENT WITH ALL PARTS OF THE STORY. AND THAT, THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE LEASE, WHICH I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR. UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, I WAS, UH, AT [06:35:01] THE LA AT JUST LATER, EARLIER THIS WEEK, ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AMENDMENTS TO THE LEASE, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS, UH, OBVIOUS TO US, MANY OF US AT SOME POINT ALONG THE WAY THAT THE MASTER PLAN WAS FAIRLY WELL ESTABLISHED, THAT IF WE WERE GONNA MAKE ANY CHANGES, IT HAD TO BE IN THE LEASE. UH, HOWEVER, UH, THE LEASE, UH, ALTHOUGH MANY, MANY YEARS HAVE GONE INTO THIS EFFORT, I DO THINK, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ONLY RECEIVED THE LEASE ON OCTOBER 4TH. UM, AND THAT WE ONLY GOT A FULL BRIEFING BY THE COUNCIL, BY THE, UH, TEAM, UM, A WEEK AGO ON, UH, THIS LAST B SESSION. AND SO IT DOESN'T GIVE US THAT MUCH TIME TO CREATE ALTERNATIVES. UH, AND I KNOW THAT I WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY WITH MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY, UH, INCLUDING MY REPRESENTATIVE, UH, GEORGE CHEESE NETTLES, WHO WORKED VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE HAD SOME LEGAL DOCUMENTATION THAT WE NEEDED. ALSO GOT, UM, SOME INFORMATION FROM, UH, OTHER ATTORNEYS WHO ADVISED ME ON THE LEASE, UH, ALSO FROM SOME OF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND SOME PEOPLE IN THE ARTS OR COMMUNITY. BUT WE COULDN'T REALLY DO THAT UNTIL WE HAD THE LEASE. AND SO I'M NOT SUGGESTING THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN RUSHED IN ANY WAY, UH, BUT IT THEN DOESN'T GIVE US TIME TO MAKE THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO SEE. AND AS WE WERE MAKING THE AMENDMENTS IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE MANY THINGS THAT WERE NON-NEGOTIABLES. AND SO THAT'S NOT THE PARTNERSHIP THAT I LIKE TO GO INTO WHEN RIGHT AWAY THEY TELL YOU THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE. UM, USUALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A PARTNERSHIP, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE THERE'S THIS DESIRE TO SEE, UH, BOTH SIDES, UM, HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY. UM, HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY THINGS IN THE PLAN THAT I DO LIKE, AND, UH, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT WE ALL FEEL THAT THE ALAMO IS A PLACE OF REVERENCE, THAT WE ALL FEEL THAT IT NEED, THAT THE CHURCH AND THE LONG BARR NEED TO BE RESTORED. UH, I THINK THAT THERE IS LOTS OF REASONS WHY WE WANNA, WHY WE MIGHT WANNA CLOSE THE STREETS AND MAKE THAT SPACE, UH, AVAILABLE FOR PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY. I CAN SEE THE DESIRE FOR A SINGLE ENTRANCE. UM, I CAN SEE THE DESIRE FOR A MUSEUM EXPERIENCE. UM, ALTHOUGH I DID THINK IT WAS INTERESTING AS I WAS, AGAIN, ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ALAMO, UH, THAT IT IS THE MOST VISITED SITE IN ALL OF TEXAS, UM, EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS, THE MOST VISITED SITE IN ALL OF TEXAS. UH, AND IT'S THE WAY THAT IT IS. UM, UH, I ASKED ALSO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER AREAS. AND WHILE PEOPLE DO FEEL DISAPPOINTED WHEN THEY COME TO THE SITE, THEY SAY, OH, WOW, IT'S SO SMALL, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE HEAR THE MOST. LIKE, THEY JUST WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME AND THEY MOVE ON. BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE A VERY UNREALISTIC IDEA OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT SPACE. AND WE HOPE THAT THE REST OF THE STORY WILL BE TOLD, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN. UM, BUT I WAS, UH, AT CITY HALL SOME YEARS AGO AND APPROACHED BY A TOURIST, AND HE SAID, WHERE IS THE SPANISH GOVERNOR'S PALACE? AND I SAID, THIS IS A SPANISH GOVERNOR'S PALACE. AND GENTLEMAN SAID, NO, NO, NO, THE PALACE. AND I SAID, NO, THAT'S IT. LET ME WALK YOU OVER THERE. WE WALKED. I SAID, THIS IS THE PALACE. HE SAID, WELL, I WAS EXPECTING A PALACE. WELL, NO, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT. UH, JUST LIKE THE ALAMO ISN'T THE ONE BATTLE, THE ALAMO IS ACTUALLY AN EXPERIENCE, AND IT ACTUALLY HAS EVOLVED OVER MANY YEARS, AND IT'S A PUBLIC SPACE, AND IT'S GROWN UP AS AN URBAN SPACE. AND THERE ARE MANY AREAS AROUND IT, UH, THAT HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, AND THAT WE WANT TO RESTORE. AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS IN THE PLAN THAT, UH, I I, I, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I DO WANNA SUPPORT, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND SO IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, A DIFFICULT DECISION BECAUSE, UM, WHILE I, I FEEL THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLANS, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT OUR PARTNERS, UH, AND THEIR, UM, REALLY DESIRE TO WORK TOGETHER. UM, EVEN GIVEN THE COMMENTS MADE EARLIER BY THE GENTLEMAN WHO SAYS, YOU HAVE TO PROVE THIS THE WAY IT IS. ONE DOESN'T LIKE TO BE FORCED TO APPROVE. WE WANT TO MAKE AMENDMENTS. AND WE WERE ONLY GIVEN, I MEAN, A WEEK TO MAKE THOSE AMENDMENTS. AND WHILE I'M VERY PROUD OF MY STAFF AND MY NUMEROUS PHDS AND MSWS THAT I HEAR EVERYBODY BRAGGED ABOUT, I DON'T HAVE ANY LAWYERS, SO I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONSULT OTHERS, UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, CONSULT IN-HOUSE WITH OUR OWN LAWYERS ABOUT WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS WE CAN MAKE. AND WE WERE ONLY TOLD YESTERDAY IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WHETHER OR NOT THOSE AMENDMENTS WERE ACCEPTED. AND SO, UH, THEN VERY LITTLE TIME TO [06:40:01] DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD PROVE THE PLAN THAT'S BEFORE US TODAY AND WHY HAVE BEEN CONFLICTED, UH, ALL DAY AS WE MAKE THESE DECISIONS. UM, AND, UH, AND I, UH, I DO, I WAS LISTENING TO EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS TODAY ABOUT THE STORIES AT THE ALAMO. AND, AND I MENTIONED THIS THE LAST TIME, UH, BUT I FEEL WHEN WE VOTED ON THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES A YEAR PLUS TIME AGO, AND SO I FEEL IT IMPORTANT TO QUOTE AGAIN, A VERY SHORT STORY, UM, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ALAMO. AND THAT IS THE FIGHT FOR TEXAS INDEPENDENCE STARTED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF JOSE BERDO GUTIERREZ DE LARA IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE A SHORT-LIVED DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS WAS PROCLAIMED ON APRIL 6TH, 1813. THIS WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE BATTLE OF MEDINA. THE LARGEST BATTLE EVER FOUGHT ON TEXAS SOIL, JUST 20 MILES SOUTH OF SAN ANTONIO IN ATASCOSA COUNTY, WHERE ALMOST A THOUSAND DECONS AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS DIED AT THE HANDS OF THE ROYALIST ARMY THAT INCLUDED ANTONIO LOPEZ DESANA. IT WAS THIS BATTLE LED BY TEJANOS THAT SANTA ANA REMEMBERED WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE ALAMO IN 1836. THIS IS WHY SO MANY PEOPLE WONDER WHY PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT THE ALAMO OFTEN INVOKED THE NAMES OF TRAVIS BOWIE AND CROCKETT. THERE IS SELDOM MENTION OF THE SIX TEJANO ALAMO HEROES WHO WERE BORN IN TEXAS, JUAN ABBI, JUAN BARILLA, CARLOS ESP, RIO ESPARZA, ANTONIO FUENTES, AND ANDRES NAVA. THESE TEJANOS WERE PART OF CAPTAIN JUAN SEN'S VOLUNTEER ARMY COMPANIES WHO FOUGHT VALIANTLY AND SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES FOR TEXAS INDEPENDENCE. WHEN HE FORMED THE COMPANIES SINE IS REPORTED TO HAVE DECLARED TEXAS SHALL BE FREE, INDEPENDENT, OR WE SHALL PERISH WITH GLORY AND BATTLE. AND MANY OF THESE STORIES MUST BE TOLD AND NOT FORGOTTEN. AND WE HOPE TO DO THAT IN THE MUSEUM. AND THEREFORE, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT AN AMENDMENT BE MADE THAT INCLUDES, THAT THOSE STORIES WILL BE TOLD. IT'S PART OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT AND ALSO A PART OF, UH, TO CONTINUE WITH THE COMMISSION IS NOW IN THE LEASE AGREEMENT AS WELL. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO JUAN SEGUIN. HE WAS FORCED TO FLEE TO MEXICO BECAUSE HE WAS TREATED SO BADLY, UH, BY THE PEOPLE WHO THEN TOOK OVER THE ALAMO. AND IT CAUSED JUAN ANTONIO NOVATO TO TELL THE TRUE STORY IN HIS MEMOIRS WHEN HE WROTE, I AM DOING SO WRITING THE MEMOIRS THAT OUR AMERICAN PUBLIC MAY UNDERSTAND HOW UNWORTHY OUR, SOME AMONG OURSELVES, WHO WITH CRAFTY AND UNGRATEFUL SCHEMES, SEEK TO EXPEL THE LAWFUL OWNERS AND DESCENDANTS FROM THIS CLASSIC SOIL ATTACKING THOSE FOR WHO A HALF CENTURY HAVE SHED THEIR BLOOD IN THE FENCE OF THE LIBERTY, WHICH WE NOW ENJOY. AND SO WE CANNOT TELL THE TRUE STORY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE ALAMO WITHOUT PRESERVING THE SITE WITH A WARWORTH LUNCH COUNTER WAS FIRST INTEGRATED AFTER YEARS OF SEGREGATION. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE PARTNERSHIP THAT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED SO MANY TIMES HERE BEFORE US TODAY, AS I HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES AND THE MAYOR, UH, THAT WE DO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP, UH, AND THAT WE EXPECT THAT THAT TO CONTINUE IN THE YEARS TO COME. UH, MANY OF US WILL NOT BE HERE ON THE DAIS WHEN MANY OF THESE THINGS COME TO FRUITION. AND SO WE EXPECT THAT THE LEGACY WILL CONTINUE WITH THE LEASE THAT WE HAVE, UH, AND THOSE THAT PROCEED US, UH, HERE ON THIS COUNCIL. UH, WE DON'T WANT THE JOHN WAYNE VERSION OF THE ALAMO TO CONTINUE. AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT IS BY HAVING A MUSEUM THAT TELLS THE WHOLE STORY, UH, THAT WE DO SEE HERE, UH, IN THE LEASE. SO, UM, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, UH, ALLOWING ME TO, UH, GIVE MY LONG-WINDED REMARKS ABOUT, UM, THE ALAMO, AND, UM, UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ. COUNCILMAN PAEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, LORI, I, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. WE ARE, UH, CAN YOU, CAN YOU WALK OVER, I, I THINK THERE'S 300 MILLION LEFT TO FUND, IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT, OR, OR IS THAT THE FUNDED PORTION SO FAR? NO, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS $38 MILLION. OKAY. APPROPRIATED FOR THIS PROJECT. THE STATE OF TEXAS HAVE 106 MILLION, AND THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT IS COMMITTED TO RAISING $200 MILLION OR MORE TO COMPLETE THE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT. OKAY. HAS THAT, WHERE ARE WE ON THAT, ON THAT PORTION OF IT? THE 200 MILLION? THEY HAVE NOT STARTED THEIR CAMPAIGN. OKAY. THEY'RE WAITING TO, FOR [06:45:01] THE LEASE AGREEMENT TO BE CONSIDERED. OKAY. THEN THEY CAN START THEIR CAMPAIGN. OKAY. DID, AFTER THE LEASE IS EXECUTED, IS THERE A DEADLINE OR SOME KIND OF MILESTONE EXPECTATION THAT THEY HIT? I'M GONNA REFER TO DOUG MCDONALD. OKAY. TO SPEAK TO THAT FROM WHO'S THE C E O OF THE ALAMO. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME CONSIDERATION. UM, HAVING BEEN A MUSEUM, A PROFESSIONAL FOR 30 YEARS, DONE LOTS OF PROJECTS AND RAISED LOTS OF MONEY, THIS IS ONE PROJECT WHERE THE REALLY INSPIRATIONAL PROJECT IS NOT GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM RAISING MONEY. AND SO, WHILE I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, AND IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES YOU MIGHT WANNA DO THAT, I THINK THE LEAST OF OUR CONCERNS IS WHETHER OR NOT THIS ENDOWMENT BOARD, UH, WILL BE ABLE TO RAISE THIS MONEY. THEY WILL. I'M ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT OF THAT. UH, THIS IS A MARVELOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF YOU, SO THANK YOU. OKAY. THANKS. UM, THE LEASE SECTION 7.03 TALKS ABOUT COMMENCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION BY JULY 1ST, 2021. CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT COMMENCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION MEANS? IN OTHER WORDS, IS THAT ONCE DEMOLISHING OF A BUILDING STARTS OR IS THAT ACTUALLY GOING VERTICAL ON A CLEAN SLATE? I BELIEVE THAT'S SPEAKING TO WHEN THE LEASE COMMENCES. I MEAN, ACTUALLY WHEN PARCEL A AND PARCEL B WILL TAKE EFFECT. AND SO JULY 20, JULY 1ST, 2021, THAT IS THE, AND WE ANTICIPATE THE SOUTHVILLE COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT TO BE COMPLETE. OKAY. IN 2021. WE DO NOT WANNA CLOSE THE STREET UNTIL THAT PROJECT IS COMPLETE. UM, ANDY COUNCILMAN, I, I, I, I, I, IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, YES, THERE'S A PROVISION IN THE LEASE, IT'S UNDER 7 0 3. YEAH. WHICH DOES OBLIGATE THE G L O TO START CONSTRUCTION BY JANUARY ONE, UH, 2022. AND IF THEY DON'T, THEY NEED TO GIVE US A, UH, PLAN AS TO WHEN THEY WOULD START CONSTRUCTION. AND THEN AN ABSOLUTE DROP DEAD DATE IS SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2022, WHICH IF THEY DON'T START CONSTRUCTION, THEN THE CITY HAS THE ABILITY TO TERMINATE THE LEASE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. UH, THANKS, LAURIE. I APPRECIATE IT. THE, UH, YOU KNOW, MY, MY KIDS, MAX AND SOPHIA, I TALK ABOUT 'EM OFTEN. UM, WE, WE, WE TALK ABOUT THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE 11 AND THEY'RE 12, AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THE NUANCES. AND SO I HAVE TO GO HOME AND EXPLAIN TO THEM, YOU KNOW, WHY WE DID THIS AND WHY WE SAID THAT. BUT TODAY I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO HOME AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT IT MEANS WHEN I SAY, UH, SOMETHING I READ RECENTLY, WHICH IS, GROWING OLD IS MANDATORY, BUT GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. AND WE ALL KNOW THAT GROWING UP ISN'T EASY. RIGHT. AND WE HAVE NOW BECOME A GROWN UP CITY, AND WE ARE NOT THE SAN ANTONIO OF 19. WHENEVER, WHEN THE SAN SANITA WAS PUT UP, WE ARE NOT THE SAN ANTONIO OF 20 YEARS AGO. WE'RE NOT THE SAN ANTONIO FIVE YEARS AGO. WE'RE A CITY THAT'S GROWING EXPONENTIALLY. THE NUMBER OF TOURISTS THAT VISIT US EVERY DAY INCREASES BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS. AND YET, EVERY SINGLE TIME I, AND EVERY SINGLE TIME I TAKE SOMEBODY FROM SAN ANTONIO, WHO'S NEW TO SAN ANTONIO, WHO JUST MOVED HERE TO GO SEE THE ALAMO FOR THE FIRST TIME, OR WHENEVER I GET A VISITOR AND WE GO TO THE SEE THE ALAMO THE FIRST TIME, I'VE NEVER HAD THE EXPERIENCE WHERE ONE OF 'EM TURNS TO ME AND SAYS, WOW, WHAT AN AMAZING FEELING I'M GETTING RIGHT NOW. ALMOST ALL OF 'EM TURN TO ME AND SAY, MAN, THAT'S REALLY KIND OF UNDERWHELMING. UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE MYTH OF THE ALAMO IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT THAT PLAZA, UM, MAKES THEM FEEL. RIGHT? AND SO HERE'S SOME, HERE'S A WORD THAT MY KIDS AND I ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT TONIGHT. THE WORD IS SATISFIES. IT'S A WORD HARDLY ANYBODY EVER LISTENS TO, BUT IT'S THIS SORT OF DECISION MAKING PROCESS THAT DECISION MAKERS GO THROUGH. AND SO WHEN THEY SEE A REALLY SIMPLE PROBLEM TO SOLVE, UH, THEY COME UP WITH A SIMPLE OPTIMUM SOLUTION. BUT WHEN THERE'S A DIFFICULT PROBLEM, WHICH IS MORE REALISTIC AND A REAL WORLD, THEN THE SOLUTIONS ARE MORE IMPERFECT. AND SO THEY'VE GOTTA MAKE THAT CHOICE. AND SO, HERE'S SOME EASY ONES. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM WHO AGREES OR WHO WHO'S GONNA DISAGREE WITH THIS ONE, THE ALAMO AND THE STORY OF THE ALAMO MERIT REVERENCE. I THINK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM AGREES WITH THAT. UM, THIS SIDE OVER HERE, THE, THE FAMILY OF THE GROOM AND THE FAMILY OF THE BRIDE OVER THERE, , I THINK EVERYBODY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE AGREE THAT I ALSO THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE, WHEN THEY'RE BEING HONEST TO THEMSELVES, WILL ADMIT THAT THE CURRENT ALAMO EXPERIENCE IS UNDERWHELMING, AND THAT THE PLAZA IS FULL OF SOME REALLY DISAPPOINTING DISTRACTIONS. AND THAT THOSE DISTRACTIONS AND THAT FEELING OF BEING UNDERWHELMED RUINS THE EXPERIENCE FOR A LOT OF VISITORS. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THAT, I'M NOT SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE VISITING THE [06:50:01] SAME ALAMO THAT A LOT OF US ARE. SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF, I MEAN, JUST HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF HOURS HAVE BEEN SPENT ON THIS, THE LONG DEBATES, THE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THE PLANS, THE REALLY STRONG EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERNS AND ANXIETIES THAT WE KEEP GETTING AT ALL THESE MEETINGS, UH, THAT'S EVIDENCE THAT WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH SIMPLE PROBLEMS. AND THAT WHAT WE'VE GOT IS A VERY COMPLEX PROBLEM. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT DEFINITION OF SATISFIES, UM, IT'S GONNA COME THE ONLY WAY THROUGH THIS IS WITH SOME UN IMPERFECT SOLUTIONS. AND SO, COUNCILMAN TRAVINO, YOU'RE GONNA GET MY SUPPORT AT THE END OF THE DAY. BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE ALL BEING HONEST WITH EACH OTHER, AND I THINK YOU AND I BOTH AGREE ON THIS, IT'S NOT A PERFECT PLAN. UM, AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I DON'T THINK THE CITY COUNCIL OR ANY CITY COUNCIL BEFORE US OR ANY CITY COUNCIL AFTER US, IS EVER GONNA DEVELOP A PERFECT PLAN. I DON'T THINK A PERFECT PLANS EXIST IN THIS WORLD. UM, HOWEVER, IF PERFECTION AND IF AGREEMENT AND MAKING EVERYBODY HAPPY IS THE GOAL, WELL THEN WE'RE GONNA FAIL EVERY SINGLE TIME. THANKFULLY, THAT'S NOT THE GOAL. THAT WAS NEVER THE GOAL. AND, UM, THE GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO DEBATE. AND THE GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO COMPROMISE. AND SO, SMACKS AND SOPHIA, TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD COMPROMISE. AND IT'S, IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE WORDS, CON, RIGHT, WHICH IS TOGETHER, AND THEN PROI, WHICH MEANS PROMISE. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, PROMISE REALLY DOESN'T MEAN WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS. IT MEANS AN AGREEMENT TO MOVE FORWARD, AN AGREEMENT TO COME TOGETHER AND MOVE FORWARD. AND DOESN'T MEAN MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY. IT DOESN'T MEAN ACCOMPLISH PERFECTION. IT DOESN'T MEAN MAKE NO MISTAKES. IT DOESN'T MEAN DO NOTHING. WHAT IT MEANS IS WE PROMISE TO EACH OTHER THAT WE'RE GONNA SIT DOWN, WE'RE GONNA TALK, WE'RE GONNA LISTEN, WE'RE GONNA AGREE TO DISAGREE SOMETIMES, BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MOVE FORWARD AND IMPROVE THE CURRENT SITUATION THAT'S FACING US. SO, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE THIS PROCESS, THE ENTIRE PROCESS, THE HUNDREDS OF MEETING HOURS, AND ALL THE MEETINGS AND THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED, I THINK WE'VE FULFILLED THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ALL OF US TO COMPROMISE AND GET TOGETHER. I THINK WE'VE LISTENED. I THINK THAT WE'VE TALKED, I THINK THAT WE'VE DISAGREED, AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN FAITHFUL TO THAT. EVERYBODY UP ON THIS DIOCESE LIKES TO THANK PEOPLE. AND SO I'LL ECHO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE THANKS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID. YOU KNOW, I WON'T GO THROUGH THE LITANY OF FOLKS FOR WHOM I FEEL A LOT OF APPRECIATION. HOWEVER, I I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING THAT I THINK NONE OF YOU EXPECTED ME TO DO. UM, I'M GONNA EXTEND MY THANKS TO THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WHO COME UP HERE EVERY WEDNESDAY AT CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, AND AT SOME OF THESE OTHER MEETINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT, UH, TO SIT THROUGH THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WHO COME AND YELL AT US WHO DISAGREE VEHEMENTLY WITH THIS PLAN. UH, I REALLY DO. I THANK YOU. UH, YOU KNOW, YOU MADE ME ASK QUESTIONS. YOU MADE ALL OF US ASK QUESTIONS. YOU MADE US DOUBT OURSELVES SOMETIMES. I KNOW YOU FEEL LIKE WE WEREN'T LISTENING TO YOU THIS ENTIRE TIME. I PROMISE YOU, WE HAD LOTS OF MEETINGS ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU SAY TO US, AND WE AGONIZE OVER SOME OF THESE DECISIONS, RIGHT? AND YOU MADE ME DOUBT MYSELF, AND YOU MADE ME GO DO RESEARCH, AND YOU MADE ME, UH, REALLY TAKE A DOUBLE, YOU KNOW, A A DOUBLE TAKE ON SOME OF THESE THINGS AND CHECK, TRUST, BUT VERIFY IN MANY INSTANCES, RIGHT? MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, GUYS. YOU REALLY DID A GOOD JOB. UM, LORI, THERE'S A, THERE'S A TINY MINORITY OF PEOPLE WHO CONCERN ME RIGHT NOW, AND THOSE ARE THE BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, WHO ARE GONNA BE DISPLACED BY, BY THIS PLAN, RIGHT? OUR FRIENDS AT RIPLEY'S AND THE T-SHIRT VENDOR AND ALL THOSE OTHER FOLKS, UM, I, I'VE BEEN HEARING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WOW, THOSE PEOPLE DISRESPECT THE TRADITIONS. AND THOSE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, DON'T HONOR THE ALAMO. I REJECT THAT WITH EVERY ATOM IN MY BODY. THAT IS WRONG. THESE ARE GOOD PEOPLE. THEY'VE MADE LOTS OF SACRIFICES. THEY'VE INVESTED IN THOSE, IN THOSE BUSINESSES BECAUSE OF THEM. MILLIONS OF VISITORS IN SAN ANTONIOS HAVE, AND SAN ANTONIOS HAVE GOOD MEMORIES OF SAN ANTONIO'S. THOSE PEOPLE'S EFFORTS, THESE BUSINESSES, THEIR EFFORTS MAKE THE SAN ANTONIO EXPERIENCE FANTASTIC. AND SO ANYBODY WHO THROWS THOSE FOLKS UNDER THE BUS, YOUR THEMS IS FIGHTING WORDS. AND, UH, SO IF ANY OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE HERE TODAY, I ASSURE YOU THAT I'VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU. AND SO, LORI, MY I'M GONNA NEED YOUR COMMITMENT ON THIS ONE. WE CAN'T LET THOSE PEOPLE FALL BY THE WAYSIDE. AND AFTER THIS PLAN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT THOSE FOLKS FORGOTTEN. AND SO THEY'VE GOT MY COMMITMENT THAT I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO REMIND LORI THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE PART OF THE EQUATION OF MAKING DOWNTOWN SUCCEED. UM, LASTLY, I I, I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UM, I SOMETIMES SIT DOWN AND I READ THE EMAILS THAT PEOPLE SEND ME, AND I THINK ALL OF YOU HAVE GOTTEN THEM. AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH QUOTE, LIKE WEIRD, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTIONS THAT, WELL, TRAVIS WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY UPSET WITH YOU. HE WOULD TELL YOU, DON'T MOVE THE ENOT, [06:55:01] OR, YOU KNOW, BONHAM WOULD TELL YOU THIS, OR CROCKETT WOULD DEFINITELY WANT YOU TO LEAVE THE STREET OPEN. AND, UM, I, I REJECT THAT TOO. UH, I THINK IT CHEAPENS THE SACRIFICE THAT THOSE GUYS MADE. UM, AND I THINK THAT IF THEY WERE HERE TODAY, THEY WOULD PROBABLY TELL YOU, HEY, DIAL IT DOWN A NOTCH. YOU KNOW? UH, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE REASON I DIED WASN'T FOR A STREET OR AN ICON OR A STONE MONUMENT. IT WAS FOR LIBERTY AND FOR FREEDOM. AND SO, INSTEAD OF SPENDING SO MUCH ENERGY FIGHTING ABOUT AND YELLING AT EACH OTHER ABOUT THOSE THINGS, HOW ABOUT YOU GUYS EXERCISE THAT FREEDOM IN THAT LIBERTY BY GOING AND HELPING YOUR NEIGHBORS VOLUNTEERING, JOIN THE MILITARY, GO SERVE AT THE FOOD BANK, UH, VOTE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. UH, AND SO, UM, I, I, I DO TRY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THOSE GUYS WOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS. I HAVE A FEELING THAT SOMETIMES THEY WOULD JUST THINK THAT ALL OF THIS CIRCUS IS UNDIGNIFIED, BUT THIS CIRCUS IS WHAT WE ALL SIGNED UP FOR. AND I THINK THAT THIS CIRCUS IS, UM, WE'VE DELIVERED ON THE PROMISE OF LISTENING AND TALKING, AND I'VE TALKED A LOT. AND SO I'LL BE I'LL, I'LL BE, UH, I'LL BE FINISHED. AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UM, MAYOR, ONE DAY, JONAH AND MAX AND SOPHIA ARE GONNA BE AT THE ALAMO WITH THEIR KIDS, AND THEY'RE GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, YOUR DAD AND MY DAD, AND SOON TO BE MR. SALANA, THIS BABY'S GONNA BE THERE TOO. AND THEY'RE GONNA SAY, OUR DADS SAT DOWN, THEY LISTENED, THEY TALKED, THEY DISAGREED. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY VOTED AND THEY GIFTED YOU THIS BEAUTIFUL PLAZA. AND THAT FEELING THAT YOU'RE FEELING RIGHT NOW, THAT YOU KNOW THAT THING IN YOUR HEART AND THE GOOSEBUMPS ON YOUR SKIN, THAT'S CALLED AWE, RIGHT? AND IT'S CALLED AWE FOR THE SACRIFICE THAT MEN AND WOMEN MADE FOR SOMETHING CALLED FREEDOM AND LIBERTY, AND NEVER FORGET. ALWAYS REMEMBER. AND YOU NEED TO BRING YOUR KIDS HERE TO FEEL THAT SAME FEELING. THAT'S WHAT THOSE FELLOWS, AND THOSE WOMEN, AND THOSE CHILDREN DIED FOR. YOU GET MY SUPPORT, MR. TREVINO. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN TREVINO. COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, UH, SO I THINK I'LL JUST AT THE LIST, POINT BY POINT, THE CORE OF WHAT I BELIEVE IN THE PROCESS, AND TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS AS QUICK AS I CAN. IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY FOR EVERYBODY. VERY THANKFUL FOR, UM, EVERYONE WHO'S HERE AND STICKING IT OUT WITH US. BUT THIS IS WHAT THE CORE OF WHAT I BELIEVE, UH, THAT THIS BELONGS TO ALL OF US. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, NO ONE PART OF THIS IS GREATER THAN THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE BEING THE SHRINE AND WHAT THE ALAMO MEANS TO THE STATE OF TEXAS. IT DOES BELONG TO TEXAS. AND THAT'S WHAT MY VOTE'S GONNA REFLECT TODAY. IT'S GONNA REFLECT THAT WE ARE BEST WHEN WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE WITH THE STATE OF AUSTIN, THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, AND OUR ABILITY, UH, TO, TO PUT A LEADERSHIP VOTE DOWN IN SPITE OF PARTS MAYBE NOT WORKING FOR EACH ONE OF US. AND THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, MY COLLEAGUES IN DISTRICT NINE AND DISTRICT 10, WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I, I, I THINK THIS PARTICULAR VOTE, RIGHT, THE OVERALL MOTION, WE CANNOT, AND WE SHOULD NOT MISS AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, NOT JUST IN MONEY, BUT IN THE MOMENT TO REALLY BUILD AND DO SOMETHING, UM, THAT IS GONNA BE UNHEARD OF AND UNBELIEVABLE IN THE FUTURE. AND I, I LITERALLY, WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT THE PROJECT, I JUST THINK ABOUT, MAN, WHAT IS THIS GONNA LOOK LIKE? NOT THE PICTURES THAT ARE IN THE BINDER THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN TRAVINO AND THE DESIGN TEAM EVERYBODY WORKED ON, BUT WHAT IT'S GONNA MEAN TO STEP FOOT IN THE PLAZA AND WHAT IT'S GONNA MEAN, UM, TO, TO PUT MY STAMP, MY VOTE ON SOMETHING, WHICH I CONSIDER, AND I'LL BE FRANK WITH YOU, UH, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT VOTE I'LL MAKE, UH, AT THIS TERM, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA OUTLIVE ME. IT'S GONNA OUTLIVE ALL OF US. IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, EVERYTHING THAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT SAN ANTONIO, BUT MOST OF ALL THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE'VE SEEN THAT COME UP, WHICHEVER SIDE YOU'RE ON, NOTICE THAT THE ONE THING THAT WE ALL AGREED ON WAS THAT WE ALL LOVE TEXAS IN ONE WAY, SHAPE, FORM OR ANOTHER. UM, WE JUST DISAGREE ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE AND DO THIS. BUT I CANNOT, IN GOOD CONSCIOUS, AS A, AS A LEADER OF MY LITTLE SMALL PORTION OF SAN ANTONIO, GIVE UP AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO LOSE A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF FINANCING FOR A LITTLE AMOUNT OF HUMILITY. AND THE LITTLE AMOUNT OF HUMILITY IS TO RECOGNIZE I CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING I WANT IN THE PROCESS, BUT I CAN GIVE ENOUGH TO WHERE WE COME TOGETHER AND WE PUT DOWN A VOTE ON SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA CHANGE OUR COMMUNITY, UH, FOR GENERATIONS. SO IT'S NOT THAT I'M FULLY SATISFIED WITH THE SENATE TAF, UM, AND I'M SAD THAT THOSE FOLKS LEFT 'CAUSE I'D REITERATE TO THEM AGAIN, THAT THING COULD VERY WELL BE PARKED OFF A MARKET STREET OR IN A WAREHOUSE SOMEWHERE. BUT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS WHAT KEPT IT IN THE PLAZA. I MEAN, THAT IS CITY HALL AT WORK. SO I SIT UP HERE AND I'M ON THE SHORT SIDE OF TWO TO NINE VOTES EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK WE COME UP HERE. BUT I MOVE THE DISCUSSION BECAUSE I ENGAGE IT. I MEAN, AND IT'S OKAY. IT IS JUST 'CAUSE THE SCOREBOARD DOESN'T SHOW YOU WERE VICTORIOUS, DOESN'T MEAN YOU DIDN'T MOVE OR MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE PROCESS. SO THE FOLKS THAT CAME UP HERE, AND COUNCILMAN PLYS IS EXACTLY RIGHT. UM, THEY ENGAGED IT, AND I WISH YOU STICK IT OUT TO THE END. I WISH THEY WERE STILL HERE, UM, TO RECOGNIZE THAT THEY KEPT IT ON THE PLAZA. AND THE WIN IS THAT, BUT I CANNOT SACRIFICE THIS AN ENTIRE OPPORTUNITY, UH, AND, AND TEAR [07:00:01] DOWN A CONTRACT AND OPPOR THIS, THIS DEAL WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, OUR MASTER PLAN OVER MY PERSONAL GOALS AND OPPORTUNITIES. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, COUNCILMAN PERRY, YOU LISTED THE DISTRICT SIX COUNT. YOU, YOU, YOU'RE RIGHT. I SPEAK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. UM, BUT I SPOKE TO JUST AS MANY THAT SAID, GREG, GO DOWN THERE. MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT BRING THE HIGHEST AND BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR US. AND DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT. AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF MY VOTE IS TO SUPPORT SOMETHING AND EMBRACE EVERYTHING THAT THE ALAMO IS ABOUT. UM, AND I'M GONNA HONOR THAT WITH MY VOTE TODAY. AND I'M GONNA VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT. UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO. UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS THING, WE WEREN'T ALWAYS SEEING EYE TO EYE ON IT. AND OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, UM, WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATIONS. AND YOU, LIKE I SAID EARLIER THIS MORNING ON A U T S A VOTE, YOU REALLY WORKED HARD TO EARN MY VOTE. UH, AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. I MEAN, YOU CAME TO MY DISTRICT AND TALKED TO ME AND WE, WE, AND WE STILL SAT THERE AND WENT OVER THE THINGS WE CAN DO BETTER. AND IT ALWAYS CAME BACK TO LET'S NOT MESS UP AN OPPORTUNITY. AND LET'S SHOW SOME LEADERSHIP, UH, ON A VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE. AND THIS ISN'T POLITICAL. IT IS AN OPPORTUNISTIC, UH, IT'S TEXAS. AND WE CAN HONOR THAT TODAY AND PUSH FORWARD, UH, AND SHOW AUSTIN AND THE STATE WHAT IT MEANS TO CREATE A WORLD RENOWNED A DESTINATION. AND WE TALK ABOUT ACCESS TO COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT, . I WANT TO PUSH THEM TO WHERE IT MATTERS MOST. IF WE DON'T WORK THOSE ANGLES, IF WE DON'T PUT THEM IN FRONT OF THE OPPORTUNITY, THEY'RE GONNA MISS THE LUNCH COUNTER. THEY'RE GONNA MISS INDIGENOUS LOCATIONS. THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY ATTENTION TO IT. 'CAUSE THEY'LL BE IN AWE OF A SHRINE. SO I'M, I'M OKAY WITH ACT. I'M OKAY WITH LIMITING SOME ACCESS TO GET THEM TO WHAT IS RIGHT AND GOOD ABOUT THE ALAMO IN OUR COMMUNITY. IF SOMEONE'S COMING IN FROM SWEDEN OR WHEREVER THEY'RE VISITING US, I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT IT WAS JUST AS IMPORTANT. THE INDIGENOUS PERSONS AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE BEFORE, THE TEJANOS, THE DEFENDERS, ALL OF THEM, THEY ALL GET THEIR STORY TOLD. AND THE ONLY WAY WE GET THAT IS WITH THIS MONEY AND WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND WE PUT, AND WE PUT THAT CASH TO WORK IN TELLING OUR STORY. UM, IT IS CORE TO ME THAT THE, THE BATTLE WILL REMAIN A MAIN PIECE OF THIS CONVERSATION. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ALAMO TEAM IS HERE. AND I HOPE WE CONTINUE, LORI, THAT WE REMEMBER THAT THAT 1836 BATTLE IS THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT THIS MEANS. BUT EVERY OTHER STORY THAT IS, THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD, IS TOLD. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT TOO, IS THAT WE GET INTO, UM, AND PHIL COLLINS' COLLECTION. I MEAN, YEAH, THAT'S GREAT AND ALL, BUT I MEAN, WHAT WE WANNA SEE IS EVERY LITTLE PIECE OF SAN ANTONIO BE TOLD IN THAT. UM, AND I'M OKAY WITH, UM, MAKING SURE WE, WE GUIDE PEOPLE TO WHAT IS RIGHT AND BEST ABOUT SAN ANTONIO. UH, 'CAUSE O ONLY WE CAN TELL THAT STORY BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS US AND I GREW UP HERE. THIS IS MY HOME. AND, AND THIS VOTE, UH, WAS EARNED OVER MY 46 YEARS OF LIVING IN SAN ANTONIO. AND IT'LL BE THERE TO COUNCILMAN PERRY'S POINT FOR HIS CHILDREN. UH, COUNCILMAN PLY THIS POINT FOR HIS CHILDREN AND, AND FOLKS IN THE FUTURE. SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT CAME TO WORK ON THIS, AND ESPECIALLY LEONARD RODRIGUEZ, MY APPOINTEE, UM, TO THE COMMITTEE. UH, THIS IS A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY. LEONARD GAVE ME HIS BEST. AND TO THE ALAMO ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, UH, MAYOR NUREMBERG, YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS AS WELL. AND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SIGN THE DOCUMENT WITH COMMISSIONER BUSH, UM, YOU, YOU STEPPED FORWARD ON IT AND SAID, WE CAN DO BETTER FOR TEXAS. WE CAN DO BETTER FOR SAN ANTONIO. AND I PROUDLY CAST MY VOTE IN HONOR OF THOSE DEFENDERS OF THE ALAMO. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THIS MONEY IN THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING GREAT THINGS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALAMO TO TELL OUR STORY SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS SAN ANTONIO IS THE PLACE TO BE. UM, WITH THAT, I AM GOING TO OBVIOUSLY BE IN SUPPORT OF YOU TODAY, THE COUNCILMAN INTERVEN ON YOUR WORK, ON YOUR MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND HOPEFULLY THIS DEBATE WILL BE OVER SOON ENOUGH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BROCK, HOUSE, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. THANK YOU VERY, UM, VERY MUCH MAYOR. UM, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING. UH, I THINK WHEN SOME OF US, UH, FIRST CAME TO TO OFFICE THIS, THE SIX NEW PEOPLE HERE, UM, THERE WAS STILL SOME DEBATE ABOUT THE GLASS WALLS, OR I THINK YOU'D JUST, UH, COME OFF THE DEBATE ON THE, ON THE GLASS WALLS. SO WE'VE COME A, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN. UM, ON MARCH 6TH OF THIS YEAR, I SAT IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO FOR THE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE REGULAR CEREMONY, UH, RECOGNIZING, UH, RECOGNIZING THE, THE EVENTS OF 1836. AND I MET A NUMBER OF, OF STAFF FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, LAND COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE THERE. AND SOMEONE WAS GIVING A SPEECH AND TALKED ABOUT HOW THE ALAMO BELONGED TO TEXAS, AND IT DIDN'T BELONG TO SAN ANTONIO. AND I WAS, IT WAS A LITTLE INDIGNANT ABOUT THAT. UM, BUT, BUT SINCE THEN, I'VE, I'VE, UH, I'VE LEARNED IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US OR COME TO THE, COME TO THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT DOES. UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY MY, MY BIGGEST FEAR IN MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS IS, UM, AS MUCH AS THE ALAMO, UH, REPRESENTS THE BEGINNING OF, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS, IT, IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE BEGINNING OF SAN ANTONIO, RIGHT? IN TERMS OF, OF THE MISSIONS. WITHOUT THE MISSIONS, THERE WOULD BE NO SAN ANTONIO. AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO JUST [07:05:01] WALK AWAY FROM THAT, ESPECIALLY AS SOMEONE WHO'S GROWN UP HERE AND IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY HARD TO DO. AND SO I DID NOT WANT US TO LOSE THE RECOGNITION OF SAN ANTONIO IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS OF, OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE, THE ALAMO. WHAT I'M GLAD TO SEE IN THE PLAN TODAY, UH, LIKE MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID, IT'S, IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT, BUT THE REASON I WILL BE SUPPORTING THE PLAN TODAY IS THAT IT TELLS A BROADER STORY. UM, IT BRINGS MORE ACCURACY TO, TO SOME OF THE STORIES THAT WE KNOW. UM, I DON'T THINK JOHN WAYNE SHOULD HAVE THE MONOPOLY ON SAYING WHAT HAPPENED IN, AT THE ALAMO, RIGHT? IT'S REALLY A LOT RICHER THAN THAT. THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE 1836 AND THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED SINCE 1836, UM, THAT HAVE SHAPED SAN ANTONIO. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TELL THOSE STORIES TOO. AND THAT'S WHY I'M SUPPORTING THIS, THIS PLAN. IT TELLS THOSE STORIES, BUT IT ALSO RECOGNIZES THE OTHER PEOPLES THAT WERE PART OF MAKING HISTORY HERE. UH, NOT JUST AT THE ALAMO, BUT AROUND THE ALAMO. SO THE INDIGENOUS, UH, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, THE TEXAN, EVEN, EVEN THE MEXICAN, THE, I WAS GONNA SAY, THE MEXICANS. THE MEXICANS. UM, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. AND, UM, MISS MOAN, WHEN, WHEN WE DID SPEAK IN YOUR KITCHEN, I REMEMBER HOW HOSPITABLE YOU WERE TO ME. THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING ME IN. AND WE HAD A, A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME SAN ANTONIO TRADITIONS AND HOW IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE OUR CULTURES REPRESENTED IN THEM, UH, IN LEADERSHIP ROLES, UH, AMONG SOME OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS. UH, AND I, I SEE THAT SAME SPIRIT REFLECTED IN THE PROPOSAL OF, OF THE ALAMO. AND, UH, I, UP UNTIL LAST WEEK, I STILL HAD CONSTERNATION ABOUT THE, UM, THE LIMITS TO, TO ENTRY AND, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A FENCE, UM, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A DIALOGUE ABOUT THOSE. AND, UM, I GUESS I'M, I'M PRETTY MUCH THERE. YOU HAVE MY VOTE. I'M PRETTY MUCH THERE. BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU, UH, DISCUSSING THOSE WITH ME AND, AND GETTING ME SOME OF THE ANSWERS. UM, THEN I NEEDED ON THAT. AND I DO WANNA ECHO, UM, COUNCILMAN BROCK HOUSE'S COMMENTS AND COUNCILMAN, UM, ELIA'S COMMENTS IS SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE PEOPLE AREN'T LISTENING TO YOU. UM, AND SOMETIMES I FEEL THAT WAY WHEN PEOPLE DON'T DO EXACTLY WHAT I SAID I WANTED THEM TO DO. I'M LIKE, YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO ME. UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM NOT BEING HEARD. AND I THINK WE, WE WERE HERE, WE LISTENED AND IT MADE US ASK QUESTIONS. IT MADE US DIG IN DEEPER AND PUSH FOR CERTAIN THINGS. AND IF THE PUBLIC HADN'T BEEN AS ENGAGED AS THEY WERE, I THINK THIS WOULD BE A VERY DIFFERENT PLAN. IT WOULD BE WHAT WE SAW, UM, OVER A YEAR AGO WHEN WE CAME INTO, INTO OFFICE. SO EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T REFLECT EXACTLY WHAT EVERYONE WANTS, I DO, I DO SEE IT AS, UM, AS THE COMPROMISE. AND IT, IT, IT HAS MOVED IN A BETTER DIRECTION EVEN THAN IT WAS BEFORE. BECAUSE I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS MEANT TO MAKE OUR DECISIONS BETTER. IT'S MEANT TO STRENGTHEN THE PRODUCTS THAT COME OUT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND BY YOUR WORDS, UM, THROUGHOUT THIS LONG PROCESS, I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAS HAPPENED. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE, THE TEAM THAT, UH, THAT WAS, THAT HAS PUT THIS PLAN TOGETHER, UH, FOR ALL YOUR WORK. AND LORI, THIS IS A HUGE DAY FOR YOU. I IMAGINE YOU'RE GOING TO, I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR EVENING. UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOUR WORK TODAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL. COUNCILWOMAN VIRON, AND HERE WE ARE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST I WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR C A C, OUR, UH, CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL, UH, MEMBERS, SPECIFICALLY PATRICIA MEJIA, MARCELLA MARTINEZ VASQUEZ, THANK YOU FOR THEIR DILIGENCE AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND ITS CITIZENS HAD A VOICE. AND, UM, THEY, I WAS IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH MY REPRESENTATIVE AND THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, AND AFTER EVERY MEETING THAT YOU ALL HAD, SHE WAS ALWAYS TALKING TO ME. SO I WAS ALWAYS IN COMMUNICATION. UM, TO LORI, I NEED YOU TO STAND UP PLEASE, AND TO, UH, CHERYL AND ANDY AND LIZ AND EDWARD AND EVERYBODY INVOLVED. I HAVE TO THANK YOU. UM, LORI, DO YOU DO HAVE TO STAND UP? I'M SORRY. JUST STAY RIGHT THERE. UM, I WANNA THANK YOU BECAUSE THE ISSUES AND THE CONCERNS THAT I HAD LAST WEEK AT B SESSION ABOUT THE, THE SECTION THAT TALKED ABOUT BY BEST EFFORTS TO HAVE THAT CLARIFICATION OF INTENT WITH THE TEJANOS AND THE TEXAN AND THE INDIGENOUS, [07:10:01] AND, UM, TO GO TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ MENTIONED ABOUT HAVING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONSISTENT WITH THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IN THERE FOR CLARIFICATION, THAT REALLY DID HELP WITH MY ASSURANCES THAT I NEEDED IN THIS LEASE AND MOVING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU. AND I HAVE TO THANK THE G L O BECAUSE THEY ALSO MOVED FORWARD WITH THESE. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THAT AND HAVING THOSE CLARIFICATIONS. UM, IN 1986, WHEN I WAS A VERY LITTLE GIRL, ALL OF MY FAMILY, MY DAD'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY GATHERED AT THE HYATT REGENCY HOTEL ON LA SOYA STREET FOR THE UNVEILING OF THE SCULPTURE OF ONE OF MY ANCESTORS, JOSE TOYA. AND NOW THAT WAS ALL OF MY DAD'S PART OF THE FAMILY WHO'S FROM LA SOYA, TEXAS. ALL MY TIOS, MY TIAS, MY COUSINS, THE PRIMOS. I MIGHT EVEN HAD PRIMOS TALKING TODAY. MY PRIMO WAS TALKING HERE. SO IT WAS THEN THAT THE FAMILY GATHERED, AND WE KNEW IT WAS BIG, AND IT WAS THE ADOLF COURSE COMPANY, AND THEY COMMISSIONED THE BRONZE SCULPTURE, AND BY WILLIAM EASLEY, I REMEMBER EVEN MAYOR HENRY CISNEROS WAS THERE AT THE TIME. AND I REMEMBER JUST THE SENSE OF PRIDE THAT WE HAD BEING THERE, BECAUSE FINALLY, FINALLY, AFTER ALL OF THESE STORIES AND THESE ORAL HISTORIES THAT WE WOULD SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER TO IT WITHIN OUR CIRCLE, WE WERE GETTING THE RECOGNITION THAT WE FINALLY DESERVED AND KNEW IT WAS AN AFFIRMATION, WHAT WE NEEDED. WE NEEDED THAT PROMINENCE, THAT STORY TOLD. AND WITH THIS SCULPTURE, IT WAS HELPING GET RECOGNIZED AND BRINGING IT TO A PROMINENT ROLE. AND IT WAS ALL WRAPPED UP IN THAT BRONZE STATUE AND EVERYONE GIVING VALIDITY TO MY FAMILY STORY. AND ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BRONZE STATUE RIGHT NOW, IT STILL KIND OF LOOKS LIKE MY UNCLE RICHARD, EVEN AS TALL AS HIM. SO THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS, THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT ABOUT CAMPAIGNS, IT IS ABOUT FAMILY. IT IS ABOUT LEGACY, AND IT IS ABOUT INCLUSION. THERE WILL BE 24 ACCESS TO THE MISSION, SAN ANTONIO DE VERO, BUT IT WILL BE CHANGED TO BE SURE, TO BE A FORMAL ENTRY POINT, A FORMAL ENTRY POINT, NOT TO KEEP, KEEP PEOPLE OUT, BUT TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE. IT WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE ARE USED TO, BUT WHAT WE WILL GET, I BELIEVE, IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH MORE. AND WHAT WE NEED TO GIVE THAT RESPECT TO OUR WORLD HERITAGE SITE THAT TELLS THE STORY OF THE AMERICAS AND THE HEMISPHERIC GEOPOLITICAL SHIFTS THAT HAD HAPPENED IN THIS AREA. AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN TELL THE STORY IS TO BE BOLD IN OUR ACTIONS AND BE UNAFRAID TO BEING COLLABORATIVE AND COORDINATED. HERE I AM A NATIVE TEXAN, AND I'M A DAUGHTER OF THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO. AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO TELL THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STORY OF THE AMERICAS. NOT ONLY THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, BUT ALL OF OUR STORIES, THE INDIGENOUS, THE TEXAN AT THE HANO S BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT TIME THEY ARE TOLD. AND IT IS ONE OF, I WILL AGREE, THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT VOTES WE WILL ENTER INTO AS A COUNCIL AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. AND IT IS ALSO NOT A MOMENT TO BE FEARFUL OF THE UNKNOWN, I BELIEVE, BY SAYING YES AND MOVING FORWARD, WE'VE RECEIVED MORE ASSURANCES. I KNOW THAT I NEEDED BY VOTING YES, WE ARE SAYING YES TO GIVING PROMISE PROMINENCE, AND SAYING THERE'S VALUE TO TELLING THOSE STORIES OF THE TEJANOS, THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY, AND GIVING IT A PLACE OF PROMINENCE WHERE IT WAS NEVER HAD BEEN BEFORE. BY VOTING, YES, WE WILL BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL FOOTPRINT OF THE MISSION, SAN ANTONIO VALERO BY VOTING YES, WE WILL BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS STORY THAT IS, NEEDS TO BE TOLD HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND THAT WAS MADE IN SAN ANTONIO. A VOTE YES WILL ALSO HELP US, ALLOW US TO RECLAIM OUR STORIES AND OUR SPACE. A NO VOTE, I BELIEVE, WILL CONTINUE TO SILENCE THE STORIES OF THE TEJANOS AND THE INDIGENOUS, THE PEOPLE OF THE FRONTERA, THE WOMEN AND THE CHILDREN, BY NOT EXPANDING THE FOOTPRINT OF THE MISSION. THE SAN ANTONIO DE VALERO. I BELIEVE WE ARE DISHONORING AND DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE LEGACY, THOSE THAT CULTIVATED THE LAND, THAT LIVED IN THE AREA, THAT FOUGHT ON THE FOOTPRINT THAT DIED. AND WE CAN HAVE TO TELL THE STORIES OF EVERYONE THAT WAS [07:15:01] THERE, ALL OF 'EM E ALL OF THOSE THAT WORKED SO HARD TO SAVE THE ALAMO, THE SHRINE, THE CHAPEL BY VOTING, YES, WE ARE CHANGING THE LAYOUT, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE WE ARE CHANGING IT FOR THE BETTER TO BE INCLUSIVE. AND I BELIEVE WE WILL HAVE MORE LOCALS COMING DOWNTOWN BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO GIVE A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE, THAT THEY HAVE NEVER KNOWN. AND MISSION DE ERO WILL STILL BE A GATHERING PLACE FOR ALL OF SAN ANTONIO, JUST LIKE SAN FERNANDO CATHEDRAL IS STILL A GATHERING PLACE FOR ALL OF SAN ANTONIO. WE WILL HAVE A LARGER, GRANDER, MORE PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING. IS IT PERFECT? ABSOLUTELY NOT. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I COULDN'T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT PERFECT WOULD LOOK LIKE HERE. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER, WE COLLABORATED, WE DEBATED, WE NEGOTIATED, AND NOW WE AS LEADERS NEED TO ACT AND INVEST. THE VOTE IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME, AND I DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY. AND I HAVE BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS ALL ALONG. THIS IS MY FAMILIA AND MY CITY, OUR WORLD HERITAGE. AND PLEASE BE SURE THAT I PLAN TO STAY ENGAGED IN THE STORYTELLING OF THIS AREA AND IN THE MUSEUM. AND THE PROGRAMMING DOES NOT FORGET OR WASH AWAY ANYBODY'S STORIES. AND I, AND FINALLY, I HAVE TO SAY, BECAUSE AS A WOMAN OF FAITH, I TAKE GREAT OFFENSE TO WHAT MARIA SAID UP HERE WHEN SHE CAME AND SPOKE, AND SHE WAS PUTTING CURSES ON US. SO I HAVE TO, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, JUST SAY THAT I DO NOT RECEIVE THOSE, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE TURNING OF THE DIRT. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THROUGH THE TURNING OF THE DIRT, BUILDING A MUSEUM AND TELLING THE STORIES THAT MY PRAYER IS THAT GOD WOULD CONTINUE TO BLESS SAN ANTONIO. I PRAY THAT THESE BLESSINGS WOULD BREAK STRONGHOLDS AND BRING FORTH A SPIRIT OF RECONCILIATION, USHERING IN A NEW ERA FOR TEXAS THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF THIS THAT IS COMING FORWARD, AND I AM READY FOR THIS NEW ERA FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN VIRON. AND FIRST. UM, SO WE'RE GONNA VOTE NOW, , UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE. AND, AND I, I SUPPOSE IT'S, IT'S WELL DESERVED. UH, AFTER A HUNDRED PLUS YEARS OF CITIZENS IN OUR CITY TRYING AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE TRYING, WE'RE FINALLY GONNA HAVE A VOTE ON THIS. BUT FIRST, UM, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, I DON'T, I'M NOT GONNA CHEAPEN THE AMOUNT OF TEAMWORK AND, AND INDIVIDUAL WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS, BUT I DO WANT SINGLE OUT ONE PERSON THAT'S OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN TINO, WHO HAS JUST, UH, DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB REPRESENTING OUR CITY, UNDERSTANDING THE VARIOUS NEEDS THAT, THAT WE ALL HAVE IN A PLAN THAT THAT IS TRULY GONNA RESPECT OUR HISTORY IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO, UH, THE REVEREND NATURE OF THE ALAMO. UM, MRS. TREVINO, ARE YOU STILL HERE? WILL YOU STAND UP, PLEASE? THIS IS COUNCILMAN TREVINO'S MOM, AND HE'S BEEN, SHE'S BEEN WAITING HERE ALL DAY. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW VERY PROUD WE ARE OF YOUR SON, MRS. TREVINO. TODAY'S VOTE IS THE BIGGEST DECISION THAT MEMBERS OF THIS CITY COUNCIL WILL MAKE IN THEIR TIME AT CITY HALL. THIS IS A HISTORIC MOMENT AND A TURNING POINT THAT FINALLY GIVES THE ALAMO THE REVEREND TREATMENT THAT IT DESERVES FOR TEXAS AND INDEED THIS NATION, THE ALAMO STANDS AS A TESTAMENT TO COURAGE. AND IN THE QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE FOR SAN ANTONIO HAS LONG BEEN THE SOURCE OF CIVIC PRIDE AS MUCH AS HAS BEEN A SYMBOL OF PROTEST AND INDEED OF CIVIL RIGHTS. THE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO IS COMPLICATED, WHILE IT'S BEST KNOWN AS A BATTLEFIELD, WAS ALSO A MISSION, EARLY SPANISH FOUNDERS AND A PLACE OF WORSHIP. TODAY, IT'S A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE, A NATIONAL LANDMARK, A PLACE OF TRADITION, A PLACE OF NEW BEGINNINGS, A PLACE OF CELEBRATION, A PLACE OF CIVIC UNITY, AND A PLACE OF HONOR AND A PLACE OF COMMERCE. THE LAYERED HISTORY OF THIS PLACE HAS CREATED THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF ALAMO PLAZA, AS WE NOW WELL REGARDED THIS MOMENT IS A HUGE TURNING POINT IN BOTH REGARDS. IN THE PAST, THE CELEBRATED HISTORY OF THIS SPACE, THE OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL OF THE ALAMO HAD CONFOUNDED EFFORTS TO TELL ITS STORY. IT'S NOT LOST ON ME THAT VISITORS ARE MORE LIKELY TO LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORIC BATTLE OF THE ALAMO IN THE NEARBY MOVIE THEATER, [07:20:01] RATHER THAN AT THE ALAMO ITSELF. WHILE WE MAY DISAGREE ABOUT THE MANY THINGS IN THE CITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ALAMO, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT WE CAN DO VERY MUCH BETTER. TO TRULY TELL THE STORY OF THE ALAMO, WE MUST TELL THE ENTIRE STORY OF THE ALAMO FROM ITS ESTABLISHMENT 300 YEARS AGO AS A MISSION TO THE BATTLE ITSELF AND ITS PLACE AS A CIVIC GATHERING VENUE AND MEMORIAL. THE COMMERCIAL NATURE OF ALAMO PLAZA HAS MADE THAT DIFFICULT OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THROUGH AN UNPRECEDENTED PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY, THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT. WE'VE ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY DIALOGUE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE ALAMO. IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY, AND PROGRESS HAS BEEN SLOW AT TIMES, BUT LIKE ITS HISTORY PLANNING, THE FUTURE OF THE ALAMO PLAZA HAS ALSO BEEN COMPLICATED. FIRST KEY POINTS OF THE AGREEMENT WERE REACHED. IN PRINCIPLE, THESE PLANS WERE A LITTLE MORE THAN CONCEPTS. SLOWLY BUT SURELY, THIS FOUR YEAR PLANNING PROCESS HAS PROGRESSED. IN AUGUST. SAN ANTONIO CITIZENS WHO SERVE ON THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMISSION APPROVED THE KEY PLANNING CONCEPTS FOR THE ALAMO, WHICH IS THEN APPROVED BY THE ALAMO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. LAND COMMISSIONER GEORGE P. BUSH AND I HAVE BOTH SIGNED OFF ON THE ALAMO PLAN RESOLUTION. AND ALONG WITH TODAY'S VOTE, OUR APPROVAL EFFECTIVELY ENDS THE PLANNING PHASE NOW BEGINS THE REAL WORK OF DESIGNING, CONSTRUCTING, AND PROGRAMMING OF A WORLD-CLASS HISTORIC SITE IN A MUSEUM. FOR THE ALAMO, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPONSORS EXPECT TO CONTRIBUTE APPROXIMATELY $450 MILLION TO MAKE THIS VISION A REALITY. IT MAY PROVE TO BE ONE OF THE LARGEST INVESTMENTS AND MOST TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS IN SAN ANTONIO'S HISTORY. I SUPPORT THE ALAMO PLAN WITH AN EARNEST AND HEARTFELT UNDERSTANDING OF THE VIEWPOINTS AND THE STRONG EMOTIONS HELD BY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. IN THE END, THE ALAMO PLAN WILL LEAD TO AN OVERDUE REVERENCE AND A CELEBRATION OF HISTORY THAT THE ALAMO DESPERATELY NEEDS. THE PLAN HAS MINDFUL FULL SUPPORT. AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PLAN, I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WILL REMAIN ENGAGED AND SUPPORT THIS EFFORT SO THAT THE ALAMO PLAZA REACHES ITS FULL POTENTIAL. I KNOW THIS DAY WAS, UH, ONE OF GREAT GRAVITY, AND WE CAN ALL CERTAINLY FEEL THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY, UH, AT THIS MOMENT. UH, BUT I FIRST, UH, IN CLOSING, WANT TO, UH, THANK, UH, OUR STAFF, CHERYL, LORI, UH, ANDY, THE WHOLE TEAM, UH, THE STAFF OF THE G L O, OUR COLLEAGUES FOR MAKING THIS A SHARP PLAN, A BETTER PLAN. AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TO, UH, MY SON THAT TODAY WE FINALLY DID DO JUSTICE AND WE REMEMBERED THE ALAMO. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE UP THE MAIN MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMAN TREVINO, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN GRO. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES IN LOTS OF PARTIES AT THIS TIME. THE COUNCIL IS IN RECESS FOR FIVE MINUTES. THE COUNCIL IS IN RECESS FOR FIVE MINUTES. HE DID OKAY. [07:27:32] ALL OVER AGAIN. A HARD BATTLE. DID YOU GO? UH, NO, NO. I JUST A LITTLE MORE TENSE THAN THE TONE IS GONNA BE BEFORE. IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF TENSE. YEAH. YOU GUYS ARE PATIENT, MAN. THE ONLY ONE THAT, [07:30:21] YEAH. LET'S SEE. BABY, BABY TIME AFTER NOVEMBER'S. OH YEAH, HE TOLD US THAT. YEAH. CALL, LET GO. ALL RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO JOIN US ON THE DAAS 16. ALRIGHT, I'LL DO IT. MOTION. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL BE CONTINUING WITH OUR ZONING MEETING. I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AT THIS TIME IF THEY HAVE ANY ITEMS THEY'D LIKE TO PULL OFF OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. Z 16. SO [07:35:01] LET ME TELL YOU WHICH ITEMS I ALREADY HAVE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. I HAVE NUMBER 29 Z ONE, P ONE, AND Z TWO Z 16 AND Z 17. ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? YES, MA'AM. UH, IF, IF YOU DIDN'T SAY AT 22, DON'T ARGUE IT'S PULLED. DID I MEANS THE ALCOHOL VARIANCE, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER 29 NOW. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SORRY. OKAY, THANKS. THANKS. OKAY. SO FOR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, WE HAVE 29 Z ONE, P ONE, AND Z TWO TOGETHER. Z 16 AND Z 17. THOSE WILL BE ITEMS THAT WE HEAR INDIVIDUALLY. WONDERFUL. WELL, I, UM, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE ITEMS ON CONSENT AGENDA, ZONING AGENDA. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND, WE HAVE ONE, UH, CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON MULTIPLE ITEMS. JACK FINGER , WELL, MAYOR PRO TAM AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR , OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR FIGHTERS OF THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE ALAMO HERE. AND YOU GUYS WONDER WHY, WHY SO MANY PEOPLE SIGNED THAT PETITION LIMITING YOUR POWER. . WELL, LET'S SEE WHAT WE GOT HERE. UH, ZONING. IT'S, IT'S 2:00 PM PLUS THREE HERE. YEAH. UM, AND COULD THE CITY CLERK PLEASE TURN ON THE, UM, UH, THE TIMER SO I CAN SEE HOW MUCH TIME I HAVE? I, IT'S, IT'S BLANK. HERE. THERE WE GO. OKAY. OKAY. UM, NUMBER 29. ALCOHOL VARIANCE. YES, THAT'S RIGHT. IN DISTRICT EIGHT. MR. AYAS DISTRICT, UH, I'M SORRY, MR. K IS HERE. I THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE DID LAST TIME, BUT, UH, HE IS, SOME OF THIS IS GONNA COME BACK TO BIDEN WHEN HE SAYS, IN REGARDS TO GUN CONTROL, WE CAN HAVE CON CONTROLLING OUR GUN SALES IN DIFFERENT DIS AREAS WITH ZONING, BECAUSE WE DO IT WITH SCHOOLS. WELL, LET'S SEE IF HE, IF HE'S GONNA BE ABSENT ON THIS ONE HERE. YES. UH, YES. MR. PALIS, THE 300 FEET WITHIN HIS SCHOOL WHERE SCHOOL KIDS PLAY, YOU WANT TO SELL ALCOHOL? HOW ARE YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE GOTTA VOTE ON, ON THIS ONE. THE, UM, AND MR. TREVINO IS MISSING ON P P ONE AND Z TWO THERE? YES. UH, DOG GONE AND HIS USED CAR LOT ON Z ONE TWO. I I AS WELL. I SEE. YES. WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE HERE? OH, Z LEMME JUST GET IT STRAIGHTENED OUT HERE. JUST A SECOND HERE. YEAH, HERE WE GO. IN, UH, MR. BROCK HOUSE, ONCE AGAIN, IN YOUR DISTRICT, YOU HAVE COMMERCIAL ENCROACHMENT COMING UP HERE. A LOT OF RED FLAGS HERE. THE, UH, THE ZONING STAFF SAID NO. THE, THE, UH, THE ZONING COMMISSION SAID NO. AND, UH, THE YES. WHAT ELSE IS WHO ELSE SAID NO HERE? 20 NOTICES. THAT'S ABOUT 25% SAID NO. THE CABLE, WESTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SAYS, SAID NO TO THIS TOO. THEY DON'T LIKE THE COMMERCIAL ENCROACHMENT IN, IN MR. BROCK HOUSE. SO I MUST SEE YOU DO SOMETHING RIGHT TODAY AND JUST SAY, SAY NO TO Z 16. YEAH, THE, UH, UH, AND ALSO, OH, OH GOLLY. UM, THERE IS AN ALL ANOTHER ONE RIGHT HERE. YEAH. IN, UH, MS. SHIRLEY GONZALEZ'S DISTRICT MS. GONZALEZ, YOU'RE GOING TO APPROVE TWO BARS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER. SHE'S NOT. SHE'S JACKING AWAY SOMEWHERE THERE. YEAH, IT'S TWO BARS Z 14 AND 15 RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. I MEAN, HOW MANY BARS DO YOU HAVE ALONG THAT STREET THERE? MS. GONZALEZ, RIGHT? YEAH. DOGGONE. YEAH. SO MANY. THANK YOU MR. FINGER. SO LITTLE TIME. ITEM 29. HOLD ON, I'M SORRY. UM, SO WE HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND FOR CONSENT. UH, AGENDA, PLEASE VOTE YOU. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 29. YES. ITEM 29 IS AN ORDINANCE WAIVING THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS [07:40:01] OF CITY CODE FOUR DASH SIX AND GRANTING A VARIANCE AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON THE NORTH. 120.08 FEET OF BLOCK THREE, BLOCK TWO N CCB 1 6 6 0 0 LOCATED AT 1 5 7 1 0 CHASE HILL BOULEVARD FOR OFF-PREMISE CONSUMPTION WITHIN 300 FEET OF MONROE MAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A PUBLIC EDUCATION INSTITUTION LOCATED WITHIN THE NORTHSIDE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. COUNCILMAN BEFORE MOTION MAY, I'D LIKE TO STATE, STATE THAT THE APPLICANT AG APPLICANT AGREES TO THE FOLLOWING ADDED CONDITION OF NO ALCOHOL SALES BEFORE 4:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE. THANK YOU. UH, MOVE TO APPROVE OF THE CONDITIONS. READ, UH, JUST WANNA LET EVERYBODY KNOW WE DID SPEAK TO N I S D AND THEY'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH THESE CONDITIONS. IS THERE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND FOR ITEM 29, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES Z ONE SONY KZ 2018 2 97 CD FROM C ONE C D A H O D TO C ONE CD WITH A CONDITIONAL USE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE SALES, LOCATED AT 46 22 WEST AVENUE. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. THE SIX FOOT SOLID SCREEN FENCE ALONG RESIDENTIAL USES, NO TEMPORARY SIGNAGE. A 15 FOOT LANDSCAPE BUFFER SHALL BE REQUIRED ALONG THE WEST PROPERTY LINE. DOWNWARD LIGHTING POINTED AWAY FROM RESIDENTIAL USES AND NO VEHICLE DISPLAY OR PARKING AT THE CORNER OF WEST AVENUE OR ROYAL VISTA DRIVE. 20. NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR, ZERO OPPOSED IN THE NORTH CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT. COUNCIL MEMBER PALIS. UM, THANK YOU. MOVE TO APPROVE WITH, UH, CONDITIONS. READ. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF Z ONE WITH CONDITIONS AS READ, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES P ONE AND Z TWO. PLAN AMENDMENT CASE 1 8 0 7 8 AND ZONING KZ 2018 2 52 50 AMENDING THE TOBIN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN FROM LOW DENSITY MIXED USE AND LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO HIGH DENSITY MIXED USE FROM AND REZONING FROM RMM FOUR AND C THREE R TO I D Z WITH USES PERMITTED IN MF 65 AND C TWO LOCATED AT 1817 NORTH ST. MARY'S STREET AND 8 24 EAST EUCLID STREET. STAFF PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND DENIAL WITH AN ALTERNATE RECOMMENDATION. 23. NOTICES MAIL ONE IN FAVOR TO OPPOSE TOBIN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS OPPOSED. AND THE APPLICANT HAS REQUESTED A CONTINUANCE UNTIL NOVEMBER 15TH. COUNCIL MEMBER PALIS. THANK YOU. MOTION TO CONTINUE UNTIL NOVEMBER 15TH. SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE ON P ONE AND Z TWO. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE VOTE. SECOND. THANK YOU SIR. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM Z 16 ZONING KZ 2018 2 56 REZONING FROM R SIX TO C TWO AND A LOCATED AT 2311 WESTWARD DRIVE. STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL WITH AN ALTERNATE RECOMMENDATION. ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS DENIAL. 20 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR FOR OPPOSED AND THE CABLE WESTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS OPPOSED AND THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CONTINUANCE UNTIL NOVEMBER 15TH. COUNCIL MEMBER BROCK HOUSE. THANK YOU MA'AM. UH, STILL WORKING THIS ONE SO I'LL MOVE TO CONTINUE THIS TO NOVEMBER 15TH. WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND FOR CONTINUANCE UNTIL NOVEMBER 15TH. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES Z 17 ZONING KZ 2018 1 96 REZONING FROM R SIX TO MF 18 LOCATED AT 82 15 ECKARD ROAD. STAFF AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL. THERE WERE 31 NOTICES MAILED ZERO IN FAVOR. THREE OPPOSED ECKARD CROSSING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIA ASSOCIATION DOES NOT OPPOSE. AND THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO ALLOW FOR UP TO AN EIGHT FOOT PERIMETER FENCE. COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO APPROVE WITH THE CONDITIONS AS READ. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS AS READ, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. THAT'S IT. WE'RE FINISHED. . THANK YOU. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THIS VERY HISTORIC DAY AT 5:24 PM. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.